No More Learning

]

[SET NE ME INEXORABILE CONTRA.

[Sidenote: [The viij p{ro}se. ]]

[Sidenote: 'But do not believe,' said Philosophy, 'that I am an
implacable enemy to Fortune. ]

++BVt for-as-mochel as thow shalt nat wenen q{uod} she 1640
? {a}t I bere vntretable batayle ayenis fortune //

[Sidenote: This inconstant dame sometimes deserves well of men,
when she appears in her true colours. ]

yit som-tyme it by-falleth ? {a}t she desseyuable desserueth
to han ryht good thank of men // {And} ? {a}t is whan she
hir{e} self opneth / {and} whan she descou{er}eth hir frownt / 1644
{and} sheweth hir maneres p{ar}-auentur{e} yit vndirstondesthow
nat ? {a}t . I. shal seye //

[Sidenote: And what I say may perhaps appear paradoxical. ]

it is a wondyr ? {a}t . I.
desyr{e} to telle /

[Sidenote: That is, that adverse fortune is more beneficial than
prosperous fortune. ]

{and} forthi vnnethe may I. vnpleyten my
sentense w{i}t{h} wordes for I. deme ? {a}t contraryos fortune 1648
p{ro}fiteth mor{e} to men than fortune debonayr{e} //

[Sidenote: The latter lies and deceives us, the former displays
her natural inconstancy. ]

For al-wey whan fortune semeth debonayr{e} than she lyeth
falsly in by-hetynge the hope of welefulnesse // but forsothe
{con}traryos fortune is alwey sothfast / whan she 1652
sheweth hir self vnstable thorw hyr chau{n}gynge //

[Sidenote: That deceives us, this instructs us; that, by a
fallacious show of good, enslaves the mind; this, by the knowledge
of her fickleness, frees and absolves it. ]

the amyable fortune desseyueth folk / the contrarye fortune
techeth // the amyable fortune byndeth w{i}t{h} the beaute
of false goodys the hertes of folk ? {a}t vsen he{m} / the 1656
contrarye fortune vnbyndeth he{m} by ? ^e knowynge of
freele welefulnesse //

[Sidenote: The one is wavering and incapable of reflection, the
other is staid and wise through experience of adversity. ]

the amyable fortune maysthow sen
alwey wyndynge {and} flowynge / {and} eu{er}e mysknowynge 1659
of hir self // the contrarye fortune is a-tempre {and} restreynyd
{and} wys thorw excersyse of hir aduersyte //

[Sidenote: Lastly, prosperous fortune leads men astray. Adversity
teaches them wherein real happiness consists. ]

at the laste amyable fortune w{i}t{h} hir flaterynges draweth
mys wandrynge men fro the souereyne good // the contraryos
fortune ledith ofte folk ayein to sothfast goodes / 1664
{and} haleth hem ayein as w{i}t{h} an hooke /

[Sidenote: It renders us no inconsiderable service in enabling us
to recognize our true friends. ]

weenesthow
thanne ? {a}t thow owhtest to leten this a lytel thing / ? {a}t
this aspre {and} horible fortune hath discoueryd to the / the
thowhtes of thy trewe frendes // For-why this ilke fortune 1668
hath departyd {and} vncou{er}yd to the bothe the [[pg 62]]
certeyn vysages {and} ek the dowtos visages of thy
felawes // wha{n} she dep{ar}tyd awey fro the / she took
awey hyr frendes {and} lafte the thyne frendes // 1672

[Sidenote: At what price would you not have bought this knowledge
in your prosperity? ]

now whan thow wer{e} ryche {and} weleful as the semede / w{i}t{h}
how mochel woldesthow han bowht the fulle knowynge
of this // ? {a}t is to seyn the knowynge of thy
verray freendes //

[Sidenote: Complain not, then, of loss of wealth, since thou hast
found infinitely greater riches in your true friends. ]

now pleyne the nat thanne of Rychesse 1676
. I. -lorn syn thow hast fowndyn the moste p{re}syos kynde
of Rychesses ? {a}t is to seyn thy verray frendes.


[Headnote:
ALL THINGS BOUND BY THE CHAIN OF LOVE. ]

QUOD MU{N}DUS STABILI FIDE.

