[Sidenote: [The .2^de. p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: _B._ Is there any _free-will_ in this chain of cohering
causes?]
++Þis vndirstonde I wel q{uo}d I. {and} accorde wel þat it
is ryȝt as þou seist. but I axe yif þer be any liberte 4388
or fre wil in þis ordre of causes þat cliue{n} þus 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 þat þe
destinal cheine co{n}streiniþ þe moeueuynge of þe corages
of me{n}.
[Sidenote: _P._ There is a freedom of the will possessed by every
rational being.]
yis q{uo}d she þer is liberte of fre wille. ne þer 4392
ne was neuer no nature of resou{n} þat it ne hadde liberte
of fre wille.
[Sidenote: A rational being has judgment to judge of and discern
everything.]
¶ For euery þing þat may naturely vsen
resou{n}. it haþ doom by whiche it discerniþ {and} demiþ
euery þing.
[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.]
¶ þan knoweþ it by it self þinges þat be{n} 4396
to fleen. {and} þinges þat ben to desiren. {and} þilk þing
þat any wyȝt demeþ to ben desired þ{a}t axeþ or desireþ
he {and} fleeþ [thilke] þing þat he troueþ ben to fleen.
[Linenotes:
4389 _or_--of
4390 _hem_--hym
4392 _yis_--MS. yif, C. yis
4392-94 _wille_--wil
4395 _whiche_--which
4397 _þilk_--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 þinges þ{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 seiþ. I ne graunte nat þat þis lib{er}tee be
euene like in alle þinges.
[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 þe souereyns deuynes
substau{n}ces.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 34 _b_.]]
þat is to *seyn in spiritȝ ¶ Iugement is 4404
more clere {and} wil nat be corumped. {and} haþ myȝt [[pg 153]]
redy to speden þinges þat 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 þe soules
of men moten nedes ben more free whan þei loken hem
in þe speculac{i}ou{n} or lokynge of þe deuyne þouȝt. {and} 4408
lasse free whan þei sliden in to þe bodies. {and} ȝit lasse
free whan þei ben gadred to-gidre {and} co{m}p{re}hendid in
erþely membris. but þe last[e] seruage is whan þat þei
ben ȝeue{n} to vices. {and} han yfalle fro þe 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 þat þei han cast aweye
hir eyen fro þe lyȝt of þe souereyn soþefastnesse to lowe
þinges {and} dirke ¶ Anon þei dirken by þe cloude of
ignoraunce {and} ben troubled by felonous talentȝ. to þe 4416
whiche talentȝ whan þei app{ro}chen {and} assenten. þei
hepen {and} encresen þe seruage whiche þei han ioigned
to hem self. and in þis manere þei 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.]
þe whiche þinges naþeles þe lokynge of 4420
þe deuyne purueaunce seeþ þ{a}t alle þinges byholdeþ
{and} seeþ fro et{er}ne. and ordeyneþ hem eueryche i{n} her
merites. as þei ben p{ro}destinat.
[Sidenote: He, as Homer says of the sun, _sees and hears all
things_.]
{and} it is seid in grek.
þat alle þinges he seeþ {and} alle þinges he hereþ. 4424
[Linenotes:
4405 _haþ_--MS. haþe
4411 _last[e]_--laste
4412 _fro_--from
4415 _cloude_--clowdes
4418 _whiche_--which
4423 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd]