[Sidenote: [* fol. 38.]]
*QUESTIO.
[Sidenote: [The .5.^the p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: Although there are in objects certain qualities which
strike externally upon the senses, and put their instruments in
motion; although the passive impression upon the body precedes the
action of the mind,]
++But what [yif] þat in bodies to be{n} feelid þat is
to sein in þe takynge of knowelechinge of bodyly
þinges. and al be it so þat þe qualites of bodies þ{a}t ben 4875
obiect fro wiþ oute forþe moeuen {and} entalenten þe instrumentes
of þe wittes.
[Sidenote: and although the former rouses the latter to action,
yet if in the perception of bodily things, the soul is not by the
impression of external things made to know these things, but by
its own power judgeth of these bodily impressions,]
and al be it so þat þe passiou{n}
of þe body þat is to seyn þe witte [or the] suffrau{n}ce
[goth to-forn the strengthe of the workynge corage / the
which passiou{n} or suffraunce] clepiþ furþe þe dede of 4880
þe þouȝt in hym self. {and} moeueþ {and} exiteþ in þis
mene while þe formes þ{a}t resten wiþ in forþe. and yif
þat i{n} sensible bodies as I haue seid oure corage nis nat
ytauȝt or enp{re}ntid by passiou{n} to knowe þise þinges. 4884
but demiþ {and} knoweþ of hys owen strengþe þe passiou{n}
or suffrau{n}ce subiect to þe body.
[Sidenote: how much more shall those pure spiritual beings (as God
or angels) discern things by an act of their understanding alone,
without the aid of impressions from external objects?]
Moche more þan þoo
þinges þat ben absolut {and} quit fram alle talentȝ or
affecc{i}ou{n}s of bodies. as god or hys aungels ne folwen 4888
nat in discernynge þinges obiect from wiþ oute forþe.
but þei accomplissen {and} speden þe dede of hir þouȝt
[Sidenote: For this reason, then, there are several sorts of
knowing distributed among various beings.]
by þis resou{n}.
¶ þan þere comen many manere knowynges
to dyu{er}se {and} differy{n}g substaunces.
[Sidenote: For sense (or sensation) destitute of all other
knowledge is allotted to those creatures that have no motion, as
shell-fish.]
for þe wit 4892
of þe body þe whiche witte is naked {and} despoyled of
alle oþer knowynges. þilke witte comeþ to bestes þat ne
mowen nat moeuen hem self here ne þere. as oystres
{and} muscles {and} oþer swiche shelle fysshe of þe see. 4896
þ{a}t cliue{n} {and} ben norissed to roches.
[Sidenote: But imagination is given to such brutes capable of
motion, and having in some degree the power of desiring or
refusing.]
but þe ymaginac{i}ou{n}
comeþ to remuable bestes þat seme{n} to han talent
to fleen or to desiren any þinge.
[Sidenote: Reason, however, is the attribute of man alone, as
Intelligence is that of God.]
but resou{n} is al only to
þe lynage of mankynde ryȝt as i{n}telligence is oonly þe 4900
deuyne nature.
[Sidenote: Hence His (i. e. God’s) knowledge exceeds all other,
comprehending both what belongs to His own nature, and what is
comprehended by all inferior creatures.]
of whiche it folweþ þat þilke knowyng
is more worþe þan [th]is[e] oþer. syn it knoweþ by hys
p{ro}pre nature nat only hys subiect. as who seiþ it ne [[pg 169]]
knoweþ nat al oonly þat app{er}teiniþ p{ro}prely to hys 4904
knowynge. but it knoweþ þe subgitȝ of alle oþer knowynges.
[Linenotes:
4873 [_yif_]--from C.
4878 [_or the_]--from C.
_suffraunce_--MS. suffisau{n}ce, C. suffraunce
4879-80 [_goth----suffraunce_]--from C.
4883 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd
4887 _quit_--quite
4888 _hys_--hise
4889 _discernynge_--MS. discryuyng, C. discernynge
_from_--fro
4893-94 _witte_--wit
4895 _mowen_--mowe
_here ne þere_--her {and} ther
4901 _whiche_--which
4902 _[th]is[e] oþer_--thise oothr{e}]
[Headnote:
THE POWERS OF SENSE AND IMAGINATION.]
[Sidenote: But how shall it be then, if sense and imagination
oppose reason, affirming that the general idea of things, which
reason thinks it so perfectly sees, is nothing?]
but how shal it þan be yif þat wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n}
stryuen aȝeins resonynge {and} sein þat of þilke
vniuersel þinges. þat resou{n} weneþ to seen þat it nis 4908
ryȝt nauȝt.
[Sidenote: For what falls under the cognisance of the senses and
imagination cannot be general.]
for wit {and} ymaginac{i}ou{n} seyn þat þat. þat
is sensible or ymaginable it ne may nat ben vniuersel.
þan is eiþer þe iugement of resou{n} [soth]. ne þat
þer nis no þinge sensible. or ellys for þat resou{n} woot 4912
wel þat many þinges ben subiect to wit {and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
þan is þe co{n}sepc{i}ou{n} of resou{n} veyn {and} fals
whiche þat lookeþ {and} co{m}p{re}hendiþ. þat þat is
sensible {and} synguler as uniuersele.
