BOOK III.

Prose I.

Iam cantum illa finierat.

By this she hadde ended hir song, whan the sweetnesse of hir

ditee hadde thorugh-perced me that was desirous of herkninge,

and I astoned hadde yit [streighte] myn eres, that is to seyn, to

herkne the bet what she wolde seye; so that a litel here-after I

seyde thus: 'O thou that art sovereyn comfort of anguissous

corages, [so] thou hast remounted and norisshed me with the

weighte of thy sentences and with delyt of thy singinge; so that

I trowe nat now that I be [unparigal] to the strokes of Fortune:

as who seyth, I dar wel now suffren al the assautes of Fortune, and

wel defende me fro hir. And tho remedies whiche that thou

seydest her-biforn weren right sharpe, [nat only that] I am nat

[a-grisen] of hem now, but I, desirous of heringe, axe gretely to

heren the remedies.'

Than seyde she thus: 'That felede I ful wel,' quod she, 'whan

that thou, ententif and stille, [ravisshedest] my wordes; and I

abood til that thou haddest swich habite of thy thought as thou

hast now; or elles til that I my-self hadde maked to thee the

same habit, which that is a more verray thing. And certes, the

remenaunt of thinges that ben yit to seye ben swiche, that first

whan men tasten hem they ben bytinge, but whan they ben

receyved withinne a wight, than ben they swete. But for thou

seyst that thou art so desirous to herkne hem, with how gret

brenninge woldest thou glowen, yif thou wistest whider I wol

leden thee!'

'Whider is that?' quod I.

'To thilke verray welefulnesse,' quod she, 'of whiche thyn herte

dremeth; but for as moche as thy sighte is ocupied and distorbed

by imaginacioun of erthely thinges, thou mayst nat yit seen thilke

selve welefulnesse.'

'Do,' quod I, 'and shewe me what is thilke verray welefulnesse,

I preye thee, with-oute taryinge.'

'That wole I gladly don,' quod she, '[for the cause of thee];

[but I wol] first marken thee by wordes and I wol enforcen me to

enformen thee thilke false cause of blisfulnesse that thou more

knowest; so that, whan thou hast fully bi-holden thilke false

goodes, and torned thyn eyen to that other syde, thou mowe knowe

the cleernesse of verray blisfulnesse.

Pr. I. 3. C. streyhte; Ed. streyght. 5. C angwissos. 7. C. weyhte; Ed. weight. // C. sentenses; Ed. sentences. 8. C. vnparygal; Ed. vnperegall. 10. C. deffende; Ed. defende. 11. C. hir-; Ed. here-. 12. C. desiros; Ed. desyrous. 17. C. Ed. had. 21. C. resseyued. 22. C. wit; Ed. with. 23. C. woldesthow; Ed. woldest thou. 26. C. thynge (!); Ed. thyn; Lat. tuus. 28. C. herthely; Ed. erthly. 31. C. tarynge; Ed. taryeng; Lat. cunctatione. 33. C. the (for thee); Ed. om.

Metre I.

Qui serere ingenuum uolet agrum.

Who-so wole sowe a feeld plentivous, lat him first delivere it fro

thornes, and kerve asunder with his [hook] the busshes and the

fern, so that the corn may comen hevy of eres and of greynes.

[Hony] is the more swete, yif mouthes han first tasted savoures that

ben wikkid. The sterres shynen more agreably whan the wind

[Nothus] leteth his [ploungy] blastes; and after that Lucifer the

day-sterre hath chased awey the derke night, the day the fairere

ledeth the rosene hors of the sonne. And right so thou, bi-holdinge

first the false goodes, [bigin] to with-drawen thy nekke

fro the yok of erthely affecciouns; and after-ward the verray goodes

shollen entren in-to thy corage.'

Me. I. 1. A. of (for fro). 2. A. bushes; Ed. busshes; C. bosses. 3. C. heres; A. eres. 5. A. wikke. // C. agreablely. 7. C. dirke; A. derke. 8. A. om. And. 10. C. verre; A. verrey.

Prose II.

Tunc defixo paullulum uisu.

Tho fastnede she a litel the sighte of hir eyen, and with-drow

hir right as it were in-to the [streite sete] of hir thought; and bigan

to speke right thus: 'Alle the [cures],' quod she, 'of mortal folk,

whiche that travaylen hem in many maner studies, goon certes by

diverse weyes, but natheles they enforcen hem alle to comen only

to oon ende of blisfulnesse. And blisfulnesse is swiche a good,

that who-so that hath geten it, he ne may, [over that], no-thing

more desyre. And this thing is forsothe the [sovereyn good] that

conteyneth in him-self alle maner goodes; to the whiche good yif

ther failede any thing, it mighte nat ben cleped sovereyn good:

for thanne were ther som good, [out of this ilke sovereyn good], that

mighte ben desired. Now is it cleer and certein thanne, that

blisfulnesse is a parfit estat by the congregacioun of alle goodes;

the whiche blisfulnesse, as I have seyd, alle mortal folk enforcen

hem to geten by diverse weyes. For-why the coveitise of verray

good is naturelly y-plaunted in the hertes of men; but the miswandringe

errour mis-ledeth hem in-to false goodes. Of the

whiche men, som of hem wenen that sovereyn good be to liven

with-oute nede of any thing, and travaylen hem to be haboundaunt

of richesses. And som other men demen that sovereyn good be,

for to ben right digne of reverence; and enforcen hem to ben

reverenced among hir neighbours by the honours that they han

y-geten. And some folk ther ben that holden, that right heigh

power be sovereyn good, and enforcen hem for to regnen, or elles

to ioignen hem to hem that regnen. And it semeth to some other

folk, that noblesse of renoun be the sovereyn good; and hasten

hem to geten glorious name by the arts of werre and of pees.

And many folk [mesuren] and gessen that sovereyn good be Ioye

and gladnesse, and wenen that it be right blisful thing to ploungen

hem in voluptuous delyt. And ther ben folk that entrechaungen

the causes and the endes of thise forseyde goodes, as they that

desiren richesses to han power and delytes; or elles they desiren

power for to han moneye, or for cause of renoun. In thise thinges,

and in swiche othre thinges, [is torned] alle the entencioun of

desiringes and of werkes of men; as thus: noblesse and favour

of people, whiche that yeveth to men, as it semeth hem, a maner

cleernesse of renoun; and wyf and children, that men desiren for

cause of delyt and of [merinesse]. But forsothe, frendes ne sholden

nat be rekned a-mong the godes of fortune, but of vertu; for it is

a ful holy maner thing. Alle thise othre thinges, forsothe, ben

taken for cause of power or elles for cause of delyt.

Certes, now am I redy to referren the goodes of the body to

thise forseide thinges aboven; for it semeth that strengthe and

gretnesse of body yeven power and worthinesse, and that beautee

and swiftnesse yeven noblesses and glorie of renoun; and hele of

body semeth yeven delyt. In alle thise thinges it semeth only

that blisfulnesse is desired. For-why thilke thing that every man

desireth most over alle thinges, he demeth that it be the sovereyn

good; but I have defyned that blisfulnesse is the sovereyn good;

[for which] every wight demeth, that thilke estat that he desireth

over alle thinges, that it be blisfulnesse.

Now hast thou thanne biforn thyn eyen almest al the purposed

forme of the welefulnesse of man-kinde, that is to seyn, richesses,

honours, power, and glorie, and delyts. The whiche delyt only

considerede [Epicurus], and iuged and establisshed that delyt is

the sovereyn good; for as moche as alle othre thinges, as him

thoughte, [bi-refte] awey Ioye and mirthe fram the herte. But I

retorne ayein to the [studies] of men, of whiche men the corage

alwey reherseth and seketh the sovereyn good, [al be it] so that

it be with a derked memorie; but he [not] by whiche path, right

as a dronken man not nat by whiche path he may retorne him to

his hous. Semeth it thanne that folk folyen and erren that

enforcen hem to have nede of nothing? Certes, ther nis non other

thing that may so wel performe blisfulnesse, as an estat plentivous

of alle goodes, that ne hath nede of non other thing, but that is

suffisaunt of himself unto him-self. And folyen swiche folk thanne,

that wenen that thilke thing [that is right good, that it] be eek right

worthy of honour and of reverence? Certes, nay. For that thing

nis neither foul ne worthy to ben despised, that wel neigh al the

entencioun of mortal folk travaylen for to geten it. And power,

oughte nat that eek to ben rekened amonges goodes? What

elles? For it is nat to wene that thilke thing, that is most worthy

of alle thinges, be feble and with-oute strengthe. And cleernesse

of renoun, oughte that to ben despised? Certes, ther may no

man [forsake], that al thing that is right excellent and noble, that it ne

semeth to ben right cleer and renomed. For certes, it nedeth nat

to seye, that blisfulnesse [be [nat] anguissous] ne drery, ne subgit to

grevaunces ne to sorwes, sin that in right litel thinges folk seken

to have and to usen that may delyten hem. Certes, thise ben

the thinges that men wolen and desiren to geten. And for this

cause desiren they richesses, dignitees, regnes, glorie, and delices.

For therby wenen they to han suffisaunce, honour, power, renoun,

and gladnesse. [Than is it good], that men seken thus by so many

diverse studies. In whiche desyr it may lightly ben shewed how

gret is the strengthe of nature; for how so that men han diverse

sentences and discordinge, algates men acorden alle in [lovinge] the

ende of good.

Pr. II. 2. C. cyte; A. sete; Lat. sedem. 5. C. enforsen; A. enforced; Ed. enforcen. 6. A. om. And blisfulnesse. 10. A. om. cleped. 14. C. enforsen; A. enforcen. 18. A. is (for be). 20. C. ben; A. be. 22. C. nesshebors; A. neyghbours. 23. A. halden. // C. heyh; A. heyȝe; Ed. hye. 24: A. to b (for be). 28. C. by (for be); A. Ed. be. 29. A. om. thing. 32. A. rycchesse. 35. A. om. 1st of. // C. fauor; A. fauour. 36. A. om. to men and hem. 38. A. shollen. 39. A. Ed. the; C. tho. 45. C. sweft-; A. swifte-. 49. C. deffyned; A. Ed. diffined. 52. A. om. thy eyen; C. thy (for thyn); Ed. thyn. // A. almost. 55. A. om. and bef. iuged. // C. A. establyssed; Ed. establysshed. 59. A. ins. of after good (wrongly). 60. C. dirkyd; A. derke; Ed. dyrked. // A. om. but he ... path. // C. paath (twice). 62. C. foleyen; A. folyen. 65. C. A. ins. it bef. is; Ed. om. 66. C. A. foleyen; Ed. folyen. 69. C. wel neyh; Ed. wel nygh; A. om. // C. alle; A. Ed. al. 77. I supply nat. // C. angwyssos. // C. subgyd; A. subgit. 81. A. rycches. 86. C. allegates; A. algates. // A. lyuynge (!).

