[Linenotes: 1374 _comeþ_--comth 1375, 1376 _vertue_--vertu 1376 _comeþ_--comth _by_--for _whiche_--which 1377 _derworþe_--dereworthe _clere_--cleer 1378 _whiche_--which 1379 _han_--MS. hanne, C. han 1380 _say[e]_--saye _mouse amongus_--mous amonges _myse_--musȝ 1382 _scorne_--scorn 1383 _haþ_--MS. haþe 1385 _mannes_--man 1386 _þe----slayn_--the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn 1388 _mennes bodyes_--mannes body 1391 _lower_--lower{e} _whiche_--the which 1395 _stedfast_--stidefast 1396 _somtyme_--whylom 1399 _whiche_--which 1401 _owen_--owne 1406 _receyue_--resseyuen _oþer_--oothre 1408 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde, C. herd told 1409 _hys_--hise _herburghden_--herberweden 1410 _slayn_--sleyn 1411 _had[de]_--hadde 1413 _most[e]_--moste 1414 _bounden_--bownde _cheynes_--MS. þeues, C. cheynes _had[de]_--hadde 1415 _somtyme_--whylom 1416 _þat----þing_--that hath no power to don a thinge _oþer_--oothre 1417 _hym_--in hym _doþ_--MS. doþe, C. doth _to oþer_--in oothre 1421 _togidres_--to-gider{e} 1423 _certeyne_--certein 1424 _tymes_--tyme 1425 _owen_--owne 1429 _whiche_--which 1430 _auȝt[e]_--owhte 1432 _Soþe_--soth _swyfte_--swyft 1435 _is_--nis 1436 _effectis_--effect] [Headnote: POWER DOES NOT CONFER GOODNESS.] ¶ And as of wil it chaseþ oute þinges þat to it ben contrarie [Sidenote: Riches cannot restrain avarice. Power cannot make a man master of himself if he is the slave of his lusts.] ¶ But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice vnstaunched ¶ Ne power [ne] makeþ nat a ma{n} myȝty ouer hym self. whiche þat vicious lustis 1440 holden destreined wiþ cheins þat ne mowen nat ben vnbounden. [Sidenote: Dignities conferred upon base men do not make them worthy, but rather expose their want of merit.] {and} dignitees þat ben ȝeuen to shrewed[e] folk nat oonly ne makiþ hem nat digne. but it sheweþ raþer al openly þat þei ben vnworþi {and} vndigne. 1444 [Sidenote: Why is it so? ’Tis because you give false names to things. You dignify riches, power, and honours, with names they have no title to.] ¶ And whi is it þ{us}. ¶ Certis for ȝe han ioye to clepen þinges wiþ fals[e] names. þat beren hem al in þe co{n}t{ra}rie. þe whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by þe effect of þe same þinges. [Sidenote: [* fol. 14.]] so þat *þise ilke rycchesse 1448 ne auȝten nat by ryȝt to ben cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne auȝt[e] not ben cleped power. ne whiche dignitee ne auȝt[e] nat ben cleped dignitee.