That to som beter estat he may atteyne.
Explicit.
The spelling is conformed to that of the preceding poems; the alterations though numerous are slight; as y for i, au for aw, &c. The text mainly follows MS. I. (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library). Other MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb.); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); H. (Harl. 2251).
2: F. pouerte; rest poure (poore, pore, poeere). 8, 16: I. fynaly; deffye. 11: I. mochel; the rest muche, moche. 13: I. fors; thi reddowr. 17: I. stidfast chaumpyoun. 18: I. myht; thi tormentowr. 20: I. fownde thow.
21. I. the deseyte; A. T. H. om. the. 22. I. most. 23. I. knew; rest knowe. I. ek. 24. I. fynaly; the deffye. 27. H. seystow; I. seysthow. I. (only) om. to. 30. So I.; rest Thou shall not stryue. 31. I. woost thow; B. wostow; A. T. wostowe. 36. I. derkyd; rest derke (derk). T. from hir; H. from ther; A. frome theire; F. B. fro; I. for. 37. H. seestow; A. T. seestowe; I. partly erased. 43. I. Wolthow; B. Woltow. 46. I. most thow; H. thow must; the rest maystow, maisthow, maistow.
49: I. dempne; F. B. H. dampne. 50: I. maysthow; B. maistou; H. maystow. 51: I. thanke to; F. thanke yt; B. thanke it; H. thank it nat: (Lansdowne and Pepys also have thank it). 60: I. apresse; rest oppresse. 61: I. A. or; rest and. 62: I. welkne; A. B. H. welkin; F. welkene; T. sky. 63: I. brutelnesse; T. brutilnesse; F. B. H. brotelnesse; A. brittelnesse. After l. 64, a new rubric is wrongly inserted, thus: I. Le pleintif; F. B. H. Le pleintif encontre Fortune; A. The Pleyntyff ageinst Fortune; T. Thaunswer of the Lover ayenst Fortune; see note. 65: A. F. þexecucion; B. thexecucyon; I. excussyoun. I. maieste; rest magestee (mageste). 71: I. intersse (sic); (Lansd. and Pepys intresse); T. F. B. interesse; A. H. encresse.
73. I. gentilesses; the rest gentilesse. 76. In I. only; the rest omit this line. 77. A. F. B. H. And; I. T. That. I. lest; rest list (liste). At end—B. Explicit.
XI. MERCILES BEAUTE: A TRIPLE ROUNDEL.