Part 15

{and} þou hast wepen for þe damage of þi renoune 596 þat is appaired. {and} þi laste sorwe eschaufed aȝeins fortune {and} co{m}pleinest þat gerdou{n}s ne ben not euenliche ȝolde to þe desertes of folk. {and} in þe l{att}re ende of þi woode muse þou p{r}iedest þ{a}t þilke pees þat 600 gouerneþ þe heuene scholde gou{er}ne þe erþe ¶ But for þat many tribulac{i}ou{n}s of affecc{i}ou{n}s han assailed þe. {and} sorwe {and} Ire {and} wepyng todrawen þee dyuersely

¶ As þou art now feble of þouȝt. myȝtyer 604 remedies ne schullen not ȝit touchen þe for whiche we wil vsen somedel lyȝter medicines.

So þat þilk passiou{n}s þat ben woxen harde in swellyng by p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} folowyng in to þi þouȝt mowen woxe esy 608 {and} softe to receyue{n} þe strenkeþ of a more myȝty {and} more egre medicine by an esier touchyng.

CU{M} PHEBI RADIIS G{RA}UE CA{N}C{R}I SID{US} ENESTUAT.

++Whan þat þe heuy sterre of þe cancre eschaufeþ by þe beme of pheb{us}. þat is to seyne whan þat pheb{us} 612 þe sonne is in þe signe of þe Cancre. Who so ȝeueþ þan largely hys sedes to þe feldes þat refuse to receiuen hem. lete hym gon bygyled of trust þat he hadde to hys corn. to acorns or okes.

yif þou wilt 616 gadre violettȝ. ne go þou not to þe purp{er} wode whan þe felde chirkynge agriseþ of colde by þe felnesse of þe wynde þat hyȝt aquilon

Yif þou desirest or ¶ wolt vsen grapes ne seke þou nat wiþ a gloto{n}us hande [[pg 26]] to streine {and} p{re}sse þe stalkes of þe vine in þe first 621 somer sesou{n}. for bachus þe god of wyne haþ raþer ȝeuen his ȝiftes to autu{m}pne þe latter ende of somer.

¶ God tokeniþ {and} assigneþ *þe tymes. ablyng hem 624 to her p{ro}pre offices. ¶ Ne he ne suffreþ not stoundes whiche þat hym self haþ deuided {and} co{n}streined to be medeled to gidre

¶ And forþi he þat forleteþ certeyne ordinaunce of doynge by ou{er}þrowyng wey. 628 he ne haþ no glade issue or ende of hys werkes.

PRIMU{M} IGITUR PATERIS ROGACIONIB{US}.

++FIrst wolt þou suffre me to touche {and} assaie þe stat of þi þouȝt by a fewe demaundes. so þat I may vnderstonde what be þe manere of þi curac{i}ou{n}. ¶ Axe 632 me q{uod} .I. atte þi wille what þou wilt. {and} I schal answer{e}.

¶ Þo saide sche þus. wheþer wenest þou q{uo}d sche þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by foolisshe happes {and} fortunes. or elles wenest þou þat þer be i{n} it any 636 gouerneme{n}t of resou{n}.

Certes q{uod} .I. ne trowe not in no manere þat so certeyne þinges scholde be moeued by fortunouse fortune. but I wot wel þat god maker {and} mayster is gouerno{ur} of þis werk.

Ne neuer nas 640 ȝit day þat myȝt putte me oute of þe soþenesse of þat sentence.

¶ So is it q{uod} sche. for þe same þing songe þou a lytel here byforne {and} byweyledest {and} byweptest. þat only men weren put oute of þe cure of 644 god. ¶ For of alle oþer þinges þou ne doutest nat þat þei nere gouerned by reso{n}.

but how (.i. pape.). I wondre gretly certes whi þat þou art seek. siþen þou art put in to so holesom a sentence. but lat vs seken 648 depper. I coniecte þat þere lakkeþ I not what. [[pg 27]]

but sey me þis. siþen þat þou ne doutest nat þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by god ¶ wiþ swycche gouernailes takest þou hede þat it is gouerned.

¶ vnneþ q{uod} .I. knowe 652 .I. þe sente{n}ce of þi q{ue}stiou{n}. so þat I ne may nat ȝit answeren to þi demaundes.

¶ I nas nat deceiued q{uod} sche þat þere ne faileþ su{m}what. by whiche þe maladie of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} is crept in to þi þouȝt. so 656 as þe strengþe of þe paleys schynyng is open.

¶ But seye me þis reme{m}brest þou ouȝt what is þe ende of þi þinges. whider þat þe entenc{i}ou{n} of al kynde tendeþ. ¶ I haue herd told it somtyme q{uod} .I. but drerynesse 660 haþ dulled my memorie. ¶ Certys q{uod} sche þou wost wel whe{n}nes þat alle þinges ben comen {and} p{ro}ceded.

I wot wel q{uod} .I. {and} ansewered þat god is þe bygynnyng of al.

¶ And how may þis be 664 q{uod} sche þat siþen þ{o}u knowest þe bygynnyng of þinges. þat þou ne knowest not what is þe endyng of þinges.

but swiche ben þe customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s. {and} þis power þei han. þat þei may moeue a ma{n} fro 668 hys place. þat is to seyne from þe stablenes {and} p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of hys knowyng. but certys þei may not al arace hym ne alyene hy{m} in al. ¶ But I wolde þat þou woldest answere to þis.

¶ Remembrest þou þat 672 þou art a man

¶ Boice. ¶ Whi scholde I nat remembre þat q{uod} .I.

Philosophie. ¶ Maiste þou not telle me þan q{uod} sche what þing is a man.

¶ Axest not me q{uod} I. wheþir þat be a resonable best mortel. I 676 wot wel {and} I confesse wel þat I am it.

¶ Wistest þou neuer ȝit þat þou were ony oþer þing q{uod} she.