23 haþ—MS. haþe
chaunged hir disceyuable—chaungyd hyre deceyuable
24 vnpitouse lijf—vnpietous lyf
PHILOSOPHY APPEARS TO BOETHIUS.
[HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.]
IN þe mene while Philosophy appears to Boethius, like a beautiful woman, and of great age. þat I stille recorded[e] þise þinges [28]
wiþ my self. and markede my wepli compleynte wiþ
office of poyntel. I saw stondyng aboue þe heyȝt of my
heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng and clere seing ouer þe comune [32]
myȝt of men. wiþ a lijfly colour and wiþ swiche vigoure
and strenkeþ þat it ne myȝt[e] not be emptid. ¶ Al
were it so þat sche was ful of so greet age. þat men ne
wolde not trowe in no manere þat sche were of oure [36]
elde. Her height could not be determined, for there were times when she raised her head higher than the heavens. þe stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for
sumtyme sche constreyned[e] and schronk hir seluen
lyche to þe comune mesure of men. and sumtyme it
semed[e] þat sche touched[e] þe heuene wiþ þe heyȝte [40]
of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche
perced[e] þe selue heuene. so þat þe syȝt of men lokyng
was in ydel. Her clothes were finely wrought and indissoluble, but dark and dusky, like old besmoked images. ¶ Hir cloþes weren maked of ryȝt delye
þredes and subtil crafte of perdurable matere. þe wyche [44]
cloþes sche hadde wouen wiþ hir owen hondes: as I
knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng and schewyng
to me þe beaute. þe wiche cloþes a derkenes of a forleten
and dispised elde had[de] duskid and dirkid as [48]
it is wont to dirken by-smoked ymages. On the lower hem of her garment was the letter Π and on the upper Θ. ¶ In þe neþerest[e]
hem or bordure of þese cloþes men redden
ywouen in swiche a gregkysche .P. þat signifieþ þe lijf
actif. And abouen þat lettre in þe heyȝest[e] bordure [52]
a grekysche T. þat signifieþ þe lijf contemplatif.
A DESCRIPTION OF PHILOSOPHY.
Between the letters were steps like a ladder. ¶ And by-twene þese two lettres þere weren seien degrees
nobly wrouȝt in manere of laddres. By wyche
degrees men myȝt[en] clymbe fro þe neþemast[e] lettre [56]
to þe ouermast[e]. Philosophy’s garments were tattered and torn, and pieces had been carried violently off. ¶ Naþeles hondes of sum men
hadde korue þat cloþe by vyolence and by strenkeþ.
¶ And eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche
peces as he myȝte geet[e]. In her right hand she bore her books, and in her left a sceptre. ¶ And forsoþe þis forsaide [60]
woman ber bookes in hir ryȝt honde. and in hir lefte
honde sche ber a ceptre. ¶ And when sche sauȝ þese
poetical muses aprochen aboute my bedde. and endytyng
wordes to my wepynges. sche was a lytel ameued [64]
and glowed[e] wiþ cruel eyen. Philosophy bids the Muses leave Boethius, as they only increase his sorrow with their sweet venom. ¶ Who quod sche haþ
suffred aprochen to þis seek[e] man þise comune strumpetis
[* fol. 4.] of siche a place þat *men clepen þe theatre.
¶ Þe wyche only ne asswagen not his sorowes. wiþ no [68]
remedies. but þei wolde fede and norysche hem wiþ
swete venym. ¶ Forsoþe þise ben þo þat wiþ þornes
and prykkynges of talentȝ or affecciouns wiche þat
ben no þing frutefiyng nor profitable destroyen þe [72]
cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. They may accustom the mind to bear grief, but cannot free it from its malady. ¶ For þei
holden þe hertes of men in usage. but þei ne delyuere
not folk fro maladye. but if ȝe muses hadde wiþdrawen
fro me wiþ ȝoure flateries. any vnkonnyng and vnprofitable [76]
man as men ben wont to fynde comunely amonges
þe peple. I wolde wene suffre þe lasse greuously.
PHILOSOPHY REBUKES THE MUSES.
Philosophy is deeply grieved, because they have not seduced one of the profane, but one who has been brought up in Eleatic and Academic studies. ¶ For-why in syche an vnprofitable man myne ententes
weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But ȝe wiþdrawen me [80]
þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of
Eleaticis and of achademicis in grece. She bids the syrens begone. ¶ But goþ now
raþer awey ȝe meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it
be at þe laste. and suffreþ þis man to be cured and [84]
heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful sciences.
Blushing for shame they pass the threshold. ¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten
wroþely þe chere adounward to þe erþe and schewyng
by redenesse hir schame þei passeden sorowfuly þe [88]
þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe syȝt plonged in
teres was derked so þat I ne myȝt[e] not knowe what
þat woman was of so imperial auctorite. Boethius is astonished at the presence of the august dame. ¶ I wex al
a-besid and astoned. and caste my syȝt adoune in to þe [92]
erþe. and bygan stille forto abide what sche wolde don
afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere and sette hir doun
vpon þe vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. Philosophy expresses her concern for Boethius. and sche byholdyng
my chere þat was cast to þe erþe heuy and [96]
greuous of wepyng. compleinede wiþ þise wordes þat I
schal sey þe perturbacioun of my þouȝt.
26 auaunted[e]—auauntede
be—ben