705 insyȝt—insyhte
say—assaye
706 lyȝt—lyhte
708 don—MS. done
mow[e]—mowe
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART.
[NUBIBUS ATRIS CONDITA.]
ÞE sterres Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. couered wiþ blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a doun no lyȝt. If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. Ȝif þe trouble wynde þat
hyȝt auster stormynge and walwyng þe see medleþ þe [712]
heete þat is to seyne þe boylyng vp from þe botme
¶ Þe wawes þat somtyme weren clere as glas and
lyke to þe fair[e] bryȝt[e] dayes wiþstant anon þe
syȝtes of men. by þe filþe and ordure þat is resolued. [716]
and þe fletyng streme þat royleþ doun dyuersely fro
heyȝe mountaignes is arestid and resisted ofte tyme
by þe encountrynge of a stoon þat is departid and
fallen from some roche. If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue the path of right. ¶ And forþi yif þou wilt [720]
loken and demen soþe wiþ clere lyȝt. and holde þe
weye wiþ a ryȝt paþe. Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ¶ Weyue þou ioie. drif fro þe
drede. fleme þou hope. ne lat no sorwe aproche. Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. þat is
to sein lat noon of þise four passiouns ouer come þe. [724]
or blynde þe. Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong fetters. for cloudy and dirke is þilk þouȝt and
bounde with bridles. where as þise þinges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
710 blak[e]—blake
712 stormynge—turnyng
713 from—fro