¶ For 4684 by grace of possessiou{n}. so þat þou mowe þe better vndirstonde þis þat folweþ. ¶ I pose (inpossibile) þat þer ne be no p{re}science. þan axe I q{uo}d she in as moche as app{er}teniþ to þat. sholde þan þinges þat 4688 comen of frewille ben constreined to bytiden by necessite. [Sidenote: _B._ No.] {Boici}us. nay q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ Let us, then, admit Prescience, but that it imposes no necessity on what is to happen; the freedom of the will would still remain entire and absolute.] þan aȝeinward q{uo}d she. I suppose þat þere be p{re}science but þat ne putteþ no necessite to þinges. þan trowe I þat þilk self fredom 4692 of wille shal dwelle{n} al hool {and} absolut {and} vnbounden. [Sidenote: But although Prescience, you may say, is not the necessary cause of future events, yet it is a sign that they shall necessarily happen, and hence it follows that, although there were no prescience, future events would still be an inevitable necessity.] but þou wolt sein þat al be it so þat p{re}science nis nat cause of þe necessite of bitidynge to þinges to comen. ¶ Algates ȝitte it is a signe þ{a}t þe þinges ben 4696 to bytiden by necessite. by þis manere þan al þouȝ þe p{re}science ne hadde neuer yben. ȝit algate or at þe lest[e] wey. it is certeyne þing þat þe e{n}dys {and} þe bitydynges of þinges to come{n} sholde ben necessarie. 4700 [Sidenote: For the sign of a thing is not really the thing itself, but only points out what the individual is.] ¶ For euery sygne sheweþ {and} signifieþ oonly what þe þing is ¶ but it ne makiþ nat þe þing þat it signifieþ. [Sidenote: Wherefore, it must be first proved that everything happens by necessity before we can conclude that prescience is a sign of that necessity.] ¶ For whiche it byhoueþ firste to shewen þat no þing ne bitidiþ [þ{a}t it ne bytydith] by necessite. so þat it 4704 may apere þ{a}t þe p{re}scie{n}ce is signe of þis necessite [Sidenote: For if there be no necessity, prescience cannot be the sign of that which has no existence.] ¶ or ellys yif þere nere no necessite. certys þilke p{re}science ne myȝt[e] nat ben signe of þinge þat nis nat. [Linenotes: 4677 _þinge[s]_--thinges 4683 _whiche_--which 4685 _better_--beter{e} 4688 _moche_--mochel 4689 _frewille_--free wyl 4691 _þat ne_--þat is ne 4692 _þat_--MS. þan _þilk self_--thilke selue 4693 _wille_--wil 4699 _lest[e]_--leeste 4700 _sholde_--sholden 4703 _whiche_--which _firste_--fyrst 4704 [_þat----bytydith_]--from C. 4707 _myȝt[e]_--myhte _þinge_--thing] [Headnote: NOT ALL THINGS CONTROLLED BY NECESSITY.]