e laste I may
conclude
?
Chaucer - Boethius
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.
[Sidenote: Busiris used to kill his guests, but at last himself
was killed by Hercules, his guest. ]
? I haue herd told of 1408
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
[Sidenote: Regulus put his Carthaginian prisoners in chains, but
was afterwards obliged to submit to the fetters of his enemies. ]
? Regulus had[de] taken in
bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to fetteres. 1412
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.
[Sidenote: Is he mighty that dares not inflict what he would upon
another for fear of a requital? ]
? Wenest ? ou ? an ? at he be
my? ty. ? at may nat don a ? ing. ? at o? er ne may don 1416
hym. ? at he do? to o? er.
[Sidenote: If powers and honours were intrinsically good, they
would never be attained by the wicked. ]
{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.
[Sidenote: An union of things opposite is repugnant to nature. ]
? For contrarious ? inges ne ben 1420
not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ? Nature refuse?
? at contra[r]ious ? inges ben yioigned.
[Sidenote: But as wicked men do obtain the highest honours, it is
clear that honours are not in themselves good, otherwise they
would not fall to the share of the unworthy. ]
? And so
as I am in certeyne ? at ry? t wikked folk han dignitees
ofte tymes. ? an shewe? it wel ? at dignitees {and} powers 1424
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn ? at ? ei suffren
hem self to cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes.
[Sidenote: The worst of men have often the largest share of
Fortune's gifts. ]
? And certys ? e same ? ing may most digneliche Iugen
{and} seyen of alle ? e ? iftis of fortune
? at most plenteuously [[pg 54]]
comen to shrewes.
[Sidenote: We judge him to be valiant who has given evidence of
his fortitude. ]
? Of ? e whiche ? iftys I 1429
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. 1432
[Sidenote: So music maketh a musician, &c. ]
Also musyk make? musiciens. {and} fysik make? phisiciens.
{and} rethorik rethoriens.
[Sidenote: The nature of everything consists in doing what is
peculiar to itself, and it repels what is contrary to it. ]
? 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. 1436
[Linenotes:
1374 _come? _--comth
1375, 1376 _vertue_--vertu
1376 _come? _--comth
_by_--for
_whiche_--which
1377 _derwor? e_--dereworthe
_clere_--cleer
1378 _whiche_--which
1379 _han_--MS. hanne, C. han
1380 _say[e]_--saye
_mouse amongus_--mous amonges
_myse_--mus?
1382 _scorne_--scorn
1383 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1385 _mannes_--man
1386 _? e----slayn_--the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn
1388 _mennes bodyes_--mannes body
1391 _lower_--lower{e}
_whiche_--the which
1395 _stedfast_--stidefast
1396 _somtyme_--whylom
1399 _whiche_--which
1401 _owen_--owne
1406 _receyue_--resseyuen
_o? er_--oothre
1408 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde, C. herd told
1409 _hys_--hise
_herburghden_--herberweden
1410 _slayn_--sleyn
1411 _had[de]_--hadde
1413 _most[e]_--moste
1414 _bounden_--bownde
_cheynes_--MS. ? eues, C. cheynes
_had[de]_--hadde
1415 _somtyme_--whylom
1416 _? at----? ing_--that hath no power to don a thinge
_o? er_--oothre
1417 _hym_--in hym
_do? _--MS. do? e, C. doth
_to o? er_--in oothre
1421 _togidres_--to-gider{e}
1423 _certeyne_--certein
1424 _tymes_--tyme
1425 _owen_--owne
1429 _whiche_--which
1430 _au? t[e]_--owhte
1432 _So? e_--soth
_swyfte_--swyft
1435 _is_--nis
1436 _effectis_--effect]
[Headnote:
POWER DOES NOT CONFER GOODNESS. ]
? And as of wil it chase? oute ? inges ? at to it ben
contrarie
[Sidenote: Riches cannot restrain avarice. Power cannot make a man
master of himself if he is the slave of his lusts. ]
? 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 1440
holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat ben
vnbounden.
[Sidenote: Dignities conferred upon base men do not make them
worthy, but rather expose their want of merit. ]
{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. 1444
[Sidenote: Why is it so? 'Tis because you give false names to
things. You dignify riches, power, and honours, with names they
have no title to. ]
? 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.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 14. ]]
so ? at *? ise ilke rycchesse 1448
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.
