Page 267

C.xxv.

entendre quest paradis. Et comment grant joie ceux
y ont ausquelz nostre seigneur dieu lottroie. Le meilleur
clerc de tout le monde et le plus soubtil et tout le
mieulx parlant que oncques fut vivant en terre ne
qui jamais y poeut estre a nul jour du monde et eult
ung milier de langues parlans et chascune de ches
langues parlast par soy et eult mil coeurs dedens
son corps les plus soubtilz et les plus memoratifz
que len pourroit ne prendre en tout le monde a
choisir pour mieulx entendre et experiementer. Et
che fut chose qui peust estre et qui advenir peust
qui peussent venir ensemble en corps dhomme et
puis peussent penser tousjours a tout le mieulx que
ilz deussent a descripre et a deviser lestat de paradis
et chascune langue si peust dire et declairer linti
on de chascun coeur si ne pourroient ilz jamais en
nulle maniere du monde dire ne racompter ne en
parole ne en rime la miliesme partie de la grant
joie que le plus povre de ceulx qui y sont ou seront
y auront. Et honny soit qui la ne sera. Car ceulx
qui seront en paradis ne voldroient pas estre tous

125

understand what Paradise is, and what great joy those who
who are there have, to whom Our Lord has given it. The
best scholar in the whole world and the most subtle, the most
skillful speaker of anyone who has ever lived on earth or
ever may live at any time in the world, even if he had
a thousand languages and was able to speak every one of
them himself, and he had a thousand hearts within his
body that were the most subtle and were gifted with the greatest
memory (DMF) that one could have to choose from in the
whole world, in order to understand and investigate, and
if this was a thing that could be and could happen -- something that
could come together in the body of a man -- and if he (see note) might
think always of how he might best describe and explain
the state of Paradise in every language, and if it were
possible to state the intention of every heart, yet he
could not in any manner of the world say nor tell, in
prose nor in verse, the thousandth part of the great joy
that the most poor of those who are or will be in Paradise
will have. And let him who will not be there be ashamed.
For those who will be in Paradise will not want always to be,

C.xxv.

entendre quest paradis. Et comment grant joie ceux
y ont ausquelz nostre seigneur dieu lottroie. Le meilleur
clerc de tout le monde et le plus soubtil et tout le
mieulx parlant que oncques fut vivant en terre ne
qui jamais y poeut estre a nul jour du monde et eult
ung milier de langues parlans et chascune de ches
langues parlast par soy et eult mil coeurs dedens
son corps les plus soubtilz et les plus memoratifz
que len pourroit ne prendre en tout le monde a
choisir pour mieulx entendre et experiementer. Et
che fut chose qui peust estre et qui advenir peust
qui peussent venir ensemble en corps dhomme et
puis peussent penser tousjours a tout le mieulx que
ilz deussent a descripre et a deviser lestat de paradis
et chascune langue si peust dire et declairer linti
on de chascun coeur si ne pourroient ilz jamais en
nulle maniere du monde dire ne racompter ne en
parole ne en rime la miliesme partie de la grant
joie que le plus povre de ceulx qui y sont ou seront
y auront. Et honny soit qui la ne sera. Car ceulx
qui seront en paradis ne voldroient pas estre tous

125

understand what Paradise is, and what great joy those who
who are there have, to whom Our Lord has given it. The
best scholar in the whole world and the most subtle, the most
skillful speaker of anyone who has ever lived on earth or
ever may live at any time in the world, even if he had
a thousand languages and was able to speak every one of
them himself, and he had a thousand hearts within his
body that were the most subtle and were gifted with the greatest
memory (DMF) that one could have to choose from in the
whole world, in order to understand and investigate, and
if this was a thing that could be and could happen -- something that
could come together in the body of a man -- and if he (see note) might
think always of how he might best describe and explain
the state of Paradise in every language, and if it were
possible to state the intention of every heart, yet he
could not in any manner of the world say nor tell, in
prose nor in verse, the thousandth part of the great joy
that the most poor of those who are or will be in Paradise
will have. And let him who will not be there be ashamed.
For those who will be in Paradise will not want always to be