Part 66

for addiþ þi byholdynge any necessite to þilke 5076 þinges þat þou byholdest p{re}sent.

¶ Nay q{uo}d I.

p. Certys þan yif men myȝte maken any digne comparisou{n} or collac{i}ou{n} of þe p{re}sence diuine. {and} of þe p{re} of mankynde. ryȝt so as ȝe seen so{m}me þinges in þis 5080 temp{or}el presente. ryȝt so seeþ god alle þinges by hys eterne p{re}sent.

¶ wherfore þis dyuyne p{re}science ne chaungeþ nat þe nature ne þe p{ro}prete of þinges but byholdeþ swyche þinges present to hym ward. as þei 5084 shollen bytiden to ȝow ward in tyme to come.

ne it ne co{n}foundeþ nat þe Iugementȝ of þinges but by of syȝt of hys þouȝt he knoweþ þe þinges to comen as wel necessarie as nat necessarie. ryȝt so as whan ȝe seen togidre 5088 a man walke on þe erþe {and} þe sonne arysen in heuene. al be it so þat ȝe seen {and} byholde{n} þat oon {and} þat oþer to-gidre. ȝit naþeles ȝe demen {and} [[pg 175]] discerne þat þat oon is uolu{n}tarie {and} þat oþer is necessarie. 5092

¶ Ryȝt so þan deuyne lokynge byholdynge alle þi{n}ges vndir hym ne troubleþ nat þe qualite of þinges þat ben certeynely p{re}sent to hy{m} ward. but as to þe condic{i}ou{n} of tyme for soþe þei ben fut{ur}e. 5096

for whiche it folwiþ þat þis nis non oppiniou{n}. but raþer a stedfast knowyng ystrengeþed by soþenes. þat whan þat god knoweþ any þinge to be he ne vnwoot nat þat þilke þinge wanteþ necessite to be. þis is to seyn þat 5100 whan þat god knoweþ any þinge to bitide. he woot wel þat it ne haþ no necessite to bitide.

{and} yif þ{o}u seist here þat þilke þinge þat god seeþ to bytide it ne may nat vnbytide. as who seiþ it mot bitide. ¶ and þilke 5104 þinge þat þat ne may nat vnbytide it mot bitide by necessite. and þat þou streine me to þis name of necessite. certys I wol wel confessen {and} byknowe a þinge of ful sadde trouþe. but vnneþ shal þere any wyȝt 5108 seen it or comen þer-to. but yif þat he be byholder of þe deuyne þouȝte.

¶ for I wol answer{e} þe þus. þat þilke þinge þat is future whan it is referred to þe deuyne 5111 knowy{n}g þan is it necessarie. but certys whan it is vndirstonden in hys owen kynde me{n} sen it vtterly fre {and} absolut from alle necessite.

for certys þer ben two maneres of necessites. þat oon necessite is symple as þus. þat it byhoueþ by necessite þat alle men be mortal 5116 or dedely. an oþ{er} necessite is condicionel as þus. yif þou wost þat a man walkiþ. it byhoueþ by necessite þat he walke. þilke þinge þan þat any wyȝt haþ yknowe to be. it ne may ben non oþer weyes þan he knoweþ it to be. 5120

¶ but þis condicioun ne draweþ nat wiþ hir þilke necessite symple. For certys þis necessite condicionel. þe p{ro}pre nature of it ne makeþ it nauȝt. but þe adiecc{i}ou{n} [[pg 176]] of þe condic{i}ou{n} makiþ it.

for no necessite ne constreyneþ 5124 a man to [gon / þ{a}t] gooþ by his p{ro}pre wille. al be it so þat whan he gooþ þat it is necessarie þat he gooþ.

¶ Ryȝt on þis same manere þan. yif þat þe p{ur}ueaunce of god seeþ any þing p{re}sent.

þan mot þilke *þinge be 5128 by necessite. al þouȝ þat it ne haue no necessite of hys owen nature.

but certys þe fut{ur}es þat bytyden by fredom of arbitre god seeþ hem alle to-gidre p{re}sentȝ. þise þinges þan þei ben referred to þe deuyne syȝt. 5132 þan ben þei maked necessarie to þe condic{i}ou{n} of þe deuyne knowynge. but certys yif þilke þinges ben considred by hem self þei ben absolut of necessite. {and} ne forleten nat ne cesen nat of þe liberte of hire owe{n} 5136 natur{e}.