[Sidenote: In fine, the same may be said of all the gifts of
Fortune, in which nothing is desirable, nothing of natural good in
them, since they are not always allotted to good men, nor make
them good to whom they are attached. ]
? And at ?
e laste I may conclude ? e same ? inge of 1452
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 1456
goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
[Linenotes:
1437 _oute_--owt
1441 _ben_--be
1442 _shrewed[e]_--shrewede
1446 _fals[e]_--false
_al_--alle
1447 _whiche_--which
1449 _au? ten_--owhten
_rycchesse_--rychesses
1450 _whiche_--swich
_au? t[e]_--owhte
1451 _whiche_--swich
_au? t[e]_--owht
1453 _al_--alle
1454 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1455 _sene_--I-seene]
[[pg 55]]
[Headnote:
NERO'S CRUELTY. ]
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: We know what ruin Nero did. ]
++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.
[Sidenote: He burnt Rome, he slew the conscript fathers, murdered
his brother, and spilt his mother's blood. ]
? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome {and} made slen ? e 1460
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.
[Sidenote: He looked unmoved upon his mother's corpse, and passed
judgment upon her beauty. ]
{and} he loked[e] on euery 1464
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.
[Sidenote: Yet this parricide ruled over all lands, illumined by
the sun in his diurnal course, and controlled the frozen regions
of the pole. ]
? And ? itte
neuer? eles gouerned[e] ? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples 1468
? 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 1472
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.
[Sidenote: He governed, too, the people in the torrid zone. ]
? And eke Nero gouerned[e] 1476
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.
[Sidenote: But yet Nero's power could not tame his ferocious
mind. ]
[but yit ne
myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of 1480
this wykkyd nero /
[Sidenote: It is a grievous thing when power strengthens the arm
of him whose will prompts him to deeds of cruelty. ]
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.
[Linenotes:
1458 _greet[e]_--grete
1460 _letee_--let
1461 _somtyme slou? _--whilom slow
1463 _let_--lette
1464 _where_--wher
1465 _half_--halue
1466 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1467 _hire_--hyr
1468 _neuer? eles_--natheles
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
_al_--alle
1469 _from_--fram
_outerest_--owtereste
1470 _hidde_--hide
1471 _seyne_--seyn
1472 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
1473 _goueyrende_--gou{er}nyd
1474 _triones_--tyryones
1475 _gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1476 _parties_--p{ar}ty
_nor? e_--north
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1477 _wynde_--wynd
_scorchi? _--scorklith
1479 _seyne_--seyn
_sou? e_--sowth
1479-81 [_but----it is_]--MS. _has_: but ne how greuous fortune is
1482 _swerde_--swerd]
[[pg 56]]
[Headnote:
THE LOVE OF GLORY. ]
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thou knowest that I did not covet mortal and
transitory things. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e 1484
couetise of mortal ? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe
of me. but I haue wel desired matere of ? inges
to done. as who sei? .
[Sidenote: I only wished to exercise my virtue in public concerns,
lest it should grow feeble by inactivity. ]
I desired[e] to han matere of
gou{er}naunce ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne 1488
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 1492
goode gouernement.
[Sidenote: _P. _ A love of glory is one of those things that may
captivate minds naturally great, but not yet arrived at the
perfection of virtue. ]
? _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 1496
ben y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is
to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel
administred ? e comune ? inges. or doon goode decertes
to p{ro}fit of ? e comune.
[Sidenote: But consider how small and void of weight is that
glory. ]
for se now {and} considere how 1500
litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
[Sidenote: Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a
speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing
if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere. ]
? Certeine
? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute
ne halt but ? e resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ? e gretnesse 1504
of heuene. ? at is to seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were
maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e gretnesse of
heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde
no space
[Sidenote: Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is
inhabited by living creatures. ]
? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde 1508
?
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.
[Sidenote: Busiris used to kill his guests, but at last himself
was killed by Hercules, his guest. ]
? I haue herd told of 1408
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
[Sidenote: Regulus put his Carthaginian prisoners in chains, but
was afterwards obliged to submit to the fetters of his enemies. ]
? Regulus had[de] taken in
bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to fetteres. 1412
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.
[Sidenote: Is he mighty that dares not inflict what he would upon
another for fear of a requital? ]
? Wenest ? ou ? an ? at he be
my? ty. ? at may nat don a ? ing. ? at o? er ne may don 1416
hym. ? at he do? to o? er.
