Received this message from Susan tonight:
From St. Julian, perhaps the most important illustration of the need to read things in the original, especially when auxiliary verbs lose their original strength:
"And thus oure good lorde answered to all the questions and doutes that I might make, saying full comfortabely: "I may make alle thing wele, and I can make alle thing welle, and I will make alle thing wele, and I shalle make alle thing welle. And thou shalt se thyselfe that alle maner of thing shall be welle."
From the note in the text: The auxiliary verbs refer, respectively, to God's power to make well ("may"), his wisdom ("can"), his will ("wille"), and his intention ("shalle").
A modern English translation has: "I may make everything all right; I am able to; I intend to, and I shall. You will see for yourself that every sort of thing will be all right."
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