But what desirest thou of Fortune with so grete a noise, and with so grete a fare? I trowe thou seke to dryve awey nede with habundaunce of thinges; but certes, it torneth to you al in the contrarie. Forwhy certes, it nedeth of ful manye helpinges to kepen the diversitee of precious ostelments. And sooth it is, [ ] Skeat1900: 85 that of manye thinges han they nede that manye thinges han; and ayeinward, of litel nedeth hem that mesuren hir fille after the nede of kinde, and nat after the outrage of coveityse. Is it thanne so, that ye men ne han no proper good y-set in you, for which ye moten seken outward youre goodes in foreine and subgit [ ] Skeat1900: 90 thinges? So is thanne the condicioun of thinges torned up-so-down, that a man, that is a devyne beest by merite of his resoun, [ ] thinketh that him-self nis neither faire ne noble, but-yif it be thorugh possessioun of ostelments that ne han no sowles. And certes, al other thinges ben apayed of hir owne beautee; but ye Skeat1900: 95 men, that ben semblable to god by your resonable thought, desiren to aparailen your excellent kinde of the lowest thinges; [ ] ne ye understonden nat how greet a wrong ye don to your creatour. For he wolde that mankinde were most worthy and noble of any othre erthely thinges; and ye threste adoun your Skeat1900: 100 dignitees benethe the lowest thinges. For yif that al the good of [ ] every thinge be more precious than is thilke thing whos that the good is: sin ye demen that the fouleste thinges ben youre goodes, thanne submitten ye and putten your-selven under tho fouleste thinges by your estimacioun; and certes, this tydeth nat [ ] Skeat1900: 105 with-oute youre desertes . For certes, swiche is the condicioun of alle mankinde, that only whan it hath knowinge of it-selve, than passeth it in noblesse alle other thinges; and whan it forleteth the knowinge of it-self, than is it brought binethen alle beestes. For-why Skeat1900: 110 al other livinge beestes han of kinde to knowe nat hem-self ; but whan that men leten the knowinge of hemself, it cometh hem [ ] of vice. But how brode sheweth the errour and the folye of yow men, that wenen that any thing may ben aparailed with straunge aparailements! But for sothe that may nat ben doon. For yif Skeat1900: 115 a wight shyneth with thinges that ben put to him, as thus, if thilke thinges shynen with which a man is aparailed, certes, thilke thinges ben comended and preysed with which he is aparailed; but natheles, the thing that is covered and wrapped under that dwelleth in his filthe .

Skeat1900: 120 And I denye that thilke thing be good that anoyeth him that hath it. Gabbe I of this? Thou wolt seye “nay.” Certes, [ ] richesses han anoyed ful ofte hem that han tho richesses; sin that every wikked shrewe, (and for his wikkednesse the more gredy after other folkes richesses, wher-so ever it be in any place, be it Skeat1900: 125 gold or precious stones), weneth him only most worthy that hath [ ] hem. Thou thanne, that so bisy dredest now the swerd and now the spere, yif thou haddest entred in the path of this lyf a voide [ ] wayferinge man, than woldest thou singe beforn the theef; as who seith, a pore man, that berth no richesse on him by the weye, [ ] Skeat1900: 130 may boldely singe biforn theves, for he hath nat wherof to ben robbed. O precious and right cleer is the blisfulnesse of mortal richesses , that, whan thou hast geten it, than hast thou lorn thy sikernesse!

Metre V.: Felix nimium prior etas.

Blisful was the first age of men! They helden hem apayed [ ] with the metes that the trewe feldes broughten forth. They ne distroyede nor deceivede nat hem-self with outrage. They weren wont lightly to slaken hir hunger at even with acornes of okes. They ne coude nat medly the yifte of Bachus to the [ ] Skeat1900: 5 cleer hony; that is to seyn, they coude make no piment nor clarree; [ ] ne they coude nat medle the brighte fleeses of the contree of [ ] Seriens with the venim of Tyrie; this is to seyn, they coude nat deyen whyte fleeses of Serien contree with the blode of a maner shelfisshe that men finden in Tyrie, with whiche blood men deyen Skeat1900: 10 purpur. They slepen hoolsom slepes up-on the gras, and dronken of the renninge wateres; and layen under the shadwes of the heye pyn-trees. Ne no gest ne straungere ne carf yit [ ] the heye see with ores or with shippes; ne they ne hadde seyn yit none newe strondes, to leden marchaundyse in-to dyverse Skeat1900: 15 contrees. Tho weren the cruel clariouns ful hust and ful stille, ne blood y-shad by egre hate ne hadde nat deyed yit armures . [ ] For wher-to or which woodnesse of enemys wolde first moeven [ ] armes, whan they seyen cruel woundes, ne none medes be of blood y-shad? Skeat1900: 20

I wolde that oure tymes sholde torne ayein to the olde maneres! But the anguissous love of havinge brenneth in folk [ ] more cruely than the fyr of the mountaigne Ethna , that ay brenneth. Allas! what was he that first dalf up the gobetes or the weightes [ ] of gold covered under erthe, and the precious stones that wolden Skeat1900: 25 han ben hid? He dalf up precious perils. That is to seyn, that [ ] he that hem first up dalf, he dalf up a precious peril; for-why for the preciousnesse of swiche thinge , hath many man ben in peril.

PROSE VI.: Quid autem de dignitatibus.

But what shal I seye of dignitees and of powers, the whiche ye men, that neither knowen verray dignitee ne verray power, areysen hem as heye as the hevene? The whiche dignitees and powers, yif they comen to any wikked man, they don as grete Skeat1900: 5 damages and destrucciouns as doth the flaumbe of the mountaigne Ethna, whan the flaumbe walweth up; ne no deluge ne doth so cruel harmes. Certes, thee remembreth wel, as I trowe, that thilke dignitee that men clepen the imperie of consulers, the [ ] whiche that whylom was biginninge of fredom, youre eldres Skeat1900: 10 coveiteden to han don away that dignitee, for the pryde of the consulers . And right for the same pryde your eldres, biforn that tyme, hadden don awey, out of the citee of Rome, the kinges name; that is to seyn, they nolde han no lenger no king . But now, yif so be that dignitees and powers be yeven to goode men, Skeat1900: 15 the whiche thing is ful selde , what agreable thing is ther in tho dignitees or powers but only the goodnesse of folkes that usen hem? And therfor it is thus, that honour ne comth nat to vertu for cause of dignitee, but ayeinward honour comth to dignitee for cause of vertu. But whiche is thilke youre dereworthe power, Skeat1900: 20 that is so cleer and so requerable? O ye ertheliche bestes, [ ] considere ye nat over which thinge that it semeth that ye han power? Now yif thou saye a mous amonges other mys , that chalaunged to him-self-ward right and power over alle other mys , how greet scorn woldest thou han of it! Glosa. So fareth it by Skeat1900: 25 men; the body hath power over the body. For yif thou loke wel up-on the body of a wight, what thing shalt thou finde more freele than is mankinde ; the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn with bytinge of smale flyes, or elles with the entringe of crepinge wormes in-to the privetees of mannes body ? But wher shal man [ ] Skeat1900: 30 finden any man that may exercen or haunten any right up-on another man, but only up-on his body, or elles up-on thinges that ben lowere than the body, the whiche I clepe fortunous [ ] possessiouns? Mayst thou ever have any comaundement over a free corage? Mayst thou remuen fro the estat of his propre Skeat1900: 35 reste a thought that is clyvinge to-gidere in him-self by stedefast [ ] resoun? As whylom a tyraunt wende to confounde a free man [ ] of corage, and wende to constreyne him by torment, to maken him discoveren and acusen folk that wisten of a coniuracioun, which I clepe a confederacie, that was cast ayeins this tyraunt; but this free man boot of his owne tonge and caste it in the Skeat1900: 40 visage of thilke wode tyraunt; so that the torments that this tyraunt wende to han maked matere of crueltee , this wyse man maked it matere of vertu.

But what thing is it that a man may don to another man, [ ] that he ne may receyven the same thing of othre folk in him-self: Skeat1900: 45 or thus, what may a man don to folk, that folk ne may don him the same? I have herd told of Busirides, that was wont to sleen his [ ] gestes that herberweden in his hous; and he was sleyn him-self of Ercules that was his gest. Regulus hadde taken in bataile [ ] many men of Affrike and cast hem in-to feteres; but sone after Skeat1900: 50 he moste yeve his handes to ben bounde with the cheynes of hem that he hadde whylom overcomen. Wenest thou thanne that he be mighty, that hath no power to don a thing , that othre ne may don in him that he doth in othre? And yit more-over, yif it so were that thise dignitees or poweres hadden any propre Skeat1900: 55 or natural goodnesse in hem-self, never nolden they comen to shrewes. For contrarious thinges ne ben nat wont to ben y-felawshiped to-gidere. Nature refuseth that contrarious thinges ben y-ioigned. And so, as I am in certein that right wikked folk han dignitees ofte tyme, than sheweth it wel that dignitees and Skeat1900: 60 powers ne ben nat goode of hir owne kinde; sin that they suffren hem-self to cleven or ioinen hem to shrewes. And certes, the same thing may I most digneliche iugen and seyn of alle the [ ] yiftes of fortune that most plentevously comen to shrewes; of the whiche yiftes, I trowe that it oughte ben considered, that no Skeat1900: 65 man douteth that he nis strong in whom he seeth strengthe; and in whom that swiftnesse is, sooth it is that he is swift. Also musike maketh musiciens , and phisike maketh phisiciens , and rethorike rethoriens. For-why the nature of every thing maketh his propretee, ne it is nat entremedled with the effects of the Skeat1900: 70 contrarious thinges; and, as of wil, it chaseth out thinges that [ ] ben to it contrarie. But certes, richesse may not restreyne avarice unstaunched; ne power ne maketh nat a man mighty over him-self, whiche that vicious lustes holden destreyned with Skeat1900: 75 cheynes that ne mowen nat be unbounden. And dignitees that ben yeven to shrewede folk nat only ne maketh hem nat digne, but it sheweth rather al openly that they ben unworthy and undigne. And why is it thus? Certes, for ye han Ioye to clepen thinges with false names that beren hem alle in the contrarie; Skeat1900: 80 the whiche names ben ful ofte reproeved by the effecte of the [ ] same thinges; so that thise ilke richesses ne oughten nat by right to ben cleped richesses ; ne swich power ne oughte nat ben cleped power; ne swich dignitee ne oughte nat ben cleped dignitee.

Skeat1900: 85 And at the laste, I may conclude the same thing of alle the yiftes of Fortune, in which ther nis nothing to ben desired, ne that hath in him-self naturel bountee, as it is ful wel y-sene . For neither they ne ioignen hem nat alwey to goode men, ne maken hem alwey goode to whom that they ben y-ioigned.

Metre VI.: Nouimus quantas dederit ruinas.

