CHAPTER V.

Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the

strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos?

Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is

it nat preved by strength?'

'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.

'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and

Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of

speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for

suertee that no wight shulde of her have no maistry in my

service; and yet Jupiter by signes, without any speche, had

al his purpose ayenst her fathers wil. And many suche mo have

ben knitte in trouthe, and yet spake they never togider; for

that is a thing enclosed under secretnesse of privytè, why twey

persons entremellen hertes after a sight. The power in knowing,

of such thinges †to preven, shal nat al utterly be yeven to you

beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben

reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving

people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined.

Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al]

people upon my servauntes maken †ofte, is rather cause of esployte

than of any hindringe.'

'Why, than,' quod I, 'suffre ye such wrong; and moun, whan

ye list, lightly al such yvels abate? Me semeth, to you it is

a greet unworship.'

'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many

that han ben to me unkynde, that trewly I wol suffre every wight

in that wyse to have disese; and who that continueth to the ende

wel and trewly, hem wol I helpen, and as for oon of myne in-to

blisse [don] to wende. As [in] marcial doing in Grece, who

was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest

com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared

nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that

profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon

voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh

and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth:

such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe.

A tree ofte set in dyvers places wol nat by kynde endure to bringe

forth frutes. Loke now, I pray thee, how myne olde servauntes

of tyme passed continued in her service, and folowe thou after

their steppes; and than might thou not fayle, in case thou worche

in this wyse.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it is nothing lich, this world, to tyme

passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè

hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the

salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe

two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'

'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of

lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in

by the contrarious malice of wicked people, that han envyous hertes

ayenst other. But trewly, my lawe to my servauntes ever hath

ben in general, whiche may nat fayle. For right as mannes †lawe

that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for

good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden]

to what ende it draweth; and than it sheweth the necessitè

therof, or els the impossibilitè: right so the lawe of my servauntes

so wel hath ben proved in general, that hitherto hath it not fayled.

Wiste thou not wel that al the lawe of kynde is my lawe, and

by god ordayned and stablisshed to dure by kynde resoun?

Wherfore al lawe by mannes witte purveyed ought to be underput

to lawe of kynde, whiche yet hath be commune to every kyndely

creature; that my statutes and my lawe that ben kyndely arn

general to al peoples. Olde doinges and by many turninges of

yeres used, and with the peoples maner proved, mowen nat so

lightly ben defased; but newe doinges, contrariauntes suche olde,

ofte causen diseses and breken many purposes. Yet saye I nat

therfore that ayen newe mischeef men shulde nat ordaynen

a newe remedye; but alwaye looke it contrary not the olde no

ferther than the malice streccheth. Than foloweth it, the olde

doinges in love han ben universal, as for most exployte[s] forth

used; wherfore I wol not yet that of my lawes nothing be adnulled.

But thanne to thy purpos: suche jangelers and lokers, and

wayters of games, if thee thinke in aught they mowe dere, yet

love wel alwaye, and sette hem at naught; and let thy port ben

lowe in every wightes presence, and redy in thyne herte to

maynteyne that thou hast begonne; and a litel thee fayne with

mekenesse in wordes; and thus with sleyght shalt thou surmount

and dequace the yvel in their hertes. And wysdom yet is to seme

flye otherwhyle, there a man wol fighte. Thus with suche thinges

the tonges of yvel shal ben stilled; els fully to graunte thy ful

meninge, for-sothe ever was and ever it shal be, that myn enemyes

ben aferde to truste to any fightinge. And therfore have thou no

cowardes herte in my service, no more than somtyme thou

haddest in the contrarye. For if thou drede suche jangleres, thy

viage to make, understand wel, that he that dredeth any rayn, to

sowe his cornes, he shal have than [bare] bernes. Also he that

is aferd of his clothes, let him daunce naked! Who nothing

undertaketh, and namely in my service, nothing acheveth. After

grete stormes the †weder is often mery and smothe. After

moche clatering, there is mokil rowning. Thus, after jangling

wordes, cometh "huissht! pees! and be stille!"'

