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

HAUT [MS. hanc.] ALITER TRISTICIE.

Ryȝt so and none oþer wyse þe cloudes of sorowe dissolued and don awey. ¶ I took heuene. and receyuede mynde to knowe þe face of my fyciscien. ¶ So þat I sette myne eyen on hir and festned[e] my lokyng. I byholde my norice philosophie. in whos houses I hadde conuersed and haunted fro my ȝouþe. and I seide þus. ¶ O þou maistresse of alle uertues descendid fro þe souereyne sete. Whi art þou comen in to þis solitarie place of myn exil. ¶ Art þou comen for þou art mad coupable wiþ me of fals[e] blames. ¶ O quod sche my norry scholde I forsake þe now. and scholde I not parte wiþ þe by comune trauaille þe charge þat þou hast suffred for envie of my name. ¶ Certis it nar[e] not leueful ne sittyng to philosophie to leten wiþ-outen compaignie þe wey of hym þat is innocent. ¶ Scholde I þan redoute my blame and agrisen as þouȝ þer were byfallen a newe þing. q. d. non. ¶ For trowest þou þat philosophi be now alþerfirst assailed in perils by folk of wicked[e] maneres. ¶ Haue I not stryuen wiþ ful greet strife in olde tyme byfore þe age of my plato aȝeins þe foolhardines of foly and eke þe same plato lyuyng. hys maistre socrates deserued[e] victorie of vnryȝtful deeþ in my presence. ¶ Þe heritage of wyche socrates. þe heritage is to seyne

þe doctrine of þe whiche socrates in hys oppinioun of felicite þat I clepe welfulnesse ¶ Whan þat þe people of epicuriens and stoyciens and many oþer enforceden hem to go rauische eueryche man for his part þat is to seyne. þat to eueryche of hem wolde drawen to þe defence of his oppinioun þe wordes of socrates. ¶ Þei as in partie of hir preye todrowen me criynge and debatyng þer aȝeins. and tornen and torenten my cloþes þat I hadde wouen wiþ myn handes. and wiþ þe cloutes þat þei hadden arased oute of my cloþes. þei wenten awey wenyng þat I hadde gon wiþ hem euery dele. In whiche epicuryens and stoyciens. for as myche as þer semed[e] somme traces and steppes of myne habit. þe folye of men wenyng þo epicuryens and stoyciens my [fol. 5] familers peruertede (.s. persequendo) somme þoruȝ þe errour of þe wikked[e] or vnkunnyng[e] multitude of hem. ¶ Þis is to seyne for þei semeden philosophres: þei weren pursued to þe deeþ and slayn. ¶ So yif þou hast not knowen þe exilynge of anaxogore. ne þe empoysenyng of socrates. ne þe tourmentȝ of ȝeno for þei [weren] straungers. ¶ Ȝit myȝtest þou haue knowen þe senectiens and þe Canyos and þe sorancis of wyche folk þe renoun is neyþer ouer oolde ne vnsolempne. ¶ Þe whiche men no þing ellys ne brouȝt[e] hem to þe deeþ but oonly for þei weren enfourmed of my maneres. and semeden moste vnlyke to þe studies of wicked folk. ¶ And forþi þou auȝtest not to wondre þouȝ þat I in þe bitter see of þis lijf be

fordryuen wiþ tempestes blowyng aboute. in þe whiche tempeste þis is my most purpos þat is to seyn to displese to wikked[e] men. ¶ Of whiche schrews al be þe oost neuer so grete it is to dispyse. for it nis gouerned wiþ no leder of resoune. but it is rauysched only by flityng errour folyly and lyȝtly. ¶ And if þei somtyme makyng an ost aȝeynest vs assaile vs as strengere. oure leder draweþ to gedir hys rycchesse in to hys toure. and þei ben ententif aboute sarpulers or sachels vnprofitable forto taken. but we þat ben heyȝ abouen syker fro al tumulte and wode noise. ben stored and enclosed in syche a palays. whider as þat chateryng or anoying folye ne may not attayne. ¶ We scorne swiche rauiners and honters of foulest[e] þinges.