The fifth bough of pride is idle bliss; that is, foolish liking of
foolish praise, when he feels in his heart knowingly that he is, or
weens to be, praised for something that he has in him, or weens to have,
and will be praised therefore, for which he should praise God. And
therefore idle bliss robs God, and steals what is His. For of all our
goods He shall have the honour and the praise, and we the gain.
Idle bliss is the great wind that throws down the great towers and the
high steeples, and throws to the ground the great beeches in woods, and
makes the great hills to quake, which are the high men and (those) that
are most worthy. That is the devil’s penny, wherewith he buys all the
fair pennyworths in the market of this world, which are the good works.
And because there are three kinds of goods that man hath of God, and
that the devil wall buy with his pence, therefore this bough divides
into three kinds of small boughs, whereof grows every kind of sin, which
no clerk can tell. The same three kinds of goods that one has of God are
the gifts of nature, the gifts of hap, the gifts of grace. The natural
gifts are those that one calls ‘by nature,’ either as to the body or as
to the soul; as regards the body, as health, fairness, strength,
prowess, nobility, good tongue, good speech; as regards the soul, as
clear wit to understand well, and subtle wit to devise well, good memory
to retain well, and the virtues of nature, whereby one is more natural
than another, or more liberal, or meeker, or more gracious, or contented
and well ordered. For all these gifts one shall thank and serve God,
because they all come from Him. Nevertheless the proud sells them to the
devil for the false penny of idle bliss, and often wars against God for
all His gifts, for which he should thank God. And whoever takes good
heed [may see that] in all these gifts of nature that I have briefly
told, it is sin by idle bliss in too many ways, which each may better
see in himself, if he will study well, than others can tell him.
The gifts of hap are exalted stations, riches, delights, and
prosperities, whereof one thinks in many ways. For when the lady of hap
has turned her wheel to the man, and raised and set (him) to the height
of her wheel, like the mill to the wind, and (he has) climbed high
there, there blow all the twelve winds of idle bliss. For when he that
is arisen so high in prosperity thinks in his heart first of the
dignity, afterwards of his prosperity, after that of his riches,
afterwards of his lusts that his body has, after that of the great
fellowship that follows him, afterwards of the fair company that serves
him, after that of his fair manner, afterwards of his fair ridings,
afterwards of the plenty of fair robes, after that of the adorning of
his house with lustful ease and other kinds of equipment, (so) that so
much is fair and noble, afterwards of the great presents and of the
great feasts that one makes him everywhere, after that of his good fame,
and of his praises, that fly everywhere. Thus the wretch rejoices and
glories in his heart, so that he knows not where he is. These are the
gifts that come of idle bliss, (that is) to wit, twelve kinds of
temptation of idle bliss, which those in high estate have, either in the
world or in religion, either cleric or layman.
The gifts of grace are virtues and good works. And against these gifts
idle bliss often blows the more strongly, and often fells the great
trees and the highest, which are the best men. And [thou] shalt know
that in virtues and in good works the devil tempts by idle bliss in
three ways. The one is within in the heart, when one hears of the good
things that one does privily, as of prayers or of privy works, and the
man thinks that he is better with God than he is. The second is when he
has a foolish bliss in him because he hears or sees of his good renown,
and that he is praised and holden for a good man. The third is when he
desires and seeks and obtains fame and renown, and in such understanding
doth his good deeds, not for God properly, but for the world.