[Linenotes: 5141 _ne_ (2)--C. in 5142 _whiche_--which _were doon_--weeryn Idoon 5143 _bitidd_--MS. bitidde, C. bityd 5148 _purposed[e]_--p{ur}posede 5150 _ydon_--MS. ydone, C. I-doon _myȝten_--myhte 5151 _vndon_--MS. vndone, C. vndoon 5151-2 _ydon_--MS. ydone, C. I-doon 5152 _byhoued[e]_--houyd 5153 _haþ_--MS. haþe 5154 _wiþ outen_--with-owte _shulle_--shollen 5156 _doers_--doeres 5157 _wronge_--wrong 5159 _selfe_--self 5160 _from_--fro _bonde_--bond [_as_]--from C. 5163 _look[e]_--loke 5166 _þo_--the] [Headnote: GOD’S KNOWLEDGE FIXED AND UNCHANGED.] [Sidenote: _P._ You may perhaps alter your purpose--but as providence takes note of your intentions, you cannot deceive her; for you cannot escape the divine prescience though you have the power, through a free-will, to vary and diversify your actions.] ¶ Certys þou maist wel chaungen þi p{ur}pos but for as 5168 mochel as þe p{re}sent soþenesse of þe deuyne p{ur}ueaunce byholdeþ þat þou mayst chau{n}ge{n} þi p{ur}pose. {and} wheþir þou wolt chaunge it or no. {and} whider-ward þat þou tourne it. þ{o}u maist nat eschewen þe deuyne 5172 p{re}science ryȝt as þou ne mayst nat fleen þe syȝt of þe p{re}sent eye. al þouȝ þat þou tourne þi self by þi fre wille in to dyu{er}se acc{i}ou{n}. [Sidenote: But you may say--Shall the divine knowledge be changed according to the mutability of my disposition, and the apprehensions of the Deity fluctuated with my changing purposes?] ¶ But þou mayst seyn aȝeyne how shal it þan be. shal nat þe dyuyne science 5176 ben chaunged by my disposic{i}ou{n} whan þat I wol o þing now {and} now an oþer. {and} þilke p{re}science ne semeþ it nat to enterchau{n}ge stoundes of knowynges. as who seiþ. ne shal it nat seme to vs þat þe deuyne 5180 p{re}science enterchaungeþ hys dyuers stoundes of knowynge. so þat it knowe so{m}me tyme o þing {and} so{m}me tyme þe contrarie. [Sidenote: No, indeed! The view of the Deity foreruns every future event, and brings it back into the presence of his own knowledge, which does not vary, as you imagine, to conform to your caprices, but remaining fixed, at once foresees and comprehends all your changes.] ¶ No for soþe. [q{uod} I] for þe deuyne syȝt renneþ to-forne {and} seeþ alle fut{ur}es {and} clepeþ hem aȝein 5184 {and} reto{ur}niþ hem to þe p{re}sence of hys p{ro}pre knowynge. [[pg 178]] ne he ne entrechaungeþ nat [so] as þou wenest þe stoundes of forknowyng [as] now þis now þat. but he ay dwellynge comiþ byforn {and} enbraceþ at o strook 5188 alle þi mutac{i}ou{n}s.