e
vnstablenesse
of fortune may nat
attayne to receyue verray blisfulnes.
attayne to receyue verray blisfulnes.
Chaucer - Boethius
at
hym were leuer ? at he were vnknowe. and som ma{n} habunde? bo? e i{n}
rychesse {and} noblesse. but ? it he bywaile? hys chast[e] lijf. for he
ha? no wijf. ? and som man is wel {and} selily maried but he ha? no
children. {and} norisshe? his ricchesse to ? e heires of straunge folk.
? And som man is gladded wi? children. but he wepi? ful sory for ? e
trespas of his son or of his dou? tir. ? and for ? is ? er accorde? no wy? t
ly? tly to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. for alwey to euery man ? ere
is i{n} mest somwhat ? at vnassaie? he ne wot not or ellys he dredi? ? at
he ha? assaied. ? {And} adde ? is also ? at euery weleful man ha? a wel
delicat felyng. ? So ? at but yif alle ? inges fallen at hys owen wille
for he inpacient or is nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is
? rowe ado? ne for euery lytel ? ing. ? And ful lytel ? inges ben ? o ? at
wi? drawen ? e so{m}me or ? e p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of blisfulnesse fro hem ? at
ben most fortunat. ? How many men trowest ? ou wolde demen hem self to
ben almost in heuene yif ? ei my? ten atteyne to ? e leest[e] p{ar}tie of
? e remenaunt of ? i fortune. ? ? is same place ? at ? ou clepist exil is
contre to hem ? at enhabiten here. {and} for? i. No? ing wrecched. but whan
? ou wenest it ? As who sei? . ? ou? ? i self ne no wy? t ellys nys no
wrecche but whan he wene? hym self a wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his
corage.
CONTRAQ{UE}.
++And a? einewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by ? e agreablete or by
? e egalite of hym ? at suffre? it. ? What man is ? at. ? at is so weleful
? at nolde chau{n}ge{n} his estat whan he ha? lorn pacience. ? e swetnesse
of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e] bitternesses. ? e whiche
welefulnesse al ? ou? it seme swete {and} ioyeful to hym ? at vse? it. ? it
may it not be wi? -holden ? at it ne go? away whan it wol. ? ? an is it wel
sen how wrecched is ? e blisfulnesse of mortel ? inges. ? at nei? {er} it
dwelli? p{er}petuel wi? hem ? at euery fortune receyuen agreablely or
egaly. ? Ne it ne delite? not in al. to hem ? at ben anguissous. ? O ye
mortel folkes what seke ? e ? an blisfulnesse oute of ? oure self. whiche
? at is put in ? oure self. Erro{ur} {and} folie co{n}fou{n}de? ? ow ? I
shal shewe ? e shortly. ? e poynt of souereyne blisfulnesse. Is ? er any
? ing to ? e more p{re}ciouse ? an ? i self ? ? ou wilt answere nay. ? ? an if
it so be ? at ? ou art my? ty ouer ? i self ? at is to seyn by tranquillitee
of ? i soule. ? an hast ? ou ? ing i{n} ? i power ? at ? ou noldest neuer
lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it ? e. {and} ? at ? ou mayst knowe ? at
blisfulnesse [ne] may nat standen in ? inges ? at ben fortunous {and}
te{m}perel. ? Now vndirstonde {and} gadir it to gidir ? us yif
blisfulnesse be ? e souereyne goode of nature ? at liue? by resou{n} ? Ne
? ilke ? ing nis nat souereyne goode ? at may be taken awey in any wyse.
for more wor? i ? ing {and} more digne is ? ilke ? ing ? {a}t may nat be
taken awey. ? ? an shewi? it wele ? at ?
e vnstablenesse of fortune may nat
attayne to receyue verray blisfulnes. ? And ? it more ouer. ? What man
? at ? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? . ei? er he woot ? at [it] is
chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. ? And yif he woot it not. what
blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e blyndenesse of ignorau{n}ce. and yif he
woot ? at it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad ? {a}t he ne lese ? at
? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may leesen it. ? As whoo sei? he
mot ben alwey agast lest he leese ? at he wot wel he may leese. ? For
whiche ? e continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben weleful.
? Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be dispised {and} forleten hit.
? Certis eke ? at is a ful lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan
it is loost. ? ? at is to seyne ? at men don no more force. of ? e lost ? an
of ? e hauynge. ? And for as myche as ? ou ? i self art he to who{m} it ha?
ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued by ful many[e] demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot
wel ? at ? e soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke syn it is
clere. {and} certeyne ? at fortunous welefulnesse endi? by ? e dee? of ? e
body. ? It may nat ben douted ? at yif ? at dee? may take awey
blysfulnesse ? at al ? e kynde of mortal ? i{n}g{us} ne descendi? in to
wrecchednesse by ? e ende of ? e dee? . ? And syn we knowen wel ? at many a
man ha? sou? t ? e fruit of blisfulnesse nat only wi? suffryng of dee? .
but eke wi? suffryng of peynes {and} to{ur}mentes. how my? t[e] ? an ? is
p{re}sent lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e] lijf is
endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
QUISQUIS UOLET P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym a p{er}durable
sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune wi? ? e loude blastes of ? e wynde
Eurus. {and} wil dispise ? e see manassynge wi? floodes ? Lat hym eschewe
to bilde on ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in ? e moyste sandes. ? For
? e fel[le] wynde auster to{ur}mente? ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle
his streng? es. ? and ? e lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te.
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to seine of
? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn ? i house of a myrie site in
a lowe stoone. ? For al ? ou? ? e wynde troublyng ? e see ? ondre wi?
ouere? rowynges ? ? ou ? at art put i{n} quiete {and} welful by streng? e of
? i palys shalt leden a cleer age. scornyng ? e wodenesses and ? e Ires of
? e eir.
SET CUM RACIONU{M} IAM IN TE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
++But for as moche as ? e noryssinges of my resou{n}s descenden now in to
? e. I trowe it were tyme to vsen a litel strenger medicynes. ? Now
vndirstonde here al were it so ? at ? e ? iftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie. what is ? er in hem ? at may be ? ine in any tyme.
or ellis ? at it nys foule if ? at it be considered {and} lokid
p{er}fitely. ? Richesse ben ? ei p{re}ciouse by ? e nature of hem self. or
ellys by ? e nature of ? e. What is most wor? i of rycchesse. is it nat
golde or my? t of moneye assembled. ? Certis ? ilke golde {and} ? ilke
moneye shine? {and} ? eue? better renou{n} to hem ? at dispenden it. ? en
to ? ilke folke ? at mokeren it. For auarice make? alwey mokeres to be
hated. {and} largesse make? folke clere of renou{n} ? For syn ? at swiche
? i{n}g as is t{ra}nsfered from o man to an o?
hym were leuer ? at he were vnknowe. and som ma{n} habunde? bo? e i{n}
rychesse {and} noblesse. but ? it he bywaile? hys chast[e] lijf. for he
ha? no wijf. ? and som man is wel {and} selily maried but he ha? no
children. {and} norisshe? his ricchesse to ? e heires of straunge folk.
? And som man is gladded wi? children. but he wepi? ful sory for ? e
trespas of his son or of his dou? tir. ? and for ? is ? er accorde? no wy? t
ly? tly to ? e condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. for alwey to euery man ? ere
is i{n} mest somwhat ? at vnassaie? he ne wot not or ellys he dredi? ? at
he ha? assaied. ? {And} adde ? is also ? at euery weleful man ha? a wel
delicat felyng. ? So ? at but yif alle ? inges fallen at hys owen wille
for he inpacient or is nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is
? rowe ado? ne for euery lytel ? ing. ? And ful lytel ? inges ben ? o ? at
wi? drawen ? e so{m}me or ? e p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of blisfulnesse fro hem ? at
ben most fortunat. ? How many men trowest ? ou wolde demen hem self to
ben almost in heuene yif ? ei my? ten atteyne to ? e leest[e] p{ar}tie of
? e remenaunt of ? i fortune. ? ? is same place ? at ? ou clepist exil is
contre to hem ? at enhabiten here. {and} for? i. No? ing wrecched. but whan
? ou wenest it ? As who sei? . ? ou? ? i self ne no wy? t ellys nys no
wrecche but whan he wene? hym self a wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his
corage.
CONTRAQ{UE}.
