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

INTRODUCTION.

WHEN master hands like those of Gibbon and Hallam have sketched the life of Boethius, it is well that no meaner man should attempt to mar their pictures. They drew, perhaps, the most touching scene in Middle-age literary history, —the just man in prison, awaiting death, consoled by the Philosophy that had been his light in life, and handing down to posterity for their comfort and strength the presence of her whose silver rays had been his guide as well under the stars of Fortune as the mirk of Fate. With Milton in his dark days, Boece in prison could say,—

'I argue notAgainst Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jotOf heart or hope; but still bear up and steerRight onward. What supports me, dost thou ask?The conscience, friend, to have lost them overpliedIn liberty's defence, my noble task,Of which all Europe rings from side to side.'

For, indeed, the echoes of Boethius, Boethius, rang out loud from every corner of European Literature. An Alfred awoke them in England, a Chaucer, a Caxton would not let them die; an Elizabeth revived them among the glorious music of her reign. [Other translations are by John Walton of Osney, in verse, in 1410 (Reg. MS. 18, A 13), first printed at Tavistock in 1525, and to be edited some time or other for the E. E. T. S. An anonymous prose version in the Bodleian. George Coluile, alias Coldewel, 1556; J. T. 1609; H. Conningesbye, 1664; Lord Preston, 1695, 1712; W. Causton, 1730; Redpath, 1785; R. Duncan, 1789; anon. 1792 (Lowndes).] To us, though far off, they come with a sweet sound. 'The angelic' Thomas Aquinas commented on him, and many others followed the saint's steps. Dante read him, though, strange to say, he speaks of the

Consolation as 'a book not known by many.' [Dante, in his Convito, says, "Misimi a legger quello non conosciuto da molti libro di Boezio, nel quale captivo e discacciato consolato s'avea."] Belgium had her translations--both Flemish [Printed at Ghent, 1485.] and French [By Reynier de Seinet Trudon, printed at Bruges, 1477.] ; Germany hers, [An old version of the 11th cent., printed by Graff, and a modern one printed at Nuremberg, 1473.] France hers, [By Jean de Méung, printed at Paris, 1494.] Italy hers [By Varchi, printed at Florence, 1551; Parma, 1798.] . The Latin editors are too numerous to be catalogued here, and manuscripts abound in all our great libraries.

No philosopher was so bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of Middle-age writers as Boethius. Take up what writer you will, and you find not only the sentiments, but the very words of the distinguished old Roman. And surely we who read him in Chaucer's tongue, will not refuse to say that his full-circling meed of glory was other than deserved. Nor can we marvel that at the end of our great poet's life, he was glad that he had swelled the chorus of Boethius' praise; and 'of the translacioun of Boece de Consolacioun,' thanked 'oure Lord Ihesu Crist and his moder, and alle the seintes in heuen.'

The impression made by Boethius on Chaucer was evidently very deep. Not only did he translate him directly, as in the present work, but he read his beloved original over and over again, as witness the following list, incomplete of course, of passages from Chaucer's poems translated more or less literally from theDe Consolatione :

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.)

II. A DRUNKEN MAN.

A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous,But he not [ The Harl. MS. reads not nat, to the confusion of the metre. ] which the righte wey is thider.

(Knightes Tale, vol. ii. p. 39.)

Ryȝt as a dronke man not nat [ = ne wot nat = knows not.] 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.)

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 ententeWel wist he why, and what therof he mente;For with that faire cheyne of love he bondThe fyr, the watir, the eyr, and eek the londIn 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 sonne with his goldene chariet / bryngeth forth the rosene day / þat the mone hath commaundement ouer the nyhtes // whiche nyhtes hesperus the eue sterre hat[h] browt // þat þe se gredy to flowen constreyneth with a certeyn ende hise floodes / so þat it is nat l[e]ueful to strechche hise brode termes or bowndes vp-on the erthes // þat is to seyn to couere alle the erthe // Al this a-cordaunce of thinges is bownden with looue / þat gouerneth erthe and see / and [he] hath also commaundementȝ to the heuenes / and yif this looue slakede the brydelis / alle thinges þat now louen hem to-gederes / wolden maken a batayle contynuely and stryuen to fordoon the fasoun of this worlde / the which they now leden in acordable feith by fayre moeuynges // this looue halt to-gideres poeples / ioygned with an hooly bond / and knytteth sacrement of maryages of chaste looues // And loue enditeth lawes to trewe felawes // O weleful weere mankynde / yif thilke loue þat gouerneth heuene gouerned yowre corages /.

