[6-text p 625] NOw as for to speken of goodes of nature /. god woot that som tyme we han hem / in nature / as muche to oure [folio 220a] damage / as to oure profit [458] ¶ As for to speken of heele of body /. certes / it passeth ful lightly / and eek it is / ful ofte encheson of the siknesse of oure soule /. for God woot the flessh / is a ful greet enemy to the soule /. and therfore / the moore that the body is hool / the moore be we in peril to falle [459] ¶ Eke / for to pride / hym in [¶ Of pride / of strengthe of body] his strengthe of body / it is an heigh folye /. ffor certes / the flessh coueiteth agayn the spirit /. and ay / the moore strong that the flessh is / the sorier may the soule be /. [460] and ouer al this / strengthe of body and worldly hardynesse / causeth ful ofte many a man / to peril and meschaunce [461] ¶ Eek for to pride hym of his [¶ Of pride of gentrye] gentrie / is ful greet folie/ for ofte tyme / the gentrie of the body / binymeth the gentrie of the soule /. and eek we ben alle / of o fader / and of o mooder /. and alle we been of o nature / roten. and corrupt. bothe riche and poure ‖. [462] ffor sothe / o manere gentrie / is for to preise / that apparailleth mannes corage with vertues and moralitees / and maketh hym cristes child. [463] for truste wel / that ouer what man þat synne hath maistrie / he is / a verray cherl to synne
[464] ¶ NOw been ther generale signes of gentillesse /. [¶ Of generale signes / of / gentillesse] as eschewynge of vice and ribaudye / and seruage of synne /. in word / in werk /. and contenance /. [465] and vsynge vertu / curteisye. and clennesse /. and to be liberal /. that is to seyn / large by mesure /. for thilke that passeth mesure / is folie and synne [466] ¶ Another is / to remembre hym of bountee / that he of oother folk hath receyued [467] ¶ Another is / to be benigne to hise goode subgetis ‖. wherfore seith senek ¶ ther is no thing moore [¶ Seneca] couenable to a man of heigh estaat /. than debonairetee and pitee [468] And therfore / thise flyes / that men [¶ Nota] clepeth bees /. whan they maken hir kyng. they chesen oon that hath no prikke / wherwith he may stynge [469]
