and make fayre al a realme; the nobley of vertue is
so moche, that her goodnesse overal is commended. Who is it
that wolde not wayle, but he might suche richesse have at his
wil? The vertue therof out of this prison may me deliver, and
naught els. And if I be not ther-thorow holpen, I see my-selfe
140
withouten recovery. Although I might hence voyde, yet wolde
I not; I wolde abyde the day that destenee hath me ordeyned,
whiche I suppose is without amendement; so sore is my herte
bounden, that I may thinken non other. Thus strayte, lady,
hath sir Daunger laced me in stockes, I leve it be not your wil;
145
and for I see you taken so litel hede, as me thinketh, and wol
not maken by your might the vertue in mercy of the Margaryte
on me for to strecche, so as ye mowe wel in case that you liste,
my blisse and my mirthe arn feld; sicknesse and sorowe ben
alwaye redy. The cope of tene is wounde aboute al my body,
150
that stonding is me best; unneth may I ligge for pure misesy
sorowe. And yet al this is litel ynough to be the ernest-silver in
forwarde of this bargayne; for treble-folde so mokel muste I suffer
er tyme come of myn ese. For he is worthy no welthe, that may
no wo suffer. And certes, I am hevy to thinke on these thinges;
155
but who shal yeve me water ynough to drinke, lest myn eyen
drye, for renning stremes of teres? Who shal waylen with me
myn owne happy hevinesse? Who shal counsaile me now in
my lyking tene, and in my goodly harse? I not. For ever the
more I brenne, the more I coveyte; the more that I sorow, the
160
more thrist I in gladnesse. Who shal than yeve me a contrarious
drink, to stanche the thurste of my blisful bitternesse? Lo, thus
I brenne and I drenche; I shiver and I swete. To this reversed
yvel was never yet ordeyned salve; forsoth al †leches ben unconning,
save the Margaryte alone, any suche remedye to purveye.'
Ch. III. 1. gladed; see l. 5. 2. somdele. 5. nowe. comforte. 6. nowe. 7. folke. 9. se. 10. the (twice). 11. light. 13. one. arte.
15. sene. comforte. 16. puruey. 17. Nowe. comforte. 21. mayste. 25. the. set. 29. howe. 30. leaue. 32. londe-. 33. great. forthe. corne. 35. plentie. lyste. 37. doone. 38. I supply Tho gan I. 39. se. 40. werne. 41. swyne. 43. great. great. 44. gone; read gonne. 45. ware. 46. shypcrafte. 48. catche. 49. a-ferde. 51. lache.
52. many; read meynee. knewe. 55. sayle. shyppe. 56. wynde. 58. olde. 59. kepte. storme. 61. made. 61, 62. nowe. 62. shyppe. 62, 64. great. 63. wethers; read weders. 64. I supply of. 65. as; read at. 66. catche. 67. thorowe. 69. came. 71. a-lyght. 72. great. disease. 75. shyppe. 76. lad. ware. 77. great. amonge. 79. to-forne came. 82. helde. 83. peace. great. 85. one. 86. nowe. 87. myne.
88. nowe. 89. Nowe. 91. none. 92. disease. 94. sayne. 95. reasonably. 96. ferre. 97. disease. 103. folke. 106. mouthe. 107. arne. 108. howe. 111. caytife. 112. nowe. helpe. 113. protection. 114. helpe. howe. 115. socoure. 116. maye. 117. se. 119. comforte. 120. gladed. 121. none. hente. 122. lefte. 123. sel.
126. harde. 127. deytie. 133. weare. 139. ther-thorowe. se. 141. daye. destenye. 143. maye. none. 145. se. 147. stretche. 148. arne. 150. miseasy. 151. ynoughe. 153. ease. maye. 156. teares. 157. myne. nowe. 158. harse (sic); for harme?
161. drinke. 162. sweate. 163. lyches (for leches). 164. puruey.
CHAPTER IV.
And with these wordes I brast out to wepe, that every teere
of myne eyen, for greetnesse semed they boren out the bal of
my sight, and that al the water had ben out-ronne. Than thought
me that Love gan a litel to hevye for miscomfort of my chere;
5
and gan soberly and in esy maner speke, wel avysinge what
she sayd. Comenly the wyse speken esily and softe for many
skilles. Oon is, their wordes are the better bileved; and also, in
esy spekinge, avysement men may cacche, what to putte forth
and what to holden in. And also, the auctoritè of esy wordes is
10
the more; and eke, they yeven the more understandinge to other
intencion of the mater. Right so this lady esely and in a softe
maner gan say these wordes.
¶ 'Mervayle,' quod she, 'greet it is, that by no maner of semblaunt,
as fer as I can espye, thou list not to have any recour;
15
but ever thou playnest and sorowest, and wayes of remedye, for
folisshe wilfulnesse, thee list not to seche. But enquyre of thy
next frendes, that is, thyne inwit and me that have ben thy
maystresse, and the recour and fyne of thy disese; [f]or of disese is
gladnesse and joy, with a ful †vessel so helded, that it quencheth
20
the felinge of the firste tenes. But thou that were wont not only
these thinges remembre in thyne herte, but also fooles therof to
enfourmen, in adnullinge of their errours and distroying of their
derke opinions, and in comfort of their sere thoughtes; now canst
thou not ben comfort of thyn owne soule, in thinking of these
25
thinges. O where hast thou be so longe
