[Sidenote: The favour of the people is worth but little as it is seldom judicious and never permanent.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 18 _b_.]] ¶ and certis amo{n}ges þise þinges I ne trowe nat þat þe p{r}is {and} grace of þe poeple nis neiþer worþi *to ben remembrid ne comeþ of wise iugement. ne is ferm p{er}durably. [Sidenote: How empty and transitory are titles of nobility!] ¶ But now of þis name of gentilesse. 2148 what man is it þat ne may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a þing it is. [Sidenote: Gentility is wholly foreign to renown, and to those who boast of noble birth.] ¶ For if þe name of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. þan is gentil name but a for[e]ine þing. þat is to sein to 2152 hem þat glorifien hem of hir linage. [Sidenote: Nobility is fame derived from the merits of one’s ancestors.] ¶ For it semeþ þat gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge þat comeþ of decert of auncestres. [Sidenote: If praise can give nobility they are noble who are praised.] ¶ And yif p{re}ysynge makeþ gentilesse þan moten þei nedes be gentil þat ben p{re}ysed. 2156 [Sidenote: Then if thou hast no nobility of thy own, thou canst not derive any splendour from the merits of others.] For whiche þing it folweþ. þat yif þou ne haue no gentilesse of þi self. þat is to sein pris þ{a}t comeþ of þi deserte foreine gentilesse ne makeþ þe nat gentil. [Sidenote: If there be any good in nobleness of birth, it consists alone in this, that it imposes an obligation upon its possessors not to degenerate from the virtues of their ancestors.] ¶ But certis yif þer be any goode in gentilesse. I trowe it be i{n} al 2160 oonly þis. þat it semeþ as þat a maner necessitee be imposed to gentil men. for þat þei ne sholden nat outraien or forliuen fro þe uertues of hire noble kynrede. [Linenotes: 2124 _foule_--fowl 2125 _whiche_--whych 2126 _maker_--maker{e} _cried[e]_--cryde 2127 _he_--she 2128 _sweller_--sweller{e} 2129 _many[e]_--manye _had_--MS. hadde, C. had _fals[e]_--false 2130 _fouler_--fowler{e} 2131 _þen_--thanne _þilk[e]_--thylke 2133 _or_--of 2134 _haþ_--MS. haþe _þilke_--thylke 2139 _foule þinge_--fowl thing 2140 _ne_--{and} _byforne_--byforn 2144 _parties_--partye _erþe_--Erthes _out_--owte 2145 _out_--owhte 2148 _ferm_--ferme 2149 _veyne_--veyn 2150 _if_--yif 2154 _comeþ of_--comth of the 2157 _whiche_--which 2158 _pris_--preys _comeþ_--comth 2160 _goode_--good _in_ (2)--omitted 2161 _maner_--maner{e}] OMNE HOMINU{M} GENUS IN TERRIS. [Sidenote: [The 6^th Metre.]] [Sidenote: All men have the same origin.]