1086 none—non
an-oone—Anon
þrowe—throwen
1087 adoũne—adoun
1090 wolde—wolden
1095 it—hyt
who—ho
1096 no—a
THE SOURCE OF TRUE HAPPINESS.
CONTRAQUE.
And aȝeinewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by þe
agreablete or by þe egalite of hym þat suffreþ it.
When patience is lost then a change of state is desired. ¶ What man is þat. þat is so weleful þat nolde chaungen [1100]
his estat whan he haþ lorn pacience. þe swetnesse of
mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wiþ many[e] bitternesses.
þe whiche welefulnesse al þouȝ it seme swete and
ioyeful to hym þat vseþ it. ȝit may it not be wiþ-holden [1104]
þat it ne goþ away whan it wol. How much is human felicity embittered! ¶ Þan is it wel sen
how wrecched is þe blisfulnesse of mortel þinges. It will not stay with those that endure their lot with equanimity, nor bring comfort to anxious minds. þat
neiþer it dwelliþ perpetuel wiþ hem þat euery fortune
receyuen agreablely or egaly. ¶ Ne it ne deliteþ not in [1108]
al. to hem þat ben anguissous. Why then, O mortals, do ye seek abroad for that felicity which is to be found within yourselves? ¶ O ye mortel folkes
[* fol. 11 b.] what seke *ȝe þan blisfulnesse oute of ȝoure self. whiche
þat is put in ȝoure self. Errour and folie confoundeþ
ȝow ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly. þe poynt of souereyne [1112]
blisfulnesse. Nothing is more precious than thyself. Is þer any þing to þe more preciouse þan
þi self ¶ Þou wilt answere nay. If thou hast command over thyself, Fortune cannot deprive thee of it. ¶ Þan if it so be þat
þou art myȝty ouer þi self þat is to seyn by tranquillitee
of þi soule. þan hast þou þing in þi power þat þou [1116]
noldest neuer lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it þe.
Happiness does not consist in things transitory. and þat þou mayst knowe þat blisfulnesse [ne] may
nat standen in þinges þat ben fortunous and temperel.
If happiness be the supreme good of nature, then that thing cannot be it which can be withdrawn from us. ¶ Now vndirstonde and gadir it to gidir þus [1120]
yif blisfulnesse be þe souereyne goode of nature þat
liueþ by resoun ¶ Ne þilke þing nis nat souereyne
goode þat may be taken awey in any wyse. for more
worþi þing and more digne is þilke þing þat may nat be [1124]
taken awey. Instability of fortune is not susceptive of true happiness. ¶ Þan shewiþ it wele þat þe vnstablenesse
of fortune may nat attayne to receyue verray
blisfulnes. ¶ And ȝit more ouer. He who is led by fading felicity, either knows that it is changeable or does not know it. ¶ What man þat
þis toumblyng welefulnesse leediþ. eiþer he woot þat [1128]
[it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. If he knows it not, what happiness has he in the blindness of his ignorance? ¶ And yif
he woot it not. what blisful fortune may þer be in þe
blyndenesse of ignoraunce. and yif he woot þat it is
chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad þat he ne lese [1132]
þat þing. þat he ne douteþ nat but þat he may leesen it.
RICHES DO NOT CONSTITUTE HAPPINESS.
If he knows it is fleeting he must be afraid of losing it, and this fear will not suffer him to be happy. ¶ As whoo seiþ he mot ben alwey agast lest he
leese þat he wot wel he may leese. ¶ For whiche þe
continuel drede þat he haþ ne suffriþ hym nat to ben [1136]
weleful. ¶ Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be
dispised and forleten hit. ¶ Certis eke þat is a ful
lytel goode þat is born wiþ euene hert[e] whan it is
loost. ¶ Þat is to seyne þat men don no more force. [1140]
of þe lost þan of þe hauynge. Since thou art convinced of the soul’s immortality, thou canst not doubt that if death puts an end to human felicity, that all men when they die, are plunged into the depths of misery. ¶ And for as myche as
þou þi self art he to whom it haþ ben shewid and proued
by ful many[e] demonstraciouns. as I woot wel þat þe
soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke [1144]
syn it is clere. and certeyne þat fortunous welefulnesse
endiþ by þe deeþ of þe body. ¶ It may nat ben douted
þat yif þat deeþ may take awey blysfulnesse þat al þe
kynde of mortal þingus ne descendiþ in to wrecchednesse [1148]
by þe ende of þe deeþ. But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity, by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments. ¶ And syn we knowen
wel þat many a man haþ souȝt þe fruit of blisfulnesse
nat only wiþ suffryng of deeþ. but eke wiþ suffryng of
peynes and tourmentes. How then can this present life make men truly happy, since when it is ended they do not become miserable? how myȝt[e] þan þis present [1152]
lijf make men blisful. syn þat whanne þilke self[e]
lijf is endid. it ne makeþ folk no wrecches.