DCLIII.
Prosperitas est aliquando signum aduersitatis
future.
We rede in þe 'Legent of Saynt Ambros' how on̛ a tyme as Saynt Ambros went to Rome-ward and was herberd̛ at a riche man̛ howse in a town̛ in Tussie, he emang oder carpyngis askid hym̛ of his astate. And he ansswerd agayn̛ & sayd; "Sur, my state was evur happie & glorious, ffor I hafe at wiƚƚ grete riches, many servandis, many childer, & many cussyns, and aƚƚ þies I hafe evur had at my liste. And I had nevur none aduersitie." And when̛ Saynt Ambros hard̛ þis, he had mekuƚƚ merveƚƚ & sayd vnto his felows; "Ryse, go we hyne, for God is not in þis place; and þerfor̛ haste us hyne at þe vengeange of God tak̘ vs not here." So in þe mornyng þai [MS. þat.] gatt þaim faste vp̛ & wente þer wayes; and when̛ þai war passid̛ a little, þai lukid̛ behynd þaim, and sodanly þe ertℏ oppynd̛ and swolud̛ þis man̛ & aƚƚ þat longid̛ vnto hym̛, at þer was nothyng left aboue erde. And when̛ Saynt Ambros saw þis, he sayd vnto his felaschup̛; "Lo! brethur, how mercyfuƚƚ at God is! For He sparis þaim at He sendis aduersitie & truble in þis werld̛, & how felly He is grevud vnto þaim at He sendis prosperite and no dissese." And in witnes here-of yit vnto þis day in þat [MS. þan̛.] place þer is a passand̛ depe dyke [MS. repeats, dyke.] , callid̛ þe ricℏe man̛ pitt of Tuscan [This Legend has two hands pointing to it, nota, written above them.] .