Till he
escape the infernal bounds, he shall not cast a backward look.
escape the infernal bounds, he shall not cast a backward look.
Chaucer - Boethius
ilke deuyne substaunce
torne? ? e worlde {and} ? ilke cercle moeueable of ? inges
while ? ilke dyuyne substau{n}ce kepi? it self wi? outen 3012
moeuynge.
[Sidenote: He causes the moving globe to revolve, but is himself
immovable. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 24. ]]
? at *is to seyne ? at it ne moeui? neuere mo.
{and} ? itte it moeue? alle o? er ? inges.
[Sidenote: If I have chosen my arguments from the subjects within
range of our discussion, do not let that surprise you, for, as
Plato has taught us, there ought to be an alliance between the
words and the subject of discourse. ]
but na-? eles yif I
[haue] stered resou{n}s ? at ne ben nat taken fro wi? oute
? e compas of ? e ? inge of whiche we treten. but resou{n}s 3016
? at ben bystowed wi? i{n}ne ? 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. 3020
[Linenotes:
3006 [_the_]--from C.
3007 _swiche_--swich
3009 _parmaynws_--a p{ar}manides
3011 _worlde_--world
3012 _while_--whil
_wi? outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3013 _seyne_--seyn
3014 _? itte_--yit
_o? er_--oothre
3015 [_haue_]--from C.
3016 _whiche_--which
3017 _wi? inne_--w{i}t{h} in
3020 _cosynes_--MS. conceyued, C. cosynes
_? o_--? e
_whiche_--which]
[Headnote:
THE POWER OF MUSIC. ]
FELIX QUI POTERIT. {ET} CET{ER}A.
[Sidenote: [The . 12. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Happy is he that hath seen the lucid spring of truth!
Happy the man that hath freed himself from terrestrial chains! ]
++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.
[Sidenote: The Thracian poet, consumed with grief for the loss of
his wife, sought relief from music. ]
? ? e poete of t{ra}ce [orphe{us}] ? at somtyme
hadde ry? t greet sorowe for ? e dee? of hys wijf.
[Sidenote: His mournful songs drew the woods along; the rolling
rivers ceased to flow; the savage beasts became heedless of their
prey; the timid hare was not aghast at the hound. ]
aftir ? at 3024
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. 3028
{and} had[de] maked ? at ? e hare was nat agast of ? e
hounde whiche ? at was plesed by hys songe.
[Sidenote: But the songs that did all things tame, could not allay
their master's ardent love. ]
so ? at
whane ? e most[e] ardaunt loue of hys wijf brende ? e
entrailes of his brest. ne ? e songes ? at hadde ouer [[pg 107]]
comen alle ? inges ne my? ten nat assuage hir lorde 3033
orpheus.
[Sidenote: He bewailed the cruelty of the gods above, and
descended to Pluto's realm. ]
? He pleyned[e] hym of ? e godes ? at were{n}
cruel to hym. he wente hym to ? e houses of helle
[Sidenote: There he struck his tuneful strings and sang,
exhausting all the harmonious art imparted to him by his mother
Calliope. ]
{and} ? ere he tempred[e] hys blaundissyng songes by resounyng 3036
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.
[Sidenote: In songs dictated both by grief and love, he implored
the infernal powers to give him back his Eurydice. ]
{and} he song wi? as mychel as he my? t[e] of 3040
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 3044
of relesynge. ? at is to seyne to ? elden hym hys wif.
[Sidenote: Cerberus, Hell's three-headed porter, stood amazed;]
? Cerberus ? e porter of helle wi? his ? re heuedes was
cau? t {and} al abaist for ? e new[e] songe.
[Sidenote: the Furies, tormentors of guilty souls, did weep;]
{and} ? e ? re goddesses
furijs {and} vengerisse of felonies ? at to{ur}mente{n} 3048
{and} agaste{n} ? e soules by anoye wexen sorweful {and} sory
{and} wepen teres for pitee.
[Sidenote: Ixion, tormented by the revolving wheel, found rest;]
? an was nat ? e heued of
Ixion{e} yto{ur}mented by ? e ou{er}? rowi{n}g whele.
