Chapter VII

Avayleth aught (quod she) power of might in mayntenaunce
of [men, to maken hem] worthy to come to this
knot?'

'Parde,' quod I, 'ye; for hertes ben ravisshed from suche
maner thinges.' 5

'Certes,' quod she, 'though a fooles herte is with thing
ravisshed, yet therfore is no general cause of the powers, ne of
a siker parfit herte to be loked after. Was not Nero the moste
shrewe oon of thilke that men rede, and yet had he power to
make senatours justices, and princes of many landes? Was not 10
that greet power?'

'Yes, certes,' quod I.

'Wel,' quod she, 'yet might he not helpe him-selfe out of
disese, whan he gan falle. How many ensamples canst thou
remembre of kinges grete and noble, and huge power +helden, and 15
yet they might not kepe hem-selve from wrecchednesse? How
wrecched was king Henry Curtmantil er he deyde? He had not
so moche as to cover with his membres; and yet was he oon
of the grettest kinges of al the Normandes ofspring, and moste
possession had. O! a noble thing and clere is power, that is not 20
founden mighty to kepe him-selfe! Now, trewly, a greet fole is
he, that for suche thing wolde sette the knotte in thyne herte!
Also power of rëalmes, is not thilke grettest power amonges the
worldly powers reckened? And if suche powers han wrecchednesse
in hem-selfe, it foloweth other powers of febler condicion to 25
ben wrecched; and than, that wrecchednesse shulde be cause of
suche a knotte! But every wight that hath reson wot wel that
wrecchednesse by no way may ben cause of none suche knotte;
wherfore suche power is no cause. That powers have wrecchednesse
in hem-selfe, may right lightly ben preved. If power lacke on 30
any syde, on that syde is no power; but no power is wrecchednesse:
for al-be-it so the power of emperours or kinges, or els
of their rëalmes (which is the power of the prince) strecchen
wyde and brode, yet besydes is ther mokel folk of whiche he
hath no commaundement ne lordshippe; and there-as lacketh his 35
power, his nonpower entreth, where-under springeth that maketh
hem wrecches. No power is wrecchednesse and nothing els;
but in this maner hath kinges more porcion of wrecchednesse
than of power. Trewly, suche powers ben unmighty; for ever
they ben in drede how thilke power from lesing may be keped 40
of sorow; so drede sorily prikkes ever in their hertes: litel
is that power whiche careth and ferdeth it-selfe to mayntayne.
Unmighty is that wrecchednesse whiche is entred by the ferdful
weninge of the wrecche him-selfe; and knot y-maked by wrecchednesse
is betwene wrecches; and wrecches al thing bewaylen; 45
wherfore the knot shulde be bewayled; and there is no suche
parfit blisse that we supposed at the ginning! _Ergo_, power in
nothing shulde cause suche knottes. Wrecchednesse is a kyndely
propertee in suche power, as by way of drede, whiche they mowe
nat eschewe, ne by no way live in sikernesse. For thou wost wel 50
(quod she) he is nought mighty that wolde don that he may not
don ne perfourme.'

'Therfore,' quod I, 'these kinges and lordes that han suffisaunce
at the ful of men and other thinges, mowen wel ben
holden mighty; their comaundementes ben don; it is nevermore 55
denyed.'

'Foole,' quod she, 'or he wot him-selfe mighty, or wot it
not; for he is nought mighty that is blynde of his might and wot
it not.'

'That is sothe,' quod I. 60

'Than if he wot it, he must nedes ben a-drad to lesen it. He
that wot of his might is in doute that he mote nedes lese; and so
ledeth him drede to ben unmighty. And if he recche not to lese,
litel is that worth that of the lesing reson reccheth nothing; and
if it were mighty in power or in strength, the lesing shulde ben 65
withset; and whan it cometh to the lesing, he may it not withsitte.
_Ergo_, thilke might is leude and naughty. Such mightes
arn y-lyke to postes and pillers that upright stonden, and greet
might han to bere many charges; and if they croke on any syde,
litel thing maketh hem overthrowe.' 70

'This is a good ensample,' quod I, 'to pillers and postes that
I have seen overthrowed my-selfe; and hadden they ben underput
with any helpes, they had not so lightly falle.'

'Than holdest thou him mighty that hath many men armed
and many servauntes; and ever he is adrad of hem in his herte; 75
and, for he gasteth hem, somtyme he mot the more fere have.
Comenly, he that other agasteth, other in him ayenward werchen
the same; and thus warnisshed mot he be, and of warnisshe the
hour drede. Litel is that might and right leude, who-so taketh
hede.' 80

'Than semeth it,' quod I, 'that suche famulers aboute kinges
and grete lordes shulde greet might have. Although a sypher in
augrim have no might in significacion of it-selve, yet he yeveth
power in significacion to other; and these clepe I the helpes to
a poste to kepe him from falling.' 85

'Certes,' quod she, 'thilke skilles ben leude. Why? But-if
the shorers be wel grounded, the helpes shulden slyden and suffre
the charge to falle; her might litel avayleth.'

