CHAPTER XI.

Every soule of reson hath two thinges of stering lyf, oon in

vertue, and another in the bodily workinge; and whan the

soule is the maister over the body, than is a man maister of him-selfe.

And a man, to be a maister over him-selfe, liveth in vertu and

in goodnesse, and as reson of vertue techeth. So the soule and the

body, worching vertue togider, liven resonable lyf, whiche clerkes

clepen "felicitè in living"; and therein is the hye way to this knot.

These olde philosophers, that hadden no knowing of divine grace,

of kyndly reson alone, wenden that of pure nature, withouten any

helpe of grace, me might have y-shoned th'other livinges.

Resonably have I lived; and for I thinke herafter, if god wol,

and I have space, thilke grace after my leude knowing declare,

I leve it as at this tyme. But, as I said, he that out-forth loketh

after the wayes of this knot, [his] conning with whiche he shulde

knowe the way in-forth, slepeth for the tyme. Wherfore he that

wol this way knowe, must leve the loking after false wayes out-forth,

and open the eyen of his conscience, and unclose his herte.

Seest nat, he that hath trust in the bodily lyfe is so besy bodily

woundes to anointe, in keping from smert (for al-out may they nat

be heled), that of woundes in his true understanding he taketh no

hede; the knowing evenforth slepeth so harde: but anon, as in

knowing awake, than ginneth the prevy medicynes, for heling of

his trewe intent, inwardes lightly †helen conscience, if it be wel

handled. Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule

by stering lyfe of the body; and els may no man come to parfit

blisse of this knotte. And thus, by this waye, he shal come to the

knotte, and to the parfit selinesse that he wende have had in

bodily goodes outforth.'

'Ye,' quod I, 'shal he have both knot, riches, power, dignitè,

and renomè in this maner way?'

'Ye,' quod she, 'that shal I shewe thee. Is he nat riche that

hath suffisaunce, and hath the power that no man may amaistrien?

Is nat greet dignitè to have worship and reverence? And hath

he nat glorie of renomè, whos name perpetual is during, and out

of nombre in comparacion?'

'These be thinges that men wenen to getten outforth,' quod I.

'Ye,' quod she; 'they that loken after a thing that nought is

therof, in al ne in partie, longe mowe they gapen after!'

'That is sothe,' quod I.

'Therfore,' quod she, 'they that sechen gold in grene trees, and

wene to gader precious stones among vynes, and layn her nettes

in mountains to fisshe, and thinken to hunte in depe sees after

hart and hynd, and sechen in erth thilke thinges that surmounteth

heven, what may I of hem say, but folisshe ignoraunce misledeth

wandring wrecches by uncouth wayes that shulden be forleten,

and maketh hem blynde fro the right pathe of trewe way that

shulde ben used? Therfore, in general, errour in mankynde

departeth thilke goodes by mis-seching, whiche he shulde have

hole, and he sought by reson. Thus goth he begyled of that he

sought; in his hode men have blowe a jape.'

'Now,' quod I, 'if a man be vertuous, and al in vertue liveth,

how hath he al these thinges?'

'That shal I proven,' quod she. 'What power hath any man

to lette another of living in vertue? For prisonment, or any

other disese, [if] he take it paciently, discomfiteth he nat; the

tyrant over his soule no power may have. Than hath that man,

so tourmented, suche power, that he nil be discomfit; ne overcome

may he nat ben, sithen pacience in his soule overcometh,

and †is nat overcomen. Suche thing that may nat be a-maistred,

he hath nede to nothing; for he hath suffisaunce y-now, to helpe

him-selfe. And thilke thing that thus hath power and suffisance,

and no tyrant may it reve, and hath dignitè to sette at nought al

thinges, here it is a greet dignitè, that deth may a-maistry. Wherfore

thilke power [with] suffisaunce, so enclosed with dignitè, by

al reson renomè must have. This is thilke riches with suffisaunce

ye sholde loke after; this is thilke worshipful dignitè ye shulde

coveyte; this is thilke power of might, in whiche ye shulde truste;

this is the ilke renomè of glorie that endlesse endureth; and al

nis but substaunce in vertuous lyving.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'al this is sothe; and so I see wel that vertue

with ful gripe encloseth al these thinges. Wherfore in sothe

I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brought me

first in-to your service, to have knitting with that jewel, nat sodain

longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but only our conversacion

togider; and than I, seinge th'entent of her trewe mening with

florisshing vertue of pacience, that she used nothing in yvel, to

quyte the wicked lesinges that false tonges ofte in her have laid,

I have seye it my-selfe, goodly foryevenesse hath spronge out of

her herte. Unitè and accord, above al other thinges, she

desyreth in a good meke maner; and suffereth many wicked

tales.

Trewly, lady, to you it were a gret worship, that suche thinges

by due chastisment were amended.'

