[The seuende prose.] IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.
Sest þou nat þan what þing folweþ alle þe þinges þat I haue seid. what þing quod I. ¶ Certys quod she outerly þat al fortune is good. and how may þat be quod .I. ¶ Now vndirstand quod she so as [alle fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspre] fortune is ȝiuen eiþer by cause of gerdonynge or ellys of exercisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen. or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ¶ þan is alle fortune good. þe whiche fortune is certeyne þat it be eiþer ryȝtful or profitable. ¶ For soþe þis is a ful verray resoun quod I. and yif I considere þe purueaunce and þe destine þat þou tauȝtest me a litel here byforne þis sentence is susteyned by stedfast resouns. but yif it like vnto þe lat vs noumbre hem amonges þilk[e] þinges of whiche þou seidest a litel here byforne þat þei ne were nat able to ben ywened to þe poeple. ¶ whi so quod she. for þat þe comune worde of men mysusiþ quod I. þis manere speche of fortune. and sein ofte tymes [þat] þe fortune of som wyȝt is wicked. wilt þou þan quod she þat I proche a litel to þe wordes of þe poeple so it seme nat to hem þat I be ouer moche departid as fro þe vsage of man kynde. as þou wolt quod I. ¶ Demest þou nat quod she þat al þing þat profitiþ is good. ȝis quod I. certis þilk þing þat exercisiþ or corigiþ profitiþ. I confesse it wel quod I. þan is it good quod she. whi nat quod I. but þis is þe fortune [quod she] of hem þat eiþer ben put in vertue and batailen aȝeins aspre þinges. or ellys of hem þat eschewen and declinen fro vices and taken þe weye of vertue. ¶ þis ne may nat I denye quod I ¶ But what seist þou of þe myrye fortune þat is ȝeuen to good folk in gerdoun deuiniþ ouȝt þe poeples þat it is wicked. nay forsoþe quod I. but þei demen as it soþe is þat it is ryȝt good. ¶ And what seist þou of þat oþer fortune quod she. þat al þouȝ it be aspre and restreiniþ þe shrewes by ryȝtful tourment. weniþ ouȝt þe poeple þat it be good. nay quod I. ¶ But þe poeple demiþ þat it be most wrecched of alle þinges þat may ben þouȝt. war now and loke wel quod she lest þat we in folwyng þe opynioun of poeple haue confessed and concluded þing þat is vnable to be wened to þe poeple. what is þat quod I ¶ Certys quod she it folweþ or comeþ of þinges þat ben graunted þat alle fortune what so euer it be. of hem þat eyþer ben in possessioun of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys in þe purchasynge of vertue. þat þilke fortune is good. ¶ And þat alle fortune is ryȝt wicked to hem þat dwellen in shrewednesse. as who seiþ. and þus weneþ nat þe poeple. ¶ þat is soþe quod I. ¶ Al be it so þat noman dar confessen it ne byknowen it. ¶ whi so quod she. For ryȝt as no strong man ne semeþ nat to abassen or disdaignen as ofte tyme as he hereþ þe noise of þe bataile. ne also it ne semeþ nat to þe wyse man to beren it greuously as oft[e] as he is lad in to þe strif of fortune. for boþe to þat on man and eke to þat oþer þilke difficulte is þe matere to þat oon man of encrese of his glorious renoun. and to þat oþer man to conferme hys sapience. þat is to seine þe asprenesse of hys estat. ¶ For þerfore is it called uertue. for þat it susteniþ and enforceþ by hys strengþes þat it nis nat ouer-comen by aduersites. ¶ Ne certys þou þat art put in þe encrese or in þe heyȝt of uertue ne hast nat comen to fleten wiþ delices and forto welken in bodyly lust. ¶ þou sowest or plauntest a ful egre bataile in þi corage aȝeins euery fortune. for þat þe sorweful fortune ne confounde þe nat. ne þat þe myrye fortune ne corrumpe þe nat. ¶ Occupy þe mene by stedfast strengþes. for al þat euer is vndir þe mene. or ellys al þat ouer-passeþ þe mene despiseþ welefulnesses. ¶ As who seiþ. it is vicious and ne haþ no mede of hys trauaile. ¶ For it is set in ȝoure hand. as who seiþ it lieþ in ȝoure power what fortune ȝow is leuest. þat is to seyne good or yuel. ¶ For alle fortune þat semeþ sharpe or aspre yif it ne exercise nat þe good folk. ne chastisiþ þe wicked folk. it punisseþ.
[The seuende Metur.] BELLA BIS QUENIS. ET CETERA.
