Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Tale of Melibeus - Part Four

2744. E.

tempered.

2745. by] E. for.

2746. _All_ Pamphilles.

Hn.

Hl.

which she ...

housbonde; _rest om.

_ 2750. E.

Hn.

al alloone;

_rest omit_ al. § 51. First, ye shul geten hem with-outen greet desyr, by good leyser sokingly, and nat over hastily.

/ For a man that is to desyringe to gete richesses abaundoneth him first to thefte and to alle other yveles.

/ And therfore seith Salomon: “he that hasteth him to bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent.

” / He seith also: that “the richesse that hastily cometh to a man, sone and lightly gooth and passeth fro a man; / but that richesse that cometh litel and litel wexeth alwey and multiplyeth.

” /2770 And sir, ye shul geten richesses by your wit and by your travaille un-to your profit; / and that with-outen wrong or harm-doinge to any other persone.

/ For the lawe seith: that “ther maketh no man himselven riche, if he do harm to another wight;” / this is to seyn, that nature defendeth and forbedeth by right, that no man make him-self riche un-to the harm of another persone.

/ And Tullius seith: that “no sorwe ne no drede of deeth, ne no-thing that may falle un-to a man /2775 is so muchel agayns nature, as a man to [229] encressen his owene profit to the harm of another man.

/ And though the grete men and the mighty men geten richesses more lightly than thou, / yet shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit; for thou shalt in alle wyse flee ydelnesse.

” / For Salomon seith: that “ydelnesse techeth a man to do manye yveles.

” / And the same Salomon seith: that “he that travailleth and bisieth him to tilien his land, shal eten breed; /2780 but he that is ydel and casteth him to no bisinesse ne occupacioun, shal falle in-to poverte, and dye for hunger.

” / And he that is ydel and slow can never finde covenable tyme for to doon his profit.

/ For ther is a versifiour seith: that “the ydel man excuseth hym in winter, by cause of the grete cold; and in somer, by enchesoun of the hete.

” / For thise causes seith Caton: “waketh and enclyneth nat yow over muchel for to slepe; for over muchel reste norisseth and causeth manye vices.

” / And therfore seith seint Ierome: “doth somme gode dedes, that the devel which is our enemy ne finde yow nat unoccupied.

” /2785 For the devel ne taketh nat lightly un-to his werkinge swiche as he findeth occupied in gode werkes.

/ 2766. E.

Hn.

sekyngly; _rest_ sokyngly.

2785. E.

goodes; _rest_ goode dedes.

§ 52. Thanne thus, in getinge richesses, ye mosten flee ydelnesse.

/ And afterward, ye shul use the richesses, whiche ye have geten by your wit and by your travaille, / in swich a manere, that men holde nat yow to scars, ne to sparinge, ne to fool-large, that is to seyn, over-large a spender.

/ For right as men blamen an avaricious man by-cause of his scarsetee and chincherye, /2790 in the same wyse is he to blame that spendeth over largely.

/ And therfore seith Caton: “use,” he seith, “thy richesses that thou hast geten / in swich a manere, that men have no matere ne cause to calle thee neither wrecche ne chinche; / for it is a greet shame to a man to have a povere herte and a riche purs.

” / He seith also: “the goodes that thou hast y-geten, use hem by mesure,” that is to seyn, spende hem mesurably; /2795 for they that folily wasten and despenden the goodes that they han, / whan they han namore propre of hir owene, they shapen hem to take the goodes of another man.

/ I seye thanne, that ye shul fleen avarice; / usinge your richesses in swich manere, that men seye nat that your richesses been y-buried, / but that ye have hem in [230] your might and in your weeldinge.

/2800 For a wys man repreveth the avaricious man, and seith thus, in two vers: / “wherto and why burieth a man hise goodes by his grete avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste he dye; / for deeth is the ende of every man as in this present lyf.

” / And for what cause or enchesoun Ioyneth he him or knitteth he him so faste un-to hise goodes, / that alle his wittes mowen nat disseveren him or departen him from hise goodes; /2805 and knoweth wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is deed, he shal no-thing bere with him out of this world.

/ And ther-fore seith seint Augustin: that “the avaricious man is likned un-to helle; / that the more it swelweth, the more desyr it hath to swelwe and devoure.

