þis accordaunce atte{ m}preþ by euene-lyke manere[s] þe elementes. þat þe moyste þinges striuen nat wiþ þe drye þinges. but [gh]iuen place by stoundes. and þat þe 4136 colde þinges ioynen hem by feiþ to þe hote þinges. { and} þat þe ly[gh]t[e] fyre arist in to hey[gh]te. { and} þe heuy erþes aualen by her wey[gh]tes.
[Sidenote: By these same causes the flowing year yields sweet smells in the warm spring-tide; the hot summer ripens the corn.]
¶ by þise same cause þe floury yere [gh]eldeþ swote smellys in þe fyrste somer sesou{ n} 4140 warmynge. { and} þe hote somer dryeþ þe cornes.
[Sidenote: Autumn comes crowned with plenty, and winter wets the earth with showers.]
{ and} autumpne comeþ a[gh]eyne heuy of apples. and þe fletyng [[pg 144]] reyne bydeweþ þe wynter. þis attemp{ er}aunce noryssiþ { and} brynggeþ furþe al þinge þat brediþ lyfe in þis 4144 worlde.
[Sidenote: These changes give life and growth to all that breathe; and at last by death efface whatever has had birth.]
¶ and þilk same attemp{ er}aunce rauyssyng hideþ { and} bynymeþ { and} drencheþ vndir þe last[e] deþe alle *þinges yborn.
[Sidenote: Meanwhile the world's Creator, the Source of all, the Lawgiver, the wise Judge, sits above equitably directing all things.]
¶ Amonges þise þinges sitteþ þe heye makere kyng { and} lorde. welle { and} bygynnynge. lawe 4148 { and} wise Iuge. to don equite { and} gouerniþ { and} encliniþ þe bridles of þinges.
[Sidenote: Those things which have been set in motion by him are also checked and forced to move in an endless round, lest they go from their source, and become chaotic.]
{ and} þo þinges þat he stireþ to don by moeuynge he wiþdraweþ { and} arestiþ { and} affermiþ þe moeueable or wandryng þinges. ¶ For [gh]if þat he ne 4152 clepiþ nat a[gh]ein þe ry[gh]t goynge of þinges. { and} [gh]if þat he ne constreyned[e] hem nat eftesones in to roundenesse enclined þe þinges þ{ a}t ben now continued by stable ordinaunce. þei sholde deperten from hir welle. þat is 4156 to sein from hir bygynnynge { and} failen. þat is to sein to{ ur}nen in to nau[gh]t.
[Sidenote: This love is common to all things, and all things tend to good; so, urged by this, they all revert to that First Cause that gave them being.]
¶ þis is þe co{ m}mune loue of alle þinges. { and} alle þi{ n}ges axen to be holden by þe fyn of good. For ellys ne my[gh]ten þei nat lasten yif þei ne 4160 come nat eftesones a[gh]eine by loue retourned to þe cause þat haþ [gh]euen he{ m} beynge. þat is to seyn to god.