C. = MS. Ii. 3. 21, Cambridge; A. = MS. Addit. 10340 (Brit. Mus.). The text follows C. mainly. Ed. = Printed edition (1532), quoted occasionally.
1, 2. Imperfect in C.
Allas ! I, weping, am constreined to biginnen vers of sorowful [ ] matere, that whylom in florisching studie made delitable ditees. For lo! rendinge Muses of poetes endyten to me thinges to be [ ] writen; and drery vers of wrecchednesse weten my face with verray teres. At the leeste, no drede ne mighte overcomen tho Skeat1900: 5 Muses, that they ne weren felawes, and folweden my wey, that is [ ] to seyn, whan I was exyled; they that weren glorie of my youthe, whylom weleful and grene, comforten now the sorowful werdes of [ ] me, olde man. For elde is comen unwarly upon me, hasted by the harmes that I have, and sorow hath comaunded his age to be Skeat1900: 10 in me. Heres hore ben shad overtymeliche upon myn heved, and the slake skin trembleth upon myn empted body. Thilke [ ] deeth of men is weleful that ne cometh not in yeres that ben [ ] swete, but cometh to wrecches, often y-cleped. [ ]
Allas! allas! with how deef an ere deeth, cruel, torneth awey Skeat1900: 15 fro wrecches, and naiteth to closen wepinge eyen! Whyl Fortune, [ ] unfeithful, favorede me with lighte goodes, the sorowful houre, [ ] that is to seyn, the deeth, hadde almost dreynt myn heved. But [ ] now, for Fortune cloudy hath chaunged hir deceyvable chere to Skeat1900: 20 me-ward, myn unpitous lyf draweth a-long unagreable dwellinges in me. O ye, my frendes, what or wherto avauntede ye me to ben weleful? for he that hath fallen stood nat in stedefast [ ] degree.
Pr. I.
Whyle that I stille recordede thise thinges with my-self, and markede my weeply compleynte with office of pointel, I saw , [ ] stondinge aboven the heighte of myn heved, a woman of ful greet reverence by semblaunt, hir eyen brenninge and cleer-seinge over Skeat1900: 5 the comune might of men; with a lyfly colour, and with swich vigour and strengthe that it ne mighte nat ben empted ; al were it [ ] so that she was ful of so greet age, that men ne wolde nat trowen, in no manere, that she were of oure elde. The stature of hir was of a doutous Iugement; for som-tyme she constreinede and shronk [ ] Skeat1900: 10 hir-selven lyk to the comune mesure of men, and sum-tyme it semede that she touchede the hevene with the heighte of hir heved; and whan she heef hir heved hyer, she percede the [ ] selve hevene, so that the sighte of men looking was in ydel. Hir [ ] clothes weren maked of right delye thredes and subtil crafte, of [ ] Skeat1900: 15 perdurable matere; the whiche clothes she hadde woven with hir owene hondes, as I knew wel after by hir-self, declaringe and shewinge to me the beautee; the whiche clothes a derknesse of a forleten and dispysed elde hadde dusked and derked, as it is wont [ ] to derken bi-smokede images.
Skeat1900: 20 In the nethereste hem or bordure of thise clothes men redden, y-woven in, a Grekissh P, that signifyeth the lyf Actif; and aboven [ ] that lettre, in the heyeste bordure, a Grekissh T , that signifyeth the lyf Contemplatif. And bi-twixen these two lettres ther weren seyn degrees, nobly y-wroght in manere of laddres; by whiche degrees men mighten climben fro the nethereste lettre to the Skeat1900: 25 uppereste . Natheles, handes of some men hadde corven that cloth [ ] by violence and by strengthe; and everiche man of hem hadde born awey swiche peces as he mighte geten. And forsothe, this forseide woman bar smale bokes in hir right hand, and in hir left hand she bar a ceptre. Skeat1900: 30
And whan she say thise poetical Muses aprochen aboute my bed, and endytinge wordes to my wepinges, she was a litel amoved , and glowede with cruel eyen. ‘Who,’ quod she, ‘hath [ ] suffred aprochen to this syke man thise comune strompetes of [ ] swich a place that men clepen the theatre? The whiche nat Skeat1900: 35 only ne asswagen nat hise sorwes with none remedies, but they wolden feden and norisshen hem with swete venim. Forsothe, thise ben tho that with thornes and prikkinges of talents or affecciouns, whiche that ne ben no-thing fructefyinge nor [ ] profitable, destroyen the corn plentevous of fruites of resoun; Skeat1900: 40 for they holden the hertes of men in usage, but they ne delivere [ ] nat folk fro maladye . But if ye Muses hadden withdrawen fro me, with your flateryes, any uncunninge and unprofitable man, as men ben wont to finde comunly amonges the people , I wolde wene suffre the lasse grevously ; for-why, in swiche an unprofitable [ ] Skeat1900: 45 man, myn ententes ne weren no-thing endamaged. But ye withdrawen me this man, that hath be norisshed in the studies or [ ] scoles of Eleaticis and of Achademicis in Grece. But goth now rather awey, ye mermaidenes, whiche that ben swete til it be at [ ] the laste, and suffreth this man to be cured and heled by myne Skeat1900: 50 Muses,’ that is to seyn, by noteful sciences.
And thus this companye of Muses y-blamed casten wrothly the chere dounward to the erthe; and, shewinge by reednesse hir shame, they passeden sorowfully the threshfold .
Skeat1900: 55 And I, of whom the sighte, plounged in teres, was derked so [ ] that I ne mighte not knowen what that womman was, of so imperial auctoritee, I wex al abaisshed and astoned, and caste my sighte doun to the erthe, and bigan stille for to abyde what she wolde don afterward. Tho com she ner , and sette hir doun up-on [ ] Skeat1900: 60 the uttereste corner of my bed; and she, biholdinge my chere, that was cast to the erthe, hevy and grevous of wepinge, compleinede , with thise wordes that I shal seyen, the perturbacioun of my thought .
Me. II.
‘Allas! how the thought of man, dreint in over-throwinge deepnesse, dulleth, and forleteth his propre cleernesse, mintinge [ ] to goon in-to foreine derknesses , as ofte as his anoyous bisinesse wexeth with-oute mesure, that is driven to and fro with worldly Skeat1900: 5 windes! This man, that whylom was free, to whom the hevene was open and knowen, and was wont to goon in heveneliche pathes, and saugh the lightnesse of the rede sonne, and saugh the sterres of the colde mone, and whiche sterre in hevene useth [ ] wandering recourses, y-flit by dyverse speres—this man, overcomer, [ ] Skeat1900: 10 hadde comprehended al this by noumbre of acountinge in astronomye. And over this, he was wont to seken the causes whennes the souning windes moeven and bisien the smothe water of the see; and what spirit torneth the stable hevene; and why the sterre aryseth out of the rede eest , to fallen in the westrene Skeat1900: 15 wawes; and what atempreth the lusty houres of the firste somer sesoun, that highteth and apparaileth the erthe with rosene flowres; [ ] and who maketh that plentevouse autompne , in fulle yeres, fleteth [ ] with hevy grapes. And eek this man was wont to telle the dyverse causes of nature that weren y-hidde . Allas! now lyeth he empted of light of his thought; and his nekke is pressed with [ ] Skeat1900: 20 hevy cheynes; and bereth his chere enclyned adoun for the grete weighte, and is constreined to looken on the fool erthe! [ ]
Pr. II.
Me. III.
But tyme is now,’ quod she, ‘of medicine more than of compleinte.’ Forsothe than she, entendinge to me-ward with alle the lookinge of hir eyen, seide:—‘Art nat thou he,’ quod she, ‘that whylom y-norisshed with my milk, and fostered with myne metes, were escaped and comen to corage of a parfit man? Skeat1900: 5 Certes, I yaf thee swiche armures that, yif thou thy-self ne [ ] haddest first cast hem a-wey, they shulden han defended thee in sikernesse that may nat ben over-comen. Knowest thou me [ ] nat? Why art thou stille? Is it for shame or for astoninge ? It were me lever that it were for shame; but it semeth me that Skeat1900: 10 astoninge hath oppressed thee.’ And whan she say me nat only stille, but with-outen office of tunge and al doumb, she leide hir hand softely upon my brest, and seide: ‘Here nis no peril,’ quod she; ‘he is fallen into a litargie , whiche that is a comune sykenes [ ] to hertes that ben deceived . He hath a litel foryeten him-self, Skeat1900: 15 but certes he shal lightly remembren him-self, yif so be that he hath knowen me or now; and that he may so don, I wil wypen a litel his eyen, that ben derked by the cloude of mortal thinges.’ Thise wordes seide she, and with the lappe of hir garment, y-plyted [ ] in a frounce, she dryede myn eyen, that weren fulle of the wawes Skeat1900: 20 of my wepinges.
Thus, whan that night was discussed and chased a-wey, [ ] derknesses forleften me, and to myn eyen repeirede ayein hir firste strengthe. And, right by ensaumple as the sonne is hid whan the sterres ben clustred ( that is to seyn, whan sterres ben [ ] Skeat1900: 5 covered with cloudes ) by a swifte winde that highte Chorus, and [ ] that the firmament stant derked by wete ploungy cloudes, and [ ] that the sterres nat apperen up-on hevene, so that the night semeth sprad up-on erthe: yif thanne the wind that highte Borias, [ ] y-sent out of the caves of the contree of Trace, beteth this night [ ] Skeat1900: 10 ( that is to seyn, chaseth it a-wey ), and descovereth the closed day: than shyneth Phebus y-shaken with sodein light, and smyteth [ ] with his bemes in mervelinge eyen.
