Of the gouernaunce of man aftyr the v wittes. Capitulum Quadragessimum quintum.
gOd fourmyd man and hym makyd abow al bestis, and hym yaue hys comandmentis, and hym promysid rewarde aftyr his deseruynge, and yaue a body as a Cite to gouerne, and put therin vndyrstondynge as a kynge, and hit sette in the moste heyest Place of man, that Is, the hede, and to hym estabelit v messagers to fette and presente al that to hym Is necessarie, tho bene the v wittys; of the wych euery of ham hath his Propyr dome, and bene in Sartayn Places I-sette, in eighen, in the nose-thurlis, in tonge, in handys, and in eeris. By the eyghen know we ix. thynges, that Is to witte; lyght, derknesse, coloure, body, shape, thynges neygh and ferre, meuynge, and restynge. By the eeris we haue knowlech of Sovne, wych is in two maneres; Soune [folio 59b] Wych is callid voyce of man othyr of Beste, as speche of man, neynge of hors, syngynge of birdis: Anothyr Spice of vitte is callid Sowne of thynges that bene not quycke, as the Sowne of watyr, and brekynge of trees, thundyr, Harpynge, and othyr Instrumentes. By the noosthurles we haue knowlech of odeurs and stynches. By the tonge we felen the dyuersite of Sauores, Swetnes and bittyrnesse, Saltnesse and egyrnesse, and othyr Saueoure. The taste is a commyn witte, Spraden throgh the body, but hit Shewyth hym most by the handys than any othyr lym of the body; by that witte we knowen hote, colde, dry, moyste, and othyr Suche thynges. Thes v wittes al that thay [folio 59bL] rescewyth of thynges that ben wythout, thay presentyth to the ymaginacion̄, and othyr more, they ben presentid to the vndyrstonddynge, that hath to deme al thynges.