Part 36

but certis in þis manere he ne getiþ hym nat [[pg 85]] suffisaunce þat power forletiþ. {and} þat moleste p{re}keþ. {and} þat filþe makeþ outcaste. {and} þat derknesse hideþ.

and certis he þ{a}t desireþ only power he wastiþ {and} 2348 scatriþ rychesse {and} dispiseþ delices {and} eke hono{ur} þat is wiþ out power. ne he ne p{re}iseþ glorie no þing.

¶ Certys þus seest þou wel þat many þi{n}g{us} failen to hym. for he haþ somtyme faute of many necessites. 2352

{and} many anguysses biten hym

¶ {and} whan he may nat don þo defautes awey. he forleteþ to ben myȝty. {and} þat is þe þing þat he most desireþ.

{and} ryȝt þus may I make semblable resou{n}s of hono{ur}s {and} of glorie 2356 {and} of delices. ¶ For so as euery of þise forseide þinges is þe same þat þise oþer þinges ben. þat is to sein. al oon þing. who so þat euer sekeþ to geten þat oon of þise {and} nat þat oþer. he ne geteþ nat þat he 2360 desireþ.

Boice. ¶ what seist þou þan yif þat a man coueiteþ to geten alle þise þinges to gider.

P. Certys q{uo}d she .I. wolde seie þat he wolde geten hym souereyne blisfulnes. but þat shal he nat fynde in þo þinges 2364 þat .I. haue shewed þat ne mowe nat ȝeuen þat þei by-heten.

boice. Certys no q{uo}d .I.

¶ þan q{uod} she ne sholden men nat by no weye seken blysfulnesse in swiche þinges as men wenen þat þei ne mowe 2368 ȝeuen but o þing senglely of alle þ{a}t me{n} seken.

I graunt wel q{uo}d .I. ne no soþer þing ne may nat ben said.

P. ¶ Now hast þou þan q{uo}d she þe forme {and} þe causes of false welefulnesse. ¶ Now turne {and} 2372 flitte þe eyen of þi þouȝt. for þere shalt þou seen an oon þilk verray blysfulnesse þ{a}t I haue byhyȝt þee.

b. Certys q{uo}d .I. it is cler {and} opyn. þouȝ þat it were to a blynde man. {and} þat shewedest þou me [ful wel] a 2376 lytel her byforne. whan þou enforcedest þe to shewe me [[pg 86]] þe causes of þe false blysfulnesse

¶ For but yif I be by-giled. þan is þilke þe verray p{er}fit blisfulnesse þat p{er}fitly makiþ a man suffisau{n}t. myȝty. hono{ur}able noble. 2380 {and} ful of gladnesse. {and} for þou shalt wel knowe þat I haue wel vndirstonden þise þinges wiþ i{n}ne myne herte. I knowe wel þilke blisfulnesse þat may verrayly ȝeuen on of þe forseide þinges syn þei ben al oon .I. knowe 2384 douteles þat þilke þing is þe fulle of blysfulnesse.

P. O my nurry q{uod} she by þis oppiniou{n} q{uo}d she I sey þat þou art blisful yif þou putte þis þer to þat I shal seine.

what is þat q{uo}d .I.

¶ Trowest þou þat 2388 þer be any þing in þis erþely mortal toumblyng þinges þat may bryngen þis estat.

Certys q{uo}d I trowe it nat. {and} þou hast shewed me wel þat ouer þilke goode þer is no þing more to ben desired.

P. þise þinges þan 2392 q{uo}d she. þat is to seyne erþely suffisaunce {and} power. {and} swiche þinges eyþer þei semen likenesse of verray goode. or ellys it semeþ þat þei ȝeuen to mortal folk a maner of goodes þat ne ben nat perfit. ¶ But þilke 2396 goode þat is verray {and} p{er}fit. þat may þei nat ȝeuen.

boice. I. accorde me wel q{uo}d .I.

þan q{uo}d she for as moche as þou hast knowen whiche is þilke verray blisfulnesse. {and} eke whiche þilke þinges ben þat lien 2400 falsly blisfulnesse. þat is to seyne. þat by desceit seme{n} verray goodes.

¶ Now byhoueþ þe to knowe{n} *whennes {and} where þou mowe seek þilke verray blisfulnesse. ¶ Certys q{uo}d I þat desijr I gretly {and} 2404 haue abiden longe tyme to herkene it.

¶ But for as moche q{uo}d she as it likeþ to my disciple plato in his book of i{n} thimeo. þat in ryȝt lytel þinges men sholde bysechen þe helpe of god. ¶ what iugest þou þat be 2408 to done so þat we may deserue to fynde þe sete of [[pg 87]] þilke souereyne goode.

B. ¶ Certys q{uo}d .I. I. deme þat we shulle clepen to þe fadir of alle goodes. ¶ For wiþ outen hym nis þer no þing founden aryȝt.

þou seist 2412 a-ryȝt q{uo}d she. and bygan on-one to syngen ryȝt þus.

O QUI PERPETUA.

++O þou fadir creatour of heuene {and} of erþes þat gouernest þis worlde by p{er}durable resou{n} þat comaundist þe tymes for to gon from tyme þat age had 2416 bygy{n}ny{n}g. þou þat dwellest þi self ay stedfast {and} stable {and} ȝiuest alle oþer þinges to ben moeued.

ne forein causes necesseden þe neuer to co{m}poune werke of floterynge mater. but only þe forme of souereyne 2420 goode y-set wiþ i{n}ne [þe] wiþ outen envie þat moeued þe frely.