'Me thinketh,' quod I, 'that ye have right wel declared,
that way to the knot shuld not ben in none of these
disprovinge thinges; and now, order of our purpos this asketh,
that ye shulde me shewe if any way be +thider, and whiche
thilke way shulde ben; so that openly may be seye the verry 5
hye way in ful confusioun of these other thinges.'
'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that [of] one of three
lyves (as I first sayd) every creature of mankynde is sprongen,
and so forth procedeth. These lyves ben thorow names departed
in three maner of kyndes, as bestialliche, manliche, and resonabliche; 10
of whiche two ben used by flesshely body, and the thirde
by his soule. "Bestial" among resonables is forboden in every
lawe and every secte, bothe in Cristen and other; for every
wight dispyseth hem that liveth by lustes and delytes, as him
that is thral and bounden servaunt to thinges right foule; suche 15
ben compted werse than men; he shal nat in their degree ben
rekened, ne for suche one alowed. Heritykes, sayn they, chosen
lyf bestial, that voluptuously liven; so that (as I first sayde to
thee) in manly and resonable livinges our mater was to declare;
but [by] "manly" lyfe, in living after flesshe, or els flesshly wayes 20
to chese, may nat blisse in this knotte be conquered, as by reson
it is proved. Wherfore by "resonable" lyfe he must nedes it
have, sithe a way is to this knotte, but nat by the firste tway lyves;
wherfore nedes mot it ben to the thirde; and for to live in flesshe,
but nat after flessh, is more resonablich than manliche rekened 25
by clerkes. Therfore how this way cometh in, I wol it blythely
declare.
See now (quod she) that these bodily goodes of manliche
livinges yelden +sorowfulle stoundes and smertande houres. Who-so
+wol remembre him to their endes, in their worchinges they 30
ben thoughtful and sorie. Right as a bee that hath had his hony,
anon at his flight beginneth to stinge; so thilke bodily goodes at
the laste mote awaye, and than stinge they at her goinge, wherthrough
entreth and clene voydeth al blisse of this knot.'
'Forsothe,' quod I, 'me thinketh I am wel served, in shewing 35
of these wordes. Although I hadde litel in respect among other
grete and worthy, yet had I a fair parcel, as me thought, for the
tyme, in forthering of my sustenaunce; whiche while it dured,
I thought me havinge mokel hony to myne estat. I had richesse
suffisauntly to weyve nede; I had dignitè to be reverenced in 40
worship. Power me thought that I had to kepe fro myne enemyes,
and me semed to shyne in glorie of renomè as manhood asketh
in mene; for no wight in myne administracion coude non yvels
ne trechery by sothe cause on me putte. Lady, your-selve
weten wel, that of tho confederacies maked by my soverains 45
I nas but a servaunt, and yet mokel mene folk wol fully ayenst
reson thilke maters maynteyne, in whiche mayntenaunce [they]
glorien them-selfe; and, as often ye haven sayd, therof ought
nothing in yvel to be layd to me-wardes, sithen as repentaunt
I am tourned, and no more I thinke, neither tho thinges ne 50
none suche other to sustene, but utterly distroye, without medlinge
maner, in al my mightes. How am I now cast out of al
swetnesse of blisse, and mischevously [is] stongen my passed
joy! Soroufully muste I bewayle, and live as a wrecche.
Every of tho joyes is tourned in-to his contrary. For richesse, 55
now have I povertè; for dignitè, now am I emprisoned; in
stede of power, wrecchednesse I suffre; and for glorie of renomè,
I am now dispysed and foulich hated. Thus hath farn Fortune,
that sodaynly am I overthrowen, and out of al welth dispoyled.
Trewly, me thinketh this way in entree is right hard; god graunt 60
me better grace er it be al passed; the other way, lady, me
thought right swete.'
'Now, certes,' quod Love, 'me list for to chyde. What ayleth
thy darke dulnesse? Wol it nat in clerenesse ben sharped?
Have I nat by many resons to thee shewed, suche bodily goodes 65
faylen to yeve blisse, their might so ferforth wol nat strecche?
