ei to han suffisau{n}ce
hono{ur}
power.
Chaucer - Boethius
iue?
as it
seme? a manere clernesse of renou{n}. ? and wijf {and} children ? at men
desiren for cause of delit {and} mirinesse. ? But forso? e frendes ne
shollen nat ben rekkened among ? e goodes of fortune but of vertue. for
it is a ful holy man{er}e ? ing. alle ? ise o? er ? inges forso? e ben taken
for cause of power. or ellis for cause of delit. ? Certis now am I redy
to referen ? e goodes of ? e body to ? ise forseide ? inges abouen. ? For it
seme? ? {a}t streng? e {and} gretnesse of body ? euen power {and}
wor? inesse. ? and ? at beaute {and} swiftenesse ? euen noblesse {and}
glorie of renou{n}. {and} hele of body seme? ? iuen delit. ? In alle ? ise
? i{n}g{us} it seme? oonly ? at blisfulnesse is desired. ? For-whi ? ilke
? ing ? at euery man desire? moost ouer alle ? inges. he demi? ? at be ? e
souereyne goode. ? But I haue diffined ? at blisfulnesse is ? e souereyne
goode. for whiche euery wy? t demi? ? at ? ilke estat ? at he desire? ouer
alle ? inges ? at it be ? e blisfulnesse. ? Now hast ? ou ? an byforne [thy
eyen] almost al ? e p{ur}posed forme of ? e welfulnesse of ma{n}ky{n}de.
? at is to seyne rycchesse. hono{ur}s. power. glorie. {and} delit? . ? e
whiche delit oonly considered Epicurus Iuged {and} establissed. ? at
delit is ? e souereyne goode. for as myche as alle o? er ? inges as hym
? ou? t[e] by-refte awey ioie {and} myr? e fro{m} ? e herte. ? But I
reto{ur}ne a? eyne to ? e studies of meen. of whiche men ? e corage alwey
rehersi? {and} seeke? ? e souereyne goode of alle be it so ? {a}t it be
wi? a derke memorie [but he not by whiche paath]. ? Ry? t as a dronke
ma{n} not nat by whiche pa? e he may reto{ur}ne home to hys house.
? Seme? it ? anne ? at folk folyen {and} erren ? at enforcen he{m} to haue
nede of no ? ing ? Certys ? er nys non o? er ? ing ? at may so weel
p{er}fo{ur}ny blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuo{us} of alle goodes ? at
ne ha? nede of none o? er ? ing. but ? at it is suffisant of hy{m} self.
vnto hym self. and foleyen swyche folk ? anne. ? at wenen ? at ? ilk ? ing
? {a}t is ry? t goode. ? at it be eke ry? t wor? i of honour {and} of
reuerence. ? Certis nay. for ? at ? ing nys ney? er foule ne wor? i to ben
dispised ? at al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} of mortel folke trauaille forto geten
it. ? And power au? t[e] nat ? at eke to be rekened amonges goodes what
ellis. for it nys nat to wene ? at ? ilke ? ing ? at is most wor? i of alle
? inges be feble {and} wi? out streng? e {and} clernesse of renou{n} au? te
? at to ben dispised. ? Certys ? er may no man forsake ? at al ? ing ? at is
ry? t excellent {and} noble. ? at it ne seme? to be ry? t clere {and}
renomed. ? For certis it nedi? nat to seie. ? at blisfulnesse be
anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greua{n}ces ne to sorwes. syn ? at in
ry? t litel ? i{n}g{us} folk seken to haue {and} to vsen ? at may deliten
hem. ? Certys ? ise ben ? e ? i{n}ges ? at men wolen {and} desyren to geten.
and for ? is cause desiren ? ei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and}
delices ? For ? erby wenen ?
ei to han suffisau{n}ce hono{ur} power.
renou{n} {and} gladnesse. ? ? anne is it goode. ? {a}t men seken ? us by so
many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may ly? tly be shew{e}d. how
grete is ? e streng? e of nature. ? For how so ? at men han dyuerse
sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge ? e ende
of goode.
Q{UA}NTAS RER{UM} FLECTAT.
[Sidenote: [The 2^de Met{ur}. ]]
++IT like? me to shew[e] by subtil songe wi? slakke {and} delitable
sou{n} of strenges how ? at nature my? ty encline? {and} flitte?
gouernement? of ? inges ? {and} by whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepi? ? e
grete worlde. {and} how she bindynge restreine? alle ? ing{us} by a bonde
? at may nat be vnbounden.
[Sidenote: [j]]
? Al be it so ? at ? e liou{n}s of ? e contree of pene beren ? e fair[e]
cheines. {and} taken metes of ? e handes of folk ? at ? euen it hem. {and}
dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche ? ei ben wont to suffren [betinges].
yif ? at hir horrible mou? es ben bi-bled. ? at is to sein of bestes
devoured. ? Hir corage of tyme passe? ? at ha? ben ydel {and} rested.
repaire? a? ein ? at ? ei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir nature.
{and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. and hir maistre first
to-teren wi? blody to? e assaie? ? e woode wra? ? es of hem. ? ? is is to
sein ? ei freten hir maister.
