Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

      let thee deye, shal besette her-selfe in suche wyse, that in erthe,

      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

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      thy presence; and whider thou wilt chese, thilke soule shal ben

      committed." Or els, after thy deth, anon al the foresayd hevenly

      bodyes, by one accorde, shal †benimen from thilke perle al the

      vertues that firste her were taken; for she hath hem forfeyted

      by that on thee, my servaunt, in thy lyve, she wolde not suffre

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      to worche al vertues, withdrawen by might of the hygh bodyes.

      Why than shuldest thou wene so any more? And if thee liste

      to loke upon the lawe of kynde, and with order whiche to me

      was ordayned, sothely, non age, non overtourninge tyme but

      †hiderto had no tyme ne power to chaunge the wedding, ne

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      the knotte to unbynde of two hertes [that] thorow oon assent, in

      my presence, †togider accorden to enduren til deth hem departe.

      What? trowest thou, every ideot wot the meninge and the privy

      entent of these thinges? They wene, forsothe, that suche accord

      may not be, but the rose of maydenhede be plucked. Do way,

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      do way; they knowe nothing of this. For consent of two hertes

      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,

      after tyme that suche accord, by their consent in hert, is enseled,

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      and put in my tresorye amonges my privy thinges, than ginneth

      the name of spousayle; and although they breken forward bothe,

      yet suche mater enseled is kept in remembrance for ever. And

      see now that spouses have the name anon after accord, though

      the rose be not take. The aungel bad Joseph take Marye his

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      spouse, and to Egypte wende. Lo! she was cleped "spouse,"

      and yet, toforn ne after, neither of hem bothe mente no flesshly

      lust knowe. Wherfore the wordes of trouthe acorden that my

      servauntes shulden forsake bothe †fader and moder, and be adherand

      to his spouse; and they two in unitè of one flesshe

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      shulden accorde. And this wyse, two that wern firste in a litel

      maner discordaunt, hygher that oon and lower that other, ben

      mad evenliche in gree to stonde. But now to enfourme thee

      that ye ben liche to goddes, these clerkes sayn, and in determinacion

      shewen, that "three thinges haven [by] the names

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      of goddes ben cleped; that is to sayn: man, divel, and images";

      but yet is there but oon god, of whom al goodnesse, al grace, and

      al vertue cometh; and he †is loving and trewe, and everlasting,

      and pryme cause of al being thinges. But men ben goddes

      lovinge and trewe, but not everlasting; and that is by adopcioun

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      of the everlastinge god. Divels ben goddes, stirringe by

      a maner of lyving; but neither ben they trewe ne everlastinge;

      and their name of godliheed th[e]y han by usurpacion, as the

      prophete sayth: "Al goddes of gentyles (that is to say, paynims)

      are divels." But images ben goddes by nuncupacion; and they

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      ben neither livinge ne trewe, ne everlastinge. After these wordes

      they clepen "goddes" images wrought with mennes handes.

      But now [art thou a] resonable creature, that by adopcion alone

      art to the grete god everlastinge, and therby thou art "god"

      cleped: let thy †faders maners so entre thy wittes that thou might

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      folowe, in-as-moche as longeth to thee, thy †faders worship, so

      that in nothinge thy kynde from his wil declyne, ne from his

      nobley perverte. In this wyse if thou werche, thou art above

      al other thinges save god alone; and so say no more "thyn herte

      to serve in to hye a place."

      Ch. IX. 1. arte. 2. thynge. 3. thyne. leaue. 5. reason. 6. nowe. bearers. 7. purpose. 9. Yea. 10. -thorowe. steered. 13. leneth; read leueth. 15. thyne. 16. arne. I supply thee. 17. the. 18. myne hert.

      20. maye. 23. Nowe. are; read that. 24. the. 25. shalte. 26. one. 27. Howe. to forne. 31. fye. 38. vnderputte. 39. thynge. made. 40. buxome. 41. manne. 43. reason. 44. knytte. 45. lyuenges. reasonable. made. 47. Nowe. 48. nowe. nowe ferre nowe. thousande. 49. nowe (twice). ferre. momente. 50. tenne. disposytion. 52. nowe. I supply arn. vnderputte. 53. reasonable. 54. lordshippe. thynge.

      56. nothynge. the. 57. wote. euyn. 58. arte. 59. manne (twice). 60. soueraygntie. cease. 61. thoughe putte. 64. haste. 64–5. nowe. 68. haste. dethe. 70. nowe pray. 71. For in read on? comforte. 72. lette the. 75. wylte. 76. dethe anone. 77. benommen; read benimen. 79. the. 81. the. 83. none (twice). 84. hytherto. 85. Supply that. thorowe one. 86. togyther. dethe. 87. ydeot wotte. 88. accorde. 89. waye (twice). 90. consente.

      93. onely. 93–4. accorde. 94. ensealed. 96. breaken forwarde. 97. ensealed. kepte. 98. se nowe. accorde. 99. bade. 101. toforne. 102. luste. 103. father and mother; rather, fader and moder. adherande. 105. werne. 106. one. 107. made. nowe. the. 108. sayne. 109. thre. I supply by. 110. cleaped. 111. one. 112. his; read is. 116. lyueng. 117. thy; read they. 118. saythe. 121. cleapen. 122. nowe. I supply art thou a. reasonable. 123. arte (twice). great. 124. lette. 124–5. fathers; read faders. 125. the. worshyppe.

      127. arte.

      CHAPTER X.

      Fully have I now declared thyn estate to be good, so thou

      folow therafter, and that the †objeccion first †by thee

      aleged, in worthinesse of thy Margaryte, shal not thee lette, as

      it shal forther thee, and encrese thee. It is now to declare, the

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      last objeccion in nothing may greve.'

      'Yes, certes,' quod I, 'bothe greve and lette muste it nedes;

      the contrarye may not ben proved; and see now why. Whyle

      I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse, and had suche goodes in

      welth as maken men riche, tho was I drawe in-to companyes

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      that loos, prise, and