CHAPTER V.

'In this mater toforn declared,' quod Love, 'I have wel

shewed, that every man hath free arbitrement of thinges in

his power, to do or undo what him lyketh. Out of this grounde

muste come the spire, that by processe of tyme shal in greetnesse

sprede, to have braunches and blosmes of waxing frute in grace,

of whiche the taste and the savour is endelesse blisse, in joye

ever to onbyde.'*

'Now, trewly, lady, I have my grounde wel understonde;

but what thing is thilke spire that in-to a tree shulde wexe?

Expowne me that thing, what ye therof mene.'

'That shal I,' quod she, 'blithly, and take good hede to the

wordes, I thee rede. Continuaunce in thy good service, by longe

processe of tyme in ful hope abyding, without any chaunge to

wilne in thyne herte, this is the spire. Whiche, if it be wel kept

and governed, shal so hugely springe, til the fruit of grace is

plentuously out-sprongen. For although thy wil be good, yet

may not therfore thilk blisse desyred hastely on thee discenden;

it must abyde his sesonable tyme. And so, by processe of

growing, with thy good traveyle, it shal in-to more and more wexe,

til it be found so mighty, that windes of yvel speche, ne scornes

of envy, make nat the traveyle overthrowe; ne frostes of mistrust,

ne hayles of jelousy right litel might have, in harming of suche

springes. Every yonge setling lightly with smale stormes is

apeyred; but whan it is woxen somdel in gretnesse, than han

grete blastes and †weders but litel might, any disadvantage to

them for to werche.'

'Myne owne soverayne lady,' quod I, 'and welth of myne

herte, and it were lyking un-to your noble grace therthrough nat

to be displesed, I suppose ye erren, now ye maken jelousy, envy,

and distourbour to hem that ben your servauntes. I have lerned

ofte, to-forn this tyme, that in every lovers herte greet plentee of

jelousyes greves ben sowe, wherfore (me thinketh) ye ne ought

in no maner accompte thilke thing among these other welked

wivers and venomous serpentes, as envy, mistrust, and yvel

speche.'

'O fole,' quod she, 'mistrust with foly, with yvel wil medled,

engendreth that welked padde! Truely, if they were distroyed,

jelousy undon were for ever; and yet some maner of jelousy,

I wot wel, is ever redy in al the hertes of my trewe servauntes, as

thus: to be jelous over him-selfe, lest he be cause of his own

disese. This jelousy in ful thought ever shulde be kept, for

ferdnesse to lese his love by miskeping, thorow his owne doing in

leudnesse, or els thus: lest she, that thou servest so fervently, is

beset there her better lyketh, that of al thy good service she

compteth nat a cresse. These jelousies in herte for acceptable

qualitees ben demed; these oughten every trewe lover, by kyndly

[maner], evermore haven in his mynde, til fully the grace and

blisse of my service be on him discended at wil. And he that

than jelousy caccheth, or els by wening of his owne folisshe

wilfulnesse mistrusteth, truely with fantasy of venim he is foule

begyled. Yvel wil hath grounded thilke mater of sorowe in his

leude soule, and yet nat-for-than to every wight shulde me nat

truste, ne every wight fully misbeleve; the mene of these thinges

†oweth to be used. Sothly, withouten causeful evidence mistrust

in jelousy shulde nat be wened in no wyse person commenly;

suche leude wickednesse shulde me nat fynde. He that is wyse

and with yvel wil nat be acomered, can abyde wel his tyme, til

grace and blisse of his service folowing have him so mokel esed,

as his abydinge toforehande hath him disesed.'

'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'of nothing me wondreth, sithen

thilke blisse so precious is and kyndly good, and wel is and worthy

in kynde whan it is medled with love and reson, as ye toforn

have declared. Why, anon as hye oon is spronge, why springeth

nat the tother? And anon as the oon cometh, why receyveth nat

the other? For every thing that is out of his kyndly place, by ful

appetyt ever cometh thiderward kyndely to drawe; and his kyndly

being ther-to him constrayneth. And the kyndly stede of this

blisse is in suche wil medled to †onbyde, and nedes in that it

shulde have his kyndly being. Wherfore me thinketh, anon as that

wil to be shewed and kid him profreth, thilke blisse shulde him

hye, thilk wil to receyve; or els kynde[s] of goodnesse worchen

nat in hem as they shulde. Lo, be the sonne never so fer, ever

it hath his kynde werching in erthe. Greet weight on hye on-lofte

caried stinteth never til it come to †his resting-place. Waters

to the see-ward ever ben they drawing. Thing that is light

blythly wil nat sinke, but ever ascendeth and upward draweth.

Thus kynde in every thing his kyndly cours and his beinge-place

sheweth. Wherfore †by kynde, on this good wil, anon as it were

spronge, this blisse shulde thereon discende; her kynde[s] wolde,

they dwelleden togider; and so have ye sayd your-selfe.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'thyne herte sitteth wonder sore, this blisse

for to have; thyne herte is sore agreved that it tarieth so longe;

and if thou durstest, as me thinketh by thyne wordes, this blisse

woldest thou blame. But yet I saye, thilke blisse is kyndly good,

and his kyndely place [is] in that wil to †onbyde. Never-the-later,

their comming togider, after kyndes ordinaunce, nat sodaynly

may betyde; it muste abyde tyme, as kynde yeveth him leve.

