The Aungel Answereth

Capitulo Visesimo Septimo

`I shall answere the', quod myn angel. `Intende to me a litel. Yf hit soo were that the sowle were made of mater, or had in hym self ony mater, than shold he be determyned by certeyne quantite^a. But the sowle is immaterial, fourmed only by the wyll of God, of no maner of mater, so that he hath no gretnes, sauf only in vertue & power. Also he hath dyuerse myghtes, multiplyed & ful wel purifyed, and also dyuerse powers or potences, whiche that ben extended thorugh out al the body.

`Fantasye is set in the first place of the brayne, wherynne may be shewed as in a myrrour al manere of resemblaunces. And soo is reson sette in the next parte, for to yeuen good examynacion of al suche resemblaunces receyued in the fantasye by the counceyll of vnder­standyng^b.

`Than is memory set in the third parte, for he is as it were wardeyn or tresorer of alle these forsaid thynges assembled to geders.

`He hath also power vegetatif and generatif for to conseruen his kynde and multyplyen, so that it ne fayle nouht.

`Also nutritif and augmentif, whiche that ben yeuen hym only to kepen hym duryngly.

[73r] `Also ther is yeuen hym sensible myght, departid in to the fyue wyttes, ryght as ther ben fyue fyngers on the hand.

`Of irascible and concupiscible I holde me stylle, and also of many other myghtes, that long were to telle. So many myghtes and potences hath the sowle in sothe, that ther nys no reame soo large ne soo grete, that he ne myght wel gouerne, yf so were that he vsid wel his myghtes, for he is al hole in euery myght and hoole in al to geders, & is hym self but one; he is in the body as fourme substanciall.

'This myght thou knowen thy self, that wotest & seest the soothe, that whan thou were in thy body, thou gouernedest euery membre and yafe to them vertue and strengthe, & yf ony membre hadde fayled, thy gouernaunce it myght not haue done. And this shal suffysen to cleren thy doute, yf thou vnderstande it, wherby thou myght knowen and conceyuen that thou ne suffrest not this peyne and torment withoute grete cause, that thou haste thy body rechelesly gouer­ned, and blamyst hyt for thy gylt.'