Part 43

¶ And if þat any þi{n}g enforced hym to wiþstonde god. myȝt it auayle at 2948 þe laste aȝeyns hym þat we han g{ra}unted to ben al myȝty by þe ryȝt of blisfulnesse. ¶ Certis q{uo}d I al outerly it ne myȝt nat auaylen hym.

þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þat eyþer wol or may wiþstonde to þis 2952 souereyne good.

¶ I trowe nat q{uo}d. I

¶ þan is þilke þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat alle þi{n}g{us} gouerneþ strongly {and} ordeyneþ hem softly.

þa{n} seide I þus. I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in þe endes or in þe 2956 so{m}mes of resou{n}s þat þou hast concludid {and} p{ro}ued. ¶ But þilke wordes þat þ{o}u vsest deliten me moche more. ¶ So at þe last fooles þat so{m}tyme renden greet þinges auȝte{n} ben asshamed of hem 2960 self.

¶ þat is to seyne þ{a}t we fooles þat rep{re}henden wickedly þe þi{n}g{us} þat touchen goddes gouernaunce we auȝte{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I þat seide god refuseþ oonly þe werkes of men. {and} ne entremetiþ nat 2964 of he{m}.

p. þou hast wel herd q{uo}d she þe fables of þe poetes. how þe geauntes assailden þe heuene wiþ þe goddes. but for soþe þe debonaire force of god disposed hem so as it was worþi. þat is to seyne distroied þe 2968 geauntes. as it was worþi. ¶ But wilt þou þat we ioygnen togedre þilke same resou{n}s. for p{er}auenture of swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire sp{er}kele of soþe

¶ Do q{uo}d I as þe list.

wenest þou q{uo}d she 2972 þat god ne is almyȝty. no man is in doute of it. [[pg 105]]

Certys q{uo}d I no wyȝt ne defendiþ it if he be in hys mynde.

but he q{uo}d she þat is al myȝty þere nis no þing þat he ne may do.

þat is soþe q{uo}d I.

May god done yuel 2976 q{uo}d she.

nay for soþe q{uo}d. I.

¶ þan is yuel no þing q{uo}d she. ¶ Syn þat he ne may not done yuel þat may done alle þinges.

scornest þou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys pleyest þou or deceiuest þou me. þat hast so wouen me 2980 wiþ þi resou{n}s. þe house of didalus so entrelaced. þat it is vnable to ben vnlaced. þou þat oþer while entrest þere þou issest {and} oþer while issest þere þou entrest. ne fooldest þou nat to gidre by replicac{i}ou{n} of wordes a 2984 maner wondirful cercle or envirounynge of symplicite deuyne.

¶ For certys a litel her byforn{e} whan þou bygu{n}ne atte blisfulnesse þ{o}u seidest þat it is souereyne good. {and} seidest þat it is set in souereyne god. {and} þat 2988 god is þe ful blisfulnesse. for whiche þou ȝaf me as a couenable ȝifte. þat is to seyne þ{a}t no wyȝt nis blisful. but yif he be good al so þer wiþ

{and} seidest eke þat þe forme of goode is þe substaunce of god. {and} 2992 of blisfulnesse. {and} seidest þ{a}t þilke same oone is þilke same goode þat is requered {and} desired of al þe kynde of þinges.

{and} þou p{ro}euedest in disputynge þat god gouerneþ alle þinges of þe worlde by þe gouernementys 2996 of bountee. {and} seydest þat alle þinges wolen ybeyen to hym. and seidest þat þe nature of yuel nis no þing.

{and} þise þinges ne shewedest þou nat wiþ no resou{n}s ytake fro wiþoute but by proues in cercles {and} 3000 homelyche knowen. ¶ þe whiche p{ro}eues drawen to hem self hir feiþ {and} hir accorde eu{er}iche hem of oþer. þan seide she þus.

I ne scorne þe nat ne pleye ne desseyue þe. but I haue shewed to þe þinge þat is grettest ouer [[pg 106]] alle þinges by þe ȝifte of god þat we some tyme prayden 3005

¶ For þis is þe forme of deuyne substaunce. þat is swiche þat it ne slydeþ nat in to outerest foreine þinges. ne ne recyueþ no st{ra}nge þinges in hym. 3008

but ryȝt as p{ar}maynws seide in grek of þilke deuyne substaunce. he seide þus þat þilke deuyne substaunce torneþ þe worlde {and} þilke cercle moeueable of þinges while þilke dyuyne substau{n}ce kepiþ it self wiþ outen 3012 moeuynge.

þat *is to seyne þat it ne moeuiþ neuere mo. {and} ȝitte it moeueþ alle oþer þinges.

but na-þeles yif I stered resou{n}s þat ne ben nat taken fro wiþ oute þe compas of þe þinge of whiche we treten. but resou{n}s 3016 þat ben bystowed wiþ i{n}ne þat compas þere nis nat whi þat þou sholde merueylen. sen þou hast lerned by þe sentence of plato þat nedes þe wordes moten ben cosynes to þo þinges of whiche þei speken. 3020

FELIX QUI POTERIT. {ET} CET{ER}A.

++Blisful is þat man þat may seen þe clere welle of good. blisful is he þat may vnbynde hym fro þe bonde of heuy erþe.

¶ þe poete of t{ra}ce [orphe{us}] þat somtyme hadde ryȝt greet sorowe for þe deeþ of hys wijf.