e
p{ur}ueau{n}ce
{and} ?
Chaucer - Boethius
e hote ?
inges.
{and}
? at ? e ly? t[e] fyre arist in to hey? te. {and} ? e heuy er? es
aualen by her wey? tes.
[Sidenote: By these same causes the flowing year yields sweet
smells in the warm spring-tide; the hot summer ripens the corn. ]
? by ? ise same cause ? e floury
yere ? elde? swote smellys in ? e fyrste somer sesou{n} 4140
warmynge. {and} ? e hote somer drye? ? e cornes.
[Sidenote: Autumn comes crowned with plenty, and winter wets the
earth with showers. ]
{and} autumpne come? a? eyne heuy of apples. and ? e fletyng [[pg 144]]
reyne bydewe? ? e wynter. ? is attemp{er}aunce noryssi?
{and} bryngge? fur? e al ? inge ? at bredi? lyfe in ? is 4144
worlde.
[Sidenote: These changes give life and growth to all that breathe;
and at last by death efface whatever has had birth. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 32 _b_. ]]
? and ? ilk same attemp{er}aunce rauyssyng hide?
{and} bynyme? {and} drenche? vndir ? e last[e] de? e alle
*? inges yborn.
[Sidenote: Meanwhile the world's Creator, the Source of all, the
Lawgiver, the wise Judge, sits above equitably directing all
things. ]
? Amonges ? ise ? inges sitte? ? e heye
makere kyng {and} lorde. welle {and} bygynnynge. lawe 4148
{and} wise Iuge. to don equite {and} gouerni? {and} enclini?
? e bridles of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Those things which have been set in motion by him are
also checked and forced to move in an endless round, lest they go
from their source, and become chaotic. ]
{and} ? o ? inges ? at he stire? to don
by moeuynge he wi? drawe? {and} aresti? {and} affermi? ? e
moeueable or wandryng ? inges. ? For ? if ? at he ne 4152
clepi? nat a? ein ? e ry? t goynge of ? inges. {and} ? if ? at he
ne constreyned[e] hem nat eftesones in to roundenesse
enclined ? e ? inges ? {a}t ben now continued by stable
ordinaunce. ? ei sholde deperten from hir welle. ? at is 4156
to sein from hir bygynnynge {and} failen. ? at is to sein
to{ur}nen in to nau? t.
[Sidenote: This love is common to all things, and all things tend
to good; so, urged by this, they all revert to that First Cause
that gave them being. ]
? ? is is ? e co{m}mune loue of alle
? inges. {and} alle ? i{n}ges axen to be holden by ? e fyn of
good. For ellys ne my? ten ? ei nat lasten yif ? ei ne 4160
come nat eftesones a? eine by loue retourned to ? e cause
? at ha? ? euen he{m} beynge. ? at is to seyn to god.
[Linenotes:
4118 _? ou wolt_--? {o}u wys wilt
4119 _? und[ere]re_--thonderer{e}
_seyne_--seyn
4120 _bihold_--MS. biholde, C. byhold
4122 _rody_--MS. redy, C. rody
_fire_--Fyr
4123 _cercle_--clerke
4125 _courses_--cours
_hey? t_--heyhte
4127 _westerne_--westrene
_dy? en_--deeyn
4128 [_the_]--from C.