Metre II.

Quantas rerum flectat habenas.

It lyketh me to shewe, by subtil song, with [slakke] and delitable

soun of strenges, how that Nature, mighty, [enclineth and flitteth]

the governements of thinges, and by whiche lawes she, [purveyable],

kepeth the grete world; and how she, bindinge, restreyneth alle

thinges by a bonde that may nat ben unbounde. Al be it so that

the lyouns [of the contre of Pene] beren the faire chaynes, and

taken metes of the handes of folk that yeven it hem, and dreden

hir [sturdy] maystres of whiche they ben wont to suffren betinges:

yif that hir horrible mouthes ben be-bled, that is to seyn, of bestes

devoured, hir corage of time passed, that hath ben ydel and rested,

repeyreth ayein; and they roren grevously and remembren on hir

nature, and slaken hir nekkes fram hir chaynes unbounde; and

[hir mayster], first to-torn with blody tooth, assayeth the wode

wrathes of hem; this is to seyn, they freten hir mayster. And the

[iangelinge] brid that singeth on the heye braunches, that is to seyn,

in the wode, and after is enclosed in a streyt cage: al-though that

the [pleyinge bisinesse] of men yeveth hem honiede drinkes and

large metes with swete studie, yit natheles, yif thilke brid, skippinge

out of hir streyte cage, seeth the [agreables] shadewes of the

wodes, she defouleth with hir feet hir metes y-shad, and seketh

mourninge only the wode; and twitereth, desiringe the wode, with

hir swete vois. The yerde of a tree, that is haled a-doun by

mighty strengthe, boweth redily the crop a-doun: but yif that the

hand of him that it bente lat it gon ayein, anon the crop loketh

up-right to hevene. The sonne Phebus, that falleth at even in

the westrene wawes, retorneth ayein eftsones his carte, [by privee]

[path], ther-as it is wont aryse. [Alle thinges] seken ayein to hir

propre cours, and alle thinges reioysen hem of hir retorninge ayein

to hir nature. Ne non ordinaunce nis bitaken to thinges, but that

that hath ioyned the endinge to the beginninge, and hath maked

the cours of it-self stable, that it chaungeth nat from his propre

kinde.

Me. II. 3. A. om. the. 8. A. om. betinges. 9. C. horyble. 11. A. that (for 1st and). 13. A. to-teren. 15. A. Iangland. // A. this (for 2nd that). 16. A. inclosed. // C. streyht; A. streit. 17. C. pleynynge; A. pleiyng; Lat. ludens. 19. A. Ed. agreable. 24. C. bent; A. bente. 27. A. in-to (for to). 30. C. hat; A. hath.

Prose III.

Vos quoque, o terrena animalia.

Certes also ye men, that ben ertheliche [beestes], dremen alwey

youre beginninge, al-though it be with a thinne imaginacioun;

and by a maner thoughte, al be it nat cleerly ne parfitly, ye loken

fram a-fer to thilke verray fyn of blisfulnesse; and ther-fore naturel

entencioun ledeth you to thilke verray good, but many maner

errours mis-torneth you ther-fro. Consider now yif that by thilke

thinges, by whiche a man weneth to geten him blisfulnesse, yif

that he may comen to thilke ende that he weneth to come by

nature. For yif that moneye or honours, or thise other forseyde

thinges bringen to men swich a thing that no good ne fayle hem

ne semeth fayle, certes than wole I graunte that they ben maked

blisful by thilke thinges that they han geten. But yif so be that

thilke thinges ne mowen nat performen that they bi-heten, and

that ther be defaute of manye goodes, sheweth it nat thanne

cleerly that [fals beautee] of blisfulnesse is knowen and ateint in

thilke thinges? First and forward thou thy-self, that haddest

habundaunces of richesses nat long agon, [I axe] yif that, in the

habundaunce of alle thilke richesses, thou were never anguissous

or sory in thy corage of any wrong or grevaunce that bi-tidde thee

on any syde?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it ne remembreth me nat that evere I was

so free of my thought that I ne was alwey in anguissh of

som-what.'

'And was nat that,' quod she, 'for that [thee lakked] som-what

that thou noldest nat han lakked, or elles thou haddest that thou

noldest nat han had?'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Thanne desiredest thou the presence of that oon and the

absence of that other?'

'I graunte wel,' quod I.

'Forsothe,' quod she, 'than nedeth ther som-what that every

man desireth?'

'Ye, ther nedeth,' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'and he that hath lakke or nede of aught

nis nat in every wey suffisaunt to himself?'

['No,'] quod I.

'And thou,' quod she, 'in al the plentee of thy richesses haddest

thilke lakke of suffisaunse?'

'What elles?' quod I.

'Thanne may nat richesses [maken] that a man nis nedy, ne that

he be suffisaunt to him-self; and that was it that they [bi-highten],

as it semeth. And eek certes I trowe, that this be gretly to

considere, that moneye ne hath nat in his owne kinde that it

ne may ben bi-nomen of hem that han it, maugre hem?'

'I bi-knowe it wel,' quod I.

'Why sholdest thou nat bi-knowen it,' quod she, 'whan every

day the strenger folk bi-nemen it fro the febler, maugre hem?

For whennes comen elles alle thise [foreyne] compleyntes or

quereles of pletinges, but for that men axen ayein here moneye

that hath ben bi-nomen hem by force or by gyle, and alwey

maugre hem?'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Than,' quod she, 'hath a man nede to seken him foreyne

helpe by whiche he may defende his moneye?'

'Who may sey nay?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she; 'and him nedede non help, yif he ne hadde

no moneye that he mighte lese?'

'That is douteles,' quod I.

'Than is this thinge torned in-to the contrarye,' quod she.

'For richesses, that men wenen sholde make suffisaunce, they

maken a man rather han nede of foreyne help! Which is

the manere or the gyse,' quod she, 'that richesse may dryve awey

nede? Riche folk, may they neither han hunger ne thurst?

Thise riche men, may they fele no cold on hir limes on winter?

But thou wolt answeren, that riche men han y-now wher-with they

may staunchen hir hunger, slaken hir thurst, and don a-wey cold.

In this wyse may nede be counforted by richesses; but certes,

nede ne may nat all outrely ben don a-wey. For though this nede,

that is alwey gapinge and gredy, [be fulfild] with richesses, and axe

any thing, yit dwelleth thanne a nede that mighte be fulfild. I

[holde me stille, and telle nat] how that litel thing suffiseth to

nature; but certes to avarice y-nough ne suffiseth no-thing. For

sin that richesses ne may nat al don awey nede, but richesses

maken nede, [what may it thanne be], that ye wenen that richesses

mowen yeven you suffisaunce?

Pr. III. 2. A. om. youre biginninge. 15. C. ataynt; A. a-teint. 24. A. that (for And). // A. om. nat that ... for. // A. thou lakkedest; Ed. the lacked. 34. A. a wyȝt (for aught). 35. C. suffysaunte; A. suffisaunt. 37, 40. A. rycchesse. 46. C. sholdesthow. 47. A. bynymen. // C. febelere; A. febler. 50. C. om. hem. 54. C. deffende. 56. A. nedith. 60. A. rycchesse. 63. A. threst. 64. C. the; A. thei. 65. A. y-nouȝ. 66. A. threst. 68. C. om. nat. // C. vtrely; A. outerly. 69, 70. C. fulfyd; A. fulfilled (twice). 72. C. aueryce; A. auarice. 73. C. rychesse (1st time only); A. rychesse (twice). // C. alwey; A. awey.

Metre III.

Quamvis fluente diues auri gurgite.

Al were it so that a riche coveytous man hadde a [river] fletinge

al of gold, [yit sholde it never] staunchen his coveitise; and though

he hadde his nekke y-charged with precious stones of the [rede]

[see], and though he do ere his feldes plentivous with an hundred

oxen, never ne shal his bytinge bisinesse for-leten him whyl he

liveth, ne the lighte richesses ne sholle nat beren him companye

whan he is ded.

Me. III. 1. A. om. 2nd a. 2. A. couetise. 4. A. erye. // C. feeldes. 6. C. leuith; A. lyueth. // C. shol; A. shal. // C. A. compaignie.

Prose IV.

Set dignitates.

But dignitees, to whom they ben comen, maken they him

honorable and reverent? Han they nat so gret strengthe, that

they may putte vertues in the hertes of folk that usen the lordshipes

of hem? Or elles may they don a-wey the vyces? Certes, they

ne be nat wont to don awey wikkednesse, but they ben wont

rather to shewen wikkednesse. And ther-of comth it that I have

right grete desdeyn, that dignitees ben yeven ofte to wikked

men; for which thing Catullus cleped a consul of Rome, that

highte Nonius, ["postum"] or ["boch"]; as who seyth, he cleped him

a congregacioun of vyces in his brest, as a postum is ful of corupcioun,

al were this Nonius set in a chayre of dignitee. Seest thou nat

thanne how gret vilenye dignitees don to wikked men? Certes,

unworthinesse of wikked men sholde be the lasse y-sene, yif they

nere renomed of none honours. [Certes, thou] thyself ne mightest

nat ben brought with as manye perils as thou mightest suffren

that thou woldest beren the magistrat with [Decorat]; that is to

seyn, that for no peril that mighte befallen thee by offence of the king

Theodorike, thou noldest nat be felawe in governaunce with Decorat;

whan thou saye that he hadde wikked corage of a likerous shrewe

and of an accuser. Ne I ne may nat, for swiche honours, iugen

hem worthy of reverence, that I deme and holde unworthy to han

thilke same honours. Now yif thou saye a man that were fulfild

of wisdom, certes, thou ne mightest nat deme that he were unworthy

to the honour, or elles to the wisdom of which he is

fulfild?'—'No,' quod I.—'Certes, dignitees,' quod she, 'apertienen

proprely to vertu; and vertu transporteth dignitee anon to

thilke man to which she hir-self is conioigned. And for as moche

as honours of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of honour, it

is wel seyn cleerly that they ne han no propre beautee of dignitee.

