"In oother science it seith, I seigh it in Caton: 5990 _Qui simulat verbis, nec corde est fidus amicus, Tu quoque fac simile, sic ars deluditur arte._ { 185}
"Who so gloseth as gylours doon, Go me to the same; And so shaltow fals folk And feith-lees bigile. This is Catons kennyng To clerkes that he lereth.
"Ac Theologie techeth noght so, Who so taketh yeme; 6000 He kenneth us the contrarie, Ayein Catons wordes. For he biddeth us be as bretheren, And bidde for our enemys. And loven hem that lyen on us, And lene hem whan hem nedeth, And do good ayein yvel, God hymself it hoteth. _Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem 6010 ad domesticos fidei._ Poul preched the peple That perfitnesse lovede, To do good for Goddes love, And gyven men that asked, And namely to swiche As suwen oure bileve, And alle that lakketh us, or lyeth, Oure Lord techeth us to lovye. And noght to greven hem that greveth us, 6020 God hymself forbad it, _Mihi vindictam, et ego retribuam._
"For-thi loke thow lovye, As longe as thow durest; For is no science under sonne So sovereyn for the soule. { 186}
"Ac astronomye is an hard thyng, And yvel for to knowe; Geometrie and geomesie, So gynful of speche, 6030 Who so thynketh werche with tho two Thryveth ful late, For sorcerie is the sovereyn book That to tho sciences bilongeth.
"Yet ar ther fibicches in forceres Of fele mennes makyng, Experimentz of alkenamye The peple to deceyve; If thow thynke to do-wel, Deel therwith nevere. 6040
"Alle thise sciences I myself Sotilede and ordeynede, And founded hem formest Folk to deceyve. Tel Clergie this tokene, And Scripture after, To counseille thee kyndely To knowe what is Do-wel."
I seide, "Graunt mercy, madame," And mekely hir grette; 6050 And wente wightly awey Withoute moore lettyng, And til I com to Clergie I koude nevere stynte; And grette the goode man, As Studie me taughte, And afterwardes the wif, And worshiped hem bothe, And tolde hem the tokenes That me taught were. 6060 { 187} Was nevere gome upon this ground, Sith God made the worlde, Fairer under-fongen, Ne frendlier at ese, Than myself, soothly, Soone so he wiste Than I was of Wittes hous, And with his wif, dame Studie.
I seide to hem soothly That sent was I thider, 6070 Do-wel and Do-bet And Do-best to lerne.