Chapter IV

Here of this mater,' quod she, 'thou shalt understande
that, right as it is nat nedeful, god to wilne that he wil,
no more in many thinges is nat nedeful, a man to wilne that
he wol. And ever, right as nedeful is to be, what that god wol,
right so to be it is nedeful that man wol in tho thinges, whiche 5
that god hath put in-to mannes subjeccion of willinge; as, if
a man wol love, that he love; and if he ne wol love, that he love
nat; and of suche other thinges in mannes disposicion. For-why,
now than that god wol may nat be, whan he wol the wil of man
thorow no necessitè to be constrayned or els defended for to 10
wilne, and he wol th'effect to folowe the wil; than is it nedeful,
wil of man to be free, and also to be that he wol. In this maner
it is soth, that thorow necessitè is mannes werke in loving, that
he wol do altho[ugh] he wol it nat with necessitè.'

Quod I than, 'how stant it in love of thilke wil, sithen men 15
loven willing of free choice in herte? Wherfore, if it be thorow
necessitè, I praye you, lady, of an answere this question to
assoyle.'

'I wol,' quod she, 'answere thee blyvely. Right as men wil
not thorow necessitè, right so is not love of wil thorow necessitè; 20
ne thorow necessitè wrought thilke same wil. For if he wolde
it not with good wil, it shulde nat have been wrought; although
that he doth, it is nedeful to be doon. But if a man do sinne, it
is nothing els but to +wilne that he shulde nat; right so sinne
of wil is not to be [in] maner necessary don, no more than wil is 25
necessarye. Never-the-later, this is sothe; if a man wol sinne,
it is necessarye him to sinne, but th[r]ough thilke necessitè nothing
is constrayned ne defended in the wil; right so thilke thing that
free-wil wol and may, and not may not wilne; and nedeful is
that to wilne he may not wilne. But thilke to wilne nedeful is; for 30
impossible to him it is oon thing and the same to wilne and not to
wilne. The werke, forsothe, of wil, to whom it is yeve that it be that
he hath in wil, and that he wol not, voluntarie +or spontanye it is;
for by spontanye wil it is do, that is to saye, with good wil not
constrayned: than by wil not constrayned it is constrayned to 35
be; and that is it may not +togider be. If this necessitè maketh
libertè of wil, whiche that, aforn they weren, they might have ben
eschewed and shonned: god than, whiche that knoweth al
tr[o]uthe, and nothing but tr[o]uthe, al these thinges, as they
arn spontanye or necessarie, +seeth; and as he seeth, so they 40
ben. And so with these thinges wel considred, it is open at the
ful, that without al maner repugnaunce god beforn wot al maner
thinges [that] ben don by free wil, whiche, aforn they weren,
[it] might have ben [that] never they shulde be. And yet ben
they thorow a maner necessitè from free wil +discended. 45

Hereby may (quod she) lightly ben knowe that not al thinges to
be, is of necessitè, though god have hem in his prescience. For
som thinges to be, is of libertè of wil. And to make thee to have
ful knowinge of goddes beforn-weting, here me (quod she) what
I shal say.' 50

'Blythly, lady,' quod I, 'me list this mater entyrely to
understande.'

'Thou shalt,' quod she, 'understande that in heven is goddes
beinge; although he be over al by power, yet there is abydinge of
devyne persone; in whiche heven is everlastinge presence, withouten 55
any movable tyme. There * is nothing preterit ne passed,
there is nothing future ne comming; but al thinges togider in that
place ben present everlasting, without any meving. Wherfore, to
god, al thing is as now; and though a thing be nat, in kyndly
nature of thinges, as yet, and if it shulde be herafter, yet evermore 60
we shul saye, god it maketh be tyme present, and now; for no
future ne preterit in him may be founde. Wherfore his weting and
his before-weting is al oon in understanding. Than, if weting
and before-weting of god putteth in necessitè to al thinges whiche
he wot or before-wot; ne thing, after eternitè or els after any 65
tyme, he wol or doth of libertè, but al of necessitè: whiche thing
if thou wene it be ayenst reson, [than is] nat thorow necessitè to
be or nat to be, al thing that god wot or before-wot to be or nat
to be; and yet nothing defendeth any-thing to be wist or to be
before-wist of him in our willes or our doinges to be don, or els 70
comminge to be for free arbitrement. Whan thou hast these
declaracions wel understande, than shalt thou fynde it resonable
at prove, and that many thinges be nat thorow necessitè but
thorow libertè of wil, save necessitè of free wil, as I tofore said,
and, as me thinketh, al utterly declared.' 75

'Me thinketh, lady,' quod I, 'so I shulde you nat displese, and
evermore your reverence to kepe, that these thinges contraryen in
any understanding; for ye sayn, somtyme is thorow libertè of
wil, and also thorow necessitè. Of this have I yet no savour,
without better declaracion.' 80

'What wonder,' quod she, 'is there in these thinges, sithen al
day thou shalt see at thyne eye, in many thinges receyven in hem-selfe
revers, thorow dyvers resons, as thus:--I pray thee (quod
she) which thinges ben more revers than "comen" and "gon"?
For if I bidde thee "come to me," and thou come, after, whan 85
I bidde thee "go," and thou go, thou reversest fro thy first
comming.'

'That is soth,' quod I.

'And yet,' quod she, 'in thy first alone, by dyvers reson, was
ful reversinge to understande.' 90

'As how?' quod I.

'That shal I shewe thee,' quod she, 'by ensample of thinges
that have kyndly moving. Is there any-thing that meveth more
kyndly than doth the hevens eye, whiche I clepe the sonne?'

'Sothly,' quod I, 'me semeth it is most kyndly to move.' 95

'Thou sayest soth,' quod she. 'Than, if thou loke to the
sonne, in what parte he be under heven, evermore he +hyeth him
in moving fro thilke place, and +hyeth meving toward the ilke
same place; to thilke place from whiche he goth he +hyeth
comminge; and without any ceesinge to that place he neigheth 100
from whiche he is chaunged and withdrawe. But now in these
thinges, after dyversitè of reson, revers in one thinge may be seye
without repugnaunce. Wherfore in the same wyse, without any
repugnaunce, by my resons tofore maked, al is oon to beleve,
somthing to be thorow necessitè comminge for it is comming, and 105
yet with no necessitè constrayned to be comming, but with
necessitè that cometh out of free wil, as I have sayd.'

Tho liste me a litel to speke, and gan stinte my penne of my
wryting, and sayde in this wyse.

'Trewly, lady, as me thinketh, I can allege authoritees grete, 110
that contrarien your sayinges. Job saith of mannes person,
"thou hast put his terme, whiche thou might not passe." Than
saye I that no man may shorte ne lengthe the day ordayned of
his +dying, altho[ugh] somtyme to us it semeth som man to do
a thing of free wil, wherthorow his deeth he henteth.' 115

