No More Learning

e
_welle_--wel
_faire_--C. omits
_songe_--song
3060 _wil putten_--wol putte
3062 _byhynden_--by-hynde
[_? at_]--from C.
3063 _to_--vn-to
3064 _gretter_--gret
3066 _were al most_--weren almest
3067 _last[e]_--laste
3068 _loked[e] abakwarde_--lookede abacward
3069 _lost[e]_--loste
3070 _? ou? te_--thowht
3071 _clerenes[se]_--clernesse
3072 _souereyne goode_--sou{er}eyn god
3073 _put[te]_--putte
3074 _sette? _--sette
3075 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]




[Headnote:
THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL. ]

[Sidenote: [* fol. 24 _b_. ]]

*INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.


HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.

[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se. ]]

[Sidenote: When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her
songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as
she was continuing her discourse. ]

++Whanne philosophie hadde songe{n} softly {and} delitably
? e forseide ? inges kepynge ? e dignitee of hir
choere in ? e wey? te of hir wordes. I ? an ? at ne hadde 3080
nat al out{er}ly for? eten ? e wepyng {and} mournyng
? at was set in myne herte for-brek ? e entenc{i}ou{n} of hir
? at entended[e] ? itte to seyne o? {er} ? inges.

[Sidenote: All your discourses, O my conductress to the true
light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine
testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy
irrefragable arguments. ]

? Se q{uo}d
I. ? ou ? at art gideresse of verray ly? te ? e ? inges ? at ? ou 3084
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere
{and} so shewyng [[pg 109]]
by ? e deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by ? i resou{n}s ? at
? ei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen.

[Sidenote: Through the oppression of grief I had forgotten these
truths, but was not wholly ignorant of them. ]

? And ? ilke ? i{n}g{us}
? at ? ou toldest me. al be it so ? at I hadde som tyme 3088
fo[r]? eten hem for [the] sorwe of ? e wronge ? at ha? ben
don to me. ? it na? eles ? ei ne were nat alouterly vnknowen
to me.

[Sidenote: The principal cause of my trouble is this--that, whilst
the absolute Ruler of all things is goodness itself, evil exists
and is allowed to pass unpunished. ]

but ? is same is namly a gret cause of
my sorwe. ? at so as ? e gouernoure of ? inges is goode. 3092
yif ? at yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif
? at yuelys passen wi? outen punyssheinge.

[Sidenote: This, to say the least, is astonishing. ]

? e whiche
? inge oonly how wor? i it is to ben wondred vpon. ? ou
considerest it weel ? i self certeynly.

[Sidenote: Moreover, while _vice_ flourishes _virtue_ is not only
unrewarded, but trampled under foot by base and profligate men,
and suffers the punishment due to impiety. ]

but ? itte to ? is 3096
? ing ? ere is an o? er ? ing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred
vpon. ? For felonie is emperisse {and} flowre? ful of
rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly wi? outen medes.
but it is cast vndir {and} fortroden vndir ? e feet of felonous 3100
folk. {and} it abie? ? e to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of
wicked felou{n}s

[Sidenote: Here is cause for wonderment, since such things are
possible under the government of an omniscient and omnipotent God,
who wills nothing but what is the best. ]

? Of al[le] whiche ? ing ? er nis no wy? t
? at [may] merueyllen ynou? ne compleyne ? at swiche
? inges ben don in ? e regne of god ? at alle ? inges woot. 3104
and alle ? inges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
? inges.

[Sidenote: _P. _ It were indeed, not only marvellous, but also
horribly monstrous, if, in the well-regulated family of so great a
master, the worthless vessels should be honoured and the precious
ones be despised:--but it is not so. ]

? ? an seide she ? us. certys q{uo}d she ? at were
a grete meruayle {and} an enbaissynge wi? outen ende.
{and} wel more horrible ? an alle monstres yif it were as 3108
? {o}u wenest. ? at is to sein. ? at in ? e ry? t ordeyne house
of so mochel a fader {and} an ordenour of meyne. ? at ? e
vesseles ? at ben foule {and} vyle sholde ben hono{ur}ed
{and} heried. and ? e p{re}cious uesseles sholde ben defouled 3112
{and} vyle. but it nis nat so.