[Sidenote: [The viij Met{ur}. ]]

[Sidenote: This world, by an invariable order, suffers change. ]

++THat ? ^e world w{i}t{h} stable feith / varieth acordable
chaungynges //

[Sidenote: Elements, that by nature disagree, are restrained by
concord. ]

? {a}t the contraryos qualite of element? 1680
holden among{e} hem self aliau{n}ce p{er}durable / ? {a}t pheb{us}
the sonne w{i}t{h} his goldene chariet / bryngeth forth the
rosene day / ? {a}t the mone hath {com}mau{n}dement ou{er} the
nyhtes // whiche nyhtes hesp{er}us the eue sterre hat browt // 1684

[Sidenote: The sea is thus kept within its proper bounds. ]

? {a}t ? ^e se gredy to flowen constreyneth w{i}t{h} a certeyn ende
hise floodes / so ? {a}t it is nat l[e]ueful to strechche hise
brode termes or bowndes vp-on the erthes // ? {a}t is to seyn
to cou{er}e alle the erthe //

[Sidenote: This concord is produced by love, which governeth earth
and sea, and extends its influence to the heavens. ]

Al this a-cordau{n}ce of thinges 1688
is bownden w{i}t{h} looue / ? {a}t gou{er}neth erthe {and} see / {and}
hath also {com}mau{n}dement? to the heuenes /

[Sidenote: If this chain of love were broken all things would be
in perpetual strife, and the world would go to ruin. ]

{and} yif
this looue slakede the brydelis / alle thinges ? {a}t now
louen hem to gederes / wolden maken a batayle contynuely 1692
{and} stryuen to fordoon the fasou{n} of this worlde /
the which they now leden in acordable feith by fayre
moeuynges //

[Sidenote: Love binds nations together, it ties the nuptial knot,
and dictates binding laws to friendship. ]

this looue halt to gideres poeples Ioygned
w{i}t{h} an hooly bond / {and} knytteth sacrement of maryages 1696
of chaste looues // And loue enditeth lawes to
trewe felawes //

[Sidenote: Men were truly blest if governed by this celestial
love! ']

O weleful weer{e} mankynde / yif thilke
loue ? {a}t gouerneth heuene gouerned[e] yowr{e} corages /

EXPLICIT LIB{ER} 2_^us_.

[Linenote:
1690 _hath_--H. he hath]




[[pg 63]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS IS COMFORTED BY PHILOSOPHY'S SONG. ]

INCIPIT LIB{ER} 3^_us_.


IAM CANTU{M} ILLA FINIERAT.

[Sidenote: [The fyrste p{ro}se. ]]

[Sidenote: Philosophy now ended her song. ]

++By this she hadde endid hir{e} song{e} / whan the swetnesse 1700
of hir{e} ditee hadde thorw p{er}ced me ? {a}t was desirous
of herkninge /

[Sidenote: I was so charmed that I kept a listening as if she were
still speaking. ]

{and} . I. astoned hadde yit streyhte myn
Eres / ? {a}t is to seyn to herkne the bet / what she wolde
seye //

[Sidenote: At last I said, O sovereign comforter of dejected
minds, how much hast thou refreshed me with the energy of thy
discourse, so that I now think myself almost an equal match for
Fortune and able to resist her blows. ]

so ? {a}t a litel her{e} aft{er} . I. seyde thus // O thow 1704
? {a}t art sou{er}eyn comfort of Angwissos corages // So thow
hast remou{n}ted {and} norysshed me w{i}t{h} the weyhte of thy
sentenses {and} w{i}t{h} delit of thy syngynge // so ? {a}t . I. trowe
nat now ? {a}t . I. be vnparygal to the strokes of fortune / as 1708
who seyth. I. dar wel now suffren al the assautes of fortune
{and} wel deffende me fro hyr //

[Sidenote: I fear not, therefore, thy remedies, but earnestly
desire to hear what they are. ]

{and} tho remedies
whyche ? {a}t thow seydest hir{e} byforn weren ryht sharpe
Nat oonly p{a}t . I. am nat agrysen of hem now // but . I. desiros 1712
of herynge axe gretely to heeren tho remedyes //

