[Sidenote: [The 6^th Metre.]]
[Sidenote: All men have the same origin.]
++Al þe linage of men þat ben i{n} erþe ben of semblable 2164
burþe.
[Sidenote: They have one father and one king, who gave the moon
her horns, and adorned the sun with his rays.]
On al one is fadir of þinges. On alone
minyst[r]eþ alle þinges. ¶ He ȝaf to þe sonne hys
bemes. he ȝaf to þe moone hir hornes.
[Sidenote: The same gave the earth to man and adorned the sky with
stars.]
he ȝaf þe men to
þe erþe. he ȝaf þe sterres to þe heuene.
[Sidenote: He breathed into man the breath of life.]
¶ he encloseþ 2168
wiþ membres þe soules þat comen fro hys heye sete. [[pg 79]]
[Sidenote: All men spring from this illustrious source.]
¶ þanne comen alle mortal folk of noble seed.
[Sidenote: Why then do they boast of pedigree?]
whi noysen ȝe or bosten of ȝoure eldris
[Sidenote: He alone is ignoble who submits to vice and forgets his
noble origin.]
¶ For yif þou
look[e] ȝoure bygy{n}ny{n}g. and god ȝoure aucto{ur} {and} 2172
ȝoure makere. þan is þer no forlyued wyȝt but ȝif he
norisse his corage vnto vices {and} forlete his p{ro}pre
burþe.
[Linenotes:
2166 _hys_--hyse
2167 _hir_--hyse
2169 _fro hys_--fram hyse
2170 _seed_--sede
2171 _bosten_--MS. voscen, C. bosten
2172 _look[e]_--loke]
[Headnote:
SENSUAL PLEASURES FULL OF ANXIETY.]