GRETLY was I tho gladded of these wordes, and (as who, CH. III. 1. gladed; see l. 5. saith) wexen somdel light in herte; both for the auctoritè 2. somdele. of witnesse, and also for sikernesse of helpe of the forsayd beheste, and sayd:—

'Trewly, lady, now am I wel gladded through comfort of 5. nowe. comforte. your wordes. Be it now lykinge unto your nobley to shewe 6. nowe. whiche folk diffame your servauntes, sithe your service ought 7. folke. above al other thinges to ben commended.'

'Yet,' quod she, 'I see wel thy soule is not al out of the 9. se. amased cloude. Thee were better to here thing that thee might 10. the (twice). lighte out of thyn hevy charge and after knowing of thyn owne 11. light. helpe, than to stirre swete wordes and such resons to here; for in a thoughtful soule (and namely suche oon as thou art) 13. one. arte. wol not yet suche thinges sinken. Come of, therfore, and let me seen thy hevy charge, that I may the lightlier for thy comfort 15. sene. comforte. purveye.' 16. puruey.

'Now, certes, lady,' quod I, 'the moste comfort I might have 17. Nowe. comforte. were utterly to wete me be sure in herte of that Margaryte I serve; and so I thinke to don with al mightes, whyle my lyfe dureth.'

'Than,' quod she, 'mayst thou therafter, in suche wyse that 21. mayste. misplesaunce ne entre?'

'In good fayth,' quod I, 'there shal no misplesaunce be caused through trespace on my syde.'

'And I do thee to weten,' quod she, 'I sette never yet person 25. the. set. to serve in no place (but-if he caused the contrary in defautes and trespaces) that he ne spedde of his service.'

'Myn owne erthly lady,' quod I tho, 'and yet remembre to your worthinesse how long sithen, by many revolving of yeres, 29. howe. in tyme whan Octobre his leve ginneth take and Novembre 30. leaue. sheweth him to sight, whan bernes ben ful of goodes as is the nutte on every halke; and than good lond-tillers ginne shape 32. londe-. for the erthe with greet travayle, to bringe forth more corn to 33. great. forthe. corne. mannes sustenaunce, ayenst the nexte yeres folowing. In suche tyme of plentee he that hath an home and is wyse, list not to 35. plentie. lyste. wander mervayles to seche, but he be constrayned or excited. Oft the lothe thing is doon, by excitacion of other mannes 37. doone. opinion, whiche wolden fayne have myn abydinge. [Tho gan I] 38. I supply Tho gan I. take in herte of luste to travayle and see the wynding of the erthe 39. se. in that tyme of winter. By woodes that large stretes wern in, 40. werne. by smale pathes that swyn and hogges hadden made, as lanes 41. swyne. with ladels their maste to seche, I walked thinkinge alone a wonder greet whyle; and the grete beestes that the woode 43. great. great. haunten and adorneth al maner forestes, and heerdes gonne to 44. gone; read gonne. wilde. Than, er I was war, I neyghed to a see-banke; and for 45. ware. ferde of the beestes "shipcraft" I cryde. For, lady, I trowe ye 46. shypcrafte. wete wel your-selfe, nothing is werse than the beestes that shulden ben tame, if they cacche her wildenesse, and ginne ayen 48. catche. waxe ramage. Thus forsothe was I a-ferd, and to shippe me 49. a-ferde. hyed.

Than were there y-nowe to lacche myn handes, and drawe me 51. lache. to shippe, of whiche many I knew wel the names. Sight was 52. many; read meynee. knewe. the first, Lust was another, Thought was the thirde; and Wil eke was there a mayster; these broughten me within-borde of this shippe of Traveyle. So whan the sayl was sprad, and this ship 55. sayle. shyppe. gan to move, the wind and water gan for to ryse, and overthwartly 56. wynde. to turne the welken. The wawes semeden as they kiste togider; but often under colour of kissinge is mokel old hate prively 58. olde. closed and kept. The storm so straungely and in a devouring 59. kepte. storme. maner gan so faste us assayle, that I supposed the date of my deth shulde have mad there his ginning. Now up, now downe, 61. made. nowe under the wawe and now aboven was my ship a greet 61, 62. nowe. 62. shyppe. whyle. And so by mokel duresse of †weders and of stormes, 63. wethers; read weders. and with greet avowing [of] pilgrimages, I was driven to an yle, 62, 64. great. 64. I supply of. where utterly I wende first to have be rescowed; but trewly, †at 65. as; read at. the first ginning, it semed me so perillous the haven to cacche, 66. catche. that but thorow grace I had ben comforted, of lyfe I was ful 67. thorowe. dispayred. Trewly, lady, if ye remembre a-right of al maner thinges, your-selfe cam hastely to sene us see-driven, and to 69. came. weten what we weren. But first ye were deynous of chere, after whiche ye gonne better a-lighte; and ever, as me thought, ye 71. a-lyght. lived in greet drede of disese; it semed so by your chere. 72. great. disease. And whan I was certifyed of your name, the lenger I loked in you, the more I you goodly dradde; and ever myn herte on you opened the more; and so in a litel tyme my ship was out of 75. shyppe. mynde. But, lady, as ye me ladde, I was war bothe of beestes 76. lad. ware. and of fisshes, a greet nombre thronging togider; among whiche 77. great. amonge. a muskel, in a blewe shel, had enclosed a Margaryte-perle, the moste precious and best that ever to-forn cam in my sight. 79. to-forne came. And ye tolden your-selfe, that ilke jewel in his kinde was so good and so vertuous, that her better shulde I never finde, al sought I ther-after to the worldes ende. And with that I held 82. helde. my pees a greet whyle; and ever sithen I have me bethought on 83. peace. great. the man that sought the precious Margarytes; and whan he had founden oon to his lyking, he solde al his good to bye that jewel. 85. one. Y-wis, thought I, (and yet so I thinke), now have I founden the 86. nowe. jewel that myn herte desyreth; wherto shulde I seche further? 87. myne. Trewly, now wol I stinte, and on this Margaryte I sette me for 88. nowe. ever: now than also, sithen I wiste wel it was your wil that 89. Nowe. I shulde so suche a service me take; and so to desyre that thing, of whiche I never have blisse. There liveth non but he hath 91. none. disese; your might than that brought me to suche service, that to 92. disease. me is cause of sorowe and of joye. I wonder of your worde that ye sayn, "to bringen men in-to joye"; and, pardè, ye wete wel 94. sayne. that defaut ne trespace may not resonably ben put to me-wardes, 95. reasonably. as fer as my conscience knoweth. 96. ferre.

But of my disese me list now a whyle to speke, and to enforme 97. disease. you in what maner of blisse ye have me thronge. For truly I wene, that al gladnesse, al joye, and al mirthe is beshet under locke, and the keye throwe in suche place that it may not be founde. My brenning wo hath altred al my hewe. Whan I shulde slepe, I walowe and I thinke, and me disporte. Thus combred, I seme that al folk had me mased. Also, lady myne, 103. folke. desyre hath longe dured, some speking to have; or els at the lest have ben enmoysed with sight; and for wantinge of these thinges my mouth wolde, and he durst, pleyne right sore, sithen yvels 106. mouthe. for my goodnesse arn manyfolde to me yolden. I wonder, lady, 107. arne. trewly, save evermore your reverence, how ye mowe, for shame, 108. howe. suche thinges suffre on your servaunt to be so multiplied. Wherfore, kneling with a lowe herte, I pray you to rue on this caytif, that of nothing now may serve. Good lady, if ye liste, 111. caytife. now your help to me shewe, that am of your privyest servantes 112. nowe. helpe. at al assayes in this tyme, and under your winges of proteccion. 113. protection. No help to me-wardes is shapen; how shal than straungers in 114. helpe. howe. any wyse after socour loke, whan I, that am so privy, yet of helpe 115. socoure. I do fayle? Further may I not, but thus in this prison abyde; 116. maye. what bondes and chaynes me holden, lady, ye see wel your-selfe. 117. se. A renyant forjuged hath not halfe the care. But thus, syghing and sobbing, I wayle here alone; and nere it for comfort of your 119. comforte. presence, right here wolde I sterve. And yet a litel am I gladded, 120. gladed. that so goodly suche grace and non hap have I hent, graciously 121. none. hente. to fynde the precious Margarite, that (al other left) men shulde 122. lefte. bye, if they shulde therfore selle al her substaunce. Wo is me, 123. sel. that so many let-games and purpose-brekers ben maked wayters, suche prisoners as I am to overloke and to hinder; and, for suche lettours, it is hard any suche jewel to winne. Is this, lady, 126. harde. an honour to thy deitee? Me thinketh, by right, suche people 127. deytie. shulde have no maistrye, ne ben overlokers over none of thy servauntes. Trewly, were it leful unto you, to al the goddes wolde I playne, that ye rule your devyne purveyaunce amonges your servantes nothing as ye shulde. Also, lady, my moeble is insuffysaunt to countervayle the price of this jewel, or els to make th'eschange. Eke no wight is worthy suche perles to were 133. weare. but kinges or princes or els their peres. This jewel, for vertue, wold adorne and make fayre al a realme; the nobley of vertue is so moche, that her goodnesse overal is commended. Who is it that wolde not wayle, but he might suche richesse have at his wil? The vertue therof out of this prison may me deliver, and naught els. And if I be not ther-thorow holpen, I see my-selfe 139. ther-thorowe. se. withouten recovery. Although I might hence voyde, yet wolde I not; I wolde abyde the day that destence hath me ordeyned, 141. daye. destenye. whiche I suppose is without amendement; so sore is my herte bounden, that I may thinken non other. Thus strayte, lady, 143. maye. none. hath sir Daunger laced me in stockes, I leve it be not your wil; and for I see you taken so litel hede, as me thinketh, and wol 145. se. not maken by your might the vertue in mercy of the Margaryte on me for to strecche, so as ye mowe wel in case that you liste, 147. stretche. my blisse and my mirthe arn feld; sicknesse and sorowe ben 148. arne. alwaye redy. The cope of tene is wounde aboute al my body, that stonding is me best; unneth may I ligge for pure misesy 150. miseasy. sorowe. And yet al this is litel ynough to be the ernest-silver in 151. ynoughe. forwarde of this bargayne; for treble-folde so mokel muste I suffer er tyme come of myn ese. For he is worthy no welthe, that may 153. ease. maye. no wo suffer. And certes, I am hevy to thinke on these thinges; but who shal yeve me water ynough to drinke, lest myn eyen drye, for renning stremes of teres? Who shal waylen with me 156. teares. myn owne happy hevinesse? Who shal counsaile me now in 157. myne. nowe. my lyking tene, and in my goodly harse? I not. For ever the 158. harse (sic); for harme? more I brenne, the more I coveyte; the more that I sorow, the more thrist I in gladnesse. Who shal than yeve me a contrarious drink, to stanche the thurste of my blisful bitternesse? Lo, thus 161. drinke. I brenne and I drenche; I shiver and I swete. To this reversed 162. sweate. yvel was never yet ordeyned salve; forsoth al †leches ben uncon∣ning, 163. lyches (for leches). save the Margaryte alone, any suche remedye to purveye.' 164. puruey.

AND with these wordes I brast out to wepe, that every teere of myne eyen, for greetnesse semed they boren out the bal of CH. IV. 2. great-. my sight, and that al the water had ben out-ronne. Than thought me that Love gan a litel to hevye for miscomfort of my chere; 4. heauy. and gan soberly and in esy maner speke, wel avysinge what 5. easy. she sayd. Comenly the wyse speken esily and softe for many 6. easyly. skilles. Oon is, their wordes are the better bileved; and also, in 7. One. esy spekinge, avysement men may cacche, what to putte forth 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. and what to holden in. And also, the auctoritè of esy wordes is 9. easy. the more; and eke, they yeven the more understandinge to other intencion of the mater. Right so this lady esely and in a softe 11. ladye easely. maner gan say these wordes.

¶ 'Mervayle,' quod she, 'greet it is, that by no maner of sem∣blaunt, 13. great. as fer as I can espye, thou list not to have any recour; 14. ferre. but ever thou playnest and sorowest, and wayes of remedye, for folisshe wilfulnesse, thee list not to seche. But enquyre of thy 16. the lyste. next frendes, that is, thyne inwit and me that have ben thy 17. inwytte. maystresse, and the recour and fyne of thy disese; [f]or of disese is 18. disease (twice). gladnesse and joy, with a ful †vessel so helded, that it quencheth 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. the felinge of the firste tenes. But thou that were wont not only 20. wonte. onely. these thinges remembre in thyne herte, but also fooles therof to enfourmen, in adnullinge of their errours and distroying of their 22. distroyeng. derke opinions, and in comfort of their sere thoughtes; now canst 23. comforte. seare. thou not ben comfort of thyn owne soule, in thinking of these 24. comforte. thinges. O where hast thou be so longe commensal, that hast so 25. haste. mikel eeten of the potages of foryetfulnesse, and dronken so of ignorance, that the olde souking[es] whiche thou haddest of me 27. soukyng. arn amaystred and lorn fro al maner of knowing? O, this is 28. arne. a worthy person to helpe other, that can not counsayle him-selfe!' And with these wordes, for pure and stronge shame, I wox al 30. woxe. reed.

And she than, seing me so astonyed by dyvers stoundes, sodainly (which thing kynde hateth) gan deliciously me comforte 33. thynge. with sugred wordes, putting me in ful hope that I shulde the Margarite getten, if I folowed her hestes; and gan with a fayre clothe to wypen the teres that hingen on my chekes; and than 36. teares. sayd I in this wyse.

'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges. 39. bearest. In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady, 40. catche. first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes 43. done her course. here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of 45. blode. hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that †wol don your 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes 48. nowe. to cese.' 49. cease.

'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough, 53. wherthroughe. me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde, thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent. Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible. But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that 58. nowe. the. thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to 59. reason. distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest 60. put. thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games 61. lette-games. are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is in∣suffysaunt"? I not what thou therof menest.' 63. meanest.

'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man 65. arne. rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce. Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying 67. steeryng. lyeng. tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many 68. eares. wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe, for al his gret sothnesse.

Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof 72. wretche. extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to 78. reason. thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos 79. the. let. purpose. by the leest point that any wight coude pricke.

REMEMBREST nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the CH. V. 1. one. strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos? 2. maner; read maneres. purpose. Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is 3. nowe. the. it nat preved by strength?' 4. proued.

'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.

'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and 6. howe. 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 9. suertie. 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 15. so; read to. beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving 17. lyueng. people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined. Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al] 19. I supply al. people upon my servauntes maken †ofte, is rather cause of esployte 20. efte; read ofte. 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.' 24. great.

'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many 25. holde nowe thy peace. 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 27. disease. 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 29. one. I supply don. I supply in. was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared 31. come. abode. nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that 32. lest. profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon 33. nowe. I supply and. voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh 34. I supply is. nowe one. and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth: 35. nowe. such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe. 36. one. perfyte. 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 38. nowe. the howe. 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 42. worlde. passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè 43. one. hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the 44. alwaye put. salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe 45. healed. two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'

'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of 47. Nowe. lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in 48. reasons. 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 51. lawes; read lawe. that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for 52. determinatiōs. good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden] 53. I supply 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? 58. reasoun. Wherfore al lawe by mannes witte purveyed ought to be underput 59. purueyde. vnderputte. to lawe of kynde, whiche yet hath be commune to every kyndely creature; that my statutes and my lawe that ben kyndely arn 61. arne. 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 65. diseases. breaken. therfore that ayen newe mischeef men shulde nat ordaynen 66. mischefe. a newe remedye; but alwaye looke it contrary not the olde no ferther than the malice streccheth. Than foloweth it, the olde 68. stretcheth. doinges in love han ben universal, as for most exployte[s] forth 69. exployte forthe. used; wherfore I wol not yet that of my lawes nothing be adnulled. 70. nothynge. But thanne to thy purpos: suche jangelers and lokers, and 71. purpose. wayters of games, if thee thinke in aught they mowe dere, yet 72. the. love wel alwaye, and sette hem at naught; and let thy port ben 73. lette. porte. lowe in every wightes presence, and redy in thyne herte to maynteyne that thou hast begonne; and a litel thee fayne with 75. the. mekenesse in wordes; and thus with sleyght shalt thou surmount and dequace the yvel in their hertes. And wysdom yet is to seme 77. wysdome. flye otherwhyle, there a man wol fighte. Thus with suche thinges 78. fyght. the tonges of yvel shal ben stilled; els fully to graunte thy ful 79. graunt. meninge, for-sothe ever was and ever it shal be, that myn enemyes 80. meanynge. 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 84. vnder∣stande. rayne. sowe his cornes, he shal have than [bare] bernes. Also he that 85. I supply bare. is aferd of his clothes, let him daunce naked! Who nothing 86. aferde. undertaketh, and namely in my service, nothing acheveth. After grete stormes the †weder is often mery and smothe. After 88. great. wether; read weder. moche clatering, there is mokil rowning. Thus, after jangling wordes, cometh "huissht! pees! and be stille!"' 90. huysshte. peace. styl.

