riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in
this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret
throw, mannes trust of selinesse in love: as in riches, suffisance
to have maintayned that was begonne by worldly catel; in dignitè,
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honour and reverence of hem that wern underput by maistry
therby to obeye. In renomè, glorie of peoples praising, after
lustes in their hert, without hede-taking to qualitè and maner of
doing; and in power, by trouth of lordships mayntenaunce, thing
to procede forth in doing. In al whiche thinges a longe tyme
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mannes coveytise in commune hath ben greetly grounded, to come
to the blisse of my service; but trewly, they were begyled, and for
the principal muste nedes fayle, and in helping mowe nat availe.
See why. For holdest him not poore that is nedy?'
'Yes, pardè,' quod I.
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'And him for dishonored, that moche folk deyne nat to
reverence?'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'And what him, that his mightes faylen and mowe nat helpen?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'me semeth, of al men he shulde be holden
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a wrecche.'
'And wenest nat,' quod she, 'that he that is litel in renomè,
but rather is out of the praysinges of mo men than a fewe, be nat
in shame?'
'For soth,' quod I, 'it is shame and villany, to him that
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coveyteth renomè, that more folk nat prayse in name than preise.'
'Soth,' quod she, 'thou sayst soth; but al these thinges are
folowed of suche maner doinge, and wenden in riches suffisaunce,
in power might, in dignitè worship, and in renomè glorie; wherfore
they discended in-to disceyvable wening, and in that service disceit
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is folowed. And thus, in general, thou and al suche other that so
worchen, faylen of my blisse that ye long han desyred. Wherfore
truly, in lyfe of reson is the hye way to this blisse; as I thinke
more openly to declare herafter. Never-the-later yet, in a litel to
comforte thy herte, in shewing of what waye thou art entred
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*selfe, and that thy Margarite may knowe thee set in the hye way,
I wol enforme thee in this wyse. Thou hast fayled of thy first
purpos, bicause thou wentest wronge and leftest the hye way on
thy right syde, as thus: thou lokedest on worldly living, and that
thing thee begyled; and lightly therfore, as a litel assay, thou
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songedest; but whan I turned thy purpos, and shewed thee
a part of the hye waye, tho thou abode therin, and no deth ne
ferdnesse of non enemy might thee out of thilk way reve; but
ever oon in thyn herte, to come to the ilke blisse, whan thou
were arested and firste tyme enprisoned, thou were loth to
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chaunge thy way, for in thy hert thou wendest to have ben there
thou shuldest. And for I had routhe to sene thee miscaried,
and wiste wel thyn ablenesse my service to forther and encrese,
I com my-selfe, without other mene, to visit thy person in comfort
of thy hert. And perdy, in my comming thou were greetly
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glad[d]ed; after whiche tyme no disese, no care, no tene, might
move me out of thy hert. And yet am I glad and greetly enpited,
how continually thou haddest me in mynde, with good avysement
of thy conscience, whan thy king and his princes by huge wordes
and grete loked after variaunce in thy speche; and ever thou
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were redy for my sake, in plesaunce of the Margarite-perle and
many mo other, thy body to oblige in-to Marces doing, if any
contraried thy sawes. Stedfast way maketh stedfast hert, with
good hope in the ende. Trewly, I wol that thou it wel knowe;
for I see thee so set, and not chaunginge herte haddest in my
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service; and I made thou haddest grace of thy kinge, in
foryevenesse of mikel misdede. To the gracious king art thou mikel
holden, of whos grace and goodnesse somtyme hereafter I thinke
thee enforme, whan I shew the ground where-as moral vertue
groweth. Who brought thee to werke? Who brought this grace
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aboute? Who made thy hert hardy? Trewly, it was I. For
haddest thou of me fayled, than of this purpos had[dest thou]
never taken [hede] in this wyse. And therfore I say, thou might
wel truste to come to thy blisse, sithen thy ginninge hath ben hard,
but ever graciously after thy hertes desyr hath proceded. Silver
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