GLORY NOT IN RICHES; THEY ADD NOTHING TO VIRTUE.
[SET CUM RACIONUM IAM IN TE.]
But for as It is now time to use stronger medicines, since lighter remedies have taken effect. moche as þe noryssinges of my resouns
descenden now in to þe. I trowe it were tyme to
vsen a litel strenger medicynes. What is there in the gifts of Fortune that is not vile and despicable? ¶ Now vndirstonde [1172]
here al were it so þat þe ȝiftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne transitorie. what is þer in hem þat may be
[* fol. 12.] þine *in any tyme. or ellis þat it nys foule if þat it be
considered and lokid perfitely. Are riches precious in themselves, or in men’s estimation? ¶ Richesse ben þei [1176]
preciouse by þe nature of hem self. or ellys by þe
nature of þe. What is most precious in them, quantity or quality? What is most worþi of rycchesse. is it
nat golde or myȝt of moneye assembled. Bounty is more glorious than niggardliness. ¶ Certis
þilke golde and þilke moneye shineþ and ȝeueþ better [1180]
renoun to hem þat dispenden it. þen to þilke folke þat
mokeren it. Avarice is always hateful, while liberality is praise-worthy. For auarice makeþ alwey mokeres to be
hated. and largesse makeþ folke clere of renoun
¶ For syn þat swiche þing as is transfered from o [1184]
man to an oþer ne may nat dwellen wiþ no man.
Money cannot be more precious than when it is dispensed liberally to others. Certis þan is þilke moneye precious. whan it is translated
in to oþer folk. and stynteþ to ben had by
vsage of large ȝeuyng of hym þat haþ ȝeuen it. If one man’s coffers contained all the money in the world, every one else would be in want of it. and [1188]
also yif al þe moneye þat is ouer-al in þe world were
gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al oþer men
to ben nedy as of þat. ¶ And certys a voys al hool
þat is to seyn wiþ-oute amenusynge fulfilleþ to gyder [1192]
þe heryng of myche folke. Riches cannot be dispensed without diminution. but Certys ȝoure rycchesse
ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wiþ-oute amenussyng
¶ And whan þei ben apassed. nedys þei maken
hem pore þat forgon þe rycchesses. O the poverty of riches, that cannot be enjoyed by many at the same time, nor can be possessed by one without impoverishing others! ¶ O streite and [1196]
nedy clepe I þise rycchesses. syn þat many folke [ne]
may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man
wiþ-oute pouerte of al oþer folke. ¶ And þe shynynge
of gemmes þat I clepe preciouse stones. draweþ it nat [1200]
þe eyen of folk in to hem warde. þat is to seyne for þe
beaute. The beauty of precious stones consists only in their brightness, wherefore I marvel that men admire that which is motionless, lifeless, and irrational. ¶ For certys yif þer were beaute or bounte
in shynyng of stones. þilke clerenesse is of þe stones
hem self. and nat of men. ¶ For whiche I wondre [1204]
gretly þat men merueilen on swiche þinges. ¶ For
whi what þing is it þat yif it wanteþ moeuyng and
ioynture of soule and body þat by ryȝt myȝt[e] semen
a faire creature to hym þat haþ a soule of resoun. [1208]
Precious stones are indeed the workmanship of the Creator, but their beauty is infinitely below the excellency of man’s nature. ¶ For al be it so þat gemmes drawen to hem self a
litel of þe laste beaute of þe worlde. þoruȝ þe entent
of hir creatour and þoruȝ þe distinccioun of hem self.
