[Sidenote: [The fyrste met{ur}.]]
++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 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 phebus. {and} felawshipeþ þe weye of þe
olde colde saturnus. and she ymaked a knyȝt of þe clere sterre. þat is
to seyne þat þe soule is maked goddys knyȝt by þe sekyng of treuþe to
comen to þe verray knowlege of god. 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 dyuerse ymages of
sterres. {and} whan þe soule haþ gon ynouȝ she shal forleten þe last[e]
poynt of þe heuene. {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
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. {and} þe
shynynge iuge of þinges stable i{n} hy{m} self gouerneþ þe swifte carte.
þat is to seyne þe circuler moeuyng of [the] sonne. {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 here was I born. here wil I fastne my
degree. here wil I dwelle. 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 now shule ben exiled from
þilke faire contre.