And yit men oughten taken more heed in this. For yif it so be

that a wikked wight be so mochel the foulere and the more out-cast,

[that he is despysed] of most folk, so as dignitee ne may nat

maken shrewes digne of reverence, the which shrewes dignitee

sheweth to moche folk, thanne maketh dignitee shrewes rather so

moche more despysed than preysed; and forsothe [nat unpunisshed]:

that is for to seyn, that shrewes revengen hem ayeinward

up-on dignitees; for they yilden ayein to dignitees as gret guerdoun,

whan they bi-spotten and defoulen dignitees with hir

vilenye. And for as mochel as thou mowe knowe that thilke

verray reverence ne may nat [comen by] thise shadewy transitorie

dignitees, undirstond now thus: yif that a man hadde used and

had [many maner] dignitees of consules, and were comen peraventure

amonge straunge naciouns, sholde thilke honour maken

him worshipful and redouted of straunge folk? Certes, yif that

honour of poeple were a naturel yift to dignitees, it ne mighte

never cesen nowher amonges no maner folk [to don his office],

right as fyr in every contree ne stinteth nat to eschaufen and to

ben hoot. But for as moche as for to ben holden honourable or

reverent ne cometh nat to folk of hir propre strengthe of nature,

but only of the false opinioun of folk, that is to seyn, [that wenen]

that dignitees maken folk digne of honour; anon therfore whan

that they comen ther-as folk ne knowen nat thilke dignitees, hir

honours vanisshen awey, and that anon. But that is amonges

straunge folk, mayst thou seyn; but amonges hem ther they

weren born, ne duren nat thilke dignitees alwey? Certes, the

dignitee of the [provostrie] of Rome was whylom a gret power;

now is it nothing but an ydel name, and the [rente] of the senatorie

a gret charge. And yif a wight whylom hadde [the office] to taken

hede to the vitailes of the poeple, as of corn and other thinges, he

was holden amonges grete; but what thing is now more out-cast

thanne thilke provostrie? And, as I have seyd a litel her-biforn,

that thilke thing that hath no propre beautee of him-self receiveth

som-tyme prys and shyninge, and som-tyme leseth it by the

[opinioun of usaunces]. Now yif that dignitees thanne ne mowen

nat maken folk digne of reverence, and yif that dignitees wexen

foule [of hir wille] by the filthe of shrewes, and yif that dignitees

lesen hir shyninge by chaunginge of tymes, and yif they wexen

foule by estimacioun of poeple: [what is it] that they han in hem-self

of beautee that oughte ben desired? as who seyth, non;

thanne ne mowen they yeven no beautee of dignitee to non other.

Pr. IV. 2. C. honorable, glossed ironice. 3. C. lordshippys; A. lordshipes. 5. A. om. ne. // A. wikkednesses (twice); Lat. nequitiam. 6. C. om. to bef. shewen. 7. C. desdaign; A. desdeyne. 9. C. nomyus; A. nonius. // Ed. postome. 11. C. nomyus. // C. om. a. // C. Sesthow. 12. C. fylonye; A. vylenye; Ed. vylonies; Lat. dedecus. 16. C. Ed. the; A. thi. // A. magistrat; C. magestrat. 17. A. by the offence; C. by offense; Ed. by offence. 19. Ed. saw. // C. lykoros; A. likerous. 22. Ed. sawe. 25. A. Ed. quod she; C. om. 29. C. they, glossed, s. honurs. 30. A. more; C. mor. // C. om. it. 30-5. A. For if it so be that he that is most out-cast that most folk dispisen. or as dignite ne may nat maken shrewes worthi of no reuerences. than maketh dignites shrewes more dispised than preised. the whiche shrewes dignit (sic) scheweth to moche folk. and forsothe not vnpunissed; Ed. for if a wight be in so muche the more outcast, that he is dispysed of moste folke, so as dignyte ne may not maken shrewes worthy of no reuerence, than maketh dignite shrewes rather dispysed than praysed, the whiche shrewes dignite sheweth to moche folk. And forsothe not vnpunisshed. 38. C. A. gerdoun; Ed. guerdons. // C. by-spetten; A. byspotten; Lat. commaculant. 40. C. thyse shadwye; A. the shadewy. 41. A. this (for thus). 47. A. enchaufen. 50. C. om. that bef. wenen. 53. C. vanesshen; A. vanissen. 54. C. maysthow. // A. but; C. Ed. ne. 56, 58. C. whylom; A. som-tyme (twice). 57. C. om. the bef. senatorie. 59. A. and what other; Ed. and of other. 62. C. resseyueth; A. resceyueth. 66. C. felthe; A. filthe. // C. om. that after yif (3rd time only). 70. C. dignete.

Metre IV.

Quamvis se, Tyrio superbus ostro.

Al be it so that the proude Nero, with alle his wode luxurie,

kembde him and aparailede him with faire purpres of [Tirie],

and with whyte perles, algates yit [throf] he hateful to alle folk:

this is to seyn, that al was he behated of alle folk. Yit this

wikked Nero hadde gret lordship, and yaf whylom to the

[reverents] senatours the [unworshipful] setes of dignitees. Unworshipful

setes he clepeth here, for that Nero, that was so wikked, yaf

tho dignitees. Who-so wolde thanne resonably wenen, that blisfulnesse

were in swiche honours as ben yeven by vicious shrewes?

Me. IV. 2. A. kembed; apparailed. 5. C. lorshippe; A. lordship. // C. Ed. whylom; A. som-tyme. 6. C. reuerentz; Ed. reuerent; A. dredeful; Lat. uerendis. 8. A. tho; C. Ed. the. // A. om. so. 10. C. vysios; A. vicious.

Prose V.

An vero regna regumque familiaritas.

But [regnes] and [familiaritees] of kinges, may they maken a

man to ben mighty? [How elles, whan] hir blisfulnesse dureth

perpetuely? But certes, the olde age of tyme passed, and eek

of present tyme now, is ful of ensaumples how that [kinges ben]

[chaunged] in-to wrecchednesse out of hir welefulnesse. O! a

noble thing and a cleer thing is power, that is nat founden

mighty to kepen it-self! And yif that power of reaumes be

auctour and maker of blisfulnesse, yif thilke power lakketh on

any syde, amenuseth it nat thilke blisfulnesse and bringeth in

wrecchednesse? But yit, al be it so that the reaumes of mankinde

strecchen brode, yit mot ther nede ben moche folk, over

whiche that every king ne hath no lordshipe ne comaundement.

And certes, [up-on thilke syde that] power faileth, which that

maketh folk blisful, right on that same syde [noun-power] entreth

under-nethe, that maketh hem wrecches; in this manere thanne

moten kinges han more porcioun of wrecchednesse than of

welefulnesse. [A tyraunt], that was king of Sisile, that hadde

assayed the peril of his estat, shewede by similitude the dredes

of reaumes by gastnesse of a swerd that heng over the heved

of his familier. What thing is thanne this power, that may nat

don awey the bytinges of bisinesse, ne eschewe the prikkes of

drede? And certes, yit wolden they liven in sikernesse, but

they may nat; and yit they glorifye hem in hir power. Holdest

thou thanne that thilke man be mighty, that thou seest that

he wolde don that he may nat don? And holdest thou thanne

him a mighty man, that hath envirownede his sydes with men

of armes or [seriaunts], and dredeth more hem that he maketh

agast than they dreden him, and that is put in the handes of

his servaunts for he sholde seme mighty? But of familieres

or servaunts of kinges [what] sholde I telle thee anything, sin

that I myself have shewed thee that reaumes hem-self ben

ful of gret feblesse? The whiche familieres, certes, the ryal

power of kinges, [in hool] estat and in estat abated, ful ofte

throweth adown. [Nero] constreynede Senek, his familier and

his mayster, to chesen on what deeth he wolde deyen. [Antonius]

comaundede that knightes slowen with hir swerdes Papinian

his familier, which Papinian hadde ben longe tyme ful mighty

amonges hem of the court. And yit, certes, they wolden bothe

han renounced hir power; of whiche two [Senek] enforcede him

to yeven to Nero his richesses, and also to han gon in-to

solitarie exil. [But whan] the grete weighte, that is to seyn, of

lordes power or of fortune, draweth hem that shullen falle,

neither of hem ne mighte do that he wolde. What thing is

thanne thilke power, that though men han it, yit they ben agast;

and whanne thou woldest han it, thou nart nat siker; and

yif thou woldest forleten it, thou mayst nat eschuen it? But

whether swiche men ben frendes at nede, as ben conseyled by

fortune and nat by vertu? Certes, [swiche folk] as weleful

fortune maketh freendes, contrarious fortune maketh hem

enemys. And what [pestilence] is more mighty for to anoye a

wight than a familier enemy?

Pr. V. 3. C. perpetualy; A. perpetuely. 7. A. realmes. 8. C. auctor; A. auctour. 10. A. realmes (om. the). 11. C. node (for nede). 12. C. lorshipe. 14. C. A. nounpower. 19. A. realmes. 20. C. famyler. 23. A. yit; C. yif. 24. C. seyst; A. seest; Lat. uideas. 27. A. seruauntes. // A. om. hem. 31. A. realmes. 32. A. feblenesse. // A. real; Ed. royal. 34. C. hyr famyler (sic); A. his familier. 37. C. famyler; A. familier. // C. that hadde; A. om. that. 41. C. solutarie; A. solitarie. 42. C. sholen; Ed. shullen; A. sholden; Lat. ruituros. 44. C. yit; Ed. yet; A. that. 47. C. wheyther.

Metre V.

Qui se uolet esse potentem.

Who-so wol be mighty, he mot daunten his cruel [corage],

ne putte nat his nekke, overcomen, under the foule reynes of

lecherye. For al-be-it so that thy lordshipe strecche so fer,

that the contree of Inde quaketh at thy comaundements or at

thy lawes, and that the last ile in the see, that hight [Tyle],

be thral to thee, yit, yif thou mayst nat putten awey thy foule

derke desyrs, and dryven out fro thee wrecched complaintes,

certes, it nis no power that thou hast.

