saiynges. Job saith of mannes person, thou haste putte his terme, whiche thou might nat passe. Than saye I that no man maye shorte ne length the daye, ordained of his doing, altho somtime to vs it semeth some man to do a thinge of free wil, wherthrowe his death he henteth."-"Nay forsothe" (quod she) "it is nothing ayenst my saiyng for God is nat begiled, ne he seeth nothing wheder it shall come of liberte or elles of necessite, yet it is said to be ordained at God immouable, which at man or it be done maye be chaunged. Soch thing also is that Poule the apostel saith of hem that tofore werne purposed to be saintes, as thus, whiche that God before wist, and hath predestined, conformes of ymages of his sonne, that he shuld ben the firste begeten, that is to say, here amonges many brethern, and whom he hath predestined, hem he hath cleped, and whom he hath cleped, hem he hath iustified, and whom he hath iustified, hem he hath magnified. This purpose after whiche thei been cleped sainctes, or holy in the euerlast

that men teacheth hem. I said therfore thy stocke must be strong, and in greatnes wel herted, the tre is ful feble that at the first dent faileth and al though frute faileth one yere or two, yet shall Soche a season come one time or other, that shall bring out frute, that is nothing preterit ne passed, ther is nothing futur ne coming but al thinges togider in that place ben present euerlasting without any meuing, wherfore to god al thing is as now : and though a thing be nat in kindly nature of thinges as yet, and if it should be herafter, yet euermore we shul saye god it maketh be time present, and nowe for no futur ne preterit in him may be found. Wherfore his wetinge and his before weting, is al one in vnderstanding. Than if weting and before wetinge of god putteth in necessite to al things which he wot or before wot ne thinge after eternite, or els after anye time he wol or doth of liberte, but al of necessite, which thing if thou wene it be ayenst reason nat thorowe necessite, to be or nat to be, all thinge that god wot or before wot, to be or nat to be, and yet nothing defendething present, where is neither time passed, ne time any thing to be wist or to be before wist of him in our coming, but euer it is onely present, and now as willes or our doinges to be done, or els comming to mokell a momente, as vii M. winter, and so ayenbe for fre arbitrement. Whan thou hast these de- ward withouten any meuing, is nothing iche temclaracions well vnderstande, than shalte thou finde porell presence, for thyng that there is euer preit resonable at proue, and that many thinges be nat sente. Yet emonges you men, ere it be in your thorowe necessite, but thorowe liberte of wil, saue presence, it is mouable through libertie of arbitrenecessite of freewil, as I tofore said: and as me ment. And right as in the euerlastyng present, thinketh al vtterly declared."-" Me thinketh no maner thing was, ne shal be, but onely is, and lady" (quod I)" so I shoulde you nat displease, now here in your temporel time, some thing was and euermore your reuerence to kepe, that these and is, and shal be, but mouyng stoundes, and in thinges contrarien in any vnderstandynge, for ye this is no maner repugnaunce. Right so in the sain somtyme is thorowe lybertye of wyll, and also euerlastyng presence, nothing maie be chaunged: thorowe necessite. Of this haue I yet no sauour, and in your temporel time, other while it is proued without better declaracion."-"What wonder" mouable, by libertie of will, or it be doe, withouten (quod she)" is there in these thinges, sithen al day any inconuenience thereof to folow. In your temthou shalt se at thine eye, in manye thinges receiuen porell tyme is no soche presence, as in the other, in hem selfe reuers, thorowe diuers reasons, as thus. for your presente is dooen, whan passed and to I pray the" (quod she) “ whiche thinges been more come ginnen entre, which times here emongs you, reuers than comen and gone: for if I bidde thee euerich easily foloweth other, but the presente come to me, and thou come, after whan I bid the euerlastyng, dureth in onehed, withouten any imgo and thou go, thou reuersest fro thy firste com- aginab'e changing, aud euer is presente and nowe. minge."-"That is sothe" (quod I)" and yet" Truly the course of the planettes, and ouerwhelm(quod she)" in thy firste alone by diuers reason inges, of the Sonne, in daies and nightes, with a was full reuersinge to vnderstand:"-" As how" newe ginning of his circuite after it is ended, that (quod I). "That shall I shewe the" (quod she) is to sain, one yere to folowe an other. These "by ensample of thinges that haue kindly mouing. maken your transitorie times, with chaungyng of Is there any thing that meueth more kindly than liues, and mutacion of people. But right as your doth the heuens iye, which I clepe the Sonne." temporell presence, coueiteth euery place, and all "Sothely" (quod I) "me semeth it most kindely thinges in euery of your times be contained, and to moue."--"Thou saiest soth" (quod she). "Than as now both sey and wist to Gods very knowing." if thou loke to the Sonne, in what parte he be vnder -"Than" (quod I) "me wondreth why Poule heuen, euermore he heigheth him in mouinge fro spake these wordes, by voice of significacion in thilke place, and heigheth meuinge towarde the time passed, that God his sainctes before wist, hath ilke same place, to thilke place from whiche he predestined, hath cleped, hath iustified, and hath gothe he heigheth comming, and without any magnified: me thinketh he should haue said tho ceasinge to that place he neigheth from which he wordes in time present, and that had been more is chaunged and withdraw. But now in these accordaunte, to the euerlasting presente, than to thinges after diuersite of reason, reuers in one haue spoke in preterit voice of passed vnderstandthing may be sey without repugnaunce. Wher-yug."-" O” (quod Loue) "by these wordes, I fore in the same wise, without any repugnaunce by my reasones to fore maked, all is one to beleue, somthing to be thorow necessite comminge for it is coming, and yet with no necessite constrained to be comminge, but with necessite that comethe out of freewill, as I haue said." Tho list me a litel to speke, and gan stint my penne of my writing, and said in this wise. "Trewly lady as me thinketh, I can allege authoritees great that contrarien your

