read on hande. 58. none. 59. bloder; read blobere. 61. Howe. 63. sette. frenship (sic). one. 64. lyste. delyte. 65. faire. 66. maye. tel. 67. bonde. 69. dey. 72. trust. crafte. 74. howe. 76. thendes. Howe. 77. lorne. longe-. 78. thorowe. 79. I supply ben. radde. 80. done. 81. fal. 83. holy.
84. arne. 87. farre. stretchen. 97. dothe. 99. wyst. 101. faythe. thoughe rennogates. 102. leasynges. fyre (four times) 103. wytte. farre. heate. 104, 112. moste. 104. element comfortable; read comfortable element. 105. chefe. 108. precioust. 109. amonge. 112–3. gladed and pleased. 115. layde. 120. Nowe. the.
122. arte none. 123. set the. 124. frendeshyp. fayrehede. 127. parfyte. 128. one. 129. fayne. 130. great. 131. Nowe.
CHAPTER IV.
Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understonde first among al other
thinges, that al the cure of my service to me in the parfit
blisse in doing is desyred in every mannes herte, be he never
so moche a wrecche; but every man travayleth by dyvers studye,
5
and seke[th] thilke blisse by dyvers wayes. But al the endes
are knit in selinesse of desyre in the parfit blisse, that is suche
joye, whan men it have gotten, there †leveth no thing more to
ben coveyted. But how that desyre of suche perfeccion in
my service be kindely set in lovers hertes, yet her erroneous
10
opinions misturne it by falsenesse of wening. And although
mannes understanding be misturned, to knowe whiche shuld ben
the way unto my person, and whither it abydeth; yet wote they
there is a love in every wight, [whiche] weneth by that thing that
he coveyteth most, he shulde come to thilke love; and that
15
is parfit blisse of my servauntes; but than fulle blisse may not
be, and there lacke any thing of that blisse in any syde. Eke it
foloweth than, that he that must have ful blisse lacke no blisse in
love on no syde.'
'Therfore, lady,' quod I tho, 'thilke blisse I have desyred,
20
and †soghte toforn this my-selfe, by wayes of riches, of dignitè,
of power, and of renomè, wening me in tho †thinges had ben
thilke blisse; but ayenst the heer it turneth. Whan I supposed
beste thilke blisse have †getten, and come to the ful purpose
of your service, sodaynly was I hindred, and throwen so fer
25
abacke, that me thinketh an inpossible to come there I lefte.'
'I †wot wel,' quod she; 'and therfore hast thou fayled; for
thou wentest not by the hye way. A litel misgoing in the ginning
causeth mikil errour in the ende; wherfore of thilke blisse thou
fayledest, for having of richesse; ne non of the other thinges thou
30
nempnedest mowen nat make suche parfit blisse in love as I shal
shewe. Therfore they be nat worthy to thilke blisse; and yet
somwhat must ben cause and way to thilke blisse. Ergo, there is
som suche thing, and som way, but it is litel in usage and that
is nat openly y-knowe. But what felest in thyne hert of the
35
service, in whiche by me thou art entred? Wenest aught thy-selfe
yet be in the hye way to my blisse? I shal so shewe it to
thee, thou shalt not conne saye the contrary.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'altho I suppose it in my herte, yet
wolde I here thyn wordes, how ye menen in this mater.'
40
Quod she, 'that I shal, with my good wil. Thilke blisse
desyred, som-del ye knowen, altho it be nat parfitly. For kyndly
entencion ledeth you therto, but in three maner livinges is al suche
wayes shewed. Every wight in this world, to have this blisse, oon
of thilke three wayes of lyves must procede; whiche, after opinions
45
of grete clerkes, are by names cleped bestiallich, resonablich, [and
manlich. Resonablich] is vertuous. Manlich is worldlich. Bestialliche
is lustes and delytable, nothing restrayned by bridel of reson.
Al that joyeth and yeveth gladnesse to the hert, and it be ayenst
reson, is lykened to bestial living, which thing foloweth lustes and
50
delytes; wherfore in suche thinge may nat that precious blisse,
that is maister of al vertues, abyde. Your †faders toforn you have
cleped such lusty livinges after the flessh "passions of desyre,"
which are innominable tofore god and man both. Than, after
determinacion of suche wyse, we accorden that suche passions of
55
desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other
livinges and provinges; and so †leveth in t[w]o livinges, manlich
and resonable, to declare the maters begonne. But to make thee
fully have understanding in manlich livinges, whiche is holden
worldlich in these thinges, so that ignorance be mad no letter,
60
I wol (quod she) nempne these forsayd wayes †by names and
conclusions.
