e
gretnesse
of heuene.
Chaucer - Boethius
And as of wil it chase?
oute ?
inges ?
at to it
ben contrarie ? But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice
vnstaunched ? Ne power [ne] make? nat a ma{n} my? ty ouer hym self.
whiche ? at vicious lustis holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat
ben vnbounden. {and} dignitees ? at ben ? euen to shrewed[e] folk nat
oonly ne maki? hem nat digne. but it shewe? ra? er al openly ? at ? ei ben
vnwor? i {and} vndigne. ? And whi is it ? {us}. ? Certis for ? e han ioye
to clepen ? inges wi? fals[e] names. ? at beren hem al in ? e
co{n}t{ra}rie. ? e whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by ? e effect of ? e
same ? inges. so ? at ? ise ilke rycchesse ne au? ten nat by ry? t to ben
cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne au? t[e] not ben cleped power. ne
whiche dignitee ne au? t[e] nat ben cleped dignitee. ? And at ? e laste I
may conclude ? e same ? inge of al ? e ? iftes of fortune in whiche ? er nis
no ? ing to ben desired. ne ? at ha? in hym self naturel bounte. ? as it
is ful wel sene. for ney? er ? ei ne ioygne{n} hem nat alwey to goode men.
ne maken hem alwey goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and} destrucc{i}ou{n}s
weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero. ? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome
{and} made slen ? e senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er.
{and} he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is to seyn he
let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to seen where he was
conceiued. {and} he loked[e] on euery half vpon hir colde dede body. ne
no tere ne wette his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute. ? And ? itte neuer? eles gouerned[e]
? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples ? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng
from his outerest arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial ? at ? e
so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And eke ? is Nero goueyrende by
Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e
seuene triones. ? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben
vndir ? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e. ? And eke Nero gouerned[e] alle ? e
poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi? {and} baki? ? e brennynge
sandes by his drie hete. ? at is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[but yit ne myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of this
wykkyd nero / Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as ofte as wicked
swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is to sein. venimous cruelte to
lordshipe.
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e couetise of mortal
? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of
? inges to done. as who sei? . I desired[e] to han matere of gou{er}naunce
ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne sholde not elden. ? at is to
seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille.
ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ? For
whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his goode gouernement.
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may
drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir
nature. but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben
y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is to seyn
couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel administred ? e comune
? inges. or doon goode decertes to p{ro}fit of ? e comune. for se now
{and} considere how litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
? Certeine ? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute ne halt but ? e
resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ?
e gretnesse of heuene. ? at is to
seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e
gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde no
space ? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde ? e fer? e partie is
enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned
by tholome ? at p{ro}uit? it. ? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ? e see {and} [the]
mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as ? e regiou{n} of
droughte ou{er}strecche? . ? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne?
sholde ? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of men.
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi? i{n}ne ? e leest[e]
prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don
? oure name to ben born for? e. but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and}
so streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche contein? e it in
largesse {and} in greet doynge. And also sette ? is ? er to ? at many a
nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of
hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for
diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage
entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e names of singler men ne
may [nat] strecchen. but eke ? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
? At ? e last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self write? in
his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed
ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was
? ilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes. and eke
of o? er folk enhabityng aboute. ? Sest ? ou nat ? an how streit {and} how
comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie ? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and}
to multiplie. May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider as
? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne passen. ? And eke sest
? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben
discordau{n}t amonge hem self. so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen
wor? i of p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. ? and
? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}.
he ne may nat i{n} no wise bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many
manere peoples. ? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben paied of
hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen ney? bores. ? And ? ilke noble
renou{n} shal be restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but
how many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e nedy {and} wrecched
for? etynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey. ? Al be it so
? at certys ? ilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe
{and} derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. but ? e
men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e ? enke ? at in tyme comyng
? oure fame shal lasten. ? But na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n}
to ? e endeles space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou maist
reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name. ? For if ? er were maked
co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for
as myche as bo? e ? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be. ? But na? eles ? ilke self
nou{m}bre of ? eres. and eke as many ? eres as ? er to may be multiplied.
ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to ? e p{er}durablete ? at is
een[de]les. ? For of ?
ben contrarie ? But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice
vnstaunched ? Ne power [ne] make? nat a ma{n} my? ty ouer hym self.
whiche ? at vicious lustis holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat
ben vnbounden. {and} dignitees ? at ben ? euen to shrewed[e] folk nat
oonly ne maki? hem nat digne. but it shewe? ra? er al openly ? at ? ei ben
vnwor? i {and} vndigne. ? And whi is it ? {us}. ? Certis for ? e han ioye
to clepen ? inges wi? fals[e] names. ? at beren hem al in ? e
co{n}t{ra}rie. ? e whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by ? e effect of ? e
same ? inges. so ? at ? ise ilke rycchesse ne au? ten nat by ry? t to ben
cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne au? t[e] not ben cleped power. ne
whiche dignitee ne au? t[e] nat ben cleped dignitee. ? And at ? e laste I
may conclude ? e same ? inge of al ? e ? iftes of fortune in whiche ? er nis
no ? ing to ben desired. ne ? at ha? in hym self naturel bounte. ? as it
is ful wel sene. for ney? er ? ei ne ioygne{n} hem nat alwey to goode men.
ne maken hem alwey goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and} destrucc{i}ou{n}s
weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero. ? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome
{and} made slen ? e senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er.
{and} he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is to seyn he
let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to seen where he was
conceiued. {and} he loked[e] on euery half vpon hir colde dede body. ne
no tere ne wette his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute. ? And ? itte neuer? eles gouerned[e]
? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples ? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng
from his outerest arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial ? at ? e
so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And eke ? is Nero goueyrende by
Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e
seuene triones. ? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben
vndir ? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e. ? And eke Nero gouerned[e] alle ? e
poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi? {and} baki? ? e brennynge
sandes by his drie hete. ? at is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[but yit ne myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of this
wykkyd nero / Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as ofte as wicked
swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is to sein. venimous cruelte to
lordshipe.
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e couetise of mortal
? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of
? inges to done. as who sei? . I desired[e] to han matere of gou{er}naunce
ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne sholde not elden. ? at is to
seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille.
ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ? For
whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his goode gouernement.
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may
drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir
nature. but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben
y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is to seyn
couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel administred ? e comune
? inges. or doon goode decertes to p{ro}fit of ? e comune. for se now
{and} considere how litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
? Certeine ? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute ne halt but ? e
resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ?
e gretnesse of heuene. ? at is to
seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e
gretnesse of heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde no
space ? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde ? e fer? e partie is
enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned
by tholome ? at p{ro}uit? it. ? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ? e see {and} [the]
mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as myche space as ? e regiou{n} of
droughte ou{er}strecche? . ? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne?
sholde ? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of men.
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi? i{n}ne ? e leest[e]
prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don
? oure name to ben born for? e. but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and}
so streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche contein? e it in
largesse {and} in greet doynge. And also sette ? is ? er to ? at many a
nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of
hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for
diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage
entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e names of singler men ne
may [nat] strecchen. but eke ? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
? At ? e last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self write? in
his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed
ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was
? ilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes. and eke
of o? er folk enhabityng aboute. ? Sest ? ou nat ? an how streit {and} how
comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie ? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and}
to multiplie. May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider as
? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne passen. ? And eke sest
? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben
discordau{n}t amonge hem self. so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen
wor? i of p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. ? and
? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}.
he ne may nat i{n} no wise bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many
manere peoples. ? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben paied of
hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen ney? bores. ? And ? ilke noble
renou{n} shal be restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but
how many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e nedy {and} wrecched
for? etynge of writers put oute of mynde {and} don awey. ? Al be it so
? at certys ? ilke writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe
{and} derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. but ? e
men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e ? enke ? at in tyme comyng
? oure fame shal lasten. ? But na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n}
to ? e endeles space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou maist
reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name. ? For if ? er were maked
co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for
as myche as bo? e ? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be. ? But na? eles ? ilke self
nou{m}bre of ? eres. and eke as many ? eres as ? er to may be multiplied.
ne may nat certys be comparisou{n}d to ? e p{er}durablete ? at is
een[de]les. ? For of ?