We han wel knowen how many grete harmes and destrucciouns weren don by the emperor Nero. He leet brenne the citee of [ ] Rome, and made sleen the senatoures. And he, cruel, whylom slew his brother; and he was maked moist with the blood of [ ] Skeat1900: 5 his moder; that is to seyn, he leet sleen and slitten the body of his moder, to seen wher he was conceived ; and he loked on every halve up-on her colde dede body, ne no tere ne wette his face, but [ ] he was so hard-herted that he mighte ben domes-man or Iuge of hir dede beautee. And natheles , yit governede this Nero by Skeat1900: 10 ceptre alle the poeples that Phebus the sonne may seen, cominge from his outereste arysinge til he hyde his bemes under the wawes; that is to seyn, he governed alle the poeples by ceptre imperial that the sonne goth aboute, from est to west. And eek this Nero governed by ceptre alle the poeples that ben under the colde sterres that highten “septem triones” ; this is to seyn, he [ ] Skeat1900: 15 governede alle the poeples that ben under the party of the north. And eek Nero governed alle the poeples that the violent wind Nothus scorkleth , and baketh the brenning sandes by his drye hete; that is to seyn, alle the poeples in the south. But yit ne [ ] mighte nat al his hye power torne the woodnesse of this wikked Skeat1900: 20 Nero. Allas! it is a grevous fortune , as ofte as wikked swerd is ioigned to cruel venim; that is to seyn, venimous crueltee to lordshippe. ’ [ ]

Prose VII.: Tum ego, scis, inquam.

Thanne seyde I thus: ‘Thou wost wel thy-self that the coveitise of mortal thinges ne hadde never lordshipe of me; but I have wel desired matere of thinges to done, as who seith, [ ] I desire to han matere of governaunce over comunalitees, for vertu, stille, ne sholde nat elden;’ that is to seyn, that [ him ] leste that, Skeat1900: 5 or he wex olde, his vertu, that lay now ful stille, ne should nat perisshe unexercised in governaunce of comune; for which men mighten speken or wryten of his goode governement.

Philosophye. ‘For sothe, quod she, ‘and that is a thing that may drawen to governaunce swiche hertes as ben worthy and [ ] Skeat1900: 10 noble of hir nature; but natheles, it may nat drawen or tollen swiche hertes as ben y-brought to the fulle perfeccioun of vertu, that is to seyn, coveitise of glorie and renoun to han wel administred the comune thinges or don gode desertes to profit of the comune. For see now and considere, how litel and how voide of Skeat1900: 15 alle prys is thilke glorie. Certein thing is, as thou hast lerned by the demonstracioun of astronomye, that al the environinge of the erthe aboute ne halt nat but the resoun of a prikke at regard of the [ ] greetnesse of hevene; that is to seyn, that yif ther were maked Skeat1900: 20 comparisoun of the erthe to the greetnesse of hevene, men wolden iugen in al, that the erthe ne helde no space. Of the whiche litel regioun of this worlde, the ferthe partye is enhabited with livinge bestes that we knowen, as thou thyself hast y-lerned by Tholomee [ ] that proveth it. And yif thou haddest with-drawen and abated in Skeat1900: 25 thy thought fro thilke ferthe partye as moche space as the see and the mareys contenen and over-goon, and as moche space as the regioun of droughte over-streccheth, that is to seyn, sandes and [ ] desertes, wel unnethe sholde ther dwellen a right streit place to the habitacioun of men. And ye thanne, that ben environed and Skeat1900: 30 closed with-in the leste prikke of thilke prikke, thinken ye to manifesten your renoun and don youre name to ben born forth? But your glorie, that is so narwe and so streite y-throngen in-to so litel boundes, how mochel coveiteth it in largesse and in greet doinge? And also sette this there-to: that many a nacioun, [ ] Skeat1900: 35 dyverse of tonge and of maneres and eek of resoun of hir livinge, ben enhabited in the clos of thilke litel habitacle; to the whiche naciouns, what for difficultee of weyes and what for dyversitee of langages, and what for defaute of unusage and entrecomuninge of [ ] marchaundise, nat only the names of singuler men ne may nat Skeat1900: 40 strecchen, but eek the fame of citees ne may nat strecchen. At the laste, certes, in the tyme of Marcus Tullius , as him-self writ in [ ] his book, that the renoun of the comune of Rome ne hadde nat yit passed ne cloumben over the mountaigne that highte Caucasus; [ ] and yit was, thilke tyme, Rome wel waxen and greetly redouted of Skeat1900: 45 the Parthes and eek of other folk enhabitinge aboute. Seestow [ ] nat thanne how streit and how compressed is thilke glorie that ye travailen aboute to shewe and to multiplye? May thanne the glorie of a singuler Romaine strecchen thider as the fame of the name of Rome may nat climben ne passen? And eek, seestow nat that the maneres of dyverse folk and eek hir lawes ben discordaunt Skeat1900: 50 among hem-self; so that thilke thing that som men iugen worthy of preysinge, other folk iugen that it is worthy of torment? And ther-of comth it that, though a man delyte him in preysinge of his renoun, he may nat in no wyse bringen forth ne spreden his name to many maner poeples. There-for every man Skeat1900: 55 oughte to ben apayed of his glorie that is publisshed among his owne neighbours ; and thilke noble renoun shal ben restreyned within the boundes of o manere folke. But how many a man, that was ful noble in his tyme, hath the wrecched and nedy [ ] foryetinge of wryteres put out of minde and don awey! Al be Skeat1900: 60 it so that, certes, thilke wrytinges profiten litel; the whiche wrytinges long and derk elde doth awey, bothe hem and eek hir autours . But ye men semen to geten yow a perdurabletee, whan ye thenken that, in tyme to-cominge , your fame shal lasten. But natheles, yif thou wolt maken comparisoun to the endeles spaces Skeat1900: 65 of eternitee, what thing hast thou by whiche thou mayst reioysen thee of long lastinge of thy name? For yif ther were maked comparisoun of the abydinge of a moment to ten thousand winter, for as mochel as bothe the spaces ben ended, yit hath the [ ] moment som porcioun of it, al-though it litel be. But natheles, Skeat1900: 70 thilke selve noumbre of yeres, and eek as many yeres as ther-to may be multiplyed, ne may nat, certes, ben comparisoned to the perdurabletee that is endeles ; for of thinges that han ende [ ] may be maked comparisoun, but of thinges that ben with-outen ende, to thinges that han ende, may be maked no comparisoun . Skeat1900: 75 And forthy is it that, al-though renoun, of as long tyme as ever thee list to thinken, were thought to the regard of eternitee, that [ ] is unstaunchable and infinit, it ne sholde nat only semen litel, but pleynliche right naught. But ye men, certes, ne conne don nothing a-right, but-yif it be for the audience of poeple and for Skeat1900: 80 ydel rumours; and ye forsaken the grete worthinesse of conscience and of vertu, and ye seken your guerdouns of the smale wordes of straunge folk.

Have now heer and understonde, in the lightnesse of swich Skeat1900: 85 pryde and veine glorie, how a man scornede festivaly and merily swich vanitee. Whylom ther was a man thas hadde assayed [ ] with stryvinge wordes another man, the whiche, nat for usage of verray vertu but for proud veine glorie, had taken up-on him falsly the name of a philosophre. This rather man that I spak [ ] Skeat1900: 90 of thoughte he wolde assaye, wher he, thilke, were a philosophre or no; that is to seyn, yif that he wolde han suffred lightly in pacience the wronges that weren don un-to him. This feynede philosophre took pacience a litel whyle, and, whan he hadde received wordes of outrage, he, as in stryvinge ayein and reioys Skeat1900: 95 inge of him-self, seyde at the laste right thus: “ understondest [ ] thou nat that I am a philosophre?” That other man answerde ayein ful bytingly, and seyde: “I hadde wel understonden it , yif thou haddest holden thy tonge stille.” But what is it to thise noble worthy men (for, certes, of swiche folke speke I) that seken Skeat1900: 100 glorie with vertu? What is it?’ quod she; ‘what atteyneth fame to swiche folk, whan the body is resolved by the deeth at the laste? For yif it so be that men dyen in al, that is to seyn, body and sowle, the whiche thing our resoun defendeth us to bileven, thanne is ther no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde thilke glorie Skeat1900: 105 ben, whan he, of whom thilke glorie is seyd to be, nis right naught in no wyse? And yif the sowle, whiche that hath in it-self science of goode werkes, unbounden fro the prison of the erthe , wendeth frely to the hevene, despyseth it nat thanne alle erthely [ ] occupacioun; and, being in hevene, reioyseth that it is exempt fro alle Skeat1900: 110 erthely thinges? As who seith, thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorie of renoun of this world .

Metre VII.: Quicunque solam mente praecipiti petit.

Who-so that, with overthrowinge thought, only seketh glorie of [ ] fame, and weneth that it be sovereyn good: lat him loken up-on the brode shewinge contrees of hevene, and up-on the streite site [ ] of this erthe; and he shal ben ashamed of the encrees of his name, that may nat fulfille the litel compas of the erthe. O! Skeat1900: 5 what coveiten proude folk to liften up hir nekkes in ydel in the dedly yok of this worlde ? For al-though that renoun y-sprad, [ ] passinge to ferne poeples, goth by dyverse tonges; and al-though [ ] that grete houses or kinredes shynen with clere titles of honours; yit, natheles, deeth despyseth alle heye glorie of fame: and deeth Skeat1900: 10 wrappeth to-gidere the heye hevedes and the lowe, and maketh egal and evene the heyeste to the loweste. Wher wonen now the bones of trewe Fabricius? What is now Brutus, or stierne [ ] Catoun? The thinne fame, yit lastinge, of hir ydel names, is [ ] marked with a fewe lettres; but al-though that we han knowen Skeat1900: 15 the faire wordes of the fames of hem, it is nat yeven to knowe hem that ben dede and consumpte . Liggeth thanne stille, al [ ] outrely unknowable; ne fame ne maketh yow nat knowe. And yif ye wene to liven the longer for winde of your mortal name, whan o cruel day shal ravisshe yow, thanne is the seconde deeth [ ] Skeat1900: 20 dwellinge un-to yow.’ Glose. The first deeth he clepeth heer the departinge of the body and the sowle; and the seconde deeth he clepeth, as heer, the stintinge of the renoun of fame.

Prose VIII.: Set ne me inexorabile contra fortunam.

‘But for as mochel as thou shalt nat wenen’, quod she, ‘that I bere untretable bataile ayeins fortune, yit som-tyme it bifalleth that [ ] she, deceyvable , deserveth to han right good thank of men; and that is, whan she hir-self opneth, and whan she descovereth hir frount, and sheweth hir maneres. Peraventure yit understondest Skeat1900: 5 thou nat that I shal seye. It is a wonder that I desire to telle, and forthy unnethe may I unpleyten my sentence with wordes; for [ ] I deme that contrarious Fortune profiteth more to men than Fortune debonaire. For alwey, whan Fortune semeth debonaire, Skeat1900: 10 than she lyeth falsly in bihetinge the hope of welefulnesse; but forsothe contrarious Fortune is alwey soothfast, whan she sheweth hir-self unstable thorugh hir chaunginge. The amiable Fortune deceyveth folk; the contrarie Fortune techeth. The amiable Fortune bindeth with the beautee of false goodes the hertes of Skeat1900: 15 folk that usen hem; the contrarie Fortune unbindeth hem by the knowinge of freele welefulnesse. The amiable Fortune mayst thou seen alwey windinge and flowinge, and ever misknowinge of [ ] [ ] hir-self; the contrarie Fortune is atempre and restreyned, and wys thorugh exercise of hir adversitee. At the laste, amiable Fortune Skeat1900: 20 with hir flateringes draweth miswandringe men fro the sovereyne good; the contrarious Fortune ledeth ofte folk ayein to soothfast goodes, and haleth hem ayein as with an hooke. Wenest thou thanne that thou oughtest to leten this a litel thing, that this aspre [ ] and horrible Fortune hath discovered to thee the thoughtes of thy Skeat1900: 25 trewe freendes? For-why this ilke Fortune hath departed and uncovered to thee bothe the certein visages and eek the doutous [ ] visages of thy felawes. Whan she departed awey fro thee, she took awey hir freendes, and lafte thee thyne freendes. Now whan thou were riche and weleful, as thee semede, with how mochel Skeat1900: 30 woldest thou han bought the fulle knowinge of this, that is to seyn, the knowinge of thy verray freendes ? Now pleyne thee nat thanne of richesse y-lorn, sin thou hast founden the moste precious kinde of richesses, that is to seyn, thy verray freendes.

