\STUPIA IN /

THE LIBRARY

of
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

Toronto

ISocutg.
(gdra Scrits, LXXVII.
1899.

BERLIN : ASHER & CO., 13, UNTER DEN LINDEN.

NEW YORK : C. SCRIBNER & CO. ; LEYPOLDT & HOLT.

PHILADELPHIA : J. B. L1PPINCOTT & CO.

ENGLISHT BY

JOHN LYDGATE, A.D. 1426,

FROM THE FRENCH OP

GUJLLAUME DE DEGUILEVILLE, A.D. 1335.

EDITED FROM 3 FIFTEENTH-CENTURY MSS. IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM,

COTTON, VITELLIUS, C xiii (VELLUM, IMPEBFBCT),
COTTON, TIBERIUS, A vii (VELLUM, A FRAGMENT), AND

STOWE 952 (PAPER, COMPLETED BY JOHN STOWE,
ABOUT 1600 A.D.)

BY

F. J. FURNIVALL, M.A. CAMBRIDGE,

HON. DR. PHIL. BERLIN,
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY.

PART I.

LONDON :

PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY

BY KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & Co.

PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING-CROSS ROAD, W.C.

1899

E.5
ho.77

TO
THK MEMORY OF OLD

3obn Stowe,

THK ELIZABETHAN TAILOR,

WHO LOVED MSS. AND ANTIQUITY J

AND TO WHOSE COPY THE COMPLETENESS

OF THE FOLLOWING TEXT IS DUE.

Crtra Strits, LXXVII.

B. CXAT & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNOAY.

FOBEWOKDS.

As DeGuileville's Pelerinage or some abstract or report of it
was supposed to have been the original of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Pro-
gress, 1 or to have suggested the subject to him, I got one of our
copiers, the late William Wood afterwards a Eeader at our printers',
Austins of Hertford to copy Lydgate's verse englishing, some 20
years ago, from the only two imperfect MSS. of it then in the
British Museum, Vitellius C 13 and Tiberius A 7. Mr. J. Meadows
Cowper kindly wrote sidenotes to most of the copy. About six years
ago, Mr. G. N. Currie, M. A. Lond., a school-master, undertook to edit
it, and sent it to Clays as fit for press. On his sad death two years
back, I, as the Society's man-of-all-work, had to take it up, and, after
trying in vain to fill up the burnt parts of the Vitellius MS. in the
first four sheets of proof, I luckily came on the Stowe MS. 952 of the
poem, with a capital text, which had escaped the notice of our great
teacher in MS. Romances, Henry Ward, thro' not having been fully
described in the Stowe catalog of Lord Ashburnham. This MS. has
only about two-thirds of Lydgate's englishing ; but that worthy old
tailor John Stowe, whom all MS. folk honour, hating a vacuum,
as Nature does, copied into his MS. 2 the missing part, from another
MS.; and tho' he modernised the spelling somewhat, and cut off a lot
of final ees, his text has enabled me to fill up the gaps left by the two

1 See Miss Isabella K, Gust's two books : 1, The ancient Poem of Guillaume
de Guileville, entitled Le Pelerinage de VHomme, compared with the Pilgrim's
Progress of John Bunyan, London 1858 ; 2. A Modern prose Translation (that
is, Abstract) of . . The PyJgrymage of Man, London 1859, &c.

2 This MS. , Stowe 952, is no doubt the one that Thos. Speght alluded to in
his List of Lydgate's works at the end of his Siege of Thebes, Fol. 394, in Chau-
cer's Workes, 1598, ed. Speght. In his 'Catalogue of translations and Poeticall
deuises, in English mitre or verse, done by lohn Lidgate, Monke of Bury,
whereof some are extant in Print, the residue in the custodie of him [John
Stowe] that first caused this Siege of Thebes to be added to those works of G.
Chaucer' [1551], the 3rd entry is 'Pilgrimage of the world, by commandement
of the Earle of Salisbury, 1426.'

*

vi Forewords. Lydgate and Bunyan.

Cotton MSS., and thus secure the Society the complete poem. As his
master Chaucer had englisht DeGuileville's ABC poem to the Virgin,
Lydgate left a space for it to be copied in; 1 and this will be fild
below by the best of the versions I printed for the Chaucer Society,
in my Parallel-Text Minor Poems.

Seeing that the main interest of Lydgate's poem supposing his
verse to deserve that name is its supposed relation to Bunyan's
world-known work, I suppose our members will read enough of it to
settle, each in his own mind, whether this Pilgrimage had anything
to do with the Pilgrim's Progress. I don't think it had ; for De-
Guileville's main object was to expound and enforce the chief articles
of Romanist doctrine by any arguments, however absurd, as where
the Pilgrim has to get his eyes taken out and put in his ears (p. 164),
so that his hearing may make him believe that bread and wine are
turnd into Christ's body and blood, though his sight tells him the
substances are unchanged.

The only pretty page in the volume is that on the renewing of
Nature by Spring, p. 92. Of the literary quality of the rest of the
verse, the less that's said, the better ; but of course the text is of
worth for its words, metre, and grammar, and its gauge of religious
folks' minds in the 14th and 15th centuries. 2 Lydgate (at the bidding
of the 7th Lord Salisbury 3 ) englisht the second and expanded version
of DeGuileville's poem, made A.D. 1335, the first having been written
in 1330-1. There is no copy of this second version in the British
Museum, MS. or printed ; but Mr. Alfred Huth has kindly let me
make extracts from his copy of the old print, to show how Lydgate
treated his original. In the following sample he englishes 148 lines
of French in 254 of English, which include his definitions of the
three words Original, Posterity, Transgression. For another sample,
see p. 201-4, after the third Latin poem.

1 The prose englisher lifts Chaucer's poem into his text as if it were his own :
p. 165-70, Roxb. Club ed. of DeGuileville's first version.

J Compare the present fuss about ritualism, incense, &c.

3 See Cokayne's grand Peerage, vii. 36. Lord S. got his death-wound at the
Siege of Orleans in 1428. His second wife was Alice, daughter and heir of
Thomas Chaucer of Ewelme, widow of Sir Jn. Philip. Her third husband was
William de la Pole, first Duke of Suffolk. She would no doubt appreciate Lyd-
gate's praise of her husband's relative, not father, Geoffrey Chaucer.

Forewwds. Extract from DeGuileville's French. vii

(For comparison with p. 2682, 1. 9671220
Lydgate.)

1 If Bien vueil, dis ie, quainsi soit fait.

Mais ce seroit raison et droit [Fo. nij] 968 Lepeierin

Que ie sceusse pourquoy baigner 969

4 Me fault ycy, et quel mestier 970-1

En est / quant assez laue suy 972

Et point ne suis ort ne honny, 973

Ceste eau est froide / et ie suis net ; 976

8 Et aduis mest, se ie my meet, 977

Quen tres grant peril ie feray ; 978

Et plus net, estre nen pourray. 979-80

IT Or escoute, dist elle lors ; 981 grace aieu

12 Sassez net tu es par dehors, 982

Si ne les tu mye par dedens, 983

Pour la cause de tes parens, 987

Qui, de loriginal peche, 986

16 Tout enlaidy et entache ; 985-989

Duquel estre tu ne pourroies 990

Bien laue, se ycy ne lestoies. 991-2

Encores que ce ie taidasse, 993-4

20 Et que Ie bain sainctifiasse, 995-6
Se ia nestoit sainctifiez,

Par ainsi suffiroit assez 997
Pour toi bien lauer par dedens, 998, 1001

24 Selon lequel signifiemens

Test donne leaue par dehors. 999

^1 Chiere dame, respondy lors, 1003 Lepeierin

Or est ma doubte moult plus grant 1004-5

28 Quelle nestoit par cy deuant. 1006-7

Exposez moy ce quauez dit, 1008-9

Ou mal en feroye mon profit. 1010
IT Quant dieu, dist elle, adam, ton pere, 1011-12 grace dieu

32 Eut cree / et eue, ta mere, 1012-14

II leur fist si grant courtoisie, 1015-17

Et leur donna tele franchise, 1018

Quilz pouoient viure sans languir, 1019-21

36 Sans necessite de mourir ; 1022-3

Et tel grace leur octroya, 1023

viii Forewords. Extract from DeGuileville's French.

[Gract DU.] Que rectitude leur donna,

Et droiz les fist en liberte, 1024

40 Et franchise de volente 1025

Pour bien garder en eulx droicture 1026-7

Selon iustice par mesure, 1028

En tel maniere que le corps 1029

44 Obeissoit a son ame lors ; 1030

Et si rendoient subiection 1031

Les forces basses a raison, 1032-3

Ce quest bas / a ce que dessus, 1034

48 Les moins dignes / aux dignes plus. 1035-7

Et telle ordonnance pouoit 1041-2

Estre bien dicte, qui vouldroit 1043-5

Vne iustice origin el, 1046

52 Qua tes parens, dieu, pour chatel 1047-9

Et heritaige auoit donne 1049

Pour ceulx de leur posterite 1050

Herediter / a tousiours mais, 1051-5

56 Se point ne se fussent meffaiz. 1055-6
Mais saiches que moult se meffirent ;

Car, a leur dieu ilz desobeirent,, 1057

Et perdirent lauctorite 1058-60

60 De quoy dessus ie tay parle ; 1061

Cest, que mourir les conuiendroit, 1062

Et que plus a eulx ne seroit 1063

Lobedience de deuant ; 1064

64 Car cil qui nobeist au plus grant 1065

Qui le serue, trouuer ne doit, 1066

Ne qua luy obeisse par droit. 1067-70

Adam a dieu a desobey : 1071-2

68 Bien fut dont raison que celuy 1073

Quil auoit en subiection, 1074-7

Aussi lui fist rebellion. 1078

A /~\R t" 6 diray comment en va : 1079-84

72 \J Se vng bon fort chastel donne a 1088

Le roy / a vng sien cheualier, 1085

Pource quil ame, et quil la cher, 1086

Afin que sil est bien feal, 1087

76 Bien obeissant et bien loyal,

Qua luy et ses hoirs tousiours soit ; 1088-97

Forewwds. Extract from DcGuileville's French. ix

Mais sainsi est qua feal ne soit, 1098 [Grace

Et le cliastel ainsi perdu 1100-1

80 II ait / ou len luy ait tolu. 1101

Ce nest pas raison / en verite, 1102

Que ses hoirs en soieut herite ; 1103
Car combien quauant leur feust deu,

84 Us lont par leux pere perdu. 1105

IT Aux premiers parens dieu donna [1106-7]

lustice original, dont ia x 1 108

Tay parle, par condition 1116

88 Que sa luy nul rebellion 1115
Ilz ne faisoient / il octroyoit
Quelle fust a trestous par droit

Ceulx qui de leur posterite 2 1117

92 Servient desormais engendre,

Or est que, quant ilz desobeirent 1121-5

Icelle Justice perdirent. 1 1 22, 1 1 26
Aux hoirs ne la peurent donner,

96 Et ilz nen peurent heritor. 1127

Mais ne fust la transgression 3 1129

A eulx eust este par raison. 1134-5

Done, se tu as entendement, 1136-7

100 Veoir tu peulx bien apertement, 1138

Que eel original peche 1139-42

De quoy ie te voz entache, 1143

Que cest carence de iustice 1144

104 Original / en celluy qui / ce 1145

Deusist auoir en verite 1146-7

Par cause de posterite. 1148

IF Dame, dis ie moult esbahis, 1149-50

108 Me faictes, de voz diuers dis, 1151

Qui ne sentre-suiuent de rien ; 1152

Et croy que vous le sauez bien.

Vous dictes quil me fault lauer, 1153-4

112 Pour ma laidure hors iecter; 1155

Et vous nommez tele laidure, 1156-7

' Tache originale, et ordure ' ; 1158

1 Lydgate's definition of Original takes up lines 1109-13.

2 Lydgate's definition of Posterity takes up lines 1119-21.

a Lydgate's definition of Transgression takes up lines 1130-3.

Forewords. Extract from DeGhtileville's French.

ete-in.] Laquelle nest fors que carencc 1159-GO

116 De ceste iustice, et absence. 1160-1

Or me semble que lauement 1162-3

Nest besoing a defaillenient. 1164

Ains vauldroit il mieux par raison 1165

120 Aucune restitution. 1166

grace dieu IF Certes, dist elle, il est tout voir, 1167-8

Qui beaulte na / que doit auoir, 1169-70

Nest pas sans vilte et ordure, 1171

124 Voire et si peult estre dordure 1172

Souuentesfoys commencement, 1173

Et grant cause et nourricement : 1174

Com, saucun / point de nez nauoit, 1175-6

128 Lequel par raison auoir doit, 1177

A luy ce seroit grant laidure, 1178-9

Et me pourroit estre / quordure 1180-1

Aucune / apres ne sensuiuit, 1182-4

132 Dont, saiches par ce que iay dit, 1185

Se nas iustice originel 1186

Quauoir deusses / par laquel bel 1 1 87-8

Feusses / que nes pas sans laidure ; 1189-90

136 Et mesmement quant en ordure 1192

De charnelle concupiscence 1193

Tousiours enchez / sans resistence 1202

Faire, tele comme tu deusses, 1203

140 Se la grant beaulte tu eusses 1204-10

Que te perdirent pere et mere, 1 208-9

Quapres eulx tout chascun compere. 1211-12

Lepeierin IT Or dictes (dis ie) ic vous pry, 1213-14

144 Sen se lauement, restably 1215

[Fo. v] Et restitue point seroy 1216

De la iustice quauoir doy ; 1217

Et se lorde concupiscence 1219

148 Adnullee me sera par ce. . . . 1220

Note. Martews, p. 234, 1. 8433.

Et cincq pierres i met petites I Dont puceles as martiaus geuent,

Du rivage de mer eslites, Quant beles et rondos les treuent.

Konian de la Rose 2176770. iv. 320, Bibl. Elzeo.

Jouer aux marteaux, signifiat lancer dos petits cailloux ronds en 1'air pour

les recevoir dans 1'une et 1'autre main ,eri les faisant choquer. C'est un jeu
analogue a notre jeu d'osselets : ib. v. 216-7.

Ossclets. The game tearmed Cockall or Huckleboues. 1611 Cotgravc.

Foreiuords. Amalgamated ' to.' A syllable as a foot, xi

The two points that strike me most on reading Lydgate's poem,
are, 1. the large number of times in which he lias run the preposition
to into the next vowel-beginning word, like tave, to have ; tal, to all ;
talyved, to have lived ; and 2. the many instances in which a single
unemphatic syllable does duty for the first measure of a line, and
rarely that of a half-line after the pause.

As examples of (1), take
Telpe the in thy pylgrymage 22/815
Tescape the wawe of euery streem 25/Q5 1
Talyved 1 euere, thys no lesynge 2 7/ 1019
Neuer tave had necessyte 27/IO22
Lyk tamyghty champyoun 47/1766
In ta pulpet that ther stood 64/2385
Tal 2 pylgrymes in ther myscheff 108/7150
The taforce in thy dyffence 217/7769
Tarme 3 a man in chastyte 217/7778

As restoring the to sometimes mends the metre, the reader may
perhaps put the amalgamation down to Lydgate's scribe. I don't.

As examples of (2), take
Of / the gate / was cheff / porter 10/357
As / yt hadde / only / by grace 23/866
As / a plac/e most / royal 28/871
And / to hyr / thus I / abrayde 28/878
And / to put / the out / of doute 25/947
Of / ther synne / oryg/ynal 88/1255
And / tavoyd/en fro / thys place 47/1757
Of / ryht, as / he ouht/e do 81/3052
Of / thylke / muta/cioun 94/3542
A/batyd / & set / a-syde 102/3847
And / yt wer / abus/youn 102/3852
Lych / as wry/teth Y/saye 102/3853
And / with hum/ble cher / & face 104/3947
Of / the wych / as thouh/te me 105/3987
The / relefE / wher as / he stood 1 84/51 15
To / be gyrt / for syk/ernesse 201/7205

1 Cp. I myghte beter a mendyt yt 7/253 [a = have]

2 To all. Tyl St. Cp. To al pylgrymes in ther way 21/789

3 To arme St.

xii Forewords. One Syllabic as a Measure. Final ' e.'
After the pause I have carelessly noted only

Therof / holy / the / manere 9/321

Thys horn/yd best / and / tenchase 47/1758

Lyst / the wyn / wer / to strong 59/2229

In the second line, the restoration of to would make it normal.
But the student will find plenty of irregularities, as he reads. In
55/2047, 'That / ye be / thys / no fable,' thys is emphatic.

In marking the e for the scansion I have occasionally made mis-
takes, as on p. 138-9, where 'Esau' should have been treated as a
3-syllabled word, since it rymes with 'vertu,' 1. 5299, 5310. Line
5280 I should now scan ' Clad / in E / sa-w/ys wede,' 1. 5297 as
' E/sa-u / to sette / abak,' and 1. 5300 as ' Took / lacob / for E/sa-u.'
'Swycli / ten / in quantyte/ 136/5205, may want mending to
' SwycheV I haven't markt all the ee's that need sounding.

DE GUILLEVILLE'S PILGKIMAGE OF THE
LIFE OF MAN

(englisht by Lydgate in 1426, from the 2nd recension of De Guille-
ville's Ptlerinage de vie humainc, A.D. 1355, pr. about 1500).

of tije Cranslator, Itofm

MS. Colt. Vitel. c. xiii, leaf 2.

q Vi peregrinatis, hunc per libru? docearis 1

Que bona uel dubia s[it fugienda 2 ] via. [*st.]
[y] e worldly folk, avyse yow betymes [ s st.] woriaiyfoik

Wych in thys lyff [ne] ben [but as pylgriiues 3 ], wise betimes,
Lyk strauMgerys [ti'ere fro youre Cuntre 4 ] [st.]
5 Vnfraiwohysed and [voyde off lyberte]; 5 [ 5 st.] 4
ffor schortly here yovre poscessyon for possession

ys yove to yow / but for a schort sesou??,
Nor the tresovre 6 wych that ye possede [6 tresou^c 8 ]''
ys but thyng lent / ho so kan take hede, 8 tst.f Omnia

ffor clerkys seyn / how [that] al 7 erthly thyng f ^"cf" viclxi^unt
Stowndemel, and by vnwar chaiwgyng* //Nesciosunt

cuia nune //

Whan folk lest wene / noon hede ne take, -as iiui &

Her mayster olde 8 sodeynly for-s:ike. [" oide St., old c.] 12 only for a

short time.

Thyng myn to-day / a-nother hath to-mor\ve ;

That kam wyth loye / departeth ay wyth sorwe ;

And thyng ywonne wyth loye 9 and gladnesse, [9 { ye c s j"

Ay dysseuereth wyth 10 wo and hevynesse. [ 10 wytu witA c.]

