[Sidenote: Avarice is always hateful, while
liberality
is
praise-worthy.
praise-worthy.
Chaucer - Boethius
e
continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben 1136
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. 1140
of ? e lost ? an of ? e hauynge.
[Sidenote: Since thou art convinced of the soul's immortality,
thou canst not doubt that if death puts an end to human felicity,
that all men when they die, are plunged into the depths of
misery. ]
? 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 1144
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 1148
by ? e ende of ? e dee? .
[Sidenote: But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity,
by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments. ]
? 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.
[Sidenote: How then can this present life make men truly happy,
since when it is ended they do not become miserable? ]
how my? t[e] ? an ? is p{re}sent 1152
lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e]
lijf is endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
[Linenotes:
1134 _it_--hyt
_sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyth
1135 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
_leese_ (2)--leese it
_whiche_--which
1136 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1137 _ellys_--omitted
_wene_--weneth
1138 _hit_--omitted
1139 _goode_--good
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_hert[e]_--herte
1140 _seyne_--seyn
_don_--MS. done, C. do
_force_--fors
1142 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1143 _many[e]_--manye
1144 _mowen_--mowe
_dien_--deyen
1145 _clere_--cleer
_certeyne_--certeyn
1147 _al_--alle
1150 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_fruit_--frut
1152 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1153 _make_--maken
_self[e]_--selue]
[Headnote:
RICHES HAVE NO INTRINSIC VALUE. ]
QUISQUIS UOLET[2] P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Footnote 2: MS. ualet. ]
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: He who would have a stable and lasting seat must not
build upon lofty hills; nor upon the sands, if he would escape the
violence of winds and waves. ]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym
a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156
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 1160
of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle his streng? es. ? and ? e
lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te. [[pg 45]]
[Sidenote: If thou wilt flee perilous fortune, lay thy foundation
upon the firmer stone, so that thou mayst grow old in thy
stronghold. ]
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to
seine of ? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn 1164
? 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 1168
? e wodenesses and ? e Ires of ? e eir.
[Linenotes:
1155, 1156, 1157 _wil_--wole
1156 _be cast_--MS. be caste, C. ben cast
1157 _wynde_--wynd
1158 _eschewe_--eschewen
1160 _fel[le]_--felle
1161 _his_--hise
1162 _lowe_--lavse
_see_--omitted
_refuse_--refusen
_wey? te_--wyhte
1163 _flee_--fleen
1164 _seine_--seyn
1165 _? i_--thin
_lowe stoone_--lowh stoon
1167 _welful_--weleful
1169 _wodenesses_--woodnesses]
[Headnote:
GLORY NOT IN RICHES; THEY ADD NOTHING TO VIRTUE. ]
SET CUM RACIONU{M} IAM IN TE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: It is now time to use stronger medicines, since lighter
remedies have taken effect. ]
++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.
[Sidenote: What is there in the gifts of Fortune that is not vile
and despicable? ]
? Now vndirstonde 1172
here al were it so ? at ? e ? iftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 12. ]]
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.
[Sidenote: Are riches precious in themselves, or in men's
estimation? ]
? Richesse ben ? ei 1176
p{re}ciouse by ? e nature of hem self. or ellys by ? e
nature of ? e.
[Sidenote: What is most precious in them, quantity or quality? ]
What is most wor? i of rycchesse. is it
nat golde or my? t of moneye assembled.
[Sidenote: Bounty is more glorious than niggardliness. ]
? Certis
? ilke golde {and} ? ilke moneye shine? {and} ? eue? better 1180
renou{n} to hem ? at dispenden it. ? en to ? ilke folke ? at
mokeren it.
[Sidenote: Avarice is always hateful, while liberality is
praise-worthy. ]
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 1184
man to an o? er ne may nat dwellen wi? no man.
[Sidenote: Money cannot be more precious than when it is dispensed
liberally to others. ]
Certis ? an is ? ilke moneye p{re}cious. whan it is translated
in to o? er folk. {and} stynte? to ben had by
vsage of large ? euy{n}g of hym ? at ha? ? euen it. 1188
[Sidenote: If one man's coffers contained all the money in the
world, every one else would be in want of it. ]
{and} also yif al ? e moneye ? at is ouer-al in ? e world were
gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al o? er men [[pg 46]]
to ben nedy as of ? at. ? And certys a voys al hool
? at is to seyn wi? -oute amenusynge fulfille? to gyder 1192
? e heryng of myche folke.
