th whilom weleful {and} grene
co{n}forten
now ?
Chaucer - Boethius
-- 3 His igitur si pro se tecum fortuna
loqueretur 36
? 3 -- Cum polo Phoebus roseis quadrigis 39
? -- 4 Tum ego, Vera, inquam, commemoras 39
? 4 -- Quisquis volet perennem 44
? -- 5 Sed quoniam rationum jam in te mearum
fomenta 45
? 5 -- Felix nimium prior aetas 50
? -- 6 Quid autem de dignitatibus, potentiaque
disseram 51
? 6 -- Novimus quantas dederit ruinas 55
? -- 7 Tum ego, Scis, inquam, ipsa 56
? 7 -- Quicumque solam mente praecipiti petit 60
? -- 8 Sed ne me inexorabile contra fortunam 61
? 8 -- Quod mundus stabili fide 62
III -- 1 Jam cantum illa finierat 63
? 1 -- Qui serere ingenuum volet agrum 64
? -- 2 Tum defixo paululum visu 64
? 2 -- Quantas rerum flectat habenas 68
? -- 3 Vos quoque, o terrena animalia 69
? 3 -- Quamvis fluente dives auri gurgite 71
? -- 4 Sed dignitates honorabilem reverendumque 72
? 4 -- Quamvis se Tyrio superbus ostro 74
? -- 5 An vero regna regumque familiaritas
efficere potentem valent? 75
? 5 -- Qui se volet esse potentem 77
? -- 6 Gloria vero quam fallax saepe,
quam turpis est! 77
? 6 -- Omne hominum genus in terris 78
? -- 7 Quid autem de corporis voluptatibus loquar? 79
? 7 -- Habet omnis hoc voluptas 80
? -- 8 Nihil igitur dubium est, quin 80
? 8 -- Eheu, quam miseros tramite devio 81
? -- 9 Hactenus mendacis formam felicitatis
ostendisse 82
? 9 -- O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas 87
? -- 10 Quoniam igitur quae sit imperfecti 88
? 10 -- Huc omnes pariter venite capti 94
? -- 11 Assentior, inquam. 95
? 11 -- Quisquis profunda mente vestigat verum 100
? -- 12 Tum ego, Platoni, inquam, vehementer
assentior 101
? 12 -- Felix qui potuit boni 106
IV -- 1 Haec cum Philosophia, dignitate 108
? 1 -- Sunt etenim pennae volucres mihi 110
? -- 2 Tum ego, Papae, inquam, ut magna promittis! 112
? 2 -- Quos vides sedere celso 118
? -- 3 Videsne igitur quanto in coeno probra
volvantur 119
? 3 -- Vela Neritii ducis 122
? -- 4 Tum ego, Fateor, inquam, nec injuria
dici video 123
? 4 -- Quid tantos juvat excitare motus 130
? -- 5 Hic ego, Video, inquam, quae sit vel
felicitas 131
? 5 -- Si quis Arcturi sidera nescit 132
? -- 6 Ita est, inquam. 133
? 6 -- Si vis celsi jura tonantis 143
? -- 7 Jamne igitur vides, quid haec omnia
quae diximus, consequatur? 144
? 7 -- Bella bis quinis operatus annis 147
V -- 1 Dixerat, orationisque cursum ad alia quaedam 149
? 1 -- Rupis Achaemeniae scopulis, ubi versa
sequentum 151
? -- 2 Animadverto, inquam, idque uti tu dicis,
ita esse consentio. 152
? 2 -- Puro clarum lumine Phoebum 153
? -- 3 Tum ego, En, inquam, difficiliori rursus
ambiguitate confundor. 154
? 3 -- Quaenam discors foedera rerum 159
? -- 4 Tum illa, Vetus, inquit, haec est de
Providentia querela 161
? 4 -- Quondam porticus attulit 166
? -- 5 Quod si in corporibus sentiendis, quamvis 168
? 5 -- Quam variis terras animalia permeant
figuris! 170
? -- 6 Quoniam igitur, uti paulo ante
monstratum est 171
Appendix. --AEtas Prima 180
? Balades de Vilage sanz Peinture 182
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
++[I]NCIPIT TABULA LIBRI BOICII DE CONSOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
[_Additional MS. 10,340, fol. 3. _]
[Sidenote: [fol. 3. ]]
LIBER PRIMUS.
