The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

Sed quoniam rationum jam in te mearum fo∣menta discendunt, paulo validioribus utendum puto. Age enim. Si jam caduca ac momenta∣ria fortunae, &c.

BVt for as much as the nourishings of my reason discenden now into thee, I trow it were time to vsen a little stronger medicines. Now vnderstand here, all were it so, that the yefts of Fortune ne were not brittle, ne transitorie, what is there in hem that may be thyne in any time? Or els, that it ne is foul, if that it be looked and consider∣ed perfitly. Richesses, been they precious by the nature of hemself, or els by the nature of thee? What is most worth of richesse? Is it not gold, or might of money assembled? Ter∣tes, that gold and that money shineth, and yeueth better renome to them that dispenden it, than to thilk folk that muckeren it: for auarice maketh alway muckerers to ben ha∣ted, and largesse maketh folk clere of renome. For sith that such things as ben transferred from one man to another, ne may not dwell with no man: Certes, then is that money pre∣cious, when it is translated into other folk, & stinten to be had by vsage of large yeuing, of him that hath yeuen it. And also, if all the money that is ouer all, in all the world, were gadered toward one man, it should make all other men to be needie, as of that. And certes, a voice all hole, y^t is to sain, without amenu∣sing, fulfilleth together the hearing of much folk. And when they ben apassed, needs they maken hem poor, that forgone tho richesses.

O, strait and needy clepe I these richesses, sens y^t many folk ne may not haue it all, ne all ne may it not commen to one man, with∣out pouertie of all other folk. And the shining of gems, that I call precious stones, draweth it not the eyen of folk to hemward, that is to sain, for the beautie? But certes, if there were beautie or bountie in shining of stones, thilk clearnesse is of the stones hemself, and not of men. For which I wonder greatly, that men maruailen on such things. For why, what thing is it, that if it wanteth moouing, and joyncture of soule and bodye, that by right might seemen a fair creature to him that hath a soul of reason. For all be it so, y^t gems drawn to hemself a little of the last beautie of the world, through thentent of her creator and y^• distinction of hemself: yet for as mikel as they ben put vnder your excellence, they ne haue not deserued by no way, that ye should maruailen on hem. And the beautie of fields, delighteth it not mikell vnto you?

B. Why should it not delighten vs, sith that it is a right fayre porcion of the right fayre werke, that is to sayne, of this world? And right so been we gladded sometime of y^• face of the sea, when it is clear: And also maruail∣en we on the Heauen, and on the Starres, and on the Sunne, and on the Moone. Phi. Appertaineth (qd. she) any of thilk things to thee? Why darest thou glorifie thee in the shi∣ning of anye such thyngs? Art thou distin∣gued and embelised by the springing floures of the first Summer season? Or swelleth thy plentie in fruits of Summer? Why art thou rauished with idle joys? Why embracest thou strange goods, as they were thine? Fortune ne shall neuer make, that such things been thine, that nature of things hath maked for∣rain fro thee. Sooth it is, that withouten doubt the fruits of the yearth owen to be to the nourishing of beasts. And if thou wolt ful∣fill thy need, after that it suffiseth to nature, then is it no need y^t thou seek after the super∣fluitie of fortune. * For with full few things and with full little things, nature hath her apaid. And if thou wolt achoken y^t fulfilling of nature with superfluities, certes, thilke things y^t thou wolt thresten or pouren into na∣ture, shullen ben unjoyful to thee, or els an∣noyous. Wenest thou eke, y^t it be a fair thing, to shine with diuers clothings? Of which clo∣thing, if y^t beauty be agreeable to looken vp∣on, I woll maruailen on y^e nature of the mat∣ter of thilk clothes, or els on the workman that wrought hem. Doth also a long rout of meine make thee a blisfull man? The which seruants, if they ben vicious of condicions, it is a great charge, & destruction to the hous, and a great enemie to y^e sord himself: And if they ben good men, how shall strange and for∣rain goodnesse be put in the number of thy richesses? So that by all these foresaid things it is clearly shewed, that neuer one of thilk things, y^t thou accomptedest for thy goods, nas not thy good. In which things, if there be no beautie to be desired, why shouldest thou be sorrie to lese them? Or why shouldest thou rejoyce thee to hold hem? For if they been fair of their own kind, w^t appertaineth y^t to thee? For also wel shoulden they haue ben fair by himself, though they were departed from thy richesses. For why, fair ne precious were they not, for that they commen among thy richesses: but for they seemed fair & precious, therfore thou hadst leuer recken hem among thy richesses. But what desirest thou of For∣tune, with so great afare? I trow thou sekest to driue away need, with abundance of things: but certes, it turneth you all into the contrarie. For why, certes it needeth full ma∣ny helpings to keepen y^e diuersitie of precious hostile ments. And sooth it is, * That of many things they haue need, y^t many things haue: And ayenward, of little thing needeth him that measureth his fill after the need of kind, & not after outrage of couetise. It is so then, that ye menne haue no proper good set in you,

for such ye moten seek outward, in forraine and subject things. So is then the condicion of things tourned vp so doun, that a man y^t is a diuine creature, by merit of his reason, thin∣keth that himselfe nis neither faire ne noble, but if it be through possession of hostiliments, that ne han no life: and certes al other things ben apaied of her own beauties: but ye men that be semblable to God by your reasonable thought, desiren to apparailen your excellent kinde with the lowest things. Ne ye vnder∣standen not howe great a wrong is done to your creatour. For he would that mankinde were most worthy and noble of any yearthly thing: and ye thresten down your dignities beneathen the lowest things. For if that all the good of every thing be more precious than is thilke thing, whose that the good is, sith ye deemen, that the foulest thyngs been your goods, then submitten ye, and put your selven vnder the foulest things by your estimation. And certes, this betideth not without your desert. For certes, such is the condition of all mankinde, that onely when he hath knowing of it selfe, then passeth it in noblesse all other things. And when it forletteth the knowing of it self, then it is brought beneathen all beasts. For why, all other liuing creatures han of kind to knowen not himself. But when that men letten the knowing of hemselfe, it commeth hem of vice. But how brode shew∣eth the errour & the folly of you men, y^t we∣nen that any thing may ben apparailed with straunge apparailements? But forsooth that may not be done. For if a wight shineth with thyngs that been put to him, as thus: If thilke things shinen with which a manne is apparailed, certes, thilke thinges been com∣mended and praised, with which he is appa∣railed; but natheles, the thing that is cove∣red and wrapped vnder that, dwelleth in his filthe. And I deny that thilk thing be good, y^t anoyeth him y^t hath it. Gabbe I of this? Thou wolt say nay. Certes, richesses haue annoyed full oft hem that han had tho richesse: Sith y^• every wicked shrew for his wickednesse is y^e more greedy after other folkes richesses. Whersoever it be in any place, be it gold or precious stones; he weneth him only most worthy that hath hem. Thou then y^t so busie dredest now the swerd and the spear, if thou haddest entred in the path of this life, annoy∣en wayfaring men, then wouldest thou sing before the theef, as who saith, * A poore man that beareth no richesse on him by y^e way, may boldly sing beforne theeves, for he hath not whereof to be robbed. O precious and right clear is the blisfulness of mortal richesse, that when thou hast gotten it, then hast thou lorne thy sikernesse.