3815 here—her
redyly—redely
3816 yhid—MS. yhidde, C. I-hid
seye—seyn
3817 trouble—trowblen
3820 departid[e] from—departede fro
FIVE GREAT QUESTIONS.
[ITA EST INQUAM.]
Þvs is B. So it is. But as thou hast promised to unfold the hidden causes of things, and unveil things wrapt up in darkness; I pray thee deliver me from my present perplexity, and explain the mystery I mentioned to you. it quod I. but so as þou hast ȝeuen or byhyȝt
me to vnwrappen þe hidde causes of þinges ¶ and [3824]
to discoueren me þe resouns couered with dirknesses I
preye þe þat þou diuise and Iuge me of þis matere. and
þat þou do me to vndrestonden it. ¶ For þis miracle
or þis wondre troubleþ me ryȝt gretely. P. You ask me to declare to you the most intricate of all questions, which I am afraid can scarce be answered. and þan she a [3828]
litel [what] smylyng seide. ¶ þou clepest me quod
she to telle þing. þat is grettest of alle þinges þat mowen
ben axed. ¶ And to þe whiche questioun vnneþ[e]s is
þere auȝt ynow to lauen it. as who seiþ. vnneþes is þer [3832]
suffisauntly any þing to answere perfitly to þi questioun.
For the subject is of such a kind, that when one doubt is removed, innumerable others, like the heads of the hydra, spring up. ¶ For þe matere of it is swiche þat whan oon doute is
determined and kut awey þer wexen oþer doutes wiþ-outen
noumbre. ryȝt as þe heuedes waxen of ydre þe [3836]
serpent þat hercules slouȝ. Nor would there be any end of them unless they were restrained by a quick and vigorous effort of the mind. ¶ Ne þere ne were no
manere ne noon ende. but yif þat a wyȝt constreined[e]
þo doutes. by a ryȝt lyuely and a quik fire of þouȝt. þat
is to seyn by vigour and strengþe of witte. The question whereof you want a solution embraces the five following points: 1. Simplicity, or unity of Providence. 2. The order and course of Destiny. ¶ For in [3840]
þis matere men weren wont to maken questiouns of þe
simplicite of þe purueaunce of god and of þe ordre of
destine. 3. Sudden chance. 4. Prescience of God, and divine predestination. 5. Free-will. and of sodeyne hap. and of þe knowyng and
predestinacioun deuine and of þe lyberte of fre wille. [3844]
þe whiche þing þou þi self aperceiust wel of what weyȝt
þei ben. but for as mochel as þe knowynge of þise
þinges is a manere porcioun to þe medicine to þe. al be it
so þat I haue lytel tyme to don it. I will try to treat of these things:— ȝit naþeles I wole [3848]
enforcen me to shewe somwhat of it. ¶ but al þouȝ
þe norissinges of dite of musike deliteþ þe þow most
suffren. and forberen a litel of þilk delite while þat I
weue (contexo) to þe resouns yknyt by ordre ¶ As it likeþ [3852]
to þe quod I so do. Resuming her discourse as from a new principle, Philosophy argued as follows:— ¶ þo spak she ryȝt a by an oþer
bygynnyn[ge] and seide þus. The generation of all things, every progression of things liable to change, and everything that moveth, derive their causes, order, and form from the immutability of the divine understanding. ¶ þe engendrynge of alle
þinges quod she and alle þe progressiouns of muuable
nature. and alle þat moeueþ in any manere takiþ hys [3856]
causes. hys ordre. and hys formes. of þe stablenesse of þe
deuyne þouȝt Providence directs all things by a variety of means. [and thilke deuyne thowht] þat is yset and
put in þe toure. þat is to seyne in þe heyȝt of þe simplicite
of god. stablisiþ many manere gyses to þinges þat [3860]
ben to don.
OF FATE AND PROVIDENCE.
These means, referred only to the divine intelligence, are called Providence; but when contemplated in relation to the things which receive motion and order from them, are called Destiny. ¶ þe whiche manere whan þat men loken
it in þilke pure clerenesse of þe deuyne intelligence. it
is ycleped purueaunce ¶ but whan þilke manere is referred
by men to þinges þat it moeueþ and disponeþ þan [3864]
of olde men. it was cleped destine. Reflection on the efficacy of the one and the other will soon cause us to see their differences. ¶ þe whiche
þinges yif þat any wyȝt lokeþ wel in his þouȝt.
þe strengþe of þat oon and of þat oþer he shal lyȝtly mowen
seen þat þise two þinges ben diuers. Providence is the divine intelligence manifested in the disposition of worldly affairs. ¶ For purueaunce [3868]
is þilke deuyne resoun þat is establissed in þe souereyne
prince of þinges. þe whiche purueaunce disponiþ alle
þinges. Destiny or Fate is that inherent state or condition of movable things by means whereof Providence retains them in the order in which she has placed them. but destine is þe disposicioun and ordenaunce
cleuynge to moeuable þinges. by þe whiche disposicioun [3872]
þe purueaunce knyteþ alle þinges in hire ordres.
Providence embraces all things, although diverse and infinite; but Fate gives motion to every individual thing, and in the place and under the form appropriated to it. ¶ For purueaunce enbraceþ alle þinges to hepe. al þouȝ þat
þei ben dyuerse and al þouȝ þei ben wiþ outen fyn. but
destynie departeþ and ordeyneþ alle þinges singlerly [3876]
and diuideþ. in moeuynges. in places. in formes. in
tymes. departiþ [as] þus. So that the explication of this order of things wrapt up in the divine intelligence is Providence; and being unfolded according to time and other circumstances, may be called Fate. so þat þe vnfoldyng of temporel
ordenaunce assembled and ooned in þe lokyng of
þe deuyne þouȝt ¶ Is purueaunce and þilke same [3880]
assemblynge. and oonyng diuided and vnfolden by
tymes. lat þat ben called destine. [* fol. 30 b.] Though these things appear to differ, yet one of them depends on the other, for the order of Fate proceeds from the unity of Providence. and al be *it so þat
þise þinges ben dyuerse. ȝitte naþeles hangeþ þat oon
on þat oþer. forwhi þe ordre destinal procediþ of þe [3884]
simplicite of purueaunce.