The Boke of comfort called in laten Boetius de Consolatione philosophie Translated in to englesse tonge.
Prefatio Translatoris.
VN suffysance of connyng & of whit
Defaute of langage & experience
Thys labour viche ye haue vpon me put
Muste fully excuse vn to your reuerence
yf hyt be not with craft of eloquence
Depaynted so as other bokes be
yet muste I nedes do my dilygence
with al my pouer to plese yo
[...]ur souerente
¶Thys subtel mater of Boetius
In hys boke of consolation
So hye hyt ys so harde and curyous
Ful ferre a bowe my estimation
That hyt be not by my translation
Defouled ne corrupt to god I pray
So helpe me with thy inspiration
That art of wysedom both locke and key
¶As fro the texte that I vary nougth
But kepe the sentens in hys true entent
And wordes eke as nye as may be brougth
where lawe of meter wyl therto consente
Thys mater wiche that ys so excellente
And passeth both my connynge & my migth
So haue yt lorde in thy gouernment
That cannest reforme al thynge to rygth
I haue herd speke & sumwhat haue I seyn
Of dyuers men that wonder craftely
In metre somme & somme in prose pleyn
Haueth thys boke translated dyuersly
In to englesse tonge worde for worde wel ny
But I muste vse the wittes that I haue
Though I may not do so wel / yet truly
with y
e helpe of god the sentens wyl I saue
[Page] To chaucer that was floure of retoryke
In englesse tonge & excellent poete
I woteful wel I am no thyng leke
Though I hys makyng do conterfete
And Gover that so craftely doth trete
As in hys bokes of moralyte
Thougth I to hym in makynge am vnmete
yet wyl I she worteh that ys in me
Hyt leketh not me to labour nor muse
vpon these olde poyses derke
For cristen fayth suche thynges moste refuse
As witneseth Ierom the noble clerke
Hyt shulde be no cristen mannes worke
Tho false goddes names to renew
For he y
t hathe receued cristes merke
yf he do so to criste he ys vntrew
Fro them that criste in heuen blesse shal
Suche maner workes muste be put a syde
For certenly hyt nedet not at al
To vhette now the dartes of cupyde
Ne for to bydde that venus be our gyde
So that we may our foule lustes wynne
Leste hereafter the same to ous betyde
As dyd to the sayd venus for her synne
¶And certen I haue tasted wonder lyte
As of the welles of calyope
No wonder though I sympelly endyte
yet wyl I nofte vn to Tessiphone
Ne to her susters that in hel be
Besekynge after craft of eloquence
But may to god of hys benignite
My spirit to enspyre with hys influence
[Page]
¶Caliope as poetes fayneth ys one of the sonnes doughters & ys one & chef of the ix muses & they cal her goddas of eloquence. She hath. iii. vvelles Gramatica / Dialetica / & Retorica. of vvhom ys driued al craft of eloquēce Also they feyneth to be in hel iii. fusters called furyas or vengeresses / that punishe men for ther mesdedes. the one ys called Allecco / a nother Megner / & the iii. Tessiphone. These also be called muses of mornyng that tecyth & enformeth men to mahe souroful complayntes:
¶So that fro blame and confusion
Of al thys foule wordly wrechednesse
He helpe me in thys occupation
To the honour of hys blysfulnesse
And in reuerence of your worthynesse
Madame thys worke at your instance
I haue begonne after my symplenesse
In wyl to do yow seruyce and plesance
Incipit Prologus.
THe whyle y
t rome was regnīg ī her flores
And of y
e world held al the monarchy
She was gouerned then by emperours
And was renouned wonder noblely
Tyl pryde had set ther hertes vp on hy
Then beganne they to vse crudelyte
And regned by rygurnesse and tyranny
And oppressed sore the comynalte
¶For leke as pouerte causeth sobernesse
And feblenes enforceth continence
Rygth so prosperite and sykernesse
ys the moder of vyce and neglygence
And pouer also causeth insoleuce
And after honour changeth good maners
Ther ys none so perilouse pestilence
As ys hye astate geuen to srewes
[Page] ¶Of the wich was Nero one and principal
That such maner tiranny began
Though he bare the diademe ymperial.
yet was he a very cursed man.
So cruelly he gan to regne than
Heslew hys master & hys moder both.
And moche he dyd that tel I ne can.
Ho so hath hyt red he knoueth wel y
e soth.
¶The chefe of holy church he slewe also.
Sent Peter & Paule both vpon one day.
And after them ful many other mo.
Aud of the same hyt ys I dare wel say.
That Paule writeth thus hyt ys no nay.
And sayth now ys the foune of wickednesse.
And fygure rygth of anticristes lay.
In whom shal be al maner of cursednesse.
Misterium iam operatur iniquitatis / vt qui tenet iam teneat donec de medio fiat. ¶Novv sayth sent Paule vvorchet the mistery & forme of anticristes vvickednesse. vvych anticriste shal be leke to hym / vsynge none other lave but vvylfulnesse / ledynge hys lyffe in lustes / fyndynge occasions for to destroy al the good & vertuos / cruel and ful of vnkyndly affections drayng to hym al the that be leke to hym in foule cōditions.
¶For they y
t truly techeth cristes lore.
To make men forlete ther vyce.
Antecriste wyl punysshe them therfore.
And al ther prechynge set at no pryce.
So was he geuen to lustes & delyce.
That what desire came vnto hys thougth.
He wold yt doe without more aduyse.
For no thynge then wold he spare hyt nougth.
¶And he y
t wold ageyn hys vyces speke.
And counsel hym hys lustes co refrayn.
withouten more anone he wolde bewreke.
He wold hym put in torment and in payn.
[Page] And he that wold hys Instes ofte withsayn.
He ne was but ded yf that he wold appere.
For such a cause Boecius was slayn.
Of whom thys processe after treteth here
¶And rygth these dayes men may se thys same
Of some y
t haue the astate of gouernaunce.
Ho so wyl ther vyces or lustes blame.
They take hyt in despyte and displesance.
They wil hym do some myschefe or mischaunce
And tho th sat holde amend e& correcte.
vyce / in them hyt hath hyr sustenance.
And good folke they holdeth as suspecte
¶The yere of criste. v. hundred &. xv.
whan Anastasius was emperour
Boetius thys same of whom I mene.
In Rome he was a noble cenatour.
But in maner as a conquerour.
Theodoricus regned in Italy
And Rome he helde as kynge and gouernour
He had yt wonne by conqueste in batayle
¶For Anastasius was not leke
Ne not so stronge of maney at lest
He consented that Theodoryke
Shold regne in Rome & hold yt at hys heste
And he wold hold hym selfe in the este
He sayd hyt was acordynge to hys hele
And for hys ese in sothe he thougth yt beste
For Romayns be ful perylous with to dele
¶Thys kyng of Rome then Theodoryke
Was ful of malyce and of cursednesse
And eke for cause he was an heretyke
The cristen people gan he sore oppresse
[Page] Boetius with al hys besynes
withstode hem alwey sparyng none offence
And hym present often tyme expresse
Reuersed hys vnlauful iugementes
¶He ne spared noȝt y
e higth of hys astate
But euer he spake agenste hys tyranny
wherfore the kyng hem had sore in hate
And hym exyled in to lumbardy
To prison in the cyte of papy
wher as for a recreation
Betwene hymselfe and philosophy
He wrot thys boke of consolation
¶In prose & meter interchangingly
with wordes set in colour wonder wel
Of retoryke endited craftely
And schewyng that these welthes temporel
Ar not to be desired neuer a dele
Ne wordly mischeffe nothyng to be drede
Enforseng ous by reson natural
So vertu fully for to taken hede
¶Then Anastasins had made hys fyne
As tyme of age vn to hys deth hem drew
Then aster hem was emperour Iustine
A noble knygth a faythful & a trew
For cristes laues wonder wel he knew
And kept them as a very cristen man
And heretikes fast he gan persew
That arrianes were called than
¶Hys letters then in to Rome he sent
For to destroye al that heresy
And fully gaue them in commandement
That they shuld put them out of company
[Page] Theodorīcus toke thys wonder hye
For he hymself was holly one o tho
Thys message he repelled vtterly
And made a vowe yt shulde not be so
¶And swore but yf the arrianes muste
Haue ther pese graunted to them a geyn
He wold not leue one in al that coste
Of cristen fayth but he shuld be slayn
And thus he bed the messengers seyn
That yf he wold with arrianes stryue
Seyth the emperour with wordes playn
Of cristen wyl I leue none a lyue
¶To constantinople he sent a none
Of senatours wich that hym leste
And a mouges other pope Iohn
And bede them labour for ther awne beste
And ruthfully they made ther requeste
That Iustyne shuld thys mandement relese
For y
e cristen migth not ben in reste
But yf he graunted the arrianes pece
¶The emperour hys malice vnderstode
Benyngly he graunted them ther bone
And wel he thougth y
t yt was as good
That mater to cesse tyl efte sone
And better mygth yt afterwarde be done
By good aduyse of wyser ordinance
The arrianes so he let a lone
To vsen forth ther olde gouernaunce
¶Thes messengers to the kynges pay
Torned not so hastely ageyn
As he desired at a certen day
wher fore in herte he had grete dysdeyne
[Page] And Boyce that lay in pryson & in payn
In exyle in the cyte of Papey
In Melayn he made hym to be slayn
In Papey ben hys bones sykerly
¶And when these messengers at y
e laste
Retorned were / in herte he gan to brenne
Pope Iohn in prison then he caste
Fer out in the cyte of Rauenne
And made hym closed in a narowe denne
wher he ne mygth torne hym selfe ne wende
And soth to say he wente neuer thenne
Tyl of hys lyffe he had made an ende
¶Also the worthy noble Symmacus
That was a man grounded al in grace
The wyche in vertu was heroicus
Ther lefte not suche a nother as he was
Vir heroicus ys a man geuen al to contemplation & to vertu / in vvhom al flesly passyous ben quenched & repressed.
withoute cause surfyt or trespace
At Rauenne eke he slewe hym cruelly
And after wardes iu thatsame place
The next yere he dyed sodenly
¶And as sent gregory doth hym self wryte
As yet hys bokes maketh mentyon
Ther was y
t tyme a holy heremyte
As he was in hys contemplation
He dyd se Theodoryke in visyon
Betwene Symacus and pope Iohn
Ryght as a theffe to hys dampnation
How he was led / & after that anone
¶In the Ile of vulcane was he caste then
That ful ys of a fyre flam of hel
[Page] Theryn alwey in peynes sor to brenne
And wyth the foule fendes for to dwelle
For tyrantes that so fers ben and felle
Ben arayd suche rewardes for ther mede
I sey yow but as olde bokes do telle
Now to my purpose tyme ys that I spede
¶And euery lorde or lady what ye be
Or clerke that leketh for to reden thys
Besekynge louly wyth humylyte
Supporteth wher I haue ofte sayd a mys
Correcteth only there that nedful ys
yf word or sentence be not as hyt shulde
My selfe I am vnsufficyant I wys
For yf I cowde haue better done I wolde
Explicit prologus.
[Page]Incipit liber Boetij de cōsolatōe philosophie.
Metrū primū.
‘Carmina qui quondam.’
ALas that I wreche vhiles I was in welth
And vsed lustey dytes for to wryte
Now am I set in sorow & vnhelthe
wyth tmornynge my myrth I muste respyte
Lamentable muses techeth me to endyte
Of woo. with wepynge they weteth my face
Thus hath dysese destroyed al my delyte
And brougth my blysse & Iolyte ful bace
¶And though y
t I with myschef nowe be met
That false fortune loureth thus on me
No drede fro me mygth thes muses let
Me to ensue in myne aduersyte
My Ioy they were in al my Iolyte
Of you the that was so glad om & so grene
Now they solaceth my drery destyne
And in my age my comforteno we they bene
¶Vnwarely age cometh on me hastely
Heyngh on me for harme that I haue had
And soro we hys hestes hath hoten to be ny
Hore heres on my hed to rathe ben spred
Al to me of blod my bodey wexeth bad
My empty skyn begynneth to tremel & quake
I haue no cause wherof I may be glad
Thus mornyng for mysese my mone I make
¶A deth of men a blesful thynge yt were
yf he wold spare them in ther lustinesse
And come to them that be of heuy chere
When they hym cal to lake ther distresse
But ooh allas howe dul & deffe he ys
wryngynge a wey fro wrecches when they clept
[Page] And worneth thenne with wonder cruelnesse
The yes for to close that wele & wepe
¶But vhyle fortune vnfaythful & vntru
Of lusty lyffe was to me fauorable
Ful sodenly my hed to grounde he dreu
The careful houre of deth vnmerciable
But nowe y
t she so chaungynge & vnstable
Hath torned vn to me her cloudy face
Thys wrecched lyffe that ys vnconfortable
Draeth alonge and taryeth nowe allas
¶wherto ye frendes maden your a vaunte
So often tymes of my felycite
Thys wordly welth ys not perseueraunte
Ne neuer abidynge in no stabilyte
For he that falleth out of hys degre
Ful sothe yt ys y
t stable was he nougth
Ne he stode neuer in ful prosperyte
That in to mischef was so low I brought
¶Fortune vvas depaynted after fantasy of poetes a lady syttynge in myddes of a vhyle viche her self continuelly torned a boute / she hadde ii. visages / one brygth & another darke. & in both she vvas blynde
¶The cōmentor trinet assgneth iii. causes vhy that philosophy vas descryued apperynge vn to Boyce in lekenesse of a vvoman The first cause ys for thys name philosophia as vvel in laten as in greke ys put in the feminyne gender. The seconde cause ys for rygth as a vvoman norysseth her chylde vvyth her mylke / rygth so philosophy no ressched her discyples vvithe the subtilyte of her science.
The thyrde cause ys / for a vvoman ys of kynde more tender and compacient for to comforte a man in mischef. And sithe thys clerke vvas falle than in to mischef as hymself semed / he iuduced philosophy in lekenesse of a vvoman to comforte hym in a s [...]akynge of hys heuynesse
She vvas also descriued reuerent / for she maketh the persons reuerent in vyche she ys impressed.
The yees of philosophy ben reson and vnderstandynge / vherby philosophy ys kendly perceyued. ¶They brenne by desyre of cōnyng [Page] ¶They shyne clere by possibilite of vnderstandynge.
¶Her myghtes bene the vertu of her principles that neuer may be empted ne fully comprehended. ¶The chyre of her visage ys perfection of doctryne. the colour ys fulnesse of trueth. for the hoole entente ys for to perceyue and conprehende trueth. She passedde mannes age / for her truthes ben perpetual. not subget to tyme that mesureth man hys age.
Prosa prima. Capitulum secundū
‘Hec dum mecum’
Boecius loquitur.
In murnynge thus I made my complaynt
And for to write my fyngers gan I folde
For drerinesse I waxe al feble & faynt
That of my lyffe almoste no thynge I tolde
But vpwarde at the laste I gan beholde
In sothe I saw so fayer a creature
I couthe her not descriuen though I wolde
So femly was her shappe and her feyture
¶She was so wonder reuerent of her chyre
Hyr colonr eke so louely & so brygth
Hyr yene brenne semenge as for clere
Passynge fer a bouen mannes sygth
Al thoe she were ful fresshe & clene of mygth
As she had ben ful yongly of corage
yet semed she to euery wordly wigth
That she was ouer passed man hys age
¶Hyr stature was of douteful iugemente
Sumtyme thus of comen mennes mete
And sumtyme was her stature so extente
That with her hed she semed heuens bete
And other vhyle so hye her hed she gete
She perced heuen & migth no more be seyn
So that we moste the sygth of her forlete
And al our lokynge after was in veyn
[Page] Her clothes were wrogthof thredessmale
By subtel cratf of mater perdurable
And with hyr handes by her awne tale
She had them wrogth I trow for no fable
The beutey of them was ful commendable
But duskey they wereforleten as for elde
As ymages that in smoke had stonden stable
That be oot weshe ne wyped but selde
¶And in y
e hem by neth made she had
So as I coude yt knowe a grekes P. O.
And in the bordure al a bow I rad
And ther also she had made a
[...]
[...]
And so by twene thes letters migth I se
Leke to a ladder what that euer yt mende
wheron men migth alwey fro gre to gre
Fro ther beneth vpwarde euer ascende
¶Neuertheles some men by violence
Had cut thys cloth & peces boren a wey
Such as they migth withoute reuerence
And dyd ther with as was vnto ther pay
Thys creature of whome I gan yow sey
In her rygth hande smale bokes were
A septre also of ful ryche aray
For certen in her other hande she bare
¶And when thys ladey sawe thes muses there
Vn to my beddes syde approchynge ney
Enditynge wordes to my wepynge chere
She gan to loke vpon them feruently
Ho she sayd let in thys company
Thus with ther songe thys seke man to plese
That no thynge heleth hym of hys malady
But rather doth hym greuance & dysese
[Page] ¶Lo thes yt ben she sayd that foules feden
with y
e swete venem of corruption
And tender hertes maketh for to bleden
with thornes of ther foule affection
They sleyn the worthy frutes of reson
And only bryngeth sekenes in vsage
Thys ys the kynd of ther condition
And nought at al the sekenesse to assuage
¶yf ye she sayd with your dalyance
Had drauen fro me some foule vnprofytable
Lesse yt shuld haue done me displesance
I might haue boren yt then as sufferable
For vhy in such a foule that ys vnable
May nought ben harmed of my besynes
But thes that euer in studyes hath ben stable
Shuld not be founden with your folesnesse
¶But goeth ye fylthes out of my presence
your swetnes wold hym brynge at an ende
I shal hym saue with the salfe of my science
That shal be more comfort vn to hys kende
And thus thys company a wey gan wende
And bytterly abasshed them of ther blame
Shewynge wel the habyte of ther mynde
Hangynge doune to groūde ther heddes for shame
¶I then y
t nye for teres sawe ryght nought
Gan wonder moche vhat might thys woman be
Meruelynge also gretly in my thought
That so emperial of auctoryte
She made y
t maney smartly fro me fle
I was abasshed & henge my hed to grounde
what she wold after done or sey to me
Then I abode & held me styl a stounde
[Page] ¶But to my bed then gan she nyen nere
And on the corner doune herself she sette
And sadly gan beholde vpon my chere
That so was then with teres al be wette
And ryght thus she began wythouten lette
Complaynynge on my perturbation
Because of myschef wherwyth I was mette
Of me she made thys lamentation
Metrum secundū. Capitulū tercium.
‘Heu
(quam) precipiti.’
Philosophta loquitur
¶Allas she seyd how thys mannes mynde
Is casten doune in to ful depe dulnesse
Forlete the clerenesse of hys proper kynde
And mentynge for to go to straunge derknesse
As often tyme as noyos besynesse
wythouten mesure gynneth to encrece
when wordly wynde wyth myschef & destresse
Hym hath byrafte al out of reste & pece
¶Thys ys that man y
t somtyme was so fre
To whom by craft was euen for to conne
Vp in to heuens to behold and se
And to mesure the meuynge of the sonne
By craft also the connynge had he wonne
How y
t the mone changeth for to prymen
And what recours the sterres haue ronne
In ther speres how dyuersly they meuen
¶As victor hath he sotelly conquered
The craft by nomber al he comprehendeth
Fro vhens also thes wyndes ben a rered
The smothe see that torneth so & wendeth
why esperus at euen so ascendeth
Este / in the weste a doune a geyn to loute
[Page] And what spyryte so besely entendeth
The rounde worlde to wende al a boute
¶And what a tempereth so the lustey houres
Of the fayre fyrste somer seson
Araynge hyt wyth red rose floures
Of the vyche in wynter ben very feweor none
And al thys coude he shewe by very reson
In ful yeres ho ys that our fedeth
wyth grete grapes that the peple pleson
And other frutes that them al nedeth
¶I wonte he was also to seke & to knowe
Pryme causes for to telle of kynde
Allas witles now lyeth thys man ful lowe
Vnder ful heuy bondes that hym bynde
And now can he none other comfort fynde
But heuely hys face he hath doune folde
So ys he al dysmayed in hys mynde
That nedes wrecched erthe he mot beholde
Prosa secunda. Capitulū quartum.
‘Seb medicine.’
Philosophia loquitur.
¶But now of medycyne ꝙ she haue we nede
For in complayntes lyeth no remedy
Vn to that purpose let oure workes spede
She set her yee on me ententyfly
Art thow not he she sayd wyche that I
Haue fed wyth milke vhyle thou were yong of age
And syth wyth strenger metes tenderly
Tyl thou were wexen a man of stronge corage
¶And syth I gaue the armour good & stronge
Wych but yf thou had caste a wey fro the
Thou mightest haue be dysesed with no wronge
But haue ben suer fro al aduersyte
[Page] why art thou styl she sayd knouest y
u not me
Is yt for shame or thou art stoned sore
The ne shameth noght I trou by cause of me
Thou art a stoned of that me dredeth more
¶And vhen she saw me sytten dome & styl
She set her hande ful safte vpon my breste
As here she saed no perel ys of yl
Thys man ys with a letargy a reste
A comen sekenesse that many hath oppreste
That out of mynde themself haue forlete
Ful esely thys euel shal be redreste
A lytel whate he hath hemself forgete
¶He shal remembre wel & esely
yf I may fyrst me make hym for to knowe
I shal hys yeen wypen tenderly
Of cloudes derke that haue them ouer growe
And then he shal amende as I trowe
A pleyt she lapped of her garnement
My yeen then that teres had beflowe
She wyped tyl the derkenesse was al spent
Metrū tercium. Capitulū quintū.
‘Tunc me discussa.’
Boecius loquitur.
And vhen thys cloude was clensed fro myn ye
I was a none restored to my syght
Right as vhen cloudes clippeth in the skye
The sonne ys let to leme a doune hys lyght
And reyne cloudes maketh in maner nyght
But vhen a north wynde chaceth them a way
The sonne wil shew then hys bemes bright
And as yt were bringeth ageyn the day
Prosa tercia. Capitulū sextū.
‘Haud aliter trsticie.’
Boecius loquitur
[Page] ¶But euen so & in / none other wyse
Thys drerynesse out of myn hert gan reche
I loked vp & gan me better aduyse
yf I myght know the vysage of my leche
Than knew I wel by vysage & by speche
Myn owne gentyl noryshe phylosophy
That me was wonte to viset & to teche
And fro yought had me in company
¶Do ꝙ I my worshypful masteres
Of al vertues and of honeste
what do ye in thys wreched wyldernesse
Comen thus a doune out of the souereyn see
In to thys exyle vhether be cause of me
As gylty made also of my trespace
Hyt ne besemeth not your souereynte
For to be seyn in thys vnworthy place
Phia.) Oh nory ꝙ she shuld I the forsake
Sith thou for me art falsly put in blame
And not the charge also vpon me take
The wyche thou berest for envy of my name
To philosophy yt were repreue & shame
To leue an Innocent so thus a rayed
And now at laste redoute me of that game
That ys not new to me ne vn a sayd
¶Trouest thou that I haue ben not erst assayied
Of wicked folke wyth perel & damage
How haue I ben tormented & traueyled
with fulhardinesse & foule outrage
Be foren Plato in tyme of elder age
And vhyle that Plato leued presently
Socrates was slayn & had to wage
In my presence a croune of vyctory
[Page] ¶The Epicures & The Stoicenes
The heretage of ther opynyou
They caughten to them as for very menes
Of welth fulnesse euerych a porcion
And mo of wiche I make no mention
Haueth enforsed them with sotelte
Drauenge hys wordes to ther entention
Of ther opynatyue felycyte
¶Thys same folke in partey of ther a pray
Caught thys clothe that my self had weuen
And thogh that I rebelled & seyd nay
To rente thys cloth / ne wold they not beleuen
And with tho cloutes y
t they had me bereuen
They went ther wey & though al had ben wel
And folysly they dyd themself deceuen
And went I had gon with them euery dele
¶And so for cause that they these peces ber
[...]
Loo some men troued as foules vtterly
That they had ben with me familyer
And in my household ben abydyngly
And so thorugh errour of thys company
Ful many a fole ys foule out of the way
And by them ben peruerted perylosly
And wene that al be wysedom that they say
¶Haste y
u not herd of Anaxagoras
That was exyled for be cause of me
Of Socrates y
t eke enpoysoned was
How zeno was tormented by cruelte
And though y
t thys be a straunge thynge to the
yet Canio & Seneke as I trowe
And Sorane also in thy mynde be
For thys ys a late thynge & wel y knowe
[Page] ¶Nought elles thes brought in to destresse
But for they were lerned in my lore
And al vnleke as in ther besynesse
To wicked folke that hated them therfore
Hyt ys no thynge that y
u shulde wonder fore
Though we be styred with stormes of desese
Sith that our purpose hath ben euer more
These wicked folkes for to dysplese
¶And thogh therof be hugy habundance
yet neuertheles yet ys to be repreued
Forvhy they ben withouten gouernance
And nought but flod of errour hath them
meued
And yf they by thys errour thys contryued
Arese an hoste with strenght & ous assetteth
Our gouernour by thys ys nought a greued
Hys tresour al in to hys toure he fetteth
These foules laboreth than ententyfly
On veyn thynges that may them nought avayle
And we that sytteth in thys toure on hy
Ful suer y noghe fro them that ous assayle
In suche a palace strong of apparyle
whereto these foules may not vp attayne
we scorneth them of al ther waste traueyle
Ther besynesse ys euerydele in veyne
Metrum quartum. Capitulū vij.
‘Quisquis cōposito.’
Philosophia loquitur.
¶He that standeth clere & ordynate
And proude happes suffereth vnder slyde
In al fortunes standynge streght algate
In welth & woo can euenlych a byde
The woode see that floueth to euery syde
Hym dredeh nto thynge of hys cruelte
[Page] But what desese that may to hym betyde
Hym greueth nought but standeth in one degre
¶The foule fyre that out of hel reketh
In the monteyn that cleped ys vesene
Ne thunder lyȝte that hy toures breketh
Ne dredeth not me / what ys yt that ye mene
Why dredeye then ye wrecches that ye ben
Tyrantes fyers that ben withouten migth
Put false hope out of oure hertes clene
And flesly drede putteth fro your syght
¶For yf thou no thynge of a man desyre
Ne what he may the don thou haste no drede
Thou shalte deserue the wrecched mannes Ire
And in no wyse he may the nought mysbede
Ho so hopeth ought or dredeth out of nede
He casteth a wey hys shylde & ys vnstable
And knetteh a cheyn / hemselfen with to lede
wher that them luste to hym vnprofitable
¶The couetous kyng Mida vvas made Iuge betvene Apollo & Pan by ther both assignemēt for to demen vhether the harpe of Apollo vvere more delicyous / other the shalmuse of Pan. And so vhen he had herde them bothe / he iuged that the shalmuse vvas svvetter than the harpe vherfor Apollo hauyng indignation of hys leude iugement / punysshede hym in that party that vvas semyng the cause of hys errour / and gaue hym longe asse eres. ¶Motally Mida ys euery vvordly man that more appryseth the luste & lekynge of the vvorlde them he doth any vvhit or gostely vvysedom. vherfore suche men ben dulle & insensible to reson / leke to rude asses.
Prosa iiij. Caplm viij.
‘Sentis ne inquit ’
¶Felest thou not vhether my word be soft or sharp
ꝙ she withyn thy hert ententyfly
Or art thou leke an asse to the harpe
That ys not meued wyth no melody
If thou couetest helpe or remedy
Thou muste vnhele the wondes y
t the greuen
[Page] Be then a know & shew me openly
And hyde yt not for I the shal releuen
Boecius) ¶I droe to me the myght of my corage
ye ben ꝙ I that brought me in astate
Nedeth yt now to tellen my damage
That haueth me had in your presence algate
ye knoueth in what degre I was but late
Ne meueth yow nought the maner of thys place
Is thys the library where ye with me sate
when ye were al my Ioy & my solace
Dyuyne thynges dysputynge there with the
And other sciences that ful lusty were
when that I stode with yow in thys degre
was than thys myne habyte & my chere
when I with yowe was wonte to seke & lere
Ful preuy poyntes langynge to nature
How that the sterres meued fer or nyre
Descryuyng yt in nombers and fygures
¶Formynge in me the maner of my lyue
I leke vn to the heuenly gouernance
And techynge me to be contemplatyue
I yelde yow thanke with louly obecyance
Thys was a sentens of your ordynance
That Plato wrote yf I wel vnderstande
Ful blesful were thastate of gouernance
yf only wyse myght yt haue on hande
¶Or yf that they wich haue gouernment
wold vpon wysedom spend ther besynes
And Plato also to the same entente
Techeth ous thus / thyn owne lore hyt ys
To wyse men a skyleful cause ys thys
For to desyre astate of souereynte
[Page] Leste wicked folke that wil gouerne a mys
Receyue astate & harme a comynalte
¶For yf that wyse men & vertuous
Sholde thastate of souerente forsake
Then other wicked folke aud vycyous
wold be ful feyn the sam astate to take
And suche as they ben soueraynes wold they make
And wyse persons shuld be set at nought
Thus shuld vyce & wickednesse a wake
And treuth & vertu be to grounde y brought
¶As shewynge therfore your auctoryte
I had desyre to thys entention
That I had lered of your benygnyte
To put yt forthe in execution
witnesse vpon your awne dyscretion
And god that hathe yow set in mannes mende
I coueted neuer administration
But comen profet was bothe cause & ende
The hate that I haue had & heuynesse
Of wicked folke ys open euydence
In mayntenance of treuth & ryghtuesnesse
By very fredom of my consciens
Of wycked folke I spared none offence
whan Conigast the porayl wold oppresse
I met hym euer wyth myghty resistens
And ofte I let hym of hys cruelnesse
¶And Tranguyle prouoste of the kynges house
How ofte I caste hym doune of hys malyce
And many a pouer man & anguissous
That weren asset by cursed couetyce
Of men that ful of venem were & vyce
I halpe them ofte in ther adnersyte
[Page] For to defend them out of suche foleys
Lo myne astate I put in Iupardy
¶Ther was no man y
t me fro ryght withdrow
To wrong by fauour / frenshyp / or by wage
But when I saw the contres now & now
Be put in thraldom & in foule seruage
what by trybute & what by caryage
And what by rauen & extortion
As sore me greued the harme of ther damage
As them that suffered tribulation
¶And when the prouynce hoten Campaye
was sore oppressed in a dere yere
So that no man muste selle ne bye
Tyl that the kynge had solde vp hys garner
At snch a pryce so grenous & so dere
That pouer folke were harmed & a noyed
Than I withstode the kynges offycer
Wetynge the kynge that statute I destroyed
¶And Paulyn eke a consuler of Rome
Whom palays houndes had oppressed so
That wrongfully hys goodes hym benome
I receyued hym vhether they wold or no
Albyne that was a conseyler also
That was a iuged to a greuous payne
Myself a lone to sauen hym ther fro
Of Cypryane I suffered grete dysdeyne
¶That had accused hym (how semeth yow
In paleys haue I hate & enmyte
For loue of ryght & were not thus y now
For to be fauored of the comynalte
Sith I no frendshype haue as towarde me
In kynges courte I haue no loue reserued
[Page] Me semeth than I shuld the surer be
withouten fayle where I haue loue deserued
¶But now by whom was I accused thus
Forsoth of none that honest was of fame
But one ther was that hyght Basileus
wych that be forehand founden was with blame
And out of offyce was he put with shame
And syth he fel at myschef & at nede
He was accepte accuser of my name
Allas therto by geftes & by mede
yet other ij. that hauen me thus defyled
were Gaudencius and Opilion
The wich the kynges Iuges had exyled
For certen surfet that they had don
In to the sanctuary then gan they gon
Them to defend agen the kynges lawe
But knowyng thus the kynge commanded sone
That out of sanctuary they shuld be drawe
¶But yf they voyded the cyte of Rauenne
By tyme assigned at a certen day
And in ther frounte an Iren shuld them brenne
And be compelled for to go ther way
Vn to thes false attaynte what shal I say
Or to the kynges cursed cruelte
Vpon that same day yt ys no nay
They were admytted to accusen me
¶whether that myne arte & occupation
Deserued had thus falsly to be blamed
Other elles thus that my dampnation
Had made them tru that false were proclamed
And was not fortune hereof foule a shamed
That she rewarded not myn Innocency
[Page] Vnworthynesse of them that were defamed
Shold none appele haue made in her presence
¶But perauenture ye wold wyte the grounde
In to thys exyle vhy I am remeued
I wolde the senate had ben hole & sounde
And in no maner hyndred ne repreued
Thys ys the cause that I am sore agreued
But ye wold wyte the maner & the wyse
By cause of letters viche I had beryued
Fro hym that wolde the senatours accuse
¶yowe masteres vhat wil ye demen nowe
Shal I thys blame forsake or cal a geyn
Leste that yt shulde be shameful vn to yowe
Nay sekerly I shal yt neuer with seyn
I haue yt willed & euer shal certeyn
That the senate were in reste & pece
But the accuser hereafter to refrayn
Or let hym ofte of hys entent I cese
¶But vether to willen ther prosperite
Shulde ben deputed for synne or felony
And certenly they self in ther decre
Haue put on me that poynt of trechery
But vnwyse be they that to themselfe doth lye
They may not chaunge the meret of my dede
Though that the foules themself wil destroy
My good wil ys worthy thanke & mede
¶But vn to me by dome of socrates
Howe so euer yt stande in ther entente
I trou yt be not laful neuertheles
To denye a sothe or to a false assent
But neuertheles al thys verament
Excuseth not me in no maner wyse
[Page] I put hyt holly in the iugemente
Of yowr selfen and of other wyse
¶The processe of thys mater euery dele
I haue hyt wryte & put in rememberance
That men hereafter may perceyue & fele
How wrongfully I suffer thys greuance
But y
e ylke letters of ther ordynance
That in my name so falsly were contriued
yf I had hadde that lyberte perchaunce
Ther false fraude shulde playnly haue ben preued
¶Or had I at the examination
My self ben present vhen I was accused
Ryght by ther owne aperte confessyon
I trou that they shulde haue me clene excused
Thys lyberte were goodly to ben vsed
But now what lyberte shal I a byde
Of an aunswer I am fully aduysed
yf euer I shulde that lyberte abyde
¶As Canio vn to the kynge answered
That was accused of conspyracy
Had I ꝙ he therof knouen or herde
Thou shuldeste haue knouen hyt not sykerly
And soth to seyn the same wyse wolde I
Myn owne letters better can I bestowe
And also procured them so preuely
That no thynge therof shulde the kynge knowe
¶yet hath not mornynge dulled so my mynde
That thys shuld be the cause y
t I complayn
That wycked folke ben alwey so vnkende
A genste vertu suche malyce for to leyn
But thys ys yt where I haue dysdeyne
Not only for the purpose of ther wyl
[Page] But that they may ther purpose so menteyn
I meruyl moche how they yt may fu
[...]lle
¶For as to wyllen
[...]
That may be of thee
[...]
But that they haue that pouer
[...]
To execute that so purposed ys
As Innocency & vertu to destres
Only of that I meruele in my mynde
As in hys syght that al thynge seeth expresse
Hyt semeth me a monstre out of kynde
¶wherfore ther was with yow famylyer
One that complayned thus & skylefully
Sythe god ys present here & euery vhere
Fro vhens cometh al euel thys meruel I
And yf that god ne were not verely
Fro vhens shuld al good thynges be
But he that causeth thynges perfectly
May knowe al and none in sothe but he
¶Al were hyt leful to tho surfetours
That al good men noyeth & dysesen
Purposynge for to sle the senatours
No wonder were though they wold me lesen
For euer my purpose was them to dysplesen
And let them of ther foule entention
To senatours yet gaue I none encheson
For to conspyren my dampnation
¶And masteres ye remembreth wel
That vhatsoeuer I thought to don or sey
Both word & worke ye ruled euery dele
And al by yow I gouerned me alwey
And eke the senatours yt ys no nay
For ther defence they knoueth euery one
[Page] In vhat perel I put me at one day
A gen the y
e kynge myselfen at verone
¶ye knoueth wel that I ne sey but so the
Though I my self had kept yt in silence
For certenly alwey I haue ben lothe
To be commended of my excellence
For he that wil be fayn of reuerence
And so receueth rewarde of renoune
The preuy secret of hys conscience
Apereth moche by that condition
¶But here ye may your self take hede
For innocency nowe what worchyp haue I
For vertu loo receue I to my mede
Peynes that proper be for felony
And ho had euer for any trechery
Hys Iuges so concord in cruelty
For gylte that was confessed openly
That some of them ner moued with pety
¶Al had yt be so that I had desired
The prestes deth or holy churche y brente
Or cruel deth to good men conspired
Or vhat malyce so that I had y mente
yet shuld I haue ben demed me presente
So conuycre of my surfet or confessed
And after thys haue had my iugemente
Thus iustly might my dome haue ben dressed
¶But then I beyng for that same vhyle
with al my labour & my dilygence
Fro my iugemente fyue hundred myle
Hauyng in court no aduocate ne defence
To deth I was a iuged in absence
Me beyng in the senatours nedes
[Page] And they consentyng geuen was y
e sentence
Loo how I am rewarded to my medes
¶O worthy men of worchyppe & of mede
For none of them came neuer at that degre
To be conuyct of suche a maner dede
As to withstand a kynges cruelte
As I haue done for ther comodyte
And therfore were they of my gylte a shamed
For thy in foylyng of the dygnyte
with sorcery now they haue me defamed
¶They sayn for couetes of hy astate
That I had vsed crafte of sorcery
But ye that were my gouernour algate
ye knoueth wel how falsly y
t they ly
For fro my hert ye hadden vtterly
A voyded clene al wordly couetyce
And in your presence might not skylefully
Suche sacrilege be vsed in no wyse
¶For euery day ye putten in my thought
These sothfast sentence of Pictagoras
That many goddes shulde we serue not
But one a lone that maketh corn & gras
Hyt neded not / ne none accord yt was
To me / but ful vnsembly in your syght
The helpe of foule gostes to purchas
Sith ye haue made me leke to god almight
¶Also my wyse that ys ful Innocente
And other frendes of my compaygne
My wyues fader also reuerente
Fro suche defautes may defende me
But oh malyce & cursed crudelyte
Thys blame they bereth on yow by euydence
[Page] By cause that my gouernour ye be
They sey that I vse suche enchauntementes
¶And thys to them hyt semeth not y now
That reuerence of yow me nought profyteth
But eke my gylte they putteth vpon yow
And myne offence fully yow they wyteth
A nother thynge my sowres yet excyteth
That men seyth not the meret of your dede
But sayth alwey when y
t fortune ous smyteth
Of our meret yt was deserued nede
¶And saeth that welthes & prosperyte
Cometh vn to ous for our rightuesnesse
And also when ther cometh aduersyte
Hyt falleth only for our wyckednesse
with fortune goeth our fame & worthynesse
Ow noble thynge so lyght hyt ys to lese
And certenly the first thynge yt ys
That fleeth a way fro wrecches in mysese
¶what rumors now thys folke wil of me fynde
How dyuers sentence & how varyente
Hyt lotheth me to thynke yt in my mynde
For euery man of me saeth hys entente
And thys yt ys that moste my hert shente
Ther ys no fortune greueth me so sore
As vhen that myschef ys to wrecches sente
Men sayth yt was deserued ther before
¶I am a way fro al my good y put
Also despoyled of my dygnyte
And to my herte yt noyeth more yet
My name defoyled in the comynalte
And for the benfet of myn awne bounte
Lo now I suffer torment & dystresse
[Page] And in my herte me semeth that I se
How felons folke beth on ther lustynesse
¶And euery lorel redy ys & boune
Som new coniected fraudes to deuyse
And good folke hangeth the hed a doune
Lest they be serued in he same wyse
And euery surfetour now dare accuse
By cause of fauor & vn punyshmente
The good men to defoulen & despyse
And proudly to performen ther entente
¶Styred therto by geftes & by mede
And rightuesnesse may haue no reuerence
So Innocentes leueth now in drede
Not only that / but lacketh ther defence
A genst malyce ys made no resistence
But sothfastnesse ys had in al dysdeyn
That god wyl suffer thys in hys presence
A cause I haue to cry & me complayn
Metrū iiij. Capitulū vij.
