TUM DEFIXO PAULULUM.
— Prosa 2
Tho fastnede sche a litel the syghte of hir eyen, and
withdrowghe hir ryght as it were into the streyte seete of here
thought, and bygan to speke ryght thus: "Alle the cures,"
quod sche, "of mortel folk, whiche that travailen hem in many
manere studies, gon certes by diverse weyes; but natheles thei
enforcen hem alle to comyn oonly to oon ende of blisfulnesse. And
blisfulnesse is swiche a good, that whoso that hath geten it, he
ne may over that nothyng more desire. And this thyng forsothe is
the soverayn good that conteneth in hymself alle maner goodes;
to the whiche goode if ther fayled any thyng, it myghte nat ben
sovereyn good, for thanne wer ther som good
out of
thilke sovereyn good, that myghte ben desired. Now is it cleer
and certeyne thanne, that blisfulnesse is a parfyt estat by the
congregacioun of alle goodes; the whiche blisfulnesse, as I have
seyd, alle mortel folk enforcen hem to geten by diverse weyes.
Forwhy the covetise of verray good is naturely iplauntyd in the
hertes of men, but the myswandrynge errour mysledeth hem into
false goodes. Of the whiche men, some of hem wenen that sovereyn
good be to lyven withoute nede of any thyng, and travaylen hem
to ben habundaunt of rychesses. And some othere
men demen that sovereyn good be for to be ryght digne of
reverence, and enforcen hem to ben reverenced among hir
neyghbours by the honours that thei han igeten. And some folk
ther ben that holden that ryght heye power be sovereyn good, and
enforcen hem for to reignen or elles to joygnen hem to hem that
reignen. And it semeth to some other folk, that noblesse of
renoun be the sovereyn good, and hasten hem to geten hem
gloryouse name by the artz of werre or of pees. And many folk
mesuren and gessen that the sovereyne good be joye and gladnesse,
and wenen that it be ryght blisful thyng to plowngen hem in
voluptuous delyt. And ther ben folk that entrechaungen the causes
and the endes of thyse forseyde goodes, as they that desiren
rychesses to han power and delitz, or elles they desiren power
for to have moneye or for cause of renoun. In thise thynges and
in swiche other thynges is torned al the entencioun of desyrynges
and werkes of men; as thus: noblesse and favour of peple, whiche
that yyveth to men, as it semeth hem, a maner cleernesse of
renoun; and wyf and children, that men desiren for cause of delyt
and myrynesse. But forsothe freendes ne schulde nat ben rekned
among the goodes of fortune, but of vertu, for it is a ful hooly
maner thyng; alle thise othere thinges forsothe ben taken for
cause of power or elles for cause of delyt. Certes now am I redy
to referren the goodes of the body to thise forseide thynges
aboven; for it semeth that strengthe and gretnesse of body yyven
power and worthynesse, and that beaute and swyftnesse yyven
noblesse and glorie of renoun; and heele of body semeth yyven
delyt. In alle thise thynges it semeth oonly that blisfulnesse
is desyred; forwhy thilk thing that every man desireth moost over
alle thynges be demeth that it be the sovereyn good; but I have
diffyned that blisfulnesse is the sovereyn good; for whiche every
wyght demeth that thilke estat that he desireth over alle
thynges, that it be blisfulnesse.
"Now hastow thanne byforn thyne eien almest al the
purposede forme of the welefulnesse of mankynde: that is to seyn
rychesses, honours, power, glorie, and delitz. The whiche delit oonly
considered Epicurus, and juggid and establissyde that delyt is
the soverayn good, for as moche as alle othere thynges, as hym
thoughte, byrefte awey joye and myrthe from the herte. But I
retorne ayen to the studies of men, of whiche men the corage
alwey reherceth and seketh the sovereyne good, al be it so that
it be with a dyrkyd memorie; but he not by whiche path, ryght as
a dronke man not nat by whiche path he may retourne hom to his
hous. Semeth it thanne that folk foleyen and erren, that enforcen
hem to have nede of nothyng? Certes ther nys noon other thyng
that mai so wel performe blisfulnesse, as an estat plentevous of
alle godes, that ne hath nede of noon other thyng, but that it
is suffisant of hymself unto hymself. And foleyen swiche folk,
thanne, that wenen that thilk thyng that is ryght good, that it
be eek ryght worthy of honour and of reverence? Certes, nay. For
that thyng nis neither foul ne worthy to ben despysed that wel
neyghe al the entencioun of mortel folk [travayleth] for to geten
it. And power, aughte nat that ek to ben rekned amonge goodes?
What elles? For it nys nat to wene that thilke thyng that is most
worthy of alle thynges be feble and withoute strengthe. And
cleernesse of renoun, aughte that to ben despysed? Certes ther
may no man forsake, that alle thyng that is right excellent and
noble, that it ne semeth to ben ryght cleer and renomed. For
certes it nedeth nat to saie that blisfulnesse be
[n"angwyssous] ne drery, ne subgit to grevaunces ne to
sorwes; syn that in ryght litele thynges folk seken to haven and
to usen that may
delyten hem. Certes thise ben the
thinges that men wolen and desiren to geten, and for this cause
desiren they rychesses, dignytes, reignes, glorie, and delices;
for therby wenen they to han suffysaunce, honour, power, renoun,
and gladnesse. Thanne is it good that men seken thus, by so manye
diverse studies; in whiche desir it mai lyghtly be schewyd how
greet is the strengthe of nature. For how so that men han diverse
sentences and discordynge, algates men accorden alle in lovynge the eende
of good.
