¶ but what is he þat may [gh]eue a lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter lawe { and} a strengere to 3064 hym self þan any lawe þ{ a}t men may [gh]euen.
[Sidenote: Alas! having left the realms of night, Orpheus cast a look behind and lost his too-much-loved Euridice.]
¶ Allas whan Orpheus { and} his wijf were al most at þe termes of þe ny[gh]t. þat is to seyne at þe last[e] boundes of helle. Orpheus loked[e] abakwarde on Erudice his wijf { and} 3068 lost[e] hir { and} was deed.
[Sidenote: This fable belongs to all you, whose minds would view the Sovereign Good.]
¶ þis fable app{ er}teineþ to [gh]ow alle who so euer desireþ or sekiþ to lede his þou[gh]te in to þe souereyne day. þat is to seyne to clerenes[se] of souereyne goode.
[Sidenote: For he who fixes his thoughts upon earthly things and low, must lose the noble and heaven-imparted Good.]
¶ For who so þat eu{ er}e be so ouer 3072 come{ n} þat he fycche hys eyen in to þe put[te] of helle. þat is to seyne who so setteþ his þou[gh]tes in erþely þinges. al þat euer he haþ drawen of þe noble good celestial he lesiþ it whan he lokeþ þe helles. þat is to 3076 seyne to lowe þinges of þe erþe.
[Linenotes: 3056 _Atte_--At _lorde_--lord 3057 _cried[e]_--cryde 3058 _yif[e]_--yiue 3059 _haþ_--MS. haþe _welle_--wel _faire_--C. omits _songe_--song 3060 _wil putten_--wol putte 3062 _byhynden_--by-hynde [_þat_]--from C. 3063 _to_--vn-to 3064 _gretter_--gret 3066 _were al most_--weren almest 3067 _last[e]_--laste 3068 _loked[e] abakwarde_--lookede abacward 3069 _lost[e]_--loste 3070 _þou[gh]te_--thowht 3071 _clerenes[se]_--clernesse 3072 _souereyne goode_--sou{ er}eyn god 3073 _put[te]_--putte 3074 _setteþ_--sette 3075 _haþ_--MS. haþe]
[Sidenote: When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as she was continuing her discourse.]
++Whanne philosophie hadde songe{ n} softly { and} delitably þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir choere in þe wey[gh]te of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde 3080 nat al out{ er}ly for[gh]eten þe wepyng { and} mournyng þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entenc{ i}ou{ n} of hir þat entended[e] [gh]itte to seyne oþ{ er} þinges.
[Sidenote: All your discourses, O my conductress to the true light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy irrefragable arguments.]