[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se.]]
++But for as moche as þe noryssinges of my resou{n}s descenden now in to
þe. I trowe it were tyme to vsen a litel strenger medicynes. ¶ Now
vndirstonde here al were it so þat þe ȝiftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie. what is þer in hem þat may be þine in any tyme.
or ellis þat it nys foule if þat it be considered {and} lokid
p{er}fitely. ¶ Richesse ben þei p{re}ciouse by þe nature of hem self. or
ellys by þe nature of þe. What is most worþi of rycchesse. is it nat
golde or myȝt of moneye assembled. ¶ Certis þilke golde {and} þilke
moneye shineþ {and} ȝeueþ better renou{n} to hem þat dispenden it. þen
to þilke folke þat mokeren it. For auarice makeþ alwey mokeres to be
hated. {and} largesse makeþ folke clere of renou{n} ¶ For syn þat swiche
þi{n}g as is t{ra}nsfered from o man to an oþer ne may nat dwellen wiþ
no man. Certis þan is þilke moneye p{re}cious. whan it is translated in
to oþer folk. {and} stynteþ to ben had by vsage of large ȝeuy{n}g of hym
þat haþ ȝeuen it. {and} also yif al þe moneye þat is ouer-al in þe world
were gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al oþer men to ben nedy as
of þat. ¶ And certys a voys al hool þat is to seyn wiþ-oute amenusynge
fulfilleþ to gyder þe heryng of myche folke. but Certys ȝoure rycchesse
ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wiþ-oute amenussyng ¶ And whan þei
ben apassed. nedys þei maken hem pore þat forgon þe rycchesses. ¶ O
streite {and} nedy clepe I þise rycchesses. syn þat many folke [ne] may
nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man wiþ-oute pouerte of al
oþer folke. ¶ And þe shynynge of ge{m}mes þat I clepe p{re}ciouse
stones. draweþ it nat þe eyen of folk in to hem warde. þat is to seyne
for þe beaute. ¶ For certys yif þer were beaute or bounte in shynyng of
stones. þilke clerenesse is of þe stones hem self. {and} nat of men.
¶ For whiche I wondre gretly þat men merueilen on swiche þinges. ¶ For
whi what þing is it þat yif it wa{n}teþ moeuyng {and} ioynture of soule
{and} body þat by ryȝt myȝt[e] semen a faire creature to hym þat haþ a
soule of resou{n}. ¶ For al be it so þat ge{m}mes drawen to hem self a
litel of þe laste beaute of þe worlde. þoruȝ þe entent of hir creato{ur}
{and} þoruȝ þe distincc{i}ou{n} of hem self. ȝit for as myche as þei ben
put vndir ȝoure excellence. þei han not desserued by no weye þat ȝe
shullen merueylen on hem. ¶ And þe beaute of feeldes deliteþ it nat
mychel vnto ȝow. _Boyce._ ¶ Whi sholde it nat deliten vs. syn þat it is
a ryȝt fayr porciou{n} of þe ryȝt fair werk. þat is to seyn of þis
worlde. ¶ And ryȝt so ben we gladed somtyme of þe face of þe see whan it
is clere. And also merueylen we on þe heuene {and} on þe sterres. {and}
on þe sonne. {and} on þe mone. _Philosophie._ ¶ App{er}teineþ q{uo}d she
any of þilke þinges to þe. whi darst þou glorifie þe in þe shynynge of
any swiche þinges. Art þou distingwed {and} embelised by þe spryngyng
floures of þe first somer sesou{n}. or swelliþ þi plente in fruytes of
somer. whi art þou rauyshed wiþ ydel ioies. why enbracest þou straunge
goodes as þei weren þine. Fortune shal neuer maken þat swiche þinges ben
þine þat nature of þinges maked foreyne fro þe. ¶ Syche is þat
wiþ-oute{n} doute þe fruytes of þe erþe owen to ben on þe norssinge of
bestes. ¶ And if þou wilt fulfille þi nede after þat it suffiseþ to
nature þan is it no nede þat þou seke after þe sup{er}fluite of fortune.
¶ For wiþ ful fewe þinges {and} w{i}t{h} ful lytel þing nature halt hire
appaied. {and} yif þou wilt achoken þe fulfillyng of nat{ur}e wiþ
sup{er}fluites ¶ Certys þilke þinges þ{a}t þou wilt þresten or pouren in
to nature shullen ben vnioyeful to þe or ellis anoies. ¶ Wenest þou eke
þat it be a fair þinge to shine wiþ dyuerse cloþing. of whiche cloþing
yif þe beaute be agreable to loken vpon. I wol merueylen on þe nature of
þe matere of þilke cloþes. or ellys on þe werkeman þat wrouȝt[e] hem.
