Part 63

¶ Is þere þanne any necessite as who seiþ in oure lokynge 4724 [þ{a}t] constreineþ or compelliþ any of þilke þinges to ben don so.

b. nay q{uo}d I ¶ For in ydel {and} in veyne were alle þe effect of crafte yif þat alle þinges weren moeued by constreynynge. þat is to seyn by constreynynge 4728 of oure eyen or of oure syȝt.

P. þise þi{n}g{us} þan q{uo}d she þat whan men don hem ne han non necessite þat men don hem. eke þo same þinges first or þei be don. þei ben to comen wiþ out necessite.

for whi 4732 þer ben so{m}me þinges to bytide of whiche þe endys {and} þe bitidynges of hem ben absolut *{and} quit of alle necessite.

for certys I ne trowe nat þat any man wolde seyn þis. þat þo þinges þat men don now þ{a}t þei ne weren 4736 to bitiden. first or þei were ydon ¶ and þilk same þinges al þouȝ þ{a}t men hadde{n} ywyst hem by-forn. ȝitte þei han fre bitidynges. for ryȝt as science of þinges p{re}sent ne bryngeþ in no necessite to þinges 4740 [þ{a}t men doon // Ryht so the p{re}science of thinges to comen ne bryngeth in no necessite to thinges] to bytiden

but þou mayst seyn þat of þilke same it is ydouted. as wheþer þat of þilke þinges þat ne han non endes {and} 4744 bytidynges necessaryes yif þer-of may ben any p{re}science

¶ For certys þei seme to discorde. for þou wenest þat yif þat þinges ben yseyn byforn þat necessite folweþ hem. and yif ({et} putas) necessite faileþ hem þei ne 4748 myȝten nat ben wist byforn. {and} þat no þinge ne may ben comp{re}hendid by science but certeyne.

{and} yif þo þinges þat ne han no certeyne bytidynges ben ypurueied as certeyn.

it sholde ben dirkenesse of oppiniou{n} nat 4752 soþefastnesse of science [{and} þ{o}u weenyst þ{a}t it be diu{er}se fro the hoolnesse of science / þ{a}t any man sholde deme a thing to ben oother weys thanne it is it self].

and þe cause of þis errour is. þat of alle þe þinges þat euery 4756 wyȝt haþ yknowe. þei wenen þat þo þinges ben y-knowe al oonly by þe strengþe {and} by þe nature of þe þinges þat ben ywyst or yknowe. {and} it is al þe contrarie. for alle þat eu{er}e is yknowe.

it is raþer comp{re}hendid {and} 4760 yknowe{n} nat after his strengeþ {and} hys nature. but after þe faculte þat is to seyn þe power {and} nature of hem þat knowen.

{and} for þat þis shal mowe shewen by a short ensample þe same roundenes of a body .O. oþer 4764 weyes þe syȝt of þe eye knoweþ it. {and} oþer weyes þe touchi{n}g.

þe lokynge by castynge of his bemes waiteþ {and} seeþ fro afer alle þe body to-gider wiþ oute mouynge of it self.

but þe touchinge cliuiþ {and} conioigneþ to þe 4768 rounde body (orbi) {and} moueþ abouten þe environynge. {and} comp{re}hendiþ by p{ar}ties þe roundenesse.

¶ and þe man hym self oþer weies wyt byholdiþ hym. {and} oþ{er}weyes ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} oþer weyes resou{n}. {and} 4772 oþer weyes intelligence.

¶ For þe wit co{m}p{re}he{n}diþ fro wiþ outen furþe þe figure of þe body of þe man. þat is establissed in þe matere subiect. But þe ymaginac{i}ou{n} [comp{re}hendith only the figur{e} w{i}t{h} owte the mater{e} / 4776

Resou{n} surmou{n}teth ymaginaciou{n}] {and} co{m}p{re}hendeþ [[pg 165]] by an vniuersel lokynge þe co{mmun}e spece (sp{eci}em) þat is in þe singuler peces. ¶ But þe eye of intelligence is heyȝer for it so{ur}mou{n}teþ þe envirounynge of þe 4780 vniu{er}site {and} lookeþ ouer þat by pure subtilite of þouȝt.

þilk same symple forme of man þat is p{er}durably in þe deuyne þouȝt. in whiche þis auȝt gretely to ben considered þat þe heyest strengþe to co{m}prehenden þinges 4784 enbraceþ {and} conteyneþ þe lower strengþe [but the lower{e} strengthe ne arysith nat in no maner{e} to heyer{e} strengthe].

for wit ne may no þinge co{m}p{re}hende oute of matere. ne þe ymagynac{i}ou{n} ne lokeþ nat þe vniuerseles 4788 speces. ne resou{n} ne takeþ nat þe symple forme. so as i{n}telligence takeþ it.

but þe intelligence þat lokeþ al abouen whan it haþ co{m}p{re}hendid þe forme it knoweþ {and} demeþ alle þe þinges þat be{n} vndir þat forme. but 4792 she knoweþ he{m} vndir þilke manere in þe whiche it comp{re}hendiþ þilke same symple forme þat ne may neuer be knowen to non of þat oþer. þat is to seyn to non of þo þre forseide strengþes of þe soule.

for it 4796 knoweþ þe vniuersite of resou{n} {and} þe figure of þe ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} þe sensible mat{er}ial conseiued. {and} þou wenest þ{a}t it be diuerse fro þe hoolnesse of science. þat any man sholde deme a þing to ben oþ{er}weyes þan it is 4800 it self {and} þe cause of þis erro{ur} {et}c’. {vt sup}ra. by wit.

ne it ne vseþ nat nor of resou{n} ne of ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne of wit wiþ oute forþe but it byholdeþ alle þinges so as I shal seye. by a strok of þouȝt formely wiþ oute disco{ur}s 4804 or collac{i}ou{n} ¶ Certys resou{n} whan it lokeþ any þing vniu{er}sel it ne vseþ nat of ymaginac{i}ou{n} nor of wit {and} algates ȝit co{m}prendiþ þe þinges ymaginable {and} sensible.

for resou{n} is she þat *diffinisseþ þe vniuersel 4808 of hir conseite ryȝt þus. [[pg 166]]

¶ Man is a resonable to-footid beest. and how so þat þis knowynge vniuersel. ȝit nys þer no wyȝt þat ne woot wel. þat a ma{n} is [a thing] ymaginable {and} sensible ¶ and þis same co{n}sidereþ wel 4812 resou{n}. but þat nis nat by ymaginac{i}ou{n}. nor by witte. but it lokiþ it by resonable concepc{i}ou{n}.

¶ Also ymaginac{i}ou{n} al be it so. þat it takeþ of wit þe bygyny{n}g{us} to seen {and} to formen þe figures. algates al þouȝ þat wit 4816 ne ware not p{re}sent. ȝit it envirouniþ {and} co{m}p{re}hendiþ alle þinges sensible. nat by resou{n} sensible of demynge. but by resou{n} ymaginatif.

¶ sest þou nat þan þat alle þe þinges in knowynge vsen more of hir faculte or of hir 4820 power. þan þei don of faculte or of power of þinges þat ben yknowen.

ne þat nis no wronge. for so as euery iugement is þe dede or þe doynge of hym þat demeþ. It 4823 byhoueþ þat euery wyȝt p{er}forme þe werke {and} hys entenc{i}ou{n} nat of forein power[;] but of hys propre power.

QUONDAM PORTICUS ATTULIT.