” / And as wel as ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious man or chinche, / as wel sholde ye kepe yow and governe yow in swich a wyse that men calle yow nat fool-large.

/2810 Therfore seith Tullius: “the goodes,” he seith, “of thyn hous ne sholde nat been hid, ne kept so cloos but that they mighte been opened by pitee and debonairetee;” / that is to seyn, to yeven part to hem that han greet nede; / “ne thy goodes shullen nat been so opene, to been every mannes goodes.

” / Afterward, in getinge of your richesses and in usinge hem, ye shul alwey have three thinges in your herte; / that is to seyn, our lord god, conscience, and good name.

/2815 First, ye shul have god in your herte; / and for no richesse ye shullen do nothing, which may in any manere displese god, that is your creatour and maker.

/ For after the word of Salomon: “it is bettre to have a litel good with the love of god, / than to have muchel good and tresour, and lese the love of his lord god.

” / And the prophete seith: that “bettre it is to been a good man and have litel good and tresour, /2820 than to been holden a shrewe and have grete richesses.

” / And yet seye I ferthermore, that ye sholde alwey doon your bisinesse to gete yow richesses, / so that ye gete hem with good conscience.

/ And thapostle seith: that “ther nis thing in this world, of which we sholden have so greet Ioye as whan our conscience bereth us good witnesse.

” / And the wyse man seith: “the substance of a man is ful good, whan sinne is nat in mannes conscience.

” /2825 Afterward, in getinge of your richesses, and in usinge of hem, / yow moste have greet bisinesse and greet diligence, that your goode name be alwey kept and conserved.

/ For Salomon seith: that “bettre it is and more it availleth a man to have a good name, than for to have grete richesses.

” / [231] And therfore he seith in another place: “do greet diligence,” seith Salomon, “in keping of thy freend and of thy gode name; / for it shal lenger abide with thee than any tresour, be it never so precious.

” /2830 And certes he sholde nat be called a gentil man, that after god and good conscience, alle thinges left, ne dooth his diligence and bisinesse to kepen his good name.

/ And Cassidore seith: that “it is signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and desyreth to han a good name.

” / And therfore seith seint Augustin: that “ther been two thinges that arn necessarie and nedefulle, / and that is good conscience and good loos; / that is to seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone inward, and good loos for thy neighebore outward.

” /2835 And he that trusteth him so muchel in his gode conscience, / that he displeseth and setteth at noght his gode name or loos, and rekketh noght though he kepe nat his gode name, nis but a cruel cherl.

/ 2790. E.

chyngerie; Hn.

Cm.

Pt.

Hl.

chyncherye.

2837. E.

crueel.

§ 53. Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul do in getinge richesses, and how ye shullen usen hem; / and I se wel, that for the trust that ye han in youre richesses, ye wole moeve werre and bataille.

/ I conseille yow, that ye biginne no werre in trust of your richesses; for they ne suffysen noght werres to mayntene.

/2840 And therfore seith a philosophre: “that man that desyreth and wole algates han werre, shal never have suffisaunce; / for the richer that he is, the gretter despenses moste he make, if he wole have worship and victorie.

” / And Salomon seith: that “the gretter richesses that a man hath, the mo despendours he hath.

” / And dere sire, al-be-it so that for your richesses ye mowe have muchel folk, / yet bihoveth it nat, ne it is nat good, to biginne werre, where-as ye mowe in other manere have pees, un-to your worship and profit.

/2845 For the victories of batailles that been in this world, lyen nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple ne in the vertu of man; / but it lyth in the wil and in the hand of our lord god almighty.

/ And therfore Iudas Machabeus, which was goddes knight, / whan he sholde fighte agayn his adversarie that hadde a greet nombre, and a gretter multitude of folk and strenger than was this peple of Machabee, / yet he reconforted his litel companye, and seyde right in this wyse: /2850 “als lightly,” quod he, “may our lord god almighty yeve victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk; / for the victorie of bataile cometh nat by the grete [232] nombre of peple, / but it cometh from our lord god of hevene.

