i self by
hu{m}blesse
of axing.
Chaucer - Boethius
?
at yif ?
ou ne haue no gentilesse of ?
i self.
?
at is to
sein pris ? {a}t come? of ? i deserte foreine gentilesse ne make? ? e nat
gentil. ? But certis yif ? er be any goode in gentilesse. I trowe it be
i{n} al oonly ? is. ? at it seme? as ? at a maner necessitee be imposed to
gentil men. for ? at ? ei ne sholden nat outraien or forliuen fro ? e
uertues of hire noble kynrede.
OMNE HOMINU{M} GENUS IN TERRIS.
[Sidenote: [The 6^th Metre. ]]
++Al ? e linage of men ? at ben i{n} er? e ben of semblable bur? e. On al
one is fadir of ? inges. On alone minyst[r]e? alle ? inges. ? He ? af to ? e
sonne hys bemes. he ? af to ? e moone hir hornes. he ? af ? e men to ? e
er? e. he ? af ? e sterres to ? e heuene. ? he enclose? wi? membres ? e
soules ? at comen fro hys heye sete. ? ? anne comen alle mortal folk of
noble seed. whi noysen ? e or bosten of ? oure eldris ? For yif ? ou
look[e] ? oure bygy{n}ny{n}g. and god ? oure aucto{ur} {and} ? oure makere.
? an is ? er no forlyued wy? t but ? if he norisse his corage vnto vices
{and} forlete his p{ro}pre bur? e.
QUID AUTEM DE CORPORIBUS.
[Sidenote: [The 7^the p{ro}se. ]]
++But what shal I seie of delices of body. of whic[h]e delices ? e
desiringes ben ful of anguisse. {and} ? e fulfillinges of he{m} ben ful
of penaunce. ? How grete sekenesse {and} how grete sorwes vnsuffrable
ry? t as a manere fruit of wickednesse ben ? ilke delices wont to bryngen
to ? e bo[d]ies of folk ? at vsen hem. ? Of whiche delices I not what ioye
may ben had of hir moeuyng. ? But ? is woot I wel ? at who so euere wil
remembren hym of hys luxuries. he shal wel vndirstonde. ? at ? e issues of
delices ben sorowful {and} sory. ? And yif ? ilke delices mowen make folk
blisful. ? an by ? e same cause moten ? ise bestes ben clepid blisful. ? Of
whiche bestes al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} haste? to fulfille hire bodyly
iolyte. and ? e gladnesse of wijf [{and}] children were [an] honest ? ing.
but it ha? ben seid. ? at it is ouer myche a? eins kynde ? at children han
ben fou{n}den tormentours to hir fadres I not how many. ? Of whiche
children how bitynge is euery condic{i}ou{n}. It nede? nat to tellen it
? e ? at hast or ? is tyme assaied it. {and} art ? it now anguysso{us}. In
? is approue I ? e sentence of my disciple Euridippus. ? at seide ? at he
? at ha? no children is weleful by i{n}fortune.
HABET HOC UOLUPTAS.
[Sidenote: [The 7^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Euery delit ha? ? is. ? at it anguisse? hem wi? prikkes ? {a}t vsen it.
? It resembli? to ? ise flying flyes ? at we clepen been. ? at aftre ? at ? e
bee ha? shed hys agreable honies he flee? awey {and} stynge? ? e hertes
of he{m} ? at ben ysmyte wi? bytynge ouer longe holdynge.
NICHIL IGITUR DUBIUM EST.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Now nis it no doute ? an ? {a}t ? ise weyes ne ben a maner mysledy{n}g to
blisfulnesse. ne ? at ? ei ne mowe nat leden folke ? ider as ? ei byheten to
lede{n} hem. ? But wi? how grete harmes ? ise forseide weyes ben enlaced.
