For certys a litel her
byforn{e}
whan ?
Chaucer - Boethius
_ If there should be any such, it could not prevail
against him, who is supremely happy and consequently omnipotent. ]
? And if ? at any ? i{n}g
enforced[e] hym to wi? stonde god. my? t[e] it auayle at 2948
? e laste a? eyns hym ? at we han g{ra}unted to ben al
my? ty by ? e ry? t of blisfulnesse. ? Certis q{uo}d I al
outerly it ne my? t[e] nat auaylen hym.
[Sidenote: Then there is nothing that either will or can withstand
this supreme good? ]
? an is ? ere no
? ing q{uo}d she ? at ey? er wol or may wi? stonde to ? is 2952
souereyne good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Nothing, certainly. ]
? I trowe nat q{uo}d. I
[Sidenote: _P. _ It is then the supreme good that governs and
orders all things powerfully and benignly. ]
? ? an is
? ilke ? e souereyne good q{uo}d she ? at alle ? i{n}g{us}
gouerne? strongly {and} ordeyne? hem softly.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I am delighted with your _conclusions_, but much
more with your _language_; so that fools may be ashamed of their
objections to the divine government. ]
? a{n} seide I
? us. I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in ? e endes or in ? e 2956
so{m}mes of [the] resou{n}s ? at ? ou hast concludid {and}
p{ro}ued. ? But ? ilke wordes ? at ? {o}u vsest deliten me
moche more. ? So at ? e last[e] fooles ? at so{m}tyme
renden greet[e] ? inges au? te{n} ben asshamed of hem 2960
self.
[Sidenote: [Chaucer's gloss. ]]
? ? at is to seyne ? {a}t we fooles ? at rep{re}henden
wickedly ? e ? i{n}g{us} ? at touchen goddes gouernaunce we
au? te{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I ? at seide god
refuse? oonly ? e werkes of men. {and} ne entremeti? nat 2964
of he{m}.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You have read the Poets' fables, how the Giants
stormed heaven--how they were repulsed and punished according to
their deserts; but may we not compare our reasons together, for by
so doing some clear spark of truth may shine forth? ]
_p. _ ? ou hast wel herd q{uo}d she ? e fables of ? e
poetes. how ? e geauntes assailden ? e heuene wi? ? e
goddes. but for so? e ? e debonaire force of god disposed[e]
hem so as it was wor? i. ? at is to seyne distroied[e] ? e 2968
geauntes. as it was wor? i. ? But wilt ? ou ? at we
ioygnen togedre ? ilke same resou{n}s. for p{er}auenture of
swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire sp{er}kele
of so? e
[Sidenote: _B. _ As you please. ]
? Do q{uo}d I as ? e list.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is God omnipotent? ]
wenest ? ou q{uo}d she 2972
? at god ne is almy? ty. no man is in doute of it. [[pg 105]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ No one doubts it. ]
Certys
q{uo}d I no wy? t ne defendi? it if he be in hys mynde.
[Linenotes:
2941 _her_--hyr
2943 _realme_--Reaume
_seme_--semen
2945 _? ere_--ther
2947 _gone a? eyne_--goon ayein
2948 _enforced[e]_--enforcede
_my? t[e]_--myhte
_auayle_--auaylen
2949 _a? eyns_--a-yenis
2951 _outerly_--owtrely
_my? t[e]_--myhte
_auaylen_--MS. aualeyne, C. auaylen
_hym_--hem
_? ere_--ther
2952 _wol_--wole
_wi? stonde_--w{i}t{h}-stondyn
_? is souereyne_--his sou{er}eyn
2955 _softly_--softtely
2957 _sommes_--somme
[_the_]--from C.
2959 _last[e]_--laste
2960 _greet[e]_--grete
2960, 2963 _au? ten_--owhten
2961 _seyne_--seyn
2965 _of hem_--of it
_herd_--MS. herde, C. herd
2967 _disposed[e]_--desposede
2968 _seyne distroied[e]_--seyn destroyede
2971 _swiche_--swych
_some_--som
2972 _so? e_--soth
_list_--liste
2973 _is_ (1)--be
_man_--omitted
_is_ (2)--nis
2974 _defendi? _--dowteth]
[Headnote:
EVIL HAS NO EXISTENCE. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ If he is almighty, there are, then, no limits to
his power? ]
but he q{uo}d she ? at is al my? ty ? ere nis no ? ing ? at he
ne may do.
[Sidenote: _B. _ He can doubtless do all things. ]
? at is so? e q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ May God do evil? ]
May god done yuel 2976
q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
nay for so? e q{uo}d. I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is evil nothing, since God, who is almighty,
cannot do it? ]
? ? an is yuel no ? ing
q{uo}d she. ? Syn ? at he ne may not done yuel ? at
may done alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Dost thou mock me or play with me, leading me with
thy arguments into an inextricable labyrinth, and enclosing me in
a wonderful circle of Divine Simplicity? ]
scornest ? ou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys
pleyest ? ou or deceiuest ? ou me. ? at hast so wouen me 2980
wi? ? i resou{n}s. ? e house of didalus so entrelaced. ? at it
is vnable to ben vnlaced. ? ou ? at o? er while entrest
? ere ? ou issest {and} o? er while issest ? ere ? ou entrest.
ne fooldest ? ou nat to gidre by replicac{i}ou{n} of wordes a 2984
maner wondirful cercle or envirounynge of symplicite
deuyne.
[Sidenote: For thou didst first begin with happiness, and didst
say that it was the sovereign good, and that it resided in God;
then, that God was that _Good_ and the perfection of happiness;
and, hence, thou didst infer that nobody could be happy unless he
became likewise a God. ]
?
For certys a litel her byforn{e} whan ? ou bygu{n}ne
atte blisfulnesse ? {o}u seidest ? at it is souereyne
good. {and} seidest ? at it is set in souereyne god. {and} ? at 2988
god is ? e ful[le] blisfulnesse. for whiche ? ou ? af[e] me
as a couenable ? ifte. ? at is to seyne ? {a}t no wy? t nis
blisful. but yif he be good al so ? er wi?
[Sidenote: Again, thou saidst that the very form of good was the
substance whereof God and happiness were composed, and that it was
the object and desire of all things in nature. ]
{and} seidest
eke ? at ? e forme of goode is ? e substaunce of god. {and} 2992
of blisfulnesse. {and} seidest ? {a}t ? ilke same oone is ? ilke
same goode ? at is requered {and} desired of al ? e kynde
of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou didst prove that God rules the world by his
goodness, and that all things willingly obeyed him; and that evil
has no existence. ]
{and} ? ou p{ro}euedest in disputynge ? at god
gouerne? alle [the] ? inges of ? e worlde by ? e gouernementys 2996
of bountee. {and} seydest ? at alle ? inges wolen
ybeyen to hym. and seidest ? at ? e nature of yuel nis
no ? ing.
[Sidenote: These truths you established by forcible and natural
arguments, and by no strained and far-fetched reasons. ]
{and} ? ise ? inges ne shewedest ? ou nat wi? no
resou{n}s ytake fro wi? oute but by proues in cercles {and} 3000
homelyche knowen. ? ? e whiche p{ro}eues drawen to hem
self hir fei? {and} hir accorde eu{er}iche [of] hem of o? er. ? an
seide she ? us.
[Sidenote: _P. _ I have not deluded you, for by the Divine aid we
have accomplished our chief task. ]
I ne scorne ? e nat ne pleye ne desseyue
? e. but I haue shewed to ? e ? inge ? at is grettest ouer [[pg 106]]
alle ? inges by ? e ? ifte of god ? at we some tyme prayden 3005
[Linenotes:
2975 _? ere_--ther
2976 _do_--C. omits
_so? e_--soth
_done_--don
2978, 2979 _done_--don
2980 _wouen_--MS. wonnen, C. wouen
2981 _house_--hows
2983 _? ere_ (_both_)--ther
2987 _atte_--at
2988 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
2989 _ful[le]_--fulle
_whiche_--which
_? af[e]_--yaue
2990 _? ifte_--yift
_seyne_--seyn
2992, 2994 _goode_--good
2993 _oone_--oon
2994 _al_--alle
2996 [_the_]--from C.
2998 _ybeyen_--obeyen
2999 _no_ (2)--none
3000 _ytake_--I-taken
3001 _homelyche_--hoomlich
3002 _eueriche_--eu{er}ich
[_of_]--from C.
3004 _? e ? inge_--the the thing
3005 _? ifte_--yift
_some tyme prayden_--whilom preyeden]
[Headnote:
GOD IS LIKE A SPHERE. ]
[Sidenote: I have proved to you that it is an essential property
of the Divine nature not to go out of itself, nor to receive into
itself anything extraneous. ]
? For ? is is ? e forme of [the] deuyne substaunce. ? at
is swiche ? at it ne slyde? nat in to outerest foreine
? inges. ne ne rec[e]yue? no st{ra}nge ? inges in hym. 3008
[Sidenote: Parmenides says of the Deity that _God is like a
well-rounded sphere_. ]
but ry? t as p{ar}maynws seide in grek of ? ilke deuyne substaunce.
he seide ? us ? at ? 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.
against him, who is supremely happy and consequently omnipotent. ]
? And if ? at any ? i{n}g
enforced[e] hym to wi? stonde god. my? t[e] it auayle at 2948
? e laste a? eyns hym ? at we han g{ra}unted to ben al
my? ty by ? e ry? t of blisfulnesse. ? Certis q{uo}d I al
outerly it ne my? t[e] nat auaylen hym.