[Sidenote: Riches cannot be dispensed without diminution. ]
but Certys ? oure rycchesse
ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wi? -oute amenussyng
? And whan ? ei ben apassed. nedys ? ei maken
hem pore ? at forgon ? e rycchesses.
[Sidenote: O the poverty of riches, that cannot be enjoyed by many
at the same time, nor can be possessed by one without
impoverishing others! ]
? O streite {and} 1196
nedy clepe I ? ise rycchesses. syn ? at many folke [ne]
may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man
wi? -oute pouerte of al o? er folke. ? And ? e shynynge
of ge{m}mes ? at I clepe p{re}ciouse stones. drawe? it nat 1200
? e eyen of folk in to hem warde. ? at is to seyne for ? e
beaute.
[Sidenote: The beauty of precious stones consists only in their
brightness, wherefore I marvel that men admire that which is
motionless, lifeless, and irrational. ]
? For certys yif ? er were beaute or bounte
in shynyng of stones. ? ilke clerenesse is of ? e stones
hem self. {and} nat of men. ? For whiche I wondre 1204
gretly ? at men merueilen on swiche ? inges. ? For
whi what ? ing is it ? at yif it wa{n}te? moeuyng {and}
ioynture of soule {and} body ? at by ry? t my? t[e] semen
a faire creature to hym ? at ha? a soule of resou{n}. 1208
[Sidenote: Precious stones are indeed the workmanship of the
Creator, but their beauty is infinitely below the excellency of
man's nature. ]
? For al be it so ? at ge{m}mes drawen to hem self a
litel of ? e laste beaute of ? e worlde. ? oru? ? e entent
of hir creato{ur} {and} ? oru? ? e distincc{i}ou{n} of hem self.
? it for as myche as ? ei ben put vndir ? oure excellence. 1212
? ei han not desserued by no weye ? at ? e shullen
merueylen on hem.
[Sidenote: Doth the beauty of the field delight thee? ]
? And ? e beaute of feeldes delite?
it nat mychel vnto ? ow.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Why should it not? for it is a beautiful part of a
beautiful whole. ]
_Boyce. _ ? Whi sholde it nat
deliten vs. syn ? at it is a ry? t fayr porciou{n} of ? e ry? t 1216
fair werk. ? at is to seyn of ? is worlde.
[Sidenote: Hence, we admire the face of the sea, the heavens, as
well as the sun, moon, and stars. ]
? And ry? t
so ben we gladed somtyme of ? e face of ? e see whan
it is clere. And also merueylen we on ? e heuene {and}
on ? e sterres. {and} on ? e sonne. {and} on ? e mone. [[pg 47]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do these things concern thee? darest thou glory in
them? ]
_Philosophie. _ ? App{er}teine? q{uo}d she any of ? ilke 1221
? inges to ? e. whi darst ? ou glorifie ? e in ? e shynynge
of any swiche ? inges.
[Sidenote: Do the flowers adorn you with their variety? ]
Art ? ou distingwed {and} embelised
by ? e spryngyng floures of ? e first somer 1224
sesou{n}. or swelli? ? i plente in fruytes of somer. whi
art ? ou rauyshed wi? ydel ioies.
[Sidenote: Why embracest thou things wherein thou hast no
property? ]
why enbracest ? ou
straunge goodes as ? ei weren ? ine.
[Sidenote: Fortune can never make that thine which the nature of
things forbids to be so. ]
Fortune shal neuer
maken ? at swiche ? inges ben ? ine ? at nature of ? inges 1228
maked foreyne fro ? e.
[Sidenote: The fruits of the earth are designed for the support of
beasts. ]
? Syche is ? at wi? -oute{n}
doute ? e fruytes of ? e er? e owen to ben on ? e
norssinge of bestes.
[Sidenote: If you seek only the necessities of nature, the
affluence of Fortune will be useless. ]
? And if ? ou wilt fulfille ? i
nede after ? at it suffise? to nature ? an is it no nede 1232
? at ? ou seke after ? e sup{er}fluite of fortune.
[Sidenote: Nature is content with a little, and superfluity will
be both disagreeable and hurtful.
continuel drede ? at he ha? ne suffri? hym nat to ben 1136
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. 1140
of ? e lost ? an of ? e hauynge.
[Sidenote: Since thou art convinced of the soul's immortality,
thou canst not doubt that if death puts an end to human felicity,
that all men when they die, are plunged into the depths of
misery. ]
? 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 1144
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 1148
by ? e ende of ? e dee? .
