2049 kembed—kembde
apparailed—MS. apparailen, C. a-paraylede
2050 ȝitte—yit
2053 lordship—lorshippe
ȝaf somtyme—yaf whylom
dredeful—reuerencȝ
2055 fore—for
ȝaf—yaf
KINGDOMS DO NOT MAKE A MAN MIGHTY.
[AN UERO REGNA.]
Bvt regnes P. Do kingdoms and a familiarity with princes make a man mighty? and familarites of kynges may þei maken a
man to ben myȝty. B. Why should they not if they are durable? how ellys. ¶ whanne hir [2060]
blysfulnesse dureþ perpetuely P. Past ages, as well as the present, furnish us with many examples of princes who have met with dismal reverses of fortune. but certys þe olde age of
tyme passeþ. and eke of present tyme now is ful of
ensaumples how þat kynges þat han chaunged in to
wrechednesse out of hir welefulnesse. O then how noble and glorious a thing is power that is too weak to preserve itself! ¶ O a noble þing [2064]
and a cler þing is power þat is nat founden myȝty to
kepe it self. If dominion brings felicity, then misery will follow if it be defective. ¶ And yif þat power of realmes be auctour
and maker of blisfulnesse. yif þilke power lakkeþ on
any side. amenusiþ it nat þilke blisfulnesse and bryngeþ [2068]
in wrechednesse. But human rule has its limits, therefore wherever power ceases there impotence enters, bringing misery along with it. but yif al be it so þat realmes of mankynde
stretchen broode. ȝit mot þer nede ben myche
folk ouer whiche þat euery kyng ne haþ no lordshipe
no comaundement ¶ and certys vpon þilke syde þat [2072]
power failleþ whiche þat makiþ folk blisful. ryȝt on þat
same side nounpower entriþ vndirneþ þat makeþ hem
wreches. Kings, therefore, have a larger portion of misery than of felicity. ¶ In þis manere þanne moten kynges han
more porcioun of wrechednesse þan of welefulnesse. [2076]
POWER DOES NOT DRIVE AWAY CARE.
Dionysius of Sicily, conscious of this condition, exhibited the fears and cares of royalty by the terror of a naked sword hanging over the head of his friend and flatterer Damocles. ¶ A tyraunt þat was kyng of sisile þat had[de] assaied
þe peril of his estat shewid[e] by similitude þe dredes
of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde þat heng ouer þe
heued of his familier. What then is this thing called Power, which cannot do away with care or fear? what þing is þan þis power þat [2080]
may nat don awey þe bytynges of besines ne eschewe
þe prikkes of drede. Men would live in security but cannot, and yet they glory in their power. and certys ȝit wolden þei lyuen
[* fol. 18.] *in sykernesse. but þei may nat. and ȝit þei glorifien
hem in her power Is he powerful who cannot do what he wishes? ¶ Holdest þou þan þat þilk[e] man [2084]
be myȝty þat þou seest þat he wolde don þat he may
nat don. Is he a mighty man who goes surrounded with an armed guard, to terrify those whom he himself fears, and whose power depends solely upon his numerous retinue? ¶ And holdest þou þan hym a myȝty man
þat haþ environed hise sydes wiþ men of armes or
seruauntes and dredeþ more [hem] þat he makeþ agast. [2088]
þen þei dreden hym. and þat is put in þe handes of hise
seruauntȝ. for he sholde seme myȝty but of familiers
[or] seruauntȝ of kynges. Why need I enlarge upon the favourites of princes having thus displayed the imbecility of kings! ¶ what sholde I telle þe
any þing. syn þat I my self haue shewed þe þat realmes [2092]
hem self ben ful of gret feblenesse. Their prosperity is affected by the caprice of their fortunate masters as well as by the adversity to which they are incident. þe whiche familiers
certis þe real power of kynges in hool estat and in estat
abated ful [ofte] þroweþ adoun. Nero only allowed his master Seneca to choose the manner of his death. ¶ Nero constreined[e]
his familier and his maistre seneca to chesen on what [2096]
deeþ he wolde deien. Antonius (Caracalla) commanded Papinian to be slain by the swords of his soldiers. ¶ Antonius comaundid[e] þat
knyȝtis slowen wiþ her swerdis Papinian his familier
whiche Papinian had[de] ben long tyme ful myȝty
a-monges hem of þe courte. Yet both would have given up all they possessed. and ȝit certis þei wolde boþe [2100]
han renounced her power. Seneca begged for poverty and exile. But relentless fortune precipitated them to destruction, and did not permit them to choose their fate. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e]
hym to ȝiuen to Nero his rychesses. and also
to han gon in to solitarie exil. ¶ But whan þe grete
weyȝt. þat is to sein of lordes power or of fortune [2104]
draweþ hem þat sholden falle. neyþer of hem ne
myȝt[e] do þat he wolde. What then is Power, which terrifies its possessors, and which cannot be got rid of at pleasure? what þing is þanne þilke
power þat þouȝ men han it þat þei ben agast. ¶ and
whan þou woldest han it þou nart nat siker. ¶ And [2108]
yif þou woldest forleten it þou mayst nat eschewen it.
No advantage is to be gained by friendship based on prosperity instead of virtue. ¶ But wheþir swiche men ben frendes at nede as ben
conseiled by fortune and nat by vertue. Adversity will turn this sort of friendship into enmity. And what greater plague can there be than the enmity of thy familiar friend? Certys swiche
folk as weleful fortune makeþ frendes. contrarious fortune [2112]
makeþ hem enmyse. ¶ And what pestilence is
more myȝty forto anoye a wiȝt þan a familier enemy.
2060 myȝty—MS. vnmyȝty, C. myhty