[Sidenote: If powers and honours were intrinsically good, they
would never be attained by the wicked. ]
{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.
[Sidenote: An union of things opposite is repugnant to nature. ]
? For contrarious ? inges ne ben 1420
not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ? Nature refuse?
? at contra[r]ious ? inges ben yioigned.
[Sidenote: But as wicked men do obtain the highest honours, it is
clear that honours are not in themselves good, otherwise they
would not fall to the share of the unworthy. ]
? And so
as I am in certeyne ? at ry? t wikked folk han dignitees
ofte tymes. ? an shewe? it wel ? at dignitees {and} powers 1424
ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn ? at ? ei suffren
hem self to cleue{n} or ioynen hem to shrewes.
[Sidenote: The worst of men have often the largest share of
Fortune's gifts. ]
? And certys ? e same ? ing may most digneliche Iugen
{and} seyen of alle ? e ? iftis of fortune
? at most plenteuously [[pg 54]]
comen to shrewes.
[Sidenote: We judge him to be valiant who has given evidence of
his fortitude. ]
? Of ? e whiche ? iftys I 1429
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. 1432
[Sidenote: So music maketh a musician, &c. ]
Also musyk make? musiciens. {and} fysik make? phisiciens.
{and} rethorik rethoriens.
[Sidenote: The nature of everything consists in doing what is
peculiar to itself, and it repels what is contrary to it. ]
? 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. 1436
[Linenotes:
1374 _come? _--comth
1375, 1376 _vertue_--vertu
1376 _come? _--comth
_by_--for
_whiche_--which
1377 _derwor? e_--dereworthe
_clere_--cleer
1378 _whiche_--which
1379 _han_--MS. hanne, C. han
1380 _say[e]_--saye
_mouse amongus_--mous amonges
_myse_--mus?
1382 _scorne_--scorn
1383 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1385 _mannes_--man
1386 _? e----slayn_--the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn
1388 _mennes bodyes_--mannes body
1391 _lower_--lower{e}
_whiche_--the which
1395 _stedfast_--stidefast
1396 _somtyme_--whylom
1399 _whiche_--which
1401 _owen_--owne
1406 _receyue_--resseyuen
_o? er_--oothre
1408 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde, C. herd told
1409 _hys_--hise
_herburghden_--herberweden
1410 _slayn_--sleyn
1411 _had[de]_--hadde
1413 _most[e]_--moste
1414 _bounden_--bownde
_cheynes_--MS. ? eues, C. cheynes
_had[de]_--hadde
1415 _somtyme_--whylom
1416 _? at----? ing_--that hath no power to don a thinge
_o? er_--oothre
1417 _hym_--in hym
_do? _--MS. do? e, C. doth
_to o? er_--in oothre
1421 _togidres_--to-gider{e}
1423 _certeyne_--certein
1424 _tymes_--tyme
1425 _owen_--owne
1429 _whiche_--which
1430 _au? t[e]_--owhte
1432 _So? e_--soth
_swyfte_--swyft
1435 _is_--nis
1436 _effectis_--effect]
[Headnote:
POWER DOES NOT CONFER GOODNESS. ]
? And as of wil it chase? oute ? inges ? at to it ben
contrarie
[Sidenote: Riches cannot restrain avarice. Power cannot make a man
master of himself if he is the slave of his lusts. ]
? 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 1440
holden destreined wi? cheins ? at ne mowen nat ben
vnbounden.
[Sidenote: Dignities conferred upon base men do not make them
worthy, but rather expose their want of merit. ]
{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. 1444
[Sidenote: Why is it so? 'Tis because you give false names to
things. You dignify riches, power, and honours, with names they
have no title to. ]
? 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.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 14. ]]
so ? at *? ise ilke rycchesse 1448
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.
[Sidenote: In fine, the same may be said of all the gifts of
Fortune, in which nothing is desirable, nothing of natural good in
them, since they are not always allotted to good men, nor make
them good to whom they are attached. ]
? And at ?
e laste I may conclude ? e same ? inge of 1452
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 1456
goode to who{m} ? ei be{n} y-ioigned.
