AN UERO REGNA.
Bvt regnes and familarites of kynges may þei maken a man to ben myȝty. how ellys. ¶ whanne hir blysfulnesse dureþ perpetuely but certys þe olde age of tyme passeþ. and eke of present tyme now is ful of ensaumples how þat kynges þat han chaunged in to wrechednesse out of hir welefulnesse. ¶ O a noble þing and a cler þing is power þat is nat founden myȝty to kepe it self. ¶ And yif þat power of realmes be auctour and maker of blisfulnesse. yif þilke power lakkeþ on any side. amenusiþ it nat þilke blisfulnesse and bryngeþ in wrechednesse. but yif al be it so þat realmes of mankynde stretchen broode. ȝit mot þer nede ben myche folk ouer whiche þat euery kyng ne haþ no lordshipe ne comaundement ¶ and certys vpon þilke syde þat power failleþ whiche þat makiþ folk blisful. ryȝt on þat same side nounpower entriþ vndirneþ þat makeþ hem wreches. ¶ In þis manere þanne moten kynges han more porcioun of wrechednesse þan of welefulnesse. ¶ A tyraunt þat was kyng of sisile þat had[de] assaied þe peril of his estat shewid[e] by similitude þe dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde þat heng ouer þe heued of his familier. what þing is þan þis power þat