[Sidenote: Tantalus, suffering from a long and raging thirst,
despised the stream;]
? And
tantalus ? at was destroied by ? e woodnesse of longe 3052
? rust dispise? ? e flodes to drynke.
[Sidenote: and the greedy vulture did cease to eat and tear the
growing liver of Tityus. ]
? 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.
[Linenotes:
3022 _vnbynde_--vnbyndyn
_bonde_--bondes
3023 [_orpheus_]--from C.
_somtyme_--whilom
3024 _sorowe_--sorwe
3028 _dredles_--dredeles
_to herkene_--forto herknen
3029 _had[de]_--hadde
3030 _? at_ (2)--omitted
3031 _most[e]_--moste
3032 _hadde_--hadden
3033 _assuage_--asswagen
_lorde_--lord
3034 _pleyned[e]_--pleynede
_godes_--heuene goodes
3035 _wente_--MS. wenten, C. wente
3036 _tempred[e] hys_--temprede hise
3037 _of hys_--C. omits
_spak_--MS. spakke, C. spak
_song_--MS. songe, C. soonge
3038 _alle_--al
3039 _oute_--owt
_goddesse_--goddes
3040 _song_--MS. songe, C. soonge
_mychel_--mochel
3041 _myche_--moche
_doubled[e]_--dowblede
3042 _my? t[e]_--myhte
_? euen_--yeue
_teche_--thechen
_in----herte_--omitted
3043 _commoeuede_--MS. comaunded, C. co{m}moeuede
3044 _sou? te_--by-sowhte
3045 _? elden_--yilden
3046 _his_--hise
3047 _cau? t_--MS. cau? te, C. cawht
_new[e] songe_--newe song
3049 _anoye----sorweful_--anoy woxen soruful
3050 _? an_--tho ne
3051 _whele_--wheel
3053 _? rust_--thurst
_hy? t_--hihte
3054 _fulfilled_--fulfyld
3055 _songe_--song]
[Headnote:
FIX NOT THE THOUGHTS ON EARTHLY THINGS. ]
[Sidenote: At length Pluto himself relented, crying out, 'We are
overcome! Let us give him back his wife, he hath well won her by
his song. ]
? Atte ? e laste ? e lorde {and} Iuge of soules was moeued 3056
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. [[pg 108]]
[Sidenote: But we will lay this injunction upon him.
Till he
escape the infernal bounds, he shall not cast a backward look. ']
but we wil putte{n} a lawe in ? is. {and} couenaunt 3060
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
[Sidenote: But, who shall give a lover any law? Love is a greater
law than may be given to any earthly man. ]
? but what is he ? at may ? eue a
lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter lawe {and} a strengere to 3064
hym self ? an any lawe ? {a}t men may ? euen.
[Sidenote: Alas! having left the realms of night, Orpheus cast a
look behind and lost his too-much-loved Euridice. ]
? 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} 3068
lost[e] hir {and} was deed.
[Sidenote: This fable belongs to all you, whose minds would view
the Sovereign Good. ]
? ? 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.
[Sidenote: For he who fixes his thoughts upon earthly things and
low, must lose the noble and heaven-imparted Good. ]
? For who so ? at eu{er}e be so ouer 3072
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 3076
seyne to lowe ? inges of ? e er? e.
EXPLICIT LIBER TERCIUS.
[Linenotes:
3056 _Atte_--At
_lorde_--lord
3057 _cried[e]_--cryde
3058 _yif[e]_--yiue
3059 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_welle_--wel
_faire_--C. omits
_songe_--song
3060 _wil putten_--wol putte
3062 _byhynden_--by-hynde
[_? at_]--from C.
3063 _to_--vn-to
3064 _gretter_--gret
3066 _were al most_--weren almest
3067 _last[e]_--laste
3068 _loked[e] abakwarde_--lookede abacward
3069 _lost[e]_--loste
3070 _? ou? te_--thowht
3071 _clerenes[se]_--clernesse
3072 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn god
3073 _put[te]_--putte
3074 _sette? _--sette
3075 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 24 _b_. ]]
*INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.
