renou{n}
of as
longe tyme as euer ?
longe tyme as euer ?
Chaucer - Boethius
e to ?
e
gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde no
space ? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde ? e fer? e partie is
enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned
by tholome ? at p{ro}uit? it. ? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ? e see {and} [the]
mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as ? e regiou{n} of
droughte ou{er}strecche? . ? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne?
sholde ? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of men.
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi? i{n}ne ? e leest[e]
prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don
? oure name to ben born for? e. but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and}
so streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche contein? e it in
largesse {and} in greet doynge. And also sette ? is ? er to ? at many a
nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of
hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for
diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage
entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e names of singler men ne
may [nat] strecchen. but eke ? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
? At ? e last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self write? in
his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed
ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was
? ilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes. and eke
of o? er folk enhabityng aboute. ? Sest ? ou nat ? an how streit {and} how
comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie ? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and}
to multiplie. May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider as
? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne passen. ? And eke sest
? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben
discordau{n}t amonge hem self. so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen
wor? i of p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. ? and
? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}.
he ne may nat i{n} no wise bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many
manere peoples. ? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben paied of
hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen ney? bores. ? And ? ilke noble
renou{n} shal be restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but
how many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e nedy {and} wrecched
for? etynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey. ? Al be it so
? at certys ? ilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe
{and} derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. but ? e
men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e ? enke ? at in tyme comyng
? oure fame shal lasten. ? But na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n}
to ? e endeles space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou maist
reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name. ? For if ? er were maked
co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for
as myche as bo? e ? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be. ? But na? eles ? ilke self
nou{m}bre of ? eres. and eke as many ? eres as ? er to may be multiplied.
ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to ? e p{er}durablete ? at is
een[de]les. ? For of ? inges ? at han ende may be mad co{m}parisou{n} [but
of thinges that ben w{i}t{h}-owtyn ende to thinges ? {a}t han ende may be
maked no {com}parysou{n}]. ? And for ? i is it al ? ou?
renou{n} of as
longe tyme as euer ? e lyst to ? inken were ? ou? t by ? e regard of
et{er}nite. ? at is vnstauncheable {and} infinit. it ne sholde nat oonly
semen litel. but pleinliche ry? t nou? t. ? But ? e men certys ne konne don
no ? ing ary? t. but ? if it be for ? e audience of poeple. {and} for ydel
rumo{ur}s. {and} ? e forsaken ? e grete wor? inesse of conscience {and} of
vertue. {and} ? e seke{n} ? oure gerdou{n}s of ? e smale wordes of
st{ra}nge folke. ? Haue now here {and} vndirstonde i{n} ? e ly? tnesse of
whiche p{r}ide {and} veyne glorie. how a man scorned[e] festiualy {and}
myrily swiche vanite. somtyme ? ere was a man ? at had[de] assaied wi?
striuyng wordes an o? er ma{n}. ? ? e whiche nat for vsage of verrey
vertue. but for proude veyne glorie had[de] take{n} vpon hym falsly ? e
name of a philosopher. ? ? is ra? er man ? at I speke of ? ou? t[e] he wolde
assay[e] where he ? ilke were a philosopher or no. ? at is to seyne yif he
wolde han suffred ly? tly in pacience ? e wro{n}ges ? at weren don vnto
hym. ? ? is feined[e] philosophre took pacience a litel while. {and} whan
he hadde receiued wordes of outerage he as in stryuynge a? eine {and}
reioysynge of hym self seide at ? e last[e] ry? t ? us. ? vndirstondest ? ou
nat ? at I am a philosophere. ? at o? er man answered[e] a? ein ful bityngly
{and} seide. ? I had[de] wel vndirstonden [yt]. yif ? ou haddest holde{n}
? i tonge stille. ? But what is it to ? ise noble wor? i men. For certys of
swyche folk speke . I. ? at seken glorie wi? vertue. what is it q{uo}d
she. what atteini? fame to swiche folk whan ? e body is resolued by ? e
dee? . atte ? e last[e]. ? For yif so be ? at men dien in al. ? at is to
seyne body {and} soule. ? e whiche ? ing oure resou{n} defendi? vs to
byleuen ? anne is ? ere no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde ? ilke glorie
ben. for he of who{m} ? is glorie is seid to be nis ry? t nou? t in no
wise. and ? if ? e soule whiche ? at ha? in it self science of goode werkes
vnbounden fro ? e p{r}isou{n} of ? e er? e wende? frely to ? e heuene.