_he see_--MS. it sewe, C. he see
_o? er_--oothr{e}
4131 _a? eyne_--ayein
4133 _oute_--owt
4134 _euene-lyke manere[s]_--euenelyk maneres
4135 _striuen_--stryuynge
_nat_--omitted
4136 _but_--omitted
4138 _ly? t[e] fyre arist_--lyhte fyr arysith
4140 _yere_--? er
4142 _come? a? eyne_--comth ayein
4143 _reyne_--reyn
4144 _fur? e al ? inge_--forth alle thing
_bredi? lyfe_--berith lyf
4145 _worlde_--world
_? ilk_--thilke
4146 _last[e] de? e_--laste deth
4147 _yborn_--MS. yborne, C. I-born
4148 _lorde_--lord
4149 _wise_--wys
4150 _stire? _--sterith
_don_--gon
4151 _? e_--omitted
4153 _clepi? _--klepede
4154 _constreyned[e]_--constreynede
_roundenesse_--Rowndnesses
4156 _sholde_--sholden
4158 _tournen_--torne
_of_--to
4159 _be_--ben
4161 _eftesones a? eine_--eft sones ayein
4162 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
ALL FORTUNE IS BENEFICIAL. ]
IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you see what follows from our arguments? ]
++Sest ? ou nat ? an what ? ing folwe? alle ? e ? inges ? at I
haue seid.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is it? ]
what ? ing q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That all fortune is good. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she 4164
outerly ? at al fortune is good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ How can that be? ]
and how may ? at be
q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Since all fortune, whether prosperous or adverse,
is for the reward of the good or the punishment of the bad, all
fortune is good which is either just or useful. ]
? Now vndirstand q{uo}d she so as [alle
fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspr{e}]
fortune is ? iuen ei? er by cause of g{er}donynge or ellys of 4168
ex{er}cisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen.
or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ? ? an is alle fortune [[pg 145]]
good. ? e whiche fortune is certeyne ? at it be ei? er ry? tful
or p{ro}fitable.
[Sidenote: But let us put this opinion among those positions which
thou saidst were not commonly believed by the people. ]
? For so? e ? is is a ful verray resou{n} 4172
q{uo}d I. and yif I considere ?
e p{ur}ueau{n}ce {and} ? e
destine ? at ? ou tau? test me a litel here byforne ? is sentence
is susteyned by stedfast resou{n}s. but yif it like
vnto ? e lat vs nou{m}bre hem amonges ? ilk[e] ? inges of 4176
whiche ? ou seidest a litel here byforne ? at ? ei ne were
nat able to ben ywened to ? e poeple.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Why so? ]
? whi so q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Because it is a common expression that _the
fortune of such a one is bad_. ]
for ? at ? e comune worde of men mysusi? q{uo}d I.
? is manere speche of fortune. {and} sein ofte tymes [? {a}t] 4180
? e fortune of som wy? t is wicked.
[Linenotes:
4163 _? ing_--thinge
4165 _outerly_--al owtrely
_al_--alle
4166-7 [_alle----aspre_]--from C.
4169 _goode_--good
4174 _here byforne_--her by-forn
4175 _stedfast_--stydefast
4176 _noumbre_--nowmbren
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
4177 _here byforne_--her by-forn
4178 _ywened_--weened
4179 _worde_--word]
[Headnote:
PUNISHMENT IS BENEFICIAL. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you wish me to conform for awhile to the
language of the people, lest we should seem to depart too much
from the popular mode of expression? ]
wilt ? ou ? an q{uo}d
she ? at I p{ro}che a litel to ? e wordes of ? e poeple so it
seme nat to hem ? at I be ouer moche dep{ar}tid as fro ? e
vsage of man kynde.
[Sidenote: _B. _ As you please. ]
as ? ou wolt q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is everything profitable that is good? ]
? Demest 4184
? ou nat q{uo}d she ? at al ? ing ? at p{ro}fiti? is good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes, certainly. ]
? is q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That which exercises or corrects is profitable? ]
certis ? ilk ? ing ? at ex{er}cisi? or corigi? profiti? .
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is. ]
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Therefore it is good? ]
? an is it good q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes. ]
whi nat q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ This is the fortune of the virtuous who combat
with adversity, or of those who, relinquishing vice, pursue the
path of virtue? ]
but ? is is ? e fortune [q{uod} she] of 4188
hem ? at ei? er ben put in vertue {and} batailen a? eins
aspre ? inges. or ellys of hem ? at eschewen {and} declinen
fro vices {and} taken ? e weye of vertue.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is. ]
? ? is ne may
nat I denye q{uo}d I
[Sidenote: _P. _ The vulgar regard that prosperity which is
bestowed as a reward on the good to be beneficial, and they
believe those calamities by which the wicked are punished as the
most miserable things that can be imagined. ]
? But what seist ? ou of ? e myrye 4192
fortune ? at is ? euen to good folk in gerdou{n} deuini?
