ei
v{er}tues
{and} folwen
vices.
vices.
Chaucer - Boethius
ne be more my?
ty
? an he ? at ne may nat
[Sidenote: _P. _ The good and bad seek the supreme good: the good
by the natural means of virtue--the wicked by gratifying divers
desires of earthly things (which is not the natural way of
obtaining it). ]
? but ? e souereyne good q{uo}d
she ? at is euenlyche p{ur}posed to ? e good folk {and} to 3244
badde. ? e good folke seken it by naturel office of
uertues. {and} ? e shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by
dyuerse couetise of er? ely ? inges. whiche ? at nis no
naturel office to geten ? ilke same souereyne goode. 3248
[Sidenote: Do you think otherwise? ]
trowest ? ou ? at it be any o? er wyse.
[Sidenote: _B. _ The consequence is plain, and that follows from
what has been granted--that the good are powerful, while the
wicked are feeble. ]
nay q{uo}d . I. for ? e
co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of ? inges ? at I haue
graunted. ? ? at nedes goode folk moten ben my? ty.
{and} shrewes feble {and} vnmy? ty.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You rightly anticipate me; for it is a good sign,
as physicians well know, when Nature exerts herself and resists
the malady. ]
? ? ou rennest ary? t 3252
byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} ? is is ? e iugement ? at is to
seyn. ? I iuge of ? e ry? t as ? ise leches ben wont forto
hopen of seke folk whan ? ei ap{er}ceyuen ? at nature is
redressed {and} wi? stonde? to ? e maladie.
[Sidenote: But, as you are so quick of apprehension, I shall
continue this mode of reasoning. ]
? But for I 3256
see ? e now al redy to ? e vndirstandynge I shal shewe
? e more ? ilke {and} continuel resou{n}s.
[Sidenote: The weakness of the wicked is conspicuous--they cannot
attain the end to which their natural disposition prompts and
almost compels them; what would become of them without this
natural prompting, so powerful and irresistible? ]
? For loke now
how gretly shewi? ? e feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked [[pg 115]]
folke. ? at ne mowen nat come to ? at hire naturel 3260
entenc{i}ou{n} lede? hem. {and} ? itte almost ? ilk naturel
entenc{i}ou{n} constreine? hem. ? and what wer{e} to deme
? an of shrewes. yif ? ilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten
hem. ? ? e whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} go? alwey 3264
byforne hem. {and} is so grete ? at vnne? it may be
ou{er}comen.
[Sidenote: Consider how great is the impotence of the wicked. (The
greater the things desired, but unaccomplished, the less is the
power of him that desires, and is unable to attain his end. )]
? Considre ? an how gret defaute of power
{and} how gret feblesse ? ere is in grete felonous folk as
who sei? ? e gretter ? i{n}ges ? at ben coueited {and} ? e desire 3268
nat accomplissed of ? e lasse my? t is he ? at coueite? it
{and} may nat acomplisse. ? And for? i philosophie sei?
? us by souereyne good.
[Sidenote: The wicked seek after no trivial things--which they
fail to obtain; but they aspire in vain to the sovereign good,
which they endeavour day and night to obtain. ]
? Sherewes ne requere nat
ly? t[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche ? ei ne may nat 3272
folwen ne holden. but ? ei fayle{n} of ? ilke some of ? e
hey? te of ? inges ? at is to seyne souereyne good. ne ? ise
wrecches ne comen nat to ? e effect of souereyne good.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 26. ]]
*? e whiche ? ei enforcen hem oonly to gete{n} by ny? tes 3276
{and} by dayes.
[Sidenote: The good attain the end of their desires, and therein
their power is manifested. ]
? In ? e getyn[g] of whiche goode ? e
streng? e of good folk. is ful wel ysen.
[Sidenote: For as you deem him a good walker that goes to the end
of his journey, so you must esteem him powerful that attains his
desires, beyond which there is nothing to desire. ]
For ry? t so as
? {o}u my? test demen hym my? ty of goynge ? at go? on
hys feet til he my? t[e] come to ? ilke place fro ? e whiche 3280
place ? ere ne lay no wey for? er to be gon. Ry? t so
most ? ou nedes demen hym for ry? t my? ty ? at geti?
