Part 26

¶ For of 1568 þinges þat han ende may be mad co{m}parisou{n} [but of thinges that ben w{i}t{h}-owtyn ende to thinges þ{a}t han ende may be maked no {com}parysou{n}].

¶ And for þi is it al þouȝ renou{n} of as longe tyme as euer þe lyst to þinken 1572 were þouȝt by þe regard of et{er}nite. þat is vnstauncheable {and} infinit. it ne sholde nat oonly semen litel. but pleinliche ryȝt nouȝt.

¶ But ȝe men certys ne konne don no þing aryȝt. but ȝif it be for þe audience of poeple. [[pg 59]] {and} for ydel rumo{ur}s. {and} ȝe forsaken þe grete worþinesse 1577 of conscience {and} of vertue. {and} ȝe seke{n} ȝoure gerdou{n}s of þe smale wordes of st{ra}nge folke.

¶ Haue now here {and} vndirstonde i{n} þe lyȝtnesse of whiche 1580 p{r}ide {and} veyne glorie. how a man scorned festiualy {and} myrily swiche vanite.

somtyme þere was a man þat had assaied wiþ striuyng wordes an oþer ma{n}. ¶ þe whiche nat for vsage of verrey vertue. but for proude 1584 veyne glorie had take{n} vpon hym falsly þe name of a philosopher. ¶ þis raþer man þat I speke of þouȝt he wolde assay where he þilke were a philosopher or no.

þat is to seyne yif he wolde han suffred 1588 lyȝtly in pacience þe wro{n}ges *þat weren don vnto hym.

¶ þis feined philosophre took pacience a litel while. {and} whan he hadde receiued wordes of outerage he as in stryuynge aȝeine {and} reioysynge of 1592 hym self seide at þe last ryȝt þus. ¶ vndirstondest þou nat þat I am a philosophere.

þat oþer man answered aȝein ful bityngly {and} seide. ¶ I had wel vndirstonden . yif þou haddest holde{n} þi tonge 1596 stille.

¶ But what is it to þise noble worþi men. For certys of swyche folk speke .I. þat seken glorie wiþ vertue. what is it q{uo}d she. what atteiniþ fame to swiche folk whan þe body is resolued by þe deeþ. atte 1600 þe last.

¶ For yif so be þat men dien in al. þat is to seyne body {and} soule. þe whiche þing oure resou{n} defendiþ vs to byleuen þanne is þere no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde þilke glorie ben. for he of 1604 who{m} þis glorie is seid to be nis ryȝt nouȝt in no wise.

and ȝif þe soule whiche þat haþ in it self science of goode werkes vnbounden fro þe p{r}isou{n} of þe erþe [[pg 60]] wendeþ frely to þe heuene. dispiseþ it nouȝt þan alle 1608 erþely occupac{i}ou{n}s. {and} beynge i{n} heuene reioiseþ þat it is exempt from alle erþely þinges [as wo seith / thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorye of renou{n} of this world]. 1612

QUICUMQ{UE} SOLAM MENTE.

++Who so þat wiþ ouerþrowyng þouȝt only sekeþ glorie of fame. {and} weniþ þat it be souereyne good ¶ Lete hym loke vpon þe brode shewyng contreys of þe heue{n}. {and} vpo{n} þe streite sete of þis erþe. {and} 1616 he shal be ashamed of þe encres of his name. þat may nat fulfille þe litel compas of þe erþe. ¶ O what coueiten proude folke to liften vpon hire nekkes in ydel {and} dedely ȝok of þis worlde.

¶ For al þouȝ 1620 [þ{a}t] renoune y-spradde passynge to ferne poeples goþ by dyuerse tonges. and al þouȝ grete houses {and} kynredes shyne wiþ clere titles of hono{ur}s.

ȝit naþeles deeþ dispiseþ al heye glorie of fame. {and} deeþ wrappeþ 1624 to gidre þe heye heuedes {and} þe lowe {and} makeþ egal {and} euene þe heyest to þe lowest.

¶ where wone{n} now þe bones of trewe fabricius.

what is now brutus or stiern Caton þe þinne fame ȝit lastynge 1628 of hir ydel names is markid wiþ a fewe lettres.

but al þouȝ we han knowe{n} þe faire wordes of þe fames of hem. it is nat ȝeuen to knowe he{m} þat ben dede {and} consumpt.

Liggiþ þanne stille al vtterly vnknowable 1632 ne fame ne makeþ ȝow nat knowe. and yif ȝe wene to lyuen þe leng{er} for wynde of ȝoure mortal name. whan o cruel day shal rauyshe ȝow. þan is þe secunde deeþ dwellyng in ȝow.

Glosa. þe first deeþ he clepiþ 1636 here þe dep{ar}tynge of þe body {and} þe soule. ¶ and [[pg 61]] þe secunde deeþ he clepeþ as here. þe styntynge of þe renoune of fame.

++BVt for-as-mochel as thow shalt nat wenen q{uod} she 1640 þ{a}t I bere vntretable batayle ayenis fortune //

yit som-tyme it by-falleth þ{a}t she desseyuable desserueth to han ryht good thank of men // {And} þ{a}t is whan she hir{e} self opneth / {and} whan she descou{er}eth hir frownt / 1644 {and} sheweth hir maneres p{ar}-auentur{e} yit vndirstondesthow nat þ{a}t .I. shal seye //

it is a wondyr þ{a}t .I. desyr{e} to telle /

{and} forthi vnnethe may I. vnpleyten my sentense w{i}t{h} wordes for I. deme þ{a}t contraryos fortune 1648 p{ro}fiteth mor{e} to men than fortune debonayr{e} //

For al-wey whan fortune semeth debonayr{e} than she lyeth falsly in by-hetynge the hope of welefulnesse // but forsothe {con}traryos fortune is alwey sothfast / whan she 1652 sheweth hir self vnstable thorw hyr chau{n}gynge //

the amyable fortune desseyueth folk / the contrarye fortune techeth // the amyable fortune byndeth w{i}t{h} the beaute of false goodys the hertes of folk þ{a}t vsen he{m} / the 1656 contrarye fortune vnbyndeth he{m} by þ^e knowynge of freele welefulnesse //

the amyable fortune maysthow sen alwey wyndynge {and} flowynge / {and} eu{er}e mysknowynge 1659 of hir self // the contrarye fortune is a-tempre {and} restreynyd {and} wys thorw excersyse of hir aduersyte //

at the laste amyable fortune w{i}t{h} hir flaterynges draweth mys wandrynge men fro the souereyne good // the contraryos fortune ledith ofte folk ayein to sothfast goodes / 1664 {and} haleth hem ayein as w{i}t{h} an hooke /