‘O stelliferi cōditor
(or)
orbis’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶O maker of the sterred heuen on hy
Eternally that syttest in thy trone
Thou torneste heuen with a wonder swy
Constreynyng sterres to thy law alone
So that now in fulnesse of the mone
Beshened with her brothers bemes bryght
The smale sterres hedeth them ful sone
In her presence to shyne they haue no might
¶And when she to the sonne nyeth nere
Ful sone she muste her bryght hornes hyde
And hesperus that shyneth bryght & clere
And sheweth hym in the colde euen tyde
[Page] A nother yere he ys the sonnes gyde
A rysynge vp ful pale in the morne
Loo nedes in that cours he must a byde
For so thou hast commanded hym beforne
¶In wynter when that leues goen a way
Thou shortest then the fayre dayes lyght
In hote somer lengthest thou the day
And makest short the derknesse of y
e nyght
And thou attemperest tymes by thy myght
That bare branches wexeth fayre & grene
whiche that were defouled & vnhyght
By styffe stormes of the wynter kene
¶The sedes in wynter y
t ben sowe
Thou makest them to wexen fayre & hye
And when that they ben ful to cornes growe
Thou makest them to rypen & to drye
Thyn olde law ther may no thynge vnplye
Ne by no way ther kyndly cours forlete
Ow god that gouernest al certenly
Now only mannes worke thou hast forgete
¶why shal fortune tornen vp so doune
Thys thynge that ys in thy gouernement
Thes wycked folke to set in hye renoune
And dryuen doune the good & innocent
with peynes that by ryghtuous iugement
Ben dew to catyffes for ther cursednesse
Loo faythful men ben shamed & y shent
And wicked folke ben set in worthynesse
¶Thus false folke the faythful haue oppressed
And vertu that so worthy ys of name
Is put in derkenesse tyl yt be redressed
The rightuous bereth y
e wycked mennes blame
[Page] Forshoren men that ben withouten shame
They colour ther deceytes as them luste
And vsen they as for a comen game
Deceyuynge them y
t moste vpon them truste
¶And after them they draeth to consente
Kynges grete that many a man muste drede
And maketh them to performe ther entente
And them encombreth with ther cursedhed
And as they luste rygth so they wyl them lede
But now beholde thys wrecched erthly place
Thou y
t knettest al in length & brede
Now somtyme sende ous socour of thy grace
¶For of thy worke we ben a portion
Not foule / but fayre after the forme of the
we men that fortune dreueth vp & downe
A monge the wawes of thys wordly see
Represse thys flod lorde what euer thou be
That knetteste al in certen ordynance
Thou reuleste heuens in tranquillyte
Now set ous somvhat in that gouernance
¶Hyt belongeth not a vvyse man to be moued vvyth a fooles vvorde but rather to enforme & teche & comforte hym / reducyng hym in to the bondes of reson. So vvas thys clerke by excesse of heuynesse / in maner fallen in to foley / forletynge the bondes of reson / vvyche philosophy calleth hys kende contrey. for by resonablete man ys made leke to angeles & a very cytesen of heuen. vherfore leste thys paynful heuynes sholde put hym in despere / philosophy conforted hym & saeth that he ys not exyle by the foresayd vyolence out of hys kende contre / but by errour of hys ovne false deduction. For vhy as longe as a man kepeth the knouynge of hys kendly principles / he may not be compelled to leue the bondes of reson. but erren he may by hys false deduccion / by vyche he vveneth that he be necessed & constrayned to that false conclusyon. But standyng the knoulege of these forsaed principles / he may retorne & examen hys deduction by labour or by techenge / & fynde oute hys errour & consequently retorne a geyn to the truth
¶Multitude of astates in a lande or cyte ys cause of grete confusion / for be cause that euerych of them coueteth to be gretteste / so that after [Page] hys vvyl may stande al the rule & gouernance. ¶Hyt betydeth ofte that lordes sotellen in destruction of other / that be cause of fauour of the cominalte / by vvysedom of gouernance / or by excellence of connynge or of vvyt / ben preferred or lekely ben to be preferred in to hye astates so that they may the more frely & seketly vverken as they vvold as for to vvynne the astates that they de [...]yren / or elles the astates that they hauen the more frely for to holde / othe for to be p̄ferred in excellēs more singnlerly thā other ¶But in thys realme of resonabelte that specially belongeth to the courte of heuen / ther ys but one lorde & souereyn. the vyche ys god / principle and ruler of reson / vverfore in so moche as any man leueth after reson / in hovve moche he ys subgect to the rule of goddes lavve. And in hovve moche he leueth after reson / & so moche he a bydeth in hys contre & in hys proper cyte. In vviche god a lone ys prince & gouernour Then ensueth thus / that yf a man be obesyant & subgect vn to goddes lavve. he may not be exyle not put out of hys contre. Boetius complayned hym of no gostely desese but only of harmes bodely / vvelyng of hys prison & vvātynge of kys bokes To vyche complaynte philosophy ansvvereth & seyth / that hym oughte more to complayn the perturbation of hys spiret that so erred vvelynge the loste of hys temporal goodes vvyche muste nedes at laste vtterly be berafte hym. Also she saeth he erreth foule vvelynge for hys bokes / for vhy she had put in hys mynde tho same thynges that maketh bokes dere and precious / sotel sentences of reson & of kende
¶Sienim cuius oriundus sis patrie. The realme & the very cōtre of resonablete ys the blysse of heuen. And al the vhyle vve vvorke after reson vve ben in our contre as holy & heuenlych by maner of vverkenge ¶The realme of Athenes firste vvas gouerned by kynges / vyche regned the terme of lyues. And after that vvere ordeyned princes / vyche regned comenly .x. ye0res / After thes vvere made princes annual that regned but one yere / & of them shulde be ix. at ones. and of thes here speketh Boetius ¶Romulus vhen he had founded the cyte of Rome / that he might make the cyte copyous of people / ordeyned thys lavve that ho so vvolde bylde in that cyte / he shuld neuer ben exyled after for no maner trespace.
Prosa quarta
‘Hec vbi continuato dolore.’
Boetius loquitur.
¶whē I with mornyng thus had made my mone
She was no thynge of my complaynte a meued
with plesant chere she helde her styl as stone
Sothly she seyd whyle er thus I conceued
That thou were exyle & thy good beryued
Ryght by thy wepynge chere I knew yt wel
[Page] But yet how fer ne yet had I not perceyued
But thou thy self had tolde me euery dele
¶Neuertheles vnderstande nowe wel thys
Thou art not exyle out of thy cyte
But thou thyself haste taken thy way a mysse
A strayed out in to a strange contre
And yf thou wene that thou exyled be
Than haste y
t put thyself out sekerly
For that power hathe none ouer the
But thou thyself wyl do hyt wyllyngly
¶For yf y
u knewe or coude haue in thy mynde
As of what lande or what cyte thou were
Of wich thou toke thy nature & thy kende
The lawes of that lande I coude the lere
For al the worlde ne may yt not conquere
Not leke Athenes that many lordes had
But one lorde one lawe & none other there
That of hys multitude ys blythe & glad
¶He ys ful fayn that folke wyl to hym drawe
And willyngly he wyl no wight forlete
For to obey vnder hys lustey lawe
Is lyberte the grettest that may be gete
Ne knoueste thou not or elles thou haste forgete
The lawe y
t alwey ther ys had & vsed
Ho so that luste theryn to bylde hys sete
The lorde he wil not y
t he be refused
¶And ho so wyl in that place a byden styl
He may deserue none aduersyte
But also sone as he forleteth that wyl
He may no lenger in that pales be
For he forfeteh then hys lyberte
And fleeth hys contre of hys awne assente
[Page] whan that he sueth sensualyte
Forletynge reson in hys iugemente
Thou askest where the maner of thys place
Me with the for to morne moueth ought
Me moueth more the maner of thy face
For thys prison moueth me right nought
Thy lybrary with glasse & Iuery wrought
Nether thy bokes set I at no pryce
But I seke the habyte of thy thought
Where I haue made a sete at my deuyse
¶For in thy herte I haue no bokes put
But thynges that maketh bokes precious
Sotel sentence of connynge & of wit
wiche vn to me was more delicyous
Of thy meret thou haste remembred ous
The wiche y
u haste on comen welth bestowe
Ful sothe yt ys & not suspecious
Som haste y
u seyd & yet wel more I knowe
¶Thou haste also rehersed furdermore
The maner of thyn accusation
And the gylt that thou art greued fore
Full honest in thyn estimation
None harme deserued ne dampnation
But rather rewarde for thy besynesse
And now for thy remuneration
Thou haste no thynge but harme & heuynesse
¶And shortly haste rehersed euery dele
The false fraudes of thyn accusers
wiche the comen peple knoueth wele
The wrongful dome eke of the senatours
That rather shulde haue ben thy defensours
Thou soroest also gretly for my blame
[Page] The wyche I bere for the of surfetours
Thou welest eke the lesynge of thy fame
¶But at laste with fortune gan thou chyde
That mede with meret was euen wey
why surfetours ben suffered in ther pryde
And good men a greued thus I herd y
e sey
And in thy songe to god thus gan thou pray
That y
e ylke pece that ys in heuen on hey
Thys wrecched world shulde kepe vnder hys key
That nowe ys ruled thus vncertenly
¶I vnderstande al thyn entention
But yet sone in that other syde I se
That moche desyre of thyn affection
Hathe now distracted & dystrobled the
And put thy mynde out of tranquillyte
As sorow / mornynge / heuynesse / & Ire
And vhyle y
t thou art in thys degre
Thou mayste no mighty medicyne endure
¶wherfore we shal attempten & assay
Now with a lytel lyghter remedy
That doleful sorow for to put a wey
That in thy herte ys wexen hard & dry
with esy salfe a chafe hyt and defye
A medycyne than that more mighty ys
Amenden shal that malyce esely
That soroful swellynge lyghtly shal we lese
Metrū quintū. Capitulū. xi.
‘Cū phebi radiis.’
Philosophia loquitur.
¶Ho so that wyl in hote somer seson
when that the sonne in cancer ys y set
Sowen hys corne he worcheth out of reson
And of hys trust no doute he shal be let
[Page] By that he hath with wynter dayes met
Of other purueyance he shal haue nede
And but he can gouerne hymself the bet
with akernes hys hunger muste he fede
¶And when y
e north wynde bloueth kyne & colde
In wynter tyme a very foule he were
In wilde wode that gether floures wolde
Or rype grapes in the tyme of vere
Hyt falleth not that ceson of the yere
The floures freshe ne rype frute to fynde
For god hath set al thynge in erthe here
To kepen euer one certen course of kynde
¶He ne suffereth not the stoundes for to melle
That he hath set in certen gouernance
As in ther offyce euery thynge to dwelle
They may not faylen with no variance
what thynge that leueth certen ordynance
A bydynge not withyn the cours of kende
He prospereth not but falleth in mischaunce
He may not faylen of a feble ende
¶Here before hath philosophy enquered the qualyte & cōdition of the greuance that thys clerke vvas in. Novv here she begynneth to enquere the rote & the original cause / viche stōdeth specially ī iii. thynges one because he soroed vnskylfully that ys to sey of mesure the loste of hys temporel goodes. The second stode in errour of false opynion trouyng that vvycked myghty men to the vvorld vvere by might of vvickednes vvelful. The thyrde that he troued the enterchaungynge of fortune by vyche often tymes the good ben depressed and the vvicked resed / vvas vvithout rule of goddes purueance. So the very ground of al hys heuynes / vvas ignorance or elles more verely to sey forgetyng of diuyn gouernance / as touchynge the kende of man / vich errour he vvas fallen in / by false deduction fro hys firste principles. for he graunted vvel that god vvas maker & gouernour of al. but be cause that he sufferedde vvycked folke to execute ther malyce vpon the goode / vyche execution ys very open vvronge / to vyche vvronge god that ys perfyt ryghtuous by no vvay may consente▪ vvherfore he supposed that god had forllete the gouernance of man / committynge ther rule to fortunes vnstabilyte [Page] Fro knouen principles by very tru deduction / a man ys brought to exclusion of errour by conclusions deduced of thys principle. So of thys principle that god gouerneth al as presidēt to hys proper vvorke / viche Boyes confessed / hyt ensueth vvel that god forleteth not the gouernāce of man / but dresseth hys vvorkes rightuously. To vyche conclusion thys clerke feled the contrary. The fallace of thys consequent of thys foule errour then ys founden in iii. thynges. One in false deduction. A nother in defaute of knouenge of the maner of gouernance. And the thirde of knouynge verely the kynde of man. In thys hys deduction fayled that. for cause god vvetyngly suffereth vvronges / he seyd other god consenteth to vvronge (viche ys inconuenient) other he forleteth the gouernance / & suffereth in that vvyse. but thys foloeth not / for he snffereth vvronges knouyngly both by rightuous & by mercy & yet he consenteth not ne farleteh not hys gouernance By ryghtuesnes he may compelle no creature a geyn the principal properte of hys kende. But the properte of mannes vvyl ys for to be fre to good or to yuel / thā shal not god bereue hym that lyberte. but rightuosly suffereth hym chuse so that for hys goode chose he may deserue mede / & for hys bad chose he deserueth payn. ¶yf god shuld bereue hym thys lyberte thē fayled mercy / for thē muste he nedes vtterly destroy hym / or put hym ī to endles punesmente. for bereuynge the principal properte of a creature / that creature ys vtterly destroed. as bereue hete fro fyre / then ys yt no fyre Right so bereue lyberte fro fre vvyl / then ys yt no vvyl. But sy [...]h a spiret may not be destroyed. yf he shulde lese thys lyberte of vvyl / [...] muste then anone be put in to endles punishmēt / & thys muste a voyde mercy. Thys may be proued thus. yf god lefte thys euel vnponeshed finally / then might he seme to cōsente to euel / but that may he not no more ne may he leue yt finally vnponeshed. yf he berafte hym hys liberte / then might he neuer after deserue mede in releuynge of hys puneshment / & then muste he nedes be endles in payn / vvherfore of mercy & of rightuesnesse he suffereth vvickednesse. But here might be saed that god of hys goodnesse might lette the execution of suche malicious purpose / No doute so he doth for the more partey. For though malyce be executed / yet fayleth yt the ful entent of hys execution.
Prosa sexta. Capitulum xij.
‘Primū igitur pateris.’
But firste she sayd wilt thou suffer me
Now with a few demaundes for to fele
The very kende of thy infirmyte
And al the grounde to gropen euery dele
that I may wete how y
u might haue thy hele
Boecius) Now seyth on ꝙ I what ye luste
[Page] That ye enserche my sore I wil hyt wel
And I shal answere as me thynketh beste
(Phia)
Philosophia) Sey meshe sayd hou is thys world demened
As vhether by fortune hys variance
Or elles thou trouest y
t hyt ys sustened
By reson of som certen ordynance
Boetius) That god knoueth y
t hath al in gouernāce
Thys doute I not / but truly I beleue
Come neuer y
t day y
t me befalle that chaunce
Out of my herte that sentēce for to meve
(Phia)
Philosophia) Right as y
u sayest ꝙ she so hyt ys
And in thy songe vhyle er right so thou mente
But neuerthelater thy complaynte was thys
That god on man set no gouernemente
Ne to ther workes taketh he none entente
That thynge yt was y
t thou gan wepe & wele
Al other thynge thou woldest wel consente
That god had set hyt at certen gouernele
¶Oh that I wonder now ful hugely
Syth thou in suche a sentence art y set
That thou art seke af any malady
Som thynge ther ys wherby thy hele ys let
wherfore the grounde I shal enserchen bet
Syth god hymselfe al thynges ruleth
Thus sayest thou whyle er / but say me yet
By what gouernmentes as the semeth
Boecius) your sentence ꝙ I haue I not conceyued
I can not aunswere to your question
(Phia)
Philosophia) In soth ꝙ she now am I not deceyued
The causes of thy perturbation
I knowe them wel by estimation
But sey me yet yf thou haue thys in thy mynde
[Page] To what purpose by inclination
Draeth fynally y
e comen cours of kynde
Boecius) I haue ꝙ I herd tel yt here be forn
But drerynesse hath marred al my thought
(Phia)
Philosophia) yet hast y
u not ꝙ she thy wyt forloren
That y
u ne wost ho hath thys world y wroght
Boecius) O god ꝙ I hath al thyng forth y broft
(Phia)
Philosophia) I wonder then she sayd how may thys be
Of the begynnynge syth thou doutest nofte
The ende may not ben vnknouen parde
¶Thys ys the kynde of suche desturbelance
That they may meue a man out of hys place
But neuertheles suche maner of greuance
Ne may hym not al vtterly arace
Ne put hym fully fro the state of grace
Might thou remembre that y
u art a man
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I thys were a wonder case
yf I shuld not my self in mynde han
(Phia)
Philosophia) yet cannest y
u ꝙ she tellen furdermore
The kyndly ꝓperte of man what yt ys
Boecius (ye ꝙ I as I haue herde be fore
A resonable beste with dedlynesse
That I am suche I know & wyl confesse
(Phia)
Philosophia) Nought elles ꝙ, she knouest y
u of thy kende
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I noft elles as I gece
Ne noght but thys can I haue in my mynde
(Phia)
Philosophia) A nother cause now know I wel ꝙ she
Of thy desese & that I wonder grete
wiche ys the ground of thyn infirmyte
For what y
u art thou hast thyself forgete
wherfore the reson fully haue we gete
Of thy desese / & furdermore a mene
[Page] How that thou shalt yt vtterly forlete
And thou to helthe be restored clene
¶For cause thou art confounded in thy wyt
with the forgetynge of thy self / for thy
That fro thy good in exyle art thou put
Thou wenest / & complaynest pyteosly
And furdermore also as suppose I
For y
u ne knouest what the ende of thynges ys
Thou trouest that wrecches ful of felony
That they haue very might & welthynesse
Thou hast forgete by wiche gouernementes
Thys worlde ys led thys makest y
u thy colour
That these fortunes enterchaungementes
Ben fletynge thus withouten gouernour
Lo thes ben causes of ryght grete vygour
Not only to sekenesse & desese
But vn to deth yf that y
u fayle socour
That may the with these bytter paynes lese
¶yet nature hath not al forsaken the
worth thankes be the auctor of thy hele
we haue yet one comfort that I se
That shal thy sorow slaken euery dele
Thys sothfast sentence haue we saued wel
That god thys world hath in hys gouernance
Thus y
u beleuest as I conceue and fele
And nought subiect to happes variance
¶Ne drede y
e nought for of thys lytel schyn
A lyfly hete shal spryngen in thy brest
But for asmoche as mighty medycyn
To geue the yet the tyme ys not best
And for as moche as myndes thus opprest
Haueth thys nature & condition
[Page] That when they haue trew conceytes lest
They clothe themself in false opynyon
¶wherof derknesse & perturbation
May wexen vp that fully wyl destroy
The syȝth of trew consideration
wher for I shal a say sotelly
To a voyde with some esey remedy
Thys derke cloude yf yt may voyded be
Of false affection / and esely
The very lyȝth then migth thou know & see
Metrū. vij. Capitulum xiij.
‘Nubi
(bus) atris cōdita nullū.’
The sterres couered with the cloudes blake
Ne may not clerely casten doune ther lyȝth
And when y
e wode south wynde doth a wake
He waleweth vp the see withe hugy might
The wawes then y
t were clere & bright
Leke as the glasse or as the somers day
with fylthe y
t ys resolued ben on hyȝth
And fro thes wawes letteth our sight alway
The ryuer rennynge out of hye montens
Is often tyme withstanden hugely
As by som stone enconterynge ther a gens
The wich ys fallen fro som rocke on hy
yf thou therfore wilt seyn ententyfly
with trew beholdynge truthes for to deme
Loo / take thys pathe & holde yt certenly
Gladnesse & drede out of thy hert thou fleyn
¶Ne Ioy thou nought of worldly welthynes
Ne drede y
e nothynge of thys worldly dyne
Ne hope thou not that transytory ys
Ne sorow thou nought but yf yt be for synne
[Page] For euery thofte that thes regneth in
Troble & derke yt ys & may not se
He ys so wrast a way he may nofte wynne
And brideled so that he may not be fre
Incipit Liber secundus.
Prosa prima. Capitulum secuudum.
‘Post hec paulisper’
THen after thys a stounde she held her styl
And when she by a temporet stylnesse
Saw wel y
t myn attention & my wyl
was set to heren her with sobernesse
Thus she began yf yt be as I gese
Quod she / y
t I the ground & cause knowe
Of al the habyte of thy heuynesse
I can the tellen fully as I trowe
¶In thy desyre thou soroest & complaynest
Vpon fortune that with the was a vhyle
wich that hath peruerted as thou feynest
Thastate of thy corage in thys exyle
I vnderstande her wrenches & her wyle
Of the ylke fortune wonderly dysgesed
The wiche to them that so her lust begyle
Not first in the / but euer she hath them vsed
¶She wyl be plesant & famylyer
Ful blandesshynge / ful softe & deboner
Tyl that her leke for to chaunge her chere
And atlast forlete them in despere
Al out of hope that euer she wyl repayre
yf that thou knew her kende & her deserte
That thou by her ne haddest no thynge fayre
Ne nought y loste thou shuldest know aperte
[Page] ¶But as I trow withouten grete trauayle
we shal reuoken thys to thy science
For thou were wont to dyspute & assayle
with manly wordes drawen of my science
when that she blandeshynge in thy presence
So plesed the / but certen sothe ys thys
Ther falleth neuer suche soden chaungementes
That your corage somwhat ne chaunged ys
¶So ys yt now befalle hyt ys no nay
That thou art put out of tranquillyte
But tyme yt ys to tasten & assay
Som softe thynges that swete & lustey be
That when yt hath hys deueyr don in the
I hope yt shal the amende & dyspose
That stronger drynkes may haue ther entre
That shal the helen vp as I suppose
¶Com forth now swetnesse retoryen
with sotelty of thy suasyon
Wiche only then thy wayes canst demene
When thou ne leuest our institution
Mysyke also with swetnesse of thy soun
That art a damsel of our awne hous
Attempre wel thy tunes vp & doune
That to thys man may be delycyous
¶what ys y
t man / wherof canst y
u complayn
what ys the cause of al thy heuynesse
Som new or vncouth thynges hast thou seyn
Fortune a geyn the only turned ys
Now trouest thou so / than errest thou y wys
For alway suche her maners hathe be
But she hath kepte in the her stabelnesse
That kendly standeth in mutabilyte
[Page] ¶Right suche she was with al her blandyshynge
when she such flaterynge plesance gan the make
To lere the lusten in thes wordly thynges
That passeth right as dothe the cloudes blake
Take hede / that blynd goddas hast thou take
with doble face of doutful auenture
For she yt ys that hath the now forsake
Of whos frendshep ther may no man be sure
¶yf thou approue in thyn opynyon
Her goodnesse when she ys to thy plesance
Take thou a worth than her condicyon
And vse yt must thou with her varyance
Complayn y
e nought make no contraryance
And yf the greseth of her trechery
Than cast her of / despyse her with mischaunce
That to pley ys wont so harmfully
¶The cause y
t hath the now with sorow schent
Shuld moue the now with Ioy & lustinesse
She hath the lefte / y
e wich er she be went
Ther ys no wight that may haue sekernesse
And holdest thou thys as for a welthynesse
Of preciosty / that thus a way shal slyde
And now so dere to the y
e presence ys
Of thys fortune vnfaythful to a byde
¶And when she goeth / to morne she yow maketh
Sith halden at your wyl she may not be
She leueth wrecches the y
t she forsaketh
She ys nofte elles than / as semeth me
That so vncertenly wyl fro yow fle
But signe of mischef that shal after fal
Loo than / ys thys al your felycyte
Nought but a fayre that ye foloeth al
[Page] ¶For yt suffyseth not I the ensure
Only to seyn one thynge that ys present
The ende of thynges prudens doth mesure
For vhy thys dyuers interchaungement
For wele to woo that fortune hath the sent
Hyt shuld the teche her manace noft to drede
Ne to her blandyce take rygh none entent
To her behestes take no maner hyde
¶For at last the behoueth nede
Sith thou hast ones in her yoke y drawe
To suffer al that fortune wyl the bede
with esey hert & stand thy lady awe
And yf thou to thy lady wryte a lawe
To go or come at thyn ordynance
Thy labour loo / auayleth not an hawe
Thou wrongest her with thyn vnsufferance
¶Now suffer then & take yt not to strange
Lest thou her feerser in her wrethe fynde
And sherpe y
e swerdes wiche y
u mayst not change
Thou mayst her not compellen out of kende
For yf thou haue thy sayle vp in the wynde
Thou mayst not chuse where y
u shalt a ryue
For what so be the purpose of thy mynde
Thou must ther / as the weder wyl the dryue
¶yf thou thy corn wolt in the feldes sowe
Hyt may not wexen as thy wyttes fayn
For in thy thought y
u must conceue & knowe
Som yeres ben plenteous & som bareyn
Ne for to grow thou mayst yt not constrayn
And yf yt fayle / ther to what mayst thou done
How euer yt be / to whom shalt thou complayn
Lete nature al her self therwith alone
[Page] ¶Thou hast the put vnder the gouernance
Of fortune / loo she muste thy lady be
Vn to her maners owest thou obecyance
And yf thou purpose to enforcen the
To stent her vhele of mutabilyte
Of al foules yet art thou the meste
For when fortune standeth in stabilyte
The name of fortune may no lenger leste
Metrum primū. Capitulū ij.
‘Hec cū superba’
Philosophia loquitur.
¶When y
t thus fortune with her handes proute
Hath thus her stoundes changed to & fro
As Erinus
1 that renneth in and oute
So wonderly her vhele begenneth to go
Ful ryal kynges casteth she douue in woo
The wich som tyme many a man gan drede
And som that lyeth dyscomfet & vndo
Loo thes vntrusty / lyfteth vp your hed
¶She thus of wrecches hathe no pyte
Thogh that they weyle & wepe day & nyght
She scorneth eke so wonder hard ys she
The waylyng that herself hath them dyght
Loo thus she playeth thus proueth she her might
To her seruantes shewynge many a wonder
For he that hye in welthes was nowe right
withyn an houre he lyeth casten vnder
Prosa ij. Capitulū iij.
‘Vellem autem tecum.’
Philosophia loquitur.
ME lnst to plede a lytel now with the
with suche wordes as fortune may
Loo sayth she / right now loke thyself & se
Me semeth wel suche wordes might she say
what ys y
e man / complaynynge euery day
what haue I gylt / what wronge haue I y
e wroght
what good of thyn haue I berafta way
That was thyn awne or with thy selfen broght
¶Assigne thou & I shal sone appere
Be fore a Iuge that can thys case redresse
And yf thou canst thy purpose prouen clere
Of hye astate / ryches / or worthynesse
To any man that leueth in dedlynesse
That thes thynges shuld appropryat be
And certenly I shal the graunt expresse
That thyn yt was that y
u now askest me
When y
t nature in to thys world the brought
Out fro thy moder where that y
u began
I toke the nedy / naked / & with nought
And I the noryshed with my goodes than
And al with fauor noreshed the to man
wherfore impacient I fynde the now
Haue I the wronged / tel me yf thou can
As in vhat poyntes / wher with / & as how
¶with al goodes longynge to my right
I had the fully fret wyth habundance
why shuld yt not be fully in my might
As fro the same / wiche that I avaunce
Myn hand withdrauen after my plesance
The Ioyes thou haddest y
t was of my grace
Hyt was not thyne / take yt for no greuance
with wronge thou the complaynest in thys case
[Page] ¶Why playnest y
u I do the no duresse
Ne violence as euery man may trowen
wel leketh me suche honour & ryches
Ryght as me leketh fully to be stawen
The mayne nede must ther lady knowen
with me they come & with me must they wende
Thys dare I say yf they had ben thyn awne
Thou mightest neuer haue lost them in thys kende
¶wher I be she y
t only am forhyght
To execute the custome of my lawe
The heuen may the dayes make bryght
And eke at nyght she may her lyght withdrawe
The yere also the erthe may bestrawe
withe floures & them efte with wynter shynde
The see may now be calme withouten wawe
And now with styffe stormes torne & wende
¶But the sayd vnfulsome mannes couetyse
Me wold now to stabelnesse bynde
A genst myn awne maner & my wyse
But thys my might ys / thys play ys my kynde
My swyfte vhyle thus vp & doune I wynde
The hye & low to enterchaungen ofte
That now be forn ys / efte mot be behynde
That now ys law / me lust to set a lofte
¶Now worth vpon my vhele yf y
t the lust
But on thys couenant y
t I shal the say
Thou must descēd a geyn ther to thou trust
when that the reson asketh of my play
Ne knew thou not my maners er thys day
How Cresus that was called kynge of Lyde
That Cyrus ofte a fered with grete a fray
yet Cyrus toke hym in hys most pryde
[Page] ¶And in the fyre he cast hym for to brenne
Loo how y
e effecte was torned to reuerse
A lytel rayne defended hym fro then
what befel hym after bokes doth reherse
And when that Paule had take y
e kynge of Perse
Thys Paule gan on hym wepe for pure pyte
what cryeth al tragedyens verse
But playneth al on myn vnstabylyte
¶Tragedyes hen dytes made of certen persons / vyche begynnethe in vvelthe and prosperyte / and endeth in myscheffe & aduersyte
They wepeth y
t sodenlyche I smyte
And welful realmes ofte I ouerthrowe
Thou lerned thys when y
u were yonge & lyte
Thou hast not yet forgeten as I trowe
That Iupiter ij. tonnes had bestowe
Withyn the thresfold of hes celer layed
That one was good wyne euery man to knowe
That other nofte / now hast thou both assayed
¶And vhat yf y
u more plenty hast y take
Lo of the better part of lustynesse
what yf I yet haue the not al forsake
what yf so be that myne vnstabelnesse
May geue the hope of better after thys
For vhy dysmay the no thynge in thy thought
Ne withyn y
e realme that comen ys
Thy proper law to vse / couete y
e nought
Metrum ij. Capitulū iiij.
‘Si quantas rapidus.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
Though plenty wiche y
t cleped ys goodes
Of wordly good / wold cast vn yow at ones
As many habundances of rychesse
Loo as the see hath smale grauel stones
[Page] Other as sterres when ful many one ys
Ful clerly shynynge in a lusty euen
yet thys mankend of ther ruthful mones
Ne ther complayntes can they not leuen
¶And thogh y
t god of hys benygnyte
Ther prayer here & gladly wold them plese
And of hes goodes graunt them gret plente
Of ryches & honour fully to ther ese
Ther couetys yet / may ther no thynge pese
Ther cruel rauen gapeth after more
And alway ben complaynynge of desese
And set at nofte al that they had before
¶what maner brydel might a man deuyse
Thys wrecched lust to rulen & restrayn
To thys vnthryfty mennes couetyse
That euer y
e more they haue the more they pleyn
The thurst of hauynge brenneth them with peyn
For he that nedeles so fereful ys
And weyleth so / forsoth I dare wel sayn
He ys not ryche thogh al the world were hys
Prosa iij. Capitulū v.
‘Hijs igitur verbis.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶yf that fortune might for her selfen sayn
Ryght in thes wyse as I haue sayd to the
Thou hast not what one word to speke a geyn
And yf thou haue now say yt vn to me
Defend thy quarel (yf thou canst) let see
Thou shalt be herd tyl that y
u haue rehersed
And yf thou canst not let thy playntes be
Vnlaful quarel ought to ben amerced
Boecius) Certen ꝙ I ful fayre ys thys to hyre
Of retoryke al ful / & hony swete
[Page] wiche only whyle they souneth in myn ere
They lusteth wel / but sone yt ys forgete
For my desese so light ys not to lete
For al so smartly as your songe ys cessed
The gruggynge of my greuance ys so grete
That al my mynde with mornynge ys oppressed
(Phia)
Philosophia) Right so yt ys she saed / but yet for that
Thys ys no remedy for thy sekenesse
But a geyn thy sorwes obstynat
A geyn thyn helthe yt ys a manar lesse
But when I see that better seson ys
Of suche as shal the percen to the rote
I shal the serue / & al that ys a mysse
Hyt shal redresse & hoelly be thy bote
¶But lest y
t thou thy self a wrecche holde
Now wold I wete where y
u remembre not
The maner of thy welthes many a folde
Boecius) I hold my pees ꝙ I saeth on your thoght
(Phia)
Philosophia) when y
u she saed were so low y broght
As orphelyn in maner desolate
Fortune for the so goodly had y wroght
Thou were in cure of men of hye astate
¶And drawen sithe in to affynyte
Of prynces & of men of gouernance
Ful lefe to lordes / er thou mightest be
Ought worth thy self in wordly suffysance
And set in hye degre of allyance
Ho saed not then that y
u were fully bleste
Thy fader in law whom vertu doth avaunce
Thy wyf also so goodly & honest
¶Thy sonnes bothe syttynge by thy syde
your worshyppe went on euery mannes mouth
[Page] And for to lete thes comen thynges slyde
what dygnytes thou haddest in thy youthe
That to ful olde men ben werned in sothe
But I delyte to tellen more expresse
Of soleyn thynges stranger & vncouth
How thou were wrapped al in welthynesse
¶yf any thynge that mortal ys in kende
with eny frute of blysse be founden here
Ther may no myschef put out of thy mynde
That day y
t whan thy sonnes both in fere
Hadden take thastate of consuyler
And with a semble fro thy hons y lad
Of senatours & lordes that there were
withe hugy presse of people blyth & glad
¶And than in court vhen that y
u sawe them sytte
In setes belongynge to ther dygnyte
Ther wonne y
u Ioy of eloquence & wyt
As pronouncer of kynges nobylyte
Of al that folke behaldynge vpon the
And with thy preysynge as victoryous
So wel thou feddest al that comynalte
with geftes of thy wordes gloryous
¶Thou feoffedest fortune then with wordes gay
whyle she the norshed in her awne delyce
And suche guerdon fro her thou bare a way
The wiche in sothe was so hye a pryce
That neuer before that day at my deuyce
She graunted not vn to no comyner
wylt thou a counte with fortune / art thou wyse
Of a rereage thou shalt not passen clere
¶For now at arst she hathe on the beholde
And prynched on the with a bytter ye
[Page] But now consyderynge clerely yf y
u wolde
The maner of thy welthes by & by
Of al thy Ioys leuynge lustely
And in that other syde thy heuynesse
A counted al / yet mayst thou not denye
That thou ne hast yet a part of welthynesse
¶And yf thou hold thy self infortunate
Now for asmoche as thes y
t welthes semen
Ben passed thus / no cause hast y
u for that
That thou in mischef shuld thy selfen demen
For thes sorowes y
t trobeleth thus thyn hert
And haldest them as for a greuous peyne
Ne doute the nought but fro the wyl they stert
Then art thou set in welthynesse a geyn
¶And wylt thou trow that y
u the first be
That to thys lyf came as a soden gyst
Or wylt thou trow y
t any stabylyte
In mannes lyf be where vpon to trust
Thys knouest thou wel yt ys nothynge vnwyst
That in an houre a man ys at an ende
Loo al your lyf with deth so ys bet wyst
Now here ye ben / & here a way ye wende
¶And yf so be as yt betydeth selde
That in fortune ys any faythfulnesse
Abydynge with man tyl he the gost vp elde
The last day yet of your lyf y wys
A maner deth eke vn to fortune ys
what fors ys than wher she the forsaketh
Fleynge fro the of her vntrustynesse
Or thou fro her / when deth a way the taketh
Metrum iij. Capitulū vj.
‘Cum polo phebus.’
Philosophia loquitur
VHen that phebus begynneth for to sprede
Her bryght bemes out on euery syde
As by the mornynge / the sterres for drede
They wexeth pale begynnynge them to hyde
Forestes eke that large ben and wyde
Ful fresly in the first somer ceson
The zephirus ryght as yt were for pryde
with floures hath depaynted / yow to plesen
¶And when that auster putteth out hys hornes
And bytter blastes gynneth for to blow
A bateth than the beutey of the thornes
Thus al your lustes passeth in a throw
The see also as enery man may know
Now may be calme withouten mouone
And sodenly er any man wyl trow
wyth tempest ys yt torned vp so doune
¶And syth the forme of al thys wordly thynges
So selden ys yt that yt standeth stable
But chaungeth by so many varyenges
And mannes fortune ys so transmutable
Than wolt thou trust to goodes deceyuable
Thys ys a law withouten chaungementes
Ther may no thynge be kendly perdurable
That ys engendred of these elementes
Prosa iiij. Capitulū vij.
‘Tum ego / vera inquam’
Boecius loquitur.