{and} atteini? to ? e ende of alle ? inges ? at ben to desire.
by-? onde ? e whiche ende ? at ? er nis no ? ing to desire. 3284
[Linenotes:
3226 _? ilk_--thilke
3229 _owen_--owne
3231 _wilt_--wolt
_herkene_--herkne
3232 _pleynely_--pleynly
_denye_--denoye
3233 _moeuement? _--Moeuement
3237 _go? _--MS. go? e
_hys_--hise
3238 _gone_--goon
3239 _hys_--hise
_whiche_--which
3240 _more_--the Moore
_fur? e_--forth
3242 _gone_--gon
3245 _good_--goode
3246 _uertues_--vertuus
3247 _whiche_--which
3248 _goode_--good
3253 _byfore_--by-forn
3254 _forto_--to
3255 _seke_--sike
3259 _wicked_--wikkede
3260 _come_--comyn
3261 _? ilk_--thilke
3262 _deme_--demen
3263-4 _helpe_--help
3264 _whiche_--which
_go? _--MS. go? e
3265 _grete_--gret
_vnne? _--vnnethe
_be ouercomen_--ben ou{er}come
3267 _? ere_--ther
_grete_--wikkede
3268 _? inges_--thing
_ben_--is
3271 _Sherewes ne requere_--ne shrewes ne requeren
3272 _ly? t[e]_--lyhte
_veyne_--veyn
_nat_--omitted
3276 _whiche_--which
3277 _getyn[g]_--getinge
_whiche goode_--which good
3278 _ysen_--MS. and C. ysene
3279 _go? _--MS. go? e
3280 _my? t[e]_--myhte
3281 _? ere_--ther
_lay_--laye
_for? er_--forthere
_be_--ben
3283 _desire_--desired
3284 _? at_--omitted]
[Headnote:
THE WICKED HAVE NO REAL EXISTENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Wicked men, then, are destitute of those powers which
the good so amply possess. ]
? Of whiche power of good folk men may conclude ? at
wicked men semen to ben bareyne {and} naked of alle
streng? e.
[Sidenote: Wherefore do they leave virtue, and follow vice? Is it
because they are ignorant of good? ]
For whi forleten ?
ei v{er}tues {and} folwen
vices. nis it nat for ? at ? ei ne knowen nat ? e goodes. 3288
[Sidenote: What is more weak and base than the blindness of
ignorance? Or do they know the way they ought to follow, but are
led astray by lust and covetousness? ]
? But what ? ing is more feble {and} more caitif ? an is ? e [[pg 116]]
blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys ? ei knowen ful wel
whiche ? inges ? at ? ei au? ten to folwen ? but lecherye
{and} couetise ouer? rowe? hem mysturned.
[Sidenote: And so, indeed, weak-minded men are overpowered by
intemperance, for they cannot resist vicious temptations. ]
? and certis 3292
so do? distemp{er}aunce to feble men. ? at ne mowe{n} nat
wrastle a? eins ? e vices
[Sidenote: Do they willingly desert Good and turn to Evil? If they
do so, they not only cease to be powerful, but even cease to
exist. ]
? Ne knowen ? ei nat ? an wel
? at ? ei foreleten ? e good wilfully. {and} turnen hem vilfully
to vices. ? And in ? is wise ? ei ne forleten nat 3296
oonly to ben my? ty. but ? ei forleten al outerly in any
wise forto ben
[Sidenote: For those who neglect the common end of all beings,
cease to exist. ]
? For ? ei ? at forleten ? e comune fyn of
alle ? inges ? at ben. ? ei for-leten also ? erwi? al forto
ben.
[Sidenote: You may marvel that I assert that the wicked, the
majority of the human race, have no existence--but it is, however,
most true. ]
and p{er}auenture it sholde semen to som folk ? at 3300
? is were a merueile to seyne ? at shrewes whiche ? at
contienen ? e more p{ar}tie of me{n} ne ben nat. ne han no
beynge. ? but na? eles it is so. {and} ? us stant ? is ? ing
[Sidenote: That the wicked are bad I do not deny--but I do not
admit that they have any real existence. ]
for ? ei ? at ben shrewes I denye nat ? at ? ei ben shrewes. 3304
but I denye {and} sey[e] symplely and pleynly ? at ? ei
[ne] ben nat. ne han no beynge.
[Sidenote: You may call a corpse a dead man, but you cannot with
propriety call it a man. ]
for ry? t as ? ou my? test
seyn of ? e careyne of a man ? at it were a ded man.
? but ? ou ne my? test nat symplely callen it a man. 3308
[Sidenote: So the vicious are profligate men, but I cannot confess
they absolutely exist. ]
? So graunt[e] I wel for so? e ? at vicious folk ben
wicked. but I ne may nat graunten absolutely {and}
symplely ? at ? ei ben.
