E wrekere
attrides
?
Chaucer - Boethius
or corigi?
profiti? . I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. ? an is it good q{uo}d she. whi nat
q{uo}d I. but ? is is ? e fortune [q{uod} she] of hem ? at ei? er ben put in
vertue {and} batailen a? eins aspre ? inges. or ellys of hem ? at eschewen
{and} declinen fro vices {and} taken ? e weye of vertue. ? ? is ne may nat
I denye q{uo}d I ? But what seist ? ou of ? e myrye fortune ? at is ? euen
to good folk in gerdou{n} deuini? ou? t ? e poeples ? at it is wicked. nay
forso? e q{uo}d I. but ? ei demen as it so? e is ? at it is ry? t good. ? And
what seist ? ou of ? at o? er fortune q{uo}d she. ? at al ? ou? it be aspre
{and} restreini? ? e shrewes by ry? tful tourment. weni? ou? t ? e poeple
? {a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ? But ? e poeple demi? ? at it be most
wrecched of alle ? inges ? at may ben ? ou? t. war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d
she lest ? at we in folwyng ? e opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed {and}
co{n}cluded ? ing ? at is vnable to be wened to ? e poeple. what is ? at
q{uo}d I ? Certys q{uo}d she it folwe? or come? of ? inges ? {a}t ben
graunted ? at alle fortune what so euer it be. of hem ? at ey? er ben i{n}
possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys in ? e
purchasynge of vertue. ? at ? ilke fortune is good. ? And ? at alle fortune
is ry? t wicked to hem ? at dwellen in shrewednesse. as who sei? . {and}
? us wene? nat ? e poeple. ? ? at is so? e q{uo}d I. ? Al be it so ? at
noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it. ? whi so q{uo}d she. For ry? t
as no strong man ne seme? nat to abassen or disdaigne{n} as ofte tyme as
he here? ? e noise of ? e bataile. ne also it ne seme? nat to ? e wyse man
to beren it greuously as oft[e] as he is lad in to ? e strif of fortune.
for bo? e to ? at on man {and} eke to ? at o? {er} ? ilke difficulte is ? e
matere to ? at oon man of encrese of his glorious renou{n}. {and} to ? at
o? er man to conferme hys sapience. ? at is to seine ? e asprenesse of hys
estat. ? For ? erfore is it called uertue. for ? at it susteni? {and}
enforce? by hys streng? es ? at it nis nat ouer-come{n} by aduersites.
? Ne certys ? ou ? at art put in ? e encrese or in ? e hey? t of uertue ne
hast nat comen to fleten wi? delices {and} forto welken in bodyly lust.
? ? ou sowest or plauntest a ful egre bataile in ? i corage a? eins euery
fortune. for ? at ? e sorweful fortune ne co{n}fou{n}de ? e nat. ne ? at ? e
myrye fortune ne corrumpe ? e nat. ? Occupy ? e mene by stedfast
streng? es. for al ? at euer is vndir ? e mene. or ellys al ? at
ou{er}-passe? ? e mene despise? welefulnesses. ? As who sei? . it is
vicious {and} ne ha? no mede of hys trauaile. ? For it is set in ? our{e}
hand. as who sei? it lie? in ? our{e} power what fortune ? ow is leuest.
? at is to seyne good or yuel. ? For alle fortune ? at seme? sharpe or
aspre yif it ne ex{er}cise nat ? e good folk. ne chastisi? ? e wicked
folk. it punisse? .
BELLA BIS QUENIS. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Met{ur}. ]]
++?