Metre VIII.: Quod mundus stabili fide.

That the world with stable feith varieth acordable chaunginges, [ ] that the contrarious qualitee of elements holden among hem-self aliaunce perdurable; that Phebus the sonne with his goldene chariet bringeth forth the rosene day; that the mone hath commaundement Skeat1900: 5 over the nightes, which nightes Hesperus the evesterre hath brought; that the see, greedy to flowen, constreyneth [ ] with a certein ende hise flodes, so that it is nat leveful to strecche [ ] hise brode termes or boundes up-on the erthes , that is to seyn, to [ ] covere al the erthe: —al this acordaunce of thinges is bounden with Love, that governeth erthe and see, and hath also commaundements [ ] Skeat1900: 10 to the hevenes. And yif this Love slakede the brydeles, [ ] alle thinges that now loven hem to-gederes wolden maken a bataile continuely, and stryven to fordoon the fasoun of this worlde, the whiche they now leden in acordable feith by faire moevinges. This Love halt to-gideres poeples ioigned with an holy bond, and Skeat1900: 15 knitteth sacrement of mariages of chaste loves; and Love endyteth lawes to trewe felawes. O! weleful were mankinde, yif thilke Love that governeth hevene governed youre corages!’

Prose I.: Iam cantum illa finierat.

By this she hadde ended hir song, whan the sweetnesse of hir ditee hadde thorugh-perced me that was desirous of herkninge, and I astoned hadde yit streighte myn eres, that is to seyn, to [ ] herkne the bet what she wolde seye; so that a litel here-after I seyde thus: ‘O thou that art sovereyn comfort of anguissous Skeat1900: 5 corages, so thou hast remounted and norisshed me with the [ ] weighte of thy sentences and with delyt of thy singinge; so that I trowe nat now that I be unparigal to the strokes of Fortune: [ ] as who seyth, I dar wel now suffren al the assautes of Fortune, and wel defende me fro hir. And tho remedies whiche that thou Skeat1900: 10 seydest her-biforn weren right sharpe, nat only that I am nat [ ] a-grisen of hem now, but I, desirous of heringe, axe gretely to [ ] heren the remedies.’

Than seyde she thus: ‘That felede I ful wel,’ quod she, ‘whan that thou, ententif and stille, ravisshedest my wordes; and I [ ] Skeat1900: 15 abood til that thou haddest swich habite of thy thought as thou hast now; or elles til that I my-self hadde maked to thee the same habit, which that is a more verray thing. And certes, the remenaunt of thinges that ben yit to seye ben swiche, that first Skeat1900: 20 whan men tasten hem they ben bytinge, but whan they ben receyved withinne a wight, than ben they swete. But for thou seyst that thou art so desirous to herkne hem, with how gret brenninge woldest thou glowen, yif thou wistest whider I wol leden thee!’

Skeat1900: 25 ‘Whider is that?’ quod I.

‘To thilke verray welefulnesse,’ quod she, ‘of whiche thyn herte dremeth; but for as moche as thy sighte is ocupied and distorbed by imaginacioun of erthely thinges, thou mayst nat yit seen thilke selve welefulnesse.’

Skeat1900: 30 ‘Do,’ quod I, ‘and shewe me what is thilke verray welefulnesse, I preye thee, with-oute taryinge .’

‘That wole I gladly don,’ quod she, ‘for the cause of thee; [ ] but I wol first marken thee by wordes and I wol enforcen me to [ ] enformen thee thilke false cause of blisfulnesse that thou more Skeat1900: 35 knowest; so that, whan thou hast fully bi-holden thilke false goodes, and torned thyn eyen to that other syde, thou mowe knowe the cleernesse of verray blisfulnesse.

Metre I.: Qui serere ingenuum uolet agrum.

Who-so wole sowe a feeld plentivous, lat him first delivere it fro thornes, and kerve asunder with his hook the busshes and the [ ] fern, so that the corn may comen hevy of eres and of greynes. Hony is the more swete, yif mouthes han first tasted savoures that [ ] Skeat1900: 5 ben wikkid . The sterres shynen more agreably whan the wind Nothus leteth his ploungy blastes; and after that Lucifer the [ ] day-sterre hath chased awey the derke night, the day the fairere ledeth the rosene hors of the sonne. And right so thou, biholdinge first the false goodes, bigin to with-drawen thy nekke [ ] fro the yok of erthely affecciouns; and after-ward the verray goodes Skeat1900: 10 shollen entren in-to thy corage.’

Prose II.: Tunc defixo paullulum uisu.

Tho fastnede she a litel the sighte of hir eyen, and with-drow hir right as it were in-to the streite sete of hir thought; and bigan [ ] to speke right thus: ‘Alle the cures,’ quod she, ‘of mortal folk, [ ] whiche that travaylen hem in many maner studies, goon certes by diverse weyes, but natheles they enforcen hem alle to comen only Skeat1900: 5 to oon ende of blisfulnesse. And blisfulnesse is swiche a good, that who-so that hath geten it, he ne may, over that, no-thing [ ] more desyre. And this thing is forsothe the sovereyn good that [ ] conteyneth in hi-self alle maner goodes; to the whiche good yif ther failede any thing, it mighte nat ben cleped sovereyn good: Skeat1900: 10 for thanne were ther som good, out of this ilke sovereyn good, that [ ] mighte ben desired. Now is it cleer and certein thanne, that blisfulnesse is a parfit estat by the congregacioun of alle goodes; the whiche blisfulnesse, as I have seyd, alle mortal folk enforcen hem to geten by diverse weyes. For-why the coveitise of verray Skeat1900: 15 good is naturelly y-plaunted in the hertes of men; but the miswandringe errour mis-ledeth hem in-to false goodes. Of the whiche men, som of hem wenen that sovereyn good be to liven with-oute nede of any thing, and travaylen hem to be haboundaunt of richesses. And som other men demen that sovereyn good be , Skeat1900: 20 for to ben right digne of reverence; and enforcen hem to ben reverenced among hir neighbours by the honours that they han y-geten. And some folk ther ben that holden , that right heigh power be sovereyn good, and enforcen hem for to regnen, or elles to ioignen hem to hem that regnen. And it semeth to some other Skeat1900: 25 folk, that noblesse of renoun be the sovereyn good; and hasten hem to geten glorious name by the arts of werre and of pees. And many folk mesuren and gessen that sovereyn good be Ioye [ ] and gladnesse, and wenen that it be right blisful thing to ploungen Skeat1900: 30 hem in voluptuous delyt. And ther ben folk that entrechaungen the causes and the endes of thise forseyde goodes, as they that desiren richesses to han power and delytes; or elles they desiren power for to han moneye, or for cause of renoun. In thise thinges, and in swiche othre thinges, is torned alle the entencioun of [ ] Skeat1900: 35 desiringes and of werkes of men; as thus: noblesse and favour of people, whiche that yeveth to men , as it semeth hem , a maner cleernesse of renoun; and wyf and children, that men desiren for cause of delyt and of merinesse. But forsothe, frendes ne sholden [ ] nat be rekned a-mong the godes of fortune, but of vertu; for it is Skeat1900: 40 a ful holy maner thing. Alle thise othre thinges, forsothe, ben taken for cause of power or elles for cause of delyt.

Certes, now am I redy to referren the goodes of the body to thise forseide thinges aboven; for it semeth that strengthe and gretnesse of body yeven power and worthinesse, and that beautee Skeat1900: 45 and swiftnesse yeven noblesses and glorie of renoun; and hele of body semeth yeven delyt. In alle thise thinges it semeth only that blisfulnesse is desired. For-why thilke thing that every man desireth most over alle thinges, he demeth that it be the sovereyn good; but I have defyned that blisfulnesse is the sovereyn good; Skeat1900: 50 for which every wight demeth, that thilke estat that he desireth [ ] over alle thinges, that it be blisfulnesse.

Now hast thou thanne biforn thyn eyen almest al the purposed forme of the welefulnesse of man-kinde, that is to seyn, richesses, honours, power, and glorie, and delyts. The whiche delyt only Skeat1900: 55 considerede Epicurus, and iuged and establisshed that delyt is [ ] the sovereyn good; for as moche as alle othre thinges, as him thoughte, bi-refte awey Ioye and mirthe fram the herte. But I [ ] retorne ayein to the studies of men, of whiche men the corage [ ] alwey reherseth and seketh the sovereyn good , al be it so that [ ] Skeat1900: 60 it be with a derked memorie; but he not by whiche path , right [ ] as a dronken man not nat by whiche path he may retorne him to his hous. Semeth it thanne that folk folyen and erren that enforcen hem to have nede of nothing? Certes, ther nis non other thing that may so wel performe blisfulnesse, as an estat plentivous of alle goodes, that ne hath nede of non other thing, but that is Skeat1900: 65 suffisaunt of himself unto him-self. And folyen swiche folk thanne, that wenen that thilke thing that is right good, that it be eek right [ ] worthy of honour and of reverence? Certes, nay. For that thing nis neither foul ne worthy to ben despised, that wel neigh al the entencioun of mortal folk travaylen for to geten it. And power, Skeat1900: 70 oughte nat that eek to ben rekened amonges goodes? What elles? For it is nat to wene that thilke thing, that is most worthy of alle thinges, be feble and with-oute strengthe. And cleernesse of renoun, oughte that to ben despised? Certes, ther may no man forsake, that al thing that is right excellent and noble, that it ne [ ] Skeat1900: 75 semeth to ben right cleer and renomed. For certes, it nedeth nat to seye, that blisfulnesse be [nat] anguissous ne drery, ne subgit to [ ] grevaunces ne to sorwes, sin that in right litel thinges folk seken to have and to usen that may delyten hem. Certes, thise ben the thinges that men wolen and desiren to geten. And for this Skeat1900: 80 cause desiren they richesses , dignitees, regnes, glorie, and delices. For therby wenen they to han suffisaunce, honour, power, renoun, and gladnesse. Than is it good, that men seken thus by so many [ ] diverse studies. In whiche desyr it may lightly ben shewed how gret is the strengthe of nature; for how so that men han diverse Skeat1900: 85 sentences and discordinge, algates men acorden alle in lovinge the [ ] ende of good.

Metre II.: Quantas rerum flectat habenas.

