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Chapter I
Of nombre, sayne these clerkes, that it
is naturel somme of discrete thynges, as in
tellynge one, two, thre, and so forth, but amonge al nombres
thre is determyned for
moste certayne. Wherfore in nombre certayne this werke of my
besy leudenesse I
thynke to ende and parfourme. Ensample by this worlde in thre
tymes is devyded: of
whiche the firste is cleped Deviacion, that is to say, goyng
out of trewe way; and al that
tho dyeden, in hel were they punisshed for a mans synne, tyl
grace and mercy fette hem
thence, and there ended the firste tyme. The seconde tyme
lasteth from the commyng
of merciable grace untyl the ende of transytorie tyme, in
whiche is shewed the true way
in fordoynge of the badde, and that is ycleped tyme of Grace.
And that thynge is not
yeven by deserte of yeldynge one benefyte for another, but
onely through goodnesse of
the yever of grace in thilke tyme. Whoso can wel understande
is shapen to be saved in
souled blysse. The thirde tyme shal gyn whan transytorie
thynges of worldes han made
their ende, and that shal ben in Joye, glorie, and rest, both
body and soule, that wel han
deserved in the tyme of grace. And thus in that heven
togyther shul they dwel perpetuelly
without any ymaginatyfe yvel in any halve. These tymes are
fygured by tho thre dayes
that our God was closed in erthe, and in the thirde arose
shewyng our resurrection to
joye and blysse of tho that it deserven by his merciable
grace. So this leude boke in thre
maters accordaunt to tho tymes lightly by a good inseer maye
ben understonde as in the
firste, erroure of mysse goynge is shewed with sorowful pyne
punysshed that cryed
after mercy. In the seconde, is grace in good waye proved,
whiche is faylinge without
deserte, thylke first mysse amendynge in correction of tho
erroures and even waye to
bringe with comforte of welfare in to amendement wexynge. And
in the thirde, joye and
blysse graunted to hym that wel canne deserve it and hath
savour of understandynge in
the tyme of grace. Thus in joye of my thirde boke shal the
mater be tyl it ende. But
special cause I have in my hert to make this processe of a
Margarit peerle that is so
precious a gemme, whit, clere and lytel, of whiche stones or
jewel the tonges of us
Englissh people tourneth the right names and clepeth hem
"Margery perles." Thus varyeth
our speche from many other langages, for trewly, Latyn,
Frenche, and many mo other
langages cleapeth hem Margery perles the name Margarites or
Margarite perles; wherfore
in that denomynacion I wol me acorde to other mens tonges in
that name clepyng.
These clerkes that treaten of kyndes and studyen out the
propertie there of thynges
sayne the Margarite is a lytel whyte perle, throughout holowe
and rounde and vertuous,
and, on the see sydes in the more Britayne, in muskle
shelles, of the hevenly dewe the
best ben engendred; in whiche by experience ben founde thre
fayre vertues. One is, it
yeveth comforte to the felyng spyrites in bodily persones of
reason. Another is good: it
is profytable helthe ayenst passyons of sorie mens hertes.
And the thirde, it is nedeful
and noble in staunchyng of bloode, there els to moche wolde
out ren. To whiche perle
and vertues me lyst to liken at this tyme Philosophie with
her thre speces, that is, natural
and moral and resonable, of whiche thynges hereth what sayne
these great clerkes.
