_Scenicas
meretriculas.
Chaucer - Boethius
)
? e swetnesse of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e]
bitternesses.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 42. )
--ful anguissous ? ing is ? e condicioun of mans goodes. For ey? er
it come? al to-gidre to a wy? t. or ellys it laste? not perpetuely.
(_Ib. _ p. 41. )
Quam multis amaritudinibus humanae felicitatis dulcedo respersa
est!
(_Boethius_, lib. ii. prose 4. )
Anxia enim res est humanorum conditio bonorum, et quae vel nunquam
tota proveniat, vel nunquam perpetua subsistat.
(_Ib. _)
O, brotel wele of mannes joie unstable!
With what wight so thow be, or how thow pleye,
Oither he woot that thow joie art muable,
Or woot it nought, it mot ben on of tweyen:
Now if he woot it not, how may he seyen
That he hath veray joie and selynesse,
That is of ignoraunce ay in distresse?
Now if he woote that joie is transitorie,
As every joie of worldly thynge mot fle,
Thanne every tyme he that hath in memorie,
The drede of lesyng maketh hym that he
May in no parfyte selynesse be:
And if to lese his joie, he sette not a myte,
Than semeth it, that joie is worth ful lite.
(_Troylus and Cryseyde_, bk. iii. st. 111, 112, vol. iv. p. 258. )
(1) What man ? at ? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? , ei? er he woot
? at [it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. And yif he woot
it not. what blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e blyndenesse of
ignoraunce.
(2) And yif he woot ? at it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad
? at he ne lese ? at ? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may
leesen it. . . . . . For whiche ? e continuel drede ? at he ha?
ne suffri? hym nat to ben weleful. Or ellys yif he leese it he
wene[? ] to be dispised and forleten hit. Certis eke ? at is a ful
lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan it is loost.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, pp. 43, 44. )
(1) Quem caduca ista felicitas vehit, vel scit eam, vel nescit
esse mutabilem. Si nescit, quaenam beata sors esse potest
ignorantiae in caecitate?
(2) Si scit, metuat necesse est, ne amittat, quod amitti posse non
dubitat; quare continuus timor non sinit esse felicem. An vel si
amiserit, negligendum putat? Sic quoque perexile bonum est, quod
aequo animo feratur amissum.
(_Boethius_, lib. ii. prose 4. )
XIII. FORTUNE.
----Fortune
That semeth trewest when she wol bigyle,
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
And, when a wight is from hire whiel ithrowe,
Than laugheth she, and maketh hym the mowe.
(_Troylus and Cryseyde_, bk. iii. st. 254, vol. iv. p. 299. )
She (Fortune) vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem ? at she
enforce? to bygyle.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 30. )
. . . . . . . She lau? e? and scorne? ? e wepyng of hem ? e
whiche she ha? maked wepe wi? hir free wille . . . . Yif ? at a
wy? t is seyn weleful and ouer? rowe in an houre.
(_Ib. _ p. 33. )
In book v. , stanza 260, vol. v. p. 75, Chaucer describes how the soul of
Hector, after his death, ascended 'up to the holughnesse of the seventhe
spere. ' In so doing he seems to have had before him met. 1, book 4, of
Boethius, where the 'soul' is described as passing into the heaven's
utmost sphere, and looking down on the world below. See _Chaucer's
Boethius_, p. 110, 111.
AEtas Prima is of course a metrical version of lib. ii. met. 5.
Hampole speaks of the wonderful sight of the Lynx; perhaps he was
indebted to Boethius for the hint. --(See _Boethius_, book 3, pr. 8,
p. 81. )
I have seen the following elsewhere:
(1) Value not beauty, for it may be destroyed by a three days'
fever.
(See _Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 81. )
(2) There is no greater plague than the enmity of thy familiar
friend.
(See _Chaucer's_ translation, p. 77. )
* * * * *
Chaucer did not English Boethius second-hand, through any early French
version, as some have supposed, but made his translation with the Latin
original before him.
Jean de Meung's version, the only early French translation, perhaps,
accessible to Chaucer, is not always literal, while the present
translation is seldom free or periphrastic, but conforms closely to the
Latin, and is at times awkwardly literal. A few passages, taken
haphazard, will make this sufficiently clear.
_Et dolor aetatem jussit inesse suam. _ And sorou ha? comaunded his
age to be in me (p. 4).
