Every soule of reson hath two thinges of stering lyf, oon in
vertue, and another in the bodily workinge; and whan the
soule is the maister over the body, than is a man maister of him-selfe.
And a man, to be a maister over him-selfe, liveth in vertu and
in goodnesse, and as reson of vertue techeth. So the soule and the 5
body, worching vertue togider, liven resonable lyf, whiche clerkes
clepen "felicitè in living"; and therein is the hye way to this knot.
These olde philosophers, that hadden no knowing of divine grace,
of kyndly reson alone, wenden that of pure nature, withouten any
helpe of grace, me might have y-shoned th'other livinges. 10
Resonably have I lived; and for I thinke herafter, if god wol,
and I have space, thilke grace after my leude knowing declare,
I leve it as at this tyme. But, as I said, he that out-forth loketh
after the wayes of this knot, [his] conning with whiche he shulde
knowe the way in-forth, slepeth for the tyme. Wherfore he that 15
wol this way knowe, must leve the loking after false wayes out-forth,
and open the eyen of his conscience, and unclose his herte.
Seest nat, he that hath trust in the bodily lyfe is so besy bodily
woundes to anointe, in keping from smert (for al-out may they nat
be heled), that of woundes in his true understanding he taketh no 20
hede; the knowing evenforth slepeth so harde: but anon, as in
knowing awake, than ginneth the prevy medicynes, for heling of
his trewe intent, inwardes lightly +helen conscience, if it be wel
handled. Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule
by stering lyfe of the body; and els may no man come to parfit 25
blisse of this knotte. And thus, by this waye, he shal come to the
knotte, and to the parfit selinesse that he wende have had in
bodily goodes outforth.'
'Ye,' quod I, 'shal he have both knot, riches, power, dignitè,
and renomè in this maner way?' 30
'Ye,' quod she, 'that shal I shewe thee. Is he nat riche that
hath suffisaunce, and hath the power that no man may amaistrien?
Is nat greet dignitè to have worship and reverence? And hath
he nat glorie of renomè, whos name perpetual is during, and out
of nombre in comparacion?' 35
'These be thinges that men wenen to getten outforth,' quod I.
'Ye,' quod she; 'they that loken after a thing that nought is
therof, in al ne in partie, longe mowe they gapen after!'
'That is sothe,' quod I.
'Therfore,' quod she, 'they that sechen gold in grene trees, and 40
wene to gader precious stones among vynes, and layn her nettes
in mountains to fisshe, and thinken to hunte in depe sees after
hart and hynd, and sechen in erth thilke thinges that surmounteth
heven, what may I of hem say, but folisshe ignoraunce misledeth
wandring wrecches by uncouth wayes that shulden be forleten, 45
and maketh hem blynde fro the right pathe of trewe way that
shulde ben used? Therfore, in general, errour in mankynde
departeth thilke goodes by mis-seching, whiche he shulde have
hole, and he sought by reson. Thus goth he begyled of that he
sought; in his hode men have blowe a jape.' 50
'Now,' quod I, 'if a man be vertuous, and al in vertue liveth,
how hath he al these thinges?'
'That shal I proven,' quod she. 'What power hath any man
to lette another of living in vertue? For prisonment, or any
other disese, [if] he take it paciently, discomfiteth he nat; the 55
tyrant over his soule no power may have. Than hath that man,
so tourmented, suche power, that he nil be discomfit; ne overcome
may he nat ben, sithen pacience in his soule overcometh,
and +is nat overcomen. Suche thing that may nat be a-maistred,
he hath nede to nothing; for he hath suffisaunce y-now, to helpe 60
him-selfe. And thilke thing that thus hath power and suffisance,
and no tyrant may it reve, and hath dignitè to sette at nought al
thinges, here it is a greet dignitè, that deth may a-maistry. Wherfore
thilke power [with] suffisaunce, so enclosed with dignitè, by
al reson renomè must have. This is thilke riches with suffisaunce 65
ye sholde loke after; this is thilke worshipful dignitè ye shulde
coveyte; this is thilke power of might, in whiche ye shulde truste;
this is the ilke renomè of glorie that endlesse endureth; and al
nis but substaunce in vertuous lyving.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'al this is sothe; and so I see wel that vertue 70
with ful gripe encloseth al these thinges. Wherfore in sothe
I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brought me
first in-to your service, to have knitting with that jewel, nat sodain
longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but only our conversacion
togider; and than I, seinge th'entent of her trewe mening with 75
florisshing vertue of pacience, that she used nothing in yvel, to
quyte the wicked lesinges that false tonges ofte in her have laid,
I have seye it my-selfe, goodly foryevenesse hath spronge out of
her herte. Unitè and accord, above al other thinges, she
desyreth in a good meke maner; and suffereth many wicked 80
tales.
Trewly, lady, to you it were a gret worship, that suche thinges
by due chastisment were amended.'
