haue gadred {and} shewed by
forseide
resou{n}s 3200
?
?
Chaucer - Boethius
at ?
ou requeredest of whiche ?
ou
ne haddest no mynde. but now it remenbre? me wel 3160
here was I born. here wil I fastne my degree. here wil
I dwelle.
[Sidenote: And should you deign to look on the gloomy earth,
you'll see those tyrants, the fear of wretched folk, banished from
those fair realms. ]
but yif ? e lyke ? an to loken on ? e derkenesse
of ? e er? e ? at ? ou hast for-leten. ? an shalt ? ou seen ? at
? ise felonous tyrauntes ? at ? e wrecched[e] poeple drede? 3164
now shule ben exiled from ? ilke faire contre.
[Linenotes:
3151-2 _she_--he
3152-3 _of ? e----of god_--of the worshipful lyht of god
3153 _? ere halde? _--ther halt
3155 _? is worlde_--the world
3156 _carte_--cart or wayn
3157 [_the_]--from C.
3159 _whiche_--which
3161 _here_ (1, 2, 3)--her
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_wil_ (1)--wol
_wil_ (2)--wole
3162 _lyke_--liketh
_derkenesse_--dyrknesses
3164 _wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
3165 _shule_--shollen
_from_--fro]
[[pg 112]]
[Headnote:
THE GOOD ARE ALWAYS STRONG. ]
TUNC EGO PAPE INQ{UA}M. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The 2^e p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Ah! thou promisest me great things indeed! --but
without delay, satisfy the expectations you have raised. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. [owh] I wondre me ? at ? ou by-hetest
me so grete ? inges. ne I ne doute nat ? at ? {o}u
ne mayst wel p{er}forme ? at ? ou by-hetest. but I preie ? e 3168
oonly ? is. ? at ? ou ne tarie nat to telle me ? ilke ? inges
? at ? ou hast meoued.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You must first be convinced that the good are
always strong and powerful and the wicked destitute of strength. ]
first q{uo}d she ? ou most nedes
knowen. ? {a}t good[e] folk ben al wey strong[e] {and}
my? ty. and ? e shrewes ben feble {and} desert {and} naked 3172
of alle streng? es.
[Sidenote: These assertions do mutually demonstrate each other. ]
and of ? ise ? inges certys eueryche of
hem is declared {and} shewed by o? {er}.
[Sidenote: For since good and evil are contrary, if good be
powerful evil must be impotent. ]
? For so as good
{and} yuel ben two cont{ra}ries. yif so be ? at goode be
stedfast. ? a{n} shewe? ? e fieblesse of yuel al openly. 3176
[Sidenote: And if the frailty of evil is known, the strength and
stability of good must also be known to you. ]
and yif ? ou knowe clerely ? e freelnesse of yuel. ? e stedfastnesse
of goode is knowen.
[Sidenote: But to convince you I shall proceed to prove it from
both these principles, establishing these truths, by arguments
drawn first from one of these topics and then from the other. ]
but for as moche as ? e fey of
my sentence shal be ? e more ferme {and} habou{n}daunt. I
wil goon by ? at oon wey {and} by ? at o? er {and} I wil conferme 3180
? e ? inges ? at ben p{ur}posed now on ? is side {and}
now on ? {a}t syde.
[Sidenote: Two things are necessary to every action--the Will and
the Power; if either be wanting, nothing can be effected. ]
? Two ? inges ? er ben in whiche ? e
effect of alle ? e dedes of man kynde standi? . ? at is to
seyn. wil {and} power. and yif ? at oon of ? ise two fayle? 3184
? ere nis no ? ing ? at may be don.
[Sidenote: A man can do nothing without the concurrence of his
will, and if power faileth the will is of no effect. ]
for yif ? at wil lakke?
? ere nys no wy? t ? at vndirtake? to done ? at he wol not
don. and yif power fayle? ? e wille nis but i{n} ydel {and}
stant for nau? t.
[Sidenote: Hence, if you see a person desirous of getting what he
cannot procure, you are sure he lacks power to obtain it. ]
and ? er of come? it ? at yif ? ou se a 3188
wy? t ? at wolde gete{n} ? at he may nat geten. ? ou mayst
nat douten ? at power ne fayle? hy{m} to haue{n} ? at he
wolde. ? ? is is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat
ben denyed in no manere.