1 Carmina qui quondam studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
2 Hic dum mecum tacitus.
3 Heu q{ua}m precipiti.
4 Set medicine inquit tempus.
5 Tunc me discussa.
6 Haut[C-1] aliter tristicie.
7 Quisquis composito.
8 Sentis ne inquit.
9 O stelliferi conditor orbis.
10 Hic ubi continuato dolore.
11 Cum phebi radijs.
12 Primu{m} igit{ur} pateris rogac{i}o{n}ib{us}.
13 Nubib{us} atris condita.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
LIBER SECUNDUS.
1 Postea paulisper[C-2] conticuit.
2 Hec cum superba.
3 Uellem autem pauca.
4 Si quantas rapidis.
5 His igitur si {et} pro se.
6 Cum primo polo.
7 Tunc ego uera inq{ua}m.
8 Contraq{ue}.
9 Quisq{ui}s ualet p{er}hennem cantus.
10 Set cum racionu{m} iam in te.
11 Felix i{n} miru{m} iam prior etas.
12 Quid au{tem} de dignitatib{us}.
13 Nouim{us} quantos dederat.
14 Tu{m} ego scis inq{ua}m.
15 Quicu{n}q{ue} solam mente.
16 Set ne me inexorabile.
17 Q{uo}d mu{n}dus stabile fide.
EXPLICIT LIBER S{E}C{UN}DUS.
LIBER TERCIUS.
1 Iam tantu{m} illa.
2 Qui serere ingeniu{m}.
3 Tunc defixo paululu{m}.
4 Quantas reru{m} flectat.
5 Uos quoq{ue} terrena a{n}i{m}alia.
6 Qua{m}uis fluenter diues.
7 Set dignitatib{us}.
8 Qua{m}uis se tirio.
9 An uero regna.
10 Qui se ualet esse potentem.
11 Gloria uero q{uam} fallax.
12 Omne hominu{m} genus in terris.
13 Quid au{tem} de corporib{us}.
14 Habet hoc uoluptas.
15 Nichil igit{ur} dubiu{m} est.
16 Heu q{ue} miseros tramite.
17 Hacten{us} me{n}dacio forma{m}.
18 O qui p{er}petua.
19 Q{uonia}m igit{ur} qui scit.
20 Nunc omnes pariter.
21 Assencior inq{ua}m cuncta.
22 Quisq{ue} profunda.
23 Tunc ego platoni inq{ua}m.
24 Felix qui poterit.
EXPLICIT LIBER T{ER}CIUS.
LIBER QUARTUS.
1 Hec cum philosophia.
2 Sunt eteni{m} penne.
3 Tunc ego pape inq{uam}.
4 Quos uides sedere celsos.
5 Uides ne igitur quanto.
6 U[e]la naricij ducis.
7 Tunc ego fateor inq{ua}m.
8 Quid tantos iuuat.
9 Huic ego uideo inq{ua}m.
10 Si quis arcturi[C-3] sydera.
11 Ita est inq{ua}m.
12 Si uis celsi iura.
13 Iam ne igit{ur} uides.
14 Bella bis quinis.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
1 Dixerat orac{i}onis q{ue} cursu{m}.
2 Rupis achemenie.
3 Animaduerto inq{ua}m.
4 Puro claru{m} lumine.
5 Tamen ego en inq{ua}m.
6 Que nam discors.
7 Tamen illa uetus.
8 Quonda{m} porticus attulit.
9 Quod si i{n} corporib{us}.
10 Qua{m} uarijs figuris.
11 Quonia{m} igit{ur} uti paulo ante.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUI{N}TUS {ET} ULTIMUS.
[Footnote C-1: MS. hanc. ]
[Footnote C-2: MS. luper. ]
[Footnote C-3: MS. arituri. ]
[[pg 4]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS DEPLORES HIS MISFORTUNES. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 3 _b_. ]]
*LIBER PRIMUS.
