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
60
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,
65
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
70
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
75
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
80
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
85
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
90
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
95
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
100
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,
105
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
110
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
115
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
120
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.
125
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
130
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.
Ch. V. 1. one. 2. maner; read maneres. purpose. 3. nowe. the. 4. proued. 6. howe. 9. suertie. 15. so; read to. 17. lyueng.
19. I supply al. 20. efte; read ofte. 24. great. 25. holde nowe thy peace. 27. disease. 29. one. I supply don. I supply in. 31. come. abode. 32. lest. 33. nowe. I supply and. 34. I