[Sidenote: But if reason should answer to this--that in her idea
of what is general she comprehends whatever is sensible and
imaginable; but as to the senses and imagination, they cannot
attain to the knowledge of what is general, since their knowledge
is confined to material figures; and therefore in all real
knowledge of things we must give the greatest credit to that
faculty which has a more steadfast and perfect judgment of
things.]
and ȝif þat resou{n} 4916
wolde answeren aȝein to þise two þat is to sein to wit
{and} to ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} sein þat soþely she hir self.
þat is to seyn þat resou{n} lokeþ {and} comp{re}hendiþ by
resou{n} of vniuersalite. boþe þat þat is sensible {and} þat 4920
þat is ymaginable. {and} þat þilke two þat is to seyn wit
{and} ymaginac{i}ou{n} ne mowe{n} nat strecchen ne enhaunsen
hem self to knowynge of vniuersalite for þat
þe knowy{n}g of hem ne may exceden nor so{ur}mou{n}te{n} 4924
þe bodyly figure[s] ¶ Certys of þe knowyng of þinges
men auȝten raþer ȝeue credence to þe more stedfast {and}
to þe more p{er}fit iugement.
[Sidenote: In a controversy of this kind ought not we, who possess
faculties of reason, &c., to side with reason and espouse her
cause?]
In þis manere stryuynge
þan we þat han strengþe of resonynge {and} of ymaginynge 4928
{and} of wit þat is to seyn by resou{n} {and} by ymaginac{i}ou{n}
{and} by wit. [{and}] we sholde raþer p{re}ise þe cause
of resou{n}. as who seiþ þan þe cause of wit or ymaginac{i}ou{n}.
[Linenotes:
4907 _aȝeins_--ayein
4908 _vniuersel_--vniu{er}sels
4911 [_soth_]--from C.
4914 _fals whiche_--false which
4917 _wit_--witte
4918 _soþely_--soothly
4923 _knowynge_--knowy
4926 _ȝeue_--yeuen
_stedfast_--stidefast
4930 [_and_]--from C.
4931 _or_--{and} of]
[Headnote:
REASON SHOULD SUBMIT TO INTELLIGENCE.]
[Sidenote: The case is entirely similar when human reason thinks
the Divine Intelligence cannot behold future events in any other
way than she herself is capable of perceiving them.]
semblable þinge is it þat þe resou{n} of mankynde 4932
ne weneþ nat þat þe deuyne intelligence byholdeþ or
knoweþ þinges to comen. but ryȝt as þe resou{n} of mankynde
knoweþ hem.
[Sidenote: For thus you argue:--
What things are not necessitated cannot be foreknown; therefore
there is no prescience of these things, for, if there were,
everything would be fixed by an absolute necessity.]
for þou arguist {and} seist þus. þat
yif it ne seme nat to men þat so{m}me þinges han certeyne [[pg 170]]
{and} necessarie bytidynges. þei ne mowen nat ben wist 4937
byforn certeynely to bytiden. þa{n} nis [ther] no p{re}science
of þilke þinges. {and} yif we trowen þat p{re}science
ben in þise þinges. þan is þer no þinge þat it ne 4940
bitidiþ by necessite.
[Sidenote: If it were possible to enjoy the intelligence of the
Deity, we should then deem it right that sense and imagination
should yield to reason, and also judge it proper that human reason
should submit to the Divine Intelligence.]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 38 _b_.]]
but certys yif we myȝte{n} han þe
iugeme{n}t of þe deuyne þouȝt as we *ben p{ar}son{er}s of
resou{n}. ryȝt so as we han demed. it byhoueþ þat ymaginac{i}ou{n}
{and} wit ben byneþe resou{n}. ryȝt so wolde 4944
we deme{n} þat it were ryȝtful þing þat ma{n}s resou{n}
auȝt[e] to su{m}mitten it self {and} to ben byneþe þe deuyne
þouȝt.
[Sidenote: Let us, therefore, strive to elevate ourselves to the
height of the supreme intelligence--there shall reason see what
she cannot discover in herself; and that is in what manner the
prescience of God sees and defines all things; although they have
no certain event; and she will see that this is no mere
conjecture, but rather simple, supreme, and unlimited knowledge.]
for whiche þat yif we mowen. as who seiþ.
þat yif þat we mowe{n} I conseil[e] þat we enhanse vs in 4948
to þe heyȝt of þilke souereyne i{n}telligence. for þere shal
resou{n} wel seen þat þat it ne may nat by-holden in it
self. and certys þat is þis in what manere þe p{re}science
of god seeþ alle þinges c{er}teins {and} difinissed al þouȝ þei 4952
ne han no certein issues or by-tydynges. ne þis is non
oppiniou{n} but it is raþer þe simplicite of þe souereyn
science þat nis nat enclosed nor yshet wiþi{n}ne no boundes.
[Linenotes:
4938 [_ther_]--from C.
4939 _trowen_--trowe
4942 _parsoners_--parsoneres
4945 _mans_--mannes
4946 _auȝt[e]_--owte
4947 _whiche_--which
4948 _þat yif_--yif þ{a}t
4949 _heyȝt_--heihte
_þere_--ther
4952 _þouȝ_--MS. þouȝt
4955 _no_--none]