[Sidenote: _P. _ When I perceived that, silent and attentive, you
received my words, I expected to find such a state of mind in you,
or rather, I created in you such an one. ]

than seyde she thus // ? {a}t feelede . I. ful wel q{uod} she //
whan ? {a}t thow ententyf {and} stylle rauysshedest my
wordes // {and} . I. abood til ? {a}t thow haddest swych habyte 1716
of thy thowght as thow hast now // or elles tyl ? {a}t . I.
my self had[de] maked to the the same habyt / which
? {a}t is a moore verray thing{e} //

[Sidenote: What remains to be said is of such a nature that when
it is first tasted it is pungent and unpleasant, but when once
swallowed it turns sweet, and is grateful to the stomach. ]

And certes the remenau{n}t
of thinges ? {a}t ben yit to seye / ben swyche // ? {a}t fyrst 1720
whan men tasten hem they ben bytynge / but whan
they ben resseyuyd w{i}t{h}-inne a whyht than ben they
swete //

[Sidenote: But because you say you would now gladly hear, with
what desire would you burn if you could imagine whither I am going
to lead you? ]

but for thow seyst ? {a}t thow art so desirous to
herkne hem // wit[h] how gret brennynge woldesthow 1724
glowen / yif thow wystest whyder . I. wol leden the //

[Sidenote: _B. _ Whither is that, I pray? ]

whydyr{e} is ? {a}t q{uod} . I. //

[Sidenote: _P. _ To that true felicity, of which you seem to have
but a faint foretaste. ]

to thilke verray welefulnesse
q{uod} she // of whyche thynge herte dremeth //

[Sidenote: But your sight is clouded with false forms, so that it
cannot yet behold this same felicity. ]

but for as moche as thy syhte is ocupied {and} distorbed / by 1728
Imagynasyon of herthely thynges / thow mayst nat yit
sen thilke selue welefulnesse //

[Sidenote: _B. _ Show me, I pray, that true happiness without
delay. ]

do q{uod} . I. {and} shewe
me / what is thilke verray welefulnesse / . I. preye the [[pg 64]]
w{i}t{h}-howte tarynge //

[Sidenote: _P. _ I will gladly do so at your desire, but I will
first describe that false cause (of happiness), so that you may be
better able to comprehend the exact model. ]

? {a}t wole . I. gladly don q{uod} she / 1732
for the cause of the // but . I. wol fyrst marken the by
wordes / {and} I wol enforcen me to enformen the //
thilke false cause of blysfulnesse ? {a}t thow more knowest /
so ? {a}t whan thow hast fully by-holden thilke false 1736
goodes {and} torned thyne eyen to ? {a}t oother syde / thow
mowe knowe the clernesse of verray blysfulnesse //]

[Linenotes:
1702 _streyhte_--H. strenghed
1712 _am nat_--H. nam nought
1718 _had[de]_--H. hade
1734 _wol_--H. shall{e}
1739 _wil_--wole
_felde_--feeld]


[Headnote:
AWAY WITH FALSE FELICITY! ]

[Sidenote: * Here the Add. MS. begins again. ]

*QUI SERERE I{N}GENIUM.

[Sidenote: [The fyrst met{ur}. ]]

[Sidenote: He who would sow seed must first clear the ground of
useless weeds, so that he may reap an abundant harvest. ]

? Who so wil sowe a felde plentiuous. lat hym first
delyuer it of ? ornes {and} kerue asondre wi? his hooke 1740
? e bushes {and} ? e ferne so ? at ? e corne may come{n} heuy
of eres {and} of greins.

[Sidenote: Honey tastes all the sweeter to a palate disgusted by
offensive flavours. ]

hony is ? e more swete yif mou? es
han firste tastid sauoures ? {a}t ben wikke.

[Sidenote: The stars shine all the clearer when the southern
showery blasts cease to blow. ]

? ? e sterres
shynen more agreably whan ? e wynde Nothus leti? his 1744
ploungy blastes.

[Sidenote: When Lucifer has chased away the dark night, then
Phoebus mounts his gay chariot. ]

{and} aftir ? at lucifer ? e day sterre ha?
chased awey ? e derke ny? t. ? e day ? e feir{e}r ledi? ? e
rosene horse of ? e sonne.

[Sidenote: So you, beholding the false felicity, and withdrawing
your neck from the yoke of earthly affections, will soon see the
sovereign good. ]

? Ry? t so ? ou byholdyng
first ? e fals[e] goodes. bygynne to wi? drawe ? i nek[ke] 1748
fro ? e ? ok of er? ely affecc{i}ou{n}s. {and} afterwarde ? e
verrey goodes sholle{n} entre i{n} to ? i corage.

