ei
hepen {and} encresen ?
hepen {and} encresen ?
Chaucer - Boethius
at folwen hem.
?
And sone aftre 4372
? e same ryueres tigris {and} eufrates vnioygne{n} {and} dep{ar}ten
hir{e} watres. [[pg 152]]
[Sidenote: But should they unite again, in the impetuous stream,
boats, ships, and trees would be all intermingled, whirled about;
and blind Chance seems to direct the current's course. ]
and yif ? ei comen to-gidre {and} ben
assembled {and} clepid to-gidre in to o cours. ? an moten
? ilke ? inges fletyn to-gidre whiche ? at ? e water of ? e 4376
entrechau{n}gyng flode bry{n}ge? ? e shippes {and} ? e stokkes
araced wi? ? e flood moten assemble. {and} ? e watres
ymedlyd wrappi? or implie? many fortunel happes or
maneres.
[Sidenote: But the sloping earth, the laws of fluids, govern these
things. ]
? e whiche wandryng happes na? eles ? ilke enclinyng 4380
lowenes of ? e er? e. {and} ? e flowynge ordre of
? e slidyng water gouerni? .
[Sidenote: So though Chance seems to wander unrestrained, it is
nevertheless curbed and restrained by Divine Providence. ]
? Ry? t so fortune ? at
seme? as [? at] it fleti? wi? slaked or vngouerned[e]
bridles. It suffri? bridles ? at is to seyn to ben gouerned 4384
{and} passe? by ? ilke lawe. ? at is to sein by ? e deuyne
ordinaunce.
[Linenotes:
4369 [_and_]--from C.
_a_--oo
4371 [_batayle_]--from C.
4373 _? e_--tho
4374 _to-gidre_--to-gyderes
4376 _whiche_--which
4377 _flode_--flod
4378 _assemble_--assemblyn
4380 _enclinyng_--declynynge
4381 _lowenes_--lownesse
4383 [_? at_]--from C.
_vngouerned[e]_--vngou{er}nede
4385 _? e_--thilke]
[Headnote:
ON FREE WILL. ]
A{N}I{M}ADUERTO INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The . 2^de. p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Is there any _free-will_ in this chain of cohering
causes? ]
++? is vndirstonde I wel q{uo}d I. {and} accorde wel ? at it
is ry? t as ? ou seist. but I axe yif ? er be any liberte 4388
or fre wil in ? is ordre of causes ? at cliue{n} ? us to-gidre
in hem self.
[Sidenote: Or doth the _chain of destiny_ constrain the motions of
the human mind? ]
? or ellys I wolde witen yif ? at ? e
destinal cheine co{n}streini? ? e moeueuynge of ? e corages
of me{n}.
[Sidenote: _P. _ There is a freedom of the will possessed by every
rational being. ]
yis q{uo}d she ? er is liberte of fre wille. ne ? er 4392
ne was neuer no nature of resou{n} ? at it ne hadde liberte
of fre wille.
[Sidenote: A rational being has judgment to judge of and discern
everything. ]
? For euery ? ing ? at may naturely vsen
resou{n}. it ha? doom by whiche it discerni? {and} demi?
euery ? ing.
[Sidenote: Of himself he knows what he is to avoid or to desire.
He seeks what he judges desirable, and he shuns what he deems
should be avoided. ]
? ? an knowe? it by it self ? inges ? at be{n} 4396
to fleen. {and} ? inges ? at ben to desiren. {and} ? ilk ? ing
? at any wy? t deme? to ben desired ? {a}t axe? or desire?
he {and} flee? [thilke] ? ing ? at he troue? ben to fleen.
