_
Tragedie
is to seyne a dite of a p{ro}sp{er}ite for a tyme
?
?
Chaucer - Boethius
?
O ?
ou man wher fore
makest ? ou me gilty by ? ine euerydayes pleynynges. what wronges haue I
don ? e. what goodes haue I byreft ? e ? at weren ? ine. stryf or plete wi?
me by fore what iuge ? at ? ou wilt of ? e possessiou{n} of rycchesse or of
dignites ? And yif ? ou maist shewe me ? at euer any mortal man ha?
receyued any of ? ese ? inges to ben his in p{ro}pre. ? an wol I graunt[e]
frely ? at [alle] ? ilke ? inges were{n} ? ine whiche ? at ? ou axest. ? Whan
? at nature brou? t[e] ? e for? e out of ? i moder wombe. I receyued[e] ? e
naked {and} nedy of al ? ing. {and} I norysshed[e] ? e wi? my rychesse.
{and} was redy {and} ententif ? o{ru}? my fauo{ur} to sustene ? e. ? And
? at make? ? e now i{n}pacient a? eins me. {and} I envirounde ? e wi? al ? e
habundaunce {and} shinyng of al goodes ? at ben in my ry? t. ? Now it
lyke? me to wi? drawe myne hande. ? ou hast had grace as he ? at ha? vsed
of foreyne goodes. ? ou hast no ry? t to pleyne ? e. as ? ou? ? ou haddest
vtterly lorn alle ? i ? inges. whi pleynest ? ou ? an. I haue don ? e no
wrong. Ricches hono{ur}es {and} swyche o? er ? inges ben of my ry? t. ? My
seruauntes knowen me for hir lady. ? ei comen wi? me {and} dep{ar}ten
whan I wende. I dar wel affermen hardyly. ? at yif ? o ? inges of whiche
? ou pleynest ? at ? ou hast forlorn hadde ben ? ine. ? ou ne haddest not
lorn he{m}. ? shal I ? an only be defended to vse my ry? t. ? Certis it is
leueful to ? e heuene to make clere dayes. {and} after ? at to keuere ? e
same dayes wi? derke ny? tes. ? ? e er? e ha? eke leue to apparaile ? e
visage of ? e er? e now w{i}t{h} floures {and} now wi? fruyt. {and} to
confounde he{m} so{m}tyme wi? raynes {and} wi? coldes. ? ? e see ha? eke
hys ry? t to be somtyme calme {and} blaundyshing wi? smo? e water. {and}
somtyme to be horrible wi? wawes {and} wi? tempestes. ? But ? e couetyse
of men ? at may not be staunched shal it bynde me to be stedfast. syn ? at
stedfastnesse is vnkou? to my maneres. ? Swyche is my streng? e. {and}
? is pley. I pley[e] co{n}tinuely. I tourne ? e whirly{n}g whele wi? ? e
tournyng cercle ? I am glade to chaunge ? e lowest to ? e heyeste. {and}
? e heyest to ? e loweste. wor? e vp yif ? ou wilt. so it be by ? is lawe.
? at ? ou ne holde not ? at I do ? e wronge ? ou? ? ou descende dou{n} whanne
resou{n} of my pleye axe? it. Wost ? ou not how Cresus kyng of lyndens of
whiche kyng Cir{us} was ful sore agast a litel byforne ? at ? is rewlyche
Cresus was cau? t of Cirus {and} lad to ? e fijr to be brent. but ? at a
reyne desce{n}ded[e] dou{n} from heuene ? at rescowed[e] hym ? And is it
out of ? i mynde how ? at Paulus consul of Rome whan he hadde take ? e kyng
of p{er}ciens weep pitou[s]ly for ? e captiuitee of ? e self[e] kyng. What
o? er ? inges bywaylen ? e criinges of Tragedies. but only ? e dedes of
fortune. ? at wi? an vnwar stroke ouert{ur}ne? ? e realmes of grete nobley
? _Glose.
_ Tragedie is to seyne a dite of a p{ro}sp{er}ite for a tyme
? at endi? in wrechednesse. Lernedest nat ? ou in grek whan ? ou were ? onge
? at in ? e entre or in ? e seler of Iuppiter ? er ben couched two tunnes.
? at on is ful of good ? at o? er is ful of harme. ? What ry? t hast ? ou to
pleyne. yif ? ou hast taken more plenteuously of ? e goode syde ? at is to
seyne of my rycchesse {and} p{ro}sp{er}ites. {and} what eke. yif I be
nat departed fro ? e. What eke. yif my mutabilitee ? iue? ? e ry? tful cause
of hope to han ? it better ? i{n}ges. ? Na? eles desmaie ? e nat in ? i
? ou? t. and ? {o}u ? at art put in comune realme of alle: ne desijr[e] nat
to lyue by ? ine oonly p{ro}pre ry? t.
SI Q{UA}NTAS RAPIDIS.
[Sidenote: [the secu{n}de met{ur}. ]]
++? Ou? plentee ? at is goddesse of rycches hielde adou{n} wi? ful horn.
