[Sidenote: If powers and honours were intrinsically good, they
would never be
attained
by the wicked.
Chaucer - Boethius
Wenest ?ou ?an ?at he be
my?ty. ?at may nat don a ?ing. ?at o?er ne may don 1416
hym. ?at he do? to o?er.
[Sidenote: If powers and honours were intrinsically good, they
would never be
attained
by the wicked.
]
{and} ?it more ou{er} yif it so
were ?at ?ise dignites or poweres hadden any p{ro}pre
or naturel goodnesse in hem self neuer nolden ?ei
comen to shrewes.
[Sidenote: An union of things opposite is repugnant to nature.]
? For contrarious ?inges ne ben 1420
not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ? Nature refuse?
?at contra[r]ious ?inges ben yioigned.
[Sidenote: But as wicked men do obtain the highest honours, it is
clear that honours are not in themselves good, otherwise they
would not fall to the share of the unworthy.