INCIPIT LIBER BOICII DE CO{N}SOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
Car{m}i{n}a qui q{u}onda{m} studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Boethius deplores his misfortunes in the following
pathetic elegy. ]
++Allas I wepyng am constreined to bygynne vers of
sorouful matere. ? ? at whilom in florysching
studie made delitable ditees. For loo rendyng muses
of poetes enditen to me ? inges to be writen. and drery 4
v{er}s of wrecchednes weten my face wi? v{er}ray teers.
? At ? e leest no drede ne my? t[e] ouer-come ? o muses.
? at ? ei ne were{n} felawes {and} folweden my wey. ? at is
to seyne when I was exiled.
[Sidenote: ypalage antithesis]
? ei ? at weren glorie of 8
my you?
th whilom weleful {and} grene co{n}forten now ? e
sorouful werdes of me olde man.
[Sidenote: Laments his immature old age. ]
for elde is comen vnwarly
vpon me hasted by ? e harmes ? at I haue. {and}
sorou ha? comau{n}ded his age to be in me. ? Heeres 12
hore ben schad ouertymelyche vpon myne heued. and
? e slak[e] skyn tremble? vpon myn emty body.
[Sidenote: Death turns a deaf ear to the wretched. ]
? ilk[e]
dee? of men is welful ? at ne come? not in ? eres ? at
ben swete (. i. mirie. ) but come? to wrecches often 16
yclepid.
[Linenotes:
1 _of_--MS. of of.
2 _florysching_--floryssynge
3 _rendyng_--rendynge
4 _be_--ben
5 _wrecchednes_--wrecchednesse
_teers_--teeres
6 _leest_--leeste
_my? t[e] ouer-come_--myhte ouercomen
8 _seyne when_--seyn whan
9 _you? th_--MS. ? o? t, C. yowthe
10 _sorouful werdes_--sorful wierdes [i. fata]
12 _sorou_--sorwe
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_be_--ben
13 _hore_--hoore
_ben_--arn
_myne_--myn
14 _slak[e]_--slake
_vpon_--of
_emty_--emptyd
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
15 _welful_--weleful
_come? not_--comth nat
16 _. i. mirie_--omitted]
? Allas allas wi? how deef an eere dee? cruel
to{ur}ne? awey fro wrecches {and} naie? to closen wepyng
eyen.
[Sidenote: When Fortune was favourable Death came near Boethius,
but in his adversity life is unpleasantly protracted. ]
? While fortune vnfei? ful fauored[e] me 20
wi? ly? te goodes (. s. temp{or}els. ) ? e sorouful houre ? at
is to seyne ? e dee? had[de] almost dreynt myne heued.
? But now for fortune clowdy ha? chaunged hir disceyuable
chere to me warde. myn vnpitouse lijf drawe? 24
a long vnagreable dwellynges in me.
[Sidenote: Why did his friends call him happy? He stood not firm
that hath thus fallen. ]
? O ? e my
frendes what or wherto auaunted[e] ? e me to be weleful: [[pg 5]]
for he ? at ha? fallen stood not i{n} stedfast degree.
[Linenotes:
19 _tourne? _--torneth
_naie? _--nayteth
_wepyng_--wepynge
20 _While_--Whil
_fauored[e]_--fauorede
21 _ly? te_--lyhte
_. s. temporels_--omitted
_sorouful houre_--sorwful howr{e}
22 _seyne_--seyn
_had[de]_--hadde
_myne_--myn
23 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_chaunged hir disceyuable_--chaungyd hyre deceyuable
24 _vnpitouse lijf_--vnpietous lyf]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY APPEARS TO BOETHIUS. ]
HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.
[Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy appears to Boethius, like a beautiful woman,
and of great age. ]
++IN ? e mene while ? at I stille recorded[e] ? ise ? inges 28
wi? my self. {and} markede my wepli compleynte wi?
office of poyntel. I saw stondyng aboue ? e hey? t of my
heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer ? e comune 32
my? t of men. wi? a lijfly colo{ur} {and} wi? swiche vigoure
{and} strenke? ? at it ne my? t[e] not be emptid. ? Al
were it so ? at sche was ful of so greet age. ? at men ne
wolde not trowe i{n} no manere ? at sche were of oure 36
elde.
[Sidenote: Her height could not be determined, for there were
times when she raised her head higher than the heavens. ]
? e stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for
su{m}tyme sche constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n}
lyche to ? e comune mesure of men. {and} su{m}tyme it
semed[e] ? at sche touched[e] ? e heuene wi? ? e hey? te 40
of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche
p{er}ced[e] ? e selue heuene. so ? at ? e sy? t of men lokyng
was i{n} ydel.
[Sidenote: Her clothes were finely wrought and indissoluble, but
dark and dusky, like old besmoked images. ]
? Hir clo? es weren maked of ry? t delye
? redes {and} subtil crafte of p{er}durable matere. ? e wyche 44
clo? es sche hadde wouen wi? hir owen hondes: as I
knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng
to me ? e beaute. ? e wiche clo? es a derkenes of a forleten
and dispised elde had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as 48
it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages.
[Sidenote: On the lower hem of her garment was the letter ?
and on the upper ? . ]
? In ? e ne? erest[e]
hem or bordure of ? ese clo? es me{n} redden [[pg 6]]
ywouen in swiche a gregkysche . P. ? at signifie? ? e lijf
actif. And abouen ? {a}t l{ett}re in ? e hey? est[e] bordure 52
a grekysche T. ? at signifie? ? e lijf contemplatif.
[Linenotes:
26 _auaunted[e]_--auauntede
_be_--ben
27 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_not_--nat
_stedfast_--stidefast
28 _In ? e mene_--omitted
_recorded[e]_--recordede
30 _saw_--MS. sawe, C. sawh
_stondyng above_--MS. studiyng aboue, C. stondinge abouen
_hey? t_--heyhte
_my_--myn
31 _greet_--gret
32 _brennyng_--brennynge
_clere seing_--cleer seynge
33 _swiche_--swych
34 _strenke? _--strengthe
_it----emptid_--it myhte nat ben emted
_Al_--alle
36 _wolde----trowe_--wolden nat trowen
37 _iugement_--Iuggement
38 _sumtyme_--somtyme
_constreyned[e]_--constreynede
_schronk_--MS. schronke, C. shronk
39 _lyche_--lyk
40 _semed[e]_--semede
_touched[e]_--towchede
41 _when_--whan
_hef_--MS. heued, C. hef
_heyer_--hyere
42 _perced[e]_--percede
_sy? t_--syhte
_lokyng_--lookynge
44 _crafte_--craft
45 _wouen_--MS. wonnen, C. wouen
_owen hondes_--owne handes
46 _knew_--MS. knewe, C. knewh
_selfe declaryng_--self declarynge
_schewyng_--shewynge
47 _derkenes_--dirknesse
_forleten_--forletyn
48 _dispised_--despised
_had[de] duskid_--hadde dusked
_dirkid_--derked
49 _by-smoked_--the smokede
_ne? erest[e]_--nethereste
50 _? ese_--thise
51 _swiche_--omitted
_gregkysche_--grekyssh{e}
_signifie? _--syngnifieth
52 _hey? est[e]_--heyeste]
[Headnote:
A DESCRIPTION OF PHILOSOPHY. ]
[Sidenote: Between the letters were steps like a ladder. ]
? And by-twene ? ese two l{ett}res ? ere weren seien degrees
nobly wrou? t in manere of laddres. By wyche
degrees men my? t[en] clymbe fro ? e ne? emast[e] l{ett}re 56
to ? e ouermast[e].
