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EDITED FROM BRITISH MUSEUM ADDITIONAL MS. 10,340 COLLATED WITH CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MS. Ii.3.21 BY RICHARD MORRIS
EDITED FROM BRITISH MUSEUM ADDITIONAL MS. 10,340 COLLATED WITH CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MS. Ii.3.21 BY RICHARD MORRIS
Published for THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY by the OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO FIRST PUBLISHED 1868 REPRINTED 1889, 1894, 1895, ETC., AND 1969 Extra Series , No. 5 ORIGINALLY PRINTED BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS LTD., LONDON AND BUNGAY AND NOW REPRINTED LITHOGRAPHICALLY IN GREAT BRITAIN AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD BY VIVIAN RIDLER PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY When master hands like those of Gibbon and Hallam have sketched the life of Boethius , it is well that n
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I. LOVE.
I. LOVE.
Wost thou nat wel the olde clerkes sawe, That who schal yeve a lover eny lawe, Love is a grettere lawe, by my pan, Then may be yeve to (of) eny erthly man? ( Knightes Tale, Aldine Series , vol. ii. p. 36, 37.) But what is he þat may ȝeue a lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter lawe and a strengere to hym self þan any lawe þat men may ȝeuen. ( Chaucer’s Prose Translation , p. 108 .) Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor est sibi. (Boeth., lib. iii. met. 12.)...
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II. A DRUNKEN MAN.
II. A DRUNKEN MAN.
A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous, But he not 8 which the righte wey is thider. ( Knightes Tale , vol. ii. p. 39.) Ryȝt as a dronke man not nat 9 by whiche paþe he may retourne home to hys house. (Chaucer’s Trans., p. 67 .) Sed velut ebrius, domum quo tramite revertatur, ignorat. (Boeth., lib. iii. pr. 2.)...
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III. THE CHAIN OF LOVE.
III. THE CHAIN OF LOVE.
The firste moevere of the cause above, Whan he first made the fayre cheyne of love, Gret was theffect, and heigh was his entente; Wel wist he why, and what therof he mente; For with that faire cheyne of love he bond The fyr, the watir, the eyr, and eek the lond In certeyn boundes, that they may not flee. ( Knightes Tale , p. 92.) That þe world with stable feith / varieth acordable chaungynges // þat the contraryos qualite of elementȝ holden amonge hem self aliaunce perdurable / þat phebus the so
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IV. MUTABILITY DIRECTED AND LIMITED BY AN IMMUTABLE AND DIVINE INTELLIGENCE.
IV. MUTABILITY DIRECTED AND LIMITED BY AN IMMUTABLE AND DIVINE INTELLIGENCE.
That same prynce and moevere eek, quod he, Hath stabled, in this wrecched world adoun, Certeyn dayes and duracioun To alle that er engendrid in this place, Over the whiche day they may nat pace, Al mowe they yit wel here dayes abregge; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Than may men wel by this ordre discerne That thilke moevere stabul is and eterne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And therfore of his wyse purveaunce He hath so wel biset his ordenaunce, That spices of thinges and progressiouns Schullen end
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V. THE PART IS DERIVED FROM THE WHOLE, THE IMPERFECT FROM THE PERFECT.
V. THE PART IS DERIVED FROM THE WHOLE, THE IMPERFECT FROM THE PERFECT.
Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, That every partye dyryveth from his hool. For nature hath nat take his bygynnyng Of no partye ne cantel of a thing, But of a thing that parfyt is and stable, Descendyng so, til it be corumpable. ( Knightes Tale , vol. ii. p. 92.) For al þing þat is cleped inperfit . is proued inperfit by þe amenusynge of perfeccioun . or of þing þat is perfit . and her-of comeþ it . þat in euery þing general . yif þat . þat men seen any þing þat is inperfit . certys in þilke
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VI. GENTILITY.
VI. GENTILITY.
For gentilnesse nys but renomé Of thin auncestres, for her heigh bounté Which is a straunge thing to thy persone. ( The Wyf of Bathes Tale , vol. ii. p. 241.) For if þe name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and clernesse of linage. þan is gentil name but a foreine þing. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 78 .) Quæ [nobilitas], si ad claritudinem refertur, aliena est. ( Boethius , lib. iii. pr. 6.)...
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VII. NERO’S CRUELTY.
VII. NERO’S CRUELTY.
No teer out of his eyen for that sighte Ne cam; but sayde, a fair womman was sche. Gret wonder is how that he couthe or mighte Be domesman on hir dede beauté. ( The Monkes Tale , vol. iii. p. 217.) Ne no tere ne wette his face, but he was so hard-herted þat he myȝte ben domesman or iuge of hire dede beauté. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 55 .) Ora non tinxit lacrymis, sed esse Censor extincti potuit decoris. ( Boethius , lib. ii. met. 6.)...
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VIII. PREDESTINATION AND FREE-WILL.
