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? an ben ? ei goodes. ne comi? it hem nat ? an by ? e getynge of unite
? at ? ei ben maked goodes. _b. _ so it seme? q{uo}d . I. but alle ? ing ? at
is good q{uo}d she grauntest ? ou ? at it be good by p{ar}ticipac{i}ou{n}
of good or no. ? I graunt[e] it q{uo}d . I. ? ? an mayst ? ou graunt[en] it
q{uo}d she by sembleable resou{n} ? at oon {and} good ben o same ? ing.
? For of ? inges [of] whiche ? at ? e effect nis nat naturely diuerse nedys
? e substaunce mot ben o same ? inge. I ne may nat denye it q{uo}d I.
? Hast ? ou nat knowen wel q{uo}d she. ? at al ? ing ? at is ha? so longe
his dwellyng {and} his substaunce. as longe is it oone. ? but wha{n} it
forleti? to ben oone it mot nedis dien {and} corrumpe togidre. ? In
whiche manere q{uo}d . I. ? Ry? t as in beestes q{uod} she. whan ? e soule
{and} ? e body ben co{n}ioigned in oon {and} dwellen to-gidre it is
cleped a beest. {and} whan hire vnite is destroied by disseueraunce ? at
oon fram ? {a}t o? ir. ? an shewe? it wel ? at it is a dede ? i{n}g. {and}
? at it is no lenger no beste. {and} ? e body of a wy? t while it dwelle?
in oon forme by coniuncc{i}ou{n} of membris it is wel seyn ? at it is a
figure of mankynde. and yif ? e partyes of ? e body ben [so] diuide[d]
{and} disseuered ? at oon fro ? at o? ir ? at ? ei destroien vnite. ? e body
forleti? to ben ? at it was byforne. ? And who so wolde renne in ? e same
manere by alle ? inges he sholde seen ? at wi? outen doute euery ? inge is
in his substaunce as longe as it is oon. {and} whan it forleti? to ben
oon it die? {and} p{er}issi? . _boice. _ whan I considre q{uo}d I many
? inges I see noon o? {er}. ? Is ? er any ? ing ? anne q{uo}d she ? at in as
moche as it lyue? naturely. ? at forleti? ? e appetit or talent of hys
beynge. {and} desire? to come to dee? {and} to corrupc{i}ou{n}. ? yif I
considere q{uod} I ? e beestes ? at han any manere nature of willy{n}ge or
of nillynge I ne fynde no ? ing. but yif it be constreyned fro wi? out
for? e. ? at forleti? or dispise? to lyue {and} to dure{n} or ? at wole his
? ankes hasten hy{m} to dien. ? For euery beest trauayle? hy{m} to
defende {and} kepe ? e sauuac{i}ou{n} of lijf. {and} eschewe? dee? {and}
destrucc{i}ou{n}. _b. _ but certys I doute me of herbes {and} of trees.
? at is to seyn ? at I am in a doute of swiche ? inges as herbes or trees
? at ne han no fely{n}g soule. ne no naturel wirchynges seruy{n}g to
appetite as beestes han whe? er ? ei han appetite to dwelle{n} {and} to
duren. ? Certis q{uo}d she ne ? er of ? ar ? e nat doute. ? Now look vpon
? ise herbes {and} ? ise trees. ? ei waxen firste in swiche place as be{n}
couenable to hem. in whiche place ? ei ne mowen nat sone dien ne dryen
as longe as hire nature may defenden he{m}. ? For some of hem waxen
in feldes {and} some in mou{n}taignes. {and} o? ir waxen i{n} mareis.