[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her
songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as
she was continuing her discourse. ]
++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 3080
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.
[Sidenote: All your discourses, O my conductress to the true
light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine
testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy
irrefragable arguments. ]
? Se q{uo}d
I. ? ou ? at art gideresse of verray ly? te ? e ? inges ? at ? ou 3084
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere
{and} so shewyng [[pg 109]]
by ? e deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by ? i resou{n}s ? at
? ei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen.
[Sidenote: Through the oppression of grief I had forgotten these
truths, but was not wholly ignorant of them. ]
? And ? ilke ? i{n}g{us}
? at ? ou toldest me. al be it so ? at I hadde som tyme 3088
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.
[Sidenote: The principal cause of my trouble is this--that, whilst
the absolute Ruler of all things is goodness itself, evil exists
and is allowed to pass unpunished. ]
but ? is same is namly a gret cause of
my sorwe. ? at so as ? e gouernoure of ? inges is goode. 3092
yif ? at yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif
? at yuelys passen wi? outen punyssheinge.
[Sidenote: This, to say the least, is astonishing. ]
? e whiche
? inge oonly how wor? i it is to ben wondred vpon. ? ou
considerest it weel ? i self certeynly.
[Sidenote: Moreover, while _vice_ flourishes _virtue_ is not only
unrewarded, but trampled under foot by base and profligate men,
and suffers the punishment due to impiety. ]
but ? itte to ? is 3096
? 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 3100
folk. {and} it abie? ? e to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of
wicked felou{n}s
[Sidenote: Here is cause for wonderment, since such things are
possible under the government of an omniscient and omnipotent God,
who wills nothing but what is the best. ]
? 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. 3104
and alle ? inges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
? inges.
[Sidenote: _P. _ It were indeed, not only marvellous, but also
horribly monstrous, if, in the well-regulated family of so great a
master, the worthless vessels should be honoured and the precious
ones be despised:--but it is not so. ]
? ? an seide she ? us. certys q{uo}d she ?
torne? ? e worlde {and} ? ilke cercle moeueable of ? inges
while ? ilke dyuyne substau{n}ce kepi? it self wi? outen 3012
moeuynge.
[Sidenote: He causes the moving globe to revolve, but is himself
immovable. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 24. ]]
? at *is to seyne ? at it ne moeui? neuere mo.
{and} ? itte it moeue? alle o? er ? inges.
[Sidenote: If I have chosen my arguments from the subjects within
range of our discussion, do not let that surprise you, for, as
Plato has taught us, there ought to be an alliance between the
words and the subject of discourse. ]
but na-? eles yif I
[haue] stered resou{n}s ? at ne ben nat taken fro wi? oute
? e compas of ? e ? inge of whiche we treten. but resou{n}s 3016
? at ben bystowed wi? i{n}ne ? 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. 3020
[Linenotes:
3006 [_the_]--from C.
3007 _swiche_--swich
3009 _parmaynws_--a p{ar}manides
3011 _worlde_--world
3012 _while_--whil
_wi? outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3013 _seyne_--seyn
3014 _? itte_--yit
_o? er_--oothre
3015 [_haue_]--from C.
3016 _whiche_--which
3017 _wi? inne_--w{i}t{h} in
3020 _cosynes_--MS. conceyued, C. cosynes
_? o_--? e
_whiche_--which]
[Headnote:
THE POWER OF MUSIC. ]
FELIX QUI POTERIT. {ET} CET{ER}A.
[Sidenote: [The . 12. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Happy is he that hath seen the lucid spring of truth!
Happy the man that hath freed himself from terrestrial chains! ]
++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.
[Sidenote: The Thracian poet, consumed with grief for the loss of
his wife, sought relief from music. ]
? ? e poete of t{ra}ce [orphe{us}] ? at somtyme
hadde ry? t greet sorowe for ? e dee? of hys wijf.
