¶ A tyraunt þat was kyng of sisile þat had[de] assaied þe p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by similitude þe dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde þat heng ouer þe heued of his familier. [Sidenote: What then is this thing called Power, which cannot do away with care or fear?] what þing is þan þis power þat 2080 may nat don awey þe bytynges of besines ne eschewe [[pg 76]] þe prikkes of drede. [Sidenote: Men would live in security but cannot, and yet they glory in their power.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 18.]] and certys ȝit wolden þei lyuen *in sykernesse. but þei may nat. and ȝit þei glorifien hem in her power [Sidenote: Is he powerful who cannot do what he wishes?] ¶ Holdest þou þan þat þilk[e] man 2084 be myȝty þat þ{o}u seest þat he wolde don þat he may nat don. [Sidenote: Is he a mighty man who goes surrounded with an armed guard, to terrify those whom he himself fears, and whose power depends solely upon his numerous retinue?] ¶ And holdest þou þan hym a myȝty man þat haþ environed hise sydes wiþ men of armes or seruauntes {and} dredeþ more [hem] þat he makeþ agast. 2088 þen þei dreden hym. {and} þat is put in þe handes of hise seruauntȝ. for he sholde seme myȝty but of familiers [or] seruauntȝ of ky{n}ges. [Sidenote: Why need I enlarge upon the favourites of princes having thus displayed the imbecility of kings!] ¶ what sholde I telle þe any þing. syn þat I my self haue shewed þe þat realmes 2092 hem self ben ful of gret feblenesse. [Sidenote: Their prosperity is affected by the caprice of their fortunate masters as well as by the adversity to which they are incident.] þe whiche familiers certis þe real power of kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] þroweþ adou{n}. [Sidenote: Nero only allowed his master Seneca to choose the manner of his death.] ¶ Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen on what 2096 deeþ he wolde deien. [Sidenote: Antonius (Caracalla) commanded Papinian to be slain by the swords of his soldiers.] ¶ Antonius comau{n}did[e] þat knyȝtis slowen wiþ her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben long tyme ful myȝty a-monges hem of þe courte. [Sidenote: Yet both would have given up all they possessed.] and ȝit certis þei wolde boþe 2100 han renou{n}ced her power. [Sidenote: Seneca begged for poverty and exile. But relentless fortune precipitated them to destruction, and did not permit them to choose their fate.]