mater that ys to seyn of perdurable kende The seconde part of hys kende may be called the allyance to thes erthly thynges vvyche ben variable corruptible diuers in ther beynge The thyrde part of hys kende ys medlede of thes bothe that ys hys allyance to the spheres of sterres of planetes vvyche ben in parte meueable in parte vnmeueable they be meueable in ther kendly cours vnmeueable in coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce of ther cours â—eâ—yng of the place ordre vvyche they vvere set in at ther fyrst creation Hovv he meueth al thynge the letter shevveth furdermore vvhere he saeth Resoluynge hyt in membres consonant that ys to say departynge hys labour in to the meuynge of al the viii spheres of sterres of planetes Hoos meuyng tho they be discordant in ther cours coÌ„trarious dyuers in effectes yet be they so consonant to gedres that none letteth but rather righteth dresseth euerych other For the viii sphere meuyng vvest vvard rauesheth al the nether spheres maketh them to meue the same vvay vvhere ther natural meuynge ys estevvarde Also tho the effectes of the planetes ben dyuers yet ther kendly cours of meuynge ys suche that euerych tempereth other so that ther falle no coÌ„fusion in thys vvordly gouernance ¶ Also thys meuynge he dyuydeth in to ii spheres or ii cercles as ys a fore sayd by meuynge of vviche ben gouerned the clemeÌ„tes vvyth al ther traÌ„smutatioÌ„s al other thynges vnder the mone And he retorneth vn to hym self that ys to say to ther vvhere he began for ther ys no perfet meuynge but in compace that alvvay retornethe in to hym self by vviche circuler meuynge or vvorchynge he atteyneth by similitude of natural perfection to the depe mynde of dyuyne intelligeÌ„ce vviche ys the laste ende of nature simpliciter vvithouteÌ„ other And after thys circuler meuynge by forme of leke conuenience he tornethe heuen boute dressynge the effectes of al thys meuynge after the souereyn exempler of the hye purueance of god Furdermore Boecius coÌ„mendith the might the goodnesse the vvysedom of god in makyng gouernyng of erthly thynges specially in the disposyng of maÌ„nes soule vhee â—e sayth in the text thus Thou auauncest or reysest soules lesse lyues of creatures by euenly or leke causes makest them able to lyfte cartes ¶ Vhen he hathe sotelly treted of the soule of the vvorlde than goethe he to the soule of man sayth that in maner leke as god hathe made the soule of the vvorlde of iii. naturs so hathe he made the soule of man For fyrst he taketh a mater perdurable that ys to sey a nature immortal of the kende af angeles Ioyneth hyt to a nature chauÌ„geable corruptible that ys the sensualyte drauen of thys corruptible fâ—eshe And of thes it â–ª resulteth the thyrde vviche ys in parte dedly be cause of he body also be cause of hys vnstablenesse And in parte vndedly be cause of the perdurable nature of intelligence vhereof he ys partener Thys soule ys druyded in to ii compaces of the vviche one ys of ê‘durable nature that ys reson meueth kendly fro the right hand to the lyfte hand that ys to say â–ª he groundeth al hys vvorkes vpon vertu so putteth theÌ„ in perfet execution â–ª But the other circle of sensualyte meueth in contrary for he groundeth al hys vvorkes vpon the fleshe so procedeth in to vicious lustes But the reson must rauyshe the sensualyte vvith hym in to the vvay of vertu or elles must they bothe torne in to mischefe And so tho reson be stired distract by errour rehellyon of sensualyte yet must he retorne in to hym self behâ—ldynge the excellence of hys nature not restynge there proudly vvith Lucifer but enserchynge sekiÌ„ge by thoght deuote prayer the deâ—e intelligence that ys god And there behald in the mirrour of eternal vvysedom vvhat he ought to do represâ—ynge vvithe the fyre of loue al vicious meuynges For vhy thou god haste made the soule able to hye cartes that ys to say to be reâ—ed in heuen ¶ Thou sovvest in heuen and in erthe Fyrste he maketh the soule puttethe hyt in to thys earthly body there for to encrese in meret and vertues And syth vvhen they ben rype he takethe hem in to heuen And hovve For sothe the vertues that hym self hathe planted in the soule he hym self noâ—ysheth them vvythe â—yry bemes of loue And maketh them rypen in to ful