'O good lady!' quod I than, 'see now how, seven yere passed 91. se nowe howe. and more, have I graffed and †grobbed a vyne; and with al the 92. groubed. 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 94. none. 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 101. Nowe. to me [come] sone fredom and grace in this eight[eth] yere; this 102. I supply come. eighteth mowe to me bothe be kinrest and masseday, after the 103. kynrest (sic). 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 109. skorne. this on thy person be not sothed: "lo! this man began to edefye, 110. this; read thus? 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] 120. toforne. with my blisse lyons in the felde and lambes in chambre; 121. worship; read worshippe (verb). egles at assaute and maydens in halle; foxes in counsayle, stil[le] 122. styl. in their dedes; and their proteccioun is graunted, redy to ben 123. protection. 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; 130. nowe. the. thy grace, by bering ther-after, may sette thee in suche plight, 131. set the. that no jangling may greve the leest tucke of thy hemmes; that 132. lest. [suche] are their †jangles, is nought to counte at a cresse in thy 133. ianghes; read jangles. disavauntage.

EVER,' quod she, 'hath the people in this worlde desyred to have had greet name in worthinesse, and hated foule CH. VI. 2. great. beare. to bere any [en]fame; and that is oon of the objeccions thou 3. read enfame; see l. alegest to be ayen thyne hertely desyre.'

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that, so comenly, the people wol lye, and bringe aboute suche enfame.' 6. one. obiections.

'Now,' quod she, 'if men with lesinges putte on thee enfame, 7. Nowe. leasynges put on the. wenest thy-selfe therby ben enpeyred? That wening is wrong; 8. wronge. see why; for as moche as they lyen, thy meryte encreseth, and 9. se. encreaseth. make[th] thee ben more worthy, to hem that knowen of the soth; 10. the. by what thing thou art apeyred, that in so mokil thou art encresed 11. arte encreased. of thy beloved frendes. And sothly, a wounde of thy frende [is] 12. I supply is. to thee lasse harm, ye, sir, and better than a fals kissing in disceyv∣able 13. the. harme. false. glosing of thyne enemy; above that than, to be wel with thy frende maketh [voyd] suche enfame. Ergo, thou art encresed 15. I supply voyd. arte. and not apeyred.'

'Lady,' quod I, 'somtyme yet, if a man be in disese, th'estima∣cion 17. disease. 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 22. reason. doing; as thus. If a man be riche and fulfild with worldly 23. fulfylde. welfulnesse, some commenden it, and sayn it is so lent by juste 24. sayne. lente. cause; and he that hath adversitè, they sayn he is weked; and 25. sayne. weaked; read wikked? hath deserved thilke anoy. The contrarye of these thinges some 26. anoye. men holden also; and sayn that to the riche prosperitè is pur∣vayed 27. sayne. in-to his confusion; and upon this mater many autoritès of many and greet-witted clerkes they alegen. And some men 29. great. sayn, though al good estimacion forsake folk that han adversitè, 30. forsaken; read forsake. yet is it meryte and encrees of his blisse; so that these purposes 31. encrease. arn so wonderful in understanding, that trewly, for myn adversitè 32. arne. now, I not how the sentence of the indifferent people wil jugen 33. nowe. howe. my fame.'

'Therfore,' quod she, 'if any wight shulde yeve a trewe sen∣tence on suche maters, the cause of the disese maist thou see 36. disease. se. wel. Understand ther-upon after what ende it draweth, that is to 37. vnderstande. sayne, good or badde; so ought it to have his fame †by goodnesse 38. fame or by goodnesse enfame; read fame by goodnesse or enfame. or enfame by badnesse. For [of] every resonable person, and 39. Supply of. reasonable. namely of a wyse man, his wit ought not, without reson to-forn 40. wytte. reason to-forne. herd, sodainly in a mater to juge. After the sawes of the wyse, 41. herde. "thou shalt not juge ne deme toforn thou knowe."' 42. toforne.

'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 45. conuercion. by a perpetual mirrour of remembraunce, in worshippinge of tho sayntes, and good ensample to other misdoers in amende∣ment. How turned the Romayne Zedeoreys fro the Romaynes, 48. Howe. zedeoreys or ȝedeoreys. 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 dis∣comfited. Wherfore, to enfourme you, lady, the maner-why I mene, see now. In my youth I was drawe to ben assentaunt 53. meane se nowe. and (in my mightes) helping to certain conjuracions and other grete maters of ruling of citizins; and thilke thinges ben my 55. great. drawers in; and ex[c]itours to tho maters wern so paynted and 56. exitours. werne. 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 61. tel. 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 63. One. comforte. in suche plyte, that bothe profit were to me and to my frendes. 64. profyte. Another was, for commen profit in cominaltee is not but pees and 65. profyte. comynaltie. peace. tranquilitè, with just governaunce, proceden from thilke profit; 66. profyte. sithen, by counsayle of myne inwitte, me thought the firste painted thinges malice and yvel meninge, withouten any good avayling to 68. meanynge. 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 71. I supply the and that. wasshe, than the under-hidde malice and the rancour of purposing 72. rancoure. envye, forncast and imagined in distruccion of mokil people, 73. fornecaste. distruction. shewed so openly, that, had I ben blind, with myne hondes al the 74. blynde. circumstaunce I might wel have feled.

Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse, 76. Nowe. caste. for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pyn∣ande 77. dwel. prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And 78. threde. 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 80. howe peace. ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully 81. endused. 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 84. done. maye. helpe (repeated after comen); read wele. thynge. kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn 86. distroyeng. owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And 87. misdede. mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that 88. frende maye. 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 94. -forthe. debate. stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde; 95. stryfe. distruction. by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be 96. peace. comunaltie. desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee 97. cytie. of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth 98. forthe. 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 ever∣lasting 104. thynge. perfyte. lasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe 101-6. peace (five times). in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his 107. left. frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam; 108. came. this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly 109. perfytely. may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not 110. none. pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon 111-2. peace (twice). 112. one (twice). body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the 113. howe. name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle, shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees. 114-5. peace (twice). 115. comunalties and cytes. I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared 116. toforne. 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 119. meanynge. feoble. people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure 120. none. gubernatyfe. and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the 122. passyfe. 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 126. election. your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in 128. agayne. such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne. 129. subiection.

The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion 131. dis∣truction. to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune ad∣ministracion 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 135. doone. 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 138. meanynge. mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgover∣naunce 139. heauy. that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for 141. election. Supply was mad. great (twice). Supply that. greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion 142. disease. election. that they hem submitted to every maner †fate rather than have 143. face; read fate. suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours; not∣withstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny, that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten 146. onely. reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn 147. reason. to-forne. his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke 148. shope. eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen; 149. electyon. and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady, knowen among the princes, and made open to the people, 151. amonge. 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 154. to forne hande. peace. and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady, thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne 156. to forne. juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth my wordes ben 158. apertely. sothe, without forginge of lesinges. 159. leasynges.

But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in 160. nowe. janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and 162. maye. my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but 164. sayde. only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche 165. onely. leigeaunce. I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady, 166. se. nowe. how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight 168. Se. 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 171. cleapen. false. studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne? 172. howe. O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of 173. maye. folke. my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to 174. stretch. 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 179. Nowe. badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her 181. knowyuge (sic). sayng. arne nowe. olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe, and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they 183. sayne. aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater 184. nothynge. knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater 185. wote. is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte 186. none. 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 188. se. 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 194. werne. put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge. 195. meanynge. For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of 196. beare. trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me †sub∣mitted. 197. submytten (!). But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn) 198. nowe. sayne. flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede 199. dothe. til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben 200. meane. hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.' 201. measure.

†EFT gan Love to †steren me [with] these wordes: 'thinke CH. VIII. 1. Ofte; read Eft. sterne; read steren. I supply with. on my speche; for trewly here-after it wol do thee lykinge; 2. the. and how-so-ever thou see Fortune shape her wheele to tourne, 3. howe. se. this meditacion [shal] by no waye revolve. For certes, Fortune 4. meditation. I supply shal. sheweth her fayrest, whan she thinketh to begyle. And as me thought, here-toforn thou saydest, thy loos in love, for thy right∣wysenesse 6. toforne. 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 8. the. raysed, that to thy frendes comfort, and sorowe to thyne enemys, 9. comforte. endlesse shul endure.

But if thou were the oon sheep, amonges the hundred, were lost 11. one shepe. in deserte and out of the way hadde erred, and now to the flocke 12. loste. nowe. art restoored, the shepherd hath in thee no joye and thou ayen 13. arte. shepeherd. the. to the forrest tourne. But that right as the sorowe and an∣guisshe was greet in tyme of thyne out-waye goinge, right so 15. great. joye and gladnesse shal be doubled to sene thee converted; and 16. the. nat as Lothes wyf ayen-lokinge, but [in] hool counsayle with the 17. wyfe. I supply in. hoole. 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 20. the. trewly, I wot wel that now thou art set in suche a purpose, out of 21. wotte. nowe. arte sette. whiche thee liste nat to parte. But I saye it for many men there 22. the. been, that to knowinge of other mennes doinges setten al their 23. bene. 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 26. thynge. abydeth, sodaynly in their mouthes procedeth the habundaunce of the herte, and wordes as stones out-throwe. Wherfore my 28. stones repeated in Th. counsayl is ever-more openly and apertly, in what place thou sitte, 29. counsayle. apertely. counterplete th'errours and meninges in as fer as thou hem 30. therrours. meanynges. ferre. wistest false, and leve for no wight to make hem be knowe in 31. wystyst. leaue. every bodyes ere; and be alway pacient and use Jacobes wordes, 32. eare. what-so-ever men of thee clappen: "I shal sustayne my ladyes 33. menne. the. 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, 36. meanynge. [and] wolt from al vanitè parfitly departe, in consolacioun of al 37. I supply and. wolte. parfytely. 37. consolatyoun. good plesaunce of that Margaryte, whiche that thou desyrest after 38. pleasaunce. wil of thyn herte, in a maner of a †moders pitè, [she] shul fully 39. hert. mothers; read moders. I supply she. accepte thee in-to grace. For right as thou rentest clothes in 40. the. open sighte, so openly to sowe hem at his worshippe withouten reprofe [is] commended. Also, right as thou were ensample of 42. I supply is. moche-folde errour, right so thou must be ensample of manyfolde correccioun; so good savour to forgoing †of errour causeth diligent 44. correctioun. al; read of. After errour I omit distroyeng (gloss upon for∣going). 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 47. encreased. sette. semeth; and so doth every thinges contrary in kynde. But 48. dothe. infame, that goth alwaye tofore, and praysinge worship by any 49. gothe. worshippe. 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, 52. wenyste. Naye nay god wotte. nay, god wot, but for pure encresing worship, thy rightwysenesse to 53. encreasyng. 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 55-7. passeth (twice); passyst (third time). ete. 57. eatynge. become. 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 61. whome. 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 63. begon. ganne. al the sorowe. For trewly, him lacketh no venim of privè consenting, whiche that openly leveth a wrong to withsaye. 65. leaueth. wronge. withsay.

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 68. Nowe. 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 71. done. open shewing; for ensample, is it nat songe in holy churche, 72. song. "Lo, how necessary was Adams synne!" David the king gat 73. howe. gate. Salomon the king of her that was Uryes wyf. Truly, for reprofe 74. wyfe. is non of these thinges writte. Right so, tho I reherce thy 75. none. before-dede, I repreve thee never the more; ne for no villany of thee are they rehersed, but for worshippe, so thou continewe wel 76-7. the (twice). here-after: and for profit of thy-selfe I rede thou on hem thinke.' 78. profyte.

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 81. done. 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 87. ferre. streccheth.' 88. stretcheth.

'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 91. wretched. 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, 96. respecte. may no name be born, in maner of peersing, for many obstacles, 97. borne. as waters, and wildernesse, and straunge langages. And nat only 98. onely. 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 101. reason. parfitly in mennes propre understandinge. How shulde than the 102. parfitely. Howe. 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 107. one. come; for as many as praysen, commenly as many lacken. Fy 108. Fye. than on such maner fame! Slepe, and suffre him that knoweth previtè of hertes to dele suche fame in thilke place there nothing 110. nothynge. ayenst a sothe shal neither speke ne dare apere, by attourney ne by other maner. How many greet-named, and many greet 112. Howe. great (twice). in worthinesse losed, han be tofore this tyme, that now out 113. nowe. of memorie are slidden, and clenely forgeten, for defaute of wrytinges! And yet scriptures for greet elde so ben defased, that 115. great. no perpetualtè may in hem ben juged. But if thou wolt make 116. maye. wolte. 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 thou∣sand 118. fayre. one grayne of wheate. thousande. shippes ful of corne charged! What nombre is betwene the oon and th'other? And yet mowe bothe they be nombred, and 120. one. thother. ende in rekening have. But trewly, al that may be nombred is nothing to recken, as to thilke that may nat be nombred. For 121-2. maye. †of the thinges ended is mad comparison; as, oon litel, another 123. ofte; read of the. made. one. greet; but in thinges to have an ende, and another no ende, 124. great. suche comparisoun may nat be founden. Wherfore in heven to ben losed with god hath non ende, but endlesse endureth; and 126. none. thou canst nothing don aright, but thou desyre the rumour therof 127. canste nothynge done. rumoure. be heled and in every wightes ere; and that dureth but a pricke 128. healed; read deled? eare. in respecte of the other. And so thou sekest reward of folkes 129. rewarde. smale wordes, and of vayne praysinges. Trewly, therin thou lesest the guerdon of vertue; and lesest the grettest valour of 131. valoure. consyence. 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 134. Supply Trewly, vertue. guerdoning, and the soule causeth al vertue. Than the soule, delivered out of prison of erthe, is most worthy suche guerdon 136. prisone. guerdone. among to have in the everlastinge fame; and nat the body, that causeth al mannes yvels.

OF twey thinges art thou answered, as me thinketh (quod CH. IX. 1. arte. Love); and if any thing be in doute in thy soule, shewe 2. thynge. it forth, thyn ignoraunce to clere, and leve it for no shame.' 3. thyne. leaue.

'Certes,' quod I, 'there is no body in this worlde, that aught coude saye by reson ayenst any of your skilles, as I leve; and by 5. reason. my witte now fele I wel, that yvel-spekers or berers of enfame 6. nowe. bearers. may litel greve or lette my purpos, but rather by suche thinge my 7. purpose, quarel to be forthered.'

'Ye,' quod she, 'and it is proved also, that the ilke jewel in 9. Yea. my kepinge shal nat there-thorow be stered, of the lest moment 10. -thorowe. steered. that might be imagined.'

'That is soth,' quod I.

'Wel,' quod she, 'than †leveth there, to declare that thy in∣suffisance 13. leneth; read leueth. is no maner letting, as thus: for that she is so worthy, thou shuldest not clymbe so highe; for thy moebles and thyn 15. thyne. estate arn voyded, thou thinkest [thee] fallen in suche miserie, 16. arne. I supply thee. that gladnesse of thy pursute wol nat on thee discende.' 17. the.

