Part 25

¶ And ȝitte neuerþeles gouerned þis Nero by Ceptre al þe peoples 1468 þat phebus þe sonne may seen comyng from his outerest arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir þe wawes. ¶ þat is to seyne. he gouerned alle þe peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial þat þe so{n}ne goþ aboute from est to west ¶ And 1472 eke þis Nero goueyrende by Ceptre. alle þe peoples þat ben vndir þe colde sterres þat hyȝten þe seuene triones. þis is to seyn he gouerned alle þe poeples þat ben vndir þe p{ar}ties of þe norþe.

¶ And eke Nero gouerned 1476 alle þe poeples þat þe violent wynde Nothus scorchiþ {and} bakiþ þe brennynge sandes by his drie hete. þat is to seyne. alle þe poeples in þe souþe.

Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as ofte as wicked swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. þat is to sein. venimous cruelte to lordshipe.

TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.

++ÞAnne seide I þus. þou wost wel þiself þat þe 1484 couetise of mortal þinges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of þinges to done. as who seiþ.

I desired to han matere of gou{er}naunce ouer comunalites. ¶ For vertue stille ne 1488 sholde not elden. þat is to seyn. þat list þat or he wex olde ¶ His uertue þat lay now ful stille. ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ¶ For whiche men myȝten speke or write{n} of his 1492 goode gouernement.

¶ Philosophie. ¶ For soþe q{uo}d she. {and} þat is a þing þat may drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben worþi {and} noble of hir nature. but naþeles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as 1496 ben y-brouȝt to þe ful p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. þat is to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel administred þe comune þinges. or doon goode decertes to p{ro}fit of þe comune.

for se now {and} considere how 1500 litel {and} how voide of al prise is þilke glorie.

¶ Certeine þing is as þou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of astronomye þat al þe envyronynge of þe erþe aboute ne halt but þe resou{n} of a prykke at regard of þe gretnesse 1504 of heuene. þat is to seye. þat yif þat þer were maked co{m}parisou{n} of þe erþe to þe gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle þat erþe helde no space

¶ Of þe whiche litel regiou{n} of þis worlde 1508 þe ferþe partie is enhabitid wiþ lyuyng beestes þat we knowen. as þou hast þi self lerned by tholome þat p{ro}uitħ it.

¶ yif þou haddest wiþ drawen {and} abated in þi þouȝte fro þilke ferþe partie as myche space as þe 1512 see {and} mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as þe regiou{n} of droughte ou{er}streccheþ.

þat is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnneþ sholde *þer dwellen a ryȝt streite place to þe habitaciou{n} of 1516 men.

{and} ȝe þan þat ben environed {and} closed wiþ i{n}ne þe leest prikke of þilk prikke þenke ȝe to manifesten ȝoure renou{n} {and} don ȝoure name to ben born forþe.

but ȝour{e} glorie þat is so narwe {and} so 1520 streyt yþronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche conteinþe it in largesse {and} in greet doynge.

And also sette þis þer to þat many a nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of hir lyuyng ben 1524 enhabitid in þe cloos of þilke litel habitacle. ¶ To þe whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only þe 1528 names of singler men ne may strecchen. but eke þe fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.

¶ At þe last Certis in þe tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self writeþ in his book þat þe renou{n} of þe comune of 1532 Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte passed ne clou{m}ben ou{er} þe mou{n}taigne þat hyȝt Caucasus. {and} ȝitte was þilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of þe p{ar}thes. and eke of oþer folk enhabityng aboute.

¶ Sest þou 1536 nat þan how streit {and} how comp{re}ssed is þilke glorie þat ȝe t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and} to multiplie.

May þan þe glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen þider as þe fame of þe name of Rome may nat clymben ne 1540 passen.

¶ And eke sest þ{o}u nat þat þe maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben discordau{n}t amonge hem self.

so þ{a}t þilke þing þat so{m}men iugen worþi of p{re}ysynge. oþer folk iugen þat it is worþi of torment. 1544

¶ and þer of comeþ þat þouȝ a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}. he ne may nat i{n} no wise [[pg 58]] bryngen furþe ne sprede{n} his name to many manere peoples.

¶ And þerfore euery man{er} man auȝte to ben 1548 paied of hys glorie þat is puplissed among hys owen neyȝbores.

¶ And þilke noble renou{n} shal be restreyned wiþ-i{n}ne þe boundes of o maner folk but how many a man þat was ful noble in his tyme. haþ þe 1552 nedy {and} wrecched forȝetynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey.

¶ Al be it so þat certys þilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. þe whiche writy{n}ges longe {and} derke elde doþ aweye boþe he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. 1556

but ȝe men semen to geten ȝow a p{er}durablete whan ȝe þenke þat in tyme comyng ȝoure fame shal lasten.

¶ But naþeles yif þou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n} to þe endeles space of eternite what þing hast þou by whiche þou 1560 maist reioysen þe of lo{n}g lastyng of þi name.

¶ For if þer were maked co{m}parysou{n} of þe abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten þousand wynter. for as myche as boþe þo spaces ben endid. ¶ For ȝit haþ þe moment some 1564 porciou{n} of hit al þouȝ it a litel be.

¶ But naþeles þilke self nou{m}bre of ȝeres. and eke as many ȝeres as þer to may be multiplied. ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to þe p{er}durablete þat is eenles.