e corages of good[e] folk hire
p{ro}pre
honoure.
Chaucer - Boethius
at al power is to be nou{m}bred amonge ?
inges ?
at men au?
ten
requere. {and} haue shewed ? at alle ? i{n}ges ? at au? ten ben desired ben
referred to good ry? t as to a manere hey? te of hyr nature. ? But for to
mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. ? an nis
nat yuel of ? e nou{m}bre of ? inges ? at au? te{n}. be desired. but al
power au? t[e] ben desired {and} requered. ? ? an is it open {and} cler
? at ? e power ne ? e moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle ? ise
? inges it shewe? wel ? at ? e goode folk ben certeynly my? ty. {and} ? e
shrewes ben douteles vnmy? ty ? And it is clere {and} open ? at ? ilke
sentence of plato is uerray {and} so? e. ? {a}t sey? ? at oonly wiseme{n}
may [doon] ? at ? ei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten ? at hem lyke? .
but ? at ? ei desiren ? at is to seyne to comen to souereyne good ? ei ne
han no power to acomplissen ? at. ? For shrewes don ? at hem list whan by
? o ? inges in whiche ? ei deliten ? ei wenen to atteyne to ? ilke good ? at
? ei desiren. but ? ei ne geten ne atteynen nat ? er to. ? for vices ne
comen nat to blisfulnesse.
QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so ? at ? e couertures of her veyn apparailes my? t[e] strepen of
? ise proude kynges ? at ? ou seest sitten on hey? e in her chayeres
glyterynge in shynynge purpre envyroned wi? sorweful arm{ur}es manasyng
wi? cruel mou? e. blowyng by woodnesse of herte. ? He sholde se ? an ? at
ilke lordes beren wi? i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for
leccherye tormenti? he{m} on ? at oon syde wi? gredy venyms {and}
troublable Ire ? at araise? in hem ? e floodes of troublynges tourmenti?
vpon ? at o? er side hir ? ou? t. or sorwe halt he{m} wery or ycau? t. or
slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope tourmenti? hem. And ? erfore syn ? ou seest
on heed. ? at is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many[e] tyrauntis. ? a{n} ne
do? ? ilk tyraunt nat ? at he desiri? . syn he is cast doune wi? so many[e]
wicked lordes. ? at is to seyn wi? so many[e] vices. ? at han so wicked
lordshipes ouer hym.
VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.
[Sidenote: [The iij. ^de p{ro}se. ]]
++SEest ? ou nat ? an in how gret fil? e ? ise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and}
wi? whiche cleernesse ? ise good folk shynen. In ? is shewe? it wel ? at to
good folk ne lakke? neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo
to{ur}mentis. for of alle ? inges ? at ben ydon ? ilke ? ing for whiche any
? ing is doon. it seme? as by ry? t ? at ? ilke ? ing be ? e mede of ? at. as
? us. ? yif a man renne? in ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge for ? e corone.
? an lie? ? e mede in ? e corone for whiche he renne? . ? And I haue shewed
? at blisfulnesse is ? ilke same good for whiche ? at alle ? i{n}g{us} ben
don. ? an is ? ilke same good p{ur}posed to ? e werkes of mankynde ry? t as
a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no
wy? t as by ry? t fro ? ennes for? e ? {a}t hym lakki? goodnesse ne shal ben
cleped good. For whiche ? ing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so ? at sherewes waxen as wood as hem
list a? eynes good[e] folk. ? itte neuer ? e les ? e corone of wise men ne
shal nat fallen ne faden. ? For foreine shrewednesse ne bynyme? nat fro
?
e corages of good[e] folk hire p{ro}pre honoure. but yif ? at any wy? t
reioise? hem of goodnesse ? at ? ei had[de] taken fro wi? oute. as who sei?
yif [? {a}t] any wy? t had[de] hys goodnesse of any o? er man ? an of hym
self. certys he ? at ? af hym ? ilke goodnesse or ellys som o? er wy? t
my? t[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wy? t hys owen
p{ro}pre bounte ? eue? hy{m} hys mede. ? an at arst shal he faylen of mede
whan he forleti? to ben good. {and} at ? e laste so as alle medes be{n}
requered for men wenen ? at ? ei ben good[e]. who is he ? at wolde deme ? at
he ? at is ry? t my? ty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. {and} of what mede
shal he be gerdoned. certys of ry? t faire mede {and} ry? t greet abouen
alle medes. ? Remembre ? e of ? ilk noble corolarie ? at I ? af ? e a lytel
here byforne. {and} gadre it to gidre in ? is manere. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. ? an is it clere {and} certeyn. ? at alle good folk ben
makid blisful for ? ei ben good[e]. and ? ilke folk ? at ben blisful it
accordi? {and} is couenable to ben godde[s]. ? an is ? e mede of goode
folk swiche. ? at no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal
endirken it. ne power of no wy? t ne shal nat amenusen it ? at is to seyn
to ben maked goddes. ? and syn it is ? us ? at goode men ne faylen neuer
mo of hir{e} medes. ? certys no wise man ne may doute of ? e
vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ? ? at is to seyn ? at ? e peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}ti? nat from hem self neuer mo. ? For so as goode
{and} yuel {and} peyne {and} medes ben contrarie it mot nedes ben ? {a}t
ry? t as we seen by-tiden in gerdou{n} of goode. ? at also mot ? e peyne of
yuel answer{e} by ? e contrarie partye to shrewes. now ? an so as bounte
{and} prowesse ben ? e medes to goode folk. also is shrewednesse it self
torment to shrewes ? ? an who so ? at euer is entecched {and} defouled wi?
