Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TAMEN ILLA UETUS INQ{U}IT HEC EST.
As who seiþ any oþer wey þan þus. but þat þilke þinge[s] þat þe p{re}scie{n}ce woot byforn [ne] mowen nat vnbitide. þat is to seyn þat þei moten bitide. ¶ But þan yif þat p{re}science ne putteþ no necessite to þinges to comen. as þou þi self hast confessed it {and} byknowen a litel herbyforn{e}. ¶ what cause [or what] is it. as who seiþ þere may no cause be. by whiche þat þe endes (exitus) uoluntarie of þinges myȝten be constreyned to certeyne bitydyng. ¶ For by grace of possessiou{n}. so þat þou mowe þe better vndirstonde þis þat folweþ. ¶ I pose (inpossibile) þat þer ne be no p{re}science. þan axe I q{uo}d she in as moche as app{er}teniþ to þat. sholde þan þinges þat comen of frewille ben constreined to bytiden by necessite. {Boici}us. nay q{uo}d I. þan aȝeinward q{uo}d she.
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