No More Learning

{a}t is acordynge to hyr natur{e} in conseruaciou{n}
of hyr beynge {and} endurynge //

[Sidenote: For why should the flame mount upwards by lightness,
and the earth tend towards its centre by gravity (weight), unless
these motions were agreeable to their respective natures? ]

For wher for elles berith 2760
lythnesse the flaumbes vp / {and} the weyhte p{re}sseth the
erthe a-dou{n} // but For as moche as thilke places and
thilke moeuynges ben couenable to eu{er}ich of hem //

[Linenotes:
2718 _willynge_--wylnynge
_or_--{and}
2719 _? ing_--beest
_out for? e_--owte forth
2720 _lyue_--lyuen
2723 _of lijf_--of hys lyf
2726 _soule_--sowles
2727 _appetite_--appetites
2729 _look_--loke
2730 _waxen firste_--wexen fyrst
2733, 2734 _some_--som
2734 _o? ir_--oothre
2753 _pupllisen_--H. publisshen)
2755 _edyfice_--MS. edyfite
_a tyme_--H. oon) tyme
2758 _that_--H. omits
_hirs_--H. his]

[Headnote:
THE LOVE OF LIFE IS INSTINCTIVE. ]

[Sidenote: Whatever is agreeable to the nature of a thing
preserves it. So what is contrary to its nature destroys it. ]

{and} forsothe eu{er}y thing kepith thilke ? {a}t is acordynge 2764
{and} propre to hym // ryht as thinges ? {a}t ben contraryes
{and} enemys corompen hem //

[Sidenote: Dense bodies, such as stones, resist an easy separation
of parts; whereas the particles of liquid or flowing things, such
as air and water, are easily separated and soon reunited.
]

{and} yit the harde thinges
as stoones clyuen {and} holden hyr partyes to gydere
ryht faste {and} harde / {and} deffenden hem in withstondenge 2768
? {a}t they ne departe nat lyhtly a twyne // {and} the
thinges ? {a}t ben softe {and} fletynge as is water {and} Eyr
they departyn lyhtly // {and} yeuen place to hem ? {a}t
brekyn or deuyden hem // but natheles they retorne{n} 2772
sone ayein in to the same thinges fro whennes they ben
arraced //

[Sidenote: Fire avoids and utterly refuses any such division. ]

but fyr [fleet? ] {and} refuseth alle deuysyou{n} /

[Sidenote: I am not now treating of the voluntary motion of a
conscious soul, but of the natural intention and instinct. ]

ne I. ne trete nat heer{e} now of weleful moeuynges of the
sowle ? {a}t is knowynge // but of the naturel entenciou{n} 2776
of thinges //

[Sidenote: We swallow our meat without thinking of it, and we draw
our breath in sleep without perception. ]

As thus ryht as we swolwe the mete ? {a}t we
resseyuen {and} ne thinke nat on it / {and} as we drawen
owr{e} breth in slepynge ? {a}t we wite it nat whil we slepyt //

[Sidenote: The love of life in animals is not derived from an
intellectual will, but from natural principles implanted in them. ]

For certes in the beestys the loue of hyr lyuynges ne of 2780
hyr beeinges ne comth nat of the wilnynges of the sowle //
but of the bygynnyngis of natur{e} //

[Sidenote: For the will, induced by powerful reasons, sometimes
chooses and embraces death, although nature dreads and abhors it. ]

For certes thorw
constreynynge causes / wil desireth {and} embraceth ful
ofte tyme / the deth ? {a}t natur{e} dredith
// that is to seyn [[pg 99]]
as thus that a man may ben constreynyd so by som 2785
cause that his wil desireth and taketh the deth which
? {a}t natur{e} hateth {and} dredeth ful sore //

[Sidenote: And, on the contrary, we see that concupiscence (by
which alone the human race is perpetuated) is often restrained by
the will.