[Sidenote:
Instability
of fortune is not susceptive of true
happiness.
happiness.
Chaucer - Boethius
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? einewarde al_--ayeinward alle
1099 _it_--hyt
1101 _whan_--what
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_lorn_--MS. lorne, C. lost
1102 _yspranid_--spraynyd
_bitternesses_--beternesses
1104 _hym_--hem
_it_--hyt
_be_--ben
1105 _go? _--MS. ge? e
_wol_--woole
_sen_--MS. sene
1107 _dwelli? _--dureth
1109 _folkes_--folk{e}
1110 _oute_--owt
1112 _shortly_--shortely
1114 _wilt_--MS. wilte, C. wolt
_if_--yif
1117 _by-nyme_--be-neme
1118 _blisfulnesse [ne]_--blyssefulnesse ne
1120 _to gidir_--to gidere
1121, 1122 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn good
1125 _wele_--wel
1126 _receyue_--resseyuen
1129 [_it_]--from C.
_it_--hyt
1130 _be_--ben
1131 _blyndenesse_--blyndnesse]
[[pg 44]]
[Headnote:
RICHES DO NOT CONSTITUTE HAPPINESS. ]
[Sidenote: If he knows it is fleeting he must be afraid of losing
it, and this fear will not suffer him to be happy. ]
? As whoo sei? he mot ben alwey agast lest he
leese ? at he wot wel he may leese. ? For whiche ? e
continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben 1136
weleful. ? Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be
dispised {and} forleten hit. ? Certis eke ? at is a ful
lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan it is
loost. ? ? at is to seyne ? at men don no more force. 1140
of ? e lost ? an of ? e hauynge.
[Sidenote: Since thou art convinced of the soul's immortality,
thou canst not doubt that if death puts an end to human felicity,
that all men when they die, are plunged into the depths of
misery. ]
? And for as myche as
? ou ? i self art he to who{m} it ha? ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued
by ful many[e] demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot wel ? at ? e
soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke 1144
syn it is clere. {and} certeyne ? at fortunous welefulnesse
endi? by ? e dee? of ? e body. ? It may nat ben douted
? at yif ? at dee? may take awey blysfulnesse ? at al ? e
kynde of mortal ? i{n}g{us} ne descendi? in to wrecchednesse 1148
by ? e ende of ? e dee? .
[Sidenote: But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity,
by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments. ]
? And syn we knowen
wel ? at many a man ha? sou? t ? e fruit of blisfulnesse
nat only wi? suffryng of dee? . but eke wi? suffryng of
peynes {and} to{ur}mentes.
[Sidenote: How then can this present life make men truly happy,
since when it is ended they do not become miserable? ]
how my? t[e] ? an ? is p{re}sent 1152
lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e]
lijf is endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
[Linenotes:
1134 _it_--hyt
_sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyth
1135 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
_leese_ (2)--leese it
_whiche_--which
1136 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1137 _ellys_--omitted
_wene_--weneth
1138 _hit_--omitted
1139 _goode_--good
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_hert[e]_--herte
1140 _seyne_--seyn
_don_--MS. done, C. do
_force_--fors
1142 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1143 _many[e]_--manye
1144 _mowen_--mowe
_dien_--deyen
1145 _clere_--cleer
_certeyne_--certeyn
1147 _al_--alle
1150 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_fruit_--frut
1152 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1153 _make_--maken
_self[e]_--selue]
[Headnote:
RICHES HAVE NO INTRINSIC VALUE. ]
QUISQUIS UOLET[2] P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Footnote 2: MS. ualet. ]
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: He who would have a stable and lasting seat must not
build upon lofty hills; nor upon the sands, if he would escape the
violence of winds and waves. ]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym
a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156
wi? ? e loude blastes of ? e wynde Eurus. {and} wil dispise
? e see manassynge wi? floodes ? Lat hym eschewe to
bilde on ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in ? e moyste
sandes. ? For ? e fel[le] wynde auster to{ur}mente? ? e cop 1160
of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle his streng? es. ? and ? e
lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te. [[pg 45]]
[Sidenote: If thou wilt flee perilous fortune, lay thy foundation
upon the firmer stone, so that thou mayst grow old in thy
stronghold. ]
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to
seine of ? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn 1164
? i house of a myrie site in a lowe stoone. ? For al
? ou? ? e wynde troublyng ? e see ? ondre wi? ouere? rowynges
? ? ou ? at art put i{n} quiete {and} welful by
streng? e of ? i palys shalt leden a cleer age.
