God wole suffre wel thi sleuthe[35] · if thiself liketh.
For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,[36] · to yeme[37] wel thiselve,
And that is wit and free-wil, · to every wight a porcion,
To fleynge foweles, · to fisshes and to beastes:
Ac man hath moost thereof, · and moost is to blame,
But if he werch wel therwith, · as Do-wel hym techeth."
"I have no kynde knowyng,"[38] quod I, · "to conceyven alle your wordes:
Ac if I may lyve and loke, · I shall go lerne bettre."
"I bikenne thee Christ,"[39] quod he, · "that on cros deyde!"
And I seide "the same · save you fro myschaunce,
And gyve you grace on this grounde · goode men to worthe!"[40]
And thus I wente wide wher · walkyng myn one,[41]
By a wilderness, · and by a wodes side:
Blisse of the briddes.[42] · Broughte me a-slepe,
And under a lynde upon a launde[43] · lened I a stounde[44],
To lythe the layes · the lovely foweles made,
Murthe of hire mowthes · made me ther to slepe;
The merveillouseste metels[45] · mette me[46] thanne
That ever dremed wight · in worlde, as I wene.
A muche man, as me thoughte · and like to myselve,
Cam and called me · by my kynde name.
"What artow," quod I tho, · "that thow my name knowest."
"That woost wel," quod he, · "and no wight bettre."
"Woot I what thou art?" · "Thought," seide he thanne;
"I have sued[47] thee this seven yeer, · seye[48] thou me no rather."[49]
"Artow Thought," quod I thoo, · "thow koudest me wisse,
Where that Do-wel dwelleth, · and do me that to knowe."
"Do-wel and Do-bet, · and Do-best the thridde," quod he,
"Arn thre fair vertues, · and ben noght fer to fynde.
Who so is trewe of his tunge, · and of his two handes,