[Sidenote: [The sixte p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: But why should I discourse of dignities and powers
which (though you are ignorant of true honour and real power) you
extol to the skies?]
++But what shal I seyne of dignitees {and} of powers.
þe whiche [ye] men þ{a}t neiþer knowen verray dignitee 1356
ne verray power areysen hem as heye as þe
heuene.
[Sidenote: When they fall to the lot of a wicked man, they produce
greater calamities than the flaming eruption of Ætna, or the most
impetuous deluge.]
þe whiche dignitees {and} powers yif þei come
to any wicked man þei don [as] greet[e] damages {and}
distrucc{i}ou{n} as doþ þe fla{m}me of þe Mou{n}taigne 1360
Ethna whan þe fla{m}me wit walwiþ vp ne no deluge
ne doþ so cruel harmes.
[Sidenote: You remember that your ancestors desired to abolish the
Consular government (the commencement of the Roman liberty),
because of the pride of the Consuls; as their ancestors before for
the same consideration had suppressed the title of King.]
¶ Certys ye remembriþ wel
as I trowe þat þilke dignitee þat men clepiþ þe emperie
of {con}sulers þe whiche þat somtyme was bygynnyng 1364
of fredom. ¶ Ȝoure eldres coueiteden to han
don a-wey þat dignitee for þe p{r}ide of þe conseilers.
[Linenotes:
1355 _seyne_--seye
1358 _come_--comen
1359 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_[as] greet[e]_--as grete
1360 _distruccioun_--destrucciou{n}s
_doþ_--MS. doþe, C. doth
_flamme_--flaumbe
1361 _flamme_--flawmbe
_wit_--omitted
1362 _doþ_--MS. doþe, C. doth
1363 _clepiþ_--clepyn
1364 _whiche_--whych
_somtyme_--whilom
1366 _for_--MS. of, C. for]
[[pg 52]]
[Headnote:
HONOURS NOT INTRINSICALLY GOOD,]
¶ And ryȝt for þe same p{r}ide ȝoure eldres byforne þat
tyme hadden don awey out of þe Citee of rome þe 1368
kynges name. þat is to seien. þei nolden haue no
lenger no kyng ¶ But now yif so be þ{a}t dignitees
{and} powers ben ȝeuen to goode men. þe whiche þing
is ful ȝelde. what agreable þi{n}ges is þer in þo dignitees. 1372
or powers. but only þe goodenes of folk þat vsen hem.
[Linenotes:
1368 _don_--MS. done, C. don
1369 _seien_--seyn
1370 _lenger_--lenger{e}
_kyng_--kynge
1371 _whiche_--which
1373 _folk_--foolkys]
[Headnote:
FOR THEY FALL TO THE LOT OF THE WICKED.]
[Sidenote: Virtue is not embellished by dignities, but dignities
derive honour from virtue.]
¶ And þerfore it is þus þat hono{ur} ne comeþ nat to
vertue for cause of dignite. but aȝeinward. hono{ur}
comeþ to dignite by cause of vertue.
[Sidenote: But what is this power, so much celebrated and
desired?]
but whiche is 1376
ȝoure derworþe power þat is so clere {and} so requerable
[Sidenote: What are they over whom you exercise authority?]
¶ O ȝe erþelyche bestes considere ȝe nat ouer whiche
þing þat it semeþ þat ȝe han power.
[Sidenote: If thou sawest a mouse assuming command over other
mice, wouldst thou not almost burst with laughter?]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 13 _b_.]]
¶ Now yif þou
say[e] a mouse amo{n}g{us} *oþer myse þat chalenged[e] to 1380
hymself ward ryȝt {and} power ouer alle oþer myse. how
gret scorne woldest þou han of hit. ¶ _Glosa._ ¶ So
fareþ it by men. þe body haþ power ouer þe body.
[Sidenote: What is more feeble than man, to whom the bite of a fly
may be the cause of death?]
For yif þow loke wel vpon þe body of a wyȝt what 1384
þing shalt þou fynde moore frele þan is mannes kynde.
þe whiche ben ful ofte slayn wiþ bytynge of smale
flies. or ellys wiþ þe entryng of crepyng wormes in to
þe priuetees of mennes bodyes.
[Sidenote: But how can any man obtain dominion over another,
unless it be over his body, or, what is inferior to his
body,--over his possessions, the gifts of Fortune?]
