Of the Feete of
this Ymage
Capitulo xxxvii
`Sewyngly
it is to speken of the feete, whiche that ben medled
of yren and of erth. These feete must be wel helpyng
to the legges, for they ben the bases and the
fundament to sustene them and al the remenaunt of
the body whiche that is abouen. These feete ben
dyuerse crafty men and labourers, withouten whiche
the body of the reame ne may nought be mayntened.
And oftyme suche maystres as ben of lest reputacion
ben mooste necessary, and worst mowe
be myssed.
`Tho clepe I the plauntesa of the fete, ne the
lest of the feete may nought be despysed, for more
necessary to the land is a diker & a deluer than
a goldsmyth or a embrawderer.
And more helply is a carpenter or a potter than an
organer, a peynter, or an ymager.
`But thenne must we see why these feete ben thus of
dyuerse mater entermellyd, as
of yren and of erthe; hit wold seme that wonder disparaylle ben these two
thynges: yren and erthe. Neuertheles they ben drawen
to geders oute of one place. soothe hit is that al
the necessary labour of the world entendeth no thyng
els but norysshyng to the body within, and koueryng withoute.
`All that is apperteynent to norysshynge of the body
withyn is drawen of the erthe, wherfor by erthe I
vnderstande alle suche labourers that trauaylen in erynge and sowyng, dykynge and
deluynge, in ympyng and
plantyng, in pasturynge of beestes, in fysshyng and
fowlynge, and alle suche thynges wherby is norysshed
mannes sustenaunce. Oute of the erthe hit cometh,
& in to erthe hit torneth in a lytel tyme.
`The yren parte of the feete I clepe alle tho mystres whiche that apperteynen
to the body without, as clothyng, howsynge,
defensynge ageyne dyuerse perylles, for whiche
thynges besyen them carpenters, masons, smythes,
armerours, and al suche crafty men whiche, though
that many of them be nought necessary, yet be they
ordeyned to comforte of man. For al though a
goldsmyth be nought nedeful, yet for honeste of ornamentes of Holy
Chirche, and also for array of mannes body as for
manere of comforte, it is necessary.
`Loo, al these outward worchen mooste specially with
yren, and withoute yren mowe they nought doo. And
skylfully they ben medled of bothe twoo maters, for
the yren part may nought lyue withoute the erthen
parte, ne the erthen withoute the yren, but eueriche
hath nede of other. And noo doute that the golden
hede ne the sylueren brest, ne the brasen wombeb,
ne the yren legges, withouten these entermellyd
feete mowe nought be susteyned.
`Loo,thus haue I told the of this statua [85r]
after the forme that thou hast beholden and Danyel
hath wryten, for of no moo membres spake nought the
prophete, ne parauenture Nabugodonosor sawe no more
hym self. Ne otherwyse is hit nought founden in the
prophecye, ne none other is the statua that thou
sawe vppon the machynement,
wherfore I haue good cause and occasion to cessen of
this mater, for no more men maye glosen
withouten text than bylde materles.'
