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
and maintayneth the lawe of kynde; and if that otherwhyle me
weneth harm of this precious thing to folowe, therthorough is [it]
nothing the cause; of somwhat els cometh it aboute, who-so 90
taketh hede. By rightfulnesse forsothe wern many holy sayntes
good savour in swetenesse to god almighty; but that to some
folkes they weren savour of dethe, in-to deedly ende, that com
not of the sayntes rightwisnesse, but of other wicked mennes
badnesse hath proceded. Trewly, the ilke wil, whiche that the 95
Lady of Love me lerned 'affeccion of wil' to nempne, which is
in willing of profitable thinges, yvel is it not, but whan to flesshly
lustes it consenteth ayenst reson of soule. But that this thing
more clerely be understande, it is for to knowe, whence and how
thilke wil is so vicious, and so redy yvel dedes to perfourme. 100
Grace at the ginninge ordeyned thilke wil in goodnesse ever to
have endured, and never to badnesse have assented. Men shulde
not byleve, that god thilke wil maked to be vicious [in] our firste
+faders, as Adam and Eve; for vicious appetytes, and vicious wil
to suche appetytes consentinge, ben not on thing in kynde; other 105
thing is don for the other. And how this wil first in-to man first
assented, I holde it profitable to shewe; but if the first condicion
of resonable creature wol be considred and apertly loked, lightly
the cause of suche wil may be shewed. Intencion of god was,
that rightfully and blissed shulde resonable nature ben maked, 110
himselfe for to kepe; but neyther blisful ne rightful might it not
be, withouten wil in them bothe. Wil of rightfulnesse is thilke
same rightfulnesse, as here-to-forn is shewed; but wil of blisse
is not thilke blisse, for every man hath not thilke blisse, in whom
the wil therof is abydinge. In this blisse, after every 115
understandinge, is suffisaunce of covenable comoditees without any
maner nede, whether it be blisse of aungels or els thilke that
grace first in paradise suffred Adam to have. For al-though
angels blisse be more than Adams was in paradyse, yet may it not
be +denyed, that Adam in paradyse ne had suffisaunce of blisse; 120
for right as greet herte is without al maner of coldenesse, and yet
may another herte more hete have; right so nothing defended
Adam in paradyse to ben blessed, without al maner nede.
Al-though aungels blisse be moche more, forsothe, it foloweth
not [that], lasse than another to have, therfore him nedeth; but 125
for to wante a thing whiche that behoveth to ben had, that may
'nede' ben cleped; and that was not in Adam at the first
ginning. God and the Margaryte weten what I mene. Forsothe,
where-as is nede, there is wrecchednesse. +God without cause
to-forngoing made not resonable creature wrecched; for him to 130
understande and love had he firste maked. God made therfore
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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