[_A leaf lost here, and supplied from C. _] [{and} oothre cleuyn on
Roches / {and} soume waxen plentyuos in sondes / {and} yif ? {a}t any
wyht enforce hym to beryn hem in to oother places / they wexen drye //
For natur{e} yeueth to eu{er}y thing ? {a}t / ? {a}t is co{n}uenient to
hym {and} trauaylith ? {a}t they ne dye nat as longe as they han power to
dwellyn {and} to lyuen // what woltow seyn of this / ? {a}t they drawen
alle hyr norysshynges by hyr rootes / ryht as they haddyn hyr Mowthes
I. -plounged w{i}t{h} in the erthes / {and} shedyn by hyr maryes (i.
medull{as}) hyr wode {and} hyr bark / {and} what woltow seyn of this
? {a}t thilke thing / ? {a}t is ryht softe as the marye (i. sapp) is /
? {a}t is alwey hidd in the feete al w{i}t{h} inne {and} ? {a}t it is
defendid fro w{i}t{h} owte by the stidefastnesse of wode // {and} ? {a}t
the vttereste bark is put ayenis the destemprau{n}ce of the heuene / as
a defendowr myhty to suffren harm / {and} thus certes maystow wel sen /
how gret is the diligence of natur{e} / For alle thinges renouelen {and}
pupllisen hem w{i}t{h} seed . I. -multiplyed / nether nis no man ? {a}t ne
wot wel ? {a}t they ne ben ryht as a foundement {and} edyfice for to
duren / nat only for a tyme / but ryht as forto duren p{er}durablely by
generacyou{n} // {and} the thinges ek ? {a}t men wenen ne hauen none
sowles / ne desir{e} they nat ech of hem by sem[b]lable resou{n} to
kepyn ? {a}t that is hirs / ? {a}t is to seyn ? {a}t is acordynge to hyr
natur{e} in conseruaciou{n} of hyr beynge {and} endurynge // For wher
for elles berith lythnesse the flaumbes vp / {and} the weyhte p{re}sseth
the erthe a-dou{n} // but For as moche as thilke places and thilke
moeuynges ben couenable to eu{er}ich of hem // {and} forsothe eu{er}y
thing kepith thilke ? {a}t is acordynge {and} propre to hym // ryht as
thinges ? {a}t ben contraryes {and} enemys corompen hem // {and} yit the
harde thinges as stoones clyuen {and} holden hyr partyes to gydere ryht
faste {and} harde / {and} deffenden hem in withstondenge ? {a}t they ne
departe nat lyhtly a twyne // {and} the thinges ? {a}t ben softe {and}
fletynge as is water {and} Eyr they departyn lyhtly // {and} yeuen place
to hem ? {a}t brekyn or deuyden hem // but natheles they retorne{n} sone
ayein in to the same thinges fro whennes they ben arraced // but fyr
[fleet? ] {and} refuseth alle deuysyou{n} / ne I. ne trete nat heer{e}
now of weleful moeuynges of the sowle ? {a}t is knowynge // but of the
naturel entenciou{n} of thinges // As thus ryht as we swolwe the mete
? {a}t we resseyuen {and} ne thinke nat on it / {and} as we drawen owr{e}
breth in slepynge ? {a}t we wite it nat whil we slepyt // For certes in
the beestys the loue of hyr lyuynges ne of hyr beeinges ne comth nat of
the wilnynges of the sowle // but of the bygynnyngis of natur{e} // For
certes thorw constreynynge causes / wil desireth {and} embraceth ful
ofte tyme / the deth ? {a}t natur{e} dredith // that is to seyn as thus
that a man may ben constreynyd so by som cause that his wil desireth and
taketh the deth which ? {a}t natur{e} hateth {and} dredeth ful sore //
And som tyme we seeth the contrarye / as thus that the wil of a wight /
destorbeth {and} constreyneth ? {a}t ? {a}t natur{e} desireth / and
requereth al-wey // that is to sein the werk of gen{er}aciou{n} / by the
whiche gen{er}aciou{n} only / dwelleth {and} is sustenyd the longe
durablete of mortal thinges // And thus this charite and this Loue ? {a}t
eu{er}y thing hath to hym self ne comth nat of the moeuynge of the sowle
/ but of the entenciou{n} of natur{e} // For the puruyance of god hat
yeuen to thinges ? {a}t ben creat of hym / this ?
