my
compleyntes
seide ?
Chaucer - Boethius
leesith
hir ly? tes.
[Sidenote: Thou raisest Hesperus to usher in the shades of night,
and again causest him to be the harbinger of day, whence his name
Lucifer. ]
? And ? at ? e euesterre esperus whiche
? at in ? e first[e] tyme of ? e ny? t brynge? fur? e hir
colde arysynges come? eft a? eynes hir vsed cours. {and} 512
is pale by ? e morwe at ? e rysynge of ? e sonne. and is
? an cleped lucifer. ? ? ou restreinest ? e day by schorter
dwellyng in ? e tyme of colde wynter ? at make? ? e
leues to falle. ? ? ou diuidest ? e swifte tides of ? e 516
ny? t when ? e hote somer is comen.
[Sidenote: Thou controllest the changing seasons of the year. ]
? ? i my? t attempre[? ]
? o variau{n}t? sesons of ? e ? ere. so ? at
? epherus ? e deboneire wynde bringe? a? ein in ? e first[e]
somer sesou{n} ? e leues ? at ? e wynde ? at hy? t[e] boreas 520
ha? reft awey in autu{m}pne. ? at is to seyne in ? e laste
eende of somer. and ? e sedes ? at ? e sterre ? at hy? t arctur{us}
saw ben waxen hey[e] cornes whan ? e sterre
sirius eschaufe? hym. 524
[Sidenote: All nature is bound by thy eternal law. ]
? ? ere nis no ? ing vnbounde
from hys olde lawe ne forlete? hym of hys p{ro}pre estat.
[Linenotes:
502 _whele_--whel
_whiche_--which
503 _fastned_--yfastned
_chayere_--chayer
504 _sweighe_--sweyh
_constreinest_, MS. contreuiest, C. constreynest
506 _hir_--her{e}
508 _lasse_--lesse
510 _esperus whiche_--hesperus which
511 _first[e]_--fyrste
_fur? e_--forth
512 _eft_--est
514 _restreinest_--MS. restreniest
516 _to_--omitted
518 _attempre[? ] ? o_--atempreth the
_sesons_--sesoun
_? ere_--yer
519 _wynde bringe? _--wynd brengeth
520 _wynde_--wynd
_hy? t[e]_--hihte
521 _reft_--MS. refte, C. reft
_seyne_--seyn
522 _hy? t_--hihte
_arcturus_--MS. aritur{us}
523 _saw_--MS. sawe? , C. sawgh
_hey[e]_--hyye
524 _hym_--hem
_? ere_--ther
_? ing_--thinge
525 _from_--fram
_forlete? hym of_--forleetheth ? e werke of]
[Headnote:
CONTRASTED WITH THE ORDER OF NATURE. ]
[Sidenote: Why, then, leavest thou man's actions uncontrolled? ]
? O ? ou gouerno{ur} gouernyng alle ? inges by certeyne
ende. why refusest ? ou oonly to gouerne ? e werkes of
men by dewe manere.
[Sidenote: Why should fickle fortune be allowed to work such
mighty changes in the world? ]
? Whi suffrest ? {o}u ? at slidyng 528
fortune turne? to grete vtter chaungynges of ? inges.
so ? at anoious peyne ? at scholde duelly punissh{e} felouns
punissit? innocent? .
[Sidenote: The wicked are prosperous, while the righteous are in
adversity. ]
? And folk of wikked[e]
man{er}es sitten in hei? e chaiers. {and} anoienge folk 532
treden {and} ? at vnry? tfully in ? e nekkes of holy men. [[pg 23]]
? And vertue clere {and} schynyng naturely is hid in
dirke dirkenesses. {and} ? e ry? tful man beri? ? e blame
{and} ? e peyne of ? e felowne. ? Ne ? e forsweryng ne 536
? e fraude couered {and} kembd wi? a fals colo{ur} ne
a-noye? not to schrewes. ? ? e whiche schrewes whan
hem lyst to vsen her streng? e ? ei reioisen hem to
putte{n} vndir hem ? e souerayne kynges. whiche ? {a}t 540
poeple wi? [outen] noumbre dreden.
[Sidenote: O thou that bindest the disagreeing elements, look upon
this wretched earth, and, as thou dost govern the spacious
heavens, so let the earth be firmly bound. ]
? O ? ou what so
euer ? ou be ? at knyttes[t] alle bondes of ? inges loke
on ? ise wrecched[e] er? es. we men ? at ben nat a
foule party but a faire party of so grete a werke we 544
ben turmentid in ? e see of fortune. ? ? ou gouerno{ur}
wi? draw {and} restreyne ? e rauyssinge flodes {and} fastne
{and} forme ? ise er? es stable wi? ? ilke [bonde] wi?
whiche ? ou gouernest ? e heuene ? at is so large. 548
[Linenotes:
527 _refusest ? ou_--refowsestow
529 _to----? inges_--so grete entrechaunginges of thynges
531 _punissit? _--punysshe
_wikked[e]_--wykkede
532 _hei? e_--heer{e}
533 _in_--oon
534 {and}--omitted
536 _Ne ? e forsweryng_--Ne forswerynge
537 _kembd_--MS. kembde, C. kembd
541 _wi? [outen]_--withhowtyn
542 _knyttes[t]_--knyttest
543 _wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
544 _a_ (2)--omitted
545 _? e_--this
546 _wi? draw_--MS. wi? drawe, C. withdrawh
_? e_--thei
547 _forme_--ferme
[_bonde_]--from C.
_wi? _--by]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY CONSOLES BOETHIUS,]
HIC UBI CONTINUATO DOLORE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy consoles Boethius. ]
++Whan I hadde wi? a continuel sorwe sobbed or
broken out ? ise ? inges sche wi? hir chere peisible
{and} no ? i{n}g amoeued. wi?
my compleyntes seide ? {us}.
whan I say ? e q{uod} sche sorweful {and} wepyng I wist[e] 552
on-one ? at ? ou were a wrecche {and} exiled. but I
wist[e] neuer how fer ? ine exile was: ? if ? i tale ne
hadde schewed it to me. but certys al be ? ou fer fro ? i
contre.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 7 _b_. ]]
? ou nart *nat put out of it. but ? ou hast 556
fayled of ? i weye {and} gon amys.
[Sidenote: She speaks to him of his country. ]
? and yif ? ou hast
leuer forto wene ? an ? ou be put out of ? i contre. ? an
hast ? ou put oute ? i self ra? er ? en ony o? er wy? t ha? .
[Linenotes:
550 _broken_--borken
552 _wist[e]_--wyste
553 _on-one_--anon
554 _wist[e]_--wyste
_fer_--ferr{e}
555 _ne hadde_--nadde
557 _gon_--MS. gone, C. gon
558 _leuer_--leuer{e}
558, 559 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
559 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
AND PROPOSES TO ADMINISTER REMEDIES. ]
? For no wy? t but ? i self ne my? t[e] neuer haue don 560
? at to ? e. [[pg 24]]
[Sidenote: She reminds him that he is a citizen of a country not
governed by a giddy multitude, but ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . ]
? For ? if ? ou remembre of what contre ? ou
art born. it nis not gou{er}ned by emp{er}oures. ne by
gouernement of multitude. as weren ? e contres of hem
of athenes. ? But o lorde {and} o kyng {and} ? at is god 564
? at is lorde of ? i contree. whiche ? at reioise? hym of
? e dwellyng of hys Cite? enis. {and} not forto putte hem
in exile. Of ? e whiche lorde it is a souerayne fredom
to be gouerned by ? e bridel of hym and obeie to his 568
iustice.
[Sidenote: The Commonwealth of Boethius. ]
? Hast ? ou for? eten ? ilke ry? t olde lawe of ? i
Citee. in ? e whiche Citee it is ordeyned {and} establissed
? at what wy? t ? at ha? leuer founden ? er i{n}ne hys sete
or hys house. ? en ellys where: he may not be exiled 572
by no ry? t fro ? at place. ? For who so ? at is co{n}tened
in-wi? ? e paleis [{and} the clos] of ? ilke Citee. ? er nis
no drede ? at he may deserue to ben exiled. ? But
who ? at lette? ? e wille forto enhabit[e] ? ere. he forlete? 576
also to deserue to ben Cite? ein of ? ilke Citee.
[Sidenote: Philosophy says she is moved more by the looks of
Boethius than by his gloomy prison. ]
? So ? at I seye ? at ? e face of ? is place ne amoeue? me
nat so myche as ? ine owen face. Ne . I. ne axe not
ra? er ? e walles of ? i librarie apparailled {and} wrou? t 580
wi? yvory {and} wi? glas ? an after ? e sete of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: Books are to be valued on account of the _thoughts_
they contain. ]
In whiche I putte nat somtyme bookes. but . I. putte
? at ? at make? bookes wor? i of p{ri}s or p{re}cious ? at is
to sein ? e sentence of my books. ? {And} certeinly of 584
? i dec{er}tes by-stowed in co{m}mune good. ? ou hast seid
so? e but after ? e multitude of ? i goode dedys. ? ou hast
seid fewe. {and} of ? e vnhonestee or falsnesse of ? inges
? at ben opposed a? eins ? e. ? ou hast remembred ? inges 588
? at be{n} knowe to alle folk.
[Sidenote: Boethius has rightfully and briefly recounted the
frauds of his accusers. ]
and of ? e felonies {and}
fraudes of ? ine accuso{ur}s. it seme? ? e haue I-touched
it forso?
hir ly? tes.
