whi axest þou þan or why disputest þou þan þat þilke þinges ben don by 5072 necessite whiche þat ben yseyen {and} yknowen by þe deuyne syȝt. syn þat for soþe men ne maken nat þilke þi{n}ges necessarie. whiche þat þe[i] seen be ydoon in hir{e} syȝt. [Sidenote: Does your view of an action lay any necessity upon it?] for addiþ þi byholdynge any necessite to þilke 5076 þinges þat þou byholdest p{re}sent. [Sidenote: _B._ No.] ¶ Nay q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ By parity of reason it is clear that whilst you see only some things in a limited instant, God sees all things in his ever-present time.] _p._ Certys þan yif men myȝte maken any digne comparisou{n} or collac{i}ou{n} of þe p{re}sence diuine. {and} of þe p{re} of mankynde. ryȝt so as ȝe seen so{m}me þinges in þis 5080 temp{or}el presente. ryȝt so seeþ god alle þinges by hys eterne p{re}sent. [Sidenote: His Divine prescience therefore does not change the nature of things--but only beholds those things as present to him which shall in time be produced.] ¶ wherfore þis dyuyne p{re}science ne chaungeþ nat þe nature ne þe p{ro}prete of þinges but byholdeþ swyche þinges present to hym ward. as þei 5084 shollen bytiden to ȝow ward in tyme to come. [Sidenote: Nor does he judge confusedly of them, but knows at one view what will necessarily and what will not necessarily happen.] ne it ne co{n}foundeþ nat þe Iugementȝ of þinges but by of syȝt of hys þouȝt he knoweþ þe þinges to comen as wel necessarie as nat necessarie. ryȝt so as whan ȝe seen togidre 5088 a man walke on þe erþe {and} þe sonne arysen in [the] heuene. al be it so þat ȝe seen {and} byholde{n} þat oon {and} þat oþer to-gidre. ȝit naþeles ȝe demen {and} [[pg 175]] discerne þat þat oon is uolu{n}tarie {and} þat oþer is necessarie. 5092 [Linenotes: 5066 _shalt_--shal [_it_]--from C. 5068 _whiche_--which 5074-76 _syȝt_--syhte 5075 _whiche_--which _þe[i]_--they 5085 _come_--comyn 5086 _of syȝt_--O syhte 5087 _he knoweþ_--MS. repeats 5090 [_the_]--from C. 5092 _discerne_--discernen] [Headnote: THE NATURE OF DIVINE PRESCIENCE.] [Sidenote: The eye of God, seeing all things, doth not alter the properties of things, for everything is present to him, though its temporal event is future.] ¶ Ryȝt so þan [the] deuyne lokynge byholdynge alle þi{n}ges vndir hym ne troubleþ nat þe qualite of þinges þat ben certeynely p{re}sent to hy{m} ward. but as to þe condic{i}ou{n} of tyme for soþe þei ben fut{ur}e. 5096 [Sidenote: When God knows that anything is to be, he knows at the same time that it is not under the necessity of being--but this is not conjecture, but certain knowledge founded upon truth.]