Philosophie is knowyng of devynly and manly thinges joyned
with studye of good
lyvyng, and this stante in two thynges: that is connynge and
opinyon. Connynge is
whan a thyng by certayne reson is conceyved. But wretches and
fooles and leude men,
many wyl conceyve a thyng and mayntayne it as for sothe,
though reson be in the
contrarye, wherfore connynge is a straunger. Opinyon is whyle
a thyng is in non
certayne and hydde from mens very knowlegyng, and by no
parfyte reason fully de-
clared as thus: if the sonne be so mokel as men wenen, or els
if it be more than the
erthe. For in sothnesse the certayn quantyté of that
planet is unknowen to erthly dwell-
ers, and yet by opinyon of some men it is holden for more
than mydle erth. The first
spece of philosophie is naturel, whiche in kyndely thynges
treten and sheweth causes
of heven and strength of kyndely course, as by arsmetrike,
geometry, musyke, and by
astronomye techeth wayes and course of hevens, of planetes,
and of sterres aboute
heven and erthe and other elementes. The seconde spece is
moral, whiche in order of
lyvyng maners techeth, and by reson proveth vertues of soule
moste worthy in our
lyveng; whiche ben prudence, justyce, temperaunce, and
strength. Prudence is goodly
wysdome in knowyng of thynges. Strength voydeth al
adversitees alyche even. Temp-
eraunce distroyeth beestyal lyveng with easy bearyng. And
justyce rightfully jugeth,
and jugyng departeth to every wight that is his owne. The
thirde spece turneth into
reason of understandyng al thynges to be sayd soth and
discussed, and that in two
thynges is devyded. One is arte, another is rethorike, in
whiche two al lawes of mans
reason ben grounded, or els maintayned. And for this booke is
al of love and therafter
beareth his name, and phylosophie and lawe muste hereto
acorden by their clergyal
discripcions -- as phylosophie for love of wisdome is
declared, lawe for mainteynaunce
of peace is holden -- and these with love must nedes acorden,
therfore of hem in this
place have I touched. Ordre of homly thinges and honest maner
of lyvynge in vertue
with right ful jugement in causes and profitable
administration in commynalties of
realmes and cytes by evenhed profitably to raigne nat by
singuler avauntage, ne by
privé envy, ne by soleyn purpose in covetise of
worship or of goodes, ben disposed in
open rule shewed by love, philosophy, and lawe, and yet love
toforn al other. Wherfore
as susterne in unité they accorden, and one ende --
that is peace and rest -- they
causen norisshinge, and in the joye maynteynen to endure.
Nowe than, as I have declared: my boke
acordeth with discription of thre thynges,
and the Margarit in vertue is lykened to Philosophy, with her
thre speces. In whiche
maters ever twey ben acordaunt with bodily reason, and the
thirde with the soule. But
in conclusyon of my boke and of this Margarite peerle in
knyttynge togider, lawe by
thre sondrie maners shal be lykened; that is to saye, lawe,
right, and custome, whiche
I wol declare. Al that is lawe cometh of Goddes ordynance by
kyndly worchyng, and
thilke thynges ordayned by mannes wyttes arn ycleped right,
which is ordayned by
many maners and in constitution written. But custome is a
thyng that is accepted for
right or for lawe, there as lawe and right faylen, and there
is no difference whether it
come of scripture or of reason. Wherfore it sheweth that lawe
is kyndly governaunce.
Right cometh out of mannes probable reson; and custome is of
commen usage by
length of tyme used, and custome nat writte is usage; and if
it be writte, constitutyon it
is ywritten and ycleped. But lawe of kynde is commen to every
nation, as conjunction
of man and woman in love, succession of children in
heritance, restitution ofthyng by
strength taken or lent, and this lawe among al other halte
the soveraynest gree in wor-
ship, whiche lawe began at the begynnyng of reasonable
creature. It varyed yet never
for no chaungyng of tyme. Cause, forsothe, in ordaynyng of
lawe was to constrayne
mens hardynesse into peace, and withdrawing his yvel wyl, and
turnyng malyce into
goodnesse, and that innocence sykerly withouten teneful anoye
amonge shrewes safely
might inhabyte by protection of safe-conducte, so that the
shrewes, harme for harme,
by bridle of ferdenesse shulden restrayne. But, forsothe, in
kyndely lawe nothynge is
commended but such as Goddes wyl hath confyrmed, ne nothyng
denyed but
contraryoustie of Goddes wyl in heven. Eke, than al lawes or
custome or els constitucion
by usage or writyng that contraryen lawe of kynde utterly ben
repugnaunt and adversarye
