[Sidenote: [The .3^de. Met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: Say what discordant cause looses the bonds of things?]
++What discordable cause haþ to-rent {and} vnioigned þe
byndyng or þe alliaunce of þinges. þat is to seyne
þe coniuncc{i}ou{n} of god {and} of man.
[Sidenote: What power doth make these two great truths (_i. e._
Providence and Free-will) contend, which when separate are plain
and clear, but united appear dark and perplexed?]
¶ whiche god
haþ establissed so grete bataile bitwixe{n} þise two soþefast 4608
or verray þinges. þat is to sein bytwixen þe p{ur}ueaunce
of god {and} fre wille. þat þei ben synguler {and}
diuided. ne þat þei ne wolen nat ben medeled ne
coupled to-gidre. but þer nis no discorde to [tho] verray 4612
þinges. but þei cleuen certeyne al wey to hem self.
[Sidenote: The mind of man encumbered by the earthly body, can
never, with her cloudy sight, discover the subtle and close bonds
of things.]
but þe þouȝt of man co{n}founded {and} ouerþrowen by þe dirke
membris of þe body ne may nat by fir of his dirk[ed]
lokynge. þat is to seyn by þe vigo{ur} of hys insyȝt while 4616
þe soule is in þe body knowen þe þinne subtil knyttynges
of þinges.
[Sidenote: But why does man burn with ardour to learn the hidden
notes of truth?]
¶ But wherfore eschaufiþ it so by so
grete loue to fynden þilke note[s] of soþe y-cou{er}ed. (_glosa_)
þat is to sein wherfore eschaufiþ þe þouȝt of man by so 4620
grete desir to knowen þilke notificac{i}ou{n}s þat ben yhidd
vndir þe couerto{ur}s of soþe.
[Sidenote: Why gropes he for he knows not what? None seek to know
what is known.]
woot it ouȝt þilke þinges
þat it anguissous desireþ to knowe. as who seiþ nay. [[pg 160]]
¶ For no man ne trauaileþ forto witen þinges þat he woot. 4624
{and} þerfore þe texte seiþ þus. ¶ [_Glosa_] Si eni{m} a{n}i{m}a
ignorat istas subtiles co{n}nexiones. r{espo}nde. vn{de} est
q{uo}d desiderat scire cu{m} nil ignotu{m} possit desiderare.
¶ But who traua[i]leþ to wyten þinges y-knowe.
[Sidenote: If he knows them not, what does he so blindly seek?]
and yif 4628
þat he ne knoweþ hem nat. what sekiþ þilke blynde
þouȝt.
[Sidenote: Who wishes for things he hath never known?]
what is he þat desireþ any þinge of whiche he
woot ryȝt nat. as who seiþ who so desiriþ any þing
nedis som what he knoweþ of it. or ellys he ne couþe 4632
nat desire it. or who may folwen þinges þat ne ben nat
ywist
[Sidenote: Or if he seek, where shall he find them? Or if he find,
how shall he be sure that he has found what he sought for?]
¶ and þouȝ [þ{a}t] he seke þo þinges where shal
he fynde{n} hem. what wyȝt þat is al vnknowynge {and}
ignoraunt may knowe þe forme þat is yfounde.
[Sidenote: The pure soul that sees the divine thought, knows all
the secret chains of things.]
¶ But 4636
whan þe soule byholdeþ {and} seeþ þe heye þouȝt. þat is
to seyn god. þan knoweþ it to-gidre þe so{m}me {and} þe
singularites. þat is to seyn þe p{r}inciples {and} eueryche
by hym self.
[Sidenote: Yet, though now hidden in its fleshly members, it hath
some remembrance of its pure state--it retains the sums of things,
but has lost their particulars.]
¶ But now while þe soule is hidd in þe 4640
cloude {and} in þe derknesse of þe membris of þe body.
it ne haþ nat al forȝeten it selfe. but it wiþholdeþ þe
so{m}me of þinges {and} lesiþ þe singularites.
[Sidenote: He who seeks truth is not in either circumstance
(_i. e._ seeking for what he knows or knows not), he knoweth not
all things, nor hath he wholly forgotten all.]
þan who so
þat sekeþ soþenesse. he nis in neiþ{er} nouþir habit. for 4644
he not nat alle ne he ne haþ nat alle for-ȝeten.
[Sidenote: But he ponders on what he knows, that he may add those
things that he hath forgotten to those that he retains.]
¶ But
ȝitte hym remembriþ þe so{m}me of þinges þat he wiþholdeþ
{and} axeþ cou{n}seil {and} tretiþ depelyche þi{n}ges
ysein byforne. [_Glosa_] þat is to sein þe grete so{m}me in 4648
hys mynde. [_textus_] so þat he mowe adden þe p{ar}ties
þat he haþ forȝeten. to þilke þat he haþ wiþholden.
[Linenotes:
4605 _haþ_--MS. haþe
4606 _seyne_--seyn
4607 _whiche_--which
4608 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_grete_--gret
_soþefast_--soothfast
4610 _wille_--wil
4612 _discorde_--discord
[_tho_]--from C.
4613 _cleuen_--clyuen
4615 _dirk[ed]_--derkyd
4616 _while_--whil
4617 _knowen_--knowe
4619-21 _grete_--gret
_note[s]_--notes
4619 _soþe_--soth
4621 _yhidd_--MS. yhidde, C. Ihyd
4622 _soþe_--sooth
_þinges_--thing
4625 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4630 _þinge_--thing
_whiche_--which
4631 _woot_--not
_nat_--nawht
4632 _couþe_--kowde
4634 [_þat_]--from C.
_where_--wher
4635 _what_--MS. þat, C. what
_vnknowynge_--vnkunnynge
4639 _eueryche_--eu{er}ych
4640 _while_--whil
_þe_--MS. þe þe
_hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidde
4641 _derknesse_--derkenesse
4642 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_selfe_--self
4644 _nouþir habit_--nother habite
4645 _alle_ (_both_)--al
_haþ_--MS. haþe
4648 [_Glosa_]--from C.
4649 [_textus_]--from C.
4650 _haþ_ (_both_)--MS. haþe]
[[pg 161]]
[Headnote:
ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS AGAINST PROVIDENCE.]