se well thou hast litle vnderstanding of the euerlasting presence, or els of my before spoken wordes, for neuer a thing of tho thou haste nempned, was to fore other, or after other, but al atones eueliche, at the God been, and al togider in the euerlasting presente, bee now to vnderstandyng, the eternall presence, as I saied, hath inclose togider in one, all tymes, in whiche close and one all thinges, that been in diuers times, and in diuers places temporel

And

"Thou haste" (quod she) "in a few wordes, we'l and clerely concluded mokell of my matter. right as there is no reuers, ne contrariouscie in the doinges, right so withouten any repugnaunce, it is saied, some thyng to be mouable in time tempore, and for it be, that in eternitie dwelleth immouable, not afore it bee, or after that it is, but without cessing, for right naught is there after time that same is there euerlastyng, that temporaliche sometyme nis, and toforne it bee, it maie not be, as I haue saied,"-" Now sothly" (quod I) "this have I well vnderstande, so that now me thinketh that prescience of God, and fre arbitrement withouten any repugnaunce accorden, and that maketh the strength of eternitie, whiche encloseth by presence, duryng all tymes, and all thynges that been, ban been, and shull been in any tyme.

without posteriorite or priorite, been closed therin now ginnest thou able to haue the name of my perpetuall nowe, and make to dwell in present seruaunt. Thy wit is clered, awaie is now error sight. But there thou saicst that Poule should of cloud in unconnyng, awaie is blindnesse of lone, haue spoke thilke forsaid sentence be time pre-awaie is thoughtfull study, of medling maner sent, and that moste should haue been accordaunt, hastlie shalte thou entre into the ioye of me that to the euerlasting presence, why gabbest thou to am thine owne maistres. thy wordes? Sothlie I saie Poule moued the wordes, by significacion of time passed, to shewe fullie that thilke wordes, wer not put for temporell significacion, for al thilke time wer not thilk sentence temporalliche borne, which that Poule pronounced, God haue tofore know, and haue cleped than magnified, wherthrough it maie well be know, that Poule vsed tho wordes of passed significacion, for nede and lacke of a worde in mans bodily speach, betokening the euerlasting presence. And therfore word is most semelich in likenesse to euerlasting presence, he tooke his sentence for thinges, that here beforne been passed, vtterly be immouable, ilike to the euerlasting presence. As thilke that been, there neuer mowe not been present, so thinges of time passed, ne mo in no wise not been passed but all thinges in you temporall, presence that passen in a litle while, shullen been not present. So than in that it is more similitude to the euerlastyng presence, significacion of tyme passed, that of time temporall presente, and so more in accordaunce. In this maner what thynge of these that been dooen through free arbitrement, or els as necessarie, holy writ pronounceth, after eternitie he speaketh, in whiche presence is euerlastyng soth, and nothing but soth immouable, that after tyme, in which naught alwaie been your willes and your actes, and right as while thei be not, it is not nedefull, hem to be: so oft it is not nedeful, that sometyme thei should be."-" As how" (quod I)" for yet must I be lerned, by some ensample."-" Of loue" (quod she) "wol I now ensample make, sithen I knowe the hed knot in that yelke. Lo, sometyme thou writest no arte, ne arte than in no wil to write, and right as while thou writest not, or els wolt not write, it is not nedefulltion assoiled. Certainly his noble saiyngs, can I not the to write, or els wiln to write.

