Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

ben

      sothe, without forginge of lesinges.

      160

      But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in

      janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten

      to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and

      my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge

      sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but

      165

      only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche

      I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady,

      how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked

      men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight

      that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to

      170

      the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven,

      apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and

      studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne?

      O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of

      my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to

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      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

      180

      badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that

      they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her

      olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe,

      and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they

      aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater

      185

      knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater

      is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte

      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

      people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters;

      190

      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

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      put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge.

      For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of

      trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me †submitted.

      But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn)

      flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede

      200

      til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben

      hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.'

      Ch. VI. 2. great. beare. 3. read enfame; see l. 6. one. obiections. 7. Nowe. leasynges put on the. 8. wronge. 9. se. encreaseth. 10. the. 11. arte encreased. 12. I supply is. 13. the. harme. false. 15. I supply voyd. arte. 17. disease. 22. reason. 23. fulfylde. 24. sayne. lente. 25. sayne. weaked; read wikked? 26. anoye.

      27. sayne. 29. great. 30. forsaken; read forsake. 31. encrease. 32. arne. 33. nowe. howe. 36. disease. se. 37. vnderstande. 38. fame or by goodnesse enfame; read fame by goodnesse or enfame. 39. Supply of. reasonable. 40. wytte. reason to-forne. 41. herde. 42. toforne. 45. conuercion. 48. Howe. zedeoreys or ȝedeoreys. 53. meane se nowe. 55. great. 56. exitours. werne. 61. tel.

      63. One. comforte. 64. profyte. 65. profyte. comynaltie. peace. 66. profyte. 68. meanynge. 71. I supply the and that. 72. rancoure. 73. fornecaste. distruction. 74. blynde. 76. Nowe. caste. 77. dwel. 78. threde. 80. howe peace. 81. endused. 84. done. maye. helpe (repeated after comen); read wele. thynge. 86. distroyeng. 87. misdede. 88. frende maye. 94. -forthe. debate. 95. stryfe. distruction. 96. peace. comunaltie. 97. cytie. 98. forthe.

      101–6. peace (five times). 104. thynge. perfyte. 107. left. 108. came. 109. perfytely. 110. none. 111–2. peace (twice). 112. one (twice). 113. howe. 114–5. peace (twice). 115. comunalties and cytes. 116. toforne. 119. meanynge. feoble. 120. none. gubernatyfe. 122. passyfe. 126. election. 128. agayne. 129. subiection. 131. distruction. 135. doone.

      138. meanynge. 139. heauy. 141. election. Supply was mad. great (twice). Supply that. 142. disease. election. 143. face; read fate. 146. onely. 147. reason. to-forne. 148. shope. 149. electyon. 151. amonge. 154. to forne hande. peace. 156. to forne. 158. apertely. 159. leasynges. 160. nowe. 162. maye. 164. sayde. 165. onely. leigeaunce. 166. se. nowe. 168. Se. 171. cleapen. false.

      172. howe. 173. maye. folke. 174. stretch. 179. Nowe. 181. knowyuge (sic). sayng. arne nowe. 183. sayne. 184. nothynge. 185. wote. 186. none. 188. se. 194. werne. 195. meanynge. 196. beare. 197. submytten (!). 198. nowe. sayne. 199. dothe. 200. meane. 201. measure.

      CHAPTER VII.

      Than gan Love sadly me beholde, and sayd in a changed

      voyce, lower than she had spoken in any tyme: 'Fayn

      wolde I,' quod she, 'that thou were holpen; but hast thou sayd

      any-thing whiche thou might not proven?'

      5

      'Pardè,' quod I, 'the persones, every thing as I have sayd, han

      knowleged hem-selfe.'

      'Ye,' quod she, 'but what if they hadden nayed? How

      woldest thou have maynteyned it?'

      'Sothely,' quod I, 'it is wel wist, bothe amonges the greetest

      10

      and other of the realme, that I profered my body so largely in-to

      provinge of tho thinges, that Mars shulde have juged the ende;

      but, for sothnesse of my wordes, they durste not to thilke juge

      truste.'

      'Now, certes,' quod she, 'above al fames in this worlde, the

      15

      name of marcial doinges most plesen to ladyes of my lore; but

      sithen thou were redy, and thyne adversaryes in thy presence

      refused thilke doing; thy fame ought to be so born as if in dede

      it had take to the ende. And therfore every wight that any

      droppe of reson hath, and hereth of thee infame for these thinges,

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      hath