Et ma douleur {com}ma{n}da a vieillesse
Entrer en moy / ains quen fust hors ieunesse.
_Mors hominum felix, quae se nec dulcibus annis
Inserit, et maestis saepe vocata venit. _
? ilke dee? of men is welful ? at ne come? not in ? eres ? at ben
swete (i. _mirie_). but come? to wrecches often yclepid. (p. 4)
On dit la mort des ho{m}es estre eureuse
Qui ne vie{n}t pas en saiso{n} pla{n}tureuse
Mais des tristes mo{u}lt souue{n}t appellee
Elle y affuit nue / seche et pelee.
_Querimoniam lacrymabilem. _ Wepli compleynte (p. 5). Fr. ma
complainte moy esmouuant a pleurs.
_Styli officio. _ Wi? office of poyntel (p. 5). Fr. (que ie
reduisse) p{ar} escript.
_Inexhaustus. _ Swiche . . . ? at it ne my? t[e] not be emptid (p.
5). Fr. inconsumptible.
_Scenicas meretriculas. _ Comune strumpetis of siche a place ? at
men clepen ? e theatre (p. 6). Fr. ces ribaudelles fardees.
_Praecipiti profundo. _ In ouer-? rowyng depnesse (p. 7).
[L]As que la pensee de lomme
Est troublee et plongie comme
En _abisme precipitee_
Sa propre lumiere gastee.
_Nec pervetusta nec incelebris. _ Ney? er ouer-oolde ne vnsolempne
(p. 11). Fr. desquelz la memoire nest pas trop ancienne ou no{n}
recitee.
_Inter secreta otia. _ Among my secre restyng whiles (p. 14). Fr.
entre mes secrettes {et} oyseuses estudes.
_Palatini canes. _ ? e houndys of ? e palays (p. 15). Fr. les chiens
du palais.
_Masculae prolis. _ Of ? i masculyn children (p. 37). Fr. de ta
lignie masculine.
_Ad singularem felicitatis tuae cumulum venire delectat. _ It
delite? me to comen now to ? e singuler vphepyng of ? i welefulnesse
(p. 37). Fr. Il me plait venir au singulier monceau de ta
felicite.
_Consulare imperium. _ Emperie of consulers (p. 51). Fr. le{m}pire
consulaire.
_Hoc ipsum brevis habitaculi. _ Of ? ilke litel habitacle (p. 57).
Fr. de cest trespetit habitacle.
_Late patentes plagas. _ ? e brode shewyng contreys (p. 60).
QVico{n}ques tend a gloire vaine
Et le croit estre souueraine
Voye _les regions pate{n}tes_
Du ciel . . . . . .
_Ludens hominum cura. _ ? e pleiyng besines of men (p. 68).
Si quil tollist par doulz estude
Des hommes la solicitude . .
_Hausi coelum. _ I took heuene (p. 10). Fr. ie . . . regarday le
ciel.
_Certamen adversum praefectum praetorii communis commodi ratione
suscepi. _ I took strif a? eins ? e prouost of ? e pretorie for comune
profit (p. 15). Fr. ie entrepris lestrif a lencontre du prefect du
parlement royal a cause de la commune vtilite.
_At cujus criminis arguimur summam quaeris? _ But axest ? ou in somme
of what gilt I am accused? (p. 17). Fr. Mais demandes tu la somme
du pechie duquel pechie nous so{m}mes arguez?
_Fortuita temeritate. _ By fortunouse fortune (p. 26). Fr. par
fortuite folie.
_Quos premunt septem gelidi triones. _ Alle ? e peoples ? at ben
vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e seuene triones (p. 55). Fr.
ceulx de septentrion.
_Ita ego quoque tibi veluti corollarium dabo. _ Ry? t so wil I ? eue
? e here as a corolarie or a mede of coroune (p. 91). Fr.
semblablement ie te donneray ainsi que vng correlaire.
_In stadio. _ In ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge (p. 119). Fr. ou (for
au) champ.
_Conjecto. _ I coniecte (p. 154). Fr. ie coniecture.
_Nimium . . . adversari ac repugnare videtur. _ It seme? . . . to
repugnen and to contrarien gretly. Fr. Ce semble chose trop
contraire et repugnante.
_Universitatis ambitum. _ Envirounynge of ? e vniuersite (p. 165).
Fr. lauironnement de luniuersalite.
