of good, it ne maie not well in no maner be desired ne required. And the contrary: for though that thynges by hir nature, ne been not good, algates if men wenen that thei been good, yet been thei desired, as though thei were verely good.. And therefore it is said that men ought to wene by right, that bountie bee the soueraine fine, and the cause of all the things that been to requiren. But certes, thilke that is cause for whiche men requiren any thyng, it semeth that thilke same thynge bee moste desired, as thus: if that a wight would riden for cause of heale, he ne desireth not so moche the mouyng to riden, as the effecte of his heale. Now than sens that al thinges ben required, for the grace of good, thei ne been not desired of all folke, more than the same good. But we haue graunted that blisfulnes is that same thyng, for whiche that all these other thynges been desired. Than is it thus, that certes onely blisfulnesse, is required and desired. By which thing it sheweth clerelie, that of good and blisfulnes, is all one and the same substaunce. Boeci. I se not (quod I) wherefore that men might discorden in this. Philosophie. And wee haue shewed, that God and verie blesfulnesse is all one thyng. Boecius. That is sothe (quod 1). Philosophie. Than mow wee conclude sikerly, that the substaunce of God, is set in thilke same good, and in none other place. Huc omnes pariter venite capti, Quos failar ligat improbis catenis Terrenas habitans libido menteis. Hic erit vobis requies laborum. &c. COMETH all together nowe ye that been icaught and bounde with wicked chaines, by the deceiuable delite of yearthly thynges, inhabityng in your thoughte. Here shall bee the reste of your labour: here is the hauen stable, in quiete pesible. This alone is the open refute to wretches, that is to sain, that ye that be combred and deceiued, with worldly affeccions, cometh now to this souerain good, that is God, that is refute to hem that willen comen to hym. All the thinges that the riuer Tagus yeueth you, with his golden grauels: or els al the thinges that the riuer Hermus, yeueth with his red brinke: or that Indus yeueth, that is next the hote partie of the world, that medleth the greene stones with the white: ne should not cleren the lokyng of your thought, but hiden rather your blind corage within her derknes. Al that liketh you here, and exciteth and moueth your thoughtes, the yerth hath nourished it within his lowe caues. But the shining, by which the Heauen is gouerned, and whence that his strengthe, that escheweth the darke ouertbrowyng of the soule, and who so euer maie knowen thilke lighte of blisfulnesse, he will saine, that the white beames of the Sonne ne be not cleare. Assentior [inquam] cuncta enim firmissimis nera rationibus constant. Tum illa, quanti, inquit, tu æstimabis, si bonum ipsum, quid sit, agnoveris? &c. BOECIUS, I assent me (quod I) for al thynges been stronglie bounden with right ferme reasons. Philosophie. How moch wilt thou praisen it (quod she) if that thou knowe what the ilke good is? Boecius. I woll praise it (quod I) by price without ende, if it shal betide me to knowe also togither God that is good. Philosophie. Certes (quod she) that shall I doe thee by very reason, if that tho thinges, that I haue concluded alittle here beforne, dwellen onely in her graunting. Boecius. Thei dwellen graunted to the (quod I) that is to sain, as who saith, I graunte to thy foresaied conclusions. Philosophie. I haue shewed thee (quod she) that the things, that been required of many folke, ne been not very goodes ne perfite. For thei been diuers, that one from that other. And so as eche of hem is lackyng to other, thei ne haue no power to bring a good, that is full and absolute. But than at erst been thei very good, whan thei been gathered togider all into one forme, and into one werking: so that thilke thing that is suffisaunt, thilke same is power, and reuerence, noblesse, and mirth. And forsothe, but if all these thinges bee all one same thinge, thei ne haue not whereby that thei, mowe be put in the nomber of thynges, that ought to be required and desired. Boecius. It is shewen (quod I) ne hereof maie there no manne doubten. Philosophie. The thinges than (quod she) that ne been no goodes, whan thei been diuers, and whan thei beginnen to bee all one thynge, than been thei goodes, ne cometh it not than, by the getting of vnitie, that thei be naked goodes? Boecius. So seemeth it (quod I). Philosophie. But all thyng that is good (quod she) grauntest thou that it be good, by the participacion of good or no? Boecius. I graunte it (quod