It lyketh me to shewe, by subtil song, with slakke and delitable [ ] soun of strenges, how that Nature, mighty, enclineth and flitteth [ ] the governements of thinges, and by whiche lawes she, purveyable, [ ] kepeth the grete world; and how she, bindinge, restreyneth alle thinges by a bonde that may nat ben unbounde. Al be it so that Skeat1900: 5 the lyouns of the contre of Pene beren the faire chaynes, and [ ] taken metes of the handes of folk that yeven it hem, and dreden hir sturdy maystres of whiche they ben wont to suffren betinges : [ ] yif that hir horrible mouthes ben be-bled, that is to seyn, of bestes Skeat1900: 10 devoured, hir corage of time passed, that hath ben ydel and rested, repeyreth ayein; and they roren grevously and remembren on hir nature, and slaken hir nekkes fram hir chaynes unbounde; and hir mayster, first to-torn with blody tooth, assayeth the wode [ ] wrathes of hem; this is to seyn, they freten hir mayster. And the Skeat1900: 15 iangelinge brid that singeth on the heye braunches, that is to seyn, [ ] in the wode, and after is enclosed in a streyt cage: al-though that the pleyinge bisinesse of men yeveth hem honiede drinkes and [ ] large metes with swete studie, yit natheles, yif thilke brid, skippinge out of hir streyte cage, seeth the agreables shadewes of the [ ] Skeat1900: 20 wodes, she defouleth with hir feet hir metes y-shad, and seketh mourninge only the wode; and twitereth, desiringe the wode, with hir swete vois. The yerde of a tree, that is haled a-doun by mighty strengthe, boweth redily the crop a-doun: but yif that the hand of him that it bente lat it gon ayein, anon the crop loketh Skeat1900: 25 up-right to hevene. The sonne Phebus, that falleth at even in the westrene wawes, retorneth ayein eftsones his carte, by privee [ ] path, ther-as it is wont aryse. Alle thinges seken ayein to hir propre cours, and alle thinges reioysen hem of hir retorninge ayein to hir [ ] nature. Ne non ordinaunce nis bitaken to thinges, but that Skeat1900: 30 that hath ioyned the endinge to the beginninge, and hath maked the cours of it-self stable, that it chaungeth nat from his propre kinde.

Prose III.: Vos quoque, o terrena animalia.

Certes also ye men, that ben ertheliche beestes, dremen alwey [ ] youre beginninge , al-though it be with a thinne imaginacioun; and by a maner thoughte, al be it nat cleerly ne parfitly, ye loken fram a-fer to thilke verray fyn of blisfulnesse; and ther-fore naturel entencioun ledeth you to thilke verray good, but many maner Skeat1900: 5 errours mis-torneth you ther-fro. Consider now yif that by thilke thinges, by whiche a man weneth to geten him blisfulnesse, yif that he may comen to thilke ende that he weneth to come by nature. For yif that moneye or honours, or thise other forseyde thinges bringen to men swich a thing that no good ne fayle hem Skeat1900: 10 ne semeth fayle, certes than wole I graunte that they ben maked blisful by thilke thinges that they han geten. But yif so be that thilke thinges ne mowen nat performen that they bi-heten, and that ther be defaute of manye goodes, sheweth it nat thanne cleerly that fals beautee of blisfulnesse is knowen and ateint in [ ] Skeat1900: 15 thilke thinges? First and forward thou thy-self, that haddest habundaunces of richesses nat long agon, I axe yif that, in the [ ] habundaunce of alle thilke richesses, thou were never anguissous or sory in thy corage of any wrong or grevaunce that bi-tidde thee on any syde?’ Skeat1900: 20

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘it ne remembreth me nat that evere I was so free of my thought that I ne was alwey in anguissh of somwhat.’

‘ And was nat that ,’ quod she, ‘for that thee lakked som-what [ ] that thou noldest nat han lakked, or elles thou haddest that thou Skeat1900: 25 noldest nat han had?’

‘Right so is it,’ quod I.

‘Thanne desiredest thou the presence of that oon and the absence of that other?’

‘I graunte wel,’ quod I. Skeat1900: 30

‘Forsothe,’ quod she, ‘than nedeth ther som-what that every man desireth?’

‘Ye, ther nedeth,’ quod I.

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘and he that hath lakke or nede of aught nis nat in every wey suffisaunt to himself?’ Skeat1900: 35

‘No,’ quod I. [ ]

‘And thou,’ quod she, ‘in al the plentee of thy richesses haddest thilke lakke of suffisaunse?’

‘What elles?’ quod I.

‘Thanne may nat richesses maken that a man nis nedy, ne that [ ] Skeat1900: 40 he be suffisaunt to him-self; and that was it that they bi-highten, as it semeth. And eek certes I trowe, that this be gretly to considere, that moneye ne hath nat in his owne kinde that it ne may ben bi-nomen of hem that han it, maugre hem?’

Skeat1900: 45 ‘I bi-knowe it wel,’ quod I.

‘Why sholdest thou nat bi-knowen it,’ quod she, ‘whan every day the strenger folk bi-nemen it fro the febler , maugre hem? For whennes comen elles alle thise foreyne compleyntes or [ ] quereles of pletinges, but for that men axen ayein here moneye Skeat1900: 50 that hath ben bi-nomen hem by force or by gyle, and alwey maugre hem ?’

‘Right so is it,’ quod I.

‘Than,’ quod she, ‘hath a man nede to seken him foreyne helpe by whiche he may defende his moneye?’

Skeat1900: 55 ‘Who may sey nay?’ quod I.

‘Certes,’ quod she; ‘and him nedede non help, yif he ne hadde no moneye that he mighte lese?’

‘That is douteles,’ quod I.

‘Than is this thinge torned in-to the contrarye,’ quod she. Skeat1900: 60 ‘For richesses , that men wenen sholde make suffisaunce, they maken a man rather han nede of foreyne help! Which is the manere or the gyse,’ quod she, ‘that richesse may dryve awey nede? Riche folk, may they neither han hunger ne thurst ? Thise riche men, may they fele no cold on hir limes on winter? Skeat1900: 65 But thou wolt answeren, that riche men han y-now wher-with they may staunchen hir hunger, slaken hir thurst , and don a-wey cold. In this wyse may nede be counforted by richesses; but certes, nede ne may nat all outrely ben don a-wey. For though this nede, [ ] that is alwey gapinge and gredy, be fulfild with richesses, and axe [ ] Skeat1900: 70 any thing, yit dwelleth thanne a nede that mighte be fulfild . I holde me stille, and telle nat how that litel thing suffiseth to [ ] nature; but certes to avarice y-nough ne suffiseth no-thing. For sin that richesses ne may nat al don awey nede, but richesses maken nede, what may it thanne be, that ye wenen that richesses [ ] Skeat1900: 75 mowen yeven you suffisaunce?

Metre III.: Quamvis fluente diues auri gurgite.

Al were it so that a riche coveytous man hadde a river fletinge [ ] al of gold, yit sholde it never staunchen his coveitise ; and though [ ] he hadde his nekke y-charged with precious stones of the rede [ ] see, and though he do ere his feldes plentivous with an hundred oxen, never ne shal his bytinge bisinesse for-leten him whyl he Skeat1900: 5 liveth , ne the lighte richesses ne sholle nat beren him companye whan he is ded.

Prose IV.: Set dignitates.

But dignitees, to whom they ben comen, maken they him honorable and reverent? Han they nat so gret strengthe, that they may putte vertues in the hertes of folk that usen the lordshipes of hem? Or elles may they don a-wey the vyces? Certes, they [ ] ne be nat wont to don awey wikkednesse , but they ben wont Skeat1900: 5 rather to shewen wikkednesse. And ther-of comth it that I have right grete desdeyn , that dignitees ben yeven ofte to wikked men; for which thing Catullus cleped a consul of Rome, that highte Nonius , “ postum ” or “boch”; as who seyth, he cleped him a congregacioun of vyces in his brest, as a postum is ful of corupcioun, Skeat1900: 10 al were this Nonius set in a chayre of dignitee. Seest thou nat thanne how gret vilenye dignitees don to wikked men? Certes, unworthinesse of wikked men sholde be the lasse y-sene, yif they nere renomed of none honours. Certes, thou thyself ne mightest [ ] nat ben brought with as manye perils as thou mightest suffren Skeat1900: 15 that thou woldest beren the magistrat with Decorat; that is to [ ] seyn, that for no peril that mighte befallen thee by offence of the king Theodorike, thou noldest nat be felawe in governaunce with Decorat; whan thou saye that he hadde wikked corage of a likerous shrewe Skeat1900: 20 and of an accusor. Ne I ne may nat, for swiche honours, iugen hem worthy of reverence, that I deme and holde unworthy to han thilke same honours. Now yif thou saye a man that were fulfild of wisdom, certes, thou ne mightest nat deme that he were unworthy to the honour, or elles to the wisdom of which he is Skeat1900: 25 fulfild?’—‘No,’ quod I.—‘Certes, dignitees,’ quod she , ‘apertienen proprely to vertu; and vertu transporteth dignitee anon to thilke man to which she hir-self is conioigned. And for as moche as honours of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of honour, it is wel seyn cleerly that they ne han no propre beautee of dignitee.

Skeat1900: 30 And yit men oughten taken more heed in this. For yif it so be that a wikked wight be so mochel the foulere and the more outcast, that he is despysed of most folk, so as dignitee ne may nat [ ] maken shrewes digne of reverence, the which shrewes dignitee sheweth to moche folk, thanne maketh dignitee shrewes rather so Skeat1900: 35 moche more despysed than preysed; and forsothe nat unpunished: [ ] that is for to seyn, that shrewes revengen hem ayeinward up-on dignitees; for they yilden ayein to dignitees as gret guerdoun , whan they bi-spotten and defoulen dignitees with hir vilenye. And for as mochel as thou mowe knowe that thilke Skeat1900: 40 verray reverence ne may nat comen by thise shadewy transitorie [ ] dignitees, undirstond now thus : yif that a man hadde used and had many maner dignitees of consules, and were comen peraventure [ ] amonge straunge naciouns, sholde thilke honour maken him worshipful and redouted of straunge folk? Certes, yif that Skeat1900: 45 honour of poeple were a naturel yift to dignitees, it ne mighte never cesen nowher amonges no maner folk to don his office, [ ] right as fyr in every contree ne stinteth nat to eschaufen and to ben hoot. But for as moche as for to ben holden honourable or reverent ne cometh nat to folk of hir propre strengthe of nature, but only of the false opinioun of folk, that is to seyn, that wenen [ ] Skeat1900: 50 that dignitees maken folk digne of honour; anon therfore whan that they comen ther-as folk ne knowen nat thilke dignitees, hir honours vanisshen awey, and that anon. But that is amonges straunge folk, mayst thou seyn; but amonges hem ther they weren born, ne duren nat thilke dignitees alwey? Certes, the Skeat1900: 55 dignitee of the provostrie of Rome was whylom a gret power; [ ] now is it nothing but an ydel name, and the rente of the senatorie [ ] a gret charge. And yif a wight whylom hadde the office to taken [ ] hede to the vitailes of the people, as of corn and other thinges, he was holden amonges grete; but what thing is now more out-cast Skeat1900: 60 thanne thilke provostrie? And, as I have seyd a litel her-biforn, that thilke thing that hath no propre beautee of him-self receiveth som-tyme prys and shyninge, and som-tyme leseth it by the opinioun of usaunces. Now yif that dignitees thanne ne mowen [ ] nat maken folk digne of reverence, and yif that dignitees [ ] wexen Skeat1900: 65 foule of hir wille by the filthe of shrewes, and yif that dignitees lesen hir shyninge by chaunginge of tymes, and yif they wexen foule by estimacioun of poeple: what is it that they han in hemself [ ] of beautee that oughte ben desired? as who seyth, non; thanne ne mowen they yeven no beautee of dignitee to non other. Skeat1900: 70

Metre IV.: Quamvis se, Tyrio superbus ostro.