No tresour here, wyth man wyl abyde ; NO treasures

J J J will remain

Who strongest halt / ther rathest hyt wyl slyde : liere wlth

any one.

ffortune ys lady / vrith hyr / double face,

Of every thyng 1 / that sodeynly doth pace ; 20

Sche pryncesse ys / of al worldly glorye,

And off al loye that ys transytdrye ;

Sche ys off chere 11 so varyaunt & dovble. [ n chere St., Fortune de-

* cue C -J ceives men

Hyr kalm ys euere meynt -with wo & trovble, 24 r,

And hyr sugre [ys] vnder-spreynt wyth galle :
Thys hyr vsage vn-to estatys alle,

1 docearis. Stowe MS. 952. The Cott. MS. is burnt and torn at the top all

thro ; 1st page faint. The Stowe MS. was once in the possession of old John

Stowe, the famous tailor and book-collector. Notes in his writing are on

Ivs. 1, 3, 4, 13, besides the long bit he copied from 303 bk. to the end, 379 bk.

PILGRIMAGE. B

2 Lydgatcs Prolog. Man's Life a Pilgrimage.

[i fayrest To schewc fayrest whan l sche ys most to drede ;

fayres'whaTn Of hyh" ne lowh" sclie taketh noon other hede, 28

ffor wych [let] no man vp-on hyr assure,
ffor sche ys lyke 2 to the chavnteplure ; [ lyke St., lyk c.]

and woe ai- Wo after love & after song wepyng 1 ,

ways suc-
ceeds to Thys hyr cvstom in every maner thyng. 32

pleasure,

[leaf 2, buck] In on estate she neuere doth" contyune. [St.; c. burnt}
Thys stormy quen, wych callyd ys Fortune [St. &c.]
Hyr gyfftys alle in conclusion), 3 [c. & St.]

and her gifts Be not but gyffytys off confusion), [c. *st.] 36

always end in oJ J J

confusion. ffor wortliynesse in Armes nor vyctorye [c. & St.]

P collusion, Arn in effect but thinges transytorye [st.&c.]

Nor hih conquest, nor domynaci'on, [St. &c.]

Peplys to putte in subieccyon. 40

It al 4 schal passe as doth a somer flovr ; [ 4 it c, AUe St.]

In thys world here', 5 holdyug no soiovr P st. here, her c.]

No thyng abyt, shortly for to wryte, [St. &c.-]

Good lyff exepte, and only ovr meryte. [c. & St.] 44
Man's life Trustetli 6 ther-for, ye folk of euery age, [ 6 Trusterth c.]

is only a pil-
grimage, That yowre lyff her ys but a pylgrymage ;

ffor lyk pylgrymes ye passe to & ffro,
Whos loye ys euere meynt A-niong 1 with wo. 48

Al" worldly blysse, medlyd ys with stryff; [ 7 AC, Aiiest.]
ffor ay the cburs, of thys mortal lyff,
and every pit- Euen'ch hovr doth to liys bouwdys dra we :

(rrim draws *

hh! l eiid earer ^ ^ Py^S r y me 's kynd hath set a lawe, 52

Eche day to lienne a party on ther way ;
Olde 8 ner yong 1 , ther may no man sey nay, [ 8 oide St., oid c.]
Lyk a Ryuer sterne, and of gret myglit, [ 9 nat St., om. c.]
Ne restyth nat 9 nouther [by] day nor nyght, 56

To holde hys cours as ledeth hy? the streem,
Eyght so, pylgrymes to-ward lerusaleem
Haste 10 on her way in thys world, & echone [ 10 Haste on St.]

which is To-ward that cyte, or to Babylone. [c. <or] 60

Jemsalem or

Lyk ther merytes, & lyk to ther degres,

They be Eeceyved at on of thys cytees,

Ytakyn inne, 11 so as they dysserve ; [" nine St., in c.]

And deth, ay redy with hys dart to kerue, G4

Lyth in a-wayt, dredful off manacys,

To send palmc-rys to on off tliys

Lydgate's Prolog. Read the 'Pilgrimage de Monde.' 3

A-gcyne whas 1 stroke, helpeth no medycyne, pwiiosst.] [leaf s]
-Salue, tryacle / but grace only dyvyne, 68 ^;] y a ^ a 7, ce

ifolk to conveye to ther desyred place : againatdeaih

And many brygaiwt the weye doth manace,
No man ys sur liym sylue?i to di fiend* ;
"Wherfore I rede, lat euery whyht a-mend? 72

Hys lyff be tyme, whil he hath liberte.
And that folk may the Kyhte weye se

Best aSSUryd tO-Warde 2 ther passage, [* warde St., ward C.] 80 every man
should amend

Lat hem be-holde[n] in the pylgrymage, 76 ln time -

Which 3 callyd ys pylgrymage de moviide, JrjJl^;

In the wych fful notably ys fovnde t [ 3 which St., whch c.] ^towide they

Lernyd, and tavht, who can weH construe,

IVhat folk schal take, & what they schal eschue. 80

In thys book, yf [that] they redij yerne,

Pylgrymes schal the verray trouthe 4 lerne, V {* e <?*- J^ 1 ? 1 t]l *

jiff they sette ther trewe dyllygence

To vnderstonde clerly the sentence, 84

What hyt menyth, & the moralyte ;

Ther they may, as in a mcrovr, se

holsom thynges, & thynges fuH notable ;

What ys prevyd, & what thyng ys dampnable, 88

What ys holsom, the sovle for to save,

Whan the body ys leyd in hys grave. twg'm'en

And to knowe 5 wych be cyteseyns, [ 5 knowe St., know c.] ^"^Jf s<XKt

Trewe burgeys, & eke 6 frau^keleyns, [ eke St., ek c.] 92

Wych in good lyff and vertu do excelle,

In lerusaleem perpetually to duelle,

Whan the lugge & Lord*, that lyveth evere,

In hys doom assovnder shal dysseuere 96

Hys chose shep, wasshe in the lambys blood, At last some

sliall go to

Wych for mankynde starff vpon the rood ; Jerusalem,

And putte the kydcs to dampnaczon, [St. &c.] [leafs.back]

wych ha noon part of Crystys passyoii), 100

Endlesly there to lyve in peyne,
"Where Lucyffer lyth bovnden in his cheyne. ; n d some to

J J Lucifer,

ffro the wych, God eue/y man defende, *! ron v, w1 ,"^ 1

> J fate God de-

And graunte 7 grace, our lyff here to mende, Vfffffi ^f*

To-ffor the ffyn of ovre pylgrymage.

ifor, save hys grace, we ha noon avamitage,

4 Lydgates Prolog. Lord Salisbury lids him cnglish DcG.

No tbyng is 1 cleyme as be tytle of rylit, [itost.]
But of mercy, wych ay lyth in hys myght, 108

The repent- Yn-to svnnerys. that deve repentawnt,

ant are i>ar-

doned. To yive pardon) oft hys benynge graunt,

[The] Wycli ys to hem, vn-to tber refut,
Proteccyon) and true sauff-conduit, 112

Hem to save, that thay be nat lorn).

And tliys book, the wych I spake off to-fforn),
Tiie p u i- I mene, the book Pylgrymage de Movnde,
u, untie MoraH of vertu, of matervs ful profovnde, 116

made in . "

French is a Maad & cowpylyd in the Frenche tonge,

notable book,

ffuH notable to be rad & songe.

To ever}' pylgryme, vertuous of lyff,

The mater is / so cottternplatyff ; 120

In aH the book, ys not lost a wore?.

Thys consydred fuH wysly of my lonl 1
asLordSaiis- Of Salysbury, the noble manly knyht,
who fought "Wycli in Fravnce, for the kyngys Ryht, 124

considered I n the werre hath meny day contunyd ;

"Whom God & grace ban ful wel ffortunyd

In thenpryses wych he hath vndertake ;

Lyff and godes, for the kyngys sake, 128

Knyhtly Inpartyd thys prince vertuous ;

Ay in the ende -beyng 1 victoryous,

Swych grace & Eur, God to hy? hath sent,
and com- Wych gaff me ffyrst iu comavndement 132

nianded me

[leaf 4] Thys seyde book in Englysshe for to make,

Into' E

As I koude, [al] only for hys sake.

Be-cause he wolde that men scliold[e] se,
In ovre tonge, the grete moralyte 136

"\Vycli in thys book ys seyde & comprehendyd,
That yt no myhte (me semyth) be Amendyd ;
The auctour, wych that dyde hyt ffyrst co?pyle,
So vertuously spent ther-on hys whyle. 140

And jo pvase And of entent k) do mv lord plesawnce,

liini 1 will do "

i iaw tniljr ** ^ U ^- VS worscne l^> f r a remembravnce,
As I am bovnde for to be hys man,
I wyl translate hyt sotlily as I kan, 144

After the lottre, in ordrc effectnclly.
Thogh I not folwe the won.les by & by,

Lydgates Prolog. He Icgan A.D. 1426. His verse is bad. 5

I schal not faille teuchyng* 1 the substawnce, L 1 tonchynge St.]
Thogh on 2 makyng 1 I ha no suffysawnce ; [ 2 i St.] 148
ffor my wrytyng*, in co?iclusion),
ys al yseyd vnder correc<on).

And of the tyme playnly, & of the date The year in

A / / which I be-

Whan I be-gan thys book to translate, 152 pan to trans-

J late this book

yt was a thovsand (by computacfon)) was A - D - u - 6 >

Affter crystys incarnaczon),

ifour hundryd oner, nouther fer ne nere,

The surples ouer, syxe & twenty yere, 156

My lord that tyme beyng 1 at Parys, when my

"Wych gaff me charge, by hys dyscrete avys, Paris-

As I seyde erst, to sette myn entent

Vp-on thys book to be [ful] dyllygent, 160

And to be-gynne vp-on thys labour,

Alle folkys be-sechyng 1 of ffavour,

That on thys book after- ward schal rede ; AH who read

this book are

And that hym lyst nat to taken hede 164 to pay more

J J heed to the

To the makyng 1 , but to the sentence ; meaning than

J * to the trans-

ffor I am bareyn of aH eloquence. lation,

Ther-for I pray, what so that be seyde,

[Off 3 gentylljesse not to be evel apayde, [ 3 St., c. burnt] [leaf t, back]

And my rudnesse helpyn to excuse,

ffor in metre I ha ne vrith me no muse :

of the nvne that on Parnase duelle, for no muse :

J favours me,

Nor she that ys [the] lady of the welle, 172

Calliope, 4 be syde cytheron, [*c. inerts'ti\utys'i

Gaff to my penue, plente nor fuson

Of hyr licovr, whan thys work was [be]gowie.

Nor I drank no-wer of the sugryd tonne 176 nor have i

r\C T T.-J. 11-1 i ilrankoutof

Ott lubiter, couchyd in hys celer, Jnprttrt

So strange I fonde to me hys boteler,
Off poetys [ijcallyd Ganymede.

But to my labour now I woH me spede, 180

Prayng 1 ech reder me to recon forte,
Benignely my rudenesse to supporte.
ffor Avherso be my thonk, I lese or wynne,
Wyth yowre grace thus I wyH be-gynne. 184 Here ends

the trans-

Here endyth the prologe off the translatcur. } J^ s v*-

6 DC Guillevilles Prolog. His Dream after A.D. 1330.

The Prolog
of the author
begins.

Men take no
heed of
dreams until
they come
true,

; Tleaf5]

and then
they arc re-
membered.

If men neg-
lect them I'or
long, they
forget tin-in
altogether.

In the year
ISlO(tfr.mo)
1 had a won-
derful dream,

which I
wrote down]
at once,

Her be-gynnetli the prologue of the auctour.

fful ofte hyt happeth 1 in certeyn [ faiieth St.]

Off dremys, the wych that men ha seyn

I nyhtys, after, whan they wake,

fful lytel hede ther-of thay take, 188

Tyl effte agayn yt comyth to mynde,

That they the veray trouthe fynde,

Of euery thyng 1 they sawe to-forn).

ffor, of remewbraunce the thoni) 192

Pryketh here mynde's -with hys poynt,

That they hyt se fro poynt to poynt,

And fynde hyt verrayly yn dede,

Thogh a-fore they took noon hede. 196

Be yt of loye, be yt of sorow,

fful ofte a-pon the nexte 2 niorow [* nexte St., next c.]

yt ys go clene out off her thouht,

Ther-of they ha so lytel rouht, 200

Tyl after they a-vyse hem wel ;

And then thay fyndyth 3 yt euerydel, pflyndest.]

Dremys that they had* a nyhte,

By maner of a dyrked 4 syhte. [* dyrk c, Derkede St.] 204

But yiff they make longe delay,

To putto hem forth fro clay to day,
Than, 5 th[o]rogh foryetelnesse, [ 5 That St., Than c.]
Thay kan there-of no thyng 1 expresse, 208

ffor aH ys out of mynde go.

And on A tyme hyt happyd so,
ffro Crystys berth a thousand! yer,
Thre hondryd, by a-cowntys cler, 212

And over 6 Ten, as I toke kepe, [ read times]
Vp-on a nyht I lay & sclepe,
Drempte, (yf ye lyst to lere, 7 ) p here St.]

A wonder dreme, in tyme yffere. 216

The wych, a-noon as I a-wook
Vp on the morow, a pemie I took,
And wrote yt, yff ye lyst to wyte, 8 [ ? wete]

That I schold hyt nat foryete ; 220

But freschly yn my mynde yt kepe,
Halff wakyng 1 and halff a-slepe,

DC Guillevillc's Prolog. He lost his vjritten Dream. 7

That I myht after, by leyscr,
Correcte byt when tlie day were cler,
By good avys, whan I took kepe,
Bet a-dawed out of my sclepe.

And thys consyderyd euery dele,
Me sempte I hadde do ryht wel,
Yiff ther liadde, as tho to me,
ffalle noon co?itraryouste ;
ffor al the wrytyng 1 that I wrote
Was me be-raffte, and how I not,
Dyscured 1 thurgh the world a brode,
As God woot wel, and thus yt stood.
Where-of I hadde as tho no shame,
ffor al I hald yt but a game ;
ffor to that tyme fredam I hadde
To putte away, and eke to adde,
What that me lyst, lyk as I wende.
ffor ther was myche thyng 1 to mende,
To ordeyne, & to correcte,
And bet in order to directe ;
ffor many a thyng 1 , yt ys no nay,
Mot be prouyned, & kut a- way,
And yshape of newe entaylle,
In ordre clresse hyt, & yraylle,
As doth eue?*y manere whyht,
That wol make a thyng 1 a-ryht.
ffor he that bar my dreme a-way,
ffuH lytel thouhte (yt ys no nay)
On my profyt in any wyse ;
ffor shortly, as I kan devyse,
I myghte beter a mendyt yt,
Lyk as God hadde yeve me wyt,
Sool by my sylff , than I may now ;
But aH ys gone, I wot not how.
And eke yt ys so long 1 a-go,
That thys dreern was take me fro,
I haue almost foryete yt al.
But not for-thy, yet I schal
Adde, & putte a-way also,
Where-as I se yt be to do ;

224 intending to
correct it
afterwards.

228

[i Stowe]

232

236

244

248

252

But I lost all

I wrote ;

liowldon't

know.

[leaf 5, back]

Up to that
time I could
add or '
diminish,
as I thought
good, and
mend it.

But he who
took it away
did not con-
sider me.

256 And now all
is gone, I
know not
how.

260 But now I
shall do as I
like,

8 De Guillcville's Prolog. Hell go to Jerusalem.

and when I
have finished,
Deaf 6]

I sliall send
it abroad.

Go forth,
then, ray
dream,

and fail not.

Whether on
foot or on
horseback
them slwuldst
have had
leave of me.

I intend to
take tliee to
Jerusalem
with me.

A law among
pilgrims is
that each
" shall abide
other."

Deaf 6, back]

I schal not leve in myne entcnt

To putte alway a-mendement, 1 L 1 amendement St.] 264

As yt comyth to my knowynge,

Day be day yt rc-mewbrynge.

And when that yt a-mendyd ys,

And se that nothyng 1 be a niys, 268

By a lace I shal yt were,

And a-bowte my nekke yt bere,

Send yt forth to eue?y 2 cowtre, pychest.]

Wher-as to-fforn that yt hath be, 272

A-geyn my wyl & my plesavmce.

And thus 3 for a Remembrauwce, p tins St.]

Go fforth thow dreme ! I send e 4 the [* sende St., send c.]
By aft the placys wher thow hast be; 276

I send the to thy provynours,
By aH the pathys & the tovrs,
ffor thow knowest the weye wel,

And the passage euerydel. 280

On my be halff[e] thow not ffaylle
To dresse yt ewyn by entaylle,
Wher thow wer fferst, wych doth me greve,
And took of me no maner leve. 284

ffor wych I calle yt (thys the ffyn,)
No verray weye off pylgrym.
By cavse, wherso, by the lak,

On ffoote, nor on horsebak, 5 p horse St., how c.] 288
Thow sholdest ha mad no lourne,
But thow haddest hadde leve off me.
But ffor as myche as I in dede

Thynke the wit/i me to lede, 292

Whan I go, as thow schalt se,
To lerusaleem, the cyte ;

To wych weye, wz'tA-ovte 6 more p oute St., ovt c.]
I am excyted wonder sore : 296

Thys myn entent, thider to drawe,
And a-mong 1 pylgrymes, thys a lawe,
That, as brother vn-to brother,

Euerych sholde a-byden other. 300

Thys sholde ben a trewe vsage
Off folkys" in ther pylgrymage.

In my Dream I saw Jerusalem the Golden.

Doo telle 1 myn aventure cler, [ St., c. burnt]

How passyd syx and twenty yer, , 304

Telle 2 vn-to on and aH, p Teiie St., Tei c.]

How that yt ys [to] me ffaH,

In the Abbey off Chalys, 3

Whylom ffoumlyd off Seyw Levvyys. 308

Here begynneth the pylgrym.
The seyde yer (ho lyst take kep)

J J V J

1 was avysed m my slop,

-ri iii i ii j

Lxcyted eke, and that a-noon,

To Jerusalem for to goon. 312

Gretly meved in my corase

*

ffor to do my pylgrymage,

J r J o J

And ther-to steryd inwardly.

And to tell the cause why, 316

Was, ffor me thouht I hadde a syht

"WWi-Inne a merour large & bryht,

Off that hevenly ffayr cyte,

"Wych representede vn-to me 320

Ther of holy the manere,

Wit/i Inne the glas ful brylit & cler.

