ise comune
strumpetis
of
siche a place ?
siche a place ?
Chaucer - Boethius
I.
kythen my brutelnesse
In general this rewle may nat fayle 64
LE PLEINTIF
? Lo excussyou{n} of the maieste
? {a}t al purueyeth of his ryhtwysnesse
That same thinge fortune clepyn ye
Ye blynde beestys ful of lewednesse 68
The heuene hath p{ro}prete of sykyrnesse
This world hath eu{er} resteles trauayle
Thy laste day is ende of myn inter[e]sse
In general this rewele may nat fayle 72
LENUOY DE FORTUNE
? Prynses . I. prey yow of yowr{e} gentilesses
Lat nat this man on me thus crye {and} pleyne
And . I. shal quyte yow yowr{e} bysynesse
At my requeste as thre of yow or tweyne 76
? {a}t but yow lest releue hym of hys peyne
Preyeth hys best frend of his noblesse
That to som beter{e} estat he may attayne
* * * * *
* * * *
_CHAUCER'S TEXT ONLY_
The following section contains the text alone of Chaucer's translation
of _De Consolatione Philosophiae_, without the editor's annotations.
It is followed by the Glossarial Index.
LIBER PRIMUS.
INCIPIT LIBER BOICII DE CO{N}SOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
Car{m}i{n}a qui q{u}onda{m} studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas I wepyng am constreined to bygynne vers of sorouful matere.
? ? at whilom in florysching studie made delitable ditees. For loo
rendyng muses of poetes enditen to me ? inges to be writen. and drery
v{er}s of wrecchednes weten my face wi? v{er}ray teers. ? At ? e leest no
drede ne my? t[e] ouer-come ? o muses. ? at ? ei ne were{n} felawes {and}
folweden my wey. ? at is to seyne when I was exiled. ? ei ? at weren glorie
of my you? th whilom weleful {and} grene co{n}forten now ? e sorouful
werdes of me olde man. for elde is comen vnwarly vpon me hasted by ? e
harmes ? at I haue. {and} sorou ha? comau{n}ded his age to be in me.
? Heeres hore ben schad ouertymelyche vpon myne heued. and ? e slak[e]
skyn tremble? vpon myn emty body. ? ilk[e] dee? of men is welful ? at ne
come? not in ? eres ? at ben swete (. i. mirie. ) but come? to wrecches
often yclepid.
? Allas allas wi? how deef an eere dee? cruel to{ur}ne? awey fro
wrecches {and} naie? to closen wepyng eyen. ? While fortune vnfei? ful
fauored[e] me wi? ly? te goodes (. s. temp{or}els. ) ? e sorouful houre ? at
is to seyne ? e dee? had[de] almost dreynt myne heued. ? But now for
fortune clowdy ha? chaunged hir disceyuable chere to me warde. myn
vnpitouse lijf drawe? a long vnagreable dwellynges in me. ? O ? e my
frendes what or wherto auaunted[e] ? e me to be weleful: for he ? at ha?
fallen stood not i{n} stedfast degree.
HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.
[Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se. ]]
++IN ? e mene while ? at I stille recorded[e] ? ise ? inges wi? my self.
{and} markede my wepli compleynte wi? office of poyntel. I saw stondyng
aboue ? e hey? t of my heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer ? e comune my? t of men. wi? a
lijfly colo{ur} {and} wi? swiche vigoure {and} strenke? ? at it ne
my? t[e] not be emptid. ? Al were it so ? at sche was ful of so greet age.
? at men ne wolde not trowe i{n} no manere ? at sche were of oure elde. ? e
stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for su{m}tyme sche
constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n} lyche to ? e comune mesure of
men. {and} su{m}tyme it semed[e] ? at sche touched[e] ? e heuene wi? ? e
hey? te of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche p{er}ced[e]
? e selue heuene. so ? at ? e sy? t of men lokyng was i{n} ydel. ? Hir
clo? es weren maked of ry? t delye ? redes {and} subtil crafte of
p{er}durable matere. ? e wyche clo? es sche hadde wouen wi? hir owen
hondes: as I knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng to me
? e beaute. ? e wiche clo? es a derkenes of a forleten and dispised elde
had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages.
