SET DIGNITATES. — Prosa 4
"But dignytees, to whom thei ben comen, make they hym
honourable and reverent? Han thei nat so gret strengthe that thei
mai putten vertus in the hertes of folk that usen the lordschipes
of hem, or elles may they don awey the vices? Certes thei ben nat
wont to don awey wikkidnesse, but thei ben wont rather to schewen
wykkydnesse. And therof cometh it that Y have right gret disdayn
that dignytes ben yyven ofte to wikkide men. For which thyng
Catullus clepid a consul of Rome that hyghte Nonyus
""postum"" or ""boch""
(as who seith, he clepid hym a congregacioun of vices in
his brest, as a postum is ful of corrupcioun), al were this
Nonyus set in chayere of dygnite. Sestow nat thanne how grete
vylenye dignytes don to wikkide men? Certes
unworthynesse
of wikkide men schulde ben the lesse isene if thei neere renomed
of none honours. Certes thou thiself ne myghtest nat ben broght,
with as many perils as thow myghtest suffren, that thow woldest
beren the magistrat with Decorat (that is to seyn,
that for no peril that myghte byfallen the by offence of the kyng
Theodorik, thou noldest nat be felawe in governaunce with
Decorat), whan thow seye that he hadde wikkide corage of a
likerous schrewe and of an accusour. Ne I ne mai nat for swiche
honours juggen hem worthy of reverence that I deme and holde
unworthy to han thilke same honours. Now yif thow seie a man that
were fulfild of wysdom, certes thou ne myghtest nat deme that he
were unworthy to the honour or elles to the wisdom of whiche he
is fulfild?"
"No," quod I.
"Certes dignytees," quod sche, "aperteignen
properly to vertu, and vertu transporteth dignyte anoon to thilke
man to whiche sche
hirself is conjoigned. And for as moche as honours of peple ne
mai nat maken folk digne of honour, it is wel seyn cleerly that
thei ne han no propre beaute of dignyte. And yet men aughten
taken more heede in this. For yif a wykkyd wyght be in so mochel
the fowlere and the more outcast that he is despysed of moost
folk, so as dignyte ne mai nat maken schrewes worthy of no
reverence, the whiche schrewes dignyte scheweth to moche folk;
than maketh dignyte schrewes rather so much more despised than
preysed, and forsothe nat unpunyssched (that is for to seyn that
schrewes revengen hem ayenward uppon dignytes), for thei yelden
ayen to dignytees as greet gerdoun, whan they byspotten and
defoulen dignytes with hir vylenye. And for as mochel as thou now
knowe that thilke verray reverence ne mai nat comen by thise
schadwy transitorie dignytes, undirstond now thus: yif that a man
hadde used and had manye maner dignytees of consules, and weere
comen peraventure among straunge nacions, scholde thilke honour
maken hym worschipful and redouted of straunge folk? Certes yif
that honour of peple were a natureel yifte to dignytes, it ne
myghte nevere cesen nowhere amonges no maner folk to don his
office; right as fyer in every contre ne stynteth nat to
eschaufen and to ben hoot. But for as mochel as for to be holden
honurable or reverent ne cometh nat to folk of hir propre
strengthe of nature, but oonly of the false opynyoun of folk
(that is to seyn, that weenen that dignytees maken folk digne of
honour), anoon therfore, whan that thei comen there as folk ne
knowen nat thilke dignytees, hir honours vanysschen away, and
that anoon. But that is amonges straunge folk, maystow seyn. Ne
amonges hem ther thei weren born, ne duren nat thilke dignytes
alwey? Certes the dignyte of the provostrye of Rome was whilom
a greet power; now nys it no thyng but an idel name, and the
rente of the senatorie a greet charge; and yif a wyght whilom
hadde the office to taken heede to the vitayles of the peple, as
of corn and othere thynges, he was holden amonges grete; but what
thyng is now more outcast than thilke provostrye? And, as I have
seyd a litel herebyforn, that thilke thyng that hath no propre
beute of hymself resceyveth somtyme prys and schynynge, and
somtyme leeseth it, by the opinyoun of usaunces. Now yif that
dignytes thanne ne mowen nat make folk digne of reverence, and
if that dignytees waxen foule of hir wil by the filthe of
schrewes, and yif dignytees leesen hir schynynge by chaungynge
of tymes, and yif thei waxen fowle by estimacion of peple, what
is it that they han in hemself of beaute that oughte ben desired?
(As who seith noon; thanne ne mowen they yeven no
beute of dignyte to noone othere.)