E wrekere attrides ? ? at is to seyne agamenon ? at wrou? t[e] {and}
continued[e] ? e batailes by ten ? ere recouered[e] {and} p{ur}ged[e] in
wrekyng by ? e destrucc{i}ou{n} of troie ? e loste chambres of mariage of
hys bro? er ? is is to seyn ? at [he] agamenon wan a? ein Eleine ? at was
Menelaus wif his bro? er. In ? e mene while ? at ? ilke agamenon desired[e]
to ? euen sailes to ? e grekyssh{e} nauye {and} bou? t[e] a? ein ? e wyndes
by blode. he vnclo? ed[e] hym of pite as fad{er}. {and} ? e sory p{re}st
? iue? in sacrifiynge ? e wreched kuyttyng of ? rote of ? e dou? ter. ? ? at
is to sein ? at agamenon lete kuytte{n} ? e ? rote of hys dou? ter by ? e
prest. to maken alliaunce wi? hys goddes. {and} for to haue wynde wi?
whiche he my? t[e] wende to troie. ? Itakus ? at is to sein vlixies
bywept[e] hys felawes ylorn ? e whiche felawes ? e fiers[e] pholifem{us}
ligginge in his grete Caue had[de] freten {and} dreint in hys empty
wombe. but na? eles polifem{us} wood for his blinde visage ? eld to
vlixies ioye by hys sorowful teres. ? is is to seyn ? at vlixes smot oute
? e eye of poliphem{us} ? at stod in hys forhede. for whiche vlixes hadde
ioie whan he saw poliphem{us} wepyng {and} blynde. ? Hercules is
celebrable for hys hard[e] trauaile he dawntede ? e proude Centauris half
hors half man. {and} he rafte ? e despoylynge fro ? e cruel lyou{n} ? at is
to seyne he slou? ? e lyou{n} {and} rafte hy{m} hys skyn. he smot ? e
brids ? at hy? te{n} arpijs [in ? e palude of lyrne] wi? certeyne arwes. he
rauyssed[e] applis fro ? e wakyng dragou{n}. {and} hys hand was ? e more
heuy for ? e golde[ne] metal. He drou? Cerberus ? e hound of helle by hys
treble cheyne. he ouer-comer as it is seid ha? put an vnmeke lorde fodre
to hys cruel hors ? ? is is to sein. ? at hercules slou? diomedes {and}
made his hors to etyn hym. and he hercules slou? Idra ? e serpent {and}
brend[e] ? e venym. and achelaus ? e flode defouled[e] in his forhede
dreint[e] his shamefast visage in his strondes. ? is is to sein ? at
achelaus cou? e transfigure hym self in to dyuerse lykenesse. {and} as he
fau? t wi? orcules at ? e laste he t{ur}nid[e] hym in to a bole and
hercules brak of oon of hys hornes. {and} achelaus for shame hidde hym
in hys ryuer. ? And [he] hercules cast[e] adou{n} Antheus ? e geaunt in
? e strondes of libye. {and} kacus apaised[e] ? e wra? ? es of euander. ? is
is to sein ? at hercules slou? ? e Monstre kacus {and} apaised[e] wi? ? at
dee? ? e wra? ? e of euander. ? And ? e bristled[e] boor marked[e] wi?
scomes ? e sholdres of hercules. ? e whiche sholdres ? e heye cercle of
heuene sholde ? reste. {and} ? e laste of his labo{ur}s was ? at he
sustened[e] ? e heuene vpo{n} his nekke vnbowed. {and} he deserued[e]
eftsones ? e heuene to ben ? e pris of his laste trauayle ? Go? now ? an ? e
stronge men ? ere as ? e heye weye of ? e grete ensample lede? ? ou. ? O
nice men whi nake ? e ? oure bakkes. as who sei? . ? O ? e slowe {and}
delicat men whi fley ? e aduersites. {and} ne fy? te{n} nat a? eins hem by
vertue to wynnen ? e mede of ? e heuene. for ? e er? e ouer-come{n} ? eue? ? e
sterres. ? ? is is to seyne ? at whan ? at er? ely lust is ouer-comen. a man
is maked wor? i to ? e heuene.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
DIXERAT ORACIONISQ{UE} CURSUM.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste prose. ]]
++She hadde seid {and} to{ur}ned[e] ? e cours of hir resou{n} to so{m}me
o? {er} ? inges to ben tretid {and} to ben ysped. ? an seide I. Certys
ry? tful is ? in amonestyng {and} ful digne by auctorite. but ? at ? ou
seidest som tyme ? at ? e questiou{n} of ? e deuyne p{ur}ueaunce is enlaced
wi? many o? er questiou{n}s.
