Part 67

¶ For c{er}tys *þis strengþe of þe deuyne science whiche þat enbraceþ alle þinge by his p{re}sentarie 5196 knowynge establisseþ manere to alle þi{n}g{us} {and} it ne awiþ nat to lattere þinges.

{and} syn þat þise þinges ben þus. þat is to seyn syn þat necessite nis nat in þinges by þe deuyne p{re}science. þan is þer fredom of 5200 arbitre. þat dwelleþ hool {and} vnwemmed to mortal men.

ne þe lawes ne p{ur}pose nat wikkedly meedes {and} peynes to þe willynges of men þat ben vnbounde {and} quit of alle necessite.

¶ And god byholder {and} forwiter of 5204 alle þinges dwelliþ aboue {and} þe p{re}sent eternite of hys syȝt renneþ alwey wiþ þe dyuerse qualite of oure dedes dispe{n}syng {and} ordeynynge medes to good men. {and} tourmentȝ to wicked men.

ne in ydel ne i{n} veyn ne ben 5208 þer nat put in god hope {and} p{ra}yeres. þat ne mowen nat ben vnspedful ne wiþ oute effect whan þei ben ryȝtful

¶ wiþstond þan {and} eschewe þou vices. worshippe {and} loue þou vertus. areise þi corage to ryȝtful hoopes. 5212 ȝelde þou humble p{re}iers an heyȝe.

grete necessite of prowesse {and} vertue is encharged {and} comaunded to ȝow yif ȝe nil nat dissimulen. ¶ Syn þat ȝe worchen {and} doon. þat is to seyn ȝoure dedes {and} ȝoure workes 5216 by-fore þe eyen of þe Iuge þat seeþ {and} demeþ alle [[pg 179]] þinges. [To whom be goye {and} worshipe bi Infynyt tymes / AMEN.]

EXPLICIT LIBER QUINTUS. {ET} VLTIM{US}.

Explicit expliceat luder{e} scriptor eat Finito libro sit laus {et} gloria {Christ}o Corpore scribentis sit gr{ati}a cunctipotentis]

APPENDIX.

Chawc{er} vp-on this fyfte met{ur} of the second book

++A Blysful lyf a paysyble {and} a swete Ledden the poeples in the former age They helde hem paied of the fructes þ{a}t þey ete Whiche þ{a}t the feldes yaue hem by vsage 4 They ne weer{e} nat forpampred w{i}t{h} owtrage Onknowyn was þ^e quyerne {and} ek the melle They eten mast hawes {and} swych pownage And dronken wat{er} of the colde welle 8

¶ Yit nas the grownd nat wownded w{i}t{h} þ^e plowh But corn vp-sprong vnsowe of mannes hond Þe which they gnodded {and} eete nat half .I.-nowh No man yit knewe the forwes of his lond 12 No man the fyr owt of the flynt yit fonde Vn-koruen and vn-grobbed lay the vyne No man yit in the morter spices grond To clarre ne to sawse of galentyne 16

¶ No Madyr welde or wod no litester{e} Ne knewh / the fles was of is former hewe No flessh ne wyste offence of egge or sper{e} No coyn ne knewh man which is fals or trewe 20 No ship yit karf the wawes grene {and} blewe No Marchau{n}t yit ne fette owt-landissh war{e} No batails trompes for the werres folk ne knewe Ne towres heye {and} walles rownde or square 24

¶ What sholde it han avayled to werreye [[pg 181]] Ther lay no p{ro}fyt ther was no rychesse

But corsed was the tyme .I. dar+ wel seye Þ{a}t men fyrst dede hir swety bysynesse 28 To grobbe vp metal lurkynge in dirkenesse {And} in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte Allas than sprong+ vp al the cursydnesse Of coueytyse þ{a}t fyrst owr sorwe browhte 32

¶ Thyse tyrau{n}tȝ put hem gladly nat in pres No places wyldnesse ne no busshes for to wynne Ther pou{er}te is as seith diogenes Ther as vitayle ek is so skars {and} thinne 36 Þ{a}t nat but mast or apples is ther Inne But þ{er} as bagges ben {and} fat vitaile Ther wol they gon {and} spar{e} for no synne W{i}t{h} al hir ost the Cyte forto a-sayle 40

