list into your seruice any entree make: for truely all this to begin, I wote well my self, that thilke iewell is so precious perle, as a womanly woman in her kinde, in whom of goodnesse, of vertue, and also of aunswering, shappe of limmes, and fetures so well in all poinctes accordyng, nothing faileth I leue that kinde her made with greate studie, for kinde in her persone nothyng hath foryet, and that is well seen. In euery good wightes herte, she hath grace of commendyng, and of vertuous praisyng. Alas that euer kinde inade her deadlie, saue onelie in that I wot well, that nature in formyng of her in notbyng hath erred."

is icleaped goodnesse, after comparison that he hath to his first goodnesse, so as it is inductatife, by meanes into the firste goodnesse. Boece sheweth this thing at the full, that this name good, is in generall name in kinde, as it is comparisoned generally to his principalle ende, whiche is God, knotte of all goodnes. Enery creature crieth God vs made, and so thei han full apeted to thilke God by affeccion, soche as to hem belongeth: and in this wise all thynges been good, of the greate God, whiche is good alone."-" This wonder thing” (quod f) "how ye haue by many reasons proued, my first waie to bee errour and misgoyng, and cause of badnesse and feble meanyng, in the ground ye aledged to be rooted: whence is it, that soche badnesse hath springes, sithen all thinges thus in generall ben good, and badnesse hath no beyng, as ye haue declared: I wene if all thynges been good, I might than with the firste waie, in that good haue ended, and so by goodnesse haue comen to blisse in your seruice desired."—" All thing" (quod she) is good by beyng in participacion, out of the first goodnesse, which goodnesse is corrupte by badnesse, and bad meanyng maners: God hath in good thynges, that thei been good by beyng, and not in euil, for there is absence of rightfull lone, for badnesse is nothing only but euil wil of the vser, and through giltes of the doer, wherefore at the ginning of the worlde, euery thing by himself was good, and in vniuersall thei werne right good. An iye or a hande is fairer, and better in a bodie sette in his kindlie place, than from the bodie disceuered. Euery thing in his kindlie place beyng kindlie, good doth werche, and out of that place voided it dissolueth and is defouled hym selue. Our noble God in gliterande wise by armonie this worlde ordeined, as in purtreitures, storied with colours medled, in whiche blacke, and other darcke colours, commenden the golden and the assured painture, euery put in kindely place, one beside an other, more for other glitereth: right so little faire, maketh right faire more glorious, and right so of goodnes, and of other thynges in vertue. Wherefore other bad, and not so good perles as this Margarite, that we han of this matter, yeuen by the aire littie goodnesse, and little vertue, righte mokell goodnesse and vertue in thy Margarite to been proued, in shining wise to be found and shewed. How shuld euer goodnes of peace haue ben knowe, but if vnpeace somtime reigne, and mokell euill wrothe? How should mercie been proued, and no trespasse were, by due iustificacion to be punished? Therefore grace and goodnesse of a wighte is founde, the sorowful hertes in good meaning to endure, been comforted, vnite, and accorde betwene hertes knitte in ioye to abide.

"CERTES" (quod Loue) "thou haste well begonne, and I aske thee this question: Is not in generalle euery thyng good?"—" I not" (quod I). "No" (quod she) "saue not God euerie thing that he made, and werne righte good."-Than is wonder" (quod I) "howe euillthynges commen a place, sithen that all thinges weren right good." “Thus" (quod she) "I woll declare eueriche qualitie, and euery accion, and euery thing that hath any maner of beyng, it is of God, and God it made, of whom is all goodnesse, and all be yng, of hym is no badnesse: badde to bee is naught good to be is somewhat, and therfore good and beeyng, is in one in vnderstanding."—" How maie this bee" (quod I) "for often han shrewes me assailed, and mokell badnesse therein haue I founden, and so me semeth bad, to bee somewhat in kinde."-" Thou shalt" (quod she) vnderstande that soche maner badnesse, which is vsed to purifie wrong doers is somewhat, and God it made, and beeyng hath, and that is good: other badness no beyng hath vtterlie, it is in the negatiue of somewhat and that is naughte, and nothinge beyng. The parties essencial of beyng, arne saied in double wise, as that it is, and these parties been found in euery creature, for all thing a this halfe the firste beyng, is beyng through participacion, taking partie of being, so that euery creature is difference, betwen beyng, and of him through whom it is and his owne beyng: right as euery good is a maner of beyng, so is it good through beyng, for it is naught other to be: and euery thing though it be good, it is not of hymself good, but it is good by that, it is ordinable to the greate goodnes. This dualitie after clerkes determission, is founden in euery creature, bee it neuer so single of onhed." -"Ye" (quod I) "but there as it is isaied, that God saue euery thyng of his makyng, and were right good, as your self said to me, not long tyme sithen. I aske whether euery creature is isaid good, through goodnesse vnformed, either els formed, and afterwarde if it be accepte vtterly good?"-" I shall saie thee" (quod she) "these greate passed clerkes, han deuided good, in to good being alone, and that is nothing but good, for nothyng is good in that wise, but God. Also in good by participacion, and that is cleaped good, for farre fette, and representative of goodlie good-haue grace to been suffered: or els bym that nesse, and after this manifolde good is said, that is to saie, good in kinde, and good in gendre, and good of grace, and good of ioye.

“Of good in kind Augustine saith, all that been, been good but peraunter thou wouldest wete, whether of hemself it bee good, or els of an others goodnes, for naturell goodnesse of euery substaunce, is nothing els than his substaunciall beyng, whiche

"What wenest thou that I reioce, or els accoumpte hym emong my seruauntes, that pleaseth Pallas, in vndoyng of Mercurie, all be it that to Pallas he be knitte by title of lawe, not accordyng to the reasonable conscience: and Mercurie in dooyng,

weneth the Moone, for fairenesse of the eue sterre. Lo, otherwhile by nightes light of the Moone, greatlie comforteth in darcke thoughtes and blinde. Understandyng of loue, yeueth greate gladnesse: who so liste no bileue, whan a soth tale is shewed adewe and a deblis his name is entred. Wise folke and worthie in gentillesse, bothe of vertue and of liuyng, yeuen full credence in sothenes of loue

with a good herte, there as good euidence or ex- | fained, not clothed of my liuery, but vnleful lustie perience in doinge, shewethe not the contrarie. habite, with softe speche and mery, and with faire Thus mightest thou haue ful prefe in thy Marga-honied wordes heretikes and misse mening people, rites goodnesse, by commendement of other iewels badnesse, and yueluesse in doinge. Stoundemele diseases yeueth seuerall houres in ioye."

"Nowe by my trouthe" (quod I) "this is wel declared that my Margarite is good, for sythen other been good, and she passeth many other in goodnes and vertue, wherthrough by maner necessarye she muste be good: and goodnesse of this Margarite is nothinge elles but vertue, wherfore she is vertuous, and if there failed anye vertue in anye side, there were lacke of vertue: badde nothinge els is ne maye bee: but lacke and wante of good and goodnesse, and so shoulde she haue that same lacke, that is to sayne badde, and that maye not be, for she is good, and that is good me thinketh all good: and so by consequence me semeth vertuous, and no lacke of vertue to haue. But the Sonne is not know but he shine, ne vertuous herbes but they haue hir kinde werchinge, ne vertue but it stretche in goodnesse or profite to another, is no vertue. Than by al waies of reason, sithen mercie and pite ben moste commended amonge other vertues, and they might neuer been shewed refreshement of helpe and of comforte, but nowe at my moste uede, and that is the kinde werkinge of these vertues: trewly I wene I shall not varie from these helpes.

"Fyre and if he yeue none heate, for fire is not demed. The Sonne but he shine, for sonne is not accompted. Water but it wete, the name shal ben chaunged. Uertue but it werche, of goodnes dothe it faile, and in to his contrarie the name shal be reuersed, and these been impossible: wherfore the contradictory that is necessarie, nedes must I leue."-"Certes" (quod she) "in thy person and out of thy mouth these wordes lien well to ben said, and in thine vnderstandinge to be leued, as in entent of this Margarite alone: and here now my spech in conclusion of these wordes.

"In these thynges" (quod she) "that me list nowe to shewe openly, shal be founde the matter of thy sickeness, and what shal been the medicin that maye be thy sorowes lisse and comfort, as well thee as all other that amisse haue erred, and out of the waye walked, so that any drop of good will in amendement ben dwelled in their hertes. Prouerbes of Salomon openly teacheth, how somtime an innocent walkid by the waye in blindenesse of a derke night, whome mette a woman (if it be lefely to saye) as a strumpete araied redily purneied in turning of thoughtes with veine ianglinges, and of reste inpacient dissimulacion of my termes, saiyng in this wise: come and be we dronken of our swete pappes, vse we coueitous collinges. And thus drewen was this innocente, as an oxe to the larder.”—“Lady" (quod 1)" to me this is a queinte thinge to vnderstande: I praye you of this parable declare me the entente." "This innocente" (quod she)" is a scholer lerninge of my lore, in seching of my blisse, in which thinge the daye of his thought turninge enclineth in to eue, and the sonne of verye light failinge, maketh darke night in his conninge. Thus in derkenesse of manye doutes he walketh, and for blindenesse of vnderstanding, he ne wote in what way he is in: forsothe soche one may lightly ben begiled. To whome came loue VOL. I.

skleren and wimplen their errours. Austen withnesseth of an heretike that in his firste beginninge, he was a man right experte in reasons, and swete in his wordes and the werkes miscorden. Thus fareth fayned loue in her first werchinges: thou knowest these thinges for trewe, thou hast hem proued by experience. Somtime in doinge to thin owne person, in whiche thing thou haste founde matter of mokel disease. Was not fained loue redily purueied, thy wittes to cath and tourne thy good thoughtes? trewly she hath wounded the conscience of manye, with florishinge of mokell ianglinge wordes and good worthe thanked I it for no glose, I am gladde of my prudence thou haste so mauly her veined. To me arte thou moche holden, that in thy kinde course of good meaninge I returne thy minde: I trowe ne had I shewed the thy Margarite, thou haddest neuer returned. Of firste in good perfite ioye was euer fayned loue impacient, as the water of Syloe, which euer more floweth with stilnesse and priui noise tyl it come ❘nyghe the brinke, and than ginneth it so out of measure to bolne, with nouelleries of chaungynge stornes, that in course of euery renninge, it is in pointe to spil al his circuit of cankes. Thus fained loue priuely at the fullest of his flowinge, newe stormes debate to araise. And al be it that Mercurius often with hole vnderstanding, knowen soche perillous matters, yet veneriens so lustie ben and so leude in their wyttes, that in soche thinges right litel or haught don they fele, and writen and cryen to their felowes: here is blisse, here is ioye, and thus in to one same errour, mokel folke they drawen. Come they saine, and be we dronken of our pappes, that ben fallas and liyng glose, of whiche nowe they not souke mylke of helthe, but deedly venym and poison, corrupcion of sorowe. Mylke of fallas, is venym of disceite: mylke of liynge glose is venym of corrupciou. Lo what thinge cometh out of these pappes: vse we coueited collinges, desire we and meddle we false wordes with sote, and sote with false, truely this is the sorinesse of fained loue, nedes of these surfettes, sikenesse must folow. Thus as an oxe to thy langoryng deth wer thou drawen, the sote of the smoke hath the al defased. Euer the deper thou somtime wadest, the soner thou it founde: yf it had thee killed it had be litell wonder. But on that other side my trewe seruaunt not faynen ne disceiue conne, sothly their doing is open, my foundement endureth, be the burthen neuer so greate, euer in one it lasteth: it yeueth lyfe and blisfull goodnesse in the last endes, though the ginninges ben sharpe. Thus of two contraries, contrarie ben the effectes. And so thilke Margarite thou seruest, shal sene the by her seruice, out of perillous tribulacion delyuered, bycause of her seruice in to newe disease fallen, by hope of amendemente in the laste ende, with ioye, to be gladded, wherfore of kinde pure, her mercy with grace of good helpe, shall she graunt, and elles I shal her so straine, that with pite shall she ben amaistred. Remembre in thine herte howe horrible somtyme to thine Margarite thou trespasest, and in a great wise ayenst her thou forfeitest: clepe ayen thy minde, and knowe thine owne gyltes. What goodnes, what bountie, with mokell folowing pyte founde thou in that tyme? Kk

