(7)
I thought eek, if I in-to povert creepe,
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Than am I entred in-to sykirnesse;
But swich seurete myght I ay wayle and weepe,
ffor poverte breedeth but [but R, nought but H.] hevynesse.
Allas! wher is this worldis stabilnesse?
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Heer vp, heer doun; heer honour, heer repreef;
Now hool, now seek; now bounte, now myscheef.
(8)
And whan I haddë rolled vp and doun [¶ Boecius de' consolatione Philosophiæ; maximum genus infor|tunii est, fuisse felicem &c. [felicem &c. R, homines H.] ]
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This worldës [worldes R, world H.] stormy wawës in my mynde,
I seey weel povert was exclusïon [pouertee was conclusion R.]
Of all weelfarë regnyng in mankynde;
And how in bookës thus I wryten fynde,
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"The werstë kynde of wrecchednessë is,
A man to havë been weelfull or this."
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(9)
¶ [The old writing, c. 1430-40, of Harl. 4866 begins here.] "Allas!" þoghte I, "what sykirnesse ys þat [folio 2a]
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To lyue ay seur of greef and of nuisaunce?
What schal I do? best is I stryuë nat
Agayne þe pays [peys R.] of fortunës balaunce;
ffor wele I wote, þat hir brotel constaunce,
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A wyght no whilë suffer can soiourne
In a plyt; þus nat wiste [o plite / thus I wist nat R.] I how to torne.
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(10)
¶ ffor whan a man weneþ stond most constant,
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Þan is he nextë to his ouer throwyng;
So flyttyng is sche, and so wariant,
Ther is no trust vp-on hir fair lawhyng;
After glad loue [looke R.] sche schapiþ hir to styng;
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I was a-drad so of hir gerynesse,
That my lif was but a dedly gladnesse."
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