Al be it so that the proude Nero, with alle his wode luxurie, [ ] kembde him and aparailede him with faire purpres of Tirie, [ ] and with whyte perles, algates yit throf he hateful to alle folk: [ ] this is to seyn, that al was he behated of alle folk. Yit this wikked Nero hadde gret lordship , and yaf whylom to the Skeat1900: 5 reverents senatours the unworshipful [ ] setes of dignitees. Unworshipful setes he clepeth here, for that Nero, that was so wikked, yaf tho dignitees. Who-so wolde thanne resonably wenen, that blisfulnesse Skeat1900: 10 were in swiche honours as ben yeven by vicious shrewes?

Prose V.: An vero regna regumque familiaritas.

But regnes and familiaritees of kinges, may they maken a [ ] man to ben mighty? How elles, whan hir blisfulnesse dureth [ ] perpetuely ? But certes, the olde age of tyme passed, and eek of present tyme now, is ful of ensaumples how that kinges ben [ ] [ ] Skeat1900: 5 chaunged in-to wrecchednesse out of hir welefulnesse. O! a noble thing and a cleer thing is power, that is nat founden mighty to kepen it-self! And yif that power of reaumes be auctour and maker of blisfulnesse, yif thilke power lakketh on any syde, amenuseth it nat thilke blisfulnesse and bringeth in Skeat1900: 10 wrecchednesse? But yit, al be it so that the reaumes of mankinde strecchen brode, yit mot ther nede ben moche folk, over whiche that every king ne hath no lordshipe ne comaundement. And certes, up-on thilke syde that power faileth, which that [ ] maketh folk blisful, right on that same syde noun-power entreth [ ] Skeat1900: 15 under-nethe, that maketh hem wrecches; in this manere thanne moten kinges han more porcioun of wrecchednesse than of welefulnesse. A tyraunt, that was king of Sisile, that hadde [ ] assayed the peril of his estat, shewede by similitude the dredes of reaumes by gastnesse of a swerd that heng over the heved Skeat1900: 20 of his familier . What thing is thanne this power, that may nat don awey the bytinges of bisinesse, ne eschewe the prikkes of drede? And certes, yit wolden they liven in sikernesse, but they may nat; and yit they glorifye hem in hir power. Holdest thou thanne that thilke man be mighty, that thou seest that Skeat1900: 25 he wolde don that he may nat don? And holdest thou thanne him a mighty man, that hath envirownede his sydes with men of armes or seriaunts , and dredeth more hem that he maketh [ ] agast than they dreden him, and that is put in the handes of his servaunts for he sholde seme mighty? But of familieres or servaunts of kinges what sholde I telle thee anything, sin [ ] Skeat1900: 30 that I myself have shewed thee that reaumes hem-self ben ful of gret feblesse ? The whiche familieres, certes, the ryal power of kinges, in hool estat and in estat abated, ful ofte [ ] throweth adown. Nero constreynede Senek, his familier and [ ] his mayster, to chesen on what deeth he wolde deyen. Antonius [ ] Skeat1900: 35 comaundede that knightes slowen with hir swerdes Papinian his familier , which Papinian hadde ben longe tyme ful mighty amonges hem of the court. And yit, certes, they wolden bothe han renounced hir power; of whiche two Senek enforcede him [ ] to yeven to Nero his richesses, and also to han gon in-to Skeat1900: 40 solitarie exil. But whan the grete weighte, that is to seyn, of [ ] [ ] lordes power or of fortune, draweth hem that shullen falle, neither of hem ne mighte do that he wolde. What thing is thanne thilke power, that though men han it, yit they ben agast; and whanne thou woldest han it, thou nart nat siker; and Skeat1900: 45 yif thou woldest forleten it, thou mayst nat eschuen it? But whether swiche men ben frendes at nede, as ben conseyled by fortune and nat by vertu? Certes, swiche folk as weleful [ ] fortune maketh freendes, contrarious fortune maketh hem enemys. And what pestilence is more mighty for to anoye a [ ] Skeat1900: 50 wight than a familier enemy?

Metre V.: Qui se uolet esse potentem.

Who-so wol be mighty, he mot daunten his cruel corage, [ ] ne putte nat his nekke, overcomen, under the foule reynes of lecherye. For al-be-it so that thy lordshipe strecche so fer, [ ] that the contree of Inde quaketh at thy comaundements or at thy lawes, and that the last ile in the see, that hight Tyle, Skeat1900: 5 be thral to thee, yit, yif thou mayst nat putten awey thy foule derke desyrs, and dryven out fro thee wrecched complaintes, Skeat1900: 8 certes, it nis no power that thou hast.

PROSE VI.: Gloria uero quam fallax saepe.

But glorie, how deceivable and how foul is it ofte! For which thing nat unskilfully a tragedien, that is to seyn, a maker of ditees that highten tragedies, cryde and seide: “O glorie, [ ] [ ] glorie,” quod he , “thou art nothing elles to thousandes of folkes Skeat1900: 5 but a greet sweller of eres!” For manye han had ful greet renoun by the false opinioun of the poeple , and what thing may ben thought fouler than swiche preysinge? For thilke folk that ben preysed falsly, they moten nedes han shame of hir preysinges. And yif that folk han geten hem thonk or preysinge Skeat1900: 10 by hir desertes, what thing hath thilke prys eched or encresed to the conscience of wyse folk, that mesuren hir good, nat by the rumour of the poeple, but by the soothfastnesse of conscience? And yif it seme a fair thing, a man to han encresed and spred his name, than folweth it that it is demed Skeat1900: 15 to ben a foul thing, yif it ne be y-sprad and encresed . But, as I seyde a litel her-biforn that, sin ther mot nedes ben many folk, to whiche folk the renoun of a man ne may nat comen, it befalleth that he, that thou wenest be glorious and renomed, semeth in the nexte partie of the erthes to ben with-oute glorie Skeat1900: 20 and with-oute renoun.

And certes, amonges thise thinges I ne trowe nat that the prys and grace of the poeple nis neither worthy to ben remembred , ne cometh of wyse Iugement, ne is ferme perdurably. But now, of this name of gentilesse , what man is it [ ] Skeat1900: 25 that ne may wel seen how veyn and how flittinge a thing it is? For yif the name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and cleernesse of linage, thanne is gentil name but a foreine thing, that is to seyn, to hem that glorifyen hem of hir linage. For it semeth that gentilesse be a maner preysinge that comth of the deserte of ancestres. And yif preysinge maketh gentilesse, Skeat1900: 30 thanne moten they nedes be gentil that ben preysed. For which thing it folweth , that yif thou ne have no gentilesse of thy-self, that is to seyn, preyse that comth of thy deserte, foreine gentilesse ne maketh thee nat gentil. But certes, yif ther be any good in gentilesse, I trowe it be al-only this, that it semeth Skeat1900: 35 as that a maner necessitee be imposed to gentil men, for that they ne sholden nat outrayen or forliven fro the virtues of hir noble kinrede.

Metre VI.: Omne hominum genus in terris.

Al the linage of men that ben in erthe ben of semblable birthe. On allone is fader of thinges. On allone ministreth alle thinges. He yaf to the sonne hise bemes; he yaf to the mone hir hornes . He yaf the men to the erthe; he yaf the sterres to the hevene. He encloseth with membres the soules Skeat1900: 5 that comen fro his hye sete. Thanne comen alle mortal folk of noble sede; why noisen ye or bosten of youre eldres? For yif thou loke your biginninge, and god your auctor and your [ ] maker, thanne nis ther no forlived wight, but-yif he norisshe [ ] his corage un-to vyces, and forlete his propre burthe. Skeat1900: 10

Prose VII.: Quid autem de corporis uoluptatibus.

But what shal I seye of delices of body, of whiche delices the [ ] desiringes ben ful of anguissh, and the fulfillinges of hem ben ful of penaunce? How greet syknesse and how grete sorwes unsufferable, right as a maner fruit of wikkednesse, ben thilke delices wont to bringen to the bodies of folk that usen hem! Of whiche Skeat1900: 5 delices I not what Ioye may ben had of hir moevinge. But this wot I wel, that who-so-ever wole remembren him of hise luxures, he shal wel understonde that the issues of delices ben sorwful and sorye. And yif thilke delices mowen maken folk blisful, Skeat1900: 10 than by the same cause moten thise bestes ben cleped blisful; of whiche bestes al the entencioun hasteth to fulfille hir bodily Iolitee. And the gladnesse of wyf and children were an honest [ ] thing, but it hath ben seyd that it is over muchel ayeins kinde, that children han ben founden tormentours to hir fadres, I not [ ] Skeat1900: 15 how manye: of whiche children how bytinge is every condicioun, [ ] it nedeth nat to tellen it thee, that hast or this tyme assayed [ ] it, and art yit now anguissous. In this approve I the sentence of my disciple Euripidis , that seyde, that “he that hath no [ ] children is weleful by infortune.”

Metre VII.: Habet omnis hoc uoluptas.

Every delyt hath this, that it anguissheth hem with prikkes that usen it. It resembleth to thise flyinge flyes that we clepen been, that, after that he hath shad hise agreable honies, he fleeth [ ] awey, and stingeth the hertes, of hem that ben y-smite, with Skeat1900: 5 bytinge overlonge holdinge.

Prose VIII.: Nihil igitur dubium est.

Now is it no doute thanne that thise weyes ne ben a maner [ ] misledinges to blisfulnesse, ne that they ne mowe nat leden folk thider as they biheten to leden hem. But with how grete harmes thise forseyde weyes ben enlaced, I shal shewe thee Skeat1900: 5 shortly. For-why yif thou enforcest thee to asemble moneye, thou most bireven him his moneye that hath it. And yif thou wolt shynen with dignitees, thou most bisechen and supplien hem that yeven tho dignitees. And yif thou coveitest [ ] by honour to gon biforn other folk, thou shalt defoule thy-self Skeat1900: 10 thorugh humblesse of axinge. Yif thou desirest power, thou shalt by awaytes of thy subgits anoyously ben cast under manye [ ] periles. Axest thou glorie? Thou shalt ben so destrat by aspre [ ] thinges that thou shalt forgoon sikernesse. And yif thou wolt leden thy lyf in delices, every wight shal despisen thee and forleten thee, as thou that art thral to thing that is right foul Skeat1900: 15 and brotel ; that is to seyn, servaunt to thy body. Now is it [ ] thanne wel seen, how litel and how brotel possessioun they coveiten, that putten the goodes of the body aboven hir owne resoun. For mayst thou sormounten thise olifaunts in gretnesse or weight of body? Or mayst thou ben stronger than the bole? Skeat1900: 20 Mayst thou ben swifter than the tygre? Bihold the spaces and the stablenesse and the swifte cours of the hevene, and stint som-tyme to wondren on foule thinges; the which hevene, certes, nis nat rather for thise thinges to ben wondred up-on, than for the resoun by which it is governed. But the shyning of thy Skeat1900: 25 forme, that is to seyn, the beautee of thy body, how swiftly passinge is it, and how transitorie; certes, it is more flittinge than the mutabilitee of flowers of the somer-sesoun. For so Aristotle [ ] telleth, that yif that men hadden eyen of a beest that highte lynx, so that the lokinge of folk mighte percen thorugh the Skeat1900: 30 thinges that with-stonden it, who-so loked thanne in the entrailes of the body of Alcibiades, that was ful fayr in the superfice with-oute, it shold seme right foul. And forthy, yif thou semest fayr, thy nature maketh nat that, but the desceivaunce of the feblesse of the eyen that loken. But preyse the goodes of the Skeat1900: 35 body as mochel as ever thee list; so that thou knowe algates that, what-so it be, that is to seyn, of the goodes of thy body, which that thou wondrest up-on, may ben destroyed or dissolved by the hete of a fevere of three dayes. Of alle whiche forseyde thinges I may reducen this shortly in a somme , that thise worldly Skeat1900: 40 goodes, whiche that ne mowen nat yeven that they biheten, ne ben nat parfit by the congregacioun of alle goodes; that they ne ben nat weyes ne pathes that bringen men to blisfulnesse, ne maken men to ben blisful.