[Sidenote: Then there is nothing that either will or can withstand
this supreme good? ]
? an is ? ere no
? ing q{uo}d she ? at ey? er wol or may wi? stonde to ? is 2952
souereyne good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Nothing, certainly. ]
? I trowe nat q{uo}d. I
[Sidenote: _P. _ It is then the supreme good that governs and
orders all things powerfully and benignly. ]
? ? an is
? ilke ? e souereyne good q{uo}d she ? at alle ? i{n}g{us}
gouerne? strongly {and} ordeyne? hem softly.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I am delighted with your _conclusions_, but much
more with your _language_; so that fools may be ashamed of their
objections to the divine government. ]
? a{n} seide I
? us. I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in ? e endes or in ? e 2956
so{m}mes of [the] resou{n}s ? at ? ou hast concludid {and}
p{ro}ued. ? But ? ilke wordes ? at ? {o}u vsest deliten me
moche more. ? So at ? e last[e] fooles ? at so{m}tyme
renden greet[e] ? inges au? te{n} ben asshamed of hem 2960
self.
[Sidenote: [Chaucer's gloss. ]]
? ? at is to seyne ? {a}t we fooles ? at rep{re}henden
wickedly ? e ? i{n}g{us} ? at touchen goddes gouernaunce we
au? te{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I ? at seide god
refuse? oonly ? e werkes of men. {and} ne entremeti? nat 2964
of he{m}.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You have read the Poets' fables, how the Giants
stormed heaven--how they were repulsed and punished according to
their deserts; but may we not compare our reasons together, for by
so doing some clear spark of truth may shine forth? ]
_p. _ ? ou hast wel herd q{uo}d she ? e fables of ? e
poetes. how ? e geauntes assailden ? e heuene wi? ? e
goddes. but for so? e ? e debonaire force of god disposed[e]
hem so as it was wor? i. ? at is to seyne distroied[e] ? e 2968
geauntes. as it was wor? i. ? But wilt ? ou ? at we
ioygnen togedre ? ilke same resou{n}s. for p{er}auenture of
swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire sp{er}kele
of so? e
[Sidenote: _B. _ As you please. ]
? Do q{uo}d I as ? e list.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is God omnipotent? ]
wenest ? ou q{uo}d she 2972
? at god ne is almy? ty. no man is in doute of it. [[pg 105]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ No one doubts it. ]
Certys
q{uo}d I no wy? t ne defendi? it if he be in hys mynde.
[Linenotes:
2941 _her_--hyr
2943 _realme_--Reaume
_seme_--semen
2945 _? ere_--ther
2947 _gone a? eyne_--goon ayein
2948 _enforced[e]_--enforcede
_my? t[e]_--myhte
_auayle_--auaylen
2949 _a? eyns_--a-yenis
2951 _outerly_--owtrely
_my? t[e]_--myhte
_auaylen_--MS. aualeyne, C. auaylen
_hym_--hem
_? ere_--ther
2952 _wol_--wole
_wi? stonde_--w{i}t{h}-stondyn
_? is souereyne_--his sou{er}eyn
2955 _softly_--softtely
2957 _sommes_--somme
[_the_]--from C.
2959 _last[e]_--laste
2960 _greet[e]_--grete
2960, 2963 _au? ten_--owhten
2961 _seyne_--seyn
2965 _of hem_--of it
_herd_--MS. herde, C. herd
2967 _disposed[e]_--desposede
2968 _seyne distroied[e]_--seyn destroyede
2971 _swiche_--swych
_some_--som
2972 _so? e_--soth
_list_--liste
2973 _is_ (1)--be
_man_--omitted
_is_ (2)--nis
2974 _defendi? _--dowteth]
[Headnote:
EVIL HAS NO EXISTENCE. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ If he is almighty, there are, then, no limits to
his power? ]
but he q{uo}d she ? at is al my? ty ? ere nis no ? ing ? at he
ne may do.