[Sidenote: And if you see another do what he had a mind to do, can
you doubt that he had the power to do it? ]
and yif ? ou se a wy? t q{uo}d 3192
she. ? at ha? don ? at he wolde don ? {o}u nilt nat douten
? at he ne ha? had power to done it.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No, surely. _P. _ A man, then, is esteemed
powerful in respect of what he is able to do, and weak in
relation to what he is unable to perform. ]
no q{uo}d. I. and in
? at. ? at euery wy? t may. in ? at ? at men may holden
hym my? ty. as who sei? i{n} as moche as a man is my? ty [[pg 113]]
to done a ? ing. in so moche men halden hy{m} my? ty. 3197
and in ? at ? at he ne may. in ? at men demen hym to
ben feble.
[Sidenote: _B. _ That is true. ]
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you remember that I proved that the will of
man, following different pursuits, seeks happiness only? ]
Remembri? ? e q{uo}d
she ? at I.
haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s 3200
? at al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} of ? e wil of ma{n}kynde whiche ? at
is lad by diuerse studies hasti? to comen to blisfulnesse.
? It reme{m}bre? me wel q{uo}d I ? at it hath ben shewed.
[Linenotes:
3166 [_owh_]--from C.
3171 _good[e]_--goode
_strong[e]_--stronge
3172 _desert_--dishert
3173 _eueryche_--eu{er}ich
3175 _goode_--good
3176 _stedfast_--stidefast
3177 _freelnesse_--frelenesse
_stedfastnesse_--stidefastnesse
3178 _goode_--good
3180 _oon_--oo
_wil_ (2)--wole
3185-6 _? ere_--ther
3185 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3186 _done_--don
3187 _wille_--wil
3188 _come? _--comht
3189 _mayst_--MS. mayste, C. mayst
3191 _clere_--cler
3192 _denyed_--denoyed
3193-4 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3193 _don_ (_both_)--MS. done, C. doon
3194 _had_--MS. hadde, C. had
_done_--doon
3196 _as moche_--so moche
3197 _done_--doon
_moche_--mochel
_halden_--halt
3201 _whiche_--which
3202 _lad_--MS. ladde, C. lad
3203 _it hath ben_--MS. I herde ? e, C. it hath ben]
[Headnote:
THE IMPOTENCY OF THE WICKED. ]
[Sidenote: Do you recollect too, that it has been shown that
happiness is the supreme good of men--and all desire this good,
since all seek happiness? ]
{and} recorde? ? e nat ? an q{uo}d she. ? at blisfulnesse is 3204
? ilke same goode ? at men requeren.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 25 _b_. ]]
so ? at whan ? at
blisfulnesse is requered *of alle. ? at goode [also] is
requered {and} desired of al. It recorde? me wel q{uo}d I.
for haue it gretly alwey ficche[d] in my memorie.
[Sidenote: All men, then, good and bad, seek to acquire good? ]
alle 3208
folk ? an q{uo}d she goode {and} eke badde enforcen he{m}
wi? oute difference of entenc{i}ou{n} to come{n} to goode.
? at is a uerray consequence q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: And it is certain that when men obtain good they become
good? ]
and certeyne is q{uo}d
she ? at by ? e gety{n}g of goode ben men ymaked goode. 3212
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is most certain. ]
? is is certeyne q{uo}d. I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do good men, then, get what they desire? ]
? ? an geten goode men ? at ? ei
desiren.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It seems so. ]
so seme? it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If evil men obtain the good, they can be no longer
evil? ]
but wicked[e] folk q{uo}d
she yif ? ei geten ? e goode ? at ? ei desire{n} ? ei [ne]
mowen nat ben wicked.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is so. ]
so is it q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Since then both parties pursue the good, which
only the virtuous obtain, we must believe that good men are
powerful, and that the wicked are weak and feeble? ]
? ? an so as 3216
? at oon {and} ? at o? er [q{uod} she] desiren good. {and} ? e
goode folk geten good {and} nat ? e wicked folk ? ? an
nis it no doute ? at ? e goode folk ne ben my? ty {and} ? e
wicked folk ben feble.
[Sidenote: _B. _ None can doubt this, save such as either consider
not rightly the nature of things, or are incapable of
comprehending the force of any reasoning. ]
? who so ? at euer q{uo}d I 3220
doute? of ? is. he ne may nat considre ? e nature of
? i{n}ges. ne ? e consequence of resou{n}. and ouer ? is q{uo}d she.