[Sidenote: Thou raisest Hesperus to usher in the shades of night,
and again causest him to be the harbinger of day, whence his name
Lucifer. ]
? And ? at ? e euesterre esperus whiche
? at in ? e first[e] tyme of ? e ny? t brynge? fur? e hir
colde arysynges come? eft a? eynes hir vsed cours. {and} 512
is pale by ? e morwe at ? e rysynge of ? e sonne. and is
? an cleped lucifer. ? ? ou restreinest ? e day by schorter
dwellyng in ? e tyme of colde wynter ? at make? ? e
leues to falle. ? ? ou diuidest ? e swifte tides of ? e 516
ny? t when ? e hote somer is comen.
[Sidenote: Thou controllest the changing seasons of the year. ]
? ? i my? t attempre[? ]
? o variau{n}t? sesons of ? e ? ere. so ? at
? epherus ? e deboneire wynde bringe? a? ein in ? e first[e]
somer sesou{n} ? e leues ? at ? e wynde ? at hy? t[e] boreas 520
ha? reft awey in autu{m}pne. ? at is to seyne in ? e laste
eende of somer. and ? e sedes ? at ? e sterre ? at hy? t arctur{us}
saw ben waxen hey[e] cornes whan ? e sterre
sirius eschaufe? hym. 524
[Sidenote: All nature is bound by thy eternal law. ]
? ? ere nis no ? ing vnbounde
from hys olde lawe ne forlete? hym of hys p{ro}pre estat.
[Linenotes:
502 _whele_--whel
_whiche_--which
503 _fastned_--yfastned
_chayere_--chayer
504 _sweighe_--sweyh
_constreinest_, MS. contreuiest, C. constreynest
506 _hir_--her{e}
508 _lasse_--lesse
510 _esperus whiche_--hesperus which
511 _first[e]_--fyrste
_fur? e_--forth
512 _eft_--est
514 _restreinest_--MS. restreniest
516 _to_--omitted
518 _attempre[? ] ? o_--atempreth the
_sesons_--sesoun
_? ere_--yer
519 _wynde bringe? _--wynd brengeth
520 _wynde_--wynd
_hy? t[e]_--hihte
521 _reft_--MS. refte, C. reft
_seyne_--seyn
522 _hy? t_--hihte
_arcturus_--MS. aritur{us}
523 _saw_--MS. sawe? , C. sawgh
_hey[e]_--hyye
524 _hym_--hem
_? ere_--ther
_? ing_--thinge
525 _from_--fram
_forlete? hym of_--forleetheth ? e werke of]
[Headnote:
CONTRASTED WITH THE ORDER OF NATURE. ]
[Sidenote: Why, then, leavest thou man's actions uncontrolled? ]
? O ? ou gouerno{ur} gouernyng alle ? inges by certeyne
ende. why refusest ? ou oonly to gouerne ? e werkes of
men by dewe manere.
[Sidenote: Why should fickle fortune be allowed to work such
mighty changes in the world? ]
? Whi suffrest ? {o}u ? at slidyng 528
fortune turne? to grete vtter chaungynges of ? inges.
so ? at anoious peyne ? at scholde duelly punissh{e} felouns
punissit? innocent? .
[Sidenote: The wicked are prosperous, while the righteous are in
adversity. ]
? And folk of wikked[e]
man{er}es sitten in hei? e chaiers. {and} anoienge folk 532
treden {and} ? at vnry? tfully in ? e nekkes of holy men. [[pg 23]]
? And vertue clere {and} schynyng naturely is hid in
dirke dirkenesses. {and} ? e ry? tful man beri? ? e blame
{and} ? e peyne of ? e felowne. ? Ne ? e forsweryng ne 536
? e fraude couered {and} kembd wi? a fals colo{ur} ne
a-noye? not to schrewes. ? ? e whiche schrewes whan
hem lyst to vsen her streng? e ? ei reioisen hem to
putte{n} vndir hem ? e souerayne kynges. whiche ? {a}t 540
poeple wi? [outen] noumbre dreden.
[Sidenote: O thou that bindest the disagreeing elements, look upon
this wretched earth, and, as thou dost govern the spacious
heavens, so let the earth be firmly bound. ]
? O ? ou what so
euer ? ou be ? at knyttes[t] alle bondes of ? inges loke
on ? ise wrecched[e] er? es. we men ? at ben nat a
foule party but a faire party of so grete a werke we 544
ben turmentid in ? e see of fortune. ? ? ou gouerno{ur}
wi? draw {and} restreyne ? e rauyssinge flodes {and} fastne
{and} forme ? ise er? es stable wi? ? ilke [bonde] wi?
whiche ? ou gouernest ? e heuene ? at is so large. 548
[Linenotes:
527 _refusest ? ou_--refowsestow
529 _to----? inges_--so grete entrechaunginges of thynges
531 _punissit? _--punysshe
_wikked[e]_--wykkede
532 _hei? e_--heer{e}
533 _in_--oon
534 {and}--omitted
536 _Ne ? e forsweryng_--Ne forswerynge
537 _kembd_--MS. kembde, C. kembd
541 _wi? [outen]_--withhowtyn
542 _knyttes[t]_--knyttest
543 _wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
544 _a_ (2)--omitted
545 _? e_--this
546 _wi? draw_--MS. wi? drawe, C. withdrawh
_? e_--thei
547 _forme_--ferme
[_bonde_]--from C.