'Nay, forsothe,' quod she, 'it is nothing ayenst my saying; for
god is not begyled, ne he seeth nothing wheder it shal come of
libertè or els of necessitè; yet it is said to be ordayned at god
immovable, whiche at man, or it be don, may be chaunged.
Suche thing is also that Poule the apostel saith of hem that tofore 120
wern purposed to be sayntes, as thus: "whiche that god before
wiste and hath predestined conformes of images of his +sone, that
he shulde ben the firste begeten, that is to saye, here amonges
many brethren; and whom he hath predestined, hem he hath
cleped; and whom he hath cleped, hem he hath justifyed; and 125
whom he hath justifyed, hem he hath magnifyed." This purpos,
after whiche they ben cleped sayntes or holy in the everlasting
present, wher is neither tyme passed ne tyme comminge, but ever
it is only present, and now as mokel a moment as sevin thousand
winter; and so ayenward withouten any meving is nothing lich 130
temporel presence for thinge that there is ever present. Yet
amonges you men, er it be in your presence, it is movable thorow
libertè of arbitrement. And right as in the everlasting present
no maner thing was ne shal be, but only _is_; and now here, in
your temporel tyme, somthing was, and is, and shal be, but 135
movinge stoundes; and in this is no maner repugnaunce: right
so, in the everlasting presence, nothing may be chaunged; and,
in your temporel tyme, otherwhyle it is proved movable by libertè
of wil or it be do, withouten any inconvenience therof to folowe.
In your temporel tyme is no suche presence as in the tother; for 140
your present is don whan passed and to come ginnen entre;
whiche tymes here amonges you everich esily foloweth other.
But the presence everlasting dureth in oonhed, withouten any
imaginable chaunging, and ever is present and now. Trewly, the
course of the planettes and overwhelminges of the sonne in dayes 145
and nightes, with a newe ginning of his circute after it is ended,
that is to sayn, oon yeer to folowe another: these maken your
transitory tymes with chaunginge of lyves and mutacion of people,
but right as your temporel presence coveiteth every place, and al
thinges in every of your tymes be contayned, and as now both 150
seye and wist to goddes very knowinge.'

'Than,' quod I, 'me wondreth why Poule spak these wordes
by voice of significacion in tyme passed, that god his sayntes
before-wist hath predestined, hath cleped, hath justifyed, and
hath magnifyed. Me thinketh, he shulde have sayd tho wordes 155
in tyme present; and that had ben more accordaunt to the
everlasting present than to have spoke in preterit voice of passed
understanding.'

'O,' quod Love, 'by these wordes I see wel thou hast litel
understanding of the everlasting presence, or els of my before 160
spoken wordes; for never a thing of tho thou hast nempned was
tofore other or after other; but al at ones evenlich at the god
ben, and al togider in the everlasting present be now to understanding.
This eternal presence, as I sayd, hath inclose togider
in one al tymes, in which close and one al thinges that ben in 165
dyvers tymes and in dyvers places temporel, [and] without posterioritè
or prioritè ben closed ther in perpetual now, and maked
to dwelle in present sight. But there thou sayest that Poule shulde
have spoke thilke forsaid sentence +by tyme present, and that
most shulde have ben acordaunt to the everlasting presence, 170
why gabbest thou +in thy wordes? Sothly, I say, Poule moved
the wordes by significacion of tyme passed, to shewe fully that
thilk wordes were nat put for temporel significacion; for al [at] thilk
tyme [of] thilke sentence were nat temporallich born, whiche that
Poule pronounced god have tofore knowe, and have cleped, than 175
magnifyed. Wherthorow it may wel be knowe that Poule used tho
wordes of passed significacion, for nede and lacke of a worde
in mannes bodily speche betokeninge the everlasting presence.
And therfore, [in] worde moste semeliche in lykenesse to everlasting
presence, he took his sentence; for thinges that here-beforn 180
ben passed utterly be immovable, y-lyke to the everlasting
presence. As thilke that ben there never mowe not ben present,
so thinges of tyme passed ne mowe in no wyse not ben passed;
but al thinges in your temporal presence, that passen in a litel
while, shullen ben not present. So than in that, it is more 185
similitude to the everlasting presence, significacion of tyme passed
than of tyme temporal present, and so more in accordaunce. In
this maner what thing, of these that ben don thorow free arbitrement,
or els as necessary, holy writ pronounceth, after eternitè he
speketh; in whiche presence is everlasting sothe and nothing but 190
sothe immovable; nat after tyme, in whiche naught alway ben
your willes and your actes. And right as, while they be nat, it is
nat nedeful hem to be, so ofte it is nat nedeful that somtyme
they shulde be.'

'As how?' quod I; 'for yet I must be lerned by some 195
ensample.'

'Of love,' quod she, 'wol I now ensample make, sithen I knowe
the heed-knotte in that yelke. Lo! somtyme thou wrytest no
art, ne art than in no wil to wryte. And right as while thou
wrytest nat or els wolt nat wryte, it is nat nedeful thee to wryte 200
or els wilne to wryte. And for to make thee knowe utterly that
thinges ben otherwise in the everlastinge presence than in
temporal tyme, see now, my good child: for somthing is in the
everlastinge presence, than in temporal tyme it was nat; in
+eterne tyme, in eterne presence shal it nat be. Than no reson 205
defendeth, that somthing ne may be in tyme temporal moving,
that in eterne is immovable. Forsothe, it is no more contrary
ne revers for to be movable in tyme temporel, and [im]movable
in eternitè, than nat to be in any tyme and to be alway in
eternitè; and to have be or els to come in tyme temporel, and 210
nat have be ne nought comming to be in eternitè. Yet never-the-later,
I say nat somthing to be never in tyme temporel, that
ever is [in] eternitè; but al-only in som tyme nat to be. For
I saye nat thy love to-morne in no tyme to be, but to-day alone
I deny it to be; and yet, never-the-later, it is alway in eternitè.' 215

'A! so,' quod I, 'it semeth to me, that comming thing or els
passed here in your temporal tyme to be, in eternitè ever now
and present oweth nat to be demed; and yet foloweth nat thilke
thing, that was or els shal be, in no maner ther to ben passed
or els comming; than utterly shul we deny for there without 220
ceesing it is, in his present maner.'

'O,' quod she, 'myne owne disciple, now ginnest thou [be]
able to have the name of my servaunt! Thy wit is clered; away
is now errour of cloude in unconning; away is blyndnesse of
love; away is thoughtful study of medling maners. Hastely 225
shalt thou entre in-to the joye of me, that am thyn owne
maistres! Thou hast (quod she), in a fewe wordes, wel and
clerely concluded mokel of my mater. And right as there is
no revers ne contrarioustee in tho thinges, right so, withouten
any repugnaunce, it is sayd somthing to be movable in tyme 230
temporel, +afore it be, that in eternitè dwelleth immovable, nat
afore it be or after that it is, but without cessing; for right
naught is there after tyme; that same is there everlastinge that
temporalliche somtyme nis; and toforn it be, it may not be, as
I have sayd.' 235

'Now sothly,' quod I, 'this have I wel understande; so that
now me thinketh, that prescience of god and free arbitrement
withouten any repugnaunce acorden; and that maketh the
strength of eternitè, whiche encloseth by presence during al
tymes, and al thinges that ben, han ben, and shul ben in any 240
tyme. I wolde now (quod I) a litel understande, sithen that
[god] al thing thus beforn wot, whether thilke wetinge be of tho
thinges, or els thilke thinges ben to ben of goddes weting, and so
of god nothing is; and if every thing be thorow goddes weting, and
therof take his being, than shulde god be maker and auctour 245
of badde werkes, and so he shulde not rightfully punisshe yvel
doinges of mankynde.'

Quod Love, 'I shal telle thee, this lesson to lerne. Myne
owne trewe servaunt, the noble philosophical poete in Englissh,
whiche evermore him besieth and travayleth right sore my name 250
to encrese (wherfore al that willen me good owe to do him
worship and reverence bothe; trewly, his better ne his pere in
scole of my rules coude I never fynde)--he (quod she), in a tretis
that he made of my servant Troilus, hath this mater touched, and
at the ful this question assoyled. Certaynly, his noble sayinges 255
can I not amende; in goodnes of gentil manliche speche, without
any maner of nycetè of +storiers imaginacion, in witte and in
good reson of sentence he passeth al other makers. In the boke of
Troilus, the answere to thy question mayst thou lerne. Never-the-later,
yet may lightly thyne understandinge somdel ben lerned, 260
if thou have knowing of these to-fornsaid thinges; with that thou
have understanding of two the laste chapiters of this seconde
boke, that is to say, good to be somthing, and bad to wante al
maner being. For badde is nothing els but absence of good;
and [as] that god in good maketh that good dedes ben good, 265
in yvel he maketh that they ben but naught, that they ben bad;
for to nothing is badnesse to be [lykned].'

