[Sidenote: [The .12. p{ro}se.]]
++THanne seide I thus // I acorde me gretly to plato / for thow
remenbrist {and} recordist me thise thinges yit] þe seconde tyme. þat is
to seyn. first whan I lost[e] my memorie by þe co{n}tagioũs
coniuncc{i}ou{n} of þe body wiþ þe soule. {and} eftsones afterward whan
I lost[e] it co{n}founded by þe charge {and} by þe burden of my sorwe.
¶ And þan sayde she þus. ¶ If þou look[e] q{uo}d she firste þe þinges
þat þou hast graunted it ne shal nat ben ryȝt feer þat þou ne shalt
remembren þilke þing þat þou seidest þat þou nistest nat. what þing
q{uo}d I. ¶ by whiche gouerme{n}t q{uo}d she þat þis worlde is gouerned.
Me remembriþ it wel q{uo}d I. {and} I confesse wel þat I ne wist[e] it
nat ¶ But al be it so þat I se now fro{m} afer what þou p{ur}posest
¶ Algates I desire ȝit to herkene it of þe more pleynely. ¶ þou ne
wendest nat q{uo}d she a litel here byforne þat men sholden doute þat
þis worlde is gouerned by god. ¶ Certys q{uo}d I ne ȝitte doute I it
nauȝt. ne I nil neuer wene þat it were to doute. as who seiþ. but I wot
wel þat god gouerneþ þis worlde. ¶ And I shal shortly answere þe by what
resou{n}s I am brouȝt to þis. ¶ þis worlde q{uod} I of so many dyuerse
{and} co{n}trarious p{ar}ties ne myȝten neuer han ben assembled in o
forme. but yif þere ne were oon þat conioigned so many[e diu{er}se]
þinges. ¶ And þe same diuersite of hire natures þat so discordeden þat
oon fro þat oþer most[e] dep{ar}ten {and} vnioigne{n} þe þi{n}ges þat
ben co{n}ioigned. yif þere ne were oon þat contened[e] þat he haþ
co{n}ioigned {and} ybounde. ne þe certein ordre of nature ne sholde. nat
brynge furþe so ordinee moeuynge. by places. by tymes. by doynges. by
spaces. by qualites. yif þere ne were oon þat were ay stedfast
dwellynge. þat ordeyned[e] {and} disposed[e] þise diuersites of
moeuynges. ¶ and þilke þinge what so euer it be. by whiche þat alle
þinges ben maked {and} ylad. I clepe hym god þat is a worde þat is vsed
to alle folke. þan seide she. syn þou felest þus þise þinges q{uo}d she.
I trowe þat I haue lytel more to done. þat þou myȝty of wilfulnesse hool
{and} sounde ne se eftsones þi contre. ¶ But lat vs loken þe þinges þat
we han p{ur}posed her-byforn. ¶ Haue I nat nou{m}bred {and} seid q{uod}
she þat suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. {and} we han accorded þat god is
{and} þilke same blisfulnesse. ¶ yis forsoþe q{uo}d I. {and} þat to
gouerne þis worlde q{uod} she. ne shal he neuer han nede of none helpe
fro wiþoute. for ellys yif he had[de] nede of any helpe. he ne sholde
not haue [no] ful suffisau{n}ce. ȝis þus it mot nedes be q{uo}d I. ¶ þan
ordeyneþ he by hym self al oon alle þinges q{uo}d she. þat may nat ben
denied q{uo}d I. ¶ And I haue shewed þat god is þe same good. ¶ It
reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I. ¶ þan ordeineþ he alle þinges by þilke
goode q{uod} she. Syn he whiche we han accorded to ben good gouerneþ
alle þi{n}g{us} by hym self. {and} he is a keye {and} a stiere by whiche
þat þe edifice of þis worlde is ykept stable {and} wiþ oute corumpynge
¶ I accorde me gretly q{uod} I. {and} I ap{er}ceiuede a litel here
byforn þat þou woldest seyne þus. Al be it so þat it were by a þinne
suspeciou{n}. I trowe it wel q{uo}d she. ¶ For as I trowe þou leedest
nowe more ententifly þine eyen to loken þe verray goodes ¶ but naþeles
þe þinges þat I shal telle þe ȝit ne sheweþ nat lasse to loken. what is
þat q{uo}d I. ¶ So as men trowen q{uo}d she {and} þat ryȝtfully þat god
gouerneþ alle þinges by þe keye of his goodnesse. ¶ And alle þise same
þinges as I [haue] tauȝt þe. hasten hem by naturel ente{n}c{i}ou{n} to
comen to goode þer may no man doute{n}. þat þei ne ben gouerned
uoluntariely. {and} þat þei ne conuerten [hem] nat of her owe{n} wille
to þe wille of hire ordeno{ur}. as þei þat ben accordyng {and}
enclinynge to her gouerno{ur} {and} her kyng. ¶ It mot nedys be so
q{uo}d. I. ¶ For þe realme ne sholde not seme blisful ȝif þere were a
ȝok of mysdrawynges in diu{er}se p{ar}ties ne þe sauynge of obedient
þinges ne sholde nat be. þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þ{a}t kepiþ hys
nature[;] þat enforceþ hym to gone aȝeyne god. ¶ No q{uo}d. I. ¶ And if
þat any þi{n}g enforced[e] hym to wiþstonde god. myȝt[e] it auayle at þe
laste aȝeyns hym þat we han g{ra}unted to ben al myȝty by þe ryȝt of
blisfulnesse. ¶ Certis q{uo}d I al outerly it ne myȝt[e] nat auaylen
hym. þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þat eyþer wol or may wiþstonde to
þis souereyne good. ¶ I trowe nat q{uo}d. I ¶ þan is þilke þe souereyne
good q{uo}d she þat alle þi{n}g{us} gouerneþ strongly {and} ordeyneþ hem
softly. þa{n} seide I þus. I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in þe endes or
in þe so{m}mes of [the] resou{n}s þat þou hast concludid {and} p{ro}ued.