Me. V. 1. C. wole; Ed. wol; A. wolde. 4. C. thath (!). // A. contre Inde. // A. comaundement. 5. A. leest (for last); Lat. ultima.

Prose VI.

Gloria uero quam fallax saepe.

But glorie, how deceivable and how foul is it ofte! For

which thing nat unskilfully a tragedien, that is to seyn, a maker

of ditees that highten [tragedies], cryde and seide: "[O glorie],

glorie," quod he, "thou art nothing elles to thousandes of folkes

but a greet sweller of eres!" For manye han had ful greet

renoun by the false opinioun of the poeple, and what thing

may ben thought fouler than swiche preysinge? For thilke folk

that ben preysed falsly, they moten nedes han shame of hir

preysinges. And yif that folk han geten hem thonk or preysinge

by hir desertes, what thing hath thilke prys eched or

encresed to the conscience of wyse folk, that mesuren hir good,

nat by the rumour of the poeple, but by the soothfastnesse of

conscience? And yif it seme a fair thing, a man to han

encresed and spred his name, than folweth it that it is demed

to ben a foul thing, yif it ne be y-sprad and encresed. But,

as I seyde a litel her-biforn that, sin ther mot nedes ben many

folk, to whiche folk the renoun of a man ne may nat comen,

it befalleth that he, that thou wenest be glorious and renomed,

semeth in the nexte partie of the erthes to ben with-oute glorie

and with-oute renoun.

And certes, amonges thise thinges I ne trowe nat that the

prys and grace of the poeple nis neither worthy to ben

remembred, ne cometh of wyse Iugement, ne is ferme perdurably.

But now, of this name of [gentilesse], what man is it

that ne may wel seen how veyn and how flittinge a thing it

is? For yif the name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and

cleernesse of linage, thanne is gentil name but a foreine thing,

that is to seyn, to hem that glorifyen hem of hir linage. For it

semeth that gentilesse be a maner preysinge that comth of the

deserte of ancestres. And yif preysinge maketh gentilesse,

thanne moten they nedes be gentil that ben preysed. For

which thing it folweth, that yif thou ne have no gentilesse of

thy-self, that is to seyn, preyse that comth of thy deserte, foreine

gentilesse ne maketh thee nat gentil. But certes, yif ther be

any good in gentilesse, I trowe it be al-only this, that it semeth

as that a maner necessitee be imposed to gentil men, for that

they ne sholden nat outrayen or forliven fro the virtues of hir

noble kinrede.

Pr. VI. 4. A. Ed. he; C. she (!). 6. A. om. the bef. poeple. 9. C. of (for or). 15. A. ne encresed. 19. A. parties of the erthe; Lat. parte terrarum. 23. C. remenbred. 24, 26, 29. C. gentellesse; A. gentilesse. 26. C. refferred. 30. A. decert; Ed. desertes. 32. A. folweth; C. folueth. 36. C. inposed.

Metre VI.

Omne hominum genus in terris.

Al the linage of men that ben in erthe ben of semblable

birthe. On allone is fader of thinges. On allone ministreth

alle thinges. He yaf to the sonne hise bemes; he yaf to the

mone hir hornes. He yaf the men to the erthe; he yaf the

sterres to the hevene. He encloseth with membres the soules

that comen fro his hye sete. Thanne comen alle mortal folk

of noble sede; why noisen ye or bosten of youre eldres? For

[yif thou loke your] biginninge, and god your auctor and your

maker, thanne nis ther no [forlived] wight, but-yif he norisshe

his corage un-to vyces, and forlete his propre burthe.

Me. VI. 4. A. Ed. hir hornes; C. hyse hornes. 5. C. menbrys. 8. Ed. ye loke; Lat. spectes. // A. thy (for 1st your); Lat. uestra.

Prose VII.

Quid autem de corporis uoluptatibus.

But what shal I seye of [delices] of body, of whiche delices the

desiringes ben ful of anguissh, and the fulfillinges of hem ben ful

of penaunce? How greet syknesse and how grete sorwes unsufferable,

right as a maner fruit of wikkednesse, ben thilke delices

wont to bringen to the bodies of folk that usen hem! Of whiche

delices I not what Ioye may ben had of hir moevinge. But this

wot I wel, that who-so-ever wole remembren him of hise luxures,

he shal wel understonde that the issues of delices ben sorwful

and sorye. And yif thilke delices mowen maken folk blisful,

than by the same cause moten thise bestes ben cleped blisful;

of whiche bestes al the entencioun hasteth to fulfille hir bodily

[Iolitee]. And the gladnesse of wyf and children were an honest

thing, but it hath ben seyd that it is over muchel ayeins kinde,

[that children] han ben founden tormentours to hir fadres, I not

how manye: of whiche children how [bytinge] is every condicioun,

it nedeth nat to tellen it thee, that hast [or] this tyme assayed

it, and art yit now anguissous. In this approve I the sentence

of my disciple [Euripidis], that seyde, that "he that hath no

children is weleful by infortune."

Pr. VII. 12. A. om. an. 15. A. Ed. euery; C. euere. 18. Ed. Euripidis; C. Eurydyppys; A. Euridippus; Lat. Euripidis (gen.).

Metre VII.

Habet omnis hoc uoluptas.

Every delyt hath this, that it anguissheth hem with prikkes

that usen it. It resembleth to thise flyinge flyes that we clepen

been, that, after that he hath shad hise agreable honies, [he fleeth]

awey, and stingeth the hertes, of hem that ben y-smite, with

bytinge overlonge holdinge.

Me. VII. 1. C. A. anguisseth. 3. C. om. 2nd that. // A. the bee (for he).

Prose VIII.

Nihil igitur dubium est.

Now is it no doute thanne [that thise weyes] ne ben a maner

misledinges to blisfulnesse, ne that they ne mowe nat leden

folk thider as they biheten to leden hem. But with how grete

harmes thise forseyde weyes ben enlaced, I shal shewe thee

shortly. For-why yif thou enforcest thee to asemble moneye,

thou most bireven him his moneye that hath it. And yif

thou wolt shynen with dignitees, thou most bisechen and

[supplien] hem that yeven tho dignitees. And yif thou coveitest

by honour to gon biforn other folk, thou shalt defoule thy-self

thorugh humblesse of axinge. Yif thou desirest power, thou

shalt by [awaytes] of thy subgits anoyously ben cast under manye

periles. Axest thou glorie? Thou shalt ben so [destrat] by aspre

thinges that thou shalt forgoon sikernesse. And yif thou wolt

leden thy lyf in delices, every wight shal despisen thee and

forleten thee, as thou that art thral to thing that is right foul

and [brotel]; that is to seyn, servaunt to thy body. Now is it

thanne wel seen, how litel and how brotel possessioun they

coveiten, that putten the goodes of the body aboven hir owne

resoun. For mayst thou sormounten thise olifaunts in gretnesse

or weight of body? Or mayst thou ben stronger than the bole?

Mayst thou ben swifter than the tygre? Bihold the spaces and

the stablenesse and the swifte cours of the hevene, and stint

som-tyme to wondren on foule thinges; the which hevene, certes,

nis nat rather for thise thinges to ben wondred up-on, than for

the resoun by which it is governed. But the shyning of thy

forme, that is to seyn, the beautee of thy body, how swiftly passinge

is it, and how transitorie; certes, it is more flittinge than the

mutabilitee of flowers of the [somer-sesoun]. For so [Aristotle]

telleth, that yif that men hadden eyen of a beest that highte

lynx, so that the lokinge of folk mighte percen thorugh the

thinges that with-stonden it, who-so loked thanne in the entrailes

of the body of Alcibiades, that was ful fayr in the superfice

with-oute, it shold seme right foul. And forthy, yif thou semest

fayr, thy nature maketh nat that, but the desceivaunce of the

feblesse of the eyen that loken. But preyse the goodes of the

body as mochel as ever thee list; so that thou knowe algates

that, what-so it be, that is to seyn, of the goodes of thy body,

which that thou wondrest up-on, may ben destroyed or dissolved

by the hete of a fevere of three dayes. Of alle whiche forseyde

thinges I may reducen this shortly in a somme, that thise worldly

goodes, whiche that ne mowen nat yeven that they biheten, ne

ben nat parfit by the congregacioun of alle goodes; that they

ne ben nat weyes ne pathes that bringen men to blisfulnesse,

ne maken men to ben blisful.

Pr. VIII. 9. C. shal. 10. A. by (for thorugh). 11. C. be (for by). // A. vndir many; C. Ed. vndyr by many; Lat. periculis subiacebis. 12. C. A. destrat; Ed. distracte. 16. C. brwtel (for brotel; 1st time). 19. A. mayst thou; C. maysthow. 20. C. weyhty (!). 32. C. in superfyce (om. the). 34. A. desceiuaunce of the; Ed. disceyuaunce of; C. deceyuable or (!). 37. A. the goodes of thi; Ed. the goodes of the; C. godes of the. 40. A. Ed. a somme; C. om. a. // C. wordly. 42. C. ne ne ben. // A. Ed. by the; C. om. the. 43. C. man (for men; 1st time).

Metre VIII.

Eheu! quae miseros tramite deuios.

Allas! which folye and which ignoraunce misledeth wandringe

wrecches fro the path of verray goode!

Certes, ye ne seken no gold in grene trees, ne ye ne gaderen

nat precious stones in the vynes, ne ye ne hyden nat your

[ginnes] in the hye mountaignes to cacchen fish of whiche ye

may maken riche festes. And yif yow lyketh to hunte to roes,

ye ne gon nat to the fordes of the water that highte [Tyrene].

And over this, men knowen wel the crykes and the cavernes

of the see y-hid in the flodes, and knowen eek which water

is most plentivous of whyte perles, and knowen which water

haboundeth most of rede purpre, that is to seyn, of a maner

shelle-fish with which men dyen purpre; and knowen which

strondes habounden most with tendre fisshes, or of sharpe fisshes

that highten [echines]. But folk suffren hem-self to ben so blinde,

that hem ne reccheth nat to knowe where thilke goodes ben

y-hid whiche that they coveiten, but ploungen hem in erthe

and seken there thilke good that sormounteth the hevene that

bereth the sterres. What preyere may I maken that be digne

to the nyce thoughtes of men? But I preye that they coveiten

richesse and honours, so that, whan they han geten tho false

goodes with greet travaile, that ther-by they mowe knowen the

verray goodes.

