The Petworth ms. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[Remedies against Ire.]

[654] ¶ The remedye aȝeinst Ire is a vertue þat men clepen mansuetude þat is debonairete and eke a nother vertue þat men clepe pacience . . . . .

[655] ¶ Debonairte wiþdroweþ and refreyneþ þe styryngges and þe meuyngs of mannys corage in his hert and such manere þat þei ne skippe not out by anger ne by Ire [656] suffraunce suffreþ swetly al þe annoyaunces and þe wrongges þat men doon to a man outward [657] ¶ Seint Ierom seiþ þus of debonairte þat hit dooþ noon harme to no wiȝt ne seiþ for noon harme þat men hym done ne sayn He ne eschaungeþ nouȝt aȝeinst his reson. [658] This vertue som / [folio 291b] somtyme commeþ of nature ¶ ffor as seiþ þe philisophre. A man is a quyk þinge by nature . debonaire and treteable by goodnes But whan debonairte is enfourmed by grace. it is þe more worþ

[659] ¶ Pacience þat is anoþer remedye aȝeinst Ire is a vertue þat suffreþ swetely euery mannys goodnesse and is not worþ for non harme þat is doon to hym [660] ¶ The philisofre seiþ þat pacience is þilk vertue þat suffreþ debonairly all þe outrages of aduersite and euery wikked worde. [661] This vertue makeþ a man like to god. and makeþ hym his owne dere childe as seiþ crist. This vertu discomfiteþ þine enemye And þerfore seiþ þe wise man If þou wilt venquyssh þine / ennemye. lerne to suffre [662] And þou shalt vnderstonde þat a / man suffreth four maner

[6-text p 644] of greuaunce in outward þingges. aȝeinst which foure he mote haue iiij. maners of paciences./

[663] ¶ The furst greuaunce is of wikked wordes. þilk greuaunce suffreþ Ihesu crist wiþ-outen grucchinge ful paciently whan þe Iwes despised hym and reproueden hym ful oft [664] Suffre þou þerfore paciently. ffor þe wise man eke seiþ ¶ If þou stryue wiþ a fool þoughe þe fool be wroþ. or þouȝe he lauȝe algate þou shalt haue no rest. [665] That oþer greuaunce outward is forto haue damage of þi catell ¶ Ther aȝeinst suffred crist ful paciently whan he was dispoilled of al þat he had in this liff and þat nas but his cloþes [666] ¶ The iij. greuaunce is a man to haue harme in his bodye. and þat suffred crist ful paciently in all his passion [667] ¶ The iiij. greuaunce is in an outrageous labour in werkes. wherfore I say þat folk þat maken her seruauntes to travaille to greuously or out of tyme as in holy days. soþly þei doon grete synne. [668] Here aȝeinst suffred crist ful paciently and taught vs patience whan he bare vpon / his blessed shulder þe crois vpon which he shuld suffre dispitous deeþ. [669] Here may men lerne to be pacient. ffor soþly not oonly cristen men bene pacient for þe loue of Ihesu crist and for guerdon of þe blisse of heuene and of þe blisful liff þat is perdurable But certes þe olde paynyms þat neuere were cristen com|menden & vseden þe vertue of pacience

[670] A philisophre vpon a tyme þat wolld haue beten his disciple for his grete trespace. for which he was gretly ameued and brouȝt a ȝeerd to scoure þe [folio 292a] childe [671] and whan þe childe segh þe ȝeerde he seide to his maister what wil ȝe doo. I wil bete þe quod his maistere. for þine correctioun. [672] ffor soþ quod þe childe ȝe ouȝt first correcte ȝoure self þat haþ lost ȝoure pacience for þe gilt of a childe. [673] ffor soþ quod þe maister al wepinge þu

[6-text p 645] saiest þe sooþ. Haue þou þe ȝerde my dere sone and correcte me for myn Inpacience [674] ¶ Of pacience commeth obedience þorgh which a man is obedien to crist and into alle hem to which he ouȝt be obedient in crist [675] and vnderstonde wel þat obedience is parfite whan men doon gladly and hastely wiþ good hert entierly al þat he shuld do. [676] Obedience / generally is to perfourme þe doctrine of god and of his souereins to whiche hym ouȝte to bene obeysaunt in al riȝtwisnesse

Notes

• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Ieronimus
• ¶ Sapiens
• ¶ Philosophus