certys I wol wel
confessen
{and} byknowe a ?
Chaucer - Boethius
ou ne 5064
shalt nat demen it as p{re}science of ? inges to comen.
[Linenotes:
5032 _lyke_--lyk
5034 [_the_]--from C.
5039 _somde[l]_--somdel
5040 _fulfille_--fullfyllen
5041 _litel_--from C. , MS. lykly
5042 _whiche_--which
_lytele_--from C. , MS. lykly
5046 _ben_ (1)--yben
[_? at_]--from C.
5047 _swiche_--swych
5048 [_it_]--from C.
5051 _my? t[e]_--myhte
5052 _willen putte_--wollen putten
_name[s]_--names
5053 _so? ely_--sothly
5054 _worlde_--world
5055 _owen_--owne
5056 _so? ely_--sothly
5057 _al-wey_--al-weys
5058 _alle_--al
_moe[ue]ment_--moeueme{n}t
5063 _? enke_--thinken
_avisen_--auyse
5064 _whiche_--which
_al[le]_--alle]
[Headnote:
DEFINITION OF PRESCIENCE. ]
but ? ou shalt deme{n} [it] more ry? tfully ? at it is science
of presence or of instaunce ? at neuer ne fayle? .
[Sidenote: Therefore _foreknowledge_ is not so applicable a term
as _providence_--for God looks down upon all things from the
summit of the universe. ]
for whiche it nis nat ycleped p{ro}uidence but it sholde ra? er 5068
be cleped purueaunce ? at is establissed ful fer fro ry? t
lowe ? inges. {and} byholde? from a-fer alle ? inges ry? t as
it were fro ? e heye hey? te of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Do you think that God imposes a necessity on things by
beholding them? It is not so in human affairs. ]
whi axest ? ou ? an
or why disputest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilke ? inges ben don by 5072
necessite whiche ? at ben yseyen {and} yknowen by ? e
deuyne sy? t. syn ? at for so? e men ne maken nat ? ilke
? i{n}ges necessarie. whiche ? at ? e[i] seen be ydoon in
hir{e} sy? t.
[Sidenote: Does your view of an action lay any necessity upon it? ]
for addi? ? i byholdynge any necessite to ? ilke 5076
? inges ? at ? ou byholdest p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
? Nay q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ By parity of reason it is clear that whilst you
see only some things in a limited instant, God sees all things in
his ever-present time. ]
_p. _ Certys ? an yif men my? te maken any digne comparisou{n}
or collac{i}ou{n} of ? e p{re}sence diuine. {and} of ? e p{re}
of mankynde. ry? t so as ? e seen so{m}me ? inges in ? is 5080
temp{or}el presente. ry? t so see? god alle ? inges by hys
eterne p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: His Divine prescience therefore does not change the
nature of things--but only beholds those things as present to him
which shall in time be produced. ]
? wherfore ? is dyuyne p{re}science ne
chaunge? nat ? e nature ne ? e p{ro}prete of ? inges but
byholde? swyche ? inges present to hym ward. as ? ei 5084
shollen bytiden to ? ow ward in tyme to come.
[Sidenote: Nor does he judge confusedly of them, but knows at one
view what will necessarily and what will not necessarily happen. ]
ne it ne
co{n}founde? nat ? e Iugement? of ? inges but by of sy? t
of hys ? ou? t he knowe? ? e ? inges to comen as wel
necessarie as nat necessarie. ry? t so as whan ? e seen togidre 5088
a man walke on ? e er? e {and} ? e sonne arysen in
[the] heuene. al be it so ? at ? e seen {and} byholde{n} ? at
oon {and} ? at o? er to-gidre. ? it na? eles ? e demen {and} [[pg 175]]
discerne ? at ? at oon is uolu{n}tarie
{and} ? at o? er is necessarie. 5092
[Linenotes:
5066 _shalt_--shal
[_it_]--from C.
5068 _whiche_--which
5074-76 _sy? t_--syhte
5075 _whiche_--which
_? e[i]_--they
5085 _come_--comyn
5086 _of sy? t_--O syhte
5087 _he knowe? _--MS. repeats
5090 [_the_]--from C.
5092 _discerne_--discernen]
[Headnote:
THE NATURE OF DIVINE PRESCIENCE. ]
[Sidenote: The eye of God, seeing all things, doth not alter the
properties of things, for everything is present to him, though its
temporal event is future. ]
? Ry? t so ? an [the] deuyne lokynge byholdynge
alle ? i{n}ges vndir hym ne trouble? nat ? e qualite of
? inges ? at ben certeynely p{re}sent to hy{m} ward. but as
to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of tyme for so? e ? ei ben fut{ur}e. 5096
[Sidenote: When God knows that anything is to be, he knows at the
same time that it is not under the necessity of being--but this is
not conjecture, but certain knowledge founded upon truth. ]
for whiche it folwi? ? at ? is nis non oppiniou{n}. but ra? er a
stedfast knowyng ystrenge? ed by so? enes. ? at whan
? at god knowe? any ? inge to be he ne vnwoot nat ? at
? ilke ? inge wante? necessite to be. ? is is to seyn ? at 5100
whan ? at god knowe? any ? inge to bitide. he woot wel
? at it ne ha? no necessite to bitide.
[Sidenote: If you insist that _what God foresees shall and must
happen; and that which cannot do otherwise than happen, must needs
happen_, and so bind me to admit a necessity, I must confess that
things are under such a restraint; but it is a truth that we
scarce can comprehend, unless we be acquainted with the Divine
counsels. ]
{and} yif ? {o}u seist
here ? at ? ilke ? inge ? at god see? to bytide it ne may
nat vnbytide. as who sei? it mot bitide. ? and ? ilke 5104
? inge ? at ? at ne may nat vnbytide it mot bitide by
necessite. and ? at ? ou streine me to ? is name of necessite.
certys I wol wel confessen {and} byknowe a ? inge of
ful sadde trou? e. but vnne? shal ? ere any wy? t [mowe] 5108
seen it or comen ? er-to. but yif ? at he be byholder of ? e
deuyne ? ou? te.
[Sidenote: For I will answer you thus. That the thing which is to
happen in relation to the Divine knowledge is necessary; but,
considered in its own nature, seems free and absolute. ]
? for I wol answer{e} ? e ? us. ? at ? ilke
? inge ? at is future whan it is referred to ? e deuyne 5111
knowy{n}g ? an is it necessarie. but certys whan it is vndirstonden
in hys owen kynde me{n} sen it [is] vtterly fre
{and} absolut from alle necessite.
[Sidenote: There are two kinds of necessity--one simple; as men
must necessarily die--the other is conditional, as if you know a
man walks he must necessarily walk--for that which is known cannot
be otherwise than what it is apprehended to be. ]
for certys ? er ben two
maneres of necessites. ? at oon necessite is symple as
? us. ? at it byhoue? by necessite ? at alle men be mortal 5116
or dedely. an o? {er} necessite is condicionel as ? us. yif
? ou wost ? at a man walki? . it byhoue? by necessite ? at
he walke. ? ilke ? inge ? an ? at any wy? t ha? yknowe to
be. it ne may ben non o? er weyes ? an he knowe? it to be. 5120
[Linenotes:
5093 [_the_]--from C.
5097 _whiche_--which
5098 _stedfast_--stidefast
_so? enes_--sothnesse
5102 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
5104 _bitide_--bide
5108 _sadde_--sad
_vnne? _--vnnethe
[_mowe_]--from C.
5109 _comen_--come
5110 _? ou? te_--thoght
_answere_--answeren
5113 _sen_--MS. sene, C. sen
[_is_]--from C.
5117 _dedely_--dedly
5119 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
PRESCIENCE AND NECESSITY. ]
[Sidenote: But this condition does not infer the absolute
necessity, for the nature of the thing itself does not here
constitute the necessity, but the necessity arises from the
conjunction of the condition. ]
? but ? is condicioun ne drawe? nat wi? hir ? ilke
necessite symple. For certys ? is necessite condicionel.
? e p{ro}pre nature of it ne make? it nau? t.
but ? e adiecc{i}ou{n} [[pg 176]]
of ? e condic{i}ou{n} maki? it.
[Sidenote: No necessity compels a man to walk who does so
willingly, but it must be necessary that he walk when he does step
forward. ]
for no necessite ne constreyne? 5124
a man to [gon / ? {a}t] goo? by his p{ro}pre wille. al be it
so ? at whan he goo? ? at it is necessarie ? at he goo? .
[Sidenote: So everything that is present to the eye of Providence
must assuredly be, although there is nothing in its own nature to
constitute that necessity. ]
? Ry? t on ? is same manere ? an. yif ? at ? e p{ur}ueaunce
of god see? any ? ing p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 40. ]]
? an mot ? ilke *? inge be 5128
by necessite. al ? ou? ? at it ne haue no necessite of hys
owen nature.
[Sidenote: Since God beholds all future events proceeding from
free-will as actually present--these events in relation to Divine
sight are necessary--yet in relation to themselves they are
absolutely free. ]
but certys ? e fut{ur}es ? at bytyden by fredom
of arbitre god see? hem alle to-gidre p{re}sent? . ? ise
? inges ? an [yif] ? ei ben referred to ? e deuyne sy? t. 5132
? an ben ? ei maked necessarie to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of ? e
deuyne knowynge. but certys yif ? ilke ? inges ben considred
by hem self ? ei ben absolut of necessite. {and} ne
forleten nat ne cesen nat of ? e liberte of hire owe{n} 5136
natur{e}.
[Sidenote: All things which God foresees shall surely come to
pass; but some of these things proceed from free-will, which
although they happen,]
? an certys wi? outen doute alle ? e ? ing{us}
shollen be doon whiche ? at god woot by-forn ? at ? ei
ben to comen. but so{m}me of hem comen {and} bitiden of
[free] arbitre or of fre wille. ? at al be it so ? at ? ei bytiden. 5140
[Linenotes:
5121 _condicioun_--from C. , MS. _necessite_
5123 _nau? t_--nat
5125 [_gon ? at_]--from C.
_wille_--wil
5128 _mot_--MS. mote, C. mot
5131 _present? _--p{re}sent
5132 [_yif_]--from C.
_sy? t_--syhte
5137 _wi? outen_--w{i}t{h}-owte
5138 _whiche_--which
5139 _somme_--som
5140 [_free_]--from C. ]
[Headnote:
PROVIDENCE AND HUMAN INTENTIONS. ]
[Sidenote: yet do not thereby change their nature, as before they
happened they had it in their power not to happen. ]
? it algates ne lese ? ei nat hire p{ro}pre nature ne
beynge. by ? e whiche first or ? at ? ei were doon ? ei
hadden power nat to han bitidd.
[Sidenote: But it is a thing of no moment then, whether things are
necessary in their own nature or not, since by the condition of
the Divine knowledge they fell out as if they were necessitated. ]
_Boece. _ what is ? is
to seyn ? a{n} q{uo}d I. ? at ? inges ne ben nat necessarie by 5144
hire p{ro}pre nature. so as ? ei comen in alle maneres in
? e lykenesse of necessite by ? e condic{i}ou{n} of ? e deuyne
science.
[Sidenote: _P. _ The difference is explained in the instances
lately given you, of the man walking, &c. ]
{Ph}ilosoph{ie}. ? is is ? e difference q{uo}d she.
shalt nat demen it as p{re}science of ? inges to comen.
[Linenotes:
5032 _lyke_--lyk
5034 [_the_]--from C.
5039 _somde[l]_--somdel
5040 _fulfille_--fullfyllen
5041 _litel_--from C. , MS. lykly
5042 _whiche_--which
_lytele_--from C. , MS. lykly
5046 _ben_ (1)--yben
[_? at_]--from C.
5047 _swiche_--swych
5048 [_it_]--from C.
5051 _my? t[e]_--myhte
5052 _willen putte_--wollen putten
_name[s]_--names
5053 _so? ely_--sothly
5054 _worlde_--world
5055 _owen_--owne
5056 _so? ely_--sothly
5057 _al-wey_--al-weys
5058 _alle_--al
_moe[ue]ment_--moeueme{n}t
5063 _? enke_--thinken
_avisen_--auyse
5064 _whiche_--which
_al[le]_--alle]
[Headnote:
DEFINITION OF PRESCIENCE. ]
but ? ou shalt deme{n} [it] more ry? tfully ? at it is science
of presence or of instaunce ? at neuer ne fayle? .
[Sidenote: Therefore _foreknowledge_ is not so applicable a term
as _providence_--for God looks down upon all things from the
summit of the universe. ]
for whiche it nis nat ycleped p{ro}uidence but it sholde ra? er 5068
be cleped purueaunce ? at is establissed ful fer fro ry? t
lowe ? inges. {and} byholde? from a-fer alle ? inges ry? t as
it were fro ? e heye hey? te of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Do you think that God imposes a necessity on things by
beholding them? It is not so in human affairs. ]
whi axest ? ou ? an
or why disputest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilke ? inges ben don by 5072
necessite whiche ? at ben yseyen {and} yknowen by ? e
deuyne sy? t. syn ? at for so? e men ne maken nat ? ilke
? i{n}ges necessarie. whiche ? at ? e[i] seen be ydoon in
hir{e} sy? t.
[Sidenote: Does your view of an action lay any necessity upon it? ]
for addi? ? i byholdynge any necessite to ? ilke 5076
? inges ? at ? ou byholdest p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
? Nay q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ By parity of reason it is clear that whilst you
see only some things in a limited instant, God sees all things in
his ever-present time. ]
_p. _ Certys ? an yif men my? te maken any digne comparisou{n}
or collac{i}ou{n} of ? e p{re}sence diuine. {and} of ? e p{re}
of mankynde. ry? t so as ? e seen so{m}me ? inges in ? is 5080
temp{or}el presente. ry? t so see? god alle ? inges by hys
eterne p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: His Divine prescience therefore does not change the
nature of things--but only beholds those things as present to him
which shall in time be produced. ]
? wherfore ? is dyuyne p{re}science ne
chaunge? nat ? e nature ne ? e p{ro}prete of ? inges but
byholde? swyche ? inges present to hym ward. as ? ei 5084
shollen bytiden to ? ow ward in tyme to come.
[Sidenote: Nor does he judge confusedly of them, but knows at one
view what will necessarily and what will not necessarily happen. ]
ne it ne
co{n}founde? nat ? e Iugement? of ? inges but by of sy? t
of hys ? ou? t he knowe? ? e ? inges to comen as wel
necessarie as nat necessarie. ry? t so as whan ? e seen togidre 5088
a man walke on ? e er? e {and} ? e sonne arysen in
[the] heuene. al be it so ? at ? e seen {and} byholde{n} ? at
oon {and} ? at o? er to-gidre. ? it na? eles ? e demen {and} [[pg 175]]
discerne ? at ? at oon is uolu{n}tarie
{and} ? at o? er is necessarie. 5092
[Linenotes:
5066 _shalt_--shal
[_it_]--from C.
5068 _whiche_--which
5074-76 _sy? t_--syhte
5075 _whiche_--which
_? e[i]_--they
5085 _come_--comyn
5086 _of sy? t_--O syhte
5087 _he knowe? _--MS. repeats
5090 [_the_]--from C.
5092 _discerne_--discernen]
[Headnote:
THE NATURE OF DIVINE PRESCIENCE. ]
[Sidenote: The eye of God, seeing all things, doth not alter the
properties of things, for everything is present to him, though its
temporal event is future. ]
? Ry? t so ? an [the] deuyne lokynge byholdynge
alle ? i{n}ges vndir hym ne trouble? nat ? e qualite of
? inges ? at ben certeynely p{re}sent to hy{m} ward. but as
to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of tyme for so? e ? ei ben fut{ur}e. 5096
[Sidenote: When God knows that anything is to be, he knows at the
same time that it is not under the necessity of being--but this is
not conjecture, but certain knowledge founded upon truth. ]
for whiche it folwi? ? at ? is nis non oppiniou{n}. but ra? er a
stedfast knowyng ystrenge? ed by so? enes. ? at whan
? at god knowe? any ? inge to be he ne vnwoot nat ? at
? ilke ? inge wante? necessite to be. ? is is to seyn ? at 5100
whan ? at god knowe? any ? inge to bitide. he woot wel
? at it ne ha? no necessite to bitide.
[Sidenote: If you insist that _what God foresees shall and must
happen; and that which cannot do otherwise than happen, must needs
happen_, and so bind me to admit a necessity, I must confess that
things are under such a restraint; but it is a truth that we
scarce can comprehend, unless we be acquainted with the Divine
counsels. ]
{and} yif ? {o}u seist
here ? at ? ilke ? inge ? at god see? to bytide it ne may
nat vnbytide. as who sei? it mot bitide. ? and ? ilke 5104
? inge ? at ? at ne may nat vnbytide it mot bitide by
necessite. and ? at ? ou streine me to ? is name of necessite.
certys I wol wel confessen {and} byknowe a ? inge of
ful sadde trou? e. but vnne? shal ? ere any wy? t [mowe] 5108
seen it or comen ? er-to. but yif ? at he be byholder of ? e
deuyne ? ou? te.
[Sidenote: For I will answer you thus. That the thing which is to
happen in relation to the Divine knowledge is necessary; but,
considered in its own nature, seems free and absolute. ]
? for I wol answer{e} ? e ? us. ? at ? ilke
? inge ? at is future whan it is referred to ? e deuyne 5111
knowy{n}g ? an is it necessarie. but certys whan it is vndirstonden
in hys owen kynde me{n} sen it [is] vtterly fre
{and} absolut from alle necessite.
[Sidenote: There are two kinds of necessity--one simple; as men
must necessarily die--the other is conditional, as if you know a
man walks he must necessarily walk--for that which is known cannot
be otherwise than what it is apprehended to be. ]
for certys ? er ben two
maneres of necessites. ? at oon necessite is symple as
? us. ? at it byhoue? by necessite ? at alle men be mortal 5116
or dedely. an o? {er} necessite is condicionel as ? us. yif
? ou wost ? at a man walki? . it byhoue? by necessite ? at
he walke. ? ilke ? inge ? an ? at any wy? t ha? yknowe to
be. it ne may ben non o? er weyes ? an he knowe? it to be. 5120
[Linenotes:
5093 [_the_]--from C.
