2409 [now]—from C.
2410 souereyne goode—verray good
2411 shulle—shollen
to—omitted
2413 on-one—anon
IN SEEKING SUPREME FELICITY THE DIVINE AID IS TO BE INVOKED.
[O QUI PERPETUA.]
O þou fadir O Father and Maker of heaven and earth, by whose eternal reason the world is governed, and by whose supreme command Time flows from the birth of ages, Thou, firm and unchanged thyself, makest all things else to move! creatour of heuene and of erþes þat
gouernest þis worlde by perdurable resoun þat comaundist
þe tymes for to gon from tyme þat age had[de] [2416]
bygynnyng. þou þat dwellest þi self ay stedfast and
stable and ȝiuest alle oþer þinges to ben moeued. Thy sovereign will to floating matter gave its various forms, impelled by no exterior causes, but by the Idea of the Best in thy great mind conceived void of malice. ne
forein causes necesseden þe neuer to compoune werke
of floterynge mater. but only þe forme of souereyne [2420]
goode y-set wiþ inne [þe] wiþ outen envie þat moeued[e]
þe frely. Fairest thyself bearing the world’s figure in thy thought, thou didst create the world after that prototype, and dost draw all things from the image of the fair Supreme, and dost command that this world should have perfect parts. þou þat art alþerfairest beryng þe faire worlde
in þi þouȝt. formedest þis worlde to þe likkenesse
semblable of þat faire worlde in þi þouȝt. þou drawest [2424]
alle þinges of þi souereyne ensampler. and comaundedist
þat þis worlde perfitlyche ymaked haue frely and
absolut hyse perfit parties. By harmonious measures thou dost bind fast the elements, so that there is no discordance between things cold and hot, or between the moist and the dry. ¶ þou byndest þe elementȝ
by noumbres proporcionables. þat þe colde þinges [2428]
mowen accorde wiþ þe hote þinges. and þe drye þinges
wiþ þe moyst þinges. That the fire may not fly too high, and that weight may not press the earth and water lower than they are now placed, þat þe fire þat is purest ne fleye
nat ouer heye. ne þat þe heuynesse ne drawe nat adoun
ouer lowe þe erþes þat ben plounged in þe watres. [2432]
GOD IS THE FOUNTAIN OF FELICITY.
thou didst join the Middle Soul (of a threefold nature) moving all things, and then by agreeing numbers didst resolve it. ¶ þou knyttest to-gidre þe mene soule of treble kynde
moeuyng alle þinges. and diuidest it by membres accordynge.
When that is done, cut into two orbs, it moves about returning to itself, and then encompassing the profound mind doth by that fair idea turn the heaven. ¶ And whan it is þus diuided it haþ assembled
a moeuyng in two roundes. ¶ It goþ to tourne [2436]
aȝein to hym owen self. and environeþ a fulle deep
þouȝt. and tourniþ þe heuene by semblable ymage. Thou by such causes dost raise all souls and lesser lives, and adaptest them to their light vehicles. þou
by euenlyk causes enhaunsest þe soules and þe lasse
liues and ablynge hem heye by lyȝt[e] cartes. Thou sowest them in heaven and earth, and they return to thee by thy kind law like a recoiling flame. þou [2440]
sewest hem in to heuene and in to erþe. and whan þei
ben conuertid to þe by þi benigne lawe. ¶ þou makest
hem retorne aȝeine to þe by aȝein ledyng fijr.
O Father, elevate our souls and let them behold thy august throne. ¶ O fadir yif þou to þi þouȝt to stien vp in to þi streite sete. [2444]
and graunte [hym] to enviroune þe welle of good. Let them behold the fountain of all good. Dispel the mists of sense, remove the weights of earth-born cares, and in thy splendour shine (in our minds). and
þe lyȝte yfounde graunte hym to ficchen þe clere syȝtes
of hys corage in þe. ¶ And scatre þou and to-breke
[thow] þe weyȝtes and þe cloudes of erþely heuynesse. [2448]
and shyne þou by þi bryȝtnes. For thou art ever clear, and to the good art peace and rest. He who looks on thee beholds beginning, support, guide, path and goal, combined! for þou art clernesse þou
art peisible to debonaire folke. ¶ þou þi self art bygynnynge.
berere. ledere. paþ and terme to loke on þe
[þat] is oure ende. Glose. [2452]
2415 worlde—world