to our Goddes wyl of heven. Trewly, lawe of kynde for Goddes
own lusty wyl is verily
to maintayne, under which lawe (and unworthy) bothe professe
and reguler arne
obedyencer and bounden to this Margarite perle as by knotte
of loves statutes and
stablysshment in kynde whiche that goodly maye not ben
withsetten. Lo, under this
bonde am I constrayned to abyde, and man under lyveng lawe
ruled; by that lawe
oweth after desertes to ben rewarded by payn or by mede, but
if mercy weyve the
payne. So than be parte reasonfully may be sey that mercy
bothe right and lawe
passeth. Th'entent of al these maters is, at the lest clere
understanding, to weten at
th'ende of this thirde boke. Ful knowing thorowe Goddes grace
I thynke to make
neverthelater yet, if these thynges han a good; and a sleight
inseer, whiche that can
souke hony of the harde stone, oyle of the drye rocke, may
lyghtly fele nobley of mater
in my leude ymagination closed. But for my boke shal be of
joye (as I said) and I so
ferre set fro thilke place fro whens gladnesse shulde come,
my corde is to short to let
my boket ought catch of that water, and fewe men be abouten
my corde to eche, and
many in ful purpose ben redy it shorter to make and to
enclose th'entré, that my boket
of joye nothing shulde catch, but empty returne, my careful
sorowes to encrese. And
if I dye for payne, that were gladnesse at their hertes. Good
Lorde sende me water into
the cop of these mountayns, and I shal drynke therof my
thurstes to stanch, and sey,
"these be comfortable welles; in to helth of goodnesse of my
saviour am I holpen." And
yet I saye more: the house of joye to me is nat opened. How
dare my sorouful goost
than in any mater of gladnesse thynken to trete? For ever
sobbynges and complayntes
be redy refrete in his meditations, as werbles in manyfold
stoundes commyng about I
not than. And therfore, what maner of joye coude I endite?
But yet at dore shal I knocke
if the key of David wolde the locke unshyt, and He bring me
in, whiche that childrens
tonges both openeth and closeth, whose spirite where He wel
worcheth departyng
goodly as Him lyketh.
Nowe to Goddes laude and reverence, profite
of the reders, amendement of maners
of the herers, encresyng of worship among loves servauntes,
relevyng of my hert into
grace of my jewel, and frenship plesance of this peerle, I am
stered in this makyng and
for nothyng els. And if any good thyng to mennes lyking in
this scripture be founde,
thanketh the Maister of grace, whiche that of that good and
al other is authour and
principal doer. And if any thing be insufficient or els
myslyking, wyte that the leudnesse
of myne unable connyng, for body in disese anoyeth the
understanding in soule. A
disesely habitation letteth the wyttes in many thinges and
namely in sorowe. The custome,
neverthelater, of love be long tyme of service in termes I
thinke to pursue, whiche
ben lyvely to yeve understandyng in other thynges. But nowe
to enform thee of this
Margarites goodnesse I may her nat halfe preyse. Wherfore nat
she for my boke, but
this boke for her is worthy to be commended, tho my boke be
leude; right as thinges
nat for places, but places for thynges, ought to be desyred
and praysed.
Chapter II
"Nowe," quod Love, "trewly thy wordes I
have wel understonde. Certes, me thynketh
hem right good, and me wondreth why thou so lightly passest
in the lawe." "Sothly,"
quod I, "my wyt is leude and I am right blynde, and that
mater depe. Howe shulde I
than have waded? Lightly might I have drenched and spilte
ther my selfe." "Yea," quod
she, "I shal helpe thee to swym. For right as lawe punyssheth
brekers of preceptes and
the contrary doers of the written constitutions, right so
ayenwarde lawe rewardeth and
yeveth mede to hem that lawe strengthen. By one lawe this
rebel is punisshed and this
innocent is meded; the shrewe is enprisoned and this rightful
is corowned. The same
lawe that joyneth by wedlocke without forsakyng, the same
lawe yeveth lybel of
departicion bycause of devorse both demed and declared." "Ye,
ye," quod I, "I fynde in
no lawe to mede and rewarde in goodnes the gyltie of
desertes." "Fole," quod she,
"gyltie converted in your lawe mykel merite deserveth. Also
Paulyn of Rome was
crowned that by him the maynteyners of Pompeus weren knowen
and distroyed; and
yet toforne was this Paulyn chefe of Pompeus counsaile. This
lawe in Rome hath yet
his name of mesuring in mede the bewrayeng of the conspiracy.
Ordayned by tho
senatours, the dethe of Julyus Cesar is acompted into Catons
right wisnesse, for ever in
trouth florissheth his name amonge the knowers of treason.