â—rute and so retorne vp to hym fro vvhennes they toke ther beynge Prosa x. CapituluÌ„ xix Quoniam igitur Phia Philosophia loquitur FOr as moche as thou hast seyn in thys wyche ys imperfet good to eschwe The forme of good also that perfet ys The wyche that ys to seken to sue Fro heuens forthe our processe to persue Hyt ys to shewen as hyt semeth me The very good that perfet ys true what thynge hyt ys where hyt myght be ¶ But fyrst I hold yt nedeful to enquere yf suche thynge may ben in any kende As we be forn dyffyned haue whyle ere Lest so be that in vayn our wyttes wende And lest we be deceyued at the ende As by a false Imagynation Of thynge that nought ys formed in our mynde And so to lese our occupation ¶ But that we saue our purpose hole sound That perfet good ys no wyght may wythsayn The wyche ys in maner the wel ground Of al good that ys thou be certeyn Ther may no wyght replyen ther a geyn yf any thynge haue imperfection That ys be cause hyt ys not ful ne pleyn wyth perfet thynge as in comparyson ¶ For why in any general of kende where any thynge imparfet ys say I A perfet thynge also there mayst thou fynde For yf ther were no perfet vtterly Syth lacke of perfet ys the cause why That any thynge imperfet may be preued A perfet thynge ther must be sykerly Fro wyche imperfet thynges be dyscryned ¶ For why of thynges scars dymynute Nature toke not her fyrst production But al hole complete absolute Fro al defaute al corruption And so fro thens made progressyon Vn to thes lower thynges that we seyn That lesse hauethe of perfection And as hyt were al voyd empty ben ¶ And yf so be as I haue shewed er thys Ther ys an imperfet felycyte Of frayel feble good ful sothe hyt ys Another good perfet must ther be Boecius Ful sothe ys thys ê™ I as semeth me Concluded also ful fermly Phia Philosophia But now she sayd thou must behald se wher that thys good ys founden fynally ¶ The comen conceyte loo of mannes mynde By reson ys vn to thys poynt y brought That god that prynce auctor ys of kende Hym self ys good in thys they fayleth noght Syth that ther may no better thynge be thoght Than god hym self thys wote wel euery wyght That god ys good worthy
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
Also he shevveth the suffysance of hys vvysedom connynge in as moche as al that euer vvas ys or shal be her after hyt ys open to hym in hys eternal exsampler or mitrour of hys mynde that al thynges coÌ„prehendeth presently at ones And syth so vvysely produceth hyt in to hys beynge not only in general but al partes in specyal absolutly vvythout defaut or nede of any exterior cause And in thys ys shevved the vvysedom of god in asmoch as he ys the formal cause of al thynge as in exsampler After that he hathe shevved the suffysance of god in myght goodnesse vvysedom in gouernance of thes thynges in specyal he coÌ„mendeth the same suffysance in general in creation gouernance of som other thynges of more deper conceyte of invvard speculation iÌ„ that he shevveth reherseth the sotel knytting of the iiii elementes as ys before sayd ¶ Furdermore also in creation of the mene spiret of treble kend vvyche som phylosophres as plato hys folders called anima mundi the soule of the vvorld For cause that Plato savve hys master Socrates eÌ„poysened put to deth for hys sothe saynge he vvold not dyscouer hys sotel conceytes ne the preuyâ—es of nature to the rude people but put theÌ„ vnder maner of parables preuy vvordes vvyche myght enstore hys vvysedoÌ„ vn to the tyme that men vvold be better vvylled for to hyre truth The grekes at that tyme vvor shypped the sonne called hym Apollo god of vvysedoÌ„ fantasyng that he caused al other thynges tobe Fro vvyche errour socrates dyssented sayd that the sonne vvas a formed creature vvherfore he vvas slayn as ys be fore sayd And before hym Anaxagoras vvas exyled for the same cause vvherfore Plato lefte the cyte of Athenes chose hys habytation in a cyte or place named Acadencia In vvyche place vvas often tymes erthe quakes Thys place he chose be cause hys dyscyples shold euer leue in drede of ther lyues vvyche drede shold refrayn foule passyons of flesly lustes so for to a voyde the foule errour of Epicurenes that dyd put the fulfelycyte of man iu fleshly delyte ¶ Plato then spekyng