Chapter VI

Ever,' quod she, 'hath the people in this worlde desyred
to have had greet name in worthinesse, and hated foule
to bere any [en]fame; and that is oon of the objeccions thou
alegest to be ayen thyne hertely desyre.'

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that, so comenly, the people wol 5
lye, and bringe aboute suche enfame.'

'Now,' quod she, 'if men with lesinges putte on thee enfame,
wenest thy-selfe therby ben enpeyred? That wening is wrong;
see why; for as moche as they lyen, thy meryte encreseth, and
make[th] thee ben more worthy, to hem that knowen of the soth; 10
by what thing thou art apeyred, that in so mokil thou art encresed
of thy beloved frendes. And sothly, a wounde of thy frende [is] to
thee lasse harm, ye, sir, and better than a fals kissing in disceyvable
glosing of thyne enemy; above that than, to be wel with thy
frende maketh [voyd] suche enfame. _Ergo_, thou art encresed 15
and not apeyred.'

'Lady,' quod I, 'somtyme yet, if a man be in disese, th'estimacion
of the envyous people ne loketh nothing to desertes of men,
ne to the merytes of their doinges, but only to the aventure of
fortune; and therafter they yeven their sentence. And some 20
loken the voluntary wil in his herte, and therafter telleth his
jugement; not taking hede to reson ne to the qualitè of the
doing; as thus. If a man be riche and fulfild with worldly
welfulnesse, some commenden it, and sayn it is so lent by juste
cause; and he that hath adversitè, they sayn he is weked; and 25
hath deserved thilke anoy. The contrarye of these thinges some
men holden also; and sayn that to the riche prosperitè is purvayed
in-to his confusion; and upon this mater many autoritès
of many and greet-witted clerkes they alegen. And some men
sayn, though al good estimacion forsake folk that han adversitè, 30
yet is it meryte and encrees of his blisse; so that these purposes
am so wonderful in understanding, that trewly, for myn adversitè
now, I not how the sentence of the indifferent people wil jugen
my fame.'

'Therfore,' quod she, 'if any wight shulde yeve a trewe sentence 35
on suche maters, the cause of the disese maist thou see
wel. Understand ther-upon after what ende it draweth, that is to
sayne, good or badde; so ought it to have his fame +by goodnesse
or enfame by badnesse. For [of] every resonable person, and
namely of a wyse man, his wit ought not, without reson to-forn 40
herd, sodainly in a mater to juge. After the sawes of the wyse,
"thou shalt not juge ne deme toforn thou knowe."'

'Lady,' quod I, 'ye remembre wel, that in moste laude and
praysing of certayne seyntes in holy churche, is to rehersen their
conuersion from badde in-to good; and that is so rehersed, as 45
by a perpetual mirrour of remembraunce, in worshippinge of
tho sayntes, and good ensample to other misdoers in amendement.
How turned the Romayne Zedeoreys fro the Romaynes,
to be with Hanibal ayenst his kynde nacion; and afterwardes,
him seming the Romayns to be at the next degrè of confusion, 50
turned to his olde alyes; by whose witte after was Hanibal
discomfited. Wherfore, to enfourme you, lady, the maner-why
I mene, see now. In my youth I was drawe to ben assentaunt
and (in my mightes) helping to certain conjuracions and other
grete maters of ruling of citizins; and thilke thinges ben my 55
drawers in; and ex[c]itours to tho maters wern so paynted and
coloured that (at the prime face) me semed them noble and
glorious to al the people. I than, wening mikel meryte have
deserved in furthering and mayntenaunce of tho thinges, besyed
and laboured, with al my diligence, in werkinge of thilke maters 60
to the ende. And trewly, lady, to telle you the sothe, me rought
litel of any hate of the mighty senatours in thilke citè, ne of
comunes malice; for two skilles. Oon was, I had comfort to ben
in suche plyte, that bothe profit were to me and to my frendes.
Another was, for commen profit in cominaltee is not but pees and 65
tranquilitè, with just governaunce, proceden from thilke profit;
sithen, by counsayle of myne inwitte, me thought the firste painted
thinges malice and yvel meninge, withouten any good avayling to
any people, and of tyrannye purposed. And so, for pure sorowe,
and of my medlinge and badde infame that I was in ronne, tho 70
[the] teres [that] lasshed out of myne eyen were thus awaye
wasshe, than the under-hidde malice and the rancour of purposing
envye, forncast and imagined in distruccion of mokil people,
shewed so openly, that, had I ben blind, with myne hondes al the
circumstaunce I might wel have feled. 75

