BOOK IV.

Prose I.

Hec cum Philosophia, dignitate uultus.

Whan Philosophye hadde songen softely and delitably the

forseide thinges, kepinge the dignitee of hir chere and the

weighte of hir wordes, I thanne, that ne hadde nat al-outerly

foryeten the wepinge and the mourninge that was set in myn

herte, [forbrak] the entencioun of hir that entendede yit to seyn

some othre thinges. 'O,' quod I, 'thou that art gyderesse of

verrey light; the thinges that thou hast seid me hider-to ben so

clere to me and so shewinge by the devyne lookinge of hem, and

by thy resouns, that they ne mowen ben overcomen. And

thilke thinges that thou toldest me, al-be-it so that I hadde

whylom foryeten hem, for the sorwe of the wrong that hath ben

don to me, yit natheles they ne weren nat al-outrely unknowen to

me. But this same is, namely, a right greet cause of my sorwe,

[so as] the governour of thinges is good, yif that yveles mowen ben

by any weyes; or elles yif that yveles passen with-oute punisshinge.

The whiche thing only, how worthy it is to ben wondred

up-on, thou considerest it wel thy-self certeinly. But yit to this

thing ther is yit another thing y-ioigned, more to ben wondred

up-on. For felonye is emperesse, and floureth ful of richesses;

and vertu nis nat al-only with-oute medes, but it is cast under and

fortroden under the feet of felonous folk; and it abyeth the

torments in stede of wikkede felounes. Of alle whiche thinges

ther nis no wight that may merveylen y-nough, ne compleine,

that swiche thinges ben doon in the regne of god, that alle thinges

woot and [alle thinges may], and ne wole nat but only gode

thinges.'

Thanne seyde she thus: 'Certes,' quod she, 'that were a greet

merveyle, and [an enbasshinge with-outen ende], and wel more

horrible than alle monstres, yif it were as thou wenest; that is to

seyn, that in the [right ordenee] hous of so mochel a fader and an

ordenour of meynee, that the vesseles that ben foule and vyle

sholden ben honoured and [heried], and the precious vesseles

sholden ben defouled and vyle; but it nis nat so. For yif tho

thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn ben kept hole

and unraced, thou shalt wel knowe by the autoritee of god, of the

whos regne I speke, that certes the gode folk ben alwey mighty,

and shrewes ben alwey out-cast and feble; ne the vyces ne ben

never-mo with-oute peyne, ne the vertues ne ben nat with-oute

mede; and that blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folk, and

infortune comth alwey to wikked folk. And thou shalt wel

knowe many thinges of this kinde, that shollen [cesen] thy pleintes,

and strengthen thee with stedefast sadnesse. And for thou hast

seyn the forme of the verray blisfulnesse by me, that have

whylom shewed it thee, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse

is y-set, [alle thinges] y-treted that I trowe ben necessarie to

putten forth, I shal shewe thee the wey that shal bringen thee

ayein un-to thyn hous. And I shal ficchen [fetheres] in thy thought,

by whiche it may arysen in heighte, so that, alle tribulacioun

y-don awey, thou, by my gydinge and by my path and by my

[sledes], shalt mowe retorne hool and sound in-to thy contree.

Pr. I. 6. A. om. some. // A. Se (for O); Lat. o. // C. om. that. 7. A. om. me. 9. A. Ed. thy; C. the. 14. C. so as; Ed. so that as; A. that so as. 19. C. imperisse; A. emperisse; Ed. emperesse. // A. rycchesse. 20. A. vertues (badly). 22. Ed. stede; C. stide; A. sted. 25. C. good; A. goode. 28. A. enbaissynge; Ed. abasshyng. 29. C. horible. // C. al; A. alle. 31. A. Ed. vyle; C. vyl (twice). 32. C. he heryed (mistake for heryed). 33. C. tho; A. Ed. the. 35. Ed. vnaraced. 37. A. yuel (for out-cast). 42. C. strengthyn; A. stedfast (!). // C. stidfast; A. stedfast. 45. C. I tretyd; A. I treted; Ed. treated; Lat. decursis omnibus. 48. C. areysen. 50. C. sledys; A. Ed. sledes. // C. shal (for shalt).

Metre I.

Sunt etenim pennae uolucres mihi.

I have, forsothe, swifte fetheres that surmounten the heighte of

hevene. [Whan the swifte thought hath clothed it-self] in tho

fetheres, it despyseth the hateful erthes, and surmounteth the

roundnesse of the grete ayr; and it seeth the cloudes behinde his

bak; and passeth the heighte of the region of the [fyr], that

eschaufeth by the swifte moevinge of the firmament, til that he

areyseth him in-to the houses that beren the sterres, and ioyneth

his weyes with the sonne Phebus, and felawshipeth the wey of

the olde colde [Saturnus]; [and he y-maked] a knight of the clere

sterre; that is to seyn, that the thought is maked goddes knight by

the sekinge of trouthe to comen to the verray knowleche of god.

And thilke thoght renneth by the cercle of the sterres, in alle

places ther-as the shyninge night is peinted; that is to seyn, the

night that is cloudeles; for on nightes that ben cloudeles it semeth as

the hevene were peinted with dyverse [images of sterres]. And

whanne he hath y-doon ther y-nough, he shal forleten the laste

hevene, and he shal pressen and wenden on the bak of the

swifte firmament, and he shal ben maked parfit of the [worshipful]

[light] of god. Ther halt the lord of kinges the ceptre of his

might, and atempreth the governements of the world, and the

shyninge Iuge of thinges, stable in him-self, governeth the [swifte]

[cart] or wayn, that is to seyn, the circuler moevinge of the sonne.

And yif thy wey ledeth thee ayein so that thou be brought thider,

thanne wolt thou seye now that that is the contree that thou

requerest, of which thou ne haddest no minde: "[but now] it

remembreth me wel, heer was I born, [heer wol I fastne my]

[degree], heer wole I dwelle." [But yif] thee lyketh thanne to loken

on the derknesse of the erthe that thou hast forleten, thanne

shalt thou seen that thise felonous tyraunts, that the wrecchede

peple dredeth, now shollen ben exyled fro thilke fayre contree.'

Me. I. 1. C. swife (for swifte). 4. A. heyȝenesse (for roundnesse); Lat. globum. // A. hir (for his). 6. A. til that she areisith hir in-til ... hir weyes. 9. C. saturnis; A. saturnus. // A. she (for he). 10. A. soule (for thought); twice. 12. C. alle; A. alle the; Ed. al the. 13. Ed. ypaynted; A. depeynted. 16. A. And whan the soule hath gon ynouȝ she shal forleten the last poynt of the heuene, and she. 17. A. Ed. wenden; C. wyndyn. 18. A. she (for he). 18, 19. C. Ed. worshipful lyht; A. dredefulle clerenesse. // A. haldeth. 20. A. this; for the (2). 22. A. om. or wayn. 25. C. requerest; Ed. requirest; A. requeredest. 27. A. lyke (for lyketh). 28. C. dyrknesses; A. derkenesse; Lat. noctem.

Prose II.

Tum ego, Papae, inquam.

Than seyde I thus: '[owh!] I wondre me that thou bihetest me

so grete thinges; ne I ne doute nat that thou ne mayst wel

performe that thou bihetest. But I preye thee only this, that

thou ne tarye nat to telle me thilke thinges that thou hast

moeved.'

'First,' quod she, 'thou most nedes knowen, that goode folk

ben alwey stronge and mighty, and the shrewes ben feble and

desert and naked of alle strengthes. And of thise thinges, certes,

everich of hem is declared and shewed by other. For so as

good and yvel ben two contraries, yif so be that good be stedefast,

than sheweth the feblesse of yvel al openly; and yif thou

knowe cleerly the frelenesse of yvel, the stedefastnesse of good is

knowen. But for as moche as the [fey] of my sentence shal be the

more ferme and haboundaunt, I will gon by that oo wey and by

that other; and I wole conferme the thinges that ben purposed,

now on this syde and now on that syde. Two thinges ther ben

in whiche the effect of alle the dedes of mankinde standeth, that

is to seyn, wil and power; and yif that oon of thise two fayleth,

ther nis nothing that may be don. For yif that wil lakketh, ther

nis no wight that undertaketh to don that he wol nat don; and

yif power fayleth, the wil nis but in ydel and stant for naught.

And ther-of cometh it, that yif thou see a wight that wolde geten

that he may nat geten, thou mayst nat douten that power ne

fayleth him to haven that he wolde.'

'This is open and cleer,' quod I; 'ne it may nat ben deneyed

in no manere.'

'And yif thou see a wight,' quod she, 'that hath doon that he

wolde doon, thou nilt nat douten that he ne hath had power to

don it?'

'No,' quod I.

'[And in that that] every wight [may], in that men may holden

him mighty; as who seyth, in so moche as man is mighty to don a

thing, in so mochel men halt him mighty; and in that that he ne

may, in that men demen him to be feble.'

'I confesse it wel,' quod I.

'Remembreth thee,' quod she, 'that I have gadered and

shewed by forseyde resouns that al the entencioun of the wil of

mankinde, which that is [lad] by dyverse [studies], hasteth to

comen to blisfulnesse?'

'It remembreth me wel,' quod I, 'that it hath ben shewed.'

'And recordeth thee nat thanne,' quod she, 'that blisfulnesse

is thilke same good that men requeren; so that, whan that

blisfulnesse is requered of alle, that good also is requered and

desired of alle?'

'It ne recordeth me nat,' quod I; 'for I have it gretly alwey

ficched in my memorie.'

'Alle folk thanne,' quod she, 'goode and eek badde, enforcen

hem with-oute difference of entencioun to comen to good?'

'This is a verray consequence,' quod I.

'And certein is,' quod she, 'that by the getinge of good ben

men y-maked goode?'

'This is certein,' quod I.

'Thanne geten goode men that they desiren?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'But wikkede folk,' quod she, 'yif they geten the good that

they desiren, they ne mowe nat be wikkede?'

'So is it,' quod I.

'Thanne, so as that oon and that other,' quod she, 'desiren

good; and the goode folk geten good, and nat the wikke folk;

thanne nis it no doute that the goode folk ne ben mighty and

the wikkede folk ben feble?'

'Who-so that ever,' quod I, 'douteth of this, he ne may nat

considere the nature of thinges ne the consequence of resouns.'

