sorweful
arm{ur}es manasyng
wi?
wi?
Chaucer - Boethius
holde?
ordre {and} kepi?
nature.
?
ilk ?
ing is {and} ha?
beynge.
but
? at ? ing ? at faile? of ? at. ? at is to seyne he ? {a}t forleti? naturel
ordre he for-leti? ? ilk beyng ? at is set in hys nature. but ? ou wolt
sein ? at shrewes mowen. ? Certys ? at ne denye I nat. ? but certys hir
power ne descende? nat of streng? e but of feblesse. for ? ei mowen don
wickednesses. ? e whiche ? ei ne my? ten nat don yif ? ei my? te{n} dwelle in
? e forme {and} in ? e doynge of goode folke. ? And ? ilke power shewe? ful
euydently ? at ? ei ne mowen ry? t nau? t. ? For so as I haue gadered {and}
p{ro}ued a lytel her byforn ? at yuel is nau? t. {and} so as shrewes mowen
oonly but shrewednesse. ? is conclusiou{n} is al clere. ? at shrewes ne
mowen ry? t nat to han power. and for as moche as ? ou vndirstonde whiche
is ? e streng? e ? at is power of shrewes. I haue diffinised a lytel here
byforn ? at no ? ing nis so my? ty as souereyne good ? ? at is so? e q{uo}d
. I. [{and} thilke same souereyn good may don non yuel // Certes no
q{uod} I] ? Is ? er any wy? t ? an q{uo}d she ? at weni? ? at men mowen don
alle ? inges. No man q{uo}d . I. but yif he be out of hys witte. ? but
certys sherewes mowen don yuel q{uo}d she. ? ? e wolde god q{uo}d I ? at
? ei ne my? te{n} don none. ? at q{uo}d she so as he ? at is my? ty to done
oonly but good[e] ? inges may don alle ? inges. and ? ei ? at ben my? ty to
done yuel[e] ? inges ne mowen nat alle ? inges. ? an is ? is open ? ing {and}
manifest ? at ? ei ? {a}t mowe{n} don yuel ben of lasse power. and ? itte to
p{ro}ue ? is conclusiou{n} ? ere helpe? me ? is ? at I haue shewed here
byforne. ? at al power is to be nou{m}bred amonge ? inges ? at men au? ten
requere. {and} haue shewed ? at alle ? i{n}ges ? at au? ten ben desired ben
referred to good ry? t as to a manere hey? te of hyr nature. ? But for to
mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. ? an nis
nat yuel of ? e nou{m}bre of ? inges ? at au? te{n}. be desired. but al
power au? t[e] ben desired {and} requered. ? ? an is it open {and} cler
? at ? e power ne ? e moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle ? ise
? inges it shewe? wel ? at ? e goode folk ben certeynly my? ty. {and} ? e
shrewes ben douteles vnmy? ty ? And it is clere {and} open ? at ? ilke
sentence of plato is uerray {and} so? e. ? {a}t sey? ? at oonly wiseme{n}
may [doon] ? at ? ei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten ? at hem lyke? .
but ? at ? ei desiren ? at is to seyne to comen to souereyne good ? ei ne
han no power to acomplissen ? at. ? For shrewes don ? at hem list whan by
? o ? inges in whiche ? ei deliten ? ei wenen to atteyne to ? ilke good ? at
? ei desiren. but ? ei ne geten ne atteynen nat ? er to. ? for vices ne
comen nat to blisfulnesse.
QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so ? at ? e couertures of her veyn apparailes my? t[e] strepen of
? ise proude kynges ? at ? ou seest sitten on hey? e in her chayeres
glyterynge in shynynge purpre envyroned wi?
sorweful arm{ur}es manasyng
wi? cruel mou? e. blowyng by woodnesse of herte. ? He sholde se ? an ? at
ilke lordes beren wi? i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for
leccherye tormenti? he{m} on ? at oon syde wi? gredy venyms {and}
troublable Ire ? at araise? in hem ? e floodes of troublynges tourmenti?
vpon ? at o? er side hir ? ou? t. or sorwe halt he{m} wery or ycau? t. or
slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope tourmenti? hem. And ? erfore syn ? ou seest
on heed. ? at is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many[e] tyrauntis. ? a{n} ne
do? ? ilk tyraunt nat ? at he desiri? . syn he is cast doune wi? so many[e]
wicked lordes. ? at is to seyn wi? so many[e] vices. ? at han so wicked
lordshipes ouer hym.
VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.
[Sidenote: [The iij. ^de p{ro}se. ]]
++SEest ? ou nat ? an in how gret fil? e ? ise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and}
wi? whiche cleernesse ? ise good folk shynen. In ? is shewe? it wel ? at to
good folk ne lakke? neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo
to{ur}mentis. for of alle ? inges ? at ben ydon ? ilke ? ing for whiche any
? ing is doon. it seme? as by ry? t ? at ? ilke ? ing be ? e mede of ? at. as
? us. ? yif a man renne? in ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge for ? e corone.
