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avant ilz navoient este. Car il dist que une nou
velle lignie sestoit esjoie du ciel qui feroit vertus
en terre dont le diable seroit vainquu. Sur quoy
saint pol qui vey ses escrips lesquelz moult prisa
dist . a coeur irastu pour che quil navoit este christien
ha quel je teusse rendu a dieu se tu eusses vescu tant
que je fusse a toy venu. Aultres philosophes y ot dont
chascun dist de bons mots et de merveilleux. Mais
nous ne povons pas orendroit racomptes tous les
biens quilz en dirent Car ilz fusrent preudhommes
et vaillans veu quilz misrent en avant clergie Car
se ne fust par clergie len ne sceust que dieu fust. Et
se ilz ne fuissent si preudhommes comme ilz estoient
jamais ne fust si grant clergie comme il est oren
droit. Et len si peust bien encores trouver apres
Et se ils fussent autelz comme ilz estoient pour lors
que premierement trouverent clergie. Mais elle
va orendroit tout a neant si que a pau quelle ne
perist. Car au jourdhuy les gens ne voient goute
pour tant que ceulx qui devissent entendre aux
vertus et les aultre aprendre et enseignier et don

than they otherwise would have been. For he said that a new
lineage would be rejoiced from heaven, which would do virtuous things
on earth, by which the devil would be vanquished.
Having seen these writings, Saint Paul was very impressed by them,
and said -- with a sorrowful heart, for Virgil had not been a Christian --
oh, how I could have brought you to God if you had lived at a time when
I could have come to you! There were other philosophers as well
who said wise and marvelous words. But we cannot now
recount all the good things that they said. For they were wise men
and valiant, since they put the clergy at the forefront. For were
it not for the clergy, one could not know anything about God. And
if they had not been wise -- which they were --
there would never be such greatness in the clerical profession as there
is now. And as one might still find it to be so, if those now
were like those who first founded the clerical profession.
But now that profession has come so to nothing that it is close to
perishing. For these days people see no reason why
they ought to understand the virtues
or teach them to others or give

avant ilz navoient este. Car il dist que une nou
velle lignie sestoit esjoie du ciel qui feroit vertus
en terre dont le diable seroit vainquu. Sur quoy
saint pol qui vey ses escrips lesquelz moult prisa
dist . a coeur irastu pour che quil navoit este christien
ha quel je teusse rendu a dieu se tu eusses vescu tant
que je fusse a toy venu. Aultres philosophes y ot dont
chascun dist de bons mots et de merveilleux. Mais
nous ne povons pas orendroit racomptes tous les
biens quilz en dirent Car ilz fusrent preudhommes
et vaillans veu quilz misrent en avant clergie Car
se ne fust par clergie len ne sceust que dieu fust. Et
se ilz ne fuissent si preudhommes comme ilz estoient
jamais ne fust si grant clergie comme il est oren
droit. Et len si peust bien encores trouver apres
Et se ils fussent autelz comme ilz estoient pour lors
que premierement trouverent clergie. Mais elle
va orendroit tout a neant si que a pau quelle ne
perist. Car au jourdhuy les gens ne voient goute
pour tant que ceulx qui devissent entendre aux
vertus et les aultre aprendre et enseignier et don

than they had been otherwise. For he said that a new
lineage would be rejoiced from heaven, which would do virtuous things
on earth, by which the devil would be vanquished.
Having seen these writings, Saint Paul was very impressed by them,
and said -- with a sorrowful heart, for Virgil had not been a Christian --
oh, how I could have brought you to God if you had lived at a time when
I could have come to you! There were other philosophers as well
who said wise and marvelous words. But we cannot now
recount all the good things that they said. For they were wise men
and valiant, since they put the clergy at the forefront. For were
it not for the clergy, one could not know anything about God. And
if they had not been wise -- which they were --
there would never be such greatness in the clerical profession as there
is now. And as one might still find it to be so, if those now
were like those who first founded the clerical profession.
But now that profession has come so to nothing that it is close to
perishing. For these days people see no reason why
they ought to understand the virtues
or teach them to others or give