Part 39

¶ For þerfore is suffisaunce requered. For it is demed to ben good. {and} forþi is power requered. for men trowen also 2608 þat it be goode. and þis same þing mowe we þinken {and} coueiten of reuerence {and} of noblesse {and} of delit.

þan is souereyne good þe soume {and} þe cause of alle þat auȝt be desired.

forwhi þilke þing þat wiþ-holdeþ no 2612 good in it self ne semblaunce of goode it ne may nat wel in no manere be desired ne requered.

{and} þe contrarie. For þouȝ þat þinges by hir nature ne ben nat goode algates yif men wene þat þei be{n} goode ȝit ben 2616 þei desired as þouȝ [þ{a}t] þei were verrayly goode.

{and} þerfore is it þat men auȝte{n} to wene by ryȝt þat bounte be souereyne fyn {and} þe cause of alle þinges þat ben to requeren.

¶ But certis þilke þ{a}t is cause for whiche 2620 men requeren any þing. ¶ it semeþ þat þilke same þing be most desired.

as þus yif þat a wyȝt wolde ryde for cause of hele. he ne desireþ nat so mychel þe moeuyng to ryden as þe effect of his heele. [[pg 94]]

Now þan 2624 syn þat alle þinges ben requered for þe grace of good. þei ne ben desired of alle folk more þan þe same good

¶ But we han graunted þat blysfulnesse is þat þing for whiche þat alle þise oþer þinges ben desired. 2628 þan is it þus þat certis only blisfulnesse is requered {and} desired ¶ By whiche þing it sheweþ clerely þat good {and} blisfulnesse is al oone {and} þe same substaunce.

¶ I se nat q{uo}d I wher fore þat men myȝt discorden 2632 in þis.

p. {and} we han shewed þat god {and} verrey blysfulnesse is al oon þing

¶ þat is soþe q{uod} .I.

þan mowe we conclude sikerly þ{a}t þe substaunce of god is set in þilke same good {and} in noon oþer place. 2636

NUNC OMNES PARITER {ET}C.

++O Comeþ alle to-gidre now ȝe þat ben ycauȝt {and} ybounde wiþ wicked cheines by þe deceiuable delit of erþely þinges inhabytynge in ȝoure þouȝt. here shal ben þe reste of ȝoure laboures. here is þe hauene 2640 stable in peisible quiete. þis al oone is þe open refut to wreches.

Glosa. þis is to seyn. þat ȝe þat ben combred {and} deceyued wiþ worldly affecc{i}ou{n}s comeþ now to þis souereyne good þat is god. þat is refut to hem þat 2644 wolen come to hym.

Textus. ¶ Alle þe þinges þat þe ryuere Tagus ȝiueþ ȝow wiþ his golden grauels. or ellys alle þe þynges þat þe ryuere herm{us}. ȝiueþ wiþ his rede brynke. or þat yndus ȝiueþ þat is nexte þe hote 2648 p{ar}tie of þe worlde. þat medeleþ þe grene stones (smaragd{e}) wiþ þe white (margarits). ne sholde nat cleren þe lokynge of ȝoure þoȝt. but hiden raþer ȝoure blynde corages wiþ i{n}ne hire dirkenesse

¶ Alle þat 2652 likeþ ȝow here {and} excitiþ {and} moeueþ ȝoure þouȝtes. þe erþe haþ noryshed it in hys lowe caues. but þe [[pg 95]] shynyng by þe whiche þe heuene is gouerned {and} whennes þat it haþ hys strengþe þat chaseþ þe derke 2656 ouerþrowyng of þe soule.

¶ And who so euer may knowen þilke lyȝt of blisfulnesse. he shal wel seine þat þe white bemes of þe sonne ne ben nat cleer.

ASSENCIOR INQ{UA}M CUNCTA. Boice.

++I assent me q{uo}d .I. For alle þise þinges ben 2660 strongly bounden wiþ ryȝt ferme resou{n}s.

how mychel wilt þou p{re}isen it q{uo}d she. yif þat þou knowe what þilke goode is.

I wol p{re}ise it q{uo}d I by price wiþ outen ende. ¶ yif it shal bytyde me to 2664 knowe also to-gidre god þat is good.

¶ certys q{uo}d she þ{a}t shal I do þe by verray resou{n}.

yif þat þo þinges þat I haue conclude a litel her by *forne dwellen oonly in hir first graunty{n}g.

Boice. þei dwellen graunted 2668 to þe q{uo}d .I. þis is to seyne as who seiþ .I. graunt þi forseide conclusiou{n}s.

¶ Haue I nat shewed þe q{uo}d she þat þe þinges þat ben requered of many folke. ne ben nat verray goodes ne p{er}fit. for þei ben diu{er}se þat 2672 oon fro þat oþer. {and} so as eche of hem is lakkyng to oþer. þei ne han no power to bryngen a good þ{a}t is ful {and} absolute.

¶ But þan atte arst ben þei verray good whan þei ben gadred to-gidre al in to a forme {and} in 2676 to oon wirchy{n}g. so þat þilke þing þat is suffisaunce. þilk same be power {and} reuerence. {and} noblesse {and} mirþe.