BOOK II.

Prose I.

Postea paulisper conticuit.

After this she stinte a litel; and, after that she hadde gadered

by atempre stillenesse myn attencioun, she seide thus: (As who

mighte seyn thus: After thise thinges she stinte a litel; and whan

she aperceived by atempre stillenesse that I was ententif to herkene

hir, she bigan to speke in this wyse): 'Yif I,' quod she, 'have

understonden and knowen outrely the causes and the habit of

thy maladye, thou languissest and art defeted for desyr and

talent of thy rather fortune. She, that ilke Fortune only, that

is chaunged, as thou feynest, to thee-ward, hath perverted the

cleernesse and the estat of thy corage. I understonde the

fele-folde colours and deceites of thilke merveilous monstre

Fortune, and how she useth ful flateringe familaritee with hem

that she enforceth [to bigyle]; so longe, til that she confounde

with unsufferable sorwe hem that she hath left in despeyr unpurveyed.

And yif thou remembrest wel the kinde, the maneres,

and the desert of thilke Fortune, thou shalt wel knowe that,

as in hir, thou never ne haddest ne hast y-lost any fair thing.

But, as I trowe, I shal nat gretly travailen to do thee remembren

on thise thinges. For thou were wont to hurtelen and despysen

hir, with manly wordes, whan she was blaundissinge and present,

and pursewedest hir with sentences that were drawen out of myn

[entree], that is to seyn, out of myn informacioun. But no sodein

mutacioun ne bitydeth nat with-oute a manere chaunginge of

corages; and so is it befallen that thou art a litel departed

fro the pees of thy thought.

But now is tyme that thou drinke and ataste some softe and

delitable thinges; so that, whan they ben entred with-in thee,

it mowe maken wey to strengere drinkes of medicynes. [Com]

now forth therfore the suasioun of swetenesse rethorien, whiche

that goth only the right wey, whyl she forsaketh nat myne estatuts.

And with Rhetorice com forth Musice, a damisel of our hous,

that singeth now lighter [moedes] or prolaciouns, now hevyer.

What eyleth thee, man? What is it that hath cast thee in-to

morninge and in-to wepinge? I trowe that thou hast seyn

som newe thing and uncouth. Thou wenest that [Fortune] be

chaunged ayein thee; but thou wenest wrong, yif thou that

wene. Alwey tho ben hir maneres; she hath rather kept, as

to thee-ward, hir propre stablenesse in the chaunginge of hir-self.

Right swich was she whan she flatered thee, and deceived

thee with unleveful lykinges of fals welefulnesse. Thou

hast now knowen and ataynt the doutous or double visage of

thilke blinde goddesse Fortune. She, that yit covereth hir and

wimpleth hir to other folk, hath shewed hir every-del to thee.

Yif thou aprovest hir and thenkest that she is good, use hir

[maneres] and pleyne thee nat. And yif thou agrysest hir false

trecherye, despyse and cast awey hir that pleyeth so harmfully;

for she, that is now cause of so muche sorwe to thee, sholde

ben cause to thee of pees and of Ioye. [She hath forsaken]

thee, forsothe; the whiche that never man may ben siker that

she ne shal forsake him.

[Glose.] But natheles, some bokes han the text thus: For sothe,

she hath forsaken thee, ne ther nis no man siker that she ne

hath nat forsaken.

Holdestow than thilke welefulnesse precious to thee that shal

passen? And is present Fortune dereworthe to thee, which that

nis nat feithful for to dwelle; and, whan she goth awey, that

she bringeth a wight in sorwe? For sin she may nat ben withholden

at a mannes wille, she maketh him a wrecche whan she

departeth fro him. What other thing is flittinge Fortune but a

maner shewinge of wrecchednesse that is to comen? Ne it ne

suffyseth nat only to loken on thinge that is present biforn the

eyen of a man. But wisdom loketh and amesureth the ende

of thinges; and the same chaunginge from oon in-to an-other,

that is to seyn, from adversitee in-to prosperitee, maketh that the

manaces of Fortune ne ben nat for to dreden, ne the flateringes

of hir to ben desired. Thus, at the laste, it bihoveth thee to

suffren with evene wille in pacience al that is don in-with the

[floor] of Fortune, that is to seyn, in this world, sin thou hast

ones put thy nekke under the yok of hir. For yif thou wolt

wryten a lawe of wendinge and of dwellinge to Fortune, whiche

that thou hast chosen frely to ben thy lady, artow nat wrongful

in that, and makest Fortune wroth and aspere by thyn inpatience,

and yit thou mayst nat chaunge hir?

Yif thou committest and bitakest thy sailes to the winde, thou

shall be shoven, not thider that thou woldest, but whider that the

wind shoveth thee. Yif thou castest thy sedes in-to the feldes,

thou sholdest han in minde that the yeres ben, [amonges], other-whyle

plentevous and other-whyle bareyne. Thou hast bitaken

thy-self to the governaunce of Fortune, and for-thy it bihoveth

thee to ben obeisaunt to the maneres of thy lady. Enforcest

thou thee to aresten or withholden the swiftnesse and the sweigh

of hir turninge whele? O thou fool of alle mortal fooles, if

Fortune bigan to dwelle stable, she [cesede] thanne to ben

Fortune!

Pr. I. 1. C. lytul; A. litel; (and so below). // A. she; C. I (wrongly). 2. C. atencioun. 4. C. aperseyuyd; A. aperceiued. 5. C. here; A. hire. // C. whise. 6. A. vtterly. 7. C. maledye. // A. talent and desijr. 9. C. changed; A. chaunged. 10. A. astat. 11. C. feelefold; A. felefolde. // A. colour. // C. meruayles; A. merueillous. 14. C. onsufferabele; A. vnsuffreable. // C. dyspeyr; A. despeir. 15. C. remenbrest. 16. A. om. that. 17. C. thinge. 18. C. remenbre; A. remembren. 19. C. on; A. of. // C. hurtelyn; A. hurtlen. 20. C. wan. // C. om. was. 21. C. purswedest; A. pursewedest. 24. A. departed a litel. 26. C. ataast; A. atast. 29. C. suacyoun; A. suasioun. 30. C. estatutes; A. estatutz. 31. A. damoisel. 32. C. A. moedes (Lat. modos). // C. probasyons; A. prolaciouns. 36. C. weenes. 38. C. stabylnesse; A. stablenes. // C. ins. standeth bef. in. // C. chaunnynge. 40. C. desseyued; A. desseiued. // C. vnlefful; A. vnleueful. 42. C. coueryht. 43. C. hat (for hath). 44. C. thinkest; A. thenkest. // C. god; A. goode. 48. A. to the cause. 53. C. forsake; A. forsaken. 54. C. holdestow; A. holdest thou. // C. presyes; A. preciouse. 56. C. feythfulle; A. feithful. 57. C. whitholden. 62. A. om. a. // A. mesureth. 63. C. fram. 64. C. in-to; A. to. 65. C. manesses; A. manaces. 67. C. wit. 68. C. syn; A. sythen. 69. C. welt; A. wilt; Ed. wolt. 71. C. artow; A. art thou. 75. C. thedyr; A. thider. // C. whedyr. 76. C. A. wynde. // C. in-to; A. in. // C. feeldes. 77. A. om. amonges. 78. C. barayne. 81. C. sweyȝ; A. sweyes (Lat. impetum). 82. C. wheel; A. whele.

Metre I.

Hec cum superba uerterit uices dextra.

Whan Fortune with a proud right hand hath torned hir

chaunginge stoundes, she fareth lyk the maneres of the boilinge

[Eurype]. Glosa. Eurype is an arm of the see that ebbeth and

floweth; and som-tyme the streem is on o syde, and som-tyme on

the other. Text. She, cruel Fortune, casteth adoun kinges

that whylom weren y-drad; and she, deceivable, enhaunseth up

the humble chere of him that is discomfited. Ne she neither

hereth ne rekketh of wrecchede wepinges; and she is [so hard]

that she [laugheth] and scorneth the wepinges of hem, the whiche

she hath maked wepe with hir free wille. Thus she pleyeth,

and thus she proeueth hir strengthes; and sheweth a greet wonder

to alle hir servauntes, yif that a wight is seyn weleful, and over-throwe

in an houre.

Me. I. 3. C. A. Eurippe (twice); Ed. Eurype. 5. C. the; A. that. 6. C. whilom; A. somtyme. // C. enhanseth; A. enhaunseth. 7. C. vmble; A. humble. // C. descounfited; A. discomfited. // C. Ne; A. and. 9. C. lyssheth; A. lauȝeth; Ed. laugheth (Lat. ridet.) 11. A. preueth. // A. strengthe (Lat. uires). // C. A. grete. 12. C. whiht; A. wyȝt.

Prose II.

Vellem autem pauca tecum.

