¶ But wiþ how grete harmes þise *forseide weyes ben enlaced. ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly. [Sidenote: Do you want to amass wealth, then you must take it from your neighbours.] ¶ For whi yif þou enforcest þe to assemble moneye. þou most by-reuen 2208 hym his moneye þat haþ it. [Sidenote: Would you shine in dignities, then you must beg for them and disgrace yourself by a humiliating supplication.] and yif þou wilt shynen wiþ dignites. þou most bysechen {and} supplien hem þat ȝiue{n} þo dignitees. ¶ And yif þou coueitest by hono{ur} to gon by-fore oþer folk þ{o}u shalt defoule þi 2212 self by hu{m}blesse of axing. [Sidenote: If power be your ambition, you expose yourself to the snares of inferiors.] yif þou desiryst power. þou shalt by awaites of þi subgitȝ anoyously be cast vndir many p{er}iles. [Sidenote: Do you ask for glory, to be distracted by vexations and so lose all security.] axest þou glorie þ{o}u shalt ben so destrat by aspre þinges þat þou shalt forgone sykernesse. 2216 [Sidenote: Do you prefer a voluptuous life? Think then that all men will despise him who is a thrall to his body.] ¶ And yif þou wilt leden þi lijf in delices. euery whiȝt shal dispisen þe {and} forleten þe as þou þat art þral to þing þat is ryȝt foule {and} brutel. þat is [to] sein seruau{n}t to þi body. [Sidenote: They build upon a weak foundation that place bodily delights above their own reason.] ¶ Now is it þan wel yseen 2220 how lytel {and} how brutel possessiou{n} þei coueiten þat putten þe goodes of þe body abouen hire owe{n} resou{n}. [Sidenote: Can you surpass the elephant in bulk, or the bull in strength?] ¶ For mayst þou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} þise olifuñtȝ in gretnesse or weyȝt of body. Or mayst þou ben strenger þan þe 2224 bole. [Sidenote: Art thou swifter than the tiger?] Mayst þou ben swifter þan þe tigre. [Sidenote: Behold the immense extent of the heavens and cease to admire vile or lesser things.] biholde þe spaces {and} þe stablenesse {and} þe swyfte cours of þe [[pg 81]] heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on foule þinges. [Sidenote: Admire what is still more admirable, the consummate wisdom that governs them.] þe whiche heuene certys nis nat raþer for þise 2228 þinges to ben wondred vpon. þan for þe resou{n} by whiche it is gouerned. [Sidenote: How fleeting is beauty!] but þe shynynge of þi forme þat is to seien þe beaute of þi body. how swiftly passyng is it {and} how transitorie. [Sidenote: It fades sooner than the vernal flowers.] ¶ Certis it is more flittynge 2232 þan þe mutabilite of floures of þe som{er} sesou{n}.