Truth

Truth

Original Text
British Library Additional MS 10340.
1  Fle fro the pres, and dwelle with sothefastnesse,
2Suffise thin owen thing, thei it be smal;
3For hord hath hate, and clymbyng tykelnesse,
4Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal.
5Savour no more thanne the byhove schal;
6Reule weel thiself, that other folk canst reede;
7And trouthe schal delyvere, it is no drede.
8  Tempest the nought al croked to redresse,
9In trust of hire that tourneth as a bal.
10Myche wele stant in litel besynesse;
11Bywar therfore to spurne ayeyns an al;
12Stryve not as doth the crokke with the wal.
13Daunte thiself, that dauntest otheres dede;
14And trouthe shal delyvere, it is no drede.
15  That the is sent, receyve in buxumnesse;
16The wrestlyng for the worlde axeth a fal.
17Here is non home, here nys but wyldernesse.
18Forth, pylgryme, forth! forth, beste, out of thi stal!
19Know thi contré! loke up! thonk God of al!
20Hold the heye weye, and lat thi gost the lede;
21And trouthe shal delyvere, it is no drede.
[L'envoy.]
  Therfore, thou Vache, leve thine olde wrechednesse;
Unto the world leve now to be thral.
Crie hym mercy, that of hys hie godnesse
Made the of nought, and in espec{.i}al
Draw unto hym, and pray in general
For the, and eke for other, hevenelyche mede;
And trouthe schal delyvere, it is no drede.

Notes

1] This poem consists in twenty-two MSS. and was first printed by Caxton, c. 1477-8. In the MSS. it has such titles as The good counceyl of chawcer and Moral balade of Chaucyre. In the Chaucer Society reprint Furnivall entitled it Truth. One scribe, Shirley, heads the poem: Balade that Chaucier made on his deeth bedde, which would fix the date in 1400, but his statement has been questioned. The present text is from MS. Brit. Mus. Add. 10310, the only one that includes the Envoy. This is addressed to one Vache, probably Sir Philip de la Vache (1346- 1408), son in-law to Chaucer's friend, Sir Lewis Clifford. A prosperous courtier, he lost his offices between 1386 and 1389, but afterwards recovered favour. It has been suggested that the poem was addressed to him during the time of his misfortune. Much of the thought of this poem is from Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, which Chaucer translated.

pres. Crowd.
sothefastnesse. Truth. Back to Line

2] Let thy property suffice thee, though it be small. Back to Line
3] tykelnesse. Instability. Back to Line
4] wele blent overal. Prosperity blindeth everywhere. Back to Line
6] reede. Advise. Back to Line
7] Cf. John, viii, 32.
hit is no drede. There is no doubt. Back to Line
8] Tempest the nought. Do not distress thyself. Back to Line
9] In trust of Fortune who continually turns her wheel. Back to Line
10] Much happiness stands in little anxiety. Back to Line
11] Beware of kicking against an awl (Cf. Acts, ix, 5). Back to Line
12] crokke. Crock, pot. Back to Line
13] Daunte. Rule, dominate. Back to Line
15] buxumnesse. Submissiveness, obedience. Back to Line
18] beste. Beast. Back to Line
19] of. For. Back to Line
20] heye weye. The main road.
gost. Spirit. Cf. Romans, viii, 4; Gal., vi, 16. Back to Line
21] Vache. See introductory note.
olde wrechednesse. Long continued wretchedness (over thy misfortunes). Back to Line
21] thral. Slave. Back to Line
21] Crie hym mercy, that ... Made thee of nought. Thank him who, out of his goodness, created thee of nothing. Back to Line
21] other. Perhaps the poet himself.
mede. Reward. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1477
RPO poem Editors
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition
2RP.1.39; RPO 1996-2000.
Form
balade