ÞE wrekere attrides ¶ þat is to seyne agamenon þat wrouȝt[e] and continued[e] þe batailes by ten ȝere recouered[e] and purged[e] in wrekyng by þe destruccioun of troie þe loste chambres of mariage of hys broþer þis is to seyn þat [he] agamenon wan aȝein Eleine þat was Menelaus wif his broþer. In þe mene while þat þilke agamenon desired[e] to ȝeuen sailes to þe grekysshe nauye and bouȝt[e] aȝein þe wyndes by blode. he vncloþed[e] hym of pite as fader. and þe sory prest ȝiueþ in sacrifiynge þe wreched kuyttyng of þrote of þe douȝter. ¶ þat is to sein þat agamenon lete kuytten þe þrote of hys douȝter by þe prest. to maken alliaunce wiþ hys goddes. and for to haue wynde wiþ whiche he myȝt[e] wende to troie. ¶ Itakus þat is to sein vlixies bywept[e] hys felawes ylorn þe whiche felawes þe fiers[e] pholifemus ligginge in his grete Caue had[de] freten and dreint in hys empty wombe. but naþeles polifemus wood for his blinde visage ȝeld to vlixies ioye by hys sorowful teres. þis is to seyn þat vlixes smot oute þe eye of poliphemus þat stod in hys forhede. for whiche vlixes hadde ioie whan he saw poliphemus wepyng and blynde. ¶ Hercules is celebrable for hys hard[e] trauaile he dawntede þe proude Centauris half hors half man. and he rafte þe despoylynge fro þe cruel lyoun þat is to seyne he slouȝ þe lyoun and rafte hym hys skyn. he smot þe brids þat hyȝten arpijs [in þe palude of lyrne] wiþ certeyne arwes. he rauyssed[e] applis fro þe wakyng dragoun. and hys hand was þe more heuy for þe golde[ne] metal. He drouȝ Cerberus þe hound of helle by hys treble cheyne. he ouer-comer as it is seid haþ put an vnmeke lorde fodre to hys cruel hors ¶ þis is to sein. þat hercules slouȝ diomedes and made his hors to etyn hym. and he hercules slouȝ Idra þe serpent and brend[e] þe venym. and achelaus þe flode defouled[e] in his forhede dreint[e] his shamefast visage in his strondes. þis is to sein þat achelaus couþe transfigure hym self in to dyuerse lykenesse. and as he fauȝt wiþ orcules at þe laste he turnid[e] hym in to a bole and hercules brak of oon of hys hornes. and achelaus for shame hidde hym in hys ryuer. ¶ And [he] hercules cast[e] adoun Antheus þe geaunt in þe strondes of libye. and kacus apaised[e] þe wraþþes of euander. þis is to sein þat hercules slouȝ þe Monstre kacus and apaised[e] wiþ þat deeþ þe wraþþe of euander. ¶ And þe bristled[e] boor marked[e] wiþ scomes þe sholdres of hercules. þe whiche sholdres þe heye cercle of heuene sholde þreste. and þe laste of his labours was þat he sustened[e] þe heuene vpon his nekke vnbowed. and he deserued[e] eftsones þe heuene to ben þe pris of his laste trauayle ¶ Goþ now þan ȝe stronge men þere as þe heye weye of þe grete ensample ledeþ ȝou. ¶ O nice men whi nake ȝe ȝoure bakkes. as who seiþ. ¶ O ȝe slowe and delicat men whi fley ȝe aduersites. and ne fyȝten nat aȝeins hem by vertue to wynnen þe mede of þe heuene. for þe erþe ouer-comen ȝeueþ þe sterres. ¶ þis is to seyne þat whan þat erþely lust is ouer-comen. a man is maked worþi to þe heuene.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
[The fyrste prose.] DIXERAT ORACIONISQUE CURSUM.