? I shal shewe ? e shortly. ? For whi yif ? ou enforcest ? e to assemble
moneye. ? ou most by-reuen hym his moneye ? at ha? it. and yif ? ou wilt
shynen wi? dignites. ? ou most bysechen {and} supplien hem ? at ? iue{n} ? o
dignitees. ? And yif ? ou coueitest by hono{ur} to gon by-fore o? er folk
? {o}u shalt defoule ?
i self by hu{m}blesse of axing. yif ? ou desiryst
power. ? ou shalt by awaites of ? i subgit? anoyously be cast vndir many
p{er}iles. axest ? ou glorie ? {o}u shalt ben so destrat by aspre ? inges
? at ? ou shalt forgone sykernesse. ? And yif ? ou wilt leden ? i lijf in
delices. euery whi? t shal dispisen ? e {and} forleten ? e as ? ou ? at art
? ral to ? ing ? at is ry? t foule {and} brutel. ? at is [to] sein seruau{n}t
to ? i body. ? Now is it ? an wel yseen how lytel {and} how brutel
possessiou{n} ? ei coueiten ? at putten ? e goodes of ? e body abouen hire
owe{n} resou{n}. ? For mayst ? ou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} ? ise olifunt? in
gretnesse or wey? t of body. Or mayst ? ou ben strenger ? an ? e bole. Mayst
? ou ben swifter ? an ? e tigre. biholde ? e spaces {and} ? e stablenesse
{and} ? e swyfte cours of ? e heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on
foule ? inges. ? e whiche heuene certys nis nat ra? er for ? ise ? inges to
ben wondred vpon. ? an for ? e resou{n} by whiche it is gouerned. but ? e
shynynge of ? i forme ? at is to seien ? e beaute of ? i body. how swiftly
passyng is it {and} how transitorie. ? Certis it is more flittynge ? an
? e mutabilite of floures of ? e som{er} sesou{n}. For so as aristotil
telle? ? at yif ? at men hadden eyen of a beest ? at hi? t lynx. so ? at ? e
lokyng of folk my? t[e] percen ? oru? ? e ? inges ? {a}t wi? stonden it. who
so lokid ? an in ? e entrailes of ? e body of alcibiades ? at was ful fayr
in ? e sup{er}fice wi? oute. it shulde seme ry? t foule. {and} for ? i yif
? ou semest faire. ? i nature ne maki? nat ? at. but ? e desceiuau{n}ce of
? e fieblesse of ? e eyen ? at loken. ? But p{re}ise ? e goodes of ? i body
as moche as euer ? e list. so ? at ? ou know[e] algates ? at what so it be.
? at is to seyn of ? e goodes of ? i body whiche ? at ? {o}u wondrest vpon
may ben destroied or dessolued by ? e hete of a feuere of ? re dayes. ? Of
alle whiche forseide ? inges I may reduce{n} ? is shortly in a so{m}me.
? ? at ? ise worldly goodes whiche ? at ne mowen nat ? iuen ? at ? ei byheten.
ne ben nat p{er}fit by ? e congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. ? at ? ei ne
ben nat weyes ne pa? es ? at bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to
ben blysful.
HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce mysledi? wandryng
wrecches fro ? e pa? e of verrey good. ? Certis ? e ne seken no golde in
grene trees. ne ? e ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in ? e vines. ne ? e
ne hiden nat ? oure gynnes in hey? e mou{n}taignes to kachen fisshe of
whiche ? e may maken ryche festes. and yif ? ow lyke? to hunte to roos. ? e
ne gon nat to ? e foordes of ? e water ? at hy? t tyrene. {and} ouer ? is men
knowen wel ? e crikes {and} ? e cau{er}nes of ? e see yhidd in ? e floodes.
{and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles.
{and} knowen whiche water habunde? most of rede purpre. ? at is to seyen
of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. {and} knowen
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes
? at hy? ten echynnys. but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde ? at hem
ne recchi? nat to knowe where ? ilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche ? at ? ei
coueiten but ploungen hem in er? e {and} seken ? ere ? ilke goode ? {a}t
so{ur}mou{n}te?
sein pris ? {a}t come? of ? i deserte foreine gentilesse ne make? ? e nat
gentil. ? But certis yif ? er be any goode in gentilesse. I trowe it be
i{n} al oonly ? is. ? at it seme? as ? at a maner necessitee be imposed to
gentil men. for ? at ? ei ne sholden nat outraien or forliuen fro ? e
uertues of hire noble kynrede.
OMNE HOMINU{M} GENUS IN TERRIS.
[Sidenote: [The 6^th Metre. ]]
++Al ? e linage of men ? at ben i{n} er? e ben of semblable bur? e. On al
one is fadir of ? inges. On alone minyst[r]e? alle ? inges. ? He ? af to ? e
sonne hys bemes. he ? af to ? e moone hir hornes. he ? af ? e men to ? e
er? e. he ? af ? e sterres to ? e heuene. ? he enclose? wi? membres ? e
soules ? at comen fro hys heye sete. ? ? anne comen alle mortal folk of
noble seed. whi noysen ? e or bosten of ? oure eldris ? For yif ? ou
look[e] ? oure bygy{n}ny{n}g. and god ? oure aucto{ur} {and} ? oure makere.
? an is ? er no forlyued wy? t but ? if he norisse his corage vnto vices
{and} forlete his p{ro}pre bur? e.
QUID AUTEM DE CORPORIBUS.
[Sidenote: [The 7^the p{ro}se. ]]
++But what shal I seie of delices of body. of whic[h]e delices ? e
desiringes ben ful of anguisse. {and} ? e fulfillinges of he{m} ben ful
of penaunce. ? How grete sekenesse {and} how grete sorwes vnsuffrable
ry? t as a manere fruit of wickednesse ben ? ilke delices wont to bryngen
to ? e bo[d]ies of folk ? at vsen hem. ? Of whiche delices I not what ioye
may ben had of hir moeuyng. ? But ? is woot I wel ? at who so euere wil
remembren hym of hys luxuries. he shal wel vndirstonde. ? at ? e issues of
delices ben sorowful {and} sory. ? And yif ? ilke delices mowen make folk
blisful. ? an by ? e same cause moten ? ise bestes ben clepid blisful. ? Of
whiche bestes al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} haste? to fulfille hire bodyly
iolyte. and ? e gladnesse of wijf [{and}] children were [an] honest ? ing.
but it ha? ben seid. ? at it is ouer myche a? eins kynde ? at children han
ben fou{n}den tormentours to hir fadres I not how many. ? Of whiche
children how bitynge is euery condic{i}ou{n}. It nede? nat to tellen it
? e ? at hast or ? is tyme assaied it. {and} art ? it now anguysso{us}. In
? is approue I ? e sentence of my disciple Euridippus. ? at seide ? at he
? at ha? no children is weleful by i{n}fortune.
HABET HOC UOLUPTAS.
[Sidenote: [The 7^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Euery delit ha? ? is. ? at it anguisse? hem wi? prikkes ? {a}t vsen it.
? It resembli? to ? ise flying flyes ? at we clepen been. ? at aftre ? at ? e
bee ha? shed hys agreable honies he flee? awey {and} stynge? ? e hertes
of he{m} ? at ben ysmyte wi? bytynge ouer longe holdynge.
NICHIL IGITUR DUBIUM EST.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Now nis it no doute ? an ? {a}t ? ise weyes ne ben a maner mysledy{n}g to
blisfulnesse. ne ? at ? ei ne mowe nat leden folke ? ider as ? ei byheten to
lede{n} hem. ? But wi? how grete harmes ? ise forseide weyes ben enlaced.
? I shal shewe ? e shortly. ? For whi yif ? ou enforcest ? e to assemble
moneye. ? ou most by-reuen hym his moneye ? at ha? it. and yif ? ou wilt
shynen wi? dignites. ? ou most bysechen {and} supplien hem ? at ? iue{n} ? o
dignitees. ? And yif ? ou coueitest by hono{ur} to gon by-fore o? er folk
? {o}u shalt defoule ?