'Ye,' quod she, 'I have thee excused; al suche thinges as yet

mowe nat be redressed; thy Margarites vertue I commende wel

the more, that paciently suche anoyes suffreth. David king was

meke, and suffred mokel hate and many yvel speches; no despyt

ne shame that his enemys him deden might nat move pacience

out of his herte, but ever in one plyte mercy he used. Wherfore

god him-selfe took reward to the thinges; and theron suche

punisshment let falle. Trewly, by reson, it ought be ensample of

drede to al maner peoples mirth. A man vengeable in wrath no

governance in punisshment ought to have. Plato had a cause his

servant to †scourge, and yet cleped he his neibour to performe the

doinge; him-selfe wolde nat, lest wrath had him a-maistred; and

so might he have layd on to moche: evermore grounded vertue

sheweth th'entent fro within. And trewly, I wot wel, for her goodnesse

and vertue, thou hast desyred my service to her plesance

wel the more; and thy-selfe therto fully hast profered.'

'Good lady,' quod I, 'is vertue the hye way to this knot that

long we have y-handled?'

'Ye, forsoth,' quod she, 'and without vertue, goodly this knot

may nat be goten.'

'Ah! now I see,' quod I, 'how vertu in me fayleth; and I, as

a seer tree, without burjoning or frute, alwaye welke; and

so I stonde in dispeyre of this noble knot; for vertue in me

hath no maner workinge. A! wyde-where aboute have I

traveyled!'

'Pees,' quod she, 'of thy first way; thy traveyle is in ydel;

and, as touchinge the seconde way, I see wel thy meninge. Thou

woldest conclude me, if thou coudest, bycause I brought thee

to service; and every of my servantes I helpe to come to this

blisse, as I sayd here-beforn. And thou saydest thy-selfe, thou

mightest nat be holpen as thou wenest, bycause that vertue in

thee fayleth; and this blisse parfitly without vertue may nat be

goten; thou wenest of these wordes contradiccion to folowe.

Pardè, at the hardest, I have no servant but he be vertuous in

dede and thought. I brought thee in my service, yet art thou

nat my servant; but I say, thou might so werche in vertue herafter,

that than shalt thou be my servant, and as for my servant

acompted. For habit maketh no monk; ne weringe of gilte

spurres maketh no knight. Never-the-later, in confort of thyne

herte, yet wol I otherwyse answere.'

'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'so ye muste nedes; or els I had

nigh caught suche a †cardiacle for sorowe, I wot it wel, I shulde

it never have recovered. And therfore now I praye [thee] to

enforme me in this; or els I holde me without recovery. I may

nat long endure til this lesson be lerned, and of this mischeef the

remedy knowen.'

'Now,' quod she, 'be nat wroth; for there is no man on-lyve

that may come to a precious thing longe coveited, but he somtyme

suffre teneful diseses: and wenest thy-selfe to ben unliche to al

other? That may nat ben. And with the more sorowe that

a thing is getten, the more he hath joye the ilke thing afterwardes

to kepe; as it fareth by children in scole, that for lerninge arn

beten, whan their lesson they foryetten. Commenly, after a good

disciplyning with a yerde, they kepe right wel doctrine of their

scole.'

CHAPTER XII.

Right with these wordes, on this lady I threw up myne eyen,

to see her countenaunce and her chere; and she, aperceyving

this fantasye in myne herte, gan her semblaunt goodly on me

caste, and sayde in this wyse.

'It is wel knowe, bothe to reson and experience in doinge,

every active worcheth on his passive; and whan they ben togider,

"active" and "passive" ben y-cleped by these philosophers. If

fyr be in place chafinge thing able to be chafed or hete[d], and

thilke thinges ben set in suche a distaunce that the oon may

werche, the other shal suffre. Thilke Margarite thou desyrest is

ful of vertue, and able to be active in goodnesse: but every herbe

sheweth his vertue outforth from within. The sonne yeveth light,

that thinges may be seye. Every fyr heteth thilke thing that it

†neigheth, and it be able to be hete[d]. Vertue of this Margarite

outforth †wercheth; and nothing is more able to suffre worching,

or worke cacche of the actife, but passife of the same actife; and

no passife, to vertues of this Margaryte, but thee, in al my Donet

can I fynde! So that her vertue muste nedes on thee werche;

in what place ever thou be, within distaunce of her worthinesse,

as her very passife thou art closed. But vertue may thee nothing

profyte, but thy desyr be perfourmed, and al thy sorowes cesed.

Ergo, through werchinge of her vertue thou shalt esely ben

holpen, and driven out of al care, and welcome to this longe by

thee desyred!'

'Lady,' quod I, 'this is a good lesson in ginning of my joye;

but wete ye wel forsothe, though I suppose she have moche

vertue, I wolde my spousaile were proved, and than may I live

out of doute, and rejoice me greetly, in thinking of tho vertues

so shewed.'

'I herde thee saye,' quod she, 'at my beginning, whan I receyved

thee firste for to serve, that thy jewel, thilke Margaryte thou

desyrest, was closed in a muskle with a blewe shel.'

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'so I sayd; and so it is.'

