ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ?
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ?
Chaucer - Boethius
But I ?
anke ?
e auctour {and} ?
e makere of 692
heele ? at nat{ur}e ha? not al forleten ? e.
[Sidenote: I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest
that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark
shall produce vital heat. ]
{and} I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of ? i hele. {and} ? at is ? e so? e sentence
of gou{er}nau{n}ce of ? e worlde.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8 _b_. ]]
? at ? ou byleuest
? at ? e gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696
to ? e folie *of ? ise happes auenterouses. but to ? e
resou{n} of god ? And ? er fore doute ? e no? ing.
For of ? is litel spark ? ine heet of lijf schal shine.
[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light. ]
? But
for as muche as it is not tyme ? itte of fastere remedies 700
? And ? e nature of ? ou? tes disseiued is ? is ? at as ofte
as ? ei casten aweye so? e opyniou{n}s: ? ei clo? en hem in
fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] ? e derknesse
of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexe? vp. ? at comfounde? ? e verray 704
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ?
ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
? and if ? ou remembrest wel
? e kynde ? e maners {and} ? e desert of ? ilke fortune. ? ow 744
shalt wel knowe as in hir ? ou neuer ne haddest ne
hast ylost any fair ? ing. But as I trowe I shal not
gretly trauaile to don ? e remembren of ? ise ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou wert once proof against her allurements. ]
? For ? ou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748
wi? manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and}
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi? sentences ? at were
drawe{n} oute of myne entre. ? at is to seyne out of
myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n}
[Sidenote: But sudden change works a great alteration in the minds
of men, hence it is that thou art departed from thy usual peace of
mind. ]
? But no sudeyne mutac{i}ou{n} ne 752
bytide? nat wi? oute{n} a maner chau{n}gyng of curages.
and so is it byfallen ? at ? ou art dep{ar}ted a litel fro
? e pees of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But with some gentle emollients I shall prepare thee
for stronger medicines. ]
but now is tyme ? at ? ou drynke
{and} atast[e] some softe {and} delitable ? inges. so ? at whan 756
? ei ben entred wi? i{n}ne ? e. it mow make weye to
strenger drynkes of medycynes.
[Sidenote: Approach then, Rhetoric, with thy persuasive charms,
and therewith let Music also draw near. ]
? Com nowe fur? e
? erfore ? e suasiou{n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche
? at go? oonly ? e ry? t wey whil she forsake? not myne 760
estatut? . ? And wi? Rethorice com for? e musice a
damoisel of oure house ? at synge? now ly? ter moedes
or p{ro}lac{i}ou{n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 9. ]]
*what ayle? ? e man. what
is it ? at ha? cast ? e in to murnyng {and} in to wepyng. 764
I trow[e] ? at ? ou hast sen some newe ? ing {and} uncou? e.
[Sidenote: Thou thinkest that Fortune is changed towards thee. ]
? ? ou wenest ? at fortune be chaunged a? eins ? e
[Sidenote: But thou art deceived. ]
? But ? ou wenest wrong. yif ? ou [? at] wene.
[Sidenote: In this misadventure of thine she hath preserved her
constancy in changing. ]
Alwey ? o ben hire maners. she ha? ra? er [kept] as to 768
? e ward hire p{ro}pre stablenes in ? e chaungyng of hyre
self. ? Ry? t swyche was she whan she flatered[e]
? e. {and} desseiued[e] ? e wi? vnleueful lykynges of
false welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: You have seen the double face of this blind divinity. ]
? ou hast now knowen {and} ataynt 772
? e doutous or double visage of ? ilke blynde goddesse
fortune. ? She ? at ? it couere? hir {and} wymple? hir
to o? er folk. ha? shewed hir euerydel to ? e. ? ? if
? ou app{ro}uest hir {and} ? enkest ? at she is good. vse 776
hir maners {and} pleyne ? e nat.
[Sidenote: If thou dost abhor her perfidy cast her off, for her
sports are dangerous. ]
? And if ? ou agrisest
hir fals[e] trecherie. dispise {and} cast aweye hir ? at
pleye? so harmefully. for she ? at is now cause of so
myche sorwe to ? e. sholde be to ? e cause of pees {and} 780
[of] ioie. ? she ha? forsaken ? e forso? e. ? e whiche
? at neuer man may be syker ? at she ne shal forsake
hym. _Glose. _ ? But na? eles some bookes han ? e text
? us. For so? e she ha? forsaken ? e ne ? er nis no man 784
syker ? at she ne ha? not forsaken.