yuel. yif shrewes wolen ? an p{re}isen hem self may it semen to hem ? at
? ei ben wi? oute{n} p{ar}tye of tourment. syn ? ei ben swiche ? at ? e
[vtteriste wikkednesse / ? {a}t is to seyn wikkede thewes / which ? {a}t
is the] out{er}este {and} ? e w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouli?
nat ne entecehi? nat hem oonly but infecti? {and} enuenemy? he{m}
gretely ? And al so loke on shrewes ? at ben ? e contrarie p{ar}tye of
goode men. how grete peyne felawshipe? {and} folwe? hem. ? For ? ou hast
lerned a litel here byforn ? at al ? i{n}g ? at is {and} ha? beynge is oon.
{and} ? ilke same oon is good. ? an is ? is consequence ? at it seme? wel.
? at al ? at is {and} ha? bey{n}ge is good. ? is is to seyne. as who sei?
? at beynge {and} vnite {and} goodnesse is al oon. {and} in ? is manere it
folwe? ? an. ? at al ? ing ? at faile? to ben good. it stynti? forto be.
{and} forto haue any beynge. wher fore it is ? at shrewes stynten forto
ben ? at ? ei weren. but ? ilke o? er forme of mankynde. ? at is to seyne ? e
forme of ? e body wi? oute. shewi? ? it ? at ? ise shrewes were somtyme men.
? wher fore whan ? ei ben p{er}uerted {and} torned in to malice. certys
? an han ? ei forlorn ? e nature of mankynde. but so as oonly bounte {and}
prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer o? er men. ? an mot it nedes be ? at
shrewes whiche ? at shrewednesse ha? cast out of ? e condic{i}ou{n} of
mankynde ben put vndir ? e merite {and} ? e deserte of men. ? an bitidi? it
? at yif ? ou seest a wy? t ? at be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. ? ou ne mayst
nat wene ? at he be a man. ?
requere. {and} haue shewed ? at alle ? i{n}ges ? at au? ten ben desired ben
referred to good ry? t as to a manere hey? te of hyr nature. ? But for to
mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. ? an nis
nat yuel of ? e nou{m}bre of ? inges ? at au? te{n}. be desired. but al
power au? t[e] ben desired {and} requered. ? ? an is it open {and} cler
? at ? e power ne ? e moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle ? ise
? inges it shewe? wel ? at ? e goode folk ben certeynly my? ty. {and} ? e
shrewes ben douteles vnmy? ty ? And it is clere {and} open ? at ? ilke
sentence of plato is uerray {and} so? e. ? {a}t sey? ? at oonly wiseme{n}
may [doon] ? at ? ei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten ? at hem lyke? .
but ? at ? ei desiren ? at is to seyne to comen to souereyne good ? ei ne
han no power to acomplissen ? at. ? For shrewes don ? at hem list whan by
? o ? inges in whiche ? ei deliten ? ei wenen to atteyne to ? ilke good ? at
? ei desiren. but ? ei ne geten ne atteynen nat ? er to. ? for vices ne
comen nat to blisfulnesse.
QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.
[Sidenote: [The ij^de Met{ur}. ]]
++Who so ? at ? e couertures of her veyn apparailes my? t[e] strepen of
? ise proude kynges ? at ? ou seest sitten on hey? e in her chayeres
glyterynge in shynynge purpre envyroned wi? sorweful arm{ur}es manasyng
wi? cruel mou? e. blowyng by woodnesse of herte. ? He sholde se ? an ? at
ilke lordes beren wi? i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for
leccherye tormenti? he{m} on ? at oon syde wi? gredy venyms {and}
troublable Ire ? at araise? in hem ? e floodes of troublynges tourmenti?
vpon ? at o? er side hir ? ou? t. or sorwe halt he{m} wery or ycau? t. or
slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope tourmenti? hem. And ? erfore syn ? ou seest
on heed. ? at is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many[e] tyrauntis. ? a{n} ne
do? ? ilk tyraunt nat ? at he desiri? . syn he is cast doune wi? so many[e]
wicked lordes. ? at is to seyn wi? so many[e] vices. ? at han so wicked
lordshipes ouer hym.
VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.