” / And dere sir, for as muchel as there is no man certein, if he be worthy that god yeve him victorie, [namore than he is certein whether he be worthy of the love of god] or naught, after that Salomon seith, / therfore every man sholde greetly drede werres to biginne.

/2855 And by-cause that in batailles fallen manye perils, / and happeth outher-while, that as sone is the grete man sleyn as the litel man; / and, as it is written in the seconde book of Kinges, “the dedes of batailles been aventurouse and nothing certeyne;” / for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere as another.

/ And for ther is gret peril in werre, therfore sholde a man flee and eschewe werre, in as muchel as a man may goodly.

/2860 For Salomon seith: “he that loveth peril shal falle in peril.

”’ / 2852. E.

Hn.

a bataile; _rest om.

_ a. E.

comth.

2853. E.

come;

_rest_ cometh.

2854. E.

he be; _rest_ it be.

_I supply from_ namore _to_ god; _see_ Note.

§ 54. After that Dame Prudence hadde spoken in this manere, Melibee answerde and seyde, / ‘I see wel, dame Prudence, that by your faire wordes and by your resons that ye han shewed me, that the werre lyketh yow no-thing; / but I have nat yet herd your conseil, how I shal do in this nede.

’ / § 55. ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘I conseille yow that ye accorde with youre adversaries, and that ye haue pees with hem.

/2865 For seint Iame seith in hise epistles: that “by concord and pees the smale richesses wexen grete, / and by debaat and discord the grete richesses fallen doun.

” / And ye knowen wel that oon of the gretteste and most sovereyn thing, that is in this world, is unitee and pees.

/ And therfore seyde oure lord Iesu Crist to hise apostles in this wyse: / “wel happy and blessed been they that loven and purchacen pees; for they been called children of god.

”’ /2870 ‘A!

’ quod Melibee, ‘now se I wel that ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe.

/ Ye knowen wel that myne adversaries han bigonnen this debaat and brige by hir outrage; / and ye see wel that they ne requeren ne preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be reconsiled.

/ Wol ye thanne that I go and meke me and obeye me to hem, and crye hem mercy?

/ For sothe, that were nat my worship.

/2875 For right as men seyn, that “over-greet homlinesse engendreth dispreysinge,” so fareth it by to greet humylitee or mekenesse.

’ / 2866. seint Iame] F. text, Seneques.

2872. E.

bryge; Hn.

Cm.

Hl.

brige; Cp.

Pt.

brigge (F. text, _brigue_).

[233] § 56. Thanne bigan dame Prudence to maken semblant of wratthe, and seyde, / ‘certes, sir, sauf your grace, I love your honour and your profit as I do myn owene, and ever have doon; / ne ye ne noon other syen never the contrarie.

/ And yit, if I hadde seyd that ye sholde han purchaced the pees and the reconsiliacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel mistaken me, ne seyd amis.

/2880 For the wyse man seith: “the dissensioun biginneth by another man, and the reconsiling bi-ginneth by thy-self.

” / And the prophete seith: “flee shrewednesse and do goodnesse; / seke pees and folwe it, as muchel as in thee is.

” / Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to your adversaries for pees than they shuln to yow; / for I knowe wel that ye been so hard-herted, that ye wol do no-thing for me.

/2885 And Salomon seith: “he that hath over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal mishappe and mistyde.

”’ / § 57. Whanne Melibee hadde herd dame Prudence maken semblant of wratthe, he seyde in this wyse, / ‘dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed of thinges that I seye; / for ye knowe wel that I am angry and wrooth, and that is no wonder; / and they that been wrothe witen nat wel what they doon, ne what they seyn.

/2890 Therfore the prophete seith: that “troubled eyen han no cleer sighte.

” / But seyeth and conseileth me as yow lyketh; for I am redy to do right as ye wol desyre; / and if ye repreve me of my folye, I am the more holden to love yow and to preyse yow.

/ For Salomon seith: that “he that repreveth him that doth folye, / he shal finde gretter grace than he that deceyveth him by swete wordes.

”’ /2895 2893. to preyse] E. _om.

_ to.

§ 58. Thanne seide dame Prudence, ‘I make no semblant of wratthe ne anger but for your grete profit.