Pr. III.
Right so, and non other wyse, the cloudes of sorwe dissolved and don a-wey, I took hevene, and receivede minde to knowen the [ ] face of my fysicien ; so that I sette myn eyen on hir, and fastnede my lookinge. I beholde my norice Philosophie, in whos houses [ ] Skeat1900: 5 I hadde conversed and haunted fro my youthe; and I seide thus. ‘O thou maistresse of alle vertues , descended from the soverein sete, why artow comen in-to this solitarie place of myn exil? Artow comen for thou art maked coupable with me of false blames?’
4. Lat. respicio.
Skeat1900: 10 ‘O,’ quod she, ‘my norry, sholde I forsaken thee now, and [ ] sholde I nat parten with thee, by comune travaile, the charge [ ] that thou hast suffred for envie of my name? Certes, it nere not leveful ne sittinge thing to Philosophie, to leten with-outen companye the wey of him that is innocent. Sholde I thanne Skeat1900: 15 redoute my blame, and agrysen as though ther were bifallen a [ ] newe thing? quasi diceret, non. For trowestow that Philosophie [ ] be now alderfirst assailed in perils by folk of wikkede maneres? Have I nat striven with ful greet stryf, in olde tyme, bifore the age of my Plato, ayeines the foolhardinesse of folye? And eek, [ ] Skeat1900: 20 the same Plato livinge, his maister Socrates deservede victorie of unrightful deeth in my presence. The heritage of which Socrates [ ] — the heritage is to seyn the doctrine of the whiche Socrates in his opinioun of Felicitee, that I clepe welefulnesse —whan that the poeple of Epicuriens and Stoiciens and many othre enforceden hem to go ravisshe everich man for his part— that is to seyn, Skeat1900: 25 that everich of hem wolde drawen to the defence of his opinioun the wordes of Socrates —they, as in partie of hir preye, to-drowen me, cryinge and debatinge ther-ayeins, and corven and to-renten my clothes that I hadde woven with myn handes; and with tho cloutes that they hadden araced out of my clothes they wenten Skeat1900: 30 awey, weninge that I hadde gon with hem everydel.
In whiche Epicuriens and Stoiciens, for as moche as ther semede some traces or steppes of myn habite, the folye of men, weninge tho Epicuriens and Stoiciens my famuleres , perverted ( sc. persequendo ) some through the errour of the wikkede or uncunninge Skeat1900: 35 multitude of hem. This is to seyn that , for they semede philosophres, they weren pursued to the deeth and slayn. So yif thou hast nat knowen the exilinge of Anaxogore, ne the enpoysoninge of [ ] Socrates, ne the tourments of Zeno, for they weren straungeres: [ ] yit mightestow han knowen the Senecciens and the Canios and [ ] Skeat1900: 40 the Sorans, of whiche folk the renoun is neither over-olde ne [ ] unsolempne. The whiche men, no-thing elles ne broughte hem to [ ] the deeth but only for they weren enfourmed of myne maneres, and semeden most unlyke to the studies of wikkede folk. And forthy thou oughtest nat to wondren though that I, in the bittre Skeat1900: 45 see of this lyf, be fordriven with tempestes blowinge aboute, in the whiche tempestes this is my most purpos, that is to seyn, to displesen to wikkede men. Of whiche shrewes, al be the ost never so greet, it is to dispyse; for it nis governed with no leder [ ] of resoun, but it is ravisshed only by fletinge errour folyly and Skeat1900: 50 lightly. And if they som-tyme, makinge an ost ayeins us, assaile us as strenger, our leder draweth to-gidere hise richesses in-to his tour, and they ben ententif aboute sarpulers or sachels unprofitable [ ] for to taken. But we that ben heye aboven, siker fro alle [ ] Skeat1900: 55 tumulte and wode noise, warnestored and enclosed in swich a palis , whider as that chateringe or anoyinge folye ne may nat atayne , we scorne swiche ravineres and henteres of fouleste thinges.
Me. IV.
Who-so it be that is cleer of vertu, sad, and wel ordinat of livinge , that hath put under foot the proude werdes and looketh upright up-on either fortune, he may holde his chere undiscomfited . [ ] The rage ne the manaces of the see, commoevinge or Skeat1900: 5 chasinge upward hete fro the botme, ne shal not moeve that [ ] man; ne the unstable mountaigne that highte Vesevus, that [ ] wrytheth out through his brokene chiminees smokinge fyres. Ne [ ] the wey of thonder-light, that is wont to smyten heye toures, ne [ ] [ ] shal nat moeve that man. Wher-to thanne, o wrecches, drede ye Skeat1900: 10 tirauntes that ben wode and felonous with-oute any strengthe? Hope after no-thing, ne drede nat; and so shaltow desarmen the ire of thilke unmighty tiraunt. But who-so that, quakinge, dredeth or desireth thing that nis nat stable of his right, that [ ] man that so doth hath cast awey his sheld and is remoeved fro Skeat1900: 15 his place, and enlaceth him in the cheyne with the which he may ben drawen.
Pr. IV.
‘ Felestow ,’ quod she, ‘thise thinges, and entren they aught in thy corage? Artow lyke an asse to the harpe? Why wepestow , [ ] why spillestow teres? Yif thou abydest after help of thy leche, [ ] thee bihoveth discovere thy wounde.’
Tho I, that hadde gadered strengthe in my corage, answerede Skeat1900: 5 and seide: ‘And nedeth it yit,’ quod I, ‘of rehersinge or of amonicioun; and sheweth it nat y-nough by him-self the sharpnesse [ ] of Fortune, that wexeth wood ayeins me? Ne moeveth it nat thee to seen the face or the manere of this place ( i. prisoun )? Is this the librarie whiche that thou haddest chosen for a right Skeat1900: 10 certein sete to thee in myn hous, ther-as thou desputedest ofte with me of the sciences of thinges touchinge divinitee and touchinge mankinde? Was thanne myn habite swich as it is now? Was than my face or my chere swiche as now ( quasi diceret, non ), whan I soughte with thee secrets of nature, whan thou enformedest [ ] Skeat1900: 15 my maneres and the resoun of alle my lyf to the ensaumple of the ordre of hevene? Is nat this the guerdoun that I referre to [ ] thee, to whom I have be obeisaunt? Certes, thou confermedest , [ ] by the mouth of Plato, this sentence, that is to seyn, that comune [ ] thinges or comunalitees weren blisful, yif they that hadden studied Skeat1900: 20 al fully to wisdom governeden thilke thinges, or elles yif it so bifille that the governoures of comunalitees studieden to geten wisdom .
Thou seidest eek, by the mouth of the same Plato, that it was [ ] a necessarie cause, wyse men to taken and desire the governaunce [ ] Skeat1900: 25 of comune thinges, for that the governements of citees , y-left in the handes of felonous tormentours citizenes , ne sholde nat [ ] bringe in pestilence and destruccioun to gode folk. And therfor I, folwinge thilke auctoritee ( sc. Platonis ), desired to putten forth in execucioun and in acte of comune administracioun thilke Skeat1900: 30 thinges that I hadde lerned of thee among my secree resting-whyles. Thou, and god that putte thee in the thoughtes of wyse folk, ben knowinge with me, that no-thing ne broughte me to [ ] maistrie or dignitee , but the comune studie of alle goodnesse. [ ] Skeat1900: 35 And ther-of comth it that bi-twixen wikked folk and me han ben grevous discordes , that ne mighten ben relesed by preyeres ; for this libertee hath the freedom of conscience, that the wratthe of [ ] more mighty folk hath alwey ben despysed of me for savacioun of right.
Skeat1900: 40 How ofte have I resisted and withstonde thilke man that highte Conigaste, that made alwey assautes ayeins the prospre fortunes of [ ] pore feble folk ? How ofte eek have I put of or cast out him, Trigwille, provost of the kinges hous, bothe of the wronges that he [ ] hadde bigunne to don, and eek fully performed? How ofte have Skeat1900: 45 I covered and defended by the auctoritee of me, put ayeins perils [ ] — that is to seyn, put myn auctoritee in peril for —the wrecched pore folk, that the covetyse of straungeres unpunished tourmenteden alwey with miseyses and grevaunces out of noumbre? Never man ne drow me yit fro right to wronge. Whan I say the fortunes and Skeat1900: 50 the richesses of the poeple of the provinces ben harmed or amenused, outher by privee ravynes or by comune tributes or cariages, as sory was I as they that suffreden the harm. [ ]
Glossa. Whan that Theodoric, the king of Gothes, in a dere yere , hadde hise gerneres ful of corn, and comaundede that no man Skeat1900: 55 ne sholde byen no corn til his corn were sold , and that at a grevous dere prys, Boece withstood that ordinaunce, and over-com it, knowinge al this the king him-self.
Textus. Whan it was in the soure hungry tyme, ther was establisshed or cryed grevous and inplitable coempcioun, that men [ ] Skeat1900: 60 sayen wel it sholde greetly turmenten and endamagen al the province of Campaigne , I took stryf ayeins the provost of the pretorie [ ] for comune profit. And, the king knowinge of it, I overcom it, so that the coempcioun ne was not axed ne took effect.
