e 1512
see {and} [the] mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as
myche space as ?
see {and} [the] mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as
myche space as ?
Chaucer - Boethius
t[e]_--owht
1453 _al_--alle
1454 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1455 _sene_--I-seene]
[[pg 55]]
[Headnote:
NERO'S CRUELTY. ]
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: We know what ruin Nero did. ]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and}
destrucc{i}ou{n}s weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero.
[Sidenote: He burnt Rome, he slew the conscript fathers, murdered
his brother, and spilt his mother's blood. ]
? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome {and} made slen ? e 1460
senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er. {and}
he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is
to seyn he let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to
seen where he was conceiued.
[Sidenote: He looked unmoved upon his mother's corpse, and passed
judgment upon her beauty. ]
{and} he loked[e] on euery 1464
half vpon hir colde dede body. ne no tere ne wette
his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute.
[Sidenote: Yet this parricide ruled over all lands, illumined by
the sun in his diurnal course, and controlled the frozen regions
of the pole. ]
? And ? itte
neuer? eles gouerned[e] ? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples 1468
? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng from his outerest
arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial
? at ? e so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And 1472
eke ? is Nero goueyrende by Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at
ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e seuene triones.
? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben vndir
? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e.
[Sidenote: He governed, too, the people in the torrid zone. ]
? And eke Nero gouerned[e] 1476
alle ? e poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi?
{and} baki? ? e brennynge sandes by his drie hete. ? at
is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[Sidenote: But yet Nero's power could not tame his ferocious
mind. ]
[but yit ne
myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of 1480
this wykkyd nero /
[Sidenote: It is a grievous thing when power strengthens the arm
of him whose will prompts him to deeds of cruelty. ]
Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as
ofte as wicked swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is
to sein. venimous cruelte to lordshipe.
[Linenotes:
1458 _greet[e]_--grete
1460 _letee_--let
1461 _somtyme slou? _--whilom slow
1463 _let_--lette
1464 _where_--wher
1465 _half_--halue
1466 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1467 _hire_--hyr
1468 _neuer? eles_--natheles
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
_al_--alle
1469 _from_--fram
_outerest_--owtereste
1470 _hidde_--hide
1471 _seyne_--seyn
1472 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
1473 _goueyrende_--gou{er}nyd
1474 _triones_--tyryones
1475 _gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1476 _parties_--p{ar}ty
_nor? e_--north
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1477 _wynde_--wynd
_scorchi? _--scorklith
1479 _seyne_--seyn
_sou? e_--sowth
1479-81 [_but----it is_]--MS. _has_: but ne how greuous fortune is
1482 _swerde_--swerd]
[[pg 56]]
[Headnote:
THE LOVE OF GLORY. ]
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thou knowest that I did not covet mortal and
transitory things. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e 1484
couetise of mortal ? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe
of me. but I haue wel desired matere of ? inges
to done. as who sei? .
[Sidenote: I only wished to exercise my virtue in public concerns,
lest it should grow feeble by inactivity. ]
I desired[e] to han matere of
gou{er}naunce ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne 1488
sholde not elden. ? at is to seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex
olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille. ne sholde
nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune.
? For whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his 1492
goode gouernement.
[Sidenote: _P. _ A love of glory is one of those things that may
captivate minds naturally great, but not yet arrived at the
perfection of virtue. ]
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d
she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may drawen to gouernaunce
swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir nature.
but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as 1496
ben y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is
to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel
administred ? e comune ? inges. or doon goode decertes
to p{ro}fit of ? e comune.
[Sidenote: But consider how small and void of weight is that
glory. ]
for se now {and} considere how 1500
litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
[Sidenote: Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a
speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing
if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere. ]
? Certeine
? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute
ne halt but ? e resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ? e gretnesse 1504
of heuene. ? at is to seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were
maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e gretnesse of
heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde
no space
[Sidenote: Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is
inhabited by living creatures. ]
? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde 1508
? e fer? e partie is enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at
we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned by tholome ? at
p{ro}uit? it.