/ For Salomon seith: “he is more worth, that repreveth or chydeth a fool for his folye, shewinge him semblant of wratthe, / than he that supporteth him and preyseth him in his misdoinge, and laugheth at his folye.

” / And this same Salomon seith afterward: that “by the sorweful visage of a man,” that is to seyn, by the sory and hevy countenaunce of a man, / “the fool correcteth and amendeth him-self.

”’ /2900 2898. E.

peyseth (_for_ preyseth).

§ 59. Thanne seyde Melibee, ‘I shal nat conne answere to so manye faire resouns as ye putten to me and shewen.

/ Seyeth shortly your wil and your conseil, and I am al ready to fulfille and parfourne it.

’ / [234] § 60. Thanne dame Prudence discovered al hir wil to him, and seyde, / ‘I conseille yow,’ quod she, ‘aboven alle thinges, that ye make pees bitwene god and yow; / and beth reconsiled un-to him and to his grace.

/2905 For as I have seyd yow heer-biforn, god hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and disese for your sinnes.

/ And if ye do as I sey yow, god wol sende your adversaries un-to yow, / and maken hem fallen at your feet, redy to do your wil and your comandements.

/ For Salomon seith: “whan the condicioun of man is plesaunt and likinge to god, / he chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries, and constreyneth hem to biseken him of pees and of grace.

” /2910 And I prey yow, lat me speke with your adversaries in privee place; / for they shul nat knowe that it be of your wil or your assent.

/ And thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and hir entente, I may conseille yow the more seurly.

’ / 2913. E.

seurely; Hn.

Cp.

Hl.

seurly.

§ 61. ‘Dame,’ quod Melibee, ‘dooth your wil and your lykinge, / for I putte me hoolly in your disposicioun and ordinaunce.

’ /2915 § 62. Thanne Dame Prudence, whan she saugh the gode wil of her housbonde, delibered and took avys in hir-self, / thinkinge how she mighte bringe this nede un-to a good conclusioun and to a good ende.

/ And whan she saugh hir tyme, she sente for thise adversaries to come un-to hir in-to a privee place, / and shewed wysly un-to hem the grete goodes that comen of pees, / and the grete harmes and perils that been in werre; /2920 and seyde to hem in a goodly manere, how that hem oughte have greet repentaunce / of the iniurie and wrong that they hadden doon to Melibee hir lord, and to hir, and to hir doghter.

/ 2921. Cm.

oughte; Cp.

Hl.

aughte; _rest_ oughten.

§ 63. And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of dame Prudence, / they weren so surprised and ravisshed, and hadden so greet Ioye of hir, that wonder was to telle.

/ ‘A!

lady!

’ quod they, ‘ye han shewed un-to us “the blessinge of swetnesse,” after the sawe of David the prophete; /2925 for the reconsilinge which we been nat worthy to have in no manere, / but we oghte requeren it with greet contricioun and humilitee, / ye of your grete goodnesse have presented unto us.

/ Now see we wel that the science and the conninge of Salomon is ful trewe; / for he seith: that “swete wordes multiplyen and encresen freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire and meke.

” /2930 2924. Hl.

surprised; Cm.

suppreysed; _rest_ supprised.

[235] § 64. ‘Certes,’ quod they, ‘we putten our dede and al our matere and cause al hoolly in your goode wil; / and been redy to obeye to the speche and comandement of my lord Melibee.

/ And therfore, dere and benigne lady, we preyen yow and biseke yow as mekely as we conne and mowen, / that it lyke un-to your grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede your goodliche wordes;

/ for we consideren and knowlichen that we han offended and greved my lord Melibee out of mesure; /2935 so ferforth, that we be nat of power to maken hise amendes.

/ And therfore we oblige and binden us and our freendes to doon al his wil and hise comandements.

/ But peraventure he hath swich hevinesse and swich wratthe to us-ward, by-cause of our offence, / that he wole enioyne us swich a peyne as we mowe nat here ne sustene.

/ And therfore, noble lady, we biseke to your wommanly pitee, /2940 to taken swich avysement in this nede, that we, ne our freendes, be nat desherited ne destroyed thurgh our folye.