I). Philosophie. Than must thou graunten (quod she) by semblable reason, that one and good bee one same thyng. For of thinges, of whiche the effecte nis not naturelly diuers, nedes hir substance must bee one same thyng. Boecius. I ne maie not denie it (quod I) Philosophie. Hast thou not knowen well (quod she) that all thynge that is, hath so long his dwelling forletteth to been one, it must needes dien, and and his substance, as long as it is one, but whan it (quod I). Philosophie. Right as in beastes (quod Boecius. In whiche maner corrumpen togither. she) whan the soule and the bodie been conioined in one and dwellyng togither, it is cleaped a beaste: and whan hir vnitie is destroyed, by thy disceneraunce of that one from that other, than sheweth it well, that it is a dedde thyng, and it is no lenger no beast. And the bodie of a wight, while it dwelleth in one forme, by coniunccion of members, it is well seen, that it is a figure of mankinde: and if the that one from that other, that thei distroy the parties of the bodie, bee deuided and discenered, vnitie, the bodie for letteth to bee, that it was beforne. And who so would renne in the same maner by al thinges, he should seen that without doubte, euery thynge is in his substaunce, as longe as it is one. And whan it forleteth to bee one, it dieth and perisheth. Bo. Whan I consider (quod I) many thinges, I see none other. Philosophie. Is there, any thing (quod she) that in as moche as it liueth naturellie, and desireth to come to death and to corrupcion: that forletteth the talente, or appetite of his beeyng, Boeci. If I consider (quod I) the beastes that haue any maner nature of willyng, and of nillyng, I ne finde no beaste, but if it bee constrained, fro with out forthe, that forletteth or dipiseth the intencion .to liuen and to duren, or that will his thankes hasten hym to dien. For euery beaste trauaileth hym to defende and keepe the saluacion of his life, and escheweth death and destruccion. But certes I doubt me of herbes and trees, that ne haue no feelyng soules, ne no naturell woorkynges, seruynge to appetites, as beastes haue: whether thei haue appetite to dwellen, and to duren. Philosophie. so by some cause, that his wille desireth, and taketh the death, whiche that nature hateth and dreadeth full sore. And sometyme we seen the contrary, as thus: that the wil of a wight disturbeth and constraineth that, that nature alwaie desireth and requireth, that is to saie, the werkes of generacion, by the whiche generacion onely dwelleth, and is sustained the long durabilitie of mortall thynges, as thus. This charitie and this loue, that euery thyng hath to hymself. ne commeth not of the mouing of the soule, but of the entencion of nature. For the purueiaunce of God hath yeuen to thinges, that been create of him this, that is a full greate cause to liuen and to duren, for which thei desiren naturelly hir life, as long as euer thei mowen: for which thou maiest not dreden by no maner, that all thinges that been any where, that thei ne requiren naturelly, the ferme stablenesse of perdurable dwellyng, and eke the eschewyng of destruccion. Certes (quod she) thereof dare thee not doubte. Now looke vpon the herbes and trees, for thei wexen firste in soche places, as been couuenable to hem: in whiche places thei mowe not dien ne drien, as longe as hir nature maie defende hem. For some of hem wexen in fielles, and some wexen in mountaignes, and other wexe in mareis, and other cleauen on rockes, and some wexen plenteous in sondes. And if any wighte enforce hym to beare hem into other places, thei wexen drie. For nature yeueth to euery thynge, that is conuenient to hym, and trauaileth that thei ne die, as long as thei haue power, to dwellen and to liuen. What wilt thou sain of this, that the drawen all hir nourishynges by hir rootes, righte❘ as thei hadden hir mouthes iplounged within the yerthes, and sheaden by hir mareis, hir woode hir barke: and what wilte thou saine of this, that the ilke thyng that is right soft, as the marie is, that is alwaie hidde in the scate all within, and that is defended from without, by the stedfastnesse of woode, and that the vttereste barkes, is put ayenst the distemperaunce of the heauen, as a defendour, mightie to sufferen harme? And thus certes maiest thou wel seen how greate is the dili-thou discriuen thus: good is thilke thyng, that gence of nature: for all thinges renouelen and publishen hem with seede imultiplied. Ne there nis no manne, that ne wote well, that thei ne been right as a foundement, and edifice, for to duren not onelie for a tyme, but right as for to dure perdurablie by generacion. And the thynges eke, that men wenen ne haue no soules, ne desire thei not by semblable reason, to kepe that is his, that is to saine that is according to hir nature, in conseruacion of hir being and enduryng? For wherefore els beareth lightnes the flambes vp, and the weight presseth the yearth adoun, but for as moche as thilke places, and thilke mouinges, be couenable to eueriche of hem. And for sothe euery thing kepeth thilke, that is accordynge and proper to hym, righte as thynges that been contrarious, and enemies corrumpen hem. yet the hard thyngs (as stones) cleauen and holden hir parties togither, right fast and hard, and defenden hem in withstanding, that thei ne departen lightly, and yeuen place to hem, that breaken or deuiden hem: but nathelesse, thei retourne ayen sone into the same thinges, from whens thei be And araced. But fire fleeth and refuseth all diuision. Ne I ne treate not now here, of wilfull mouynges of the soule that is knowing, but of naturel entencion of thinges, as thus: right as we swalowen the meate that we receiuen, and ne thinke not on it, and as we drawe our breath in slepyng, that we wete not while we slepen. For certes in the beastes, the loue of hir liuinges, ne of hir beynges, ne cometh not of the wilnynges of the soule, but of the beginnynges of nature. For certes, through constraining causes, will desireth and embraceth ful oft times the death, that nature dredeth, that is to saine, as thus: that a man maie be constrained, Boecius. I confesse (quod I) that I se wel now, and certainly withouten doubt, the thynges that a while ago, semeden vncertaine to me. Philos. But (quod she) thike thing that desireth to bee and dwell pardurable, he desireth to been one: for if that one were destroyed, certes, being should there none dwellen to no wight. Boecious. That is sothe (quo 1). Philosophie. Than (quod she) desiren all thyngs one. Boecius. I assente (quod I) Philosophie. And I haue shewed (quod she) that ilke same one is, thilke that is good. Boecius. Ye forsothe (quod I). Philosophie. All thynges than (quod she) requiren good, and thilke maist euery wight desirest. Boecius. There ne maie be thought no more verie thyng (quod I) for either all thynges be referred and brought to nought, and flotten without gouernour dispoiled of one, as of hir proper hed, or els if there be any thyng, to which that all thinges teuden and hien to, that thyng must be the souerain good of all goodes. Philosophie. Than saied she thus: O ny nourice (quod she) I haue great gladnes of thee, for thou haste fixed in thy herte, the middle sothfastenesse, that is to sain the pricke, but this thing hath be discouered to thee, in that thou saidest, that thou wistest not a litle here beforne. Boec. What is that (quod I). Philosophie. That thou wistest not (quod she) whiche was the ende of thynges, and certes, that is the thyng that euery wighte desireth. And for as moche as wee haue gathered and comprehended, that good is thilke thynge, that is desired of all, than mote we nedes confesse, that good is the fine of all thynges. Quisquis profunda mente vestigat verum, Cupitque nullis ille devis falli, In se revolvat intimi lucem visus. &c. WHO so seketh sothe by a deepe thought, and coueiteth to been disceiueth by no miswaies, let hym rollen aud treaten within hymself, the lighte of his inward sight: and let hym gatheren ayen, enclinyng into a compace, the long mouinges of his thoughtes. And let him teachen his courage, that he hath enclosed, and hidde in his treasours, all that he hath compassed or sought fro without: and than thilke thing, that the blacke cloudes of errour, whilome had couered, shall light more clerely than Phebus hymself ne shineth. Glosa. Who so woll seeke the deepe groundes of sothe in his thought, and woll not bee deceived, by false proposicions, that gone amisse from the troth, let bym well examine, and rolle within hymself, the nature and properties of the thyng. And let hym efte sones examine an rollen his thoughtes, by good deliberacion, or that he deme. And let hym treachen his soule, that it hath by naturell principles, kindliche ihidde within it self, all the trouthe, the which he imagibeth to been in thynges without: and than all the darkenesse of his misknowyng, shall seme more euidentlie to the sight of his vnderstandyng, than the sonne ne semeth to the sight without forthe. For certes, the body bryngyng the weight of foryetyng, ne hath not chased out of your thought, all the clerenesse of your knowyng, for certainly, the sede of sothe, holdeth and cleaueth within your