[Linenotes:
1740 _delyuer_--delyuere
_of_--fro
_hooke_--hook
1741 _bushes_--bosses
_ferne_--fern
_corne_--korn
1743 _firste_--fyrst
_wikke_--wyckyd
1744 _wynde_--wynd
_his_--hise
1745 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1746 _feirer_--fayrere
1747 _horse_--hors
_Ry? t_--And Ryht
1748 _fals[e]_--false
_bygynne_--bygyn
_wi? drawe_--w{i}t{h} drawen
_nek[ke]_--nekke
1749 _afterwarde_--afft{er}ward
1750 _entre_--entren]


[Headnote:
THE DESIRE OF THE TRUE GOOD. ]

TUNC DEFIXO PAULULU{M}.

[Sidenote: [The 2^de p{ro}se.
]]

[Sidenote: Philosophy, with a serious air, and appearing to
recollect herself, and to rouse up all her faculties, thus began. ]

++? O fastned[e] she a lytel ? e sy? t of hir eyen {and} wi? drow
hir ry? t as it were in to ? e streite sete of hir 1752
? ou? t. {and} bygan to speke ry? t ? {us}.

[Sidenote: All the cares and desires of men seek one
end--happiness. ]

Alle ? e cures
q{uo}d she of mortal folk whiche ? at trauaylen hem i{n}
many manere studies gon certys by diu{er}se weies.

[Sidenote: [* fol. 15 _b_. ]]

? But na? eles ? ei enforced hem *to comen oonly to on 1756
ende of blisfulnesse [[pg 65]]

[Sidenote: True happiness is that complete good which, once
obtained, leaves nothing more to be desired. ]

[And blysfulnesse] is swiche a goode
? at who so ha? geten it he ne may ouer ? at no ? ing more
desiire.

[Sidenote: It is the sovereign good, and comprehends all others.
It lacks nothing, otherwise it could not be the supreme good. ]

and ? is ? ing for so? e is ? e souereyne good ? at conteini?
in hym self al man{er}e goodes. to ? e whiche goode 1760
yif ? ere failed[e] any ? ing. it my? t[e] nat ben souereyne
goode. ? For ? an were ? ere som goode out of ? is ilke souereyne
goode ? {a}t my? t[e] ben desired.

[Sidenote: Happiness is, therefore, that perfect state, in which
all other goods meet and centre. ]

Now is it clere {and}
certeyne ? a{n} ? at blisfulnesse is a p{er}fit estat
by ? e congregac{i}ou{n} 1764
of alle goodes.

[Sidenote: It is the object which all men strive after. ]

? ? e whiche blisfulnesse as
I haue seid alle mortal folke enforcen hem to geten by
dyuerse weyes.

[Sidenote: A desire of the true good is a natural instinct, but
error misleads them to pursue false joys. ]

? For-whi ? e couetise of verray goode
is naturely y-plaunted in ? e hertys of men. ? But ? e 1768
myswandryng erro{ur} mysledi? hem in to fals[e] goodes.

[Sidenote: Some, imagining the supreme good to consist in lacking
nothing, labour for an abundance of _riches_; others, supposing
that this good lies in the _reverence_ and _esteem_ of their
fellow men, strive to acquire honourable positions. ]

? of ? e whiche men some of hem wenen ? at souereygne
goode is to lyue wi? outen nede of any ? ing.
{and} t{ra}ueile{n} hem to ben habundaunt of rycchesse. 1772
and some o? er men deme{n}. ? at sou{er}ein goode be forto
be ry? t digne of reu{er}ences. {and} enforce{n} hem to ben
reu{er}enced among hir ney? bo{ur}s. by ? e hono{ur}s ? at ? ei
han ygeten

[Sidenote: There are some, again, who place it in supreme _power_,
and seek to rule, or to be favoured by the ruling powers. ]

? {and} some folk ? er ben ? at halden ? at 1776
ry? t hey? e power to be souereyn goode. {and} enforcen
he{m} forto regnen or ellys to ioigne{n} he{m} to hem ? at
regnen.