Perdicas was crowned in
the heritage of Alexander the great for tellynge of a prevy
hate that kynge Porrus to
Alexander hadde. Wherfore every wight, by reason of lawe
after his rightwysenesse
apertely, his mede may chalenge; and so thou that maynteynest
lawe of kynde and
therfore disease hast suffred in the lawe rewarde is worthy
to be rewarded and ordayned,
and apartly thy mede might thou chalenge." "Certes," quod I,
"this have I wel lerned,
and ever hensforward I shal drawe me therafter in onehed of
wyl to abide, this lawe
bothe mayntene and kepe, and so hope I best entre into your
grace wel deservynge into
worship of a wight without nedeful compulsion ought medefully
to be rewarded."
"Truly," quod Love, "that is sothe, and tho by constitution
good service into profite
and avauntage stretch, utterly many men it demen to have more
desert of mede than
good wyl nat compelled." "Se now," quod I, "howe may men
holden of this the con-
trary. And what is good service? Of you wolde I here this
question declared." "I shal
say thee," quod she, "in a fewe wordes: resonable workynges
in plesaunce and profite
of thy soverayne."
"Howe shulde I this performe?" quod I.
"Right wel," quod she, "and here me nowe a
lytel. It is hardely," quod she, "to understande that right
as mater by due overchaungynges
foloweth his perfection and his forme, right so every man by
rightful werkynges ought
to folowe the leful desyres in his hert and se toforn to what
ende he deserveth. For
many tymes he that loketh nat after th'endes, but utterly
therof is unknowen, befalleth
often many yvels to done, wherthrough er he be ware,
shamefully he is confounded.
Th'ende ther of neden to be before loked. To every desirer of
suche foresight in good
service, thre thynges specially nedeth to be rulers in his
workes. First, that he do good;
next that he do by electyon in his owne hert; and the thirde,
thathe do godly withouten
any surquedry in thoughtes. That your werkes shulden be good,
in servyce or in any
other actes, authorites many may be aleged; neverthelater, by
reason thus maye it be
shewed. Al your werkes be cleped seconde and moven in vertue
of the Firste Wercher,
whiche in good workes wrought you to procede, and right so
your werkes moven into
vertue of the laste ende; and right in the first workynge
were nat, no man shulde in the
seconde werche. Right so, but ye feled to what ende, and seen
their goodnes closed, ye
shuld no more recche what ye wrought; but the gynnyng gan
with good, and there shal
it cease in the last ende, if it be wel consydred. Wherfore
the myddle, if other wayes it
drawe than accordant to the endes, there stynteth the course
of good, and another
maner course entreth. And so it is a partie by himselve, and
every parte be nat
accordant to his al, is foule and ought to be eschewed.
Wherfore every thinge that
is wrought and be nat good is nat accordant to th'endes of
his al hole. It is foule and
ought to be withdrawe. Thus the persons that neither don good
ne harme shamen foule
their makyng: Wherfore without workyng of good actes in good
service may no man
ben accepted. Truely, the ilke that han might to do good and
done it nat, the crowne of
worship shal be take from hem, and with shame shul they be
anulled. And so to make
one werke acordant with his endes, every good servaunt, by
reason of consequence,
muste do good nedes. Certes, it suffiseth nat alone to do
good, but goodly withal
folowe. The thanke of goodnesse els in nought he deserveth.
For right as al your being
come from the greatest good in whom al goodnesse is closed,
right so your endes ben
directe to the same good. Aristotel determyneth that ende and
good ben one and con-
vertible in understanding, and he that in wyl doth away good,
and he that loketh nat to
th'ende, loketh nat to good. But he that doth good and doth
nat goodly and draweth
away the direction of th'ende nat goodly, must nedes be bad.
Lo, badde is nothing els
but absence or negatyfe of good, as derkenesse is absence or
negatyve of lyght. Than
he that doth nat goodly directeth thilke good in to th'ende
of badde. So muste thyng nat
good folowe; eke, badnesse to suche folke ofte foloweth. Thus
contrariaunt workers
of th'ende that is good ben worthy the contrary of th'ende
that is good to have."
