Part 33

and what þing may ben þouȝt fouler þen swiche p{re}isynge

for þilk folk þat be{n} p{re}ised falsly. þei moten nedes han shame of hir p{re}isynges. 2132

{and} yif þat folk han gete{n} hem þank or p{re}ysyng by her desertes. what þing haþ þilk pris echid or encresed to þe conscience of wise folk þ{a}t mesure{n} hire good. not by þe rumo{ur} of þe poeple. but by þe soþefastnesse 2136 of conscience.

{and} yif it seme a fair þing a man to han encresid {and} sprad his name. þan folweþ it. þat it is demed to ben a foule þinge yif it ne be [[pg 78]] ysprad ne encresed.

but as I seide a litel her byforne. 2140 þat syn þer mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk þe renou{n} of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalleþ þat he þat þou wenest be glorious {and} renomed. semiþ in þe nexte p{ar}ties of þe erþe to ben wiþ out glorie. {and} wiþ 2144 out renou{n}.

¶ and certis amo{n}ges þise þinges I ne trowe nat þat þe p{r}is {and} grace of þe poeple nis neiþer worþi *to ben remembrid ne comeþ of wise iugement. ne is ferm p{er}durably.

¶ But now of þis name of gentilesse. 2148 what man is it þat ne may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a þing it is.

¶ For if þe name of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. þan is gentil name but a forine þing. þat is to sein to 2152 hem þat glorifien hem of hir linage.

¶ For it semeþ þat gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge þat comeþ of decert of auncestres.

¶ And yif p{re}ysynge makeþ gentilesse þan moten þei nedes be gentil þat ben p{re}ysed. 2156

For whiche þing it folweþ. þat yif þou ne haue no gentilesse of þi self. þat is to sein pris þ{a}t comeþ of þi deserte foreine gentilesse ne makeþ þe nat gentil.

¶ But certis yif þer be any goode in gentilesse. I trowe it be i{n} al 2160 oonly þis. þat it semeþ as þat a maner necessitee be imposed to gentil men. for þat þei ne sholden nat outraien or forliuen fro þe uertues of hire noble kynrede.

OMNE HOMINU{M} GENUS IN TERRIS.

++Al þe linage of men þat ben i{n} erþe ben of semblable 2164 burþe.

On al one is fadir of þinges. On alone minysteþ alle þinges. ¶ He ȝaf to þe sonne hys bemes. he ȝaf to þe moone hir hornes.

he ȝaf þe men to þe erþe. he ȝaf þe sterres to þe heuene.

¶ he encloseþ 2168 wiþ membres þe soules þat comen fro hys heye sete. [[pg 79]]

¶ þanne comen alle mortal folk of noble seed.

whi noysen ȝe or bosten of ȝoure eldris

¶ For yif þou look ȝoure bygy{n}ny{n}g. and god ȝoure aucto{ur} {and} 2172 ȝoure makere. þan is þer no forlyued wyȝt but ȝif he norisse his corage vnto vices {and} forlete his p{ro}pre burþe.

QUID AUTEM DE CORPORIBUS.

++But what shal I seie of delices of body. of whice 2176 delices þe desiringes ben ful of anguisse. {and} þe fulfillinges of he{m} ben ful of penaunce.

¶ How grete sekenesse {and} how grete sorwes vnsuffrable ryȝt as a manere fruit of wickednesse ben þilke delices wont to 2180 bryngen to þe boies of folk þat vsen hem.

¶ Of whiche delices I not what ioye may ben had of hir moeuyng.

¶ But þis woot I wel þat who so euere wil remembren hym of hys luxuries. he shal wel vndirstonde. 2184 þat þe issues of delices ben sorowful {and} sory.

¶ And yif þilke delices mowen make folk blisful. þan by þe same cause moten þise bestes ben clepid blisful. ¶ Of whiche bestes al þe entenc{i}ou{n} hasteþ to fulfille 2188 hire bodyly iolyte.

and þe gladnesse of wijf [{and}] children were honest þing. but it haþ ben seid. þat it is ouer myche aȝeins kynde þat children han ben fou{n}den tormentours to hir fadres I not how many. 2192 ¶ Of whiche children how bitynge is euery condic{i}ou{n}. It nedeþ nat to tellen it þe þat hast or þis tyme assaied it. {and} art ȝit now anguysso{us}.

In þis approue I þe sentence of my disciple Euridippus. þat seide þat he 2196 þat haþ no children is weleful by i{n}fortune.