The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[The Twigs of Pride.]

[390] And thogh so be that no man kan outrely telle / the nombre of twigges and of the harmes that cometh of pride /. yet wol I shewe a partie of hem / as ye shul vnderstonde [391] ¶ Ther is / Inobedience. Auauntynge. Ypocrisie. Despit. Arrogance. Inpudence. swellynge of herte. Insolence. Elacion. Inpacience. strif. Contumacie. Presumpcion. Irreuerence. Pertinacie. Veyne glorie / and many another twig that I kan nat declare [392] ¶ Ino|bedient [¶ Of Inobedience] is he / that disobeyeth for despit to the comande|mentz of god /. and to hise souereyns /. And to his goostly fader / [393] ¶ Auauntour is he / that bosteth of the harm / [¶ Of Auauntynge] or of the bountee / that he hath doon [394] ¶ Ypocrite is [¶ Of Ypocrisie] he / that hideth to shewe hym swich as he is /. and sheweth hym / swich as he noght is [395] [folio 218b] ¶ Despitous [¶ Of despit/] is he / that hath desdeyn of his neighebore / that is to seyn of euene cristene / or hath despit to doon that hym oghte to do [396] ¶ Arrogant is he / that thynketh / [¶ Of Arrogance] þat he hath thilke bountees in hym that he hath noght or

[6-text p 620] weneth that he sholde haue hem / by hise desertes /. or clles / he demeth that he be that he nys nat/ [397] ¶ In|pudent [¶ Of Inpudence] is he /. that for his pride / hath no shame of hise synnes / [398] ¶ Swellynge of herte is /. whan a man [¶ Of swellynge of herte] reioyseth hym / of harm that he hath doon / [399] ¶ Inso|lent [¶ Of Insolence] is he /. that despiseth in his Iuggement alle othere folk/ as to regard of his value /. and of his konnyng. and of his spekyng. and of his beryng [400] ¶ Elacion is / whan [¶ Of Elacioun] he ne may neither suffre to haue maister ne felawe / [401] ¶ Inpacient is he /. that wol nat been ytaught ne vnder|nome [¶ Of Inpacience] of his vice / and by strif werreieth trouthe wityngly / and deffendeth his folye / [402] ¶ Contumax is he /. that [¶ Of Contumacie] thurgh his indignacion is agayns euerich auctoritee or power/ of hem that been hise souereyns [403] ¶ Pre|sumpcion [¶ Of pre|sumpcioun] is / whan a man vndertaketh an emprise that hym oghte nat do / or elles that he may nat do / and this is called surquidie ¶ Irreuerence is / whan men do nat [¶ Of Irreuerence] honour / there as hem oghte to doon / and waiten to be reuerenced [404] ¶ Pertinacie is. whan man deffendeth [¶ Of Pertinacie] hise folies. and trusteth to muchel in his owene wit. [405] ¶ Veyneglorie / is for to haue pompe and delit in his [¶ Of veyne glorie] temporeel hynesse / and glorifie hym in this worldly estaat [406] ¶ Ianglynge / is / whan men speken to [¶ Of Ianglynge] muche biforn folk. and clappen as a Mille / and taken no kepe what they seye /

[407] ¶ And yet is ther a priuee spece of pride / that [¶ Of othere priuee speces of pride] waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe / al be he lasse worth / than that oother is per auenture /. and eek he waiteth or desireth / to sitte / or elles to goon aboue hym in the wey / or kisse pax /. or been encensed / or goon to offryng biforn his neighebore / [408] and swiche semblable thynges / agayns his duetee per auenture / but that he hath his herte and his entente in swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured biforn the peple

[409] ¶ Now been ther two maneres of pride /. that [¶ Of two maneres of pride] oon of hem / is with Inne the herte of man / and that

