from verray {and}
p{er}fit
goode.
Chaucer - Boethius
e som{er} sesou{n}.
For so as aristotil
telle? ? at yif ? at men hadden eyen of a beest ? at hi? t lynx. so ? at ? e
lokyng of folk my? t[e] percen ? oru? ? e ? inges ? {a}t wi? stonden it. who
so lokid ? an in ? e entrailes of ? e body of alcibiades ? at was ful fayr
in ? e sup{er}fice wi? oute. it shulde seme ry? t foule. {and} for ? i yif
? ou semest faire. ? i nature ne maki? nat ? at. but ? e desceiuau{n}ce of
? e fieblesse of ? e eyen ? at loken. ? But p{re}ise ? e goodes of ? i body
as moche as euer ? e list. so ? at ? ou know[e] algates ? at what so it be.
? at is to seyn of ? e goodes of ? i body whiche ? at ? {o}u wondrest vpon
may ben destroied or dessolued by ? e hete of a feuere of ? re dayes. ? Of
alle whiche forseide ? inges I may reduce{n} ? is shortly in a so{m}me.
? ? at ? ise worldly goodes whiche ? at ne mowen nat ? iuen ? at ? ei byheten.
ne ben nat p{er}fit by ? e congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. ? at ? ei ne
ben nat weyes ne pa? es ? at bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to
ben blysful.
HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce mysledi? wandryng
wrecches fro ? e pa? e of verrey good. ? Certis ? e ne seken no golde in
grene trees. ne ? e ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in ? e vines. ne ? e
ne hiden nat ? oure gynnes in hey? e mou{n}taignes to kachen fisshe of
whiche ? e may maken ryche festes. and yif ? ow lyke? to hunte to roos. ? e
ne gon nat to ? e foordes of ? e water ? at hy? t tyrene. {and} ouer ? is men
knowen wel ? e crikes {and} ? e cau{er}nes of ? e see yhidd in ? e floodes.
{and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles.
{and} knowen whiche water habunde? most of rede purpre. ? at is to seyen
of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. {and} knowen
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes
? at hy? ten echynnys. but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde ? at hem
ne recchi? nat to knowe where ? ilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche ? at ? ei
coueiten but ploungen hem in er? e {and} seken ? ere ? ilke goode ? {a}t
so{ur}mou{n}te? ? e heuene ? at bere? ? e sterres. ? what p{re}yere may I
make ? at be digne to ? e nice ? ou? tis of men. but I p{re}ye ? at ? ei
coueite{n} rycches {and} hono{ur}s so ? at whan ? ei han geten ? o false
goodes wi? greet trauayle ? at ? erby ? ei mowe knowen ? e verray goodes.
HACTENUS MENDACIS FORMA{M}.
[Sidenote: [The 9^ne p{ro}se. ]]
++IT suffisi? ? at I haue shewed hider to ? e forme of false wilfulnesse.
so ? at yif ? ou look[e] now clerely ? e ordre of myn entenc{i}ou{n}
requeri? from hennes for? e to shewe{n} ? e verray wilfulnesse. ? For
q{uod} . I. (b) [I. ] se wel now ? at suffisau{n}ce may nat comen by
richesse. ne power by realmes. ne reuere{n}ce by dignitees. ne
gentilesse by glorie. ne ioye by delices. and (p) hast ? ou wel knowen
q{uo}d she ? e cause whi it is. Certis me seme? q{uod} . I. ? at . I. se hem
ry? t as ? ou? it were ? oru? a litel clifte. but me were leuer knowen hem
more openly of ? e. Certys q{uod} she ? e resou{n} is al redy ? For ? ilk
? ing ? at symply is on ? ing wi? outen ony diuisiou{n}. ? e errour {and}
folie of mankynde departe? {and} diuidi? it. {and} misledi? it {and}
t{ra}nsporte?
