Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

At masse serveth but a clergion;

      fyve squiers in hal. Poore chaunsel, open holes in every

      syde; beddes of silke, with tapites going al aboute his chambre.

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      Poore masse-book and leud chapelayn, and broken surplice with

      many an hole; good houndes and many, to hunte after hart and

      hare, to fede in their feestes. Of poore men have they greet

      care; for they ever crave and nothing offren, they wolden have

      hem dolven! But among legistres there dar I not come; my

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      doinge[s], they sayn, maken hem nedy. They ne wolde for

      nothing have me in town; for than were tort and †force nought

      worth an hawe about, and plesen no men, but thilk grevous and

      torcious ben in might and in doing. These thinges to-forn-sayd

      mowe wel, if men liste, ryme; trewly, they acorde nothing. And

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      for-as-moch as al thinges by me shulden of right ben governed,

      I am sory to see that governaunce fayleth, as thus: to sene smale

      and lowe governe the hye and bodies above. Certes, that

      policye is naught; it is forbode by them that of governaunce

      treten and enformen. And right as beestly wit shulde ben

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      subject to reson, so erthly power in it-selfe, the lower shulde ben

      subject to the hygher. What is worth thy body, but it be

      governed with thy soule? Right so litel or naught is worth

      erthely power, but if reignatif prudence in heedes governe the

      smale; to whiche heedes the smale owen to obey and suffre in

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      their governaunce. But soverainnesse ayenward shulde thinke in

      this wyse: "I am servaunt of these creatures to me delivered,

      not lord, but defendour; not mayster, but enfourmer; not

      possessour, but in possession; and to hem liche a tree in whiche

      sparowes shullen stelen, her birdes to norisshe and forth bringe,

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      under suretee ayenst al raveynous foules and beestes, and not to

      be tyraunt them-selfe." And than the smale, in reste and quiete,

      by the heedes wel disposed, owen for their soveraynes helth and

      prosperitè to pray, and in other doinges in maintenaunce therof

      performe, withouten other administracion in rule of any maner

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      governaunce. And they wit have in hem, and grace to come to

      suche thinges, yet shulde they cese til their heedes them cleped,

      although profit and plesaunce shulde folowe. But trewly, other

      governaunce ne other medlinge ought they not to clayme, ne

      the heedes on hem to putte. Trewly, amonges cosinage dar

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      I not come, but-if richesse be my mene; sothly, she and other

      bodily goodes maketh nigh cosinage, ther never propinquitè ne

      alyaunce in lyve was ne shulde have be, nere it for her medling

      maners; wherfore kindly am I not ther leged. Povert of

      kinred is behynde; richesse suffreth him to passe; truly he saith,

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      he com never of Japhetes childre. Whereof I am sory that

      Japhetes children, for povert, in no linage ben rekened, and

      Caynes children, for riches, be maked Japhetes heires. Alas! this

      is a wonder chaunge bitwene tho two Noës children, sithen that

      of Japhetes ofspring comeden knightes, and of Cayn discended

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      the lyne of servage to his brothers childre. Lo! how gentillesse

      and servage, as cosins, bothe discended out of two brethern of

      one body! Wherfore I saye in sothnesse, that gentilesse in

      kinrede †maketh not gentil linage in succession, without desert

      of a mans own selfe. Where is now the lyne of Alisaundre the

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      noble, or els of Hector of Troye? Who is discended of right

      bloode of lyne fro king Artour? Pardè, sir Perdicas, whom that

      Alisandre made to ben his heire in Grece, was of no kinges

      bloode; his dame was a tombestere. Of what kinred ben the

      gentiles in our dayes? I trow therfore, if any good be in gentilesse,

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      it is only that it semeth a maner of necessitè be input to

      gentilmen, that they shulden not varyen fro the vertues of their

      auncestres. Certes, al maner linage of men ben evenliche in

      birth; for oon †fader, maker of al goodnes, enformed hem al,

      and al mortal folk of one sede arn greyned. Wherto avaunt men

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      of her linage, in cosinage or in †elde-faders? Loke now the ginning,

      and to god, maker of mans person; there is no clerk ne no

      worthy in gentilesse; and he that norissheth his †corage with

      vyces and unresonable lustes, and leveth the kynde course, to

      whiche ende him brought forth his birthe, trewly, he is ungentil,

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      and among †cherles may ben nempned. And therfore, he that

      wol ben gentil, he mot daunten his flesshe fro vyces that causen

      ungentilnesse, and leve also reignes of wicked lustes, and drawe

      to him vertue, that in al places gentilnesse gentilmen maketh.

      And so speke I, in feminine gendre in general, of tho persones,

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      at the reverence of one whom every wight honoureth; for her

      bountee and her noblesse y-made her to god so dere, that his

      moder she became; and she me hath had so greet in worship,

      that I nil for nothing in open declare, that in any thinge ayenst her

      secte may so wene. For al vertue and al worthinesse of plesaunce

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      in hem haboundeth. And although I wolde any-thing speke,

      trewly I can not; I may fynde in yvel of hem no maner mater.'

      Ch. II. 1. meane. ganne. 4. stretche. somdele. 7. ganne.

      11. none. 12. thynge. 15. sey; read seye or seyen. 16. thorowe. 17. made. 19. sayne. 20. wote. 21. wonte. 23. nowe. 24. seasonable. 26. sayne. 27. corne. 28. layde. 29. knytte. amonge (twice). wyche; read whicche. 30. layde. 31. amonge horse. shepe. nete. 33.