For if a man, as this wil medled gonne him shewe, and thilke

blisse in haste folowed, so lightly comminge shulde lightly cause

going. Longe tyme of thursting causeth drink to be the more

delicious whan it is atasted.'

'How is it,' quod I than, 'that so many blisses see I al day at

myne eye, in the firste moment of a sight, with suche wil accorde?

Ye, and yet other-whyle with wil assenteth, singulerly by him-selfe;

there reson fayleth, traveyle was non; service had no tyme. This

is a queynt maner thing, how suche doing cometh aboute.'

'O,' quod she, 'that is thus. The erthe kyndely, after sesons

and tymes of the yere, bringeth forth innumerable herbes and

trees, bothe profitable and other; but suche as men might leve

(though they nought in norisshinge to mannes kynde serven, or

els suche as tournen sone unto mennes confusion, in case that

therof they ataste), comen forth out of the erthe by their owne

kynde, withouten any mannes cure or any businesse in traveyle.

And the ilke herbes that to mennes lyvelode necessarily serven,

without whiche goodly in this lyfe creatures mowen nat enduren,

and most ben †norisshinge to mankynde, without greet traveyle,

greet tilthe, and longe abydinge-tyme, comen nat out of the erthe,

and [y]it with sede toforn ordayned, suche herbes to make springe

and forth growe. Right so the parfit blisse, that we have in meninge

of during-tyme to abyde, may nat come so lightly, but with greet

traveyle and right besy tilth; and yet good seed to be sowe; for

ofte the croppe fayleth of badde seede, be it never so wel traveyled.

And thilke blisse thou spoke of so lightly in comming, trewly, is

nat necessary ne abydinge; and but it the better be stamped,

and the venomous jeuse out-wrongen, it is lykely to enpoysonen

al tho that therof tasten. Certes, right bitter ben the herbes that

shewen first [in] the yere of her own kynde. Wel the more is the

harvest that yeldeth many graynes, tho longe and sore it hath ben

traveyled. What woldest thou demen if a man wold yeve three

quarters of nobles of golde? That were a precious gift?'

'Ye, certes,' quod I.

'And what,' quod she, 'three quarters ful of perles?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'that were a riche gift.'

'And what,' quod she, 'of as mokel azure?'

Quod I, 'a precious gift at ful.'

'Were not,' quod she, 'a noble gift of al these atones?'

'In good faith,' quod I, 'for wanting of Englissh naming of

so noble a worde, I can not, for preciousnesse, yeve it a name.'

'Rightfully,' quod she, 'hast thou demed; and yet love, knit

in vertue, passeth al the gold in this erthe. Good wil, accordant

to reson, with no maner propertè may be countrevayled. Al the

azure in the worlde is nat to accompte in respect of reson. Love

that with good wil and reson accordeth, with non erthly riches

may nat ben amended. This yeft hast thou yeven, I know it

my-selfe, and thy Margarite thilke gift hath receyved; in whiche

thinge to rewarde she hath her-selfe bounde. But thy gift, as

I said, by no maner riches may be amended; wherfore, with

thinge that may nat be amended, thou shalt of thy Margarites

rightwisenesse be rewarded. Right suffred yet never but every

good dede somtyme to be yolde. Al wolde thy Margarite with

no rewarde thee quyte, right, that never-more dyeth, thy mede in

merit wol purvey. Certes, such sodayn blisse as thou first

nempnest, right wil hem rewarde as thee wel is worthy; and

though at thyn eye it semeth, the reward the desert to passe,

right can after sende suche bitternesse, evenly it to rewarde. So

that sodayn blisse, by al wayes of reson, in gret goodnesse may

not ben acompted; but blisse long, both long it abydeth, and

endlesse it wol laste. See why thy wil is endelesse. For if thou

lovedest ever, thy wil is ever ther t'abyde and neveremore to

chaunge; evenhed of rewarde must ben don by right; than muste

nedes thy grace and this blisse [ben] endelesse in joye to †onbyde.

Evenliche disese asketh evenliche joye, whiche hastely thou shalt

have.'

'A!' quod I, 'it suffyseth not than alone good wil, be it never

so wel with reson medled, but-if it be in good service longe

travayled. And so through service shul men come to the joye;

and this, me thinketh, shulde be the wexing tree, of which ye first

meved.*

CHAPTER VI.

Now, lady,' quod I, 'that tree to sette, fayn wolde I lerne.'