¶ But wher shal 1388
men fynden any man þat may exercen or haunten any
ryȝt vpon an oþer ma{n} but oonly vpon hys body. or
ellys vpo{n} þinges þat ben lower þen þe body. whiche
I clepe fortunous possessiou{n}s
[Sidenote: Can you ever command a freeborn soul?]
¶ Mayst þou euer haue 1392
any comaundement ouer a fre corage
[Sidenote: Can you disturb a soul consistent with itself, and knit
together by the bond of reason?]
¶ Mayst þou
remuen fro þe estat of hys p{ro}pre reste. a þouȝt þat is
cleuyng to gider in hym self by stedfast resou{n}. ¶ As
somtyme a tiraunt wende to co{n}founde a freeman of 1396
corage ¶ {And} wende to co{n}streyne hym by to{ur}ment [[pg 53]]
to maken hym dyscoueren {and} acusen folk þat wisten
of a coniurac{i}ou{n}. whiche I clepe a confederacie þat
was cast aȝeins þis tyraunt
[Sidenote: Have you not read how Anaxarchus bit off his tongue and
spat it in the face of Nicocreon?]
¶ But þis free man boot 1400
of hys owen tunge. {and} cast it in þe visage of þilke
woode tyrau{n}te. ¶ So þat þe to{ur}mentȝ þat þis
tyrau{n}t wende to han maked mater{e} of cruelte. þis
wyse man maked[e it] matere of vertues.
[Sidenote: What is it that one man can do to another that does not
admit of retaliation?]
¶ But what 1404
þing is it þat a man may don to an oþer man. þat he
ne may receyue þe same þing of oþer folke i{n} hym
self. or þus. ¶ What may a man don to folk. þat folk
ne may don hym þe same.
[Sidenote: Busiris used to kill his guests, but at last himself
was killed by Hercules, his guest.]
¶ I haue herd told of 1408
busirides þat was wo{n}t to sleen hys gestes þat herburghden
in hys hous. and he was slayn hym self of
ercules þat was hys gest
[Sidenote: Regulus put his Carthaginian prisoners in chains, but
was afterwards obliged to submit to the fetters of his enemies.]
¶ Regulus had[de] taken in
bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to fetteres. 1412
but sone after he most[e] ȝiue hys handes to
ben bounden w{i}t{h} þe cheynes of hem þat he had[de]
somtyme ou{er}comen.
[Sidenote: Is he mighty that dares not inflict what he would upon
another for fear of a requital?]
¶ Wenest þou þan þat he be
myȝty. þat may nat don a þing. þat oþer ne may don 1416
hym. þat he doþ to oþer.
[Sidenote: If powers and honours were intrinsically good, they
would never be attained by the wicked.]
{and} ȝit more ou{er} yif it so
were þat þise dignites or poweres hadden any p{ro}pre
or naturel goodnesse in hem self neuer nolden þei
comen to shrewes.
[Sidenote: An union of things opposite is repugnant to nature.]
¶ For contrarious þinges ne ben 1420
not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ¶ Nature refuseþ
þat contra[r]ious þinges ben yioigned.
[Sidenote: But as wicked men do obtain the highest honours, it is
clear that honours are not in themselves good, otherwise they
would not fall to the share of the unworthy.]
¶ And so
as I am in certeyne þat ryȝt wikked folk han dignitees
ofte tymes. þan sheweþ it wel þat dignitees {and} powers 1424
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn þat þei suffren
hem self to cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes.
[Sidenote: The worst of men have often the largest share of
Fortune’s gifts.]
¶ And certys þe same þing may most digneliche Iugen
{and} seyen of alle þe ȝiftis of fortune
þat most plenteuously [[pg 54]]
comen to shrewes.
[Sidenote: We judge him to be valiant who has given evidence of
his fortitude.]
¶ Of þe whiche ȝiftys I 1429
trowe þat it auȝt[e] ben considered þat no man doutiþ
þat he nis strong. in whom he seeþ strengþe. {and} in
whom þat swiftnesse is ¶ Soþe it is þat he is swyfte. 1432
[Sidenote: So music maketh a musician, &c.]
Also musyk makeþ musiciens. {and} fysik makeþ phisiciens.
{and} rethorik rethoriens.
[Sidenote: The nature of everything consists in doing what is
peculiar to itself, and it repels what is contrary to it.]
