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xxviii

choses qui advenoient en terre comme ceulx qui bien en
savoient les raisons. Si estoit ou temps dalors telle
la costume que se ung homme estoit serf a ung ou a
pluseurs aultres ou quel fust venue de petite extrachon
et fust il riche et plain de grant avoir touteffoiz ne
eust il ose estudier es sept ars liberaulx pour les no
bles et haults hommes qui de tous poins en voloient
retenir le principal a celle fin que ilz fussent francs et
en liberte. Et par ceste raison leur mirrent ilz a nom
les sept ars liberaulx. Et a droit les nommerent libe
raulx. car ilz sont si francs que a dieu ilz rendent la
me toute franche. Et sont ordonnez si apoint et donnez
tant entierement que len ne pourroit riens roster
ne riens adjouster combien que nulz sen voulsist out
scevist entremettre tant fut bon clerc et expert Car se
len en changoit ou muoit riens qui y soit tous seroient
desfigurez. pour che quilz sont si raisonnablement et
a droit composez que homme vivant au monde tant
fust de parfonde science ne aultre fust paien ou Juif
ou christien ny pourroit en riens ne ne sauroit changier
adiouster ne oster ne contrester en nulle fachon

xxviii

as people who knew well the reasons
for these things. It was the custom at that time
that if a man were a bondsman to one or several
people, or if he were of low birth, even if he became
rich and had many possessions, even so he did not
dare to study the seven liberal arts, because the
noble and high men wanted to maintain
the principle that they [the arts] should remain free and
liberal. And for this reason they gave them the name of
the seven liberal arts. And they were rightly
named liberal. For they are so free that they
give the soul to God freely. And they were so carefully
ordered and given so comprehensively that one could not
take anything away, nor adjust anything, and indeed
the good and expert scholar neither
wanted nor knew how to meddle with them. For
if any part of them were changed or altered, then
the whole would be disfigured. And this is because they
were so reasonably and rightly made that no person living
in the world, however profound his knowledge, whether
pagan, or Jew, or Christian,
could not, nor knew not how to change, adjust,
remove, or oppose them in any way.

xxviii

choses qui advenoient en terre comme ceulx qui bien en
savoient les raisons. Si estoit ou temps dalors telle
la costume que se ung homme estoit serf a ung ou a
pluseurs aultres ou quel fust venue de petite extrachon
et fust il riche et plain de grant avoir touteffoiz ne
eust il ose estudier es sept ars liberaulx pour les no
bles et haults hommes qui de tous poins en voloient
retenir le principal a celle fin que ilz fussent francs et
en liberte. Et par ceste raison leur mirrent ilz a nom
les sept ars liberaulx. Et a droit les nommerent libe
raulx. car ilz sont si francs que a dieu ilz rendent la
me toute franche. Et sont ordonnez si apoint et donnez
tant entierement que len ne pourroit riens roster
ne riens adjouster combien que nulz sen voulsist out
scevist entremettre tant fut bon clerc et expert Car se
len en changoit ou muoit riens qui y soit tous seroient
desfigurez. pour che quilz sont si raisonnablement et
a droit composez que homme vivant au monde tant
fust de parfonde science ne aultre fust paien ou Juif
ou christien ny pourroit en riens ne ne sauroit changier
adiouster ne oster ne contrester en nulle fachon

xxviii

as people who knew well the reasons
for these things. It was the custom at that time
that if a man were a bondsman to one or several
people, or if he were of low birth, even if he became
rich and had many possessions, even so he did not
dare to study the seven liberal arts, because the
noble and high men wanted to maintain
the principle that they [the arts] should remain free and
liberal. And for this reason they gave them the name of
the seven liberal arts. And they were rightly
named liberal. For they are so free that they
give the soul to God freely. And they were so carefully
ordered and given so comprehensively that one could not
take anything away, nor adjust anything, and indeed
the good and expert scholar neither
wanted nor knew how to meddle with them. For
if any part of them were changed or altered, then
the whole would be disfigured. And this is because they
were so reasonably and rightly made that no person living
in the world, however profound his knowledge, whether
pagan, or Jew, or Christian,
could not, nor knew not how to change, adjust,
remove or oppose them in any way.