Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 1.pdf/210

176

There are

Two points where friendship forms no bar

To quarrel: bitter wrath or pride

May end its term ; and woe betide

Old friendship if a man reveal

A secret given beneath the seal

Of confidence; or poisonous spite

Of base detraction puts to flight

Kind thought of olden days.

If one

True friend be found, ere life be done,

Among a thousand, happy he

Who proves him; for a man may be

Wealthy, and held in high repute,

But yet, forsooth, be destitute

Of one friend’s love.

It well was said,

A traveller on his road is sped

Better by friend than purse well lined.

When changeful Fortune proves unkind

To wealthy wights, by dole it is

She opes their eyes to see, ywis,

How they true faithful friends may know

From those who did but boast them so

In Fortune’s hour, and proves how vain

To win true friends is wealth mundane,

Showing adversity to be

More profit than prosperity;

Through one in ignorance we stay,

The other clears the mist away.

And whensoe’er it haps that poor

A man becomes, he may with sure