itte vices wooden to
distroien
men by wounde of ?
Chaucer - Boethius
it
? at yif ? ou seest a wy? t ? at be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. ? ou ne mayst
nat wene ? at he be a man. ? For ? if he [be] ardaunt in auarice. {and}
? at he be a rauyno{ur} by violence of foreine rychesse. ? ou shalt seyn
? at he is lyke to a wolf. {and} yif he be felonous {and} wi? out reste
{and} ex{er}cise hys tonge to chidynges. ? ou shalt lykene hym to ? e
hounde. {and} yif he be a p{re}ue awaito{ur} yhid {and} reioyse? hym to
rauysshe by wyles. ? ou shalt seyne hym lyke to ? e fox whelpes. ? And yif
he be distempre {and} quaki? for ire men shal wene ? at he bere? ? e
corage of a lyou{n}. {and} yif he be dredeful {and} fleynge and drede?
? inges ? at ne au? ten nat ben dred. men shal holde hym lyke to ? e
h{er}te. {and} yif he be slowe {and} astoned {and} lache. he lyue? as an
asse. {and} yif he be ly? t {and} vnstedfast of corage {and} chaunge? ay
his studies. he is lickened to briddes. ? {and} yif he be plounged in
foule {and} vnclene luxuries. he is wi? holden in ? e foule delices of ? e
foule soowe. ? ? an folwe? it ? at he ? at forleti? bountee {and} prowesse.
he forleti? to ben a man. syn he ne may nat passe in to ? e
condic{i}ou{n} of god. he is tourned in to a beest.
V[E]LA NARICII DUCIS.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Evrus ? e wynde aryue? ? e sayles of vlixes duc of ? e contre of narice.
{and} hys wandryng shippes by ? e see in to ? e isle ? ere as Circe ? e
fayre goddesse dou? ter of ? e sonne dwelle? ? at medly? to hir newe gestes
drynkes ? at ben touched {and} maked wi? enchau{n}tment? . {and} after ? at
hir hande my? ty of ? e herbes had[de] chau{n}ged hir gestes i{n} to
dyuerse maneres. ? at oon of hem is couered his face wi? forme of a boor.
? at o? er is chau{n}ged in to a lyou{n} of ? e contre of marmorike. {and}
his nayles {and} his te? e wexen. ? ? at o? er of hem is newliche chaunged
in to a wolf. {and} howeli? whan he wolde wepe. ? at o? er go? debonairly
in ? e house as a tigre of Inde. but al be it so ? at ? e godhed of
mercurie ? at is cleped ? e bride of arcadie ha? had mercie of ? e duc
vlixes byseged wi? diu{er}se yueles {and} ha? vnbounden hym fro ? e
pestilence of hys oosteresse algates ? e rowers {and} ? e maryners hadden
by ? is ydrawen in to hir mou? es {and} dronken ? e wicked[e] drynkes ? ei
? at were woxen swyne hadden by ? is chau{n}ged hire mete of brede forto
ete acorns of ookes. non of hir lymes ne dwelli? wi? he{m} hoole. but
? ei han lost ? e voys {and} ? e body. Oonly hir{e} ? ou? t dwelle? wi? hem
stable ? {a}t wepi? {and} bywaili? ? e monstruous chaungynge ? at ? ei
suffren. ? O ouer ly? t hand. as who sei? . ? O feble {and} ly? t is ? e
hand of Circes ? e enchaunteresse ? at chaunge? ? e bodies of folk in to
bestes to regarde {and} to co{m}parisou{n} of mutac{i}ou{n} ? at is makid
by vices. ne ? e herbes of circes ne ben nat my? ty. for al be it so ? at
? ei may chau{n}gen ? e lymes of ? e body. ? algates ? it ? ei may nat
chau{n}ge ? e hertes. for wi? inne is yhid ? e streng? e {and} ? e vigour of
me{n} in ? e secre toure of hire hertys. ? at is to seyn ? e streng? e of
resou{n}. but ? ilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more my? tily
? an ? e venym of circes. ? For vices ben so cruel ? at ? ei percen {and}
? oru? passen ? e corage wi? i{n}ne. {and} ? ou? ? ei ne anoye nat ? e body.
?
itte vices wooden to distroien men by wounde of ? ou? t.
