Part 37

þou þat art alþerfairest beryng þe faire worlde in þi þouȝt. formedest þis worlde to þe likkenesse semblable of þat faire worlde in þi þouȝt. þou drawest 2424 alle þinges of þi souereyne ensampler. {and} comaundedist þat þis worlde p{er}fitlyche ymaked haue frely {and} absolut hyse p{er}fit parties.

¶ þou byndest þe elementȝ by noumbres p{ro}porcionables. þat þe colde þinges 2428 mowen accorde wiþ þe hote þinges. {and} þe drye þi{n}ges wiþ þe moyst þinges.

þat þe fire þat is purest ne fleye nat ouer heye. ne þat þe heuynesse ne drawe nat adou{n} ouer lowe þe erþes þat ben plounged in þe watres. 2432

¶ þou knyttest to-gidre þe mene soule of treble kynde moeuyng alle þinges. {and} diuidest it by membres accordynge.

¶ And whan it is þus diuided it haþ assembled a moeuyng in two roundes. ¶ It goþ to to{ur}ne 2436 aȝein to hym owen self. {and} environeþ a fulle deep [[pg 88]] þouȝt. {and} to{ur}niþ þe heuene by semblable ymage.

þou by eue{n}lyk causes enhau{n}sest þe soules {and} þe lasse liues {and} ablynge hem heye by lyȝt cartes. 2440

þou sewest hem in to heuene {and} in to erþe. {and} whan þei ben conuertid to þe by þi benigne lawe. ¶ þou makest hem retorne aȝeine to þe by aȝein ledyng fijr.

¶ O fadir yif þou to þi þouȝt to stien vp in to þi streite sete. 2444 {and} graunte to enviroune þe welle of good.

{and} þe lyȝte yfounde graunte hym to ficchen þe clere syȝtes of hys corage in þe. ¶ And scatre þou {and} to-breke þe weyȝtes {and} þe cloudes of erþely heuynesse. 2448 {and} shyne þou by þi bryȝtnes.

for þou art clernesse þou art peisible to debonaire folke. ¶ þou þi self art bygy{n}ny{n}ge. berere. ledere. paþ {and} t{er}me to loke on þe [þat] is oure ende. Glose. 2452

QUONIAM IGITUR QUI SCIT.

++FOr as moche þan as þou hast seyn. whiche is þe forme of goode þat nys nat p{er}fit. {and} whiche is þe forme of goode þat is p{er}fit. now trowe I þat it were goode to shewe in what þis p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of blisfulnesse is 2456 set.

{and} in þis þing I trowe þat we sholden first enquere forto witen yif þat any swiche manere goode as þilke goode þat þou hast diffinissed a lytel her byforne. þat is to seine souereyne goode may be founden in þe nature 2460 of þinges. For þat veyne ymaginac{i}ou{n} of þouȝt ne desceiue vs nat. {and} putte vs oute of þe soþefastnesse of þilke þinge þat is su{m}myttid to vs. þis is to seyne. but it may nat ben denoyed þat þilke goode ne is. 2464 ¶ and þat it nis ryȝt as a welle of alle goodes.

¶ For al þing þat is cleped i{n}p{er}fit. is proued i{n}p{er}fit by þe [[pg 89]] amenusynge of p{er}fecc{i}ou{n}. or of þing þat is p{er}fit.

{and} her of comeþ it. þat in euery þing general. yif þat. 2468 þat men seen any þing þat is i{n}p{er}fit *certys in þilke general þer mot ben so{m}me þing þat is p{er}fit. ¶ For yif so be þat p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} is don awey. men may nat þinke nor seye fro whe{n}nes þilke þing is þat is cleped inperfit. 2472

¶ For þe nature of þinges ne token nat her bygynnyng of þinges amenused {and} i{n}p{er}fit. but it p{ro}cediþ of þi{n}g{us} þat ben al hool. {and} absolut. {and} descendeþ so doune in to outerest þinges {and} in to þi{n}g{us} empty {and} 2476 wiþ oute fruyt.

but as I haue shewed a litel her byforne. þat yif þer be a blisfulnesse þat be frele {and} vein {and} inp{er}fit. þer may no man doute. þat þer nys som blisfulnesse þat is sad stedfast {and} p{er}fit. b. þis is concludid 2480 q{uo}d I fermely {and} soþefastly.

P. But co{n}sidere also q{uo}d she in wham þis blisfulnesse enhabiteþ. þe co{m}mune acordaunce {and} conceite of þe corages of men p{ro}ueþ {and} graunteþ þat god p{r}ince of alle þi{n}g{us} is 2484 good.

¶ For so as no þing ne may ben þouȝt bettre þan god. it may nat ben douted þan þat [he þ{a}t] no þing is bettre. þat he nys good.

¶ Certys resou{n} sheweþ þat god is so goode þat it p{ro}ueþ by verray force þat p{er}fit 2488 goode is in hym.

¶ For yif god ne is swiche. he ne may nat ben p{r}ince of alle þinges. for certis som þing possessyng in hy{m} self p{er}fit goode sholde ben more þan god. {and} sholde seme þat þilke þing were first 2492 {and} elder þan god.

¶ For we han shewed ap{er}tly þat alle þinges þat ben p{er}fit. ben first or þinges þat ben inperfit.

¶ And for þi for as moche as my resou{n} or my p{ro}ces ne go nat awey wiþoute an ende. we 2496 ouȝt to graunten þat þe souereyne god is ryȝt ful of souereyne p{er}fit goode. [[pg 90]]

and we han establissed þat þe souereyne goode is verrey blisfulnesse. þan mot it nedes ben [þ{a}t verray blysfulnesse is] yset i{n} souereyne god. 2500 B. þis take I wel q{uo}d .I. ne þis ne may nat be wiþseid in no manere.

¶ But I p{re}ie þe q{uo}d she see now how þou mayst preuen holily {and} wiþ-oute{n} corrupciou{n} þis þat I haue seid. þat þe souereyne god is ryȝt ful of 2504 souereyne goode. [In whych man{er}e q{uo}d I.] wenest þou ouȝt q{uo}d she þat þis p{r}ince of alle þinges haue ytake þilke souereyne good any where þan of hym self. ¶ of whiche souereyne goode men p{ro}ueþ þat he is ful 2508 ryȝt as þou myȝtest þinken. þat god þat haþ blisfulnesse in hym self. {and} þat ilke blisfulnesse þat is in hym were diu{er}s in substaunce.

¶ For yif þou wene þat god haue receyued þilke good oute of hy{m} self. þou 2512 mayst wene þat he þat ȝaf þilke good to god. be more goode þan is god.

¶ But I am byknowen {and} confesse {and} þat ryȝt dignely þat god is ryȝt worþi abouen alle þinges.

¶ And yif so be þat þis good be in hym by 2516 nature. but þat it is diu{er}s from by wenyng resou{n}. syn we speke of god p{r}ince of alle þinges feyne who so feyne may. who was he þat co{n}ioigned þise diu{er}s þinges to-gidre.