¶Than sayd I thus / O worshypful noryshe
Alle vertu to feden and susteyne
In al my wyt / but yf I were vnwyse
I can not wete but sothe ys that ye sayn
And of my fortune sothe yt ys certen
That wonder smartly hath she me enhaunced
[Page] But here vpon yt ys that I complayn
That she vndoth wiche y
t she had avaunced
¶For of myshappes to rehersen al
Hyt ys the worst / for to ben wel
And in to myschef aster to ben fal
For thys must shend a very hert of stele
(Phia)
Philosophia) Though y
u ꝙ she thus in thy wyttes fele
By false conceyte of thyn opynyon
The truthe ne agreueth the neuer a dele
To wyte yt her / yet hast thou no reson
¶And yf thys Idel name of welthynesse
That so vncerten ys / yet moueth the
with me now come & thyn a countes gesse
Of thynghes wiche as yet) thou hast plenty
The wiche y
u haddest euer in most deynte
when al in rychesse fortune had the fret
How migh thou playn of thy felycyte
Sith that thou hast thy best goodes yet
¶yet hoole & sounde the fader of thy wyf
He leueth loo / honor & reuerence
Of al man kende / wich y
u with thy lyf
woldest gladly obey standynge in hys defence
Symmachus made of al sapience
Al ful of vertu & of honeste
Thogh he be suer of any violence
As to hym self / yet weyleth he for the
Thy wytty wyf so ful of sobernesse
So chaste / so honest / & so debonaer
In short to conclude al her worthynesse
Leke to her fader as hys kendly heyer
Ful loth her lyf she ledeth in despaer
Only to the she kepeth her careful gost
[Page] Thys one thynge ys that may thy welth apayre
Thys graunt I wel & do mone yt most
¶And of thy sonnes wiche ben consulers
what shal I sayn / but shortly y
t they be
In maner prynte & as exemplares
Both of ther elder fader & of the
And euery mortal thynge as y
u mayst se
Vpon thys hath hys princypal besynes
Thys lyue to kepe fro al infirmyte
And vn to man the derest thynge yt ys
¶And these to the ben derer than thy lyfe
I dare yt wel affermen certenly
Lo Symmachus / thy sonnes / & thy wyfe
Thou hast them yet now lete thy teres dry
For yet fortune ys not thyn enemy
In al / so ferforthe as thyself faynest
Ne yet ys not on the so feruently
The tempest fallen as thou the complaynest
¶For vhy good holdyng hath thyn anker hent
They ben ful strong & cleueth wonder fast
The wiche / thy comfort of thys tyme present
Ne hope of better / suffereth not to ben past
Boecius) Ow god ꝙ I y
u graunt yt y
t they last
For vhyle they haldeth how y
t euer yt stand
Or how y
t euer thes wicked wyndes wrast
Yet in som maner shal we flete a lande
¶But how grete bewty of myne apparel
Is fro me gon / yowselfen seyth yt best
(Phia)
Philosophia) I haue ꝙ she yf yt may ought a vayle
Promoted somwhat y
t thou were in rest
But yf so be thou thy selfen tempest
Dysplesed with the sort of al thy lyf
[Page] How shuld than thy myschef be redrest
yf thou wolt alway set thyself in stryf
But I ne may not suffer thy delyce
Complaynynge with so greuous heuynesse
Alway coniectynge so in thy deuyse
That somwhat wanteth of thy welthynesse
For hoys that y
t leueth in dedlynesse
That in hys welthes standeth so ordynat
That he ne stryueth alway more or lasse
with the qualyte of hys astate
¶Ful anguesous they ben as for y
e nones
The kende of wordly welth I sey / for vhy
For other they cometh not al at ones
Or they ne standeth neuer stabelly
For thes hath ryches loo habundantly
Hym shameth that hys lynage ys so lowe
And thes loo ys renouned nobelly
Yet had he leuer for pouerte ben vnknowe
¶Another hath both renoune & ryches
He hath no wyf wherfore he ys dysplesed
Thes hath a wyf that to hym lusty ys
Defaute of yssue maketh hym be desesed
He note ho with hys goodes shal be sesed
And thes hath yssue to hys lust perchaunce
yet haply of ther vyce he ys vnesed
And weyleth of ther wicked gouernance
¶wherfore in sothe ther ys no wight y
t can
with proper fortune hold hemself a paed
For why som thynge ys feled of euery man
That none knoweth but he that hath assaed
And he that knoueth he ys therof a frayed
Set thys therto y
e euery welful wight
[Page] Ful tender ys to suffer & mysapayed
Yf al thynge fal not to hys wyl a ryght
¶And he that wordly ys most fortunate
And set most hyely in prosperyte
Ful lytel thynge hys blysse may abate
That ys not vsed in aduersyte
How many trouest y
u in thys world ther be
yf that they had y
e lest blysse of. vij.
That I can tel of thy felicyte
They wold supposen that they were in heuen
¶Thys place of exyle as y
u hast yt named
Good contre ys to them that in yt ben
And neuer the wors thogh yt of y
e be blamed
Thou art no wrecche but thou thyself yt wene
Thogh fantasy haue brought y
e thus in tene
And euery fortune ther a geyn ys good
Ho so can in pacience hymself demene
And suffer softly with an esy mode
¶Now tel me thus what wilful man ys that
That stondeth in blysse as he can deuyse
That somtyme nold changen hys astate
whan pacience ys put out of seruyse
what trobel with your welthes many a wyse
Is menged / yf ye coude yt haue in mynde
Thogh they be swete to suche as them vse
They wyl not be with hold when they wende
¶Than may ye seyn by open euydence
The myschef of these mortal thynges thus
They standeth not thogh thou haue pacience
Ne lusteth not in al thy anguysous
O foly / vnwyt / so erroneus
Of mortal folke sekynge themselfe withoute
[Page] your welthynesse & hyt so plentuous
Is set withyn yourself withouten doute
¶I shal the shewe of thy felycyte
A soueren poynte / entend what I shal say
Is any thynge so dere worth vn to the
As ys thyself thou wolt aunswere me nay
yf thou be hole thyn awne conclude I may
Thou haste that thou ne woldest forlete
The wiche fortune may not bereuen a way
Tyl thou thyself yt wylfully forfete
¶And that thou know y
t thynges temporel
May not be suche wherin thou shuldest fynde
Thy blysfulnesse / now vnderstand me wel
And take thes wordes hoelly to thy mynde
Sith blysfulnesse ys souerayn good of kynde
Hose lyf ys reson & intellygence
And souerayn good ys thynge y
t hath no ende
Ne may beraft the by no vyolence
¶Than vpon thys I may conclude & seyn
That thes fortunes mutabilyte
To blesfulnesse may no thynge atteyne
Ne ys not had by suche vnstabylyte
And wham so that thys false felicyte
Thus carieth forth / he wote or wote yt not
How false she ys & alway hath y be
Thys diuision ys immedyat
¶yf he ne wote hyt not he ys deceyued
what blysse may be than in thys ignorance
And yf so be he hath wel a perceyued
The maner of her kyndly varyance
He dredeth than with ful grete greuance
To lese that thynge y
t lyghtly may be gon
[Page] So that thys drede with longe continuance
withdraweth hys blysse wiche y
t he trust vpon
¶Other yf yt be so that he lese hys blysse
He weneth to stande in repreffe & in scorn
And no dout ful lytel good yt ys
whos loste with esey hert may be born
And thou art he to vhom that here be forn
Hyt hathe be shewed by demonstration
That mannes soule ne may not be forlorn
As thynge that turneth to corruption
¶And clere yt ys that al thys wordly wele
As fro yow men with deth a way shal wende
[...]
Than may yt not be douted neuer a dele
But sothe yt ys by reson & by kende
yf wordly blysse shuld be your fynal ende
And very forme of al your welthynesse
Than euery creature of mortal kende
with deth muste tornen in to wrecchednesse
¶But we haue wyst of many one here be fore
To seke the frute of blysse in ther entent
That haueth yt bought ful bytterly & sore
By deth / by dolour / by paynes & torment
How myght yt be then that thys lyffe present
with any lustes / might yow welful make
Syth yt ys so that vhen thys lyffe ys went
They be no wrecches wiche hyt hath forsake
Metrum iiij. Capitulū viij.
‘Quisquis volet’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
HO so that lust to byld hemself a sete
That shuld be mighty / sure / & ꝑdurable
That bytter Eurus brese yt nought ne bete
Ne fers floddes make yt not meueable
[Page] The hye hylles be not profytable
And moystey sandes must he nedes exchew
For on the mounteyn may no thynge be stable
Nether in sande no thynge be trwe
¶For vhy / the south wynd bloweth sore a lofte
That on the monteyn may no thynge be sure
And sandes that so lose ben & softe
An heuy borden may they not endnre
To fle therfore thys perylous aduenture
A syker sete to set thy self a pone
Take thys in mynde & do therto thy cure
To byld a law howse on a syker stone
¶That ys to sayn y
t thou shalt set al thy mynde
Vpon that blysse that euer shal a byde
And thogh so fal that the woode wynde
Torne vp & downe the see on euery syde
In very rest / thou mayst thy selfen hyde
As in thy castel ful of blesfulnesse
In lusty age then shal the wel be tyde
And set at nought thys wordly wrecchednesse
Prosa v. Capitulū ix
‘Sed quoniā rationum.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
BVt for asmoche as I haue don thys
By my reson descendynge in to the
To vsen now (I trow that tyme ys)
Some medycyne that more mighty be
Now vnderstande / al were yt so parde
That goodes wiche y
t fortune hath bestowen
Shuld standen euer in perdurabelte
How might thou euer accōpte them for thy awne
¶And thes same that ye acompte them best
yf that they were consydred as they ought
[Page] Ful foule they sholden seme & dyshoneste
And ben a compted for a thynge of nought
Now of ryches how semeth in thy thought
why ben they good / vhether of ther proper kynde
Or for they ben in to your ward y brought
And shuld ben good tyl y
t they fro yow wende
¶What ys yt. / gold wiche that ye cal ryches
Or money gadred in your tresory
But these sheweth more ther worthynesse
In puttynge out / then kepynge pryuely
For auarous men ben hated comenly
And euery wight wyl haue them in dysdeyn
And tho that wyl dyspenden largly
They shal haue loue & worshyp ther a geyn
¶And thys good that y
u dyspendest thus
when yt ys spent a bydeth not with the
Than ys thy money only precyous
when thou yt hast pnt a way fro the
Than in dyspendynge lyeth the precyouste
Of your tresour & not in hepes grete
Hyt stent yow neuer at no comodyte
Ne auayleth no thynge tyl yt be forlete
¶And what yf al the gold that al men han
As hyt ys now in dystribution
were assembled in an hepe / and than
One man hyt had in hys possession
Thys gold then by thys supposition
Al other men muste nedy make & bare
And one man ryche thys ys no question
Beleuynge after al the world in care
¶A voyce vniuersal (I may conclude)
At ones may without apeyrement
[Page] Fulfylle the yeres of a multytude
your ryches ys not so suffycyant
For tyl they be departed & y spent
To many men ne may they not be taken
And thes men fro whom they ben y went
They leue thē poure whē they haue thē forsaken
¶O streyte & poure that ryches may I cal
wyche al men ne may not haue at ones
Ne one haue al / but yf that other al
For pouerte & for nede make ther mones
And eke I meruel that thes precyous stonys
That ye be haldeth them so lustely
And fayneth bewty in thynges where none ys
And ther hyt ys ye can hyt not a spy
¶And what thynge ys hyt? brightnesse of colour
why that thys perry semeth yow so fayre
Thys wete ye wel the bryghtnesse ys not your
Ne nought of yow / but only hyt ys ther
As by a lyght reboundynge in the ayer
And moche I meruel vhy ye wonder so
On thynges that may be a mende ne payre
Your kendly good by noght that they may do
¶what thynge ys that y
t lacketh lyffe & lyght
what may be lekened to a creature
That bereth lyffe / & reson hath ther wyth
That shuld be demed fayre as by nature
And thogh they drawe a bewty in fygure
Of hym that made hyt / yet in your presence
They may not worthy ben in no mesure
To be merueled of your excellence
¶And where thes feldes that ben fayre & grene
So ful of floures delyteth ought your syght
[Page] Boeciꝰ) why shuld they not sayd I sith y
t they ben
A fayre part of y
e worke of god al myght
For so som tymes when the see ys bryght
we wonder moche / & when the heuen ys clere
Vpon the mone & sterres in the nyght
And on the sonne that shyneth a monge ous here
(Phia)
Philosophia) ¶But apperteyneh ꝙ she ought to the
Mayst thou that bewty in thy selfen fynde
Darst thou reioycen that they in the be
As thynge subiected in thy propre kynde
Art thou depaynted semeth in thy mynde
with floures of the fyrst somer seson
Or art thou as a tre wyth rote & rynde
Mayst thou noryshe frutes? trouest y
u thys by reson
¶And vherfore art thou rauesshed so in veyn
As thogh thes goodes shuld be thyn awne
The wyche fro the ben vtterly foreyn
And wonder fer as euery man may knowen
For vhy fortune (thou mayst hyt fully trowen
Ne may not make them thyn for to ben
The wych nature hathe elles vhere bestowen
And vtterly made fro the alyen
¶For vhy the frute y
t doth on erthe encrecen
Deserueth vn to bestes sustynance
And lytel thynge your nede may a cessen
So that nature haue her suffysance
why shuldest y
u then desyre abundance
And aske of fortune superfluyte
Syth that nature may haue her plesance
wyth lytel thynge in pryse & quantyte
¶And yf thou wolt her suffysance oppresse
wyth superfluyte surfetously
[Page] Other hyt wyl the brynge in heuynesse
Other elles the a noyen greuously
But of thys one thynge certen meruyl I
That thou woldest semen fayre & gloryous
As for to ben clothed ryally
In dyuers shappe & colour precyous
¶For yf in clothes any bewty be
wher by the syght ys fayre & aggreable
That apperteyneth no thynge vn to the
But that mater hald I meruylable
Other the wyt of hym ys commendable
That made thys thynge thys may be cause of
wond
But that y
u shuldest therfore be honorable
As in your kend / ye ben ful fer a sounder
¶Or for to walken wyth a hugy route
And of mayne to be copyous
May make the blysful / nay wythouten doute
For I suppose that they ben vycyous
They ben a greuous charge vn to thy house
And may be cause of thy destruction
And what yf they be good & vertuous
And very honest of condytion
¶why shuld ther vertue other honeste
Be accompted as parte of thy ryches
Or wherfore shuldest thou commended be
Or haue a thanke of foreyn worthynesse
Loo in al thes rehersed here expresse
The wyche as thou acomptest in thy thoght
As for thy goodes clerely as I gesse
I haue the shewed that thyn be they nought
¶In wych thynges as I haue sayd beforn
yf thou no lusty bewty canst fynde
[Page] why soroest thou y
t thou them hast forloren
Or of the hauynge enIoyest in thy mynde
yf they be fayre as of ther awne kynde
what may that apperteyn vn to the
For had they ben fro the wythouten ende
Also fayre & lusty had they be
¶For no doute they be not precyous
For thou them hast & kepest besely
But for they semed the delycyous
Thou them accompest in thy tresory
what craue ye then wyth so gret a cry
That ye on fortune calleth thus alwey
wyth abundance in sothe / as suppose I
ye seketh for to dryven nede a way
¶But yet the contrary to your entent doth fal
For yow nedeth helpe (not lytel) to maynteyn
And for to kepe your precyous thynges al
Lest so be fal that ye hyt lese a geyn
So moche the more your labour ys in vayn
That ye must lyue in heuynesse & drede
And thys ys soth also that I shal sayn
Ho so myche hath / of moche thynge hath nede
¶And lytel thynge hym nedeth certenly
That can hys plenty mesure on thys wyse
Ryght euen as nature nedeth kendly
And not vn to the lust of couetyce
Ne can yow not your selfen better aduyse
To se what good ys set your self wythyn
But nedes wyl ye seken & deuyse
In strange thynges your goodes for to wynne
¶And thus of thynges that shuld be worthyest
The ordre ys peruerted vp so downe
[Page] The wyche ys called a dyuyne best
By kendly myght & meret of reson
Ne can not knowen hys awne condytion
Nor se the meret of hys excellence
But by the desyre of vayn possessyon
Trusteth wordly ryches to be hys defence
¶Al other bestes haldeth them self a payed
Of bewty that wythyn them self ys
But ye men the wyche as I haue sayd
your god hath set yow in suche a worthynesse
That in your soules ye bereth hys lekenesse
And be in kende so nobel a creature
ye seketh here by fylthe & wrecchednesse
To enblemesshe your excellent nature
ye vnderstande not ne wyl not se
what wronge ye do vn to your creatour
Syth he man kynd hath set in thys degre
Al erthly thynges to excede in vaylour
ye do your dygnyte grete dyshonour
To thrast hyt vnder most vnworthy thynges
Ryght as hyt were a lord & gouernour
wold make hym subiecte to hys vnderlynges
¶For yf ye shuld haue thys entention
That al thynge wyche ys had of euery wyght
Shuld more be set of reputation
Than he that hath or aweth hyt by ryght
ye do your self shame & grete vnhyght
So foule thynges / syth ye deme them youres
Submyttynge yow as in your awne syght
To thynges wher of ye ben the possessours
¶At your desert thys falleth verament
The kynde of man loo standeth in thys degre
[Page] That only than he ys most excellent
when that he knoweth hys awne dygnyte
And ther a geyn eftsones when that he
Ne can not knowe hys awne worthynesse
He ys be nethen bestyalyte
And vndercast to al wrecchednesse
¶A rude best hys nature vseth thus
To may not knowe hemselfen kyndly
In man hyt ys ful foule & vycyous
Hys nature to forleten folely
And thus your errour sheweth openly
Ther ye supposeth that such accydentes
your kende that ys so worthy & so hy
Shold make fayre by foreyn ornamentes
¶Hyt may not be that reson hath forfended
For yf suche accydentes be fayre & gay
Thes accydentes ought to be commended
But that couered thynge hyt ys no nay
In hys fylthe a bydeth styl al way
And I denye & vtterly dyspreue
That any thynge ys good / that harmen may
Or ought the hauer noyen or a greue
¶Now ys thys soth in certen as I gesse
Thou wolt hyt say / I gabbe not of thys
For ofte hyt falleth that tresour & ryches
Maketh her lordes for to fare a mysse
Syth euery wrecched foule that cursed ys
Suche gold & tresour vhos that euer hyt be
He wyl coueyte & wyl that hyt were hys
And therfore put hys lyffe in Ieparde
¶And only them he holdeth worthyest
That of suche gold & tresour haueth y now
[Page] For vhy he besyeth hym wyth outen rest
To haue that good ne recketh he not how
But thou that leuest in suche a drede now
As though y
u shuldest wyth swerd or spere be stonge
Haddest y
u ben poure hyt had ben for thy prow
Be fore the theffe thou mayst haue gon & songe
¶Oh / wonder clere ys thys felycyte
Of mortal thynge & worthy to be softe
That reueth a man of hys tranquyllyte
And maketh hym destrobled in hys thoght
I note how dere that blysse may be boght
A man to wynne suche a welfulnesse
Thou art in pees the vhyle thou hast hyt noght
when thou hyt hast thou lesest thy sykernesse
Metrū. v. Capitulū x.
‘Felix nimiū prior etas.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶Ful wonder blysful was that rather age
what tyme y
t men couth halde them self a payd
To fede them self wyth out suche outrage
Wyth mete that trew feldes had a rayd
Wyth akernes ther hunger was a layd
And so they couth cessen ther talent
They had as yet no quenty craft assayd
As clarrey for to make / ne pyment
¶To dye purper couthe they not bethynke
The whyte flees wyth venem tyryen
The rennynge ryuer gaue them lusty drynke
And holsom slepe they toke vpon the grene
The Pynus that so ful of branches ben
That was ther hous to kepe them vnder shade
The see to kerue no shyppes were ther seyn
Ther was no man that marchaundyse made
[Page] ¶Them leked not to saylen vp & downe
But kept them self ther they were bred
Tho was ful husche the cruel claryoune
wyth eyger hate ther was no blod y shed
Ne ther wyth was none armour yet be bled
For in that tyme ho durst haue ben so wood
Suche bytter wondes y
t he wold not dred
wythouten mede for to lese hys blood
¶I wold our tyme myght tornen certenly
And thes maners alway wyth ous dwel
But loue of hauynge brenneth feruently
More ferser than the very fyre of hel
Allas ho was that man y
t wold hym mel
Thys gold & gemmes y
t were couered thus
That fyrst began to myne I can not tel
But that he found a perel precyous
Prosa. vj. Capitulū .xj.
‘Quid autē de dignitati
(bus)’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶But furdermore what shal I tel or sayn
Of hye power or elles of dygnyte
The wyche ye magnyfyeth so in vayn
As thogh they shold as hye as heuens be
Rygh as a thynge of hye felycyte
And folely ye fayleth al a mysse
Ne can ye not wythyn your wyttes se
where that very dygnyte & power ys
¶And yf hyt so be that a wrecched wyght
As often hath hyt fallen hyre before
In hye astate or dygnyte be dyght
How fers a flod may harmen yow so sore
The fyre of Ethna may not harmen more
That blasteth out & brenneth euery syde
[Page] Suche a wreche had better ben vn bore
Than suche astates shuld to hym betyde
¶And certes thou remembreste as I gesse
Of the consulers dygnyte
That was the hyeste astate of worthynesse
In the begynnynge of your lyberte
They were so ful of pryde & cruelte
wherfore your elders wold hyt haue remeued
And for the same cause fro your cyte
The name of kynge was voyded & repryued
¶And yf so be that good men be reysed
To hye astate as selden ys that chaunce
Ho ys therfore of reson to be preysed
Not that astate / but ther good gouernance
So than in vertu lyeth the suffysance
wher by that honour cometh to dygnyte
And dygnyte not by contraryance
Maketh not vertu worshypful to be
¶Thys power wich y
t ys so sore y softe
So dere worthe & so clere in your entente
what thynge ys hyt / & vhy behald ye nofte
To wiche thynges ye ben presydent
And vher vpon your power ys extent
what yf thou sawe a wrecched mouse a lone
To cleymen power or gouernment
Of other myse / thou woldest laught sone
¶And yf thou woldest behalden in thy mynde
what ys the mortal body of a wight
A freyler thynge ne shalt thou none fynde
That lesse hath of power or of might
How sone yt may beflayed or a fryght
Or ded by bytynge of a lytel flye
[Page] Or by some worme that crepen may in ryght
withyn a mannes body preuely
¶And ho ys he y
t may do strength or fors
Or vsen might or power / say me thys
But only on a corruptyble cors
Right of the same kende / that ys hys
Other on thynge / that more vnworthy ys
As on fortune / or vhose might may attayne
By hye astate / power
[...]or worthynesse
A fre corage to arteyn or constrayn
¶Stedfast that hath hemself in rest
And knetteh hymself in reson euery dele
Mayst thou hys pece beryue out of hys brest
vn to thy wyl hys purpose to compelle
Of suche a man (zeno) as some tyme yt be felle
A tyrant wold haue arted hym by peynes
A certen counsel to be wrey and telle
The wiche y
t was conspyred hym a geynes
But then thys man bote of hys tonges ende
And in hys face hyt spete / so that he
Thys torment wiche thys same tyrant wende
To haue ben mater of hys cruelte
Thys wyse mau to shew hys lyberte
Of fre corage that may not be constrayned
He made yt cause of vertu for to be
And set at nought how sore y
t he were peyned
¶And what ys that of auger or of grame
wherwith a man a nother may oppresse
That he ne may susteyne of hym the same
yf afterwarde suche aduenture encresse
As we haue lerned that Busirides
Hys awne gestes often had slayn
[Page] Aud afterward hemself of Hercules
That was hys geste: was don to deth a geyn
¶And Regulus ful many one in batel
Of men of affryke / as thou hast yt rad
Had taken vhen he had gouernayle
And cast them in to bondes sore & sad
And afterward in maner was he glad
For fere of payn to put forth hys handes
To tho that first of hym were sore a drad
Than was he fetred in the same bondes
¶And woldest y
u setten by a mannes might
That may not lette the same thynge be wrought
vn to hym selfen of the same wight
The wiche he hathe in to desese y brought
And yf so were as semeth in thy thought
yf hye astate might kendly conteyn
Any proper good / I ne doute yt nought
To wicked folke ne shuld yt nener atteyn
¶Contrarious thynges y
t maner hath not vsed
As for to ben coniuned & y met
For euer yet nature hyt hath refused
And syth y
t often wycked men ben set
In hye astate as yt wyl not be let
Than seweth thys that no good kendly
Hath that astate y
t suffereth to be knet
To suche that ledeth ther lyues wyckedly
¶And loo the same I may wel deme of al
Fortunes goodes be they more or lesse
That most abundantly be wont to falle
To wycked people ful of cursednesse
For of al thes I may suppose & gesse
That ho so hathe strength a myghty man he ys
[Page] And in wham may be founden grete swyftnesse
That man ys swyft / so most yt nedes be
¶Thus musyke maketh a musytion
And phisyke a physition to be
Thus rethoryke maketh a retoryen
The kende of euery thynge (we may wel se
Most nedes induce hys kendly properte
Ne suffereth not to be cōiuned to
None effectes of contraryouste
But al aduerse thynges putteth hym fro
But loo your wordly ryches hath not that
For to restrayne your cursed auaryce
Neyther the power of none hye astate
May make hym stronge that ys bound in vyce
That ledeth hys lyffe in lustes & delyce
Ne dygnyte in shreued folke bestaued
Maketh not them the worthyer of pryce
But rather maketh them vnthryfty to be knowed
¶And vhy ys thys? in soth for ye delyten
And reioycen in your fantasy
False names on thynges to conterfeten
Al other / than becometh them kendly
For vhy / the effectes preueth openly
That dygnyte / that power / that rychesse
Ther names bereth al vn properly
As I haue shewed / yt sueth euen expresse
¶And too thys same I may concluden wel
Of al fortunes thynges (as semeth me)
In wich ther ys no bounte naturel
Ne cause vhy they shuld desyred be
For selde yt ys as euery man may se
They Ioyneth them to good & vertuous
[...]
[...]
[Page] As may thastate of good plente
Of foreyn thynge to neden noght at al
But in hyt self to haue al suffysance
Of al good to speke in general
¶Aud furdermore what sayst thou / erren they
That suche a thynge a counten honorable
The wyche ys souereyn good / for soth nay
For suche a thynge may not be repreueable
That to al mortal folke ys desyreable
wher to ys set al ther entention
And also power / ys hyt commendable
Hyt ys ful good hyt ys no questyon
¶How shold myght fro suche a thyng be ryued
The wyche of al thynge ys worthyest
And noble renoune shold yt be repreued
That ys a thynge so worthy & honest
Syth thynge that ys most excellent & best
Must nede be worchypful & reuerent
For euery wyght to wynne hyt ys ful prest
And ther to traueleth wyth ther hole entent
¶But for to speke of anger or dystresse
Or sorow / murnynge / anguesse / other payn
Suche thynges may not be in blysfulnesse
Therfore of
[...]uche hyt nedeth noght to sayn
For in ful lytel thynges men be fayn
To haue & vse that may them do solace
And only thys to hauen in certeyn
Al wordly men enforcen to purchace
¶And for thys cause desyreth they abundance
As lordshyp / fame / delyce / & dygnyte
Ther by to wynne & haue suffysance
Of honour / reuoune / myght / & glad to be
[Page] Than ys hyt good as euery man may se
That men so fast seketh in thys wyse
And so traueleth euerych in hys degre
To wynne hyt as they can best deuyse
¶In wyche desyre apereth openly
How grete & myghty ys the strengh of kende
Syth also be yt that ful dyuersly
Dyscordeth loo the sentence of ther mynde
yet al thes consenteth at one ende
As for to loue a thynge that semeth best
For here to nature doth ther hertes tende
Tyl thys be had they may not be in rest
Metrū ij. Capitulū iiij.
‘Quātas rerū flectat.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
HYt lust to shewen by subtyl songes
And by y
e so
[...]ne of delectable strenges
How y
t nature that myghty ys & stronge
Attempreth the gouernment of thynges
Thys grete world wyth al hys varynges
So by her lawes kepeth & susteyneth
And by bondes that haueth no losynges
Ful sykerly she byndeth & restrayneth
¶For though the lyon of that straunge lande
That hyght Pene / the fayre cheynes bere
And taketh mete by gefte of mannes hande
And of ther sturdy masters haueth fere
Of vhom they often styffe strokes bere
And softely they suffereth to be bete
yet be they ones losed of that gere
Ther olde corage wyl they not forgete
¶For yf the hote blod of any best
Ther foule mowthes haue made red
[Page] Ther hye corage that longe hathe ben a rest
Hyt wyl repayre in to ther cruelhed
He casteth then hys cheynes ouer hed
And roreth fast remembrynge as yt were
Hys master fyrst of whom he was a dred
wyth blody tethe than wol he al to tere
¶The byrde that syngeth on y
e braunche on hye
yf he be closed in a cage of tre
And lusty men hym serueth besely
wyth metes that ful swete & lusty be
yf he may ones skyp out & be fre
Hys Insty mete he casteth vnder fote
And to the wode ful fast seketh he
And begynneth to trute wyth a lusty note
¶A yerde that ys growen vp in lenght
wyth mannes hande bowed downe to ground
yf that the hand remitteh of hys strenght
The crop ful sone wyl vp a geyn rebounde
And when the sonne ys passed dayes stound
As vndergon the wawes of the weste
Ful sone he hath a preuy path y found
And in the mornynge a ryseth in the este
¶And so a geyn the day begynneth sprynge
Thus euery thynge reioyceth in hys kende
Ther recours a yenwarde for to brynge
And besely to tornen & to wende
Loo thys we shuld conceyuen in our mynde
That al thynges must ther ordre sew
And the begynnynge Ioynen wyth the ende
And to them selfen make a cercle trew
Prosa iij. Capitulū v.
‘Vos quo
(que) terrena.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
BVt ye erthly bestes / as yt semeth
wyth a ful thynne Imagynation
your begynnynge as yt were ye dremeth
I ledde by natural inclination
And haueth in maner blynde inspection
As of the ende of very blysfulnesse
But errour of your false affection
Wythdraeth yow to very wrecchednesse
¶Behalde & se now yf hyt may be so
where men atteyn mowen in thys wyse
Vn to that ende that nature draeth them to
Of blysfulnesse so as them self deuyse
yf so be that ther nyce couetyce
Of money / honour / or suche other thynge
May make them fully to them self suffyce
That no good lacke as vn to ther lekynge
¶And than by these wyl I graunt & seyn
That a man may leuen blysfully
But than efte in that other syde a geyn
yf they may not performen verely
Al that they haue behyght them vtterly
But many goodes lacketh that they mysse
wyl hyt not than apperen plenerly
As a ful false colour of blysfulnesse
¶But fyrst of the I aske thys demaunde
As thou that were not yet ful longe a gone
In wordly welthes fully habundante
whether thou a monge tho welthes euerychone
As in thy corage / neuer feldest thou none
Dystresse or greuance no tyme in thy mynde
Boecius) Certen ꝙ I y
t I can thynke vpon
In that astate couth I me neuer fynde
[Page] ¶That I ne was alway somwhat in dystresse
(Phia)
Philosophia) And was not thys ꝙ she the cause vhy
That som thynge lacked the as dyst y
u gesse
The wyche thou woldest haue had presently
And som thynge eke thou haddest sykerly
The wyche thou woldest gladly haue forgon
Boecius) Right as ye sayn ryght so hyt ys ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) Thou wyllest ꝙ she y
e presence of that one
¶And the absence of that other than
Boecius) ꝙ I I graunt I can not go ther fro
(Phia)
Philosophia) Now than ꝙ s;he nedeth euery man
The same thynge that he desyreth to
Boecius) Ful soth hyt ys ꝙ I hym nedeth so
(Phia)
Philosophia) Now than ꝙ she he that nedeth ought
He ys not suffysant (Boecius) I seyd no
As to hym selfen he suffyseth not
(Phia)
Philosophia) when thou she sayd were ful in thy ryches
Thou suffered then thys same vnsuffysance
Boecius) How elles ꝙ I so hyt ys expresse
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than ys hyt so ꝙ she that abundance
Of wordly good may neuer a man a vaunce
As to hym selfen that he may suffyse
And nede nought of foreyn purueyance
And thys ys that they hyght to a complyse
¶And thys ys to be consydred I trowe
That money hath no kendly resystens
For to defend the lordes that them owe
That they ne may be rafte by vyolence
Boecins) I graunt wel ꝙ I to your sentence
(Phia)
Philosophia) And what ꝙ she thogh y
t thou sedyst nay
Syth euery day men doth ther dylygence
The strengest for to gete hyt yf he may
[Page] ¶For vhereof elles be quarelles moued
That men al day in courtes them complayn
But for ther good ys falsly them bereued
By fors or fraude & asketh hyt a geyn
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I hyt ys ryght as ye seyn
(Phia)
Philosophia) Loo then ꝙ she nedeth euery man
Of socour & of foreyn helpe certeyn
As for to kepe the money that they han
¶Boecius) Ho ys that may denyen thys ꝙ I
PHia) And then ꝙ she shold hym nede none
Of suche defense ne ward certenly
Ne had he that money that he may forgon
Boecius) Ther ys ꝙ I no doute ther vpon
(Phia)
Philosophia) Loo than ꝙ she al your affyance
Is torned yow vn to reuerse a none
For hyt bereueth yow your suffysance
¶wher by ye wene in ese for to be
And bryngeth yow in anguysse & dystresse
Of foreyn helpe to haue necessyte
yet wold I know the maner wyse expresse
How nede may ben voyded by ryches
wher ryche men ne hungreth neuer a dele
Or wher they may not thursten wylt y
u gesse
wher they ne may no cold in wynter fele
¶But vn to thys thou wolt aunswere me sone
That ryche men haue vherwyth euery day
Ther cold / ther thurst / ther hunger to for done
As vn to thys in al I sey not nay
In sothe thys wyl I graunten that they may
By ther good be comforted at ther nede
But vtterly to putten nede a way
That power haue they not wythowten drede
[Page] ¶For syth thys nede that alway gapeth so
To be fulfylled / & after more hyt gredeth
Is suche a thynge that neuer may be do
Of kende ne speke I nought y
t Iytel nedeth
But auaryce that no thynge fully fedeth
Ne may not be fulfylled wyth habundance
But in to more necessyte yow ledeth
why trow ye ther by to haue suffysance
Metrū iij. Capitulū vj.
‘Quāuis fluente diues’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
AL were hyt that the ryche couetous
Had al of gold ful rennynge a ryuer
And also fele of stones precyous
As in hys necke he myght hem selfen bere
And o
[...]en on fylde hys landes for to eyre
Hys besynesse yet tyl that he shal dey
He wyl not leue / ne when he lyeth on bere
Al hys ryches ne shal hym not conuey
Prosa iiij. Capitulū. vij.
‘Sed dignitates.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
VHether dygnytes to suche as them wynne
May make them fully worshypful to be
Other impressen vertu them wythyn
And make vyce out of ther hertes fle
Not so for soth thou mayst thy selfen se
Hyt ys not wont to a voyden wyckednesse
But vyce that was al close in preuyte
Hyt maketh fully to be knowen expresse
¶wher of hyt ys I haue rygh grete dysdeyn
That suche wycked men & surfetours
Shold any tyme in dygnyte be seyn
Ther fore hyt was that one Catullius
[Page] whan he saw one that hyght Nomius
Set in a sete of worshyp in the towne
He called hym a postem venemous
Al ful of atter & corruption
¶Ne seyst thou not what shame & velony
To suche shrewde wycked folke hyt ys
For to be set in suche honour on hye
For were not that / yet ther vnworthynesse
Of other folke shuld knowen be the lesse
And what perylous woldest thou standen at
Er thou woldest bere an offyce / shal I gesse
wyth a suche cursed man dedecorate
¶Ne I ne may not demen in my wyt
That suche wrecches shuld ben honorable
And worth that worshyp thogh they haue hy
[...]
That ben ther to vnworthy & vnable
But yf thou saw a wyse man & an able
And hoelly al fulfylled wyth sapyence
woldest thou deme that man as repreueable
And as vnworthy to that excellence
Boecius) I sayd no (
(Phia)
Philosophia) now certes thē
[...] she
These dygnytes belongeth properly
Only to vertu & to honeste
And vertu shal transporte them verely
To wyche she ys conioyned sewyngly
And for as mychel as suche reuerence
Receyued of the people comenly
Accordeth not alway wyth conscience
¶Ne to that honour wych that they receyuen
Ne may not make them worthy for to be
Than may we clerely knowen & conceyuen
That honour hathe in propre no bewte
[Page] As euen worthy to that dygnyte
And most to thys ye awth to taken hede
The mo folke that despyseth them perde
The more abiecte they ben hyt ys no drede
¶So than as dygnyte may not suffyse
To maken srewes worth no reuerence
But rather maketh that men them wyl despyse
Thogh they honour them in ther presence
yet they despyse them in ther conscience
Ther dygnytes so maketh them to be knowe
And clerly sheweth to folkes ther offense
Of whom they ben despysed as they owe
¶And thys ys not vnponysshed sykerly
For they reuenge them on ther dygnyte
The wyche they haue defouled wrecchedly
As wythe ther vyce & ther vnhoneste
But that thou myght thy selfen know & se
That very honour falleth in no wyse
By suche astates that transytory be
Now vnderstande what I the shal deuyse
¶I suppose that a man of hye renoune
That ofte hathe had the astate of consuler
Shold come a monge a straunge nation
That they ne knew what astate he bare
Trowest y
u they wold hym honouren ther
For hys astate thou wolt answere me nay
But yf honour in suche astates were
In kend a propre thynge / than wold I say
¶Ther kendly offyce shuld they not forlete
Thogh that he went vn to the worldes ende
As fyre ne may not cessen of hys hete
Vhyle that hyt fyre ys where y
t euer hyt wende
[Page] But honour ys no propre thynge of kynd
To dygnyte / but false opynyon
As nyce men deuyseth in ther mynd
wher fore a monge a straunge nation
¶That nought ne knoweth of that dygnyte
He ys honoured as a nother man
In straunge land thou seyst thys may wel be
But loke that land vher that astate be gan
wher that hyt shuld alway hys honour han
Standeth hyt alway in hys honour ther
But of the prouostry what sayst thou than
That vhylom was astate of hye power
¶Now ys hyt no thynge but an Idel name
And loo the charge of senatours rent
Now at thys day hyt standeth in the same
Thogh that som tyme hyt was ful reuerent
A man som tyme was holden excellent
That had the charge of vytayl in the towne
Thus vp so doune ys the world y went
Now ys hyt of no reputation
¶As we haue sayd a lytel here beforn
A thynge that hath no bewty properly
Now hath hyt honour & now hyt hath forlorn
After the vse of mennes fantasy
Syth dygnyte ne may not kendly
Inducen very cause of reuerence
But ofte hyt ys defouled sykerly
By them that vseth hyt wyth insolence
¶And yf they now be fayre & now not so
As tymes haue ther transmutation
And yf ther bewty thus them passeth fro
After mannes estymatyon
[Page] what ys there / after your opynyon
Of bewty in them worthy to be soght
Syth that they ben of suche condytion
How shold they geue that they ne haueth noght
Metrū iiij. Capitulū viij.
