[Sidenote: [The sixte p{ro}se.]]
++But what shal I seyne of dignitees {and} of powers. þe whiche [ye] men
þ{a}t neiþer knowen verray dignitee ne verray power areysen hem as heye
as þe heuene. 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 Ethna whan þe fla{m}me wit walwiþ vp ne
no deluge ne doþ so cruel harmes. ¶ Certys ye remembriþ wel as I trowe
þat þilke dignitee þat men clepiþ þe emperie of {con}sulers þe whiche
þat somtyme was bygynnyng of fredom. ¶ Ȝoure eldres coueiteden to han
don a-wey þat dignitee for þe p{r}ide of þe conseilers. ¶ And ryȝt for
þe same p{r}ide ȝoure eldres byforne þat tyme hadden don awey out of þe
Citee of rome þe 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. or powers. but only þe goodenes of folk þat vsen hem.
¶ 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.
but whiche is ȝoure derworþe power þat is so clere {and} so requerable
¶ O ȝe erþelyche bestes considere ȝe nat ouer whiche þing þat it semeþ
þat ȝe han power. ¶ Now yif þou say[e] a mouse amo{n}g{us} oþer myse þat
chalenged[e] to 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. For yif þow loke wel vpon þe body of a wyȝt
what 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. ¶ But wher shal 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 ¶ Mayst þou euer haue any
comaundement ouer a fre corage ¶ 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
corage ¶ {And} wende to co{n}streyne hym by to{ur}ment 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 ¶ But þis free man
boot 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. ¶ But
what 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. ¶ I haue herd told of
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 ¶ Regulus
had[de] taken in bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to
fetteres. 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. ¶ Wenest
þou þan þat he be myȝty. þat may nat don a þing. þat oþer ne may don
hym. þat he doþ to oþer. {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. ¶ For contrarious þinges ne ben not
wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ¶ Nature refuseþ þat contra[r]ious
þinges ben yioigned. ¶ And so as I am in certeyne þat ryȝt wikked folk
han dignitees ofte tymes. þan sheweþ it wel þat dignitees {and} powers
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn þat þei suffren hem self to
cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes. ¶ And certys þe same þing may most
digneliche Iugen {and} seyen of alle þe ȝiftis of fortune þat most
plenteuously comen to shrewes. ¶ Of þe whiche ȝiftys I 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. Also musyk makeþ musiciens. {and} fysik makeþ phisiciens. {and}
rethorik rethoriens. ¶ 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. ¶ And as of wil it chaseþ oute þinges þat to it
ben contrarie ¶ But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice
vnstaunched ¶ Ne power [ne] makeþ nat a ma{n} myȝty ouer hym self.
whiche þat vicious lustis holden destreined wiþ cheins þat ne mowen nat
ben vnbounden. {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. ¶ 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. so þat þise ilke rycchesse 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. ¶ And at þe laste I
may conclude þe same þinge of 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 goode to who{m} þei be{n} y-ioigned.