[Sidenote: [The 2^de Met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: I will now sing of Nature’s laws, by which the universe
is governed.]
++IT likeþ me to shew[e] by subtil songe wiþ slakke {and}
delitable sou{n} of strenges how þat nature myȝty enclineþ 1852
{and} flitteþ gouernementȝ of þinges ¶ {and} by
whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepiþ þe grete worlde. {and}
how she bindynge restreineþ alle þing{us} by a bonde þat
may nat be vnbounden.
[Sidenote: [j]]
[Sidenote: The Punic lion submits to man, and dreads the keeper’s
lash; yet, if he once taste blood, his savage instincts revive,
and his keeper falls a victim to his fury.]
¶ Al be it so þat þe liou{n}s of 1856
þe contree of pene beren þe fair[e] cheines. {and} taken
metes of þe handes of folk þat ȝeuen it hem. {and}
dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche þei ben wont to
suffren [betinges]. yif þat hir horrible mouþes ben bi-bled. 1860
þat is to sein of bestes devoured. ¶ Hir corage
of tyme passeþ þat haþ ben ydel {and} rested. repaireþ
aȝein þat þei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir
nature. {and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. 1864
and hir maistre first to-teren wiþ blody toþe
assaieþ þe woode wraþþes of hem. ¶ þis is to sein þei
freten hir maister.
[Sidenote: [ij]]
[Sidenote: If the caged bird though daintily fed, gets a sight of
the pleasant grove where she was wont to sing, she will spurn her
food, and pine for the beloved woods.]
¶ And þe Iangland brid þat syngiþ
on þe heye braunches. þis is to sein in þe wode {and} 1868
after is inclosed in a streit cage. ¶ al þouȝ [þ{a}t] þe
pleiyng besines of men ȝeueþ hem honied[e] drinkes
{and} large metes. wiþ swete studie. ¶ ȝit naþeles yif
þilke brid skippynge oute of hir streite cage seeþ þe 1872
agreable shadewes of þe wodes. she defouleþ wiþ hir
fete hir metes yshad {and} sekeþ mournyng oonly þe
wode {and} twitriþ desirynge þe wode wiþ hir swete
voys.
[Sidenote: [iij]]
[Sidenote: The sapling, bent down by a mighty hand, will resume
its natural position as soon as the restraining force is removed.]
¶ þe ȝerde of a tree þat is haled adou{n} by myȝty 1876
strengþe bowiþ redely þe croppe adou{n}. but yif þat þe [[pg 69]]
hande of hym þat it bente lat it gon aȝein. ¶ An oon
þe crop lokeþ vp ryȝt to heuene.
[Sidenote: [iiij]]
[Sidenote: Though the sun sets in the western main at eve, yet by
a secret path he takes his wonted journey toward the east.]
¶ þe sonne phebus
þat failleþ at euene in þe westrene wawes retorniþ aȝein 1880
eftsones his cart by a priue paþe þere as it is wont
aryse.
[Sidenote: All things pursue their proper course, obedient to the
source of order.]
¶ Alle þinges seken aȝein in to hir p{ro}pre
cours. and alle þinges reioisen hem of hir retournynge
aȝein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis bytaken to 1884
þi{n}ges but þat.
[Sidenote: Hence, throughout the world entire stability is found,
for all things, having fulfilled their appointed course, return
from whence they came.]
þat haþ ioignynge þe endynge to þe
bygynnynge. {and} haþ makid þe cours of it self stable
þat it chaungeþ nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.
[Linenotes:
1851 _shew[e]_--shewe
1854 _whiche_--MS. swiche, C. whyche
_worlde_--world
1856 _be_--ben
_vnbounden_--vnbownde
1857 _fair[e]_--fayr{e}
1860 [_betinges_]--from C.
1862 _passeþ_--passed
1864 _from_--fram
_vnbounden_--vnbownde
1865 _to-teren_--to-torn
_toþe_--toth
1867 _Iangland_--Iangelynge
1869 _streit_--streyht
1870 _pleiyng_--MS. pleinyng, C. pleyynge
_besines_--bysynesse
_honied[e]_--honyede
1872 _oute_--owt
1873 _agreable_--agreables
1874 _fete_--feet
1875 _twitriþ_--twiterith
1877 _croppe_--crop
1878 _hande_--hand
_bente_--bent
1880 _failleþ_--falleth
1881 _cart_--carte
_a_--omitted
_paþe_--paath
1883 _of_--MS. of of
1885 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_ioignynge_--Ioyned
1886 _haþ_--MS. haþe]
[Headnote:
THE SEARCH AFTER FELICITY.]