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than this, is of yvel. Yee han herde that it is said, Eiye' for eiye,' toth for toth. But Y say to you, to nat ayein-stonde yvel; but yif any shal smyte thee in the right cheeke, yeve to hym and the tother; and to hym that wole stryve with thee in dome,' and take awey thi coote, leeve thou to hym and thin over-clothe; and who-evere constrayneth thee a thousand pacis, go thou with hym other tweyne. Forsothe yif to hym that axith of thee, and turne thou nat awey fro hym that wol borwe of thee. Yee han herd that it is said, Thou shalt love thin neighbore, and hate thin enmy. But Y say to you, love yee youre enmyes, do yee wel to hem that haten you, and preye yee for men pursuynge, and falsly chalengynge you; that yee be the sonys of youre Fadir that is in hevenes, that makith his sune to springe up upon good and yvel men, and rayneth upon juste men and unjuste men. For yif ye loven hem that loven you, what meed 10 shul yee have? whether and puplicans don nat this thing? And yif yee greten, or saluten, youre bretheren oonly, what more over shul yee don? whether and 3 13 don nat paynymmys this thing? Therfore be yee parfit," as and 3 youre hevenly Fadir is parfit. Take yee hede, lest ye don your rightwisnesse before men, that yee be seen of hem, ellis 15 ye shule nat han meed at youre Fadir that is in hevenes. Therfore when thou dost almesse,16 nyle 17 thou synge byfore thee in a trumpe, as ypocritis don in synagogis and streetis, that thei ben maad worshipful of men; forsothe Y saye to you, thei han resceyved her 18 meede. But thee doynge almesse,10 knowe nat the left hond what thi right hond doth, that thi almes be in hidlis,1o and thi Fadir that seeth in hidlis, shal yelde 20 to thee."

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smyte thee in the right cheke, schewe to him also the tothir; and to hym that wole stryve with thee in doom, and take awey thi coote, leeve thou to him also thi mantil; and who-ever constreyneth thee a thousynde pacis, go thou with hym othir tweyne. Yyve 5 thou to hym that axith of thee, and turne not awey fro hym that wole borewe of thee. Ye han herd that it was seid, Thou shalt love thi neighbore, and hate thin enemye. But Y seie to you, love ye youre enemyes, do ye wel to hem that hatiden you, and preye ye for hem that pursuen, and sclaundren you; that ye be the sones of your Fadir that is in hevenes, that makith his sunne to rise upon goode and yvele men, and reyneth on just men and unjuste. For if ye loven hem' that loven you, what mede 10 schulen ye han? whether pupplicans doon not this? And if ye greten youre britheren oonli, what schulen ye do more? ne doon not hethene men this? Therfore be ye parfit, as youre hevenli Fadir is parfit."

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sowtherne, and middel speche in the myddel of the lond, as they come of thre manere peple of Germania, notheles' by comyxtioun and mellynge firste with Danes and afterward with Normans, in meny the contray longage is apayred, and som useth straunge wlafferynge, chiterynge, harrynge, and garrynge grisbayting. This apayrynge of the burthe of the tunge is bycause of tweie thinges; oon is for children in scole ayenst the usage and manere of alle othere naciouns beeth compelled for to leve 10 hire" owne langage, and for to construe hir "lessouns and here" thynges in Frensche, and so they haveth 12 seth 13 the Normans come 14 first in-to Engelond. Also gentil-men children beeth i-taught to speke Frensche from the tyme that they beeth i-rokked in here cradel, and kunneth 15 speke and playe with a childes broche; 16 and uplondisshe 7 men wil likne hym-self to gentil-men, and fondeth 18 with greet besynesse for to speke Frensce, for to be i-tolde 19 of. Trevisa.20 This manere was moche i-used to-for " [the] Firste Deth 22 and is siththe sumdel i-chaunged; for John Cornwaile, a maister of grammer, chaunged the lore in gramer scole and construccioun of 24 Frensche in-to Englische; and Richard Pencriche lerned the manere techynge of hym and othere men of Pencrich; so that now, the yere of oure Lorde a thowsand thre hundred and foure score and fyve, and of the secounde kyng Richard after the conquest nyne, in alle the gramere scoles of Engelond, children leveth Frensche and construeth and lerneth an 20 Englische, and haveth 12 therby avauntage in oon side and disavauntage in another side; here" avauntage is, that they lerneth her gramer in lasse 27 tyme than children were i-woned 28 to doo; disavauntage is that now children of gramer scole conneth na more Frensche than can 30 hir 11 lift heele, and that is harme for hem 32 and 33 they schulle passe the see and travaille in straunge landes and in many other places. Also gentil-men haveth now moche i-left 34 for to teche here" children Frensche. R. Hit semeth a greet wonder how Englische, that

