at
swiftnesse
is ?
Chaucer - Boethius
{a}t dignitees {and} powers ben ?
euen to
goode men. ? e whiche ? ing is ful ? elde. what agreable ? i{n}ges is ? er in
? o dignitees. or powers. but only ? e goodenes of folk ? at vsen hem.
? And ? erfore it is ? us ? at hono{ur} ne come? nat to vertue for cause of
dignite. but a? einward. hono{ur} come? to dignite by cause of vertue.
but whiche is ? oure derwor? e power ? at is so clere {and} so requerable
? O ? e er? elyche bestes considere ? e nat ouer whiche ? ing ? at it seme?
? at ? e han power. ? Now yif ? ou say[e] a mouse amo{n}g{us} o? er myse ? at
chalenged[e] to hymself ward ry? t {and} power ouer alle o? er myse. how
gret scorne woldest ? ou han of hit. ? _Glosa. _ ? So fare? it by men. ? e
body ha? power ouer ? e body. For yif ? ow loke wel vpon ? e body of a wy? t
what ? ing shalt ? ou fynde moore frele ? an is mannes kynde. ? e whiche ben
ful ofte slayn wi? bytynge of smale flies. or ellys wi? ? e entryng of
crepyng wormes in to ? e priuetees of mennes bodyes. ? But wher shal men
fynden any man ? at may exercen or haunten any ry? t vpon an o? er ma{n}
but oonly vpon hys body. or ellys vpo{n} ? inges ? at ben lower ? en ? e
body. whiche I clepe fortunous possessiou{n}s ? Mayst ? ou euer haue any
comaundement ouer a fre corage ? Mayst ? ou remuen fro ? e estat of hys
p{ro}pre reste. a ? ou? t ? at is cleuyng to gider in hym self by stedfast
resou{n}. ? As somtyme a tiraunt wende to co{n}founde a freeman of
corage ? {And} wende to co{n}streyne hym by to{ur}ment to maken hym
dyscoueren {and} acusen folk ? at wisten of a coniurac{i}ou{n}. whiche I
clepe a confederacie ? at was cast a? eins ? is tyraunt ? But ? is free man
boot of hys owen tunge. {and} cast it in ? e visage of ? ilke woode
tyrau{n}te. ? So ? at ? e to{ur}ment? ? at ? is tyrau{n}t wende to han maked
mater{e} of cruelte. ? is wyse man maked[e it] matere of vertues. ? But
what ? ing is it ? at a man may don to an o? er man. ? at he ne may receyue
? e same ? ing of o? er folke i{n} hym self. or ? us. ? What may a man don
to folk. ? at folk ne may don hym ? e same. ? I haue herd told of
busirides ? at was wo{n}t to sleen hys gestes ? at herburghden in hys
hous. and he was slayn hym self of ercules ? at was hys gest ? Regulus
had[de] taken in bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to
fetteres. but sone after he most[e] ? iue hys handes to ben bounden
w{i}t{h} ? e cheynes of hem ? at he had[de] somtyme ou{er}comen. ? Wenest
? ou ? an ? at he be my? ty. ? at may nat don a ? ing. ? at o? er ne may don
hym. ? at he do? to o? er. {and} ? it more ou{er} yif it so were ? at ? ise
dignites or poweres hadden any p{ro}pre or naturel goodnesse in hem self
neuer nolden ? ei comen to shrewes. ? For contrarious ? inges ne ben not
wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ? Nature refuse? ? at contra[r]ious
? inges ben yioigned. ? And so as I am in certeyne ? at ry? t wikked folk
han dignitees ofte tymes. ? an shewe? it wel ? at dignitees {and} powers
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn ? at ? ei suffren hem self to
cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes. ? And certys ? e same ? ing may most
digneliche Iugen {and} seyen of alle ? e ? iftis of fortune ? at most
plenteuously comen to shrewes. ? Of ? e whiche ? iftys I trowe ? at it
au? t[e] ben considered ? at no man douti? ? at he nis strong. in whom he
see? streng? e. {and} in whom ?
at swiftnesse is ? So? e it is ? at he is
swyfte. Also musyk make? musiciens. {and} fysik make? phisiciens. {and}
rethorik rethoriens. ? For whi ? e nature of euery ? ing maki? his
p{ro}pretee. ne it is nat ent{er}medled wi? ? e effect{is} of
co{n}trarious ? inges. ? And as of wil it chase? oute ? inges ? at to it
ben contrarie ? But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice
vnstaunched ? Ne power [ne] make? nat a ma{n} my? ty ouer hym self.