[Linenotes:
1437 _oute_--owt
1441 _ben_--be
1442 _shrewed[e]_--shrewede
1446 _fals[e]_--false
_al_--alle
1447 _whiche_--which
1449 _au? ten_--owhten
_rycchesse_--rychesses
1450 _whiche_--swich
_au? t[e]_--owhte
1451 _whiche_--swich
_au? t[e]_--owht
1453 _al_--alle
1454 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1455 _sene_--I-seene]
[[pg 55]]
[Headnote:
NERO'S CRUELTY. ]
NOUIMUS QUANTOS DEDERAT.
[Sidenote: [The sixte Met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: We know what ruin Nero did. ]
++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.
[Sidenote: He burnt Rome, he slew the conscript fathers, murdered
his brother, and spilt his mother's blood. ]
? He letee brenne ? e citee of Rome {and} made slen ? e 1460
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.
[Sidenote: He looked unmoved upon his mother's corpse, and passed
judgment upon her beauty. ]
{and} he loked[e] on euery 1464
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.
[Sidenote: Yet this parricide ruled over all lands, illumined by
the sun in his diurnal course, and controlled the frozen regions
of the pole. ]
? And ? itte
neuer? eles gouerned[e] ? is Nero by Ceptre al ? e peoples 1468
? 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 1472
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.
[Sidenote: He governed, too, the people in the torrid zone. ]
? And eke Nero gouerned[e] 1476
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.
[Sidenote: But yet Nero's power could not tame his ferocious
mind. ]
[but yit ne
myhte nat al his heye power torne the woodnesse of 1480
this wykkyd nero /
[Sidenote: It is a grievous thing when power strengthens the arm
of him whose will prompts him to deeds of cruelty. ]
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.
[Linenotes:
1458 _greet[e]_--grete
1460 _letee_--let
1461 _somtyme slou? _--whilom slow
1463 _let_--lette
1464 _where_--wher
1465 _half_--halue
1466 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1467 _hire_--hyr
1468 _neuer? eles_--natheles
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
_al_--alle
1469 _from_--fram
_outerest_--owtereste
1470 _hidde_--hide
1471 _seyne_--seyn
1472 _go? _--MS. go? e, C. goth
1473 _goueyrende_--gou{er}nyd
1474 _triones_--tyryones
1475 _gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1476 _parties_--p{ar}ty
_nor? e_--north
_gouerned[e]_--gou{er}nede
1477 _wynde_--wynd
_scorchi? _--scorklith
1479 _seyne_--seyn
_sou? e_--sowth
1479-81 [_but----it is_]--MS. _has_: but ne how greuous fortune is
1482 _swerde_--swerd]
[[pg 56]]
[Headnote:
THE LOVE OF GLORY. ]
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: _B. _ Thou knowest that I did not covet mortal and
transitory things. ]
++? Anne seide I ? us. ? ou wost wel ? iself ? at ? e 1484
couetise of mortal ? inges ne hadden neuer lordshipe
of me. but I haue wel desired matere of ? inges
to done. as who sei? .
[Sidenote: I only wished to exercise my virtue in public concerns,
lest it should grow feeble by inactivity. ]
I desired[e] to han matere of
gou{er}naunce ouer comunalites. ? For vertue stille ne 1488
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 1492
goode gouernement.
[Sidenote: _P. _ A love of glory is one of those things that may
captivate minds naturally great, but not yet arrived at the
perfection of virtue. ]
? _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 1496
ben y-brou? t to ? e ful[le] p{er}fecciou{n} of vertue. ? at is
to seyn couetyse of glorie {and} renou{n} to han wel
administred ? e comune ? inges. or doon goode decertes
to p{ro}fit of ? e comune.
[Sidenote: But consider how small and void of weight is that
glory. ]
for se now {and} considere how 1500
litel {and} how voide of al prise is ? ilke glorie.
[Sidenote: Astronomy teaches us that this globe of earth is but a
speck compared with the extent of the heavens, and is as nothing
if compared with the magnitude of the celestial sphere. ]
? Certeine
? ing is as ? ou hast lerned by demonstrac{i}ou{n} of
astronomye ? at al ? e envyronynge of ? e er? e aboute
ne halt but ? e resou{n} of a prykke at regard of ? e gretnesse 1504
of heuene. ? at is to seye. ? at yif ? at ? er were
maked co{m}parisou{n} of ? e er? e to ? e gretnesse of
heuene. men wolde Iugen in alle ? at er? e [ne] helde
no space
[Sidenote: Ptolemy shows that only one-fourth of this earth is
inhabited by living creatures. ]
? Of ? e whiche litel regiou{n} of ? is worlde 1508
?
