XLIX.
Ambiciosi reprimendi sunt a
sapientibus.
We rede how þat on̛ a tyme, ane of þe prophettis sayd vnto Alexander; "And so wer þat our goddis wolde þat þe statur of þi bodie war like vnto þi covatusnes, All þis werld̛ mott nott resayfe þe; for þan̛ þou might putt þine one hand̛ in-to þe far side of þe este, & þe toder vnto þe fer side of þe weste. Knowis þou nott att grete treis, þai er lang in growyng? & yitt þai may be cutt down̛ in ane howr̛. And he is a fule þat pullis not down̛ frute when̛ þai er moste ripe. Therfor̛ vuise the, þatten̛ when̛ þou erte att hyeste of þi brawnchis, at þai be nott cutt in sonder & þou faƚƚ down̛, ffor, as þou may see, a lion̛ is som̛ tyme meate to smale burdis. And þer is nothyng so stabyƚƚ [Latin MS. cui periculum non sit ab inualido denique.] , bod vmwhile þer is parceƚƚ þerin. And if þou be a god̛, þou aght to giff benefice vnto mortaƚƚ folk̘, & nothyng take fro þaim. And if þou be a man̛, vmthynk þe alway what þou erte, for it is grete folie vnto the to thynk so lang of oþer folk at þou forgett þi selfe." et c̛.