64. The gloss (Coempcioun . . . part) is misplaced in both MSS., so as to precede Whan it was (58).
[Glossa.] Coempcioun, that is to seyn, comune achat or bying [ ] to-gidere, that were establisshed up-on the people by swiche a manere Skeat1900: 65 imposicioun , as who-so boughte a busshel corn, he moste yeve the king the fifte part .
[Textus.] Paulin, a counseiller of Rome, the richesses of the [ ] whiche Paulin the houndes of the palays , that is to seyn, the officeres, [ ] wolden han devoured by hope and covetise, yit drow I him out of Skeat1900: 70 the Iowes ( sc. faucibus ) of hem that gapeden. And for as moche as the peyne of the accusacioun aiuged biforn ne sholde nat sodeinly henten ne punisshen wrongfully Albin, a counseiller of [ ] Rome, I putte me ayeins the hates and indignaciouns of the accusor Ciprian. Is it nat thanne y-nough y-seyn , that I have [ ] Skeat1900: 75 purchased grete discordes ayeins my-self? But I oughte be the more assured ayeins alle othre folk ( s. Romayns ), that for the love of rightwisnesse I ne reserved never no-thing to my-self to hemward [ ] of the kinges halle, sc. officers, by the whiche I were the more siker. But thorugh tho same accusors accusinge, I am condempned. Skeat1900: 80 Of the noumbir of the whiche accusors oon Basilius, [ ] that whylom was chased out of the kinges service, is now compelled [ ] in accusinge of my name, for nede of foreine moneye. Also Opilion and Gaudencius han accused me, al be it so that the [ ] Iustice regal hadde whylom demed hem bothe to go in-to exil for Skeat1900: 85 hir trecheryes and fraudes withoute noumbir. To whiche Iugement they nolden nat obeye, but defendeden hem by the sikernesse of holy houses, that is to seyn, fledden into seintuaries ; and whan this was aperceived to the king, he comaundede, that but [ ] they voidede the citee of Ravenne by certein day assigned , that Skeat1900: 90 men sholde merken hem on the forheved with an hoot yren and chasen hem out of the toune. Now what thing, semeth thee, mighte ben lykned to this crueltee ? For certes, thilke same day [ ] was received the accusinge of my name by thilke same accusors. Skeat1900: 95 What may ben seid her-to? ( quasi diceret, nichil ). Hath my [ ] studie and my cunninge deserved thus; or elles the forseide dampnacioun of me, made that hem rightful accusors or no? ( quasi diceret, non ). Was not Fortune ashamed of this? Certes, al hadde nat Fortune ben ashamed that innocence was accused, yit Skeat1900: 100 oughte she han had shame of the filthe of myne accusours.
But, axestow in somme, of what gilt I am accused, men seyn [ ] that I wolde save the companye of the senatours. And desirest thou to heren in what manere? I am accused that I sholde han destourbed the accusor to beren lettres, by whiche he sholde han Skeat1900: 105 maked the senatoures gilty ayeins the kinges real maiestee. O maistresse , what demestow of this? Shal I forsake this blame, [ ] that I ne be no shame to thee? ( quasi diceret, non ). Certes, I have wold it, that is to seyn, the savacioun of the senat, ne I shal never leten to wilne it, and that I confesse and am aknowe; but the [ ] Skeat1900: 110 entente of the accusor to be destourbed shal cese. For shal I clepe it thanne a felonie or a sinne that I have desired the savacioun of the ordre of the senat? ( quasi diceret, dubito quid ). And certes yit hadde thilke same senat don by me, thorugh hir [ ] decrets and hir Iugements, as though it were a sinne or a felonie; Skeat1900: 115 that is to seyn, to wilne the savacioun of hem ( sc. senatus ). But folye, that lyeth alwey to him-self, may not chaunge the merite of thinges. Ne I trowe nat, by the Iugement of Socrates, that [ ] it were leveful to me to hyde the sothe, ne assente to lesinges. But certes, how so ever it be of this, I putte it to gessen or Skeat1900: 120 preisen to the Iugement of thee and of wyse folk. Of whiche [ ] thing al the ordinaunce and the sothe, for as moche as folk that ben to comen after our dayes shullen knowen it, I have put it in scripture and in remembraunce. For touching the lettres falsly maked, by whiche lettres I am accused to han hoped the fredom Skeat1900: 125 of Rome, what aperteneth me to speke ther-of? Of whiche lettres the fraude hadde ben shewed apertly, yif I hadde had libertee for to han used and ben at the confessioun of myne accusours, the whiche thing in alle nedes hath greet strengthe. For what other fredom may men hopen ? Certes, I wolde that som other fredom mighte ben hoped. I wolde thanne han Skeat1900: 130 answered by the wordes of a man that highte Canius; for whan [ ] he was accused by Gaius Cesar, Germeynes sone, that he [ ] ( Canius ) was knowinge and consentinge of a coniuracioun y-maked ayeins him ( sc. Gaius ), this Canius answerede thus: “Yif I hadde wist it, thou haddest nat wist it.” In which thing Skeat1900: 135 sorwe hath nat so dulled my wit, that I pleyne only that shrewede folk aparailen felonies ayeins vertu ; but I wondre greetly how that they may performe thinges that they hadde hoped for to don. For-why, to wilne shrewednesse, that comth peraventure of oure defaute; but it is lyk a monstre and a mervaille, how Skeat1900: 140 that, in the present sighte of god, may ben acheved and performed swiche thinges as every felonous man hath conceived in his thought ayeins innocents. For which thing oon of thy famileres [ ] nat unskilfully axed thus: “Yif god is, whennes comen wikkede thinges? And yif god ne is, whennes comen gode thinges?” Skeat1900: 145 But al hadde it ben leveful that felonous folk, that now desiren the blood and the deeth of alle gode men and eek of alle the senat, han wilned to gon destroyen me, whom they han seyen alwey batailen and defenden gode men and eek al the senat, yit had I nat desserved of the faderes, that is to seyn, of the Skeat1900: 150 senatoures, that they sholden wilne my destruccioun.
Thou remembrest wel, as I gesse, that whan I wolde doon or seyen any thing, thou thyself, alwey present, rewledest me. At the city of Verone, whan that the king, gredy of comune slaughter, [ ] caste him to transporten up al the ordre of the senat the gilt of Skeat1900: 155 his real maiestee, of the whiche gilt that Albin was accused, with [ ] how gret sikernesse of peril to me defendede I al the senat! Thou wost wel that I seye sooth, ne I ne avauntede me never in preysinge of my-self. For alwey, whan any wight receiveth precious renoun in avauntinge him-self of his werkes, he amenuseth Skeat1900: 160 the secree of his conscience. But now thou mayst wel seen to what ende I am comen for myne innocence; I receive peyne of fals felonye for guerdon of verray vertu. And what open confessioun of felonye hadde ever Iuges so acordaunt in crueltee , Skeat1900: 165 that is to seyn, as myn accusinge hath, that either errour of mannes wit or elles condicioun of Fortune, that is uncertein to alle mortal folk, ne submittede some of hem, that is to seyn, that it ne enclynede [ ] som Iuge to han pitee or compassioun? For al-thogh I hadde ben accused that I wolde brenne holy houses, and strangle preestes Skeat1900: 170 with wikkede swerde, or that I hadde greythed deeth to al gode men, algates the sentence sholde han punisshed me, present, [ ] confessed, or convict . But now I am remewed fro the citee of Rome almost fyve hundred thousand pas , I am with-oute defence [ ] dampned to proscripcioun and to the deeth, for the studie and Skeat1900: 175 bountees that I have doon to the senat. But O, wel ben they worthy of merite ( as who seith, nay ), ther mighte never yit non [ ] of hem be convict of swiche a blame as myne is! Of whiche trespas, myne accusours sayen ful wel the dignitee; the whiche dignitee, for they wolden derken it with medeling of som felonye, Skeat1900: 180 they baren me on hand, and lyeden, that I hadde polut and defouled my conscience with sacrilege , for coveitise of dignitee. [ ] And certes, thou thy-self, that are plaunted in me, chacedest out of the sege of my corage al coveitise of mortal thinges; ne sacrilege hadde no leve to han a place in me biforn thyne eyen. Skeat1900: 185 For thou droppedest every day in myne eres and in my thought thilke comaundement of Pictagoras, that is to seyn, men shal [ ] serve to godde, and not to goddes. Ne it was nat convenient , ne no nede, to taken help of the foulest spirites ; I, that thou [ ] hast ordeined and set in swiche excellence that thou makedest Skeat1900: 190 me lyk to god. And over this, the right clene secree chaumbre [ ] of myne hous, that is to seyn, my wyf, and the companye of myn honest freendes, and my wyves fader, as wel holy as worthy to ben reverenced thorugh his owne dedes, defenden me from [ ] alle suspecioun of swich blame. But O malice! For they that accusen me taken of thee, Philosophie , feith of so gret blame! [ ] Skeat1900: 195 For they trowen that I have had affinitee to malefice or enchauntement , by-cause that I am replenisshed and fulfilled with thy techinges , and enformed of thy maneres. And thus it suffiseth [ ] not only, that thy reverence ne availe me not, but-yif that thou, of thy free wille, rather be blemished with myn offencioun. But Skeat1900: 200 certes, to the harmes that I have, ther bitydeth yit this encrees of harm, that the gessinge and the Iugement of moche folk ne looken no-thing to the desertes of thinges, but only to the aventure of fortune; and iugen that only swiche thinges ben purveyed of god, whiche that temporel welefulnesse commendeth. Skeat1900: 205
Glose . As thus: that, yif a wight have prosperitee, he is a good man and worthy to han that prosperitee; and who-so hath adversitee, he is a wikked man, and god hath forsake him, and he is worthy to han that adversitee. This is the opinioun of some Skeat1900: 210 folk.