[Linenotes:
4389 _or_--of
4390 _hem_--hym
4392 _yis_--MS. yif, C. yis
4392-94 _wille_--wil
4395 _whiche_--which
4397 _? ilk_--thilke
4399 [_thilke_]--from C. ]
[Headnote:
PROVIDENCE SEES ALL THINGS. ]
[Sidenote: A rational being possesses, then, the liberty of
choosing and rejecting. ]
? wher-fore in alle ? inges ? {a}t resou{n} is. i{n} hem also is 4400
libertee of willyng {and} of nillynge.
[Sidenote: This liberty is not equal in all beings. ]
? But I ne ordeyne
nat. as who sei? . I ne graunte nat ? at ? is lib{er}tee be
euene like in alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: In heavenly substances, as spirits, &c. , judgment is
clear, and the will is incorruptible, and has a ready and
efficacious power of doing things which are desired. ]
forwhi in ? e souereyns deuynes
substau{n}ces.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 34 _b_. ]]
? at is to *seyn in spirit? ? Iugement is 4404
more clere {and} wil nat be corumped. {and} ha? my? t [[pg 153]]
redy to speden ? inges ? at ben desired.
[Sidenote: The souls of men must needs be more free when employed
in the contemplation of the Divine Mind, and less so when they
enter into a body, and still less free when enclosed and confined
in earthly members; but the most extreme servitude is when they
are given over to vice and wholly fallen from their proper
reason. ]
? But ? e soules
of men moten nedes ben more free whan ? ei loken hem
in ? e speculac{i}ou{n} or lokynge of ? e deuyne ? ou? t. {and} 4408
lasse free whan ? ei sliden in to ? e bodies. {and} ? it lasse
free whan ? ei ben gadred to-gidre {and} co{m}p{re}hendid in
er? ely membris. but ? e last[e] seruage is whan ? at ? ei
ben ? eue{n} to vices. {and} han yfalle fro ? e possessiou{n} of 4412
hire p{ro}pre resou{n}
[Sidenote: For at once they are enveloped by the cloud of
ignorance and are troubled by pernicious desires, by yielding to
which they aid and increase that slavery which they brought upon
themselves, and thus even under the liberty proper to them, they
remain captives. ]
? For after ? at ? ei han cast aweye
hir eyen fro ? e ly? t of ? e souereyn so? efastnesse to lowe
? inges {and} dirke ? Anon ? ei dirken by ? e cloude of
ignoraunce {and} ben troubled by felonous talent? . to ? e 4416
whiche talent? whan ? ei app{ro}chen {and} assenten. ?
ei
hepen {and} encresen ? e seruage whiche ? ei han ioigned
to hem self. and in ? is manere ? ei ben caitifs fro hire
p{ro}pre libertee.
[Sidenote: Yet the eye of Providence, beholding all things from
eternity, sees all this and disposes according to their merit all
things as they are predestinated. ]
? e whiche ? inges na? eles ? e lokynge of 4420
? e deuyne purueaunce see? ? {a}t alle ? inges byholde?
{and} see? fro et{er}ne. and ordeyne? hem eueryche i{n} her
merites. as ? ei ben p{ro}destinat.
[Sidenote: He, as Homer says of the sun, _sees and hears all
things_. ]
{and} it is seid in grek.
? at alle ? inges he see? {and} alle ? inges he here? . 4424
[Linenotes:
4405 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4411 _last[e]_--laste
4412 _fro_--from
4415 _cloude_--clowdes
4418 _whiche_--which
4423 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd]
PURO CLARU{M} LUMINE.
[Sidenote: [The . 2^de. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: The sweet-tongued Homer sings of the sun's pure light.
Yet the sun's beams cannot pierce into the inner bowels of the
earth, nor into the depths of the sea. ]
++HOmer wi? ? e hony mou? e. ? at is to seyn. homer
wi? ? e swete dites synge? ? at ? e sonne is cleer by
pure ly? t. na? eles ? it ne may it nat by ? e inferme ly? t
of hys bemes breke{n} or p{er}ce{n} ? e inwarde entrailes of 4428
? e er? e. or ellys of ? e see.