[Sidenote: There are those who fancy _fame_ to be the height of
happiness, and seek by the arts of war or peace to get renown. ]

? And it seme? to some o? er folk ? at noblesse
of renou{n} be ? e sou{er}ein goode. {and} hasten hem to 1780
geten glorious name by ? e artes of werre or of pees.

[Sidenote: Many there are who believe nothing to be better than
_joy_ and _gladness_, and think it delightful to plunge into
luxury. ]

and many folke mesuren {and} gessen ? {a}t sou{er}ein goode
be ioye {and} gladnesse {and} wenen ? at it be ry? t blisful
[thyng{e}] to ploungen hem i{n} uoluptuous delit.

[Sidenote: Some there are who use these causes and ends
interchangeably, as those who desire riches as a means of getting
power; or who desire power in order to get money or renown. ]

? And 1784
? er ben folk ? at enterchaungen ? e causes {and} ? e endes
of ? ise forseide goodes as ? ei ? at desire{n} rycchesse to [[pg 66]]
han power {and} delices. Or ellis ? ei desiren power forto
han moneye or for cause of renou{n}.

[Sidenote: In all they do they have a particular end in view. ]

? In ? ise ? inges 1788
{and} i{n} swyche o? er ? inges is to{ur}ned al ? e entenc{i}ou{n}
of desirynges {and} [of] werkes of me{n}. ? As ? us.

[Linenotes:
1751 _fastned[e]_--fastnede
_wi? drow_--MS. wi? drowen, C. w{i}t{h} drowh
1752 _sete_--Cyte
1756 _enforced_--enforsen
1757 [_And blysfulnesse_]--from C.
_goode_--good
1758 _so_--so ? {a}t
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
1759 _souereyne_--sou{er}eyn
1760 _al_--alle
_goode_--good
1761 _? ere_--ther
_failed[e]_--faylyde
_my? t[e]_--myhte
_souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn good
1762 _? an_--thanne
_? ere_--ther
_goode_--good
_souereyne_--sou{er}eyn
1763 _goode_--good
_my? t[e]_--myhte
1764 _certeyne_--certein
1766 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd
_folke_--foolk
1767 _goode_--good
1769 _fals[e]_--false
1770 _souereygne goode is_--sou{er}eyn good be
1771 _lyue wi? outen_--lyuen w{i}t{h} owte
1772 _rycchesse_--Rychesses
1773 _some_--som
_goode be_--good ben
1774 _be_--ben
1775 _ney? bours_--nesshebors
1776 _halden_--holden
1777 _hey? e_--heyh
_to_--omitted
_goode_--good
1780 _goode_--good
1781 _or_--{and}
1782 _folke_--folk
_goode_--good
1783 _be_--by
1784 [_thynge_]--from C.
1786 _rycchesse_--rychesses
1787 _delices_--delytes
1789 _o? er_--oothre
_al_--alle
1790 [_of_]--from C. ]

[Headnote:
FRIENDSHIP A SACRED THING. ]

[Sidenote: Nobility and popular favour are sought after by some in
order to become famous. ]

? Noblesse {and} fauo{ur} of poeple whiche ? at ? iue? as it
seme? a manere clernesse of renou{n}.

[Sidenote: By others, wives and children are only desired as
sources of pleasure. ]

? and wijf {and} 1792
children ? at men desiren for cause of delit {and} mirinesse.

[Sidenote: Friendship must not be reckoned among the goods of
fortune, but among those of virtue, for it is a very sacred
thing. ]

? But forso? e frendes ne shollen nat ben rekkened
among ? e goodes of fortune but of vertue. for it
is a ful holy man{er}e ? ing.

[Sidenote: All else are desired either for the power or pleasure
they afford. ]

alle ? ise o? er ? inges forso? e 1796
ben taken for cause of power. or ellis for cause of
delit.

[Sidenote: The goods of the body fall under the same predicament. ]

? Certis now am I redy to referen ? e goodes of
? e body to ? ise forseide ? inges abouen.

[Sidenote: Strength and a good stature seem to give power and
worthiness. ]

? For it seme?
? {a}t streng? e {and} gretnesse of body ? euen power {and} 1800
wor? inesse.

[Sidenote: Beauty and swiftness give glory and fame; and health
gives delight. ]

? and ? at beaute {and} swiftenesse ? euen
noblesse {and} glorie of renou{n}.