Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TAMEN EGO EN INQ{UA}M.
Algates ȝitte is þer comune necessite in þat oon {and} in þat oþer. ¶ þus sheweþ it þ{a}t I may make semblable skils of þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce of god {and} of þinges to come. ¶ For al þouȝ for þat þat þinges ben to comen. þer-fore ben þei p{ur}ueid. nat certys for þei ben p{ur}ueid. þer-fore ne bytide þei nat. ȝit naþeles byhoueþ it by necessite þat eiþer þe þinges to comen ben yp{ur}ueied of god. or ellys þat þe þinges þat ben p{ur}ueied of god bitiden [.s.] by necessite. ¶ And þis þing oonly suffiseþ I-nouȝ to distroien þe fredome of oure arbitre. þat is to seyn of oure fre wille ¶ But now [certes] sheweþ it wel how fer fro þe soþe {and} how vp so dou{n} is þis þing þat we seyn þat þe bytidinge of temp{or}el þinges is þe cause of þe eterne p{re}science. ¶ But forto wenen þat god p{ur}ueiþ [the] þinges to comen. for þei ben to comen. what oþer þing is it but forto wene þat þilke þinges þat bitiden som tyme ben causes of þilke souereyne p{ur}ueaunce þat is i{n} god. ¶ And her-to I adde ȝitte þis þing þat ryȝt as whan þat I woot þat o þing is it byhoueþ by necessite þat þilke self þing be. {and} eke þat whan I haue knowe þat any þi{n}ge shal bitiden so byhoueþ it by necessite þ{a}t þilk[e] same þing bytide. so folweþ it þan þat þe bytydynge of þe þinge Iwist by-forn ne may nat ben eschewed. ¶ And at þe last[e] yif þat any wyȝt wene a þing to ben oþer weyes þan it is. it nys nat oonly vnscience. but it is deceiuable oppiniou{n} ful diuerse {and} fer fro þe soþe of science. ¶ wher-fore yif any þing be so to comen so þat þe bytydynge of it ne be nat certeyne ne necessarie. ¶ who may weten [byforn] þ{a}t þilke þing is to come. ¶ For ryȝt as science ne may nat be medelyd wiþ falsnesse. as who seiþ þat yif I woot a þing. it ne may nat be fals þat I ne woot it. ¶ Ryȝt so þilk þing þat is conceyued by science ne may [nat] ben noon oþ{er} weyes þan [as] it is conceiued.
For þat is þe cause whi þat science wa{n}tiþ lesynge. as who seiþ. whi þat witynge ne receyueþ nat lesynge of þat it woot. ¶ For it byhoueþ by necessite þat euery þi{n}ge [be] ryȝt as science co{m}p{re}hendiþ it to be. what shal I þan sein. ¶ In whiche man{er}e knoweþ god byforn þe þinges to comen. ¶ yif þei ne be nat certeyne. ¶ For yif þat he deme þat þei ben to comen vneschewably. {and} so may be þat it is possible þat þei ne shulle{n} nat comen. god is desseiued. but nat only to trowen þat god is desseiued. but for to speke it wiþ mouþe it is a felonous sy{n}ne. ¶ But yif þat god woot þat ryȝt so as þinges ben to comen. so shulle þei comen. so þat he wit[e] egaly. as who seiþ indifferently þat þinges mowen ben don or ellys nat don. what is þilke p{re}science þat ne comp{re}hendiþ no certeyne þinge ne stable. or ellys what difference is þer bytwixe þe p{re}science. {and} þilke iape-worþi dyuynynge of Tiresie þe diuino{ur} þat seide. ¶ Al þat I seie q{uo}d he eyþer it shal be. or ellys it ne shal nat be. Or ellis how moche is worþe þe diuyne p{re}science more þan þe oppiniou{n} of mankynde yif so be þat it demeþ þe þinges vncerteyne as me{n} don. of þe whiche domes of men þe bytydynge nis nat certeyne. ¶ But yif so be þ{a}t noon vncerteyne þinge may ben in hym þat is ryȝt certeyne welle of alle þinges. þa{n} is þe bytydynge certeyne of þilke þinges whiche he haþ wist byforn fermely to come{n}.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.