e
whiche resou{n} for ?
whiche resou{n} for ?
Chaucer - Boethius
[?
{a}t] he seke ?
o ?
inges where shal
he fynde{n} hem. what wy? t ? at is al vnknowynge {and}
ignoraunt may knowe ? e forme ? at is yfounde.
[Sidenote: The pure soul that sees the divine thought, knows all
the secret chains of things. ]
? But 4636
whan ? e soule byholde? {and} see? ? e heye ? ou? t. ? at is
to seyn god. ? an knowe? it to-gidre ? e so{m}me {and} ? e
singularites. ? at is to seyn ? e p{r}inciples {and} eueryche
by hym self.
[Sidenote: Yet, though now hidden in its fleshly members, it hath
some remembrance of its pure state--it retains the sums of things,
but has lost their particulars. ]
? But now while ? e soule is hidd in ? e 4640
cloude {and} in ? e derknesse of ? e membris of ? e body.
it ne ha? nat al for? eten it selfe. but it wi? holde? ? e
so{m}me of ? inges {and} lesi? ? e singularites.
[Sidenote: He who seeks truth is not in either circumstance
(_i. e. _ seeking for what he knows or knows not), he knoweth not
all things, nor hath he wholly forgotten all. ]
? an who so
? at seke? so? enesse. he nis in nei? {er} nou? ir habit. for 4644
he not nat alle ne he ne ha? nat alle for-? eten.
[Sidenote: But he ponders on what he knows, that he may add those
things that he hath forgotten to those that he retains. ]
? But
? itte hym remembri? ? e so{m}me of ? inges ? at he wi? holde?
{and} axe? cou{n}seil {and} treti? depelyche ? i{n}ges
ysein byforne. [_Glosa_] ? at is to sein ? e grete so{m}me in 4648
hys mynde. [_textus_] so ? at he mowe adden ? e p{ar}ties
? at he ha? for? eten. to ? ilke ? at he ha? wi? holden.
[Linenotes:
4605 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4606 _seyne_--seyn
4607 _whiche_--which
4608 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_grete_--gret
_so? efast_--soothfast
4610 _wille_--wil
4612 _discorde_--discord
[_tho_]--from C.
4613 _cleuen_--clyuen
4615 _dirk[ed]_--derkyd
4616 _while_--whil
4617 _knowen_--knowe
4619-21 _grete_--gret
_note[s]_--notes
4619 _so? e_--soth
4621 _yhidd_--MS. yhidde, C. Ihyd
4622 _so? e_--sooth
_? inges_--thing
4625 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4630 _? inge_--thing
_whiche_--which
4631 _woot_--not
_nat_--nawht
4632 _cou? e_--kowde
4634 [_? at_]--from C.
_where_--wher
4635 _what_--MS. ? at, C. what
_vnknowynge_--vnkunnynge
4639 _eueryche_--eu{er}ych
4640 _while_--whil
_? e_--MS. ? e ? e
_hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidde
4641 _derknesse_--derkenesse
4642 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_selfe_--self
4644 _nou? ir habit_--nother habite
4645 _alle_ (_both_)--al
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4648 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4649 [_textus_]--from C.
4650 _ha? _ (_both_)--MS. ha? e]
[[pg 161]]
[Headnote:
ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS AGAINST PROVIDENCE. ]
TAMEN ILLA UETUS INQ{U}IT HEC EST.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ This is the old objection against Providence, so
ably handled by Cicero in his _Book of Divination_; and you
yourself have anxiously discussed it. ]
++? anne seide she. ? is is q{uo}d she ? e olde questiou{n} of
? e p{ur}ueaunce of god. {and} marcus tulius whan he 4652
deuided[e] ? e deuinac{i}ou{n}s. ? at is to sein in hys booke
? at he wroot of deuinac{i}ou{n}s. he moeued[e] gretly ? is
questiou{n}. {and} ? ou ? i self hast sou? t it mochel {and}
outerly {and} lo{n}g[e].
[Sidenote: But neither of you have offered a satisfactory solution
of the difficulty. ]
but ? it ne ha? it nat ben determined 4656
ne yspedd fermely {and} diligently of any of yow.
[Sidenote: The cause of this mystery is that the human
understanding cannot conceive the simplicity of the divine
prescience, for if it were possible to comprehend this, every
difficulty would at once disappear. ]
? And ? e cause of ? is derkenesse {and} [of this] difficulte
is for ? at ? e moeuynge of ? e resou{n} of mankynde ne
may nat moeue{n} to. ? at is to sein applien or ioygnen to 4660
? e simplicite of ? e deuyne p{re}science. ? ? e whiche
symplicite of ? e deuyne p{re}science ? if ? at men [myhten
thinken it in any maner{e} / ? {a}t is to seyn / ? {a}t yif men] my? te
? inken {and} co{m}p{re}henden ? e ? inges as god see? hem. 4664
? an ne sholde ? er dwellen outerly no doute.
