speak of this senténce: Lo, in such manner rhyme is Dante’s tale. ‘Full seld’ upriseth by his branches smale Prowess of man, for God of his goodness Wills that we claim of him our gentleness;’ For of our elders may we nothing claim But temp’ral things that man may hurt and maim. Eke every wight knows this as well as I, If gentleness were planted naturally Unto a certain lineage down the line, Prive and apert, then would they never fine To do of gentleness the fair offíce; Then might they do no villainy nor vice. Take fire, and bear it to the darkest house Betwixt this and the mount of Caucasus, And let men shut the doorës, and go thenne, Yet will the fire as fair and lightë brenne As twenty thousand men might it behold; Its office natural aye will it hold— On peril of my life—till that it die. Here may ye see well how that gentery Is not annexed to possessión, Since folk do not their operatión Alway, as doth the fire, lo, in its kind. For, God it wot, men may full often find A lordë’s son do shame and villainy. And he that will have price of his gent’ry, For he was boren of a gentle house, And had his elders noble and virtuoús, And will himselfë do no gentle deedës, Nor follow his gentle ancestry, that dead is, He is not gentle, be he duke or earl; For villain sinful deedës make a churl. For gentleness is but the renomée Of thine ancéstors, for their high bounté, Which is a strangë thing to thy persón: Thy gentleness cometh from God alone. Then comes our very gentleness of grace; It was no thing bequeath’d us with our place. Think how noble, as saith Valerius, Was thilkë Tullius Hostilius, That out of povert’ rose to high nobless. Read in Senec, and read eke in Boece, There shall ye see express, that it no drede is, That he is gentle that doth gentle deedës. And therefore, levë husband, I conclude, Albeit that mine ancestors were rude, Yet may the highë God—and so hope I— Grant me His grace to live virtuously: Then am I gentle when that I begin To live virtuously, and waivë sin.
“And whereas ye of povert’ me repreve, The highë God, on whom that we believe, In wilful povert’ chose to lead his life: And certes, every man, maiden, or wife May understand that Jesus, heaven’s king, Ne would not