Part 34

HABET HOC UOLUPTAS.

++Euery delit haþ þis. þat it anguisseþ hem wiþ prikkes þ{a}t vsen it.

¶ It resembliþ to þise flying flyes þat we clepen been. þat aftre þat þe bee haþ shed hys agreable 2200 honies he fleeþ awey {and} styngeþ þe hertes of he{m} þat ben ysmyte wiþ bytynge ouer longe holdynge.

NICHIL IGITUR DUBIUM EST.

++Now nis it no doute þan þ{a}t þise weyes ne ben a maner mysledy{n}g to blisfulnesse. ne þat þei ne 2204 mowe nat leden folke þider as þei byheten to lede{n} hem.

¶ But wiþ how grete harmes þise *forseide weyes ben enlaced. ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly.

¶ For whi yif þou enforcest þe to assemble moneye. þou most by-reuen 2208 hym his moneye þat haþ it.

and yif þou wilt shynen wiþ dignites. þou most bysechen {and} supplien hem þat ȝiue{n} þo dignitees. ¶ And yif þou coueitest by hono{ur} to gon by-fore oþer folk þ{o}u shalt defoule þi 2212 self by hu{m}blesse of axing.

yif þou desiryst power. þou shalt by awaites of þi subgitȝ anoyously be cast vndir many p{er}iles.

axest þou glorie þ{o}u shalt ben so destrat by aspre þinges þat þou shalt forgone sykernesse. 2216

¶ And yif þou wilt leden þi lijf in delices. euery whiȝt shal dispisen þe {and} forleten þe as þou þat art þral to þing þat is ryȝt foule {and} brutel. þat is sein seruau{n}t to þi body.

¶ Now is it þan wel yseen 2220 how lytel {and} how brutel possessiou{n} þei coueiten þat putten þe goodes of þe body abouen hire owe{n} resou{n}.

¶ For mayst þou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} þise olifuñtȝ in gretnesse or weyȝt of body. Or mayst þou ben strenger þan þe 2224 bole.

Mayst þou ben swifter þan þe tigre.

biholde þe spaces {and} þe stablenesse {and} þe swyfte cours of þe [[pg 81]] heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on foule þinges.

þe whiche heuene certys nis nat raþer for þise 2228 þinges to ben wondred vpon. þan for þe resou{n} by whiche it is gouerned.

but þe shynynge of þi forme þat is to seien þe beaute of þi body. how swiftly passyng is it {and} how transitorie.

¶ Certis it is more flittynge 2232 þan þe mutabilite of floures of þe som{er} sesou{n}.

For so as aristotil telleþ þat yif þat men hadden eyen of a beest þat hiȝt lynx. so þat þe lokyng of folk myȝt percen þoruȝ þe þinges þ{a}t wiþstonden it. who so lokid 2236 þan in þe entrailes of þe body of alcibiades þat was ful fayr in þe sup{er}fice wiþ oute. it shulde seme ryȝt foule.

{and} for þi yif þou semest faire. þi nature ne makiþ nat þat. but þe desceiuau{n}ce of þe fieblesse of þe 2240 eyen þat loken.

¶ But p{re}ise þe goodes of þi body as moche as euer þe list. so þat þou know algates þat what so it be. þat is to seyn of þe goodes of þi body whiche þat þ{o}u wondrest vpon may ben destroied or 2244 dessolued by þe hete of a feuere of þre dayes. ¶ Of alle whiche forseide þinges I may reduce{n} þis shortly in a so{m}me.

¶ þat þise worldly goodes whiche þat ne mowen nat ȝiuen þat þei byheten. ne ben nat p{er}fit by 2248 þe congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. þat þei ne ben nat weyes ne paþes þat bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to ben blysful.

HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE.

++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce myslediþ 2252 wandryng wrecches fro þe paþe of verrey good.

¶ Certis ȝe ne seken no golde in grene trees. ne ȝe ne gadren p{re}cious stones in þe vines. [[pg 82]]

ne ȝe ne hiden nat ȝoure gynnes in heyȝe mou{n}taignes to kachen 2256 fisshe of whiche ȝe may maken ryche festes.

and yif ȝow lykeþ to hunte to roos. ȝe ne gon nat to þe foordes of þe water þat hyȝt tyrene.

{and} ouer þis men knowen wel þe crikes {and} þe cau{er}nes of þe see yhidd in þe 2260 floodes. {and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles. {and} knowen whiche water habundeþ most of rede purpre. þat is to seyen of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre.