Part 42

++THanne seide I thus // I acorde me gretly to plato / for thow remenbrist {and} recordist me thise thinges yit]

*þe seconde tyme. þat is to seyn. first whan I lost my memorie by þe co{n}tagioũs coniuncc{i}ou{n} of þe body wiþ 2876 þe soule. {and} eftsones afterward whan I lost it co{n}founded by þe charge {and} by þe burden of my sorwe.

¶ And þan sayde she þus. ¶ If þou look q{uo}d she firste þe þinges þat þou hast graunted it ne shal nat 2880 ben ryȝt feer þat þou ne shalt remembren þilke þing þat [[pg 102]] þou seidest þat þou nistest nat.

what þing q{uo}d I.

¶ by whiche gouerme{n}t q{uo}d she þat þis worlde is gouerned.

Me remembriþ it wel q{uo}d I. {and} I confesse 2884 wel þat I ne wist it nat ¶ But al be it so þat I se now fro{m} afer what þou p{ur}posest ¶ Algates I desire ȝit to herkene it of þe more pleynely.

¶ þou ne wendest nat q{uo}d she a litel here byforne þat men 2888 sholden doute þat þis worlde is gouerned by god.

¶ Certys q{uo}d I ne ȝitte doute I it nauȝt. ne I nil neuer wene þat it were to doute. as who seiþ. but I wot wel þat god gouerneþ þis worlde. ¶ And I shal 2892 shortly answere þe by what resou{n}s I am brouȝt to þis.

¶ þis worlde q{uod} I of so many dyuerse {and} co{n}trarious p{ar}ties ne myȝten neuer han ben assembled in o forme. but yif þere ne were oon þat conioigned so many[e 2896 diu{er}se] þinges. ¶ And þe same diuersite of hire natures þat so discordeden þat oon fro þat oþer most dep{ar}ten {and} vnioigne{n} þe þi{n}ges þat ben co{n}ioigned. yif þere ne were oon þat contened þat he haþ co{n}ioigned 2900 {and} ybounde.

ne þe certein ordre of nature ne sholde. nat brynge furþe so ordinee moeuynge. by places. by tymes. by doynges. by spaces. by qualites. yif þere ne were oon þat were ay stedfast dwellynge. 2904 þat ordeyned {and} disposed þise diuersites of moeuynges.

¶ and þilke þinge what so euer it be. by whiche þat alle þinges ben maked {and} ylad. I clepe hym god þat is a worde þat is vsed to alle folke. 2908

þan seide she. syn þou felest þus þise þinges q{uo}d she. I trowe þat I haue lytel more to done. þat þou myȝty of wilfulnesse hool {and} sounde ne se eftsones þi contre.

¶ But lat vs loken þe þinges þat we han p{ur}posed her-byforn. [[pg 103]]

¶ Haue I nat nou{m}bred {and} seid q{uod} she 2913 þat suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse.

{and} we han accorded þat god is {and} þilke same blisfulnesse. ¶ yis forsoþe q{uo}d I. {and} þat to gouerne þis worlde q{uod} she. ne shal he 2916 neuer han nede of none helpe fro wiþoute.

for ellys yif he had nede of any helpe. he ne sholde not haue ful suffisau{n}ce. ȝis þus it mot nedes be q{uo}d I.

¶ þan ordeyneþ he by hym self al oon alle þinges q{uo}d 2920 she.

þat may nat ben denied q{uo}d I.

¶ And I haue shewed þat god is þe same good. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I. ¶ þan ordeineþ he alle þinges by þilke goode q{uod} she. Syn he whiche we han accorded to 2924 ben good gouerneþ alle þi{n}g{us} by hym self. {and} he is a keye {and} a stiere by whiche þat þe edifice of þis worlde is ykept stable {and} wiþ oute corumpynge

¶ I accorde me gretly q{uod} I. {and} I ap{er}ceiuede a litel here byforn 2928 þat þou woldest seyne þus. Al be it so þat it were by a þinne suspeciou{n}.

I trowe it wel q{uo}d she. ¶ For as I trowe þou leedest nowe more ententifly þine eyen to loken þe verray goodes ¶ but naþeles þe þinges þat I 2932 shal telle þe ȝit ne sheweþ nat lasse to loken.

what is þat q{uo}d I.

¶ So as men trowen q{uo}d she {and} þat ryȝtfully þat god gouerneþ alle þinges by þe keye of his goodnesse. ¶ And alle þise same þinges as I 2936 tauȝt þe. hasten hem by naturel ente{n}c{i}ou{n} to comen to goode þer may no man doute{n}. þat þei ne ben gouerned uoluntariely. {and} þat þei ne conuerten nat of her owe{n} wille to þe wille of hire ordeno{ur}. 2940

as þei þat ben accordyng {and} enclinynge to her gouerno{ur} {and} her kyng. [[pg 104]]

¶ It mot nedys be so q{uo}d. I.

*¶ For þe realme ne sholde not seme blisful ȝif þere were a ȝok of mysdrawynges in diu{er}se p{ar}ties ne þe sauynge of 2944 obedient þinges ne sholde nat be.

þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þ{a}t kepiþ hys nature[;] þat enforceþ hym to gone aȝeyne god.

¶ No q{uo}d. I.