_ And if to the same wretched being another misery
be annexed, does not he become more wretched than he whose misery
is alleviated by the participation of some good?
be annexed, does not he become more wretched than he whose misery
is alleviated by the participation of some good?
Chaucer - Boethius
ei hem
self wenen to lakken mowynge to done yuel.
[Sidenote: In the narrow limits of this life, nothing, however
tardy it appears, can seem to an immortal soul to have a very long
duration. ]
? For 3548
? ere nis no ? ing so late in so short bou{n}des of ? is lijf
? at is longe to abide. namelyche to a corage inmortel.
[Sidenote: The great hopes, and the subtle machinations of the
wicked, are often suddenly frustrated, by which an end is put to
their wickedness. ]
Of whiche shrewes ? e grete hope {and} ? e heye co{m}passy{n}g{us}
of shrewednesse is often destroyed by a 3552
sodeyne ende or ? ei ben war. {and} ? at ? ing establi? to
shrewes ? e ende of hir shrewednesse.
[Sidenote: If vice renders men wretched, the longer they are
vicious the longer must they be miserable. ]
? For yif ? at
shrewednesse maki? e wrecches. ? an mot he nedes be
most wrecched ? at lengest is a shrewe.
[Sidenote: And they would be infinitely wretched if death did not
put an end to their crimes. ]
? e whiche 3556
wicked shrewes wolde ydemen aldirmost vnsely {and}
caytifs yif ? at hir shrewednes ne were yfinissed. at ? e [[pg 125]]
leste weye by ? e outerest[e] dee? .
[Sidenote: It is clear, as I have already shown, that eternal
misery is infinite. ]
for [yif] I haue concluded
so? e of ? e vnselynesse of shrewednesse. ? an shewe? 3560
it clerely ? at ? ilke shrewednesse is wi? outen ende ? e
whiche is certeyne to ben p{er}durable.
[Sidenote: _B. _ This consequence appears to be just, but difficult
to assent to. ]
? Certys q{uo}d I
? is [conclusion] is harde {and} wonderful to graunte. ? But
I knowe wel ? at it accorde? moche to [the] ? i{n}ges ? at I 3564
haue graunted her byforne.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You think rightly; but if you cannot assent to my
conclusion you ought to show that the premises are false, or that
the consequences are unfairly deduced; for if the premises be
granted, you cannot reject the inferences from them. ]
? ? ou hast q{uo}d she ? e ry? t
estimac{i}ou{n} of ? is. but who so euere wene ? at it be an
harde ? ing to acorde hym to a conclusiou{n}. it is ry? t
? at he shewe ? at so{m}me of ? e p{re}misses ben fals. or 3568
ellys he mot shewe ? at ? e colasiou{n} of p{re}posic{i}ou{n}s
nis nat spedful to a necessarie conclusio{n}. ? and yif it
be nat so. but ? at ? e p{re}misses ben yg{ra}nted ? er nis
nat whi he sholde blame ? e argument.
[Sidenote: What I am about to say is not less wonderful, and it
follows necessarily from the same premises. ]
for ? is ? ing ? at 3572
I shal telle ? e nowe ne shal not seme lasse wondirful.
[Linenotes:
3517 _aknowe_--aknowe it
3518 _seyn_--sayn
3523 _good[e]_--goode
3524 _done_--don
3526 _ben_--be
3527 _for_--to
3528 _my? ten_--myhte
_don_--MS. done, C. doon
_harme_--harm
3529 _gret_--MS. grete, C. gret
3533-36 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
3533-34 [_than----coueyten_]--from C.
3537 _moeuyng_--mowynge
_wille_--wil
3539 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_seyne_--seyn
3540 _done_ (1)--doon
_moeuynge to done_--Mowynge to don
_mot_--MS. mote, C. mot
3544 _gretely_--gretly
3545 _seyne_--seyn
_were_--weeren
_moeuyng_--mowynge
3548 _wenen_--weene
_to lakken----yuel_--omitted
3549 _? ere_--ther
_so_ (2)--the
3550 _longe_--long
3552 _shrewednesse_--shrewednesses
_often_--ofte
3558 _shrewednes_--shrewednesse
_yfinissed_--fynyshed
3559 _weye_--wey
_outerest[e]_--owtteryste
[_yif_]--from C.