[Sidenote: His mournful songs drew the woods along; the rolling
rivers ceased to flow; the savage beasts became heedless of their
prey; the timid hare was not aghast at the hound. ]
aftir ? at 3024
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. 3028
{and} had[de] maked ? at ? e hare was nat agast of ? e
hounde whiche ? at was plesed by hys songe.
[Sidenote: But the songs that did all things tame, could not allay
their master's ardent love. ]
so ? at
whane ? e most[e] ardaunt loue of hys wijf brende ? e
entrailes of his brest. ne ? e songes ? at hadde ouer [[pg 107]]
comen alle ? inges ne my? ten nat assuage hir lorde 3033
orpheus.
[Sidenote: He bewailed the cruelty of the gods above, and
descended to Pluto's realm. ]
? He pleyned[e] hym of ? e godes ? at were{n}
cruel to hym. he wente hym to ? e houses of helle
[Sidenote: There he struck his tuneful strings and sang,
exhausting all the harmonious art imparted to him by his mother
Calliope. ]
{and} ? ere he tempred[e] hys blaundissyng songes by resounyng 3036
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.
[Sidenote: In songs dictated both by grief and love, he implored
the infernal powers to give him back his Eurydice. ]
{and} he song wi? as mychel as he my? t[e] of 3040
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 3044
of relesynge. ? at is to seyne to ? elden hym hys wif.
[Sidenote: Cerberus, Hell's three-headed porter, stood amazed;]
? Cerberus ? e porter of helle wi? his ? re heuedes was
cau? t {and} al abaist for ? e new[e] songe.
[Sidenote: the Furies, tormentors of guilty souls, did weep;]
{and} ? e ? re goddesses
furijs {and} vengerisse of felonies ? at to{ur}mente{n} 3048
{and} agaste{n} ? e soules by anoye wexen sorweful {and} sory
{and} wepen teres for pitee.
[Sidenote: Ixion, tormented by the revolving wheel, found rest;]
? an was nat ? e heued of
Ixion{e} yto{ur}mented by ? e ou{er}? rowi{n}g whele.
[Sidenote: Tantalus, suffering from a long and raging thirst,
despised the stream;]
? And
tantalus ? at was destroied by ? e woodnesse of longe 3052
? rust dispise? ? e flodes to drynke.
[Sidenote: and the greedy vulture did cease to eat and tear the
growing liver of Tityus. ]
? 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.
[Linenotes:
3022 _vnbynde_--vnbyndyn
_bonde_--bondes
3023 [_orpheus_]--from C.
_somtyme_--whilom
3024 _sorowe_--sorwe
3028 _dredles_--dredeles
_to herkene_--forto herknen
3029 _had[de]_--hadde
3030 _? at_ (2)--omitted
3031 _most[e]_--moste
3032 _hadde_--hadden
3033 _assuage_--asswagen
_lorde_--lord
3034 _pleyned[e]_--pleynede
_godes_--heuene goodes
3035 _wente_--MS. wenten, C. wente
3036 _tempred[e] hys_--temprede hise
3037 _of hys_--C. omits
_spak_--MS. spakke, C. spak
_song_--MS. songe, C. soonge
3038 _alle_--al
3039 _oute_--owt
_goddesse_--goddes
3040 _song_--MS. songe, C. soonge
_mychel_--mochel
3041 _myche_--moche
_doubled[e]_--dowblede
3042 _my? t[e]_--myhte
_? euen_--yeue
_teche_--thechen
_in----herte_--omitted
3043 _commoeuede_--MS. comaunded, C. co{m}moeuede
3044 _sou? te_--by-sowhte
3045 _? elden_--yilden
3046 _his_--hise
3047 _cau? t_--MS. cau? te, C. cawht
_new[e] songe_--newe song
3049 _anoye----sorweful_--anoy woxen soruful
3050 _? an_--tho ne
3051 _whele_--wheel
3053 _? rust_--thurst
_hy? t_--hihte
3054 _fulfilled_--fulfyld
3055 _songe_--song]
[Headnote:
FIX NOT THE THOUGHTS ON EARTHLY THINGS. ]
[Sidenote: At length Pluto himself relented, crying out, 'We are
overcome! Let us give him back his wife, he hath well won her by
his song. ]
? Atte ? e laste ? e lorde {and} Iuge of soules was moeued 3056
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. [[pg 108]]
[Sidenote: But we will lay this injunction upon him.
