SET NE ME INEXORABILE. — Prosa 8
"But for as mochel as thow schalt nat wenen," quod
sche, "that I bere an untretable batayle ayens Fortune, yit
somtyme it byfalleth that sche desceyvable desserveth to han
ryght good thank of men. And that is whan sche hirself opneth,
and whan sche discovereth hir frownt and scheweth hir maneris.
Peraventure yit undirstandestow nat that I schal seie. It is a
wonder that I desire to telle, and forthi unnethe may I unplyten
my sentence with wordes. For I deme that contrarious Fortune
profiteth more to men than Fortune debonayre. For alwey, whan
Fortune semeth debonayre, thanne sche lieth, falsly byhetynge the
hope of welefulnesse; but forsothe contraryous Fortune is alwey
sothfast, whan sche scheweth hirself unstable thurw hir
chaungynge. The
amyable Fortune desceyveth folk; the contrarie Fortune techeth.
The amyable Fortune byndeth with the beaute of false goodes the
hertes of folk that usen hem: the contrarye Fortune unbyndeth hem
by the knowynge of freel welefulnesse. The amyable Fortune
maystow seen alwey wyndy and flowynge, and evere mysknowynge of
hirself; the contrarie Fortune is atempre and restreyned and wys
thurw exercise of hir adversite. At the laste, amyable Fortune
with hir flaterynges draweth myswandrynge men fro the sovereyne
good; the contrarious Fortune ledeth ofte folk ayen to sothfast
goodes, and haleth hem ayen as with an hook. Wenestow thanne that
thow augghtest to leeten this a litel thyng, that this aspre and
horrible Fortune hath discovered to the the thoughtes of thi
trewe freendes? Forwhy this ilke Fortune hath departed and
uncovered to the bothe the certein visages and eek the doutous
visages of thi felawes. Whan she departed awey fro the, she took
awey hir freendes and lefte the thyne freendes. Now whanne thow
were ryche and weleful, as the semede, with how mochel woldestow
han bought the fulle knowynge of thys (that is to seyn, the
knowynge of thyne verray freendes)? Now pleyne the nat thanne of
rychesse ylorn, syn thow hast fownden the moste precyous kynde
of rychesses, that is to seyn, thi verray freendes.
