Part 62

but þe þouȝt of man co{n}founded {and} ouerþrowen by þe dirke membris of þe body ne may nat by fir of his dirk lokynge. þat is to seyn by þe vigo{ur} of hys insyȝt while 4616 þe soule is in þe body knowen þe þinne subtil knyttynges of þinges.

¶ But wherfore eschaufiþ it so by so grete loue to fynden þilke note of soþe y-cou{er}ed. (glosa) þat is to sein wherfore eschaufiþ þe þouȝt of man by so 4620 grete desir to knowen þilke notificac{i}ou{n}s þat ben yhidd vndir þe couerto{ur}s of soþe.

woot it ouȝt þilke þinges þat it anguissous desireþ to knowe. as who seiþ nay. [[pg 160]] ¶ For no man ne trauaileþ forto witen þinges þat he woot. 4624 {and} þerfore þe texte seiþ þus. ¶ [Glosa] Si eni{m} a{n}i{m}a ignorat istas subtiles co{n}nexiones. r{espo}nde. vn{de} est q{uo}d desiderat scire cu{m} nil ignotu{m} possit desiderare. ¶ But who traualeþ to wyten þinges y-knowe.

and yif 4628 þat he ne knoweþ hem nat. what sekiþ þilke blynde þouȝt.

what is he þat desireþ any þinge of whiche he woot ryȝt nat. as who seiþ who so desiriþ any þing nedis som what he knoweþ of it. or ellys he ne couþe 4632 nat desire it. or who may folwen þinges þat ne ben nat ywist

¶ and þouȝ [þ{a}t] he seke þo þinges where shal he fynde{n} hem. what wyȝt þat is al vnknowynge {and} ignoraunt may knowe þe forme þat is yfounde.

¶ But 4636 whan þe soule byholdeþ {and} seeþ þe heye þouȝt. þat is to seyn god. þan knoweþ it to-gidre þe so{m}me {and} þe singularites. þat is to seyn þe p{r}inciples {and} eueryche by hym self.

¶ But now while þe soule is hidd in þe 4640 cloude {and} in þe derknesse of þe membris of þe body. it ne haþ nat al forȝeten it selfe. but it wiþholdeþ þe so{m}me of þinges {and} lesiþ þe singularites.

þan who so þat sekeþ soþenesse. he nis in neiþ{er} nouþir habit. for 4644 he not nat alle ne he ne haþ nat alle for-ȝeten.

¶ But ȝitte hym remembriþ þe so{m}me of þinges þat he wiþholdeþ {and} axeþ cou{n}seil {and} tretiþ depelyche þi{n}ges ysein byforne. [Glosa] þat is to sein þe grete so{m}me in 4648 hys mynde. [textus] so þat he mowe adden þe p{ar}ties þat he haþ forȝeten. to þilke þat he haþ wiþholden.

TAMEN ILLA UETUS INQ{U}IT HEC EST.

++Þanne seide she. þis is q{uo}d she þe olde questiou{n} of þe p{ur}ueaunce of god. {and} marcus tulius whan he 4652 deuided þe deuinac{i}ou{n}s. þat is to sein in hys booke þat he wroot of deuinac{i}ou{n}s. he moeued gretly þis questiou{n}. {and} þou þi self hast souȝt it mochel {and} outerly {and} lo{n}g.

but ȝit ne haþ it nat ben determined 4656 ne yspedd fermely {and} diligently of any of yow.

¶ And þe cause of þis derkenesse {and} [of this] difficulte is for þat þe moeuynge of þe resou{n} of mankynde ne may nat moeue{n} to. þat is to sein applien or ioygnen to 4660 þe simplicite of þe deuyne p{re}science. ¶ þe whiche symplicite of þe deuyne p{re}science ȝif þat men [myhten thinken it in any maner{e} / þ{a}t is to seyn / þ{a}t yif men] myȝte þinken {and} co{m}p{re}henden þe þinges as god seeþ hem. 4664 þan ne sholde þer dwellen outerly no doute.

þe whiche resou{n} {and} cause of difficulte I shal assaie at þe laste to shewen {and} to speden.