[Sidenote: But God, the world's maker, beholding from on high, has
his vision impeded neither by earth nor cloud. ]
? so ne see? nat god makere
of ? e grete worlde to hym ? at loke? alle ? inges from on
heye ne wi? standi? nat no ? inges by heuynesses of er? e.
ne ? e ny? t ne wi? stonde? nat to hy{m} by ? e blake 4432
cloudes.
[Sidenote: At a glance he sees all events, present, past, and
future. ]
? ? ilke god see? i{n} o strook of ? ou? t alle
? inges ? at ben or weren or schullen come.
[Sidenote: God, then, that alone sees all things, may indeed be
called the true Sun. ]
? and ? ilke
god for he loke? {and} see? alle ? inges al oon. ? ou maist [[pg 154]]
seyn ? at he is ? e verray sonne. 4436
[Linenotes:
4425 _mou? e_--Mowth
4428 _percen_--MS. p{er}te{n}, C. p{er}cen
_inwarde_--inward
4430 _worlde_--world
_on heye_--an hegh
4431 _nat_--omitted
4434 _schullen come_--shollen comyn
4435 _al oon_--alone]
[Headnote:
GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND MAN'S FREE WILL. ]
TAMEN EGO EN INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The . 3^de. p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ I am distracted by a more difficult doubt than
ever. ]
++? An seide I now am I co{n}fou{n}ded by a more harde
doute ? an I was. what doute is ? at q{uo}d she.
? For certys I coniecte now by whiche ? inges ? ou art
troubled.
[Sidenote: God's foreknowledge seems to me inconsistent with man's
free-will. ]
It seme? q{uo}d I to repugnen {and} to contrarien 4440
gretly ? at god knowe? byforn alle ? inges. {and}
? at ? er is any fredom of liberte.
[Sidenote: For if God foresees all things, and cannot be deceived,
then that which Providence hath foreseen must needs happen. ]
for yif so be ? at god
loke? alle ? inges byforn. ne god ne may nat ben
desseiuid in no manere. ? an mot it nedes ben ? at alle 4444
? inges bytyden ? e whiche ? at ? e purueaunce of god ha?
sein byforn to comen.
[Sidenote: If God from eternity doth foreknow not only the works,
but the designs and wills of men, there can be no liberty of
will--nor can there be any other action or will than that which a
Divine and infallible Providence hath foreseen. ]
? For whiche yif ? at god
knowe? by-forn nat oonly ? e werkes of men. but also
hir conseils {and} hir willes. ? an ne shal ? er be no 4448
liberte of arbitre. ne certys ? er ne may ben noon o? er
dede ne no wille but ? ilke whiche ? e deuyne purueaunce
? at ne may nat ben desseiued ha? feled byforn
[Sidenote: For if things fall out contrary to such foreseeing, and
are wrested another way, the prescience of God in regard to
futurity would not be sure and unerring--it would be nothing but
an uncertain opinion of them: but I take it to be impious and
unlawful to believe this of God. ]
? For
yif ? at ? ei my? ten wry? en awey in o? er manere ? an ? ei 4452
ben purueyed. ? an ne sholde ? er ben no stedfast p{re}science
of ? inge to comen but ra? er an vncerteyn
oppiniou{n}. ? e whiche ? inge to trowen on god I deme it
felonie {and} vnleueful.
[Sidenote: Nor do I approve of the reasoning made use of by some.
For they say that a thing is not necessarily to happen because God
hath foreseen it, but rather because it is to happen it cannot be
hid from the divine Providence. ]
? Ne I ne proeue nat ? ilk 4456
same resou{n}. as who sei? I ne allowe nat. or I ne p{re}ise
nat ? ilke same resou{n} by whiche ? at som men wenen
? at ? ei mowen assoilen {and} vnknytten ? e knot of ? is
questiou{n}. ? For certys ? ei seyn ? {a}t ? ing nis nat to 4460
come for ? at ? e purueaunce of god ha? seyn it byforn{e}.
