[Linenotes: 4605 _haþ_--MS. haþe 4606 _seyne_--seyn 4607 _whiche_--which 4608 _haþ_--MS. haþe _grete_--gret _soþefast_--soothfast 4610 _wille_--wil 4612 _discorde_--discord [_tho_]--from C. 4613 _cleuen_--clyuen 4615 _dirk[ed]_--derkyd 4616 _while_--whil 4617 _knowen_--knowe 4619-21 _grete_--gret _note[s]_--notes 4619 _soþe_--soth 4621 _yhidd_--MS. yhidde, C. Ihyd 4622 _soþe_--sooth _þinges_--thing 4625 [_Glosa_]--from C. 4630 _þinge_--thing _whiche_--which 4631 _woot_--not _nat_--nawht 4632 _couþe_--kowde 4634 [_þat_]--from C. _where_--wher 4635 _what_--MS. þat, C. what _vnknowynge_--vnkunnynge 4639 _eueryche_--eu{er}ych 4640 _while_--whil _þe_--MS. þe þe _hidd_--MS. hidde, C. hidde 4641 _derknesse_--derkenesse 4642 _haþ_--MS. haþe _selfe_--self 4644 _nouþir habit_--nother habite 4645 _alle_ (_both_)--al _haþ_--MS. haþe 4648 [_Glosa_]--from C. 4649 [_textus_]--from C. 4650 _haþ_ (_both_)--MS. haþe] [[pg 161]] [Headnote: ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS AGAINST PROVIDENCE.] TAMEN ILLA UETUS INQ{U}IT HEC EST. [Sidenote: [The 4^the p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: _P._ This is the old objection against Providence, so ably handled by Cicero in his _Book of Divination_; and you yourself have anxiously discussed it.] ++Þanne seide she. þis is q{uo}d she þe olde questiou{n} of þe p{ur}ueaunce of god. {and} marcus tulius whan he 4652 deuided[e] þe deuinac{i}ou{n}s. þat is to sein in hys booke þat he wroot of deuinac{i}ou{n}s. he moeued[e] gretly þis questiou{n}. {and} þou þi self hast souȝt it mochel {and} outerly {and} lo{n}g[e]. [Sidenote: But neither of you have offered a satisfactory solution of the difficulty.] but ȝit ne haþ it nat ben determined 4656 ne yspedd fermely {and} diligently of any of yow. [Sidenote: The cause of this mystery is that the human understanding cannot conceive the simplicity of the divine prescience, for if it were possible to comprehend this, every difficulty would at once disappear.] ¶ And þe cause of þis derkenesse {and} [of this] difficulte is for þat þe moeuynge of þe resou{n} of mankynde ne may nat moeue{n} to. þat is to sein applien or ioygnen to 4660 þe simplicite of þe deuyne p{re}science. ¶ þe whiche symplicite of þe deuyne p{re}science ȝif þat men [myhten thinken it in any maner{e} / þ{a}t is to seyn / þ{a}t yif men] myȝte þinken {and} co{m}p{re}henden þe þinges as god seeþ hem. 4664 þan ne sholde þer dwellen outerly no doute. [Sidenote: I shall, therefore, try to explain and solve this difficult question.]