2120 hyȝt—hyhte
2121 puten—putten
derk[e]—dyrke
2122 oute—owt
GENTILITY IS FOREIGN TO RENOWN.
[GLORIA UERO QUAM FALLAX.]
Bvt glorie How deceptive and deformed a thing is glory! Well did the Tragedian exclaim—ὦ δόξα δόξα μυρίοισι δὴ βροτῶν, οὐδὲν γεγῶσι βίοτον ὤγκωσας μέγαν, for the undeserving have been crowned with glory and renown by popular and erring opinion. how deceiuable and how foule is it ofte. for [2124]
whiche þing nat vnskilfully a tregedien þat is to
sein a maker of dites þat hyȝten tregedies cried[e] and
seide. ¶ O glorie glorie quod he. þou nart no þing
ellys to þousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. [2128]
for many[e] han had ful gret renoun by þe fals[e] oppinioun
of poeple. What can be more infamous than renoun founded on the prejudices of the vulgar? and what þing may ben þouȝt fouler
þen swiche preisynge Those that are undeservedly praised ought to blush for shame. for þilk[e] folk þat ben preised
falsly. þei moten nedes han shame of hir preisynges. [2132]
If a wise man gets well-merited praise it does not add to his felicity. and yif þat folk han geten hem þank or preysyng by
her desertes. what þing haþ þilk pris echid or encresed
to þe conscience of wise folk þat mesuren hire
good. not by þe rumour of þe poeple. but by þe soþefastnesse [2136]
of conscience. If it be a good thing to spread abroad one’s fame, it must be dishonourable not to do so. and yif it seme a fair þing a
man to han encresid and sprad his name. þan folweþ
it. þat it is demed to ben a foule þinge yif it ne be
ysprad ne encresed. But a good name cannot penetrate everywhere, and the most illustrious names must be unknown to the greatest part of the world. but as I seide a litel her byforne. [2140]
þat syn þer mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk þe
renoun of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalleþ þat he
þat þou wenest be glorious and renomed. semiþ in þe
nexte parties of þe erþe to ben wiþ out glorie. and wiþ [2144]
out renoun. The favour of the people is worth but little as it is seldom judicious and never permanent. ¶ and certis amonges þise þinges I ne trowe
nat þat þe pris and grace of þe poeple nis neiþer worþi
[* fol. 18 b.] *to ben remembrid ne comeþ of wise iugement. ne is
ferm perdurably. How empty and transitory are titles of nobility! ¶ But now of þis name of gentilesse. [2148]
what man is it þat ne may wel seen how veyne and
how flittyng a þing it is. Gentility is wholly foreign to renown, and to those who boast of noble birth. ¶ For if þe name of gentilesse
be referred to renoun and clernesse of linage. þan
is gentil name but a for[e]ine þing. þat is to sein to [2152]
hem þat glorifien hem of hir linage. Nobility is fame derived from the merits of one’s ancestors. ¶ For it semeþ
þat gentilesse be a maner preysynge þat comeþ of decert
of auncestres. If praise can give nobility they are noble who are praised. ¶ And yif preysynge makeþ gentilesse
þan moten þei nedes be gentil þat ben preysed. Then if thou hast no nobility of thy own, thou canst not derive any splendour from the merits of others. For [2156]
whiche þing it folweþ. þat yif þou ne haue no gentilesse
of þi self. þat is to sein pris þat comeþ of þi deserte
foreine gentilesse ne makeþ þe nat gentil. If there be any good in nobleness of birth, it consists alone in this, that it imposes an obligation upon its possessors not to degenerate from the virtues of their ancestors. ¶ But certis
yif þer be any goode in gentilesse. I trowe it be in al [2160]
oonly þis. þat it semeþ as þat a maner necessitee be imposed
to gentil men. for þat þei ne sholden nat outraien
or forliuen fro þe uertues of hire noble kynrede.
2124 foule—fowl
2125 whiche—whych
2126 maker—makere
cried[e]—cryde
2127 he—she