where thou not goodly accepted in to grace? By my pluckynge was she to foryeuenesse enclined. And after I her stired to drawe the to house, and yet wendest thou vtterlie for euer haue ben refused. But wel thou woste, sithen that I in soche sharpe disease might so greatelye auayle, what thinkeste in thy wyt? Howe ferre maye my witte stretche? and thou lach not on thy side I wol make the knotte: certes in thy good bering I woll accorde with the psauter. I haue founde Dauid in my seruice true, and with holy oyle of peace and of rest longe by him desired, vtterly he shal be anoynted. Truste wel to me, and I wol thee not faile. The lening of the first way wyth good herte of continuaunce, that I se in the grounded, this purpose to parfourme, draweth my by maner of constraininge, that nedes must I ben thine helper: athough mirthe a whyle be taryed, it shal come at soche ceason, that thy thought shall been joyed, and welde newer God, sithen thyne herte to my reasones arne asseuted, and openly haste confessed thyne amisse goynge, and nowe criest after mercy but yf mercy folowed: thy blisse shall ben redy ywis, thou ne wost how sone.

"Nowe be a good chylde I rede. The kind of vertues in thy Margaryte rehersed, by strength of me in thy persone shul werche. Comfort the in thys, for thou mayst not miscarie." And these wordes said, she streight her on length and rested a while.

THUS ENDETH THE SECOnde booke, AND HERE AFTER
FOLOWETH THE THIRDE BOOKE.

as in the firste erroure of misse going is shewed with sorowful pine, punished is cried after mercie. In the seconde is grace in good waye proued, which is failing without deserte, thilke first misse amending in correction of tho errours and euen waye to bringe with comforte of welfare, in to amendemente wexinge. And in the thirde ioye and blisse, graunted to him that wel eanne deserue it, and hath sauour of vnderstanding in the tyme of grace. Thus in ioye of my thirde booke shall the matter be till it ende. But speciall cause I baue in my herte to make this processe of a Margarit perle, that is so precious a gemme with clere and litell of whiche stones or ́iewel, the tonges of vs English people tourneth the right names, and clepeth hem Margeryte perles: thus varieth our spech from many other langages. For trewely Latin, Frenche, and many mo other langages cleapeth hem Margery perles, the name Margarite or Margrit peerles: wherfore in that denominacion I woll me accorde to other mens tonges, in that name cleping. These clerkes that treaten of kindes, and studien out the propertie ther of thinges, saine the Margarit is a lytel white perle, throughout holow and rounde, and vertuous, and on the see sides in the more Britain in muskle shelles of the heuenly dewe the best ben engendred: in which by experience ben founde thre faire vertues. One is it, yeueth comforte to the felynge spirites in bodily persones of reason. Another is good, it is profitable helth ayenst passions of sorie mens hertes. And the thirde it is nedefull and noble in staunchinge of bloode, there elles to moche wolde out ren. To which perle and vertues me list to liken at this tyme philosophie, hye with her thre speces, that is naturell and moral, and resonable: of which thinges hereth what sain these great clerkes. Philosophie is knowinge of deuinly and manly thinges ioyned with studie of good liuing, and this staute in two thinges, that is conninge and opinion: conninge is whan a thing by certaine reason is conceiued. But wretches, and fooles and leude men, many wil conceiue a thing and maintain it as for a sothe, though reason be in the contrarie, wherfore conEnsample by this worlde in thretymes is deuided: ninge is a straunger. Opinion is while a thing is of whiche the firste is cleaped Demacian, that is in non certaine, and hidde frome mens very knowto say, going out of trew waye, and all that tho leginge, and by no parfite reason fully declared, as dieden, in Hell were thy punished for a mannes thus: if the Sonne be so mokel as men wenen, or sinne, tyl grace and mercy fette hem thence, and els if it be more than the Erthe. For in sothnes there ended the first time. The second time lasteth the certaine quantite of that planet is wnknowen to from the comming of merciable grace, vntyl the erthly dwellers, and yet by opinion of some menne ende of transitorie time, in which is shewed the it is holden for more than midde erth. The firste true way in fordoinge of the badde, and that is spece of philosophye is naturel, which in kindely yeleped tyme of grace and that thinge is not thingnes treaten, and sheweth causes of Henen, yeuen by deserte of yeldinge, one benefite for ano- and strength of kindely course: as by arsmetrike, ther, but onely through goodnesse of the yeuer geometry, musike, and by astronomye, techeth of grace in thilke tyme. Who so can wel vnder- waies and course of Heuens, of planetes and of stand, is shapen to be saued in souled blysse. The sterres aboute Heuen and Erthe, and other elethirde tyme shal gine whan transitorie thinges of mentes. The seconde spece is morall, whiche in worldes han made their ende, and that shal been order of liuing maners teacheth, and by reason in ioye, glory, and rede both body and soule, that proueth vertues of soule moste worthy in our wel han deserued in the time of grace. And thus liuing, whiche been prudence, iustice, temperaunce, in that Heuen togither shul they dwel perpetuelli, and strength. Prudence is goodly wisedome in without any ymaginatife yuel in any halue. These knowinge of thinges. Strength voydeth al aduertimes are figured by tho thre dayes, that our God sitees aliche euen. Temperaunce distroieth bestiall was closed in yerthe, and in the thirde arose shew-lyuing with easie bearing. And iustice right fully inge our resurrection, to ioy and blisse of tho that it deseruen, by his merciable grace. So this leude booke in thre matters accordaunt to tho tymes, lightely by a good inseer maye been vnderstande,

