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.