'So thou shalt,' quod she, 'er thou depart hence. The

first thing, thou muste sette thy werke on grounde siker and good,

accordaunt to thy springes. For if thou desyre grapes, thou

goest not to the hasel; ne, for to fecchen roses, thou sekest not

on okes; and if thou shalt have hony-soukels, thou levest the

frute of the soure docke. Wherfore, if thou desyre this blisse in

parfit joye, thou must sette thy purpos there vertue foloweth, and

not to loke after the bodily goodes; as I sayd whan thou were

wryting in thy seconde boke. And for thou hast set thy-selfe in

so noble a place, and utterly lowed in thyn herte the misgoing of

thy first purpos, this †setling is the esier to springe, and the more

lighter thy soule in grace to be lissed. And trewly thy desyr,

that is to say, thy wil algates mot ben stedfast in this mater without

any chaunginge; for if it be stedfast, no man may it voyde.'

'Yes, pardè,' quod I, 'my wil may ben turned by frendes, and

disese of manace and thretning in lesinge of my lyfe and of my

limmes, and in many other wyse that now cometh not to mynde.

And also it mot ofte ben out of thought; for no remembraunce

may holde oon thing continuelly in herte, be it never so lusty

desyred.'

'Now see,' quod she, 'thou thy wil shal folowe, thy free wil to

be grounded continuelly to abyde. It is thy free wil, that thou

lovest and hast loved, and yet shal loven this Margaryte-perle;

and in thy wil thou thinkest to holde it. Than is thy wil knit

in love, not to chaunge for no newe lust besyde; this wil techeth

thyn herte from al maner varying. But than, although thou be

thretened in dethe or els in otherwyse, yet is it in thyn arbitrement

to chose, thy love to voyde or els to holde; and thilke

arbitrement is in a maner a jugement bytwene desyr and thy

herte. And if thou deme to love thy good wil fayleth, than art

thou worthy no blisse that good wil shulde deserve; and if thou

chose continuaunce in thy good service, than thy good wil

abydeth; nedes, blisse folowing of thy good wil must come by

strength of thilke jugement; for thy first wil, that taught thyn

herte to abyde, and halt it from th'eschaunge, with thy reson

is accorded. Trewly, this maner of wil thus shal abyde; impossible

it were to turne, if thy herte be trewe; and if every

man diligently the meninges of his wil consider, he shal wel

understande that good wil, knit with reson, but in a false herte

never is voyded; for power and might of keping this good wil is

thorow libertè of arbitrement in herte, but good wil to kepe

may not fayle. Eke than if it fayle, it sheweth it-selfe that good

wil in keping is not there. And thus false wil, that putteth out

the good, anon constrayneth the herte to accorde in lovinge of

thy good wil; and this accordaunce bitwene false wil and thyn

herte, in falsitè ben lykened †togider. Yet a litel wol I say

thee in good wil, thy good willes to rayse and strengthe. Tak

hede to me (quod she) how thy willes thou shalt understande.

Right as ye han in your body dyvers membres, and fyve sondrye

wittes, everiche apart to his owne doing, whiche thinges as

instrumentes ye usen; as, your handes apart to handle; feet,

to go; tonge, to speke; eye, to see: right so the soule hath

in him certayne steringes and strengthes, whiche he useth as

instrumentes to his certayne doinges. Reson is in the soule,

which he useth, thinges to knowe and to prove; and wil, whiche

he useth to wilne; and yet is neyther wil ne reson al the soule;

but everich of hem is a thing by him-selfe in the soule. And

right as everich hath thus singuler instrumentes by hemselfe,

they han as wel dyvers aptes and dyvers maner usinges; and

thilke aptes mowen in wil ben cleped affeccions. Affeccion is

an instrument of willinge in his apetytes. Wherfore mokel folk

sayn, if a resonable creatures soule any thing fervently wilneth,

affectuously he wilneth; and thus may wil, by terme of equivocas,

in three wayes ben understande. Oon is instrument of willing;

another is affection of this instrument; and the third is use, that

setteth it a-werke. Instrument of willing is thilke strength of the

soule, which that constrayneth to wilne, right as reson is instrument

of resons, which ye usen whan ye loken. Affeccion of this

instrument is a thing, by whiche ye be drawe desyrously any-thing

to wilne in coveitous maner, al be it for the tyme out

of your mynde; as, if it come in your thought thilke thing to

remembre, anon ye ben willing thilke to done or els to have.