VIII. PREDESTINATION AND FREE-WILL.
In ‘Troylus and Cryseyde’ we find the following long passage taken from Boethius, book v. prose 2, 3. (1) Syn God seth every thynge, out of doutaunce, And hem disponeth, thorugh his ordinaunce, In hire merites sothely for to be, As they shul comen by predesteyné (2) For som men seyn if God seth al byforne, Ne God may not deseyved ben pardé! Than moot it fallen, theigh men hadde it sworne, That purveyaunce hath seyn befor to be, Wherfor I seye, that, from eterne, if he Hathe wiste byforn our thou
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IX. THE GRIEF OF REMEMBERING BYGONE HAPPINESS.
IX. THE GRIEF OF REMEMBERING BYGONE HAPPINESS.
For, of fortunes scharp adversité, The worste kynde of infortune is this, A man to han ben in prosperité, And it remembren, when it passed is. ( Troylus and Cryseyde , bk. iii. st. 226, vol. iv. p. 291.) Sed hoc est, quod recolentem me vehementius coquit. Nam in omni adversitate fortunæ infelicissimum genus est infortunii, fuisse felicem. 10 ( Boethius , lib. ii. pr. 4.)...
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X. VULTURES TEAR THE STOMACH OF TITYUS IN HELL.
X. VULTURES TEAR THE STOMACH OF TITYUS IN HELL.
————Syciphus in Helle, Whos stomak fowles tyren everemo, That hyghten volturis. ( Troylus and Cryseyde , book i. st. 113, p. 140.) Þe fowel þat hyȝt voltor þat etiþ þe stomak or þe giser of ticius. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 107 .)...
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XI. THE MUTABILITY OF FORTUNE.
XI. THE MUTABILITY OF FORTUNE.
For if hire (Fortune’s) whiel stynte any thinge to torne Thanne cessed she Fortune anon to be. ( Troylus and Cryseyde , bk. i. st. 122, p. 142.) If fortune bygan to dwelle stable. she cesed[e] þan to ben fortune. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 32 .) (Compare stanzas 120, 121, p. 142, and stanza 136, p. 146, of ‘Troylus and Cryseyde’ with pp. 31, 33, 35, and p. 34 of Chaucer’s Boethius.) At omnium mortalium stolidissime, si manere incipit, fors esse desistit. ( Boethius , lib. ii. prose 1.)...
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XII. WORLDLY SELYNESSE
XII. WORLDLY SELYNESSE
. . . . . . . . . . . . Imedled is with many a bitternesse. Ful angwyshous than is, God woote, quod she, Condicion of veyn prosperité! For oyther joies comen nought yfeere, Or elles no wight hath hem alwey here. ( Troylus and Cryseyde , bk. iii. st. 110, p. 258.) Þe swetnesse of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wiþ many[e] bitternesses. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 42 .) —ful anguissous þing is þe condicioun of mans goodes. For eyþer it comeþ al to-gidre to a wyȝt. or ellys it lasteþ not perpetuely.
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XIII. FORTUNE.
XIII. FORTUNE.
————Fortune That semeth trewest when she wol bigyle, . . . . . . . . . . . . . And, when a wight is from hire whiel ithrowe, Than laugheth she, and maketh hym the mowe. ( Troylus and Cryseyde , bk. iii. st. 254, vol. iv. p. 299.) She (Fortune) vseþ ful flatryng familarité wiþ hem þat she enforceþ to bygyle. ( Chaucer’s Boethius , p. 30 .) . . . . . . . She lauȝeþ and scorneþ þe wepyng of hem þe whiche she haþ maked wepe wiþ hir free wille . . . . . . . Yif þat a wyȝt is seyn weleful and ouerþ
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APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION.
APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION.
The last of the ancients, and one who forms a link between the classical period of literature and that of the middle ages, in which he was a favourite author, is Boethius, a man of fine genius, and interesting both from his character and his death. It is well known that after filling the dignities of Consul and Senator in the court of Theodoric, he fell a victim to the jealousy of a sovereign, from whose memory, in many respects glorious, the stain of that blood has never been effaced. The Conso
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*LIBER PRIMUS. [* fol. 3 b.]
*LIBER PRIMUS. [* fol. 3 b.]
1 of —MS. of of. 2 florysching —floryssynge 3 rendyng —rendynge 4 be —ben 5 wrecchednes —wrecchednesse teers —teeres 6 leest —leeste myȝt [ e ] ouer-come —myhte ouercomen 8 seyne when —seyn whan 9 youȝth —MS. þoȝt, C. yowthe 10 sorouful werdes —sorful wierdes [i. fata] 12 sorou —sorwe haþ —MS. haþe be —ben 13 hore —hoore ben —arn myne —myn 14 slak [ e ]—slake vpon —of emty —emptyd þilk [ e ]—thilke 15 welful —weleful comeþ not —comth nat 16 .i. mirie —omitted 13 hore —hoore ben —arn myne —myn 14
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INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
A fter þis she Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on account of his losses. stynte a litel. and after þat she hadde gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou n she 728 seide þus. Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former fortune. ¶ As who so myȝt[e] seye þus. After þise þinges she stynt[e] a lytel. and whanne she ap er ceiued[e] by atempre stillenesse þat I was ententif to herkene hire. she bygan to speke in þis wyse. ¶ Yif 732 I q uod she haue vnderstonde n and kn
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INCIPIT LIBER 3us.
