In this mene whyle this comfortable lady gan singe a wonder
mater of endytinge in Latin; but trewly, the noble colours in
rethorik wyse knitte were so craftely, that my conning wol not
strecche to remembre; but the sentence, I trowe, somdel have
I in mynde. Certes, they were wonder swete of sowne, and they 5
were touched al in lamentacion wyse, and by no werbles of
myrthe. Lo! thus gan she singe in Latin, as I may constrewe it
in our Englisshe tonge.
'Alas! that these hevenly bodyes their light and course shewen,
as nature yave hem in commaundement at the ginning of the first 10
age; but these thinges in free choice of reson han non
understondinge. But man that ought to passe al thing of doinge, of
right course in kynde, over-whelmed sothnesse by wrongful tytle,
and hath drawen the sterre of envye to gon by his syde, that the
clips of me, that shulde be his shynande sonne, so ofte is seye, 15
that it wened thilke errour, thorow hem come in, shulde ben myn
owne defaute. Trewly, therfore, I have me withdrawe, and mad
my dwellinge out of lande in an yle by my-selfe, in the occian
closed; and yet sayn there many, they have me harberowed; but,
god wot, they faylen. These thinges me greven to thinke, and 20
namely on passed gladnesse, that in this worlde was wont me
disporte of highe and lowe; and now it is fayled; they that
wolden maystries me have in thilke stoundes. In heven on
highe, above Saturnes sphere, in sesonable tyme were they
lodged; but now come queynte counsailours that in no house 25
wol suffre me sojourne, wherof is pitè; and yet sayn some that
they me have in celler with wyne shed; in gernere, there corn is
layd covered with whete; in sacke, sowed with wolle; in purse,
with money faste knit; among pannes mouled in a +whicche;
in presse, among clothes layd, with riche pelure arayed; in stable, 30
among hors and other beestes, as hogges, sheep, and neet; and
in many other wyse. But thou, maker of light (in winking of
thyn eye the sonne is queynt), wost right wel that I in trewe name
was never thus herberowed.
Somtyme, toforn the sonne in the seventh partie was smiten, 35
I bar both crosse and mytre, to yeve it where I wolde. With me
the pope wente a-fote; and I tho was worshipped of al holy
church. Kinges baden me their crownes holden. The law was
set as it shuld; tofore the juge, as wel the poore durste shewe
his greef as the riche, for al his money. I defended tho taylages, 40
and was redy for the poore to paye. I made grete feestes in my
tyme, and noble songes, and maryed damoselles of gentil feture,
withouten golde or other richesse. Poore clerkes, for witte of
schole, I sette in churches, and made suche persones to preche;
and tho was service in holy churche honest and devout, in 45
plesaunce bothe of god and of the people. But now the leude
for symonye is avaunced, and shendeth al holy churche. Now is
steward, for his achates; now +is courtiour, for his debates; now
is eschetour, for his wronges; now is losel, for his songes,
personer; and [hath his] provendre alone, with whiche manye 50
thrifty shulde encrese. And yet is this shrewe behynde; free
herte is forsake; and losengeour is take. Lo! it acordeth; for
suche there ben that voluntarie lustes haunten in courte with
ribaudye, that til midnight and more wol playe and wake, but in
the churche at matins he is behynde, for yvel disposicion of his 55
stomake; therfore he shulde ete bene-breed (and so did his
syre) his estate ther-with to strengthen. His auter is broke, and
lowe lyth, in poynte to gon to the erthe; but his hors muste ben
esy and hye, to bere him over grete waters. His chalice poore,
but he hath riche cuppes. No towayle but a shete, there god 60
shal ben handled; and on his mete-borde there shal ben bord-clothes
and towelles many payre. At masse serveth but a clergion;
fyve squiers in hal. Poore chaunsel, open holes in every
syde; beddes of silke, with tapites going al aboute his chambre.