And thus is instrument wil; and affeccion is wil also, to wilne

thing as I said; as, for to wilne helth, whan wil nothing theron

thinketh; for anon as it cometh to memorie, it is in wil. And so

is affeccion to wilne slepe, whan it is out of mynde; but anon

as it is remembred, wil wilneth slepe, whan his tyme cometh of

the doinge. For affeccion of wil never accordeth to sicknesse,

ne alway to wake. Right so, in a true lovers affeccion of willing,

instrument is to wilne tr[o]uthe in his service; and this affeccion

alway abydeth, although he be sleping or thretned, or els not

theron thinking; but anon as it cometh to mynde, anon he is

stedfast in that wil to abyde. Use of this instrument forsothe

is another thing by himselfe; and that have ye not but whan

ye be doing in willed thing, by affect or instrument of wil

purposed or desyred; and this maner of usage in my service

wysely nedeth to be ruled from wayters with envy closed, from

spekers ful of jangeling wordes, from proude folk and hautayn,

that lambes and innocentes bothe scornen and dispysen. Thus

in doing varieth the actes of willinge everich from other, and yet

ben they cleped "wil," and the name of wil utterly owen they to

have; as instrument of wil is wil, whan ye turne in-to purpos of

any thing to don, be it to sitte or to stande, or any such thing

els. This instrument may ben had, although affect and usage be

left out of doing; right as ye have sight and reson, and yet alway

use ye* †nat to loke, [ne] thinges with resonning to prove; and so

is instrument of wil, wil; and yet varyeth he from effect and

using bothe. Affeccion of wil also for wil is cleped, but it varyeth

from instrument in this maner wyse, by that nameliche, whan it

cometh in-to mynde, anon-right it is in willinge desyred, and the

negatif therof with willing nil not acorde; this is closed in herte,

though usage and instrument slepe. This slepeth whan instrument

and us[e] waken; and of suche maner affeccion, trewly,

some man hath more and some man lesse. Certes, trewe lovers

wenen ever therof to litel to have. False lovers in litel wenen

have right mokel. Lo, instrument of wil in false and trewe

bothe, evenliche is proporcioned; but affeccion is more in some

places than in some, bycause of the goodnesse that foloweth, and

that I thinke hereafter to declare. Use of this instrument is wil,

but it taketh his name whan wilned thing is in doing; but utterly

grace to cacche in thy blisse †desyreth to ben rewarded. Thou

most have than affeccion of wil at the ful, and use whan his

tyme asketh wysely to ben governed. Sothly, my disciple,

without fervent affeccion of wil may no man ben saved. This

affeccion of good service in good love may not ben grounded,

without fervent desyr to the thing in wil coveited. But he that

never reccheth to have or not to have, affeccion of wil in that

hath no resting-place. Why? For whan thing cometh to mynde,

and it be not taken in hede to comin or not come, therfore in

that place affeccion fayleth; and, for thilke affeccion is so litel,

thorow whiche in goodnesse he shulde come to his grace, the

litelnesse wil it not suffre to avayle by no way in-to his helpes.

Certes, grace and reson thilke affeccion foloweth. This affeccion,

with reson knit, dureth in everiche trewe herte, and evermore

is encresing; no ferdnesse, no strength may it remove, whyle

tr[o]uthe in herte abydeth. Sothly, whan falsheed ginneth entre,

tr[o]uthe draweth away grace and joye bothe; but than thilke

falsheed, that trouth[e] hath thus voyded, hath unknit the bond

of understanding reson bytwene wil and the herte. And who-so

that bond undoth, and unknitteth wil to be in other purpose

than to the first accorde, knitteth him with contrarye of reson;

and that is unreson. Lo, than, wil and unreson bringeth a man

from the blisse of grace; whiche thing, of pure kynde, every man

ought to shonne and to eschewe, and to the knot of wil and reson

confirme.

Me thinketh,' quod she, 'by thy studient lokes, thou wenest in

these wordes me to contrarien from other sayinges here-toforn

in other place, as whan thou were somtyme in affeccion of wil to

thinges that now han brought thee in disese, which I have thee

consayled to voyde, and thyn herte discover; and there I made

thy wil to ben chaunged, whiche now thou wenest I argue to

with[h]olde and to kepe! Shortly I say, the revers in these

wordes may not ben founde; for though dronkennesse be forboden,

men shul not alway ben drinklesse. I trowe right, for

thou thy wil out of reson shulde not tourne, thy wil in one reson

shulde not †onbyde. I say, thy wil in thy first purpos with

unreson was closed; constrewe forth of the remenant what thee

good lyketh. Trewly, that wil and reson shulde be knit togider,

was free wil of reson; after tyme thyne herte is assentaunt to them

bothe, thou might not chaunge. But if thou from rule of reson

varye, in whiche variaunce to come to thilke blisse desyred,

contrariously thou werchest; and nothing may knowe wil and reson

but love alone. Than if thou voide love, than †weyvest [thou]

the bond that knitteth; and so nedes, or els right lightly, that

other gon a-sondre; wherfore thou seest apertly that love holdeth

this knot, and amaystreth hem to be bounde. These thinges, as

a ring in circuit of wrethe, ben knit in thy soule without departing.'

'A! let be! let be!' quod I; 'it nedeth not of this no

rehersayle to make; my soule is yet in parfit blisse, in thinking of

that knotte!'*

CHAPTER VII.

'Very trouth,' quod she, 'hast thou now conceyved of these

thinges in thyne herte; hastely shalt thou be able very

joye and parfit blisse to receyve; and now, I wot wel, thou

desyrest to knowe the maner of braunches that out of the tree

shulde springe.'

'Therof, lady,' quod I, 'hertely I you pray; for than leve

I †wel, that right sone after I shal ataste of the frute that I so

long have desyred.'

'Thou hast herd,' quod she, 'in what wyse this tree toforn this

have I declared, as in grounde and in stocke of wexing. First,

the ground shulde be thy free wil, ful in thyne herte; and the

stocke (as I sayde) shulde be continuaunce in good service by

long tyme in traveyle, til it were in greetnesse right wel woxen.

