¶ Ryȝt as fire in euery contre ne stinteþ nat to [2020]
[* fol. 17 b.] enchaufen and *to ben hote. Honours arise from the false opinions of men, and vanish when they come among those who do not esteem them, that is, among foreign nations. but for as myche as forto
be holden honorable or reuerent ne comeþ nat to folk of
hir propre strengþe of nature. but only of þe fals[e]
opinioun of folk. þat is to sein. þat wenen þat dignites [2024]
maken folk digne of honour. An on þerfore whan þat
þei comen þer as folk ne knowen nat þilke dignites.
her honours vanissen awey and þat on oon. but þat is
a-mong straung folk. maist þou sein. Do they always endure in those places that gave birth to them? but amongus [2028]
hem þat þei weren born duren þilk[e] dignites alwey.
The Prætorate was once a great honour, but now it is only an empty name and a heavy expense. ¶ Certys þe dignite of þe prouostrie of Rome was somtyme
a grete power. now is it no þing but an ydel
name. and þe rente of þe senatorie a gret charge. What is more vile than the office of the superintendency of provisions? and [2032]
yif a whiȝt somtyme hadde þe office to taken he[de] to
þe vitailes of þe poeple as of corne and what oþer þinges
he was holden amonges grete. but what þing is more
nowe out cast þanne þilke prouostrie That which hath no innate beauty must lose its splendour or value according as popular opinion varies concerning it. ¶ And as I haue [2036]
seid a litel here byforne. þat þilke þing þat haþ no
propre beaute of hym self resceyueþ somtyme pris and
shinynge and somtyme lesiþ it by þe opinioun of
vsaunces. If dignities cannot confer esteem, if they become vile through filthy shrews, if they lose their lustre by the change of times, if they become worthless by the change of popular opinion, what beauty do they possess which should make them desirable, or what dignity can they confer on others? ¶ Now yif þat dignites þanne ne mowen [2040]
nat maken folk digne of reuerence. and yif þat dignites
wexen foule of hir wille by þe filþe of shrewes. ¶ and
yif þat dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of
tymes. and yif þei wexen foule by estimacioun of [2044]
poeple. what is it þat þei han in hem self of beaute
þat auȝte ben desired. as who seiþ none. þanne ne
mowen þei ȝiuen no beaute of dignite to none oþer.
1969 make—maken
1969 grete—gret
1972 [ne]—from C.
ben—be
1972, 1973 wikkednesses—wykkydnesse
1973 to—omitted
shew[en]—shewen
1974 comeþ—comth
grete desdeyne—gret desdaign
1976 whiche—which
1977 hyȝt—hyhte
nonius—MS. vonnus, C. nomyus
boch—MS. boþe, C. boch
clepiþ—clepyd
1979 nonius—MS. uonnus, C. nomyus
set—MS. sette, C. set