CHAPTER III.

Than gan Love nighe me nere, and with a noble countenance of visage and limmes, dressed her nigh my sitting-place.

'Take forth,' quod she, 'thy pen, and redily wryte these wordes. For if god wol, I shal hem so enforme to thee, that thy 5 leudnesse which I have understande in that mater shal openly be clered, and thy sight in ful loking therin amended. First, if thou thinke that goddes prescience repugne libertè of arbitrement, it is impossible that they shulde accorde in onheed of sothe to understonding.' 10

'Ye,' quod I, 'forsothe; so I it conceyve.'

'Wel,' quod she, 'if thilke impossible were away, the repugnaunce that semeth to be therin were utterly removed.'

'Shewe me the absence of that impossibilitè,' quod I.

'So,' quod she, 'I shal. Now I suppose that they mowe 15 stande togider: prescience of god, whom foloweth necessitè of thinges comming, and libertè of arbitrement, thorow whiche thou belevest many thinges to be without necessitè.'

'Bothe these proporcions be sothe,' quod I, 'and wel mowe stande togider; wherfore this case as possible I admit.' 20

'Truely,' quod she, 'and this case is impossible.'

'How so?' quod I.

'For herof,' quod she, 'foloweth and wexeth another impossible.'

'Prove me that,' quod I. 25

'That I shal,' quod she; 'for somthing is comming without necessitè, and god wot that toforn; for al thing comming he before wot, and that he beforn wot of necessitè is comming, as he beforn wot be the case by necessary maner; or els, thorow necessitè, is somthing to be without necessitè; and wheder, to 30 every wight that hath good understanding, is seen these thinges to be repugnaunt: prescience of god, whiche that foloweth necessitè, and libertè of arbitrement, fro whiche is removed necessitè? For truely, it is necessary that god have forweting of thing withouten any necessitè cominge.' 35

'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet remeve ye nat away fro myne understanding the necessitè folowing goddes be foreweting, as thus. God beforn wot me in service of love to be bounden to this Margarite-perle, and therfore by necessitè thus to love am I bounde; and if I had nat loved, thorow necessitè had I ben kept from al 40 love-dedes.'

'Certes,' quod Love, 'bicause this mater is good and necessary to declare, I thinke here-in wel to abyde, and not lightly to passe. Thou shalt not (quod she) say al-only, "god beforn wot me to be a lover or no lover," but thus: "god beforn wot me to be a lover 45 without necessitè." And so foloweth, whether thou love or not love, every of hem is and shal be. But now thou seest the impossibilitè of the case, and the possibilitè of thilke that thou wendest had been impossible; wherfore the repugnaunce is adnulled.'

'Ye,' quod I; 'and yet do ye not awaye the strength of necessitè, 50 whan it is said, th[r]ough necessitè it is me in love to abyde, or not to love without necessitè for god beforn wot it. This maner of necessitè forsothe semeth to some men in-to coaccion, that is to sayne, constrayning, or else prohibicion, that is, defendinge; wherfore necessitè is me to love of wil. I understande 55 me to be constrayned by some privy strength to the wil of lovinge; and if [I] no[t] love, to be defended from the wil of lovinge: and so thorow necessitè me semeth to love, for I love; or els not to love, if I not love; wherthrough neither thank ne maugrè in tho thinges may I deserve.' 60

