Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

that

      he coveyteth most, he shulde come to thilke love; and that

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      is parfit blisse of my servauntes; but than fulle blisse may not

      be, and there lacke any thing of that blisse in any syde. Eke it

      foloweth than, that he that must have ful blisse lacke no blisse in

      love on no syde.'

      'Therfore, lady,' quod I tho, 'thilke blisse I have desyred,

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      and †soghte toforn this my-selfe, by wayes of riches, of dignitè,

      of power, and of renomè, wening me in tho †thinges had ben

      thilke blisse; but ayenst the heer it turneth. Whan I supposed

      beste thilke blisse have †getten, and come to the ful purpose

      of your service, sodaynly was I hindred, and throwen so fer

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      abacke, that me thinketh an inpossible to come there I lefte.'

      'I †wot wel,' quod she; 'and therfore hast thou fayled; for

      thou wentest not by the hye way. A litel misgoing in the ginning

      causeth mikil errour in the ende; wherfore of thilke blisse thou

      fayledest, for having of richesse; ne non of the other thinges thou

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      nempnedest mowen nat make suche parfit blisse in love as I shal

      shewe. Therfore they be nat worthy to thilke blisse; and yet

      somwhat must ben cause and way to thilke blisse. Ergo, there is

      som suche thing, and som way, but it is litel in usage and that

      is nat openly y-knowe. But what felest in thyne hert of the

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      service, in whiche by me thou art entred? Wenest aught thy-selfe

      yet be in the hye way to my blisse? I shal so shewe it to

      thee, thou shalt not conne saye the contrary.'

      'Good lady,' quod I, 'altho I suppose it in my herte, yet

      wolde I here thyn wordes, how ye menen in this mater.'

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      Quod she, 'that I shal, with my good wil. Thilke blisse

      desyred, som-del ye knowen, altho it be nat parfitly. For kyndly

      entencion ledeth you therto, but in three maner livinges is al suche

      wayes shewed. Every wight in this world, to have this blisse, oon

      of thilke three wayes of lyves must procede; whiche, after opinions

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      of grete clerkes, are by names cleped bestiallich, resonablich, [and

      manlich. Resonablich] is vertuous. Manlich is worldlich. Bestialliche

      is lustes and delytable, nothing restrayned by bridel of reson.

      Al that joyeth and yeveth gladnesse to the hert, and it be ayenst

      reson, is lykened to bestial living, which thing foloweth lustes and

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      delytes; wherfore in suche thinge may nat that precious blisse,

      that is maister of al vertues, abyde. Your †faders toforn you have

      cleped such lusty livinges after the flessh "passions of desyre,"

      which are innominable tofore god and man both. Than, after

      determinacion of suche wyse, we accorden that suche passions of

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      desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other

      livinges and provinges; and so †leveth in t[w]o livinges, manlich

      and resonable, to declare the maters begonne. But to make thee

      fully have understanding in manlich livinges, whiche is holden

      worldlich in these thinges, so that ignorance be mad no letter,

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      I wol (quod she) nempne these forsayd wayes †by names and

      conclusions. First riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in

      this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret

      throw, mannes trust of selinesse in love: as in riches, suffisance

      to have maintayned that was begonne by worldly catel; in dignitè,

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      honour and reverence of hem that wern underput by maistry

      therby to obeye. In renomè, glorie of peoples praising, after

      lustes in their hert, without hede-taking to qualitè and maner of

      doing; and in power, by trouth of lordships mayntenaunce, thing

      to procede forth in doing. In al whiche thinges a longe tyme

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      mannes coveytise in commune hath ben greetly grounded, to come

      to the blisse of my service; but trewly, they were begyled, and for

      the principal muste nedes fayle, and in helping mowe nat availe.

      See why. For holdest him not poore that is nedy?'

      'Yes, pardè,' quod I.

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      'And him for dishonored, that moche folk deyne nat to

      reverence?'

      'That is soth,' quod I.

      'And what him, that his mightes faylen and mowe nat helpen?'

      'Certes,' quod I, 'me semeth, of al men he shulde be holden

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      a wrecche.'

      'And wenest nat,' quod she, 'that he that is litel in renomè,

      but rather is out of the praysinges of mo men than a fewe, be nat

      in shame?'

      'For soth,' quod I, 'it is shame and villany, to him that

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      coveyteth renomè, that more folk nat prayse in name than preise.'

      'Soth,' quod she, 'thou sayst soth; but al these thinges are

      folowed of suche maner doinge, and wenden in riches suffisaunce,

      in power might, in dignitè worship, and in renomè glorie; wherfore

      they discended in-to disceyvable wening, and in that service disceit

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      is folowed. And thus, in general, thou and al suche other that so

      worchen, faylen of my blisse that ye long han desyred. Wherfore

      truly, in lyfe of reson is the hye way to this blisse; as I thinke

      more openly to declare herafter. Never-the-later yet, in a litel to

      comforte thy herte, in shewing of what waye thou art entred

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      *selfe, and that thy Margarite may knowe thee set in the hye way,

      I wol enforme thee in this wyse. Thou hast fayled of thy first

      purpos, bicause thou wentest wronge and leftest the hye way on

      thy