[Sidenote: Where the flying Parthian doth pierce his pursuers with his shafts, there from the Achemenian heights flow the Tigris and Euphrates, but soon their streams divide and flow into separate channels.]
++TIgris [{ and}] eufrates resoluen { and} spryngen of a welle in þe kragges of þe roche of þe contre of achemenye þer{ e} as þe fleenge [batayle] ficchiþ hire dartes reto{ ur}nid in þe brestes of hem þat folwen hem. ¶ And sone aftre 4372 þe same ryueres tigris { and} eufrates vnioygne{ n} { and} dep{ ar}ten hir{ e} watres. [[pg 152]]
[Sidenote: But should they unite again, in the impetuous stream, boats, ships, and trees would be all intermingled, whirled about; and blind Chance seems to direct the current's course.]
and yif þei comen to-gidre { and} ben assembled { and} clepid to-gidre in to o cours. þan moten þilke þinges fletyn to-gidre whiche þat þe water of þe 4376 entrechau{ n}gyng flode bry{ n}geþ þe shippes { and} þe stokkes araced wiþ þe flood moten assemble. { and} þe watres ymedlyd wrappiþ or implieþ many fortunel happes or maneres.
[Sidenote: But the sloping earth, the laws of fluids, govern these things.]
þe whiche wandryng happes naþeles þilke enclinyng 4380 lowenes of þe erþe. { and} þe flowynge ordre of þe slidyng water gouerniþ.
[Sidenote: So though Chance seems to wander unrestrained, it is nevertheless curbed and restrained by Divine Providence.]
¶ Ry[gh]t so fortune þat semeþ as [þat] it fletiþ wiþ slaked or vngouerned[e] bridles. It suffriþ bridles þat is to seyn to ben gouerned 4384 { and} passeþ by þilke lawe. þat is to sein by þe deuyne ordinaunce.
[Linenotes: 4369 [_and_]--from C. _a_--oo 4371 [_batayle_]--from C. 4373 _þe_--tho 4374 _to-gidre_--to-gyderes 4376 _whiche_--which 4377 _flode_--flod 4378 _assemble_--assemblyn 4380 _enclinyng_--declynynge 4381 _lowenes_--lownesse 4383 [_þat_]--from C. _vngouerned[e]_--vngou{ er}nede 4385 _þe_--thilke]
[Sidenote: _B._ Is there any _free-will_ in this chain of cohering causes?]
++Þis vndirstonde I wel q{ uo}d I. { and} accorde wel þat it is ry[gh]t as þou seist. but I axe yif þer be any liberte 4388 or fre wil in þis ordre of causes þat cliue{ n} þus to-gidre in hem self.
[Sidenote: Or doth the _chain of destiny_ constrain the motions of the human mind?]