_wi? _--by]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY CONSOLES BOETHIUS,]
HIC UBI CONTINUATO DOLORE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy consoles Boethius. ]
++Whan I hadde wi? a continuel sorwe sobbed or
broken out ? ise ? inges sche wi? hir chere peisible
{and} no ? i{n}g amoeued. wi?
my compleyntes seide ? {us}.
whan I say ? e q{uod} sche sorweful {and} wepyng I wist[e] 552
on-one ? at ? ou were a wrecche {and} exiled. but I
wist[e] neuer how fer ? ine exile was: ? if ? i tale ne
hadde schewed it to me. but certys al be ? ou fer fro ? i
contre.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 7 _b_. ]]
? ou nart *nat put out of it. but ? ou hast 556
fayled of ? i weye {and} gon amys.
[Sidenote: She speaks to him of his country. ]
? and yif ? ou hast
leuer forto wene ? an ? ou be put out of ? i contre. ? an
hast ? ou put oute ? i self ra? er ? en ony o? er wy? t ha? .
[Linenotes:
550 _broken_--borken
552 _wist[e]_--wyste
553 _on-one_--anon
554 _wist[e]_--wyste
_fer_--ferr{e}
555 _ne hadde_--nadde
557 _gon_--MS. gone, C. gon
558 _leuer_--leuer{e}
558, 559 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
559 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
AND PROPOSES TO ADMINISTER REMEDIES. ]
? For no wy? t but ? i self ne my? t[e] neuer haue don 560
? at to ? e. [[pg 24]]
[Sidenote: She reminds him that he is a citizen of a country not
governed by a giddy multitude, but ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . ]
? For ? if ? ou remembre of what contre ? ou
art born. it nis not gou{er}ned by emp{er}oures. ne by
gouernement of multitude. as weren ? e contres of hem
of athenes. ? But o lorde {and} o kyng {and} ? at is god 564
? at is lorde of ? i contree. whiche ? at reioise? hym of
? e dwellyng of hys Cite? enis. {and} not forto putte hem
in exile. Of ? e whiche lorde it is a souerayne fredom
to be gouerned by ? e bridel of hym and obeie to his 568
iustice.
[Sidenote: The Commonwealth of Boethius. ]
? Hast ? ou for? eten ? ilke ry? t olde lawe of ? i
Citee. in ? e whiche Citee it is ordeyned {and} establissed
? at what wy? t ? at ha? leuer founden ? er i{n}ne hys sete
or hys house. ? en ellys where: he may not be exiled 572
by no ry? t fro ? at place. ? For who so ? at is co{n}tened
in-wi? ? e paleis [{and} the clos] of ? ilke Citee. ? er nis
no drede ? at he may deserue to ben exiled. ? But
who ? at lette? ? e wille forto enhabit[e] ? ere. he forlete? 576
also to deserue to ben Cite? ein of ? ilke Citee.
[Sidenote: Philosophy says she is moved more by the looks of
Boethius than by his gloomy prison. ]
? So ? at I seye ? at ? e face of ? is place ne amoeue? me
nat so myche as ? ine owen face. Ne . I. ne axe not
ra? er ? e walles of ? i librarie apparailled {and} wrou? t 580
wi? yvory {and} wi? glas ? an after ? e sete of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: Books are to be valued on account of the _thoughts_
they contain. ]
In whiche I putte nat somtyme bookes. but . I. putte
? at ? at make? bookes wor? i of p{ri}s or p{re}cious ? at is
to sein ? e sentence of my books. ? {And} certeinly of 584
? i dec{er}tes by-stowed in co{m}mune good. ? ou hast seid
so? e but after ? e multitude of ? i goode dedys. ? ou hast
seid fewe. {and} of ? e vnhonestee or falsnesse of ? inges
? at ben opposed a? eins ? e. ? ou hast remembred ? inges 588
? at be{n} knowe to alle folk.
[Sidenote: Boethius has rightfully and briefly recounted the
frauds of his accusers. ]
and of ? e felonies {and}
fraudes of ? ine accuso{ur}s. it seme? ? e haue I-touched
it forso?
