THE DESIRE OF THE TRUE GOOD.
[TUNC DEFIXO PAULULUM.]
ÞO fastned[e] Philosophy, with a serious air, and appearing to recollect herself, and to rouse up all her faculties, thus began. she a lytel þe syȝt of hir eyen and wiþdrow
hir ryȝt as it were in to þe streite sete of hir [1752]
þouȝt. and bygan to speke ryȝt þus. All the cares and desires of men seek one end—happiness. Alle þe cures
quod she of mortal folk whiche þat trauaylen hem in
many manere studies gon certys by diuerse weies.
[* fol. 15 b.] ¶ But naþeles þei enforced hem *to comen oonly to on [1756]
ende of blisfulnesse True happiness is that complete good which, once obtained, leaves nothing more to be desired. [And blysfulnesse] is swiche a goode
þat who so haþ geten it he ne may ouer þat no þing more
desiire. It is the sovereign good, and comprehends all others. It lacks nothing, otherwise it could not be the supreme good. and þis þing for soþe is þe souereyne good þat conteiniþ
in hym self al manere goodes. to þe whiche goode [1760]
yif þere failed[e] any þing. it myȝt[e] nat ben souereyne
goode. ¶ For þan were þere som goode out of þis ilke souereyne
goode þat myȝt[e] ben desired. Happiness is, therefore, that perfect state, in which all other goods meet and centre. Now is it clere and
certeyne þan þat blisfulnesse is a perfit estat by þe congregacioun [1764]
of alle goodes. It is the object which all men strive after. ¶ þe whiche blisfulnesse as
I haue seid alle mortal folke enforcen hem to geten by
dyuerse weyes. A desire of the true good is a natural instinct, but error misleads them to pursue false joys. ¶ For-whi þe couetise of verray goode
is naturely y-plaunted in þe hertys of men. ¶ But þe [1768]
myswandryng errour myslediþ hem in to fals[e] goodes.
Some, imagining the supreme good to consist in lacking nothing, labour for an abundance of riches; others, supposing that this good lies in the reverence and esteem of their fellow men, strive to acquire honourable positions. ¶ of þe whiche men some of hem wenen þat souereygne
goode is to lyue wiþ outen nede of any þing.
and traueilen hem to ben habundaunt of rycchesse. [1772]
and some oþer men demen. þat souerein goode be forto
be ryȝt digne of reuerences. and enforcen hem to ben
reuerenced among hir neyȝbours. by þe honours þat þei
han ygeten There are some, again, who place it in supreme power, and seek to rule, or to be favoured by the ruling powers. ¶ and some folk þer ben þat halden þat [1776]
ryȝt heyȝe power to be souereyn goode. and enforcen
hem forto regnen or ellys to ioignen hem to hem þat
regnen. There are those who fancy fame to be the height of happiness, and seek by the arts of war or peace to get renown. ¶ And it semeþ to some oþer folk þat noblesse
of renoun be þe souerein goode. and hasten hem to [1780]
geten glorious name by þe artes of werre or of pees.
Many there are who believe nothing to be better than joy and gladness, and think it delightful to plunge into luxury. and many folke mesuren and gessen þat souerein goode
be ioye and gladnesse and wenen þat it be ryȝt blisful
[thynge] to ploungen hem in uoluptuous delit. Some there are who use these causes and ends interchangeably, as those who desire riches as a means of getting power; or who desire power in order to get money or renown. ¶ And [1784]
þer ben folk þat enterchaungen þe causes and þe endes
of þise forseide goodes as þei þat desiren rycchesse to
han power and delices. Or ellis þei desiren power forto
han moneye or for cause of renoun. In all they do they have a particular end in view. ¶ In þise þinges [1788]
and in swyche oþer þinges is tourned al þe entencioun
of desirynges and [of] werkes of men. ¶ As þus.
FRIENDSHIP A SACRED THING.
Nobility and popular favour are sought after by some in order to become famous. ¶ Noblesse and fauour of poeple whiche þat ȝiueþ as it
semeþ a manere clernesse of renoun. By others, wives and children are only desired as sources of pleasure. ¶ and wijf and [1792]
children þat men desiren for cause of delit and mirinesse.