?
? e same ryueres tigris {and} eufrates vnioygne{n} {and} dep{ar}ten
hir{e} watres. [[pg 152]]
[Sidenote: But should they unite again, in the impetuous stream,
boats, ships, and trees would be all intermingled, whirled about;
and blind Chance seems to direct the current's course. ]
and yif ? ei comen to-gidre {and} ben
assembled {and} clepid to-gidre in to o cours. ? an moten
? ilke ? inges fletyn to-gidre whiche ? at ? e water of ? e 4376
entrechau{n}gyng flode bry{n}ge? ? e shippes {and} ? e stokkes
araced wi? ? e flood moten assemble. {and} ? e watres
ymedlyd wrappi? or implie? many fortunel happes or
maneres.
[Sidenote: But the sloping earth, the laws of fluids, govern these
things. ]
? e whiche wandryng happes na? eles ? ilke enclinyng 4380
lowenes of ? e er? e. {and} ? e flowynge ordre of
? e slidyng water gouerni? .
[Sidenote: So though Chance seems to wander unrestrained, it is
nevertheless curbed and restrained by Divine Providence. ]
? Ry? t so fortune ? at
seme? as [? at] it fleti? wi? slaked or vngouerned[e]
bridles. It suffri? bridles ? at is to seyn to ben gouerned 4384
{and} passe? by ? ilke lawe. ? at is to sein by ? e deuyne
ordinaunce.
[Linenotes:
4369 [_and_]--from C.
_a_--oo
4371 [_batayle_]--from C.
4373 _? e_--tho
4374 _to-gidre_--to-gyderes
4376 _whiche_--which
4377 _flode_--flod
4378 _assemble_--assemblyn
4380 _enclinyng_--declynynge
4381 _lowenes_--lownesse
4383 [_? at_]--from C.
_vngouerned[e]_--vngou{er}nede
4385 _? e_--thilke]
[Headnote:
ON FREE WILL. ]
A{N}I{M}ADUERTO INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The . 2^de. p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Is there any _free-will_ in this chain of cohering
causes? ]
++? is vndirstonde I wel q{uo}d I. {and} accorde wel ? at it
is ry? t as ? ou seist. but I axe yif ? er be any liberte 4388
or fre wil in ? is ordre of causes ? at cliue{n} ? us to-gidre
in hem self.
[Sidenote: Or doth the _chain of destiny_ constrain the motions of
the human mind? ]
? or ellys I wolde witen yif ? at ? e
destinal cheine co{n}streini? ? e moeueuynge of ? e corages
of me{n}.
[Sidenote: _P. _ There is a freedom of the will possessed by every
rational being. ]
yis q{uo}d she ? er is liberte of fre wille. ne ? er 4392
ne was neuer no nature of resou{n} ? at it ne hadde liberte
of fre wille.
[Sidenote: A rational being has judgment to judge of and discern
everything. ]
? For euery ? ing ? at may naturely vsen
resou{n}. it ha? doom by whiche it discerni? {and} demi?
euery ? ing.
[Sidenote: Of himself he knows what he is to avoid or to desire.
He seeks what he judges desirable, and he shuns what he deems
should be avoided. ]
? ? an knowe? it by it self ? inges ? at be{n} 4396
to fleen. {and} ? inges ? at ben to desiren. {and} ? ilk ? ing
? at any wy? t deme? to ben desired ? {a}t axe? or desire?
he {and} flee? [thilke] ? ing ? at he troue? ben to fleen.
[Linenotes:
4389 _or_--of
4390 _hem_--hym
4392 _yis_--MS. yif, C. yis
4392-94 _wille_--wil
4395 _whiche_--which
4397 _? ilk_--thilke
4399 [_thilke_]--from C. ]
[Headnote:
PROVIDENCE SEES ALL THINGS. ]
[Sidenote: A rational being possesses, then, the liberty of
choosing and rejecting. ]
? wher-fore in alle ? inges ? {a}t resou{n} is. i{n} hem also is 4400
libertee of willyng {and} of nillynge.
