Part 29

¶ But I reto{ur}ne aȝeyne to þe studies of meen. 1816 of whiche men þe corage alwey rehersiþ {and} seekeþ þe [[pg 67]] souereyne goode of alle be it so þ{a}t it be wiþ a derke memorie [but he not by whiche paath].

¶ Ryȝt as a dronke ma{n} not nat by whiche paþe he may reto{ur}ne 1820 home to hys house.

¶ Semeþ it þanne þat folk folyen {and} erren þat enforcen he{m} to haue nede of no þing

¶ Certys þer nys non oþer þing þat may so weel p{er}fo{ur}ny blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuo{us} *of alle 1824 goodes þat ne haþ nede of none oþer þing. but þat it is suffisant of hy{m} self. vnto hym self.

and foleyen swyche folk þanne. þat wenen þat þilk þing þ{a}t is ryȝt goode. þat it be eke ryȝt worþi of honour {and} of 1828 reuerence.

¶ Certis nay. for þat þing nys neyþer foule ne worþi to ben dispised þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of mortel folke trauaille forto geten it.

¶ And power auȝt nat þat eke to be rekened amonges goodes

what ellis. 1832 for it nys nat to wene þat þilke þing þat is most worþi of alle þinges be feble {and} wiþ out strengþe {and} clernesse of renou{n} auȝte þat to ben dispised.

¶ Certys þer may no man forsake þat al þing þat is ryȝt excellent 1836 {and} noble. þat it ne semeþ to be ryȝt clere {and} renomed.

¶ For certis it nediþ nat to seie. þat blisfulnesse be anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greua{n}ces ne to sorwes. syn þat in ryȝt litel þi{n}g{us} folk seken to 1840 haue {and} to vsen þat may deliten hem.

¶ Certys þise ben þe þi{n}ges þat men wolen {and} desyren to geten. and for þis cause desiren þei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and} delices ¶ For þerby wenen þei to han suffisau{n}ce 1844 hono{ur} power. renou{n} {and} gladnesse.

¶ þanne is it goode. þ{a}t men seken þus by so many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may lyȝtly be shew{e}d. how grete is þe strengþe of nature. [[pg 68]]

¶ For how so þat 1848 men han dyuerse sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge þe ende of goode.

Q{UA}NTAS RER{UM} FLECTAT.

++IT likeþ me to shew by subtil songe wiþ slakke {and} delitable sou{n} of strenges how þat nature myȝty enclineþ 1852 {and} flitteþ gouernementȝ of þinges ¶ {and} by whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepiþ þe grete worlde. {and} how she bindynge restreineþ alle þing{us} by a bonde þat may nat be vnbounden.

¶ Al be it so þat þe liou{n}s of 1856 þe contree of pene beren þe fair cheines. {and} taken metes of þe handes of folk þat ȝeuen it hem. {and} dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche þei ben wont to suffren [betinges]. yif þat hir horrible mouþes ben bi-bled. 1860 þat is to sein of bestes devoured. ¶ Hir corage of tyme passeþ þat haþ ben ydel {and} rested. repaireþ aȝein þat þei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir nature. {and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. 1864 and hir maistre first to-teren wiþ blody toþe assaieþ þe woode wraþþes of hem. ¶ þis is to sein þei freten hir maister.

¶ And þe Iangland brid þat syngiþ on þe heye braunches. þis is to sein in þe wode {and} 1868 after is inclosed in a streit cage. ¶ al þouȝ [þ{a}t] þe pleiyng besines of men ȝeueþ hem honied drinkes {and} large metes. wiþ swete studie. ¶ ȝit naþeles yif þilke brid skippynge oute of hir streite cage seeþ þe 1872 agreable shadewes of þe wodes. she defouleþ wiþ hir fete hir metes yshad {and} sekeþ mournyng oonly þe wode {and} twitriþ desirynge þe wode wiþ hir swete voys.

¶ þe ȝerde of a tree þat is haled adou{n} by myȝty 1876 strengþe bowiþ redely þe croppe adou{n}. but yif þat þe [[pg 69]] hande of hym þat it bente lat it gon aȝein. ¶ An oon þe crop lokeþ vp ryȝt to heuene.

¶ þe sonne phebus þat failleþ at euene in þe westrene wawes retorniþ aȝein 1880 eftsones his cart by a priue paþe þere as it is wont aryse.

¶ Alle þinges seken aȝein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle þinges reioisen hem of hir retournynge aȝein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis bytaken to 1884 þi{n}ges but þat.

þat haþ ioignynge þe endynge to þe bygynnynge. {and} haþ makid þe cours of it self stable þat it chaungeþ nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.

VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA.

*++CErtis also ȝe men þat ben erþelich{e} bestes dreme{n} 1888 alwey [yowre bygynnynge] al þouȝ it be wiþ a þinne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner þouȝt al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ȝe looken from a fer til þilk 1891 verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and þerfore þe naturel entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ ȝow to þilk verray good ¶ But many manere errours misto{ur}niþ ȝow þer fro.

¶ Considere now yif þat be þilke þinges by whiche a man weniþ to gete hym blysfulnesse. yif þat he may comen 1896 to þilke ende þat he weneþ to come by nature

¶ For yif þat moneye or hono{ur}s or þise oþer forseide þinges bryngen to men swiche a þing þat no goode ne faille hem. ne semeþ faille. ¶ Certys þan wil I graunt 1900 þat þei ben maked blisful. by þilke þinges þat þei han geten.

¶ but yif so be þat þilke þi{n}ges ne mowe nat p{er}fo{ur}men þat þei by-heten {and} þat þer be defaute of many goodes. ¶ Sheweþ it nat þan clerely þ{a}t fals 1904 beaute of blisfulnesse is knowe {and} a-teint in þilke þinges. ¶ First {and} forward þou þi self þat haddest haboundaunces of rycchesses nat long agon. [[pg 70]]

¶ I axe ȝif þat in þe haboundaunce of alle þilk rycchesses 1908 þou were neuer anguissous or sory in þi corage of any wrong or greuau{n}ce þat by-tidde þe on any syde.

¶ Certys q{uo}d I it remembreþ me nat þat euere I was so free of my þouȝt. þat I ne was al-wey in anguysh{e} of 1912 somwhat.