And thus this charitee and this love, that every thing hath to him-self, ne comth nat of the moevinge of the sowle, but Skeat1900: 130 of the entencioun of nature. For the purviaunce of god hath yeven to thinges that ben creat of him this, that is a ful gret cause to liven and to duren; for which they desiren naturelly hir lyf as longe as ever they mowen. For which thou mayst nat drede, by no manere, that alle the thinges Skeat1900: 135 that ben anywhere, that they ne requeren naturelly the ferme stablenesse of perdurable dwellinge, and eek the eschuinge of destruccioun.’
Boece. ‘Now confesse I wel,’ quod I, ‘that I see now wel certeinly, with-oute doutes, the thinges that whylom semeden Skeat1900: 140 uncertain to me.’
‘But,’ quod she, ‘thilke thing that desireth to be and to dwellen perdurably , he desireth to ben oon; for yif that that [ ] oon were destroyed, certes, beinge ne shulde ther non dwellen to no wight.’
Skeat1900: 145 ‘That is sooth,’ quod I.
‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘desiren alle thinges oon?’
‘I assente,’ quod I.
‘And I have shewed,’ quod she, ‘that thilke same oon is thilke that is good?’
Skeat1900: 150 ‘Ye, for sothe,’ quod I.
‘Alle thinges thanne,’ quod she, ‘requiren good; and thilke good thanne mayst thou descryven right thus: good is thilke thing that every wight desireth.’
‘Ther ne may be thought,’ quod I, ‘no more verray thing. Skeat1900: 155 For either alle thinges ben referred and brought to nought, and floteren with-oute governour, despoiled of oon as of hir [ ] propre heved; or elles, yif ther be any thing to which that alle thinges tenden and hyen, that thing moste ben the soverein good of alle goodes.’
Skeat1900: 160 Thanne seyde she thus: ‘O my nory,’ quod she, ‘I have gret gladnesse of thee; for thou hast ficched in thyn herte [ ] the middel soothfastnesse, that is to seyn, the prikke; but this thing hath ben descovered to thee, in that thou seydest that [ ] thou wistest nat a litel her-biforn.’
‘What was that ?’ quod I. Skeat1900: 165
‘That thou ne wistest nat,’ quod she, ‘which was the ende of thinges; and certes, that is the thing that every wight desireth; and for as mochel as we han gadered and comprehended that good is thilke thing that is desired of alle, thanne moten we nedes confessen, that good is the fyn of alle thinges. Skeat1900: 170
Me. XI.
Who-so that seketh sooth by a deep thought, and coveiteth nat to ben deceived by no mis-weyes, lat him rollen and trenden [ ] with-inne him-self the light of his inward sighte; and lat him gadere ayein, enclyninge in-to a compas, the longe moevinges of his thoughtes; and lat him techen his corage that he hath Skeat1900: 5 enclosed and hid in his tresors, al that he compasseth or seketh fro with-oute. And thanne thilke thinge, that the blake cloude [ ] of errour whylom hadde y-covered, shal lighten more cleerly [ ] thanne Phebus him-self ne shyneth.
Glosa. Who-so wole seken the deep grounde of sooth in his [ ] Skeat1900: 10 thought, and wol nat be deceived by false proposiciouns that goon amis fro the trouthe, lat him wel examine and rolle with-inne himself the nature and the propretees of the thing; and lat him yit eftsones examine and rollen his thoughtes by good deliberacioun, or that he deme; and lat him techen his sowle that it hath, by natural Skeat1900: 15 principles kindeliche y-hid with-in it-self, alle the trouthe the whiche he imagineth to ben in thinges with-oute. And thanne alle the derknesse of his misknowinge shal seme more evidently to sighte of his understondinge thanne the sonne ne semeth to sighte with-oute-forth. Skeat1900: 20
For certes the body, bringinge the weighte of foryetinge, ne hath nat chased out of your thoughte al the cleernesse of your knowinge; for certeinly the seed of sooth haldeth and clyveth with-in your corage, and it is awaked and excyted by the winde Skeat1900: 25 and by the blastes of doctrine. For wherfor elles demen ye of your owne wil the rightes, whan ye ben axed , but-yif so were that the norisshinge of resoun ne livede y-plounged in the depthe of your herte? this is to seyn, how sholden men demen the sooth of any thing that were axed , yif ther nere a rote of soothfastnesse that Skeat1900: 30 were y-plounged and hid in naturel principles, the whiche soothfastnesse lived with-in the deepnesse of the thought. And yif so be that the Muse and the doctrine of Plato singeth sooth, al that [ ] every wight lerneth, he ne doth no-thing elles thanne but recordeth, as men recorden thinges that ben foryeten.’
Pr. XII.
Thanne seide I thus: ‘I acorde me gretly to Plato, for thou remembrest and recordest me this thinges yit the secounde tyme ; that is to seyn, first whan I loste my memorie by the contagious coniunccioun of the body with the sowle; and Skeat1900: 5 eftsones afterward, whan I loste it, confounded by the charge and by the burdene of my sorwe.’
And thanne seide she thus: ‘yif thou loke,’ quod she, ‘first the thinges that thou hast graunted, it ne shal nat ben right fer that thou ne shalt remembren thilke thing that thou seydest that Skeat1900: 10 thou nistest nat.’
‘What thing?’ quod I.
‘By whiche governement,’ quod she, ‘that this world is governed.’
‘Me remembreth it wel,’ quod I; ‘and I confesse wel that I Skeat1900: 15 ne wiste it naught. But al-be-it so that I see now from a-fer what thou purposest, algates, I desire yit to herkene it of thee more pleynly.’
‘Thou ne wendest nat,’ quod she, ‘a litel her-biforn, that men [ ] sholden doute that this world nis governed by god.’ [ ]
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘ne yit ne doute I it naught, ne I nel never Skeat1900: 20 wene that it were to doute; as who seith, but I wot wel that god governeth this world; and I shal shortly answeren thee by what resouns I am brought to this. This world,’ quod I, ‘of so manye dyverse and contrarious parties, ne mighte never han ben assembled in o forme, but-yif ther nere oon that conioignede so Skeat1900: 25 manye dyverse thinges; and the same dyversitee of hir natures, that so discorden that oon fro that other, moste departen and unioignen the thinges that ben conioigned, yif ther ne were oon [ ] that contenede that he hath conioined and y-bounde. Ne the certein ordre of nature ne sholde nat bringe forth so ordenee [ ] Skeat1900: 30 moevinges, by places, by tymes, by doinges, by spaces , by qualitees, yif ther ne were oon that were ay stedefast dwellinge, that ordeynede and disponede thise dyversitees of moevinges. And thilke thing, what-so-ever it be, by which that alle thinges ben y-maked and y-lad, I clepe him “god”; that is a word that Skeat1900: 35 is used to alle folk.’
Thanne seyde she: ‘sin thou felest thus thise thinges,’ quod she, ‘I trowe that I have litel more to done that thou, mighty of [ ] welefulnesse, hool and sounde, ne see eftsones thy contree. But lat us loken the thinges that we han purposed her-biforn. Skeat1900: 40 Have I nat noumbred and seyd,’ quod she, ‘that suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse, and we han acorded that god is thilke same blisfulnesse?’
‘Yis, forsothe,’ quod I.
‘And that, to governe this world,’ quod she, ‘ne shal he never Skeat1900: 45 han nede of non help fro with-oute? For elles, yif he hadde nede of any help, he ne sholde nat have no ful suffisaunce?’
‘Yis, thus it mot nedes be,’ quod I.
‘Thanne ordeineth he by him-self al-one alle thinges?’ quod she.
‘That may nat be deneyed ,’ quod I. Skeat1900: 50
‘And I have shewed that god is the same good?’
‘It remembreth me wel,’ quod I.
‘Thanne ordeineth he alle thinges by thilke good,’ quod she; ‘sin he, which that we han acorded to be good, governeth alle Skeat1900: 55 thinges by him-self; and he is as a keye and a stere by which [ ] that the edifice of this world is y-kept stable and with-oute coroumpinge .’
‘I acorde me greetly,’ quod I; ‘and I aperceivede a litel herbiforn that thou woldest seye thus; al-be-it so that it were by Skeat1900: 60 a thinne suspecioun.’
‘I trowe it wel,’ quod she; ‘for, as I trowe, thou ledest now more ententifly thyne eyen to loken the verray goodes. But natheles the thing that I shal telle thee yit ne sheweth nat lasse to [ ] loken.’
Skeat1900: 65 ‘What is that?’ quod I.
‘So as men trowen,’ quod she, ‘and that rightfully, that god governeth alle thinges by the keye of his goodnesse, and alle thise [ ] same thinges, as I have taught thee, hasten hem by naturel entencioun to comen to good: ther may no man douten that they Skeat1900: 70 ne be governed voluntariely, and that they ne converten hem of hir owne wil to the wil of hir ordenour, as they that ben acordinge and enclyninge to hir governour and hir king.’
‘It mot nedes be so,’ quod I; ‘for the reaume ne sholde nat [ ] semen blisful yif ther were a yok of misdrawinges in dyverse Skeat1900: 75 parties; ne the savinge of obedient thinges ne sholde nat be.’
‘Thanne is ther nothing,’ quod she, ‘that kepeth his nature, that enforceth him to goon ayein god?’
‘No,’ quod I.
‘And yif that any-thing enforcede him to with-stonde god, Skeat1900: 80 mighte it availen at the laste ayeins him, that we han graunted to ben almighty by the right of blisfulnesse?’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘al-outrely it ne mighte nat availen him .’
‘Thanne is ther no-thing,’ quod she, ‘that either wole or may with-stonden to this soverein good?’
Skeat1900: 85 ‘I trowe nat,’ quod I,
‘Thanne is thilke the soverein good,’ quod she, ‘that alle thinges governeth strongly, and ordeyneth hem softely.’ [ ]
Thanne seyde I thus: ‘I delyte me,’ quod I, ‘nat only in the endes or in the somme of the resouns that thou hast concluded Skeat1900: 90 and proeved, but thilke wordes that thou usest delyten me moche more; so, at the laste, fooles that sumtyme renden grete thinges [ ] oughten ben ashamed of hem-self;’ that is to seyn, that we fooles that reprehenden wikkedly the thinges that touchen goddes governaunce, we oughten ben ashamed of our-self: as I, that seyde that god refuseth only the werkes of men, and ne entremeteth nat of Skeat1900: 95 hem .’
‘Thou hast wel herd,’ quod she, ‘the fables of the poetes, how the giaunts assaileden the hevene with the goddes; but forsothe, [ ] the debonair force of god deposede hem, as it was worthy; that is to seyn, destroyede the giaunts, as it was worthy. But wilt Skeat1900: 100 thou that we ioignen to-gider thilke same resouns? For peraventure, of swich coniuncioun may sterten up som fair sparkle of sooth.’
‘Do,’ quod I, ‘as thee liste.’
‘Wenest thou,’ quod she, ‘that god ne be almighty? No man Skeat1900: 105 is in doute of it.’
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘no wight ne douteth it, yif he be in his minde.’
‘But he,’ quod she, ‘that is almighty, ther nis nothing that he ne may ?’ Skeat1900: 110
‘That is sooth,’ quod I.
‘May god don yvel?’ quod she.
‘Nay, forsothe,’ quod I.
‘Thanne is yvel nothing,’ quod she, ‘sin that he ne may nat don yvel that may don alle thinges.’ Skeat1900: 115
‘ Scornest thou me?’ quod I; ‘ or elles pleyest thou or deceivest thou [ ] me, that hast so woven me with thy resouns the hous of [ ] Dedalus , so entrelaced that it is unable to be unlaced; thou that other-whyle entrest ther thou issest , and other-whyle issest ther thou entrest, ne foldest thou nat to-gider, by replicacioun of Skeat1900: 120 wordes, a maner wonderful cercle or environinge of the simplicitee devyne? For certes, a litel her-biforn, whan thou bigunne at blisfulnesse, thou seydest that it is soverein good; and seydest that it is set in soverein god; and seydest that god him-self is soverein good; and that god is the fulle blisfulnesse; for which [ ] Skeat1900: 125 thou yave me as a covenable yift, that is to seyn, that no wight nis blisful but-yif he be god also ther-with. And seidest eek, that the forme of good is the substaunce of god and of blisfulnesse; and seidest, that thilke same oon is thilke same good, that is Skeat1900: 130 requered and desired of alle the kinde of thinges. And thou proevedest, in disputinge, that god governeth all the thinges of the world by the governements of bountee , and seydest, that alle [ ] thinges wolen obeyen to him; and seydest, that the nature of yvel nis no-thing. And thise thinges ne shewedest thou nat with none Skeat1900: 135 resouns y-taken fro with-oute, but by proeves in cercles and hoomlich [ ] knowen; the whiche proeves drawen to hem-self hir feith and hir acord, everich of hem of other.’
