Part 53

it nis no merueile q{uo}d she þouȝ þat men wenen þat þer be somwhat folysche and confus 3788 whan þe resou{n} of þe order is vnknowe.

¶ But alle þouȝ þou ne know nat þe cause of so gret a disposic{i}ou{n}. naþeles for as moche as god þe good gouernour attempreþ {and} gouerneþ þe world. ne doute þe nat þat 3792 alle þinges ne ben doon aryȝt.

SI QUIS ARCTURI SYDERA.

++Who so þat ne knowe nat þe sterres of arctour yto{ur}ned neye to þe souereyne contre or point. þat is to seyne yto{ur}ned neye to þe souereyne pool of þe 3796 firmament {and} woot nat whi þe sterre boetes passeþ or gaderiþ his weyes. {and} drencheþ his late flaumbes in þe see. {and} whi þat boetes þe sterre vnfoldiþ his ouer swifte arisynges. þan shal he wo{n}dre{n} of þe lawe of þe 3800 heye eyre.

{and} eke if þat he ne knowe nat why þat þe hornes of þe ful moene waxen pale {and} infect by þe bou{n}des of þe derke nyȝt ¶ and how þe moene dirk {and} confuse discouereþ þe sterres. þat she had [[pg 133]] ycouered by hir clere visage.

þe co{m}mune errour moeueþ 3805 folk {and} makiþ wery hir bacines of bras by þikke strookes. þat is to seyne þat þer is a maner poeple þat hyȝt coribandes þat wenen þat whan þe moone is in 3808 þe eclips þat it be enchau{n}tid. and þerfore forto rescowe þe moone þei betyn hire basines wiþ þikke strokes.

¶ Ne no man ne wondreþ whan þe blastes of þe wynde chorus betyn þe strondes of þe see by quakynge floodes. 3812 ne no man ne wondreþ whan þe weyȝte of þe snowe yhardid by þe colde. is resolued by þe brennynge hete of phebus þe sonne. ¶ For here seen men redyly þe causes.

but þe *causes yhid þat is to seye in heuene 3816 trouble þe brestes of men.

¶ þe moeueable poeple is a-stoned of alle þinges þat comen selde {and} sodeynely in oure age.

but yif þe troubly errour of oure ignora{n}ce departid from vs. so þat we wisten þe causes whi þat 3820 swiche þinges bitiden. certys þei sholde{n} cesse to seme wondres.

ITA EST INQ{UA}M.

++Þvs is it q{uo}d I. but so as þou hast ȝeuen or byhyȝt me to vnwrappe{n} þe hidde causes of þinges ¶ and 3824 to discoueren me þe resou{n}s couered w{i}t{h} dirknesses I p{re}ye þe þat þou diuise {and} Iuge me of þis matere. {and} þat þou do me to vndrestonde{n} it. ¶ For þis miracle or þis wondre troubleþ me ryȝt gretely.

{and} þan she a 3828 litel smylyng seide. ¶ þou clepest me q{uo}d she to telle þing. þat is grettest of alle þinges þat mowen ben axed. ¶ And to þe whiche questiou{n} vnneþs is þere auȝt ynow to lauen it. as who seiþ. vnneþes is þer 3832 suffisauntly any þing to answere p{er}fitly to þi questiou{n}.

¶ For þe matere of it is swiche þat whan oon doute is [[pg 134]] determined {and} kut awey þer wexe{n} oþer doutes wiþ-outen nou{m}bre. ryȝt as þe heuedes waxen of ydre þe 3836 serpent þat hercules slouȝ.

¶ Ne þere ne were no man{er}e ne noon ende. but yif þat a wyȝt co{n}streined þo doutes. by a ryȝt lyuely {and} a quik fire of þouȝt. þat is to seyn by vigo{ur} {and} strengþe of witte.

¶ For in 3840 þis matere me{n} weren wont to maken questiou{n}s of þe simplicite of þe p{ur}ueaunce of god {and} of þe ordre of destine.

{and} of sodeyne hap. {and} of þe knowyng {and} p{re}destinac{i}ou{n} deuine {and} of þe lyberte of fre wille. 3844 þe whiche þing þou þi self ap{er}ceiust wel of what weyȝt þei ben. but for as mochel as þe knowynge of þise þinges is a manere porc{i}ou{n} to þe medicine to þe. al be it so þat I haue lytel tyme to don it.

ȝit naþeles I wole 3848 enforcen me to shewe somwhat of it. ¶ but al þouȝ þe norissinges of dite of musike deliteþ þe þow most suffren. {and} forberen a litel of þilk delite while þat I weue (contexo) to þe resou{n}s yknyt by ordre ¶ As it likeþ 3852 to þe q{uo}d I so do.

¶ þo spak she ryȝt a by an oþer bygynnyn {and} seide þus.

¶ þe enge{n}drynge of alle þinges q{uo}d she {and} alle þe progressiou{n}s of muuable nat{ur}e. {and} alle þ{a}t moeueþ in any manere takiþ hys 3856 causes. hys ordre. {and} hys formes. of þe stablenesse of þe deuyne þouȝt

¶ þe whiche manere whan þat men loken it i{n} þilke pure clerenesse of þe deuyne i{n}telligence. it is ycleped p{ur}ueaunce ¶ but whan þilke manere is referred by me{n} to þinges þat it moeueþ {and} disponeþ þan [[pg 135]] of olde men. it was cleped destine.

¶ þe whiche 3865 þinges yif þat any wyȝt lokeþ wel in his þouȝt. þe strengþe of þat oon {and} of þat oþer he shal lyȝtly mowen seen þat þise two þinges ben diuers.

¶ For p{ur}ueau{n}ce 3868 is þilke deuyne resou{n} þat is establissed in þe souereyne p{r}ince of þinges. þe whiche p{ur}ueaunce disponiþ alle þinges.

but destine is þe disposic{i}ou{n} {and} ordenaunce cleuynge to moeuable þinges. by þe whiche disposic{i}ou{n} 3872 þe p{ur}ueaunce knyteþ alle þinges in hire ordres.

¶ For p{ur}ueaunce enbraceþ alle þi{n}ges to hepe. al þouȝ þat þei ben dyuerse {and} al þouȝ þei ben wiþ outen fyn. but destynie dep{ar}teþ {and} ordeyneþ alle þinges singlerly 3876 {and} diuideþ. in moeuynges. in places. in formes. in tymes. dep{ar}tiþ þus.

so þat þe vnfoldyng of temp{or}el ordenaunce assembled {and} ooned in þe lokyng of þe deuyne þouȝt ¶ Is p{ur}ueaunce {and} þilke same 3880 assemblynge. {and} oonyng diuided {and} vnfolden by tymes. lat þat ben called destine.

{and} al be *it so þat þise þinges ben dyuerse. ȝitte naþeles hangeþ þat oon on þat oþer. forwhi þe ordre destinal p{ro}cediþ of þe 3884 simplicite of purueaunce.

for ryȝt as a werkma{n} þat ap{er}ceiueþ in hys þouȝt þe forme of þe þing þat he wil make moeueþ þe effect of þe werke. {and} lediþ þat he had loked byforne in hys þouȝt symply {and} p{re}sently 3888 by temp{or}el þouȝt.