[Sidenote: [The syxte p{ro}se.]]
++FIrst wolt þou suffre me to touche {and} assaie þe stat of þi þouȝt by
a fewe demaundes. so þat I may vnderstonde what be þe manere of þi
curac{i}ou{n}. ¶ Axe me q{uod} .I. atte þi wille what þou wilt. {and} I
schal answer{e}. ¶ Þo saide sche þus. wheþer wenest þou q{uo}d sche
þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by foolisshe happes {and} fortunes. or
elles wenest þou þat þer be i{n} it any gouerneme{n}t of resou{n}.
Certes q{uod} .I. ne trowe not in no manere þat so certeyne þinges
scholde be moeued by fortunouse fortune. but I wot wel þat god maker
{and} mayster is gouerno{ur} of þis werk. Ne neuer nas ȝit day þat
myȝt[e] putte me oute of þe soþenesse of þat sentence. ¶ So is it q{uod}
sche. for þe same þing songe þou a lytel here byforne {and} byweyledest
{and} byweptest. þat only men weren put oute of þe cure of god. ¶ For of
alle oþer þinges þou ne doutest nat þat þei nere gouerned by reso{n}.
but how (.i. pape.). I wondre gretly certes whi þat þou art seek. siþen
þou art put in to so holesom a sentence. but lat vs seken depper.
I coniecte þat þere lakkeþ I not what. but sey me þis. siþen þat þou ne
doutest nat þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by god ¶ wiþ swycche
gouernailes takest þou hede þat it is gouerned. ¶ vnneþ q{uod} .I. knowe
.I. þe sente{n}ce of þi q{ue}stiou{n}. so þat I ne may nat ȝit answeren
to þi demaundes. ¶ I nas nat deceiued q{uod} sche þat þere ne faileþ
su{m}what. by whiche þe maladie of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} is crept in to þi
þouȝt. so as þe strengþe of þe paleys schynyng is open. ¶ But seye me
þis reme{m}brest þou ouȝt what is þe ende of þi þinges. whider þat þe
entenc{i}ou{n} of al kynde tendeþ. ¶ I haue herd told it somtyme q{uod}
.I. but drerynesse haþ dulled my memorie. ¶ Certys q{uod} sche þou wost
wel whe{n}nes þat alle þinges ben comen {and} p{ro}ceded. I wot wel
q{uod} .I. {and} ansewered[e] þat god is þe bygynnyng of al. ¶ And how
may þis be q{uod} sche þat siþen þ{o}u knowest þe bygynnyng of þinges.
þat þou ne knowest not what is þe endyng of þinges. but swiche ben þe
customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s. {and} þis power þei han. þat þei may
moeue a ma{n} fro hys place. þat is to seyne from þe stablenes {and}
p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of hys knowyng. but certys þei may not al arace hym ne
alyene hy{m} in al. ¶ But I wolde þat þou woldest answere to þis.
¶ Remembrest þou þat þou art a man ¶ _Boice._ ¶ Whi scholde I nat
remembre þat q{uod} .I. _Philosophie._ ¶ Maiste þou not telle me þan
q{uod} sche what þing is a man. ¶ Axest not me q{uod} I. wheþir þat be a
resonable best mortel. I wot wel {and} I confesse wel þat I am it.
¶ Wistest þou neuer ȝit þat þou were ony oþer þing q{uod} she. No q{uod}
.I. now wot I q{uod} she oþer cause of þi maladie {and} þat ryȝt grete
¶ Þou hast left forto knowe þi self what þou art. þoruȝ whiche I haue
pleynelyche knowen þe cause of þi maladie. or ellis þe entre of
recoueryng of þin hele. ¶ Forwhy for þou art co{n}founded wiþ forȝetyng
of þi self. forþi sorwest þou þat þou art exiled of þi p{ro}pre goodes.
¶ And for þou ne wost what is þe ende of þinges. for[þi] demest [þou]
þat felono{us} {and} wikked men ben myȝty {and} weleful for þou hast
forȝeten by whiche gouernementȝ þe worlde is gouerned. ¶ Forþi wenest
þou þat þise mutac{i}ou{n}s of fortune fleten wiþ oute{n} gouerno{ur}.
þise ben grete causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to
deeþ ¶ But I þanke þe auctour {and} þe makere of heele þat nat{ur}e haþ
not al forleten þe. {and} I haue g[r]ete norissinges of þi hele. {and}
þat is þe soþe sentence of gou{er}nau{n}ce of þe worlde. þat þou
byleuest þat þe gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput to þe
folie of þise happes auenterouses. but to þe resou{n} of god ¶ And þer
fore doute þe noþing. For of þis litel spark þine heet of lijf schal
shine. ¶ But for as muche as it is not tyme ȝitte of fastere remedies
¶ And þe nature of þouȝtes disseiued is þis þat as ofte as þei casten
aweye soþe opyniou{n}s: þei cloþen hem in fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of
which{e} false opyniou{n}s] þe derknesse of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexeþ
vp. þat comfoundeþ þe verray insyȝt. {and} þat derkenes schal .I. say
somwhat to maken þi{n}ne {and} wayk by lyȝt {and} meenelyche remedies.
so þat after þat þe derknes of desseyuynge desyrynges is don awey. þou
mow[e] knowe þe schynyng of verray lyȝt.