_Rationis universum. _ Vniuersite of resoun (p. 165). Fr.
luniuersalite de Raison.
_Scientiam nunquam deficientis instantiae rectius aestimabis. _ ? ou
shalt demen [it] more ry? tfully ? at it is science of presence or
of instaunce ? at neuer ne fayle? (p. 174). Fr. mais tu la diras
plus droittement et mieulx science de instante p{re}sentialite non
iamais defaillant mais eternelle.
Many of the above examples are very bald renderings of the original, and
are only quoted here to show that Chaucer did not make his translation
from the French.
Chaucer is not always felicitous in his translations:--thus he
translates _clavus atque gubernaculum_ by _keye and a stiere_ (p. 103),
and _compendium_ (gain, acquisition) by _abreggynge_ (abridging,
curtailment), p. 151. Many terms make their appearance in English for
the first time,--and most of them have become naturalized, and are such
as we could ill spare. Some few are rather uncommon, as _gouernaile_
(gubernaculum), p. 27; _arbitre_ (arbitrium), p. 154. As Chaucer takes
the trouble to explain _inestimable_ (inaestimabilis), p. 158, it could
not have been a very familiar term.
Our translator evidently took note of various readings, for on p. 31 he
notes a variation of the original. On p. 51 he uses _armurers_
(= armures) to render _arma_, though most copies agree in reading
_arva_.
There are numerous glosses and explanations of particular passages,
which seem to be interpolated by Chaucer himself. Thus he explains what
is meant by the _heritage of Socrates_ (p. 10, 11); he gives the
meaning of _coemption_ (p. 15); of _Euripus_ (p. 33); of the _porch_
(p. 166). [I-11] Some of his definitions are very quaint; as, for
instance, that of Tragedy--'_a dite of a prosperite for a tyme ? at endi?
in wrechednesse_' (p. 35). One would think that the following definition
of Tragedian would be rather superfluous after this,--'_a maker of dites
? at hy? ten_ (are called) _tregedies_' (p. 77).
_Melliflui . . . oris Homerus_
is thus quaintly Englished: _Homer wi? ? e hony mou? e, ? at is to seyn.
homer wi? ? e swete dites_ (p.
? e swetnesse of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e]
bitternesses.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 42. )
--ful anguissous ? ing is ? e condicioun of mans goodes. For ey? er
it come? al to-gidre to a wy? t. or ellys it laste? not perpetuely.
(_Ib. _ p. 41. )
Quam multis amaritudinibus humanae felicitatis dulcedo respersa
est!
(_Boethius_, lib. ii. prose 4. )
Anxia enim res est humanorum conditio bonorum, et quae vel nunquam
tota proveniat, vel nunquam perpetua subsistat.
(_Ib. _)
O, brotel wele of mannes joie unstable!
With what wight so thow be, or how thow pleye,
Oither he woot that thow joie art muable,
Or woot it nought, it mot ben on of tweyen:
Now if he woot it not, how may he seyen
That he hath veray joie and selynesse,
That is of ignoraunce ay in distresse?
Now if he woote that joie is transitorie,
As every joie of worldly thynge mot fle,
Thanne every tyme he that hath in memorie,
The drede of lesyng maketh hym that he
May in no parfyte selynesse be:
And if to lese his joie, he sette not a myte,
Than semeth it, that joie is worth ful lite.
(_Troylus and Cryseyde_, bk. iii. st. 111, 112, vol. iv. p. 258. )
(1) What man ? at ? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? , ei? er he woot
? at [it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. And yif he woot
it not. what blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e blyndenesse of
ignoraunce.
(2) And yif he woot ? at it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad
? at he ne lese ? at ? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may
leesen it. . . . . . For whiche ? e continuel drede ? at he ha?
ne suffri? hym nat to ben weleful. Or ellys yif he leese it he
wene[? ] to be dispised and forleten hit. Certis eke ? at is a ful
lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan it is loost.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, pp. 43, 44. )
(1) Quem caduca ista felicitas vehit, vel scit eam, vel nescit
esse mutabilem. Si nescit, quaenam beata sors esse potest
ignorantiae in caecitate?
(2) Si scit, metuat necesse est, ne amittat, quod amitti posse non
dubitat; quare continuus timor non sinit esse felicem. An vel si
amiserit, negligendum putat? Sic quoque perexile bonum est, quod
aequo animo feratur amissum.
