[Sidenote: Ye do not seek gold upon trees nor diamonds from the vine.]
¶ Certis [gh]e ne seken no golde in grene trees. ne [gh]e ne gadren [nat] p{ re}cious stones in þe vines. [[pg 82]]
[Sidenote: Ye lay not your nets to catch fish upon the lofty hills.]
ne [gh]e ne hiden nat [gh]oure gynnes in hey[gh]e mou{ n}taignes to kachen 2256 fisshe of whiche [gh]e may maken ryche festes.
[Sidenote: The hunter goes not to the Tyrrhene waters to hunt the roe.]
and yif [gh]ow lykeþ to hunte to roos. [gh]e ne gon nat to þe foordes of þe water þat hy[gh]t tyrene.
[Sidenote: Men know where to look for white pearls, and for the fish that yields the purple dye.]
{ and} ouer þis men knowen wel þe crikes { and} þe cau{ er}nes of þe see yhidd in þe 2260 floodes. { and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{ us} of white perles. { and} knowen whiche water habundeþ most of rede purpre. þat is to seyen of a maner shelfisshe w{ i}t{ h} whiche men dien purpre.
[Sidenote: They know where the most delicate of the finny race abound and where the fierce sea-urchin is to be found.]
{ and} knowen 2264 whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes þat hy[gh]ten echynnys.
[Sidenote: But where the Sovereign Good abides blinded mortals never know, but plunge into the earth below to look for that which has its dwelling in the heavens.]
but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde þat hem ne recchiþ nat to knowe where þilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche þat þei 2268 coueiten but ploungen hem in erþe { and} seken þere þilke goode þ{ a}t so{ ur}mou{ n}teþ þe heuene þat bereþ þe sterres.
[Sidenote: What doom do the silly race deserve?]
¶ what *p{ re}yere may I make þat be digne to þe nice þou[gh]tis of men.
[Sidenote: May they pursue such false joys, and having obtained them, too late find out the value of the true.]
but I p{ re}ye þat þei coueite{ n} 2272 rycches { and} hono{ ur}s so þat whan þei han geten þo false goodes wiþ greet trauayle þat þerby þei mowe knowen þe verray goodes.
[Linenotes: 2252 _whiche_ (_both_)--whych 2253 _paþe_--paath _good_--goode 2254 _golde_--gold]
[Headnote: THE INSUFFICIENCY OF WORLDLY BLISS.]
[Sidenote: _P._ I have been describing the form of counterfeit happiness, and if you have considered it attentively I shall proceed to give you a perfect view of the true.]