The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man Englisht by John Lydgate, A.D. 1426, from the French of Guillaume De Deguileville, A.D. 1330, 1355. The Text Edited by F. J. Furnivall ... With Introduction, Notes, Glossary and Indexes by Katharine B. Locock |
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Sapyence answerde. |
 | The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man |  |
Sapyence answerde.
A-noon thys lady Sapience.
(Whan she hadde herdë in sentence
The wordys of Arystotyles)
She stynte a whyle, & was in pes.
But at the lastë she abreyde,
And vn-to hym ryht thus she seyde:
‘My frend,’ quod she, ‘I do wel se
Off trowthë that thow lovest me,
And dost me calle, off herte entere,
“Thyn ounë souereyn lady dere;”
In wych thow hast ylost no thyng
But yfounde ful grete Fortheryng.
Wherfor thow shuldest, lyke the wyse,
‘Prudeently thy-sylff avyse,
Thynke aforn, & ek beholde,
How that whylom I dyddë holde
Two scolys off ful gret Renoun;
And bothen (in conclusïoun,)
Wer vnder my gouernaunce.
And the, in konnyng to avaunce,
I tauhtë many thyngës newe—
Record thy sylff yiff thow be trewe.—
And (to speke in wordys fewe,)
Grete merveillës didë shewe.
And in on off thys scolys tweyne,
My scoler mostë souereyn,
ffyrst of echon (I the ensure,)
Was hyr-sylff, damë Nature.
(Whan she hadde herdë in sentence
The wordys of Arystotyles)
She stynte a whyle, & was in pes.
But at the lastë she abreyde,
And vn-to hym ryht thus she seyde:
‘My frend,’ quod she, ‘I do wel se
Off trowthë that thow lovest me,
And dost me calle, off herte entere,
“Thyn ounë souereyn lady dere;”
In wych thow hast ylost no thyng
But yfounde ful grete Fortheryng.
Wherfor thow shuldest, lyke the wyse,
148
Thynke aforn, & ek beholde,
How that whylom I dyddë holde
Two scolys off ful gret Renoun;
And bothen (in conclusïoun,)
Wer vnder my gouernaunce.
And the, in konnyng to avaunce,
I tauhtë many thyngës newe—
Record thy sylff yiff thow be trewe.—
And (to speke in wordys fewe,)
Grete merveillës didë shewe.
And in on off thys scolys tweyne,
My scoler mostë souereyn,
ffyrst of echon (I the ensure,)
Was hyr-sylff, damë Nature.
‘And as thy-sylff ful wel yt knewe,
I tauhte hyr many thyngës newe;
ffyrst, by Crafft off hyr werkynge
To make the fresshë flourys sprynge,
Buddys, greyns, & flourettys,
The flour delys, the violettys,
The rosys also, fresshe off hewe,
And many other craftys newe,
As men may se (who taketh hede,)
Wych to reherse, yt ys no nede,
I tauhte hyr al, & thyngës mo.
I tauhte hyr many thyngës newe;
ffyrst, by Crafft off hyr werkynge
To make the fresshë flourys sprynge,
Buddys, greyns, & flourettys,
The flour delys, the violettys,
The rosys also, fresshe off hewe,
And many other craftys newe,
As men may se (who taketh hede,)
Wych to reherse, yt ys no nede,
I tauhte hyr al, & thyngës mo.
‘And in my other scole also,
Wych, thy sylff lyst to sue,
I tauhtë folkys to argue
Pro & contra, yong & olde,
And wych wey they sholden holde
To preven out the sothfastnesse
Off every thyng, fro the falsnesse;
Betwyxen good & evel dyscerne.
And I maade ek (who kan concerne)
Lawes off Cyvile and Canon̄;
And ther, (in myn Entencion)
‘Myn eldest douhter, moste Entere,
Ther I settë, folk to lere,
Wych that callyd ys “Syence,”
Sotylle, and off gret excellence;
And ther she helde hyr parlementys,
And formede many argumentys,
As she that was deuoyde off slouthe.
ffor loue off whom (thys the trouthe,)
Thow kam to skole; & for hyr sake
Nyht & day thow dydest wake,
Tyl, for thyn owne Avauntage
Ye wer coniunat by maryage,
Wherby I madë the so wys,
That thow be-kam myn aprentys.
And thanne, off gret affeccyoun,
I madë reuelacïoun
To the, Amongys my werkynges
Off naturys secrë thynges;
To knowe the clerë fro the derke;
Nat that thy syluen sholdest werke
No thyng that longeth to hyr art,
But that thow sholdest (for thy part)
The causes knowen by & by,
And ther-on demene fynally
The trouthë pleynly, & no more.
Wych, thy sylff lyst to sue,
I tauhtë folkys to argue
Pro & contra, yong & olde,
And wych wey they sholden holde
To preven out the sothfastnesse
Off every thyng, fro the falsnesse;
Betwyxen good & evel dyscerne.
And I maade ek (who kan concerne)
Lawes off Cyvile and Canon̄;
And ther, (in myn Entencion)
149
Ther I settë, folk to lere,
Wych that callyd ys “Syence,”
Sotylle, and off gret excellence;
And ther she helde hyr parlementys,
And formede many argumentys,
As she that was deuoyde off slouthe.
ffor loue off whom (thys the trouthe,)
Thow kam to skole; & for hyr sake
Nyht & day thow dydest wake,
Tyl, for thyn owne Avauntage
Ye wer coniunat by maryage,
Wherby I madë the so wys,
That thow be-kam myn aprentys.
And thanne, off gret affeccyoun,
I madë reuelacïoun
To the, Amongys my werkynges
Off naturys secrë thynges;
To knowe the clerë fro the derke;
Nat that thy syluen sholdest werke
No thyng that longeth to hyr art,
But that thow sholdest (for thy part)
The causes knowen by & by,
And ther-on demene fynally
The trouthë pleynly, & no more.