[Sidenote: Deduct from this the space occupied by seas, marshes,
lakes, and deserts, and there remains but a small proportion left
for the abode of man. ]
? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ?
e 1512
see {and} [the] mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as
myche space as ? e regiou{n} of droughte ou{er}strecche? .
[Linenotes:
1487 _desired[e]_--desyr{e}
1489 _wex olde_--wax old
1492 _whiche_--which
_speke_--spekyn
1496 _tollen_--MS. tellen, C. tollen
1497 _ful[le]_--fulle
1501 _al prise_--alle prys
1505 _seye_--seyn
1507 _wolde_--woldyn
_alle_--al
[_ne_]--from C.
1510 _lerned_--ylerned
1512 _? ou? te_--thowht
_myche_--moche
1513 [_the_]--from C.
1514 _myche space_--moche spaces]
[[pg 57]]
[Headnote:
FAME IS CIRCUMSCRIBED. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 14 _b_. ]]
? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne? sholde
*? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of 1516
men.
[Sidenote: And do you, who are confined to the least point of this
point, think of nothing but of blazing far and wide your name and
reputation? ]
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi?
i{n}ne ? e leest[e] prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to
manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don ? oure name to ben
born for? e.
[Sidenote: What is there great in a glory so circumscribed? ]
but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and} so 1520
streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche
contein? e it in largesse {and} in greet doynge.
[Sidenote: Even in this contracted circle, there is a great
variety of nations, to whom not only the fame of particular men,
but even of great cities, cannot extend. ]
And also
sette ? is ? er to ? at many a nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge
{and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of hir lyuyng ben 1524
enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what
for diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of
vnusage entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e 1528
names of singler men ne may [nat] strecchen. but eke
? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
[Sidenote: In the time of Marcus Tullius the fame of Rome did not
reach beyond Mount Caucasus. ]
? At ? e
last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym
self write? in his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of 1532
Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e
mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was ? ilk
tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes.
and eke of o? er folk enhabityng aboute.
[Sidenote: How narrow, then, is that glory which you labour to
propagate. ]
? Sest ? ou 1536
nat ? an how streit {and} how comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie
? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and} to multiplie.
[Sidenote: Shall the glory of a Roman citizen reach those places
where the name even of Rome was never heard? ]
May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider
as ? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne 1540
passen.
[Sidenote: Customs and institutions differ in different
countries. ]
? And eke sest ? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of
diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben discordau{n}t amonge
hem self.
[Sidenote: What is praise-worthy in one is blame-worthy in
another. ]
so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen wor? i of
p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. 1544
[Linenotes:
1515 _seye_--seyn
1516 _streite_--streyt
1517 _? an_--thanne
1518 _inne_--in
_leest[e]_--leste
_? ilk_--thilke
_? enke ? e_--thinken ye
1520 _born for? e_--MS. borne, C. born, forth
_narwe_--narwh
1521 _streyt_--streyte
_myche_--mochel
1522 _contein? e_--coueyteth
1525 _habitacle_--MS. habitache, C. habytacule
1529 [_nat_]--from C.
1531 _last[e]_--laste
1532 _write? _--writ
1533 _hadde_--hadden
_? itte_--omitted
1534 _hy? t_--hyhte
_? ilk_--thikke
1535 _wexen_--waxen
1536 _Sest ? ou_--sestow
1538 _shew_--shewe
1539 _singlere_--singler]
[Headnote:
FAME IS NOT ETERNAL. ]
[Sidenote: It is not the interest of any man who desires renown to
have his name spread through many countries. ]
? and ? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in
p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}. he ne may nat i{n} no wise [[pg 58]]
bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many manere
peoples.
[Sidenote: He ought, therefore, to be satisfied with the glory he
has acquired at home. ]
? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben 1548
paied of hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen
ney? bores.
[Sidenote: But of how many personages, illustrious in their times,
have the memorials been lost through the carelessness and neglect
of writers. ]
? And ? ilke noble renou{n} shal be
restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but how
many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e 1552
nedy {and} wrecched for? etynge of writers put oute of
mynde {and} don awey.