Till he
escape the infernal bounds, he shall not cast a backward look. ']
but we wil putte{n} a lawe in ? is. {and} couenaunt 3060
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
[Sidenote: But, who shall give a lover any law? Love is a greater
law than may be given to any earthly man. ]
? but what is he ? at may ? eue a
lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter lawe {and} a strengere to 3064
hym self ? an any lawe ? {a}t men may ? euen.
[Sidenote: Alas! having left the realms of night, Orpheus cast a
look behind and lost his too-much-loved Euridice. ]
? 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} 3068
lost[e] hir {and} was deed.
[Sidenote: This fable belongs to all you, whose minds would view
the Sovereign Good. ]
? ? 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.
[Sidenote: For he who fixes his thoughts upon earthly things and
low, must lose the noble and heaven-imparted Good. ]
? For who so ? at eu{er}e be so ouer 3072
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 3076
seyne to lowe ? inges of ? e er? e.
EXPLICIT LIBER TERCIUS.
[Linenotes:
3056 _Atte_--At
_lorde_--lord
3057 _cried[e]_--cryde
3058 _yif[e]_--yiue
3059 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_welle_--wel
_faire_--C. omits
_songe_--song
3060 _wil putten_--wol putte
3062 _byhynden_--by-hynde
[_? at_]--from C.
3063 _to_--vn-to
3064 _gretter_--gret
3066 _were al most_--weren almest
3067 _last[e]_--laste
3068 _loked[e] abakwarde_--lookede abacward
3069 _lost[e]_--loste
3070 _? ou? te_--thowht
3071 _clerenes[se]_--clernesse
3072 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn god
3073 _put[te]_--putte
3074 _sette? _--sette
3075 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 24 _b_. ]]
*INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.
[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her
songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as
she was continuing her discourse. ]
++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 3080
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.
[Sidenote: All your discourses, O my conductress to the true
light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine
testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy
irrefragable arguments. ]
? Se q{uo}d
I. ? ou ? at art gideresse of verray ly? te ? e ? inges ? at ? ou 3084
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere
{and} so shewyng [[pg 109]]
by ? e deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by ? i resou{n}s ? at
? ei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen.
[Sidenote: Through the oppression of grief I had forgotten these
truths, but was not wholly ignorant of them. ]
? And ? ilke ? i{n}g{us}
? at ? ou toldest me. al be it so ? at I hadde som tyme 3088
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.
[Sidenote: The principal cause of my trouble is this--that, whilst
the absolute Ruler of all things is goodness itself, evil exists
and is allowed to pass unpunished. ]
but ? is same is namly a gret cause of
my sorwe. ? at so as ? e gouernoure of ? inges is goode. 3092
yif ? at yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif
? at yuelys passen wi? outen punyssheinge.
[Sidenote: This, to say the least, is astonishing. ]
? e whiche
? inge oonly how wor? i it is to ben wondred vpon. ? ou
considerest it weel ? i self certeynly.
[Sidenote: Moreover, while _vice_ flourishes _virtue_ is not only
unrewarded, but trampled under foot by base and profligate men,
and suffers the punishment due to impiety. ]
but ? itte to ? is 3096
? 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 3100
folk. {and} it abie? ? e to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of
wicked felou{n}s
[Sidenote: Here is cause for wonderment, since such things are
possible under the government of an omniscient and omnipotent God,
who wills nothing but what is the best. ]
? 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. 3104
and alle ? inges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
? inges.
[Sidenote: _P. _ It were indeed, not only marvellous, but also
horribly monstrous, if, in the well-regulated family of so great a
master, the worthless vessels should be honoured and the precious
ones be despised:--but it is not so. ]
? ? an seide she ? us. certys q{uo}d she ?
