al-though the vertue of dedes of mercy strecchen to
visiten the poore prisoners, and hem, after that facultees ben had,
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to comforte, me semed that I was so fer fallen in-to miserye and
wrecched hid caytifnesse, that me shulde no precious thing
neighe; and also, that for my sorowe every wight shulde ben
hevy, and wisshe my recovery. But whan this lady had somdele
apperceyved, as wel by my wordes as by my chere, what thought
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besied me within, with a good womanly countenance she sayde
these wordes:—
'O my nory, wenest thou that my maner be, to foryete my
frendes or my servauntes? Nay,' quod she, 'it is my ful entente
to visyte and comforte al my frendshippes and allyes, as wel in
40
tyme of perturbacion as of moost propertee of blisse; in me shal
unkyndnesse never be founden: and also, sithen I have so fewe
especial trewe now in these dayes. Wherefore I may wel at more
leysar come to hem that me deserven; and if my cominge may
in any thinge avayle, wete wel, I wol come often.'
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'Now, good lady,' quod I, 'that art so fayre on to loke,
reyninge hony by thy wordes, blisse of paradys arn thy lokinges,
joye and comfort are thy movinges. What is thy name? How
is it that in you is so mokel werkinge vertues enpight, as me
semeth, and in none other creature that ever saw I with myne
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eyen?'
'My disciple,' quod she, 'me wondreth of thy wordes and on
thee, that for a litel disese hast foryeten my name. Wost thou
not wel that I am Love, that first thee brought to thy service?'
'O good lady,' quod I, 'is this worship to thee or to thyn
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excellence, for to come in-to so foule a place? Pardè, somtyme,
tho I was in prosperitè and with forayne goodes envolved, I had
mokil to done to drawe thee to myn hostel; and yet many
werninges thou madest er thou liste fully to graunte, thyn home
to make at my dwelling-place; and now thou comest goodly by
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thyn owne vyse, to comforte me with wordes; and so there-thorough
I ginne remembre on passed gladnesse. Trewly, lady,
I ne wot whether I shal say welcome or non, sithen thy coming
wol as moche do me tene and sorowe, as gladnesse and mirthe.
See why: for that me comforteth to thinke on passed gladnesse,
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that me anoyeth efte to be in doinge. Thus thy cominge bothe
gladdeth and teneth, and that is cause of moche sorowe. Lo, lady,
how than I am comforted by your comminge'; and with that
I gan in teeres to distille, and tenderly wepe.
'Now, certes,' quod Love, 'I see wel, and that me over-thinketh,
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that wit in thee fayleth, and [thou] art in pointe
to dote.'
'Trewly,' quod I, 'that have ye maked, and that ever wol
I rue.'
'Wottest thou not wel,' quod she, 'that every shepherde ought
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by reson to seke his sperkelande sheep, that arn ronne in-to
wildernesse among busshes and perils, and hem to their pasture
ayen-bringe, and take on hem privy besy cure of keping? And
though the unconninge sheep scattred wolde ben lost, renning to
wildernesse, and to desertes drawe, or els wolden putte hem-selfe
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to the swalowinge wolfe, yet shal the shepherde, by businesse and
travayle, so putte him forth, that he shal not lete hem be lost by
no waye. A good shepherde putteth rather his lyf to ben lost for
his sheep. But for thou shalt not wene me being of werse
condicion, trewly, for everich of my folke, and for al tho that to
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me-ward be knit in any condicion, I wol rather dye than suffre
hem through errour to ben spilte. For me liste, and it me lyketh,
of al myne a shepherdesse to be cleped. Wost thou not wel,
I fayled never wight, but he me refused and wolde negligently go
with unkyndenesse? And yet, pardè, have I many such holpe
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and releved, and they have ofte me begyled; but ever, at the ende,
it discendeth in their owne nekkes. Hast thou not rad how kinde
I was to Paris, Priamus sone of Troy? How Jason me falsed,
for al his false behest? How Cesars †swink, I lefte it for no tene
til he was troned in my blisse for his service? What!' quod she,
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'most of al, maked I not a loveday bytwene god and mankynde,
and chees a mayde to be nompere, to putte the quarel at ende?
Lo! how I have travayled to have thank on al sydes, and yet list
me not to reste, and I might fynde on †whom I shulde werche.
But trewly, myn owne disciple, bycause I have thee founde, at al
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assayes, in thy wil to be redy myn hestes to have folowed, and
hast ben trewe to that Margarite-perle that ones I thee shewed;
and she alwaye, ayenward, hath mad but daungerous chere;
I am come, in propre person, to putte thee out of errours, and
make thee gladde by wayes of reson; so that sorow ne disese shal
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no more hereafter thee amaistry. Wherthrough I hope thou
shalt lightly come to the grace, that thou longe hast desyred, of
thilke jewel. Hast thou not herd many ensamples, how I have
comforted and releved the scholers of my lore? Who hath
worthyed kinges in the felde? Who hath honoured ladyes in
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boure by a perpetuel mirrour of their tr[o]uthe in my service?
Who hath caused worthy folk to voyde vyce and shame? Who
hath holde cytees and realmes in prosperitè? If thee liste clepe
ayen thyn olde remembraunce, thou coudest