And whan this tree suche greetnesse hath caught as I have

rehersed, the braunches than, that the frute shulde forth-bringe,

speche must they be nedes, in voice of prayer in complayning

wyse used.'

'Out! alas!' quod I tho, 'he is soroufully wounded that

hydeth his speche, and spareth his complayntes to make! What

shal I speke the care? But payne, even lyk to helle, sore hath

me assayled, and so ferforth in payne me thronge, that I leve my

tree is seer, and never shal it frute forth bringe! Certes, he is

greetly esed, that dare his prevy mone discover to a true felowe,

that conning hath and might, wherthrough his pleint in any thinge

may ben amended. And mokel more is he joyed, that with herte

of hardinesse dare complayne to his lady what cares that he

suffreth, by hope of mercy with grace to be avaunced. Truely

I saye for me, sithe I cam this Margarit to serve, durst I never me

discover of no maner disese; and wel the later hath myn herte

hardyed suche thinges to done, for the grete bountees and worthy

refresshmentes that she of her grace goodly, without any desert on

my halve, ofte hath me rekened. And nere her goodnesse the

more with grace and with mercy medled, which passen al desertes,

traveyls, and servinges that I in any degre might endite, I wolde

wene I shulde be without recover, in getting of this blisse for

ever! Thus have I stilled my disese; thus have I covered my

care; that I brenne in sorouful anoy, as gledes and coles wasten

a fyr under deed asshen. Wel the hoter is the fyr that with

asshen it is overleyn. Right longe this wo have I suffred.'

'Lo,' quod Love, 'how thou farest! Me thinketh, the palasy-yvel

hath acomered thy wittes; as faste as thou hyest forward,

anon sodaynly backward thou movest! Shal nat yet al thy

leudnesse out of thy braynes? Dul ben thy skilful understandinges;

thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred. Wost thou nat wel (quod she)

but every tree, in his sesonable tyme of burjoninge, shewe his

blomes fro within, in signe of what frute shulde out of him

springe, els the frute for that yere men halt delivered, be the

ground never so good? And though the stocke be mighty at

the ful, and the braunches seer, and no burjons shewe, farwel the

gardiner! He may pype with an yvè-lefe; his frute is fayled.

Wherfore thy braunches must burjonen in presence of thy lady, if

thou desyre any frute of thy ladies grace. But beware of thy lyfe,

that thou no wode lay use, as in asking of thinges that strecchen

in-to shame! For than might thou nat spede, by no maner way

that I can espy. Vertue wol nat suffre villany out of him-selfe to

springe. Thy wordes may nat be queynt, ne of subtel maner

understandinge. Freel-witted people supposen in suche poesies

to be begyled; in open understandinge must every word be used.

"Voice without clere understanding of sentence," saith Aristotel,

"right nought printeth in herte." Thy wordes than to abyde in

herte, and clene in ful sentence of trewe mening, platly must

thou shewe; and ever be obedient, her hestes and her wils to

performe; and be thou set in suche a wit, to wete by a loke

ever-more what she meneth. And he that list nat to speke, but

stilly his disese suffer, what wonder is it, tho[ugh] he come never

to his blisse? Who that traveyleth unwist, and coveyteth thing

unknowe, unweting he shal be quyted, and with unknowe thing

rewarded.'

'Good lady,' quod I than, 'it hath ofte be sene, that †weders

and stormes so hugely have falle in burjoning-tyme, and by perte

duresse han beten of the springes so clene, wherthrough the frute

of thilke yere hath fayled. It is a greet grace, whan burjons han

good †weders, their frutes forth to bringe. Alas! than, after

suche stormes, how hard is it to avoyde, til efte wedring and

yeres han maked her circute cours al about, er any frute be able

to be tasted! He is shent for shame, that foule is rebuked of his

speche. He that is in fyre brenning sore smarteth for disese;

him thinketh ful long er the water come, that shulde the fyr

quenche. While men gon after a leche, the body is buryed.

Lo! how semely this frute wexeth! Me thinketh, that of tho

frutes may no man ataste, for pure bitternesse in savour. In this

wyse bothe frute and the tree wasten away togider, though mokel

besy occupacion have be spent, to bringe it so ferforth that it

was able to springe. A lyte speche hath maked that al this labour

is in ydel.'

'I not,' quod she, 'wherof it serveth, thy question to assoyle.

Me thinketh thee now duller in wittes than whan I with thee first

mette. Although a man be leude, commenly for a fole he is nat

demed but-if he no good wol lerne. Sottes and foles lete lightly

out of mynde the good that men techeth hem. I sayd therfore,

thy stocke must be stronge, and in greetnesse wel herted: the

tree is ful feble that at the firste dent falleth. And although frute

fayleth oon yere or two, yet shal suche a seson come oon tyme or

other, that shal bringe out frute that [is parfit]. *Fole, have I not

seyd toforn this, as tyme hurteth, right so ayenward tyme heleth

and rewardeth; and a tree oft fayled is holde more in deyntee

whan it frute forth bringeth. A marchaunt that for ones lesinge

in the see no more to aventure thinketh, he shal never with

aventure come to richesse. So ofte must men on the oke smyte,

til the happy dent have entred, whiche with the okes owne swaye

maketh it to come al at ones. So ofte falleth the lethy water on

the harde rocke, til it have thorow persed it. The even draught

of the wyr-drawer maketh the wyr to ben even and supple-werchinge;

and if he stinted in his draught, the wyr breketh

a-sonder. Every tree wel springeth, whan it is wel grounded and

not often removed.'