corage, and it is awaked and excited by the windes, and by the blastes of doctrine. For wherefore els demen ye of your owne will the rightes, whan ye bee asked, but if so were that the nourisbyng of reason, ne liued iplunged in the depe of your herte, that is to saine, how should men demen, the sothe of any thyng that were asked, and if there nere a rote of sothfastnesse, that were iplunged and hid in naturell principles, the which sothfastnesse liued within the depenesse of the thought, and if so bec, that the muse and the doctrine of Plato singeth sothe, all that euery wight learneth, he ne dooeth nothyng els than, but recordeth, as menne recorden thynges, that been foryeten. Tum ego, Platoni (inquam) vehementer assentior; nam me horum jam secundo commemoras. Primum quod memoriam corporea contagione, &c. THAN Saied I thus. I accord me greatlie to Plato, for thou recordest and remembrest me these thynges, yet the seconde tyme, that is to saie, first whan I left my memorie, by the contrarious coniunccion of the bodie with the soule: and eftsones afterward, whan I loste it confounded, by thy charge, and by the burden of my sorowe, and than saied she thus. If thou looke (quod she) first the thynges that thou haste graunted, it ne shall not been right ferre, that that thou ne shalt remembren the ilke thing, that thou saidest that thou nistest not. Boecius. What thyng (quod 1). Philosophie. By whiche the gouernement (quod she) that this worlde is gouerned. Boecius. I remember it well (quod I) and I confesse well, that I ne wist it naught. But all be it so, that I see now from a farre, what thou purposeste, algates I desire yet to harken it of the more plainly. Philoso. Thou ne wendest not (quod she) a little here beforne, that menne should doubte, that this worlde is gouerned by God. Boecius. Certes (quod I) ne yet, ne doubte I it not, ne I nill neuer wene that it were to dout, as who saieth, but I wot wel that God gouerneth this worlde. And I shall answeren the by what reasons, I am brought to this. This worlde (quod I) of so many diuers and contrarious parties, ne might neuer haue been assembled in o forme, but if there were one, that conioyned so many diuers thinges. And the same diuersitie of hir natures, that so discorden, that one fro that other VOL. I. must departen, and vnioynen the thynges, that been conioyned, if there ne were one that conteined, that he hath conioyned and ibound. Ne the certain order of nature, ne shuld not bring forthe so ordeine mouynges, by places, by tymes, by dooynges, by spaces, by qualities, if there ne were one, that wer aie stestfast dwellyng, that ordained and disposed, these diuersities of mouynges. And thilke thyng, what so euer it bee, by whiche that all thynges bee imaked and ladde, I clepe hym God that is a worde that is vsed to al folkes. Philosophie. Than saied she: sithe thou felest thus these thynges, I trowe that I haue little more to doen, that thou mightie of welfulnesse, hole and sounde, ne se eftsones thy countrie. But lette vs looken these thynges, that we haue purposed here beforne. Haue I not nombred and saied (quod she) that suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. And we haue accorded, that God is the ilke same blisfulnesse. Boecius. Yes forsothe (quod I). Philosophie. And that to gouern this worlde (quod she) ne shall he never haue neede, of no helpe fro without. For els if he had neede of any help, he ne should not haue no full suffisaunce. Boecius. Yes thus it mote nedes be (quod I). Philosophie. Than ordeined he by himself alone all thynges (quod she). Boecius. That maie not be denied (quod I). Philosophie. And I haue shewed that God is the same good. Boecius. It remembreth me well (quod I). Philosophie. Than ordeineth he al thinges by thilke good (quod she) sith he which we han accorded to bee good, gouerneth all thynges by himself. And he is a key and a steire, by whiche the edifice of this worlde is kept stable, and without corrumpyng. Boeci. I accord me greatly (quod I). And I haue apperceiued alitle here beforne, that thou wouldest saie thus. All were it so, that it wer by a thinne suspeccion. Philosophie. I trowe well (quod she). For as L trow thou leadest now more ententify thine iye, to loken the very goodes. But natheles, the thing that I shall tell thee, yet ne sheweth not laste to token. Boecius. What is that (quod I). Philosophie. So as menne trowe (quod she) and that rightfully, that God gouerneth all thynges, by the key of his goodnes. And all these same thynges that I hane taught thee, hasten hem by naturel contencion, to come to good, there maie no