"And for to make the know vtterly, that thynges been otherwise in the euerlastyng presence, than in temporall time: se now my good child, for somthing is in the euerlasting presence, than in temporal tyme, it was not in eternitie tyme, in eterne presence shall it not be. Than no reason defendeth, that some thing ne maie be in tyme temporell mouing, that in eterne is immouable. Forsothe it is no more contrary ne reuers, for to be mouable in time temporell, and mouable in eternitie, than not to be in any tyme, and to be alwaie in eternitie, and haue to be, or els to come in tyme temporell, and not haue bee, ne nought commyng to be in eternitie. Yet neuer the later, I saie not somethyng to bee neuer in tyme temporell, that euer is eternitie, but all onely in sometyme not to bee. For I saie not thy loue to morne in no time to be, but to daie alone I deny ne it to bee, and yet neuer the later, it is alway in eternitie."

"Also" (quod I) "it semeth to me, that commyng thyng, or els passed, here in your temporall tyme to bee, in eternitie euer now, and present oweth not to be demed, and yet foloweth not thilke thing, that was or els shall be, in no maner therto been passed, or els coming: than vtterly shull wee deny, for there without ceasing, it is in his present maner”—“O” (quod she) "myne owne disciple, |

"I would now" (quod I) "a little vnderstande, sithen that all thynge thus beforne wotte, whether thilke wetyng be of tho thynges, or els thine thynges been to been of Gods wetyng, and so of God nothyng is: and if euery thing bee through Gods weting, and thereof take his being, than should God bee maker and aucthour of badde werkes, and so he should not rightfully punishe euill doinges of mankinde." (Quod Loue)" I shall tel thee, this lesson to learne, myne owe true seruaunte, the noble philosophicall poete, in Englishe, whiche euermore hym busieth and trauaileth right sore, my name to encrease, wherefore all that willen me good, owe to doe him worship and reuerence both, truly his better ne his pere, in schole of my rules coud I never finde: “He" (quod she) “ in a treatise that he made of my seruaunt Troilus, hath this matter touched, and at the full this ques

amend in goodnes of geutil manlich spech, without any mauer of nicitie of staricres imaginacion, in wit and in good reason of sentence, he passeth al other makers. In the boke of Troilus, the answer to thy question maiest thou lerne, neuer the later, yet maie lightly thine vnderstanding, somdeale been learned, if thou haue knowyng of these to formsaid thinges, with that thou haue vnderstanding, of two the last chapiters of this second boke, that is to saie, good to be some thing, and bad to want al maner being, for badde is nothyng els, but absence of good, and that God in good, maketh that good deedes been good, in euill be maketh that thei been but naught, that thei been bad: for to nothing is badnesse to bee."—" I have (quod I tho) "inough knowing therein, me needeti of other thinges to heare, that is to sale, how! shall come to my blisse so long desired."

"In this matter to forne declared" (quod Loue) "I haue wel shewed, that euery man hath free arbitrement of thinges in his power to doe, or VRdoe what hym liketh. Out of this ground must come the spire, that by proeesse of tyme, shall in greatnesse sprede, to haue branches and blosomes, of waxyng fruicte in grace, of whiche the taste and the sanour, is endelesse blisse in ioye ener onbide."

is in the soule, whiche he vseth thinges to knowe and to proue, and will, whiche he vseth to wilne: And yet is neither wille ne reason all the soule, but eueriche of hem is a thing by hymself in the soule. And right as euerich hath thus singuler instrumentes by hem self, thei han as well diuers aptes, and diuers maner vsynges, and thilk aptes mowen in will been cleped affeccions. Affeccion is an instrument of willyng in his apetites. Wheresoule, any thing feruently wilneth, affectuously he wilneth, and thus maie wille by terme of equiuocas, in three waies been vnderstande: one is instrument of willyng, an other is affeccion of this instrument: and the third is vse, that setteth it a werke. Instrumente of willing is the ilke strength of the soul, which thee constraineth to wiln, right as reason is instrument of reasons, which ye vsen whan ye loken. Affeccion of this instrument is a thing, by whiche ye be drawe desirously any thing, to wilne in coueitous maner, all bee it for the time out of your mind: as if it come in your thought thilk thing to remember, anon ye been willing thilke to doen, or els to haue. And thus is instru