ou? t ? e poeples ? at it is wicked. nay forso? e q{uo}d I. but
? ei demen as it so? e is ? at it is ry? t good. ? And what
seist ? ou of ? at o? er fortune q{uo}d she. ? at al ? ou? it 4196
be aspre {and} restreini? ? e shrewes by ry? tful tourment.
weni? ou? t ? e poeple ? {a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ? But
? e poeple demi? ? at it be most wrecched of alle ? inges
? at may ben ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But in following the popular opinion, let us beware of
being involved in some new and incredible consequence. ]
war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d she 4200
lest ? at we in folwyng ? e opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed
{and} co{n}cluded ? ing ? at is vnable to be wened to [[pg 146]]
? e poeple.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is that? ]
what is ? at q{uo}d I
[Sidenote: _P. _ We have decided that the fortune of the virtuous
or of those growing up in virtue must needs be good--but that the
fortune of the wicked must be most wretched. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she it
folwe? or come? of ? inges ? {a}t ben graunted ? at alle 4204
fortune what so euer it be. of hem ? at ey? er ben i{n}
possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys
in ? e purchasynge of vertue. ? at ? ilke fortune is good.
? And ? at alle fortune is ry? t wicked to hem ? at 4208
dwellen in shrewednesse. as who sei? . {and} ? us wene?
nat ? e poeple.
[Linenotes:
4180 [_? at_]--from C.
4181 _wicked_--wykkede
4182 _proche_--aproche
4185 _al_--alle
4186 _? ilk_--thilke
4188 [_quod she_]--from C.
4191 _weye_--wey
4193 _deuini? _--demyth
4194 _ou? t_--awht
4195 _so? e_--soth
4198 _ou? t_--awht
4199 _be_--is
4204 _come? _--comth
4206 [_or----vertu_] from C.
4208 _wicked_--wykkede]
[Headnote:
THE FORTUNE OF THE VIRTUOUS IS GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: _B. _ That's true, though none dare acknowledge it. ]
? ? at is so? e q{uo}d I. ? Al be it so
? at noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it.
[Sidenote: _P.
? at ? e ly? t[e] fyre arist in to hey? te. {and} ? e heuy er? es
aualen by her wey? tes.
[Sidenote: By these same causes the flowing year yields sweet
smells in the warm spring-tide; the hot summer ripens the corn. ]
? by ? ise same cause ? e floury
yere ? elde? swote smellys in ? e fyrste somer sesou{n} 4140
warmynge. {and} ? e hote somer drye? ? e cornes.
[Sidenote: Autumn comes crowned with plenty, and winter wets the
earth with showers. ]
{and} autumpne come? a? eyne heuy of apples. and ? e fletyng [[pg 144]]
reyne bydewe? ? e wynter. ? is attemp{er}aunce noryssi?
{and} bryngge? fur? e al ? inge ? at bredi? lyfe in ? is 4144
worlde.
[Sidenote: These changes give life and growth to all that breathe;
and at last by death efface whatever has had birth. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 32 _b_. ]]
? and ? ilk same attemp{er}aunce rauyssyng hide?
{and} bynyme? {and} drenche? vndir ? e last[e] de? e alle
*? inges yborn.
[Sidenote: Meanwhile the world's Creator, the Source of all, the
Lawgiver, the wise Judge, sits above equitably directing all
things. ]
? Amonges ? ise ? inges sitte? ? e heye
makere kyng {and} lorde. welle {and} bygynnynge. lawe 4148
{and} wise Iuge. to don equite {and} gouerni? {and} enclini?
? e bridles of ? inges.
[Sidenote: Those things which have been set in motion by him are
also checked and forced to move in an endless round, lest they go
from their source, and become chaotic. ]
{and} ? o ? inges ? at he stire? to don
by moeuynge he wi? drawe? {and} aresti? {and} affermi? ? e
moeueable or wandryng ? inges. ? For ? if ? at he ne 4152
clepi? nat a? ein ? e ry? t goynge of ? inges. {and} ? if ? at he
ne constreyned[e] hem nat eftesones in to roundenesse
enclined ? e ? inges ? {a}t ben now continued by stable
ordinaunce. ? ei sholde deperten from hir welle. ? at is 4156
to sein from hir bygynnynge {and} failen. ? at is to sein
to{ur}nen in to nau? t.