'Certes,' quod I, 'that is sothe; right suche thought is in myn 18. myne hert. herte; for commenly it is spoken, and for an olde proverbe it is leged: "He that heweth to hye, with chippes he may lese 20. maye. his sight." Wherfore I have ben about, in al that ever I might, to studye wayes of remedye by one syde or by another.'

'Now,' quod she, 'god forbede †that thou seke any other 23. Nowe. are; read that. doinges but suche as I have lerned thee in our restinge-whyles, 24. the. and suche herbes as ben planted in oure gardins. Thou shalt 25. shalte. wel understande that above man is but oon god alone.' 26. one.

'How,' quod I, 'han men to-forn this tyme trusted in writtes 27. Howe. to forne. and chauntements, and in helpes of spirites that dwellen in the ayre, and therby they han getten their desyres, where-as first, for al his manly power, he daunced behynde?'

'O,' quod she, 'fy on suche maters! For trewly, that is 31. fye. sacrilege; and that shal have no sort with any of my servauntes; in myne eyen shal suche thing nat be loked after. How often is it commaunded by these passed wyse, that "to one god shal men serve, and not to goddes?" And who that liste to have myne helpes, shal aske none helpe of foule spirites. Alas! is nat man maked semblable to god? Wost thou nat wel, that al vertue of lyvelich werkinge, by goddes purveyaunce, is underput to reson∣able 38. vnderputte. creature in erthe? Is nat every thing, a this halfe god, mad 39. thynge. made. buxom to mannes contemplation, understandinge in heven and 40. buxome. in erthe and in helle? Hath not man beinge with stones, soule of 41. manne. wexing with trees and herbes? Hath he nat soule of felinge, with beestes, fisshes, and foules? And he hath soule of reson and 43. reason. understanding with aungels; so that in him is knit al maner 44. knytte. of lyvinges by a resonable proporcioun. Also man is mad of 45. lyuenges. reasonable. made. al the foure elementes. Al universitee is rekened in him alone; he hath, under god, principalitè above al thinges. Now is his 47. Nowe. soule here, now a thousand myle hence; now fer, now nygh; 48. nowe. nowe ferre nowe. thousande. now hye, now lowe; as fer in a moment as in mountenaunce of 49. nowe (twice). ferre. momente. ten winter; and al this is in mannes governaunce and disposicion. 50. tenne. disposytion. Than sheweth it that men ben liche unto goddes, and children of moost heyght. But now, sithen al thinges [arn] underput to the 52. nowe. I supply arn. vnderputte. wil of resonable creatures, god forbede any man to winne that lord∣ship, 53. reasonable. and aske helpe of any-thing lower than him-selfe; and than, 54. lordshippe. thynge. namely, of foule thinges innominable. Now than, why shuldest thou wene to love to highe, sithen nothing is thee above but god 56. nothynge. the. alone? Trewly, I wot wel that thilke jewel is in a maner even in 57. wote. euyn. lyne of degree there thou art thy-selfe, and nought above, save 58. arte. thus: aungel upon angel, man upon man, and devil upon devil 59. manne (twice). han a maner of soveraigntee; and that shal cese at the daye 60. soueraygntie. cease. of dome. And so I say: though thou be put to serve the 61. thoughe putte. ilke jewel duringe thy lyfe, yet is that no servage of under∣puttinge, but a maner of travayling plesaunce, to conquere and gette that thou hast not. I sette now the hardest: in my service 64. haste. now thou deydest, for sorowe of wantinge in thy desyres; trewly, 64-5. nowe. al hevenly bodyes with one voyce shul come and make melody in thy cominge, and say—"Welcome, our fere, and worthy to entre into Jupiters joye! For thou with might hast overcome deth; 68. haste. dethe. thou woldest never flitte out of thy service; and we al shul now praye to the goddes, rowe by rowe, to make thilk Margarite, 70. nowe pray. that no routh had in this persone, but unkyndely without comfort 71. For in read on? comforte. let thee deye, shal besette her-selfe in suche wyse, that in erthe, 72. lette the. for parte of vengeaunce, shal she no joye have in loves service; and whan she is deed, than shal her soule ben brought up in-to thy presence; and whider thou wilt chese, thilke soule shal ben 75. wylte. committed." Or els, after thy deth, anon al the foresayd hevenly 76. dethe anone. bodyes, by one accorde, shal †benimen from thilke perle al the 77. benommen; read benimen. vertues that firste her were taken; for she hath hem forfeyted by that on thee, my servaunt, in thy lyve, she wolde not suffre 79. the. to worche al vertues, withdrawen by might of the hygh bodyes. Why than shuldest thou wene so any more? And if thee liste 81. the. to loke upon the lawe of kynde, and with order whiche to me was ordayned, sothely, non age, non overtourninge tyme but 83. none (twice). †hiderto had no tyme ne power to chaunge the wedding, ne 84. hytherto. the knotte to unbynde of two hertes [that] thorow oon assent, in 85. Supply that. thorowe one. my presence, †togider accorden to enduren til deth hem departe. 86. togyther. dethe. What? trowest thou, every ideot wot the meninge and the privy 87. ydeot wotte. entent of these thinges? They wene, forsothe, that suche accord 88. accorde. may not be, but the rose of maydenhede be plucked. Do way, 89. waye (twice). do way; they knowe nothing of this. For consent of two hertes 90. consente. alone maketh the fasteninge of the knotte; neither lawe of kynde ne mannes lawe determineth neither the age ne the qualitè of persones, but only accord bitwene thilke twaye. And trewly, 93. onely. after tyme that suche accord, by their consent in hert, is enseled, 93-4. accorde. 94. ensealed. and put in my tresorye amonges my privy thinges, than ginneth the name of spousayle; and although they breken forward bothe, 96. breaken forwarde. yet suche mater enseled is kept in remembrance for ever. And 97. ensealed. kepte. see now that spouses have the name anon after accord, though 98. se nowe. accorde. the rose be not take. The aungel bad Joseph take Marye his 99. bade. spouse, and to Egypte wende. Lo! she was cleped "spouse," and yet, toforn ne after, neither of hem bothe mente no flesshly 101. toforne. lust knowe. Wherfore the wordes of trouthe acorden that my 102. luste. servauntes shulden forsake bothe †fader and moder, and be ad∣herand 103. father and mother; rather, fader and moder. adherande. to his spouse; and they two in unitè of one flesshe shulden accorde. And this wyse, two that wern firste in a litel 105. werne. maner discordaunt, hygher that oon and lower that other, ben 106. one. mad evenliche in gree to stonde. But now to enfourme thee 107. made. nowe. the. that ye ben liche to goddes, these clerkes sayn, and in deter∣minacion 108. sayne. shewen, that "three thinges haven [by] the names 109. thre. I supply by. of goddes ben cleped; that is to sayn: man, divel, and images"; 110. cleaped. but yet is there but oon god, of whom al goodnesse, al grace, and 111. one. al vertue cometh; and he †is loving and trewe, and everlasting, 112. his; read is. and pryme cause of al being thinges. But men ben goddes lovinge and trewe, but not everlasting; and that is by adop∣cioun of the everlastinge god. Divels ben goddes, stirringe by a maner of lyving; but neither ben they trewe ne everlastinge; 116. lyueng. and their name of godliheed th[e]y han by usurpacion, as the 117. thy; read they. prophete sayth: "Al goddes of gentyles (that is to say, paynims) 118. saythe. are divels." But images ben goddes by nuncupacion; and they ben neither livinge ne trewe, ne everlastinge. After these wordes they clepen "goddes" images wrought with mennes handes. 121. cleapen. But now [art thou a] resonable creature, that by adopcion alone 122. nowe. I supply art thou a. reasonable. art to the grete god everlastinge, and therby thou art "god" 123. arte (twice). great. cleped: let thy †faders maners so entre thy wittes that thou might 124. lette. folowe, in-as-moche as longeth to thee, thy †faders worship, so 124-5. fathers; read faders. 125. the. worshyppe. that in nothinge thy kynde from his wil declyne, ne from his nobley perverte. In this wyse if thou werche, thou art above 127. arte. al other thinges save god alone; and so say no more "thyn herte to serve in to hye a place."

FULLY have I now declared thyn estate to be good, so thou CH. X. 1. nowe. folow therafter, and that the †objeccion first †by thee 2. abiection; read objeccion. be; read by. the. aleged, in worthinesse of thy Margaryte, shal not thee lette, as 3. the. it shal forther thee, and encrese thee. It is now to declare, the 4. the. encrease the. nowe. last objeccion in nothing may greve.' 5. obiection.

'Yes, certes,' quod I, 'bothe greve and lette muste it nedes; 6. let. the contrarye may not ben proved; and see now why. Whyle 7. maye. se nowe. I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse, and had suche goodes in welth as maken men riche, tho was I drawe in-to companyes that loos, prise, and name yeven. Tho louteden blasours; tho curreyden glosours; tho welcomeden flatterers; tho worshipped thilke that now deynen nat to loke. Every wight, in such erthly 12. nowe. wele habundant, is holde noble, precious, benigne, and wyse to do what he shal, in any degree that men him sette; al-be-it that 14. set. the sothe be in the contrarye of al tho thinges. But he that can 15. can ne never; omit ne. never so wel him behave, and hath vertue habundaunt in manyfolde maners, and be nat welthed with suche erthly goodes, is holde for a folle, and sayd, his wit is but sotted. Lo! how fals for 18. wytte. false. aver is holde trewe! Lo! how trewe is cleped fals for wanting 19. auer (sic); for aueir (avoir). howe. cleaped. false. of goodes! Also, lady, dignitees of office maken men mikel comended, as thus: "he is so good, were he out, his pere shulde men not fynde." Trewly, I trowe of some suche that are so praysed, were they out ones, another shulde make him so be knowe, he shulde of no wyse no more ben loked after: but only 24. onely. fooles, wel I wot, desyren suche newe thinges. Wherfore I wonder 25. wotte. new. that thilke governour, out of whom alone the causes proceden 26. whome. that governen al thinges, whiche that hath ordeyned this world 27. worlde. in workes of the kyndely bodyes so be governed, not with unstedfast or happyous thing, but with rules of reson, whiche 29. reason. shewen the course of certayne thinges: why suffreth he suche slydinge chaunges, that misturnen suche noble thinges as ben we men, that arn a fayr parcel of the erthe, and holden the upperest 32. arne a fayre parsel. degree, under god, of benigne thinges, as ye sayden right now 33. nowe. your-selfe; shulde never man have ben set in so worthy a place but-if his degrè were ordayned noble. Alas! thou that knittest the purveyaunce of al thinges, why lokest thou not to amenden these defautes? I see shrewes that han wicked maners sitten in 37. se. chayres of domes, lambes to punisshen, there wolves shulden ben punisshed. Lo! vertue, shynende naturelly, for povertee lurketh, 39. pouertie. and is hid under cloude; but the moone false, forsworn (as 40. hydde. forsworne. I knowe my-selfe) for aver and yeftes, hath usurped to shyne by day-light, with peynture of other mens praysinges; and trewly, thilke forged light fouly shulde fade, were the trouth away of colours feyned. Thus is night turned in-to day, and day in-to 44. daye (twice). night; winter in-to sommer, and sommer in-to winter; not in dede, but in misclepinge of foliche people.' 46. miscleapynge.

'Now,' quod she, 'what wenest thou of these thinges? How felest thou in thyn hert, by what governaunce that this cometh aboute?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'that wot I never; but-if it be that Fortune 50. wotte. hath graunt from above, to lede the ende of man as her lyketh.'

'Ah! now I see,' quod she, 'th'entent of thy mening! Lo, 52. nowe I se. thentent. meanyng. bycause thy worldly goodes ben fulliche dispent, thou beraft out 53. berafte. of dignitè of office, in whiche thou madest the †gaderinge of thilke 54. gatherynge. goodes, and yet diddest in that office by counsaile of wyse [before 55. I supply before that. that] any thing were ended; and true were unto hem whos profit 56. whose profyte. thou shuldest loke; and seest now many that in thilke hervest 57. nowe. made of thee mokel, and now, for glosing of other, deyneth thee 58. the (twice). nowe. nought to forther, but enhaunsen false shrewes by witnessinge of trouthe! These thinges greveth thyn herte, to sene thy-selfe thus abated; and than, frayltè of mankynde ne setteth but litel by the lesers of suche richesse, have he never so moche vertue; and so thou wenest of thy jewel to renne in dispyt, and not ben accepted 63. dispyte. in-to grace. Al this shal thee nothing hinder. Now (quod she) 64. the. Nowe. first thou wost wel, thou lostest nothing that ever mightest thou 65. woste. chalenge for thyn owne. Whan nature brought thee forth, come 66. the forthe. thou not naked out of thy †moders wombe? Thou haddest no 67. mothers; read moders. richesse; and whan thou shalt entre in-to the ende of every flesshly body, what shalt thou have with thee than? So, every 69. the. richesse thou hast in tyme of thy livinge, nis but lent; thou 70. haste. lente. might therin chalenge no propertee. And see now; every thing 71. propertie. se nowe. that is a mannes own, he may do therwith what him lyketh, to 72. owne. yeve or to kepe; but richesse thou playnest from thee lost; if thy 73. the. might had strecched so ferforth, fayn thou woldest have hem kept, 74. stretched. fayne. multiplyed with mo other; and so, ayenst thy wil, ben they departed from thee; wherfore they were never thyn. And if thou laudest 76. the. and joyest any wight, for he is stuffed with suche maner richesse, thou art in that beleve begyled; for thou wenest thilke joye to be 78. arte. selinesse or els ese; and he that hath lost suche happes to ben 79. ease. loste. unsely.'

'Ye, forsoth,' quod I.

'Wel,' quod she, 'than wol I prove that unsely in that wise is to preise; and so the tother is, the contrary, to be lacked.'

'How so?' quod I. 84. Howe.

'For Unsely,' quod she, 'begyleth nat, but sheweth th'entent 85. thentent. of her working. Et e contra: Selinesse begyleth. For in prosperitè she maketh a jape in blyndnesse; that is, she wyndeth him to make sorowe whan she withdraweth. Wolt thou nat (quod she) 88. Wolte. preise him better that sheweth to thee his herte, tho[ugh] it be 89. the. with bytande wordes and dispitous, than him that gloseth and thinketh in †his absence to do thee many harmes?' 91. their; read his. the.

'Certes,' quod I, 'the oon is to commende; and the other to 92. one. lacke and dispice.'

'A! ha!' quod she, 'right so Ese, while †she lasteth, gloseth 94. ease. he; read she. and flatereth; and lightly voydeth whan she most plesauntly sheweth; and ever, in hir absence, she is aboute to do thee tene and sorowe in herte. But Unsely, al-be-it with bytande chere, sheweth what she is, and so doth not that other; wherfore Unsely doth not begyle. Selinesse disceyveth; Unsely put away 99. dothe. awaye. doute. That oon maketh men blynde; that other openeth their eyen in shewinge of wrecchidnesse. The oon is ful of drede to 100-1. one (twice). 101. wretchydnesse. lese that is not his owne; that other is sobre, and maketh men discharged of mokel hevinesse in burthen. The oon draweth 103. one. a man from very good; the other haleth him to vertue by the hookes of thoughtes. And wenist thou nat that thy disese hath 105. disease. don thee mokel more to winne than ever yet thou lostest, and 106. done the. more than ever the contrary made thee winne? Is nat a greet 107. the. great. good, to thy thinking, for to knowe the hertes of thy sothfast frendes? Pardè, they ben proved to the ful, and the trewe have 109. Pardy. discevered fro the false. Trewly, at the goinge of the ilke brotel joye, ther yede no more away than the ilke that was nat thyn 111. awaye. proper. He was never from that lightly departed; thyn owne 111-2. thyne. good therfore leveth it stille with thee. Now good (quod she); 113. leaueth. the. Nowe. for how moche woldest thou somtyme have bought this verry 114. howe. knowing of thy frendes from the flatteringe flyes that thee glosed, 115. the. whan thou thought thy-selfe sely? But thou that playnest of losse in richesse, hast founden the most dere-worthy thing; that thou 117. thynge. clepest unsely hath made thee moche thing to winnen. And 118. cleapest. the. thynge. also, for conclusioun of al, he is frende that now leveth nat his 119. nowe leaueth. herte from thyne helpes. And if that Margarite denyeth now nat 120. hert. nowe. to suffre her vertues shyne to thee-wardes with spredinge bemes, 121. the. spreadynge beames. as far or farther than if thou were sely in worldly joye, trewly, 122. farre. I saye nat els but she is somdel to blame.' 123. somdele.