5097 _whiche_--which
5098 _stedfast_--stidefast
_so? enes_--sothnesse
5102 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
5104 _bitide_--bide
5108 _sadde_--sad
_vnne? _--vnnethe
[_mowe_]--from C.
5109 _comen_--come
5110 _? ou? te_--thoght
_answere_--answeren
5113 _sen_--MS. sene, C. sen
[_is_]--from C.
5117 _dedely_--dedly
5119 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
PRESCIENCE AND NECESSITY. ]
[Sidenote: But this condition does not infer the absolute
necessity, for the nature of the thing itself does not here
constitute the necessity, but the necessity arises from the
conjunction of the condition. ]
? but ? is condicioun ne drawe? nat wi? hir ? ilke
necessite symple. For certys ? is necessite condicionel.
? e p{ro}pre nature of it ne make? it nau? t.
but ? e adiecc{i}ou{n} [[pg 176]]
of ? e condic{i}ou{n} maki? it.
[Sidenote: No necessity compels a man to walk who does so
willingly, but it must be necessary that he walk when he does step
forward. ]
for no necessite ne constreyne? 5124
a man to [gon / ? {a}t] goo? by his p{ro}pre wille. al be it
so ? at whan he goo? ? at it is necessarie ? at he goo? .
[Sidenote: So everything that is present to the eye of Providence
must assuredly be, although there is nothing in its own nature to
constitute that necessity. ]
? Ry? t on ? is same manere ? an. yif ? at ? e p{ur}ueaunce
of god see? any ? ing p{re}sent.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 40. ]]
? an mot ? ilke *? inge be 5128
by necessite. al ? ou? ? at it ne haue no necessite of hys
owen nature.
[Sidenote: Since God beholds all future events proceeding from
free-will as actually present--these events in relation to Divine
sight are necessary--yet in relation to themselves they are
absolutely free. ]
but certys ? e fut{ur}es ? at bytyden by fredom
of arbitre god see? hem alle to-gidre p{re}sent? . ? ise
? inges ? an [yif] ? ei ben referred to ? e deuyne sy? t. 5132
? an ben ? ei maked necessarie to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of ? e
deuyne knowynge. but certys yif ? ilke ? inges ben considred
by hem self ? ei ben absolut of necessite. {and} ne
forleten nat ne cesen nat of ? e liberte of hire owe{n} 5136
natur{e}.
[Sidenote: All things which God foresees shall surely come to
pass; but some of these things proceed from free-will, which
although they happen,]
? an certys wi? outen doute alle ? e ? ing{us}
shollen be doon whiche ? at god woot by-forn ? at ? ei
ben to comen. but so{m}me of hem comen {and} bitiden of
[free] arbitre or of fre wille. ? at al be it so ? at ? ei bytiden. 5140
[Linenotes:
5121 _condicioun_--from C. , MS. _necessite_
5123 _nau? t_--nat
5125 [_gon ? at_]--from C.
_wille_--wil
5128 _mot_--MS. mote, C. mot
5131 _present? _--p{re}sent
5132 [_yif_]--from C.
_sy? t_--syhte
5137 _wi? outen_--w{i}t{h}-owte
5138 _whiche_--which
5139 _somme_--som
5140 [_free_]--from C. ]
[Headnote:
PROVIDENCE AND HUMAN INTENTIONS. ]
[Sidenote: yet do not thereby change their nature, as before they
happened they had it in their power not to happen. ]
? it algates ne lese ? ei nat hire p{ro}pre nature ne
beynge. by ? e whiche first or ? at ? ei were doon ? ei
hadden power nat to han bitidd.
[Sidenote: But it is a thing of no moment then, whether things are
necessary in their own nature or not, since by the condition of
the Divine knowledge they fell out as if they were necessitated. ]
_Boece. _ what is ? is
to seyn ? a{n} q{uo}d I. ? at ? inges ne ben nat necessarie by 5144
hire p{ro}pre nature. so as ? ei comen in alle maneres in
? e lykenesse of necessite by ? e condic{i}ou{n} of ? e deuyne
science.
[Sidenote: _P. _ The difference is explained in the instances
lately given you, of the man walking, &c. ]
{Ph}ilosoph{ie}. ? is is ? e difference q{uo}d she.