[Sidenote: I shall, therefore, try to explain and solve this
difficult question. ]
? e whiche
resou{n} {and} cause of difficulte I shal assaie at ? e laste
to shewen {and} to speden.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 36 _b_. ]]
? whan I haue *firste
[yspendyd / {and}] ansewered to ? o resou{n}s by whiche ? {o}u 4668
art ymoeued.
[Sidenote: I ask, then, why you do not approve the reasoning of
such as think--that Prescience does not obstruct the liberty of
the will, because it is not the necessitating cause of future
events? ]
? For I axe whi ? {o}u wenest ? at ? ilk[e]
resou{n}s of hem ? at assoilen ? is questiou{n} ne ben nat
spedeful ynou? ne sufficient ? e whiche soluc{i}ou{n} or ?
e
whiche resou{n} for ? at it demi? ? at ? e p{re}science nis nat 4672
cause of necessite to ? inges to comen. ? an ne wene? it
nat ? at fredom of wille be distourbed or ylett by p{re}science.
[Linenotes:
4653 _deuided[e]_--deuynede
_booke_--book
4654 _moeued[e]_--moeuede
4655 _sou? t_--I-sowht
4656 _long[e]_--longe
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4657 _yspedd_--MS. yspedde, C. Isped
_fermely_--MS. feruently, C. fermely
4658 _derkenesse_--dirknesse
[_of this_]--from C.
4662-3 [_myhten----men_]--from C.
4663 _my? te_--myhten
4667 _firste_--fyrst
4668 [_yspendyd and_]--from C.
_? o_--the
_whiche_--which
4669 _art_--MS. arte
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
4671 _spedeful_--spedful
4672 _whiche_--which
4674 _wille_--wyl]
[Headnote:
NECESSITY AND PRESCIENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Do you draw an argument of the necessity of future
events, from any other topic than this,--that those things which
are foreknown must of necessity happen? ]
for ne drawest ? ou nat argumentes from ellys
where of ? e necessite of ? inges to comen. As who sei? 4676
any o? er wey ? an ? us. but ? at ? ilke ? inge[s] ? at ? e p{re}scie{n}ce
woot byforn [ne] mowen nat vnbitide. ? at is to
seyn ? at ? ei moten bitide.
[Sidenote: If divine prescience imposes no necessity upon future
things, must not the issue of things be voluntary, and man's will
free and unconstrained? ]
? But ? an yif ? at p{re}science
ne putte? no necessite to ? inges to comen. as ? ou ? i self 4680
hast confessed it {and} byknowen a litel herbyforn{e}.
? what [[pg 162]]
cause [or what] is it. as who sei? ? ere may no cause be.
by whiche ? at ? e endes (exitus) uoluntarie of ? inges
my? ten be constreyned to certeyne bitydyng.
[Sidenote: For argument sake let us suppose there is no
prescience, would, then, the events which proceed from free-will
alone be under the power of necessity? ]
? For 4684
by grace of possessiou{n}. so ? at ? ou mowe ? e better vndirstonde
? is ? at folwe? . ? I pose (inpossibile) ? at
? er ne be no p{re}science. ? an axe I q{uo}d she in as
moche as app{er}teni? to ? at. sholde ? an ? inges ? at 4688
comen of frewille ben constreined to bytiden by
necessite.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
{Boici}us. nay q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Let us, then, admit Prescience, but that it
imposes no necessity on what is to happen; the freedom of the will
would still remain entire and absolute. ]
? an a? einward q{uo}d
she. I suppose ? at ? ere be p{re}science but ? at ne putte?
no necessite to ? inges. ? an trowe I ? at ? ilk self fredom 4692
of wille shal dwelle{n} al hool {and} absolut {and} vnbounden.
[Sidenote: But although Prescience, you may say, is not the
necessary cause of future events, yet it is a sign that they shall
necessarily happen, and hence it follows that, although there were
no prescience, future events would still be an inevitable
necessity. ]
but ? ou wolt sein ? at al be it so ? at p{re}science
nis nat cause of ? e necessite of bitidynge to ? inges to
comen. ? Algates ? itte it is a signe ? {a}t ? e ? inges ben 4696
to bytiden by necessite. by ? is manere ? an al ? ou? ? e
p{re}science ne hadde neuer yben. ? it algate or at ? e
lest[e] wey. it is certeyne ? ing ? at ? e e{n}dys {and} ? e
bitydynges of ? inges to come{n} sholde ben necessarie. 4700
[Sidenote: For the sign of a thing is not really the thing itself,
but only points out what the individual is. ]
? For euery sygne shewe? {and} signifie? oonly what ? e
? ing is ? but it ne maki? nat ? e ? ing ? at it signifie? .
