[Sidenote: [The 2^de p{ro}se.]]
++ÞO fastned[e] she a lytel þe syȝt of hir eyen {and} wiþdrow hir ryȝt
as it were in to þe streite sete of hir þouȝt. {and} bygan to speke ryȝt
þ{us}. Alle þe cures q{uo}d she of mortal folk whiche þat trauaylen hem
i{n} many manere studies gon certys by diu{er}se weies. ¶ But naþeles
þei enforced hem to comen oonly to on ende of blisfulnesse [And
blysfulnesse] is swiche a goode þat who so haþ geten it he ne may ouer
þat no þing more desiire. and þis þing for soþe is þe souereyne good þat
conteiniþ in hym self al man{er}e goodes. to þe whiche goode yif þere
failed[e] any þing. it myȝt[e] nat ben souereyne goode. ¶ For þan were
þere som goode out of þis ilke souereyne goode þ{a}t myȝt[e] ben
desired. Now is it clere {and} certeyne þa{n} þat blisfulnesse is a
p{er}fit estat by þe congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. ¶ þe whiche
blisfulnesse as I haue seid alle mortal folke enforcen hem to geten by
dyuerse weyes. ¶ For-whi þe couetise of verray goode is naturely
y-plaunted in þe hertys of men. ¶ But þe myswandryng erro{ur} myslediþ
hem in to fals[e] goodes. ¶ of þe whiche men some of hem wenen þat
souereygne goode is to lyue wiþ outen nede of any þing. {and}
t{ra}ueile{n} hem to ben habundaunt of rycchesse. and some oþer men
deme{n}. þat sou{er}ein goode be forto be ryȝt digne of reu{er}ences.
{and} enforce{n} hem to ben reu{er}enced among hir neyȝbo{ur}s. by þe
hono{ur}s þat þei han ygeten ¶ {and} some folk þer ben þat halden þat
ryȝt heyȝe power to be souereyn goode. {and} enforcen he{m} forto regnen
or ellys to ioigne{n} he{m} to hem þat regnen. ¶ And it semeþ to some
oþer folk þat noblesse of renou{n} be þe sou{er}ein goode. {and} hasten
hem to geten glorious name by þe artes of werre or of pees. and many
folke mesuren {and} gessen þ{a}t sou{er}ein goode be ioye {and}
gladnesse {and} wenen þat it be ryȝt blisful [thyng{e}] to ploungen hem
i{n} uoluptuous delit. ¶ And þer ben folk þat enterchaungen þe causes
{and} þe endes of þise forseide goodes as þei þat desire{n} rycchesse to
han power {and} delices. Or ellis þei desiren power forto han moneye or
for cause of renou{n}. ¶ In þise þinges {and} i{n} swyche oþer þinges is
to{ur}ned al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of desirynges {and} [of] werkes of me{n}.
¶ As þus. ¶ Noblesse {and} fauo{ur} of poeple whiche þat ȝiueþ as it
semeþ a manere clernesse of renou{n}. ¶ and wijf {and} children þat men
desiren for cause of delit {and} mirinesse. ¶ But forsoþe frendes ne
shollen nat ben rekkened among þe goodes of fortune but of vertue. for
it is a ful holy man{er}e þing. alle þise oþer þinges forsoþe ben taken
for cause of power. or ellis for cause of delit. ¶ Certis now am I redy
to referen þe goodes of þe body to þise forseide þinges abouen. ¶ For it
semeþ þ{a}t strengþe {and} gretnesse of body ȝeuen power {and}
worþinesse. ¶ and þat beaute {and} swiftenesse ȝeuen noblesse {and}
glorie of renou{n}. {and} hele of body semeþ ȝiuen delit. ¶ In alle þise
þi{n}g{us} it semeþ oonly þat blisfulnesse is desired. ¶ For-whi þilke
þing þat euery man desireþ moost ouer alle þinges. he demiþ þat be þe
souereyne goode. ¶ But I haue diffined þat blisfulnesse is þe souereyne
goode. for whiche euery wyȝt demiþ þat þilke estat þat he desireþ ouer
alle þinges þat it be þe blisfulnesse. ¶ Now hast þou þan byforne [thy
eyen] almost al þe p{ur}posed forme of þe welfulnesse of ma{n}ky{n}de.
þat is to seyne rycchesse. hono{ur}s. power. glorie. {and} delitȝ. þe
whiche delit oonly considered Epicurus Iuged {and} establissed. þat
delit is þe souereyne goode. for as myche as alle oþer þinges as hym
þouȝt[e] by-refte awey ioie {and} myrþe fro{m} þe herte. ¶ But I
reto{ur}ne aȝeyne to þe studies of meen. of whiche men þe corage alwey
rehersiþ {and} seekeþ þe souereyne goode of alle be it so þ{a}t it be
wiþ a derke memorie [but he not by whiche paath]. ¶ Ryȝt as a dronke
ma{n} not nat by whiche paþe he may reto{ur}ne home to hys house.
¶ Semeþ it þanne þat folk folyen {and} erren þat enforcen he{m} to haue
nede of no þing ¶ Certys þer nys non oþer þing þat may so weel
p{er}fo{ur}ny blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuo{us} of alle goodes þat
ne haþ nede of none oþer þing. but þat it is suffisant of hy{m} self.
vnto hym self. and foleyen swyche folk þanne. þat wenen þat þilk þing
þ{a}t is ryȝt goode. þat it be eke ryȝt worþi of honour {and} of
reuerence. ¶ Certis nay. for þat þing nys neyþer foule ne worþi to ben
dispised þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of mortel folke trauaille forto geten
it. ¶ And power auȝt[e] nat þat eke to be rekened amonges goodes what
ellis. for it nys nat to wene þat þilke þing þat is most worþi of alle
þinges be feble {and} wiþ out strengþe {and} clernesse of renou{n} auȝte
þat to ben dispised. ¶ Certys þer may no man forsake þat al þing þat is
ryȝt excellent {and} noble. þat it ne semeþ to be ryȝt clere {and}
renomed. ¶ For certis it nediþ nat to seie. þat blisfulnesse be
anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greua{n}ces ne to sorwes. syn þat in
ryȝt litel þi{n}g{us} folk seken to haue {and} to vsen þat may deliten
hem. ¶ Certys þise ben þe þi{n}ges þat men wolen {and} desyren to geten.
and for þis cause desiren þei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and}
delices ¶ For þerby wenen þei to han suffisau{n}ce hono{ur} power.
renou{n} {and} gladnesse. ¶ þanne is it goode. þ{a}t men seken þus by so
many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may lyȝtly be shew{e}d. how
grete is þe strengþe of nature. ¶ For how so þat men han dyuerse
sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge þe ende
of goode.