euer the ferre they ben a way ther fro ¶ But they reioycen myghty to be holde And wylt thou trow hym myghty for to be That may not worken that he faynest wolde Or for to walken wyth a company Of myghty men that lusty ben to se And at hys byddynge al a realme a rereth And yet hym selfe n stondeth in thys degre He dredeth the same that he fereth ¶ And for he wolde myghty seme stronge He must put hym selfe n in daunger As of the mayne wyche he ys amonge And of hys lyffe he standeth in a wher Or wyth a kynge to be famylyer To what hyt shal a vayle I can not sayn Syth often ys hyt shewed a monge ous here That kynges of ther mayne haue be slayn ¶ And often tymes ys thys y shewed expresse Of some that wyth kynges haueth be nye That these kynges of ther cruelnesse Haueth them put at myschef sodenly Som tyme styred by malyce enuy Of wycked folke that worse ben than fendes And kynges often standeth slyperly And yf they fallen falleth eke ther frendes ¶ For loo Nero that cursed emperour Made Seneca hys awne deth deuyse That was hys master hys gouernour And Antoninus in the same wyse Papynyan that had hym don seruyse And a ful myghty man had longe ben He made hys knyghtes ful of cowardyse That wyth ther swerdes al they shuld hym slayn ¶ And both ij yet wold they haue ben glad To haue forlete ther power vtterly And Seneca loo al the good he had He wold haue geuen hyt Nero wyllyngly And ben exyled euer perpetuelly Forsakynge al hys occupation And so haue lyued solytaryly And led hys lyffe in contemplation ¶ But he that menteth downward for to go Hys awne wight wyl draw hym doune in hast And therfore nether of them both to Ne myght hys purpose hauen at last Thys power than that euery man so fast Desyreth thus what ys hyt wold I se Syth he that hath hyt ys ther of a gast Ho so wyl forlete hyt may not syker be ¶ And vhen thou woldest hyt wyllyngly forsake Loo at thy wyl thou mayst hyt not forgon And frendes wyche that fortune doth the make And vertu not what profyt may they don when lusty fortune forth ys fro the gon Than al her frendes wyth her goeth in fere A more perylous myschef ys ther none Than ys thy foo wyththe famylyer MetruÌ„ v. CapituluÌ„ x. Qui se volet Phia Philosophia loquitur ¶ Ho so desyreth myghty for to ben And of hys foes to haue the vyctory Fyrst hys corage that ys so fers kene He must repressen wel myghtely So that the foule lust of lechery May haue no maner mastery in hys mynde For thogh thou be so hawte so hye That men the dredeth in the land of Inde ¶ And eke the I le that ferrest ys of al Out in the west that Tyle cleped ys Be to the suget as thy bound thral yet yf thy foule derke besynesse wyth sore complayntes of thy wrecchednesse Thus in ther boundes haldeth the so fast That thou ne myght them voyden ne represse I say hyt ys no power that thou hast Prosa vj. CapituluÌ„ xj Gloria vero quam fallax Phia Philosophia loquitur BVt hye renoune how ful of vanyte How foule hyt ys often deceyuable As a tragedyen in hys dyte Not causeles thus cryeth in a fable Ow renoune seyth he false varyable To many a thousand of thyn homagers In no thynge elles art thou commendable But as a wynde that swelleth in ther yeres ¶ For many one by false opynyon Of nyce folke haue had a hugy name But certenly a foule confusyon Hyt ys so falsly for to haue a fame For nedes retorne to them moste shame when that they ben comended wrongfully And thogh they haue deserued yet that same what shal a wyse man furdred be ther by ¶ That meteth not the mesure of hys mede By veyn rumor of folkes audyence But putteth al the meret of hyr dede In very vertu of ther conscience And yf thou hald hyt for an excellence Thy noble renoune for to ben extended Than wyl hyt enswe euen of consequence That thou were foule but yf thou were