Chapter III

Than gan Love nighe me nere, and with a noble countenance
of visage and limmes, dressed her nigh my
sitting-place.

'Take forth,' quod she, 'thy pen, and redily wryte these
wordes. For if god wol, I shal hem so enforme to thee, that thy 5
leudnesse which I have understande in that mater shal openly be
clered, and thy sight in ful loking therin amended. First, if thou
thinke that goddes prescience repugne libertè of arbitrement, it is
impossible that they shulde accorde in onheed of sothe to
understonding.' 10

'Ye,' quod I, 'forsothe; so I it conceyve.'

'Wel,' quod she, 'if thilke impossible were away, the repugnaunce
that semeth to be therin were utterly removed.'

'Shewe me the absence of that impossibilitè,' quod I.

'So,' quod she, 'I shal. Now I suppose that they mowe 15
stande togider: prescience of god, whom foloweth necessitè of
thinges comming, and libertè of arbitrement, thorow whiche thou
belevest many thinges to be without necessitè.'

'Bothe these proporcions be sothe,' quod I, 'and wel mowe
stande togider; wherfore this case as possible I admit.' 20

'Truely,' quod she, 'and this case is impossible.'

'How so?' quod I.

'For herof,' quod she, 'foloweth and wexeth another
impossible.'

'Prove me that,' quod I. 25

'That I shal,' quod she; 'for somthing is comming without
necessitè, and god wot that toforn; for al thing comming he
before wot, and that he beforn wot of necessitè is comming, as
he beforn wot be the case by necessary maner; or els, thorow
necessitè, is somthing to be without necessitè; and wheder, to 30
every wight that hath good understanding, is seen these thinges
to be repugnaunt: prescience of god, whiche that foloweth necessitè,
and libertè of arbitrement, fro whiche is removed necessitè?
For truely, it is necessary that god have forweting of thing withouten
any necessitè cominge.' 35

'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet remeve ye nat away fro myne understanding
the necessitè folowing goddes be foreweting, as thus. God
beforn wot me in service of love to be bounden to this Margarite-perle,
and therfore by necessitè thus to love am I bounde; and
if I had nat loved, thorow necessitè had I ben kept from al 40
love-dedes.'

'Certes,' quod Love, 'bicause this mater is good and necessary
to declare, I thinke here-in wel to abyde, and not lightly to passe.
Thou shalt not (quod she) say al-only, "god beforn wot me to be
a lover or no lover," but thus: "god beforn wot me to be a lover 45
without necessitè." And so foloweth, whether thou love or not love,
every of hem is and shal be. But now thou seest the impossibilitè
of the case, and the possibilitè of thilke that thou wendest
had been impossible; wherfore the repugnaunce is adnulled.'

'Ye,' quod I; 'and yet do ye not awaye the strength of necessitè, 50
whan it is said, th[r]ough necessitè it is me in love to
abyde, or not to love without necessitè for god beforn wot it.
This maner of necessitè forsothe semeth to some men in-to coaccion,
that is to sayne, constrayning, or else prohibicion, that is,
defendinge; wherfore necessitè is me to love of wil. I understande 55
me to be constrayned by some privy strength to the wil
of lovinge; and if [I] no[t] love, to be defended from the wil of
lovinge: and so thorow necessitè me semeth to love, for I love;
or els not to love, if I not love; wherthrough neither thank ne
maugrè in tho thinges may I deserve.' 60