‘Quāuis se tirio.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
THogh proude Nero wyth hys lechery
Clothed hym wyth purpur tyryen
And wyth ful ryche perry ryally
Of lyffe he was vnthryfty & vnclene
That he was lothly euery wyght to seyn
yet gaue he seytes to the senatours
How sholdest thou trow them blysful for to ben
Tho that of wrecches taketh suche honours
Prosa v. Capitulū ix.
‘An vero regna.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
BVt what trowest y
u for to ben a kynge
Other wyth kynges to ben famylyer
woldest y
u hold hyt for a noble thynge
That may y
e make strong & mighty here
Boecius) what elles ꝙ I shold I trow yt were
(Phia)
Philosophia) ye ꝙ she whan that ther felycyte
Shal alway stonden in hys welthes clere
And euer a byde in perdurabylyte
¶But elder age of tyme that ys y went
Ensamples hath of gret vnstabelnesse
And also of thys tyme now present
we se hyt preued euery day expresse
That kynges falleth fro ther welfulnesse
And vn to very myschef ben y broght
Ow / clere & noble thynge that renoune ys
To saue hyt seluen that suffyseth not
[Page] ¶For yf that realmes of suche regalte
And gouernance of landes longe & wyde
May make a man to haue felycyte
what yf hym lacketh ought in any syde
Than must hys welth som vhat slake & slyde
And myschef entre for vnsnffysance
And thogh hyt be so as hyt may betyde
That kynges haueth in ther gouernance
¶Moche folke at ther commandement
yet shal we fynd many a nation
That ben to kynges not obedyent
Ne haldeth them at no reputation
Than here of ensueth thys conclusyon
wher fayleth myght that causeth blysfulnesse
Ther ys no mene in thys dyuysyon
Vnmyght ys there that causeth wrecchednesse
¶Ther ys none erthly kynge thys dare I sey
That ys so myghty in hys gouernance
But mo ther ben that wyl hym not obey
Than be constreyned at hys ordynance
In thes hys power lacketh suffysance
And yf that both / hys power & vnmyght
Shold ben counterpeysed in balance
Hys vnpower wold be the more of wyght
¶Syth wrecchednesse cometh of vnpower
As may not be wythsayd by no reson
And loo ther ys no kynge that leueth here
But hys vnmyght hathe in proportion
As for to make a iuste comparyson
wel moche more than hys power ys
Than wyl ther ensuen thys conclusyon
Loo that hys more part ys wrecchednesse
[Page] ¶A kynge ther was that had experyence
Of grete perel & often was in drede
He made a man be set in hys presence
And made a swerde to hange a boue hys hed
Fastened by a lytel sotel thred
That euery man myght wnderstand & se
Loo breke thys threde than ys thys man but ded
So stent a kynge alway in Iuparde
¶what ys thys power y
t noght may remewe
The bytter bytynge of thys besynesse
Ne the pryckes may he not exchwe
Of al thys drede & al thys heuynesse
These kynges loo wold leue in sykernesse
But certenly they can not come ther to
And euer more they seke hyt as they gesse
And euer the ferre they ben a way ther fro
¶But they reioycen myghty to be holde
And wylt thou trow hym myghty for to be
That may not worken that he faynest wolde
Or for to walken wyth a company
Of myghty men that lusty ben to se
And at hys byddynge al a realme a rereth
And yet hym selfen stondeth in thys degre
He dredeth the same that he fereth
¶And for he wolde myghty seme & stronge
He must put hym selfen in daunger
As of the mayne wyche he ys amonge
And of hys lyffe he standeth in a wher
Or wyth a kynge to be famylyer
To what hyt shal a vayle I can not sayn
Syth often ys hyt shewed a monge ous here
That kynges of ther mayne haue be slayn
[Page] ¶And often tymes ys thys y shewed expresse
Of some that wyth kynges haueth be nye
That these kynges of ther cruelnesse
Haueth them put at myschef sodenly
Som tyme styred by malyce & enuy
Of wycked folke that worse ben than fendes
And kynges often standeth slyperly
And yf they fallen falleth eke ther frendes
¶For loo Nero that cursed emperour
Made Seneca hys awne deth deuyse
That was hys master & hys gouernour
And Antoninus in the same wyse
Papynyan that had hym don seruyse
And a ful myghty man had longe ben
He made hys knyghtes ful of cowardyse
That wyth ther swerdes al they shuld hym slayn
¶And both ij. yet wold they haue ben glad
To haue forlete ther power vtterly
And Seneca loo al the good he had
He wold haue geuen hyt Nero wyllyngly
And ben exyled euer perpetuelly
Forsakynge al hys occupation
And so haue lyued solytaryly
And led hys lyffe in contemplation
¶But he that menteth downward for to go
Hys awne wight wyl draw hym doune in hast
And therfore nether of them both to
Ne myght hys purpose hauen at last
Thys power than that euery man so fast
Desyreth thus / what ys hyt wold I se
Syth he that hath hyt ys ther of a gast
Ho so wyl forlete hyt may not syker be
[Page] ¶And vhen thou woldest hyt wyllyngly forsake
Loo at thy wyl thou mayst hyt not forgon
And frendes wyche y
t fortune doth the make
And vertu not / what profyt may they don
when lusty fortune forth ys fro the gon
Than al her frendes wyth her goeth in fere
A more perylous myschef ys ther none
Than ys thy foo wyththe famylyer
Metrū v. Capitulū x.
‘Qui se volet.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶Ho so desyreth myghty for to ben
And of hys foes to haue the vyctory
Fyrst hys corage that ys so fers & kene
He must repressen wel & myghtely
So that the foule lust of lechery
May haue no maner mastery in hys mynde
For thogh thou be so hawte & so hye
That men the dredeth in the land of Inde
¶And eke the Ile that ferrest ys of al
Out in the west that Tyle cleped ys
Be to the suget as thy bound thral
yet yf thy foule derke besynesse
wyth sore complayntes of thy wrecchednesse
Thus in ther boundes haldeth the so fast
That thou ne myght them voyden ne represse
I say hyt ys no power that thou hast
Prosa vj. Capitulū xj.
‘Gloria vero
(quam) fallax.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
BVt hye renoune how ful of vanyte
How foule hyt ys & often deceyuable
As a tragedyen in hys dyte
Not causeles thus cryeth in a fable
[Page] Ow / renoune seyth he false & varyable
To many a thousand of thyn homagers
In no thynge elles art thou commendable
But as a wynde that swelleth in ther yeres
¶For many one by false opynyon
Of nyce folke haue had a hugy name
But certenly a foule confusyon
Hyt ys / so falsly for to haue a fame
For nedes retorne to them moste shame
when y
t they ben comended wrongfully
And thogh they haue deserued yet that same
what shal a wyse man furdred be ther by
¶That meteth not the mesure of hys mede
By veyn rumor of folkes audyence
But putteth al the meret of hyr dede
In very vertu of ther conscience
And yf thou hald hyt for an excellence
Thy noble renoune for to ben extended
Than wyl hyt enswe euen of consequence
That thou were foule but yf y
u were cōmended
¶But as I sayd a lytel here beforn
That nedes must be many a nation
To wyche one mannes name may not be born
The wyche as in thyn estymatyon
A man of worshype ys & of renoune
Loo than as for the most quantyte
Of al thys lytel wordly regyon
He must nedes vnrenouned be
¶I hald hyt not ful moche expedyent
Of comen people to be commendable
That haueth no reson in ther Iugemente
For hyt ys fletynge & not perdurable
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[Page] They dyscord in dryth & moysture / for fyre ys dry & ayer ys mostey thys dyscord letteth them for to medle / that eueryche kepeth hys kendly place ¶Also the ayer & the vvater accordeth in moysture / & they dyscordeth in hete & colde. for ayer ys hote & vvater cold. vvyche dyscorde lettethe thē to medle. vvater & erthe accordeth in cold & dyscordeth in moysture & drythe / for the erthe ys dry & the vvater moystey Fyre & erthe accordeth in drouthe so that the erthe may not dysioyne fro hys place / ne the fyre fro hys & they dyscord in cold & hete / vvherefore they may not medle but euerych kepeth hys kendly place. Also the elementes that of qualyteys ben contrary / he byndeth to gether by intermene elementes acordynge in qualyteys vvyth bothe / as fyre & vvater that ben very contrary in qualyteys / ben bounden to gedres vvyth ayer that ys intermene acordyng vvyth fyre in hete & vvyth vvater in moysture. Erthe and ayer ben knet to gedres by vvater that ys entermene accordyng vvyth erthe in cold & vvyth ayer in moysture.
¶For clere vnderstandyng of thys chapytre / hyt ys for to knovv that he that shal helpe a nother / hyt nedeth that he be myghty / vvyse / and vvel vvylled. For yf a thyng be asked of a man the vvyche he may not do ne can not / ne hys vvyl skylefully may not consent / of very ryght he may denye hyt / for no suche thyng ought to be asked. ¶Therfore fyrst he shevveth the suffysance of god in myght / in asmoche as he gouerneth al the vvorlde / not by grete labour as creaturs gouerneth / but by perdurable reson. For syth he fyrst set the vvorld in gouernance the natural progression neuer varyed / but haldeth hymself alvvay in the fyrste ordynance. Also in producynge of creaturs he shevveth hys beneuolence & good vvyl to al that ys consonant to reson. In that he shevveth that ys to say In that he maketh the elementes as sede & mater vvherof ben engendred al erthly thynges. And thus doth he not cōpelled of no foreyn cause as men ben compelled / but only of the habundance of hys goodnesse▪ vvyche ys & euer vvas perfe [...]ly in hymself / the vvyche goodnesse vvas so entensyfly habundant that hyt must nedes of reson be extē ded by cōmunyon: ¶Also he shevveth the suffysance of hys vvysedom & connynge / in as moche as al that euer vvas / ys / or shal be her after / hyt ys open to hym / in hys eternal exsampler or mitrour of hys mynde that al thynges cōprehendeth presently at ones. And syth so vvysely produceth hyt in to hys beynge / not only in general / but al partes in specyal absolutly vvythout defaut or nede of any exterior cause.
And in thys ys shevved the vvysedom of god in asmoch as he ys the formal cause of al thynge as in exsampler. After that he hathe shevved the suffysance of god in myght / goodnesse / & vvysedom / in gouernance of thes thynges in specyal / he cōmendeth the same suffysance in general in creation & gouernance of som other thynges of more deper conceyte of invvard speculation / ī that he shevveth & reherseth the sotel knytting of the iiii. elementes / as ys before sayd ¶Furdermore also in creation of the mene spiret of treble kend / vvyche som phylosophres as plato & hys folders called anima mundi / the soule of the vvorld For cause [Page] that Plato savve hys master Socrates ēpoysened & put to deth for hys sothe saynge / he vvold not dyscouer hys sotel conceytes ne the preuy [...]es of nature to the rude people / but put thē vnder maner of parables & preuy vvordes vvyche myght enstore hys vvysedō vn to the tyme that men vvold be better vvylled for to hyre truth. The grekes at that tyme vvor shypped the sonne & called hym Apollo / god of vvysedō / fantasyng that he caused al other thynges tobe. Fro vvyche errour socrates dyssented & sayd that the sonne vvas a formed creature / vvherfore he vvas slayn as ys be fore sayd. And before hym Anaxagoras vvas exyled for the same cause. vvherfore Plato lefte the cyte of Athenes & chose hys habytation in a cyte or place named Acadencia. In vvyche place vvas often tymes erthe quakes. Thys place he chose be cause hys dyscyples shold euer leue in drede of ther lyues / vvyche drede shold refrayn foule passyons of flesly lustes / & so for to a voyde the foule errour of Epicurenes that dyd put the fulfelycyte of man iu fleshly delyte. ¶Plato then spekyng of the gouernance of the vvorld in hys boke named Thimeus / sayth thus.
¶God of the same & euer a hydynge mater. & also of dyuers mater and varyable / medled & made the thyrde kende. Of the vvyche he toke first one parte. syth ii. syth iii. & after iiii. after viii. after ix. & after .xxvii. Of vyche he made the kende of thys spyret or of thys soule. And thē he fulfylled the interualles of thes nombres vvythe mene proporcions / as here after doth appere.
I. dupla ii. ses (que)al [...]a iii ses (que) [...]cia.iii. dupla viii ses (que)otaua ix. tripla xxvi [...]
¶Then thys renge thus draen a longe he dyuyded in ii. partes of the vvyche one shold conteyne euen nombres & proporcions / and the other odde / so that the begynnynge of eyther shold be I. Then eyther of thes nombres he broght in to compace / & put the lasse Circle vvythyn the more. And the cyrcle of the same nature that ys to say of odde proportions he torned fro the ryght hand to the lyfte hand. And the other of dyuers nature that ys to say of euen ꝓportions / he torned fro the lyft hand to the ryght hand / thys may be perceyued by thys fygure foloyng
Primū mobile mouetur motu vniformi ab oriente in occidentem.
¶Sphere planeta (rum) mouea difformiter ab occidente in orientem.
¶Inter numeros ext (er)ioris sphere est proportio equalis.
¶Inter numeros īterioris sphere est proportio inequalis.
¶Fordermore Philosophia shevveth her petitōn resonable as to iii. thynges asked Fyrst he asked the knovvlege of soue reyn godd. He asked also ī thys knovvlege perseuerance. And laste he asked to be cōforted by hys souereyn lyght. ¶Fyrste she assigneth a reson for thys laste petition / vvher she saythe thou art clernesse / by vvyche al thynges ben beshened & clered. For perseuerance she assygneth the second reson & saythe / thou art peseable reste to the meke.
Than assyneth she the thyrde reson & sayth the to behald hyt [Page] ys the ende to vvyche man vvas made. For thou art begynner of al thou betest & conteynest al / thou ledest ous by natural inclination. thou art the path of the vvay of loue by vvyche vve shal retorne to the. thou art al the blysse or heuen / thou art the terme & ende of al our vvordly labour / vve seketh none other.
¶The vnderstandyng of thys sotel conceyte ys thus. vvhere he sayth thys saule ys medled of the same mater & dyuerse / he vnderstādeth that the saule of the vvorld vvas made of nature chaungeable & of nature vnchaungeable. Nature vnchaungeable he calleth the same / And chaungeable he calleth dyuerse. The euen nombres for asmoche as they may be dyuyded in to euen / he calleth nature chaungeable: And the odde nombres that may not eueuly be dyuyded / he calleth nature vnchaungeable. ¶Furdermore for to shevve that thys soule ys princyple of doblenesse / that ys to say of vnyformyte that ys in the fyrst meueable vvyche ys the sterred fitmament that clerkes callen Primūr mobile / And also of difformyte / that ys in the planetes. he sayth that god cutte thes nombres in ii. partes. of the vvyche one parte cōteyned odde nombres that longeth to vniformyte. And the other conteyned euen nombres that perteyneth to difformyte / by cause of hys diuisibilyte. And eyther of thes partes he torned in to compas in signe of circuler meuynge But the part of odde nōbres he torned for the rygth hand to the lyfte hand in signe of vniformyte in meuynge. And the other of euen nombres / he torned fro the lift hand to the ryght / in signe of difformyte. The ryght hend of the vvorld ys the este / the lyft hand the vveste / the hed ys the southe / & the fete ys the northe. The meuynge of vniformyte he put to meue fro este to vvest for so meueth the sterred sphere. The meuynge of difformyte / he calleth the speres of the vii. planetes / vvyche ys meued fro vveste to the este.
¶Also hyt ys to considre that bothe thes nombres of odde & euen meteth at one / that ys callid vnyte / in signe of the onehed & the simplicite of god. at vvhom begynneth & endeth al creatures. vpon hoos stablenesse ys grounded euery meuynge / vpon hoos vniformyte / al difforme & variable thynges ben ryghted & reduced. ¶Novv then to the processe & conceyte of Boecius vvhere he sayth thus. Thou god knettest the mene soule that ys the soule of the vvorld of treble kend that meuythe al thynge. He calleth the soule of the vvorld / the spyret that next vnder god entendeth to the meuynge & gouernance of the vvorld / vvyche ys mene be tuene the stabilyte of godhed & meueablenesse of creaturs.
Of treble kynde. For fyrst he ys partener of the kende of angeles vithe ben of vniforme kende / that ys to say of simple nature / pure / & vnmedled: vvyche Plato calleth the same & euer a by [...]ynge mater / that ys to seyn of perdurable kende. The seconde part of hys kende / may be called the allyance to thes erthly thynges. vvyche ben variable & corruptible & diuers in ther beynge. The thyrde part of hys kende / ys medlede of thes bothe / that ys hys allyance to the spheres of sterres & of planetes. vvyche ben in parte meueable & in parte vnmeueable. they be meueable in ther kendly cours / & vnmeueable in cōtinuāce of ther cours & [...]e [...]yng of the place & ordre vvyche they vvere set in at ther fyrst creation. Hovv [Page] he meueth al thynge the letter shevveth furdermore vvhere he saeth. Resoluynge hyt in membres consonant / that ys to say / departynge hys labour in to the meuynge of al the viii. spheres of sterres & of planetes.
Hoos meuyng tho they be discordant in ther cours / cōtrarious & dyuers in effectes / yet be they so consonant to gedres / that none letteth but rather righteth & dresseth euerych other. For the viii. sphere meuyng vvest vvard rauesheth al the nether spheres & maketh them to meue the same vvay / vvhere ther natural meuynge ys estevvarde. Also tho the effectes of the planetes ben dyuers yet ther kendly cours of meuynge ys suche that euerych tempereth other so that ther falle no cōfusion in thys vvordly gouernance ¶Also thys meuynge he dyuydeth in to ii. spheres or ii. cercles as ys a fore sayd. by meuynge of vviche / ben gouerned the clemētes vvyth al ther trāsmutatiōs & al other thynges vnder the mone. And he retorneth vn to hym self / that ys to say to ther vvhere he began for ther ys no perfet meuynge but in compace that alvvay retornethe in to hym self / by vviche circuler meuynge or vvorchynge he atteyneth by similitude of natural perfection to the depe mynde of dyuyne intelligēce vviche ys the laste ende of nature simpliciter. vvithoutē other And after thys circuler meuynge by forme of leke conuenience he tornethe heuen & boute / dressynge the effectes of al thys meuynge after the souereyn exempler of the hye purueance of god. Furdermore Boecius cōmendith the might / the goodnesse / & the vvysedom of god / in makyng & gouernyng of erthly thynges / & specially in the disposyng of mānes soule vhee [...]e sayth in the text thus Thou auauncest or reysest soules & lesse lyues of creatures & by euenly or leke causes makest them able to lyfte cartes.
¶Vhen he hathe sotelly treted of the soule of the vvorlde than goethe he to the soule of man & sayth that in maner leke as god hathe made the soule of the vvorlde of iii. naturs / so hathe he made the soule of man.
For fyrst he taketh a mater perdurable that ys to sey a nature immortal of the kende af angeles & Ioyneth hyt to a nature chaūgeable & corruptible / that ys the sensualyte drauen of thys corruptible f [...]eshe. And of thes it▪ resulteth the thyrde / vviche ys in parte dedly be cause of he body & also be cause of hys vnstablenesse / And in parte vndedly / be cause of the perdurable nature of intelligence / vhereof he ys partener Thys soule ys druyded in to ii. compaces of the vviche one ys of ꝑdurable nature that ys reson / & meueth kendly fro the right hand to the lyfte hand that ys to say▪ he groundeth al hys vvorkes vpon vertu / & so putteth thē in perfet execution▪ But the other circle of sensualyte meueth in contrary for he groundeth al hys vvorkes vpon the fleshe / & so procedeth in to vicious lustes. But the reson must rauyshe the sensualyte vvith hym in to the vvay of vertu. or elles must they bothe torne in to mischefe
And so tho reson be stired & distract by errour & rehellyon of sensualyte / yet must he retorne in to hym self / beh [...]ldynge the excellence of hys nature / not restynge there proudly vvith Lucifer / but enserchynge & sekīge by thoght & deuote prayer the de [...]e intelligence that ys god. And there behald in the mirrour of eternal vvysedom vvhat he ought to do. repres [...]ynge vvithe the fyre of loue al vicious meuynges. For vhy thou god [Page] haste made the soule able to hye cartes (that ys to say) to be re [...]ed in heuen. ¶Thou sovvest in heuen and in erthe. Fyrste he maketh the soule & puttethe hyt in to thys earthly body / there for to encrese in meret and vertues. And syth vvhen they ben rype / he takethe hem in to heuen: And hovve? For sothe the vertues that hym self hathe planted in the soule / he hym self no [...]ysheth them vvythe [...]yry bemes of loue / And maketh them rypen in to ful [...]rute / and so retorne vp to hym fro vvhennes they toke ther beynge.
Prosa x. Capitulū xix.
‘Quoniam igitur.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
FOr as moche as thou hast seyn in thys
wyche ys imperfet good & to eschwe
The forme of good also that perfet ys
The wyche y
t ys to seken & to sue
Fro heuens forthe our processe to persue
Hyt ys to shewen as hyt semeth me
The very good that perfet ys & true
what thynge hyt ys & where hyt myght be
¶But fyrst I hold yt nedeful to enquere
yf suche thynge may ben in any kende
As we be forn dyffyned haue whyle ere
Lest so be that in vayn our wyttes wende
And lest we be deceyued at the ende
As by a false Imagynation
Of thynge that nought ys formed in our mynde
And so to lese our occupation
¶But y
t we saue our purpose hole & sound
That perfet good ys / no wyght may wythsayn
The wyche ys in maner the wel & ground
Of al good that ys / thou be certeyn
Ther may no wyght replyen ther a geyn
yf any thynge haue imperfection
That ys be cause hyt ys not ful ne pleyn
wyth perfet thynge as in comparyson
[Page] ¶For why in any general of kende
where any thynge imparfet ys / say I
A perfet thynge also there mayst thou fynde
For yf ther were no perfet vtterly
Syth lacke of perfet ys the cause why
That any thynge imperfet may be preued
A perfet thynge ther must be sykerly
Fro wyche imperfet thynges be dyscryned
¶For why of thynges scars & dymynute
Nature toke not her fyrst production
But al hole complete & absolute
Fro al defaute & al corruption
And so fro thens made progressyon
Vn to thes lower thynges that we seyn
That lesse hauethe of perfection
And as hyt were al voyd & empty ben
¶And yf so be / as I haue shewed er thys
Ther ys an imperfet felycyte
Of frayel & feble good / ful sothe hyt ys
Another good & perfet must ther be
Boecius) Ful sothe ys thys ꝙ I as semeth me
Concluded also ful & fermly
(Phia)
Philosophia) But now she sayd y
u must behald & se
wher that thys good ys founden fynally
¶The comen conceyte loo of mannes mynde
By reson ys vn to thys poynt y brought
That god / that prynce & auctor ys of kende
Hym self ys good / in thys they fayleth noght
Syth that ther may no better thynge be thoght
Than god hym self / thys wote wel euery wyght
That god ys good & worthy to be soght
Thys doutethe none that reson seyth a ryght
[Page] ¶yet reson wyl inducen furdermore
By very fors that in god perfetly
Is very good / in no wyght may be more
He were not elles called ryghteusly
The prynce of thynges / I shal the tellen why
For elles one were worthyer than he
That perfet good possessed pryncypally
That rather must & also elder be
¶For euery thynge that fully ys perfet
Than any thynge imperfet rather ys
Now lest our processe passe in infynyt
we be compelled for to graunten thys
That souereyn god of perfet good y wys
Loo ys fulfylled / than suethe here vpon
Syth perfet good ys very blysfulnesse
In god ys perfet blysfulnesse a lone
Boecius) Ful wel ꝙ I thys I ꝑceyue & fele
Ther may no wyght replyen here a geyn
(Phia)
Philosophia) I pray the ꝙ she vnderstand me wele
How fermly ys preued that we sayn
Loo / that of perfet good & souereyn
God ys fulfylled by my conclusyon
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I thys wold I heren fayn
How ye hyt preue by demonstration
(Phia)
Philosophia) That self ꝙ she that ys the prynce of al
And ful of souereyn good how semeth the
That fro wythouten thys good ys falle
Or ys hyt in hem by kendly properte
And thynkest that ii. thynges must they be
God / the hauer / & hys blysfulnesse
And in ther substance haue dyuersyte
Thys wolt thou not supposen as I gesse
[Page] ¶And yf he haue receyued of wythoute
Thys blysfulnesse / then suethe sykerly
The geuer of that thynge / ys no doute
Precelleth the receyuer certenly
But thys we must confessen vtterly
A bowe al thynges god ys excellent
And yf thys good in god be kendly
In substance & in reson dyfferent
¶The prynce of thynges wyche y
t we reherse
Let se deuyse or fayn hyt ho so may
Ho hath conioyned thes ij. dyuerse
He may no furder by no maner way
But at last thys dare I sothly say
A thynge that dyuers fro a nother ys
Hyt may not be the same hyt ys no nay
Fro wyche hyt ys dyuersed so y wys
¶wherfore that thynge that hathe dyuersyte
Fro souereyn good / in reson of nature
The same souereyn good hyt may not be
And god forbede that any creature
As in hys wyt shold passen so mesure
Of god oure souereyn for to deme so
That kepeth al & hathe ous in hys cure
So perfet & so good ther beth no mo
¶Loo thys I trowe perceyueth euery man
That the kend of no thynge vtterly
May better ben than he that hyt be gan
Than may I thus concluden fynally
That he that ys begynner verely
Of al thynge that ys / I say that he
In substance & in kende properly
Thys souereyn good he muste nedes be
[Page] Boecius) Thys ys ꝙ I concluded wel & clere
(Phia)
Philosophia) And souereyn good ꝙ she ys blysfulnesse
Boecius) Ryght so ꝙ I thys graūted I whyle er
(Phia)
Philosophia) Lo than ꝙ she hyt suethe here expresse
That god hymself ys souereyn blysfulnesse
Loo where hyt ys that thou so long hast soght
Boecius) Thys must I ꝙ I graūten & confesse
your resons haue me to that poynt y broght
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) That thys ꝙ she be preued fermly
Behald & here what I shal furder sayn
ij. thynges that ben dyuers properly
They may not be ij. goodes souereyn
For yf ther be dyscord be twene them tweyn
They may not ben the self & the same
Euerych that other ys / thou be certeyn
Tho that they bothe be called on by name
¶yf they be souereyn goodes bothe ij.
Deuyse yt in hys conceyte ho so may
yf that thys one good be that other fro
Imperfet ben they bothe hyt ys no nay
Syth nether ben wythouten other may
But thynge that lacketh of perfection
That hyt be souereyn good thou wolt not say
Hyt wold includen contradiction
¶Then may they not be ij. thus ne dyuerse
Thys souereyn good as sueth here expresse
But blysfulnesse & god that we reherse
Thys souereyn good in al wyse hyt ys
That same thynge that than ys blysfulnesse
That same thynge ys souereyn deyte
Boecius) No thynge ꝙ I may truer be I gesse
Ne worthyer of god concluded be
when they haue shewed ther propositions
They bryngeth in Porismus / y
t they calle
That ben conceytes or conclusyons
And as in maner declarations
Of foresayd thynge / ryght so shal I the fede
As suynge on my demonstrations
Thys correlary I geue the to thy mede
¶Syth that by getynge of thys blysfulnesse
Men ben blysful made / & wolt thou se
Blysfulnesse the souereyn godhed ys
And eke the getynge of that deyte
Maketh blysful / as hyt ys shewed to the
But ryght as wysedom maketh men be wyse
And ryghtuosnesse ryghtuous for to be
I may conclude & suyngly deuyse
¶That by wynnynge of dyuynyte
Men ben maked goddes sykerly
Loo than ys euery blysful man parde
A god / thys suethe also formally
Thogh that ther be but one god kendly
In sothe yet by participation
Ryght wel ther may be many / not for thy
As in the astate of ful perfectyon
¶Boecius) Thys ys ꝙ I ful fayre & precyous
whether hyt porysme or corrolary ys
(Phia)
Philosophia) Hyt ys ꝙ she more fayre & gloryous
That reson wyl annecten vn to thys
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I asked what
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she syth blysfulnesse
So moche thynge doth in hyt self conteyne
As honour / pouer / lust / fame / & rychesse
whether al they ben as membres wyl y
u sayn
[Page] ¶wyche as of partes dyuers in maner
Thys blysfulnesse compoundeth in thys wyse
In to a perfet body as hyt were
Other thou trouest that som one thynge of thes
The same blysfulnesse doth a complesse
In to one perfet thynge substancyal
To whom thes other as I do deuyse
Referred ben as to ther pryncypal
¶Boeciꝰ) I wold haue thys ꝙ I declared fayn
(Phia)
Philosophia) Haue we not seyd ꝙ she y
t blysfulnesse
Is good (
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) yes seyd I / hye & souereyn
(Phia)
Philosophia) Adde we ꝙ she y
e remanent vn to thys
That souereyn good before rehersed ys
Loo souereyn myght & souereyn suffysance
Lust / fame / honour / one thynge they ben y wys
wyth blysfulnesse wythouten varyance
¶Thys ys that I wold asken er of the
Thys suffysance / honour / delyte / renoune
whether they be membres of felycyte
As dyuers partes doth one thynge compoune
Or thou hast thys consyderation
That al thes wyche that we rehersed han
To souereyn good shold haue relation
As to ther hed / thys say me yf thou can
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I now vnderstand I wele
what ye pnrposeth to enserchen here
But I desyre to here of yow & fele
Thys questyon that ye wold make yt clere
(Phia)
Philosophia) I shal ꝙ she sayd in thys maner
yf al thes thynges wyche that we reherce
Of blysfulnesse in maner membres were
Than must thes membres nedes be dyuers
[Page] ¶For loo of partes thys the nature ys
That they dyuers one body certenly
Shal make / but hyt ys shewed er thys
That al thes ben one thynge Boecius) ye ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) They ben ꝙ she no membres sykerly
Syth they ben one / or elles wold hyt sue
That blysfulnesse were made ful wonderly
Of a membre that nature wold exchwe
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Thys ys ꝙ I ful sothe I doute yt noght
But now ful fayn the remanent wold I se
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than al thes thynges ꝙ she must be broght
And to thys good as chef referred be
And for thys good ful sothe hyt ys parde
Men desyren after suffysance
To haue pouer or stand in hye degre
For hyt ys good they maketh purueyance
¶The same I may deuysen suyngly
Of reuerence / renoune / & lustynesse
They deme hyt good that ys the cause why
That they requyre hyt wyth ther besynesse
Than ys thys good the very cause y wysse
And somme of al y
t ought to be required
For thynge that no good hathe in lekelynesse
Ne none in sothe / hyt may not be desyred
¶And there a geyn loo in contrary wyse
A thynge that ys not good in no maner
yet yf hyt semeth good as they deuyse
Ryght as they very ryght goodes were
Men wylleth them / than wyl hyt suen here
That bounte ys the ground & cause of al
why thynges ought to be leue & dere
That any man of ryght desyren shal
[Page] ¶And ouer thys hyt semeth furdermore
That euery thynge that ys the cause why
Loo that a nother ys desyred fore
That cause ys eke desyred pryncypally
Ryght as be cause of hele fynally
A man desyreth for to ryde & play
Hys hele he doth desyren sekerly
As wel as for to ryde hyt ys no nay
¶Syth al thys thynge y
t thus desyred ys
The cause of al ys pryncypal / bounte
Thys bounte ys desyred than y wys
As moche as that thynge in hys degre
But we haue graunted that felycyte
ys cause thes thynges euerychone
Desyred ben / then sueth hyt parde
That blysfulnesse desyred ys a lone
¶Of thys hyt semeth & hyt suethe loo
That then thys good & very blysfulnesse
In substance ben one thynge & no mo
And verely the same thynge expresse
Boecius) I can not say ꝙ I in sothfastnesse
How any wyght your wordes may blame
(Phia)
Philosophia) But god ꝙ she & very blysfulnesse
As we haue shewed ben one thyng & y
e same
Boecius) Ryght as ye sayn ꝙ I hyt ys ful clere
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than may I ꝙ she wel & sykerly
The sentence & the somme of thys mater
Loo thus concluden ful & fynally
That the substance loo of god on hy
Is set & founded in none other place
But in the same good eternally
To fynd hyt there god send the grace
Metrū x. Capitulū xx.
‘Huc oēs pariter venite.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
HOwe cometh al ye that ben y brought
In boundes ful of bytter besynesse
Of erthly lust a bydynge in your thought
Here ys the rest of al your besynesse
Here ys y
e port of pees & restfulnesse
To them that standeth in stormes of desese
Only refuge to wrecches in dystresse
And al comfort of myschef & mysese
¶For al that euer Tagus
2 doth yow bede
wyth hys golden grauel stones bryght
Other Erinus
3 wythe hys strondes rede
May geuen yow for to plese your syght
Other the ryuer wyche that Indus
4 hyght
That ys ful nye the hote regyon
wyche the grene stones wyth hys myght
wyth whyte perelles torneth vp so doune
¶They shyneth wonder clere vn to your ye
But your insyght in sothe they maketh blynd
And wythe ther derke cloudes perylously
wyth vanyte your hertes doth they bynd
For how that euer they plesith to youre mynd
As preysed worthe ful many a thousand pound
yet ben they ful vnworthy in ther kend
As noreshed in the caues of the ground
¶But the shynynge of that souereyn lyght
By wyche the hye heuen gouerned ys
[Page] Chaceth a way the foule derke nyght
That hathe your soules drawen al a mysse
Thys souereyn lyght yf y
u may seyn y wysse
Behald hyt wel & kepe hyt yf thou conne
And thou shalt se that in regard of thys
Ther be no bryght bemes in the sonne
Prosa xj. Eapitulum xxj.
‘Assencior inquam.’