'Wel,' quod she, 'every-thing kyndly sheweth it-selfe; this

jewel, closed in a blewe shel, [by] excellence of coloures sheweth

vertue from within; and so every wight shulde rather loke to the

propre vertue of thinges than to his forayne goodes. If a thing

be engendred of good mater, comenly and for the more part, it

foloweth, after the congelement, vertue of the first mater (and

it be not corrupt with vyces) to procede with encrees of good

vertues; eke right so it fareth of badde. Trewly, greet excellence

in vertue of linage, for the more part, discendeth by kynde to

the succession in vertues to folowe. Wherfore I saye, the †colour

of every Margarit sheweth from within the fynesse in vertue.

Kyndely heven, whan mery †weder is a-lofte, apereth in mannes

eye of coloure in blewe, stedfastnesse in pees betokening within

and without. Margaryte is engendred by hevenly dewe, and

sheweth in it-selfe, by fynenesse of colour, whether the engendrure

were maked on morowe or on eve; thus sayth kynde of this

perle. This precious Margaryte that thou servest, sheweth it-selfe

discended, by nobley of vertue, from this hevenlich dewe, norisshed

and congeled in mekenesse, that †moder is of al vertues; and, by

werkes that men seen withouten, the significacion of the coloures

ben shewed, mercy and pitee in the herte, with pees to al other;

and al this is y-closed in a muskle, who-so redily these vertues

loken. Al thing that hath soule is reduced in-to good by mene thinges,

as thus: In-to god man is reduced by soules resonable; and so

forth beestes, or bodyes that mowe not moven, after place ben

reduced in-to manne by beestes †mene that moven from place to

place. So that thilke bodyes that han felinge soules, and move

not from places, holden the lowest degree of soulinge thinges in

felinge; and suche ben reduced in-to man by menes. So it

foloweth, the muskle, as †moder of al vertues, halt the place of

mekenesse, to his lowest degree discendeth downe of heven, and

there, by a maner of virgine engendrure, arn these Margarytes

engendred, and afterward congeled. Made not mekenesse so

lowe the hye heven, to enclose and cacche out therof so noble

a dewe, that after congelement, a Margaryte, with endelesse vertue

and everlasting joy, was with ful vessel of grace yeven to every

creature, that goodly wolde it receyve?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'these thinges ben right noble; I have er this

herd these same sawes.'

'Than,' quod she, 'thou wost wel these thinges ben sothe?'

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I, 'at the ful.'

'Now,' quod she, 'that this Margaryte is ful of vertue, it is wel

proved; wherfore som grace, som mercy, among other vertues,

I wot right wel, on thee shal discende?'

'Ye,' quod I; 'yet wolde I have better declared, vertues in this

Margarite kyndely to ben grounded.'

'That shal I shew thee,' quod she, 'and thou woldest it lerne.'

'Lerne?' quod I, 'what nedeth suche wordes? Wete ye nat

wel, lady, your-selfe, that al my cure, al my diligence, and al my

might, have turned by your counsayle, in plesaunce of that perle?

Al my thought and al my studye, with your helpe, desyreth, in

worshippe [of] thilke jewel, to encrese al my travayle and al my

besinesse in your service, this Margaryte to gladde in some halve.

Me were lever her honour, her plesaunce, and her good chere

thorow me for to be mayntayned and kept, and I of suche thinge

in her lykinge to be cause, than al the welthe of bodily goodes ye

coude recken. And wolde never god but I putte my-selfe in

greet jeopardy of al that I †welde, (that is now no more but

my lyf alone), rather than I shulde suffre thilke jewel in any

pointe ben blemisshed; as ferre as I may suffre, and with my

mightes strecche.'

'Suche thing,' quod she, 'may mokel further thy grace, and

thee in my service avaunce. But now (quod Love) wilt thou

graunte me thilke Margaryte to ben good?'

'O! good †god,' quod I, 'why tempte ye me and tene with

suche maner speche? I wolde graunt that, though I shulde anon

dye; and, by my trouthe, fighte in the quarel, if any wight wolde

countreplede.'

'It is so moche the lighter,' quod Love, 'to prove our entent.'

'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet wolde I here how ye wolde prove that

she were good by resonable skil, that it mowe not ben denyed.

For although I knowe, and so doth many other, manifold goodnesse

and vertue in this Margaryte ben printed, yet some men

there ben that no goodnesse speken; and, wher-ever your wordes

ben herd and your resons ben shewed, suche yvel spekers, lady,

by auctoritè of your excellence, shullen be stopped and ashamed!

And more, they that han non aquayntaunce in her persone, yet

mowe they knowe her vertues, and ben the more enfourmed in

what wyse they mowe sette their hertes, whan hem liste in-to your

service any entree make. For trewly al this to beginne, I wot

wel my-selfe that thilke jewel is so precious perle, as a womanly

woman in her kynde; in whom of goodnesse, of vertue, and also

of answeringe shappe of limmes, and fetures so wel in al pointes

acording, nothing fayleth. I leve that kynde her made with greet

studye; for kynde in her person nothing hath foryet[en], and that

is wel sene. In every good wightes herte she hath grace of

commending and of vertuous praysing. Alas! that ever kynde

made her deedly! Save only in that, I wot wel, that Nature,

in fourminge of her, in no-thinge hath erred.'

