it by [a]
resonable
concepc{i}ou{n}.
Chaucer - Boethius
e sy?
t of ?
e eye knowe?
it.
{and} o?
er weyes ?
e
touchi{n}g.
[Sidenote: The eye, from afar, darts its rays upon the object, and
by beholding it comprehends its form. ]
? e lokynge by castynge of his bemes waite?
{and} see? fro afer alle ? e body to-gider wi? oute mouynge
of it self.
[Sidenote: But the object is not distinguished by the touch unless
the hand comes in contact with it and feels it all round. ]
but ? e touchinge cliui? {and} conioigne? to ? e 4768
rounde body (orbi) {and} moue? abouten ? e environynge.
{and} comp{re}hendi? by p{ar}ties ? e roundenesse.
[Linenotes:
4746 _seme_--semyn
_discorde_--discorden
4749 _? at_--yif
4753-5 [_and----self_]--from C.
4757 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4760 _alle_--al
4763 _mowe_--mowen
4764 _roundenes_--Rowndnesse
4765 _sy? t_--sihte
4767 _alle_--al
4769 _abouten_--abowte
4770 _roundenesse_--Rowndnesse]
[Headnote:
SENSE, REASON, AND INTELLIGENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Man himself is surveyed in divers ways--by the senses,
by the imagination, by reason, and by the intelligence (of the
Deity). ]
? and ? e man hym self o? er weies wyt byholdi? hym. {and}
o? {er}weyes ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} o? er weyes resou{n}. {and} 4772
o? er weyes intelligence.
[Sidenote: The senses take note of his material figure--the
imagination considers the form alone, exclusive of the matter. ]
? For ? e wit co{m}p{re}he{n}di?
fro wi? outen fur? e ? e figure of ? e body of ? e man. ? at
is establissed in ? e matere subiect. But ? e ymaginac{i}ou{n}
[comp{re}hendith only the figur{e} w{i}t{h} owte the mater{e} / 4776
[Sidenote: Reason transcends the imaginations, and examining
existences in general discovers the particular species, but the
eye of Intelligence soars still higher; for, going beyond the
bounds of what is general, it surveys the _simple forms_
themselves, by its own pure and subtle thought:]
Resou{n} surmou{n}teth ymaginaciou{n}]
{and} co{m}p{re}hende? [[pg 165]]
by an vniuersel lokynge ? e co{mmun}e spece (sp{eci}em)
? at is in ? e singuler peces. ? But ? e eye of intelligence
is hey? er for it so{ur}mou{n}te? ? e envirounynge of ? e 4780
vniu{er}site {and} looke? ouer ? at by pure subtilite of ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: in which this is chiefly to be considered, that the
higher power of perception embraces the lower; but the inferior
cannot attain to the energy of the superior:]
? ilk same symple forme of man ? at is p{er}durably in ? e
deuyne ? ou? t. in whiche ? is au? t[e] gretely to ben considered
? at ? e heyest streng? e to co{m}prehenden ? inges 4784
enbrace? {and} conteyne? ? e lower[e] streng? e [but the
lower{e} strengthe ne arysith nat in no maner{e} to heyer{e}
strengthe].
[Sidenote: for the senses cannot go beyond the perception of
matter; the imagination cannot comprehend existences in general,
nor can the reason conceive the simple form. ]
for wit ne may no ? inge co{m}p{re}hende oute of
matere. ne ? e ymagynac{i}ou{n} ne loke? nat ? e vniuerseles 4788
speces. ne resou{n} ne take? nat ? e symple forme. so as
i{n}telligence take? it.
[Sidenote: But the Intelligence looking down (as from above) and
having conceived the form, discerns all things that are below it,
and comprehends what does not fall within the reach of the other
faculties of the mind. ]
but ? e intelligence ? at loke? al
abouen whan it ha? co{m}p{re}hendid ? e forme it knowe?
