]
Myn aristotul q{uo}d 4340
she.
Myn aristotul q{uo}d 4340
she.
Chaucer - Boethius
{er} ?
inges to ben tretid {and} to ben ysped.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thy exhortation is just and worthy of thy
authority, but thou saidst that the question of the Divine
Superintendence or Providence is involved with many others--and
this I believe. ]
? an seide I. Certys ry? tful is ? in amonestyng {and} ful 4296
digne by auctorite. but ? at ? ou seidest som tyme ? at
? e questiou{n} of ? e deuyne p{ur}ueaunce is enlaced wi?
many o? er questiou{n}s. I vndir-stonde wel {and} p{ro}ue it
by ? e same ? inge.
[Sidenote: I am desirous, however, of knowing whether there be
such a thing as _Chance_, and what thou thinkest it is. ]
but I axe yif ? at ? ou wenest ? at hap 4300
be any ? ing in any weys. {and} if ? ou wenest ? at hap be
any [thing] what is it.
[Sidenote: _P. _ I hasten to fulfil my promise and to show the road
to your own country. ]
? an q{uo}d she. I haste me to
? elden {and} assoilen ? e to ? e dette of my byheste {and}
to shewen {and} opnen ? e wey by whiche wey ? ou maist 4304
come a? ein to ? i contre.
[Sidenote: But although these things you question me about are
profitable to know, yet they lead us a little out of our way. ]
? but al be it so ? at ? e ? inges
whiche ? at ? ou axest b{e}n ry? t p{ro}fitable to knowe.
? itte ben ? ei diuers somwhat fro ? e pa? e of my purpos.
[Sidenote: And by straying from the path you may be too fatigued
to return to the right road. ]
And it is to douten ? at ? ou ne be maked weery by 4308
mysweys so ? at ? ou ne mayst nat suffise to mesure{n} ? e
ry? t weye.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Don't be afraid of that, for it will refresh me as
much as rest to know these things in which I am delightfully
interested. ]
? Ne doute ? e ? er-of no ? ing q{uo}d I. for
forto knowen ? ilke ? inges to-gidre in ? e whiche ? inges
I delite me gretly. ? at shal ben to me in stede of reste. 4312
Syn it nis nat to douten of ? e ? inges folwy{n}ge whan
euery side of ? i disputisou{n} shal be stedfast to me by
vndoutous fei? . ? an seide she. ? at manere wol I don
? e. {and} byga{n} to speken ry? t ? us [[pg 150]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ I will then comply with thy requests. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she 4316
yif any wy? t diffinisse hap in ? is manere. ? at is to seyn.
[Linenotes:
4294 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd
_? e_--by
4297 _som tyme_--whilom
4298 _? e_ (2)--thy
4300 _? inge_--thing
4302 [_thing_]--from C.
4303 _? elden_--yilden
_assoilen_--MS. assailen, C. assoylen
_byheste_--byhest
4304-6 _whiche_--which
4306 _ben_--MS. b{e}n{e}
4307 _pa? e_--paath
4312 _stede_--styde
4314 _disputisoun_--disputaciou{n}
_be_--han ben
_stedfast_--stydefast
4317 _seyn_--seyng]
[Headnote:
DEFINITION OF CHANCE. ]
[Sidenote: If we define Chance to be an event produced by an
unintelligent motion, and not by a chain or connection of causes,
I should then affirm that Chance is nothing and an empty sound. ]
? at hap is bytidynge y-brou? t for? e by foelyshe
moeuynge. {and} by no knyttyng of causes. ? I conferme
? at hap nis ry? t nau? t in no wise. and I deme al 4320
outerly ? at hap nis ne dwelli? but a voys. ? As who
sei? . but an ydel worde wi? outen any significac{i}ou{n} of
? ing summittid to ? at vois.
[Sidenote: What room is there for folly and disorder where all
things are restrained by order, through the ordinance of God? ]
for what place my? t[e] ben
left or dwellynge to folie {and} to disordinau{n}ce. syn ? at 4324
god ledi? {and} streyni? alle ? inges by ordre.
[Sidenote: For it is a great truth that nothing can spring out of
nothing. ]
? For ? is
sentence is verray {and} so? e ? at no ? inge ne ha? his
beynge of nou? t. to [the] whiche sentence none of ? ise
olde folk ne wi? seide neuere al be it so ? at ? ei ne 4328
vndirstoden ne moeueden it nau? t by god p{r}ince {and}
gynner of wirkyng. but ? ei casten as a manere foundement
of subgit material. ? at is to seyn of [the] nature
of alle resou{n}.