TUNC EGO FATEOR INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe p{ro}se. ]]
++? an seide I ? us I confesse {and} am aknowe q{uo}d I. ne I ne se nat
? at men may seyn as by ry? t. ? {a}t shrewes ne ben nat chaunged in to
beestes by ? e qualite of hir soules. ? Al be it so ? {a}t ? ei kepen ? itte
? e forme of ? e body of mankynde. but I nolde nat of shrewes of whiche ? e
? ou? t cruel woode? alwey in to destrucc{i}ou{n} of good[e] men. ? at it
wer{e} leueful to hem to done ? at. ? Certys q{uo}d she ne it nis nat
leueful to hem as I shal wel shewen ? e in couenable place. ? But na? eles
yif so were ? at ? ilke ? at me{n} wene{n} ben leueful for shrewes were
bynomen hem. so ? at ? ei ne my? ten nat anoyen or don harme to goode men.
? Certys a gret p{ar}ty of ? e peyne to shrewes shulde ben allegged {and}
releued. ? For al be it so ? {a}t ? is ne seme nat credible ? ing
p{er}auent{ur}e to so{m}me folk ? it mot it nedes be ? at shrewes ben more
wrecches {and} vnsely. whan ? ei may don {and} p{er}forme ? at ? ei
coueiten [than yif they myhte nat complyssen ? {a}t they coueyten]. ? For
yif so be ? at it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don yuel[;] ? an is it more
wrecchednesse to mowen don yuel. wi? oute whiche moeuyng ? e wrecched
wille sholde languisshe wi? oute effecte. ? ? an syn ? at eueryche of ? ise
? inges ha? hys wrecchednesse. ? at is to seyne wil to done yuel. and
moeuynge to done yuel. it mot nedes be. ? at ? ei (shrewes) ben
constreyned by ? re vnselynesses ? at wolen {and} mowen {and} p{er}formen
felonyes {and} shrewednesses. ? I accorde me q{uo}d I. but I desire
gretely ? at shrewes losten sone ? ilke vnselynesses. ? at is to seyne ? at
shrewes were despoyled of moeuyng to don yuel. ? so shulle{n} ? ei q{uo}d
she. sonnere p{er}auenture ? en ? {o}u woldest or sonnere ? en ? ei hem self
wenen to lakken mowynge to done yuel. ? For ? ere nis no ? ing so late in
so short bou{n}des of ? is lijf ? at is longe to abide. namelyche to a
corage inmortel. Of whiche shrewes ? e grete hope {and} ? e heye
co{m}passy{n}g{us} of shrewednesse is often destroyed by a sodeyne ende
or ? ei ben war. {and} ? at ? ing establi? to shrewes ? e ende of hir
shrewednesse. ? For yif ? at shrewednesse maki? e wrecches. ? an mot he
nedes be most wrecched ? at lengest is a shrewe. ? e whiche wicked shrewes
wolde ydemen aldirmost vnsely {and} caytifs yif ? at hir shrewednes ne
were yfinissed. at ? e leste weye by ? e outerest[e] dee? . for [yif] I
haue concluded so? e of ? e vnselynesse of shrewednesse. ? an shewe? it
clerely ? at ? ilke shrewednesse is wi? outen ende ? e whiche is certeyne
to ben p{er}durable. ? Certys q{uo}d I ? is [conclusion] is harde {and}
wonderful to graunte. ? But I knowe wel ? at it accorde? moche to [the]
? i{n}ges ? at I haue graunted her byforne. ? ? ou hast q{uo}d she ? e ry? t
estimac{i}ou{n} of ? is. but who so euere wene ? at it be an harde ? ing to
acorde hym to a conclusiou{n}. it is ry? t ? at he shewe ? at so{m}me of ? e
p{re}misses ben fals. or ellys he mot shewe ? at ? e colasiou{n} of
p{re}posic{i}ou{n}s nis nat spedful to a necessarie conclusio{n}. ? and
yif it be nat so. but ? at ? e p{re}misses ben yg{ra}nted ? er nis nat whi
he sholde blame ? e argument. for ? is ? ing ? at I shal telle ? e nowe ne
shal not seme lasse wondirful. but of ? e ? inges ? at ben taken al so it
is necessarie as who so sei? it folwe? of ? at whiche ? at is p{ur}posed
byforn. what is ? at q{uo}d I. ? certys q{uo}d she ? at is ? at ? {a}t ? ise
wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys lasse wrecches. ? at byen ? e
tourmentes ? at ? ei han deserued. ? an yif no peyne of Iustice ne
chastied[e] hem. ne ? is ne seye I nat now for ? at any man my?