And over this quod she, 'yif that ther be two thinges that

han oo same purpose by kinde, and that oon of hem pursueth

and parformeth thilke same thing by naturel office, and that

other ne may nat doon thilke naturel office, but folweth, by other

manere thanne is convenable to nature, him that acomplissheth

his purpos kindely, and yit he ne acomplissheth nat his owne

purpos: whether of thise two demestow for more mighty?'

'[Yif that] I coniecte,' quod I, 'that thou wolt seye, algates yit

I desire to herkne it more pleynly of thee.'

'Thou wilt nat thanne deneye,' quod she, 'that the moevement

of goinge nis in men by kinde?'

'No, forsothe,' quod I.

'Ne thou ne doutest nat,' quod she, 'that thilke naturel office

of goinge ne be the office of feet?'

'I ne doute it nat,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'yif that a wight be mighty to moeve and

goth upon his feet, and another, to whom thilke naturel office of

feet lakketh, enforceth him to gon crepinge up-on his handes:

whiche of thise two oughte to ben holden the more mighty by

right?'

'[Knit forth] the remenaunt,' quod I; 'for no wight ne douteth

that he that may gon by naturel office of feet ne be more mighty

than he that ne may nat.'

'But the soverein good,' quod she, 'that is eveneliche purposed

to the gode folk and to badde, the gode folk seken it by naturel

office of vertues, and the shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by

dyverse coveityse of erthely thinges, which that nis no naturel office

to geten thilke same soverein good. Trowestow that it be any

other wyse?'

'Nay,' quod I; 'for the consequence is open and [shewinge] of

thinges that I have graunted; that nedes gode folk moten ben

mighty, and shrewes feeble and unmighty.'

'Thou rennest a-right biforn me,' quod she, 'and this is the

[Iugement]; that is to seyn, I iuge of thee right as thise leches ben

wont to hopen of syke folk, whan they aperceyven that nature is

redressed and withstondeth to the maladye. But, for I see thee

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now al redy to the understondinge, I shal shewe thee more thikke

and continuel resouns. For loke now how greetly sheweth the

feblesse and infirmitee of wikkede folk, that ne mowen nat comen

to that hir naturel entencioun [ledeth hem], and yit almost thilke

naturel entencioun constreineth hem. [And what] were to demen

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thanne of shrewes, yif thilke naturel help hadde forleten hem, the

which naturel help of intencioun goth awey biforn hem, and is so

greet that unnethe it may ben overcome? Consider thanne how

greet defaute of power and how greet feblesse ther is in wikkede

felonous folk; as who seyth, the gretter thing that is coveited and

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the desire nat acomplisshed, of the lasse might is he that coveiteth it

and may nat acomplisshe. And forthy Philosophie seyth thus by

soverein good: [Ne shrewes] ne requeren nat lighte medes ne veyne

games, whiche they ne may folwen ne holden; but they failen of

thilke somme and of the heighte of thinges, that is to seyn, soverein

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good; ne thise wrecches ne comen nat to the effect of soverein

good, the which they enforcen hem only to geten, by nightes and

by dayes; in the getinge of which good the strengthe of good folk

is ful wel y-sene. For right so as thou mightest demen him mighty

of goinge, that gooth on his feet til he mighte come to thilke

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place, fro the whiche place ther ne [laye] no wey forther to ben

gon; right so most thou nedes demen him for right mighty, that

geteth and ateyneth to the ende of alle thinges that ben to desire,

biyonde the whiche ende ther nis nothing to desire. Of the

which power of good folk men may conclude, that the wikked

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men semen to be bareine and naked of alle strengthe. For-why

forleten they vertues and folwen vyces? Nis it nat for that they

ne knowen nat the goodes? But what thing is more feble and

more caitif thanne is the blindnesse of ignoraunce? Or elles they

knowen ful wel whiche thinges that they oughten folwe, but

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lecherye and coveityse overthroweth hem mistorned; and certes,

so doth distemperaunce to feble men, that ne mowen nat wrastlen

ayeins the vyces. Ne knowen they nat thanne wel that they

forleten the good wilfully, and tornen hem wilfully to vyces? And

in this wyse they ne forleten nat only to ben mighty, but they

135

forleten al-outrely in any wyse for to ben. For they that forleten

the comune fyn of alle thinges that ben, they forleten also therwith-al

[for to ben].

And per-aventure it sholde semen to som folk that this were

a merveile to seyen: that shrewes, whiche that contienen the more

140

partye of men, ne ben nat ne han no beinge; but natheles, it is so,

and thus stant this thing. For they that ben shrewes, I deneye

nat that they ben shrewes; but I deneye, and seye simplely and

pleinly, that they ne ben nat, ne han no beinge. For right as

thou mightest seyen of the carayne of a man, that it were a deed

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man, but thou ne mightest nat simplely callen it a man; so graunte

I wel forsothe, that vicious folk ben wikked, but I ne may nat

graunten absolutly and simplely that they ben. For thilke thing

that with-holdeth ordre and kepeth nature, thilke thing is and

hath beinge; but what thing that faileth of that, that is to seyn,

150

that he forleteth naturel ordre, he forleteth thilke thing that is set

in his nature. But thou wolt seyn, that shrewes [mowen]. Certes,

that ne deneye I nat; but certes, hir power ne descendeth nat of

strengthe, but of feblesse. For they mowen don wikkednesses;

the whiche they ne mighte nat don, yif they mighten dwellen in

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the forme and in the doinge of good folk. And thilke power

sheweth ful evidently that they ne mowen right naught. For so

as I have gadered and proeved a litel her-biforn, that yvel is

naught; and so as shrewes mowen only but shrewednesses, this

conclusioun is al cleer, that shrewes ne mowen right naught, ne

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han no power.

[And for as moche as thou understonde] which is the strengthe

of this power of shrewes, I have definisshed a litel her-biforn, that

nothing is so mighty as soverein good.'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

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'And thilke same soverein good may don non yvel?'

'Certes, no,' quod I.

'Is ther any wight thanne,' quod she, 'that weneth that men

mowen doon alle thinges?'

'No man,' quod I, 'but-yif he be out of his witte.'

170

'But, certes, shrewes mowen don yvel,' quod she.

'Ye, wolde god,' quod I, 'that they mighten don non!'

'Thanne,' quod she, 'so as he that is mighty to doon only but

goode thinges may don alle thinges; and they that ben mighty to

don yvele thinges ne mowen nat alle thinges: thanne is it open

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thing and manifest, that they that mowen don yvel ben of lasse

power. And yit, to proeve this conclusioun, ther helpeth me this,

that I have y-shewed her-biforn, that alle power is to be noumbred

among thinges that men oughten requere. And I have shewed

that alle thinges, that oughten ben desired, ben referred to good,

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right as to a maner heighte of hir nature. But for to mowen don

yvel and felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. Thanne nis

nat yvel of the noumbir of thinges that oughte ben desired. But

alle power oughte ben desired and requered. Than is it open and

cleer that the power ne the mowinge of shrewes nis no power; and

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of alle thise thinges it sheweth wel, that the goode folke ben certeinly

mighty, and the shrewes douteles ben unmighty. And it is

cleer and open that thilke opinioun of [Plato] is verray and sooth, that

seith, that only wyse men may doon that they desiren; and

shrewes mowen haunten that hem lyketh, but that they desiren,

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that is to seyn, to comen to sovereign good, they ne han no power

to acomplisshen that. For shrewes don that hem list, whan, by

tho thinges in which they delyten, they wenen to ateine to thilke

good that they desiren; but they ne geten ne ateinen nat ther-to,

for vyces ne comen nat to blisfulnesse.

Pr. II. 1. C. owh; Ed. O; A. om.; Lat. Papae. 8. C. dishert; A. desert; Ed. deserte; Lat. desertos. // All strengthes; Lat. uiribus. 10. C. stidefast; A. stedfast. 12. C. stidefastnesse; A. stedfastnesse. 13. C. A. fey; Ed. faythe. 19. C. lakkit; A. lakketh. 25. C. denoyed. 28. C. om. he bef. ne. 33. C. halt; A. halden; Ed. holde. // A. Ed. that that; C. that. 42. A. whan that; C. Ed. om. that. 45. C. It ne ... nat; A. It recordeth me wel; Lat. Minimè ... recordor. 48. C. defference; A. Ed. difference. 63. A. resoun; Lat. rationum. 67. C. by (for but; by mistake). 68. Ed. accomplyssheth; A. acomplisith; C. a-complesseth (twice). 70. A. demest thou. 73. C. denoye (for deneye); A. Ed. denye. // A. moeuementz; Lat. motum. 88. C. good folk (1st time); goode folk (2nd time). 91. A. trowest thou. 92. A. wyse; C. whise. 99. C. maledie; A. maladie. 104. C. om. hem after constreineth. 109. A. the gretter thinges that ben. 110. C. acomplised; A. accomplissed; Ed. accomplysshed. 112. C. veyn; A. veyne. 120. A. lay. 122. C. desired (for desire, by mistake). 135. A. wise; C. whise. 141. C. denoye (for deneye); A. denye (thrice). 142. C. sympeli (1st time). 149. C. Ed. what; A. that. 151. C. shrewen (by mistake). 152. A. descendeth; C. dessendit (sic). 158. A. shrewednesse; Lat. mala. 160. A. to han (for ne han no). 162. C. diffinissed; A. diffinised; Ed. defynisshed; Lat. definiuimus. 169. A. but yif; Ed. but if; C. but. 186. A. om. ben. 188. A. om. doon. 192. C. the; A. Ed. tho. 194. C. om. to.

Metre II.

Quos uides sedere celsos.

Who-so that the covertoures of hir veyne aparailes mighte strepen

of thise proude kinges, that thou seest sitten on heigh in hir

chaires gliteringe in shyninge purpre, envirouned with sorwful

armures, manasinge with cruel mouth, blowinge by woodnesse of

herte, he shulde seen thanne that thilke lordes beren with-inne hir

corages ful streite cheines. For lecherye tormenteth hem in that

oon syde with gredy venims; and troublable ire, that araiseth in

him the flodes of troublinges, tormenteth up-on that other syde

hir thought; or sorwe halt hem wery and y-caught; or slydinge

and deceivinge hope tormenteth hem. And therfore, sen thou

seest oon heed, that is to seyn, oon tyraunt, beren so manye

[tyrannyes], thanne ne doth thilke tyraunt nat that he desireth, sin

he is cast doun with so manye wikkede lordes; that is to seyn, with

so manye vyces, that han so wikkedly lordshipes over him.

Me. II. 1. Ed. vayne; C. A. veyn. 2. A. Ed. in; C. on. 3. Ed. chayres; C. (miswritten) charyes; A. chayeres. 4. A. manasyng; C. manassinge. 8. A. troublynges; C. trwblynges. 9. C. hym (for hem). 12. C. Ed. tyrannyes; A. tyrauntis. 14. A. wicked (for wikkedly).

Prose III.

Videsne igitur quanto in coeno.

Seestow nat thanne in how grete filthe thise shrewes ben

y-wrapped, and with which cleernesse thise good folk shynen? In

this sheweth it wel, that to goode folk ne lakketh never-mo hir

medes, ne shrewes lakken never-mo torments. For of alle thinges

that ben y-doon, thilke thing, for which any-thing is don, it semeth

as by right that thilke thing be the mede of that; as thus: yif

a man renneth in the [stadie], or in the forlong, for the corone,

thanne lyth the mede in the corone for which he renneth. And

I have shewed that blisfulnesse is thilke same good for which

that alle thinges ben doon. Thanne is thilke same good [purposed]

to the workes of mankinde right as a comune mede; which

mede ne may ben dissevered fro good folk. For no wight as by

right, fro thennes-forth that him lakketh goodnesse, ne shal ben

cleped good. [For which thing], folk of goode maneres, hir medes

ne forsaken hem never-mo. For al-be-it so that shrewes wexen

as wode as hem list ayeins goode folk, yit never-the-lesse the

corone of wyse men shal nat fallen ne faden. For foreine shrewednesse

ne binimeth nat fro the corages of goode folk hir propre

honour. But yif that any wight reioyse him of goodnesse that he

hadde take fro with-oute (as who seith, yif that any wight hadde

his goodnesse of any other man than of him-self), certes, he that yaf

him thilke goodnesse, or elles som other wight, mighte binime it

him. But for as moche as to every wight his owne propre bountee

yeveth him his mede, thanne at erst shal he failen of mede whan

he forleteth to ben good. And at the laste, [so as] alle medes ben

requered [for men] wenen that they ben goode, who is he that

wolde deme, that he that is right mighty of good were [part-les] of

mede? And of what mede shal he be guerdoned? Certes, of

right faire mede and right grete aboven alle medes. Remembre

thee of thilke noble corolarie that I yaf thee a litel her-biforn;

and gader it to-gider in this manere:—so as good him-self is

blisfulnesse, thanne is it cleer and certein, that alle good folk ben

maked blisful for they ben goode; and thilke folk that ben blisful,

it acordeth and is covenable to ben goddes. Thanne is the mede

of goode folk swich that [no day] shal enpeiren it, ne no wikkednesse

ne shal derken it, ne power of no wight ne shal nat amenusen it,

that is to seyn, to ben maked goddes.

And sin it is thus, that goode men ne failen never-mo of hir mede,

certes, no wys man ne may doute of [undepartable] peyne of the

shrewes; that is to seyn, that the peyne of shrewes ne departeth nat

from hem-self never-mo. For so as goode and yvel, and peyne and

medes ben contrarye, it mot nedes ben, that right as we seen

bityden in guerdoun of goode, that also mot the peyne of yvel

answery, by the contrarye party, to shrewes. Now thanne, so as

bountee and prowesse ben the mede to goode folk, al-so is

shrewednesse it-self torment to shrewes. Thanne, who-so that

ever is entecched and defouled with peyne, he ne douteth nat,

that he is entecched and defouled with yvel. Yif shrewes thanne

wolen preysen hem-self, [may it semen] to hem that they ben with-outen

party of torment, sin they ben swiche that the uttereste

wikkednesse (that is to seyn, wikkede thewes, which that is the

uttereste and the worste kinde of shrewednesse) ne defouleth ne

enteccheth nat hem only, but infecteth and envenimeth hem

gretly? And also look on shrewes, that ben the contrarie party

of goode men, how greet peyne felawshipeth and folweth hem!

For thou hast lerned a litel her-biforn, that al thing that is and

hath beinge is oon, and thilke same oon is good; thanne is this

the consequence, that it semeth wel, that al that is and hath beinge

is good; this is to seyn, as who seyth, that beinge and unitee and

goodnesse is al oon. And in this manere it folweth thanne, that al

thing that faileth to ben good, it stinteth for to be and for to han

any beinge; wherfore it is, that shrewes stinten for to ben that

they weren. But thilke other forme of mankinde, that is to seyn,

the forme of the body with-oute, sheweth yit that thise shrewes

weren whylom men; wher-for, whan they ben perverted and

torned in-to malice, certes, than han they forlorn the nature of

mankinde. But so as only bountee and prowesse may enhaunsen

every man over other men; thanne mot it nedes be that shrewes,

which that shrewednesse hath cast out of the condicioun of mankinde,

ben put [under] the merite and the desert of men. Thanne

bitydeth it, that yif thou seest a wight that be transformed into

vyces, thou ne mayst nat wene that he be a man.

For yif he be ardaunt in avaryce, and that he be a ravinour by

violence of foreine richesse, thou shalt seyn that he is lyke to the

wolf. And yif he be felonous and with-oute reste, and exercyse

his tonge to chydinges, thou shalt lykne him to the hound. And

yif he be a prevey awaitour y-hid, and reioyseth him to ravisshe

by wyles, thou shalt seyn him lyke to the fox-whelpes. And yif he

be distempre and quaketh for ire, men shal wene that he bereth

the corage of a lyoun. And yif he be dredful and fleinge, and

dredeth thinges that ne oughten nat to ben dred, men shal holden

him lyk to the hert. And yif he be slow and astoned and lache, he

liveth as an asse. And yif he be light and unstedefast of corage, and

chaungeth ay his studies, he is lykned to briddes. And if he be

plounged in foule and unclene luxuries, he is with-holden in the

foule delyces of the foule sowe. Thanne folweth it, that he that forleteth

bountee and prowesse, he forleteth to ben a man; sin he may

nat passen in-to the condicioun of god, he is torned in-to a beest.

Pr. III. 1. A. Seest thou. 16. A. les; C. leese (error for lesse). 17. C. faaden. 25. A. laste; C. last. 27. A. wolde; C. Ed. nolde; Lat. quis ... iudicet. 27, 28. A. Ed. of mede; C. of the mede. // C. A. gerdoned; Ed. reguerdoned. 30. C. yat (miswritten for yaf). 31. C. good him-self; A. Ed. god him-self; Lat. ipsum bonum. // C. his (error for is); after him-self. 36. A. endirken (for derken). 38. A. medes. 43. C. gerdown; A. gerdoun; Ed. guerdone. 44. A. Ed. answere. // A. Ed. by the; C. om. the. 45. A. medes; Lat. praemium. 47. C. entechched. // Both MSS. om. peyne ... defouled with; but Ed. has: payne, he ne douteth not, that he is entetched and defouled with; Lat. quisquis afficitur poena, malo se affectum esse non dubitat. 50. A. om. uttereste ... which that is the. 52. C. vtteriste (1st time); owttereste (2nd time). 55. C. folueth. 56. C. alle; A. al. 58. C. alle; A. al (twice). 67. A. Ed. so as; C. om. as. // C. enhawsen (for enhawnsen). 73. A. rauynour; Ed. rauenour; C. rauaynour. 75. A. Ed. a wolf. // C. excersise. 77. A. rauysshe; C. rauysse. 78. A. Ed. wyles; C. whiles; Lat. fraudibus. 81. C. dredd. 82. A. Ed. slowe; C. slowh. 83. C. vnstidefast.

Metre III.

Vela Neritii dulcis.

Eurus the wind [aryvede] [the sailes] of Ulixes, duk of the contree

of Narice, and his wandringe shippes by the see, in-to the ile

ther-as [Circes], the faire goddesse, doughter of the sonne,

dwelleth; that medleth to hir newe gestes drinkes that ben

touched and maked with enchauntements. And after that hir

hand, mighty over the herbes, hadde chaunged hir gestes in-to

dyverse maneres; [that oon of hem], is covered his face with forme

of a boor; that other is chaunged in-to a lyoun of the contree of

[Marmorike], and his nayles and his teeth wexen; that other of

hem is neweliche chaunged in-to a wolf, and howleth whan he

wolde wepe; that other goth debonairely in the hous as a tygre

of Inde.

[But al-be-it] so that the godhed of Mercurie, that is cleped the

brid of Arcadie, hath had mercy of the duke Ulixes, biseged with

dyverse yveles, and hath unbounden him fro the pestilence of

his ostesse, [algates] the roweres and the marineres hadden by this

y-drawen in-to hir mouthes and dronken the wikkede drinkes.

They that weren woxen swyn hadden by this y-chaunged hir

mete of breed, for to eten [akornes of okes]. Non of hir limes ne

dwelleth with hem hole, but they han lost the voice and the

body; only hir thought dwelleth with hem stable, that wepeth

and biweileth the monstruous chaunginge that they suffren. O

[overlight] hand (as who seyth, O! feble and light is the hand of

Circes the enchaunteresse, that chaungeth the bodyes of folkes in-to

bestes, to regard and to comparisoun of mutacioun that is maked by

vyces); ne the herbes of Circes ne ben nat mighty. For al-be-it

so that they may chaungen the limes of the body, algates yit

they may nat chaunge the hertes; for with-inne is y-hid the

strengthe and vigor of men, in the secree tour of hir hertes; that

is to seyn, the strengthe of resoun. But thilke venims of vyces to-drawen

a man to hem more mightily than the venim of Circes;

[for vyces] ben so cruel that they percen and thorugh-passen the

corage with-inne; and, thogh they ne anoye nat the body, yit

vyces wooden to destroye men by wounde of thought.'

Me. III. 1. C. A. Ed. wynde. 2. C. A. Ed. Narice; Lat. Neritii. 3. C. Ed. Circes; A. Circe. 8. C. boer; A. boor. 9. C. A. Ed. Marmorike; Lat. Marmaricus leo. 14. A. Arcadie; C. Ed. Archadie; Lat. Arcadis alitis. 15. A. Ed. vnbounden; C. vnbounded. // A. pestilence; C. pestelence. 16. A. oosteresse (!). 18. A. Ed. woxen; C. wexen. 19. C. akkornes; A. acorns. // C. lemes; A. lymes; Ed. lymmes. 20. A. Ed. hoole; C. hool.

Prose IV.

Tum ego, Fateor, inquam.

Than seyde I thus: 'I confesse and am a-knowe it,' quod I;

'[ne I ne see nat] that men may sayn, as by right, that shrewes ne

ben chaunged in-to bestes by the qualitee of hir soules, al-be-it so

that they kepen yit the forme of the body of mankinde. But I

[nolde] nat of shrewes, of which the thought cruel woodeth al-wey

in-to destruccioun of goode men, that it were leveful to hem to

don that.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'ne is nis nat leveful to hem, as I shal wel

shewe thee in covenable place; but natheles, yif so were that thilke

that men wenen be leveful to shrewes were binomen hem, so that

they ne mighte nat anoyen or doon harm to goode men, certes, a

greet partye of the peyne to shrewes sholde ben allegged and

releved. For al-be-it so that this ne seme nat credible thing,

per-aventure, to some folk, yit moot it nedes be, that shrewes ben

more wrecches and unsely whan they may doon and performe

that they coveiten, than yif they mighte nat complisshen that they

coveiten. For yif so be that it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don

yvel, than is more wrecchednesse [to mowen don] yvel; with-oute

whiche mowinge the wrecched wil sholde languisshe with-oute

effect. Than, sin that everiche of thise thinges hath his

wrecchednesse, that is to seyn, wil to don yvel and mowinge to don

yvel, it moot nedes be that they ben constreyned by [three]

unselinesses, that wolen and mowen and performen felonyes and

shrewednesses.'

'I acorde me,' quod I; 'but I desire gretly that shrewes

losten sone [thilke unselinesse], that is to seyn, that shrewes weren

despoyled of mowinge to don yvel.'

'[So shullen] they,' quod she, 'soner, per-aventure, than thou

woldest; or soner than they hem-self wene to lakken mowinge to

don yvel. [For ther] nis no-thing so late in so shorte boundes of

this lyf, that is long to abyde, nameliche, to a corage inmortel;

of whiche shrewes the grete hope, and the hye compassinges of

shrewednesses, is ofte destroyed by a sodeyn ende, or they ben

war; and that thing estableth to shrewes the ende of hir

shrewednesse. For yif that shrewednesse maketh wrecches, than

mot he nedes ben most wrecched that lengest is a shrewe; the

whiche wikked shrewes wolde I demen aldermost unsely and caitifs,

yif that hir shrewednesse ne were finisshed, at the leste wey, by

[the outtereste] deeth. For yif I have concluded sooth of the unselinesse

of shrewednesse, than sheweth it cleerly that thilke

wrecchednesse is with-outen ende, the whiche is certein to ben

[perdurable].'

'Certes,' quod I, 'this conclusioun is hard and wonderful to

graunte; but I knowe wel that it acordeth moche to the thinges

that I have graunted her-biforn.'

'Thou hast,' quod she, 'the right estimacioun of this; but

who-so-ever wene that it be a hard thing to acorde him to a

conclusioun, it is right that he shewe that some of the premisses

ben false; or elles he moot shewe that the collacioun of proposiciouns

nis nat speedful to a necessarie conclusioun. And yif it

be nat so, but that the premisses ben y-graunted, [ther is not why]

he sholde blame the argument.

For this thing that I shal telle thee now ne shal nat seme lasse

wonderful; [but of the thinges] that ben taken also it is necessarie;'

as who seyth, it folweth of that which that is purposed biforn.

'What is that?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'that is, that thise wikked shrewes ben

more blisful, or elles lasse wrecches, that abyen the torments that

they han deserved, than yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastysede

hem. Ne this ne seye I nat now, for that any man mighte

thenke, that the maners of shrewes ben coriged and chastysed by

veniaunce, and that they ben brought to the right wey by the

drede of the torment, ne for that they yeven to other folk

ensaumple to fleen fro vyces; but [I understande] yit in another

manere, that shrewes ben more unsely whan they ne ben nat

punisshed, al-be-it so that ther ne be had no resoun or lawe of

correccioun, ne non ensaumple of lokinge.'

'And what manere shal that ben,' quod I, 'other than hath be

told her-biforn?'

'Have we nat thanne graunted,' quod she, 'that goode folk

ben blisful, and shrewes ben wrecches?'

'Yis,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'yif that any good were added to the

wrecchednesse of any wight, nis he nat more weleful than he that

ne hath no medlinge of good in his solitarie wrecchednesse?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'And what seystow thanne,' quod she, 'of thilke wrecche that

lakketh alle goodes, so that no good nis medled in his wrecchednesse,

and yit, over al his wikkednesse for which he is a wrecche, that

ther be yit another yvel anexed and knit to him, shal nat men

demen him more unsely than thilke wrecche of whiche the unselinesse

is releved by the participacioun of som good?'

'Why sholde he nat?' quod I.

'Thanne, certes,' quod she, 'han shrewes, whan they ben

punisshed, som-what of good anexed to hir wrecchednesse, that is

to seyn, the same peyne that they suffren, which that is good by

the resoun of Iustice; and whan thilke same shrewes ascapen

with-oute torment, than han they som-what more of yvel yit over

the wikkednesse that they han don, that is to seyn, defaute of

peyne; [which defaute] of peyne, thou hast graunted, is yvel for

the deserte of felonye.' 'I ne may nat denye it,' quod I. 'Moche

more thanne,' quod she, 'ben shrewes unsely, whan they ben

wrongfully delivered fro peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by

rightful veniaunce. But this is open thing and cleer, that it is

right that shrewes ben punisshed, and it is wikkednesse and

wrong that they escapen unpunisshed.'

'Who mighte deneye that?' quod I.

'But,' quod she, 'may any man denye that al that is right nis

good; and also the contrarie, that al that is wrong is wikke?'

100

'Certes,' quod I, 'these thinges ben clere y-nough; and that

we han concluded a litel her-biforn. But I praye thee that thou

telle me, yif thou acordest [to leten] no torment to sowles, after that

the body is ended by the deeth;' this is to seyn, understandestow

aught that sowles han any torment after the deeth of the body?

105

'Certes,' quod she, 'ye; and that right greet; of which sowles,'

quod she, 'I trowe that some ben tormented by asprenesse of

peyne; and some sowles, I trowe, ben exercised by a purginge

mekenesse. But my conseil nis nat to determinye of thise peynes.

But I have travailed and told yit hiderto, for thou sholdest knowe

110

that the mowinge of shrewes, which mowinge thee semeth to ben

unworthy, nis no mowinge: and eek of shrewes, of which thou

pleinedest that they ne were nat punisshed, that thou woldest

seen that they ne weren never-mo with-outen the torments of hir

wikkednesse: and of the licence of the mowinge to don yvel,

115

that thou preydest that it mighte sone ben ended, and that thou

woldest fayn lernen that it ne sholde nat longe dure: and that

shrewes ben more unsely yif they were of lenger duringe, and

most unsely yif they weren perdurable. And after this, I have

shewed thee that more unsely ben shrewes, whan they escapen

120

with-oute hir rightful peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by

rightful veniaunce. And of this sentence folweth it, that thanne

ben shrewes constreined at the laste with most grevous torment,

whan men wene that they ne be nat punisshed.'

'Whan I consider thy resouns,' quod I, 'I ne trowe nat that

125

men seyn any-thing more verayly. And yif I torne ayein to the

studies of men, who is he to whom it sholde seme that he ne

sholde nat only leven thise thinges, but eek gladly herkne

hem?'

'Certes,' quod she, 'so it is; but men may nat. For they han

130

hir eyen so wont to the derknesse of erthely thinges, that they ne

may nat liften hem up to the light of cleer sothfastnesse; but

they ben lyke to [briddes], of which the night lightneth hir lokinge,

and the day blindeth hem. For whan men loken nat the ordre of

thinges, but hir lustes and talents, they wene that either the leve

135

or the mowinge to don wikkednesse, or elles the scapinge with-oute

peyne, be weleful. But consider the Iugement of the

perdurable lawe. For yif thou conferme thy corage to the beste

thinges, thou ne hast no nede of no Iuge to yeven thee prys or

mede; for thou hast ioyned thy-self to the most excellent thing.

140

And yif thou have enclyned thy studies to the wikked thinges, ne

seek no foreyne wreker out of thy-self; for thou thy-self hast

thrist thy-self in-to wikke thinges: [right as thou] mightest loken by

dyverse tymes the foule erthe and the hevene, and that alle other

thinges stinten fro with-oute, so that thou nere neither in hevene

145

ne in erthe, ne saye no-thing more; than it sholde semen to

thee, as by only resoun of lokinge, that thou were now in the

sterres and now in the erthe. But the poeple ne loketh nat on

thise thinges. What thanne? Shal we thanne aprochen us to

hem that I have shewed that they ben lyk to bestes? And what

150

woltow seyn of this: yif that a man hadde al forlorn his sighte

and hadde foryeten that he ever saugh, and wende that no-thing

ne faylede him of perfeccioun of mankinde, now we that mighten

seen the same thinges, wolde we nat wene that [he] were blinde?

Ne also ne acordeth nat the poeple to that I shal seyn, the which

155

thing is sustened by a stronge foundement of resouns, that is to

seyn, that more unsely ben they that don wrong to othre folk

than they that the wrong suffren.'

'I wolde heren thilke same resouns,' quod I.

'Denyestow,' quod she, 'that alle shrewes ne ben worthy to

160

han torment?'

'Nay,' quod I.

'But,' quod she, 'I am certein, by many resouns, that shrewes

ben unsely.'

'It acordeth,' quod I.

165

'Thanne ne doutestow nat,' quod she, 'that thilke folk that ben

worthy of torment, that they ne ben wrecches?'

'It acordeth wel,' quod I.

'Yif thou were thanne,' quod she, 'y-set a Iuge or a knower of

thinges, whether, trowestow, that men sholden tormenten him

170

that hath don the wrong, or elles him that hath suffred the

wrong?'

'I ne doute nat,' quod I, 'that I nolde don suffisaunt satisfaccioun

to him that hadde suffred the wrong by the sorwe of him

that hadde don the wrong.'

175

'Thanne semeth it,' quod she, 'that the doere of wrong is

more wrecche than he that suffred wrong?'

'That folweth wel,' quod I.

