Part 22

¶ And if þou wilt fulfille þi nede after þat it suffiseþ to nature þan is it no nede 1232 þat þou seke after þe sup{er}fluite of fortune.

¶ For wiþ ful fewe þinges {and} w{i}t{h} ful lytel þing nature halt hire appaied. {and} yif þou wilt achoken þe fulfillyng of nat{ur}e wiþ sup{er}fluites ¶ Certys þilke 1236 þinges þ{a}t þou wilt þresten or pouren in to nature shullen ben vnioyeful to þe or ellis anoies.

¶ Wenest þou eke þat it be a fair þinge to shine wiþ dyuerse cloþing.

of whiche cloþing yif þe beaute be agreable 1240 to loken vpon. I wol merueylen on þe nature of þe matere of þilke cloþes. or ellys on þe werkeman þat wrouȝt hem.

but al so a longe route of meyne. makiþ þat a blisful *man.

þe whiche seruauntes yif þei ben 1244 vicioũs of condic{i}ou{n}s it is a greet charge {and} a destrucc{i}ou{n} to þe house. {and} a g{r}eet enmye to þe lorde hym self

¶ {And} yif þei ben goode men how shal straung or foreyne goodenes ben put in þe nou{m}bre 1248 of þi rycchesse.

so þ{a}t by alle þise forseide þinges. it is clerly shewed þat neuer none of þilke þinges þat þou accou{m}ptedest for þin goodes nas nat þi goode.

¶ In þe whiche þinges yif þer be no beaute to ben desired. 1252

whi sholdest þou be sory yif þou leese hem. or whi sholdest þou reioysen þe to holden hem.

¶ For if þei ben fair of hire owen kynde. what app{er}teneþ þat to þe.

for as wel sholde þei han ben faire by hem self. 1256 þouȝ þei were{n} dep{ar}tid from alle þin rycchesse.

¶ For-why faire ne p{re}cioũs ne weren þei nat. for þat þei comen amonges þi rycchesse. but for þei semeden fair {and} p{re}cious. þerfore þou haddest leuer rekene hem 1260 amonges þi rycchesse.

but what desirest þou of fortune wiþ so greet a noyse {and} wiþ so greet a fare

¶ I trowe þou seke to dryue awey nede wiþ habundaunce of þinges.

¶ But certys it turneþ to ȝow al in þe 1264 contrarie. for whi certys it nediþ of ful many helpynges to kepen þe dyuersite of preciouse ostelmentȝ.

and soþe it is þat of many þinges han þei nede þat many þinges han.

{and} aȝeyneward of litel nediþ 1268 hem þat mesuren hir fille after þe nede of kynde {and} nat after þe outrage of couetyse

¶ Is it þan so þat ye men ne han no p{ro}pre goode. I-set in ȝow. For whiche ȝe moten seken outwardes ȝoure goodes in 1272 foreine {and} subgit þinges.

¶ So is þan þe condic{i}ou{n} of þinges turned vpso dou{n}. þat a man þat is a devyne beest by merit of hys resou{n}. þinkeþ þat hy{m} self nys neyþer fair ne noble. but if it be þoruȝ 1276 possessiou{n} of ostelmentes. þat ne han no soules.

¶ And certys al oþ{er} þi{n}ges ben appaied of hire owen beautes. but ȝe men þat ben semblable to god by ȝour{e} resonable þouȝt desiren to apparaille ȝour{e} excellent 1280 kynde of þe lowest pinges. ne ȝe ne vndirstonde nat how gret a wro{n}g ȝe don to ȝoure creato{ur}.

for he wolde þat man kynde were moost worþi {and} noble of any oþer erþely þinges. and ȝe þresten adou{n} ȝoure [[pg 49]] dignitees by-neþen þe lowest þinges.

¶ For if þat al 1285 þe good of euery þing be more p{re}ciouse þan is þilk þing whos þat þe good is. syn ȝe demen þat þe foulest þinges ben ȝoure goodes. þanne summytten 1288 ȝe {and} putten ȝoure self vndir þo foulest þinges by ȝoure estimac{i}ou{n}. ¶ And certis þis bitidiþ nat wiþ out ȝour{e} desert.

For certys swiche is þe co{n}dic{i}ou{n} of al man kynde þat oonly whan it haþ knowyng of it 1292 self. þan passeþ it i{n} noblesse alle oþer þinges.

and whan it forletiþ þe knowyng of it self. þan it is brouȝt byneþen alle beestes.

¶ For-why alle oþer [leuynge] beestes han of kynde to knowe not hem 1296 self. but whan þat men leten þe knowyng of hem self. it comeþ hem of vice.

but how brode sheweþ þe erro{ur} {and} þe folie of ȝow men þat wenen þat ony þing may ben apparailled wiþ straunge apparaillementȝ ¶ but 1300 for-soþe þat may nat be don.

for yif a wyȝt shyneþ wiþ þi{n}ges þat ben put to hym. as þus. yif þilke þinges shynen wiþ whiche a man is apparailled. ¶ Certis þilke þinges ben commendid {and} p{re}ised wiþ whiche 1304 he is apparailled.