'I have,' quod I tho, 'ynough knowing therin; me nedeth of
other thinges to here, that is to saye, how I shal come to my
blisse so long desyred.' 270

CH. IV. 1. shalte. 6. subiection. 8. disposition. 9. nowe. 10. thorowe. 11. theffecte. folow. 12. fre. 13. thorowe. 14. altho. 15. howe stante.

16. thorowe. 19. the. 20-1. thorowe (_thrice_). 23. dothe. doone. 24. wyl; _read_ wilne; _see_ l. 30. 25. _I supply_ in. done. 28. thynge. 29. frewyl. maye. 30. maye. 30-1. _Some words repeated here._ 31. one. 32. whome. 33. of; _read_ or. 36. togyther; _read_ togider. 37. libertie. aforne. 39. truthe (_twice_). 40. arne. syght; _read_ seeth. 42. beforne. 43. _I supply_ that. fre. aforne. 44. _I supply_ it _and_ that. 45. frewyl discendeth (!). 46. maye. 48. libertie. the. 49. beforne.

53. shalte. * _A break here in_ Th. 59. nowe. thynge. 61. nowe. 63. one. 66. dothe. 67. reason. _I supply_ than is. thorowe. 69. thynge. 70. done. 71. haste. 72. declarations. 73-4. thorowe (_twice_). 76. displease. 78. sayne. 78-9. thorowe. 80. declaration. 82. shalte se. 83. reasons. the. 84. gone. 85-6. thee (_twice_).

89. reasone. 91. howe. 92. the. 97. heigheth; _read_ hyeth. 98. higheth; _read_ hyeth. towarde. 99. gothe. heigheth; _read_ hyeth. 100. ceasynge. 101. nowe. 102. reason. sey. 104. reasons. one. 105. thorowe. 108. list. stynt. 109. sayd. 110. gret. 111. sayenges. 112. putte. 113. length. 114. doyng; _read_ dying. some. 115. thynge. -thorowe. dethe. 116. Naye. sayeng. 119. done. 120. saithe. toforne werne. 122. wyst. sonne; _read_ sone.

124. brethern. 126. purpose. 129. onely. nowe. thousande. 130. ayenwarde. 132. thorowe. 134. onely. nowe. 141. done. 142. easely. 143. onehed. 144. nowe. 147. one yere. 148. mutation. 150. nowe. 151. sey. 152. spake. 153. signification. 155. sayde. 159. se.

163, 167. nowe. 166. _I supply_ and. 167. therin; _read_ ther in. 168. dwel. 169. be; _read_ by. 171. to; _read_ in. 172-3. signification (_twice_). 173. _I supply_ at. 174. were nat thilke sentence; _transpose, and insert_ of. borne. 176. Wherthorowe. know. 177. signification. 178. spech. 179. _I supply_ in; _and omit_ is _after_ worde. 180. toke. 181. beforne. 186. signification. 188. thynge. done thorowe fre. 189. writte. 197. nowe.

199. arte (_twice_). 200. the. 201. the. 203. se nowe. childe. somthynge. 205. eternite; _read_ eterne. reason. 208. movable (!). 210. and have to be. 213. _I supply_ in. al onely. somtyme. 215. deny ne it; _omit_ ne. alwaye. 217. nowe. 219. thynge. thereto; _read_ ther to. 221. ceasyng. 222. nowe. _I supply_ be. 223. witte. 224. nowe. awaye. 226. shalte. 227. haste. 229. contrarioustie. 231. and for; _read_ afore.

234. toforne. maye. 236. Nowe. 237. nowe. fre. 241. nowe. 242. _I supply_ god. beforne. 244. nothynge. thorowe. 248. tel the. 251. encrease. 253. schole. treatise. 255. sayenges. 256. gentyl manlyche. 257. nycite. starieres (!). 258. reason. 259. mayste. 260. somdele. 263. want. 265. _I supply_ as. 267. _I supply_ lykned. 269. howe.