e
entenc{i}ou{n}
of hir ?
Chaucer - Boethius
at compas ?
ere nis nat whi ?
at
? ou sholde[st] merueylen. sen ? ou hast lerned by ? e sentence of plato
? at nedes ? e wordes moten ben cosynes to ? o ? inges of whiche ? ei speken.
FELIX QUI POTERIT. {ET} CET{ER}A.
[Sidenote: [The . 12. Met{ur}. ]]
++Blisful is ? at man ? at may seen ? e clere welle of good. blisful is he
? at may vnbynde hym fro ? e bonde of heuy er? e. ? ? e poete of t{ra}ce
[orphe{us}] ? at somtyme hadde ry? t greet sorowe for ? e dee? of hys wijf.
aftir ? at he hadde maked by hys wepely songes ? e wodes meueable to
rennen. {and} hadde ymaked ? e ryueres to stonden stille. {and} maked ? e
hertys {and} hyndes to ioignen dredles hir sides to cruel lyou{n}s to
herkene his songe. {and} had[de] maked ? at ? e hare was nat agast of ? e
hounde whiche ? at was plesed by hys songe. so ? at whane ? e most[e]
ardaunt loue of hys wijf brende ? e entrailes of his brest. ne ? e songes
? at hadde ouer comen alle ? inges ne my? ten nat assuage hir lorde
orpheus. ? He pleyned[e] hym of ? e godes ? at were{n} cruel to hym. he
wente hym to ? e houses of helle {and} ? ere he tempred[e] hys
blaundissyng songes by resounyng of hys strenges. ? And spak {and} song
in wepynge alle ? at euer he hadde resceyued {and} laued oute of ? e noble
welles of hys modir calliope ? e goddesse. {and} he song wi? as mychel as
he my? t[e] of wepynge. {and} wi? as myche as loue ? at doubled[e] his
sorwe my? t[e] ? euen hym {and} teche hy{m} in his seke h{er}te. ? And he
commoeuede ? e helle {and} requered[e] {and} sou? te by swete p{re}iere ? e
lordes of soules in helle of relesynge. ? at is to seyne to ? elden hym
hys wif. ? Cerberus ? e porter of helle wi? his ? re heuedes was cau? t
{and} al abaist for ? e new[e] songe. {and} ? e ? re goddesses furijs {and}
vengerisse of felonies ? at to{ur}mente{n} {and} agaste{n} ? e soules by
anoye wexen sorweful {and} sory {and} wepen teres for pitee. ? an was nat
? e heued of Ixion{e} yto{ur}mented by ? e ou{er}? rowi{n}g whele. ? And
tantalus ? at was destroied by ? e woodnesse of longe ? rust dispise? ? e
flodes to drynke. ? e fowel ? at hy? t voltor ? at eti? ? e stomak or ? e
giser of ticius is so fulfilled of his songe ? at it nil etyn ne tyren no
more. ? Atte ? e laste ? e lorde {and} Iuge of soules was moeued to
misericordes {and} cried[e] we ben ouer comen q{uo}d he. yif[e] we to
orpheus his wijf to bere hym co{m}paignye he ha? welle I-bou? t hir by
his faire songe {and} his ditee. but we wil putte{n} a lawe in ? is.
{and} couenaunt in ? e ? ifte. ? {a}t is to seyne. ? at til he be out of
helle yif he loke byhynden hym [? {a}t] hys wijf shal come{n} a? eine to
vs ? but what is he ? at may ? eue a lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter
lawe {and} a strengere to hym self ? an any lawe ? {a}t men may ? euen.
? Allas whan Orpheus {and} his wijf were al most at ? e termes of ? e
ny? t. ? at is to seyne at ? e last[e] boundes of helle. Orpheus loked[e]
abakwarde on Erudice his wijf {and} lost[e] hir {and} was deed. ? ? is
fable app{er}teine? to ? ow alle who so euer desire? or seki? to lede his
? ou? te in to ? e souereyne day. ? at is to seyne to clerenes[se] of
souereyne goode. ? For who so ? at eu{er}e be so ouer come{n} ? at he
fycche hys eyen in to ? e put[te] of helle. ? at is to seyne who so sette?
his ? ou? tes in er? ely ? inges. al ? at euer he ha? drawen of ? e noble good
celestial he lesi? it whan he loke? ? e helles. ? at is to seyne to lowe
? inges of ? e er? e.
