ing a
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name.
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name.
Chaucer - Boethius
anne moten kynges han more
porciou{n} of wrechednesse ? an of welefulnesse. ? A tyraunt ? at was kyng
of sisile ? at had[de] assaied ? e p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by
similitude ? e dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde ? at heng ouer
? e heued of his familier. what ? ing is ? an ? is power ? at may nat don
awey ? e bytynges of besines ne eschewe ? e prikkes of drede. and certys
? it wolden ? ei lyuen in sykernesse. but ? ei may nat. and ? it ? ei
glorifien hem in her power ? Holdest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilk[e] man be my? ty
? at ? {o}u seest ? at he wolde don ? at he may nat don. ? And holdest ? ou
? an hym a my? ty man ? at ha? environed hise sydes wi? men of armes or
seruauntes {and} drede? more [hem] ? at he make? agast. ? en ? ei dreden
hym. {and} ? at is put in ? e handes of hise seruaunt? . for he sholde seme
my? ty but of familiers [or] seruaunt? of ky{n}ges. ? what sholde I telle
? e any ? ing. syn ? at I my self haue shewed ? e ? at realmes hem self ben
ful of gret feblenesse. ? e whiche familiers certis ? e real power of
kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] ? rowe? adou{n}.
? Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen
on what dee? he wolde deien. ? Antonius comau{n}did[e] ? at kny? tis
slowen wi? her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben
long tyme ful my? ty a-monges hem of ? e courte. and ? it certis ? ei wolde
bo? e han renou{n}ced her power. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e] hym to
? iue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie
exil. ? But whan ? e grete wey? t. ? at is to sein of lordes power or of
fortune drawe? hem ? at sholden falle. ney? er of hem ne my? t[e] do ? at he
wolde. what ? ing is ? anne ? ilke power ? at ? ou? men han it ? at ? ei ben
agast. ? {and} whan ? ou woldest han it ? ou nart nat siker. ? And yif ? ou
woldest forleten it ? ou mayst nat eschewen it. ? But whe? ir swiche men
ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.
Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune make? frendes. contrarious fortune
make? hem enmyse. ? And what pestilence is more my? ty forto anoye a wi? t
? an a familier enemy.
QUI SE UALET ESSE POTENTEM.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so wolde ben my? ty he mot dau{n}ten hys cruel corage. ne put[te]
nat his nekke ouercomen vndir ? e foule reines of lecherie. for al be it
so ? at ? i lordship[e] strecche so fer ? at ? e contre Inde quaki? at ? i
comaundement. or at ? i lawes. {and} ? at ? e leest isle in ? e see ? at hy? t
tile be ? ral to ? e ? ? it yif ? ou mayst nat pute{n} awey ? i foule derk[e]
desijres {and} dryue{n} oute fro ? e wreched co{m}pleyntes. Certis it nis
no power ? at ? ou hast.
GLORIA UERO QUA{M} FALLAX.
[Sidenote: [The 6^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt glorie how deceiuable {and} how foule is it ofte. for whiche ? ing
nat vnskilfully a tregedien ? at is to sein a maker of dites ? at hy? ten
tregedies cried[e] {and} seide. ? O glorie glorie q{uod} he. ? ou nart no
? ing ellys to ? ousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. for
many[e] han had ful gret renou{n} by ? e fals[e] oppiniou{n} of poeple.
and what ? ing may ben ? ou? t fouler ? en swiche p{re}isynge for ? ilk[e]
folk ? at be{n} p{re}ised falsly. ? ei moten nedes han shame of hir
p{re}isynges. {and} yif ? at folk han gete{n} hem ? ank or p{re}ysyng by
her desertes. what ? ing ha? ? ilk pris echid or encresed to ? e conscience
of wise folk ? {a}t mesure{n} hire good. not by ? e rumo{ur} of ? e poeple.
but by ? e so? efastnesse of conscience. {and} yif it seme a fair ?
ing a
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name. ? an folwe? it. ? at it is demed
to ben a foule ? inge yif it ne be ysprad ne encresed. but as I seide a
litel her byforne. ? at syn ? er mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk ? e
renou{n} of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalle? ? at he ? at ? ou wenest be
glorious {and} renomed. semi? in ? e nexte p{ar}ties of ? e er? e to ben
wi? out glorie. {and} wi? out renou{n}. ? and certis amo{n}ges ? ise
? inges I ne trowe nat ? at ? e p{r}is {and} grace of ? e poeple nis nei? er
wor? i to ben remembrid ne come? of wise iugement. ne is ferm
p{er}durably. ? But now of ? is name of gentilesse. what man is it ? at ne
may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a ? ing it is. ? For if ? e name
of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. ? an is
gentil name but a for[e]ine ? ing. ? at is to sein to hem ? at glorifien
hem of hir linage. ? For it seme? ? at gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge
? at come? of decert of auncestres. ? And yif p{re}ysynge make?
gentilesse ? an moten ? ei nedes be gentil ? at ben p{re}ysed. For whiche
? ing it folwe? . ? 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?