And ther-of comth that good gessinge, first of alle thing, forsaketh [ ] wrecches: certes, it greveth me to thinke right now the dyverse sentences that the poeple seith of me. And thus moche I seye, that the laste charge of contrarious fortune is this: that, [ ] Skeat1900: 215 whan that any blame is leyd upon a caitif, men wenen that he hath deserved that he suffreth. And I, that am put awey fro gode men, and despoiled of dignitees, and defouled of my name by gessinge, have suffred torment for my gode dedes. Certes, [ ] me semeth that I see the felonous covines of wikked men Skeat1900: 220 habounden in Ioye and in gladnesse. And I see that every lorel shapeth him to finde out newe fraudes for to accuse gode folk. And I see that gode men beth overthrowen for drede [ ] of my peril; and every luxurious tourmentour dar doon alle felonye unpunisshed and ben excited therto by yiftes; and Skeat1900: 225 innocents ne ben not only despoiled of sikernesse but of defence; and therfore me list to cryen to god in this wyse :—
Me. V.
O thou maker of the whele that bereth the sterres, which that [ ] art y-fastned to thy perdurable chayer, and tornest the hevene with a ravisshing sweigh , and constreinest the sterres to suffren [ ] thy lawe; so that the mone som-tyme shyning with hir ful hornes, [ ] Skeat1900: 5 meting with alle the bemes of the sonne hir brother, hydeth the sterres that ben lesse ; and somtyme, whan the mone, pale with hir derke hornes, approcheth the sonne, leseth hir lightes; and [ ] that the eve-sterre Hesperus, whiche that in the firste tyme of the night bringeth forth hir colde arysinges, cometh eft ayein [ ] Skeat1900: 10 hir used cours, and is pale by the morwe at the rysing of the sonne, and is thanne cleped Lucifer. Thou restreinest the day by [ ] shorter dwelling, in the tyme of colde winter that maketh the leves to falle . Thou dividest the swifte tydes of the night, [ ] whan the hote somer is comen. Thy might atempreth the Skeat1900: 15 variaunts sesons of the yere; so that Zephirus the deboneir wind bringeth ayein, in the first somer sesoun, the leves that the wind that highte Boreas hath reft awey in autumpne, that is to seyn, in the laste ende of somer; and the sedes that the sterre that highte Arcturus saw , ben waxen heye cornes whan the [ ] Skeat1900: 20 sterre Sirius eschaufeth hem. Ther nis no-thing unbounde from [ ] his olde lawe, ne forleteth the werke of his propre estat. [ ]
O thou governour, governinge alle thinges by certein ende, why refusestow only to governe the werkes of men by dewe manere? Why suffrest thou that slydinge fortune torneth so grete entre-chaunginges Skeat1900: 25 of thinges, so that anoyous peyne, that sholde dewely punisshe felouns, punissheth innocents? And folk of wikkede maneres sitten in heye chayres , and anoyinge folk treden, and that unrightfully, on the nekkes of holy men? And vertu clershyninge [ ] naturelly is hid in derke derkenesses, and the rightful [ ] man bereth the blame and the peyne of the feloun. Ne forsweringe Skeat1900: 30 ne the fraude, covered and kembd with a fals colour, [ ] ne anoyeth nat to shrewes; the whiche shrewes, whan hem list to usen hir strengthe, they reioysen hem to putten under hem the sovereyne kinges, whiche that poeple with-outen noumbre dreden. Skeat1900: 35
O thou, what so ever thou be that knittest alle bondes of thinges, loke on thise wrecchede erthes; we men that ben nat [ ] a foule party, but a fayr party of so grete a werk , we ben tormented in this see of fortune. Thou governour, withdraw and restreyne the ravisshinge flodes, and fastne and ferme thise Skeat1900: 40 erthes stable with thilke bonde, with whiche thou governest the [ ] hevene that is so large.’
Pr. V.
Whan I hadde, with a continuel sorwe, sobbed or borken out [ ] thise thinges, she with hir chere pesible , and no-thing amoeved with my compleintes, seide thus: ‘Whan I say thee,’ quod she, ‘ sorweful and wepinge, I wiste anon that thou were a wrecche and exiled; but I wiste never how fer thyne exile was, yif thy Skeat1900: 5 tale ne hadde shewed it to me . But certes, al be thou fer fro thy contree, thou nart nat put out of it; but thou hast failed of thy weye and gon amis. And yif thou hast lever for to wene that thou be put out of thy contree, than hast thou put out thy-self rather than any other wight hath. For no wight but thy-self ne Skeat1900: 10 mighte never han don that to thee. For yif thou remembre of what contree thou art born, it nis nat governed by emperours, ne by governement of multitude, as weren the contrees of hem of Athenes; but oo lord and oo king, and that is god, that is lord of [ ] Skeat1900: 15 thy contree, whiche that reioyseth him of the dwelling of hise citezenes , and nat for to putte hem in exil; of the whiche lorde it is a soverayne fredom to be governed by the brydel of him and obeye to his Iustice. Hastow foryeten thilke right olde lawe of thy [ ] citee, in the whiche citee it is ordeined and establisshed, that for Skeat1900: 20 what wight that hath lever founden ther-in his sete or his hous than elles-wher , he may nat be exiled by no right from that place? For who-so that is contened in-with the palis and the clos of thilke citee, [ ] ther nis no drede that he may deserve to ben exiled. But who-so that leteth the wil for to enhabite there, he forleteth also to deserve Skeat1900: 25 to ben citezein of thilke citee. So that I sey, that the face of this [ ] place ne moveth me nat so mochel as thyne owne face. Ne I axe nat rather the walles of thy librarie, aparayled and wrought with yvory and with glas, than after the sete of thy thought. In whiche I putte nat whylom bokes, but I putte that that maketh Skeat1900: 30 bokes worthy of prys or precious , that is to seyn, the sentence of my bokes. And certeinly of thy desertes, bistowed in comune [ ] good, thou hast seid sooth, but after the multitude of thy gode dedes, thou hast seid fewe; and of the honestee or of the falsnesse of thinges that ben aposed ayeins thee, thou hast remembred [ ] Skeat1900: 35 thinges that ben knowen to alle folk. And of the felonyes and fraudes of thyne accusours , it semeth thee have y-touched it forsothe rightfully and shortly, al mighten tho same thinges betere and more plentivousely ben couth in the mouthe of the poeple that knoweth al this.
Skeat1900: 40 Thou hast eek blamed gretly and compleined of the wrongful dede of the senat. And thou hast sorwed for my blame, and thou hast wopen for the damage of thy renoun that is apayred; and thy laste sorwe eschaufede ayeins fortune, and compleinest that guerdouns ne ben nat evenliche yolden to the desertes of folk. And in the latere ende of thy wode Muse, thou preyedest that thilke [ ] Skeat1900: 45 pees that governeth the hevene sholde governe the erthe. But for that manye tribulaciouns of affecciouns han assailed thee, and sorwe and ire and wepinge to-drawen thee dyversely; as thou art now feble of thought, mightier remedies ne shullen nat yit touchen thee, for whiche we wol usen somdel lighter medicines: so that Skeat1900: 50 thilke passiouns that ben woxen harde in swellinge, by [ ] perturbaciouns flowing in-to thy thought, mowen wexen esy and softe, to receiven the strengthe of a more mighty and more egre medicine, by an esier touchinge. [ ]
Me. VI.
Whan that the hevy sterre of the Cancre eschaufeth by the [ ] bemes of Phebus, that is to seyn, whan that Phebus the sonne is [ ] in the signe of the Cancre , who-so yeveth thanne largely hise sedes to the feldes that refusen to receiven hem , lat him gon, bigyled of [ ] trust that he hadde to his corn, to acorns of okes . Yif thou wolt Skeat1900: 5 gadre violettes, ne go thou not to the purpur wode whan the feld , [ ] chirkinge, agryseth of colde by the felnesse of the winde that highte Aquilon. Yif thou desirest or wolt usen grapes, ne seke thou nat, with a glotonous hond, to streyne and presse the stalkes of the vine in the ferst somer sesoun; for Bachus, the god of wyne, hath Skeat1900: 10 rather yeven hise yiftes to autumpne, the later ende of somer.
God tokneth and assigneth the tymes, ablinge hem to hir propres offices; ne he ne suffreth nat the stoundes whiche that him-self hath devyded and constreyned to ben y-medled to-gidere. And forthy he that forleteth certein ordinaunce of doinge by over-throwinge [ ] Skeat1900: 15 wey, he ne hath no glade issue or ende of his werkes.
Pr. VI.