'What shal this frute be,' quod I, 'now it ginneth rype?'

'Grace,' quod she, 'in parfit joy to endure; and therwith thou

begon[ne].'

'Grace?' quod I; 'me thinketh, I shulde have a reward for my

longe travayle?'

'I shal telle thee,' quod she; 'retribucion of thy good willes

to have of thy Margarite-perle, it bereth not the name of mede,

but only of good grace; and that cometh not of thy desert, but

of thy Margarytes goodnesse and vertue alone.'

Quod I, 'shulde al my longe travayle have no reward but thorow

grace? And som-tyme your-selven sayd, rightwisnesse evenliche

rewardeth, to quyte oon benefit for another.'

'That is sothe,' quod Love, 'ever as I sayde, as to him that

doth good, which to done he were neyther holden ne yet

constrayned.'

'That is sothe,' quod I.

'Trewly,' quod she, 'al that ever thou doest to thyne Margaryte-perle,

of wil, of love, and of reson thou owest to done it; it is

nothing els but yelding of thy dette in quytinge of thy grace, which

she thee lente whan ye first mette.'

'I wene,' quod I, 'right litel grace to me she delivered.

Certes, it was harde grace; it hath nyghe me astrangled.'

'That it was good grace, I wot wel thou wilt it graunte, er

thou departe hence. If any man yeve to another wight, to whom

that he ought not, and whiche that of him-selfe nothing may

have, a garnement or a cote, though he were the cote or els

thilke clothing, it is not to putte to him that was naked the cause

of his clothinge, but only to him that was yever of the garnement.

Wherfore I saye, thou that were naked of love, and of thy-selfe

non have mightest, it is not to putte to thyne owne persone,

sithen thy love cam thorow thy Margaryte-perle. Ergo, she was

yever of the love, although thou it use; and there lente she thee

grace, thy service to beginne. She is worthy the thank of this

grace, for she was the yever. Al the thoughtes, besy doinges,

and plesaunce in thy might and in thy wordes that thou canst

devyse, ben but right litel in quytinge of thy dette; had she not

ben, suche thing hadde not ben studyed. So al these maters

kyndly drawen hom-ward to this Margaryte-perle, for from thence

were they borowed; al is hoolly her to wyte, the love that thou

havest; and thus quytest thou thy dette, in that thou stedfastly

servest. And kepe wel that love, I thee rede, that of her thou

hast borowed, and use it in her service thy dette to quyte; and

than art thou able right sone to have grace; wherfore after mede

in none halve mayst thou loke. Thus thy ginning and ending is

but grace aloon; and in thy good deserving thy dette thou

aquytest; without grace is nothing worth, what-so-ever thou

werche. Thanke thy Margaryte of her grete grace that †hiderto

thee hath gyded, and praye her of continuaunce forth in thy

werkes herafter; and that, for no mishappe, thy grace overthwartly

tourne. Grace, glorie, and joye is coming thorow good

folkes desertes; and by getting of grace, therin shullen ende.

And what is more glorie or more joye than wysdom and love

in parfit charitè, whiche god hath graunted to al tho that wel

†conne deserve?' And with that this lady al at ones sterte in-to

my herte: 'here wol I onbyde,' quod she, 'for ever, and never

wol I gon hence; and I wol kepe thee from medlinge while me

liste here onbyde; thyne entermeting maners in-to stedfastnesse

shullen be chaunged.'

CHAPTER VIII.

Soberliche tho threw I up myn eyen, and hugely tho was

I astonyed of this sodayne adventure; and fayn wolde I have

lerned, how vertues shulden ben knowen; in whiche thinges,

I hope to god, here-after she shal me enfourmen; and namely,

sithen her restinge-place is now so nygh at my wil; and anon al

these thinges that this lady said, I remembred me by my-selfe, and

revolved the †lynes of myne understondinge wittes. Tho found

I fully al these maters parfitly there written, how mis-rule by

fayned love bothe realmes and citees hath governed a greet

throwe; how lightly me might the fautes espye; how rules in love

shulde ben used; how somtyme with fayned love foule I was

begyled; how I shulde love have knowe; and how I shal in love

with my service procede. Also furthermore I found, of perdurable

letters wonderly there graven, these maters whiche I shal nempne.