[Sidenote: [ij]]
? And ? e Iangland brid ? at syngi? on ? e heye braunches. ? is is to sein
in ? e wode {and} after is inclosed in a streit cage. ? al ? ou? [? {a}t]
? e pleiyng besines of men ? eue? hem honied[e] drinkes {and} large metes.
wi? swete studie. ? ? it na? eles yif ? ilke brid skippynge oute of hir
streite cage see? ? e agreable shadewes of ? e wodes. she defoule? wi? hir
fete hir metes yshad {and} seke? mournyng oonly ? e wode {and} twitri?
desirynge ? e wode wi? hir swete voys.
[Sidenote: [iij]]
? ? e ? erde of a tree ? at is haled adou{n} by my? ty streng? e bowi? redely
? e croppe adou{n}. but yif ? at ? e hande of hym ? at it bente lat it gon
a? ein. ? An oon ? e crop loke? vp ry? t to heuene.
[Sidenote: [iiij]]
? ? e sonne phebus ? at faille? at euene in ? e westrene wawes retorni?
a? ein eftsones his cart by a priue pa? e ? ere as it is wont aryse. ? Alle
? inges seken a? ein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle ? inges reioisen
hem of hir retournynge a? ein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis
bytaken to ? i{n}ges but ? at. ? at ha? ioignynge ? e endynge to ? e
bygynnynge. {and} ha? makid ? e cours of it self stable ? at it chaunge?
nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.
VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se. ]]
++CErtis also ? e men ? at ben er? elich{e} bestes dreme{n} alwey [yowre
bygynnynge] al ? ou? it be wi? a ? inne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner
? ou? t al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ? e looken from a fer til ? ilk
verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and ? erfore ? e naturel entenc{i}ou{n} lede?
? ow to ? ilk verray good ? But many manere errours misto{ur}ni? ? ow ? er
fro. ? Considere now yif ? at be ? ilke ? inges by whiche a man weni? to
gete hym blysfulnesse. yif ? at he may comen to ? ilke ende ? at he wene?
to come by nature ? For yif ? at moneye or hono{ur}s or ? ise o? er
forseide ? inges bryngen to men swiche a ? ing ? at no goode ne faille hem.
seme? a manere clernesse of renou{n}. ? and wijf {and} children ? at men
desiren for cause of delit {and} mirinesse. ? But forso? e frendes ne
shollen nat ben rekkened among ? e goodes of fortune but of vertue. for
it is a ful holy man{er}e ? ing. alle ? ise o? er ? inges forso? e ben taken
for cause of power. or ellis for cause of delit. ? Certis now am I redy
to referen ? e goodes of ? e body to ? ise forseide ? inges abouen. ? For it
seme? ? {a}t streng? e {and} gretnesse of body ? euen power {and}
wor? inesse. ? and ? at beaute {and} swiftenesse ? euen noblesse {and}
glorie of renou{n}. {and} hele of body seme? ? iuen delit. ? In alle ? ise
? i{n}g{us} it seme? oonly ? at blisfulnesse is desired. ? For-whi ? ilke
? ing ? at euery man desire? moost ouer alle ? inges. he demi? ? at be ? e
souereyne goode. ? But I haue diffined ? at blisfulnesse is ? e souereyne
goode. for whiche euery wy? t demi? ? at ? ilke estat ? at he desire? ouer
alle ? inges ? at it be ? e blisfulnesse. ? Now hast ? ou ? an byforne [thy
eyen] almost al ? e p{ur}posed forme of ? e welfulnesse of ma{n}ky{n}de.
? at is to seyne rycchesse. hono{ur}s. power. glorie. {and} delit? . ? e
whiche delit oonly considered Epicurus Iuged {and} establissed. ? at
delit is ? e souereyne goode. for as myche as alle o? er ? inges as hym
? ou? t[e] by-refte awey ioie {and} myr? e fro{m} ? e herte. ? But I
reto{ur}ne a? eyne to ? e studies of meen. of whiche men ? e corage alwey
rehersi? {and} seeke? ? e souereyne goode of alle be it so ? {a}t it be
wi? a derke memorie [but he not by whiche paath]. ? Ry? t as a dronke
ma{n} not nat by whiche pa? e he may reto{ur}ne home to hys house.