—(Chaucer's Boethius, bk. ii. met. 8.)

Quod mundus stabili fideConcordes variat vices,Quod pugnantia seminaFœdus perpetuum tenent,Quod Phœbus roseum diemCurru provehit aureo,Ut quas duxerit Hesperus

Phœbe noctibus imperet,Ut fluctus avidum mareCerto fine coerceat,Ne terris liceat vagisLatos tundere terminos;Hanc rerum seriem ligat,Terras ac pelagus regens,Et cœlo imperitans amor.Hic si fræna remiserit,Quicquid nunc amat invicem,Bellum continuo geret:Et quam nunc socia fidePulcris motibus incitant,Certent solvere machinam.Hic sancto populos quoqueJunctos fœdere continet,Hic et conjugii sacrumCastis nectit amoribus,Hic fidis etiam suaDictat jura sodalibus.O felix hominum genus,Si vestros animos amor,Quo cælum regitur, regat.

—(Boeth., lib ü. met. 8.)

Love, that of erth and se hath governaunce!Love, that his hestes hath in hevene hye!Love, that with an holsom alliaunceHalt peples joyned, as hym liste hem gye!Love, that knetteth law and compaignye,And couples doth in vertu for to dwelle!

(Troylus & Cryseyde, st. 243, vol. iv. p. 296.)

That, that the world with faith, which that is stableDyverseth so, his stoundes concordynge;—That elementz, that ben so discordable,Holden a bond, perpetualy durynge;—That Phebus mot his rosy carte forth brynge,And that the mone hath lordschip overe the nyghte;—Al this doth Love, ay heryed be his myght!

That, that the se, that gredy is to flowen,Constreyneth to a certeyn ende soHise flodes, that so fiersly they ne growenTo drenchen erth and alle for everemo;And if that Love aught lete his brydel go,Al that now loveth asonder sholde lepe,And lost were al that Love halt now to kepe.

(Ibid. st. 244, 245.)

IV. MUTABILITY DIRECTED AND LIMITED BY AN IMMUTABLE AND DIVINE INTELLIGENCE.

That same prynce and moevere cek, quod he,Hath stabled, in this wreeched world adonn,Certeyn dayes and duraciounTo 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 discerneThat thilke moevere stabul is and eterne. . . . . . . . . . . . . .And therfore of his wyse purveaunceHe hath so wel biset his ordenaunce,That spices of thinges and progressiounsSchullen endure by successiounsAnd nat eterne be, withoute any lye.

(Knightes Tale, vol. ii. p. 92, 93.)

Þe engendrynge of alle þinges quod she and alle þe progressiouns of muuable nature. and alle þat moeueþ in any manere takiþ hys causes. hys ordre. and hys formes. of þe stablenesse of þe deuyne þouȝt [and thilke deuyne thowht] þat is yset and put in þe toure. þat is to seyne in þe heyȝt of þe simplicite of god. stablisiþ many manere gyses to þinges þat ben to don.

—(Chaucer's Boethius, bk. iv. pr. 6, p. 134.)

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 bygynnyngOf 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 general þer mot ben somme þing þat is perfit. For yif so be þat perfeccioun is don awey . men may nat þinke nor seye fro whennes þilke þing is þat is cleped inperfit . For þe nature of þinges ne token nat her bygynnyng of þinges amenused and inperfit . but it procediþ of þingus þat ben al hool . and absolut . and descendeþ so doune in-to outerest þinges and in-to þingus empty and wiþ-oute fruyt .

but as I haue shewed a litel her byforne . þat yif þer be a blisfulnesse þat be frele and vein and inperfit . þer may no man doute . þat þer nys som blisfulnesse þat is sad stedfast and perfit.'

