QUENAM DISCORS. — Metrum 3
"What discordable cause hath torent and unjoyned the
byndynge or the alliaunce of thingis (that is to seyn, the
conjunccions of God and of man)? Whiche god hath establisschid
so gret bataile bytwixen these two sothfast or verreie thinges
(that is to seyn, bytwyxen the purveaunce of God and fre wil)
that thei ben singuler and dyvided, ne that they ne wole nat ben
medled ne couplid togidre? But ther nis no discord to the verray
thinges, but thei clyven alwey certein to hemself; but the
thought of man, confownded and overthrowen by the derke membres
of the body, ne mai nat be fyr of his derked lookynge
(that is to seyn, by the vigour of his
insyghte while
the soule is in the body) knowen the thynne sutile
knyttynges of thinges. But wherfore eschaufeth it so by so gret
love to fynden thilke notes of soth icovered? (That
is to seyn, wherfore eschaufeth the thought of man by so gret
desir to knowen thilke notificaciouns that ben ihid undir the
covertures of soth?) Woot it aught thilke thing that it
angwisshous desireth to knowe? (As who
seith,
nay; for no man ne travaileth for to witen thingis that he wot.
And therfore the texte seith thus:) But who travaileth to
wite thingis iknowe? And yif that he ne knoweth hem nat, what
sekith thilke blynde thoght? What is he that desireth any thyng
of which he wot right naught? (As who
seith, whoso
desireth any thing, nedes somwhat he knoweth of it, or elles he
ne coude nat desiren it.) Or who may folwen thinges that ne
ben nat iwist? And thoughe that he seke tho thingis, wher schal
he fynde hem? What wyght that is al unkunnynge and ignoraunt may
knowe the forme that is ifounde? But whanne the soule byholdeth
and seeth the heye thought (that is to seyn, God), thanne knoweth
it togidre the somme and the singularites (that is
to seyn, the principles and everyche by hymself)? But now,
while the soule is hidd in the cloude and in the derknesse of the
membres of the body, it ne hath nat al foryeten itself, but it
withholdeth the somme of thinges and lesith the singularites.
Thanne who so that sekith sothnesse, he nis in neyther nother
habite, for he
not nat al, ne he ne hath nat al
foryeten; but yit hym remembreth the somme of thinges that he
withholdeth, and axeth conseile, and retretith deepliche thinges
iseyn byforne (that is to seyn, the grete
somme in
his mynde) so that he mowe adden the parties that be hath
foryeten to thilke that he hath withholden."