from verray {and} p{er}fit goode. to goodes ? at ben false
{and} inp{er}fit. ? But seye me ? is. wenest ? ou ? at he ? at ha? nede of
power ? at hy{m} ne lakke? no ? ing. Nay q{uo}d . I ? Certis q{uo}d she ? ou
seist ary? t. For yif so be ? {a}t ? er is a ? ing ? at in any p{ar}tie be
fieble of power. Certis as in ? at it most[e] nedes be nedy of foreine
helpe. ? Ri? t so it is q{uo}d . I. Suffisaunce and power ben ? an of on
kynde ? So seme? it q{uod} I. ? And demyst ? ou q{uo}d she ? at a ? ing ? at
is of ? is manere. ? at is to seine suffisau{n}t {and} my? ty au? t[e] to
ben dispised. or ellys ? {a}t it be ry? t digne of reuerences abouen alle
? inges. ? Certys q{uo}d I it nys no doute ? at it nis ry? t wor? i to ben
reuerenced. ? Lat vs q{uo}d she ? an adden reuerence to suffisaunce {and}
to power ? So ? at we demen ? at ? ise ? re ? inges ben alle o ? ing. ? Certis
q{uo}d I lat vs adden it. yif we willen graunten ? e so? e. what demest
? ou ? an q{uo}d she is ? at a dirke ? ing {and} nat noble ? at is
suffisau{n}t reu{er}ent {and} my? ty. or ellys ? at is ry? t clere {and}
ry? t noble of celebrete of renou{n}. ? Considere ? an q{uo}d she as we
han grau{n}tid her byforne. ? at he ? at ne ha? ne[de] of no ? ing {and} is
most my? ty {and} most digne of hono{ur} yif hym nedi? any clernesse of
renou{n} whiche clernesse he my? t[e] nat graunten of hym self. ? So ? at
for lakke of ? ilke clerenesse he my? t[e] seme febler on any syde or ? e
more outcaste. _Glosa. _ ? is is to seyne nay. ? For who so ? at is
suffisau{n}t my? ty {and} reuerent. clernesse of renou{n} folwe? of ? e
forseide ? inges. he ha? it alredy of hys suffisaunce. boice. I may nat
q{uo}d I denye it. ? But I mot graunten as it is. ? at ? is ? ing be ry? t
celebrable by clernesse of renou{n} {and} noblesse. ? ? an folwe? it
q{uo}d she ? at we adden clernesse of renou{n} to ? e ? re forseide ? inges.
so ? at ? er ne be amonges hem no difference. {and} ? is is a consequente
q{uo}d . I. ? is ? ing ? an q{uo}d she ? at ne ha? no nede of no foreine
? ing. {and} ? at may don alle ? inges by his streng? es. {and} ? at is noble
{and} hono{ur}able. nis nat ? at a myrie ? ing {and} a ioyful. _boice. _
but wenest q{uo}d I ? {a}t any sorow my? t[e] comen to ? is ? ing ? at is
swiche. ? Certys I may nat ? inke. _P. _ ? ? anne moten we graunt[e] q{uod}
she ? at ? is ? ing be ful of gladnesse yif ? e ? orseide ? inges be so? e.
? And also certys mote we graunten. ? at suffisaunce power noblesse
reuerence {and} gladnesse ben only dyuerse bynames. but hir substaunce
ha? no diu{er}site. _Boice. _ It mot nedely be so q{uo}d . I. _P. _ ? ilke
? inge ? an q{uo}d she ? at is oon {and} simple i{n} his nature. ? e
wikkednesse of men departi? it diuidi? it. {and} whan ? ei enforcen hem
to gete p{ar}tie of a ? ing ? at ne ha? no part. ? ei ne geten hem nei? er
? ilk[e] p{ar}tie ? at nis none. ne ? e ?
telle? ? at yif ? at men hadden eyen of a beest ? at hi? t lynx. so ? at ? e
lokyng of folk my? t[e] percen ? oru? ? e ? inges ? {a}t wi? stonden it. who
so lokid ? an in ? e entrailes of ? e body of alcibiades ? at was ful fayr
in ? e sup{er}fice wi? oute. it shulde seme ry? t foule. {and} for ? i yif
? ou semest faire. ? i nature ne maki? nat ? at. but ? e desceiuau{n}ce of
? e fieblesse of ? e eyen ? at loken. ? But p{re}ise ? e goodes of ? i body
as moche as euer ? e list. so ? at ? ou know[e] algates ? at what so it be.
? at is to seyn of ? e goodes of ? i body whiche ? at ? {o}u wondrest vpon
may ben destroied or dessolued by ? e hete of a feuere of ? re dayes. ? Of
alle whiche forseide ? inges I may reduce{n} ? is shortly in a so{m}me.
? ? at ? ise worldly goodes whiche ? at ne mowen nat ? iuen ? at ? ei byheten.
ne ben nat p{er}fit by ? e congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. ? at ? ei ne
ben nat weyes ne pa? es ? at bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to
ben blysful.
HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce mysledi? wandryng
wrecches fro ? e pa? e of verrey good. ? Certis ? e ne seken no golde in
grene trees. ne ? e ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in ? e vines. ne ? e
ne hiden nat ? oure gynnes in hey? e mou{n}taignes to kachen fisshe of
whiche ? e may maken ryche festes. and yif ? ow lyke? to hunte to roos. ? e
ne gon nat to ? e foordes of ? e water ? at hy? t tyrene. {and} ouer ? is men
knowen wel ? e crikes {and} ? e cau{er}nes of ? e see yhidd in ? e floodes.
{and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles.
{and} knowen whiche water habunde? most of rede purpre. ? at is to seyen
of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. {and} knowen
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes
? at hy? ten echynnys. but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde ? at hem
ne recchi? nat to knowe where ? ilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche ? at ? ei
coueiten but ploungen hem in er? e {and} seken ? ere ? ilke goode ? {a}t
so{ur}mou{n}te? ? e heuene ? at bere? ? e sterres. ? what p{re}yere may I
make ? at be digne to ? e nice ? ou? tis of men. but I p{re}ye ? at ? ei
coueite{n} rycches {and} hono{ur}s so ? at whan ? ei han geten ? o false
goodes wi? greet trauayle ? at ? erby ? ei mowe knowen ? e verray goodes.
