Thing, whiche a man may nought areche." The fader herd his doughters speche, And thought there was no reson in, And sigh his ownè life to winne He couthè done himself no cure.[18] So better him thought in àventure To put his life and all his good, Than in the manner as it stood, His life incertein for to lese. And thus thenkend he gan to chese To do the counseil of this maid, And toke the purpose which she said. The day was comen, and forth they gone; Unto the court they come anone, Where as the kinge in his jugement Was set and hath this knight assent. Arraièd in her bestè wise, This maiden with her wordès wise Her fader leddè by the honde Into the place,[19] where he fonde [Pg 6588]The king with other which he wolde; And to the king knelend he tolde As he enformèd was to-fore, And praith the king, that he therfore His doughters wordès woldè take; And saith, that he woll undertake Upon her wordès for to stonde. Tho was ther great merveile on honde, That he, which was so wise a knight, His life upon so yonge a wight Besettè wolde in jeopartie, And many it helden for folie. But at the lastè, netheles, The king commaundeth ben in pees, And to this maide he cast his chere,[20] And saide he wolde her talè here, And bad her speke; and she began:— "My legè lord, so as I can," Quod she, "the pointès which I herde, They shull of reson ben answerde. The first I understonde is this: What thinge of all the worlde it is, Which men most helpe and hath lest nede. My legè lord, this wolde I rede: The erthe it is, which evermo With mannès labour is bego As well in winter as in maie. The mannès honde doth what he may To helpe it forth and make it riche, And forthy men it delve and diche, And even it with strength of plough, Wher it hath of him self inough So that his nede is atè leste. For every man, birdè, and beste Of flour and gras and roote and rinde And every thing by way of kinde Shall sterve, and erthe it shall become As it was out of erthè nome,[21] It shall be therthe torne ayein.[22] And thus I may by reson sein That erthè is the most nedeles And most men helpe it netheles; [Pg 6589]So that, my lord, touchend of this I have answerde how that it is. That other point I understood, Which most is worth, and most is good, And costeth lest a man to kepe: My lorde, if ye woll takè kepe,[23] I say it is humilitè, Through whichè the high Trinitè As for desertè of pure love Unto Mariè from above, Of that he knewe her humble entente, His ownè Sone adown he sente Above all other, and her he chese For that vertu, which bodeth pees. So that I may by reson calle Humilitè most worthe of alle, And lest it costeth to mainteine In all the worlde, as it is seine. For who that hath humblesse on honde, He bringeth no werres into londe, For he desireth for the best To setten every man in reste. Thus with your highè reverence Me thenketh that this evidence As to this point is suffisaunt.