Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

I might wel have feled.

      Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse,

      for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pynande

      prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And

      ever I was sought, if me liste to have grace of my lyfe and

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      frenesse of that prison, I shulde openly confesse how pees might

      ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully

      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

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      kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in

      distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn

      owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And

      mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that

      in falsnesse deyeth; and also that I nere desyred wrathe of the

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      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

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      stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde;

      by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be

      desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee

      of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth

      growen; (and more kyndely love have I to that place than to any

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      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

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      everlasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and

      kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe

      in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his

      frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam;

      this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly

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      may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not

      pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge

      us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon

      body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the

      name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle,

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      shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees.

      I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared

      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

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      people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure

      and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for

      comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the

      actives doinge; and also styred innocentes of conning to crye

      after thinges, whiche (quod they) may not stande but we ben

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      executours of tho maters, and auctoritè of execucion by comen

      eleccion to us be delivered. And that muste entre by strength of

      your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression

      of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in

      such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne.

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      The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes

      of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion

      to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune administracion

      to abate suche yvels. Also (quod they) it is worthy

      the good to commende, and the gilty desertes to chastice. There

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      ben citezens many, for-ferde of execucion that shal be doon; for

      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

      mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgovernaunce

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      that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free

      eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for

      greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion

      that they hem submitted to every maner †fate rather than have

      suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours;

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      notwithstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny,

      that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten

      reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn

      his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke

      eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen;

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      and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady,

      knowen among the princes, and made open to the people,

      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

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      and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady,

      thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne

      juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and

      asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth