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Thus seide his herte and spak withinne：
〃O mihti godd； that al hast wroght
And al myht bringe ayein to noght；
Now knowe I wel； bot al of thee；
This world hath no prosperite：
In thin aspect ben alle liche；
The povere man and ek the riche； 3010
Withoute thee ther mai no wight；
And thou above alle othre miht。
O mihti lord； toward my vice
Thi merci medle with justice；
And I woll make a covenant；
That of my lif the remenant
I schal it be thi grace amende；
And in thi lawe so despende
That veine gloire I schal eschuie；
And bowe unto thin heste and suie 3020
Humilite； and that I vowe。〃
And so thenkende he gan doun bowe；
And thogh him lacke vois and speche；
He gan up with his feet areche；
And wailende in his bestly stevene
He made his pleignte unto the hevene。
He kneleth in his wise and braieth；
To seche merci and assaieth
His god； which made him nothing strange；
Whan that he sih his pride change。 3030
Anon as he was humble and tame；
He fond toward his god the same；
And in a twinklinge of a lok
His mannes forme ayein he tok；
And was reformed to the regne
In which that he was wont to regne；
So that the Pride of veine gloire
Evere afterward out of memoire
He let it passe。 And thus is schewed
What is to ben of Pride unthewed 3040
Ayein the hihe goddes lawe；
To whom noman mai be felawe。
Forthi； my Sone； tak good hiede
So forto lede thi manhiede；
That thou ne be noght lich a beste。
Bot if thi lif schal ben honeste；
Thou most humblesce take on honde；
For thanne myht thou siker stonde：
And forto speke it otherwise；
A proud man can no love assise； 3050
For thogh a womman wolde him plese；
His Pride can noght ben at ese。
Ther mai noman to mochel blame
A vice which is forto blame；
Forthi men scholde nothing hide
That mihte falle in blame of Pride；
Which is the werste vice of alle：
Wherof； so as it was befalle；
The tale I thenke of a Cronique
To telle； if that it mai thee like； 3060
So that thou myht humblesce suie
And ek the vice of Pride eschuie；
Wherof the gloire is fals and vein；
Which god himself hath in desdeign；
That thogh it mounte for a throwe；
It schal doun falle and overthrowe。
A king whilom was yong and wys；
The which sette of his wit gret pris。
Of depe ymaginaciouns
And strange interpretaciouns； 3070
Problemes and demandes eke；
His wisdom was to finde and seke；
Wherof he wolde in sondri wise
Opposen hem that weren wise。
Bot non of hem it myhte bere
Upon his word to yeve answere；
Outaken on； which was a knyht；
To him was every thing so liht；
That also sone as he hem herde；
The kinges wordes he answerde； 3080
What thing the king him axe wolde；
Therof anon the trowthe he tolde。
The king somdiel hadde an Envie；
And thoghte he wolde his wittes plie
To sette som conclusioun；
Which scholde be confusioun
Unto this knyht； so that the name
And of wisdom the hihe fame
Toward himself he wolde winne。
And thus of al his wit withinne 3090
This king began to studie and muse；
What strange matiere he myhte use
The knyhtes wittes to confounde；
And ate laste he hath it founde；
And for the knyht anon he sente；
That he schal telle what he mente。
Upon thre pointz stod the matiere
Of questions； as thou schalt hiere。
The ferste point of alle thre
Was this： 〃What thing in his degre 3100
Of al this world hath nede lest；
And yet men helpe it althermest？〃
The secounde is： 〃What most is worth；
And of costage is lest put forth？〃
The thridde is： 〃Which is of most cost；
And lest is worth and goth to lost？〃
The king thes thre demandes axeth；
And to the knyht this lawe he taxeth；
That he schal gon and come ayein
The thridde weke； and telle him plein 3110
To every point； what it amonteth。
And if so be that he misconteth；
To make in his answere a faile；
Ther schal non other thing availe；
The king seith； bot he schal be ded
And lese hise goodes and his hed。
The knyht was sori of this thing
And wolde excuse him to the king；
Bot he ne wolde him noght forbere；
And thus the knyht of his ansuere 3120
Goth hom to take avisement：
Bot after his entendement
