that no wight shulde of her have no maistry in my
10
service; and yet Jupiter by signes, without any speche, had
al his purpose ayenst her fathers wil. And many suche mo have
ben knitte in trouthe, and yet spake they never togider; for
that is a thing enclosed under secretnesse of privytè, why twey
persons entremellen hertes after a sight. The power in knowing,
15
of such thinges †to preven, shal nat al utterly be yeven to you
beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben
reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving
people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined.
Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al]
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people upon my servauntes maken †ofte, is rather cause of esployte
than of any hindringe.'
'Why, than,' quod I, 'suffre ye such wrong; and moun, whan
ye list, lightly al such yvels abate? Me semeth, to you it is
a greet unworship.'
25
'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many
that han ben to me unkynde, that trewly I wol suffre every wight
in that wyse to have disese; and who that continueth to the ende
wel and trewly, hem wol I helpen, and as for oon of myne in-to
blisse [don] to wende. As [in] marcial doing in Grece, who
30
was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest
com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared
nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that
profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon
voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh
35
and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth:
such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe.
A tree ofte set in dyvers places wol nat by kynde endure to bringe
forth frutes. Loke now, I pray thee, how myne olde servauntes
of tyme passed continued in her service, and folowe thou after
40
their steppes; and than might thou not fayle, in case thou worche
in this wyse.'
'Certes,' quod I, 'it is nothing lich, this world, to tyme
passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè
hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the
45
salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe
two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'
'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of
lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in
by the contrarious malice of wicked people, that han envyous hertes
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ayenst other. But trewly, my lawe to my servauntes ever hath
ben in general, whiche may nat fayle. For right as mannes †lawe
that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for
good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden]
to what ende it draweth; and than it sheweth the necessitè
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therof, or els the impossibilitè: right so the lawe of my servauntes
so wel hath ben proved in general, that hitherto hath it not fayled.
Wiste thou not wel that al the lawe of kynde is my lawe, and
by god ordayned and stablisshed to dure by kynde resoun?
Wherfore al lawe by mannes witte purveyed ought to be underput
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to lawe of kynde, whiche yet hath be commune to every kyndely
creature; that my statutes and my lawe that ben kyndely arn
general to al peoples. Olde doinges and by many turninges of
yeres used, and with the peoples maner proved, mowen nat so
lightly ben defased; but newe doinges, contrariauntes suche olde,
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ofte causen diseses and breken many purposes. Yet saye I nat
therfore that ayen newe mischeef men shulde nat ordaynen
a newe remedye; but alwaye looke it contrary not the olde no
ferther than the malice streccheth. Than foloweth it, the olde
doinges in love han ben universal, as for most exployte[s] forth
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used; wherfore I wol not yet that of my lawes nothing be adnulled.
But thanne to thy purpos: suche jangelers and lokers, and
wayters of games, if thee thinke in aught they mowe dere, yet
love wel alwaye, and sette hem at naught; and let thy port ben
lowe in every wightes presence, and redy in thyne herte to
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maynteyne that thou hast begonne; and a litel thee fayne with
mekenesse in wordes; and thus