Certes, I wolde pleten with thee a fewe thinges, usinge the

[wordes of Fortune]; tak hede now thy-self, yif that she axeth

right. "O thou man, wher-fore makest thou me gilty by thyne

[every-dayes] pleyninges? What wrong have I don thee? What

goodes have I bireft thee that weren thyne? Stryf or plete

with me, bifore what Iuge that thou wolt, of the possessioun

of richesses or of dignitees. And yif thou mayst shewen me

that ever any mortal man hath received any of tho thinges to

ben hise in propre, than wol I graunte frely that alle thilke

thinges weren thyne whiche that thou axest. Whan that nature

broughte thee forth out of thy moder wombe, I receyved thee

naked and nedy of alle thinges, and I norisshede thee with my

richesses, and was redy and ententif through my favour to

susteyne thee; and that maketh thee now inpacient ayeins me;

and I envirounde thee with alle the aboundance and shyninge

of alle goodes that ben in my right. Now it lyketh me to

with-drawen my hand; thou hast had grace as he that hath

used of foreine goodes: thou hast no right to pleyne thee, as

though thou haddest outrely for-lorn alle thy thinges. Why

pleynest thou thanne? I have done thee no wrong. Richesses,

honours, and swiche other thinges ben of my right. My servauntes

knowen me for hir lady; they comen with me, and departen

whan I wende. I dar wel affermen hardily, that yif tho thinges,

of which thou pleynest that thou hast forlorn, hadde ben thyne,

thou ne haddest not lorn hem. Shal I thanne only ben defended

to usen my right?

Certes, it is leveful to the hevene to make clere dayes, and,

after that, to coveren tho same dayes with derke nightes. The

yeer hath eek leve to apparailen the visage of the erthe, now

with floures and now with fruit, and to confounden hem som-tyme

with reynes and with coldes. The see hath eek his right

to ben som-tyme calme and blaundishing with smothe water,

and som-tyme to ben horrible with wawes and with tempestes.

But the covetise of men, that may nat ben stanched, shal it

binde me to ben stedefast, sin that stedefastnesse is uncouth

to my maneres? Swich is my strengthe, and this pley I pleye

continuely. [I torne] the whirlinge wheel with the torning cercle;

I am glad to chaungen the lowest to the heyest, and the heyest

to the lowest. [Worth up], if thou wolt, so it be by this lawe,

that thou ne holde nat that I do thee wronge thogh thou

descende adoun, whan the resoun of my pley axeth it.

Wistest thou nat how [Cresus], the king of Lydiens, of whiche

king Cyrus was ful sore agast a litel biforn, that this rewliche

Cresus was caught of Cyrus and lad to the fyr to ben brent,

but that a rayn descendede doun fro hevene that rescowede

him? And is it out of thy minde how that Paulus, consul of

Rome, whan he hadde taken the king of [Perciens], weep pitously

for the captivitee of the self kinge? What other thing biwailen

the cryinges of tragedies but only the dedes of Fortune, that

with an unwar stroke overtorneth realmes of grete nobley?

Glose. [Tragedie] is to seyn, a ditee of a prosperitee for a tyme,

that endeth in wrecchednesse.

Lernedest nat thou [in Greke], whan thou were yonge, that

[in the entree], or in the celere, of Iupiter, ther ben couched two

tonnes; that on is ful of good, that other is ful of harm? What

right hast thou to pleyne, yif thou hast taken more plentevously

of the goode syde, that is to seyn, of my richesses and prosperites;

and what eek if I ne be nat al departed fro thee? What eek

yif my mutabilitee yiveth thee rightful cause of hope to han yit

beter thinges? Natheles dismaye thee nat in thy thought; and

thou that art put in the comune [realme] of alle, ne desyre nat to

liven by thyn only propre right.

Pr. II. 3. C. makes; A. makest. 4. A. wronges (Lat. iniuriam). 5. C. pleten; A. plete (Lat. contende). 8. C. reseyued. // C. tho; A. these. 9. C. thykke; A. thilke. 11. C. browht; A. brouȝt. // C. resseyued. 12. A. al thing. // C. noryssede; A. norysshed. 13. C. fauor; A. fauour. 19. A. vtterly lorn. 20. C. pleynes. 25. C. I shal; A. Shal I. // C. deffendyd. 28. C. coeueryn; A. keuere (better coveren). // C. dirk; A. derke. 29. C. apayrelyn; A. apparaile. 30. C. frut; A. fruyt. 32. C. kalm; A. calme. // C. blawndyssynge; A. blaundyshing. 33. C. om. 2nd with. 35. C. stidefast; A. stedfast. So stide(sted-)fastnesse. 41. C. dessende. // A. doun. // A. om. the. 42. C. wistesthow; A. Wost thou (Lat. Nesciebas). // A. om. the. 44. C. kawth; A. cauȝt. 45. C. dessendede; A. descended. 48. C. kapteuite; A. captiuitee. // C. thinge; A. thinges. 49. C. cryenges; A. criinges. 50. A. the realmes; C. om. the. // C. noblye; A. nobley. 54. A. seler. // C. cowched; A. couched (Lat. iacere). 56. C. hasthow. 57. A. rycchesse. 58. A. om. be and al. 59. C. yeueth; A. ȝiueth. 60. A. desmaye. 61. A. om. the.

Metre II.

Si quantas rapidis flatibus incitus.

Though Plentee, that is goddesse of richesses, [hielde] adoun

with ful horn, and withdraweth nat hir hand, as many richesses

as the see torneth upward sandes whan it is moeved with

ravisshinge blastes, or elles as many richesses as ther shynen

brighte sterres on hevene on the sterry nightes; yit, for al

that, mankinde nolde not cese to wepe wrecchede pleyntes.

And al be it so that god receyveth gladly hir preyers, and

yiveth them ([as fool-large]) moche gold, and aparaileth coveitous

men with noble or clere honours: yit semeth hem haven y-geten

no-thing, but alwey hir cruel ravyne, devouringe al that they

han geten, sheweth other [gapinges]; that is to seyn, gapen and

desyren yit after mo richesses. What brydles mighten withholden,

[to any certein ende], the desordenee covetise of men, whan,

ever the rather that it fleteth in large yiftes, the more ay brenneth

in hem the thurst of havinge? Certes he that, quakinge and

dredful, weneth him-selven nedy, he ne liveth never-more riche."

Me. II. 1. A. rycche. // Both hielde; Ed. hylde. 2. A. recches(!). 4. C. rauyssynge. // A. rycches. 5. A. nyȝt (Lat. noctibus). 6. C. plentes; A. pleyntes. 7. C. resseyueth. // C. preyres; A. prayers. 8. C. A. yeueth. // A. ful (for fool). 9. A. folk (for men). 10. C. thinge; A. thing. // C. crewel. 12. A. rycchesse. 15. A. threst. 16. C. leueth; A. lyueth. // A. -mo.

Prose III.

Hiis igitur si pro se tecum Fortuna loqueretur.

Therfor, yif that Fortune spake with thee for hir-self in this

manere, for-sothe thou ne haddest nat what thou mightest answere.

And, if thou hast any-thing wherwith, thou mayest rightfully defenden

thy compleint, it behoveth thee to shewen it; and I wol

yeven thee space to tellen it.'

'Certeynly,' quod I thanne, 'thise beth faire thinges, and

enointed with hony swetenesse of rethorike and musike; and

only whyl they ben herd they ben delicious. But to wrecches is

a depper felinge of harm; this is to seyn, that wrecches felen the

harmes that they suffren more grevously than the remedies or the

delites of thise wordes mowen gladen or comforten hem; so that,

whan thise thinges stinten for to soune in eres, the sorwe that is

inset greveth the thought.'

'Right so is it,' quod she. 'For thise ne ben yit none remedies

of thy maladye; but they ben a maner norisshinges of thy sorwe,

yit rebel ayein thy curacioun. For whan that tyme is, I shal

moeve swiche thinges that percen hem-self depe. But natheles,

that thou shalt not wilne to leten thy-self a wrecche, hast thou

foryeten the noumber and the manere of thy welefulnesse? I

holde me stille, how that the soverayne men of the citee token

thee in cure and kepinge, whan thou were orphelin of fader and

moder, and were chosen in affinitee of [princes] of the citee; and

thou bigunne rather to be [leef] and dere than forto ben a neighbour;

the whiche thing is the most precious kinde of any propinquitee

or alyaunce that may ben. Who is it that ne seide tho

that thou were right weleful, with so grete a nobleye of thy fadres-in-lawe,

and with the chastitee of thy wyf, and with the oportunitee

and noblesse of thy masculin children, that is to seyn, thy sones?

And over al this—me list to passen the comune thinges—how

thou haddest in thy youthe dignitees that weren werned to olde

men. But it delyteth me to comen now to the singuler uphepinge

of thy welefulnesse. Yif any fruit of mortal thinges may han any

weighte or prys of welefulnesse, mightest thou ever foryeten, for

any charge of harm that mighte bifalle, the remembraunce of

thilke day that thou saye thy two sones maked conseileres, and

y-lad to-gedere fro thyn house under so greet assemblee of

senatoures and under the blythenesse of poeple; and whan thou

saye hem set in the court in here chayeres of dignitees? Thou,

rethorien or pronouncere of kinges preysinges, deservedest glorie

of wit and of eloquence, [whan thou], sittinge bitwene thy two sones,

conseileres, in the place that highte Circo, fulfuldest the abydinge

of the multitude of poeple that was sprad abouten thee, with so large

preysinge and laude, as men singen in victories. Tho yave thou

[wordes] to Fortune, as I trowe, that is to seyn, tho feffedest thou

Fortune with glosinge wordes and deceivedest hir, whan she acoyede

thee and norisshede thee as hir owne delyces. Thou bere away of

Fortune a yifte, that is to seyn, swiche guerdoun, that she never yaf

to [privee] man. Wilt thou therfor leye a rekeninge with Fortune?

She hath now twinkled first upon thee with a wikkede eye. Yif

thou considere the noumbre and the manere of thy blisses and

of thy sorwes, thou mayst nat forsaken that thou art yit blisful.

For if thou therfor wenest thy-self nat weleful, for thinges that

tho semeden ioyful ben passed, ther nis nat why thou sholdest wene

thy-self a wrecche; for thinges that semen now sorye passen also.

[Art thou] now comen first, a sodein gest, in-to the shadwe or

tabernacle of this lyf; or trowest thou that any stedefastnesse be

in mannes thinges, whan ofte a swift houre dissolveth the same

man; that is to seyn, whan the soule departeth fro the body? For,

al-though that selde is ther any feith that fortunous thinges wolen

dwellen, yit natheles the [laste day] of a mannes lyf is a manere

deeth to Fortune, [and also] to thilke that hath dwelt. And therfor,

what, wenestow, [thar [thee] recche, yif thou] forlete hir in deyinge,

or elles that she, Fortune, forlete thee in fleeinge awey?

Pr. III. 2. A. om. nat. 4. A. tellen (for defenden). 6. C. bet (for beth); A. ben. 8. C. delysyos; A. deliciouse. 15. C. maledye. // C. noryssynges; A. norissinges. // C. sorwes; A. sorwe (Lat. doloris). 17. C. swych; A. swiche. 20. C. souerane; A. souerayn. 23. C. begunne; A. bygunne. 24. C. neysshebour; A. neyȝbour. // C. presyous. 26. A. om. tho that. // A. nere (for were). // C. fadyris. 27. C. castete; A. chastite. 29. C. lyste; A. lyst. // C. the; A. of. 30. A. thought (for youthe); Ed. youthe. 32. C. wel-; A. wele-. // C. frute; A. fruyt. 36. C. A semble; A. Ed. assemble. 37. C. peeple; A. poeple. 39. C. des-; A. de-. 40. C. bitwyen; A. bytwix; Ed. bytwene. 41. C. hihte; A. hyȝt. // C. A. Ed. all insert and before fulfuldest; I omit it, because it obscures the sense. 42. A. om. the and so. 44. C. to; A. of. 45. So Ed.; C. A. desseiuedest. 46. C. noryssede; A. norsshed; Ed. norisshed. // A. hast had (for bere away). // C. bar. 47. C. A. gerdoun; Ed. guerdon. 48. C. lye; A. leye; Ed. laye (Lat. ponere). 49. C. om. a. 50. C. blysse (wrongly); A. Ed. blisses. 51. C. art; A. Ed. nart. // C. blysse-; A. blys-. 53. C. the; A. tho (Lat. tunc). 57. C. dyssoluede; A. Ed. dissolueth. 59. C. al that thowgh; A. Ed. although that. // Ed. selde; C. ȝelde (= zelde); A. yelde (= ȝelde); Lat. rara. // C. fortune; A. Ed. fortunous. 62: C. weenestow; A. wenest thou. // C. dar; A. thar. // I supply thee. // C. recke; A. recche.

Metre III.

Cum polo Phebus roseis quadrigis.

Whan Phebus, the sonne, biginneth to spreden his cleernesse

with rosene chariettes, thanne the sterre, y-dimmed, paleth hir

whyte cheres, by the flambes of the sonne that overcometh the

sterre-light. This is to seyn, whan the sonne is risen, the dey-sterre

wexeth pale, and leseth hir light for the grete brightnesse of the

sonne.

Whan the wode wexeth rody of rosene floures, in the first somer

sesoun, thorugh the brethe of the winde Zephirus that wexeth

warm, yif the cloudy wind Auster blowe felliche, than goth awey

[the fairenesse] of thornes.

Ofte the see is cleer and calm withoute moevinge flodes; and

ofte the horrible wind Aquilon moeveth boilinge tempestes and

[over-whelveth] the see.

Yif the forme of this worlde is so selde stable, and yif it turneth

by so many entrechaunginges, wolt thou thanne trusten in the

[tomblinge] fortunes of men? Wolt thou trowen on flittinge goodes?

It is certein and establisshed by lawe perdurable, that no-thing that

is engendred [nis] stedefast ne stable.'

Me. III. 1. C. hyr; A. Ed. his. 2. C. palyt. 3. A. flamus. 7. C. rosyn; A. rosene. 9. C. A. wynde. 10. C. thornesse. 11. C. floedes. 13. Ed. -whelueth; C. -welueeth; A. -whelweth. 14. Ed. selde; C. ȝeelde (= zeelde); A. om. (Lat. rara). 15. C. wolthow; A. Ed. wilt thou. 16. C. towmblynge; Ed. tomblyng; A. trublynge (Lat. caducis). // C. wolthow; A. Ed. wilt thou. // C. Ed. on; A. in. // C. flettynge; A. flittyng. 17. C. is it; A. It is. // C. A. establyssed; Ed. establysshed. // C. thinge; A. thing. 18. C. estable; A. stable.

Prose IV.

Tunc ego, uera, inquam, commemoras.

Thanne seide I thus: 'O norice of alle vertues, thou seist ful

sooth; ne I ne may nat forsake the right swifte cours of my

prosperitee; that is to seyn, that prosperitee [ne be comen] to me

wonder swiftly and sone. But this is a thing that greetly smerteth

me whan it remembreth me. [For in alle] adversitee of fortune,

the most unsely kinde of contrarious fortune is to han ben

weleful.'

['But that thou,'] quod she, 'abyest thus the torment of thy

false opinioun, that mayst thou nat rightfully blamen ne aretten

to thinges: as who seith, for thou hast yit many habundaunces of

thinges.

Text. [For al be it] so that the ydel name of aventurous

welefulnesse moeveth thee now, it is leveful that thou rekne with

me of how manye grete thinges thou hast yit plentee. And

therfor, yif that thilke thing that thou haddest for most precious

in al thy richesse of fortune be kept to thee yit, by the grace of

god, unwemmed and undefouled, mayst thou thanne pleyne

rightfully upon the meschef of Fortune, sin thou hast yit thy

beste thinges? Certes, yit liveth in good point thilke precious

honour of mankinde, [Symacus], thy wyves fader, which that is

a man maked alle of sapience and of vertu; the whiche man

thou woldest byen redely with the prys of thyn owne lyf. He

biwayleth the wronges that men don to thee, and nat for him-self;

for he liveth in sikernesse of any sentences put ayeins him. And

yit liveth [thy wyf], that is atempre of wit, and passinge other

wimmen in clennesse of chastetee; and for I wol closen shortely

hir bountees, she is lyk to hir fader. I telle thee wel, that she

liveth looth of this lyf, and kepeth to thee only hir goost; and is

al maat and overcomen by wepinge and sorwe for desyr of thee,

in the whiche thing only I moot graunten that thy welefulnesse is

amenused. What shal I seyn eek of thy [two sones, conseilours],

of whiche, as of children of hir age, ther shyneth the lyknesse of

the wit of hir fader or of hir elder fader? And sin the sovereyn

cure of alle mortel folk is to saven hir owen lyves, O how weleful

art thou, yif thou knowe thy goodes! For yit ben ther

thinges dwelled to thee-ward, that no man douteth that they ne

ben more dereworthe to thee than thyn owen lyf. And for-thy

drye thy teres, for yit nis nat everich fortune al hateful to thee-ward,

ne over greet tempest hath nat yit fallen upon thee, whan

that [thyn ancres] cleven faste, that neither wolen suffren the

counfort of this tyme present ne the hope of tyme cominge to

passen ne to faylen.'

'And I preye,' quod I, 'that faste moten they halden; for

whyles that they halden, how-so-ever that thinges ben, I shal wel

fleten forth and escapen; but thou mayst wel seen how grete

aparayles and aray that me lakketh, that ben passed away fro

me.'

'I have som-what avaunsed and forthered thee,' quod she, 'yif

that thou anoye nat or forthinke nat of al thy fortune: as who

seith, I have som-what comforted thee, so that thou tempest thee nat

thus with al thy fortune, sin thou hast yit thy beste thinges. But

I may nat suffren [thy delices], that pleynest so wepinge and

anguissous, for that ther lakketh som-what to thy welefulnesse.

