[Headnote: THE SEARCH AFTER FELICITY.] VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA. [Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: O earthly animals, you have an indistinct perception of your beginning, and you have ever the true end of felicity in view, but your natural instincts are perverted by many errors.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 16 _b_.]] *++CErtis also ȝe men þat ben erþelich{e} bestes dreme{n} 1888 alwey [yowre bygynnynge] al þouȝ it be wiþ a þinne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner þouȝt al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ȝe looken from a fer til þilk 1891 verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and þerfore þe naturel entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ ȝow to þilk verray good ¶ But many manere errours misto{ur}niþ ȝow þer fro. [Sidenote: Can men obtain the end they have in view by the means they usually employ in the pursuit of happiness?] ¶ Considere now yif þat be þilke þinges by whiche a man weniþ to gete hym blysfulnesse. yif þat he may comen 1896 to þilke ende þat he weneþ to come by nature [Sidenote: If riches and honours and the like make men happy, so that they shall want for nothing, then happiness may be procured by these acquisitions.] ¶ For yif þat moneye or hono{ur}s or þise oþer forseide þinges bryngen to men swiche a þing þat no goode ne faille hem. ne semeþ faille. ¶ Certys þan wil I graunt[e] 1900 þat þei ben maked blisful. by þilke þinges þat þei han geten. [Sidenote: But if these things cannot make good what they promise, if there still be something to be desired, then they are delusions, and the felicity after all is a counterfeit.] ¶ but yif so be þat þilke þi{n}ges ne mowe nat p{er}fo{ur}men þat þei by-heten {and} þat þer be defaute of many goodes. ¶ Sheweþ it nat þan clerely þ{a}t fals 1904 beaute of blisfulnesse is knowe {and} a-teint in þilke þinges. ¶ First {and} forward þou þi self þat haddest haboundaunces of rycchesses nat long agon. [[pg 70]] [Sidenote: In your prosperity were you never annoyed by some wrong or grievance?] ¶ I axe ȝif þat in þe haboundaunce of alle þilk[e] rycchesses 1908 þou were neuer anguissous or sory in þi corage of any wrong or greuau{n}ce þat by-tidde þe on any syde. [Linenotes: 1889 [_yowre bygynnynge_]--from C. _al_--MS. as, C. Al 1891 _from_--fram _til þilk_--to thylke 1892 _þe_--omitted 1893 _þilk_--thylke 1895 _be_--by 1896 _gete_--geten 1899 _swiche_--swych _goode_--good 1900 _wil_--wole _graunt[e]_--grau{n}te 1904 _many_--manye _clerely_--clerly _fals_--false 1905 _knowe_--knowen 1908 _þilk[e]_--thylke] [Headnote: NONE ARE FREE FROM CARE.] [Sidenote: _B._ I must confess that I cannot remember ever being wholly free from some trouble or other.]