Part 12

In whiche epicuryens {and} stoyciens. for as myche as þer semed so{m}me traces {and} steppes of myne habit.

þe folye of men wenyng þo epicuryens 200 {and} stoyciens my *familers p{er}uertede (.s. p{er}sequend{o}) so{m}me þoruȝ þe errour of þe wikked or vnkunnyng multitude of hem.

¶ Þis is to seyne for þei semeden philosophres: þei weren p{ur}sued to þe deeþ 204 and slayn. ¶ So yif þou hast not knowen þe exilynge of anaxogore. ne þe empoysenyng of socrates. ne þe to{ur}mentȝ of ȝeno for þei [weren] straungers. ¶ Ȝit myȝtest þou haue knowe{n} þe senectiens {and} þe Canyos 208 {and} þe sorancis of wyche folk þe renou{n} is neyþer ouer oolde ne vnsolempne. ¶ Þe whiche men no þing ellys ne brouȝt hem to þe deeþ but oonly for þei weren enfourmed of my maneres. {and} semede{n} moste vnlyke 212 to þe studies of wicked folk. ¶ And forþi þou auȝtest not to wondre þouȝ þ{a}t I in þe bitter see of þis lijf be fordryuen wiþ tempestes blowyng aboute. [[pg 12]]

in þe whiche te{m}peste þis is my most p{ur}pos þat is to seyn to displese 216 to wikked men. ¶ Of whiche schrews al be þe oost neuer so grete it is to dispyse. for it nis gouerned wiþ no leder of resoune. but it is rauysched only by flityng errour folyly {and} lyȝtly.

¶ And if þei somtyme 220 maky{n}g an ost aȝeynest vs assaile vs as strengere. oure leder draweþ to gedir hys rycchesse i{n} to hys toure. {and} þei ben ententif aboute sarpulers or sachels vnp{ro}fitable forto taken. but we þat ben heyȝ abouen syker 224 fro al tumulte {and} wode noise. ben stored {and} enclosed in syche a palays. whider as þat chateryng or anoying folye ne may not attayne. ¶ We scorne swiche rauiners {and} honters of foulest þinges. 228

QUISQ{UI}S COMPOSITO.

++Who so it be þat is clere of vertue sad {and} wel ordinat of lyuyng. þat haþ put vnderfote þe prowed wierdes {and} lokiþ vpryȝt vpon eyþer fortune. he may holde hys chiere vndiscomfited. ¶ Þe rage ne þe manace 232 of þe co{m}moeuyng or chasyng vpwarde hete fro þe botme. ne schal not moeue þat man. ne þe vnstable mountaigne þat hyȝt veseuus. þat wircheþ oute þoruȝ hys broken chemineys smokyng fires. ¶ Ne þe wey 236 of þonder lyȝt þat is wont to smyte heyȝe toures ne schal not mouene þat man.

¶ Wherto þen wrecches drede ȝe tyrauntes þat ben wode {and} felownes wiþ-outen ony strenkeþ.

¶ Hope after no þing ne drede nat. {and} 240 so schalt þou desarmen þe ire of þilke vnmyȝty tyraunt. [[pg 13]]

¶ But who so þat quakyng dredeþ or desireþ þing þat nis not stable of his ryȝt. þat man þat so doþ haþ cast awey hys schelde {and} is remoeued fro hys place. {and} 244 enlaceþ hym i{n} þe cheyne wiþ whiche he may be drawen.

SENTIS NE INQUIT.

++FElest þou q{uod} sche þise þinges {and} entren þei ouȝt in þi corage. ¶ Art þou like an asse to þe harpe. 248 Whi wepest þou whi spillest þou teres. ¶ Yif þou abidest after helpe of þi leche. þe byhoueþ discouere þi wounde.

¶ Þo .I. þat hadde gadered strenkeþ in my corage answered {and} seide. {and} nedeþ it ȝitte q{uod} 252 .I. of rehersyng or of amonic{i}ou{n}. {and} scheweþ it not ynouȝ by hym self þe scharpnes of fortune þat wexeþ woode aȝeynes me.

¶ Ne moeueþ it nat þe to seen þe face or þe man{er}e of þis place (.i. p{r}isou{n}.).