BOOK III.

Or nombre saine these clerkes that it is naturel some of discret thinges, as in tellinge one two, thre, and so forth: but among all nombres thre is determined for moste certain. Wherfore in nombre certaine this werke of my besye leudenesse, I thynke to ende and parfourme.

iudgeth, and iudginge departeth to enery wight that that is his owne. The thirde spece tourneth in to reason of vnderstanding, al thinges to be said soth and discussed, and that in two thinges is

い

reson,

or by mede, but if mercie weyue the paine: so than be parte, reasonfulli maye be sey, that mercy both right and lawe passeth, thentent of al these matters, is the lest clere vnderstanding, to weten at thende of thys thirde booke ful knowinge thorow Goddes grace, I thinke to mak neuerthelater, yet if these thinges han a good and a sleght inseer whiche that canne souke hony of the hard stone, oyle of the drie rocke, may lyghty fele nobley of matter in my leude ymaginacion closed.

"But for my booke shall be of ioye (as I said) and I so ferre set fro thylke place, fro whens gladnes should come, my corde is to short to let my boket ought catche of that water, and fewe menne bee abouten my cordé to eche and many in ful purpose ben redy it shorter to make, and to enclose thenter, that my boket of ioye nothinge shuld catch, but empty returne, my carefull sorowes to encrease, and if I die for pain, that wer gladnes at their hertes. Good lord send me water into the cop of these mountaines, and I shall drinke therof my thrustes to stanch: and sey these be comfortable welles in to helth of goodnes of my sauiour am I holpen. And yet I say more, the house of ioy to me is not opened. How dare my sorowful goost than in any mater of gladnesse thynken to trete? for euer sobbynges and complaintes be redy refrete in his meditacions, as werbles in many folde stoundes comming about I not than. And therfore what maner of ioy coude endite, but yet at dore shal I knocke, if the key of Dauid wolde the locke vnshyt and he bring me in, whiche that childrens tonges bothe openeth and closeth. Whose spirite, where he wel worcheth, departinge goodly as him lyketh. Now to Goddes laude and reuerence, profite of the reders, amendement of maners of the herers, encresing of worship among loues seruauntes, releuing of my herte in to grace of my iewel, and frenship plesaunce of this perle. I am stered in this making, and for nothing els: and yf any good thing to mennes liking in this scripture to be fonnde, thanketh the maister of grace which that of that good and al other is authour, and principal doer. And if any thing be insufficient or els myslyking, with that that the leudnesse of myne vnable conning, for body in disease anoyeth the vnderstanding in soule. A disesely habytacion letteth the wittes many thinges, and namely in sorow. The custome neuer the later of loue, be longe time of seruice in termes I thinke to pursue, whiche ben liuely to yeue vnderstandinge in other thynges. But nowe to enforme the of this Margarites goodnes, I may her not halfe praise. Wherfore not she for my booke, but this booke for her is worthy to be commended, tho my booke be leude: right as thinges nat for places, but places for thinges ought to be desired and praised.