[Sidenote: Now, if anything arises without the operation of a
cause, it proceeds from nothing. ]
{and} ? if ? at ony ? inge is woxen or comen 4332
of no causes. ? an shal it seme ? at ? ilke ? inge is comen
or woxen of nou? t.
[Sidenote: But if this is impossible, then there can be no such a
thing as Chance, as we have defined it. ]
but yif ? is ne may nat ben don.
? an is it nat possible ? at ? ere ha? ben any swiche ? ing
as I haue diffinissid a litel here byforne.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Is there nothing, then, that may be called Chance
or Fortune? ]
? How shal 4336
it ? an ben q{uo}d I. nis ? er ? an no ? ing ? at by ry? t may
be cleped ey? er hap{pe} or ellis auenture of fortune.
[Sidenote: Is there nothing (hid from the vulgar) to which these
words may be applied? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 34. ]]
or is
? er ou? t al *be it so ? at it is hidd fro ? e poeple to
whiche ? ise wordes ben couenable.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Aristotle defines this matter with much precision
and probability.
]
Myn aristotul q{uo}d 4340
she. in ? e book of his phisik diffinisse? ? is ? ing by
short resou{n} and ney? e to ? e so? e.
[Sidenote: _B. _ How? ]
? In whiche manere
q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ So often as a man does anything for the sake of
any other thing, and another thing than what he intended to do is
produced by other causes, that thing so produced is called
_Chance_. ]
? As ofte q{uo}d she as men don any ? ing for
grace of any o? er ? ing. {and} an o? er ? inge ? an ? ilke 4344
? ing ? at men ententen to doon bytide? by som[e] causes
it is ycleped hap{pe}.
[Sidenote: As if a man trench the ground for tillage and find
gold, then this is believed to happen by chance, although it is
not so. ]
? Ry? t as a man dalf ? e er? e by
cause of tylienge of ? e felde. {and} fond ? ere a gobet of [[pg 151]]
golde by-doluen. ? an wenen folk ? at it is fallen by fortunous 4348
bytydyng. but for so? e it nis nat for nau? t for
it ha? hys p{ro}pre causes of whiche causes ? e cours vnforseyn
and vnwar semi? to han maked hap{pe}.
[Sidenote: For if the tiller had not ploughed the field, and if
the hider of the gold had not concealed it in that spot, the gold
had not been found. ]
? For
yif ? e tilier in ? e er? e ne delue nat in ? e felde. and yif 4352
? e hider of ? e golde ne hadde hidd ? e golde in ? ilke
place. ? e golde ne had[de] nat ben founde.
[Sidenote: These, then, are the causes of a fortuitous acquisition
which proceeds from a conflux of encountering causes, and not from
the intention of the doer. ]
? ise ben
? an ? e causes of ? e abreggynge of fortune hap. ? e whiche
abreggynge of fortune hap come? of causes encountrynge 4356
{and} flowyng to-gidre to hem selfe. {and} nat by ? e entenc{i}ou{n}
of ? e doer.
[Sidenote: For neither the hider of the gold nor the husbandman
intended or understood that the gold should be found. ]
? For nei? er ? e hider of ? e gold.
ne ? e deluer of ? e felde ne vndirstanden nat ? at ? e
golde sholde han be founde. but as I seide.
[Sidenote: But it happened by the concurrence of these two causes
that the one did dig where the other had hidden the money. ]
it bytidde 4360
{and} ran to-gidre ? at he dalf ? ere as ? at o? er hadde hidd
? e golde.
[Sidenote: Chance, then, is an unexpected event, by a concurrence
of causes, following an action designed for a particular purpose. ]
Now may I ? us diffinissen hap{pe}. ? Hap{pe}
is an vnwar bytydyng of causes assembled in ? inges ? at
ben don for som o? er ? inge. but ? ilke ordre p{ro}cedynge 4364
by an vneschewable byndynge to-gidre.
[Sidenote: This concurrence of causes proceeds from that order
which flows from the fountain of Providence and disposes all
things as to place and time. ]
whiche ? at
descende? fro ? e wel of purueaunce ? at ordeine? alle
? inges i{n} hir{e} places {and} in hire tymes make? ? at ? e
causes rennen {and} assemblen to-gidre. 4368
[Linenotes:
4318 _for? e_--forth
4322 _worde_--word
4323 _my? t[e]_--myhte
4324 _left_--lefte
4325 _streyni? _--constreynyth
4326 _so? e_--soth
_no ? inge_--nothing
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4327 [_the_]--from C.
4330 _gynner_--bygynner{e}
4331 [_the_]--from C.
4332 _? if_--MS. ? it, C. yif
_? inge_--thing
4335 _? at----ben_--? {a}t hap be
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_swiche_--swych
4338 _happe_--hap
4339 _hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidd
4340 _whiche_--which
4342 _ney? e_--nehg
_whiche_--which
4343 _don_--MS. done, C. don
4344 _? inge_--thing
4345 _som[e]_--some
4346 _happe_--hap
4347 _of_ (1)--to
_fond_--MS. fonde, C. fownde
4348 _golde_--gold
_fallen_--byfalle
4349 _for_ (2)--of
4350 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_hys_--hise
4351 _happe_--hap
4352 _tilier_--tylyer{e}
_delue_--dolue
4353 _hider_--hyder{e}
_golde_--gold
_hidd_--MS. hidde
4353-4 _golde_--gold
4354 _had[de]_--hadde
4355 _fortune_--fortuit
_whiche_--which
4356 _fortune_--fortuit
_come? _--comth
4357 _flowyng_--MS. folwyng, C. flowynge
_selfe_--self
4358 _doer_--doer{e}
_hider_--hider{e}
4359 _deluer_--deluer{e}
_felde_--feeld
_vndirstanden_--vndirstoden
4360 _golde_--gold
4361 _hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hyd
4362 _happe_ (_both_)--hap
4365 _whiche_--which
4366 _descende? _--MS. defende? , C. descendith
_wel_--welle]
RUPIS ACHEMENIE.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Where the flying Parthian doth pierce his pursuers with
his shafts, there from the Achemenian heights flow the Tigris and
Euphrates, but soon their streams divide and flow into separate
channels. ]
++TIgris [{and}] eufrates resoluen {and} spryngen of a welle in
? e kragges of ? e roche of ? e contre of achemenye ? er{e}
as ? e fleenge [batayle] ficchi? hire dartes reto{ur}nid in
? e brestes of hem ? 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. ]
?
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thy exhortation is just and worthy of thy
authority, but thou saidst that the question of the Divine
Superintendence or Providence is involved with many others--and
this I believe. ]
? an seide I. Certys ry? tful is ? in amonestyng {and} ful 4296
digne by auctorite. but ? at ? ou seidest som tyme ? at
? e questiou{n} of ? e deuyne p{ur}ueaunce is enlaced wi?
many o? er questiou{n}s. I vndir-stonde wel {and} p{ro}ue it
by ? e same ? inge.
[Sidenote: I am desirous, however, of knowing whether there be
such a thing as _Chance_, and what thou thinkest it is. ]
but I axe yif ? at ? ou wenest ? at hap 4300
be any ? ing in any weys. {and} if ? ou wenest ? at hap be
any [thing] what is it.
[Sidenote: _P. _ I hasten to fulfil my promise and to show the road
to your own country. ]
? an q{uo}d she. I haste me to
? elden {and} assoilen ? e to ? e dette of my byheste {and}
to shewen {and} opnen ? e wey by whiche wey ? ou maist 4304
come a? ein to ? i contre.
[Sidenote: But although these things you question me about are
profitable to know, yet they lead us a little out of our way. ]
? but al be it so ? at ? e ? inges
whiche ? at ? ou axest b{e}n ry? t p{ro}fitable to knowe.
? itte ben ? ei diuers somwhat fro ? e pa? e of my purpos.
[Sidenote: And by straying from the path you may be too fatigued
to return to the right road. ]
And it is to douten ? at ? ou ne be maked weery by 4308
mysweys so ? at ? ou ne mayst nat suffise to mesure{n} ? e
ry? t weye.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Don't be afraid of that, for it will refresh me as
much as rest to know these things in which I am delightfully
interested. ]
? Ne doute ? e ? er-of no ? ing q{uo}d I. for
forto knowen ? ilke ? inges to-gidre in ? e whiche ? inges
I delite me gretly. ? at shal ben to me in stede of reste. 4312
Syn it nis nat to douten of ? e ? inges folwy{n}ge whan
euery side of ? i disputisou{n} shal be stedfast to me by
vndoutous fei? . ? an seide she. ? at manere wol I don
? e. {and} byga{n} to speken ry? t ? us [[pg 150]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ I will then comply with thy requests. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she 4316
yif any wy? t diffinisse hap in ? is manere. ? at is to seyn.
