Chaucer's translation of Boethius's "De consolatione philosphiæ" / edited from British Museum additional MS. 10, 340 collated with Cambridge University Library MS. Ii.3.21 by Richard Morris

ANIMADUERTO INQUAM.

Þis vndirstonde I wel quod I. and accorde wel þat it is ryȝt as þou seist. but I axe yif þer be any liberte or fre wil in þis ordre of causes þat cliuen þus to-gidre in hem self. ¶ or ellys I wolde witen yif þat þe destinal cheine constreiniþ þe moeueuynge of þe corages of men. yis quod she þer is liberte of fre wille. ne þer ne was neuer no nature of resoun þat it ne hadde liberte of fre wille. ¶ For euery þing þat may naturely vsen resoun. it haþ doom by whiche it discerniþ and demiþ euery þing. ¶ þan knoweþ it by it self þinges þat ben 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. ¶ wher-fore in alle þinges þat resoun is. in hem also is libertee of willyng and of nillynge. ¶ But I ne ordeyne nat. as who seiþ. I ne graunte nat þat þis libertee be euene like in alle þinges. forwhi in þe souereyns deuynes substaunces. þat is to [fol. 34b] seyn in spiritȝ ¶ Iugement is

more clere and wil nat be corumped. and haþ myȝt redy to speden þinges þat ben desired. ¶ But þe soules of men moten nedes ben more free whan þei loken hem in þe speculacioun or lokynge of þe deuyne þouȝt. and 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 hire propre resoun ¶ 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 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. þe whiche þinges naþeles þe lokynge of þe deuyne purueaunce seeþ þat alle þinges byholdeþ and seeþ fro eterne. and ordeyneþ hem eueryche in her merites. as þei ben prodestinat. and it is seid in grek. þat alle þinges he seeþ and alle þinges he hereþ.