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1 nevertheless 2 mixing country, native corrupted stammering chattering snarling 8 howling gnashing of teeth 10 leave, give up 11 their 12 have 18 since 18 came 17 16 brooch (ornament in general) can try 18 attempt 19 accounted 20 What follows, to R., is Trevisa's addition. 21 before 22 the First Plague, 1348-1349 23 somewhat 24 from 25 kind of 20 in

27 less 28 accustomed 29 know 30 knows 31 left 82 them 33 if 34 ceased 85 What follows, to Trevisa, is from Higden.

is the burthe tonge of Englisshe men and her 1 owne langage and tonge, is so dyverse of sown in this oon ilond, and the langage of Normandie is comlynge of another londe, and hath oon 3 manere soun among alle men that speketh hit aright in Engelond. Trevisa. Nevertheles there is as many dyvers manere Frensche in the reem of Fraunce as is dyvers manere Englische in the reem of Engelond. R. Also of the forsaide Saxon tonge that is i-deled 12 11 and is abide athre scarsliche 13 with fewe uplondisshe " men is greet wonder; for men of the est with men of the west, as it were undir the same partie 1 of hevene, acordeth more in sownynge 10 of speche than men of the north with men of the south; therfore it is that Mercii, that beeth men of myddel Engelond, as it were parteners of the endes, understondeth bettre the side langages, northerne and southerne, than northerne and southerne understondeth either other. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro tertio." Al the longage 18 of the Northhumbres, and specialliche at York, is so scharp, slitting, and frotynge 19 and unschape, that we southerne men may that longage unnethe 20 understonde. I trowe" that that is bycause that they beeth nyh to straunge men and naciouns that speketh strongliche,23 and also bycause that the kynges of Engelond woneth 24 alwey fer from that cuntrey; for they beeth more i-torned 25 to the south contray, and yif they gooth to the north countray they gooth with greet help and strengthe.26 27 The cause why they beeth more in the south contrey than in the north, is for 28 hit may be better corne londe,29 more peple, more noble citees, and more profitable havenes."

1 their sound one comer, immigrant kind of Trevisa adds a very intelligent observation. 7 kinds of 8 realm What follows is from Higden. 10 divided 11 in three (dialects) 12 has remained 18 scarcely 14 country 15 part 16sounding, pronouncing 17 The historian, William of Malmesbury, is Higden's authority for what follows 18 language 19 chafing, harsh 20 scarcely 21 believe 22 nigh 23 harshly, or (perhaps) strangely 24 live 25 turned 2 i.e. with a large army 27 Higden adds a remark of his own to his quotation. 28 because 29 land 30 havens, harbors 31an astronomical instrument; consult the dictionary 32 Lewis

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sciencez touchinge noumbres and proporciouns; and as wel considere I thy bisy preyere in special to lerne the Tretis of the Astrolabie. Than, for as mechel as a philosofre seith, "he wrappeth him in his frend, that condescendeth to the rightful preyers of his frend," therfor have I yeven thee a suffisaunt Astrolabie as for oure orizonte, compowned after the latitude of Oxenford; upon which, by mediacion this litel tretis, I purpose to teche thee a certein nombre of conclusions apertening to the same instrument. I seye a certein of conclusiouns, for three causes. The furste cause is this: truste wel that alle the conclusiouns that han "ben founde, or elles 12 possibly mighten be founde in so noble an instrument as an Astrolabie, ben 13 unknowe perfitly to any mortal man in this regioun, as I suppose. Another cause is this: that sothly," in any tretis of the Astrolabie that I have seyn," there ben 13 some conclusions that wole 16 nat in alle thinges performen hir" bihestes;18 and some of hem ben 13 to 19 harde to thy tendre age of ten yeer to conseyve.20 This tretis, divided in fyve parties, wole I shewe thee under ful lighte rewles 23 and naked wordes in English; for Latin ne canstow 24 yit but smal, my lyte 25 sone. But natheles,20 suffyse to thee thise trewe conclusiouns in English, as wel as suffyseth to thise noble clerkes Grekes thise same conclusiouns in Greek, and to Arabiens in Arabik, and to Jewes in Ebrew, and to the Latin folk in Latin; whiche Latin folk han11 hem 27 furst out of othre diverse langages, and writen in hir" owne tonge, that is to sein,28 in Latin. And God wot,29 that in alle thise

