[Sidenote: [The 4^the p{ro}se.]]
++Bvt dignitees to whom þei ben comen make þei hym honorable {and}
reuerent. han þei nat so grete strengþe þat þei may putte vertues in þe
hertis of folk. þat vsen þe lordshipes of hem. or ellys may þei don awey
þe vices. Certys þei [ne] ben nat wont to don awey wikkednesses. but þei
ben wont raþer to shew[en] wikkednesses. {and} þer of comeþ it þat I
haue ryȝt grete desdeyne. þat dignites ben ȝeuen ofte to wicked men.
¶ For whiche þing catullus clepid a consul of Rome þat hyȝt noni{us}
postum. or boch. as who seiþ he clepiþ hy{m} a congregac{i}ou{n} of
uices in his brest as a postum is ful of corrupc{i}ou{n}. al were þis
noni{us} set in a chayere of dignitee. Sest þou nat þan how gret vylenye
dignitees don to wikked men. ¶ Certys vnworþines of wikked men shold{e}
ben þe lasse ysen yif þei nere renomed of none hono{ur}s. ¶ Certys þou
þi self ne myȝtest nat ben brouȝt wiþ as many p{er}ils as þou myȝtest
suffren þat þ{o}u woldest bere þi magistrat wiþ decorat. þat is to seyn.
þat for no p{er}il þat myȝt[e] bifalle{n} þe by þe offence of þe kyng
theodorik þou noldest nat ben felawe in gouernaunce w{i}t{h} decorat.
whanne þou say[e] þat he had[de] wikkid corage of a likerous shrewe
{and} of an acusor. ¶ Ne I ne may nat for swiche honours Iuge{n} hem
worþi of reuerence þat I deme {and} holde vnworþi to han þilke same
hono{ur}s. ¶ Now yif þou saie a man þat were fulfilled of wisdom. certys
þoune myȝtest nat demen þ{a}t he were vnworþi to þe hono{ur}. or ellys
to þe wisdom of whiche he is fulfilled. No q{uod} .I. ¶ Certys dignitees
q{uod} she app{er}tienen p{ro}perly to vertue. {and} uertue transporteþ
dignite anon to þilke man to whiche she hir self is conioigned. ¶ And
for as moche as hono{ur}s of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of
hono{ur}. it is wel seyn clerly þat þei ne han no p{ro}pre beaute of
dignite. ¶ And ȝit men auȝten take more hede in þis. ¶ For if it so be
þat he is most out cast þat most folk dispisen. or as dignite ne may nat
maken shrewes worþi of no reuerences. þan makeþ dignites shrewes more
dispised þan p{re}ised. þe whiche shrewes dignit[e] scheweþ to moche
folk ¶ {and} for soþe nat vnpunissed. þat is forto sein. þat shrewes
reuengen hem aȝeinward vpon dignites. for þei ȝelden aȝein to dignites
as gret gerdou{n} whan þei byspotten {and} defoulen dignites wiþ hire
vylenie. ¶ And for as moche as þou mow[e] knowe þat þilke verray
reuerence ne may nat comen by þe shadewy t{ra}nsitorie dignitees.
vndirstonde now þis. yif þat a man hadde vsed {and} hadde many manere
dignites of consules {and} were come{n} p{er}auenture amonges straunge
nac{i}ou{n}s. sholde þilke hono{ur} maken hym worshipful {and} redouted
of straunge folk ¶ Certys yif þat honour of poeple were a naturel ȝifte
to dignites. it ne myȝte neuer cesen nowher amonges no maner folke to
done hys office. ¶ Ryȝt as fire i{n} euery contre ne stinteþ nat to
enchaufen {and} to ben hote. but for as myche as forto be holden
honorable or reuerent ne comeþ nat to folk of hir p{ro}pre strengþe of
nat{ur}e. but only of þe fals[e] opiniou{n} of folk. þat is to sein. þat
wenen þat dignites maken folk digne of hono{ur}. An on þerfore whan þat
þei comen þer as folk ne knowe{n} nat þilke dignites. her hono{ur}s
vanissen awey {and} þat on oon. but þat is a-mong straung folk. maist
þou sein. but amo{n}g{us} hem þat þei weren born duren þilk[e] dignites
alwey. ¶ Certys þe dignite of þe p{ro}uostrie of Rome was somtyme a
grete power. now is it no þing but an ydel name. {and} þe rente of þe
senatorie a g{r}et charge. {and} yif a whiȝt somtyme hadde þe office to
taken he[de] to þe vitailes of þe poeple as of corne {and} what oþer
þinges he was holden amonges grete. but what þing is more nowe out cast
þanne þilke p{ro}uostrie ¶ And as I haue seid a litel here byforne. þat
þilke þing þat haþ no p{ro}pre beaute of hym self resceyueþ somtyme pris
{and} shinynge {and} somtyme lesiþ it by þe opiniou{n} of vsaunces.
¶ Now yif þat dignites þanne ne mowen nat maken folk digne of reuerence.
{and} yif þ{a}t dignites wexen foule of hir wille by þe filþe of
shrewes. ¶ and yif þat dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of
tymes. and yif þei wexen foule by estimac{i}ou{n} of poeple. what is it
þat þei han in hem self of beaute þat auȝte ben desired. as who seiþ
none. þanne ne mowen þei ȝiuen no beaute of dignite to none oþer.