[Sidenote: [The 9^ne p{ro}se.]]
++IT suffisiþ þat I haue shewed hider to þe forme of false wilfulnesse.
so þat yif þou look[e] now clerely þe ordre of myn entenc{i}ou{n}
requeriþ from hennes forþe to shewe{n} þe verray wilfulnesse. ¶ For
q{uod} .I. (b) [I.] se wel now þat suffisau{n}ce may nat comen by
richesse. ne power by realmes. ne reuere{n}ce by dignitees. ne
gentilesse by glorie. ne ioye by delices. and (p) hast þou wel knowen
q{uo}d she þe cause whi it is. Certis me semeþ q{uod} .I. þat .I. se hem
ryȝt as þouȝ it were þoruȝ a litel clifte. but me were leuer knowen hem
more openly of þe. Certys q{uod} she þe resou{n} is al redy ¶ For þilk
þing þat symply is on þing wiþ outen ony diuisiou{n}. þe errour {and}
folie of mankynde departeþ {and} diuidiþ it. {and} mislediþ it {and}
t{ra}nsporteþ from verray {and} p{er}fit goode. to goodes þat ben false
{and} inp{er}fit. ¶ But seye me þis. wenest þou þat he þat haþ nede of
power þat hy{m} ne lakkeþ no þing. Nay q{uo}d .I ¶ Certis q{uo}d she þou
seist aryȝt. For yif so be þ{a}t þer is a þing þat in any p{ar}tie be
fieble of power. Certis as in þat it most[e] nedes be nedy of foreine
helpe. ¶ Riȝt so it is q{uo}d .I. Suffisaunce and power ben þan of on
kynde ¶ So semeþ it q{uod} I. ¶ And demyst þou q{uo}d she þat a þing þat
is of þis manere. þat is to seine suffisau{n}t {and} myȝty auȝt[e] to
ben dispised. or ellys þ{a}t it be ryȝt digne of reuerences abouen alle
þinges. ¶ Certys q{uo}d I it nys no doute þat it nis ryȝt worþi to ben
reuerenced. ¶ Lat vs q{uo}d she þan adden reuerence to suffisaunce {and}
to power ¶ So þat we demen þat þise þre þinges ben alle o þing. ¶ Certis
q{uo}d I lat vs adden it. yif we willen graunten þe soþe. what demest
þou þan q{uo}d she is þat a dirke þing {and} nat noble þat is
suffisau{n}t reu{er}ent {and} myȝty. or ellys þat is ryȝt clere {and}
ryȝt noble of celebrete of renou{n}. ¶ Considere þan q{uo}d she as we
han grau{n}tid her byforne. þat he þat ne haþ ne[de] of no þing {and} is
most myȝty {and} most digne of hono{ur} yif hym nediþ any clernesse of
renou{n} whiche clernesse he myȝt[e] nat graunten of hym self. ¶ So þat
for lakke of þilke clerenesse he myȝt[e] seme febler on any syde or þe
more outcaste. _Glosa._ þis is to seyne nay. ¶ For who so þat is
suffisau{n}t myȝty {and} reuerent. clernesse of renou{n} folweþ of þe
forseide þinges. he haþ it alredy of hys suffisaunce. boice. I may nat
q{uo}d I denye it. ¶ But I mot graunten as it is. þat þis þing be ryȝt
celebrable by clernesse of renou{n} {and} noblesse. ¶ þan folweþ it
q{uo}d she þat we adden clernesse of renou{n} to þe þre forseide þinges.
so þat þer ne be amonges hem no difference. {and} þis is a consequente
q{uo}d .I. þis þing þan q{uo}d she þat ne haþ no nede of no foreine
þing. {and} þat may don alle þinges by his strengþes. {and} þat is noble
{and} hono{ur}able. nis nat þat a myrie þing {and} a ioyful. _boice._
but wenest q{uo}d I þ{a}t any sorow myȝt[e] comen to þis þing þat is
swiche. ¶ Certys I may nat þinke. _P._ ¶ þanne moten we graunt[e] q{uod}
she þat þis þing be ful of gladnesse yif þe þorseide þinges be soþe.
¶ And also certys mote we graunten. þat suffisaunce power noblesse
reuerence {and} gladnesse ben only dyuerse bynames. but hir substaunce
haþ no diu{er}site. _Boice._ It mot nedely be so q{uo}d .I. _P._ þilke
þinge þan q{uo}d she þat is oon {and} simple i{n} his nature. þe
wikkednesse of men departiþ it diuidiþ it. {and} whan þei enforcen hem
to gete p{ar}tie of a þing þat ne haþ no part. þei ne geten hem neiþer
þilk[e] p{ar}tie þat nis none. ne þe þing al hole þat þei ne desire nat.