—(bk. iii. pr. 10, p. 89.)

Omne enim quod imperfectum esse dicitur, id deminutione perfecti imperfectum esse perhibetur. Quo fit ut si in quolibet genere imperfectum quid esse videatur, in eo perfectum quoque aliquod esse necesse sit. Etenim perfectione sublata, unde illud, quod imperfectum perhibetur, extiterit, ne fingi quidem potest. Neque enim ab diminutis inconsummatisque natura rerum cepit exordium, sed ab integris absolutisque procedens in hœc extrema atque effœta dilabitur. Quod si, uti paulo ante monstravimus, est quædam boni fragilis imperfecta felicitas, esse aliquam solidam perfectamque non potest dubitari.—(Boeth., lib. iii. pr. 10.)

VI. GENTILITY.

For gentilnesse nys but renoméOf thin auncestres, for her heigh bountéWhich 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.)

Quœ [nobilitas], si ad claritudinem refertur, aliena est.

(Boethius, lib. iii. pr. 6.)

VII. NERO'S CRUELTY.

No teer out of his eyen for that sighteNe cam; but sayde, a fair womman was sche.Gret wonder is how that he couthe or mighteBe 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 esseCensor extincti potuit decoris.

(Boethius, lib. ii. met. 6.)

VIII. PREDESTINATION AND FREE-WILL.

In 'Troylus and Cryseyde' we find the following long passage taken from Boethius, book v. prose 2, 3.

Book iv. st. 134, vol. iv. p. 339.

Syn God seth every thynge, out of doutaunce, And hem disponeth, thorugh his ordinaunce,

(1) In hire merites sothely for to be, As they shul comen by predesteyné

136

(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 thought ek as oure dede, We have no fre choys, as thise clerkes rede.

137

(3) For other thoughte, nor other dede also, Myghte nevere ben, but swich as purveyaunce, Which may nat ben deceyved nevere moo, Hath feled byforne, withouten ignoraunce; For if ther myghte ben a variaunce, To wrythen out fro Goddes purveyinge, Ther nere no prescience of thynge comynge;

138

(4) But it were rather an opinyon Uncertein, and no stedfast forseynge; And certes that were an abusyon That God shold han no parfit clere wetynge, More than we men, that han douteous wenynge, But swich an erroure upon God to gesse Were fals, and foule, and wikked corsednesse.

139

(5) They seyn right thus, that thynge is nat to come, For that the prescience hath seyne byfore That it shal come; but they seyn that therfore That it shal come, therfor the purveyaunce Woot it bifore, withouten ignorance.

140

(6) And in this manere this necessité Retourneth in his part contrarye agayn; For nedfully byhoveth it not to be, That thilke thynges fallen in certeyn That ben purveyed; but nedly, as they seyne, Bihoveth it that thynges, which that falle, That thei in certein ben purveied alle.

141

(7) I mene as though I labourede me in this, To enqueren which thynge cause of whiche thynge be;
(8) As, whether that the prescience of God is The certein cause of the necessité Of thynges that to comen ben, pardé! Or, if necessité of thynge comynge Be cause certein of the purveyinge.

142

(9) But now nenforce I me nat in shewynge How the ordre of causes stant; but wel woot That it bihoveth that the bifallynge Of thynges, wiste bifor certeinly, Be necessarie, al seme it nat therby That prescience put fallynge necessaire To thynge to come, al falle it foule or faire.

143

(10) For, if ther sit a man yonde on a see, [seat] Than by necessité bihoveth it, That certes thyn opinioun soth be, That wenest or conjectest that he sit; And, further over, now ayeinwarde yit, Lo right so is it on the part contrarie, As thus,—nowe herkene, for I wol nat tarie:—

144

(11) I sey, that if the opinion of the Be soth for that he sit, than seye I this, That he moot sitten by necessité; And thus necessité in either is, For in hym nede of sittynge is, ywis, And in the, nede of soth; and thus forsoth Ther mot necessité ben in yow bothe.