of the gouernance of the vvorld in hys boke named Thimeus sayth thus ¶ God of the same euer a hydynge mater also of dyuers mater and varyable medled made the thyrde kende Of the vvyche he toke first one parte syth ii syth iii. after iiii after viii after ix after .xxvii. Of vyche he made the kende of thys spyret or of thys soule And theÌ„ he fulfylled the interualles of thes nombres vvythe mene proporcions as here after doth appere I. dupla ii sesquealâ—a iii sesqueâ—cia iii dupla viii sesqueotaua ix tripla xxvi◠¶ Then thys renge thus draen a longe he dyuyded in ii partes of the vvyche one shold conteyne euen nombres proporcions and the other odde so that the begynnynge of eyther shold be I. Then eyther of thes nombres he broght in to compace put the lasse Circle vvythyn the more And the cyrcle of the same nature that ys to say of odde proportions he torned fro the ryght hand to the lyfte hand And the other of dyuers nature that ys to say of euen ê“portions he torned fro the lyft hand to the ryght hand thys may be perceyued by thys fygure foloyng PrimuÌ„ mobile mouetur motu vniformi ab oriente in occidentem ¶ Sphere planetarum mouea difformiter ab occidente in orientem ¶ Inter numeros exterioris sphere est proportio equalis ¶ Inter numeros iÌ„terioris sphere est proportio inequalis ¶ Fordermore Philosophia shevveth her petitoÌ„n resonable as to iii. thynges asked Fyrst he asked the knovvlege of soue reyn godd He asked also iÌ„ thys knovvlege perseuerance And laste he asked to be coÌ„forted by hys souereyn lyght ¶ Fyrste she assigneth a reson for thys laste petition vvher she saythe thou art clernesse by vvyche al thynges ben beshened clered For perseuerance she assygneth the second reson saythe thou art peseable reste to the meke Than assyneth she the thyrde reson sayth the to behald hyt ys the ende to vvyche man vvas made For thou art begynner of al thou betest conteynest al thou ledest ous by natural inclination thou art the path of the vvay of loue by vvyche vve shal retorne to the. thou art al the blysse or heuen thou art the terme ende of al our vvordly labour vve seketh none other ¶ The vnderstandyng of thys sotel conceyte ys thus vvhere he sayth thys saule ys medled of the same mater dyuerse he vnderstaÌ„deth that the saule of the vvorld vvas made of nature chaungeable of nature vnchaungeable Nature vnchaungeable he calleth the same And chaungeable he calleth dyuerse The euen nombres for asmoche as they may be dyuyded in to euen he calleth nature chaungeable And the odde nombres that may not eueuly be dyuyded he calleth nature vnchaungeable ¶ Furdermore for to shevve that thys soule ys princyple of doblenesse that ys to say of vnyformyte that ys in the fyrst meueable vvyche ys the sterred fitmament that clerkes callen PrimuÌ„r mobile And also of difformyte that ys in the planetes he sayth that god cutte thes nombres in ii partes of the vvyche one parte coÌ„teyned odde nombres that longeth to vniformyte And the other conteyned euen nombres that perteyneth to difformyte by cause of hys diuisibilyte And eyther of thes partes he torned in to compas in signe of circuler meuynge But the part of odde noÌ„bres he torned for the rygth hand to the lyfte hand in signe of vniformyte in meuynge And the other of euen nombres he torned fro the lift hand to the ryght in signe of difformyte The ryght hend of the vvorld ys the este the lyft hand the vveste the hed ys the southe the fete ys the northe The meuynge of vniformyte he put to meue fro este to vvest for so meueth the sterred sphere The meuynge of difformyte he calleth the speres of the vii planetes vvyche ys meued fro vveste to the este ¶ Also hyt ys to considre that bothe thes nombres of odde euen meteth at one that ys callid vnyte in signe of the onehed the simplicite of god at vvhom begynneth endeth al creatures vpon hoos stablenesse ys grounded euery meuynge vpon hoos vniformyte al difforme variable thynges ben ryghted reduced ¶ Novv then to the processe conceyte of Boecius vvhere he sayth thus Thou god knettest the mene soule that ys the soule of the vvorld of treble kend that meuythe al thynge He calleth the soule of the vvorld the spyret that next vnder god entendeth to the meuynge gouernance of the vvorld vvyche ys mene be tuene the stabilyte of godhed meueablenesse of creaturs Of treble kynde For fyrst he ys partener of the kende of angeles vithe ben of vniforme kende that ys to say of simple nature pure vnmedled vvyche Plato calleth the same euer a byâ—ynge