{and} deme? alle ? e ? inges ? at be{n} vndir ? at forme. but 4792
she knowe? he{m} vndir ? ilke manere in ? e whiche it
comp{re}hendi? ? ilke same symple forme ? at ne may
neuer be knowen to non of ? at o? er. ? at is to seyn to
non of ? o ? re forseide streng? es of ? e soule.
[Sidenote: Without the aid of those faculties Intelligence
comprehends things _formally_ (_i. e. _ by beholding their simple
forms) by one effort of mind. ]
for it 4796
knowe? ? e vniuersite of resou{n} {and} ? e figure of
? e ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
{and} ? e sensible mat{er}ial conseiued. {and} ? ou
wenest ? {a}t it be diuerse fro ? e hoolnesse of science. ? at
any man sholde deme a ? ing to ben o? {er}weyes ? an it is 4800
it self {and} ? e cause of ? is erro{ur} {et}c'. {vt sup}ra. by wit.
[Sidenote: Reason, without the aid of Imagination and Sense, in
considering things in general, comprehends all imaginable and
sensible things. ]
ne it ne vse? nat nor of resou{n} ne of ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne
of wit wi? oute for? e but it byholde? alle ? inges so as I
shal seye. by a strok of ? ou? t formely wi? oute disco{ur}s 4804
or collac{i}ou{n} ? Certys resou{n} whan it loke? any ? ing
vniu{er}sel it ne vse? nat of ymaginac{i}ou{n} nor of wit {and}
algates ? it [it] co{m}prendi? ? e ? inges ymaginable {and}
sensible.
[Sidenote: For instance, reason defines her general conceptions
thus:--]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 37 _b_. ]]
for resou{n} is she ? at *diffinisse? ? e vniuersel 4808
of hir conseite ry? t ? us. [[pg 166]]
[Sidenote: Man is a rational two-footed animal, which, though it
be a general idea, yet every one knows that man thus defined is
perceived both by the imagination and the senses, notwithstanding
that in this instance reason does not make use of imagination or
the senses, but of her own rational conception. ]
? Man is a resonable t[w]o-footid
beest. and how so ? at ? is knowynge [is] vniuersel.
? it nys ? er no wy? t ? at ne woot wel. ? at a ma{n} is [a thing]
ymaginable {and} sensible ? and ? is same co{n}sidere? wel 4812
resou{n}. but ? at nis nat by ymaginac{i}ou{n}. nor by witte.
but it loki?
it by [a] resonable concepc{i}ou{n}.
[Sidenote: The imagination also, although it derives its power of
seeing and forming figures from the senses, yet in the absence and
without the use of the senses it considers and comprehends all
sensible things by its own imaginative power. ]
? Also ymaginac{i}ou{n}
al be it so. ? at it take? of wit ? e bygyny{n}g{us}
to seen {and} to formen ? e figures. algates al ? ou? ? at wit 4816
ne ware not p{re}sent. ? it it envirouni? {and} co{m}p{re}hendi?
alle ? inges sensible. nat by resou{n} sensible of demynge.
but by resou{n} ymaginatif.
[Sidenote: Do not you see that men attain to the knowledge of
things more by their own faculties, than by the inherent property
of things? ]
? sest ? ou nat ? an ? at alle
? e ? inges in knowynge vsen more of hir faculte or of hir 4820
power. ? an ? ei don of [the] faculte or of power of ? inges
? at ben yknowen.
[Sidenote: Nor is it unreasonable that it should be so--for since
every judgment is the act of the person judging; every one must
needs do his own work by the help of his own faculties, and not by
the aid of foreign power. ]
ne ? at nis no wronge. for so as euery
iugement is ? e dede or ? e doynge of hym ? at deme? . It 4823
byhoue? ? at euery wy? t p{er}forme ? e werke {and} hys entenc{i}ou{n}
nat of forein power[;] but of hys propre power.
[Linenotes:
4774 _fro wi? outen fur? e_--w{i}t{h} owte forth
4776-7 [_comprehendith----ymaginacioun_]--from C.