3560 _so? e_--soth
3561 _clerely_--cleerly
3563 [_conclusion_]--from C.
_harde_--hard
3564 [_the_]--from C.
3567 _harde_--hard
3568 _fals_--false
3573 _nowe_--now]
[Headnote:
THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WICKED IS DIMINISHED BY PUNISHMENT. ]
but of ? e ? inges ? at ben taken al so it is necessarie as
who so sei? it folwe? of ? at whiche ? at is p{ur}posed
byforn.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is that? ]
what is ? at q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That the wicked who have been punished for their
crimes, are happier than if justice had allowed them to go
unpunished. ]
? certys q{uo}d she ? at is 3576
? at ? {a}t ? ise wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys
lasse wrecches. ? at byen ? e tourmentes ? at ? ei han
deserued. ? an yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastied[e]
hem.
[Sidenote: I do not appeal to popular arguments, that punishment
corrects vice, that the fear of chastisement leads them to take
the right path, and that the sufferings of evil-doers deter others
from vice, but I believe that guilty men, unpunished, become much
more unhappy in another way. ]
ne ? is ne seye I nat now for ? at any man my? t[e] 3580
? enk[e] ? at ? e maneres of shrewes ben coriged {and}
chastised by veniaunce. {and} ? at ? ei ben brou? t to ? e
ry? t wey by ? e drede of ? e tourment. ne for ? at ? ei
? euen to o? er folk ensample to fleyen fro{m} vices. ? But 3584
I vndirstonde ? itte [in] an o? er manere ? at shrewes
ben more vnsely whan ? ei ne ben nat punissed al be it
so ? at ? ere ne ben had no resou{n} or lawe of correcc{i}ou{n}.
ne none ensample of lokynge.
[Sidenote: _B. _ In what way do you mean? ]
? And what manere 3588
shal ? at ben q{uo}d I. ou? er ? an ha? ben told here [[pg 126]]
byforn
[Sidenote: _P. _ Are not good people happy, and evil folk
miserable? ]
? Haue we nat graunted ? an q{uo}d she ? at
good[e] folk ben blysful. {and} shrewes ben wrecches.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes. ]
? is q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If good be added to the wretchedness of a man,
will not he be happier than another whose misery has no element of
good in it? ]
[thanne q{uod} she] ? if ? at any good were 3592
added to ? e wrecchenesse of any wy? t. nis he nat more
blisful ? an he ? at ne ha? no medelyng of goode in hys
solitarie wrecchednesse.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It seems so. ]
so seme? it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P.
_ And if to the same wretched being another misery
be annexed, does not he become more wretched than he whose misery
is alleviated by the participation of some good? ]
and what
seyst ? ou ? an q{uo}d she of ? ilke wrecche ? at lakke? alle 3596
goodes. so ? at no goode nis medeled in hys wrecchednesse.
{and} ? itte ouer alle hys wickednesse for whiche
he is a wrecche ? at ? er be ? itte ano? er yuel anexid {and}
knyt to hym. shal not men demen hym more vnsely 3600
? an ? ilke wrecche of whiche ? e vnselynesse is re[le]ued
by ? e p{ar}ticipac{i}ou{n} of som goode.
[Sidenote: _B. _ He does. ]
whi sholde he nat
q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ When evil men are punished they have a degree of
good annexed to their wretchedness, to wit, the punishment itself,
which as it is the effect of justice is good. ]
? ? an certys q{uo}d she han shrewes whan ? ei
ben punissed somwhat of good anexid to hir wrecchednesse. 3604
? at is to seyne ? e same peyne ? at ? ei suffren
whiche ? at is good by ? e resou{n} of Iustice.
