[Sidenote: [The fyrste met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: I have nimble wings that enable the mind to rise from
earth to heaven, to leave the clouds behind, to pass the region of
perpetual flame, and to reach the starry mansion, journeying
either by Phœbus’ radiant path, or accompanying cold and aged
Saturn, or riding, as a soldier, with Mars.]
++I Haue for soþe swifte feþeres þat surmou{n}ten þe heyȝt
of þe heuene whan þe swifte þouȝt haþ cloþed it self.
in þo feþeres it dispiseþ þe hat[e]ful erþes. {and} surmou{n}teþ
þe heyȝenesse of þe greet[e] eyir. {and} it seiþ þe 3136
cloudes by-hynde hir bak {and} passeþ þe heyȝt of þe
regiou{n} of þe fire þat eschaufiþ by þe swifte moeuyng of
þe firmament. til þat she a-reisiþ hir in til þe houses þ{a}t
beren þe sterres. {and} ioygneþ hir weyes wiþ þe sonne [[pg 111]]
phebus. {and} felawshipeþ þe weye of þe olde colde 3141
saturnus. and she ymaked a knyȝt of þe clere sterre.
[Sidenote: [Chaucer’s Gloss.]]
þat is to seyne þat þe soule is maked goddys knyȝt by
þe sekyng of treuþe to comen to þe verray knowlege of 3144
god.
[Sidenote: Through every sphere she (the mind) runs where night is
most cloudless and where the sky is decked with stars, until she
reaches the heaven’s utmost sphere--]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 25.]]
and þilke soule renne[þ] by þe cercle *of þe sterres
in alle þe places þere as þe shynyng nyȝt is depeynted.
þat is to seyne þe nyȝt þat is cloudeles. for on nyȝtes þat
ben cloudeles it semeþ as þe heuene were peynted wiþ 3148
dyuerse ymages of sterres. {and} whan þe soule haþ gon
ynouȝ she shal forleten þe last[e] poynt of þe heuene.
[Linenotes:
3133 _heyȝt of þe heuene_--heyhte of heuene
3134 _haþ_--MS. haþe
3136 _heyȝenesse----eyir_--Rou{n}dnesse of the grete ayr
_seiþ_--seth
3137 _hir_--his
3138 _fire_--Fyr
_eschaufiþ_--MS. eschaufiþe
3139 _she_--he
_hir_--hym
3140 _hir_--his
3141 _weye_--wey
_þe----saturnus_--MS. saturnus þe olde colde
3142 _saturnus_--sat{ur}nis
_she_--he
3143 _soule_--thowght
3144 _treuþe_--trowthe
_knowlege_--knoleche
3145 _soule_--thoght
3146 _depeynted_--painted
3149-50 _and whan----she shal_--{and} whanne he hath I-doon
ther{e} I-nowh he shal
3149 _haþ_--MS. haþe
3150 _þe last[e]----heuene_--the laste heuene]
[Headnote:
VICE IS ALWAYS PUNISHED.]
[Sidenote: then pressing on she shall be prepared to see the true
Source of Light, where the great King of kings bears his mighty
sceptre, and holds the reins of the universe.]
{and} she shal p{re}ssen {and} wenden on þe bak of þe swifte
firmament. and she shal ben maked p{er}fit of þe dredefulle 3152
clerenesse of god. ¶ þere haldeþ þe lorde of kynges
þe ceptre of his myȝt {and} atte{m}p{er}eþ þe gouernementes
of þis worlde.
[Sidenote: Here the great Judge, standing in shining robes, firmly
guides his winged chariot, and rules the tumultuous affairs of the
world.]
{and} þe shynynge iuge of þinges stable i{n}
hy{m} self gouerneþ þe swifte carte. þat is to seyne þe 3156
circuler moeuyng of [the] sonne.
[Sidenote: If you at length shall arrive at this abode, you will
say this is my country--here I was born--and here will I abide.]
{and} yif þi weye ledeþ
þe aȝeyne so þat þou be brouȝt þider. þan wilt þou seye
now þat þat is þe contre þat þou requeredest of whiche þou
ne haddest no mynde. but now it remenbreþ me wel 3160
here was I born. here wil I fastne my degree. here wil
I dwelle.
[Sidenote: And should you deign to look on the gloomy earth,
you’ll see those tyrants, the fear of wretched folk, banished from
those fair realms.]
but yif þe lyke þan to loken on þe derkenesse
of þe erþe þat þou hast for-leten. þan shalt þou seen þat
þise felonous tyrauntes þat þe wrecched[e] poeple dredeþ 3164
now shule ben exiled from þilke faire contre.
[Linenotes:
3151-2 _she_--he
3152-3 _of þe----of god_--of the worshipful lyht of god
3153 _þere haldeþ_--ther halt
3155 _þis worlde_--the world
3156 _carte_--cart or wayn
3157 [_the_]--from C.
3159 _whiche_--which
3161 _here_ (1, 2, 3)--her
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_wil_ (1)--wol
_wil_ (2)--wole
3162 _lyke_--liketh
_derkenesse_--dyrknesses
3164 _wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
3165 _shule_--shollen
_from_--fro]
[[pg 112]]
[Headnote:
THE GOOD ARE ALWAYS STRONG.]