[Rest of page blank in MS. for an Illumination.]
And werrayly, as 4 thouhte me [* as st., as ye se c.]
yt excellyde off bewte 324

Al other in cowiparyson) ;
ifor God hym selff Avas the masown,
wych mad yt ffayr, at ys devys.
ffor workman was ther noon so wys, 328

yt to concey ve in hys entent ;
ffor al the weyes & paament

Wer ypavyd all off gold*.
And in the sawter yt ys told 1 ,

HOW the ffyi'St ffundaCVOll,
*

On hyllys off devocyon ;

The masou7iry wrought ful clene,

Off quyke stonys bryht & schene,

1 J J J

Wy th a closour rovnd a-bowte

Apocat. 21.

332

FundameMta ei ill Montibu*
sanctis.

De lapidibus viuis. 336

i wii ten

what lii'ti-11

[Camb.,Rxb.,

Cap.ii]

The pilgrim

said i Listen :

* was mov cd

in my dream

19 goon

pilgrimage to

Jerusalem,

which i saw

represented

in a glass.

[leaf?]

a "

,

with gold.

K" founda-
tions were

maileof .

living stones.

3 Chaalit : Roxl). ed., p. 1 ; 'Chaalie,' Add. 22,937 ;
' Ca!iq?w,' Harl. 4399.

10

Jerusalem Gate ivas guarded by an Angel.

An angel
guarded it,

and only
pilgrims were
admitted.

It had many

mansions,

and all kinds
of joy were
there.

[Cap. Hi]

[leaf 7, back]

The angel at
the gate slew
all who
would pass
in,

and tyrants
ever lay in
wait to slay
the pilgrims.

340

344

In domo pa<ris mei &c.

348

Off enmyes, 1 ther was no dovvte. [ : Enemyes St.]

ffor Awngelles the \vach y-kepte, Angeiorwm custodia.

The wych, day nor nyht ne slepte,

Kepyng 1 so strongly the entre,

That no wyht kam in that cyte,

But pylgrymes, day nor nyht,

That thyder wentyn evene ryht.

And ther were meny mansyovns,
Placys, and habytacyovns ;
And ther was also al gladnesse,
loye wa't/i-ovten hewynesse.
And pleynly, who that hadde grace
ffor to entrew in that place,
ffond, onto hys plesavnce,

Off loye al maner suffysavnce, 352

That eny herte 2 kan devyse. [ herte St., hert cj

And yet the 3 entre on swych wyse p the St., they c.]
Was strongly kepte ffor koinyng* In ;
ffor the Awngel cherubin,
Off the gate was cheff porter,
Havyng 1 a swerd, fflawmyng as cler
As any ffyr, evene at the gate ;
And who that wold, erly or late,
Passen the wal, he was yslawe.
Ther ne was noon other lawe,
Ne 4 bet helpe, ne 4 bet refut ;
The vengauwc ay was execut.

In the passage thyder- ward,
The weye was so streiht & hard,
ffor tyravntys, wit/t ther felonye
And wt't/i ther mortel torme?ztrye,
Devyseden on 5 ther en tent
fful many wonderful torment,
Lyggyng awayt fro day to day,
To slen pylgrymes in ther way,

[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]
6 Makyng 1 ful grete occysion)

6 All this, nearly to 1. 533, is omitted in the prose Camb.
(Roxb.), or rather, is comprised in a few lines. In this second
recension, De Guilleville has here very largely alterd and ex-
panded his first.

[St. & c.]

[* No . . no St.]

360

364

368

372

Pilgrims sufferd Martyrdom and Tortures on the Road. 11

Off pylgrymes of grete Renovn),

Off men & wommen both yfere,

"Whos martyrdom) (as ye schal here,) 376

Was ful grevous to endure.

ffor somme of hem (I yow ensure,)

Wern out of here Skynnes flawe ;

And somme, by ful mortal lawe, 380

Wer hew (as bokys kan Remembre.)

Asonder, partyd eue'/y membre,

Cracefyed, of blood al lied ;

And many other lost hys lied. 384

Of somme, the bowelys \ver out Rent,

And somme on hote colys brent,

ffretyng 1 salt cast in among 1 ,

ffor to make ther peynys strong 1 388

Myd the ffyry flawmys reed.

So?me boylyd in oylle and led,

And sore bet, that yt was wonder ;

Somme, s.iwyd evene assonder ; 392

Somme, vfith wylde hors ydrawe,

In dyffence of crystys lawe,

Thorgh-out the ffeld 1 , her & yonder,

Tyl ther loyntes wente a-souder : 396

Xerff and bon assonder Rent,

And ther Entraylles aforn hem brent.

The ffelouns wern on hem so felle,

That yt ys pyte for to telle ; 400

And ther ys no man now a 1 lyve [ion St.]

That kan the peynys halff descry ve ;

!N"or a sermon) ther-off make,

What 2 they suffrede ffor the sake [ That St.]

Off Cryst Ihesu vn-to the deth,

ffor love, 3 tyl they yald* vp the breth, [ 3 love St., lave c.]

Myd ther mortal peynys smerte.

if or ther ys noon so hard on hert, 408

So despytous, nor so ffelon),

That he [ne] wolde ha compassyon),

Ben agrysed off pytee ;

And specyally ffor to se 412

That they suffrede for no synne,

Many

suffered

martyrdom.

Some were
skinned alive.

some hewn
asunder,
some
crucified,

some roasted
and salted,
[leaf 8] .

some boiled
in oil and
lead,

some torn
asunder by
wild horses;

their suffer-
ings no roan
can describe.

There is no
one who
would not
pity them,

12 The Blessed enterd ly Wickets above the Gate.

But only off entent to wynne
as they only The love off Cryst ; & ffor liys sake,

wislieil to i i />

obtain the AH they han vp-on liem take, 416

love of Christ,

BejQg 1 how, ffuH long 4 aforn),
Cryst to suffre was yborn),
And fforbar nat to be ded.

And sythen he that was her hed 420

[leaf 8, back] Suffrede peynys, deth, & woo,

who suffered , . ., . .

pain, death, Hie membrys wolde endure also, [MnaiieSt.]

and woe, i <v i -i 11

And ftolwe ther lied on al 1 thyng 1 , omwes eiiecti eaput suum.
As Seyra Gregoir in liys wretyng 1 Gregori. 424
Recordeth pleynly (who taketh lied)
Off alle chose, 2 Cryst ys hed ; [* aiie choys St., ai chose c.]
fEor wych, the merabrys, as was due,
Affter ther hed lyst to sue, 428

as our Wych by example wente a-fore,

example.

To whom thentre was not iforbore.
They who ffor swych as deyde fEor liys love,

died for the J J

love of Christ By wyketys entrede in above, 432

entered by J J J

wickets, y p t ] ie g at g } hih aloffte,

Thogh ther 3 passage was not soffte ; [ 3 ther was MS.]

The porter lyst hem nat to lette.

And ther pencellys vp they sette 4 436

On cornerys, wlier them thouhte good,

Al steyned wt't/i ther ovnc blood.
And whan that I parceyved yt,

I conceyvede yn my wyt, 440

and even That who scholde ther-wit/i-Iniie

these must -n m_ m

enter by Entre by fcorce, he most yt wynne

iorc6)

By manhood only, and by vertu.

ffor, by record off Seyw Ma the w, 444

The hevene (as by hys sentence,) Regnum ceiomm vim patitur.
Wonnen ys by vyolence.

nd Custom) Eecordeth ek also,- ^tSSfSyft^
Who lyst taken hed ther-to- gSJKrfSl'SSSSS 1
That gret vyolence & inyght Crysosto[mus].

yt ys, who that loke a-ryht,
A man be born) in erth her downe,

4 Camb. cap. iii.: "j seyh the penselles Imnginge steyned red
with blood." * rapere St.

Cherubim stood at the Gate with a Christ-blooded Sword. 13

And Eavisshe, lyk a champyon), 452

The noble hihe hevenly place,

By vertu only & by grace.

ffor vertu doth to a man assure

Thyng denyed by nature. 456

1 Thys to seyne, who lyst lere,
That vertu makyth a man conquere
The hih" hevene in many wyse,

To wych kynde may not suffyse 460

To cleyme ther pocession),

But She be gliyded by ReSOIl), l Vevba translntoris.

Wych to vertu ys maystresse,

To lede hyr also, and to dresse 464

In hyr pylgrymage Eyght

Above the sterrys cler & bryht. 1

ffor other weye koude I not se,

To entre by in that cyte ; 468

ffor cherubyn, erly and late,
Ay awaytynge at the gate,
Was redy euer, and ther stood,

Whos sword! was bloudyd vritk the blood 472

Off Crystys holy passyon)
Whan he made our Eedempct'on,
Mankynde to restore a-gayn.

The wych wey, wha?z I hadde sey, 476

I was a-stonyd in my syht.
But I was cou?f ortyd a-noon Ryht,
Whan I sawh the swerd mad blont
Off chembin, the wych was wont 480

To brenne as any flawmbe 2 bryht. p flawmbe St., flawnibe c.]
But now, the sharpnesse & the 3 lyht p the St., om. c.]
Was queynte, to do no more vengauwce,
By vertu off cry sty s gret suffravnce, 484

Wych schal no more for man be whet.

[4 lines Hank in MS. for an Illumination.]

4 And ther I sawh a smal wyket [* Cap. v, 1. 10]
loynynge evene vp-on the gate ;

And ther stood on, erly & late, 488

Lenynge, as I kovde espye,
Wych power 5 hadde, & maystrye [ 5 power St., powder c.]

Man gains by
virtue what
[leaf 9]
he is denied
by nature,

but virtue
must be
guided by
reason.

One stood
there whose
sword was
red witli the
blood of
Christ.

I was com-
forted when
I saw this
sword made
blunt,

and its

brightness

quenched.

[leaf 9, back]

I saw a small
wicket, at
which, one

14 St. Peter was at one Gate. Doctors guided Pilgrims.

like St. Peter
stood,
[prose, p. 8]

All who
entered by
this wicket
were made
naked,

[Cap. v]
which re-
minded me
of i In- camel
passing
through the
eye of a
needle.

There were
doctors also

[leaf 10]

who showed
pilgrims how
to enter this
city.
[Cap. iv, 1.11]

ffor to opne & to shette,

To Receyven and to lette, 192

Pylgrymes that kam on ther weye ;

And in hys bond? he held a keye, Ti c b J Io 1 . cla ] S; s tl ; e f ni

Seyw Peter, me thouht by hys cher,

That had off God pleyn power 496

To lete in ffolk wych he knew bable.

But fPyrst they most (tbys no ffable,)

Dyspoyllen hem, & nakyd be ;

ffor noman entrede that cyte 500

That clothyd was, nor myhte passe,

Wher he mor, or wer he lasse,

Or gret compact 1 in any membrc. [ l compact St., compart c.]

And than A-noon I gan Eemembre 504

How Cryst sayde, in a certeyn place,

That yt was as hard to passe

In-to the hevene A reche man,

Lych as he reherse kan 508

By record off hys gospel,

As yt was to a kamel

To passe throgh a nedlys Eye ;

Wych ys a thyng 1 (ho kan espye,) 512

As yt were an Inpossible,

And verrayly Incredyble.

Aff ter' 2 -ward (yt ys no ffayll) [ 2 And affter St.]

Me thouhte I sawh a gret mervayle : 516

Vp-on Tours, dyuers estatys
Off doctours and off 3 prelatys, p off St., om. c.]

Showyng 1 , as by contenavnce,

By speche, and by dallyavnce, 520

Techyng^ pylgrymes to knowe,
That wer yn the vale lowe,
How, wit/i travaylle & peyne,

And how also they sholde atteyne 524

To make hem wywges ffor to fle
Hih a-loffte to that cyte,
By wynges of exauwiple good,

Yiff they ther lernyng 1 vnderstood, 523

Wych they tauhte hem in ther lyff

[5 lines Uanlt in MS. for an Illumination.]

Jacobins, Austins, &c. made Wings and flew into Heaven. 1 5

[> dydde St.]

By doctryne COM tern platytf,
Outward schewyng 1 , as by cher,
Ther love was to hem ful enter,
ffovndyd vp-on charyte.

Amongys wych I dede 1 se
Crete noumbre of thys lacobins,
Off chanovns, & of Awstynys,
ffolkys ful diuers of maner,
Both temporal & seculer,
Off clerkys & relygyous,
And other ordrys vertuous.
Mendyvauwtys ful nedy,
That day & nyht wer ryth 2 besy
To gedre ffetherys, bryht & shene,
And make hem wyges fFor to fflen.
And gan A-noon, with al ther niyght,
To soren vp, & take her fflyht
Hih" in-to that ffayr cyte.
And hitler vp they dyde me,
Bove cherubin, that Avngel cler ;
ffor they wer out of hys davnger,
By the techy ng 1 , and the doctrine,
And by exauwples ek dyvyne,
Wych ther maystres hadde hem tauht,
Wher-by they han the hevene kauht,
And ffounde ther-in gret avauwtage
To fforthre hem in ther pylgrymage,
And how hem sylff they sholde guyde.

And vp-on the tother 3 syde, p that other st.]

Vnder the wal of the cyte,
I sawh, off gret auctorite,
ffolkys, wych dyde entende
To helpe her ffrendys to ascende,
By ful gret subtylyte,
To make he?/i entre the cyte ;
And ther-to dyde her bysy cure,
By scalys throgh the strong 1 closure ;
And as me thouhte, A-mong echou),
That Seyn Benet in soth was on).

[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination^

532

Among the
doctor* were

Augustine*

536 [prose, p. 2]

540

[ 2 were right St.]

Facient s!b\ pennns &
volabunt in celuvi.

548

552

556

560

564

568

and other
religious
orders ;

and they
made them-
selves wings,

[leaf 10, back
and soared
above the
cherubim
which kept
the gate.

On the other
side I saw
great men
helping their
friends over
the wall.

[prose, p. :;]

Among them
was St.
Uenet,
[Cap. iv]

16 Benedictines and Franciscans enterd ly Ladders.

who brought
a long ladder

[leaf 11]
by which
men of his
religion
easily
entered.

[Cap. v]
St. Francis
also was
there,

[prose, p. 3]

wlio assisted
his friends
over by
means of
knotted
curils.

Others I SAW
whose immes
are unknown
tome.

I could not
see all the
persons,

"Wycll, as I reherse 1 slial, [> Reherse St., rehen C.]

ffor to scale that hihe wal,
. That was so myhty & so strong 1 ,
"With hym brouht a ladder long 1 , 572

In the wych men myhte se
xij. grees 2 off huraylyte, [* Twelve greces St.]

By wych, thor[o]gh deuocyon),

ffolk off hys relygyon) 576

Ascendyd vp, gre by gre,
"W7t/*-ovte lette to that cyte,
And the ryht[e] weye han take.

Monkys greye, whyte, & blake, 580

Ascendyng 1 vp wit/i-oute ffeer.
And Seyn Fravnceys I sawh ek ther,
fful dyllygent, and ek bysy,

And (as me thouht) ful ffrendly 584

To ffolk of hys profession).

And ek in myw avysyon)
I sawh ther cordys rovnd & long*,
Al yffret with knottys strong 1 , 588

Hard to ffele, and nothyng 1 soffte.
And ffro the valey hih" a-loffte
Vp-on the wal they dede hem caste,
And by the cordys held ha?n ffast, 592

Grypyng 1 hem wt/t grete' 3 peyne, [* grete St., gret c.]
Off entent they myghte atteyne
To gete vp to that hihe Aval,

ffor to kepe hem ffrom a ffal, 596

Alvvay by the corde hem heldf.

And many A-nother I be-heldl,
Off dyuevs ffolkys that vp ran,

Off whom the namys I not kan, 600

Nor how they dyde hem sylff assure,
Over the wallys to Recure
On echo party Round! abovte ;

ffor I in soth, that stood wz't//-oute, 4 [ in doute St.] 604
Myghte not be-holden al the paas,
But on the party that I was,
Wych was to me gret dysplesavnce.
But I dar seyen, 5 in substauwce, [ 5 sejv St., seyn c.] 608

Every Pilgrim left his Wallet and Staff. 17

That ther was noon off no degre

Wych entre myhte the cyte,

But lefft wit/t-oute, lowe doim, [leaf n, back]

r*> i i i.. 101-1 / -i -i only that

ffor al. hys sherpe 1 & bordoUW. 2 [' scrippe St.] 612 everyone

left his wallet

But thentent otf hys vyage, m>d staff

And ffyn ek off hys pylgrymage,

Set 3 of herte fynally ['setteSt.J Omia agunt propUr fiiiem.

Ther tabyde perpetuelly 616

Wii/i ffeyth, hope, & chary te,

To lyve wit/i rest on 4 that cyte ; [*mst.] deMrinproniy

J J ' to live there

ffor other thyng 1 , in hert & thouht, '" P eace -

To her desyre they wolde nouht. 620

ffor, as the phylisofre seyth,

(To whom men mosten yeven 5 feyth) [ 5 yevyn st, eyven c.]
That al ffolk, 6 wherso they wende, [ aiie foite St.]
What they do, ys for som ende. 624

And for that skyle, more & more,

I was steryd wonder sore Thi9

me to go on

ffor to take my lournee, ? pilgrimage

J to that city,

Lyk a pylgryme, to that cyte. 628

Off more loye I nat kepte ;

And, me thouht ek, as I slepte,

And in my dreem dyde ek mete,

That ellys I myghte ha no quyete. 632

And thus ful pensyff in my guyse, [cap. vi,

A-noon I gan me to a-vyse,

And thouht in myw avysion), *><>* i remem.

J '' bered tlmt I

7 I ffaillede a sherpe 8 & bordon, [ 8 skrippe St.] 636 lacked scarf

* and staff.

Wych al pylgrymes ouhte to have,

In ther wey, hem sylff to save.

And so the pylgrymes hadde echon

In ther vyage, but I allone. 640

They wer echon by-ffore purveyd,

Bet in ther wey to be conveyed

A J T j ^ , [leaf 12]

And 1 roos vp, and that a-noon, ! 8tarted

And ffro myw hous gan out gon 644 *? y

2 The Roxb. has scrip, the Fr. escharpe, and the picture shows a scrip worn
scarf-wise. See also p. 18, 1. 655, 664. Escharpe : f. a Scarfe ; a Baudrick.
L 'escharpe dun pelerin. The scrip, wallet, or pouch whereiu he carries his
meat. Cotgrave. Bourdon: m. a Pilgrims staffe.

7 Catnb. cap. vi. p. 4, where the pilgrim "failede scrippe and burdoun."
PILGRIMAGE. C

18 DC, Guilleville meets a gracious Lady, GRACE DIEU,

but was de-
layed nine

months.

I thought I
might tiinl
a scarf and
staff,

[Cap. vii]

and while I
sought tor
them

I met a lady,

who seemed
an Emperor's
daughter.

