ty but of
familiers
[or] seruaunt?
Chaucer - Boethius
at is a-mong straung folk.
maist
? ou sein. but amo{n}g{us} hem ? at ? ei weren born duren ? ilk[e] dignites
alwey. ? Certys ? e dignite of ? e p{ro}uostrie of Rome was somtyme a
grete power. now is it no ? ing but an ydel name. {and} ? e rente of ? e
senatorie a g{r}et charge. {and} yif a whi? t somtyme hadde ? e office to
taken he[de] to ? e vitailes of ? e poeple as of corne {and} what o? er
? inges he was holden amonges grete. but what ? ing is more nowe out cast
? anne ? ilke p{ro}uostrie ? And as I haue seid a litel here byforne. ? at
? ilke ? ing ? at ha? no p{ro}pre beaute of hym self resceyue? somtyme pris
{and} shinynge {and} somtyme lesi? it by ? e opiniou{n} of vsaunces.
? Now yif ? at dignites ? anne ne mowen nat maken folk digne of reuerence.
{and} yif ? {a}t dignites wexen foule of hir wille by ? e fil? e of
shrewes. ? and yif ? at dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of
tymes. and yif ? ei wexen foule by estimac{i}ou{n} of poeple. what is it
? at ? ei han in hem self of beaute ? at au? te ben desired. as who sei?
none. ? anne ne mowen ? ei ? iuen no beaute of dignite to none o? er.
QUA{M}UIS SE TIRIO.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Al be it so ? at ? e proude nero wi? al his woode luxurie kembed hym
{and} apparailed hym wi? faire purp{er}s of Tirie {and} wi? white
perles. Algates ? itte throf he hateful to alle folk ? ? is is to seyn ? at
al was he by-hated of alle folk. ? ? itte ? is wicked Nero hadde gret
lordship {and} ? af somtyme to ? e dredeful senatours ? e vnworshipful
setes of dignites. ? vnworshipful setes he clepi? here fore ? at Nero ? at
was so wikked ? af ? o dignites. who wolde ? anne resonably wenen ? at
blysfulnesse were in swiche hono{ur}s as ben ? euen by vicious shrewes.
AN UERO REGNA.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt regnes {and} familarites of kynges may ? ei maken a ma{n} to ben
my? ty. how ellys. ? whanne hir blysfulnesse dure? p{er}petuely but
certys ? e olde age of tyme passe? . {and} eke of p{re}sent tyme now is
ful of ensau{m}ples how ? {a}t kynges ? at han chaunged in to wrechednesse
out of hir welefulnesse. ? O a noble ? ing {and} a cler ? ing is power ? at
is nat founden my? ty to kepe it self. ? And yif ? at power of realmes be
auctour {and} maker of blisfulnesse. yif ? ilke power lakke? on any side.
amenusi? it nat ? ilke blisfulnesse {and} brynge? in wrechednesse. but
yif al be it so ? at realmes of mankynde stretchen b{r}oode. ? it mot ? er
nede ben myche folk ouer whiche ? at euery kyng ne ha? no lordshipe no
comaundement ? and certys vpon ? ilke syde ? at power faille? whiche ? at
maki? folk blisful. ry? t on ? at same side nou{n}power entri? vndirne?
? at make? hem wreches. ? In ? is manere ? anne moten kynges han more
porciou{n} of wrechednesse ? an of welefulnesse. ? A tyraunt ? at was kyng
of sisile ? at had[de] assaied ? e p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by
similitude ? e dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde ? at heng ouer
? e heued of his familier. what ? ing is ? an ? is power ? at may nat don
awey ? e bytynges of besines ne eschewe ? e prikkes of drede. and certys
? it wolden ? ei lyuen in sykernesse. but ? ei may nat. and ? it ? ei
glorifien hem in her power ? Holdest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilk[e] man be my? ty
? at ? {o}u seest ? at he wolde don ? at he may nat don. ? And holdest ? ou
? an hym a my? ty man ? at ha? environed hise sydes wi? men of armes or
seruauntes {and} drede? more [hem] ? at he make? agast. ? en ? ei dreden
hym. {and} ? at is put in ? e handes of hise seruaunt? . for he sholde seme
my?
ty but of familiers [or] seruaunt? of ky{n}ges. ? what sholde I telle
? e any ? ing. syn ? at I my self haue shewed ? e ? at realmes hem self ben
ful of gret feblenesse. ? e whiche familiers certis ? e real power of
kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] ? rowe? adou{n}.
? Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen
on what dee? he wolde deien. ? Antonius comau{n}did[e] ? at kny? tis
slowen wi? her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben
long tyme ful my? ty a-monges hem of ? e courte. and ? it certis ? ei wolde
bo? e han renou{n}ced her power. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e] hym to
? iue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie
exil. ? But whan ? e grete wey? t. ? at is to sein of lordes power or of
fortune drawe? hem ? at sholden falle. ney? er of hem ne my? t[e] do ? at he
wolde. what ? ing is ? anne ? ilke power ? at ? ou? men han it ? at ? ei ben
agast. ? {and} whan ? ou woldest han it ? ou nart nat siker. ? And yif ? ou
woldest forleten it ? ou mayst nat eschewen it. ? But whe? ir swiche men
ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.
Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune make? frendes. contrarious fortune
make? hem enmyse. ? And what pestilence is more my? ty forto anoye a wi? t
? an a familier enemy.
QUI SE UALET ESSE POTENTEM.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so wolde ben my? ty he mot dau{n}ten hys cruel corage. ne put[te]
nat his nekke ouercomen vndir ? e foule reines of lecherie. for al be it
so ? at ? i lordship[e] strecche so fer ? at ? e contre Inde quaki? at ? i
comaundement. or at ? i lawes. {and} ? at ? e leest isle in ? e see ? at hy? t
tile be ? ral to ? e ? ? it yif ? ou mayst nat pute{n} awey ? i foule derk[e]
desijres {and} dryue{n} oute fro ? e wreched co{m}pleyntes. Certis it nis
no power ? at ? ou hast.
GLORIA UERO QUA{M} FALLAX.
[Sidenote: [The 6^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt glorie how deceiuable {and} how foule is it ofte. for whiche ? ing
nat vnskilfully a tregedien ? at is to sein a maker of dites ? at hy? ten
tregedies cried[e] {and} seide. ? O glorie glorie q{uod} he. ? ou nart no
? ing ellys to ? ousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. for
many[e] han had ful gret renou{n} by ? e fals[e] oppiniou{n} of poeple.
and what ? ing may ben ? ou? t fouler ? en swiche p{re}isynge for ? ilk[e]
folk ? at be{n} p{re}ised falsly. ? ei moten nedes han shame of hir
p{re}isynges. {and} yif ? at folk han gete{n} hem ? ank or p{re}ysyng by
her desertes. what ? ing ha? ? ilk pris echid or encresed to ? e conscience
of wise folk ? {a}t mesure{n} hire good. not by ? e rumo{ur} of ? e poeple.
but by ? e so? efastnesse of conscience. {and} yif it seme a fair ? ing a
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name. ? an folwe? it. ? at it is demed
to ben a foule ? inge yif it ne be ysprad ne encresed. but as I seide a
litel her byforne. ? at syn ? er mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk ? e
renou{n} of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalle? ? at he ? at ? ou wenest be
glorious {and} renomed. semi? in ? e nexte p{ar}ties of ? e er? e to ben
wi? out glorie. {and} wi? out renou{n}. ? and certis amo{n}ges ? ise
? inges I ne trowe nat ? at ? e p{r}is {and} grace of ? e poeple nis nei? er
wor? i to ben remembrid ne come? of wise iugement. ne is ferm
p{er}durably. ? But now of ? is name of gentilesse. what man is it ? at ne
may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a ? ing it is. ? For if ? e name
of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. ? an is
gentil name but a for[e]ine ? ing. ? at is to sein to hem ? at glorifien
hem of hir linage. ? For it seme? ? at gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge
?