HACTENUS MENDACIS FORMA{M}.
[Sidenote: [The 9^ne p{ro}se. ]]
++IT suffisi? ? at I haue shewed hider to ? e forme of false wilfulnesse.
so ? at yif ? ou look[e] now clerely ? e ordre of myn entenc{i}ou{n}
requeri? from hennes for? e to shewe{n} ? e verray wilfulnesse. ? For
q{uod} . I. (b) [I. ] se wel now ? at suffisau{n}ce may nat comen by
richesse. ne power by realmes. ne reuere{n}ce by dignitees. ne
gentilesse by glorie. ne ioye by delices. and (p) hast ? ou wel knowen
q{uo}d she ? e cause whi it is. Certis me seme? q{uod} . I. ? at . I. se hem
ry? t as ? ou? it were ? oru? a litel clifte. but me were leuer knowen hem
more openly of ? e. Certys q{uod} she ? e resou{n} is al redy ? For ? ilk
? ing ? at symply is on ? ing wi? outen ony diuisiou{n}. ? e errour {and}
folie of mankynde departe? {and} diuidi? it. {and} misledi? it {and}
t{ra}nsporte?
from verray {and} p{er}fit goode. to goodes ? at ben false
{and} inp{er}fit. ? But seye me ? is. wenest ? ou ? at he ? at ha? nede of
power ? at hy{m} ne lakke? no ? ing. Nay q{uo}d . I ? Certis q{uo}d she ? ou
seist ary? t. For yif so be ? {a}t ? er is a ? ing ? at in any p{ar}tie be
fieble of power. Certis as in ? at it most[e] nedes be nedy of foreine
helpe. ? Ri? t so it is q{uo}d . I. Suffisaunce and power ben ? an of on
kynde ? So seme? it q{uod} I. ? And demyst ? ou q{uo}d she ? at a ? ing ? at
is of ? is manere. ? at is to seine suffisau{n}t {and} my? ty au? t[e] to
ben dispised. or ellys ? {a}t it be ry? t digne of reuerences abouen alle
? inges. ? Certys q{uo}d I it nys no doute ? at it nis ry? t wor? i to ben
reuerenced. ? Lat vs q{uo}d she ? an adden reuerence to suffisaunce {and}
to power ? So ? at we demen ? at ? ise ? re ? inges ben alle o ? ing. ? Certis
q{uo}d I lat vs adden it. yif we willen graunten ? e so? e. what demest
? ou ? an q{uo}d she is ? at a dirke ? ing {and} nat noble ? at is
suffisau{n}t reu{er}ent {and} my? ty. or ellys ? at is ry? t clere {and}
ry? t noble of celebrete of renou{n}. ? Considere ? an q{uo}d she as we
han grau{n}tid her byforne. ? at he ? at ne ha? ne[de] of no ? ing {and} is
most my? ty {and} most digne of hono{ur} yif hym nedi? any clernesse of
renou{n} whiche clernesse he my? t[e] nat graunten of hym self. ? So ? at
for lakke of ? ilke clerenesse he my? t[e] seme febler on any syde or ? e
more outcaste. _Glosa. _ ? is is to seyne nay. ? For who so ? at is
suffisau{n}t my? ty {and} reuerent. clernesse of renou{n} folwe? of ? e
forseide ? inges. he ha? it alredy of hys suffisaunce. boice. I may nat
q{uo}d I denye it. ? But I mot graunten as it is. ? at ? is ? ing be ry? t
celebrable by clernesse of renou{n} {and} noblesse. ? ? an folwe? it
q{uo}d she ? at we adden clernesse of renou{n} to ? e ? re forseide ? inges.
so ? at ? er ne be amonges hem no difference. {and} ? is is a consequente
q{uo}d . I. ? is ? ing ? an q{uo}d she ? at ne ha? no nede of no foreine
? ing. {and} ? at may don alle ? inges by his streng? es. {and} ? at is noble
{and} hono{ur}able. nis nat ? at a myrie ? ing {and} a ioyful. _boice. _
but wenest q{uo}d I ? {a}t any sorow my? t[e] comen to ? is ? ing ? at is
swiche. ? Certys I may nat ? inke. _P. _ ? ? anne moten we graunt[e] q{uod}
she ? at ? is ? ing be ful of gladnesse yif ? e ? orseide ? inges be so? e.
? And also certys mote we graunten. ? at suffisaunce power noblesse
reuerence {and} gladnesse ben only dyuerse bynames. but hir substaunce
ha? no diu{er}site. _Boice. _ It mot nedely be so q{uo}d . I. _P. _ ? ilke
? inge ? an q{uo}d she ? at is oon {and} simple i{n} his nature. ? e
wikkednesse of men departi? it diuidi? it. {and} whan ? ei enforcen hem
to gete p{ar}tie of a ? ing ? at ne ha? no part. ? ei ne geten hem nei? er
? ilk[e] p{ar}tie ? at nis none. ne ? e ?