Metre VIII.: Eheu! quae miseros tramite deuios.

Allas! which folye and which ignoraunce misledeth wandringe wrecches fro the path of verray goode!

Certes, ye ne seken no gold in grene trees, ne ye ne gaderen nat precious stones in the vynes, ne ye ne hyden nat your Skeat1900: 5 ginnes in the hye mountaignes to cacchen fish of whiche ye [ ] may maken riche festes. And yif yow lyketh to hunte to roes , ye ne gon nat to the fordes of the water that highte Tyrene. [ ] And over this, men knowen wel the crykes and the cavernes of the see y-hid in the flodes, and knowen eek which water Skeat1900: 10 is most plentivous of whyte perles, and knowen which water haboundeth most of rede purpre, that is to seyn, of a maner shelle-fish with which men dyen purpre; and knowen which strondes habounden most with tendre fisshes, or of sharpe fisshes that highten echines . But folk suffren hem-self to ben so blinde, [ ] Skeat1900: 15 that hem ne reccheth nat to knowe where thilke goodes ben y-hid whiche that they coveiten, but ploungen hem in erthe and seken there thilke good that sormounteth the hevene that bereth the sterres. What preyere may I maken that be digne to the nyce thoughtes of men? But I preye that they coveiten Skeat1900: 20 richesse and honours, so that, whan they han geten tho false goodes with greet travaile, that ther-by they mowe knowen the verray goodes.

Prose IX.: Hactenus mendacis formam.

It suffyseth that I have shewed hider-to the forme of false welefulnesse, so that, yif thou loke now cleerly, the order of myn entencioun requireth from hennes-forth to shewen thee the verray welefulnesse.’

‘For sothe ,’ quod I, ‘I see wel now that suffisaunce may nat Skeat1900: 5 comen by richesses , ne power by reames , ne reverence by dignitees, ne gentilesse by glorie, ne Ioye by delices.’

‘And hast thou wel knowen the causes ,’ quod she, ‘why it is?’

‘Certes, me semeth,’ quod I, ‘that I see hem right as though [ ] it were thorugh a litel clifte; but me were levere knowen hem Skeat1900: 10 more openly of thee.’

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘the resoun is al redy. For thilke thing that simply is o thing, with-outen any devisioun, the errour and folye of mankinde departeth and devydeth it, and misledeth [ ] it and transporteth from verray and parfit good to goodes that Skeat1900: 15 ben false and unparfit . But sey me this. Wenest thou that [ ] he, that hath nede of power, that him ne lakketh no-thing?’

‘Nay,’ quod I.

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘thou seyst a-right. For yif so be that ther is a thing, that in any partye be febler of power, certes, Skeat1900: 20 as in that, it mot nedes ben nedy of foreine help.’

‘Right so is it,’ quod I.

‘Suffisaunce and power ben thanne of o kinde?’

‘So semeth it,’ quod I.

‘And demest thou ,’ quod she, ‘that a thing that is of this Skeat1900: 25 manere, that is to seyn, suffisaunt and mighty, oughte ben despysed, or elles that it be right digne of reverence aboven alle thinges?’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘it nis no doute, that it is right worthy to ben reverenced.’ Skeat1900: 30

‘Lat us,’ quod she, ‘adden thanne reverence to suffisaunce and to power, so that we demen that thise three thinges ben al o thing.’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘lat us adden it, yif we wolen graunten the sothe.’ Skeat1900: 35

‘What demest thou thanne?’ quod she; ‘is that a derk thing and nat noble, that is suffisaunt, reverent, and mighty, or elles that it is right noble and right cleer by celebritee of renoun? Consider [ ] thanne,’ quod she, ‘as we han graunted her-biforn, that he that Skeat1900: 40 ne hath nede of no-thing, and is most mighty and most digne of honour, yif him nedeth any cleernesse of renoun, which cleernesse he mighte nat graunten of him-self, so that, for lakke of thilke cleernesse, he mighte seme the febeler on any syde or the more out-cast?’ Glose. This is to seyn, nay; for who-so Skeat1900: 45 that is suffisaunt, mighty, and reverent, cleernesse of renoun floweth of the forseyde thinges; he hath it al redy of his suffisaunce.

Boece. ‘I may nat,’ quod I, ‘denye it; but I mot graunte as it is, that this thing be right celebrable by cleernesse of renoun and noblesse.’

Skeat1900: 50 ‘Thanne folweth it,’ quod she, ‘that we adden cleernesse of renoun to the three forseyde thinges, so that ther ne be amonges hem no difference?’

‘ This is a consequence ,’ quod I. [ ]

‘This thing thanne,’ quod she, ‘that ne hath nede of no Skeat1900: 55 foreine thing, and that may don alle thinges by hise strengthes, and that is noble and honourable, nis nat that a mery thing and a Ioyful?’

‘But whennes ,’ quod I, ‘that any sorwe mighte comen to this thing that is swiche, certes, I may nat thinke.’

Skeat1900: 60 ‘Thanne moten we graunte,’ quod she, ‘that this thing be ful of gladnesse, yif the forseyde thinges ben sothe; and certes, also mote we graunten that suffisaunce, power, noblesse, reverence, and gladnesse ben only dyverse by names, but hir substaunce hath no diversitee.’

Skeat1900: 65 ‘It mot needly been so,’ quod I.

‘Thilke thing thanne,’ quod she, ‘that is oon and simple in his nature, the wikkednesse of men departeth it and devydeth it; and whan they enforcen hem to geten partye of a thing that ne hath no part, they ne geten hem neither thilke partye that [ ] Skeat1900: 70 nis non, ne the thing al hool that they ne desire nat.’

‘In which manere?’ quod I.

‘Thilke man,’ quod she, ‘that secheth richesses to fleen povertee, he ne travaileth him nat for to gete power; for he hath levere ben derk and vyl; and eek withdraweth from Skeat1900: 75 him-self many naturel delyts , for he nolde lese the moneye that he hath assembled. But certes, in this manere he ne geteth him nat suffisaunce that power forleteth, and that molestie [ ] prikketh, and that filthe maketh out-cast, and that derkenesse hydeth. And certes, he that desireth only power, he wasteth and scatereth richesse, and despyseth delyts , and eek honour Skeat1900: 80 that is with-oute power, ne he ne preyseth glorie no-thing. Certes, thus seest thou wel, that manye thinges faylen to him; for he hath som-tyme defaute of many necessitees, and many anguisshes byten him; and whan he ne may nat don tho defautes a-wey, he forleteth to ben mighty, and that is the thing that Skeat1900: 85 he most desireth. And right thus may I maken semblable resouns of honours, and of glorie, and of delyts. For so as every of thise forseyde thinges is the same that thise other thinges ben, that is to seyn, al oon thing, who-so that ever seketh to geten that oon of thise, and nat that other , he ne Skeat1900: 90 geteth nat that he desireth.’

Boece. ‘What seyst thou thanne, yif that a man coveiteth to geten alle thise thinges to-gider?’

Philosophie. ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘I wolde seye, that he wolde geten him sovereyn blisfulnesse; but that shal he nat finde in [ ] Skeat1900: 95 tho thinges that I have shewed, that ne mowen nat yeven that they beheten.’

‘Certes, no,’ quod I.

‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘ne sholden men nat by no wey seken blisfulnesse in swiche thinges as men wene that they ne mowen Skeat1900: 100 yeven but o thing senglely of alle that men seken.’

‘I graunte wel,’ quod I; ‘ne no sother thing ne may ben sayd.’

‘Now hast thou thanne,’ quod she, ‘the forme and the causes of false welefulnesse. Now torne and flitte the eyen of thy Skeat1900: 105 thought; for ther shalt thou sen anon thilke verray blisfulnesse that I have bihight thee.’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘it is cleer and open, thogh it were to a blinde man; and that shewedest thou me ful wel a litel herbiforn, whan thou enforcedest thee to shewe me the causes Skeat1900: 110 of the false blisfulnesse. For but-yif I be bigyled, thanne is thilke the verray blisfulnesse parfit, that parfitly maketh a man suffisaunt, mighty, honourable, noble, and ful of gladnesse. And, for thou shalt wel knowe that I have wel understonden Skeat1900: 115 thise thinges with-in my herte, I knowe wel that thilke blisfulnesse, that may verrayly yeven oon of the forseyde thinges, sin they ben al oon, I knowe, douteles, that thilke thing is the fulle blisfulnesse.’

Philosophie. ‘O my norie ,’ quod she, ‘by this opinioun I [ ] Skeat1900: 120 seye that thou art blisful, yif thou putte this ther-to that I shal seyn.’

‘What is that?’ quod I.

‘Trowest thou that ther be any thing in thise erthely mortal toumbling thinges that may bringen this estat?’

Skeat1900: 125 ‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘I trowe it naught; and thou hast shewed me wel that over thilke good ther nis no-thing more to ben desired.’

‘Thise thinges thanne,’ quod she, ‘ that is to sey, erthely suffisaunce and power and swiche thinges, either they semen Skeat1900: 130 lykenesses of verray good, or elles it semeth that they yeve to mortal folk a maner of goodes that ne ben nat parfit; but thilke good that is verray and parfit, that may they nat yeven.’

‘I acorde me wel,’ quod I.

‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘for as mochel as thou hast knowen Skeat1900: 135 which is thilke verray blisfulnesse, and eek whiche thilke thinges ben that lyen falsly blisfulnesse, that is to seyn, that by deceite [ ] semen verray goodes, now behoveth thee to knowe whennes and where thou mowe seke thilke verray blisfulnesse.’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘that desire I greetly, and have abiden longe Skeat1900: 140 tyme to herknen it.’

‘But for as moche,’ quod she, ‘as it lyketh to my disciple Plato, in his book of “ in Timeo ,” that in right litel thinges men [ ] sholden bisechen the help of god, what iugest thou that be now to done, so that we may deserve to finde the sete of thilke Skeat1900: 145 verray good?’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘I deme that we shollen clepen the fader of alle goodes; for with-outen him nis ther no-thing founden a-right.’

‘Thou seyst a-right,’ quod she; and bigan anon to singen right thus:— Skeat1900: 150

Metre IX.: O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas.