[leaf 12, back]

She was
clothed in
white and
green,

Vp-on my wey, off wych I tolde ;
Al be that I was long yholde,
Or I myhte make my passage
To gynnew vp-on my pylgrymage.
'Nyne monethes I was kept cloos, '
Tyl at the last I vp Aroos,
Off entent forth to precede.
But than at erst I gan take hede
That, to myn entenciown,
I myghte ffynden a bordoura
And a sherpe, 1 wych of vsage
ffolk han that gon on pylgrymage,
Nedful to me & necessarye.
ffor wych cause I dyde tarye
Or I myghte gynne my lournee,
To holde my wey to that cyte ;
ffor wych I went complaynyng 1 ,
Out off my sylff 2 tryst & wepyng 1 ,
Cerchyng 1 toforn & ek behynde,
Sherpe 3 & bordourc for to fynde.

And whil I dyde my besynesse,
A lady of ful gret ffayrnesse
And gret noblesse, (soth to say,)
I dyde mete vp-on) the way.
ffor God wold 1 , (I yow be-hete,)
Sone that I sholde hyr mete,
Off grace for myw owne prowfi,
Wher-off I hadde loye ynowfr,
And in herte 4 gret gladnesse.
ffor she, as by lyklynesse,
Was douhter of som Emperour,
Somme myghty kyng 1 , or goue?*nour
Or off that lord that guyeth al,
"Wych ys of power most royal.

And thys lady gracyous,
Most debonayre, & vertuous,
Was yclad, by gret delyt,
In a surcote al off whyt,
Wit7i a Tyssu gyrt off grene.
And Endlong, ful bryht & shene,

[ l Scrippe St.]

648

652

656

660

psyiffst., fyiffc.]

p scrippe St.] 664

668

Voluntas dei fuit ut cito mi/ti
occurreret quod volebum.
Genesis 27. [v. 20]

[ 4 herte St., hert c.]

672

676

680

684

who asks Mm why he weeps, and what he wants, 19

She liadde a charboiwcle stem,

That Bound? abowte hyr body shon ;

Was noon so reche, 1 as I was war. [ l Ryche St.]

And on hyr brest A nouche she bar, 688 and many

very precious

I trowe that nowher was no bet. stones.

And in the Awmaylle ther was sette

Passyngly a reche 2 sterre, p Richest.]

Wych that cast hys bemys ferre 692

Hound? abovte?^ al the place,

Ther was swych habou?zdaimce off grace.

Out of whos bosoom, mylde ynowh, Out of her

bosom came

Ther kam a dowe whyt as snowh, 696 a wuite dove -

"With hys wynge's splayng 1 oute,
Plauynge rovnd? hyr hond? aboute.
Thys lady, of whom I ha told',
Hadde on hyr hed a crowne of gold?, 700 on her head

she wore a

Wrouht of sterrys shene & bryht, etownofgoid.

That cast aboute a ful cler lyht.

He was ful inyghty, (who taketh hede,)

That sette yt fyrst vp on hyr hed ; 704

And made yt ffyrst 3 by gret Avys p c. ffyrst ffyrst]

Off gret Eichesse and grete 4 prys. [* grete St., gret c.]

[8 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]

Thys lady, that I spak of here, peafis]

Was curteys & of noble chere, 708 she was

. courteous

And wonderly of gret vertu. and saluted

me,

And fyrst she gan me to salue
In goodly wyse, axynge of me,

What maner thyng 1 yt myghte 5 be, [ 5 myghte St.] 712
Or cause why, I sholde hyr lere,

That I made so hevy chere ; and inquired

/-\ i j i , T wn y i was

Or why that I was ay wepyng 1 , weeping.

if or lak of eny maner thyng 1 .' 716

Wher-of, when I gan take hede,

I ffyll yn-to a maner drede, i was afraid

ffor Vnkonnynge and lewdenesse, 6 [ 6 lewdenesse St.] noble address-

ing me,

That sche, of so gret noblesse, 720

Dysdeynede not in hyr degre
To speke to on) so pore as me ;
Eut yiff yt were, so as I gesse,

20 He wants to go to Jerusalem, but lacks Scrip and Staff.

I remembered
beauty and
humility go
together,

and that the
laden apple-
tree bows ita
branches
lowest.

Al only of hyr gentyllesse ; 724

ffor gladly, wher ys most bevte, NOM st.

Ther ys grettest hvmylyte,
And that ys verrayly the sygne,

Swych ar most goodly & benygne. 728

An appyl tre, -with frut most lade,
To folk that stonden in the shade,
Mor lowly doth hys braunchys loute
Than A nother tre wit/t-oute ; * sine fructn st. 732
[leaf is, back] ffor 1 wher habouwdeth most goodnesse, [fforst.]
Ther ys ay most of mekenesse. 2 p mekenesae St.]
Noon so gret tokene of beute,

As ys parfyt humylyte. 736

Who wanteth hyr in hys banere,
Hath not vertu hool & entere.

And affter thys I gan abrayde,

And to hyre 3 thus I sayde, p hire St., hyr c.] 740

" How to gon, I caste 4 me, [ kaste st., cast c.]

To lerusaleem the cyte,
ffayllyng 1 (to myn entencion))

Both a sherpe 5 & a bordon), [ 5 Scrippe St.] 744

ffor wych I went, yt ys no doute,
ffor to seke ham Round aboute,
Yiff I myhte any fynde or se."

Grace dieu :

' Now vndyrstonde,' 6 than quod she, [ vndewtonde st.] 748
' Yff thow lyst hawe 7 of hem tydyng 1 , p have St.]
Thow mostest, ouer 8 alle thyng 1 [ 8 oner st., auer c.]
To thyrc entent, as thow shalt se,

ffor thy profyt, kom, folwe me. 752

And yt is gretly to thy prowfc
That thow hast me fovnde now,
By whos helpe 9 thow schalt spede, [ 9 heipe St., help c.]
To ffynden al that the shal nede.' 756

The pylgrym:
Than quod I," my lady dere,
I pray yow that ye wyl me lere
Your name & your condycz'ou,

Your cowtre, & yovr Regyouw ; 760

ffor yt ful plesaunt wer to me,

Then I told
her I wanted
to go to
Jerusalem,

but lackt a
scrip and a
staff.

Follow me,'
she said,
' for it is for
thy profit
thou hnst
found me.'

[Cap. vili]

' I pray thee,
sxid I,
' tell me thy
name.'

Grace Dieu tells De Guilleville how she helps Pilgrims. 21

To wyte pleywly what ye be."

And she answerde ful mekly, [Grace zwea]

' Tak hed to me now feyth fully : 764

I am the 1 douhter off themperovr, [' the St., om. c.] peafH]

Wych ys the lord and governour daughte/of

^ff i , j the emperor

Oft euery lond and regyoim ; ot every land

And he hath sent me hyder doun, 768

Here in-to this lowh (xmtre,

Off entent, as thow shalt se,

To gete hym frendys, & cowquere and i am

Bound' a-bouten / euery wher : 772 him friend*.

JS"at that he hath to hem no nede,

But only (who kan taken hede,)

That he haveth gret plesamzce,

To haue of folkys acqueyntavnce, 776

ffor ther profyt. more than for hys : But it i for

their good,

And thus yt stant & thus yt ys. uot his -

' Thow sest my noble ryche array,
And how that I am fresshe & gay, 780

fful ryally and wel beseyn,
Nothyng* in wast, nouther in veyn ;
Thys charboncle, nor thys sterrys clere,
ffressher wer neuer seyn yfere : 784 YOU see my

royal array.

.Nor, I trowe, noon so fayre,

Whos bewte may nat apayre.

If ffor to pvlgrymes. day & nyht, i give light

*" J J ' by day and

I enlumyne, & yive lyht 788 tiwittopu-

To al 2 pylgrymes in ther way, paiiest.]

As wel in dyrknesse as be day,

So they lyst rewarde me,

And lyst that I her guj'de' be. 792

And yiff they erryn in her weye,

Ageyn I kan hem wel eoraveye ; [I wylle hem guye / and do sokour,
T ,1 i , p TI j AVhile they to me have theyr' Retour.

I wyl hem helpen & Kedresse; St J OTft> Q i

ffor I am she, in sothfastnesse, 796
Whom thow owest seke of ryht,

In strau?zge lond? with al thy myght. [leaf 14, back]

' I yive lyht to folk echon i give light to

rri. j .e i. or\f\ all who err;

lhat out of hyr weye gon,
And releue hem, on & alle ;

22 Grace, Dieu offers help to De Guilleville. He accepts it.

my name is
Grace Dieu,

and I am

represented
by this dove.

Without me

tliou canst
not reach the
city.

Some enter
by subtlety,

[leaf 15]

but all by
me,'

[Cap. ix]
' I pray tliee,
leave me not:

Leffte vp folkys that be falle,

ffrom al mysheff & from al blame,

And Grace dieu, that ys my name, 804

fful nedful in ech cowtre.

' And by thys dowe wych thow dost se,
"Wych I bere wit/i wynges fayre,

Humble, benygne, & debonayre, 808

I am tookenyd, who lyst seke,
Wz't/i hyr goodly Eyen meke.
And so thow shalt me call in dede,
Whan thow hast on-to me nede, 812

And that shal be ful offte sythe,
That I may my power kythe,
Telpe 1 the in thy pylgrymage. [' To help]

ffor fynaly in thy vyage, 816

As thow gost to that cyte,
Thow shalt hawe offte aduersyte,
Gret mescheff and encombraunce,

Empechementys & dysturbaunce, 820

Wych thow mayst nat in no degre
Passe nor endure wit/i-oute me,
Nor that cyte never atteyne,

(Thogh thow euer do thy peyne.) 824

Wi't/i-oute that I thy guyde be.

' Al-be that in-to that cyte
Thow hast seyn entren nieny on,

Nakyd, in-to that cyte gon 828

So??ime by ther sotel engyn,
And somme also by cherubin.
But what so euere they koude don),
Ther was neuer recey ved noon 832

(ffor outht 2 they koude hem sylff avauwce,) [ ought St.]
But only thorgh" myn acqueyntau?ace.
Lo, her ys al : avyse the

Yiff thow lyst acqueynted be 836

Wit/i me : tel on thy fantasye,
And the trowthe 3 nat denye.' [ 3 Trouthe St., trcwth c.]

The pylgryme :

"Ma dame, for Goddys sake, I praye,
Nat to leue me on the weye 840

Grace Dieu takes De Guilleville to her house, 1330 years old. 23

Wit/i-oute yowr helpe & your favour ;

ffor in thys weye, your socour

Ys to me most necessarie

To forthre, that I nat ne tarye ; 844

Thankyng 1 to your hyh goodnesse, th y aid is

J ' most neces-

That ye kam of gentellesse, saf y to me -'

fiyrst vn-to me for my forthryng*,

Ther nedede me noon other thyng 1 ." 848

[6 lines Uank in MS. for an Illumination.]

Tho hyr lyst no lenger byde, [Cap. x]

But took me in the same tyde,
And made me with hyr for to gon T1 >en i>e

took me into

To an hous of hers a-noon, 852 lier hoU9e -

Wher I sholde fynde, in dede,
Al thyng 1 that I hadde of nede.

She was hyr sylff (yn sothnesse)

Off thylk hous cheff founderesse, 856

ffor on hyr word? yt was fyrst groundyd,
And by hyr wysdom) bylt and fovndyd ; [leaf is, back]

rp, , , , She founded

Ihe yerys of the masownry tins iiouae

Thryttene hundred & thrytty. 860 a|o? yea '

And ffor the fayrnesse & bewte

I hadde gret wyl that hous to se ;

I-baysshed, 1 for yt was so fayr ; p Abasshed st]

ffor yt heng 1 hih vp in the hayr : 2 p eyre St.] 864

Twen hevene & Erthe stood the place, it hun ff he-

tween lieaven

As yt hadde (only by grace) and earth.

ffroin the hevene descendyd douw.

So stood that hevenly mancyou?z, 868

With steplys & \vith toures hifre,

ffresshely arrayed to the Eye,

As, a place most royal,

Above al other pryncypal ; 872

Wych stood vp on a ffayr River. it stood i.y

a river, over

The water ther-of holsom & cler ; which " one

could pass.

But ther nas passage in that place,

Nor shepe 3 wherby men myghte passe, ["shippest.] 876

The pylgrym :

ffor wych to Grace Dieu I sayde,
And, to hyr thus I abrayde,

24? De Guilleville is afraid. Gfrace Dieu cheers him up.
i said, 'We " Madame, me semeth in my thouht

seem to be in

peril-there That we ben in perel brouht, 880

is no passage

over/ ffor I kan sen no passage

To passe by, nor avavmtage."
Grace dieu :

' Off me, dred the never a del,
Thon shait ffor thow shalt passe fayre & wel.' 884

pass,' she _,

aid. The pylgrym :

" I kan not swymmen, yt stondeth so,

Wherfor I not what I may do.
i am afraid And yiff I entre. I am in doute

I shall be J '

drowned.' But 1 euei I sholo? komen oute ; ['Howst] 888

[leaf 16] ffor wych, tentre 2 I stonde in drede, p to enter]
I have of helpe so grete 3 nede." p grete St., gret c.]

Grace dieu argueth :
[Cap.xi] 'What menyth toys'? what may thys be, 891

That thow art now, as semeth me, [De sacrai^t

Later hand tn St.]

So sore a-drad of thys Eyver,
Wych ys but lyte, smothe & cler ?
why art Why artow ferful of thys stream 1 ?

thou afraid of J

this river? And art toward lerusaleem, 896

And mustest of necessyte

Passen ferst the grete 4 see, [* grete St., gret c.]

Or thow kome ther. lo, her ys al,

And dredyst now thys Eyuer smal ! 900

The passage And most kouthe ys thys passage

is better J J v

known to To chyldre that be yonge of age,
children than And offter han thys ryver wonne

to old people,

Than folk that ben on 5 age rorcne. p betii in st.] 904
And the passage ys most kouthe
To chyldren in ther tender youth,
ffor yt, in soth, ys fyrst passage

Off euerych good pylgrymage ; 908

and there is ffor other weye ys ther noon

no other way,

except by the To lerusaleem by to goon,

Cherubim. J

But yiff yt be by cherubin.

And yet somme ha ther entry d Tn, 912

That wer nat wasshe in thys Ryuer,

Nor bathyd in the stremys cler.

Wych to the ys not contrarye,

Grace Dicu explains tlie Need of the Water of Baptism. 25

' But thys to the ys necessarie, 916

Consydred (shortly to expresse) ^"mtiTo" 8

The grete 1 fylth and vnclennesse, p grete St., gret c.] ft*^

The ordure and the dong< also, Smiths,

Off thy Ike hous thow kome fro, 920
Wher .ix. monethes thow hast be.

ffor wych yt nedeth vn-to the [leaf ie, back]

To wasshe the her, yiff thow take hede, tiiou must

' J be waht

Thys my consayl & my Eed : 924 Jj^P" 88 this

To passe thys 2 Ryuer of clennesse [* thys St., on. c ]

Yt ys to thee 3 most sykernesse. [ 3 the St., om. c.]

And al 4 I schal the telle A thyng 1 : [ eke St.]

Ther passede onys her a kyng 1 , 928 A king once

passed over,

ffyrst assuryng 1 the passage

Vn-to euery maner age ;

He made the pas hyra sylff alone,

And yet in hew was fylthe 5 non. [ 5 ffyithe at., fyituc.] 932

To wasshen hym yt was no nede,

But that hym lyst, of lowlyhede, ns an example

> > to others.

Schewe example by hys grace

How other folkys sholde passe 936

Over by the same went.

Wherf ore tel me thyn entent, Ten me thy

intent,

Tiff thow thys Ryuer lyst atteyne ;

And I shal A-noon ordeyne 940

A sergauwt of myw in specyal ;

Wych offycer the helpe shal

ffor to passe the water cler,

And wardeyn ys of the Ryuer. 944

He shal the wasshe, he shal the bathe, antl * win

appoint one

And make the passe the more 6 rathe. [ 6 more St., mor c.] b-itheliiee" 1

And, to put the out of doute,

He shal crosse the round aboute, 948

Make the sur, as thow shalt se,

ffrom al tempestys of the se,

Tescape the wawe of euery streem,

And make the wynne lerusaleem 952 <* cause

thee to reach

By conquest ; & fynally Jerusalem.

That thow shalt drede noon emny
Wher so thow wende, Est or West

26 De Guilleville asks why he is to be Washt, Baptized.
He shall ' Sette A cross vp-on thy brest, 956

(_'1'1>S I lift'

[leaf n] Be-hynde also, and on thyn hed,
Ageyn al mescheff and al dred.
And off entent, as thow shalt se,
nniiannoint He shal also enoynte the 960

thee,

Lych as sholde a Champyon),
That thow ha no 1 occasyon) [ have noon St.]

In thy passage, nor no nede
and then No maner emny for to drede, 964

sll;,ll [(MI-
IIO enemy.' Sette hem echon at no prys.

Now her-vp-on say thyn avys.'

The pylgrym :

" I am wel payd that yt be do. 2

Yiff resouw accorde wel ther-to. 968

But fyrst I wolde som cause se,
why wash What nedeth yt to Avasshe me,

me when I

am clean ?. Or bathe, when yt ys no nede ; [ 3 bathe St., bath c.]

ffor I am clene Avasshe 4 in dede [* washen St.] 972
ffroni al felth 5 and vnclennesse. [ 5 aUe flyithe St.]

And ouer more, so as I gesse,

And as i am I am of yerys no thyng 1 old* ;

not old, the

cold water The Water alSO OI kyude" COld?, [ 6 kynde St., kynd C.] 976

may kill me.'

Wych to entre, as semeth me,

I sholde in grete 7 perel be; [ 7 grete St., gret c.]

And clenner than I am thys tyde,

I sholde not be vp-on no syde." 980

Grace dieu speketh :
' Herkene,' quod she ; ' to voyde al doute,
Thou art Though thow be clene ynowh wi't/<-oute,

only clean

outwardly. Thow art wit/i-inne no tnyng 1 so ;

ffor cause I shal the telle, lo ! 984

Thou art Thow art soyled in especyal

soiled with

original sin, Off the synne orygynal,

Off fader & moder ek also,

Thorgh vnclennesse of bothe two, 988

Spottyd of nature, as ther hayr ; 8 [ 8 heyre St.]

[leaf n, back] Wher-of thow mayst nat be made fayr,

But thow be wasshe, as I the telle,

2 From here to 1. 1346 the long talk on Baptism and Original
Sin in this 2nd recension is absent from the first recension in
the Camb. MS. and its original French.