profiti? . I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. ? an is it good q{uo}d she. whi nat
q{uo}d I. but ? is is ? e fortune [q{uod} she] of hem ? at ei? er ben put in
vertue {and} batailen a? eins aspre ? inges. or ellys of hem ? at eschewen
{and} declinen fro vices {and} taken ? e weye of vertue. ? ? is ne may nat
I denye q{uo}d I ? But what seist ? ou of ? e myrye fortune ? at is ? euen
to good folk in gerdou{n} deuini? ou? t ? e poeples ? at it is wicked. nay
forso? e q{uo}d I. but ? ei demen as it so? e is ? at it is ry? t good. ? And
what seist ? ou of ? at o? er fortune q{uo}d she. ? at al ? ou? it be aspre
{and} restreini? ? e shrewes by ry? tful tourment. weni? ou? t ? e poeple
? {a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ? But ? e poeple demi? ? at it be most
wrecched of alle ? inges ? at may ben ? ou? t. war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d
she lest ? at we in folwyng ? e opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed {and}
co{n}cluded ? ing ? at is vnable to be wened to ? e poeple. what is ? at
q{uo}d I ? Certys q{uo}d she it folwe? or come? of ? inges ? {a}t ben
graunted ? at alle fortune what so euer it be. of hem ? at ey? er ben i{n}
possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys in ? e
purchasynge of vertue. ? at ? ilke fortune is good. ? And ? at alle fortune
is ry? t wicked to hem ? at dwellen in shrewednesse. as who sei? . {and}
? us wene? nat ? e poeple. ? ? at is so? e q{uo}d I. ? Al be it so ? at
noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it. ? whi so q{uo}d she. For ry? t
as no strong man ne seme? nat to abassen or disdaigne{n} as ofte tyme as
he here? ? e noise of ? e bataile. ne also it ne seme? nat to ? e wyse man
to beren it greuously as oft[e] as he is lad in to ? e strif of fortune.
for bo? e to ? at on man {and} eke to ? at o? {er} ? ilke difficulte is ? e
matere to ? at oon man of encrese of his glorious renou{n}. {and} to ? at
o? er man to conferme hys sapience. ? at is to seine ? e asprenesse of hys
estat. ? For ? erfore is it called uertue. for ? at it susteni? {and}
enforce? by hys streng? es ? at it nis nat ouer-come{n} by aduersites.
? Ne certys ? ou ? at art put in ? e encrese or in ? e hey? t of uertue ne
hast nat comen to fleten wi? delices {and} forto welken in bodyly lust.
? ? ou sowest or plauntest a ful egre bataile in ? i corage a? eins euery
fortune. for ? at ? e sorweful fortune ne co{n}fou{n}de ? e nat. ne ? at ? e
myrye fortune ne corrumpe ? e nat. ? Occupy ? e mene by stedfast
streng? es. for al ? at euer is vndir ? e mene. or ellys al ? at
ou{er}-passe? ? e mene despise? welefulnesses. ? As who sei? . it is
vicious {and} ne ha? no mede of hys trauaile. ? For it is set in ? our{e}
hand. as who sei? it lie? in ? our{e} power what fortune ? ow is leuest.
? at is to seyne good or yuel. ? For alle fortune ? at seme? sharpe or
aspre yif it ne ex{er}cise nat ? e good folk. ne chastisi? ? e wicked
folk. it punisse? .
BELLA BIS QUENIS. {ET} C{ETERA}.
[Sidenote: [The seuende Met{ur}. ]]
++?
