No More Learning

[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] ? e seconde tyme. ? at is
to seyn. first whan I lost[e] my memorie by ? e co{n}tagio? s
coniuncc{i}ou{n} of ? e body wi? ? e soule. {and} eftsones afterward whan
I lost[e] it co{n}founded by ? e charge {and} by ? e burden of my sorwe.
? And ? an sayde she ? us. ? If ? ou look[e] q{uo}d she firste ? e ? inges
? at ? ou hast graunted it ne shal nat ben ry? t feer ? at ? ou ne shalt
remembren ? ilke ? ing ? at ? ou seidest ? at ? ou nistest nat. what ? ing
q{uo}d I. ? by whiche gouerme{n}t q{uo}d she ? at ? is worlde is gouerned.
Me remembri? it wel q{uo}d I. {and} I confesse wel ? at I ne wist[e] it
nat ? But al be it so ? at I se now fro{m} afer what ? ou p{ur}posest
? Algates I desire ? it to herkene it of ? e more pleynely. ? ? ou ne
wendest nat q{uo}d she a litel here byforne ? at men sholden doute ? at
? is worlde is gouerned by god. ? Certys q{uo}d I ne ? itte doute I it
nau? t. ne I nil neuer wene ? at it were to doute. as who sei? . but I wot
wel ? at god gouerne? ? is worlde. ? And I shal shortly answere ? e by what
resou{n}s I am brou? t to ? is. ? ? is worlde q{uod} I of so many dyuerse
{and} co{n}trarious p{ar}ties ne my? ten neuer han ben assembled in o
forme. but yif ? ere ne were oon ? at conioigned so many[e diu{er}se]
? inges. ? And ? e same diuersite of hire natures ? at so discordeden ? at
oon fro ? at o? er most[e] dep{ar}ten {and} vnioigne{n} ? e ? i{n}ges ? at
ben co{n}ioigned. yif ? ere ne were oon ? at contened[e] ? at he ha?
co{n}ioigned {and} ybounde. ne ? e certein ordre of nature ne sholde. nat
brynge fur? e so ordinee moeuynge. by places. by tymes. by doynges. by
spaces. by qualites. yif ? ere ne were oon ? at were ay stedfast
dwellynge. ? at ordeyned[e] {and} disposed[e] ? ise diuersites of
moeuynges. ? and ? ilke ? inge what so euer it be. by whiche ? at alle
? inges ben maked {and} ylad. I clepe hym god ? at is a worde ? at is vsed
to alle folke. ? an seide she. syn ? ou felest ? us ? ise ? inges q{uo}d she.
I trowe ? at I haue lytel more to done. ? at ? ou my? ty of wilfulnesse hool
{and} sounde ne se eftsones ? i contre. ? But lat vs loken ? e ? inges ? at
we han p{ur}posed her-byforn. ? Haue I nat nou{m}bred {and} seid q{uod}
she ? at suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. {and} we han accorded ? at god is
{and} ? ilke same blisfulnesse. ? yis forso? e q{uo}d I. {and} ? at to
gouerne ? is worlde q{uod} she. ne shal he neuer han nede of none helpe
fro wi? oute. for ellys yif he had[de] nede of any helpe. he ne sholde
not haue [no] ful suffisau{n}ce. ? is ? us it mot nedes be q{uo}d I. ? ? an
ordeyne? he by hym self al oon alle ? inges q{uo}d she. ? at may nat ben
denied q{uo}d I. ? And I haue shewed ? at god is ? e same good. ? It
reme{m}bre? me wel q{uo}d I. ? ? an ordeine? he alle ? inges by ? ilke
goode q{uod} she. Syn he whiche we han accorded to ben good gouerne?
alle ? i{n}g{us} by hym self. {and} he is a keye {and} a stiere by whiche
? at ? e edifice of ? is worlde is ykept stable {and} wi? oute corumpynge
? I accorde me gretly q{uod} I. {and} I ap{er}ceiuede a litel here
byforn ? at ? ou woldest seyne ? us. Al be it so ? at it were by a ? inne
suspeciou{n}. I trowe it wel q{uo}d she. ? For as I trowe ?
