Part 59

for what place myȝt ben left or dwellynge to folie {and} to disordinau{n}ce. syn þat 4324 god lediþ {and} streyniþ alle þinges by ordre.

¶ For þis sentence is verray {and} soþe þat no þinge ne haþ his beynge of nouȝt. to whiche sentence none of þise olde folk ne wiþseide neuere al be it so þat þei ne 4328 vndirstoden ne moeueden it nauȝt by god p{r}ince {and} gynner of wirkyng. but þei casten as a manere foundement of subgit material. þat is to seyn of nature of alle resou{n}.

{and} ȝif þat ony þinge is woxen or comen 4332 of no causes. þan shal it seme þat þilke þinge is comen or woxen of nouȝt.

but yif þis ne may nat ben don. þan is it nat possible þat þere haþ ben any swiche þing as I haue diffinissid a litel here byforne.

¶ How shal 4336 it þan ben q{uo}d I. nis þer þan no þing þat by ryȝt may be cleped eyþer hap{pe} or ellis auenture of fortune.

or is þer ouȝt al *be it so þat it is hidd fro þe poeple to whiche þise wordes ben couenable.

Myn aristotul q{uo}d 4340 she. in þe book of his phisik diffinisseþ þis þing by short resou{n} and neyȝe to þe soþe.

¶ In whiche manere q{uo}d I.

¶ As ofte q{uo}d she as men don any þing for grace of any oþer þing. {and} an oþer þinge þan þilke 4344 þing þat men ententen to doon bytideþ by som causes it is ycleped hap{pe}.

¶ Ryȝt as a man dalf þe erþe by cause of tylienge of þe felde. {and} fond þere a gobet of [[pg 151]] golde by-doluen. þan wenen folk þat it is fallen by fortunous 4348 bytydyng. but for soþe it nis nat for nauȝt for it haþ hys p{ro}pre causes of whiche causes þe cours vnforseyn and vnwar semiþ to han maked hap{pe}.

¶ For yif þe tilier in þe erþe ne delue nat in þe felde. and yif 4352 þe hider of þe golde ne hadde hidd þe golde in þilke place. þe golde ne had nat ben founde.

þise ben þan þe causes of þe abreggynge of fortune hap. þe whiche abreggynge of fortune hap comeþ of causes encountrynge 4356 {and} flowyng to-gidre to hem selfe. {and} nat by þe entenc{i}ou{n} of þe doer.

¶ For neiþer þe hider of þe gold. ne þe deluer of þe felde ne vndirstanden nat þat þe golde sholde han be founde. but as I seide.

it bytidde 4360 {and} ran to-gidre þat he dalf þere as þat oþer hadde hidd þe golde.

Now may I þus diffinissen hap{pe}. ¶ Hap{pe} is an vnwar bytydyng of causes assembled in þinges þat ben don for som oþer þinge. but þilke ordre p{ro}cedynge 4364 by an vneschewable byndynge to-gidre.

whiche þat descendeþ fro þe wel of purueaunce þat ordeineþ alle þinges i{n} hir{e} places {and} in hire tymes makeþ þat þe causes rennen {and} assemblen to-gidre. 4368

RUPIS ACHEMENIE.

++TIgris [{and}] eufrates resoluen {and} spryngen of a welle in þe kragges of þe roche of þe contre of achemenye þer{e} as þe fleenge [batayle] ficchiþ hire dartes reto{ur}nid in þe brestes of hem þat folwen hem. ¶ And sone aftre 4372 þe same ryueres tigris {and} eufrates vnioygne{n} {and} dep{ar}ten hir{e} watres. [[pg 152]]

and yif þei comen to-gidre {and} ben assembled {and} clepid to-gidre in to o cours. þan moten þilke þinges fletyn to-gidre whiche þat þe water of þe 4376 entrechau{n}gyng flode bry{n}geþ þe shippes {and} þe stokkes araced wiþ þe flood moten assemble. {and} þe watres ymedlyd wrappiþ or implieþ many fortunel happes or maneres.

þe whiche wandryng happes naþeles þilke enclinyng 4380 lowenes of þe erþe. {and} þe flowynge ordre of þe slidyng water gouerniþ.

¶ Ryȝt so fortune þat semeþ as [þat] it fletiþ wiþ slaked or vngouerned bridles. It suffriþ bridles þat is to seyn to ben gouerned 4384 {and} passeþ by þilke lawe. þat is to sein by þe deuyne ordinaunce.

A{N}I{M}ADUERTO INQ{UA}M.

++Þis vndirstonde I wel q{uo}d I. {and} accorde wel þat it is ryȝt as þou seist. but I axe yif þer be any liberte 4388 or fre wil in þis ordre of causes þat cliue{n} þus to-gidre in hem self.

¶ or ellys I wolde witen yif þat þe destinal cheine co{n}streiniþ þe moeueuynge of þe corages of me{n}.

yis q{uo}d she þer is liberte of fre wille. ne þer 4392 ne was neuer no nature of resou{n} þat it ne hadde liberte of fre wille.

¶ For euery þing þat may naturely vsen resou{n}. it haþ doom by whiche it discerniþ {and} demiþ euery þing.

¶ þan knoweþ it by it self þinges þat be{n} 4396 to fleen. {and} þinges þat ben to desiren. {and} þilk þing þat any wyȝt demeþ to ben desired þ{a}t axeþ or desireþ he {and} fleeþ [thilke] þing þat he troueþ ben to fleen.

¶ wher-fore in alle þinges þ{a}t resou{n} is. i{n} hem also is 4400 libertee of willyng {and} of nillynge.