? an lie? ? e mede in ? e corone for whiche he renne? . ? And I haue shewed
? at blisfulnesse is ? ilke same good for whiche ? at alle ? i{n}g{us} ben
don. ? an is ? ilke same good p{ur}posed to ? e werkes of mankynde ry? t as
a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no
wy? t as by ry? t fro ? ennes for? e ? {a}t hym lakki? goodnesse ne shal ben
cleped good. For whiche ? ing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so ? at sherewes waxen as wood as hem
list a? eynes good[e] folk. ? itte neuer ? e les ? e corone of wise men ne
shal nat fallen ne faden. ? For foreine shrewednesse ne bynyme? nat fro
? e corages of good[e] folk hire p{ro}pre honoure. but yif ? at any wy? t
reioise? hem of goodnesse ? at ? ei had[de] taken fro wi? oute. as who sei?
yif [? {a}t] any wy? t had[de] hys goodnesse of any o? er man ? an of hym
self. certys he ? at ? af hym ? ilke goodnesse or ellys som o? er wy? t
my? t[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wy? t hys owen
p{ro}pre bounte ? eue? hy{m} hys mede. ? an at arst shal he faylen of mede
whan he forleti? to ben good. {and} at ? e laste so as alle medes be{n}
requered for men wenen ? at ? ei ben good[e]. who is he ? at wolde deme ? at
he ? at is ry? t my? ty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. {and} of what mede
shal he be gerdoned. certys of ry? t faire mede {and} ry? t greet abouen
alle medes. ? Remembre ? e of ? ilk noble corolarie ? at I ? af ? e a lytel
here byforne. {and} gadre it to gidre in ? is manere. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. ? an is it clere {and} certeyn. ? at alle good folk ben
makid blisful for ? ei ben good[e]. and ? ilke folk ? at ben blisful it
accordi? {and} is couenable to ben godde[s]. ? an is ? e mede of goode
folk swiche. ? at no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal
endirken it. ne power of no wy? t ne shal nat amenusen it ? at is to seyn
to ben maked goddes. ? and syn it is ? us ? at goode men ne faylen neuer
mo of hir{e} medes. ? certys no wise man ne may doute of ? e
vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ? ? at is to seyn ? at ? e peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}ti? nat from hem self neuer mo.
? at ? ing ? at faile? of ? at. ? at is to seyne he ? {a}t forleti? naturel
ordre he for-leti? ? ilk beyng ? at is set in hys nature. but ? ou wolt
sein ? at shrewes mowen. ? Certys ? at ne denye I nat. ? but certys hir
power ne descende? nat of streng? e but of feblesse. for ? ei mowen don
wickednesses. ? e whiche ? ei ne my? ten nat don yif ? ei my? te{n} dwelle in
? e forme {and} in ? e doynge of goode folke. ? And ? ilke power shewe? ful
euydently ? at ? ei ne mowen ry? t nau? t. ? For so as I haue gadered {and}
p{ro}ued a lytel her byforn ? at yuel is nau? t. {and} so as shrewes mowen
oonly but shrewednesse. ? is conclusiou{n} is al clere. ? at shrewes ne
mowen ry? t nat to han power. and for as moche as ? ou vndirstonde whiche
is ? e streng? e ? at is power of shrewes. I haue diffinised a lytel here
byforn ? at no ? ing nis so my? ty as souereyne good ? ? at is so? e q{uo}d
. I. [{and} thilke same souereyn good may don non yuel // Certes no
q{uod} I] ? Is ? er any wy? t ? an q{uo}d she ? at weni? ? at men mowen don
alle ? inges. No man q{uo}d . I. but yif he be out of hys witte. ? but
certys sherewes mowen don yuel q{uo}d she. ? ? e wolde god q{uo}d I ? at
? ei ne my? te{n} don none. ? at q{uo}d she so as he ? at is my? ty to done
oonly but good[e] ? inges may don alle ? inges. and ? ei ? at ben my? ty to
done yuel[e] ? inges ne mowen nat alle ? inges. ? an is ? is open ? ing {and}
manifest ? at ? ei ? {a}t mowe{n} don yuel ben of lasse power. and ? itte to
p{ro}ue ? is conclusiou{n} ? ere helpe? me ? is ? at I haue shewed here
byforne. ? at al power is to be nou{m}bred amonge ? inges ? at men au? ten
requere. {and} haue shewed ? at alle ? i{n}ges ? at au? ten ben desired ben
referred to good ry? t as to a manere hey? te of hyr nature. ? But for to
mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. ? an nis
nat yuel of ? e nou{m}bre of ? inges ? at au? te{n}. be desired. but al
power au? t[e] ben desired {and} requered. ? ? an is it open {and} cler
? at ? e power ne ? e moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle ? ise
? inges it shewe? wel ? at ? e goode folk ben certeynly my? ty. {and} ? e
shrewes ben douteles vnmy? ty ? And it is clere {and} open ? at ? ilke
sentence of plato is uerray {and} so? e. ? {a}t sey? ? at oonly wiseme{n}
may [doon] ? at ? ei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten ? at hem lyke? .
