ANIMADVERTO INQUAM. — Prosa 2
"This undirstonde I wel," quod I, "and I accorde
me that it is ryght as thou seist. But I axe yif ther be any
liberte of fre wille in this ordre of causes that clyven thus
togidre in hemself, or elles I wolde witen yif that the destinal
cheyne constrenith the moevynges of the corages of men."
"Yis," quod sche, "ther is liberte of fre wil,
ne
ther ne was nevere no nature of resoun that it ne hadde liberte
of fre wil. For every thing that may naturely usen resoun, it
hath doom by whiche it discernith and demeth every thing; thanne
knoweth it by itself thinges that ben to fleen and thinges that
ben to desiren. And thilke thing that any wight demeth to ben
desired, that axeth or desireth he; and fleeth thilke thing that
he troweth be to fleen. Wherfore in alle thingis that resoun is,
in hem also is liberte of willynge and of nillynge. But I ne
ordeyne nat (as who seith, I ne graunte nat) that this liberte
be evenelyk in alle thinges. Forwhy in the sovereynes devynes
substaunces (that is to seyn, in spiritz) jugement is more cleer,
and wil nat icorrumped, and myght redy to speden thinges that ben
desired. But the soules of men moten nedes he more fre whan thei
loken hem in the speculacioun or lokynge of the devyne thought;
and lasse fre whan thei slyden into the bodyes; and yit lasse fre
whan thei ben gadrid togidre and comprehended in erthli membres;
but the laste servage is whan that thei ben yeven to vices and
han ifalle fro the possessioun of hir propre resoun. For aftir
that thei han cast awey hir eyghen fro the lyght of the sovereyn
sothfastnesse to lowe thingis and derke, anon thei derken by the
cloude of ignoraunce and ben troubled by felonous talentz;
to the whiche talentz whan thei approchen and
assenten,
thei [helpen] and encrecen the servage whiche thei han joyned to
hemself; and in this manere thei ben caytifs fro hir propre
liberte. The whiche thingis natheles the lokynge of the devyne
purveaunce seth, that alle thingis byholdeth and seeth fro
eterne, and ordeyneth hem everiche in here merites as thei ben
predestinat; and it is seid in Greke that 'alle thinges
he seeth and alle thinges he herith.'
