Chaucer's translation of Boethius's "De consolatione philosphiæ" / edited from British Museum additional MS. 10, 340 collated with Cambridge University Library MS. Ii.3.21 by Richard Morris

APPENDIX.

[Camb. Univ. MS. Ii. 3. 21, fol. 52b]

Chawcer vp-on this fyfte metur of the second book

A Blysful lyf a paysyble and a swete Ledden the poeples in the former age They helde hem paied of the fructes þat þey ete Whiche þat the feldes yaue hem by vsage They ne weere nat forpampred with owtrage Onknowyn was þe quyerne and ek the melle They eten mast hawes and swych pownage And dronken water of the colde welle

¶ Yit nas the grownd nat wownded with þe plowh But corn vp-sprong vnsowe of mannes hond Þe which they gnodded and eete nat half .I.-nowh No man yit knewe the forwes of his lond No man the fyr owt of the flynt yit fonde Vn-koruen and vn-grobbed lay the vyne No man yit in the morter spices grond To clarre ne to sawse of galentyne

¶ No Madyr welde or wod no litestere Ne knewh / the fles was of is former hewe No flessh ne wyste offence of egge or spere No coyn ne knewh man which is fals or trewe No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe No Marchaunt yit ne fette owt-landissh ware No batails trompes for the werres folk ne knewe Ne towres heye and walles rownde or square

¶ What sholde it han avayled to werreye Ther lay no profyt ther was no rychesse [fol. 53] But corsed was the tyme .I. dar̛ wel seye Þat men fyrst dede hir swety bysynesse To grobbe vp metal lurkynge in dirkenesse And in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte Allas than sprong̘ vp al the cursydnesse Of coueytyse þat fyrst owr sorwe browhte

¶ Thyse tyrauntȝ put hem gladly nat in pres No places wyldnesse ne no busshes for to wynne Ther pouerte is as seith diogenes Ther as vitayle ek is so skars and thinne Þat nat but mast or apples is ther Inne But þer as bagges ben and fat vitaile Ther wol they gon and spare for no synne With al hir ost the Cyte forto a-sayle [MS. transposes the two preceding lines]

¶ Yit was no paleis chaumbres ne non halles In kaues and wodes softe and swete Sleptin this blyssed folk̘ with-owte walles On [MS. Or] gras or leues in parfyt Ioye reste and quiete No down of fetheres ne no bleched shete Was kyd to hem but in surte they slepte Hir hertes weere al on with-owte galles Euerych of hem his feith to oother kepte

¶ Vnforged was the hawberke and the plate Þ^e lambyssh poeple voyded of alle vyse Hadden no fantesye to debate But eche of hem wolde oother wel cheryce No pride non enuye non Auaryce No lord no taylage by no tyranye Vmblesse and pes good feith the emperice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [A line omitted, but no gap left for one.]

¶ Yit was nat Iuppiter the lykerous Þat fyrst was fadyr of delicasie Come in this world ne nembroth desyrous To regne had nat maad his towres hye Allas allas now may [men] wepe And crye For in owre dayes nis but couetyse Dowblenesse and tresoun and enuye Poyson and manslawhtre and mordre in sondry wyse

CAUSER / BALADES DE VILAGE SANZ PEINTURE

¶ This wrecched worlde-is transmutacioun As wele / or wo / now poeere and now honour With-owten ordyr or wis descresyoun Gouerned is by fortunes errour But natheles the lakke of hyr fauowr̛ Ne may nat don me syngen thowh I. deye [fol. 53b] Iay tout perdu moun temps et moun labour For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye

¶ Yit is me left the lyht of my resoun To knowen frend fro foo in thi merowr̛ So mochel hath yit thy whirlynge vp and down I-tawht me for to knowe in an howr But trewely no fors of thi reddowr̛ To hym þat ouer hym self hath the maystrye My suffysaunce shal be my socour̛ For fynaly fortune I. thee deffye

¶ O socrates þou stidfast chaumpyoun She neuer myht[e] be thi tormentowr Thow neuer dreddest hyr oppressyoun Ne in hyr chere fownde thow no sauour̛ Thow knewe wel the deseyte of hyr colour̛ And þat hir most[e] worshipe is to lye I knew hir ek a fals dissimulour̛ For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye

LE RESPOUNCE DE FORTUNE A PLEINTIF.

¶ No man ys wrechchyd but hym self yt wene And he þat hath hym self hat suffisaunce Whi seysthow thanne y am [to] the so kene Þat hast thy self owt of my gouernaunce Sey thus graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce That thow hast lent or this why wolt þou stryue What woost thow yit how y the wol auaunce And ek thow hast thy beste frende a-lyue

¶ I haue the tawht deuisyoun by-twene Frend of effect̘ and frende of cowntenaunce The nedeth nat the galle of no hyene Þat cureth eyen derkyd for penaunce Now se[st] [partly erased and ist written on it in a later hand.] thow cleer þat weere in ignoraunce Yit halt thin ancre and yit thow mayst aryue Ther bownte berth the keye of my substaunce And ek þou hast thy beste frende alyue

¶ How manye haue .I. refused to sustigne [ igne of sustigne is in a later hand.] Syn .I. the fostred haue in thy plesaunce Wolthow thanne make a statute on þy quyene Þat .I. shal ben ay at thy ordynaunce Thow born art in my regne of varyaunce Abowte the wheel with oother most thow dryue My loore is bet than wikke is thi greuaunce And ek þou hast thy beste frende a-lyue

LE RESPOUNCE DU PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.

¶ Thy loore y dempne / it is aduersyte [fol. 54] My frend maysthow nat reuen blynde goddesse Þat .I. thy frendes knowe .I. thanke to the Tak hem agayn / lat hem go lye on presse The negardye in kepynge hyr rychesse Prenostik is thow wolt hir̛ towr̛ asayle

Wikke appetyt comth ay before sykenesse In general this rewle may nat fayle

LE RESPOUNCE DE FORTUNE COUNTRE LE PLEINTIF

¶ Thow pynchest at my mutabylyte For .I. the lente a drope of my rychesse And now me lykyth to with-drawe me Whi sholdysthow my realte apresse The see may ebbe and flowen moore or lesse The welkne hath myht to shyne reyne or hayle Ryht so mot .I. kythen my brutelnesse In general this rewle may nat fayle

LE PLEINTIF

¶ Lo excussyoun of the maieste Þat al purueyeth of his ryhtwysnesse That same thinge fortune clepyn ye Ye blynde beestys ful of lewednesse The heuene hath proprete of sykyrnesse This world hath euer resteles trauayle Thy laste day is ende of myn inter[e]sse In general this rewele may nat fayle

LENUOY DE FORTUNE

¶ Prynses .I. prey yow of yowre gentilesses Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne And .I. shal quyte yow yowre bysynesse At my requeste as thre of yow or tweyne Þat but yow lest releue hym of hys peyne Preyeth hys best frend of his noblesse That to som betere estat he may attayne