[Sidenote: _B._ I hope these will never fail me.] ¶ And I p{re}ie q{uod} I þat fast[e] mot[en] 1052 þei holden. ¶ For whiles þat þei halden. how so eu{er}e þat þinges ben. I shal wel fleten furþe and eschapen. [Sidenote: But do you not see how low I am fallen?] ¶ But þou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and} aray þat me lakkeþ þat ben passed awey fro me. 1056 [Sidenote: _P._ I should think that I had made progress if you did not repine so at your fate.] ¶ I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} forþered þe q{uod} she. if þat þou anoie nat or forþenke nat of al þi fortune. As who seiþ. ¶ I haue somwhat comforted þe so þat þou tempest nat þe þus wiþ al þi fortune. syn þou hast 1060 ȝit þi best[e] þinges. [Sidenote: It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so many comforts.] ¶ But I may nat suffre þin delices. þat pleinst so wepyng. {and} anguissous for þat oþer lakkeþ somwhat to þi welefulnesse. [Sidenote: Every one, however happy, has something to complain of.] ¶ For what man is so sad or of so p{er}fit welefulnesse. þat he ne 1064 stryueþ or pleyneþ on some half aȝeine þe qualitee of his estat. [Sidenote: The condition of human enjoyment is anxious; for either it comes not all at once, or makes no long stay when it does come.] ¶ For whi ful anguissous þing is þe condiciou{n} of mans goodes. ¶ For eyþer it comeþ al to gidre to a wyȝt. or ellys it lasteþ not p{er}petuely. 1068 [Linenotes: 1044 _art þou þouȝ_--arthow yif 1045 _But ȝitte_--for yit _dwellyng_--dwellyd _wardes_--ward 1046 _þat_--than _derworþe_--dereworthe _þen þine_--than thin 1047 _ȝitte_--yit 1049 _haþ_--MS. haþe _þin_--thyne 1050 _cliue fast[e]_--cleuen faste _wole suffre_--wolen suffren 1052 _fallen_--faylen _fast[e] mot[en]_--faste moten 1053 _holden_--halden 1054 _furþe_--forth 1055 _mayst_--mayste _greet[e]_--grete 1058 _forþenke_--forthinke 1061 _best[e]_--beste _suffre þin_--suffren thi 1063 _oþer_--ther 1064 _perfit_--parfyt 1065 _or_--and _some half aȝeine_--som halue ayen 1067 _mans_--mannes _comeþ al_--comth nat al 1068 _lasteþ_--last _perpetuely_--p{er}petuel] [Headnote: HAPPINESS ARISES FROM CONTENTMENT.] [Sidenote: One man is very wealthy, but his birth is obscure.] ¶ For som man haþ grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed of hys vngentil lynage. [Sidenote: Another is conspicuous for nobility of descent, but is surrounded by indigence.] {and} som man is renomed of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so grete angre for nede of þinges. þat hym were leuer þat 1072 he were vnknowe.