[Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: O earthly animals, you have an indistinct perception of
your beginning, and you have ever the true end of felicity in
view, but your natural instincts are perverted by many errors.]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 16 _b_.]]
*++CErtis also ȝe men þat ben erþelich{e} bestes dreme{n} 1888
alwey [yowre bygynnynge] al þouȝ it be wiþ a
þinne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner þouȝt al be it
nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ȝe looken from a fer til þilk 1891
verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and þerfore þe naturel entenc{i}ou{n}
ledeþ ȝow to þilk verray good ¶ But
many manere errours misto{ur}niþ ȝow þer fro.
[Sidenote: Can men obtain the end they have in view by the means
they usually employ in the pursuit of happiness?]
¶ Considere
now yif þat be þilke þinges by whiche a man
weniþ to gete hym blysfulnesse. yif þat he may comen 1896
to þilke ende þat he weneþ to come by nature
[Sidenote: If riches and honours and the like make men happy, so
that they shall want for nothing, then happiness may be procured
by these acquisitions.]
¶ For
yif þat moneye or hono{ur}s or þise oþer forseide þinges
bryngen to men swiche a þing þat no goode ne faille
hem. ne semeþ faille. ¶ Certys þan wil I graunt[e] 1900
þat þei ben maked blisful. by þilke þinges þat þei han
geten.
[Sidenote: But if these things cannot make good what they promise,
if there still be something to be desired, then they are
delusions, and the felicity after all is a counterfeit.]
¶ but yif so be þat þilke þi{n}ges ne mowe nat
p{er}fo{ur}men þat þei by-heten {and} þat þer be defaute of
many goodes. ¶ Sheweþ it nat þan clerely þ{a}t fals 1904
beaute of blisfulnesse is knowe {and} a-teint in þilke
þinges. ¶ First {and} forward þou þi self þat haddest
haboundaunces of rycchesses nat long agon. [[pg 70]]
[Sidenote: In your prosperity were you never annoyed by some wrong
or grievance?]
¶ I axe
ȝif þat in þe haboundaunce of alle þilk[e] rycchesses 1908
þou were neuer anguissous or sory in þi corage of any
wrong or greuau{n}ce þat by-tidde þe on any syde.
[Linenotes:
1889 [_yowre bygynnynge_]--from C.
_al_--MS. as, C. Al
1891 _from_--fram
_til þilk_--to thylke
1892 _þe_--omitted
1893 _þilk_--thylke
1895 _be_--by
1896 _gete_--geten
1899 _swiche_--swych
_goode_--good
1900 _wil_--wole
_graunt[e]_--grau{n}te
1904 _many_--manye
_clerely_--clerly
_fals_--false
1905 _knowe_--knowen
1908 _þilk[e]_--thylke]
[Headnote:
NONE ARE FREE FROM CARE.]
[Sidenote: _B._ I must confess that I cannot remember ever being
wholly free from some trouble or other.]
¶ Certys q{uo}d I it remembreþ me nat þat euere I was
so free of my þouȝt. þat I ne was al-wey in anguysh{e} of 1912
somwhat.
[Sidenote: _P._ That was because something was absent which you
did desire, or something present which you would fain be quit of.]
þ{a}t was þat þou lakkedest þat þou noldest
han lakked. or ellys þou haddest þat þou noldest
han had.
[Sidenote: _B._ That’s quite true.]
ryȝt so is it q{uod} I þan.
[Sidenote: _P._ Then you did desire the presence of the one and
the absence of the other?]
desiredest þou
þe p{re}sence of þat oon {and} þe absence of þat oþer. 1916
[Sidenote: _B._ I confess I did.]