1479 seyne—seyn
souþe—sowth
1479-81 [but——it is]—MS. has: but ne how greuous fortune is
1482 swerde—swerd
THE LOVE OF GLORY.
[TUM EGO SCIS INQUAM.]
ÞAnne seide I B. Thou knowest that I did not covet mortal and transitory things. þus. þou wost wel þiself þat þe [1484]
couetise of mortal þinges ne hadden neuer lordshipe
of me. but I haue wel desired matere of þinges
to done. as who seiþ. I only wished to exercise my virtue in public concerns, lest it should grow feeble by inactivity. I desired[e] to han matere of
gouernaunce ouer comunalites. ¶ For vertue stille ne [1488]
sholde not elden. þat is to seyn. þat list þat or he wex
olde ¶ His uertue þat lay now ful stille. ne sholde
nat perisshe vnexcercised in gouernaunce of comune.
¶ For whiche men myȝten speke or writen of his [1492]
goode gouernement. P. A love of glory is one of those things that may captivate minds naturally great, but not yet arrived at the perfection of virtue. ¶ Philosophie. ¶ For soþe quod
she. and þat is a þing þat may drawen to gouernaunce
swiche hertes as ben worþi and noble of hir nature.
but naþeles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as [1496]
ben y-brouȝt to þe ful[le] perfeccioun of vertue. þat is
to seyn couetyse of glorie and renoun to han wel
administred þe comune þinges. or doon goode decertes
to profit of þe comune. But consider how small and void of weight is that glory. for se now and considere how [1500]
litel and how voide of al prise is þilke glorie. Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere. ¶ Certeine
þing is as þou hast lerned by demonstracioun of
astronomye þat al þe envyronynge of þe erþe aboute
ne halt but þe resoun of a prykke at regard of þe gretnesse [1504]
of heuene. þat is to seye. þat yif þat þer were
maked comparisoun of þe erþe to þe gretnesse of
heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle þat erþe [ne] helde
no space Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is inhabited by living creatures. ¶ Of þe whiche litel regioun of þis worlde [1508]
þe ferþe partie is enhabitid wiþ lyuyng beestes þat
we knowen. as þou hast þi self lerned by tholome þat
prouitħ it. Deduct from this the space occupied by seas, marshes, lakes, and deserts, and there remains but a small proportion left for the abode of man. ¶ yif þou haddest wiþ drawen and abated
in þi þouȝte fro þilke ferþe partie as myche space as þe [1512]
see and [the] mareys contenen and ouergon and as
myche space as þe regioun of droughte ouerstreccheþ.
FAME IS CIRCUMSCRIBED.
þat is to seye sandes and desertes wel vnneþ sholde
[* fol. 14 b.] *þer dwellen a ryȝt streite place to þe habitacioun of [1516]
men. And do you, who are confined to the least point of this point, think of nothing but of blazing far and wide your name and reputation? and ȝe þan þat ben environed and closed wiþ
inne þe leest[e] prikke of þilk prikke þenke ȝe to
manifesten ȝoure renoun and don ȝoure name to ben
born forþe. What is there great in a glory so circumscribed? but ȝoure glorie þat is so narwe and so [1520]
streyt yþrongen in to so litel boundes. how myche
conteinþe it in largesse and in greet doynge. Even in this contracted circle, there is a great variety of nations, to whom not only the fame of particular men, but even of great cities, cannot extend. And also
sette þis þer to þat many a nacioun dyuerse of tonge
and of maneres. and eke of resoun of hir lyuyng ben [1524]
enhabitid in þe cloos of þilke litel habitacle. ¶ To þe
whiche naciouns what for difficulte of weyes. and what
for diuersite of langages. and what for defaute of
vnusage entercomunynge of marchaundise. nat only þe [1528]
names of singler men ne may [nat] strecchen. but eke
þe fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen. In the time of Marcus Tullius the fame of Rome did not reach beyond Mount Caucasus. ¶ At þe
last[e] Certis in þe tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym
self writeþ in his book þat þe renoun of þe comune of [1532]
Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte passed ne cloumben ouer þe
mountaigne þat hyȝt Caucasus. and ȝitte was þilk
tyme rome wel wexen and gretly redouted of þe parthes.
