Omne enim quod imperfectum esse dicitur, id deminutione perfecti imperfectum esse perhibetur. Quo fit ut si in quolibet genere imperfectum quid esse videatur, in eo perfectum quoque aliquod esse necesse sit. Etenim perfectione sublata, unde illud, quod imperfectum perhibetur, extiterit, ne fingi quidem potest. _Neque enim ab diminutis inconsummatisque natura rerum cepit exordium, sed ab integris absolutisque procedens in hæc extrema atque effœta dilabitur._ Quod si, uti paulo ante monstravimus, est quædam boni fragilis imperfecta felicitas, esse aliquam solidam perfectamque non potest dubitari. (_Boeth._, lib. iii. pr. 10.) VI. GENTILITY. For gentilnesse nys but renomé Of thin auncestres, for her heigh bounté Which is a straunge thing to thy persone. (_The Wyf of Bathes Tale_, vol. ii. p. 241.) For if þe name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and clernesse of linage. þan is gentil name but a foreine þing. (_Chaucer’s Boethius_, p. 78.) _Quæ_ [nobilitas], _si ad claritudinem refertur, aliena est._ (_Boethius_, lib. iii. pr. 6.) VII. NERO’S CRUELTY. No teer out of his eyen for that sighte Ne cam; but sayde, a fair womman was sche. Gret wonder is how that he couthe or mighte Be domesman on hir dede beauté. (_The Monkes Tale_, vol. iii. p. 217.) Ne no tere ne wette his face, but he was so hard-herted þat he myȝte ben domesman or iuge of hire dede beauté. (_Chaucer’s Boethius_, p. 55.) Ora non tinxit lacrymis, sed esse Censor extincti potuit decoris. (_Boethius_, lib. ii. met. 6.) VIII. PREDESTINATION AND FREE-WILL. In ‘Troylus and Cryseyde’ we find the following long passage taken from Boethius, book v. prose 2, 3. Book iv. st. 134, vol. iv. p. 339. (1) Syn God seth every thynge, out of doutaunce, And hem disponeth, thorugh his ordinaunce, In hire merites sothely for to be, As they shul comen by predesteyné 136 (2) For som men seyn if God seth al byforne, Ne God may not deseyved ben pardé! Than moot it fallen, theigh men hadde it sworne, That purveyaunce hath seyn befor to be, Wherfor I seye, that, from eterne, if he Hathe wiste byforn our thought ek as oure dede, We have no fre choys, as thise clerkes rede. 137 (3) For other thoughte, nor other dede also, Myghte nevere ben, but swich as purveyaunce, Which may nat ben deceyved nevere moo, Hath feled byforne, withouten ignoraunce; For if ther myghte ben a variaunce, To wrythen out fro Goddes purveyinge, Ther nere no prescience of thynge comynge; 138 (4) But it were rather an opinyon Uncertein, and no stedfast forseynge; And certes that were an abusyon That God shold han no parfit clere wetynge, More than we men, that han douteous wenynge, But swich an erroure upon God to gesse Were fals, and foule, and wikked corsednesse. 139