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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Sapience Answereth: |
 | The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man |  |
Sapience Answereth:
‘I vnderstondë nat,’ quod she,
‘“Localiter,” as thow shalt se;
Thys to seynë, with thy grace.
He occupieth ther no place.
Somme vnderstondë certeynly
That he ys ther vertuously;
Somme seyn “ymaginatiue,”
And somme “representatiue,”
On ther oppynyouns, as they dwelle.
And this exaumplys I the telle,
To yive the ful avysëment
How thow mayst, in thyn entent,
Conceyve, that halst thy sylff so wys,
And to yive the, good avys,
How a cloystre off smal mesure
‘May comprehendë gret pasture;
And, as gretë thyngës set
In smalë bondys may be knet.
‘“Localiter,” as thow shalt se;
Thys to seynë, with thy grace.
He occupieth ther no place.
Somme vnderstondë certeynly
That he ys ther vertuously;
Somme seyn “ymaginatiue,”
And somme “representatiue,”
On ther oppynyouns, as they dwelle.
And this exaumplys I the telle,
To yive the ful avysëment
How thow mayst, in thyn entent,
Conceyve, that halst thy sylff so wys,
And to yive the, good avys,
How a cloystre off smal mesure
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And, as gretë thyngës set
In smalë bondys may be knet.
‘And evene so, yiff thow take hed,
Vnder lyknesse off thys breed.
The grettest good most sovereyn̄
Ys ther closyd in certeyn;
Nat only “ymaginatiue,”
Nouther “Representatiue,”
(Vnderstond now wel my lore,)
Nor “Virtualiter” with-outë more;
But ther yt ys put sothfastly,
(Yiff thow lyst lerne ffeythfully,)
Bothen “Corporaliter”
And also ek “Realiter;”
Bothe “Presencialiter”
And also ek “Veraciter;”
With-oute al symulacioun,
Deceyt, or any Ficcioun—
And off thys puttyng, the causë why
I haue declaryd in party.
Vnder lyknesse off thys breed.
The grettest good most sovereyn̄
Ys ther closyd in certeyn;
Nat only “ymaginatiue,”
Nouther “Representatiue,”
(Vnderstond now wel my lore,)
Nor “Virtualiter” with-outë more;
But ther yt ys put sothfastly,
(Yiff thow lyst lerne ffeythfully,)
Bothen “Corporaliter”
And also ek “Realiter;”
Bothe “Presencialiter”
And also ek “Veraciter;”
With-oute al symulacioun,
Deceyt, or any Ficcioun—
And off thys puttyng, the causë why
I haue declaryd in party.
‘ffyrst, yiff thow consydrest al,
ffor an hertë that ys smal,
I ha the bred mad smal also,
(Yiff thow take good hed her-to.)
And for hys gret capacyte,
The good that hath most sovereynte,
I haue ther-in put (certeyn)
The good that ys most souereyn:
Gret vnto gret, smal vn-to smal,
Wych ys Answeryng in al,
And corespondent by mesure.
ffor affter that (I the ensure,)
That an herte be gret or smal,
Ryht so, in especyal,
Answeryng, by mesure,
Ryght so ys madë the pasture;
A smal hertë (tak good hede,)
ffyndeth also smal the bred.
ffor an hertë that ys smal,
I ha the bred mad smal also,
(Yiff thow take good hed her-to.)
And for hys gret capacyte,
The good that hath most sovereynte,
I haue ther-in put (certeyn)
The good that ys most souereyn:
Gret vnto gret, smal vn-to smal,
Wych ys Answeryng in al,
And corespondent by mesure.
ffor affter that (I the ensure,)
That an herte be gret or smal,
Ryht so, in especyal,
Answeryng, by mesure,
Ryght so ys madë the pasture;
A smal hertë (tak good hede,)
ffyndeth also smal the bred.
‘Consydre & se the maner howh:
‘Yiff he desyre to haue ynowh,
He shal ther ffyndë (Trustë me)
Suffysauncë to hys sawlë,
Hym to fulfyllen at hys Ese,
And hys desyrys to appese.
And, as I rehersë shal,
Her ys noon offence at al,
Nouther vn-to yong nor old.
160
He shal ther ffyndë (Trustë me)
Suffysauncë to hys sawlë,
Hym to fulfyllen at hys Ese,
And hys desyrys to appese.
