[Sidenote: [The .3^de. p{ro}se.]]
++ÞAn seide I now am I co{n}fou{n}ded by a more harde doute þan I was.
what doute is þat q{uo}d she. ¶ For certys I coniecte now by whiche
þinges þou art troubled. It semeþ q{uo}d I to repugnen {and} to
contrarien gretly þat god knoweþ byforn alle þinges. {and} þat þer is
any fredom of liberte. for yif so be þat god lokeþ alle þinges byforn.
ne god ne may nat ben desseiuid in no manere. þan mot it nedes ben þat
alle þinges bytyden þe whiche þat þe purueaunce of god haþ sein byforn
to comen. ¶ For whiche yif þat god knoweþ by-forn nat oonly þe werkes of
men. but also hir conseils {and} hir willes. þan ne shal þer be no
liberte of arbitre. ne certys þer ne may ben noon oþer dede ne no wille
but þilke whiche þe deuyne purueaunce þat ne may nat ben desseiued haþ
feled byforn ¶ For yif þat þei myȝten wryþen awey in oþer manere þan þei
ben purueyed. þan ne sholde þer ben no stedfast p{re}science of þinge to
comen but raþer an vncerteyn oppiniou{n}. þe whiche þinge to trowen on
god I deme it felonie {and} vnleueful. ¶ Ne I ne proeue nat þilk same
resou{n}. as who seiþ I ne allowe nat. or I ne p{re}ise nat þilke same
resou{n} by whiche þat som men wenen þat þei mowen assoilen {and}
vnknytten þe knot of þis questiou{n}. ¶ For certys þei seyn þ{a}t þing
nis nat to come for þat þe purueaunce of god haþ seyn it byforn{e}. þat
is to comen but raþer þe cont{ra}rie. ¶ And þat is þis þat for þat þe
þing is to comen þat þerfore ne may it nat ben hyd fro þe purueaunce of
god. {and} in þis manere þis necessite slydiþ aȝein in to þe contrarie
p{ar}tie. ne it ne byhoueþ [nat] nedes þat þinges bytiden þat ben
ypurueid. [but it by-houeth nedes / þ{a}t thinges þ{a}t ben to comyn ben
yporueyid] but as it were yt{ra}uailed. as who seiþ. þat þilke answere
p{ro}cediþ ryȝt as þouȝ men trauailden or weren bysy to enqueren þe
whiche þing is cause of whiche þinges. as wheþer þe p{re}science is
cause of þe necessite of þinges to comen. or ellys þat þe necessite of
þi{n}ges to comen is cause of þe purueau{n}ce. ¶ But I ne enforce me nat
now to shewe{n} it þat þe bytidyng of þinges y-wist byforn is
necessarie. how so or in what manere þat þe ordre of causes haþ it self.
al þouȝ þat it ne seme nat þat þe p{re}science brynge in necessite of
bytydynge of þinges to comen. ¶ For certys yif þat any wyȝt sitteþ it
byhoueþ by necessite þat þe oppiniou{n} be soþe of hym þ{a}t coniectiþ
þat he sitteþ. and aȝeinward. al so is it of þe contrarie. yif þe
oppiniou{n} be soþe of any wyȝt for þat he sitteþ it byhoueþ by
necessite þat he sitte ¶ þan is here necessite in þat oon {and} in þ{a}t
oþer. for in þat oon is necessite of sittynge. {and} certys in þat oþer
is necessite of soþe but þerfore ne sitteþ nat a wyȝt for þat þe
oppiniou{n} of sittyng is soþe. but þe oppiniou{n} is raþer soþe for þat
a wyȝt sitteþ by-forn. and þus al þouȝ þ{a}t þe cause of soþe comeþ of
[þe] syttyng. and nat of þe trewe oppiniou{n}. Algates ȝitte is þer
comune necessite in þat oon {and} in þat oþer. ¶ þus sheweþ it þ{a}t I
may make semblable skils of þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce of god {and} of þinges to
come. ¶ For al þouȝ for þat þat þinges ben to comen. þer-fore ben þei
p{ur}ueid. nat certys for þei ben p{ur}ueid. þer-fore ne bytide þei nat.
