_Boece._ 'I may nat,' quod I, 'denye it; but I mot graunte as it is, that this thing be right celebrable by cleernesse of renoun and noblesse.'
'Thanne folweth it,' quod she, 'that we adden cleernesse of 50 renoun to the three forseyde thinges, so that ther ne be amonges hem no difference?'
'This thing thanne,' quod she, 'that ne hath nede of no foreine thing, and that may don alle thinges by hise strengthes, 55 and that is noble and honourable, nis nat that a mery thing and a Ioyful?'
'But whennes,' quod I, 'that any sorwe mighte comen to this thing that is swiche, certes, I may nat thinke.'
'Thanne moten we graunte,' quod she, 'that this thing be 60 ful of gladnesse, yif the forseyde thinges ben sothe; and certes, also mote we graunten that suffisaunce, power, noblesse, reverence, and gladnesse ben only dyverse by names, but hir substaunce hath no diversitee.'
'Thilke thing thanne,' quod she, 'that is oon and simple in his nature, the wikkednesse of men departeth it and devydeth it; and whan they enforcen hem to geten partye of a thing that ne hath no part, they ne geten hem neither thilke partye that nis non, ne the thing al hool that they ne desire nat.' 70
'Thilke man,' quod she, 'that secheth richesses to fleen povertee, he ne travaileth him nat for to gete power; for he hath levere ben derk and vyl; and eek withdraweth from him-self many naturel delyts, for he nolde lese the moneye that 75 he hath assembled. But certes, in this manere he ne geteth him nat suffisaunce that power forleteth, and that molestie prikketh, and that filthe maketh out-cast, and that derkenesse hydeth. And certes, he that desireth only power, he wasteth and scatereth richesse, and despyseth delyts, and eek honour 80 that is with-oute power, ne he ne preyseth glorie no-thing. Certes, thus seest thou wel, that manye thinges faylen to him; for he hath som-tyme defaute of many necessitees, and many anguisshes byten him; and whan he ne may nat don tho defautes a-wey, he forleteth to ben mighty, and that is the thing that 85 he most desireth. And right thus may I maken semblable resouns of honours, and of glorie, and of delyts. For so as every of thise forseyde thinges is the same that thise other thinges ben, _that is to seyn, al oon thing_, who-so that ever seketh to geten that oon of thise, and nat that other, he ne 90 geteth nat that he desireth.'