[Sidenote: The question whereof you want a solution embraces the five following points: 1. Simplicity, or unity of Providence. 2. The order and course of Destiny.]
¶ For in 3840 þis matere me{ n} weren wont to maken questiou{ n}s of þe simplicite of þe p{ ur}ueaunce of god { and} of þe ordre of destine.
[Sidenote: 3. Sudden chance. 4. Prescience of God, and divine predestination. 5. Free-will.]
{ and} of sodeyne hap. { and} of þe knowyng { and} p{ re}destinac{ i}ou{ n} deuine { and} of þe lyberte of fre wille. 3844 þe whiche þing þou þi self ap{ er}ceiust wel of what wey[gh]t þei ben. but for as mochel as þe knowynge of þise þinges is a manere porc{ i}ou{ n} to þe medicine to þe. al be it so þat I haue lytel tyme to don it.
[Sidenote: I will try to treat of these things:--]
[gh]it naþeles I wole 3848 enforcen me to shewe somwhat of it. ¶ but al þou[gh] þe norissinges of dite of musike deliteþ þe þow most suffren. { and} forberen a litel of þilk delite while þat I weue (contexo) to þe resou{ n}s yknyt by ordre ¶ As it likeþ 3852 to þe q{ uo}d I so do.
[Sidenote: Resuming her discourse as from a new principle, Philosophy argued as follows:--]
¶ þo spak she ry[gh]t a[s] by an oþer bygynnyn[ge] { and} seide þus.
[Sidenote: The generation of all things, every progression of things liable to change, and everything that moveth, derive their causes, order, and form from the immutability of the divine understanding.]
¶ þe enge{ n}drynge of alle þinges q{ uo}d she { and} alle þe progressiou{ n}s of muuable nat{ ur}e. { and} alle þ{ a}t moeueþ in any manere takiþ hys 3856 causes. hys ordre. { and} hys formes. of þe stablenesse of þe deuyne þou[gh]t
[Sidenote: Providence directs all things by a variety of means.]
[{ and} thilke deuyne thowht] þat is yset { and} put in þe toure. þat is to seyne in þe hey[gh]t of þe simplicite of god. stablisiþ many manere gyses to þinges þat 3860 ben to don.
[Sidenote: These means, referred only to the divine intelligence, are called Providence; but when contemplated in relation to the things which receive motion and order from them, are called Destiny.]
¶ þe whiche manere whan þat men loken it i{ n} þilke pure clerenesse of þe deuyne i{ n}telligence. it is ycleped p{ ur}ueaunce ¶ but whan þilke manere is referred by me{ n} to þinges þat it moeueþ { and} disponeþ þan [[pg 135]] of olde men. it was cleped destine.