i self by hu{m}blesse of axing. yif ? ou desiryst
power. ? ou shalt by awaites of ? i subgit? anoyously be cast vndir many
p{er}iles. axest ? ou glorie ? {o}u shalt ben so destrat by aspre ? inges
? at ? ou shalt forgone sykernesse. ? And yif ? ou wilt leden ? i lijf in
delices. euery whi? t shal dispisen ? e {and} forleten ? e as ? ou ? at art
? ral to ? ing ? at is ry? t foule {and} brutel. ? at is [to] sein seruau{n}t
to ? i body. ? Now is it ? an wel yseen how lytel {and} how brutel
possessiou{n} ? ei coueiten ? at putten ? e goodes of ? e body abouen hire
owe{n} resou{n}. ? For mayst ? ou so{ur}mou{n}te{n} ? ise olifunt? in
gretnesse or wey? t of body. Or mayst ? ou ben strenger ? an ? e bole. Mayst
? ou ben swifter ? an ? e tigre. biholde ? e spaces {and} ? e stablenesse
{and} ? e swyfte cours of ? e heuene. {and} stynte somtyme to wondren on
foule ? inges. ? e whiche heuene certys nis nat ra? er for ? ise ? inges to
ben wondred vpon. ? an for ? e resou{n} by whiche it is gouerned. but ? e
shynynge of ? i forme ? at is to seien ? e beaute of ? i body. how swiftly
passyng is it {and} how transitorie. ? Certis it is more flittynge ? an
? e mutabilite of floures of ? e som{er} sesou{n}. For so as aristotil
telle? ? at yif ? at men hadden eyen of a beest ? at hi? t lynx. so ? at ? e
lokyng of folk my? t[e] percen ? oru? ? e ? inges ? {a}t wi? stonden it. who
so lokid ? an in ? e entrailes of ? e body of alcibiades ? at was ful fayr
in ? e sup{er}fice wi? oute. it shulde seme ry? t foule. {and} for ? i yif
? ou semest faire. ? i nature ne maki? nat ? at. but ? e desceiuau{n}ce of
? e fieblesse of ? e eyen ? at loken. ? But p{re}ise ? e goodes of ? i body
as moche as euer ? e list. so ? at ? ou know[e] algates ? at what so it be.
? at is to seyn of ? e goodes of ? i body whiche ? at ? {o}u wondrest vpon
may ben destroied or dessolued by ? e hete of a feuere of ? re dayes. ? Of
alle whiche forseide ? inges I may reduce{n} ? is shortly in a so{m}me.
? ? at ? ise worldly goodes whiche ? at ne mowen nat ? iuen ? at ? ei byheten.
ne ben nat p{er}fit by ? e congregac{i}ou{n} of alle goodes. ? at ? ei ne
ben nat weyes ne pa? es ? at bryngen men to blysfulnesse ne maken men to
ben blysful.
HEU Q{UE} MISEROS TRAMITE.
[Sidenote: [The 8^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Allas whiche folie {and} whiche ignorau{n}ce mysledi? wandryng
wrecches fro ? e pa? e of verrey good. ? Certis ? e ne seken no golde in
grene trees. ne ? e ne gadren [nat] p{re}cious stones in ? e vines. ne ? e
ne hiden nat ? oure gynnes in hey? e mou{n}taignes to kachen fisshe of
whiche ? e may maken ryche festes. and yif ? ow lyke? to hunte to roos. ? e
ne gon nat to ? e foordes of ? e water ? at hy? t tyrene. {and} ouer ? is men
knowen wel ? e crikes {and} ? e cau{er}nes of ? e see yhidd in ? e floodes.
{and} knowen eke whiche water is most plentiuo{us} of white perles.
{and} knowen whiche water habunde? most of rede purpre. ? at is to seyen
of a maner shelfisshe w{i}t{h} whiche men dien purpre. {and} knowen
whiche strondes habounden most of tendre fisshes or of sharpe fisshes
? at hy? ten echynnys. but folk suffren hem self to ben so blynde ? at hem
ne recchi? nat to knowe where ? ilk[e] goodes ben yhidd whiche ? at ? ei
coueiten but ploungen hem in er? e {and} seken ? ere ? ilke goode ? {a}t
so{ur}mou{n}te?
