¶ And [he] hercules 4276 *cast[e] adou{n} Antheus þe geaunt in þe strondes of libye. [Sidenote: he appeased Evander’s wrath by killing Cacus;] {and} kacus apaised[e] þe wraþþes of euander. þis is to sein þat hercules slouȝ þe Monstre kacus {and} apaised[e] wiþ þat deeþ þe wraþþe of euander. [Sidenote: he slew the Erymanthean boar;] ¶ And 4280 þe bristled[e] boor marked[e] wiþ scomes þe sholdres of hercules. þe whiche sholdres þe heye cercle of heuene sholde þreste. [Sidenote: and bore the weight of Atlas upon his shoulders.] {and} þe laste of his labo{ur}s was þat he sustened[e] þe heuene vpo{n} his nekke vnbowed. [Sidenote: These labours justly raised him to the rank of a god.] {and} he 4284 deserued[e] eftsones þe heuene to ben þe pris of his laste trauayle [Sidenote: Go then, ye noble souls, and follow the path of this great example.] ¶ Goþ now þan ȝe stronge men þere as þe heye weye of þe grete ensample ledeþ ȝou. ¶ O nice men whi nake ȝe ȝoure bakkes. as who seiþ. [Sidenote: O ye slothful ones, wherefore do ye basely fly!] ¶ O ȝe 4288 slowe {and} delicat men whi fley ȝe aduersites. {and} ne [[pg 149]] fyȝte{n} nat aȝeins hem by vertue to wynnen þe mede of þe heuene. [Sidenote: He who conquers earth doth gain the heavens.] for þe erþe ouer-come{n} ȝeueþ þe sterres. ¶ þis is to seyne þat whan þat erþely lust is ouer-comen. 4292 a man is maked worþi to þe heuene. EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS. [Linenotes: 4256 _saw_--say 4258 _hard[e] trauaile_--harde trauayles _dawntede_--MS. dawnded, C. dawntede 4259 _half_--MS. hals _rafte_--byrafte _fro_--from 4260 _seyne_--seyn 4261 _smot_--MS. smote, C. smot 4262 [_in----lyrne_]--from C. 4263 _rauyssed[e]_--rauysshede 4266 _seid_--MS. seide, C. sayd _haþ_--MS. haþe 4267 _lorde_--lord 4269 _etyn_--freten 4270 _brend[e]_--brende _flode defouled[e]_--flood defowlede 4271 _forhede dreint[e]_--forhed dreynte 4273 _lykenesse_--lyknesses 4274 _turnid[e]_--tornede 4275 _brak_--MS. brake, C. brak _hys_--hise 4276 [_he_]--from C. 4278-80 _apaised[e]_--apaysede 4281 _bristled[e]_--brystelede _marked[e]_--markede 4282 _cercle_--clerke 4283 _þreste_--thriste 4285 _deserued[e]_--deseruede 4286 _Goþ_--MS. Goþe _þere_--ther 4287 _weye_--way 4288 _nake_--MS. make, C. nake 4289 _slowe_--MS. slouȝ, C. slowe _fley_--flee 4292 _seyne_--seyn] [Headnote: THE EXISTENCE OF CHANCE.] INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS. DIXERAT ORACIONISQ{UE} CURSUM. [Sidenote: [The fyrste prose.]]