'O good lady!' quod I than, 'see now how, seven yere passed

and more, have I graffed and †grobbed a vyne; and with al the

wayes that I coude I sought to a fed me of the grape; but frute

have I non founde. Also I have this seven yere served Laban, to

a wedded Rachel his doughter; but blere-eyed Lya is brought to

my bedde, which alway engendreth my tene, and is ful of children

in tribulacion and in care. And although the clippinges and

kissinges of Rachel shulde seme to me swete, yet is she so

barayne that gladnesse ne joye by no way wol springe; so that

I may wepe with Rachel. I may not ben counsayled with solace,

sithen issue of myn hertely desyre is fayled. Now than I pray that

to me [come] sone fredom and grace in this eight[eth] yere; this

eighteth mowe to me bothe be kinrest and masseday, after the

seven werkedays of travayle, to folowe the Christen lawe; and,

what ever ye do els, that thilke Margaryte be holden so, lady, in

your privy chambre, that she in this case to none other person be

committed.'

'Loke than,' quod she, 'thou persever in my service, in whiche

I have thee grounded; that thilke scorn in thyn enemyes mowe

this on thy person be not sothed: "lo! this man began to edefye,

but, for his foundement is bad, to the ende may he it not bringe."

For mekenesse in countenaunce, with a manly hert in dedes and

in longe continuaunce, is the conisance of my livery to al my

retinue delivered. What wenest thou, that me list avaunce suche

persons as loven the first sittinges at feestes, the highest stoles

in churches and in hal, loutinges of peoples in markettes and fayres;

unstedfaste to byde in one place any whyle togider; wening his

owne wit more excellent than other; scorning al maner devyse

but his own? Nay, nay, god wot, these shul nothing parten of

my blisse. Truly, my maner here-toforn hath ben [to] worship[pe]

with my blisse lyons in the felde and lambes in chambre;

egles at assaute and maydens in halle; foxes in counsayle, stil[le]

in their dedes; and their proteccioun is graunted, redy to ben

a bridge; and their baner is arered, like wolves in the felde.

Thus, by these wayes, shul men ben avaunced; ensample of

David, that from keping of shepe was drawen up in-to the order

of kingly governaunce; and Jupiter, from a bole, to ben Europes

fere; and Julius Cesar, from the lowest degrè in Rome, to be

mayster of al erthly princes; and Eneas from hel, to be king of

the countrè there Rome is now stonding. And so to thee I say;

thy grace, by bering ther-after, may sette thee in suche plight,

that no jangling may greve the leest tucke of thy hemmes; that

[suche] are their †jangles, is nought to counte at a cresse in thy

disavauntage.

CHAPTER VI.

Ever,' quod she, 'hath the people in this worlde desyred

to have had greet name in worthinesse, and hated foule

to bere any [en]fame; and that is oon of the objeccions thou

alegest to be ayen thyne hertely desyre.'

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that, so comenly, the people wol

lye, and bringe aboute suche enfame.'

'Now,' quod she, 'if men with lesinges putte on thee enfame,

wenest thy-selfe therby ben enpeyred? That wening is wrong;

see why; for as moche as they lyen, thy meryte encreseth, and

make[th] thee ben more worthy, to hem that knowen of the soth;

by what thing thou art apeyred, that in so mokil thou art encresed

of thy beloved frendes. And sothly, a wounde of thy frende [is] to

thee lasse harm, ye, sir, and better than a fals kissing in disceyvable

glosing of thyne enemy; above that than, to be wel with thy

frende maketh [voyd] suche enfame. Ergo, thou art encresed

and not apeyred.'

'Lady,' quod I, 'somtyme yet, if a man be in disese, th'estimacion

of the envyous people ne loketh nothing to desertes of men,

ne to the merytes of their doinges, but only to the aventure of

fortune; and therafter they yeven their sentence. And some

loken the voluntary wil in his herte, and therafter telleth his

jugement; not taking hede to reson ne to the qualitè of the

doing; as thus. If a man be riche and fulfild with worldly

welfulnesse, some commenden it, and sayn it is so lent by juste

cause; and he that hath adversitè, they sayn he is weked; and

hath deserved thilke anoy. The contrarye of these thinges some

men holden also; and sayn that to the riche prosperitè is purvayed

in-to his confusion; and upon this mater many autoritès

of many and greet-witted clerkes they alegen. And some men

sayn, though al good estimacion forsake folk that han adversitè,

yet is it meryte and encrees of his blisse; so that these purposes

am so wonderful in understanding, that trewly, for myn adversitè

now, I not how the sentence of the indifferent people wil jugen

my fame.'