coÌ„mended ¶ But as I sayd a lytel here beforn That nedes must be many a nation To wyche one mannes name may not be born The wyche as in thyn estymatyon A man of worshype ys of renoune Loo than as for the most quantyte Of al thys lytel wordly regyon He must nedes vnrenouned be ¶ I hald hyt not ful moche expedyent Of comen people to be commendable That haueth no reson in ther Iugemente For hyt ys fletynge not perdurable They dyscord in dryth moysture for fyre ys dry ayer ys mostey thys dyscord letteth them for to medle that eueryche kepeth hys kendly place ¶ Also the ayer the vvater accordeth in moysture they dyscordeth in hete colde for ayer ys hote vvater cold vvyche dyscorde lettethe theÌ„ to medle vvater erthe accordeth in cold dyscordeth in moysture drythe for the erthe ys dry the vvater moystey Fyre erthe accordeth in drouthe so that the erthe may not dysioyne fro hys place ne the fyre fro hys they dyscord in cold hete vvherefore they may not medle but euerych kepeth hys kendly place Also the elementes that of qualyteys ben contrary he byndeth to gether by intermene elementes acordynge in qualyteys vvyth bothe as fyre vvater that ben very contrary in qualyteys ben bounden to gedres vvyth ayer that ys intermene acordyng vvyth fyre in hete vvyth vvater in moysture Erthe and ayer ben knet to gedres by vvater that ys entermene accordyng vvyth erthe in cold vvyth ayer in moysture ¶ For clere vnderstandyng of thys chapytre hyt ys for to knovv that he that shal helpe a nother hyt nedeth that he be myghty vvyse and vvel vvylled For yf a thyng be asked of a man the vvyche he may not do ne can not ne hys vvyl skylefully may not consent of very ryght he may denye hyt for no suche thyng ought to be asked ¶ Therfore fyrst he shevveth the suffysance of god in myght in asmoche as he gouerneth al the vvorlde not by grete labour as creaturs gouerneth but by perdurable reson For syth he fyrst set the vvorld in gouernance the natural progression neuer varyed but haldeth hymself alvvay in the fyrste ordynance Also in producynge of creaturs he shevveth hys beneuolence good vvyl to al that ys consonant to reson In that he shevveth that ys to say In that he maketh the elementes as sede mater vvherof ben engendred al erthly thynges And thus doth he not coÌ„pelled of no foreyn cause as men ben compelled but only of the habundance of hys goodnesse â–ª vvyche ys euer vvas perfeâ—ly in hymself the vvyche goodnesse vvas so entensyfly habundant that hyt must nedes of reson be exteÌ„ded by coÌ„munyon ¶
so wythouten certen purpos to be do ¶ For he that dalf he that hyd hyt there Purposed not thou mayst suppose hyt wel That gold to haue ben found in that maner Neuer one of them bethoght hyt neuer a dele But ryght as I haue sayd hyt so befel That in the same place where thes hyt hyd That other dalf found as hyt betyde ¶ Now then in short to make an ende of al And to make a fynal dyffynytion Loo hap ys suche a thyng that doth befalle No thyng purposed of entention Of dyuers causes metyng in to one In thynges that for somwhat were y wroght But vn to that that ys be falle noght ¶ But thys vnescheuable ordynaunce wyche that the wel hed procedeth fro Of the hye dyuyne purueyaunce wythouten wyche ther may no thyng be do That maketh thes causes to concurren so That al thyng desposeth kendly In propre place tymes certenly Metrum j. CapituluÌ„ ij Rupis achimenie scopulis Phia Philosophia loquitur TIgris and Eufrates spryngeth bothe Out of a cragge rocke of Ermeny Out of one wel hed to say the sothe wher men ben wont to fyghten wonderly In flyght they harmeth them that sueth nye Ther sharpe dartes in ther brest fyxyng So when they fleyth ther foes moste noyng ¶ Thes ryuers bothe ben dysioyned sone And renneth in to dyuers stremes