First woltow suffre me to touche and assaye the estat of thy thought by a fewe demaundes, so that I may understonde what be the manere of thy curacioun?’
‘Axe me,’ quod I, ‘at thy wille, what thou wolt, and I shal Skeat1900: 5 answere.’
Tho seide she thus: ‘ Whether wenestow ,’ quod she, ‘that this world be governed by foolish happes and fortunous, or elles that ther be in it any governement of resoun?’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘ I ne trowe nat in no manere, that so Skeat1900: 10 certein thinges sholde be moeved by fortunous fortune; but I [ ] wot wel that god, maker and mayster, is governour of his werk. Ne never nas yit day that mighte putte me out of the sothnesse of that sentence.’
‘So is it,’ quod she; ‘for the same thing songe thou a litel [ ] Skeat1900: 15 her-biforn, and biweyledest and biweptest, that only men weren put out of the cure of god. For of alle other thinges thou ne doutedest nat that they nere governed by resoun. But owh ! [ ] ( i. pape !) I wondre gretly, certes, why that thou art syk , sin [ ] that thou art put in so holsom a sentence. But lat us seken Skeat1900: 20 depper; I coniecte that ther lakketh I not nere what. But [ ] sey me this: sin that thou ne doutest nat that this world be governed by god, with whiche governailes takestow hede that [ ] it is governed?’
‘Unnethe,’ quod I, ‘knowe I the sentence of thy questioun; Skeat1900: 25 so that I ne may nat yit answeren to thy demaundes .’
‘I nas nat deceived ,’ quod she, ‘that ther ne faileth somwhat, by whiche the maladye of thy perturbacioun is crept into thy thought, so as the strengthe of the palis chyning is open. [ ] But sey me this: remembrest thou what is the ende of thinges , and whider that the entencioun of alle kinde tendeth?’ Skeat1900: 30
‘I have herd it told som-tyme,’ quod I; ‘but drerinesse hath dulled my memorie.’
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘thou wost wel whennes that alle thinges ben comen and procedeth ?’
‘I wot wel,’ quod I, and answerede, that ‘god is beginning Skeat1900: 35 of al.’
‘And how may this be,’ quod she, ‘that, sin thou knowest the beginning of thinges, that thou ne knowest nat what is the ende of thinges? But swiche ben the customes of perturbaciouns, and this power they han, that they may moeve a Skeat1900: 40 man out of his place, that is to seyn, fro the stablenes and perfeccioun of his knowinge; but, certes, they may nat al arace [ ] him, ne aliene him in al. But I wolde that thou woldest answere to this: remembrestow that thou art a man?’
‘Why sholde I nat remembre that?’ quod I. Skeat1900: 45
‘ Maystow nat telle me thanne,’ quod she, ‘what thing is a man?’
‘Axestow me nat,’ quod I, ‘ whether that I be a resonable mortal beest? I woot wel, and I confesse wel that I am it.’
‘ Wistestow never yit that thou were any other thing?’ quod she. Skeat1900: 50
‘No,’ quod I.
‘Now woot I,’ quod she, ‘other cause of thy maladye, and that right grete. Thou hast left for to knowen thy-self, what thou art; thorugh whiche I have pleynly founden the cause of thy maladye, or elles the entree of recoveringe of thyn hele. [ ] Skeat1900: 55 For-why, for thou art confounded with foryeting of thy-self, for-thy [ ] sorwestow that thou art exiled of thy propre goodes. And for thou ne wost what is the ende of thinges, for-thy demestow that felonous and wikked men ben mighty and weleful. And Skeat1900: 60 for thou hast foryeten by whiche governements the world is governed, for-thy wenestow that thise mutaciouns of fortune fleten with-oute governour. Thise ben grete causes not only to maladye, but, certes, grete causes to deeth . But I thanke the auctor and the maker of hele, that nature hath not al [ ] Skeat1900: 65 forleten thee. I have grete norisshinges of thyn hele, and that [ ] is, the sothe sentence of governaunce of the worlde; that thou bilevest that the governinge of it nis nat subiect ne underput to the folie of thise happes aventurous , but to the resoun of god. And ther-for doute thee no-thing; for of this litel spark Skeat1900: 70 thyn hete of lyf shal shyne.
But for as moche as it is nat tyme yit of faster remedies, and [ ] the nature of thoughtes deceived is this, that as ofte as they casten awey sothe opiniouns, they clothen hem in false opiniouns, of which false opiniouns the derkenesse of perturbacioun wexeth Skeat1900: 75 up, that confoundeth the verray insighte: and that derkenesse shal I assaye som-what to maken thinne and wayk by lighte [ ] and meneliche remedies; so that, after that the derkenesse of [ ] deceivinge desiringes is don awey, thou mowe knowe the shyninge of verray light.
Me. VII.
The sterres, covered with blake cloudes, ne mowen yeten [ ] a-doun no light. Yif the trouble wind that hight Auster, turning [ ] and walwinge the see, medleth the hete, that is to seyn, [ ] the boyling up from the botme; the wawes, that whylom weren Skeat1900: 5 clere as glas and lyke to the faire clere dayes, withstande anon [ ] the sightes of men by the filthe and ordure that is resolved. And the fletinge streem, that royleth doun dyversly fro heye [ ] mountaignes, is arested and resisted ofte tyme by the encountringe of a stoon that is departed and fallen from som roche.
And for-thy, yif thou wolt loken and demen sooth with cleer Skeat1900: 10 light, and holden the wey with a right path, weyve thou Ioye, [ ] dryf fro thee drede, fleme thou hope, ne lat no sorwe aproche; that is to seyn, lat non of thise four passiouns over-comen thee or blende thee . For cloudy and derke is thilke thought, and bounde with brydles, where as thise thinges regnen. ’ Skeat1900: 15
Explicit Liber Primus.
Pr. 1.
After this she stinte a litel ; and, after that she hadde gadered by atempre stillenesse myn attencioun , she seide thus: ( As who mighte seyn thus: After thise thinges she stinte a litel; and whan she aperceived by atempre stillenesse that I was ententif to herkene hir , she bigan to speke in this wyse ): ‘Yif I,’ quod she, ‘have Skeat1900: 5 understonden and knowen outrely the causes and the habit of thy maladye , thou languissest and art defeted for desyr and talent of thy rather fortune. She, that ilke Fortune only, that is chaunged , as thou feynest, to thee-ward, hath perverted the cleernesse and the estat of thy corage. I understonde the Skeat1900: 10 fele-folde colours and deceites of thilke merveilous monstre Fortune, and how she useth ful flateringe familaritee with hem that she enforceth to bigyle; so longe, til that she confounde [ ] with unsufferable sorwe hem that she hath left in despeyr unpurveyed. And yif thou remembrest wel the kinde, the maneres, Skeat1900: 15 and the desert of thilke Fortune, thou shalt wel knowe that , as in hir, thou never ne haddest ne hast y-lost any fair thing . But, as I trowe, I shal nat gretly travailen to do thee remembren on thise thinges. For thou were wont to hurtelen and despysen Skeat1900: 20 hir, with manly wordes, whan she was blaundissinge and present, and pursewedest hir with sentences that were drawen out of myn entree, that is to seyn, out of myn informacioun. But no sodein [ ] mutacioun ne bitydeth nat with-oute a manere chaunginge of corages; and so is it befallen that thou art a litel departed Skeat1900: 25 fro the pees of thy thought.
But now is tyme that thou drinke and ataste some softe and delitable thinges; so that, whan they ben entred with-in thee, it mowe maken wey to strengere drinkes of medicynes. Com [ ] now forth therefore the suasioun of swetenesse rethorien, whiche Skeat1900: 30 that goth only the right wey, whyl she forsaketh nat myne estatuts . And with Rhetorice com forth Musice, a damisel of our hous, that singeth now lighter moedes or prolaciouns , now hevyer. [ ] What eyleth thee, man? What is it that hath cast thee in-to morninge and in-to wepinge? I trowe that thou hast seyn Skeat1900: 35 som newe thing and uncouth. Thou wenest that Fortune be [ ] chaunged ayein thee; but thou wenest wrong, yif thou that wene. Alwey tho ben hir maneres; she hath rather kept, as to thee-ward, hir propre stablenesse in the chaunginge of hirself. Right swich was she whan she flatered thee, and deceived Skeat1900: 40 thee with unleveful lykinges of fals welefulnesse. Thou hast now knowen and ataynt the doutous or double visage of thilke blinde goddesse Fortune. She, that yit covereth hir and wimpleth hir to other folk, hath shewed hir every-del to thee. Yif thou aprovest hir and thenkest that she is good , use hir Skeat1900: 45 maneres and pleyne thee nat. And yif thou agrysest hir false [ ] trecherye, despyse and cast awey hir that pleyeth so harmfully; for she, that is now cause of so muche sorwe to thee, sholde ben cause to thee of pees and of Ioye. She hath forsaken [ ] thee, forsothe; the whiche that never man may ben siker that she ne shal forsake him. Skeat1900: 50
Glose. But natheles, some bokes han the text thus: For sothe, [ ] she hath forsaken thee, ne ther nis no man siker that she ne hath nat forsaken .
