¶ What brideles myȝten wiþholde to any certeyne ende þe desordene 912 coueitise of men ¶ Whan euere þe raþer þ{a}t it fletiþ in large ȝiftis: þe more ay brenneþ in hem þe þrest of hauyng. [Sidenote: He who thinks himself poor, though he be rich, doth truly labour under poverty.] ¶ Certis he þat quakyng {and} dredeful weneþ hym seluen nedy. he ne lyueþ neu{er}e mo ryche. 916 [Linenotes: 899 _rycches_--rychesses 901 _recches_--rychesses _vpwardes_--vpward 902 _rauysshing_--rauyssynge 903 _rycches_--rychesses _bryȝt[e]_--bryhte _on_ (1)--in 904 _nyȝt_--nyhtes 905 _wope wrecched[e]_--wepe wrecchede 906 _her_--hir _ful_--fool 907 _muche_--meche _folk_--men 908 _haue_--hauen _I-gete_--I-getyn 909 _her_--hir 910 _seye_--seyn 911 _rycchesse_--rychesses 912 _wiþholde_--wytholden _certeyne_--certeyn 914 _þrest_--thurst 915 _dredeful_--dredful 916 _lyueþ_--leueth] [Headnote: BOETHIUS IS NOT UNHAPPY.] HIIS IGITUR SI PRO SE. [Sidenote: [The thrydde p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: If Fortune spake thus to you, you could not defend your complaint.] ++Þerfore yif þat fortune spake wiþ þe for hir self in þis manere. For soþe þou ne haddest [nat] what þou myȝtest answere. and if þou hast any þi{n}g wherwiþ. þou mayist ryȝtfully tellen þi co{m}pleynt. ¶ It 920 byhoueþ þe to shewen it. {and} .I. wol ȝeue þe space to tellen it. [Sidenote: _B._ What you have said is very specious, but such discourses are only sweet while they strike our ears.] ¶ Certeynely q{uod} I þan þise ben faire þinges {and} enoyntid wiþ hony swetnesse of rethorike {and} musike. {and} only while þei ben herd þei ben 924 deliciouse. [Sidenote: They cannot efface the deep impressions that misery has made in the heart.] ¶ But to wrecches is a deppere felyng of harme. þis is to seyn þat wrecches felen þe harmes þat þei suffren more greuously þan þe remedies or þe delites of þise wordes mowe gladen or comforten hem. so þat 928 whan þise þinges stynten forto sou{n}[e] in eres. þe sorwe [[pg 37]] þat is inset greueþ þe þouȝt. [Sidenote: _P._ So it is indeed; for my arguments are not designed as remedies, but as lenitives only.] Ryȝt so is it q{uod} she. ¶ For þise ne ben ȝit none remedies of þi maladie. but þei ben a manere norissinges of þi sorwe ȝit rebel 932 aȝeyne þi curac{i}ou{n}. [Sidenote: When time serves, I will administer those things that shall reach the seat of your disease.] ¶ For whan þat tyme is. I shal moue swiche þinges þat p{er}cen hem self depe. [Sidenote: But you are not among the number of the wretched.]