145

(12) But thow maist seyne, the man sit nat therfore, That thyn opinioun of his sittynge sothe is; But rather, for the man sat there byfore, Therfor is thyn opinioun soth, ywys; And I seye, though the cause of soth of this Cometh of his sittynge, yet necessité Is interchaunged both in hym and the.

146

(13) Thus in the same wyse, out of doutaunce, I may wel maken, as it semeth me, My resonynge of Goddes purveiaunce, And of the thynges that to comen be; . . .

147

(14) For although that for thynge shal come, ywys, Therfor it is purveyed certeynly, Nat that it cometh for it purveied is; Yet, natheles, bihoveth it nedfully, That thynge to come be purveied trewly; Or elles thynges that purveied be, That they bitiden by necessité.

148

(15) And this sufficeth right ynough, certeyn, For to distruye oure fre choys everydele.

(1) Quæ tamen ille ab æterno cuncta prospiciens providentiæ cernit intuitus, et suis quæque meritis prædestinata disponit. . . . .(Boethius, lib. v. pr. 2.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) Nam si cuncta prospicit Deus neque falli ullo modo potest, evenire necesse est, quod providentia futurum esse præviderit. Quare si ab æterno non facta hominum modo, sed etiam consilia voluntatesque prænoscit, nulla erit arbitrii libertas;

(3) Neque enim vel factum aliud ullum vel quælibet existere poterit voluntas, nisi quam nescia falli providentia divina præsenserit. Nam si res aliorsum, quam provisæ sunt detorqueri valent, non jam erit futuri firma præscientia;

(4) Sed opinio potius incerta; quod de Deo nefas credere judico.

(5) Aiunt enim non ideo quid esse eventurum quoniam id providentia futurum esse prospexerit; sed e contrario potius, quoniam quid futurum est, id divinam providentiam latere non possit.

(6) Eoque modo necessarium est hoc in contrariam relabi partem; neque enim necesse est contingere quæ providentur, sed necesse est quæ futura sunt provideri.

(7) Quasi vero quæ cujusque rei causa sit,

(8) Præscientiane futurorum necessitatis an futurorum necessitas providentiæ, laboretur.

(9) At nos illud demonstrare nitamur, quoquo modo sese habeat ordo causarum, necessarium esse eventum præscitarum rerum, etiam si præscientia futuris rebus eveniendi necessitatem non videatur inferre.

(10) Etenim si quispiam sedeat, opinionem quæ eum sedere conjectat veram esse necesse est: at e converso rursus,

(11) Si de quopiam vera sit opinio quoniam sedet eum sedere necesse est. In utroque igitur necessitas inest: in hoc quidem sedendi, at vero in altero veritatis

(12) Sed non idcirco quisque sedet, quoniam vera est opinio: sed hæc potius vera est, quoniam quempiam sedere præcessit. Ita cum causa veritatis ex altera parte procedat, inest tamen communis in utraque necessitas.

(13) Similia de providentia futurisque rebus ratiocinari patet.

(14) Nam etiam si idcirco, quoniam futura sunt, providentur: non vero ideo, quoniam providentur, eveniunt: nihilo minus tamen a Deo vel ventura provideri, vel provisa evenire necesse est:

(15) Quod ad perimendam arbitrii libertatem solum satis est.

(lib. v. pr. 3.)

See Chaucer's Boethius, pp. 154-6.

IX. THE GRIEF OF REMEMBERING BYGONE HAPPINESS.

For, of fortunes scharp adversité,The worste kynde of infortune is thisA 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. [

Cf. Dante, Inferno, V. 121.

Nessun maggior dolore Che ricordarsi del tempo felice Nella miseria; e ciò sa 'l tuo Dottore.]

—(Boethius, lib. ii. pr. 4.)

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.)

