ou rekene
w{i}t{h} me of how many[e] ?
w{i}t{h} me of how many[e] ?
Chaucer - Boethius
Art ?
ou now comen firste
a sodeyne gest in to ? e shadowe or tabernacle of ? is
lijf.
[Sidenote: Can there be any stability in human affairs, when the
life of man is exposed to dissolution every hour? ]
or trowest ? ou ? {a}t any stedfastnesse be in mannis 980
? inges. ? Whan ofte a swifte houre dissolue? ? e same
man. ? at is to seyne whan ? e soule dep{ar}ti? fro ? e
body. For al ? ou? ? at yelde is ? er any fei? ? at fortunous
? inges willen dwelle.
[Sidenote: The last day of life puts an end to Prosperity. ]
? it na? eles ? e last[e] day 984
of a ma{n}nis lijf is a man{er}e dee? to fortune. {and} also
to ? ilke ? at ha? dwelt.
[Sidenote: What matters it then, whether you by death leave it, or
it (Fortune) by flight doth leave you? ]
{and} ? erfore what wenist ? ou
? ar recche yif ? ou forlete hir i{n} dey{n}ge or ellys ? {a}t she
fortune forlete ? e i{n} fleenge awey. 988
[Linenotes:
978 _soory_--sorye
_firste_--fyrst
979 _sodeyne_--sodeyn
_shadowe_--shadwe
980 _stedfastnesse_--stedefastnesse
981 _swifte_--swyft
_dissolue? _--dyssoluede
983 _al ? ou? ? at_--al ? {a}t thowgh
_fortunous_--fortune
984 _willen dwelle_--wolen dwellyn
_last[e]_--laste
986 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_wenist ? ou_--weenestow
987 _? ar recche_--dar recke
988 _awey_--away]
[[pg 39]]
[Headnote:
MANY BLESSINGS STILL REMAIN. ]
CUM PRIMO POLO.
[Sidenote: [The . iij. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: The stars pale before the light of the rising sun. ]
++Whan phebus ? e sonne bygynne? to spreden his clerenesse
w{i}t{h} rosene chariettes. ? an ? e sterre ydimmyd
pale? hir white cheres. by ? e flamus of ? e so{n}ne ? at
ouer come? ? e sterre ly? t. ? ? is is to seyn whan ? e 992
sonne is risen ? e day sterre wexi? pale {and} lesi? hir
ly? t for ? e grete bry? tnesse of ? e sonne.
[Sidenote: Westerly winds deck the wood with roses, but easterly
winds cause their beauty to fade. ]
? Whan ? e
wode wexe? redy of rosene floures in ? e first somer
sesou{n} ? oru? ? e bre? e of ? e wynde Zephirus ? at wexe? 996
warme. ? Yif ? e cloudy wynde auster blowe felliche.
? an go? awey ? e fayrnesse of ? ornes.
[Sidenote: Now the sea is calm, and again it is tempestuous. ]
Ofte ? e see is
clere {and} calme wi? oute moeuy{n}g floodes. And ofte
? e horrible wynde aq{u}ilon moeue? boylyng tempestes 1000
{and} ouer whelwe? ? e see.
[Sidenote: If all things thus vary, will you trust in transitory
riches? ]
? Yif ? e forme of ? is worlde
is so [? eelde] stable. {and} yif it to{ur}ni? by so many
entrechau{n}gynges. wilt ? ou ? a{n} truste{n} in ? e trublynge
fortunes of me{n}. wilt ? ou trowen i{n} flittyng goodes. 1004
[Sidenote: All here below is unstedfast and unstable. ]
It is certeyne {and} establissed by lawe p{er}durable ? at no
? i{n}g ? {a}t is engendred nys stedfast no stable.
[Linenotes:
989 _his_--hyr
990 _? an_--thanne
991 _flamus_--flambes
995 _redy_--rody
_rosene_--rosyn
997 _warme_--warm
998 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
_fayrnesse_--fayrenesse
999 _clere_--cleer
_calme_--kalm
1000 _wynde_--wynd
1001 _whelwe? _--welueeth
1002 [_? eelde_]--from C.