Now than tho persones that suche thinges have cast to redresse,
for wrathe of my first medlinge, shopen me to dwelle in this pynande
prison, til Lachases my threed no lenger wolde twyne. And
ever I was sought, if me liste to have grace of my lyfe and
frenesse of that prison, I shulde openly confesse how pees might 80
ben enduced to enden al the firste rancours. It was fully
supposed my knowing to be ful in tho maters. Than, lady,
I thought that every man that, by any waye of right, rightfully
don, may helpe any comune +wele to ben saved; whiche thing to
kepe above al thinges I am holde to mayntayne, and namely in 85
distroying of a wrong; al shulde I therthrough enpeche myn
owne fere, if he were gilty and to do misdeed assentaunt. And
mayster ne frend may nought avayle to the soule of him that
in falsnesse deyeth; and also that I nere desyred wrathe of the
people ne indignacion of the worthy, for nothinge that ever I 90
wrought or did, in any doing my-selfe els, but in the mayntenaunce
of these foresayd errours and in hydinge of the privitees therof.
And that al the peoples hertes, holdinge on the errours syde,
weren blinde and of elde so ferforth begyled, that debat and
stryf they maynteyned, and in distruccion on that other syde; 95
by whiche cause the pees, that moste in comunaltee shulde be
desyred, was in poynte to be broken and adnulled. Also the citee
of London, that is to me so dere and swete, in whiche I was forth
growen; (and more kyndely love have I to that place than to any
other in erthe, as every kyndely creature hath ful appetyte to that 100
place of his kyndly engendrure, and to wilne reste and pees
in that stede to abyde); thilke pees shulde thus there have ben
broken, and of al wyse it is commended and desyred. For knowe
thing it is, al men that desyren to comen to the perfit pees
everlasting must the pees by god commended bothe mayntayne and 105
kepe. This pees by angels voyce was confirmed, our god entringe
in this worlde. This, as for his Testament, he lefte to al his
frendes, whanne he retourned to the place from whence he cam;
this his apostel amonesteth to holden, without whiche man perfitly
may have non insight. Also this god, by his coming, made not 110
pees alone betwene hevenly and erthly bodyes, but also amonge
us on erthe so he pees confirmed, that in one heed of love oon
body we shulde perfourme. Also I remembre me wel how the
name of Athenes was rather after the god of pees than of batayle,
shewinge that pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees. 115
I than, so styred by al these wayes toforn nempned, declared
certayne poyntes in this wyse. Firste, that thilke persones
that hadden me drawen to their purposes, and me not weting the
privy entent of their meninge, drawen also the feeble-witted
people, that have non insight of gubernatif prudence, to clamure 120
and to crye on maters that they styred; and under poyntes for
comune avauntage they enbolded the passif to take in the
actives doinge; and also styred innocentes of conning to crye
after thinges, whiche (quod they) may not stande but we ben
executours of tho maters, and auctoritè of execucion by comen 125
eleccion to us be delivered. And that muste entre by strength of
your mayntenaunce. For we out of suche degree put, oppression
of these olde hindrers shal agayn surmounten, and putten you in
such subjeccion, that in endelesse wo ye shul complayne.

The governementes (quod they) of your citè, lefte in the handes 130
of torcencious citezins, shal bringe in pestilence and distruccion
to you, good men; and therfore let us have the comune administracion
to abate suche yvels. Also (quod they) it is worthy
the good to commende, and the gilty desertes to chastice. There
ben citezens many, for-ferde of execucion that shal be doon; for 135
extorcions by hem committed ben evermore ayenst these purposes
and al other good mevinges. Never-the-latter, lady, trewly the
meninge under these wordes was, fully to have apeched the
mighty senatoures, whiche hadden hevy herte for the misgovernaunce
that they seen. And so, lady, whan it fel that free 140
eleccion [was mad], by greet clamour of moche people, [that] for
greet disese of misgovernaunce so fervently stoden in her eleccion
that they hem submitted to every maner +fate rather than have
suffred the maner and the rule of the hated governours;
notwithstandinge that in the contrary helden moche comune meyny, 145
that have no consideracion but only to voluntary lustes withouten
reson. But than thilke governour so forsaken, fayninge to-forn
his undoinge for misrule in his tyme, shoop to have letted thilke
eleccion, and have made a newe, him-selfe to have ben chosen;
and under that, mokil rore [to] have arered. These thinges, lady, 150
knowen among the princes, and made open to the people,
draweth in amendement, that every degree shal ben ordayned to
stande there-as he shulde; and that of errours coming herafter
men may lightly to-forn-hand purvaye remedye; in this wyse pees
and rest to be furthered and holde. Of the whiche thinges, lady, 155
thilke persones broughten in answere to-forn their moste soverayne
juge, not coarted by payninge dures, openly knowlegeden, and
asked therof grace; so that apertly it preveth my wordes ben
sothe, without forginge of lesinges.