porciou{n} of wrechednesse ? an of welefulnesse. ? A tyraunt ? at was kyng
of sisile ? at had[de] assaied ? e p{er}il of his estat shewid[e] by
similitude ? e dredes of realmes by gastnesse of a swerde ? at heng ouer
? e heued of his familier. what ? ing is ? an ? is power ? at may nat don
awey ? e bytynges of besines ne eschewe ? e prikkes of drede. and certys
? it wolden ? ei lyuen in sykernesse. but ? ei may nat. and ? it ? ei
glorifien hem in her power ? Holdest ? ou ? an ? at ? ilk[e] man be my? ty
? at ? {o}u seest ? at he wolde don ? at he may nat don. ? And holdest ? ou
? an hym a my? ty man ? at ha? environed hise sydes wi? men of armes or
seruauntes {and} drede? more [hem] ? at he make? agast. ? en ? ei dreden
hym. {and} ? at is put in ? e handes of hise seruaunt? . for he sholde seme
my? ty but of familiers [or] seruaunt? of ky{n}ges. ? what sholde I telle
? e any ? ing. syn ? at I my self haue shewed ? e ? at realmes hem self ben
ful of gret feblenesse. ? e whiche familiers certis ? e real power of
kynges in hool estat {and} in estat abated ful [ofte] ? rowe? adou{n}.
? Nero co{n}streined[e] his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen
on what dee? he wolde deien. ? Antonius comau{n}did[e] ? at kny? tis
slowen wi? her swerdis Papinian his familier whiche Papinian had[de] ben
long tyme ful my? ty a-monges hem of ? e courte. and ? it certis ? ei wolde
bo? e han renou{n}ced her power. of whiche [two] senek enforced[e] hym to
? iue{n} to Nero his rychesses. {and} also to han gon in to solitarie
exil. ? But whan ? e grete wey? t. ? at is to sein of lordes power or of
fortune drawe? hem ? at sholden falle. ney? er of hem ne my? t[e] do ? at he
wolde. what ? ing is ? anne ? ilke power ? at ? ou? men han it ? at ? ei ben
agast. ? {and} whan ? ou woldest han it ? ou nart nat siker. ? And yif ? ou
woldest forleten it ? ou mayst nat eschewen it. ? But whe? ir swiche men
ben frendes at nede as ben conseiled by fortune {and} nat by vertue.
Certys swiche folk as weleful fortune make? frendes. contrarious fortune
make? hem enmyse. ? And what pestilence is more my? ty forto anoye a wi? t
? an a familier enemy.
QUI SE UALET ESSE POTENTEM.
[Sidenote: [The 5^the Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so wolde ben my? ty he mot dau{n}ten hys cruel corage. ne put[te]
nat his nekke ouercomen vndir ? e foule reines of lecherie. for al be it
so ? at ? i lordship[e] strecche so fer ? at ? e contre Inde quaki? at ? i
comaundement. or at ? i lawes. {and} ? at ? e leest isle in ? e see ? at hy? t
tile be ? ral to ? e ? ? it yif ? ou mayst nat pute{n} awey ? i foule derk[e]
desijres {and} dryue{n} oute fro ? e wreched co{m}pleyntes. Certis it nis
no power ? at ? ou hast.
GLORIA UERO QUA{M} FALLAX.
[Sidenote: [The 6^the p{ro}se. ]]
++Bvt glorie how deceiuable {and} how foule is it ofte. for whiche ? ing
nat vnskilfully a tregedien ? at is to sein a maker of dites ? at hy? ten
tregedies cried[e] {and} seide. ? O glorie glorie q{uod} he. ? ou nart no
? ing ellys to ? ousandes of folkes. but a gret sweller of eres. for
many[e] han had ful gret renou{n} by ? e fals[e] oppiniou{n} of poeple.
and what ? ing may ben ? ou? t fouler ? en swiche p{re}isynge for ? ilk[e]
folk ? at be{n} p{re}ised falsly. ? ei moten nedes han shame of hir
p{re}isynges. {and} yif ? at folk han gete{n} hem ? ank or p{re}ysyng by
her desertes. what ? ing ha? ? ilk pris echid or encresed to ? e conscience
of wise folk ? {a}t mesure{n} hire good. not by ? e rumo{ur} of ? e poeple.
but by ? e so? efastnesse of conscience. {and} yif it seme a fair ?
ing a
man to han encresid {and} sprad his name. ? an folwe? it. ? at it is demed
to ben a foule ? inge yif it ne be ysprad ne encresed. but as I seide a
litel her byforne. ? at syn ? er mot nedes ben many folk to whiche folk ? e
renou{n} of a man ne may nat comen. it byfalle? ? at he ? at ? ou wenest be
glorious {and} renomed. semi? in ? e nexte p{ar}ties of ? e er? e to ben
wi? out glorie. {and} wi? out renou{n}. ? and certis amo{n}ges ? ise
? inges I ne trowe nat ? at ? e p{r}is {and} grace of ? e poeple nis nei? er
wor? i to ben remembrid ne come? of wise iugement. ne is ferm
p{er}durably. ? But now of ? is name of gentilesse. what man is it ? at ne
may wel seen how veyne {and} how flittyng a ? ing it is. ? For if ? e name
of gentilesse be referred to renou{n} {and} clernesse of linage. ? an is
gentil name but a for[e]ine ? ing. ? at is to sein to hem ? at glorifien
hem of hir linage. ? For it seme? ? at gentilesse be a maner p{re}ysynge
? at come? of decert of auncestres. ? And yif p{re}ysynge make?
gentilesse ? an moten ? ei nedes be gentil ? at ben p{re}ysed. For whiche
? ing it folwe? . ? 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?
