Boecius de consolacione philosophie

Sunt etenim penne volucres michi Que celsa con∣descendunt poli Quas sibi cum velox mens induit Terras perosa despicit Aeris inmensi superat globū Nubes primo tergum indet etc

THan for thy swifte fethres that sourmounten the heighte of the heuene / whan the swifte thoughte hath clothed hit in tho fethres. It dispiseth the hatefull erthes and surmoūteth the roundnesse of the grete ayer. and it seeth the cloudes behynde his back / and passith the heighte of the regyon of the fyre that enchau••••th by the swifte me∣ouyng of the firmament. til that he ariseth in to the how∣ses that beren the sterres. and ioyneth the weye wyth the sonne phebus and felaushippeth the waye of the old cold saturnus / and he ymaked a knight of the clere sterre / that

is to seyne. whan the thought is made goddes knighte by the seking of cl••re trouth to comen to the veray knowleche of god. And thilke soule renneth by the cercle of sterres in all the places there as the shynyng night is ypeynted That is to seyne the night that is cloudeles / for on nightis that be cloudeles. hit semed that the heuene were peynted with dyuerce ymages of sterres / And whan he hath done there ynough. he shal forl••ten the laste ••••uen / and he shalle presen and wo••den on the back of the swifte firmament & he s••••l be mak••d parfyt. ••f the worshipful light of God Th••re ••oldeth the lorde of thinges the ceptre of his mighte and attempr••th the gouernementes of the worlde / and the shynyng Iugge of thing••s / stable in him self gouerneth t•••• s••i••te ••a••te or wayne that is to seyn̄ the circuler mo••∣u••ng of the s••nne / And if thy wey ledeth the ayeine so t••at th••u ••e brought thider then̄e wiltow saye that ys the coūtrey•• t••••t thou requirest of whic••e thou ne haddest noo m••nde •• But now it remembr••th me wel. ••ere was I born̄ ••••••re wol I fasten my degre •• ••ere wol I dw••ll••. but if the liketh th••nne to loken on th•• derk••nesses of the erth / that thou ••••st forleten then̄e shalt thou sene t••••t th••se f••lonous ••••••an̄tes that the wretched people d••ede••h now / shullen bee ex••••ed from thil••e fayr countr••y••