man douted, that thei ne been gouerned voluntarelie. And that thei ne conuerten of hir owne good wille, to hir ordeinour. As that thei been accordyng, and enclinyng to hir gouernor, and to hir kyng, Boecius. It mote nedes be so (quod I) for the realme ne should not seme blisfull, if there were a yoke of misdrawynges in diuers partes, ne the sauyng of obedient thynges, ne should not be than. Philosophie. Is there nothing (quod she) that kepeth his nature, that enforceth hym to gon ayenst God? Boecius. No (quod I). Philosophie. And if that any thynge enforced bym to withstande God, might it auailen at last ayen bym, that wee haue graunted to be almightie, by the right of blisfulnesse? Boecius. Certes (quod I) all vtterlie it ne might not auaile hym. Philosophie. Than is there nothyng (quod she) that either maie, or will withstande to his soueraine God. Boecius. I trow not (quod 1). Philosophie. Than (quod she) is thilke the soueraine God, that all thynges gouerneth strongly, and ordeineth hem softelye. Boecius. Than said I thus, I delite me (quod I) not onelie in thendes, or in Ff the somme of the reasons, that thou haste con- | thou shouldest meruailen, sith thou haste lerned cluded and proued, but thilke wordes that thou by the sentence of Plato, that nedes the wordes vsest, deliten me moche more so that at laste fooles, mote been cosins to the thinges of whiche they that sometyme renden great thinges, oughten been speken. ashamed of hem self, that is to sain, that we fooles that reprehenden wickedly the thinges, that touchen Goddes gouernaunce, we oughten been ashamed of our self. As I, that saied that God refuseth onely Felix, qui potuit boni Fontem visere lucidum. Feliz, the werkes of men, and ne entermeteth not of it. Philosophie. Thou haste well heard (quod she) the fables of the poetes, how the gyauntes assaileden Heauen, with the goddes: but forsoth the debonaire force of God, disposed hem as it was worthie, that is to sain, distroied the gyauntes as it was worthie. But wilte thou that wee reioynen togither thilke same reasons? For perauenture of soche coniunccions, maie sterten vp some faire sparke of sothe. Boecius. Doe (quod I) as thee list. Philosophie. Wenest thou (quod she) that God ne bee almightie: Boecius. No man is in doubt of it certes (quod I). Philosophie. No wight ne doubteth it, if he be in his minde (quod she). But be that is almightie, there nis nothyng that he ne maie. Boecius. That is sothe (quod I). Philosophie. Maie God doe euill (quod she)? Boe. Naie forsothe (quod 1). Phi. Than is euill nothyng (quod she) sith that ye maie dooen none euill, that maie doen al thinges. Bo. Scornest thou me (quod I) or els plaiest thou, or disceiuest thou me that haste so wonnen with thy reasons, the hous of Dedalus so enterlasing, that it is vnable to bee vnlaced, that thou 'otherwhile entrest there thou issuest, and otherwhile issuest there thot entrest. Ne foldest thou not togither, by replicacion of wordes, a maner wonderfull circle, or enuironing of the simplicite diuine: for certes, a little here beforn, whan thou began at blisfulnesse, thou saidest that it is a souerain good, and that God is the blisfulnesse, for whiche thou yaue me as a couenable yefte, that is to sain, that no wight nis blisfull, but if he be God also therewith. And saidest eke, that the forme of good is, the substaunce of God and of blisfulnesse. And saidest that the ilke one is thilke same good, that is required and desired of al the kinde of thinges. And thou prouedest in disputing, that God gouerneth al the thinges of the world, by the gouernaunce of bountie, and saidest that all thinges wold obein to hym, and saydest that the nature of yuell is nothinge. And these thinges shewdest thou not with no reasous taken fro without, but by proues in cercles and homlich knowing. The whiche prones drawen to hém selfe hir faith and hir accorde eueriche of hem of other. Phi. Than said she thus: I ne scorne not, ne plaie, ne disceiue the but I haue shewed the thing that is greatest ouer all thinges, by the yeft of God, that we whilom praiden. For this is the forme of diuine substaunce, that is soche, that it ne flydeth not in to vtterest foraine thinges, ne receiueth not no straunge thinges, in him. But Tight as Permenides saied in Greke, of thilke diuine substaunce: he saied thus, that thilk deuine substaunce, tourneth the world and the mouable cercle of thynges, while the ilke diuine substaunce kepeth it self without mowynges, that is to sayne, that he moueth neuer mo, and yet it moueth al other thinges. But nathelesse, if I haue styred reason that be