'Ah! pees,' quod I, 'and speke no more of this; myn herte 124. peace. myne. breketh, now thou touchest any suche wordes!' 125. breaketh nowe.

'A! wel!' quod she, 'thanne let us singen; thou herest no 126. lette. more of these thinges at this tyme.'

OF nombre, sayn these clerkes, that it is naturel somme of BOOK. III: CH. I. 1. sayne. discrete thinges, as in tellinge oon, two, three, and so forth; 2. one. thre. but among al nombres, three is determined for moste certayn. 3. amonge. thre. Wherfore in nombre certayn this werk of my besy leudenesse 3,4. certayne. 4. werke. I thinke to ende and parfourme. Ensample by this worlde, in three tymes is devyded; of whiche the first is cleped †Deviacion, 6. thre. Demacion; read Deuiacion. 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 8. hel. 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, 13. thynge. deserte. one benefyte. but only through goodnesse of the yever of grace in thilke tyme. 14. onely. Who-so can wel understande is shapen to be saved in souled blisse. The thirde tyme shal ginne whan transitorie thinges of 16. gyn. worldes han mad their ende; and that shal ben in Joye, glorie, and 17. made. rest, both body and soule, that wel han deserved in the tyme of Grace. And thus in that heven †togider shul they dwelle per∣petuelly, 19. togyther. dwel. without any imaginatyfe yvel in any halve. These tymes are figured by tho three dayes that our god was closed 21. thre. in erthe; and in the thirde aroos, shewing our resurreccion to 22. arose. resurrection. joye and blisse of tho that it deserven, by his merciable grace. So this leude book, in three maters, accordaunt to tho tymes, 24. boke. thre. lightly by a good inseër may ben understonde; as in the firste, 25. maye. Errour of misse-goinge is shewed, with sorowful pyne punisshed, 26. erroure. †that cryed after mercy. In the seconde, is Grace in good waye 27. is (!); read that. proved, whiche is faylinge without desert, thilke first misse 28. deserte. amendinge, in correccion of tho erroures, and even way to bringe, 29. correction. waye. with comfort of welfare in-to amendement wexinge. And in the 30. comforte. thirde, Joye and blisse graunted to him that wel can deserve it, 31. canne. 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 34. hert. processe. of a Margarit-perle, that is so precious a gemme †whyt, clere and 35. peerle. with; read whyt (see l. 44). litel, of whiche stones or jewel[les] the tonges of us Englissh 36. iewel; read iewelles. 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, 39. cleapeth. Margery-perles, [by] the name 'Margarites,' or 'Margarite-perles'; 40. Supply by. wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mens tonges, in that name-cleping. These clerkes that treten of kyndes, 42. treaten. and studien out the propertee there of thinges, sayn: the Mar∣garite 43. propertie. sayne. is a litel whyt perle, throughout holowe and rounde and 44. whyte. 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 47. One. comfort to the feling spirites in bodily persones of reson. Another 48. comforte. reason. 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 51. ren. me list to lyken at this tyme Philosophie, with her three speces, 52. thre. that is, natural, and moral, and resonable; of whiche thinges hereth what sayn these grete clerkes. Philosophie is knowing of 54. sayn. great. devynly and manly thinges joyned with studie of good living; and this stant in two thinges, that is, conninge and opinion. Con∣ninge 56. stante. is whan a thing by certayn reson is conceyved. But 57. certayne. wrecches and fooles and leude men, many wil conceyve a thing 58. wretches. and mayntayne it as for sothe, though reson be in the contrarye; wherfore conninge is a straunger. Opinion is whyl a thing is in 60. whyle. non-certayn, and hid from mens very knowleging, and by no parfit 61. -certayne. hydde. reson fully declared, as thus: if the sonne be so mokel as men 62. parfyte reason. 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 64. certayne. 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 67. treten; read treteth. kyndely course; as by arsmetrike, geometry, musike, and by astronomye techeth wayes and cours of hevens, of planetes, and 69. course. 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 73. lyueng. strength. Prudence is goodly wisdom in knowing of thinges. 74. wysdome. Strength voideth al adversitees aliche even. Temperaunce dis∣troyeth beestial living with esy bering. And Justice rightfully 76. lyueng. easy bearyng. jugeth; and juging departeth to every wight that is his owne.

The thirde spece turneth in-to reson of understanding; al 78. reason. thinges to be sayd soth and discussed; and that in two thinges is devyded. Oon is art, another is rethorike; in whiche two al 80. one. arte. lawes of mans reson ben grounded or els maintayned. 81. reason.

And for this book is of LOVE, and therafter bereth his name, 82. booke. beareth. and philosophie and lawe muste here-to acorden by their clergial discripcions, as: philosophie for love of wisdom is declared, lawe 84. wisdome. for mainteynaunce of pees is holden: and these with love must 85. peace. 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 88. administration. comminaltees of realmes and citees, by evenhed profitably to 89. commynalties. cytes. raigne, nat by singuler avauntage ne by privè envy, ne by soleyn purpos in covetise of worship or of goodes, ben disposed in open 91. purpose. rule shewed, by love, philosophy, and lawe, and yet love, toforn al other. Wherfore as sustern in unitè they accorden, and oon 93. susterne. one. ende, that is, pees and rest, they causen norisshinge; and in the 94. peace. joye maynteynen to endure.

Now than, as I have declared: my book acordeth with dis∣cripcion 96. Nowe. boke. discription. 97-8. thre. of three thinges; and the Margarit in vertue is lykened to Philosophy, with her three speces. In whiche maters ever 97-8. thre. twey ben acordaunt with bodily reson, and the thirde with the 99. reason. soule. But in conclusion of my boke and of this Margarite-perle 100. peerle. in knittinge togider, Lawe by three sondrye maners shal be lykened; 101. thre. 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. 105. constitution. 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 110. reason. 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 112. constitutyon. commen to every nation, as conjunccion of man and woman in 113. coniunction. love, succession of children in heritance, restitucion of thing 114. restitution. by strength taken or lent; and this lawe among al other halt 115. halte. the soveraynest gree in worship; whiche lawe began at the beginning of resonable creature; it varied yet never for no 117. reasonable. chaunging of tyme. Cause, forsothe, in ordayning of lawe was to constrayne mens hardinesse in-to pees, and withdrawing his yvel 119. peace. wil, and turning malice in-to goodnesse; and that innocence sikerly, withouten teneful anoye, among shrewes safely might 121. amonge inhabite by proteccion of safe-conducte, so that the shrewes, harm 122. harme for harme. for harme, by brydle of ferdnesse shulden restrayne. But for∣sothe, 123. ferdenesse. in kyndely lawe, nothing is commended but such as goddes 124. nothynge. wil hath confirmed, ne nothing denyed but contrarioustee of 125. contraryoustie. 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 130. law. and reguler arn obediencer and bounden to this Margarite-perle 131. arne. as by knotte of loves statutes and stablisshment in kynde, whiche that goodly may not be withsetten. Lo! under this bonde am 133. maye. I constrayned to abyde; and man, under living lawe ruled, by that lawe oweth, after desertes, to ben rewarded by payne or by mede, 135. payn. but-if mercy weyve the payne. So than †by part resonfully may 136. be; read by. parte reasonfully. be seye, that mercy bothe right and lawe passeth. Th' entent 137. sey. thentent. of al these maters is the lest clere understanding, to weten, at th'ende of this thirde boke; ful knowing, thorow goddes grace, 139. thende. thorowe. I thinke to make neverthelater. Yet if these thinges han a good and a †sleigh inseër, whiche that can souke hony of the harde 141. sleight; read sleigh. stone, oyle of the drye rocke, [he] may lightly fele nobley of mater 142. I insert he. in my leude imaginacion closed. But for my book shal be of 143. ymagination. boke. joye (as I sayd), and I [am] so fer set fro thilke place fro whens 144. Supply am. ferre. gladnesse shulde come; my corde is to short to lete my boket 145. let. 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 147. purpose. to enclose th' entrè, that my boket of joye nothing shulde cacche, 146-8. catch. 148. thentre. but empty returne, my careful sorowes to encrese: (and if I dye for payne, that were gladnesse at their hertes): good lord, send 150. lorde sende. me water in-to the cop of these mountayns, and I shal drinke therof, my thurstes to stanche, and sey, these be comfortable 152. stanch. 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 157. meditations. I not than. And therfore, what maner of joye coude [I] endyte? 158. I supply I. 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 160. vnshyt. bring. openeth and closeth; whos spirit where he †wol wercheth, 161. whose spirite. wel; read wol. departing goodly as him lyketh.

Now to goddes laude and reverence, profit of the reders, 163. Nowe. profite. amendement of maners of the herers, encresing of worship among Loves servauntes, releving of my herte in-to grace of my jewel, 165. hert. and fren[d]ship [in] plesance of this perle, I am stered in this 166. frenship. I supply in. peerle. 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 170. with; read wyte. that the leudnesse of myne unable conning: for body in disese anoyeth the understanding in soule. A disesely habitacion 172. habitation. letteth the wittes [in] many thinges, and namely in sorowe. The 173. I supply in. peerle. custome never-the-later of Love, †by long tyme of service, in 174. be; read by. termes I thinke to pursue, whiche ben lyvely to yeve under∣standing in other thinges. But now, to enforme thee of this 176. nowe. enform the. 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 178-9. boke (thrice). for thinges, ought to be desyred and praysed.

'NOW,' quod Love, 'trewly thy wordes I have wel under∣stonde. CH. II. 1. Nowe. Certes, me thinketh hem right good; and me wondreth why thou so lightly passest in the lawe.'

'Sothly,' quod I, 'my wit is leude, and I am right blynd, and 4. blynde. that mater depe. How shulde I than have waded? Lightly 5. howe. might I have drenched, and spilte ther my-selfe.'

'Ye,' quod she, 'I shal helpe thee to swimme. For right as 7. Yea. the. swym. lawe punissheth brekers of preceptes and the contrary-doers of the written constitucions, right so ayenward lawe rewardeth and 9. constitutions. ayenwarde. yeveth mede to hem that lawe strengthen. By one lawe this rebel is punisshed and this innocent is meded; the shrewe is enprisoned and this rightful is corowned. The same lawe that joyneth by wedlocke without forsaking, the same lawe yeveth lybel of departicion bycause of devorse both demed and declared.'

'Ye, ye,' quod I, 'I fynde in no lawe to mede and rewarde in goodnes the gilty of desertes.' 17. gyltie.

'Fole,' quod she, 'gilty, converted in your lawe, mikel merit 18. gyltie. merite. deserveth. Also Pauly[n] of Rome was crowned, that by him the 19. Pauly (for Paulyn; first time). maynteyners of Pompeus weren knowen and distroyed; and yet toforn was this Paulyn cheef of Pompeus counsaile. This lawe 21. toforne. chefe. in Rome hath yet his name of mesuring, in mede, the bewraying of the conspiracy, ordayned by tho senatours the deth. Julius Cesar is acompted in-to Catons rightwisnesse; for ever in trouth florissheth his name among the knowers of reson. Perdicas was 25. amonge. crowned in the heritage of Alexander the grete, for tellinge of 26. great. a prevy hate that king Porrus to Alexander hadde. Wherfore every wight, by reson of lawe, after his rightwysenesse apertely 25-8. reason. his mede may chalenge; and so thou, that maynteynest lawe of kynde, and therfore disese hast suffred in the lawe, reward is 30. disease. rewarde. worthy to be rewarded and ordayned, and †apertly thy mede 31. apartly (for apertly). might thou chalenge.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'this have I wel lerned; and ever hens∣forward I shal drawe me therafter, in oonhed of wil to abyde, this 34. onehed. lawe bothe maynteyne and kepe; and so hope I best entre in-to your grace, wel deservinge in-to worship of a wight, without nedeful compulsion, [that] ought medefully to be rewarded.' 37. I supply that.

'Truly,' quod Love, 'that is sothe; and tho[ugh], by consti∣tucion, 38. constitution. good service in-to profit and avantage strecche, utterly 39. profite. stretch. many men it demen to have more desert of mede than good wil nat compelled.'

'See now,' quod I, 'how †many men holden of this the con∣trary. 42. Se. howe may. And what is good service? Of you wolde I here this question declared.'

'I shal say thee,' quod she, 'in a fewe wordes:—resonable 45. the. workinges in plesaunce and profit of thy soverayne.' 46. profite.

'How shulde I this performe!' quod I. 47. Howe.

'Right wel,' quod she; 'and here me now a litel. It is hardely 48. nowe. (quod she) to understande, that right as mater by due over∣chaunginges foloweth his perfeccion and his forme, right so every 50. perfection. man, by rightful werkinges, ought to folowe the lefful desyres in 51. leful. his herte, and see toforn to what ende he deserveth. For many 52. hert. se. tymes he that loketh nat after th'endes, but utterly therof is unknowen, befalleth often many yvels to done, wherthrough, er he be war, shamefully he is confounded; th'ende[s] therof neden to 55. ware. be before loked. To every desirer of suche foresight in good service, three thinges specially nedeth to be rulers in his workes. 57. thre. First, that he do good; next, that he do [it] by eleccion in his 58. I supply it. electyon. owne herte; and the thirde, that he do godly, withouten any 59. hert. surquedry in thoughtes. That your werkes shulden be good, in service or in any other actes, authoritès many may be aleged; neverthelater, by reson thus may it be shewed. Al your werkes 62. reason. maye. be cleped seconde, and moven in vertue of the firste wercher, whiche in good workes wrought you to procede; and right so your werkes moven in-to vertue of the laste ende: and right in the first workinge were nat, no man shulde in the seconde werche. Right so, but ye feled to what ende, and seen their goodnes closed, ye shulde no more †recche what ye wrought; but the 68. recth (for retch); read recche. ginning gan with good, and there shal it cese in the laste ende, if 69. cease. it be wel considred. Wherfore the middle, if other-wayes it drawe than accordant to the endes, there stinteth the course of good, and another maner course entreth; and so it is a partie by him∣selve; and every part [that] be nat accordant to his al, is foul and 73. parte. I supply that. ought to be eschewed. Wherfore every thing that is wrought and be nat good, is nat accordant to th'endes of his al hole; it is 73-5. foule. foul, and ought to be withdrawe. Thus the persons that neither don good ne harm shamen foule their making. Wherfore, without 77. harme. working of good actes in good service, may no man ben accepted. Truely, the ilke that han might to do good and doon it nat, the 79. done. crowne of worship shal be take from hem, and with shame shul they be anulled; and so, to make oon werke acordant with his 81. one. endes, every good servaunt, by reson of consequence, muste do 82. reason. good nedes. Certes, it suffiseth nat alone to do good, but goodly withal folowe; the thanke of goodnesse els in nought he deserveth. For right as al your being come from the greetest 85. greatest. good, in whom al goodnesse is closed, right so your endes ben directe to the same good. Aristotel determineth that ende and good ben one, and convertible in understanding; and he that in wil doth awey good, and he that loketh nat to th'ende, loketh nat to good; but he that doth good and doth nat goodly, [and] 90. I supply and. draweth away the direction of th'ende nat goodly, must nedes be badde. Lo! badde is nothing els but absence or negative 92. bad. negatyfe (first time). of good, as derkenesse is absence or negative of light. Than he that dooth [not] goodly, directeth thilke good in-to th'ende of 94. I supply not. badde; so muste thing nat good folowe: eke badnesse to suche folke ofte foloweth. Thus contrariaunt workers of th'ende that is good ben worthy the contrary of th'ende that is good to have.'

'How,' quod I, 'may any good dede be doon, but-if goodly it 99. done. helpe?'