Me. VIII. 4. A. om. nat. 5. C. hyye mountaygnes; A. heyȝe mountaignes. // C. kachche; A. kachen; Ed. catchen (= cacchen). 6. C. honte; A. Ed. hunte. // C. rooes; Ed. roes; A. roos. 8. A. crikes; Ed. crekes; C. brykes; Lat. recessus. 9. A. Ed. in the; C. om. the. 14. Ed. Echines; C. A. echynnys. 15. C. rechcheth; A. recchith. // C. weere (for where).

Prose IX.

Hactenus mendacis formam.

It suffyseth that I have shewed hider-to the forme of false

welefulnesse, so that, yif thou loke now cleerly, the order of

myn entencioun requireth from hennes-forth to shewen thee the

verray welefulnesse.'

'For sothe,' quod I, 'I see wel now that suffisaunce may nat

comen by richesses, ne power by reames, ne reverence by

dignitees, ne gentilesse by glorie, ne Ioye by delices.'

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

'Certes, me semeth,' quod I, 'that I see hem right as though

it were [thorugh a litel clifte]; but me were levere knowen hem

more openly of thee.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'the resoun is al redy. For thilke thing

that simply is o thing, with-outen any devisioun, the errour

and folye of mankinde departeth and devydeth it, and [misledeth]

it and transporteth from verray and parfit good to goodes that

ben false and unparfit. But sey me this. [Wenest thou] that

he, that hath nede of power, that him ne lakketh no-thing?'

'Nay,' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'thou seyst a-right. For yif so be that

ther is a thing, that in any partye be febler of power, certes,

as in that, it mot nedes ben nedy of foreine help.'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Suffisaunce and power ben thanne of o kinde?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'And demest thou,' quod she, 'that a thing that is of this

manere, that is to seyn, suffisaunt and mighty, oughte ben

despysed, or elles that it be right digne of reverence aboven

alle thinges?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it nis no doute, that it is right worthy to

ben reverenced.'

'Lat us,' quod she, 'adden thanne reverence to suffisaunce

and to power, so that we demen that thise three thinges ben

al o thing.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'lat us adden it, yif we wolen graunten the

sothe.'

'What demest thou thanne?' quod she; 'is that a derk thing

and nat noble, that is suffisaunt, reverent, and mighty, or elles that

it is right noble and right cleer by celebritee of renoun? [Consider]

thanne,' quod she, 'as we han graunted her-biforn, that he that

ne hath nede of no-thing, and is most mighty and most digne

of honour, yif him nedeth any cleernesse of renoun, which

cleernesse he mighte nat graunten of him-self, so that, for lakke

of thilke cleernesse, he mighte seme the febeler on any syde

or the more out-cast?' Glose. This is to seyn, nay; for who-so

that is suffisaunt, mighty, and reverent, cleernesse of renoun folweth

of the forseyde thinges; he hath it al redy of his suffisaunce.

Boece. 'I may nat,' quod I, 'denye it; but I mot graunte

as it is, that this thing be right celebrable by cleernesse of renoun

and noblesse.'

'Thanne folweth it,' quod she, 'that we adden cleernesse of

renoun to the three forseyde thinges, so that ther ne be amonges

hem no difference?'

['This is a consequence,'] quod I.

'This thing thanne,' quod she, 'that ne hath nede of no

foreine thing, and that may don alle thinges by hise strengthes,

and that is noble and honourable, nis nat that a mery thing

and a Ioyful?'

'But whennes,' quod I, 'that any sorwe mighte comen to this

thing that is swiche, certes, I may nat thinke.'

'Thanne moten we graunte,' quod she, 'that this thing be

ful of gladnesse, yif the forseyde thinges ben sothe; and certes,

also mote we graunten that suffisaunce, power, noblesse, reverence,

and gladnesse ben only dyverse by names, but hir substaunce

hath no diversitee.'

'It mot needly been so,' quod I.

'Thilke thing thanne,' quod she, 'that is oon and simple

in his nature, the wikkednesse of men departeth it and devydeth

it; and whan they enforcen hem to geten partye of a thing

that ne hath no part, [they ne geten hem] neither thilke partye that

nis non, ne the thing al hool that they ne desire nat.'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Thilke man,' quod she, 'that secheth richesses to fleen

povertee, he ne travaileth him nat for to gete power; for he

hath levere ben derk and vyl; and eek withdraweth from

him-self many naturel delyts, for he nolde lese the moneye that

he hath assembled. But certes, in this manere he ne geteth

him nat suffisaunce [that power forleteth], and that molestie

prikketh, and that filthe maketh out-cast, and that derkenesse

hydeth. And certes, he that desireth only power, he wasteth

and scatereth richesse, and despyseth delyts, and eek honour

that is with-oute power, ne he ne preyseth glorie no-thing.

Certes, thus seest thou wel, that manye thinges faylen to him;

for he hath som-tyme defaute of many necessitees, and many

anguisshes byten him; and whan he ne may nat don tho defautes

a-wey, he forleteth to ben mighty, and that is the thing that

he most desireth. And right thus may I maken semblable

resouns of honours, and of glorie, and of delyts. For so as

every of thise forseyde thinges is the same that thise other

thinges ben, that is to seyn, al oon thing, who-so that ever

seketh to geten that oon of thise, and nat that other, he ne

geteth nat that he desireth.'

Boece. 'What seyst thou thanne, yif that a man coveiteth

to geten alle thise thinges to-gider?'

Philosophie. 'Certes,' quod she, 'I wolde seye, that he wolde

geten him sovereyn blisfulnesse; but [that shal he nat finde] in

tho thinges that I have shewed, that ne mowen nat yeven that

they beheten.'

'Certes, no,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'ne sholden men nat by no wey seken

100

blisfulnesse in swiche thinges as men wene that they ne mowen

yeven but o thing senglely of alle that men seken.'

'I graunte wel,' quod I; 'ne no sother thing ne may ben

sayd.'

'Now hast thou thanne,' quod she, 'the forme and the causes

105

of false welefulnesse. Now torne and flitte the eyen of thy

thought; for ther shalt thou sen anon thilke verray blisfulnesse

that I have bihight thee.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it is cleer and open, thogh it were to

a blinde man; and that shewedest thou me ful wel a litel her-biforn,

110

whan thou enforcedest thee to shewe me the causes

of the false blisfulnesse. For but-yif I be bigyled, thanne

is thilke the verray blisfulnesse parfit, that parfitly maketh a

man suffisaunt, mighty, honourable, noble, and ful of gladnesse.

And, for thou shalt wel knowe that I have wel understonden

115

thise thinges with-in my herte, I knowe wel that thilke blisfulnesse,

that may verrayly yeven oon of the forseyde thinges, sin

they ben al oon, I knowe, douteles, that thilke thing is the

fulle blisfulnesse.'

Philosophie. 'O my [norie],' quod she, 'by this opinioun I

120

seye that thou art blisful, yif thou putte this ther-to that I

shal seyn.'

'What is that?' quod I.

'Trowest thou that ther be any thing in thise erthely mortal

toumbling thinges that may bringen this estat?'

125

'Certes,' quod I, 'I trowe it naught; and thou hast shewed

me wel that over thilke good ther nis no-thing more to ben

desired.'

'Thise thinges thanne,' quod she, 'that is to sey, erthely

suffisaunce and power and swiche thinges, either they semen

130

lykenesses of verray good, or elles it semeth that they yeve to

mortal folk a maner of goodes that ne ben nat parfit; but thilke

good that is verray and parfit, that may they nat yeven.'

'I acorde me wel,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'for as mochel as thou hast knowen

135

which is thilke verray blisfulnesse, and eek whiche thilke thinges

ben [that lyen] falsly blisfulnesse, that is to seyn, that by deceite

semen verray goodes, now behoveth thee to knowe whennes and

where thou mowe seke thilke verray blisfulnesse.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'that desire I greetly, and have abiden longe

140

tyme to herknen it.'

'But for as moche,' quod she, 'as it lyketh to my disciple

Plato, in his book of ["in Timeo,"] that in right litel thinges men

sholden bisechen the help of god, what iugest thou that be now

to done, so that we may deserve to finde the sete of thilke

145

verray good?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'I deme that we shollen clepen the fader

of alle goodes; for with-outen him nis ther no-thing founden

a-right.'

'Thou seyst a-right,' quod she; and bigan anon to singen

150

right thus:—

Pr. IX. 5. A. om. sothe and 2nd I. 6. A. richesse. // A. Ed. realmes. 8. A. hast thou; C.hasthow. // A. cause; Lat. caussas. 16. A. inparfit. // C. Wenesthow. 20. A. fieble; C. Ed. febler; Lat. imbecillioris ualentiae. 21. C. mot; Ed. mote; A. most. 25. C. demesthow. 29. A. nis (twice). 36. C. demesthow. // Ed. derke; C. dyrk; A. dirke. 38. A. of (for by). 53. A. And this (for This). // C. consequens; Ed. consequence; A. consequente or consequence. 54. C. hat (for hath). // A. no nede. 58. Ed. whence; A. wenest (!); Lat. unde. 72. A. rychesse. 74. Ed. derke; C. dyrk; A. dirk. 75. C. delices (or delites); A. delitz; Ed. delytes. 77. Ed. molestie; C. A. moleste; Lat. molestia. 78. A. derknesse; C. dyrkenesse. 80. C. schatereth. // C. delytz; A. delices (or delites). 83. C. Ed. defaute; A. faute. 84. Ed. anguysshes; A. anguysses; C. angwyssos. 86. A. semblable; C. semlable. 90. C. oothre. 92. C. seysthow. 101. C. A. senglely. 104. C. hasthow. 106. C. shalthow. 109. A. om. ful wel. 115. C. Ed. that thilke; A. om. that. 118. A. the fulle of (wrongly). 119. C. norye; A. nurry. 130. A. likenesse; Lat. imagines. 141. A. disciple; C. dissipule. 142. C. in tymeo; A. in thimeo; Lat. uti in Timaeo Platoni. 143. C. byshechen. // A. om. now.

Metre IX.

O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas.

