lyke vnto belucs of the see/ to whom nature hath gyuen
to be alleway enclined toward the erthe & ther to loke for to serue
theyr belyes/ And herof saith Boecius de consolacione in his fourth
book/ that a man that lyuyth and doth not the condicions of a man/ may
neuer be in good condicion/ Than muste hit nedes be that he be
transported in nature of a beste or of a belue of the see. How well that
ryght grete men and women full of meruayllous sciences and noble
counceyll in thise dayes in the world ben kept and nourisshid in this
glotonye of wyns and metes/ and ofte tymes ben ouerseen/ how suppose y'e/
is hit not right a perillous thinge that a lord or gouernour of the
peple and c[=o]mun wele/ how well that he be wyse/ yf he eschauffe hym
sone so that y'e wyn or other drynke surpryse hym and ouercome his
brayn. his wisedom is loste/ For as Cathon sayth/ Ire enpessheth the
corage in suche as he may not kepe verite and trouthe And anon as he is
chauffed/ lecherye is meuyd in hym in suche wyse that the lecherye
maketh hym to medle in dyuerse villayns dedes/ For than his wyfedom is a
slepe and goon/ And therfore fayth Ouide in his booke De remedio amoris/
yf thou take many and dyuerce wyns/ they apparylle and enforce the
corages to lecherye And Thobie witnessith in his booke/ that luxurye
destroyeth the body/ and mynussheth richesses/ she loseth the sowle/ she
febleth y'e strengthe she blyndeth the syght/ and maketh the wys hoos &
rawe/ Ha A ryght euyll and fowle synne of dronkenship/ by the perissheth
virginite/ whiche is suster of angellis possedynge alle goodnes and
seurte of all Ioyes pardurable/ Noe was one tyme so chauffed with wyn/
that he discouerd and shewid to his sones his preuy membres in suche
wyse as one of his sones mocqued hym/ And that other couerd hem/ And
loth whiche was a man right chaste. was so assoted by moche drynkynge of
wyn/ that on a montayne he knew his doughters carnelly/ And had to doo
wyth them as they had ben his propre wyues. And crete reherceth that
boece whiche was flour of the men/ tresor of rychesses/ singuler house
of sapience myrour of the world/ Odour of good renome/ and glorye of his
subgettis loste alle thyse thynges by his luxurye We haue seen that
dyuerce that were Ioyned by grete amyte to geder whiles they were sobre/
that that one wolde put his body in paryll of deth for that other/ and
whan they were eschauffed with wyn & dronke/ they haue ronne eche vpon
other for to fle* hem/ And