[PRIMUM IGITUR PATERIS ROGACIONIBUS.]
FIrst wolt Philosophy proposes to question Boethius. þou suffre me to touche and assaie þe stat
of þi þouȝt by a fewe demaundes. so þat I may
vnderstonde what be þe manere of þi curacioun. ¶ Axe [632]
me quod .I. atte þi wille what þou wilt. and I schal
answere. P. Is the world governed by Chance? ¶ Þo saide sche þus. wheþer wenest þou quod
sche þat þis worlde be gouerned by foolisshe happes
and fortunes. or elles wenest þou þat þer be in it any [636]
gouernement of resoun. B. By no means. The Creator presides over his own works. Certes quod .I. ne trowe not
in no manere þat so certeyne þinges scholde be moeued
by fortunouse fortune. but I wot wel þat god maker
and mayster is gouernour of þis werk. I shall never swerve from this opinion. Ne neuer nas [640]
ȝit day þat myȝt[e] putte me oute of þe soþenesse of
þat sentence. P. Yes! Thou didst say as much when thou didst declare man alone to be destitute of divine care. ¶ So is it quod sche. for þe same þing
songe þou a lytel here byforne and byweyledest and
byweptest. þat only men weren put oute of þe cure of [644]
god. ¶ For of alle oþer þinges þou ne doutest nat
þat þei nere gouerned by reson. Still thou seemest to labour under some defect even in this conviction. but how (.i. pape.).
I wondre gretly certes whi þat þou art seek. siþen þou
art put in to so holesom a sentence. but lat vs seken [648]
depper. I coniecte þat þere lakkeþ I not what. Tell me how the world is governed. but
sey me þis. siþen þat þou ne doutest nat þat þis worlde
be gouerned by god ¶ wiþ swycche gouernailes takest
þou hede þat it is gouerned. B. I do not thoroughly comprehend your question. ¶ vnneþ quod .I. knowe [652]
.I. þe sentence of þi questioun. so þat I ne may nat
ȝit answeren to þi demaundes. P. I was not deceived, then, when I said there was some defect in thy sentiment. ¶ I nas nat deceiued
quod sche þat þere ne faileþ sumwhat. by whiche þe
maladie of perturbacioun is crept in to þi þouȝt. so [656]
as þe strengþe of þe paleys schynyng is open. Tell me what is the chief end of all things; and whither all things tend. ¶ But
seye me þis remembrest þou ouȝt what is þe ende of
þi þinges. whider þat þe entencioun of al kynde tendeþ.
¶ I haue herd told it somtyme quod .I. but drerynesse [660]
haþ dulled my memorie. ¶ Certys quod sche
þou wost wel whennes þat alle þinges ben comen and
proceded. B. God is the beginning of all things. I wot wel quod .I. and ansewered[e] þat
god is þe bygynnyng of al. P. How, then, art thou ignorant of their end? ¶ And how may þis be [664]
quod sche þat siþen þou knowest þe bygynnyng of
þinges. þat þou ne knowest not what is þe endyng of
þinges. But it is the nature of these perturbations (which thou endurest) to unsettle men’s minds. but swiche ben þe customes of perturbaciouns.
and þis power þei han. þat þei may moeue a man fro [668]
hys place. þat is to seyne from þe stablenes and perfeccioun
of hys knowyng. but certys þei may not al
arace hym ne alyene hym in al. ¶ But I wolde þat
þou woldest answere to þis. Dost thou remember that thou art a man? ¶ Remembrest þou þat [672]
þou art a man B. Certainly I do. ¶ Boice. ¶ Whi scholde I nat remembre
þat quod .I. P. What is man? Philosophie. ¶ Maiste þou not telle
me þan quod sche what þing is a man. B. If you ask me whether I am a rational and mortal creature, I know and confess I am. ¶ Axest not
me quod I. wheþir þat be a resonable best mortel. I [676]
wot wel and I confesse wel þat I am it. P. But dost thou not know that thou art more than this? ¶ Wistest
þou neuer ȝit þat þou were ony oþer þing quod she.
BOETHIUS NEEDS LIGHT REMEDIES.
B. No. No quod .I. P. Now I know the principal cause of thy distemper. now wot I quod she oþer cause of þi
maladie and þat ryȝt grete ¶ Þou hast left forto [680]
knowe þi self what þou art. þoruȝ whiche I haue pleynelyche
knowen þe cause of þi maladie. or ellis þe
entre of recoueryng of þin hele. Thou hast lost the knowledge of thyself, thou knowest not the end of things, and hast forgotten how the world is governed. ¶ Forwhy for þou
art confounded wiþ forȝetyng of þi self. forþi sorwest [684]
þou þat þou art exiled of þi propre goodes. ¶ And
for þou ne wost what is þe ende of þinges. for[þi] demest
[þou] þat felonous and wikked men ben myȝty and weleful
for þou hast forȝeten by whiche gouernementȝ þe worlde [688]
is gouerned. ¶ Forþi wenest þou þat þise mutaciouns
of fortune fleten wiþ outen gouernour. These are not only great occasions of disease, but also causes of death itself. þise ben grete
causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to
deeþ I thank God that Reason hath not wholly deserted thee. ¶ But I þanke þe auctour and þe makere of [692]
heele þat nature haþ not al forleten þe. I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark shall produce vital heat. and I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of þi hele. and þat is þe soþe sentence
of gouernaunce of þe worlde. þat þou byleuest
þat þe gouernynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput [696]
[* fol. 8 b.] to þe folie *of þise happes auenterouses. but to þe
resoun of god ¶ And þer fore doute þe noþing.
For of þis litel spark þine heet of lijf schal shine. But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these vapours so that you may perceive the true light. ¶ But
for as muche as it is not tyme ȝitte of fastere remedies [700]
¶ And þe nature of þouȝtes disseiued is þis þat as ofte
as þei casten aweye soþe opyniouns: þei cloþen hem in
fals[e] opiniouns. [of whiche false opyniouns] þe derknesse
of perturbacioun wexeþ vp. þat comfoundeþ þe verray [704]
insyȝt. and þat derkenes schal .I. say somwhat to
maken þinne and wayk by lyȝt and meenelyche remedies.
so þat after þat þe derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. þou mow[e] knowe þe schynyng [708]
of verray lyȝt.
630 wolt þou—woltow
stat—estat
633 atte—at
wilt—wolt
635 worlde—world
foolisshe—foolyssh
636 fortunes—fortunows
638 scholde—sholden
639 wot—MS. wote, C. woot