'Than,' quod she, 'by these causes and by othre causes that

ben enforced by the same rote, filthe or sinne, by the propre

180

nature of it, maketh men wrecches; and it sheweth wel, that the

wrong that men don nis nat the wrecchednesse of him that

receyveth the wrong, but the wrecchednesse of him that doth the

wrong. But certes,' quod she, 'thise oratours or advocats don al

the contrarye; for they enforcen hem to commoeve the Iuges to

185

han pitee of hem that han suffred and receyved the thinges that

ben grevous and aspre, and yit men sholden more rightfully han

pitee of hem that don the grevaunces and the wronges; the

whiche shrewes, it were a more covenable thing, that the

accusours or advocats, nat wroth but pitous and debonair, ledden

190

tho shrewes that han don wrong to the Iugement, right as men

leden syke folk to the leche, for that they sholde seken out the

maladyes of sinne by torment. And by this covenaunt, either the

entente of deffendours or advocats sholde faylen and cesen [in al],

or elles, yif the office of advocats wolde bettre profiten to men,

195

it sholde ben torned in-to the habite of accusacioun; that is to

seyn, they sholden accuse shrewes, and nat excuse hem. And eek

the shrewes hem-self, yif hit were leveful to hem to seen [at any]

[clifte] the vertu that they han forleten, and [sawen] that they

sholden putten adoun the filthes of hir vyces, by the torments of

200

peynes, they ne oughte nat, [right for] the recompensacioun for to

geten hem bountee and prowesse which that they han lost,

demen ne holden that thilke peynes weren torments to hem; and

eek they wolden refuse the attendaunce of hir advocats, and

taken hem-self to hir Iuges and to hir accusors. For which it

205

bitydeth that, as to the wyse folk, ther nis no place [y-leten] to

hate; that is to seyn, that ne hate hath no place amonges wyse men.

For no wight nil haten goode men, but-yif he were over-mochel a

fool; and for to haten shrewes, it nis no resoun. For right so as

languissinge is maladye of body, right so ben vyces and sinne

210

maladye of corage. And so as we ne deme nat, that they that ben

syke of hir body ben worthy to ben hated, but rather worthy of

pitee: wel more worthy, nat to ben hated, but for to ben had in

pitee, ben they of whiche the thoughtes ben constreined by

215

felonous wikkednesse, that is more cruel than any languissinge of

body.

Pr. IV. 1. A. om. it. 3. C. ne ben; A. ne ben nat; Ed. ben. 10. C. to; A. for. 16. A. om. than yif ... coveiten. 19. C. languesse. 22. A. thre; C. the; Lat. triplici. 26. Ed. vnselynesse; C. A. vnselynysses; Lat. hoc infortunio. 29. A. to lakken ... yvel; C. Ed. omit. 30. A. Ed. so short; C. the shorte; Lat. tam breuibus. 38. A. yfinissed. 49. A. colasioun; Ed. collacyon; C. collacions; Lat. collationem. 58. A. byen (for abyen). 59. A. chastied. 61. A. thenk; C. thinke. // C. A. Ed. coriged. 64. A. yitte; Ed. yet; C. yif. 66. Ed. punysshed; C. A. punyssed. 67. C. correcsioun. 78. C. lakked; A. lakketh. 80. A. knyt; C. knytte. 96. A. escapin. 99. A. nis wicked. 101. A. a litel; C. alyter. 103. A. dedid (for ended). 108. A. this peyne; Lat. de his. 109. C. yit; Ed. yet; A. it. 110. C. mowynge, i. myght. 113. A. seen; C. seyn; uideres. 116. C. dure; A. endure. 120. A. om. hir. 124. A. resouns; C. resoun; rationes. 135. A. escaping; C. schapynge (for scapynge). 138. C. of no; A. to no. 142. A. threst the. 143. C. puts the foule erthe before by dyverse tymes. 145. A. om. nere neither ... erthe; Ed. were in neyther (om. in hevene ... erthe). 147. A. Ed. on; C. in. 149. A. to the bestes. 150. A. wilt thou. 153. A. thing; eadem. 155. C. om. is. 159. A. Deniest thou. 165. A. dowtest thou. 168. C. Ed. om. quod she. 169. C. om. whether. // A. trowest thou. 172. C. om. suffisaunt. 176. C. that (for than). // A. that hath suffred the wrong. 179. C. wrongly ins. of bef. enforced. // A. ins. that bef. filthe. 182, 3. C. om. but the ... wrong. 198. A. Ed. sawen; C. sawh. 199. C. felthes. 209. A. languissing; C. langwissynges. // C. maledye; A. maladie.

Metre IV.

Quid tantos iuuat excitare motus.

[What delyteth you] to excyten so grete moevinges of hateredes,

and to hasten and bisien the fatal disposicioun of your deeth with

your propre handes? that is to seyn, by batailes or by contek. For

yif ye axen the deeth, it hasteth him of his owne wil; ne deeth

ne tarieth nat his swifte hors. And the men that the serpent and

the lyoun and the tygre and the bere and the boor seken to sleen

with hir teeth, yit thilke same men seken to sleen everich of hem

other with swerd. [Lo!] for hir maneres ben dyverse and descordaunt,

they moeven unrightful ostes and cruel batailes, [and wilnen]

to perisshe by entrechaunginge of dartes. [But the resoun] of

crueltee nis nat y-nough rightful.

Wiltow thanne yelden a covenable guerdoun to the desertes of

men? Love rightfully goode folk, and have pitee on shrewes.'

Me. IV. 1. A. deliteth it yow. // A. moewynges; C. moeuynge; motus. 5. hors is plural; Lat. equos. // A. serpentz. 6. A. lyouns. 8. A. discordaunt. 10. Ed. perysshe; A. perisse; C. perise. A. Ed. -chaungynge; C. -chaungynges. 12. C. A. gerdoun; Ed. guerdon.

Prose V.

Hic ego uideo inquam.

'Thus see I wel,' quod I, 'either what blisfulnesse or elles

what unselinesse is establisshed in the desertes of goode men and

of shrewes. But in this ilke fortune of poeple I see somwhat of

good and somwhat of yvel. For no wyse man hath lever ben

exyled, poore and nedy, and nameles, than for to dwellen in his

citee and flouren of richesses, and be redoutable by honour, and

strong of power. For in this wyse more cleerly and more witnesfully

is the office of wyse men y-treted, whan the blisfulnesse and

the poustee of governours is, as it were, [y-shad] amonges poeples

that be neighebours and subgits; sin that, namely, prisoun, lawe,

and thise othre torments of laweful peynes ben rather owed to

felonous citezeins, for the whiche felonous citezeins tho peynes

ben establisshed, than for good folk. Thanne I mervaile me

greetly,' quod I, 'why that the thinges ben so mis entrechaunged,

that torments of felonyes pressen and confounden goode folk, and

shrewes ravisshen medes of vertu, and ben in honours and in

gret estats. And I desyre eek for to witen of thee, what semeth

thee to ben the resoun of this so wrongful a conclusioun? For I

wolde wondre wel the lasse, yif I trowede that al thise thinges

weren medled by fortunous happe; but now [hepeth] and encreseth

myn astonyinge god, governour of thinges, that, so as god

yeveth ofte tymes to gode men godes and mirthes, and to shrewes

yveles and aspre thinges: and yeveth ayeinward to gode folk hardnesses,

and to shrewes he graunteth hem hir wil and that they

desyren: what difference thanne may ther be bitwixen that that

god doth, and the happe of fortune, yif men ne knowe nat the

cause why that it is?'

'Ne it nis no mervaile,' quod she, 'though that men wenen that

ther be somewhat folissh and confuse, whan the resoun of the

ordre is unknowe. But al-though that thou ne knowe nat the

cause of so greet a disposicioun, natheles, for as moche as god,

the gode governour, atempreth and governeth the world, ne doute

thee nat that alle thinges ben doon a-right.

Pr. V. 4. C. hath leuere; A. hath nat leuer; Ed. had not leuer. 8. A. Ed. witnes-; C. witnesse-. 10. A. neyȝbours; C. nesshebors. 17. A. witen; C. weten. 21. C. A. astonyenge. 25. C. defference. 28. C. Ne it nis; A. it nis. 33. C. ben; A. ne ben.

Metre V.

Si quis Arcturi sidera nescit.

Who-so that ne knowe nat the [sterres of Arcture], y-torned neigh

to the soverein contree or point, that is to seyn, y-torned neigh to

the soverein pool of the firmament, and wot nat why [the sterre]

Bootes passeth or gadereth his weynes, and drencheth his late

flambes in the see, and why that Bootes the sterre unfoldeth his

over-swifte arysinges, thanne shal he wondren of the lawe of the

heye eyr.

And eek, yif that he ne knowe nat why that the hornes of [the fulle]

[mone] wexen pale and [infect] by the boundes of the derke night;

and how the mone, derk and [confuse], discovereth the sterres that

she hadde y-covered by hir clere visage. [The comune errour]

moeveth folk, and maketh wery hir basins of bras by [thikke]

[strokes]; that is to seyn, that ther is a maner of poeple that highte

Coribantes, that wenen that, whan the mone is in the eclipse, that it

be enchaunted; and therfore, for to rescowe the mone, they beten hir

basins with thikke strokes.

Ne no man ne wondreth whan the blastes of the wind Chorus

beten the strondes of the see [by quakinge flodes]; ne no man ne

wondreth whan the weighte of the snowe, y-harded by the colde,

is resolved by the brenninge hete of Phebus the sonne; for heer

seen men redely the causes.

But the causes y-hid, that is to seyn, in hevene, troublen the

brestes of men; the moevable poeple is astoned of [alle thinges]

that comen selde and sodeinly in our age. But yif the [troubly]

[errour] of our ignoraunce departede fro us, so that we wisten the

causes why that swiche thinges bi-tyden, certes, they sholden cese

to seme wondres.'

Me. V. 1. Ed. Arcture; C. Arctour; A. aritour. 4. Ed. Bootes; C. A. boetes (twice). 9. A. Ed. by the; C. by. 11. A. Ed. had; C. hadde. 12. C. basynnes (1st time); basyns (2nd). 14. Ed. Coribantes; C. A. coribandes. 17. A. Ed. blastes; C. blases. 18. A. Ed. man ne; C. manne. 19. A. Ed. the snowe; C. sonwh (sic; om. the).

Prose VI.

Ita est, inquam.

'Thus is it,' quod I. 'But so as thou hast yeven or bi-hight

me to unwrappen the hid causes of thinges, and to discovere me

the resouns covered with derknesses, I prey thee that thou devyse

and iuge me of this matere, and that thou do me to understonden

it; for this miracle or this wonder troubleth me right gretly.'

