[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se.]]
++ÞAnne seide I þus. þou wost wel þiself þat þe couetise of mortal
þinges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of
þinges to done. as who seiþ. I desired[e] to han matere of gou{er}naunce
ouer comunalites. ¶ For vertue stille ne sholde not elden. þat is to
seyn. þat list þat or he wex olde ¶ His uertue þat lay now ful stille.
ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ¶ For
whiche men myȝten speke or write{n} of his goode gouernement.
¶ _Philosophie._ ¶ For soþe q{uo}d she. {and} þat is a þing þat may
drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben worþi {and} noble of hir
nature. but naþeles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben
y-brouȝt to þe ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. þat is to seyn
couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel administred þe comune
þinges. or doon goode decertes to p{ro}fit of þe comune. for se now
{and} considere how litel {and} how voide of al prise is þilke glorie.
¶ Certeine þing is as þou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye þat al þe envyronynge of þe erþe aboute ne halt but þe
resou{n} of a prykke at regard of þe gretnesse of heuene. þat is to
seye. þat yif þat þer were maked co{m}parisou{n} of þe erþe to þe
gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle þat erþe [ne] helde no
space ¶ Of þe whiche litel regiou{n} of þis worlde þe ferþe partie is
enhabitid wiþ lyuyng beestes þat we knowen. as þou hast þi self lerned
by tholome þat p{ro}uitħ it. ¶ yif þou haddest wiþ drawen {and} abated
in þi þouȝte fro þilke ferþe partie as myche space as þe see {and} [the]
mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as þe regiou{n} of
droughte ou{er}streccheþ. þat is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnneþ
sholde þer dwellen a ryȝt streite place to þe habitaciou{n} of men.
{and} ȝe þan þat ben environed {and} closed wiþ i{n}ne þe leest[e]
prikke of þilk prikke þenke ȝe to manifesten ȝoure renou{n} {and} don
ȝoure name to ben born forþe. but ȝour{e} glorie þat is so narwe {and}
so streyt yþronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche conteinþe it in
largesse {and} in greet doynge. And also sette þis þer to þat many a
nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of
hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in þe cloos of þilke litel habitacle. ¶ To þe
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for
diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage
entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only þe names of singler men ne
may [nat] strecchen. but eke þe fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
¶ At þe last[e] Certis in þe tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self writeþ in
his book þat þe renou{n} of þe comune of Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte passed
ne clou{m}ben ou{er} þe mou{n}taigne þat hyȝt Caucasus. {and} ȝitte was
þilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of þe p{ar}thes. and eke
of oþer folk enhabityng aboute. ¶ Sest þou nat þan how streit {and} how
comp{re}ssed is þilke glorie þat ȝe t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and}
to multiplie. May þan þe glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen þider as
þe fame of þe name of Rome may nat clymben ne passen. ¶ And eke sest
þ{o}u nat þat þe maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben
discordau{n}t amonge hem self. so þ{a}t þilke þing þat so{m}men iugen
worþi of p{re}ysynge. oþer folk iugen þat it is worþi of torment. ¶ and
þer of comeþ þat þouȝ a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}.
he ne may nat i{n} no wise bryngen furþe ne sprede{n} his name to many
manere peoples. ¶ And þerfore euery man{er} man auȝte to ben paied of
hys glorie þat is puplissed among hys owen neyȝbores. ¶ And þilke noble
renou{n} shal be restreyned wiþ-i{n}ne þe boundes of o maner folk but
how many a man þat was ful noble in his tyme. haþ þe nedy {and} wrecched
forȝetynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey. ¶ Al be it so
þat certys þilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. þe whiche writy{n}ges longe
{and} derke elde doþ aweye boþe he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. but ȝe
men semen to geten ȝow a p{er}durablete whan ȝe þenke þat in tyme comyng
ȝoure fame shal lasten. ¶ But naþeles yif þou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n}
to þe endeles space of eternite what þing hast þou by whiche þou maist
reioysen þe of lo{n}g lastyng of þi name. ¶ For if þer were maked
co{m}parysou{n} of þe abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten þousand wynter. for
as myche as boþe þo spaces ben endid. ¶ For ȝit haþ þe moment some
porciou{n} of hit al þouȝ it a litel be. ¶ But naþeles þilke self
nou{m}bre of ȝeres. and eke as many ȝeres as þer to may be multiplied.
ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to þe p{er}durablete þat is
een[de]les. ¶ For of þinges þat han ende may be mad co{m}parisou{n} [but
of thinges that ben w{i}t{h}-owtyn ende to thinges þ{a}t han ende may be
maked no {com}parysou{n}]. ¶ And for þi is it al þouȝ renou{n} of as
longe tyme as euer þe lyst to þinken were þouȝt by þe regard of
et{er}nite. þat is vnstauncheable {and} infinit. it ne sholde nat oonly
semen litel. but pleinliche ryȝt nouȝt. ¶ But ȝe men certys ne konne don
no þing aryȝt. but ȝif it be for þe audience of poeple. {and} for ydel
rumo{ur}s. {and} ȝe forsaken þe grete worþinesse of conscience {and} of
vertue. {and} ȝe seke{n} ȝoure gerdou{n}s of þe smale wordes of
st{ra}nge folke. ¶ Haue now here {and} vndirstonde i{n} þe lyȝtnesse of
whiche p{r}ide {and} veyne glorie. how a man scorned[e] festiualy {and}
myrily swiche vanite. somtyme þere was a man þat had[de] assaied wiþ
striuyng wordes an oþer ma{n}. ¶ þe whiche nat for vsage of verrey
vertue. but for proude veyne glorie had[de] take{n} vpon hym falsly þe
name of a philosopher. ¶ þis raþer man þat I speke of þouȝt[e] he wolde
assay[e] where he þilke were a philosopher or no. þat is to seyne yif he
wolde han suffred lyȝtly in pacience þe wro{n}ges þat weren don vnto
hym. ¶ þis feined[e] philosophre took pacience a litel while. {and} whan
he hadde receiued wordes of outerage he as in stryuynge aȝeine {and}
reioysynge of hym self seide at þe last[e] ryȝt þus. ¶ vndirstondest þou
nat þat I am a philosophere. þat oþer man answered[e] aȝein ful bityngly
{and} seide. ¶ I had[de] wel vndirstonden [yt]. yif þou haddest holde{n}
þi tonge stille. ¶ But what is it to þise noble worþi men. For certys of
swyche folk speke .I. þat seken glorie wiþ vertue. what is it q{uo}d
she. what atteiniþ fame to swiche folk whan þe body is resolued by þe
deeþ. atte þe last[e]. ¶ For yif so be þat men dien in al. þat is to
seyne body {and} soule. þe whiche þing oure resou{n} defendiþ vs to
byleuen þanne is þere no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde þilke glorie
ben. for he of who{m} þis glorie is seid to be nis ryȝt nouȝt in no
wise. and ȝif þe soule whiche þat haþ in it self science of goode werkes
vnbounden fro þe p{r}isou{n} of þe erþe wendeþ frely to þe heuene.
dispiseþ it nouȝt þan alle erþely occupac{i}ou{n}s. {and} beynge i{n}
heuene reioiseþ þat it is exempt from alle erþely þinges [as wo seith /
thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorye of renou{n} of this world].