CHAPTER XIII.

'Certes,' quod Love, 'thou hast wel begonne; and I aske

thee this question: Is not, in general, every-thing good?'

'I not,' quod I.

'No?' quod she; '†saw not god everything that he made, and

weren right good?'

'Than is wonder,' quod I, 'how yvel thinges comen a-place,

sithen that al thinges weren right good.'

'Thus,' quod she, 'I wol declare. Everiche qualitè and every

accion, and every thing that hath any maner of beinge, it is of

god; and god it made, of whom is al goodnesse and al being.

Of him is no badnesse. Badde to be, is naught; good to be,

is somwhat; and therfore good and being is oon in

understanding.'

'How may this be?' quod I. 'For often han shrewes me

assailed, and mokel badnesse therin have I founden; and so me

semeth bad to be somwhat in kynde.'

'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that suche maner badnesse,

whiche is used to purifye wrong-doers, is somwhat; and god it

made, and being [it] hath; and that is good. Other badnesse no

being hath utterly; it is in the negative of somwhat, and that is

naught and nothing being. The parties essential of being arn

sayd in double wyse, as that it is; and these parties ben founde

in every creature. For al thing, a this halfe the first being, is

being through participacion, taking partie of being; so that [in]

every creature is difference bitwene being of him through whom

it is, and his own being. Right as every good is a maner of

being, so is it good thorow being; for it is naught other to be.

And every thing, though it be good, is not of him-selfe good;

but it is good by that it is ordinable to the greet goodnesse.

This dualitè, after clerkes †determinison, is founden in every

creature, be it never so single of onhed.'

'Ye,' quod I; 'but there-as it is y-sayd that god †saw every-thing

of his making, and [they] were right good (as your-selfe

sayd to me not longe tyme sithen), I aske whether every creature

is y-sayd "good" through goodnesse unfourmed eyther els fourmed;

and afterward, if it be accept utterly good?'

'I shal say thee,' quod she. 'These grete passed clerkes han

devyded good in-to good being alone, and that is nothing but

†god, for nothing is good in that wyse but god: also, in good by

participacion, and that is y-cleped "good" for far fet and

representative of †godly goodnesse. And after this maner manyfold

good is sayd, that is to saye, good in kynde, and good in gendre,

and good of grace, and good of joy. Of good in kynde Austen

sayth, "al that ben, ben good." But peraunter thou woldest

wete, whether of hem-selfe it be good, or els of anothers goodnesse:

for naturel goodnesse of every substaunce is nothing els than his

substancial being, which is y-cleped "goodnesse" after comparison

that he hath to his first goodnesse, so as it is inductatife by menes

in-to the first goodnesse. Boece sheweth this thing at the ful, that

this name "good" is, in general, name in kynde, as it is comparisoned

generally to his principal ende, which is god, knotte of

al goodnesse. Every creature cryeth "god us made"; and so

they han ful apeted to thilke god by affeccion such as to hem

longeth; and in this wyse al thinges ben good of the gret god,

which is good alone.'

'This wonder thing,' quod I, 'how ye have by many resons

proved my first way to be errour and misgoing, and cause[d] of

badnesse and feble meninge in the grounde ye aleged to be roted.

Whence is it that suche badnesse hath springes, sithen al thinges

thus in general ben good, and badnesse hath no being, as ye have

declared? I wene, if al things ben good, I might than with the

first way in that good have ended, and so by goodnesse have comen

to blisse in your service desyred.'

'Al thing,' quod she, 'is good by being in participacion out of

the firste goodnesse, whiche goodnesse is corrupt by badnesse

and badde-mening maners. God hath [ordeyned] in good thinges,

that they ben good by being, and not in yvel; for there is absence

of rightful love. For badnesse is nothing but only yvel wil of the

user, and through giltes of the doer; wherfore, at the ginninge of

the worlde, every thing by him-selfe was good; and in universal

they weren right good. An eye or a hand is fayrer and betterer

in a body set, in his kyndely place, than from the body dissevered.

Every thing in his kyndly place, being kyndly, good doth werche;

and, out of that place voyded, it dissolveth and is defouled him-selve.

Our noble god, in gliterande wyse, by armony this world

ordeyned, as in purtreytures storied with colours medled, in

whiche blacke and other derke colours commenden the golden

and the asured paynture; every put in kyndely place, oon, besyde

another, more for other glitereth. Right so litel fayr maketh

right fayr more glorious; and right so, of goodnesse, and of other

thinges in vertue. Wherfore other badde and not so good perles

as this Margaryte that we han of this matier, yeven by the ayre

litel goodnesse and litel vertue, [maken] right mokel goodnesse

and vertue in thy Margaryte to ben proved, in shyning wyse to be

founde and shewed. How shulde ever goodnesse of pees have

ben knowe, but-if unpees somtyme reigne, and mokel yvel †wrathe?