[Sidenote: That thing exists that preserves its rank, nature, and
constitution, but when it loses these essentials it ceases to be. ]
? For ? ilk ? ing ? at wi?
holde? ordre {and} kepi? nature. ? ilk ? ing is {and} ha? 3312
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.
[Sidenote: But, you may say that the wicked have a _power_ to act,
nor do I deny it; but their power is an effect of weakness. ]
but ? ou wolt sein ? at shrewes
mowen. ? Certys ? at ne denye I nat. ? but certys 3316
hir power ne descende? nat of streng? e but of feblesse.
[Sidenote: They can do evil, but this they could not do, if they
retained the power of doing good. ]
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. [[pg 117]]
[Sidenote: This power, then, clearly shows their impotence. ]
? And ? ilke power 3320
shewe? ful euydently ? at ? ei ne mowen ry? t nau? t.
[Linenotes:
3285 _whiche_--the which
_? at_--? {a}t the
3286 _ben_--be
3291 _au? ten to folwen_--owhten folwe
3293 _do? _--MS. do? e, C. doth
3394 _wrastle_--wrastlen
3295 _vilfully_--wilsfully
3297 _outerly_--owtrely
3301 _seyne_--seyen
3304-5 _denye_--denoye
3305 _sey[e] symplely_--seye sympeli
3306 [_ne_]--from C.
3307 _seyn_--seyen
3309 _graunt[e]_--graunte
3311-12 _? ilk_--thilke
3312 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3313 _? at_ (1)--what
_seyne_--seyn
3314 _? ilk_--thilke
3315 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
3316 _denye_--denoye
3318 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3319 _my? ten_ (1)--myhte
_dwelle_--dwellin
3320 _goode_--good]
[Headnote:
POWER, AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE CHIEF GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: For as evil is nothing, it is clear that while the
wicked can only do evil they can do nothing. ]
? 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 3324
shrewes ne mowen ry? t nat to han power.
[Sidenote: That you may understand the force of this power, I have
proved that nothing is more powerful than the sovereign good. ]
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
[Sidenote: _B. _ That is true. ]
? ? at is 3328
so?
? an he ? at ne may nat
[Sidenote: _P. _ The good and bad seek the supreme good: the good
by the natural means of virtue--the wicked by gratifying divers
desires of earthly things (which is not the natural way of
obtaining it). ]
? but ? e souereyne good q{uo}d
she ? at is euenlyche p{ur}posed to ? e good folk {and} to 3244
badde. ? e good folke seken it by naturel office of
uertues. {and} ? e shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by
dyuerse couetise of er? ely ? inges. whiche ? at nis no
naturel office to geten ? ilke same souereyne goode. 3248
[Sidenote: Do you think otherwise? ]
trowest ? ou ? at it be any o? er wyse.
[Sidenote: _B. _ The consequence is plain, and that follows from
what has been granted--that the good are powerful, while the
wicked are feeble. ]
nay q{uo}d . I. for ? e
co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of ? inges ? at I haue
graunted. ? ? at nedes goode folk moten ben my? ty.
{and} shrewes feble {and} vnmy? ty.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You rightly anticipate me; for it is a good sign,
as physicians well know, when Nature exerts herself and resists
the malady. ]
? ? ou rennest ary? t 3252
byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} ? is is ? e iugement ? at is to
seyn. ? I iuge of ? e ry? t as ? ise leches ben wont forto
hopen of seke folk whan ? ei ap{er}ceyuen ? at nature is
redressed {and} wi? stonde? to ? e maladie.
[Sidenote: But, as you are so quick of apprehension, I shall
continue this mode of reasoning. ]
? But for I 3256
see ? e now al redy to ? e vndirstandynge I shal shewe
? e more ? ilke {and} continuel resou{n}s.
[Sidenote: The weakness of the wicked is conspicuous--they cannot
attain the end to which their natural disposition prompts and
almost compels them; what would become of them without this
natural prompting, so powerful and irresistible? ]
? For loke now
how gretly shewi? ? e feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked [[pg 115]]
folke. ? at ne mowen nat come to ? at hire naturel 3260
entenc{i}ou{n} lede? hem. {and} ? itte almost ? ilk naturel
entenc{i}ou{n} constreine? hem. ? and what wer{e} to deme
? an of shrewes. yif ? ilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten
hem. ? ? e whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} go? alwey 3264
byforne hem. {and} is so grete ? at vnne? it may be
ou{er}comen.