Thanne seyde she thus: ‘I ne scorne thee nat, ne pleye, ne deceive thee; but I have shewed thee the thing that is grettest Skeat1900: 140 over alle thinges by the yift of god, that we whylom preyeden. For this is the forme of the devyne substaunce, that is swich that it ne slydeth nat in-to outterest foreine thinges, ne ne receiveth no straunge thinges in him; but right as Parmenides seyde [ ] in Greek of thilke devyne substaunce; he seyde thus: that “thilke Skeat1900: 145 devyne substaunce torneth the world and the moevable cercle of thinges, whyl thilke devyne substaunce kepeth it-self with-oute moevinge;” that is to seyn, that it ne moeveth never-mo, and yit it moeveth alle othre thinges. But natheles, yif I have stired resouns that ne ben nat taken fro with-oute the compas of thing of which Skeat1900: 150 we treten, but resouns that ben bistowed with-in that compas, ther nis nat why that thou sholdest merveilen; sin thou hast lerned by the sentence of Plato, that “nedes the wordes moten [ ] be cosines to the thinges of which they speken.”
Me. XII.
Blisful is that man that may seen the clere welle of good; blisful is he that may unbinden him fro the bondes of the hevy erthe. The poete of Trace, Orpheus, that whylom hadde right greet sorwe [ ] for the deeth of his wyf, after that he hadde maked, by his weeply [ ] songes, the wodes, moevable, to rennen; and hadde maked the [ ] Skeat1900: 5 riveres to stonden stille; and hadde maked the hertes and the hindes to ioignen, dredeles, hir sydes to cruel lyouns, for to herknen his songe; and hadde maked that the hare was nat agast of the hounde, which that was plesed by his songe: so, whan the moste ardaunt love of his wif brende the entrailes of his brest, ne the Skeat1900: 10 songes that hadden overcomen alle thinges ne mighten nat asswagen hir lord Orpheus, he pleynede him of the hevene goddes [ ] that weren cruel to him; he wente him to the houses of helle. And there he temprede hise blaundisshinge songes by resowninge strenges, and spak and song in wepinge al that ever he hadde Skeat1900: 15 received and laved out of the noble welles of his moder [ ] Calliope [ ] the goddesse; and he song with as mochel as he mighte of wepinge, [ ] and with as moche as love, that doublede his sorwe, mighte yeve him and techen him; and he commoevede the helle, and requerede and bisoughte by swete preyere the lordes of sowles Skeat1900: 20 in helle, of relesinge; that is to seyn, to yilden him his wyf. [ ]
Cerberus, the porter of helle, with his three hevedes, was caught [ ] and al abayst for the newe song; and the three goddesses, Furies , [ ] and vengeresses of felonyes, that tormenten and agasten the sowles by anoy, woxen sorwful and sory, and wepen teres for pitee. Skeat1900: 25 Tho ne was nat the heved of Ixion y-tormented by the overthrowinge [ ] wheel; and Tantalus , that was destroyed by the woodnesse [ ] of longe thurst , despyseth the flodes to drinke; the fowl that highte voltor, that eteth the stomak or the giser of Tityus , is so [ ] fulfild of his song that it nil eten ne tyren no more. At the laste Skeat1900: 30 the lord and Iuge of sowles was moeved to misericordes and cryde, “we ben overcomen,” quod he; “yive we to Orpheus his wyf to bere him companye; he hath wel y-bought hir by his song and his ditee; but we wol putte a lawe in this, and covenaunt in [ ] Skeat1900: 35 the yifte: that is to seyn, that, til he be out of helle, yif he loke behinde him, that his wyf shal comen ayein unto us.”
But what is he that may yive a lawe to loveres? Love is [ ] a gretter lawe and a strenger to him-self than any lawe that men may yeven. Allas! whan Orpheus and his wyf weren almest at the Skeat1900: 40 termes of the night, that is to seyn, at the laste boundes of helle, Orpheus lokede abakward on Eurydice his wyf, and loste hir, and was deed. [ ]
This fable aperteineth to yow alle, who-so-ever desireth or seketh to lede his thought in-to the soverein day, that is to seyn, Skeat1900: 45 to cleernesse of soverein good . For who-so that ever be so overcomen that he ficche his eyen into the putte of helle, that is to seyn, who-so sette his thoughtes in erthely thinges, al that ever he hath drawen of the noble good celestial, he leseth it whan he loketh the helles,’ that is to seyn, in-to lowe thinges of the erthe . [ ]
Explicit Liber tercius.
Pr. I.
Whan Philosophye hadde songen softely and delitably the forseide thinges, kepinge the dignitee of hir chere and the weighte of hir wordes, I thanne, that ne hadde nat al-outerly foryeten the wepinge and the mourninge that was set in myn Skeat1900: 5 herte, forbrak the entencioun of hir that entendede yit to seyn [ ] some othre thinges. ‘ O ,’ quod I, ‘thou that art gyderesse of verrey light; the thinges that thou hast seid me hider-to ben so clere to me and so shewinge by the devyne lookinge of hem, and by thy resouns, that they ne mowen ben overcomen. And Skeat1900: 10 thilke thinges that thou toldest me, al-be-it so that I hadde whylom foryeten hem, for the sorwe of the wrong that hath ben don to me, yit natheles they ne weren nat al-outrely unknowen to me. But this same is, namely, a right greet cause of my sorwe, [ ] so as the governour of thinges is good, yif that yveles mowen ben by any weyes; or elles yif that yveles passen with-oute punisshinge. Skeat1900: 15 The whiche thing only, how worthy it is to ben wondred up-on, thou considerest it wel thy-self certeinly. But yit to this thing ther is yit another thing y-ioigned, more to ben wondred up-on. For felonye is emperesse , and floureth ful of richesses ; and vertu nis nat al-only with-oute medes, but it is cast under and Skeat1900: 20 fortroden under the feet of felonous folk; and it abyeth the torments in stede of wikkede felounes. Of alle whiche thinges ther nis no wight that may merveylen y-nough, ne compleine, that swiche thinges ben doon in the regne of god, that alle thinges woot and alle thinges may, and ne wole nat but only gode [ ] Skeat1900: 25 thinges.’
Thanne seyde she thus: ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘that were a greet merveyle, and an enbasshinge with-outen ende, and wel more [ ] horrible than alle monstres, yif it were as thou wenest; that is to seyn, that in the right ordenee hous of so mochel a fader and an [ ] Skeat1900: 30 ordenour of meynee, that the vesseles [ ] that ben foule and vyle sholden ben honoured and heried , and the precious vesseles sholden ben defouled and vyle; but it nis nat so. For yif tho thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn ben kept hole and unraced , thou shalt wel knowe by the autoritee of god, of the Skeat1900: 35 whos regne I speke, that certes the gode folk ben alwey mighty, and shrewes ben alwey out-cast and feble; ne the vyces ne ben never-mo with-oute peyne, ne the vertues ne ben nat with-oute mede; and that blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folk, and infortune comth alwey to wikked folk. And thou shalt wel Skeat1900: 40 knowe many thinges of this kinde, that shollen cesen thy pleintes, [ ] and strengthen thee with stedefast sadnesse. And for thou hast seyn the forme of the verray blisfulnesse by me, that have whylom shewed it thee, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse Skeat1900: 45 is y-set, alle thinges y-treted that I trowe ben necessarie to [ ] putten forth, I shal shewe thee the wey that shal bringen thee ayein un-to thyn hous. And I shal ficchen fetheres in thy thought, [ ] by whiche it may arysen in heighte, so that, alle tribulacioun y-don awey, thou, by my gydinge and by my path and by my Skeat1900: 50 sledes , shalt mowe retorne hool and sound in-to thy contree. [ ]
Me. I.
I have, forsothe, swifte fetheres that surmounten the heighte of hevene. Whan the swifte thought hath clothed it-self in tho [ ] fetheres, it despyseth the hateful erthes, and surmounteth the roundnesse of the grete ayr; and it seeth the cloudes behinde his Skeat1900: 5 bak; and passeth the heighte of the region of the fyr, that [ ] eschaufeth by the swifte moevinge of the firmament, til that he areyseth him in-to the houses that beren the sterres, and ioyneth his weyes with the sonne Phebus, and felawshipeth the wey of the olde colde Saturnus ; and he y-maked a knight of the clere [ ] Skeat1900: 10 sterre; that is to seyn, that the thought is maked goddes knight by the sekinge of trouthe to comen to the verray knowleche of god. And thilke thought renneth by the cercle of the sterres, in alle places ther-as the shyninge night is peinted ; that is to seyn, the night that is cloudeles; for on nightes that ben cloudeles it semeth as Skeat1900: 15 the hevene were peinted with dyverse images of sterres. And [ ] whanne he hath y-doon ther y-nough, he shal forleten the laste hevene, and he shal pressen and wenden on the bak of the swifte firmament, and he shal ben maked parfit of the worshipful light [ ] of god. Ther halt the lord of kinges the ceptre of his Skeat1900: 20 might, and atempreth the governements of the world, and the shyninge Iuge of thinges, stable in him-self, governeth the swifte cart or wayn , that is to seyn, the circuler moevinge of the sonne. [ ] And yif thy wey ledeth thee ayein so that thou be brought thider, thanne wolt thou seye now that that is the contree that thou requerest , of which thou ne haddest no minde: “but now it [ ] Skeat1900: 25 remembreth me wel, heer was I born, heer wol I fastne my [ ] degree, heer wole I dwelle.” But yif thee lyketh thanne to loken [ ] on the derknesse of the erthe that thou hast forleten, thanne shalt thou seen that thise felonous tyraunts, that the wrecchede peple dredeth, now shollen ben exyled fro thilke fayre contree.’ Skeat1900: 30
Pr. II.
Than seyde I thus: ‘ owh ! I wondre me that thou bihetest me [ ] so grete thinges; ne I ne doute nat that thou ne mayst wel performe that thou bihetest. But I preye thee only this, that thou ne tarye nat to telle me thilke thinges that thou hast moeved.’ Skeat1900: 5
‘First,’ quod she, ‘thou most nedes knowen, that goode folk ben alwey stronge and mighty, and the shrewes ben feble and desert and naked of alle strengthes . And of thise thinges, certes, everich of hem is declared and shewed by other. For so as good and yvel ben two contraries, yif so be that good be stedefast , Skeat1900: 10 than sheweth the feblesse of yvel al openly; and yif thou knowe cleerly the frelenesse of yvel, the stedefastnesse of good is knowen. But for as moche as the fey of my sentence shal be the [ ] more ferme and haboundaunt, I will gon by that oo wey and by that other; and I wole conferme the thinges that ben purposed, Skeat1900: 15 now on this syde and now on that syde. Two thinges ther ben in whiche the effect of alle the dedes of mankinde standeth, that is to seyn, wil and power; and yif that oon of thise two fayleth, ther nis nothing that may be don. For yif that wil lakketh , ther Skeat1900: 20 nis no wight that undertaketh to don that he wol nat don; and yif power fayleth, the wil nis but in ydel and stant for naught. And ther-of cometh it, that yif thou see a wight that wolde geten that he may nat geten, thou mayst nat douten that power ne fayleth him to haven that he wolde.’
Skeat1900: 25 ‘This is open and cleer,’ quod I; ‘ne it may nat ben deneyed in no manere.’
‘And yif thou see a wight,’ quod she, ‘that hath doon that he wolde doon, thou nilt nat douten that he ne hath had power to don it?’
Skeat1900: 30 ‘No,’ quod I.