'O thou fader, creator of hevene and of erthes, that governest

this world by perdurable resoun, that comaundest the tymes to

gon from [sin that age hadde beginninge]; thou that dwellest

thy-self ay stedefast and stable, and yevest alle othre thinges

to ben moeved; ne foreine causes [necesseden] thee never to

compoune werk of [floteringe matere], but only the forme of

soverein good y-set with-in thee with-oute envye, that moevede

thee freely. Thou that art alder-fayrest, [beringe] the faire world

in thy thought, formedest this world to the lyknesse semblable

of that faire world in thy thought. Thou drawest al thing of

thy soverein ensaumpler, and comaundest that this world,

parfitliche y-maked, have freely and absolut his parfit parties.

[Thou bindest] the elements by noumbres proporcionables, that

the [colde] thinges mowen acorden with the hote thinges, and

the drye thinges with the moiste thinges; that the fyr, that

is purest, ne flee nat over hye, ne that the hevinesse ne drawe

nat adoun over-lowe the erthes that ben plounged in the wateres.

[Thou knittest] to-gider the mene sowle of treble kinde, moevinge

alle thinges, and devydest it by membres acordinge; and whan

it is thus devyded, it hath asembled a moevinge in-to two

roundes; it goth to torne ayein to him-self, and envirouneth a

ful deep thought, and torneth the hevene by semblable image.

Thou by evene-lyke causes enhansest the sowles and the lasse

lyves, and, ablinge hem heye by lighte [cartes], thou sowest hem

in-to hevene and in-to erthe; and whan they ben converted to

thee by thy benigne lawe, thou makest hem retorne ayein to

thee by ayein-ledinge fyr.

O fader, yive thou to the thought to styen up in-to thy streite

sete, and graunte him to enviroune the welle of good; and, the

lighte y-founde, graunte him to fichen the clere sightes of his

corage in thee. And scater thou and to-breke thou the weightes

and the cloudes of erthely hevinesse, and shyne thou by thy

brightnesse. For thou art cleernesse; thou art peysible reste

to debonaire folk; thou thy-self art biginninge, [berer], leder, path,

and terme; to loke on thee, that is our ende.

Me. IX. 3. A. for to gon. // C. from sin that; A. from tyme that; Ed. syth that. 7. A. om. thee after with-in. 10. A. alle thinges. 11. A. comaundedist. 12. C. om. and absolut. 13. A. Ed. proporcionables; C. porcionables. 16. A. fleye (for flee). // A. Ed. drawe; C. drawen. 18. C. glosses sowle by anima mundi. 19. C. menbres. 20. C. in to two; A. in two; Ed. in to. 22. C. tornet; A. tournith. 24. C. Ed. sowest; A. sewest. 26. A. Ed. benigne; C. bygynnynge (!). 28. A. thi thouȝt (wrongly); C. has the gloss: s. boecii. // A. thi streite; Ed. thy strayte; C. the streite. 29. A. om. him. // C. enuerowne; A. enuiroune. 31. A. om. 2nd thou. 33. A. om. reste. 34. C. paath. 35. A. om. that.

Prose X.

Quoniam igitur quae sit imperfecti.

For as moche thanne as thou hast seyn, which is the forme

of good that nis nat parfit, and which is the forme of good that

is parfit, now trowe I that it were good to shewe in what this

perfeccioun of blisfulnesse is set. And in this thing, I trowe

that we sholden first enquere for to witen, yif that any swiche

maner good as thilke good that thou has diffinisshed a litel

heer-biforn, that is to seyn, soverein good, may ben founde in the

nature of thinges; for that [veyn] imaginacioun of thought ne

deceyve us nat, and putte us out of the sothfastnesse of thilke

thing that is summitted unto us. But it may nat ben deneyed

that thilke [good ne is], and that it [nis right as] welle of alle

goodes. For al thing that is cleped inparfit [is proeved] inparfit

by the amenusinge of perfeccioun or of thing that is parfit.

And ther-of comth it, that [in every thing general], yif that men

sen any-thing that is inparfit, certes, in thilke general ther mot

ben som-thing that is parfit; for yif so be that perfeccioun is

don awey, men may nat thinke ne seye fro whennes thilke

thing is that is cleped inparfit. For the nature of thinges ne

took nat hir beginninge of thinges amenused and inparfit, but

it procedeth of thinges that ben al hoole and absolut, and

[descendeth] so doun in-to outterest thinges, and in-to thinges

empty and with-outen frut. But, as I have y-shewed a litel

her-biforn, that yif ther be a blisfulnesse that be freele and

veyn and inparfit, ther may no man doute that ther nis som

blisfulnesse that is sad, stedefast, and parfit.'

Boece. 'This is concluded,' quod I, 'fermely and sothfastly.'

Philosophie. 'But considere also,' quod she, 'in wham this

blisfulnesse enhabiteth. The comune acordaunce and conceite

of the corages of men proeveth and graunteth, that god, prince

of alle thinges, is good. For, so as nothing ne may ben thought

bettre than god, it may nat ben douted thanne that he, that

[nothing nis bettre], that he [nis good]. Certes, resoun sheweth

that god is so good, that it proveth by verray force that parfit

good is in him. For yif god ne is swich, he ne may nat ben

prince of alle thinges; for certes som-thing possessing in it-self

parfit good, sholde ben more worthy than god, and it sholde

semen that thilke thing were first, and elder than god. For

we han shewed apertly that alle thinges that ben parfit ben

first or thinges that ben unparfit; and for-thy, [for as moche] as

that my resoun or my proces ne go nat a-wey with-oute an

ende, we owen to graunten that the soverein god is right ful

of soverein parfit good. And we han establisshed that the

soverein good is verray blisfulnesse: thanne mot it nedes be,

that verray blisfulnesse is set in soverein god.'

'This take I wel,' quod I, 'ne this ne may nat ben withseid

in no manere.'

'But I preye,' quod she, 'see now how thou mayst proeven,

holily and with-oute corupcioun, this that I have seyd, that the

soverein god is right ful of soverein good.'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Wenest thou aught,' quod she, 'that [this prince] of alle

thinges have y-take thilke soverein good any-wher out of him-self,

of which soverein good men proveth that he is ful, right

as thou mightest thinken that god, that hath blisfulnesse in

him-self, and thilke blisfulnesse that is in him, weren dyvers in

substaunce? For yif thou wene that god have received thilke

good out of him-self, thou mayst wene that he that yaf thilke

good to god be more worthy than is god. But I am bi-knowen

and confesse, and that right dignely, that god is right worthy

aboven alle thinges; and, yif so be that this good be in him

by nature, but that it is dyvers fro him by weninge resoun,

sin we speke of god prince of alle thinges: [feigne] who-so

feigne may, who was he that hath conioigned thise dyverse

thinges to-gider? And eek, at the laste, see wel that a thing

that is dyvers from any thing, that thilke thing nis nat that

same thing fro which it is understonden to ben dyvers. Thanne

folweth it, that thilke thing that by his nature is dyvers fro

soverein good, that that thing nis nat soverein good; but certes,

that were a felonous corsednesse to thinken that of him that

nothing nis more worth. For alwey, of alle thinges, the nature

of hem ne may nat ben bettre than his biginning; for which

I may concluden, by right verray resoun, that thilke that is

biginning of alle thinges, thilke same thing is soverein good

in his substaunce.'

Boece. 'Thou hast seyd rightfully,' quod I.

Philosophie. 'But we han graunted,' quod she, 'that the

soverein good is blisfulnesse.'

'And that is sooth,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'moten we nedes graunten and confessen

that thilke same soverein good be god.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'I ne may nat denye ne withstonde the

resouns purposed; and I see wel that it folweth by strengthe

of the premisses.'

'Loke now,' quod she, 'yif this be proved yit more fermely

thus: that ther ne mowen nat ben two soverein goodes that

ben dyverse amonge hem-self. For certes, the goodes that

ben dyverse amonges hem-self, that oon nis nat that that other

is; [thanne ne [may] neither of hem ben parfit, so as either of

hem lakketh to other. But that that nis nat parfit, men may

seen apertly that it nis nat soverein. The thinges, thanne, that

ben sovereinly goode, ne mowen by no wey ben dyverse. But

I have wel concluded that blisfulnesse and god ben the soverein

good; for whiche it mot nedes ben, that soverein blisfulnesse

is soverein divinitee.'

'Nothing,' quod I, 'nis more soothfast than this, ne more

ferme by resoun; ne a more worthy thing than god may nat

ben concluded.'

'[Up-on thise thinges] thanne,' quod she, 'right as thise geometriens,

whan they han shewed hir proposiciouns, ben wont

100

to bringen in thinges that they clepen [porismes], or declaraciouns

of forseide thinges, right so wole I yeve thee heer [as a corollarie],

or a mede of coroune. For-why, for as moche as by the getinge

of blisfulnesse men ben maked blisful, and blisfulnesse is

divinitee: thanne is it manifest and open, that by the getinge

105

of divinitee men ben maked blisful. Right as by the getinge

of Iustice [they ben maked iust], and by the getinge of sapience

they ben maked wyse: right so, nedes, by the semblable resoun,

whan they han geten divinitee, they ben maked goddes. Thanne

is every blisful man god; but certes, by nature, ther nis but

110

o god; but, by the participacioun of divinitee, ther ne let ne

desturbeth nothing that ther ne ben manye goddes.'

'This is,' quod I, 'a fair thing and a precious, clepe it as

thou wolt; be it porisme or corollarie,' or mede of coroune or

declaringes.

115

'Certes,' quod she, 'nothing nis fayrer than is the thing that

by resoun sholde ben added to thise forseide thinges.'

'What thing?' quod I.

'So,' quod she, 'as it semeth that blisfulnesse conteneth many

thinges, it were for to witen whether that alle thise thinges maken

120

or conioignen as a maner body of blisfulnesse, by dyversitee of

parties or of membres; or elles, yif that any of alle thilke thinges

be swich that it acomplisshe by him-self the substaunce of

blisfulnesse, so that alle thise othre thinges ben referred and

brought to blisfulnesse,' that is to seyn, as to the cheef of hem.

125

'I wolde,' quod I, 'that thou makedest me cleerly to understonde

what thou seyst, and that thou recordedest me the forseyde

thinges.'

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

'Yis, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that soverein good.'