The more he caste his wit aboute；
The more he stant therof in doute。
Tho wiste he wel the kinges herte；
That he the deth ne scholde asterte；
And such a sorwe hath to him take；
That gladschipe he hath al forsake。
He thoghte ferst upon his lif；
And after that upon his wif； 3130
Upon his children ek also；
Of whiche he hadde dowhtres tuo；
The yongest of hem hadde of age
Fourtiene yer； and of visage
Sche was riht fair； and of stature
Lich to an hevenely figure；
And of manere and goodli speche；
Thogh men wolde alle Londes seche；
Thei scholden noght have founde hir like。
Sche sih hire fader sorwe and sike； 3140
And wiste noght the cause why；
So cam sche to him prively；
And that was where he made his mone
Withinne a Gardin al him one；
Upon hire knes sche gan doun falle
With humble herte and to him calle；
And seide： 〃O goode fader diere；
Why make ye thus hevy chiere；
And I wot nothing how it is？
And wel ye knowen； fader； this； 3150
What aventure that you felle
Ye myhte it saufly to me telle；
For I have ofte herd you seid；
That ye such trust have on me leid；
That to my soster ne my brother；
In al this world ne to non other；
Ye dorste telle a privite
So wel； my fader； as to me。
Forthi； my fader； I you preie；
Ne casteth noght that herte aweie； 3160
For I am sche that wolde kepe
Youre honour。〃 And with that to wepe
Hire yhe mai noght be forbore；
Sche wissheth forto ben unbore；
Er that hire fader so mistriste
To tellen hire of that he wiste：
And evere among merci sche cride；
That he ne scholde his conseil hide
From hire that so wolde him good
And was so nyh his fleissh and blod。 3170
So that with wepinge ate laste
His chiere upon his child he caste；
And sorwfulli to that sche preide
He tolde his tale and thus he seide：
〃The sorwe； dowhter； which I make
Is noght al only for my sake；
Bot for thee bothe and for you alle：
For such a chance is me befalle；
That I schal er this thridde day
Lese al that evere I lese may； 3180
Mi lif and al my good therto：
Therfore it is I sorwe so。〃
〃What is the cause； helas！〃 quod sche；
〃Mi fader； that ye scholden be
Ded and destruid in such a wise？〃
And he began the pointz devise；
Whiche as the king told him be mowthe；
And seid hir pleinly that he cowthe
Ansuere unto no point of this。
And sche； that hiereth how it is； 3190
Hire conseil yaf and seide tho：
〃Mi fader； sithen it is so；
That ye can se non other weie；
Bot that ye moste nedes deie；
I wolde preie of you a thing：
Let me go with you to the king；
And ye schull make him understonde
How ye； my wittes forto fonde；
Have leid your ansuere upon me；
And telleth him； in such degre 3200
Upon my word ye wole abide
To lif or deth； what so betide。
For yit par chaunce I may pourchace
With som good word the kinges grace；
Your lif and ek your good to save；
For ofte schal a womman have
Thing which a man mai noght areche。〃
The fader herde his dowhter speche；
And thoghte ther was resoun inne；
And sih his oghne lif to winne 3210
He cowthe don himself no cure；
So betre him thoghte in aventure
To put his lif and al his good；
Than in the maner as it stod
His lif in certein forto lese。
And thus thenkende he gan to chese
To do the conseil of this Maide；
And tok the pourpos which sche saide。
The dai was come and forth thei gon；
Unto the Court thei come anon； 3220
Wher as the king in juggement
Was set and hath this knyht assent。
Arraied in hire beste wise
This Maiden with hire wordes wise
Hire fader ladde be the hond
Into the place； wher he fond
The king with othre whiche he wolde；
And to the king knelende he tolde
As he enformed was tofore；
And preith the king that he therfore 3230
His dowhtres wordes wolde take；
And seith that he wol undertake
Upon hire wordes forto stonde。
Tho was ther gret merveile on honde；
That he； which was so wys a knyht；
His lif upon so yong a wyht
Besette wolde in jeupartie；
And manye it hielden for folie：
Bot ate laste natheles
The king comandeth ben in pes； 3240
And to this Maide he caste his chiere；
And seide he wolde hire tale hiere；
He bad hire speke； and sche began：
〃Mi liege l