[Linenotes:
3205-6 _goode_--good
3206 [_also_]--from C.
3207 _al_--alle
_It----I_--it ne recordeth me nat q{uod} I
3210-12(1)-15 _goode_--good
3214 _wicked[e]_--wikkede
3215 [_ne_]--from C.
3216 _mowen_--mowe
3217 [_quod she_]--from C.
3218 _wicked_--wilk{e} (? wikke)
3220 _wicked_--wikkede]
[Headnote:
THE WICKED DO NOT SEEK ARIGHT THE SUPREME GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ If two beings have the same end in view--and one
of them accomplishes his purpose by the use of natural means,
while the other not using legitimate means does not attain his
end--which of these two is the most powerful? ]
? yif ? at ? er ben two ? inges ? at han o same 3223
p{ur}pos by kynde. {and} ? at one of he{m} p{ur}sue? {and} p{er}forme?
? ilke same ? inge by naturel office. {and} ? at o? er
ne may nat done ? ilk naturel office. but folwe? by
o? er manere ? an is couenable to nat{ur}e ? Hym ? at
acomplisi? hys p{ur}pos kyndely.
{and} ? it he ne acomplisi? [[pg 114]]
nat hys owen purpos. whe? er of ? ise two demest 3229
? ou for more my? ty.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Illustrate your meaning more clearly. ]
? yif ? at I coniecte q{uo}d . I. ? at
? ou wilt seye algates. ? it I desire to herkene it more
pleynely of ? e.
[Sidenote: _P. _ The motion of walking is natural to man? And this
motion is the natural office of the feet? Do you grant this? ]
? ou nilt nat ? an denye q{uo}d she ? at ? e 3232
moeueme{n}t? of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for so? e
q{uo}d I. ne ? ou ne doutest nat q{uo}d she ? {a}t ? ilke naturel
office of goynge ne be ? e office of feet.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I do. ]
I ne doute
it nat q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If, then, he who is able to use his feet walks,
whilst another lacking this power creeps on his hands--surely he
that is able to move naturally upon his feet is more powerful than
he who cannot. ]
? an q{uo}d she yif ? at a wy? t be my? ty to 3236
moeue {and} go? vpon hys feet. and ano? er to whom
? ilke naturel office of feet lakke? .
ne haddest no mynde. but now it remenbre? me wel 3160
here was I born. here wil I fastne my degree. here wil
I dwelle.
[Sidenote: And should you deign to look on the gloomy earth,
you'll see those tyrants, the fear of wretched folk, banished from
those fair realms. ]
but yif ? e lyke ? an to loken on ? e derkenesse
of ? e er? e ? at ? ou hast for-leten. ? an shalt ? ou seen ? at
? ise felonous tyrauntes ? at ? e wrecched[e] poeple drede? 3164
now shule ben exiled from ? ilke faire contre.
[Linenotes:
3151-2 _she_--he
3152-3 _of ? e----of god_--of the worshipful lyht of god
3153 _? ere halde? _--ther halt
3155 _? is worlde_--the world
3156 _carte_--cart or wayn
3157 [_the_]--from C.
3159 _whiche_--which
3161 _here_ (1, 2, 3)--her
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_wil_ (1)--wol
_wil_ (2)--wole
3162 _lyke_--liketh
_derkenesse_--dyrknesses
3164 _wrecched[e]_--wrecchede
3165 _shule_--shollen
_from_--fro]
[[pg 112]]
[Headnote:
THE GOOD ARE ALWAYS STRONG. ]
TUNC EGO PAPE INQ{UA}M. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The 2^e p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Ah! thou promisest me great things indeed! --but
without delay, satisfy the expectations you have raised. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. [owh] I wondre me ? at ? ou by-hetest
me so grete ? inges. ne I ne doute nat ? at ? {o}u
ne mayst wel p{er}forme ? at ? ou by-hetest. but I preie ? e 3168
oonly ? is. ? at ? ou ne tarie nat to telle me ? ilke ? inges
? at ? ou hast meoued.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You must first be convinced that the good are
always strong and powerful and the wicked destitute of strength. ]
first q{uo}d she ? ou most nedes
knowen. ? {a}t good[e] folk ben al wey strong[e] {and}
my? ty. and ? e shrewes ben feble {and} desert {and} naked 3172
of alle streng? es.
[Sidenote: These assertions do mutually demonstrate each other. ]
and of ? ise ? inges certys eueryche of
hem is declared {and} shewed by o? {er}.
[Sidenote: For since good and evil are contrary, if good be
powerful evil must be impotent. ]
? For so as good
{and} yuel ben two cont{ra}ries. yif so be ? at goode be
stedfast. ? a{n} shewe? ? e fieblesse of yuel al openly. 3176
[Sidenote: And if the frailty of evil is known, the strength and
stability of good must also be known to you. ]
and yif ? ou knowe clerely ? e freelnesse of yuel. ? e stedfastnesse
of goode is knowen.
[Sidenote: But to convince you I shall proceed to prove it from
both these principles, establishing these truths, by arguments
drawn first from one of these topics and then from the other. ]
but for as moche as ? e fey of
my sentence shal be ? e more ferme {and} habou{n}daunt. I
wil goon by ? at oon wey {and} by ? at o? er {and} I wil conferme 3180
? e ? inges ? at ben p{ur}posed now on ? is side {and}
now on ? {a}t syde.
[Sidenote: Two things are necessary to every action--the Will and
the Power; if either be wanting, nothing can be effected. ]
? Two ? inges ? er ben in whiche ? e
effect of alle ? e dedes of man kynde standi? . ? at is to
seyn. wil {and} power. and yif ? at oon of ? ise two fayle? 3184
? ere nis no ? ing ? at may be don.
[Sidenote: A man can do nothing without the concurrence of his
will, and if power faileth the will is of no effect. ]
for yif ? at wil lakke?
? ere nys no wy? t ? at vndirtake? to done ? at he wol not
don. and yif power fayle? ? e wille nis but i{n} ydel {and}
stant for nau? t.
[Sidenote: Hence, if you see a person desirous of getting what he
cannot procure, you are sure he lacks power to obtain it. ]
and ? er of come? it ? at yif ? ou se a 3188
wy? t ? at wolde gete{n} ? at he may nat geten. ? ou mayst
nat douten ? at power ne fayle? hy{m} to haue{n} ? at he
wolde. ? ? is is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat
ben denyed in no manere.
[Sidenote: And if you see another do what he had a mind to do, can
you doubt that he had the power to do it? ]
and yif ? ou se a wy? t q{uo}d 3192
she. ? at ha? don ? at he wolde don ? {o}u nilt nat douten
? at he ne ha? had power to done it.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No, surely. _P. _ A man, then, is esteemed
powerful in respect of what he is able to do, and weak in
relation to what he is unable to perform. ]
no q{uo}d. I. and in
? at. ? at euery wy? t may. in ? at ? at men may holden
hym my? ty. as who sei? i{n} as moche as a man is my? ty [[pg 113]]
to done a ? ing. in so moche men halden hy{m} my? ty. 3197
and in ? at ? at he ne may. in ? at men demen hym to
ben feble.
[Sidenote: _B. _ That is true. ]
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you remember that I proved that the will of
man, following different pursuits, seeks happiness only? ]
Remembri? ? e q{uo}d
she ? at I.
haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s 3200
? at al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} of ? e wil of ma{n}kynde whiche ? at
is lad by diuerse studies hasti? to comen to blisfulnesse.
? It reme{m}bre? me wel q{uo}d I ? at it hath ben shewed.
[Linenotes:
3166 [_owh_]--from C.
3171 _good[e]_--goode
_strong[e]_--stronge
3172 _desert_--dishert
3173 _eueryche_--eu{er}ich
3175 _goode_--good
3176 _stedfast_--stidefast
3177 _freelnesse_--frelenesse
_stedfastnesse_--stidefastnesse
3178 _goode_--good
3180 _oon_--oo
_wil_ (2)--wole
3185-6 _? ere_--ther
3185 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3186 _done_--don
3187 _wille_--wil
3188 _come? _--comht
3189 _mayst_--MS. mayste, C. mayst
3191 _clere_--cler
3192 _denyed_--denoyed
3193-4 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3193 _don_ (_both_)--MS. done, C. doon
3194 _had_--MS. hadde, C. had
_done_--doon
3196 _as moche_--so moche
3197 _done_--doon
_moche_--mochel
_halden_--halt
3201 _whiche_--which
3202 _lad_--MS. ladde, C. lad
3203 _it hath ben_--MS. I herde ? e, C. it hath ben]
[Headnote:
THE IMPOTENCY OF THE WICKED. ]
[Sidenote: Do you recollect too, that it has been shown that
happiness is the supreme good of men--and all desire this good,
since all seek happiness? ]
{and} recorde? ? e nat ? an q{uo}d she. ? at blisfulnesse is 3204
? ilke same goode ? at men requeren.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 25 _b_. ]]
so ? at whan ? at
blisfulnesse is requered *of alle. ? at goode [also] is
requered {and} desired of al. It recorde? me wel q{uo}d I.
for haue it gretly alwey ficche[d] in my memorie.