For what man is so sad or of so parfit welefulnesse, that he ne

stryveth and pleyneth on som halve ayen the qualitee of his

estat? For-why ful [anguissous] thing is the condicioun of mannes

goodes; for either it cometh nat al-togider to a wight, or elles it

last nat perpetuel. For sum man hath grete richesses, but he is

ashamed of his ungentel linage; and som is renowned of noblesse

of kinrede, but he is enclosed in so grete anguisshe of nede

of thinges, that him were lever that he were unknowe. And

som man haboundeth both in richesse and noblesse, but yit he

bewaileth his chaste lyf, for he ne hath no wyf. And som man is

wel and selily y-maried, but he hath no children, and norissheth

his richesses to the eyres of strange folkes. And som man is

gladed with children, but he wepeth ful sory for the trespas of

his sone or of his doughter. And for this ther ne acordeth no

wight lightly to the condicioun of his fortune; [for alwey] to every

man ther is in som-what that, unassayed, he ne wot nat; or elles

he dredeth that he hath assayed. And adde this also, that every

weleful man hath a ful delicat felinge; so that, but-yif alle thinges

bifalle at his owne wil, for he is impacient, or is nat used to han

non adversitee, anon he is throwen adoun for every litel thing.

And ful litel thinges ben tho that withdrawen the somme or the

perfeccioun of blisfulnesse fro hem that ben most fortunat. How

many men, trowest thou, wolden demen hem-self to ben almost in

hevene, yif they mighten atayne to the leest party of the remnaunt

of thy fortune? This same place that thou clepest exil, is

contree to hem that enhabiten heer, and forthy [nothing [is]

wrecched but whan thou wenest it: as who seith, thou thy-self, ne

no wight elles, nis a wrecche, but whan he weneth him-self a wrecche

by reputacioun of his corage. And ayeinward, alle fortune is blisful

to a man by the [agreabletee] or by the egalitee of him that

suffreth it.

What man is that, that is so weleful, that nolde changen his

estat whan he hath lost pacience? The [swetnesse] of mannes

welefulnesse is sprayned with many biternesses; the whiche welefulnesse,

al-though it seme swete and ioyful to hem that useth it,

yit may it nat ben [with-holden] that it ne goth away whan it wole.

Thanne is it wel sene, how wrecched is the blisfulnesse of mortal

thinges, that neither it dureth perpetuel with hem that every

fortune receiven agreablely or egaly, ne it delyteth nat in al to

hem that ben anguissous. O ye mortal folk, what seke ye thanne

blisfulnesse out of your-self, whiche that is put in your-self?

Errour and folye confoundeth yow.

I shal shewe thee shortely the poynt of sovereyne blisfulnesse.

Is ther any-thing more precious to thee than thy-self? Thou

wolt answere, "nay." Thanne, yif it so be that thou art mighty

over thy-self, that is to seyn, by tranquillitee of thy sowle, than hast

100

thou thing in thy power that thou noldest never lesen, ne Fortune

ne may nat beneme it thee. And that thou mayst knowe that

blisfulnesse ne may nat standen in thinges that ben fortunous

and temporel, now understonde and gader it to-gidere thus:

Yif blisfulnesse be the sovereyn good of nature that liveth by

105

resoun, ne thilke thing nis nat sovereyn good that may be taken

awey in any wyse, (for more worthy thing and more digne is

thilke thing that may nat ben taken awey); than [sheweth it wel],

that the unstablenesse of fortune may nat atayne to receiven

verray blisfulnesse. And yit more-over: what man that this

110

toumbling welefulnesse ledeth, [either he woot] that it is chaungeable,

or elles he woot it nat. And yif he woot it nat, what blisful

fortune may ther be in the blindnesse of ignorance? And yif he

woot that it is chaungeable, he moot alwey ben adrad that he ne

lese that thing that he ne doubteth nat but that he may lesen it;

115

as who seith, he mot ben alwey agast, [lest he lese that] he wot wel he

may lese it. For which, the continuel dreed that he hath ne

suffreth him nat to ben weleful. Or yif he lese it, he weneth to

be dispysed and forleten. Certes eek, that is a ful litel good that

is born with evene herte whan it is lost; [that is to seyn, that men]

120

do no more fors of the [lost] than of the havinge. And for as moche

as thou thy-self art he, to whom it hath ben shewed and proved

by ful manye demonstraciouns, as I wot wel, that the sowles of

men ne mowe nat deyen in no wyse; and eek sin it is cleer and

certein, that fortunous welefulnesse endeth by the deeth of the

125

body; it may nat ben douted that, yif that deeth may take awey

blisfulnesse, that alle the kinde of mortal thinges ne descendeth

in-to wrecchednesse by the ende of the deeth. And sin we knowen

wel, that many a man hath sought the fruit of blisfulnesse nat

only with suffringe of deeth, but eek with suffringe of peynes and

130

tormentes; how mighte than this present lyf maken men blisful,

sin that, whan thilke selve lyf is ended, it ne [maketh] folk no

wrecches?

Pr. IV. 1. C. vertuus; A. vertues. 4. C. om. a. 6. C. vnȝely (= vnzely); A. Ed. vnsely. 8. A. abaist (!). // C. tormentz; A. tourment (Lat. supplicium). 10. C. -daunce; A. Ed. -daunces. 13. C. leefful; A. leueful. 15. C. thinge; A. thing. 19. C. leueth; A. lyueth. 21. C. om. 2nd of. 24. C. leueth; A. liueth. 29. C. maad; A. maat; Ed. mate. 30. C. thinge; A. thing. 31. C. amenyssed; A. Ed. amenused. 32. C. lyke-; A. lyk-. 33. A. Ed. eldefadir. 35. A. But (for For). 36. So C. Ed.; A. dwellyng. // A. -wardes. 40. A. cliue. 42. A. fallen. 43. A. holden. 44. C. A. halden. 45. C. mayste. 49. A. forthenke. 52. C. delites (?); A. Ed. delices (Lat. delicias). 55. C. Ed. and; A. or. 57. A. om. nat. 58. A. lasteth. // A. perpetuely. // A. rycchesse. 59. A. renomed. 60. anguisshe of] A. angre for. 63. Ed. chaste; C. caste; A. chast. 64. C. zelyly; A. Ed. selily. // C. hat. // C. noriseth; A. norissheth. 66. C. A. sory; Ed. sore. 69. A. is in mest som-what. 71. A. wel (for ful). 72. Ed. is; C. A. om. 77. A. remenaunt. 79. I supply is; Lat. nihil est miserum. 80. C. ho; A. who. 81. A. no (for a). 83. C. egreablete; A. agreablete. 86. C. what (!); A. whan. // C. lost; A. lorn. 87. C. sprayngd (!); A. y-spranid; Ed. spraynte. // C. beter-; A. bitter-. // C. weche. 89. C. wan. // C. woole; A. wol. 92. C. resseyuen; A. receyuen. 100, 106. C. thinge; A. thing. 101. A. bynyme. 102. A. om. ne. 107. C. take; A. taken. 108. C. resseyuen; A. receyue. 110. A. om. it. 115. C. list; A. lest. 116. A. om. it. 118. A. forleten hit. 120. C. A. lost; Ed. losse. // C. meche (for moche). 126. C. dessendeth; A. descendith. 128. C. frut; A. fruit.

Metre IV.

Quisquis uolet perennem Cautus ponere sedem.

What maner man, stable and war, that wole founden him

a perdurable sete, and ne wole nat ben cast down with the loude

blastes of the wind Eurus; and wole despyse the see, manasinge

with flodes; lat him eschewen to bilde on the cop of the mountaigne

or in the moiste sandes. For the felle wind Auster

tormenteth the cop of the mountaigne with all his strengthes;

and the [lause] sandes refusen to beren the hevy wighte.

And [forthy, if thou] wolt fleen the perilous aventure, that is to

seyn, of the worlde; have minde certeinly to ficchen thyn hous of

a merye site in a lowe stoon. For al-though the wind, troubling

the see, thondre with over-throwinges, thou that art put in quiete,

and [weleful] by strengthe of thy palis, shalt leden a cleer age,

scorninge the woodnesses and the ires of the eyr.

Me. IV. 1. C. waar. 7. Ed. lose; A. lowe see(!); (Lat. solutae). // A. weyȝte. 10. C. lowh; A. Ed. lowe. 12. C. A. palys (Lat. ualli).

Prose V.

Set cum rationum iam in te.

But for as moche as the norisshinges of my resouns descenden

now in-to thee, I trowe it were tyme to usen a litel strenger

medicynes. Now understond heer, al were it so that the yiftes of

Fortune ne were nat brutel ne transitorie, what is ther in hem

that may be thyn in any tyme, or elles that it nis foul, yif that it

be considered and loked perfitly? Richesses, ben they precious

by the nature of hem-self, or elles by the nature of thee? What is

most worth of richesses? Is it nat gold or might of moneye

assembled? Certes, thilke gold and thilke moneye shyneth and

yeveth betere renoun [to hem that despenden it] thanne to thilke

folk that [mokeren it]; for avarice maketh alwey mokereres to ben

hated, and largesse maketh folk cleer of renoun. For sin that

swich thing as is transferred fram o man to another ne may nat

dwellen with no man; certes, thanne is thilke moneye precious

whan it is translated into other folk and [stenteth to ben had], by

usage of [large] yevinge of him that hath yeven it. And also: yif

that al the moneye that is over-al in the worlde were gadered

toward o man, it sholde maken alle other men to ben nedy [as of that].

