¶ Certys yif þat honour of poeple were a naturel ȝifte to dignites. it ne myȝte neuer cesen nowher amonges no maner folke to done hys office. [Linenotes: 2000 _clerly_--MS. clerkly, C. clerly 2002 _auȝten----hede_--owhten taken mor heed 2002-3 _For----dignite_--For yif so be þ{a}t a wykkyd whyght be so mochel the fowler{e} {and} the moore owt cast þ{a}t he is despised of most folk so as dignete 2004-2007 _maken----soþe_--maken shrewes digne of Reu{er}ence the whych shrewes dignete sheweth to moche foolk thanne makith dignete shrewes rather so moche mor{e} despised than preysed {and} forsothe 2008 _ȝelden_--yilden 2009 _byspotten_--by-spetten 2010 _hire_--hyr 2011 _moche_--mochel _mow[e]_--mowe 2012 _þe shadewy_--thyse shadwye 2013 _vndirstonde_--vndyrstond _þis_--thus 2014 _hadde_--had 2018 _ȝifte_--yift 2019 _folke_--foolk _done_--don] [Headnote: DIGNITIES DO CONFER ESTEEM.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 17 _b_.]] ¶ Ryȝt as fire i{n} euery contre ne stinteþ nat to 2020 enchaufen {and} *to ben hote. [Sidenote: Honours arise from the false opinions of men, and vanish when they come among those who do not esteem them, that is, among foreign nations.] but for as myche as forto be holden honorable or reuerent ne comeþ nat to folk of hir p{ro}pre strengþe of nat{ur}e. but only of þe fals[e] [[pg 74]] opiniou{n} of folk. þat is to sein. þat wenen þat dignites 2024 maken folk digne of hono{ur}. An on þerfore whan þat þei comen þer as folk ne knowe{n} nat þilke dignites. her hono{ur}s vanissen awey {and} þat on oon. but þat is a-mong straung folk. maist þou sein. [Sidenote: Do they always endure in those places that gave birth to them?] but amo{n}g{us} 2028 hem þat þei weren born duren þilk[e] dignites alwey. [Sidenote: The Prætorate was once a great honour, but now it is only an empty name and a heavy expense.] ¶ Certys þe dignite of þe p{ro}uostrie of Rome was somtyme a grete power. now is it no þing but an ydel name. {and} þe rente of þe senatorie a g{r}et charge. 2032 [Sidenote: What is more vile than the office of the superintendency of provisions?] {and} yif a whiȝt somtyme hadde þe office to taken he[de] to þe vitailes of þe poeple as of corne {and} what oþer þinges he was holden amonges grete. but what þing is more nowe out cast þanne þilke p{ro}uostrie [Sidenote: That which hath no innate beauty must lose its splendour or value according as popular opinion varies concerning it.]