¶ But þilke wordes þat þ{o}u vsest deliten me moche more. ¶ So at þe
last[e] fooles þat so{m}tyme renden greet[e] þinges auȝte{n} ben
asshamed of hem self. ¶ þat is to seyne þ{a}t we fooles þat
rep{re}henden wickedly þe þi{n}g{us} þat touchen goddes gouernaunce we
auȝte{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I þat seide god refuseþ oonly þe
werkes of men. {and} ne entremetiþ nat of he{m}. _p._ þou hast wel herd
q{uo}d she þe fables of þe poetes. how þe geauntes assailden þe heuene
wiþ þe goddes. but for soþe þe debonaire force of god disposed[e] hem so
as it was worþi. þat is to seyne distroied[e] þe geauntes. as it was
worþi. ¶ But wilt þou þat we ioygnen togedre þilke same resou{n}s. for
p{er}auenture of swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire
sp{er}kele of soþe ¶ Do q{uo}d I as þe list. wenest þou q{uo}d she þat
god ne is almyȝty. no man is in doute of it. Certys q{uo}d I no wyȝt ne
defendiþ it if he be in hys mynde. but he q{uo}d she þat is al myȝty
þere nis no þing þat he ne may do. þat is soþe q{uo}d I. May god done
yuel q{uo}d she. nay for soþe q{uo}d. I. ¶ þan is yuel no þing q{uo}d
she. ¶ Syn þat he ne may not done yuel þat may done alle þinges.
scornest þou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys pleyest þou or deceiuest þou me. þat
hast so wouen me wiþ þi resou{n}s. þe house of didalus so entrelaced.
þat it is vnable to ben vnlaced. þou þat oþer while entrest þere þou
issest {and} oþer while issest þere þou entrest. ne fooldest þou nat to
gidre by replicac{i}ou{n} of wordes a maner wondirful cercle or
envirounynge of symplicite deuyne. ¶ For certys a litel her byforn{e}
whan þou bygu{n}ne atte blisfulnesse þ{o}u seidest þat it is souereyne
good. {and} seidest þat it is set in souereyne god. {and} þat god is þe
ful[le] blisfulnesse. for whiche þou ȝaf[e] me as a couenable ȝifte. þat
is to seyne þ{a}t no wyȝt nis blisful. but yif he be good al so þer wiþ
{and} seidest eke þat þe forme of goode is þe substaunce of god. {and}
of blisfulnesse. {and} seidest þ{a}t þilke same oone is þilke same goode
þat is requered {and} desired of al þe kynde of þinges. {and} þou
p{ro}euedest in disputynge þat god gouerneþ alle [the] þinges of þe
worlde by þe gouernementys of bountee. {and} seydest þat alle þinges
wolen ybeyen to hym. and seidest þat þe nature of yuel nis no þing.
{and} þise þinges ne shewedest þou nat wiþ no resou{n}s ytake fro
wiþoute but by proues in cercles {and} homelyche knowen. ¶ þe whiche
p{ro}eues drawen to hem self hir feiþ {and} hir accorde eu{er}iche [of]
hem of oþer. þan seide she þus. I ne scorne þe nat ne pleye ne desseyue
þe. but I haue shewed to þe þinge þat is grettest ouer alle þinges by þe
ȝifte of god þat we some tyme prayden ¶ For þis is þe forme of [the]
deuyne substaunce. þat is swiche þat it ne slydeþ nat in to outerest
foreine þinges. ne ne rec[e]yueþ no st{ra}nge þinges in hym. but ryȝt as
p{ar}maynws seide in grek of þilke deuyne substaunce. he seide þus þat
þilke deuyne substaunce torneþ þe worlde {and} þilke cercle moeueable of
þinges while þilke dyuyne substau{n}ce kepiþ it self wiþ outen moeuynge.
þat is to seyne þat it ne moeuiþ neuere mo. {and} ȝitte it moeueþ alle
oþer þinges. but na-þeles yif I [haue] stered resou{n}s þat ne ben nat
taken fro wiþ oute þe compas of þe þinge of whiche we treten. but
resou{n}s þat ben bystowed wiþ i{n}ne þat compas þere nis nat whi þat
þou sholde[st] merueylen. sen þou hast lerned by þe sentence of plato
þat nedes þe wordes moten ben cosynes to þo þinges of whiche þei speken.