Part 41

For certes in the beestys the loue of hyr lyuynges ne of 2780 hyr beeinges ne comth nat of the wilnynges of the sowle // but of the bygynnyngis of natur{e} //

For certes thorw constreynynge causes / wil desireth {and} embraceth ful ofte tyme / the deth þ{a}t natur{e} dredith // that is to seyn [[pg 99]] as thus that a man may ben constreynyd so by som 2785 cause that his wil desireth and taketh the deth which þ{a}t natur{e} hateth {and} dredeth ful sore //

And som tyme we seeth the contrarye / as thus that the wil of a wight / 2788 destorbeth {and} constreyneth þ{a}t þ{a}t natur{e} desireth / and requereth al-wey // that is to sein the werk of gen{er}aciou{n} / by the whiche gen{er}aciou{n} only / dwelleth {and} is sustenyd the longe durablete of mortal thinges //

And thus 2792 this charite and this Loue þ{a}t eu{er}y thing hath to hym self ne comth nat of the moeuynge of the sowle / but of the entenciou{n} of natur{e} //

For the puruyance of god hat yeuen to thinges þ{a}t ben creat of hym / this þ{a}t is 2796 a ful gret cause / to lyuen {and} to duren / for which they desiren naturelly hyr lyf as longe as eu{er} they mowen //

For wych thou maist nat drede by no manere / that alle the thinges / that ben anywher{e} / that they ne requeren 2800 naturelly / the ferme stablenesse of p{er}durable dwellynge / and ek the eschuynge of destruccyou{n} //

B // now confesse I. wel q{uod} I. that I. see wel now certeynly / w{i}t{h} owte dowtes / the thinges that whylom semeden 2804 vncerteyn to me /

P. // but q{uod} she thilke thyng þ{a}t desiretħ to be {and} to dwellyn p{er}durablely / he desireth to ben oon // For yif þ{a}t that oon weer{e} destroied // certes beinge ne shulde ther non dwellyn to no wiht //

that 2808 is sotħ q{uod} I. //

Thanne q{uod} she desirin alle thinges oon //

.I. assente q{uod} .I. //

{and} I haue shewyd q{uod} she that thilke same oon is thilke that is good //

B // ye forsothe q{uod} I. //

Alle thinges thanne q{uod} she requyren 2812 good // And thilke good thanne [þow] maist descryuen ryht thus // Good is thilke thing þ{a}t euery wyht desireth //

Ther ne may be thowht q{uod} .I. no moor{e} verray thing / for either alle thinges ben referred {and} 2816 browht to nowht / {and} floteryn w{i}t{h} owte gou{er}nour despoiled of oon / as of hir propre heued / or elles yif [[pg 100]] ther be any thinge / to which þ{a}t alle thinges tenden {and} hyen / that thing moste ben the souereyn good of 2820 alle goodes /

P /. thanne seyde she thus // O my norry q{uod} she I haue gret gladnesse of the // For thow hast fichched in thin herte the myddel sothtfastnesse // that is to seyn the prykke // but this thing hath ben 2824 descouered to the / in that thow seydyst þ{a}t thow wystest nat a lytel her by-forn //

what was th{a}t q{uod} I. //

That thow ne wystest nat q{uod} she whych was the ende of thinges // and Certes that is the thing þ{a}t 2828 eu{er}y wiht desireth // and for as mochel as we han gaderid / {and} co{m}p{re}hendyd that good is thilke thing that is desired of alle / thanne moten we nedes confessun / that good is the fyn of alle thinges. 2832

QUISQUIS P{RO}FUNDA MENTE.

++WHo so that sekith sotħ by a deep thoght And coueyteth nat to ben deseyuyd by no mys-weyes // lat hym rollen {and} trenden w{i}t{h} Inne hym self / the Lyht of his inward syhte // And lat hym gader{e} ayein enclynynge 2836 in to a compas the longe moeuynges of hys thowhtes /

And lat hym techen his corage that he hath enclosed {and} hyd / in his tresors / al þ{a}t he compaseth or sekith fro w{i}t{h} owte //

And thanne thilke thing that the 2840 blake cloude of errour whilom hadde y-couered / shal lyhten more clerly tha{n}ne pheb{us} hym self ne shyneth //

Glosa // who so wole seken the dep grounde / of soth 2843 in his thowht / {and} wol nat be deceyuyd by false p{ro}posiciou{n}s / that goon amys fro the trouthe // lat hym wel examine / {and} rolle w{i}t{h} inne hym self the natur{e} {and} the p{ro}pretes of the thing // and lat hym yit eft sones examine {and} rollen his thowhtes by good deliberaciou{n} 2848 or that he deme // and lat hym techen his sowle that it [[pg 101]] hat by naturel pryncyplis kyndeliche y-hyd w{i}t{h} in it self alle the trowthe the whiche he ymagynith to ben in thinges w{i}t{h} owte // And thanne alle the dyrknesse of 2852 his mysknowynge shal seen more euydently to [þe] syhte of his vndyrstondynge thanne the sonne ne semyth to [þe] syhte w{i}t{h} owte forth /

For certes the body bryngynge the weyhte of foryetynge / ne hath nat chasyd 2856 owt of yowr{e} thowhte al the clernesse of yowre knowyng //

For certeynly the seed of sooth haldith {and} clyueth w{i}t{h} in yowr{e} corage / {and} it is a-waked {and} excited by the wynde {and} by the blastes of doctryne //

For wher{e} 2860 for elles demen ye of yowr{e} owne wyl the ryhtes whan ye ben axed // but yif so wer{e} þ{a}t the noryssynges of resou{n} ne lyuede .I.-plowngyd in the depthe of yowr{e} herte // this to seyn how sholden men demen þe 2864 sooth of any thing þ{a}t weer{e} axed / yif ther neer{e} a Roote of sothfastnesse þ{a}t weer{e} yplowngyd {and} hyd in the natur{e} pryncyplis / the whiche sothfastnesse lyued w{i}t{h} in the depnesse of the thowght //

{and} yif 2868 so be þ{a}t the Muse {and} the doctryne of plato syngyth sooth // al þ{a}t eu{er}y whyht lerneth / he ne doth no thing elles tha{n}ne but recordeth as me{n} recordyn thinges þ{a}t ben foryetyn. 2872

TUM EGO PLATONI INQ{UA}M.