[Linenotes:
4294 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd
_? e_--by
4297 _som tyme_--whilom
4298 _? e_ (2)--thy
4300 _? inge_--thing
4302 [_thing_]--from C.
4303 _? elden_--yilden
_assoilen_--MS. assailen, C. assoylen
_byheste_--byhest
4304-6 _whiche_--which
4306 _ben_--MS. b{e}n{e}
4307 _pa? e_--paath
4312 _stede_--styde
4314 _disputisoun_--disputaciou{n}
_be_--han ben
_stedfast_--stydefast
4317 _seyn_--seyng]
[Headnote:
DEFINITION OF CHANCE. ]
[Sidenote: If we define Chance to be an event produced by an
unintelligent motion, and not by a chain or connection of causes,
I should then affirm that Chance is nothing and an empty sound. ]
? at hap is bytidynge y-brou? t for? e by foelyshe
moeuynge. {and} by no knyttyng of causes. ? I conferme
? at hap nis ry? t nau? t in no wise. and I deme al 4320
outerly ? at hap nis ne dwelli? but a voys. ? As who
sei? . but an ydel worde wi? outen any significac{i}ou{n} of
? ing summittid to ? at vois.
[Sidenote: What room is there for folly and disorder where all
things are restrained by order, through the ordinance of God? ]
for what place my? t[e] ben
left or dwellynge to folie {and} to disordinau{n}ce. syn ? at 4324
god ledi? {and} streyni? alle ? inges by ordre.
[Sidenote: For it is a great truth that nothing can spring out of
nothing. ]
? For ? is
sentence is verray {and} so? e ? at no ? inge ne ha? his
beynge of nou? t. to [the] whiche sentence none of ? ise
olde folk ne wi? seide neuere al be it so ? at ? ei ne 4328
vndirstoden ne moeueden it nau? t by god p{r}ince {and}
gynner of wirkyng. but ? ei casten as a manere foundement
of subgit material. ? at is to seyn of [the] nature
of alle resou{n}.
[Sidenote: Now, if anything arises without the operation of a
cause, it proceeds from nothing. ]
{and} ? if ? at ony ? inge is woxen or comen 4332
of no causes. ? an shal it seme ? at ? ilke ? inge is comen
or woxen of nou? t.
[Sidenote: But if this is impossible, then there can be no such a
thing as Chance, as we have defined it. ]
but yif ? is ne may nat ben don.
? an is it nat possible ? at ? ere ha? ben any swiche ? ing
as I haue diffinissid a litel here byforne.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Is there nothing, then, that may be called Chance
or Fortune? ]
? How shal 4336
it ? an ben q{uo}d I. nis ? er ? an no ? ing ? at by ry? t may
be cleped ey? er hap{pe} or ellis auenture of fortune.
[Sidenote: Is there nothing (hid from the vulgar) to which these
words may be applied? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 34. ]]
or is
? er ou? t al *be it so ? at it is hidd fro ? e poeple to
whiche ? ise wordes ben couenable.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Aristotle defines this matter with much precision
and probability.
]
Myn aristotul q{uo}d 4340
she. in ? e book of his phisik diffinisse? ? is ? ing by
short resou{n} and ney? e to ? e so? e.
[Sidenote: _B. _ How? ]
? In whiche manere
q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ So often as a man does anything for the sake of
any other thing, and another thing than what he intended to do is
produced by other causes, that thing so produced is called
_Chance_. ]
? As ofte q{uo}d she as men don any ? ing for
grace of any o? er ? ing. {and} an o? er ? inge ? an ? ilke 4344
? ing ? at men ententen to doon bytide? by som[e] causes
it is ycleped hap{pe}.
[Sidenote: As if a man trench the ground for tillage and find
gold, then this is believed to happen by chance, although it is
not so. ]
? Ry? t as a man dalf ? e er? e by
cause of tylienge of ? e felde. {and} fond ? ere a gobet of [[pg 151]]
golde by-doluen. ? an wenen folk ? at it is fallen by fortunous 4348
bytydyng. but for so? e it nis nat for nau? t for
it ha? hys p{ro}pre causes of whiche causes ? e cours vnforseyn
and vnwar semi? to han maked hap{pe}.
