Þerfore yif If Fortune spake thus to you, you could not defend your complaint. þat fortune spake wiþ þe for hir self in
þis manere. For soþe þou ne haddest [nat] what
þou myȝtest answere. and if þou hast any þing wherwiþ.
þou mayist ryȝtfully tellen þi compleynt. ¶ It [920]
byhoueþ þe to shewen it. and .I. wol ȝeue þe space to
tellen it. B. What you have said is very specious, but such discourses are only sweet while they strike our ears. ¶ Certeynely quod I þan þise ben faire
þinges and enoyntid wiþ hony swetnesse of rethorike
and musike. and only while þei ben herd þei ben [924]
deliciouse. They cannot efface the deep impressions that misery has made in the heart. ¶ But to wrecches is a deppere felyng of
harme. þis is to seyn þat wrecches felen þe harmes þat
þei suffren more greuously þan þe remedies or þe delites
of þise wordes mowe gladen or comforten hem. so þat [928]
whan þise þinges stynten forto soun[e] in eres. þe sorwe
þat is inset greueþ þe þouȝt. P. So it is indeed; for my arguments are not designed as remedies, but as lenitives only. Ryȝt so is it quod she.
¶ For þise ne ben ȝit none remedies of þi maladie. but
þei ben a manere norissinges of þi sorwe ȝit rebel [932]
aȝeyne þi curacioun. When time serves, I will administer those things that shall reach the seat of your disease. ¶ For whan þat tyme is. I shal
moue swiche þinges þat percen hem self depe. But you are not among the number of the wretched. ¶ But
naþeles þat þou shalt not wilne to leten þi self a
wrecche. ¶ Hast þou forȝeten þe noumbre and þe [936]
manere of þi welefulnesse. I shall not speak of your happiness in being provided for (in your orphanage) by the chief men of the city; nor of your noble alliance with Festus and Symmachus; I holde me stille how þat
þe souerayn men of þe Citee token þe in cure and
kepynge whan þou were orphelyn of fadir and modir.
and were chosen in affinite of princes of þe Citee. [940]
¶ And þou bygunne raþer to ben leef and deere þan
forto ben a neyȝbour. þe whiche þing is þe most preciouse
kynde of any propinquitee or aliaunce þat may
ben. ¶ Who is it þat ne seide þou nere ryȝt weleful [944]
wiþ so grete a nobley of þi fadres in lawe. nor of your virtuous wife, and manly sons. ¶ And wiþ
þe chastite of þi wijf. and wiþ þe oportunite and
noblesse of þi masculyn children. þat is to seyne þi
sones and ouer al þis me lyst to passe of comune þinges. [948]
¶ How þou haddest in þi þouȝt dignitees þat weren
warned to olde men. but it deliteþ me to comen now to
þe singuler vphepyng of þi welefulnesse. ¶ Yif any
fruyt of mortal þinges may han any weyȝte or price of [952]
welefulnesse. Can you ever forget the memorable day that saw your two sons invested with the dignity of Consuls? ¶ Myȝtest þou euere forȝeten for any
charge of harme þat myȝt[e] byfallen. þe remembraunce
of þilke day þat þou sey[e] þi two sones maked conseillers.
and ylad to gidre from þin house vndir so gret [956]
assemble of senatours. and vndir þe blyþenesse of poeple.
and whan þou say[e] hem sette in þe court in her
chaieres of dignites. ¶ Þou rethorien or pronouncere
of kynges preysinges. deseruedest glorie of wit and of [960]
eloquence. When in the circus you satisfied the expectant multitude with a triumphal largess? whan þou sittyng bytwix þi two sones conseillers
in þe place þat hyȝt Circo. and fulfildest þe
abydyng of multitude of poeple þat was sprad about þe
wiþ large praysynge and laude as men syngen in victories. [964]
By your expressions you flattered Fortune, and obtained from her a gift which never before fell to any private person. þo ȝaue þou wordes of fortune as I trowe. þat
is to seyne. þo feffedest þou fortune wiþ glosynge
wordes and desseiuedest hir. whan she accoied[e] þe
and norsshed[e] þe as hir owen delices. ¶ Þou hast [968]
had of fortune a ȝifte þat is to seyn swiche gerdoun
þat she neu[er]e ȝaf to preue man Will you therefore call Fortune to account? ¶ Wilt þou þerfore
leye a rekenyng wiþ fortune. She now begins, I own, to look unkindly on you; but if you consider the number of your blessings, you must confess that you are still happy. she haþ now twynkeled
first vpon þe wiþ a wykked eye. ¶ Yif þou considere [972]
þe noumbre and þe manere of þi blysses. and of þi
sorwes. [* fol. 10 b.] *þou maist nat forsake þat þou nart ȝit blysful.
ADVERSITY IS BUT TRANSIENT.
These evils that you suffer are but transitory. For if þou þerfore wenest þi self nat weleful for þinges
þat þo semeden ioyful ben passed. ¶ Þer nis nat whi [976]
þou sholdest wene þi self a wrecche. for þinges þat now
semen soory passen also. ¶ Art þou now comen firste
a sodeyne gest in to þe shadowe or tabernacle of þis
lijf. Can there be any stability in human affairs, when the life of man is exposed to dissolution every hour? or trowest þou þat any stedfastnesse be in mannis [980]
þinges. ¶ Whan ofte a swifte houre dissolueþ þe same
man. þat is to seyne whan þe soule departiþ fro þe
body. For al þouȝ þat yelde is þer any feiþ þat fortunous
þinges willen dwelle. The last day of life puts an end to Prosperity. ȝit naþeles þe last[e] day [984]
of a mannis lijf is a manere deeþ to fortune. and also
to þilke þat haþ dwelt. What matters it then, whether you by death leave it, or it (Fortune) by flight doth leave you? and þerfore what wenist þou
þar recche yif þou forlete hir in deynge or ellys þat she
fortune forlete þe in fleenge awey. [988]
918 [nat]—from C.
919 if—yif
920 mayist—mayst
tellen—defendyn
921 ȝeue—yeuyn
922 þan—thanne
ben—bet (= beth)
923 swetnesse—swetenesse
924 while—whil
herd—MS. herde