[Sidenote: For if the conclusions we have come to, be sound and
irrefragable, we must confess that under God's rule the _good_ are
always powerful and mighty, and the _wicked_ weak and
contemptible;]

For yif ? e ? inges
? at I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne ben kept hoole [[pg 110]]
{and} vnraced. ? ou shalt wel knowe by ? e auctorite of
god. of ? e whos regne I speke ? at certys ? e good[e] 3116
folk ben alwey my? ty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and}
feble.

[Sidenote: that vice never passes unpunished, nor virtue goes
unrewarded;]

ne ? e vices ben neu{e}re mo wi? outen peyne[;] ne
? e vertues ne ben nat wi? outen mede.

[Sidenote: that happiness attends good men, and misfortune falls
to the lot of the wicked. ]

and ? at blisfulnesses
comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune come? 3120
alwey to wicked folke.

[Sidenote: These and many other truths of like nature shall be
proved to thee, and shall put an end to thy complaints, and
strengthen thee with firmness and solidity. ]

? And ? ou shalt wel knowe
many[e] ? inges of ? is kynde ? {a}t sholle cessen ? i pleyntes.
{and} stedfast ? e wi? stedfast saddenesse.

[Sidenote: Having shown you a picture of true felicity, and
wherein it resides, I shall now trace out the way which will lead
you to your home. ]

? And for ? ou
hast seyn ? e forme of ? e verray blisfulnesse by me ? at 3124
[haue] somtyme I-shewed it ? e. And ? ou hast knowen
i{n} whom blysfulnesse is set. alle ? inges I treted ? {a}t I
trowe ben nessessarie to put[te] fur? e ? I shal shewe
? e. ? e weye ? at shal brynge ? e a? eyne vnto ?
i house 3128

[Sidenote: I will give your soul wings to soar aloft, so that all
tribulation being removed, you may, under my guiding, by my road,
and with my vehicle, return whole and sound into your own
country. ]

{and} I shal ficche fe? eres in ? i ? ou? t by whiche it may
arysen in hey? te. so ? at al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey ? ou
by my gidyng & by my pa? e {and} by my sledes shalt
mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in to ? i contre. 3132

[Linenotes:
3078 _softly_--softely
3080 _choere in_--cheere {and}
3082 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
_myne_--Myn
_for-brek_--MS. for-breke, C. Forbrak
3083 _entended[e]_--entendede
3084 _ly? te_--lyht
3085 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seid
[_me_]--from C.
3086 _? i_--the
3087 _mowe_--mowen
3088 _som tyme_--whilom
3089 [_the_]--from C.
_wronge_--wrong
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
3090 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_were_--weeren
3091 _namly_--namely
3092 _goode_--good
3094 _wi? outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3095 _? inge_--thing
3097 _? ere_--ther
_ben ywondred_--be wondryd
3098 _flowre? _--MS. folwe? , C. flowrith
3099 _rycchesse_--Rychesses
_vertues_--vertu
_wi? outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3101 _in sted_--in stide
3102 _wicked_--wikkede
_al[le]_--alle
_? ing_--thinges
3103 [_may_]--from C.
3104 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
3105 _wool_--wole
_goode_--good
3107 _grete_--gret
_enbaissynge_--enbasshinge
3108 _alle_--al
3109 _ordeyne house_--ordenee hows
3111, 3113 _vyle_--vyl
3112 _heried_--he heryed
_sholde_--sholden
3113 _? e_--tho
3114 _here byforne_--her byforn
_kept_--MS. kepte, C. kept
3116 _good[e]_--goode
3117 _alwey_ (2)----_feble_--alwey owt cast {and} feble
3118, 3119 _wi? outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3119 _vertues_--vertuus
3122 _many[e]_--manye
_sholle cessen_--shollen cesen
3123 _stedfast----stedfast_--strengthyn the w{i}t{h} stidfast
3124 _seyn_--MS. seyne, C. seyn
3125 [_haue_]--from C.
_somtyme_--whilom
3126 _set_--MS. sette, C. I-set
3127 _put[te] fur? e_--putten forth
3128 _weye_--wey
_brynge_--bryngen
_? i house_--thin hows
3129 _ficche_--fycchen
3130 _arysen_--areysen
_don_--MS. done, C. ydon
3131 _pa? e_--paath
_shalt mowen_--shal mowe
3132 _sounde_--sownd]


[Headnote:
VIRTUE NEVER GOES UNREWARDED. ]

SU{N}T ETENIM PENNE. {ET} C{ETERA}.