[Sidenote: This liberty is not equal in all beings. ]
? But I ne ordeyne
nat. as who sei? . I ne graunte nat ? at ? is lib{er}tee be
euene like in alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: In heavenly substances, as spirits, &c. , judgment is
clear, and the will is incorruptible, and has a ready and
efficacious power of doing things which are desired. ]
forwhi in ? e souereyns deuynes
substau{n}ces.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 34 _b_. ]]
? at is to *seyn in spirit? ? Iugement is 4404
more clere {and} wil nat be corumped. {and} ha? my? t [[pg 153]]
redy to speden ? inges ? at ben desired.
[Sidenote: The souls of men must needs be more free when employed
in the contemplation of the Divine Mind, and less so when they
enter into a body, and still less free when enclosed and confined
in earthly members; but the most extreme servitude is when they
are given over to vice and wholly fallen from their proper
reason. ]
? But ? e soules
of men moten nedes ben more free whan ? ei loken hem
in ? e speculac{i}ou{n} or lokynge of ? e deuyne ? ou? t. {and} 4408
lasse free whan ? ei sliden in to ? e bodies. {and} ? it lasse
free whan ? ei ben gadred to-gidre {and} co{m}p{re}hendid in
er? ely membris. but ? e last[e] seruage is whan ? at ? ei
ben ? eue{n} to vices. {and} han yfalle fro ? e possessiou{n} of 4412
hire p{ro}pre resou{n}
[Sidenote: For at once they are enveloped by the cloud of
ignorance and are troubled by pernicious desires, by yielding to
which they aid and increase that slavery which they brought upon
themselves, and thus even under the liberty proper to them, they
remain captives. ]
? For after ? at ? ei han cast aweye
hir eyen fro ? e ly? t of ? e souereyn so? efastnesse to lowe
? inges {and} dirke ? Anon ? ei dirken by ? e cloude of
ignoraunce {and} ben troubled by felonous talent? . to ? e 4416
whiche talent? whan ? ei app{ro}chen {and} assenten. ?
ei
hepen {and} encresen ? e seruage whiche ? ei han ioigned
to hem self. and in ? is manere ? ei ben caitifs fro hire
p{ro}pre libertee.
[Sidenote: Yet the eye of Providence, beholding all things from
eternity, sees all this and disposes according to their merit all
things as they are predestinated. ]
? e whiche ? inges na? eles ? e lokynge of 4420
? e deuyne purueaunce see? ? {a}t alle ? inges byholde?
{and} see? fro et{er}ne. and ordeyne? hem eueryche i{n} her
merites. as ? ei ben p{ro}destinat.
[Sidenote: He, as Homer says of the sun, _sees and hears all
things_. ]
{and} it is seid in grek.
? at alle ? inges he see? {and} alle ? inges he here? . 4424
[Linenotes:
4405 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4411 _last[e]_--laste
4412 _fro_--from
4415 _cloude_--clowdes
4418 _whiche_--which
4423 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd]
PURO CLARU{M} LUMINE.
[Sidenote: [The . 2^de. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: The sweet-tongued Homer sings of the sun's pure light.
Yet the sun's beams cannot pierce into the inner bowels of the
earth, nor into the depths of the sea. ]
++HOmer wi? ? e hony mou? e. ? at is to seyn. homer
wi? ? e swete dites synge? ? at ? e sonne is cleer by
pure ly? t. na? eles ? it ne may it nat by ? e inferme ly? t
of hys bemes breke{n} or p{er}ce{n} ? e inwarde entrailes of 4428
? e er? e. or ellys of ? e see.
