Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae"

by Boethius

THanne seide B. I am quite of Plato’s opinion, for you have now a second time recalled these things to my remembrance which had been forgotten, first by the contagious union of soul and body, and afterwards by the pressure of my afflictions. I thus // I acorde me gretly to plato / for
thow remenbrist and recordist me thise thinges yit]
[*Addit. MS. 10,340, fol. 23.] *þe seconde tyme. þat is to seyn. first whan I lost[e] my
memorie by þe contagioũs coniunccioun of þe body wiþ [2876]
þe soule. and eftsones afterward whan I lost[e] it confounded
by þe charge and by þe burden of my sorwe.
P. If you will reflect upon the concessions you have already made, you will soon call to mind that truth, of which you lately confessed your ignorance. ¶ And þan sayde she þus. ¶ If þou look[e] quod she
firste þe þinges þat þou hast graunted it ne shal nat [2880]
ben ryȝt feer þat þou ne shalt remembren þilke þing þat
þou seidest þat þou nistest nat. B. What is that? what þing quod I.
P. It was, by what power the world is governed. ¶ by whiche gouerment quod she þat þis worlde is
gouerned. B. With regard to that, I own I confessed my ignorance, but though I now remotely see what you infer, yet I wish for further explanation from you. Me remembriþ it wel quod I. and I confesse [2884]
wel þat I ne wist[e] it nat ¶ But al be it so þat
I se now from afer what þou purposest ¶ Algates I
desire ȝit to herkene it of þe more pleynely. P. You acknowledged a little while ago that this world was governed by God? ¶ þou ne
wendest nat quod she a litel here byforne þat men [2888]
sholden doute þat þis worlde is gouerned by god.
B. I still cling to this opinion, and will give you my reasons for this belief. ¶ Certys quod I ne ȝitte doute I it nauȝt. ne I nil
neuer wene þat it were to doute. as who seiþ. but I
wot wel þat god gouerneþ þis worlde. ¶ And I shal [2892]
shortly answere þe by what resouns I am brouȝt to þis.
The discordant elements of this world would never have assumed their present form unless there had been a wise Intelligence to unite them; and even after such a union, the joining of such opposites would have disunited and ruined the fabric made up of them, had not the same conjoining hand kept them together. ¶ þis worlde quod I of so many dyuerse and contrarious
parties ne myȝten neuer han ben assembled in o forme.
but yif þere ne were oon þat conioigned so many[e [2896]
diuerse] þinges. ¶ And þe same diuersite of hire
natures þat so discordeden þat oon fro þat oþer most[e]
departen and vnioignen þe þinges þat ben conioigned.
yif þere ne were oon þat contened[e] þat he haþ conioigned [2900]
and ybounde. The order that reigns throughout nature could not proceed so regularly and uniformly if there were not a Being, unchangeable and stedfast, to order and dispose so great a diversity of changes. ne þe certein ordre of nature ne
sholde. nat brynge furþe so ordinee moeuynge. by
places. by tymes. by doynges. by spaces. by qualites.
yif þere ne were oon þat were ay stedfast dwellynge. [2904]
þat ordeyned[e] and disposed[e] þise diuersites of
moeuynges. This Being, the creator and ruler of all things, I call God. ¶ and þilke þinge what so euer it be. by
whiche þat alle þinges ben maked and ylad. I clepe
hym god þat is a worde þat is vsed to alle folke. P. As thy sentiments on these points are so just I have but little more to do—for thou mayest be happy and secure, and revisit thy own country. þan [2908]
seide she. syn þou felest þus þise þinges quod she. I
trowe þat I haue lytel more to done. þat þou myȝty of
wilfulnesse hool and sounde ne se eftsones þi contre.

GOD IS ALL-SUFFICIENT.