? In ? e ne? erest[e] hem or bordure of ? ese clo? es me{n} redden ywouen in
swiche a gregkysche . P. ? at signifie? ? e lijf actif. And abouen ? {a}t
l{ett}re in ? e hey? est[e] bordure a grekysche T. ? at signifie? ? e lijf
contemplatif. ? And by-twene ? ese two l{ett}res ? ere weren seien degrees
nobly wrou? t in manere of laddres. By wyche degrees men my? t[en] clymbe
fro ? e ne? emast[e] l{ett}re to ? e ouermast[e]. ? Na? eles hondes of su{m}
men hadde korue ? {a}t clo? e by vyolence {and} by strenke? . ? And
eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche peces as he my? te geet[e].
? And forso? e ? is forsaide woman ber bookes in hir ry? t honde. {and} in
hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ? And when sche sau? ? ese poetical
muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges.
sche was a lytel ameued and glowed[e] wi? cruel eyen. ? Who q{uo}d sche
ha? suffred ap{ro}chen to ? is seek[e] man ?
ise comune strumpetis of
siche a place ? at men clepen ? e theatr{e}. ? ? e wyche only ne asswagen
not his sorowes. wi? no remedies. but ? ei wolde fede {and} norysche hem
wi? swete venym. ? Forso? e ? ise ben ? o ? at wi? ? ornes {and} prykkynges
of talent? or affecciou{n}s wiche ? at ben no ? ing frutefiyng nor
p{ro}fitable destroyen ? e cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. ? For
? ei holden ? e hertes of men i{n} usage. but ? ei ne delyuere not folk fro
maladye. but if ? e muses hadde wi? drawen fro me wi? ? oure flateries. any
vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable man as men ben wont to fynde comunely
amonges ? e peple. I wolde wene suffre ? e lasse greuously. ? For-why in
syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no ? ing endamaged. ? But
? e wi? drawen me ? is man ? at ha? ben norysched in studies or scoles of
Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece. ? But go? now ra? er awey ? e
meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at ? e laste. {and} suffre? ? is
man to be cured {and} heled by myne muses. ? at is to say by notful
sciences. ? And ? us ? is compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wro? ely ? e
chere adou{n}ward to ? e er? e {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame ? ei
passeden sorowfuly ? e ? reschefolde. ? And I of whom ? e sy? t plonged i{n}
teres was derked so ? at I ne my? t[e] not knowe what ? at woman was of so
i{m}perial auctorite. ? I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my
sy? t adoune in to ? e er? e. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche
wolde don afterwarde. ? ? o come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon ? e
vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. {and} sche byholdyng my chere ? at was
cast to ? e er? e heuy {and} greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wi? ? ise
wordes ? {a}t I schal sey ? e p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my ? ou? t.
HEU Q{UAM} PRECIPITI MERSA PROFUNDO.
[Sidenote: [The 2de Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas how ? e ? ou? t of man dreint in ouer ? rowyng depnesse dulle? {and}
forleti? hys p{ro}pre clerenesse. myntynge to gone in to foreyne
derknesses as ofte as hys anoious bisines wexi? wi? -oute{n} mesure.
? {a}t is dryuen to {and} fro wi? worldly wyndes. ? ? is man ? at su{m}tyme
was fre to who{m} ? e heuene was open {and} knowen {and} was wont to gone
in heuenelyche pa? es. {and} sau? ? e ly? tnesse of ? e rede sunne. {and}
sau? ? e sterres of ? e colde moone. {and} wyche sterre i{n} heuene vse?
wandryng risorses yflit by dyuerse speres. ? ? is man ouer comere hadde
co{m}p{re}hendid al ? is by noumbre. of accountyng in astronomye. ? And
ouer ? is he was wont to seche ? e causes whennes ? e sounyng wy{n}des
moeuen {and} bisien ? e smo? e water of ? e see. {and} what spirit turne?
? e stable heuene. {and} whi ? e sterre ryse? oute of ? e reede eest. to
falle in ? e westren wawes. and what attempri? ? e lusty houres of ? e
fyrste somer sesou{n} ? at hi? te? {and} apparaile? ? e er? e wi? rosene
floures. ? And who make? ? at plenteuouse autu{m}pne in fulle ? eres
fleti? wi? heuy grapes. ? And eke ? is ma{n} was wont to telle ? e
dyuerses causes of nature ? at weren yhid. ? Allas now lie? he emptid of
ly? t of hys ? ou? t. {and} hys nekke is p{re}ssid wi? heuy cheynes {and}
bere? his chere enclined adoune for ? e greet[e] wey? t. and is
constreyned to loke on foule er? e.
SET MEDICINE INQUIT TEMPUS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt tyme is now q{uo}d sche of medicine more ? en of compleynte.