deuided: one is art, another is rhetorique, in which two al lawes of mans reason been grounded or els maintained. And for this booke is all of loue, and therafter beareth his name, and philosophie and law must here to accorden by their clergial discripcions: as philosophie for loue of wisedome is declared: lawe for maintainaunce of peace is holde, and these with loue muste nedes acorden, therfore of hem in this place haue I touched. Ordre of homly thinges and honest maner of liuing in vertue, with rightfull judgement in causes, and profitable administracion in comunalties of realmes and cities, by euenhede profitably to raine, nat by singuler auauntage, ne by priuy enuy, ne by solein purpose in couetise of worship or of goodes, ben dis* posed in open rule shewed, by loue, philosophie, and law, and yet loue toforn al other. Wherfore as susterne in vnitie they acorden and one ende that is peace and rest, they causen noriss hinge, and in the ioye mainteinen to endure. Nowe than, as I haue declared: my boke acordeth with discripcion of thre thinges, and the Margarit in vertue is likened to philosophie, with the three speces. In whiche matters euer twei ben acordaunt with bodily and the thirde with the soule: but in conclusion of my booke and of this Margarit peerle, in knitting togider law by thre sondry maners shal be lykened, that is to saye, lawe, right, and custome, which I wol declare al that is law, cometh of Goddes ordinaunce by kindly worching, and thilke thinges ordained by mans wittes arne icleped right, whiche is ordayned by many maners and in constitution writen: but custome is a thinge that is accepted for right or for law, ther as lawe and right failen, and there is no difference, whether it come of scripture or of reason, Wherfore it sheweth that law is kindly gouernaunce: right cometh out of mannes probable reason and custome is of comen vsage by length of time vsed, and custome nat write is vsage, and if it be writte constitution it is ywriten and ycleped: but lawe of kinde is comen to euery nation, as coniunction of man and woman in loue, succession of children in heritance, restituicion of thinge by strength taken or lent, and this lawe among al other halte the sonereinest gree in wurship, whiche lawe began at the beginning of reasonable creature, it varyed yet neuer for no chaunging of time, cause for sothe in ordaining of lawe, was to constraine mens hardinesse in to peace, and withdrawinge his yuel wil, and turning malice in to goodnesse, and that innocence sikerly withouten teneful anoy amonge shrewes safely might inhabyte by protexcion of safe conducte, so that shrewes harme for harme by bridele of ferdenesse shulden restraine. But forsothe in kindly law nothinge is commended, but soche as Goddes wil hath confirmed, ne nothinge denied but contraryoustie of Goddes will in Heuen: eke than all lawes or custome, or els constitution "Now" (quod Loue) "trewely thy wordes I haue by vsage, or wryting, that contrarien law of kinde, well vnderstonde. Certes me thinketh hym ryght vtterly ben repugnaunt and aduersary to our Godds good, and me wondreth why you so lightli passest wil of Heuen. Trewly lawe of kind for Goddes in the law,"-" Sothly" (quod I) "my wyt is own lusty will is verily to maintaine, vnder whicheleude and I am right blind and that mater depe, lawe (and vnworthy) bothe professe and reguler arn obediencer an bounden to this Margarit perle, and by knotte of loues statutes and stablishement in kinde, which that goodly maye not been withsetten. Lo vnder ths bonde am I constrained to abyde and man vuder lyuinge lawe ruled, by that lawe oweth after deşertes to ben rewarded by pain

how shuld I than haue waded, lightly might I haue drenched and spilt ther my self:"-" Yea" (quod she)" I shal helpe the to swime. For right as lawe punisheth brekers of preceptes, and the contrary doers of the writen constitucions: right so ayenward, law rewardeth and yeueth mede to hem that law strenghten. By one law this rebel