55

The dying speech of Darius. 55

begynny?ige, \)ai nathyng es in hym stable ne faste. So f)at aH all earthly
thynge^ J?at ere passande & werldely, fra )?at he faile of ^"^^'
gou^rnance, tournes alsoii) tilt hym in cowtrarye. For if godd*
4 hadd? ordeyned? att thynge) esy to man) and alwaye w^t-owttefD
chaungynge sent hym pj'osperitee, man) schulde be lyftede vp
so hie in pryde & in vayne glorye, \)ai he solde no^te arett atte
his wele-fare & his welthe vn-to godd", bot till his awenn) desert
8 & his awenn) vertu. And so schulde men) gaa fra J^aire makare.
On J?e id\>er syde if ]^e heghe wyssedoin) of godd" hadd" made
}3e werlde on) J^at wyse }?at att illes and infelicytes fell apon) man)
wzt-owtten any maner of gudeness^, so many freletese sulde folow

1 2 J>e kynde of man), J^at we schulde att be drawen) in-to fie gilder
of disparaciofD, so J)at we solde hafe na triste in J>e gudnes of
godd". And ]:>arefore grete godd" wolde so wisely skifte all!
thynges, ])ai, when) a man) fuR of felicitee, thurgh his heghe

1 6 pride witt no3te knawe his makere, Fra J^e heghte of pride in-to
\>Q pitte of mekenes & lawnes he mon) be plungede. So '^ai he
J?at thurgh pride & felicite foi'gatt his godd", thurg^ fallynge in
wrechidnesse & disesse hafe mynde of his goddl Reghte als )?ou with par-

20 may see bi me, my dere son) Alenander^ pat was raysede vp so application
hye in pride & vayne glorye, thurgh reches & prosperitee |:»at to him-
feSe vn-to me, ))at I trowed no^te pat I was goddes creature
bot goddes Felawe. And J>afD, thurgh blyndeness of pride,

24 I couthe no^te see that, f>at now, thurgh scharpeness^ of mekenes

and mescheffe, I see clerely & knawes. Bot if it happen) ]?at any On the pre-
man) be vmbilappede wet grete infilicitee, so J^at he, despairand' of those^
of pe grace of godd", supposse na remedy, ne nane lukes eftere ; ^^^ ^^^^

38 * f)an) oure lorde godd" rayse^ hym vp to pe heghte of prospmtee, y^^^^^^^
so pat J^an) he, ]?at bi-cause of wrechidnes & infelicitee, my^te great
no5te see godd? ne knawe hym, thurgh felicite & prosperitee 'health.
knawes f>at he, pat may bryng a man) to lawe state, may rayse

32 a man) tilt heghe degree. And he J)at may rayse a man) tilt On the
heghe degree, may putt hym to lawnesse agayne, when) hym lyst, Go^To*^put
and bare-fore, son), late noste thy hert ryse to hye in pride, for be down the

. niighty

victoryes }?at godd' base sent the, if att pou may do now whate pe from their

36 list rijt as p }?ou] were a goddl Bot alway thynke on thy laste to^^ft up*^

ende. For pou. ert a dedly man), and ilk a day if pou. be-halde *^e^ of
graythely pou may see thy dedd?bi-fore thyn) eghne. Consedirs

^ />ou may have been left out by the scribe beginning a new line.