EXPLICIT LIBER TERCIUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.
[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se. ]]
++Whanne philosophie hadde songe{n} softly {and} delitably ? e forseide
? inges kepynge ? e dignitee of hir choere in ? e wey? te of hir wordes.
I ? an ? at ne hadde nat al out{er}ly for? eten ? e wepyng {and} mournyng
? at was set in myne herte for-brek ?
e entenc{i}ou{n} of hir ? at
entended[e] ? itte to seyne o? {er} ? inges. ? Se q{uo}d I. ? ou ? at art
gideresse of verray ly? te ? e ? inges ? at ? ou hast seid [me] hider to ben
to me so clere {and} so shewyng by ? e deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by ? i
resou{n}s ? at ? ei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen. ? And ? ilke ? i{n}g{us} ? at
? ou toldest me. al be it so ? at I hadde som tyme fo[r]? eten hem for
[the] sorwe of ? e wronge ? at ha? ben don to me. ? it na? eles ? ei ne were
nat alouterly vnknowen to me. but ? is same is namly a gret cause of my
sorwe. ? at so as ? e gouernoure of ? inges is goode. yif ? at yuelys mowen
ben by any weyes. or ellys yif ? at yuelys passen wi? outen punyssheinge.
? e whiche ? inge oonly how wor? i it is to ben wondred vpon. ? ou
considerest it weel ? i self certeynly. but ? itte to ? is ? ing ? ere is an
o? er ? ing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred vpon. ? For felonie is
emperisse {and} flowre? ful of rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly
wi? outen medes. but it is cast vndir {and} fortroden vndir ? e feet of
felonous folk. {and} it abie? ? e to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of wicked
felou{n}s ? Of al[le] whiche ? ing ? er nis no wy? t ? at [may] merueyllen
ynou? ne compleyne ? at swiche ? inges ben don in ? e regne of god ? at alle
? inges woot. and alle ? inges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
? inges. ? ? an seide she ? us. certys q{uo}d she ? at were a grete meruayle
{and} an enbaissynge wi? outen ende. {and} wel more horrible ? an alle
monstres yif it were as ? {o}u wenest. ? at is to sein. ? at in ? e ry? t
ordeyne house of so mochel a fader {and} an ordenour of meyne. ? at ? e
vesseles ? at ben foule {and} vyle sholde ben hono{ur}ed {and} heried.
and ? e p{re}cious uesseles sholde ben defouled {and} vyle. but it nis
nat so. For yif ? e ? inges ? at I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne
ben kept hoole {and} vnraced. ? ou shalt wel knowe by ? e auctorite of
god. of ? e whos regne I speke ? at certys ? e good[e] folk ben alwey
my? ty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and} feble. ne ? e vices ben
neu{e}re mo wi? outen peyne[;] ne ? e vertues ne ben nat wi? outen mede.
and ? at blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune come?
alwey to wicked folke. ? And ? ou shalt wel knowe many[e] ? inges of ? is
kynde ? {a}t sholle cessen ? i pleyntes. {and} stedfast ? e wi? stedfast
saddenesse. ? And for ? ou hast seyn ? e forme of ? e verray blisfulnesse
by me ? at [haue] somtyme I-shewed it ? e. And ? ou hast knowen i{n} whom
blysfulnesse is set. alle ? inges I treted ? {a}t I trowe ben nessessarie
to put[te] fur? e ? I shal shewe ? e. ? e weye ? at shal brynge ? e a? eyne
vnto ? i house {and} I shal ficche fe? eres in ? i ? ou? t by whiche it may
arysen in hey? te. so ? at al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey ? ou by my gidyng &
by my pa? e {and} by my sledes shalt mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in
to ? i contre.
SU{N}T ETENIM PENNE. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste met{ur}. ]]
++I Haue for so? e swifte fe? eres ? at surmou{n}ten ? e hey? t of ? e heuene
whan ? e swifte ? ou? t ha? clo? ed it self. in ? o fe? eres it dispise? ? e
hat[e]ful er? es. {and} surmou{n}te? ? e hey? enesse of ? e greet[e] eyir.