[Sidenote: But writings do not preserve the names of men for
ever. ]
? Al be it so ? at certys ? ilke
writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe {and}
derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. 1556
[Sidenote: But perhaps you suppose that you shall secure
immortality if your names are transmitted to future ages. ]
but ? e men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e
? enke ? at in tyme comyng ? oure fame shal lasten.
[Sidenote: If you consider the infinite space of eternity you will
have no reason to rejoice in this supposition. ]
? But
na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n} to ? e endeles
space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou 1560
maist reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name.
[Sidenote: If a _moment_ be compared with 10,000 years, there is a
proportion between them, though a very small one. ]
? For
if ? er were maked co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a
mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for as myche as bo? e
? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some 1564
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be.
[Sidenote: But this number of years, multiplied by whatever sum
you please, vanishes when compared with the infinite extent of
eternity. ]
? But na? eles
? ilke self nou{m}bre of ? eres.
1453 _al_--alle
1454 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1455 _sene_--I-seene]
[[pg 55]]
[Headnote:
NERO'S CRUELTY. ]
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: We know what ruin Nero did. ]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and}
destrucc{i}ou{n}s weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero.
[Sidenote: He burnt Rome, he slew the conscript fathers, murdered
his brother, and spilt his mother's blood. ]
? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome {and} made slen ? e 1460
senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er. {and}
he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is
to seyn he let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to
seen where he was conceiued.
[Sidenote: He looked unmoved upon his mother's corpse, and passed
judgment upon her beauty. ]
{and} he loked[e] on euery 1464
half vpon hir colde dede body. ne no tere ne wette
his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute.
[Sidenote: Yet this parricide ruled over all lands, illumined by
the sun in his diurnal course, and controlled the frozen regions
of the pole. ]
? And ? itte
neuer? eles gouerned[e] ? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples 1468
? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng from his outerest
arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial
? at ? e so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And 1472
eke ? is Nero goueyrende by Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at
ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e seuene triones.
? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben vndir
? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e.
[Sidenote: He governed, too, the people in the torrid zone. ]
? And eke Nero gouerned[e] 1476
alle ? e poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi?
{and} baki? ? e brennynge sandes by his drie hete. ? at
is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[Sidenote: But yet Nero's power could not tame his ferocious
mind. ]
[but yit ne
myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of 1480
this wykkyd nero /
[Sidenote: It is a grievous thing when power strengthens the arm
of him whose will prompts him to deeds of cruelty. ]
Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as
ofte as wicked swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is
to sein. venimous cruelte to lordshipe.
[Linenotes:
1458 _greet[e]_--grete
1460 _letee_--let
1461 _somtyme slou? _--whilom slow
1463 _let_--lette
1464 _where_--wher
1465 _half_--halue
1466 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1467 _hire_--hyr
1468 _neuer? eles_--natheles
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
_al_--alle
1469 _from_--fram
_outerest_--owtereste
1470 _hidde_--hide
1471 _seyne_--seyn
1472 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
1473 _goueyrende_--gou{er}nyd
1474 _triones_--tyryones
1475 _gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1476 _parties_--p{ar}ty
_nor? e_--north
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1477 _wynde_--wynd
_scorchi? _--scorklith
1479 _seyne_--seyn
_sou? e_--sowth
1479-81 [_but----it is_]--MS. _has_: but ne how greuous fortune is
1482 _swerde_--swerd]
[[pg 56]]
[Headnote:
THE LOVE OF GLORY. ]
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thou knowest that I did not covet mortal and
transitory things. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e 1484
couetise of mortal ? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe
of me. but I haue wel desired matere of ? inges
to done. as who sei? .
[Sidenote: I only wished to exercise my virtue in public concerns,
lest it should grow feeble by inactivity. ]
I desired[e] to han matere of
gou{er}naunce ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne 1488
sholde not elden. ? at is to seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex
olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille. ne sholde
nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune.
