THE LOVE OF LIFE IS INSTINCTIVE.
Whatever is agreeable to the nature of a thing preserves it. So what is contrary to its nature destroys it. and forsothe euery thing kepith thilke þat is acordynge [2764]
and propre to hym // ryht as thinges þat ben contraryes
and enemys corompen hem // Dense bodies, such as stones, resist an easy separation of parts; whereas the particles of liquid or flowing things, such as air and water, are easily separated and soon reunited. and yit the harde thinges
as stoones clyuen and holden hyr partyes to gydere
ryht faste and harde / and deffenden hem in withstondenge [2768]
þat they ne departe nat lyhtly a twyne // and the
thinges þat ben softe and fletynge as is water and Eyr
they departyn lyhtly // and yeuen place to hem þat
brekyn or deuyden hem // but natheles they retornen [2772]
sone ayein in to the same thinges fro whennes they ben
arraced // Fire avoids and utterly refuses any such division. but fyr [fleetħ] and refuseth alle deuysyoun /
I am not now treating of the voluntary motion of a conscious soul, but of the natural intention and instinct. ne I. ne trete nat heere now of weleful moeuynges of the
sowle þat is knowynge // but of the naturel entencioun [2776]
of thinges // We swallow our meat without thinking of it, and we draw our breath in sleep without perception. As thus ryht as we swolwe the mete þat we
resseyuen and ne thinke nat on it / and as we drawen
owre breth in slepynge þat we wite it nat whil we slepyt //
The love of life in animals is not derived from an intellectual will, but from natural principles implanted in them. For certes in the beestys the loue of hyr lyuynges ne of [2780]
hyr beeinges ne comth nat of the wilnynges of the sowle //
but of the bygynnyngis of nature // For the will, induced by powerful reasons, sometimes chooses and embraces death, although nature dreads and abhors it. For certes thorw
constreynynge causes / wil desireth and embraceth ful
ofte tyme / the deth þat nature dredith // that is to seyn [2784]
as thus that a man may ben constreynyd so by som
cause that his wil desireth and taketh the deth which
þat nature hateth and dredeth ful sore // And, on the contrary, we see that concupiscence (by which alone the human race is perpetuated) is often restrained by the will. And som tyme
we seeth the contrarye / as thus that the wil of a wight / [2788]
destorbeth and constreyneth þat þat nature desireth / and
requereth al-wey // that is to sein the werk of generacioun /
by the whiche generacioun only / dwelleth and is sustenyd
the longe durablete of mortal thinges // Self-love possessed by every creature is not the product of volition, but proceeds from a natural impression or intention of nature. And thus [2792]
this charite and this Loue þat euery thing hath to hym
self ne comth nat of the moeuynge of the sowle / but of
the entencioun of nature // Providence has implanted in all created things an instinct, for the purpose of self-preservation, by which they desire to prolong existence to its utmost limits. For the puruyance of god
hat yeuen to thinges þat ben creat of hym / this þat is [2796]
a ful gret cause / to lyuen and to duren / for which they
desiren naturelly hyr lyf as longe as euer they mowen //
THE WILL IS SUPERIOR TO INSTINCT.
Doubt not, therefore, that everything which exists desires existence and avoids dissolution. For w[h]ych thou maist nat drede by no manere / that
alle the thinges / that ben anywhere / that they ne requeren [2800]
naturelly / the ferme stablenesse of perdurable
dwellynge / and ek the eschuynge of destruccyoun // B. You have made those things perfectly plain and intelligible, which before were obscure and doubtful. B //
now confesse I. wel quod I. that I. see wel now certeynly /
with owte dowtes / the thinges that whylom semeden [2804]
vncerteyn to me / P. That which desires to subsist desires also to retain its unity for if this be taken away it cannot continue to exist. P. // but quod she thilke thyng þat
desiretħ to be and to dwellyn perdurablely / he desireth
to ben oon // For yif þat that oon weere destroied // certes
beinge ne shulde ther non dwellyn to no wiht // B. That is very true! that [2808]
is sotħ quod I. // P. All things then desire one thing—unity. Thanne quod she desirin alle thinges
oon // B. They do. .I. assente quod .I. // P. Unity then is the same as good. and I haue shewyd quod she
that thilke same oon is thilke that is good // B. Yes. B // ye forsothe
quod I. // P. Thus all things desire good—and it is one and the same good that all creatures desire. Alle thinges thanne quod she requyren [2812]
good // And thilke good thanne [þow] maist descryuen
ryht thus // Good is thilke thing þat euery wyht desireth //
B. Nothing is more true. For either all things must be reduced to nothing (or have no relation to anything else), and, destitute of a head, float about without control or order; or if there be anything to which all things tend, that must be the supreme good. Ther ne may be thowht quod .I. no moore
verray thing / for either alle thinges ben referred and [2816]
browht to nowht / and floteryn with owte gouernour
despoiled of oon / as of hir propre heued / or elles yif
ther be any thinge / to which þat alle thinges tenden
and hyen / that thing moste ben the souereyn good of [2820]
alle goodes / P. I rejoice greatly, my dear pupil, that you so clearly apprehend this truth, of which but just now you were ignorant. P /. thanne seyde she thus // O my norry
quod she I haue gret gladnesse of the // For thow
hast fichched in thin herte the myddel sothtfastnesse //
that is to seyn the prykke // but this thing hath ben [2824]
descouered to the / in that thow seydyst þat thow
wystest nat a lytel her by-forn // B. What was that? what was that quod I. //
THE END OF ALL THINGS.
P. The End of all things. And this is what every one desires; but we have shown that good is the thing desired by all, therefore Good is the End of all things. That thow ne wystest nat quod she whych was
the ende of thinges // and Certes that is the thing þat [2828]
euery wiht desireth // and for as mochel as we han
gaderid / and comprehendyd that good is thilke thing
that is desired of alle / thanne moten we nedes confessun /
that good is the fyn of alle thinges. [2832]
2660 assent[e]—assente
2662 mychel—mochel
2663 goode—good
2664 price—prys