manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and}
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi?
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi?
Chaucer - Boethius
?
e verray 704
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ? ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
? and if ? ou remembrest wel
? e kynde ? e maners {and} ? e desert of ? ilke fortune. ? ow 744
shalt wel knowe as in hir ? ou neuer ne haddest ne
hast ylost any fair ? ing. But as I trowe I shal not
gretly trauaile to don ? e remembren of ? ise ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou wert once proof against her allurements. ]
? For ? ou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748
wi?
manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and}
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi? sentences ? at were
drawe{n} oute of myne entre. ? at is to seyne out of
myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n}
[Sidenote: But sudden change works a great alteration in the minds
of men, hence it is that thou art departed from thy usual peace of
mind. ]
? But no sudeyne mutac{i}ou{n} ne 752
bytide? nat wi? oute{n} a maner chau{n}gyng of curages.
and so is it byfallen ? at ? ou art dep{ar}ted a litel fro
? e pees of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But with some gentle emollients I shall prepare thee
for stronger medicines. ]
but now is tyme ? at ? ou drynke
{and} atast[e] some softe {and} delitable ? inges. so ? at whan 756
? ei ben entred wi? i{n}ne ? e. it mow make weye to
strenger drynkes of medycynes.
[Sidenote: Approach then, Rhetoric, with thy persuasive charms,
and therewith let Music also draw near. ]
? Com nowe fur? e
? erfore ? e suasiou{n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche
? at go? oonly ? e ry? t wey whil she forsake? not myne 760
estatut? . ? And wi? Rethorice com for? e musice a
damoisel of oure house ? at synge? now ly? ter moedes
or p{ro}lac{i}ou{n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 9. ]]
*what ayle? ? e man. what
is it ? at ha? cast ? e in to murnyng {and} in to wepyng. 764
I trow[e] ? at ? ou hast sen some newe ? ing {and} uncou? e.
[Sidenote: Thou thinkest that Fortune is changed towards thee. ]
? ? ou wenest ? at fortune be chaunged a? eins ? e
[Sidenote: But thou art deceived. ]
? But ? ou wenest wrong. yif ? ou [? at] wene.
[Sidenote: In this misadventure of thine she hath preserved her
constancy in changing. ]
Alwey ? o ben hire maners. she ha? ra? er [kept] as to 768
? e ward hire p{ro}pre stablenes in ? e chaungyng of hyre
self. ? Ry? t swyche was she whan she flatered[e]
? e. {and} desseiued[e] ? e wi? vnleueful lykynges of
false welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: You have seen the double face of this blind divinity. ]
? ou hast now knowen {and} ataynt 772
? e doutous or double visage of ? ilke blynde goddesse
fortune. ? She ? at ? it couere? hir {and} wymple? hir
to o? er folk. ha? shewed hir euerydel to ? e. ? ? if
? ou app{ro}uest hir {and} ? enkest ? at she is good. vse 776
hir maners {and} pleyne ? e nat.
[Sidenote: If thou dost abhor her perfidy cast her off, for her
sports are dangerous. ]
? And if ? ou agrisest
hir fals[e] trecherie. dispise {and} cast aweye hir ? at
pleye? so harmefully. for she ? at is now cause of so
myche sorwe to ? e. sholde be to ? e cause of pees {and} 780
[of] ioie. ? she ha? forsaken ? e forso? e. ? e whiche
? at neuer man may be syker ? at she ne shal forsake
hym. _Glose. _ ? But na? eles some bookes han ? e text
? us. For so? e she ha? forsaken ? e ne ? er nis no man 784
syker ? at she ne ha? not forsaken.
[Sidenote: Is that happiness which is so transient? ]
? Holdest ? ou
? an ? ilke welefulnesse p{re}ciouse to ? e ? at shal passen.
[Sidenote: Is the attendance of Fortune so dear to thee, whose
stay is so uncertain, and whose removal causes such grief? ]
{and} is p{re}sent fortune derwor? i to ? e. whiche ? at nis
not fei? ful forto dwelle. {and} whan she go? aweye ? at 788
she brynge? a wy? t in sorwe ? For syn she may nat
be wi? holde{n} at a mans wille. she make? hym a wrecche
whe{n} she dep{ar}te? fro hym.
[Sidenote: What is she (Fortune) but the presage of future
calamity? ]
? What o? er ? ing is
flitti{n}g fortune but a manere shewyng of wrycchednesse [[pg 32]]
? at is to comen. ne it ne suffri? nat oo[n]ly to loken 793
of ? ing ? at is p{re}sent byforne ? e eyen of man. but
wisdom loke? {and} mesure? ? e ende of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Her mutability should make men neither fear her threats
nor desire her favours. ]
{and} ? e
same chau{n}gyng from one to an o? er. ? at is to seyne 796
fro aduersite to p{ro}sperite make? ? at ? e manaces of
fortune ne ben not forto dreden. ne ? e flatrynges of
hir to ben desired. ? ? us atte ?
