Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

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СКАЧАТЬ riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in

      this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret

      throw, mannes trust of selinesse in love: as in riches, suffisance

      to have maintayned that was begonne by worldly catel; in dignitè,

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      honour and reverence of hem that wern underput by maistry

      therby to obeye. In renomè, glorie of peoples praising, after

      lustes in their hert, without hede-taking to qualitè and maner of

      doing; and in power, by trouth of lordships mayntenaunce, thing

      to procede forth in doing. In al whiche thinges a longe tyme

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      mannes coveytise in commune hath ben greetly grounded, to come

      to the blisse of my service; but trewly, they were begyled, and for

      the principal muste nedes fayle, and in helping mowe nat availe.

      See why. For holdest him not poore that is nedy?'

      'Yes, pardè,' quod I.

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      'And him for dishonored, that moche folk deyne nat to

      reverence?'

      'That is soth,' quod I.

      'And what him, that his mightes faylen and mowe nat helpen?'

      'Certes,' quod I, 'me semeth, of al men he shulde be holden

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      a wrecche.'

      'And wenest nat,' quod she, 'that he that is litel in renomè,

      but rather is out of the praysinges of mo men than a fewe, be nat

      in shame?'

      'For soth,' quod I, 'it is shame and villany, to him that

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      coveyteth renomè, that more folk nat prayse in name than preise.'

      'Soth,' quod she, 'thou sayst soth; but al these thinges are

      folowed of suche maner doinge, and wenden in riches suffisaunce,

      in power might, in dignitè worship, and in renomè glorie; wherfore

      they discended in-to disceyvable wening, and in that service disceit

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      is folowed. And thus, in general, thou and al suche other that so

      worchen, faylen of my blisse that ye long han desyred. Wherfore

      truly, in lyfe of reson is the hye way to this blisse; as I thinke

      more openly to declare herafter. Never-the-later yet, in a litel to

      comforte thy herte, in shewing of what waye thou art entred

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      *selfe, and that thy Margarite may knowe thee set in the hye way,

      I wol enforme thee in this wyse. Thou hast fayled of thy first

      purpos, bicause thou wentest wronge and leftest the hye way on

      thy right syde, as thus: thou lokedest on worldly living, and that

      thing thee begyled; and lightly therfore, as a litel assay, thou

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      songedest; but whan I turned thy purpos, and shewed thee

      a part of the hye waye, tho thou abode therin, and no deth ne

      ferdnesse of non enemy might thee out of thilk way reve; but

      ever oon in thyn herte, to come to the ilke blisse, whan thou

      were arested and firste tyme enprisoned, thou were loth to

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      chaunge thy way, for in thy hert thou wendest to have ben there

      thou shuldest. And for I had routhe to sene thee miscaried,

      and wiste wel thyn ablenesse my service to forther and encrese,

      I com my-selfe, without other mene, to visit thy person in comfort

      of thy hert. And perdy, in my comming thou were greetly

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      glad[d]ed; after whiche tyme no disese, no care, no tene, might

      move me out of thy hert. And yet am I glad and greetly enpited,

      how continually thou haddest me in mynde, with good avysement

      of thy conscience, whan thy king and his princes by huge wordes

      and grete loked after variaunce in thy speche; and ever thou

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      were redy for my sake, in plesaunce of the Margarite-perle and

      many mo other, thy body to oblige in-to Marces doing, if any

      contraried thy sawes. Stedfast way maketh stedfast hert, with

      good hope in the ende. Trewly, I wol that thou it wel knowe;

      for I see thee so set, and not chaunginge herte haddest in my

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      service; and I made thou haddest grace of thy kinge, in

      foryevenesse of mikel misdede. To the gracious king art thou mikel

      holden, of whos grace and goodnesse somtyme hereafter I thinke

      thee enforme, whan I shew the ground where-as moral vertue

      groweth. Who brought thee to werke? Who brought this grace

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      aboute? Who made thy hert hardy? Trewly, it was I. For

      haddest thou of me fayled, than of this purpos had[dest thou]

      never taken [hede] in this wyse. And therfore I say, thou might

      wel truste to come to thy blisse, sithen thy ginninge hath ben hard,

      but ever graciously after thy hertes desyr hath proceded. Silver

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