[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light.
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light.
Chaucer - Boethius
I.
{and} ansewered[e] ?
at
god is ? e bygynnyng of al.
[Sidenote: _P. _ How, then, art thou ignorant of their end? ]
? And how may ? is be 664
q{uod} sche ? at si? en ? {o}u knowest ? e bygynnyng of
? inges. ? at ? ou ne knowest not what is ? e endyng of
? inges.
[Sidenote: But it is the nature of these perturbations (which thou
endurest) to unsettle men's minds. ]
but swiche ben ? e customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s.
{and} ? is power ? ei han. ? at ? ei may moeue a ma{n} fro 668
hys place. ? at is to seyne from ? e stablenes {and} p{er}fecc{i}ou{n}
of hys knowyng. but certys ? ei may not al
arace hym ne alyene hy{m} in al. ? But I wolde ? at
? ou woldest answere to ? is.
[Sidenote: Dost thou remember that thou art a man? ]
? Remembrest ? ou ? at 672
? ou art a man
[Sidenote: _B. _ Certainly I do. ]
? _Boice. _ ? Whi scholde I nat remembre
? at q{uod} . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ What is man? ]
_Philosophie. _ ? Maiste ? ou not telle
me ? an q{uod} sche what ? ing is a man.
[Sidenote: _B. _ If you ask me whether I am a rational and mortal
creature, I know and confess I am. ]
? Axest not
me q{uod} I. whe? ir ? at be a resonable best mortel. I 676
wot wel {and} I confesse wel ? at I am it.
[Sidenote: _P. _ But dost thou not know that thou art more than
this? ]
? Wistest
? ou neuer ? it ? at ? ou were ony o? er ? ing q{uod} she.
[Linenotes:
630 _wolt ? ou_--woltow
_stat_--estat
633 _atte_--at
_wilt_--wolt
635 _worlde_--world
_foolisshe_--foolyssh
636 _fortunes_--fortunows
638 _scholde_--sholden
639 _wot_--MS. wote, C. woot
641 _my? t[e] putte_--myhte put
644 _put_--MS. putte
645 _doutest_--dowtedest
646 _how_--owh
647 _seek si? en_--syk{e} syn
648 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
649 _depper_--depper{e}
_not what_--not ner{e} what
650 _si? en_--syn
_worlde_--world
651 _takest ? ou_--takestow
658 _seye_--sey
_remembrest ? ou_--remenbres thow
_ou? t_--omitted
659 _al_--alle
660 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde
_herd told it_--herd yt toold
661 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
663 _proceded_--procedeth
_ansewered[e]_--answerede
664 _? e_--omitted
_al_--alle
665 _si? en_--syn
668 _fro_--owt of
669 _seyne from_--seyn fro
672 _Remembrest ? ou_--Remenbresthow
674 _Maiste ? ou_--Maysthow
675 _? an_--? anne
_? ing_--thinge
_Axest_--Axestow
677 _Wistest ? ou_--wystesthow
678 _? ing_--thinge]
[[pg 28]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS NEEDS LIGHT REMEDIES. ]
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
No q{uod} . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Now I know the principal cause of thy distemper. ]
now wot I q{uod} she o? er cause of ? i
maladie {and} ? at ry? t grete ? ? ou hast left forto 680
knowe ? i self what ? ou art. ? oru? whiche I haue pleynelyche
knowen ? e cause of ? i maladie. or ellis ? e
entre of recoueryng of ? in hele.
[Sidenote: Thou hast lost the knowledge of thyself, thou knowest
not the end of things, and hast forgotten how the world is
governed. ]
? Forwhy for ? ou
art co{n}founded wi? for? etyng of ? i self. for? i sorwest 684
? ou ? at ? ou art exiled of ? i p{ro}pre goodes. ? And
for ? ou ne wost what is ? e ende of ? inges. for[? i] demest
[? ou] ? at felono{us} {and} wikked men ben my? ty {and} weleful
for ? ou hast for? eten by whiche gouernement? ? e worlde 688
is gouerned. ? For? i wenest ? ou ? at ? ise mutac{i}ou{n}s
of fortune fleten wi? oute{n} gouerno{ur}.
[Sidenote: These are not only great occasions of disease, but also
causes of death itself. ]
? ise ben grete
causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to
dee?
[Sidenote: I thank God that Reason hath not wholly deserted thee. ]
? But I ? anke ? e auctour {and} ? e makere of 692
heele ? at nat{ur}e ha? not al forleten ? e.
[Sidenote: I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest
that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark
shall produce vital heat. ]
{and} I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of ? i hele. {and} ? at is ? e so? e sentence
of gou{er}nau{n}ce of ? e worlde.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8 _b_. ]]
? at ? ou byleuest
? at ? e gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696
to ? e folie *of ? ise happes auenterouses. but to ? e
resou{n} of god ? And ? er fore doute ? e no? ing.
For of ? is litel spark ? ine heet of lijf schal shine.
[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light. ]
? But
for as muche as it is not tyme ? itte of fastere remedies 700
? And ? e nature of ? ou? tes disseiued is ? is ? at as ofte
as ? ei casten aweye so? e opyniou{n}s: ? ei clo? en hem in
fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] ? e derknesse
of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexe? vp. ? at comfounde? ? e verray 704
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ? ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
?
god is ? e bygynnyng of al.
[Sidenote: _P. _ How, then, art thou ignorant of their end? ]
? And how may ? is be 664
q{uod} sche ? at si? en ? {o}u knowest ? e bygynnyng of
? inges. ? at ? ou ne knowest not what is ? e endyng of
? inges.
[Sidenote: But it is the nature of these perturbations (which thou
endurest) to unsettle men's minds. ]
but swiche ben ? e customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s.
{and} ? is power ? ei han. ? at ? ei may moeue a ma{n} fro 668
hys place. ? at is to seyne from ? e stablenes {and} p{er}fecc{i}ou{n}
of hys knowyng. but certys ? ei may not al
arace hym ne alyene hy{m} in al. ? But I wolde ? at
? ou woldest answere to ? is.
[Sidenote: Dost thou remember that thou art a man? ]
? Remembrest ? ou ? at 672
? ou art a man
[Sidenote: _B. _ Certainly I do. ]
? _Boice. _ ? Whi scholde I nat remembre
? at q{uod} . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ What is man? ]
_Philosophie. _ ? Maiste ? ou not telle
me ? an q{uod} sche what ? ing is a man.
[Sidenote: _B. _ If you ask me whether I am a rational and mortal
creature, I know and confess I am. ]
? Axest not
me q{uod} I. whe? ir ? at be a resonable best mortel. I 676
wot wel {and} I confesse wel ? at I am it.
[Sidenote: _P. _ But dost thou not know that thou art more than
this? ]
? Wistest
? ou neuer ? it ? at ? ou were ony o? er ? ing q{uod} she.
[Linenotes:
630 _wolt ? ou_--woltow
_stat_--estat
633 _atte_--at
_wilt_--wolt
635 _worlde_--world
_foolisshe_--foolyssh
636 _fortunes_--fortunows
638 _scholde_--sholden
639 _wot_--MS. wote, C. woot
641 _my? t[e] putte_--myhte put
644 _put_--MS. putte
645 _doutest_--dowtedest
646 _how_--owh
647 _seek si? en_--syk{e} syn
648 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
649 _depper_--depper{e}
_not what_--not ner{e} what
650 _si? en_--syn
_worlde_--world
651 _takest ? ou_--takestow
658 _seye_--sey
_remembrest ? ou_--remenbres thow
_ou? t_--omitted
659 _al_--alle
660 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde
_herd told it_--herd yt toold
661 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
663 _proceded_--procedeth
_ansewered[e]_--answerede
664 _? e_--omitted
_al_--alle
665 _si? en_--syn
668 _fro_--owt of
669 _seyne from_--seyn fro
672 _Remembrest ? ou_--Remenbresthow
674 _Maiste ? ou_--Maysthow
675 _? an_--? anne
_? ing_--thinge
_Axest_--Axestow
677 _Wistest ? ou_--wystesthow
678 _? ing_--thinge]
[[pg 28]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS NEEDS LIGHT REMEDIES. ]
[Sidenote: _B. _ No. ]
No q{uod} . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Now I know the principal cause of thy distemper. ]
now wot I q{uod} she o? er cause of ? i
maladie {and} ? at ry? t grete ? ? ou hast left forto 680
knowe ? i self what ? ou art. ? oru? whiche I haue pleynelyche
knowen ? e cause of ? i maladie. or ellis ? e
entre of recoueryng of ? in hele.
[Sidenote: Thou hast lost the knowledge of thyself, thou knowest
not the end of things, and hast forgotten how the world is
governed. ]
? Forwhy for ? ou
art co{n}founded wi? for? etyng of ? i self. for? i sorwest 684
? ou ? at ? ou art exiled of ? i p{ro}pre goodes. ? And
for ? ou ne wost what is ? e ende of ? inges. for[? i] demest
[? ou] ? at felono{us} {and} wikked men ben my? ty {and} weleful
for ? ou hast for? eten by whiche gouernement? ? e worlde 688
is gouerned. ? For? i wenest ? ou ? at ? ise mutac{i}ou{n}s
of fortune fleten wi? oute{n} gouerno{ur}.
[Sidenote: These are not only great occasions of disease, but also
causes of death itself. ]
? ise ben grete
causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to
dee?
[Sidenote: I thank God that Reason hath not wholly deserted thee. ]
? But I ? anke ? e auctour {and} ? e makere of 692
heele ? at nat{ur}e ha? not al forleten ? e.
[Sidenote: I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest
that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark
shall produce vital heat. ]
{and} I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of ? i hele. {and} ? at is ? e so? e sentence
of gou{er}nau{n}ce of ? e worlde.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8 _b_. ]]
? at ? ou byleuest
? at ? e gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696
to ? e folie *of ? ise happes auenterouses. but to ? e
resou{n} of god ? And ? er fore doute ? e no? ing.
For of ? is litel spark ? ine heet of lijf schal shine.
[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light. ]
? But
for as muche as it is not tyme ? itte of fastere remedies 700
? And ? e nature of ? ou? tes disseiued is ? is ? at as ofte
as ? ei casten aweye so? e opyniou{n}s: ? ei clo? en hem in
fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] ? e derknesse
of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexe? vp. ? at comfounde? ? e verray 704
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ? ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
?