(_Boethius_, lib. ii. prose 4. )
XIII. FORTUNE.
----Fortune
That semeth trewest when she wol bigyle,
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
And, when a wight is from hire whiel ithrowe,
Than laugheth she, and maketh hym the mowe.
(_Troylus and Cryseyde_, bk. iii. st. 254, vol. iv. p. 299. )
She (Fortune) vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem ? at she
enforce? to bygyle.
(_Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 30. )
. . . . . . . She lau? e? and scorne? ? e wepyng of hem ? e
whiche she ha? maked wepe wi? hir free wille . . . . Yif ? at a
wy? t is seyn weleful and ouer? rowe in an houre.
(_Ib. _ p. 33. )
In book v. , stanza 260, vol. v. p. 75, Chaucer describes how the soul of
Hector, after his death, ascended 'up to the holughnesse of the seventhe
spere. ' In so doing he seems to have had before him met. 1, book 4, of
Boethius, where the 'soul' is described as passing into the heaven's
utmost sphere, and looking down on the world below. See _Chaucer's
Boethius_, p. 110, 111.
AEtas Prima is of course a metrical version of lib. ii. met. 5.
Hampole speaks of the wonderful sight of the Lynx; perhaps he was
indebted to Boethius for the hint. --(See _Boethius_, book 3, pr. 8,
p. 81. )
I have seen the following elsewhere:
(1) Value not beauty, for it may be destroyed by a three days'
fever.
(See _Chaucer's Boethius_, p. 81. )
(2) There is no greater plague than the enmity of thy familiar
friend.
(See _Chaucer's_ translation, p. 77. )
* * * * *
Chaucer did not English Boethius second-hand, through any early French
version, as some have supposed, but made his translation with the Latin
original before him.
Jean de Meung's version, the only early French translation, perhaps,
accessible to Chaucer, is not always literal, while the present
translation is seldom free or periphrastic, but conforms closely to the
Latin, and is at times awkwardly literal. A few passages, taken
haphazard, will make this sufficiently clear.
_Et dolor aetatem jussit inesse suam. _ And sorou ha? comaunded his
age to be in me (p. 4).
Et ma douleur {com}ma{n}da a vieillesse
Entrer en moy / ains quen fust hors ieunesse.
_Mors hominum felix, quae se nec dulcibus annis
Inserit, et maestis saepe vocata venit. _
? ilke dee? of men is welful ? at ne come? not in ? eres ? at ben
swete (i. _mirie_). but come? to wrecches often yclepid. (p. 4)
On dit la mort des ho{m}es estre eureuse
Qui ne vie{n}t pas en saiso{n} pla{n}tureuse
Mais des tristes mo{u}lt souue{n}t appellee
Elle y affuit nue / seche et pelee.
_Querimoniam lacrymabilem. _ Wepli compleynte (p. 5). Fr. ma
complainte moy esmouuant a pleurs.
_Styli officio. _ Wi? office of poyntel (p. 5). Fr. (que ie
reduisse) p{ar} escript.
_Inexhaustus. _ Swiche . . . ? at it ne my? t[e] not be emptid (p.
5). Fr. inconsumptible.
_Scenicas meretriculas. _ Comune strumpetis of siche a place ? at
men clepen ? e theatre (p. 6). Fr. ces ribaudelles fardees.
_Praecipiti profundo. _ In ouer-? rowyng depnesse (p. 7).
[L]As que la pensee de lomme
Est troublee et plongie comme
En _abisme precipitee_
Sa propre lumiere gastee.
_Nec pervetusta nec incelebris. _ Ney? er ouer-oolde ne vnsolempne
(p. 11). Fr. desquelz la memoire nest pas trop ancienne ou no{n}
recitee.
_Inter secreta otia. _ Among my secre restyng whiles (p. 14). Fr.
entre mes secrettes {et} oyseuses estudes.
_Palatini canes. _ ? e houndys of ? e palays (p. 15). Fr. les chiens
du palais.
_Masculae prolis. _ Of ? i masculyn children (p. 37). Fr. de ta
lignie masculine.
_Ad singularem felicitatis tuae cumulum venire delectat. _ It
delite? me to comen now to ? e singuler vphepyng of ? i welefulnesse
(p. 37). Fr. Il me plait venir au singulier monceau de ta
felicite.
_Consulare imperium. _ Emperie of consulers (p. 51). Fr. le{m}pire
consulaire.
_Hoc ipsum brevis habitaculi. _ Of ? ilke litel habitacle (p. 57).
Fr. de cest trespetit habitacle.
_Late patentes plagas. _ ? e brode shewyng contreys (p. 60).
QVico{n}ques tend a gloire vaine
Et le croit estre souueraine
Voye _les regions pate{n}tes_
Du ciel . . . . . .
_Ludens hominum cura. _ ? e pleiyng besines of men (p. 68).
Si quil tollist par doulz estude
Des hommes la solicitude . .
_Hausi coelum. _ I took heuene (p. 10). Fr. ie . . . regarday le
ciel.
_Certamen adversum praefectum praetorii communis commodi ratione
suscepi. _ I took strif a? eins ? e prouost of ? e pretorie for comune
profit (p. 15). Fr. ie entrepris lestrif a lencontre du prefect du
parlement royal a cause de la commune vtilite.
_At cujus criminis arguimur summam quaeris? _ But axest ? ou in somme
of what gilt I am accused? (p. 17). Fr. Mais demandes tu la somme
du pechie duquel pechie nous so{m}mes arguez?
_Fortuita temeritate. _ By fortunouse fortune (p. 26). Fr. par
fortuite folie.
_Quos premunt septem gelidi triones. _ Alle ? e peoples ? at ben
vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e seuene triones (p. 55). Fr.
ceulx de septentrion.
_Ita ego quoque tibi veluti corollarium dabo. _ Ry? t so wil I ? eue
? e here as a corolarie or a mede of coroune (p. 91). Fr.
semblablement ie te donneray ainsi que vng correlaire.
_In stadio. _ In ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge (p. 119). Fr. ou (for
au) champ.
_Conjecto. _ I coniecte (p. 154). Fr. ie coniecture.
_Nimium . . . adversari ac repugnare videtur. _ It seme? . . . to
repugnen and to contrarien gretly. Fr. Ce semble chose trop
contraire et repugnante.
_Universitatis ambitum. _ Envirounynge of ? e vniuersite (p. 165).
Fr. lauironnement de luniuersalite.
_Rationis universum. _ Vniuersite of resoun (p. 165). Fr.
luniuersalite de Raison.
_Scientiam nunquam deficientis instantiae rectius aestimabis. _ ? ou
shalt demen [it] more ry? tfully ? at it is science of presence or
of instaunce ? at neuer ne fayle? (p. 174). Fr. mais tu la diras
plus droittement et mieulx science de instante p{re}sentialite non
iamais defaillant mais eternelle.
Many of the above examples are very bald renderings of the original, and
are only quoted here to show that Chaucer did not make his translation
from the French.
Chaucer is not always felicitous in his translations:--thus he
translates _clavus atque gubernaculum_ by _keye and a stiere_ (p. 103),
and _compendium_ (gain, acquisition) by _abreggynge_ (abridging,
curtailment), p. 151. Many terms make their appearance in English for
the first time,--and most of them have become naturalized, and are such
as we could ill spare. Some few are rather uncommon, as _gouernaile_
(gubernaculum), p. 27; _arbitre_ (arbitrium), p. 154. As Chaucer takes
the trouble to explain _inestimable_ (inaestimabilis), p. 158, it could
not have been a very familiar term.
Our translator evidently took note of various readings, for on p. 31 he
notes a variation of the original. On p. 51 he uses _armurers_
(= armures) to render _arma_, though most copies agree in reading
_arva_.
There are numerous glosses and explanations of particular passages,
which seem to be interpolated by Chaucer himself. Thus he explains what
is meant by the _heritage of Socrates_ (p. 10, 11); he gives the
meaning of _coemption_ (p. 15); of _Euripus_ (p. 33); of the _porch_
(p. 166). [I-11] Some of his definitions are very quaint; as, for
instance, that of Tragedy--'_a dite of a prosperite for a tyme ? at endi?
in wrechednesse_' (p. 35). One would think that the following definition
of Tragedian would be rather superfluous after this,--'_a maker of dites
? at hy? ten_ (are called) _tregedies_' (p. 77).
_Melliflui . . . oris Homerus_
is thus quaintly Englished: _Homer wi? ? e hony mou? e, ? at is to seyn.
homer wi? ? e swete dites_ (p.