[Sidenote: Consider how great is the impotence of the wicked. (The
greater the things desired, but unaccomplished, the less is the
power of him that desires, and is unable to attain his end. )]
? Considre ? an how gret defaute of power
{and} how gret feblesse ? ere is in grete felonous folk as
who sei? ? e gretter ? i{n}ges ? at ben coueited {and} ? e desire 3268
nat accomplissed of ? e lasse my? t is he ? at coueite? it
{and} may nat acomplisse. ? And for? i philosophie sei?
? us by souereyne good.
[Sidenote: The wicked seek after no trivial things--which they
fail to obtain; but they aspire in vain to the sovereign good,
which they endeavour day and night to obtain. ]
? Sherewes ne requere nat
ly? t[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche ? ei ne may nat 3272
folwen ne holden. but ? ei fayle{n} of ? ilke some of ? e
hey? te of ? inges ? at is to seyne souereyne good. ne ? ise
wrecches ne comen nat to ? e effect of souereyne good.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 26. ]]
*? e whiche ? ei enforcen hem oonly to gete{n} by ny? tes 3276
{and} by dayes.
[Sidenote: The good attain the end of their desires, and therein
their power is manifested. ]
? In ? e getyn[g] of whiche goode ? e
streng? e of good folk. is ful wel ysen.
[Sidenote: For as you deem him a good walker that goes to the end
of his journey, so you must esteem him powerful that attains his
desires, beyond which there is nothing to desire. ]
For ry? t so as
? {o}u my? test demen hym my? ty of goynge ? at go? on
hys feet til he my? t[e] come to ? ilke place fro ? e whiche 3280
place ? ere ne lay no wey for? er to be gon. Ry? t so
most ? ou nedes demen hym for ry? t my? ty ? at geti?
{and} atteini? to ? e ende of alle ? inges ? at ben to desire.
by-? onde ? e whiche ende ? at ? er nis no ? ing to desire. 3284
[Linenotes:
3226 _? ilk_--thilke
3229 _owen_--owne
3231 _wilt_--wolt
_herkene_--herkne
3232 _pleynely_--pleynly
_denye_--denoye
3233 _moeuement? _--Moeuement
3237 _go? _--MS. go? e
_hys_--hise
3238 _gone_--goon
3239 _hys_--hise
_whiche_--which
3240 _more_--the Moore
_fur? e_--forth
3242 _gone_--gon
3245 _good_--goode
3246 _uertues_--vertuus
3247 _whiche_--which
3248 _goode_--good
3253 _byfore_--by-forn
3254 _forto_--to
3255 _seke_--sike
3259 _wicked_--wikkede
3260 _come_--comyn
3261 _? ilk_--thilke
3262 _deme_--demen
3263-4 _helpe_--help
3264 _whiche_--which
_go? _--MS. go? e
3265 _grete_--gret
_vnne? _--vnnethe
_be ouercomen_--ben ou{er}come
3267 _? ere_--ther
_grete_--wikkede
3268 _? inges_--thing
_ben_--is
3271 _Sherewes ne requere_--ne shrewes ne requeren
3272 _ly? t[e]_--lyhte
_veyne_--veyn
_nat_--omitted
3276 _whiche_--which
3277 _getyn[g]_--getinge
_whiche goode_--which good
3278 _ysen_--MS. and C. ysene
3279 _go? _--MS. go? e
3280 _my? t[e]_--myhte
3281 _? ere_--ther
_lay_--laye
_for? er_--forthere
_be_--ben
3283 _desire_--desired
3284 _? at_--omitted]
[Headnote:
THE WICKED HAVE NO REAL EXISTENCE. ]
[Sidenote: Wicked men, then, are destitute of those powers which
the good so amply possess. ]
? Of whiche power of good folk men may conclude ? at
wicked men semen to ben bareyne {and} naked of alle
streng? e.
[Sidenote: Wherefore do they leave virtue, and follow vice? Is it
because they are ignorant of good? ]
For whi forleten ?
ei v{er}tues {and} folwen
vices. nis it nat for ? at ? ei ne knowen nat ? e goodes. 3288
[Sidenote: What is more weak and base than the blindness of
ignorance? Or do they know the way they ought to follow, but are
led astray by lust and covetousness? ]
? But what ? ing is more feble {and} more caitif ? an is ? e [[pg 116]]
blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys ? ei knowen ful wel
whiche ? inges ? at ? ei au? ten to folwen ? but lecherye
{and} couetise ouer? rowe? hem mysturned.
