[Sidenote: Now the sea is calm, and again it is tempestuous.]
Ofte þe see is clere { and} calme wiþoute moeuy{ n}g floodes. And ofte þe horrible wynde aq{ u}ilon moeueþ boylyng tempestes 1000 { and} ouer whelweþ þe see.
[Sidenote: If all things thus vary, will you trust in transitory riches?]
¶ Yif þe forme of þis worlde is so [[gh]eelde] stable. { and} yif it to{ ur}niþ by so many entrechau{ n}gynges. wilt þou þa{ n} truste{ n} in þe trublynge fortunes of me{ n}. wilt þou trowen i{ n} flittyng goodes. 1004
[Sidenote: All here below is unstedfast and unstable.]
It is certeyne { and} establissed by lawe p{ er}durable þat no þi{ n}g þ{ a}t is engendred nys stedfast no stable.
[Linenotes: 989 _his_--hyr 990 _þan_--thanne 991 _flamus_--flambes 995 _redy_--rody _rosene_--rosyn 997 _warme_--warm 998 _goþ_--MS. goþe, C. goth _fayrnesse_--fayrenesse 999 _clere_--cleer _calme_--kalm 1000 _wynde_--wynd 1001 _whelweþ_--welueeth 1002 [_[gh]eelde_]--from C. 1003, 1004 _wilt þou_--wolthow 1003 _þan_--thanne _trublynge_--towmbly{ n}ge 1004 _in flittyng_--on flettynge 1005 _It is_--is it 1006 _no_--ne _stable_--estable]
[Sidenote: _B._ I cannot deny my sudden and early prosperity.]
++ÞAnne seide I þus. O norice of alle uertues þou seist ful soþe. ¶ Ne I may nat forsake þe ry[gh]t[e] 1008 swifte cours of my p{ ro}speritee. þat is to seine. þat p{ ro}speritee ne be comen to me wondir swiftly { and} soone. but þis is a þing þat gretly smertiþ me whan it remembreþ me.
[Sidenote: It is the remembrance of former happiness that adds most to man's infelicity.]
¶ For in alle aduersitees of fortune þe 1012 most vnsely kynde of contrariouse fortune is to han ben weleful.
[Sidenote: _P._ Recollect that you have yet much affluence.]
¶ But þat þou q{ uo}d she abaist þus þe to{ ur}ment of þi fals[e] opiniou{ n} þat maist þou not ry[gh]tfully blamen ne aretten to þinges. as who seiþ for þou [[pg 40]] hast [gh]itte many habundaunces of þinges. ¶ _Textus._ 1017 For al be it so þat þe ydel name of auenterouse welefulnesse moeueþ þe now. it is leueful þat þou rekene w{ i}t{ h} me of how many[e] þinges þou hast [gh]it plentee. 1020
[Sidenote: What you esteemed most precious in your happy days, you still retain, and ought therefore not to complain.]