’ / § 65. ‘Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘it is an hard thing and right perilous, / that a man putte him al outrely in the arbitracioun and Iuggement, and in the might and power of hise enemys.

/ For Salomon seith: “leveth me, and yeveth credence to that I shal seyn; I seye,” quod he, “ye peple, folk, and governours of holy chirche, / to thy sone, to thy wyf, to thy freend, ne to thy brother /2945 ne yeve thou never might ne maistrie of thy body, whyl thou livest.

” / Now sithen he defendeth, that man shal nat yeven to his brother ne to his freend the might of his body, / by a strenger resoun he defendeth and forbedeth a man to yeven him-self to his enemy.

/ And nathelees I conseille you, that ye mistruste nat my lord.

/ For I wool wel and knowe verraily, that he is debonaire and meke, large, curteys, /2950 and nothing desyrous ne coveitous of good ne richesse.

/ For ther nis no-thing in this world that he desyreth, save only worship and honour.

/ Forther-more I knowe wel, and am right seur, that he shal no-thing doon in this nede with-outen my conseil.

/ And I shal so werken in this cause, that, by grace of our lord god, ye shul been reconsiled un-to us.

’ / § 66. Thanne seyden they with o vois, ‘worshipful lady, we putten us and our goodes al fully in your wil and disposicioun; /2955 and been redy to comen, what day that it lyke un-to your noblesse to limite us or assigne us, / for to maken our obligacioun and bond as strong as it lyketh un-to your goodnesse; / that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow and of my lord Melibee.

’ / [236] § 67. Whan dame Prudence hadde herd the answeres of thise men, she bad hem goon agayn prively; / and she retourned to hir lord Melibee, and tolde him how she fond hise adversaries ful repentant, /2960 knowlechinge ful lowely hir sinnes and trespas, and how they were redy to suffren al peyne, / requiringe and preyinge him of mercy and pitee.

/ § 68. Thanne seyde Melibee, ‘he is wel worthy to have pardoun and foryifnesse of his sinne, that excuseth nat his sinne, / but knowlecheth it and repenteth him, axinge indulgence.

/ For Senek seith: “ther is the remissioun and foryifnesse, where-as confessioun is;” /2965 for confession is neighebore to innocence.

/ And he seith in another place: “he that hath shame for his sinne and knowlecheth it, is worthy remissioun.

” And therfore I assente and conferme me to have pees; / but it is good that we do it nat with-outen the assent and wil of our freendes.

’ / 2967. E.

Cm.

_omit from_ And he _to_ remissioun; Hn.

Cp.

Hl.

_om.

only_ is worthy remissioun, _which occurs in_ Pt.

, _where_ Ln.

_has_ is worthi haue mercy.

E.

corforme (_sic_); _rest_ conferme.

§ 69. Thanne was Prudence right glad and loyeful, and seyde, / ‘Certes, sir,’ quod she, ‘ye han wel and goodly answered.

/2970 For right as by the conseil, assent, and help of your freendes, ye han been stired to venge yow and maken werre, / right so with-outen hir conseil shul ye nat accorden yow, ne have pees with your adversaries.

/ For the lawe seith: “ther nis no-thing so good by wey of kinde, as a thing to been unbounde by him that it was y-bounde.

”’ / § 70. And thanne dame Prudence, with-outen delay or taryinge, sente anon hir messages for hir kin, and for hir olde freendes whiche that were trewe and wyse, / and tolde hem by ordre, in the presence of Melibee, al this matere as it is aboven expressed and declared; /2975 and preyden hem that they wolde yeven hir avys and conseil, what best were to doon in this nede.

/ And whan Melibees freendes hadde taken hir avys and deliberacioun of the forseide matere, / and hadden examined it by greet bisinesse and greet diligence, / they yave ful conseil for to have pees and reste; / and that Melibee sholde receyve with good herte hise adversaries to foryifnesse and mercy.

/2980 2976. E.

_om.

_ hem.

§ 71. And whan dame Prudence hadde herd the assent of hir lord Melibee, and the conseil of hise freendes, / accorde with hir wille and hir entencioun, / she was wonderly glad in hir herte, and [237] seyde: / ‘ther is an old proverbe,’ quod she, ‘seith: that “the goodnesse that thou mayst do this day, do it; / and abyde nat ne delaye it nat til to-morwe.

