Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

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СКАЧАТЬ they) it is worthy

      the good to commende, and the gilty desertes to chastice. There

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      ben citezens many, for-ferde of execucion that shal be doon; for

      extorcions by hem committed ben evermore ayenst these purposes

      and al other good mevinges. Never-the-latter, lady, trewly the

      meninge under these wordes was, fully to have apeched the

      mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgovernaunce

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      that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free

      eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for

      greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion

      that they hem submitted to every maner †fate rather than have

      suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours;

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      notwithstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny,

      that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten

      reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn

      his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke

      eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen;

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      and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady,

      knowen among the princes, and made open to the people,

      draweth in amendement, that every degree shal ben ordayned to

      stande there-as he shulde; and that of errours coming herafter

      men may lightly to-forn-hand purvaye remedye; in this wyse pees

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      and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady,

      thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne

      juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and

      asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth my wordes ben

      sothe, without forginge of lesinges.

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      But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in

      janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten

      to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and

      my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge

      sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but

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      only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche

      I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady,

      how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked

      men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight

      that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to

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      the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven,

      apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and

      studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne?

      O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of

      my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to

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      the forsayd maters, tho me commended, and yave me name of

      trouth, in so manyfolde maners that it was nyghe in every

      wightes eere, there-as any of thilke people weren; and on the

      other syde, thilke company somtyme passed, yevinge me name

      of badde loos: now bothe tho peoples turned the good in-to

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      badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that

      they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her

      olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe,

      and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they

      aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater

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      knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater

      is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte

      not in praysing of my-selfe; therby shulde I lese the precious

      secrè of my conscience. But ye see wel that false opinion of the

      people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters;

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      and after the jugement of these clerkes, I shulde not hyde the

      sothe of no maner person, mayster ne other. Wherfore I wolde

      not drede, were it put in the consideracion of trewe and of wyse.

      And for comers hereafter shullen fully, out of denwere, al the

      sothe knowe of these thinges in acte, but as they wern, I have

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      put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge.

      For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of

      trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me †submitted.

      But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn)

      flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede

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      til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben

      hindred, СКАЧАТЬ