FRAGMENTS AUTOBIOGRAPHIQUES

Thus ich a-waked, god wot* whanne ich woned on

[Cornehnlle, Kytte and ich in a cote ■ clothed as a lollere, And lytel y-lete hy ■ leyue me l'or sothe, Among lollares of London • and lewede heremytes ; For ich made of tho men- as reson me tauhte ; For as ich cam by Conscience ■ with Reson ich mette In an hôte heruest ■ whenne ich hadde myn hele, And lymes to labore with ■ and loued wel lare, And no dede to do ■ bote drynke and to slepe. In hele and in vnite ■ on me aposede; Romynge in rememhraunce ■ thus Reson me arated. « Ganstow seruen, » he seidc • « other syngen in a

[chu relie, Other coke for my cokers ■ other to the cart pioche,

Mowe other mowen • other make bond fo sheues,

Repe other be a repereyue ■ and a-ryse erliche,

Other haue an horne and be haywarde ■ and liggen ont a

[nyghtes, And kepe my corn in my croft ■ fro pykers and theeues ? Other shappe shon other clothes ■ other shep other kyn

[kepe, Heggen other hanven ■ other swyn other gees dryne, Hem that bedreden be ■ bylyne to fynde ? » « Certes », ich seyde ■ « and so me god helpe, Ich am to waik to worche • with sykel other with sythe, And to long, lcyf me ■ lowe for to stonpe, To worchen as a workeman ■ eny whyle to dure », « Thenne hauest thow londes to lyue by » ■ quath Reson,

[« other lynage riche That fynden the thy fode? ■ for an ydel man thow semest, A spendour that spende mot ■ other a spille-tyme, Otlier beggest thy bylyue ■ a-boute at menne hacches, Other faitest vp-on frydays ■ other feSte-dayes in churches, The whiche is lollarene lyf ■ that lytel ys preysed, Ther ryghtfulnesse rewardeth ■ ryght as men deseruetb,

Reddit unicuique iuxta opéra sua.

Otber thow art broke, so may be • in body other in

[membre, Other ymaymed thorw son mys-hap ■ wher-by thow

[myght be excused ? »

« Whanne ich yong was », quath ich • « meny yer

[hennés, My fader and my frendes ■ founden me to scole, Tyl ich wiste wyterliche ■ what holy wryt menede, And what is best for the body as the bok telleth,

And sykerest for tlic soûle ■ by so ich -wolle continue, And yut fond ich ncuere in failli ■ sytthen my frondes

[deyden, Lyfthat me lyked ■ bote in Ihes longe clothes. Yf ich h y laboure sholde lyue ■ and lyflodc deseruen, That labour that ich lerned bcst ■ ther-with lyue ich

[sholde ;

In eadem uocatione in qua uocati estis manete. And ich lyue in londone • and on londone bothe, The lonies that ich laboure with ■ and lyllode deserue, Ys pater-noster and my prymer ■ placebo and dirige. And my sauter som tyme ■ and my seuene psalmes. Thus ich synge for hure soûles ■ of suche as me helpen, And tho that fynden me my fode ■ vouchen saf, ich

[trowe, To be welcome whanne ich corne ■ other-whyle in a

[monthe, Now with hym and now with hure • and thus-gate ich

[begge With-oute bagge other botel • bote my wombe one. And al-so more-ouer ■ me thynketh, syre Iteson, Men sholde constreyne no clcrkc- to knawene werkes; For by the lawe of Leuitici • that oure lorde ordeynedc, Glerkes that aren crouned • ofkynde vnderstondyng Sholde nother swynke ne svvete • ne swere at enquestes; Ne fyghte in no vauntwarde • ne bus so greue;

Non reddas malum pro malo.

For it ben aires of heuene ■ aile that ben crounede, And in queer and in kirkes • Cristes owene mynestres,

Dominus pars hereditatis mee; et alibi: Clément in

[non constringit.

Hit by-cometh for clerkus" Crist for to seruen, And knaues vncrouned ■ to cart and to worche. For shold no clerk be crouned ■ bote yf lie ycome were Of franklens and free men ■ and of i'olke yweddede. Boudmen ami bas'tardes ■ and beggers children, Thuse bv-longetb lo labour ■ and lordes kyn to seruen Bothe god and good men ■ as hère degree asketb ; Some to synge masses • other sitten and wryte, Llede and receyue ■ that reson ouhte to spende; Ac sith bondemenne barnes ■ ban be mad bisshopes, And barnes bastardes • ban ben archidekencs, And sopers and hère sones ■ for seluer han be knyghtes, And lordene sones hère laborers : and leid hère rentes

[lo wedde, For the ryght of this reame • ryden a-yens owre enemys, In conforte of the comune ■ and the kynges worshep, And monkes and moniales ■ that mendinauns sholden

I fynde, Han mad hère kyn knyghtes • and knyghtfees purchased, Popes and patrones • poure gentil blood refuseth, And taken Symondes sone ■ seyntwarie to kepe, Lyf-holynesse and loue ■ ban ben longe bennes. And wole, lil hit be wered ont* or otherwise ychaunged. For-thy rebuke me ryght noubt ■ Reson, ich yow praye; For in my conscience ich knowe ■ what Crist wolde that

[ich wrouhte, Preyers of a parfyt man • and penaunce discret Vs the leueste labour ■ that oure lord pleseth, Non de solo « ich scide ■ » for sothe uiuit homo, Nec in pane et pabulo ■ the pater-noster witnesseth ; Fiat uoluntas tua * fynt ous aile thynges. »

Quath Conscience, « by Crist • ich can nat see tins

[lyeth; Ac it seracth nonlit parfytnesse ■ in cytees for to begge, Bote he be obediencer ■ to pryour olher to mynstre. » o That ys sotb », icb seide • « and so ich by-knowe, Tbat ich liane tynt tyme " and tyme mysspended ; And ynt icb hope, as bc ■ that ofte banetb chaffared, That ay hath lost and lost ■ and attc laste hym happed He bouhte suche a bargayii ■ be was the bet enere, And sette bus lost at a lef • at the laste ende, Such a wynnynge hym warth ■ thorw wordes of hus

[grâce ; Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in

[agro, etc.

Millier que inuenit dragmam unam, etc; So hope ich to haue ■ of hym that is al-myghty A gobet of hus grâce ■ and bygynne a tyme, That aile tymcs of my tyme ■ to profit sbal turne. » « Ich rede the », quath Reson tho • « râpe the to

[by-gynne The lyf that ys lowabie ■ and leel to the soûle ». « Ye and continue » ; quath Conscience ■ and to the

[kirke ich wente.

And to the kirke gan ich go ■ god to honourie, By-for the crois on my knees ■ knocked ich my brest, Sykyngc for my synncs ■ seggynge my pater-noster Wepynge and wailinge.