'Therfore,' quod she, 'if any wight shulde yeve a trewe sentence

on suche maters, the cause of the disese maist thou see

wel. Understand ther-upon after what ende it draweth, that is to

sayne, good or badde; so ought it to have his fame †by goodnesse

or enfame by badnesse. For [of] every resonable person, and

namely of a wyse man, his wit ought not, without reson to-forn

herd, sodainly in a mater to juge. After the sawes of the wyse,

"thou shalt not juge ne deme toforn thou knowe."'

'Lady,' quod I, 'ye remembre wel, that in moste laude and

praysing of certayne seyntes in holy churche, is to rehersen their

conuersion from badde in-to good; and that is so rehersed, as

by a perpetual mirrour of remembraunce, in worshippinge of

tho sayntes, and good ensample to other misdoers in amendement.

How turned the Romayne Zedeoreys fro the Romaynes,

to be with Hanibal ayenst his kynde nacion; and afterwardes,

him seming the Romayns to be at the next degrè of confusion,

turned to his olde alyes; by whose witte after was Hanibal

discomfited. Wherfore, to enfourme you, lady, the maner-why

I mene, see now. In my youth I was drawe to ben assentaunt

and (in my mightes) helping to certain conjuracions and other

grete maters of ruling of citizins; and thilke thinges ben my

drawers in; and ex[c]itours to tho maters wern so paynted and

coloured that (at the prime face) me semed them noble and

glorious to al the people. I than, wening mikel meryte have

deserved in furthering and mayntenaunce of tho thinges, besyed

and laboured, with al my diligence, in werkinge of thilke maters

to the ende. And trewly, lady, to telle you the sothe, me rought

litel of any hate of the mighty senatours in thilke citè, ne of

comunes malice; for two skilles. Oon was, I had comfort to ben

in suche plyte, that bothe profit were to me and to my frendes.

Another was, for commen profit in cominaltee is not but pees and

tranquilitè, with just governaunce, proceden from thilke profit;

sithen, by counsayle of myne inwitte, me thought the firste painted

thinges malice and yvel meninge, withouten any good avayling to

any people, and of tyrannye purposed. And so, for pure sorowe,

and of my medlinge and badde infame that I was in ronne, tho

[the] teres [that] lasshed out of myne eyen were thus awaye

wasshe, than the under-hidde malice and the rancour of purposing

envye, forncast and imagined in distruccion of mokil people,

shewed so openly, that, had I ben blind, with myne hondes al the

circumstaunce I might wel have feled.

Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse,

for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pynande

prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And

ever I was sought, if me liste to have grace of my lyfe and

frenesse of that prison, I shulde openly confesse how pees might

ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully

supposed my knowing to be ful in tho maters. Than, lady,

I thought that every man that, by any waye of right, rightfully

don, may helpe any comune †wele to ben saved; whiche thing to

kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in

distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn

owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And

mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that

in falsnesse deyeth; and also that I nere desyred wrathe of the

people ne indignacion of the worthy, for nothinge that ever I

wrought or did, in any doing my-selfe els, but in the mayntenaunce

of these foresayd errours and in hydinge of the privitees therof.

And that al the peoples hertes, holdinge on the errours syde,

weren blinde and of elde so ferforth begyled, that debat and

stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde;

by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be

desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee

of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth

growen; (and more kyndely love have I to that place than to any

other in erthe, as every kyndely creature hath ful appetyte to that

place of his kyndly engendrure, and to wilne reste and pees

in that stede to abyde); thilke pees shulde thus there have ben

broken, and of al wyse it is commended and desyred. For knowe

thing it is, al men that desyren to comen to the perfit pees

everlasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and

kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe

in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his

frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam;

this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly

may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not

pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge

us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon

body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the

name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle,

shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees.

I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared

certayne poyntes in this wyse. Firste, that thilke persones

that hadden me drawen to their purposes, and me not weting the

privy entent of their meninge, drawen also the feeble-witted

people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure

and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for

comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the

actives doinge; and also styred innocentes of conning to crye

after thinges, whiche (quod they) may not stande but we ben

executours of tho maters, and auctoritè of execucion by comen

eleccion to us be delivered. And that muste entre by strength of

your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression

of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in

such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne.

The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes

of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion

to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune administracion

to abate suche yvels. Also (quod they) it is worthy

the good to commende, and the gilty desertes to chastice. There

ben citezens many, for-ferde of execucion that shal be doon; for

extorcions by hem committed ben evermore ayenst these purposes

and al other good mevinges. Never-the-latter, lady, trewly the

meninge under these wordes was, fully to have apeched the

mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgovernaunce

that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free

eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for

greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion

that they hem submitted to every maner †fate rather than have

suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours;

notwithstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny,

that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten

reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn

his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke

eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen;

and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady,

knowen among the princes, and made open to the people,

draweth in amendement, that every degree shal ben ordayned to

stande there-as he shulde; and that of errours coming herafter

men may lightly to-forn-hand purvaye remedye; in this wyse pees

and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady,

thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne

juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and

asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth my wordes ben

sothe, without forginge of lesinges.

But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in

janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten

to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and

my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge

sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but

only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche

I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady,

how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked

men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight

that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to

the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven,

apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and

studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne?

O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of

my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to

the forsayd maters, tho me commended, and yave me name of

trouth, in so manyfolde maners that it was nyghe in every

wightes eere, there-as any of thilke people weren; and on the

other syde, thilke company somtyme passed, yevinge me name

of badde loos: now bothe tho peoples turned the good in-to

badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that

they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her

olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe,

and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they

aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater

knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater

is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte

not in praysing of my-selfe; therby shulde I lese the precious

secrè of my conscience. But ye see wel that false opinion of the

people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters;

and after the jugement of these clerkes, I shulde not hyde the

sothe of no maner person, mayster ne other. Wherfore I wolde

not drede, were it put in the consideracion of trewe and of wyse.

And for comers hereafter shullen fully, out of denwere, al the

sothe knowe of these thinges in acte, but as they wern, I have

put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge.

For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of

trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me †submitted.

But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn)

flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede

til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben

hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.'

CHAPTER VII.

Than gan Love sadly me beholde, and sayd in a changed

voyce, lower than she had spoken in any tyme: 'Fayn

wolde I,' quod she, 'that thou were holpen; but hast thou sayd

any-thing whiche thou might not proven?'

'Pardè,' quod I, 'the persones, every thing as I have sayd, han

knowleged hem-selfe.'

'Ye,' quod she, 'but what if they hadden nayed? How

woldest thou have maynteyned it?'

'Sothely,' quod I, 'it is wel wist, bothe amonges the greetest

and other of the realme, that I profered my body so largely in-to

provinge of tho thinges, that Mars shulde have juged the ende;

but, for sothnesse of my wordes, they durste not to thilke juge

truste.'

'Now, certes,' quod she, 'above al fames in this worlde, the

name of marcial doinges most plesen to ladyes of my lore; but

sithen thou were redy, and thyne adversaryes in thy presence

refused thilke doing; thy fame ought to be so born as if in dede

it had take to the ende. And therfore every wight that any

droppe of reson hath, and hereth of thee infame for these thinges,

hath this answere to saye: "trewly thou saydest; for thyne

adversaryes thy wordes affirmed." And if thou haddest lyed, yet

are they discomfited, the prise leved on thy syde; so that fame

shal holde down infame; he shal bringe [it in] upon none

halfe. What greveth thee thyne enemye[s] to sayn their owne

shame, as thus: "we arn discomfited, and yet our quarel is

trewe?" Shal not the loos of thy frendes ayenward dequace thilke

enfame, and saye they graunted a sothe without a stroke or fighting?

Many men in batayle ben discomfited and overcome in

a rightful quarel, that is goddes privy jugement in heven; but

yet, although the party be yolden, he may with wordes saye his

quarel is trewe, and to yelde him, in the contrarye, for drede of

dethe he is compelled; and he that graunteth and no stroke hath

feled, he may not crepe away in this wyse by none excusacion.

Indifferent folk wil say: "ye, who is trewe, who is fals, him-selfe

knowlegeth tho thinges." Thus in every syde fame sheweth to

thee good and no badde.'

'But yet,' quod I, 'some wil say, I ne shulde, for no dethe,

have discovered my maistresse; and so by unkyndnesse they

wol knette infame, to pursue me aboute. Thus enemyes of wil,

in manyfolde maner, wol seche privy serpentynes queintyses, to

quenche and distroye, by venim of many besinesses, the light of

tr[o]uthe; to make hertes to murmure ayenst my persone, to have

me in hayne withouten any cause.'