4777 _comprehende? _--MS. co{m}p{re}hendynge
4778 _an_--omitted
4780 _hey? er_--heyer{e}
4783 _whiche_--which
_au? t[e]_--owhte
4784 _heyest_--heyiste
4785 _lower[e]_--lower{e}
4785-7 [_but----strengthe_]--from C.
4787 _wit_--witte
_oute_--owt
4791 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4793 _whiche_--which
4795-6 _non_--none
4796 _streng? es_--thinges
4798-4801 _and ? ou----vt supra_--omitted
4805 _collacioun_--MS. callac{i}ou{n}, C. collaciou{n}
4806 _wit_--witte
4810 [_is_]--from C.
4813 _witte_--wit
4821 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
[_the_]--from C.
4822 _yknowen_--Iknowe]
_no wronge_--nat wrong
4824 _werke_--werk
4825 _forein_--foreyne]
[Headnote:
HOW OUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUTWARD THINGS IS GAINED. ]
QUONDAM PORTICUS ATTULIT.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Fallacious and obscure was the lore of the Stoics,]
++? E porche ? at is to sein a gate of ? e toune of athenis
? er as philosophres hadde hir congregac{i}ou{n} to dispoyten.
{and} ? ilke porche brou? t[e] so{m}tyme olde men ful 4828
derke in hire sentences. ? {a}t is to sein philosophers ? at
hy? ten stoiciens.
[Sidenote: who taught that images of things obvious to the senses
were imprinted on the mind by external objects, and that the soul
is at first like a mirror or a clean parchment, free from figures
and letters. ]
? at wenden ? at ymages [{and}] sensibilites
? at is to sein sensible ymaginac{i}ou{n}s. or ellys ymaginac{i}ou{n}
of sensible ? inges were{n} i{n}p{re}ntid in to soules 4832
fro bodies wi? oute for? e. ? As who sei? ? at ? ilke
stoiciens wenden ? {a}t ? e soule hadde ben naked of it
self. as a mirour or a clene p{ar}chemyn. so ? at alle
fygures mosten [fyrst] comen fro ? inges fro wi? oute in to 4836
soules. {and} ben inp{re}ntid in to soules. _Textus. _ Ry? t
as we ben wont some tyme by a swift poyntel to ficchen
l{ett}res emp{re}ntid in ? e smo? enesse or in ? e plainesse of
? e table of wex. or in p{ar}chemyn ? at ne ha? no figure [[pg 167]]
[ne] note in it.
[Sidenote: But if the mind is passive in receiving the impressions
of outward objects, whence proceeds the knowledge by which the
mind comprehends all things? ]
_Glosa. _ But now argui? boece a? eins ? at 4841
oppiniou{n} {and} sei? ? us. but yif ? e ? riuyng soule ne
vnpliti? no ? ing. ? at is to sein ne do? no ? ing by hys
p{ro}pre moeuynges. but suffri? {and} lie? subgit to ? e 4844
figures {and} to ? e notes of bodyes wi? oute for? e. {and}
? elde? ymages ydel {and} veyne in ? e manere of a
mirour. whennes ? riue? ? an or whennes come? ? an
? ilke knowyng in oure soule. ? at discerni? {and} byholde? 4848
alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: Whence its force to conceive individual existences, to
separate those things when known, to unite divided things, and to
choose and change its path, soaring to the highest and descending
to the lowest things--and returning to itself, to confute false
things by the true? ]
and whennes is ? ilke streng? e ? at
byholde? ? e syngulere ? inges. or whennes is ? e streng? e
? at dyuyde? ? inges yknowe. {and} ? ilke stre{n}g? e ? at
gadere? to-gidre ? e ? inges deuided. {and} ? e streng? e ? at 4852
chese? hys entrechau{n}ged wey for som tyme it heue?
vp ? e heued. ? at is to sein ? at it heue? vp ? e ente{n}c{i}ou{n}
to ry? t heye ? inges. {and} som tyme it discendi? in
to ry? t lowe ? inges. {and} whan it retourni? in to hym 4856
self. it rep{re}ui? {and} destroie? ? e false ? inges by ? e
trewe ? inges.
