[Sidenote: [The 8^the p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: It appears then that happiness is not to be found in
the above-mentioned external things.]
++Now nis it no doute þan þ{a}t þise weyes ne ben a
maner mysledy{n}g to blisfulnesse. ne þat þei ne 2204
mowe nat leden folke þider as þei byheten to lede{n}
hem.
[Sidenote: These false ways are perplexed with many evils, as I
shall presently show thee.]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 19.]]
¶ But wiþ how grete harmes þise *forseide weyes
ben enlaced. ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly.
[Sidenote: Do you want to amass wealth, then you must take it from
your neighbours.]
¶ For whi
yif þou enforcest þe to assemble moneye. þou most by-reuen 2208
hym his moneye þat haþ it.
[Sidenote: Would you shine in dignities, then you must beg for
them and disgrace yourself by a humiliating supplication.]
and yif þou wilt
shynen wiþ dignites. þou most bysechen {and} supplien
hem þat ȝiue{n} þo dignitees. ¶ And yif þou coueitest
by hono{ur} to gon by-fore oþer folk þ{o}u shalt defoule þi 2212
self by hu{m}blesse of axing.
[Sidenote: If power be your ambition, you expose yourself to the
snares of inferiors.]
yif þou desiryst power.
þou shalt by awaites of þi subgitȝ anoyously be cast
vndir many p{er}iles.
[Sidenote: Do you ask for glory, to be distracted by vexations and
so lose all security.]
axest þou glorie þ{o}u shalt ben so
destrat by aspre þinges þat þou shalt forgone sykernesse. 2216
[Sidenote: Do you prefer a voluptuous life? Think then that all
men will despise him who is a thrall to his body.]
¶ And yif þou wilt leden þi lijf in delices.
euery whiȝt shal dispisen þe {and} forleten þe as þou þat
art þral to þing þat is ryȝt foule {and} brutel. þat is [to]
sein seruau{n}t to þi body.
[Sidenote: They build upon a weak foundation that place bodily
delights above their own reason.]
¶ Now is it þan wel yseen 2220
how lytel {and} how brutel possessiou{n} þei coueiten þat
putten þe goodes of þe body abouen hire owe{n} resou{n}.
[Sidenote: Can you surpass the elephant in bulk, or the bull in
strength?]
¶ For mayst þou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} þise olifuñtȝ in gretnesse
or weyȝt of body. Or mayst þou ben strenger þan þe 2224
bole.
[Sidenote: Art thou swifter than the tiger?]
Mayst þou ben swifter þan þe tigre.
[Sidenote: Behold the immense extent of the heavens and cease to
admire vile or lesser things.]
biholde þe
spaces {and} þe stablenesse {and} þe swyfte cours of þe [[pg 81]]
heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on foule
þinges.
[Sidenote: Admire what is still more admirable, the consummate
wisdom that governs them.]
þe whiche heuene certys nis nat raþer for þise 2228
þinges to ben wondred vpon. þan for þe resou{n} by
whiche it is gouerned.
[Sidenote: How fleeting is beauty!]
but þe shynynge of þi forme þat
is to seien þe beaute of þi body. how swiftly passyng is
it {and} how transitorie.
[Sidenote: It fades sooner than the vernal flowers.]
¶ Certis it is more flittynge 2232
þan þe mutabilite of floures of þe som{er} sesou{n}.
[Sidenote: For, as Aristotle says, if a man were lynx-eyed and
could look into the entrails of Alcibiades (so fair outwardly) he
would find all foul and loathsome.]
For so
as aristotil telleþ þat yif þat men hadden eyen of a
beest þat hiȝt lynx. so þat þe lokyng of folk myȝt[e]
percen þoruȝ þe þinges þ{a}t wiþstonden it. who so lokid 2236
þan in þe entrailes of þe body of alcibiades þat was
ful fayr in þe sup{er}fice wiþ oute. it shulde seme ryȝt
foule.
[Sidenote: Thy nature does not make thee seem beautiful, but the
imperfect view of thy admirers.]
{and} for þi yif þou semest faire. þi nature ne
makiþ nat þat. but þe desceiuau{n}ce of þe fieblesse of þe 2240
eyen þat loken.
[Sidenote: Prize bodily perfections as much as you will, yet a
three days’ fever will destroy them.]
¶ But p{re}ise þe goodes of þi body as
moche as euer þe list. so þat þou know[e] algates þat
what so it be. þat is to seyn of þe goodes of þi body
whiche þat þ{o}u wondrest vpon may ben destroied or 2244
dessolued by þe hete of a feuere of þre dayes. ¶ Of
alle whiche forseide þinges I may reduce{n} þis shortly in
a so{m}me.
[Sidenote: Worldly goods do not give what they promise, do not
comprise every good, are not the paths to felicity, nor can of
themselves make any one happy.]
¶ þat þise worldly goodes whiche þat ne
mowen nat ȝiuen þat þei byheten. ne ben nat p{er}fit by 2248
þe congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. þat þei ne ben nat
weyes ne paþes þat bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne
maken men to ben blysful.
[Linenotes:
2203 _nis_--is
2204 _mysledyng_--mysledynges
2205 _folke_--folk
2208 _enforcest_--MS. enforced, C. enforcest
2209 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_wilt_--wolt
2211 _ȝiuen_--yeuen
2212 _gon_--MS. gone, C. gon
_by-fore_--byforn
_shalt_--shal
2213 _by_--thorw
2214 _by_--be
_be_--ben
2216 _destrat_--MS. destralle, C. destrat
_forgone_--forgoon
2217 _wilt_--wolt
2218 _whiȝt_--wyht
2219 _foule_--fowl
[_to_]--from C.
2220 _yseen_--seen
2221 _brutel_--brotel
2222 _owen_--owne
2224 _weyȝt_--weyhty
_strenger_--strenger{e}
2225 _swifter_--swyfter{e}
_biholde_--by-hold
2227 _stynte_--stynt
2228 _whiche_--whych
2230 _whiche_--wych
2231 _seien_--seyn
2234 _as_--omitted
2235 _hiȝt_--hyhte
_myȝt[e]_--myhte
2237 _alcibiades_--MS. alcidiades
2238 _fayr_--fayr{e}
_þe_--omitted
_shulde_--sholde
2239 _foule_--fowl
_faire_--fayr
_ne_--omitted
2240 _desceiuaunce of þe fieblesse_--deceyuable or the feblesse
2242 _moche_--mochel
_know[e]_--knowe
2243 _þe_--omitted
_þi body whiche_--the body whych
2247 _a_--omitted]
[Headnote:
MEN PURSUE FALSE JOYS.]