816 sweyes—sweyȝ
818 cesed[e]—cesede
THE INCONSTANCY OF FORTUNE.
[HEC CUM SUPERBA.]
Whan fortune Fortune is as inconstant as the ebb and flow of Euripus. wiþ a proude ryȝt hande haþ turnid
hir chaungyng stoundes she fareþ lyke þe maners [820]
of þe boillyng eurippe. Glose. Eurippe is an arme of
þe see þat ebbith and flowiþ. and somtyme þe streme
is on one syde and somtyme on þat oþer. Texte She hurls kings from their thrones, and exalts the captive. ¶ She
cruel fortune kasteþ adoune kynges þat somtyme weren [824]
ydred. and she deceiuable enhaunseth vp þe humble
chere of hym þat is discomfited. She turns a deaf ear to the tears and cries of the wretched. and she neyþer hereþ
ne reccheþ of wrecched[e] wepynges. and she is so harde
þat she lauȝeþ and scorneþ þe wepyng of hem þe whiche [828]
she haþ maked wepe wiþ hir free wille. Thus she sports and boasts her power and presents a marvel to her servants if, in the space of an hour, a man is hurled from happiness into adversity. ¶ Þus she
pleyeþ and þus she preueþ hir strengþe and sheweþ a
grete wondre to alle hir seruauntȝ. ¶ Yif þat a wyȝt
is seyn weleful and ouerþrowe in an houre. [832]
819 proude—prowd
hande—hand
haþ—MS. haþe
820 lyke—lik
821 arme—arm
822 streme—strem
823 one—o