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Þo fastned[e] she a lytel þe syȝt of hir eyen and wiþdrow hir ryȝt as it were in to þe streite sete of hir þouȝt. and bygan to speke ryȝt þus. Alle þe cures quod she of mortal folk whiche þat trauaylen hem in many manere studies gon certys by diuerse weies. ¶ But naþeles þei enforced hem [fol. 15b] to comen oonly to on
ende of blisfulnesse [And blysfulnesse] is swiche a goode þat who so haþ geten it he ne may ouer þat no þing more desiire. and þis þing for soþe is þe souereyne good þat conteiniþ in hym self al manere goodes. to þe whiche goode yif þere failed[e] any þing. it myȝt[e] nat ben souereyne goode. ¶ For þan were þere som goode out of þis ilke souereyne goode þat myȝt[e] ben desired. Now is it clere and certeyne þan þat blisfulnesse is a perfit estat by þe congregacioun of alle goodes. ¶ þe whiche blisfulnesse as I haue seid alle mortal folke enforcen hem to geten by dyuerse weyes. ¶ For-whi þe couetise of verray goode is naturely y-plaunted in þe hertys of men. ¶ But þe myswandryng errour myslediþ hem in to fals[e] goodes. ¶ of þe whiche men some of hem wenen þat souereygne goode is to lyue wiþ outen nede of any þing. and traueilen hem to ben habundaunt of rycchesse. and some oþer men demen. þat souerein goode be forto be ryȝt digne of reuerences. and enforcen hem to ben reuerenced among hir neyȝbours. by þe honours þat þei han ygeten ¶ and some folk þer ben þat halden þat ryȝt heyȝe power to be souereyn goode. and enforcen hem forto regnen or ellys to ioignen hem to hem þat regnen. ¶ And it semeþ to some oþer folk þat noblesse of renoun be þe souerein goode. and hasten hem to geten glorious name by þe artes of werre or of pees. and many folke mesuren and gessen þat souerein goode be ioye and gladnesse and wenen þat it be ryȝt blisful [thynge] to ploungen hem in uoluptuous delit. ¶ And þer ben folk þat enterchaungen þe causes and þe endes
of þise forseide goodes as þei þat desiren rycchesse to han power and delices. Or ellis þei desiren power forto han moneye or for cause of renoun. ¶ In þise þinges and in swyche oþer þinges is tourned al þe entencioun of desirynges and [of] werkes of men. ¶ As þus. ¶ Noblesse and fauour of poeple whiche þat ȝiueþ as it semeþ a manere clernesse of renoun. ¶ and wijf and children þat men desiren for cause of delit and mirinesse. ¶ But forsoþe frendes ne shollen nat ben rekkened among þe goodes of fortune but of vertue. for it is a ful holy manere þing. alle þise oþer þinges forsoþe ben taken for cause of power. or ellis for cause of delit. ¶ Certis now am I redy to referen þe goodes of þe body to þise forseide þinges abouen. ¶ For it semeþ þat strengþe and gretnesse of body ȝeuen power and worþinesse. ¶ and þat beaute and swiftenesse ȝeuen noblesse and glorie of renoun. and hele of body semeþ ȝiuen delit. ¶ In alle þise þingus it semeþ oonly þat blisfulnesse is desired. ¶ For-whi þilke þing þat euery man desireþ moost ouer alle þinges. he demiþ þat be þe souereyne goode. ¶ But I haue diffined þat blisfulnesse is þe souereyne goode. for whiche euery wyȝt demiþ þat þilke estat þat he desireþ ouer alle þinges þat it be þe blisfulnesse. ¶ Now hast þou þan byforne [thy eyen] almost al þe purposed forme of þe welfulnesse of mankynde. þat is to seyne rycchesse. honours. power. glorie. and delitȝ. þe whiche delit oonly considered Epicurus Iuged and establissed. þat delit is þe souereyne goode. for as myche as alle oþer þinges as hym þouȝt[e] by-refte awey ioie and myrþe from þe herte. ¶ But I retourne aȝeyne to þe studies of meen.
of whiche men þe corage alwey rehersiþ and seekeþ þe souereyne goode of alle be it so þat it be wiþ a derke memorie [but he not by whiche paath]. ¶ Ryȝt as a dronke man not nat by whiche paþe he may retourne home to hys house. ¶ Semeþ it þanne þat folk folyen and erren þat enforcen hem to haue nede of no þing ¶ Certys þer nys non oþer þing þat may so weel perfourny blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuous [fol. 16] of alle goodes þat ne haþ nede of none oþer þing. but þat it is suffisant of hym self. vnto hym self. and foleyen swyche folk þanne. þat wenen þat þilk þing þat is ryȝt goode. þat it be eke ryȝt worþi of honour and of reuerence. ¶ Certis nay. for þat þing nys neyþer foule ne worþi to ben dispised þat al þe entencioun of mortel folke trauaille forto geten it. ¶ And power auȝt[e] nat þat eke to be rekened amonges goodes what ellis. for it nys nat to wene þat þilke þing þat is most worþi of alle þinges be feble and wiþ out strengþe and clernesse of renoun auȝte þat to ben dispised. ¶ Certys þer may no man forsake þat al þing þat is ryȝt excellent and noble. þat it ne semeþ to be ryȝt clere and renomed. ¶ For certis it nediþ nat to seie. þat blisfulnesse be anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greuances ne to sorwes. syn þat in ryȝt litel þingus folk seken to haue and to vsen þat may deliten hem. ¶ Certys þise ben þe þinges þat men wolen and desyren to geten. and for þis cause desiren þei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie and delices ¶ For þerby wenen þei to han suffisaunce honour power. renoun and gladnesse. ¶ þanne is it goode. þat men seken þus by so many dyuerse studies. In whiche desijr it may lyȝtly be shewed.
how grete is þe strengþe of nature. ¶ For how so þat men han dyuerse sentences and discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge þe ende of goode.