honours vanisshen awey, and that anon. But that is amonges
straunge folk, mayst thou seyn; but amonges hem ther they
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weren born, ne duren nat thilke dignitees alwey? Certes, the
dignitee of the [provostrie] of Rome was whylom a gret power;
now is it nothing but an ydel name, and the [rente] of the senatorie
a gret charge. And yif a wight whylom hadde [the office] to taken
hede to the vitailes of the poeple, as of corn and other thinges, he
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was holden amonges grete; but what thing is now more out-cast