Part 17

¶ Þou wenest þat fortune be chaunged aȝeins þe

¶ But þou wenest wrong. yif þou [þat] wene.

Alwey þo ben hire maners. she haþ raþer as to 768 þe ward hire p{ro}pre stablenes in þe chaungyng of hyre self. ¶ Ryȝt swyche was she whan she flatered þe. {and} desseiued þe wiþ vnleueful lykynges of false welefulnesse.

þou hast now knowen {and} ataynt 772 þe doutous or double visage of þilke blynde goddesse fortune. ¶ She þat ȝit couereþ hir {and} wympleþ hir to oþer folk. haþ shewed hir euerydel to þe. ¶ Ȝif þou app{ro}uest hir {and} þenkest þat she is good. vse 776 hir maners {and} pleyne þe nat.

¶ And if þou agrisest hir fals trecherie. dispise {and} cast aweye hir þat pleyeþ so harmefully. for she þat is now cause of so myche sorwe to þe. sholde be to þe cause of pees {and} 780 ioie. ¶ she haþ forsaken þe forsoþe. þe whiche þat neuer man may be syker þat she ne shal forsake hym. Glose. ¶ But naþeles some bookes han þe text þus. For soþe she haþ forsaken þe ne þer nis no man 784 syker þat she ne haþ not forsaken.

¶ Holdest þou þan þilke welefulnesse p{re}ciouse to þe þat shal passen.

{and} is p{re}sent fortune derworþi to þe. whiche þat nis not feiþful forto dwelle. {and} whan she goþ aweye þat 788 she bryngeþ a wyȝt in sorwe ¶ For syn she may nat be wiþholde{n} at a mans wille. she makeþ hym a wrecche whe{n} she dep{ar}teþ fro hym.

¶ What oþer þing is flitti{n}g fortune but a manere shewyng of wrycchednesse [[pg 32]] þat is to comen. ne it ne suffriþ nat ooly to loken 793 of þing þat is p{re}sent byforne þe eyen of man. but wisdom lokeþ {and} mesureþ þe ende of þinges.

{and} þe same chau{n}gyng from one to an oþer. þat is to seyne 796 fro aduersite to p{ro}sperite makeþ þat þe manaces of fortune ne ben not forto dreden. ne þe flatrynges of hir to ben desired. ¶ Þus atte þe last it byhoueþ þe to suffren wiþ euene wille in pacience al þat is don 800 inwiþ þe floor of fortune. þat is to seyne in þis worlde.

¶ Syþen þou hast oones put þi nekke vnder þe ȝokke of hir. for if þou wilt write a lawe of wendyng {and} of dwellyng to fortune whiche þat þou hast chosen frely 804 to be þi lady

¶ Art þou nat wrongful in þat {and} makest fortune wroþe {and} asp{er}e by þin inpacience. {and} ȝit þou mayst not chaungen hir.

¶ Yif þou co{m}mittest [{and}] bitakest þi sayles to þe wynde. þou shalt 808 be shouen not þider þat þou woldest(:) but whider þat þe wy{n}de shoueþ þe ¶ Yif þou castest þi seedes in þe feldes þou sholdest haue in mynde þat þe ȝeres ben oþer while plenteuous {and} oþ{er} while bareyne.

¶ Þou 812 hast bytaken þiself to þe gouernaunce of fortune. {and} forþi it byhoueþ þe to ben obeisaunt to þe manere of þi lady.

and enforcest þou þe to aresten or wiþstonden þe swyftnesse {and} þe sweyes of hir to{ur}nyng 816 whele.

¶ O þou fool of alle mortel fooles if fortune bygan to dwelle stable. she cesed þan to ben fortune.

HEC CUM SUPERBA.

++Whan fortune wiþ a proude ryȝt hande haþ turnid hir chau{n}gyng stoundes she fareþ lyke þe maners 820 of þe boillyng eurippe. Glose. Eurippe is an arme of þe see þ{a}t ebbith {and} flowiþ. {and} somtyme þe streme is on one syde {and} somtyme on þat oþer. Texte

¶ She cruel fortune kasteþ adoune kynges þat somtyme weren 824 ydred. {and} she deceiuable enhau{n}seth vp þe humble chere of hym þat is discomfited.

{and} she neyþer hereþ ne reccheþ of wrecched wepynges. {and} she is so harde þat she lauȝeþ {and} scorneþ þe wepyng of hem þe whiche 828 she haþ maked wepe wiþ hir free wille.

¶ Þus she pleyeþ {and} þ{us} she p{re}ueþ hir strengþe {and} sheweþ a grete wondre to alle hir seruau{n}tȝ. ¶ Yif þat a wyȝt is seyn weleful {and} ou{er}þrowe in an houre. 832

VELLEM AUTE{M} PAUCA.

++CErtis I wolde plete wiþ þee a fewe þinges vsynge þe wordes of fortune tak heede now þi self. yif þ{a}t she axeþ ryȝt.

*¶ O þou man wher fore makest þou me gilty by þine euerydayes pleynynges. what wronges 836 haue I don þe.

what goodes haue I byreft þe þat weren þine. stryf or plete wiþ me by fore what iuge þat þou wilt of þe possessiou{n} of rycchesse or of dignites

¶ And yif þou maist shewe me þat euer any mortal man haþ 840 receyued any of þese þinges to ben his in p{ro}pre. þan wol I graunt frely þat þilke þinges were{n} þine whiche þat þou axest.

¶ Whan þat nature brouȝt þe forþe out of þi moder wombe. I receyued þe naked 844 {and} nedy of al þing. {and} I norysshed þe wiþ my [[pg 34]] rychesse. {and} was redy {and} ententif þo{ru}ȝ my fauo{ur} to sustene þe. ¶ And þat makeþ þe now i{n}pacient aȝeins me. {and} I envirounde þe wiþ al þe habundaunce {and} 848 shinyng of al goodes þat ben in my ryȝt.

¶ Now it lykeþ me to wiþ drawe myne hande. þou hast had grace as he þat haþ vsed of foreyne goodes. þou hast no ryȝt to pleyne þe. as þouȝ þou haddest vtterly lorn alle þi 852 þinges. whi pleynest þou þan. I haue don þe no wrong.

Ricches hono{ur}es {and} swyche oþer þinges ben of my ryȝt.