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IAM CANTUM ILLA, &c. — Prosa 1
By this sche hadde ended hir song, whan the swetnesse of here dite hadde thurw-perced me, that was desyrous of herknynge, and I astoned hadde yit streyghte myn eres (that is to seyn, to herkne the bet what sche wolde seye). So that a litel herafter I seide thus: "O thow that art sovereyne confort of angwyssous corages, so thow hast remounted and norysshed me with the weyghte of thi sentences and with delyt of thy syngynge; so that I trowe nat nowe that I be unparygal to the strokes of Fortune (as who seith, I dar wel now suffren alle the assautes of Fortune and wel defende me fro hir). And tho remedies whiche that thou seydest herbyforn that weren ryght scharpe, nat oonly that I ne am nat agrisen of hem now, but I, desiros of herynge, axe gretly to heren tho remedies."
Thanne seyde sche thus: "That feeled I ful wel," quod sche, "whan that thow ententyf and stille ravysschedest my wordes, and I abood til that thou haddest swich habite of thi thought as thou hast now, or elles til that I myself hadde maked to the the same habite, whiche that is a more verray thyng. And certes the remenant of thynges that ben yet to seie ben swiche that first whan men tasten hem they ben bytynge; but whan they ben resceyved withynne a wyght, thanne ben thei swete. But for thou seyst that thow art so desyrous to herkne hem, with how greet brennynge woldestow glowen, yif thow wistest whider I wol leden the!"
"Whider is that?" quod I.
"To thilke verraye welefulnesse," quod sche, "of whiche thyn herte dremeth; but forasmoche as thi syghte is ocupyed and destourbed by imagynacioun of erthly thynges, thow mayst nat yit seen thilke selve welefulnesse."
"Do," quod I, "and schewe me what is thilke verray welefulnesse, I preie the, withoute taryinge."
"That wol I gladly do," quod sche, "for the cause of the. But I wol first marken the by woordes, and I wol enforcen me to enforme the, thilke false cause of blisfulnesse that thou more knowest; so that whanne thow hast fully byhoolden thilke false goodes and torned thin eighen to the tother syde, thow mowe knowe the cleernesse of verray blisfulnesse.
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