And certes , that is to seyn, with-oute amenusinge,

fulfilleth to-gidere the hering of moche folk; but certes, youre

richesses ne mowen nat passen in-to moche folke with-oute

amenusinge. And whan they ben apassed, nedes they maken

hem pore that for-gon the richesses.

O! streite and nedy clepe I this richesse, sin that many folk

ne may nat han it al, ne al may it nat comen to o man with-outen

povertee of alle other folk! And the shyninge of gemmes, that

I clepe precious stones, draweth it nat the eyen of folk to hem-ward,

that is to seyn, for the beautee? But certes, yif ther were

beautee or bountee in the shyninge of stones, thilke cleernesse is

of the stones hem-self, and nat of men; for whiche I wondre

gretly that men mervailen on swiche thinges. For-why, what

thing is it, that [yif it wanteth] moeving and Ioynture of sowle and

body, that by right mighte semen a fair creature to him that hath

a sowle of resoun? For al be it so that gemmes drawen to hem-self

a litel [of the laste] beautee of the world, through the entente of

hir creatour and [through the distinccioun] of hem-self; yit, for as

mochel as they ben put under youre excellence, they ne han nat

deserved by no wey that ye sholden mervailen on hem. And

the beautee of feldes, delyteth it nat mochel un-to yow?'

Boece. '[Why sholde it nat] delyten us, sin that it is a right fair

porcioun of the right faire werke, that is to seyn, of this world?

And right so ben we gladed som-tyme of the face of the see

whan it is cleer; and also mervailen we on the hevene and on the

sterres, and on the sonne and on the mone.'

Philosophye. 'Aperteneth,' quod she, 'any of thilke thinges to

thee? Why darst thou glorifyen thee in the shyninge of any

swiche thinges? Art thou distingwed and embelised by the

springinge floures of the first somer sesoun, or swelleth thy

plentee in the fruites of somer? Why art thou ravisshed with

ydel Ioyes? Why embracest thou straunge goodes as they weren

thyne? Fortune ne shal never maken that swiche thinges ben

thyne, that nature of thinges hath maked foreine fro thee. Sooth

is that, with-outen doute, the frutes of the erthe owen to ben to

the norissinge of bestes. And yif thou wolt fulfille thy nede after

that it suffyseth to nature, than is it no nede that thou seke after

the superfluitee of fortune. For with ful fewe things and with ful

litel thinges nature halt hir apayed; and yif thou wolt achoken

the fulfillinge of nature with superfluitees, certes, thilke thinges

that thou wolt thresten or pouren in-to nature shullen ben unioyful

to thee, or elles anoyous. Wenest thou eek that it be a fair

thing to shyne with dyverse clothinge? Of whiche clothinge yif

the beautee be agreeable to loken up-on, I wol mervailen on the

nature of the matere of thilke clothes, or elles on the werkman

that wroughte hem. But also a long route of meynee, maketh

that a blisful man? The whiche servants, yif they ben vicious of

condiciouns, it is a great charge and a distruccioun to the hous,

and a greet enemy to the lord him-self. And yif they ben goode

men, how shal straunge or foreine goodnesse ben put in the

noumbre of thy richesse? So that, by all these forseide thinges,

it is clearly y-shewed, that never oon of thilke thinges that thou

acountedest for thyne goodes nas nat thy good. In the whiche

thinges, yif ther be no beautee to ben desyred, why sholdest thou

ben sory yif thou lese hem, or why sholdest thou reioysen thee

to holden hem? For yif they ben faire of hir owne kinde, what

aperteneth that to thee? For al so wel sholden they han ben

faire by hem-selve, though they weren departed fram alle thyne

richesses. Forwhy faire ne precious ne weren they nat, for that

they comen among thy richesses; but, for they semeden faire and

precious, ther-for thou haddest lever rekne hem amonges thy

richesses.

But what desirest thou of Fortune with so grete a noise, and

with so grete a fare? I trowe thou seke to dryve awey nede with

habundaunce of thinges; but certes, it torneth to you al in the

contrarie. Forwhy certes, it nedeth of ful manye helpinges to

kepen the diversitee of precious [ostelments]. And sooth it is,

that of manye thinges han they nede that manye thinges han; and

ayeinward, of litel nedeth hem that mesuren hir fille after the nede

of kinde, and nat after the outrage of coveityse. Is it thanne so,

that ye men ne han no proper good y-set in you, for which

ye moten seken outward youre goodes in foreine and [subgit]

thinges? So is thanne the condicioun of thinges torned up-so-down,

that a man, that is a devyne [beest] by merite of his resoun,

thinketh that him-self nis neither faire ne noble, but-yif it be

thorugh possessioun of ostelments that ne han no sowles. And

certes, al other thinges ben apayed of hir owne beautee; but ye

men, that ben semblable to god by your resonable thought,

desiren to aparailen your excellent kinde [of the lowest] thinges;

ne ye understonden nat how greet a wrong ye don to your

creatour. For he wolde that mankinde were most worthy and

100

noble of any othre erthely thinges; and ye threste adoun your

dignitees benethe the lowest thinges. For [yif that al] the good of

every thinge be more precious than is thilke thing whos that

the good is: sin ye demen that the fouleste thinges ben youre

goodes, thanne submitten ye and putten your-selven under tho

105

fouleste thinges by your estimacioun; [and certes], this tydeth nat

with-oute youre desertes. For certes, swiche is the condicioun of

alle mankinde, that only whan it hath knowinge of it-selve, than

passeth it in noblesse alle other thinges; and whan it forleteth the

knowinge of it-self, than is it brought binethen alle beestes. For-why

110

al other livinge beestes han of kinde to knowe nat hem-self;

but whan that men leten the knowinge of hemself, [it cometh] hem

of vice. But how brode sheweth the errour and the folye of yow

men, that wenen that any thing may ben aparailed with straunge

aparailements! But for sothe that may nat ben doon. For yif

115

a wight shyneth with thinges that ben put to him, as thus, if

thilke thinges shynen with which a man is aparailed, certes, thilke

thinges ben comended and preysed with which he is aparailed;

but natheles, the thing that is covered and wrapped under that

dwelleth in his filthe.

120

And I denye that thilke thing be good that anoyeth him that

hath it. [Gabbe I of this?]. Thou wolt seye "nay." Certes,

richesses han anoyed ful ofte hem that han tho richesses; sin that

every wikked shrewe, (and for his wikkednesse the more gredy

after other folkes richesses, wher-so ever it be in any place, be it

125

gold or precious stones), [weneth] him only most worthy that hath

hem. Thou thanne, that so bisy dredest now the swerd and now

the spere, yif thou haddest entred in the path of this lyf a voide

[wayferinge] man, than woldest thou singe beforn the theef; as

who seith, a pore man, that berth no richesse on him by the weye,

130

may boldely [singe] biforn theves, for he hath nat wherof to ben

robbed. O precious and right cleer is the blisfulnesse of mortal

richesses, that, whan thou hast geten it, than hast thou lorn thy

sikernesse!

Pr. V. 1. C. A. noryssinges; Ed. norisshynges. // C. dess-; A. desc-. 6. A. Richesse. 8. A. worthi. // A. rycchesse. // C. om. it. 15. C. stenteth; A. stynteth. 19. A. al hool; Ed. al hole; C. om.; (Lat. tota). 21. A. rycchesse. 24. A. thise rycchesses. 25. A. om. 1st ne. 27. A. in-to. 28. C. beautes; A. Ed. beaute. // C. But; A. For. 29. A. om. the. 31. C. gretely; A. gretly. 32. C. Ioyngture; A. ioynture. 33. C. myht; A. myȝt. 35. C. last; A. laste. 36. C. om. and. 38. C. A. desserued. // A. shullen. 41. C. ryhte; A ryȝt. 46. C. darsthow; A. darst thou. 47. C. Arthow; A. Art thou. 49. A. om. the. // C. fructes; A. fruytes. // C. arthow. // C. rauyssed; A. rauyshed. 52. A. om. hath. // A. Syche (!). 53. A. on (for 2nd to). 59. C. shollen; A. shullen. 60. C. anoyos; A. anoies; Ed. anoyous. 64. C. wrowht; A. wrouȝt. 70. oon] A. none. 71. A. accoumptedest. 75. A. as (for al-so). 77, 78, 80. A. rycchesse. 90. A. outwardes. 98. A. ne ye ne, &c. 100. A. Ed. erthely; C. wordly. 103. C. tho; A. the. // C. A. foulest. 104. A. summytten. // C. the; A. tho. 106. A. desert. 110. A. om. livinge. // C. hym-; A. hem-. 111. C. om. that. 119. So A.; C. felthe. 122. A. rycchesse (thrice). // C. tho; A. the. 125. C. A. Ed. and weneth; but and must be omitted (see Latin text). // C. hat. 126. A. om. 2nd now. 128. A. wayfaryng. 132. A. rycchesse.