{a}t is a ful gret cause
/ to lyuen {and} to duren / for which they desiren naturelly hyr lyf as
longe as eu{er} they mowen // For w[h]ych thou maist nat drede by no
manere / that alle the thinges / that ben anywher{e} / that they ne
requeren naturelly / the ferme stablenesse of p{er}durable dwellynge /
and ek the eschuynge of destruccyou{n} // B // now confesse I. wel
q{uod} I. that I. see wel now certeynly / w{i}t{h} owte dowtes / the
thinges that whylom semeden vncerteyn to me / P. // but q{uod} she
thilke thyng ? {a}t desiret? to be {and} to dwellyn p{er}durablely / he
desireth to ben oon // For yif ? {a}t that oon weer{e} destroied //
certes beinge ne shulde ther non dwellyn to no wiht // that is sot?
q{uod} I. // Thanne q{uod} she desirin alle thinges oon // . I. assente
q{uod} . I. // {and} I haue shewyd q{uod} she that thilke same oon is
thilke that is good // B // ye forsothe q{uod} I. // Alle thinges thanne
q{uod} she requyren good // And thilke good thanne [? ow] maist descryuen
ryht thus // Good is thilke thing ? {a}t euery wyht desireth // Ther ne
may be thowht q{uod} . I. no moor{e} verray thing / for either alle
thinges ben referred {and} browht to nowht / {and} floteryn w{i}t{h}
owte gou{er}nour despoiled of oon / as of hir propre heued / or elles
yif ther be any thinge / to which ? {a}t alle thinges tenden {and} hyen /
that thing moste ben the souereyn good of alle goodes / P /. thanne
seyde she thus // O my norry q{uod} she I haue gret gladnesse of the //
For thow hast fichched in thin herte the myddel sothtfastnesse // that
is to seyn the prykke // but this thing hath ben descouered to the / in
that thow seydyst ? {a}t thow wystest nat a lytel her by-forn // what was
th{a}t q{uod} I. // That thow ne wystest nat q{uod} she whych was the
ende of thinges // and Certes that is the thing ? {a}t eu{er}y wiht
desireth // and for as mochel as we han gaderid / {and} co{m}p{re}hendyd
that good is thilke thing that is desired of alle / thanne moten we
nedes confessun / that good is the fyn of alle thinges.


QUISQUIS P{RO}FUNDA MENTE.

[Sidenote: [The . 11. Met{ru}m. ]]

++WHo so that sekith sot? by a deep thoght And coueyteth nat to ben
deseyuyd by no mys-weyes // lat hym rollen {and} trenden w{i}t{h} Inne
hym self / the Lyht of his inward syhte // And lat hym gader{e} ayein
enclynynge in to a compas the longe moeuynges of hys thowhtes / And lat
hym techen his corage that he hath enclosed {and} hyd / in his tresors /
al ? {a}t he compaseth or sekith fro w{i}t{h} owte // And thanne thilke
thing that the blake cloude of errour whilom hadde y-couered / shal
lyhten more clerly tha{n}ne pheb{us} hym self ne shyneth // Glosa // who
so wole seken the dep[e] grounde / of soth in his thowht / {and} wol nat
be deceyuyd by false p{ro}posiciou{n}s / that goon amys fro the trouthe
// lat hym wel examine / {and} rolle w{i}t{h} inne hym self the natur{e}
{and} the p{ro}pretes of the thing // and lat hym yit eft sones examine
{and} rollen his thowhtes by good deliberaciou{n} or that he deme // and
lat hym techen his sowle that it hat by naturel pryncyplis kyndeliche
y-hyd w{i}t{h} in it self alle the trowthe the whiche he ymagynith to
ben in thinges w{i}t{h} owte // And thanne alle the dyrknesse of his
mysknowynge shal seen more euydently to [? e] syhte of his vndyrstondynge
thanne the sonne ne semyth to [? e] syhte w{i}t{h} owte forth / For
certes the body bryngynge the weyhte of foryetynge / ne hath nat chasyd
owt of yowr{e} thowhte al the clernesse of yowre knowyng // For
certeynly the seed of sooth haldith {and} clyueth w{i}t{h} in yowr{e}
corage / {and} it is a-waked {and} excited by the wynde {and} by the
blastes of doctryne // For wher{e} for elles demen ye of yowr{e} owne
wyl the ryhtes whan ye ben axed // but yif so wer{e} ? {a}t the
noryssynges of resou{n} ne lyuede . I. -plowngyd in the depthe of yowr{e}
herte // this [is] to seyn how sholden men demen ? e sooth of any thing
? {a}t weer{e} axed / yif ther neer{e} a Roote of sothfastnesse ? {a}t
weer{e} yplowngyd {and} hyd in the natur{e}[l] pryncyplis / the whiche
sothfastnesse lyued w{i}t{h} in the depnesse of the thowght // {and} yif
so be ? {a}t the Muse {and} the doctryne of plato syngyth sooth // al
? {a}t eu{er}y whyht lerneth / he ne doth no thing elles tha{n}ne but
recordeth as me{n} recordyn thinges ? {a}t ben foryetyn.