{and} wi? drawe? nat hir hand. ? As many recches as ? e see turne?
vpwardes sandes whan it is moeued wi? rauysshing blastes. or ellys as
many rycches as ? er shynen bry? t[e] sterres on heuene on ? e sterry ny? t.
? it for al ? at mankynde nolde not cesce to wope wrecched[e] pleyntes.
? And al be it so ? at god receyue? gladly her p{ra}yers {and} ? eue? hem
as ful large muche golde {and} app{ar}aile? coueytous folk wi? noble or
clere hono{ur}s. ? it seme? hem haue I-gete no? ing. but alwey her cruel
ravyne deuourynge al ? at ? ei han geten shewi? o? er gapinges. ? at is to
seye gapen {and} desiren ? it after moo rycchesse. ? What brideles my? ten
wi? holde to any certeyne ende ? e desordene coueitise of men ? Whan euere
? e ra? er ? {a}t it fleti? in large ? iftis: ? e more ay brenne? in hem ? e
? rest of hauyng. ? Certis he ? at quakyng {and} dredeful wene? hym seluen
nedy. he ne lyue? neu{er}e mo ryche.
HIIS IGITUR SI PRO SE.
[Sidenote: [The thrydde p{ro}se. ]]
++? erfore yif ? at fortune spake wi? ? e for hir self in ? is manere. For
so? e ? ou ne haddest [nat] what ? ou my? test answere. and if ? ou hast any
? i{n}g wherwi? . ? ou mayist ry? tfully tellen ? i co{m}pleynt. ? It byhoue?
? e to shewen it. {and} . I. wol ? eue ? e space to tellen it. ? Certeynely
q{uod} I ? an ? ise ben faire ? inges {and} enoyntid wi? hony swetnesse of
rethorike {and} musike. {and} only while ? ei ben herd ? ei ben
deliciouse. ? But to wrecches is a deppere felyng of harme. ? is is to
seyn ? at wrecches felen ? e harmes ? at ? ei suffren more greuously ? an ? e
remedies or ? e delites of ? ise wordes mowe gladen or comforten hem. so
? at whan ? ise ? inges stynten forto sou{n}[e] in eres. ? e sorwe ? at is
inset greue? ? e ? ou? t. Ry? t so is it q{uod} she. ? For ? ise ne ben ? it
none remedies of ? i maladie. but ? ei ben a manere norissinges of ? i
sorwe ? it rebel a? eyne ? i curac{i}ou{n}. ? For whan ? at tyme is. I shal
moue swiche ? inges ? at p{er}cen hem self depe. ? But na? eles ? {a}t ? ou
shalt not wilne to leten ? i self a wrecche. ? Hast ? ou for? eten ?
makest ? ou me gilty by ? ine euerydayes pleynynges. what wronges haue I
don ? e. what goodes haue I byreft ? e ? at weren ? ine. stryf or plete wi?
me by fore what iuge ? at ? ou wilt of ? e possessiou{n} of rycchesse or of
dignites ? And yif ? ou maist shewe me ? at euer any mortal man ha?
receyued any of ? ese ? inges to ben his in p{ro}pre. ? an wol I graunt[e]
frely ? at [alle] ? ilke ? inges were{n} ? ine whiche ? at ? ou axest. ? Whan
? at nature brou? t[e] ? e for? e out of ? i moder wombe. I receyued[e] ? e
naked {and} nedy of al ? ing. {and} I norysshed[e] ? e wi? my rychesse.
{and} was redy {and} ententif ? o{ru}? my fauo{ur} to sustene ? e. ? And
? at make? ? e now i{n}pacient a? eins me. {and} I envirounde ? e wi? al ? e
habundaunce {and} shinyng of al goodes ? at ben in my ry? t. ? Now it
lyke? me to wi? drawe myne hande. ? ou hast had grace as he ? at ha? vsed
of foreyne goodes. ? ou hast no ry? t to pleyne ? e. as ? ou? ? ou haddest
vtterly lorn alle ? i ? inges. whi pleynest ? ou ? an. I haue don ? e no
wrong. Ricches hono{ur}es {and} swyche o? er ? inges ben of my ry? t. ? My
seruauntes knowen me for hir lady. ? ei comen wi? me {and} dep{ar}ten
whan I wende. I dar wel affermen hardyly. ? at yif ? o ? inges of whiche
? ou pleynest ? at ? ou hast forlorn hadde ben ? ine. ? ou ne haddest not
lorn he{m}. ? shal I ? an only be defended to vse my ry? t. ? Certis it is
leueful to ? e heuene to make clere dayes. {and} after ? at to keuere ? e
same dayes wi? derke ny? tes. ? ? e er? e ha? eke leue to apparaile ? e
visage of ? e er? e now w{i}t{h} floures {and} now wi? fruyt. {and} to
confounde he{m} so{m}tyme wi? raynes {and} wi? coldes. ? ? e see ha? eke
hys ry? t to be somtyme calme {and} blaundyshing wi? smo? e water. {and}
somtyme to be horrible wi? wawes {and} wi? tempestes. ? But ? e couetyse
of men ? at may not be staunched shal it bynde me to be stedfast. syn ? at
stedfastnesse is vnkou? to my maneres. ? Swyche is my streng? e. {and}
? is pley. I pley[e] co{n}tinuely. I tourne ? e whirly{n}g whele wi? ? e
tournyng cercle ? I am glade to chaunge ? e lowest to ? e heyeste. {and}
? e heyest to ? e loweste. wor? e vp yif ? ou wilt. so it be by ? is lawe.
