HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE. [Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}.]] [Sidenote: Alas! how through folly and ignorance do men stray from the path of true happiness!] ++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce myslediþ 2252 wandryng wrecches fro þe paþe of verrey good. [Sidenote: Ye do not seek gold upon trees nor diamonds from the vine.] ¶ Certis ȝe ne seken no golde in grene trees. ne ȝe ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in þe vines. [[pg 82]] [Sidenote: Ye lay not your nets to catch fish upon the lofty hills.] ne ȝe ne hiden nat ȝoure gynnes in heyȝe mou{n}taignes to kachen 2256 fisshe of whiche ȝe may maken ryche festes. [Sidenote: The hunter goes not to the Tyrrhene waters to hunt the roe.] and yif ȝow lykeþ to hunte to roos. ȝe ne gon nat to þe foordes of þe water þat hyȝt tyrene. [Sidenote: Men know where to look for white pearls, and for the fish that yields the purple dye.] {and} ouer þis men knowen wel þe crikes {and} þe cau{er}nes of þe see yhidd in þe 2260 floodes. {and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles. {and} knowen whiche water habundeþ most of rede purpre. þat is to seyen of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. [Sidenote: They know where the most delicate of the finny race abound and where the fierce sea-urchin is to be found.] {and} knowen 2264 whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes þat hyȝten echynnys. [Sidenote: But where the Sovereign Good abides blinded mortals never know, but plunge into the earth below to look for that which has its dwelling in the heavens.] but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde þat hem ne recchiþ nat to knowe where þilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche þat þei 2268 coueiten but ploungen hem in erþe {and} seken þere þilke goode þ{a}t so{ur}mou{n}teþ þe heuene þat bereþ þe sterres. [Sidenote: What doom do the silly race deserve?] [Sidenote: [* fol. 19 _b_.]] ¶ what *p{re}yere may I make þat be digne to þe nice þouȝtis of men. [Sidenote: May they pursue such false joys, and having obtained them, too late find out the value of the true.] but I p{re}ye þat þei coueite{n} 2272 rycches {and} hono{ur}s so þat whan þei han geten þo false goodes wiþ greet trauayle þat þerby þei mowe knowen þe verray goodes. [Linenotes: 2252 _whiche_ (_both_)--whych 2253 _paþe_--paath _good_--goode 2254 _golde_--gold] [Headnote: THE INSUFFICIENCY OF WORLDLY BLISS.] HACTENUS MENDACIS FORMA{M}. [Sidenote: [The 9^ne p{ro}se.]]