not taken fro without the compasse of the thing, of the whiche we treaten, but reasons that been bestowed within compasse: there nis not why BLISSED is that man that may sene the clere wel of good: blisfull is he that may vnbinden him from the boundes of heuy yearthe. The poete of Thrace Orpheus, that whilome had right great sorowe, for the death of his wife. After that he bad maked and constrained by his wepely songes, the woodes mouable to renne, and had maked the ryuers to stonden still, and had maked the hartes and hyndes to ioynen dredlesse hir sydes to cruell lions, to herken his songe, and had maked that the hare was not agast of the hounde, which was pleased by song: so whan the moste ardaund love of hys wife, brende the entrales of his breaste, ne the songes that hadde ouercomen all thynges, ne myghten not aswagen her lorde Orpheus. He plained him of the Heuen goddes, whiche that were cruell to bym, he wente him to the houses of the Hell: and he tempered his blandishinge songes, by resouning of stringes, and speakest and songe in wepinge, all that euer he had receiued and laued out the noble welles of his mother Caliope the goddesse. And he sang with as moch as he might of wepinge and with as moche as loue, that doubled his sorow might yeuen him and teache him, and commoued the Hell, and required and besoughte by swete prayer the lordes of soules in Hell of releasinge, that is to saye, to yelden him his wife. Cerberus the porter of Hell, with his thre beedes was caught and al abashed of the newe songe. And the thre goddesses, furyes and wengeresses of felonies, that tourmenten and agasten the soules, by anoy woxen sorowful and sory and teares wepten for pitee. Tho was not the heede of Ixion tourmented, by the ouerthrowinge wheele. And Tantalus, that was distroyed by the woodnesse of long thrust, dispised the floodes to drincke. The foule that hight vultour, that eateth the stomake or the giserne of Tytius is so fulfylled of his songe, that it nill eaten ne tyren no more. At the last the lorde and iudge of soules was moued to misericordies, and cried: "We been ouercomen" (quod he) "yeue we to Orpheus his wife to beare bym companie, he hath well ybought her by his songes and his ditees: but we will putten a lawe in thys, and couenant in the yefte, that is to saine, that till he bee out of Hel if he loke behinde him, that his wife shal lcome agayne vnto vs." But what is he that maye yeue a lawe to louers: loue is a greater lawe and stronger to him self than any lawe that men may yeuen. Alas, whan Orpheus and his wife were almoste at the termes of the night, that is to saine, at the laste boundes of Hel, Orpheus loked backwarde on Euridice his wife, and loste her, and was dedde. This fable aper taineth to you all, who so euer desireth or seketh to lede his thought in to the souerain daie, that is to saye, to clerenesse of souerain good. For who so euer be so ouercomen, that he fixe his eyen in to the pitte of Hell, that is to saine : who so euer set his thougtes in yearthlie thynges, all that euer וב TS he hath drawen of the noble good celestiall, he leseth it, whan he loketh to the Helles, this is to saine, in to low thinges of the erthe. THUS ENDETH THE THIRDE BOKE OF BOECE, AND HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH THE FOURTHE. BOOK IV. Hæc cum Philosophia, dignitate vultus, et oris gravitate servatâ, leniter suaviterque cecinisset, tum ego, nondum penitus insiti mæroris oblitus, &c. WHAN Philosophie had songen softly and delectably the forsaid thynges, keping the dignitye of her chere, and the weight of her wordes, I than that ne bad al vtterlye forieten the wepinge and the mourninge that was sette in min herte, forbrake the entencion of her that entended yet to sain some other tbynges. O (quod I) thou that arte gyderesse of very light, the thinges that thou hast saide me hitherto, ben to me so clere and shewing by the diuine loking of hem, and by thy reasons, that they ne mowen ben ouercomen. And thilke thinges, that thou toldest me, all be it so that I had whilom forieten hem, for the sorowe of the wronge that hath be done to me: yet neuerthelesse they ne weren not vtterly vnknowen to me. But this same is namely a right great cause of my sorowe, so that as the gouernour of thinges is good, if that yuels mowen ben by any waies, or elles if that yueles passen without punishinge, the which thing only, how worthye is it to ben wondred vpon. Thou considrest it wel thy self certainly. But yet to this thing there is yet another thynge ioyned more to be wondred vpon. For felonye is emperesse, and floureth full