Friendship must not be reckoned among the goods of fortune, but among those of virtue, for it is a very sacred thing. ¶ But forsoþe frendes ne shollen nat ben rekkened
among þe goodes of fortune but of vertue. for it
is a ful holy manere þing. All else are desired either for the power or pleasure they afford. alle þise oþer þinges forsoþe [1796]
ben taken for cause of power. or ellis for cause of
delit. The goods of the body fall under the same predicament. ¶ Certis now am I redy to referen þe goodes of
þe body to þise forseide þinges abouen. Strength and a good stature seem to give power and worthiness. ¶ For it semeþ
þat strengþe and gretnesse of body ȝeuen power and [1800]
worþinesse. Beauty and swiftness give glory and fame; and health gives delight. ¶ and þat beaute and swiftenesse ȝeuen
noblesse and glorie of renoun. and hele of body semeþ
ȝiuen delit. In all these happiness alone is sought. ¶ In alle þise þingus it semeþ oonly þat
blisfulnesse is desired. What a man most wishes for, that he esteems the supreme good, which, as we have defined, is happiness. ¶ For-whi þilke þing þat euery [1804]
man desireþ moost ouer alle þinges. he demiþ þat be þe
souereyne goode. ¶ But I haue diffined þat blisfulnesse
is þe souereyne goode. for whiche euery wyȝt
demiþ þat þilke estat þat he desireþ ouer alle þinges þat [1808]
it be þe blisfulnesse. Thou hast now before thee a view of human felicity (falsely so called), that is, riches, honours, power, glory, and delight, which last Epicurus considered as the sovereign good. ¶ Now hast þou þan byforne
[thy eyen] almost al þe purposed forme of þe welfulnesse
of mankynde. þat is to seyne rycchesse. honours.
power. glorie. and delitȝ. þe whiche delit oonly considered [1812]
Epicurus Iuged and establissed. þat delit is þe
souereyne goode. for as myche as alle oþer þinges as
hym þouȝt[e] by-refte awey ioie and myrþe from þe
herte. I now return to the inclinations and pursuits of mankind. ¶ But I retourne aȝeyne to þe studies of meen. [1816]
of whiche men þe corage alwey rehersiþ and seekeþ þe
souereyne goode of alle be it so þat it be wiþ a derke
memorie [but he not by whiche paath]. Their minds are bent upon the chief good, and are ever seeking it with a darkened understanding, like a drunken man, who cannot find his way home. ¶ Ryȝt as a
dronke man not nat by whiche paþe he may retourne [1820]
home to hys house. Do they go astray who strive to keep themselves from want? ¶ Semeþ it þanne þat folk folyen
and erren þat enforcen hem to haue nede of no þing
ALL SEEK THE CHIEF GOOD.
By no means. No state is happier than that in which a man is above want, and independent of others. ¶ Certys þer nys non oþer þing þat may so weel perfourny
[* fol. 16.] blisfulnesse as an estat plenteuous *of alle [1824]
goodes þat ne haþ nede of none oþer þing. but þat it is
suffisant of hym self. vnto hym self. Are they guilty of folly that seek esteem and reverence? and foleyen
swyche folk þanne. þat wenen þat þilk þing þat is
ryȝt goode. þat it be eke ryȝt worþi of honour and of [1828]
reuerence. No; for that is not contemptible for which all men strive. ¶ Certis nay. for þat þing nys neyþer foule
ne worþi to ben dispised þat al þe entencioun of mortel
folke trauaille forto geten it. Is not power to be reckoned amongst desirable goods? ¶ And power auȝt[e]
nat þat eke to be rekened amonges goodes Why not? For that is not an insignificant good which invests a man with authority and command. what ellis. [1832]
for it nys nat to wene þat þilke þing þat is most
worþi of alle þinges be feble and wiþ out strengþe and
clernesse of renoun auȝte þat to ben dispised. Fame also is to be regarded, for everything excellent is also shining and renowned. ¶ Certys
þer may no man forsake þat al þing þat is ryȝt excellent [1836]
and noble. þat it ne semeþ to be ryȝt clere and renomed.
We hardly need say that happiness is not an unjoyous and melancholy state, for in the pursuit of the smallest matters men seek only pleasure. ¶ For certis it nediþ nat to seie. þat blisfulnesse
be anguissous ne dreri ne subgit to greuances ne
to sorwes. syn þat in ryȝt litel þingus folk seken to [1840]
haue and to vsen þat may deliten hem. Hence it is that mankind seek riches, &c., because by them they hope to get independence, honour, &c. ¶ Certys þise
ben þe þinges þat men wolen and desyren to geten.
and for þis cause desiren þei rycches. dignites. regnes.
glorie and delices ¶ For þerby wenen þei to han suffisaunce [1844]
honour power. renoun and gladnesse. However varied their desires, happiness is their sole pursuit. ¶ þanne
is it goode. þat men seken þus by so many dyuerse
studies. In whiche desijr it may lyȝtly be shewed.
how grete is þe strengþe of nature. However various men’s opinions are respecting happiness, all agree in pursuing it as the end of their actions and desires. ¶ For how so þat [1848]
men han dyuerse sentences and discordyng algates men
accordyn alle in lyuynge þe ende of goode.
1751 fastned[e]—fastnede
wiþdrow—MS. wiþdrowen, C. with drowh
1752 sete—Cyte
1756 enforced—enforsen