SI VIS CELSI IURA. — Metrum 6
"Yif thou, wys, wilt demen in thi pure thought the ryghtes
or the lawes of the heye thondrere (that is to seyn, of God),
loke thou and byhoold the heightes of the sovereyn hevene. Ther
kepin the sterres, be ryghtful alliaunce of thinges, hir oolde
pees. The sonne, imoevid by his rody fyr, ne distorbeth nat the
colde cercle of the mone. Ne the sterre yclepid the Bere, that
enclyneth his ravysschynge coursis abowte the sovereyn heighte
of the world — ne the same sterre Ursa nis nevere mo wasschen
in
the depe westrene see, ne coveyteth nat to deeyen his flaumbes
in the see of the Occian, although it see othere sterres
iplowngid in the see. And Hesperus the sterre bodith and telleth
alwey the late nyghtes, and Lucyfer the sterre bryngeth ayein the
clere day.
"And thus maketh Love entrechaungeable the perdurable
courses; and thus is discordable bataile yput out of the contre
of the sterres. This accordaunce atempryth by evenelyke maneres
the elementz, that the moiste thingis, stryvynge with the drye
thingis, yeven place by stoundes; and that the colde thingis
joynen hem by feyth to the hote thingis; and that
the
lyghte fyr ariseth into heighte, and the hevy erthes avalen by
her weyghtes. By thise same causes the floury yer yeldeth swote
smelles in the first somer sesoun warmynge; and the hote somer
dryeth the cornes; and autumpne comith ayein hevy of apples; and
the fletyng reyn bydeweth the wynter. This atempraunce
norysscheth and bryngeth forth alle thinges that brethith lif in
this world; and thilke same attempraunce, ravysschynge, hideth
and bynymeth, and drencheth undir the laste deth, alle thinges
iborn.
"Among thise thinges sitteth the heye makere, kyng and
lord, welle and bygynnynge, lawe and wys juge to don equite, and
governeth and enclyneth the brydles of thinges. And tho thinges
that he stireth to gon by moevynge, he withdraweth and aresteth,
and affermeth the moevable or wandrynge thinges. For yif that he
ne clepide nat ayein the ryght goynge of thinges, and yif that
he ne constreynede hem nat eftsones into roundnesses enclyned,
the thinges that ben now contynued by stable ordenaunce, thei
scholden departen from hir welle (that is to seyn, from hir
bygynnynge), and failen (that is to seyn, tornen into noght).
This is the comune love to alle thingis, and alle thinges axen
to ben holden by the fyn of good. For elles ne myghten they nat
lasten yif thei ne comen nat eftsones ayein, by love retorned,
to the cause that hath yeven hem beinge (that is to seyn, to
God).
