¶ _Philosophie._ ¶ For soþe q{uo}d she. {and} þat is a þing þat may drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben worþi {and} noble of hir nature. but naþeles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as 1496 ben y-brouȝt to þe ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. þat is to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel administred þe comune þinges. or doon goode decertes to p{ro}fit of þe comune. [Sidenote: But consider how small and void of weight is that glory.] for se now {and} considere how 1500 litel {and} how voide of al prise is þilke glorie. [Sidenote: Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere.] ¶ Certeine þing is as þou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of astronomye þat al þe envyronynge of þe erþe aboute ne halt but þe resou{n} of a prykke at regard of þe gretnesse 1504 of heuene. þat is to seye. þat yif þat þer were maked co{m}parisou{n} of þe erþe to þe gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle þat erþe [ne] helde no space [Sidenote: Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is inhabited by living creatures.] ¶ Of þe whiche litel regiou{n} of þis worlde 1508 þe ferþe partie is enhabitid wiþ lyuyng beestes þat we knowen. as þou hast þi self lerned by tholome þat p{ro}uitħ it. [Sidenote: Deduct from this the space occupied by seas, marshes, lakes, and deserts, and there remains but a small proportion left for the abode of man.] ¶ yif þou haddest wiþ drawen {and} abated in þi þouȝte fro þilke ferþe partie as myche space as þe 1512 see {and} [the] mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as þe regiou{n} of droughte ou{er}streccheþ. [Linenotes: 1487 _desired[e]_--desyr{e} 1489 _wex olde_--wax old 1492 _whiche_--which _speke_--spekyn 1496 _tollen_--MS. tellen, C. tollen 1497 _ful[le]_--fulle 1501 _al prise_--alle prys 1505 _seye_--seyn 1507 _wolde_--woldyn _alle_--al [_ne_]--from C. 1510 _lerned_--ylerned 1512 _þouȝte_--thowht _myche_--moche 1513 [_the_]--from C. 1514 _myche space_--moche spaces] [[pg 57]] [Headnote: FAME IS CIRCUMSCRIBED.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 14 _b_.]] þat is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnneþ sholde *þer dwellen a ryȝt streite place to þe habitaciou{n} of 1516 men. [Sidenote: And do you, who are confined to the least point of this point, think of nothing but of blazing far and wide your name and reputation?]