grete And after that they fallen in to one where that they in a nother place mete The shyppes than stockes that ther flete In ether of thes stremes doune a long Hyt happeth that they mete euer a mong ¶ Thys water thus ImpLyeth 〈◊〉 Thus medelyng many chaunces fortunel But of that shevey erthe hyt so behappeth The wych thys water sueth wete hyt wel That fletyng ordre ruleth euery dele Ryght so ys happe vnruled as demeth ye But neuertheles hyt hath a law of certente Prosia ij CapitulnÌ„ iij. Animaduerto inquam Boecius loquitur TO thys ê™ I ful wel acorde I can And that ye say I may hyt wel beleuen But in the ordre of thes causes than The wych so suyngly to gedres cleueu Thys wold I se yf ye coude shew or preuen yf in out choys ys any lyberte Other elles that thys cheyn of destyne ¶ Constreyneth al the mouyug of our wyt Phia Philosophia ê™ she in sothe then were hyt al a mysse That wyl I shew clerely preuen hyt For why no kend that resonable ys whythouten lyberte may ben y wysse For al that kendly reson vsen may May demen dyscern hyt ys no nay ¶ And by hym self he knoweth kendly what thyng ys to desyre what to fleen And what thyng that he demeth verely That worthy ys desyred for to be That thyng loo seketh desyreth he And what he Iugeth worthy to be forsake That wyl he leue that other take ¶ Then euery thyng that reson hath certen Of wyl nel hath lyberte ther to But al y leke in sothe wyl I not sayn For dyuyne substances standeth not so The Iugement ys wonder clere of tho Ther wyl ys incorrupt ther myght ys prest And spedy to al that them leketh best ¶ But moste in fredom ys the soule of man when he ys set in contemplation And fully fyxen al hys thoughtes can In hye dyuyne speculation And lesse yf that hys occupation In wordly thyng dystracteth ought hys mynde And lesse when flesly boundes doth hym bynde ¶ But when a man ys geuen vn to vyce Than ys he vtterly bound thralle When he hath set hys reson at no pryse And wylfully hath lete hyt fro hym falle Hys lyberte ys then lest of alle When that hys syght in wordly wrecchednesse Is cast fro lyght of souereyn sothfastnesse ¶ He begenneth then to wexe derke dulle Of that foule cloude of Ignorance Of foule affections than he shal be ful Encombred wyth the vyce of inconstance That trobeleth hym wyth anguysshe greuance To wych when he consenteth in hys wyt In seruage then hym selfe n hath he knytte ¶ In maner of hys propre lyberte A caytyf ys becommen in conscience But neuer the later he that al may se As by hys hye eternal prescience Al thyng gouernyng by hys excellence He hyreth seyth wel euery thought dede And so he wyl desposen for ther mede MetruÌ„ ij Puro claruÌ„ lumie Phia Philosophia THe noble poet hony mouthe Omere Loo of the sonne syngeth on thys wyse And sayth for al hys bryght bemes clere The see ne lande yet may he not suffyse To persen thorugh so may we not deuyse Of hym that hath thys wyde world y wroght The heuy erthe hym wythstandeth noght ¶ Fro fer hye al thyng he seyth a none He ys not let by cloudes of the nyght For al that ys was or shal be done At ones ys hyt al beforn hys syght Syth he alone wyth hys bemes bryght So al thynges may behald se We may wel sayn a very sonne ys he Prosa iij. CapituluÌ„ v. Tum ego en inquaÌ„ Boecius loquitur I sayd then a gretter doute now Confoundeth me then dyd be fore y wysse Phia Philosophia Of what ê™ she art thou in doute now Now ryght in sothe coniect I what hyt ys Boecius full hugely ê™ I repugneth thys That god may knowen al thyng er hyt be And that our wyl may stande at lyberte ¶ Syth god be forn seyth al that shal be do And hys syght loo may be deceyued nought Of very fo rs then nede hyt must be so That prescience hath seyn that ys to be wroght And not only worke but wylle thoght Of euery