[Sidenote: But we know that many have sought to obtain felicity,
by undergoing not only death, but pains and torments. ]
? 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.
[Sidenote: How then can this present life make men truly happy,
since when it is ended they do not become miserable? ]
how my? t[e] ? an ? is p{re}sent 1152
lijf make men blisful. syn ? at whanne ? ilke self[e]
lijf is endid. it ne make? folk no wrecches.
[Linenotes:
1134 _it_--hyt
_sei? _--MS. sei? e, C. seyth
1135 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
_leese_ (2)--leese it
_whiche_--which
1136 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1137 _ellys_--omitted
_wene_--weneth
1138 _hit_--omitted
1139 _goode_--good
_born_--MS. borne, C. born
_hert[e]_--herte
1140 _seyne_--seyn
_don_--MS. done, C. do
_force_--fors
1142 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
1143 _many[e]_--manye
1144 _mowen_--mowe
_dien_--deyen
1145 _clere_--cleer
_certeyne_--certeyn
1147 _al_--alle
1150 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_fruit_--frut
1152 _my? t[e]_--myhte
1153 _make_--maken
_self[e]_--selue]
[Headnote:
RICHES HAVE NO INTRINSIC VALUE. ]
QUISQUIS UOLET[2] P{ER}HENNEM CAUTUS.
[Footnote 2: MS. ualet. ]
[Sidenote: [The ferthe met{ur}. ]]
[Sidenote: He who would have a stable and lasting seat must not
build upon lofty hills; nor upon the sands, if he would escape the
violence of winds and waves. ]
++What maner man stable {and} war ? at wil founden hym
a p{er}durable sete {and} ne wil not be cast doune 1156
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 1160
of ? e mou{n}tayngne wi? alle his streng? es. ? and ? e
lowe see sandes refuse to beren ? e heuy wey? te. [[pg 45]]
[Sidenote: If thou wilt flee perilous fortune, lay thy foundation
upon the firmer stone, so that thou mayst grow old in thy
stronghold. ]
{and} for? i yif ? ou wolt flee ? e p{er}ilous auenture ? at is to
seine of ? e worlde ? Haue mynde certeynly to ficchyn 1164
? 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 1168
? e wodenesses and ? e Ires of ? e eir.
[Linenotes:
1155, 1156, 1157 _wil_--wole
1156 _be cast_--MS. be caste, C. ben cast
1157 _wynde_--wynd
1158 _eschewe_--eschewen
1160 _fel[le]_--felle
1161 _his_--hise
1162 _lowe_--lavse
_see_--omitted
_refuse_--refusen
_wey? te_--wyhte
1163 _flee_--fleen
1164 _seine_--seyn
1165 _? i_--thin
_lowe stoone_--lowh stoon
1167 _welful_--weleful
1169 _wodenesses_--woodnesses]
[Headnote:
GLORY NOT IN RICHES; THEY ADD NOTHING TO VIRTUE. ]
SET CUM RACIONU{M} IAM IN TE.
[Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se. ]]
[Sidenote: It is now time to use stronger medicines, since lighter
remedies have taken effect. ]
++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.
[Sidenote: What is there in the gifts of Fortune that is not vile
and despicable? ]
? Now vndirstonde 1172
here al were it so ? at ? e ? iftis of fortune nar[e] nat
brutel ne t{ra}nsitorie.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 12. ]]
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.
[Sidenote: Are riches precious in themselves, or in men's
estimation? ]
? Richesse ben ? ei 1176
p{re}ciouse by ? e nature of hem self. or ellys by ? e
nature of ? e.
[Sidenote: What is most precious in them, quantity or quality? ]
What is most wor? i of rycchesse. is it
nat golde or my? t of moneye assembled.
[Sidenote: Bounty is more glorious than niggardliness. ]
? Certis
? ilke golde {and} ? ilke moneye shine? {and} ? eue? better 1180
renou{n} to hem ? at dispenden it. ? en to ? ilke folke ? at
mokeren it.
[Sidenote: Avarice is always hateful, while liberality is
praise-worthy. ]
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 1184
man to an o? er ne may nat dwellen wi? no man.
[Sidenote: Money cannot be more precious than when it is dispensed
liberally to others. ]
Certis ? an is ? ilke moneye p{re}cious. whan it is translated
in to o? er folk. {and} stynte? to ben had by
vsage of large ? euy{n}g of hym ? at ha? ? euen it. 1188
[Sidenote: If one man's coffers contained all the money in the
world, every one else would be in want of it. ]
{and} also yif al ? e moneye ? at is ouer-al in ? e world were
gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al o? er men [[pg 46]]
to ben nedy as of ? at. ? And certys a voys al hool
? at is to seyn wi? -oute amenusynge fulfille? to gyder 1192
? e heryng of myche folke.
[Sidenote: Riches cannot be dispensed without diminution. ]
but Certys ? oure rycchesse
ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wi? -oute amenussyng
? And whan ? ei ben apassed. nedys ? ei maken
hem pore ? at forgon ? e rycchesses.
[Sidenote: O the poverty of riches, that cannot be enjoyed by many
at the same time, nor can be possessed by one without
impoverishing others! ]
? O streite {and} 1196
nedy clepe I ? ise rycchesses. syn ? at many folke [ne]
may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man
wi? -oute pouerte of al o? er folke. ? And ? e shynynge
of ge{m}mes ? at I clepe p{re}ciouse stones. drawe? it nat 1200
? e eyen of folk in to hem warde. ? at is to seyne for ? e
beaute.
[Sidenote: The beauty of precious stones consists only in their
brightness, wherefore I marvel that men admire that which is
motionless, lifeless, and irrational. ]
? For certys yif ? er were beaute or bounte
in shynyng of stones. ? ilke clerenesse is of ? e stones
hem self. {and} nat of men. ? For whiche I wondre 1204
gretly ? at men merueilen on swiche ? inges. ? For
whi what ? ing is it ? at yif it wa{n}te? moeuyng {and}
ioynture of soule {and} body ? at by ry? t my? t[e] semen
a faire creature to hym ? at ha? a soule of resou{n}. 1208
[Sidenote: Precious stones are indeed the workmanship of the
Creator, but their beauty is infinitely below the excellency of
man's nature. ]
? For al be it so ? at ge{m}mes drawen to hem self a
litel of ? e laste beaute of ? e worlde. ? oru? ? e entent
of hir creato{ur} {and} ? oru? ? e distincc{i}ou{n} of hem self.
? it for as myche as ? ei ben put vndir ? oure excellence. 1212
? ei han not desserued by no weye ? at ? e shullen
merueylen on hem.
[Sidenote: Doth the beauty of the field delight thee? ]
? And ? e beaute of feeldes delite?
it nat mychel vnto ? ow.
[Sidenote: _B. _ Why should it not? for it is a beautiful part of a
beautiful whole. ]
_Boyce. _ ? Whi sholde it nat
deliten vs. syn ? at it is a ry? t fayr porciou{n} of ? e ry? t 1216
fair werk. ? at is to seyn of ? is worlde.
[Sidenote: Hence, we admire the face of the sea, the heavens, as
well as the sun, moon, and stars. ]
? And ry? t
so ben we gladed somtyme of ? e face of ? e see whan
it is clere. And also merueylen we on ? e heuene {and}
on ? e sterres. {and} on ? e sonne. {and} on ? e mone. [[pg 47]]
[Sidenote: _P. _ Do these things concern thee? darest thou glory in
them? ]
_Philosophie. _ ? App{er}teine? q{uo}d she any of ? ilke 1221
? inges to ? e. whi darst ? ou glorifie ? e in ? e shynynge
of any swiche ? inges.
[Sidenote: Do the flowers adorn you with their variety? ]
Art ? ou distingwed {and} embelised
by ? e spryngyng floures of ? e first somer 1224
sesou{n}. or swelli? ? i plente in fruytes of somer. whi
art ? ou rauyshed wi? ydel ioies.
[Sidenote: Why embracest thou things wherein thou hast no
property? ]
why enbracest ? ou
straunge goodes as ? ei weren ? ine.
[Sidenote: Fortune can never make that thine which the nature of
things forbids to be so. ]
Fortune shal neuer
maken ? at swiche ? inges ben ? ine ? at nature of ? inges 1228
maked foreyne fro ? e.
[Sidenote: The fruits of the earth are designed for the support of
beasts. ]
? Syche is ? at wi? -oute{n}
doute ? e fruytes of ? e er? e owen to ben on ? e
norssinge of bestes.
[Sidenote: If you seek only the necessities of nature, the
affluence of Fortune will be useless. ]
? And if ? ou wilt fulfille ? i
nede after ? at it suffise? to nature ? an is it no nede 1232
? at ? ou seke after ? e sup{er}fluite of fortune.
[Sidenote: Nature is content with a little, and superfluity will
be both disagreeable and hurtful.