¶ Is þis 256 þe librarie wyche þat þou haddest chosen for a ryȝt certeyne sege to þe i{n} myne house. ¶ Þere as þou desputest of wiþ me of þe sciences of þinges touching diuinitee {and} touchyng mankynde. ¶ Was þan 260 myn habit swiche as it is now. was þan my face or [Interlinear: quasi d{ice}ret non.] my chere swiche as now.

¶ Whan I souȝt wiþ þe secretys of nature. whan þou enfo{ur}medest my maners {and} þe resou{n} of al my lijf. to þe ensaumple of þe ordre 264 of heuene.

þat is to seyne þat co{m}mune þinges or comunabletes weren 268 blysful yif þei þat haden studied al fully to wisdom [[pg 14]] gouerneden þilke þinges.

or ellys yif it so by-felle þat þe gouernours *of co{m}munalites studieden in grete wisdomes.

¶ Þou saidest eke by þe mouþe of þe same 272 plato þat it was a necessarie cause wyse men to taken {and} desire þe gou{er}nau{n}ce of comune þi{n}ges. for þat þe gou{er}nementes of comune citees y-left in þe hondes of felonous to{ur}mento{ur}s Citiȝenis ne scholde not brynge 276 inne pestile{n}ce {and} destrucc{i}ou{n} to goode folk.

¶ And þerfore I folowynge þilk auctoritee (.s. platonis). desiryng to put furþe in execusiou{n} {and} in acte of comune admi{ni}st{ra}c{i}ou{n} þo þinges þat .I. hadde lerned of þe 280 among my secre restyng whiles. ¶ Þou {and} god þ{a}t put þee in þe þouȝtis of wise folk ben knowen wiþ me þat no þing brouȝt me to maistrie or dignite: but þe comune studie of al goodenes.

¶ And þer-of comeþ 284 it þat by-twixen wikked folk {and} me han ben greuouse discordes. þat ne myȝten not be relesed by p{ra}yeres.

¶ For þis libertee haþ fredom of conscience þat þe wraþþe of more myȝty folk haþ alwey ben despised of me for 288 saluac{i}ou{n} of ryȝt.

¶ How ofte haue .I. resisted {and} wiþstonde þilk man þat hyȝt conigaste þat made alwey assautes aȝeins þe p{ro}pre fortunes of poure feble folke. ¶ How ofte haue .I. ȝitte put of. or cast out 292 hy{m} trigwille p{ro}uost of þe kynges hous boþe of þe wronges þat he hadde bygon to done {and} eke fully p{er}formed. ¶ How ofte haue I couered {and} defended by þe auctorite of me put aȝeins p{er}ils.

þat is to seine put 296 myne auctorite in peril for þe wreched pore folke. þat þe couetise of straungeres vnpunysched to{ur}mentid alwey [[pg 15]] wiþ myseses {and} greuaunces oute of noumbre.

¶ Neuer man drow me ȝitte fro ryȝt to wro{n}g. When I say þe 300 fortunes {and} þe rychesse of þe people of þe p{ro}uinces ben harmed eyþer by p{r}iue rauynes or by comune tributis or cariages.

as sory was I as þei þat suffred þe harme. Glosa. ¶ Whan þat theodoric þe kyng of 304 gothes in a dere ȝere hadde hys gerners ful of corne {and} comaundede þat no ma{n} ne schold bie no corne til his corne were solde {and} þat at a dere greuous pris. ¶ But I w{i}t{h}stod þat ordinaunce {and} ouer-com it 308 knowy{n}g al þis þe kyng hym self. ¶ Coempciou{n} þat is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere þat were establissed vpon poeple by swiche a manere imposiciou{n} as who so bouȝt a busshel corn he most ȝeue þe 312 ky{n}g þe fifte p{ar}t. Textus.

¶ Whan it was in þe soure hungry tyme þere was establissed or cried greuous {and} inplitable coempciou{n} þat men seyn wel it schulde greetly to{ur}me{n}tyn {and} endamagen al þe p{ro}uince of 316 co{m}paigne I took strif aȝeins þe p{ro}uost of þe pretorie for comune p{ro}fit. ¶ And þe kyng knowyng of it I ouercom it so þat þe coempciou{n} ne was not axed ne took effect.

¶ Paulyn a counseiller of Rome þe rychesse 320 of þe whyche paulyn þe houndys of þe palays. þat is to seyn þe officeres wolde han deuoured by hope {and} couetise ¶ Ȝit drow I hym out of þe Iowes .s. faucib{us} of hem þat gapede{n}.