'Ye,' quod she, 'I have thee excused; al suche thinges as yet
mowe nat be redressed; thy Margarites vertue I commende wel 85
the more, that paciently suche anoyes suffreth. David king was
meke, and suffred mokel hate and many yvel speches; no despyt
ne shame that his enemys him deden might nat move pacience
out of his herte, but ever in one plyte mercy he used. Wherfore
god him-selfe took reward to the thinges; and theron suche 90
punisshment let falle. Trewly, by reson, it ought be ensample of
drede to al maner peoples mirth. A man vengeable in wrath no
governance in punisshment ought to have. Plato had a cause his
servant to +scourge, and yet cleped he his neibour to performe the
doinge; him-selfe wolde nat, lest wrath had him a-maistred; and 95
so might he have layd on to moche: evermore grounded vertue
sheweth th'entent fro within. And trewly, I wot wel, for her goodnesse
and vertue, thou hast desyred my service to her plesance
wel the more; and thy-selfe therto fully hast profered.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'is vertue the hye way to this knot that 100
long we have y-handled?'
'Ye, forsoth,' quod she, 'and without vertue, goodly this knot
may nat be goten.'
'Ah! now I see,' quod I, 'how vertu in me fayleth; and I, as
a seer tree, without burjoning or frute, alwaye welke; and 105
so I stonde in dispeyre of this noble knot; for vertue in me
hath no maner workinge. A! wyde-where aboute have I
traveyled!'
'Pees,' quod she, 'of thy first way; thy traveyle is in ydel;
and, as touchinge the seconde way, I see wel thy meninge. Thou 110
woldest conclude me, if thou coudest, bycause I brought thee
to service; and every of my servantes I helpe to come to this
blisse, as I sayd here-beforn. And thou saydest thy-selfe, thou
mightest nat be holpen as thou wenest, bycause that vertue in
thee fayleth; and this blisse parfitly without vertue may nat be 115
goten; thou wenest of these wordes contradiccion to folowe.
Pardè, at the hardest, I have no servant but he be vertuous in
dede and thought. I brought thee in my service, yet art thou
nat my servant; but I say, thou might so werche in vertue herafter,
that than shalt thou be my servant, and as for my servant 120
acompted. For habit maketh no monk; ne weringe of gilte
spurres maketh no knight. Never-the-later, in confort of thyne
herte, yet wol I otherwyse answere.'
'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'so ye muste nedes; or els I had
nigh caught suche a +cardiacle for sorowe, I wot it wel, I shulde 125
it never have recovered. And therfore now I praye [thee] to
enforme me in this; or els I holde me without recovery. I may
nat long endure til this lesson be lerned, and of this mischeef the
remedy knowen.'
'Now,' quod she, 'be nat wroth; for there is no man on-lyve 130
that may come to a precious thing longe coveited, but he somtyme
suffre teneful diseses: and wenest thy-selfe to ben unliche to al
other? That may nat ben. And with the more sorowe that
a thing is getten, the more he hath joye the ilke thing afterwardes
to kepe; as it fareth by children in scole, that for lerninge arn 135
beten, whan their lesson they foryetten. Commenly, after a good
disciplyning with a yerde, they kepe right wel doctrine of their
scole.'
CH. XI. 1. euery (_with small_ e). reason. lyfe. one. 6. lyfe. 7. lyueng.
9. reason.
10. thother lyuenges. 13. leaue. 14. _I supply_ his. 16. leaue. 19. anoynt.
20. healed. 22. healyng. 23. healeth; _read_ helen. 25. maye. p_ar_fite.
27. p_ar_fyte. 30. waye. 31. the. 33. great. 34. whose. 35. co_m_paration.
37. thynge. 40. golde. 41. amonge. layne. 42. hunt. 43. hynde. 45.
wretches.
48. mysse. 49. reason. 51. Nowe. 52. howe. 54. let. lyueng. 55. _I supply_
if. 56. maye. 59. as; _read_ is. 60. ynowe. 63. great. 64. _I supply_ with.
67. coueyt. 69. lyueng. 70. se. 74. onely. co_n_versation. 75. thentent.
76. nothynge. 77. leasynges. layde. 78. sey. 79. hert. accorde. 82. Trewly
(_with large capital_ T).
84. the. 87. dispite. 89. Werfore. 90. toke rewarde. 91. fal. reason. 94.
scoure (!); _read_ scourge. 96. layde. 97. thentent. wotte. 99. haste. 100.
waye. 104. nowe I se. howe. 105. tre. 109. Peace. 110. se. meanyng. 111.
the. 112. one. 113. beforne. 114. wenyst. 115. the. maye. 116.
co_n_tradiction. 118. the. arte.
121. habyte. monke. wearynge. 122. conforte. 125. nyghe. cordiacle; _read_
cardiacle. wotte. 126. nowe. _I supply_ thee. 127. recouerye. 128.
mischefe. 130. Nowe. wrothe. 131. maye. 132. diseases. wenyst. 133. maye.
134. thynge. 135. schole. arne. 136. beaten. 138. schole.