1003, 1004 _wilt ? ou_--wolthow
1003 _? an_--thanne
_trublynge_--towmbly{n}ge
1004 _in flittyng_--on flettynge
1005 _It is_--is it
1006 _no_--ne
_stable_--estable]
[Headnote:
MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. ]
TUNC EGO UERA INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe prose. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ I cannot deny my sudden and early prosperity. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. O norice of alle uertues ? ou
seist ful so? e. ? Ne I may nat forsake ? e ry? t[e] 1008
swifte cours of my p{ro}speritee. ? at is to seine. ? at
p{ro}speritee ne be comen to me wondir swiftly {and}
soone. but ? is is a ? ing ? at gretly smerti? me whan it
remembre? me.
[Sidenote: It is the remembrance of former happiness that adds
most to man's infelicity. ]
? For in alle aduersitees of fortune ? e 1012
most vnsely kynde of contrariouse fortune is to han
ben weleful.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Recollect that you have yet much affluence. ]
? But ? at ? ou q{uo}d she abaist ? us ? e
to{ur}ment of ? i fals[e] opiniou{n} ? at maist ? ou not ry? tfully
blamen ne aretten to ? inges. as who sei? for ? ou [[pg 40]]
hast ? itte many habundaunces of ? inges. ? _Textus. _ 1017
For al be it so ? at ? e ydel name of auenterouse welefulnesse
moeue? ? e now. it is leueful ? at ?
ou rekene
w{i}t{h} me of how many[e] ? inges ? ou hast ? it plentee. 1020
[Sidenote: What you esteemed most precious in your happy days, you
still retain, and ought therefore not to complain. ]
? And ? erfore yif ? at ? ilke ? ing ? at ? ou haddest for
most p{re}cious in alle ? i rycchesse of fortune be kept
to ? e by ? e grace of god vnwemmed {and} vndefouled.
Mayst ? ou ? a{n} pleyne ry? tfully vpon ? e myschief of fortune. 1024
syn ? ou hast ? it ? i best[e] ? inges. ? Certys ? it
lyue? in goode poynt ? ilke p{re}cious hono{ur} of mankynde.
[Sidenote: Symmachus, dear to you as life, is safe and in health. ]
? Symacus ? i wyues fadir whiche ? at is a
man maked al of sapience {and} of vertue. ? e whiche 1028
man ? ou woldest b[i]en redely wi? ? e pris of ? in owen
lijf. he byweyle? ? e wronges ? at men don to ? ee. {and}
not for hym self. for he liue? in sykernesse of any
sentence put a? eins him.
[Sidenote: Your wife Rusticiana is also alive, and bewails her
separation from you. ]
? And ? it lyue? ? i wif ? at 1032
is attempre of witte {and} passyng o? er women in clennes
of chastitee. and for I wol closen shortly her bountes
she is lyke to hir fadir. I telle ? e welle ? at she lyue?
loo? of hir life. {and} kepi? to ? ee oonly hir goost. {and} 1036
is al maat {and} ouer-comen by wepyng {and} sorwe for
desire of ? e ? In ? e whiche ? ing only I mot graunten
? at ? i welefulnesse is amenused.
[Sidenote: Why need I mention your two sons, in whom so much of
the wit and spirit of their sire and grandsire doth shine? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 11. ]]
? What shal I seyn
eke of ? i two sones conseillours of whiche as of children 1040
of hir age ? er shine? *? e lyknesse of ? e witte of
hir fadir {and} of hir eldefadir.
[Sidenote: And since it is the chief care of man to preserve life;
you are still most happy in the possession of blessings which all
men value more than life. ]
and si? en ? e souereyn
cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owe{n} lyues.
[Linenotes:
1008 _so? e_--soth
_Ne I may_--Ne I ne may
1009 _seine_--seyn
1011 _a_--omitted
_gretly_--gretely
1012 _aduersitees_--adu{er}syte
1013 _most_--mooste
1014 _abaist_--abyest
1015 _tourment_--torment?