'Now,' quod she, 'thou shalt wel understande, that often we
sayn thing thorow necessitè to be, that by no strength to be
neither is coarted ne constrayned; and through necessitè not
to be, that with no defendinge is removed. For we sayn it is
thorow necessitè god to be immortal, nought deedliche; and it 65
is necessitè, god to be rightful; but not that any strength of
violent maner constrayneth him to be immortal, or defendeth him
to be unrightful; for nothing may make him dedly or unrightful.
Right so, if I say, thorow necessitè is thee to be a lover or els
noon; only thorow wil, as god beforn wete. It is nat to understonde 70
that any thing defendeth or forbit thee thy wil, whiche shal
nat be; or els constrayneth it to be, whiche shal be. That same
thing, forsoth, god before wot, whiche he beforn seeth. Any
thing commende of only wil, that wil neyther is constrayned
ne defended thorow any other thing. And so thorow libertè of 75
arbitrement it is do, that is don of wil. And trewly, my good
child, if these thinges be wel understonde, I wene that non
inconvenient shalt thou fynde betwene goddes forweting and
libertè of arbitrement; wherfore I wot wel they may stande
togider. Also farthermore, who that understanding of prescience 80
properlich considreth, thorow the same wyse that any-thing be
afore wist is said, for to be comming it is pronounced; there is
nothing toforn wist but thing comming; foreweting is but of
trouth[e]; dout[e] may nat be wist; wherfore, whan I sey that god
toforn wot any-thing, thorow necessitè is thilke thing to be comming; 85
al is oon if I sey, it shal be. But this necessitè neither
constrayneth ne defendeth any-thing to be or nat to be. Therfore sothly,
if love is put to be, it is said of necessitè to be; or els, for it
is put nat to be, it is affirmed nat to be of necessitè; nat for that
necessitè constrayneth or defendeth love to be or nat to be. For 90
whan I say, if love shal be, of necessitè it shal be, here foloweth
necessitè the thing toforn put; it is as moch to say as if it were thus
pronounced--"that thing shal be." Noon other thing signifyeth
this necessitè but only thus: that shal be, may nat togider be
and nat be. Evenlich also it is soth, love was, and is, and shal 95
be, nat of necessitè; and nede is to have be al that was; and
nedeful is to be al that is; and comming, to al that shal be.
And it is nat the same to saye, love to be passed, and love
passed to be passed; or love present to be present, and love to
be present; or els love to be comminge, and love comminge to be 100
comming. Dyversitè in setting of wordes maketh dyversitè in
understandinge; altho[ugh] in the same sentence they accorden
of significacion; right as it is nat al oon, love swete to be swete,
and love to be swete. For moch love is bitter and sorouful, er
hertes ben esed; and yet it glad[d]eth thilke sorouful herte on 105
suche love to thinke.'

'Forsothe,' quod I, 'outherwhile I have had mokel blisse in
herte of love that stoundmele hath me sorily anoyed. And
certes, lady, for I see my-self thus knit with this Margarite-perle
as by bonde of your service and of no libertè of wil, my herte wil 110
now nat acorde this service to love. I can demin in my-selfe
non otherwise but thorow necessitè am I constrayned in this
service to abyde. But alas! than, if I thorow nedeful compulsioun
maugre me be with-holde, litel thank for al my greet traveil have
I than deserved.' 115

'Now,' quod this lady, 'I saye as I sayde: me lyketh this
mater to declare at the ful, and why: for many men have had
dyvers fantasyes and resons, both on one syde therof and in the
other. Of whiche right sone, I trowe, if thou wolt understonde,
thou shalt conne yeve the sentence to the partie more probable 120
by reson, and in soth knowing, by that I have of this mater
maked an ende.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'of these thinges longe have I had greet lust
to be lerned; for yet, I wene, goddes wil and his prescience
acordeth with my service in lovinge of this precious Margarite-perle. 125
After whom ever, in my herte, with thursting desyre wete,
I do brenne; unwasting, I langour and fade; and the day of my
desteny in dethe or in joye I +onbyde; but yet in th'ende I am
comforted +by my supposaile, in blisse and in joye to determine
after my desyres.' 130