[Sidenote: Philosophy's garments were tattered and torn, and
pieces had been carried violently off. ]
?
loqueretur 36
? 3 -- Cum polo Phoebus roseis quadrigis 39
? -- 4 Tum ego, Vera, inquam, commemoras 39
? 4 -- Quisquis volet perennem 44
? -- 5 Sed quoniam rationum jam in te mearum
fomenta 45
? 5 -- Felix nimium prior aetas 50
? -- 6 Quid autem de dignitatibus, potentiaque
disseram 51
? 6 -- Novimus quantas dederit ruinas 55
? -- 7 Tum ego, Scis, inquam, ipsa 56
? 7 -- Quicumque solam mente praecipiti petit 60
? -- 8 Sed ne me inexorabile contra fortunam 61
? 8 -- Quod mundus stabili fide 62
III -- 1 Jam cantum illa finierat 63
? 1 -- Qui serere ingenuum volet agrum 64
? -- 2 Tum defixo paululum visu 64
? 2 -- Quantas rerum flectat habenas 68
? -- 3 Vos quoque, o terrena animalia 69
? 3 -- Quamvis fluente dives auri gurgite 71
? -- 4 Sed dignitates honorabilem reverendumque 72
? 4 -- Quamvis se Tyrio superbus ostro 74
? -- 5 An vero regna regumque familiaritas
efficere potentem valent? 75
? 5 -- Qui se volet esse potentem 77
? -- 6 Gloria vero quam fallax saepe,
quam turpis est! 77
? 6 -- Omne hominum genus in terris 78
? -- 7 Quid autem de corporis voluptatibus loquar? 79
? 7 -- Habet omnis hoc voluptas 80
? -- 8 Nihil igitur dubium est, quin 80
? 8 -- Eheu, quam miseros tramite devio 81
? -- 9 Hactenus mendacis formam felicitatis
ostendisse 82
? 9 -- O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas 87
? -- 10 Quoniam igitur quae sit imperfecti 88
? 10 -- Huc omnes pariter venite capti 94
? -- 11 Assentior, inquam. 95
? 11 -- Quisquis profunda mente vestigat verum 100
? -- 12 Tum ego, Platoni, inquam, vehementer
assentior 101
? 12 -- Felix qui potuit boni 106
IV -- 1 Haec cum Philosophia, dignitate 108
? 1 -- Sunt etenim pennae volucres mihi 110
? -- 2 Tum ego, Papae, inquam, ut magna promittis! 112
? 2 -- Quos vides sedere celso 118
? -- 3 Videsne igitur quanto in coeno probra
volvantur 119
? 3 -- Vela Neritii ducis 122
? -- 4 Tum ego, Fateor, inquam, nec injuria
dici video 123
? 4 -- Quid tantos juvat excitare motus 130
? -- 5 Hic ego, Video, inquam, quae sit vel
felicitas 131
? 5 -- Si quis Arcturi sidera nescit 132
? -- 6 Ita est, inquam. 133
? 6 -- Si vis celsi jura tonantis 143
? -- 7 Jamne igitur vides, quid haec omnia
quae diximus, consequatur? 144
? 7 -- Bella bis quinis operatus annis 147
V -- 1 Dixerat, orationisque cursum ad alia quaedam 149
? 1 -- Rupis Achaemeniae scopulis, ubi versa
sequentum 151
? -- 2 Animadverto, inquam, idque uti tu dicis,
ita esse consentio. 152
? 2 -- Puro clarum lumine Phoebum 153
? -- 3 Tum ego, En, inquam, difficiliori rursus
ambiguitate confundor. 154
? 3 -- Quaenam discors foedera rerum 159
? -- 4 Tum illa, Vetus, inquit, haec est de
Providentia querela 161
? 4 -- Quondam porticus attulit 166
? -- 5 Quod si in corporibus sentiendis, quamvis 168
? 5 -- Quam variis terras animalia permeant
figuris! 170
? -- 6 Quoniam igitur, uti paulo ante
monstratum est 171
Appendix. --AEtas Prima 180
? Balades de Vilage sanz Peinture 182
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
++[I]NCIPIT TABULA LIBRI BOICII DE CONSOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
[_Additional MS. 10,340, fol. 3. _]
[Sidenote: [fol. 3. ]]
LIBER PRIMUS.
