[Sidenote: But with some gentle emollients I shall prepare thee for stronger medicines.]
but now is tyme þat þou drynke { and} atast[e] some softe { and} delitable þinges. so þat whan 756 þei ben entred wiþ i{ n}ne þe. it mow make weye to strenger drynkes of medycynes.
[Sidenote: Approach then, Rhetoric, with thy persuasive charms, and therewith let Music also draw near.]
¶ Com nowe furþe þerfore þe suasiou{ n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche þat goþ oonly þe ry[gh]t wey whil she forsakeþ not myne 760 estatut[gh]. ¶ And wiþ Rethorice com forþe musice a damoisel of oure house þat syngeþ now ly[gh]ter moedes or p{ ro}lac{ i}ou{ n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]
*what ayleþ þe man. what is it þat haþ cast þe in to murnyng { and} in to wepyng. 764 I trow[e] þat þou hast sen some newe þing { and} uncouþe.
[Sidenote: Thou thinkest that Fortune is changed towards thee.]
¶ Þou wenest þat fortune be chaunged a[gh]eins þe
¶ But þou wenest wrong. yif þou [þat] wene.
[Sidenote: In this misadventure of thine she hath preserved her constancy in changing.]
Alwey þo ben hire maners. she haþ raþer [kept] as to 768 þe ward hire p{ ro}pre stablenes in þe chaungyng of hyre self. ¶ Ry[gh]t swyche was she whan she flatered[e] þe. { and} desseiued[e] þe wiþ vnleueful lykynges of false welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: You have seen the double face of this blind divinity.]
þou hast now knowen { and} ataynt 772 þe doutous or double visage of þilke blynde goddesse fortune. ¶ She þat [gh]it couereþ hir { and} wympleþ hir to oþer folk. haþ shewed hir euerydel to þe. ¶ [Gh]if þou app{ ro}uest hir { and} þenkest þat she is good. vse 776 hir maners { and} pleyne þe nat.
[Sidenote: If thou dost abhor her perfidy cast her off, for her sports are dangerous.]
¶ And if þou agrisest hir fals[e] trecherie. dispise { and} cast aweye hir þat pleyeþ so harmefully. for she þat is now cause of so myche sorwe to þe. sholde be to þe cause of pees { and} 780 [of] ioie. ¶ she haþ forsaken þe forsoþe. þe whiche þat neuer man may be syker þat she ne shal forsake hym. _Glose._ ¶ But naþeles some bookes han þe text þus. For soþe she haþ forsaken þe ne þer nis no man 784 syker þat she ne haþ not forsaken.
[Sidenote: Is that happiness which is so transient?]
¶ Holdest þou þan þilke welefulnesse p{ re}ciouse to þe þat shal passen.