Part 28

hony is þe more swete yif mouþes han firste tastid sauoures þ{a}t ben wikke.

¶ þe sterres shynen more agreably whan þe wynde Nothus letiþ his 1744 ploungy blastes.

{and} aftir þat lucifer þe day sterre haþ chased awey þe derke nyȝt. þe day þe feir{e}r lediþ þe rosene horse of þe sonne.

¶ Ryȝt so þou byholdyng first þe fals goodes. bygynne to wiþdrawe þi nek 1748 fro þe ȝok of erþely affecc{i}ou{n}s. {and} afterwarde þe verrey goodes sholle{n} entre i{n} to þi corage.

TUNC DEFIXO PAULULU{M}.

++ÞO fastned she a lytel þe syȝt of hir eyen {and} wiþdrow hir ryȝt as it were in to þe streite sete of hir 1752 þouȝt. {and} bygan to speke ryȝt þ{us}.

Alle þe cures q{uo}d she of mortal folk whiche þat trauaylen hem i{n} many manere studies gon certys by diu{er}se weies.

¶ But naþeles þei enforced hem *to comen oonly to on 1756 ende of blisfulnesse [[pg 65]]

and þis þing for soþe is þe souereyne good þat conteiniþ in hym self al man{er}e goodes. to þe whiche goode 1760 yif þere failed any þing. it myȝt nat ben souereyne goode. ¶ For þan were þere som goode out of þis ilke souereyne goode þ{a}t myȝt ben desired.

Now is it clere {and} certeyne þa{n} þat blisfulnesse is a p{er}fit estat by þe congregac{i}ou{n} 1764 of alle goodes.

¶ þe whiche blisfulnesse as I haue seid alle mortal folke enforcen hem to geten by dyuerse weyes.

¶ For-whi þe couetise of verray goode is naturely y-plaunted in þe hertys of men. ¶ But þe 1768 myswandryng erro{ur} myslediþ hem in to fals goodes.

¶ of þe whiche men some of hem wenen þat souereygne goode is to lyue wiþ outen nede of any þing. {and} t{ra}ueile{n} hem to ben habundaunt of rycchesse. 1772 and some oþer men deme{n}. þat sou{er}ein goode be forto be ryȝt digne of reu{er}ences. {and} enforce{n} hem to ben reu{er}enced among hir neyȝbo{ur}s. by þe hono{ur}s þat þei han ygeten

¶ {and} some folk þer ben þat halden þat 1776 ryȝt heyȝe power to be souereyn goode. {and} enforcen he{m} forto regnen or ellys to ioigne{n} he{m} to hem þat regnen.

¶ And it semeþ to some oþer folk þat noblesse of renou{n} be þe sou{er}ein goode. {and} hasten hem to 1780 geten glorious name by þe artes of werre or of pees.

and many folke mesuren {and} gessen þ{a}t sou{er}ein goode be ioye {and} gladnesse {and} wenen þat it be ryȝt blisful [thyng{e}] to ploungen hem i{n} uoluptuous delit.

¶ And 1784 þer ben folk þat enterchaungen þe causes {and} þe endes of þise forseide goodes as þei þat desire{n} rycchesse to [[pg 66]] han power {and} delices. Or ellis þei desiren power forto han moneye or for cause of renou{n}.

¶ In þise þinges 1788 {and} i{n} swyche oþer þinges is to{ur}ned al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of desirynges {and} werkes of me{n}. ¶ As þus.

¶ Noblesse {and} fauo{ur} of poeple whiche þat ȝiueþ as it semeþ a manere clernesse of renou{n}.

¶ and wijf {and} 1792 children þat men desiren for cause of delit {and} mirinesse.

¶ But forsoþe frendes ne shollen nat ben rekkened among þe goodes of fortune but of vertue. for it is a ful holy man{er}e þing.

alle þise oþer þinges forsoþe 1796 ben taken for cause of power. or ellis for cause of delit.

¶ Certis now am I redy to referen þe goodes of þe body to þise forseide þinges abouen.

¶ For it semeþ þ{a}t strengþe {and} gretnesse of body ȝeuen power {and} 1800 worþinesse.

¶ and þat beaute {and} swiftenesse ȝeuen noblesse {and} glorie of renou{n}. {and} hele of body semeþ ȝiuen delit.

¶ In alle þise þi{n}g{us} it semeþ oonly þat blisfulnesse is desired.

¶ For-whi þilke þing þat euery 1804 man desireþ moost ouer alle þinges. he demiþ þat be þe souereyne goode. ¶ But I haue diffined þat blisfulnesse is þe souereyne goode. for whiche euery wyȝt demiþ þat þilke estat þat he desireþ ouer alle þinges þat 1808 it be þe blisfulnesse.

¶ Now hast þou þan byforne [thy eyen] almost al þe p{ur}posed forme of þe welfulnesse of ma{n}ky{n}de. þat is to seyne rycchesse. hono{ur}s. power. glorie. {and} delitȝ. þe whiche delit oonly considered 1812 Epicurus Iuged {and} establissed. þat delit is þe souereyne goode. for as myche as alle oþer þinges as hym þouȝt by-refte awey ioie {and} myrþe fro{m} þe herte.