? ou sein. but amo{n}g{us} hem ? at ? ei weren born duren ? ilk[e] dignites
alwey. ? Certys ? e dignite of ? e p{ro}uostrie of Rome was somtyme a
grete power. now is it no ? ing but an ydel name. {and} ? e rente of ? e
senatorie a g{r}et charge. {and} yif a whi? t somtyme hadde ? e office to
taken he[de] to ? e vitailes of ? e poeple as of corne {and} what o? er
? inges he was holden amonges grete. but what ? ing is more nowe out cast
? anne ? ilke p{ro}uostrie ? And as I haue seid a litel here byforne. ? at
? ilke ? ing ? at ha? no p{ro}pre beaute of hym self resceyue? somtyme pris
{and} shinynge {and} somtyme lesi? it by ? e opiniou{n} of vsaunces.
? Now yif ? at dignites ? anne ne mowen nat maken folk digne of reuerence.
{and} yif ? {a}t dignites wexen foule of hir wille by ? e fil? e of
shrewes. ? and yif ? at dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of
tymes. and yif ? ei wexen foule by estimac{i}ou{n} of poeple. what is it
? at ? ei han in hem self of beaute ? at au? te ben desired. as who sei?
none. ? anne ne mowen ? ei ? iuen no beaute of dignite to none o? er.
QUA{M}UIS SE TIRIO.
[Sidenote: [The 4^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Al be it so ? at ? e proude nero wi? al his woode luxurie kembed hym
{and} apparailed hym wi? faire purp{er}s of Tirie {and} wi? white
perles. Algates ? itte throf he hateful to alle folk ? ? is is to seyn ? at
al was he by-hated of alle folk. ? ? itte ? is wicked Nero hadde gret
lordship {and} ? af somtyme to ? e dredeful senatours ? e vnworshipful
setes of dignites. ? vnworshipful setes he clepi? here fore ? at Nero ? at
was so wikked ? af ? o dignites. who wolde ? anne resonably wenen ? at
blysfulnesse were in swiche hono{ur}s as ben ? euen by vicious shrewes.
AN UERO REGNA.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt regnes {and} familarites of kynges may ? ei maken a ma{n} to ben
my? ty. how ellys. ? whanne hir blysfulnesse dure? p{er}petuely but
certys ? e olde age of tyme passe? . {and} eke of p{re}sent tyme now is
ful of ensau{m}ples how ? {a}t kynges ? at han chaunged in to wrechednesse
out of hir welefulnesse. ? O a noble ? ing {and} a cler ? ing is power ? at
is nat founden my? ty to kepe it self. ? And yif ? at power of realmes be
auctour {and} maker of blisfulnesse. yif ? ilke power lakke? on any side.
amenusi? it nat ? ilke blisfulnesse {and} brynge? in wrechednesse. but
yif al be it so ? at realmes of mankynde stretchen b{r}oode. ? it mot ? er
nede ben myche folk ouer whiche ? at euery kyng ne ha? no lordshipe no
comaundement ? and certys vpon ? ilke syde ? at power faille? whiche ? at
maki? folk blisful. ry? t on ? at same side nou{n}power entri? vndirne?
? at make? hem wreches. ? In ? is manere ? anne moten kynges han more
porciou{n} of wrechednesse ? an of welefulnesse. ? A tyraunt ? at was kyng
of sisile ? at had[de] assaied ? e p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by
similitude ? e dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde ? at heng ouer
? e heued of his familier. what ? ing is ? an ? is power ? at may nat don
awey ? e bytynges of besines ne eschewe ? e prikkes of drede. and certys
? it wolden ? ei lyuen in sykernesse. but ? ei may nat. and ? it ? ei
glorifien hem in her power ? Holdest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilk[e] man be my? ty
? at ? {o}u seest ? at he wolde don ? at he may nat don. ? And holdest ? ou
? an hym a my? ty man ? at ha? environed hise sydes wi? men of armes or
seruauntes {and} drede? more [hem] ? at he make? agast. ? en ? ei dreden
hym. {and} ? at is put in ? e handes of hise seruaunt? . for he sholde seme
my?
ty but of familiers [or] seruaunt? of ky{n}ges. ? what sholde I telle
? e any ? ing. syn ? at I my self haue shewed ? e ? at realmes hem self ben
ful of gret feblenesse. ? e whiche familiers certis ? e real power of
kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] ? rowe? adou{n}.
? Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen
on what dee? he wolde deien. ? Antonius comau{n}did[e] ? at kny? tis
slowen wi? her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben
long tyme ful my? ty a-monges hem of ? e courte. and ? it certis ? ei wolde
bo? e han renou{n}ced her power. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e] hym to
? iue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie
exil. ? But whan ? e grete wey? t. ? at is to sein of lordes power or of
fortune drawe? hem ? at sholden falle. ney? er of hem ne my? t[e] do ? at he
wolde. what ? ing is ? anne ? ilke power ? at ? ou? men han it ? at ? ei ben
agast. ? {and} whan ? ou woldest han it ? ou nart nat siker. ? And yif ? ou
woldest forleten it ? ou mayst nat eschewen it. ? But whe? ir swiche men
ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.
Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune make? frendes. contrarious fortune
make? hem enmyse. ? And what pestilence is more my? ty forto anoye a wi? t
? an a familier enemy.
QUI SE UALET ESSE POTENTEM.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so wolde ben my? ty he mot dau{n}ten hys cruel corage. ne put[te]
nat his nekke ouercomen vndir ? e foule reines of lecherie. for al be it
so ? at ? i lordship[e] strecche so fer ? at ? e contre Inde quaki? at ? i
comaundement. or at ? i lawes. {and} ? at ? e leest isle in ? e see ? at hy? t
tile be ? ral to ? e ? ? it yif ? ou mayst nat pute{n} awey ? i foule derk[e]
desijres {and} dryue{n} oute fro ? e wreched co{m}pleyntes. Certis it nis
no power ? at ? ou hast.
GLORIA UERO QUA{M} FALLAX.
[Sidenote: [The 6^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt glorie how deceiuable {and} how foule is it ofte. for whiche ? ing
nat vnskilfully a tregedien ? at is to sein a maker of dites ? at hy? ten
tregedies cried[e] {and} seide. ? O glorie glorie q{uod} he. ? ou nart no
? ing ellys to ? ousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. for
many[e] han had ful gret renou{n} by ? e fals[e] oppiniou{n} of poeple.
and what ? ing may ben ? ou? t fouler ? en swiche p{re}isynge for ? ilk[e]
folk ? at be{n} p{re}ised falsly. ? ei moten nedes han shame of hir
p{re}isynges. {and} yif ? at folk han gete{n} hem ? ank or p{re}ysyng by
her desertes. what ? ing ha? ? ilk pris echid or encresed to ? e conscience
of wise folk ? {a}t mesure{n} hire good. not by ? e rumo{ur} of ? e poeple.
but by ? e so? efastnesse of conscience. {and} yif it seme a fair ? ing a
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name. ? an folwe? it. ? at it is demed
to ben a foule ? inge yif it ne be ysprad ne encresed. but as I seide a
litel her byforne. ? at syn ? er mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk ? e
renou{n} of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalle? ? at he ? at ? ou wenest be
glorious {and} renomed. semi? in ? e nexte p{ar}ties of ? e er? e to ben
wi? out glorie. {and} wi? out renou{n}. ? and certis amo{n}ges ? ise
? inges I ne trowe nat ? at ? e p{r}is {and} grace of ? e poeple nis nei? er
wor? i to ben remembrid ne come? of wise iugement. ne is ferm
p{er}durably. ? But now of ? is name of gentilesse. what man is it ? at ne
may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a ? ing it is. ? For if ? e name
of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. ? an is
gentil name but a for[e]ine ? ing. ? at is to sein to hem ? at glorifien
hem of hir linage. ? For it seme? ? at gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge
?