[6-text p 621] oother is with oute /. [410] of whiche soothly thise for|seyde thynges / and mo than I haue seyd / apertenen to pride that is in the herte of man / and that othere speces of pride / been with oute /. [411] but natheles that oon of thise speces of pride / is signe of that oother. / right as the gaye leefsel atte Tauerne / is signe of the wyn that is in the Celer /. [412] and this is in manye thynges / As in speche and contenance / and in outrageous array of clothyng. [413] for certes / if ther ne hadde be no synne in clothyng Crist wolde nat haue noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke riche man in the gospel ‖. [414] And as seith Seint Gregorie ¶ That precious clothyng is cow|pable [¶ Sanctus Gregorius] / for the derthe of it. and for his softenesse / and for his strangenesse and degisynesse / and for the super|fluitee / and for the inordinat scantnesse of it [415] ¶ Allas / may men nat seen as in oure dayes / the synful costlewe array of clothynge /. and namely / in to muche superfluite / or elles / in to desordinat scantnesse

[416] AS to the firste synne / in superfluitee of [¶ Of superfluitee & outrageous array of clothinge] clothynge / which that maketh it so deere to harm of the peple /. [417] nat oonly / the cost of embrowdynge / the degise / endentynge / barrynge / owndynge / palynge / wyndynge / or bendynge / and semblable wast of clooth / in vanitee / [418] but ther is [folio 219a] also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes /. so muche powsonynge of chisel to maken holes /. so muche daggynge of sheres / [419] forth with the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide gownes / trail|ynge / in the dong and in the Mire on horse and eek on foote / as wel / of men as of wommen /. that al thilke trailyng is verraily as in effect wasted / consumed / thred|bare / and roten with donge / rather / than it is yeuen to the poure / to greet damage of the forseyde poure folk /. [420] and that in sondry wise /. this is to seyn / that the moore that clooth is wasted / the moore it costeth to the peple for the scantnesse [421] ¶ And forther ouer / if so be / that they wolde yeuen swich powsoned and

[6-text p 622] dagged clothyng to the poure folk /. it is nat conuenient to were for hire estaat ne suffisant to beete hire necessitee / to kepe hem / fro the distemperance of the firmament [422] Up-on þat oother side / to speken of the horrible [¶ Of disordinat/ scantnesse of clothynge] disordinat scantnesse of clothyng. as been thise kutted sloppes / or haynselyns / that thurgh hire shortnesse / ne couere nat the shameful membres of man to wikked entente [423] ¶ Allas / somme of hem shewen the boce of hir shape and the horrible swollen membres / that semeth / lik the maladie of Hirnia in the wrappynge of hir hoses / [424] and eek the buttokes of hem faren / as it were the hyndre part of a she Ape in the fulle of the Moone [425] ¶ And moore ouer / the wrecched swollen membres that they shewe / thurgh the degisynge in departynge of hire hoses in whit and reed / semeth that half hir shame|ful priuee membres weren flayne [426] ¶ And if so be that they departen hire hoses in othere colours /. as is whit and blak. or whit and blew / or blak / and reed and so forth /. [427] thanne semeth it as by variance of colour that half the partie of hire priuee membres were corrupt by the fir of seint Antony / or by Cancre / or by oother swich meschaunce [428] ¶ Of the hyndre part of hir buttokes. it is ful horrible for to see /. ffor certes / in that partie of hir body / ther as they purgen hir stynkynge ordure / [429] that foule partie shewe they to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee / the which honestitee that Ihesu crist and hise freendes obseruede / to shewen in hir lyue [430] NOw / of the outrageous array of wommen / [¶ Of outrageous array of Wommen] god woot that though the visages of somme of hem / seme ful chaast and debonaire / yet notifie they in hire array of Atyr likerousnesse and pride [431] ¶ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge of man or womman / is vncouen|able / but certes the superfluitee / or disordinat scantitee of clothynge / is repreuable [432] ¶ Also / the synne of aornement or of apparaille / is in thynges that apertenen [¶ Of outrageous apparaille / of thynges that] to ridynge /. as / in to manye delicat horses that been hoold|en

