[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr.]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars.]
++ÞE sterres cou{er}ed wiþ blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no lyȝt.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness.]
Ȝif þe trouble wy{n}de þat
hyȝt auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g þe see medleþ þe 712
heete þat is to seyne þe boylyng vp from þe botme
¶ Þe wawes þ{a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to þe fair[e] bryȝt[e] dayes wiþstant anon þe
syȝtes of men. by þe filþe {and} ordure þat is resolued. 716
{and} þe fletyng streme þat royleþ dou{n} dyuersely fro
heyȝe mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by þe encountrynge of a stoon þ{a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right.]
¶ And forþi yif þou wilt
loken {and} demen soþe wiþ clere lyȝt. {and} holde þe
weye wiþ a ryȝt paþe.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow.]
¶ Weyue þou ioie. drif fro þe
drede. fleme þou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind.]
þat is
to sein lat noon of þise four passiou{n}s ouer come þe. 724
or blynde þe.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters.]
for cloudy {and} dirke is þilk þouȝt {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as þise þinges regnen.