Holdestow than thilke welefulnesse precious to thee that shal passen? And is present Fortune dereworthe to thee, which that Skeat1900: 55 nis nat feithful for to dwelle; and, whan she goth awey, that she bringeth a wight in sorwe? For sin she may nat ben withholden at a mannes wille, she maketh him a wrecche whan she departeth fro him. What other thing is flittinge Fortune but a maner shewinge of wrecchednesse that is to comen? Ne it ne Skeat1900: 60 suffyseth nat only to loken on thinge that is present biforn the eyen of a man. But wisdom loketh and amesureth the ende of thinges; and the same chaunginge from oon in-to an-other, that is to seyn, from adversitee in-to prosperitee, maketh that the manaces of Fortune ne ben nat for to dreden, ne the flateringes Skeat1900: 65 of hir to ben desired. Thus, at the laste, it bihoveth thee to suffren with evene wille in pacience al that is don in-with the floor of Fortune, that is to seyn , in this world, sin thou hast [ ] ones put thy nekke under the yok of hir. For yif thou wolt wryten a lawe of wendinge and of dwellinge to Fortune, whiche Skeat1900: 70 that thou hast chosen frely to ben thy lady, artow nat wrongful in that, and makest Fortune wroth and aspere by thyn inpatience, and yit thou mayst nat chaunge hir?
Yif thou committest and bitakest thy sailes to the winde, thou shalt be shoven, not thider that thou woldest, but whider that the Skeat1900: 75 wind shoveth thee. Yif thou castest thy sedes in-to the feldes , thou sholdest han in minde that the yeres ben, amonges , other-whyle [ ] plentevous and other-whyle bareyne . Thou hast bitaken thy-self to the governaunce of Fortune, and for-thy it bihoveth Skeat1900: 80 thee to ben obeisaunt to the maneres of thy lady. Enforcest thou thee to aresten or withholden the swiftnesse and the sweigh of hir turninge whele ? O thou fool of alle mortal fooles, if Fortune bigan to dwelle stable, she cesede thanne to ben [ ] Fortune!
Me. I.
Whan Fortune with a proud right hand hath torned hir chaunginge stoundes, she fareth lyk the maneres of the boilinge Eurype . Glosa. Eurype is an arm of the see that ebbeth and [ ] floweth; and som-tyme the streem is on o syde, and som-tyme on Skeat1900: 5 the other. Text. She, cruel Fortune, casteth adoun kinges that whylom weren y-drad; and she, deceivable, enhaunseth up the humble chere of him that is discomfited. Ne she neither hereth ne rekketh of wrecchede wepinges; and she is so hard [ ] that she laugheth and scorneth the wepinges of hem, the whiche [ ] Skeat1900: 10 she hath maked wepe with hir free wille. Thus she pleyeth, and thus she proeueth hir strengthes ; and sheweth a greet wonder [ ] to alle hir servauntes, yif that a wight is seyn weleful, and overthrowe in an houre.
Pr. II.
Certes, I wolde pleten with thee a fewe thinges, usinge the [ ] wordes of Fortune; tak hede now thy-self, yif that she axeth right. “O thou man, wher-fore makest thou me gilty by thyne every-dayes pleyninges? What wrong have I don thee? What [ ] Skeat1900: 5 goodes have I bireft thee that weren thyne? Stryf or plete with me, bifore what Iuge that thou wolt, of the possessioun of richesses or of dignitees. And yif thou mayst shewen me that ever any mortal man hath received any of tho thinges to ben hise in propre, than wol I graunte frely that alle thilke thinges weren thyne whiche that thou axest. Whan that nature Skeat1900: 10 broughte thee forth out of thy moder wombe, I receyved thee naked and nedy of alle thinges , and I norisshede thee with my richesses, and was redy and ententif through my favour to susteyne thee; and that maketh thee now inpacient ayeins me; and I envirounde thee with alle the aboundance and shyninge Skeat1900: 15 of alle goodes that ben in my right. Now it lyketh me to with-drawen my hand; thou hast had grace as he that hath used of foreine goodes: thou hast no right to pleyne thee, as though thou haddest outrely for-lorn alle thy thinges. Why pleynest thou thanne? I have done thee no wrong. Richesses, Skeat1900: 20 honours, and swiche other thinges ben of my right. My servauntes knowen me for hir lady; they comen with me, and departen whan I wende. I dar wel affermen hardily, that yif tho thinges, of which thou pleynest that thou hast forlorn, hadde ben thyne, thou ne haddest not lorn hem. Shal I thanne only ben defended Skeat1900: 25 to usen my right?
Certes, it is leveful to the hevene to make clere dayes, and, after that, to coveren tho same dayes with derke nightes. The yeer hath eek leve to apparailen the visage of the erthe, now with floures and now with fruit , and to confounden hem som-tyme Skeat1900: 30 with reynes and with coldes. The see hath eek his right to ben som-tyme calme and blaundishing with smothe water, and som-tyme to ben horrible with wawes and with tempestes. But the covetise of men, that may nat ben stanched, shal it binde me to ben stedefast , sin that stedefastnesse is uncouth Skeat1900: 35 to my maneres? Swich is my strengthe, and this pley I pleye continuely. I torne the whirlinge wheel with the torning cercle; [ ] I am glad to chaungen the lowest to the heyest, and the heyest to the lowest. Worth up, if thou wolt, so it be by this lawe, [ ] Skeat1900: 40 that thou ne holde nat that I do thee wronge thogh thou descende adoun , whan the resoun of my pley axeth it.
Wistest thou nat how Cresus, the king of Lydiens, of whiche [ ] king Cyrus was ful sore agast a litel biforn, that this rewliche Cresus was caught of Cyrus and lad to the fyr to ben brent, Skeat1900: 45 but that a rayn descendede doun fro hevene that rescowede him? And is it out of thy minde how that Paulus, consul of Rome, whan he hadde taken the king of Perciens, weep pitously [ ] for the captivitee of the self kinge? What other thing biwailen the cryinges of tragedies but only the dedes of Fortune, that Skeat1900: 50 with an unwar stroke overtorneth realmes of grete nobley ? Glose. Tragedie is to seyn, a ditee of a prosperitee for a tyme, [ ] that endeth in wrecchednesse.
Lernedest nat thou in Greke, whan thou were yonge, that [ ] in the entree, or in the celere , of Iupiter, ther ben couched two [ ] Skeat1900: 55 tonnes; that on is ful of good, that other is ful of harm? What right hast thou to pleyne, yif thou hast taken more plentevously of the goode syde, that is to seyn, of my richesses and prosperites; and what eek if I ne be nat al departed fro thee? What eek yif my mutabilitee yiveth thee rightful cause of hope to han yit Skeat1900: 60 beter thinges? Natheles dismaye thee nat in thy thought; and thou that art put in the comune realme of alle, ne desyre nat to [ ] liven by thyn only propre right.
Me. II.
Though Plentee, that is goddesse of richesses, hielde adoun [ ] with ful horn, and withdraweth nat hir hand, as many richesses as the see torneth upward sandes whan it is moeved with ravisshinge blastes, or elles as many richesses as ther shynen Skeat1900: 5 brighte sterres on hevene on the sterry nightes ; yit, for al that, mankinde nolde not cese to wepe wrecchede pleyntes . And al be it so that god receyveth gladly hir preyers , and yiveth them (as fool-large ) moche gold, and aparaileth coveitous [ ] men with noble or clere honours: yit semeth hem haven y-geten no-thing , but alwey hir cruel ravyne, devouringe al that they Skeat1900: 10 han geten, sheweth other gapinges; that is to seyn, gapen and [ ] desyren yit after mo richesses . What brydles mighten withholden, to any certein ende, the desordenee covetise of men, whan, [ ] ever the rather that it fleteth in large yiftes, the more ay brenneth in hem the thurst of havinge? Certes he that, quakinge and Skeat1900: 15 dredful, weneth him-selven nedy, he ne liveth never-more riche.”
Pr. III.
Therfor, yif that Fortune spake with thee for hir-self in this manere, for-sothe thou ne haddest nat what thou mightest answere. And, if thou hast any-thing wherwith, thou mayest rightfully defenden [ ] thy compleint, it behoveth thee to shewen it; and I wol yeven thee space to tellen it.’ Skeat1900: 5
‘Certeynly,’ quod I thanne, ‘thise beth faire thinges, and enointed with hony swetenesse of rethorike and musike; and only whyl they ben herd they ben delicious . But to wrecches is a depper felinge of harm; this is to seyn, that wrecches felen the harmes that they suffren more grevously than the remedies or the Skeat1900: 10 delites of thise wordes mowen gladen or comforten hem; so that, whan thise thinges stinten for to soune in eres, the sorwe that is inset greveth the thought.’