? For whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his 1492
goode gouernement.
[Sidenote: _P. _ A love of glory is one of those things that may
captivate minds naturally great, but not yet arrived at the
perfection of virtue. ]
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d
she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may drawen to gouernaunce
swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir nature.
but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as 1496
ben y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is
to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel
administred ? e comune ? inges. or doon goode decertes
to p{ro}fit of ? e comune.
[Sidenote: But consider how small and void of weight is that
glory. ]
for se now {and} considere how 1500
litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
[Sidenote: Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a
speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing
if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere. ]
? Certeine
? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute
ne halt but ? e resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ? e gretnesse 1504
of heuene. ? at is to seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were
maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e gretnesse of
heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde
no space
[Sidenote: Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is
inhabited by living creatures. ]
? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde 1508
? e fer? e partie is enhabitid wi? lyuyng beestes ? at
we knowen. as ? ou hast ? i self lerned by tholome ? at
p{ro}uit? it.
[Sidenote: Deduct from this the space occupied by seas, marshes,
lakes, and deserts, and there remains but a small proportion left
for the abode of man. ]
? yif ? ou haddest wi? drawen {and} abated
in ? i ? ou? te fro ? ilke fer? e partie as myche space as ?
e 1512
see {and} [the] mareys contenen {and} ouergon {and} as
myche space as ? e regiou{n} of droughte ou{er}strecche? .
[Linenotes:
1487 _desired[e]_--desyr{e}
1489 _wex olde_--wax old
1492 _whiche_--which
_speke_--spekyn
1496 _tollen_--MS. tellen, C. tollen
1497 _ful[le]_--fulle
1501 _al prise_--alle prys
1505 _seye_--seyn
1507 _wolde_--woldyn
_alle_--al
[_ne_]--from C.
1510 _lerned_--ylerned
1512 _? ou? te_--thowht
_myche_--moche
1513 [_the_]--from C.
1514 _myche space_--moche spaces]
[[pg 57]]
[Headnote:
FAME IS CIRCUMSCRIBED. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 14 _b_. ]]
? at is to seye sandes {and} desertes wel vnne? sholde
*? er dwellen a ry? t streite place to ? e habitaciou{n} of 1516
men.
[Sidenote: And do you, who are confined to the least point of this
point, think of nothing but of blazing far and wide your name and
reputation? ]
{and} ? e ? an ? at ben environed {and} closed wi?
i{n}ne ? e leest[e] prikke of ? ilk prikke ? enke ? e to
manifesten ? oure renou{n} {and} don ? oure name to ben
born for? e.
[Sidenote: What is there great in a glory so circumscribed? ]
but ? our{e} glorie ? at is so narwe {and} so 1520
streyt y? ronge{n} in to so litel boundes. how myche
contein? e it in largesse {and} in greet doynge.
[Sidenote: Even in this contracted circle, there is a great
variety of nations, to whom not only the fame of particular men,
but even of great cities, cannot extend. ]
And also
sette ? is ? er to ? at many a nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge
{and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of hir lyuyng ben 1524
enhabitid in ? e cloos of ? ilke litel habitacle. ? To ? e
whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what
for diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of
vnusage entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only ? e 1528
names of singler men ne may [nat] strecchen. but eke
? e fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen.
[Sidenote: In the time of Marcus Tullius the fame of Rome did not
reach beyond Mount Caucasus. ]
? At ? e
last[e] Certis in ? e tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym
self write? in his book ? at ? e renou{n} of ? e comune of 1532
Rome ne hadde nat ? itte passed ne clou{m}ben ou{er} ? e
mou{n}taigne ? at hy? t Caucasus. {and} ? itte was ? ilk
tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of ? e p{ar}thes.
and eke of o? er folk enhabityng aboute.
[Sidenote: How narrow, then, is that glory which you labour to
propagate. ]
? Sest ? ou 1536
nat ? an how streit {and} how comp{re}ssed is ? ilke glorie
? at ? e t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and} to multiplie.