ȝit for as myche as þei ben put vndir ȝoure excellence. [1212]
þei han not desserued by no weye þat ȝe shullen
merueylen on hem. Doth the beauty of the field delight thee? ¶ And þe beaute of feeldes deliteþ
it nat mychel vnto ȝow. B. Why should it not? for it is a beautiful part of a beautiful whole. Boyce. ¶ Whi sholde it nat
deliten vs. syn þat it is a ryȝt fayr porcioun of þe ryȝt [1216]
fair werk. þat is to seyn of þis worlde. Hence, we admire the face of the sea, the heavens, as well as the sun, moon, and stars. ¶ And ryȝt
so ben we gladed somtyme of þe face of þe see whan
it is clere. And also merueylen we on þe heuene and
on þe sterres. and on þe sonne. and on þe mone. [1220]
P. Do these things concern thee? darest thou glory in them? Philosophie. ¶ Apperteineþ quod she any of þilke
þinges to þe. whi darst þou glorifie þe in þe shynynge
of any swiche þinges. Do the flowers adorn you with their variety? Art þou distingwed and embelised
by þe spryngyng floures of þe first somer [1224]
sesoun. or swelliþ þi plente in fruytes of somer. whi
art þou rauyshed wiþ ydel ioies. Why embracest thou things wherein thou hast no property? why enbracest þou
straunge goodes as þei weren þine. Fortune can never make that thine which the nature of things forbids to be so. Fortune shal neuer
maken þat swiche þinges ben þine þat nature of þinges [1228]
maked foreyne fro þe. The fruits of the earth are designed for the support of beasts. ¶ Syche is þat wiþ-outen
doute þe fruytes of þe erþe owen to ben on þe
norssinge of bestes. If you seek only the necessities of nature, the affluence of Fortune will be useless. ¶ And if þou wilt fulfille þi
nede after þat it suffiseþ to nature þan is it no nede [1232]
þat þou seke after þe superfluite of fortune. Nature is content with a little, and superfluity will be both disagreeable and hurtful. ¶ For
wiþ ful fewe þinges and with ful lytel þing nature
halt hire appaied. and yif þou wilt achoken þe fulfillyng
of nature wiþ superfluites ¶ Certys þilke [1236]
þinges þat þou wilt þresten or pouren in to nature
shullen ben vnioyeful to þe or ellis anoies. Does it add to a man’s worth to shine in variety of costly clothing? ¶ Wenest
þou eke þat it be a fair þinge to shine wiþ dyuerse
cloþing. The things really to be admired are the beauty of the stuff or the workmanship of it. of whiche cloþing yif þe beaute be agreable [1240]
to loken vpon. I wol merueylen on þe nature of þe
matere of þilke cloþes. or ellys on þe werkeman þat
wrouȝt[e] hem. Doth a great retinue make thee happy? but al so a longe route of meyne. makiþ
[* fol. 12 b.] þat a blisful *man. If thy servants be vicious, they are a great burden to the house, and pernicious enemies to the master of it. þe whiche seruauntes yif þei ben [1244]
vicioũs of condiciouns it is a greet charge and a
destruccioun to þe house. and a greet enmye to þe lorde
hym self If they be good, why should the probity of others be put to thy account? ¶ And yif þei ben goode men how shal
straung[e] or foreyne goodenes ben put in þe noumbre [1248]
of þi rycchesse. Upon the whole, then, none of those enjoyments which thou didst consider as thy own did ever properly belong to thee. so þat by alle þise forseide þinges. it is
clerly shewed þat neuer none of þilke þinges þat þou
accoumptedest for þin goodes nas nat þi goode. If they be not desirable, ¶ In
þe whiche þinges yif þer be no beaute to ben desired. [1252]
RICHES BRING ANXIETIES.
why shouldst thou grieve for the loss of them? whi sholdest þou be sory yif þou leese hem. or whi
sholdest þou reioysen þe to holden hem. If they are fair by nature, what is that to thee? ¶ For if þei
ben fair of hire owen kynde. what apperteneþ þat to þe.
They would be equally agreeable whether thine or not. for as wel sholde þei han ben faire by hem self. [1256]
þouȝ þei weren departid from alle þin rycchesse. They are not to be reckoned precious because they are counted amongst thy goods, but because they seemed so before thou didst desire to possess them. ¶ For-why
faire ne precioũs ne weren þei nat. for þat þei
comen amonges þi rycchesse. but for þei semeden fair
and precious. þerfore þou haddest leuer rekene hem [1260]
amonges þi rycchesse. What, then, is it we so clamorously demand of Fortune? but what desirest þou of fortune
wiþ so greet a noyse and wiþ so greet a fare
Is it to drive away indigence by abundance? ¶ I trowe þou seke to dryue awey nede wiþ habundaunce
of þinges. But the very reverse of this happens, for there is need of many helps to keep a variety of valuable goods. ¶ But certys it turneþ to ȝow al in þe [1264]
contrarie. for whi certys it nediþ of ful many[e] helpynges
to kepen þe dyuersite of preciouse ostelmentȝ.
They want most things who have the most. and soþe it is þat of many[e] þinges han þei nede þat
many[e] þinges han. They want the fewest who measure their abundance by the necessities of nature, and not by the superfluity of their desires. and aȝeyneward of litel nediþ [1268]
hem þat mesuren hir fille after þe nede of kynde and
nat after þe outrage of couetyse Is there no good planted within ourselves, that we are obliged to go abroad to seek it? ¶ Is it þan so þat ye
men ne han no propre goode. I-set in ȝow. For
whiche ȝe moten seken outwardes ȝoure goodes in [1272]
foreine and subgit þinges. Are things so changed and inverted, that god-like man should think that he has no other worth but what he derives from the possession of inanimate objects? ¶ So is þan þe condicioun
of þinges turned vpso doun. þat a man þat is a devyne
beest by merit of hys resoun. þinkeþ þat hym
self nys neyþer fair ne noble. but if it be þoruȝ [1276]
possessioun of ostelmentes. þat ne han no soules.
