FRAGMENTS AUTOBIOGRAPHIQUES

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

[CornehuUe, Kytte and ich in a cote • clothed as a lollere, And lytel y-lete by • leyue me Ibr 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 fare, And no dede to do • bote drynke and to slepe. In hele and in vnite • on me aposede ; Romynge in remembraunce • thus Reson me arated. (( Canstow seruen, » he seide* « other syngen in a

[churche, Other coke for my cokers • other to the cart picche,

Mowe other mowen • other make bond to sheues, Repe other be a repereyue • and a-ryse erliche, Other haue an home and be hay warde • and liggen out 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 harwen • other sw^n other gees dryue, Hem that bedreden be • bylyue to fynde ? »

« Certes », ich seyde * « and so me god helpe, Ich am to waik to worche • with sykel other with sythe, And to long, leyf me • lowe for to stoupe, To worchen as a wofkeman • 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, Other beggest thy bylyue • a-boute at menne hacches, Other faitest vp-on frydays • other feste-dayes in churches, The whiche is loUarene lyf • that lytel ys preysed, Ther ryghtfulnesse rewardeth • ryght as men deserueth,

Reddit unicuique iuxta opéra sua, Other 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 sykcrest for the soûle • by so ich wolle continue, And yul fond ich neuere in failli • sytthen my frendes

[deyden, Lyf tliat me lyked • bote in thés longe clothes. Yf ich hy laboure sholde lyue • and lyflode deseruen, That labour tliat 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 lomes that ich laboure with • and lyflode 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 • voudien saf, ich

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

[mon the, Now with hym and now with hure* and thus-gatc ich

[beggc With-oute bagge other botel * bote my wombe one. And al-so more-ouer * me thynketh, syre Reson, Men sholde constreyne no clerke* to knawene werkes; For by the lawe of Leuitici * that oure lorde ordeynede, Clerkes that aren crouned * of kynde vnderstondyng Sholde nother swynke ne swete * ne swere at enquestes ; Ne fyghte in no vauntwarde * ne hus so greue ;

Non reddas malum pro malo.

For it ben aires of heuene * aile that ben crounode, And in queer and in kirkes * Cristes owene mynestres,

Dominus pars hereditatis mee; et alibi : Clementia

[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 he ycome were Of franklens and free men • and of folke yweddede. Bondmen and bastardes • and beggers children, Thuse by-longeth lo labour • and lordes kyn to seruen Bothe god and good men • as hère degree asketh ; Some to synge masses • other sitten and wryte, Rede and receyue • that reson ouhte to spende ; Ac sith bondemenne barnes • han be mad bisshopes, And barnes bastardes • han ben archidekenes, And sopers and hère sones • for seluer han be knyghtes, And lordene sones hère laborers : and leid hère rentes

[to 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 sholdcn

[fynde, Han mad hcre kyn knyghtes • and knyghtfees purchased, Popes and patrones • poure gentil blood refuseth, And taken Symondes sone • seyntwarie to kepe, Lyf-holynesse and loue • han ben longe bennes, And wolc, til hit be wered out* or otherwise ychaunged. For-thy rebuke me ryght nouht • Reson, ich yow praye; For in my conscience ich knowe • what Crist wolde that

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

252 LtPOPÉE MYSTIQUE.

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

[lyeth ; Ac it semeth nouht parfytnesse • in cytees for lo begge. Bote he be obediencer • lo pryour olher lo mynstre. »

« That ys soth », icli seide • « and so ich by-knowe, That ich haue lynt tyrae • and tyme mysspended ; And yut ich hope, as he • that ofte haueth chafiared, That ay hath lost and lost * and allé laste hym happed He bouhte suche a bargayn • he was Ihe bel euere, And sette bus lost at a lef * al the laste ende, Such a wynnynge hym wartb* thorw wordes of bus

[grâce ;

Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in

[ayro, etc.

Mulier que inuenit dragmam unam^ etc; So hope ich to haue • of hym that is al-myghty A gobet of bus grâce • and bygynne a tyme, That aile tymes of my tyme • to profit shal turne. »

« Ich rede the », quath Reson tho • a râpe the to

[by-gjTine The lyf that ys lowable • 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, Sykynge for my synnes • seggynge my pater-noster Wepynge and wailinge.