130

'Adde thanne,' quod she, 'thilke good, that is maked blisfulnesse,

to alle the forseide thinges; for thilke same blisfulnesse

that is demed to ben soverein suffisaunce, thilke selve is soverein

power, soverein reverence, soverein cleernesse or noblesse, and

soverein delyt. Conclusio. What seyst thou thanne of alle thise

135

thinges, that is to seyn, suffisaunce, power, and this othre thinges;

ben they thanne as membres of blisfulnesse, or ben they referred

and brought to soverein good, right as alle thinges that ben brought

to the chief of hem?'

'I understonde wel;' quod I, 'what thou purposest to seke;

140

but I desire for to herkne that thou shewe it me.'

'Tak now thus the discrecioun of this questioun,' quod she.

'Yif alle thise thinges,' quod she, 'weren membres to felicitee,

than weren they dyverse that oon from that other; and swich is

the nature of parties or of membres, that dyverse membres compounen

145

a body.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it hath wel ben shewed heer-biforn, that alle

thise thinges ben alle o thing.'

'Thanne ben they none membres,' quod she; 'for elles it

sholde seme that blisfulnesse were conioigned al of on membre

150

allone; but that is a thing that may nat be don.'

'This thing,' quod I, 'nis nat doutous; but I abyde to herknen

the remnaunt of thy questioun.'

'This is open and cleer,' quod she, 'that alle othre thinges ben

referred and brought to good. For therefore is suffisaunce requered,

155

for it is demed to ben good; and forthy is power requered,

for men trowen also that it be good; and this same thing mowen

we thinken and coniecten of reverence, and of noblesse, and of

delyt. Thanne is soverein good the somme and the cause of al

that aughte ben desired; for-why thilke thing that with-holdeth

160

no good in it-self, ne semblaunce of good, it ne may nat wel in

no manere be desired ne requered. And the contrarie: for

thogh that thinges by hir nature ne ben nat goode, algates, yif

men wene that ben goode, yit ben they desired as though that

they weren verrayliche goode. And therfor is it that men oughten

165

to wene by right, that bountee be [the soverein fyn], and the cause

of alle the thinges that ben to requeren. But certes, thilke that

is cause for which men requeren any thing, it semeth that thilke

same thing be most desired. As thus: yif that a wight wolde

ryden for cause of hele, he ne desireth nat so mochel the moevinge

170

to ryden, as the effect of his hele. Now thanne, sin that

alle thinges ben requered for the grace of good, they ne ben nat

desired of alle folk more thanne the same good. But we han

graunted that blisfulnesse is that thing, for whiche that alle thise

othre thinges ben desired; thanne is it thus: that, certes, only

175

blisfulnesse is requered and desired. By whiche thing it sheweth

cleerly, that of good and of blisfulnesse is al oon and the same

substaunce.'

'I see nat,' quod I, 'wherfore that men mighten discorden in

this.'

180

'And we han shewed that god and verray blisfulnesse is al oo

thing.'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

'Thanne mowen we conclude sikerly, that the substaunce of

184

god is set in thilke same good, and in non other place.

Pr. X. 6. A. diffinissed; C. dyffynnyssed; Ed. diffynished. 10. After us, A. ins. this is to seyne (needlessly). // C. A. denoyed (error for deneyed); Ed. denyed. 12. A. al; C. alle. 14. C. ther-of; A. Ed. her-of. // C. comht (for comth). 20. C. absolut, i. laws. 21. C. dessendeth. 28. C. conseite; A. conceite. 31. A. om. he that. 32. A. is bettre. 35. C. Ed. it-self; A. hym self. 36. A. om. it. 39. A. inperfit. 40. C. as that; A. om. that. // A. Ed. proces; C. processes. 41. owen] A. ouȝt. 44. A. om. that ... is. 50. A. om. In which ... I. 51. C. Wenesthow awht. 56. A. receyued; C. resseyud. 58. A. goode (for worthy). 61. A. it is; C. is is (sic). // fro him] A. om. him. 63. A. om. hath. 70. A. Ed. nis; C. is. 73. A. om. soverein. 84. A. om. yit. 86, 87. A. om. For certes ... hem-self. // C. othre. 88. A. om. ne. // C. A. Ed. mowen; read may. 90. A. Ed. nis; C. is. 106. I supply they ben maked iust; Lat. iusti. 110. C. by thy (wrongly); A. Ed. by the. 119. A. witen; C. whyten. // C. wheyther that; A. om. that. // A. thise; C. this. 120. A. Ed. by; C. be. 121. C. or of; A. om. of. 122. Ed. accomplysshe; C. acomplyse; A. acomplise. 126. A. recordest. 134. C. om. thise. 141. Ed. discrecion; A. discressioun; C. descressioun. 143. C. swhych. 157. C. coniecten; A. coneiten; Lat. coniectare. 159. C. awht; A. auȝt. 161. A. requered; C. required. 171. A. requered; C. required. 176. C. of good; A. om. of; Lat. boni.

Metre X.

Huc omnes pariter uenite capti.

O cometh alle to-gider now, ye that ben y-caught and y-bounde

with wikkede cheynes, by the deceivable delyt of erthely thinges

enhabitinge in your thought! Heer shal ben the reste of your

labours, heer is the havene stable in peysible quiete; this allone

is the open refut to wrecches. Glosa. This is to seyn, that ye

that ben combred and deceived with worldely affecciouns, cometh now

to this soverein good, that is god, that is refut to hem that wolen

comen to him. Textus. Alle the thinges that the river [Tagus]

yeveth yow with his goldene gravailes, or elles alle the thinges

that the river [Hermus] yeveth with his [rede brinke], or that [Indus]

yeveth, that is next the hote party of the world, that [medleth] the

grene stones with the whyte, ne sholde nat cleeren the lookinge

of your thought, but hyden rather your blinde corages with-in hir

derknesse. Al that lyketh yow heer, and excyteth and moeveth

your thoughtes, the erthe hath norisshed it in hise lowe caves.

But the shyninge, by whiche the hevene is governed and whennes

he hath his strengthe, [that eschueth] the derke overthrowinge of

the sowle; and who-so may knowen thilke light of blisfulnesse,

he shal wel seyn, that the whyte bemes of the sonne ne ben nat

cleer.'

Me. X. 3. A. Ed. Here; C. He. 6. A. deceyued; C. desseyued. 10. A. Ed. Hermus; C. Herynus (!). 12. C. grene stones, i. smaragdes; with the whyte, i. margaretes. 14. Ed. derkenesse; C. dyrknesse. 16. A. by the whiche. 17. C. eschueth; A. chaseth; Lat. uitat. // A. derke; C. dyrke.

Prose XI.

Assentior, inquam.

Boece. 'I assente me,' quod I; 'for alle thise thinges ben

strongly bounden with right ferme resouns.'

Philosophie. '[How mochel] wilt thou preysen it,' quod she,

'yif that thou knowe what thilke good is?'

'I wol preyse it,' quod I, 'by prys with-outen ende, yif it shal

bityde me to knowe also to-gider god that is good.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'that shal I do thee by verray resoun, yif

that tho thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn dwellen

only in hir first graunting.'

'They dwellen graunted to thee,' quod I; this is to seyn, as

who seith: I graunte thy forseide conclusiouns.

'Have I nat shewed thee,' quod she, 'that the thinges that ben

requered of many folkes ne ben nat verray goodes ne parfite, for

they ben dyverse that oon fro that othre; and so as ech of hem

is lakkinge to other, they ne han no power to bringen a good that

is ful and absolut? But thanne at erst ben they verray good,

whanne they ben gadered to-gider alle in-to o forme and in-to oon

wirkinge, so that thilke thing that is suffisaunce, thilke same be

power, and reverence, and noblesse, and mirthe; and forsothe,

but-yif alle thise thinges ben alle oon same thing, they ne han nat

wherby that they mowen ben put in the noumber of thinges that

oughten ben requered or desired.'

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

['The thinges thanne,'] quod she, 'that ne ben no goodes

whanne they ben dyverse, and whan they beginnen to ben alle

oon thing thanne ben they goodes, ne comth it hem nat thanne

by the getinge of unitee, that they ben maked goodes?'

'So it semeth,' quod I.

'But al thing that is good,' quod she, 'grauntest thou that it be

good by the participacioun of good, or no?'

'I graunte it,' quod I.

'Thanne most thou graunten,' quod she, 'by semblable resoun,

that oon and good be oo same thing. For of thinges, of whiche

that the effect nis nat naturelly diverse, nedes the substance mot

be oo same thing.'

'I ne may nat denye that,' quod I.

'Hast thou nat knowen wel,' quod she, 'that al thing that is

hath so longe his dwellinge and his substaunce as longe as it is

oon; but whan it forleteth to ben oon, it mot nedes dyen and

corumpe to-gider?'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Right as in bestes,' quod she, 'whan the sowle and the body

ben conioigned in oon and dwellen to-gider, it is cleped a beest.

And whan hir unitee is destroyed by the disseveraunce of that oon

from that other, than sheweth it wel that it is a ded thing, and

that it nis no lenger no beest. And the body of a wight, whyl

it dwelleth in oo forme by coniunccioun of membres, it is

wel seyn that it is a figure of man-kinde. And yif the parties

of the body ben so devyded and dissevered, that oon fro that

other, that they destroyen unitee, the body forleteth to ben that

it was biforn. And, who-so wolde renne in the same manere by

alle thinges, he sholde seen that, with-oute doute, every thing is

in his substaunce as longe as it is oon; and whan it forleteth to

ben oon, it dyeth and perissheth.'

'Whan I considere,' quod I, 'manye thinges, I see [non other].'

'Is ther any-thing thanne,' quod she, 'that, in as moche as it

liveth naturelly, that forleteth the talent or appetyt of his beinge,

and desireth to come to deeth and to corupcioun?'

'Yif I considere,' quod I, 'the beestes that han any maner

nature of wilninge and of nillinge, I ne finde no beest, but-yif

it be constreined fro with-oute forth, that forleteth or

despyseth the entencioun to liven and to duren, or that wole,

his thankes, hasten him to dyen. For every beest [travaileth him]

to deffende and kepe the savacioun of his lyf, and eschueth deeth

and destruccioun.

