e p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of 1088
blisfulnesse fro hem ?
blisfulnesse fro hem ?
Chaucer - Boethius
ei ne ben more derwor?
e to ?
e ?
en
? ine owen lijf.
[Sidenote: Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and
hope of future felicity. ]
? And for? i drie ? i teres for ? itte nys
nat eueriche fortune al hateful to ? e warde. ne ou{er} 1048
greet tempest ha? nat ? it fallen vpon ? e. whan ? at ? in
ancres cliue fast[e] ? at nei? er wole suffre ? e comfort of ? is
tyme p{re}sent. ne ? e hope of tyme comynge to passen
ne to falle{n}.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I hope these will never fail me. ]
? And I p{re}ie q{uod} I ? at fast[e] mot[en] 1052
? ei holden. ? For whiles ? at ? ei halden. how so eu{er}e
? at ? inges ben. I shal wel fleten fur? e and eschapen.
[Sidenote: But do you not see how low I am fallen? ]
? But ? ou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and}
aray ? at me lakke? ? at ben passed awey fro me. 1056
[Sidenote: _P. _ I should think that I had made progress if you did
not repine so at your fate. ]
? I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} for? ered ? e q{uod} she. if
? at ? ou anoie nat or for? enke nat of al ? i fortune. As
who sei? . ? I haue somwhat comforted ? e so ? at ? ou
tempest nat ? e ? us wi? al ? i fortune. syn ? ou hast 1060
? it ? i best[e] ? inges.
[Sidenote: It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so
many comforts. ]
? But I may nat suffre ? in
delices. ? at pleinst so wepyng. {and} anguissous for ? at
o? er lakke? somwhat to ? i welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: Every one, however happy, has something to complain
of. ]
? For what
man is so sad or of so p{er}fit welefulnesse. ? at he ne 1064
stryue? or pleyne? on some half a? eine ? e qualitee of
his estat.
[Sidenote: The condition of human enjoyment is anxious; for either
it comes not all at once, or makes no long stay when it does
come. ]
? For whi ful anguissous ? ing is ? e condiciou{n}
of mans goodes. ? For ey? er it come? al to
gidre to a wy? t. or ellys it laste? not p{er}petuely. 1068
[Linenotes:
1044 _art ? ou ? ou? _--arthow yif
1045 _But ? itte_--for yit
_dwellyng_--dwellyd
_wardes_--ward
1046 _? at_--than
_derwor? e_--dereworthe
_? en ? ine_--than thin
1047 _? itte_--yit
1049 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_? in_--thyne
1050 _cliue fast[e]_--cleuen faste
_wole suffre_--wolen suffren
1052 _fallen_--faylen
_fast[e] mot[en]_--faste moten
1053 _holden_--halden
1054 _fur? e_--forth
1055 _mayst_--mayste
_greet[e]_--grete
1058 _for? enke_--forthinke
1061 _best[e]_--beste
_suffre ? in_--suffren thi
1063 _o? er_--ther
1064 _perfit_--parfyt
1065 _or_--and
_some half a? eine_--som halue ayen
1067 _mans_--mannes
_come? al_--comth nat al
1068 _laste? _--last
_perpetuely_--p{er}petuel]
[Headnote:
HAPPINESS ARISES FROM CONTENTMENT. ]
[Sidenote: One man is very wealthy, but his birth is obscure. ]
? For som man ha? grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed
of hys vngentil lynage.
[Sidenote: Another is conspicuous for nobility of descent, but is
surrounded by indigence. ]
{and} som man is renomed
of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so
grete angre for nede of ? inges. ? at hym were leuer ? at 1072
he were vnknowe.
[Sidenote: A third is blest with both advantages, but is
unmarried. ]
and som ma{n} habunde? bo? e i{n}
rychesse {and} noblesse. but ? it he bywaile? hys chast[e]
lijf. for he ha? no wijf. [[pg 42]]
[Sidenote: This man is happy in a wife, but is childless, while
that other man has the joy of children, but is mortified by their
evil ways. ]
? and som man is wel {and}
selily maried but he ha? no children. {and} norisshe? his 1076
ricchesse to ? e heires of straunge folk. ? And som
man is gladded wi? children. but he wepi? ful sory for
? e trespas of his son or of his dou? tir.
