[Sidenote: For why should men do either, when all they can desire is irreversibly predestined?] ¶ For what sholde any wyȝt hopen to god. or whi sholde he p{re}ien to god. syn þat þe ordenaunce of destine whiche þat ne 4584 may nat ben enclined. knytteþ {and} streiniþ alle þinges þat men may desire{n}. [Sidenote: Hope and prayer being thus ineffectual, all intercourse is cut off between God and man.] ¶ þan sholde þere be don awey þilke oonly alliaunce bytwixen god {and} men. þat is to seien to hopen {and} to p{re}ien. [Sidenote: By reverent and humble supplication we earn divine grace, a most inestimable favour, and are able to associate with the Deity, and to unite ourselves to the inaccessible light.] but by þe p{re}is of ryȝtfulnesse 4588 {and} of veray mekenesse we deserue þe gerdou{n} of þe deuyne grace whiche þat is inestimable. þat is to sein þat it is so grete þat it ne may nat ben ful yp{re}ised. {and} þis is oonly þe manere. þat is to seyen hope {and} 4592 prayeres. for whiche it semeþ þat [men] mowen speken wiþ god. {and} by resou{n} of supplicac{i}ou{n} ben conioigned [[pg 159]] to þilk clernesse þat nis nat app{ro}ched no raþer or þat men byseken it {and} emp{re}nten it. [Sidenote: If men believe that hope and prayer have no power because of the necessity of future events, by what other way can we be united, and hold fast to the sovereign Lord of all things?] And yif men 4596 ne wene [nat] þat [hope] ne p{re}iers ne han no strengþes. by þe necessite of þinges to comen y-resceiued. what þi{n}g is þer þan by whiche we mowen be co{n}ioygned {and} clyuen to þilke souereyne p{r}ince of þinges. [Sidenote: Wherefore mankind must be dissevered and disunited from the source of its existence, and shrink from its beginning.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 36.]] ¶ For 4600 whiche it byhoueþ by necessite þat þe lynage of mankynde as *þou songe a litel here byforne ben dep{ar}ted {and} vnioyned from hys welle {and} faylen of hys bygynnynge. þat is to seien god. 4604