and yif þei comen to-gidre {and} ben assembled {and} clepid to-gidre in to o cours. þan moten þilke þinges fletyn to-gidre whiche þat þe water of þe 4376 entrechau{n}gyng flode bry{n}geþ þe shippes {and} þe stokkes araced wiþ þe flood moten assemble. {and} þe watres ymedlyd wrappiþ or implieþ many fortunel happes or maneres. [Sidenote: But the sloping earth, the laws of fluids, govern these things.] þe whiche wandryng happes naþeles þilke enclinyng 4380 lowenes of þe erþe. {and} þe flowynge ordre of þe slidyng water gouerniþ. [Sidenote: So though Chance seems to wander unrestrained, it is nevertheless curbed and restrained by Divine Providence.] ¶ Ryȝt so fortune þat semeþ as [þat] it fletiþ wiþ slaked or vngouerned[e] bridles. It suffriþ bridles þat is to seyn to ben gouerned 4384 {and} passeþ by þilke lawe. þat is to sein by þe deuyne ordinaunce. [Linenotes: 4369 [_and_]--from C. _a_--oo 4371 [_batayle_]--from C. 4373 _þe_--tho 4374 _to-gidre_--to-gyderes 4376 _whiche_--which 4377 _flode_--flod 4378 _assemble_--assemblyn 4380 _enclinyng_--declynynge 4381 _lowenes_--lownesse 4383 [_þat_]--from C. _vngouerned[e]_--vngou{er}nede 4385 _þe_--thilke] [Headnote: ON FREE WILL.] A{N}I{M}ADUERTO INQ{UA}M. [Sidenote: [The .2^de. p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: _B._ Is there any _free-will_ in this chain of cohering causes?] ++Þis vndirstonde I wel q{uo}d I. {and} accorde wel þat it is ryȝt as þou seist. but I axe yif þer be any liberte 4388 or fre wil in þis ordre of causes þat cliue{n} þus to-gidre in hem self. [Sidenote: Or doth the _chain of destiny_ constrain the motions of the human mind?] ¶ or ellys I wolde witen yif þat þe destinal cheine co{n}streiniþ þe moeueuynge of þe corages of me{n}. [Sidenote: _P._ There is a freedom of the will possessed by every rational being.] yis q{uo}d she þer is liberte of fre wille. ne þer 4392 ne was neuer no nature of resou{n} þat it ne hadde liberte of fre wille. [Sidenote: A rational being has judgment to judge of and discern everything.] ¶ For euery þing þat may naturely vsen resou{n}. it haþ doom by whiche it discerniþ {and} demiþ euery þing. [Sidenote: Of himself he knows what he is to avoid or to desire. He seeks what he judges desirable, and he shuns what he deems should be avoided.] ¶ þan knoweþ it by it self þinges þat be{n} 4396 to fleen. {and} þinges þat ben to desiren. {and} þilk þing þat any wyȝt demeþ to ben desired þ{a}t axeþ or desireþ he {and} fleeþ [thilke] þing þat he troueþ ben to fleen. [Linenotes: 4389 _or_--of 4390 _hem_--hym 4392 _yis_--MS. yif, C. yis 4392-94 _wille_--wil 4395 _whiche_--which 4397 _þilk_--thilke 4399 [_thilke_]--from C.]