THE KNIGHTES TALE. 175
' The firste moevere of the cause above, Whan he first made the fayre cheyne of love, Gret was theffect, and heigh was his entente; Wei wiste he why, and what therof he mente ; For with that faire cheyne of love he bond The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the loud In certeyn boundes, that they may not flee; That same prynce and moevere eek,' quod he, * Hath stabled, in this wrecched world adoun, Certeyne days and duracioun To all that ben engenred in this place, . Over the whiche day they may nat pace, Al mowe they yit tho dayes wel abregge ; Ther needeth non auctorite' tallegge; For it is preved by experience, But that me lust declare my sentence. Than many men by this ordre wel discerne, That thilke moevere stable is and eterne. Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, That every part deryveth from his hool. For nature hath nat take his bygynnyng Of no party e ne cant el of a thing, But of a thing that parfyt is and stable, Descendyng so, til it be corumpable. And therfore of his wyse purveiaunce He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce, That spices of thinges and progressiouns Schullen endure by successiouns, And nat eterne be without e lye : This maistow understande and sen at eye.
' Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisschynge Fro tyme that it gynneth first to springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet atte laste wasted is the tree.
* Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon ' Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon, Fit wasteth it, as it lith by the weye.