but al so a longe route of meyne. makiþ þat a blisful man. þe whiche
seruauntes yif þei ben vicioũs of condic{i}ou{n}s it is a greet charge
{and} a destrucc{i}ou{n} to þe house. {and} a g{r}eet enmye to þe lorde
hym self ¶ {And} yif þei ben goode men how shal straung[e] or foreyne
goodenes ben put in þe nou{m}bre of þi rycchesse. so þ{a}t by alle þise
forseide þinges. it is clerly shewed þat neuer none of þilke þinges þat
þou accou{m}ptedest for þin goodes nas nat þi goode. ¶ In þe whiche
þinges yif þer be no beaute to ben desired. whi sholdest þou be sory yif
þou leese hem. or whi sholdest þou reioysen þe to holden hem. ¶ For if
þei ben fair of hire owen kynde. what app{er}teneþ þat to þe. for as wel
sholde þei han ben faire by hem self. þouȝ þei were{n} dep{ar}tid from
alle þin rycchesse. ¶ For-why faire ne p{re}cioũs ne weren þei nat. for
þat þei comen amonges þi rycchesse. but for þei semeden fair {and}
p{re}cious. þerfore þou haddest leuer rekene hem amonges þi rycchesse.
but what desirest þou of fortune wiþ so greet a noyse {and} wiþ so greet
a fare ¶ I trowe þou seke to dryue awey nede wiþ habundaunce of þinges.
¶ But certys it turneþ to ȝow al in þe contrarie. for whi certys it
nediþ of ful many[e] helpynges to kepen þe dyuersite of preciouse
ostelmentȝ. and soþe it is þat of many[e] þinges han þei nede þat
many[e] þinges han. {and} aȝeyneward of litel nediþ hem þat mesuren hir
fille after þe nede of kynde {and} nat after þe outrage of couetyse ¶ Is
it þan so þat ye men ne han no p{ro}pre goode. I-set in ȝow. For whiche
ȝe moten seken outwardes ȝoure goodes in foreine {and} subgit þinges.
¶ So is þan þe condic{i}ou{n} of þinges turned vpso dou{n}. þat a man
þat is a devyne beest by merit of hys resou{n}. þinkeþ þat hy{m} self
nys neyþer fair ne noble. but if it be þoruȝ possessiou{n} of
ostelmentes. þat ne han no soules. ¶ And certys al oþ{er} þi{n}ges ben
appaied of hire owen beautes. but ȝe men þat ben semblable to god by
ȝour{e} resonable þouȝt desiren to apparaille ȝour{e} excellent kynde of
þe lowest[e] pinges. ne ȝe ne vndirstonde nat how gret a wro{n}g ȝe don
to ȝoure creato{ur}. for he wolde þat man kynde were moost worþi {and}
noble of any oþer erþely þinges. and ȝe þresten adou{n} ȝoure dignitees
by-neþen þe lowest[e] þinges. ¶ For if þat al þe good of euery þing be
more p{re}ciouse þan is þilk þing whos þat þe good is. syn ȝe demen þat
þe foulest[e] þinges ben ȝoure goodes. þanne summytten ȝe {and} putten
ȝoure self vndir þo foulest[e] þinges by ȝoure estimac{i}ou{n}. ¶ And
certis þis bitidiþ nat wiþ out ȝour{e} desert. For certys swiche is þe
co{n}dic{i}ou{n} of al man kynde þat oonly whan it haþ knowyng of it
self. þan passeþ it i{n} noblesse alle oþer þinges. and whan it forletiþ
þe knowyng of it self. þan it is brouȝt byneþen alle beestes. ¶ For-why
alle oþer [leuynge] beestes han of kynde to knowe not hem self. but whan
þat men leten þe knowyng of hem self. it comeþ hem of vice. but how
brode sheweþ þe erro{ur} {and} þe folie of ȝow men þat wenen þat ony
þing may ben apparailled wiþ straunge apparaillementȝ ¶ but for-soþe þat
may nat be don. for yif a wyȝt shyneþ wiþ þi{n}ges þat ben put to hym.
as þus. yif þilke þinges shynen wiþ whiche a man is apparailled.
¶ Certis þilke þinges ben commendid {and} p{re}ised wiþ whiche he is
apparailled. ¶ But naþeles þe þing þat is couered {and} wrapped vndir
þat dwelleþ in his filþe. and I denye þat þilke þing be good þat anoyeþ
hym þat haþ it. ¶ Gabbe I of þis. þou wolt seye nay. ¶ Certys rycchesse
han anoyed ful ofte hem þat han þe rycchesse. ¶ Syn þat euery wicked
shrew {and} for hys wickednesse þe more gredy aftir oþer folkes
rycchesse wher so euer it be in any place. be it golde or p{re}cious
stones. {and} weniþ hym only most worþi þat haþ hem ¶ þou þan þat so
besy dredest now þe swerde {and} þe spere. yif þou haddest entred in þe
paþe of þis lijf a voide wayfaryng man. þan woldest þou syng[e] by-fore
þe þeef. ¶ As who seiþ a poure man þat bereþ no rycchesse on hym by þe
weye. may boldly syng[e] byforne þeues. for he haþ nat wher-of to ben
robbed. ¶ O preciouse {and} ryȝt clere is þe blysfulnesse of mortal
rycchesse. þat wha{n} þou hast geten it. þan hast þou lorn þi
syke[r]nesse.