that
he coveyteth most, he shulde come to thilke love; and that
15
is parfit blisse of my servauntes; but than fulle blisse may not
be, and there lacke any thing of that blisse in any syde. Eke it
foloweth than, that he that must have ful blisse lacke no blisse in
love on no syde.'
'Therfore, lady,' quod I tho, 'thilke blisse I have desyred,
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and †soghte toforn this my-selfe, by wayes of riches, of dignitè,
of power, and of renomè, wening me in tho †thinges had ben
thilke blisse; but ayenst the heer it turneth. Whan I supposed
beste thilke blisse have †getten, and come to the ful purpose
of your service, sodaynly was I hindred, and throwen so fer
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abacke, that me thinketh an inpossible to come there I lefte.'
'I †wot wel,' quod she; 'and therfore hast thou fayled; for
thou wentest not by the hye way. A litel misgoing in the ginning
causeth mikil errour in the ende; wherfore of thilke blisse thou
fayledest, for having of richesse; ne non of the other thinges thou
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nempnedest mowen nat make suche parfit blisse in love as I shal
shewe. Therfore they be nat worthy to thilke blisse; and yet
somwhat must ben cause and way to thilke blisse. Ergo, there is
som suche thing, and som way, but it is litel in usage and that
is nat openly y-knowe. But what felest in thyne hert of the
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service, in whiche by me thou art entred? Wenest aught thy-selfe
yet be in the hye way to my blisse? I shal so shewe it to
thee, thou shalt not conne saye the contrary.'
'Good lady,' quod I, 'altho I suppose it in my herte, yet
wolde I here thyn wordes, how ye menen in this mater.'
40
Quod she, 'that I shal, with my good wil. Thilke blisse
desyred, som-del ye knowen, altho it be nat parfitly. For kyndly
entencion ledeth you therto, but in three maner livinges is al suche
wayes shewed. Every wight in this world, to have this blisse, oon
of thilke three wayes of lyves must procede; whiche, after opinions
45
of grete clerkes, are by names cleped bestiallich, resonablich, [and
manlich. Resonablich] is vertuous. Manlich is worldlich. Bestialliche
is lustes and delytable, nothing restrayned by bridel of reson.
Al that joyeth and yeveth gladnesse to the hert, and it be ayenst
reson, is lykened to bestial living, which thing foloweth lustes and
50
delytes; wherfore in suche thinge may nat that precious blisse,
that is maister of al vertues, abyde. Your †faders toforn you have
cleped such lusty livinges after the flessh "passions of desyre,"
which are innominable tofore god and man both. Than, after
determinacion of suche wyse, we accorden that suche passions of
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desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other
livinges and provinges; and so †leveth in t[w]o livinges, manlich
and resonable, to declare the maters begonne. But to make thee
fully have understanding in manlich livinges, whiche is holden
worldlich in these thinges, so that ignorance be mad no letter,
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I wol (quod she) nempne these forsayd wayes †by names and
conclusions. First riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in
this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret
throw, mannes trust of selinesse in love: as in riches, suffisance
to have maintayned that was begonne by worldly catel; in dignitè,
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honour and reverence of hem that wern underput by maistry
therby to obeye. In renomè, glorie of peoples praising, after
lustes in their hert, without hede-taking to qualitè and maner of
doing; and in power, by trouth of lordships mayntenaunce, thing
to procede forth in doing. In al whiche thinges a longe tyme
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mannes coveytise in commune hath ben greetly grounded, to come
to the blisse of my service; but trewly, they were begyled, and for
the principal muste nedes fayle, and in helping mowe nat availe.
See why. For holdest him not poore that is nedy?'
'Yes, pardè,' quod I.
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'And him for dishonored, that moche folk deyne nat to
reverence?'
'That is soth,' quod I.
'And what him, that his mightes faylen and mowe nat helpen?'
'Certes,' quod I, 'me semeth, of al men he shulde be holden
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a wrecche.'
'And wenest nat,' quod she, 'that he that is litel in renomè,
but rather is out of the praysinges of mo men than a fewe, be nat
in shame?'
'For soth,' quod I, 'it is shame and villany, to him that
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coveyteth renomè, that more folk nat prayse in name than preise.'
'Soth,' quod she, 'thou sayst soth; but al these thinges are
folowed of suche maner doinge, and wenden in riches suffisaunce,
in power might, in dignitè worship, and in renomè glorie; wherfore
they discended in-to disceyvable wening, and in that service disceit
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is folowed. And thus, in general, thou and al suche other that so
worchen, faylen of my blisse that ye long han desyred. Wherfore
truly, in lyfe of reson is the hye way to this blisse; as I thinke
more openly to declare herafter. Never-the-later yet, in a litel to
comforte thy herte, in shewing of what waye thou art entred
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*selfe, and that thy Margarite may knowe thee set in the hye way,
I wol enforme thee in this wyse. Thou hast fayled of thy first
purpos, bicause thou wentest wronge and leftest the hye way on
thy