Chapter IV

And with these wordes I brast out to wepe, that every teere
of myne eyen, for greetnesse semed they boren out the bal of
my sight, and that al the water had ben out-ronne. Than thought
me that Love gan a litel to hevye for miscomfort of my chere;
and gan soberly and in esy maner speke, wel avysinge what 5
she sayd. Comenly the wyse speken esily and softe for many
skilles. Oon is, their wordes are the better bileved; and also, in
esy spekinge, avysement men may cacche, what to putte forth
and what to holden in. And also, the auctoritè of esy wordes is
the more; and eke, they yeven the more understandinge to other 10
intencion of the mater. Right so this lady esely and in a softe
maner gan say these wordes.

¶ 'Mervayle,' quod she, 'greet it is, that by no maner of semblaunt,
as fer as I can espye, thou list not to have any recour;
but ever thou playnest and sorowest, and wayes of remedye, for 15
folisshe wilfulnesse, thee list not to seche. But enquyre of thy
next frendes, that is, thyne inwit and me that have ben thy
maystresse, and the recour and fyne of thy disese; [f]or of disese is
gladnesse and joy, with a ful +vessel so helded, that it quencheth
the felinge of the firste tenes. But thou that were wont not only 20
these thinges remembre in thyne herte, but also fooles therof to
enfourmen, in adnullinge of their errours and distroying of their
derke opinions, and in comfort of their sere thoughtes; now canst
thou not ben comfort of thyn owne soule, in thinking of these
thinges. O where hast thou be so longe commensal, that hast so 25
mikel eeten of the potages of foryetfulnesse, and dronken so of
ignorance, that the olde souking[es] whiche thou haddest of me
arn amaystred and lorn fro al maner of knowing? O, this is
a worthy person to helpe other, that can not counsayle him-selfe!'
And with these wordes, for pure and stronge shame, I wox al 30
reed.

And she than, seing me so astonyed by dyvers stoundes,
sodainly (which thing kynde hateth) gan deliciously me comforte
with sugred wordes, putting me in ful hope that I shulde the
Margarite getten, if I folowed her hestes; and gan with a fayre 35
clothe to wypen the teres that hingen on my chekes; and than
sayd I in this wyse.

'Now, wel of wysdom and of al welthe, withouten thee may
nothing ben lerned; thou berest the keyes of al privy thinges.
In vayne travayle men to cacche any stedship, but-if ye, lady, 40
first the locke unshet. Ye, lady, lerne us the wayes and the
by-pathes to heven. Ye, lady, maken al the hevenly bodyes
goodly and benignely to don her cours, that governen us beestes
here on erthe. Ye armen your servauntes ayenst al debates with
imperciable harneys; ye setten in her hertes insuperable blood of 45
hardinesse; ye leden hem to the parfit good. Yet al thing
desyreth ye werne no man of helpe, that +wol don your
lore. Graunt me now a litel of your grace, al my sorowes
to cese.'

'Myne owne servaunt,' quod she, 'trewly thou sittest nye 50
myne herte; and thy badde chere gan sorily me greve. But
amonge thy playning wordes, me thought, thou allegest thinges to
be letting of thyne helpinge and thy grace to hinder; wherthrough,
me thinketh, that wanhope is crope thorough thyn hert. God
forbid that nyse unthrifty thought shulde come in thy mynde, 55
thy wittes to trouble; sithen every thing in coming is contingent.
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
distroyen, and putte ful hope in thyn herte. What understondest 60
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
arn spekinge rather of yvel than of good; for every age of man 65
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,
for al his gret sothnesse. 70

'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
at her wil ben sette at the highest degree, and most in reverence 75
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
by the leest point that any wight coude pricke. 80

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.