XI. THE MUTABILITY OF FORTUNE.

For if hire (Fortune's) whiel stynte any thinge to torneThanne 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.)

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.

(Ib. p. 41.)

Quam multis amaritudinibus humanæ felicitatis dulcedo respersa est!—

(Boethius, lib. ii. prose 4.)

Anxia enim res est humanorum conditio bonorum, et quæ vel nunquam tota proveniat, vel nunquam perpetua subsistat.—

(Ib.)

O, brotel wele of mannes joie unstable!With what wight so thow be, or how thow pleye,Oither he woot that thow joie art muable,Or woot it nought, it mot ben on of tweyen:Now if he woot it not, how may he seyenThat he hath veray joie and selynesse,That is of ignoraunce ay in distresse?

Now if he woote that joie is transitorie,As every joie of worldly thynge mot fle,Thanne every tyme he that hath in memorie,The drede of lesyng maketh hym that heMay in no parfyte selynesse be:And if to lese his joie, he sette not a myte,Than semeth it, that joie is worth ful lite.

(Troylus and Cryseyde, bk. iii. st. 111, 112, vol. iv. p. 258.)

(1) What man þat þis toumblyng welefulnesse leediþ, eiþer he woot þat [it] is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat. And yif he woot it not. what blisful fortune may þer be in þe blyndenesse of ignoraunce.

(2) And yif he woot þat it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad þat he ne lese þat þing. þat he ne douteþ nat but þat he may leesen it.

. . . . . For whiche þe continuel drede þat he haþ ne suffriþ hym nat to ben weleful. Or ellys yif he leese it he wene[þ] to be dispised and forleten hit. Certis eke þat is a ful lytel goode þat is born wiþ euene hert[e] whan it is loost.

—(Chaucer's Boethius, pp. 43, 44.)

(1) Quem caduca ista felicitas vehit, vel scit eam, vel nescit esse mutabilem. Si nescit, quænam beata sors esse potest ignorantiæ in cæcitate?

(2) Si scit, metuat necesse est, ne amittat, quod amitti posse non dubitat; quare continuus timor non sinit esse felicem. An vel si amiserit, negligendum putat? Sic quoque perexile bonum est, quod æquo animo feratur amissum.

—(Boethius, lib. ii. prose 4.)

XIII. FORTUNE.

------FortuneThat 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 ouerþrowe in an houre.

—(Ib. p. 33.)

In book v., stanza 260, vol. v. p. 75, Chaucer describes how the soul of Hector, after his death, ascended 'up to the holughnesse of the seventhe spere.' In so doing he seems to have had before him met. 1, book 4, of Boethius, where the 'soul' is described as passing into the heaven's utmost sphere, and looking down on the world below. See Chaucer's Boethius, p. 110, 111.

Ætas Prima is of course a metrical version of lib. ii. met. 5.

Hampole speaks of the wonderful sight of the Lynx; perhaps he was indebted to Boethius for the hint.—(See Boethius, book 3, pr. 8, p. 81.)

I have seen the following elsewhere:

(1) Value not beauty, for it may be destroyed by a three days' fever.

(See Chaucer's Boethius, p. 81.)

(2) There is no greater plague than the enmity of thy familiar friend.

(See Chaucer's translation, p. 77.)

Chaucer did not English Boethius second-hand, through any early French version, as some have supposed, but made his translation with the Latin original before him.

Jean de Méung's version, the only early French translation, perhaps, accessible to Chaucer, is not always literal, while the present translation is seldom free or periphrastic, but conforms closely to the Latin, and is at times awkwardly literal. A few passages, taken haphazard, will make this sufficiently clear.

• ...

  Et dolor œtatem jussit inesse suam. And sorou haþ comaunded his age to be in me (p. 4).

  Et ma douleur commanda a vieillesse Entrer en moy / ains quen fust hors ieunesse.
• ... Mors hominum felix, quœ se nec dulcibus annis Inserit, et mœstis sœpe vocata venit.