"Now ladie" (quod I)" that tree to sette faine | would I learne."-"So thou shalte" (quod she) "ere thou departe hence. The firste thynge thou must set thy werke on ground siker and good, accordaunte to thy springes. For if thou desire grapes thou goest not to the hasell, ne for to fetchen roses, thou sekest not on okes: and if thou shalt haue honie soukels, thou leauest the fruict of the soure docke. Wherfore if thou desire this blisse in parfite ioye, thou must set thy purpose therfore mokell folke saine, if a reasonable creatures vertue foloweth, and not to loke after the bodily goodes, as I saied whan thou were writyng in thy seconde booke. And for thou hast set thy self in so noble a place, and vtterly lowed in thine herte, the misgoyng of thy firste purpose, this setteles is the easier to spring, and the more lighter thy soule in grace to bee lissed. And truely thy desire, that is to saie, thy will, algates mote been stedfast in this matter, without any chaunging, for if it be sted faste, no man maie it voide"-" Yes parde" (quod I)" my will maie been tourned by frendes, and disease of manace, and threatning in lesing of my life, and of my limmes, and in many other wise, that now cometh not to minde. And also it mote ofte been out of thought, for no remembrauncement will, and affeccion is will also, to wilne thing maie hold one thyng continuelly in herte, bee it as I saied: as for to wilne helth, whan will nothyng neuer so lustie desired."-" Nowe see" (quod she) theron thinketh for anone as it cometh to memorie, "thou thy will shall followe, thy frewill to bee it is in wil, and so is affeccion to wiln slepe, whan grounded, continuelly to abide: is thy frewill it is out of minde, but anon as it is remembred wil that thou louest and haste loued, and yet shalt wilneth slepe, whan his time cometh of the doing. louen this Margarite perle, and in thy wil thou For affeccion of wil, neuer accordeth to sicknesse, thinkeste to holde it. Than is thy will knitte in ne alwaie to wake. Right so in a true louers loue, not to chaunge for no newe luste beside: this affeccion of willing instrument, is to wilne truthe will teacheth thyne herte, from all maner variyng.in his seruice, and this affeccion alway abideth, alBut than althoughe thou be threatened in death, or els in otherwise, yet is it in thin arbitrement to chose, thy loue to voide, or els to holde: and thilke arbitremente is in a maner a judgemente, bitwene desire and thy herte. And if thou deme to loue, thy good wil faileth, than art thou worthy no blisse, that good will shuld deserue and if thou ehose continuaunce in thy good seruice, than thy will abideth, nedes blisse folowyng of thy good will, muste come by strengthe of thilke iudgement: for thy firste will that naught thine herte to abide and halt it from theschange, with thy reason is accorded. Truly this maner of will thus shall abide, impossible it were to turne if thy herte be true, and if euery man be diligently, the meanynges of his will consider, he shall well vnderstande, that good will knit with reason, but in a false herte neuer is voided: for power and might of keping this good wil, is through libertie of arbitrement in herte, but good wil to kepe maie not faile. Eke than if it faile, it sheweth self, that good will in keping is not there. And thus false will that putteth out the good, anone constraineth the herte, to accorde in louyng of thy good will, and this accordaunce bitwene false wille and thyne herte, in falsitie been likened togither. Yet a little woll I saie thee, in good wille, thy good willes to raise and strength. Take hede to me" (quod she) "howe thy willes thou shalte vnderstande. Right as ye han in your bodie diuers members, and fiue sondrie wittes, eueriche aparte to his owne doyng, whiche thynges as instrumentes ye vsen, as your handes apart to handle, feete to goe, tongue to speake, iye to see: right so the soule, hath in hym certaine sterynges and strengthes, whiche he vseth as instrumentes, to his certain doynges. Reason