Boecius loquitu
TO thys ꝙ I / I must nedes assen
[...]
your wordes haueth me knet so fermly
By reson of your subtel argument
(Phia)
Philosophia) what yf y
u knew ꝙ she verely
Thys good / what woldest y
u than set ther by
yf thou myght knowen clerely what hyt were
Boeciꝰ) I wold hyt prese at infynyte ꝙ I
Yf I myght knowen god in that maner
Phia / I shal ꝙ she as very resonable
Shewe the that apertly er thou go
So that thes thynges stand ferme & stable
That we be fore thys haue consented to
Boecius) They must ꝙ I we may not go ther fro
(Phia)
Philosophia) Haue I not shewed the plenerly ꝙ she
That al thes thynges that ben desyred so
Of felle folke ben ful of vanyte
¶And syth they ben dyuers hyt ys no nay
They be no very goodes perfetly
For when that one fro other ys a way
No ful ne very goodes vtterly
To no wyght may they brynge certenly
But when they ben assembled in to one
In workynge & in forme verely
Than ys hyt good & elles ys hyt none
[Page] ¶So that thys power & thys suffysance
Gladsomnesse / honour / & nobelte
Be ryght the same & one thynge in substance
And yf they lacketh of thys vnyte
Ther ys not why they shold desyred be
Ne loued / yf ye do loke wel a bowte
Boecius) whyle er ꝙ I thus haue ye shewed ꝑde
Ful true hyt ys hyt may not ben in dowte
¶Syth so hyt ys that good be they nought
when dyuersyte ys founden them betwene
And when that they to onehed ben y brought
Than be they good as euery man may seyne
what ys that maketh them good for to bene
But the getynge of thys vnyte
Boecius Ryght so hyt ys ꝙ I right as ye mene
(Phia)
Philosophia) But euery thynge y
t good ys then ꝙ she
¶why ys hyt good / wylt y
u not graunten thys
That for hyt hathe partycypatyon
Loo of thys foresayd good (Boeciꝰ) I seyd eys
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than must y
u ꝙ she by the same reson
Graunte also thys conclusyon
That good & one ben one thynge verely
For thynges lekely of condytyon
Not dyuers in effectes kendly
¶In substance ben they one thynge & no mo
Boecius) Fro thys ꝙ I y may not go a syde
(Phia)
Philosophia) And knowest y
u not that euery thynge also
That ys ꝙ she / so longe shal a byde
whyle hyt ys one / & yf hyt so betyde
That thys thynge forleteth to be one
Is hyt not then dyssolued & destroyed
Boeciꝰ) And how ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) I shal the tel anone
[Page] ¶Thou seyst thy self that in a best ꝙ she
whyle soule & body ben to geder knet
And so abydeth in ther vnyte
Thys knowest y
u wel a best men calleth hyt
But when thys onehed ys dyuyded
As by ther bothes separation
That no best hyt ys / hyt ys perceyued
But careyn tornynge to corruption
¶And eke also the body of a wyght
whyle that the membres standeth kendly
On / in that forme y
t nature hath them dyght
He ys a man thys knowest thou verely
But yf they ben departed sykerly
So that thys vnyte be don a way
That same thynge hyt ys not vtterly
Ne no mannes body y
e sothe to say
¶And in the same wyse hyt stent y wys
Of euery thynge to thynken in thy thoght
The whyle hyt standeth one / that whyle hyt ys
And when hyt fayleth one then ys hyt noght
For hyt ys to corruption y broght
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I I can not other fynde
Of euery creature that may be soght
Thys must be sothe by very cours of kende
(Phia)
Philosophia) But wylt y
u trow that any thynge ꝙ she
Hath thys of natural intention
As to forleten vtterly to be
And lust to torne in to corruption
Boecius) To haue ꝙ I consyderation
To bestes wyche that haueth of nature
Bothe wyl & nel by fre election
I wyl not trow hyt of no creature
[Page] ¶That but they be constrayned of wythoute
Ther kendly beynge wyl they not forgon
Ne wyllyngly be ded hyt ys no doute
Therfore hyt ys that bestes euerychone
Loo al ther labour setteth here vpon
Them selfen for to saue & kepe in hele
And wyllyngly to deth ther wylleth none
I note ho ys / wyth deth that lust to dele
¶But neuertheles as yet I am in doute
Of trees & eke of herbes & of grasse
And stone that vtterly ys lyue wythoute
(Phia)
Philosophia) Ther ys nought why to douten in thys case
Syth thou mayst se ꝙ she be fore thy face
And euery day thou hast experyence
That trees & herbes wexyth in that place
As to ther kend ys most conuenyence
¶So that asmoche as ther nature suffyseth
They suffereth not to schorchen ne to dye
For som of them in fayre feldes ryseth
And som wexyth in the hylles hye
And some doth in marreys multyply
And som to the hard roches clyngeth
And som ther be that in the sandes dry
That bareyn ben ful plenteously spryngeth
¶And yf a wyght y
t noght ther kendes knoweth
wold elleswhere them plante they dye as faste
For nature geueth to euerych that hym oweth
And laboreth y
t as long as they may leste
That they be not destroyed ne doune y caste
Now & what sayst thou of ther cheuysance
As though ther mouthes were in erthe y thraste
So by the rote they draw ther sustenance
[Page] ¶And so the kendly moysture after thys
In to the stocke & rynde hyt sendeth wyde
And yet thys moysture that most tendre ys
wythynforth alway hyt doth a byde
A geyn the wedres hard / hyt self to hyde
wythouten hath hyt sadnesse of the tre
wythouten that the barke on euery syde
That may defence a geynst the wedres be
¶Here mayst y
u wel behald & taken hyde
Loo how nature entendeth besely
Euery thynge to nory hen by hys sede
That yere by yere doth cresse & multyply
Not only for a tyme sykerly
But they ben sotel gynnes as hyt were
That hyt may stonden perdurabelly
By generation in that manere
¶And thynges that wythoute soules ben also
Doth they not euerych besely entende
To that hys nature aperteyneth to
why elles doth a flamme of fyre ascende
Or why doth heuy erthe so descende
But for that euerych hathe conuenyence
To certen place to wyche as to ther ende
They meueth / so they haue no resystence
¶For euery thynge entendeth sykerly
As ferforthe as hyt may haue suffysance
Tho thynges to conseruen besely
wyth wyche hyt hathe in kend hys accordance
Ryght euen as thynge that of contraryance
Al that they may corrupteth & destroyeth
Ryght so haue they ther kendly gouernance
For to exchwe al thynge that them noyeth
[Page] ¶And stones that so hard & strong ben
How they wythstandeth ther partytion
And clyngeth fast as euery man may seyn
To saue the partes fro corruption
And thynges that so floeth vp & downe
Ayer & water parteth esely
By vyolence / fro wyche dyuysyon
To onehed they retorneth kendly
¶But fyre al such dyuysyon refuseth
Of wylful meuynge of the soule I lete
To speke as now / in that he reson vseth
But of the natural entent I trete
That when ye do receyuen so your mete
ye swoloeth & haueth theron no thoght
And in your slepe when al thynge ys forgete
ye draueth brethe & yet ye knowe hyt noght
¶Not only of the soules wylfulnesse
Thes bestes loueth to leue & endure
But pryncypally dependeth hyt expresse
Of the hye pryncyples of nature
For ofte hyt falleth that a creature
Hys owne deth wyl taken wyllyngly
wher nedeful causes ben perauenture
The wyche that nature aborreth kendly
¶ye seeth also that in contrary wyse
The wyl of man wythstandeth & refrayneth
The lust of very kendly couetyce
By wyche al only nature hath ordeyned
That dedly kend to kepe & be susteyned
The wyche ys flesly generation
so that thys loue ys not only conteyned
Pryncypally in your bestly motion
[Page] ¶But also of intention natural
For why the souereyn goddes purueance
Hathe geuen thys as cause effectual
To thynges that ben of hys ordynance
That by a very kendly gouernance
They shal desyren alway for to be
As long as nature hath that sufffysance
To kepe she partes in ther vnyte
¶Ther ys noght why thou sholdest dout in thys
But that al thyng coueyteth kendly
To kepe hyt self in ferme stablenesse
And to be corrupt they lothen vtterly
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Loo now must I confesse thys ꝙ I
For thynges that in doute were before
Now I behold them wel & certenly
(Phia)
Philosophia) And thyng that so desyreth euermore
¶For to stand in ferme stablenesse
That self thyng desyreth for to be
And yf thys one be voyded sothe hyt ys
Then ys hyt not / thou mayst thy selfen see
Boeciꝰ) Ful soth ꝙ
(Phia)
Philosophia) then al thyng ꝙ she
Desyreth one Boecius) ꝙ I I graunt yt wel
(Phia)
Philosophia) But one & good as thou hast graunted me
Loo ben the same & dyuers nere a dele
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Ryght so ꝙ
(Phia)
Philosophia) thē al thyng requireth
Thys one ꝙ she y
t thus may be descryued
Good ys that thyng that al thyng desyreth
Boecius) No thyng ꝙ I may sother be contryued
Al thyng to noght must elles be deryued
As flowyng euer wythouten gouernour
As destitute & of ther hed depryued
Than were our ende but myschef & dolour
[Page] ¶And yf ther may be founden ther a geyn
One thyng to whom al other ben entended
Of al good thys must be souereyn
As he that al hath in hym comprehended
(Phia)
Philosophia) Thys conceyte ꝙ she may not ben amēded
My nory dere now am I glad y wys
The poynt now of thy thoght y
u hast extended
Ryght in y
e myddes of very sothfastnesse
¶And loo in thys ys shewed the plenerly
The thyng wyche whyler thou toldest me
Thou knew yt not Boecius) & what ys that ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) what ys the ende of thynges sayd she
Thys same thyng loo must hyt nedes be
That euery thyng of kend desyren shal
And syth that thys ys good hyt semeth me
That souereyn good must be the ende of al
Metrū xj. Capitulū xxij.
‘Quisquis profunda.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
NO so wyl enserche sothfastnesse a ryght
And wyl not be deceyued neuer a dele
The pure clerenesse of hys inward syght
wythyn hem self he must reuoluen wele
And al hys thoghtes trenden as a whele
And leue thys erthly occupation
And teche hys soule to vnderstand & fele
By dome of good delyberation
¶That al that euer he seketh here wythoute
Trauelyng thes truthes for to know
Hydde hyt was al close hyt ys no doute
Ryght as tresour wythyn hemself bestow
Tho thynges than that erst were ouerblow
wythe the cloudes of errour & ignorance
[Page] Hyt shal to the be clerer as I trow
Than ys the sonne & more to thy plesance
¶For why the body that hathe y
t soule oppressed
As wythe the wyght of hys corruption
Hathe not al despoyled ne dystressed
The lyght of vnderstandyng & of reson
Ther cleueth yet a noble portion
wythyn thy soule ryght as an abylyte
The sede of truthe in ful possessyon
The wyche by techyng must enforced be
¶How myght ye elles Iugen formally
Other aunswere to demaundes that ye hyre
But yf your hert conteyned verely
A lyfly noryshyng as hyt were
And thyng that Plato sayd in thys manere
yf hyt be sothe as do hys bokes trete
no thyng elles do ye when ye lere
But as record a thyng that was forgete
¶No thynge elles do ye vvhen ye lere & [...]. ¶An harpe vvel & lustly [...]uned by true accordes of musyke / al be hyt in that no vvyght toche hyt ne set hand ther to / yet conteyneth that harpe vvythyn hem al songes [...] al tuues possyble to be songe or toched vpon the same harpe. Or elles myght not the harper fynde ther on that vvas not ther be fore Ryght so in mannes soule ys conteyned al cōny [...]ge / that of an erthly creature possyble ys be knovven. But hyt ys slylled & in maner forgete / other more properly for to spekē / forlete / vvyche connynge by labour of reson & exercyse of lernynge ys founde out by lytel & lytel. ryght as a man that lerneth to harpe seketh out hys tunes.
Prosa xii. Capitulū xxiij.
‘Tū ego platoni.’
Boecius loquitur.
TO Plato seyd I / must I nede consent
For twyes now ye haue remembred me
Of thyng y
t fyrst was fro my mynd y went
As by my bodely contagyouste
[Page] And syth I stode eftesone in thys degre
Of heuynesse / I had hyt eke forlorn
(Phia)
Philosophia) yf thou she sayd wylt behald & see
To thynges of the graunted here be forn
¶Thou shalt record also to thy science
Thynges wyche y
u sayd whyler y
u knwe hyt noght
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) & what ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) by wych gouernmētes
Thys world ꝙ she ys in thys rule y broght
Boecius) I am ꝙ I remembred in my thoght
Of myn vnconnyng that I was beknowe
And tho I haue as now perceyued ought
More plenerly yet wold I lern of yow
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) whyle er ꝙ she thou dowted noft at al
Loo that thys world by god gouerned ys
Boecius) Ne now ꝙ I ne neuer hereafter shal
As in that mater ben in doute y wys
And what reson induceth me to thys
Breuely I shal yow shew / as semeth me
Now loke your self yf I perceyue a mysse
Thys world ꝙ I stondyng in thys degre
¶Of partes dyuers & contraryous
As euery wyght may vnderstand & fele
In suche a forme myght neuer accorden thys
But yf that one conioyned euery dele
That so dyuers ben / thys wote I wel
Ne so conioyned myght they not endure
But yf one keper were perpetuel
The same dyuersyte of ther nature
¶So dyscordant shold apeyr & shende
And al dysioyne as semeth in my thoght
But yf ther were one gouernour of kende
To kepe al thys that ys to gedres broght
[Page] Ne suche a certen ordre myght not
Of nature / so procede in ordynance
To meuen so / but he that al hathe wroght
Shold haue hyt holly in hys gouernance
¶Ther meuyng ys so fayre & ordynat
In tymes / stedes / space / & qualyte
And suche effectes causeth eke algate
That wonderful hyt ys / euery wyght to se
Than ys ther one that thys dyuersyte
Hem selfen stable that so dysposeth al
And ho so dothe al thys / I say that he
Is god / thys vsed name I wyl hem cal
(Phia)
Philosophia) Syth thou ꝙ she mayst thys behald & fele
I trow I shal wyth lytel besynesse
Ful hole & sound the make to se ful wele
Thyn owne contrey ful of blysfulnesse
But that we haue purposed her er thys
Let ous behald / haue we not long a go
Seyd that suffysance ys in blysfulnesse
And that god ys blysfulnesse also
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Ryght so ꝙ I phia) & y
t hym nedeth noght
ꝙ she vn to thys wordly gouernance
For yf he of wythoute neded ought
He had not then plenary suffysance
Boecius) Fro thys ꝙ I ther ys no varyance
(Phia)
Philosophia) Hym self a lone al thyng dysposeth than
Boeciꝰ) I may ꝙ I now make none avoydaunce
(Phia)
Philosophia) And god ys good as we deduced han
¶
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) And thys also remembre I wel ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) By good then he gouerneth al ꝙ she
For syth as thou hast graunted / suyngly
He that ys good dysposeth al parde
[Page] Hym self a lone than must he nedes be
Ryght as hyt were a ruler of a sterne
Hym selfen stable euer in one degre
That al thys world incorrupt doth gouerne
Boecius) Ful wel ꝙ I acord I vn to thys
And loo whyler as by suspection
I trowed the same ye wold haue sayd y wys
And preued thys in your conclusyon
(Phia)
Philosophia) I trow hyt wel / for thyn inspection
Is more ententyf then hyt was before
As to behald a truthe & good reson
But that I shal the shewen furdermore
¶Hyt ys as clere & open to thy syght
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) And what ꝙ I that knowen fayn I wold
(Phia)
Philosophia) Syth god ꝙ she yf we beleuen ryght
wyth hys sterne of bounte as I tolde
Gouerneth al & rewleth as he sholde
Thes thynges al by natural entent
Ben wyllyngly subiecte & vnderfolde
Obeyng alway vn to hys gouernment
¶Boecius) Thys ys ꝙ I ful tru & necessary
For elles were no blysful gouernance
yf no yoke were to thynges contrary
That wyl not obey to hys ordynance
(Phia)
Philosophia) Then ys ther noght y
t doth ther obseruāce
To kepe them self in ordre of nature
That may enforcen wyth contraryance
A geyn ther god Boecius) ꝙ I no creature
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) what yf so y
t a geyn thys gouernayle
They myght enforcen them wyth frowardnesse
Myght they ought a geyn ther god avayle
wych that by ryght of very blysfulnesse
[Page] As we be forn haue sayd almyghty ys
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) In soth they myght noght avayle ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she then ys ther no thyng as I gesse
That may or wyl wythstanden kendly
¶Thys soueren good what wylt thyself suppose
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I sayd no
(Phia)
Philosophia) thys soueren good ꝙ she
Al thynges than ful swetly doth dyspose
And myghtely al thyng gouerneth he
Boeciꝰ) ꝙ I not only I delyte me
As in the summe of your conclusion
But the wordes wych that ye vse to me
wel more they dothe me delectation
¶In so fer forthe that in my self I shame
And of my foly foule I am confused
So hye a thyng to reprehend or blame
And that I haue so masedlych y mused
That man of god was vtterly refused
And that he had hym not in hys gouernance
(Phia)
Philosophia) Suche fables ꝙ she haue poetes vsed
As y
u hast herde / that som tyme gyauntes
¶wold haue made ther way vp in to heuen
And hye hylles gan they to bylden faste
But god sent downe a thunder certeyn
And al ther worke vpon them ouer caste
And so they were wythstonden at laste
By the myght of souereyn god benigne
wyche for them al dysposed so in haste
As ther dysert was worthy & condigne
¶But wylt thou now that we to gedres dryue
Thesresons al & in to one them brynge
And perauenture of that stroke as blyue
Ther may of truthe a lytel sparkel sprynge
[Page] Boecius) Now sayth ꝙ I as ys to your lekyng
(Phia)
Philosophia) we say ꝙ she that god almyghty ys
Boecius) Syth he of al ꝙ I ys lord & kynge
Ther ys no wyght that ys in doute of thys
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) And he she sayd y
t ys so ful of myght
Is ther any thyng that he ne may
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Nay ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she now say me ryght
May god do any euel Boecius) I sayd nay
(Phia)
Philosophia) Loo than ys euel no thyng I dare wel say
Syth he that ys almyghty may hyt not
Boecius) ꝙ I whether do ye scorne or elles play
And haue to thys labour hyt y broght
¶your resons weueth ye so wonderly
In maner leke the house of Didalus
Ful hard for to resoluen or vnplye
your resons ben so hye & curyous
that to my wyt they ben ful meruelous
Where ye go out ye entreth efte a none
And euen there as ye ben entred thus
The same way ye passeth out efte sone
¶A wonder compace haue yo knet & fold
Of the hye dyuyne ymplycyte
For thus whyle er when ye began ye told
Of blysfulnesse that ys felycyte
That souereyn good was hyt ye sayd to me
And that also in souereyn good hyt ys
That god was souereyn good then sayd ye
Also that he ys perfect blysfulnesse
¶And for a gyfte ye toke me thys ther to
That no wyght mygh haue very blysfulnesse
But yf he were in maner god also
By lekelynesse of possessyng of hys blysse
[Page] And furdermore also ye sayd thys
That the forme of very perfet good
Hyt ys the substance of thys welfulnesse
And eke of god / loo thys I vnderstand
¶ye sayd also as vn to my conceyte
That good & one al one thynge shold they be
That euery kende of thynges must coueyte
That god eke wyth the sterne of hys bounte
Gouerneth al thys hole vnyuersyte
And al muste to hys gouernance a lout
That euel ys no thynge / also preued ye
Not sekynge hereto resons fro wythout
¶But ye haue thys enplyed & y preued
By skyles that ben knowen openly
And euerych maketh other to be beleued
They knetteth so in compace sotelly
(Phia)
Philosophia) She sayd then I play not sykerly
But that we haue whyler of god besoght
Now haue I shewed the here that ys so hy
And greteste that in hert may be thoght
¶For of substance dyuyne the forme ys thys
That he may not augment ne decresse
By no foreyn thynge the so the hyt ys
And al yet he conteyneth neuer the lesse
But ryght as sayd Perymenydes
The round whele of thynges al a boute
He meueth / yet hym self ys in pece
And meueth noght at al hyt ys no doute
¶yf I haue shewed the skyles good & mete
Not fro wythouten soght / but verely
wythyn the thynges wherof that we trete
To wondre now thou hast no cause why
[Page] For thou hast herd & red as suppose I
Thys sothfaste sentence / Plato sayd hyt loo
That wordes must be cosens kendly
To thynges wyche they ben referred to
FUl blysful ys that man that may behold
The bryght wel of very blysfulnesse
And wel ys hym that may hymself vnfold
Fro boundes of thys wordly wrecchednesse
The poet Orpheus wyth grete heuynesse
Hys wyffes dethe had weyled wepyngly
And wyth hys songes ful of carefulnesse
Made wodes for to renne ful wonderly
¶And made the stremes standen & byde
The hynde also fered of no perel
But suffered the lyon to lye by her syde
Nether the hare dreded nere a dele
To se the hound / hyt leked them so wele
To here thes songes that so lustey were
And boldly they durste to geder dwel
That nere a best then had of other fere
¶And when the loue gan kendle in hys brest
Of hys wyffe most hote & feruently
Hys songe that had so many a wyld best
Made so meke to leuen comenly
They myght hym not conforten vtterly
On hye goddes gan he then complayn
And sayd they deled wyth hym cruelly
That they dyd send hym not hys wyffe a geyn
¶He went then to howses infernal
And fast hys strenges ther dressed he
And souned out the swete songes al
That he had tasted of the welles thre
[Page] Of hys moder dere Caliope
That ys goddesse & chef of eloquenc
[...]
Wyth wordes that moste pyteoust myghe be
As sorow had geuen hym ful experyence
¶And loue also that dobeleth heuynesse
To helle began he hys complaynt to make
Askynge mercy ther / wyth lowlynesse
At the lordes of thes shadous blake
And Cerberus that woned was to wake
wyth heddes thre & helle gates kepe
So hadden hym thes new songes take
That the swetnesse made hym fal on slepe
¶The furyes that ben vengeresse of synne
And surfetours smyteth so wyth fere
For heuynesse that thys man was in
They gan to morne & wepte many a tere
And tho the swyft whyle had no pouer
To torne a boute the hed of Ixyon
Ne Tantalus for thurst al thogh he were
I peyned longe / yet water wold he none
¶The grype that ete the maw of Ticius
And tyred on hyt long ther be fore
Thys songe to hym was so delycyous
He cast hyt of & tyred hyt no more
And when that Orpheus had morned sore
Tho seyd the Iuge of helle / peynes stronge
Pyte me hath conuicte / I wyl restore
Thys mā hys wyffe / thys won he wyth hys song
¶But wyth a law thys geft I wyl restrayn
That vn tyl he thys boundes haue forsake
yf he behald vpon hys wyffe a geyn
Hys wyffe fro hym eftesones shal be take
[Page] But ho to louers may a lawe make
For loue ys rather to hemself a lawe
when he was nye out of the boundes blake
He torned hym & Erudis he sawe
¶Allas he lost & leste hys wyffe behynde
Thys fable loo to yow perteyneth ryght
For ye that wold lyfte vp your mynde
In to the hye blysful souereyn lyght
yf ye eftesones torne douue your syght
In to thys foule wrecched erthly delle
Loo al that euer your labour hath yow dyght
ye lose when ye loketh in to helle
¶As Duyde in hys boke of Metamorphoseos maketh mētion / and feynynge in manet a fable saynge that Orpheus vvas a curyous harper dvvellyng in Trace / that vvas somtyme a prouynce in the northe syde of Grece. vvyche Orpheus vvas the sonne of Callyope. He harped so lustely / that not only men vvere dravven by hys melody / but also vvyld bestes for very delyte forgete ther kendly corage of fersnesse. And not only thys / but he made ryuers for to stande & forestes for to meue & ten ¶Thys Orpheus had a vvyffe named Erudis / vvyche a shepeherde named Aristeus vvoed & desyred. But Erudis refusynge hys loue fled thorgh a mede / & tredynge vpon a serpent she vvas enuenemed & ded. & vvent to hel. Orpheus soroynge for hys vvyffe & vvyllynge for to dra her out of helle / purposed for to plese the hye goddes vvyth hys melody that they shold restore hym hys vvyffe / but hyt auayled not. Than vvent he to helle / & as thys processe shevveth in the letter / so moche he plesed the goddes of helle vvyth hys melody / that at last vpon a condition hys vvyffe vvas graunted hym / so that he loked not vpon her / tyl that he vvere passed the boundes of helle. But vvhen he vvas nye the boundes / so moche he desyred for to see hys hys vvyffe / that he torned hym & loked vpon her / & a none she vvas gon a geyn to helle vvher she vvas before▪ Thys fable Fulgencius exponeth morally on thys vhyse. ¶By Orpheus ys vnderstand the hyer part of the soule / that ys resonabelte / enformed vvyth vvysedom & eloquence. vvherfore he ys called the sonne of phebus & of Laliope Phebus of the grekes vvas called god of vvysedō. The same ys Apollo. Caliope ys asmoche to say / as goddes sonne. & hyt betokeneth eloquence. so every vvyse mā & eloquent in thys maner of spekynge may be called the sorne of phebus & Caliope. ¶Thys Orpheus bythe svvetnesse of hys harpe / that
[...]
Explicit Liber tercius.
Liber Quartus.
[...]
[...]
But tho that haueth myght to worken ylle
They may not worken al that ys ther wyl
¶Then ys hyt playn & clere y noo to seyn
Thes wycked men that wyckedlych may
Ful lesse of power & of myght they ben
Set thys ther to that I shal after say
Syth myght ys suche a thyng the wyche alway
Ought to be coueted & desyred
And euery thyng that ys to be requyred
¶To good hyt must be referred nede
As to the souereyn hed & pryncypal
But power for to worken wrecchedhed
To good may not referred ben at al
Hyt ys noght then / that be desyred shal
But power shal desyred be by ryght
Than power of the wycked ys no myght
¶Loo of al thys hyt wyl apperen wel
That myghty ben the good folke a lone
And wycked folke be myghty neuer a dele
But weke & myghtles ben they euerychone
The sentence than may be perceued sone
where that Plato wryteth in thys wyse
Do that them leketh only may the wyse
¶For wycked men do workes that them lust
But ther desyre they may not yet fulfylle
what them delyteth that them semeth best
For why they do hyt be hyt neuer so yl
To ther desyre yet may they not a tylle
The wyche they seke in lustes & delytes
For blysfulnesse may not be had by vyce
Metrum ij. Capitulū iiij.
‘Quos vides sedere celsos.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
THes grete kynges ful of cruelte
Shynyng in ther purpur ryally
Syttyng in the heythes of ther see
wythe wylde wordes thretyng cruelly
wyth blastyng woodnesse of ther hertes hye
wythe moche wrecched wepyng by ther syde
Ho so wold fro thes prynces ful of pryde
¶Spoyle them of ther wrecched vayn a ray
Behald & se wel what they be wythyn
Thogh they be lordes wonder stout & gay
In streyt cheynes ben they bound of synne
Fro wyche they may not them selfen wynne
Thes loo ledeth hys lyffe in lechery
That al the world hym speketh velony
¶So ys he trobled by thys passyon
wythe wreth hys mynde ys beten & oppressed
Or heuynesse draeth hym a downe
Or slyper hope hym elles hathe destressed
Loo suche an hed I trou ys euel y blessed
That ys encombred wyth so moche vyce
Hys myght ys to be set at lytel pryce
Prosa iij. Capitulum v.
‘Vides ne igitur.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
ANd seyst thou not the foule vycyous
what fylth thē hath defyled & vnhyght
And the good folke & vertuous
How worthely they shyne fayr & bryght
Of thys hyt may apperen to thy syght
That the wycked folke fayleth neuer of peyn
Ne the good folke ther mede there a geyn
¶That same thynge that meueth any wyght
For to don or worken any dede
[Page] That same thyng I may hyt seyn by ryght
Loo of that worke hyt ys the very mede
Thys shal I preue yf thou wolt taken hyde
For rennyng lyeth a garland for the game
And he that renneth best shal haue the same
¶But souereyn good ys very blysfulnesse
And ys the very ground & cause why
That any maner worke purposed ys
As for to speke of purpose kendly
Than ys thys good purposed comenly
For mannes worke a mede for hys traueyle
Fro good men thys mede may not fayle
¶Ho so lacketh good as semeth in my thoght
Be called good of ryght yet may not he
The good then of mede fayleth noght
Syth ther mede ys verely bounte
Thogh wycked folke be wood in cruelte
And vseth al the malyce that they mowen
yet the wyse man leseth not hys crowen
¶For why ther ys no foreyn wyckednesse
Of men that ben so perylous & proute
That may beryue the kendly worthynesse
That longeth to the good / hyt ys no doute
But yf they had hyt wonnen of wythoute
A nother then myght hyt take a way
Or he that gaue that good / hyt ys no nay
¶But syth the goodnesse of a worthy wyght
Of good maners must be caused nede
when he forleteth them / then ys hyt ryght
That he shold be despoyled of hys mede
But fynally in thys mater to procede
Syth al medes that desyred ben
[Page] Hyt ys for they ben good / or as they wene
¶Of hym that hath thys good ho wyl hyt seyn
That he thys mede lacketh vtterly
None that reson hathe I am certeyn
But what thynge ys thys mede verely
The best thyng & fayrest sekerly
That may be had or hert may deuyse
Thys ys hyt that ys desposed for the wyse
¶A Corrolary hye & precyous
That I the gaue whyler remembre the
wyche al in summe thou shalt assemble thus
Loo syth that god ys thys felycyte
wyche that maketh blysful for to be
Al tho that good workes vsen
And wrecched vyce wyl vtterly refusen
¶And tho that blysful ben thou vnderstond
In a maner goddes that they were
Than ys thys gyft the mede of al good
That no day may consume in no maner
Ne dymynuce hyt may no power
Ne dymmen hyt no other mannes vyce
Thogh wycked folke hyt wold of ther malyce
¶Syth hyt ys so hyt ys wythouten drede
The wycked may not be wythouten peyn
For syth that euel & good / loo peyn & mede
Contraryous ben / then ys hyt clere & pleyn
Syth good ys sure of mede in ful certeyn
The bad ys sure of peynes & of woe
yf one be sothe the other must also
¶Then ys the goodnesse of the good wyght
The reward & the mede of hys goodnesse
And to the wycked by the same ryght
[Page] Ther peyn ys eke ther propre wyckednesse
what euer he be / than sueth hyt expresse
That wyth suche peynes ys he desesed ofte
wyth euel he ys infecte hyt fayleth noght
¶For yf the wycked wold them selfen seyn
Myght they trowen as hyt semeth the
That they wythouten bytter peynes ben
whom loo the vttermest extremyte
Of al wyckednesse & cruelte
Not only hath infected greuously
But eke hym hath infected hugely
¶But now behald that other part vpon
yf any peynes haue the good a greued
Hast y
u not lerned / that al that euer ys one
Is good also / as I haue hyt descryued
Loo consequently than hyt may be preued
As semeth wel that euery thynge that ys
Hyt must also be good hyt ys no mysse
¶I may concluden than that al tho
That fayleth fro thys good rehersed here
He fayleth then for to ben also
The wycked then they be not that they were
For thoh thou se that mannes body there
Ful sothe hyt ys a man he was beforn
By wyckednesse hys kende he hathe forlorn
¶But syth that only vertu & goodnesse
A bouen manhode may a man a reyse
Nedes than ho so vseth wyckednesse
Benethen manhode doune hyt doth hym peyse
And tho so be that many one them preyse
whom that y
u seyst transformed in to vyce
Thou holdest hym not a man yf thou be wyse
[Page] ¶whos lustes brenneth al in couetyce
And ryueth men ther good by vyolence
I leke a wolf thou myght hym wel deuyse
He that ys fers & spareth none offence
And what he sayth he hath no consciens
To make stryffes & dyssention
He ys an hounde as by comparyson
¶And he that wyl a wayten preuely
Foreyn goodes how he may beryuen
A foxe thou myght hym callen skylefully
And whom that cursed Ire doth a meuen
A lyon as in that thou myght hym preuen
He that ys fered & fleeth wythouten nede
An hert thou myght hym calle hyt ys no drede
¶And he that vseth slouth & I delnesse
And wyl not do no workes profytable
Thou myght hym calle a very asse expresse
And he that ys inconstant & vnstable
To fowles myght thou hald hym comparable
And he that ledeth hys lyffe in lechory
Aswyne thou myght hym callen skylefully
¶Hyt semeth than that he y
t hathe forlete
The lyffe of vertu & of honeste
To ben a man in that he hathe forfete
And skylefully forlorn that dygnyte
And ther he myght a god in maner be
Or leke to god in leuyng at lest
Now ys he chaunged to a rude best
Metrū iij. Capitulum vj:
‘Vela Naricii ducis.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
¶The southwest wynd y
t bloweth boustesly
The sayles of the Duke Naricius
[...]
[...]
[Page] But of that we haue graunted here before
As necessary must hyt suen nede
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I asked what phia) ꝙ she now take good hede
More welful ben y
e wycked in ther peyn
Than yf they sholden none at al susteyn
¶But thys ys not my conceyt pryncypally
That comenly men haue in ther deuyse
That wycked folke so peyned ryghtuously
Ther by they ben corrected of ther vyce
And drede of peyn a peseth ther malyce
And that exsample vn to other mo
whythdraeth them fro that they wolden do
¶But in a nother maner wyse I mene
That bad folke wythoute punytion
More vnwelful sykerly they ben
Than yf they suffered none affliction
Not hauyng regard to correction
Ne to exsample / ne to drede of peyn
That moche myschef often dothe refrayn
¶Boectus) ꝙ I what maner wyse may thys be
Other than ye tolden here before
(Phia)
Philosophia) Loo haue not we confessed here ꝙ she
That good men ben welful euermore
And wycked folke ben wrecches & forlore
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) ryght so ꝙ I phia) ꝙ she now say me thyg
What yf that vn to suche a wrecchednesse
¶Yf any part of good were added to
were not he then more welful wylt thou say
Than he that standeth al in myschef so
Fro whom al maner good ys raft a way
Boecius) ꝙ I Hyt semeth so hyt ys no nay
(Phia)
Philosophia) And what ꝙ she yf to thys wrecched man
[Page] Fro whom al maner goodes lacketh than
¶Another harme were Ioyned & y knet
Aboue the myscheffe wyche hathe hym oppressed
woldest y
u not deme hym more vnwelful yet
Than of hys myschef somwhat were relesed
And so by perceyuyng of good repressed
Boecius) ꝙ I How sholde hyt other wyse be
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than haue the wycked certenly ꝙ she
¶Somwhat of good when y
t they ben in peyn
Annexed then vn to hys wrecchednesse
when they ben punysshed so / that ys to seyn
The same peyn that for ther wyckednesse
They suffre / wyche be cause of ryghtuosnesse
wher by that peyn ys geue hyt ys no nay
That self peyn ys good I dare wel say
¶And when that they ben spared of torment
Of thys yuel then haue they somwhat more
That ys the fauour of vnpunysment
Of ryghtuous peynes that they ben forbore
The wyche as thou hast graunted here before
Syth peyn ys dwe rewarde of felony
Vnpunysment ys euel sykerly
Boecius) I may not thys denyen thogh I wolde
(Phia)
Philosophia) The wicked thē vnpunyshed so with wrōg
So more vnsely ben they many a folde
Then when by ryghtuous dome they vnderfong
Vengeance for ther synne & soroes strong
Syth ryghtuousnesse tormenteth trespasours
Than ys hyt wrong to sparen surfetours
¶
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Denyen thys ꝙ I ther may no wyght
(Phia)
Philosophia) May any man ꝙ she denyen thys
That al ys good that euer ys don by ryght
[Page] And al that euer ys wrong ys wyckednesse
Boecins) And thys ꝙ I ys consequent y wysse
To that ye houe concluded loo whyle ere
But now I pray yow one thyng say me hyre
¶When that the body resolued ys by deth
Shal the soule suffern any peyn
(Phia)
Philosophia) when y
t the soule out of the body geth
Ful hugy ꝙ she / take hyt in certeyn
For somme ful bytter peynes shal susteyn
And somme shal be purged al wyth grace
To treten here of thys / we haue no place
¶But I haue vn to thys that ys in me
Ful don my deuer that thou shuldest knowen
The myght of shrewes / wyche as semeth the
In them ys ful vnworthely bestowen
Hyt ys no power verely to trowen
And there as thou complaynest in thy thoght
That wycked folkes ben y punysshed noght
¶Ther myght y
u seyn the wycked for ther synne
To faylen neuer of peynes sykerly
But that they may ther wycked purpose wynne
wythe lycence for to worken wyckedly
Thou dyst pray to ben ended hastely
And I haue made the clerely for to know
That hyt ne lesteth but a lytel throw
¶And that the lenger that endureth tho
The more wrecches ben they I the tolde
And yf they shulden euer endure so
Than were they wrecches more a thousand folde
And more wrecches eke y
u myght them holde
when they wyth wrong of peynes ben relesed
Thē whē they be wyth ryghtuous peyn oppressed
[Page] ¶And ouer thys yet shal I furder sayn
Loo of thys sentence sueth consequent
Than ar the bad in most despytous payn
Whan that they seme they haue no punysment
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I seyd than / when I wyth hole entent
Behald your resons how ye doth them preue
No thyng ys sother sayd as I beleue
¶But to the Iugement of mannes wyt
That ys not meued by suche euydence
Ho ys that man that wyl beleuen hyt
Or deme hyt worthy any audyence
They troweth no thyng but experyence
(Phia)
Philosophia) As thou hast seyd ꝙ she ryght so hyt ys
For yees that ben vsed to derknesse
¶The lyght of treuthe may they not behold
As foules that ben wont to fle by nyght
For to be seyn a day they be not bolde
For why the day ys blyndyng to ther syght
But nyghtes derknesse maketh ther yees bryght
So men infect wyth lustes & lekynges
Haue no regard to the ordynance of thynges
¶For they supposeth that suche sufferance
Or vnpunyshment of cursedhede
Shold a man to welfulnesse avaunce
But in the law eternal mayst thou rede
yf thou do wel thou hast no maner nede
To aske a Iuge for thy recompence
For thou hast set thy self in excellence
¶And yf thou haue thy selfen wyllyngly
Enclyned vn to synne & wrecchednesse
To seke no vengeour of thy felony
wythout thyself hyt nedeth not y wysse
[Page] For thou hast set thy self in wyckednesse
And made the leke vn to a rude best
And put the in peynes that euer shal lest
Ryght as thou woldest cast thy syght a boute
Now to grounde & now to heuen lyght
Al other causes cessyng of wythoute
Be cause of thyne vnstablenesse of syght
Now woldest thou seme wyth the sterres bryght
And now ryght in thys moddy ground to be
But comen people thys can they not se
¶
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I asked than what thys shold mene
(Phia)
Philosophia) Shulde we ꝙ she consenten vn to thes
wyche we haue shewed that leke to bestes ben
yf one of them wyche y
t the lust deuyse
Loo had forlorn hys syght in any wyse
Al vtterly / & also furdermore
Had al forgete that euer he saw be fore
¶And weneth hym want no thynge vtterly
Of mannes natural perfection
Now we that thys behaldeth verely
Shulde we acorde to ther entention
And not beleue our awne inspection
Shuld we not troue that suche men ben blynde
And wel the blynder for ther mased mynde
¶And thynges that as lekely may be preued
By resons of as myghty foundement
Of suche folke they may not be beleued
That suche wycked men & vyolent
when they desese a symple Innocent
lWel more vnsely ben they in the dede
Than tho that suffereth al ther wrangfulhede
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Tho resons sayd I wold I heren fayn
wylt thou denye hym worthe care & peyn
Boecius) Nay ꝙ I that haue ye not of me
(Phia)
Philosophia) Then more vnsely must they nedes be
Suche that ledeth ther lyffes cursedly
Boecius) Ryght as ye sayn ryght so hyt ys ꝙ I
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) And tho ꝙ she y
t worthy ben torment
wylt thou not deme them wrecches in that case
Boecius) yes ꝙ I hyt ys ful conuenyent
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she yf thou sholdest. Iugen in thys place
And myghtest do vengeance or elles grace
whom woldest y
u demen worthy to be honge
whether hym y
t dothe or hym that suffereth wrōge
¶
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) To hym ꝙ I y
t had the wronges don
I wold a Iugen suffysance of peyn
The pacyent so shold be a venged sone
That he shold haue no mater to complayn
(Phia)
Philosophia) More wrecched ys y
e worcher wylt y
u sayn
ꝙ she than he that soffereth euery dele
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I ryght so hyt sueth wel
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) Of thes causes & of other mo
That of the self rote suyngly
Enforced ben / hyt wyl apperen loo
That the fylthe of synnes kendly
Ryght of the self synnes proprely
Tho men they maketh wrecches for to be
That vseth vyces & dyshoneste
¶The wrong also ys not the wrecchednesse
Of hym that suffereth harmes & greuance
But in sothe the wrecchednesse ys hys
That wrongusly hathe don hym a noyance
But pledours don in thys contraryance
[Page] That so the Iuges vnto mercy meuen
A genst them y
t wronges doth agreuen
¶For sykerly y
e pyte longeth more
To hem that hath vnthryftyfully wrought
And as the seke a leche ys led before
So shold he be before y
e Iuge y broght
Of pyteous accusours and wroth noght
That wyth y
e peyn as wyth a sotel gynne
Cowde cutte a wey the malady of synne
¶And thus the besynes of aduocates
Schuld be forleten & men schuld hyt refusen
Or yf they wold approuen men algates
Al other wyse they schuld there offyce vsen
And tho y
t so mysdone alwey accusen
And yf these wrecches also furthermore
Mygth sene the vertu y
t they haue forlore
¶Sith that boūte wyth peynes may be had
And fylthe of vyce ben vtterly fordone
To suffre peynes schuld he be ful glad
Ne peynes sothly schuld he hold them none
Hys aduocates forsaken shuld he sone
And to the Iuge he shuld hem selfe be take
That myght hem hole of al hys synnes make
¶Than ys hit so y
t as a genst the wyse
Is left no place of hate hyt ys ful soth
Hoo wyl the good haten or despyte
But a fole y
t wote not what he doth
And thogh y
e badde be to the ful loth
To haten hem yet haue ye no reson
But rather haue of them compassion
¶for as sekenesse y
e body doth greuance
Rygth so ys vyce a maner malady
[Page] The wyche the soule oppresseth wyth noyance
And as we sholde not demen skylefully
Hym worthy hate that seke ys bodely
But rwen rather on hys peynes sore
Then goostly languor shold ous meuen more
¶Hyt ys not conuenyent to haten ne persue
The soules that oppressed ben wyth vyce
But rather on ther bytter peynes rwe
And ho that coude (not meued wyth malyce)
That man a menden wyth ful good aduyse
Thogh that he put hym to ful bytter peyn
Of cruelte ther may no wyght complayn
Metrū iiij. Capitulū viij.