And thanne she, a litel what smylinge, seyde: 'thou clepest

me,' quod she, 'to telle thing that is grettest of alle thinges that

mowen ben axed, and to the whiche questioun unnethes is ther

aught y-nough to [laven it]; as who seyth, unnethes is ther suffisauntly

anything to answere parfitly to thy questioun. For the

matere of it is swich, that whan o doute is determined and cut

awey, ther wexen other doutes with-oute number; right as the

hevedes wexen of [Ydre], the serpent that Ercules slowh. Ne ther

ne were [no manere ne non ende], [but-yif] that a wight constreinede

tho doutes by a right lyfly and quik fyr of thought; that is to

seyn, by vigour and strengthe of wit. For in this manere men

weren wont to maken questions of the simplicitee of the purviaunce

of god, and of the order of destinee, and of sodein

happe, and of the knowinge and predestinacioun divyne, and of

the libertee of free wille; the whiche thinges thou thy-self

aperceyvest wel, of what weight they ben. But for as mochel

as the knowinge of thise thinges is a maner porcioun of the

medicine of thee, al-be-it so that I have litel tyme to don it,

yit natheles I wol enforcen me to shewe somwhat of it. But

[al-thogh] the norisshinges of ditee of musike delyteth thee, thou

most suffren and forberen a litel of thilke delyte, whyle that

I weve to thee resouns y-knit by ordre.'

'As it lyketh to thee,' quod I, 'so do.' Tho spak she right as

by another biginninge, and seyde thus. 'The engendringe of

alle thinges,' quod she, 'and alle the progressiouns of [muable]

nature, and al that moeveth in any manere, taketh his causes, his

ordre, and his formes, of the stablenesse of the divyne thoght;

and thilke divyne thought, that is y-set and put [in the tour], that

is to seyn, in the heighte, of the simplicitee of god, stablissheth

many maner gyses to thinges that ben to done; the whiche

maner, whan that men loken it in thilke pure clennesse of the

divyne intelligence, it is y-cleped purviaunce; but whan thilke

maner is referred by men to thinges that it moveth and disponeth,

thanne of olde men it was cleped destinee. The whiche thinges,

yif that any wight loketh wel in his thought the strengthe of that

oon and of that other, he shal lightly mowen seen, that thise two

thinges ben dyverse. For purviaunce is thilke divyne reson that

is establisshed in the soverein prince of thinges; the whiche purviaunce

disponeth alle thinges. But destinee is the disposicioun

and ordinaunce clyvinge to moevable thinges, by the whiche

disposicioun the purviaunce knitteth alle thinges in hir ordres;

for purviaunce embraceth alle thinges to-hepe, al-thogh that they

ben dyverse, and al-thogh they ben infinite; [but destinee] departeth

and ordeineth alle thinges singulerly, and divyded in

moevinges, in places, in formes, in tymes, as thus: lat the

unfoldinge of temporel ordinaunce, assembled and ooned in the

lokinge of the divyne thought, be cleped purviaunce; and thilke

same assemblinge and ooninge, divyded and unfolden by tymes,

lat that ben called destinee. And al-be-it so that thise thinges

ben dyverse, yit natheles hangeth that oon on that other; for-why

the order destinal procedeth of the simplicitee of purviaunce.

For right as a werkman, that aperceyveth in his thoght the forme

of the thing that he wol make, and moeveth the effect of the

werk, [and ledeth] that he hadde loked biforn in his thoght simply

and presently, by temporel ordinaunce: certes, right so god

disponeth in his purviaunce, singulerly and stably, the thinges

that ben to done, but he aministreth in many maneres and in

dyverse tymes, by destinee, thilke same thinges that he hath

disponed.

Thanne, whether that destinee be exercysed outher by some

divyne spirits, servaunts to the divyne purviaunce, or elles by

[som sowle], or elles by alle nature servinge to god, or elles by the

[celestial moevinges] of sterres, or elles by the vertu of angeles, or

elles by the dyverse subtilitee of develes, or elles by any of hem,

or elles by hem alle, the destinal ordinaunce is y-woven and

acomplisshed. Certes, it is open thing, that the purviaunce is

an unmoevable and simple forme of thinges to done; and the

moveable bond and the temporel ordinaunce of thinges, whiche

that the divyne simplicitee of purviaunce hath ordeyned to done,

that is destinee. For which it is, that alle thinges that ben put

under destinee ben, certes, subgits to purviaunce, to whiche purviaunce

destinee itself is subgit and under. But some thinges

ben put under purviaunce, that surmounten the ordinaunce of

destinee; and tho ben thilke that stably ben y-ficched negh to the

firste godhed: they surmounten the ordre of destinal moevabletee.

For right as of cercles that tornen a-boute or a-boute

a poynt, thilke cercle that is innerest or most with-inne ioyneth to

the simplesse of the middel, and is, as it were, a centre or a poynt

to that other cercles that tornen a-bouten him; and thilke that is

outterest, compassed by larger envyronninge, is unfolden by

larger spaces, in so moche as it is forthest fro the middel simplicitee

of the poynt; [and yif ther be] any-thing that knitteth and

felawshippeth him-self to thilke middel poynt, it is constreined

in-to simplicitee, that is to seyn, in-to unmoevabletee, and it ceseth

to be shad and to fleten dyversely: right so, by semblable resoun,

thilke thing that departeth forthest fro the first thoght of god, it is

unfolden and summitted to gretter bondes of destinee: and in so

moche is the thing more free and [laus] fro destinee, as it axeth and

holdeth him ner to thilke centre of thinges, that is to seyn, god.

And yif the thing clyveth to the stedefastnesse of the thoght of god,

and be with-oute moevinge, certes, it sormounteth the necessitee of

destinee. [Thanne right swich] comparisoun as it is of skilinge to

understondinge, and of thing that is engendred to thing that is, and

of tyme to eternitee, and of the cercle to the centre, right so is the

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ordre of moevable destinee to the stable simplicitee of purviaunce.

Thilke ordinaunce moeveth the hevene and the sterres, and

atempreth the elements to-gider amonges hem-self, and transformeth

hem by entrechaungeable mutacioun; and thilke same

ordre neweth ayein alle thinges growinge and fallinge a-doun, by

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semblable progressiouns of sedes and of sexes, that is to seyn,

male and femele. And this ilke ordre constreineth the fortunes and

the dedes of men by a bond of causes, nat able to ben unbounde;

the whiche destinal causes, [whan they passen] out fro the biginninges

of the unmoevable purviaunce, it mot nedes be that they

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ne be nat mutable. And thus ben the thinges ful wel y-governed,

yif that the simplicitee dwellinge in the divyne thoght sheweth

forth the ordre of causes, [unable to ben y-bowed]; and this ordre

constreineth by his propre stabletee the moevable thinges, or elles

they [sholden fleten] folily. [For which it is], that alle thinges semen

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to ben confus and trouble to us men, for we ne mowen nat considere

thilke ordinaunce; [natheles], the propre maner of every

thinge, dressinge hem to goode, disponeth hem alle.

For ther nis no-thing don for cause of yvel; ne thilke thing

that is don by wikkede folk nis nat don for yvel. The whiche

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shrewes, as I have shewed ful plentivously, seken good, but

wikked errour mistorneth hem, [ne the ordre] cominge fro the

poynt of soverein good ne declyneth nat fro his biginninge. But

[thou mayst seyn], what unreste may ben a worse confusioun than

that gode men han somtyme adversitee and somtyme prosperitee,

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and shrewes also now han thinges that they desiren, and now

thinges that they haten? Whether men liven now in swich

hoolnesse of thoght, (as who seyth, ben men now so wyse), that

swiche folk as they demen to ben gode folk or shrewes, that

it moste nedes ben that folk ben swiche as they wenen? But in

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this manere the domes of men discorden, that thilke men that

some folk demen worthy of mede, other folk demen hem worthy of

torment. But lat us graunte, I pose that som man may wel demen

or knowen the gode folk and the badde; may he thanne knowen

and seen thilke innereste atempraunce of corages, as it hath ben

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wont to be seyd of bodies; as who seyth, may a man speken and

determinen of atempraunces in corages, as men were wont to demen or

speken of complexiouns and atempraunces of bodies? [Ne it ne is nat]

an unlyk miracle, to hem that ne knowen it nat, (as who seith, but it

is lyke a merveil or a miracle to hem that ne knowen it nat), why that

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swete thinges ben covenable to some bodies that ben hole, and to

some bodies bittere thinges ben covenable; and also, why that

some syke folk ben holpen with lighte medicynes, and some folk

ben holpen with sharpe medicynes. But natheles, the leche that

knoweth the manere and the atempraunce of hele and of maladye,

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ne merveileth of it no-thing. But what other thing semeth [hele]

[of corages] but bountee and prowesse? And what other thing

semeth maladye of corages but vyces? Who is elles kepere of

good or dryver awey of yvel, but god, governour and [lecher] of

thoughtes? The whiche god, whan he hath biholden from the

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heye tour of his purveaunce, he knoweth what is covenable to

every wight, and [leneth hem] that he wot that is covenable to hem.

Lo, her-of comth and her-of is don this noble miracle of the ordre

destinal, whan god, that al knoweth, doth swiche thing, of which

thing that unknowinge folk ben astoned. But [for to constreine],

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as who seyth, but for to comprehende and telle a fewe thinges of the

divyne deepnesse, the whiche that mannes resoun may understonde,

thilke man that thou wenest to ben right Iuste and [right]

[kepinge] of equitee, the contrarie of that semeth to the divyne

purveaunce, that al wot. And Lucan, [my familer], telleth that

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"the victorious cause lykede to the goddes, and the cause over-comen

lykede to Catoun." Thanne, what-so-ever thou mayst seen

that is don in this werld unhoped or unwened, certes, it is the

right ordre of thinges; but, as to thy wikkede opinioun, it is a

confusioun. But I suppose that som man be so wel y-thewed,

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that the divyne Iugement and the Iugement of mankinde acorden

hem to-gider of him; but he is so unstedefast of corage, that, yif

any adversitee come to him, he wol forleten, par-aventure, to

continue innocence, by the whiche he ne may nat [with-holden]

fortune. Thanne the wyse dispensacioun of god spareth him, the

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whiche man adversitee mighte enpeyren; for that god wol nat

suffren him to travaile, to whom that travaile nis nat covenable.

