II. La respounse de Fortune au Pleintif. No man is wrecched, but him-self hit wene,

25 And he that hath him-self hath suffisaunce.

Why seystow thanne I am to thee so kene,

That hast thy-self out of my governaunce? Sey thus: Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce

That thou hast lent or this.' Why wolt thou stryve? 30

What wostow yit, how I thee wol avaunce?

And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve!

I have thee taught divisioun bi-twene Frend of effect, and frend of countenaunce;

Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene,

35

That cureth eyen derke fro hir penaunce; Now seestow cleer, that were in ignor

And I shal quyte you your bisinesse
At my requeste, as three of you or tweyne;
And, but you list releve him of his peyne,
Preyeth his beste frend, of his noblesse,
That to som beter estat he may atteyne. 79

I. Captivity.

YOUR yen two wol slee me sodenly,

I may the beauté of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.

6

And but your word wol helen hastily
My hertes wounde, whyl that hit is grene,
Your yen two wol slee me sodenly,
I may the beautè of hem not sustene.
Upon my trouthe I sey yow feithfully,
That ye ben of my lyf and deeth the quene;
For with my deeth the trouthe shal be sene.
Your yen two wol slee me sodenly,

II

Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,

I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;
Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.
He may answere, and seye this or that; 30
I do no fors, I speke right as I mene.
Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,
I never thenk to ben in his prison lene.
Love hath my name y-strike out of his
sclat,

And he is strike out of my bokes clene 35
For ever-mo; +ther is non other mene.
Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,

I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;
Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene. 39

Soм tyme this world was so stedfast and stable,

That mannes word was obligacioun,
And now hit is so fals and deceivable,
That word and deed, as in conclusioun,
Ben no-thing lyk, for turned up so doun 5
Is al this world for mede and wilfulnesse,
That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse.
What maketh this world to be so variable,
But lust that folk have in dissensioun ?
Among us now a man is holde unable, 10
But-if he can, by som collusioun,
Don his neighbour wrong or oppressioun.
What causeth this, but wilful wrecched-

nesse,

That al is lost, for lak of stedfastnesse?

Trouthe is put doun, resoun is holden fable;

15