? at ? ou ne holde not ? at I do ? e wronge ? ou? ? ou descende dou{n} whanne
resou{n} of my pleye axe? it. Wost ? ou not how Cresus kyng of lyndens of
whiche kyng Cir{us} was ful sore agast a litel byforne ? at ? is rewlyche
Cresus was cau? t of Cirus {and} lad to ? e fijr to be brent. but ? at a
reyne desce{n}ded[e] dou{n} from heuene ? at rescowed[e] hym ? And is it
out of ? i mynde how ? at Paulus consul of Rome whan he hadde take ? e kyng
of p{er}ciens weep pitou[s]ly for ? e captiuitee of ? e self[e] kyng. What
o? er ? inges bywaylen ? e criinges of Tragedies. but only ? e dedes of
fortune. ? at wi? an vnwar stroke ouert{ur}ne? ? e realmes of grete nobley
? _Glose.
_ Tragedie is to seyne a dite of a p{ro}sp{er}ite for a tyme
? at endi? in wrechednesse. Lernedest nat ? ou in grek whan ? ou were ? onge
? at in ? e entre or in ? e seler of Iuppiter ? er ben couched two tunnes.
? at on is ful of good ? at o? er is ful of harme. ? What ry? t hast ? ou to
pleyne. yif ? ou hast taken more plenteuously of ? e goode syde ? at is to
seyne of my rycchesse {and} p{ro}sp{er}ites. {and} what eke. yif I be
nat departed fro ? e. What eke. yif my mutabilitee ? iue? ? e ry? tful cause
of hope to han ? it better ? i{n}ges. ? Na? eles desmaie ? e nat in ? i
? ou? t. and ? {o}u ? at art put in comune realme of alle: ne desijr[e] nat
to lyue by ? ine oonly p{ro}pre ry? t.
SI Q{UA}NTAS RAPIDIS.
[Sidenote: [the secu{n}de met{ur}. ]]
++? Ou? plentee ? at is goddesse of rycches hielde adou{n} wi? ful horn.
{and} wi? drawe? nat hir hand. ? As many recches as ? e see turne?
vpwardes sandes whan it is moeued wi? rauysshing blastes. or ellys as
many rycches as ? er shynen bry? t[e] sterres on heuene on ? e sterry ny? t.
? it for al ? at mankynde nolde not cesce to wope wrecched[e] pleyntes.
? And al be it so ? at god receyue? gladly her p{ra}yers {and} ? eue? hem
as ful large muche golde {and} app{ar}aile? coueytous folk wi? noble or
clere hono{ur}s. ? it seme? hem haue I-gete no? ing. but alwey her cruel
ravyne deuourynge al ? at ? ei han geten shewi? o? er gapinges. ? at is to
seye gapen {and} desiren ? it after moo rycchesse. ? What brideles my? ten
wi? holde to any certeyne ende ? e desordene coueitise of men ? Whan euere
? e ra? er ? {a}t it fleti? in large ? iftis: ? e more ay brenne? in hem ? e
? rest of hauyng. ? Certis he ? at quakyng {and} dredeful wene? hym seluen
nedy. he ne lyue? neu{er}e mo ryche.
HIIS IGITUR SI PRO SE.
[Sidenote: [The thrydde p{ro}se. ]]
++? erfore yif ? at fortune spake wi? ? e for hir self in ? is manere. For
so? e ? ou ne haddest [nat] what ? ou my? test answere. and if ? ou hast any
? i{n}g wherwi? . ? ou mayist ry? tfully tellen ? i co{m}pleynt. ? It byhoue?
? e to shewen it. {and} . I. wol ? eue ? e space to tellen it. ? Certeynely
q{uod} I ? an ? ise ben faire ? inges {and} enoyntid wi? hony swetnesse of
rethorike {and} musike. {and} only while ? ei ben herd ? ei ben
deliciouse. ? But to wrecches is a deppere felyng of harme. ? is is to
seyn ? at wrecches felen ? e harmes ? at ? ei suffren more greuously ? an ? e
remedies or ? e delites of ? ise wordes mowe gladen or comforten hem. so
? at whan ? ise ? inges stynten forto sou{n}[e] in eres. ? e sorwe ? at is
inset greue? ? e ? ou? t. Ry? t so is it q{uod} she. ? For ? ise ne ben ? it
none remedies of ? i maladie. but ? ei ben a manere norissinges of ? i
sorwe ? it rebel a? eyne ? i curac{i}ou{n}. ? For whan ? at tyme is. I shal
moue swiche ? inges ? at p{er}cen hem self depe. ? But na? eles ? {a}t ? ou
shalt not wilne to leten ? i self a wrecche. ? Hast ? ou for? eten ?