But certes, I doute me of herbes and of trees, that is to

seyn, that I am in a doute of swiche thinges as herbes or trees, that

ne han no felinge sowles, ne no naturel wirkinges servinge to

appetytes as bestes han, whether they han appetyt to dwellen

and to duren.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'ne ther-of [thar thee nat doute]. Now

loke up-on thise herbes and thise trees; they wexen first in

swiche places as ben covenable to hem, in whiche places they

ne mowen nat sone dyen ne dryen, as longe as hir nature may

deffenden hem. For som of hem waxen in feeldes, and som

in mountaignes, and othre waxen in mareys, and othre cleven

on roches, and somme waxen plentivous in sondes; and yif

that any wight enforce him to beren hem in-to othre places,

they wexen drye. For nature yeveth to every thing that that

is convenient to him, and travaileth that they ne dye nat, as

longe as they han power to dwellen and to liven. [What woltow]

seyn of this, that they drawen alle hir norisshinges by hir rotes,

right as they hadden hir mouthes y-plounged with-in the erthes,

and sheden by hir maryes hir wode and hir bark? And what

woltow seyn of this, that thilke thing that is right softe, as the

marye is, that is alwey hid in the sete, al with-inne, and that

is defended fro with-oute by the stedefastnesse of wode; and

that the uttereste bark is put ayeins the destemperaunce of

the hevene, as a defendour mighty to suffren harm? And thus,

certes, maystow wel seen how greet is the diligence of nature;

for alle thinges [renovelen and puplisshen hem] with seed y-multiplyed;

ne ther nis no man that ne wot wel [that they ne]

[ben] right as a foundement and edifice, for to duren nat only

for a tyme, but right as for to duren perdurably by generacioun.

And the thinges eek that men wenen ne haven none sowles,

ne desire they nat ech of hem by semblable resoun to kepen

that is hirs, that is to seyn, that is acordinge to hir nature in

conservacioun of hir beinge and enduringe? For wher-for elles

bereth lightnesse the flaumbes up, and the weighte presseth

100

the erthe a-doun, but for as moche as thilke places and thilke

moevinges ben covenable to everich of hem? And forsothe

every thing kepeth thilke that is acordinge and propre to him,

right as thinges that ben contraries and enemys corompen hem.

And yit the harde thinges, as stones, clyven and holden hir

105

parties to-gider right faste and harde, and deffenden hem in

withstondinge that they ne departe nat lightly a-twinne. And

the thinges that ben softe and fletinge, as is water and eyr,

they departen lightly, and yeven place to hem that breken or

devyden hem; but natheles, they retornen sone ayein in-to

110

the same thinges fro whennes they ben arraced. [But fyr] fleeth

and refuseth al devisioun. Ne I ne trete nat heer now of

[wilful] moevinges of the sowle that is knowinge, but of the

naturel entencioun of thinges, as thus: right as we swolwe the

mete that we receiven and ne thinke nat on it, and as we

115

drawen our breeth in slepinge that we wite it nat whyle we

slepen. For certes, in the beestes, the love of hir livinges ne

of hir beinges ne comth nat of the wilninges of the sowle, but

of the biginninges of nature. For certes, thorugh constreininge

causes, wil desireth and embraceth ful ofte tyme the deeth

120

that nature dredeth; that is to seyn as thus: that a man may

ben constreyned so, by som cause, that his wil desireth and

taketh the deeth which that nature hateth and dredeth ful sore.

And [somtyme] we seeth the contrarye, as thus: that the wil

of a wight destorbeth and constreyneth that that nature desireth

125

and requereth al-wey, that is to seyn, the werk of generacioun,

by the whiche generacioun only dwelleth and is sustened the

long durabletee of mortal thinges.

[And thus] this charitee and this love, that every thing hath

to him-self, ne comth nat of the moevinge of the sowle, but

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

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

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.'

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?'

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.

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.'

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.'

165

'What was that?' quod I.

'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

170

moten we nedes confessen, that good is the fyn of alle thinges.

Pr. XI. 3. C. wylthow. 5. C. preys; A. Ed. price. 6. A. Ed. bytyde; C. betydde. 7. C. om. that. // A. Ed. resoun; C. resouns; Lat. ratione. 17. C. in on; A. in to oon; Ed. in to one. 23. C. om. ther. 29. C. grauntisthow. 32. Ed. muste thou; C. mosthow; A. mayst thou. // Ed. semblable; A. sembleable; C. semlable. 37. C. Hasthow. 43. A. conioigned; C. conioigne. 44. A. disseueraunce; C. desseueraunce; after which C. A. om. of, which Ed. retains. 51. A. Ed. who so; C. who. 54. Ed. perissheth; C. periseth; A. perissith. 60. C. wylnynge; A. Ed. willynge. 62. A. om. the entencioun. 64. C. om. and bef. eschueth. 68. A. soule. 69. A. Ed. appetite; C. apetid. 76. Ed. mareys; A. mareis; C. marys. // A. has here lost a leaf, from and othre to past end of Met. xi. 84. C. maryes, i. medulle. 86. Ed. seete; C. feete (!); Lat. sede. 87. Ed. is; C. is is (sic). // C. stidefastnesse. 88. C. om. the bef. destemperaunce; Ed. has it. 91. C. pupllisen; Ed. publysshen. 94. Ed. perdurably; C. perdurablely. 103. Ed. corrumpen. 106. Ed. om. nat lightly ... departen. // C. a twyne. 110. Ed. araced. // Ed. fleeth and; C. and (om. fleeth); Lat. refugit. 112. Ed. wylful; C. weleful; Lat. uoluntariis. 114. Ed. receyuen; C. resseyuen. 116. Ed. slepen; C. slepyt. 127. Ed. durabylite. 142. Ed. perdurablye; C. perdurablely. 152. Ed. thou; C. om. // Ed. discryuen. 161. C. fichched; Ed. fyxed. 163. Ed. discouered. 165. Ed. is that (for was that).

Metre XI.

Quisquis profunda mente uestigat uerum.

Who-so that seketh sooth by a deep thoght, 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

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

thought, and wol nat be deceived by false proposiciouns that goon

amis fro the trouthe, lat him wel examine and rolle with-inne him-self

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

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.

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

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

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.'

Me. XI. 2. Ed. om. nat. // Ed. treaten (for trenden). 18. Ed. derknesse; C. dyrknesse. // Ed. seme; C. seen (but note semeth below). 24. Ed. wyndes. 26. Ed. asked. 27. Ed. norisshyng; C. noryssynges; Lat. fomes. 29. Ed. asked. 30. Ed. naturel; C. the nature (sic).

Prose XII.

Tum ego, Platoni, inquam.

Thanne seide I thus: 'I acorde me gretly to Plato, for thou

remembrest and recordest me thise 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

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

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

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

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

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]

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

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.

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

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.

'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

thinges by him-self; and he is as 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 her-biforn

that thou woldest seye thus; al-be-it so that it were by

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.'

'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

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

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,

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?'

'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

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

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;

100

that is to seyn, destroyede the giaunts, as it was worthy. But wilt

thou that we ioignen to-gider thilke same resouns? For per-aventure,

of swich coniuncioun may sterten up som fair sparkle

of sooth.'

'Do,' quod I, 'as thee liste.'

105

'Wenest thou,' quod she, 'that god ne be almighty? No man

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

110

ne may?'

'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

115

don yvel that may don alle thinges.'

['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

120

thou entrest, ne foldest thou nat to-gider, by replicacioun of

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

125

is soverein good; and that god is the fulle blisfulnesse; [for which]

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

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

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

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

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

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."

Pr. XII. 2. A. begins again with the seconde tyme. 4. A. coniunccioun; C. coniuncsioun. 12. C. wordyl (for world). 19. C. world nis; Ed. A. worlde is. 26. A. om. dyverse. 27. A. discordeden. 30. C. ordene; A. ordinee. 31. A. Ed. spaces; C. splaces (!). 32. C. stidefast; A. stedfast. 35. Ed. ymaked; C. A. maked. 40. A. han; C. ha (for hā). 47. A. om. no. 50. C. denoyed (for deneyed); A. Ed. denied. 55. A. Ed. om. as; Lat. ueluti. // C. A. stiere (better stere). 57. A. corumpynge. 63. A. natheles; C. natles. 82. C. hem; A. Ed. hym. 84. A. this; C. Ed. his. 93. C. reprehendnen. 96. A. hem; C. Ed. it. 99. C. desposede; A. Ed. disposed; read deposed; Lat. deposuit. 100. A. wilt; Ed. wylte; C. wil. 105. C. Ed. be; A. is. // A. Ed. No man; C. non. 107. A. Ed. if he; C. yif it. 110. A. may do. 116. C. scornesthow ... pleyesthow ... desseyuesthow. 118. Ed. Dedalus; C. dydalus; A. didalus. 119. C. A. issest; Ed. issuest. 120. C. fooldesthow. 125. C. fulle the; A. the ful; Lat. plenam beatitudinem. 127. Ed. god (Deus); C. A. good. 132. A. bountee; C. bowonte. 139. C. A. desseyue. 142. C. resseiueth. 143. C. aparmanides; Ed. Permenides; A. parmaynws; Lat. Parmenides. 148. C. Ed. styred; A. stered.

Metre XII.

Felix, qui potuit boni.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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,

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.

Me. XII. 2. A. bonde; Lat. uincula. // A. Ed. om. 2nd the. 4. C. wepply; A. Ed. wepely. 7. A. cruel; C. cruwel. 10. A. Ed. ardaunt; C. ardent. 12. C. goodes; A. godes (om. hevene); Lat. superos. 14. C. blaundyssynge; A. blaundissyng. 15. C. soonge; A. song (twice). 16. C. resseyued; A. resceyued. // C. calyope; A. calliope. 17. A. as mychel as he myȝt; C. om. he. 19. C. thechen; after techen him, A. adds in his seke herte (not in Lat.) 23. Ed. Furyes; C. A. furijs. 27. C. tatalus (for tātalus). 28. A. thrust. 29. Ed. Tityus; C. A. ticius; Lat. Tityi. 33. A. his faire song; Lat. carmine. 38. A. gretter; C. gret; Lat. maior. 41. C. A. Erudice; Ed. Euridice; Lat. Eurydicen. 43. C. apartienyth; A. apperteineth. 45. C. god; A. goode. 46. C. fychche. 47. C. om. his after sette. 49. A. to (for in-to). // C. om. the bef. erthe.

Explicit Liber tercius.