'And so me thinketh,' quod I, 'that a poste alone, stonding
upright upon a basse, may lenger in greet burthen endure than 90
croken pilers for al their helpes, and her ground be not siker.'

'That is sothe,' quod she; 'for as, [if] the blynde in bering of
the lame ginne stomble, bothe shulde falle, right so suche pillers,
so envyroned with helpes, in falling of the grounde fayleth
+altogider. How ofte than suche famulers, in their moste pryde 95
of prosperitè, ben sodainly overthrowen! Thou hast knowe
many in a moment so ferre overthrowe, that cover might they
never. Whan the hevinesse of suche fayling cometh by case of
fortune, they mowe it not eschue; and might and power, if ther
were any, shulde of strength such thinges voyde and weyve; and 100
so it is not. Lo, than! whiche thing is this power, that, tho men
han it, they ben agast; and in no tyme of ful having be they
siker! And if they wold weyve drede, as they mow not, litel is
in worthines. Fye therfore on so naughty thing, any knot to
cause! Lo! in adversitè, thilk ben his foes that glosed and 105
semed frendes in welth; thus arn his familiers his foes and his
enemyes; and nothing is werse, ne more mighty for to anoy than
is a familier enemy; and these thinges may they not weyve; so
trewly their might is not worth a cresse. And over al thinge, he
that may not withdrawe the brydel of his flesshly lustes and his 110
wrecched complayntes (now think on thy-selfe) trewly he is not
mighty; I can seen no way that lyth to the knotte. Thilke
people than, that setten their hertes upon suche mightes and
powers, often ben begyled. Pardè, he is not mighty that may do
any thing, that another may doon him the selve, and that men 115
have as greet power over him as he over other. A justice that
demeth men ayenward hath ben often demed. Buserus slew his
gestes, and he was slayn of Hercules his geste. Hugest betraysshed
many men, and of Collo was he betrayed. He that with
swerde smyteth, with swerde shal be smitten.' 120

Than gan I to studyen a whyle on these thinges, and made
a countenaunce with my hande in maner to ben huisht.

'Now let seen,' quod she, 'me thinketh somwhat there is
within thy soule, that troubleth thy understanding; saye on what
it is.' 125

Quod I tho, 'me thinketh that, although a man by power have
suche might over me, as I have over another, that disproveth no
might in my person; but yet may I have power and might
never-the-later.'

'See now,' quod she, 'thyne owne leudenesse. He is mighty 130
that may without wrecchednesse; and he is unmighty that may it
not withsitte; but than he, that might over thee, and he wol,
putte on thee wrecchednesse, thou might it not withsitte. _Ergo_,
thou seest thy-selfe what foloweth! But now (quod she) woldest
thou not skorne, and thou see a flye han power to don harm to 135
an-other flye, and thilke have no might ne ayenturning him-selfe
to defende?'

'Yes, certes,' quod I.

'Who is a frayler thing,' quod she, 'than the fleshly body of
a man, over whiche have oftentyme flyes, and yet lasse thing than 140
a flye, mokel might in grevaunce and anoying, withouten any
withsittinge, for al thilke mannes mightes? And sithen thou
seest thyne flesshly body in kyndely power fayle, how shulde than
the accident of a thinge ben in more suretè of beinge than
substancial? Wherfore, thilke thinges that we clepe power is but 145
accident to the flesshly body; and so they may not have that
suretee in might, whiche wanteth in the substancial body. Why
there is no way to the knotte, [for him] that loketh aright after
the hye way, as he shulde.

CH. VII. 2. _I supply_ men, to maken hem. 8. parfyte. 9. one. 11. great. 14. disease. fal. Howe. canste. 15. great. holden; _read_ helden. 16. wretchydnesse. Howe wretched. 18. one. 19. greatest. 20. thynge. 21. Nowe. great. 23. greatest. 24. wretchydnesse (_several times_); wretched (_several times_). 27. reason wote. 33. stretchen.

34. folke. 40. howe. 41. prickes. 47. parfyte. 49. propertie. 50. woste. 51-5. done (_thrice_). 57-62. wotte (_four times_). 61. a dradde. 63. leadeth. retche. 64. worthe. reason retcheth. 68. arne. great. 69. beare. 70. thynge.

72. sene. 73. fal. 75. adradde. 76. mote. feare. 77. ayenwarde. 78. mote. 82. great (_twice_). Althoughe. 88. fal. 90. graet (_sic_). 91. grou_n_de. 92. _Supply_ if. bearyng. 93. fal. 95. al togyther. howe. 96. haste. 108. enemye.

109. worthe. 110. maye. 111. wretched. nowe thynke. 112. sene. waye. lythe. 115. maye doone. 116. great. 117. ayenwarde. slewe. 118. slayne. 122. huyshte. 123. Nowe. sene. 130. Se nowe. 131. maye. wretchydnesse. 132. the. 133. put. the wretchydnesse. 134. nowe. 135. se. done harme. 141. anoyeng. 143. howe.

147. suretie. 148. waye. _Supply_ for him. 149. waye.