Metre V.

Felix nimium prior etas.

Blisful was the first age of men! They helden hem apayed

with the metes that the trewe feldes broughten forth. They

ne distroyede nor deceivede nat hem-self with outrage. They

weren wont lightly to slaken hir hunger at even with acornes

of okes. [They ne coude] nat medly the yifte of Bachus to the

cleer hony; that is to seyn, they coude make no [piment] nor clarree;

[ne they coude] nat medle the brighte fleeses of the contree of

Seriens with the venim of Tyrie; this is to seyn, they coude nat

deyen whyte fleeses of Serien contree with the blode of a maner

shelfisshe that men finden in Tyrie, with whiche blood men deyen

purpur. They slepen hoolsom slepes up-on the gras, and

dronken of the renninge wateres; and layen under the shadwes

of the heye pyn-trees. Ne no [gest ne straungere] ne carf yit

the heye see with ores or with shippes; ne they ne hadde seyn

yit none newe strondes, to leden marchaundyse in-to dyverse

contrees. Tho weren the cruel clariouns ful hust and ful stille,

ne blood y-shad by egre hate ne hadde nat deyed yit [armures].

[For wher-to] or which woodnesse of enemys wolde first moeven

armes, whan they seyen cruel woundes, ne none medes be of

blood y-shad?

I wolde that oure tymes sholde torne ayein to the olde

maneres! [But the anguissous] love of havinge brenneth in folk

more cruely than the fyr of the mountaigne Ethna, that ay brenneth.

[Allas!] what was he that first dalf up the gobetes or the weightes

of gold covered under erthe, and the precious stones that wolden

han ben hid? [He dalf] up precious perils. That is to seyn, that

he that hem first up dalf, he dalf up a precious peril; for-why for

the preciousnesse of swiche thinge, hath many man ben in peril.

Me. V. 2. Ed. feldes; C. feeldes; A. erthes. 3. C. desseyuyd; A. desceyued. 4. C. accornes; A. acornes. 6. C. nor; Ed. or; A. of. 7. C. fleezes; A. flies; Ed. fleces. 8. A. siriens (Lat. Serum). 9. C. flezes; A. flies; Ed. fleces. // C. syryen; A. sirien; Ed. Syrien. 10. C. shylle-; A. Ed. shel-. 13. A. om. 3rd ne. // C. karue; A. karf; Ed. carfe. 16. C. crwel (and so again below). // C. Ed. hust; A. whist. 17. A. y-shed. // A. armurers (!). 18. C. wer to. 19. C. say; A. seien. 22. C. angwissos; A. anguissous. 23. C. om. 2nd the. // A. Ed. of Ethna; C. om. of. // A. euer (for ay). 27. C. om. 2nd he. 28. A. om. thinge. // A. ben; C. be.

Prose VI.

Quid autem de dignitatibus.

But what shal I seye of dignitees and of powers, the whiche

ye men, that neither knowen verray dignitee ne verray power,

areysen hem as heye as the hevene? The whiche dignitees and

powers, yif they comen to any wikked man, they don as grete

damages and destrucciouns as doth the flaumbe of the mountaigne

Ethna, whan the flaumbe walweth up; ne no deluge ne doth so

cruel harmes. Certes, thee remembreth wel, as I trowe, that

thilke dignitee that men clepen [the imperie of consulers], the

whiche that whylom was biginninge of fredom, youre eldres

coveiteden to han don away that dignitee, for the pryde of the

consulers. And right for the same pryde your eldres, biforn that

tyme, hadden don awey, out of the citee of Rome, the kinges

name; that is to seyn, they nolde han no lenger no king. But

now, yif so be that dignitees and powers be yeven to goode men,

the whiche thing is ful selde, what agreable thing is ther in tho

dignitees or powers but only the goodnesse of folkes that usen

hem? And therfor it is thus, that honour ne comth nat to vertu

for cause of dignitee, but ayeinward honour comth to dignitee for

cause of vertu. But whiche is thilke youre dereworthe power,

that is so cleer and [so requerable]? O ye ertheliche bestes,

considere ye nat over which thinge that it semeth that ye han

power? Now yif thou saye a mous amonges other mys, that

chalaunged to him-self-ward right and power over alle other mys,

how greet scorn woldest thou han of it! Glosa. So fareth it by

men; the body hath power over the body. For yif thou loke wel

up-on the body of a wight, what thing shall thou finde more

freele than is mankinde; the whiche men wel ofte ben slayn with

bytinge of smale flyes, or elles with the entringe of crepinge

wormes [in-to the privetees of mannes body]? But wher shal man

finden any man that may exercen or haunten any right up-on

another man, but only up-on his body, or elles up-on thinges

that ben lowere than the body, [the whiche I clepe] fortunous

possessiouns? Mayst thou ever have any comaundement over

a free corage? Mayst thou remuen fro the estat of his propre

reste that is clyvinge to-gidere in him-self by stedefast

resoun? As whylom a tyraunt wende to confounde

of corage, and wende to constreyne him by torment, to maken

him discoveren and acusen folk that wisten of a coniuracioun,

which I clepe a confederacie, that was cast ayeins this tyraunt;

but this free man boot of his owne tonge and caste it in the

visage of thilke wode tyraunt; so that the torments that this

tyraunt wende to han maked matere of crueltee, this wyse man

maked it matere of vertu.

[But what] thing is it that a man may don to another man, that

he ne may receyven the same thing of othre folk in him-self:

or thus, what may a man don to folk, that folk ne may don him the

same? I have herd told of [Busirides], that was wont to sleen his

gestes that herberweden in his hous; and he was sleyn him-self

of Ercules that was his gest. [Regulus] hadde taken in bataile

many men of Affrike and cast hem in-to feteres; but sone after

he moste yeve his handes to ben bounde with the cheynes of

hem that he hadde whylom overcomen. Wenest thou thanne

that he be mighty, that hath no power to don a thing, that othre

ne may don in him that he doth in othre? And yit more-over,

yif it so were that thise dignitees or poweres hadden any propre

or natural goodnesse in hem-self, never nolden they comen to

shrewes. For contrarious thinges ne ben nat wont to ben

y-felawshiped to-gidere. Nature refuseth that contrarious thinges

ben y-ioigned. And so, as I am in certein that right wikked folk

han dignitees ofte tyme, than sheweth it wel that dignitees and

powers ne ben nat goode of hir owne kinde; sin that they suffren

hem-self to cleven or ioinen hem to shrewes. And certes, the

same thing [may I] most digneliche iugen and seyn of alle the

yiftes of fortune that most plentevously comen to shrewes; of

the whiche yiftes, I trowe that it oughte ben considered, that no

man douteth that he nis strong in whom he seeth strengthe; and

in whom that swiftnesse is, sooth it is that he is swift. Also

musike maketh musiciens, and phisike maketh phisiciens, and

rethorike rethoriens. For-why the nature of every thing maketh

his propretee, ne it is nat entremedled with the effects of the

contrarious thinges; and, [as of wil], it chaseth out thinges that

ben to it contrarie. But certes, richesse may not restreyne

avarice unstaunched; ne power ne maketh nat a man mighty

over him-self, whiche that vicious lustes holden destreyned with

cheynes that ne mowen nat be unbounden. And dignitees that

ben yeven to shrewede folk nat only ne maketh hem nat digne,

but it sheweth rather al openly that they ben unworthy and

undigne. And why is it thus? Certes, for ye han Ioye to clepen

thinges with false names that beren hem alle in the contrarie;

the whiche names ben ful ofte [reproeved] by the effecte of the

same thinges; so that thise ilke richesses ne oughten nat by

right to ben cleped richesses; ne swich power ne oughte nat

ben cleped power; ne swich dignitee ne oughte nat ben cleped

dignitee.

And at the laste, I may conclude the same thing of alle the

yiftes of Fortune, in which ther nis nothing to ben desired, ne

that hath in him-self naturel bountee, as it is ful wel y-sene. For

neither they ne ioignen hem nat alwey to goode men, ne maken

hem alwey goode to whom that they ben y-ioigned.