IGNORANCE CRIMINAL IN MAN.
Inferior things are satisfied with their own endowments, while man (the image of God) seeks to adorn his nature with things infinitely below him, not understanding how much he dishonours his Maker. ¶ And certys al oþer þinges ben appaied of hire owen
beautes. but ȝe men þat ben semblable to god by ȝoure
resonable þouȝt desiren to apparaille ȝoure excellent [1280]
kynde of þe lowest[e] pinges. ne ȝe ne vndirstonde nat
how gret a wrong ȝe don to ȝoure creatour. God intended man to excel all earthly creatures, yet you debase your dignity and prerogative below the lowest beings. for he
wolde þat man kynde were moost worþi and noble of
any oþer erþely þinges. and ȝe þresten adoun ȝoure [1284]
dignitees by-neþen þe lowest[e] þinges. In placing your happiness in despicable trifles, you acknowledge yourselves of less value than these trifles, and well do you merit to be so esteemed. ¶ For if þat al
þe good of euery þing be more preciouse þan is þilk
þing whos þat þe good is. syn ȝe demen þat þe
foulest[e] þinges ben ȝoure goodes. þanne summytten [1288]
ȝe and putten ȝoure self vndir þo foulest[e] þinges by
ȝoure estimacioun. ¶ And certis þis bitidiþ nat wiþ
out ȝoure desert. Man only excels other creatures when he knows himself. For certys swiche is þe condicioun
of al man kynde þat oonly whan it haþ knowyng of it [1292]
self. þan passeþ it in noblesse alle oþer þinges. When he ceases to do so, he sinks below beasts. and
whan it forletiþ þe knowyng of it self. þan it is
brouȝt byneþen alle beestes. Ignorance is natural to beasts, but in men it is unnatural and criminal. ¶ For-why alle oþer
[leuynge] beestes han of kynde to knowe not hem [1296]
self. but whan þat men leten þe knowyng of hem self.
it comeþ hem of vice. How weak an error is it to believe that anything foreign to your nature can be an ornament to it. but how brode sheweþ þe errour
and þe folie of ȝow men þat wenen þat ony þing may
ben apparailled wiþ straunge apparaillementȝ ¶ but [1300]
for-soþe þat may nat be don. If a thing appear beautiful on account of its external embellishments, we admire and praise those embellishments alone. for yif a wyȝt shyneþ wiþ
þinges þat ben put to hym. as þus. yif þilke þinges
shynen wiþ whiche a man is apparailled. ¶ Certis
þilke þinges ben commendid and preised wiþ whiche [1304]
he is apparailled. The thing covered still continues in its natural impurity. ¶ But naþeles þe þing þat is
couered and wrapped vndir þat dwelleþ in his filþe.
I deny that to be a good which is hurtful to its owner. and I denye þat þilke þing be good þat anoyeþ hym
þat haþ it. Am I deceived in this? You will say no; for riches have often hurt their possessors. ¶ Gabbe I of þis. þou wolt seye nay. [1308]
¶ Certys rycchesse han anoyed ful ofte hem þat han þe
rycchesse. Every wicked man desires another’s wealth, and esteems him alone happy who is in possession of riches. ¶ Syn þat euery wicked shrew and for
hys wickednesse þe more gredy aftir oþer folkes rycchesse
wher so euer it be in any place. be it golde or [1312]
precious stones. [* fol. 13.] and weniþ hym *only most worþi þat
haþ hem You, therefore, who now so much dread the instruments of assassination, if you had been born a poor wayfaring man, might, with an empty purse, have sung in the face of robbers. ¶ þou þan þat so besy dredest now þe swerde
and þe spere. yif þou haddest entred in þe paþe of þis
lijf a voide wayfaryng man. þan woldest þou syng[e] [1316]
by-fore þe þeef. ¶ As who seiþ a poure man þat bereþ
no rycchesse on hym by þe weye. may boldly syng[e]
byforne þeues. for he haþ nat wher-of to ben robbed.
O the transcendant felicity of riches! No sooner have you obtained them, than you cease to be secure. ¶ O preciouse and ryȝt clere is þe blysfulnesse of [1320]
mortal rycchesse. þat whan þou hast geten it. þan hast
þou lorn þi syke[r]nesse.
1172 strenger—strengere
vndirstonde—vndyrstond
1173 nar[e]—ne weere
1174 be þine—ben thyn