‘And for that skylë gon ful yore,
In guerdon of thy gret labour,
I callede the my “paramour.”
And syth thow hast, vnder my cure,
Dwellyd so longë with Nature,
And seyn so many fayrë thynges,
And so many vnkouth werkynges
With-Inne my scole, of gret fauour,
Thogh thow seye in me Errour,
Thow sholdest, off thy Curtesy,
ffor-bere me more pacyently,
Yiff thow lovedest, and wer kynde.
‘And thow sholdest haue in mynde,
And remembren (off good Resoun,)
How onys a myghty champyoun,
That koude the crafft off fyhtyng wel,
Tauhte hys konnyng euerydel
To a poore man hym besyde,
And lyst ther-off no thyng to hyde;
And for hys mede he took no thyng,
Off curteysye, for hys konnyng.
In guerdon of thy gret labour,
I callede the my “paramour.”
And syth thow hast, vnder my cure,
Dwellyd so longë with Nature,
And seyn so many fayrë thynges,
And so many vnkouth werkynges
With-Inne my scole, of gret fauour,
Thogh thow seye in me Errour,
Thow sholdest, off thy Curtesy,
ffor-bere me more pacyently,
Yiff thow lovedest, and wer kynde.
150
And remembren (off good Resoun,)
How onys a myghty champyoun,
That koude the crafft off fyhtyng wel,
Tauhte hys konnyng euerydel
To a poore man hym besyde,
And lyst ther-off no thyng to hyde;
And for hys mede he took no thyng,
Off curteysye, for hys konnyng.
‘But affterward, the case stood so
That they sholdë bothë two,—
At Requeste off dukys tweyne,
A certeryn quarll to dareyne,—
Mete in a feld: & so they mette;
And as they gan vp-on to sette,
Euerych other to assaylle,
He that was wysest in bataylle,
Off wysdam & dyscrecyoun,—
I mene the maister Champyoun,
That was avysee, & mor wys—
Sayde A-noon to hys prentys,
“Yt ys no ryht, wher-for I pleyne,
On, to fyhtë ageyns tweyne.
Ye be tweyne, I am but On.”
And Thaprentys thanne Anoon,
As he bakward cast hys look,
The tother Rauhte hym swych a strook
That he fyl ded, & al was done:
And thanne the mayster sayde Anoon,
“My prentys hath nat lernyd al,
ffor I kepte in especyal
A poynt, tyl that I haddë nede.”
That they sholdë bothë two,—
At Requeste off dukys tweyne,
A certeryn quarll to dareyne,—
Mete in a feld: & so they mette;
And as they gan vp-on to sette,
Euerych other to assaylle,
He that was wysest in bataylle,
Off wysdam & dyscrecyoun,—
I mene the maister Champyoun,
That was avysee, & mor wys—
Sayde A-noon to hys prentys,
“Yt ys no ryht, wher-for I pleyne,
On, to fyhtë ageyns tweyne.
Ye be tweyne, I am but On.”
And Thaprentys thanne Anoon,
As he bakward cast hys look,
The tother Rauhte hym swych a strook
That he fyl ded, & al was done:
And thanne the mayster sayde Anoon,
“My prentys hath nat lernyd al,
ffor I kepte in especyal
A poynt, tyl that I haddë nede.”
‘And thus, yiff thow kanst taken hede,’
(Quod this Lady Sapience)
‘I taughte neuere al my Science
To the, as I rehersë shal.
What, wenystow to knowen al?
‘For vn-to the, nat ne syt
ffor to knowen al my wyt;
Thow dyst yt neuere yet dysserue.
Som-what to me I wyll reserue,
To be mor strong in bataylle,
Lyst thow woldest me assaylle
With thy sotyl sophystrye,
To don to me a vyllonye
With argumentys off fallaas,
Sout out in som maner caas,
By fraude or by decepcyoun
ffor lakkyng off dyscrecyoun.
(Quod this Lady Sapience)
‘I taughte neuere al my Science
To the, as I rehersë shal.
What, wenystow to knowen al?
151
ffor to knowen al my wyt;
Thow dyst yt neuere yet dysserue.
Som-what to me I wyll reserue,
To be mor strong in bataylle,
Lyst thow woldest me assaylle
With thy sotyl sophystrye,
To don to me a vyllonye
With argumentys off fallaas,
Sout out in som maner caas,
By fraude or by decepcyoun
ffor lakkyng off dyscrecyoun.
‘But tel me now A-noon, I preye,
And the Trouthë nat geyn-seye,
Yiff I gaff a purs to the,
Ryght fayr & ryche vp-on to se,
And wentyst forth with-al A-noon;
And sodeynly, whan thow wer gon,
Par caas thow founde ther-in as blyue
Off gold thre pecys, outher fyve
Outher .vj., whan thow hast souht,
Tel on, as yt lyth in thy thouht,
Wer yt deceyt or sophystrye,
Or myghtestow off gent(e)rye
Seyn I hadde deceyved the?
Answere ageyn; tel on! lat se!’
And the Trouthë nat geyn-seye,
Yiff I gaff a purs to the,
Ryght fayr & ryche vp-on to se,
And wentyst forth with-al A-noon;
And sodeynly, whan thow wer gon,
Par caas thow founde ther-in as blyue
Off gold thre pecys, outher fyve
Outher .vj., whan thow hast souht,
Tel on, as yt lyth in thy thouht,
Wer yt deceyt or sophystrye,
Or myghtestow off gent(e)rye
Seyn I hadde deceyved the?
Answere ageyn; tel on! lat se!’
| The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man | |