‘Quid tantos iuuat.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
WHat helpeth hyt to meuen or excyte
wyth ꝓper handes your happes besely
For yf ye seke deth hyt nedeth lyte
For he wyl come hymselfen wyllyngly
He taryeth not he spedeth hym hastely
Loo serpent / Leon / Tygre / Bore / & Bere
They seketh yow to a racen & to tere
¶And ye wyth swerde eche other doth assayle
For cause that your maners ben dyuers
Vnryghtuously so meueth ye batayl
wyth enterchaungyng dartes for to perse
your cruelte / your reson doth reuerse
wolt thou that euery man hys meret had
Loo loue the good / & rwe vpon the bad
Prosa v. Capitulū ix.
‘Hinc video inquam.’
Boecius loquitur.
¶In thys ꝙ I I perceyue euery dele
Bothe the myschef & the welfulnesse
[Page] As for the mede of them that worcheth wel
And eke of them also that done a mysse
But neuertheles alday I se wel thys
That of fortune to wyche the people hedeth
Bothe good & euel ful often tyme procedeth
¶Ne ther ys no wyse man as I gesse
That rather wolde be poure & nameles
And in exyle / than flouresh in ryches
In power & in honour to encresse
And in hys cyte for to dwelle in pece
Thys ys the best way as I deuyse
To profyt by the offyce of the wyse
¶So may ther blyssfulnesse / hyt ys no doute
As by the vertu of ther gouernance
Be wel transfunded in to folke a boute
That ben commytted to ther ordynance
But than / thys myn hert doth greuance
Syth hyt ys so that lauful prysonment
Dyuers Ingynnes / peynes & torment
¶For wycked folke were fyrst ordeyned
And vn to them hyt longeth skylefully
why ys hyt then that good men beth peyned
And in ther stede oppressed greuously
And mede that to vertu properly
Of very ryght ys pertynent & dwe
Thes medes haue the wycked & vntrwe
¶What ys the skyle of thys confusyon
That so vnryghtuous semeth for to be
Of yow I wolde haue Information
For lesse merueyl sholde hyt be to me
yf al thynges stode in thys degre
Medled al wyth fortune & wyth chaunce
[Page] And had at al none other gouernance
¶But god y
t ys the gouerner of al
Lo maketh me a stoned as in this
Sith Ioy & welthes often doth befal
To good folke. & often tyme y wysse
The wycked be in care and heuynesse
And often tyme the badde ther ageyn
Ben in there lustes & the good in peyn
¶But yf ther be some skyle or euydence
why god rewardeth folke in thys manere.
As thynketh me ther ys no dyfference
But hap and fortune rewleth al y fere
(Phia)
Philosophia) Of thys ꝙ sche I wōdre nought as here
Sith thou ne coudest y
e skyle of ordynance
Thogh thou meruele vpon the gouernance
¶And hald hyt foly & confusyon
But thogh to the y
e causes beth vnknow
As of so hye a dysposytion
wham so hym lust to setten hye or low
Syth he ys good as thou must nedes trow
That al gouerneth / take thys for a sothe
That al ys ryghtuous what y
t euer he dothe
Metrū v. Capitulum x.
‘Si quis arcturi sidera’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
HE that knoweth not the causes why
Ne how hyt ys / in sothe he can not sayn
That the sterre arcturus goeth so nye
Meuynge a bowte the pole souereyn
And why Boetes resteth not hys weyn
And he hys flammes plongeth down so late
And why so sone he ryseth este algate
¶Hyt ys no dowte he shal be stoned sone
[Page] As of the law of hye heuen bryght
why that the hornes of the ful mone
So infected wyth the derke nyght
Becometh pale / & the sterres lyght
wyche that she hydde wyth her bemes clere
Dyscouerynge them / she maketh to ous appere
¶And open errour maketh foules blynd
That beteth bras the mone to reskewen
Men wondreth noght vpon the stormy wynd
That maketh the see so fersly for to flowen
That doth the brenkes bete & ouerthrowen
Ne that the cold forsen clottes grete
So ben resolued by the sonnes hete
¶The cause of thys ys esy to be feled
Thes other ar hyd / therefore ye wonder so
For al that falleth sodenly & seld
Thus wondreth thes meueable folkes loo
And yf thys clowdy errour passe them fro
So that they myght the very causes se
They shold not semen wonderful to be
Prosa vj. Capitulum xi.
‘Ita est inquam.’
Boecius loquitur.
RIght so ꝙ I thys wyl I not reuerse
But loo thys gyfte ys youres sykerly
Thes pryme causes wyche that ye reherse
And resons hyd in clowdes mystycally
To maken clere / thys one thyng coueyt I
Hyt ys a thyng that trobleth most my mynde
And wyth merueyl marred / I me fynde
(Phia)
Philosophia) She gan to smyle a lytel & sayd than
Thou askest now of me a questyon
Loo of the hyest thyng that any man
[Page] May asken at myn estymation
Or may perceyue by clere entention
To wyche vnnethes may ther ought suffyce
Of any word that I can the deuyse
¶Suche ys the mater that we ben a boute
The wyche to knowen thou desyrest so
That when we ben delyuered of a doute
wythouten nombre sone ryseth mo
That ben wel nye as hard to a voyden fro
As heddes that one dragon encresse
The serpent that was slayn of Hercules
¶Ne in thys mater ys none other ende
Ne how thes grete doutes to redressen
But that a lyfly fyre of mannes mynde
Must myghtly restrayn them & repressen
For otherwyse thou shalt them not expressen
For loo in thys men vseth to enquere
Thus fel as I shal the rehercen here
¶Fyrst of the wonderful symplycyte
Of the hye dyuyne purueyance
Of fatum that men calleth desteney
Of fortune that ys called soden chaunce
Of knowyng & of goddes ordynance
That ys called predestination
And eke of fredom of election
¶How hugyous ys thys mater wyth to dele
Thou knowest hyt wel thy self hyt ys no nay
But syth hyt ys a parcel of thyn hele
To knowen thys / I shal do what I may
Thou that the tyme be short I shal a say
Syth I haue sayd the somwhat here before
I shal my self enforcen furdermore
[Page] ¶And thogh so be that musyke the delyte
And metre ys ful lusty to thyn ere
As for a tyme that lust must thou respyte
The whyle that I in ordre knette in fere
My resons wyche I shal the shewen here
Boeciꝰ) Ryght as ye lust ꝙ I / & she began
As hyt were al a nother processe than
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) Loo euery kendly generation
Of al thynges be they more or lesse
And euery natural progress you
That in hys beyng hathe chaungeablenesse
And what that euer hyt be that meued ys
Ther ordre / forme & causes forthe ben broght
Fro the stable hye dyuyne thoght
¶Thys souereyn thoght that al doth so deuyse
Set in the toure of hye symplycyte
Hathe ordeyned many dyuers maner wyse
To thynges that ben don / loo wylt thou se
And yf thys maner of desposytion referred be
Vn to the pure dyuyne intellygence
Than ys hyt purueyance or prescience
¶But when thys same maner referred ys
To thynges that ben meued & gouerned
As olde men haue called hyt er thys
Than ys hyt desteny as I haue lerned
Ful sone ys thys dyuersyte dyscerned
Of hym that seeth the myghtes of them bothe
And esely he shal wel se the sothe
¶For purueyance loo ys that reson hye
Of good our aller prynce souereyn
By wyche / al he desposeth myghtely
But desteny the very sothe to sayn
[Page] Loo ys that dysposytion certeyn
wyche thes thynges ben annexed to
That of ther kendes ben meueable so
¶By wyche the hye dyuyne prescience
Al thynges in ther ordynance enlaceth
Thys purueyance loo hath thys excellence
That al thyng at ones he enbraceth
Fro hys presence ys no thynge that passeth
Thogh they be Infynyte & endles
Yet al he comprehendeth neuertheles
¶But desteny in certen tyme & space
Syngulerly dyuydeth euery dele
Desposyng hyt in meuyng tyme & place
And when that thys desposyng temporel
Is comprehended & referred wel
Vn to the onehed of goddes gouernance
Than ys hyt sothly called purueyance
¶But for to haue consyderation
How they dyuyded in dyuers tymes be
That self ordre of thys desposytion
Than ys hyt hothly called desteny
And thogh they haue suche dyuersyte
yet neuertheles ther may no thyng be sother
Then y
t one of them dependeth of y
e other
¶For of y
e symplycyte of purveyance
Thys ordre fatal certen doth procede
Ther ys the forme of al that ordynance
Ryght as a crafty man that wyl hym spede
A worke to maken / fyrst he taketh hede
And al the shappe desposeth in hys mynde
And syth the effect he bryngeth to the ende
¶As he hath fyrst deuysed euery dele
[Page] And in hys thoght enprented symplely
He bryngeth forthe by ordre temporel
Ryght so god al purueyeth syngulerly
And to be don desposeth stablely
And when hyt fully ys desposed so
By desteny he maketh hyt to be do
¶And whether thys exercyse destynal
By any spyrytes of the heuen on hye
That to thys purueyance entendeth al
Or yf the soule doth hyt verely
Or elles nature doth hyt kendly
Or the meuyng of the sterres bryght
Or elles angeles of the heuen lyght
¶Other elles by the fendes besynesse
By som of thes other by al in fere
Thys ordre destynal performed ys
yet loo thys ys ful open & ful clere
And nedes hyt must be so in al manere
That the stable & symple ordynance
Of thyng to don ys called purueyance
¶But loo / the processe of successyon
In wyche they ben performed suyngly
By the symple dysposytion
Fore seyn of god be forn eternally
Loo desteny men calle hyt sykerly
So al that euer ys vnder desteny
So must hyt vnder purueyance be
¶As ys the self desteny also
And to that self purueyance bothe
Som thynges ben subiect that ben y do
As after thys I shal declaren to the
That a geyn stondeth desteny for sothe
[Page] And some to god approcheth so by loue
That ordre destynal they passe a boue
¶As dyuers compace on one poynt y pyght
Vpon the centre tornyng al a boute
The Innermest compace to thy syght
The wyche nexte to the centre ys wythoute
A centre wyl hyt seme / hyt ys no doute
And semeth as hyt meueth neuer a dele
A boute wyche so meueth al the whyle
¶But thys vttermest circumference
That to thy syght ys largest in compace
And ferrest fro thys poynt in dyfference
So must he meuen in a larger space
And he that negheth to that myddel place
Compressed next to that symplycyte
He cesseth for to meuen as semeth the
¶By lekely reson he that ferrest fleteth
Fro the souereyn thoght of god on hye
To desteny the faster he hym knetteth
And he that can & wyl approchen nye
Thys souereyn centre-god ententyfly
The more he stondeth in fredom & in ese
That desteny shal lytel hym desese
¶Ryght as dyscours of reson may not be mete
Vn to the Intellect of mannes mynde
Ne thyng that ys / to thyng that ys not yete
Ne a lytel stound to tyme wythouten ende
May not be leke in worthynesse of kende
But as the poynt to the circumference
Betwene them ys an hugey dyfference
¶Ryght so thys fatayl mutabylyte
That alway ys so ful of varyance
[Page] Referred to the hye symplycyte
Of the stable & souereyn purueyance
wyche that heuens hathe in gouernance
He meueth sterres / he tempereth elementes
Transformyng them by enterchaungementes
¶And al y
t nature doth on erthe brede
And so bydeth / shal fallen downe efte sone
Renewyng them by frutes & by sede
He seeth also the workes that ye done
And fortunes he gouerneth euerych one
Constreynynge wyth an Insoluble bonde
Of causes wyche that may not be wythstonde
¶And syth thes causes passen fro so hye
A grounde / as purueyance vnuaryable
Than may I say ful wel & sothfastly
That nedes must hyt ben vntransmutable
That gouernance / & most profytable
when thys symplycyte of dyuyne thoght
Ordeyneth causes wyche that fayleth noght
¶Thus in a certeyn ordre sothe to sayn
That stedfast ys & hyt may faylen neuer
And but thys ordre gouerne & refrayn
Thys wordly thynges wyche that chaungeth euer
Ful sone they shal dyssoluen & desseuer
Fletynge / ryght as thynge of no valour
And whaueryng so wythouten gouernour
¶And thogh so be that we may not beholde
The causes of thys desposytion
Ne se the skyleful ordre as we sholde
Ther fore be we in perturbation
Hyt semeth ous errour & confusion
Yet ys hyt dressed yf we vnderstode
[Page] And wel desposed euery dele to good
¶For cause of euel ys no thyng verely
Performed of the worst man that ys
For as I haue declared plenerly
They seketh good / but they ben led a mysse
By errour of ther owne wrecchednesse
For why that ordre wyche that doth procede
Fro souereyn good / hyt may no wyght myslede
¶But vn to thys perauenture wylt thou say
What confusion may ther wors be
Syth good & badde indyfferent alday
Now haue they welthe & now aduersyte
Now that they loue / now y
t they wolden fle
But wylt thou trow that men be now so wyse
That euery thyng must be as they deuyse
¶As whom them lust to Iugen good or badde
Of very force hyt must be nedes so
In mannes dome dyscorde ful ofte ys hadde
For of thes one man / thes wyl demen loo
That he ys worthy moche peyn & woo
And thes wyl deme hym worthy thanke & mede
And yet the one must be deceyued nede
¶But lete ous graunten here that any wyght
The good & badde may verely dyscerne
Now trowest thou y
t they ben of suche a myght
For to enserche the Innermest thoght
Of mannes gost & al that he hath wroght
And clerely Iugen therof euery dowte
As men ar wont of bodyes here wythoute
¶As for to Iuge ther attemperure
Of dyuersyte of ther complexion
As gretly wondreth euery creature
[Page] That knoweth not by clere inspection
Ther kendes ne ther dysposytions
why thes accordeth wel wyth thynges swete
Thes other most haue sowre & swete forlete
¶And seke folkes ben y cured ofte
Somme wyth sharpe thynges sykerly
And somme by thynge that esy ys & softe
But thys the leche knoweth verely
That knoweth the maner of the malady
Ther temperure & maner of ther hele
Of thys dyscorde he wondreth neuer a dele
¶And what may be the helthe of thy corage
But honeste & vertu most of pryce
what sekenesse may thy soule do damage
But vnhoneste & cursednesse of vyce
But now what creature may be so wyse
To sauen helthe & a voyden heuynesse
No wyght but god in certen as I gesse
¶He ys the very leche of mannes mynde
That fro the waytyng of hys purueyance
He seeth what ys acordant to the kende
Of euerych that he hathe in gouernance
And for them so he maketh ordynance
To euerych as belongeth to hys helthe
whether that ye deme hyt woo or welthe
¶Than ys thys noble wondre to your thoght
And merueyl of thys ordre destynal
when god al cōnynge / hathe that work y wroght
Hyt stoneth them that knoweth noght at al
For mannes connyng certen ys but smal
And mannes reson lytel may dyffyne
Of thynges in the souereyn thoght dyuyne
[Page] ¶Perauenture thou wylt demen of a wyght
That he ys Iust & trwe in hys entent
yet in the purueyance of goddes syght
Ther falleth al a nother Iugement
And a dome that ys fer dyfferent
Loo as Lucanus my famylyer
In hys bokes wrote of thys mater
¶The cause conuyct as Cato gan deuyse
He demed best / that was Pompeius
But loo the goddes Iuged other wyse
They demed Iust the cause of Iulius
Wherfore they maden hym vyc
[...]oryous
So thynges don outwardly to thy syght
Yet ys hyt don by ordynance of ryght
¶But yet as to thyn opynable wyt
Hyt semeth ouerthorte confusyon
But perauenture I suppose yet
Here ys som man of suche condytion
That in the dome ys no dystynction
But god & man accordeth al in one
In Iugement that errour ys ther none
¶But vpon happe so feynt hys corage ys
That yf ther falle hym other than he wolde
Hyt sholde hym causen for to don a mysse
And to forlete hys good custumes olde
By wyche / fortune myght he not wyth holde
wher fore the wyse dyspensation
Regardynge to hys dysposytion
¶And seyng that by suche aduersyte
He sholde be moche apeyred & y shent
For why he spareth hym of hys pyte
And geueth hym so as ys conuenyent
[Page] That he may kepe hym tru & Innocent
And thes loo stont in vertu perfetly
And as a saynt ys Ioyned god ful nye
¶Of thes the hye dyuyne purueyance
Wold deme hyt as for synne & felony
To put vpon hym harmes or greuance
He wyl hym noght be harmed bodely
Ne be desesed by no malady
Thus sayd one that of wysedom was fulfylled
That vertu hathe a sayntes body bylded
¶And often when astate of worthynesse
And gouernance ys geuen to the wyse
That ys for to rebuken & represse
The vyce that wold encressen & a ryse
And som he ruleth in a nother wyse
And as hym leketh enterchaungeth bothe
Ryght as best ys for them hyt ys the sothe
¶And som he suffreth softly to be greued
Lest they outrage in ther welthes long
And som wyth sharpe showres to be meued
That vertu of ther corage euer a mong
By vse of pacyence be preued strong
And be confermed by that exercyse
And som because of very cowardyce
¶Ful nedeles of moche thyng they drede
wyche they may wel performe y
e sothe to sayn
And thes loo ys ful hardy in hys dede
Presumyng more then he may susteyne
To thes expedyent hyt ys ther a geyn
To know them selfen by experyence
And thes loo for a name of excellence
¶Ful manly wyth deth he hath hyt boght
[Page] And so he hath susteyned peynes sore
As for exsample euer to be thoght
That men may seyn by thynges don be fore
That vertu hathe Inuict ben euermore
And ys not harmed by aduersyte
But yf defaute of men them selfen be
¶How ryghtuously desposed al a bowte
And loo how wel thes thynges ben y do
Ho so loketh thys / he may not ben in dowte
And for ther profet wham they falleth to
For to the wycked that betydeth so
That now they haue desese & now ther lust
To thes same causes may be wyste
¶But when they ben in peynes & dystresse
Ther ys no wyght that wondreth neuer a dele
For why they al wyl suppose & gesse
That
[...] peynes were deserued wel
And thes peynes that thes wrecches fele
Maketh other wrecches peynes for to fere
And often foule vyces to forbere
¶And also for ther awne amendement
But thynges fallyng lusty to ther chyre
Hyt geueth men a myghty argument
what they shold demen of thes welthes here
Syth they to wrecches be famylyer
And certenly I suppose as in thys
That god despenseth wyth ther frowardnesse
¶For som men ben ther loo perauenture
That ben so importune in ther malyce
And eke so ouerthrowyng of nature
That nede them maketh fallen in to vyce
But than thys prescyence that ys so wyse
[Page] A genst the perel of thys malady
By wordly plentey maketh remedy
¶Loo thes behaldeth on hys consciens
Defouled so wyth synne & cursedhede
And seyth how grete a dysconuenyence
Than ys betwene hys fortune & hys dede
Perauenture he falleth so in drede
Lest that the vse of thyng that doth hym ese
He may forfete & by hys synnes lese
¶He chaungeth than hys customes euerychone
Hym fereth so hys fortune to forlete
And al hys vyces he forsaketh sone
And thes hath loo thes wordly welthes grete
To wyche in sothe hys meret ys vnmete
And sodenly the wrecche ys ouerthrowen
And set at noght as hys desertes awen
¶And som haue pouer & auctoryte
Loo whom them lust to punysshen & dystrayn
So that hyt may vn to the good be
An exercyse of vertu the sothe to sayn
And to the wycked man a cause of peyn
For ryght as good & bad dyscordeth euer
Ryght so bad them selfe accordeth neuer
And why not / syth hyt falteth euery day
That they dyscorden in them selfen so
Ther conscience repreueth them alway
And often tyme hyt falleth that they do
Som dede / y
t when the tyme ys ouer go
Them self they demeth in ther awne thought
That better had that dede ben vnwroght
¶Thys purueyaunce yf ye hyt vnderstode
Hyt worcheth here a wonder to your hert
[Page] By bad men the bad he maketh good
And fro ther vyces wonderly conuert
For when the foules fele them felfen smert
when other wrecches hathe them harmed sore
Hyt falleth that they hateth them ther fore
¶And whyle they coueyt vn to s
[...]che men
To be vnleke / that vseth suche vnryght
To frute of vertu they resorteth than
For only thys ys thyng of goddes myght
Ryght as hyt leketh hym / hyt ys but lyght
That bad thyng ys good as he deuyseth
when good effectes of the bad a ryseth
¶For why in ordre al thyng embraceth
And what that fleteth fro thys ordynance
In to another ordre than hyt passeth
For in the realme of certen purueyaunce
That myghty god hath in hys gouernaunce
Ther may no thyng be done vncertenly
Ne but hyt haue a skyleful cause why
¶For vn to man in sothe hyt langeth not
To know al hys wonderful engyne
As of the workes wyche that ben y wroght
So by the hye purueyaunce dyuyne
Ne them wyth wordes fully dyffyne
No creature hathe that habylyte
But only thys suffyseth / hyt to se
¶That god the fyrst founder of nature
Al thyng to good desposeth he & dresseth
So fer forthe that in euery creature
The lekenesse of hym self he empresseth
And for to kepen thys / loo he represseth
Al wycked thynges fro hys gouernaunce
[Page] A voydyng hyt by fatal ordynaunce
¶For why yf thou marke wel in thy mynde
The purueyaunce that al thyng desposeth
Ther ys no thyng that y
u shalt bad fynd
Thogh so be y
t thy wyttes so supposeth
For euery thyng wythyn hyt self encloseth
Som maner cause of good hyt ys no drede
wher of som other goodes shal procede
¶But yet whyler I saw the wexen faynt
As for the wyghtes of my questyon
Thys long processe hathe the sore atteynt
Som swete thyng of delectation
Thou askest for a recreation
Haue tast of thys & strenger shalt thou be
Than / & hegher to ascende after me
Metrū vj. Capitulum xj.
‘Si vis celsi iura tonātis.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
TOo yf thou wylt behold ententyfly
wyth al the clere myghtes of thy mend
The lawes of our souereyn god on hey
Vp in to heuen thou must thy wyttes send
There euery thyng doth kepe hys cours of kende
The sterres wyth a ryghtuous allyaunce
They kepeth there ther olde gouernauuce
¶And loo the bryght sonne hyt ys no doute
The cold mone letteth neuer a dele
And Vrsa wyche that meueth rounde a boute
The pole artyke ryght as hyt were a whele
Her olde cours she kepeth wonder wele
Thogh other sterres meue in to the west
To a byden ther a boue she leketh best
¶And Hesperus the eue sterre clere
[Page] Loo sheweth hym self before the derke nyght
And the lustey sterre Lucifer
He bryngeth by este a geyn the day lyght
Thys perdurable cours they kepeth ryght
Thus al dyscord by enterchaunged loue
Loo ys exyled from the heuen a boue
¶Thys same accorde of loue by stoundes mete
Attempereth eke the fyghtyng elementes
That drouth may accorde wyth the wete
That hete & colde may haue conuenyence
And though they kepe ther kendly resistence
The lyght fyre yet algates vp asceudeth
And the heuy erthe contrary way descendeth
¶And by causes of the self reson
Swete floures spryngeth lustely
In the fayre fyrst somer season
And so the hote somer suyngly
Maketh the corn to rypen hastely
And so autumpnus bryngeth forth hys blede
Lusty frutes folkes for to fede
¶Thys same attemperaunce hyt ys no nay
The wynter so be dweth wyth the rayn
Al leuyng thyng hyt norysseth soth to say
And efte wyth deth retorneth downe a geyn
The whyles sytteth the maker souereyn
welle & grounde both lorde & kyng ys he
Law / & wyse Iuge of equyte
¶The reynes of the world he hath in hand
So makyng hyt to meuen & to go
A restyng efte he maketh hyt to stande
For thyng that fletteh euer to & fro
But yf that he enstabelysshe hyt so
[Page] Compellyng hyt to meuen in to rounde
Hyt must nedes faylen fro hys grounde
¶And fro the ordre wyche they now obserue
Thys loue comen to euery creature
Coueyteth them to kepen & conserue
The ende of good that ground ys of nature
For in other wyse may they not endure
But loue retorne them in to vnyte
Of god on hye that caused them to be
Prosa vij. Capitulū xiij.
‘Iam ne igitur vides.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
ANd seyst thou not ꝙ she what sueth here
Vpon al that we haue rehersed now
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I asked what phia) ꝙ she yt ys ful
That al fortune ys good boeꝰ) y asked how (clere
(Phia)
Philosophia) Ful sone ꝙ she that shal I shew the now
Thou vnderstandest wel that thys ys sothe
That euery fortune Iustey ys or lothe
¶Yet ben they geuen for an exercyse
Of vertu to the good or elles thus
As for a guerdonyng vn to the wyse
Or they ben geuen to the vycyous
To punyshe them that ben malycyous
Or to correct them of ther mysdede
Thys ys the very cause hyt ys no drede
¶And al that euer ys Just & profytable
wylt thou not hold hyt good
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I sayd yes
For why hyt sueth ryght as resonable
To that ye haue rehersed here y wys
Of purueyance & desteny er thys
Ful fermely your sentence ys y knytte
But saeth me one thyng yf yow leketh yet
[Page] ¶As ye haue put be fore a lytel er
Acounteth fortune now in thys degre
ye sayden that a rude comyner
Can not beleue / ne wyl hyt not se
(Phia)
Philosophia) And wherto shal I speke of that ꝙ she
Boeꝰ ꝙ I thys speche of men ys vsed wyde
That euel fortune to som men doth betyde
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) And wylt y
u ꝙ she y
t we negh nere
Vn to the comen vsed speche than
Lest them seme that I go to ferre
A bouen al the comen vse of man
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) As leketh yow ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) & she began
Demest y
u not good that causeth good to encresse
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) yes ꝙ I for sothe I may Iuge no lesse
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) Now al that vertu ys enforced by
Other that correcteth any dede
Doth hyt not profyten) Boecius) yes ꝙ I
(Phia)
Philosophia) Than ys hyt good ꝙ she wythouten drede
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I thys must I graūten nede
(Phia)
Philosophia) But thys ꝙ she to them dothe aperteyn
That grounded ben in vertu y
e sothe to seyn
¶That taketh bateyl wyth suche auentures
whythstandyng them wyth myghty pacience
Or hyt perteyneth to tho creatures
That haue ledde ther lyffe in insolence
And so to vertu doth ther dylygence
Ther to enforsed wyth aduersyte
Boecius) & thys ꝙ I may not denyed be
(Phia)
Philosophia) But when ꝙ she fortune of lustynesse
To good men ys geuen for ther mede
Is hyt then bad? wyl thes folkes gesse
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I sayd nay ful ryght they wyl hyt rede
[Page] That thys fortune ys good wythouten drede
(Phia)
Philosophia) And what ꝙ she when fortune anguysous
Is bestowed vpon the vycyous
¶To peyn them for ther synnes ryghtuously
whether wyl they deme hyt good or noght
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Good wyl they not Iugen hyt ꝙ I
But wrecchednesse y
e worst that may be thoght
(Phia)
Philosophia) Behald ꝙ she now where we ben y broght
As suynge thys vulgare opynyon
In to a meruelous conclusyon
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I asked what
(Phia)
Philosophia) hyt sueth here ꝙ she
Of that we haue confessed plenerly
Lo that ther may no wycked fortune be
To suche that haveth vertu perfetly
Or to tho that encresseth ought ther by
Or tho that doth in vertu fyrst begynne
To vertu so conuerted fro ther synne
¶And they that dwelleth in ther wyckednesse
what fortune that them falle of wel or woo
Hyt ys myschef to them & wrecchednesse
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) In sothe ꝙ I hyt sueth wel ther to
Thogh no man wyl hyt graunt yet ys hyt so
(Phia)
Philosophia) For why she sayd a wyse & perfet man
Sholde not so sore grogen than
¶When fortune as a foo doth hem assayle
Ryght as a strong man sholde hym not dysdeyn
When that he hyreth rumour of batayl
But therof shold he be ful glad & fayn
For suche destresse a mater ys certeyn
For to conferme thes one in sapience
Thes other in astate of excellence
¶For then her name vertu vseth ryght
[Page] Al only when hyt stont in thys degre
when hyt enforceth of hys propre myght
To be not ouerthroen by aduersyte
And to yow that in encrece of vertu be
Hyt belongeth not to lede a lusty lyffe
wyth euery fortune haue ye taken stryffe
¶And a bateyl wonder sharpe & kene
Loke how ye can yow kepe in thys dystresse
To set your selfen in a myghty mene
So that her sorowes no thyng yow oppresse
Ne that ye be not by her lustynesse
Corrupt / for al that a boue thys mene a ryseth
Or ys benethe / felycyte despyseth
¶And shal no mede as for hys labour take
For in your awne handes put ys hyt
your propre fortune / wyche ye wyl make
For yf hyt seme sharpe vn to your wyt
Loo exercyse of vertu geueth hyt
Or elles yow conuerteth fro your synne
Or punysseth yow that wyl a byde theryn
AGamenon the vengeour of heleyue
A bateyl held of ȝerus twyes fyue
So he destroyed troy & wanne a geyn
The same helyue y
t was hys
brod wyffe
But when he fyrst gan styre hym to that stryffe
Hym lacked wynde to sayle on the flod
And sone he boght hyt wyth hys doghter blod
¶And so he made hym selfen pyteles
In sacryfyce he sloo hys doghter dere
Also when that noble Vlixes
In the see had sayled many yere
He wepte hys mayne wyth a ruthful chere
[Page] For Poliphemus daryng in hys denne
So fersly had deuoured al hys men
¶But Vlixes ful warely gan espye
whan that thys Poliphemus was a slepe
And sodenly than put he oute hys ye
And Poliphemus tho be gan to lepe
And for malyce & anguyshe weyle & wepe
wher of Vlixes was ful blythe & gladde
In vengeance of the harmes that he hadde
¶And Hercules gate hym a noble name
By labours wyche that hard were & grete
Fyrst the proude Centaurus made he tame
The Lyon fers out of hys skynne he gete
And Arpyas eke wyth aroes he shete
And golden apples wych the dragon kepte
He gate them whyle the cruel dragon slepte
¶And Cerberus the foule hounde of helle
wyth a thre folde cheyn he bounde ful last
And dyomede the tyrant fers & fel
He made hys horse deuoure hym at last
Vpon the serpent Idra fyre he cast
And so he brent hym in to asches colde
That no man hys venem noyen shold
¶When Achilaus made hym self by craft
I leke to a bole wyth Hercules to fyght
Than Hercules hys hornes hym be raft
And fully hym despoyled of hys myght
Achilaus in to a ryuer ryght
For shame he lepte & hyd hym selfen there
And on the lande he darst no more apere
¶Antheus the geaunt of Libie
That on the grounde hys myghtes wolde renwe
[Page] Thus Hercules hym sloo ful manfully
Vpon hys brest & to the grounde hym thrwe
And Cakus the thefe that was vntrwe
He sloo / & Euanderus Ire he pesed
That of Cakus often was desesed
¶And ouer thys he sloo the myghty bore
wyth hoos foom hys shulders marked were
But than hys last labour furdermore
was when he on hys necke heuens bere
And of thys labour he deserued there
That heuen for to haue to hys mede
ye myghty men to thys ye taketh hede
¶Now hasteth yow the hye way to wende
Ryght as ye may by thys exsample se
ye nyce men & mased in your mynde
why wyl ye not fyght a genste aduersyte
wyth vertu / syth ye may so syker be
Ho so in erthe hathe the victory
He shal be worthy to the heuen on hye
Explicit Liber Quartus.
¶In thys chapytre Philosophia confermeth her exhortation / by exsā ple of iii. myghty men / of synguler dedes that they had done. Agamenon. Vlixes. & Hercules. And for cause often tymes men eschevveth grete actes for lacke of corage / vvyche corage ys blemesshed or oppressed: by iii. thynges in specyal. Ther fore he reherseth of thes vverryours, certen dedes / in vvyche they shevved the myght of ther corage not hurt ne blemesshed by none of thes causes. One thyng ys that often letteth & vvythdraeth the force of mānes corage / fro myghty and manly dedes / that ys tendrenesse of herte and affection that he hathe other to vvordly thynges vvyche he delyteth vpon / Other to vvyffe & chyldren / kynred / or frenshyppe / vvyche he kepeth not to dysplese in vvythdrayng hys presence / nether in any other thyng / that myght be cause of mornyng or heuynesse. But a geynst thys carnalyte / he putteth the exsample of Agamenon. That vvhen he vvas saylynge tovvardes the sege [...] of Troye / vvhen he came to the Ile of Aulydes / [Page] hym lacked vvynde. Then vvas hyt shevved hym by vvycches & dyuynours / that yf he vvolde haue vvynde: he must slee hys doghter Ephigenie / & brenne her in sacryfyce to the plesance of Dyane. And not vvythstandyng that he loued hys doghter passyng al thynge / yet in hope of vyctory / he put a vvay the tendrenesse of faderly affection / and made hys hert pyteles to hys dere doghter / & so sloo her in sacryfyce.
And so had he vvynde to hys vvyl / & suyngly the vyctory as he desyred ¶The second thynge that letteth a mannes corage ys: vvhen he hath seyn many peryshe for a certeyn purpose: vvych hym self desyreth / and fevve or none atteyn hyt vvyth prosperyte. A geyn thys a basshement / he putteth the second exsample of Vlixes. vvyche vvhen he had x. yeres erred saylyng in the see after the destruction of Troye & suffred many mysse aduentures / & specyally in transformation & lesynge of hys feloshyppe: by the cursed enchaunteresse Circes. Here he tellethe hovv the grete gyant Poliphemus vvyth one yee in hys frount / had deuored & destroyed hys people / And not vvythstandynge the myscheffe that al hys people had suffered / yet Vlixes a basshed hym noght / but vvayted vvhen thys gyant vvas a slepe / & sodenly put oute hys yee: And theu vvas he syker of hym / that he myght harme hym no more. & so he venged the morder of hys meyne▪ ¶The moralyte of thys fable / ys thys. Poliphemus ys as moche to say / as lesynge of fame: And he that recketh not of hys fame / may vvel be called one yeed. For he regardeth not that ys to come: ne that ys passed. but only to hys present lustes. But Vlixes the vvyse man / hathe regard bothe to that ys gon: & to that that ys to come / & quencheth in hym self thys one ys of thes present lustes. And thogh so be that al the vvorlde for the more part / by rauesshynge of thys one ye / peresseth / foloynge thes momentaney lustes: and vnnethes any man ys that can or vvyl refrayn thē: yet Vlixes the vvyse mā: vvyl stoppe thys ye / & not excuse hym by the comen excuse of vvrecches saynge: Ho ys he that may vvythstand hys desyres / syth so many myghty men & vvyse haue ben dyscomfete of ther lustes. But he vvyl myghtly represse thes passyons by good gouernāce▪ And so venge hym self vpon hys gostely enemy.
¶The thyrde thynge that a basseth the corage: ys covvardyce: vvhē a mā haldeth hym self vnable to the labour that he puryoseth / and hys myght vnsuffycyant & vnmete to resyste that: that vvythstandethe hys vvyl & enteut. Agenste thys covvardyce: philosophia Inducethe the xii. labours of the myghty man Hercules / vvyche semeth to euery mannes hyrynge ferre to excede the myght of any man▪ yet not vvythstandyng / Hercules a basshed neuer hys corage: but myghtely ꝑformed hys entent & purpos. vvherefore as philosophia concludeth he vvas revvarded vvyth a souereyn geft / and made a bryght shynyng sterre in the heuen a boue. ¶By thes myghty manues labours / ys geuen to ous an exsample / that ther may no thynge a basshe the corage of a vvyse man: vvher by he sholde leue the labour of vertuous leuynge / ne bodely exercyse in vertu shal not seme hym ouerhard to hys myght / but that he may performe hys entente & lust. so shal hys desyre be enforced [Page] vvyth desyre & ful hope to heuenly Ioy.
¶The fyrst labour: the proude Centaurus made he tame: Of thes Centaurus ys sayd be forn / That Ixion gate them of a cloude / vvhen he vvolde haue oypressed Iuno. But vvhat vvyse that Hercules tamed them / hyt ys expressed by the commentor thus. vvhen that thes Centaurus in a certen tyme vvere come to gedres in the mount of Pheloe to a pley that vvas called Palestra / vvyche vve calle vvrastelyng / Hercules so sore asset them in vvrastelyng / that they bledde. ¶Also another tyme Hercules comyng oute of spayne vvas logged in the den of Tyro Centaurus that vvas one of the [...]heffe masters. And as thys Tyro handeled an aroe / vvyth vvyche Hercules hadde slayn a serpent the venemous aroe fel vpon hys fote / and made hym a vvonde / that vvas vncurable. The thyrde tyme hyt fel that Hercules vvyth hys loue Deiamra tornyng tovvard hys contre / come to the ryuer of Heuenū / And vvhen he taryed for caryage of hys vvyffe: Neffus Centaurus bade hym svvymme ouer before: & he vvold bryng her after. And vvhen that Hercules vvas come to lande / he loked after hys vvyffe / & he savv Centaurus a boute for to oppressen her / And a none vvyth a venemous aroe he shet hym thoro the hert & s [...]vve hym. And thus he tamed the proude Centaurus. ¶To the litceral truthe of thys tale. Ixion that vvas called the fader of the Centaurus / vvas the fyrst that ordeyned horsemen for to ryde in grece / and gadred of them a hundred & vvasted sore the contrey. And vvhen the rude people dyd see them so smartly pry [...]k [...]ng in and oute / they vvend hyt had ben bestes / half hors and half mē. And at last thes myghty Hercules faught vvith them & destroyed them. ¶By thes Centaurus geten of the cloude may be vnderstande suche men as ben exalted in to hye astates / not by meret of ther vertues / but by fauour of lordshyppe / & by ther vayn plesaunce. They ben half bestes & half men / bestly in ther leuyng / raueners & extorcyoners: & leke men in pleasaunce to ther lordes Hercules the vertuous shal spare none offence of ther hye astates / ne drede of ther tyrāny / but boldly repreue them of ther vyces / & make them to loke as men sholde. ¶The second of Hercules vvas that he strepte the Lyon out of hys skyn. The truthe of thys labour vvas thys: Ther vvas a passyng hugy Lyon in the forest of Nemeas: vvyche sore a frayed the people of the contrey. vvyche Lion hercules slvve / & strept the skyn: & bare vvyth hym in sygne of vrctory. By thys Lyon ys vnderstande / proude & fers tyrantes: that delyteth al in rauen and pylyng of the people / hauyng no pytey vpon the poure. Thes men a vertuous man sholde spoyle of ther poure / & suffer none suche to bere astate of off [...]ce.