  Þilke deeþ of men is welful þat ne comeþ not in ȝeres þat ben swete (i. mirie). but comeþ to wrecches often yclepid. (p. 4)

  On dit la mort des homes estre eureuse Qui ne vient pas en saison plantureuse Mais des tristes moult souuent appellee Elle y affuit nue / seche et pelee.
• ...

  Querimoniam lacrymabilem. Wepli compleynte (p. 5). Fr. ma complainte moy esmouuant a pleurs.

• ...

  Styli officio. Wiþ office of poyntel (p. 5). Fr. (que ie reduisse) par escript.

• ...

  Inexhaustus. Swiche ... þat it ne myȝt[e] not be emptid (p. 5). Fr. inconsumptible.

• ...

  Scenicas meretriculas. Comune strumpetis of siche a place þat men clepen þe theatre (p. 6). Fr. ces ribaudelles fardees.

• ...

  Prœcipiti profundo. In ouer-þrowyng depnesse (p. 7).

  [L]As que la pensee de lomme Est troublee et plongie comme En abisme precipitee Sa propre lumiere gastee.
• ...

  Nec pervetusta nec incelebris. Neyþer ouer-oolde ne vnsolempne (p. 11). Fr. desquelz la memoire nest pas trop ancienne ou non recitee.

• ...

  Inter secreta otia. Among my secre restyng whiles (p. 14). Fr. entre mes secrettes et oyseuses estudes.

• ...

  Palatini canes. Þe houndys of þe palays (p. 15). Fr. les chiens du palais.

• ...

  Masculœ prolis. Of þi masculyn children (p. 37). Fr. de ta lignie masculine.

• ...

  Ad singularem felicitatis tuœ cumulum venire delectat. It deliteþ me to comen now to þe singuler vphepyng of þi welefulnesse (p. 37). Fr. Il me plait venir au singulier monceau de ta felicite.

• ...

  Consulare imperium. Emperie of consulers (p. 51). Fr. lempire consulaire.

• ...

  Hoc ipsum brevis habitaculi. Of þilke litel habitacle (p. 57). Fr. de cest trespetit habitacle.

• ...

  Late patentes plagas. Þe brode shewyng contreys (p. 60).

  Qviconques tend a gloire vaine Et le croit estre souueraine Voye les regions patentes Du ciel . . . . . .
• ...

  Ludens hominum cura. Þe pleiyng besines of men (p. 68).

  Si quil tollist par doulz estude Des hommes la solicitude . .
• ...

  Hausi cœlum. I took heuene (p. 10). Fr. ie . . . regarday le ciel.

• ...

  Certamen adversum prœfectum prœtorii communis commodi ratione suscepi. I took strif aȝeins þe prouost of þe pretorie for comune profit (p. 15). Fr. ie entrepris lestrif a lencontre du prefect du parlement royal a cause de la commune vtilite.

• ...

  At cujus criminis arguimur summam quœris? But axest þou in somme of what gilt I am accused? (p. 17). Fr. Mais demandes tu la somme du pechie duquel pechie nous sommes arguez?

• ...

  Fortuita temeritate. By fortunouse fortune (p. 26). Fr. par fortuite folie.

• ...

  Quos premunt septem gelidi triones. Alle þe peoples þat ben vndir þe colde sterres þat hyȝten þe seuene triones (p. 55). Fr. ceulx de septentrion.

• ...

  Ita ego quoque tibi veluti corollarium dabo. Ryȝt so wil I ȝeue þe here as a corolarie or a mede of coroune (p. 91). Fr. semblablement ie te donneray ainsi que vng correlaire.

• ...

  In stadio. In þe stadie or in þe forlonge (p. 119). Fr. ou (for au) champ.

• ...

  Conjecto. I coniecte (p. 154). Fr. ie coniecture.

• ...

  Nimium . . . adversari ac repugnare videtur. It semeþ . . . to repugnen and to contrarien gretly. Fr. Ce semble chose trop contraire et repugnante.

• ...

  Universitatis ambitum. Envirounynge of þe vniuersite (p. 165). Fr. lauironnement de luniuersalite.

