Cap. XXIII. of the Direct Operation of Nature

And forasmuche that he made nature Fyrst of all to have domynacyon, The power of her I shall anone dyscure, How that she taketh her operacyon, And whereupon is her fundacyon, In symple and rude, opprest wyth neclygence, Shall discryve the myght of her preemynence.

For though that aungell be invysyble, Inpalpable, and also celestiall, Wythouten substaunce as incencyble, Yet have they nature whych is angelycall; For nature naturynge nature made all, Heven and earth and the bodyes above, By cours of nature for to werke and move.

On man or beest, wythouten ony mys, She werketh directly after the aspecte Of the mater, be it more or lesse, ywys, And doth therof the hole fourme dyrecte, After the qualyte it doth take effecte; Yf there be more than may one suffyse, A bye membre she wyll than more devyse.

As that in ure ye may it dayly se, Upon one hande some hath thombes twayne; And other also somtyme armes thre; The superfluite is cause therof certayne; Whyche that dame Nature dooth constrayne So for to do, for she lesed noughte Of the mater, but hath it hooly wroughte.

And in like wyse, where is not suffycyent Of the mater for the hole reformacion, There lacketh a membre by great impediment, So that there can be no perfyte facyon; As may be judged by perfyte reason, After the qualyte of thy matter lackynge, So lacketh the of natures fourmynge.

Some lacketh a legge, some an arme also, Some a fynger, and some more or lesse; All these causes, wyth many other mo, Nature werketh so dyrectly doutles Upon the mater, as I do expresse, After the qualyte in many a sundry wyse, The kynde of her we ought nothyng to despyse.

Some be fayre and replete with grace; Some be fayre and yet right unhappy; Some be foule and can sone purchace Landes and possessyons to them shortely; Some be fooles and some be ryght wytty; Whereupon I shall shewe a dyfference Of the v. wyttes by good experyence.