the nature ys That they dyuers one body certenly Shal make but hyt ys shewed er thys That al thes ben one thynge Boecius ye ê™ I Phia Philosophia They ben ê™ she no membres sykerly Syth they ben one or elles wold hyt sue That blysfulnesse were made ful wonderly Of a membre that nature wold exchwe Boeê° Boecius Thys ys ê™ I ful sothe I doute yt noght But now ful fayn the remanent wold I se Phia Philosophia Than al thes thynges ê™ she must be broght And to thys good as chef referred be And for thys good ful sothe hyt ys parde Men desyren after suffysance To haue pouer or stand in hye degre For hyt ys good they maketh purueyance ¶ The same I may deuysen suyngly Of reuerence renoune lustynesse They deme hyt good that ys the cause why That they requyre hyt wyth ther besynesse Than ys thys good the very cause y wysse And somme of al that ought to be required For thynge that no good hathe in lekelynesse Ne none in sothe hyt may not be desyred ¶ And there a geyn loo in contrary wyse A thynge that ys not good in no maner yet yf hyt semeth good as they deuyse Ryght as they very ryght goodes were Men wylleth them than wyl hyt suen here That bounte ys the ground cause of al why thynges ought to be leue dere That any man of ryght desyren shal ¶ And ouer thys hyt semeth furdermore That euery thynge that ys the cause why Loo that a nother ys desyred fore That cause ys eke desyred pryncypally Ryght as be cause of he le fynally A man desyreth for to ryde play Hys hele he doth desyren sekerly As wel as for to ryde hyt ys no nay ¶ Syth al thys thynge that thus desyred ys The cause of al ys pryncypal bounte Thys bounte ys desyred than y wys As moche as that thynge in hys degre But we haue graunted that felycyte ys cause thes thynges euerychone Desyred ben then sueth hyt parde That blysfulnesse desyred ys a lone ¶ Of thys hyt semeth hyt suethe loo That then thys good very blysfulnesse In substance ben one thynge no mo And verely the same thynge expresse Boecius I can not say ê™ I in sothfastnesse How any wyght your wordes may blame Phia Philosophia But god ê™ she very blysfulnesse As we haue shewed ben one thyng the same Boecius Ryght as ye sayn ê™ I hyt ys ful clere Phia Philosophia Than may I ê™ she wel sykerly The sentence the somme of thys mater Loo thus concluden ful fynally That the substance loo of god on hy Is set founded in none other place But in the same good eternally To fynd hyt there god send the grace MetruÌ„ x. CapituluÌ„ xx Huc oeÌ„s pariter venite Phia Philosophia loquitur HOwe cometh al ye that ben y brought In boundes ful of bytter besynesse Of erthly lust a bydynge in your thought Here ys the rest of al your besynesse Here ys the port of pees restfulnesse To them that standeth in stormes of desese Only refuge to wrecches in dystresse And al comfort of myschef mysese ¶ For al that euer Tagus ¶ Tagus ys a ryuer of Spayn ful of golden greynes doth yow bede wyth hys golden grauel stones bryght Other Erinus ¶ Erinus ys a ryuer in Asya the lesse al ful of greynes of gold wythe hys strondes rede May geuen yow for to plese your syght Other the ryuer wyche that Indus Indus ys a ryuer of India that rennethe in to the red see ful of perry and moche precyousty â–ª hyght That ys ful nye the hote regyon wyche the grene stones wyth hys myght wyth whyte perelles torneth vp so doune ¶ They shyneth wonder clere vn to your ye But your insyght in sothe they maketh blynd And wythe ther derke cloudes perylously wyth vanyte your hertes doth they bynd For how that euer they plesith to youre mynd As preysed worthe ful many a thousand pound yet ben they ful vnworthy in ther kend As noreshed in the caues of the ground ¶ But the shynynge of that souereyn lyght By wyche the hye heuen gouerned ys Chaceth a way the foule derke nyght That hathe your soules drawen al a mysse Thys souereyn lyght yf thou may seyn y wysse Behald hyt wel kepe hyt yf thou conne And thou shalt se that in regard of thys Ther be no bryght bemes in the sonne Prosa xj Eapitulum xxj Assencior inquam Boecius loquitu TO thys