'Yes,' quod Love, 'the devil doth many good dedes, but 101. dothe. goodly he leveth be-hynde; for †ever badly and in disceyvable 102. even; read ever. wyse he worketh; wherfore the contrary of th'ende him foloweth. And do he never so many good dedes, bicause goodly is away, his goodnes is nat rekened. Lo! than, tho[ugh] a man do good, 105. tho. but he do goodly, th'ende in goodnesse wol nat folowe; and thus in good service both good dede and goodly doon musten joyne togider, and that it be doon with free choise in herte; and els 107-8. done (twice). 108. hert. deserveth he nat the merit in goodnes: that wol I prove. For 109. merite. if thou do any-thing good by chaunce or by happe, in what thing art thou therof worthy to be commended? For nothing, by reson 111. reason. of that, turneth in-to thy praysing ne lacking. Lo! thilke thing doon by hap, by thy wil is nat caused; and therby shulde I 113. done. shulde I; put for shuldest thou. thanke or lacke deserve? And sithen that fayleth, th'ende which that wel shulde rewarde, must ned[e]s faile. Clerkes sayn, no man 115. neds (sic). but willinge is blessed; a good dede that he hath doon is nat doon of free choice willing; without whiche blissednesse may nat 116-7. done (twice). folowe. Ergo, neither thanke of goodnesse ne service [is] in that 118. I supply is and that. [that] is contrary of the good ende. So than, to good service longeth good dede goodly don, thorow free choice in herte.' 120. thorowe fre. hert.

'Truely,' quod I, 'this have I wel understande.'

'Wel,' quod she, 'every thing thus doon sufficiently by lawe, 122. done. that is cleped justice, [may] after-reward clayme. For lawe and 123. I supply may. rewarde claym. justice was ordayned in this wyse, suche desertes in goodnesse, after quantitè in doinge, by mede to rewarde; and of necessitè of suche justice, that is to say, rightwysenesse, was free choice in deserving of wel or of yvel graunted to resonable creatures. Every man hath free arbitrement to chose, good or yvel to performe.'

'Now,' quod I tho, 'if I by my good wil deserve this Margarit∣perle, 130. Nowe. and am nat therto compelled, and have free choice to do what me lyketh; she is than holden, as me thinketh, to rewarde th'entent of my good wil.'

'Goddes forbode els,' quod Love; 'no wight meneth other∣wyse, 134. meaneth. I trowe; free wil of good herte after-mede deserveth.' 135. hert.

'Hath every man,' quod I, 'free choice by necessary maner of 136. fre. wil in every of his doinges that him lyketh, by goddes proper purvyaunce? I wolde see that wel declared to my leude under∣standing; 138. se. standing; for "necessary" and "necessitè" ben wordes of mokel entencion, closing (as to saye) so mote it be nedes, and otherwyse 140. entention. may it nat betyde.'

'This shalt thou lerne,' quod she, 'so thou take hede in my 142. lern. speche. If it were nat in mannes owne libertè of free wil to do good or bad, but to the one teyed by bonde of goddes preordi∣naunce, than, do he never so wel, it were by nedeful compulcion of thilk bonde, and nat by free choice, wherby nothing he 143-6. fre (twice). desyreth: and do he never so yvel, it were nat man for to wyte, but onlich to him that suche thing ordayned him to done. 148. onelych. Wherfore he ne ought for bad[de] be punisshed, ne for no good 149. bad. dede be rewarded; but of necessitè of rightwisnesse was therfore free choice of arbitrement put in mans proper disposicion. Truely, 151. disposition. if it were otherwyse, it contraried goddes charitè, that badnesse and goodnesse rewardeth after desert of payne or of mede.' 153. payn.

'Me thinketh this wonder,' quod I; 'for god by necessitè forwot al thinges coming, and so mote it nedes be; and thilke 155. forwote. thinges that ben don †by our free choice comen nothing of neces∣sitè 156. be; for by. fre. but only †by wil. How may this stonde †togider? And so 157. onely be; for by. Howe. me thinketh truely, that free choice fully repugneth goddes 158. fre. forweting. Trewly, lady, me semeth, they mowe nat stande †togider.' 157-60. togyther; read togider.

HERE of this mater,' quod she, 'thou shalt understande CH. IV. 1. shalte. that, right as it is nat nedeful, god to wilne that he wil, no more in many thinges is nat nedeful, a man to wilne that he wol. And ever, right as nedeful is to be, what that god wol, right so to be it is nedeful that man wol in tho thinges, whiche that god hath put in-to mannes subjeccion of willinge; as, if 6. subiection. a man wol love, that he love; and if he ne wol love, that he love nat; and of suche other thinges in mannes disposicion. For-why, 8. disposition. now than that god wol may nat be, whan he wol the wil of man 9. nowe. thorow no necessitè to be constrayned or els defended for to 10. thorowe. wilne, and he wol th'effect to folowe the wil; than is it nedeful, 11. theffecte. folow. wil of man to be free, and also to be that he wol. In this maner 12. fre. it is soth, that thorow necessitè is mannes werke in loving, that 13. thorowe. he wol do altho[ugh] he wol it nat with necessitè.' 14. altho.

Quod I than, 'how stant it in love of thilke wil, sithen men 15. howe stante. loven willing of free choice in herte? Wherfore, if it be thorow 16. thorowe. necessitè, I praye you, lady, of an answere this question to assoyle.'

'I wol,' quod she, 'answere thee blyvely. Right as men wil 19. the. not thorow necessitè, right so is not love of wil thorow necessitè; ne thorow necessitè wrought thilke same wil. For if he wolde 20-1. thorowe (thrice). it not with good wil, it shulde nat have been wrought; although that he doth, it is nedeful to be doon. But if a man do sinne, it 23. dothe. doone. is nothing els but to †wilne that he shulde nat; right so sinne 24. wyl; read wilne; see l. 30. of wil is not to be [in] maner necessary don, no more than wil is 25. I supply in. done. necessarye. Never-the-later, this is sothe; if a man wol sinne, it is necessarye him to sinne, but th[r]ough thilke necessitè nothing is constrayned ne defended in the wil; right so thilke thing that 28. thynge. free-wil wol and may, and not may not wilne; and nedeful is 29. frewyl. maye. that to wilne he may not wilne. But thilke to wilne nedeful is; for 30. maye. impossible to him it is oon thing and the same to wilne and not to 30-1. Some words repeated here. 31. one. wilne. The werke, forsothe, of wil, to whom it is yeve that it be that 32. whome. he hath in wil, and that he wol not, voluntarie †or spontanye it is; 33. of; read or. for by spontanye wil it is do, that is to saye, with good wil not constrayned: than by wil not constrayned it is constrayned to be; and that is it may not †togider be. If this necessitè maketh 36. togyther; read togider. libertè of wil, whiche that, aforn they weren, they might have ben 37. libertie. aforne. eschewed and shonned: god than, whiche that knoweth al tr[o]uthe, and nothing but tr[o]uthe, al these thinges, as they 39. truthe (twice). arn spontanye or necessarie, †seeth; and as he seeth, so they 40. arne. syght; read seeth. ben. And so with these thinges wel considred, it is open at the ful, that without al maner repugnaunce god beforn wot al maner 42. beforne. thinges [that] ben don by free wil, whiche, aforn they weren, 43 I supply that. fre. aforne. [it] might have ben [that] never they shulde be. And yet ben 44. I supply it and that. they thorow a maner necessitè from free wil †discended. 45. frewyl discendeth (!).

Hereby may (quod she) lightly ben knowe that not al thinges to 46. maye. be, is of necessitè, though god have hem in his prescience. For som thinges to be, is of libertè of wil. And to make thee to have 48. libertie. the. ful knowinge of goddes beforn-weting, here me (quod she) what 49. beforne. I shal say.'

'Blythly, lady,' quod I, 'me list this mater entyrely to under∣stande.'

'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that in heven is goddes 53. shalte. beinge; although he be over al by power, yet there is abydinge of devyne persone; in whiche heven is everlastinge presence, with∣outen any movable tyme. There A break here in Th. is nothing preterit ne passed, there is nothing future ne comming; but al thinges togider in that place ben present everlasting, without any meving. Wherfore, to god, al thing is as now; and though a thing be nat, in kyndly 59. nowe. thynge. nature of thinges, as yet, and if it shulde be herafter, yet evermore we shul saye, god it maketh be tyme present, and now; for no 61. nowe. future ne preterit in him may be founde. Wherfore his weting and his before-weting is al oon in understanding. Than, if weting 63. one. and before-weting of god putteth in necessitè to al thinges whiche he wot or before-wot; ne thing, after eternitè or els after any tyme, he wol or doth of libertè, but al of necessitè: whiche thing 66. dothe. if thou wene it be ayenst reson, [than is] nat thorow necessitè to 67. reason. I supply than is. thorowe. be or nat to be, al thing that god wot or before-wot to be or nat to be; and yet nothing defendeth any-thing to be wist or to be 69. thynge. before-wist of him in our willes or our doinges to be don, or els 70. done. comminge to be for free arbitrement. Whan thou hast these 71. haste. declaracions wel understande, than shalt thou fynde it resonable 72. declarations. at prove, and that many thinges be nat thorow necessitè but thorow libertè of wil, save necessitè of free wil, as I tofore said, 73-4. thorowe (twice). and, as me thinketh, al utterly declared.'

'Me thinketh, lady,' quod I, 'so I shulde you nat displese, and 76. displease. evermore your reverence to kepe, that these thinges contraryen in any understanding; for ye sayn, somtyme is thorow libertè of 78. sayne. wil, and also thorow necessitè. Of this have I yet no savour, 78-9. thorowe. without better declaracion.' 80. declaration.

'What wonder,' quod she, 'is there in these thinges, sithen al day thou shalt see at thyne eye, in many thinges receyven in hem∣selfe 82. shalte se. revers, thorow dyvers resons, as thus:—I pray thee (quod 83. reasons. the. she) which thinges ben more revers than "comen" and "gon"? 84. gone. For if I bidde thee "come to me," and thou come, after, whan I bidde thee "go," and thou go, thou reversest fro thy first 85-6. thee (twice). comming.'

'That is soth,' quod I.

'And yet,' quod she, 'in thy first alone, by dyvers reson, was 89. reasone. ful reversinge to understande.'

'As how?' quod I. 91. howe.

'That shal I shewe thee,' quod she, 'by ensample of thinges 92. the. that have kyndly moving. Is there any-thing that meveth more kyndly than doth the hevens eye, whiche I clepe the sonne?'

'Sothly,' quod I, 'me semeth it is most kyndly to move.'

'Thou sayest soth,' quod she. 'Than, if thou loke to the sonne, in what parte he be under heven, evermore he †hyeth him 97. heigheth; read hyeth. in moving fro thilke place, and †hyeth meving toward the ilke 98. higheth; read hyeth. towarde. same place; to thilke place from whiche he goth he †hyeth 99. gothe. heigheth; read hyeth. comminge; and without any ceesinge to that place he neigheth 100. ceasynge. from whiche he is chaunged and withdrawe. But now in these 101. nowe. thinges, after dyversitè of reson, revers in one thinge may be seye 102. reason. sey. without repugnaunce. Wherfore in the same wyse, without any repugnaunce, by my resons tofore maked, al is oon to beleve, 104. reasons. one. somthing to be thorow necessité comminge for it is comming, and 105. thorowe. yet with no necessitè constrayned to be comming, but with necessitè that cometh out of free wil, as I have sayd.'

Tho liste me a litel to speke, and gan stinte my penne of my 108. list. stynt. wryting, and sayde in this wyse. 109. sayd.

'Trewly, lady, as me thinketh, I can allege authoritees grete, 110. gret. that contrarien your sayinges. Job saith of mannes person, 111. sayenges. "thou hast put his terme, whiche thou might not passe." Than 112. putte. saye I that no man may shorte ne lengthe the day ordayned of 113. length. his †dying, altho[ugh] somtyme to us it semeth som man to do 114. doyng; read dying. some. a thing of free wil, wherthorow his deeth he henteth.' 115. thynge.-thorowe. dethe.

'Nay, forsothe,' quod she, 'it is nothing ayenst my saying; for 116. Naye. sayeng. god is not begyled, ne he seeth nothing wheder it shal come of libertè or els of necessitè; yet it is said to be ordayned at god immovable, whiche at man, or it be don, may be chaunged. 119. done. Suche thing is also that Poule the apostel saith of hem that tofore 120. saithe. toforne werne. wern purposed to be sayntes, as thus: "whiche that god before wiste and hath predestined conformes of images of his †sone, that 122. wyst. sonne; read sone. he shulde ben the firste begeten, that is to saye, here amonges many brethren; and whom he hath predestined, hem he hath 124. brethern. cleped; and whom he hath cleped, hem he hath justifyed; and whom he hath justifyed, hem he hath magnifyed." This purpos, 126. purpose. after whiche they ben cleped sayntes or holy in the everlasting present, wher is neither tyme passed ne tyme comminge, but ever it is only present, and now as mokel a moment as sevin thousand 129. onely. nowe. thousande. winter; and so ayenward withouten any meving is nothing lich 130. ayenwarde. temporel presence for thinge that there is ever present. Yet amonges you men, er it be in your presence, it is movable thorow 132. thorowe. libertè of arbitrement. And right as in the everlasting present no maner thing was ne shal be, but only is; and now here, in 134. onely. nowe. your temporel tyme, somthing was, and is, and shal be, but movinge stoundes; and in this is no maner repugnaunce: right so, in the everlasting presence, nothing may be chaunged; and, in your temporel tyme, otherwhyle it is proved movable by libertè of wil or it be do, withouten any inconvenience therof to folowe. In your temporel tyme is no suche presence as in the tother; for your present is don whan passed and to come ginnen entre; 141. done. whiche tymes here amonges you everich esily foloweth other. 142. easely. But the presence everlasting dureth in oonhed, withouten any 143. onehed. imaginable chaunging, and ever is present and now. Trewly, the 144. nowe course of the planettes and overwhelminges of the sonne in dayes and nightes, with a newe ginning of his circute after it is ended, that is to sayn, oon yeer to folowe another: these maken your 147. one yere. transitory tymes with chaunginge of lyves and mutacion of people, 148. mutation. but right as your temporel presence coveiteth every place, and al thinges in every of your tymes be contayned, and as now both 150. nowe. seye and wist to goddes very knowinge.' 151. sey.

'Than,' quod I, 'me wondreth why Poule spak these wordes 152. spake. by voice of significacion in tyme passed, that god his sayntes 153. signification. before-wist hath predestined, hath cleped, hath justifyed, and hath magnifyed. Me thinketh, he shulde have sayd tho wordes 155. sayde. in tyme present; and that had ben more accordaunt to the everlasting present than to have spoke in preterit voice of passed understanding.'

'O,' quod Love, 'by these wordes I see wel thou hast litel 159. se. understanding of the everlasting presence, or els of my before spoken wordes; for never a thing of tho thou hast nempned was tofore other or after other; but al at ones evenlich at the god ben, and al togider in the everlasting present be now to under∣standing. This eternal presence, as I sayd, hath inclose togider in one al tymes, in which close and one al thinges that ben in dyvers tymes and in dyvers places temporel, [and] without poste∣rioritè 166. I supply and. or prioritè ben closed ther in perpetual now, and maked 163, 167. nowe. 167. therin; read ther in. to dwelle in present sight. But there thou sayest that Poule shulde 168. dwel. have spoke thilke forsaid sentence †by tyme present, and that 169. be; read by. most shulde have ben acordaunt to the everlasting presence, why gabbest thou †in thy wordes? Sothly, I say, Poule moved 171. to; read in. the wordes by significacion of tyme passed, to shewe fully that thilk wordes were nat put for temporel significacion; for al [at] thilk 172-3. signification (twice). 173. I supply at. tyme [of] thilke sentence were nat temporallich born, whiche that 174. were nat thilke sentence; transpose, and insert of. borne. Poule pronounced god have tofore knowe, and have cleped, than magnifyed. Wherthorow it may wel be knowe that Poule used tho 176. Wherthorowe. know. wordes of passed significacion, for nede and lacke of a worde 177. signification. in mannes bodily speche betokeninge the everlasting presence. 178. spech. And therfore, [in] worde moste semeliche in lykenesse to ever∣lasting 179. I supply in; and omit is after worde. presence, he took his sentence; for thinges that here-beforn 180. toke. ben passed utterly be immovable, y-lyke to the everlasting 181. beforne. presence. As thilke that ben there never mowe not ben present, so thinges of tyme passed ne mowe in no wyse not ben passed; but al thinges in your temporal presence, that passen in a litel while, shullen ben not present. So than in that, it is more similitude to the everlasting presence, significacion of tyme passed 186. signification. than of tyme temporal present, and so more in accordaunce. In this maner what thing, of these that ben don thorow free arbitre∣ment, 188. thynge. done thorowe fre. or els as necessary, holy writ pronounceth, after eternitè he 189. writte. speketh; in whiche presence is everlasting sothe and nothing but sothe immovable; nat after tyme, in whiche naught alway ben your willes and your actes. And right as, while they be nat, it is nat nedeful hem to be, so ofte it is nat nedeful that somtyme they shulde be.'

'As how?' quod I; 'for yet I must be lerned by some ensample.'

'Of love,' quod she, 'wol I now ensample make, sithen I knowe 197. nowe. the heed-knotte in that yelke. Lo! somtyme thou wrytest no art, ne art than in no wil to wryte. And right as while thou 199. arte (twice). wrytest nat or els wolt nat wryte, it is nat nedeful thee to wryte 200. the. or els wilne to wryte. And for to make thee knowe utterly that 201. the. thinges ben otherwise in the everlastinge presence than in temporal tyme, see now, my good child: for somthing is in the 203. se nowe. childe. somthynge. everlastinge presence, than in temporal tyme it was nat; in †eterne tyme, in eterne presence shal it nat be. Than no reson 205. eternite; read eterne. reason. defendeth, that somthing ne may be in tyme temporal moving, that in eterne is immovable. Forsothe, it is no more contrary ne revers for to be movable in tyme temporel, and [im]movable 208. movable (!). in eternitè, than nat to be in any tyme and to be alway in eternitè; and to have be or els to come in tyme temporel, and 210. and have to be. nat have be ne nought comming to be in eternitè. Yet never-the-later, I say nat somthing to be never in tyme temporel, that ever is [in] eternitè; but al-only in som tyme nat to be. For 213. I supply in. al onely. somtyme. I saye nat thy love to-morne in no tyme to be, but to-day alone I deny it to be; and yet, never-the-later, it is alway in eternitè.' 215. deny ne it; omit ne. alwaye.

'A! so,' quod I, 'it semeth to me, that comming thing or els passed here in your temporal tyme to be, in eternitè ever now 217. nowe. and present oweth nat to be demed; and yet foloweth nat thilke thing, that was or els shal be, in no maner ther to ben passed 219. thynge. thereto; read ther to. or els comming; than utterly shul we deny for there without ceesing it is, in his present maner.' 221. ceasyng.

'O,' quod she, 'myne owne disciple, now ginnest thou [be] 222. nowe. I supply be. able to have the name of my servaunt! Thy wit is clered; away 223. witte. is now errour of cloude in unconning; away is blyndnesse of 224. nowe. awaye. love; away is thoughtful study of medling maners. Hastely shalt thou entre in-to the joye of me, that am thyn owne 226. shalte. maistres! Thou hast (quod she), in a fewe wordes, wel and 227. haste. clerely concluded mokel of my mater. And right as there is no revers ne contrarioustee in tho thinges, right so, withouten 229. contrarioustie. any repugnaunce, it is sayd somthing to be movable in tyme temporel, †afore it be, that in eternité dwelleth immovable, nat 231. and for; read afore. afore it be or after that it is, but without cessing; for right naught is there after tyme; that same is there everlastinge that temporalliche somtyme nis; and toforn it be, it may not be, as 234. toforne. maye. I have sayd.'

'Now sothly,' quod I, 'this have I wel understande; so that 236. Nowe. now me thinketh, that prescience of god and free arbitrement 237. nowe. fre. withouten any repugnaunce acorden; and that maketh the strength of eternitè, whiche encloseth by presence during al tymes, and al thinges that ben, han ben, and shul ben in any tyme. I wolde now (quod I) a litel understande, sithen that 241. nowe. [god] al thing thus beforn wot, whether thilke wetinge be of tho 242. I supply god. beforne. thinges, or els thilke thinges ben to ben of goddes weting, and so of god nothing is; and if every thing be thorow goddes weting, and 244. nothynge. thorowe. therof take his being, than shulde god be maker and auctour of badde werkes, and so he shulde not rightfully punisshe yvel doinges of mankynde.'

Quod Love, 'I shal telle thee, this lesson to lerne. Myne 248. tel the. owne trewe servaunt, the noble philosophical poete in Englissh, whiche evermore him besieth and travayleth right sore my name to encrese (wherfore al that willen me good owe to do him 251. encrease. worship and reverence bothe; trewly, his better ne his pere in scole of my rules coude I never fynde)—he (quod she), in a tretis 253. schole. treatise. that he made of my servant Troilus, hath this mater touched, and at the ful this question assoyled. Certaynly, his noble sayinges 255. sayenges. can I not amende; in goodnes of gentil manliche speche, without 256. gentyl manlyche. any maner of nycetè of †storiers imaginacion, in witte and in 257. nycite. starieres (!). good reson of sentence he passeth al other makers. In the boke 258. reason. of Troilus, the answere to thy question mayst thou lerne. Never-the-later, 259. mayste. yet may lightly thyne understandinge somdel ben lerned, 260. somdele. if thou have knowing of these to-fornsaid thinges; with that thou have understanding of two the laste chapiters of this seconde boke, that is to say, good to be somthing, and bad to wante al 263. want. maner being. For badde is nothing els but absence of good; and [as] that god in good maketh that good dedes ben good, 265. I supply as. in yvel he maketh that they ben but naught, that they ben bad; for to nothing is badnesse to be [lykned].' 267. I supply lykned.

'I have,' quod I tho, 'ynough knowing therin; me nedeth of other thinges to here, that is to saye, how I shal come to my 269. howe. blisse so long desyred.'

NOW, lady,' quod I, 'that tree to sette, fayn wolde I lerne.' CH. VI. 1. Nowe. set fayne. 'So thou shalt,' quod she, 'er thou depart hence. The first thing, thou muste sette thy werke on grounde siker and good, 3. set. accordaunt to thy springes. For if thou desyre grapes, thou goest not to the hasel; ne, for to fecchen roses, thou sekest not 5. fetchen. on okes; and if thou shalt have hony-soukels, thou levest the 6. leauest. frute of the soure docke. Wherfore, if thou desyre this blisse in parfit joye, thou must sette thy purpos there vertue foloweth, and 8. parfite ioy. set. purpose. not to loke after the bodily goodes; as I sayd whan thou were wryting in thy seconde boke. And for thou hast set thy-selfe in 10. booke. haste. so noble a place, and utterly lowed in thyn herte the misgoing of thy first purpos, this †setling is the esier to springe, and the more 12. purpose. setteles; read setling. lighter thy soule in grace to be lissed. And trewly thy desyr, 13. desyre. that is to say, thy wil algates mot ben stedfast in this mater with∣out 14. mote. any chaunginge; for if it be stedfast, no man may it voyde.'

'Yes, pardè,' quod I, 'my wil may ben turned by frendes, and 15-16. maye (twice). disese of manace and thretning in lesinge of my lyfe and of my 17. disease. limmes, and in many other wyse that now cometh not to mynde. 18. nowe. And also it mot ofte ben out of thought; for no remembraunce 19. mote. may holde oon thing continuelly in herte, be it never so lusty 20. one. desyred.'

'Now see,' quod she, 'thou thy wil shal folowe, thy free wil to 22. Nowe se. be grounded continuelly to abyde. It is thy free wil, that thou 22, 23. frewyl (twice). lovest and hast loved, and yet shal loven this Margaryte-perle; 24. haste. and in thy wil thou thinkest to holde it. Than is thy wil knit in love, not to chaunge for no newe lust besyde; this wil techeth 26. teacheth. thyn herte from al maner varying. But than, although thou be 27. varyeng. thretened in dethe or els in otherwyse, yet is it in thyn arbitre∣ment to chose, thy love to voyde or els to holde; and thilke arbitrement is in a maner a jugement bytwene desyr and thy 30. desyre. herte. And if thou deme to love thy good wil fayleth, than art 31. arte. thou worthy no blisse that good wil shulde deserve; and if thou chose continuaunce in thy good service, than thy good wil abydeth; nedes, blisse folowing of thy good wil must come by strength of thilke jugement; for thy first wil, that taught thyn herte to abyde, and halt it from th'eschaunge, with thy reson 36. halte. is accorded. Trewly, this maner of wil thus shal abyde; im∣possible it were to turne, if thy herte be trewe; and if every 38. hert. man diligently the meninges of his wil consider, he shal wel understande that good wil, knit with reson, but in a false herte 40. reason. never is voyded; for power and might of keping this good wil is thorow libertè of arbitrement in herte, but good wil to kepe 42. thorowe. hert. may not fayle. Eke than if it fayle, it sheweth it-selfe that good wil in keping is not there. And thus false wil, that putteth out the good, anon constrayneth the herte to accorde in lovinge of 45. anone. thy good wil; and this accordaunce bitwene false wil and thyn herte, in falsitè ben lykened †togider. Yet a litel wol I say 47. togyther. thee in good wil, thy good willes to rayse and strenghte. Tak 48. the. strength. Take. hede to me (quod she) how thy willes thou shalt understande. 49. howe. Right as ye han in your body dyvers membres, and fyve sondrye wittes, everiche apart to his owne doing, whiche thinges as instrumentes ye usen; as, your handes apart to handle; feet, 51-2. aparte (twice). 52. fete. to go; tonge, to speke; eye, to see: right so the soule hath 53. se. in him certayne steringes and strengthes, whiche he useth as instrumentes to his certayne doinges. Reson is in the soule, 55. Reason. which he useth, thinges to knowe and to prove; and wil, whiche he useth to wilne; and yet is neyther wil ne reson al the soule; 57. reason. but everich of hem is a thing by him-selfe in the soule. And right as everich hath thus singuler instrumentes by hemselfe, they han as wel dyvers aptes and dyvers maner usinges; and thilke aptes mowen in wil ben cleped affeccions. Affeccion is 61. affections. Affection. an instrument of willinge in his apetytes. Wherfore mokel folk 62. folke. sayn, if a resonable creatures soule any thing fervently wilneth, affectuously he wilneth; and thus may wil, by terme of equivocas, in three wayes ben understande. Oon is instrument of willing; 65. thre. One. another is affection of this instrument; and the third is use, that setteth it a-werke. Instrument of willing is thilke strength of the soule, which that constrayneth to wilne, right as reson is instru∣ment 68. reason. of resons, which ye usen whan ye loken. Affeccion of this 69. Affection. instrument is a thing, by whiche ye be drawe desyrously any∣thing to wilne in coveitous maner, al be it for the tyme out of your mynde; as, if it come in your thought thilke thing to remembre, anon ye ben willing thilke to done or els to have. And thus is instrument wil; and affeccion is wil also, to wilne 74. affection. thing as I said; as, for to wilne helth, whan wil nothing theron 75. thynge. thinketh; for anon as it cometh to memorie, it is in wil. And so is affeccion to wilne slepe, whan it is out of mynde; but anon as it is remembred, wil wilneth slepe, whan his tyme cometh of the doinge. For affeccion of wil never accordeth to sicknesse, ne alway to wake. Right so, in a true lovers affeccion of willing, instrument is to wilne tr[o]uthe in his service; and this affeccion 77-81. affection (four times). alway abydeth, although he be sleping or thretned, or els not theron thinking; but anon as it cometh to mynde, anon he is stedfast in that wil to abyde. Use of this instrument forsothe is another thing by himselfe; and that have ye not but whan ye be doing in willed thing, by affect or instrument of wil 86. affecte. purposed or desyred; and this maner of usage in my service wysely nedeth to be ruled from wayters with envy closed, from spekers ful of jangeling wordes, from proude folk and hautayn, that lambes and innocentes bothe scornen and dispysen. Thus in doing varieth the actes of willinge everich from other, and yet ben they cleped "wil," and the name of wil utterly owen they to 93. purpose. have; as instrument of wil is wil, whan ye turne in-to purpos of 94. syt. any thing to don, be it to sitte or to stande, or any such thing els. This instrument may ben had, although affect and usage be left out of doing; right as ye have sight and reson, and yet alway use ye A break here in Th. ne ought; read nat. I supply ne. †nat to loke, [ne] thinges with resonning to prove; and so is instrument of wil, wil; and yet varyeth he from effect and 98. effecte. using bothe. Affeccion of wil also for wil is cleped, but it varyeth 99. Affection. from instrument in this maner wyse, by that nameliche, whan it 100. name lyche. cometh in-to mynde, anon-right it is in willinge desyred, and the negatif therof with willing nil not acorde; this is closed in herte, 102. negatyfe. though usage and instrument slepe. This slepeth whan instru∣ment 103. thoughe. and us[e] waken; and of suche maner affeccion, trewly, 104. vs. some man hath more and some man lesse. Certes, trewe lovers wenen ever therof to litel to have. False lovers in litel wenen have right mokel. Lo, instrument of wil in false and trewe bothe, evenliche is proporcioned; but affeccion is more in some places than in some, bycause of the goodnesse that foloweth, and that I thinke hereafter to declare. Use of this instrument is wil, but it taketh his name whan wilned thing is in doing; but utterly grace to cacche in thy blisse †desyreth to ben rewarded. Thou 112. catche. desyred; read desyreth. most have than affeccion of wil at the ful, and use whan his 113. muste. affection (often). tyme asketh wysely to ben governed. Sothly, my disciple, without fervent affeccion of wil may no man ben saved. This affeccion of good service in good love may not ben grounded, without fervent desyr to the thing in wil coveited. But he that 117. desyre. never reccheth to have or not to have, affeccion of wil in that 118. retcheth. hath no resting-place. Why? For whan thing cometh to mynde, and it be not taken in hede to comin or not come, therfore in 120. comyn. that place affeccion fayleth; and, for thilke affeccion is so litel, thorow whiche in goodnesse he shulde come to his grace, the litelnesse wil it not suffre to avayle by no way in-to his helpes. Certes, grace and reson thilke affeccion foloweth. This affeccion, 124-5. reason (twice). with reson knit, dureth in everiche trewe herte, and evermore 125. knytte. is encresing; no ferdnesse, no strength may it remove, whyle 126. encreasyng. maye. tr[o]uthe in herte abydeth. Sothly, whan falsheed ginneth entre, tr[o]uthe draweth away grace and joye bothe; but than thilke 128. ioy. both. falsheed, that trouth[e] hath thus voyded, hath unknit the bond 129. bonde. of understanding reson bytwene wil and the herte. And who-so 130-2. reason. that bond undoth, and unknitteth wil to be in other purpose 131. bonde vndothe. than to the first accorde, knitteth him with contrarye of reson; and that is unreson. Lo, than, wil and unreson bringeth a man 133. unreason (twice). from the blisse of grace; whiche thing, of pure kynde, every man ought to shonne and to eschewe, and to the knot of wil and reson 135. reason. confirme.

Me thinketh,' quod she, 'by thy studient lokes, thou wenest in these wordes me to contrarien from other sayinges here-toforn 138. sayenges. toforne. in other place, as whan thou were somtyme in affeccion of wil to 139. affection. thinges that now han brought thee in disese, which I have thee 140. nowe. the. disease. the. consayled to voyde, and thyn herte discover; and there I made thy wil to ben chaunged, whiche now thou wenest I argue to with[h]olde and to kepe! Shortly I say, the revers in these wordes may not ben founde; for though dronkennesse be for∣boden, men shul not alway ben drinklesse. I trowe right, for thou thy wil out of reson shulde not tourne, thy wil in one reson 146. reason (twice). shulde not †onbyde. I say, thy wil in thy first purpos with 147. vnbyde; read onbyde. purpose. unreson was closed; constrewe forth of the remenant what thee 148. unreason. remenante. the. good lyketh. Trewly, that wil and reson shulde be knit togider, was free wil of reson; after tyme thyne herte is assentaunt to them 150. fre. bothe, thou might not chaunge. But if thou from rule of reson 149-151. reason (thrice). varye, in whiche variaunce to come to thilke blisse desyred, con∣trariously thou werchest; and nothing may knowe wil and reson but love alone. Than if thou voide love, than †weyvest [thou] 154. weuest; read weyvest thou. the bond that knitteth; and so nedes, or els right lightly, that 155. bonde. other gon a-sondre; wherfore thou seest apertly that love holdeth 156. gone. this knot, and amaystreth hem to be bounde. These thinges, as a ring in circuit of wrethe, ben knit in thy soule without departing.' 158. ringe.