[6-text p 623] for delit. that been so faire / fatte and costlewe /. [433] [apertenen to ridynge] and also / to many a vicious knaue / that is sustened by cause of hem / In to curious harneys /. as in sadeles / in Crouperes / peytrels and bridles couered with precious clothyng and riche / barres and plates of gold and of siluer /. [434] for which god seith / by Zakarie the [¶ dominus per zakariam prophetam] prophete / I wol confounde the rideres of swiche horses [435] ¶ This folk taken litel reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of heuene / and of his harneys whan he rood vp on the Asse / and ne hadde noon oother harneys / but the poure clothes of hise disciples / ne / we [folio 219b] ne rede nat. that euere he rood on oother beest. [436] I speke this / for the synne of superfluitee / and nat for resonable honestitee / whan reson it requireth [437] And forther/ certes pride is greetly notified in holdynge of greet meynee / [¶ Of pride / in holdynge of greet meynee] whan they be of litel profit or of right no profit. [438] and namely / whan that meynee / is felonous and dama|geous to the peple by hardynesse of heigh lordshipe / or by wey of Offices /. [439] ffor certes swiche lordes / sellen thanne hir lordshipe to the deuel of helle / whanne they sustenen / the wikkednesse of hir meynee [440] ¶ Or elles / whan this folk of lowe degree / as thilke that holden hostelries / sustenynge the thefte of hire hostilers / and that is / in many manere of deceites / [441] ¶ Thilke manere of folk / been the flyes that folwen the hony / or elles / the houndes / that folwen the careyne /. Swich forseyde folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes /. [442] for which / thus seith Dauid the prophete / ¶ Wikked [¶ Dauid pro|pheta] deeth moote come vp thilke lordshipes /. and god yeue / that they moote descenden in-to helle al doun / al doun /. for in hire houses / been iniquitees and shrewednesses / and nat god of heuene /. [443] and certes / but if they doon amende|ment. right/ as god yaf his benyson to Pharao / by the seruice of Iacob / and to Laban / by the seruice of Ioseph. / right so / god wol yeue his malison to swiche lordshipes / as sustenen the wikkednesse of hir seruauntz / but if they

[6-text p 624] come to amendement [444] ¶ Pride of the table / appeereth [¶ Of pride of the table] eek ful ofte ./ for certes riche men been cleped to festes / and poure folk been put awey and rebuked [445] Also in excesse of diuerse metes and drynkes /. and namely / [¶ Of excesse of diuerse metes and drynkes] swiche manere bake metes and dissh metes brennynge of wilde fir / and peynted and castelled with papir / and semblable wast/ so that it is abusion for to thynke [446] And eek in to greet preciousnesse of vessel / and curiositee [¶ Of to great preciousnesse of vessel /. and curiositee of Mynstralcye] of Mynstralcie / by whiche / a man is stired the moore to delices of luxurie / [447] if so be that he sette his herte / the lasse vp-on oure lord Ihesu crist /. certeyn it is a synne / and certeinly / the delices / myghte been so grete in this caas / that man myghte lightly / falle by hem in-to deedly synne [448] The especes that sourden of pride / [¶ Of the especes that sourden of pride] soothly / whan they sourden of malice ymagined / auised and forncast. or elles of vsage / been deedly synnes / it is no doute /. [449] And whan they sourden by freletee vn|auysed / and sodeynly withdrawen ayeyn / al been they greuouse synnes /. I gesse / that they ne been nat deedly [450] Now myghte men axe / wher-of that pride [¶ Wher-of / pride sourdeth and spryngeth] sourdeth / and spryngeth and I seye / somtyme it spryngeth / of the goodes of nature / and som tyme / of the goodes of ffortune /. and som tyme / of the goodes of grace [451] ¶ Certes / the goodes of nature / stonden / [¶ Of goodes of nature] outher in goodes of body / or in goodes of soule [452] ¶ Certes / goodes of body / been heele of body. as [¶ Of goodes of body] strengthe / deliuernesse / beautee / gentries / franchise / [453] ¶ Goodes of nature of the soule / been good wit [¶ Of goodes / of nature / of / the soule] sharpe vnderstondynge. subtil engyn. vertu natureel. good memorie [454] ¶ Goodes of ffortune / been richesse / [¶ Of goodes of ffortune] hyghe degrees of lordshipes. preisynges of the peple [455] ¶ Goodes of grace / been science. power/ to suffre [¶ Of goodes of grace] spiritueel trauaille. benignitee. vertuous contemplacion. withstondynge of temptacion / and semblable thynges /. [456] of whiche forseyde goodes. certes it is a ful greet folye / a man to priden hym / in any of hem alle [457]

