commensal, that hast so
mikel eeten of the potages of foryetfulnesse, and dronken so of
ignorance, that the olde souking[es] whiche thou haddest of me
arn amaystred and lorn fro al maner of knowing? O, this is
a worthy person to helpe other, that can not counsayle him-selfe!'
30
And with these wordes, for pure and stronge shame, I wox al
reed.
And she than, seing me so astonyed by dyvers stoundes,
sodainly (which thing kynde hateth) gan deliciously me comforte
with sugred wordes, putting me in ful hope that I shulde the
35
Margarite getten, if I folowed her hestes; and gan with a fayre
clothe to wypen the teres that hingen on my chekes; and than
sayd I in this wyse.
'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may
nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges.
40
In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady,
first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the
by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes
goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes
here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with
45
imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of
hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing
desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that †wol don your
lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes
to cese.'
50
'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye
myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But
amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to
be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough,
me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God
55
forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde,
thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent.
Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible.
But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that
thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to
60
distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest
thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games
are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"?
I not what thou therof menest.'
'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore
65
arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man
rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce.
Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying
tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many
wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe,
70
for al his gret sothnesse.
'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so
precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof
extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche
jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han
75
at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence
ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be
supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'
'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to
thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos
80
by the leest point that any wight coude pricke.
Ch. IV. 2. great-. 4. heauy. 5. easy. 6. easyly. 7. One. 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. 9. easy. 11. ladye easely. 13. great. 14. ferre. 16. the lyste. 17. inwytte. 18. disease (twice). 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. 20. wonte. onely. 22. distroyeng. 23. comforte. seare. 24. comforte. 25. haste. 27. soukyng. 28. arne.
30. woxe. 33. thynge. 36. teares. 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. 39. bearest. 40. catche. 43. done her course. 45. blode. 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. 48. nowe. 49. cease. 53. wherthroughe. 58. nowe. the. 59. reason. 60. put. 61. lette-games. 63. meanest. 65. arne.
67. steeryng. lyeng. 68. eares. 72. wretche. 78. reason. 79. the. let. purpose.
CHAPTER V.
Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the
strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos?
Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is
it nat preved by strength?'
5
'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.
'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and
Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of
speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for
suertee
