[Sidenote: [The 5^the p{ro}se.]]
++Bvt regnes {and} familarites of kynges may þei maken a ma{n} to ben
myȝty. how ellys. ¶ whanne hir blysfulnesse dureþ p{er}petuely but
certys þe olde age of tyme passeþ. {and} eke of p{re}sent tyme now is
ful of ensau{m}ples how þ{a}t kynges þat han chaunged in to wrechednesse
out of hir welefulnesse. ¶ O a noble þing {and} a cler þing is power þat
is nat founden myȝty to kepe it self. ¶ And yif þat power of realmes be
auctour {and} maker of blisfulnesse. yif þilke power lakkeþ on any side.
amenusiþ it nat þilke blisfulnesse {and} bryngeþ in wrechednesse. but
yif al be it so þat realmes of mankynde stretchen b{r}oode. ȝit mot þer
nede ben myche folk ouer whiche þat euery kyng ne haþ no lordshipe no
comaundement ¶ and certys vpon þilke syde þat power failleþ whiche þat
makiþ folk blisful. ryȝt on þat same side nou{n}power entriþ vndirneþ
þat makeþ hem wreches. ¶ In þis manere þanne moten kynges han more
porciou{n} of wrechednesse þan of welefulnesse. ¶ A tyraunt þat was kyng
of sisile þat had[de] assaied þe p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by
similitude þe dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde þat heng ouer
þe heued of his familier. what þing is þan þis power þat may nat don
awey þe bytynges of besines ne eschewe þe prikkes of drede. and certys
ȝit wolden þei lyuen in sykernesse. but þei may nat. and ȝit þei
glorifien hem in her power ¶ Holdest þou þan þat þilk[e] man be myȝty
þat þ{o}u seest þat he wolde don þat he may nat don. ¶ And holdest þou
þan hym a myȝty man þat haþ environed hise sydes wiþ men of armes or
seruauntes {and} dredeþ more [hem] þat he makeþ agast. þen þei dreden
hym. {and} þat is put in þe handes of hise seruauntȝ. for he sholde seme
myȝty but of familiers [or] seruauntȝ of ky{n}ges. ¶ what sholde I telle
þe any þing. syn þat I my self haue shewed þe þat realmes hem self ben
ful of gret feblenesse. þe whiche familiers certis þe real power of
kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] þroweþ adou{n}.
¶ Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen
on what deeþ he wolde deien. ¶ Antonius comau{n}did[e] þat knyȝtis
slowen wiþ her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben
long tyme ful myȝty a-monges hem of þe courte. and ȝit certis þei wolde
boþe han renou{n}ced her power. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e] hym to
ȝiue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie
exil. ¶ But whan þe grete weyȝt. þat is to sein of lordes power or of
fortune draweþ hem þat sholden falle. neyþer of hem ne myȝt[e] do þat he
wolde. what þing is þanne þilke power þat þouȝ men han it þat þei ben
agast. ¶ {and} whan þou woldest han it þou nart nat siker. ¶ And yif þou
woldest forleten it þou mayst nat eschewen it. ¶ But wheþir swiche men
ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.
Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune makeþ frendes. contrarious fortune
makeþ hem enmyse. ¶ And what pestilence is more myȝty forto anoye a wiȝt
þan a familier enemy.