"How," quod I, "may any good dede be done but if goodly it
helpe?" "Yes," quod Love,
"the devyl dothe many good dedes, but goodly he leveth
behynde. For ever badly and in
disceyvable wyse he worketh, wherfore the contrary of th'ende
him foloweth. And do
he never so many good dedes bicause goodly is away, his
goodnes is nat rekened. Lo,
than, tho a man do good, but he do goodly, th'ende in
goodnesse wol nat folowe, and
thus in good service both good dede and goodly done musten
joyne togider and that it be
done with free choise in hert; and els deserveth he nat the
merite in goodnes -- that wol
I prove. For if thou do anythyng good by chaunce or by happe,
in what thyng art thou
therof worthy to be commended? For nothing by reason of that
turneth into thy praysing
ne lackyng. Lo, thilke thing done by hap by thy wyl is nat
caused, and therby shulde I
thanke or lacke deserve? And sythen that fayleth th'ende
which that wel shulde, rewarde
must neds faile. Clerkes sayn no man but wyllynge is blessed;
a good dede that he hath
done is nat done of free choice wyllyng, without whiche
blyssednesse may nat folowe.
Ergo, neither thanke of goodnesse ne service in that is
contrary of the good ende, so
than to good service longeth good dede goodly don thorowe fre
choice in hert." "Truely,"
quod I, "this have I wel understande." "Wel," quod she,
"every thyng thus done suffi-
ciently by lawe that is cleped justice may after-rewarde
claym. For lawe and justice was
ordayned in this wise suche desertes in goodnesse after
quantité in doynge by mede to
rewarde; and of necessyté of suche justyce, that is to
say, rightwysenesse, was free
choice in deservyng of wel or of yvel graunted to resonable
creatures. Every man hath
free arbitrement to chose good or yvel to performe." "Nowe,"
quod I tho, "if I by my
good wyl deserve this Margarit perle and am nat therto
compelled, and have free choice
to do what me lyketh, she is than holden as me thynketh to
rewarde th'entent of my
good wyl." "Goddes forbode els," quod Love, "no wight meaneth
otherwise, I trowe.
Free wyl of good hert after-mede deserveth." "Hath every
man," quod I, "fre choice by
necessary maner of wyl in every of his doynges that him
lyketh by Goddes proper
purvyaunce? I wolde se that wel declared to my leude
understanding, for `necessary'
and `necessyté' ben wordes of mokel entention, closyng
(as to saye) `so mote it be
nedes,' and `otherwyse may it nat betyde.'" "This shalt thou
lern," quod she, "so thou
take hede in my speche. If it were nat in mannes owne
lyberté of fre wyl to do good or
bad, but to the one teyed by bonde of Goddes preordynaunce,
than do he never so wel
it were by nedeful compulcion of thilk bonde and nat by fre
choice, wherby nothyng he
desyreth; and, do he never so yvel, it were nat man for to
wyte, but onelych to him that
suche thyng ordayned him to done. Wherfore he ne ought for
bad be punished ne for no
good dede be rewarded, but of necessité of
rightwisnesse was therfore fre choice of
arbitrement put in mans proper disposition. Truely, if it
were otherwise, it contraried
Goddes charité that badnesse and goodnesse rewardeth
after desert of payn or of mede."
"Me thynketh this wonder," quod I, "for God by
necessité forwote al thynges comyng,
and so mote it nedes be; and thilke thinges that ben don be
our fre choice comen nothing
of necessité but onely be wyl. Howe may this stonde
togyther? And so me thynketh
truely that fre choyce fully repugneth Goddes forwetyng.
Trewly, lady, me semeth
they mowe nat stande togyther."
Chapter III
Than gan Love nygh me nere and with a noble countenance of
visage and lymmes
dressed her nigh my sytting place. "Take forth," quod she,
"thy pen and redily write
these wordes, for if God wol I shal hem so enforme to thee
that thy leudnesse which I
have understand in that mater shal openly be clered, and thy
sight in ful loking therin
amended. First, if thou thynke that Goddes prescience repugne
lyberté of arbetry of
arbitrement, it is impossible that they shulde accorde in
onheed of sothe to
understonding." "Ye," quod I, "forsothe, so I it conceyve."
"Wel," quod she, "if thilke
impossible were away, the repugnaunce that semeth to be
therin were utterly removed."
"Shewe me the absence of that impossibilyté," quod I.
"So," quod she, "I shal. Nowe
I suppose that they mowe stande togider: prescience of God
whom foloweth necessité
of thinges commyng and lyberté of arbitrement thorowe
whiche thou belevest many
thinges to be without necessité." "Bothe these
proporcions be sothe," quod I, "and wel
mowe stande togider wherfore this case as possyble I admyt."