whiche ? at vicious lustis holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat
ben vnbounden. {and} dignitees ? at ben ? euen to shrewed[e] folk nat
oonly ne maki? hem nat digne. but it shewe? ra? er al openly ? at ? ei ben
vnwor? i {and} vndigne. ? And whi is it ? {us}. ? Certis for ? e han ioye
to clepen ? inges wi? fals[e] names. ? at beren hem al in ? e
co{n}t{ra}rie. ? e whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by ? e effect of ? e
same ? inges. so ? at ? ise ilke rycchesse ne au? ten nat by ry? t to ben
cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne au? t[e] not ben cleped power. ne
whiche dignitee ne au? t[e] nat ben cleped dignitee. ? And at ? e laste I
may conclude ? e same ? inge of al ? e ? iftes of fortune in whiche ? er nis
no ? ing to ben desired. ne ? at ha? in hym self naturel bounte. ? as it
is ful wel sene. for ney? er ? ei ne ioygne{n} hem nat alwey to goode men.
ne maken hem alwey goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and} destrucc{i}ou{n}s
weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero. ? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome
{and} made slen ? e senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er.
{and} he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is to seyn he
let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to seen where he was
conceiued. {and} he loked[e] on euery half vpon hir colde dede body. ne
no tere ne wette his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute. ? And ? itte neuer? eles gouerned[e]
? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples ? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng
from his outerest arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial ? at ? e
so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And eke ? is Nero goueyrende by
Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e
seuene triones. ? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben
vndir ? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e. ? And eke Nero gouerned[e] alle ? e
poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi? {and} baki? ? e brennynge
sandes by his drie hete. ? at is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[but yit ne myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of this
wykkyd nero / Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as ofte as wicked
swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is to sein. venimous cruelte to
lordshipe.
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e couetise of mortal
? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of
? inges to done. as who sei? . I desired[e] to han matere of gou{er}naunce
ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne sholde not elden. ? at is to
seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille.
ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ? For
whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his goode gouernement.
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may
drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir
nature. but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben
y-brou? t to ?
goode men. ? e whiche ? ing is ful ? elde. what agreable ? i{n}ges is ? er in
? o dignitees. or powers. but only ? e goodenes of folk ? at vsen hem.
? And ? erfore it is ? us ? at hono{ur} ne come? nat to vertue for cause of
dignite. but a? einward. hono{ur} come? to dignite by cause of vertue.
but whiche is ? oure derwor? e power ? at is so clere {and} so requerable
? O ? e er? elyche bestes considere ? e nat ouer whiche ? ing ? at it seme?
? at ? e han power. ? Now yif ? ou say[e] a mouse amo{n}g{us} o? er myse ? at
chalenged[e] to hymself ward ry? t {and} power ouer alle o? er myse. how
gret scorne woldest ? ou han of hit. ? _Glosa. _ ? So fare? it by men. ? e
body ha? power ouer ? e body. For yif ? ow loke wel vpon ? e body of a wy? t
what ? ing shalt ? ou fynde moore frele ? an is mannes kynde. ? e whiche ben
ful ofte slayn wi? bytynge of smale flies. or ellys wi? ? e entryng of
crepyng wormes in to ? e priuetees of mennes bodyes. ? But wher shal men
fynden any man ? at may exercen or haunten any ry? t vpon an o? er ma{n}
but oonly vpon hys body. or ellys vpo{n} ? inges ? at ben lower ? en ? e
body. whiche I clepe fortunous possessiou{n}s ? Mayst ? ou euer haue any
comaundement ouer a fre corage ? Mayst ? ou remuen fro ? e estat of hys
p{ro}pre reste. a ? ou? t ? at is cleuyng to gider in hym self by stedfast
resou{n}. ? As somtyme a tiraunt wende to co{n}founde a freeman of
corage ? {And} wende to co{n}streyne hym by to{ur}ment to maken hym
dyscoueren {and} acusen folk ? at wisten of a coniurac{i}ou{n}. whiche I
clepe a confederacie ? at was cast a? eins ? is tyraunt ? But ? is free man
boot of hys owen tunge. {and} cast it in ? e visage of ? ilke woode
tyrau{n}te. ? So ? at ? e to{ur}ment? ? at ? is tyrau{n}t wende to han maked
mater{e} of cruelte. ? is wyse man maked[e it] matere of vertues. ? But
what ? ing is it ? at a man may don to an o? er man. ? at he ne may receyue
? e same ? ing of o? er folke i{n} hym self. or ? us. ? What may a man don
to folk. ? at folk ne may don hym ? e same. ? I haue herd told of
busirides ? at was wo{n}t to sleen hys gestes ? at herburghden in hys
hous. and he was slayn hym self of ercules ? at was hys gest ? Regulus
had[de] taken in bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to
fetteres. but sone after he most[e] ? iue hys handes to ben bounden
w{i}t{h} ? e cheynes of hem ? at he had[de] somtyme ou{er}comen. ? Wenest
? ou ? an ? at he be my? ty. ? at may nat don a ? ing. ? at o? er ne may don
hym. ? at he do? to o? er. {and} ? it more ou{er} yif it so were ? at ? ise
dignites or poweres hadden any p{ro}pre or naturel goodnesse in hem self
neuer nolden ? ei comen to shrewes. ? For contrarious ? inges ne ben not
wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ? Nature refuse? ? at contra[r]ious
? inges ben yioigned. ? And so as I am in certeyne ? at ry? t wikked folk
han dignitees ofte tymes. ? an shewe? it wel ? at dignitees {and} powers
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn ? at ? ei suffren hem self to
cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes. ? And certys ? e same ? ing may most
digneliche Iugen {and} seyen of alle ? e ? iftis of fortune ? at most
plenteuously comen to shrewes. ? Of ? e whiche ? iftys I trowe ? at it
au? t[e] ben considered ? at no man douti? ? at he nis strong. in whom he
see? streng? e. {and} in whom ?