TUM EGO PLATONI INQ{UA}M.

[Sidenote: [The . 12. p{ro}se. ]]

++THanne seide I thus // I acorde me gretly to plato / for thow
remenbrist {and} recordist me thise thinges yit] ? e seconde tyme. ? at is
to seyn. first whan I lost[e] my memorie by ? e co{n}tagio? s
coniuncc{i}ou{n} of ? e body wi? ? e soule. {and} eftsones afterward whan
I lost[e] it co{n}founded by ? e charge {and} by ? e burden of my sorwe.
? And ? an sayde she ? us. ? If ? ou look[e] q{uo}d she firste ? e ? inges
? at ? ou hast graunted it ne shal nat ben ry? t feer ? at ? ou ne shalt
remembren ? ilke ? ing ? at ? ou seidest ? at ? ou nistest nat. what ? ing
q{uo}d I. ? by whiche gouerme{n}t q{uo}d she ? at ? is worlde is gouerned.
Me remembri? it wel q{uo}d I. {and} I confesse wel ? at I ne wist[e] it
nat ? But al be it so ? at I se now fro{m} afer what ? ou p{ur}posest
? Algates I desire ? it to herkene it of ? e more pleynely. ? ? ou ne
wendest nat q{uo}d she a litel here byforne ? at men sholden doute ? at
? is worlde is gouerned by god. ? Certys q{uo}d I ne ? itte doute I it
nau? t. ne I nil neuer wene ? at it were to doute. as who sei? . but I wot
wel ? at god gouerne? ? is worlde. ? And I shal shortly answere ? e by what
resou{n}s I am brou? t to ? is. ? ? is worlde q{uod} I of so many dyuerse
{and} co{n}trarious p{ar}ties ne my? ten neuer han ben assembled in o
forme. but yif ? ere ne were oon ? at conioigned so many[e diu{er}se]
? inges. ? And ? e same diuersite of hire natures ? at so discordeden ? at
oon fro ? at o? er most[e] dep{ar}ten {and} vnioigne{n} ? e ? i{n}ges ? at
ben co{n}ioigned. yif ? ere ne were oon ? at contened[e] ? at he ha?
co{n}ioigned {and} ybounde. ne ? e certein ordre of nature ne sholde. nat
brynge fur? e so ordinee moeuynge. by places. by tymes. by doynges. by
spaces. by qualites. yif ? ere ne were oon ? at were ay stedfast
dwellynge. ? at ordeyned[e] {and} disposed[e] ? ise diuersites of
moeuynges. ? and ? ilke ? inge what so euer it be. by whiche ? at alle
? inges ben maked {and} ylad. I clepe hym god ? at is a worde ? at is vsed
to alle folke. ? an seide she. syn ? ou felest ? us ? ise ? inges q{uo}d she.
I trowe ? at I haue lytel more to done. ? at ? ou my? ty of wilfulnesse hool
{and} sounde ne se eftsones ? i contre. ? But lat vs loken ? e ? inges ? at
we han p{ur}posed her-byforn. ? Haue I nat nou{m}bred {and} seid q{uod}
she ? at suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. {and} we han accorded ? at god is
{and} ? ilke same blisfulnesse. ? yis forso? e q{uo}d I. {and} ? at to
gouerne ? is worlde q{uod} she. ne shal he neuer han nede of none helpe
fro wi? oute. for ellys yif he had[de] nede of any helpe. he ne sholde
not haue [no] ful suffisau{n}ce.