_.b._ In whiche manere q{uo}d .I. _p._ þilke man q{uo}d she þat sekeþ
rychesse to fleen pouerte. he ne trauayleþ hym nat to for to gete power
for he haþ leuer ben dirk {and} vile. {and} eke wiþdraweþ from hym selfe
many naturel delitȝ for he nolde lesen þe moneye þat he haþ assembled.
but certis in þis manere he ne getiþ hym nat suffisaunce þat power
forletiþ. {and} þat moleste p{re}keþ. {and} þat filþe makeþ outcaste.
{and} þat derknesse hideþ. and certis he þ{a}t desireþ only power he
wastiþ {and} scatriþ rychesse {and} dispiseþ delices {and} eke hono{ur}
þat is wiþ out power. ne he ne p{re}iseþ glorie no þing. ¶ Certys þus
seest þou wel þat many þi{n}g{us} failen to hym. for he haþ somtyme
faute of many necessites. {and} many anguysses biten hym ¶ {and} whan he
may nat don þo defautes awey. he forleteþ to ben myȝty. {and} þat is þe
þing þat he most desireþ. {and} ryȝt þus may I make semblable resou{n}s
of hono{ur}s {and} of glorie {and} of delices. ¶ For so as euery of þise
forseide þinges is þe same þat þise oþer þinges ben. þat is to sein. al
oon þing. who so þat euer sekeþ to geten þat oon of þise {and} nat þat
oþer. he ne geteþ nat þat he desireþ. _Boice._ ¶ what seist þou þan yif
þat a man coueiteþ to geten alle þise þinges to gider. _P._ Certys
q{uo}d she .I. wolde seie þat he wolde geten hym souereyne blisfulnes.
but þat shal he nat fynde in þo þinges þat .I. haue shewed þat ne mowe
nat ȝeuen þat þei by-heten. _boice._ Certys no q{uo}d .I. ¶ þan q{uod}
she ne sholden men nat by no weye seken blysfulnesse in swiche þinges as
men wenen þat þei ne mowe ȝeuen but o þing senglely of alle þ{a}t me{n}
seken. I graunt[e] wel q{uo}d .I. ne no soþer þing ne may nat ben said.
_P._ ¶ Now hast þou þan q{uo}d she þe forme {and} þe causes of false
welefulnesse. ¶ Now turne {and} flitte þe eyen of þi þouȝt. for þere
shalt þou seen an oon þilk verray blysfulnesse þ{a}t I haue byhyȝt þee.
_b._ Certys q{uo}d .I. it is cler {and} opyn. þouȝ þat it were to a
blynde man. {and} þat shewedest þou me [ful wel] a lytel her byforne.
whan þou enforcedest þe to shewe me þe causes of þe false blysfulnesse
¶ For but yif I be by-giled. þan is þilke þe verray p{er}fit
blisfulnesse þat p{er}fitly makiþ a man suffisau{n}t. myȝty.
hono{ur}able noble. {and} ful of gladnesse. {and} for þou shalt wel
knowe þat I haue wel vndirstonden þise þinges wiþ i{n}ne myne herte.
I knowe wel þilke blisfulnesse þat may verrayly ȝeuen on of þe forseide
þinges syn þei ben al oon .I. knowe douteles þat þilke þing is þe fulle
of blysfulnesse. _P._ O my nurry q{uod} she by þis oppiniou{n} q{uo}d
she I sey[e] þat þou art blisful yif þou putte þis þer to þat I shal
seine. what is þat q{uo}d .I. ¶ Trowest þou þat þer be any þing in þis
erþely mortal toumblyng þinges þat may bryngen þis estat. Certys q{uo}d
I trowe it nat. {and} þou hast shewed me wel þat ouer þilke goode þer is
no þing more to ben desired. _P._ þise þinges þan q{uo}d she. þat is to
seyne erþely suffisaunce {and} power. {and} swiche þinges eyþer þei
semen likenesse of verray goode. or ellys it semeþ þat þei ȝeuen to
mortal folk a maner of goodes þat ne ben nat perfit. ¶ But þilke goode
þat is verray {and} p{er}fit. þat may þei nat ȝeuen. _boice._ I. accorde
me wel q{uo}d .I. þan q{uo}d she for as moche as þou hast knowen whiche
is þilke verray blisfulnesse. {and} eke whiche þilke þinges ben þat lien
falsly blisfulnesse. þat is to seyne. þat by desceit seme{n} verray
goodes. ¶ Now byhoueþ þe to knowe{n} whennes {and} where þou mowe
seek[e] þilke verray blisfulnesse. ¶ Certys q{uo}d I þat desijr I gretly
{and} haue abiden longe tyme to herkene it. ¶ But for as moche q{uo}d
she as it likeþ to my disciple plato in his book of i{n} thimeo. þat in
ryȝt lytel þinges men sholde bysechen þe helpe of god. ¶ what iugest þou
þat be [now] to done so þat we may deserue to fynde þe sete of þilke
souereyne goode. _B._ ¶ Certys q{uo}d .I. I. deme þat we shulle clepen
to þe fadir of alle goodes. ¶ For wiþ outen hym nis þer no þing founden
aryȝt. þou seist a-ryȝt q{uo}d she. and bygan on-one to syngen ryȝt þus.