E wrekere attrides ? ? at is to seyne agamenon ? at wrou? t[e] {and}
continued[e] ? e batailes by ten ? ere recouered[e] {and} p{ur}ged[e] in
wrekyng by ? e destrucc{i}ou{n} of troie ? e loste chambres of mariage of
hys bro? er ? is is to seyn ? at [he] agamenon wan a? ein Eleine ? at was
Menelaus wif his bro? er. In ? e mene while ? at ? ilke agamenon desired[e]
to ? euen sailes to ? e grekyssh{e} nauye {and} bou? t[e] a? ein ? e wyndes
by blode. he vnclo? ed[e] hym of pite as fad{er}. {and} ? e sory p{re}st
? iue? in sacrifiynge ? e wreched kuyttyng of ? rote of ? e dou? ter. ? ? at
is to sein ? at agamenon lete kuytte{n} ? e ? rote of hys dou? ter by ? e
prest. to maken alliaunce wi? hys goddes. {and} for to haue wynde wi?
whiche he my? t[e] wende to troie. ? Itakus ? at is to sein vlixies
bywept[e] hys felawes ylorn ? e whiche felawes ? e fiers[e] pholifem{us}
ligginge in his grete Caue had[de] freten {and} dreint in hys empty
wombe. but na? eles polifem{us} wood for his blinde visage ? eld to
vlixies ioye by hys sorowful teres. ? is is to seyn ? at vlixes smot oute
? e eye of poliphem{us} ? at stod in hys forhede. for whiche vlixes hadde
ioie whan he saw poliphem{us} wepyng {and} blynde. ? Hercules is
celebrable for hys hard[e] trauaile he dawntede ? e proude Centauris half
hors half man. {and} he rafte ? e despoylynge fro ? e cruel lyou{n} ? at is
to seyne he slou? ? e lyou{n} {and} rafte hy{m} hys skyn. he smot ? e
brids ? at hy? te{n} arpijs [in ? e palude of lyrne] wi? certeyne arwes. he
rauyssed[e] applis fro ? e wakyng dragou{n}. {and} hys hand was ? e more
heuy for ? e golde[ne] metal. He drou? Cerberus ? e hound of helle by hys
treble cheyne. he ouer-comer as it is seid ha? put an vnmeke lorde fodre
to hys cruel hors ? ? is is to sein. ? at hercules slou? diomedes {and}
made his hors to etyn hym. and he hercules slou? Idra ? e serpent {and}
brend[e] ? e venym. and achelaus ? e flode defouled[e] in his forhede
dreint[e] his shamefast visage in his strondes. ? is is to sein ? at
achelaus cou? e transfigure hym self in to dyuerse lykenesse. {and} as he
fau? t wi? orcules at ? e laste he t{ur}nid[e] hym in to a bole and
hercules brak of oon of hys hornes. {and} achelaus for shame hidde hym
in hys ryuer. ? And [he] hercules cast[e] adou{n} Antheus ? e geaunt in
? e strondes of libye. {and} kacus apaised[e] ? e wra? ? es of euander. ? is
is to sein ? at hercules slou? ? e Monstre kacus {and} apaised[e] wi? ? at
dee? ? e wra? ? e of euander. ? And ? e bristled[e] boor marked[e] wi?
scomes ? e sholdres of hercules. ? e whiche sholdres ? e heye cercle of
heuene sholde ? reste. {and} ? e laste of his labo{ur}s was ? at he
sustened[e] ? e heuene vpo{n} his nekke vnbowed. {and} he deserued[e]
eftsones ? e heuene to ben ? e pris of his laste trauayle ? Go? now ? an ? e
stronge men ? ere as ? e heye weye of ? e grete ensample lede? ? ou. ? O
nice men whi nake ? e ? oure bakkes. as who sei? . ? O ? e slowe {and}
delicat men whi fley ? e aduersites. {and} ne fy? te{n} nat a? eins hem by
vertue to wynnen ? e mede of ? e heuene. for ? e er? e ouer-come{n} ? eue? ? e
sterres. ? ? is is to seyne ? at whan ? at er? ely lust is ouer-comen. a man
is maked wor? i to ? e heuene.
EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
DIXERAT ORACIONISQ{UE} CURSUM.
[Sidenote: [The fyrste prose. ]]
++She hadde seid {and} to{ur}ned[e] ? e cours of hir resou{n} to so{m}me
o? {er} ? inges to ben tretid {and} to ben ysped. ? an seide I. Certys
ry? tful is ? in amonestyng {and} ful digne by auctorite. but ? at ? ou
seidest som tyme ? at ? e questiou{n} of ? e deuyne p{ur}ueaunce is enlaced
wi? many o? er questiou{n}s.