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langages, and in many mo,3 30 han" thise conclusiouns ben 31 suffisantly lerned and taught, and yit by diverse rewles,23 right as diverse pathes leden diverse folk the righte wey to Rome. Now wol I prey meekly every discret persone that redeth or hereth this litel tretis, to have my rewde "endyting for excused, and my superfluite of wordes, for two causes. The firste cause is, for-that 34 curious 35 dyting 33 and hard sentence is ful hevy atones 38 for swich 39 a child to lerne. And

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the seconde cause is this, that sothly mesemeth betre to wryten unto a child twyes a good sentence, than he forgete it ones.* And, Lowis, yif so be that I shewe thee in my lighte English as trewe conclusiouns touching this matere, and naught only as trewe but as many and as subtil conclusiouns as ben " shewed in Latin in any commune tretis of the Astrolabie, con me the more thank; and preye God save the king, that is lord of this langage, and alle that him feyth bereth 10 and obeyeth, everech" in his degree, the more 12 and the lasse. 3 But considere wel, that I ne usurpe nat to have founde this werk of my labour or of myn engin." I nam 15 but a lewd 16 compilatour of the labour of olde Astrologiens, and have hit translated in myn English only for thy doctrine; and with this swerd 18 shal I sleen envye.

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"For-sothe," ' quod I, "I see wel now that suffisaunce may nat comen by richesses, ne power by reames," ne reverence by dignitees, ne gentilesse 25 by glorie, ne joye by delices." 26 "And hast thou wel knowen the causes," quod she, "why it is?"

"Certes," me-semeth," quod I, "that I see hem right as though it were thorugh a litel clifte; 28 but me were levere 20 knowen hem 30 more openly of thee."

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1 truly it seems to me 3 twice once if easy 7 not con thank means thank, be grateful 10 bear 11 every one greater 18 less 14 ingenuity 16 ignorant 17 compiler 18 sword 19 slay

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1 eager 2 prayer, request then much given • horizon 7 composed 8 means 9 problems and their solutions 10 pertaining 11 have 12 else 18 16 will 17 their 18 14 truly 15 promises 19 too 23 rules 24 knowest thou easy 27 them 28 29 knows say 31 been 32 rude 88 composition 34 because 35 elaborate 20 meaning, sense 37 difficult

derstand 21 parts

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26 little 26 nevertheless

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22 true 23 sufficiency 28 pleasures 29 liefer, preferable

27 cer30 them

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"And demest thou," quod she, "that a thing that is of this manere, that is to seyn," suffisaunt and mighty, oughte ben 12 despysed, or elles that it be right digne 13 of reverence aboven alle thinges?"

"Certes," quod I, "it nis no doute, that it is right worthy to ben reverenced."

"Lat" us," quod she, "adden thanne reverence to suffisaunce and to power, so that we demen 15 that thise three thinges ben al o thing."

"Certes," quod I, "lat us adden it, yif we wolen 16 graunten the sothe."

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"What demest thou thanne ?" quod she; "is that a derk thing and nat noble, that is suffisaunt, reverent, and mighty, or elles that it is right noble and right cleer by celebritee of renoun?. Consider thanne," quod she, "as we han 18 graunted her-biforn, that he that ne hath nede of no-thing, and is most mighty and most digne13 of honour, yif him nedeth any cleernesse of renoun, which cleernesse he mighte nat graunten of him-self, so that, for lakke of thilke 20 cleernesse, he mighte seme the febeler on any syde or the more out-cast?" GLOSE: This is to seyn, nay; for who-so that is suffisaunt, mighty, and reverent, cleernesse of renoun folweth of the forseyde" thinges; he hath it al redy of his suffisaunce.

7

Boece. "I may nat," quod I, "denye it; but I mot graunte, as it is, that this thing be right celebrable by cleernesse of renoun and noblesse."

"Thanne folweth it," quod she, "that we adden cleernesse of renoun to the three forseyde thinges, so that ther ne be amonges hem no difference?"

"This is a consequence," quod I.

"Thanne moten 6 we graunte," quod she, "that this thing be ful of gladnesse, yif' the forseyde thinges ben sothe;' and certes, also mote we graunten that suffisaunce, power, noblesse, reverence, and gladnesse ben only dyverse by names, but hir 10 substaunce hath no diversitee."

"It mot needly " been so," quod I.

"Thilke " thing thanne,' ,"13 quod she, "that is oon 14 and simple in his is nature, the wikkednesse of men departeth it and devydeth it; and whan they enforcen hem to geten partye of a thing that ne hath no part, they ne geten hem neither thilke 12 partye that nis non,1° ne the thing al hool 20 that they ne desire

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"In which manere?" quod I.

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"Thilke man," quod she, "that secheth "1 richesses to fleen povertee, he ne travaileth" him nat for to gete power; for he hath levere ben derk and vyl; and eek" withdraweth from him-self many naturel delyts, for he nolde 25 lese 26 the moneye that he hath assembled. But certes, in this manere he ne geteth him nat suffisaunce that power forleteth," and that molestie 20 prikketh, and that filthe maketh out-cast, and that derkenesse hydeth. And certes, he that desireth only power, he wasteth and scatereth richesse, and despyseth delyts, and eek" honour that is withoute power, ne he ne preyseth glorie no-thing.30 Certes, thus seest thou wel, that manye thinges faylen to him; for he hath somtyme defaute of many necessitees, and many anguisshes byten " him; and whan he ne may nat don 32 tho 33 defautes a-wey, he forleteth "7 to ben mighty, and that is the thing that he most desireth. And right thus may I maken semblable 34 resouns of honours, and of glorie, and of delyts. For so as every of thise forseyde thinges is the same that thise other

1 external 2 pleasant must 7 if 8 aforesaid 12 that 13 then 14 one 15 its 19 none 20 whole 21 seeks

24 also 26 would not 29 praises, esteems those 34 similar

16 them 17 18 get part 22 labors 23 liefer, rather

26 lose 27 forsakes 28 annoyance 30 not at all 31 bite put

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thinges ben, that is to seyn, al oon thing, who-so that ever seketh to geten that' oon of thise, and nat that' other, he ne geteth nat that he desireth."

Boece. "What seyst thou thanne, yif that a man coveiteth to geten alle thise thinges togider?"

Philosophie. "Certes," quod she, "I wolde seye, that he wolde geten him sovereyn3 blisfulnesse; but that shal he nat finde in tho thinges that I have shewed, that ne mowen nat yeven that they beheten."

"Certes, no," quod I.

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"Certes," quod I, "it is cleer and open, thogh it were to a blinde man; and that shewedest thou me ful wel a litel her-biforn, whan thou enforcedest thee to shewe me the causes of the false blisfulnesse. For but-yif 19 I be bigyled, thanne is thilke 20 the verray blisfulnesse parfit," 21 that parfitly maketh a man suffisaunt, mighty, honourable, noble, and ful of gladnesse. And, for thou shalt wel knowe that I have wel understonden thise thinges with-in my herte, I knowe wel that thilke blisfulnesse, that may verrayly yeven oon of the forseyde thinges, sin 2 they ben al oon, I knowe, douteles, that thilke thing is the fulle blisfulnesse."

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"Thanne," quod she, "for as mochel thou hast knowen which is thilke verray blisfulnesse, and eek whiche thilke thinges ben that lyen falsly blisfulnesse, that is to seyn, that by deceite semen 2 verray goodes, now behoveth thee to knowe whennes and where thou mowe 10 seke thilke verray blisfulnesse." "Certes," quod I, "that desire I greetly, and have abiden " longe tyme to herknen it.”

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"But for as moche," quod she, "as it lyketh " to my disciple Plato, in his book of 'in Timeo,' that in right litel thinges men sholden bisechen 13 the help of God, what jugest thou that be now to done, so that we may deserve to finde the sete 15 of thilke verray good?"

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"Certes," quod I, "I deme 16 that we shollen clepen the Fader of alle goodes; for withouten him nis ther no hing founden a-right." "Thou seyst a-right," quod she; and bigan anon to singen right thus:

24

METRE IX

--

"O thou Fader, creator of hevene and of erthes, that governest this world by perdurable 18 resoun, that comaundest the tymes to gon 19 from 20 sin" that age " hadde beginninge; thou that dwellest thy-self ay stedefast and stable, and yevest 23 alle othre thinges to ben moeved; 2 ne foreine 25 causes necesseden 20 thee never to compoune27 werk of floteringe 28 matere, but only the forme of soverein 2 good y-set with-in thee with-oute envye, that moevede thee freely. Thou that art alder-fayrest,30 beringe31 the faire world in thy thought, formedest" this world to the lykenesse semblable of that faire world in thy thought. Thou drawest al thing of thy soverein 20 ensaumpler, and comaundest that this world, parfitliche y-maked, have

10 mayst 14 do

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1 such 2 seem true perfect much also 7 of what sort 8 lie, impersonate • whence 11 abided, waited seat, dwelling-place upon, pray to 18 everlasting 21 since 22 finite time 23 givest compelled compose 28 fluid of all a bearing 32 didst form 35 made, formed

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24 moved 25 external 29 supreme 30 fairest

33 model 34 perfectly