Part 49

but þilke oþer forme 3448 of mankynde. þat is to seyne þe forme of þe body wiþ oute. shewiþ ȝit þat þise shrewes were somtyme men.

¶ wher fore whan þei ben p{er}uerted {and} torned in to malice. certys þan han þei forlorn þe nature of mankynde. 3452

but so as oonly bounte {and} prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer oþer men. þan mot it nedes be þat shrewes whiche þat shrewednesse haþ cast out of þe condic{i}ou{n} of mankynde ben put vndir þe merite {and} 3456 þe deserte of men.

þan bitidiþ it þat yif þou seest a wyȝt þat be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. þou ne mayst nat wene þat he be a man.

¶ For ȝif he ardaunt in auarice. {and} þat he be a rauyno{ur} by violence of 3460 foreine rychesse. þou shalt seyn þat he is lyke to a wolf.

{and} yif he be felonous {and} wiþ out reste {and} ex{er}cise hys tonge to chidynges. þou shalt lykene hym to þe hounde.

{and} yif he be a p{re}ue awaito{ur} yhid {and} 3464 reioyseþ hym to rauysshe by wyles. þou shalt seyne hym lyke to þe fox whelpes.

¶ And yif he be distempre {and} quakiþ for ire men shal wene þat he bereþ þe corage of a lyou{n}.

{and} yif he be dredeful {and} fleynge 3468 and dredeþ þinges þat ne auȝten nat ben dred. men shal holde hym lyke to þe h{er}te. [[pg 122]]

{and} yif he be slowe {and} astoned {and} lache. he lyueþ as an asse.

{and} yif he be lyȝt {and} vnstedfast of corage {and} chaungeþ ay his 3472 studies. he is lickened to briddes.

¶ {and} yif he be plounged in foule {and} vnclene luxuries. he is wiþholden in þe foule delices of þe foule soowe.

¶ þan folweþ it þat he þat forletiþ bountee {and} prowesse. he forletiþ to 3476 ben a man. syn he ne may nat passe in to þe condic{i}ou{n} of god. he is tourned in to a beest.

*VLA NARICII DUCIS.

++Evrus þe wynde aryueþ þe sayles of vlixes duc of þe contre of narice. {and} hys wandryng shippes by þe 3480 see in to þe isle þere as Circe þe fayre goddesse douȝter of þe sonne dwelleþ þat medlyþ to hir newe gestes drynkes þat ben touched {and} maked wiþ enchau{n}tmentȝ. {and} after þat hir hande myȝty of þe herbes 3484 had chau{n}ged hir gestes i{n} to dyuerse maneres. þat oon of hem is couered his face wiþ forme of a boor. þat oþer is chau{n}ged in to a lyou{n} of þe contre of marmorike. {and} his nayles {and} his teþe wexen.

¶ þat 3488 oþer of hem is newliche chaunged in to a wolf. {and} howeliþ whan he wolde wepe. þat oþer goþ debonairly in þe house as a tigre of Inde.

but al be it so þat þe godhed of mercurie þat is cleped þe bride of arcadie haþ 3492 had mercie of þe duc vlixes byseged wiþ diu{er}se yueles {and} haþ vnbounden hym fro þe pestilence of hys oosteresse algates þe rowers {and} þe maryners hadden by þis ydrawen in to hir mouþes {and} dronken þe wicked 3496 drynkes þei þat were woxen swyne hadden by þis [[pg 123]] chau{n}ged hire mete of brede forto ete acorns of ookes.

non of hir lymes ne dwelliþ wiþ he{m} hoole. but þei han lost þe voys {and} þe body.

Oonly hir{e} þouȝt 3500 dwelleþ wiþ hem stable þ{a}t wepiþ {and} bywailiþ þe monstruous chaungynge þat þei suffren.

¶ O ouer lyȝt hand. as who seiþ. ¶ O feble {and} lyȝt is þe hand of Circes þe enchaunteresse þat chaungeþ þe bodies of folk 3504 in to bestes to regarde {and} to co{m}parisou{n} of mutac{i}ou{n} þat is makid by vices.

ne þe herbes of circes ne ben nat myȝty. for al be it so þat þei may chau{n}gen þe lymes of þe body. ¶ algates ȝit þei may nat chau{n}ge þe 3508 hertes. for wiþ inne is yhid þe strengþe {and} þe vigour of me{n} in þe secre toure of hire hertys. þat is to seyn þe strengþe of resou{n}.

but þilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more myȝtily þan þe venym of 3512 circes.

¶ For vices ben so cruel þat þei percen {and} þoruȝ passen þe corage wiþ i{n}ne. {and} þouȝ þei ne anoye nat þe body. ȝitte vices wooden to distroien men by wounde of þouȝt. 3516

TUNC EGO FATEOR INQ{UA}M.

++Þan seide I þus I confesse {and} am aknowe q{uo}d I. ne I ne se nat þat men may seyn as by ryȝt.

þ{a}t shrewes ne ben nat chaunged in to beestes by þe qualite of hir soules. ¶ Al be it so þ{a}t þei kepen ȝitte 3520 þe forme of þe body of mankynde.

but I nolde nat of shrewes of whiche þe þouȝt cruel woodeþ alwey in to destrucc{i}ou{n} of good men. þat it wer{e} leueful to hem to done þat.

¶ Certys q{uo}d she ne it nis nat leueful 3524 to hem as I shal wel shewen þe in couenable place.