'A! let be! let be!' quod I; 'it nedeth not of this no rehersayle to make; my soule is yet in parfit blisse, in thinking of 160. parfyte. that knotte!' A break here in Th.

'VERY trouth,' quod she, 'hast thou now conceyved of these CH. VII. 1. nowe. thinges in thyne herte; hastely shalt thou be able very 2. hert. joye and parfit blisse to receyve; and now, I wot wel, thou 3. parfyte. nowe. desyrest to knowe the maner of braunches that out of the tree shulde springe.' 5. spring.

'Therof, lady,' quod I, 'hertely I you pray; for than leve I †wel, that right sone after I shal ataste of the frute that I so 7. wol; read wel. soone. atast. long have desyred.'

'Thou hast herd,' quod she, 'in what wyse this tree toforn this 9. herde. tre. have I declared, as in grounde and in stocke of wexing. First, the ground shulde be thy free wil, ful in thyne herte; and the 11. grounde. frewyl. hert. stocke (as I sayde) shulde be continuaunce in good service by long tyme in traveyle, til it were in greetnesse right wel woxen. 13. greatnesse. And whan this tree suche greetnesse hath caught as I have 14. gretnesse. rehersed, the braunches than, that the frute shulde forth-bringe, speche must they be nedes, in voice of prayer in complayning wyse used.'

'Out! alas!' quod I tho, 'he is soroufully wounded that hydeth his speche, and spareth his complayntes to make! What shal I speke the care? But payne, even lyk to helle, sore hath 20. lyke. hel. me assayled, and so ferforth in payne me thronge, that I leve my tree is seer, and never shal it frute forth bringe! Certes, he is 22. tre. bring. greetly esed, that dare his prevy mone discover to a true felowe, 23. greatly eased. that conning hath and might, wherthrough his pleint in any thinge may ben amended. And mokel more is he joyed, that with herte of hardinesse dare complayne to his lady what cares that he suffreth, by hope of mercy with grace to be avaunced. Truely I saye for me, sithe I cam this Margarit to serve, durst I never me 28. came. discover of no maner disese; and wel the later hath myn herte 29. disease. hardyed suche thinges to done, for the grete bountees and worthy 30. great bounties. refresshmentes that she of her grace goodly, without any desert on my halve, ofte hath me rekened. And nere her goodnesse the more with grace and with mercy medled, which passen al desertes, traveyls, and servinges that I in any degre might endite, I wolde wene I shulde be without recover, in getting of this blisse for ever! Thus have I stilled my disese; thus have I covered my 36. disease. care; that I brenne in sorouful anoy, as gledes and coles wasten 37. bren. a fyr under deed asshen. Wel the hoter is the fyr that with 38. fyre (twice). asshen it is overleyn. Right longe this wo have I suffred.'

'Lo,' quod Love, 'how thou farest! Me thinketh, the palasy∣yvel 40. howe. hath acomered thy wittes; as faste as thou hyest forward, 41. forwarde. anon sodaynly backward thou movest! Shal nat yet al thy 42. backwarde. leudnesse out of thy braynes? Dul ben thy skilful understandinges; thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred. Wost thou nat wel (quod she) but every tree, in his sesonable tyme of burjoninge, shewe his blomes fro within, in signe of what frute shulde out of him springe, els the frute for that yere men halt delivered, be the 47. spring. halte. ground never so good? And though the stocke be mighty at 48. grounde. the ful, and the braunches seer, and no burjons shewe, farwel the gardiner! He may pype with an yvè-lefe; his frute is fayled. Wherfore thy braunches must burjonen in presence of thy lady, if thou desyre any frute of thy ladies grace. But beware of thy lyfe, that thou no wode lay use, as in asking of thinges that strecchen 53. wodelay. stretchen. in-to shame! For than might thou nat spede, by no maner way that I can espy. Vertue wol nat suffre villany out of him-selfe to springe. Thy wordes may nat be queynt, ne of subtel maner 56. spring. understandinge. Freel-witted people supposen in suche poesies to be begyled; in open understandinge must every word be used. 58. worde. "Voice without clere understanding of sentence," saith Aristotel, "right nought printeth in herte." Thy wordes than to abyde in herte, and clene in ful sentence of trewe mening, platly must 60-1. hert (twice). thou shewe; and ever be obedient, her hestes and her wils to performe; and be thou set in suche a wit, to wete by a loke ever-more what she meneth. And he that list nat to speke, but 64. meaneth. stilly his disese suffer, what wonder is it, tho[ugh] he come never 65. disease. to his blisse? Who that traveyleth unwist, and coveyteth thing unknowe, unweting he shal be quyted, and with unknowe thing rewarded.'

'Good lady,' quod I than, 'it hath ofte be sene, that †weders 69. wethers; read weders. and stormes so hugely have falle in burjoning-tyme, and by perte 70. fal. duresse han beten of the springes so clene, wherthrough the frute 71. beaten. of thilke yere hath fayled. It is a greet grace, whan burjons han 72. great. good †weders, their frutes forth to bringe. Alas! than, after 73. wethers; read weders. forthe. suche stormes, how hard is it to avoyde, til efte wedring and 74. howe harde. yeres han maked her circute cours al about, er any frute be able to be tasted! He is shent for shame, that foule is rebuked of his speche. He that is in fyre brenning sore smarteth for disese; 77. disease. him thinketh ful long er the water come, that shulde the fyr 78. fyre. quenche. While men gon after a leche, the body is buryed. 79. gone. Lo! how semely this frute wexeth! Me thinketh, that of tho 80. howe. frutes may no man ataste, for pure bitternesse in savour. In this 81. maye. sauoure. wyse bothe frute and the tree wasten away togider, though mokel besy occupacion have be spent, to bringe it so ferforth that it 83. occupation. spente. ferforthe. was able to springe. A lyte speche hath maked that al this labour 84. spring. is in ydel.'

'I not,' quod she, 'wherof it serveth, thy question to assoyle. Me thinketh thee now duller in wittes than whan I with thee first 87. the nowe. mette. Although a man be leude, commenly for a fole he is nat demed but-if he no good wol lerne. Sottes and foles lete lightly 89. fooles lette. out of mynde the good that men techeth hem. I sayd therfore, 90. teacheth. thy stocke must be stronge, and in greetnesse wel herted: the 91. greatnesse. tree is ful feble that at the firste dent falleth. And although frute fayleth oon yere or two, yet shal suche a seson come oon tyme or 93. one (twice). season. other, that shal bringe out frute that [is parfit]. A break here in Th.Fole, have I not 94. I supply is parfit. seyd toforn this, as tyme hurteth, right so ayenward tyme heleth 95. healeth. and rewardeth; and a tree oft fayled is holde more in deyntee 96. deyntie. whan it frute forth bringeth. A marchaunt that for ones lesinge 97. forthe. in the see no more to aventure thinketh, he shal never with aventure come to richesse. So ofte must men on the oke smyte, til the happy dent have entred, whiche with the okes owne swaye maketh it to come al at ones. So ofte falleth the lethy water on the harde rocke, til it have thorow persed it. The even draught 102. thorowe. of the wyr-drawer maketh the wyr to ben even and supple-werchinge; and if he stinted in his draught, the wyr breketh 103-4. wyre (thrice). 104. breaketh. a-sonder. Every tree wel springeth, whan it is wel grounded and 105. tre. not often removed.'

'What shal this frute be,' quod I, 'now it ginneth rype?' 107. nowe.

'Grace,' quod she, 'in parfit joy to endure; and therwith thou 108. parfyte. begon[ne].' 109. begon; read begonne.

'Grace?' quod I; 'me thinketh, I shulde have a reward for my 110. rewarde. longe travayle?'

'I shal telle thee,' quod she; 'retribucion of thy good willes 112. tel the. to have of thy Margarite-perle, it bereth not the name of mede, 113. beareth. but only of good grace; and that cometh not of thy desert, but 114. onely. deserte. of thy Margarytes goodnesse and vertue alone.'

Quod I, 'shulde al my longe travayle have no reward but thorow 116. rewarde. thorowe. grace? And som-tyme your-selven sayd, rightwisnesse evenliche rewardeth, to quyte oon benefit for another.' 118. one benefyte.

'That is sothe,' quod Love, 'ever as I sayde, as to him that doth good, which to done he were neyther holden ne yet con∣strayned.' 120. dothe.

'That is sothe,' quod I.

'Trewly,' quod she, 'al that ever thou doest to thyne Margaryte∣perle, of wil, of love, and of reson thou owest to done it; it is 124. catchword it is; misprinted yet is on the next page. nothing els but yelding of thy dette in quytinge of thy grace, which she thee lente whan ye first mette.' 126. the lent.

'I wene,' quod I, 'right litel grace to me she delivered. 127. lytle. Certes, it was harde grace; it hath nyghe me astrangled.'

'That it was good grace, I wot wel thou wilt it graunte, er 129. graunt. thou departe hence. If any man yeve to another wight, to whom that he ought not, and whiche that of him-selfe nothing may 131. nothynge maye. have, a garnement or a cote, though he were the cote or els 132. weare. thilke clothing, it is not to putte to him that was naked the cause 133. put; read putte. of his clothinge, but only to him that was yever of the garnement. 134. onely. Wherfore I saye, thou that were naked of love, and of thy-selfe non have mightest, it is not to putte to thyne owne persone, 136. put. sithen thy love cam thorow thy Margaryte-perle. Ergo, she was 137. came thorowe. yever of the love, although thou it use; and there lente she thee 138. althoughe. lent. the. grace, thy service to beginne. She is worthy the thank of this 139. thanke. grace, for she was the yever. Al the thoughtes, besy doinges, and plesaunce in thy might and in thy wordes that thou canst 141. canste. devyse, ben but right litel in quytinge of thy dette; had she not ben, suche thing hadde not ben studyed. So al these maters kyndly drawen hom-ward to this Margaryte-perle, for from thence 144. homewarde. were they borowed; al is hoolly her to wyte, the love that thou 145. holy. havest; and thus quytest thou thy dette, in that thou stedfastly servest. And kepe wel that love, I thee rede, that of her thou 147. the. hast borowed, and use it in her service thy dette to quyte; and than art thou able right sone to have grace; wherfore after mede 149. arte. in none halve mayst thou loke. Thus thy ginning and ending is but grace aloon; and in thy good deserving thy dette thou 151. alone. aquytest; without grace is nothing worth, what-so-ever thou 152. worthe. werche. Thanke thy Margaryte of her grete grace that †hiderto 153. great. hytherto; read hiderto. thee hath gyded, and praye her of continuaunce forth in thy 154. the. forthe. werkes herafter; and that, for no mishappe, thy grace over-thwartly tourne. Grace, glorie, and joye is coming thorow good 156. thorowe. folkes desertes; and by getting of grace, therin shullen ende. And what is more glorie or more joye than wysdom and love 158. wysdome. in parfit charitè, whiche god hath graunted to al tho that wel 159. parfyte. †conne deserve?' And with that this lady al at ones sterte in-to 160. canne; read conne. my herte: 'here wol I onbyde,' quod she, 'for ever, and never 161. hert. wol I gon hence; and I wol kepe thee from medlinge while me liste here onbyde; thyne entermeting maners in-to stedfastnesse shullen be chaunged.'

