discordaunt, hygher that oon and lower that other, ben
mad evenliche in gree to stonde. But now to enfourme thee
that ye ben liche to goddes, these clerkes sayn, and in determinacion
shewen, that "three thinges haven [by] the names
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of goddes ben cleped; that is to sayn: man, divel, and images";
but yet is there but oon god, of whom al goodnesse, al grace, and
al vertue cometh; and he †is loving and trewe, and everlasting,
and pryme cause of al being thinges. But men ben goddes
lovinge and trewe, but not everlasting; and that is by adopcioun
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of the everlastinge god. Divels ben goddes, stirringe by
a maner of lyving; but neither ben they trewe ne everlastinge;
and their name of godliheed th[e]y han by usurpacion, as the
prophete sayth: "Al goddes of gentyles (that is to say, paynims)
are divels." But images ben goddes by nuncupacion; and they
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ben neither livinge ne trewe, ne everlastinge. After these wordes
they clepen "goddes" images wrought with mennes handes.
But now [art thou a] resonable creature, that by adopcion alone
art to the grete god everlastinge, and therby thou art "god"
cleped: let thy †faders maners so entre thy wittes that thou might
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folowe, in-as-moche as longeth to thee, thy †faders worship, so
that in nothinge thy kynde from his wil declyne, ne from his
nobley perverte. In this wyse if thou werche, thou art above
al other thinges save god alone; and so say no more "thyn herte
to serve in to hye a place."
Ch. IX. 1. arte. 2. thynge. 3. thyne. leaue. 5. reason. 6. nowe. bearers. 7. purpose. 9. Yea. 10. -thorowe. steered. 13. leneth; read leueth. 15. thyne. 16. arne. I supply thee. 17. the. 18. myne hert.
20. maye. 23. Nowe. are; read that. 24. the. 25. shalte. 26. one. 27. Howe. to forne. 31. fye. 38. vnderputte. 39. thynge. made. 40. buxome. 41. manne. 43. reason. 44. knytte. 45. lyuenges. reasonable. made. 47. Nowe. 48. nowe. nowe ferre nowe. thousande. 49. nowe (twice). ferre. momente. 50. tenne. disposytion. 52. nowe. I supply arn. vnderputte. 53. reasonable. 54. lordshippe. thynge.
56. nothynge. the. 57. wote. euyn. 58. arte. 59. manne (twice). 60. soueraygntie. cease. 61. thoughe putte. 64. haste. 64–5. nowe. 68. haste. dethe. 70. nowe pray. 71. For in read on? comforte. 72. lette the. 75. wylte. 76. dethe anone. 77. benommen; read benimen. 79. the. 81. the. 83. none (twice). 84. hytherto. 85. Supply that. thorowe one. 86. togyther. dethe. 87. ydeot wotte. 88. accorde. 89. waye (twice). 90. consente.
93. onely. 93–4. accorde. 94. ensealed. 96. breaken forwarde. 97. ensealed. kepte. 98. se nowe. accorde. 99. bade. 101. toforne. 102. luste. 103. father and mother; rather, fader and moder. adherande. 105. werne. 106. one. 107. made. nowe. the. 108. sayne. 109. thre. I supply by. 110. cleaped. 111. one. 112. his; read is. 116. lyueng. 117. thy; read they. 118. saythe. 121. cleapen. 122. nowe. I supply art thou a. reasonable. 123. arte (twice). great. 124. lette. 124–5. fathers; read faders. 125. the. worshyppe.
127. arte.
CHAPTER X.
Fully have I now declared thyn estate to be good, so thou
folow therafter, and that the †objeccion first †by thee
aleged, in worthinesse of thy Margaryte, shal not thee lette, as
it shal forther thee, and encrese thee. It is now to declare, the
5
last objeccion in nothing may greve.'
'Yes, certes,' quod I, 'bothe greve and lette muste it nedes;
the contrarye may not ben proved; and see now why. Whyle
I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse, and had suche goodes in
welth as maken men riche, tho was I drawe in-to companyes
10
that loos, prise, and name yeven. Tho louteden blasours; tho
curreyden glosours; tho welcomeden flatterers; tho worshipped
thilke that now deynen nat to loke. Every wight, in such erthly
wele habundant, is holde noble, precious, benigne, and wyse to
do what he shal, in any degree that men him sette; al-be-it that
15
the sothe be in the contrarye of al tho thinges. But he that can
never so wel him behave, and hath vertue habundaunt in manyfolde
maners, and be nat welthed with suche erthly goodes, is holde
for a foole, and sayd, his wit is but sotted. Lo! how fals for
aver is holde trewe! Lo! how trewe is cleped fals for wanting
20
of goodes! Also, lady, dignitees of office maken men mikel
comended, as thus: "he is so good, were he out, his pere shulde
men not fynde." Trewly, I trowe of some suche that are so
praysed, were they out ones, another shulde make him so be
knowe, he shulde of no wyse no more ben loked after: but only
25
fooles, wel I wot, desyren suche newe thinges. Wherfore I wonder
that thilke governour, out of whom alone the causes proceden
that governen al thinges, whiche that hath ordeyned this world
in workes of the kyndely bodyes so be governed, not with
unstedfast or happyous thing, but with rules of reson, whiche
30
shewen