? Forso? e ? en sche entendyng to me warde wi? al ? e lokyng of hir eyen
saide. ? Art not ?
In general this rewle may nat fayle 64
LE PLEINTIF
? Lo excussyou{n} of the maieste
? {a}t al purueyeth of his ryhtwysnesse
That same thinge fortune clepyn ye
Ye blynde beestys ful of lewednesse 68
The heuene hath p{ro}prete of sykyrnesse
This world hath eu{er} resteles trauayle
Thy laste day is ende of myn inter[e]sse
In general this rewele may nat fayle 72
LENUOY DE FORTUNE
? Prynses . I. prey yow of yowr{e} gentilesses
Lat nat this man on me thus crye {and} pleyne
And . I. shal quyte yow yowr{e} bysynesse
At my requeste as thre of yow or tweyne 76
? {a}t but yow lest releue hym of hys peyne
Preyeth hys best frend of his noblesse
That to som beter{e} estat he may attayne
* * * * *
* * * *
_CHAUCER'S TEXT ONLY_
The following section contains the text alone of Chaucer's translation
of _De Consolatione Philosophiae_, without the editor's annotations.
It is followed by the Glossarial Index.
LIBER PRIMUS.
INCIPIT LIBER BOICII DE CO{N}SOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
Car{m}i{n}a qui q{u}onda{m} studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas I wepyng am constreined to bygynne vers of sorouful matere.
? ? at whilom in florysching studie made delitable ditees. For loo
rendyng muses of poetes enditen to me ? inges to be writen. and drery
v{er}s of wrecchednes weten my face wi? v{er}ray teers. ? At ? e leest no
drede ne my? t[e] ouer-come ? o muses. ? at ? ei ne were{n} felawes {and}
folweden my wey. ? at is to seyne when I was exiled. ? ei ? at weren glorie
of my you? th whilom weleful {and} grene co{n}forten now ? e sorouful
werdes of me olde man. for elde is comen vnwarly vpon me hasted by ? e
harmes ? at I haue. {and} sorou ha? comau{n}ded his age to be in me.
? Heeres hore ben schad ouertymelyche vpon myne heued. and ? e slak[e]
skyn tremble? vpon myn emty body. ? ilk[e] dee? of men is welful ? at ne
come? not in ? eres ? at ben swete (. i. mirie. ) but come? to wrecches
often yclepid.
? Allas allas wi? how deef an eere dee? cruel to{ur}ne? awey fro
wrecches {and} naie? to closen wepyng eyen. ? While fortune vnfei? ful
fauored[e] me wi? ly? te goodes (. s. temp{or}els. ) ? e sorouful houre ? at
is to seyne ? e dee? had[de] almost dreynt myne heued. ? But now for
fortune clowdy ha? chaunged hir disceyuable chere to me warde. myn
vnpitouse lijf drawe? a long vnagreable dwellynges in me. ? O ? e my
frendes what or wherto auaunted[e] ? e me to be weleful: for he ? at ha?
fallen stood not i{n} stedfast degree.
HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.
[Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se. ]]
++IN ? e mene while ? at I stille recorded[e] ? ise ? inges wi? my self.
{and} markede my wepli compleynte wi? office of poyntel. I saw stondyng
aboue ? e hey? t of my heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer ? e comune my? t of men. wi? a
lijfly colo{ur} {and} wi? swiche vigoure {and} strenke? ? at it ne
my? t[e] not be emptid. ? Al were it so ? at sche was ful of so greet age.
? at men ne wolde not trowe i{n} no manere ? at sche were of oure elde. ? e
stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for su{m}tyme sche
constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n} lyche to ? e comune mesure of
men. {and} su{m}tyme it semed[e] ? at sche touched[e] ? e heuene wi? ? e
hey? te of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche p{er}ced[e]
? e selue heuene. so ? at ? e sy? t of men lokyng was i{n} ydel. ? Hir
clo? es weren maked of ry? t delye ? redes {and} subtil crafte of
p{er}durable matere. ? e wyche clo? es sche hadde wouen wi? hir owen
hondes: as I knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng to me
? e beaute. ? e wiche clo? es a derkenes of a forleten and dispised elde
had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages.
? In ? e ne? erest[e] hem or bordure of ? ese clo? es me{n} redden ywouen in
swiche a gregkysche . P. ? at signifie? ? e lijf actif. And abouen ? {a}t
l{ett}re in ? e hey? est[e] bordure a grekysche T. ? at signifie? ? e lijf
contemplatif. ? And by-twene ? ese two l{ett}res ? ere weren seien degrees
nobly wrou? t in manere of laddres. By wyche degrees men my? t[en] clymbe
fro ? e ne? emast[e] l{ett}re to ? e ouermast[e]. ? Na? eles hondes of su{m}
men hadde korue ? {a}t clo? e by vyolence {and} by strenke? . ? And
eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche peces as he my? te geet[e].
? And forso? e ? is forsaide woman ber bookes in hir ry? t honde. {and} in
hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ? And when sche sau? ? ese poetical
muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges.
sche was a lytel ameued and glowed[e] wi? cruel eyen. ? Who q{uo}d sche
ha? suffred ap{ro}chen to ? is seek[e] man ?
ise comune strumpetis of
siche a place ? at men clepen ? e theatr{e}. ? ? e wyche only ne asswagen
not his sorowes. wi? no remedies. but ? ei wolde fede {and} norysche hem
wi? swete venym. ? Forso? e ? ise ben ? o ? at wi? ? ornes {and} prykkynges
of talent? or affecciou{n}s wiche ? at ben no ? ing frutefiyng nor
p{ro}fitable destroyen ? e cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. ? For
? ei holden ? e hertes of men i{n} usage. but ? ei ne delyuere not folk fro
maladye. but if ? e muses hadde wi? drawen fro me wi? ? oure flateries. any
vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable man as men ben wont to fynde comunely
amonges ? e peple. I wolde wene suffre ? e lasse greuously. ? For-why in
syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no ? ing endamaged. ? But
? e wi? drawen me ? is man ? at ha? ben norysched in studies or scoles of
Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece. ? But go? now ra? er awey ? e
meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at ? e laste. {and} suffre? ? is
man to be cured {and} heled by myne muses. ? at is to say by notful
sciences. ? And ? us ? is compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wro? ely ? e
chere adou{n}ward to ? e er? e {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame ? ei
passeden sorowfuly ? e ? reschefolde. ? And I of whom ? e sy? t plonged i{n}
teres was derked so ? at I ne my? t[e] not knowe what ? at woman was of so
i{m}perial auctorite. ? I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my
sy? t adoune in to ? e er? e. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche
wolde don afterwarde. ? ? o come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon ? e
vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. {and} sche byholdyng my chere ? at was
cast to ? e er? e heuy {and} greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wi? ? ise
wordes ? {a}t I schal sey ? e p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my ? ou? t.
HEU Q{UAM} PRECIPITI MERSA PROFUNDO.
[Sidenote: [The 2de Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas how ? e ? ou? t of man dreint in ouer ? rowyng depnesse dulle? {and}
forleti? hys p{ro}pre clerenesse. myntynge to gone in to foreyne
derknesses as ofte as hys anoious bisines wexi? wi? -oute{n} mesure.
? {a}t is dryuen to {and} fro wi? worldly wyndes. ? ? is man ? at su{m}tyme
was fre to who{m} ? e heuene was open {and} knowen {and} was wont to gone
in heuenelyche pa? es. {and} sau? ? e ly? tnesse of ? e rede sunne. {and}
sau? ? e sterres of ? e colde moone. {and} wyche sterre i{n} heuene vse?
wandryng risorses yflit by dyuerse speres. ? ? is man ouer comere hadde
co{m}p{re}hendid al ? is by noumbre. of accountyng in astronomye. ? And
ouer ? is he was wont to seche ? e causes whennes ? e sounyng wy{n}des
moeuen {and} bisien ? e smo? e water of ? e see. {and} what spirit turne?
? e stable heuene. {and} whi ? e sterre ryse? oute of ? e reede eest. to
falle in ? e westren wawes. and what attempri? ? e lusty houres of ? e
fyrste somer sesou{n} ? at hi? te? {and} apparaile? ? e er? e wi? rosene
floures. ? And who make? ? at plenteuouse autu{m}pne in fulle ? eres
fleti? wi? heuy grapes. ? And eke ? is ma{n} was wont to telle ? e
dyuerses causes of nature ? at weren yhid. ? Allas now lie? he emptid of
ly? t of hys ? ou? t. {and} hys nekke is p{re}ssid wi? heuy cheynes {and}
bere? his chere enclined adoune for ? e greet[e] wey? t. and is
constreyned to loke on foule er? e.
SET MEDICINE INQUIT TEMPUS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt tyme is now q{uo}d sche of medicine more ? en of compleynte.
? Forso? e ? en sche entendyng to me warde wi? al ? e lokyng of hir eyen
saide. ? Art not ?