[Sidenote: This cause is more efficacious and powerful to see and
to know things, than that cause which receives the characters
impressed like servile matter.
touchi{n}g.
[Sidenote: The eye, from afar, darts its rays upon the object, and
by beholding it comprehends its form. ]
? e lokynge by castynge of his bemes waite?
{and} see? fro afer alle ? e body to-gider wi? oute mouynge
of it self.
[Sidenote: But the object is not distinguished by the touch unless
the hand comes in contact with it and feels it all round. ]
but ? e touchinge cliui? {and} conioigne? to ? e 4768
rounde body (orbi) {and} moue? abouten ? e environynge.
{and} comp{re}hendi? by p{ar}ties ? e roundenesse.
[Linenotes:
4746 _seme_--semyn
_discorde_--discorden
4749 _? at_--yif
4753-5 [_and----self_]--from C.
4757 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4760 _alle_--al
4763 _mowe_--mowen
4764 _roundenes_--Rowndnesse
4765 _sy? t_--sihte
4767 _alle_--al
4769 _abouten_--abowte
4770 _roundenesse_--Rowndnesse]
[Headnote:
SENSE, REASON, AND INTELLIGENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Man himself is surveyed in divers ways--by the senses,
by the imagination, by reason, and by the intelligence (of the
Deity). ]
? and ? e man hym self o? er weies wyt byholdi? hym. {and}
o? {er}weyes ymaginac{i}ou{n} {and} o? er weyes resou{n}. {and} 4772
o? er weyes intelligence.
[Sidenote: The senses take note of his material figure--the
imagination considers the form alone, exclusive of the matter. ]
? For ? e wit co{m}p{re}he{n}di?
fro wi? outen fur? e ? e figure of ? e body of ? e man. ? at
is establissed in ? e matere subiect. But ? e ymaginac{i}ou{n}
[comp{re}hendith only the figur{e} w{i}t{h} owte the mater{e} / 4776
[Sidenote: Reason transcends the imaginations, and examining
existences in general discovers the particular species, but the
eye of Intelligence soars still higher; for, going beyond the
bounds of what is general, it surveys the _simple forms_
themselves, by its own pure and subtle thought:]
Resou{n} surmou{n}teth ymaginaciou{n}]
{and} co{m}p{re}hende? [[pg 165]]
by an vniuersel lokynge ? e co{mmun}e spece (sp{eci}em)
? at is in ? e singuler peces. ? But ? e eye of intelligence
is hey? er for it so{ur}mou{n}te? ? e envirounynge of ? e 4780
vniu{er}site {and} looke? ouer ? at by pure subtilite of ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: in which this is chiefly to be considered, that the
higher power of perception embraces the lower; but the inferior
cannot attain to the energy of the superior:]
? ilk same symple forme of man ? at is p{er}durably in ? e
deuyne ? ou? t. in whiche ? is au? t[e] gretely to ben considered
? at ? e heyest streng? e to co{m}prehenden ? inges 4784
enbrace? {and} conteyne? ? e lower[e] streng? e [but the
lower{e} strengthe ne arysith nat in no maner{e} to heyer{e}
strengthe].
[Sidenote: for the senses cannot go beyond the perception of
matter; the imagination cannot comprehend existences in general,
nor can the reason conceive the simple form. ]
for wit ne may no ? inge co{m}p{re}hende oute of
matere. ne ? e ymagynac{i}ou{n} ne loke? nat ? e vniuerseles 4788
speces. ne resou{n} ne take? nat ? e symple forme. so as
i{n}telligence take? it.
[Sidenote: But the Intelligence looking down (as from above) and
having conceived the form, discerns all things that are below it,
and comprehends what does not fall within the reach of the other
faculties of the mind. ]
but ? e intelligence ? at loke? al
abouen whan it ha? co{m}p{re}hendid ? e forme it knowe?
{and} deme? alle ? e ? inges ? at be{n} vndir ? at forme. but 4792
she knowe? he{m} vndir ? ilke manere in ? e whiche it
comp{re}hendi? ? ilke same symple forme ? at ne may
neuer be knowen to non of ? at o? er. ? at is to seyn to
non of ? o ? re forseide streng? es of ? e soule.
