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The Sayings of the Four Philosophers

L’en puet fere & defere, {f.105ra}

ceo fait-il trop souent;

It nis nouþer wel ne faire,

Þerfore Engelond is shent.

5000 Nostre prince de Engletere,

per le consail de sa gent,

At Westminster after þe feire

maden a gret parlement.

parlement: ment is superscript.

La chartre fet de cyre –

1000 ieo l’enteink & bien le crey –

It was holde to neih þe fire

And is molten al awey.

Ore ne say mes que dire,

tout i va a tripolay,

1500 Hundred, chapitle, court & shire,

Al hit goþ a deuel wey.

Des plu sages de la tere,

ore escoteȝ vn sarmoun,

Of .iiij. wise men, þat þer were,

2000 Whi Engelond is brouht adoun.

adoun is below the line.

¶ Þe ferste seide ‘I vnderstonde

Ne may no king wel ben in londe,

Vnder God almihte,

But he kunne himself rede

2500 Hou he shal in londe lede

he is superscript.
þou: o is superscript.

Eueri man wid rihte.

¶ For miht is riht,

Liht is niht

And fiht is fliht

3000 ¶ For miht is riht, þe lond is laweles;

For niht is liht, þe lond is lore-les;

For fiht is fliht, þe lond is nameles.’

Þat oþer seide a word ful god:

‘Whoso roweþ aȝein þe flod,

3500 Off sorwe he shal drinke;

Also hit fareþ bi þe vnsele,

A man shal haue litel hele,

Þeragein to swinke.

¶ Nu on is two,

two: w is superscript.

4000 Wel is wo,

Wel: MS reads anoþer.

And frend is fo.

For on is two, þat lond is streinþeles;

two: w is superscript, with caret.

For wel is wo, þe lond is reuþeles;

For frend is fo, þe lond is loueles.’

4500 ¶ Þat þridde seide ‘it is no wonder

Off þise eyres þat goþ vnder

Whan þeih comen to londe,

Proude & stoute, & ginneþ ȝelpe,

Ac of þing þat sholde helpe

5000 Haue þeih noht on honde.

Nu lust haueþ leue,

Þef is reue,

And pride haþe sleue.

For lust haþ leue, þe lond is þeweles;

5500 For þef is reue, þe lond is penyles; {f.105rb}

For pride haþe sleue, þe lond is almusles.’

Þe ferþe seide þat ‘he is wod

Þat dwelleþ to muchel in þe flod,

For gold or for auhte.

6000 For gold or siluer or any wele,

Hunger or þurst, hete or chele,

Al shal gon to nohte.

Nu wille is red,

Wit is qued,

6500 And god is ded.

For wille is red, þe lond is wrecful;

For wit is qued, þe lond is wrongful;

For god is ded, þe lond is sinful.’

Wid wordes as we han pleid,

7000 Sum wisdom we han seid,

Off olde men and ȝunge;

Off many a þing þat is in londe,

Whoso coude it vnderstonde

So haue I told wid tunge.

7500 ¶ Riche & pore, bonde & fre,

Þat loue is god, ȝe mai se;

Loue clepeþ vch man broþer,

For if þat he to blame be,

Forȝif hit him par charite,

8000 Alþeih he do oþer.

¶ Loue we God, & he us alle,

Þat was born in an oxe stalle,

And for us don on rode.

His swete herte-blod he let

8500 ffor us, & us faire het

Þat we sholde be gode.

¶ Be we nu gode & stedefast,

So þat we muwen, at þe last,

Hauen heuene-blisse.

9000 To God almihti I preie,

Lat us neuere in sinne deie,

Þat ioye for to misse.

¶ Ac leue us alle so don here

& leue in loue & god manere,

9500 Þe deuel for to shende,

Þat we moten alle ifere

Sen him þat us bouhte dere,

In ioye widoute ende.

Amen.