• ...

  Rationis universum. Vniuersite of resoun (p. 165). Fr. luniuersalite de Raison.

• ...

  Scientiam nunquam deficientis instantiœ rectius œstimabis. Þou shalt demen [it] more ryȝtfully þat it is science of presence or of instaunce þat neuer ne fayleþ (p. 174). Fr. mais tu la diras plus droittement et mieulx science de instante presentialite non iamais defaillant mais eternelle.

Many of the above examples are very bald renderings of the original, and are only quoted here to show that Chaucer did not make his translation from the French.

Chaucer is not always felicitous in his translations:—thus he translates clavus atque gubernaculum by keye and a stiere (p. 103), and compendium (gain, acquisition) by abreggynge (abridging, curtailment), p. 151. Many terms make their appearance in English for the first time,—and most of them have become naturalized, and are such as we could ill spare. Some few are rather uncommon, as gouernaile (gubernaculum), p. 27; arbitre (arbitrium), p. 154. As Chaucer takes the trouble to explain inestimable (inæstimabilis), p. 158, it could not have been a very familiar term.

Our translator evidently took note of various readings, for on p. 31 he notes a variation of the original. On p. 51 he uses armurers(= armures) to render arma, though most copies agree in reading arva.

There are numerous glosses and explanations of particular passages, which seem to be interpolated by Chaucer himself. Thus he explains what is meant by the heritage of Socrates (p. 10, 11); he gives the meaning of coemption (p. 15); of Euripus (p. 33); of theporch (p. 166) [ See pages 39, 50, 61, 94, 111, 133, 149, 153, 159.] Some of his definitions are very quaint; as, for instance, that of Tragedy —'a dité of a prosperité for a tyme þat endiþ in wrechednesse' (p. 35). One would think that the following definition of Tragedian would be rather superfluous after this,—'a maker of dites þat hyȝten (are called) tregedies' (p. 77).

Melliflui . . . oris Homerusis thus quaintly Englished: Homer wiþ þe hony mouþe, þat is to seyn. homer wiþ þe swete dites (p. 153).

The present translation of the De Consolatione is taken from Additional MS. 10,340, which is supposed to be the oldest manuscript that exists in our public libraries. After it was all copied out and ready for press, Mr Bradshaw was kind enough to procure me, for the purpose of collation, the loan of the Camb. University MS. Ii. 3. 21, from which the various readings at the foot of the pages are taken.

Had I had an opportunity of examining the Cambridge MS. carefully throughout before the work was so far advanced, I should certainly have selected it in preference to the text now given to the reader. Though not so ancient as the British Museum MS., it is far more correct in its grammatical inflexions, and is no doubt a copy of an older and very accurate text.

The Additional MS. is written by a scribe who was unacquainted with the force of the final -e. Thus he adds it to the preterites of strong verbs, which do not require it; he omits it in the preterites of weak verbs where it is wanted, and attaches it to passive participles (of weak verbs), where it is superfluous. The scribe of the Cambridge MS. is careful to preserve the final -e where it is a sign (1) of the definite declension of the adjective; (2) of the plural adjective; (3) of the infinitive mood; (4) of the preterite of weak verbs; (5) of present participles; [In the Canterbury Tales we find participles in -yngë.] (6) of the 2nd pers. pret. indic. of strong verbs; (7) of adverbs; (8) of an older vowel ending.

The Addit. MS. has frequently thilk (singular and plural), and -nes (in wrechednes, &c.;), when the Camb. MS. has thilke [It is nearly always thilkë in the Canterbury Tales.] and -nesse.

For further differences the reader may consult the numerous collations at the foot of the page.

If the Chaucer Society obtains that amount of patronage from the literary public which it deserves, but unfortunately has yet not succeeded in getting, so that it may be enabled to go on with the great work which has been so successfully commenced, then the time may come when I shall have the opportunity of editing the Camb. MS. of Chaucer's Boethius for that Society, and lovers of Early English Literature will have two texts instead of one.