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A Stanzaic Life of Christ

Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea

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Quarto celum sup[er]substanciale est equalitas diuine excellentie.

the furth heuen I spek of her
is aboue all substancial thing,
ther is the Trinite entere
Fadur & Son & Gost wonnyng;

311

from wheche heuen, withouten were,
com Crist & thider went, bout lesing,
herto acordes the Sauter
that Dauid mad God ay plesing:

Psalmus: A summo celo egressio eius.

therfore aboue thes heuens all
to that hegh place then vp stegh he,
which heuen of all is hede & wall,
ther is the verrai trinite,
A-bowe all heuens materiall
as shawes this Psalme, as ȝe shin se,
told before what shuld befall
by king Dauid, as then wrot he:

Eleuata est magnificentia tua &c

he said that Goddes gretnesse was
abowe all heuens howen on hegh,
that is to wit to that place
ther soueraigne wisdam is & slegh.
Empirium that heuen cald is,
aboue then whiche mon-kind he [b]roght
to the most soueraigne blisse
that for his godhid is wroght.
For that flesch & blod entere
that he toke of Mare fre,
thider he broght withouten were
to his fader heghust see.
ȝe shul not leue he houen was
as was Ennoc & Heli here,
nother to that selwe place
ny only thurgh aungeles power;
ffor thai were broght to Paradise
that Adam lost for his trespace,
but Ihesu thurgh his awen awice
went thidur as is the heghust place.

312

In that heuen Crist is wonnyng
& with him aungeles clene & clere,
and holy saintes of gode liuing
whil that thai in erthe were,
So heghe ȝet ther comes non
as is the holy Trinite,
for his see is abowe uchone
& in him our kind has he.
But if hit be our lady alon
that ho knewe more then we mon se,
vnworthi is all thing to that won
& knowe so fer his priuetee.