‘And in that that every wight may, in that men may holden [ ] him mighty; as who seyth, in so moche as man is mighty to don a thing, in so mochel men halt him mighty; and in that that he ne may, in that men demen him to be feble.’
Skeat1900: 35 ‘I confesse it wel,’ quod I.
‘Remembreth thee,’ quod she, ‘that I have gadered and shewed by forseyde resouns that al the entencioun of the wil of mankinde, which that is lad by dyverse studies, hasteth to [ ] comen to blisfulnesse?’
Skeat1900: 40 ‘It remembreth me wel,’ quod I, ‘that it hath ben shewed.’
‘And recordeth thee nat thanne,’ quod she, ‘that blisfulnesse is thilke same good that men requeren; so that, whan that blisfulnesse is requered of alle, that good also is requered and desired of alle?’
Skeat1900: 45 ‘ It ne recordeth me nat ,’ quod I; ‘for I have it gretly alwey ficched in my memorie.’
‘Alle folk thanne,’ quod she, ‘goode and eek badde, enforcen hem with-oute difference of entencioun to comen to good?’
‘This is a verray consequence,’ quod I.
Skeat1900: 50 ‘And certein is,’ quod she, ‘that by the getinge of good ben men y-maked goode?’
‘This is certein,’ quod I.
‘Thanne geten goode men that they desiren?’
‘So semeth it,’ quod I.
‘But wikkede folk,’ quod she, ‘yif they geten the good that Skeat1900: 55 they desiren, they ne mowe nat be wikkede?’
‘So is it,’ quod I.
‘Thanne, so as that oon and that other,’ quod she, ‘desiren good; and the goode folk geten good, and nat the wikke folk; thanne nis it no doute that the goode folk ne ben mighty and Skeat1900: 60 the wikkede folk ben feble?’
‘Who-so that ever,’ quod I, ‘douteth of this, he ne may nat considere the nature of thinges ne the consequence of resouns .’
And over this quod she, ‘yif that ther be two thinges that han oo same purpose by kinde, and that oon of hem pursueth Skeat1900: 65 and parformeth thilke same thing by naturel office, and that other ne may nat doon thilke naturel office, but folweth, by other manere thanne is convenable to nature, him that acomplissheth his purpos kindely, and yit he ne acomplissheth nat his owne purpos: whether of thise two demestow for more mighty?’ Skeat1900: 70
‘Yif that I coniecte,’ quod I, ‘that thou wolt seye, algates yit [ ] I desire to herkne it more pleynly of thee.’
‘Thou wilt nat thanne deneye ,’ quod she, ‘that the moevement of goinge nis in men by kinde?’
‘No, forsothe,’ quod I. Skeat1900: 75
‘Ne thou ne doutest nat,’ quod she, ‘that thilke naturel office of goinge ne be the office of feet?’
‘I ne doute it nat,’ quod I.
‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘yif that a wight be mighty to moeve and goth upon his feet, and another, to whom thilke naturel office of Skeat1900: 80 feet lakketh, enforceth him to gon crepinge up-on his handes: whiche of thise two oughte to ben holden the more mighty by right?’
‘Knit forth the remenaunt,’ quod I; ‘for no wight ne douteth [ ] that he that may gon by naturel office of feet ne be more mighty Skeat1900: 85 than he that ne may nat.’
‘But the soverein good,’ quod she, ‘that is eveneliche purposed to the gode folk and to badde, the gode folk seken it by naturel office of vertues, and the shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by Skeat1900: 90 dyverse coveityse of erthely thinges, which that nis no naturel office to geten thilke same soverein good. Trowestow that it be any other wyse ?’
‘Nay,’ quod I; ‘for the consequence is open and shewinge of [ ] thinges that I have graunted; that nedes gode folk moten ben Skeat1900: 95 mighty, and shrewes feeble and unmighty.’
‘Thou rennest a-right biforn me,’ quod she, ‘and this is the Iugement; that is to seyn, I iuge of thee right as thise leches ben [ ] wont to hopen of syke folk, whan they aperceyven that nature is redressed and withstondeth to the maladye . But, for I see thee Skeat1900: 100 now al redy to the understondinge, I shal shewe thee more thikke and continuel resouns. For loke now how greetly sheweth the feblesse and infirmitee of wikkede folk, that ne mowen nat comen to that hir naturel entencioun ledeth hem, and yit almost thilke [ ] naturel entencioun constreineth hem . And what were to demen [ ] Skeat1900: 105 thanne of shrewes, yif thilke naturel help hadde forleten hem, the which naturel help of intencioun goth awey biforn hem, and is so greet that unnethe it may ben overcome? Consider thanne how greet defaute of power and how greet feblesse ther is in wikkede felonous folk; as who seyth, the gretter thing that is coveited and Skeat1900: 110 the desire nat acomplisshed , of the lasse might is he that coveiteth it and may nat acomplisshe. And forthy Philosophie seyth thus by soverein good: Ne shrewes ne requeren nat lighte medes ne veyne [ ] games, whiche they ne may folwen ne holden; but they failen of thilke somme and of the heighte of thinges, that is to seyn, soverein Skeat1900: 115 good; ne thise wrecches ne comen nat to the effect of soverein good, the which they enforcen hem only to geten, by nightes and by dayes; in the getinge of which good the strengthe of good folk is ful wel y-sene. For right so as thou mightest demen him mighty of goinge, that gooth on his feet til he mighte come to thilke Skeat1900: 120 place, fro the whiche place ther ne laye no wey forther to ben [ ] gon; right so most thou nedes demen him for right mighty, that geteth and ateyneth to the ende of alle thinges that ben to desire , biyonde the whiche ende ther nis nothing to desire. Of the which power of good folk men may conclude, that the wikked men semen to be bareine and naked of alle strengthe. For-why Skeat1900: 125 forleten they vertues and folwen vyces? Nis it nat for that they ne knowen nat the goodes? But what thing is more feble and more caitif thanne is the blindnesse of ignoraunce? Or elles they knowen ful wel whiche thinges that they oughten folwe, but lecherye and coveityse overthroweth hem mistorned; and certes, Skeat1900: 130 so doth distemperaunce to feble men, that ne mowen nat wrastlen ayeins the vyces. Ne knowen they nat thanne wel that they forleten the good wilfully, and tornen hem wilfully to vyces? And in this wyse they ne forleten nat only to ben mighty, but they forleten al-outrely in any wyse for to ben. For they that forleten Skeat1900: 135 the comune fyn of alle thinges that ben, they forleten also ther-with-al for to ben. [ ]
And per-aventure it sholde semen to som folk that this were a merveile to seyen: that shrewes, whiche that contienen the more partye of men, ne ben nat ne han no beinge; but natheles, it is so, Skeat1900: 140 and thus stant this thing. For they that ben shrewes, I deneye nat that they ben shrewes; but I deneye, and seye simplely and pleinly, that they ne ben nat, ne han no beinge. For right as thou mightest seyen of the carayne of a man, that it were a deed man, but thou ne mightest nat simplely callen it a man; so graunte Skeat1900: 145 I wel forsothe, that vicious folk ben wikked, but I ne may nat graunten absolutly and simplely that they ben. For thilke thing that with-holdeth ordre and kepeth nature, thilke thing is and hath beinge; but what thing that faileth of that, that is to seyn, that he forleteth naturel ordre, he forleteth thilke thing that is set Skeat1900: 150 in his nature. But thou wolt seyn, that shrewes mowen. Certes, [ ] that ne deneye I nat; but certes, hir power ne descendeth nat of strengthe, but of feblesse. For they mowen don wikkednesses; the whiche they ne mighte nat don, yif they mighten dwellen in the forme and in the doinge of good folk. And thilke power Skeat1900: 155 sheweth ful evidently that they ne mowen right naught. For so as I have gadered and proeved a litel her-biforn, that yvel is naught; and so as shrewes mowen only but shrewednesses , this conclusioun is al cleer, that shrewes ne mowen right naught, ne han no power. Skeat1900: 160
And for as moche as thou understonde which is the strengthe [ ] of this power of shrewes, I have definisshed a litel her-biforn, that nothing is so mighty as soverein good.’
‘That is sooth,’ quod I.
Skeat1900: 165 ‘And thilke same soverein good may don non yvel?’
‘Certes, no,’ quod I.
‘Is ther any wight thanne,’ quod she, ‘that weneth that men mowen doon alle thinges?’
‘No man,’ quod I, ‘ but-yif he be out of his witte.’
Skeat1900: 170 ‘But, certes, shrewes mowen don yvel,’ quod she.
‘Ye, wolde god,’ quod I, ‘that they mighten don non!’
‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘so as he that is mighty to doon only but goode thinges may don alle thinges; and they that ben mighty to don yvele thinges ne mowen nat alle thinges: thanne is it open Skeat1900: 175 thing and manifest, that they that mowen don yvel ben of lasse power. And yit, to proeve this conclusioun, ther helpeth me this, that I have y-shewed her-biforn, that alle power is to be noumbred among thinges that men oughten requere. And I have shewed that alle thinges, that oughten ben desired, ben referred to good, Skeat1900: 180 right as to a maner heighte of hir nature. But for to mowen don yvel and felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. Thanne nis nat yvel of the noumbir of thinges that oughte ben desired. But alle power oughte ben desired and requered. Than is it open and cleer that the power ne the mowinge of shrewes nis no power; and Skeat1900: 185 of alle thise thinges it sheweth wel, that the goode folke ben certeinly mighty, and the shrewes douteles ben unmighty. And it is cleer and open that thilke opinioun of Plato is verray and sooth, that [ ] seith, that only wyse men may doon that they desiren; and shrewes mowen haunten that hem lyketh, but that they desiren, Skeat1900: 190 that is to seyn, to comen to sovereign good, they ne han no power to acomplisshen that. For shrewes don that hem list, whan, by tho thinges in which they delyten, they wenen to ateine to thilke good that they desiren; but they ne geten ne ateinen nat ther-to, for vyces ne comen nat to blisfulnesse.
Me. II.
Who-so that the covertoures of hir veyne aparailes mighte strepen [ ] of thise proude kinges, that thou seest sitten on heigh in hir chaires gliteringe in shyninge purpre, envirouned with sorwful armures, manasinge with cruel mouth, blowinge by woodnesse of herte, he shulde seen thanne that thilke lordes beren with-inne hir Skeat1900: 5 corages ful streite cheines. For lecherye tormenteth hem in that oon syde with gredy venims; and troublable ire, that araiseth in him the flodes of troublinges , tormenteth up-on that other syde hir thought; or sorwe halt hem wery and y-caught; or slydinge and deceivinge hope tormenteth hem. And therfore, sen thou Skeat1900: 10 seest oon heed, that is to seyn, oon tyraunt, beren so manye tyrannyes , thanne ne doth thilke tyraunt nat that he desireth, sin [ ] he is cast doun with so manye wikkede lordes; that is to seyn, with so manye vyces, that han so wikkedly lordshipes over him.
Pr. III.
Seestow nat thanne in how grete filthe thise shrewes ben y-wrapped, and with which cleernesse thise good folk shynen? In this sheweth it wel, that to goode folk ne lakketh never-mo hir medes, ne shrewes lakken never-mo torments. For of alle thinges that ben y-doon, thilke thing, for which any-thing is don, it semeth Skeat1900: 5 as by right that thilke thing be the mede of that; as thus: yif a man renneth in the stadie, or in the forlong, for the corone, [ ] thanne lyth the mede in the corone for which he renneth. And I have shewed that blisfulnesse is thilke same good for which that alle thinges ben doon. Thanne is thilke same good purposed [ ] Skeat1900: 10 to the workes of mankinde right as a comune mede; which mede ne may ben dissevered fro good folk. For no wight as by right, fro thennes-forth that him lakketh goodnesse, ne shal ben cleped good. For which thing, folk of goode maneres, hir medes [ ] Skeat1900: 15 ne forsaken hem never-mo. For al-be-it so that shrewes wexen as wode as hem list ayeins goode folk, yit never-the-lesse the corone of wyse men shal nat fallen ne faden . For foreine shrewednesse ne binimeth nat fro the corages of goode folk hir propre honour. But yif that any wight reioyse him of goodnesse that he Skeat1900: 20 hadde take fro with-oute ( as who seith, yif that any wight hadde his goodnesse of any other man than of him-self ), certes, he that yaf him thilke goodnesse, or elles som other wight, mighte binime it him. But for as moche as to every wight his owne propre bountee yeveth him his mede, thanne at erst shal he failen of mede whan Skeat1900: 25 he forleteth to ben good. And at the laste , so as alle medes ben [ ] requered for men wenen that they ben goode, who is he that wolde deme, that he that is right mighty of good were part-les [ ] of mede ? And of what mede shal he be guerdoned ? Certes, of right faire mede and right grete aboven alle medes. Remembre Skeat1900: 30 thee of thilke noble corolarie that I yaf thee a litel her-biforn; and gader it to-gider in this manere:—so as good him-self is blisfulnesse, thanne is it cleer and certein, that alle good folk ben maked blisful for they ben goode; and thilke folk that ben blisful, it acordeth and is covenable to ben goddes. Thanne is the mede Skeat1900: 35 of goode folk swich that no day shal enpeiren it, ne no wikkednesse [ ] ne shal derken it, ne power of no wight ne shal nat amenusen it, that is to seyn, to ben maked goddes.