ȝit naþeles byhoueþ it by necessite þat eiþer þe þinges to comen ben
yp{ur}ueied of god. or ellys þat þe þinges þat ben p{ur}ueied of god
bitiden [.s.] by necessite. ¶ And þis þing oonly suffiseþ I-nouȝ to
distroien þe fredome of oure arbitre. þat is to seyn of oure fre wille
¶ But now [certes] sheweþ it wel how fer fro þe soþe {and} how vp so
dou{n} is þis þing þat we seyn þat þe bytidinge of temp{or}el þinges is
þe cause of þe eterne p{re}science. ¶ But forto wenen þat god p{ur}ueiþ
[the] þinges to comen. for þei ben to comen. what oþer þing is it but
forto wene þat þilke þinges þat bitiden som tyme ben causes of þilke
souereyne p{ur}ueaunce þat is i{n} god. ¶ And her-to I adde ȝitte þis
þing þat ryȝt as whan þat I woot þat o þing is it byhoueþ by necessite
þat þilke self þing be. {and} eke þat whan I haue knowe þat any þi{n}ge
shal bitiden so byhoueþ it by necessite þ{a}t þilk[e] same þing bytide.
so folweþ it þan þat þe bytydynge of þe þinge Iwist by-forn ne may nat
ben eschewed. ¶ And at þe last[e] yif þat any wyȝt wene a þing to ben
oþer weyes þan it is. it nys nat oonly vnscience. but it is deceiuable
oppiniou{n} ful diuerse {and} fer fro þe soþe of science. ¶ wher-fore
yif any þing be so to comen so þat þe bytydynge of it ne be nat certeyne
ne necessarie. ¶ who may weten [byforn] þ{a}t þilke þing is to come.
¶ For ryȝt as science ne may nat be medelyd wiþ falsnesse. as who seiþ
þat yif I woot a þing. it ne may nat be fals þat I ne woot it. ¶ Ryȝt so
þilk þing þat is conceyued by science ne may [nat] ben noon oþ{er} weyes
þan [as] it is conceiued. For þat is þe cause whi þat science wa{n}tiþ
lesynge. as who seiþ. whi þat witynge ne receyueþ nat lesynge of þat it
woot. ¶ For it byhoueþ by necessite þat euery þi{n}ge [be] ryȝt as
science co{m}p{re}hendiþ it to be. what shal I þan sein. ¶ In whiche
man{er}e knoweþ god byforn þe þinges to comen. ¶ yif þei ne be nat
certeyne. ¶ For yif þat he deme þat þei ben to comen vneschewably. {and}
so may be þat it is possible þat þei ne shulle{n} nat comen. god is
desseiued. but nat only to trowen þat god is desseiued. but for to speke
it wiþ mouþe it is a felonous sy{n}ne. ¶ But yif þat god woot þat ryȝt
so as þinges ben to comen. so shulle þei comen. so þat he wit[e] egaly.
as who seiþ indifferently þat þinges mowen ben don or ellys nat don.
