Part 56

¶ Syn þat þe ryȝt strong god gouerniþ alle þinges in þis worlde for it nis nat leueful to no man to co{m}p{re}henden by witte ne 4100 vnfolden by worde alle þe subtil ordinaunces {and} disposic{i}ou{n}s of þe deuyne entent.

for oonly it auȝt suffice to han loked þat god hym self makere of alle natures ordeyniþ and dressiþ alle þinges to good.

while 4104 þat he hastiþ to wiþhalden þe þinges þat he haþ maked in to hys semblaunce. þat is to seyn forto wiþholden þinges in to good. for he hym self is good he chaseþ oute al yuel of þe boundes of hys co{m}munalite by þe 4108 ordre of necessite destinable.

For whiche it folweþ þat yif þou loke þe p{ur}ueaunce ordeynynge þe þinges þat men wenen ben haboundaunt in erþes. þou ne shalt not seen in no place no þing of yuel.

¶ but I se now þat 4112 þou art charged wiþ þe weyȝte of þe questiou {and} [[pg 143]] wery wiþ lengþe of my resou{n}. {and} þat þou abidest som swetnesse of songe.

tak þa{n} þis drauȝt {and} whan þou art wel refresshed {and} refet þou shalt ben more stedfast 4116 to stye in to heyere questiou{n}s.

SI UIS CELSI IURA.

++Yif þou wolt demen in þi pur{e} þouȝt þe ryȝtes or þe lawes of þe heye þundre. þat is to seyne of god. loke þou {and} bihold þe heyȝtes of souereyne heuene. 4120 ¶ þere kepen þe sterres by ryȝtful alliaunce of þinges hir olde pees.

þe sonne ymoeued by hys rody fire. ne destourbiþ nat þe colde cercle of þe moone. ¶ Ne þe sterre yclepid þe bere. þ{a}t encliniþ hys rauyssynge 4124 courses abouten þe souereyne heyȝt of þe worlde. ne þe same sterre vrsa nis neuer mo wasshen in þe depe westerne see. ne coueitiþ nat to dyȝen hys flaumbes in þe see of occian. al þouȝ he see oþer sterres yplounged 4128 in to þe see.

¶ And hesperus þe sterre bodiþ {and} telliþ alwey þe late nyȝtes. And lucifer þe sterre bryngeþ aȝeyne þe clere day.

¶ And þus makiþ loue enterchaungeable þe p{er}durable courses. {and} þus 4132 is discordable bataile yput oute of þe contre of þe sterres.

þis accordaunce atte{m}preþ by euene-lyke manere þe elementes. þat þe moyste þinges striuen nat wiþ þe drye þinges. but ȝiuen place by stoundes. and þat þe 4136 colde þinges ioynen hem by feiþ to þe hote þinges. {and} þat þe lyȝt fyre arist in to heyȝte. {and} þe heuy erþes aualen by her weyȝtes.

¶ by þise same cause þe floury yere ȝeldeþ swote smellys in þe fyrste somer sesou{n} 4140 warmynge. {and} þe hote somer dryeþ þe cornes.

{and} autumpne comeþ aȝeyne heuy of apples. and þe fletyng [[pg 144]] reyne bydeweþ þe wynter. þis attemp{er}aunce noryssiþ {and} brynggeþ furþe al þinge þat brediþ lyfe in þis 4144 worlde.

¶ and þilk same attemp{er}aunce rauyssyng hideþ {and} bynymeþ {and} drencheþ vndir þe last deþe alle *þinges yborn.

¶ Amonges þise þinges sitteþ þe heye makere kyng {and} lorde. welle {and} bygynnynge. lawe 4148 {and} wise Iuge. to don equite {and} gouerniþ {and} encliniþ þe bridles of þinges.

{and} þo þinges þat he stireþ to don by moeuynge he wiþdraweþ {and} arestiþ {and} affermiþ þe moeueable or wandryng þinges. ¶ For ȝif þat he ne 4152 clepiþ nat aȝein þe ryȝt goynge of þinges. {and} ȝif þat he ne constreyned hem nat eftesones in to roundenesse enclined þe þinges þ{a}t ben now continued by stable ordinaunce. þei sholde deperten from hir welle. þat is 4156 to sein from hir bygynnynge {and} failen. þat is to sein to{ur}nen in to nauȝt.

¶ þis is þe co{m}mune loue of alle þinges. {and} alle þi{n}ges axen to be holden by þe fyn of good. For ellys ne myȝten þei nat lasten yif þei ne 4160 come nat eftesones aȝeine by loue retourned to þe cause þat haþ ȝeuen he{m} beynge. þat is to seyn to god.

IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.

++Sest þou nat þan what þing folweþ alle þe þinges þat I haue seid.

what þing q{uo}d I.

¶ Certys q{uo}d she 4164 outerly þat al fortune is good.

and how may þat be q{uo}d .I.

¶ Now vndirstand q{uo}d she so as [alle fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspr{e}] fortune is ȝiuen eiþer by cause of g{er}donynge or ellys of 4168 ex{er}cisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen. or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ¶ þan is alle fortune [[pg 145]] good. þe whiche fortune is certeyne þat it be eiþer ryȝtful or p{ro}fitable.

¶ For soþe þis is a ful verray resou{n} 4172 q{uo}d I. and yif I considere þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce {and} þe destine þat þou tauȝtest me a litel here byforne þis sentence is susteyned by stedfast resou{n}s. but yif it like vnto þe lat vs nou{m}bre hem amonges þilk þinges of 4176 whiche þou seidest a litel here byforne þat þei ne were nat able to ben ywened to þe poeple.

¶ whi so q{uo}d she.

for þat þe comune worde of men mysusiþ q{uo}d I. þis manere speche of fortune. {and} sein ofte tymes [þ{a}t] 4180 þe fortune of som wyȝt is wicked.

wilt þou þan q{uo}d she þat I p{ro}che a litel to þe wordes of þe poeple so it seme nat to hem þat I be ouer moche dep{ar}tid as fro þe vsage of man kynde.