¶The thyrde labour vvas that he sher the herpyas vvyth aroes.
¶Syneus put oute the yees of hys sonnes / because they had accused ther stepmoder of adultery. vvherfore by Jugement of goddes he vvas blynded hym self / and had certen foules aboute hym vvyth mayden heddes / that defoyled hys table & bare a vvay hys mete. Thes foules Hercules slvve and droue oute of contrey
[Page] ¶By thes Herpyas may vvel be vnderstande rennets or ryders ouer the contre / couered vnder lordshyp / as menstrelles & Ioculers and such other / that cometh in to householdes of vvorthy men / & eteth and deuoreth ther vytelles / And but they haue also geftes / they vbyl defoule the table / despysyng the persons / And vvhen they ben passed / speke vylenously by al the household. Suche people a vertuous man sholde not cherysshe for fere of vvordes / but rebuke them of thys foule maners / and so destroy that foule vyce and vnhonest vsage.
¶The fourth labour vvas: that he gate the golden apples fro the dragon. As Lucanus feyneth Athlaus had vii. doghters / vvyche had a gardenful of golden apples / vvych garden vvas taken to kepe to a dragon / that alvvay vvas vvakyng. But Hercules by crafte made thys dragon to slepe / and so bare a vvay the apples: and broght them to Euristeus the kyng. By thes vii. doghters of Athlaus / ben vnderstande the vii. artes liberal. Thes damseles haue a garden / that ys the lybrary disperse a monges clerkes. Appel trees ben bokes / the apples ben sotel sentence of vvysedom / vvych the vvakynge dragon / that ys the sensualyte of man hathe to kepe. vvych ys euer vvakyng to lustes and delytes / and so letteth the soule fro connyng. But Hercules the vertuous man oppresseth hys sensualyte by good gouernaunce so that hyt letteth hym noght fro study / And so by hys good besynesse he geteth the frute of al the vii. science.
¶The v. labour vvas vvhen he bound Cerberus the foule hound of helle. Of thes Cerberus the fable ys thys. Pirritous vvold vvedde the quene of helle. And he called Hercules & Theseus / & other myghty men to helpe hym. And vvhē they came to helle / lest Cerberus the porter sholde lette them of ther purpose / Hercules bounde hym vvythe a cheyn of adamant: The quene of helle may vvel be called vvordly vvorshyp / vvych Pirritous desyreth. But he taketh vvyse men to hys counsel. And Cerberns vvyth iii. heddes Hercules byndeth / That ys Pryde / Auaryce / and Lechory. Thes iii. hed synnes letteth a man to be vvorshypful / vvhere for the vertuous man byndeth & restreyneth them vvyth a treble cheyn of vertues. And vvhen that thes vyces be so repressed by vertues / a man may not fayle to be vvorshypful.
¶The vi. labour vvas that he made diomede to be eten of hys avvne hors. The fable ys thys. Diomede kyng of Trace / fedde hys hors vvyth mannes flesshe: vvher fore he vsed to slee hys gestes for hys hors. But at last came Hercules and slvve hym / ▪ And made hys horse to ete hym. And fynally sloo the same hors. Thys Diomede betokeneth a vvastour that pylleth and despoyleth the people / for to maynteyn hys grete a ray / vvych passeth the suffysaunce of hys astate. But a vertuous man shal besey hym self for to destroy suche maner leuers / & compelle them for to leue by ther avvne good: But vvhen they may not contynue that a ray vvythoute rauen and robbery / ther hors and ther a ray bryngeth them to noght. so that of nede they must leue hyt and leue as they may. ¶The vii. labour vvas / that he brent the serpent Idra. In the ryuer of Lerne vvas a serpent vvyth [Page] many heddes / And euer yf one vvere cut of / ther vvaxe [...]ii. ther fore. And vvhen that Hercules had shotte hym & no thyng a vayled / at last he made a boute thys serpēt a hugey hepe of vood: & after set hyt a fyre & so brent thys serpent. Thys fable ys toched be fore & in part declared ¶The viii. labour ys of Achilaus. the fable ys thys. Hercules and Achilaus vvressheled to gether for the mayden Dianer / & vvhen that Achilaus feld hym self at the vvorse / he torned hym self sodenly in to a serpēt / & slypte out of hys handes. And Hercules eftsones caught hym & vvas in poynt to vvery hym. And then Achilaus torned hym self in to a bole. So Hercules a none toke hym & threvv hym to the ground & breke hys horne. & he for shame lepte in to the vvater & hyd hym.
The truthe of thys fable ys thys Achilaus ys a ryuer be tvvene grece & Calcedoyne. In thys Calcedoyne regned a kyng named Genus / hose doghter Hercules rauesshed. And comyng to thys ryuer vvhē he might not passe hyt he stopped an arme of hyt & dryed hyt / & so he passed vvith hys loue. By thys kynges doghter may be vnderstand vertu / vvyche Hercules the myghty man coueyteth for to haue. Achilaus betokeneth the sensualyte / vvych in youth hyley vvythstandeth a man that vvold be vertuous. But fyrst the sensualyte as a serpent assayleth hym by many syde vvayes / And vvhen thys myghty man hath ouercome al tho serpentes deceytes / he torneth in to a bole vvyth ii. hornes / Lechory / & Glotony. But thys one horne of Lechory / the vertuous man breketh & vtterly destroyeth. & then ys the sensualyte ouercome / For the other horne of glotony vvyl lyghtly of a vertuous man be put vnder by good gouernaunce. So thys bole lepeth in to the ryuer. the sensualyte ys repressed & keleth hym self by penance / and so vvynneth the myghty man vertue to hys loue.
¶The ix. labour ys of Antheas the grete geaunt / vvych vvas geten of the erthe / And euer as he toched the erthe / he renued hys strengthe vvyth vvych geaunt Hercules vvrasteled / But alvvay vvhen he semed dyscomfeted / fallyng to ground he became as fresshe as he vvas before Than Hercules perceuyug thys toke hym in hys armes / & leyd hym on hys brest / and so streyned hym to deth by strengthe: & so caste hym to the grounde / & thus destroyed he the geaunt. By thes Antheus may be vnderstand vvordly couetyce / vvych encresseth & renueth hys strēgth by tochyng of the groūd. For couetyce vvyl not be quenched by plenty of vvordly good / but rather ys ther by renued & enforced. Hercules thē the vertuous man / streyneth thys couetyce vvythyn hys brest / & vvyth draeth hyt vtterly fro vvordly good / & so he quencheth the lust that he had ther on / & putteth hyt holely in vertu & in vvysedom.
¶The x. labour ys of Cakus the theffe of Libia vvych Hercules dyscomfeted & slvve. The fable ys thys. Ther vvas in the mounte Aucentyne a monstre / that spete fyre at hys mouthe / robbyng & despoylyng the people of the contrey. And he vvas the sonne of Vulcane / by vvhom Euander kyng of the land vvas gretly a noyed. And Hercules comyng by that contre / bryngyng vvyth hym out of spayn grete plenty of bestes / thys Cakus stale iiii. bolles & as many keyn: & droe them in [Page] to hys den by the tayles bacvvard / that the stappes sholde not be seyn Invvard. And Hercules by estimation espyed vvhere they vvere / and so droe Cakus out of hys denne / and sloo hym. and so he esed the kyng destroyng hys enemy. ¶The moralyte ys thus. By thys Cakus may be vnderstand pryde. He speteth fyre at hys mouthe / hye vvordes of malyce and manace: He ys Vulcanus sonne. For that vyce ys appropryat to the deuel that fyrst hyt founde. He vvasteth and deuoreth and steleth al that he may / and so harmeth the contre▪ For a proude man vvasteth moche in hys a ray & other expenses / that al that ben a boute hym ben noyed ther by. Euander the reson that ys kyng of the soule may not ouercome hym / for he vvyl not vvorche by hym / He dareth in hys den: syttyng in mannes hert / he steleth iiii. bolles of Hercules he oppresseth the iiii. cardynal vertues / & as many keyn / al other vertues that ben vnder them. For a proude man ys myghtles / vntemperate / vnvvare & vnryghtuous. Thys theffe Hercules that ys consciens espyeth: and draeth out thys theffe pryde out of the hert / and sleyth & destroyth hym / and so hath he hys bestes a geyn / that be vertues. And reson that vvas ouer come / novv regneth in the soule as kyng in [...]pece and reste.
¶The xi. labour ys of the bore that Hercules s [...]vve. In archadia vvas a myghty bore that vvasted the regyon sore. vvych Hercules hunted and at last thys bore torned vn to Hercules & smote hym in the shulder / and marked hyt vvyth the foom of hys mouthe. By thes bore may be vnderstand the vyce of the flesshe / vvyche vvasteth foule a mā hys substance: Thes vyces Hercules the myghty chaceth and hunteth / in vvyl to destroy them: But thys bore torneth and assayleth Hercules: For hyt chaunceth ofte / that a ful myghty man in vertues: that pursueth & hateth al vyces / ys assayled & repted vvyth the synne of the flesshe / & perauenture ys marked fallyng theryn. But one vycyous dede beryueth not the habyte of vertu: but ma [...]h a man more vvare: and dylygent for to kepe hym self / and so at laste he ouercometh hys flesshe and sleyth thys bore of luste and lekyng.
¶The xii. labour vvas thys: after the fable of Duyde. Athlas the myghty geaunt / in the geauntes batayl / fyghtyng a genst the goddes aboue / bare heuen vpon hys shulder: And vvhen that he savve Hercules come to hym / after hys other labours / he vvas vvery of fyghtyng & also of thys burden / prayd hym to helpe hym to bere heuen / And he toke and bare hyt myghtely. vvherby he deserued to be made a fayr sterre in heuen. The truthe vvas thys. Athlas vvas a cheffe astronomer / vvherefore he vvas sayd that he bare heuen / the connynge of heuenly thynges. But vvhen Athlas dyed / vvych deth ys a rest and a refresshyng to the vertuous / Hercules toke heuen vpon hys shulder. The moralyte may be thus. The batayl of geauntes ys the enforsynge of goostly myghtes a genst the goddes a boue / that ys a genst natural inclination to vyces / vvyche ys caused by constellations / But a genst thes inclinations / he may fyght best / that hathe connyng of astronomy. For to serche the myghtes of the planetes for [Page] certen tymes / and knovveth also hovv thes vycious inclinations becaused. But at last he must leue the labour of astronomy compelled by age / vvhen al hys passyons ben cessed: and then Hercules taketh heuen vpon hys shulder: and geueth hym holly to heuenly contemplation.
And so he deserueth by thys labour specyally to be made a cytesen of heuen. ¶Loo thus must euery myghty man that vvyl de seruen heuen. Fyrst lothe and abhorre the monstres of synne: bothe in hym self: and also in other: and at last leuyng al outvvard occupation / geue hym holly to serue god: in prayer and contemplation: and so many he be syker of al that he desyreth.
¶To vvhom so euer the moralyte of thes fables be plefaūt or vnlusty vvere ye vvel that they lacketh al in som thynges lytteral truthe. But a fable lackyng lytteral truthe vnexponed: ys noght elles but a lesyng. And as holy scripture saeth / al that euer doth or speketh lesyng / shal be parteners of the pytte of helle. Vvher fore after my symple connynge / I haue moralysed thē in my maner: leuyng the correction to other that ben clerkes and more connyng in that science. For syth hyt aperteneth not to holy vvryt: euery man vvythout offence: may say that hym semeth most lekely to truthe.
Explicit Liber quartus.
Sequitur Liber Quintus Boetij de cōsolatone (Phie) Philosophie.
WHen she had sayd she gan her selfen hye
To other thynges treted for to be
your noble exhortation ꝙ I
Ful worthy hyt ys of hye auctoryte
But yet whyle er as I remembre me
ye dyd speke of dyuyne prescience
How hard hyt ys I haue experyence
¶And al belapped wyth demaundes fele
Encomberous to any mannes wyt
Ful daungerous ys that mater wyth to dele
But now I pray yow that ye say me yet
yf happe be ought / what maner thyng ys hyt
(Phia)
Philosophia) I spede me ꝙ she for to pay my dette
Of thynges that whyle er I the behete
¶And for to set the in a redy way
So that thou myght retorne in to thy land
Thys mater that thou askest sothe to say
Though hyt be good to know & vnderstand
Loo yet thys purpose that we haue on hand
Somwhat hyt ys impertynent ther to
And furdermore hyt ys to drede also
¶Lest of thy wayes that thou faynt & fayle
As for thy Iorney that ys ouergone
And lest thou suffyse not to thy traueyle
To that thou hast hereafter for to done
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) Then drede ye not ꝙ I let me alone
For thys shal be ryght as a tyme of rest
To hyre of thyng that me delyteth best
¶And namely syth your processe al a boute
By dysputation so formally
Concluded ys / hyt may not ben in doute
Of that ye wyl enducen suyngly
And she be gan to declare in thys wyse
what euer he be ꝙ she y
t wyl deuyse
¶That happe ys suche a thyng that shold be fal
wythouten cause or skyle of gouernaunce
Than say I thus / that happe ys nought at al
But an Idel name & of no vaylaunce
Syth god hath set al thyng in ordynaunce
Now shold there any place then be
To worken thynges in vncertente
¶For tru
[...]y nogh thys sentence hath be holde
Loo that ther may no thyng be don of nought
Thys sentence reuoked neuer faders olde
Of one begynner al thyng must be wroght
yet thys was not the conceyt of ther thoght
Tho al thyng haue a maker pryncypal
They dyd mene of subiect materyal
¶For that they put as for a fundament
And that hath euer reson of nature
Than wyl hyt suen clere and consequent
Thys may wel perceyue euery creature
yf any thyng were don by aduenture
wythouten causes wher of to procede
Than must hyt come of nought hyt ys no drede
¶But syth thys may not be in no maner
Than happe may not be called sykerly
Suche as we dyffyned haue whyle er
Boecius) what ys ther than no maner thyng ꝙ I
That chaunce or happe ys called skylefully
Or suche a thyng ther ys to folkē vnknowe
wher to thes name belangeth as ye trowe
¶
(Phia)
Philosophia) yes myne Aristoteles ꝙ she
[Page] In hys boke of physyke naturel
Breffely he sheweth what thyng hyt shold be
Ful nye the truthe dyffyneth he hyt ful wel
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) And how ꝙ I phia) Lo thys ys euery dele
ꝙ she that wryteth Aristoteles
Of thys mater / & hyt ys no les
¶As often as ther ys a worke y wroght
As for a certen purpos of entent
And then of other causes vnbethoght
Betydeth other wyse then was be ment
Loo happe thys may be called verament
As yf hyt lust a man to delffe hys lande
And hydde theryn a somme of golde he founde
¶Of suche a thyng men demeth sykerly
Loo that a soden aduenture hyt ys
yet came hyt not of no thyng pardey
But propre causes were be forn y wysse
The concours of wych causeth thys
But for hyt fel vnware & vnbethought
Hyt semeth folke that happe
[...]ut hath y wroght
¶For but the telyer had dolue hys ground
And eke the hyder put hyt in that stede
Thou mayst wel seyn the gold had not be found
As in that maner wyse hyt ys no drede
Thes causes ben of aduenturous dede
when that they mete & ben assembled so
wythouten certen purpos to be do
¶For he that dalf & he that hyd hyt there
Purposed not thou mayst suppose hyt wel
That gold to haue ben found in that maner
Neuer one of them bethoght hyt neuer a dele
But ryght as I haue sayd hyt so befel
[Page] That in the same place where thes hyt hyd
That other dalf & found as hyt betyde
¶Now then in short to make an ende of al
And to make a fynal dyffynytion
Loo hap ys suche a thyng that doth befalle
No thyng purposed of entention
Of dyuers causes metyng in to one
In thynges that for somwhat were y wroght
But vn to that that ys be falle / noght
¶But thys vnescheuable ordynaunce
wyche that the wel hed procedeth fro
Of the hye dyuyne purueyaunce
wythouten wyche ther may no thyng be do
That maketh thes causes to concurren so
That al thyng desposeth kendly
In propre place & tymes certenly
Metrum j. Capitulū ij.
‘Rupis achimenie scopulis.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
TIgris and Eufrates spryngeth bothe
Out of a cragge rocke of Ermeny
Out of one wel hed to say the sothe
wher men ben wont to fyghten wonderly
In flyght they harmeth them that sueth nye
Ther sharpe dartes in ther brest fyxyng
So when they fleyth ther foes moste noyng
¶Thes ryuers bothe ben dysioyned sone
And renneth in to dyuers stremes grete
And after that they fallen in to one
where that they in a nother place mete
The shyppes than & stockes that ther flete
In ether of thes stremes doune a long
Hyt happeth that they mete euer a mong
[Page] ¶Thys water thus ImpLyeth &
[...]
Thus medelyng many chaunces fortunel
But of that shevey erthe hyt so behappeth
The wych thys water sueth / wete hyt wel
That fletyng ordre ruleth euery dele
Ryght so ys happe vnruled as demeth ye
But neuertheles hyt hath a law of certente
Prosia ij. Capituln̄ iij.
‘Animaduerto inquam.’
Boecius loquitur.
TO thys ꝙ I ful wel acorde I can
And y
t ye say I may hyt wel beleuen
But in the ordre of thes causes than
The wych so suyngly to gedres cleueu
Thys wold I se / yf ye coude shew or preuen
yf in out choys ys any lyberte
Other elles that thys cheyn of destyne
¶Constreyneth al the mouyug of our wyt
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she in sothe then were hyt al a mysse
That wyl I shew & clerely preuen hyt
For why / no kend that resonable ys
whythouten lyberte may ben y wysse
For al that kendly reson vsen may
May demen & dyscern hyt ys no nay
¶And by hym self he knoweth kendly
what thyng ys to desyre & what to fleen
And what thyng that he demeth verely
That worthy ys desyred for to be
That thyng loo seketh & desyreth he
And what he Iugeth worthy to be forsake
That wyl he leue / & that other take
¶Then euery thyng that reson hath certen
Of wyl & nel hath lyberte ther to
[Page] But al y leke / in sothe wyl I not sayn
For dyuyne substances standeth not so
The Iugement ys wonder clere of tho
Ther wyl ys incorrupt / ther myght ys prest
And spedy to al that them leketh best
¶But moste in fredom ys the soule of man
when he ys set in contemplation
And fully fyxen al hys thoughtes can
In hye dyuyne speculation
And lesse yf that hys occupation
In wordly thyng dystracteth ought hys mynde
And lesse when flesly boundes doth hym bynde
¶But when a man ys geuen vn to vyce
Than ys he vtterly bound & thralle
When he hath set hys reson at no pryse
And wylfully hath lete hyt fro hym falle
Hys lyberte ys then lest of alle
When that hys syght in wordly wrecchednesse
Is cast fro lyght of souereyn sothfastnesse
¶He begenneth then to wexe derke & dulle
Of that foule cloude of Ignorance
Of foule affections than he shal be ful
Encombred wyth the vyce of inconstance
That trobeleth hym wyth anguysshe & greuance
To wych when he consenteth in hys wyt
In seruage then hym selfen hath he knytte
¶In maner of hys propre lyberte
A caytyf ys becommen in conscience
But neuer the later he that al may se
As by hys hye eternal prescience
Al thyng gouernyng by hys excellence
He hyreth & seyth wel euery thought & dede
[Page] And so he wyl desposen for ther mede
Metrū ij.
‘Puro clarū lumie.’
(Phia.)
Philosophia
THe noble poet hony mouthe Omere
Loo of the sonne syngeth on thys wyse
And sayth / for al hys bryght bemes clere
The see / ne lande yet may he not suffyse
To persen thorugh / so may we not deuyse
Of hym that hath thys wyde world y wroght
The heuy erthe hym wythstandeth noght
¶Fro fer & hye al thyng he seyth a none
He ys not let by cloudes of the nyght
For al that ys / was / or shal be done
At ones ys hyt al beforn hys syght
Syth he alone wyth hys bemes bryght
So al thynges may behald & se
We may wel sayn a very sonne ys he
Prosa iij. Capitulū v.
‘Tum ego en inquā.’
Boecius loquitur.
I sayd then / a gretter doute now
Confoundeth me then dyd be fore y wysse
(Phia)
Philosophia) Of what ꝙ she art y
u in doute now
Now ryght in sothe coniect I what hyt ys
Boecius) full hugely ꝙ I repugneth thys
That god may knowen al thyng er hyt be
And that our wyl may stande at lyberte
¶Syth god be forn seyth al that shal be do
And hys syght loo may be deceyued nought
Of very fors then nede hyt must be so
That prescience hath seyn y
t ys to be wroght
And not only worke / but wylle & thoght
Of euery wyght he knoweth plenerly
Than ys no fredom in our arbytry
[Page] ¶For why ther may be nother thoght ne dede
That pnrueyaunce beforn ne seyth hyt al
He fayleth not ther of / hyt ys no drede
But al that euer he wote betyden shal
Al that he seyth beforn hyt must befalle
And yf hyt may be torned other wyse
Hyt was not seyn be fore at my deuyse
¶Than shal thys be no very prescience
But as an vncerten opynyon
But sykerly thys were a foule offence
Of god to felen that conclusyon
And somme men supposeth that thys questyon
May ben assoyled thus / as they beleue
But ther resons can I not apprene
¶Loo thus they sayn / a thyng that shal betyde
Betydeth not for god prouydeth so
But god that thyng to commen doth prouyde
And seyth beforn al thyng that shal be do
And thus a geynward sholde the causes go
That god foreseyth thys thyng y
t shal be wroght
But of nede hyt shal vetyde nought
¶They sayn also that thyng y
t shal befalle
In goddes syght prouyded ys hyt nede
Loo thys aunswere assoyleth nought at al
Thys doutful questyon hyt ys no drede
Only to thys entente hyt doth procede
Loo of ij. dyuers thynges to enquere
wych of them the cause of other were
¶Whether that the prescience of god a lone
Causeth thyng to fallen nedely
Other elles thyng that nedes shal be don
Loo causeth prescience in god on hye
[Page] Thys ys no very aunswere sykerly
To that that I entend for to shew
But neuertheles my purpose standeth true
¶How euer hyt standeth of thys ordynaunce
That wych of thes the cause of other be
A thyng that ys forseyn by purueyaunce
Of nede hyt must betyde as semeth me
Thogh hyt be so that thys necessyre
Be not y caused of thys presc
[...]ence
As in effect ther ys no dyfference
¶As yf I sytte & thou supposest hyt
Than nedes sothe ys thyn opynyon
But my syttyng ys not caused yet
As nedeful by thy estimation
And ryght so yf thou torne hyt vp so downe
yf thou supposest sothe of that I do
Eke of necessyte than ys hyt so
¶Necessyte then must ther ben in bothe
Vn to that poynt loo here we ben y broght
In me of syttyng & in the of sothe
yet wotest thou wel that therfore sytte I noght
As for that sothe opynyon in thy thought
But rather thus / be cause that I sate
Loo thyn opyuyon was sothe in that
¶Than ys thys truthe caused of the dede
And so in bothe ther ys necessyte
Loo in the same wyse we may procede
Of thys purueyaunce as semeth me
For cause thes thynges shal here after be
Ther fore by purueyaunce he seyth hyt al
And yet ther fore doth hyt not befalle
¶And neuer the later al that shal betyde
[Page] Of god hyt ys prouyded nedefully
And efte a geyn al that he doth prouyde
Of nede hyt doth befallen certenly
And al the fredom of our arbytry
Loo thys suffyseth to destroyen clene
Here apereth wel how masedly we mene
¶That aduenture of thynges temporel
Shold causen hys eternal prescience
But thys wold ben a foly thyng to fele
wyth reson hath hyt no conuenyence
For hyt wold suen of ther euydence
That thynges past long tyme seyn
Shold causen god that ys our souereyn
¶As yf I know a thyng that present ys
whyle I hyt know nedes ys hyt so
Ryght so a thyng that shal ben after thys
yf I hyt know / of nede hyt must be do
Hyt sueth wel we may not go ther fro
And so my purpose may not be remeued
That thyng prescite / may not ben exchued
¶For yf I deme thus of a certen thyng
And ys not so / hyt ys no questyon
Not only ys that conceyt no connyng
But errour of a false opynyon
And wonder fer ys that suspection
And dyuers fro the trouthe as I suppose
But ho can saue hyt wyth a beter glose
¶For yf ther shal a certen thyng be wroght
And shal not fallen of necessyte
But ys vncerten to betyde or noght
Hyt ys not knowen to ben as semeth me
For knouyng / wyth falshed may no wyse be
[Page] In no maner conioyned ne deceyued
But hyt must ben that knouyng hath conceyued
¶And other wyse may hyt not be done
For loo that ys the very cause why
That in a knouyng errour ys ther none
Syth trouth then standeth nedefully
And knouyng comprehendeth verely
what than a vayleth that we ben a boute
How knoweth god a thyng that ys in doute
¶For yf that god a certen thyng deuyse
For to be don that no wyght may exchwe
And yet hyt may betyden other wyse
A perylous errour here of wyl ther sue
That goddes Iugement shold ben vntrue
But loo of god oure hye souereyn
Ful felones ys / thus to thynke or sayn
¶And yf he knoweth thynges for to ben
So that they may betyde indyfferent
As be or not be / then can I not seyn
But thys ys an vncerten Iugement
The prescience of god omnip
[...]otent
what thyng ys hyt I can hyt not defend
That may no thyng in certen comprehende
¶Than shold ther be no maner dyfference
As semeth in myne estimation
Be twene the hye dyuyne prescience
And Tyresyes dyuynation
Of whom Ouyde maketh mention
what euer I say she sayd / hyt shal be falle
Other elles shal hyt not betyde at alle
¶what better shal thys purueyance be
Than the opynyon of a mannes wyt
[Page] That demeth thynges in vncertente
And so vncertenly betydeth hyt
Ouer al thyng we must beleuen yet
That god ys very welle & syker ground
In whom no thyng vncerten may be found
¶Than euery thyng in certen shal betyde
Thyt ys before seyn in hys purueyance
Than ys no lyberte in mannes syde
Ne in our chesyng ys no cheuysance
Dyuyne thought may haue no varyance
wythouten errour he behaldeth al
And byndeth ous to thyng that must befal
¶And haue we ones fully geten thys
He may perceuen ho so taketh hede
Mannes lyffe in what myscheffe hyt ys
And standeth euer in heuynesse & drede
why shold ther any man receyuen mede
Or any surfetour be put in peyn
Al thys wyl semen but a thyng in veyn
¶Syth that no wylful meuyng of ther gost
Of lyberte they nought deserued han
And thynges that now ben cōmended most
As very wrong they must be demed than
For vertu to rewarden any man
Or punyssshen any wycked skylefully
Ther neyther hath deserued wyllyngly
¶But necessyte them hath constreyned
To thynges that of certen must be done
Than vyce & vertu ys but thyng y feyned
Ne in our workes meret ys ther none
But an vndyscrete confusyon
Ther ys no thyng that wors may be thought
[Page] Syth al thyng in ordre forthe ys brought
¶Of purueyaunce / ne vn to mannes wyt
No thyng ys lefful / & our vyces woode
Loo vn to god they ben referred yet
wyche that very auctor ys of al goode
And furdermore yf that thys errour s
[...]ode
wherto sholde we prayen ought or trust
when we may no thyng wynne that ous lust
¶yf al that euer we can desyre or say
One certen ordre vnreuersed knetteth
Then wherto sholde we hopen ought or pray
Syth purueyaunce fayleth not ne fletteth
That euery thyng so at a certen putteth
Thys only marchaundyse ys voyded than
That vsed ys be twene god & man
¶Prayer & hope shold ben vnprofytable
But wyth the pryce of Iust humylyte
we geteth of god a mede vnestimable
For only that hath euer the maner be
That euery man may haue hab
[...]lyte
wyth god to speke & neghen to that lyght
That perced may not be wyth mannes syght
¶By very reson of thys prayer meke
To hym we be conioyned verely
Before or then we gete that we beseke
And yf we sholde assenten vtterly
That thyng to come must fallen nedefully
Thys hope & trust of wyche we spoke beforn
Is thyng of nought & al our labour loren
¶How sholde we then to that prynce a boue
Aprochen or be knette by any mene
yf that we may deserue of hym no loue
[Page] And al our labour ys not worthe a bene
But al mankend standeth dysioyned clene
As fro ther hed departed al wyth wrong
Ryght as whyle er ye sayd in your song
Metrū iij. Capitulū vj.
‘Que nam discors.’
Boecius loquitur.
WHat maner cause of wonder dyscordance
So hath disioyned thus in thys maner
Our lyberte & goddes purueyaunce
That neyther may to other neyghen nere
What god thys batayl hath deuysed here
Be tweue ij. truthes here of haue I wonder
That sothe y nogh ben whyle they ben a sounder
¶But loo they may not ben to gether set
And yet dyscord in truthes ys ther none
Ful certenly they ben to gedres knette
But mannes soule that so ys ouergone
Enclosed thus wythyn fless
[...]e & bone
That soppressed hath hyr fyry lyght
That she yet may not lyften vp her syght
¶Thes sotel knottes to be holde & se
The flesly boundes doth hyt so oppresse
But why so feruently desyreth she
The notes for to fynd of sothfastnesse
And that she seketh so wyth besynesse
wote she that her selfen knoweth hyt
But ho desyreth a knawen thyng to wete
¶Ho may desyre a thyng & knoweth hyt nought
yf he ne knoweth what seketh he so blynd
Or ho may seke that ys not in hys thought
Or yf he seke hyt / how shal he hyt fynde
Or how shal he remembre hyt in hys mynde
[Page] How may he knowen when he fyndeth thys
And wote not of what maner forme hyt ys
¶when that the saule ys sole & separat
Behaldyng on that souereyn thoght on hye
Then may he se / that now he may nat
Al thyng in somme & also syngulerly
But now she ys enclosed bodely
Som part of thys syght she hath forlete
But vtterly she hath not al forgete
¶For why the somme she haldeth as I trow
But not so euery thyng in specyalte
He than that thes trouthe wold know
Al knoweth he not / thou mayst wel se
Ne al the trouthe forgete hath not he
But loo the knowyng of the general
Maketh hym to labour for the specyal
¶Thys somme then wych she haldeth here
In her thoght remembryng ofte a geyn
She seketh in that souereyn myrrour clere
whete euery sothe may syngul
[...]rly be seyn
Enforsyng hyr wyth labour & wyth peyn
Forgeten thyng / yf that she may hyt fynde
To put hyt to the tresour of hyr mynde
Prosa iiij. Capitulū vij.
‘Tum illa vetus inquā.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
SHe sayd then / thys ys an olde complaynt
And a ful comen vsed questyon
To Marcus Tullius hyt samed queynt
As by hys boke of dyuynation
He had ther wyth grete occupation
And of thy self ful long hyt hath be soght
And none of yow as yet ne fonud hyt nought
[Page] ¶Ne suffysantly haue not declared hyt
And sykerly the cause may thys be
That the dyscours of a mannes wyt
May not atteyn to so hye degre
To demen of that hye symplycyte
wyche ys in dyuyne purueyaunce
He ys not sothly of that suffysaunce
¶And yf thys myght be thought or cōprehended
Thou sholdest then be neuer a dele in doute
But at last I hope I shal amend hyt
yf that I may my mater bryng a boute
Thys errour of thy hert to a voyden oute
But fyrst I wyl a voyden & dyspreuen
Conceytes / wyche the to thys errour meuen
¶But fyrst I aske the the cause why
Thou holdest thys reson not effectuel
Of them that shewen that your arbytry
Algates in hys fredom standeth wel
Syth presciens constreyneth neuer a dele
By nede / thynges wyche that shal be done
But ys contingeut for to ben or none
¶Loo makest thou any other argument
Of thyng to fallen of necessyte
But for cause that god omuipotent
Knoweth hyt / that hyt shal here after be
Hyt may not be vndone as semeth the
And yet thys presciens causeth nought
The same thyng of nede to be wroght
¶That graunted thou whyle er yf y
u haue mende
why ys hyt then that voluntary dede
So ys constreyned to a certen ende
That thyng to comen must be fallen nede
[Page] But that I may the to the trouthe lede
To se what sueth here by consequence
I put thys case ther were no prescience
¶Wyl then thyn argument a vaylen ought
The wych in prescience thou groundest so
That thynges wych of fre wyl shold be wroght
That any nede compelleth them ther to
Thou wylt not trow that Boecius) I sayd no
(Phia)
Philosophia) Now set we ꝙ she prescience a geyn
So that of nede hyt do no thyng constreyn
¶Than standeth absolute the same wyl
Hole in hys lyberte / thys wotest thou wel
But I suppose thou makest me thys skyle
Though prescience necesseth neuer a dele
Thyng to come in stoundes temporel
Thou seyst hyt ys a very sygne true
Of thyng that must as necessary sue
¶Ryght so thou myght concluden as by thys
Though that ther were no prescience at al
That thynges wych to come hyre after ys
Necessaryly hyt must be fal
For only euery sygne shewen shal
A thyug that ys or after shal be seyn
But yet that sygne maketh hyt not to ben
¶And yf that prescience a sygne were
Of euery thyng that nedes must come
Fyrst hyt nedeth ous to shewen hyre
That no thyng falleth but nedes hyt must be done
And yf hyt be not so than knowest thou sone
That sygne may ther none be verely
wythoute a thyng betokened be ther by
¶But to confirmen fully al a boute
[Page] And sadly to susteyn our entent
we may not seke sygnes of wythoute
Ne fyxe ous in a foreyn argument
But of causes ful conuenyent
And necessary / behoueth ous to procede
yf that we sholde in our purpose spede
¶But thys thou wylt replyen here a geyn
How may that thyng not fallen sayst y
u me
wyche that ys prouyded & foreseyn
By purueyaunce here after for to be
As chaunce that I couth none other se
But thyng that prescience doth prouyde
we trowed that hyt were not to betyde
¶But rather thys entended I for to preue
That thogh a certen thyng befal so
yet of propre kende we do beleue
So was hyt not necessed to be do
Thys lyghtly mayst y
u vnderstanden loo
As many a thyng▪ ys subiect to our syght
The whyle hyt ys be forn ous present ryght
¶As when a charre ys ruled redely
And how hyt torneth we be holde ful wel
And so of other craftes suyngly
Doth any thyng thys craftes men compelle
Or any of thes workes canst thou telle
Or yf they be constreyned to be wroght
Boecius) Nay ꝙ I they be compelled nought
¶Then ydel were the craft of any man
yf euery thyng were compelled for to meue
(Phia)
Philosophia) Syth thynges whyle they ben she sayd thē
Ben not coacted to be / thou wylt beleue
Loo by that same reson now mayst thou preue
[Page] That before tho same thynges be
Not for to comen of necessyte
¶Ful many a thyng shal ben hyt ys no drede
And ys to come hyt sueth wel by thys
That vtterly ys absolute of nede
I trow that no wyght thys wyl sayn y wys
That any thyng that now in present ys
was not to come vn to the tyme hyt fel
Though they beforn of god were knowen wel
¶In sothe yet ben they frely to be falle
For rygh as very knowyng & science
A present thyng compelleth nought at al
Ryght so hyt standeth eke of prescience
As thou mayst se by leke conuenyence
Though god thys thyng to comen doth prouyde
yet ys hyt not compelled to beryde
¶But loo of thys y
u sayst me / doutest thou
Syth thynges wych that shal here after ben
Be not to come as necessary now
How ys that thyng fore seyn thou canst not seyn
Hyt semeth the that thys dyssoneth clene
To foreseyn thyng hyt must nedes sue
Necessyte / thou canst hyt not exchwe
¶And yf necessyte sholde be forfended
Loo foreseyn ys ther no thyng vtterly
Ne nought by knowyng may be comprehended
But thyng that must betyden verely
And yf ther ought betyde vncertenly
And ys fore seyn ful certen as hyt were
Thou sayst / no very knowyng ys ther there
¶But as a derke & opynable thyng
And for to trowen other wyse or gesse
Than very sothe / that callest thou no connyng
[Page] But a wenyng of vnstablenesse
And loo the cause of al thys errour ys
That ye trow the cause of knowlege to be
In the thyng & not in the knower perde
¶But in contrary wyse hyt standeth ryght
For euery thyng that knowen ys by wyt
Hyt ys not knowen by hys propre myght
But by hys myght that comprehendeth hyt
As by exsample mayst thou felen yet
For of a thyng that rounde ys verely
Loo syght & felyng knoweth hyt dyuersly
¶The syght behaldeth the forme fro a fer
At ones comprehendyng euery dele
But he that feleth ys conioyned nere
Vn to that compace for to know hyt wel
Al a boute the sydes must he fele
And al that roundnesse so he knoweth than
Loo / dyuersly y knowen ys a man
¶The comen wyttes Iugen of wythoute
Imagination a nother wyse
And reson other wyse hyt ys no doute
Intelligence passeth al thes
Euery of them so as he may suffyse
The comen wyttes knoweth nought at al
But formes of subiect materyal
¶Imagenyng al only comprehendeth
The forme of man as vnmateryally
Reson then a bouen thys transcendeth
Of mannes kende he demeth syngulerly
wyth vnyuersal syght ful sotelly
But al thes passeth yet intellygence
As by a syght of heyer excellence
[Page] ¶He passeth al a boue thes kendes here
The compace of the vnyuersyte
And he behaldeth in that exsampler
The myrrour of the hye eternyte
The forme of man in hys symplycyte
But most hyt ys to taken hyde in thys
That the same myght alway that hygher ys
¶Loo al the lower comprehendeth wel
But they may ascenden nought a geyn
To knowe & comprehende neuer a dele
Of tho that ben a boue sothe to sayn
For ther comen wyt may not vp attayn
To thynges wych ben Immateryal
They may perceyuen neuer a dele at al
¶And furdermore Imagination
Vnyuersal kendes may not seyn
Ne reson may haue none Inspection
Of formes / wych that pure & symple ben
Intelligence comprehendeth clene
And as hyt were / behaldeth fro on hye
Thes formes he perceyueth plenerly
¶Conceyuyng than thys forme pryncipal
He demeth after / al that ys in man
As he hath in the exsampler Ideal
Conceyued / that none other may ne can
The vnyuersyte of reson knoweth he than
And also formes of Imagenyng
And eke materyal sensyble thyng
¶And reson yet in thys he vseth nought
Imagination ne comen wyt
But wyth a sotel smytyng of the thoght
Ful formally so he behaldeth hyt
[Page] And more plenerly to speken yet
The souereyn hye dyuyne Intellygence
Ouer al thynges hath prospycience
¶When reson doth behalden ought or se
As in hys comen kende vnyuersal
Imagenyng / no thyng yet vseth he
Nether the comen wyttes neuer a dele
And neuer the lesse he comprehendeth wel
Al thyng that Imagenable ys
And al that comen wyt may know y wysse
¶Thus reson hys conceytes strong & stable
Of vniuersal loo deffyneth he
Man ys a best ii. foted resonable
Loo / thys knowyng as euery man may se
Vniuersal must hyt nedes be
And thys thyng also to euery mannes wyt
Imagenable & sensyble ys hyt yet
¶But reson thys behaldeth kendly
No thyng by Imagination
Ne by the comen wyttes sykerly
But only hath consyderation
By dyscours & by conceyt of reson
But thys Imagynation begynne doth
In the comen wyttes hys workes in sothe
¶Formes for to shappen & deuyse
And yet thes comen wyttes al wythoute
Sensyble thynges / in a wondre wyse
He seyth / & them compaseth al a boute
Not sensyblely / hyt ys no doute
But by Imagination of mynde
Of knowyng loo / here mayst thou se the kynde
¶That not y
e myght of thyng that knowen ys
[Page] But propre myght / the knower vseth nede
And skylefully for euery dome y wysse
Loo of the Iuge / hyt ys the propre dede
So than of reson / yf thou take good hyde
The worke of man ys no foreyn myght
But propre myghtes vseth euery wyght
Metrū iiij. Capitulū ix.
