The workes of Geffray Chaucer newlye printed, wyth dyuers workes whych were neuer in print before: as in the table more playnly doth appere. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

CErtayne ({quod} I) amonge thynges I asked a que∣stion, which was y^e way to the knot. Trewly lady howe so it be, I tēpt you wyth questions and an∣swers, in spekyng of my fyrst seruyce, I am now in full purpose in the pricke of the hert, y^t thilke seruice was an en∣prisonmēt, & alway bad & naughty in no ma∣ner to be desyred. Ne y^t in gettyng of the knot, may it nothyng auayle. A wyse gentyll hert loketh after vertue, & non other bodily ioyes alone. And bycause toforne this, ī tho wayes I was sette, I wote wel my selfe I haue er∣red, & of the blysse fayled, & so out of my waye hugely haue I ron. Certes ({quod} she) y^t is sothe, & there thou hast myswent, eschew that path frō hens forwarde I rede. Wonder I trew∣ly why the mortal folke of this worlde seche these wayes outforth, & it is preued in youre selfe. Lo howe ye ben cōfounded with errour & folly. The knowyng of very cause & waye is goodnesse & vertue. Is there any thyng to the more precious than thy selfe? Thou shalt haue in thy power, y^t thou woldest neuer lese and that in no way may be taken fro the, and thilk thyng is that is cause of this knot. And yf dethe mow it nat reue more thā an erthly creature, thilke thing than abydeth with thy selfe soule, & so our conclusion to make suche a knot thus getten, abydeth with this thyng & with the soule, as long as they last, a soule dieth neuer, vertue & goodnesse euermore w^t y^e soule endureth, & this knot is perfite blysse. Thā this soule in this blysse endlesse shal en¦duren. Thus shul hertes of a trewe knot ben eased: thus shul their soules bē pleased: thus perpetually in ioye shul they synge. In good trouth ({quod} I) here is a good begynnyng, yeue vs more of this way. (Quod she) I sayd to y^e nat longe sythen, that resonable lyfe was one of thre thynges, & it was proued to the soule. euerye soule of reason hath two thynges of steryng lyfe, one in vertue and another in the bodily workynge: and whan the soule is the maister ouer the body, than is a man maister of hym selfe: & a mā to be a maister ouer him selfe, lyueth in vertue and in goodnesse, & as reson of vertue techeth, so the soule & the bo∣dy worchyng vertue togider lyuen resonable lyfe, which clerkes clepen felycite in lyueng, and theryn is the hye way to this knot, these olde philosophers that hadden no knowyng of diuyne grace of kyndly reason alone, wen∣den that of pure nature, wythoutē any helpe of grace, me might haue yshoued thother ly∣uenges, resonablye haue I lyued: and for I thynke herafter, yf god woll (& I haue space) thylk grace after my leude knowyng declare: I leaue it as at thys tyme. But (as I sayd) he that outforth loketh after y^e wayes of this knotte, connyng with which he shulde know the way inforth slepeth for the tyme, wher∣fore he that wol this way knowe must leaue the lokyng after false wayes outforth, & opē the eyen of hys conscience and vnclose hys herte. Seest nat he that hath trust in the bo∣dily lyfe is so besy bodily woūdes to anoynt in kepynge frome smert (for all out may they nat be healed) that of woundes in hys true vnderstandynge he taketh no hede, the kno∣wynge euenforth slepeth so harde, but anone as in knowyng a wake, than gynneth y^e pre∣uy medicines for healyng of his trewe entēt, inwardes lightly healeth conscience yf it be wel handled. Than must nedes these wayes come out of the soule by ste••yng lyfe of the bo¦dy, & els maye no man come to perfyte blysse of this knotte: and thus by this waye he shal come to the knot, and to the perfyte selynesse that he wende haue had in bodilye goodes outforthe? Yea ({quod} I) shall he haue bot••e knotte, riches, power, dignite, and renome in this maner waye? Ye ({quod} she) y^t shall I shewe the. Is he nat riche that hath suffisaunce, and hath the power that no man may amaistriē? Is nat gret dignite to haue worshyp and re∣uerēce? & hath he nat glorie of renome whose name perpetuall is duryng? and out of nom∣bre

in comparation? These be thynges that men wenen to getten out forth ({quod} I). Ye ({quod} she) they that loken after a thyng that nouʒt is therof in al ne in partie, longe mowe they gapen after: That is soth ({quod} I:) therfore ({quod} she) they that sechen gold in grene trees▪ and wene to gader precyous stones amonge vy∣nes, and layne her nettes in mountaynes to fysh, & thynkē to hunt in depe sees after hart & hynde, and sechen in erth thylke thynges that surmoūteth heuen, what may I of hem say? but folyshe ignoraunce mysledeth wan∣dryng wretches by vncouth wayes that shul¦den be forleten, and maketh hem blynde fro the ryght pathe of trewe way that shuld ben vsed. Therfore in generall erroure in man∣kynde, departeth thylke goodes by mysse se∣chynge, whyche he shulde haue hole and he sought by reason. Thus gothe he begyled of that he sought, in hys hode men haue blowe a iape. Nowe ({quod} I) yf a man be vertuous & all in vertue lyueth, howe hathe he all these thynges? That shall I prouen ({quod} she) what power hathe anye man to let another of ly∣uēg in vertue? for prisonmēt or any other di∣sese, he taketh it paciently, discōfyteth he nat, the tyraunt ouer hys soule no power maye haue? Than hathe that man so tourmented suche power, that he nyll be discōfit, ne ouer∣come may he nat ben, sythen pacience in hys soule ouercometh, and as nat ouercomen. Suche thyng that may nat be a maistred, he hath nede to nothyng, for he hath suffisaunce ynowe to helpe him selfe. And thylke thyng that thus hath power and suffysaunce, & no tyrant may it reue, & hath dignyte to sette at nought all thynges, here it is a great dignite that deth may a maistry. Wherfore thilk po∣wer suffisaunce so enclosed wyth dignyte, by all reson renome must haue. Thys is thylke ryches w^t suffisance ye shulde loke after: thys is thilke worshipful dignite ye shulde coueyt this is thylke power of myght, in whyche ye shulde truste, this is the ilke renome of glorie that endlesse endureth, and all nys but sub∣staunce in vertuous lyueng. Certes ({quod} I) all thys is sothe, & so I se well that vertue with ful gripe encloseth al these thīges. Wherfore in sothe I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brouʒt me first in to your ser∣uice, to haue knytting with that iewel, nat so¦dayn longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but onely our cōuersation togider: & thā I seinge thentent of her trewe menyng w^t florishyng vertue of pacience, that she vsed nothynge in yuel, to quyte the wicked leasynges that false tonges ofte in her haue layde, I haue sey it my selfe, goodlye foryeuenesse hathe spronge out of her herte, vnite and accorde aboue all other thynges she desyreth in a good meke maner, and suffereth many wicked tales.