” /2985 And therfore I conseille that ye sende your messages, swiche as been discrete and wyse, / un-to your adversaries; tellinge hem, on your bihalve, / that if they wole trete of pees and of accord, / that they shape hem, with-outen delay or tarying, to comen un-to us.

’ / Which thing parfourned was in dede.

/2990 And whanne thise trespassours and repentinge folk of hir folies, that is to seyn, the adversaries of Melibee, / hadden herd what thise messagers seyden un-to hem, / they weren right glad and Ioyeful, and answereden ful mekely and benignely, / yeldinge graces and thankinges to hir lord Melibee and to al his companye; / and shopen hem, with-outen delay, to go with the messagers, and obeye to the comandement of hir lord Melibee.

/2995 § 72. And right anon they token hir wey to the court of Melibee, / and token with hem somme of hir trewe freendes, to maken feith for hem and for to been hir borwes.

/ And whan they were comen to the presence of Melibee, he seyde hem thise wordes: / ‘it standeth thus,’ quod Melibee, ‘and sooth it is, that ye, / causeless, and with-outen skile and resoun, /3000 han doon grete iniuries and wronges to me and to my wyf Prudence, and to my doghter also.

/ For ye han entred in-to myn hous by violence, / and have doon swich outrage, that alle men knowen wel that ye have deserved the deeth; / and therfore wol I knowe and wite of yow, / whether ye wol putte the punissement and the chastysinge and the vengeance of this outrage in the wil of me and of my wyf Prudence; or ye wol nat?

’ /3005 3003. E.

disserued.

§ 73. Thanne the wyseste of hem three answerde for hem alle, and seyde: / ‘sire,’ quod he, ‘we knowen wel, that we been unworthy to comen un-to the court of so greet a lord and so worthy as ye been.

/ For we han so greetly mistaken us, and han offended and agilt in swich a wyse agayn your heigh lordshipe, / that trewely we han deserved the deeth.

/ But yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee that all the world witnesseth of your persone, /3010 we submitten us to the excellence and benignitee of your gracious lordshipe, / and been redy to obeie to alle your comandements; / bisekinge yow, that of your merciable pitee ye wol [238] considere our grete repentaunce and lowe submissioun, / and graunten us foryevenesse of our outrageous trespas and offence.

/ For wel we knowe, that your liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem ferther in-to goodnesse, than doon our outrageouse giltes and trespas in-to wikkednesse; /3015 al-be-it that cursedly and dampnably we han agilt agayn your heigh lordshipe.

’ / 3005. E.

wheither.

3009. E.

disserued.

3010. of] E. in.

3013. E.

lough; _rest_ lowe.

3016. E.

Hn.

dampnablely.

§ 74. Thanne Melibee took hem up fro the ground ful benignely, / and receyved hir obligaciouns and hir bondes by hir othes up-on hir plegges and borwes, / and assigned hem a certeyn day to retourne un-to his court, / for to accepte and receyve the sentence and Iugement that Melibee wolde comande to be doon on hem by the causes afore-seyd; /3020 whiche thinges ordeyned, every man retourned to his hous.

/ § 75. And whan that dame Prudence saugh hir tyme, she freyned and axed hir lord Melibee, / what vengeance he thoughte to taken of hise adversaries?

/ § 76. To which Melibee answerde and seyde, ‘certes,’ quod he, ‘I thinke and purpose me fully / to desherite hem of al that ever they han, and for to putte hem in exil for ever.

’ /3025 § 77. ‘Certes,’ quod dame Prudence, ‘this were a cruel sentence, and muchel agayn resoun.

/ For ye been riche y-nough, and han no nede of other mennes good; / and ye mighte lightly in this wyse gete yow a coveitous name, / which is a vicious thing, and oghte been eschewed of every good man.

/ For after the sawe of the word of the apostle: “coveitise is rote of alle harmes.

” /3030 And therfore, it were bettre for yow to lese so muchel good of your owene, than for to taken of hir good in this manere.

/ For bettre it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it is to winne good with vileinye and shame.

/ And every man oghte to doon his diligence and his bisinesse to geten him a good name.

