Considere
now yif ?
Chaucer - Boethius
i{n}g{us} folk seken to haue {and} to vsen ?
at may deliten
hem. ? Certys ? ise ben ? e ? i{n}ges ? at men wolen {and} desyren to geten.
and for ? is cause desiren ? ei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and}
delices ? For ? erby wenen ? ei to han suffisau{n}ce hono{ur} power.
renou{n} {and} gladnesse. ? ? anne is it goode. ? {a}t men seken ? us by so
many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may ly? tly be shew{e}d. how
grete is ? e streng? e of nature. ? For how so ? at men han dyuerse
sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge ? e ende
of goode.
Q{UA}NTAS RER{UM} FLECTAT.
[Sidenote: [The 2^de Met{ur}. ]]
++IT like? me to shew[e] by subtil songe wi? slakke {and} delitable
sou{n} of strenges how ? at nature my? ty encline? {and} flitte?
gouernement? of ? inges ? {and} by whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepi? ? e
grete worlde. {and} how she bindynge restreine? alle ? ing{us} by a bonde
? at may nat be vnbounden.
[Sidenote: [j]]
? Al be it so ? at ? e liou{n}s of ? e contree of pene beren ? e fair[e]
cheines. {and} taken metes of ? e handes of folk ? at ? euen it hem. {and}
dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche ? ei ben wont to suffren [betinges].
yif ? at hir horrible mou? es ben bi-bled. ? at is to sein of bestes
devoured. ? Hir corage of tyme passe? ? at ha? ben ydel {and} rested.
repaire? a? ein ? at ? ei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir nature.
{and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. and hir maistre first
to-teren wi? blody to? e assaie? ? e woode wra? ? es of hem. ? ? is is to
sein ? ei freten hir maister.
[Sidenote: [ij]]
? And ? e Iangland brid ? at syngi? on ? e heye braunches. ? is is to sein
in ? e wode {and} after is inclosed in a streit cage. ? al ? ou? [? {a}t]
? e pleiyng besines of men ? eue? hem honied[e] drinkes {and} large metes.
wi? swete studie. ? ? it na? eles yif ? ilke brid skippynge oute of hir
streite cage see? ? e agreable shadewes of ? e wodes. she defoule? wi? hir
fete hir metes yshad {and} seke? mournyng oonly ? e wode {and} twitri?
desirynge ? e wode wi? hir swete voys.
[Sidenote: [iij]]
? ? e ? erde of a tree ? at is haled adou{n} by my? ty streng? e bowi? redely
? e croppe adou{n}. but yif ? at ? e hande of hym ? at it bente lat it gon
a? ein. ? An oon ? e crop loke? vp ry? t to heuene.
[Sidenote: [iiij]]
? ? e sonne phebus ? at faille? at euene in ? e westrene wawes retorni?
a? ein eftsones his cart by a priue pa? e ? ere as it is wont aryse. ? Alle
? inges seken a? ein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle ? inges reioisen
hem of hir retournynge a? ein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis
bytaken to ? i{n}ges but ? at. ? at ha? ioignynge ? e endynge to ? e
bygynnynge. {and} ha? makid ? e cours of it self stable ? at it chaunge?
nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.
VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se. ]]
++CErtis also ? e men ? at ben er? elich{e} bestes dreme{n} alwey [yowre
bygynnynge] al ? ou? it be wi? a ? inne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner
? ou? t al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ? e looken from a fer til ? ilk
verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and ? erfore ? e naturel entenc{i}ou{n} lede?
? ow to ? ilk verray good ? But many manere errours misto{ur}ni? ? ow ? er
fro. ?
Considere now yif ? at be ? ilke ? inges by whiche a man weni? to
gete hym blysfulnesse. yif ? at he may comen to ? ilke ende ? at he wene?
to come by nature ? For yif ? at moneye or hono{ur}s or ? ise o? er
forseide ? inges bryngen to men swiche a ? ing ? at no goode ne faille hem.
ne seme? faille. ? Certys ? an wil I graunt[e] ? at ? ei ben maked blisful.
by ? ilke ? inges ? at ? ei han geten. ? but yif so be ? at ? ilke ? i{n}ges ne
mowe nat p{er}fo{ur}men ? at ? ei by-heten {and} ? at ? er be defaute of
many goodes. ? Shewe? it nat ? an clerely ? {a}t fals beaute of
blisfulnesse is knowe {and} a-teint in ? ilke ? inges. ? First {and}
forward ? ou ? i self ? at haddest haboundaunces of rycchesses nat long
agon. ? I axe ? if ? at in ? e haboundaunce of alle ? ilk[e] rycchesses ? ou
were neuer anguissous or sory in ? i corage of any wrong or greuau{n}ce
? at by-tidde ? e on any syde. ? Certys q{uo}d I it remembre? me nat ? at
euere I was so free of my ? ou? t. ? at I ne was al-wey in anguysh{e} of
somwhat. ? {a}t was ? at ? ou lakkedest ? at ? ou noldest han lakked. or
ellys ? ou haddest ? at ? ou noldest han had. ry? t so is it q{uod} I ? an.
desiredest ? ou ? e p{re}sence of ? at oon {and} ? e absence of ? at o? er.
I graunt[e] wel q{uod} . I. for so? e q{uod} she ? an nedi? ? er somwhat ? at
euery man desire? . ? e ? er nedi? q{uod} I. ? Certis q{uod} she {and} he
? at ha? lakke or nede of a wy? t nis nat in euery way suffisaunt to hym
self. no q{uod} . I. {and} ? ou q{uo}d she in alle ? e plente of ? i
rycchesse haddest ? ilke lak of suffisaunce. ? what ellis q{uod} . I.
? ? anne may nat rycchesse maken ? at a man nis nedy. ne ? at he be
suffisaunt to hym self. {and} ? at was it ? {a}t ? ei byhy? ten as it seme? .
? and eke certys I trowe ? at ? is be gretly to consydere ? at moneye ne
ha? nat in hys owen kynde ? at it ne may ben by-nomen of hem ? at han it
maugre hem. ? I by-knowe it wel q{uod} I ? whi sholdest ? ou nat
by-knowen it q{uod} she. whan euery day ? e strenger folke by-nymen it
fram ? e febler maugre hem. ? Fro whennes comen ellys alle ? ise foreine
compleintes or quereles of plety{n}g{us}. ? But for ? at men axen a? eine
her moneye ? at ha? be by-nomen hem by force or by gyle. {and} alwey
maugre hem. ? Ry? t so it is q{uod} I. ? an q{uo}d she ha? a man nede to
seke{n} hym foreyne helpe by whiche he may defende hys moneye. who may
say nay q{uod} . I. ? Certis q{uod} she {and} hym nedi? no helpe yif he
ne hadde no moneye ? at he my? t[e] leese. ? ? at is doutles q{uod} . I.
? anne is ? is ? i{n}g turned in to ? e contrarie q{uod} she ? For rycchesse
? at men wenen sholde make suffisau{n}ce. ? ei maken a man ra? er han nede
of foreine helpe. ? whiche is ? e manere or ? e gise q{uod} she ? at
rycches may dryuen awey nede. ? Riche folk may ? ei nei? er han hungre ne
? rest. ? ise ryche men may ? ei feele no colde on hir lymes in wynter.
? But ? ou wilt answere ? at ryche men han y-nou? wher wi? ? ei may
staunchen her hunger. {and} slaken her ?
hem. ? Certys ? ise ben ? e ? i{n}ges ? at men wolen {and} desyren to geten.
and for ? is cause desiren ? ei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and}
delices ? For ? erby wenen ? ei to han suffisau{n}ce hono{ur} power.
renou{n} {and} gladnesse. ? ? anne is it goode. ? {a}t men seken ? us by so
many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may ly? tly be shew{e}d. how
grete is ? e streng? e of nature. ? For how so ? at men han dyuerse
sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge ? e ende
of goode.
Q{UA}NTAS RER{UM} FLECTAT.
[Sidenote: [The 2^de Met{ur}. ]]
++IT like? me to shew[e] by subtil songe wi? slakke {and} delitable
sou{n} of strenges how ? at nature my? ty encline? {and} flitte?
gouernement? of ? inges ? {and} by whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepi? ? e
grete worlde. {and} how she bindynge restreine? alle ? ing{us} by a bonde
? at may nat be vnbounden.
[Sidenote: [j]]
? Al be it so ? at ? e liou{n}s of ? e contree of pene beren ? e fair[e]
cheines. {and} taken metes of ? e handes of folk ? at ? euen it hem. {and}
dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche ? ei ben wont to suffren [betinges].
yif ? at hir horrible mou? es ben bi-bled. ? at is to sein of bestes
devoured. ? Hir corage of tyme passe? ? at ha? ben ydel {and} rested.
repaire? a? ein ? at ? ei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir nature.
{and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. and hir maistre first
to-teren wi? blody to? e assaie? ? e woode wra? ? es of hem. ? ? is is to
sein ? ei freten hir maister.
[Sidenote: [ij]]
? And ? e Iangland brid ? at syngi? on ? e heye braunches. ? is is to sein
in ? e wode {and} after is inclosed in a streit cage. ? al ? ou? [? {a}t]
? e pleiyng besines of men ? eue? hem honied[e] drinkes {and} large metes.
wi? swete studie. ? ? it na? eles yif ? ilke brid skippynge oute of hir
streite cage see? ? e agreable shadewes of ? e wodes. she defoule? wi? hir
fete hir metes yshad {and} seke? mournyng oonly ? e wode {and} twitri?
desirynge ? e wode wi? hir swete voys.
[Sidenote: [iij]]
? ? e ? erde of a tree ? at is haled adou{n} by my? ty streng? e bowi? redely
? e croppe adou{n}. but yif ? at ? e hande of hym ? at it bente lat it gon
a? ein. ? An oon ? e crop loke? vp ry? t to heuene.