Pr. VI. 1. A. seyne. 2. A. om. ye. 5. C. flawmbe; A. flamme (twice). 6. A. ins. wit (!) bef. walweth. 7. C. crwel. // C. remenbryth. 8. A. thilke; C. thikke. // A. emperie; C. Imperiye. 11. A. conseilers. 13. A. kyng; C. kynge. 15. Ed. selde; C. A. zelde. // C. A. Ed. thinges; read thing (Lat. quid placet). 19. A. om. thilke. 22. C. musȝ; A. myse; Ed. myce. 23. C. mysȝ; A. myse; Ed. myce. 26. C. shalthow. 27. A. mannes kynde. // A. whiche ben ful ofte slayn. 29. A. mennes bodyes. 33. C. Maysthow. 34. C. Maysthow remwen. 35. A. cleuyng. // C. stidefast; A. stedfast. 40. Ed. caste; C. A. cast. 42. C. crwelte. 45. C. resseyuen; A. receyue. 48. A. herburghden. 52. C. om. he. // C. whylom; A. somtyme. // C. weenesthow. 53. C. thinge; A. thing. 54. A. om. 1st in. // A. to (for 2nd in). 63. Ed. I (after may); C. A. omit. 67. C. om. it. 68. So A.; C. musuciens, phisissiens. 70. A. effectis; C. effect. // A. om. the. 72. C. A. to it ben. 73. A. om. 2nd ne. 81, 82. A. rycchesse (twice). 82, 83. A. whiche (for swich; twice). 87. C. I-seene; A. sene.

Metre VI.

Nouimus quantas dederit ruinas.

We han wel knowen how many grete harmes and destrucciouns

weren don by the emperor [Nero]. He leet brenne the citee of

Rome, and made sleen the senatoures. And he, cruel, whylom

slew [his brother]; and he was maked moist with the blood of

his moder; that is to seyn, he leet sleen and slitten the body of

his moder, to seen wher he was conceived; and he loked on every

halve up-on her colde dede body, ne no tere ne wette his face, but

he was so hard-herted that he mighte ben [domes-man] or Iuge of

hir dede beautee. And natheles, yit governede this Nero by

ceptre alle the poeples that Phebus the sonne may seen, cominge

from his outereste arysinge til he hyde his bemes under the

wawes; that is to seyn, he governed alle the poeples by ceptre imperial

that the sonne goth aboute, from est to west. And eek this

Nero governed by ceptre alle the poeples that ben under the

colde sterres that highten ["septem triones"]; this is to seyn, he

governede alle the poeples that ben under the party of the north.

And eek Nero governed alle the poeples that the violent wind

[Nothus] scorkleth, and baketh the brenning sandes by his drye

hete; that is to seyn, alle the poeples in the south. But yit ne

mighte nat al his hye power torne the woodnesse of this wikked

Nero. [Allas!] it is a grevous fortune, as ofte as wikked swerd

is ioigned to cruel venim; that is to seyn, venimous crueltee to

lordshippe.'

Me. VI. 2. C. let; A. letee (!). 3. C. crwel. // C. whylom; A. somtyme. 5. C. lette (wrongly); A. let. 6. C. conseyued; A. conceiued. 7. A. half. // C. wecte; A. wette. 9. A. ȝitte neuertheles. 11. A. hidde. 12. C. sceptre; A. ceptre. 15. C. vii. tyryones (sic); A. the seuene triones; Ed. the Septentrions. 16. A. parties. 18. C. Ed. scorklith; A. scorchith. 19-21. A. om. But yit ... Nero; Ed. retains it, omitting hye. // For Allas ... it is, A. has—But ne how greuous fortune is; C. om. a bef. greuous, but Ed. retains it. C. repeats it is. 22. C. crwel; crwelte.

Prose VII.

Tum ego, scis, inquam.

Thanne seyde I thus: 'Thou wost wel thy-self that the coveitise

of mortal thinges ne hadde never lordshipe of me; but

[I have wel desired] matere of thinges to done, as who seith, I

desire to han matere of governaunce over comunalitees, for vertu,

stille, ne sholde nat elden;' that is to seyn, that [him] leste that,

or he wex olde, his vertu, that lay now ful stille, ne should nat

perisshe unexercised in governaunce of comune; for which men

mighten speken or wryten of his goode governement.

Philosophye. 'For sothe,' quod she, 'and that is a thing that

may [drawen to governaunce] swiche hertes as ben worthy and

noble of hir nature; but natheles, it may nat drawen or tollen

swiche hertes as ben y-brought to the fulle perfeccioun of vertu,

that is to seyn, coveitise of glorie and renoun to han wel administred

the comune thinges or don gode desertes to profit of the

comune. For see now and considere, how litel and how voide of

alle prys is thilke glorie. Certein thing is, as thou hast lerned by

the demonstracioun of astronomye, that al the environinge of the

erthe aboute ne halt nat but the resoun of at regard of the

greetnesse of hevene; that is to seyn, that yif ther were maked

comparisoun of the erthe to the greetnesse of hevene, men wolden

iugen in al, that the erthe ne helde no space. Of the whiche litel

regioun of this worlde, the ferthe partye is enhabited with livinge

bestes that we knowen, as thou thyself hast y-lerned by [Tholomee]

that proveth it. And yif thou haddest with-drawen and abated in

thy thought fro thilke ferthe partye as moche space as the see and

the mareys contenen and over-goon, and as moche space as the

regioun of droughte over-streccheth, that is to seyn, sandes and

desertes, [wel unnethe] sholde ther dwellen a right streit place to

the habitacioun of men. And ye thanne, that ben environed and

closed with-in the leste prikke of thilke prikke, thinken ye to

manifesten your renoun and don youre name to ben born forth?

But your glorie, that is so narwe and so streite y-throngen in-to so

litel boundes, how mochel coveiteth it in largesse and in greet

doinge? [And also sette] this there-to: that many a nacioun,

dyverse of tonge and of maneres and eek of resoun of hir livinge,

ben enhabited in the clos of thilke litel habitacle; to the whiche

naciouns, what for difficultee of weyes and what for dyversitee of

langages, and what for [defaute] of unusage and entrecomuninge of

marchaundise, nat only the names of singuler men ne may nat

strecchen, but eek the fame of citees ne may nat strecchen. At

the laste, certes, in the tyme of [Marcus Tullius], as him-self writ in

his book, that the renoun of the comune of Rome ne hadde nat

yit passed ne cloumben over the mountaigne that highte [Caucasus];

and yit was, thilke tyme, Rome wel waxen and greetly redouted of

the [Parthes] and eek of other folk enhabitinge aboute. Seestow

nat thanne how streit and how compressed is thilke glorie that ye

travailen aboute to shewe and to multiplye? May thanne the

glorie of a singuler Romaine strecchen thider as the fame of the

name of Rome may nat climben ne passen? And eek, seestow nat

that the maneres of dyverse folk and eek hir lawes ben discordaunt

among hem-self; so that thilke thing that som men

iugen worthy of preysinge, other folk iugen that it is worthy of

torment? And ther-of comth it that, though a man delyte him in

preysinge of his renoun, he may nat in no wyse bringen forth ne

spreden his name to many maner poeples. There-for every man

oughte to ben apayed of his glorie that is publisshed among his

owne neighbours; and thilke noble renoun shal ben restreyned

within the boundes of o manere folke. But how many a man,

that was ful noble in his tyme, [hath the wrecched] and nedy

foryetinge of wryteres put out of minde and don awey! Al be

it so that, certes, thilke wrytinges profiten litel; the whiche

wrytinges long and derk elde doth awey, bothe hem and eek hir

autours. But ye men semen to geten yow a perdurabletee, whan

ye thenken that, in tyme to-cominge, your fame shal lasten. But

natheles, yif thou wolt maken comparisoun to the endeles spaces

of eternitee, what thing hast thou by whiche thou mayst reioysen

thee of long lastinge of thy name? For yif ther were maked comparisoun

of the abydinge of a moment to ten thousand winter,

for as mochel as bothe the spaces ben [ended], yit hath the

moment som porcioun of it, al-though it litel be. But natheles,

thilke selve noumbre of yeres, and eek as many yeres as

ther-to may be multiplyed, ne may nat, certes, ben comparisoned

to the perdurabletee that is [endeles]; for of thinges that han ende

may be maked comparisoun, but of thinges that ben with-outen

ende, to thinges that han ende, may be maked no comparisoun.

And forthy is it that, al-though renoun, of as long tyme as ever

thee list to thinken, [were thought] to the regard of eternitee, that

is unstaunchable and infinit, it ne sholde nat only semen litel, but

pleynliche right naught. But ye men, certes, ne conne don

nothing a-right, but-yif it be for the audience of poeple and for

ydel rumours; and ye forsaken the grete worthinesse of conscience

and of vertu, and ye seken your guerdouns of the smale wordes of

straunge folk.

