[Sidenote: [The thrydde p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: If Fortune spake thus to you, you could not defend your
complaint.]
++Þerfore yif þat fortune spake wiþ þe for hir self in
þis manere. For soþe þou ne haddest [nat] what
þou myȝtest answere. and if þou hast any þi{n}g wherwiþ.
þou mayist ryȝtfully tellen þi co{m}pleynt. ¶ It 920
byhoueþ þe to shewen it. {and} .I. wol ȝeue þe space to
tellen it.
[Sidenote: _B._ What you have said is very specious, but such
discourses are only sweet while they strike our ears.]
¶ Certeynely q{uod} I þan þise ben faire
þinges {and} enoyntid wiþ hony swetnesse of rethorike
{and} musike. {and} only while þei ben herd þei ben 924
deliciouse.
[Sidenote: They cannot efface the deep impressions that misery has
made in the heart.]
¶ But to wrecches is a deppere felyng of
harme. þis is to seyn þat wrecches felen þe harmes þat
þei suffren more greuously þan þe remedies or þe delites
of þise wordes mowe gladen or comforten hem. so þat 928
whan þise þinges stynten forto sou{n}[e] in eres. þe sorwe [[pg 37]]
þat is inset greueþ þe þouȝt.
[Sidenote: _P._ So it is indeed; for my arguments are not designed
as remedies, but as lenitives only.]
Ryȝt so is it q{uod} she.
¶ For þise ne ben ȝit none remedies of þi maladie. but
þei ben a manere norissinges of þi sorwe ȝit rebel 932
aȝeyne þi curac{i}ou{n}.
[Sidenote: When time serves, I will administer those things that
shall reach the seat of your disease.]
¶ For whan þat tyme is. I shal
moue swiche þinges þat p{er}cen hem self depe.
[Sidenote: But you are not among the number of the wretched.]
¶ But
naþeles þ{a}t þou shalt not wilne to leten þi self a
wrecche. ¶ Hast þou forȝeten þe nou{m}bre {and} þe 936
manere of þi welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: I shall not speak of your happiness in being provided
for (in your orphanage) by the chief men of the city; nor of your
noble alliance with Festus and Symmachus;]
I holde me stille how þat
þe souerayn men of þe Citee toke{n} þe in cure {and}
kepynge whan þou were orphelyn of fadir {and} modir.
{and} were chosen i{n} affinite of p{r}inces of þe Citee. 940
¶ And þou bygu{n}ne raþer to ben leef {and} deere þan
forto ben a neyȝbo{ur}. þe whiche þing is þe most p{re}ciouse
kynde of any p{ro}pinquitee or aliau{n}ce þat may
ben. ¶ Who is it þat ne seide þou nere ryȝt weleful 944
wiþ so grete a nobley of þi fadres in lawe.
[Sidenote: nor of your virtuous wife, and manly sons.]
¶ {And} wiþ
þe chastite of þi wijf. {and} wiþ þe oportunite {and}
noblesse of þi masculyn children. þat is to seyne þi
sones {and} ou{er} al þis me lyst to passe of comune þinges. 948
¶ How þou haddest in þi þouȝt dignitees þat weren
warned to olde men. but it deliteþ me to comen now to
þe singuler vphepyng of þi welefulnesse. ¶ Yif any
fruyt of mortal þinges may han any weyȝte or price of 952
welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: Can you ever forget the memorable day that saw your two
sons invested with the dignity of Consuls?]
¶ Myȝtest þou euere forȝeten for any
charge of harme þat myȝt[e] byfallen. þe remembrau{n}ce
of þilke day þat þou sey[e] þi two sones maked conseillers.
{and} ylad to gidre from þin house vndir so gret 956
assemble of senatours. {and} vndir þe blyþenesse of poeple.
{and} whan þou say[e] hem sette in þe court in her
chaieres of dignites. ¶ Þou rethorien or p{ro}nou{n}cere [[pg 38]]
of kynges p{re}ysinges. deseruedest glorie of wit {and} of 960
eloquence.
[Sidenote: When in the circus you satisfied the expectant
multitude with a triumphal largess?]
whan þou sittyng bytwix þi two sones conseillers
in þe place þat hyȝt Circo. {and} fulfildest þe
abydyng of multitude of poeple þat was sprad about þe
wiþ large p{ra}ysynge {and} laude as me{n} syngen in victories. 964
[Sidenote: By your expressions you flattered Fortune, and obtained
from her a gift which never before fell to any private person.]
þo ȝaue þou wordes of fortune as I trowe. þat
is to seyne. þo feffedest þou fortune wiþ glosynge
wordes {and} desseiuedest hir. whan she accoied[e] þe
{and} norsshed[e] þe as hir owen delices. ¶ Þou hast 968
had of fortune a ȝifte þat is to seyn swiche gerdou{n}
þat she neu[er]e ȝaf to p{re}ue man
[Sidenote: Will you therefore call Fortune to account?]