'Now,' quod she, 'here me a fewe wordes, and thou shalt fully

ben answered, I trowe. Me thinketh (quod she) right now, by

thy wordes, that sacrament of swering, that is to say, charging by

othe, was oon of the causes to make thee discover the malicious

imaginacions tofore nempned. Every ooth, by knittinge of copulation,

muste have these lawes, that is, trewe jugement and rightwysenesse;

in whiche thinge if any of these lacke, the ooth is

y-tourned in-to the name of perjury. Than to make a trewe

serment, most nedes these thinges folowe. For ofte tymes, a man

to saye sothe, but jugement and justice folowe, he is forsworn;

ensample of Herodes, for holdinge of his serment was [he]

dampned.

Also, to saye tr[o]uthe rightfulliche (but in jugement) otherwhile

is forboden, by that al sothes be nat to sayne. Therfore in

jugement, in tr[o]uthe, and rightwisenesse, is every creature

bounden, up payne of perjury, ful knowing to make, tho[ugh] it

were of his owne persone, for drede of sinne; after that worde,

"better is it to dey than live false." And, al wolde perverted people

fals report make in unkyndnesse, in that entent thy [en]fame to

reyse, whan light of tr[o]uthe in these maters is forth sprongen

and openly publisshed among commens, than shal nat suche

derke enfame dare appere, for pure shame of his falsnesse. As some

men ther ben that their owne enfame can none otherwyse voide

or els excuse, but †by hindringe of other mennes fame; which

that by non other cause clepen other men false, but for [that]

with their owne falsnesse mowen they nat ben avaunsed; or els

by false sklaund[r]inge wordes other men shenden, their owne

trewe sklaunder to make seme the lasse. For if such men wolden

their eyen of their conscience revolven, [they] shulden seen the

same sentence they legen on other springe out of their sydes, with

so many braunches, it were impossible to nombre. To whiche

therefore may it be sayd in that thinge, "this man thou demest,

therein thy-selfe thou condempnest."

But (quod she) understand nat by these wordes, that thou

wene me saye thee to be worthy sclaunder, for any mater tofore

written; truely I wolde witnesse the contrary; but I saye that

the bemes of sclaundring wordes may not be don awaye til the

daye of dome. For how shulde it nat yet, amonges so greet

plentee of people, ben many shrewes, sithen whan no mo but

eight persons in Noes shippe were closed, yet oon was a shrewe

and skorned his father? These thinges (quod she) I trowe, shewen

that fals fame is nat to drede, ne of wyse persons to accepte, and

namely nat of thy Margarite, whose wysdom here-after I thinke to

declare; wherfore I wot wel suche thing shal nat her asterte;

than of unkyndnesse thyn ooth hath thee excused at the fulle.

But now, if thou woldest nat greve, me list a fewe thinges to

shewe.'

'Say on,' quod I, 'what ye wol; I trowe ye mene but trouthe

and my profit in tyme cominge.'

'Trewly,' quod she, 'that is sothe, so thou con wel kepe these

wordes, and in the in[ne]rest secrè chambre of thyne herte so

faste hem close that they never flitte; than shalt thou fynde hem

avayling. Loke now what people hast thou served; whiche of

hem al in tyme of thyne exile ever thee refresshed, by the valewe

of the leste coyned plate that walketh in money? Who was sory,

or made any rewth for thy disese? If they hadden getten their

purpose, of thy misaventure sette they nat an hawe. Lo, whan

thou were emprisonned, how faste they hyed in helpe of thy

deliveraunce! I wene of thy dethe they yeve but lyte. They

loked after no-thing but after their owne lustes. And if thou liste

say the sothe, al that meyny that in this †brige thee broughten,

lokeden rather after thyne helpes than thee to have releved.

Owen nat yet some of hem money for his commens? Paydest

nat thou for some of her dispences, til they were tourned out of

Selande? Who yave thee ever ought for any rydinge thou madest?

Yet, pardè, some of hem token money for thy chambre, and

putte tho pens in his purse, unwetinge of the renter.