Grace Dieu explains Man's Creation and Innocence. 27

In thys Ryuer or thys welle. 992

And yet thow most have helpe of me

Yiff thow sholdyst clene be ;

ffor I mot fyrst my syluew dresse haUow!" 1

The bathe 1 halwen, & yblesse, [ l bath* St., bath c.] 996 ^{{'J^

And than yt shal ynowh suffise thee>>

To make the clene in alle 2 wyse : [ a aiie St., ai c.].

ffor the wasshyng* mad out-ward

Ys but tookene (who taketh Reward) 1000

Off al clennesse forth witA-Inne ;

At wych fyrst thow most be-gynne.'

The pylgrym :

" Madame, so hyt nat dysplese,

I can as yet no thyng* in ese, 1004

And I shal telle yow wher-fore
My dovte [is] 3 now mor than before, p i doute st.] i am now in

-* L J _ more doubt

And gretter 4 in COnclusyOWl, [* more gretter St.] than ever.'

But ye make exposicz'oun, 1008

And bet declare yt to my mynde,
Or ellys my profyt ys be-hynde."

Grace diCU : [De lusticia & peecato Original!. Later hand. St.]

' ffyrst, whan God the world be-gan,

And after hadde makyd man, 1012 'wiienGod

created man

And wo?nman for to be hys fere, and woman,

Thy forme fadrys, as thow shalt lere,

God, of hys gret curteysye,

To hem dyde suyche gentrye 1016

As to the I shal devyse.

He gaff to hem so gret fframzchyse,

Talyved 5 euere, thys no lesyng 1 , [ 5 TO have lived]

In elthe wit/i-oute languysshvng 1 , 1020 Hegaveium

J J ' health, lite,

Lusty & fressh in o degre, and liberty.

ISTeuer tave 6 had necessyte [ 6 to have]

Off deyyng* ; and gaff hem in sothnesse, [leaf is]

Lyberte, & Ryhtwyse 7 nesse, U wyse St., wys c.] 1024

ff redam of wyl 8 & equy te ; [ 8 and wyiie St.]

And that they sholde ryghtful be,

And ther-vp-on, ay done her cure

To ben Egal by mesure ; 1028

The body to the soule obeye

28 Grace Dicu tells how Adam lost Paradise ly Disobedience.

The body was ' In eue?y mane/ skylful weye,

Bouiinaii And bern 1 to hyra subieccion: [ beryn St.]

things,

So that alway, on-to 2 resou??, pvn-tost.] 1032

fforeyn 3 strengthys her doim lowe, [? Foreyn st., For eny c.]
Vpward sholde her sowerayn knowe,

as the lower And lest 4 WOl'thy of dygnyte, [MeestSt]

obedient to Vn-to most worthy of degre 1036

the higher. J

Obeye sholde by Reuerence :

Thys was of ryght fyrst the sentence ;

Shewe of lewdnesse ay a sygne, 1 039

The 5 lasse of prys to the most dygne. [ 5 The St., TO c.]

' Off divyne purvyaunce
Thys was fyrst the ordynaunce,
That mare shold euer ha be in blysse,
And al that whyle, of no thyng* mysse; 1044

Euer ha be fre, & never thral.
By ryhtwysnesse orygynal,
He gave man God gaff oure fadrys ous 6 be-forn), [vsst.]

all the beasts

of the earth Yiff they ne hadde her fredom) lorn, 1048

ffor catel and for ther herytage

Ta last in euery maner age,

Ben herytavnce, fro gre to gre,

Off ryht to ther posteryte : 1052

Thys to seyne, who kan take lied
for his, and To al that folwed of ther sed

his children's

for ever. ff O r euennore : & soth y t ys,

Yiff they hadde not do a-mys. 1056

' But whan they gan to God trespace,
[leaf is, back] They lost ther fredam and ther grace,
nut he lost Lyff also, and 7 liberte, p and eke St.]

lite and all J

things, And hooly ther auctoryte, 1060

Off wych thow hast herd me seye,
ffor wych offence they most deye :
Tho, al 8 thyngys in sentence [ 8 aiie St.]

Drowh fro man obedyence. 1064

Who dysobeyth hys sovereyn,
Off ryht mot 9 folwen in certeyn p mot St., not c.]
That he shal dysobeyed be

Off lower thynges of degre, 1068

Wych wer soget to hys servyse

Grace Dieu explains hoiu Children suffer for Fathers Sins. 29

' Or he trespacede in any wyse.
ffor vn-to God, sothly to seye.

J J '

Whan Adam fyrst gan dysobeye, 1072

Yt was Eyhtful, by kyndly lawe,

That to 1 hyra shold be wit/t-drawe C 1 ? fro]

AH maner 2 obeyssavnce pma

Off thynges vnder hys gouernaunce,

J '

Wych he hadde in subieccyon,
Only for hys rebellyon).

' And, yiff thow be Kesovmable.
An exaumple ful notable
I shal vn-to the declare
Openly, & no thyng 1 spare,
Yiff thow lysten, taken lied ther-to :

' I suppose yt falleth so :
The kyng 1 hath in hys court a knyht
"Whom he loueth wit/*. al hys myht,
And, for cause that he tryst hym wel
He yeveth to 3 hym a ffayr castel,
Wallyd strong 1 \viih hihe tours
ffrom al assaut of wynd & shours,
And to hys heyres, to pocessede j 4
And ther-vp-on maketh hem a dede,
Euere 5 by successyon [ 3 Ever* affter St.]

Ther-of to have pocessyon
ffor eueremore', to o 6 word,
"Whyl he ys trewe to hys lord,
Voyde 7 of al rebellyon).
Thys was the condycion) :
But he offendeth, so may falle,
Than he & hys chyldren alle,
The castel lese wzt/i-oute grace
Thorgh ther fadrys gret trespace :

The chyldren han the gylt abouht,

," i ii/\j

Al-be that they oflendyde nouht 1104

Thorgh ther fadrys gylt, alias ;

And thus perauwter stant the cas :

And lyk in cas semblable at al,

Eyhtwysnesse orygynal 1108

' Orygynal ' ys for to seyn

ana he

liaddisobeyd

1076 ail thing* dis

obeyed him.

1080

1084

to, om. St.] 1088

he ,f e r y e , 8 g

[atost]

p And voyde St.]

compare this

story :

A certain
castietoa

knierhtand

h' i>eir n

[leaf 19]

1096

on condition
disobeyd,
1100 children

should lose

Hedidoffed,

tor liis sin.

30 Thro Adam and Eves Sin, Mankind became sinful.
original gin ' Pleynlv, yf I slial not feyne,

is 8iiuiUr. . . . f, j ,

A gynnyng 1 wych fro (jrod kam,

And was fyrst yoven to Adam 1112

And vn-to 1 Eue hys wyff also, [ l And to St.]

Adam and Wych they loste, bothe 2 tWO [* loste botlie St., lost both C.]

I'aiadise, Only for ther Eebellyon),

Whos ryht was by condycon), 1116

mid their Wherthrogh that ther posteryte

posterity

suflerd for ffully ha lost ther lyberte.

t.ieir parents

sin, (Posteryte, playnly in dede, pst. leaves out 11.1119-1122.]

Ys folwyng 1 doiw of a kynrede 1120

Lynealy, fro gre to gre.)

And thus, touchyng 1 ther lyberte,

ffor dysobeyng* they ha lorn)

Off her fadrys hem to-forn ; 1124

Only throgh ther dysobeisau?zce
and lost their They ha lost ther enherytaunce,

inheritance

[leaf 19, back] Wych they may not inheryte ;

Wher-of ther fadrys ben to wyyte. 1128

' ffor nadde be ther transgressyon),

3 Transgressyottn ys for to say

A goyyng 1 fro the ryht[e'J way,

Or shortly, in sentement,

Erekyng 1 off a comauwdement 3 1136

Ther chyldren shold, by reson),

Ha cleymyd yt of verray ryht.
by their pa- Wher-for, yiff thow lefft vp thy syth * [* sight St.] 1132

rents' trans- '

gression. And lyst conceyven everydel,
Thus thou Thow mayst parceyve fayr & wel

mayest per-

thou 6 that Thow art spottyd in party

Off that thy ffadrys wer gylty ; 1140

So that thy fylth ys causyd al

Only of synne orygynal,

Wych that clerkys in sentence

Calle wantyng*, or carence 1144

Off orygynal ryhtwysnesse,
art spotted Wych thow oughtest (I dar expresse,)

with original Jo /

'I-' Ellys haue hadde of equyte

* 3 These four lines are written at the right-hand side in C. &
St. ; but with no mark to signify where they ought to be"placed.

Grace Dieu says our Original Sin is not like a cut-off Nose. 31

' By tytle of posteryte.'

The pylgrym:

" Ma dame, (lyk as ye slial fynde,)
I am a-stonyd in my mynde
Off your wordys ful gretly,
Wych ne sue nat kyndely.
ffor fyrst, as ye han told' to me

That I moste waSShe 1 be, C 1 moste wasshed St., most . .

To casten out myw vnclennesse,

The wyche 2 fylth, as ye expresse [ 2 which* St., wycii c.]

And namen yt in especyal

' Spot or synne orygynal,'

Wych. ys only, by your sentence,

No-thyng 1 but wantyng 1 or absence

Off ryhtwysnesse thus say ye ;

And in good feytli, as semeth me,

Wasshyng 1 no thyng 1 may a-vaylle

To do a- way thyng 1 that doth fay lie ;

Yt wer bet cordyng 1 to reson)

To make restytucyon)."

Grace dieu answerde :
' Certys, yt ys soth that ye seye.
But to o thyng 1 take hede, I praye :
Who that haveth not the bewte
Wych he shold han of duete,
Voyde of fylth then ys he nouht ;
The wych, yif yt be truly souht,
May be of felth a be-gynnyng*,
Gret cause also, & gret norysshyng 1 .
As by exau?nple thus I pose :

' Yiff a man ffayllede a noose
Wych he outh 3 haue of Resourc, p ought* St.]

Yt wer, to myn oppynyoun,
A gret defaute ([ the ensure,)
Off bewte ; & a gret ordure
Ther must sue, yt ys no nay :
And yiff the noose wer kut a-way,
The bewte of a manhys 4 face [* mnnnys St.]

Yt wolde gretly yt dyfface. 5 p aiie dyfface St.]
Semblably, in especyal,

' I am aston-
ished at what
you say ;

1152

C.]

1156
1160
1164

1168

1172

1176

1180

1184

but it seems
to me that
Washing can-
nut avail me ;

[leaf 20]
Restitution
were better.'

' What you
say is true.

If a man

were without
a nose,

it woulil be a
great want.

32 Grace Dieu shows how Folk are begotten in Lust.

so it is you ' Yiff Ryhtwvsnesse or\ T gynal

want original ""

righteous- Thow wante, wych thow sholdest haue,

IIBS8.

I myghte pryve, 1 so God me save [' preve St.] 1188
And conclude wit/t-oute wene,
Off som fylthe thow wer vnclene.
I dar yt seyn, and wel expresse,

Naraly whan thow in vnclennesse 1192

Off flesshly lust wer fyrst be-gete,
Wych shold not be for-gete ;
The inst of ffor fleshly lust (in sentence)

the flesh is

conciipis- ycallyd ys concupyscence. 1196

cence,

As thus consydre myn entent ;

Whan soule and flessh to-gadre 2 assent pgydrest.]
[leaf 20, back] To don any gret offence,

Thau yt ys concupyscence, 1200

And nouther party by dyffence

Lyst not make resistence,

As they shold of equyte,

Wher-thorgh ther fayrnesse & bewte 1204

Dyffacyd ys of bothe 2 tweyne. [ s boothe St., both c.]

And euene lyk (in wordys playne)
and the of- Thoffence lone? or thow wer borne,

fenee vias

committed Off thy fadrys her-to-forn, 1208

long ere you

were bom.' Hath lost (yiff thow koudest se)

Thi grete* fredam & bewte ; [* grete St., gret c.]

And ther trespace, (yiff thow lyst lere,)

Ther lynage beyth 5 yt al to dere.' pbeyetust] 1212

The pylgrym: 6 t* Pyiygrym Asketh st.]

" With al myn herte 7 now I pray p nerte St., hert c.]

thyng 1 that ye wyl me seye :
nut can this yff thys wasshyng*, wtt/i-oute more,

washing re- J J J '

sK.re right- May Restablysshe or restore 1216

eousnesg,

The ryhtwysnesse wych, day & nyht,

1 ouhte haue hadde of verray ryht ;
and annul And yiff thys wasshyng 1 (in sentence)

May A-nulle concupyscence ?" 1220

Grace dieu :

' Teuchyng 18 that we have on honde, [ s Touchyng St.]
Thow must pleynly vnderstonde
A thyng< wych I the telle shal.

Grace Dieu cannot help De Guillemlle Unless he's baptized. 83

' Eyghtvysnesse orygynal, 1224 'Toucan

Thow shalt yt neuer haue A-geyn ; wigbui

righteousness

But truste, & be ryght wel certeyn, a & ai >

That after thow be wasshe clene,

The fylthe ther-of, (thus I mene) 1228

Thy wasshyng 1 shal yt sette A-syde,

But concupyscence shal abyde. [leaf 21]

' Take the wordy s as I the telle ; piscence win

But yiff thow wylt, I shal ay dwelle 1232

With the, to helpe the ay at nede,

That thow mayst in verray dede if r were to

j dwe11 with

Maken myghty resystence you,

Ageynys thy co?zcupyssence, 1236

Wych shal the dere neveradel

Yiff so be thow bere the wel.

And. but I seye thy wasshyng 1 , yet without

J J J ' the washing

I myhte the helpyn yn no thyne? ; 1240 i could not

J fJ J J . assist you.

ffor the wasshyng 1 (I the ensure)

Doth away al the ordure

Off al that kepen duely

Ther maryage, and feythfully ; 1 244

ffor wych, to the ys profytable Tins washing

will do you

Thys wasshyng 1 , & gretly vayllable. good:

Thy ffader, thy moder ek also, your parents

f were washed,

Wer wasshyn ther-in, bothe two, 1248

Whan they wer born) ; & so shalt thow, BO must you

Syth yt ys syttyng 1 for thy prow :
That thow hem sue, yt ys Resouw.'

The pylgrym:

" I haue," quod he, " suspecyou?^ 1252

Off ther wasshyng 1 now sodenly.
Yiff they wer wasshe duely 'if they were

,, washed,

Oft ther synne orygynal,

Me semeth yt sholde folwe in al, 1256 ought i not

to be clean ? '

byth I am gete of 1 ther kynrede, [' gate in St.]

I sholde go quyt (who taketh hede,)

Off orygynal in eue?y thyng 1 ,

Thorgh vertu ferst of ther wasshyng 1 ." 1260

Grace dieu:
' Than,' quod she to me a-gayn, [leaf 21, back]

PILGRIMAGE. D

34 Gh*ace Dieu insists on the necessity of Baptism.
'Grain is ' Tak hed, whan men sowen greyn,

freed from \

the chaff be- The huske, the chan (yt ys no nay,)

fore it is J '

wn . Mot fyrst be clene putt a- way, 1264

Er yt be throwe vp-on the lond,

And sowe a-brood with manhys hond,

Naked and pur, yff thow take hede.

And after- ward, whan yt doth seede, 1268

Ypon the tyme of hys Rypyng 1

And the seson of gadryng*,
but when it Men fynde a-geyn the same corn,

grows it has J J

us husks as Huskyd as yt was be-forn, 1272

before, *

And ther-to clothyd newe a-geyn.

' By wych exauwple, in certeyn,
Thogh thy fadyrs were, by grace,

Off ther orygynal trespace 1276

purgyd clene, & frely quyt,

The caffe 1 and the strowh abyt, r. 1 chaffe St., caff c.]
Rene we th ay & euer shal,
and so it is Off the synne orygynal, 1280

with original J J OJ

8111 : Vpon the greyn, wych of hem spryngeth,

The huske alway with hem they bryngeth.

Alle folkys, as thow shalt lere,

That kyndely be sowen here 1284

In thys world, fro day to day,
the husk The husk -with hem abyt alway,

always re-

mains.' A n( j seueryth nat in no manere

Tyl they be wasshe in the Ryuere : 1 288

Wherfor (by short conclusyouw,)

They nede echon purgacyouw.'

The pylgrym :
it seemed Tha??ne me sempte vt was but veyn,

vain to reply

Mor for me to speke a-geyn, 1292

Or make replycacyouw
[leaf 88] Ageynys her oppynyouw.

Off hevynesse I wepte sore ;

ffor tho I koude do no more, 1296

f -^

I was so whapyd & amaat,
Tyl at the last an aduocaat 2

2 A godfather (after whom Guillaume de De Guilleville was
called).

An Advocate helps De Gruilleville to cross the River. 35

Kam to me tho in my nede, tin an advo-

cate came

WitA-oute gerdouw other mede. 1300 who spoke

tor me,

And, for I hadde of speche lak,

"VVonderly goodly for me he a spak ; [' siie St.]

Profrede for to help of grace and would

ln-1]) me to

To make me the Eyuer passe, 1304 P* 88 .

And that I myght ouer gon,

And that I wer ek wasshe a-noon, a " d e ,,

washed.

In al that euer he coude or myghte ;

And Guyllyam ffor-Sothly 2 he hyhte : [ 2 sotheiy St.] 1308 Hisnnme

< was William,

Hys surname I nat ne knew.

And thus he spak to Grace Dieu :

" Myn almesse, wit// your grace,

I \vyl fulfyllen in thys place: 1312 n<i promised

J to fulfil Grace

And yiff ye wyl, I calle shal D . ieu ' 8

y / * pleasure.

Off your hous the offycyal

(ffor yt ys now ryht good sesoiw

Affter your oppynyowi) 1316

That he make, by your byddyng 1 ,

Of thys pylgrym the wasshyng 1 ,

Wher-of ye han so mych sayd."

Quod she, 'I am ryht wel apayd.' 1320

And ther-wit7i-al, benygne of look, Then he took

Jo me, and

The aduocaat a-noon me took c-jiied the

omcial to

Of charyte, by gret plesaurace, hel P llim

Affter the custom & vsaimce, 1324

And made calle 3 fyrst of al [ 3 caiiest.,caiieofc.]

To helpyn hym the offycyal ;

Bad hym also, among 1 hem alle,

After hys name me to calle, 4 1328 deaf 22, back]

That he shold ek don hys dever a " d bade him

aid me in

To helpe me passe the Ryver, crossing the

That I wer wasshen A-noon ryht.
And he so dyde with al hys myght; 1332

And many thynges, as he abrayde,
Over me, me thouhte he sayde ;
Wordys that hadde gret vertu,

As he was tauht of Grace Dieu ; 1336

Wher-thorgh, me thouht, & that a-noon,
4 See note to 1. 1298.

3G A Devil flies out of De Guillcmlle, and he is baptized.

A black bird
passed from
me,

and lie cried
out that all
was lost.