what is þilke p{re}science þat ne comp{re}hendiþ no certeyne þinge ne
stable. or ellys what difference is þer bytwixe þe p{re}science. {and}
þilke iape-worþi dyuynynge of Tiresie þe diuino{ur} þat seide. ¶ Al þat
I seie q{uo}d he eyþer it shal be. or ellys it ne shal nat be. Or ellis
how moche is worþe þe diuyne p{re}science more þan þe oppiniou{n} of
mankynde yif so be þat it demeþ þe þinges vncerteyne as me{n} don. of þe
whiche domes of men þe bytydynge nis nat certeyne. ¶ But yif so be þ{a}t
noon vncerteyne þinge may ben in hym þat is ryȝt certeyne welle of alle
þinges. þa{n} is þe bytydynge certeyne of þilke þinges whiche he haþ
wist byforn fermely to come{n}. For whiche it folweþ þat þe fredom of þe
co{n}seils {and} of þe werkes of mankynde nis non syn þat þe þouȝt of
god seeþ alle þinges w{i}t{h} outen erro{ur} of falsnesse byndeþ {and}
co{n}streiniþ hem to a bitidynge by necessite. and yif [this] þi{n}g be
on-is grau{n}tid {and} receyued. þat is to seyn. þat þer nis no fre
wille. þan sheweþ it wel how gret distrucc{i}ou{n} {and} how grete
damages þer folwen of þinges of mankynde. ¶ For in ydel ben þer þan
p{ur}posed and byhyȝt medes of goode folk. {and} peynes to badde folk.
syn þat no moeuynge of free corage uoluntarie ne haþ nat deserued hem.
þat is to seyn neiþer mede nor peyne. ¶ And it sholde seme þan þat þilke
þinge is alþer worste whiche þat is nowe demed. for alþ{er} moste iuste
{and} moste ryȝtful. þat is to seyn þat shrewes ben punyssed. or ellys
þ{a}t good[e] folk ben ygerdoned. þe whiche folk syn þat þe p{ro}pre
wille [ne] sent hem nat to þ{a}t oon ne to þat oþer. þat is to seyn.
neþer to good[e] ne to harme. but constreineþ hem certeyne necessite of
þinges to comen. ¶ þanne ne sholle{n} þer neuer ben ne neuer weren vice
ne vertue. but it sholde raþer ben co{n}fusiou{n} of alle desertes
medlid wiþoute discresiou{n}. ¶ And ȝitte þer folweþ an oþer
i{n}co{n}uenient of þe whiche þer ne may ben þouȝt ne more felonous ne
more wikke. {and} þat is þis þat so as þe ordre of þinges is yledd {and}
comeþ of þe purueaunce of god. ne þat no þing nis leueful to þe conseils
of mankynde. as who seiþ þat men han no power to done no þing. ne wilne
no þing. þan folweþ it þat oure vices ben refferred to þe mak[er]e of
alle good. as who seiþ þan folweþ it. þat god auȝt[e] han þe blame of
oure vices. syn he co{n}streiniþ by necessite to don vices. þan nis þer
no resou{n} to han hopen in god. ne forto p{re}ien to god. ¶ For what
sholde any wyȝt hopen to god. or whi sholde he p{re}ien to god. syn þat
þe ordenaunce of destine whiche þat ne may nat ben enclined. knytteþ
{and} streiniþ alle þinges þat men may desire{n}. ¶ þan sholde þere be
don awey þilke oonly alliaunce bytwixen god {and} men. þat is to seien
to hopen {and} to p{re}ien. but by þe p{re}is of ryȝtfulnesse {and} of
veray mekenesse we deserue þe gerdou{n} of þe deuyne grace whiche þat is
inestimable. þat is to sein þat it is so grete þat it ne may nat ben ful
yp{re}ised. {and} þis is oonly þe manere. þat is to seyen hope {and}
prayeres. for whiche it semeþ þat [men] mowen speken wiþ god. {and} by
resou{n} of supplicac{i}ou{n} ben conioigned to þilk clernesse þat nis
nat app{ro}ched no raþer or þat men byseken it {and} emp{re}nten it. And
yif men ne wene [nat] þat [hope] ne p{re}iers ne han no strengþes. by þe
necessite of þinges to comen y-resceiued. what þi{n}g is þer þan by
whiche we mowen be co{n}ioygned {and} clyuen to þilke souereyne p{r}ince
of þinges. ¶ For whiche it byhoueþ by necessite þat þe lynage of
mankynde as þou songe a litel here byforne ben dep{ar}ted {and} vnioyned
from hys welle {and} faylen of hys bygynnynge. þat is to seien god.