‘Right so is it,’ quod she. ‘For thise ne ben yit none remedies of thy maladye ; but they ben a maner norisshinges of thy sorwe , Skeat1900: 15 yit rebel ayein thy curacioun. For whan that tyme is, I shal moeve swiche thinges that percen hem-self depe. But natheles, that thou shalt not wilne to leten thy-self a wrecche, hast thou foryeten the noumber and the manere of thy welefulnesse? I Skeat1900: 20 holde me stille, how that the soverayne men of the citee token thee in cure and kepinge, whan thou were orphelin of fader and moder, and were chosen in affinitee of princes of the citee; and [ ] thou bigunne rather to be leef and dere than forto ben a neighbour ; [ ] the whiche thing is the most precious kinde of any propinquitee Skeat1900: 25 or alyaunce that may ben. Who is it that ne seide tho that thou were right weleful, with so grete a nobleye of thy fadres-in-lawe , and with the chastitee of thy wyf, and with the oportunitee and noblesse of thy masculin children, that is to seyn, thy sones? And over al this—me list to passen the comune thinges—how Skeat1900: 30 thou haddest in thy youthe dignitees that weren werned to olde men. But it delyteth me to comen now to the singuler uphepinge of thy welefulnesse . Yif any fruit of mortal thinges may han any weighte or prys of welefulnesse, mightest thou ever foryeten, for any charge of harm that mighte bifalle, the remembraunce of Skeat1900: 35 thilke day that thou saye thy two sones maked conseileres, and y-lad to-gedere fro thyn house under so greet assemblee of senatoures and under the blythenesse of poeple ; and whan thou saye hem set in the court in here chayeres of dignitees? Thou, rethorien or pronouncere of kinges preysinges, deservedest glorie Skeat1900: 40 of wit and of eloquence, whan thou, sittinge bitwene thy two [ ] sones, conseileres, in the place that highte Circo, fulfuldest the abydinge of the multitude of poeple that was sprad abouten thee, with so large [ ] preysinge and laude, as men singen in victories. Tho yave thou wordes to Fortune, as I trowe, that is to seyn, tho feffedest thou Skeat1900: 45 Fortune with glosinge wordes and deceivedest hir, whan she acoyede thee and norisshede thee as hir owne delyces. Thou bere away of Fortune a yifte, that is to seyn, swiche guerdoun , that she never yaf to privee man. Wilt thou therfor leye a rekeninge with Fortune? [ ] She hath now twinkled first upon thee with a wikkede eye. Yif thou considere the noumbre and the manere of thy blisses and Skeat1900: 50 of thy sorwes, thou mayst nat forsaken that thou art yit blisful. For if thou therfor wenest thy-self nat weleful, for thinges that tho semeden ioyful ben passed, ther nis nat why thou sholdest wene thy-self a wrecche; for thinges that semen now sorye passen also.
Art thou now comen first, a sodein gest, in-to the shadwe or [ ] Skeat1900: 55 tabernacle of this lyf; or trowest thou that any stedefastnesse be in mannes thinges, whan ofte a swift houre dissolveth the same man; that is to seyn, whan the soule departeth fro the body? For, al-though that selde is ther any feith that fortunous thinges wolen dwellen, yit natheles the laste day of a mannes lyf is a manere [ ] Skeat1900: 60 deeth to Fortune, and also to thilke that hath dwelt. And therfor, [ ] what, wenestow, thar [thee] recche , yif thou forlete hir in deyinge, [ ] or elles that she, Fortune, forlete thee in fleeinge awey?
Me. III.
Whan Phebus, the sonne, biginneth to spreden his cleernesse with rosene chariettes, thanne the sterre, y-dimmed, paleth hir whyte cheres, by the flambes of the sonne that overcometh the sterre-light. This is to seyn, whan the sonne is risen, the dey-sterre wexeth pale, and leseth hir light for the grete brightnesse of the Skeat1900: 5 sonne.
Whan the wode wexeth rody of rosene floures, in the first somer sesoun, thorugh the brethe of the winde Zephirus that wexeth warm, yif the cloudy wind Auster blowe felliche, than goth awey the fairenesse of thornes . [ ] Skeat1900: 10
Ofte the see is cleer and calm withoute moevinge flodes ; and ofte the horrible wind Aquilon moeveth boilinge tempestes and over-whelveth the see. [ ]
Yif the forme of this worlde is so selde stable, and yif it turneth Skeat1900: 15 by so many entrechaunginges, wolt thou thanne trusten in the tomblinge fortunes of men? Wolt thou trowen on flittinge goodes? [ ] It is certein and establisshed by lawe perdurable, that no-thing that is engendred nis stedefast ne stable .’ [ ]
Pr. IV.
Thanne seide I thus: ‘O norice of alle vertues , thou seist ful sooth; ne I ne may nat forsake the right swifte cours of my prosperitee; that is to seyn, that prosperitee ne be comen to me [ ] wonder swiftly and sone. But this is a thing that greetly smerteth Skeat1900: 5 me whan it remembreth me. For in alle adversitee of fortune, [ ] the most unsely kinde of contrarious fortune is to han ben weleful.’
‘But that thou,’ quod she, ‘abyest thus the torment of thy [ ] false opinioun, that mayst thou nat rightfully blamen ne aretten Skeat1900: 10 to thinges: as who seith, for thou hast yit many habundaunces of thinges.
Text. For al be it so that the ydel name of aventurous [ ] welefulnesse moeveth thee now, it is leveful that thou rekne with me of how manye grete thinges thou hast yit plentee. And Skeat1900: 15 therfor, yif that thilke thing that thou haddest for most precious in al thy richesse of fortune be kept to thee yit, by the grace of god, unwemmed and undefouled, mayst thou thanne pleyne rightfully upon the meschef of Fortune, sin thou hast yit thy beste thinges? Certes, yit liveth in good point thilke precious Skeat1900: 20 honour of mankinde, Symacus, thy wyves fader, which that is [ ] a man maked alle of sapience and of vertu; the whiche man thou woldest byen redely with the prys of thyn owne lyf. He biwayleth the wronges that men don to thee, and nat for him-self; for he liveth in sikernesse of any sentences put ayeins him. And yit liveth thy wyf, that is atempre of wit, and passinge other [ ] Skeat1900: 25 wimmen in clennesse of chastetee; and for I wol closen shortely hir bountees, she is lyk to hir fader. I telle thee wel, that she liveth looth of this lyf, and kepeth to thee only hir goost; and is al maat and overcomen by wepinge and sorwe for desyr of thee, in the whiche thing only I moot graunten that thy welefulnesse is Skeat1900: 30 amenused . What shal I seyn eek of thy two sones, conseilours, [ ] of whiche, as of children of hir age, ther shyneth the lyknesse of the wit of hir fader or of hir elder fader? And sin the sovereyn cure of alle mortel folk is to saven hir owen lyves, O how weleful art thou, yif thou knowe thy goodes! For yit ben ther Skeat1900: 35 thinges dwelled to thee-ward , that no man douteth that they ne ben more dereworthe to thee than thyn owen lyf. And for-thy drye thy teres, for yit nis nat everich fortune al hateful to thee-ward, ne over greet tempest hath nat yit fallen upon thee, whan that thyn ancres cleven faste, that neither wolen suffren the [ ] Skeat1900: 40 counfort of this tyme present ne the hope of tyme cominge to passen ne to faylen .’
‘And I preye,’ quod I, ‘that faste moten they halden ; for whyles that they halden , how-so-ever that thinges ben, I shal wel fleten forth and escapen; but thou mayst wel seen how grete Skeat1900: 45 aparayles and aray that me lakketh, that ben passed away fro me.’
‘I have som-what avaunsed and forthered thee,’ quod she, ‘yif that thou anoye nat or forthinke nat of al thy fortune: as who seith, I have som-what comforted thee, so that thou tempest thee nat Skeat1900: 50 thus with al thy fortune, sin thou hast yit thy beste thinges. But I may nat suffren thy delices , that pleynest so wepinge and [ ] anguissous, for that ther lakketh som-what to thy welefulnesse. For what man is so sad or of so parfit welefulnesse, that he ne stryveth and pleyneth on som halve ayen the qualitee of his Skeat1900: 55 estat? For-why ful anguissous thing is the condicioun of mannes [ ] goodes; for either it cometh nat al-togider to a wight, or elles it last nat perpetuel . For sum man hath grete richesses , but he is ashamed of his ungentel linage; and som is renowned of noblesse Skeat1900: 60 of kinrede, but he is enclosed in so grete anguisshe of nede of thinges, that him were lever that he were unknowe. And som man haboundeth both in richesse and noblesse, but yit he bewaileth his chaste lyf, for he ne hath no wyf. And som man is wel and selily y-maried, but he hath no children, and norissheth Skeat1900: 65 his richesses to the eyres of strange folkes. And som man is gladed with children, but he wepeth ful sory for the trespas of his sone or of his doughter. And for this ther ne acordeth no wight lightly to the condicioun of his fortune; for alwey to every [ ] man ther is in som-what that, unassayed, he ne wot nat; or elles Skeat1900: 70 he dredeth that he hath assayed. And adde this also, that every weleful man hath a ful delicat felinge; so that, but-yif alle thinges bifalle at his owne wil, for he is impacient, or is nat used to han non adversitee, anon he is throwen adoun for every litel thing. And ful litel thinges ben tho that withdrawen the somme or the Skeat1900: 75 perfeccioun of blisfulnesse fro hem that ben most fortunat. How many men, trowest thou, wolden demen hem-self to ben almost in hevene, yif they mighten atayne to the leest party of the remnaunt of thy fortune? This same place that thou clepest exil, is contree to hem that enhabiten heer, and forthy nothing [is] [ ] Skeat1900: 80 wrecched but whan thou wenest it: as who seith, thou thy-self, ne no wight elles, nis a wrecche, but whan he weneth him-self a wrecche by reputacioun of his corage. And ayeinward, alle fortune is blisful [ ] to a man by the agreabletee or by the egalitee of him that suffreth it.