'That thing,' quoth Love, 'hastely to thee neigh, god graunt
of his grace and mercy! And this shal be my prayer, til thou be
lykende in herte at thyne owne wil. But now to enforme thee in
this mater (quod this lady) thou wost where I lefte; that was:
love to be swete, and love swete to be swete, is not al oon for to 135
say. For a tree is nat alway by necessitè white. Somtyme, er it
were white, it might have be nat white; and after tyme it is
white, it may be nat white. But a white tree evermore nedeful
is to be white; for neither toforn ne after it was white, might it
be togider white and nat white. Also love, by necessitè, is nat 140
present as now in thee; for er it were present, it might have be
that it shulde now nat have be; and yet it may be that it shal nat
be present; but thy love present whiche to her, Margarite, thee
hath bounde, nedeful is to be present. Trewly, som doing of
accion, nat by necessitè, is comminge fer toforn it be; it may be 145
that it shal nat be comminge. Thing forsoth comming nedeful is
to be comming; for it may nat be that comming shal nat be
comming. And right as I have sayd of present and of future
tymes, the same sentence in sothnesse is of the preterit, that is
to say, tyme passed. For thing passed must nedes be passed; and 150
er it were, it might have nat be; wherfore it shulde nat have
passed. Right so, whan love comming is said of love that is to
come, nedeful is to be that is said; for thing comming never is nat
comminge. And so, ofte, the same thing we sayn of the same; as
whan we sayn "every man is a man," or "every lover is a lover," 155
so muste it be nedes. In no waye may he be man and no man togider.
And if it be nat by necessitè, that is to say nedeful, al thing
comming to be comming, than somthing comming is nat comminge,
and that is impossible. Right as these termes "nedeful,"
"necessitè," and "necessary" betoken and signify thing nedes 160
to be, and it may nat otherwyse be, right [so] +this terme "impossible"
signifyeth, that [a] thing is nat and by no way may it be.
Than, thorow pert necessitè, al thing comming is comming; but
that is by necessitè foloweth, with nothing to be constrayned.
Lo! whan that "comming" is said of thinge, nat alway thing 165
thorow necessitè is, altho[ugh] it be comming. For if I say,
"to-morowe love is comming in this Margarites herte," nat therfore
thorow necessitè shal the ilke love be; yet it may be that it shal
nat be, altho[ugh] it were comming. Neverthelater, somtyme it
is soth that somthing be of necessitè, that is sayd "to come"; as 170
if I say, to-morowe +be comminge the rysinge of the sonne. If
therfore with necessitè I pronounce comming of thing to come, in
this maner love to-morne comminge in thyne Margarite to thee-ward,
by necessitè is comminge; or els the rysing of the sonne
to-morne comminge, through necessitè is comminge. Love sothely, 175
whiche may nat be of necessitè alone folowinge, thorow necessitè
comming it is mad certayn. For "futur" of future is said; that is to
sayn, "comming" of comminge is said; as, if to-morowe comming
is thorow necessitè, comminge it is. Arysing of the sonne, thorow
two necessitès in comming, it is to understande; that oon is 180
to-for[e]going necessitè, whiche maketh thing to be; therfore it shal
be, for nedeful is that it be. Another is folowing necessitè, whiche
nothing constrayneth to be, and so by necessitè it is to come; why?
for it is to come. Now than, whan we sayn that god beforn wot
thing comming, nedeful [it] is to be comming; yet therfore make 185
we nat in certayn evermore, thing to be thorow necessitè comminge.
Sothly, thing comming may nat be nat comming by no
way; for it is the same sentence of understanding as if we say
thus: if god beforn wot any-thing, nedeful is that to be comming.
But yet therfore foloweth nat the prescience of God, thing thorow 190
necessitè to be comming: for al-tho[ugh] god toforn wot al
thinges comming, yet nat therfore he beforn wot every thing
comming thorow necessitè. Some thinges he beforn wot comming
of free wil out of resonable creature.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'these termes "nede" and "necessitè" have 195
a queint maner of understanding; they wolden dullen many
mennes wittes.'

'Therfore,' quod she, 'I wol hem openly declare, and more
clerely than I have toforn, er I departe hen[ne]s.

CH. III. 1. nygh. 5. the. 6. vndersta_n_d. 8. lyberte of arbetry of arbitrement; _omit_ arbetry of. 15. Nowe. 17. thorowe. 22. Howe. 29. beforne. maner than (_omit_ than). thorowe. 30. whed_er_to.

38. beforne wote. 40. thorowe. kepte. 44. shalte. onely. 44-5. beforne wote (_twice_). 47. nowe. 51. though; _read_ through. 52. beforne wote. 53. coaction. 57. _Supply_ I; _for_ no _read_ not; _see_ l. 59. 58. thorowe. 59. thanke. 60. maye. 61. Nowe. shalte. 62. sayne. thorowe. 63. throughe. 64. sayne. 65. thorowe. 67. violente. 69. thorowe. the. 70. none. onely thorowe. beforne. 71. the.

73-4. thynge. 74. co_m_mende; _for_ comminge. onely. 75. thorowe (_twice_). 76. done. 77. childe. vndersto_n_d. 81. thorowe. 84. trouth. dout. 85. wote. thorowe. 86. if it shal be; _omit_ if. 92. toforne. 93. None. 94. onely. 102. altho. 103. signification. one. 105. eased. hert. 108. hert.

109. se. peerle. 110. hert. 111. nowe. 112. thorowe. 113. thorowe. 114. thanke. great. 116. Nowe. 118. reasons. 120. shalte con. 121. reason. 123. great luste. 126. hert. weete. 128. vnbyde (!). 129. be; _for_ by. 133. nowe. the. 135. one. 138. maye. 141. nowe. the. 142. nowe. maye. 143. the. 144. some.

145. action. ferre. 154. thynge. 155. sayne. 161. _I supply_ so. these termes; _read_ this terme. 162. _I supply_ a. 163-6. thorowe. (_twice_). 166. altho. 167. hert. 169. altho. 171. by; _read_ be. 173. the warde. 176. thorowe. 177. made certayne. 179. thorowe. 180. one. 181. to forgoing.

184. Nowe. 185. _I supply_ it. 186. certayne. thynge. thorowe. 187. maye. 190. thorowe. 191. wote. 193. thorowe. 200. hense; _read_ hennes.