[Sidenote: [The fyrst met{ur}.]
[Sidenote: Fortune is as inconstant as the ebb and flow of
Euripus.]
++Whan fortune wiþ a proude ryȝt hande haþ turnid
hir chau{n}gyng stoundes she fareþ lyke þe maners 820
of þe boillyng eurippe. _Glose._ Eurippe is an arme of
þe see þ{a}t ebbith {and} flowiþ. {and} somtyme þe streme
is on one syde {and} somtyme on þat oþer. _Texte_
[Sidenote: She hurls kings from their thrones, and exalts the
captive.]
¶ She
cruel fortune kasteþ adoune kynges þat somtyme weren 824
ydred. {and} she deceiuable enhau{n}seth vp þe humble
chere of hym þat is discomfited.
[Sidenote: She turns a deaf ear to the tears and cries of the
wretched.]
{and} she neyþer hereþ
ne reccheþ of wrecched[e] wepynges. {and} she is so harde
þat she lauȝeþ {and} scorneþ þe wepyng of hem þe whiche 828
she haþ maked wepe wiþ hir free wille.
[Sidenote: Thus she sports and boasts her power and presents a
marvel to her servants if, in the space of an hour, a man is
hurled from happiness into adversity.]
¶ Þus she
pleyeþ {and} þ{us} she p{re}ueþ hir strengþe {and} sheweþ a
grete wondre to alle hir seruau{n}tȝ. ¶ Yif þat a wyȝt
is seyn weleful {and} ou{er}þrowe in an houre. 832
[Linenotes:
819 _proude_--prowd
_hande_--hand
_haþ_--MS. haþe
820 _lyke_--lik
821 _arme_--arm
822 _streme_--strem
823 _one_--o
821 _adoune_--adown
_somtyme_--whilom
825 _ydred_ (MS. _ydredde_)--ydrad
_humble_--vmble
827 _reccheþ_--rekkeþ
_wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
_harde_--hard
828 _lauȝeþ_--lyssheth
_wepyng_--wepynges
830 _strengþe_--strengthes]
[Headnote:
PROSPERITY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE FELICITY.]