ê™ I I must nedes assenâ— your wordes haueth me knet so fermly By reson of your subtel argument Phia Philosophia what yf thou knew ê™ she verely Thys good what woldest thou than set ther by yf thou myght knowen clerely what hyt were Boeciê° I wold hyt prese at infynyte ê™ I Yf I myght knowen god in that maner Phia I shal ê™ she as very resonable Shewe the that apertly er thou go So that thes thynges stand ferme stable That we be fore thys haue consented to Boecius They must ê™ I we may not go ther fro Phia Philosophia Haue I not shewed the plenerly ê™ she That al thes thynges that ben desyred so Of felle folke ben ful of vanyte ¶ And syth they ben dyuers hyt ys no nay They be no very goodes perfetly For when that one fro other ys a way No ful ne very goodes vtterly To no wyght may they brynge certenly But when they ben assembled in to one In workynge in forme verely Than ys hyt good elles ys hyt none ¶ So that thys power thys suffysance Gladsomnesse honour nobelte Be ryght the same one thynge in substance And yf they lacketh of thys vnyte Ther ys not why they shold desyred be Ne loued yf ye do loke wel a bowte Boecius whyle er ê™ I thus haue ye shewed ê‘de Ful true hyt ys hyt may not ben in dowte ¶ Syth so hyt ys that good be they nought when dyuersyte ys founden them betwene And when that they to onehed ben y brought Than be they good as euery man may seyne what ys that maketh them good for to bene But the getynge of thys vnyte Boecius Ryght so hyt ys ê™ I right as ye mene Phia Philosophia But euery thynge that good ys then ê™ she ¶ why ys hyt good wylt thou not graunten thys That for hyt hathe partycypatyon Loo of thys foresayd good Boeciê° I seyd eys Phia Philosophia Than must thou ê™ she by the same reson Graunte also thys conclusyon That good one ben one thynge verely For thynges lekely of condytyon Not dyuers in effectes kendly ¶ In substance ben they one thynge no mo Boecius Fro thys ê™ I y may not go a syde Phia Philosophia And knowest thou not that euery thynge also That ys ê™ she so longe shal a byde whyle hyt ys one yf hyt so betyde That thys
tyme that lust must thou respyte The whyle that I in ordre knette in fere My resons wyche I shal the shewen here Boeciê° Ryght as ye lust ê™ I she began As hyt were al a nother processe than ¶ Phia Philosophia Loo euery kendly generation Of al thynges be they more or lesse And euery natural progress you That in hys beyng hathe chaungeablenesse And what that euer hyt be that meued ys Ther ordre forme causes forthe ben broght Fro the stable hye dyuyne thoght ¶ Thys souereyn thoght that al doth so deuyse Set in the toure of hye symplycyte Hathe ordeyned many dyuers maner wyse To thynges that ben don loo wylt thou se And yf thys maner of desposytion referred be Vn to the pure dyuyne intellygence Than ys hyt purueyance or prescience ¶ But when thys same maner referred ys To thynges that ben meued gouerned As olde men haue called hyt er thys Than ys hyt desteny as I haue lerned Ful sone ys thys dyuersyte dyscerned Of hym that seeth the myghtes of them bothe And esely he shal wel se the sothe ¶ For purueyance loo ys that reson hye Of good our aller prynce souereyn By wyche al he desposeth myghtely But desteny the very sothe to sayn Loo ys that dysposytion certeyn wyche thes thynges ben annexed to That of ther kendes ben meueable so ¶ By wyche the hye dyuyne prescience Al thynges in ther ordynance enlaceth Thys purueyance loo hath thys excellence That al thyng at ones he enbraceth Fro hys presence ys no thynge that passeth Thogh they be Infynyte endles Yet al he comprehendeth neuertheles ¶ But desteny in certen tyme space Syngulerly dyuydeth euery dele Desposyng hyt in meuyng tyme place And when that thys desposyng temporel Is comprehended referred wel Vn to the onehed of goddes gouernance Than ys hyt sothly called purueyance ¶ But for to haue consyderation How they dyuyded in dyuers tymes be That self ordre of thys desposytion Than ys hyt hothly called desteny And thogh they haue suche dyuersyte yet neuertheles ther may no thyng be sother Then that one of them dependeth of the other ¶ For of the symplycyte of purveyance Thys ordre fatal certen doth procede Ther ys the forme of al that ordynance Ryght as a crafty man that wyl hym spede A worke to