Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
General
Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400
93. onely. 93-4. accorde. 94. ensealed. 96. breaken forwarde. 97. ensealed.
kepte. 98. se nowe. accorde. 99. bade. 101. toforne. 102. luste. 103.
father and mother; _rather_, fader and moder. adherande. 105. werne. 106.
one. 107. made. nowe. the. 108. sayne. 109. thre. _I supply_ by. 110.
cleaped. 111. one. 112. his; _read_ is. 116. lyueng. 117. thy; _read_ they.
118. saythe. 121. cleapen. 122. nowe. _I supply_ art thou a. reasonable.
123. arte (_twice_). great. 124. lette. 124-5. fathers; _read_ faders. 125.
the. worshyppe.
127. arte.
CHAPTER X.
Fully have I now declared thyn estate to be good, so thou
folow therafter, and that the +objeccion first +by thee
aleged, in worthinesse of thy Margaryte, shal not thee lette, as
it shal forther thee, and encrese thee. It is now to declare, the
last objeccion in nothing may greve.' 5
'Yes, certes,' quod I, 'bothe greve and lette muste it nedes;
the contrarye may not ben proved; and see now why. Whyle
I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse, and had suche goodes in
welth as maken men riche, tho was I drawe in-to companyes
that loos, prise, and name yeven. Tho louteden blasours; tho 10
curreyden glosours; tho welcomeden flatterers; tho worshipped
thilke that now deynen nat to loke. Every wight, in such erthly
wele habundant, is holde noble, precious, benigne, and wyse to
do what he shal, in any degree that men him sette; al-be-it that
the sothe be in the contrarye of al tho thinges. But he that can 15
never so wel him behave, and hath vertue habundaunt in manyfolde
maners, and be nat welthed with suche erthly goodes, is holde
for a foole, and sayd, his wit is but sotted. Lo! how fals for
aver is holde trewe! Lo! how trewe is cleped fals for wanting
of goodes! Also, lady, dignitees of office maken men mikel 20
comended, as thus: "he is so good, were he out, his pere shulde
men not fynde." Trewly, I trowe of some suche that are so
praysed, were they out ones, another shulde make him so be
knowe, he shulde of no wyse no more ben loked after: but only
fooles, wel I wot, desyren suche newe thinges. Wherfore I wonder 25
that thilke governour, out of whom alone the causes proceden
that governen al thinges, whiche that hath ordeyned this world
in workes of the kyndely bodyes so be governed, not with
unstedfast or happyous thing, but with rules of reson, whiche
shewen the course of certayne thinges: why suffreth he suche 30
slydinge chaunges, that misturnen suche noble thinges as ben we
men, that arn a fayr parcel of the erthe, and holden the upperest
degree, under god, of benigne thinges, as ye sayden right now
your-selfe; shulde never man have ben set in so worthy a place
but-if his degrè were ordayned noble. Alas! thou that knittest 35
the purveyaunce of al thinges, why lokest thou not to amenden
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