2239 foule—fowl
faire—fayr
ne—omitted
2240 desceiuaunce of þe fieblesse—deceyuable or the feblesse
2242 moche—mochel
know[e]—knowe
2243 þe—omitted
þi body whiche—the body whych
2247 a—omitted
MEN PURSUE FALSE JOYS.
[HEU QUE MISEROS TRAMITE.]
Allas whiche Alas! how through folly and ignorance do men stray from the path of true happiness! folie and whiche ignoraunce myslediþ [2252]
wandryng wrecches fro þe paþe of verrey good.
Ye do not seek gold upon trees nor diamonds from the vine. ¶ Certis ȝe ne seken no golde in grene trees. ne ȝe ne
gadren [nat] precious stones in þe vines. Ye lay not your nets to catch fish upon the lofty hills. ne ȝe ne
hiden nat ȝoure gynnes in heyȝe mountaignes to kachen [2256]
fisshe of whiche ȝe may maken ryche festes. The hunter goes not to the Tyrrhene waters to hunt the roe. and yif
ȝow lykeþ to hunte to roos. ȝe ne gon nat to þe foordes
of þe water þat hyȝt tyrene. Men know where to look for white pearls, and for the fish that yields the purple dye. and ouer þis men knowen
wel þe crikes and þe cauernes of þe see yhidd in þe [2260]
floodes. and knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuous
of white perles. and knowen whiche water habundeþ
most of rede purpre. þat is to seyen of a maner shelfisshe
with whiche men dien purpre. They know where the most delicate of the finny race abound and where the fierce sea-urchin is to be found. and knowen [2264]
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or
of sharpe fisshes þat hyȝten echynnys. But where the Sovereign Good abides blinded mortals never know, but plunge into the earth below to look for that which has its dwelling in the heavens. but folk suffren
hem self to ben so blynde þat hem ne recchiþ nat to
knowe where þilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche þat þei [2268]
coueiten but ploungen hem in erþe and seken þere
þilke goode þat sourmounteþ þe heuene þat bereþ þe
sterres. [* fol. 19 b.] What doom do the silly race deserve? ¶ what *preyere may I make þat be digne to
þe nice þouȝtis of men. May they pursue such false joys, and having obtained them, too late find out the value of the true. but I preye þat þei coueiten [2272]
rycches and honours so þat whan þei han geten þo
false goodes wiþ greet trauayle þat þerby þei mowe
knowen þe verray goodes.
2252 whiche (both)—whych
2253 paþe—paath
good—goode