"Truely," quod she,
"and this case is impossible." "Howe so?" quod I. "For
herof," quod she, "foloweth
and wexeth another impossyble." "Prove me that," quod I.
"That I shal," quod she,
"for somthing is commyng without necessyté, and God
wot that toforn, for al thing
commyng He before wot, and that He beforn wot of
necessyté is commyng; as He
beforne wot be the case. By necessary maner than or els
thorowe necessité is somthyng
to be without necessité and wheder to every wight that
hath good understanding is
seen these thynges to be repugnaunt: Prescience of God,
whiche that foloweth
necessyté, and lyberté of arbytrement, fro
whiche is removed necessyté, for truely, it is
necessary that God have forwetyng of thing withouten any
necessité commynge." "Ye,"
quod I, "but yet remeve ye nat away fro myne understandyng
the necessyté folowyng
Goddes beforewetyng, as thus: God beforne wote me in service
of love to be bounden
to this Margarite perle, and therfore by necessité
thus to love am I bounde, and if I nat
had loved, thorowe necessyté had I ben kepte from al
love dedes." "Certes," quod
Love, "bicause this mater is good and necessary to declare,
I thynke herein wel to
abyde and not lyghtly to passe. Thou shalte not," quod she,
"say al onely, `God beforne
wote me to be a lover or no lover,' but thus: `God beforne
wote me to be a lover without
necessyté.' And so it foloweth, whether thou love or
not love every of hem is and shal
be. But nowe thou seest the impossibylité of the case,
and the possibylité of thilke that
thou wendest had been impossyble, wherfore the repugnaunce is
adnulled." "Ye," quod
"and yet do ye not a waye the strength of necessyté
whan it is said, through necessyté
it is me in love to abyde, or not to love without
necessyté, for God beforne wote it. This
maner of necessyté, forsothe, semeth to some men into
coaction, that is to sayne,
constraynyng, or else prohibycion, that is defendynge,
wherfore necessyté is me to
love of wyl. I understande me to be constrayned by some privy
strength to the wyl of
lovynge, and if no love, to be defended from the wyl of
lovynge, and so thorowe
necessyté me semeth to love, for I love; or els not to
love, if I not love, wherthrough
neyther thanke ne maugre in tho thynges maye I deserve."
"Nowe," quod she, "thou shalte wel
understande that often we sayne thynge thorowe
necessyté to be that by no strength to be neyther is
coarted ne constrayned, and throughe
necessyté not to be that with no defendynge is
removed. For we sayne it is thorowe
necessyté God to be immortal, nought deedlyche, and it
is necessyté God to be rightful,
but not that any strength of violente maner constrayneth him
to be immortal, or defendeth
him to be unrightful, for nothing may make him dedly or
unrightful. Right so, if I say
thorowe necessyté is thee to be a lover or els none,
onely thorowe wyl as God beforne
wete, it is nat to understonde that anythyng defendeth or
forbit thee thy wyl, whiche
shal nat be, or els constrayneth it to be whiche shal be.
That same thynge, forsoth, God
before wot, whiche He beforn seeth, anythyng commende of
onely wyl, that wyl neyther
is constrayned ne defended thorowe any other thing. And so
thorowe lyberté of
arbitrement it is do that is done of wyl. And trewly, my good
childe, if these thynges be
wel understond, I wene that non inconvenyent shalt thou fynde
betwene Goddes
forwetyng and lyberté of arbitrement, wherfore I wot
wel they may stande togider.
Also farthermore, who that understandyng of prescience
properlych consydreth, thorowe
the same wyse that any thyng be afore wyst is said, for to be
commyng it is pro-
nounced, there is nothing toforn wist but thing commyng.
Foreweting is but of trouth;
dout may nat be wyst: wherfore whan I sey that God toforn
wote anythyng, thorowe
necessyté is thilke thyng to be commyng. Al is one if
I sey if it shal be, but this necessyté
neither constrayneth ne defendeth anythyng to be or nat to
be. Therfore, sothly, if love
is put to be, it is said of necessyté to be; or els
for it is put nat to be, it is affirmed nat to
be of necessyté, nat for that necessité
constrayneth or defendeth love to be or nat to be.
