thing to bityde, he wot wel that it ne hath no necessitee to bityde.

115

And yif thou seyst heer, that thilke thing that god seeth to

bityde, [it ne may nat unbityde] (as who seith, it mot bityde), and

thilke thing that ne may nat unbityde it mot bityde by necessitee,

and that thou streyne me by this name of necessitee: certes,

I wol wel confessen and biknowe a thing of ful sad trouthe, but

120

[unnethe] shal ther any wight mowe seen it or come ther-to, but-yif

that he be biholder of the devyne thoght. For I wol answeren