And sin it is thus, that goode men ne failen never-mo of hir mede , [ ] certes, no wys man ne may doute of undepartable peyne of the Skeat1900: 40 shrewes; that is to seyn, that the peyne of shrewes ne departeth nat from hem-self never-mo. For so as goode and yvel, and peyne and medes ben contrarye, it mot nedes ben, that right as we seen bityden in guerdoun of goode, that also mot the peyne of yvel answery , by the contrarye party, to shrewes. Now thanne, so as bountee and prowesse ben the mede to goode folk, al-so is Skeat1900: 45 shrewednesse it-self torment to shrewes. Thanne, who-so that ever is entecched and defouled with peyne, he ne douteth nat, that he is entecched and defouled with yvel. Yif shrewes thanne wolen preysen hem-self, may it semen to hem that they ben withouten [ ] party of torment, sin they ben swiche that the uttereste Skeat1900: 50 wikkednesse ( that is to seyn, wikkede thewes, which that is the uttereste and the worste kinde of shrewednesse ) ne defouleth ne enteccheth nat hem only, but infecteth and envenimeth hem gretly? And also look on shrewes, that ben the contrarie party of goode men, how greet peyne felawshipeth and folweth hem! Skeat1900: 55 For thou hast lerned a litel her-biforn, that al thing that is and hath beinge is oon, and thilke same oon is good; thanne is this the consequence, that it semeth wel, that al that is and hath beinge is good; this is to seyn, as who seyth, that beinge and unitee and goodnesse is al oon. And in this manere it folweth thanne, that al Skeat1900: 60 thing that faileth to ben good, it stinteth for to be and for to han any beinge; wherfore it is, that shrewes stinten for to ben that they weren. But thilke other forme of mankinde, that is to seyn, the forme of the body with-oute, sheweth yit that thise shrewes weren whylom men; wher-for, whan they ben perverted and Skeat1900: 65 torned in-to malice, certes, than han they forlorn the nature of mankinde. But so as only bountee and prowesse may enhaunsen every man over other men; thanne mot it nedes be that shrewes, which that shrewednesse hath cast out of the condicioun of mankinde, ben put under the merite and the desert of men. Thanne [ ] Skeat1900: 70 bitydeth it, that yif thou seest a wight that be transformed into vyces, thou ne mayst nat wene that he be a man.
For yif he be ardaunt in avaryce, and that he be a ravinour by violence of foreine richesse, thou shalt seyn that he is lyke to the wolf . And yif he be felonous and with-oute reste, and exercyse Skeat1900: 75 his tonge to chydinges, thou shalt lykne him to the hound. And yif he be a prevey awaitour y-hid, and reioyseth him to ravisshe by wyles , thou shalt seyn him lyke to the fox-whelpes. And yif he be distempre and quaketh for ire, men shal wene that he bereth Skeat1900: 80 the corage of a lyoun. And yif he be dredful and fleinge, and dredeth thinges that ne oughten nat to ben dred, men shal holden him lyk to the hert. And yif he be slow and astoned and lache, he liveth as an asse. And yif he be light and unstedefast of corage, and chaungeth ay his studies, he is lykned to briddes. And if he be Skeat1900: 85 plounged in foule and unclene luxuries, he is with-holden in the foule delyces of the foule sowe. Thanne folweth it, that he that forleteth bountee and prowesse, he forleteth to ben a man; sin he may nat passen in-to the condicioun of god, he is torned in-to a beest.
Me. III.
Eurus the wind aryvede the sailes of Ulixes, duk of the contree [ ] of Narice , and his wandringe shippes by the see, in-to the ile ther-as Circes , the faire goddesse, doughter of the sonne, [ ] dwelleth; that medleth to hir newe gestes drinkes that ben Skeat1900: 5 touched and maked with enchauntements. And after that hir hand, mighty over the herbes, hadde chaunged hir gestes in-to dyverse maneres; that oon of hem, is covered his face with forme [ ] of a boor ; that other is chaunged in-to a lyoun of the contree of Marmorike , and his nayles and his teeth wexen; that other of [ ] Skeat1900: 10 hem is neweliche chaunged in-to a wolf, and howleth whan he wolde wepe; that other goth debonairely in the hous as a tygre of Inde.
But al-be-it so that the godhed of Mercurie, that is cleped the [ ] brid of Arcadie , hath had mercy of the duke Ulixes, biseged with Skeat1900: 15 dyverse yveles, and hath unbounden him fro the pestilence of his ostesse , algates the roweres and the marineres hadden by this [ ] y-drawen in-to hir mouthes and dronken the wikkede drinkes. They that weren woxen swyn hadden by this y-chaunged hir mete of breed, for to eten akornes of okes. Non of hir limes ne [ ] dwelleth with hem hole , but they han lost the voice and the Skeat1900: 20 body; only hir thought dwelleth with hem stable, that wepeth and biweileth the monstruous chaunginge that they suffren. O overlight hand ( as who seyth, O! feble and light is the hand of [ ] Circes the enchaunteresse, that chaungeth the bodyes of folkes in-to bestes, to regard and to comparisoun of mutacioun that is maked by Skeat1900: 25 vyces ); ne the herbes of Circes ne ben nat mighty. For al-be-it so that they may chaungen the limes of the body, algates yit they may nat chaunge the hertes; for with-inne is y-hid the strengthe and vigor of men, in the secree tour of hir hertes; that is to seyn, the strengthe of resoun. But thilke venims of vyces to-drawen Skeat1900: 30 a man to hem more mightily than the venim of Circes; for vyces ben so cruel that they percen and thorugh-passen the [ ] corage with-inne; and, thogh they ne anoye nat the body, yit vyces wooden to destroye men by wounde of thought.’
Pr. IV.
Than seyde I thus: ‘I confesse and am a-knowe it ,’ quod I; ‘ne I ne see nat that men may sayn, as by right, that shrewes [ ] ne ben chaunged in-to bestes by the qualitee of hir soules, al-be-it so that they kepen yit the forme of the body of mankinde. But I [ ] nolde nat of shrewes, of which the thought cruel woodeth al-wey Skeat1900: 5 in-to destruccioun of goode men, that it were leveful to hem to don that.’
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘ne is nis nat leveful to hem, as I shal wel shewe thee in covenable place; but natheles, yif so were that thilke that men wenen be leveful to shrewes were binomen hem, so that Skeat1900: 10 they ne mighte nat anoyen or doon harm to goode men, certes, a gre partye of the peyne to shrewes sholde ben allegged and releved. For al-be-it so that this ne seme nat credible thing, per-aventure, to some folk, yit moot it nedes be, that shrewes ben Skeat1900: 15 more wrecches and unsely whan they may doon and performe that they coveiten, than yif they mighte nat complisshen that they coveiten . For yif so be that it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don yvel, than is more wrecchednesse to mowen don yvel; with-oute [ ] whiche mowinge the wrecched wil sholde languisshe with-oute Skeat1900: 20 effect. Than, sin that everiche of thise thinges hath his wrecchednesse, that is to seyn, wil to don yvel and mowinge to don yvel, it moot nedes be that they ben constreyned by three [ ] unselinesses, that wolen and mowen and performen felonyes and shrewednesses.’
Skeat1900: 25 ‘I acorde me,’ quod I; ‘but I desire gretly that shrewes losten sone thilke unselinesse , that is to seyn, that shrewes weren [ ] despoyled of mowinge to don yvel.’
‘So shullen they,’ quod she, ‘soner, per-aventure, than thou [ ] woldest; or soner than they hem-self wene to lakken mowinge to Skeat1900: 30 don yvel . For ther nis no-thing so late in so shorte boundes of [ ] this lyf, that is long to abyde, nameliche, to a corage inmortel; of whiche shrewes the grete hope, and the hye compassinges of shrewednesses, is ofte destroyed by a sodeyn ende, or they ben war; and that thing estableth to shrewes the ende of hir Skeat1900: 35 shrewednesse. For yif that shrewednesse maketh wrecches, than mot he nedes ben most wrecched that lengest is a shrewe; the whiche wikked shrewes wolde I demen aldermost unsely and caitifs, yif that hir shrewednesse ne were finisshed , at the leste wey, by the outtereste deeth. For yif I have concluded sooth of the unselinesse [ ] Skeat1900: 40 of shrewednesse, than sheweth it cleerly that thilke wrecchednesse is with-outen ende, the whiche is certein to ben perdurable.’ [ ]
‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘this conclusioun is hard and wonderful to graunte; but I knowe wel that it acordeth moche to the thinges Skeat1900: 45 that I have graunted her-biforn.’
‘Thou hast,’ quod she, ‘the right estimacioun of this; but who-so-ever wene that it be a hard thing to acorde him to a conclusioun, it is right that he shewe that some of the premisses ben false; or elles he moot shewe that the collacioun of proposiciouns nis nat speedful to a necessarie conclusioun. And yif it Skeat1900: 50 be nat so, but that the premisses ben y-graunted, ther is not why [ ] he sholde blame the argument.
For this thing that I shal telle thee now ne shal nat seme lasse wonderful; but of the thinges that ben taken also it is necessarie;’ [ ] as who seyth, it folweth of that which that is purposed biforn. Skeat1900: 55
‘What is that?’ quod I.
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘that is, that thise wikked shrewes ben more blisful, or elles lasse wrecches, that abyen the torments that they han deserved, than yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastysede hem. Ne this ne seye I nat now, for that any man mighte Skeat1900: 60 thenke , that the maners of shrewes ben coriged and chastysed by veniaunce, and that they ben brought to the right wey by the drede of the torment, ne for that they yeven to other folk ensaumple to fleen fro vyces; but I understande yit in another [ ] manere, that shrewes ben more unsely whan they ne ben nat Skeat1900: 65 punisshed , al-be-it so that ther ne be had no resoun or lawe of correccioun , ne non ensaumple of lokinge.’
‘And what manere shal that ben,’ quod I, ‘other than hath be told her-biforn?’
‘Have we nat thanne graunted,’ quod she, ‘that goode folk Skeat1900: 70 ben blisful, and shrewes ben wrecches?’
‘Yis,’ quod I.
‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘yif that any good were added to the wrecchednesse of any wight, nis he nat more weleful than he that ne hath no medlinge of good in his solitarie wrecchednesse?’ Skeat1900: 75
‘So semeth it,’ quod I.
‘And what seystow thanne,’ quod she, ‘of thilke wrecche that lakketh alle goodes, so that no good nis medled in his wrecchednesse, and yit, over al his wikkednesse for which he is a wrecche, that ther be yit another yvel anexed and knit to him, shal nat men Skeat1900: 80 demen him more unsely than thilke wrecche of whiche the unselinesse is releved by the participacioun of som good?’
‘Why sholde he nat?’ quod I.