[Sidenote: [The fyrste met{ur}. ]]

[Sidenote: I have nimble wings that enable the mind to rise from
earth to heaven, to leave the clouds behind, to pass the region of
perpetual flame, and to reach the starry mansion, journeying
either by Phoebus' radiant path, or accompanying cold and aged
Saturn, or riding, as a soldier, with Mars. ]

++I Haue for so? e swifte fe? eres ? at surmou{n}ten ? e hey? t
of ? e heuene whan ? e swifte ? ou? t ha? clo? ed it self.
in ? o fe? eres it dispise? ? e hat[e]ful er? es. {and} surmou{n}te?
? e hey? enesse of ? e greet[e] eyir. {and} it sei? ? e 3136
cloudes by-hynde hir bak {and} passe? ? e hey? t of ? e
regiou{n} of ? e fire ? at eschaufi? by ? e swifte moeuyng of
? e firmament. til ? at she a-reisi? hir in til ? e houses ? {a}t
beren ? e sterres. {and} ioygne? hir weyes wi? ? e sonne [[pg 111]]
phebus. {and} felawshipe? ? e weye of ? e olde colde 3141
saturnus. and she ymaked a kny? t of ? e clere sterre.

[Sidenote: [Chaucer's Gloss. ]]

? at is to seyne ? at ? e soule is maked goddys kny? t by
? e sekyng of treu? e to comen to ? e verray knowlege of 3144
god.

[Sidenote: Through every sphere she (the mind) runs where night is
most cloudless and where the sky is decked with stars, until she
reaches the heaven's utmost sphere--]

[Sidenote: [* fol. 25. ]]

and ? ilke soule renne[? ] by ? e cercle *of ? e sterres
in alle ? e places ? ere as ? e shynyng ny? t is depeynted.
? at is to seyne ? e ny? t ? at is cloudeles. for on ny? tes ? at
ben cloudeles it seme? as ? e heuene were peynted wi? 3148
dyuerse ymages of sterres. {and} whan ? e soule ha? gon
ynou? she shal forleten ? e last[e] poynt of ? e heuene.

[Linenotes:
3133 _hey? t of ? e heuene_--heyhte of heuene
3134 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3136 _hey? enesse----eyir_--Rou{n}dnesse of the grete ayr
_sei? _--seth
3137 _hir_--his
3138 _fire_--Fyr
_eschaufi? _--MS. eschaufi? e
3139 _she_--he
_hir_--hym
3140 _hir_--his
3141 _weye_--wey
_? e----saturnus_--MS. saturnus ? e olde colde
3142 _saturnus_--sat{ur}nis
_she_--he
3143 _soule_--thowght
3144 _treu? e_--trowthe
_knowlege_--knoleche
3145 _soule_--thoght
3146 _depeynted_--painted
3149-50 _and whan----she shal_--{and} whanne he hath I-doon
ther{e} I-nowh he shal
3149 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3150 _? e last[e]----heuene_--the laste heuene]

[Headnote:
VICE IS ALWAYS PUNISHED. ]

[Sidenote: then pressing on she shall be prepared to see the true
Source of Light, where the great King of kings bears his mighty
sceptre, and holds the reins of the universe. ]

{and} she shal p{re}ssen {and} wenden on ? e bak of ? e swifte
firmament. and she shal ben maked p{er}fit of ? e dredefulle 3152
clerenesse of god. ? ? ere halde? ? e lorde of kynges
? e ceptre of his my? t {and} atte{m}p{er}e? ? e gouernementes
of ? is worlde.

[Sidenote: Here the great Judge, standing in shining robes, firmly
guides his winged chariot, and rules the tumultuous affairs of the
world. ]

{and} ? e shynynge iuge of ? inges stable i{n}
hy{m} self gouerne? ? e swifte carte. ? at is to seyne ? e 3156
circuler moeuyng of [the] sonne.

[Sidenote: If you at length shall arrive at this abode, you will
say this is my country--here I was born--and here will I abide. ]

{and} yif ? i weye lede?
? e a? eyne so ? at ? ou be brou? t ? ider.