[Sidenote: Wherefore, it must be first proved that everything
happens by necessity before we can conclude that prescience is a
sign of that necessity. ]
? For whiche it byhoue? firste to shewen ? at no ? ing
ne bitidi? [? {a}t it ne bytydith] by necessite. so ? at it 4704
may apere ? {a}t ? e p{re}scie{n}ce is signe of ? is necessite
[Sidenote: For if there be no necessity, prescience cannot be the
sign of that which has no existence. ]
? or ellys yif ? ere nere no necessite. certys ? ilke p{re}science
ne my? t[e] nat ben signe of ? inge ? at nis nat.
[Linenotes:
4677 _? inge[s]_--thinges
4683 _whiche_--which
4685 _better_--beter{e}
4688 _moche_--mochel
4689 _frewille_--free wyl
4691 _? at ne_--? at is ne
4692 _? at_--MS. ? an
_? ilk self_--thilke selue
4693 _wille_--wil
4699 _lest[e]_--leeste
4700 _sholde_--sholden
4703 _whiche_--which
_firste_--fyrst
4704 [_? at----bytydith_]--from C.
4707 _my? t[e]_--myhte
_? inge_--thing]
[Headnote:
NOT ALL THINGS CONTROLLED BY NECESSITY. ]
[Sidenote: The assertion that nothing happens but by necessity,
must be proved by arguments drawn from causes connected and
agreeing with this necessity, and not from signs or foreign
causes. ]
? But certys it is nowe certeyne ? at ? e preue of ? is 4708
susteni? by stedfast resou{n} ne shal nat ben ladd ne
p{ro}ued by signes ne by argumentys ytaken fro wi? oute.
but by causes couenable {and} necessarie ? But ? ou
mayst sein how may it be ? at ? e ? inges ne bitiden nat 4712
? at ben ypurueyed to comen. but certys ry? t as we [[pg 163]]
trowen ? at ? o ? inges whiche ?
he fynde{n} hem. what wy? t ? at is al vnknowynge {and}
ignoraunt may knowe ? e forme ? at is yfounde.
[Sidenote: The pure soul that sees the divine thought, knows all
the secret chains of things. ]
? But 4636
whan ? e soule byholde? {and} see? ? e heye ? ou? t. ? at is
to seyn god. ? an knowe? it to-gidre ? e so{m}me {and} ? e
singularites. ? at is to seyn ? e p{r}inciples {and} eueryche
by hym self.
[Sidenote: Yet, though now hidden in its fleshly members, it hath
some remembrance of its pure state--it retains the sums of things,
but has lost their particulars. ]
? But now while ? e soule is hidd in ? e 4640
cloude {and} in ? e derknesse of ? e membris of ? e body.
it ne ha? nat al for? eten it selfe. but it wi? holde? ? e
so{m}me of ? inges {and} lesi? ? e singularites.
[Sidenote: He who seeks truth is not in either circumstance
(_i. e. _ seeking for what he knows or knows not), he knoweth not
all things, nor hath he wholly forgotten all. ]
? an who so
? at seke? so? enesse. he nis in nei? {er} nou? ir habit. for 4644
he not nat alle ne he ne ha? nat alle for-? eten.
[Sidenote: But he ponders on what he knows, that he may add those
things that he hath forgotten to those that he retains. ]
? But
? itte hym remembri? ? e so{m}me of ? inges ? at he wi? holde?
{and} axe? cou{n}seil {and} treti? depelyche ? i{n}ges
ysein byforne. [_Glosa_] ? at is to sein ? e grete so{m}me in 4648
hys mynde. [_textus_] so ? at he mowe adden ? e p{ar}ties
? at he ha? for? eten. to ? ilke ? at he ha? wi? holden.
[Linenotes:
4605 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4606 _seyne_--seyn
4607 _whiche_--which
4608 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_grete_--gret
_so? efast_--soothfast
4610 _wille_--wil
4612 _discorde_--discord
[_tho_]--from C.
