resonable
creature in erthe? Is nat every thing, a this halfe god, mad
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buxom to mannes contemplation, understandinge in heven and
in erthe and in helle? Hath not man beinge with stones, soule of
wexing with trees and herbes? Hath he nat soule of felinge, with
beestes, fisshes, and foules? And he hath soule of reson and
understanding with aungels; so that in him is knit al maner
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of lyvinges by a resonable proporcioun. Also man is mad of
al the foure elementes. Al universitee is rekened in him alone;
he hath, under god, principalitè above al thinges. Now is his
soule here, now a thousand myle hence; now fer, now nygh;
now hye, now lowe; as fer in a moment as in mountenaunce of
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ten winter; and al this is in mannes governaunce and disposicion.
Than sheweth it that men ben liche unto goddes, and children of
moost heyght. But now, sithen al thinges [arn] underput to the
wil of resonable creatures, god forbede any man to winne that
lordship, and aske helpe of any-thing lower than him-selfe; and than,
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namely, of foule thinges innominable. Now than, why shuldest
thou wene to love to highe, sithen nothing is thee above but god
alone? Trewly, I wot wel that thilke jewel is in a maner even in
lyne of degree there thou art thy-selfe, and nought above, save
thus: aungel upon angel, man upon man, and devil upon devil
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han a maner of soveraigntee; and that shal cese at the daye
of dome. And so I say: though thou be put to serve the
ilke jewel duringe thy lyfe, yet is that no servage of
underputtinge, but a maner of travayling plesaunce, to conquere and
gette that thou hast not. I sette now the hardest: in my service
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now thou deydest, for sorowe of wantinge in thy desyres; trewly,
al hevenly bodyes with one voyce shul come and make melody in
thy cominge, and saye—"Welcome, our fere, and worthy to entre
into Jupiters joye! For thou with might hast overcome deth;
thou woldest never flitte out of thy service; and we al shul
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now praye to the goddes, rowe by rowe, to make thilk Margarite,
that no routh had in this persone, but unkyndely without comfort
let thee deye, shal besette her-selfe in suche wyse, that in erthe,
for parte of vengeaunce, shal she no joye have in loves service;
and whan she is deed, than shal her soule ben brought up in-to
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thy presence; and whider thou wilt chese, thilke soule shal ben
committed." Or els, after thy deth, anon al the foresayd hevenly
bodyes, by one accorde, shal †benimen from thilke perle al the
vertues that firste her were taken; for she hath hem forfeyted
by that on thee, my servaunt, in thy lyve, she wolde not suffre
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to worche al vertues, withdrawen by might of the hygh bodyes.
Why than shuldest thou wene so any more? And if thee liste
to loke upon the lawe of kynde, and with order whiche to me
was ordayned, sothely, non age, non overtourninge tyme but
†hiderto had no tyme ne power to chaunge the wedding, ne
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the knotte to unbynde of two hertes [that] thorow oon assent, in
my presence, †togider accorden to enduren til deth hem departe.
What? trowest thou, every ideot wot the meninge and the privy
entent of these thinges? They wene, forsothe, that suche accord
may not be, but the rose of maydenhede be plucked. Do way,
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do way; they knowe nothing of this. For consent of two hertes
alone maketh the fasteninge of the knotte; neither lawe of kynde
ne mannes lawe determineth neither the age ne the qualitè of
persones, but only accord bitwene thilke twaye. And trewly,
after tyme that suche accord, by their consent in hert, is enseled,
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and put in my tresorye amonges my privy thinges, than ginneth
the name of spousayle; and although they breken forward bothe,
yet suche mater enseled is kept in remembrance for ever. And
see now that spouses have the name anon after accord, though
the rose be not take. The aungel bad Joseph take Marye his
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spouse, and to Egypte wende. Lo! she was cleped "spouse,"
and yet, toforn ne after, neither of hem bothe mente no flesshly
lust knowe. Wherfore the wordes of trouthe acorden that my
servauntes shulden forsake bothe †fader and moder, and be adherand
to his spouse; and they two in unitè of one flesshe
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shulden accorde. And this wyse, two that wern firste in a litel
