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estudia en maint livre traitant de nature. Pluseurs
aultres philosophes en parlerent disans que nature pro
cede des vertues de chaleur qui fait naistre et nourrist tou
tes choses. Mais pour le present je men passe a tant pour
parler daultre matere. Iceulx philosophes ensievirent
mieulx platon que aristote. Ainsi en dirent leur samblant
et en parlerent si haultement selon che que dist est que
pau de clers y povoient advenir Et pour abregier il
nest nul qui puist contredire ne parfaitement savoir
que cest fors dieu qui tout scet et qui tout voit et qui pre
mierement le voulut establir pour acomplir toutes cho
ses. Si poent len bien par che savoir que dieu est de moult
grant puissanche et est de lui tres grant chose quant de
neant et sans traveil il crea et fourma tant excellente
chose et de tant hault et noble affaire. Et pour che voult
il lui meismes creer et faire lomme a celle fui quil fust si
puissant et quil eust tel sens en lui quil sceust par natu
re che que grever lui povoit a son ame et vivre envers
nostre seigneur Car sil se voeult justement conduire il
poeut bien a che mener son coeur que nature ne le poeut
grever en nulle maniere. Et pour tant furent trouvez

had studied many books concerning Nature. Many
other philosophers spoke of this, saying that
Nature proceeds from the innate quality of heat, which causes
all things to be born and nourishes them. But for the
moment I will move on from this to speak of another
matter. The philosophers of those times followed Plato more
than they did Aristotle, so they said things similar to
what he had said. And they spoke in such sophisticated
language, it is said, that very few scholars were able to understand
them. In short, there is no one who can deny nor
perfectly understand what they said, except God
who knows all and sees all, and who wanted to establish
this in order to accomplish all things. And we
know well that He can do this, for God has great
power -- for it is a great thing when out of nothing and
without effort He created and formed such an
excellent thing and such a high and noble matter.
And for this reason He Himself wanted to create man in
such a way that man would be so powerful and have
such wisdom that he would know intuitively
what might harm his soul and [how to] live before Our Lord.
For if he wants to act justly, he can order his heart
in such a way that Nature cannot harm him at all.
And for this reason

estudia en maint livre traitant de nature. Pluseurs
aultres philosophes en parlerent disans que nature pro
cede des vertues de chaleur qui fait naistre et nourrist tou
tes choses. Mais pour le present je men passe a tant pour
parler daultre matere. Iceulx philosophes ensievirent
mieulx platon que aristote. Ainsi en dirent leur samblant
et en parlerent si haultement selon che que dist est que
pau de clers y povoient advenir Et pour abregier il
nest nul qui puist contredire ne parfaitement savoir
que cest fors dieu qui tout scet et qui tout voit et qui pre
mierement le voulut establir pour acomplir toutes cho
ses. Si poent len bien par che savoir que dieu est de moult
grant puissanche et est de lui tres grant chose quant de
neant et sans traveil il crea et fourma tant excellente
chose et de tant hault et noble affaire. Et pour che voult
il lui meismes creer et faire lomme a celle fui quil fust si
puissant et quil eust tel sens en lui quil sceust par natu
re che que grever lui povoit a son ame et vivre envers
nostre seigneur Car sil se voeult justement conduire il
poeut bien a che mener son coeur que nature ne le poeut
grever en nulle maniere. Et pour tant furent trouvez

had studied many books concerning Nature. Many
other philosophers spoke of this, saying that
Nature proceeds from the innate quality of heat, which causes
all things to be born and nourishes them. But for the
moment I will move on from this to speak of another
matter. The philosophers of those times followed Plato more
than they did Aristotle, so they said things similar to
what he had said. And they spoke in such sophisticated
language, it is said, that very few scholars were able to understand
them. In short, there is no one who can deny nor
perfectly understand what they said, except God
who knows all and sees all, and who wanted to establish
this in order to accomplish all things. And we
know well that He can do this, for God has great
power -- for it is a great thing when out of nothing and
without effort He created and formed such an
excellent thing and such a high and noble matter.
And for this reason He Himself wanted to create man in
such a way that man would be so powerful and have
such wisdom that he would know, by nature,
what might harm his soul and [how to] live before Our Lord. ***
For if he wants to act justly, he can order his heart
in such a way that Nature cannot harm him at all.
And for this reason