? at yif ? ou seest a wy? t ? at be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. ? ou ne mayst
nat wene ? at he be a man. ? For ? if he [be] ardaunt in auarice. {and}
? at he be a rauyno{ur} by violence of foreine rychesse. ? ou shalt seyn
? at he is lyke to a wolf. {and} yif he be felonous {and} wi? out reste
{and} ex{er}cise hys tonge to chidynges. ? ou shalt lykene hym to ? e
hounde. {and} yif he be a p{re}ue awaito{ur} yhid {and} reioyse? hym to
rauysshe by wyles. ? ou shalt seyne hym lyke to ? e fox whelpes. ? And yif
he be distempre {and} quaki? for ire men shal wene ? at he bere? ? e
corage of a lyou{n}. {and} yif he be dredeful {and} fleynge and drede?
? inges ? at ne au? ten nat ben dred. men shal holde hym lyke to ? e
h{er}te. {and} yif he be slowe {and} astoned {and} lache. he lyue? as an
asse. {and} yif he be ly? t {and} vnstedfast of corage {and} chaunge? ay
his studies. he is lickened to briddes. ? {and} yif he be plounged in
foule {and} vnclene luxuries. he is wi? holden in ? e foule delices of ? e
foule soowe. ? ? an folwe? it ? at he ? at forleti? bountee {and} prowesse.
he forleti? to ben a man. syn he ne may nat passe in to ? e
condic{i}ou{n} of god. he is tourned in to a beest.
V[E]LA NARICII DUCIS.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Evrus ? e wynde aryue? ? e sayles of vlixes duc of ? e contre of narice.
{and} hys wandryng shippes by ? e see in to ? e isle ? ere as Circe ? e
fayre goddesse dou? ter of ? e sonne dwelle? ? at medly? to hir newe gestes
drynkes ? at ben touched {and} maked wi? enchau{n}tment? . {and} after ? at
hir hande my? ty of ? e herbes had[de] chau{n}ged hir gestes i{n} to
dyuerse maneres. ? at oon of hem is couered his face wi? forme of a boor.
? at o? er is chau{n}ged in to a lyou{n} of ? e contre of marmorike. {and}
his nayles {and} his te? e wexen. ? ? at o? er of hem is newliche chaunged
in to a wolf. {and} howeli? whan he wolde wepe. ? at o? er go? debonairly
in ? e house as a tigre of Inde. but al be it so ? at ? e godhed of
mercurie ? at is cleped ? e bride of arcadie ha? had mercie of ? e duc
vlixes byseged wi? diu{er}se yueles {and} ha? vnbounden hym fro ? e
pestilence of hys oosteresse algates ? e rowers {and} ? e maryners hadden
by ? is ydrawen in to hir mou? es {and} dronken ? e wicked[e] drynkes ? ei
? at were woxen swyne hadden by ? is chau{n}ged hire mete of brede forto
ete acorns of ookes. non of hir lymes ne dwelli? wi? he{m} hoole. but
? ei han lost ? e voys {and} ? e body. Oonly hir{e} ? ou? t dwelle? wi? hem
stable ? {a}t wepi? {and} bywaili? ? e monstruous chaungynge ? at ? ei
suffren. ? O ouer ly? t hand. as who sei? . ? O feble {and} ly? t is ? e
hand of Circes ? e enchaunteresse ? at chaunge? ? e bodies of folk in to
bestes to regarde {and} to co{m}parisou{n} of mutac{i}ou{n} ? at is makid
by vices. ne ? e herbes of circes ne ben nat my? ty. for al be it so ? at
? ei may chau{n}gen ? e lymes of ? e body. ? algates ? it ? ei may nat
chau{n}ge ? e hertes. for wi? inne is yhid ? e streng? e {and} ? e vigour of
me{n} in ? e secre toure of hire hertys. ? at is to seyn ? e streng? e of
resou{n}. but ? ilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more my? tily
? an ? e venym of circes. ? For vices ben so cruel ? at ? ei percen {and}
? oru? passen ? e corage wi? i{n}ne. {and} ? ou? ? ei ne anoye nat ? e body.
?
itte vices wooden to distroien men by wounde of ? ou? t.
