Part 16

No q{uod} .I.

now wot I q{uod} she oþer cause of þi maladie {and} þat ryȝt grete ¶ Þou hast left forto 680 knowe þi self what þou art. þoruȝ whiche I haue pleynelyche knowen þe cause of þi maladie. or ellis þe entre of recoueryng of þin hele.

¶ Forwhy for þou art co{n}founded wiþ forȝetyng of þi self. forþi sorwest 684 þou þat þou art exiled of þi p{ro}pre goodes. ¶ And for þou ne wost what is þe ende of þinges. for[þi] demest [þou] þat felono{us} {and} wikked men ben myȝty {and} weleful for þou hast forȝeten by whiche gouernementȝ þe worlde 688 is gouerned. ¶ Forþi wenest þou þat þise mutac{i}ou{n}s of fortune fleten wiþ oute{n} gouerno{ur}.

þise ben grete causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to deeþ

¶ But I þanke þe auctour {and} þe makere of 692 heele þat nat{ur}e haþ not al forleten þe.

{and} I haue gete norissinges of þi hele. {and} þat is þe soþe sentence of gou{er}nau{n}ce of þe worlde.

þat þou byleuest þat þe gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696 to þe folie *of þise happes auenterouses. but to þe resou{n} of god ¶ And þer fore doute þe noþing. For of þis litel spark þine heet of lijf schal shine.

¶ But for as muche as it is not tyme ȝitte of fastere remedies 700 ¶ And þe nature of þouȝtes disseiued is þis þat as ofte as þei casten aweye soþe opyniou{n}s: þei cloþen hem in fals opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] þe derknesse of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexeþ vp. þat comfoundeþ þe verray 704 insyȝt. {and} þat derkenes schal .I. say somwhat to maken þi{n}ne {and} wayk by lyȝt {and} meenelyche remedies. so þat after þat þe derknes of desseyuynge desyrynges is don awey. þou mow knowe þe schynyng 708 of verray lyȝt.

NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.

++ÞE sterres cou{er}ed wiþ blak cloudes ne mowen geten a dou{n} no lyȝt.

Ȝif þe trouble wy{n}de þat hyȝt auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g þe see medleþ þe 712 heete þat is to seyne þe boylyng vp from þe botme ¶ Þe wawes þ{a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and} lyke to þe fair bryȝt dayes wiþstant anon þe syȝtes of men. by þe filþe {and} ordure þat is resolued. 716 {and} þe fletyng streme þat royleþ dou{n} dyuersely fro heyȝe mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme by þe encountrynge of a stoon þ{a}t is dep{ar}tid {and} fallen from some roche. 720

¶ And forþi yif þou wilt loken {and} demen soþe wiþ clere lyȝt. {and} holde þe weye wiþ a ryȝt paþe.

¶ Weyue þou ioie. drif fro þe drede. fleme þou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.

þat is to sein lat noon of þise four passiou{n}s ouer come þe. 724 or blynde þe.

for cloudy {and} dirke is þilk þouȝt {and} bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as þise þinges regnen.

EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.

INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.

POSTEA LISPER CONTICUIT.

++After þis she stynte a litel. and after þat she hadde gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728 seide þus.

¶ As who so myȝt seye þus. After þise þinges she stynt a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued by atempre stillenesse þat I was ententif to herkene hire. she bygan to speke in þis wyse. ¶ Yif 732 I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly þe [[pg 30]] causes {and} þe habit of þi maladie. þou languissed {and} art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of þi raþer fortune.

¶ She þat ilke fortune only þat is chaunged as þou 736 feinest to þe ward. haþ p{er}uerted þe clerenesse {and} þe astat of þi corage.

¶ I vnderstonde þe felefolde colo{ur} {and} deceites of þilke merueillous monstre fortune. and how she vseþ ful flatryng familarite wiþ hem 740 þat she enforceþ to bygyle. so longe til þat she co{n}founde wiþ vnsuffreable sorwe hem þat she haþ left in despeir vnpurueyed.

¶ and if þou remembrest wel þe kynde þe maners {and} þe desert of þilke fortune. þow 744 shalt wel knowe as in hir þou neuer ne haddest ne hast ylost any fair þing. But as I trowe I shal not gretly trauaile to don þe remembren of þise þinges.

¶ For þou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748 wiþ manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and} presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wiþ sentences þat were drawe{n} oute of myne entre. þat is to seyne out of myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n}

¶ But no sudeyne mutac{i}ou{n} ne 752 bytideþ nat wiþ oute{n} a maner chau{n}gyng of curages. and so is it byfallen þat þou art dep{ar}ted a litel fro þe pees of þi þouȝt.

but now is tyme þat þou drynke {and} atast some softe {and} delitable þinges. so þat whan 756 þei ben entred wiþ i{n}ne þe. it mow make weye to strenger drynkes of medycynes.

¶ Com nowe furþe þerfore þe suasiou{n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche þat goþ oonly þe ryȝt wey whil she forsakeþ not myne 760 estatutȝ. ¶ And wiþ Rethorice com forþe musice a damoisel of oure house þat syngeþ now lyȝter moedes or p{ro}lac{i}ou{n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]

*what ayleþ þe man. what is it þat haþ cast þe in to murnyng {and} in to wepyng. 764 I trow þat þou hast sen some newe þing {and} uncouþe.