'Now,' quod she, 'thou shalt wel understande, that often we sayn thing thorow necessitè to be, that by no strength to be neither is coarted ne constrayned; and through necessitè not to be, that with no defendinge is removed. For we sayn it is thorow necessitè god to be immortal, nought deedliche; and it 65 is necessitè, god to be rightful; but not that any strength of violent maner constrayneth him to be immortal, or defendeth him to be unrightful; for nothing may make him dedly or unrightful. Right so, if I say, thorow necessitè is thee to be a lover or els noon; only thorow wil, as god beforn wete. It is nat to understonde 70 that any thing defendeth or forbit thee thy wil, whiche shal nat be; or els constrayneth it to be, whiche shal be. That same thing, forsoth, god before wot, whiche he beforn seeth. Any thing commende of only wil, that wil neyther is constrayned ne defended thorow any other thing. And so thorow libertè of 75 arbitrement it is do, that is don of wil. And trewly, my good child, if these thinges be wel understonde, I wene that non inconvenient shalt thou fynde betwene goddes forweting and libertè of arbitrement; wherfore I wot wel they may stande togider. Also farthermore, who that understanding of prescience 80 properlich considreth, thorow the same wyse that any-thing be afore wist is said, for to be comming it is pronounced; there is nothing toforn wist but thing comming; foreweting is but of trouth[e]; dout[e] may nat be wist; wherfore, whan I sey that god toforn wot any-thing, thorow necessitè is thilke thing to be comming; 85 al is oon if I sey, it shal be. But this necessitè neither constrayneth ne defendeth any-thing to be or nat to be. Therfore sothly, if love is put to be, it is said of necessitè to be; or els, for it is put nat to be, it is affirmed nat to be of necessitè; nat for that necessitè constrayneth or defendeth love to be or nat to be. For 90 whan I say, if love shal be, of necessitè it shal be, here foloweth necessitè the thing toforn put; it is as moch to say as if it were thus pronounced--"that thing shal be." Noon other thing signifyeth this necessitè but only thus: that shal be, may nat togider be and nat be. Evenlich also it is soth, love was, and is, and shal 95 be, nat of necessitè; and nede is to have be al that was; and nedeful is to be al that is; and comming, to al that shal be. And it is nat the same to saye, love to be passed, and love passed to be passed; or love present to be present, and love to be present; or els love to be comminge, and love comminge to be 100 comming. Dyversitè in setting of wordes maketh dyversitè in understandinge; altho[ugh] in the same sentence they accorden of significacion; right as it is nat al oon, love swete to be swete, and love to be swete. For moch love is bitter and sorouful, er hertes ben esed; and yet it glad[d]eth thilke sorouful herte on 105 suche love to thinke.'

'Forsothe,' quod I, 'outherwhile I have had mokel blisse in herte of love that stoundmele hath me sorily anoyed. And certes, lady, for I see my-self thus knit with this Margarite-perle as by bonde of your service and of no libertè of wil, my herte wil 110 now nat acorde this service to love. I can demin in my-selfe non otherwise but thorow necessitè am I constrayned in this service to abyde. But alas! than, if I thorow nedeful compulsioun maugre me be with-holde, litel thank for al my greet traveil have I than deserved.' 115

'Now,' quod this lady, 'I saye as I sayde: me lyketh this mater to declare at the ful, and why: for many men have had dyvers fantasyes and resons, both on one syde therof and in the other. Of whiche right sone, I trowe, if thou wolt understonde, thou shalt conne yeve the sentence to the partie more probable 120 by reson, and in soth knowing, by that I have of this mater maked an ende.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'of these thinges longe have I had greet lust to be lerned; for yet, I wene, goddes wil and his prescience acordeth with my service in lovinge of this precious Margarite-perle. 125 After whom ever, in my herte, with thursting desyre wete, I do brenne; unwasting, I langour and fade; and the day of my desteny in dethe or in joye I +onbyde; but yet in th'ende I am comforted +by my supposaile, in blisse and in joye to determine after my desyres.' 130

