Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

Here foloweth of the Celestyal heuene capitulo ¶xxiij^o

Yff ye wil vnderstande for to knowe of this heuene Celestyall / whyche is aboue alle the other / ye shal

〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnderstonde that this place is right worthy and blessyd in alle thynges / wherfor ther may nothyng growe / but all goodnesses / and swetnesse by reson and right / This is the propre place of the holy trynyte / where as god the fader sytteth in his right worthy mageste / But in that place faylleth thentendemēt of ony erthely man / ffor ther is nowher so good a clerke that may thynke the tenth parte of the glorye that is there / And yf our lord pour∣pryseth ony place / hym behoueth to haue that by right / but he is so comune ouerall / that he seeth euery man / that hath deseruyd it ayenst hym / and seeth all thynges here and there / He seeth all aboute as he that hath all thynges in his kepyng / Of whiche ye may take ensample / by s••mme whan ye here them speke / that alle they of whom they here the tale / they here his worde / Many men vnderstonde al at∣tones / and in one tyme heere / Euery man hereth al the worde / In lyke wyse may ye vnderstande that god is ouerall and regnyng ouerall in euery place / and is in alle places anon & attones / And the lyght and clerenes that groweth of hym enlumyneth alle thynges bothe here and there / and also soone that one as that other / Exam∣ple / yf ye sette aboute many thynges a lyght / also soone shal the resplendour goo on the syde by yonde it / as on the syde on this syde it / whan suche thinges haue lyke vertue / Ouer moche more ought he to haue / that all thynge made and created / And that alle goodes hath wythin hym / his heuen stratched oueral / as he whiche of all is lord and maistre / In heuen ben alle thangeles / alle tharchangeles and alle the sayntes whiche synge all to gydre tofor god

glorye and lawde wyth right grete Ioye and consolacion Ther is none that may compryse / ne herte of man mortal may vnderstande what thynge is heuene / And how moche grete Ioye they haue / to whom he hath gyuen and graūted it / The beste clerk of the world / the most subtyl / and the best spekyng wyth all / that euer was lyuynge in erthe / or euer shal be in ony tyme of the world / and thaugh he had a thousand tongues spekynge / And euerych of the ton∣gues spack by hym self / and also had a thousand hertes within his body the most subtyle and the most memoratyf that myght be taken and founden in alle the world and best chosen to vnderstande & to experymente / and yf this myght be and happe that alle this myght be to gydre in the body of a man / And after myght thynke alway / the best wyse that they coude deseryue & deuyse thestate of he∣uen / And that euery tongue myght saye and declare the intencion of euery herte / yet myght they neuer in no ma∣ner of the world saye ne recounte the thousand parte of the grete Ioye / that the pour••st and leest of them that shal be there shal haue / And foul be he / that shal not be there / ffor they that shal be in heuene wold not be alle the dayes of world / lordes and kynges of alle the Monar∣chye of the worlde erthly thaugh all their commandemēts myght be obserued and don / not for to ben one only hour out of heuen / ffor there is the lyf perdurable / and there is the parfyght and inestymable Ioye that euer was and euer shal be / There is euery thynge establisshed and cer∣tayn for euer more without ende and without begynnyng ne neuer shal faylle / ne there shal neuer be ony doubtaūce

of deth ne of maladye / of sorow / of anguyssh̄. ne of deede / of angre of trauayll of payne ne of pouerte / of caytyfnes ne of ony trybulacion / that euer may happe in ony manere of the world to hym that shal haue his mansyon in heue∣ne / But he shal be contynuelly in Ioye / in solace / in alle delices / and in alle goodes perdurable and wythout ende / And he shal haue more consolacion than ony man can thynke ne esteme / thaugh he employe alle his engien for to vnderstonde it / Now for to knowe what it is of heuene and of helle after our declaracion to fore sayd / and wyth this the firmamente / the sterres and the seuen planetes / I presente them to you here on that other syde of this leef by a fygure / by whyche ye may moche prouffyte / yf ye wille wel applye and employe therto your entendemente /

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