‘Thanne, certes,’ quod she, ‘han shrewes, whan they ben punisshed, som-what of good anexed to hir wrecchednesse, that is Skeat1900: 85 to seyn, the same peyne that they suffren, which that is good by the resoun of Iustice; and whan thilke same shrewes ascapen with-oute torment, than han they som-what more of yvel yit over the wikkednesse that they han don, that is to seyn, defaute of Skeat1900: 90 peyne; which defaute of peyne, thou hast graunted, is yvel for [ ] the deserte of felonye.’ ‘I ne may nat denye it,’ quod I. ‘Moche more thanne,’ quod she, ‘ben shrewes unsely, whan they ben wrongfully delivered fro peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by rightful veniaunce. But this is open thing and cleer, that it is Skeat1900: 95 right that shrewes ben punisshed, and it is wikkednesse and wrong that they escapen unpunisshed.’
‘Who mighte deneye that?’ quod I.
‘But,’ quod she, ‘may any man denye that al that is right nis good; and also the contrarie, that al that is wrong is wikke ?’
Skeat1900: 100 ‘Certes,’ quod I, ‘these thinges ben clere y-nough; and that we han concluded a litel her-biforn. But I praye thee that thou telle me, yif thou acordest to leten no torment to sowles, after that [ ] the body is ended by the deeth;’ this is to seyn, understandestow aught that sowles han any torment after the deeth of the body?
Skeat1900: 105 ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘ye; and that right greet; of which sowles,’ quod she, ‘I trowe that some ben tormented by asprenesse of peyne; and some sowles, I trowe, ben exercised by a purginge mekenesse. But my conseil nis nat to determinye of thise peynes . But I have travailed and told yit hiderto, for thou sholdest knowe Skeat1900: 110 that the mowinge of shrewes, which mowinge thee semeth to ben unworthy, nis no mowinge: and eek of shrewes, of which thou pleinedest that they ne were nat punisshed, that thou woldest seen that they ne weren never-mo with-outen the torments of hir wikkednesse: and of the licence of the mowinge to don yvel, Skeat1900: 115 that thou preydest that it mighte sone ben ended, and that thou woldest fayn lernen that it ne sholde nat longe dure : and that shrewes ben more unsely yif they were of lenger duringe, and most unsely yif they weren perdurable. And after this, I have shewed thee that more unsely ben shrewes, whan they escapen Skeat1900: 120 with-oute hir rightful peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by rightful veniaunce. And of this sentence folweth it, that thanne ben shrewes constreined at the laste with most grevous torment, whan men wene that they ne be nat punisshed.’
‘Whan I consider thy resouns ,’ quod I, ‘I ne trowe nat that men seyn any-thing more verayly. And yif I torne ayein to the Skeat1900: 125 studies of men, who is he to whom it sholde seme that he ne sholde nat only leven thise thinges, but eek gladly herkne hem?’
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘so it is; but men may nat. For they han hir eyen so wont to the derknesse of erthely thinges, that they ne Skeat1900: 130 may nat liften hem up to the light of cleer sothfastnesse; but they ben lyke to briddes, of which the night lightneth hir lokinge, [ ] and the day blindeth hem. For whan men loken nat the ordre of thinges, but hir lustes and talents, they wene that either the leve or the mowinge to don wikkednesse, or elles the scapinge with-oute Skeat1900: 135 peyne, be weleful. But consider the Iugement of the perdurable lawe. For yif thou conferme thy corage to the beste thinges, thou ne hast no nede of no Iuge to yeven thee prys or mede; for thou hast ioyned thy-self to the most excellent thing. And yif thou have enclyned thy studies to the wikked thinges, ne Skeat1900: 140 seek no foreyne wreker out of thy-self; for thou thy-self hast thrist thy-self in-to wikke thinges: right as thou mightest loken by [ ] dyverse tymes the foule erthe and the hevene, and that alle other thinges stinten fro with-oute, so that thou nere neither in hevene ne in erthe , ne saye no-thing more; than it sholde semen to Skeat1900: 145 thee, as by only resoun of lokinge, that thou were now in the sterres and now in the erthe. But the poeple ne loketh nat on thise thinges. What thanne? Shal we thanne aprochen us to hem that I have shewed that they ben lyk to bestes ? And what woltow seyn of this: yif that a man hadde al forlorn his sighte Skeat1900: 150 and hadde foryeten that he ever saugh, and wende that no-thing ne faylede him of perfeccioun of mankinde, now we that mighten seen the same thinges , wolde we nat wene that he were blinde? [ ] Ne also ne acordeth nat the poeple to that I shal seyn, the which thing is sustened by a stronge foundement of resouns, that is to Skeat1900: 155 seyn, that more unsely ben they that don wrong to othre folk than they that the wrong suffren.’
‘I wolde heren thilke same resouns,’ quod I.
‘ Denyestow ,’ quod she, ‘that alle shrewes ne ben worthy to Skeat1900: 160 han torment?’
‘Nay,’ quod I.
‘But,’ quod she, ‘I am certein, by many resouns, that shrewes ben unsely.’
‘It acordeth,’ quod I.
Skeat1900: 165 ‘Thanne ne doutestow nat,’ quod she, ‘that thilke folk that ben worthy of torment, that they ne ben wrecches?’
‘It acordeth wel,’ quod I.
‘Yif thou were thanne,’ quod she , ‘y-set a Iuge or a knower of thinges, whether , trowestow , that men sholden tormenten him Skeat1900: 170 that hath don the wrong, or elles him that hath suffred the wrong?’
‘I ne doute nat,’ quod I, ‘that I nolde don suffisaunt satisfaccioun to him that hadde suffred the wrong by the sorwe of him that hadde don the wrong.’
Skeat1900: 175 ‘Thanne semeth it,’ quod she, ‘that the doere of wrong is more wrecche than he that suffred wrong ?’
‘That folweth wel,’ quod I.
‘Than,’ quod she, ‘by these causes and by othre causes that ben enforced by the same rote, filthe or sinne, by the propre Skeat1900: 180 nature of it, maketh men wrecches; and it sheweth wel, that the wrong that men don nis nat the wrecchednesse of him that receyveth the wrong, but the wrecchednesse of him that doth the wrong . But certes,’ quod she, ‘thise oratours or advocats don al the contrarye; for they enforcen hem to commoeve the Iuges to Skeat1900: 185 han pitee of hem that han suffred and receyved the thinges that ben grevous and aspre, and yit men sholden more rightfully han pitee of hem that don the grevaunces and the wronges; the whiche shrewes, it were a more covenable thing, that the accusours or advocats, nat wroth but pitous and debonair, ledden tho shrewes that han don wrong to the Iugement, right as men Skeat1900: 190 leden syke folk to the leche, for that they sholde seken out the maladyes of sinne by torment. And by this covenaunt, either the entente of deffendours or advocats sholde faylen and cesen in al, [ ] or elles, yif the office of advocats wolde bettre profiten to men, it sholde ben torned in-to the habite of accusacioun; that is to Skeat1900: 195 seyn, they sholden accuse shrewes, and nat excuse hem. And eek the shrewes hem-self, yif hit were leveful to hem to seen at any [ ] clifte the vertu that they han forleten, and sawen that they sholden putten adoun the filthes of hir vyces, by the torments of peynes, they ne oughte nat, right for the recompensacioun for to [ ] Skeat1900: 200 geten hem bountee and prowesse which that they han lost, demen ne holden that thilke peynes weren torments to hem; and eek they wolden refuse the attendaunce of hir advocats, and taken hem-self to hir Iuges and to hir accusors. For which it bitydeth that, as to the wyse folk, ther nis no place y-leten to [ ] Skeat1900: 205 hate; that is to seyn, that ne hate hath no place amonges wyse men. For no wight nil haten goode men, but-yif he were over-mochel a fool; and for to haten shrewes, it nis no resoun. For right so as languissinge is maladye of body, right so ben vyces and sinne maladye of corage. And so as we ne deme nat, that they that ben Skeat1900: 210 syke of hir body ben worthy to ben hated, but rather worthy of pitee: wel more worthy, nat to ben hated, but for to ben had in pitee, ben they of whiche the thoughtes ben constreined by felonous wikkednesse, that is more cruel than any languissinge of [ ] Skeat1900: 215 body.
Me. IV.
What delyteth you to excyten so grete moevinges of hateredes, [ ] and to hasten and bisien the fatal disposicioun of your deeth with your propre handes? that is to seyn, by batailes or by contek. For yif ye axen the deeth, it hasteth him of his owne wil; ne deeth ne tarieth nat his swifte hors . And the men that the serpent and Skeat1900: 5 the lyoun and the tygre and the bere and the boor seken to sleen with hir teeth, yit thilke same men seken to sleen everich of hem other with swerd. Lo! for hir maneres ben dyverse and descordaunt , they moeven unrightful ostes and cruel batailes, and wilnen [ ] Skeat1900: 10 to perisshe by entrechaunginge of dartes. But the resoun [ ] of crueltee nis nat y-nough rightful.
Wiltow thanne yelden a covenable guerdoun to the desertes of men? Love rightfully goode folk, and have pitee on shrewes.’
Pr. V.
‘Thus see I wel,’ quod I, ‘either what blisfulnesse or elles what unselinesse is establisshed in the desertes of goode men and of shrewes. But in this ilke fortune of poeple I see somwhat of good and somwhat of yvel. For no wyse man hath lever ben Skeat1900: 5 exyled, poore and nedy, and nameles, than for to dwellen in his citee and flouren of richesses, and be redoutable by honour, and strong of power. For in this wyse more cleerly and more witnesfully is the office of wyse men y-treted, whan the blisfulnesse and the poustee of governours is, as it were, y-shad amonges poeples [ ] Skeat1900: 10 that be neighebours and subgits; sin that, namely, prisoun, lawe, and thise othre torments of laweful peynes ben rather owed to felonous citezeins, for the whiche felonous citezeins tho peynes ben establisshed, than for good folk. Thanne I mervaile me greetly,’ quod I, ‘why that the thinges ben so mis entrechaunged, Skeat1900: 15 that torments of felonyes pressen and confounden goode folk, and shrewes ravisshen medes of vertu, and ben in honours and in gret estats. And I desyre eek for to witen of thee, what semeth thee to ben the resoun of this so wrongful a conclusioun? For I wolde wondre wel the lasse, yif I trowede that al thise thinges Skeat1900: 20 weren medled by fortunous happe; but now hepeth and encreseth [ ] myn astonyinge god, governour of thinges, that, so as god yeveth ofte tymes to gode men godes and mirthes, and to shrewes yveles and aspre thinges: and yeveth ayeinward to gode folk hardnesses, and to shrewes he graunteth hem hir wil and that they desyren: what difference thanne may ther be bitwixen that that Skeat1900: 25 god doth, and the happe of fortune, yif men ne knowe nat the cause why that it is?’
‘ Ne it nis no mervaile,’ quod she, ‘though that men wenen that ther be somewhat folissh and confuse, whan the resoun of the ordre is unknowe. But al-though that thou ne knowe nat the Skeat1900: 30 cause of so greet a disposicioun, natheles, for as moche as god, the gode governour, atempreth and governeth the world, ne doute thee nat that alle thinges ben doon a-right.
Me. V.
Who-so that ne knowe nat the sterres of Arcture , y-torned neigh [ ] [ ] to the soverein contree or point, that is to seyn, y-torned neigh to the soverein pool of the firmament, and wot nat why the sterre [ ] Bootes passeth or gadereth his weynes, and drencheth his late flambes in the see, and why that Bootes the sterre unfoldeth his Skeat1900: 5 over-swifte arysinges, thanne shal he wondren of the lawe of the heye eyr.
And eek, yif that he ne knowe nat why that the hornes of the fulle [ ] mone wexen pale and infect by the boundes of the derke night; [ ] and how the mone, derk and confuse, discovereth the sterres that Skeat1900: 10 she hadde y-covered by hir clere visage. The comune errour [ ] moeveth folk, and maketh wery hir basins of bras by thikke [ ] strokes; that is to seyn, that ther is a maner of oeple that highte Coribantes , that wenen that, whan the mone is in the eclipse, that it be enchaunted; and therfore, for to rescowe the mone, they beten hir Skeat1900: 15 basins with thikke strokes.
Ne no man ne wondreth whan the blastes of the wind Chorus beten the strondes of the see by quakinge flodes; ne no man ne [ ] wondreth whan the weighte of the snowe , y-harded by the colde, is resolved by the brenninge hete of Phebus the sonne; for heer Skeat1900: 20 seen men redely the causes.
