Part 32

who wolde þanne resonably wenen þat blysfulnesse 2056 were in swiche hono{ur}s as ben ȝeuen by vicious shrewes.

AN UERO REGNA.

++Bvt regnes {and} familarites of kynges may þei maken a ma{n} to ben myȝty.

how ellys. ¶ whanne hir 2060 blysfulnesse dureþ p{er}petuely

but certys þe olde age of tyme passeþ. {and} eke of p{re}sent tyme now is ful of ensau{m}ples how þ{a}t kynges þat han chaunged in to wrechednesse out of hir welefulnesse.

¶ O a noble þing 2064 {and} a cler þing is power þat is nat founden myȝty to kepe it self.

¶ And yif þat power of realmes be auctour {and} maker of blisfulnesse. yif þilke power lakkeþ on any side. amenusiþ it nat þilke blisfulnesse {and} bryngeþ 2068 in wrechednesse.

but yif al be it so þat realmes of mankynde stretchen b{r}oode. ȝit mot þer nede ben myche folk ouer whiche þat euery kyng ne haþ no lordshipe no comaundement ¶ and certys vpon þilke syde þat 2072 power failleþ whiche þat makiþ folk blisful. ryȝt on þat same side nou{n}power entriþ vndirneþ þat makeþ hem wreches.

¶ In þis manere þanne moten kynges han more porciou{n} of wrechednesse þan of welefulnesse. 2076

¶ A tyraunt þat was kyng of sisile þat had assaied þe p{er}il of his estat shewid by similitude þe dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde þat heng ouer þe heued of his familier.

what þing is þan þis power þat 2080 may nat don awey þe bytynges of besines ne eschewe [[pg 76]] þe prikkes of drede.

and certys ȝit wolden þei lyuen *in sykernesse. but þei may nat. and ȝit þei glorifien hem in her power

¶ Holdest þou þan þat þilk man 2084 be myȝty þat þ{o}u seest þat he wolde don þat he may nat don.

¶ And holdest þou þan hym a myȝty man þat haþ environed hise sydes wiþ men of armes or seruauntes {and} dredeþ more þat he makeþ agast. 2088 þen þei dreden hym. {and} þat is put in þe handes of hise seruauntȝ. for he sholde seme myȝty but of familiers seruauntȝ of ky{n}ges.

¶ what sholde I telle þe any þing. syn þat I my self haue shewed þe þat realmes 2092 hem self ben ful of gret feblenesse.

þe whiche familiers certis þe real power of kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful þroweþ adou{n}.

¶ Nero co{n}streined his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen on what 2096 deeþ he wolde deien.

¶ Antonius comau{n}did þat knyȝtis slowen wiþ her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had ben long tyme ful myȝty a-monges hem of þe courte.

and ȝit certis þei wolde boþe 2100 han renou{n}ced her power.

of whiche senek enforced hym to ȝiue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie exil. ¶ But whan þe grete weyȝt. þat is to sein of lordes power or of fortune 2104 draweþ hem þat sholden falle. neyþer of hem ne myȝt do þat he wolde.

what þing is þanne þilke power þat þouȝ men han it þat þei ben agast. ¶ {and} whan þou woldest han it þou nart nat siker. ¶ And 2108 yif þou woldest forleten it þou mayst nat eschewen it.

¶ But wheþir swiche men ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.

Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune makeþ frendes. contrarious fortune [[pg 77]] makeþ hem enmyse. ¶ And what pestilence is 2113 more myȝty forto anoye a wiȝt þan a familier enemy.

QUI SE UALET ESSE POTENTEM.

++Who so wolde ben myȝty he mot dau{n}ten hys cruel corage. ne put nat his nekke ouercomen vndir 2116 þe foule reines of lecherie.

for al be it so þat þi lordship strecche so fer þat þe contre Inde quakiþ at þi comaundement. or at þi lawes. {and} þat þe leest isle in þe see þat hyȝt tile be þral to þe ¶ ȝit yif þou mayst 2120 nat pute{n} awey þi foule derk desijres {and} dryue{n} oute fro þe wreched co{m}pleyntes. Certis it nis no power þat þou hast.

GLORIA UERO QUA{M} FALLAX.

++Bvt glorie how deceiuable {and} how foule is it ofte. for 2124 whiche þing nat vnskilfully a tregedien þat is to sein a maker of dites þat hyȝten tregedies cried {and} seide. ¶ O glorie glorie q{uod} he. þou nart no þing ellys to þousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. 2128 for many han had ful gret renou{n} by þe fals oppiniou{n} of poeple.