[Sidenote: _B. _ He can doubtless do all things. ]
? at is so? e q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ May God do evil? ]
May god done yuel 2976
q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
nay for so? e q{uo}d. I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is evil nothing, since God, who is almighty,
cannot do it? ]
? ? an is yuel no ? ing
q{uo}d she. ? Syn ? at he ne may not done yuel ? at
may done alle ? inges.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Dost thou mock me or play with me, leading me with
thy arguments into an inextricable labyrinth, and enclosing me in
a wonderful circle of Divine Simplicity? ]
scornest ? ou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys
pleyest ? ou or deceiuest ? ou me. ? at hast so wouen me 2980
wi? ? i resou{n}s. ? e house of didalus so entrelaced. ? at it
is vnable to ben vnlaced. ? ou ? at o? er while entrest
? ere ? ou issest {and} o? er while issest ? ere ? ou entrest.
ne fooldest ? ou nat to gidre by replicac{i}ou{n} of wordes a 2984
maner wondirful cercle or envirounynge of symplicite
deuyne.
[Sidenote: For thou didst first begin with happiness, and didst
say that it was the sovereign good, and that it resided in God;
then, that God was that _Good_ and the perfection of happiness;
and, hence, thou didst infer that nobody could be happy unless he
became likewise a God. ]
?
For certys a litel her byforn{e} whan ? ou bygu{n}ne
atte blisfulnesse ? {o}u seidest ? at it is souereyne
good. {and} seidest ? at it is set in souereyne god. {and} ? at 2988
god is ? e ful[le] blisfulnesse. for whiche ? ou ? af[e] me
as a couenable ? ifte. ? at is to seyne ? {a}t no wy? t nis
blisful. but yif he be good al so ? er wi?
[Sidenote: Again, thou saidst that the very form of good was the
substance whereof God and happiness were composed, and that it was
the object and desire of all things in nature. ]
{and} seidest
eke ? at ? e forme of goode is ? e substaunce of god. {and} 2992
of blisfulnesse. {and} seidest ? {a}t ? ilke same oone is ? ilke
same goode ? at is requered {and} desired of al ? e kynde
of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou didst prove that God rules the world by his
goodness, and that all things willingly obeyed him; and that evil
has no existence. ]
{and} ? ou p{ro}euedest in disputynge ? at god
gouerne? alle [the] ? inges of ? e worlde by ? e gouernementys 2996
of bountee. {and} seydest ? at alle ? inges wolen
ybeyen to hym. and seidest ? at ? e nature of yuel nis
no ? ing.
[Sidenote: These truths you established by forcible and natural
arguments, and by no strained and far-fetched reasons. ]
{and} ? ise ? inges ne shewedest ? ou nat wi? no
resou{n}s ytake fro wi? oute but by proues in cercles {and} 3000
homelyche knowen. ? ? e whiche p{ro}eues drawen to hem
self hir fei? {and} hir accorde eu{er}iche [of] hem of o? er. ? an
seide she ? us.
[Sidenote: _P. _ I have not deluded you, for by the Divine aid we
have accomplished our chief task. ]
I ne scorne ? e nat ne pleye ne desseyue
? e. but I haue shewed to ? e ? inge ? at is grettest ouer [[pg 106]]
alle ? inges by ? e ? ifte of god ? at we some tyme prayden 3005
[Linenotes:
2975 _? ere_--ther
2976 _do_--C. omits
_so? e_--soth
_done_--don
2978, 2979 _done_--don
2980 _wouen_--MS. wonnen, C. wouen
2981 _house_--hows
2983 _? ere_ (_both_)--ther
2987 _atte_--at
2988 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
2989 _ful[le]_--fulle
_whiche_--which
_? af[e]_--yaue
2990 _? ifte_--yift
_seyne_--seyn
2992, 2994 _goode_--good
2993 _oone_--oon
2994 _al_--alle
2996 [_the_]--from C.
2998 _ybeyen_--obeyen
2999 _no_ (2)--none
3000 _ytake_--I-taken
3001 _homelyche_--hoomlich
3002 _eueriche_--eu{er}ich
[_of_]--from C.
3004 _? e ? inge_--the the thing
3005 _? ifte_--yift
_some tyme prayden_--whilom preyeden]
[Headnote:
GOD IS LIKE A SPHERE. ]
[Sidenote: I have proved to you that it is an essential property
of the Divine nature not to go out of itself, nor to receive into
itself anything extraneous. ]
? For ? is is ? e forme of [the] deuyne substaunce. ? at
is swiche ? at it ne slyde? nat in to outerest foreine
? inges. ne ne rec[e]yue? no st{ra}nge ? inges in hym. 3008
[Sidenote: Parmenides says of the Deity that _God is like a
well-rounded sphere_. ]
but ry? t as p{ar}maynws seide in grek of ? ilke deuyne substaunce.
he seide ? us ? at ? 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.