1 Carmina qui quondam studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
2 Hic dum mecum tacitus.
3 Heu q{ua}m precipiti.
4 Set medicine inquit tempus.
5 Tunc me discussa.
6 Haut[C-1] aliter tristicie.
7 Quisquis composito.
8 Sentis ne inquit.
9 O stelliferi conditor orbis.
10 Hic ubi continuato dolore.
11 Cum phebi radijs.
12 Primu{m} igit{ur} pateris rogac{i}o{n}ib{us}.
13 Nubib{us} atris condita.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
LIBER SECUNDUS.
1 Postea paulisper[C-2] conticuit.
2 Hec cum superba.
3 Uellem autem pauca.
4 Si quantas rapidis.
5 His igitur si {et} pro se.
6 Cum primo polo.
7 Tunc ego uera inq{ua}m.
8 Contraq{ue}.
9 Quisq{ui}s ualet p{er}hennem cantus.
10 Set cum racionu{m} iam in te.
11 Felix i{n} miru{m} iam prior etas.
12 Quid au{tem} de dignitatib{us}.
13 Nouim{us} quantos dederat.
14 Tu{m} ego scis inq{ua}m.
15 Quicu{n}q{ue} solam mente.
16 Set ne me inexorabile.
17 Q{uo}d mu{n}dus stabile fide.
EXPLICIT LIBER S{E}C{UN}DUS.
LIBER TERCIUS.
1 Iam tantu{m} illa.
2 Qui serere ingeniu{m}.
3 Tunc defixo paululu{m}.
4 Quantas reru{m} flectat.
5 Uos quoq{ue} terrena a{n}i{m}alia.
6 Qua{m}uis fluenter diues.
7 Set dignitatib{us}.
8 Qua{m}uis se tirio.
9 An uero regna.
10 Qui se ualet esse potentem.
11 Gloria uero q{uam} fallax.
12 Omne hominu{m} genus in terris.
13 Quid au{tem} de corporib{us}.
14 Habet hoc uoluptas.
15 Nichil igit{ur} dubiu{m} est.
16 Heu q{ue} miseros tramite.
17 Hacten{us} me{n}dacio forma{m}.
18 O qui p{er}petua.
19 Q{uonia}m igit{ur} qui scit.
20 Nunc omnes pariter.
21 Assencior inq{ua}m cuncta.
22 Quisq{ue} profunda.
23 Tunc ego platoni inq{ua}m.
24 Felix qui poterit.
EXPLICIT LIBER T{ER}CIUS.
LIBER QUARTUS.
1 Hec cum philosophia.
2 Sunt eteni{m} penne.
3 Tunc ego pape inq{uam}.
4 Quos uides sedere celsos.
5 Uides ne igitur quanto.
6 U[e]la naricij ducis.
7 Tunc ego fateor inq{ua}m.
8 Quid tantos iuuat.
9 Huic ego uideo inq{ua}m.
10 Si quis arcturi[C-3] sydera.
11 Ita est inq{ua}m.
12 Si uis celsi iura.
13 Iam ne igit{ur} uides.
14 Bella bis quinis.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
1 Dixerat orac{i}onis q{ue} cursu{m}.
2 Rupis achemenie.
3 Animaduerto inq{ua}m.
4 Puro claru{m} lumine.
5 Tamen ego en inq{ua}m.
6 Que nam discors.
7 Tamen illa uetus.
8 Quonda{m} porticus attulit.
9 Quod si i{n} corporib{us}.
10 Qua{m} uarijs figuris.
11 Quonia{m} igit{ur} uti paulo ante.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUI{N}TUS {ET} ULTIMUS.
[Footnote C-1: MS. hanc. ]
[Footnote C-2: MS. luper. ]
[Footnote C-3: MS. arituri. ]
[[pg 4]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS DEPLORES HIS MISFORTUNES. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 3 _b_. ]]
*LIBER PRIMUS.
