SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

Saga-Book of the Viking Society
Drive Falsity away who has done you so much injustice; seek the
help of God and cast down the foul creature.
Falsity exerts herself, she steals and robs, again and again; 0 fair
Fidelity, show us your strength! the time has surely come.
Happy is the man whom Falsity does not torment eternally; if
you keep faith you will surely find peace in the Kingdom of
Heaven.
APPENDIX B
Lak of Stedfastnesse
(text from G. B. Pace, 'Chaucer's Lak of Stedfastnesse', Studies
in Bibliography IV (1951-52), 119-20).
I Sumtyme the worlde was so stedfast and stable
2 That mannes worde was obligacioun
3 And nowe it is so false and disceyuable
4 That worde and dede as in conclusioun
5 Is no thing lyke for turned vp so doun
6 Is all this worlde for mede and wilfulnesse
7 That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse
II 8 What maketh this worlde to be so variable
9 But lust that folke haue in discencioun
10 For amonge vs now a man is holde vnable
1 I But yf he can by som collusioun
12 Do his neyghbour wrong or oppressioun
13 What causeth this but wilful wrechednesse
14 That al is lost for lake of stedfastnesse
III 15 Trouthe is putte doun resoun is holden fable
16 Vertu hath now no dominacioun
17 Pite exiled no man is merciable
18 Thorugh couetyse is blent discrecioun
19 The worlde hath made a permutacioun
20 Fro right to wrong fro trouth to fikelnesse
2 I That al is lost for lak of stedfastnesse
IV 22 0 prince desyre to be honurable
23 Cherisshe pi folke and hate extorcioun
24 Suffre no thing that may be reprouable
25 To thine estate don in pi regioun
26 Shewe forth thy swerde of castigacioun
27 Drede god do law loue trouthe and worthynesse
28 And wed thi folk ayen to stedfastnesse