Part 21

¶ And for as myche as þou þi self art he to who{m} it haþ ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued by ful many demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot wel þat þe soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke 1144 syn it is clere. {and} certeyne þat fortunous welefulnesse endiþ by þe deeþ of þe body. ¶ It may nat ben douted þat yif þat deeþ may take awey blysfulnesse þat al þe kynde of mortal þi{n}g{us} ne descendiþ in to wrecchednesse 1148 by þe ende of þe deeþ.

¶ And syn we knowen wel þat many a man haþ souȝt þe fruit of blisfulnesse nat only wiþ suffryng of deeþ. but eke wiþ suffryng of peynes {and} to{ur}mentes.

how myȝt þan þis p{re}sent 1152 lijf make men blisful. syn þat whanne þilke self lijf is endid. it ne makeþ folk no wrecches.

QUISQUIS UOLET P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.

++What maner man stable {and} war þat wil founden hym a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156 wiþ þe loude blastes of þe wynde Eurus. {and} wil dispise þe see manassynge wiþ floodes ¶ Lat hym eschewe to bilde on þe cop of þe mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in þe moyste sandes. ¶ For þe fel wynde auster to{ur}menteþ þe cop 1160 of þe mou{n}tayngne wiþ alle his strengþes. ¶ and þe lowe see sandes refuse to beren þe heuy weyȝte. [[pg 45]]

{and} forþi yif þou wolt flee þe p{er}ilous auenture þat is to seine of þe worlde ¶ Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn 1164 þi house of a myrie site in a lowe stoone. ¶ For al þouȝ þe wynde troublyng þe see þondre wiþ ouereþrowynges ¶ Þou þat art put i{n} quiete {and} welful by strengþe of þi palys shalt leden a cleer age. scornyng 1168 þe wodenesses and þe Ires of þe eir.

SET CUM RACIONU{M} IAM IN TE.

++But for as moche as þe noryssinges of my resou{n}s descenden now in to þe. I trowe it were tyme to vsen a litel strenger medicynes.

¶ Now vndirstonde 1172 here al were it so þat þe ȝiftis of fortune nar nat brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie.

what is þer in hem þat may be þine *in any tyme. or ellis þat it nys foule if þat it be considered {and} lokid p{er}fitely.

¶ Richesse ben þei 1176 p{re}ciouse by þe nature of hem self. or ellys by þe nature of þe.

What is most worþi of rycchesse. is it nat golde or myȝt of moneye assembled.

¶ Certis þilke golde {and} þilke moneye shineþ {and} ȝeueþ better 1180 renou{n} to hem þat dispenden it. þen to þilke folke þat mokeren it.

For auarice makeþ alwey mokeres to be hated. {and} largesse makeþ folke clere of renou{n} ¶ For syn þat swiche þi{n}g as is t{ra}nsfered from o 1184 man to an oþer ne may nat dwellen wiþ no man.

Certis þan is þilke moneye p{re}cious. whan it is translated in to oþer folk. {and} stynteþ to ben had by vsage of large ȝeuy{n}g of hym þat haþ ȝeuen it. 1188

{and} also yif al þe moneye þat is ouer-al in þe world were gadered towar o man. it sholde maken al oþer men [[pg 46]] to ben nedy as of þat. ¶ And certys a voys al hool þat is to seyn wiþ-oute amenusynge fulfilleþ to gyder 1192 þe heryng of myche folke.

but Certys ȝoure rycchesse ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wiþ-oute amenussyng ¶ And whan þei ben apassed. nedys þei maken hem pore þat forgon þe rycchesses.

¶ O streite {and} 1196 nedy clepe I þise rycchesses. syn þat many folke may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man wiþ-oute pouerte of al oþer folke. ¶ And þe shynynge of ge{m}mes þat I clepe p{re}ciouse stones. draweþ it nat 1200 þe eyen of folk in to hem warde. þat is to seyne for þe beaute.

¶ For certys yif þer were beaute or bounte in shynyng of stones. þilke clerenesse is of þe stones hem self. {and} nat of men. ¶ For whiche I wondre 1204 gretly þat men merueilen on swiche þinges. ¶ For whi what þing is it þat yif it wa{n}teþ moeuyng {and} ioynture of soule {and} body þat by ryȝt myȝt semen a faire creature to hym þat haþ a soule of resou{n}. 1208

¶ For al be it so þat ge{m}mes drawen to hem self a litel of þe laste beaute of þe worlde. þoruȝ þe entent of hir creato{ur} {and} þoruȝ þe distincc{i}ou{n} of hem self. ȝit for as myche as þei ben put vndir ȝoure excellence. 1212 þei han not desserued by no weye þat ȝe shullen merueylen on hem.

¶ And þe beaute of feeldes deliteþ it nat mychel vnto ȝow.

Boyce. ¶ Whi sholde it nat deliten vs. syn þat it is a ryȝt fayr porciou{n} of þe ryȝt 1216 fair werk. þat is to seyn of þis worlde.

¶ And ryȝt so ben we gladed somtyme of þe face of þe see whan it is clere. And also merueylen we on þe heuene {and} on þe sterres. {and} on þe sonne. {and} on þe mone. [[pg 47]]

Philosophie. ¶ App{er}teineþ q{uo}d she any of þilke 1221 þinges to þe. whi darst þou glorifie þe in þe shynynge of any swiche þinges.

Art þou distingwed {and} embelised by þe spryngyng floures of þe first somer 1224 sesou{n}. or swelliþ þi plente in fruytes of somer. whi art þou rauyshed wiþ ydel ioies.

why enbracest þou straunge goodes as þei weren þine.

Fortune shal neuer maken þat swiche þinges ben þine þat nature of þinges 1228 maked foreyne fro þe.

¶ Syche is þat wiþ-oute{n} doute þe fruytes of þe erþe owen to ben on þe norssinge of bestes.