but ? at ? ei desiren ? at is to seyne to comen to souereyne good ? ei ne
han no power to acomplissen ? at. ? For shrewes don ? at hem list whan by
? o ? inges in whiche ? ei deliten ? ei wenen to atteyne to ? ilke good ? at
? ei desiren. but ? ei ne geten ne atteynen nat ? er to. ? for vices ne
comen nat to blisfulnesse.
QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so ? at ? e couertures of her veyn apparailes my? t[e] strepen of
? ise proude kynges ? at ? ou seest sitten on hey? e in her chayeres
glyterynge in shynynge purpre envyroned wi?
sorweful arm{ur}es manasyng
wi? cruel mou? e. blowyng by woodnesse of herte. ? He sholde se ? an ? at
ilke lordes beren wi? i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for
leccherye tormenti? he{m} on ? at oon syde wi? gredy venyms {and}
troublable Ire ? at araise? in hem ? e floodes of troublynges tourmenti?
vpon ? at o? er side hir ? ou? t. or sorwe halt he{m} wery or ycau? t. or
slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope tourmenti? hem. And ? erfore syn ? ou seest
on heed. ? at is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many[e] tyrauntis. ? a{n} ne
do? ? ilk tyraunt nat ? at he desiri? . syn he is cast doune wi? so many[e]
wicked lordes. ? at is to seyn wi? so many[e] vices. ? at han so wicked
lordshipes ouer hym.
VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.
[Sidenote: [The iij. ^de p{ro}se. ]]
++SEest ? ou nat ? an in how gret fil? e ? ise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and}
wi? whiche cleernesse ? ise good folk shynen. In ? is shewe? it wel ? at to
good folk ne lakke? neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo
to{ur}mentis. for of alle ? inges ? at ben ydon ? ilke ? ing for whiche any
? ing is doon. it seme? as by ry? t ? at ? ilke ? ing be ? e mede of ? at. as
? us. ? yif a man renne? in ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge for ? e corone.
? an lie? ? e mede in ? e corone for whiche he renne? . ? And I haue shewed
? at blisfulnesse is ? ilke same good for whiche ? at alle ? i{n}g{us} ben
don. ? an is ? ilke same good p{ur}posed to ? e werkes of mankynde ry? t as
a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no
wy? t as by ry? t fro ? ennes for? e ? {a}t hym lakki? goodnesse ne shal ben
cleped good. For whiche ? ing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so ? at sherewes waxen as wood as hem
list a? eynes good[e] folk. ? itte neuer ? e les ? e corone of wise men ne
shal nat fallen ne faden. ? For foreine shrewednesse ne bynyme? nat fro
? e corages of good[e] folk hire p{ro}pre honoure. but yif ? at any wy? t
reioise? hem of goodnesse ? at ? ei had[de] taken fro wi? oute. as who sei?
yif [? {a}t] any wy? t had[de] hys goodnesse of any o? er man ? an of hym
self. certys he ? at ? af hym ? ilke goodnesse or ellys som o? er wy? t
my? t[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wy? t hys owen
p{ro}pre bounte ? eue? hy{m} hys mede. ? an at arst shal he faylen of mede
whan he forleti? to ben good. {and} at ? e laste so as alle medes be{n}
requered for men wenen ? at ? ei ben good[e]. who is he ? at wolde deme ? at
he ? at is ry? t my? ty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. {and} of what mede
shal he be gerdoned. certys of ry? t faire mede {and} ry? t greet abouen
alle medes. ? Remembre ? e of ? ilk noble corolarie ? at I ? af ? e a lytel
here byforne. {and} gadre it to gidre in ? is manere. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. ? an is it clere {and} certeyn. ? at alle good folk ben
makid blisful for ? ei ben good[e]. and ? ilke folk ? at ben blisful it
accordi? {and} is couenable to ben godde[s]. ? an is ? e mede of goode
folk swiche. ? at no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal
endirken it. ne power of no wy? t ne shal nat amenusen it ? at is to seyn
to ben maked goddes. ? and syn it is ? us ? at goode men ne faylen neuer
mo of hir{e} medes. ? certys no wise man ne may doute of ? e
vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ? ? at is to seyn ? at ? e peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}ti? nat from hem self neuer mo.