þan certys wiþ outen doute alle þe þing{us} shollen be doon whiche þat god woot by-forn þat þei ben to comen. but so{m}me of hem comen {and} bitiden of arbitre or of fre wille. þat al be it so þat þei bytiden. 5140

ȝit algates ne lese þei nat hire p{ro}pre nature ne beynge. by þe whiche first or þat þei were doon þei hadden power nat to han bitidd.

Boece. what is þis to seyn þa{n} q{uo}d I. þat þinges ne ben nat necessarie by 5144 hire p{ro}pre nature. so as þei comen in alle maneres in þe lykenesse of necessite by þe condic{i}ou{n} of þe deuyne science.

{Ph}ilosoph{ie}. þis is þe difference q{uo}d she. þat þo þinges þat I p{ur}posed þe a litel here byforn. þat 5148 is to seyn þe sonne arysynge {and} þe man walkynge þat þerwhiles þat þilke þinges ben ydon. þei ne myȝten nat ben vndon.

naþeles þat oon of hem or it was ydon it byhoued by necessite þat it was ydon. but nat þat 5152 oþ{er}. ryȝt so it is here þat þe þinges þat god haþ p{re}sent. wiþ outen doute þei shulle ben. but so{m}me of hem descendiþ [[pg 177]] of þe nature of þinges as þe sonne arysynge. {and} so{m}me descendiþ of þe power of þe doers as þe man 5156 walkynge.

¶ þan seide I. no wronge þat yif þat þise þinges ben referred to þe deuyne knowynge þan ben þei necessarie. {and} yif þei ben considered by he{m} selfe þan ben þei absolut from þe bonde of necessite.

ryȝt so 5160 alle þinges þat appiereþ or sheweþ to þe wittes yif þou referre it to resou{n} it is vniuersel. {and} yif þou referre it or look it to it self. þan is it sy{n}guler.

but now yif þou seist þus þ{a}t yif it be in my power to chaunge 5164 my p{ur}pose. þan shal I voide þe p{ur}ueaunce of god. whan þat p{er}auenture I shal han chau{n}ged þo þinges þat he knoweþ byforn. þan shal I answere þe þus

¶ Certys þou maist wel chaungen þi p{ur}pos but for as 5168 mochel as þe p{re}sent soþenesse of þe deuyne p{ur}ueaunce byholdeþ þat þou mayst chau{n}ge{n} þi p{ur}pose. {and} wheþir þou wolt chaunge it or no. {and} whider-ward þat þou tourne it. þ{o}u maist nat eschewen þe deuyne 5172 p{re}science ryȝt as þou ne mayst nat fleen þe syȝt of þe p{re}sent eye. al þouȝ þat þou tourne þi self by þi fre wille in to dyu{er}se acc{i}ou{n}.

¶ But þou mayst seyn aȝeyne how shal it þan be. shal nat þe dyuyne science 5176 ben chaunged by my disposic{i}ou{n} whan þat I wol o þing now {and} now an oþer. {and} þilke p{re}science ne semeþ it nat to enterchau{n}ge stoundes of knowynges. as who seiþ. ne shal it nat seme to vs þat þe deuyne 5180 p{re}science enterchaungeþ hys dyuers stoundes of knowynge. so þat it knowe so{m}me tyme o þing {and} so{m}me tyme þe contrarie.

¶ No for soþe. [q{uod} I] for þe deuyne syȝt renneþ to-forne {and} seeþ alle fut{ur}es {and} clepeþ hem aȝein 5184 {and} reto{ur}niþ hem to þe p{re}sence of hys p{ro}pre knowynge. [[pg 178]] ne he ne entrechaungeþ nat as þou wenest þe stoundes of forknowyng now þis now þat. but he ay dwellynge comiþ byforn {and} enbraceþ at o strook 5188 alle þi mutac{i}ou{n}s.

and þis p{re}sence to co{m}p{re}henden {and} to sen alle þinges. god ne haþ nat take{n} it of þe bitydynge of þinges forto come. but of hys p{ro}pre symplicite.

¶ and her by is assoiled þilke þing þat þou 5192 puttest a litel her byforne. þat is to seyne þat it is vnworþi þinge to seyn þat oure futures ȝeuen cause of þe science of god