HIIS IGITUR SI PRO SE, &c. — Prosa
3
"Therfore, yif that Fortune spake with the for hirself in
this manere, forsothe thow ne haddest noght what thou myghtest
answere. And yif thow hast any thyng wherwith thow mayst
rightfully defenden thi compleynte, it behoveth the to schewen
it, and I wol yyve the space to tellen it."
"Serteynly," quod I thanne, "thise ben faire
thynges and enoynted with hony swetnesse of Rethorik and Musike;
and oonly whil thei ben herd thei ben delycious, but to wrecches
is a deppere felyng of harm (this is to
seyn, that
wrecches felen the harmes that thei suffren more grevously than
the remedies or the delites of thise wordes mowen gladen or
conforten hem). So that, whanne thise thynges stynten for
to soune in eris, the sorwe that es inset greveth the
thought."
"Right so is it," quod sche. "For thise ne ben
yit
none remedies of thy maladye, but they ben a maner norisschynges
of thi sorwe, yit rebel ayen thi curacioun. For whan that tyme
is, I schal moeve and ajuste swiche thynges that percen hemselve
depe. But natheles that thow schalt noght wilne to leten thiself
a wrecche, hastow foryeten the nowmbre and the maner of thi
welefulnesse? I holde me stille how that the sovereyn men of the
cite token the in cure and in kepynge, whan thow were orphelyn
of fadir and of modir, and were chose in affynite of prynces of
the cite; and thow bygonne rather to ben leef and deere than for
to been a neyghebour, the whiche thyng is the moste precyous
kende of any propinquyte or alliaunce that mai ben. Who is it
that ne seide tho that thow neere right weleful, with so gret a
nobleye of thi fadres-in-lawe, and with the chastete of thy wyf,
and with the oportunyte and noblesse of thyne masculyn children
(that is to seyn, thy sones)? And
over
al this me list to passen of comune thynges, how thow haddest in
thy youthe dignytees that weren wernd to oolde men; but it
deliteth me to comen now to the synguler uphepynge of thi
welefulnesse. Yif any fruyt of mortel thynges mai han any weyghte
or pris of welefulnesse, myghtestow evere forgeten, for any
charge of harm that myghte byfalle the, remembraunce of thilke
day that thow seye thi two sones maked conseileris and iladde
togidre fro thyn hous under so greet assemble of senatours and
under the blithnesse of peple, and whan thow saye hem set in the
court in hir chayeres of dignytes? Thow, rethorien or
pronouncere of kynges preysynges, desservedest glorie of
wit and of eloquence whan thow, syttynge bytwixen thi two sones
conseylers, in the place that highte Circo, fulfildest the
abydynge of the multitude of peple that was sprad abouten the
with so large preysynge and laude as men syngen in victories. Tho
yave thow woordes to Fortune, as I trowe, (that is
to seyn, tho feffedestow Fortune with glosynge wordes and
desceyvedest hir) whan sche accoyede the and norysside the
as hir owne delices. Thow bare awey of Fortune a yifte (that is
to seye, swich guerdoun) that sche nevere yaf to prive man.
Wiltow therfore leye a reknynge with Fortune? Sche hath now
twynkled first upon the with a wikkid eye. If thow considere the
nowmbre and the maner of thy blisses and of thy sorwes, thow
mayst noght forsaken that thow nart yit blisful. For yif thou
therfore wenest thiself nat weleful, for thynges that tho semeden
joyeful ben passed, ther nys nat why thow sholdest wene thiself
a wrecche; for thynges that semen now sory passen also. Artow now
comen first, a sodeyn gest, into the schadowe or tabernacle of
this lif? Or trowestow that any stedfastnesse be in mannes
thynges, whan ofte a swyft hour dissolveth the same man (that is
to seyn, whan the soule departeth fro the body)? For although
that zelde is ther any feith that fortunous thynges wollen
dwellen, yet natheles the laste day of a mannes lif is a maner
deth to Fortune, and also to thilke that hath dwelt. And therfore
what wenestow dar rekke, yif thow forleete hir in deyinge, or
elles that sche, Fortune, forleete the in fleynge awey?
