ȝit naþeles þe last[e] day 984 of a ma{n}nis lijf is a man{er}e deeþ to fortune. {and} also to þilke þat haþ dwelt. [Sidenote: What matters it then, whether you by death leave it, or it (Fortune) by flight doth leave you?] {and} þerfore what wenist þou þar recche yif þou forlete hir i{n} dey{n}ge or ellys þ{a}t she fortune forlete þe i{n} fleenge awey. 988 [Linenotes: 978 _soory_--sorye _firste_--fyrst 979 _sodeyne_--sodeyn _shadowe_--shadwe 980 _stedfastnesse_--stedefastnesse 981 _swifte_--swyft _dissolueþ_--dyssoluede 983 _al þouȝ þat_--al þ{a}t thowgh _fortunous_--fortune 984 _willen dwelle_--wolen dwellyn _last[e]_--laste 986 _haþ_--MS. haþe _wenist þou_--weenestow 987 _þar recche_--dar recke 988 _awey_--away] [[pg 39]] [Headnote: MANY BLESSINGS STILL REMAIN.] CUM PRIMO POLO. [Sidenote: [The .iij. Met{ur}.]] [Sidenote: The stars pale before the light of the rising sun.] ++Whan phebus þe sonne bygynneþ to spreden his clerenesse w{i}t{h} rosene chariettes. þan þe sterre ydimmyd paleþ hir white cheres. by þe flamus of þe so{n}ne þat ouer comeþ þe sterre lyȝt. ¶ Þis is to seyn whan þe 992 sonne is risen þe day sterre wexiþ pale {and} lesiþ hir lyȝt for þe grete bryȝtnesse of þe sonne. [Sidenote: Westerly winds deck the wood with roses, but easterly winds cause their beauty to fade.] ¶ Whan þe wode wexeþ redy of rosene floures in þe first somer sesou{n} þoruȝ þe breþe of þe wynde Zephirus þat wexeþ 996 warme. ¶ Yif þe cloudy wynde auster blowe felliche. þan goþ awey þe fayrnesse of þornes. [Sidenote: Now the sea is calm, and again it is tempestuous.] Ofte þe see is clere {and} calme wiþoute moeuy{n}g floodes. And ofte þe horrible wynde aq{u}ilon moeueþ boylyng tempestes 1000 {and} ouer whelweþ þe see. [Sidenote: If all things thus vary, will you trust in transitory riches?] ¶ Yif þe forme of þis worlde is so [ȝeelde] stable. {and} yif it to{ur}niþ by so many entrechau{n}gynges. wilt þou þa{n} truste{n} in þe trublynge fortunes of me{n}. wilt þou trowen i{n} flittyng goodes. 1004 [Sidenote: All here below is unstedfast and unstable.] It is certeyne {and} establissed by lawe p{er}durable þat no þi{n}g þ{a}t is engendred nys stedfast no stable.