[Sidenote: [iiij]]
? ? e sonne phebus ? at faille? at euene in ? e westrene wawes retorni?
a? ein eftsones his cart by a priue pa? e ? ere as it is wont aryse. ? Alle
? inges seken a? ein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle ? inges reioisen
hem of hir retournynge a? ein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis
bytaken to ? i{n}ges but ? at. ? at ha? ioignynge ? e endynge to ? e
bygynnynge. {and} ha? makid ? e cours of it self stable ? at it chaunge?
nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.
VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se. ]]
++CErtis also ? e men ? at ben er? elich{e} bestes dreme{n} alwey [yowre
bygynnynge] al ? ou? it be wi? a ? inne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner
? ou? t al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ? e looken from a fer til ? ilk
verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and ? erfore ? e naturel entenc{i}ou{n} lede?
? ow to ? ilk verray good ? But many manere errours misto{ur}ni? ? ow ? er
fro. ?
Considere now yif ? at be ? ilke ? inges by whiche a man weni? to
gete hym blysfulnesse. yif ? at he may comen to ? ilke ende ? at he wene?
to come by nature ? For yif ? at moneye or hono{ur}s or ? ise o? er
forseide ? inges bryngen to men swiche a ? ing ? at no goode ne faille hem.
ne seme? faille. ? Certys ? an wil I graunt[e] ? at ? ei ben maked blisful.
by ? ilke ? inges ? at ? ei han geten. ? but yif so be ? at ? ilke ? i{n}ges ne
mowe nat p{er}fo{ur}men ? at ? ei by-heten {and} ? at ? er be defaute of
many goodes. ? Shewe? it nat ? an clerely ? {a}t fals beaute of
blisfulnesse is knowe {and} a-teint in ? ilke ? inges. ? First {and}
forward ? ou ? i self ? at haddest haboundaunces of rycchesses nat long
agon. ? I axe ? if ? at in ? e haboundaunce of alle ? ilk[e] rycchesses ? ou
were neuer anguissous or sory in ? i corage of any wrong or greuau{n}ce
? at by-tidde ? e on any syde. ? Certys q{uo}d I it remembre? me nat ? at
euere I was so free of my ? ou? t. ? at I ne was al-wey in anguysh{e} of
somwhat. ? {a}t was ? at ? ou lakkedest ? at ? ou noldest han lakked. or
ellys ? ou haddest ? at ? ou noldest han had. ry? t so is it q{uod} I ? an.
desiredest ? ou ? e p{re}sence of ? at oon {and} ? e absence of ? at o? er.
I graunt[e] wel q{uod} . I. for so? e q{uod} she ? an nedi? ? er somwhat ? at
euery man desire? . ? e ? er nedi? q{uod} I. ? Certis q{uod} she {and} he
? at ha? lakke or nede of a wy? t nis nat in euery way suffisaunt to hym
self. no q{uod} . I. {and} ? ou q{uo}d she in alle ? e plente of ? i
rycchesse haddest ? ilke lak of suffisaunce. ? what ellis q{uod} . I.
? ? anne may nat rycchesse maken ? at a man nis nedy. ne ? at he be
suffisaunt to hym self. {and} ? at was it ? {a}t ? ei byhy? ten as it seme? .
? and eke certys I trowe ? at ? is be gretly to consydere ? at moneye ne
ha? nat in hys owen kynde ? at it ne may ben by-nomen of hem ? at han it
maugre hem. ? I by-knowe it wel q{uod} I ? whi sholdest ? ou nat
by-knowen it q{uod} she. whan euery day ? e strenger folke by-nymen it
fram ? e febler maugre hem. ? Fro whennes comen ellys alle ? ise foreine
compleintes or quereles of plety{n}g{us}. ? But for ? at men axen a? eine
her moneye ? at ha? be by-nomen hem by force or by gyle. {and} alwey
maugre hem. ? Ry? t so it is q{uod} I. ? an q{uo}d she ha? a man nede to
seke{n} hym foreyne helpe by whiche he may defende hys moneye. who may
say nay q{uod} . I. ? Certis q{uod} she {and} hym nedi? no helpe yif he
ne hadde no moneye ? at he my? t[e] leese. ? ? at is doutles q{uod} . I.
? anne is ? is ? i{n}g turned in to ? e contrarie q{uod} she ? For rycchesse
? at men wenen sholde make suffisau{n}ce. ? ei maken a man ra? er han nede
of foreine helpe. ? whiche is ? e manere or ? e gise q{uod} she ? at
rycches may dryuen awey nede. ? Riche folk may ? ei nei? er han hungre ne
? rest. ? ise ryche men may ? ei feele no colde on hir lymes in wynter.
? But ? ou wilt answere ? at ryche men han y-nou? wher wi? ? ei may
staunchen her hunger. {and} slaken her ?