[Sidenote: For if the tiller had not ploughed the field, and if
the hider of the gold had not concealed it in that spot, the gold
had not been found. ]
? For
yif ? e tilier in ? e er? e ne delue nat in ? e felde. and yif 4352
? e hider of ? e golde ne hadde hidd ? e golde in ? ilke
place. ? e golde ne had[de] nat ben founde.
[Sidenote: These, then, are the causes of a fortuitous acquisition
which proceeds from a conflux of encountering causes, and not from
the intention of the doer. ]
? ise ben
? an ? e causes of ? e abreggynge of fortune hap. ? e whiche
abreggynge of fortune hap come? of causes encountrynge 4356
{and} flowyng to-gidre to hem selfe. {and} nat by ? e entenc{i}ou{n}
of ? e doer.
[Sidenote: For neither the hider of the gold nor the husbandman
intended or understood that the gold should be found. ]
? For nei? er ? e hider of ? e gold.
ne ? e deluer of ? e felde ne vndirstanden nat ? at ? e
golde sholde han be founde. but as I seide.
[Sidenote: But it happened by the concurrence of these two causes
that the one did dig where the other had hidden the money. ]
it bytidde 4360
{and} ran to-gidre ? at he dalf ? ere as ? at o? er hadde hidd
? e golde.
[Sidenote: Chance, then, is an unexpected event, by a concurrence
of causes, following an action designed for a particular purpose. ]
Now may I ? us diffinissen hap{pe}. ? Hap{pe}
is an vnwar bytydyng of causes assembled in ? inges ? at
ben don for som o? er ? inge. but ? ilke ordre p{ro}cedynge 4364
by an vneschewable byndynge to-gidre.
[Sidenote: This concurrence of causes proceeds from that order
which flows from the fountain of Providence and disposes all
things as to place and time. ]
whiche ? at
descende? fro ? e wel of purueaunce ? at ordeine? alle
? inges i{n} hir{e} places {and} in hire tymes make? ? at ? e
causes rennen {and} assemblen to-gidre. 4368
[Linenotes:
4318 _for? e_--forth
4322 _worde_--word
4323 _my? t[e]_--myhte
4324 _left_--lefte
4325 _streyni? _--constreynyth
4326 _so? e_--soth
_no ? inge_--nothing
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
4327 [_the_]--from C.
4330 _gynner_--bygynner{e}
4331 [_the_]--from C.
4332 _? if_--MS. ? it, C. yif
_? inge_--thing
4335 _? at----ben_--? {a}t hap be
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_swiche_--swych
4338 _happe_--hap
4339 _hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidd
4340 _whiche_--which
4342 _ney? e_--nehg
_whiche_--which
4343 _don_--MS. done, C. don
4344 _? inge_--thing
4345 _som[e]_--some
4346 _happe_--hap
4347 _of_ (1)--to
_fond_--MS. fonde, C. fownde
4348 _golde_--gold
_fallen_--byfalle
4349 _for_ (2)--of
4350 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_hys_--hise
4351 _happe_--hap
4352 _tilier_--tylyer{e}
_delue_--dolue
4353 _hider_--hyder{e}
_golde_--gold
_hidd_--MS. hidde
4353-4 _golde_--gold
4354 _had[de]_--hadde
4355 _fortune_--fortuit
_whiche_--which
4356 _fortune_--fortuit
_come? _--comth
4357 _flowyng_--MS. folwyng, C. flowynge
_selfe_--self
4358 _doer_--doer{e}
_hider_--hider{e}
4359 _deluer_--deluer{e}
_felde_--feeld
_vndirstanden_--vndirstoden
4360 _golde_--gold
4361 _hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hyd
4362 _happe_ (_both_)--hap
4365 _whiche_--which
4366 _descende? _--MS. defende? , C. descendith
_wel_--welle]
RUPIS ACHEMENIE.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Where the flying Parthian doth pierce his pursuers with
his shafts, there from the Achemenian heights flow the Tigris and
Euphrates, but soon their streams divide and flow into separate
channels. ]
++TIgris [{and}] eufrates resoluen {and} spryngen of a welle in
? e kragges of ? e roche of ? e contre of achemenye ? er{e}
as ? e fleenge [batayle] ficchi? hire dartes reto{ur}nid in
? e brestes of hem ? 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. ]
?