[Sidenote: [The iij. ^de p{ro}se. ]]
++SEest ? ou nat ? an in how gret fil? e ? ise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and}
wi? whiche cleernesse ? ise good folk shynen. In ? is shewe? it wel ? at to
good folk ne lakke? neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo
to{ur}mentis. for of alle ? inges ? at ben ydon ? ilke ? ing for whiche any
? ing is doon. it seme? as by ry? t ? at ? ilke ? ing be ? e mede of ? at. as
? us. ? yif a man renne? in ? e stadie or in ? e forlonge for ? e corone.
? an lie? ? e mede in ? e corone for whiche he renne? . ? And I haue shewed
? at blisfulnesse is ? ilke same good for whiche ? at alle ? i{n}g{us} ben
don. ? an is ? ilke same good p{ur}posed to ? e werkes of mankynde ry? t as
a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no
wy? t as by ry? t fro ? ennes for? e ? {a}t hym lakki? goodnesse ne shal ben
cleped good. For whiche ? ing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so ? at sherewes waxen as wood as hem
list a? eynes good[e] folk. ? itte neuer ? e les ? e corone of wise men ne
shal nat fallen ne faden. ? For foreine shrewednesse ne bynyme? nat fro
?
e corages of good[e] folk hire p{ro}pre honoure. but yif ? at any wy? t
reioise? hem of goodnesse ? at ? ei had[de] taken fro wi? oute. as who sei?
yif [? {a}t] any wy? t had[de] hys goodnesse of any o? er man ? an of hym
self. certys he ? at ? af hym ? ilke goodnesse or ellys som o? er wy? t
my? t[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wy? t hys owen
p{ro}pre bounte ? eue? hy{m} hys mede. ? an at arst shal he faylen of mede
whan he forleti? to ben good. {and} at ? e laste so as alle medes be{n}
requered for men wenen ? at ? ei ben good[e]. who is he ? at wolde deme ? at
he ? at is ry? t my? ty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. {and} of what mede
shal he be gerdoned. certys of ry? t faire mede {and} ry? t greet abouen
alle medes. ? Remembre ? e of ? ilk noble corolarie ? at I ? af ? e a lytel
here byforne. {and} gadre it to gidre in ? is manere. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. ? an is it clere {and} certeyn. ? at alle good folk ben
makid blisful for ? ei ben good[e]. and ? ilke folk ? at ben blisful it
accordi? {and} is couenable to ben godde[s]. ? an is ? e mede of goode
folk swiche. ? at no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal
endirken it. ne power of no wy? t ne shal nat amenusen it ? at is to seyn
to ben maked goddes. ? and syn it is ? us ? at goode men ne faylen neuer
mo of hir{e} medes. ? certys no wise man ne may doute of ? e
vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ? ? at is to seyn ? at ? e peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}ti? nat from hem self neuer mo. ? For so as goode
{and} yuel {and} peyne {and} medes ben contrarie it mot nedes ben ? {a}t
ry? t as we seen by-tiden in gerdou{n} of goode. ? at also mot ? e peyne of
yuel answer{e} by ? e contrarie partye to shrewes. now ? an so as bounte
{and} prowesse ben ? e medes to goode folk. also is shrewednesse it self
torment to shrewes ? ? an who so ? at euer is entecched {and} defouled wi?
yuel. yif shrewes wolen ? an p{re}isen hem self may it semen to hem ? at
? ei ben wi? oute{n} p{ar}tye of tourment. syn ? ei ben swiche ? at ? e
[vtteriste wikkednesse / ? {a}t is to seyn wikkede thewes / which ? {a}t
is the] out{er}este {and} ? e w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouli?
nat ne entecehi? nat hem oonly but infecti? {and} enuenemy? he{m}
gretely ? And al so loke on shrewes ? at ben ? e contrarie p{ar}tye of
goode men. how grete peyne felawshipe? {and} folwe? hem. ? For ? ou hast
lerned a litel here byforn ? at al ? i{n}g ? at is {and} ha? beynge is oon.
{and} ? ilke same oon is good. ? an is ? is consequence ? at it seme? wel.
? at al ? at is {and} ha? bey{n}ge is good. ? is is to seyne. as who sei?
? at beynge {and} vnite {and} goodnesse is al oon. {and} in ? is manere it
folwe? ? an. ? at al ? ing ? at faile? to ben good. it stynti? forto be.
{and} forto haue any beynge. wher fore it is ? at shrewes stynten forto
ben ? at ? ei weren. but ? ilke o? er forme of mankynde. ? at is to seyne ? e
forme of ? e body wi? oute. shewi? ? it ? at ? ise shrewes were somtyme men.
? wher fore whan ? ei ben p{er}uerted {and} torned in to malice. certys
? an han ? ei forlorn ? e nature of mankynde. but so as oonly bounte {and}
prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer o? er men. ? an mot it nedes be ? at
shrewes whiche ? at shrewednesse ha? cast out of ? e condic{i}ou{n} of
mankynde ben put vndir ? e merite {and} ? e deserte of men. ? an bitidi? it
? at yif ? ou seest a wy? t ? at be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. ? ou ne mayst
nat wene ? at he be a man. ?