Another man is parfit in alle vertues, and is an holy man, and

negh to god, so that the purviaunce of god wolde demen, that

it were a felonye that he were touched with any adversitees; so

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that he wol nat suffre that swich a man be moeved with any

bodily maladye. But so as seyde a philosophre, the more excellent

[by me]: he seyde [in Grek], that "vertues han edified the body

of the holy man." And ofte tyme it bitydeth, that the somme of

thinges that ben to done is [taken] to governe to gode folk, for that

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the malice haboundaunt of shrewes sholde ben abated. And god

yeveth and departeth to othre folk prosperitees and adversitees

y-medled to-hepe, after the qualitee of hir corages, and [remordeth]

som folk by adversitee, for they ne sholde nat wexen proude by

longe welefulnesse. And other folk he suffreth to ben travailed

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with harde thinges, for that they sholden confermen the vertues

of corage by the usage and exercitacioun of pacience. And

[other folk] dreden more than they oughten [that] whiche they

mighten wel beren; and somme dispyse that they mowe nat

beren; and thilke folk god ledeth in-to experience of himself by

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aspre and sorwful thinges. And many othre folk han bought

honourable renoun of this world by the prys of glorious deeth.

And som men, that ne mowen nat ben overcomen by torments,

have yeven ensaumple to othre folk, that vertu may nat ben overcomen

by adversitees; and of alle thinges ther nis no doute, that

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they ne ben don rightfully and ordenely, to the profit of hem to

whom we seen thise thinges bityde. For certes, that adversitee

comth somtyme to shrewes, and somtyme that that they desiren,

it comth of thise forseide causes. And of sorwful thinges that

bityden to shrewes, certes, no man ne wondreth; for alle men

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wenen that they han wel deserved it, and that they ben of

[wikkede merite]; of whiche shrewes the torment somtyme agasteth

othre to don felonyes, and somtyme it amendeth hem that suffren

the torments. And the prosperitee that is yeven to shrewes

sheweth a greet argument to gode folk, what thing they sholde

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demen of thilke welefulnesse, the whiche prosperitee men seen

ofte [serven to shrewes]. In the which thing I trowe that god

dispenseth; for, per-aventure, the nature of som man is so [overthrowinge]

to yvel, and so uncovenable, that the nedy povertee of

his houshold mighte rather [egren him] to don felonyes. And to

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the maladye of him god putteth remedie, to yeven him richesses.

And som other man biholdeth his conscience defouled with sinnes,

and maketh comparisoun of his fortune and of him-self; and

dredeth, per-aventure, that his blisfulnesse, of which the usage is

Ioyeful to him, that the lesinge of thilke blisfulnesse ne be nat

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sorwful to him; and therfor he wol chaunge his maneres, and, for

he dredeth to lese his fortune, he forleteth his wikkednesse. To

othre folk is welefulnesse y-yeven unworthily, the whiche overthroweth

hem in-to distruccioun that they han deserved. And to

som othre folk is yeven power to punisshen, for that it shal be

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[cause] of continuacioun and exercysinge to gode folk and cause of

torment to shrewes. For so as ther nis non alyaunce by-twixe

gode folk and shrewes, ne shrewes ne mowen nat acorden amonges

hem-self. And why nat? For shrewes discorden of hem-self by

hir vyces, the whiche vyces al to-renden hir consciences; and don

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ofte tyme thinges, the whiche thinges, whan they han don hem,

they demen that tho thinges ne sholden nat han ben don. For

which thing thilke soverein purveaunce hath maked ofte tyme fair

miracle; so that shrewes han maked shrewes to ben gode men.

For whan that som shrewes seen that they suffren wrongfully

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felonyes of othre shrewes, they wexen eschaufed in-to hate of hem

that anoyeden hem, and retornen to the frut of vertu, whan they

studien to ben unlyk to hem that they han hated. Certes, only

this is the divyne might, to the whiche might yveles ben thanne

gode, whan it useth tho yveles covenably, and draweth out the

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effect of any gode; as who seyth, that yvel is good only to the might

of god, for the might of god ordeyneth thilke yvel to good.

For oon ordre embraseth alle thinges, so that what wight that

departeth fro the resoun of thilke ordre which that is assigned to

him, algates yit he slydeth in-to another ordre, so that no-thing

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nis leveful to folye in the reame of the divyne purviaunce; as who

seyth, nothing nis with-outen ordinaunce in the reame of the divyne

purviaunce; [sin that] the right stronge god governeth alle thinges

in this world. For it nis nat leveful to man to comprehenden by

wit, ne unfolden by word, alle the subtil ordinaunces and disposiciouns

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of the divyne entente. For only it oughte suffise to

han loked, that god him-self, maker of alle natures, ordeineth and

dresseth alle thinges to gode; whyl that he hasteth to [with-holden]

the thinges that he hath maked in-to his semblaunce, that is to

seyn, for to with-holden thinges in-to good, for he him-self is good,

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he chaseth out al yvel fro the boundes of his comunalitee by the

ordre of necessitee destinable. For which it folweth, that yif thou

loke the purviaunce ordeininge the thinges that men wenen ben

[outrageous or haboundant] in erthes, thou ne shalt nat seen in no

place no-thing of yvel. But I see now that thou art charged with

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the weighte of the questioun, and wery with the lengthe of my

resoun; and that thou abydest som sweetnesse of songe. Tak

thanne this draught; [and whan] thou art wel refresshed and refect,

thou shal be more stedefast to stye in-to heyere questiouns.

Pr. VI. 4. A. Ed. do; C. don. 5. C. meracle. 6. A. om. what. 13. A. Ed. Hercules. C. slowh; A. Ed. slough. 21. C. wyht. 22, 3. A. to the medicine to the. 25. C. norysynges. 27. C. A. weue; glossed contexo. 28. A. Tho; C. So. 30. A. progressiouns; C. progressioun; progressus. 48. C. Ed. infynyte; A. with-outen fyn. 49. C. dyuydyd; A. Ed. diuideth; distributa. 50. After tymes A. ins. departith (om. as). // C. lat; Ed. Let; A. so that. 52. Ed. be cleaped; C. A. is (see 54). 55. A. Ed. on; C. of. 57. C. om. a. 59. C. symplely. 60. C. Ed. ordinaunce; A. thouȝt. 61. C. stablely. 64. C. desponed. 65. C. weyther. C. destyn (miswritten). 67. C. A. sowle; glossed anima mundi. 68. C. om. the bef. vertu. 71. C. acomplyssed; A. accomplissed. 79. C. stablely. A. yficched; C. y-fechched; Ed. fyxed. 80. Ed. mouablyte; A. moeuablite. 81. A. Ed. om. of. 85. A. Ed. larger; C. a large. 86. C. Ed. fertherest; A. forthest. 91. C. A. fyrthest (see 86). 93. A. lovs; Ed. loce. 96. C. necissite. 103. C. mutasioun. 105. A. Ed. progressiouns; C. progressioun; Lat. progressus. 106. A. female. 107. A. unbounden; glossed indissolubili. 137. After bodies, A. has 'quasi non.' 139. C. om. 2nd a. 142, 3. A. om. and some ... medicynes. 148. A. leecher. 159. A. familier. 160. Ed. victoriouse; C. A. victories; uictricem. 164. C. sopose. 166. C. om. so. 176. bodily] A. manere. // A. om. the more ... by me; me quoque excellentior. A. has: the aduersites comen nat, he seide in grec, there that vertues. 186. C. corages (animi). // C. excercitacion. 187. All the (for that.) 188, 9. Ed. and some ... not beare; C. A. om. 191. C. of the; A. Ed. of. 195. A. ordeinly. 202. C. Ed. felonies; A. folies. 210. A. puttith; C. pittyth. // A. rychesse. 213. A. his; C. is. 219. C. A. punyssen; Ed. punysshen. 220. C. excercisynge. 222. A. Ed. accorden; C. acordy. 228. After maked A. ins. oftyme (not in Lat.). 232. C. om. studien. 235. A. by (for to). 238. C. assyngned. 240. A. realme (twice). 243. A. to no man. 247. C. wyl; A. while. 253. Ed. outragyous; C. outraious; A. om. 255. C. the lengthe; A. Ed. om. the. 257. A. refet. 258. C. stydefast.

Metre VI.

Si uis celsi iura tonantis.

[If thou, wys,] wilt demen in thy pure thought the rightes or the

lawes of the heye thonderer, that is to seyn, of god, loke thou and

bihold the heightes of the soverein hevene. There kepen the

sterres, by rightful alliaunce of thinges, hir olde pees. The sonne,

y-moeved by his rody fyr, ne distorbeth nat the colde [cercle] of

the mone. [Ne the sterre] y-cleped "the Bere," that enclyneth his

ravisshinge courses abouten the soverein heighte of the worlde, ne

the same sterre Ursa nis never-mo wasshen in the depe westrene

see, ne coveiteth nat to deyen his flaumbes in the see of the occian,

al-thogh he see othre sterres y-plounged in the see. And [Hesperus]

the sterre bodeth and telleth alwey the late nightes; and [Lucifer]

the sterre bringeth ayein the clere day.

[And thus] maketh Love entrechaungeable the perdurable courses;

and thus is discordable bataile y-put out of the contree of the

sterres. This acordaunce atempreth by evenelyk maneres the

elements, that the moiste thinges, stryvinge with the drye thinges,

yeven place by stoundes; and the colde thinges ioynen hem by

feyth to the hote thinges; and that the lighte fyr aryseth in-to

heighte; and the hevy erthes avalen by hir weightes. By thise

same causes the floury yeer yildeth swote smelles in the firste

[somer-sesoun] warminge; and the hote somer dryeth the cornes;

and autumpne comth ayein, hevy of apples; and the fletinge reyn

bideweth the winter. This atempraunce norissheth and bringeth

forth al thing that [bretheth] lyf in this world; [and thilke] same

atempraunce, ravisshinge, hydeth and binimeth, and drencheth

under the laste deeth, alle thinges y-born.

Amonges thise thinges sitteth the heye maker, king and lord,

welle and biginninge, lawe and wys Iuge, to don equitee; and

governeth and enclyneth the brydles of thinges. [And tho] thinges

that he stereth to gon by moevinge, he withdraweth and aresteth;

and affermeth the moevable or wandringe thinges. [For yif] that

he ne clepede ayein the right goinge of thinges, and yif that he ne

constreinede hem nat eft-sones in-to roundnesses enclynede, the

thinges that ben now continued by stable ordinaunce, they sholden

departen from hir welle, that is to seyn, from hir biginninge, and

faylen, that is to seyn, torne in-to nought.