[Sidenote: And when these wretches escape punishment something
more of ill (_i. e. _ exemption from punishment) is added to their
condition. ]
And whan
? ilke same shrewes ascapen wi? outen tourment. ? an
han ? ei somwhat more of yuel ? it ouer ? e wickednesse 3608
? at ? ei han don. ? at is to seye defaute of peyne.
whiche defaute of peyne ? ou hast graunted is yuel.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I cannot deny it. ]
? For ? e desert of felonye I ne may nat denye it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Much more unhappy are the wicked when they enjoy
an unmerited impunity than when they suffer a lawful
chastisement. ]
? Moche more ? an q{uo}d she ben shrewes vnsely 3612
whan ? ei ben wrongfully delyuered fro peyne. ? an
whan ? ei be? punissed by ry? tful vengeaunce.
[Sidenote: It is just to punish evil-doers, and unjust that they
should escape punishment. ]
but ? is is
open ? i{n}g {and} clere ? at it is ry? t ? at shrewes ben
punissed. {and} it is wickednesse {and} wrong ? at ? ei 3616
escapin vnpunissed.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Nobody denies that. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 28 _b_. ]]
? who my? t[e] denye *? at q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Everything, too, which is just is good; and, on
the contrary, whatsoever is unjust is evil. ]
but q{uo}d she may any ma{n} denye. ? at al ? at is ry? t nis
good. {and} also ? e contrarie. ? at alle ? at is wrong nis
wicked. [[pg 127]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ These are just inferences from our former
premises. ]
certys q{uo}d I ? ise ? inges ben clere ynou? . {and} 3620
? at we han concludid a litel here byforn{e}.
[Sidenote: But is there any punishment for the soul after death of
the body? ]
but I p{re}ye
? e ? at ? ou telle me yif ? ou accordest to leten no to{ur}ment
to ? e soules aftir ? at ? e body is dedid by ? e de? e.
? is [is] to seyn. vndirstondest ? ou ou? t ? at soules han 3624
any to{ur}ment after ? e de? e of ? e body.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Yes, and great ones too. Some punishments are
rigorous and eternal. ]
? Certis q{uo}d
she ? e {and} ? at ry? t grete. of whiche soules q{uo}d she I
trowe ? at so{m}me ben to{ur}mentid by asprenesse of
peyne.
[Sidenote: Others have a corrective and purifying force, and are
of finite duration. ]
{and} so{m}me soules I trowe be exc{er}cised by a 3628
p{ur}ging mekenesse.
[Sidenote: But this is not to our purpose. ]
but my conseil nys nat to determyne
of ? is peyne. but I haue trauayled and told it
hider to.
[Sidenote: I want you to see that the power of the wicked is in
reality nothing, that the wicked never go unpunished; that their
licence to do evil is not of long duration, and that the wicked
would be more unhappy if it were longer, and infinitely wretched
if it were to continue for ever. ]
? For ? ou sholdest knowe ? at ? e mowynge
[. i. myght] of shrewes whiche mowynge ? e seme? to 3632
ben. vnwor? i nis no mowynge. {and} eke of shrewes of
whiche ? ou pleynedest ? at ? ei ne were nat punissed.
? at ? ou woldest seen ? at ? ei ne weren neuer mo wi?
outen ? e torment of hire wickednesse. {and} of ? e licence 3636
of mowynge to done yuel. ? at ? ou p{re}idest ? at it
my? t[e] sone ben endid. {and} ? at ? ou woldest fayne
lerne. ? at it ne sholde nat longe endure. {and} ? at
shrewes ben more vnsely yif ? ei were of lenger duryng. 3640
{and} most vnsely yif ? ei weren p{er}durable.
[Sidenote: After this I showed that evil men are more unhappy,
having escaped punishment, than if justly chastised. ]
{and} after
? is I haue shewed ? e ? at more vnsely ben shrewes
whan ? ei escapen wi? oute ry? tful peyne. ? an whan ? ei
ben punissed by ry? tful uengeaunce.
[Sidenote: Wherefore when they are supposed to get off scot-free
they suffer most grievously. ]
and of ? is sentence 3644
folwe? it ? at ? an be{n} shrewes constreyned atte laste wi?
self wenen to lakken mowynge to done yuel.
