Boecius de consolacione philosophie

O qui perpetua mundum racione gubernas Terrarum celi{que} sator. qui tempus ab euo Ire iubes. stabilis{que} manens. das cuncta moueri Quem non externe pepulerunt fingere cause

O Thou fader souerayne and creatour of heuen and of erthes / that gouernest this worlde by perdurable rea∣son / Thou comandest the tymes to goon̄ syn that aage had begynnyng. Thou that dwellist thy self stidfaste & stable and yeuest alle other thinges to be moeuid. ne foreyn cau∣ses necessed the neuer to compowne werke of flotering ma∣ter / but onely the fourme of souerayn̄ good ysette with in the withoute enuye / that meeuyd the frely that thou arte alther feyrest bering the fayr world in thy thought four∣medest this world to the likenesse semblable of that fayre world in thy thoughte. Thou deawese all thinges on thy souerayne examplir and commandest th••t this worlde per∣fytly ymaked haue frely and absolute his parfyte {per}ties Thou byndest the elementes by nombres {pro}porcienables that the cold thinges mowen accorde with the hoote thinges. And the drye thinges with the moiste. that the fire that is pured ne flee not ouer hye / ne that the heuynes ne drawe

not adoun̄ ouer lowe the erthes that ben plunged in waters Thou knyttest to gyder the meene soule of treble kinde mo∣euyng all thinges / and deuidest hit by nomb••e according And whan it is thus deuided it hath assemblid a moe∣uyng into two ro••des / it goth to torne agayn to him self And enuyron̄eth a ful depe thoughte / and torneth the he∣uene by semblable ymage. Thou by euen like causes enhaū∣cest the soules and the lesse lyues & abling hem to heighte by lighte waynes or cartes. Thou sowest hem into heuene and into erthe / and whan they be conuerted to the by thy benigne lawe / thou makest hem retorne ayen to the by ayen leding fire. O fader yeue thou to the thought ••o styen vp into thy streyte sete / & graūte him to enuyrōne the welle of good. And the lighte yfoūde graunte him to fixen the cle∣re sightes of his corage in the. And shatre thou & to breke the weightes & the cloudes of erthely heuinesse / & shyne thou by thy brightnes / for thou art clerenes. thou art pes••ble r••s∣te to debonair folke / thou thy self art begyn̄yng. ••erer / leder path & terme to loke on the / that is our ende