1005 It is—is it
1006 no—ne
stable—estable
MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
[TUNC EGO UERA INQUAM.]
ÞAnne seide I B. I cannot deny my sudden and early prosperity. þus. O norice of alle uertues þou
seist ful soþe. ¶ Ne I may nat forsake þe ryȝt[e] [1008]
swifte cours of my prosperitee. þat is to seine. þat
prosperitee ne be comen to me wondir swiftly and
soone. but þis is a þing þat gretly smertiþ me whan it
remembreþ me. It is the remembrance of former happiness that adds most to man’s infelicity. ¶ For in alle aduersitees of fortune þe [1012]
most vnsely kynde of contrariouse fortune is to han
ben weleful. P. Recollect that you have yet much affluence. ¶ But þat þou quod she abaist þus þe
tourment of þi fals[e] opinioun þat maist þou not ryȝtfully
blamen ne aretten to þinges. as who seiþ for þou [1016]
hast ȝitte many habundaunces of þinges. ¶ Textus.
For al be it so þat þe ydel name of auenterouse welefulnesse
moeueþ þe now. it is leueful þat þou rekene
with me of how many[e] þinges þou hast ȝit plentee. [1020]
What you esteemed most precious in your happy days, you still retain, and ought therefore not to complain. ¶ And þerfore yif þat þilke þing þat þou haddest for
most precious in alle þi rycchesse of fortune be kept
to þe by þe grace of god vnwemmed and vndefouled.
Mayst þou þan pleyne ryȝtfully vpon þe myschief of fortune. [1024]
syn þou hast ȝit þi best[e] þinges. ¶ Certys ȝit
lyueþ in goode poynt þilke precious honour of mankynde.
Symmachus, dear to you as life, is safe and in health. ¶ Symacus þi wyues fadir whiche þat is a
man maked al of sapience and of vertue. þe whiche [1028]
man þou woldest ben redely wiþ þe pris of þin owen
lijf. he byweyleþ þe wronges þat men don to þee. and
not for hym self. for he liueþ in sykernesse of any
sentence put aȝeins him. Your wife Rusticiana is also alive, and bewails her separation from you. ¶ And ȝit lyueþ þi wif þat [1032]
is attempre of witte and passyng oþer women in clennes
of chastitee. and for I wol closen shortly her bountes
she is lyke to hir fadir. I telle þe welle þat she lyueþ
looþ of hir life. and kepiþ to þee oonly hir goost. and [1036]
is al maat and ouer-comen by wepyng and sorwe for
desire of þe ¶ In þe whiche þing only I mot graunten
þat þi welefulnesse is amenused. Why need I mention your two sons, in whom so much of the wit and spirit of their sire and grandsire doth shine? ¶ What shal I seyn
eke of þi two sones conseillours of whiche as of children [1040]
[* fol. 11.] of hir age þer shineþ *þe lyknesse of þe witte of
hir fadir and of hir eldefadir. And since it is the chief care of man to preserve life; you are still most happy in the possession of blessings which all men value more than life. and siþen þe souereyn
cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owen lyues.
THE CONDITION OF HUMAN BLISS.
¶ O how weleful art þou þouȝ þou knowe þi goodes. [1044]
¶ But ȝitte ben þer þinges dwellyng to þe wardes þat no
man douteþ þat þei ne ben more derworþe to þe þen
þine owen lijf. Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and hope of future felicity. ¶ And forþi drie þi teres for ȝitte nys
nat eueriche fortune al hateful to þe warde. ne ouer [1048]
greet tempest haþ nat ȝit fallen vpon þe. whan þat þin
ancres cliue fast[e] þat neiþer wole suffre þe comfort of þis
tyme present. ne þe hope of tyme comynge to passen
ne to fallen. B. I hope these will never fail me. ¶ And I preie quod I þat fast[e] mot[en] [1052]
þei holden. ¶ For whiles þat þei halden. how so euere
þat þinges ben. I shal wel fleten furþe and eschapen.
But do you not see how low I am fallen? ¶ But þou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes and
aray þat me lakkeþ þat ben passed awey fro me. P. I should think that I had made progress if you did not repine so at your fate. ¶ I [1056]
haue sumwhat auaunced and forþered þe quod she. if
þat þou anoie nat or forþenke nat of al þi fortune. As
who seiþ. ¶ I haue somwhat comforted þe so þat þou
tempest nat þe þus wiþ al þi fortune. syn þou hast [1060]
ȝit þi best[e] þinges. It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so many comforts. ¶ But I may nat suffre þin
delices. þat pleinst so wepyng. and anguissous for þat
oþer lakkeþ somwhat to þi welefulnesse. Every one, however happy, has something to complain of. ¶ For what
man is so sad or of so perfit welefulnesse. þat he ne [1064]
stryueþ or pleyneþ on some half aȝeine þe qualitee of
his estat. The condition of human enjoyment is anxious; for either it comes not all at once, or makes no long stay when it does come. ¶ For whi ful anguissous þing is þe condicioun
of mans goodes. ¶ For eyþer it comeþ al to
gidre to a wyȝt. or ellys it lasteþ not perpetuely. [1068]
HAPPINESS ARISES FROM CONTENTMENT.
One man is very wealthy, but his birth is obscure. ¶ For som man haþ grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed
of hys vngentil lynage. Another is conspicuous for nobility of descent, but is surrounded by indigence. and som man is renomed
of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so
grete angre for nede of þinges. þat hym were leuer þat [1072]
he were vnknowe. A third is blest with both advantages, but is unmarried. and som man habundeþ boþe in
rychesse and noblesse. but ȝit he bywaileþ hys chast[e]
lijf. for he haþ no wijf. This man is happy in a wife, but is childless, while that other man has the joy of children, but is mortified by their evil ways. ¶ and som man is wel and
selily maried but he haþ no children. and norissheþ his [1076]
ricchesse to þe heires of straunge folk. ¶ And som
man is gladded wiþ children. but he wepiþ ful sory for
þe trespas of his son or of his douȝtir. Thus we see that no man can agree easily with the state of his fortune. ¶ and for þis
þer accordeþ no wyȝt lyȝtly to þe condicioun of his fortune. [1080]
for alwey to euery man þere is in mest somwhat
þat vnassaieþ he ne wot not or ellys he drediþ þat he
haþ assaied. The senses of the happy are refined and delicate, and they are impatient if anything is untoward. ¶ And adde þis also þat euery weleful
man haþ a wel delicat felyng. ¶ So þat but yif alle [1084]
þinges fallen at hys owen wille for he inpacient or is
nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is þrowe
adoũne for euery lytel þing. The happiness of the most fortunate depends on trifles. ¶ And ful lytel þinges
ben þo þat wiþdrawen þe somme or þe perfeccioun of [1088]
blisfulnesse fro hem þat ben most fortunat. How many would think themselves in heaven if they had only a part of the remnant of thy fortune! ¶ How
many men trowest þou wolde demen hem self to ben
almost in heuene yif þei myȝten atteyne to þe leest[e]
partie of þe remenaunt of þi fortune. ¶ Þis same place [1092]
þat þou clepist exil is contre to hem þat enhabiten
here. Thy miseries proceed from the thought that thou art miserable. and forþi. Noþing wrecched. but whan þou
wenest it Every lot may be happy to the man who bears his condition with equanimity and courage. ¶ As who seiþ. þouȝ þi self ne no wyȝt
ellys nys no wrecche but whan he weneþ hym self a [1096]
wrecche by reputacioun of his corage.
1008 soþe—soth
Ne I may—Ne I ne may