[Sidenote: But God, the world's maker, beholding from on high, has
his vision impeded neither by earth nor cloud. ]
? so ne see? nat god makere
of ? e grete worlde to hym ? at loke? alle ? inges from on
heye ne wi? standi? nat no ? inges by heuynesses of er? e.
ne ? e ny? t ne wi? stonde? nat to hy{m} by ? e blake 4432
cloudes.
[Sidenote: At a glance he sees all events, present, past, and
future. ]
? ? ilke god see? i{n} o strook of ? ou? t alle
? inges ? at ben or weren or schullen come.
[Sidenote: God, then, that alone sees all things, may indeed be
called the true Sun. ]
? and ? ilke
god for he loke? {and} see? alle ? inges al oon. ? ou maist [[pg 154]]
seyn ? at he is ? e verray sonne. 4436
[Linenotes:
4425 _mou? e_--Mowth
4428 _percen_--MS. p{er}te{n}, C. p{er}cen
_inwarde_--inward
4430 _worlde_--world
_on heye_--an hegh
4431 _nat_--omitted
4434 _schullen come_--shollen comyn
4435 _al oon_--alone]
[Headnote:
GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND MAN'S FREE WILL. ]
TAMEN EGO EN INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The . 3^de. p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ I am distracted by a more difficult doubt than
ever. ]
++? An seide I now am I co{n}fou{n}ded by a more harde
doute ? an I was. what doute is ? at q{uo}d she.
? For certys I coniecte now by whiche ? inges ? ou art
troubled.
[Sidenote: God's foreknowledge seems to me inconsistent with man's
free-will. ]
It seme? q{uo}d I to repugnen {and} to contrarien 4440
gretly ? at god knowe? byforn alle ? inges. {and}
? at ? er is any fredom of liberte.
[Sidenote: For if God foresees all things, and cannot be deceived,
then that which Providence hath foreseen must needs happen. ]
for yif so be ? at god
loke? alle ? inges byforn. ne god ne may nat ben
desseiuid in no manere. ? an mot it nedes ben ? at alle 4444
? inges bytyden ? e whiche ? at ? e purueaunce of god ha?
sein byforn to comen.
[Sidenote: If God from eternity doth foreknow not only the works,
but the designs and wills of men, there can be no liberty of
will--nor can there be any other action or will than that which a
Divine and infallible Providence hath foreseen. ]
? For whiche yif ? at god
knowe? by-forn nat oonly ? e werkes of men. but also
hir conseils {and} hir willes. ? an ne shal ? er be no 4448
liberte of arbitre. ne certys ? er ne may ben noon o? er
dede ne no wille but ? ilke whiche ? e deuyne purueaunce
? at ne may nat ben desseiued ha? feled byforn
[Sidenote: For if things fall out contrary to such foreseeing, and
are wrested another way, the prescience of God in regard to
futurity would not be sure and unerring--it would be nothing but
an uncertain opinion of them: but I take it to be impious and
unlawful to believe this of God. ]
? For
yif ? at ? ei my? ten wry? en awey in o? er manere ? an ? ei 4452
ben purueyed. ? an ne sholde ? er ben no stedfast p{re}science
of ? inge to comen but ra? er an vncerteyn
oppiniou{n}. ? e whiche ? inge to trowen on god I deme it
felonie {and} vnleueful.
[Sidenote: Nor do I approve of the reasoning made use of by some.
For they say that a thing is not necessarily to happen because God
hath foreseen it, but rather because it is to happen it cannot be
hid from the divine Providence. ]
? Ne I ne proeue nat ? ilk 4456
same resou{n}. as who sei? I ne allowe nat. or I ne p{re}ise
nat ? ilke same resou{n} by whiche ? at som men wenen
? at ? ei mowen assoilen {and} vnknytten ? e knot of ? is
questiou{n}. ? For certys ? ei seyn ? {a}t ? ing nis nat to 4460
come for ? at ? e purueaunce of god ha? seyn it byforn{e}.
?