at swiftnesse is ? So? e it is ? at he is
swyfte. Also musyk make? musiciens. {and} fysik make? phisiciens. {and}
rethorik rethoriens. ? For whi ? e nature of euery ? ing maki? his
p{ro}pretee. ne it is nat ent{er}medled wi? ? e effect{is} of
co{n}trarious ? inges. ? And as of wil it chase? oute ? inges ? at to it
ben contrarie ? But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice
vnstaunched ? Ne power [ne] make? nat a ma{n} my? ty ouer hym self.
whiche ? at vicious lustis holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat
ben vnbounden. {and} dignitees ? at ben ? euen to shrewed[e] folk nat
oonly ne maki? hem nat digne. but it shewe? ra? er al openly ? at ? ei ben
vnwor? i {and} vndigne. ? And whi is it ? {us}. ? Certis for ? e han ioye
to clepen ? inges wi? fals[e] names. ? at beren hem al in ? e
co{n}t{ra}rie. ? e whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by ? e effect of ? e
same ? inges. so ? at ? ise ilke rycchesse ne au? ten nat by ry? t to ben
cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne au? t[e] not ben cleped power. ne
whiche dignitee ne au? t[e] nat ben cleped dignitee. ? And at ? e laste I
may conclude ? e same ? inge of al ? e ? iftes of fortune in whiche ? er nis
no ? ing to ben desired. ne ? at ha? in hym self naturel bounte. ? as it
is ful wel sene. for ney? er ? ei ne ioygne{n} hem nat alwey to goode men.
ne maken hem alwey goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
++WE han wel knowen how many g{r}eet[e] harmes {and} destrucc{i}ou{n}s
weren don by ? e Emp{er}oure Nero. ? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome
{and} made slen ? e senato{ur}s. and he cruel somtyme slou? hys bro? er.
{and} he was maked moyst wi? ? e blood of hys modir. ? at is to seyn he
let sleen {and} slitte{n} ? e body of his modir to seen where he was
conceiued. {and} he loked[e] on euery half vpon hir colde dede body. ne
no tere ne wette his face. but he was so hard herted ? at he my? t[e] ben
domesman or Iuge of hire dede beaute. ? And ? itte neuer? eles gouerned[e]
? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples ? at phebus ? e sonne may seen comyng
from his outerest arysyng til he hidde his bemes vndir ? e wawes. ? ? at
is to seyne. he gouerned[e] alle ? e peoples by Ceptre imp{er}ial ? at ? e
so{n}ne go? aboute from est to west ? And eke ? is Nero goueyrende by
Ceptre. alle ? e peoples ? at ben vndir ? e colde sterres ? at hy? ten ? e
seuene triones. ? is is to seyn he gouerned[e] alle ? e poeples ? at ben
vndir ? e p{ar}ties of ? e nor? e. ? And eke Nero gouerned[e] alle ? e
poeples ? at ? e violent wynde Nothus scorchi? {and} baki? ? e brennynge
sandes by his drie hete. ? at is to seyne. alle ? e poeples in ? e sou? e.
[but yit ne myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of this
wykkyd nero / Allas it is greuous fortune it is]. as ofte as wicked
swerde is ioygned to cruel venym. ? at is to sein. venimous cruelte to
lordshipe.
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e couetise of mortal
? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe of me. but I haue wel desired matere of
? inges to done. as who sei? . I desired[e] to han matere of gou{er}naunce
ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne sholde not elden. ? at is to
seyn. ? at list ? at or he wex olde ? His uertue ? at lay now ful stille.
ne sholde nat p{er}isshe vnexcercised i{n} gouernaunce of comune. ? For
whiche men my? ten speke or write{n} of his goode gouernement.
? _Philosophie. _ ? For so? e q{uo}d she. {and} ? at is a ? ing ? at may
drawen to gouernaunce swiche hertes as ben wor? i {and} noble of hir
nature. but na? eles it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben
y-brou? t to ?