[Sidenote: Shall the glory of a Roman citizen reach those places
where the name even of Rome was never heard? ]
May ? an ? e glorie of a singlere Romeyne strecchen ? ider
as ? e fame of ? e name of Rome may nat clymben ne 1540
passen.
[Sidenote: Customs and institutions differ in different
countries. ]
? And eke sest ? {o}u nat ? at ? e maners of
diu{er}se folk {and} eke hir lawes ben discordau{n}t amonge
hem self.
[Sidenote: What is praise-worthy in one is blame-worthy in
another. ]
so ? {a}t ? ilke ? ing ? at so{m}men iugen wor? i of
p{re}ysynge. o? er folk iugen ? at it is wor? i of torment. 1544
[Linenotes:
1515 _seye_--seyn
1516 _streite_--streyt
1517 _? an_--thanne
1518 _inne_--in
_leest[e]_--leste
_? ilk_--thilke
_? enke ? e_--thinken ye
1520 _born for? e_--MS. borne, C. born, forth
_narwe_--narwh
1521 _streyt_--streyte
_myche_--mochel
1522 _contein? e_--coueyteth
1525 _habitacle_--MS. habitache, C. habytacule
1529 [_nat_]--from C.
1531 _last[e]_--laste
1532 _write? _--writ
1533 _hadde_--hadden
_? itte_--omitted
1534 _hy? t_--hyhte
_? ilk_--thikke
1535 _wexen_--waxen
1536 _Sest ? ou_--sestow
1538 _shew_--shewe
1539 _singlere_--singler]
[Headnote:
FAME IS NOT ETERNAL. ]
[Sidenote: It is not the interest of any man who desires renown to
have his name spread through many countries. ]
? and ? er of come? ? at ? ou? a man delite hy{m} in
p{re}ysyng of his renou{n}. he ne may nat i{n} no wise [[pg 58]]
bryngen fur? e ne sprede{n} his name to many manere
peoples.
[Sidenote: He ought, therefore, to be satisfied with the glory he
has acquired at home. ]
? And ? erfore euery man{er} man au? te to ben 1548
paied of hys glorie ? at is puplissed among hys owen
ney? bores.
[Sidenote: But of how many personages, illustrious in their times,
have the memorials been lost through the carelessness and neglect
of writers. ]
? And ? ilke noble renou{n} shal be
restreyned wi? -i{n}ne ? e boundes of o maner folk but how
many a man ? at was ful noble in his tyme. ha? ? e 1552
nedy {and} wrecched for? etynge of writers put oute of
mynde {and} don awey.
[Sidenote: But writings do not preserve the names of men for
ever. ]
? Al be it so ? at certys ? ilke
writynges p{ro}fiten litel. ? e whiche writy{n}ges longe {and}
derke elde do? aweye bo? e he{m} {and} eke her auto{ur}s. 1556
[Sidenote: But perhaps you suppose that you shall secure
immortality if your names are transmitted to future ages. ]
but ? e men semen to geten ? ow a p{er}durablete whan ? e
? enke ? at in tyme comyng ? oure fame shal lasten.
[Sidenote: If you consider the infinite space of eternity you will
have no reason to rejoice in this supposition. ]
? But
na? eles yif ? ou wilt maken co{m}parisou{n} to ? e endeles
space of eternite what ? ing hast ? ou by whiche ? ou 1560
maist reioysen ? e of lo{n}g lastyng of ? i name.
[Sidenote: If a _moment_ be compared with 10,000 years, there is a
proportion between them, though a very small one. ]
? For
if ? er were maked co{m}parysou{n} of ? e abidyng of a
mome{n}t to ten ? ousand wynter. for as myche as bo? e
? o spaces ben endid. ? For ? it ha? ? e moment some 1564
porciou{n} of hit al ? ou? it a litel be.
[Sidenote: But this number of years, multiplied by whatever sum
you please, vanishes when compared with the infinite extent of
eternity. ]
? But na? eles
? ilke self nou{m}bre of ? eres.