For whan I say if love shal be of necessité it shal
be, here foloweth necessyté, the thyng
toforne put. It is as moch to say as if it were thus
pronounced `that thyng shal be.'
None other thyng signifyeth this necessyté but onely
thus, that shal be may nat togider
be and nat be. Evenlych also it is soth, love was, and is,
and shal be nat of necessyté.
And nede is to have be al that was, and nedeful is to be al
that is, and commyng to al
that shal be. And it is nat the same to saye, love to be
passed, and love passed to be
passed; or love present to be present, and love to be
present; or els love to be commynge,
and love commynge to be commyng: dyversité in settyng
of wordes maketh dyversité
in understandynge, altho in the same sentence they accorden
of signification, right as it
is nat al one, love swete to be swete, and love to be swete.
For moch love is bytter and
sorouful er hertes ben eased, and yet it gladeth thilke
sorouful hert on suche love to
thynke." "Forsothe," quod I, "outherwhile I have had mokel
blysse in hert of love that
stoundmele hath me sorily anoyed. And certes, lady, for I se
myselfe thus knit with this
Margarite peerle as by bonde of your servyce and of no
lyberté of wyl, my hert wyl
nowe nat acorde this servyce to love. I can demyn in myselfe
non otherwise, but
thorowe necessité am I constrayned in this service to
abyde. But alas. Than if I thorowe
nedeful compulsioun maugre me be withholde, lytel thanke for
al my great traveil have
I than deserved." "Nowe," quod this lady, "I saye as I sayde:
me lyketh this mater to
declare at the ful, and why. For many men have had dyvers
fantasyes and reasons,
both on one syde therof and in the other. Of whiche right
sone, I trowe, if thou wolt
understonde, thou shalte con yeve the sentence to the partie
more probable by reason
and in soth knowing, by that I have of this mater maked an
ende." "Certes," quod I,
"of these thynges longe have I had great luste to be lerned,
for yet I wene Goddes wyl
and His prescience acordeth with my service in lovynge of
this precious Margarite
perle, after whom ever in my hert with thurstyng desire
weete, I do brenne. Unwastyng
I langour and fade, and the day of my desteny in dethe or in
joye I unbyde, but yet in
th'ende I am comforted be my supposaile in blysse and in joye
to determyne after my
desyres." "That thyng," quod Love, "hastely to thee neigh,
God graunt of His grace and
mercy, and this shal be my prayer, tyl thou be lykende in
herte at thyne owne wyl. But
nowe to enforme thee in this mater," quod this lady, "thou
wost where I lefte; that was
love to be swete, and love swete to be swete, is nat al one
for to say. For a tree is nat
alway by necessité white. Somtyme, er it were white,
it myght have be nat white, and
after tyme it is white it maye be nat white. But a whyte tree
evermore nedeful is to be
white, for neither toforn ne after it was white myght it be
togider white and nat white.
Also love, by necessyté, is nat present as nowe in
thee, for er it were present it myght
have be that it shulde nowe nat have be. And yet it maye be
that it shal nat be present,
but thy love present, whiche to her, Margarite, thee hath
bounde, nedeful is to be
present. Trewly, some doyng of action nat by necessyté
is commynge, for toforn it be
it may be that it shal nat be commynge. Thyng, forsoth,
commyng nedeful is to be
comming, for it may nat be that commyng shal nat be commyng.
