CHAPTER XI.

Every soule of reson hath two thinges of stering lyf, oon in vertue, and another in the bodily workinge; and whan the soule is the maister over the body, than is a man maister of him-selfe. And a man, to be a maister over him-selfe, liveth in vertu and in goodnesse, and as reson of vertue techeth. So the soule and the 5 body, worching vertue togider, liven resonable lyf, whiche clerkes clepen "felicitè in living"; and therein is the hye way to this knot. These olde philosophers, that hadden no knowing of divine grace, of kyndly reson alone, wenden that of pure nature, withouten any helpe of grace, me might have y-shoned th'other livinges. 10 Resonably have I lived; and for I thinke herafter, if god wol, and I have space, thilke grace after my leude knowing declare, I leve it as at this tyme. But, as I said, he that out-forth loketh after the wayes of this knot, [his] conning with whiche he shulde knowe the way in-forth, slepeth for the tyme. Wherfore he that 15 wol this way knowe, must leve the loking after false wayes out-forth, and open the eyen of his conscience, and unclose his herte. Seest nat, he that hath trust in the bodily lyfe is so besy bodily woundes to anointe, in keping from smert (for al-out may they nat be heled), that of woundes in his true understanding he taketh no 20 hede; the knowing evenforth slepeth so harde: but anon, as in knowing awake, than ginneth the prevy medicynes, for heling of his trewe intent, inwardes lightly +helen conscience, if it be wel handled. Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule by stering lyfe of the body; and els may no man come to parfit 25 blisse of this knotte. And thus, by this waye, he shal come to the knotte, and to the parfit selinesse that he wende have had in bodily goodes outforth.'

'Ye,' quod I, 'shal he have both knot, riches, power, dignitè, and renomè in this maner way?' 30

'Ye,' quod she, 'that shal I shewe thee. Is he nat riche that hath suffisaunce, and hath the power that no man may amaistrien? Is nat greet dignitè to have worship and reverence? And hath he nat glorie of renomè, whos name perpetual is during, and out of nombre in comparacion?' 35

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

'Ye,' quod she; 'they that loken after a thing that nought is therof, in al ne in partie, longe mowe they gapen after!'

'That is sothe,' quod I.

'Therfore,' quod she, 'they that sechen gold in grene trees, and 40 wene to gader precious stones among vynes, and layn her nettes in mountains to fisshe, and thinken to hunte in depe sees after hart and hynd, and sechen in erth thilke thinges that surmounteth heven, what may I of hem say, but folisshe ignoraunce misledeth wandring wrecches by uncouth wayes that shulden be forleten, 45 and maketh hem blynde fro the right pathe of trewe way that shulde ben used? Therfore, in general, errour in mankynde departeth thilke goodes by mis-seching, whiche he shulde have hole, and he sought by reson. Thus goth he begyled of that he sought; in his hode men have blowe a jape.' 50

'Now,' quod I, 'if a man be vertuous, and al in vertue liveth, how hath he al these thinges?'

'That shal I proven,' quod she. 'What power hath any man to lette another of living in vertue? For prisonment, or any other disese, [if] he take it paciently, discomfiteth he nat; the 55 tyrant over his soule no power may have. Than hath that man, so tourmented, suche power, that he nil be discomfit; ne overcome may he nat ben, sithen pacience in his soule overcometh, and +is nat overcomen. Suche thing that may nat be a-maistred, he hath nede to nothing; for he hath suffisaunce y-now, to helpe 60 him-selfe. And thilke thing that thus hath power and suffisance, and no tyrant may it reve, and hath dignitè to sette at nought al thinges, here it is a greet dignitè, that deth may a-maistry. Wherfore thilke power [with] suffisaunce, so enclosed with dignitè, by al reson renomè must have. This is thilke riches with suffisaunce 65 ye sholde loke after; this is thilke worshipful dignitè ye shulde coveyte; this is thilke power of might, in whiche ye shulde truste; this is the ilke renomè of glorie that endlesse endureth; and al nis but substaunce in vertuous lyving.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'al this is sothe; and so I see wel that vertue 70 with ful gripe encloseth al these thinges. Wherfore in sothe I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brought me first in-to your service, to have knitting with that jewel, nat sodain longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but only our conversacion togider; and than I, seinge th'entent of her trewe mening with 75 florisshing vertue of pacience, that she used nothing in yvel, to quyte the wicked lesinges that false tonges ofte in her have laid, I have seye it my-selfe, goodly foryevenesse hath spronge out of her herte. Unitè and accord, above al other thinges, she desyreth in a good meke maner; and suffereth many wicked 80 tales.

Trewly, lady, to you it were a gret worship, that suche thinges by due chastisment were amended.'

