55

The dying speech of Darius.

beginning, that nothing is in him stable nor fast. So that all things that are [passande] & worldly, from that he [faile] of governance, turns also to him in contrary. For if god had ordained all things easy to man and always without changing sent him prosperity, man should be lifted up so high in pride & in vain glory, that he should not [arett] all his welfare & his wealth unto god, but till his own desert & his own virtue. And so should men go from their maker. On the tother side if he [heghe] wisdom of god had made the world on that ways that all ills and infelicities fell upon man without any manner of goodness, so many frailties fall upon man without any manner of goodness, so many frailties should follow the kind of man, that we should all be drawn into the gilder of desperation, so that we should have not trust in the goodness of god. And therefore great god would so wisely [skifte] all things, that, when a man full of felicity, through his high pride will not know his maker, from the height of pride into the pit of meekness & lowness he must be plunged. So that he that through pride & felicity forget his god, through falling in wretchedness & disease have mind of his god. Right as thou may see by me, my dear son Alexander, that was raised up so high in pride & vainglory, through riches & prosperity that fell unto me, that I [trowed] not that I was god's creature but god's Fellow. And then, through blindness of pride, I could not see that, that now, through sharpness of meekness and mischief, I see clearly & knows. But if it happen that any man be enveloped with great infelicity, so that he, despairing of the grace of god, suppose no remedy, no none looks [eftere]; * then our lord god raises him up to the height of prosperity, so that then he, that because of wretchedness & infelicity, might not see god not know him, through felicity & prosperity knows that he, that may bring a man to low state, may raise a man to high degree. And he that may raise a man to high degree, may put him to lowness again, when him [lyst] and therefore, son, let not they heart rise too high in pride, for the victories that god has sent thee, if all thou may do now what the [list] right as thou were a god. But always think on thy last end. For thou art a [mortal?] man, and each day if thou behold [greatly?] thou may see thy death before thine [end?]. Considers

The dying speech of Darius. 55

begynny?ige, \)ai nathyng es in hym stable ne faste. So f)at aH all earthly
thynge^ J?at ere passande & werldely, fra )?at he faile of ^"^^'
gou^rnance, tournes alsoii) tilt hym in cowtrarye. For if godd*
4 hadd? ordeyned? att thynge) esy to man) and alwaye w^t-owttefD
chaungynge sent hym pj'osperitee, man) schulde be lyftede vp
so hie in pryde & in vayne glorye, \)ai he solde no^te arett atte
his wele-fare & his welthe vn-to godd", bot till his awenn) desert
8 & his awenn) vertu. And so schulde men) gaa fra J^aire makare.
On J?e id\>er syde if ]^e heghe wyssedoin) of godd" hadd" made
}3e werlde on) J^at wyse }?at att illes and infelicytes fell apon) man)
wzt-owtten any maner of gudeness^, so many freletese sulde folow

1 2 J>e kynde of man), J^at we schulde att be drawen) in-to fie gilder
of disparaciofD, so J)at we solde hafe na triste in J>e gudnes of
godd". And ]:>arefore grete godd" wolde so wisely skifte all!
thynges, ])ai, when) a man) fuR of felicitee, thurgh his heghe

1 6 pride witt no3te knawe his makere, Fra J^e heghte of pride in-to
\>Q pitte of mekenes & lawnes he mon) be plungede. So '^ai he
J?at thurgh pride & felicite foi'gatt his godd", thurg^ fallynge in
wrechidnesse & disesse hafe mynde of his goddl Reghte als )?ou with par-

20 may see bi me, my dere son) Alenander^ pat was raysede vp so application
hye in pride & vayne glorye, thurgh reches & prosperitee |:»at to him-
feSe vn-to me, ))at I trowed no^te pat I was goddes creature
bot goddes Felawe. And J>afD, thurgh blyndeness of pride,

24 I couthe no^te see that, f>at now, thurgh scharpeness^ of mekenes

and mescheffe, I see clerely & knawes. Bot if it happen) ]?at any On the pre-
man) be vmbilappede wet grete infilicitee, so J^at he, despairand' of those^
of pe grace of godd", supposse na remedy, ne nane lukes eftere ; ^^^ ^^^^

38 * f)an) oure lorde godd" rayse^ hym vp to pe heghte of prospmtee, y^^^^^^^
so pat J^an) he, ]?at bi-cause of wrechidnes & infelicitee, my^te great
no5te see godd? ne knawe hym, thurgh felicite & prosperitee 'health.
knawes f>at he, pat may bryng a man) to lawe state, may rayse

32 a man) tilt heghe degree. And he J)at may rayse a man) tilt On the
heghe degree, may putt hym to lawnesse agayne, when) hym lyst, Go^To*^put
and bare-fore, son), late noste thy hert ryse to hye in pride, for be down the

. niighty

victoryes }?at godd' base sent the, if att pou may do now whate pe from their

36 list rijt as p }?ou] were a goddl Bot alway thynke on thy laste to^^ft up*^

ende. For pou. ert a dedly man), and ilk a day if pou. be-halde *^e^ of
graythely pou may see thy dedd?bi-fore thyn) eghne. Consedirs

^ />ou may have been left out by the scribe beginning a new line.