And right as I have
sayd of present and of future tymes, the same sentence in
sothnesse is of the preterit,
that is to say, tyme passed, for thyng passed must nedes be
passed. And er it were, it
might have nat be, wherfore it shulde nat have passed. Right
so whan love comming is
said of love that is to come, nedeful is to be that is said;
for thing commyng never is nat
commynge, and so ofte the same thynge we sayn of the same, as
whan we sayne,
`every man is a man,' or `every lover is a lover,' so muste
it be nedes. In no waye may
he be man and no man togider. And if it be nat by
necessité, that is to say nedeful, al
thyng commyng to be commyng, than somthyng commyng is nat
commynge, and that
is impossible. Right as these termes `nedeful,'
`necessité,' and `necessary' betoken and
signify thyng nedes to be, and it may nat otherwise be, right
as this terme `impossible'
signifieth that thyng is nat and by no way may it be, than
thorowe pert necessité al
thyng commyng is commyng, but that is by necessité
foloweth with nothyng to be
constrayned. Lo, whan that commyng is said of thynge nat
alway thyng thorowe
necessité is, altho it be commyng. For if I say
`tomorowe love is commyng in this
Margarites hert,' nat therfore thorow necessité shal
the ilke love be. Yet it may be
that it shal nat be, altho it were commyng. Neverthelater,
somtyme it is soth that
somthyng be of necessité that is sayd to come: as if
I say tomorowe by commynge the
risynge of the sonne. If therfore with necessité I
pronounce commyng of thyng to
come, in this maner love tomorne commynge in thyne Margarite
to thee-warde, by
necessité is commynge, or els the risyng of the sonne
tomorne commynge through
necessité is commynge. Love, sothely, whiche may nat
be of necessyté alone folowynge,
thorowe necessyté commyng it is made certayne. For
futur of future is said; that is to
sayn, commyng of commynge is said; as if to morowe commyng is
thorow necessité,
commynge it is. Arisyng of the sonne thorowe two
necessités in commyng, it is to
understande that one is to forgoing necessité, whiche
maketh thyng to be; therfore it
shal be, for nedeful is that it be. Another is folowyng
necessité whiche nothyng
constrayneth to be, and so by necessyté it is to come.
Why? For it is to come. Nowe
than whan we sayn that God beforn wot thyng commyng, nedeful
is to be commyng,
yet therfore make we nat in certayne evermore, thynge to be
thorowe necessité
commynge. Sothly, thyng commyng maye nat be nat commyng by no
way, for it is the
same sentence of understandyng; as if we say thus: If God
beforn wot anythyng,
nedeful is that to be commyng. But yet therfore foloweth nat
the prescience of God
thyng thorowe necessité to be commyng. For altho God
toforn wote al thinges
commyng, yet nat therfore He beforn wot every thyng commyng
thorowe necessité.
Some thinges He beforn wot commyng of fre wyl out of
resonable creature." "Certes,"
quod I, "these termes `nede' and `necessité' have a
queynt maner of understandyng.
They wolden dullen many mennes wyttes." "Therfore," quod she,
"I wol hem openly
declare and more clerely than I have toforn er I departe
hense."
Chapter IV
"Here of this mater," quod she, "thou shalte understande that
right as it is nat nedeful
God to wylne that He wyl, no more in many thynges is nat
nedeful a man to wylne that
he wol. And ever right as nedeful is to be what that God wol,
right so to be it is nedeful
that man wol in tho thynges whiche that God hath put into
mannes subjection of wyllynge:
as if a man wol love that he love; and if he ne wol love,
that he love nat; and of suche
other thynges in mannes disposition. For why nowe than, that
God wol may nat be
whan He wol the wyl of man thorowe no necessyté to be
constrayned or els defended
for to wylne, and he wol th'effecte to folow the wyl, than is
it nedeful wyl of man to be
fre, and also to be that he wol. In this maner it is soth
that thorowe necessité is mannes
werke in lovyng that he wol do, altho he wol it not with
necessyté." Quod I than,
"Howe stante it in love of thilke wyl, sythen men loven
willyng of free choyce in herte?
Wherfore, if it be thorowe necessyté I praye you lady
of an answere this questyon to
assoyle." "I wol," quod she, "answere thee blyvely. Right as
men wyl not thorowe
necessyté, right so is not love of wyl thorowe
necessyté, ne thorowe necessyté wrought
thilke same wyl. For if he wolde it not with good wyl, it
shulde nat have ben wrought,
although that he dothe, it is nedeful to be doone. But if a
man do synne, it is nothyng els
but to wyl that he shulde not. Right so synne of wyl is not
to be maner necessary done,
no more than wyl is necessarye. Neverthelater, this is sothe:
if a man wol synne, it is
necessarye him to synne, but through thilke necessyté
nothyng is constrayned ne de-
fended in the wyl, right so thilke thynge that fre wyl wol
and maye, and not may not
wylne. And nedeful is that to wylne he maye not wylne, but
thilke to wylne nedeful is;
for impossyble to him it is one thyng and the same to wylne
he may not wylne. But thilk
to wylne ned |