'Therfore, lady,' quod I tho, 'thilke blisse I have desyred, and +soghte toforn this my-selfe, by wayes of riches, of dignitè, 20 of power, and of renomè, wening me in tho +thinges had ben thilke blisse; but ayenst the heer it turneth. Whan I supposed beste thilke blisse have +getten, and come to the ful purpose of your service, sodaynly was I hindred, and throwen so fer abacke, that me thinketh an inpossible to come there I lefte.' 25 'I +wot wel,' quod she; 'and therfore hast thou fayled; for thou wentest not by the hye way. A litel misgoing in the ginning causeth mikil errour in the ende; wherfore of thilke blisse thou fayledest, for having of richesse; ne non of the other thinges thou nempnedest mowen nat make suche parfit blisse in love as I shal 30 shewe. Therfore they be nat worthy to thilke blisse; and yet somwhat must ben cause and way to thilke blisse. _Ergo_, there is som suche thing, and som way, but it is litel in usage and that is nat openly y-knowe. But what felest in thyne hert of the service, in whiche by me thou art entred? Wenest aught thy-selfe 35 yet be in the hye way to my blisse? I shal so shewe it to thee, thou shalt not conne saye the contrary.' 'Good lady,' quod I, 'altho I suppose it in my herte, yet wolde I here thyn wordes, how ye menen in this mater.' Quod she, 'that I shal, with my good wil. Thilke blisse 40 desyred, som-del ye knowen, altho it be nat parfitly. For kyndly entencion ledeth you therto, but in three maner livinges is al suche wayes shewed. Every wight in this world, to have this blisse, oon of thilke three wayes of lyves must procede; whiche, after opinions of grete clerkes, are by names cleped bestiallich, resonablich, [and 45 manlich. Resonablich] is vertuous. Manlich is worldlich. Bestialliche is lustes and delytable, nothing restrayned by bridel of reson. Al that joyeth and yeveth gladnesse to the hert, and it be ayenst reson, is lykened to bestial living, which thing foloweth lustes and delytes; wherfore in suche thinge may nat that precious blisse, 50 that is maister of al vertues, abyde. Your +faders toforn you have cleped such lusty livinges after the flessh "passions of desyre," which are innominable tofore god and man both. Than, after determinacion of suche wyse, we accorden that suche passions of desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other 55 livinges and provinges; and so +leveth in t[w]o livinges, manlich and resonable, to declare the maters begonne. But to make thee fully have understanding in manlich livinges, whiche is holden worldlich in these thinges, so that ignorance be mad no letter, I wol (quod she) nempne these forsayd wayes +by names and 60 conclusions. First riches, dignitè, renomè, and power shul in this worke be cleped bodily goodes; for in hem hath ben, a gret