maken fyrst he taketh hede And al the shappe desposeth in hys mynde And syth the effect he bryngeth to the ende ¶ As he hath fyrst deuysed euery dele And in hys thoght enprented symplely He bryngeth forthe by ordre temporel Ryght so god al purueyeth syngulerly And to be don desposeth stablely And when hyt fully ys desposed so By desteny he maketh hyt to be do ¶ And whether thys exercyse destynal By any spyrytes of the heuen on hye That to thys purueyance entendeth al Or yf the soule doth hyt verely Or elles nature doth hyt kendly Or the meuyng of the sterres bryght Or elles angeles of the heuen lyght ¶ Other elles by the fendes besynesse By som of thes other by al in fere Thys ordre destynal performed ys yet loo thys ys ful open ful clere And nedes hyt must be so in al manere That the stable symple ordynance Of thyng to don ys called purueyance ¶ But loo the processe of successyon In wyche they ben performed suyngly By the symple dysposytion Fore seyn of god be forn eternally Loo desteny men calle hyt sykerly So al that euer ys vnder desteny So must hyt vnder purueyance be ¶ As ys the self desteny also And to that self purueyance bothe Som thynges ben subiect that ben y do As after thys I shal declaren to the That a geyn stondeth desteny for sothe And some to god approcheth so by loue That ordre destynal they passe a boue ¶ As dyuers compace on one poynt y pyght Vpon the centre tornyng al a boute The Innermest compace to thy syght The wyche nexte to the centre ys wythoute A centre wyl hyt seme hyt ys no doute And semeth as hyt meueth neuer a dele A boute wyche so meueth al the whyle ¶ But thys vttermest circumference That to thy syght ys largest in compace And ferrest fro thys poynt in dyfference So must he meuen in a larger space And he that negheth to that myddel place Compressed next to that symplycyte He cesseth for to meuen as semeth the ¶ By lekely reson he that ferrest fleteth Fro the souereyn thoght of god on hye To desteny the faster he hym knetteth And he that can wyl approchen nye Thys souereyn centre-god ententyfly The more he stondeth in fredom in ese That desteny shal lytel hym desese ¶ Ryght as dyscours of reson may not be mete Vn to the Intellect of mannes mynde Ne thyng that ys to thyng that ys not yete Ne a lytel stound to tyme wythouten ende May not be leke in worthynesse of kende But as the poynt to the circumference Betwene them ys an hugey dyfference ¶ Ryght so thys fatayl mutabylyte That alway ys so ful of varyance Referred to the hye symplycyte Of the stable souereyn purueyance wyche that heuens hathe in gouernance He meueth sterres he tempereth elementes Transformyng them by enterchaungementes ¶ And al that nature doth on erthe brede And so bydeth shal fallen downe efte sone Renewyng them by frutes by sede He seeth also the workes that ye done And fortunes he gouerneth euerych one Constreynynge wyth an Insoluble bonde Of causes wyche that may not be wythstonde ¶ And syth thes causes passen fro so hye A grounde as purueyance vnuaryable Than may I say ful wel sothfastly That nedes must hyt ben vntransmutable That gouernance most profytable when thys symplycyte of dyuyne thoght Ordeyneth causes wyche that fayleth noght ¶ Thus in a certeyn ordre sothe to sayn That stedfast ys hyt may faylen neuer And but thys ordre gouerne refrayn Thys wordly thynges wyche that chaungeth euer Ful sone they shal dyssoluen desseuer Fletynge ryght as thynge of no valour And whaueryng so wythouten gouernour ¶ And thogh so be that we may not beholde The causes of thys desposytion Ne se the skyleful ordre as we sholde Ther fore be we in perturbation Hyt semeth ous errour confusion Yet ys hyt dressed yf we vnderstode And wel desposed euery dele to good ¶ For cause of euel ys no thyng verely Performed of the worst man that ys For as I haue declared plenerly They seketh good but they ben led a mysse By errour of ther owne wrecchednesse For why that ordre wyche that doth procede Fro souereyn good hyt may no wyght myslede ¶ But vn to thys perauenture wylt thou say What confusion may ther wors be Syth good badde indyfferent alday Now haue they welthe now aduersyte Now that they loue now that they wolden fle But wylt thou trow that men be now so wyse That euery thyng must be as they deuyse ¶ As whom