{and} ȝe þan þat ben environed {and} closed wiþ i{n}ne þe leest[e] prikke of þilk prikke þenke ȝe to manifesten ȝoure renou{n} {and} don ȝoure name to ben born forþe. [Sidenote: What is there great in a glory so circumscribed?] but ȝour{e} glorie þat is so narwe {and} so 1520 streyt yþronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche conteinþe it in largesse {and} in greet doynge. [Sidenote: Even in this contracted circle, there is a great variety of nations, to whom not only the fame of particular men, but even of great cities, cannot extend.] And also sette þis þer to þat many a nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of hir lyuyng ben 1524 enhabitid in þe cloos of þilke litel habitacle. ¶ To þe whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only þe 1528 names of singler men ne may [nat] strecchen. but eke þe fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen. [Sidenote: In the time of Marcus Tullius the fame of Rome did not reach beyond Mount Caucasus.] ¶ At þe last[e] Certis in þe tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self writeþ in his book þat þe renou{n} of þe comune of 1532 Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte passed ne clou{m}ben ou{er} þe mou{n}taigne þat hyȝt Caucasus. {and} ȝitte was þilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of þe p{ar}thes. and eke of oþer folk enhabityng aboute. [Sidenote: How narrow, then, is that glory which you labour to propagate.] ¶ Sest þou 1536 nat þan how streit {and} how comp{re}ssed is þilke glorie þat ȝe t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and} to multiplie. [Sidenote: Shall the glory of a Roman citizen reach those places where the name even of Rome was never heard?] May þan þe glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen þider as þe fame of þe name of Rome may nat clymben ne 1540 passen. [Sidenote: Customs and institutions differ in different countries.] ¶ And eke sest þ{o}u nat þat þe maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben discordau{n}t amonge hem self. [Sidenote: What is praise-worthy in one is blame-worthy in another.] so þ{a}t þilke þing þat so{m}men iugen worþi of p{re}ysynge. oþer folk iugen þat it is worþi of torment. 1544