Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
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Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400
'I shal say thee,' quod she, 'in a fewe wordes:--resonable 45
workinges in plesaunce and profit of thy soverayne.'
'How shulde I this performe?' quod I.
'Right wel,' quod she; 'and here me now a litel. It is hardely
(quod she) to understande, that right as mater by due overchaunginges
foloweth his perfeccion and his forme, right so every 50
man, by rightful werkinges, ought to folowe the lefful desyres in
his herte, and see toforn to what ende he deserveth. For many
tymes he that loketh nat after th'endes, but utterly therof is
unknowen, befalleth often many yvels to done, wherthrough, er he
be war, shamefully he is confounded; th'ende[s] therof neden to 55
be before loked. To every desirer of suche foresight in good
service, three thinges specially nedeth to be rulers in his workes.
First, that he do good; next, that he do [it] by eleccion in his
owne herte; and the thirde, that he do godly, withouten any
surquedry in thoughtes. That your werkes shulden be good, in 60
service or in any other actes, authoritès many may be aleged;
neverthelater, by reson thus may it be shewed. Al your werkes
be cleped seconde, and moven in vertue of the firste wercher,
whiche in good workes wrought you to procede; and right so
your werkes moven in-to vertue of the laste ende: and right in 65
the first workinge were nat, no man shulde in the seconde werche.
Right so, but ye feled to what ende, and seen their goodnes
closed, ye shulde no more +recche what ye wrought; but the
ginning gan with good, and there shal it cese in the laste ende, if
it be wel considred. Wherfore the middle, if other-wayes it drawe 70
than accordant to the endes, there stinteth the course of good,
and another maner course entreth; and so it is a partie by him-selve;
and every part [that] be nat accordant to his al, is foul and
ought to be eschewed. Wherfore every thing that is wrought
and be nat good, is nat accordant to th'endes of his al hole; it is 75
foul, and ought to be withdrawe. Thus the persons that neither
don good ne harm shamen foule their making. Wherfore, without
working of good actes in good service, may no man ben accepted.
Truely, the ilke that han might to do good and doon it nat, the
crowne of worship shal be take from hem, and with shame shul 80
they be anulled; and so, to make oon werke acordant with his
endes, every good servaunt, by reson of consequence, muste do
good nedes. Certes, it suffiseth nat alone to do good, but goodly
withal folowe; the thanke of goodnesse els in nought he
deserveth. For right as al your being come from the greetest 85
good, in whom al goodnesse is closed, right so your endes ben
directe to the same good. Aristotel determineth that ende and
good ben one, and convertible in understanding; and he that in
wil doth awey good, and he that loketh nat to th'ende, loketh nat
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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