[Sidenote: Thus we see that no man can agree easily with the state
of his fortune. ]
? and for ? is
? er accorde? no wy? t ly? tly to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. 1080
for alwey to euery man ? ere is i{n} mest somwhat
? at vnassaie? he ne wot not or ellys he dredi? ? at he
ha? assaied.
[Sidenote: The senses of the happy are refined and delicate, and
they are impatient if anything is untoward. ]
? {And} adde ? is also ? at euery weleful
man ha? a wel delicat felyng. ? So ? at but yif alle 1084
? inges fallen at hys owen wille for he inpacient or is
nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is ? rowe
ado? ne for euery lytel ? ing.
[Sidenote: The happiness of the most fortunate depends on
trifles. ]
? And ful lytel ? inges
ben ? o ? at wi? drawen ? e so{m}me or ?
e p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of 1088
blisfulnesse fro hem ? at ben most fortunat.
[Sidenote: How many would think themselves in heaven if they had
only a part of the remnant of thy fortune! ]
? How
many men trowest ? ou wolde demen hem self to ben
almost in heuene yif ? ei my? ten atteyne to ? e leest[e]
p{ar}tie of ? e remenaunt of ? i fortune. ? ? is same place 1092
? at ? ou clepist exil is contre to hem ? at enhabiten
here.
[Sidenote: Thy miseries proceed from the thought that thou art
miserable. ]
{and} for? i. No? ing wrecched. but whan ? ou
wenest it
[Sidenote: Every lot may be happy to the man who bears his
condition with equanimity and courage. ]
? As who sei? . ? ou? ? i self ne no wy? t
ellys nys no wrecche but whan he wene? hym self a 1096
wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his corage.
[Linenotes:
1069 _rycchesse_--Rychesses
1070 _renomed_--renowned
1072 _angre for_--Angwysshe of
_leuer_--leu{er}e
1074 _chast[e]_--caste
1075, 1076 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1076 _maried_--ymaryed
_his_--hise
1077 _ricchesse_--Rychesses
_heires_--eyres
_folk_--foolkys
1080 _? er_--? {er} ne
1081 _mest_--omitted
1082 _vnassaie? _--vnassaied
_wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
1083, 1084 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1084 _wel_--ful
1085 _fallen_--byfalle
_wille_--wyl
1086 _none_--non
_an-oone_--Anon
_? rowe_--throwen
1087 _ado? ne_--adou{n}
1090 _wolde_--wolden
1095 _it_--hyt
_who_--ho
1096 _no_--a]
[Headnote:
THE SOURCE OF TRUE HAPPINESS. ]
CONTRAQ{UE}.
[Sidenote: When patience is lost then a change of state is
desired. ]
++And a? einewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by ? e
agreablete or by ? e egalite of hym ? at suffre? it.
? What man is ? at. ? at is so weleful ? at nolde chau{n}ge{n} 1100
his estat whan he ha? lorn pacience. ? e swetnesse of
mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e] bitternesses.
? e whiche welefulnesse al ? ou? it seme swete {and} [[pg 43]]
ioyeful to hym ? at vse? it. ? it may it not be wi? -holden 1104
? at it ne go? away whan it wol.
[Sidenote: How much is human felicity embittered! ]
? ? an is it wel sen
how wrecched is ? e blisfulnesse of mortel ? inges.
[Sidenote: It will not stay with those that endure their lot with
equanimity, nor bring comfort to anxious minds. ]
? at nei? {er} it dwelli? p{er}petuel wi? hem ? at euery fortune
receyuen agreablely or egaly. ? Ne it ne delite? not in 1108
al. to hem ? at ben anguissous.
[Sidenote: Why then, O mortals, do ye seek abroad for that
felicity which is to be found within yourselves? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 11 _b_. ]]
? O ye mortel folkes
what seke *? e ? an blisfulnesse oute of ? oure self. whiche
? at is put in ? oure self. Erro{ur} {and} folie co{n}fou{n}de?
