4385 þe—thilke
ON FREE WILL.
[ANIMADUERTO INQUAM.]
Þis B. Is there any free-will in this chain of cohering causes? vndirstonde I wel quod 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 cliuen þus to-gidre
in hem self. Or doth the chain of destiny constrain the motions of the human mind? ¶ or ellys I wolde witen yif þat þe
destinal cheine constreiniþ þe moeueuynge of þe corages
of men. P. There is a freedom of the will possessed by every rational being. yis quod she þer is liberte of fre wille. ne þer [4392]
ne was neuer no nature of resoun þat it ne hadde liberte
of fre wille. A rational being has judgment to judge of and discern everything. ¶ For euery þing þat may naturely vsen
resoun. it haþ doom by whiche it discerniþ and demiþ
euery þing. 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 ben [4396]
to fleen. and þinges þat ben to desiren. and þilk þing
þat any wyȝt demeþ to ben desired þat axeþ or desireþ
he and fleeþ [thilke] þing þat he troueþ ben to fleen.
PROVIDENCE SEES ALL THINGS.
A rational being possesses, then, the liberty of choosing and rejecting. ¶ wher-fore in alle þinges þat resoun is. in hem also is [4400]
libertee of willyng and of nillynge. This liberty is not equal in all beings. ¶ But I ne ordeyne
nat. as who seiþ. I ne graunte nat þat þis libertee be
euene like in alle þinges. 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
substaunces. [* fol. 34 b.] þat is to *seyn in spiritȝ ¶ Iugement is [4404]
more clere and wil nat be corumped. and haþ myȝt
redy to speden þinges þat ben desired. 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 speculacioun 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 comprehendid in
erþely membris. but þe last[e] seruage is whan þat þei
ben ȝeuen to vices. and han yfalle fro þe possessioun of [4412]
hire propre resoun 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 approchen and assenten. þei
hepen and encresen þe seruage whiche þei han ioigned
to hem self. and in þis manere þei ben caitifs fro hire
propre libertee. 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 þat alle þinges byholdeþ
and seeþ fro eterne. and ordeyneþ hem eueryche in her
merites. as þei ben prodestinat. 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]
4389 or—of
4390 hem—hym
4392 yis—MS. yif, C. yis
4392-94 wille—wil