[Sidenote: He who has seen this light will confess that the beams of the sun are weak and dim.] ¶ And who so euer may knowen þilke lyȝt of blisfulnesse. he shal wel seine þat þe white bemes of þe sonne ne ben nat cleer. [Linenotes: 2638 _wicked[e]_--wyckyde 2639, 2640 _here_--her 2640 _hauene_--MS. heuene, C. hauene 2641 _al oone_--allone 2643 _worldly_--worldely 2645 _come_--comyn 2646 _golden[e] grauels_--goldene grauayles 2647 _þynges_--MS. rynges, C. thinges _hermus_--MS. herin{us}, C. herynus 2648 _nexte_--next 2649 _worlde_--world 2654, 2656 _haþ_--MS. haþe 2654 _hys_--hyse 2656 _chaseþ þe derke_--eschueth the dyrke 2657 _euer_--C. omits 2658 _seine_--seyn] [Headnote: MEN DO NOT SEEK TRUE FELICITY.] ASSENCIOR INQ{UA}M CUNCTA. Boice. [Sidenote: [The 11 p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: _B._ I assent, and am convinced by the force of your arguments.] ++I assent[e] me q{uo}d .I. For alle þise þinges ben 2660 strongly bounden wiþ ryȝt ferme resou{n}s. [Sidenote: _P._ But how greatly would you value it, did you fully know what this good is?] how mychel wilt þou p{re}isen it q{uo}d she. yif þat þou knowe what þilke goode is. [Sidenote: _B._ I should value it infinitely if at the same time I might attain to the knowledge of God, who is the sovereign good.] I wol p{re}ise it q{uo}d I by price wiþ outen ende. ¶ yif it shal bytyde me to 2664 knowe also to-gidre god þat is good. [Sidenote: _P._ I shall elucidate this matter by incontrovertible reasons if thou wilt grant me those things which I have before laid down as conclusions.] ¶ certys q{uo}d she þ{a}t shal I do þe by verray resou{n}. [Sidenote: [* fol. 22 _b_.]] yif þat þo þinges þat I haue conclude[d] a litel her by *forne dwellen oonly in hir first[e] graunty{n}g. [Sidenote: _B._ I grant them all.] _Boice._ þei dwellen graunted 2668 to þe q{uo}d .I. þis is to seyne as who seiþ .I. graunt þi forseide conclusiou{n}s. [Sidenote: _P._ Have I not shown that the things which the majority of mankind so eagerly pursue are not true and perfect goods, for they differ from one another; and because where one of them is absent the others cannot confer absolute happiness (or good)?] ¶ Haue I nat shewed þe q{uo}d she þat þe þinges þat ben requered of many folke. ne ben nat verray goodes ne p{er}fit. for þei ben diu{er}se þat 2672 oon fro þat oþer. {and} so as eche of hem is lakkyng to oþer. þei ne han no power to bryngen a good þ{a}t is ful {and} absolute.