? ow ? I shal shewe ? e shortly. ? e poynt of souereyne 1112
blisfulnesse.
[Sidenote: Nothing is more precious than thyself. ]
Is ? er any ? ing to ? e more p{re}ciouse ? an
? i self ? ? ou wilt answere nay.
[Sidenote: If thou hast command over thyself, Fortune cannot
deprive thee of it. ]
? ? an if it so be ? at
? ou art my? ty ouer ? i self ? at is to seyn by tranquillitee
of ? i soule. ? an hast ? ou ? ing i{n} ? i power ? at ? ou 1116
noldest neuer lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it ? e.
[Sidenote: Happiness does not consist in things transitory. ]
{and} ? at ? ou mayst knowe ? at blisfulnesse [ne] may
nat standen in ? inges ? at ben fortunous {and} te{m}perel.
[Sidenote: If happiness be the supreme good of nature, then that
thing cannot be it which can be withdrawn from us. ]
? Now vndirstonde {and} gadir it to gidir ? us 1120
yif blisfulnesse be ? e souereyne goode of nature ? at
liue? by resou{n} ? Ne ? ilke ? ing nis nat souereyne
goode ? at may be taken awey in any wyse. for more
wor? i ? ing {and} more digne is ? ilke ? ing ? {a}t may nat be 1124
taken awey.
[Sidenote: Instability of fortune is not susceptive of true
happiness. ]
? ? an shewi? it wele ? at ? e vnstablenesse
of fortune may nat attayne to receyue verray
blisfulnes. ? And ? it more ouer.
[Sidenote: He who is led by fading felicity, either knows that it
is changeable or does not know it. ]
? What man ? at
? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? . ei? er he woot ? at 1128
[it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat.
[Sidenote: If he knows it not, what happiness has he in the
blindness of his ignorance? ]
? And yif
he woot it not. what blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e
blyndenesse of ignorau{n}ce. and yif he woot ? at it is
chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad ? {a}t he ne lese 1132
? at ? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may leesen it.
[Linenotes:
1098 _a?
? ine owen lijf.
[Sidenote: Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and
hope of future felicity. ]
? And for? i drie ? i teres for ? itte nys
nat eueriche fortune al hateful to ? e warde. ne ou{er} 1048
greet tempest ha? nat ? it fallen vpon ? e. whan ? at ? in
ancres cliue fast[e] ? at nei? er wole suffre ? e comfort of ? is
tyme p{re}sent. ne ? e hope of tyme comynge to passen
ne to falle{n}.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I hope these will never fail me. ]
? And I p{re}ie q{uod} I ? at fast[e] mot[en] 1052
? ei holden. ? For whiles ? at ? ei halden. how so eu{er}e
? at ? inges ben. I shal wel fleten fur? e and eschapen.
[Sidenote: But do you not see how low I am fallen? ]
? But ? ou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and}
aray ? at me lakke? ? at ben passed awey fro me. 1056
[Sidenote: _P. _ I should think that I had made progress if you did
not repine so at your fate. ]
? I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} for? ered ? e q{uod} she. if
? at ? ou anoie nat or for? enke nat of al ? i fortune. As
who sei? . ? I haue somwhat comforted ? e so ? at ? ou
tempest nat ? e ? us wi? al ? i fortune. syn ? ou hast 1060
? it ? i best[e] ? inges.
[Sidenote: It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so
many comforts. ]
? But I may nat suffre ? in
delices. ? at pleinst so wepyng. {and} anguissous for ? at
o? er lakke? somwhat to ? i welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: Every one, however happy, has something to complain
of. ]
? For what
man is so sad or of so p{er}fit welefulnesse. ? at he ne 1064
stryue? or pleyne? on some half a? eine ? e qualitee of
his estat.