dispise? it nou? t ? an alle er? ely occupac{i}ou{n}s. {and} beynge i{n}
heuene reioise? ? at it is exempt from alle er? ely ? inges [as wo seith /
thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorye of renou{n} of this world].
QUICUMQ{UE} SOLAM MENTE.
[Sidenote: [The 7th Metre. ]]
++Who so ? at wi? ouer? rowyng ? ou? t only seke? glorie of fame. {and}
weni? ? at it be souereyne good ? Lete hym loke vpon ? e brode shewyng
contreys of ? e heue{n}. {and} vpo{n} ? e streite sete of ? is er? e. {and}
he shal be ashamed of ? e encres of his name. ? at may nat fulfille ? e
litel compas of ? e er? e. ? O what coueiten proude folke to liften vpon
hire nekkes in ydel {and} dedely ? ok of ? is worlde. ? For al ? ou?
[? {a}t] renoune y-spradde passynge to ferne poeples go? by dyuerse
tonges. and al ? ou? grete houses {and} kynredes shyne wi? clere titles
of hono{ur}s. ? it na? eles dee? dispise? al heye glorie of fame. {and}
dee? wrappe? to gidre ? e heye heuedes {and} ? e lowe {and} make? egal
{and} euene ? e heyest[e] to ? e lowest[e]. ? where wone{n} now ? e bones
of trewe fabricius. what is now brutus or stiern Caton ? e ? inne fame ? it
lastynge of hir ydel names is markid wi? a fewe lettres. but al ? ou? we
han knowe{n} ? e faire wordes of ? e fames of hem. it is nat ? euen to
knowe he{m} ? at ben dede {and} consumpt.
gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde no
space ? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde ? e fer? e partie is
enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned
by tholome ? at p{ro}uit? it. ? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ? e see {and} [the]
mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as ? e regiou{n} of
droughte ou{er}strecche? . ? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne?
sholde ? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of men.
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi? i{n}ne ? e leest[e]
prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don
? oure name to ben born for? e. but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and}
so streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche contein? e it in
largesse {and} in greet doynge. And also sette ? is ? er to ? at many a
nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of
hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for
diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage
entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e names of singler men ne
may [nat] strecchen. but eke ? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
? At ? e last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self write? in
his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed
ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was
? ilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes. and eke
of o? er folk enhabityng aboute. ? Sest ? ou nat ? an how streit {and} how
comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie ? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and}
to multiplie. May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider as
? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne passen. ? And eke sest
? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben
discordau{n}t amonge hem self. so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen
wor? i of p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. ? and
? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}.
he ne may nat i{n} no wise bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many
manere peoples. ? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben paied of
hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen ney? bores. ? And ? ilke noble
renou{n} shal be restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but
how many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e nedy {and} wrecched
for? etynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey. ? Al be it so
? at certys ? ilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe
{and} derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. but ? e
men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e ? enke ? at in tyme comyng
? oure fame shal lasten. ? But na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n}
to ? e endeles space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou maist
reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name. ? For if ? er were maked
co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for
as myche as bo? e ? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be. ? But na? eles ? ilke self
nou{m}bre of ? eres. and eke as many ? eres as ? er to may be multiplied.
ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to ? e p{er}durablete ? at is
een[de]les. ? For of ? inges ? at han ende may be mad co{m}parisou{n} [but
of thinges that ben w{i}t{h}-owtyn ende to thinges ? {a}t han ende may be
maked no {com}parysou{n}]. ? And for ? i is it al ? ou?
renou{n} of as
longe tyme as euer ? e lyst to ? inken were ? ou? t by ? e regard of
et{er}nite. ? at is vnstauncheable {and} infinit. it ne sholde nat oonly
semen litel. but pleinliche ry? t nou? t. ? But ? e men certys ne konne don
no ? ing ary? t. but ? if it be for ? e audience of poeple. {and} for ydel
rumo{ur}s. {and} ? e forsaken ? e grete wor? inesse of conscience {and} of
vertue. {and} ? e seke{n} ? oure gerdou{n}s of ? e smale wordes of
st{ra}nge folke. ? Haue now here {and} vndirstonde i{n} ? e ly? tnesse of
whiche p{r}ide {and} veyne glorie. how a man scorned[e] festiualy {and}
myrily swiche vanite. somtyme ? ere was a man ? at had[de] assaied wi?
striuyng wordes an o? er ma{n}. ? ? e whiche nat for vsage of verrey
vertue. but for proude veyne glorie had[de] take{n} vpon hym falsly ? e
name of a philosopher. ? ? is ra? er man ? at I speke of ? ou? t[e] he wolde
assay[e] where he ? ilke were a philosopher or no. ? at is to seyne yif he
wolde han suffred ly? tly in pacience ? e wro{n}ges ? at weren don vnto
hym. ? ? is feined[e] philosophre took pacience a litel while. {and} whan
he hadde receiued wordes of outerage he as in stryuynge a? eine {and}
reioysynge of hym self seide at ? e last[e] ry? t ? us. ? vndirstondest ? ou
nat ? at I am a philosophere. ? at o? er man answered[e] a? ein ful bityngly
{and} seide. ? I had[de] wel vndirstonden [yt]. yif ? ou haddest holde{n}
? i tonge stille. ? But what is it to ? ise noble wor? i men. For certys of
swyche folk speke . I. ? at seken glorie wi? vertue. what is it q{uo}d
she. what atteini? fame to swiche folk whan ? e body is resolued by ? e
dee? . atte ? e last[e]. ? For yif so be ? at men dien in al. ? at is to
seyne body {and} soule. ? e whiche ? ing oure resou{n} defendi? vs to
byleuen ? anne is ? ere no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde ? ilke glorie
ben. for he of who{m} ? is glorie is seid to be nis ry? t nou? t in no
wise. and ? if ? e soule whiche ? at ha? in it self science of goode werkes
vnbounden fro ? e p{r}isou{n} of ? e er? e wende? frely to ? e heuene.
dispise? it nou? t ? an alle er? ely occupac{i}ou{n}s. {and} beynge i{n}
heuene reioise? ? at it is exempt from alle er? ely ? inges [as wo seith /
thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorye of renou{n} of this world].
QUICUMQ{UE} SOLAM MENTE.
[Sidenote: [The 7th Metre. ]]
++Who so ? at wi? ouer? rowyng ? ou? t only seke? glorie of fame. {and}
weni? ? at it be souereyne good ? Lete hym loke vpon ? e brode shewyng
contreys of ? e heue{n}. {and} vpo{n} ? e streite sete of ? is er? e. {and}
he shal be ashamed of ? e encres of his name. ? at may nat fulfille ? e
litel compas of ? e er? e. ? O what coueiten proude folke to liften vpon
hire nekkes in ydel {and} dedely ? ok of ? is worlde. ? For al ? ou?
[? {a}t] renoune y-spradde passynge to ferne poeples go? by dyuerse
tonges. and al ? ou? grete houses {and} kynredes shyne wi? clere titles
of hono{ur}s. ? it na? eles dee? dispise? al heye glorie of fame. {and}
dee? wrappe? to gidre ? e heye heuedes {and} ? e lowe {and} make? egal
{and} euene ? e heyest[e] to ? e lowest[e]. ? where wone{n} now ? e bones
of trewe fabricius. what is now brutus or stiern Caton ? e ? inne fame ? it
lastynge of hir ydel names is markid wi? a fewe lettres. but al ? ou? we
han knowe{n} ? e faire wordes of ? e fames of hem. it is nat ? euen to
knowe he{m} ? at ben dede {and} consumpt.