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ? ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
? and if ? ou remembrest wel
? e kynde ? e maners {and} ? e desert of ? ilke fortune. ? ow 744
shalt wel knowe as in hir ? ou neuer ne haddest ne
hast ylost any fair ? ing. But as I trowe I shal not
gretly trauaile to don ? e remembren of ? ise ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou wert once proof against her allurements. ]
? For ? ou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748
wi?
manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and}
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi? sentences ? at were
drawe{n} oute of myne entre. ? at is to seyne out of
myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n}
[Sidenote: But sudden change works a great alteration in the minds
of men, hence it is that thou art departed from thy usual peace of
mind. ]
? But no sudeyne mutac{i}ou{n} ne 752
bytide? nat wi? oute{n} a maner chau{n}gyng of curages.
and so is it byfallen ? at ? ou art dep{ar}ted a litel fro
? e pees of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But with some gentle emollients I shall prepare thee
for stronger medicines. ]
but now is tyme ? at ? ou drynke
{and} atast[e] some softe {and} delitable ? inges. so ? at whan 756
? ei ben entred wi? i{n}ne ? e. it mow make weye to
strenger drynkes of medycynes.
[Sidenote: Approach then, Rhetoric, with thy persuasive charms,
and therewith let Music also draw near. ]
? Com nowe fur? e
? erfore ? e suasiou{n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche
? at go? oonly ? e ry? t wey whil she forsake? not myne 760
estatut? . ? And wi? Rethorice com for? e musice a
damoisel of oure house ? at synge? now ly? ter moedes
or p{ro}lac{i}ou{n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 9. ]]
*what ayle? ? e man. what
is it ? at ha? cast ? e in to murnyng {and} in to wepyng. 764
I trow[e] ? at ? ou hast sen some newe ? ing {and} uncou? e.
[Sidenote: Thou thinkest that Fortune is changed towards thee. ]
? ? ou wenest ? at fortune be chaunged a? eins ? e
[Sidenote: But thou art deceived. ]
? But ? ou wenest wrong. yif ? ou [? at] wene.
[Sidenote: In this misadventure of thine she hath preserved her
constancy in changing. ]
Alwey ? o ben hire maners. she ha? ra? er [kept] as to 768
? e ward hire p{ro}pre stablenes in ? e chaungyng of hyre
self. ? Ry? t swyche was she whan she flatered[e]
? e. {and} desseiued[e] ? e wi? vnleueful lykynges of
false welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: You have seen the double face of this blind divinity. ]
? ou hast now knowen {and} ataynt 772
? e doutous or double visage of ? ilke blynde goddesse
fortune. ? She ? at ? it couere? hir {and} wymple? hir
to o? er folk. ha? shewed hir euerydel to ? e. ? ? if
? ou app{ro}uest hir {and} ? enkest ? at she is good. vse 776
hir maners {and} pleyne ? e nat.
[Sidenote: If thou dost abhor her perfidy cast her off, for her
sports are dangerous. ]
? And if ? ou agrisest
hir fals[e] trecherie. dispise {and} cast aweye hir ? at
pleye? so harmefully. for she ? at is now cause of so
myche sorwe to ? e. sholde be to ? e cause of pees {and} 780
[of] ioie. ? she ha? forsaken ? e forso? e. ? e whiche
? at neuer man may be syker ? at she ne shal forsake
hym. _Glose. _ ? But na? eles some bookes han ? e text
? us. For so? e she ha? forsaken ? e ne ? er nis no man 784
syker ? at she ne ha? not forsaken.
[Sidenote: Is that happiness which is so transient? ]
? Holdest ? ou
? an ? ilke welefulnesse p{re}ciouse to ? e ? at shal passen.
[Sidenote: Is the attendance of Fortune so dear to thee, whose
stay is so uncertain, and whose removal causes such grief? ]
{and} is p{re}sent fortune derwor? i to ? e. whiche ? at nis
not fei? ful forto dwelle. {and} whan she go? aweye ? at 788
she brynge? a wy? t in sorwe ? For syn she may nat
be wi? holde{n} at a mans wille. she make? hym a wrecche
whe{n} she dep{ar}te? fro hym.
[Sidenote: What is she (Fortune) but the presage of future
calamity? ]
? What o? er ? ing is
flitti{n}g fortune but a manere shewyng of wrycchednesse [[pg 32]]
? at is to comen. ne it ne suffri? nat oo[n]ly to loken 793
of ? ing ? at is p{re}sent byforne ? e eyen of man. but
wisdom loke? {and} mesure? ? e ende of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Her mutability should make men neither fear her threats
nor desire her favours. ]
{and} ? e
same chau{n}gyng from one to an o? er. ? at is to seyne 796
fro aduersite to p{ro}sperite make? ? at ? e manaces of
fortune ne ben not forto dreden. ne ? e flatrynges of
hir to ben desired. ? ? us atte ?
