4104 good while—goode wyl
4105 haþ—MS. haþe
4108 of (1)—fro
4109 whiche—which
4111 ben haboundaunt—ben outraious / or habowndant
4115 tak—MS. take, C. tak
4116 refet—refect
shalt ben—shal be
stedfast—stydefast
LOVE TEMPERS ALL THINGS.
[SI UIS CELSI IURA.]
Yif þou wolt If thou wouldst explore the laws of the high Thunderer, behold the lofty heavens, where, bound by fixed laws, the stars keep their ancient peace. demen in þi pure þouȝt þe ryȝtes or þe
lawes of þe heye þund[ere]re. þat is to seyne of god.
loke þou and bihold þe heyȝtes of souereyne heuene. [4120]
¶ þere kepen þe sterres by ryȝtful alliaunce of þinges
hir olde pees. There the rosy Sun does not invade the moon’s colder sphere. Nor doth the Bear stray from his appointed bounds, to quench his light in the western main. þe sonne ymoeued by hys rody fire. ne
destourbiþ nat þe colde cercle of þe moone. ¶ Ne þe
sterre yclepid þe bere. þat encliniþ hys rauyssynge [4124]
courses abouten þe souereyne heyȝt of þe worlde. ne þe
same sterre vrsa nis neuer mo wasshen in þe depe
westerne see. ne coueitiþ nat to dyȝen hys flaumbes in
þe see of [the] occian. al þouȝ he see oþer sterres yplounged [4128]
in to þe see. Vesper always makes its wonted appearance at eve. Lucifer ushers in the morn. ¶ And hesperus þe sterre
bodiþ and telliþ alwey þe late nyȝtes. And lucifer þe
sterre bryngeþ aȝeyne þe clere day. So mutual love moves all things, and from the starry region banishes all strife. ¶ And þus makiþ
loue enterchaungeable þe perdurable courses. and þus [4132]
is discordable bataile yput oute of þe contre of þe sterres.
This concord in equal measures tempers the elements, so that the moist atoms war no more with the dry, nor heat with cold contends; but the aspiring flame soars aloft, while down the heavy earth descends. þis accordaunce attempreþ by euene-lyke manere þe
elementes. þat þe moyste þinges striuen nat wiþ þe
drye þinges. but ȝiuen place by stoundes. and þat þe [4136]
colde þinges ioynen hem by feiþ to þe hote þinges. and
þat þe lyȝt[e] fyre arist in to heyȝte. and þe heuy erþes
aualen by her weyȝtes. By these same causes the flowing year yields sweet smells in the warm spring-tide; the hot summer ripens the corn. ¶ by þise same cause þe floury
yere ȝeldeþ swote smellys in þe fyrste somer sesoun [4140]
warmynge. and þe hote somer dryeþ þe cornes. Autumn comes crowned with plenty, and winter wets the earth with showers. and
autumpne comeþ aȝeyne heuy of apples. and þe fletyng
reyne bydeweþ þe wynter. þis attemperaunce noryssiþ
and brynggeþ furþe al þinge þat brediþ lyfe in þis [4144]
worlde. These changes give life and growth to all that breathe; and at last by death efface whatever has had birth. ¶ and þilk same attemperaunce rauyssyng hideþ
[* fol. 32 b.] and bynymeþ and drencheþ vndir þe last[e] deþe alle
*þinges yborn. Meanwhile the world’s Creator, the Source of all, the Lawgiver, the wise Judge, sits above equitably directing all things. ¶ Amonges þise þinges sitteþ þe heye
makere kyng and lorde. welle and bygynnynge. lawe [4148]
and wise Iuge. to don equite and gouerniþ and encliniþ
þe bridles of þinges. Those things which have been set in motion by him are also checked and forced to move in an endless round, lest they go from their source, and become chaotic. and þo þinges þat he stireþ to don
by moeuynge he wiþdraweþ and arestiþ and affermiþ þe
moeueable or wandryng þinges. ¶ For ȝif þat he ne [4152]
clepiþ nat aȝein þe ryȝt goynge of þinges. and ȝif þat he
ne constreyned[e] hem nat eftesones in to roundenesse
enclined þe þinges þat ben now continued by stable
ordinaunce. þei sholde deperten from hir welle. þat is [4156]
to sein from hir bygynnynge and failen. þat is to sein
tournen in to nauȝt. This love is common to all things, and all things tend to good; so, urged by this, they all revert to that First Cause that gave them being. ¶ þis is þe commune loue of alle
þinges. and alle þinges axen to be holden by þe fyn of
good. For ellys ne myȝten þei nat lasten yif þei ne [4160]
come nat eftesones aȝeine by loue retourned to þe cause
þat haþ ȝeuen hem beynge. þat is to seyn to god.