¶ For whi þe nature
of euery þing makiþ his p{ro}pretee. ne it is nat
ent{er}medled wiþ þe effect{is} of co{n}trarious þinges. 1436
[Linenotes:
1374 _comeþ_--comth
1375, 1376 _vertue_--vertu
1376 _comeþ_--comth
_by_--for
_whiche_--which
1377 _derworþe_--dereworthe
_clere_--cleer
1378 _whiche_--which
1379 _han_--MS. hanne, C. han
1380 _say[e]_--saye
_mouse amongus_--mous amonges
_myse_--musȝ
1382 _scorne_--scorn
1383 _haþ_--MS. haþe
1385 _mannes_--man
1386 _þe----slayn_--the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn
1388 _mennes bodyes_--mannes body
1391 _lower_--lower{e}
_whiche_--the which
1395 _stedfast_--stidefast
1396 _somtyme_--whylom
1399 _whiche_--which
1401 _owen_--owne
1406 _receyue_--resseyuen
_oþer_--oothre
1408 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde, C. herd told
1409 _hys_--hise
_herburghden_--herberweden
1410 _slayn_--sleyn
1411 _had[de]_--hadde
1413 _most[e]_--moste
1414 _bounden_--bownde
_cheynes_--MS. þeues, C. cheynes
_had[de]_--hadde
1415 _somtyme_--whylom
1416 _þat----þing_--that hath no power to don a thinge
_oþer_--oothre
1417 _hym_--in hym
_doþ_--MS. doþe, C. doth
_to oþer_--in oothre
1421 _togidres_--to-gider{e}
1423 _certeyne_--certein
1424 _tymes_--tyme
1425 _owen_--owne
1429 _whiche_--which
1430 _auȝt[e]_--owhte
1432 _Soþe_--soth
_swyfte_--swyft
1435 _is_--nis
1436 _effectis_--effect]
[Headnote:
POWER DOES NOT CONFER GOODNESS.]
¶ And as of wil it chaseþ oute þinges þat to it ben
contrarie
[Sidenote: Riches cannot restrain avarice. Power cannot make a man
master of himself if he is the slave of his lusts.]
¶ But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne
auarice vnstaunched ¶ Ne power [ne] makeþ nat a
ma{n} myȝty ouer hym self. whiche þat vicious lustis 1440
holden destreined wiþ cheins þat ne mowen nat ben
vnbounden.
[Sidenote: Dignities conferred upon base men do not make them
worthy, but rather expose their want of merit.]
{and} dignitees þat ben ȝeuen to shrewed[e]
folk nat oonly ne makiþ hem nat digne. but it sheweþ
raþer al openly þat þei ben vnworþi {and} vndigne. 1444
[Sidenote: Why is it so? ’Tis because you give false names to
things. You dignify riches, power, and honours, with names they
have no title to.]
¶ And whi is it þ{us}. ¶ Certis for ȝe han ioye to
clepen þinges wiþ fals[e] names. þat beren hem al in
þe co{n}t{ra}rie. þe whiche names ben ful ofte reproued
by þe effect of þe same þinges.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 14.]]
so þat *þise ilke rycchesse 1448
ne auȝten nat by ryȝt to ben cleped rycchesse.
ne whiche power ne auȝt[e] not ben cleped power. ne
whiche dignitee ne auȝt[e] nat ben cleped dignitee.
[Sidenote: In fine, the same may be said of all the gifts of
Fortune, in which nothing is desirable, nothing of natural good in
them, since they are not always allotted to good men, nor make
them good to whom they are attached.]
¶ And at þe laste I may conclude þe same þinge of 1452
al þe ȝiftes of fortune in whiche þer nis no þing to
ben desired. ne þat haþ in hym self naturel bounte.
¶ as it is ful wel sene. for neyþer þei ne ioygne{n}
hem nat alwey to goode men. ne maken hem alwey 1456
goode to who{m} þei be{n} y-ioigned.
[Linenotes:
1437 _oute_--owt
1441 _ben_--be
1442 _shrewed[e]_--shrewede
1446 _fals[e]_--false
_al_--alle
1447 _whiche_--which
1449 _auȝten_--owhten
_rycchesse_--rychesses
1450 _whiche_--swich
_auȝt[e]_--owhte
1451 _whiche_--swich
_auȝt[e]_--owht
1453 _al_--alle
1454 _haþ_--MS. haþe
1455 _sene_--I-seene]
[[pg 55]]
[Headnote:
NERO’S CRUELTY.]