Incipit Liber Octavus.
[Lechery.]
P. iii. 275
i. Que fauet ad vicium vetus hec modo regula confert,
Nec nouus econtra qui docet ordo placet.
Cecus amor dudum nondum sua lumina cepit,
Quo Venus impositum deuia fallit iter.
The myhti god, which unbegunne
Stant of himself and hath begunne
Postquam ad instanciam Amantis confessi Confessor Genius
super hiis que Aristotiles Regem Alexandrum edocuit, vna cum aliarum
Cronicarum exemplis seriose tractauit, iam vltimo in isto octauo
volumine ad confessionem in amoris causa regrediens tractare proponit
super hoc, quod nonnulli primordia nature ad libitum voluptuose
consequentes, nullo humane racionis arbitrio seu ecclesie legum
imposicione a suis excessibus debite refrenantur. Vnde quatenus amorem
concernit Amantis conscienciam pro finali sue confessionis materia
Genius rimari conatur.
Alle othre thinges at his wille,
The hevene him liste to fulfille
Of alle joie, where as he
Sit inthronized in his See,
And hath hise Angles him to serve,
Suche as him liketh to preserve,
So that thei mowe noght forsueie:
Bot Lucifer he putte aweie, 10
With al the route apostazied
Of hem that ben to him allied,
Whiche out of hevene into the helle1454
From Angles into fendes felle;
Wher that ther is no joie of lyht,
Bot more derk than eny nyht
P. iii. 276
The peine schal ben endeles;
And yit of fyres natheles
Ther is plente, bot thei ben blake,
Wherof no syhte mai be take. 20
Thus whan the thinges ben befalle,
That Luciferes court was falle
Wher dedly Pride hem hath conveied,
Anon forthwith it was pourveied
Thurgh him which alle thinges may;