of richesses, and vertue nis not al onely without meedes, but it is caste downe, and eke fortroden vnder the fete of felonous folke: and it abieth the turmentes in stede of wicked felons. Of all whiche thinges there is no wight may marualen ynough ne complainen, that soch thinges be doone in the reigne of God, that all thynges wote, and all thinges maye, and ne will not only but good thinges. Than said she thus: certes (quod she) that were a great maruayle, and an abashinge without ende, and well more horrible than all the monsters, if it were as thou wenest, that is to sain, that in the right ordaine house of so moch a father, and an ordainour of meine, that the vesselles that ben foule and vile, shuld ben honoured and heried and the precious vesseles that shuld ben defouled and vile. But it is not so, for if the thinges that I haue concluded a lytell here beforne, ben kept hole and vnaraced, thou shalt wel know by the auctoryte of God, (of the whose reigne I speake) that certes the good folke be alway mightie, and shrewes ben alway outcaste and feble, Ne the vices be neuermore without pain, ne the vertues ne be not with out mede. And that blisfulnes cometh alway to good folk, and infortune cometh alway to wicked folke. And thou shalt well knowen many thinges of this kinde, that shulde ceasen thy playntes, and strengthen the with stedfaste sadnesse. And for thou haste sene the forme of verie blisfulnesse by me, that haue whilom showed it the, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse is sette: all thing treated, that I trowe be necessary, to put forthe, I shal shewen the the way, that shal bringen the ayen vnto thin house, and I shall fyxe fethers in thy thought, by which it may arisen in height, so that al tribulacion ydone away thou by my giding and by my pathe, and by my sledes, shalte mowen retourne hole and sounde in to thy countrie. Sunt elenim pennæ volucres mihi, Quæ celsa conscendunt poli, Quas sibi cum velox mens induit, &c. THAN for thy swifte fethers that sourmounten the height of the Heuen, whan the swift thought hath clothed it in tho feathers it dispiseth the hatefull erthes, and, surmounteth the roundenesse of the great ayre, and it seeth the clouds behinde his backe, and passeth the heyght of the region of the fire, that enchaufeth by the swift mouinge of the firmament, tyl that he aryseth in to the houses, that bearen the sterres, and ioyneth the way with the sonne Phebus, aud felawshipeth the waye of the olde colde Saturnus, and he ymaked a knight of the clere sterre, that is to saine, whan the thought is made Goddes knight, by the sekynge of clere trouthe to comen to the very knowledge of God. And thilke soule renneth by the cercle of sterres, in all the places there as the shinynge nyght is ypainted, that is to saine, the nyght that is cloudlesse. For on nyghtes that bee cloudlesse it semeth that the Heuen were payuted with dyuers ymages of sterres. And whan he hath done there ynoughe, he shall forleten the laste Heuen, and he shal presen an wenden on the backe of the swifte firmamente, and he shall be maked parfite of the wurshipful light of God. There holdeth the lorde of thinges the septre of his might, and attempreth the gouernementes of the worlde, and the shining iudge of thinges stable in hym selfe, gouernethe the swifte carte or waine, that is to saine, the circuler mouinge of the sonne. And if thy way ledeth the ayen, so that thou be brought thider, than wylt thou saye, that is the countrye that thou requirest, of whiche thou ne haddest no mynde: 'but nowe it remembereth me well, here was I borne, here woll I fasten my degre, here woll I dwell. But if the lyketh than to loken on the derkenesses of the yearthe, that thou hast forleten, than shalt thou sene, that these felonous tyrauntes, that the wretched people dredeth nowe, shullen be exiled from thilke faire countrie. Tum ego, papæ, inquam, ut magna promiltis. Nec dubito, quin possis efficere, tu modo quem excitaveris, ne moreris, &c. THAN saide I thus. O wonder me that thou beheteste me so great thinges. Ne I ne doute not that thou ne mayste well perfourme that thou behetest: but I pray the this that thou ne tarie not, to tell me thylke thynges, that thou haste moued. Philoso. First (quod she) thou muste nedes knowe, that good folke been alwaye stronge and myghtye, and the shrewes ben feble and deserte, and naked of all strengthes. And of these thynges certes eucriche of hem is declared and shewed by other. For as good and yuell been two contraries, if so be that good be stedfaste, than sheweth the feblesse al openly. And if thou know |