O STELLIFERI CONDITOR ORBIS. — Metrum
5
"O thow makere of the wheel that bereth the sterres, whiche
that art festnyd to thi perdurable chayer, and turnest the hevene
with a ravysschynge sweighe, and constreynest the sterres to
suffren thi lawe; so that the moone somtyme, schynynge with hir
fulle hornes metynge with alle the beemes of the sonne hir
brothir, hideth the sterres that ben lasse; and somtyme, whan the
moone pale with hir derke hornes aprocheth the sonne, leeseth hir
lyghtes; and that the eve sterre, Hesperus, whiche that in the
first tyme of the nyght bryngeth forth hir colde arysynges,
cometh eft ayen hir used cours, and is pale by the morwe at
rysynge of the sonne, and is thanne clepid Lucyfer! Thow
restreynest the day by schortere duellynge in the tyme of coold
wynter that maketh the leeves falle. Thow devydest the swyfte
tydes of the nyght, whan the hote somer is comen. Thy myghte
attempreth the variauntz sesouns of the yer, so that Zephirus,
the debonere wynd, bryngeth ayen in the first somer sesoun the
leeves that the wynd that hyghte Boreas hath reft awey in
autumpne (that is to seie, in the laste
ende of
somer); and the seedes that the sterre that highte Arcturus
saugh ben waxen heye cornes whan the sterre Syrius eschaufeth
hem. Ther
nys no thyng unbounde from his olde lawe, ne forleteth the werk
of his propre estat.
"O thou governour, governynge alle thynges by certein
ende,
whi refusestow oonly to governe the werkes of men by duwe manere?
Why suffrestow that slydynge Fortune turneth so grete
enterchaungynges of thynges? So that anoyous peyne, that scholde
duweliche punysche felons, punysscheth innocentz; and folk of
wikkide maneres sitten in heie chayeres; and anoyinge folk
treden, and that
unrightfully, on the nekkes of holi
men; and vertu, cleer and schynynge naturely, is hidde in derke
derknesses; and the rightful man bereth the blame and the peyne
of the feloun; ne the forswerynge ne the fraude covered and kembd
with a false colour, ne anoieth nat to schrewes? The whiche
schrewes, whan hem list to usen hir strengthe, they rejoyssen hem
to putten undir hem the sovereyne kynges, whiche that peple
withouten nombre dreden. O thou, what so evere thou be that
knyttest alle boondes of thynges, loke on thise wrecchide erthes.
We men, that ben noght a foul partie, but a fair partie of so
greet a werk, we ben turmented in this see of fortune. Thow
governour, withdraughe and restreyne the ravysschynge flodes, and
fastne and ferme thise erthes stable with thilke boond by whiche
thou governest the hevene that is so large."