? 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? einewarde al_--ayeinward alle
1099 _it_--hyt
1101 _whan_--what
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_lorn_--MS. lorne, C. lost
1102 _yspranid_--spraynyd
_bitternesses_--beternesses
1104 _hym_--hem
_it_--hyt
_be_--ben
1105 _go? _--MS. ge? e
_wol_--woole
_sen_--MS. sene
1107 _dwelli? _--dureth
1109 _folkes_--folk{e}
1110 _oute_--owt
1112 _shortly_--shortely
1114 _wilt_--MS. wilte, C. wolt
_if_--yif
1117 _by-nyme_--be-neme
1118 _blisfulnesse [ne]_--blyssefulnesse ne
1120 _to gidir_--to gidere
1121, 1122 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn good
1125 _wele_--wel
1126 _receyue_--resseyuen
1129 [_it_]--from C.
_it_--hyt
1130 _be_--ben
1131 _blyndenesse_--blyndnesse]
[[pg 44]]
[Headnote:
RICHES DO NOT CONSTITUTE HAPPINESS. ]
[Sidenote: If he knows it is fleeting he must be afraid of losing
it, and this fear will not suffer him to be happy. ]
? As whoo sei? he mot ben alwey agast lest he
leese ? at he wot wel he may leese. ? For whiche ? e
continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben 1136
weleful. ? Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be
dispised {and} forleten hit. ? Certis eke ? at is a ful
lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan it is
loost. ? ? at is to seyne ? at men don no more force. 1140
of ? e lost ? an of ? e hauynge.
[Sidenote: Since thou art convinced of the soul's immortality,
thou canst not doubt that if death puts an end to human felicity,
that all men when they die, are plunged into the depths of
misery. ]
? And for as myche as
? ou ? i self art he to who{m} it ha? ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued
by ful many[e] demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot wel ? at ? e
soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke 1144
syn it is clere. {and} certeyne ? at fortunous welefulnesse
endi? by ? e dee? of ? e body. ? It may nat ben douted
? at yif ? at dee? may take awey blysfulnesse ? at al ? e
kynde of mortal ? i{n}g{us} ne descendi? in to wrecchednesse 1148
by ? e ende of ? e dee? .
[Sidenote: But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity,
by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments. ]
? And syn we knowen
wel ? at many a man ha? sou? t ? e fruit of blisfulnesse
nat only wi? suffryng of dee? . but eke wi? suffryng of
peynes {and} to{ur}mentes.
[Sidenote: How then can this present life make men truly happy,
since when it is ended they do not become miserable? ]
how my? t[e] ? an ? is p{re}sent 1152
lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e]
lijf is endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
[Linenotes:
1134 _it_--hyt
_sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyth
1135 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
_leese_ (2)--leese it
_whiche_--which
1136 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1137 _ellys_--omitted
_wene_--weneth
1138 _hit_--omitted
1139 _goode_--good
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_hert[e]_--herte
1140 _seyne_--seyn
_don_--MS. done, C. do
_force_--fors
1142 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1143 _many[e]_--manye
1144 _mowen_--mowe
_dien_--deyen
1145 _clere_--cleer
_certeyne_--certeyn
1147 _al_--alle
1150 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_fruit_--frut
1152 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1153 _make_--maken
_self[e]_--selue]
[Headnote:
RICHES HAVE NO INTRINSIC VALUE. ]
QUISQUIS UOLET[2] P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Footnote 2: MS. ualet. ]
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: He who would have a stable and lasting seat must not
build upon lofty hills; nor upon the sands, if he would escape the
violence of winds and waves. ]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym
a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156
wi? ? e loude blastes of ? e wynde Eurus. {and} wil dispise
? e see manassynge wi? floodes ? Lat hym eschewe to
bilde on ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in ? e moyste
sandes. ? For ? e fel[le] wynde auster to{ur}mente? ? e cop 1160
of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle his streng? es. ? and ? e
lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te. [[pg 45]]
[Sidenote: If thou wilt flee perilous fortune, lay thy foundation
upon the firmer stone, so that thou mayst grow old in thy
stronghold. ]
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to
seine of ? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn 1164
? i house of a myrie site in a lowe stoone. ? For al
? ou? ? e wynde troublyng ? e see ? ondre wi? ouere? rowynges
? ? ou ? at art put i{n} quiete {and} welful by
streng? e of ? i palys shalt leden a cleer age.
