[Sidenote: [The 8^the p{ro}se.]]
++Now nis it no doute þan þ{a}t þise weyes ne ben a maner mysledy{n}g to
blisfulnesse. ne þat þei ne mowe nat leden folke þider as þei byheten to
lede{n} hem. ¶ But wiþ how grete harmes þise forseide weyes ben enlaced.
¶ I shal shewe þe shortly. ¶ For whi yif þou enforcest þe to assemble
moneye. þou most by-reuen hym his moneye þat haþ it. and yif þou wilt
shynen wiþ dignites. þou most bysechen {and} supplien hem þat ȝiue{n} þo
dignitees. ¶ And yif þou coueitest by hono{ur} to gon by-fore oþer folk
þ{o}u shalt defoule þi self by hu{m}blesse of axing. yif þou desiryst
power. þou shalt by awaites of þi subgitȝ anoyously be cast vndir many
p{er}iles. axest þou glorie þ{o}u shalt ben so destrat by aspre þinges
þat þou shalt forgone sykernesse. ¶ And yif þou wilt leden þi lijf in
delices. euery whiȝt shal dispisen þe {and} forleten þe as þou þat art
þral to þing þat is ryȝt foule {and} brutel. þat is [to] sein seruau{n}t
to þi body. ¶ Now is it þan wel yseen how lytel {and} how brutel
possessiou{n} þei coueiten þat putten þe goodes of þe body abouen hire
owe{n} resou{n}. ¶ For mayst þou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} þise olifuñtȝ in
gretnesse or weyȝt of body. Or mayst þou ben strenger þan þe bole. Mayst
þou ben swifter þan þe tigre. biholde þe spaces {and} þe stablenesse
{and} þe swyfte cours of þe heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on
foule þinges. þe whiche heuene certys nis nat raþer for þise þinges to
ben wondred vpon. þan for þe resou{n} by whiche it is gouerned. but þe
shynynge of þi forme þat is to seien þe beaute of þi body. how swiftly
passyng is it {and} how transitorie. ¶ Certis it is more flittynge þan
þe mutabilite of floures of þe som{er} sesou{n}. For so as aristotil
telleþ þat yif þat men hadden eyen of a beest þat hiȝt lynx. so þat þe
lokyng of folk myȝt[e] percen þoruȝ þe þinges þ{a}t wiþstonden it. who
so lokid þan in þe entrailes of þe body of alcibiades þat was ful fayr
in þe sup{er}fice wiþ oute. it shulde seme ryȝt foule. {and} for þi yif
þou semest faire. þi nature ne makiþ nat þat. but þe desceiuau{n}ce of
þe fieblesse of þe eyen þat loken. ¶ But p{re}ise þe goodes of þi body
as moche as euer þe list. so þat þou know[e] algates þat what so it be.
þat is to seyn of þe goodes of þi body whiche þat þ{o}u wondrest vpon
may ben destroied or dessolued by þe hete of a feuere of þre dayes. ¶ Of
alle whiche forseide þinges I may reduce{n} þis shortly in a so{m}me.
¶ þat þise worldly goodes whiche þat ne mowen nat ȝiuen þat þei byheten.
ne ben nat p{er}fit by þe congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. þat þei ne
ben nat weyes ne paþes þat bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to
ben blysful.