[Sidenote: Without the aid of those faculties Intelligence
comprehends things _formally_ (_i. e. _ by beholding their simple
forms) by one effort of mind. ]
for it 4796
knowe? ? e vniuersite of resou{n} {and} ? e figure of
? e ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
{and} ? e sensible mat{er}ial conseiued. {and} ? ou
wenest ? {a}t it be diuerse fro ? e hoolnesse of science. ? at
any man sholde deme a ? ing to ben o? {er}weyes ? an it is 4800
it self {and} ? e cause of ? is erro{ur} {et}c'. {vt sup}ra. by wit.
[Sidenote: Reason, without the aid of Imagination and Sense, in
considering things in general, comprehends all imaginable and
sensible things. ]
ne it ne vse? nat nor of resou{n} ne of ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne
of wit wi? oute for? e but it byholde? alle ? inges so as I
shal seye. by a strok of ? ou? t formely wi? oute disco{ur}s 4804
or collac{i}ou{n} ? Certys resou{n} whan it loke? any ? ing
vniu{er}sel it ne vse? nat of ymaginac{i}ou{n} nor of wit {and}
algates ? it [it] co{m}prendi? ? e ? inges ymaginable {and}
sensible.
[Sidenote: For instance, reason defines her general conceptions
thus:--]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 37 _b_. ]]
for resou{n} is she ? at *diffinisse? ? e vniuersel 4808
of hir conseite ry? t ? us. [[pg 166]]
[Sidenote: Man is a rational two-footed animal, which, though it
be a general idea, yet every one knows that man thus defined is
perceived both by the imagination and the senses, notwithstanding
that in this instance reason does not make use of imagination or
the senses, but of her own rational conception. ]
? Man is a resonable t[w]o-footid
beest. and how so ? at ? is knowynge [is] vniuersel.
? it nys ? er no wy? t ? at ne woot wel. ? at a ma{n} is [a thing]
ymaginable {and} sensible ? and ? is same co{n}sidere? wel 4812
resou{n}. but ? at nis nat by ymaginac{i}ou{n}. nor by witte.
but it loki?
it by [a] resonable concepc{i}ou{n}.
[Sidenote: The imagination also, although it derives its power of
seeing and forming figures from the senses, yet in the absence and
without the use of the senses it considers and comprehends all
sensible things by its own imaginative power. ]
? Also ymaginac{i}ou{n}
al be it so. ? at it take? of wit ? e bygyny{n}g{us}
to seen {and} to formen ? e figures. algates al ? ou? ? at wit 4816
ne ware not p{re}sent. ? it it envirouni? {and} co{m}p{re}hendi?
alle ? inges sensible. nat by resou{n} sensible of demynge.
but by resou{n} ymaginatif.
[Sidenote: Do not you see that men attain to the knowledge of
things more by their own faculties, than by the inherent property
of things? ]
? sest ? ou nat ? an ? at alle
? e ? inges in knowynge vsen more of hir faculte or of hir 4820
power. ? an ? ei don of [the] faculte or of power of ? inges
? at ben yknowen.
[Sidenote: Nor is it unreasonable that it should be so--for since
every judgment is the act of the person judging; every one must
needs do his own work by the help of his own faculties, and not by
the aid of foreign power. ]
ne ? at nis no wronge. for so as euery
iugement is ? e dede or ? e doynge of hym ? at deme? . It 4823
byhoue? ? at euery wy? t p{er}forme ? e werke {and} hys entenc{i}ou{n}
nat of forein power[;] but of hys propre power.
[Linenotes:
4774 _fro wi? outen fur? e_--w{i}t{h} owte forth
4776-7 [_comprehendith----ymaginacioun_]--from C.
4777 _comprehende? _--MS. co{m}p{re}hendynge
4778 _an_--omitted
4780 _hey? er_--heyer{e}
4783 _whiche_--which
_au? t[e]_--owhte
4784 _heyest_--heyiste
4785 _lower[e]_--lower{e}
4785-7 [_but----strengthe_]--from C.