wyght he knoweth plenerly Than ys no fredom in our arbytry ¶ For why ther may be nother thoght ne dede That pnrueyaunce beforn ne seyth hyt al He fayleth not ther of hyt ys no drede But al that euer he wote betyden shal Al that he seyth beforn hyt must befalle And yf hyt may be torned other wyse Hyt was not seyn be fore at my deuyse ¶ Than shal thys be no very prescience But as an vncerten opynyon But sykerly thys were a foule offence Of god to felen that conclusyon And somme men supposeth that thys questyon May ben assoyled thus as they beleue But ther resons can I not apprene ¶ Loo thus they sayn a thyng that shal betyde Betydeth not for god prouydeth so But god that thyng to commen doth prouyde And seyth beforn al thyng that shal be do And thus a geynward sholde the causes go That god foreseyth thys thyng that shal be wroght But of nede hyt shal vetyde nought ¶ They sayn also that thyng that shal befalle In goddes syght prouyded ys hyt nede Loo thys aunswere assoyleth nought at al Thys doutful questyon hyt ys no drede Only to thys entente hyt doth procede Loo of ij dyuers thynges to enquere wych of them the cause of other were ¶ Whether that the prescience of god
were yet kendely wythyn thy selfe n hydde hyt ys no doute Thou then applyest in thy fantasy To thes other notes of wythoute And thus remembryng in thy self a boute Tho foreyn Images then addeth he To formes wyche that hydde wythyn the be Prosa v. Capitulum ix Quod si in corporibus Phia Philosophia loquitur THough that obiect qualyteys than Cōmoue styre oure foreyn Instrumentes wych I calle the comen wyt of man That of wythouteforth geueth Iugementes And goth before the gostly sentementes A maner sufferaunce corporal For to excyte the gostly myght wyth al ¶ And styren so the worchyng of the mynde To formes wych arested so were wythyn So that the corage may them fele fynde And thogh the wyttes al thys worke begynne The knowyng of thes bodyes for to wynne And bryngeth hym to a maner remembrance The soule ys subiect to no sufferaunce ¶ But he demeth of hys propre myght Thes passions that in the body ben How moche more suche a gostly wyght That fully ys al absolute clene In whom may none affection be seyn Of any thyng to be feled bodely Hys propre myght shal vsen kendly ¶ And foreyn myghtes shal he vsen nought For to dyscerne obiectes of wythoute But by the worchyng of hys owne thought He wynneth hys conceytes al a boute And by the same skyle hyt ys no doute Ful many folde of knowyng mayst thou fynde In substances dyuers in ther kende ¶ The felyng may be called one of tho wyche haue bestes that ben vnmeueable That wyt they haue al only no mo As shelle fysshe suche that cleuen stable In cleffes as to them ys couenable And so suche other shylle fysshe of the see wyche in dyuers places norysshed be ¶ But knowyng of Imagynation Meueable bestes haue doth hyt sue The wych in maner haueth affection Som maner thyng to coueyt or exchwe But reson to dyscernen false true Only to man hyt hath conuenyence As only doth to god Intellygence ¶ Than ys hyt so as euery man may se That thys knowyng most worthy ys hye wych of hys owne kendly properte Not only that perteyneth kendely Vn to hys owne knowyng properly He knoweth wel but furdermore yet The subiecte knoweth he of euery wyt ¶ But what yf comen wyttes stode a geyn And in thys wyse perauenture aunswere And wolde vn to dyscours of reson sayn Loo that thys vniuersal no thyng were That reson semeth he behaldeth there For al that euer Imagenable ys Or comen wyttes may perceyue y wysse ¶ Hyt ys not vniuersal in no wyse Now or the Iugement of reson than Must be sothe yf he wyl thus deuyse That no thyng may be sensyble to man Or for he wote wel that thes wyttes han Subiectes many dyuers that they know Hys