the werdys off Ieremye the prophete, 'Spes mea tu in
die Affliccionis / Thow art myn Only hope in the
dayes off myn afflyccion' // Et hec potest Consolacio
mea, que est mentis spes oppresse, percipio ad occu|
lum [The catchword is 'Tu,' so a sheet of ten leaves or less is possibly missing, tho' I suppose the First Consolation cannot have run much further than it does here.] . . .
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[Stowe folio 294a] Here begynneth the Seconnde
Consolacion Off Hertes that ben
Oppressyd with Trybulacion.
The seconnde Consolacion, O blyssed lady, which
that I ffynde in thé ys this, that whan I Consydre and
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se, and in Experience ffynde, That whan alle the lustys
off this transytorye worlde passe away and nat abyde,
Thow abydest euere in Oon, stable and ffyx with-oute
Mutabylyte, 'Quia es. / ffor thow art stedfast and
stable, shalt perseuere with-outen ende' // And lyk as
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thes Marynerys in the absence off the sonne, whan the
dyrke nyght kometh vp-on, ha no comfort off lyght /
but only off the loode sterre, which off his nature
abydeth ffyx in hys spere, and neuere draweth ffor to
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declyn by medyacion, off which they guye and gouerne
ther passage // Evene so I, a wofull wrechche, in the
myd see off this Troublyd worlde fforpossyd and ffor|
dryven with many sturdy wawes off adversyte and off
Trybulacion, whan the lytyl pore vessel off myn herte
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ys ouercaste and ffordryven with many ffroward wyndes
off affliction // Thanne have I no Comfort nor helpe
but only to lefften vp the Eye off myn herte vn-to the,
which art verrayly callyd the Sterre off the See [Stella maris: see Migne, vol. 182, p. 1142/2.] / Only
to dyrecten and to brynge wrechches, oute off alle
Tempestys off Trybulacion, to the havene and to the
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blysfull porte off euere-lastyng lyff // And her-vpon I
aparceyve [Stowe folio 294b] Therby That thow art the sothefaste loode|
Sterre off the see / ffor / Stella, a stando dicitur / A
Sterre ys seyde off stondyng; And therffore, off Sted|
fastnesse off stondyng thow mayst wel be callyd a
Sterre // ffor, whan alle other Erthely Creatures be
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