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"What maketh yow to han al this labour?" |
| 210 | "Ful many a cause, leeve sire somonour," |
| Seyde this feend, "but alle thyng hath tyme. |
| The day is short, and it is passed pryme, |
| And yet ne wan I nothyng in this day. |
| I wol entende to wynnyng, if I may, |
| 215 | And nat entende oure wittes to declare. |
| For, brother myn, thy wit is al to bare |
| To understonde, althogh I tolde hem thee. |
| But, for thou axest why labouren we - |
| For somtyme we been goddes instrumentz, |
| 220 | And meenes to doon his comandementz, |
| Whan that hym list, upon his creatures, |
| In divers art and in diverse figures. |
| Withouten hym we have no myght, certayn, |
| If that hym list stonden ther-agayn. |
| 225 | And somtyme, at oure prayere, han we leve |
| Oonly the body and nat the soule greve; |
| Witnesse on job, whom that we diden wo. |
| And somtyme han we myght of bothe two, |
| This is to seyn, of soule and body eke. |
| 230 | And somtyme be we suffred for to seke |
| Upon a man, and doon his soule unreste, |
| And nat his body, and al is for the beste. |
| Whan he withstandeth oure temptacioun, |
| It is a cause of his savacioun, |
| 235 | Al be it that it was nat oure entente |
| He sholde be sauf, but that we wolde hym hente. |
| And somtyme be we servant unto man, |
| As to the erchebisshop Seint Dunstan, |
| And to the apostles servent eek was I." |
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"What causes you to have all this labour?" |
| 210 | "Full many a cause, my dear sir summoner," |
| Replied the demon, "but each thing has its time. |
| The day is short, and it is now past prime, |
| And yet have I won not a thing this day. |
| I will attend to winning, if I may, |
| 215 | And not our different notions to declare. |
| For, brother mine, your wits are all too bare |
| To understand, though I told mine fully. |
| But since you ask me why thus labour we- |
| Well, sometimes we are God's own instruments |
| 220 | And means to do his orders and intents, |
| When so he pleases, upon all his creatures, |
| In divers ways and shapes, and divers features. |
| Without him we've no power, 'tis certain, |
| If he be pleased to stand against our train. |
| 225 | And sometimes, at our instance, have we leave |
| Only the body, not the soul, to grieve; |
| As witness job, to whom we gave such woe. |
| And sometimes have we power of both, you know, |
| That is to say, of soul and body too. |
| 230 | And sometimes we're allowed to search and do |
| That to a man which gives his soul unrest, |
| And not his body, and all is for the best. |
| And when one does withstand all our temptation, |
| It is the thing that gives his soul salvation; |
| 235 | Albeit that it was not our intent |
| He should be saved; we'd have him impotent. |
| And sometimes we are servants unto man, |
| As to that old archbishop, Saint Dunstan, |
| And to the apostles servant once was I." |
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