¶ And ȝit lyueþ þi wif þat 1032 is attempre of witte {and} passyng oþer women in clennes of chastitee. and for I wol closen shortly her bountes she is lyke to hir fadir. I telle þe welle þat she lyueþ looþ of hir life. {and} kepiþ to þee oonly hir goost. {and} 1036 is al maat {and} ouer-comen by wepyng {and} sorwe for desire of þe ¶ In þe whiche þing only I mot graunten þat þi welefulnesse is amenused. [Sidenote: Why need I mention your two sons, in whom so much of the wit and spirit of their sire and grandsire doth shine?] [Sidenote: [* fol. 11.]] ¶ What shal I seyn eke of þi two sones conseillours of whiche as of children 1040 of hir age þer shineþ *þe lyknesse of þe witte of hir fadir {and} of hir eldefadir. [Sidenote: And since it is the chief care of man to preserve life; you are still most happy in the possession of blessings which all men value more than life.] and siþen þe souereyn cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owe{n} lyues. [Linenotes: 1008 _soþe_--soth _Ne I may_--Ne I ne may 1009 _seine_--seyn 1011 _a_--omitted _gretly_--gretely 1012 _aduersitees_--adu{er}syte 1013 _most_--mooste 1014 _abaist_--abyest 1015 _tourment_--tormentȝ _fals[e]_--false 1016 _seiþ_--MS. seiþe, C. seyh 1017 _ȝitte_--yit 1019 _leueful_--leefful 1020 _many[e] þinges_--manye grete thinges 1022 _alle_--al 1023 _þe by_--the yit by 1024 _myschief_--meschef 1025 _best[e]_--beste 1026 _lyueþ_--leueth _goode_--good 1027 _whiche_--which 1028 _al_--alle _of_ (2)--omitted 1029 _b[i]en_--byen _owen_--owne 1030 _byweyleþ_--bewayleth _don_--MS. done, C. don 1031 _liueþ_--leueth 1033 _witte_--wyt _women_--wymmen 1034 _shortly_--shortely 1035 _lyke_--lik _welle_--wel 1036 _hir life_--this lyf 1037 _maat_--maad 1038 _whiche_--weche 1039 _amenused_--amenyssed _seyn_--(MS. seyne) seyn 1041 _lyknesse_--lykenesse _witte_--wyt 1042 {and} (1)--or _eldefadir_--eldyr fadyr _siþen_--syn 1043 _folke_--folk] [Headnote: THE CONDITION OF HUMAN BLISS.] ¶ O how weleful art þou þouȝ þou knowe þi goodes. 1044 ¶ But ȝitte ben þer þinges dwelly{n}g to þe wardes þat no [[pg 41]] man douteþ þat þei ne ben more derworþe to þe þen þine owen lijf. [Sidenote: Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and hope of future felicity.] ¶ And forþi drie þi teres for ȝitte nys nat eueriche fortune al hateful to þe warde. ne ou{er} 1048 greet tempest haþ nat ȝit fallen vpon þe. whan þat þin ancres cliue fast[e] þat neiþer wole suffre þe comfort of þis tyme p{re}sent. ne þe hope of tyme comynge to passen ne to falle{n}.