University of Virginia Library

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


425

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.)