How shulde mercy ben proved, and no trespas were, by due

justification, to be punisshed? Therfore grace and goodnesse of

a wight is founde; the sorouful hertes in good meninge to endure,

ben comforted; unitè and acord bitwene hertes knit in joye to

abyde. What? wenest thou I rejoyce or els accompte him among

my servauntes that pleseth Pallas in undoinge of Mercurye, al-be-it

that to Pallas he be knit by tytle of lawe, not according to

resonable conscience, and Mercurie in doinge have grace to ben

suffered; or els him that †weyveth the moone for fayrenesse of

the eve-sterre? Lo! otherwhyle by nightes, light of the moone

greetly comforteth in derke thoughtes and blynde. Understanding

of love yeveth greet gladnesse. Who-so list not byleve, whan

a sothe tale is shewed, a dewe and a deblys his name is entred.

Wyse folk and worthy in gentillesse, bothe of vertue and of

livinge, yeven ful credence in sothnesse of love with a good herte,

there-as good evidence or experience in doinge sheweth not the

contrarie. Thus mightest thou have ful preef in thy Margarytes

goodnesse, by commendement of other jewels badnesse and

yvelnesse in doing. Stoundemele diseses yeveth several houres

in joye.'

'Now, by my trouthe,' quod I, 'this is wel declared, that my

Margaryte is good; for sithen other ben good, and she passeth

manye other in goodnesse and vertue; wherthrough, by maner

necessarie, she muste be good. And goodnesse of this Margaryte

is nothing els but vertue; wherfore she is vertuous; and if there

fayled any vertue in any syde, there were lacke of vertue. Badde

nothing els is, ne may be, but lacke and want of good and goodnesse;

and so shulde she have that same lacke, that is to saye,

badde; and that may not be. For she is good; and that is good,

me thinketh, al good; and so, by consequence, me semeth, vertuous,

and no lacke of vertue to have. But the sonne is not knowe but

he shyne; ne vertuous herbes, but they have her kynde werchinge;

ne vertue, but it strecche in goodnesse or profyt to another, is no

vertue. Than, by al wayes of reson, sithen mercy and pitee ben

moste commended among other vertues, and they might never ben

shewed, [unto] refresshement of helpe and of comfort, but now

at my moste nede; and that is the kynde werkinge of these

vertues; trewly, I wene, I shal not varye from these helpes. Fyr,

and-if he yeve non hete, for fyre is not demed. The sonne, but

he shyne, for sonne is not accompted. Water, but it wete, the

name shal ben chaunged. Vertue, but it werche, of goodnesse

doth it fayle; and in-to his contrarie the name shal ben reversed.

And these ben impossible; wherfore the contradictorie, that is

necessarye, nedes muste I leve.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'in thy person and out of thy mouthe these

wordes lyen wel to ben said, and in thyne understanding to be

leved, as in entent of this Margaryte alone. And here now my

speche in conclusion of these wordes.

CHAPTER XIV.

In these thinges,' quod she, 'that me list now to shewe

openly, shal be founde the mater of thy sicknesse, and

what shal ben the medicyn that may be thy sorowes lisse and

comfort, as wel thee as al other that amisse have erred and out of

the way walked, so that any drope of good wil in amendement

[may] ben dwelled in their hertes. Proverbes of Salomon openly

techeth, how somtyme an innocent walkid by the way in

blyndnesse of a derke night; whom mette a woman (if it be leefly to

saye) as a strumpet arayed, redily purveyed in turninge of

thoughtes with veyne janglinges, and of rest inpacient, by

dissimulacion of my termes, saying in this wyse: "Com, and be we

dronken of our swete pappes; use we coveitous collinges." And

thus drawen was this innocent, as an oxe to the larder.'

'Lady,' quod I, 'to me this is a queynte thing to understande;

I praye you, of this parable declare me the entent.'

'This innocent,' quod she, 'is a scoler lerninge of my lore, in

seching of my blisse, in whiche thinge the day of his thought

turning enclyneth in-to eve; and the sonne, of very light faylinge,

maketh derke night in his conninge. Thus in derknesse of many

doutes he walketh, and for blyndenesse of understandinge, he ne

wot in what waye he is in; forsothe, suche oon may lightly ben

begyled. To whom cam love fayned, not clothed of my livery,

but [of] unlefful lusty habit, with softe speche and mery; and

with fayre honyed wordes heretykes and mis-meninge people

skleren and wimplen their errours. Austen witnesseth of an

heretyk, that in his first beginninge he was a man right expert

in resons and swete in his wordes; and the werkes miscorden.

Thus fareth fayned love in her firste werchinges. Thou knowest

these thinges for trewe; thou hast hem proved by experience

somtyme, in doing to thyne owne person; in whiche thing thou hast

founde mater of mokel disese. Was not fayned love redily

purveyed, thy wittes to cacche and tourne thy good thoughtes?

