style="font-size:15px;"> 178. hert. 179. made. 180. the. 181. se. 183. anone. fyght. maye. 184. withsay. the. 185. the. 188. amonge. 189. onely. 191. -thynge. 194. shalte. 195. maye. transuers.
CHAPTER III.
Gretly was I tho gladded of these wordes, and (as who
saith) wexen somdel light in herte; both for the auctoritè
of witnesse, and also for sikernesse of helpe of the forsayd
beheste, and sayd:—
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'Trewly, lady, now am I wel gladded through comfort of
your wordes. Be it now lykinge unto your nobley to shewe
whiche folk diffame your servauntes, sithe your service ought
above al other thinges to ben commended.'
'Yet,' quod she, 'I see wel thy soule is not al out of the
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amased cloude. Thee were better to here thing that thee might
lighte out of thyn hevy charge and after knowing of thyn owne
helpe, than to stirre swete wordes and such resons to here;
for in a thoughtful soule (and namely suche oon as thou art)
wol not yet suche thinges sinken. Come of, therfore, and let
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me seen thy hevy charge, that I may the lightlier for thy comfort
purveye.'
'Now, certes, lady,' quod I, 'the moste comfort I might have
were utterly to wete me be sure in herte of that Margaryte I
serve; and so I thinke to don with al mightes, whyle my lyfe
20
dureth.'
'Than,' quod she, 'mayst thou therafter, in suche wyse that
misplesaunce ne entre?'
'In good fayth,' quod I, 'there shal no misplesaunce be
caused through trespace on my syde.'
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'And I do thee to weten,' quod she, 'I sette never yet person
to serve in no place (but-if he caused the contrary in defautes
and trespaces) that he ne spedde of his service.'
'Myn owne erthly lady,' quod I tho, 'and yet remembre to
your worthinesse how long sithen, by many revolving of yeres,
30
in tyme whan Octobre his leve ginneth take and Novembre
sheweth him to sight, whan bernes ben ful of goodes as is the
nutte on every halke; and than good lond-tillers ginne shape
for the erthe with greet travayle, to bringe forth more corn to
mannes sustenaunce, ayenst the nexte yeres folowing. In suche
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tyme of plentee he that hath an home and is wyse, list not to
wander mervayles to seche, but he be constrayned or excited.
Oft the lothe thing is doon, by excitacion of other mannes
opinion, whiche wolden fayne have myn abydinge. [Tho gan I]
take in herte of luste to travayle and see the wynding of the erthe
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in that tyme of winter. By woodes that large stretes wern in,
by smale pathes that swyn and hogges hadden made, as lanes
with ladels their maste to seche, I walked thinkinge alone
a wonder greet whyle; and the grete beestes that the woode
haunten and adorneth al maner forestes, and heerdes gonne to
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wilde. Than, er I was war, I neyghed to a see-banke; and for
ferde of the beestes "shipcraft" I cryde. For, lady, I trowe ye
wete wel your-selfe, nothing is werse than the beestes that
shulden ben tame, if they cacche her wildenesse, and ginne ayen
waxe ramage. Thus forsothe was I a-ferd, and to shippe me
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hyed.
Than were there y-nowe to lacche myn handes, and drawe me
to shippe, of whiche many I knew wel the names. Sight was
the first, Lust was another, Thought was the thirde; and Wil eke
was there a mayster; these broughten me within-borde of this
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shippe of Traveyle. So whan the sayl was sprad, and this ship
gan to move, the wind and water gan for to ryse, and overthwartly
to turne the welken. The wawes semeden as they kiste togider;
but often under colour of kissinge is mokel old hate prively
closed and kept. The storm so straungely and in a devouring
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maner gan so faste us assayle, that I supposed the date of my
deth shulde have mad there his ginning. Now up, now downe,
now under the wawe and now aboven was my ship a greet
whyle. And so by mokel duresse of †weders and of stormes,
and with greet avowing [of] pilgrimages, I was driven to an yle,
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where utterly I wende first to have be rescowed; but trewly, †at
the first ginning, it semed me so perillous the haven to cacche,
that but thorow grace I had ben comforted, of lyfe I was ful
dispayred. Trewly, lady,