[6-text p 625] NOw as for to speken of goodes of nature /. god woot that som tyme we han hem / in nature / as muche to oure [folio 220a] damage / as to oure profit [458] ¶ As for to speken of heele of body /. certes / it passeth ful lightly / and eek it is / ful ofte encheson of the siknesse of oure soule /. for God woot the flessh / is a ful greet enemy to the soule /. and therfore / the moore that the body is hool / the moore be we in peril to falle [459] ¶ Eke / for to pride / hym in [¶ Of pride / of strengthe of body] his strengthe of body / it is an heigh folye /. ffor certes / the flessh coueiteth agayn the spirit /. and ay / the moore strong that the flessh is / the sorier may the soule be /. [460] and ouer al this / strengthe of body and worldly hardynesse / causeth ful ofte many a man / to peril and meschaunce [461] ¶ Eek for to pride hym of his [¶ Of pride of gentrye] gentrie / is ful greet folie/ for ofte tyme / the gentrie of the body / binymeth the gentrie of the soule /. and eek we ben alle / of o fader / and of o mooder /. and alle we been of o nature / roten. and corrupt. bothe riche and poure ‖. [462] ffor sothe / o manere gentrie / is for to preise / that apparailleth mannes corage with vertues and moralitees / and maketh hym cristes child. [463] for truste wel / that ouer what man þat synne hath maistrie / he is / a verray cherl to synne

[464] ¶ NOw been ther generale signes of gentillesse /. [¶ Of generale signes / of / gentillesse] as eschewynge of vice and ribaudye / and seruage of synne /. in word / in werk /. and contenance /. [465] and vsynge vertu / curteisye. and clennesse /. and to be liberal /. that is to seyn / large by mesure /. for thilke that passeth mesure / is folie and synne [466] ¶ Another is / to remembre hym of bountee / that he of oother folk hath receyued [467] ¶ Another is / to be benigne to hise goode subgetis ‖. wherfore seith senek ¶ ther is no thing moore [¶ Seneca] couenable to a man of heigh estaat /. than debonairetee and pitee [468] And therfore / thise flyes / that men [¶ Nota] clepeth bees /. whan they maken hir kyng. they chesen oon that hath no prikke / wherwith he may stynge [469]

[6-text p 626] ¶ Another is / man to haue a noble herte / and a diligent to attayne to heighe vertuouse thynges [470] NOw certes / a man to pride hym in the goodes of grace / is eek / an [¶ Of pride in the yiftes of grace] outrageous folie / for thilke yifte of grace / that sholde haue turned hym to goodnesse and to medicine / turneth hym to venym and to confusion / as seith seint Gregorie [471] Certes also / who so prideth hym / in the goodes of [¶ Of pride in the goodes of ffortune] ffortune /. he is a ful greet fool /. for som tyme is a man a greet lord by the morwe /. that is a caytyf and a wrecche er it be nyght. [472] and somtyme / the richesse of a man / is cause of his deþ / somtyme / the delices of a man / is cause of the greuous maladye / thurgh which he dyeth [473] Certes / the commendacion of the peple / is som|tyme [¶ Of commen|dacioun of the peple.] / ful fals and ful brotel for to triste /. this day they preyse / tomorwe they blame / [474] god woot desir/ to haue commendacion of the peple / hath caused deeth / to many a bisy man [475] Now sith that so is / that ye han vnderstonde what is pride / and whiche been the speces of it. and whennes pride sourdeth / and spryngeth