ou leedest
nowe more ententifly ? ine eyen to loken ? e verray goodes ? but na? eles
? e ? inges ? at I shal telle ? e ? it ne shewe? nat lasse to loken. what is
? at q{uo}d I. ? So as men trowen q{uo}d she {and} ? at ry? tfully ? at god
gouerne? alle ? inges by ? e keye of his goodnesse. ? And alle ? ise same
? inges as I [haue] tau? t ? e. hasten hem by naturel ente{n}c{i}ou{n} to
comen to goode ? er may no man doute{n}. ? at ? ei ne ben gouerned
uoluntariely. {and} ? at ? ei ne conuerten [hem] nat of her owe{n} wille
to ? e wille of hire ordeno{ur}. as ? ei ? at ben accordyng {and}
enclinynge to her gouerno{ur} {and} her kyng. ? It mot nedys be so
q{uo}d. I. ? For ? e realme ne sholde not seme blisful ? if ? ere were a
? ok of mysdrawynges in diu{er}se p{ar}ties ne ? e sauynge of obedient
? inges ne sholde nat be. ? an is ? ere no ? ing q{uo}d she ? {a}t kepi? hys
nature[;] ? at enforce? hym to gone a? eyne god. ? No q{uo}d. I. ? And if
? at any ? i{n}g enforced[e] hym to wi? stonde god. my? t[e] it auayle at ? e
laste a? eyns hym ? at we han g{ra}unted to ben al my? ty by ? e ry? t of
blisfulnesse. ? Certis q{uo}d I al outerly it ne my? t[e] nat auaylen
hym. ? an is ? ere no ? ing q{uo}d she ? at ey? er wol or may wi? stonde to
? is souereyne good. ? I trowe nat q{uo}d. I ? ? an is ? ilke ? e souereyne
good q{uo}d she ? at alle ? i{n}g{us} gouerne? strongly {and} ordeyne? hem
softly. ? a{n} seide I ? us. I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in ? e endes or
in ? e so{m}mes of [the] resou{n}s ? at ? ou hast concludid {and} p{ro}ued.
? But ? ilke wordes ? at ? {o}u vsest deliten me moche more. ? So at ? e
last[e] fooles ? at so{m}tyme renden greet[e] ? inges au? te{n} ben
asshamed of hem self. ? ? at is to seyne ? {a}t we fooles ? at
rep{re}henden wickedly ? e ? i{n}g{us} ? at touchen goddes gouernaunce we
au? te{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I ? at seide god refuse? oonly ? e
werkes of men. {and} ne entremeti? nat of he{m}. _p. _ ? ou hast wel herd
q{uo}d she ? e fables of ? e poetes. how ? e geauntes assailden ? e heuene
wi? ? e goddes. but for so? e ? e debonaire force of god disposed[e] hem so
as it was wor? i. ? at is to seyne distroied[e] ? e geauntes. as it was
wor? i. ? But wilt ? ou ? at we ioygnen togedre ? ilke same resou{n}s. for
p{er}auenture of swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire
sp{er}kele of so? e ? Do q{uo}d I as ? e list. wenest ? ou q{uo}d she ? at
god ne is almy? ty. no man is in doute of it. Certys q{uo}d I no wy? t ne
defendi? it if he be in hys mynde. but he q{uo}d she ? at is al my? ty
? ere nis no ? ing ? at he ne may do. ? at is so? e q{uo}d I. May god done
yuel q{uo}d she. nay for so? e q{uo}d. I. ? ? an is yuel no ? ing q{uo}d
she. ? Syn ? at he ne may not done yuel ? at may done alle ? inges.
scornest ? ou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys pleyest ? ou or deceiuest ? ou me. ? at
hast so wouen me wi? ? i resou{n}s. ? e house of didalus so entrelaced.