Part 19

¶ Myȝtest þou euere forȝeten for any charge of harme þat myȝt byfallen. þe remembrau{n}ce of þilke day þat þou sey þi two sones maked conseillers. {and} ylad to gidre from þin house vndir so gret 956 assemble of senatours. {and} vndir þe blyþenesse of poeple. {and} whan þou say hem sette in þe court in her chaieres of dignites. ¶ Þou rethorien or p{ro}nou{n}cere [[pg 38]] of kynges p{re}ysinges. deseruedest glorie of wit {and} of 960 eloquence.

whan þou sittyng bytwix þi two sones conseillers in þe place þat hyȝt Circo. {and} fulfildest þe abydyng of multitude of poeple þat was sprad about þe wiþ large p{ra}ysynge {and} laude as me{n} syngen in victories. 964

þo ȝaue þou wordes of fortune as I trowe. þat is to seyne. þo feffedest þou fortune wiþ glosynge wordes {and} desseiuedest hir. whan she accoied þe {and} norsshed þe as hir owen delices. ¶ Þou hast 968 had of fortune a ȝifte þat is to seyn swiche gerdou{n} þat she neue ȝaf to p{re}ue man

¶ Wilt þou þerfore leye a rekenyng wiþ fortune.

she haþ now twynkeled first vpon þe wiþ a wykked eye. ¶ Yif þou considere 972 þe nou{m}bre {and} þe manere of þi blysses. {and} of þi sorwes.

*þou maist nat forsake þat þou nart ȝit blysful.

For if þou þerfore wenest þi self nat weleful for þinges þat þo semeden ioyful ben passed. ¶ Þer nis nat whi 976 þou sholdest wene þi self a wrecche. for þinges þat now semen soory passen also. ¶ Art þou now comen firste a sodeyne gest in to þe shadowe or tabernacle of þis lijf.

or trowest þou þ{a}t any stedfastnesse be in mannis 980 þinges. ¶ Whan ofte a swifte houre dissolueþ þe same man. þat is to seyne whan þe soule dep{ar}tiþ fro þe body. For al þouȝ þat yelde is þer any feiþ þat fortunous þinges willen dwelle.

ȝit naþeles þe last day 984 of a ma{n}nis lijf is a man{er}e deeþ to fortune. {and} also to þilke þat haþ dwelt.

{and} þerfore what wenist þou þar recche yif þou forlete hir i{n} dey{n}ge or ellys þ{a}t she fortune forlete þe i{n} fleenge awey. 988

CUM PRIMO POLO.

++Whan phebus þe sonne bygynneþ to spreden his clerenesse w{i}t{h} rosene chariettes. þan þe sterre ydimmyd paleþ hir white cheres. by þe flamus of þe so{n}ne þat ouer comeþ þe sterre lyȝt. ¶ Þis is to seyn whan þe 992 sonne is risen þe day sterre wexiþ pale {and} lesiþ hir lyȝt for þe grete bryȝtnesse of þe sonne.

¶ Whan þe wode wexeþ redy of rosene floures in þe first somer sesou{n} þoruȝ þe breþe of þe wynde Zephirus þat wexeþ 996 warme. ¶ Yif þe cloudy wynde auster blowe felliche. þan goþ awey þe fayrnesse of þornes.

Ofte þe see is clere {and} calme wiþoute moeuy{n}g floodes. And ofte þe horrible wynde aq{u}ilon moeueþ boylyng tempestes 1000 {and} ouer whelweþ þe see.

¶ Yif þe forme of þis worlde is so [ȝeelde] stable. {and} yif it to{ur}niþ by so many entrechau{n}gynges. wilt þou þa{n} truste{n} in þe trublynge fortunes of me{n}. wilt þou trowen i{n} flittyng goodes. 1004

It is certeyne {and} establissed by lawe p{er}durable þat no þi{n}g þ{a}t is engendred nys stedfast no stable.

TUNC EGO UERA INQ{UA}M.

++ÞAnne seide I þus. O norice of alle uertues þou seist ful soþe. ¶ Ne I may nat forsake þe ryȝt 1008 swifte cours of my p{ro}speritee. þat is to seine. þat p{ro}speritee ne be comen to me wondir swiftly {and} soone. but þis is a þing þat gretly smertiþ me whan it remembreþ me.

¶ For in alle aduersitees of fortune þe 1012 most vnsely kynde of contrariouse fortune is to han ben weleful.

¶ But þat þou q{uo}d she abaist þus þe to{ur}ment of þi fals opiniou{n} þat maist þou not ryȝtfully blamen ne aretten to þinges. as who seiþ for þou [[pg 40]] hast ȝitte many habundaunces of þinges. ¶ Textus. 1017 For al be it so þat þe ydel name of auenterouse welefulnesse moeueþ þe now. it is leueful þat þou rekene w{i}t{h} me of how many þinges þou hast ȝit plentee. 1020

¶ And þerfore yif þat þilke þing þat þou haddest for most p{re}cious in alle þi rycchesse of fortune be kept to þe by þe grace of god vnwemmed {and} vndefouled. Mayst þou þa{n} pleyne ryȝtfully vpon þe myschief of fortune. 1024 syn þou hast ȝit þi best þinges. ¶ Certys ȝit lyueþ in goode poynt þilke p{re}cious hono{ur} of mankynde.

¶ Symacus þi wyues fadir whiche þat is a man maked al of sapience {and} of vertue. þe whiche 1028 man þou woldest ben redely wiþ þe pris of þin owen lijf. he byweyleþ þe wronges þat men don to þee. {and} not for hym self. for he liueþ in sykernesse of any sentence put aȝeins him.

¶ And ȝit lyueþ þi wif þat 1032 is attempre of witte {and} passyng oþer women in clennes of chastitee. and for I wol closen shortly her bountes she is lyke to hir fadir. I telle þe welle þat she lyueþ looþ of hir life. {and} kepiþ to þee oonly hir goost. {and} 1036 is al maat {and} ouer-comen by wepyng {and} sorwe for desire of þe ¶ In þe whiche þing only I mot graunten þat þi welefulnesse is amenused.

¶ What shal I seyn eke of þi two sones conseillours of whiche as of children 1040 of hir age þer shineþ *þe lyknesse of þe witte of hir fadir {and} of hir eldefadir.

and siþen þe souereyn cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owe{n} lyues.

¶ O how weleful art þou þouȝ þou knowe þi goodes. 1044 ¶ But ȝitte ben þer þinges dwelly{n}g to þe wardes þat no [[pg 41]] man douteþ þat þei ne ben more derworþe to þe þen þine owen lijf.

¶ And forþi drie þi teres for ȝitte nys nat eueriche fortune al hateful to þe warde. ne ou{er} 1048 greet tempest haþ nat ȝit fallen vpon þe. whan þat þin ancres cliue fast þat neiþer wole suffre þe comfort of þis tyme p{re}sent. ne þe hope of tyme comynge to passen ne to falle{n}.

¶ And I p{re}ie q{uod} I þat fast mot 1052 þei holden. ¶ For whiles þat þei halden. how so eu{er}e þat þinges ben. I shal wel fleten furþe and eschapen.