University of Virginia Library

Contemplacion is to seye:
Siht of god and his nobleye.
Þat maiȝt þou se be þin Inwit
In creature, and in holy writ,
And siþen in his owne kynde.
Of þeose ȝif we wol haue good mynde,
Þe nobleye of god [we se] in his werkes,
As men mowe seo, Lewed & Clerkes.
Þou þat neuere seȝe Duyk Henri,
Þat þe newe werk of Leycetre reised on hiȝ:
Þer-bi maiȝt þou wel wyte and se
Þat he was lord of gret pouste
Þat hit made of his owne cost—
I hope he naue þeron not lost.
Þe makyng of vche a creature
Such is godes miȝt wiþ-oute Mesure.
And bi þe ordre of vch a kynde
His wit we sen but we be blynde;
And bi þe creatures meyntenyng
Of his godnes we han witeryng.
So long and Brod as is þis world,
Heiȝ and dep, scheweþ him a lord
Of Miht and pouwer gret saunȝfaile,
Al made of nouȝt wiþ-oute trauayle.
Eyr & ffuir on heiȝ ben founde,
Water and Erþe heuy at grounde:
Of his wisdam hit scheweþ a part,
And so to Ioyne hem a ful gret art.
Hedde fuir and water to-geder ben set,
Not wysli don men wolden han let,
Þat On þat oþer wolde distruye;
Hedde Eir be Ioyned to eorþe so druye,
Hit wolde for chyne, for to seye soþ,
No fruit wolde bere as hit now doþ.
Water and Erþe are meynt to-gidere,
ffor grene þing schulde not al to-whidere.
Gret wit and wisdam, as I ow tolde
In God ȝit ȝe may be-holde:

How summe creaturs al-on
Han beoynge of him, as stok and ston;
And summe, as treo and gras and flour,
Han lyf, but Ioye non ne no dolour;
Summe ben & liuen & fleon lykyng,
As Beest and ffoul and ffisch fletyng;
Ouer alle þeose Mon bereþ þe pris,
ffor he haþ reson to make him wys—
Þat makeþ hym peringal lo here
To Angeles of heuene, to ben heor feere.
So muche may ȝit be monnes grace
Þat he mai passen an Angeles place.
Seynt Austyn, þe grete clerk, seiþ riȝt so:
An Angeles place he wolde for-go
ffor to haue þe worþi stede
Þat God haþ ordeynd for Monhede.
Herof I rede þou take good keepe!
Elles þou art worþi gret schendschip,
But þou lyue aftur þi degre,
Seþþe þou hast such a dignite
Alle þing to beo þin vnderloute,
A-boue, bi-neþe, and al aboute.
ffor al þing in eorþe, mon, in sum wyse
Was maad of god for þi seruyse:
Hors & Neet and eke Chamayle,
Þe to ese in þi trauayle;
Lyn, fforre, fflax, Selk and Wolle,
Þat diuersliche God ȝeueþ at folle,
Þe to kepe from chele and hete;
Beest, fisch & foul, & fruit, to þi mete.
Þe þinkeþ par aunter hit is not so,
ffor venymous bestes þei don vs wo.
Þe harmful creatures, verrement,
Weore maad til vre amendement,
Þei ben to vs a Chastisyng,
And eke a wel feir techyng.
Whil þou hast in þin hond a ȝerd,

exemplum

Þe Child þer-of is sore aferd,
Of his vntiȝt ful sone slakes
And to his lore good keep he takes;
Hit makeþ þe child boþe meke & lowe,
A-Mendeþ him wel him-self to knowe.
Þe venymous beestes wel muche we dreden:
Þe beter þerfore vre lyf we leden.
ffor summe to vs þei beo nuyouse,
Godes werk we knowe ful meruilouse—
Of Godes wisdam a wonder cast!
But of his goodnes be-hold atte last,
How Creatures þat ben Iure,
Þe Sky, Heuen, Sterres and heore nature
God haþ maad forte mowe endure
Euermore wiþ-outen eny gendrure;
But þulke on eorþe eueri day þei rote,
As on is ded, anoþur is gote—
Such vertu in kuynde God con faste,
Þat longe I-nowh so mihte þei laste,
Ȝif his wille were for euere and ay;
So multiplye þei euer vche a day,
Þat summe ben olde & summe be newe,
Þorw þe godnesse of his vertue.—
Þus mowe ȝe knowe boþe more & lesse
Godes Miȝt, his wit, and his goodnesse
In creatures, as I haue told,
How gret, how good, how monifold.
Seþþe he haþ maad for vs al þis,
But we him loue we don amis.
Ȝif þow loue ȝiftes in þin entent,
Loue him wel raþer þat hit þe sent,
Þat is god al þing aboue.
Þerfore me þinkeþ we schulde him loue;
And for him-self ȝit wel more,
Whon we be-þenken vs of þis lore.
Þis þe furste Contemplacioun
In Creatures of gret Renoun.—