what he doth And thogh the badde be to the ful loth To haten hem yet haue ye no reson But rather haue of them compassion ¶ for as sekenesse the body doth greuance Rygth so ys vyce a maner malady 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 MetruÌ„ iiij CapituluÌ„ viij Quid tantos iuuat Phia Philosophia loquitur WHat helpeth hyt to meuen or excyte wyth ê“per 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. CapituluÌ„ ix Hinc video inquam Boecius loquitur ¶ In thys ê™ I I perceyue euery dele Bothe the myschef the welfulnesse 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 And had at al none other gouernance ¶ But god that 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 ê™ sche I woÌ„dre nought as here Sith thou ne coudest the skyle of ordynance Thogh thou meruele vpon the gouernance ¶ And hald hyt foly confusyon But thogh to the the 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 that euer he dothe MetruÌ„ 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 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 ê™ 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 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 ¶ And thogh so be that musyke the delyte And metre ys ful lusty to thyn ere As for a
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 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 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 thou shuldest wyth swerd or spere be stonge Haddest thou 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 that 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 ¶ 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 that 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 that wold hym mel Thys gold gemmes that 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 dignitatibus 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 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 that 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 Or by some worme that crepen may in ryght withyn a mannes body preuely ¶ And ho ys he that may do strength or fo rs Or vsen might or power say me thys But only on a corruptyble cors Right of the same kende that ys hys
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 Boetius with al hys besynes withstode hem alwey sparyng none offence And hym present often tyme expresse Reuersed hys vnlauful iugementes ¶ He ne spared noÈt the 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 TheodoriÌ„cus 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 the 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 that 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 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 the 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 that 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 I le of vulcane was he caste then That ful ys of a fyre flam of hel 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 ¶ 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 ê“cesse 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 noÈt 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 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 â—o ofte ausuered concluded yet euer he resorteth to hys first askyng hauyur â—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 gouerneâ— 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 miÈth 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 cÌ„ But for asmoche as thys heuynesse vvas but the mevyng of sensualite viche of hys nature ys chauÌ„gable 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 Incipit liber Boetij de coÌ„solatoÌ„e philosophie MetruÌ„ primuÌ„ 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 that 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 here 's 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 And worneth thenne with wonder cruelnesse The yes for to close that we le 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 that 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 that 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 coÌ„mentor 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 sâ—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 coÌ„nyng ¶ 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 secunduÌ„ 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
destroyed yf he shulde lese thys lyberte of vvyl 〈◊〉 muste then anone be put in to endles punishmeÌ„t thys muste a voyde mercy Thys may be proued thus yf god lefte thys euel vnponeshed finally then might he seme to coÌ„sente 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 PrimuÌ„ 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 thou might haue thy hele Boecius Now seyth on ê™ I what ye luste 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 that hyt ys sustened By reson of som certen ordynance Boetius That god knoueth that hath al in gouernaÌ„ce Thys doute I not but truly I beleue Come neuer that day that me befalle that chaunce Out of my herte that senteÌ„ce for to meve Phia Philosophia Right as thou sayest ê™ 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 that thou gan wepe we le 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 ê™ I haue I not conceyued I can not aunswere to your question Phia Philosophia In soth ê™ 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 To what purpose by inclination Draeth fynally the comen cours of kynde Boecius I haue ê™ I herd tel yt here be forn But drerynesse hath marred al my thought Phia Philosophia yet hast thou not ê™ she thy wyt forloren That thou ne wost ho hath thys world y wroght Boecius O god ê™ 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 thou art a man Boecius In sothe ê™ I thys were a wonder case yf I shuld not my self in mynde han Phia Philosophia yet cannest thou ê™ she tellen furdermore The kyndly ê“perte of man what yt ys Boecius ye ê™ I as I haue herde be fore A resonable beste with dedlynesse That I am suche I know wyl confesse Phia Philosophia Nought elles ê™ she knouest thou of thy kende Boecius In sothe ê™ 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 ê™ she Of thy desese that I wonder grete wiche ys the ground of thyn infirmyte For what thou art thou hast thyself forgete wherfore the reson fully haue we gete Of thy desese furdermore a mene 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 thou 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 thou 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 thou 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 thou beleuest as I conceue and fele And nought subiect to happes variance ¶ Ne drede the 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 That when they haue trew conceytes lest They clothe themself in false opynyon ¶ wherof derknesse perturbation May wexen vp that fully wyl destroy The syÈth 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 lyÈth then migth thou know see MetruÌ„ vij Capitulum xiij Nubibus atris coÌ„dita nulluÌ„ The sterres couered with the cloudes blake Ne may not clerely casten doune ther lyÈth And when the wode south wynde doth a wake He waleweth vp the see withe hugy might The wawes then that were clere bright Leke as the glasse or as the somers day with fylthe that ys resolued ben on hyÈth 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 the nothynge of thys worldly dyne Ne hope thou not that transytory ys Ne sorow thou nought but yf yt be for synne 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
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 selfe n stondeth in thys degre He dredeth the same that he fereth ¶ And for he wolde myghty seme stronge He must put hym selfe n 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 ¶ 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 ¶ And vhen thou woldest hyt wyllyngly forsake Loo at thy wyl thou mayst hyt not forgon And frendes wyche that 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 MetruÌ„ v. CapituluÌ„ 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 I le 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. CapituluÌ„ 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 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 that 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 thou were coÌ„mended ¶ 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 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 theÌ„ 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 coÌ„pelled of no foreyn cause as men ben compelled but only of the habundance of hys goodnesse â–ª vvyche ys euer vvas perfeâ—ly in hymself the vvyche goodnesse vvas so entensyfly habundant that hyt must nedes of reson be exteÌ„ded by coÌ„munyon ¶
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 flessâ—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 selfe n 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 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 syngulâ—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 CapituluÌ„ vij Tum illa vetus inquaÌ„ 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 ¶ 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 coÌ„prehended 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 thou haue mende why ys hyt then that voluntary dede So ys constreyned to a certen ende That thyng to comen must be fallen nede 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 ê™ 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 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 thou 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 thou vnderstanden loo As many a thyng â–ª 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 ê™ 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 theÌ„ Ben not coacted to be thou wylt beleue Loo by that same reson now mayst thou preue 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