[Sidenote: All men, then, good and bad, seek to acquire good? ]
alle 3208
folk ? an q{uo}d she goode {and} eke badde enforcen he{m}
wi? oute difference of entenc{i}ou{n} to come{n} to goode.
? at is a uerray consequence q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: And it is certain that when men obtain good they become
good? ]
and certeyne is q{uo}d
she ? at by ? e gety{n}g of goode ben men ymaked goode. 3212
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is most certain. ]
? is is certeyne q{uo}d. I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do good men, then, get what they desire? ]
? ? an geten goode men ? at ? ei
desiren.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It seems so. ]
so seme? it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If evil men obtain the good, they can be no longer
evil? ]
but wicked[e] folk q{uo}d
she yif ? ei geten ? e goode ? at ? ei desire{n} ? ei [ne]
mowen nat ben wicked.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is so. ]
so is it q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Since then both parties pursue the good, which
only the virtuous obtain, we must believe that good men are
powerful, and that the wicked are weak and feeble? ]
? ? an so as 3216
? at oon {and} ? at o? er [q{uod} she] desiren good. {and} ? e
goode folk geten good {and} nat ? e wicked folk ? ? an
nis it no doute ? at ? e goode folk ne ben my? ty {and} ? e
wicked folk ben feble.
[Sidenote: _B. _ None can doubt this, save such as either consider
not rightly the nature of things, or are incapable of
comprehending the force of any reasoning. ]
? who so ? at euer q{uo}d I 3220
doute? of ? is. he ne may nat considre ? e nature of
? i{n}ges. ne ? e consequence of resou{n}. and ouer ? is q{uo}d she.
[Linenotes:
3205-6 _goode_--good
3206 [_also_]--from C.
3207 _al_--alle
_It----I_--it ne recordeth me nat q{uod} I
3210-12(1)-15 _goode_--good
3214 _wicked[e]_--wikkede
3215 [_ne_]--from C.
3216 _mowen_--mowe
3217 [_quod she_]--from C.
3218 _wicked_--wilk{e} (? wikke)
3220 _wicked_--wikkede]
[Headnote:
THE WICKED DO NOT SEEK ARIGHT THE SUPREME GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ If two beings have the same end in view--and one
of them accomplishes his purpose by the use of natural means,
while the other not using legitimate means does not attain his
end--which of these two is the most powerful? ]
? yif ? at ? er ben two ? inges ? at han o same 3223
p{ur}pos by kynde. {and} ? at one of he{m} p{ur}sue? {and} p{er}forme?
? ilke same ? inge by naturel office. {and} ? at o? er
ne may nat done ? ilk naturel office. but folwe? by
o? er manere ? an is couenable to nat{ur}e ? Hym ? at
acomplisi? hys p{ur}pos kyndely.
{and} ? it he ne acomplisi? [[pg 114]]
nat hys owen purpos. whe? er of ? ise two demest 3229
? ou for more my? ty.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Illustrate your meaning more clearly. ]
? yif ? at I coniecte q{uo}d . I. ? at
? ou wilt seye algates. ? it I desire to herkene it more
pleynely of ? e.
[Sidenote: _P. _ The motion of walking is natural to man? And this
motion is the natural office of the feet? Do you grant this? ]
? ou nilt nat ? an denye q{uo}d she ? at ? e 3232
moeueme{n}t? of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for so? e
q{uo}d I. ne ? ou ne doutest nat q{uo}d she ? {a}t ? ilke naturel
office of goynge ne be ? e office of feet.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I do. ]
I ne doute
it nat q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If, then, he who is able to use his feet walks,
whilst another lacking this power creeps on his hands--surely he
that is able to move naturally upon his feet is more powerful than
he who cannot. ]
? an q{uo}d she yif ? at a wy? t be my? ty to 3236
moeue {and} go? vpon hys feet. and ano? er to whom
? ilke naturel office of feet lakke? .