[Sidenote: In the narrow limits of this life, nothing, however
tardy it appears, can seem to an immortal soul to have a very long
duration. ]
? For 3548
? ere nis no ? ing so late in so short bou{n}des of ? is lijf
? at is longe to abide. namelyche to a corage inmortel.
[Sidenote: The great hopes, and the subtle machinations of the
wicked, are often suddenly frustrated, by which an end is put to
their wickedness. ]
Of whiche shrewes ? e grete hope {and} ? e heye co{m}passy{n}g{us}
of shrewednesse is often destroyed by a 3552
sodeyne ende or ? ei ben war. {and} ? at ? ing establi? to
shrewes ? e ende of hir shrewednesse.
[Sidenote: If vice renders men wretched, the longer they are
vicious the longer must they be miserable. ]
? For yif ? at
shrewednesse maki? e wrecches. ? an mot he nedes be
most wrecched ? at lengest is a shrewe.
[Sidenote: And they would be infinitely wretched if death did not
put an end to their crimes. ]
? e whiche 3556
wicked shrewes wolde ydemen aldirmost vnsely {and}
caytifs yif ? at hir shrewednes ne were yfinissed. at ? e [[pg 125]]
leste weye by ? e outerest[e] dee? .
[Sidenote: It is clear, as I have already shown, that eternal
misery is infinite. ]
for [yif] I haue concluded
so? e of ? e vnselynesse of shrewednesse. ? an shewe? 3560
it clerely ? at ? ilke shrewednesse is wi? outen ende ? e
whiche is certeyne to ben p{er}durable.
[Sidenote: _B. _ This consequence appears to be just, but difficult
to assent to. ]
? Certys q{uo}d I
? is [conclusion] is harde {and} wonderful to graunte. ? But
I knowe wel ? at it accorde? moche to [the] ? i{n}ges ? at I 3564
haue graunted her byforne.
[Sidenote: _P. _ You think rightly; but if you cannot assent to my
conclusion you ought to show that the premises are false, or that
the consequences are unfairly deduced; for if the premises be
granted, you cannot reject the inferences from them. ]
? ? ou hast q{uo}d she ? e ry? t
estimac{i}ou{n} of ? is. but who so euere wene ? at it be an
harde ? ing to acorde hym to a conclusiou{n}. it is ry? t
? at he shewe ? at so{m}me of ? e p{re}misses ben fals. or 3568
ellys he mot shewe ? at ? e colasiou{n} of p{re}posic{i}ou{n}s
nis nat spedful to a necessarie conclusio{n}. ? and yif it
be nat so. but ? at ? e p{re}misses ben yg{ra}nted ? er nis
nat whi he sholde blame ? e argument.
[Sidenote: What I am about to say is not less wonderful, and it
follows necessarily from the same premises. ]
for ? is ? ing ? at 3572
I shal telle ? e nowe ne shal not seme lasse wondirful.
[Linenotes:
3517 _aknowe_--aknowe it
3518 _seyn_--sayn
3523 _good[e]_--goode
3524 _done_--don
3526 _ben_--be
3527 _for_--to
3528 _my? ten_--myhte
_don_--MS. done, C. doon
_harme_--harm
3529 _gret_--MS. grete, C. gret
3533-36 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
3533-34 [_than----coueyten_]--from C.
3537 _moeuyng_--mowynge
_wille_--wil
3539 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_seyne_--seyn
3540 _done_ (1)--doon
_moeuynge to done_--Mowynge to don
_mot_--MS. mote, C. mot
3544 _gretely_--gretly
3545 _seyne_--seyn
_were_--weeren
_moeuyng_--mowynge
3548 _wenen_--weene
_to lakken----yuel_--omitted
3549 _? ere_--ther
_so_ (2)--the
3550 _longe_--long
3552 _shrewednesse_--shrewednesses
_often_--ofte
3558 _shrewednes_--shrewednesse
_yfinissed_--fynyshed
3559 _weye_--wey
_outerest[e]_--owtteryste
[_yif_]--from C.