4613 _cleuen_--clyuen
4615 _dirk[ed]_--derkyd
4616 _while_--whil
4617 _knowen_--knowe
4619-21 _grete_--gret
_note[s]_--notes
4619 _so? e_--soth
4621 _yhidd_--MS. yhidde, C. Ihyd
4622 _so? e_--sooth
_? inges_--thing
4625 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4630 _? inge_--thing
_whiche_--which
4631 _woot_--not
_nat_--nawht
4632 _cou? e_--kowde
4634 [_? at_]--from C.
_where_--wher
4635 _what_--MS. ? at, C. what
_vnknowynge_--vnkunnynge
4639 _eueryche_--eu{er}ych
4640 _while_--whil
_? e_--MS. ? e ? e
_hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidde
4641 _derknesse_--derkenesse
4642 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_selfe_--self
4644 _nou? ir habit_--nother habite
4645 _alle_ (_both_)--al
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4648 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4649 [_textus_]--from C.
4650 _ha? _ (_both_)--MS. ha? e]
[[pg 161]]
[Headnote:
ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS AGAINST PROVIDENCE. ]
TAMEN ILLA UETUS INQ{U}IT HEC EST.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ This is the old objection against Providence, so
ably handled by Cicero in his _Book of Divination_; and you
yourself have anxiously discussed it. ]
++? anne seide she. ? is is q{uo}d she ? e olde questiou{n} of
? e p{ur}ueaunce of god. {and} marcus tulius whan he 4652
deuided[e] ? e deuinac{i}ou{n}s. ? at is to sein in hys booke
? at he wroot of deuinac{i}ou{n}s. he moeued[e] gretly ? is
questiou{n}. {and} ? ou ? i self hast sou? t it mochel {and}
outerly {and} lo{n}g[e].
[Sidenote: But neither of you have offered a satisfactory solution
of the difficulty. ]
but ? it ne ha? it nat ben determined 4656
ne yspedd fermely {and} diligently of any of yow.
[Sidenote: The cause of this mystery is that the human
understanding cannot conceive the simplicity of the divine
prescience, for if it were possible to comprehend this, every
difficulty would at once disappear. ]
? And ? e cause of ? is derkenesse {and} [of this] difficulte
is for ? at ? e moeuynge of ? e resou{n} of mankynde ne
may nat moeue{n} to. ? at is to sein applien or ioygnen to 4660
? e simplicite of ? e deuyne p{re}science. ? ? e whiche
symplicite of ? e deuyne p{re}science ? if ? at men [myhten
thinken it in any maner{e} / ? {a}t is to seyn / ? {a}t yif men] my? te
? inken {and} co{m}p{re}henden ? e ? inges as god see? hem. 4664
? an ne sholde ? er dwellen outerly no doute.
[Sidenote: I shall, therefore, try to explain and solve this
difficult question. ]
? e whiche
resou{n} {and} cause of difficulte I shal assaie at ? e laste
to shewen {and} to speden.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 36 _b_. ]]
? whan I haue *firste
[yspendyd / {and}] ansewered to ? o resou{n}s by whiche ? {o}u 4668
art ymoeued.
[Sidenote: I ask, then, why you do not approve the reasoning of
such as think--that Prescience does not obstruct the liberty of
the will, because it is not the necessitating cause of future
events? ]
? For I axe whi ? {o}u wenest ? at ? ilk[e]
resou{n}s of hem ? at assoilen ? is questiou{n} ne ben nat
spedeful ynou? ne sufficient ? e whiche soluc{i}ou{n} or ?
e
whiche resou{n} for ? at it demi? ? at ? e p{re}science nis nat 4672
cause of necessite to ? inges to comen. ? an ne wene? it
nat ? at fredom of wille be distourbed or ylett by p{re}science.
[Linenotes:
4653 _deuided[e]_--deuynede
_booke_--book
4654 _moeued[e]_--moeuede
4655 _sou? t_--I-sowht
4656 _long[e]_--longe
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4657 _yspedd_--MS. yspedde, C. Isped
_fermely_--MS. feruently, C. fermely
4658 _derkenesse_--dirknesse
[_of this_]--from C.
4662-3 [_myhten----men_]--from C.
4663 _my? te_--myhten
4667 _firste_--fyrst
4668 [_yspendyd and_]--from C.
_? o_--the
_whiche_--which
4669 _art_--MS. arte
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
4671 _spedeful_--spedful
4672 _whiche_--which
4674 _wille_--wyl]
[Headnote:
NECESSITY AND PRESCIENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Do you draw an argument of the necessity of future
events, from any other topic than this,--that those things which
are foreknown must of necessity happen? ]
for ne drawest ? ou nat argumentes from ellys
where of ? e necessite of ? inges to comen. As who sei? 4676
any o? er wey ? an ? us. but ? at ? ilke ? inge[s] ? at ? e p{re}scie{n}ce
woot byforn [ne] mowen nat vnbitide. ? at is to
seyn ? at ? ei moten bitide.