[Sidenote: And so, indeed, weak-minded men are overpowered by
intemperance, for they cannot resist vicious temptations. ]
? and certis 3292
so do? distemp{er}aunce to feble men. ? at ne mowe{n} nat
wrastle a? eins ? e vices
[Sidenote: Do they willingly desert Good and turn to Evil? If they
do so, they not only cease to be powerful, but even cease to
exist. ]
? Ne knowen ? ei nat ? an wel
? at ? ei foreleten ? e good wilfully. {and} turnen hem vilfully
to vices. ? And in ? is wise ? ei ne forleten nat 3296
oonly to ben my? ty. but ? ei forleten al outerly in any
wise forto ben
[Sidenote: For those who neglect the common end of all beings,
cease to exist. ]
? For ? ei ? at forleten ? e comune fyn of
alle ? inges ? at ben. ? ei for-leten also ? erwi? al forto
ben.
[Sidenote: You may marvel that I assert that the wicked, the
majority of the human race, have no existence--but it is, however,
most true. ]
and p{er}auenture it sholde semen to som folk ? at 3300
? is were a merueile to seyne ? at shrewes whiche ? at
contienen ? e more p{ar}tie of me{n} ne ben nat. ne han no
beynge. ? but na? eles it is so. {and} ? us stant ? is ? ing
[Sidenote: That the wicked are bad I do not deny--but I do not
admit that they have any real existence. ]
for ? ei ? at ben shrewes I denye nat ? at ? ei ben shrewes. 3304
but I denye {and} sey[e] symplely and pleynly ? at ? ei
[ne] ben nat. ne han no beynge.
[Sidenote: You may call a corpse a dead man, but you cannot with
propriety call it a man. ]
for ry? t as ? ou my? test
seyn of ? e careyne of a man ? at it were a ded man.
? but ? ou ne my? test nat symplely callen it a man. 3308
[Sidenote: So the vicious are profligate men, but I cannot confess
they absolutely exist. ]
? So graunt[e] I wel for so? e ? at vicious folk ben
wicked. but I ne may nat graunten absolutely {and}
symplely ? at ? ei ben.
[Sidenote: That thing exists that preserves its rank, nature, and
constitution, but when it loses these essentials it ceases to be. ]
? For ? ilk ? ing ? at wi?
holde? ordre {and} kepi? nature. ? ilk ? ing is {and} ha? 3312
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.
[Sidenote: But, you may say that the wicked have a _power_ to act,
nor do I deny it; but their power is an effect of weakness. ]
but ? ou wolt sein ? at shrewes
mowen. ? Certys ? at ne denye I nat. ? but certys 3316
hir power ne descende? nat of streng? e but of feblesse.
[Sidenote: They can do evil, but this they could not do, if they
retained the power of doing good. ]
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. [[pg 117]]
[Sidenote: This power, then, clearly shows their impotence. ]
? And ? ilke power 3320
shewe? ful euydently ? at ? ei ne mowen ry? t nau? t.
[Linenotes:
3285 _whiche_--the which
_? at_--? {a}t the
3286 _ben_--be
3291 _au? ten to folwen_--owhten folwe
3293 _do? _--MS. do? e, C. doth
3394 _wrastle_--wrastlen
3295 _vilfully_--wilsfully
3297 _outerly_--owtrely
3301 _seyne_--seyen
3304-5 _denye_--denoye
3305 _sey[e] symplely_--seye sympeli
3306 [_ne_]--from C.
3307 _seyn_--seyen
3309 _graunt[e]_--graunte
3311-12 _? ilk_--thilke
3312 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3313 _? at_ (1)--what
_seyne_--seyn
3314 _? ilk_--thilke
3315 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
3316 _denye_--denoye
3318 _don_--MS. done, C. don
3319 _my? ten_ (1)--myhte
_dwelle_--dwellin
3320 _goode_--good]
[Headnote:
POWER, AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE CHIEF GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: For as evil is nothing, it is clear that while the
wicked can only do evil they can do nothing. ]
? 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 3324
shrewes ne mowen ry? t nat to han power.
[Sidenote: That you may understand the force of this power, I have
proved that nothing is more powerful than the sovereign good. ]
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
[Sidenote: _B. _ That is true. ]
? ? at is 3328
so?