‘Quondā porticus attulit’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
SOm tyme in the porches of Athenes
were olde clerkes derke in ther corage
wyche in ther tyme were called stoicenes
That in the porches had maden ther stages
Desputyng / that the formes & Images
Of bodely substances / as they gessed
were in to a mannes soule impressed
¶As men ben vsed to wryten & portrayen
Letters in a pagyn fayre & clene
In wych beforn were no notes seyn
But thys a mased thyng ys for to mene
For yf the soule of man / so as they wene
Of hys propre myght Implyeth nought
But suffereth to ben prented in hys thought
¶Subiected to tho notes as hyt were
That bodyes doth in them enpressen so
And veyn Images representeth there
Ryght as a myrrour ys y woned to do
But al thys knowyng whens cometh hyt fro
By wych not only thynges corporal
But also formes Immateryal
¶He seyth & so behaldeth singulerly
As in her hye conceytes speculatyffe
And knowyng thynges then suyngly
[Page] So he dyuydeth by a negatyffe
And after wardes by an affyrmatyffe
Thes same thynges that deuyded be
Assembleth & a geyn compouneth he
¶And so thys way he enterchaungeth ofte
For now to pryncypal proposytions
Loo / hys entent he lyfteth vp a lofte
And falleth after to conclusions
Referryng then hys owne ententions
And seyth what thynges wyl of other sue
Repreuyng so the false by the true
¶Than ys he rather cause efficient
And more of myght than thyng y
t lyeth oppressed
In maner leke a mater pacyent
That notes hath so in hym self Impressed
But that thou haue thys mater more expressed
Ther goth before a maner sufferance
wythyn the lyuely bodely substance
¶wych that the myghtes of the soule excyteth
And maketh the to vnderstande & lere
As when that lyght in to thyn yeyn smyteth
And maketh the for to behalden there
Or when a voyce hath souned in thyn ere
And so commoueth the to herken ought
Then ben styred the myghtes of thy thoght
¶And thynges wyche that were yet kendely
wythyn thy selfen hydde / hyt ys no doute
Thou then applyest in thy fantasy
To thes other notes of wythoute
And thus remembryng in thy self a boute
Tho foreyn Images then addeth he
To formes wyche that hydde wythyn the be
Prosa v. Capitulum ix.
‘Quod si in corporibus.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
THough that obiect qualyteys than
Cōmoue & styre oure foreyn Instrumentes
wych I calle the comen wyt of man
That of wythouteforth geueth Iugementes
And goth before the gostly sentementes
A maner sufferaunce corporal
For to excyte the gostly myght wyth al
¶And styren so the worchyng of the mynde
To formes wych arested so were wythyn
So that the corage may them fele & fynde
And thogh the wyttes al thys worke begynne
The knowyng of thes bodyes for to wynne
And bryngeth hym to a maner remembrance
The soule ys subiect to no sufferaunce
¶But he demeth of hys propre myght
Thes passions that in the body ben
How moche more suche a gostly wyght
That fully ys al absolute & clene
In whom may none affection be seyn
Of any thyng to be feled bodely
Hys propre myght shal vsen kendly
¶And foreyn myghtes shal he vsen nought
For to dyscerne obiectes of wythoute
But by the worchyng of hys owne thought
He wynneth hys conceytes al a boute
And by the same skyle hyt ys no doute
Ful many folde of knowyng mayst thou fynde
In substances / dyuers in ther kende
¶The felyng may be called one of tho
wyche haue bestes that ben vnmeueable
[Page] That wyt they haue al only & no mo
As shelle fysshe & suche that cleuen stable
In cleffes / as to them ys couenable
And so suche other shylle fysshe of the see
wyche in dyuers places norysshed be
¶But knowyng of Imagynation
Meueable bestes haue & doth hyt sue
The wych in maner haueth affection
Som maner thyng to coueyt or exchwe
But reson to dyscernen false & true
Only to man hyt hath conuenyence
As only doth to god Intellygence
¶Than ys hyt so as euery man may se
That thys knowyng most worthy ys & hye
wych of hys owne kendly properte
Not only that perteyneth kendely
Vn to hys owne knowyng properly
He knoweth wel / but furdermore yet
The subiecte knoweth he of euery wyt
¶But what yf comen wyttes stode a geyn
And in thys wyse perauenture aunswere
And wolde vn to dyscours of reson sayn
Loo / that thys vniuersal / no thyng were
That reson semeth he behaldeth there
For al that euer Imagenable ys
Or comen wyttes may perceyue y wysse
¶Hyt ys not vniuersal in no wyse
Now / or the Iugement of reson than
Must be sothe / yf he wyl thus deuyse
That no thyng may be sensyble to man
Or for he wote wel that thes wyttes han
Subiectes many / dyuers / that they know
[Page] Hys owne conceuyng fallace must he trowe
¶When that he seyth & comprehendeth wel
Thyng that sensyble ys & singuler
Behaldyng hyt ryght as vniuersal
To thys yf reson wold aunsweren here
That she her self behaldeth wel & clere
By reson of vniuersalyte
Al that thes other may perceyue & se
¶For wyttes ne Imagynation
May no way comprehenden sykerly
Thes vnyuersal thynges of reson
For they may not exceden proprely
As by ther owne knowyng kendly
Shappes & fygures corporal
A bouen that may they no thyng at al
¶In knowyng then of thynges at the laste
Hyt ys to geue credence to the Iugement
That most perfet ys & stedefaste
And we that haue thys reson excellent
And comen wyt to demen thyng present
And Imagination also
Sholde we not reson here assenten to
¶But mannes reson ys y leke in thys
As towardes dyuyne Intellygence
Ryght as Imagenyng or wyttes ys
To reson of a mannes conscience
That weneth that dyuyne prescience
May no maner thyng behalde as he troweth
That ys to come / but as hym selfen knoweth
¶For loo / thys argument thou makest me
yf thynges that hereafter shal be done
Not certeyn ne necessary be
[Page] For knowyng may not fallen ther vpon
For prescience sayst thou ys ther none
And yf so ys that prescience be
Ther falleth nought but of necessyte
¶But yf we myght parteners ben
Loo / of the domes of dyuyne thought
Ryght as we may by very reson seyn
That Imagenyng suffyseth nought
Ne comen wyttes to perceyuen ought
The Iugement of reson as we deme
Ful Iust hyt sholde mannes reson seme
¶To be subiect & vndercast alway
Vn to dyuyne thought / I am certeyn
A ryse we ther fore fully yf we may
To that Intellygence souereyn
And yf we may in to that hyght atteyn
Loo there shal reson fele & knowen wel
That in hyt self he may do neuer a dele
¶Loo / that ys thys as in what wyse & how
The thynges that betydeth thus vncertenly
Thys prescience seyth hyt wel y now
Dyffyned in hys thought eternally
Not by gessyng opynablely
But by souereyn science of symplenesse
whom termes may not closen ne compresse
Metrū v. Capitulum x.
‘Quam varijs terras.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
THes bestes in ther kendes dyfferent
Ful dyuersly on erthe doth they glyden
Somme on ther body strecchyng & extent
Crepīg vpō ther brestes doune they slydē
And in the dust a forwe they dyuyden
[Page] And somme by very lyghtnesse of ther kynde
wyth ther wynges planeth in the wynde
¶And long spaces of the ayer on hye
So in ther flyght / they swymmeth as hyt were
And summe ben glad to kepe them selfen nye
Thys grounde a low & sette ther stappes here
In grene feldes / ther ys al ther chere
And some to walke in wodes & forestes
And thogh so be that al thes wylde bestes
¶Ben dyuers in ther shappes & fygure
Al ther faces ben enclyned yet
Vn to the grounde shewyng ther nature
And the kendly dulnesse of ther wyt
Loo / only kende of man reuerseth hyt
For mannes hed a ryseth vp on hyght
And euen vpryght hys body standeth streght
¶And vnder hym the erthe behaldeth he
whether dotest thou / or art y
u in a sweuen
Thou erthly man thy fygure techeth the
That lyfteth vp thy vysage in to heuen
And thy frount in to the ayer ful euen
On erthly thyng thou sholdest not set thy loue
But sette hyt holly in the heuen a boue
¶Ther sholdest thou be ther ys thy kendly place
Thou hast of the erthe but thy bestly kende
And yet loo thou wylt bryng thy selfen bace
And so wyth bestes sette thy self behynde
Lete not the noble nature of thy mynde
Be plounged doune & to the grounde y pyght
Syth that thy body standeth euen vpryght
Prosa vj. Capitulū xj.
‘Quoniā igitur vti.’
(Phia)
Philosophia loquitur.
[Page] Syth euery thyng as I haue shewed now ryght
That wyst or knowen ys in any way
Hyt ys not knowen of the propre myght
Of that self thyng hyt ys no nay
But of the kendly myght / the sothe to say
Of tho that doth hyt knowe or comprehende
Now let ous then behalden & entende
¶So as oure symple kende may suffyse
what thyng ys that astate of excellence
Of dyuyne substance / & in that wyse
Than somwhat may we know of hys science
Thys ys the vsed general sentence
Of al / that by reson doth dyscerne
They say that god hym self ys eterne
¶But now what thyng ys thys eternyte
Hyt nedeth fyrst to knowen sykerly
And after that we may behalde & se
The science and the nature plenerly
So as we may suffysen symplely
Of god that ys oure prynce & souereyn
Eternyte ys thys as clerkes sayn
¶Hyt ys a perfet hole possessyon
At ones of a lyffe intermynable
Thys ys declared by comparyson
Of thyng that ys by tymes varyable
For al that leueth in tyme hyt ys vnstable
Present yet ys / the tyme a gon ys passed
To tyme comyng hyeth hyt ful fast
Ther may no thyng be set in tyme & space
As clerkes haue deuysed here be forn
That al at ones may hys lyffe embrace
For why as yet / he fayleth of to morn
[Page] And yesterday ys passed & forlorn
And in the same day that present ys
Of your lyffe ye haue no more y wysse
¶But thys moment transytory loo
That thyng that hath thys dysposytion
Hys tymes for to ouer passen so
Though that hyt were of suche condytion
By Aristoteles tradition
That sayd thys worlde neuer beganne
Ne neuer here after shal an ende han
¶Though that hyt myght as Aristotel semed
To infinyte hyt selfen so extende
Eterne hyt may not ryghtuously be demed
Though hyt were infynyte wythouten ende
At ones al hyt may not comprehende
Ne clyppen al thes spaces temporel
For of tyme to come yet hath hyt not a dele
¶But he that of the lyffe intermynable
The fulnesse comprehendeth verely
Possessyng hyt at ones perdurable
Fro whom no thyng doth lacken verely
For tyme to come he hath hyt presently
Ne tyme passed fro hym ys ther none
Is / & was / & shal be / al ys one
¶Eterne he may be called wel by ryght
To hym self present and pereles
And al way present ys be fore hys syght
The moble space of tymes endles
But they rehersen Plato / neuertheles
Hys conceyt they reporteth al a mysse
And of hys menyng fayleth foule y wysse
¶Loo Plato sayth thys worlde hath euer ybe
[Page] ¶As clerkes haue deffyned / Tyme ys mesure of meuyng of before & after. Thys mesure ys takē most comēly after the meuyng of the E [...]noctial vvhos meuyng ys the svvyftest that ys possyble. The vvych lyne ys deuyded in to CCC.lx. euen partes. Of vvyche partes / eueryche ys called a degre. The mesure of a rysyng of xv. degrees / ys called an houre naturel. The mesure of a rysyng of xxiiii. houres / ys a day naturel. The mesure of CCC. lxv. dayes & vi. houres of encresse and certen mynutes / ys called a yere. By vvych tymes: the perdurabelte of thys vvorlde of before & after / ys mesured vsyngly. Syth than that mesure of meuyng ys called tyme / then sueth hyt: that before the vvorlde meued / ther vvas no tyme: But god eternally ys / er any thyng meued: or any tyme vvere / and shal be after that al meuynges cesseth: For hys beyng ys mesured by no meuyng of before & after / for hymself ys vnmeueable / ne hys beyng hath no regard to before & after For al tymes present / passed / and to come: ben to hym verely present Ne hys beyng ys not mesured by successyon of tymes. For he hathe hys beyng vnmesured al at ones. vvyche ys called hys eternyte. Ther fore ys god called Inmensus. But the perdurabelte of the vvorlde ys mesured by meuyng of the heuen / vvyche ys called tyme: And lenger than heuen meueth / shal ther be no tyme. Than ys hyt so that the beyng of god ys called erernyte. The beyng of thys vvorld ys named perpetuyte. Then ys thys the conceyte of Plato sayng that the vvorlde hath euer ben / That ys to mene / as long as any thynge hathe meued. And as long as any thyng meueth: or any tyme ys / so long hyt shal endure in suche beyng as hyt novv hathe. And after that al meuyng and al tymes cesseth / the vvorlde renued shal endure in lyffe interminable. For so sayth our lorde. Ecce noua facio omnia.
¶Thys interminable lyffe / ys the eternal beyng of our creatour▪ to vvhō as to ther ende / al thyng shal be reduced: and at hym as at ther fynal ende: rest & abyde. Therfore sayth plato as ys in the texte alleged / that the vvorlde hathe euer ben: that ys to say: syth any tyme vvas. and hyt shal neuer vvhyle any tyme ys / cessen of hys menynge. So meuyng & tyme shal cessen bothe at ones. And the vvorlde then shal not ende by destruction or torne in to nought / for god and nature dyd neuer thyng in vayn. Ne god noughteth neuer thyng that he made but the corruption of one thyng / ys the generation of a nother thynge. So that at last euery corruptyble thynge retorneth in rounde in to the Elementes / that hyt vvas fyrst formed of. And ther fore the autor sayth / that the entent of temporel thynges that so meuethe in rounde / casteth & entendeth by ledyng of nature / to counterfete the perdurable lyffe of god. For kendly euery creature coueyteth: to conforme hym to hys make / at lest in beyng. vvher fore of nature euery thynge vvythstandeth in that hyt may / hys ovvne corruption & diuision of hys partes. And vvhen hyt ys corrupt and resolued in to hys fyrst mater / vvyche ys the elementes / vvych ben cleped the sedes of erthly thynges then ben they apte as they vvere be fore to be mater and to clothe other dyuers formes. And so ben they perpetuate / by ther chaungeabelte in [Page] to an endles compate. For thes thynges yf they fayle in ther indiuidues / yet in ther vniuersalles they a bydeth euer: after tyme that they ones be. And the mater of the singulers / torneth into other thynges / after that nature vvorcheth. Than ys thys the conceyt of the clerke in the letter. Euery creature as ys before sayd / coueyteth of nature / for to counterfete hys maker. But for canse thes erthly thynges of feblenesse and contraryoustey of ther mater / may not endure / but nedes be resolued / ther fore they take that they may of beyng / enduryng by successyon of tymes. vvhere that god endureth (not by temporal successyon) but hathe hys beyng separate fro creatures al at ones so that tovvardes hym nought ys to come / ne nought ouer passed / But al that ys / vvas / and shal be: ys be fore hym present.
Than hauyng regarde to the eternyte of god / vvyche hath hys beyng al at ones vnmesured by successyon of tymes / ther ys no purueyaunce ne foresyght / but he seyth al by present knovvlege / & in hym / ys none other syght but connyng. For al knovvyng of present and passed / noteth imperfection of creatures that be passyng and corruptyble. And hyt nedeth nought / ne ys conuenyent / to conforme hys eternal insyght to oure temporal estimation / that al thyng demeth by before and after as vve haue ouer beynge. But hyt accordeth better / and ys more kendly / that the creature submytte al hys vvytte / and conforme al hys knovvyng holly to hys maker / vvyth oute vvhom he ys nought / can nought / ne hath nought at al / that ought ovveth to be cleped.
¶Syth hyt ys so then that euery Iugement / must sue the nature of the Iuge / that ys of hym that knovveth / hyt nedeth not thē to bynden thynges to falle necessaryly / ne to vvete the knovvyng of god for to compelle tho thynges to betyde / be cause that he seyth hyt presently as he al behaldeth / no more than for to vvyte me the meuyng of the sonne / by cause I se hyt meue / or for to vvyte me the deth of a man / by cause I se hym dye. For the meuyng of the sonne ys caused absolutely of the fyrst ordynaunce of hym that made hyt for to meue.
But that I novv se hyt meue / hyt procedeth of my ovvne fre vvylle / presupposed that I haue my yees hole & lyberte to se al present obiectes that falleth to my luste.
And to an ende hyt shal neuer be brought
They say therfore hyt hath eternyte
As euen y leke wyth god that hath hyt wrought
But yet al one in certeyn ys hyt nought
A lyffe interminable for to lede
As Plato thought hym self hyt ys no drede
¶Hyt ys a nother to enclosen al
[Page] At ones so thys lyffe intermynable
For al that ys / or was / or euer shal
At hym hyt ys present & permenable
He fleteth nought but alway standeth stable
Loo / of dyuyne thought the state ys thys
No creature may ben y leke y wysse
¶And yet for that ye shal not demen here
That god ys elder as in tyme of space
Than creatures made of hys power
But thys loo shal ye Iugen in thys case
That god hym selfen alway ys & was
Before / er any formed creature
In propre symplenesse of hys nature
¶And the entent of thynges temporel
That alway meueth so contynuelly
They cast to counterfeten euery dele
The perdurable lyffe of god on hy
That chaungeth not but standeth presently
But when hyt may not euen hyt self ther to
Ther very stablenesse they falleth fro
¶And meueth then oute of symplycyte
Decressyng oute of present then a none
To Infinyte and endles quantyte
Of tyme to come & tyme that ys a gonne
But when he may not bryng hyt in to one
Al hys lyffe at ones for to haue
Hyt wylleth thus hyt selfen for to saue
¶And ther hyt may not ben a boute y brought
So al hys lyffe at ones for to gete
yet in as moche as hyt endeth nought
Thys lyffe hyt doth not vtterly forlete
But hyt semeth that hyt volde counterfete
[Page] The souereyn lyffe of god omnipotent
In so moche as he somwhat hath present
¶And so hyt byndeth hym to a lytel stounde
To haue a maner perdurablenesse
In wyche no tyme of space may be founde
But for hyt hath a maner lekelynesse
Of the eternal lyffe that present ys
Hyt semeth how so euer hyt flee or flete
That in present euer a bydeth hyt
¶And for hyt may not after hys delyte
A byden / but for suche a lytel space
Hyt taketh alway of tymes Infynyte
And for hyt may not al hys lyffe enbrace
At ones / as hys princypal purpose was
Passyng forthe the lyffe he kepeth so
For cause he may ne canne none other do
¶And yf we sholde by names hym dyscerne
To suen Plato where he sayd wel
He sayd that god hym self ys eterne
Loo / & the worlde shold be perpetuel
Of thys mayst thou conceyuen then ful wel
Syth euery Iugement that shal be true
Hyt must the nature of hym selfen sue
¶To comprehenden thynges of wythoute
And thastate of souereyn god on hye
Stondeth euer in one hyt ys no doute
Algates in hym selfen presently
Hys knowyng then surmounteth sykerly
Al thyng / that hath meuyng in dyfference
A bydyng in hys symplycyte of presence
¶And so encloseth spaces Infinyte
Of tyme that was & shal here after be
[Page] But to tho spaces hath he no respect
But to hys owne hole eternyte
By knowyng of hys hye symplycyte
Al thyng in presens of hys syght
He seyth hyt as hyt were do now ryght
¶yf thou consydre that prescience in thy thoug
By wych he knoweth al thynges so
Thys prescience shalt thou referren nought
As to a thyng that after shal be do
But very science shalt thou deme hyt loo
Of present tyme that neuer faylen may
Ne oute of presens passe neuer a way
¶For why hyt ys not called preuydence
But rather ys hyt called purueyaunce
That al thynges knoweth in presence
In wych knowyng ther ys no varyaunce
Fro our knowyng / hyt hath ful grete dystaunce
For we behaldeth lo thynges here
But fro on hye behaldeth he al in fere
¶Syth euery Iugement must suen than
The nature of the knower kendely
wherfore ys hyt that thou askest than
That al must fallen necessaryly
That seyn ys in dyuyne syght on hye
Syth men the present thynges y
t they seyn
Maketh nought / of nede for to ben
¶Loo / may thy syght of thynges here present
Make them to fallen of necessyte
(Boeꝰ)
Boecius) I sayd nay
(Phia)
Philosophia) ꝙ she ryght so hyt stent
Of goddes purueyaunce / as semeth me
Al tho ther may no comparyson be
For the prescience of a mannes thought
[Page] To goddes prescience may be lekened nought
¶For ryght as ye behaldeth wyth your syght
That in thys tyme present ys y don
Rygh so he seyth in hys eternal lyght
So / that thyng to comyng ys ther none
As in hys syght / ne no thyng ouer gone
wher fore hys prescience (hyt sueth wel)
The nature of thynges chaungeth neuer a dele
¶For syth he seyth tho thynges presently
Ryght as they shal here afterwarde befalle
The Iugement of thynges sykerly
Hys knowyng confundeth no thyng at al
For al thyng that betyde here after shal
whether nedeful or contingent be the ende
At ones al he seyth hyt ys in hys mynde
¶Ryght as thou seyst a man go on the grounde
And the sonne also in heuen a ryse
And bothe thou behaldest in one stounde
yet canst thou wel dyscernen & deuyse
Loo that y
t thys man wych walketh in thys wyse
He dothe hym self wyllyngly that dede
But yet in sothe the sonne a ryseth nede
¶Ne the syght of god that ys so clere
That al thyng doth hym be nethen se
Of thes wordly thynges that ben here
Destorbeleth neuer a dele the qualyte
wyche in the syght of hys eternyte
Ben present now / but to the syght of man
Ther tyme they shal here afterwardes han
¶And here of cometh thys conclusyon
That what he wote that shal here after sue
Hyt ys no fallace nother opynyon
[Page] But very science suffysant & true
By wych he knoweth y
t hyt ys not due
As of necessyte to fallen so
Bnt than thou sayst a thyng that shal be do
¶And ys prouyded in dyuyne thought
Hyt may not vnbetyde / hyt ys no drede
And thyng that so may be exchwed nought
Than of necessyte / hyt falleth nede
And so thou wolt me bynden to the dede
As by thys worde / that ys necessyte
And loo as truthe / I wyl hyt graunt the
¶But thys vnnethe may felen any wyght
Ne wel conceyuen in thys erthly lyffe
But yf he had a conceyt & a syght
Of god / & fully were contemplatyue
But vn to thys I aunswere the belyue
when that thyng that so to comen ys
To dyuyne science / referred ys
¶Loo / necessary ys hyt sykerly
But in the maner of that propre kende
whan that thou hyt behaldest verely
Necessyte doth hyt in no wyse bynde
For ij. necessyteys shalt thou fynde
Of wyche that one ys symple / wete hyt wel
And that other ys condycyonel
¶That euery man ys mortal of nature
Thys ys necessyte of symplenesse
But when thou knowest a man perauenture
That walketh of hys owne wylfulnesse
That mannes walkyng necessary ys
wyth thys condytion y put ther to
The whyle hyt ys y knowen to be so
[Page] ¶For thyng that knowen ys in mannes thought
As for the tyme hyt may none other be
But thys condytion suffyseth nought
wyth hym to drawen thys symplycyte
For wel thou wotest that thys necessyte
Cometh not of kendly dysposytion
But of that accydent condytion
¶And necessyte doth hym not compelle
To walken / he that walketh wyllyngly
But whyle he goth / thys wyl I graunt wel
Loo that he walketh uecessaryly
And in the same wyse sykerly
what purueyaunce as present doth prouyde
So of necessyte hyt doth betyde
¶And yet that thyng as of hys propre kende
Truly doth not of necessyte befalle
But al that god behaldeth in hys mynde
That so of lyberte betyden shal
He behaldeth hyt as present al
And so referred to dyuyne syght
As necessary they ben a counted ryght
¶But thys ys only by condytion
Of the knowyng of dyuyne wyt
But when thes thynges haue relation
Vn to ther owne propre kende yet
Al absolutly then betydeth hyt
No thyng compelled of necessyte
Ne hyt forleteth nought hys lyberte
¶So than hyt shal befallen doutles
Al that god to comen doth prouyde
And moche thyng shal fallen neuertheles
That only shal of lyberte betyde
[Page] So that they standeth fre fro eyther syde
And though they be to come yet may we chese
So propre nature doth they not forlese
¶Ther kende ys thys / be forehand er they were
Of lyberte they myght haue ben vndo
But what force ys hyt wylt thou say me hyre
where they come of necessyte or no
Syth of dyuyne science ys hyt so
In al wyse hyt doth befallen thys
Ryght euen as thyng that necessary ys
¶Loo thys / as I a lytel here beforn
Purposed by exsample plenerly
Of the sonne that ryseth by the morn
And of a man that walketh wyllyngly
Tyl tyme they be in doyng presently
They may wel be vndon hyt ys no drede
But that one was to betyden nede
¶But sykerly that other neded nought
So al that he behaldeth as present
Ryght so wythouten doute hyt shal be wrought
But that the sonne ryseth verament
Loo of necessyte hyt hath dessent
But the man to walken or to gon
Hys owne choys hyt standeth al vpon
¶Now then in thys we haue sayd but ryght
That when thes thynges so referred be
Vn to the knowyng of dyuyne syght
Loo then they falleth of necessyte
But referred to ther qualyte
Ful absolute in lyberte they stonde
As out of al necessary bonde
¶As al that apereth to the comen wyt
[Page] yf that they be referred to reson
Vniuersal than in sothe ys hyt
And yf thou set in thyn entention
The properte of ther condytion
So then thou felest hyt as synguler
But yf hyt be (thou sayst) in my power
¶My purpose for to chaungen as me lust
Loo than shal I a voyden purueyaunce
By wyche the same ys knowen & wyst
But I shal aunswere to thyn allegeaunce
Thy purpose mayst thou chaunge at thy plesaunce
But thys myght for to don or do hyt nought
And al that dyuers chaungyng of thy thought
¶The very present truthe of prescience
Euery dele behaldeth presently
And thou mayst not a voyden hys presence
No more than thou mayst a voyde verely
The behaldyng of a present yee
Thogh y
t thou woldest thy selfen torne or wende
As leketh to the fre wyl of thy mynde
¶But here thou makest thys obiection
yf goddes science may be chaunged so
At my propre dysposytion
As when I thys now / & now that may I do
Than may I enterchaungen to & fro
Loo hys science by stoundes at my wyl
Nay for sothe / that mayst thou not by skyle
¶For why the knowyng of dyuyne syght
Goeth before that thyng that shal befalle
And before the propre presence ryght
Loo of hys knowyng he retorneth al
That euer was / or ben here after shal
[Page] Ne as thou wenest he altereth nought
Hys presence by stoundes of thy thought
¶As now thys thyng & now y
t thyng to know
But he abydyng euery wyt compaseth
The chaungyng of thy thoughtes al a rowe
wyth one syght al at ones he enlaceth
He goth also before & al embraceth
Hys myght also / that al comprehendeth
And eke hys syght that to so fer extendeth
¶Al thynges to behalden presently
He hath them not receyued so as we
Of thyng that ys to comen suyngly
But of hys propre hye symplycyte
wherby hyt may ful wel assoyled be
That thou whyle er a geynst me hast y put
Vnsembly sayst thou ys hyt to thy wyt
¶That thyng to come of oure vnstablenesse
Sholde the cause ben of hys science
But of hys connyng loo the myght ys thys
He closeth al wyth knowyng of presence
Of dyuers tyme he hath no dyfference
And al thyng in to certeyn hath he brought
To thynges passed oweth he ryght nought
¶Syth hyt ys so / I may concluden now
That in euery mortal creature
The lyberte abydeth hole y now
And standeth fully in ther owne cure
And lawes wyche that medes doth mesure
To tho men that ben good & vertuous
And also peynes to the vycyous
¶Then for vnryght they may not ben arected
Syth euery man hys owne wyl ys at
[Page] As by necessyte no thyng y letted
But that he may deseruen loue or hate
And god hym selfen sytte a boue algate
And euery thyng he knoweth er hyt be
As present in hys hye eternyte
¶In ous behaldyng euery thought & dede
That ys / or shal be don / in ful certeyn
And to the good men he desposeth mede
And to the wycked punysshement & peyn
To trust in god hyt ys no thyng in veyn
And preyours / yf they ryghtuously be ledde
Beleue hyt wel / they may not ben vnspedde
¶Wythstande thou vyce / & geue the to vertu
To ryghtuous hope / thou lyft vp thy corage
And for thy nedes / yf thou wolt persue
Humble preyer sende in thy message
Vp to thy god / hyt fayleth not hys wage
Ne doute the nought / y
u shalt be spedde ful sone
For he refuseth neuer a lowly boune
¶And loke that thou my counsel not forgete
Dyssymule not / but do thy besynesse
The nede ys thyn / also the charge ys grete
That thau be founde in vertu & prowesse
Syth al thy worke ys open & expresse
Vn to the presence of the Iuge on hye
That al thyng doth behalden plenerly
Explicit Liber Quintus Boecij De consolatione
(Phie.)
Philosophie
Deo gracias.
Collectis in sequentibus cuiuslibet linee primis litteris / non solum Translatoris sed & transferri procurantis / nomina cū cognominibus / inuestigare poteris.
Nomen transferri procurantis.
EVer more exalted be thou lord on hy
Lawly wyche of thy benygnyte
In flesshe and blodde aperyng wyllyngly
So pyteously were peyned on the tre
And sufferest / that greuous was to the
Be bledde wyth al thy blodde for mannes sake
Euer more exalted be thy maieste
Thyn hert blodde / oure raunson woldest y
u make
Cognomen.
¶Blysful lorde I pray the hertely
Er I depart of thys mortalyte
Reskewe me fro my perylous enemy
Kepyng me fro hys cursed cruelte
Eternally to set my thought in the
Lust of synnes fully to forsake
Endles god wyche art bothe one & iij.
yn to thy cure for euer I me betake
Nomen Translatoris.
Tyelde yow thankes lady Sapience
Of y
t thys worke ye to an ende y brought
Haue ye the worshyppe & the recompence
And I no dele / I haue deserued nought
None other lust desyre I in my thought
Ne nought coueyt I but your Influence
Eternally / so that I may be brought
Souereyn lady in to your presence
Cognomen Translatoris.
wyth al my hert to do yow reuerence
And seruyse / suche as of me may be wrought
Lawly vnder youre obedyence
To plesen yow yf I suffysed ought
Wyth al my hert / as euer I haue besoght
No thyng coueyt I of youre excellence
Eternally but that I may be brought
My souereyn lady in to your presence
Here endeth the boke of comfort called in latyn Boecius de consolatione Phie. Enprented in the exempt monastery of Tauestok in Denshyre. By me Dan Thomas Rychard monke of the sayd Monastery / To the instant desyre of the ryght worshypful esquyer Mayster Robert Langdon. Anno (d.) domini MDxxv.
Deo Gracias.
Robertus Lanhdon.
¶Reson and intelligens purely consydered in kynd of ther vvorching haueth them selfe euery agen other / as practick & theoryk / or as actyf & contemplatyf. And al tho the vvorchyng of reson leke to practyf in ordre & ꝓcesse in vs that vseth processe go before intelligence as practycke goyth before theorich / & actyf before contemplatyfe / yet in vvorthines & also in perfection of blestulhed / intelligens sormounteth & ys souerayn to reson. For the same treuthes that reson seketh & fyndeth by discours / thes pure blisful spirites (vviche ben called iutelligences) seyth & knoueth perfectly in the mirrour of eternal lygth / that ys goddes sonne vith outen any discurse of reson. And moche more viche ne may not be perceued here of ous in thys pilgremage. But rygth as a good practiser by exercise of labur & experiens of hys craft / may deserue to be made preuy of soteltes of hys crafte & to be made a master / rygth so a soule coniuned to bodly mater / may by hys good labour of discours / deserue to atteyu to be made preuy by intelligence of al the same trouthes on hye in blysse that thes blesful spirites haueth of ther firste creation. ¶By nature of the resonabelte of mannes soule / viche resonabelte ys the forme substantial of the selfe soule / ther shuld not be denyed hem that he vvolde desyre. And that may be scheued by thys skyle. ¶The saule vhos forme substaniial ys reson or resonabilte / he may of proper kynde noȝt desyre but resonable. for yf he other desired / he vvere vnresonable. And yf he desyre but that ys proper to hem of kynde / yt may not of reson be denyed hym. But hove ys hyt that a soule coniuned desyreth ofte other than resonable / Ther be .ii. causes. One ys for some soules for [Page] the intemperance & bosteynesse of ther material body fayleth in discours In other that haueth clere discours yet sensualite vych vs the flesly part of the soule replyeth euer a gen thys discours of reson / askyng hys lustes as proper to hys kynder And togth he be ueuer [...]o ofte ausuered & concluded / yet euer he resorteth to hys first askyng hauyur [...]o regarde to al the resons that may be made agenste hym. Right as a man that fayleth discours vhom men calleth a mad man / tough a man make to hym neuer so gret resons / yet ys he not ansuered / he feleth them not / but euer he resorteth to that he firste began. ¶Thys importunat pressenge of sensualite of such vnresonable replications encombreth so the reson that he leueth the true ende that he had traueled for by discours & entendethe to the luste of sensualite desiryng thynges that be vnresonable / vvyche desyre yf yt vvere grounded in sensualite vych ys changeable / yt shulde a none bring the soule in to endles mischef. for ther may no thyng stand kyndly that contrarieth hys avne kynd. Ne a resonable spirite though he be moueable in vvorkyng & in affections yet of propre kynde he may not vvyl contradiction / that ys to sey nove thys & nov the contrary for then he erred agen reson So then a soule desiryng that thyug that ys vnresonable / & consequently to hys destruction / by the hy gouerne [...] hyt ys oftentyme denyed hym. vherfore he falleth in to a peynful heuynesse be cause he lacketh that he desireth / or hath that hym lotheth. And vvere not that the sensualite bereth thys peyn the mischef vvere endles. vherfore the sensualite that ys changeable & lotheth thys peyn vyllyng to be deliuered therof / somtyme reforteth to reson forsakyng suche vnskyleful desires & suffreth reson to haue hys kyndly operations. And yf thys peynful heuynesse be mored in the soule & reson fully ouercome / then falleth a man in despere. & so somme destroeth themself by vvylful deth & so continue in perpetual peyn vythout ende. Thus fel hyt of the first angel that desired vndiseretly to be leken to god & for he migthe not haue hys desyre / he fel in peynful heuinesse. but in heuen may be no peyn / And he miȝth not vvyl the contraty to that he ones villed / he vvas so pure & simple of nature. vherfore vvithout remedy he vvas caste in to mischef in the peyn of hel ¶So yt be fel of thys noble clerk Boyce / because he had that he vvold not / that vvas prison & other tribulation. And also he vvanted that he vvolde haue / that vvas hys astate in the cyte of Rome / hys hovse / bokes / & hys other goodes / presens of hys vvyffe & chyldern & hys other frendes vherof he vvas vvron gfully spoyled & but out of hys cyte / exiled as a traytour / he fel in to a peynful heuinesse and made hys complaint sayug. Allas I vvreche. &c̄. But for asmoche as thys heuynesse vvas but the mevyng of sensualite / viche of hys nature ys chaūgable. And leste he fel in to ful forgetyng of hymself & in the vttermest myschef. Reson conforteth the flesly kynde / reducyng yt to knovlege of yt selfe / & so to forgete the heuynesse that he vvas so greuosly peyned vvith for losynge of hys dignyte / vvyffe / chyldern / & goodes a fore rehersed.