[Sidenote: Is that happiness which is so transient? ]
? Holdest ?
heele ? at nat{ur}e ha? not al forleten ? e.
[Sidenote: I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest
that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark
shall produce vital heat. ]
{and} I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of ? i hele. {and} ? at is ? e so? e sentence
of gou{er}nau{n}ce of ? e worlde.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8 _b_. ]]
? at ? ou byleuest
? at ? e gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696
to ? e folie *of ? ise happes auenterouses. but to ? e
resou{n} of god ? And ? er fore doute ? e no? ing.
For of ? is litel spark ? ine heet of lijf schal shine.
[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light. ]
? But
for as muche as it is not tyme ? itte of fastere remedies 700
? And ? e nature of ? ou? tes disseiued is ? is ? at as ofte
as ? ei casten aweye so? e opyniou{n}s: ? ei clo? en hem in
fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] ? e derknesse
of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexe? vp. ? at comfounde? ? e verray 704
insy? t. {and} ? at derkenes schal . I. say somwhat to
maken ? i{n}ne {and} wayk by ly? t {and} meenelyche remedies.
so ? at after ? at ? e derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. ? ou mow[e] knowe ? e schynyng 708
of verray ly? t.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest ? ou_--sorwistow
686 _for[? i] demest [? ou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest ? ou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_al_--alle
694 _? i_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_no? ing_--nothinge
699 _spark ? ine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insy? t_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _ly? t_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART. ]
NUBIB{US} ATRIS CONDITA.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Metyr. ]]
[Sidenote: Black clouds obscure the light of the stars. ]
++? E sterres cou{er}ed wi? blak[e] cloudes ne mowen
geten a dou{n} no ly? t.
[Sidenote: If the south wind renders the sea tempestuous, the
waves, fouled with mud, will lose their glassy clearness. ]
? if ? e trouble wy{n}de ? at
hy? t auster stormynge {and} walwy{n}g ? e see medle? ? e 712
heete ? at is to seyne ? e boylyng vp from ? e botme
? ? e wawes ? {a}t somtyme weren clere as glas {and}
lyke to ? e fair[e] bry? t[e] dayes wi? stant anon ? e
sy? tes of men. by ? e fil? e {and} ordure ? at is resolued. 716
{and} ? e fletyng streme ? at royle? dou{n} dyuersely fro
hey? e mou{n}taignes is arestid {and} resisted ofte tyme
by ? e encountrynge of a stoon ? {a}t is dep{ar}tid {and}
fallen from some roche. 720
[Sidenote: If thou wouldst see truth by the clearest light, pursue
the path of right. ]
? And for? i yif ? ou wilt
loken {and} demen so? e wi? clere ly? t. {and} holde ? e
weye wi? a ry? t pa? e.
[Sidenote: Away with joy, fear, hope, and sorrow. ]
? Weyue ? ou ioie. drif fro ? e
drede. fleme ? ou hope. ne lat no sorwe ap{ro}che.
[Sidenote: Let none of these passions cloud thy mind. ]
? at is
to sein lat noon of ? ise four passiou{n}s ouer come ? e. 724
or blynde ? e.
[Sidenote: Where these things control, the soul is bound by strong
fetters. ]
for cloudy {and} dirke is ? ilk ? ou? t {and}
bounde w{i}t{h} bridles. where as ? ise ? inges regnen.
EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
[Linenotes:
710 _blak[e]_--blake
712 _stormynge_--turnyng
713 _from_--fro
714 _somtyme_--whilom
715 _lyke_--lyk
_fair[e]----wi? stant_ (MS. wi? stante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes
{and} brihte withstand
716 _sy? tes_--syhtes
717 _streme_--strem
718 _hey? e_--hy
720 _from some_--fram som
_wilt_--wolt
721 _so? e_--soth
_clere_--cleer
_holde_--holden
722 _weye_--wey
_pa? e_--paath
724 _come_--comen
725 _blynde_--blende
_? ilk_--thilke]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE. ]
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT.
[Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on
account of his losses. ]
++After ? is she stynte a litel. and after ? at she hadde
gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728
seide ? us.
[Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former
fortune. ]
? As who so my? t[e] seye ? us. After ? ise
? inges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e]
by atempre stillenesse ? at I was ententif to
herkene hire. she bygan to speke in ? is wyse. ? Yif 732
I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly ? e [[pg 30]]
causes {and} ? e habit of ? i maladie. ?
ou languissed {and}
art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of ? i ra? er fortune.
[Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties. ]
? She ? at ilke fortune only ? at is chaunged as ? ou 736
feinest to ? e ward. ha? p{er}uerted ? e clerenesse {and} ? e
astat of ? i corage.
[Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy
(_i. e. _ Fortune). ]
? I vnderstonde ? e felefolde
colo{ur} {and} deceites of ? ilke merueillous monstre fortune.
and how she vse? ful flatryng familarite wi? hem 740
? at she enforce? to bygyle. so longe til ? at she co{n}founde
wi? vnsuffreable sorwe hem ? at she ha? left
in despeir vnpurueyed.
[Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything
of beauty or of worth. ]
? and if ? ou remembrest wel
? e kynde ? e maners {and} ? e desert of ? ilke fortune. ? ow 744
shalt wel knowe as in hir ? ou neuer ne haddest ne
hast ylost any fair ? ing. But as I trowe I shal not
gretly trauaile to don ? e remembren of ? ise ? inges.
[Sidenote: Thou wert once proof against her allurements. ]
? For ? ou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748
wi? manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and}
presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wi? sentences ? at were
drawe{n} oute of myne entre. ? at is to seyne out of
myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n}
[Sidenote: But sudden change works a great alteration in the minds
of men, hence it is that thou art departed from thy usual peace of
mind. ]
? But no sudeyne mutac{i}ou{n} ne 752
bytide? nat wi? oute{n} a maner chau{n}gyng of curages.
and so is it byfallen ? at ? ou art dep{ar}ted a litel fro
? e pees of ? i ? ou? t.
[Sidenote: But with some gentle emollients I shall prepare thee
for stronger medicines. ]
but now is tyme ? at ? ou drynke
{and} atast[e] some softe {and} delitable ? inges. so ? at whan 756
? ei ben entred wi? i{n}ne ? e. it mow make weye to
strenger drynkes of medycynes.
[Sidenote: Approach then, Rhetoric, with thy persuasive charms,
and therewith let Music also draw near. ]
? Com nowe fur? e
? erfore ? e suasiou{n} of swetnesse Rethoryen. whiche
? at go? oonly ? e ry? t wey whil she forsake? not myne 760
estatut? . ? And wi? Rethorice com for? e musice a
damoisel of oure house ? at synge? now ly? ter moedes
or p{ro}lac{i}ou{n}s now heuyer. [[pg 31]]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 9. ]]
*what ayle? ? e man. what
is it ? at ha? cast ? e in to murnyng {and} in to wepyng. 764
I trow[e] ? at ? ou hast sen some newe ? ing {and} uncou? e.
[Sidenote: Thou thinkest that Fortune is changed towards thee. ]
? ? ou wenest ? at fortune be chaunged a? eins ? e
[Sidenote: But thou art deceived. ]
? But ? ou wenest wrong. yif ? ou [? at] wene.
[Sidenote: In this misadventure of thine she hath preserved her
constancy in changing. ]
Alwey ? o ben hire maners. she ha? ra? er [kept] as to 768
? e ward hire p{ro}pre stablenes in ? e chaungyng of hyre
self. ? Ry? t swyche was she whan she flatered[e]
? e. {and} desseiued[e] ? e wi? vnleueful lykynges of
false welefulnesse.
[Sidenote: You have seen the double face of this blind divinity. ]
? ou hast now knowen {and} ataynt 772
? e doutous or double visage of ? ilke blynde goddesse
fortune. ? She ? at ? it couere? hir {and} wymple? hir
to o? er folk. ha? shewed hir euerydel to ? e. ? ? if
? ou app{ro}uest hir {and} ? enkest ? at she is good. vse 776
hir maners {and} pleyne ? e nat.
[Sidenote: If thou dost abhor her perfidy cast her off, for her
sports are dangerous. ]
? And if ? ou agrisest
hir fals[e] trecherie. dispise {and} cast aweye hir ? at
pleye? so harmefully. for she ? at is now cause of so
myche sorwe to ? e. sholde be to ? e cause of pees {and} 780
[of] ioie. ? she ha? forsaken ? e forso? e. ? e whiche
? at neuer man may be syker ? at she ne shal forsake
hym. _Glose. _ ? But na? eles some bookes han ? e text
? us. For so? e she ha? forsaken ? e ne ? er nis no man 784
syker ? at she ne ha? not forsaken.
[Sidenote: Is that happiness which is so transient? ]
? Holdest ?