But now it greveth me to remembre these dyvers sentences, in 160
janglinge of these shepy people; certes, me thinketh, they oughten
to maken joye that a sothe may be knowe. For my trouthe and
my conscience ben witnesse to me bothe, that this (knowinge
sothe) have I sayd, for no harme ne malice of tho persones, but
only for trouthe of my sacrament in my ligeaunce, by whiche 165
I was charged on my kinges behalfe. But see ye not now, lady,
how the felonous thoughtes of this people and covins of wicked
men conspyren ayen my sothfast trouth! See ye not every wight
that to these erroneous opinions were assentaunt, and helpes to
the noyse, and knewen al these thinges better than I my-selven, 170
apparaylen to fynden newe frendes, and clepen me fals, and
studyen how they mowen in her mouthes werse plyte nempne?
O god, what may this be, that thilke folk whiche that in tyme of
my mayntenaunce, and whan my might avayled to strecche to
the forsayd maters, tho me commended, and yave me name of 175
trouth, in so manyfolde maners that it was nyghe in every
wightes eere, there-as any of thilke people weren; and on the
other syde, thilke company somtyme passed, yevinge me name
of badde loos: now bothe tho peoples turned the good in-to
badde, and badde in-to good? Whiche thing is wonder, that 180
they knowing me saying but sothe, arn now tempted to reply her
olde praysinges; and knowen me wel in al doinges to ben trewe,
and sayn openly that I false have sayd many thinges! And they
aleged nothing me to ben false or untrewe, save thilke mater
knowleged by the parties hem-selfe; and god wot, other mater 185
is non. Ye also, lady, knowe these thinges for trewe; I avaunte
not in praysing of my-selfe; therby shulde I lese the precious
secrè of my conscience. But ye see wel that false opinion of the
people for my trouthe, in telling out of false conspyred maters;
and after the jugement of these clerkes, I shulde not hyde the 190
sothe of no maner person, mayster ne other. Wherfore I wolde
not drede, were it put in the consideracion of trewe and of wyse.
And for comers hereafter shullen fully, out of denwere, al the
sothe knowe of these thinges in acte, but as they wern, I have
put it in scripture, in perpetuel remembraunce of true meninge. 195
For trewly, lady, me semeth that I ought to bere the name of
trouthe, that for the love of rightwysnesse have thus me +submitted.
But now than the false fame, which that (clerkes sayn)
flyeth as faste as doth the fame of trouthe, shal so wyde sprede
til it be brought to the jewel that I of mene; and so shal I ben 200
hindred, withouten any mesure of trouthe.'

CH. VI. 2. great. beare. 3. _read_ enfame; _see l. 6_. one. obiections. 7. Nowe. leasynges put on the. 8. wronge. 9. se. encreaseth. 10. the. 11. arte encreased. 12. _I supply_ is. 13. the. harme. false. 15. _I supply_ voyd. arte. 17. disease. 22. reason. 23. fulfylde. 24. sayne. lente. 25. sayne. weaked; _read_ wikked? 26. anoye.

27. sayne. 29. great. 30. forsaken; _read_ forsake. 31. encrease. 32. arne. 33. nowe. howe. 36. disease. se. 37. vnderstande. 38. fame or by goodnesse enfame; _read_ fame by goodnesse or enfame. 39. _Supply_ of. reasonable. 40. wytte. reason to-forne. 41. herde. 42. toforne. 45. conuercion. 48. Howe. zedeoreys _or_ [gh]edeoreys. 53. meane se nowe. 55. great. 56. exitours. werne. 61. tel.

63. One. comforte. 64. profyte. 65. profyte. comynaltie. peace. 66. profyte. 68. meanynge. 71. _I supply_ the _and_ that. 72. rancoure. 73. fornecaste. distruction. 74. blynde. 76. Nowe. caste. 77. dwel. 78. threde. 80. howe peace. 81. endused. 84. done. maye. helpe (_repeated after_ comen); _read_ wele. thynge. 86. distroyeng. 87. misdede. 88. frende maye. 94. -forthe. debate. 95. stryfe. distruction. 96. peace. comunaltie. 97. cytie. 98. forthe.

101-6. peace (_five times_). 104. thynge. perfyte. 107. left. 108. came. 109. perfytely. 110. none. 111-2. peace (_twice_). 112. one (_twice_). 113. howe. 114-5. peace (_twice_). 115. comunalties and cytes. 116. toforne. 119. meanynge. feoble. 120. none. gubernatyfe. 122. passyfe. 126. election. 128. agayne. 129. subiection. 131. distruction. 135. doone.

138. meanynge. 139. heauy. 141. election. _Supply_ was mad. great (_twice_). _Supply_ that. 142. disease. election. 143. face; _read_ fate. 146. onely. 147. reason. to-forne. 148. shope. 149. electyon. 151. amonge. 154. to forne hande. peace. 156. to forne. 158. apertely. 159. leasynges. 160. nowe. 162. maye. 164. sayde. 165. onely. leigeaunce. 166. se. nowe. 168. Se. 171. cleapen. false.

172. howe. 173. maye. folke. 174. stretch. 179. Nowe. 181. knowyuge (_sic_). sayng. arne nowe. 183. sayne. 184. nothynge. 185. wote. 186. none. 188. se. 194. werne. 195. meanynge. 196. beare. 197. submytten (!). 198. nowe. sayne. 199. dothe. 200. meane. 201. measure.