[Cap. xii]

The official
plunged me
iu the stream,

just as Grace
Dieu had
said.

Then be and
the river
vanished,

[leaf 23]

and she led
me to a fair
place, and
made me
good cheer.

And said,
' Now you
have passed
the stream,
and 3'our
enemy is
gone,

I xvill teach
you many
things.'

That I sawh ther, fro me goon,

A foul that was of colour blak ;

And in hys lydene 1 thus he spak, [ teems St.] 1340

Siyyng, 2 men herd hyra eue?-y cost, [ 2 Cryynge St.]

' I-wys,' quod he, ' I haue al lost ;

And fro me now ys taken al

By thys ylke offycyal.' 1344

The pylgrym : 3

He hath my clothys fro me Eauht,
And thre tyme he hath me kauht,
And in the ryuer plongyd me,
Crossyd, (as men myhte se,) 1348

[5 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]
Enoynted in the stremes colde,
Lyk as Grace Dieu me tolde :
1 fonde she lyede neuer a del.

And whan that I was fayre & wel, 1352

The Kyuer passyd than A-noon,
And thavocaat ek was gon,
Wych only of gent[e]rye

Hadde don to me gret curteysye 1356

That shal never out of mynde.

Than Grace Dieu, most good & kynde,
Ladde me forth on 4 my repayre [Mn St.]

To a place ryht inly fayr; 1360

And neuer she made me to-fore
So goode 5 cher syth I was bore, [ 5 goode St., good c.]
Nor was so benygne of hyr port,

Vn-to me to don confort. 1364

' Now syth,' quod she, ' that yt 6 ys sene, [asytst.]
Thow art wasshe, & made al clene,
And art passyd the ryuer

"WYt/i-oute percyl or dauwger, 1368

Thyn Enmy fled Out of thy brest,
Wher he aforn) hadde made hys nest,
I shal the shewe of gret delyt

fful many thyng 1 for thy profyt, 1372

Yff thow ha lust to lerne of me
Thynges 7 that I shal teche the, 17 Thynges St., Thyges c.]
3 This line in C. and St. comes after 1. 1345.

The Sign of Tau bloodied. The Order of Confirmation. 37

* And vnderstond hem by & by.'

And tho befyl ther sodeynly 1376

A wonder thyng* (thus stood the cas,)
Wher-of I astonyd was ; Then i was

astonished

And yet for-thy I shal not spare,

Eyht as yt fyl, for to declare, 1380

Whan I se tyme & best sesoun

Touchyng my sherpe 1 and my bordouw : [' Scrippest.}

Whan I ha leyser, trusteth wel,

I shal yow tellyn euerydel. 1384

But, or I dyde further passe,

I sawe Amyddys of that place [Cap. xui]

A sygne of Tav wych ther stood, rp 1387 at the sign

And yt was al be-spreynt vfith blood. ^ t.], om.c. 8p rinkied

J with blood,

[7 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]

And ek, as I koude vnderstond 1 , [leaf 23, back]

I sawe be sydes 2 a mayster stond* [*besydest.] and one

beside it

Oft ryght gret auctoryte, of great

authority,

And sempte that he sholde be 1392

Lyk a vyker douteles 3 p douteies St., douties c.]

Off Aaron & of Moyses.

And pleynly tho (as I be-hekP,)

In hys hond a staff he* held*, [* he St., on. c.] 1396 having a

Crooked be-fora (I took good hed ;) hand;

And hornyd also was hys hed. and his head

was horned.

Hys garnement, by gret delyt,

Was of lyne 5 cloth al why t, piynynst.] 1400

Off the wych, ful wel I wote, J?r v . n . M .'" . m n edio eorKOT -

h,y.UClliyuS. 1X.

That the prophete whylom wrot, He is de-

-r-< i-i Kcribed by

lizechyel, who lyst to look 1 , Ezekiei

The nynthe chapytle off hys book : 1404

Ordre off confyrmaciouw
Wych, wit/i the sygne of gret vertu
Markyde manye with Tav marking

men in tlieir

Myd of her forhed, on by on, foreheads

And sayde to hem euerychon, 1408

' I crosse yow, and corcfenne also with the sign

With thys / that ye take hed ther-to,

That ye may be, fro day to day,

Good pylgrymes in your way; 1412

38 DC Guillemlle is Confirmd. The Order of the Last Unction.

ffor thys to yow, tokne & sygne
Tli at God shal be to yow benygne,
That ye shal not venquysshed be
[leaf 24] Off your Enmyes in no degre.' 1416

And wit/i thys sygne of gret vertu
Grace oieu I was markyd off Grace Dieu

marked me,

Myd my forhed, brede & lengthe,
Wher-by I 1 kauhte ful gret strengths, [' i St., om. c.] 1420
and i re- And Receyvede ther by Eyht, 2 [ 2 off Right St.]

ceived

strength Vertu, force, & gostly myght,
To forthre me in verray dede
acconiing to Off al that euer I hadde nede. 1424

my need.

Not nede as I hadde be-fore

Thorgh the Eyuer or I was bore ;

Yt was not so gret necessyte

But covenable congreuyte. 3 [ s congmyte St., congeuyte c.] 1428

Ordre off the laste vncciouw.
[Cap. xiv] Affter al thys, I hadde a syht
Then the Off the mayster, wych of Eyht

master gave J

ointment to Made the holsom oynement,

the (iitiriiil, J

And after took yt of 4 entent [*offgoodest.] 1432

To the sayde offycyal,
saying, And gaff to hym thys charg* \vith-al :

[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.']
**. ' Have her,' quod he, < ful goodly .^S^fflS*

Thre oynementys most worthy ; SffliwoM.

The wych now to the I take
two of them Only for pylgrymes sake,
on pilgrims Swycli as in ther oppynyouws

Wyl be myghty champyou??s 1440

ffor to holde strong 1 bataylle
[leaf 24, back] Whan ther Enmyes hem assaylle.
ti!efr enemies, ' Thow shold do thy bysy peyne 1443

Tenoynte hem witJi the fyrste 5 tweyne, [ 5 fyrste St., fyrst c.]

And kep the thrydde wztA-oute more

ffor folkys 6 that byth woundyd sore, [ ffoikyg st, ffoik c.]
keepinjftiie And swyche as lygge languysshyng 1

third for the _. . . . .

dying. On ther beddys, almost deyng*, 1448

And of ther l^ff ha no dysport :
Thow shalt a-noon don hem cownfort ;

The Ointments for Pilgrims, new Kings, c&c. The Tau. 39

' Enoynte hyw in especyal

As ther leclie spryrytual, 1452

Wher thow sest that yt be nede ;

And ffeythfully, (yf thow take hede,)

Pylgrymes that travayU in ther way, often' 8 ar *

Wych passeu her fro day to day> 1456 ^ edby

And often in ther passage erre,

And assayllyd byth vfith werre ;

Yt fayllyth not, sory or blythe,

But they be wondyd offte sythe, 1460

And grevyd wiih many aventure,

ff ro deth that they may not recure : and "

meet with

And at ther ende, thys no fa vile, death when

* they need

Whan that deth doth hem assaylle, 1464 ^ oillt -

They gretly nede thys oynement ;

And for thys skyle, in myn entent

I haue take yt in-to thy ward,

Al syke folkys to Reward*, 1468

Tenoynte hem whan they haue nede :

And other oynementys in-dede

I ha reservyd 1 to my kepyng 1 , [' Beserved St., reseyvyd C.] I have re-

ceived other

Tenoynte with a newe kyng 1 1472 ointments

By the vykerys of Moyses,

The wych yt make dout[e]les,

At due tynie certeynly Daf 25]

By ther power as wel as I. 1476

ff or syke folkys enerychon, for "<

And for lechys, as thow art on,

Wych sholdest alway be bysy,

Wel awaytynge & redy, 1480

At the tablys wher we sytte

Whan we etyn, & not flytte ;

ffor the tav T, taken hed, -*- But take

heed of tlie T

Wych thow niakest in the 2 forhed. [ 2 thy St.] 1484 which you

* make in

' But I wyth-holde to Ward me men's (ore-

heads.

Off custom & of duete,

The fynal execucyouw,

The vse & mynystracyouw 1488

Off confermyng in the ende :

Take hed now that thow not offeude.'

40 The Maiden Reason talks about Ointment and Doctors.

[[Cap.
As they
talked,

a maid of
humble cheer
drew near :

1492

her name was
Reason.

[leaf 25, back]

' Sirs,' she
said, 'who
stand here
and speak of
your oint-
ments, listen
toine.

Ointment is
a virtuous
thing

for certain
wounds.

Physicians
should be
gentle in their
treatment ;

P St., C. burnt]

1496

1500

1504

P Syre St.]
[* St., C. burnt]

And whil they held ther parlementys
And spak ek of ther oynementys,

[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]
Ther kam to hem of gret manere
A mayde mek, & humble of chere,
Wych that of entencyoura
Descendede from hyr tour a-doura.

Than Grace Dieu spak vn-to me,
' lo, sestow nat yonder,' quod she,
' ResouTi, by hyr sylff allone,
"Wych cast hyr for to speke A-noon
To thys folk that thow sest here ? '
And she, demur and sad of chere,
Sayde to hem hyre 1 fantasye
WitR-outen eny 1 flatrye

Resou// spak thus: 2
' Syrs,' 3 quod she, in goodly wyse,
' That stonden here, 4 & thus devyse
Off Enoyntynge 4 & oynementys,
And ther-of hold your parlementys,
I pray 5 yow that ye nat dysdeyne
To herkne 5 off me wordys tweyne,
Wych to tellyn I purpose,
And a-noon) to 5 yow vnclose :
Oynemente ys a soote 6 thyng,
And ryht vertuous in werkyng,
To wouwdys cloos, & ope also,
Yiff yt be sofftly leyd therto
Both wyth hand and instrument ;
ffor lechys sholden off entent
Soffte handle the soor to seke, 7
Yt fyt 8 hem wel to be meke ;
To whom a-cordeth no Eudnesse ;
They sholde avoyde boystousnesse.
Wouwdyd folk desyren offte
Off lechys to ben handlyd soffte ;

2 Camb. MS. reads : She bigan to speke to hem, and seyde
with-oute flateringe, ' Lordinges, that thus diuisen and speken of
youre oynementes, and holden heere youre parlement of enoynt-
inge of oother folk, vnderstondeth now two little woordes that j
wole soone haue vnclosed yow. Oynement is,' &c., p. 9.

1508

[ 5 St., C. burnt]

[ soet St.]

1512

1516

[7 and seeke St.]
[sytteSt.] 1520

1524

Eeason lids them le gentle and pitiful, not revengeful. 41

' Eudnesse hem doth mor damage

Then l the oynement avaurctage ; P Thanne St.]

Harmeth offte tymes more

To swyche as that be 2 wou/idyd sore : [ 2 as bethe St.] 1528

I calle hem rude, that be felous, those who

are not are

ffers & cruel as be lyowts ; " felons,"

That wyl, 3 thorgh ther cruelte, p while St.]

On every thyng a-vengyd be; 1532

Spare ne for-bere ryht nouht,

They be so vengable in ther thouht.

Swych be no goode surgyens,

Lechys, nor physycyens, 1536

Syke flblkys to restore ; [leaf 26]

ffor the woundys they hurte more and in .i" re

those whom

Thorgh Eudnesse in ther entent : tlie y 8llould

cure.

ffor they mynystre ther oynement 1540

To boystously, & no thing soffte ;

Wher-thorgh they hurte & slen ful offte,

Wych affter may nat be amendyd.

And for thys skyle I am descendyd, 1544

Kome to yow in sothfastnesse, And i am

come that

That ye in yow ha no Eudnesse, there 9llou ' d

be no cruelty

Cruelte, nor felon ye, in you.

Wych ar douhtrys to envye. 1548

'Beth pytous vn-to folkys wouwdyd, Be pitiful

m , , , " to wounded

lyl ye nan her sorys sou?myd, folk;

Debonayre & mercyable,

Soffte, goodly, & tretable. 1552

Tha?zne, in soth, yt may nat fayH then your

ointments

lhat your oynementys shal av'ayli wiiibeof

To syke folke on euery syde,

That for ther hele on yow abyde. 1556

Bemewbreth yow vp-on thys poynt,

How ye wer whylom ek enoynt Ye were

J J J anointed,

lo bekome mor debonayre ;

Nat to be cruel nor contrayre, 1560 not to be

But teschewe al ffelonye,

And tavoyde malencolye ; but to avoid

melancholy ;

And no vengauwce for to take, ana take no

vengeance,

But forgyue for Goddys sake ; 1564

42 The Vicar asks Reason what liis Hwns and Goad are fors

( Al old Rancour for to lete :

ffor, by record off the prophete Meawtvicio &e*o

* retnbuam. Deutero-

In hys Sawys that ben olde,
for vengeance God hath to hyw sylff wit/i-holde / 1568

beloiitfeth

Vengauwce to hys lugement ;

And ther-fore, who that of entent 1
[leaf 26, back] "Wyl wrastle ageyw yt, this the cheff [St. &c.]

He shall not faylle to han mescheff.' 1572

Whanne Resoun hadde hyr tale told, ,,

The Vyker, that sernpte wonder olde, [stowe MS.]

answered 1 " ^ whom I tolde yow nat in vayn [St. & c.]

Moyses 2 cstoweMs.]

Axed of Resouw thus agayn : [St. &c.] 1576

' I pray yow that ye nat ne spare,

The truthe clerly to declare,

The moralyte to obserue,

Wherof sholde myn hornys serve] 1580

what, then, Thys staff ek, with the sharpe poynt.

are my horns r r j

for? Telleth me fro poynt to poynt,

Be they nat maad, by good resouw,

For punysshynge and Correcciown; [St. &c.] 1584

Myn hornys, for to take wrak 1

On shrewes, & to putte abak 1 ]

And off my staff ek, wz't/i the prykke,
and what is Chastysen folkys that be wykke, 1588

the good of J J J

my staff with Rather than lyk as ye me tolde

its sharpened

end?' Her a-forn, how that I sholde

Enoynte hem -with the oynement ?

Wher-vp-on seyth your entent.' 1592

Resouw Answereth:

' My fayre frend,' quod tho Resoun,
/My friend, < Tak hed in thy dyscreciouw :

be reason- * "

able:

1 Camb. MS. reads : And therfor who so wole bineme it liim,
to yuel ende he may come, p. 10.

2 This is a red line, some one answering the preceding speaker.
The Camb. MS. goes on : Whan resoun hadde thus spoken,
the vicarie of whiche j seide bifore, answerde hire and seide,
"Sey me, j praye you, if ye can, whi j haue thus myn hed horned
and the yerde sharp at the eende ? Is it not for to do punish-
inge and correccoun of yuel dedes ? j trowe j shulde putte and
hurtle the yuel folk with myne homes, and prikke hem," &c.,
p. 10.

Ecason says, Sinners must le gentled ere they re punislit. 43

' Vnderstond me euery del :

I wote 1 what thow menest wel, L 1 wote St., wot c.] 1596

And knowe platly thy menyng 1 .

Mesure ys good in euery thyng* : there i

moderation in

Thogh thy hornys & pyk also a)1 things-

Be yove 2 to the, bothe two, p St., c. burnt] 1600

ffor 2 Punysshyng & for chastysyng 1

Off f olkys Eebel in werchyng 1 ; [>af 27]

Yet f yrst thow sholdest hem dyrecte. You m " 8t

J J direct, and

And \fi\Ji fayrnesse hem correcte, 1604 pnnfahwith

fairness,

Swych as thow sey, day by day, 3 [ 3 fro day to day St.]
Eriyn fro the hit 4 Ryhte way ; [* bin om. St.]

And yiff thow fouwde hem obstynat,
That 5 longeth yt to thyw estat [ 5 ? Than] 1608

To punysshen hyw by thyw offyce,

And vp-on hem don ek iustyce a nd accord-

ing to the
Egally for ther offence : offence.

The la we yiweth 6 the lycence. [ 6 yevetb st.] 1612

' But ferst thow sholdest trete he?H fayre,
Be goodly ek, and debonayre,
And don alway ful gret labour

To she we swetnesse afor Rygour. 1616

And thogh the prykke of Rygour be Though yonr

V J / & sti.ff [crosier]

ffor chastysyng 1 y-yove to the, > given yu

J J J J to punish

Be alway war, touchyng 1 ryht : witu

Whan thow chastysest any Avhy&t, 1620

Do yt neuer by suych duresse

But yt be meynt ay wit/i suetnesse ;

Medle wit/i-al the vnccyou?i let judgment

ever be tein-

Off pyte and compassyoun. 1624 peredwith

' In thyn entent to be mor clene,
Thogh thyn hornys be sharp & kene
To punysshe folk by ryhtwysnesse,
Thow sholdest ay the poynt so dresse 1628

In thy Rygour of equyte,
Euere in hert to han pyte and have pity

i upon those

On hem that thow hast mstesyed. whom you

have "jus-
Let mercy with ryht be so alyed, 1632 ticed."

And thynk how many day to-forn,
Or thow haddest any horn,

Reason says: Imitate the mild Moses; be merciful.

[leaf 27, back]

Ilemember
that you were
anointed be-
fore you were
horned,

and forget not
whose vicar
you are,

and follow
Ilia example.

Moses led the
Israelites
through the
Bed Sea,

and you hare
people under
you:

remember
this lesson,

and be merci-
ful inwardly
whatever
you are out-
wardly.

' Thow wer Eenoynt : thynk ther vp-on
Lat yt not fro thy mynde gon
Which thing, whan thow dost aduerte,
Yt shaft nesshe ful wel thyn herte
Whan yt is harde or out of loynt,
To ponysshe or smyte with the poynt,
Or with thyn homes to hurtle sore :
Ha this in mynde euer more,
To medle mercy with equyte.

' Remembre also ful wel, and se
That he, of whom thow art vyker,
And chose to be hys offycer,
Was humble, meke, & debonayre,
Charytable, & nat contrayre :
Of whom thow shalt exau?ftple take,
To-forn 2 or thow thy domys make.
Hornyd 3 he was by apparence,
If at vsyng* hem by vyolence :
Thys was that holy Moyses
That ladde al Israel in pees
Myddys thorgh the large see ;
And vfiih hys yerde, thys was he
That passede the floodys raage,
And made hei haue good passage.

' Vnderstondeth thys lessoiw,
Ye that han in subieccioura
Peplys vnder your prelacye,
To lerne how ye shal hew guye.
Thogh ye be hoinyd to syth 4 outward,
Shewe as they wer styff & hard,
Lat hem nat growen in your herte
To make your shep / to sore smerte.
Thogh ye shewe / out-ward dredful,
Beth in your hertys mercyful, 5

[st.&c.] 1636

[Stowe]

[st.&c.] 1640

1644

Er:t Moyses vir mitissi-
iniM. NMinerorum 12;:i).

