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