++And a? einewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by ? e agreablete or by
? e egalite of hym ? at suffre? it. ? What man is ? at. ? at is so weleful
? at nolde chau{n}ge{n} his estat whan he ha? lorn pacience. ? e swetnesse
of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wi? many[e] bitternesses. ? e whiche
welefulnesse al ? ou? it seme swete {and} ioyeful to hym ? at vse? it. ? it
may it not be wi? -holden ? at it ne go? away whan it wol. ? ? an is it wel
sen how wrecched is ? e blisfulnesse of mortel ? inges. ? at nei? {er} it
dwelli? p{er}petuel wi? hem ? at euery fortune receyuen agreablely or
egaly. ? Ne it ne delite? not in al. to hem ? at ben anguissous. ? O ye
mortel folkes what seke ? e ? an blisfulnesse oute of ? oure self. whiche
? at is put in ? oure self. Erro{ur} {and} folie co{n}fou{n}de? ? ow ? I
shal shewe ? e shortly. ? e poynt of souereyne blisfulnesse. Is ? er any
? ing to ? e more p{re}ciouse ? an ? i self ? ? ou wilt answere nay. ? ? an if
it so be ? at ? ou art my? ty ouer ? i self ? at is to seyn by tranquillitee
of ? i soule. ? an hast ? ou ? ing i{n} ? i power ? at ? ou noldest neuer
lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it ? e. {and} ? at ? ou mayst knowe ? at
blisfulnesse [ne] may nat standen in ? inges ? at ben fortunous {and}
te{m}perel. ? Now vndirstonde {and} gadir it to gidir ? us yif
blisfulnesse be ? e souereyne goode of nature ? at liue? by resou{n} ? Ne
? ilke ? ing nis nat souereyne goode ? at may be taken awey in any wyse.
for more wor? i ? ing {and} more digne is ? ilke ? ing ? {a}t may nat be
taken awey. ? ? an shewi? it wele ? at ?
e vnstablenesse of fortune may nat
attayne to receyue verray blisfulnes. ? And ? it more ouer. ? What man
? at ? is toumblyng welefulnesse leedi? . ei? er he woot ? at [it] is
chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. ? And yif he woot it not. what
blisful fortune may ? er be in ? e blyndenesse of ignorau{n}ce. and yif he
woot ? at it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad ? {a}t he ne lese ? at
? ing. ? at he ne doute? nat but ? at he may leesen it. ? As whoo sei? he
mot ben alwey agast lest he leese ? at he wot wel he may leese. ? For
whiche ? e continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben weleful.
? Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be dispised {and} forleten hit.
? Certis eke ? at is a ful lytel goode ? at is born wi? euene hert[e] whan
it is loost. ? ? at is to seyne ? at men don no more force. of ? e lost ? an
of ? e hauynge. ? And for as myche as ? ou ? i self art he to who{m} it ha?
ben shewid {and} p{ro}ued by ful many[e] demonstrac{i}ou{n}s. as I woot
wel ? at ? e soules of men ne mowen nat dien in no wise. and eke syn it is
clere. {and} certeyne ? at fortunous welefulnesse endi? by ? e dee? of ? e
body. ? It may nat ben douted ? at yif ? at dee? may take awey
blysfulnesse ? at al ? e kynde of mortal ? i{n}g{us} ne descendi? in to
wrecchednesse by ? e ende of ? e dee? . ? And syn we knowen wel ? at many a
man ha? sou? t ? e fruit of blisfulnesse nat only wi? suffryng of dee? .
but eke wi? suffryng of peynes {and} to{ur}mentes. how my? t[e] ? an ? is
p{re}sent lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e] lijf is
endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
QUISQUIS UOLET P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym a p{er}durable
sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune wi? ? e loude blastes of ? e wynde
Eurus. {and} wil dispise ? e see manassynge wi? floodes ? Lat hym eschewe
to bilde on ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tay{n}gne. or in ? e moyste sandes. ? For
? e fel[le] wynde auster to{ur}mente? ? e cop of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle
his streng? es. ? and ? e lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te.
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to seine of
? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn ? i house of a myrie site in
a lowe stoone. ? For al ? ou? ? e wynde troublyng ? e see ? ondre wi?
ouere? rowynges ? ? ou ? at art put i{n} quiete {and} welful by streng? e of
? i palys shalt leden a cleer age. scornyng ? e wodenesses and ? e Ires of
? e eir.
SET CUM RACIONU{M} IAM IN TE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
++But for as moche as ? e noryssinges of my resou{n}s descenden now in to
? e. I trowe it were tyme to vsen a litel strenger medicynes. ? Now
vndirstonde here al were it so ? at ? e ? iftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie. what is ? er in hem ? at may be ? ine in any tyme.
or ellis ? at it nys foule if ? at it be considered {and} lokid
p{er}fitely. ? Richesse ben ? ei p{re}ciouse by ? e nature of hem self. or
ellys by ? e nature of ? e. What is most wor? i of rycchesse. is it nat
golde or my? t of moneye assembled. ? Certis ? ilke golde {and} ? ilke
moneye shine? {and} ? eue? better renou{n} to hem ? at dispenden it. ? en
to ? ilke folke ? at mokeren it. For auarice make? alwey mokeres to be
hated. {and} largesse make? folke clere of renou{n} ? For syn ? at swiche
? i{n}g as is t{ra}nsfered from o man to an o?