[Sidenote: The condition of human enjoyment is anxious; for either
it comes not all at once, or makes no long stay when it does
come. ]
? For whi ful anguissous ? ing is ? e condiciou{n}
of mans goodes. ? For ey? er it come? al to
gidre to a wy? t. or ellys it laste? not p{er}petuely. 1068
[Linenotes:
1044 _art ? ou ? ou? _--arthow yif
1045 _But ? itte_--for yit
_dwellyng_--dwellyd
_wardes_--ward
1046 _? at_--than
_derwor? e_--dereworthe
_? en ? ine_--than thin
1047 _? itte_--yit
1049 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_? in_--thyne
1050 _cliue fast[e]_--cleuen faste
_wole suffre_--wolen suffren
1052 _fallen_--faylen
_fast[e] mot[en]_--faste moten
1053 _holden_--halden
1054 _fur? e_--forth
1055 _mayst_--mayste
_greet[e]_--grete
1058 _for? enke_--forthinke
1061 _best[e]_--beste
_suffre ? in_--suffren thi
1063 _o? er_--ther
1064 _perfit_--parfyt
1065 _or_--and
_some half a? eine_--som halue ayen
1067 _mans_--mannes
_come? al_--comth nat al
1068 _laste? _--last
_perpetuely_--p{er}petuel]
[Headnote:
HAPPINESS ARISES FROM CONTENTMENT. ]
[Sidenote: One man is very wealthy, but his birth is obscure. ]
? For som man ha? grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed
of hys vngentil lynage.
[Sidenote: Another is conspicuous for nobility of descent, but is
surrounded by indigence. ]
{and} som man is renomed
of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so
grete angre for nede of ? inges. ? at hym were leuer ? at 1072
he were vnknowe.
[Sidenote: A third is blest with both advantages, but is
unmarried. ]
and som ma{n} habunde? bo? e i{n}
rychesse {and} noblesse. but ? it he bywaile? hys chast[e]
lijf. for he ha? no wijf. [[pg 42]]
[Sidenote: This man is happy in a wife, but is childless, while
that other man has the joy of children, but is mortified by their
evil ways. ]
? and som man is wel {and}
selily maried but he ha? no children. {and} norisshe? his 1076
ricchesse to ? e heires of straunge folk. ? And som
man is gladded wi? children. but he wepi? ful sory for
? e trespas of his son or of his dou? tir.
[Sidenote: Thus we see that no man can agree easily with the state
of his fortune. ]
? and for ? is
? er accorde? no wy? t ly? tly to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. 1080
for alwey to euery man ? ere is i{n} mest somwhat
? at vnassaie? he ne wot not or ellys he dredi? ? at he
ha? assaied.
[Sidenote: The senses of the happy are refined and delicate, and
they are impatient if anything is untoward. ]
? {And} adde ? is also ? at euery weleful
man ha? a wel delicat felyng. ? So ? at but yif alle 1084
? inges fallen at hys owen wille for he inpacient or is
nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is ? rowe
ado? ne for euery lytel ? ing.
[Sidenote: The happiness of the most fortunate depends on
trifles. ]
? And ful lytel ? inges
ben ? o ? at wi? drawen ? e so{m}me or ?
e p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of 1088
blisfulnesse fro hem ? at ben most fortunat.
[Sidenote: How many would think themselves in heaven if they had
only a part of the remnant of thy fortune! ]
? How
many men trowest ? ou wolde demen hem self to ben
almost in heuene yif ? ei my? ten atteyne to ? e leest[e]
p{ar}tie of ? e remenaunt of ? i fortune. ? ? is same place 1092
? at ? ou clepist exil is contre to hem ? at enhabiten
here.
[Sidenote: Thy miseries proceed from the thought that thou art
miserable. ]
{and} for? i. No? ing wrecched. but whan ? ou
wenest it
[Sidenote: Every lot may be happy to the man who bears his
condition with equanimity and courage. ]
? As who sei? . ? ou? ? i self ne no wy? t
ellys nys no wrecche but whan he wene? hym self a 1096
wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his corage.