[This is] the comune Love to alle thinges; and alle thinges axen

to ben holden by the fyn of good. For elles ne mighten they nat

lasten, yif they ne come nat eft-sones ayein, by Love retorned, to

the cause that hath yeven hem beinge, that is to seyn, to god.

Me. VI. 1. A. om. wys; Lat. sollers. 3. C. the souereyn; A. om. the. 5. C. clerke (!); for cercle. 7. C. cours (meatus); see 13. 9. A. dyȝen; C. deeyn, glossed tingere; Ed. deyen. 10. A. in-to (for in). 16. A. striuen nat with the drye thinges, but yiuen. 24. A. al; C. alle. // A. bredith; C. Ed. bereth; read bretheth (spirat). 31. C. om. the. 35. A. bygynnynge; C. bygynge.

Prose VII.

Iamne igitur uides.

Seestow nat thanne what thing folweth alle the thinges that I

have seyd?' Boece. 'What thing?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'al-outrely, that alle fortune is good.'

'And how may that be?' quod I.

'Now understand,' quod she, 'so as alle fortune, whether so it

be Ioyeful fortune or aspre fortune, is yeven either by cause of

guerdoning or elles of exercysinge of good folk, or elles by cause

to punisshen or elles chastysen shrewes; thanne is alle fortune

good, the whiche fortune is certein that it be either rightful or

elles profitable.'

'Forsothe, this is a ful verray resoun,' quod I; 'and yif I consider

the purviaunce and the destinee that thou taughtest me a

litel her-biforn, this sentence is sustened by stedefast resouns.

But yif it lyke unto thee, lat us noumbren hem amonges thilke

thinges, of whiche thou seydest a litel her-biforn, that they ne were

nat able to ben wened to the poeple.' 'Why so?' quod she.

'For that the comune word of men,' quod I, 'misuseth this

maner speche of fortune, and seyn ofte tymes that the fortune of

som wight is wikkede.'

'Wiltow thanne,' quod she, 'that I aproche a litel to the wordes

of the poeple, so that it seme nat to hem that I be overmoche departed

as fro the usage of mankinde?'

'As thou wolt,' quod I.

'Demestow nat,' quod she, 'that al thing that profiteth is good?'

'Yis,' quod I.

'And certes, thilke thing that exercyseth or corigeth, profiteth?'

'I confesse it wel,' quod I.

'Thanne is it good?' quod she.

'Why nat?' quod I.

'But this is the fortune,' quod she, 'of hem that either ben put

in vertu and batailen ayeins aspre thinges, or elles of hem that

eschuen and declynen fro vyces and taken the wey of vertu.'

'This ne may I nat denye,' quod I.

'But what seystow of the mery fortune that is yeven to good

folk in guerdoun? Demeth aught the poeple that it is wikked?'

'Nay, forsothe,' quod I; 'but they demen, as it sooth is, that it

is right good.'

'And what seystow of that other fortune,' quod she, 'that,

al-thogh that it be aspre, and restreineth the shrewes by rightful

torment, weneth aught the poeple that it be good?'

'Nay,' quod I, 'but the poeple demeth that it is most wrecched

of alle thinges that may ben thought.'

'War now, and loke wel,' quod she, 'lest that we, in folwinge

the opinioun of the poeple, have confessed and concluded thing

that is unable to be wened to the poeple.

'What is that?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'it folweth or comth of thinges that ben

graunted, that alle fortune, what-so-ever it be, of hem that ben

either in possessioun of vertu, or in the encres of vertu, or elles in

the purchasinge of vertu, that thilke fortune is good; and that alle

fortune is right wikkede to hem that dwellen in shrewednesse;' as

who seyth, and thus weneth nat the poeple.

'That is sooth,' quod I, 'al-be-it so that no man dar confesse it

ne biknowen it.'

'Why so?' quod she; 'for right as the stronge man ne semeth

nat to abaissen or disdaignen as ofte tyme as he hereth the noise

of the bataile, [ne also it] ne semeth nat, to the wyse man, to beren

it grevously, as ofte as he is lad in-to the stryf of fortune. For

bothe to that oon man and eek to that other thilke difficultee is

the [matere]; to that oon man, of encres of his glorious renoun,

and to that other man, to confirme his sapience, that is to seyn, to

the asprenesse of his estat. For therfore is it called ["vertu,"] for

that it susteneth and enforseth, by hise strengthes, that it nis nat

overcomen by adversitees. [Ne certes], thou that art put in the

encres or in the heighte of vertu, ne hast nat comen to fleten with

delices, and for to welken in bodily luste; thou sowest or plauntest

a ful egre bataile in thy corage ayeins every fortune: for that the

sorwful fortune ne confounde thee nat, ne that the merye fortune

ne corumpe thee nat, occupye the mene by stedefast strengthes.

For al that ever is under the mene, or elles al that overpasseth the

mene, despyseth welefulnesse (as who seyth, it is vicious), and ne

hath no mede of his travaile. For it is set [in your hand] (as who

seyth, it lyth in your power) what fortune yow is levest, that is to

seyn, good or yvel. For alle fortune that semeth sharp or aspre,

yif it ne exercyse nat the gode folk ne chastyseth the wikked folk, it

punissheth.

Pr. VII. 1. A. Sest thou; C. Sestow. 5, 6. A. om. alle ... aspre. 7. Ed. guerdonyng; C. A. gerdonynge. // C. excersisinge. 16. A. ywened. 20. A. proche. 24. A. Demest thou; Ed. Wenest thou. A. al; C. alle. 26. C. excersiseth. C. corigit; A. corigith; Ed. corrygeth. 34. A. seist thou. 35. Ed. guerdon; C. A. gerdoun. C. Ed. demeth; A. deuinith; decernit. A. poeples; uulgus. 38. A. seist thou. 41. C. Ed. is; A. be. 49. A. om. or in ... vertu. 55. C. the stronge; A. no strong. 56. Ed. abasshen; A. abassen. 66. A. welken; Ed. walken; C. wellen; emarcescere. 69. A. Ed. corrumpe. C. Ocupye; A. Occupy. C. stydefast. 75. C. excersyse. 76. C. punysseth; A. punisseth.

Metre VII.

Bella bis quinis operatus annis.

The [wreker] Attrides, that is to seyn, Agamenon, that wroughte

and continuede the batailes by ten yeer, [recovered] and purgede

in wrekinge, by the destruccioun of Troye, the loste chaumbres of

mariage of his brother; this is to seyn, that he, Agamenon, wan

ayein Eleyne, that was [Menelaus wyf his brother]. In the mene

whyle that thilke Agamenon desirede to yeven sayles to the

Grekissh navye, and boughte ayein the windes by blood, he unclothede

him of pitee of fader; and the sory preest yiveth in

sacrifyinge the wrecched cuttinge of throte of the doughter; that

is to seyn, that Agamenon let cutten the throte of his [doughter] by the

preest, to maken allyaunce with his goddes, and for to han winde

with whiche he mighte wenden to Troye.

[Itacus], that is to seyn, Ulixes, biwepte his felawes y-lorn, the

whiche felawes the ferse Poliphemus, ligginge in his grete cave,

hadde freten and dreynt in his [empty] wombe. But natheles

Poliphemus, wood for his blinde visage, yald to Ulixes Ioye by

his sorwful teres; this is to seyn, that Ulixes smoot out the eye of

Poliphemus that stood in his forehed, for which Ulixes hadde Ioye,

whan he say Poliphemus wepinge and blinde.

[Hercules] is celebrable for his harde travailes; he dauntede the

proude [Centaures], half hors, half man; and he birafte the dispoylinge

fro the cruel [lyoun], that is to seyn, he slowh the lyoun and

rafte him his skin. He smoot the briddes that highten [Arpyes]

with certein arwes. He ravisshede apples fro the wakinge [dragoun],

and his hand was the more hevy for the goldene metal.

He drow [Cerberus], the hound of helle, by his treble cheyne. He,

overcomer, as it is seyd, hath put an [unmeke] lord foddre to his

cruel hors; this is to seyn, that Hercules slowh Diomedes, and made

his hors to freten him. And he, Hercules, slowh [Ydra] the serpent,

and brende the venim. And [Achelous] the flood, defouled in his

forhed, dreynte his shamefast visage in his strondes; this is to

seyn, that Achelous coude transfigure him-self in-to dyverse lyknesses;

and, as he faught with Hercules, at the laste he tornede him in-to a

bole; and Hercules brak of oon of his hornes, and he, for shame,

hidde him in his river. And he, Hercules, caste adoun [Antheus]

the gyaunt in the strondes of Libie; and [Cacus] apaysede the

wratthes of Evander; this is to seyn, that Hercules slowh the

monstre Cacus, and apaysede with that deeth the wratthe of

Evander. And the bristlede [boor] markede with scomes the

shuldres of Hercules, [the whiche] shuldres the heye cercle of

hevene sholde thriste. And the laste of his labours was, that he

sustened the hevene up-on his nekke unbowed; and he deservede

eft-sones the hevene, to ben the prys of his laste travaile.

Goth now thanne, ye stronge men, ther-as the heye wey of the

grete ensaumple ledeth yow. O nyce men, why [nake] ye youre

bakkes? As who seyth: O ye slowe and delicat men, why flee ye

adversitees, and ne fighten nat ayeins hem by vertu, to winnen the

mede of the hevene? For the erthe, overcomen, yeveth the sterres';

this is to seyn, that, whan that erthely lust is overcomen, a man is

maked worthy to the hevene.

Me. VII. 4. A. Ed. om. he. 8. A. pite as fader. 16. A. yeld. 22. A. slouȝ. 23. Ed. Arpyes; C. A. arpiis; glossed—in the palude of lyrne. 26. C. drowh; A. drouȝ. 28. C. slowgh; A. slouȝ (thrice). 28, 31, 37, 49. C. this (for this is). 29. A. etyn (for freten). 30. C. achelows (1st time); achelous (2nd); A. achelaus (twice). 34. C. he, glossed achelous; A. achelaus (om. he). 39. Ed. vomes (for scomes). 40. A. Ed. cercle; C. clerke (!). 48. A. mede of the. // A. Ed. the sterres; C. om. the.