/ And yet shal he nat only bisie him in kepinge of his good name, / but he shal also enforcen him alwey to do som-thing by which he may renovelle his good name; /3035 for it is writen, that “the olde good loos or good name of a man is sone goon and passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled.

” / And as touchinge that ye seyn, ye wole exile your adversaries, / that thinketh me muchel agayn resoun and out of mesure, / considered the power that they han yeve yow [239] up-on hem-self.

/ And it is writen, that “he is worthy to lesen his privilege that misuseth the might and the power that is yeven him.

” /3040 And I sette cas ye mighte enioyne hem that peyne by right and by lawe, / which I trowe ye mowe nat do, / I seye, ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun per-aventure, / and thanne were it lykly to retourne to the werre as it was biforn.

/ And therfore, if ye wole that men do yow obeisance, ye moste demen more curteisly; /3045 this is to seyn, ye moste yeven more esy sentences and Iugements.

/ For it is writen, that “he that most curteisly comandeth, to him men most obeyen.

” / And therfore, I prey yow that in this necessitee and in this nede, ye caste yow to overcome your herte.

/ For Senek seith: that “he that overcometh his herte, overcometh twyes.

” / And Tullius seith: “ther is nothing so comendable in a greet lord /3050 as whan he is debonaire and meke, and appeseth him lightly.

” / And I prey yow that ye wole forbere now to do vengeance, / in swich a manere, that your goode name may be kept and conserved; / and that men mowe have cause and matere to preyse yow of pitee and of mercy; / and that ye have no cause to repente yow of thing that ye doon.

/3055 For Senek seith: “he overcometh in an yvel manere, that repenteth him of his victorie.

” / Wherfore I pray yow, lat mercy been in your minde and in your herte, / to theffect and entente that god almighty have mercy on yow in his laste Iugement.

/ For seint Iame seith in his epistle: “Iugement withouten mercy shal be doon to him, that hath no mercy of another wight.

”’ / 3026. E.

crueel.

3032. E.

_om.

_ good (_twice_).

3036. or] E. and.

3051. E.

_om.

_ him.

3057. E.

in youre mynde and; _rest om.

_ § 78. Whanne Melibee hadde herd the grete skiles and resouns of dame Prudence, and hir wise informaciouns and techinges, /3060 his herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wyf, consideringe hir trewe entente; / and conformed him anon, and assented fully to werken after hir conseil; / and thonked god, of whom procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that him sente a wyf of so greet discrecioun.

/ And whan the day cam that hise adversaries sholde apperen in his presence, / he spak unto hem ful goodly, and seyde in this wyse: /3065 ‘al-be-it so that of your pryde and presumpcioun and folie, and of your necligence and unconninge, / ye have misborn yow and trespassed un-to me; / yet, for as much as I see and biholde your grete humilitee, / and that ye [240] been sory and repentant of your giltes, / it constreyneth me to doon yow grace and mercy.

/3070 Therfore I receyve yow to my grace, / and foryeve yow outrely alle the offences, iniuries, and wronges, that ye have doon agayn me and myne; / to this effect and to this ende, that god of his endelees mercy / wole at the tyme of our dyinge foryeven us our giltes that we han trespassed to him in this wrecched world.

/ For doutelees, if we be sory and repentant of the sinnes and giltes whiche we han trespassed in the sighte of our lord god, /3075 he is so free and so merciable, / that he wole foryeven us our giltes, / and bringen us to his blisse that never hath ende.

Amen.

’ /3078 =Here is ended Chaucers Tale of Melibee and of Dame Prudence.

= 3064 E.

Hn.

, appieren.

3078. E.

his; Hn.

Pt.

Hl.

the; Cp.

Ln.

thilke.

_After_ ende, Cp.

Ln.

_have this spurious couplet_:— To whiche blisse he us bringe That blood on crosse for us gan springe, followed by—_Qui cum patre_, &c. COLOPHON.

_From_ E. ; Hn.

_has_—Here is endid Chaucers tale of Melibe;

Hl.

_has_—Here endith Chaucer his tale of Melibe.

[241: T.

13895-13924. ] * * * * * THE MONK’S PROLOGUE.

* * * * *