[Sidenote: [The 9^ne Met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: O Father and Maker of heaven and earth, by whose
eternal reason the world is governed, and by whose supreme command
Time flows from the birth of ages, Thou, firm and unchanged
thyself, makest all things else to move!]
++O þou fadir creatour of heuene {and} of erþes þat
gouernest þis worlde by p{er}durable resou{n} þat comaundist
þe tymes for to gon from tyme þat age had[de] 2416
bygy{n}ny{n}g. þou þat dwellest þi self ay stedfast {and}
stable {and} ȝiuest alle oþer þinges to ben moeued.
[Sidenote: Thy sovereign will to floating matter gave its various
forms, impelled by no exterior causes, but by the Idea of the Best
in thy great mind conceived void of malice.]
ne forein causes necesseden þe neuer to co{m}poune werke
of floterynge mater. but only þe forme of souereyne 2420
goode y-set wiþ i{n}ne [þe] wiþ outen envie þat moeued[e]
þe frely.
[Sidenote: Fairest thyself bearing the world’s figure in thy
thought, thou didst create the world after that prototype, and
dost draw all things from the image of the fair Supreme, and dost
command that this world should have perfect parts.]
þou þat art alþerfairest beryng þe faire worlde
in þi þouȝt. formedest þis worlde to þe likkenesse
semblable of þat faire worlde in þi þouȝt. þou drawest 2424
alle þinges of þi souereyne ensampler. {and} comaundedist
þat þis worlde p{er}fitlyche ymaked haue frely {and}
absolut hyse p{er}fit parties.
[Sidenote: By harmonious measures thou dost bind fast the
elements, so that there is no discordance between things cold and
hot, or between the moist and the dry.]
¶ þou byndest þe elementȝ
by noumbres p{ro}porcionables. þat þe colde þinges 2428
mowen accorde wiþ þe hote þinges. {and} þe drye þi{n}ges
wiþ þe moyst þinges.
[Sidenote: That the fire may not fly too high, and that weight may
not press the earth and water lower than they are now placed,]
þat þe fire þat is purest ne fleye
nat ouer heye. ne þat þe heuynesse ne drawe nat adou{n}
ouer lowe þe erþes þat ben plounged in þe watres. 2432
[Linenotes:
2415 _worlde_--world
2416 _from----age_--from syn þ{a}t age
_had[de]_--hadde
2417 _stedfast_--stedefast
2418 _oþer_--oothre
2419 _forein_--foreyne
_werke_--werk
2420 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn good
2421 _y-set_--MS. y-sette, C. Iset
_wiþ inne_--w{i}t{h} in
[_þe_]--the
_wiþ outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
_moeued[e]_--moeuede
2422 _alþerfairest_--alderfayrest
2422-24-26 _worlde_--world
2423 _likkenesse_--lyknesse
2426 _and absolut_--C. omits
2427 _hyse_--hys
2430 _fire_--fyr
_fleye_--fle
2431 _drawe_--drawen]
[Headnote:
GOD IS THE FOUNTAIN OF FELICITY.]
[Sidenote: thou didst join the Middle Soul (of a threefold nature)
moving all things, and then by agreeing numbers didst resolve it.]
¶ þou knyttest to-gidre þe mene soule of treble kynde
moeuyng alle þinges. {and} diuidest it by membres accordynge.
[Sidenote: When that is done, cut into two orbs, it moves about
returning to itself, and then encompassing the profound mind doth
by that fair idea turn the heaven.]
¶ And whan it is þus diuided it haþ assembled
a moeuyng in two roundes. ¶ It goþ to to{ur}ne 2436
aȝein to hym owen self. {and} environeþ a fulle deep [[pg 88]]
þouȝt. {and} to{ur}niþ þe heuene by semblable ymage.
[Sidenote: Thou by such causes dost raise all souls and lesser
lives, and adaptest them to their light vehicles.]
þou by eue{n}lyk causes enhau{n}sest þe soules {and} þe lasse
liues {and} ablynge hem heye by lyȝt[e] cartes. 2440
[Sidenote: Thou sowest them in heaven and earth, and they return
to thee by thy kind law like a recoiling flame.]
þou sewest hem in to heuene {and} in to erþe. {and} whan þei
ben conuertid to þe by þi benigne lawe. ¶ þou makest
hem retorne aȝeine to þe by aȝein ledyng fijr.
[Sidenote: O Father, elevate our souls and let them behold thy
august throne.]
¶ O
fadir yif þou to þi þouȝt to stien vp in to þi streite sete. 2444
{and} graunte [hym] to enviroune þe welle of good.
[Sidenote: Let them behold the fountain of all good. Dispel the
mists of sense, remove the weights of earth-born cares, and in thy
splendour shine (in our minds).]
{and} þe lyȝte yfounde graunte hym to ficchen þe clere syȝtes
of hys corage in þe. ¶ And scatre þou {and} to-breke
[thow] þe weyȝtes {and} þe cloudes of erþely heuynesse. 2448
{and} shyne þou by þi bryȝtnes.
[Sidenote: For thou art ever clear, and to the good art peace and
rest. He who looks on thee beholds beginning, support, guide, path
and goal, combined!]
for þou art clernesse þou
art peisible to debonaire folke. ¶ þou þi self art bygy{n}ny{n}ge.
berere. ledere. paþ {and} t{er}me to loke on þe
[þat] is oure ende. _Glose._ 2452
[Linenotes:
2435 _haþ_--MS. haþe
2436 _goþ_--MS. goþe
2437 _owen_--C. omits
2438 _tourniþ_--MS. to{ur}niþe
2439 _euenlyk_--euene lyke
2440 _lyȝt[e]_--lyhte
2442 _benigne_--bygynnynge
2444 _yif_--yiue
_þi streite_--the streyte
2445 [_hym_]--from C.
2446 _lyȝte_--lyht
2448 [_thow_]--from C.
2449 _bryȝtnes_--bryhtnesse
2451 _paþ_--MS. paþe; paath
2452 [_þat_]--that]
[Headnote:
GOD THE SUPREME GOOD.]