Poore masse-book and leud chapelayn, and broken surplice with 65
many an hole; good houndes and many, to hunte after hart and
hare, to fede in their feestes. Of poore men have they greet
care; for they ever crave and nothing offren, they wolden have
hem dolven! But among legistres there dar I not come; my
doinge[s], they sayn, maken hem nedy. They ne wolde for 70
nothing have me in town; for than were tort and +force nought
worth an hawe about, and plesen no men, but thilk grevous and
torcious ben in might and in doing. These thinges to-forn-sayd
mowe wel, if men liste, ryme; trewly, they acorde nothing. And
for-as-moch as al thinges by me shulden of right ben governed, 75
I am sory to see that governaunce fayleth, as thus: to sene smale
and lowe governe the hye and bodies above. Certes, that
policye is naught; it is forbode by them that of governaunce
treten and enformen. And right as beestly wit shulde ben
subject to reson, so erthly power in it-selfe, the lower shulde ben 80
subject to the hygher. What is worth thy body, but it be
governed with thy soule? Right so litel or naught is worth
erthely power, but if reignatif prudence in heedes governe the
smale; to whiche heedes the smale owen to obey and suffre in
their governaunce. But soverainnesse ayenward shulde thinke in 85
this wyse: "I am servaunt of these creatures to me delivered,
not lord, but defendour; not mayster, but enfourmer; not
possessour, but in possession; and to hem liche a tree in whiche
sparowes shullen stelen, her birdes to norisshe and forth bringe,
under suretee ayenst al raveynous foules and beestes, and not to 90
be tyraunt them-selfe." And than the smale, in reste and quiete,
by the heedes wel disposed, owen for their soveraynes helth and
prosperitè to pray, and in other doinges in maintenaunce therof
performe, withouten other administracion in rule of any maner
governaunce. And they wit have in hem, and grace to come to 95
suche thinges, yet shulde they cese til their heedes them cleped,
although profit and plesaunce shulde folowe. But trewly, other
governaunce ne other medlinge ought they not to clayme, ne
the heedes on hem to putte. Trewly, amonges cosinage dar
I not come, but-if richesse be my mene; sothly, she and other 100
bodily goodes maketh nigh cosinage, ther never propinquitè ne
alyaunce in lyve was ne shulde have be, nere it for her medling
maners; wherfore kindly am I not ther leged. Povert of
kinred is behynde; richesse suffreth him to passe; truly he saith,
he com never of Japhetes childre. Whereof I am sory that 105
Japhetes children, for povert, in no linage ben rekened, and
Caynes children, for riches, be maked Japhetes heires. Alas! this
is a wonder chaunge bitwene tho two Noës children, sithen that
of Japhetes ofspring comeden knightes, and of Cayn discended
the lyne of servage to his brothers childre. Lo! how gentillesse 110
and servage, as cosins, bothe discended out of two brethern of
one body! Wherfore I saye in sothnesse, that gentilesse in
kinrede +maketh not gentil linage in succession, without desert
of a mans own selfe. Where is now the lyne of Alisaundre the
noble, or els of Hector of Troye? Who is discended of right 115
bloode of lyne fro king Artour? Pardè, sir Perdicas, whom that
Alisandre made to ben his heire in Grece, was of no kinges
bloode; his dame was a tombestere. Of what kinred ben the
gentiles in our dayes? I trow therfore, if any good be in gentilesse,
it is only that it semeth a maner of necessitè be input to 120
gentilmen, that they shulden not varyen fro the vertues of their
auncestres. Certes, al maner linage of men ben evenliche in
birth; for oon +fader, maker of al goodnes, enformed hem al,
and al mortal folk of one sede arn greyned. Wherto avaunt men
of her linage, in cosinage or in +elde-faders? Loke now the ginning, 125
and to god, maker of mans person; there is no clerk ne no
worthy in gentilesse; and he that norissheth his +corage with
vyces and unresonable lustes, and leveth the kynde course, to
whiche ende him brought forth his birthe, trewly, he is ungentil,
and among +cherles may ben nempned. And therfore, he that 130
wol ben gentil, he mot daunten his flesshe fro vyces that causen
ungentilnesse, and leve also reignes of wicked lustes, and drawe
to him vertue, that in al places gentilnesse gentilmen maketh.
And so speke I, in feminine gendre in general, of tho persones,
at the reverence of one whom every wight honoureth; for her 135
bountee and her noblesse y-made her to god so dere, that his
moder she became; and she me hath had so greet in worship,
that I nil for nothing in open declare, that in any thinge ayenst her
secte may so wene. For al vertue and al worthinesse of plesaunce
in hem haboundeth. And although I wolde any-thing speke, 140
trewly I can not; I may fynde in yvel of hem no maner mater.'
CH. II. 1. meane. ganne. 4. stretche. somdele. 7. ganne.
11. none. 12. thynge. 15. sey; _read_ seye _or_ seyen. 16. thorowe. 17.
made. 19. sayne. 20. wote. 21. wonte. 23. nowe. 24. seasonable. 26. sayne.
27. corne. 28. layde. 29. knytte. amonge (_twice_). wyche; _read_ whicche.
30. layde. 31. amonge horse. shepe. nete. 33. woste. 36. bare. 37. went.
40. grefe. 41. pay. great. 44. preache.
45. deuoute. 46. nowe. 47. Nowe. 48. stewarde. nowe. it; _read_ is. nowe.
49. eschetoure. nowe. 50. _I supply_ hath his. 51. encrease. 56. eate
beane-. 58. lythe. gone. horse. 59. easy. beare. great. 61. meate-. borde-.
65. boke. leude chapelayne. 66. harte. 67. great. 68. nothynge. 69. amonge.
dare. 70. sayne. 71. forthe; _read_ force. 72. worthe. pleasen. 73.
to-forne-. 74. nothynge. 76. sorye. se. 78. polesye. 79. treaten. wytte.
80. subiecte. reason. 82. worthe. 83. reignatyfe. 85. ayenwarde. 87. lorde.
88. possessoure. 89. forth bring. 90. suretie. 96. cease. 97. profyte.
pleasaunce. 99. put. dare. 100. meane. 109. comeden (_sic_); _read_ comen?
110. howe. 111. bretherne. 113. maken; _read_ maketh. deserte. 114. nowe.
118. tombystere. 123. one. father; _read_ fader. 124. folke. arne. 125.
-fathers; _read_ -faders. 126. clerke. 127. corare; _read_ corage. 128.
leaueth. 129. forthe. 130. amonge. clerkes (!); _read_ cherles. 131. mote.
132. leaue. 136. bountie. 137. great. 139. maye.