Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

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СКАЧАТЬ commensal, that hast so

      mikel eeten of the potages of foryetfulnesse, and dronken so of

      ignorance, that the olde souking[es] whiche thou haddest of me

      arn amaystred and lorn fro al maner of knowing? O, this is

      a worthy person to helpe other, that can not counsayle him-selfe!'

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      And with these wordes, for pure and stronge shame, I wox al

      reed.

      And she than, seing me so astonyed by dyvers stoundes,

      sodainly (which thing kynde hateth) gan deliciously me comforte

      with sugred wordes, putting me in ful hope that I shulde the

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      Margarite getten, if I folowed her hestes; and gan with a fayre

      clothe to wypen the teres that hingen on my chekes; and than

      sayd I in this wyse.

      'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may

      nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges.

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      In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady,

      first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the

      by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes

      goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes

      here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with

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      imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of

      hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing

      desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that †wol don your

      lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes

      to cese.'

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      'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye

      myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But

      amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to

      be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough,

      me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God

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      forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde,

      thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent.

      Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible.

      But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that

      thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to

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      distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest

      thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games

      are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"?

      I not what thou therof menest.'

      'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore

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      arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man

      rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce.

      Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying

      tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many

      wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe,

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      for al his gret sothnesse.

      'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so

      precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof

      extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche

      jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han

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      at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence

      ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be

      supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'

      'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to

      thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos

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      by the leest point that any wight coude pricke.

      Ch. IV. 2. great-. 4. heauy. 5. easy. 6. easyly. 7. One. 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. 9. easy. 11. ladye easely. 13. great. 14. ferre. 16. the lyste. 17. inwytte. 18. disease (twice). 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. 20. wonte. onely. 22. distroyeng. 23. comforte. seare. 24. comforte. 25. haste. 27. soukyng. 28. arne.

      30. woxe. 33. thynge. 36. teares. 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. 39. bearest. 40. catche. 43. done her course. 45. blode. 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. 48. nowe. 49. cease. 53. wherthroughe. 58. nowe. the. 59. reason. 60. put. 61. lette-games. 63. meanest. 65. arne.

      67. steeryng. lyeng. 68. eares. 72. wretche. 78. reason. 79. the. let. purpose.

      CHAPTER V.

      Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the

      strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos?

      Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is

      it nat preved by strength?'

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      'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.

      'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and

      Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of

      speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for

      suertee СКАЧАТЬ