? Seme? it ? anne ? at folk folyen {and} erren ? at enforcen he{m} to haue
nede of no ? ing ? Certys ? er nys non o? er ? ing ? at may so weel
p{er}fo{ur}ny blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuo{us} of alle goodes ? at
ne ha? nede of none o? er ? ing. but ? at it is suffisant of hy{m} self.
vnto hym self. and foleyen swyche folk ? anne. ? at wenen ? at ? ilk ? ing
? {a}t is ry? t goode. ? at it be eke ry? t wor? i of honour {and} of
reuerence. ? Certis nay. for ? at ? ing nys ney? er foule ne wor? i to ben
dispised ? at al ? e entenc{i}ou{n} of mortel folke trauaille forto geten
it. ? And power au? t[e] nat ? at eke to be rekened amonges goodes what
ellis. for it nys nat to wene ? at ? ilke ? ing ? at is most wor? i of alle
? inges be feble {and} wi? out streng? e {and} clernesse of renou{n} au? te
? at to ben dispised. ? Certys ? er may no man forsake ? at al ? ing ? at is
ry? t excellent {and} noble. ? at it ne seme? to be ry? t clere {and}
renomed. ? For certis it nedi? nat to seie. ? at blisfulnesse be
anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greua{n}ces ne to sorwes. syn ? at in
ry? t litel ? i{n}g{us} folk seken to haue {and} to vsen ? at may deliten
hem. ? Certys ? ise ben ? e ? i{n}ges ? at men wolen {and} desyren to geten.
and for ? is cause desiren ? ei rycches. dignites. regnes. glorie {and}
delices ? For ? erby wenen ?
ei to han suffisau{n}ce hono{ur} power.
renou{n} {and} gladnesse. ? ? anne is it goode. ? {a}t men seken ? us by so
many dyu{er}se studies. In whiche desijr it may ly? tly be shew{e}d. how
grete is ? e streng? e of nature. ? For how so ? at men han dyuerse
sentences {and} discordyng algates men accordyn alle in lyuynge ? e ende
of goode.
Q{UA}NTAS RER{UM} FLECTAT.
[Sidenote: [The 2^de Met{ur}. ]]
++IT like? me to shew[e] by subtil songe wi? slakke {and} delitable
sou{n} of strenges how ? at nature my? ty encline? {and} flitte?
gouernement? of ? inges ? {and} by whiche lawes she p{ur}ueiable kepi? ? e
grete worlde. {and} how she bindynge restreine? alle ? ing{us} by a bonde
? at may nat be vnbounden.
[Sidenote: [j]]
? Al be it so ? at ? e liou{n}s of ? e contree of pene beren ? e fair[e]
cheines. {and} taken metes of ? e handes of folk ? at ? euen it hem. {and}
dreden her sturdy maystres of whiche ? ei ben wont to suffren [betinges].
yif ? at hir horrible mou? es ben bi-bled. ? at is to sein of bestes
devoured. ? Hir corage of tyme passe? ? at ha? ben ydel {and} rested.
repaire? a? ein ? at ? ei roren greuously. {and} reme{m}bren on hir nature.
{and} slaken hir nekkes from hir cheins vnbounden. and hir maistre first
to-teren wi? blody to? e assaie? ? e woode wra? ? es of hem. ? ? is is to
sein ? ei freten hir maister.
[Sidenote: [ij]]
? And ? e Iangland brid ? at syngi? on ? e heye braunches. ? is is to sein
in ? e wode {and} after is inclosed in a streit cage. ? al ? ou? [? {a}t]
? e pleiyng besines of men ? eue? hem honied[e] drinkes {and} large metes.
wi? swete studie. ? ? it na? eles yif ? ilke brid skippynge oute of hir
streite cage see? ? e agreable shadewes of ? e wodes. she defoule? wi? hir
fete hir metes yshad {and} seke? mournyng oonly ? e wode {and} twitri?
desirynge ? e wode wi? hir swete voys.
[Sidenote: [iij]]
? ? e ? erde of a tree ? at is haled adou{n} by my? ty streng? e bowi? redely
? e croppe adou{n}. but yif ? at ? e hande of hym ? at it bente lat it gon
a? ein. ? An oon ? e crop loke? vp ry? t to heuene.
[Sidenote: [iiij]]
? ? e sonne phebus ? at faille? at euene in ? e westrene wawes retorni?
a? ein eftsones his cart by a priue pa? e ? ere as it is wont aryse. ? Alle
? inges seken a? ein in to hir p{ro}pre cours. and alle ? inges reioisen
hem of hir retournynge a? ein to hir nature ne noon ordinaunce nis
bytaken to ? i{n}ges but ? at. ? at ha? ioignynge ? e endynge to ? e
bygynnynge. {and} ha? makid ? e cours of it self stable ? at it chaunge?
nat fro{m} hys p{ro}pre kynde.
VOSQ{UE} TERRENA ANIMALIA.
[Sidenote: [The 3^de p{ro}se. ]]
++CErtis also ? e men ? at ben er? elich{e} bestes dreme{n} alwey [yowre
bygynnynge] al ? ou? it be wi? a ? inne ymaginac{i}ou{n}. {and} by a maner
? ou? t al be it nat clerly ne p{er}fitly ? e looken from a fer til ? ilk
verray fyn of blisfulnesse. and ? erfore ? e naturel entenc{i}ou{n} lede?
? ow to ? ilk verray good ? But many manere errours misto{ur}ni? ? ow ? er
fro. ? Considere now yif ? at be ? ilke ? inges by whiche a man weni? to
gete hym blysfulnesse. yif ? at he may comen to ? ilke ende ? at he wene?
to come by nature ? For yif ? at moneye or hono{ur}s or ? ise o? er
forseide ? inges bryngen to men swiche a ? ing ? at no goode ne faille hem.