Certes, non age ne other thing in erthe may the leest sillable of

this in no poynte deface, but clerely as the sonne in myne

understandinge soule they shynen. This may never out of my mynde,

how I may not my love kepe, but thorow willinge in herte; wilne

to love may I not, but I lovinge have. Love have I non, but

thorow grace of this Margarite-perle. It is no maner doute, that

wil wol not love but for it is lovinge, as wil wol not rightfully but

for it is rightful it-selve. Also wil is not lovinge for he wol love;

but he wol love for he is lovinge; it is al oon to †wilne to be

lovinge, and lovinges in possession to have. Right so wil wol not

love, for of love hath he no partie. And yet I denye not lovinge

wil [may] wilne more love to have, whiche that he hath not whan

he wolde more than he hath; but I saye, he may no love wilne

if he no love have, through which thilke love he shuld wilne. But

to have this loving wil may no man of him-selfe, but only through

grace toforn-going; right so may no man it kepe, but by grace

folowinge. Consider now every man aright, and let seen if that

any wight of him-selfe mowe this loving wel gete, and he therof

first nothing have; for if it shulde of him-selfe springe, either it

muste be willing or not willing. Willing by him-selfe may he it not

have, sithen him fayleth the mater that shulde it forth bringe.

The mater him fayleth; why? He may therof have no knowing

til whan grace put it in his herte. Thus willing by him-selfe may

he it not have; and not willing, may he it not have. Pardè,

every conseyt of every resonable creature otherwyse wil [wol] not

graunte; wil in affirmatif with not willing by no way mowe acorde.

And although this loving wol come in myn herte by freenesse of

arbitrement, as in this booke fully is shewed, yet owe I not therfore

as moche alowe my free wil as grace of that Margaryte to me

lened. For neyther might I, without grace to-forn going and

afterward folowing, thilke grace gete ne kepe; and lese shal I it

never but-if free wil it make, as in willinge otherwyse than grace

hath me graunted. For right as whan any person taketh willing

to be sobre, and throweth that away, willing to be dronke; or els

taketh wil of drinking out of mesure; whiche thing, anon as it is

don, maketh (thorow his owne gilte by free wil) that [he] leseth

his grace. In whiche thing therfore upon the nobley of grace

I mote trusten, and my besy cure sette thilke grace to kepe, that

my free wil, otherwyse than by reson it shulde werche, cause not

my grace to voyde: for thus must I bothe loke to free wil and to

grace. For right as naturel usage in engendring of children may

not ben without †fader, ne also but with the †moder, for neyther

†fader ne †moder in begetting may it lacke; right so grace and

free wil accorden, and withoute hem bothe may not lovinge wil in

no partie ben getten. But yet is not free wil in gettinge of that

thing so mokel thank-worthy as is grace, ne in the kepinge therof

so moche thank deserveth; and yet in gettinge and keping bothe

don they accorde. Trewly, often-tyme grace free wil helpeth, in

fordoinge of contrarye thinges, that to willinge love not accorden,

and †strengtheth wil adversitees to withsitte; wherfore †al-togider

to grace oweth to ben accepted, that my willing deserveth. Free

wil to lovinge in this wyse is accorded. I remembre me wel how

al this book (who-so hede taketh) considereth [how] al thinges to

werchinges of mankynde evenly accordeth, as in turning of this

worde 'love' in-to trouthe or els rightwisnesse, whether that it

lyke. For what thing that falleth to man in helping of free

arbitrement, thilke rightwisnesse to take or els to kepe, thorow

whiche a man shal be saved (of whiche thing al this book mencion

hath maked), in every poynte therof grace oweth to be thanked.

Wherfore I saye, every wight havinge this rightwisnesse rightful

is; and yet therfore I fele not in my conscience, that to al

rightful is behoten the blisse everlastinge, but to hem that ben

rightful withouten any unrightfulnesse. Some man after some degree

may rightfully ben accompted as chaste men in living, and yet ben

they janglers and ful of envy pressed; to hem shal this blisse

never ben delivered. For right as very blisse is without al maner

nede, right so to no man shal it be yeven but to the rightful, voyde

from al maner unrightfulnesse founde; so no man to her blisse

shal ben folowed, but he be rightful, and with unrightfulnesse not

bounde, and in that degree fully be knowe. This rightfulnesse,

in as moche as in him-selfe is, of none yvel is it cause; and of al

maner goodnesse, trewly, it is †moder. This helpeth the spirit

to withsitte the leude lustes of flesshly lykinge. This strengtheth

and maintayneth the lawe of kynde; and if that otherwhyle me

weneth harm of this precious thing to folowe, therthorough is [it]

nothing the cause; of somwhat els cometh it aboute, who-so

taketh hede. By rightfulnesse forsothe wern many holy sayntes

good savour in swetenesse to god almighty; but that to some

folkes they weren savour of dethe, in-to deedly ende, that com

not of the sayntes rightwisnesse, but of other wicked mennes

badnesse hath proceded. Trewly, the ilke wil, whiche that the

Lady of Love me lerned 'affeccion of wil' to nempne, which is

in willing of profitable thinges, yvel is it not, but whan to flesshly

lustes it consenteth ayenst reson of soule. But that this thing

more clerely be understande, it is for to knowe, whence and how

thilke wil is so vicious, and so redy yvel dedes to perfourme.

