2198, 2200 haþ—MS. haþe
shed hys—shad hyse
MEN ARE LED ASTRAY BY IGNORANCE.
[NICHIL IGITUR DUBIUM EST.]
Now nis it no It appears then that happiness is not to be found in the above-mentioned external things. doute þan þat þise weyes ne ben a
maner mysledyng to blisfulnesse. ne þat þei ne [2204]
mowe nat leden folke þider as þei byheten to leden
hem. [* fol. 19.] These false ways are perplexed with many evils, as I shall presently show thee. ¶ But wiþ how grete harmes þise *forseide weyes
ben enlaced. ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly. Do you want to amass wealth, then you must take it from your neighbours. ¶ For whi
yif þou enforcest þe to assemble moneye. þou most by-reuen [2208]
hym his moneye þat haþ it. Would you shine in dignities, then you must beg for them and disgrace yourself by a humiliating supplication. and yif þou wilt
shynen wiþ dignites. þou most bysechen and supplien
hem þat ȝiuen þo dignitees. ¶ And yif þou coueitest
by honour to gon by-fore oþer folk þou shalt defoule þi [2212]
self by humblesse of axing. If power be your ambition, you expose yourself to the snares of inferiors. yif þou desiryst power.
þou shalt by awaites of þi subgitȝ anoyously be cast
vndir many periles. Do you ask for glory, to be distracted by vexations and so lose all security. axest þou glorie þou shalt ben so
destrat by aspre þinges þat þou shalt forgone sykernesse. [2216]
Do you prefer a voluptuous life? Think then that all men will despise him who is a thrall to his body. ¶ And yif þou wilt leden þi lijf in delices.
euery whiȝt shal dispisen þe and forleten þe as þou þat
art þral to þing þat is ryȝt foule and brutel. þat is [to]
sein seruaunt to þi body. They build upon a weak foundation that place bodily delights above their own reason. ¶ Now is it þan wel yseen [2220]
how lytel and how brutel possessioun þei coueiten þat
putten þe goodes of þe body abouen hire owen resoun.
Can you surpass the elephant in bulk, or the bull in strength? ¶ For mayst þou sourmounten þise olifuñtȝ in gretnesse
or weyȝt of body. Or mayst þou ben strenger þan þe [2224]
bole. Art thou swifter than the tiger? Mayst þou ben swifter þan þe tigre. Behold the immense extent of the heavens and cease to admire vile or lesser things. biholde þe
spaces and þe stablenesse and þe swyfte cours of þe
heuene. and stynte somtyme to wondren on foule
þinges. Admire what is still more admirable, the consummate wisdom that governs them. þe whiche heuene certys nis nat raþer for þise [2228]
þinges to ben wondred vpon. þan for þe resoun by
whiche it is gouerned. How fleeting is beauty! but þe shynynge of þi forme þat
is to seien þe beaute of þi body. how swiftly passyng is
it and how transitorie. It fades sooner than the vernal flowers. ¶ Certis it is more flittynge [2232]
þan þe mutabilite of floures of þe somer sesoun. For, as Aristotle says, if a man were lynx-eyed and could look into the entrails of Alcibiades (so fair outwardly) he would find all foul and loathsome. For so
as aristotil telleþ þat yif þat men hadden eyen of a
beest þat hiȝt lynx. so þat þe lokyng of folk myȝt[e]
percen þoruȝ þe þinges þat wiþstonden it. who so lokid [2236]
þan in þe entrailes of þe body of alcibiades þat was
ful fayr in þe superfice wiþ oute. it shulde seme ryȝt
foule. Thy nature does not make thee seem beautiful, but the imperfect view of thy admirers. and for þi yif þou semest faire. þi nature ne
makiþ nat þat. but þe desceiuaunce of þe fieblesse of þe [2240]
eyen þat loken. Prize bodily perfections as much as you will, yet a three days’ fever will destroy them. ¶ But preise þe goodes of þi body as
moche as euer þe list. so þat þou know[e] algates þat
what so it be. þat is to seyn of þe goodes of þi body
whiche þat þou wondrest vpon may ben destroied or [2244]
dessolued by þe hete of a feuere of þre dayes. ¶ Of
alle whiche forseide þinges I may reducen þis shortly in
a somme. Worldly goods do not give what they promise, do not comprise every good, are not the paths to felicity, nor can of themselves make any one happy. ¶ þat þise worldly goodes whiche þat ne
mowen nat ȝiuen þat þei byheten. ne ben nat perfit by [2248]
þe congregacioun of alle goodes. þat þei ne ben nat
weyes ne paþes þat bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne
maken men to ben blysful.
2203 nis—is
2204 mysledyng—mysledynges
2205 folke—folk
2208 enforcest—MS. enforced, C. enforcest
2209 haþ—MS. haþe
wilt—wolt
2211 ȝiuen—yeuen