3560 _so? e_--soth
3561 _clerely_--cleerly
3563 [_conclusion_]--from C.
_harde_--hard
3564 [_the_]--from C.
3567 _harde_--hard
3568 _fals_--false
3573 _nowe_--now]
[Headnote:
THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WICKED IS DIMINISHED BY PUNISHMENT. ]
but of ? e ? inges ? at ben taken al so it is necessarie as
who so sei? it folwe? of ? at whiche ? at is p{ur}posed
byforn.
[Sidenote: _B. _ What is that? ]
what is ? at q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ That the wicked who have been punished for their
crimes, are happier than if justice had allowed them to go
unpunished. ]
? certys q{uo}d she ? at is 3576
? at ? {a}t ? ise wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys
lasse wrecches. ? at byen ? e tourmentes ? at ? ei han
deserued. ? an yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastied[e]
hem.
[Sidenote: I do not appeal to popular arguments, that punishment
corrects vice, that the fear of chastisement leads them to take
the right path, and that the sufferings of evil-doers deter others
from vice, but I believe that guilty men, unpunished, become much
more unhappy in another way. ]
ne ? is ne seye I nat now for ? at any man my? t[e] 3580
? enk[e] ? at ? e maneres of shrewes ben coriged {and}
chastised by veniaunce. {and} ? at ? ei ben brou? t to ? e
ry? t wey by ? e drede of ? e tourment. ne for ? at ? ei
? euen to o? er folk ensample to fleyen fro{m} vices. ? But 3584
I vndirstonde ? itte [in] an o? er manere ? at shrewes
ben more vnsely whan ? ei ne ben nat punissed al be it
so ? at ? ere ne ben had no resou{n} or lawe of correcc{i}ou{n}.
ne none ensample of lokynge.
[Sidenote: _B. _ In what way do you mean? ]
? And what manere 3588
shal ? at ben q{uo}d I. ou? er ? an ha? ben told here [[pg 126]]
byforn
[Sidenote: _P. _ Are not good people happy, and evil folk
miserable? ]
? Haue we nat graunted ? an q{uo}d she ? at
good[e] folk ben blysful. {and} shrewes ben wrecches.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Yes. ]
? is q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ If good be added to the wretchedness of a man,
will not he be happier than another whose misery has no element of
good in it? ]
[thanne q{uod} she] ? if ? at any good were 3592
added to ? e wrecchenesse of any wy? t. nis he nat more
blisful ? an he ? at ne ha? no medelyng of goode in hys
solitarie wrecchednesse.
[Sidenote: _B. _ It seems so. ]
so seme? it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P.
_ And if to the same wretched being another misery
be annexed, does not he become more wretched than he whose misery
is alleviated by the participation of some good? ]
and what
seyst ? ou ? an q{uo}d she of ? ilke wrecche ? at lakke? alle 3596
goodes. so ? at no goode nis medeled in hys wrecchednesse.
{and} ? itte ouer alle hys wickednesse for whiche
he is a wrecche ? at ? er be ? itte ano? er yuel anexid {and}
knyt to hym. shal not men demen hym more vnsely 3600
? an ? ilke wrecche of whiche ? e vnselynesse is re[le]ued
by ? e p{ar}ticipac{i}ou{n} of som goode.
[Sidenote: _B. _ He does. ]
whi sholde he nat
q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ When evil men are punished they have a degree of
good annexed to their wretchedness, to wit, the punishment itself,
which as it is the effect of justice is good. ]
? ? an certys q{uo}d she han shrewes whan ? ei
ben punissed somwhat of good anexid to hir wrecchednesse. 3604
? at is to seyne ? e same peyne ? at ? ei suffren
whiche ? at is good by ? e resou{n} of Iustice.
[Sidenote: And when these wretches escape punishment something
more of ill (_i. e. _ exemption from punishment) is added to their
condition. ]
And whan
? ilke same shrewes ascapen wi? outen tourment. ? an
han ? ei somwhat more of yuel ? it ouer ? e wickednesse 3608
? at ? ei han don. ? at is to seye defaute of peyne.
whiche defaute of peyne ? ou hast graunted is yuel.
[Sidenote: _B. _ I cannot deny it. ]
? For ? e desert of felonye I ne may nat denye it q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Much more unhappy are the wicked when they enjoy
an unmerited impunity than when they suffer a lawful
chastisement. ]
? Moche more ? an q{uo}d she ben shrewes vnsely 3612
whan ? ei ben wrongfully delyuered fro peyne. ? an
whan ? ei be? punissed by ry? tful vengeaunce.
[Sidenote: It is just to punish evil-doers, and unjust that they
should escape punishment. ]
but ? is is
open ? i{n}g {and} clere ? at it is ry? t ? at shrewes ben
punissed. {and} it is wickednesse {and} wrong ? at ? ei 3616
escapin vnpunissed.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Nobody denies that. ]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 28 _b_. ]]
? who my? t[e] denye *? at q{uo}d I.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Everything, too, which is just is good; and, on
the contrary, whatsoever is unjust is evil. ]
but q{uo}d she may any ma{n} denye. ? at al ? at is ry? t nis
good. {and} also ? e contrarie. ? at alle ? at is wrong nis
wicked. [[pg 127]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ These are just inferences from our former
premises. ]
certys q{uo}d I ? ise ? inges ben clere ynou? . {and} 3620
? at we han concludid a litel here byforn{e}.
[Sidenote: But is there any punishment for the soul after death of
the body? ]
but I p{re}ye
? e ? at ? ou telle me yif ? ou accordest to leten no to{ur}ment
to ? e soules aftir ? at ? e body is dedid by ? e de? e.
? is [is] to seyn. vndirstondest ? ou ou? t ? at soules han 3624
any to{ur}ment after ? e de? e of ? e body.
[Sidenote: _P. _ Yes, and great ones too. Some punishments are
rigorous and eternal. ]
? Certis q{uo}d
she ? e {and} ? at ry? t grete. of whiche soules q{uo}d she I
trowe ? at so{m}me ben to{ur}mentid by asprenesse of
peyne.
[Sidenote: Others have a corrective and purifying force, and are
of finite duration. ]
{and} so{m}me soules I trowe be exc{er}cised by a 3628
p{ur}ging mekenesse.
[Sidenote: But this is not to our purpose. ]
but my conseil nys nat to determyne
of ? is peyne. but I haue trauayled and told it
hider to.
[Sidenote: I want you to see that the power of the wicked is in
reality nothing, that the wicked never go unpunished; that their
licence to do evil is not of long duration, and that the wicked
would be more unhappy if it were longer, and infinitely wretched
if it were to continue for ever. ]
? For ? ou sholdest knowe ? at ? e mowynge
[. i. myght] of shrewes whiche mowynge ? e seme? to 3632
ben. vnwor? i nis no mowynge. {and} eke of shrewes of
whiche ? ou pleynedest ? at ? ei ne were nat punissed.
? at ? ou woldest seen ? at ? ei ne weren neuer mo wi?
outen ? e torment of hire wickednesse. {and} of ? e licence 3636
of mowynge to done yuel. ? at ? ou p{re}idest ? at it
my? t[e] sone ben endid. {and} ? at ? ou woldest fayne
lerne. ? at it ne sholde nat longe endure. {and} ? at
shrewes ben more vnsely yif ? ei were of lenger duryng. 3640
{and} most vnsely yif ? ei weren p{er}durable.
[Sidenote: After this I showed that evil men are more unhappy,
having escaped punishment, than if justly chastised. ]
{and} after
? is I haue shewed ? e ? at more vnsely ben shrewes
whan ? ei escapen wi? oute ry? tful peyne. ? an whan ? ei
ben punissed by ry? tful uengeaunce.
[Sidenote: Wherefore when they are supposed to get off scot-free
they suffer most grievously. ]
and of ? is sentence 3644
folwe? it ? at ? an be{n} shrewes constreyned atte laste wi?