[Linenotes:
1069 _rycchesse_--Rychesses
1070 _renomed_--renowned
1072 _angre for_--Angwysshe of
_leuer_--leu{er}e
1074 _chast[e]_--caste
1075, 1076 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1076 _maried_--ymaryed
_his_--hise
1077 _ricchesse_--Rychesses
_heires_--eyres
_folk_--foolkys
1080 _? er_--? {er} ne
1081 _mest_--omitted
1082 _vnassaie? _--vnassaied
_wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
1083, 1084 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1084 _wel_--ful
1085 _fallen_--byfalle
_wille_--wyl
1086 _none_--non
_an-oone_--Anon
_? rowe_--throwen
1087 _ado? ne_--adou{n}
1090 _wolde_--wolden
1095 _it_--hyt
_who_--ho
1096 _no_--a]
[Headnote:
THE SOURCE OF TRUE HAPPINESS. ]
CONTRAQ{UE}.
[Sidenote: When patience is lost then a change of state is
desired. ]
++And a? einewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by ? e
agreablete or by ? e egalite of hym ? at suffre? it.
? What man is ? at. ? at is so weleful ? at nolde chau{n}ge{n} 1100
his estat whan he ha? lorn pacience. ? e swetnesse of
mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e] bitternesses.
? e whiche welefulnesse al ? ou? it seme swete {and} [[pg 43]]
ioyeful to hym ? at vse? it. ? it may it not be wi? -holden 1104
? at it ne go? away whan it wol.
[Sidenote: How much is human felicity embittered! ]
? ? an is it wel sen
how wrecched is ? e blisfulnesse of mortel ? inges.
[Sidenote: It will not stay with those that endure their lot with
equanimity, nor bring comfort to anxious minds. ]
? at nei? {er} it dwelli? p{er}petuel wi? hem ? at euery fortune
receyuen agreablely or egaly. ? Ne it ne delite? not in 1108
al. to hem ? at ben anguissous.
[Sidenote: Why then, O mortals, do ye seek abroad for that
felicity which is to be found within yourselves? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 11 _b_. ]]
? O ye mortel folkes
what seke *? e ? an blisfulnesse oute of ? oure self. whiche
? at is put in ? oure self. Erro{ur} {and} folie co{n}fou{n}de?
? ow ? I shal shewe ? e shortly. ? e poynt of souereyne 1112
blisfulnesse.
[Sidenote: Nothing is more precious than thyself. ]
Is ? er any ? ing to ? e more p{re}ciouse ? an
? i self ? ? ou wilt answere nay.
[Sidenote: If thou hast command over thyself, Fortune cannot
deprive thee of it. ]
? ? an if it so be ? at
? ou art my? ty ouer ? i self ? at is to seyn by tranquillitee
of ? i soule. ? an hast ? ou ? ing i{n} ? i power ? at ? ou 1116
noldest neuer lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it ? e.
[Sidenote: Happiness does not consist in things transitory. ]
{and} ? at ? ou mayst knowe ? at blisfulnesse [ne] may
nat standen in ? inges ? at ben fortunous {and} te{m}perel.
[Sidenote: If happiness be the supreme good of nature, then that
thing cannot be it which can be withdrawn from us. ]
? Now vndirstonde {and} gadir it to gidir ? us 1120
yif blisfulnesse be ? e souereyne goode of nature ? at
liue? by resou{n} ? Ne ? ilke ? ing nis nat souereyne
goode ? at may be taken awey in any wyse. for more
wor? i ? ing {and} more digne is ? ilke ? ing ? {a}t may nat be 1124
taken awey.
[Sidenote: Instability of fortune is not susceptive of true
happiness. ]
? ? an shewi? it wele ? at ? e vnstablenesse
of fortune may nat attayne to receyue verray
blisfulnes. ? And ? it more ouer.
[Sidenote: He who is led by fading felicity, either knows that it
is changeable or does not know it. ]
? What man ? at
? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? . ei? er he woot ? at 1128
[it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat.
[Sidenote: If he knows it not, what happiness has he in the
blindness of his ignorance? ]
? And yif
he woot it not. what blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e
blyndenesse of ignorau{n}ce. and yif he woot ? at it is
chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad ? {a}t he ne lese 1132
? at ? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may leesen it.
[Linenotes:
1098 _a?