But the causes y-hid, that is to seyn, in hevene, troublen the brestes of men; the moevable poeple is astoned of alle thinges [ ] that comen selde and sodeinly in our age. But yif the troubly [ ] Skeat1900: 25 errour of our ignoraunce departede fro us, so that we wisten the causes why that swiche thinges bi-tyden, certes, they sholden cese to seme wondres.’
Pr. VI.
‘Thus is it,’ quod I. ‘But so as thou hast yeven or bi-hight me to unwrappen the hid causes of thinges, and to discovere me the resouns covered with derknesses, I prey thee that thou devyse and iuge me of this matere, and that thou do me to understonden Skeat1900: 5 it; for this miracle or this wonder troubleth me right gretly.’
And thanne she, a litel what smylinge, seyde: ‘thou clepest me,’ quod she, ‘to telle thing that is grettest of alle thinges that mowen ben axed, and to the whiche questioun unnethes is ther aught y-nough to laven it; as who seyth, unnethes is ther suffisauntly [ ] Skeat1900: 10 anything to answere parfitly to thy questioun. For the matere of it is swich, that whan o doute is determined and cut awey, ther wexen other doutes with-oute number; right as the hevedes wexen of Ydre, the serpent that Ercules slowh . Ne ther [ ] ne were no manere ne non ende, but-yif that a wight constreinede [ ] Skeat1900: 15 tho doutes by a right lyfly and quik fyr of thought; that is to seyn, by vigour and strengthe of wit. For in this manere men weren wont to maken questions of the simplicitee of the purviaunce of god, and of the order of destinee, and of sodein happe, and of the knowinge and predestinacioun divyne, and of Skeat1900: 20 the libertee of free wille; the whiche thinges thou thy-self aperceyvest wel, of what weight they ben. But for as mochel as the knowinge of thise thinges is a maner porcioun of the medicine of thee , al-be-it so that I have litel tyme to don it, yit natheles I wol enforcen me to shewe somwhat of it. But [ ] Skeat1900: 25 al-thogh the norisshinges of ditee of musike delyteth thee, thou most suffren and forberen a litel of thilke delyte, whyle that I weve to thee resouns y-knit by ordre.’
‘As it lyketh to thee,’ quod I, ‘ so do.’ Tho spak she right as by another biginninge, and seyde thus. ‘The engendringe of alle thinges,’ quod she, ‘and alle the progressiouns of muable [ ] Skeat1900: 30 nature, and al that moeveth in any manere, taketh his causes, his ordre, and his formes, of the stablenesse of the divyne thoght; and thilke divyne thought, that is y-set and put in the tour, that [ ] is to seyn, in the heighte, of the simplicitee of god, stablissheth many maner gyses to thinges that ben to done; the whiche Skeat1900: 35 maner, whan that men loken it in thilke pure clennesse of the divyne intelligence, it is y-cleped purviaunce; but whan thilke maner is referred by men to thinges that it moveth and disponeth, thanne of olde men it was cleped destinee. The whiche thinges, yif that any wight loketh wel in his thought the strengthe of that Skeat1900: 40 oon and of that other, he shal lightly mowen seen, that thise two thinges ben dyverse. For purviaunce is thilke divyne reson that is establisshed in the soverein prince of thinges; the whiche purviaunce disponeth alle thinges. But destinee is the disposicioun and ordinaunce clyvinge to moevable thinges, by the whiche Skeat1900: 45 disposicioun the purviaunce knitteth alle thinges in hir ordres; for purviaunce embraceth alle thinges to-hepe, al-thogh that they ben dyverse, and al-thogh they ben infinite ; but destinee departeth [ ] and ordeineth alle thinges singulerly, and divyded in moevinges, in places, in formes, in tymes , as thus: lat the Skeat1900: 50 unfoldinge of temporel ordinaunce, assembled and ooned in the lokinge of the divyne thought, be cleped purviaunce; and thilke same assemblinge and ooninge, divyded and unfolden by tymes, lat that ben called destinee. And al-be-it so that thise thinges ben dyverse, yit natheles hangeth that oon on that other; for-why Skeat1900: 55 the order destinal procedeth of the simplicitee of purviaunce. For right as a werkman, that aperceyveth in his thoght the forme of the thing that he wol make, and moeveth the effect of the werk, and ledeth that he hadde loked biforn in his thoght simply [ ] and presently, by temporel ordinaunce : certes, right so god Skeat1900: 60 disponeth in his purviaunce, singulerly and stably , the thinges that ben to done, but he aministreth in many maneres and in dyverse tymes, by destinee, thilke same thinges that he hath disponed .
Skeat1900: 65 Thanne, whether that destinee be exercysed outher by some divyne spirits, servaunts to the divyne purviaunce, or elles by som sowle , or elles by alle nature servinge to god, or elles by the [ ] celestial moevinges of sterres, or elles by the vertu of angeles, or [ ] elles by the dyverse subtilitee of develes, or elles by any of hem, Skeat1900: 70 or elles by hem alle, the destinal ordinaunce is y-woven and acomplisshed . Certes, it is open thing, that the purviaunce is an unmoevable and simple forme of thinges to done; and the moveable bond and the temporel ordinaunce of thinges, whiche that the divyne simplicitee of purviaunce hath ordeyned to done, Skeat1900: 75 that is destinee. For which it is, that alle thinges that ben put under destinee ben, certes, subgits to purviaunce, to whiche purviaunce destinee itself is subgit and under. But some thinges ben put under purviaunce, that surmounten the ordinaunce of destinee; and tho ben thilke that stably ben y-ficched negh to the Skeat1900: 80 firste godhed: they surmounten the ordre of destinal moevabletee . For right as of cercles that tornen a-boute [ ] a same centre or a-boute a poynt, thilke cercle that is innerest or most with-inne ioyneth to the simplesse of the middel, and is, as it were, a centre or a poynt to that other cercles that tornen a-bouten him; and thilke that is Skeat1900: 85 outterest, compassed by larger envyronninge, is unfolden by larger spaces, in so moche as it is forthest fro the middel simplicitee of the poynt; and yif ther be any-thing that knitteth and [ ] felawshippeth him-self to thilke middel poynt, it is constreined in-to simplicitee, that is to seyn, in-to unmoevabletee, and it ceseth Skeat1900: 90 to be shad and to fleten dyversely: right so, by semblable resoun, thilke thing that departeth forthest fro the first thoght of god, it is unfolden and summitted to gretter bondes of destinee: and in so moche is the thing more free and laus fro destinee, as it axeth and [ ] holdeth him ner to thilke centre of thinges, that is to seyn, god. Skeat1900: 95 And yif the thing clyveth to the stedefastnesse of the thoght of god, and be with-oute moevinge, certes, it sormounteth the necessitee of destinee. Thanne right swich comparisoun as it is of skilinge to [ ] understondinge, and of thing that is engendred to thing that is, and of tyme to eternitee, and of the cercle to the centre, right so is the ordre of moevable destinee to the stable simplicitee of purviaunce. Skeat1900: 100
Thilke ordinaunce moeveth the hevene and the sterres, and atempreth the elements to-gider amonges hem-self, and transformeth hem by entrechaungeable mutacioun ; and thilke same ordre neweth ayein alle thinges growinge and fallinge a-doun, by semblable progressiouns of sedes and of sexes, that is to seyn, Skeat1900: 105 male and femele . And this ilke ordre constreineth the fortunes and the dedes of men by a bond of causes, nat able to ben unbounde ; the whiche destinal causes, whan they passen out fro the biginninges [ ] of the unmoevable purviaunce, it mot nedes be that they ne be nat mutable. And thus ben the thinges ful wel y-governed, Skeat1900: 110 yif that the simplicitee dwellinge in the divyne thoght sheweth forth the ordre [ ] of causes, unable to ben y-bowed; and this ordre constreineth by his propre stabletee the moevable thinges, or elles they sholden fleten folily. For which it is, that alle thinges semen [ ] to ben confus and trouble to us men, for we ne mowen nat considere Skeat1900: 115 thilke ordinaunce; natheles, the propre maner of every [ ] thinge, dressinge hem to goode, disponeth hem alle.
For ther nis no-thing don for cause of yvel; ne thilke thing that is don by wikkede folk nis nat don for yvel. The whiche shrewes, as I have shewed ful plentivously, seken good, but Skeat1900: 120 wikked errour mistorneth hem, ne the ordre cominge fro the [ ] poynt of soverein good ne declyneth nat fro his biginninge. But thou mayst seyn, what unreste may ben a worse confusioun than [ ] that gode men han somtyme adversitee and somtyme prosperitee, and shrewes also now han thinges that they desiren, and now Skeat1900: 125 thinges that they haten? Whether men liven now in swich hoolnesse of thoght, ( as who seyth, ben men now so wyse ), that swiche folk as they demen to ben gode folk or shrewes, that it moste nedes ben that folk ben swiche as they wenen? But in this manere the domes of men discorden, that thilke men that Skeat1900: 130 some folk demen worthy of mede, other folk demen hem worthy of torment. But lat us graunte, I pose that som man may wel demen or knowen the gode folk and the badde; may he thanne knowen and seen thilke innereste atempraunce of corages, as it hath ben Skeat1900: 135 wont to be seyd of bodies; as who seyth, may a man speken and determinen of atempraunces in corages, as men were wont to demen or speken of complexiouns and atempraunces of bodies ? Ne it ne is nat an unlyk miracle, to hem that ne knowen it nat, ( as who seith, but it [ ] is lyke a merveil or a miracle to hem that ne knowen it nat ), why that Skeat1900: 140 swete thinges ben covenable to some bodies that ben hole, and to some bodies bittere thinges ben covenable; and also, why that some syke folk ben holpen with lighte medicynes, and some folk ben holpen with sharpe medicynes . But natheles, the leche that knoweth the manere and the atempraunce of hele and of maladye, Skeat1900: 145 ne merveileth of it no-thing. But what other thing semeth hele [ ] of corages but bountee and prowesse? And what other thing semeth maladye of corages but vyces? Who is elles kepere of good or dryver awey of yvel, but god, governour and lecher of [ ] thoughtes? The whiche god, whan he hath biholden from the Skeat1900: 150 heye tour of his purveaunce, he knoweth what is covenable to [ ] every wight, and leneth hem that he wot that is covenable to hem. Lo, her-of comth and her-of is don this noble miracle of the ordre destinal, whan god, that al knoweth, doth swiche thing, of which thing that unknowinge folk ben astoned. But for to constreine, [ ] Skeat1900: 155 as who seyth, but for to comprehende and telle a fewe thinges of the divyne deepnesse, the whiche that mannes resoun may understonde, thilke man that thou wenest to ben right Iuste and right [ ] kepinge of equitee, the contrarie of that semeth to the divyne purveaunce, that al wot. And Lucan, my familer , telleth that [ ] Skeat1900: 160 “the victorious cause lykede to the goddes, and the cause overcomen lykede to Catoun.” Thanne, what-so-ever thou mayst seen that is don in this werld unhoped or unwened, certes, it is the right ordre of thinges; but, as to thy wikkede opinioun, it is a confusioun. But I suppose that som man be so wel y-thewed, Skeat1900: 165 that the divyne Iugement and the Iugement of mankinde acorden hem to-gider of him; but he is so unstedefast of corage, that, yif any adversitee come to him, he wol forleten, par-aventure, to continue innocence, by the whiche he ne may nat with-holden [ ] fortune. Thanne the wyse dispensacioun of god spareth him, the whiche man adversitee mighte enpeyren; for that god wol nat Skeat1900: 170 suffren him to travaile, to whom that travaile nis nat covenable. Another man is parfit in alle vertues, and is an holy man, and negh to god, so that the purviaunce of god wolde demen, that it were a felonye that he were touched with any adversitees; so that he wol nat suffre that swich a man be moeved with any Skeat1900: 175 bodily maladye. But so as seyde a philosophre, [ ] the more excellent by me : he seyde in Grek, that “vertues han edified the body [ ] of the holy man.” And ofte tyme it bitydeth, that the somme of thinges that ben to done is taken to governe to gode folk, for that [ ] the malice haboundaunt of shrewes sholde ben abated. And god Skeat1900: 180 yeveth and departeth to othre folk