Skeat1900: 85 What man is that, that is so weleful, that nolde changen his estat whan he hath lost pacience? The swetnesse of mannes [ ] welefulnesse is sprayned with many biternesses ; the whiche welefulnesse, al-though it seme swete and ioyful to hem that useth it, yit may it nat ben with-holden that it ne goth away whan it wole . [ ] Thanne is it wel sene, how wrecched is the blisfulnesse of mortal Skeat1900: 90 thinges, that neither it dureth perpetuel with hem that every fortune receiven agreablely or egaly, ne it delyteth nat in al to hem that ben anguissous. O ye mortal folk, what seke ye thanne blisfulnesse out of your-self, whiche that is put in your-self? Errour and folye confoundeth yow. Skeat1900: 95
I shal shewe thee shortely the poynt of sovereyne blisfulnesse. Is ther any-thing more precious to thee than thy-self? Thou wolt answere, “nay.” Thanne, yif it so be that thou art mighty over thy-self, that is to seyn, by tranquillitee of thy sowle, than hast thou thing in thy power that thou noldest never lesen, ne Fortune Skeat1900: 100 ne may nat beneme it thee. And that thou mayst knowe that blisfulnesse ne may nat standen in thinges that ben fortunous and temporel, now understonde and gader it to-gidere thus: Yif blisfulnesse be the sovereyn good of nature that liveth by resoun, ne thilke thing nis nat sovereyn good that may be taken Skeat1900: 105 awey in any wyse, (for more worthy thing and more digne is thilke thing that may nat ben taken awey); than sheweth it wel, [ ] that the unstablenesse of fortune may nat atayne to receiven verray blisfulnesse. And yit more-over: what man that this toumbling welefulnesse ledeth, either he woot that it is chaungeable, [ ] Skeat1900: 110 or elles he woot it nat. And yif he woot it nat, what blisful fortune may ther be in the blindnesse of ignorance? And yif he woot that it is chaungeable, he moot alwey ben adrad that he ne lese that thing that he ne doubteth nat but that he may lesen it; as who seith, he mot ben alwey agast, lest he lese that he wot wel he [ ] Skeat1900: 115 may lese it . For which, the continuel dreed that he hath ne suffreth him nat to ben weleful. Or yif he lese it, he weneth to be dispysed and forleten . Certes eek, that is a ful litel good that is born with evene herte whan it is lost; that is to seyn, that men [ ] do no more fors of the lost than of the havinge. And for as moche [ ] Skeat1900: 120 as thou thy-self art he, to whom it hath ben shewed and proved by ful manye demonstraciouns, as I wot wel, that the sowles of men ne mowe nat deyen in no wyse; and eek sin it is cleer and certein, that fortunous welefulnesse endeth by the deeth of the Skeat1900: 125 body; it may nat ben douted that, yif that deeth may take awey blisfulnesse, that alle the kinde of mortal thinges ne descendeth in-to wrecchednesse by the ende of the deeth. And sin we kuowen wel, that many a man hath sought the fruit of blisfulnesse nat only with suffringe of deeth, but eek with suffringe of peynes and Skeat1900: 130 tormentes; how mighte than this present lyf maken men blisful, sin that, whan thilke selve lyf is ended, it ne maketh folk no [ ] wrecches?
Mr. IV.
What maner man, stable and war , that wole founden him a perdurable sete, and ne wole nat ben cast down with the loude blastes of the wind Eurus; and wole despyse the see, manasinge with flodes; lat him eschewen to bilde on the cop of the mountaigne Skeat1900: 5 or in the moiste sandes. For the felle wind Auster tormenteth the cop of the mountaigne with all his strengthes; and the lause sandes refusen to beren the hevy wighte . [ ]
And forthy, if thou wolt fleen the perilous aventure, that is to [ ] seyn, of the worlde; have minde certeinly to ficchen thyn hous of Skeat1900: 10 a merye site in a lowe stoon. For al-though the wind, troubling the see, thondre with over-throwinges, thou that art put in quiete, and weleful by strengthe of thy palis , shalt leden a cleer age, [ ] scorninge the woodnesses and the ires of the eyr.
Pr. V.
But for as moche as the norisshinges of my resouns descenden now in-to thee, I trowe it were tyme to usen a litel strenger medicynes. Now understond heer, al were it so that the yiftes of Fortune ne were nat brutel ne transitorie, what is ther in hem that may be thyn in any tyme, or elles that it nis foul, yif that it Skeat1900: 5 be considered and loked perfitly? Richesses , ben they precious by the nature of hem-self, or elles by the nature of thee? What is most worth of richesses ? Is it nat gold or might of moneye assembled? Certes, thilke gold and thilke moneye shyneth and yeveth betere renoun to hem that despenden it thanne to thilke [ ] Skeat1900: 10 folk that mokeren it; for avarice maketh alwey mokereres to ben [ ] hated, and largesse maketh folk cleer of renoun. For sin that swich thing as is transferred fram o man to another ne may nat dwellen with no man; certes, thanne is thilke moneye precious whan it is translated into other folk and stenteth to ben had, by [ ] Skeat1900: 15 usage of large yevinge of him that hath yeven it. And also: yif [ ] that al the moneye that is over-al in the worlde were gadered toward o man, it sholde maken alle other men to ben nedy as of that. [ ] And certes a voys al hool , that is to seyn, with-oute amenusinge, fulfilleth [ ] to-gidere the hering of moche folk; but certes, youre Skeat1900: 20 richesses ne mowen nat passen in-to moche folke with-oute amenusinge. And whan they ben apassed, nedes they maken hem pore that for-gon the richesses.
O! streite and nedy clepe I this richesse , sin that many folk ne may nat han it al, ne al may it nat comen to o man with-outen Skeat1900: 25 povertee of alle other folk! And the shyninge of gemmes, that I clepe precious stones, draweth it nat the eyen of folk to hemward, that is to seyn, for the beautee ? But certes, yif ther were beautee or bountee in the shyninge of stones, thilke cleernesse is of the stones hem-self, and nat of men; for whiche I wondre Skeat1900: 30 gretly that men mervailen on swiche thinges. For-why, what thing is it, that yif it wanteth moeving and Ioynture of sowle and [ ] body, that by right mighte semen a fair creature to him that hath a sowle of resoun? For al be it so that gemmes drawen to hem-self a litel of the laste beautee of the world, through the entente of [ ] Skeat1900: 35 hir creatour and through the distinccioun of hem-self; yit, for as [ ] mochel as they ben put under youre excellence, they ne han nat deserved by no wey that ye sholden mervailen on hem. And the beautee of feldes, delyteth it nat mochel un-to yow?’
Skeat1900: 40 Boece. ‘Why sholde it nat delyten us, sin that it is a right fair [ ] porcioun of the right faire werke, that is to seyn, of this world? And right so ben we gladed som-tyme of the face of the see whan it is cleer; and also mervailen we on the hevene and on the sterres, and on the sonne and on the mone.’
Skeat1900: 45 Philosophye. ‘Aperteneth,’ quod she, ‘any of thilke thinges to thee? Why darst thou glorifyen thee in the shyninge of any swiche thinges? Art thou distingwed and embelised by the springinge floures of the first somer sesoun, or swelleth thy plentee in the fruites of somer? Why art thou ravisshed with Skeat1900: 50 ydel Ioyes? Why embracest thou straunge goodes as they weren thyne? Fortune ne shal never maken that swiche thinges ben thyne, that nature of thinges hath maked foreine fro thee. Sooth is that, with-outen doute, the frutes of the erthe owen to ben to the norissinge of bestes. And yif thou wolt fulfille thy nede after Skeat1900: 55 that it suffyseth to nature, than is it no nede that thou seke after the superfluitee of fortune. For with ful fewe things and with ful litel thinges nature halt hir apayed; and yif thou wolt achoken the fulfillinge of nature with superfluitees, certes, thilke thinges that thou wolt thresten or pouren in-to nature shullen ben unioyful Skeat1900: 60 to thee, or elles anoyous . Wenest thou eek that it be a fair thing to shyne with dyverse clothinge? Of whiche clothinge yif the beautee be agreeable to loken up-on, I wol mervailen on the nature of the matere of thilke clothes, or elles on the werkman that wroughte hem. But also a long route of meynee, maketh Skeat1900: 65 that a blisful man? The whiche servants, yif they ben vicious of condiciouns, it is a great charge and a distruccioun to the hous, and a greet enemy to the lord him-self. And yif they ben goode men, how shal straunge or foreine goodnesse ben put in the noumbre of thy richesse? So that, by all these forseide thinges, Skeat1900: 70 it is clearly y-shewed, that never oon of thilke thinges that thou acountedest for thyne goodes nas nat thy good. In the whiche thinges, yif ther be no beautee to ben desyred, why sholdest thou ben sory yif thou lese hem, or why sholdest thou reioysen thee to holden hem? For yif they ben faire of hir owne kinde, what aperteneth that to thee? For al so wel sholden they han ben Skeat1900: 75 faire by hem-selve, though they weren departed fram alle thyne richesses . Forwhy faire ne precious ne weren they nat, for that they comen among thy richesses ; but, for they semeden faire and precious, ther-for thou haddest lever rekne hem amonges thy richesses . Skeat1900: 80