Have now heer and understonde, in the lightnesse of swich

pryde and veine glorie, how a man scornede festivaly and merily

swich vanitee. Whylom ther was a man that hadde assayed

with stryvinge wordes another man, the whiche, nat for usage of

verray vertu but for proud veine glorie, had taken up-on him

falsly the name of a philosophre. [This rather man]. that I spak

of thoughte he wolde assaye, wher he, thilke, were a philosophre

or no; that is to seyn, yif that he wolde han suffred lightly in

pacience the wronges that weren don un-to him. This feynede

philosophre took pacience a litel whyle, and, whan he hadde

received wordes of outrage, he, as in stryvinge ayein and reioysinge

of him-self, [seyde] at the laste right thus: "understondest

thou nat that I am a philosophre?" That other man answerde

ayein ful bytingly, and seyde: "I hadde wel understonden it, yif

thou haddest holden thy tonge stille." But what is it to thise

noble worthy men (for, certes, of swiche folke speke I) that seken

100

glorie with vertu? What is it?' quod she; 'what atteyneth fame

to swiche folk, whan the body is resolved by the deeth at the

laste? For yif it so be that men dyen in al, that is to seyn, body

and sowle, the whiche thing our resoun defendeth us to bileven,

thanne is ther no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde thilke glorie

105

ben, whan he, of whom thilke glorie is seyd to be, nis right naught

in no wyse? And yif the sowle, whiche that hath in it-self science

of goode werkes, unbounden fro the prison of the erthe, wendeth

frely to the hevene, [despyseth it] nat thanne alle erthely occupacioun;

and, being in hevene, reioyseth that it is exempt fro alle

110

erthely thinges? As who seith, thanne rekketh the sowle of no

glorie of renoun of this world.

Pr. VII. 4. A. desired. 5. I supply him (to make sense). // Ed. leste; C. A. list. 6. A. wex; C. wax. 7. C. perise; A. perisshe. // Ed. vnexercysed; C. A. vnexcercised. 17. A. om. 1st the. // C. om. of. 21. A. that erthe helde. 26. A. and mareys. // C. spaces (for space). 28. C. vel; A. wel. 32. C. narwh; A. narwe. 36. A. cloos. 37. C. deficulte; A. difficulte. // C. deficulte (repeated); A. Ed. diuersite. 38. A. om. and after vnusage. 39. Ed. synguler; C. A. syngler. // A. om. nat (bef. 1st strecchen). 41. C. marchus; A. Marcus. // Ed. Tullius; C. A. Tulius. // C. writ; A. writeth. 43. C. om. yit. // A. hyȝt. 44. C. thikke; A. thilk. // A. wexen. 45. C. sestow; A. Sest thou. 48. Ed. synguler; C. singler; A. singlere. // A. strecchen; C. strechchen. 49. C. seysthow; A. sest thou; Ed. seest thou. 51. C. thinge; A. thing. 56. A. paied. // Ed. publysshed; C. publyssed; A. puplissed. 57. A. neyȝbores; Ed. neyghbours; C. nesshebours. 59. A. nedy and wrecched. 63. A. autours; Ed. auctours; C. actorros (!). // A. Ed. ye men semen; C. yow men semeth. 64. A. thenke; C. thinken. // A. comyng (om. to-). 65. A. space (Lat. spatia). 69. C. A. Ed. insert for bef. yit (wrongly). 70. A. it a litel. 73. C. -durablyte; A. -durablete. // A. eenles (for endeles). 74, 75. A. om. but of ... comparisoun. 77. A. by (for 2nd to). 82. C. A. gerdouns; Ed. guerdones. 84. A. whiche (for swich). 89. A. speke. 90. C. weere he; A. where he; Ed. wheder he. 91. A. om. that. 94. C. resseyuyd; A. receiued. 95. C. vnderstondow. 97. A. om. it. 98. C. glosses it by s. fama. 102. A. om. it. 103. C. deffendeth; A. defendith. 105. A. for (for whan). 107. C. glosses erthe by i. corporis. 108. C. glosses it by i. anima. 110, 111. A. om. As who ... this world.

Metre VII.

Quicunque solam mente praecipiti petit.

Who-so that, [with overthrowinge thought], only seketh glorie of

fame, and weneth that it be sovereyn good: lat him loken up-on

the brode [shewinge] contrees of hevene, and up-on the streite site

of this erthe; and he shal ben ashamed of the encrees of his

name, that may nat fulfille the litel compas of the erthe. O!

what coveiten proude folk to liften up hir nekkes in ydel in the

[dedly] yok of this worlde? For al-though that renoun y-sprad,

passinge to [ferne] poeples, goth by dyverse tonges; and al-though

that grete houses or kinredes shynen with clere titles of honours;

yit, natheles, deeth despyseth alle heye glorie of fame: and deeth

wrappeth to-gidere the heye hevedes and the lowe, and maketh

egal and evene the heyeste to the loweste. Wher wonen now the

bones of trewe [Fabricius]? What is now [Brutus], or stierne

[Catoun]? The thinne fame, yit lastinge, of hir ydel names, is

marked with a fewe lettres; but al-though that we han knowen

the faire wordes of the fames of hem, it is nat yeven to knowe

hem that ben dede and consumpte. [Liggeth] thanne stille, al

outrely unknowable; ne fame ne maketh yow nat knowe. And

yif ye wene to liven the longer for winde of your mortal name,

whan o [cruel] day shal ravisshe yow, [thanne is] the seconde deeth

dwellinge un-to yow.' Glose. The first deeth he clepeth heer the

departinge of the body and the sowle; and the seconde deeth he

clepeth, as heer, the stintinge of the renoun of fame.

3. C. cyte (for site); A. sete (error for site; Lat. situm). 6. A. liften vpon hire nekkes in ydel and dedely. 7. A. om. that. 9. A. om. that. // C. cler; A. clere. 13. A. stiern; Ed. sterne. 17. A. Ed. consumpt. 18. A. vtterly. 21. Ed. to (for un-to); A. in. // A. Ed. the; C. om. (after heer).

Prose VIII.

Set ne me inexorabile contra fortunam.

'But for as mochel as thou shalt nat wenen', quod she, 'that I

bere [untretable] bataile ayeins fortune, yit som-tyme it bifalleth that

she, deceyvable, deserveth to han right good thank of men; and

that is, whan she hir-self opneth, and whan she descovereth hir

frount, and sheweth hir maneres. Peraventure yit understondest

thou nat that I shal seye. It is a wonder that I desire to telle,

and forthy unnethe may I [unpleyten] my sentence with wordes; for

I deme that contrarious Fortune profiteth more to men than

Fortune debonaire. For alwey, whan Fortune semeth debonaire,

than she lyeth falsly in bihetinge the hope of welefulnesse; but

forsothe contrarious Fortune is alwey soothfast, whan she sheweth

hir-self unstable thorugh hir chaunginge. The amiable Fortune

deceyveth folk; the contrarie Fortune techeth. The amiable

Fortune bindeth with the beautee of false goodes the hertes of

folk that usen hem; the contrarie Fortune unbindeth hem by the

knowinge of freele welefulnesse. The amiable Fortune mayst

thou seen alwey [windinge] and flowinge, and ever misknowinge of

hir-self; the contrarie Fortune is atempre and restreyned, and wys

thorugh exercise of hir adversitee. At the laste, amiable Fortune

with hir flateringes draweth miswandringe men fro the sovereyne

good; the contrarious Fortune ledeth ofte folk ayein to soothfast

goodes, and haleth hem ayein as with an hooke. Wenest thou

thanne that thou oughtest to leten this a litel thing, that this [aspre]

and horrible Fortune hath discovered to thee the thoughtes of thy

trewe freendes? For-why this ilke Fortune hath departed and uncovered

to thee bothe the certein visages and eek the doutous

[visages] of thy felawes. Whan she departed awey fro thee, she

took awey hir freendes, and lafte thee thyne freendes. Now whan

thou were riche and weleful, as thee semede, with how mochel

woldest thou han bought the fulle knowinge of this, that is to seyn,

the knowinge of thy verray freendes? Now pleyne thee nat thanne

of richesse y-lorn, sin thou hast founden the moste precious kinde

of richesses, that is to seyn, thy verray freendes.

Pr. VIII. A. omits to end of bk. iii. pr. 1. 3. C. desseyuable. // C. desserueth. 7. So C.; Ed. vnplyten. 13. C. desseyueth. 17. C. maysthow. 30. C. woldesthow.

Metre VIII.

Quod mundus stabili fide.

[That the world with stable feith] varieth acordable chaunginges;

that the contrarious qualitee of elements holden among hem-self

aliaunce perdurable; that Phebus the sonne with his goldene

chariet bringeth forth the rosene day; that the mone hath commaundement

over the nightes, which nightes Hesperus the eve-sterre

[hath brought]; that the see, [greedy to flowen], constreyneth

with a certein [ende] hise flodes, so that it is nat leveful to strecche

hise brode [termes or boundes] up-on the erthes, that is to seyn, to

covere al the erthe:—al this acordaunce of thinges is bounden with

[Love], that governeth erthe and see, and hath also commaundements

to the hevenes. And yif this Love [slakede] the brydeles,

alle thinges that now loven hem to-gederes wolden maken a bataile

continuely, and stryven to fordoon the fasoun of this worlde, the

whiche they now leden in acordable feith by faire moevinges.

This Love halt to-gideres poeples ioigned with an holy bond, and

knitteth sacrement of mariages of chaste loves; and Love endyteth

lawes to trewe felawes. O! weleful were mankinde, yif thilke

Love that governeth hevene governed youre corages!'

Me. VIII. 6. C. hat. 7. C. lueful; Ed. leful. 8. erthes; Lat. terris.

Explicit Liber secundus.