owne conceuyng fallace must he trowe ¶ When that he seyth comprehendeth wel Thyng that sensyble ys singuler Behaldyng hyt ryght as vniuersal To thys yf reson wold aunsweren here That she her self behaldeth wel clere By reson of vniuersalyte Al that thes other may perceyue se ¶ For wyttes ne Imagynation May no way comprehenden sykerly Thes vnyuersal thynges of reson For they may not exceden proprely As by ther owne knowyng kendly Shappes fygures corporal A bouen that may they no thyng at al ¶ In knowyng then of thynges at the laste Hyt ys to geue credence to the Iugement That most perfet ys stedefaste And we that haue thys reson excellent And comen wyt to demen thyng present And Imagination also Sholde we not reson here assenten to ¶ But mannes reson ys y leke in thys As towardes dyuyne Intellygence Ryght as Imagenyng or wyttes ys To reson of a mannes conscience That weneth that dyuyne prescience May no maner thyng behalde as he troweth That ys to come but as hym selfe n knoweth ¶ For loo thys argument thou makest me yf thynges that hereafter shal be done Not certeyn ne necessary be For knowyng may not fallen ther vpon For prescience sayst thou ys ther none And yf so ys that prescience be Ther falleth nought but of necessyte ¶ But yf we myght parteners ben Loo of the domes of dyuyne thought Ryght as we may by very reson seyn That Imagenyng suffyseth nought Ne comen wyttes to perceyuen ought The Iugement of reson as we deme Ful Iust hyt sholde mannes reson seme ¶ To be subiect vndercast alway Vn to dyuyne thought I am certeyn A ryse we ther fore fully yf we may To that Intellygence souereyn And yf we may in to that hyght atteyn Loo there shal reson fele knowen wel That in hyt self he may do neuer a dele ¶ Loo that ys thys as in what wyse how The thynges that betydeth thus vncertenly Thys prescience seyth hyt wel y now Dyffyned in hys thought eternally Not by gessyng opynablely But by souereyn science of symplenesse whom termes may not closen ne compresse Metrū v. Capitulum x. Quam varijs terras Phia Philosophia loquitur THes bestes in ther kendes dyfferent Ful dyuersly on erthe doth they glyden Somme on ther body strecchyng extent Crepīg vpō ther brestes doune they slydē And in the dust a forwe they dyuyden And somme by very lyghtnesse of ther kynde wyth ther wynges planeth in the wynde ¶ And long spaces of the ayer on hye So in ther flyght they swymmeth as hyt were And summe ben glad to kepe them selfe n nye Thys grounde a low sette ther stappes here In grene feldes ther ys al ther chere And some to walke in wodes forestes And thogh so be that al thes wylde bestes ¶ Ben dyuers in ther shappes fygure Al ther faces ben enclyned yet Vn to the grounde shewyng ther nature And the kendly dulnesse of ther wyt Loo only kende of man reuerseth hyt For mannes hed a ryseth vp on hyght And euen vpryght hys body standeth streght ¶ And vnder hym the erthe behaldeth he whether dotest thou or art thou in a sweuen Thou erthly man thy fygure techeth the That lyfteth vp thy vysage in to heuen And thy frount in to the ayer ful euen On erthly thyng thou sholdest not set thy loue But sette hyt holly in the heuen a boue ¶ Ther sholdest thou be ther ys thy kendly place Thou hast of the erthe but thy bestly kende And yet loo thou wylt bryng thy selfe n bace And so wyth bestes sette thy self behynde Lete not the noble nature of thy mynde Be plounged doune to the grounde y pyght Syth that thy body standeth euen vpryght Prosa vj. Capitulū xj Quoniā igitur vti Phia Philosophia loquitur Syth euery thyng as I haue shewed now ryght That wyst or knowen ys in any way Hyt ys not knowen of the propre myght Of that self thyng hyt ys no nay But of the kendly myght the sothe to say Of tho that doth hyt knowe or comprehende Now let