Part 24

¶ O ȝe erþelyche bestes considere ȝe nat ouer whiche þing þat it semeþ þat ȝe han power.

¶ Now yif þou say a mouse amo{n}g{us} *oþer myse þat chalenged to 1380 hymself ward ryȝt {and} power ouer alle oþer myse. how gret scorne woldest þou han of hit. ¶ Glosa. ¶ So fareþ it by men. þe body haþ power ouer þe body.

For yif þow loke wel vpon þe body of a wyȝt what 1384 þing shalt þou fynde moore frele þan is mannes kynde. þe whiche ben ful ofte slayn wiþ bytynge of smale flies. or ellys wiþ þe entryng of crepyng wormes in to þe priuetees of mennes bodyes.

¶ But wher shal 1388 men fynden any man þat may exercen or haunten any ryȝt vpon an oþer ma{n} but oonly vpon hys body. or ellys vpo{n} þinges þat ben lower þen þe body. whiche I clepe fortunous possessiou{n}s

¶ Mayst þou euer haue 1392 any comaundement ouer a fre corage

¶ Mayst þou remuen fro þe estat of hys p{ro}pre reste. a þouȝt þat is cleuyng to gider in hym self by stedfast resou{n}. ¶ As somtyme a tiraunt wende to co{n}founde a freeman of 1396 corage ¶ {And} wende to co{n}streyne hym by to{ur}ment [[pg 53]] to maken hym dyscoueren {and} acusen folk þat wisten of a coniurac{i}ou{n}. whiche I clepe a confederacie þat was cast aȝeins þis tyraunt

¶ But þis free man boot 1400 of hys owen tunge. {and} cast it in þe visage of þilke woode tyrau{n}te. ¶ So þat þe to{ur}mentȝ þat þis tyrau{n}t wende to han maked mater{e} of cruelte. þis wyse man maked[e it] matere of vertues.

¶ But what 1404 þing is it þat a man may don to an oþer man. þat he ne may receyue þe same þing of oþer folke i{n} hym self. or þus. ¶ What may a man don to folk. þat folk ne may don hym þe same.

¶ I haue herd told of 1408 busirides þat was wo{n}t to sleen hys gestes þat herburghden in hys hous. and he was slayn hym self of ercules þat was hys gest

¶ Regulus had taken in bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to fetteres. 1412 but sone after he most ȝiue hys handes to ben bounden w{i}t{h} þe cheynes of hem þat he had somtyme ou{er}comen.

¶ Wenest þou þan þat he be myȝty. þat may nat don a þing. þat oþer ne may don 1416 hym. þat he doþ to oþer.

{and} ȝit more ou{er} yif it so were þat þise dignites or poweres hadden any p{ro}pre or naturel goodnesse in hem self neuer nolden þei comen to shrewes.

¶ For contrarious þinges ne ben 1420 not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ¶ Nature refuseþ þat contraious þinges ben yioigned.

¶ And so as I am in certeyne þat ryȝt wikked folk han dignitees ofte tymes. þan sheweþ it wel þat dignitees {and} powers 1424 ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn þat þei suffren hem self to cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes.

¶ And certys þe same þing may most digneliche Iugen {and} seyen of alle þe ȝiftis of fortune þat most plenteuously [[pg 54]] comen to shrewes.

¶ Of þe whiche ȝiftys I 1429 trowe þat it auȝt ben considered þat no man doutiþ þat he nis strong. in whom he seeþ strengþe. {and} in whom þat swiftnesse is ¶ Soþe it is þat he is swyfte. 1432

Also musyk makeþ musiciens. {and} fysik makeþ phisiciens. {and} rethorik rethoriens.

¶ For whi þe nature of euery þing makiþ his p{ro}pretee. ne it is nat ent{er}medled wiþ þe effect{is} of co{n}trarious þinges. 1436

¶ And as of wil it chaseþ oute þinges þat to it ben contrarie

¶ But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice vnstaunched ¶ Ne power makeþ nat a ma{n} myȝty ouer hym self. whiche þat vicious lustis 1440 holden destreined wiþ cheins þat ne mowen nat ben vnbounden.

{and} dignitees þat ben ȝeuen to shrewed folk nat oonly ne makiþ hem nat digne. but it sheweþ raþer al openly þat þei ben vnworþi {and} vndigne. 1444

¶ And whi is it þ{us}. ¶ Certis for ȝe han ioye to clepen þinges wiþ fals names. þat beren hem al in þe co{n}t{ra}rie. þe whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by þe effect of þe same þinges.

so þat *þise ilke rycchesse 1448 ne auȝten nat by ryȝt to ben cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne auȝt not ben cleped power. ne whiche dignitee ne auȝt nat ben cleped dignitee.

¶ And at þe laste I may conclude þe same þinge of 1452 al þe ȝiftes of fortune in whiche þer nis no þing to ben desired. ne þat haþ in hym self naturel bounte. ¶ as it is ful wel sene. for neyþer þei ne ioygne{n} hem nat alwey to goode men. ne maken hem alwey 1456 goode to who{m} þei be{n} y-ioigned.

NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.

++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet harmes {and} destrucc{i}ou{n}s weren doñ by þe Emp{er}oure Nero.

¶ He letee brenne þe citee of Rome {and} made slen þe 1460 senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slouȝ hys broþer. {and} he was maked moyst wiþ þe blood of hys modir. þat is to seyn he let sleen {and} slitte{n} þe body of his modir to seen where he was conceiued.

{and} he loked on euery 1464 half vpon hir colde dede body. ne no tere ne wette his face. but he was so hard herted þat he myȝt ben domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute.