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

QUOD SI IN CORPORIBUS SENCIENDIS.

[fol. 38]

QUESTIO.

But what [yif] þat in bodies to ben feelid þat is to sein in þe takynge of knowelechinge of bodyly þinges. and al be it so þat þe qualites of bodies þat ben obiect fro wiþ oute forþe moeuen and entalenten þe instrumentes of þe wittes. and al be it so þat þe passioun of þe body þat is to seyn þe witte [or the] suffraunce [goth to-forn the strengthe of the workynge corage / the which passioun or suffraunce] clepiþ furþe þe dede of þe þouȝt in hym self. and moeueþ and exiteþ in þis mene while þe formes þat resten wiþ in forþe. and yif þat in sensible bodies as I haue seid oure corage nis nat ytauȝt or enprentid by passioun to knowe þise þinges. but demiþ and knoweþ of hys owen strengþe þe passioun or suffraunce subiect to þe body. Moche more þan þoo þinges þat ben absolut and quit fram alle talentȝ or affecciouns of bodies. as god or hys aungels ne folwen nat in discernynge þinges obiect from wiþ oute forþe. but þei accomplissen and speden þe dede of hir þouȝt by þis resoun. ¶ þan þere comen many manere knowynges to dyuerse and differyng substaunces. for þe wit of þe body þe whiche witte is naked and despoyled of alle oþer knowynges. þilke witte comeþ to bestes þat ne mowen nat moeuen hem self here ne þere. as oystres and muscles and oþer swiche shelle fysshe of þe see. þat cliuen and ben norissed to roches. but þe ymaginacioun comeþ to remuable bestes þat semen to han talent to fleen or to desiren any þinge. but resoun is al only to þe lynage of mankynde ryȝt as intelligence is oonly þe deuyne nature. of whiche it folweþ þat þilke knowyng is more worþe þan [th]is[e] oþer. syn it knoweþ by hys

propre nature nat only hys subiect. as who seiþ it ne knoweþ nat al oonly þat apperteiniþ proprely to hys knowynge. but it knoweþ þe subgitȝ of alle oþer knowynges. but how shal it þan be yif þat wit and ymaginacioun stryuen aȝeins resonynge and sein þat of þilke vniuersel þinges. þat resoun weneþ to seen þat it nis ryȝt nauȝt. for wit and ymaginacioun seyn þat þat. þat is sensible or ymaginable it ne may nat ben vniuersel. þan is eiþer þe iugement of resoun [soth]. ne þat þer nis no þinge sensible. or ellys for þat resoun woot wel þat many þinges ben subiect to wit and to ymaginacioun. þan is þe consepcioun of resoun veyn and fals whiche þat lookeþ and comprehendiþ. þat þat is sensible and synguler as uniuersele. and ȝif þat resoun wolde answeren aȝein to þise two þat is to sein to wit and to ymaginacioun. and sein þat soþely she hir self. þat is to seyn þat resoun lokeþ and comprehendiþ by resoun of vniuersalite. boþe þat þat is sensible and þat þat is ymaginable. and þat þilke two þat is to seyn wit and ymaginacioun ne mowen nat strecchen ne enhaunsen hem self to knowynge of vniuersalite for þat þe knowyng of hem ne may exceden nor sourmounten þe bodyly figure[s] ¶ Certys of þe knowyng of þinges men auȝten raþer ȝeue credence to þe more stedfast and to þe more perfit iugement. In þis manere stryuynge þan we þat han strengþe of resonynge and of ymaginynge and of wit þat is to seyn by resoun and by ymaginacioun and by wit. [and] we sholde raþer preise þe cause of resoun. as who seiþ þan þe cause of wit or ymaginacioun. semblable þinge is it þat þe resoun of mankynde ne weneþ nat þat þe deuyne intelligence byholdeþ or knoweþ þinges to comen. but ryȝt as þe resoun of mankynde knoweþ hem. for þou arguist and seist þus. þat

yif it ne seme nat to men þat somme þinges han certeyne and necessarie bytidynges. þei ne mowen nat ben wist byforn certeynely to bytiden. þan nis [ther] no prescience of þilke þinges. and yif we trowen þat prescience ben in þise þinges. þan is þer no þinge þat it ne bitidiþ by necessite. but certys yif we myȝten han þe iugement of þe deuyne þouȝt as we [fol. 38b] ben parsoners of resoun. ryȝt so as we han demed. it byhoueþ þat ymaginacioun and wit ben byneþe resoun. ryȝt so wolde we demen þat it were ryȝtful þing þat mans resoun auȝt[e] to summitten it self and to ben byneþe þe deuyne þouȝt. for whiche þat yif we mowen. as who seiþ. þat yif þat we mowen I conseil[e] þat we enhanse vs in to þe heyȝt of þilke souereyne intelligence. for þere shal resoun wel seen þat þat it ne may nat by-holden in it self. and certys þat is þis in what manere þe prescience of god seeþ alle þinges certeins and difinissed al þouȝ þei ne han no certein issues or by-tydynges. ne þis is non oppinioun but it is raþer þe simplicite of þe souereyn science þat nis nat enclosed nor yshet wiþinne no boundes.