Lo for which a company thou medlest, that neither thee ne

them-selfe mighten helpe of unkyndnesse; now they bere the

name that thou supposest of hem for to have. What might thou

more have don than thou diddest, but-if thou woldest in a fals

quarel have been a stinkinge martyr? I wene thou fleddest, as

longe as thou might, their privitè to counsayle; which thing thou

hele[de]st lenger than thou shuldest. And thilke that ought thee

money no penny wolde paye; they wende thy returne hadde ben

an impossible. How might thou better have hem proved, but thus

in thy nedy diseses? Now hast thou ensaumple for whom thou

shalt meddle; trewly, this lore is worth many goodes.'

CHAPTER VIII.

†Eft gan Love to †steren me [with] these wordes: 'thinke

on my speche; for trewly here-after it wol do thee lykinge;

and how-so-ever thou see Fortune shape her wheele to tourne,

this meditacion [shal] by no waye revolve. For certes, Fortune

sheweth her fayrest, whan she thinketh to begyle. And as me

thought, here-toforn thou saydest, thy loos in love, for thy

rightwysenesse ought to be raysed, shulde be a-lowed in tyme cominge.

Thou might in love so thee have, that loos and fame shul so ben

raysed, that to thy frendes comfort, and sorowe to thyne enemys,

endlesse shul endure.

But if thou were the oon sheep, amonges the hundred, were lost

in deserte and out of the way hadde erred, and now to the flocke

art restoored, the shepherd hath in thee no joye and thou ayen

to the forrest tourne. But that right as the sorowe and anguisshe

was greet in tyme of thyne out-waye goinge, right so

joye and gladnesse shal be doubled to sene thee converted; and

nat as Lothes wyf ayen-lokinge, but [in] hool counsayle with the

shepe folowinge, and with them grasse and herbes gadre. Never-the-later

(quod she) I saye nat these thinges for no wantrust that

I have in supposinge of thee otherwyse than I shulde. For

trewly, I wot wel that now thou art set in suche a purpose, out of

whiche thee liste nat to parte. But I saye it for many men there

been, that to knowinge of other mennes doinges setten al their

cure, and lightly desyren the badde to clatter rather than the

good, and have no wil their owne maner to amende. They also

hate of olde rancours lightly haven; and there that suche thing

abydeth, sodaynly in their mouthes procedeth the habundaunce

of the herte, and wordes as stones out-throwe. Wherfore my

counsayl is ever-more openly and apertly, in what place thou sitte,

counterplete th'errours and meninges in as fer as thou hem

wistest false, and leve for no wight to make hem be knowe in

every bodyes ere; and be alway pacient and use Jacobes wordes,

what-so-ever men of thee clappen: "I shal sustayne my ladyes

wrathe which I have deserved, so longe as my Margarite hath

rightwysed my cause." And certes (quod she) I witnesse my-selfe,

if thou, thus converted, sorowest in good meninge in thyne herte,

[and] wolt from al vanitè parfitly departe, in consolacioun of al

good plesaunce of that Margaryte, whiche that thou desyrest after

wil of thyn herte, in a maner of a †moders pitè, [she] shul fully

accepte thee in-to grace. For right as thou rentest clothes in

open sighte, so openly to sowe hem at his worshippe withouten

reprofe [is] commended. Also, right as thou were ensample of

moche-folde errour, right so thou must be ensample of manyfolde

correccioun; so good savour to forgoing †of errour causeth diligent

love, with many playted praisinges to folowe; and than shal al

the firste errours make the folowinge worshippes to seme hugely

encresed. Blacke and white, set togider, every for other more

semeth; and so doth every thinges contrary in kynde. But

infame, that goth alwaye tofore, and praysinge worship by any

cause folowinge after, maketh to ryse the ilke honour in double

of welth; and that quencheth the spotte of the first enfame. Why

wenest, I saye, these thinges in hindringe of thy name? Nay,

nay, god wot, but for pure encresing worship, thy rightwysenesse to

commende, and thy trouthe to seme the more. Wost nat wel

thy-selfe, that thou in fourme of making †passest nat Adam that eet

of the apple? Thou †passest nat the stedfastnesse of Noe, that

eetinge of the grape becom dronke. Thou passest nat the

chastitè of Lothe, that lay by his doughter; eke the nobley of

Abraham, whom god reproved by his pryde; also Davides

mekenesse, whiche for a woman made Urye be slawe. What?

also Hector of Troye, in whom no defaute might be founde, yet

is he reproved that he ne hadde with manhode nat suffred the

warre begonne, ne Paris to have went in-to Grece, by whom gan

al the sorowe. For trewly, him lacketh no venim of privè

consenting, whiche that openly leveth a wrong to withsaye.

Lo eke an olde proverbe amonges many other: "He that is

stille semeth as he graunted."

Now by these ensamples thou might fully understonde, that

these thinges ben writte to your lerning, and in rightwysenesse of

tho persones, as thus: To every wight his defaute committed

made goodnesse afterwardes don be the more in reverence and in

open shewing; for ensample, is it nat songe in holy churche,

"Lo, how necessary was Adams synne!" David the king gat

Salomon the king of her that was Uryes wyf. Truly, for reprofe

is non of these thinges writte. Right so, tho I reherce thy

before-dede, I repreve thee never the more; ne for no villany of

thee are they rehersed, but for worshippe, so thou continewe wel

here-after: and for profit of thy-selfe I rede thou on hem thinke.'

Than sayde I right thus: 'Lady of unitè and accorde, envy

and wrathe lurken there thou comest in place; ye weten wel

your-selve, and so don many other, that whyle I administred the

office of commen doinge, as in rulinge of the stablisshmentes

amonges the people, I defouled never my conscience for no

maner dede; but ever, by witte and by counsayle of the wysest,

the maters weren drawen to their right endes. And thus trewly

for you, lady, I have desyred suche cure; and certes, in your

service was I nat ydel, as fer as suche doinge of my cure

streccheth.'

'That is a thing,' quod she, 'that may drawe many hertes of

noble, and voice of commune in-to glory; and fame is nat but

wrecched and fickle. Alas! that mankynde coveyteth in so leude

a wyse to be rewarded of any good dede, sithe glorie of fame, in

this worlde, is nat but hindringe of glorie in tyme comminge!

And certes (quod she) yet at the hardest suche fame, in-to heven,

is nat the erthe but a centre to the cercle of heven? A pricke is

wonder litel in respect of al the cercle; and yet, in al this pricke,

may no name be born, in maner of peersing, for many obstacles,

as waters, and wildernesse, and straunge langages. And nat only

names of men ben stilled and holden out of knowleginge by these

obstacles, but also citees and realmes of prosperitè ben letted to

be knowe, and their reson hindred; so that they mowe nat ben

parfitly in mennes propre understandinge. How shulde than the

name of a singuler Londenoys passe the glorious name of London,

whiche by many it is commended, and by many it is lacked, and

in many mo places in erthe nat knowen than knowen? For in

many countrees litel is London in knowing or in spech; and yet

among oon maner of people may nat such fame in goodnes

come; for as many as praysen, commenly as many lacken. Fy

than on such maner fame! Slepe, and suffre him that knoweth

previtè of hertes to dele suche fame in thilke place there nothing

ayenst a sothe shal neither speke ne dare apere, by attourney

ne by other maner. How many greet-named, and many greet

in worthinesse losed, han be tofore this tyme, that now out

of memorie are slidden, and clenely forgeten, for defaute of

wrytinges! And yet scriptures for greet elde so ben defased, that

no perpetualtè may in hem ben juged. But if thou wolt make

comparisoun to ever, what joye mayst thou have in erthly name?

It is a fayr lykenesse, a pees or oon grayn of whete, to a thousand

shippes ful of corne charged! What nombre is betwene the

oon and th'other? And yet mowe bothe they be nombred, and

ende in rekening have. But trewly, al that may be nombred is

nothing to recken, as to thilke that may nat be nombred. For

†of the thinges ended is mad comparison; as, oon litel, another

greet; but in thinges to have an ende, and another no ende,

suche comparisoun may nat be founden. Wherfore in heven to

ben losed with god hath non ende, but endlesse endureth; and

thou canst nothing don aright, but thou desyre the rumour therof

be heled and in every wightes ere; and that dureth but a pricke

in respecte of the other. And so thou sekest reward of folkes

smale wordes, and of vayne praysinges. Trewly, therin thou

lesest the guerdon of vertue; and lesest the grettest valour of

conscience, and uphap thy renomè everlasting. Therfore boldely

renomè of fame of the erthe shulde be hated, and fame after deth

shulde be desyred of werkes of vertue. [Trewly, vertue] asketh

guerdoning, and the soule causeth al vertue. Than the soule,

delivered out of prison of erthe, is most worthy suche guerdon

among to have in the everlastinge fame; and nat the body, that

causeth al mannes yvels.