[Linenotes: 2048 _al_ (2)--alle 2049 _kembed_--kembde _apparailed_--MS. apparailen, C. a-paraylede 2050 _ȝitte_--yit 2053 _lordship_--lorshippe _ȝaf somtyme_--yaf whylom _dredeful_--reu{er}encȝ 2055 _fore_--for _ȝaf_--yaf] [Headnote: KINGDOMS DO NOT MAKE A MAN MIGHTY.] AN UERO REGNA. [Sidenote: [The 5^the p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: _P._ Do kingdoms and a familiarity with princes make a man mighty?] ++Bvt regnes {and} familarites of kynges may þei maken a ma{n} to ben myȝty. [Sidenote: _B._ Why should they not if they are durable?] how ellys. ¶ whanne hir 2060 blysfulnesse dureþ p{er}petuely [Sidenote: _P._ Past ages, as well as the present, furnish us with many examples of princes who have met with dismal reverses of fortune.] but certys þe olde age of tyme passeþ. {and} eke of p{re}sent tyme now is ful of ensau{m}ples how þ{a}t kynges þat han chaunged in to wrechednesse out of hir welefulnesse. [Sidenote: O then how noble and glorious a thing is power that is too weak to preserve itself!] ¶ O a noble þing 2064 {and} a cler þing is power þat is nat founden myȝty to kepe it self. [Sidenote: If dominion brings felicity, then misery will follow if it be defective.] ¶ And yif þat power of realmes be auctour {and} maker of blisfulnesse. yif þilke power lakkeþ on any side. amenusiþ it nat þilke blisfulnesse {and} bryngeþ 2068 in wrechednesse. [Sidenote: But human rule has its limits, therefore wherever power ceases there impotence enters, bringing misery along with it.] but yif al be it so þat realmes of mankynde stretchen b{r}oode. ȝit mot þer nede ben myche folk ouer whiche þat euery kyng ne haþ no lordshipe no comaundement ¶ and certys vpon þilke syde þat 2072 power failleþ whiche þat makiþ folk blisful. ryȝt on þat same side nou{n}power entriþ vndirneþ þat makeþ hem wreches. [Sidenote: Kings, therefore, have a larger portion of misery than of felicity.] ¶ In þis manere þanne moten kynges han more porciou{n} of wrechednesse þan of welefulnesse. 2076 [Linenotes: 2060 _myȝty_--MS. vnmyȝty, C. myhty 2062 _passeþ_--passed _of_ (2)--omitted 2063 _kynges þat han_--kynges ben 2066 _kepe_--kepen 2067 _maker_--maker{e} 2069 _yif_--yit _realmes_--the Reaumes 2070 _stretchen_--strechchen _myche_--moche 2071 _haþ_--MS. haþe 2073 _whiche_--whych 2074 _vndirneþ_--vndyr-nethe] [Headnote: POWER DOES NOT DRIVE AWAY CARE.] [Sidenote: Dionysius of Sicily, conscious of this condition, exhibited the fears and cares of royalty by the terror of a naked sword hanging over the head of his friend and flatterer Damocles.]