¶ And for as myche as þou þi self art he to who{m} it haþ ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued by ful many[e] demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot wel þat þe soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke 1144 syn it is clere. {and} certeyne þat fortunous welefulnesse endiþ by þe deeþ of þe body. ¶ It may nat ben douted þat yif þat deeþ may take awey blysfulnesse þat al þe kynde of mortal þi{n}g{us} ne descendiþ in to wrecchednesse 1148 by þe ende of þe deeþ. [Sidenote: But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity, by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments.] ¶ And syn we knowen wel þat many a man haþ souȝt þe fruit of blisfulnesse nat only wiþ suffryng of deeþ. but eke wiþ suffryng of peynes {and} to{ur}mentes. [Sidenote: How then can this present life make men truly happy, since when it is ended they do not become miserable?] how myȝt[e] þan þis p{re}sent 1152 lijf make men blisful. syn þat whanne þilke self[e] lijf is endid. it ne makeþ folk no wrecches. [Linenotes: 1134 _it_--hyt _seiþ_--MS. seiþe, C. seyth 1135 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot _leese_ (2)--leese it _whiche_--which 1136 _haþ_--MS. haþe 1137 _ellys_--omitted _wene_--weneth 1138 _hit_--omitted 1139 _goode_--good _born_--MS. borne, C. born _hert[e]_--herte 1140 _seyne_--seyn _don_--MS. done, C. do _force_--fors 1142 _haþ_--MS. haþe 1143 _many[e]_--manye 1144 _mowen_--mowe _dien_--deyen 1145 _clere_--cleer _certeyne_--certeyn 1147 _al_--alle 1150 _haþ_--MS. haþe _fruit_--frut 1152 _myȝt[e]_--myhte 1153 _make_--maken _self[e]_--selue] [Headnote: RICHES HAVE NO INTRINSIC VALUE.] QUISQUIS UOLET[2] P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS. [Footnote 2: MS. ualet.] [Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}.]] [Sidenote: He who would have a stable and lasting seat must not build upon lofty hills; nor upon the sands, if he would escape the violence of winds and waves.] ++What maner man stable {and} war þat wil founden hym a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156 wiþ þe loude blastes of þe wynde Eurus. {and} wil dispise þe see manassynge wiþ floodes ¶ Lat hym eschewe to bilde on þe cop of þe mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in þe moyste sandes. ¶ For þe fel[le] wynde auster to{ur}menteþ þe cop 1160 of þe mou{n}tayngne wiþ alle his strengþes. ¶ and þe lowe see sandes refuse to beren þe heuy weyȝte. [[pg 45]] [Sidenote: If thou wilt flee perilous fortune, lay thy foundation upon the firmer stone, so that thou mayst grow old in thy stronghold.]