1648

p To forn St.]
[3 Hornyd St., US. torn C.]

1652

1656

1660

[ sight St.]

1664

1668

1 Camb. MS. reads : Bithinke thee that thou were enoynted
er thow were horned, and er thow haddest any prikke, and er
thow haddest any yerde or staf, And that ouhte niichel softe
thee whan thow wolt correcte any wyght. thou shuldest not also
foryete of whom thow doost the vicarishipe, p. 11.

5 Camb. MS. reads : And be merciable with-inne, what-euere
thow be with oute ; Fallas thou miht make heer-inne with-oute
misdoinge, p. 11, omitting all between lines 1671 and 1699.

Reason cites Aristotle, and lids Church-Rulers be gentle. 45

' Dyssymule, and male in swych caas

Off Elenchorum a fallaas. JJ. [St. & c.]

[leaf 28]

[St. & C.]

Verba Translatoris.
[C.&St.] 1672

[i Boolys St.]

(Elenchus ys a syllogysme,

Or by fallaas, a Sophisme,

Thyng 1 that hatfr on Apparence\

W*'t/i-outen eny Existence ; <A

Or an argument in shewynge

"Wych in effect hath no beynge

Affter the thyng that yt doth shewe.)

1T And thcr-fore, in wordes fewe,

To the purpos vallyable,

An exaiwiple ful notable

To folk that be not rekkeles,

Putteth Arystotyles :

In Elenchis thow mayst rede

He byddeth for to take in dede

A Boelys 1 galle, & ther-wit/i-al

On bord, on cloth, or on a wal

Portreye or peynte, as I ha told,

And yt wyl resemble gold

By apparence vn-to the syht,

Yiff yt be vernysshed cler & bryht.

IT And sothly, who that loke wel,

Off gold ther ys neuer a del,

But apparence, to deceyue

ffolkys that kan not vel 2 parceyve

Tlie feynte colour in hys kynde.

U By wych exauraple han in mynde,

Thogh thow be hornyd on thyn hed,

To shewe outward a tookne of drede

Vn-to folk that be contrayre,

Yet ay be inward debonayre.

' Tak exauwple off thy staff
Wych Grace Dieu vn-to the gaff :
Thogh the poynt be sharp & kene,
Yt ys vpward, pleyn, sinothe & clene
The myddys ryht as any lyne,
Aboue, crokyd to enclyne ;
Sygnefyyng vn-to the 3

3 Camb. MS. reads : Dowte not that that [yerde] ne tokeneth

[2 wel St.]

1676

1680

1684

1688

1692

1696

1700

1704

Take an ex-
ample of Aris-
totle's :

A bull's gsill
rubbed on a
board

will look
exactly like
gold.

So you,
thougb you
show dread-
ful without
be merciful
within.

Your staff
should teach
you humility,

46 Reason explains the meaning of the Pontiff's Staff,

[leaf 28, back] fl Whan thou punysshest by Equy te ['- 1 stowe MS.] 1708
That ther-with-alle thow ha mekenesse

Al-way to drawe by SoffteneSSe fYsidorus/ Bonus rector estqui
* in humihtate seruat discipliiiam.

Thy shepe that gon out of the way,
wlu^quity 81 ' R atlier by ffayrenesse than affray. 1712

Whan they retornen home ageyn,

Lat ay thy Chary te be seyn, 1

That yt surmouwte thy rygour. [St. & c.]

Eemembre alle-way at ther Eetour 1716

Above al maner other thyng, ,,

Vp-on ther elthe & amendyng 1 ;
Ever show a Schew hem euer of lone a sygne,

sign ot love to "

men. And in thy drauht be ay benygne, 1720

Voyde of rancour & felonye ;

Than dostow trewly occupye

The staff wych thou hast on honde.

'ffor thow shalt well vnderstonde 1724

Yt tokeneth (who that kan concerne,)
Yonr staff That thow shalt ther-witft governe

is u sign of

authority; The peplys (I dar wel specefye,)

Commyttyd to thy prelacye ; 1728

Mak hem passe (thys thy charge,)

The Ryuer of thys world ful large,
with it you Thy 2 staff, to ther a-vauwtage [ 2 Thy St., My c.]

shall conduct *

men over the Shal conduite 3 ther passage ; [ 3 conduyte St.] 1732

ffychche the pyk profound & depe

In-to the wawes, hew to kepe.

' And wi't/j al thys, thow most take hede

Off plank or bregge, yiff they nede : 1736

and provide Yiff they ffayH. thow shalt on make.

bridges when * J

necessary. As tho\v art bounde for her sake ;

And for that cause, folkys alle,
Hence your Pontifex they doth the calle, 1740

name is

Poi Br'd X Makyng a bregge, thys to seyne,
maker. pjjg p assa g e that they may atteyue.

Vnderstond wcl thys lessouw

Lyke 4 myw informacyouTi ; [ stowe MS.] 1744

[leaf 29] H Yet oue?'more I shal the teche,

that ther shulde be in the, humblesse, whau thou chastisest by
equitee, p. 11.

and tells how he drove out the Horned Beast of Hell. 47

' YifB thow take bed to my speche,

Touchyng 1 thyn hornys bothe two,

Thy staff ek, wit/i the pyk also. 1748

11 Whylom her ther dyde dwells At one time

a horned

Thornyd best wych lyeth in helle, hei'ndweit '"

Makynge here hys mansion [St. & c.] here -

And longe held her 1 pocessyon), [ l here St.] ,, 1752

Lordshepe ek & gouemaunce,

Wych was gret dysplesaimce

To Grace Dieu, that he so sholde

Abyden her, as I the tolde. 1756

And Tavoyde?i fro thys place TO drive him

out Grace

Thys hornyd best, and tenchase, jHengawyou

horns,

She callede the, lyk as I fynde,

I trow thow haue yt wel in mynde, 1760

Gaff the hornys in sentence

With hym to stonden at diffence.

The staff also, wych I off telle,

Sche took to the, hym to expelle ; 1764

Armede the of entenc^oun and armed

you with

(Lyk tamyghty champyouw,) [team.] your staff,

'With thys hornys that I of spak,

On thys beste to take wrak, 1768

To make hym fro thys hous to fle, that you

might drive

By power that she gaff to the : out the ty-

rant,
The vntrewe false enherytour,

That was her lord & gouernour, 1772

And long tyme pocessyowner,

Tyl thow dydest thy dever, 2

As Grace Dieu the tauhte a-ryht,

To putte hy?rc out by verray myght, 1776

Thorgh hurtlyng^ of thyn hornys tweyne ;

And dyst also thy bysy peyne,

Wit/t thy staff to make hy?w flee,

Maugre hys myght & hys powste. 1780 in spite of his

power.

2 Camb. MS. reads : Thow hurtledest him with thine hornes
. . . And thow beete him with thi yerde whan thou madest him
goon out of the place. The tweyne faire labelles hanginge at
thine tweyne hornes thou conqueredest at the clensinge, and
sweepinge, and poorginge of the place, and that was whan thou
dediedest, and halwedest, and blissedest the place, p. 12.

48 Reason says Grace Dieu wishes her House always protected,

[leafao.back] i Thogh~ he were sory to cleparte, [' ' stowe MS., leaf 36]

Thow dyst that Felouw so coarte,

That here he durst[e] nafr abyde.

' And eke vpon that other syde, 1784

The two The two Labellys, large and longe, 1

labels on your

tained y wJJen b " ^angynge ty thyn hornys stronge, [St. & c.]
theYealT 1 '" 6 Ar F yo ure of the co?iqueste

That thow madest on tliys beste, ,, 1788

And of the Clensynge of thys place, [c. & St.]
Wasshe & swept only by grace,

and hallowed J niene fyrst at 2 the halwyng, p stowe]

tlie place. J J '

yt makyng 1 hooly by blessyng 1 , 1792

Lyk a myghty champyoim
In the dedycacyouw;
Wych for to don, as yt ys skyl,
Grace Dieu Off Grace Dieu thys ys the wyl : 1796

wills that you

shall be ai- That thow be armyd offte sythe,

ways armed,

As a vyctor, thy myght to kythe,
That thylke best most contrayre

Be neuer hardy to repayre, 1800

Nor yt tassaylle by no wrong 1 ,
Whaii he seth thyw armour strong 1 ;
Wych ar sygnes in substaunce

Ay to be put in remembraunce, 1804

BO that an How thow hast vewquysshed & fordon) 3 p bore aou st.]

mav tear you

and remem- Thylke vntrewe fals felon),

ber how you

the"tof hed - Bete * oppressyd fynally ;

And that thow mayst ben ay redy, 1808

ffressh & newe ay to bataylle
Ageyws aH that wyl assay lie,

and yon be At alle 4 tyme & ech SCSOUW, [* aUe St., al C.]

ever ready to _ .

defend the Off Grace Dieu the mansyouw. 1812

mansion of

Grace Dieu. Or yt dyspoylle in any wyse,

Eobbe or reue yt in ther guyse,

By 5 sleythe, f alshed, or any whyle, [ 5 stowe]

Grace Dieu ff or to exile 6 1816

6 Camb. MS. reads : And dispoile it of hire goodes bi dymes,
and taxes bi violences and by extorciouns. But ther of as j
wot wel of sooth, thou doost not well thi deuoir, For thi self
grauntest hem, and shewest the weyes to haue hem, the which
thing grace dieu halt no game, p. 12.

Reason further explains the Pontiff's Horns.

49

If you do not

do tliis,

' By 1 dyuers extorsyons pstowe]

Of clymes or Subvencions, [C. &st.] peafso]

or taylladges [ijffounde newe,

By Exacc'ions fuH vntrewe : 1820

Yiff thow yt suffre, ffer or ner, [St. & c.]

Thow dost not trewly thy deuer, ,, [prose, p. xi

Whan thow fyndest or dost espye

Sotyl weyes ffor flatrye 1824

To spoylle of Grace Dieu the hous

By any tytles ravynous,

Thow dost to hyre no plesaunce,

But gret A-noye & dystourbau?zce. 1828

I say, as yt lyth in my thouht,

Platly the trouthe, & spare yt nouht :

H Thyn hornys hih" vp on thyn hed,

Nor thy staff, (yt ys no dred, 1832

I dar pleynly specefye,)

Ar but tooknes of mokerye,

Lych hornys of a lytell snayl,

Wych 2 serue for noon avayl, pwhichest.] 1836

But for a lytel strawh" wyl shrynke :

Her-vp-on thow sholdest thynke.

' Swych hornys hadde nat Seyra Thomas,
That kepte the entre & the paas 1840

ful myghtyly ageyw the kyng 1 ,
And wolde suffre for no thyng 1
Hym to entren in-to thys hous ;

But, as a champyoim vertuous, 1844

Kepte the fredam & frauwchyse,
And suffrede in no maner wyse
The house of Grace Dieu at al

ffor to serue, nor to be thral : 1848

Rather he ches to dey & sterue
Than suffre that yt sholde serue,
Thys holy bysshop Seyn Thomas.
IT Seynt Ambrose 3 in the 4 same caas [* this St.] 1852

3 Camb. MS. reads : Of seint Ambrose also j sey thee that
defended his hous ayens emperoures aiid emperises, so that he
was lord ther-of alone. 'Youre paleys,' quod he, 'ye haue youre
toures, youre castelles, and your citees, with the reuenewes of
the empire. Wei ouhte this to suffice yow,' p. 12.

PILGRIMAGE. E

your horng
and staff
are but a
mockery,

and your
horns are no
better than
a snail's.

[Cap. xvi]

St. Thomas
did not act

but fought
manfully for
Grace Dieu.

50

Reason still expounds the Horns and Staff.

[leaf 80, back]

St. Ambrose
also refused

to allow
Emperor
or Empress

to touch the
heritage of
Christ.

And so your
horns should
be for a de-
fence of the
Church,

and your
staff to de-
mand of Pha-
raoh to let
the people go
free.

[leaf 31]

Then you
would be
truly railed
Moses.'

1856

1860

1 Deffendyd myghtyly also ['- 1 stowe MS., leaf 37] .

Hys hous, lyk as he sholde do,

Ageyn the sturdy Emperour,

By dyllygence and grete labour ;

Tolde hym that he shulde kepe

Oonly hys Temperall Lordshepe, 1

Hys paleys & hys mansyouws, [St. &c.]

Hys cytes, castelles & hys touws ;

The Eevennues ther-off ytake,

And ther-with~-al, murye hym make ;

Wych ouhte ynowh to hyra suffyse,

And entermet hy? in no wyse

Touchyng 1 Cristys herytage ;

And sayde, for al hys felle rage,

That he wolde rather deye

Than suffre in any mane?- weye 1868

Durynge hys tyme, short or long 1 ,

He 2 sholde ther-to done any wrong 1 . P stowe]

Thys 2 folk, to myn oppynyoun,

Vsede 2 ther horny s by Resouw, 1872

As 2 I to the ha told ryht now.

And, by exauraple, so sholdyst thow

Bar thyn hornys for dyffence,

And suffre that no vyolence 1876

Were ydon vn-to thy spouse

Wych ys so ffayr & vertuouse,

Weddyd to the by iuste weddyng 1 :

I take 3 record of the ryng 1 , p stowe] 1880

On 3 thy fynger that thow dost vse ;

Therfor thow mayst the nat excuse

Off the yerde nor the woncJ

Wych thow beryst in thyn hond, 1884

To seyn manly to Pharao,

(As of ryht thow sholdest do,)

To suffre thy f olkys -to go f re,

As they ouht of lyberte ; 1888

Nat to greue hem, nor oppresse,

Nor constreyne hem by duresse.

1T Than sholdestow (yt ys no les,)

Be trewely callyd Moyses, 1892

Two Pilgrims come to be married. What is ntedful. 51

Kyht agreable by vertu

Vn-to that lady, Grace Dieu,

And of servyse acceptable

To that lady worshepable.' 1896

IT In thys whyle that dame Eesoun Ca P- xvii ]

While Reason

Hadtle comunvcacvouw thus talked to

Moses,

Wyth Moyses, ryht ther withal

The forseyde offycyal 1900

Ys vritii hys oynementys gon,

And putte hem in warde a-noon : the official

pat his oint-

That they wer sauff , I dar wel seye, ments under

' lock and key.

Closyd vnder look & keye. 1904

Ordre off maryage :
And tho, myw Eye as I vp caste,
I sawe komen 1 wonder faste p saughe komyng St.]
A pylgrym al sodeynly,

Holdyng hys weye fynally, 1908

(As me thouht in hys entent), Then i saw

v ' a man from

Drawynge in-to the oryent ; the E M.

And euene in the opposyt

I sawe ek kome by gret delyt 1912

[5 lines Hank in MS. for an Illumination.]
A womman, wych that was also and woman

from the

A pylgrym ek : & bothe 2 two. P bothe St., both cj w.t,ap.

rJ o J proachthe

Her wey took in especyal official,

To- ward ys the offycyal 3 ; 1916

Sayde vn-to hym, they bothe a-noon, [St. & cj

How they wolde to-gyder gon

On pylgrymage in ther degre

To lerusaleem, the Cytee, [stowe, leaf ss, back] 1920

' So ye teche vs, and dysserne

How that we shall vs gouerne, [st.&c.] who joined

their hands

To be sur, in oure passage, together,

To ffulfylle our pylgrymage.' 1924

Thawne anoon Thoffycyal,
Whan he knew ther menyng 1 al,
Tolde hem, yiff they wolde gon,

3 Camb. MS. goes on : And eche of hem took him his hand,
and he took hem and ioyned hem to-gidere, and sithe seide hem,
as me thouhte, ' ye tweyne shule be bothe oon, and iche of yow
bere trowthe to oother,' p. 13.

52

Move Ad/vice to the Pilgrims about to Marry.

and bade
them live in
unity and
love,

and promise
with an oath

that they
would do as
he com-
manded
them.

It would be
better for
them to be
alone,

[leaf 82]

than to be
untrue to
each other.

They were to
swear to live
together in
peace.

They most of herte be al on,

Tweyne in on, & on in tweyne,

Both in loye & ek in peyne ;

And so to-gydre ay perseuere,

Tyl that deth make hem dysseuere.

Seyde 1 ek to hem, 'look that ye

In 1 trouthe, & in stable te [stabyitee st.j

Yee 1 loue to-gydre as ye sholde,

Whether ye be yong* or olde ;

And that your trouthe on outher syde

Perpetuelly in on a-byde,

To your last, that yt endure :

IT And that ye shal to me Assure

Both be feyth & ek by oth ;

And beth wel war, for leff or loth,

That ye, for no varyauwce,

]STe breke nat your assurauwce ;

ffor yif ye don), 2 ye be forsworn) ;

And ek I warne yow to-forn,

YifE that ye don 2 in dede or thouht,

fful lytel shal a-vaylle, or nouht,

Than vn-to yow your vyage,

Your labour, nor your pylgrymage.

Yt wer wel bet, to myw entent,

That ech of yow allone went,

Sool by hym sylff, and nat trespace,

Than be founde on 3 any place

Vntrewe to hys cowpanye ;

ffor, gret forfet & folye

Yt ys, a man for to be founde

Vntrewe to hym that he ys bounde.

IF But yiff your wyl of both yffeere

Be parfyt, hool, & ek entere

To gon to-gydre, (lat now se,)

On pylgrymage to that cyte,

"Whyder to gon I caste also,

Ye most suerne her, 4 bothe two,

On Query part, for old or newe,

That ecli to other shal be trewe,

So tenduren, al your lyff,

1928

1932

[i Stowe]

1936

1940

1944

[*-*oi.St.,leaf39]

1948

1952

[3 in St.]

1956

1960

[* sweren here St.] 1964

Folk ask Moses for a Service. He dips their Crowns. 53

' Wit/i-outew werre or any stryff ; 19G8

Off on hert & en ten cy on),

Neuere to make dyuysyon),

Nor departyng 1 causeles,

"WWt-oute assent of Moysees.' 1972

Affter al thys, A-noon ryht

I sawfi hem bothe trouthe plyht, mUeVaT

Hand in hand ybouwde faste ; these

Euere, whyl ther lyff may laste, 1976

So to continues & endure,
Ther feyth by oth they dyde assure,
ffor euermor : lo her ys al.

And thanne A-noon the offycyal 1980 ^J e r n e _ the

Ys retournyd in certeyn 1" Momf^"

Hoom to Moyses ageyn,
"Wych stood of entenciou?&

To here the talkyng 1 of Kesoura. 1984

Ther-to he sette al hys entent ;
But at the last ther parlement
Yendyd ys, for so gret pres 1

Kam a-dou?* to 2 Moyses, pvn-tost.] 1988

Bequeryng hym in humble wyse [St. &c.] [learsa.back]

to wliom a

To graunten IIQIII somme semyse crowd soon

came asking

In hys hoUS, Oft gentyllesse. ,, service in his

house.