{and} it sei? ? e cloudes by-hynde hir bak {and} passe? ? e hey?
? ou sholde[st] merueylen. sen ? ou hast lerned by ? e sentence of plato
? at nedes ? e wordes moten ben cosynes to ? o ? inges of whiche ? ei speken.
FELIX QUI POTERIT. {ET} CET{ER}A.
[Sidenote: [The . 12. Met{ur}. ]]
++Blisful is ? at man ? at may seen ? e clere welle of good. blisful is he
? at may vnbynde hym fro ? e bonde of heuy er? e. ? ? e poete of t{ra}ce
[orphe{us}] ? at somtyme hadde ry? t greet sorowe for ? e dee? of hys wijf.
aftir ? at he hadde maked by hys wepely songes ? e wodes meueable to
rennen. {and} hadde ymaked ? e ryueres to stonden stille. {and} maked ? e
hertys {and} hyndes to ioignen dredles hir sides to cruel lyou{n}s to
herkene his songe. {and} had[de] maked ? at ? e hare was nat agast of ? e
hounde whiche ? at was plesed by hys songe. so ? at whane ? e most[e]
ardaunt loue of hys wijf brende ? e entrailes of his brest. ne ? e songes
? at hadde ouer comen alle ? inges ne my? ten nat assuage hir lorde
orpheus. ? He pleyned[e] hym of ? e godes ? at were{n} cruel to hym. he
wente hym to ? e houses of helle {and} ? ere he tempred[e] hys
blaundissyng songes by resounyng of hys strenges. ? And spak {and} song
in wepynge alle ? at euer he hadde resceyued {and} laued oute of ? e noble
welles of hys modir calliope ? e goddesse. {and} he song wi? as mychel as
he my? t[e] of wepynge. {and} wi? as myche as loue ? at doubled[e] his
sorwe my? t[e] ? euen hym {and} teche hy{m} in his seke h{er}te. ? And he
commoeuede ? e helle {and} requered[e] {and} sou? te by swete p{re}iere ? e
lordes of soules in helle of relesynge. ? at is to seyne to ? elden hym
hys wif. ? Cerberus ? e porter of helle wi? his ? re heuedes was cau? t
{and} al abaist for ? e new[e] songe. {and} ? e ? re goddesses furijs {and}
vengerisse of felonies ? at to{ur}mente{n} {and} agaste{n} ? e soules by
anoye wexen sorweful {and} sory {and} wepen teres for pitee. ? an was nat
? e heued of Ixion{e} yto{ur}mented by ? e ou{er}? rowi{n}g whele. ? And
tantalus ? at was destroied by ? e woodnesse of longe ? rust dispise? ? e
flodes to drynke. ? e fowel ? at hy? t voltor ? at eti? ? e stomak or ? e
giser of ticius is so fulfilled of his songe ? at it nil etyn ne tyren no
more. ? Atte ? e laste ? e lorde {and} Iuge of soules was moeued to
misericordes {and} cried[e] we ben ouer comen q{uo}d he. yif[e] we to
orpheus his wijf to bere hym co{m}paignye he ha? welle I-bou? t hir by
his faire songe {and} his ditee. but we wil putte{n} a lawe in ? is.
{and} couenaunt in ? e ? ifte. ? {a}t is to seyne. ? at til he be out of
helle yif he loke byhynden hym [? {a}t] hys wijf shal come{n} a? eine to
vs ? but what is he ? at may ? eue a lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter
lawe {and} a strengere to hym self ? an any lawe ? {a}t men may ? euen.
? Allas whan Orpheus {and} his wijf were al most at ? e termes of ? e
ny? t. ? at is to seyne at ? e last[e] boundes of helle. Orpheus loked[e]
abakwarde on Erudice his wijf {and} lost[e] hir {and} was deed. ? ? is
fable app{er}teine? to ? ow alle who so euer desire? or seki? to lede his
? ou? te in to ? e souereyne day. ? at is to seyne to clerenes[se] of
souereyne goode. ? For who so ? at eu{er}e be so ouer come{n} ? at he
fycche hys eyen in to ? e put[te] of helle. ? at is to seyne who so sette?
his ? ou? tes in er? ely ? inges. al ? at euer he ha? drawen of ? e noble good
celestial he lesi? it whan he loke? ? e helles. ? at is to seyne to lowe
? inges of ? e er? e.
EXPLICIT LIBER TERCIUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.
[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se. ]]
++Whanne philosophie hadde songe{n} softly {and} delitably ? e forseide
? inges kepynge ? e dignitee of hir choere in ? e wey? te of hir wordes.
I ? an ? at ne hadde nat al out{er}ly for? eten ? e wepyng {and} mournyng
? at was set in myne herte for-brek ?
e entenc{i}ou{n} of hir ? at
entended[e] ? itte to seyne o? {er} ? inges. ? Se q{uo}d I. ? ou ? at art
gideresse of verray ly? te ? e ? inges ? at ? ou hast seid [me] hider to ben
to me so clere {and} so shewyng by ? e deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by ? i
resou{n}s ? at ? ei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen. ? And ? ilke ? i{n}g{us} ? at
? ou toldest me. al be it so ? at I hadde som tyme fo[r]? eten hem for
[the] sorwe of ? e wronge ? at ha? ben don to me. ? it na? eles ? ei ne were
nat alouterly vnknowen to me. but ? is same is namly a gret cause of my
sorwe. ? at so as ? e gouernoure of ? inges is goode. yif ? at yuelys mowen
ben by any weyes. or ellys yif ? at yuelys passen wi? outen punyssheinge.
? e whiche ? inge oonly how wor? i it is to ben wondred vpon. ? ou
considerest it weel ? i self certeynly. but ? itte to ? is ? ing ? ere is an
o? er ? ing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred vpon. ? For felonie is
emperisse {and} flowre? ful of rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly
wi? outen medes. but it is cast vndir {and} fortroden vndir ? e feet of
felonous folk. {and} it abie? ? e to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of wicked
felou{n}s ? Of al[le] whiche ? ing ? er nis no wy? t ? at [may] merueyllen
ynou? ne compleyne ? at swiche ? inges ben don in ? e regne of god ? at alle
? inges woot. and alle ? inges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
? inges. ? ? an seide she ? us. certys q{uo}d she ? at were a grete meruayle
{and} an enbaissynge wi? outen ende. {and} wel more horrible ? an alle
monstres yif it were as ? {o}u wenest. ? at is to sein. ? at in ? e ry? t
ordeyne house of so mochel a fader {and} an ordenour of meyne. ? at ? e
vesseles ? at ben foule {and} vyle sholde ben hono{ur}ed {and} heried.
and ? e p{re}cious uesseles sholde ben defouled {and} vyle. but it nis
nat so. For yif ? e ? inges ? at I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne
ben kept hoole {and} vnraced. ? ou shalt wel knowe by ? e auctorite of
god. of ? e whos regne I speke ? at certys ? e good[e] folk ben alwey
my? ty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and} feble. ne ? e vices ben
neu{e}re mo wi? outen peyne[;] ne ? e vertues ne ben nat wi? outen mede.
and ? at blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune come?
alwey to wicked folke. ? And ? ou shalt wel knowe many[e] ? inges of ? is
kynde ? {a}t sholle cessen ? i pleyntes. {and} stedfast ? e wi? stedfast
saddenesse. ? And for ? ou hast seyn ? e forme of ? e verray blisfulnesse
by me ? at [haue] somtyme I-shewed it ? e. And ? ou hast knowen i{n} whom
blysfulnesse is set. alle ? inges I treted ? {a}t I trowe ben nessessarie
to put[te] fur? e ? I shal shewe ? e. ? e weye ? at shal brynge ? e a? eyne
vnto ? i house {and} I shal ficche fe? eres in ? i ? ou? t by whiche it may
arysen in hey? te. so ? at al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey ? ou by my gidyng &
by my pa? e {and} by my sledes shalt mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in
to ? i contre.
SU{N}T ETENIM PENNE. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste met{ur}. ]]
++I Haue for so? e swifte fe? eres ? at surmou{n}ten ? e hey? t of ? e heuene
whan ? e swifte ? ou? t ha? clo? ed it self. in ? o fe? eres it dispise? ? e
hat[e]ful er? es. {and} surmou{n}te? ? e hey? enesse of ? e greet[e] eyir.
{and} it sei? ? e cloudes by-hynde hir bak {and} passe? ? e hey?