though he be sleping or thretned, or els not thereon thinkyng, but anone as it cometh to minde, anone he is stedfast in that will to abide. Use of this instrument forsoth is an other thing, by hymself, and that haue ye not but whan ye be doyng, in willed thing by affecte or instrument of will, purposed or desired, and this maner of vsage in my seruice, wisely nedeth to be ruled, from waiters with enuie closed from speakers full of iangeling wordes, from proude folke and hautin, that lambes and innocentes both scornen and dispisen. Thus in doyng, varieth the actes of willing eueriche from other, and yet ben thei cleped wil, and the name of will vtterly owen thei to baue, as instrument of wil is will, whan ye turne into purpose of any thing to doen, be it to sit or to stande, or any soche thing els. This instrument maie been had, although affecte and vsage be left out of doyng, right as ye haue sight and reason, and yet alway vse ye greatest wisedome in hem shall he be, and thei in God. Nowe than whan all false folke be ashamed, which wenen al bestialtie and yerthly thing, be swetter and better to the body, than heauenly is to the soule: this is the grace and the fruict that I long haue desired, it doth me good the sauour to smel. Christe now to thee I crie of mercie and of grace, and graunte of thy goodnes to euery maner reder, full vuderstanding in this leud pamflet to haue, and let no man wene other cause in this werke, than is verily the soth: for enuy is euer redy all innocentes to shend, wherfore I would that good speach enuie euermore hinder. But no man wene this werke be sufficiently maked, for Gods werke passeth mans, no mannes wit to parfit werke maie by no waie puruaie thende: how shold I than so leude, aught wene of

perfeccion any ende to get? neuerthelater grace, and with cloude of vnconning, that stoppeth the

glorie, and laude, I yelde and put with worshipful reuerenced, to the sothfast God in thre, with vnitie closed, whiche that the heuie langor of my sicknesse, hath tourned into mirth of health to recouer: for right as I was sorowed, through the gloten cloud of manifold sickly sorowe, so mirth ayen coming health hath me gladed and greatly comforted. I beseche and praie therfore, and I crie on Gods greate pitie, and on his mokell mercie, that this present scorges of my flesh, mow make medicine, and leche craft of my inner mans health, so that my passed trespas and tenes through wepyng of myne iyes been washe, and I voided from al maner disease, and no more to wepe hereafter, I now be kept thorow Gods grace: so that Gods hand which thee merciably me hath scorged, hereafter in good plite, from thence merciably me kepe and defende. In this booke be many priuie thinges wimpled and fold, vnneth shull leude men the plites vnwinde, wherefore I praie to the Holy Ghoste, lene of his ointmentes, mennes wittes to clere, and for Gods loue no man wonder, why or how this question cum to my minde, for my great lustie desire was of this ladie to been enformed, my leudnesse to amende. Certes I know not other mens wittes, what I should aske, or in answere, what I should saie, I am so leude my self, that mokell more learnyng, yet me behoueth. I haue made therfore as I could, but not sufficiently as I would, and as matter yaue me sentence, for my dul wit is hindred, by stepmother of foryetyng,

light of my Margarite perle, wherfore it maie ot shine on me as it should. I desire not onely a good reader, but also I coueite and praie a good booke amender, in correccion of wordes, and of sentence: and onely this mede I coueite for my trauaile, that euery inseer and herer of this leude fantasie, deuoute horisons, and praiers, to God the greate iudge yelden, and praien for me, in that wise that in his dome, my sinnes mow been released and foryeuen: he that praieth for other, for hymself trauaileth. Also I praie that euery man parfitelie mowe knowe, through what intencion of herte, this treatise haue I drawe. Now was it the sightfull manna in desert, to children of Israel was spirituell meate bodily also it was, for mennes bodies it norisheth. And yet neuer the later, Christe it signified. Right so a iewell betokeneth a gemme, and that is a stone vertuous, or els a perle. Margarite a woman betokeneth grace, learnyng, or wisedome of God, or els holie Churche If bread through vertue is made holie fleshe, what is that our God saith? It is the spirit that yeueth life, the fleshe of nothyng it profiteth. Fleshe is fleshly vnderstanding: fleshe without grace and loue naughte is worthe. The letter sleeth, the spirite yeueth lifelich vnderstandyng. Charite is loue and lone is charitie, God graunte vs al therein to be frended. And thus the Testament of Loue is ended.

HERE ENDETH THE TESTAMENT OF LOUE

END OF THE PROSE WORKS OF CHAUCER.