3132 sounde—sownd
VIRTUE NEVER GOES UNREWARDED.
[SUNT ETENIM PENNE. ET CETERA.]
I Haue for I have nimble wings that enable the mind to rise from earth to heaven, to leave the clouds behind, to pass the region of perpetual flame, and to reach the starry mansion, journeying either by Phœbus’ radiant path, or accompanying cold and aged Saturn, or riding, as a soldier, with Mars. soþe swifte feþeres þat surmounten þe heyȝt
of þe heuene whan þe swifte þouȝt haþ cloþed it self.
in þo feþeres it dispiseþ þe hat[e]ful erþes. and surmounteþ
þe heyȝenesse of þe greet[e] eyir. and it seiþ þe [3136]
cloudes by-hynde hir bak and passeþ þe heyȝt of þe
regioun of þe fire þat eschaufiþ by þe swifte moeuyng of
þe firmament. til þat she a-reisiþ hir in til þe houses þat
beren þe sterres. and ioygneþ hir weyes wiþ þe sonne [3140]
phebus. and felawshipeþ þe weye of þe olde colde
saturnus. and she ymaked a knyȝt of þe clere sterre.
[Chaucer’s Gloss.] þat is to seyne þat þe soule is maked goddys knyȝt by
þe sekyng of treuþe to comen to þe verray knowlege of [3144]
god. Through every sphere she (the mind) runs where night is most cloudless and where the sky is decked with stars, until she reaches the heaven’s utmost sphere— [* fol. 25.] and þilke soule renne[þ] by þe cercle *of þe sterres
in alle þe places þere as þe shynyng nyȝt is depeynted.
þat is to seyne þe nyȝt þat is cloudeles. for on nyȝtes þat
ben cloudeles it semeþ as þe heuene were peynted wiþ [3148]
dyuerse ymages of sterres. and whan þe soule haþ gon
ynouȝ she shal forleten þe last[e] poynt of þe heuene.
VICE IS ALWAYS PUNISHED.
then pressing on she shall be prepared to see the true Source of Light, where the great King of kings bears his mighty sceptre, and holds the reins of the universe. and she shal pressen and wenden on þe bak of þe swifte
firmament. and she shal ben maked perfit of þe dredefulle [3152]
clerenesse of god. ¶ þere haldeþ þe lorde of kynges
þe ceptre of his myȝt and attempereþ þe gouernementes
of þis worlde. Here the great Judge, standing in shining robes, firmly guides his winged chariot, and rules the tumultuous affairs of the world. and þe shynynge iuge of þinges stable in
hym self gouerneþ þe swifte carte. þat is to seyne þe [3156]
circuler moeuyng of [the] sonne. If you at length shall arrive at this abode, you will say this is my country—here I was born—and here will I abide. and yif þi weye ledeþ
þe aȝeyne so þat þou be brouȝt þider. þan wilt þou seye
now þat þat is þe contre þat þou requeredest of whiche þou
ne haddest no mynde. but now it remenbreþ me wel [3160]
here was I born. here wil I fastne my degree. here wil
I dwelle. And should you deign to look on the gloomy earth, you’ll see those tyrants, the fear of wretched folk, banished from those fair realms. but yif þe lyke þan to loken on þe derkenesse
of þe erþe þat þou hast for-leten. þan shalt þou seen þat
þise felonous tyrauntes þat þe wrecched[e] poeple dredeþ [3164]
now shule ben exiled from þilke faire contre.
3133 heyȝt of þe heuene—heyhte of heuene
3134 haþ—MS. haþe
3136 heyȝenesse——eyir—Roundnesse of the grete ayr
seiþ—seth
3137 hir—his