‘O thou fader, creator of hevene and of erthes, that governest this world by perdurable resoun, that comaundest the tymes to gon from sin that age hadde beginninge; thou that dwellest [ ] thy-self ay stedefast and stable, and yevest alle othre thinges to ben moeved; ne foreine causes necesseden thee never to [ ] Skeat1900: 5 compoune werk of floteringe matere, but only the forme of [ ] soverein good y-set with-in thee with-oute envye, that moevede thee freely. Thou that art alder-fayrest, beringe the faire world [ ] in thy thought, formedest this world to the lyknesse semblable of that faire world in thy thought. Thou drawest al thing of Skeat1900: 10 thy soverein ensaumpler, and comaundest that this world, parfitliche y-maked, have freely and absolut his parfit parties. Thou bindest the elements by noumbres proporcionables , that [ ] the colde thinges mowen acorden with the hote thinges, and [ ] the drye thinges with the moiste thinges; that the fyr, that Skeat1900: 15 is purest, ne flee nat over hye, ne that the hevinesse ne drawe nat adoun over-lowe the erthes that ben plounged in the wateres. Thou knittest to-gider the mene sowle of treble kinde, moevinge [ ] alle thinges, and devydest it by membres acordinge; and whan it is thus devyded, it hath asembled a moevinge in-to two Skeat1900: 20 roundes; it goth to torne ayein to him-self, and envirouneth a ful deep thought, and torneth the hevene by semblable image. Thou by evene-lyke causes enhansest the sowles and the lasse lyves, and, ablinge hem heye by lighte cartes, thou sowest hem [ ] in-to hevene and in-to erthe; and whan they ben converted to Skeat1900: 25 thee by thy benigne lawe, thou makest hem retorne ayein to thee by ayein-ledinge fyr.

O fader, yive thou to the thought to styen up in-to thy streite sete, and graunte him to enviroune the welle of good; and, the Skeat1900: 30 lighte y-founde, graunte him to fichen the clere sightes of his corage in thee. And scater thou and to-breke thou the weightes and the cloudes of erthely hevinesse, and shyne thou by thy brightnesse. For thou art cleernesse; thou art peysible reste to debonaire folk; thou thy-self art biginninge, berer, leder, path , [ ] Skeat1900: 35 and terme; to loke on thee, that is our ende.

Prose X.: Quoniam igitur quae sit imperfecti.

For as moche thanne as thou hast seyn, which is the forme of good that nis nat parfit, and which is the forme of good that is parfit, now trowe I that it were good to shewe in what this perfeccioun of blisfulnesse is set. And in this thing, I trowe Skeat1900: 5 that we sholden first enquere for to witen, yif that any swiche maner good as thilke good that thou has diffinisshed a litel [ ] heer-biforn, that is to seyn, soverein good, may ben founde in the nature of thinges; for that veyn imaginacioun of thought ne [ ] deceyve us nat, and putte us out of the sothfastnesse of thilke Skeat1900: 10 thing that is summitted unto us . But it may nat ben deneyed that thilke good ne is, and that it nis right as welle of alle [ ] goodes. For al thing that is cleped inparfit is proeved inparfit [ ] by the amenusinge of perfeccioun or of thing that is parfit. And ther-of comth it, that in every thing general, yif that men [ ] Skeat1900: 15 sen any-thing that is inparfit, certes, in thilke general ther mot ben som-thing that is parfit; for yif so be that perfeccioun is don awey, men may nat thinke ne seye fro whennes thilke thing is that is cleped inparfit. For the nature of thinges ne took nat hir beginninge of thinges amenused and inparfit, but it procedeth of thinges that ben al hoole and absolut , and Skeat1900: 20 descendeth so doun in-to outterest thinges, and in-to thinges [ ] empty and with-outen frut. But, as I have y-shewed a litel her-biforn, that yif ther be a blisfulnesse that be freele and veyn and inparfit, ther may no man doute that ther nis som blisfulnesse that is sad, stedefast, and parfit.’ Skeat1900: 25

Boece. ‘This is concluded,’ quod I, ‘fermely and sothfastly.’

Philosophie. ‘But considere also,’ quod she, ‘in wham this blisfulnesse enhabiteth. The comune acordaunce and conceite of the corages of men proeveth and graunteth, that god, prince of alle thinges, is good. For, so as nothing ne may ben thought Skeat1900: 30 bettre than god, it may nat ben douted thanne that he, that [ ] nothing nis bettre , that he nis good. Certes, resoun sheweth [ ] that god is so good, that it proveth by verray force that parfit good is in him. For yif god ne is swich, he ne may nat ben prince of alle thinges; for certes som-thing possessing in it-self Skeat1900: 35 parfit good, sholde ben more worthy than god, and it sholde semen that thilke thing were first, and elder than god. For we han shewed apertly that alle thinges that ben parfit ben first or thinges that ben unparfit ; and for-thy, for as moche as [ ] that my resoun or my proces ne go nat a-wey with-oute an Skeat1900: 40 ende, we owen to graunten that the soverein god is right ful of soverein parfit good. And we han establisshed that the soverein good is verray blisfulnesse: thanne mot it nedes be, that verray blisfulnesse is set in soverein god.’

‘This take I wel,’ quod I, ‘ne this ne may nat ben withseid Skeat1900: 45 in no manere.’

‘But I preye,’ quod she, ‘see now how thou mayst proeven, holily and with-oute corupcioun, this that I have seyd, that the soverein god is right ful of soverein good.’

‘ In which manere?’ quod I . Skeat1900: 50

‘ Wenest thou aught ,’ quod she, ‘that this prince of alle [ ] thinges have y-take thilke soverein good any-wher out of himself, of which soverein good men proveth that he is ful, right as thou mightest thinken that god, that hath blisfulnesse in Skeat1900: 55 him-self, and thilke blisfulnesse that is in him, weren dyvers in substaunce? For yif thou wene that god have received thilke good out of him-self, thou mayst wene that he that yaf thilke good to god be more worthy than is god. But I am bi-knowen and confesse, and that right dignely, that god is right worthy Skeat1900: 60 aboven alle thinges; and, yif so be that this good be in him by nature, but that it is dyvers fro him by weninge resoun, sin we speke of god prince of alle thinges: feigne who-so [ ] feigne may, who was he that hath conioigned thise dyverse thinges to-gider? And eek, at the laste, see wel that a thing Skeat1900: 65 that is dyvers from any thing, that thilke thing nis nat that same thing fro which it is understonden to ben dyvers. Thanne folweth it, that thilke thing that by his nature is dyvers fro soverein good, that that thing nis nat soverein good; but certes, that were a felonous corsednesse to thinken that of him that Skeat1900: 70 nothing nis more worth. For alwey, of alle thinges, the nature of hem ne may nat ben bettre than his biginning; for which I may concluden, by right verray resoun, that thilke that is biginning of alle thinges, thilke same thing is soverein good in his substaunce.’

Skeat1900: 75 Boece. ‘Thou hast seyd rightfully,’ quod I.

Philosophie. ‘But we han graunted,’ quod she, ‘that the soverein good is blisfulnesse.’

‘And that is sooth,’ quod I.

‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘moten we nedes graunten and confessen Skeat1900: 80 that thilke same soverein good be god.’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘I ne may nat denye ne withstonde the resouns purposed; and I see wel that it folweth by strengthe of the premisses.’

‘Loke now,’ quod she, ‘yif this be proved yit more fermely Skeat1900: 85 thus: that ther ne mowen nat ben two soverein goodes that ben dyverse amonge hem-self. For certes, the goodes that ben dyverse amonges hem-self , that oon nis nat that that other is; thanne ne [may] neither of hem ben parfit, so as either of [ ] hem lakketh to other. But that that nis nat parfit, men may seen apertly that it nis nat soverein. The thinges, thanne, that Skeat1900: 90 ben sovereinly goode, ne mowen by no wey ben dyverse. But I have wel concluded that blisfulnesse and god ben the soverein good; for whiche it mot nedes ben, that soverein blisfulnesse is soverein divinitee.’

‘Nothing,’ quod I, ‘nis more soothfast than this, ne more Skeat1900: 95 ferme by resoun; ne a more worthy thing than god may nat ben concluded.’

‘Up-on thise thinges thanne,’ quod she, ‘right as thise geometriens, [ ] whan they han shewed hir proposiciouns, ben wont to bringen in thinges that they clepen porismes, or declaraciouns [ ] Skeat1900: 100 of forseide thinges, right so wole I yeve thee heer as a corollarie, [ ] or a mede of coroune. For-why, for as moche as by the getinge of blisfulnesse men ben maked blisful, and blisfulnesse is divinitee: thanne is it manifest and open, that by the getinge of divinitee men ben maked blisful. Right as by the getinge Skeat1900: 105 of Iustice [ they ben maked iust ], and by the getinge of sapience [ ] they ben maked wyse: right so, nedes, by the semblable resoun, whan they han geten divinitee, they ben maked goddes. Thanne is every blisful man god; but certes, by nature, ther nis but o god; but, by the participacioun of divinitee, ther ne let ne Skeat1900: 110 desturbeth nothing that ther ne ben manye goddes.’

‘This is,’ quod I, ‘a fair thing and a precious, clepe it as thou wolt; be it porisme or corollarie,’ or mede of coroune or declaringes.

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘nothing nis fayrer than is the thing that Skeat1900: 115 by resoun sholde ben added to thise forseide thinges.’

‘What thing?’ quod I.

‘So,’ quod she, ‘as it semeth that blisfulnesse conteneth many thinges, it were for to witen whether that alle thise thinges maken or conioignen as a maner body of blisfulnesse, by dyversitee of Skeat1900: 120 parties or of membres; or elles, yif that any of alle thilke thinges be swich that it acomplisshe by him-self the substaunce of blisfulnesse, so that alle thise othre thinges ben referred and brought to blisfulnesse,’ that is to seyn, as to the cheef of hem.

‘I wolde,’ quod I, ‘that thou makedest me cleerly to understonde Skeat1900: 125 what thou seyst, and that thou recordedest me the forseyde thinges.’

‘Have I nat iuged,’ quod she, ‘that blisfulnesse is good?’

‘Yis, forsothe,’ quod I; ‘and that soverein good.’

Skeat1900: 130 ‘Adde thanne,’ quod she, ‘thilke good, that is maked blisfulnesse, to alle the forseide thinges; for thilke same blisfulnesse that is demed to ben soverein suffisaunce, thilke selve is soverein power, soverein reverence, soverein cleernesse or noblesse, and soverein delyt. Conclusio. What seyst thou thanne of alle thise Skeat1900: 135 thinges, that is to seyn, suffisaunce, power, and this othre thinges; ben they thanne as membres of blisfulnesse, or ben they referred and brought to soverein good, right as alle thinges that ben brought to the chief of hem?’

‘I understonde wel;’ quod I, ‘what thou purposest to seke; Skeat1900: 140 but I desire for to herkne that thou shewe it me.’

‘Tak now thus the discrecioun of this questioun,’ quod she. ‘Yif alle thise thinges,’ quod she, ‘weren membres to felicitee, than weren they dyverse that oon from that other; and swich is the nature of parties or of membres, that dyverse membres compounen Skeat1900: 145 a body.’

‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘it hath wel ben shewed heer-biforn, that alle thise thinges ben alle o thing.’

‘Thanne ben they none membres,’ quod she; ‘for elles it sholde seme that blisfulnesse were conioigned al of on membre Skeat1900: 150 allone; but that is a thing that may nat be don.’

‘This thing,’ quod I, ‘nis nat doutous; but I abyde to herknen the remnaunt of thy questioun.’

‘This is open and cleer,’ quod she, ‘that alle othre thinges ben referred and brought to good. For therefore is suffisaunce requered, Skeat1900: 155 for it is demed to ben good; and forthy is power requered, for men trowen also that it be good; and this same thing mowen we thinken and coniecten of reverence, and of noblesse, and of delyt. Thanne is soverein good the somme and the cause of al that aughte ben desired; for-why thilke thing that with-holdeth Skeat1900: 160 no good in it-self, ne semblaunce of good, it ne may nat wel in no manere be desired ne requered . And the contrarie: for thogh that thinges by hir nature ne ben nat goode, algates, yif men wene that ben goode, yit ben they desired as though that they weren verrayliche goode. And therfor is it that men oughten to wene by right, that bountee be the soverein fyn, and the cause [ ] Skeat1900: 165 of alle the thinges that ben to requeren. But certes, thilke that is cause for which men requeren any thing, it semeth that thilke same thing be most desired. As thus: yif that a wight wolde ryden for cause of hele, he ne desireth nat so mochel the moevinge to ryden, as the effect of his hele. Now thanne, sin that Skeat1900: 170 alle thinges ben requered for the grace of good, they ne ben nat desired of alle folk more thanne the same good. But we han graunted that blisfulnesse is that thing, for whiche that alle thise othre thinges ben desired; thanne is it thus: that, certes, only blisfulnesse is requered and desired. By whiche thing it sheweth Skeat1900: 175 cleerly, that of good and of blisfulnesse is al oon and the same substaunce.’

‘I see nat,’ quod I, ‘wherfore that men mighten discorden in this.’

‘And we han shewed that god and verray blisfulnesse is al oo Skeat1900: 180 thing.’

‘That is sooth,’ quod I.

‘Thanne mowen we conclude sikerly, that the substaunce of god is set in thilke same good, and in non other place. Skeat1900: 184

Metre X.: Huc omnes pariter uenite capti.

O cometh alle to-gider now, ye that ben y-caught and y-bounde with wikkede cheynes, by the deceivable delyt of erthely thinges enhabitinge in your thought! Heer shal ben the reste of your labours, heer is the havene stable in peysible quiete; this allone is the open refut to wrecches. Glosa. This is to seyn, that ye Skeat1900: 5 that ben combred and deceived with worldely affecciouns, cometh now to this soverein good, that is god, that is refut to hem that wolen comen to him. Textus. Alle the thinges that the river Tagus [ ] yeveth yow with his goldene gravailes, or elles alle the thinges that the river Hermus yeveth with his rede brinke, or that Indus [ ] Skeat1900: 10 yeveth, that is next the hote party of the world, that medleth the [ ] grene stones with the whyte , ne sholde nat cleeren the lookinge of your thought, but hyden rather your blinde corages with-in hir derknesse . Al that lyketh yow heer, and excyteth and moeveth Skeat1900: 15 your thoughtes, the erthe hath norisshed it in hise lowe caves. But the shyninge, by whiche the hevene is governed and whennes he hath his strengthe, that eschueth the derke overthrowinge of [ ] the sowle; and who-so may knowen thilke light of blisfulnesse, he shal wel seyn, that the whyte bemes of the sonne ne ben nat Skeat1900: 20 cleer.’

Prose XI.: Assentior, inquam.

Boece. ‘I assente me,’ quod I; ‘for alle thise thinges ben strongly bounden with right ferme resouns.’

Philosophie. ‘How mochel wilt thou preysen it,’ quod she, [ ] ‘yif that thou knowe what thilke good is?’

Skeat1900: 5 ‘I wol preyse it,’ quod I, ‘by prys with-outen ende, yif it shal bityde me to knowe also to-gider god that is good.’

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘ that shal I do thee by verray resoun , yif that tho thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn dwellen only in hir first graunting.’

Skeat1900: 10 ‘They dwellen graunted to thee,’ quod I; this is to seyn, as who seith: I graunte thy forseide conclusiouns.

‘Have I nat shewed thee,’ quod she, ‘that the thinges that ben requered of many folkes ne ben nat verray goodes ne parfite, for they ben dyverse that oon fro that othre; and so as ech of hem Skeat1900: 15 is lakkinge to other, they ne han no power to bringen a good that is ful and absolut? But thanne at erst ben they verray good, whanne they ben gadered to-gider alle in-to o forme and in-to oon wirkinge, so that thilke thing that is suffisaunce, thilke same be power, and reverence, and noblesse, and mirthe; and forsothe, Skeat1900: 20 but-yif alle thise thinges ben alle oon same thing, they ne han nat wherby that they mowen ben put in the noumber of thinges that oughten ben requered or desired.’

‘It is shewed,’ quod I; ‘ne her-of may ther no man douten.’

‘The thinges thanne,’ quod she, ‘that ne ben no goodes [ ] whanne they ben dyverse, and whan they beginnen to ben alle Skeat1900: 25 oon thing thanne ben they goodes, ne comth it hem nat thanne by the getinge of unitee, that they ben maked goodes?’

‘So it semeth,’ quod I.

‘But al thing that is good,’ quod she, ‘ grauntest thou that it be good by the participacioun of good, or no?’ Skeat1900: 30

‘I graunte it,’ quod I.

‘Thanne most thou graunten,’ quod she, ‘by semblable resoun, that oon and good be oo same thing. For of thinges, of whiche that the effect nis nat naturelly diverse, nedes the substance mot be oo same thing.’ Skeat1900: 35

‘I ne may nat denye that,’ quod I.

‘ Hast thou nat knowen wel,’ quod she, ‘that al thing that is hath so longe his dwellinge and his substaunce as longe as it is oon; but whan it forleteth to ben oon, it mot nedes dyen and corumpe to-gider?’ Skeat1900: 40

‘In which manere?’ quod I.

‘Right as in bestes,’ quod she, ‘whan the sowle and the body ben conioigned in oon and dwellen to-gider, it is cleped a beest. And whan hir unitee is destroyed by the disseveraunce of that oon from that other, than sheweth it wel that it is a ded thing, and Skeat1900: 45 that it nis no lenger no beest. And the body of a wight, whyl it dwelleth in oo forme by coniuncccioun of membres, it is wel seyn that it is a figure of man-kinde. And yif the parties of the body ben so devyded and dissevered, that oon fro that other, that they destroyen unitee, the body forleteth to ben that Skeat1900: 50 it was biforn. And, who-so wolde renne in the same manere by alle thinges, he sholde seen that, with-oute doute, every thing is in his substaunce as longe as it is oon; and whan it forleteth to ben oon, it dyeth and perissheth .’

‘Whan I considere,’ quod I, ‘manye thinges, I see non other.’ [ ] Skeat1900: 55

‘Is ther any-thing thanne,’ quod she, ‘that, in as moche as it liveth naturelly, that forleteth the talent or appetyt of his beinge, and desireth to come to deeth and to corupcioun?’

‘Yif I considere,’ quod I, ‘the beestes that han any maner Skeat1900: 60 nature of wilninge and of nillinge, I ne finde no beest, but-yif it be constreined fro with-oute forth, that forleteth or despyseth the entencioun to liven and to duren, or that wole, [ ] his thankes, hasten him to dyen. For every beest travaileth him to deffende and kepe the savacioun of his lyf, and eschueth deeth Skeat1900: 65 and destruccioun.

But certes, I doute me of herbes and of trees, that is to seyn, that I am in a doute of swiche thinges as herbes or trees, that ne han no felinge sowles , ne no naturel wirkinges servinge to appetytes as bestes han, whether they han appetyt to dwellen Skeat1900: 70 and to duren. ’

‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘ne ther-of thar thee nat doute. Now [ ] loke up-on thise herbes and thise trees; they wexen first in swiche places as ben covenable to hem, in whiche places they ne mowen nat sone dyen ne dryen, as longe as hir nature may Skeat1900: 75 deffenden hem. For som of hem waxen in feeldes, and som in mountaignes, and othre waxen in mareys , and othre cleven on roches, and somme waxen plentivous in sondes; and yif that any wight enforce him to beren hem in-to othre places, they wexen drye. For nature yeveth to every thing that that Skeat1900: 80 is convenient to him, and travaileth that they ne dye nat, as longe as they han power to dwellen and to liven. What woltow [ ] seyn of this, that they drawen alle hir norisshinges by hir rotes, right as they hadden hir mouthes y-plounged with-in the erthes, and sheden by hir maryes hir wode and hir bark? And what Skeat1900: 85 woltow seyn of this, that thilke thing that is right softe, as the marye is, that is alwey hid in the sete , al with-inne, and that is defended fro with-oute by the stedefastnesse of wode; and that the uttereste bark is put ayeins the destemperaunce of the hevene, as a defendour mighty to suffren harm? And thus, certes, maystow wel seen how greet is the diligence of nature; Skeat1900: 90 for alle thinges renovelen and puplisshen hem with seed y-multiplyed; [ ] ne ther nis no man that ne wot wel that they ne [ ] ben right as a foundement and edifice, for to duren nat only for a tyme, but right as for to duren perdurably by generacioun. And the thinges eek that men wenen ne haven none sowles, Skeat1900: 95 ne desire they nat ech of hem by semblable resoun to kepen that is hirs, that is to seyn, that is acordinge to hir nature in conservacioun of hir beinge and enduringe? For wher-for elles bereth lightnesse the flaumbes up, and the weighte presseth the erthe a-doun, but for as moche as thilke places and thilke Skeat1900: 100 moevinges ben covenable to everich of hem? And forsothe every thing kepeth thilke that is acordinge and propre to him, right as thinges that ben contraries and enemys corompen hem. And yit the harde thinges, as stones, clyven and holden hir parties to-gider right faste and harde, and deffenden hem in Skeat1900: 105 withstondinge that they ne departe nat lightly a-twinne . And the thinges that ben softe and fletinge, as is water and eyr, they departen lightly, and yeven place to hem that breken or devyden hem; but natheles, they retornen sone ayein in-to the same thinges fro whennes they ben arraced . But fyr fleeth [ ] Skeat1900: 110 and refuseth al devisioun. Ne I ne trete nat heer now of wilful moevinges of the sowle that is knowinge, but of the [ ] naturel entencioun of thinges, as thus: right as we swolwe the mete that we receiven and ne thinke nat on it, and as we drawen our breeth in slepinge that we wite it nat whyle we Skeat1900: 115 slepen . For certes, in the beestes, the love of hir livinges ne of hir beinges ne comth nat of the wilninges of the sowle, but of the biginninges of nature. For certes, thorugh constreininge causes, wil desireth and embraceth ful ofte tyme the deeth that nature dredeth; that is to seyn as thus: that a man may Skeat1900: 120 ben constreyned so, by som cause, that his wil desireth and taketh the deeth which that nature hateth and dredeth ful sore. And somtyme we seeth the contraye, as thus: that the wil [ ] of a wight destorbeth and constreyneth that that nature desireth Skeat1900: 125 and requereth al-wey, that is to seyn, the werk of generacioun, by the whiche generacioun only dwelleth and is sustened the long durabletee of mortal thinges. [ ]