Trewly, she hath wounded the conscience of many with florisshinge

of mokel jangling wordes; and good worthe thanked I it for

no glose. I am glad of my prudence thou hast so manly her

†weyved. To me art thou moche holden, that in thy kynde

course of good mening I returne thy mynde. I trowe, ne had

I shewed thee thy Margaryte, thou haddest never returned. Of

first in good parfit joye was ever fayned love impacient, as the

water of Siloë, whiche evermore floweth with stilnesse and privy

noyse til it come nighe the brinke, and than ginneth it so out of

mesure to bolne, with novelleries of chaunging stormes, that in

course of every renning it is in pointe to spille al his circuit of

†bankes. Thus fayned love prively, at the fullest of his flowinge,

[ginneth] newe stormes [of] debat to arayse. And al-be-it that

Mercurius [servants] often with hole understandinge knowen

suche perillous maters, yet Veneriens so lusty ben and so leude

in their wittes, that in suche thinges right litel or naught don

they fele; and wryten and cryen to their felawes: "here is blisse,

here is joye"; and thus in-to one same errour mokel folk they

drawen. "Come," they sayen, "and be we dronken of our

pappes"; that ben fallas and lying glose, of whiche mowe they not

souke milke of helthe, but deedly venim and poyson, corrupcion

of sorowe. Milke of fallas is venim of disceyt; milke of lying glose

is venim of corrupcion. Lo! what thing cometh out of these

pappes! "Use we coveited collinges"; desyre we and meddle we false

wordes with sote, and sote with false! Trewly, this is the sorinesse

of fayned love; nedes, of these surfettes sicknesse muste

folowe. Thus, as an oxe, to thy langoring deth were thou drawen;

the sote of the smoke hath thee al defased. Ever the deper thou

somtyme wadest, the soner thou it founde; if it had thee killed,

it had be litel wonder. But on that other syde, my trewe

servaunt[s] not faynen ne disceyve conne; sothly, their doinge

is open; my foundement endureth, be the burthen never so

greet; ever in one it lasteth. It yeveth lyf and blisful goodnesse

in the laste endes, though the ginninges ben sharpe. Thus of

two contraries, contrarye ben the effectes. And so thilke

Margaryte thou servest shal seen thee, by her service out of

perillous tribulacion delivered, bycause of her service in-to newe

disese fallen, by hope of amendement in the laste ende, with joye

to be gladded. Wherfore, of kynde pure, her mercy with grace

of good helpe shal she graunte; and els I shal her so strayne,

that with pitè shal she ben amaystred. Remembre in thyne

herte how horribly somtyme to thyne Margaryte thou trespasest,

and in a grete wyse ayenst her thou forfeytest! Clepe ayen thy

mynde, and know thyne owne giltes. What goodnesse, what

bountee, with mokel folowing pitè founde thou in that tyme?

Were thou not goodly accepted in-to grace? By my pluckinge

was she to foryevenesse enclyned. And after, I her styred to

drawe thee to house; and yet wendest thou utterly for ever

have ben refused. But wel thou wost, sithen that I in suche

sharpe disese might so greetly avayle, what thinkest in thy wit?

How fer may my wit strecche? And thou lache not on thy syde,

I wol make the knotte. Certes, in thy good bering I wol acorde

with the psauter: "I have founde David in my service true, and

with holy oyle of pees and of rest, longe by him desyred, utterly

he shal be anoynted." Truste wel to me, and I wol thee not

fayle. The †leving of the first way with good herte of continuance

that I see in thee grounded, this purpose to parfourme, draweth

me by maner of constrayning, that nedes muste I ben thyne helper.

Although mirthe a whyle be taried, it shal come at suche seson,

that thy thought shal ben joyed. And wolde never god, sithen

thyne herte to my resons arn assented, and openly hast confessed

thyne amisse-going, and now cryest after mercy, but-if mercy

folowed; thy blisse shal ben redy, y-wis; thou ne wost how sone.

Now be a good child, I rede. The kynde of vertues, in thy

Margaryte rehersed, by strength of me in thy person shul werche.

Comfort thee in this; for thou mayst not miscary.' And these

wordes sayd, she streyght her on length, and rested a whyle.

¶ Thus endeth the seconde book, and here after foloweth

the thirde book.

BOOK III.

CHAPTER I.

Of nombre, sayn these clerkes, that it is naturel somme of

discrete thinges, as in tellinge oon, two, three, and so forth;

but among al nombres, three is determined for moste certayn.

Wherfore in nombre certayn this werk of my besy leudenesse

I thinke to ende and parfourme. Ensample by this worlde, in

three tymes is devyded; of whiche the first is cleped †Deviacion,

that is to say, going out of trewe way; and al that tho dyeden, in

helle were they punisshed for a man[ne]s sinne, til grace and mercy

fette hem thence, and there ended the firste tyme. The seconde

tyme lasteth from the comming of merciable grace until the ende

of transitorie tyme, in whiche is shewed the true way in fordoinge

of the badde; and that is y-cleped tyme of Grace. And that

thing is not yeven by desert of yeldinge oon benefyt for another,

but only through goodnesse of the yever of grace in thilke tyme.