[Sidenote: If divine prescience imposes no necessity upon future
things, must not the issue of things be voluntary, and man's will
free and unconstrained? ]
? But ? an yif ? at p{re}science
ne putte? no necessite to ? inges to comen. as ? ou ? i self 4680
hast confessed it {and} byknowen a litel herbyforn{e}.
? what [[pg 162]]
cause [or what] is it. as who sei? ? ere may no cause be.
by whiche ? at ? e endes (exitus) uoluntarie of ? inges
my? ten be constreyned to certeyne bitydyng.
[Sidenote: For argument sake let us suppose there is no
prescience, would, then, the events which proceed from free-will
alone be under the power of necessity? ]
? For 4684
by grace of possessiou{n}. so ? at ? ou mowe ? e better vndirstonde
? is ? at folwe? . ? I pose (inpossibile) ? at
? er ne be no p{re}science. ? an axe I q{uo}d she in as
moche as app{er}teni? to ? at. sholde ? an ? inges ? at 4688
comen of frewille ben constreined to bytiden by
necessite.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
{Boici}us. nay q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Let us, then, admit Prescience, but that it
imposes no necessity on what is to happen; the freedom of the will
would still remain entire and absolute. ]
? an a? einward q{uo}d
she. I suppose ? at ? ere be p{re}science but ? at ne putte?
no necessite to ? inges. ? an trowe I ? at ? ilk self fredom 4692
of wille shal dwelle{n} al hool {and} absolut {and} vnbounden.
[Sidenote: But although Prescience, you may say, is not the
necessary cause of future events, yet it is a sign that they shall
necessarily happen, and hence it follows that, although there were
no prescience, future events would still be an inevitable
necessity. ]
but ? ou wolt sein ? at al be it so ? at p{re}science
nis nat cause of ? e necessite of bitidynge to ? inges to
comen. ? Algates ? itte it is a signe ? {a}t ? e ? inges ben 4696
to bytiden by necessite. by ? is manere ? an al ? ou? ? e
p{re}science ne hadde neuer yben. ? it algate or at ? e
lest[e] wey. it is certeyne ? ing ? at ? e e{n}dys {and} ? e
bitydynges of ? inges to come{n} sholde ben necessarie. 4700
[Sidenote: For the sign of a thing is not really the thing itself,
but only points out what the individual is. ]
? For euery sygne shewe? {and} signifie? oonly what ? e
? ing is ? but it ne maki? nat ? e ? ing ? at it signifie? .
[Sidenote: Wherefore, it must be first proved that everything
happens by necessity before we can conclude that prescience is a
sign of that necessity. ]
? For whiche it byhoue? firste to shewen ? at no ? ing
ne bitidi? [? {a}t it ne bytydith] by necessite. so ? at it 4704
may apere ? {a}t ? e p{re}scie{n}ce is signe of ? is necessite
[Sidenote: For if there be no necessity, prescience cannot be the
sign of that which has no existence. ]
? or ellys yif ? ere nere no necessite. certys ? ilke p{re}science
ne my? t[e] nat ben signe of ? inge ? at nis nat.
[Linenotes:
4677 _? inge[s]_--thinges
4683 _whiche_--which
4685 _better_--beter{e}
4688 _moche_--mochel
4689 _frewille_--free wyl
4691 _? at ne_--? at is ne
4692 _? at_--MS. ? an
_? ilk self_--thilke selue
4693 _wille_--wil
4699 _lest[e]_--leeste
4700 _sholde_--sholden
4703 _whiche_--which
_firste_--fyrst
4704 [_? at----bytydith_]--from C.
4707 _my? t[e]_--myhte
_? inge_--thing]
[Headnote:
NOT ALL THINGS CONTROLLED BY NECESSITY. ]
[Sidenote: The assertion that nothing happens but by necessity,
must be proved by arguments drawn from causes connected and
agreeing with this necessity, and not from signs or foreign
causes. ]
? But certys it is nowe certeyne ? at ? e preue of ? is 4708
susteni? by stedfast resou{n} ne shal nat ben ladd ne
p{ro}ued by signes ne by argumentys ytaken fro wi? oute.
but by causes couenable {and} necessarie ? But ? ou
mayst sein how may it be ? at ? e ? inges ne bitiden nat 4712
? at ben ypurueyed to comen. but certys ry? t as we [[pg 163]]
trowen ? at ? o ? inges whiche ?