INCIPIT LIBER 3us.
B y this she Philosophy now ended her song. hadde endid hir e song e / whan the swetnesse 1700 of hir e ditee hadde thorw p er ced me þ a t was desirous of herkninge / I was so charmed that I kept a listening as if she were still speaking. and .I. astoned hadde yit streyhte myn Eres / þ a t is to seyn to herkne the bet / what she wolde seye // At last I said, O sovereign comforter of dejected minds, how much hast thou refreshed me with the energy of thy discourse, so that I now think myself almo
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*INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS. [* fol. 24 b.]
*INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS. [* fol. 24 b.]
W hanne When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as she was continuing her discourse. philosophie hadde songe n softly and delitably þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir choere in þe weyȝte of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde 3080 nat al out er ly forȝeten þe wepyng and mournyng þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entenc i ou n of hir þat entended[e] ȝitte to seyne oþ er þinges. All your discourses, O my conductres
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INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
S he hadde When Philosophy had thus spoken, and was about to discuss other matters I interrupted her. seid and to ur ned[e] þe cours of hir resou n to so m me oþ er þinges to ben tretid and to ben ysped. B. Thy exhortation is just and worthy of thy authority, but thou saidst that the question of the Divine Superintendence or Providence is involved with many others—and this I believe. þan seide I. Certys ryȝtful is þin amonestyng and ful 4296 digne by auctorite. but þat þou seidest som tyme þat þ
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APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
[ Camb. Univ. MS. Ii. 3. 21, fol. 52 b .] A Blysful lyf a paysyble and a swete Ledden the poeples in the former age They helde hem paied of the fructes þ a t þey ete Whiche þ a t the feldes yaue hem by vsage 4 They ne weer e nat forpampred w i t h owtrage Onknowyn was þ e quyerne and ek the melle They eten mast hawes and swych pownage And dronken wat er of the colde welle 8 ¶ Yit nas the grownd nat wownded w i t h þ e plowh But corn vp-sprong vnsowe of mannes hond Þe which they gnodded and eete
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LIBER PRIMUS.
LIBER PRIMUS.
I N þe mene while þat I stille recorded[e] þise þinges wiþ my self. and markede my wepli compleynte wiþ office of poyntel. I saw stondyng aboue þe heyȝt of my heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt hir eyen brennyng and clere seing ouer þe comune myȝt of men. wiþ a lijfly colo ur and wiþ swiche vigoure and strenkeþ þat it ne myȝt[e] not be emptid. ¶ Al were it so þat sche was ful of so greet age. þat men ne wolde not trowe i n no manere þat sche were of oure elde. þe stature of hir wa
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INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS.
A fter þis she stynte a litel. and after þat she hadde gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou n she seide þus. ¶ As who so myȝt[e] seye þus. After þise þinges she stynt[e] a lytel. and whanne she ap er ceiued[e] by atempre stillenesse þat I was ententif to herkene hire. she bygan to speke in þis wyse. ¶ Yif I q uod she haue vnderstonde n and knowe vtterly þe causes and þe habit of þi maladie. þou languissed and art deffeted for talent and desijr of þi raþer fortune. ¶ She þat ilke fortune o
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INCIPIT LIBER 3us.
INCIPIT LIBER 3us.
B y this she hadde endid hir e song e / whan the swetnesse of hir e ditee hadde thorw p er ced me þ a t was desirous of herkninge / and .I. astoned hadde yit streyhte myn Eres / þ a t is to seyn to herkne the bet / what she wolde seye // so þ a t a litel her e aft er .I. seyde thus // O thow þ a t art sou er eyn comfort of Angwissos corages // So thow hast remou n ted and norysshed me w i t h the weyhte of thy sentenses and w i t h delit of thy syngynge // so þ a t .I. trowe nat now þ a t .I. be
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INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.
W hanne philosophie hadde songe n softly and delitably þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir choere in þe weyȝte of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde nat al out er ly forȝeten þe wepyng and mournyng þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entenc i ou n of hir þat entended[e] ȝitte to seyne oþ er þinges. ¶ Se q uo d I. þou þat art gideresse of verray lyȝte þe þinges þat þou hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere and so shewyng by þe deuyne lokyng of hem and by þi resou n s þat þei ne mowe
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INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.
S he hadde seid and to ur ned[e] þe cours of hir resou n to so m me oþ er þinges to ben tretid and to ben ysped. þan seide I. Certys ryȝtful is þin amonestyng and ful digne by auctorite. but þat þou seidest som tyme þat þe questiou n of þe deuyne p ur ueaunce is enlaced wiþ many oþer questiou n s. I vndir-stonde wel and p ro ue it by þe same þinge. but I axe yif þat þou wenest þat hap be any þing in any weys. and if þou wenest þat hap be any [thing] what is it. þan q uo d she. I haste me to ȝeld
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