She hadde seid and tourned[e] þe cours of hir resoun to somme oþer þinges to ben tretid and to ben ysped. þan seide I. Certys ryȝtful is þin amonestyng and ful digne by auctorite. but þat þou seidest som tyme þat þe questioun of þe deuyne purueaunce is enlaced wiþ many oþer questiouns. I vndir-stonde wel and proue it by þe same þinge. but I axe yif þat þou wenest þat hap be any þing in any weys. and if þou wenest þat hap be any [thing] what is it. þan quod she. I haste me to ȝelden and assoilen þe to þe dette of my byheste and to shewen and opnen þe wey by whiche wey þou maist come aȝein to þi contre. ¶ but al be it so þat þe þinges whiche þat þou axest ben ryȝt profitable to knowe. ȝitte ben þei diuers somwhat fro þe paþe of my purpos. And it is to douten þat þou ne be maked weery by mysweys so þat þou ne mayst nat suffise to mesuren þe ryȝt weye. ¶ Ne doute þe þer-of no þing quod I. for forto knowen þilke þinges to-gidre in þe whiche þinges I delite me gretly. þat shal ben to me in stede of reste. Syn it nis nat to douten of þe þinges folwynge whan euery side of þi disputisoun shal be stedfast to me by vndoutous feiþ. þan seide she. þat manere wol I don þe. and bygan to speken ryȝt þus ¶ Certys quod she yif any wyȝt diffinisse hap in þis manere. þat is to seyn. þat hap is bytidynge y-brouȝt forþe by foelyshe moeuynge. and by no knyttyng of causes. ¶ I conferme þat hap nis ryȝt nauȝt in no wise. and I deme al outerly þat hap nis ne dwelliþ but a voys. ¶ As who seiþ. but an ydel worde wiþ outen any significacioun of þing summittid to þat vois. for what place myȝt[e] ben left or dwellynge to folie and to disordinaunce. syn þat god lediþ and streyniþ alle þinges by ordre. ¶ For þis sentence is verray and soþe þat no þinge ne haþ his beynge of nouȝt. to [the] whiche sentence none of þise olde folk ne wiþseide neuere al be it so þat þei ne vndirstoden ne moeueden it nauȝt by god prince and gynner of wirkyng. but þei casten as a manere foundement of subgit material. þat is to seyn of [the] nature of alle resoun. and ȝif þat ony þinge is woxen or comen of no causes. þan shal it seme þat þilke þinge is comen or woxen of nouȝt. but yif þis ne may nat ben don. þan is it nat possible þat þere haþ ben any swiche þing as I haue diffinissid a litel here byforne. ¶ How shal it þan ben quod I. nis þer þan no þing þat by ryȝt may be cleped eyþer happe or ellis auenture of fortune. or is þer ouȝt al be it so þat it is hidd fro þe poeple to whiche þise wordes ben couenable. Myn aristotul quod she. in þe book of his phisik diffinisseþ þis þing by short resoun and neyȝe to þe soþe. ¶ In whiche manere quod I. ¶ As ofte quod she as men don any þing for grace of any oþer þing. and an oþer þinge þan þilke þing þat men ententen to doon bytideþ by som[e] causes it is ycleped happe. ¶ Ryȝt as a man dalf þe erþe by cause of tylienge of þe felde. and fond þere a gobet of golde by-doluen. þan wenen folk þat it is fallen by fortunous bytydyng. but for soþe it nis nat for nauȝt for it haþ hys propre causes of whiche causes þe cours vnforseyn and vnwar semiþ to han maked happe. ¶ For yif þe tilier in þe erþe ne delue nat in þe felde. and yif þe hider of þe golde ne hadde hidd þe golde in þilke place. þe golde ne had[de] nat ben founde. þise ben þan þe causes of þe abreggynge of fortune hap. þe whiche abreggynge of fortune hap comeþ of causes encountrynge and flowyng to-gidre to hem selfe. and nat by þe entencioun of þe doer. ¶ For neiþer þe hider of þe gold. ne þe deluer of þe felde ne vndirstanden nat þat þe golde sholde han be founde. but as I seide. it bytidde and ran to-gidre þat he dalf þere as þat oþer hadde hidd þe golde. Now may I þus diffinissen happe. ¶ Happe is an vnwar bytydyng of causes assembled in þinges þat ben don for som oþer þinge. but þilke ordre procedynge by an vneschewable byndynge to-gidre. whiche þat descendeþ fro þe wel of purueaunce þat ordeineþ alle þinges in hire places and in hire tymes makeþ þat þe causes rennen and assemblen to-gidre.
[The fyrste Metur.] RUPIS ACHEMENIE.
TIgris [and] eufrates resoluen and spryngen of a welle in þe kragges of þe roche of þe contre of achemenye þere as þe fleenge [batayle] ficchiþ hire dartes retournid in þe brestes of hem þat folwen hem. ¶ And sone aftre þe same ryueres tigris and eufrates vnioygnen and departen hire watres. and yif þei comen to-gidre and ben assembled and clepid to-gidre in to o cours. þan moten þilke þinges fletyn to-gidre whiche þat þe water of þe entrechaungyng flode bryngeþ þe shippes and þe stokkes araced wiþ þe flood moten assemble. and þe watres ymedlyd wrappiþ or implieþ many fortunel happes or maneres. þe whiche wandryng happes naþeles þilke enclinyng lowenes of þe erþe. and þe flowynge ordre of þe slidyng water gouerniþ. ¶ Ryȝt so fortune þat semeþ as [þat] it fletiþ wiþ slaked or vngouerned[e] bridles. It suffriþ bridles þat is to seyn to ben gouerned and passeþ by þilke lawe. þat is to sein by þe deuyne ordinaunce.