[Sidenote: This love is common to all things, and all things tend
to good; so, urged by this, they all revert to that First Cause
that gave them being. ]
? ? is is ? e co{m}mune loue of alle
? inges. {and} alle ? i{n}ges axen to be holden by ? e fyn of
good. For ellys ne my? ten ? ei nat lasten yif ? ei ne 4160
come nat eftesones a? eine by loue retourned to ? e cause
? at ha? ? euen he{m} beynge. ? at is to seyn to god.
[Linenotes:
4118 _? ou wolt_--? {o}u wys wilt
4119 _? und[ere]re_--thonderer{e}
_seyne_--seyn
4120 _bihold_--MS. biholde, C. byhold
4122 _rody_--MS. redy, C. rody
_fire_--Fyr
4123 _cercle_--clerke
4125 _courses_--cours
_hey? t_--heyhte
4127 _westerne_--westrene
_dy? en_--deeyn
4128 [_the_]--from C.
_he see_--MS. it sewe, C. he see
_o? er_--oothr{e}
4131 _a? eyne_--ayein
4133 _oute_--owt
4134 _euene-lyke manere[s]_--euenelyk maneres
4135 _striuen_--stryuynge
_nat_--omitted
4136 _but_--omitted
4138 _ly? t[e] fyre arist_--lyhte fyr arysith
4140 _yere_--? er
4142 _come? a? eyne_--comth ayein
4143 _reyne_--reyn
4144 _fur? e al ? inge_--forth alle thing
_bredi? lyfe_--berith lyf
4145 _worlde_--world
_? ilk_--thilke
4146 _last[e] de? e_--laste deth
4147 _yborn_--MS. yborne, C. I-born
4148 _lorde_--lord
4149 _wise_--wys
4150 _stire? _--sterith
_don_--gon
4151 _? e_--omitted
4153 _clepi? _--klepede
4154 _constreyned[e]_--constreynede
_roundenesse_--Rowndnesses
4156 _sholde_--sholden
4158 _tournen_--torne
_of_--to
4159 _be_--ben
4161 _eftesones a? eine_--eft sones ayein
4162 _ha? _--MS. ha? e]
[Headnote:
ALL FORTUNE IS BENEFICIAL. ]
IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you see what follows from our arguments? ]
++Sest ? ou nat ? an what ? ing folwe? alle ? e ? inges ? at I
haue seid.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is it? ]
what ? ing q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That all fortune is good. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she 4164
outerly ? at al fortune is good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ How can that be? ]
and how may ? at be
q{uo}d . I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Since all fortune, whether prosperous or adverse,
is for the reward of the good or the punishment of the bad, all
fortune is good which is either just or useful. ]
? Now vndirstand q{uo}d she so as [alle
fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspr{e}]
fortune is ? iuen ei? er by cause of g{er}donynge or ellys of 4168
ex{er}cisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen.
or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ? ? an is alle fortune [[pg 145]]
good. ? e whiche fortune is certeyne ? at it be ei? er ry? tful
or p{ro}fitable.
[Sidenote: But let us put this opinion among those positions which
thou saidst were not commonly believed by the people. ]
? For so? e ? is is a ful verray resou{n} 4172
q{uo}d I. and yif I considere ?
e p{ur}ueau{n}ce {and} ? e
destine ? at ? ou tau? test me a litel here byforne ? is sentence
is susteyned by stedfast resou{n}s. but yif it like
vnto ? e lat vs nou{m}bre hem amonges ? ilk[e] ? inges of 4176
whiche ? ou seidest a litel here byforne ? at ? ei ne were
nat able to ben ywened to ? e poeple.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Why so? ]
? whi so q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Because it is a common expression that _the
fortune of such a one is bad_. ]
for ? at ? e comune worde of men mysusi? q{uo}d I.
? is manere speche of fortune. {and} sein ofte tymes [? {a}t] 4180
? e fortune of som wy? t is wicked.
[Linenotes:
4163 _? ing_--thinge
4165 _outerly_--al owtrely
_al_--alle
4166-7 [_alle----aspre_]--from C.