4787 _wit_--witte
_oute_--owt
4791 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
4793 _whiche_--which
4795-6 _non_--none
4796 _streng? es_--thinges
4798-4801 _and ? ou----vt supra_--omitted
4805 _collacioun_--MS. callac{i}ou{n}, C. collaciou{n}
4806 _wit_--witte
4810 [_is_]--from C.
4813 _witte_--wit
4821 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
[_the_]--from C.
4822 _yknowen_--Iknowe]
_no wronge_--nat wrong
4824 _werke_--werk
4825 _forein_--foreyne]
[Headnote:
HOW OUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUTWARD THINGS IS GAINED. ]
QUONDAM PORTICUS ATTULIT.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Fallacious and obscure was the lore of the Stoics,]
++? E porche ? at is to sein a gate of ? e toune of athenis
? er as philosophres hadde hir congregac{i}ou{n} to dispoyten.
{and} ? ilke porche brou? t[e] so{m}tyme olde men ful 4828
derke in hire sentences. ? {a}t is to sein philosophers ? at
hy? ten stoiciens.
[Sidenote: who taught that images of things obvious to the senses
were imprinted on the mind by external objects, and that the soul
is at first like a mirror or a clean parchment, free from figures
and letters. ]
? at wenden ? at ymages [{and}] sensibilites
? at is to sein sensible ymaginac{i}ou{n}s. or ellys ymaginac{i}ou{n}
of sensible ? inges were{n} i{n}p{re}ntid in to soules 4832
fro bodies wi? oute for? e. ? As who sei? ? at ? ilke
stoiciens wenden ? {a}t ? e soule hadde ben naked of it
self. as a mirour or a clene p{ar}chemyn. so ? at alle
fygures mosten [fyrst] comen fro ? inges fro wi? oute in to 4836
soules. {and} ben inp{re}ntid in to soules. _Textus. _ Ry? t
as we ben wont some tyme by a swift poyntel to ficchen
l{ett}res emp{re}ntid in ? e smo? enesse or in ? e plainesse of
? e table of wex. or in p{ar}chemyn ? at ne ha? no figure [[pg 167]]
[ne] note in it.
[Sidenote: But if the mind is passive in receiving the impressions
of outward objects, whence proceeds the knowledge by which the
mind comprehends all things? ]
_Glosa. _ But now argui? boece a? eins ? at 4841
oppiniou{n} {and} sei? ? us. but yif ? e ? riuyng soule ne
vnpliti? no ? ing. ? at is to sein ne do? no ? ing by hys
p{ro}pre moeuynges. but suffri? {and} lie? subgit to ? e 4844
figures {and} to ? e notes of bodyes wi? oute for? e. {and}
? elde? ymages ydel {and} veyne in ? e manere of a
mirour. whennes ? riue? ? an or whennes come? ? an
? ilke knowyng in oure soule. ? at discerni? {and} byholde? 4848
alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: Whence its force to conceive individual existences, to
separate those things when known, to unite divided things, and to
choose and change its path, soaring to the highest and descending
to the lowest things--and returning to itself, to confute false
things by the true? ]
and whennes is ? ilke streng? e ? at
byholde? ? e syngulere ? inges. or whennes is ? e streng? e
? at dyuyde? ? inges yknowe. {and} ? ilke stre{n}g? e ? at
gadere? to-gidre ? e ? inges deuided. {and} ? e streng? e ? at 4852
chese? hys entrechau{n}ged wey for som tyme it heue?
vp ? e heued. ? at is to sein ? at it heue? vp ? e ente{n}c{i}ou{n}
to ry? t heye ? inges. {and} som tyme it discendi? in
to ry? t lowe ? inges. {and} whan it retourni? in to hym 4856
self. it rep{re}ui? {and} destroie? ? e false ? inges by ? e
trewe ? inges.
[Sidenote: This cause is more efficacious and powerful to see and
to know things, than that cause which receives the characters
impressed like servile matter.
