Page:Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172.djvu/25

  philosopher was passing along the highway he found another philosopher jesting with a lecher and said to him: "Birds of feather flock together." But that one replied: "I did not associate myself with him." To this the wayfarer: "Then why dost thou approve of him?" And he: "I do not, but in great need even an honest man must resort to a privy." Another philosopher: "Son, it is difficult to climb high houses but easy to descend from them." Another philosopher saide to his sone: "Bettir is the enymite of a wiseman than the friendship of a foole." Another saith: "Ne have thow nat for no grete thyng the frendship of a foole, forwhi it is nat to the abidyng." Another: "Bettir is the felawship of a simple man nurisshed among sapient men than led and brought furth with feders of prudent men." Another: "Swetter it is to a wise man sharp lif amonge wise men than swete lif among vnwise men." Another saith: "Ther bien two maners and spices of wisdam: that oon is na (f. 121) tural and that other artificial, of the whiche that oon may nat be without that other." [Another]: "Ne committe thow nat wisdam vnto foolis, forwhi vnto theym it is but an iniury; neither denye thow it nat vnto wise men, for that that is theirs thow takest awey from hem." Another: "The gifts of this world are of different kinds; for some are given riches, some wisdom. A certain man speaking to his son said: "Which wouldest thou prefer to have given thee, money or wisdom?" To this the son: "That which others are most in need of. There was once a certain wise poet who, though distinguished, was poor and in need, and who was always complaining about his poverty to his friends, about which also he composed verses expressing some such sentiment as this: 'Thou who rejoicest in wealth, show me why I am in want. Thou art not to blame, but tell me, who is to blame? For if my lot is hard, it surely was not made so by thee. But thou art mediator and judge between me and my destiny. Thou hast given me wisdom without wealth; tell me then, what can wisdom do without wealth? Take thou a part of my wisdom and give me some of thy wealth. Do not make me suffer such want that its hardships will bring disgrace upon me'. A certain philosopher said: "Everyone appears to another in one of three different relations: To whomsoever thou doest a kindness thou seemest to him to be greater than himself; from whomsoever thou desirest nothing thou seemest to be on an equality with him; but to whomsoever thou art indebted for any favor thou seemest to him less than himself." Another: "Wisdom is the light of the soul, but sense is the light of the body." Another: