t as we ben
p{ar}son{er}s
of resou{n}.
Chaucer - Boethius
ise ?
inges.
but
demi? {and} knowe? of hys owen streng? e ? e passiou{n} or suffrau{n}ce
subiect to ? e body. Moche more ? an ? oo ? inges ? at ben absolut {and} quit
fram alle talent? or affecc{i}ou{n}s of bodies. as god or hys aungels ne
folwen nat in discernynge ? inges obiect from wi? oute for? e. but ? ei
accomplissen {and} speden ? e dede of hir ? ou? t by ? is resou{n}. ? ? an
? ere comen many manere knowynges to dyu{er}se {and} differy{n}g
substaunces. for ? e wit of ? e body ? e whiche witte is naked {and}
despoyled of alle o? er knowynges. ? ilke witte come? to bestes ? at ne
mowen nat moeuen hem self here ne ? ere. as oystres {and} muscles {and}
o? er swiche shelle fysshe of ? e see. ? {a}t cliue{n} {and} ben norissed
to roches. but ? e ymaginac{i}ou{n} come? to remuable bestes ? at seme{n}
to han talent to fleen or to desiren any ? inge. but resou{n} is al only
to ? e lynage of mankynde ry? t as i{n}telligence is oonly ? e deuyne
nature. of whiche it folwe? ? at ? ilke knowyng is more wor? e ? an
[th]is[e] o? er. syn it knowe? by hys p{ro}pre nature nat only hys
subiect. as who sei? it ne knowe? nat al oonly ? at app{er}teini?
p{ro}prely to hys knowynge. but it knowe? ? e subgit? of alle o? er
knowynges. but how shal it ? an be yif ? at wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n}
stryuen a? eins resonynge {and} sein ? at of ? ilke vniuersel ? inges. ? at
resou{n} wene? to seen ? at it nis ry? t nau? t. for wit {and}
ymaginac{i}ou{n} seyn ? at ? at. ? at is sensible or ymaginable it ne may
nat ben vniuersel. ? an is ei? er ? e iugement of resou{n} [soth]. ne ? at
? er nis no ? inge sensible. or ellys for ? at resou{n} woot wel ? at many
? inges ben subiect to wit {and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}. ? an is ? e
co{n}sepc{i}ou{n} of resou{n} veyn {and} fals whiche ? at looke? {and}
co{m}p{re}hendi? . ? at ? at is sensible {and} synguler as uniuersele. and
? if ? at resou{n} wolde answeren a? ein to ? ise two ? at is to sein to wit
{and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} sein ? at so? ely she hir self. ? at is to
seyn ? at resou{n} loke? {and} comp{re}hendi? by resou{n} of
vniuersalite. bo? e ? at ? at is sensible {and} ? at ? at is ymaginable.
{and} ? at ? ilke two ? at is to seyn wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne mowe{n}
nat strecchen ne enhaunsen hem self to knowynge of vniuersalite for ? at
? e knowy{n}g of hem ne may exceden nor so{ur}mou{n}te{n} ? e bodyly
figure[s] ? Certys of ? e knowyng of ? inges men au? ten ra? er ? eue
credence to ? e more stedfast {and} to ? e more p{er}fit iugement. In ? is
manere stryuynge ? an we ? at han streng? e of resonynge {and} of
ymaginynge {and} of wit ? at is to seyn by resou{n} {and} by
ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} by wit. [{and}] we sholde ra? er p{re}ise ? e cause
of resou{n}. as who sei? ? an ? e cause of wit or ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
semblable ? inge is it ? at ? e resou{n} of mankynde ne wene? nat ? at ? e
deuyne intelligence byholde? or knowe? ? inges to comen. but ry? t as ? e
resou{n} of mankynde knowe? hem. for ? ou arguist {and} seist ? us. ? at
yif it ne seme nat to men ? at so{m}me ? inges han certeyne {and}
necessarie bytidynges. ? ei ne mowen nat ben wist byforn certeynely to
bytiden. ? a{n} nis [ther] no p{re}science of ? ilke ? inges. {and} yif we
trowen ? at p{re}science ben in ? ise ? inges. ? an is ? er no ? inge ? at it
ne bitidi? by necessite. but certys yif we my? te{n} han ? e iugeme{n}t of
? e deuyne ? ou?
t as we ben p{ar}son{er}s of resou{n}. ry? t so as we han
demed. it byhoue? ? at ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} wit ben byne? e resou{n}.
ry? t so wolde we deme{n} ? at it were ry? tful ? ing ? at ma{n}s resou{n}
au? t[e] to su{m}mitten it self {and} to ben byne? e ? e deuyne ? ou? t. for
whiche ? at yif we mowen. as who sei? . ? at yif ? at we mowe{n} I
conseil[e] ? at we enhanse vs in to ? e hey? t of ? ilke souereyne
i{n}telligence. for ? ere shal resou{n} wel seen ? at ? at it ne may nat
by-holden in it self. and certys ? at is ? is in what manere ? e
p{re}science of god see? alle ? inges c{er}teins {and} difinissed al ? ou?
? ei ne han no certein issues or by-tydynges. ne ? is is non oppiniou{n}
but it is ra? er ? e simplicite of ? e souereyn science ? at nis nat
enclosed nor yshet wi? i{n}ne no boundes.
QUAM UARIIS FIGURIS.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++? E bestes passen by ? e er? es by ful dyuerse figures for so{m}me of hem
han hir bodies strau? t {and} crepe{n} in ? e dust {and} drawen after
he{m} a t{ra}is or a forghe contynued. ? at is to sein as addres or
snakes. and o? er bestes by [the] wandryng ly? tnesse of hir wenges beten
? e wyndes {and} ouer-swymme{n} ? e spaces of ? e longe eyer by moist
flee[y]nge. and o? er bestes gladen hem to diggen her traas or her
stappes i{n} ? e er? e wi? hir goynge or wi? her feet. or to gone ey? e[r]
by ? e grene feldes or [elles] to walken vnder ? e wodes. {and} al be it
so ? {a}t ? ou seest ? at ? ei alle discorden by dyuerse formes. algate
hir{e} [faces] enclini[n]g heuie? hir{e} dulle wittes. Onlyche ? e lynage
of man heue? heyest hys hey? e heued {and} stonde? ly? t wi? hys vpry? t
body {and} byholde? ? e er? e vndir hym. [and] but-? if ? ou er? ely man
wexest yuel oute of ? i witte. ? is figure amoneste? ? e ? {a}t axest ? e
heuene wi? ? i ry? t[e] visage. {and} hast areised ? i forhede to beren vp
on heye ? i corage so ? at ? i ? ou? t ne be nat yheuied ne put lowe vndir
foot. sen ? at ? i body is so heye areised.
PR{O}SA VLTI{M}A.
QUONIA{M} IGITUR UTI PAULO ANTE.
[Sidenote: [The 6^te p{ro}se {and} the laste. ]]
++? Er-fore ? an as I haue shewed a litel her byforne ? at al ? inge ? at is
ywist nis nat knowen by hys nature p{ro}pre. but by ? e nature of he{m}
? at comp{re}henden it. ? Lat vs loke now in as moche as it is leueful to
vs. as who sei? lat vs loken now as we mowen whiche ? {a}t ? e estat is of
? e deuyne substaunce so ? at we mowen [ek] knowen what his science is. ? e
comune iugement of alle creatures resonables ? an is ? is ? at god is
eterne. lat vs considere ? a{n} what is et{er}nite. For certys ? at shal
shewen vs to-gidre ? e deuyne nature {and} ? e deuyne science ? Eternite
? an is p{er}fit possessiou{n} {and} al togidre of lijf interminable
{and} ? at shewe? more clerely by ? e co{m}parisou{n} or collac{i}ou{n} of
temp{or}el ? inges. for al ? ing ? at lyue? in tyme it is p{re}sent {and}
p{ro}cedi? fro preterit? in to fut{ur}es. ? at is to sein. fro tyme
passed in to tyme comynge. ne ? er nis no ? ing establissed i{n} tyme ? at
may enbracen to-gidre al ? e space of hys lijf. for certys ? it ne ha? it
nat taken ? e tyme of ? e morwe. {and} it ha? lost ? at of ? ister-day. and
certys in ? e lijf of ? is day ? e ne lyuen no more but ry? t as in ? is
moeueable {and} t{ra}nsitorie moment. ? an ? ilke ? inge ? at suffri?
temp{or}el condic{i}ou{n}. a[l]? ough{e} ? at [it] bygan neuer to be. ne
? ough{e} it neu{er}e cese forto be. as aristotle demde of ? e worlde. and
al ? ou? ? at ? e lif of it be strecchid wi?