4169 _goode_--good
4174 _here byforne_--her by-forn
4175 _stedfast_--stydefast
4176 _noumbre_--nowmbren
_? ilk[e]_--thilke
4177 _here byforne_--her by-forn
4178 _ywened_--weened
4179 _worde_--word]
[Headnote:
PUNISHMENT IS BENEFICIAL. ]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do you wish me to conform for awhile to the
language of the people, lest we should seem to depart too much
from the popular mode of expression? ]
wilt ? ou ? an q{uo}d
she ? at I p{ro}che a litel to ? e wordes of ? e poeple so it
seme nat to hem ? at I be ouer moche dep{ar}tid as fro ? e
vsage of man kynde.
[Sidenote: _B. _ As you please. ]
as ? ou wolt q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Is everything profitable that is good? ]
? Demest 4184
? ou nat q{uo}d she ? at al ? ing ? at p{ro}fiti? is good.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes, certainly. ]
? is q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That which exercises or corrects is profitable? ]
certis ? ilk ? ing ? at ex{er}cisi? or corigi? profiti? .
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is. ]
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Therefore it is good? ]
? an is it good q{uo}d she.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes. ]
whi nat q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ This is the fortune of the virtuous who combat
with adversity, or of those who, relinquishing vice, pursue the
path of virtue? ]
but ? is is ? e fortune [q{uod} she] of 4188
hem ? at ei? er ben put in vertue {and} batailen a? eins
aspre ? inges. or ellys of hem ? at eschewen {and} declinen
fro vices {and} taken ? e weye of vertue.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It is. ]
? ? is ne may
nat I denye q{uo}d I
[Sidenote: _P. _ The vulgar regard that prosperity which is
bestowed as a reward on the good to be beneficial, and they
believe those calamities by which the wicked are punished as the
most miserable things that can be imagined. ]
? But what seist ? ou of ? e myrye 4192
fortune ? at is ? euen to good folk in gerdou{n} deuini?
ou? t ? e poeples ? at it is wicked. nay forso? e q{uo}d I. but
? ei demen as it so? e is ? at it is ry? t good. ? And what
seist ? ou of ? at o? er fortune q{uo}d she. ? at al ? ou? it 4196
be aspre {and} restreini? ? e shrewes by ry? tful tourment.
weni? ou? t ? e poeple ? {a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ? But
? e poeple demi? ? at it be most wrecched of alle ? inges
? at may ben ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But in following the popular opinion, let us beware of
being involved in some new and incredible consequence. ]
war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d she 4200
lest ? at we in folwyng ? e opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed
{and} co{n}cluded ? ing ? at is vnable to be wened to [[pg 146]]
? e poeple.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is that? ]
what is ? at q{uo}d I
[Sidenote: _P. _ We have decided that the fortune of the virtuous
or of those growing up in virtue must needs be good--but that the
fortune of the wicked must be most wretched. ]
? Certys q{uo}d she it
folwe? or come? of ? inges ? {a}t ben graunted ? at alle 4204
fortune what so euer it be. of hem ? at ey? er ben i{n}
possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys
in ? e purchasynge of vertue. ? at ? ilke fortune is good.
? And ? at alle fortune is ry? t wicked to hem ? at 4208
dwellen in shrewednesse. as who sei? . {and} ? us wene?
nat ? e poeple.
[Linenotes:
4180 [_? at_]--from C.
4181 _wicked_--wykkede
4182 _proche_--aproche
4185 _al_--alle
4186 _? ilk_--thilke
4188 [_quod she_]--from C.
4191 _weye_--wey
4193 _deuini? _--demyth
4194 _ou? t_--awht
4195 _so? e_--soth
4198 _ou? t_--awht
4199 _be_--is
4204 _come? _--comth
4206 [_or----vertu_] from C.
4208 _wicked_--wykkede]
[Headnote:
THE FORTUNE OF THE VIRTUOUS IS GOOD. ]
[Sidenote: _B. _ That's true, though none dare acknowledge it. ]
? ? at is so? e q{uo}d I. ? Al be it so
? at noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it.
[Sidenote: _P.