Grace at the ginninge ordeyned thilke wil in goodnesse ever to

have endured, and never to badnesse have assented. Men shulde

not byleve, that god thilke wil maked to be vicious [in] our firste

†faders, as Adam and Eve; for vicious appetytes, and vicious wil

to suche appetytes consentinge, ben not on thing in kynde; other

thing is don for the other. And how this wil first in-to man first

assented, I holde it profitable to shewe; but if the first condicion

of resonable creature wol be considred and apertly loked, lightly

the cause of suche wil may be shewed. Intencion of god was,

that rightfully and blissed shulde resonable nature ben maked,

himselfe for to kepe; but neyther blisful ne rightful might it not

be, withouten wil in them bothe. Wil of rightfulnesse is thilke

same rightfulnesse, as here-to-forn is shewed; but wil of blisse

is not thilke blisse, for every man hath not thilke blisse, in whom

the wil therof is abydinge. In this blisse, after every

understandinge, is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any

maner nede, whether it be blisse of aungels or els thilke that

grace first in paradise suffred Adam to have. For al-though

angels blisse be more than Adams was in paradyse, yet may it not

be †denyed, that Adam in paradyse ne had suffisaunce of blisse;

for right as greet herte is without al maner of coldenesse, and yet

may another herte more hete have; right so nothing defended

Adam in paradyse to ben blessed, without al maner nede.

Al-though aungels blisse be moche more, forsothe, it foloweth

not [that], lasse than another to have, therfore him nedeth; but

for to wante a thing whiche that behoveth to ben had, that may

'nede' ben cleped; and that was not in Adam at the first

ginning. God and the Margaryte weten what I mene. Forsothe,

where-as is nede, there is wrecchednesse. †God without cause

to-forngoing made not resonable creature wrecched; for him to

understande and love had he firste maked. God made therfore

man blissed without al maner indigence; †togider and at ones

took resonable creature blisse, and wil of blissednesse, and wil

of rightfulnesse, whiche is rightfulnesse it-selve, and libertee of

arbitrement, that is, free wil, with whiche thilke rightfulnesse may

he kepe and lese. So and in that wyse [god] ordayned thilke

two, that wil (whiche that "instrument" is cleped, as here-toforn

mencion is maked) shulde use thilke rightfulnesse, by teching of

his soule to good maner of governaunce, in thought and in wordes;

and that it shulde use the blisse in obedient maner, withouten

any incommoditè. Blisse, forsothe, in-to mannes profit, and

rightwisnesse in-to his worship god delivered at ones; but rightfulnesse

so was yeven that man might it lese, whiche if he not lost

had, but continuelly [might] have it kept, he shulde have deserved

the avauncement in-to the felowshippe of angels, in whiche thing

if he that loste, never by him-selfe forward shulde he it mowe

ayenward recovere; and as wel the blisse that he was in, as

aungels blisse that to-him-wardes was coming, shulde be nome at

ones, and he deprived of hem bothe. And thus fil man un-to

lykenesse of unresonable bestes; and with hem to corrupcion and

unlusty apetytes was he under-throwen. But yet wil of blisse

dwelleth, that by indigence of goodes, whiche that he loste

through greet wrecchednesse, by right shulde he ben punisshed.

And thus, for he weyved rightfulnesse, lost hath he his blisse; but

fayle of his desyr in his owne comoditè may he not; and †where

comodites to his resonable nature whiche he hath lost may he not

have, to false lustes, whiche ben bestial appetytes, he is turned.

Folye of unconning hath him begyled, in wening that thilke ben

the comoditees that owen to ben desyred. This affeccion of wil

by libertè of arbitrement is enduced to wilne thus thing that

he shulde not; and so is wil not maked yvel but unrightful, by

absence of rightfulnesse, whiche thing by reson ever shulde he

have. And freenesse of arbitrement may he not wilne, whan he it

not haveth; for while he it had, thilke halp it not to kepe; so

that without grace may it not ben recovered. Wil of commoditè,

in-as-moche as unrightful it is maked by willinge of yvel lustes, willing

of goodnesse may he not wilne; for wil of instrument to affeccion

of wil is thralled, sithen that other thing may it not wilne;

for wil of instrument to affeccion desyreth, and yet ben bothe they

'wil' cleped. For that instrument wol, through affeccion it wilneth;

and affeccion desyreth thilke thing wherto instrument him ledeth.

And so free wil to unlusty affeccion ful servaunt is maked, for

unrightfulnesse may he not releve; and without rightfulnesse ful

fredom may it never have. For kyndly libertee of arbitrement

without it, veyne and ydel is, forsothe. Wherfore yet I say, (as

often have I sayd the same), whan instrument of wil lost hath

rightfulnesse, in no maner but by grace may he ayen retourne

rightfulnesse to wilne. For sithen nothing but rightfulnesse alone

shulde he wilne, what that ever he wilneth without rightfulnesse,

unrightfully he it wilneth. These than unrightful appetytes and

unthrifty lustes whiche the †flesh desyreth, in as mokel as they ben

in kynde, ben they nat bad; but they ben unrightful and badde for

they ben in resonable creature, where-as they being, in no waye

shulde ben suffred. In unresonable beestes neyther ben they yvel

ne unrightful; for there is their kynde being.