demi? {and} knowe? of hys owen streng? e ? e passiou{n} or suffrau{n}ce
subiect to ? e body. Moche more ? an ? oo ? inges ? at ben absolut {and} quit
fram alle talent? or affecc{i}ou{n}s of bodies. as god or hys aungels ne
folwen nat in discernynge ? inges obiect from wi? oute for? e. but ? ei
accomplissen {and} speden ? e dede of hir ? ou? t by ? is resou{n}. ? ? an
? ere comen many manere knowynges to dyu{er}se {and} differy{n}g
substaunces. for ? e wit of ? e body ? e whiche witte is naked {and}
despoyled of alle o? er knowynges. ? ilke witte come? to bestes ? at ne
mowen nat moeuen hem self here ne ? ere. as oystres {and} muscles {and}
o? er swiche shelle fysshe of ? e see. ? {a}t cliue{n} {and} ben norissed
to roches. but ? e ymaginac{i}ou{n} come? to remuable bestes ? at seme{n}
to han talent to fleen or to desiren any ? inge. but resou{n} is al only
to ? e lynage of mankynde ry? t as i{n}telligence is oonly ? e deuyne
nature. of whiche it folwe? ? at ? ilke knowyng is more wor? e ? an
[th]is[e] o? er. syn it knowe? by hys p{ro}pre nature nat only hys
subiect. as who sei? it ne knowe? nat al oonly ? at app{er}teini?
p{ro}prely to hys knowynge. but it knowe? ? e subgit? of alle o? er
knowynges. but how shal it ? an be yif ? at wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n}
stryuen a? eins resonynge {and} sein ? at of ? ilke vniuersel ? inges. ? at
resou{n} wene? to seen ? at it nis ry? t nau? t. for wit {and}
ymaginac{i}ou{n} seyn ? at ? at. ? at is sensible or ymaginable it ne may
nat ben vniuersel. ? an is ei? er ? e iugement of resou{n} [soth]. ne ? at
? er nis no ? inge sensible. or ellys for ? at resou{n} woot wel ? at many
? inges ben subiect to wit {and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}. ? an is ? e
co{n}sepc{i}ou{n} of resou{n} veyn {and} fals whiche ? at looke? {and}
co{m}p{re}hendi? . ? at ? at is sensible {and} synguler as uniuersele. and
? if ? at resou{n} wolde answeren a? ein to ? ise two ? at is to sein to wit
{and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} sein ? at so? ely she hir self. ? at is to
seyn ? at resou{n} loke? {and} comp{re}hendi? by resou{n} of
vniuersalite. bo? e ? at ? at is sensible {and} ? at ? at is ymaginable.
{and} ? at ? ilke two ? at is to seyn wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne mowe{n}
nat strecchen ne enhaunsen hem self to knowynge of vniuersalite for ? at
? e knowy{n}g of hem ne may exceden nor so{ur}mou{n}te{n} ? e bodyly
figure[s] ? Certys of ? e knowyng of ? inges men au? ten ra? er ? eue
credence to ? e more stedfast {and} to ? e more p{er}fit iugement. In ? is
manere stryuynge ? an we ? at han streng? e of resonynge {and} of
ymaginynge {and} of wit ? at is to seyn by resou{n} {and} by
ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} by wit. [{and}] we sholde ra? er p{re}ise ? e cause
of resou{n}. as who sei? ? an ? e cause of wit or ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
semblable ? inge is it ? at ? e resou{n} of mankynde ne wene? nat ? at ? e
deuyne intelligence byholde? or knowe? ? inges to comen. but ry? t as ? e
resou{n} of mankynde knowe? hem. for ? ou arguist {and} seist ? us. ? at
yif it ne seme nat to men ? at so{m}me ? inges han certeyne {and}
necessarie bytidynges. ? ei ne mowen nat ben wist byforn certeynely to
bytiden. ? a{n} nis [ther] no p{re}science of ? ilke ? inges. {and} yif we
trowen ? at p{re}science ben in ? ise ? inges. ? an is ? er no ? inge ? at it
ne bitidi? by necessite. but certys yif we my? te{n} han ? e iugeme{n}t of
? e deuyne ? ou?
t as we ben p{ar}son{er}s of resou{n}. ry? t so as we han
demed. it byhoue? ? at ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} wit ben byne? e resou{n}.