'That thing,' quoth Love, 'hastely to thee neigh, god graunt of his grace and mercy! And this shal be my prayer, til thou be lykende in herte at thyne owne wil. But now to enforme thee in this mater (quod this lady) thou wost where I lefte; that was: love to be swete, and love swete to be swete, is not al oon for to 135 say. For a tree is nat alway by necessitè white. Somtyme, er it were white, it might have be nat white; and after tyme it is white, it may be nat white. But a white tree evermore nedeful is to be white; for neither toforn ne after it was white, might it be togider white and nat white. Also love, by necessitè, is nat 140 present as now in thee; for er it were present, it might have be that it shulde now nat have be; and yet it may be that it shal nat be present; but thy love present whiche to her, Margarite, thee hath bounde, nedeful is to be present. Trewly, som doing of accion, nat by necessitè, is comminge fer toforn it be; it may be 145 that it shal nat be comminge. Thing forsoth comming nedeful is to be comming; for it may nat be that comming shal nat be comming. And right as I have sayd of present and of future tymes, the same sentence in sothnesse is of the preterit, that is to say, tyme passed. For thing passed must nedes be passed; and 150 er it were, it might have nat be; wherfore it shulde nat have passed. Right so, whan love comming is said of love that is to come, nedeful is to be that is said; for thing comming never is nat comminge. And so, ofte, the same thing we sayn of the same; as whan we sayn "every man is a man," or "every lover is a lover," 155 so muste it be nedes. In no waye may he be man and no man togider. And if it be nat by necessitè, that is to say nedeful, al thing comming to be comming, than somthing comming is nat comminge, and that is impossible. Right as these termes "nedeful," "necessitè," and "necessary" betoken and signify thing nedes 160 to be, and it may nat otherwyse be, right [so] +this terme "impossible" signifyeth, that [a] thing is nat and by no way may it be. Than, thorow pert necessitè, al thing comming is comming; but that is by necessitè foloweth, with nothing to be constrayned. Lo! whan that "comming" is said of thinge, nat alway thing 165 thorow necessitè is, altho[ugh] it be comming. For if I say, "to-morowe love is comming in this Margarites herte," nat therfore thorow necessitè shal the ilke love be; yet it may be that it shal nat be, altho[ugh] it were comming. Neverthelater, somtyme it is soth that somthing be of necessitè, that is sayd "to come"; as 170 if I say, to-morowe +be comminge the rysinge of the sonne. If therfore with necessitè I pronounce comming of thing to come, in this maner love to-morne comminge in thyne Margarite to thee-ward, by necessitè is comminge; or els the rysing of the sonne to-morne comminge, through necessitè is comminge. Love sothely, 175 whiche may nat be of necessitè alone folowinge, thorow necessitè comming it is mad certayn. For "futur" of future is said; that is to sayn, "comming" of comminge is said; as, if to-morowe comming is thorow necessitè, comminge it is. Arysing of the sonne, thorow two necessitès in comming, it is to understande; that oon is 180 to-for[e]going necessitè, whiche maketh thing to be; therfore it shal be, for nedeful is that it be. Another is folowing necessitè, whiche nothing constrayneth to be, and so by necessitè it is to come; why? for it is to come. Now than, whan we sayn that god beforn wot thing comming, nedeful [it] is to be comming; yet therfore make 185 we nat in certayn evermore, thing to be thorow necessitè comminge. Sothly, thing comming may nat be nat comming by no way; for it is the same sentence of understanding as if we say thus: if god beforn wot any-thing, nedeful is that to be comming. But yet therfore foloweth nat the prescience of God, thing thorow 190 necessitè to be comming: for al-tho[ugh] god toforn wot al thinges comming, yet nat therfore he beforn wot every thing comming thorow necessitè. Some thinges he beforn wot comming of free wil out of resonable creature.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'these termes "nede" and "necessitè" have 195 a queint maner of understanding; they wolden dullen many mennes wittes.'

'Therfore,' quod she, 'I wol hem openly declare, and more clerely than I have toforn, er I departe hen[ne]s.

CH. III. 1. nygh. 5. the. 6. vndersta_n_d. 8. lyberte of arbetry of arbitrement; _omit_ arbetry of. 15. Nowe. 17. thorowe. 22. Howe. 29. beforne. maner than (_omit_ than). thorowe. 30. whed_er_to.

38. beforne wote. 40. thorowe. kepte. 44. shalte. onely. 44-5. beforne wote (_twice_). 47. nowe. 51. though; _read_ through. 52. beforne wote. 53. coaction. 57. _Supply_ I; _for_ no _read_ not; _see_ l. 59. 58. thorowe. 59. thanke. 60. maye. 61. Nowe. shalte. 62. sayne. thorowe. 63. throughe. 64. sayne. 65. thorowe. 67. violente. 69. thorowe. the. 70. none. onely thorowe. beforne. 71. the.

73-4. thynge. 74. co_m_mende; _for_ comminge. onely. 75. thorowe (_twice_). 76. done. 77. childe. vndersto_n_d. 81. thorowe. 84. trouth. dout. 85. wote. thorowe. 86. if it shal be; _omit_ if. 92. toforne. 93. None. 94. onely. 102. altho. 103. signification. one. 105. eased. hert. 108. hert.

109. se. peerle. 110. hert. 111. nowe. 112. thorowe. 113. thorowe. 114. thanke. great. 116. Nowe. 118. reasons. 120. shalte con. 121. reason. 123. great luste. 126. hert. weete. 128. vnbyde (!). 129. be; _for_ by. 133. nowe. the. 135. one. 138. maye. 141. nowe. the. 142. nowe. maye. 143. the. 144. some.

145. action. ferre. 154. thynge. 155. sayne. 161. _I supply_ so. these termes; _read_ this terme. 162. _I supply_ a. 163-6. thorowe. (_twice_). 166. altho. 167. hert. 169. altho. 171. by; _read_ be. 173. the warde. 176. thorowe. 177. made certayne. 179. thorowe. 180. one. 181. to forgoing.

184. Nowe. 185. _I supply_ it. 186. certayne. thynge. thorowe. 187. maye. 190. thorowe. 191. wote. 193. thorowe. 200. hense; _read_ hennes.