The boke of comfort called in laten Boetius de Consolatione philosophie. Translated in to englesse tonge

Metrum quartum. Capitulū vij.

Quisquis cōposito.

Philosophia loquitur.

¶He that standeth clere & ordynate And proude happes suffereth vnder slyde In al fortunes standynge streght algate In welth & woo can euenlych a byde The woode see that floueth to euery syde Hym dredeh nto thynge of hys cruelte

But what desese that may to hym betyde Hym greueth nought but standeth in one degre ¶The foule fyre that out of hel reketh In the monteyn that cleped ys vesene Ne thunder lyʒte that hy toures breketh Ne dredeth not me / what ys yt that ye mene Why dredeye then ye wrecches that ye ben Tyrantes fyers that ben withouten migth Put false hope out of oure hertes clene And flesly drede putteth fro your syght ¶For yf thou no thynge of a man desyre Ne what he may the don thou haste no drede Thou shalte deserue the wrecched mannes Ire And in no wyse he may the nought mysbede Ho so hopeth ought or dredeth out of nede He casteth a wey hys shylde & ys vnstable And knetteh a cheyn / hemselfen with to lede wher that them luste to hym vnprofitable

¶The couetous kyng Mida vvas made Iuge betvene Apollo & Pan by ther both assignemēt for to demen vhether the harpe of Apollo vvere more delicyous / other the shalmuse of Pan. And so vhen he had herde them bothe / he iuged that the shalmuse vvas svvetter than the harpe vherfor Apollo hauyng indignation of hys leude iugement / punysshede hym in that party that vvas semyng the cause of hys errour / and gaue hym longe asse eres. ¶Motally Mida ys euery vvordly man that more appryseth the luste & lekynge of the vvorlde them he doth any vvhit or gostely vvysedom. vherfore suche men ben dulle & insensible to reson / leke to rude asses.