Part 27

weenesthow thanne þ{a}t thow owhtest to leten this a lytel thing / þ{a}t this aspre {and} horible fortune hath discoueryd to the / the thowhtes of thy trewe frendes // For-why this ilke fortune 1668 hath departyd {and} vncou{er}yd to the bothe the [[pg 62]] certeyn vysages {and} ek the dowtos visages of thy felawes // wha{n} she dep{ar}tyd awey fro the / she took awey hyr frendes {and} lafte the thyne frendes // 1672

now whan thow wer{e} ryche {and} weleful as the semede / w{i}t{h} how mochel woldesthow han bowht the fulle knowynge of this // þ{a}t is to seyn the knowynge of thy verray freendes //

now pleyne the nat thanne of Rychesse 1676 .I.-lorn syn thow hast fowndyn the moste p{re}syos kynde of Rychesses þ{a}t is to seyn thy verray frendes.

QUOD MU{N}DUS STABILI FIDE.

++THat þ^e world w{i}t{h} stable feith / varieth acordable chaungynges //

þ{a}t the contraryos qualite of elementȝ 1680 holden among{e} hem self aliau{n}ce p{er}durable / þ{a}t pheb{us} the sonne w{i}t{h} his goldene chariet / bryngeth forth the rosene day / þ{a}t the mone hath {com}mau{n}dement ou{er} the nyhtes // whiche nyhtes hesp{er}us the eue sterre hat browt // 1684

þ{a}t þ^e se gredy to flowen constreyneth w{i}t{h} a certeyn ende hise floodes / so þ{a}t it is nat lueful to strechche hise brode termes or bowndes vp-on the erthes // þ{a}t is to seyn to cou{er}e alle the erthe //

Al this a-cordau{n}ce of thinges 1688 is bownden w{i}t{h} looue / þ{a}t gou{er}neth erthe {and} see / {and} hath also {com}mau{n}dementȝ to the heuenes /

{and} yif this looue slakede the brydelis / alle thinges þ{a}t now louen hem to gederes / wolden maken a batayle contynuely 1692 {and} stryuen to fordoon the fasou{n} of this worlde / the which they now leden in acordable feith by fayre moeuynges //

this looue halt to gideres poeples Ioygned w{i}t{h} an hooly bond / {and} knytteth sacrement of maryages 1696 of chaste looues // And loue enditeth lawes to trewe felawes //

O weleful weer{e} mankynde / yif thilke loue þ{a}t gouerneth heuene gouerned yowr{e} corages /

EXPLICIT LIB{ER} 2^us.

INCIPIT LIB{ER} 3^us.

IAM CANTU{M} ILLA FINIERAT.

++By this she hadde endid hir{e} song{e} / whan the swetnesse 1700 of hir{e} ditee hadde thorw p{er}ced me þ{a}t was desirous of herkninge /

{and} .I. astoned hadde yit streyhte myn Eres / þ{a}t is to seyn to herkne the bet / what she wolde seye //

so þ{a}t a litel her{e} aft{er} .I. seyde thus // O thow 1704 þ{a}t art sou{er}eyn comfort of Angwissos corages // So thow hast remou{n}ted {and} norysshed me w{i}t{h} the weyhte of thy sentenses {and} w{i}t{h} delit of thy syngynge // so þ{a}t .I. trowe nat now þ{a}t .I. be vnparygal to the strokes of fortune / as 1708 who seyth. I. dar wel now suffren al the assautes of fortune {and} wel deffende me fro hyr //

{and} tho remedies whyche þ{a}t thow seydest hir{e} byforn weren ryht sharpe Nat oonly p{a}t .I. am nat agrysen of hem now // but .I. desiros 1712 of herynge axe gretely to heeren tho remedyes //

than seyde she thus // þ{a}t feelede .I. ful wel q{uod} she // whan þ{a}t thow ententyf {and} stylle rauysshedest my wordes // {and} .I. abood til þ{a}t thow haddest swych habyte 1716 of thy thowght as thow hast now // or elles tyl þ{a}t .I. my self had maked to the the same habyt / which þ{a}t is a moore verray thing{e} //

And certes the remenau{n}t of thinges þ{a}t ben yit to seye / ben swyche // þ{a}t fyrst 1720 whan men tasten hem they ben bytynge / but whan they ben resseyuyd w{i}t{h}-inne a whyht than ben they swete //

but for thow seyst þ{a}t thow art so desirous to herkne hem // wit how gret brennynge woldesthow 1724 glowen / yif thow wystest whyder .I. wol leden the //

whydyr{e} is þ{a}t q{uod} .I. //

to thilke verray welefulnesse q{uod} she // of whyche thynge herte dremeth //

but for as moche as thy syhte is ocupied {and} distorbed / by 1728 Imagynasyon of herthely thynges / thow mayst nat yit sen thilke selue welefulnesse //

do q{uod} .I. {and} shewe me / what is thilke verray welefulnesse / .I. preye the [[pg 64]] w{i}t{h}-howte tarynge //

þ{a}t wole .I. gladly don q{uod} she / 1732 for the cause of the // but .I. wol fyrst marken the by wordes / {and} I wol enforcen me to enformen the // thilke false cause of blysfulnesse þ{a}t thow more knowest / so þ{a}t whan thow hast fully by-holden thilke false 1736 goodes {and} torned thyne eyen to þ{a}t oother syde / thow mowe knowe the clernesse of verray blysfulnesse //]

*QUI SERERE I{N}GENIUM.

¶ Who so wil sowe a felde plentiuous. lat hym first delyuer it of þornes {and} kerue asondre wiþ his hooke 1740 þe bushes {and} þe ferne so þat þe corne may come{n} heuy of eres {and} of greins.