INCIPIT LIBER BOICII DE CO{N}SOLAC{I}O{N}E PHILOSOPHIE.
Car{m}i{n}a qui q{u}onda{m} studio flore{n}te p{er}egi.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: Boethius deplores his misfortunes in the following
pathetic elegy. ]
++Allas I wepyng am constreined to bygynne vers of
sorouful matere. ? ? at whilom in florysching
studie made delitable ditees. For loo rendyng muses
of poetes enditen to me ? inges to be writen. and drery 4
v{er}s of wrecchednes weten my face wi? v{er}ray teers.
? At ? e leest no drede ne my? t[e] ouer-come ? o muses.
? at ? ei ne were{n} felawes {and} folweden my wey. ? at is
to seyne when I was exiled.
[Sidenote: ypalage antithesis]
? ei ? at weren glorie of 8
my you?
th whilom weleful {and} grene co{n}forten now ? e
sorouful werdes of me olde man.
[Sidenote: Laments his immature old age. ]
for elde is comen vnwarly
vpon me hasted by ? e harmes ? at I haue. {and}
sorou ha? comau{n}ded his age to be in me. ? Heeres 12
hore ben schad ouertymelyche vpon myne heued. and
? e slak[e] skyn tremble? vpon myn emty body.
[Sidenote: Death turns a deaf ear to the wretched. ]
? ilk[e]
dee? of men is welful ? at ne come? not in ? eres ? at
ben swete (. i. mirie. ) but come? to wrecches often 16
yclepid.
[Linenotes:
1 _of_--MS. of of.
2 _florysching_--floryssynge
3 _rendyng_--rendynge
4 _be_--ben
5 _wrecchednes_--wrecchednesse
_teers_--teeres
6 _leest_--leeste
_my? t[e] ouer-come_--myhte ouercomen
8 _seyne when_--seyn whan
9 _you? th_--MS. ? o? t, C. yowthe
10 _sorouful werdes_--sorful wierdes [i. fata]
12 _sorou_--sorwe
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_be_--ben
13 _hore_--hoore
_ben_--arn
_myne_--myn
14 _slak[e]_--slake
_vpon_--of
_emty_--emptyd
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
15 _welful_--weleful
_come? not_--comth nat
16 _. i. mirie_--omitted]
? Allas allas wi? how deef an eere dee? cruel
to{ur}ne? awey fro wrecches {and} naie? to closen wepyng
eyen.
[Sidenote: When Fortune was favourable Death came near Boethius,
but in his adversity life is unpleasantly protracted. ]
? While fortune vnfei? ful fauored[e] me 20
wi? ly? te goodes (. s. temp{or}els. ) ? e sorouful houre ? at
is to seyne ? e dee? had[de] almost dreynt myne heued.
? But now for fortune clowdy ha? chaunged hir disceyuable
chere to me warde. myn vnpitouse lijf drawe? 24
a long vnagreable dwellynges in me.
[Sidenote: Why did his friends call him happy? He stood not firm
that hath thus fallen. ]
? O ? e my
frendes what or wherto auaunted[e] ? e me to be weleful: [[pg 5]]
for he ? at ha? fallen stood not i{n} stedfast degree.
[Linenotes:
19 _tourne? _--torneth
_naie? _--nayteth
_wepyng_--wepynge
20 _While_--Whil
_fauored[e]_--fauorede
21 _ly? te_--lyhte
_. s. temporels_--omitted
_sorouful houre_--sorwful howr{e}
22 _seyne_--seyn
_had[de]_--hadde
_myne_--myn
23 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_chaunged hir disceyuable_--chaungyd hyre deceyuable
24 _vnpitouse lijf_--vnpietous lyf]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY APPEARS TO BOETHIUS. ]
HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.
[Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy appears to Boethius, like a beautiful woman,
and of great age. ]
++IN ? e mene while ? at I stille recorded[e] ? ise ? inges 28
wi? my self. {and} markede my wepli compleynte wi?
office of poyntel. I saw stondyng aboue ? e hey? t of my
heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer ? e comune 32
my? t of men. wi? a lijfly colo{ur} {and} wi? swiche vigoure
{and} strenke? ? at it ne my? t[e] not be emptid. ? Al
were it so ? at sche was ful of so greet age. ? at men ne
wolde not trowe i{n} no manere ? at sche were of oure 36
elde.
[Sidenote: Her height could not be determined, for there were
times when she raised her head higher than the heavens. ]
? e stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for
su{m}tyme sche constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n}
lyche to ? e comune mesure of men. {and} su{m}tyme it
semed[e] ? at sche touched[e] ? e heuene wi? ? e hey? te 40
of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche
p{er}ced[e] ? e selue heuene. so ? at ? e sy? t of men lokyng
was i{n} ydel.
[Sidenote: Her clothes were finely wrought and indissoluble, but
dark and dusky, like old besmoked images. ]
? Hir clo? es weren maked of ry? t delye
? redes {and} subtil crafte of p{er}durable matere. ? e wyche 44
clo? es sche hadde wouen wi? hir owen hondes: as I
knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng
to me ? e beaute. ? e wiche clo? es a derkenes of a forleten
and dispised elde had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as 48
it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages.
[Sidenote: On the lower hem of her garment was the letter ?
and on the upper ? . ]
? In ? e ne? erest[e]
hem or bordure of ? ese clo? es me{n} redden [[pg 6]]
ywouen in swiche a gregkysche . P. ? at signifie? ? e lijf
actif. And abouen ? {a}t l{ett}re in ? e hey? est[e] bordure 52
a grekysche T. ? at signifie? ? e lijf contemplatif.
[Linenotes:
26 _auaunted[e]_--auauntede
_be_--ben
27 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_not_--nat
_stedfast_--stidefast
28 _In ? e mene_--omitted
_recorded[e]_--recordede
30 _saw_--MS. sawe, C. sawh
_stondyng above_--MS. studiyng aboue, C. stondinge abouen
_hey? t_--heyhte
_my_--myn
31 _greet_--gret
32 _brennyng_--brennynge
_clere seing_--cleer seynge
33 _swiche_--swych
34 _strenke? _--strengthe
_it----emptid_--it myhte nat ben emted
_Al_--alle
36 _wolde----trowe_--wolden nat trowen
37 _iugement_--Iuggement
38 _sumtyme_--somtyme
_constreyned[e]_--constreynede
_schronk_--MS. schronke, C. shronk
39 _lyche_--lyk
40 _semed[e]_--semede
_touched[e]_--towchede
41 _when_--whan
_hef_--MS. heued, C. hef
_heyer_--hyere
42 _perced[e]_--percede
_sy? t_--syhte
_lokyng_--lookynge
44 _crafte_--craft
45 _wouen_--MS. wonnen, C. wouen
_owen hondes_--owne handes
46 _knew_--MS. knewe, C. knewh
_selfe declaryng_--self declarynge
_schewyng_--shewynge
47 _derkenes_--dirknesse
_forleten_--forletyn
48 _dispised_--despised
_had[de] duskid_--hadde dusked
_dirkid_--derked
49 _by-smoked_--the smokede
_ne? erest[e]_--nethereste
50 _? ese_--thise
51 _swiche_--omitted
_gregkysche_--grekyssh{e}
_signifie? _--syngnifieth
52 _hey? est[e]_--heyeste]
[Headnote:
A DESCRIPTION OF PHILOSOPHY. ]
[Sidenote: Between the letters were steps like a ladder. ]
? And by-twene ? ese two l{ett}res ? ere weren seien degrees
nobly wrou? t in manere of laddres. By wyche
degrees men my? t[en] clymbe fro ? e ne? emast[e] l{ett}re 56
to ? e ouermast[e].
[Sidenote: Philosophy's garments were tattered and torn, and
pieces had been carried violently off. ]
?