and eke of oþer folk enhabityng aboute. How narrow, then, is that glory which you labour to propagate. ¶ Sest þou [1536]
nat þan how streit and how compressed is þilke glorie
þat ȝe trauailen aboute to shew and to multiplie. Shall the glory of a Roman citizen reach those places where the name even of Rome was never heard? May
þan þe glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen þider
as þe fame of þe name of Rome may nat clymben ne [1540]
passen. Customs and institutions differ in different countries. ¶ And eke sest þou nat þat þe maners of
diuerse folk and eke hir lawes ben discordaunt amonge
hem self. What is praise-worthy in one is blame-worthy in another. so þat þilke þing þat sommen iugen worþi of
preysynge. oþer folk iugen þat it is worþi of torment. [1544]
It is not the interest of any man who desires renown to have his name spread through many countries.
FAME IS NOT ETERNAL.
¶ and þer of comeþ þat þouȝ a man delite hym in
preysyng of his renoun. he ne may nat in no wise
bryngen furþe ne spreden his name to many manere
peoples. He ought, therefore, to be satisfied with the glory he has acquired at home. ¶ And þerfore euery maner man auȝte to ben [1548]
paied of hys glorie þat is puplissed among hys owen
neyȝbores. But of how many personages, illustrious in their times, have the memorials been lost through the carelessness and neglect of writers. ¶ And þilke noble renoun shal be
restreyned wiþ-inne þe boundes of o maner folk but how
many a man þat was ful noble in his tyme. haþ þe [1552]
nedy and wrecched forȝetynge of writers put oute of
mynde and don awey. But writings do not preserve the names of men for ever. ¶ Al be it so þat certys þilke
writynges profiten litel. þe whiche writynges longe and
derke elde doþ aweye boþe hem and eke her autours. But perhaps you suppose that you shall secure immortality if your names are transmitted to future ages. but [1556]
ȝe men semen to geten ȝow a perdurablete whan ȝe
þenke þat in tyme comyng ȝoure fame shal lasten. If you consider the infinite space of eternity you will have no reason to rejoice in this supposition. ¶ But
naþeles yif þou wilt maken comparisoun to þe endeles
space of eternite what þing hast þou by whiche þou [1560]
maist reioysen þe of long lastyng of þi name. If a moment be compared with 10,000 years, there is a proportion between them, though a very small one. ¶ For
if þer were maked comparysoun of þe abidyng of a
moment to ten þousand wynter. for as myche as boþe
þo spaces ben endid. ¶ For ȝit haþ þe moment some [1564]
porcioun of hit al þouȝ it a litel be. But this number of years, multiplied by whatever sum you please, vanishes when compared with the infinite extent of eternity. ¶ But naþeles
þilke self noumbre of ȝeres. and eke as many ȝeres as
þer to may be multiplied. ne may nat certys be comparisound
to þe perdurablete þat is een[de]les. There may be comparison between finite things, but none between the infinite and finite. ¶ For of [1568]
þinges þat han ende may be mad comparisoun [but of
thinges that ben with-owtyn ende to thinges þat han ende
may be maked no comparysoun]. Hence it is, that Fame (however lasting), compared with eternity, will seem absolutely nothing. ¶ And for þi is it al
þouȝ renoun of as longe tyme as euer þe lyst to þinken [1572]
were þouȝt by þe regard of eternite. þat is vnstauncheable
and infinit. it ne sholde nat oonly semen litel. but
pleinliche ryȝt nouȝt. But yet you do good from no other view than to have the empty applause of the people, foregoing the pleasures of a good conscience in order to have the insignificant praises of other people. ¶ But ȝe men certys ne konne
don no þing aryȝt. but ȝif it be for þe audience of poeple. [1576]
and for ydel rumours. and ȝe forsaken þe grete worþinesse
of conscience and of vertue. and ȝe seken ȝoure
gerdouns of þe smale wordes of strange folke.