'Ye,' quod she, 'I have thee excused; al suche thinges as yet mowe nat be redressed; thy Margarites vertue I commende wel 85 the more, that paciently suche anoyes suffreth. David king was meke, and suffred mokel hate and many yvel speches; no despyt ne shame that his enemys him deden might nat move pacience out of his herte, but ever in one plyte mercy he used. Wherfore god him-selfe took reward to the thinges; and theron suche 90 punisshment let falle. Trewly, by reson, it ought be ensample of drede to al maner peoples mirth. A man vengeable in wrath no governance in punisshment ought to have. Plato had a cause his servant to +scourge, and yet cleped he his neibour to performe the doinge; him-selfe wolde nat, lest wrath had him a-maistred; and 95 so might he have layd on to moche: evermore grounded vertue sheweth th'entent fro within. And trewly, I wot wel, for her goodnesse and vertue, thou hast desyred my service to her plesance wel the more; and thy-selfe therto fully hast profered.'

'Good lady,' quod I, 'is vertue the hye way to this knot that 100 long we have y-handled?'

'Ye, forsoth,' quod she, 'and without vertue, goodly this knot may nat be goten.'

'Ah! now I see,' quod I, 'how vertu in me fayleth; and I, as a seer tree, without burjoning or frute, alwaye welke; and 105 so I stonde in dispeyre of this noble knot; for vertue in me hath no maner workinge. A! wyde-where aboute have I traveyled!'

'Pees,' quod she, 'of thy first way; thy traveyle is in ydel; and, as touchinge the seconde way, I see wel thy meninge. Thou 110 woldest conclude me, if thou coudest, bycause I brought thee to service; and every of my servantes I helpe to come to this blisse, as I sayd here-beforn. And thou saydest thy-selfe, thou mightest nat be holpen as thou wenest, bycause that vertue in thee fayleth; and this blisse parfitly without vertue may nat be 115 goten; thou wenest of these wordes contradiccion to folowe. Pardè, at the hardest, I have no servant but he be vertuous in dede and thought. I brought thee in my service, yet art thou nat my servant; but I say, thou might so werche in vertue herafter, that than shalt thou be my servant, and as for my servant 120 acompted. For habit maketh no monk; ne weringe of gilte spurres maketh no knight. Never-the-later, in confort of thyne herte, yet wol I otherwyse answere.'

'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'so ye muste nedes; or els I had nigh caught suche a +cardiacle for sorowe, I wot it wel, I shulde 125 it never have recovered. And therfore now I praye [thee] to enforme me in this; or els I holde me without recovery. I may nat long endure til this lesson be lerned, and of this mischeef the remedy knowen.'

'Now,' quod she, 'be nat wroth; for there is no man on-lyve 130 that may come to a precious thing longe coveited, but he somtyme suffre teneful diseses: and wenest thy-selfe to ben unliche to al other? That may nat ben. And with the more sorowe that a thing is getten, the more he hath joye the ilke thing afterwardes to kepe; as it fareth by children in scole, that for lerninge arn 135 beten, whan their lesson they foryetten. Commenly, after a good disciplyning with a yerde, they kepe right wel doctrine of their scole.'

CH. XI. 1. euery (_with small_ e). reason. lyfe. one. 6. lyfe. 7. lyueng. 9. reason.

10. thother lyuenges. 13. leaue. 14. _I supply_ his. 16. leaue. 19. anoynt. 20. healed. 22. healyng. 23. healeth; _read_ helen. 25. maye. p_ar_fite. 27. p_ar_fyte. 30. waye. 31. the. 33. great. 34. whose. 35. co_m_paration. 37. thynge. 40. golde. 41. amonge. layne. 42. hunt. 43. hynde. 45. wretches.

48. mysse. 49. reason. 51. Nowe. 52. howe. 54. let. lyueng. 55. _I supply_ if. 56. maye. 59. as; _read_ is. 60. ynowe. 63. great. 64. _I supply_ with. 67. coueyt. 69. lyueng. 70. se. 74. onely. co_n_versation. 75. thentent. 76. nothynge. 77. leasynges. layde. 78. sey. 79. hert. accorde. 82. Trewly (_with large capital_ T).

84. the. 87. dispite. 89. Werfore. 90. toke rewarde. 91. fal. reason. 94. scoure (!); _read_ scourge. 96. layde. 97. thentent. wotte. 99. haste. 100. waye. 104. nowe I se. howe. 105. tre. 109. Peace. 110. se. meanyng. 111. the. 112. one. 113. beforne. 114. wenyst. 115. the. maye. 116. co_n_tradiction. 118. the. arte.

121. habyte. monke. wearynge. 122. conforte. 125. nyghe. cordiacle; _read_ cardiacle. wotte. 126. nowe. _I supply_ thee. 127. recouerye. 128. mischefe. 130. Nowe. wrothe. 131. maye. 132. diseases. wenyst. 133. maye. 134. thynge. 135. schole. arne. 136. beaten. 138. schole.