That, that the se, that gredy is to flowen, Constreyneth to a certeyn ende so Hise flodes, that so fiersly they ne growen To drenchen erth and alle for everemo; And if that Love aught lete his brydel go, Al that now loveth asonder sholde lepe, And lost were al that Love halt now to kepe. (_Ibid._ st. 244, 245.) IV. MUTABILITY DIRECTED AND LIMITED BY AN IMMUTABLE AND DIVINE INTELLIGENCE. That same prynce and moevere eek, quod he, Hath stabled, in this wrecched world adoun, Certeyn dayes and duracioun To alle that er engendrid in this place, Over the whiche day they may nat pace, Al mowe they yit wel here dayes abregge; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Than may men wel by this ordre discerne That thilke moevere stabul is and eterne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And therfore of his wyse purveaunce He hath so wel biset his ordenaunce, That spices of thinges and progressiouns Schullen endure by successiouns And nat eterne be, withoute any lye. (_Knightes Tale_, vol. ii. p. 92, 93.) Þe engendrynge of alle þinges quod she and alle þe progressiouns of muuable nature. and alle þat moeueþ in any manere takiþ hys causes. hys ordre. and hys formes. of þe stablenesse of þe deuyne þouȝt [and thilke deuyne thowht] þat is yset and put in þe toure. þat is to seyne in þe heyȝt of þe simplicite of god. stablisiþ many manere gyses to þinges þat ben to don. (_Chaucer’s Boethius_, bk. iv. pr. 6, p. 134.) V. THE PART IS DERIVED FROM THE WHOLE, THE IMPERFECT FROM THE PERFECT. Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, That every partye dyryveth from his hool. For nature hath nat take his bygynnyng Of no partye ne cantel of a thing, But of a thing that parfyt is and stable, Descendyng so, til it be corumpable. (_Knightes Tale_, vol. ii. p. 92.) For al þing þat is cleped inperfit . is proued inperfit by þe amenusynge of perfeccioun . or of þing þat is perfit . and her-of comeþ it . þat in euery þing general . yif þat . þat men seen any þing þat is inperfit . certys in þilke general þer mot ben somme þing þat is perfit. For yif so be þat perfeccioun is don awey . men may nat þinke nor seye fro whennes þilke þing is þat is cleped inperfit . For þe nature of þinges ne token nat her bygynnyng of þinges amenused and inperfit . but it procediþ of þingus þat ben al hool . and absolut . and descendeþ so doune in-to outerest þinges and in-to þingus empty and wiþ-oute fruyt . but as I haue shewed a litel her byforne . þat yif þer be a blisfulnesse þat be frele and vein and inperfit . þer may no man doute . þat þer nys som blisfulnesse þat is sad stedfast and perfit.’ (bk. iii. pr. 10, p. 89.)