QUID AUTEM DE CORPORIS. — Prosa 7
"But what schal I seye of delyces of body, of whiche
delices the desirynges ben ful of anguyssch, and the fulfillynges
of hem ben ful of penance? How grete seknesses and how grete
sorwes unsuffrable, ryght as a maner fruyt of wykkidnesse, ben
thilke delices wont to bryngen to the bodyes of folk that usen
hem! Of whiche delices I not what joie mai ben had of here moevynge,
but this woot I wel, that whosoevere wol remembren hym of hise
luxures, he schal wel undirstonden that the issues of delices ben
sorweful and sorye. And yif thilke delices mowen maken folk
blisful, thanne by the same cause moten thise beestis ben clepid
blisful, of whiche beestis al the entencioun hasteth to fulfille
here bodily jolyte. And the gladnesse of wyf and children were
an honest thyng, but it hath ben seyd that it is overmochel ayens
kynde that children han ben fownden tormentours to here fadris,
I not how manye; of whiche children how bytynge is every
condicioun, it nedeth nat to tellen it the that hast er this tyme
assayed it, and art yit now angwysshous. In this approve I the
sentence of my disciple Euripidis, that seide that he that hath
no children is weleful by infortune.