_fals[e]_--false
1016 _sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyh
1017 _? itte_--yit
1019 _leueful_--leefful
1020 _many[e] ? inges_--manye grete thinges
1022 _alle_--al
1023 _? e by_--the yit by
1024 _myschief_--meschef
1025 _best[e]_--beste
1026 _lyue? _--leueth
_goode_--good
1027 _whiche_--which
1028 _al_--alle
_of_ (2)--omitted
1029 _b[i]en_--byen
_owen_--owne
1030 _byweyle? _--bewayleth
_don_--MS. done, C. don
1031 _liue? _--leueth
1033 _witte_--wyt
_women_--wymmen
1034 _shortly_--shortely
1035 _lyke_--lik
_welle_--wel
1036 _hir life_--this lyf
1037 _maat_--maad
1038 _whiche_--weche
1039 _amenused_--amenyssed
_seyn_--(MS. seyne) seyn
1041 _lyknesse_--lykenesse
_witte_--wyt
1042 {and} (1)--or
_eldefadir_--eldyr fadyr
_si? en_--syn
1043 _folke_--folk]
[Headnote:
THE CONDITION OF HUMAN BLISS. ]
? O how weleful art ? ou ? ou? ? ou knowe ? i goodes. 1044
? But ? itte ben ? er ? inges dwelly{n}g to ? e wardes ? at no [[pg 41]]
man doute? ? at ? ei ne ben more derwor? e to ? e ? en
? ine owen lijf.
[Sidenote: Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and
hope of future felicity. ]
? And for? i drie ? i teres for ? itte nys
nat eueriche fortune al hateful to ? e warde. ne ou{er} 1048
greet tempest ha? nat ? it fallen vpon ? e. whan ? at ? in
ancres cliue fast[e] ? at nei? er wole suffre ? e comfort of ? is
tyme p{re}sent. ne ? e hope of tyme comynge to passen
ne to falle{n}.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I hope these will never fail me. ]
? And I p{re}ie q{uod} I ? at fast[e] mot[en] 1052
? ei holden. ? For whiles ? at ? ei halden. how so eu{er}e
? at ? inges ben. I shal wel fleten fur? e and eschapen.
[Sidenote: But do you not see how low I am fallen? ]
? But ? ou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and}
aray ? at me lakke? ? at ben passed awey fro me. 1056
[Sidenote: _P. _ I should think that I had made progress if you did
not repine so at your fate. ]
? I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} for? ered ? e q{uod} she. if
? at ? ou anoie nat or for? enke nat of al ? i fortune. As
who sei? . ? I haue somwhat comforted ? e so ? at ? ou
tempest nat ? e ? us wi? al ? i fortune. syn ? ou hast 1060
? it ? i best[e] ? inges.
[Sidenote: It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so
many comforts. ]
? But I may nat suffre ? in
delices. ?
a sodeyne gest in to ? e shadowe or tabernacle of ? is
lijf.
[Sidenote: Can there be any stability in human affairs, when the
life of man is exposed to dissolution every hour? ]
or trowest ? ou ? {a}t any stedfastnesse be in mannis 980
? inges. ? Whan ofte a swifte houre dissolue? ? e same
man. ? at is to seyne whan ? e soule dep{ar}ti? fro ? e
body. For al ? ou? ? at yelde is ? er any fei? ? at fortunous
? inges willen dwelle.
[Sidenote: The last day of life puts an end to Prosperity. ]
? it na? eles ? e last[e] day 984
of a ma{n}nis lijf is a man{er}e dee? to fortune. {and} also
to ? ilke ? at ha? dwelt.
[Sidenote: What matters it then, whether you by death leave it, or
it (Fortune) by flight doth leave you? ]
{and} ? erfore what wenist ? ou
? ar recche yif ? ou forlete hir i{n} dey{n}ge or ellys ? {a}t she
fortune forlete ? e i{n} fleenge awey. 988
[Linenotes:
978 _soory_--sorye
_firste_--fyrst
979 _sodeyne_--sodeyn
_shadowe_--shadwe
980 _stedfastnesse_--stedefastnesse
981 _swifte_--swyft
_dissolue? _--dyssoluede
983 _al ? ou? ? at_--al ? {a}t thowgh
_fortunous_--fortune
984 _willen dwelle_--wolen dwellyn
_last[e]_--laste
986 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_wenist ? ou_--weenestow
987 _? ar recche_--dar recke
988 _awey_--away]
[[pg 39]]
[Headnote:
MANY BLESSINGS STILL REMAIN. ]
CUM PRIMO POLO.
[Sidenote: [The . iij. Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: The stars pale before the light of the rising sun. ]
++Whan phebus ? e sonne bygynne? to spreden his clerenesse
w{i}t{h} rosene chariettes. ? an ? e sterre ydimmyd
pale? hir white cheres. by ? e flamus of ? e so{n}ne ? at
ouer come? ? e sterre ly? t. ? ? is is to seyn whan ? e 992
sonne is risen ? e day sterre wexi? pale {and} lesi? hir
ly? t for ? e grete bry? tnesse of ? e sonne.
[Sidenote: Westerly winds deck the wood with roses, but easterly
winds cause their beauty to fade. ]
? Whan ? e
wode wexe? redy of rosene floures in ? e first somer
sesou{n} ? oru? ? e bre? e of ? e wynde Zephirus ? at wexe? 996
warme. ? Yif ? e cloudy wynde auster blowe felliche.
? an go? awey ? e fayrnesse of ? ornes.
[Sidenote: Now the sea is calm, and again it is tempestuous. ]
Ofte ? e see is
clere {and} calme wi? oute moeuy{n}g floodes. And ofte
? e horrible wynde aq{u}ilon moeue? boylyng tempestes 1000
{and} ouer whelwe? ? e see.
[Sidenote: If all things thus vary, will you trust in transitory
riches? ]
? Yif ? e forme of ? is worlde
is so [? eelde] stable. {and} yif it to{ur}ni? by so many
entrechau{n}gynges. wilt ? ou ? a{n} truste{n} in ? e trublynge
fortunes of me{n}. wilt ? ou trowen i{n} flittyng goodes. 1004
[Sidenote: All here below is unstedfast and unstable. ]
It is certeyne {and} establissed by lawe p{er}durable ? at no
? i{n}g ? {a}t is engendred nys stedfast no stable.
[Linenotes:
989 _his_--hyr
990 _? an_--thanne
991 _flamus_--flambes
995 _redy_--rody
_rosene_--rosyn
997 _warme_--warm
998 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
_fayrnesse_--fayrenesse
999 _clere_--cleer
_calme_--kalm
1000 _wynde_--wynd
1001 _whelwe? _--welueeth
1002 [_? eelde_]--from C.
1003, 1004 _wilt ? ou_--wolthow
1003 _? an_--thanne
_trublynge_--towmbly{n}ge
1004 _in flittyng_--on flettynge
1005 _It is_--is it
1006 _no_--ne
_stable_--estable]
[Headnote:
MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. ]
TUNC EGO UERA INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe prose. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ I cannot deny my sudden and early prosperity. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. O norice of alle uertues ? ou
seist ful so? e. ? Ne I may nat forsake ? e ry? t[e] 1008
swifte cours of my p{ro}speritee. ? at is to seine. ? at
p{ro}speritee ne be comen to me wondir swiftly {and}
soone. but ? is is a ? ing ? at gretly smerti? me whan it
remembre? me.
[Sidenote: It is the remembrance of former happiness that adds
most to man's infelicity. ]
? For in alle aduersitees of fortune ? e 1012
most vnsely kynde of contrariouse fortune is to han
ben weleful.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Recollect that you have yet much affluence. ]
? But ? at ? ou q{uo}d she abaist ? us ? e
to{ur}ment of ? i fals[e] opiniou{n} ? at maist ? ou not ry? tfully
blamen ne aretten to ? inges. as who sei? for ? ou [[pg 40]]
hast ? itte many habundaunces of ? inges. ? _Textus. _ 1017
For al be it so ? at ? e ydel name of auenterouse welefulnesse
moeue? ? e now. it is leueful ? at ?
ou rekene
w{i}t{h} me of how many[e] ? inges ? ou hast ? it plentee. 1020
[Sidenote: What you esteemed most precious in your happy days, you
still retain, and ought therefore not to complain. ]
? And ? erfore yif ? at ? ilke ? ing ? at ? ou haddest for
most p{re}cious in alle ? i rycchesse of fortune be kept
to ? e by ? e grace of god vnwemmed {and} vndefouled.
Mayst ? ou ? a{n} pleyne ry? tfully vpon ? e myschief of fortune. 1024
syn ? ou hast ? it ? i best[e] ? inges. ? Certys ? it
lyue? in goode poynt ? ilke p{re}cious hono{ur} of mankynde.
[Sidenote: Symmachus, dear to you as life, is safe and in health. ]
? Symacus ? i wyues fadir whiche ? at is a
man maked al of sapience {and} of vertue. ? e whiche 1028
man ? ou woldest b[i]en redely wi? ? e pris of ? in owen
lijf. he byweyle? ? e wronges ? at men don to ? ee. {and}
not for hym self. for he liue? in sykernesse of any
sentence put a? eins him.
[Sidenote: Your wife Rusticiana is also alive, and bewails her
separation from you. ]
? And ? it lyue? ? i wif ? at 1032
is attempre of witte {and} passyng o? er women in clennes
of chastitee. and for I wol closen shortly her bountes
she is lyke to hir fadir. I telle ? e welle ? at she lyue?
loo? of hir life. {and} kepi? to ? ee oonly hir goost. {and} 1036
is al maat {and} ouer-comen by wepyng {and} sorwe for
desire of ? e ? In ? e whiche ? ing only I mot graunten
? at ? i welefulnesse is amenused.
[Sidenote: Why need I mention your two sons, in whom so much of
the wit and spirit of their sire and grandsire doth shine? ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 11. ]]
? What shal I seyn
eke of ? i two sones conseillours of whiche as of children 1040
of hir age ? er shine? *? e lyknesse of ? e witte of
hir fadir {and} of hir eldefadir.
[Sidenote: And since it is the chief care of man to preserve life;
you are still most happy in the possession of blessings which all
men value more than life. ]
and si? en ? e souereyn
cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owe{n} lyues.
[Linenotes:
1008 _so? e_--soth
_Ne I may_--Ne I ne may
1009 _seine_--seyn
1011 _a_--omitted
_gretly_--gretely
1012 _aduersitees_--adu{er}syte
1013 _most_--mooste
1014 _abaist_--abyest
1015 _tourment_--torment?
_fals[e]_--false
1016 _sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyh
1017 _? itte_--yit
1019 _leueful_--leefful
1020 _many[e] ? inges_--manye grete thinges
1022 _alle_--al
1023 _? e by_--the yit by
1024 _myschief_--meschef
1025 _best[e]_--beste
1026 _lyue? _--leueth
_goode_--good
1027 _whiche_--which
1028 _al_--alle
_of_ (2)--omitted
1029 _b[i]en_--byen
_owen_--owne
1030 _byweyle? _--bewayleth
_don_--MS. done, C. don
1031 _liue? _--leueth
1033 _witte_--wyt
_women_--wymmen
1034 _shortly_--shortely
1035 _lyke_--lik
_welle_--wel
1036 _hir life_--this lyf
1037 _maat_--maad
1038 _whiche_--weche
1039 _amenused_--amenyssed
_seyn_--(MS. seyne) seyn
1041 _lyknesse_--lykenesse
_witte_--wyt
1042 {and} (1)--or
_eldefadir_--eldyr fadyr
_si? en_--syn
1043 _folke_--folk]
[Headnote:
THE CONDITION OF HUMAN BLISS. ]
? O how weleful art ? ou ? ou? ? ou knowe ? i goodes. 1044
? But ? itte ben ? er ? inges dwelly{n}g to ? e wardes ? at no [[pg 41]]
man doute? ? at ? ei ne ben more derwor? e to ? e ? en
? ine owen lijf.
[Sidenote: Dry up thy tears, thou hast still present comfort and
hope of future felicity. ]
? And for? i drie ? i teres for ? itte nys
nat eueriche fortune al hateful to ? e warde. ne ou{er} 1048
greet tempest ha? nat ? it fallen vpon ? e. whan ? at ? in
ancres cliue fast[e] ? at nei? er wole suffre ? e comfort of ? is
tyme p{re}sent. ne ? e hope of tyme comynge to passen
ne to falle{n}.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I hope these will never fail me. ]
? And I p{re}ie q{uod} I ? at fast[e] mot[en] 1052
? ei holden. ? For whiles ? at ? ei halden. how so eu{er}e
? at ? inges ben. I shal wel fleten fur? e and eschapen.
[Sidenote: But do you not see how low I am fallen? ]
? But ? ou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and}
aray ? at me lakke? ? at ben passed awey fro me. 1056
[Sidenote: _P. _ I should think that I had made progress if you did
not repine so at your fate. ]
? I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} for? ered ? e q{uod} she. if
? at ? ou anoie nat or for? enke nat of al ? i fortune. As
who sei? . ? I haue somwhat comforted ? e so ? at ? ou
tempest nat ? e ? us wi? al ? i fortune. syn ? ou hast 1060
? it ? i best[e] ? inges.
[Sidenote: It grieves me to hear you complain while you possess so
many comforts. ]
? But I may nat suffre ? in
delices. ?