¶ Yit was no paleis chaumbres ne non halles In kaues {and} wodes softe {and} swete Sleptin this blyssed folk+ w{i}t{h}-owte walles On gras or leues in p{ar}fyt Ioye reste {and} quiete 44 No down of fetheres ne no bleched shete Was kyd to hem but in surte they slepte Hir hertes weer{e} al on w{i}t{h}-owte galles Eu{er}ych of hem his feith to oother kepte 48

¶ Vnforged was the hawberke {and} the plate Þ^e lambyssh poeple voyded of alle vyse Hadden no fantesye to debate But eche of hem wolde oother wel cheryce 52 No p{r}ide non enuye non Auaryce No lord no taylage by no tyranye Vmblesse {and} pes good feith the emp{er}ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

¶ Yit was nat Iuppit{er} the lykerous [[pg 182]] Þ{a}t fyrst was fadyr of delicasie Come in this world ne nembroth desyrous To regne had nat maad his towres hye 60 Allas allas now may wepe And crye For in owr{e} dayes nis but couetyse Dowblenesse {and} tresou{n} {and} enuye Poyson {and} manslawhtr{e} {and} mordre in sondry wyse 64

CAUS{ER} / BALADES DE VILAGE SANZ PEINT{UR}E

¶ This wrecched worlde-is t{ra}nsmutaciou{n} As wele / or wo / now poeer{e} {and} now hono{ur} W{i}t{h}-owten ordyr or wis descresyou{n} Gou{er}ned is by fortunes errour 4 But natheles the lakke of hyr fauowr+ Ne may nat don me syngen thowh I. deye

Iay tout p{er}du mou{n} temps {et} mou{n} labour For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 8

¶ Yit is me left the lyht of my resou{n} To knowen frend fro foo in thi merowr+ So mochel hath yit thy whirlynge vp {and} down I-tawht me for to knowe in an howr 12 But trewely no fors of thi reddowr+ To hym þ{a}t ou{er} hym self hath the maystrye My suffysau{n}ce shal be my socour+ For fynaly fortune I. thee deffye 16

¶ O socrates þ{o}u stidfast chau{m}pyou{n} She neu{er} myht be thi tormentowr Thow neu{er} dreddest hyr opp{re}ssyou{n} Ne in hyr cher{e} fownde thow no sauour+ 20 Thow knewe wel the deseyte of hyr colour+ And þ{a}t hir most worshipe is to lye I knew hir ek a fals dissimulour+ For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 24

¶ No man ys wrechchyd but hym self yt wene {And} he þ{a}t hath hym self hat suffisaunce Whi seysthow tha{n}ne y am the so kene Þ{a}t hast thy self owt of my gou{er}nau{n}ce 28 Sey thus grau{n}t m{er}cy of thyn habou{n}dau{n}ce That thow hast lent or this why wolt þ{o}u stryue What woost thow yit how y the wol auau{n}ce {And} ek thow hast thy beste frende a-lyue 32

¶ I haue the tawht deuisyou{n} by-twene Frend of effect+ {and} frende of cowntenau{n}ce The nedeth nat the galle of no hyene Þ{a}t cureth eyen derkyd for penau{n}ce 36 Now se thow cleer þ{a}t weere in ignorau{n}ce Yit halt thin ancre {and} yit thow mayst aryue Ther bownte berth the keye of my substau{n}ce {And} ek þ{o}u hast thy beste frende alyue 40

¶ How manye haue .I. refused to sustigne Syn .I. the fostred haue in thy plesau{n}ce Wolthow thanne make a statute on þy quyene Þ{a}t .I. shal ben ay at thy ordynau{n}ce 44 Thow born art in my regne of varyau{n}ce Abowte the wheel w{i}t{h} oother most thow dryue My loore is bet than wikke is thi greuau{n}ce {And} ek þou hast thy beste frende a-lyue 48