p{ro}fitable destroyen þe cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. ¶ For þei holden þe hertes of men i{n} usage. but þei ne delyuere not folk fro maladye. but if ȝe muses hadde wiþdrawen fro me wiþ ȝoure flateries. any vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable man as men ben wont to fynde comunely amonges þe peple. I wolde wene suffre þe lasse greuously. ¶ For-why in syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But ȝe wiþdrawen me þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece. ¶ But goþ now raþer awey ȝe meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at þe laste. {and} suffreþ þis man to be cured {and} heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful sciences. ¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wroþely þe chere adou{n}ward to þe erþe {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame þei passeden sorowfuly þe þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe syȝt plonged i{n} teres was derked so þat I ne myȝt[e] not knowe what þat woman was of so i{m}perial auctorite. ¶ I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my syȝt adoune in to þe erþe. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche wolde don afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon þe vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. {and} sche byholdyng my chere þat was cast to þe erþe heuy {and} greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wiþ þise wordes þ{a}t I schal sey þe p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my þouȝt. HEU Q{UAM} PRECIPITI MERSA PROFUNDO. [Sidenote: [The 2de Met{ur}.]] ++Allas how þe þouȝt of man dreint in ouer þrowyng depnesse dulleþ {and} forletiþ hys p{ro}pre clerenesse. myntynge to gone in to foreyne derknesses as ofte as hys anoious bisines wexiþ wiþ-oute{n} mesure. þ{a}t is dryuen to {and} fro wiþ worldly wyndes. ¶ Þis man þat su{m}tyme was fre to who{m} þe heuene was open {and} knowen {and} was wont to gone in heuenelyche paþes. {and} sauȝ þe lyȝtnesse of þe rede sunne. {and} sauȝ þe sterres of þe colde moone. {and} wyche sterre i{n} heuene vseþ wandryng risorses yflit by dyuerse speres. ¶ Þis man ouer comere hadde co{m}p{re}hendid al þis by noumbre. of accountyng in astronomye. ¶ And ouer þis he was wont to seche þe causes whennes þe sounyng wy{n}des moeuen {and} bisien þe smoþe water of þe see. {and} what spirit turneþ þe stable heuene. {and} whi þe sterre ryseþ oute of þe reede eest. to falle in þe westren wawes. and what attempriþ þe lusty houres of þe fyrste somer sesou{n} þat hiȝteþ {and} apparaileþ þe erþe wiþ rosene floures. ¶ And who makeþ þat plenteuouse autu{m}pne in fulle ȝeres fletiþ wiþ heuy grapes. ¶ And eke þis ma{n} was wont to telle þe dyuerses causes of nature þat weren yhid. ¶ Allas now lieþ he emptid of lyȝt of hys þouȝt. {and} hys nekke is p{re}ssid wiþ heuy cheynes {and} bereþ his chere enclined adoune for þe greet[e] weyȝt. and is constreyned to loke on foule erþe. SET MEDICINE INQUIT TEMPUS. [Sidenote: [The ij^de p{ro}se.]]