SOBERLICHE tho threw I up myn eyen, and hugely tho was CH. VIII. 1. threwe. I astonyed of this sodayne adventure; and fayn wolde I have 2. fayne. lerned, how vertues shulden ben knowen; in whiche thinges, 3. howe. I hope to god, here-after she shal me enfourmen; and namely, sithen her restinge-place is now so nygh at my wil; and anon al 5. nowe. nyghe. these thinges that this lady said, I remembred me by my-selfe, and revolved the †lynes of myne understondinge wittes. Tho found 7. lyues (!). founde. I fully al these maters parfitly there written, how mis-rule by 8. parfytely. howe. mysse-. fayned love bothe realmes and citees hath governed a greet 9. cyties. great. throwe; how lightly me might the fautes espye; how rules in love shulde ben used; how somtyme with fayned love foule I was begyled; how I shulde love have knowe; and how I shal in love 10-12. howe (five times). with my service procede. Also furthermore I found, of perdurable 13. founde. letters wonderly there graven, these maters whiche I shal nempne. Certes, non age ne other thing in erthe may the leest sillable of 15. none. thynge. maye. this in no poynte deface, but clerely as the sonne in myne under∣standinge soule they shynen. This may never out of my mynde, 17. maye. how I may not my love kepe, but thorow willinge in herte; wilne 18. howe. maye. thorowe. to love may I not, but I lovinge have. Love have I non, but 19. maye. none. thorow grace of this Margarite-perle. It is no maner doute, that 20. thorowe. wil wol not love but for it is lovinge, as wil wol not rightfully but for it is rightful it-selve. Also wil is not lovinge for he wol love; but he wol love for he is lovinge; it is al oon to †wilne to be 23. one. wil; read wilne. lovinge, and lovinges in possession to have. Right so wil wol not love, for of love hath he no partie. And yet I denye not lovinge wil [may] wilne more love to have, whiche that he hath not whan 26. I supply may. he wolde more than he hath; but I saye, he may no love wilne 27. maye. if he no love have, through which thilke love he shuld wilne. But to have this loving wil may no man of him-selfe, but only through 29. onely. grace toforn-going; right so may no man it kepe, but by grace 30. toforne. maye. folowinge. Consider now every man aright, and let seen if that 31. nowe. sene. any wight of him-selfe mowe this loving wel gete, and he therof 32. get. first nothing have; for if it shulde of him-selfe springe, either it 33. nothynge. spring. muste be willing or not willing. Willing by him-selfe may he it not have, sithen him fayleth the mater that shulde it forth bringe. 35. forthe bring. The mater him fayleth; why? He may therof have no knowing 36. maye. til whan grace put it in his herte. Thus willing by him-selfe may he it not have; and not willing, may he it not have. Pardè, every conseyt of every resonable creature otherwyse wil [wol] not 39. reasonable. I supply wol. graunte; wil in affirmatif with not willing by no way mowe acorde. 40. graunt. affyrmatife. And although this loving wol come in myn herte by freenesse of 41. hert. frenesse. arbitrement, as in this booke fully is shewed, yet owe I not therfore as moche alowe my free wil as grace of that Margaryte to me 43. frewyl (throughout). lened. For neyther might I, without grace to-forn going and 44. leaned. afterward folowing, thilke grace gete ne kepe; and lese shal I it 45. afterwarde. get; read gete. never but-if free wil it make, as in willinge otherwyse than grace hath me graunted. For right as whan any person taketh willing to be sobre, and throweth that away, willing to be dronke; or els taketh wil of drinking out of mesure; whiche thing, anon as it is don, maketh (thorow his owne gilte by free wil) that [he] leseth 50. done. thorowe. I supply he. his grace. In whiche thing therfore upon the nobley of grace I mote trusten, and my besy cure sette thilke grace to kepe, that 52. set. my free wil, otherwyse than by reson it shulde werche, cause not 53. reason. my grace to voyde: for thus must I bothe loke to free wil and to grace. For right as naturel usage in engendring of children may 55. maye. not ben without †fader, ne also but with the †moder, for neyther †fader ne †moder in begetting may it lacke; right so grace and 56-7. father (twice); read fader. mother (twice); read moder. free wil accorden, and withoute hem bothe may not lovinge wil in 57-8. maye. no partie ben getten. But yet is not free wil in gettinge of that thing so mokel thank-worthy as is grace, ne in the kepinge therof 60. thankeworthy. so moche thank deserveth; and yet in gettinge and keping bothe 61. thanke. don they accorde. Trewly, often-tyme grace free wil helpeth, in 62. done. fordoinge of contrarye thinges, that to willinge love not accorden, and †strengtheth wil adversitees to withsitte; wherfore †al-togider 64. strength; read strengtheth; see l. 87. al togyther. to grace oweth to ben accepted, that my willing deserveth. Free wil to lovinge in this wyse is accorded. I remembre me wel how 66. howe. al this book (who-so hede taketh) considereth [how] al thinges to 67. booke. Supply how. werchinges of mankynde evenly accordeth, as in turning of this worde 'love' in-to trouthe or els rightwisnesse, whether that it lyke. For what thing that falleth to man in helping of free arbitrement, thilke rightwisnesse to take or els to kepe, thorow 71. thorowe. whiche a man shal be saved (of whiche thing al this book mencion 72. booke. hath maked), in every poynte therof grace oweth to be thanked. Wherfore I saye, every wight havinge this rightwisnesse rightful is; and yet therfore I fele not in my conscience, that to al rightful is behoten the blisse everlastinge, but to hem that ben right∣ful withouten any unrightfulnesse. Some man after some degree may rightfully ben accompted as chaste men in living, and yet ben 78. maye. they janglers and ful of envy pressed; to hem shal this blisse never ben delivered. For right as very blisse is without al maner nede, right so to no man shal it be yeven but to the rightful, voyde from al maner unrightfulnesse founde; so no man to her blisse shal ben folowed, but he be rightful, and with unrightfulnesse not bounde, and in that degree fully be knowe. This rightfulnesse, in as moche as in him-selfe is, of none yvel is it cause; and of al maner goodnesse, trewly, it is †moder. This helpeth the spirit 86. mother; read moder. to withsitte the leude lustes of flesshly lykinge. This strengtheth and maintayneth the lawe of kynde; and if that otherwhyle me weneth harm of this precious thing to folowe, therthorough is [it] 89. harme. Supply it. nothing the cause; of somwhat els cometh it aboute, who-so taketh hede. By rightfulnesse forsothe wern many holy sayntes 91. werne. good savour in swetenesse to god almighty; but that to some folkes they weren savour of dethe, in-to deedly ende, that com 93. com; read come. not of the sayntes rightwisnesse, but of other wicked mennes badnesse hath proceded. Trewly, the ilke wil, whiche that the Lady of Love me lerned 'affeccion of wil' to nempne, which is 96. affectyon. in willing of profitable thinges, yvel is it not, but whan to flesshly lustes it consenteth ayenst reson of soule. But that this thing 98. reason. thynge. more clerely be understande, it is for to knowe, whence and how 99. vnderstand. howe. thilke wil is so vicious, and so redy yvel dedes to perfourme. 100. redye. Grace at the ginninge ordeyned thilke wil in goodnesse ever to have endured, and never to badnesse have assented. Men shulde not byleve, that god thilke wil maked to be vicious [in] our firste 103. vycious. I insert in; Our (sic). †faders, as Adam and Eve; for vicious appetytes, and vicious wil 104. father; read faders. to suche appetytes consentinge, ben not on thing in kynde; other thing is don for the other. And how this wil first in-to man first 106. done. howe. assented, I holde it profitable to shewe; but if the first condicion of resonable creature wol be considred and apertly loked, lightly the cause of suche wil may be shewed. Intencion of god was, that rightfully and blissed shulde resonable nature ben maked, 108-110. resonable (twice). himselfe for to kepe; but neyther blisful ne rightful might it not be, withouten wil in them bothe. Wil of rightfulnesse is thilke same rightfulnesse, as here-to-forn is shewed; but wil of blisse 113. -forne. is not thilke blisse, for every man hath not thilke blisse, in whom the wil therof is abydinge. In this blisse, after every under∣standinge, is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any maner nede, whether it be blisse of aungels or els thilke that grace first in paradise suffred Adam to have. For al-though angels blisse be more than Adams was in paradyse, yet may it not 119. 122. maye. be †denyed, that Adam in paradyse ne had suffisaunce of blisse; 120. denyded (!). for right as greet herte is without al maner of coldenesse, and yet 121. great. may another herte more hete have; right so nothing defended 122. heate. nothynge. Adam in paradyse to ben blessed, without al maner nede. Al-though aungels blisse be moche more, forsothe, it foloweth 124. thoughe. not [that], lasse than another to have, therfore him nedeth; but 125. I supply that. for to wante a thing whiche that behoveth to ben had, that may 126. thynge. maye. 'nede' ben cleped; and that was not in Adam at the first ginning. God and the Margaryte weten what I mene. Forsothe, 128. meane. where-as is nede, there is wrecchednesse. †God without cause 129. wretchydnesse. good; read God. to-forngoing made not resonable creature wrecched; for him to 130. reasonable, wretched. understande and love had he firste maked. God made therfore man blissed without al maner indigence; †togider and at ones 132. togyther. took resonable creature blisse, and wil of blissednese, and wil 133. toke reasonable. of rightfulnesse, whiche is rightfulnesse it-selve, and libertee of 134. lybertie. arbitrement, that is, free wil, with whiche thilke rightfulnesse may 135. fre. he kepe and lese. So and in that wyse [god] ordayned thilke 136. I supply god. two, that wil (whiche that "instrument" is cleped, as here-toforn 137. cleaped. toforne. mencion is maked) shulde use thilke rightfulnesse, by teching of 138. teachyng. his soule to good maner of governaunce, in thought and in wordes; and that it shulde use the blisse in obedient maner, withouten any incommoditè. Blisse, forsothe, in-to mannes profit, and 141. profyte. rightwisnesse in-to his worship god delivered at ones; but rightful∣nesse so was yeven that man might it lese, whiche if he not lost 143. not loste had not; I omit second not. had, but continuelly [might] have it kept, he shulde have deserved 144. I supply might. kepte. the avauncement in-to the felowshippe of angels, in whiche thing if he that loste, never by him-selfe forward shulde he it mowe 146. forwarde. ayenward recovere; and as wel the blisse that he was in, as 147. ayenwarde. aungels blisse that to-him-wardes was coming, shulde be nome at ones, and he deprived of hem bothe. And thus fil man un-to lykenesse of unresonable bestes; and with hem to corrupcion and 150. vnreasonable. unlusty apetytes was he under-throwen. But yet wil of blisse dwelleth, that by indigence of goodes, whiche that he loste through greet wrecchednesse, by right shulde he ben punisshed. 153. great wretchydnesse. And thus, for he weyved rightfulnesse, lost hath he his blisse; but 154. loste. fayle of his desyr in his owne comoditè may he not; and †where 155. desyre. were; read where. comodites to his resonable nature whiche he hath lost may he not 156. reasonable. loste. have, to false lustes, whiche ben bestial appetytes, he is turned. Folye of unconning hath him begyled, in wening that thilke ben the comoditees that owen to ben desyred. This affeccion of wil 159. affection. by libertè of arbitrement is enduced to wilne thus thing that he shulde not; and so is wil not maked yvel but unrightful, by absence of rightfulnesse, whiche thing by reson ever shulde he 162. reason. have. And freenesse of arbitrement may he not wilne, whan he it 163. frenesse. not haveth; for while he it had, thilke halp it not to kepe; so 164. halpe. that without grace may it not ben recovered. Wil of commoditè, in-as-moche as unrightful it is maked by willinge of yvellustes, willing of goodnesse may he not wilne; for wil of instrument to affec∣cion of wil is thralled, sithen that other thing may it not wilne; for wil of instrument to affeccion desyreth, and yet ben bothe they 'wil' cleped. For that instrument wol, through affeccion it wilneth; 167-170. affection (thrice). and affeccion desyreth thilke thing wherto instrument him ledeth. And so free wil to unlusty affeccion ful servaunt is maked, for 172. frewyl. affection. unrightfulnesse may he not releve; and without rightfulnesse ful 173. maye. fredom may it never have. For kyndly libertee of arbitrement 174. fredome. libertie. without it, veyne and ydel is, forsothe. Wherfore yet I say, (as often have I sayd the same), whan instrument of wil lost hath 176. loste. rightfulnesse, in no maner but by grace may he ayen retourne rightfulnesse to wilne. For sithen nothing but rightfulnesse alone shulde he wilne, what that ever he wilneth without rightfulnesse, unrightfully he it wilneth. These than unrightful appetytes and unthrifty lustes whiche the †flesh desyreth, in as mokel as they ben 181. flyes (!); read flesh. in kynde, ben they nat bad; but they ben unrightful and badde for they ben in resonable creature, where-as they being, in no waye shulde ben suffred. In unresonable beestes neyther ben they yvel 184. vnreasonable. ne unrightful; for there is their kynde being.

KNOWEN may it wel ben now of these thinges toforn CH. IX. 1. nowe. toforne. declared, that man hath not alway thilke rightfulnesse which by dutè of right evermore haven he shulde, and by no way by him-selfe may he it gete ne kepe; and after he it hath, if he it 4. get. lese, recover shal he it never without especial grace. Wherfore the comune sentence of the people in opinion, that every thing after destenee is ruled, false and wicked is to beleve. For though 7. destenye. thoughe. predestinacion be as wel of good as of badde, sithen that it is sayd, god †hath destenees made, whiche he never ne wrought; but, 9. sayde. god hadnest (!); read god hath destenees. for he suffreth hem to be maked, as that he hardeth, whan he naught missayth, or †let in-to temptacion, whan he not delivereth: 11. missaythe. ledde; read let=ledeth. wherfore it is non inconvenient if in that maner be sayd, god to∣forn 12. none. toforne. have destenyed bothe badde and her badde werkes, whan hem ne their yvel dedes [he] neyther amendeth ne therto hem 14. I supply he. grace †leneth. But specialliche, predestinacion of goodnesse 15. leueth. alone is sayd by these grete clerkes; for in him god doth that 16. sayde. great. dothe. they ben, and that in goodnesse they werchen. But the negatif 17. negatyfe. herof in badnesse is holden, as the Lady of Love hath me lerned, who-so aright in this booke loketh. And utterly it is to weten, that predestinacion properly in god may not ben demed, no more than beforn-weting. For in the chapitre of goddes beforn-weting, 21. beforne (twice). as Love me rehersed, al these maters apertly may ben founden. 22. apertely maye. Al thinges to god ben now †togider and in presence duringe. 23. nowe to-gyther. Trewly, presence and predestinacion in nothing disacorden; 24. nothynge wherfore, as I was lerned how goddes before-weting and free 25. howe. choice of wil mowe stonden †togider, me thinketh the same reson 26. togyther. reason. me ledeth, that destenye and free wil accorden, so that neyther of 27. leadeth. frewyl. hem bothe to other in nothing contrarieth. And resonabliche 28. reasonablyche. may it not ben demed, as often as any thing falleth [thorow] free 29. demyd. I supply thorow. frewyl. wil werching (as if a man another man wrongfully anoyeth, wher∣fore he him sleeth), that it be constrayned to that ende, as mokel folk cryeth and sayth: 'Lo, as it was destenyed of god toforn 32. folke. toforne know. knowe, so it is thorow necessitè falle, and otherwyse might it not 33. thorowe. fal. betyde.' Trewly, neyther he that the wrong wrought, ne he that 34. wronge. him-selfe venged, none of thilke thinges thorow necessitè wrought; 35. thorowe. for if that [oon] with free wil there had it not willed, neyther had [he]wrought that he perfourmed; and so utterly grace, that free 36-7. I supply oon and he. wil in goodnesse bringeth and kepeth, and fro badnesse it tourn∣eth, in al thinge moste thank deserveth. This grace maketh 39. thanke. sentence in vertue to abyde, wherfore in body and in soule, in ful plentee of conninge, after their good deserving in the everlastinge 41. plentie. joye, after the day of dome shul they endelesse dwelle; and they 42. ioy. dwel. shul ben lerned in that kingdom with so mokel affect of love and 43. kyngdome. affecte. of grace, that the leste joye shal of the gretest in glorie rejoice and ben gladded, as if he the same joye had. What wonder, sith god is the gretest love and the A break here in Th. gretest wisdom? In hem 44-6. greatest (twice). shal he be, and they in god. Now than, whan al false folk be 47. folke. ashamed, which wenen al bestialtè and erthly thing be sweter and 48. swetter. better to the body than hevenly is to the soule; this is the grace and the frute that I long have desyred; it doth me good the 50. dothe. savour to smelle. 51. smel.

Crist, now to thee I crye of mercy and of grace; and graunt, 52. Christ. the. of thy goodnes, to every maner reder ful understanding in this leude pamflet to have; and let no man wene other cause in this werke than is verily the soth. For envy is ever redy, al inno∣centes to shende; wherfore I wolde that good speche envy evermore hinder.

But no man wene this werke be sufficiently maked; for goddes werke passeth man[ne]s; no man[ne]s wit to parfit werke may by no 59. mans; read mannes (twice). way purvay th'ende. How shuld I than, so leude, aught wene of perfeccion any ende to gete? Never-the-later, grace, glorie, and 61. get. laude I yelde and putte with worshipful reverences to the sothfast 62. put. god, in three with unitè closed, whiche that the hevy langour of 63. thre. my sicknesse hath turned in-to mirthe of helth to recover. For right as I was sorowed thorow the gloton cloud of manifolde sickly sorow, so mirth [of] ayencoming helth hath me glad[d]ed 66. I supply of. and gretly comforted. I beseche and pray therfore, and I crye on goddes gret pitè and on his mokel mercy, that this[e] present 68. this; read thise. scorges of my flessh mow maken medecyne and lechecraft of 69. medecyn. lechcraft. my inner man[ne]s helth; so that my passed trespas and tenes 70. mans. through weping of myn eyen ben wasshe, and I, voyded from al maner disese, and no more to wepe herafter, y-now be kept 72. I now; for y-now. thorow goddes grace; so that goddes hand, whiche that merciably 73. thorowe. hande. me hath scorged, herafter in good plite from thence merciably me kepe and defende.

In this boke be many privy thinges wimpled and folde; unneth shul leude men the plites unwinde. Wherfore I pray to the holy gost, he lene of his oyntmentes, mennes wittes to clere; and, for goddes love, no man wonder why or how this question come to my mynde. For my greet lusty desyr was of this lady to ben 80. great. desyre. enfourmed, my leudenesse to amende. Certes, I knowe not other mennes wittes, what I shulde aske, or in answere what I shulde saye; I am so leude my-selfe, that mokel more lerninge yet me behoveth. I have mad therfore as I coude, but not 84. made. sufficiently as I wolde, and as mater yave me sentence; for my dul wit is hindred by †stepmoder of foryeting and with cloude 86. wytte. -mother; read moder. of unconning, that stoppeth the light of my Margarite-perle, wherfore it may not shyne on me as it shulde. I desyre not only a good reder, but also I coveite and pray a good book∣amender, 89. onely. booke. in correccion of wordes and of sentence; and only this 90. correction. onely. mede I coveite for my travayle, that every inseër and herer of this leude fantasye devoute horisons and prayers to god the greet 92. great. juge yelden; and prayen for me in that wyse, that in his dome my sinnes mowe ben relesed and foryeven. He that prayeth for 94. released. other for him-selfe travayleth.

Also I praye, that every man parfitly mowe knowe thorow what 96. thorowe. intencion of herte this tretys have I drawe. How was it, that 97. treatyse. Howe. sightful manna in deserte to children of Israel was spirituel mete? Bodily also it was, for mennes bodies it †norisshed; 99. meate. norissheth; read norisshed. and yet, never-the-later, Crist it signifyed. Right so a jewel 100. Christ. betokeneth a gemme, and that is a stoon vertuous or els a perle. 101. stone. Margarite, a woman, betokeneth grace, lerning, or wisdom of god, or els holy church. If breed, thorow vertue, is mad holy 103. thorowe. made. flesshe, what is that our god sayth? 'It is the spirit that 104. saythe. spyrite. yeveth lyf; the flesshe, of nothing it profiteth.' Flesshe is flesshly 105. lyfe. understandinge; flessh without grace and love naught is worth. 'The letter sleeth; the spirit yeveth lyfelich understanding.' Charitè is love; and love is charitè.