Part 31

¶ And þouȝ he hadde his nekke I-charged wiþ p{re}ciouse stones of þe rede see. {and} þouȝ he do erye his feldes plentiuo{us} wiþ an hundreþ oxen neuere 1964 ne shal his bytyng bysynesse forleten hym while he lyueþ. ne þe lyȝt rychesses ne shal nat beren hym [[pg 72]] compaignie whanne he is dede.

SET DIGNITATIB{US}.

++Bvt dignitees to whom þei ben comen make þei hym 1968 honorable {and} reuerent.

han þei nat so grete strengþe þat þei may putte vertues in þe hertis of folk. þat vsen þe lordshipes of hem. or ellys may þei don awey þe vices.

Certys þei ben nat wont to don awey wikkednesses. 1972 but þei ben wont raþer to shew wikkednesses.

{and} þer of comeþ it þat I haue ryȝt grete desdeyne. þat dignites ben ȝeuen ofte to wicked men.

¶ For whiche þing catullus clepid a consul of Rome þat 1976 hyȝt noni{us} postum. or boch. as who seiþ he clepiþ hy{m} a congregac{i}ou{n} of uices in his brest as a postum is ful of corrupc{i}ou{n}. al were þis noni{us} set in a chayere of dignitee.

Sest þou nat þan how gret vylenye 1980 dignitees don to wikked men. ¶ Certys vnworþines of wikked men shold{e} ben þe lasse ysen yif þei nere renomed of none hono{ur}s.

¶ Certys þou þi self ne myȝtest nat ben brouȝt wiþ as many p{er}ils as þou 1984 myȝtest suffren þat þ{o}u woldest bere þi magistrat wiþ decorat. þat is to seyn. þat for no p{er}il þat myȝt bifalle{n} þe by þe offence of þe kyng theodorik þou noldest nat ben felawe in gouernaunce w{i}t{h} decorat. whanne 1988 þou say þat he had wikkid corage of a likerous shrewe {and} of an acusor.

¶ Ne I ne may nat for swiche honours Iuge{n} hem worþi of reuerence þat I deme {and} holde vnworþi to han þilke same hono{ur}s.

¶ Now yif 1992 þou saie a man þat were fulfilled of wisdom. certys þou ne myȝtest nat demen þ{a}t he were vnworþi to þe [[pg 73]] hono{ur}. or ellys to þe wisdom of whiche he is fulfilled.

No q{uod} .I.

¶ Certys dignitees q{uod} she app{er}tienen 1996 p{ro}perly to vertue. {and} uertue transporteþ dignite anon to þilke man to whiche she hir self is conioigned.

¶ And for as moche as hono{ur}s of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of hono{ur}. it is wel seyn clerly þat 2000 þei ne han no p{ro}pre beaute of dignite. ¶ And ȝit men auȝten take more hede in þis.

¶ For if it so be þat he is most out cast þat most folk dispisen. or as dignite ne may nat maken shrewes worþi of no reuerences. þan 2004 makeþ dignites shrewes more dispised þan p{re}ised. þe whiche shrewes dignit scheweþ to moche folk

¶ {and} for soþe nat vnpunissed. þat is forto sein. þat shrewes reuengen hem aȝeinward vpon dignites. for þei ȝelden 2008 aȝein to dignites as gret gerdou{n} whan þei byspotten {and} defoulen dignites wiþ hire vylenie.

¶ And for as moche as þou mow knowe þat þilke verray reuerence ne may nat comen by þe shadewy t{ra}nsitorie dignitees. 2012 vndirstonde now þis. yif þat a man hadde vsed {and} hadde many manere dignites of consules {and} were come{n} p{er}auenture amonges straunge nac{i}ou{n}s. sholde þilke hono{ur} maken hym worshipful {and} redouted of 2016 straunge folk

¶ Certys yif þat honour of poeple were a naturel ȝifte to dignites. it ne myȝte neuer cesen nowher amonges no maner folke to done hys office.

¶ Ryȝt as fire i{n} euery contre ne stinteþ nat to 2020 enchaufen {and} *to ben hote.

but for as myche as forto be holden honorable or reuerent ne comeþ nat to folk of hir p{ro}pre strengþe of nat{ur}e. but only of þe fals [[pg 74]] opiniou{n} of folk. þat is to sein. þat wenen þat dignites 2024 maken folk digne of hono{ur}. An on þerfore whan þat þei comen þer as folk ne knowe{n} nat þilke dignites. her hono{ur}s vanissen awey {and} þat on oon. but þat is a-mong straung folk. maist þou sein.

but amo{n}g{us} 2028 hem þat þei weren born duren þilk dignites alwey.

¶ Certys þe dignite of þe p{ro}uostrie of Rome was somtyme a grete power. now is it no þing but an ydel name. {and} þe rente of þe senatorie a g{r}et charge. 2032

{and} yif a whiȝt somtyme hadde þe office to taken he to þe vitailes of þe poeple as of corne {and} what oþer þinges he was holden amonges grete. but what þing is more nowe out cast þanne þilke p{ro}uostrie

¶ And as I haue 2036 seid a litel here byforne. þat þilke þing þat haþ no p{ro}pre beaute of hym self resceyueþ somtyme pris {and} shinynge {and} somtyme lesiþ it by þe opiniou{n} of vsaunces.

¶ Now yif þat dignites þanne ne mowen 2040 nat maken folk digne of reuerence. {and} yif þ{a}t dignites wexen foule of hir wille by þe filþe of shrewes. ¶ and yif þat dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of tymes. and yif þei wexen foule by estimac{i}ou{n} of 2044 poeple. what is it þat þei han in hem self of beaute þat auȝte ben desired. as who seiþ none. þanne ne mowen þei ȝiuen no beaute of dignite to none oþer.

QUA{M}UIS SE TIRIO.

++Al be it so þat þe proude nero wiþ al his woode luxurie 2048 kembed hym {and} apparailed hym wiþ faire purp{er}s of Tirie {and} wiþ white perles. Algates ȝitte throf he hateful to alle folk ¶ þis is to seyn þat al was he by-hated [[pg 75]] of alle folk.

¶ ȝitte þis wicked Nero hadde gret 2052 lordship {and} ȝaf somtyme to þe dredeful senatours þe vnworshipful setes of dignites. ¶ vnworshipful setes he clepiþ here fore þat Nero þat was so wikked ȝaf þo dignites.