prosperitees and adversitees y-medled to-hepe, after the qualitee of hir corages, and remordeth [ ] som folk by adversitee, for they ne sholde nat wexen proude by longe welefulnesse. And other folk he suffreth to ben travailed with harde thinges, for that they sholden confermen the vertues Skeat1900: 185 of corage by the usage and exercitacioun of pacience. And [ ] other folk dreden more than they oughten [that] whiche they mighten wel beren; and somme dispyse that they mowe nat beren ; and thilke folk god ledeth in-to experience of himself by aspre and sorwful thinges. And many othre folk han bought Skeat1900: 190 honourable renoun of this world by the prys of glorious deeth. And som men, that ne mowen nat ben overcomen by torments, have yeven ensaumple to othre folk, that vertu may nat ben overcomen by adversitees; and of alle thinges ther nis no doute, that they ne ben don rightfully and ordenely , to the profit of hem to Skeat1900: 195 whom we seen thise thinges bityde. For certes, that adversitee comth somtyme to shrewes, and somtyme that that they desiren, it comth of thise forseide causes. And of sorwful thinges that bityden to shrewes, certes, no man ne wondreth; for alle men wenen that they han wel deserved it, and that they ben of Skeat1900: 200 wikkede merite; of whiche shrewes the torment somtyme agasteth [ ] othre to don felonyes , and somtyme it amendeth hem that suffren the torments. And the prosperitee that is yeven to shrewes sheweth a greet argument to gode folk, what thing they sholde Skeat1900: 205 demen of thilke welefulnesse, the whiche prosperitee men seen ofte serven to shrewes. In the which thing I trowe that god [ ] dispenseth; for, per-aventure, the nature of som man is so overthrowinge [ ] to yvel, and so uncovenable, that the nedy povertee of his houshold mighte rather egren him to don felonyes. And to [ ] Skeat1900: 210 the maladye of him god putteth remedie, to yeven him richesses . And som other man biholdeth his conscience defouled with sinnes, and maketh comparisoun of his fortune and of him-self; and dredeth, per-aventure, that his blisfulnesse, of which the usage is Ioyeful to him, that the lesinge of thilke blisfulnesse ne be nat Skeat1900: 215 sorwful to him; and therfor he wol chaunge his maneres, and, for he dredeth to lese his fortune, he forleteth his wikkednesse. To othre folk is welefulnesse y-yeven unworthily, the whiche overthroweth hem in-to distruccioun that they han deserved. And to som othre folk is yeven power to punisshen , for that it shal be [ ] Skeat1900: 220 cause of continuacioun and exercysinge to gode folk and cause of torment to shrewes. For so as ther nis non alyaunce by-twixe gode folk and shrewes, ne shrewes ne mowen nat acorden amonges hem-self. And why nat? For shrewes discorden of hem-self by hir vyces, the whiche vyces al to-renden hir consciences; and don Skeat1900: 225 ofte tyme thinges, the whiche thinges, whan they han don hem, they demen that tho thinges ne sholden nat han ben don. For which thing thilke soverein purveaunce hath maked ofte tyme fair miracle; so that shrewes han maked shrewes to ben gode men. For whan that som shrewes seen that they suffren wrongfully Skeat1900: 230 felonyes of othre shrewes, they wexen eschaufed in-to hate of hem that anoyeden hem, and retornen to the frut of vertu, whan they studien to ben unlyk to hem that they han hated. Certes, only this is the divyne might, to the whiche might yveles ben thanne gode, whan it useth tho yveles covenably, and draweth out the Skeat1900: 235 effect of any gode; as who seyth, that yvel is good only to the might of god, for the might of god ordeyneth thilke yvel to good.
For oon ordre embraseth alle thinges, so that what wight that departeth fro the resoun of thilke ordre which that is assigned to him, algates yit he slydeth in-to another ordre, so that no-thing nis leveful to folye in the reame of the divyne purviaunce; as who Skeat1900: 240 seyth, nothing nis with-outen ordinaunce in the reame of the divyne purviaunce; sin that the right stronge god governeth alle thinges [ ] in this world. For it nis nat leveful to man to comprehenden by wit, ne unfolden by word, alle the subtil ordinaunces and disposiciouns of the divyne entente. For only it oughte suffise to Skeat1900: 245 han loked, that god him-self, maker of alle natures, ordeineth and dresseth alle thinges to gode; whyl that he hasteth to with-holden [ ] the thinges that he hath maked in-to his semblaunce, that is to seyn, for to with-holden thinges in-to good, for he him-self is good, he chaseth out al yvel fro the boundes of his comunalitee by the Skeat1900: 250 ordre of necessitee destinable. For which it folweth, that yif thou loke the purviaunce ordeininge the thinges that men wenen ben outrageous or haboundant in erthes, thou ne shalt nat seen in no [ ] place no-thing of yvel. But I see now that thou art charged with the weighte of the questioun, and wery with the lengthe of my Skeat1900: 255 resoun; and that thou abydest som sweetnesse of songe. Tak thanne this draught; and whan thou art wel refresshed and refect , [ ] thou shal be more stedefast to stye in-to heyere questiouns.
Me. VI.
If thou, wys , wilt demen in thy pure thought the rightes or the [ ] lawes of the heye thonderer, that is to seyn, of god, loke thou and bihold the heightes of the soverein hevene. There kepen the sterres, by rightful alliaunce of thinges, hir olde pees. The sonne, y-moeved by his rody fyr, ne distorbeth nat the colde cercle of [ ] Skeat1900: 5 the mone. Ne the sterre y-cleped “the Bere,” that enclyneth his [ ] ravisshinge courses abouten the soverein heighte of the worlde, ne the same sterre Ursa nis never-mo wasshen in the depe westrene see, ne coveiteth nat to deyen his flaumbes in the see of the occian, al-thogh he see othre sterres y-plounged in the see. And Hesperus [ ] Skeat1900: 10 the sterre bodeth and telleth alwey the late nightes; and Lucifer the sterre bringeth ayein the clere day.
And thus maketh Love entrechaungeable the perdurable courses; [ ] and thus is discordable bataile y-put out of the contree of the Skeat1900: 15 sterres. This acordaunce atempreth by evenelyk maneres the elements, that the moiste thinges, stryvinge with the drye thinges , yeven place by stoundes; and the colde thinges ioynen hem by feyth to the hote thinges; and that the lighte fyr aryseth in-to heighte; and the hevy erthes avalen by hir weightes. By thise Skeat1900: 20 same causes the floury yeer yildeth swote smelles in the firste [ ] somer-sesoun warminge; and the hote somer dryeth the cornes; and autumpne comth ayein, hevy of apples; and the fletinge reyn bideweth the winter. This atempraunce norissheth and bringeth forth al thing that [bretheth] lyf in this world; and thilke same [ ] [ ] Skeat1900: 25 atempraunce, ravisshinge, hydeth and binimeth, and drencheth under the laste deeth, alle thinges y-born.
Amonges thise thinges sitteth the heye maker, king and lord, welle and biginninge, lawe and wys Iuge, to don equitee; and governeth and enclyneth the brydles of thinges. And tho thinges [ ] Skeat1900: 30 that he stereth to gon by moevinge, he withdraweth and aresteth; [ ] and affermeth the moevable or wandringe thinges. For yif that he ne clepede ayein the right goinge of thinges, and yif that he ne constreinede hem nat eft-sones in-to roundnesses enclynede, the thinges that ben now continued by stable ordinaunce, they sholden Skeat1900: 35 departen from hir welle, that is to seyn, from hir biginninge , and faylen, that is to seyn, torne in-to nought.
This is the comune Love to alle thinges; and alle thinges axen [ ] to ben holden by the fyn of good. For elles ne mighten they nat lasten, yif they ne come nat eft-sones ayein, by Love retorned, to Skeat1900: 40 the cause that hath yeven hem beinge, that is to seyn, to god.
Pr. VII.
Seestow nat thanne what thing folweth alle the thinges that I have seyd?’ Boece. ‘What thing?’ quod I.
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘al-outrely, that alle fortune is good.’
‘And how may that be?’ quod I.
‘Now understand,’ quod she, ‘so as alle fortune, whether so it Skeat1900: 5 be Ioyeful fortune or aspre fortune, is yeven either by cause of guerdoning or elles of exercysinge of good folk, or elles by cause to punisshen or elles chastysen shrewes; thanne is alle fortune good, the whiche fortune is certein that it be either rightful or elles profitable.’ Skeat1900: 10
‘Forsothe, this is a ful verray resoun,’ quod I; ‘and yif I consider the purviaunce and the destinee that thou taughtest me a litel her-biforn, this sentence is sustened by stedefast resouns. But yif it lyke unto thee, lat us noumbren hem amonges thilke thinges, of whiche thou seydest a litel her-biforn, that they ne were Skeat1900: 15 nat able to ben wened to the poeple.’ ‘Why so?’ quod she.
‘For that the comune word of men,’ quod I, ‘misuseth this maner speche of fortune, and seyn ofte tymes that the fortune of som wight is wikkede.’
‘Wiltow thanne,’ quod she, ‘that I aproche a litel to the wordes Skeat1900: 20 of the poeple, so that it seme nat to hem that I be overmoche departed as fro the usage of mankinde?’
‘As thou wolt,’ quod I.
‘ Demestow nat,’ quod she, ‘that al thing that profiteth is good?’
‘Yis,’ quod I. Skeat1900: 25
‘And certes, thilke thing that exercyseth or corigeth , profiteth?’
‘I confesse it wel,’ quod I.
‘Thanne is it good?’ quod she.
‘Why nat?’ quod I.
‘But this is the fortune,’ quod she, ‘of hem that either ben put Skeat1900: 30 in vertu and batailen ayeins aspre thinges, or elles of hem that eschuen and declynen fro vyces and taken the wey of vertu.’
‘This ne may I nat denye,’ quod I.
‘But what seystow of the mery fortune that is yeven to good folk in guerdoun ? Demeth aught the poeple that it is wikked?’ Skeat1900: 35
‘Nay, forsothe,’ quod I; ‘but they demen, as it sooth is, that it is right good.’
‘And what seystow of that other fortune,’ quod she, ‘that, al-thogh that it be aspre, and restreineth the shrewes by rightful Skeat1900: 40 torment, weneth aught the poeple that it be good?’
‘Nay,’ quod I, ‘but the poeple demeth that it is most wrecched of alle thinges that may ben thought.’
‘War now, and loke wel,’ quod she, ‘lest that we, in folwinge the opinioun of the poeple, have confessed and concluded thing Skeat1900: 45 that is unable to be wened to the poeple. ’
‘What is that?’ quod I.
‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘it folweth or comth of thinges that ben graunted, that alle fortune, what-so-ever it be, of hem that ben either in possessioun of vertu, or in the encres of vertu , or elles in Skeat1900: 50 the purchasinge of vertu, that thilke fortune is good; and that alle fortune is right wikkede to hem that dwellen in shrewednesse;’ as who seyth, and thus weneth nat the poeple.
‘That is sooth,’ quod I, ‘al-be-it so that no man dar confesse it ne biknowen it.’
Skeat1900: 55 ‘Why so?’ quod she; ‘for right as the stronge man ne semeth nat to abaissen or disdaignen as ofte tyme as he hereth the noise of the bataile, ne also it ne semeth nat, to the wyse man, to beren [ ] it grevously, as ofte as he is lad in-to the stryf of fortune. For bothe to that oon man and eek to that other thilke difficultee is Skeat1900: 60 the matere; to that oon man, of encres of his glorious renoun, [ ] and to that other man, to confirme his sapience, that is to seyn, to [ ] the asprenesse of his estat. For therefore is it called “vertu,” for [ ] that it susteneth and enforseth, by hise strengthes, that it nis nat overcomen by adversitees. Ne certes, thou that art put in the [ ] Skeat1900: 65 encres or in the heighte of vertu, ne hast nat comen to fleten with delices, and for to welken in bodily luste; thou sowest or plauntest a ful egre bataile in thy corage ayeins every fortune: for that the sorwful fortune ne confounde thee nat, ne that the merye fortune ne corumpe thee nat, occupye the mene by stedefast strengthes. Skeat1900: 70 For al that ever is under the mene, or elles al that overpasseth the mene, despyseth welefulnesse ( as who [ ] seyth, it is vicious ), and ne hath no mede of his travaile. For it is set in your hand ( as who seyth, it lyth in your power ) what fortune yow is levest, that is to seyn, good or yvel. For alle fortune that semeth sharp or aspre, yif it ne exercyse nat the gode folk ne chastyseth the wikked folk, it Skeat1900: 75 punissheth .
Me. VII.
The wreker Attrides, that is to seyn, Agamenon, that wroughte [ ] and continuede the batailes by ten yeer, recovered and purgede [ ] in wrekinge, by the destruccioun of Troye, the loste chaumbres of mariage of his brother; this is to seyn, that he , Agamenon, wan ayein Eleyne, that was Menelaus wyf his brother. In the mene [ ] Skeat1900: 5 whyle that thilke Agamenon desirede to yeven sayles to the Grekissh navye, and boughte ayein the windes by blood, he unclothede him of pitee of fader ; and the sory preest yiveth in sacrifyinge the wrecched cuttinge of throte of the doughter; that [ ] is to seyn, that Agamenon let cutten the throte of his doughter by the Skeat1900: 10 preest, to maken allyaunce with his goddes, and for to han winde with whiche he mighte wenden to Troye.
Itacus, that is to seyn, Ulixes, biwepte his felawes y-lorn, [ ] the whiche felawes the ferse Poliphemus, ligginge in his grete cave, hadde freten and dreynt in his empty wombe. But natheles [ ] Skeat1900: 15 Poliphemus, wood for his blinde visage, yald to Ulixes Ioye by his sorwful teres; this is to seyn, that Ulixes smoot out the eye of Poliphemus that stood in his forehed, for which Ulixes hadde Ioye, whan he say Poliphemus wepinge and blinde.
Hercules is celebrable for his harde travailes; he dauntede the [ ] Skeat1900: 20 proude Centaures, half hors, half man; and he birafte the dispoylinge [ ] fro the cruel lyoun, that is to seyn, he slowh the lyoun and [ ] rafte him his skin. He smoot the briddes that highten Arpyes [ ] with certein arwes. He ravisshede apples fro the wakinge dragoun, and his hand was the more hevy for the goldene metal. [ ] Skeat1900: 25 He drow Cerberus, the hound of helle, by his treble cheyne. He, [ ] overcomer, as it is seyd, hath put an unmeke lord foddre to his [ ] cruel hors; this is to seyn, that Hercules slowh Diomedes, and made his hors to freten him. And he, Hercules, slowh Ydra the serpent, [ ] Skeat1900: 30 and brende the venim. And Achelous the flood, defouled in his [ ] forhed, dreynte his shamefast visage in his strondes; this is to seyn, that Achelous coude transfigure him-self in-to dyverse lyknesses; and, as he faught with Hercules, at the laste he tornede him in-to a bole; and Hercules brak of oon of his hornes, and he , for shame, Skeat1900: 35 hidde him in his river. And he, Hercules, caste adoun Antheus [ ] the gyaunt in the strondes of Libie; and Cacus apaysede the [ ] wratthes of Evander; this is to seyn, that Hercules slowh the monstre Cacus, and apaysede with that deeth the wratthe of Evander. And the bristlede boor markede with scomes the [ ] Skeat1900: 40 shuldres of Hercules, the whiche shuldres the heye cercle of [ ] hevene sholde thriste. And the laste of his labours was, that he sustened the hevene up-on his nekke unbowed; and he deservede eft-sones the hevene, to ben the prys of his laste travaile.
Goth now thanne, ye stronge men, ther-as the heye wey of the Skeat1900: 45 grete ensaumple ledeth yow. O nyce men, why nake ye youre [ ] bakkes? As who seyth: O ye slowe and delicat men, why flee ye adversitees, and ne fighten nat ayeins hem by vertu, to winnen the mede of the hevene? For the erthe, overcomen, yeveth the sterres’ ; this is to seyn, that, whan that erthely lust is overcomen, a man is Skeat1900: 50 maked worthy to the hevene.
Pr. I.
She hadde seyd, and torned the cours of hir resoun to some othre thinges to ben treted and to ben y-sped. Thanne seyde I, ‘Certes, rightful is thyn amonestinge and ful digne by auctoritee. [ ] But that thou seidest whylom , that the questioun of the divyne Skeat1900: 5 purviaunce is enlaced with many other questiouns, I understonde wel and proeve it by the same thing. But I axe yif that thou wenest that hap be any thing in any weys; and, yif thou wenest that hap be anything , what is it ?’
Thanne quod she, ‘I haste me to yilden and assoilen to thee [ ] the dette of my bihest, and to shewen and opnen the wey, by Skeat1900: 10 which wey thou mayst come ayein to thy contree. But al-be-it so that the thinges which that thou axest ben right profitable to knowe, yit ben they diverse somwhat fro the path of my purpos; and it is to douten that thou ne be maked wery by mis-weyes, so [ ] that thou ne mayst nat suffyce to mesuren the right wey.’ Skeat1900: 15
‘Ne doute thee ther-of nothing,’ quod I. ‘For, for to knowen thilke thinges to-gedere, in the whiche thinges I delyte me greetly, that shal ben to me in stede of reste; sin it is nat to douten of the thinges folwinge, whan every syde of thy disputacioun shal han be stedefast to me by undoutous feith.’ Skeat1900: 20
Thanne seyde she, ‘That manere wol I don thee’; and bigan to speken right thus. ‘Certes,’ quod she, ‘yif any wight diffinisshe hap in this manere, that is to seyn, that “hap is bitydinge y-brought forth by foolish moevinge and by no knettinge of causes,” I conferme that hap nis right naught in no wyse; and I Skeat1900: 25 deme al-outrely that hap nis, ne dwelleth but a voice, as who seith, but an ydel word, with-outen any significacioun of thing submitted to that vois. For what place mighte ben left, or dwellinge, [ ] to folye and to disordenaunce, sin that god ledeth and constreineth alle thinges by ordre? For this sentence is verray and Skeat1900: 30 sooth, that “nothing ne hath his beinge of naught”; to the [ ] whiche sentence none of thise olde folk ne withseyde never; al-be-it so that they ne understoden ne meneden it naught by god, prince and beginnere of werkinge, but they casten [it] as a manere [ ] foundement of subject material, that is to seyn, of the nature of Skeat1900: 35 alle resoun. And yif that any thing is woxen or comen of no causes, than shal it seme that thilke thing is comen or woxen of naught; but yif this ne may nat ben don, thanne is it nat possible, that hap be any swich thing as I have diffinisshed a litel heer-biforn.’
‘How shal it thanne be?’ quod I. ‘Nis ther thanne no-thing Skeat1900: 40 that by right may be cleped either “hap” or elles “aventure of fortune”; or is ther aught, al-be-it so that it is hid fro the peple, to which these wordes ben covenable ?’
‘Myn Aristotulis,’ quod she, ‘in the book of his Phisik, diffinissheth [ ] Skeat1900: 45 this thing by short resoun, and neigh to the sothe.’
‘In which manere?’ quod I.
‘As ofte,’ quod she, ‘as men doon any thing for grace of any [ ] other thing, and an-other thing than thilke thing that men entenden to don bitydeth by some causes, it is cleped “hap.” Skeat1900: 50 Right as a man dalf the erthe by cause of tilyinge of the feeld, [ ] and founde ther a gobet of gold bidolven, thanne wenen folk that it is bifalle by fortunous bitydinge. But, for sothe, it nis nat of naught, for it hath his propre causes; of whiche causes the cours unforeseyn and unwar semeth to han maked hap. For yif the Skeat1900: 55 tilyere of the feld ne dolve nat in the erthe , and yif the hyder of [ ] the gold ne hadde hid the gold in thilke place, the gold ne hadde nat been founde. Thise ben thanne the causes of the abregginge [ ] of fortuit hap, the which abregginge of fortuit hap comth of causes encountringe and flowinge to-gidere to hem-self, and nat by the Skeat1900: 60 entencioun of the doer. For neither the hyder of the gold ne the delver of the feeld ne understoden nat that the gold sholde han ben founde; but, as I sayde, it bitidde and ran to-gidere that he dalf ther-as that other hadde hid the gold. Now may I thus diffinisshe “hap.” Hap is an unwar bitydinge of causes assembled Skeat1900: 65 in thinges that ben don for som other thing. But thilke ordre, procedinge by an uneschuable bindinge to-gidere, which that [ ] descendeth fro the welle of purviaunce that ordeineth alle thinges in hir places and in hir tymes, maketh that the causes rennen and assemblen to-gidere.
Me. I.
Tigris and Eufrates resolven and springen of oo welle, in the cragges of the roche of the contree of Achemenie, ther-as the [ ] fleinge bataile ficcheth hir dartes, retorned in the brestes of hem [ ] that folwen hem. And sone after tho same riveres, Tigris and Eufrates, unioinen and departen hir wateres. And yif they comen [ ] Skeat1900: 5 to-gideres, and ben assembled and cleped to-gidere into o cours, thanne moten thilke thinges fleten to-gidere which that the water of the entrechaunginge flood bringeth. The shippes and the stokkes arraced with the flood moten assemblen; and the wateres [ ] y-medled wrappeth or implyeth many fortunel happes or maneres; Skeat1900: 10 the whiche wandringe happes, natheles, thilke declyninge lownesse of the erthe and the flowinge ordre of the slydinge water governeth. Right so Fortune, that semeth as that it fleteth with slaked or ungovernede brydles, it suffereth brydles, that is to seyn, to be [ ] governed, and passeth by thilke lawe, that is to seyn, by thilke Skeat1900: 15 divyne ordenaunce. ’
Pr. II.
‘This understonde I wel,’ quod I , ‘and I acorde wel that it is right as thou seyst. But I axe yif ther be any libertee of free wil in this ordre of causes that clyven thus to-gidere in hem-self; or elles I wolde witen yif that the destinal cheyne constreineth the [ ] movinges of the corages of men?’ Skeat1900: 5
34. The last clause, in the original, is in Greek.
‘Yis,’ quod she; ‘ther is libertee of free wil. Ne ther ne was nevere no nature of resoun that it ne hadde libertee of free wil. For every thing that may naturely usen resoun, it hath doom by which it decerneth and demeth every thing; thanne knoweth it, by it-self, thinges that ben to fleen and thinges that ben to desiren. [ ] Skeat1900: 10 And thilke thing that any wight demeth to ben desired, that axeth or desireth he; and fleeth thilke thing that he troweth ben to fleen. Wherfore in alle thinges that resoun is, in hem also is [ ] libertee of willinge and of nillinge. But I ne ordeyne nat, as who [ ] seyth, I ne graunte nat, that this libertee be evene-lyk in alle Skeat1900: 15 thinges. Forwhy in the sovereines devynes substaunces, that is [ ] to seyn, in spirits, Iugement is more cleer, and wil nat y-corumped , [ ] and might redy to speden thinges that ben desired. But the soules of men moten nedes be more free whan they loken hem in Skeat1900: 20 the speculacioun or lokinge of the devyne thought, and lasse free whan they slyden in-to the bodies; and yit lasse free whan they ben gadered to-gidere and comprehended in erthely membres. But the laste servage is whan that they ben yeven to vyces, and han y-falle from the possessioun of hir propre resoun. For after Skeat1900: 25 that they han cast awey hir eyen fro the light of the sovereyn soothfastnesse to lowe thinges and derke, anon they derken by the cloude of ignoraunce and ben troubled by felonous talents; to the [ ] whiche talents whan they aprochen and asenten, they hepen and encresen the servage which they han ioyned to hem-self; and Skeat1900: 30 in this manere they ben caitifs fro hir propre libertee. The whiche [ ] thinges, nathelesse, the lokinge of the devyne purviaunce seeth, that alle thinges biholdeth and seeth fro eterne, and ordeineth hem everich in hir merites as they ben predestinat: and it is seyd in Greek, that “alle thinges he seeth and alle thinges he hereth.” [ ]