Who-so can wel understande is shapen to be saved in souled

blisse. The thirde tyme shal ginne whan transitorie thinges of

worldes han mad their ende; and that shal ben in Joye, glorie, and

rest, both body and soule, that wel han deserved in the tyme of

Grace. And thus in that heven †togider shul they dwelle perpetuelly,

without any imaginatyfe yvel in any halve. These

tymes are figured by tho three dayes that our god was closed

in erthe; and in the thirde aroos, shewing our resurreccion to

joye and blisse of tho that it deserven, by his merciable grace.

So this leude book, in three maters, accordaunt to tho tymes,

lightly by a good inseër may ben understonde; as in the firste,

Errour of misse-goinge is shewed, with sorowful pyne punisshed,

†that cryed after mercy. In the seconde, is Grace in good waye

proved, whiche is faylinge without desert, thilke first misse

amendinge, in correccion of tho erroures, and even way to bringe,

with comfort of welfare in-to amendement wexinge. And in the

thirde, Joye and blisse graunted to him that wel can deserve it,

and hath savour of understandinge in the tyme of grace. Thus

in Joye, of my thirde boke, shal the mater be til it ende.

But special cause I have in my herte to make this proces

of a Margarit-perle, that is so precious a gemme †whyt, clere and

litel, of whiche stones or jewel[les] the tonges of us Englissh

people tourneth the right names, and clepeth hem 'Margery-perles';

thus varieth our speche from many other langages. For

trewly Latin, Frenche, and many mo other langages clepeth hem,

Margery-perles, [by] the name 'Margarites,' or 'Margarite-perles';

wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mens

tonges, in that name-cleping. These clerkes that treten of kyndes,

and studien out the propertee there of thinges, sayn: the Margarite

is a litel whyt perle, throughout holowe and rounde and

vertuous; and on the see-sydes, in the more Britayne, in

muskle-shelles, of the hevenly dewe, the best ben engendred; in whiche

by experience ben founde three fayre vertues. Oon is, it yeveth

comfort to the feling spirites in bodily persones of reson. Another

is good; it is profitable helthe ayenst passions of sorie mens hertes.

And the thirde, it is nedeful and noble in staunching of bloode,

there els to moche wolde out renne. To whiche perle and vertues

me list to lyken at this tyme Philosophie, with her three speces,

that is, natural, and moral, and resonable; of whiche thinges

hereth what sayn these grete clerkes. Philosophie is knowing of

devynly and manly thinges joyned with studie of good living;

and this stant in two thinges, that is, conninge and opinion.

Conninge is whan a thing by certayn reson is conceyved. But

wrecches and fooles and leude men, many wil conceyve a thing

and mayntayne it as for sothe, though reson be in the contrarye;

wherfore conninge is a straunger. Opinion is whyl a thing is in

non-certayn, and hid from mens very knowleging, and by no parfit

reson fully declared, as thus: if the sonne be so mokel as men

wenen, or els if it be more than the erthe. For in sothnesse the

certayn quantitè of that planet is unknowen to erthly dwellers; and

yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more than midle-erth.

The first spece of philosophie is naturel; whiche in kyndely

thinges †treteth, and sheweth causes of heven, and strength of

kyndely course; as by arsmetrike, geometry, musike, and by

astronomye techeth wayes and cours of hevens, of planetes, and

of sterres aboute heven and erthe, and other elementes.

The seconde spece is moral, whiche, in order, of living maners

techeth; and by reson proveth vertues of soule moste worthy in

our living; whiche ben prudence, justice, temperaunce, and

strength. Prudence is goodly wisdom in knowing of thinges.

Strength voideth al adversitees aliche even. Temperaunce distroyeth

beestial living with esy bering. And Justice rightfully

jugeth; and juging departeth to every wight that is his owne.

The thirde spece turneth in-to reson of understanding; al

thinges to be sayd soth and discussed; and that in two thinges is

devyded. Oon is art, another is rethorike; in whiche two al

lawes of mans reson ben grounded or els maintayned.

And for this book is of Love, and therafter bereth his name,

and philosophie and lawe muste here-to acorden by their clergial

discripcions, as: philosophie for love of wisdom is declared, lawe

for mainteynaunce of pees is holden: and these with love must

nedes acorden; therfore of hem in this place have I touched.

Ordre of homly thinges and honest maner of livinge in vertue,

with rightful jugement in causes and profitable administracion in

comminaltees of realmes and citees, by evenhed profitably to

raigne, nat by singuler avauntage ne by privè envy, ne by soleyn

purpos in covetise of worship or of goodes, ben disposed in open

rule shewed, by love, philosophy, and lawe, and yet love, toforn

al other. Wherfore as sustern in unitè they accorden, and oon

ende, that is, pees and rest, they causen norisshinge; and in the

joye maynteynen to endure.

