Part 45

ne þe vices ben neu{e}re mo wiþ outen peyne[;] ne þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede.

and þat blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune comeþ 3120 alwey to wicked folke.

¶ And þou shalt wel knowe many þinges of þis kynde þ{a}t sholle cessen þi pleyntes. {and} stedfast þe wiþ stedfast saddenesse.

¶ And for þou hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse by me þat 3124 somtyme I-shewed it þe. And þou hast knowen i{n} whom blysfulnesse is set. alle þinges I treted þ{a}t I trowe ben nessessarie to put furþe ¶ I shal shewe þe. þe weye þat shal brynge þe aȝeyne vnto þi house 3128

{and} I shal ficche feþeres in þi þouȝt by whiche it may arysen in heyȝte. so þat al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey þou by my gidyng & by my paþe {and} by my sledes shalt mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in to þi contre. 3132

SU{N}T ETENIM PENNE. {ET} C{ETERA}.

++I Haue for soþe swifte feþeres þat surmou{n}ten þe heyȝt of þe heuene whan þe swifte þouȝt haþ cloþed it self. in þo feþeres it dispiseþ þe hatful erþes. {and} surmou{n}teþ þe heyȝenesse of þe greet eyir. {and} it seiþ þe 3136 cloudes by-hynde hir bak {and} passeþ þe heyȝt of þe regiou{n} of þe fire þat eschaufiþ by þe swifte moeuyng of þe firmament. til þat she a-reisiþ hir in til þe houses þ{a}t beren þe sterres. {and} ioygneþ hir weyes wiþ þe sonne [[pg 111]] phebus. {and} felawshipeþ þe weye of þe olde colde 3141 saturnus. and she ymaked a knyȝt of þe clere sterre.

þat is to seyne þat þe soule is maked goddys knyȝt by þe sekyng of treuþe to comen to þe verray knowlege of 3144 god.

and þilke soule renne[þ] by þe cercle *of þe sterres in alle þe places þere as þe shynyng nyȝt is depeynted. þat is to seyne þe nyȝt þat is cloudeles. for on nyȝtes þat ben cloudeles it semeþ as þe heuene were peynted wiþ 3148 dyuerse ymages of sterres. {and} whan þe soule haþ gon ynouȝ she shal forleten þe last poynt of þe heuene.

{and} she shal p{re}ssen {and} wenden on þe bak of þe swifte firmament. and she shal ben maked p{er}fit of þe dredefulle 3152 clerenesse of god. ¶ þere haldeþ þe lorde of kynges þe ceptre of his myȝt {and} atte{m}p{er}eþ þe gouernementes of þis worlde.

{and} þe shynynge iuge of þinges stable i{n} hy{m} self gouerneþ þe swifte carte. þat is to seyne þe 3156 circuler moeuyng of sonne.

{and} yif þi weye ledeþ þe aȝeyne so þat þou be brouȝt þider. þan wilt þou seye now þat þat is þe contre þat þou requeredest of whiche þou ne haddest no mynde. but now it remenbreþ me wel 3160 here was I born. here wil I fastne my degree. here wil I dwelle.

but yif þe lyke þan to loken on þe derkenesse of þe erþe þat þou hast for-leten. þan shalt þou seen þat þise felonous tyrauntes þat þe wrecched poeple dredeþ 3164 now shule ben exiled from þilke faire contre.

TUNC EGO PAPE INQ{UA}M. {ET} C{ETERA}.

++ÞAnne seide I þus. I wondre me þat þou by-hetest me so grete þinges. ne I ne doute nat þat þ{o}u ne mayst wel p{er}forme þat þou by-hetest. but I preie þe 3168 oonly þis. þat þou ne tarie nat to telle me þilke þinges þat þou hast meoued.

first q{uo}d she þou most nedes knowen. þ{a}t good folk ben al wey strong {and} myȝty. and þe shrewes ben feble {and} desert {and} naked 3172 of alle strengþes.

and of þise þinges certys eueryche of hem is declared {and} shewed by oþ{er}.

¶ For so as good {and} yuel ben two cont{ra}ries. yif so be þat goode be stedfast. þa{n} sheweþ þe fieblesse of yuel al openly. 3176

and yif þou knowe clerely þe freelnesse of yuel. þe stedfastnesse of goode is knowen.

but for as moche as þe fey of my sentence shal be þe more ferme {and} habou{n}daunt. I wil goon by þat oon wey {and} by þat oþer {and} I wil conferme 3180 þe þinges þat ben p{ur}posed now on þis side {and} now on þ{a}t syde.

¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil {and} power. and yif þat oon of þise two fayleþ 3184 þere nis no þing þat may be don.

for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere nys no wyȝt þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power fayleþ þe wille nis but i{n} ydel {and} stant for nauȝt.

and þer of comeþ it þat yif þou se a 3188 wyȝt þat wolde gete{n} þat he may nat geten. þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hy{m} to haue{n} þat he wolde. ¶ þis is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no manere.

and yif þou se a wyȝt q{uo}d 3192 she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don þ{o}u nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it.

no q{uo}d. I. and in þat. þat euery wyȝt may. in þat þat men may holden hym myȝty. as who seiþ i{n} as moche as a man is myȝty [[pg 113]] to done a þing. in so moche men halden hy{m} myȝty. 3197 and in þat þat he ne may. in þat men demen hym to ben feble.

I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.

Remembriþ þe q{uo}d she þat I. haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s 3200 þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of þe wil of ma{n}kynde whiche þat is lad by diuerse studies hastiþ to comen to blisfulnesse. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I þat it hath ben shewed.

{and} recordeþ þe nat þan q{uo}d she. þat blisfulnesse is 3204 þilke same goode þat men requeren.