Shame (quod she) it is to say, thou lyest in thy wordes. Thou
ne hast wist but right fewe that these bodily goodes had al atones;
commenly they dwellen nat togider. He that plentè hath in riches,
of his kinne is ashamed; another of linage right noble and wel 70
knowe, but povert him handleth; he were lever unknowe.
Another hath these, but renomè of peoples praysing may he nat
have; overal he is hated and defamed of thinges right foule.
Another is fair and semely, but dignitè him fayleth; and he that
hath dignitè is croked or lame, or els misshapen and foully dispysed. 75
Thus partable these goodes dwellen commenly; in one
houshold ben they but silde. Lo! how wrecched is your truste
on thing that wol nat accorde! Me thinketh, thou clepest thilke
plyte thou were in "selinesse of fortune"; and thou sayest, for
that the selinesse is departed, thou art a wrecch. Than foloweth 80
this upon thy wordes; every soule resonable of man may nat dye;
and if deth endeth selinesse and maketh wrecches, as nedes of
fortune maketh it an ende. Than soules, after deth of the body,
in wrecchednesse shulde liven. But we knowe many that han
geten the blisse of heven after their deth. How than may this 85
lyf maken men blisful, that whan it passeth it yeveth no wrecchednesse,
and many tymes blisse, if in this lyfe he con live as he
shulde? And wolt thou acompt with Fortune, that now at [t]he
first she hath don thee tene and sorowe? If thou loke to the
maner of al glad thinges and sorouful, thou mayst nat nay it, that 90
yet, and namely now, thou standest in noble plyte in a good
ginning, with good forth-going herafter. And if thou wene to be
a wrecch, for such welth is passed, why than art thou nat wel
fortunate, for badde thinges and anguis wrecchednesse ben passed?
Art thou now come first in-to the hostry of this lyfe, or els the 95
both of this worlde? Art thou now a sodayn gest in-to this
wrecched exile? Wenest there be any thing in this erthe stable?
Is nat thy first arest passed, that brought thee in mortal sorowe?
Ben these nat mortal thinges agon with ignorance of beestial wit,
and hast receyved reson in knowing of vertue? What comfort is 100
in thy herte, the knowinge sikerly in my service [to] be grounded?
And wost thou nat wel, as I said, that deth maketh ende of al
fortune? What than? Standest thou in noble plyte, litel hede
or recking to take, if thou let fortune passe dy[i]ng, or els that
she fly whan her list, now by thy lyve? Pardy, a man hath 105
nothing so leef as his lyf; and for to holde that, he doth al his
cure and diligent traveyle. Than, say I, thou art blisful and
fortunat sely, if thou knowe thy goodes that thou hast yet
+beleved, whiche nothing may doute that they ne ben more worthy
than thy lyf?' 110
'What is that?' quod I.
'Good contemplacion,' quod she, 'of wel-doing in vertue in tyme
coming, bothe in plesaunce of me and of thy Margarit-peerle.
Hastely thyn hert in ful blisse with her shal be esed. Therfore dismay
thee nat; Fortune, in hate grevously ayenst thy bodily person, 115
ne yet to gret tempest hath she nat sent to thee, sithen the holding
cables and ankers of thy lyfe holden by knitting so faste, that
thou discomforte thee nought of tyme that is now, ne dispayre
thee not of tyme to come, but yeven thee comfort in hope of
weldoing, and of getting agayn the double of thy lesing, with 120
encresing love of thy Margarite-perle therto! For this, hiderto,
thou hast had al her ful daunger; and so thou might amende al
that is misse and al defautes that somtyme thou diddest; and
that now, in al thy tyme, to that ilke Margaryte in ful service of
my lore thyne herte hath continued; wherfore she ought moche 125
the rather enclyne fro her daungerous sete. These thinges ben
yet knit by the holding anker in thy lyve, and holden mote they;
to god I pray, al these thinges at ful ben perfourmed. For whyle
this anker holdeth, I hope thou shalt safely escape; and [in a]
whyle thy trewe-mening service aboute bringe, in dispyte of al 130
false meners that thee of-newe haten; for [in] this trewe service
thou art now entred.'