¶ Wilt þou þerfore
leye a rekenyng wiþ fortune.
[Sidenote: She now begins, I own, to look unkindly on you; but if
you consider the number of your blessings, you must confess that
you are still happy.]
she haþ now twynkeled
first vpon þe wiþ a wykked eye. ¶ Yif þou considere 972
þe nou{m}bre {and} þe manere of þi blysses. {and} of þi
sorwes.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 10 _b_.]]
*þou maist nat forsake þat þou nart ȝit blysful.
[Linenotes:
918 [_nat_]--from C.
919 _if_--yif
920 _mayist_--mayst
_tellen_--defendyn
921 _ȝeue_--yeuyn
922 _þan_--thanne
_ben_--bet (= beth)
923 _swetnesse_--swetenesse
924 _while_--whil
_herd_--MS. herde
926 _harme_--harm
928 _mowe_--mowen
929 _soun[e]_-sowne
930 _inset_--MS. insette, C. inset
932 _sorwe_--sorwes
933 _aȝeyne_--ayein
934 _moue swiche_--moeue swych
938 _souerayn_--sou{er}ane
943 _neyȝbour_--neysshebo{ur}
944 _nere_--were
945 _nobley_--nobleye
_fadres_--fadyr-is
947 _seyne_--seyn
948 _lyst_--lyste
_passe of_--passen the
949 _þouȝt_--yowthe
950 _warned_--werned
952 _fruyt_--frute
_price_--p{r}is
953 _Myȝtest þow_--myhtes-thow
954 _harme_--harm
_myȝt[e] byfallen_--myhte befalle
955 _sey[e]_--saye
956 _from_--fro
_gret_--MS. grete, C. gret
958 _say[e]_--saye
_sette_--set
_her_--heer{e}
961 _bytwix_--bytwyen
962 _hyȝt_--hihte
963 _of_ (1)--of the
_about_--abowten
964 _wiþ_--w{i}t{h} so
965 _ȝaue_--MS. þan, C. yaue
_of_--to
966 _seyne_--seyn
967 _accoied[e]_--acoyede
968 _norsshed[e]_--noryssede
_owen_--owne
_þou----of_--thow bar away of
969 _had_--MS. hadde
_swiche_--swich
970 _preue_--pryue
971 _leye_--lye
_haþ_--MS. haþe
972 _wykked_--wyckede
973 _blysses_--blysse
974 _forsake_--forsakyn
_nart_--art
_blysful_--blysseful]
[Headnote:
ADVERSITY IS BUT TRANSIENT.]
[Sidenote: These evils that you suffer are but transitory.]
For if þou þerfore wenest þi self nat weleful for þinges
þat þo semeden ioyful ben passed. ¶ Þer nis nat whi 976
þou sholdest wene þi self a wrecche. for þinges þat now
semen soory passen also. ¶ Art þou now comen firste
a sodeyne gest in to þe shadowe or tabernacle of þis
lijf.
[Sidenote: Can there be any stability in human affairs, when the
life of man is exposed to dissolution every hour?]
or trowest þou þ{a}t any stedfastnesse be in mannis 980
þinges. ¶ Whan ofte a swifte houre dissolueþ þe same
man. þat is to seyne whan þe soule dep{ar}tiþ fro þe
body. For al þouȝ þat yelde is þer any feiþ þat fortunous
þinges willen dwelle.
[Sidenote: The last day of life puts an end to Prosperity.]
ȝit naþeles þe last[e] day 984
of a ma{n}nis lijf is a man{er}e deeþ to fortune. {and} also
to þilke þat haþ dwelt.
[Sidenote: What matters it then, whether you by death leave it, or
it (Fortune) by flight doth leave you?]
{and} þerfore what wenist þou
þar recche yif þou forlete hir i{n} dey{n}ge or ellys þ{a}t she
fortune forlete þe i{n} fleenge awey. 988
[Linenotes:
978 _soory_--sorye
_firste_--fyrst
979 _sodeyne_--sodeyn
_shadowe_--shadwe
980 _stedfastnesse_--stedefastnesse
981 _swifte_--swyft
_dissolueþ_--dyssoluede
983 _al þouȝ þat_--al þ{a}t thowgh
_fortunous_--fortune
984 _willen dwelle_--wolen dwellyn
_last[e]_--laste
986 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_wenist þou_--weenestow
987 _þar recche_--dar recke
988 _awey_--away]
[[pg 39]]
[Headnote:
MANY BLESSINGS STILL REMAIN.]