But let us reflect a little more upon these matters. ¶ But lat vs loken þe þinges þat we han purposed her-byforn. [2912]
Did we not agree that Sufficiency is of the nature of true happiness? ¶ Haue I nat noumbred and seid quod she
þat suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. And have we not seen that God is that true felicity, and that He needs no external aid nor instruments? and we han accorded
þat god is and þilke same blisfulnesse. ¶ yis forsoþe quod
I. and þat to gouerne þis worlde quod she. ne shal he [2916]
neuer han nede of none helpe fro wiþoute. For if he should, he would not be self-sufficient. for ellys yif
he had[de] nede of any helpe. he ne sholde not haue
[no] ful suffisaunce. ȝis þus it mot nedes be quod I.
And he directs all things by himself alone? ¶ þan ordeyneþ he by hym self al oon alle þinges quod [2920]
she. B. It cannot be gainsaid. þat may nat ben denied quod I. P. I have shown that God is the chief good; God must, therefore, direct and order all things by good, since he governs them by himself, whom we have proved to be the supreme good, and he is that helm and rudder, by which this machine of the world is steadily and securely conducted. ¶ And I haue
shewed þat god is þe same good. ¶ It remembreþ me
wel quod I. ¶ þan ordeineþ he alle þinges by þilke
goode quod she. Syn he whiche we han accorded to [2924]
ben good gouerneþ alle þingus by hym self. and he is a
keye and a stiere by whiche þat þe edifice of þis worlde
is ykept stable and wiþ oute corumpynge B. I entirely agree to this, and partly anticipated your remarks. ¶ I accorde
me gretly quod I. and I aperceiuede a litel here byforn [2928]
þat þou woldest seyne þus. Al be it so þat it were by
a þinne suspecioun. P. I believe it; for your eyes are now more intent upon these great truths relating to true felicity; but what I am going to say is not less open to your view. I trowe it wel quod she. ¶ For as
I trowe þou leedest nowe more ententifly þine eyen to
loken þe verray goodes ¶ but naþeles þe þinges þat I [2932]
shal telle þe ȝit ne sheweþ nat lasse to loken. B. What is that? what is
þat quod I. P. As we believe that God governs all things by his goodness, and that all things have a natural tendency towards the good, can it be doubted but that they all voluntarily submit to the will and control of their ruler? ¶ So as men trowen quod she and þat
ryȝtfully þat god gouerneþ alle þinges by þe keye of his
goodnesse. ¶ And alle þise same þinges as I [haue] [2936]
tauȝt þe. hasten hem by naturel entencioun to comen
to goode þer may no man douten. þat þei ne ben
gouerned uoluntariely. and þat þei ne conuerten [hem]
nat of her owen wille to þe wille of hire ordenour. [2940]

ALL THINGS SUBMIT TO GOD.

B. It cannot be otherwise. There would be no safety for those who obey, if the discord of a portion were allowed. as þei þat ben accordyng and enclinynge to her gouernour
and her kyng. ¶ It mot nedys be so quod. I. [* Fol. 23 b.]
*¶ For þe realme ne sholde not seme blisful ȝif þere were a ȝok
of mysdrawynges in diuerse parties ne þe sauynge of [2944]
obedient þinges ne sholde nat be. P. Is there anything that follows the dictates of nature that seeks to counteract the will of God? þan is þere no þing
quod she þat kepiþ hys nature; þat enforceþ hym to
gone aȝeyne god. B. No. ¶ No quod. I. P. If there should be any such, it could not prevail against him, who is supremely happy and consequently omnipotent. ¶ And if þat any þing
enforced[e] hym to wiþstonde god. myȝt[e] it auayle at [2948]
þe laste aȝeyns hym þat we han graunted to ben al
myȝty by þe ryȝt of blisfulnesse. ¶ Certis quod I al
outerly it ne myȝt[e] nat auaylen hym. Then there is nothing that either will or can withstand this supreme good? þan is þere no
þing quod she þat eyþer wol or may wiþstonde to þis [2952]
souereyne good. B. Nothing, certainly. ¶ I trowe nat quod. I P. It is then the supreme good that governs and orders all things powerfully and benignly. ¶ þan is
þilke þe souereyne good quod she þat alle þingus
gouerneþ strongly and ordeyneþ hem softly. B. I am delighted with your conclusions, but much more with your language; so that fools may be ashamed of their objections to the divine government. þan seide I
þus. I delite me quod I nat oonly in þe endes or in þe [2956]
sommes of [the] resouns þat þou hast concludid and
proued. ¶ But þilke wordes þat þou vsest deliten me
moche more. ¶ So at þe last[e] fooles þat somtyme
renden greet[e] þinges auȝten ben asshamed of hem [2960]
self. [Chaucer’s gloss.] ¶ þat is to seyne þat we fooles þat reprehenden
wickedly þe þingus þat touchen goddes gouernaunce we
auȝten ben asshamed of oure self. As I þat seide god
refuseþ oonly þe werkes of men. and ne entremetiþ nat [2964]
of hem. P. You have read the Poets’ fables, how the Giants stormed heaven—how they were repulsed and punished according to their deserts; but may we not compare our reasons together, for by so doing some clear spark of truth may shine forth? p. þou hast wel herd quod she þe fables of þe
poetes. how þe geauntes assailden þe heuene wiþ þe
goddes. but for soþe þe debonaire force of god disposed[e]
hem so as it was worþi. þat is to seyne distroied[e] þe [2968]
geauntes. as it was worþi. ¶ But wilt þou þat we
ioygnen togedre þilke same resouns. for perauenture of
swiche coniunccioun may sterten vp some faire sperkele
of soþe B. As you please. ¶ Do quod I as þe list. P. Is God omnipotent? wenest þou quod she [2972]
þat god ne is almyȝty. no man is in doute of it. B. No one doubts it. Certys
quod I no wyȝt ne defendiþ it if he be in hys mynde.

EVIL HAS NO EXISTENCE.

P. If he is almighty, there are, then, no limits to his power? but he quod she þat is al myȝty þere nis no þing þat he
ne may do. B. He can doubtless do all things. þat is soþe quod I. P. May God do evil? May god done yuel [2976]
quod she. B. No. nay for soþe quod. I. P. Is evil nothing, since God, who is almighty, cannot do it? ¶ þan is yuel no þing
quod she. ¶ Syn þat he ne may not done yuel þat
may done alle þinges. B. Dost thou mock me or play with me, leading me with thy arguments into an inextricable labyrinth, and enclosing me in a wonderful circle of Divine Simplicity? scornest þou me quod. I. or ellys
pleyest þou or deceiuest þou me. þat hast so wouen me [2980]
wiþ þi resouns. þe house of didalus so entrelaced. þat it
is vnable to ben vnlaced. þou þat oþer while entrest
þere þou issest and oþer while issest þere þou entrest.
ne fooldest þou nat to gidre by replicacioun of wordes a [2984]
maner wondirful cercle or envirounynge of symplicite
deuyne. For thou didst first begin with happiness, and didst say that it was the sovereign good, and that it resided in God; then, that God was that Good and the perfection of happiness; and, hence, thou didst infer that nobody could be happy unless he became likewise a God. ¶ For certys a litel her byforne whan þou bygunne
atte blisfulnesse þou seidest þat it is souereyne
good. and seidest þat it is set in souereyne god. and þat [2988]
god is þe ful[le] blisfulnesse. for whiche þou ȝaf[e] me
as a couenable ȝifte. þat is to seyne þat no wyȝt nis
blisful. but yif he be good al so þer wiþ Again, thou saidst that the very form of good was the substance whereof God and happiness were composed, and that it was the object and desire of all things in nature. and seidest
eke þat þe forme of goode is þe substaunce of god. and [2992]
of blisfulnesse. and seidest þat þilke same oone is þilke
same goode þat is requered and desired of al þe kynde
of þinges. Thou didst prove that God rules the world by his goodness, and that all things willingly obeyed him; and that evil has no existence. and þou proeuedest in disputynge þat god
gouerneþ alle [the] þinges of þe worlde by þe gouernementys [2996]
of bountee. and seydest þat alle þinges wolen
ybeyen to hym. and seidest þat þe nature of yuel nis
no þing. These truths you established by forcible and natural arguments, and by no strained and far-fetched reasons. and þise þinges ne shewedest þou nat wiþ no
resouns ytake fro wiþoute but by proues in cercles and [3000]
homelyche knowen. ¶ þe whiche proeues drawen to hem
self hir feiþ and hir accorde eueriche [of] hem of oþer. þan
seide she þus. P. I have not deluded you, for by the Divine aid we have accomplished our chief task. I ne scorne þe nat ne pleye ne desseyue
þe. but I haue shewed to þe þinge þat is grettest ouer [3004]
alle þinges by þe ȝifte of god þat we some tyme prayden

GOD IS LIKE A SPHERE.

I have proved to you that it is an essential property of the Divine nature not to go out of itself, nor to receive into itself anything extraneous. ¶ For þis is þe forme of [the] deuyne substaunce. þat
is swiche þat it ne slydeþ nat in to outerest foreine
þinges. ne ne rec[e]yueþ no strange þinges in hym. Parmenides says of the Deity that God is like a well-rounded sphere. but [3008]
ryȝt as parmaynws seide in grek of þilke deuyne substaunce.
he seide þus þat þilke deuyne substaunce
torneþ þe worlde and þilke cercle moeueable of þinges
while þilke dyuyne substaunce kepiþ it self wiþ outen [3012]
moeuynge. [* fol. 24.] He causes the moving globe to revolve, but is himself immovable. þat *is to seyne þat it ne moeuiþ neuere mo.
and ȝitte it moeueþ alle oþer þinges. If I have chosen my arguments from the subjects within range of our discussion, do not let that surprise you, for, as Plato has taught us, there ought to be an alliance between the words and the subject of discourse. but na-þeles yif I
[haue] stered resouns þat ne ben nat taken fro wiþ oute
þe compas of þe þinge of whiche we treten. but resouns [3016]
þat ben bystowed wiþ inne þat compas þere nis nat whi
þat þou sholde[st] merueylen. sen þou hast lerned by
þe sentence of plato þat nedes þe wordes moten ben
cosynes to þo þinges of whiche þei speken. [3020]

2875, 2877 lost[e]—loste