Chaucerian and Other Pieces. Various

      Wherfore make no more thy proposicion by an impossible.

      But now, I praye thee reherse me ayen tho thinges that

      thy mistrust causen; and thilke thinges I thinke by reson to

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      distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest

      thou there,' quod she, 'by that thou saydest, "many let-games

      are thyn overlokers?" And also by "that thy moeble is insuffysaunt"?

      I not what thou therof menest.'

      'Trewly,' quod I, 'by the first I say, that janglers evermore

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      arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man

      rather enclyneth to wickednesse, than any goodnesse to avaunce.

      Also false wordes springen so wyde, by the stering of false lying

      tonges, that fame als swiftely flyeth to her eres and sayth many

      wicked tales; and as soone shal falsenesse ben leved as tr[o]uthe,

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      for al his gret sothnesse.

      'Now by that other,' quod I, 'me thinketh thilke jewel so

      precious, that to no suche wrecche as I am wolde vertue therof

      extende; and also I am to feble in worldly joyes, any suche

      jewel to countrevayle. For suche people that worldly joyes han

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      at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence

      ben accepted. For false wening maketh felicitè therin to be

      supposed; but suche caytives as I am evermore ben hindred.'

      'Certes,' quod she, 'take good hede, and I shal by reson to

      thee shewen, that al these thinges mowe nat lette thy purpos

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      by the leest point that any wight coude pricke.

      Ch. IV. 2. great-. 4. heauy. 5. easy. 6. easyly. 7. One. 8. easy speakynge. catche. put forthe. 9. easy. 11. ladye easely. 13. great. 14. ferre. 16. the lyste. 17. inwytte. 18. disease (twice). 19. nessel; misprint for uessel. 20. wonte. onely. 22. distroyeng. 23. comforte. seare. 24. comforte. 25. haste. 27. soukyng. 28. arne.

      30. woxe. 33. thynge. 36. teares. 38. Nowe. wysedom. the. 39. bearest. 40. catche. 43. done her course. 45. blode. 46. leaden. parfyte. thynge. 47. wern. wele; read wol. done. 48. nowe. 49. cease. 53. wherthroughe. 58. nowe. the. 59. reason. 60. put. 61. lette-games. 63. meanest. 65. arne.

      67. steeryng. lyeng. 68. eares. 72. wretche. 78. reason. 79. the. let. purpose.

      CHAPTER V.

      Remembrest nat,' quod she, 'ensample is oon of the

      strongest maner[es], as for to preve a mannes purpos?

      Than if I now, by ensample, enduce thee to any proposicion, is

      it nat preved by strength?'

      5

      'Yes, forsothe,' quod I.

      'Wel,' quod she, 'raddest thou never how Paris of Troye and

      Heleyne loved togider, and yet had they not entrecomuned of

      speche? Also Acrisius shette Dane his doughter in a tour, for

      suertee that no wight shulde of her have no maistry in my

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      service; and yet Jupiter by signes, without any speche, had

      al his purpose ayenst her fathers wil. And many suche mo have

      ben knitte in trouthe, and yet spake they never togider; for

      that is a thing enclosed under secretnesse of privytè, why twey

      persons entremellen hertes after a sight. The power in knowing,

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      of such thinges †to preven, shal nat al utterly be yeven to you

      beestes; for many thinges, in suche precious maters, ben

      reserved to jugement of devyne purveyaunce; for among lyving

      people, by mannes consideracion, moun they nat be determined.

      Wherfore I saye, al the envy, al the janglinge, that wel ny [al]

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      people upon my servauntes maken †ofte, is rather cause of esployte

      than of any hindringe.'

      'Why, than,' quod I, 'suffre ye such wrong; and moun, whan

      ye list, lightly al such yvels abate? Me semeth, to you it is

      a greet unworship.'

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      'O,' quod she, 'hold now thy pees. I have founden to many

      that han ben to me unkynde, that trewly I wol suffre every wight

      in that wyse to have disese; and who that continueth to the ende

      wel and trewly, hem wol I helpen, and as for oon of myne in-to

      blisse [don] to wende. As [in] marcial doing in Grece, who

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      was y-crowned? By god, nat the strongest; but he that rathest

      com and lengest abood and continued in the journey, and spared

      nat to traveyle as long as the play leste. But thilke person, that

      profred him now to my service, [and] therin is a while, and anon

      voideth and [is] redy to another; and so now oon he thinketh

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      and now another; and in-to water entreth and anon respireth:

      such oon list me nat in-to perfit blisse of my service bringe.

      A tree ofte set in dyvers places wol nat by kynde endure to bringe

      forth frutes. Loke now, I pray thee, how myne olde servauntes

      of tyme passed continued in her service, and folowe thou after

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      their steppes; and than might thou not fayle, in case thou worche

      in this wyse.'

      'Certes,' quod I, 'it is nothing lich, this world, to tyme

      passed; eke this countrè hath oon maner, and another countrè

      hath another. And so may nat a man alway putte to his eye the

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      salve that he heled with his hele. For this is sothe: betwixe

      two thinges liche, ofte dyversitè is required.'

      'Now,' quod she, 'that is sothe; dyversitè of nation, dyversitè of

      lawe, as was maked by many resons; for that dyversitè cometh in

      by the contrarious malice of wicked people, that han envyous hertes

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      ayenst other. But trewly, my lawe to my servauntes ever hath

      ben in general, whiche may nat fayle. For right as mannes †lawe

      that is ordained by many determinacions, may nat be knowe for

      good or badde, til assay of the people han proved it and [founden]

      to what ende it draweth; and than it sheweth the necessitè

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