And he full goodly gan hym dresse, [StoweMS., lenfsg, tk.]

As I conceyved Avith my look, 1993

[4 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.] [Sacramentum ordinis st]

And a peyre of sherys took, [Cap. xviii]

Merkede 3 hem (I took good heed,) p Markede st.]

On foure parteys of ther hed ; 1996

And affter that, vp-on the crowne, Then Moses

took a pair

To-forn) hy?w as they knele douw, ofsiiears,

and shaved

Seyng 1 to hem stondyng 1 a-part, their crowns.

<That God shal be the hoole part 2000

Pleynly of ther enherytau?zce,

As 4 ther Eychesse & suffysaunce : pstowe]

Ther-of they may be wel certeyn.'

1 Camb. MS. reads : But as thei weren . . . speken, a gret
cumpany of folk maden cesse here parlement anoon. Bifore
Moises thei come7i, and madeii him requeste that sum seruice in
his hous he wolde yiue hem and graunte hem, p. 13.

Reason justifies Head-shaving. She promises Help.

[Cap. xix]

Then Reason
drew near,

' To shave
the head it

deemed a
folly by some
men,

[leaf 83]

but not by

Whoever
may envy
you, I will
not.

Wherever
yon dwell
you will be
known for
true men.

Resouv ageyn :

And thattne Reson) effte ageyn, 2004

(Lych as I shal yow devyse,)
Gan to spekyn in thys wyse :
' Syrs, taketh hed,' a-noon quod she,
' Som whyle, as semeth vn-to me, 2008

Yt ys wysdom), ryht, & no wrong,
To feyne foly euere a-mong,
Thogh ye now, also God me saue,
Ben yclypyd & yshaue 2012

Vp-on your hedys eue?ychon),
"Wych thyng ys dempte of many on
fful gret vnwyt & gret ffolye

Off malys & malencolye ; 2016

They deme so malycyously,
But trewly so do nat I. [c. * St.]

ffor as in myn oppynyon

I deme yt 1 gret dyscrecci'on), pstowe,ieaf4o] 2020
And ful gret wyt that ye ha do,
And for that skyle taketh hede ther-to.
1T To be youres, of entent,

Hooly to yow I me present 2024

As your paramoire entere ;
And who-so-euere (as ye shal lere,)
Gruchche, or haue envye ther-to,
Al-way forth I wyl be so. 2028

ffor trusteth wel, that I am she
By whom that ye yknowe be
ffrom other bestys lo her ys al
And seueryd in especyal. 2032

1T And pleynly, ek, I kan yow telle,
Al the whyl that I dwelle
"With yow, A-mongys hyh & lowe,
ffor verray men ye shal be knowe, 2036

Thorgh wysdom & thorgh prouydence,
And haue A verray dyfference
ffrom other bestys to dyscerne

How ye shal your sylff gouerne. 2040

Al the whyle that ye me holde
With yow tabyde, as I tolde,

Reason cant put up with Sins.

55

[i nought St.]

[* trouthe St.] 2044 But if I

leave you,
you will
become as un-
reasonable

2048

[St. &C.] [leaf S3, back]

2052

[St., leaf 41]
[St. & C.]

' Ye shal be men, & ellys nauht l ;
And yiff the trouthe 2 be wel souht,
Whan that I am fro vow gon,
Ye may avauwte (& that a-noon,)
That ye be (thys, no fable)
"Bestys & vnresownable,
Uyspurveyed of al Resomz, 3
And voyde of al dyscrecczouw ;
For yiff ye wante shortly me,
Yee may neuere in no degre
(Though" yee euere do youre peyne,)
Worshipe, off youre sylff atteyne
]N"or clymbe to no gret honour
But yiff ye ban of me socour ;
Thogh ye be lordys of estat,
Proud of your port, & eke ellat,
Lytel to yow, al may avaylle
Wit7i-oute me, yt ys no faylle,
for to make your lugementys,
Syllogysmes, or Argumentys,
Or of Wysdam any thyng ;
"VWt7i-oute me, thys no lesyng,
Ye shal ha no cowclusyon,
But fynally confusyon).
1T ffor wych I caste me to telle
How ye shal ha, yiff ye lyst dwelle,
The loue of me on euery syde :
Ye most ay be, & so abyde,
That ye in yow ha sobyrnesse,
And voyde fro yow dronkenesse
And hyr suster glotonye,
Wraththe, Ire & ffelonye ;
ffor \vher-so-euere that they be,
They make me a- way to fle ;
ffor wher they make her mansyou?*,
I leve that habytacyouw.
Venus thenys doth me chase,

3 Camb. MS. reads : ye be but as doumbe bestes, and as
coltes that ben clothed. With-oute me ye shul neuere haue
wurshipe, be ye neuere so grete lordes, p. 14.

and lack all
honour,

2056

2060

2064

2068

however high
or wise you
may seeni.

If I am to
remain,

2072 Drunken-
ness,

Gluttony and
Wrath must
be banished.

2076

56 The Romance of the Eose. Beason explains the Tonsure.
Lust win ' And voydeth me out of that place, 2080

drive me

away, As yt ys sayd & told ful wel

Who lyst loken euerydel,
as may be Wit/i-outew any maner close,

xeen in the

Romance of In the Romaiwce of the Roose. 2084

the Rose.

U Wherfor I pray yow euerychon),
[leaf si] ffor to kepe yow, on by on,

ffro thys vyces that I ha told,

And from al other, yong and old ; 2088

wherefore ffor my loue that ye hem fflee, [c. & St.]

flee all these J

vices, Yin ye lysten han freushepe of me.

U ffor, but ye yow fro vyces kepe,

Ye shal lese the frenshepe 2092

Platly of me, as I yow tolde.

And ffynally, I nat ne holde

Hym for my frend, (knowe thys ryht wel,)
for he who That yiveth hys body euerydel 2096

does not

cannot be Vn-to vyces, eue?'6 in oon.

my friend.

[Cap. xx] U And two wordy s, or that ye gon,
Shortly to yow, & nat ne spare,

Openly I wyl declare 2100

Tookne of your crowne, cloos wzt/i-Inne,
And at the cercle fyrst begynne.
your tonsure I naene the closure fer \n't7i-oute

signifies

That ys cerclyd round a-boute 2104

As A castel or strong douwgou?z,
Or lyk a gardyn, Avych envyrou?i
Ys closyd \\itJi- a myghty wal ;

The wych (who consydreth al,) 2108

\Vtt//-lune ys ope, to sygnefye,
that you are That ye to God sholde hool aplye

to apply your

hearts wholly Your hertys, to hyw so enterly

That noon affecczon worldly, 2112

Nor erthly thyng, ha noon entre.

ffor, lerueth thys shortly of me :

Your Cercle round aboute the hed

Sholde kepe (yt ys no dred,) 2116

Off your hertys the closure,
voiding To voyde away al worldly cure

all worldly

cares. Qut of your affeccyon),

Reason ivarns them against Worldly 'Pleasures.

57

You must
serve God
day and
night,

And shewen (in conclusyon) J ) 2120

That ye have the world for-sake* [St. &c.] [leaf 34, back]

And of herte youre-sylff ytake

Hooly to God, off wyl entere ;

For ye ne may not bothe ytfere

Serve God, and the worlde also,

And be trewe in bothe two :

The toon, a-syde most be layd.

' And thynk also what ye ha sayd.
God ys for our avauwtage,
Our party, & our herytage,
Whom we ha chose w't/t al our myght
ffor to serue day & nyht.
By wych word, so God me saue,
Me thynketh ye sholde no loye haue
Of thys worldys veyn plesaunce,
Wych ys so ful off varyawzce,
So ful of chang 1 & dovbylnesse ;
ffor now, to oon he yyveth Rychesse,
Eobbeth a-nother, as ye may se,
And cast hywi in-to pouerte ;
And sowme he yiveth neueradel :
Wherfore loke ye kepe wel
The part off your elleccyouw,
Off herte & hool entenczou?j,
That ye ha chose, yiff ye be wyse,
Wych ouhte ynowgh" to yow suffyse ;
ffor, as in cowparyson),
Yt passeth al pocessyon).
U Lat your tonsurys, round at al
Close your hertys as a wal ;
And that yt go so round aboute

ffor to sette 2 the world w/t/i-oute, p siiette st.] 2152
And yt dysseuere in al 3 thyng 1 , paiiest,]

And your party so departyng 1 ,
That 4 ye be shorn so as ye sholde [*stowe]

As 4 chose shepe of Crystys folde, 2156

[Stowe MS., leaf 42]

2125

,, _/lwt7

[St. & C.]

!,' 2128

IT Dominus pars hereilitatit
mee / (St.) (Psal. xv. 5.)

2132

2136

2140

2144

2148

and pnt no
trust in the
changing
pleasures of
the world.

The choice
you have
made sur-
passes all
earthly pos-
sessions.

You are the
chosen sheep
of Christ's
flock,

1 Camb. MS. goes on : For from it [the world] ye muste
departe, if with your god ye wole part. Ye mowun not haue
bothe tweyne to-gideres ; that mown ye wel wite, p. 14.

58 Reason on the Monk's Duty. Moses appoints his Officers.

[leaf 85]

and the
shepherd
shall receive
the fleece;

but lie must
not shear it
out of mea-
sure only
for need.

cherish, not
oppress the
flock.'

[Cap.

Then came a
crowd to
Moses,

demanding
to be made
his servants.

He made
ushers, cham-
berlains,
sergeants,

[leaf 85, back]

Lyk to bestys resounnable.

Thanne of ryght (yt ys no fable)

Your shepperde, that taketh of 1 yow kepe,

Schal receyuen off hys shep

The flees somwhyle for hys travaylle ;

But he shal nat so yow assay lie,

To flen yow fro yowr skyn al bare ;

In swyche 2 cas he moste spare ; p swyche St.]

ffor he therto hath no lycence,

To yow to don) swych vyolence.

He shal yow shern duely in dede,

Nat out of niesour, but for nede,

Take hys part hym to sustene ;

And for that skyle, thus I mene,

That he shal no vengeauwce make :

Therfore he hath the sherys take,

And nat the knyff, to Eobbe & slen,

And folk out of her skyn to fflen ;

But cherysshe hem rather by fauour

Than oppresse hem by Eygour :

Thus sholde euery shepperde do,

Resouw algate techeth so.'

U And whan thys lady, dame Resouw,

Hadde y-endyd hyr sermou?z,

Ther kam folk in sondry wyses,

That a-bood to han servyses,

Ordre off Colyt :
Made ther requeste to Moyses ;
And he, Amongys al the pres
Assygnede sondry offycerys.
And somme off he??i he made hussherys,
And S07?ime also he ordeynys
To haue offyce off chauraberleyns ;
And sergauwtys he made also,
To whos offyce yt longeth to,
The Enmy to putte away, 3
Out of bodyes nyht & day, [st.&c.] 2192

3 Camb. MS. has, ' for to areste and putte out the enemyes
that ben in the bodyes. To oothere he dide gret wurshipe ;
For to alle he yaf to be rederes of his paleys and to preche
goddes la we,' p. 15.

[i on St.]

2160

2164

2168

2172

2176

2180

2184

2188

Moses's Officers lay and cover his Table for Dinner. 59

[St. & C.]

[Stowe MS., leaf 43, back]
[St. & C.]

Wher that euere by bataylle
He ys hardy ffor to assaylle.

Moses eke, who lyst take hede,
Ordeyned Lystres for to rede, 2196

Myd the palys for to stonde,

To make folke to vnderstonde

The lawe, by ful gret avys,

As longeth vn-to her offys. 2200

And sowime, as I kan beholde,
He made kandelys for to holde,
And torchys for to yive lyht ;

By ther offyce, as yt was ryht, 2204

Thay held hem, as I toforn ha sayd,
To-for the table, whan yt was layd ;
11 For sone he sholde to dyner gon.
And vnto other he took a-noon 2208

Hys syluer cuppe gylt richely,
And bad hem maken yt redy
To seruen. hyra the same tyme.

And some also, on ther lyfft syde, 2212

Vp-on ther shulderys, he made weere
A Tookne off Cryst, & yt to bere,
That they sholde in especyal

Awayte vp-on thoffycyal, 2216

As trewe seruamztys off entent,
And be mynystres dyllygent,
ffeythful, humble, & covenable
ffor to serue hyra at the table. 2220

[8 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]

And thaw they gan, by good avys,
^Eue?ych to don hys owne offys,
And dyden ek ther bysy cure

To leyn the 1 boordys, & to cure p the St., om. c.] 2224
With napry ful couenable.
And somme sette vp-on the table
{Lyk ther offyce) wyn & bred ;

And sowme also (I took good hed,) 2228

Lyst the wyn wer to strong,
Putte in water ther a-mong :
11 ffor yt was somwhat passyd pryme,

readers to
preach,

candlebearers

to attend his
table.

Others were
appointed to
attend the
official

and serve
him.

[leaf 36]
[Cap. Mil]

They pre-
pared the
table, putting
on it bread
and wine,

60

Grace Dieu takes De Ghiilkville to Moses.

as it was
past prime,
and dinner
time. (Cp.
Chaucer.)

But Moses
made other
officers to
serve in his
house

and aid the
official,

[Cap. xxiii]
after which
he called
aloud for
Grace Dieu,

at whose feet
I sat.

[leaf 86, back]

When she
heard him,
she took me
and went to
him.

Vp-on the hour off clyner tyme. 2232

But Moyses, to-for dyner,
Caste hyw fyrst, wit/i ful sad cher,
To delyuer hy? * that abood. [> hem St.]

And so??ne that aforn hym stood, 2236

He made he??i offycerys newe,
ffor to serweii and be trewe
AWt/i-Inue hys hous, in specyal

To wayte vp-on the offycyal, 2240

And to helpe hym in hys nede ;
ffor who that wysly taketh hede,
May se wel that thoffycyal

May nat allone gouemen al, 2244

But he haue helpe, swych as hym ouhte."

Now shal I telle how he wrouhte :
Thys Moyses, among he??i arl,

ffyrst he gan fill lowde calle 2248

Grace dieu, al be that she
"Was faste by, wych, in hyr se
Sat vp in hyr trone on hyh" ;

Sche was nat ffer, but wonder nyh", 2252

And took good heed of euery thyng.
(And al thys whyle beholdyng,
I sat at hyr ffeet douw lowe.)

2 And whan she sawe & gan knowe 2256

That she was callyd among echon, [St. & c.]

She taryeth" nat, but kam anoon

To Moyses ful evene & ryght ; ,, 2259

And vn-to hym, with" alle hir mygfit, [stoweiis., leaf 44, bk.]
She shewed hir-selff most frendely, [St. & c.]

Wher-off he gan waxen hardy

"VVhan she was kome, and thowhte he was
Myghty & nior strong in thys caas 2264

To fulfyllen hys entent,
"Wych I, by good avysement,
Shal vn-to yow shortly here

2 Camb. MS. adds : When she herde hire cleped, she ros hire
up with-oute abidinge, and wente hire to moyses, and with hire
she ledde me. And tharme whan moyses sigh hire nyh him, he
bi-gan to wexe more hardy, and fulliche dide that that j wole
telle yow shortly che, p. 16.

Moses gives Grace Dieu to the Pilgrims, to help them. 61

Rehersen, yiff ye lyste to here. 2268 i win now

i \ir i , ,1 tel1 you what

And Moyses, A-noon ryglit than, he did.
Thus to werkyn he be-gan :

[6 lines blank in MS. for an Illumination.]

Ther handys fyrst, as ye shal lere, [ a p- x ^v]

Enoyntede, and closede hew yfere, 2272 joined uieir
* And took to hem f ul cler & bryht

A swerd, the wych, vn-to my syht,

gave them a

Was thylke same that Cherubyn J d and

Whylorn held at Thentryng 1 In 2276

At Paradys, who lyst to look ;
And keye's ek to hem he took,
To kepe hem \vel in ther en tent.

And al thys whyle was ther present 2280

Grace Dieu, I took good heede,
To helpyn hem the bet to spede.
Whom Moyses took hem also,

And sayde, (I took good hed ther-to,) 2284

' Syrs.' quod he. ' most off vertu, And Moses

said, ' I give

Seth her to-for yow, Grace Dieu Grace Dieu to

you;

I gyve hyr yow for more 1 grace, c 1 more St., mor c.] [leaf 37]

That she may, in euery place, 2288

At alle tyme's vfith yow be,

Yiff yt be-falle sothly that ye

Eeceyue hyre, as ye ouhte do, receive her

J with joy and

With loye & glad herte also, 2292 keep her.'

And kepe hyr with yow day be day,

That she neuere parte a-way.'

IT And whan I herde al thys yfere,

I wex abaysshed in my chere ; 2296

Seyde vn-to my sylff ryht tho, Th en i said,

J J J 'What shall

" Alias, now, what shal I do 1

Grace Dieu, I ha lost al ;

ffor I se how Thoffycyal 2300

Hath yowen hyre fro me away

On thys sylue same day,

Vn-to thys horny d folk in sothe, 2

3 Cambr. and Fr. Prose reverse this: "tliilke hornede hath
given him to these newe officialles." p. 16.

62 Grace Dieu explains that Good to All is better than to One.

And with hem, fro me she goth. 1 2304

Wherfor now I kan nat se
who shall Who shal delyueren vnto me

deliver me

scrip and Sherpe 2 or bordouw to my vyage. p scryppe St.]

Staff for my

journey?- TO helpe me in my pylgrymage, 2308

Wych she me hyhte thys other day."
But thawne A-noon I took my way

To-wardys hyre lyne Ryght,

wouwf eak And Thoughts pleynly that I myghte 2312

to her. Seyn to hyre my fantasye,

And my matere specefye ;

ffor sythe the tyme, ffer nor ner,

That I was wasshe in the Eyver 2316

By hyre Aduocat, fayre & wel,

I spak not vrith hyre neuere a del.
(When i was And in the tyme off my wasshyng*,
Advocate The aduocat, by hyr hyddyng, 2320

spoke for me.) < J J J J >

Spak for me in goodly wyse,
As ye to-forn) han herd devyse.

peaf 37, back] Wher-fore I thouhte I wolde assaye [st.&c.]

To speke to hire, & not delaye : 2324
" Ma dame," quod I, " and yt yow plese,

I am falle in gret dysesse,

And dyscomforted in myn herte,

he" d what k i Wh an I consydre and aduerte, 2328

wither That M y ses 8 aff y w a -

Which Gyfft ys no thyng to my pay ;

For yif I wante yow, in certeyn

My pylgrymage ys but in veyn." 2332

Grace Di