'Certayn,' quod I, 'among thinges I asked a question, whiche
was the way to the knot. Trewly, lady, how-so it be I tempt you
with questions and answers, in speking of my first service, I am 135
now in ful purpos in the pricke of the herte, that thilke service
was an enprisonment, and alway bad and naughty, in no maner
to be desyred; ne that, in getting of the knot, may it nothing
aveyle. A wyse gentil herte loketh after vertue, and none other
bodily joyes alone. And bycause toforn this in tho wayes I was 140
set, I wot wel my-selfe I have erred, and of the blisse fayled; and
so out of my way hugely have I ronne.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'that is sothe; and there thou hast miswent,
eschewe the path from hens-forward, I rede. Wonder
I trewly why the mortal folk of this worlde seche these ways 145
outforth; and it is preved in your-selfe. Lo, how ye ben confounded
with errour and folly! The knowing of very cause and way is
goodnesse and vertue. Is there any thing to thee more precious
than thy-selfe? Thou shalt have in thy power that thou woldest
never lese, and that in no way may be taken fro thee; and thilke 150
thing is that is cause of this knot. And if deth mowe it nat reve
more than an erthly creature, thilke thing than abydeth with thy-selfe
soule. And so, our conclusion to make, suche a knot, thus
getten, abydeth with this thinge and with the soule, as long as
they laste. A soule dyeth never; vertu and goodnesse evermore 155
with the soule endureth; and this knot is parfit blisse. Than
this soule in this blisse endlesse shal enduren. Thus shul hertes
of a trewe knot ben esed: thus shul their soules ben plesed: thus
perpetually in joye shul they singe.'
'In good trouth,' quod I, 'here is a good beginning; yeve us 160
more of this way.'
Quod she, 'I said to thee nat longe sithen, that resonable lyf
was oon of three thinges; and it was proved to the soule.
CH. X. 3. nowe. purpose. 4. thyther. 5. maye be sey. 6. waye. 7. _I supply_
of. 7-10. thre (_twice_). 9. thorowe. 13. christen. 17. sayne. 18. lyfe.
19. the. lyueng_es_. 20. _Supply_ by. lyueng. 21. reason. 24. mote. 26.
howe. waye. 28. Se nowe. 29. lyuenges. soroufully; _read_ sorowfulle. 30.
wele; _read_ wol.
31. hadde. 32. anone. 36. respecte amonge. 37. great. faire. 39. estate.
42. manhode. 43. meane. -tion. 46. meane folke. 47. reason. _I supply_
they. 48. sayde. 49. nothynge. layde. 52. Howe. nowe caste. 53. _Supply_
is. 54. wretche. 56. nowe (_thrice_). 57. wretchednesse. 58. nowe. 60.
entre. harde. 61. ladye. 63. Nowe. 65. reasons. the. 66. ferforthe.
stretche.
74. faire. 75. fouly. 77. sylde. howe reetched (!). 80. arte a wretch. 82.
dethe. wretches. 83. dethe. 84-6. wretchednesse. 85. dethe. Howe. 86. lyfe.
88. wolte. now. he; _read_ the. 89. done the. 91. nowe. 93. wretch. 94.
wretchednesse. 95-6. nowe (_twice_). 96. sodayne. 97. wretched. thynge. 98.
the (_sic_). 100. reason. co_m_forte. 101. hert. _I supply_ to. 102. woste.
104. rcekyng. dyng (_sic_). 106. lefe. lyfe. 109. beloued; _read_ beleued.
nothynge. 112. conte_m_plation. 114. eased. 115-9. the (_five times_). 119.
comforte. 120. agayne. encreasynge. 129. shalte. _Supply_ in a. 130.
meanyng. 131. meaners. the. _Supply_ in. 132. arte nowe. 133. Certayn
_begins with a large capital_ C, _on fol._ 306, verso. amonge. 134. howe.
136. nowe. purpose. 136-9. hert.
140. toforne. 141. sette. wote. 142. ron. 144. pathe. -forwarde. 145.
folke. 146. howe. 148. thynge. the. 150. the. 151. dethe. 152. thynge. 155.
last. 156. p_ar_fite. 158. eased. pleased. 162. the. lyfe. 163. one. thre.