TUNC EGO FATEOR INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe p{ro}se. ]]
++? an seide I ? us I confesse {and} am aknowe q{uo}d I. ne I ne se nat
? at men may seyn as by ry? t. ? {a}t shrewes ne ben nat chaunged in to
beestes by ? e qualite of hir soules. ? Al be it so ? {a}t ? ei kepen ? itte
? e forme of ? e body of mankynde. but I nolde nat of shrewes of whiche ? e
? ou? t cruel woode? alwey in to destrucc{i}ou{n} of good[e] men. ? at it
wer{e} leueful to hem to done ? at. ? Certys q{uo}d she ne it nis nat
leueful to hem as I shal wel shewen ? e in couenable place. ? But na? eles
yif so were ? at ? ilke ? at me{n} wene{n} ben leueful for shrewes were
bynomen hem. so ? at ? ei ne my? ten nat anoyen or don harme to goode men.
? Certys a gret p{ar}ty of ? e peyne to shrewes shulde ben allegged {and}
releued. ? For al be it so ? {a}t ? is ne seme nat credible ? ing
p{er}auent{ur}e to so{m}me folk ? it mot it nedes be ? at shrewes ben more
wrecches {and} vnsely. whan ? ei may don {and} p{er}forme ? at ? ei
coueiten [than yif they myhte nat complyssen ? {a}t they coueyten]. ? For
yif so be ? at it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don yuel[;] ? an is it more
wrecchednesse to mowen don yuel. wi? oute whiche moeuyng ? e wrecched
wille sholde languisshe wi? oute effecte. ? ? an syn ? at eueryche of ? ise
? inges ha? hys wrecchednesse. ? at is to seyne wil to done yuel. and
moeuynge to done yuel. it mot nedes be. ? at ? ei (shrewes) ben
constreyned by ? re vnselynesses ? at wolen {and} mowen {and} p{er}formen
felonyes {and} shrewednesses. ? I accorde me q{uo}d I. but I desire
gretely ? at shrewes losten sone ? ilke vnselynesses. ? at is to seyne ? at
shrewes were despoyled of moeuyng to don yuel. ? so shulle{n} ? ei q{uo}d
she. sonnere p{er}auenture ? en ? {o}u woldest or sonnere ? en ? ei hem self
wenen to lakken mowynge to done yuel. ? For ? ere nis no ? ing so late in
so short bou{n}des of ? is lijf ? at is longe to abide. namelyche to a
corage inmortel. Of whiche shrewes ? e grete hope {and} ? e heye
co{m}passy{n}g{us} of shrewednesse is often destroyed by a sodeyne ende
or ? ei ben war. {and} ? at ? ing establi? to shrewes ? e ende of hir
shrewednesse. ? For yif ? at shrewednesse maki? e wrecches. ? an mot he
nedes be most wrecched ? at lengest is a shrewe. ? e whiche wicked shrewes
wolde ydemen aldirmost vnsely {and} caytifs yif ? at hir shrewednes ne
were yfinissed. at ? e leste weye by ? e outerest[e] dee? . for [yif] I
haue concluded so? e of ? e vnselynesse of shrewednesse. ? an shewe? it
clerely ? at ? ilke shrewednesse is wi? outen ende ? e whiche is certeyne
to ben p{er}durable. ? Certys q{uo}d I ? is [conclusion] is harde {and}
wonderful to graunte. ? But I knowe wel ? at it accorde? moche to [the]
? i{n}ges ? at I haue graunted her byforne. ? ? ou hast q{uo}d she ? e ry? t
estimac{i}ou{n} of ? is. but who so euere wene ? at it be an harde ? ing to
acorde hym to a conclusiou{n}. it is ry? t ? at he shewe ? at so{m}me of ? e
p{re}misses ben fals. or ellys he mot shewe ? at ? e colasiou{n} of
p{re}posic{i}ou{n}s nis nat spedful to a necessarie conclusio{n}. ? and
yif it be nat so. but ? at ? e p{re}misses ben yg{ra}nted ? er nis nat whi
he sholde blame ? e argument. for ? is ? ing ? at I shal telle ? e nowe ne
shal not seme lasse wondirful. but of ? e ? inges ? at ben taken al so it
is necessarie as who so sei? it folwe? of ? at whiche ? at is p{ur}posed
byforn. what is ? at q{uo}d I. ? certys q{uo}d she ? at is ? at ? {a}t ? ise
wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys lasse wrecches. ? at byen ? e
tourmentes ? at ? ei han deserued. ? an yif no peyne of Iustice ne
chastied[e] hem. ne ? is ne seye I nat now for ? at any man my?
