Walter William Skeat

“ Resoun surmounteth imaginacioun,
and comprehendeth by universal lokinge the comune spece that
is in the singuler peces. But the eye of intelligence is heyere; for
it surmounteth the environinge of the universitee, and looketh, 115
over that, by pure subtilitee of thoght, thilke same simple forme
of man that is perdurably in the divyne thoght. In whiche this
oughte greetly to ben considered, that the heyeste strengthe to
comprehenden thinges enbraseth and contieneth the lowere
strengthe; but the lowere strengthe ne aryseth nat in no manere 120
to heyere strengthe. ”

“ I wol wel confessen and biknowe a thing of ful sad trouthe, but
unnethe shal ther any wight mowe seen it or come ther-to, but-yif 120
that he be biholder of the devyne thoght. For I wol answeren
thee thus: that thilke thing that is future, whan it is referred
to the devyne knowinge, thanne is it necessarie; but certes, whan it
is understonden in his owne kinde, men seen it is outrely free,
and absolut fro alle necessitee. 125
For certes, ther ben two maneres of necessitee. ”

“ Thanne is ther no resoun to hopen in
god, ne for to preyen to god; for what sholde any wight hopen to 130
god, or why sholde he preyen to god, sin that the ordenaunce of
destinee, which that ne may nat ben inclyned, knitteth and streineth
alle thinges that men may desiren? Thanne sholde ther be doon
awey thilke only allyaunce bitwixen god and men, that is to seyn,
to hopen and to preyen. ”

“ Ne the lawes ne purposen nat
wikkedly medes and peynes to the willinges of men that ben
unbounden and quite of alle necessitee. And god, biholder and
for-witer of alle thinges, dwelleth above; and the present eternitee 210
of his sighte renneth alwey with the dyverse qualitee of oure
dedes, despensinge and ordeyninge medes to goode men, and
torments to wikked men. Ne in ydel ne in veyn ne ben ther nat
put in god hope and preyeres, that ne mowen nat ben unspeedful
ne with-oute effect, whan they ben rightful. 215
Withstond thanne and eschue thou vyces ”

“ But thou mayst seyn, that of thilke same it is y-douted,
as whether that of thilke thinges that ne han non issues and
bitydinges necessaries, yif ther-of may ben any prescience; for
certes, they semen to discorden. For thou wenest that, yif that 85
thinges ben y-seyn biforn, that necessitee folweth hem; and yif
necessitee faileth hem, they ne mighten nat ben wist biforn, and
that no-thing ne may ben comprehended by science but certein ”

“ And, for that this thing shal mowen shewen by a short 100
ensaumple: the same roundnesse of a body, other-weys the sighte
of the eye knoweth it, and other-weyes the touchinge. The
lokinge, by castinge of his bemes, waiteth and seeth from afer al
the body to-gidere, with-oute moevinge of it-self; but the touchinge
clyveth and conioineth to the rounde body, and moeveth aboute 105
the environinge, and comprehendeth by parties the roundnesse.
And the man him-self, other-weys wit biholdeth him, and
other-weys imaginacioun, and other-weys resoun, and other-weys
intelligence. ”

“ Wot it aught thilke thing that it, anguissous, desireth to
knowe? As who seith, nay; for no man travaileth for to witen
thinges that he wot. And therfore the texte seith thus: but who
travaileth to witen thinges y-knowe? And yif that he ne knoweth
hem nat, what seketh thilke blinde thoght? What is he that 20
desireth any thing of which he wot right naught? As who seith,
who so desireth any thing, nedes, somwhat he knoweth of it; or
elles, he ne coude nat desire it. Or who may folwen thinges that ne
ben nat y-wist? And thogh that he seke tho thinges, wher shal he
finde hem? ”

“ Certes resoun, whan it
looketh any-thing universel, it ne useth nat of imaginacioun, nor 135
of witte, and algates yit it comprehendeth the thinges imaginable
and sensible; for resoun is she that diffinisseth the universel of hir
conseyte right thus:—man is a resonable two-foted beest. And
how so that this knowinge is universel, yet nis ther no wight that
ne woot wel that a man is a thing imaginable and sensible ”

“ II. 1. A. Ed. quod I; C. om. // C. Ed. acorde me; A. acorde wel. 2. C. of; A. or (wrongly) ; Lat. arbitrii. 3. C. hym; A. Ed. hem. 5. C. mouynges (motus) ; A. moeueuynge (!) . 12. A. om. thilke. // C. to ben fleen; A. ben to fleen; Ed. be to flyen. 16. C. dyuynes; A. deuynes (as often in C) . 17. C. wil nat I-coromped (uoluntas incorrupta) ; A. wil nat be corumped (wrongly) . 18. C. myht (potestas) ; A. hath myȝt. 27. C. clowdes; A. Ed. cloude (nube) . 27, 8. Ed. A. to the; C. om. the. 31. A. purueaunce. 34. The last clause, in the original, is in Greek.
Metre II. ”

“ A. emprentid. 13. A. om. 2nd. ne. 14. A. Ed. that; C. the. 15. A. vnplitith. 17. A. subgit; Ed. subiecte; C. om. // A. the (for tho) ; twice. 20. A. Ed. discernith; C. decerneth. 26. C. heye thinges, i. principijs. // C. dessendith; A. discendith. 27. C. lowe thynges, s. conclusiones. // A. repreuith. 29. C. strengthe, s. anima. 31. C. resseyuyth; A. resceyueth; Ed. receyueth. // C. A. inpressed; Ed. impressed. 36. A. hurtlith. 38. C. Ed. to; A. the (Lat. Ad) . 40. A. medeleth. 41. A. to the forme.
Prose V. ”

“ A. ne (for no) . 128. A. om. us. 129. A. to han hopen. 135. A. preis. 136. C. desseruyn; A. deserue. 139. A. om. men. 142. Ed. impetren; C. impetrent (!) ; A. emprenten. // A. om. nat. // A. om. hope. ”