ry? t so wolde we deme{n} ? at it were ry? tful ? ing ? at ma{n}s resou{n}
au? t[e] to su{m}mitten it self {and} to ben byne? e ? e deuyne ? ou? t. for
whiche ? at yif we mowen. as who sei? . ? at yif ? at we mowe{n} I
conseil[e] ? at we enhanse vs in to ? e hey? t of ? ilke souereyne
i{n}telligence. for ? ere shal resou{n} wel seen ? at ? at it ne may nat
by-holden in it self. and certys ? at is ? is in what manere ? e
p{re}science of god see? alle ? inges c{er}teins {and} difinissed al ? ou?
? ei ne han no certein issues or by-tydynges. ne ? is is non oppiniou{n}
but it is ra? er ? e simplicite of ? e souereyn science ? at nis nat
enclosed nor yshet wi? i{n}ne no boundes.
QUAM UARIIS FIGURIS.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++? E bestes passen by ? e er? es by ful dyuerse figures for so{m}me of hem
han hir bodies strau? t {and} crepe{n} in ? e dust {and} drawen after
he{m} a t{ra}is or a forghe contynued. ? at is to sein as addres or
snakes. and o? er bestes by [the] wandryng ly? tnesse of hir wenges beten
? e wyndes {and} ouer-swymme{n} ? e spaces of ? e longe eyer by moist
flee[y]nge. and o? er bestes gladen hem to diggen her traas or her
stappes i{n} ? e er? e wi? hir goynge or wi? her feet. or to gone ey? e[r]
by ? e grene feldes or [elles] to walken vnder ? e wodes. {and} al be it
so ? {a}t ? ou seest ? at ? ei alle discorden by dyuerse formes. algate
hir{e} [faces] enclini[n]g heuie? hir{e} dulle wittes. Onlyche ? e lynage
of man heue? heyest hys hey? e heued {and} stonde? ly? t wi? hys vpry? t
body {and} byholde? ? e er? e vndir hym. [and] but-? if ? ou er? ely man
wexest yuel oute of ? i witte. ? is figure amoneste? ? e ? {a}t axest ? e
heuene wi? ? i ry? t[e] visage. {and} hast areised ? i forhede to beren vp
on heye ? i corage so ? at ? i ? ou? t ne be nat yheuied ne put lowe vndir
foot. sen ? at ? i body is so heye areised.
PR{O}SA VLTI{M}A.
QUONIA{M} IGITUR UTI PAULO ANTE.
[Sidenote: [The 6^te p{ro}se {and} the laste. ]]
++? Er-fore ? an as I haue shewed a litel her byforne ? at al ? inge ? at is
ywist nis nat knowen by hys nature p{ro}pre. but by ? e nature of he{m}
? at comp{re}henden it. ? Lat vs loke now in as moche as it is leueful to
vs. as who sei? lat vs loken now as we mowen whiche ? {a}t ? e estat is of
? e deuyne substaunce so ? at we mowen [ek] knowen what his science is. ? e
comune iugement of alle creatures resonables ? an is ? is ? at god is
eterne. lat vs considere ? a{n} what is et{er}nite. For certys ? at shal
shewen vs to-gidre ? e deuyne nature {and} ? e deuyne science ? Eternite
? an is p{er}fit possessiou{n} {and} al togidre of lijf interminable
{and} ? at shewe? more clerely by ? e co{m}parisou{n} or collac{i}ou{n} of
temp{or}el ? inges. for al ? ing ? at lyue? in tyme it is p{re}sent {and}
p{ro}cedi? fro preterit? in to fut{ur}es. ? at is to sein. fro tyme
passed in to tyme comynge. ne ? er nis no ? ing establissed i{n} tyme ? at
may enbracen to-gidre al ? e space of hys lijf. for certys ? it ne ha? it
nat taken ? e tyme of ? e morwe. {and} it ha? lost ? at of ? ister-day. and
certys in ? e lijf of ? is day ? e ne lyuen no more but ry? t as in ? is
moeueable {and} t{ra}nsitorie moment. ? an ? ilke ? inge ? at suffri?
temp{or}el condic{i}ou{n}. a[l]? ough{e} ? at [it] bygan neuer to be. ne
? ough{e} it neu{er}e cese forto be. as aristotle demde of ? e worlde. and
al ? ou? ? at ? e lif of it be strecchid wi?
