Part 23

¶ But naþeles þe þing þat is couered {and} wrapped vndir þat dwelleþ in his filþe.

and I denye þat þilke þing be good þat anoyeþ hym þat haþ it.

¶ Gabbe I of þis. þou wolt seye nay. 1308 ¶ Certys rycchesse han anoyed ful ofte hem þat han þe rycchesse.

¶ Syn þat euery wicked shrew {and} for hys wickednesse þe more gredy aftir oþer folkes rycchesse wher so euer it be in any place. be it golde or 1312 p{re}cious stones. [[pg 50]]

{and} weniþ hym *only most worþi þat haþ hem

¶ þou þan þat so besy dredest now þe swerde {and} þe spere. yif þou haddest entred in þe paþe of þis lijf a voide wayfaryng man. þan woldest þou syng 1316 by-fore þe þeef. ¶ As who seiþ a poure man þat bereþ no rycchesse on hym by þe weye. may boldly syng byforne þeues. for he haþ nat wher-of to ben robbed.

¶ O preciouse {and} ryȝt clere is þe blysfulnesse of 1320 mortal rycchesse. þat wha{n} þou hast geten it. þan hast þou lorn þi sykenesse.

FELIX IN MIRU{M} PRIOR ETAS.

++Blysful was þe first age of men. þei helden hem apaied wiþ þe metes þat þe trewe erþes brouȝten 1324 furþe. ¶ þei ne destroyed ne desceyued not hem self wiþ outerage.

¶ þei weren wont lyȝtly to slaken her hunger at euene wiþ acornes of okes

¶ þei ne couþe nat medle þe ȝift of bacus to þe clere hony. 1328 þat is to seyn. þei couþe make no piment of clarre.

ne þei couþe nat medle þe briȝt flies of þe co{n}tre of siriens wiþ þe venym of tirie. þis is to seyne. þei couþe nat dien white flies of sirien contre wiþ þe 1332 blode of a manar shelfysshe. þat men fynden in tyrie. wiþ whiche blode men deien purper.

¶ þei slepen holesom slepes vpon þe gras. and dronken of þe rynnyng watres. {and} laien vndir þe shadowe of þe heyȝe 1336 pyne trees.

¶ Ne no gest ne no straunger karf ȝit þe heye see wiþ oores or wiþ shippes. ne þei ne hadden seyne ȝitte none newe strondes to leden merchaundyse [[pg 51]] in to dyuerse co{n}tres.

¶ þo weren þe cruel 1340 clariou{n}s ful whist {and} ful stille.

ne blode yshed by egre hate ne hadde nat deied ȝit armurers.

for wherto or whiche woodenesse of enmys wolde first moeuen armes. whan þei seien cruel woundes ne none medes 1344 ben of blood yshad

¶ I wolde þat oure tymes sholde turne aȝeyne to þe oolde maneres.

¶ But þe anguissous loue of hauyng brenneþ in folke moore cruely þan þe fijr of þe Mou{n}taigne of Ethna þat euer brenneþ. 1348

¶ Allas what was he þat first dalf vp þe gobets or þe weyȝtys of gold couered vndir erþe. {and} þe p{re}cious stones þat wolden han ben hid. he dalf vp p{re}cious perils. þat is to seyne þat he þat hem first vp dalf. he 1352 dalf vp a p{re}cious peril.

for-whi. for þe p{re}ciousnesse of swyche haþ many man ben in peril.

QUID AUTE{M} DE DIGNITATIB{US} {ET} C{ETERA}.

++But what shal I seyne of dignitees {and} of powers. þe whiche men þ{a}t neiþer knowen verray dignitee 1356 ne verray power areysen hem as heye as þe heuene.

þe whiche dignitees {and} powers yif þei come to any wicked man þei don greet damages {and} distrucc{i}ou{n} as doþ þe fla{m}me of þe Mou{n}taigne 1360 Ethna whan þe fla{m}me wit walwiþ vp ne no deluge ne doþ so cruel harmes.

¶ Certys ye remembriþ wel as I trowe þat þilke dignitee þat men clepiþ þe emperie of {con}sulers þe whiche þat somtyme was bygynnyng 1364 of fredom. ¶ Ȝoure eldres coueiteden to han don a-wey þat dignitee for þe p{r}ide of þe conseilers.

¶ And ryȝt for þe same p{r}ide ȝoure eldres byforne þat tyme hadden don awey out of þe Citee of rome þe 1368 kynges name. þat is to seien. þei nolden haue no lenger no kyng ¶ But now yif so be þ{a}t dignitees {and} powers ben ȝeuen to goode men. þe whiche þing is ful ȝelde. what agreable þi{n}ges is þer in þo dignitees. 1372 or powers. but only þe goodenes of folk þat vsen hem.

¶ And þerfore it is þus þat hono{ur} ne comeþ nat to vertue for cause of dignite. but aȝeinward. hono{ur} comeþ to dignite by cause of vertue.

but whiche is 1376 ȝoure derworþe power þat is so clere {and} so requerable