Now than, as I have declared: my book acordeth with discripcion

of three thinges; and the Margarit in vertue is lykened

to Philosophy, with her three speces. In whiche maters ever

twey ben acordaunt with bodily reson, and the thirde with the

soule. But in conclusion of my boke and of this Margarite-perle

in knittinge togider, Lawe by three sondrye maners shal be lykened;

that is to saye, lawe, right, and custome, whiche I wol declare.

Al that is lawe cometh of goddes ordinaunce, by kyndly worching;

and thilke thinges ordayned by mannes wittes arn y-cleped right,

which is ordayned by many maners and in constitucion written.

But custome is a thing that is accepted for right or for lawe,

there-as lawe and right faylen; and there is no difference, whether

it come of scripture or of reson. Wherfore it sheweth, that lawe

is kyndly governaunce; right cometh out of mannes probable

reson; and custome is of commen usage by length of tyme

used; and custome nat writte is usage; and if it be writte,

constitucion it is y-written and y-cleped. But lawe of kynde is

commen to every nation, as conjunccion of man and woman in

love, succession of children in heritance, restitucion of thing

by strength taken or lent; and this lawe among al other halt

the soveraynest gree in worship; whiche lawe began at the

beginning of resonable creature; it varied yet never for no

chaunging of tyme. Cause, forsothe, in ordayning of lawe was to

constrayne mens hardinesse in-to pees, and withdrawing his yvel

wil, and turning malice in-to goodnesse; and that innocence

sikerly, withouten teneful anoye, among shrewes safely might

inhabite by proteccion of safe-conducte, so that the shrewes, harm

for harme, by brydle of ferdnesse shulden restrayne. But forsothe,

in kyndely lawe, nothing is commended but such as goddes

wil hath confirmed, ne nothing denyed but contrarioustee of

goddes wil in heven. Eke than al lawes, or custome, or els

constitucion by usage or wryting, that contraryen lawe of kynde,

utterly ben repugnaunt and adversarie to our goddes wil of heven.

Trewly, lawe of kynde for goddes own lusty wil is verily to

mayntayne; under whiche lawe (and unworthy) bothe professe

and reguler arn obediencer and bounden to this Margarite-perle

as by knotte of loves statutes and stablisshment in kynde, whiche

that goodly may not be withsetten. Lo! under this bonde am

I constrayned to abyde; and man, under living lawe ruled, by that

lawe oweth, after desertes, to ben rewarded by payne or by mede,

but-if mercy weyve the payne. So than †by part resonfully may

be seye, that mercy bothe right and lawe passeth. Th' entent

of al these maters is the lest clere understanding, to weten, at

th'ende of this thirde boke; ful knowing, thorow goddes grace,

I thinke to make neverthelater. Yet if these thinges han a good

and a †sleigh inseër, whiche that can souke hony of the harde

stone, oyle of the drye rocke, [he] may lightly fele nobley of mater

in my leude imaginacion closed. But for my book shal be of

joye (as I sayd), and I [am] so fer set fro thilke place fro whens

gladnesse shulde come; my corde is to short to lete my boket

ought cacche of that water; and fewe men be abouten my corde

to eche, and many in ful purpos ben redy it shorter to make, and

to enclose th' entrè, that my boket of joye nothing shulde cacche,

but empty returne, my careful sorowes to encrese: (and if I dye

for payne, that were gladnesse at their hertes): good lord, send

me water in-to the cop of these mountayns, and I shal drinke

therof, my thurstes to stanche, and sey, these be comfortable

welles; in-to helth of goodnesse of my saviour am I holpen. And

yet I saye more, the house of joye to me is nat opened. How

dare my sorouful goost than in any mater of gladnesse thinken to

trete? For ever sobbinges and complayntes be redy refrete in

his meditacions, as werbles in manifolde stoundes comming about

I not than. And therfore, what maner of joye coude [I] endyte?

But yet at dore shal I knocke, if the key of David wolde the locke

unshitte, and he bringe me in, whiche that childrens tonges both

openeth and closeth; whos spirit where he †wol wercheth,

departing goodly as him lyketh.

Now to goddes laude and reverence, profit of the reders,

amendement of maners of the herers, encresing of worship among

Loves servauntes, releving of my herte in-to grace of my jewel,

and fren[d]ship [in] plesance of this perle, I am stered in this

making, and for nothing els; and if any good thing to mennes

lyking in this scripture be founde, thanketh the maister of grace,

whiche that of that good and al other is authour and principal

doer. And if any thing be insufficient or els mislyking, †wyte

that the leudnesse of myne unable conning: for body in disese

anoyeth the understanding in soule. A disesely habitacion

letteth the wittes [in] many thinges, and namely in sorowe. The

custome never-the-later of Love, †by long tyme of service, in

termes I thinke to pursue, whiche ben lyvely to yeve understanding

in other thinges. But now, to enforme thee of this

Margarites goodnesse, I may her not halfe preyse. Wherfore, nat

she for my boke, but this book for her, is worthy to be commended,

tho my book be leude; right as thinges nat for places, but places

for thinges, ought to be desyred and praysed.