And, as I rehersë shal,
Her ys noon offence at al,
Nouther vn-to yong nor old.
‘And for thys cause that I ha told,
The hous ys lasse, with-outë wene,
Than thylkë thyng yt doth contene;
And lasse (for short conclusïoun,)
Ys the habytacyoun
Than the good (I dar wel telle)
Wych with-Inne the hows doth dwelle.
The hous ys lasse, with-outë wene,
Than thylkë thyng yt doth contene;
And lasse (for short conclusïoun,)
Ys the habytacyoun
Than the good (I dar wel telle)
Wych with-Inne the hows doth dwelle.
‘And I suppose (tak also hed,)
That vn-to the, by lyklyhed
I haddë don, in my werkynge,
Som thyng wych wer nat syttynge,
Off wych thow wer nat plesyd wel.
And ek (to Reknen euerydel,)
That I ha told the in substaunce,
Thogh yt wer nat to thy plesaunce,
I ouhte off Reson, nor off skyl,
Answeryng no-thyng but at my wyl,
Off ryht nouht, (as semeth me,)
Nor take no maner hed to the
Off no-thyng that thow hast me souht.
That vn-to the, by lyklyhed
I haddë don, in my werkynge,
Som thyng wych wer nat syttynge,
Off wych thow wer nat plesyd wel.
And ek (to Reknen euerydel,)
That I ha told the in substaunce,
Thogh yt wer nat to thy plesaunce,
I ouhte off Reson, nor off skyl,
Answeryng no-thyng but at my wyl,
Off ryht nouht, (as semeth me,)
Nor take no maner hed to the
Off no-thyng that thow hast me souht.
‘And, par cas, yiff I hadde wrouht
Some vnkouth thyng that wer notáble
By Aventure, or profytáble
Mor than any other whyht,
Wych wer merveillous to syht,
I ouhtë nat, as thynketh me,
Off no wyht apechyd be;
Consydred how (in sothfastnesse)
That I am namyd a “maystresse,”
Wych ouhte suffysen vn-to the:
‘Thow gest as now no mor of me:
Tak thys now in especyal.
Some vnkouth thyng that wer notáble
By Aventure, or profytáble
Mor than any other whyht,
Wych wer merveillous to syht,
I ouhtë nat, as thynketh me,
Off no wyht apechyd be;
Consydred how (in sothfastnesse)
That I am namyd a “maystresse,”
Wych ouhte suffysen vn-to the:
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Tak thys now in especyal.
‘As for Answere to the, fynal,
Lo, her ys al, in wordys pleyn:—
Go now, & retourne home ageyn
To Nature (in conclusïoun),
To mak to hyre relacïoun,
As she that ys (shortly to fyne,)
A symple scoler clepd off myne;
And also (yiff thow lyst to lere,)
But off Grace my chaumberere.
Lo, her ys al, in wordys pleyn:—
Go now, & retourne home ageyn
To Nature (in conclusïoun),
To mak to hyre relacïoun,
As she that ys (shortly to fyne,)
A symple scoler clepd off myne;
And also (yiff thow lyst to lere,)
But off Grace my chaumberere.
‘And syker, I wyll that yt be wyst,
I wyl do what-euere me lyst,
Wherso yt plesë outher greve,
And take off hyre no maner leve;
And don what euere lyketh me,
Only for loue off Charyte;
What euere hyre lyst, that shal be do:
My wyl ys that yt shal be so.
ffor what-so that hyr lyst devyse,
In al my bestë ffeythfull wyse
I shal consente (& tarye nouht,)
To al that euere she wyl ha wrouht,
In specyal & in general.’
I wyl do what-euere me lyst,
Wherso yt plesë outher greve,
And take off hyre no maner leve;
And don what euere lyketh me,
Only for loue off Charyte;
What euere hyre lyst, that shal be do:
My wyl ys that yt shal be so.
ffor what-so that hyr lyst devyse,
In al my bestë ffeythfull wyse
I shal consente (& tarye nouht,)
To al that euere she wyl ha wrouht,
In specyal & in general.’
And whan that he hadde herknyd al,
Thys Aristotile gan abraide,
And humblely to hyre he seyde:
Thys Aristotile gan abraide,
And humblely to hyre he seyde:
Aristotle meked hym selffe.
| The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man | |