¶ whan I haue *firste [yspendyd / {and}] ansewered to þo resou{n}s by whiche þ{o}u 4668 art ymoeued.

¶ For I axe whi þ{o}u wenest þat þilk resou{n}s of hem þat assoilen þis questiou{n} ne ben nat spedeful ynouȝ ne sufficient þe whiche soluc{i}ou{n} or þe whiche resou{n} for þat it demiþ þat þe p{re}science nis nat 4672 cause of necessite to þinges to comen. þan ne weneþ it nat þat fredom of wille be distourbed or ylett by p{re}science.

for ne drawest þou nat argumentes from ellys where of þe necessite of þinges to comen. As who seiþ 4676 any oþer wey þan þus. but þat þilke þinge þat þe p{re}scie{n}ce woot byforn mowen nat vnbitide. þat is to seyn þat þei moten bitide.

¶ But þan yif þat p{re}science ne putteþ no necessite to þinges to comen. as þou þi self 4680 hast confessed it {and} byknowen a litel herbyforn{e}. ¶ what [[pg 162]] cause [or what] is it. as who seiþ þere may no cause be. by whiche þat þe endes (exitus) uoluntarie of þinges myȝten be constreyned to certeyne bitydyng.

¶ For 4684 by grace of possessiou{n}. so þat þou mowe þe better vndirstonde þis þat folweþ. ¶ I pose (inpossibile) þat þer ne be no p{re}science. þan axe I q{uo}d she in as moche as app{er}teniþ to þat. sholde þan þinges þat 4688 comen of frewille ben constreined to bytiden by necessite.

{Boici}us. nay q{uo}d I.

þan aȝeinward q{uo}d she. I suppose þat þere be p{re}science but þat ne putteþ no necessite to þinges. þan trowe I þat þilk self fredom 4692 of wille shal dwelle{n} al hool {and} absolut {and} vnbounden.

but þou wolt sein þat al be it so þat p{re}science nis nat cause of þe necessite of bitidynge to þinges to comen. ¶ Algates ȝitte it is a signe þ{a}t þe þinges ben 4696 to bytiden by necessite. by þis manere þan al þouȝ þe p{re}science ne hadde neuer yben. ȝit algate or at þe lest wey. it is certeyne þing þat þe e{n}dys {and} þe bitydynges of þinges to come{n} sholde ben necessarie. 4700

¶ For euery sygne sheweþ {and} signifieþ oonly what þe þing is ¶ but it ne makiþ nat þe þing þat it signifieþ.

¶ For whiche it byhoueþ firste to shewen þat no þing ne bitidiþ [þ{a}t it ne bytydith] by necessite. so þat it 4704 may apere þ{a}t þe p{re}scie{n}ce is signe of þis necessite

¶ or ellys yif þere nere no necessite. certys þilke p{re}science ne myȝt nat ben signe of þinge þat nis nat.

¶ But certys it is nowe certeyne þat þe preue of þis 4708 susteniþ by stedfast resou{n} ne shal nat ben ladd ne p{ro}ued by signes ne by argumentys ytaken fro wiþ oute. but by causes couenable {and} necessarie ¶ But þou mayst sein how may it be þat þe þinges ne bitiden nat 4712 þat ben ypurueyed to comen. but certys ryȝt as we [[pg 163]] trowen þat þo þinges whiche þat þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce woot byforn to comen. ne ben nat to bitiden. but [þ{a}t] ne sholde we nat demen. but raþer al þouȝ [þat] þei schal bitiden. 4716 ȝit ne haue þei no necessite of hire kynde to bitiden. {and} þis maist þou lyȝtly ap{er}ceyue{n} by þis þat I shal seyn.

but we seen many þinges whan þei ben don byforn oure eyen ryȝt as men seen þe karter worken in þe 4720 to{ur}nynge {and} in attempryng or in adressy{n}g of hys kartes or chariottes. ¶ and by þis manere as who seiþ mayst þou vnd{er}sto{n}de of alle manere oþir werkeme{n}.