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

SET CUM RACIONUM IAM IN TE.

But for as moche as þe noryssinges of my resouns descenden now in to þe. I trowe it were tyme to vsen a litel strenger medicynes. ¶ Now vndirstonde here al were it so þat þe ȝiftis of fortune nar[e] nat brutel ne transitorie. what is þer in hem þat may be þine [fol. 12] in any tyme. or ellis þat it nys foule if þat it be considered and lokid perfitely. ¶ Richesse ben þei preciouse by þe nature of hem self. or ellys by þe nature of þe. What is most worþi of rycchesse. is it nat golde or myȝt of moneye assembled. ¶ Certis þilke golde and þilke moneye shineþ and ȝeueþ better renoun to hem þat dispenden it. þen to þilke folke þat mokeren it. For auarice makeþ alwey mokeres to be hated. and largesse makeþ folke clere of renoun ¶ For syn þat swiche þing as is transfered from o man to an oþer ne may nat dwellen wiþ no man. Certis þan is þilke moneye precious. whan it is translated in to oþer folk. and stynteþ to ben had by vsage of large ȝeuyng of hym þat haþ ȝeuen it. and also yif al þe moneye þat is ouer-al in þe world were

gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al oþer men to ben nedy as of þat. ¶ And certys a voys al hool þat is to seyn wiþ-oute amenusynge fulfilleþ to gyder þe heryng of myche folke. but Certys ȝoure rycchesse ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wiþ-oute amenussyng ¶ And whan þei ben apassed. nedys þei maken hem pore þat forgon þe rycchesses. ¶ O streite and nedy clepe I þise rycchesses. syn þat many folke [ne] may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man wiþ-oute pouerte of al oþer folke. ¶ And þe shynynge of gemmes þat I clepe preciouse stones. draweþ it nat þe eyen of folk in to hem warde. þat is to seyne for þe beaute. ¶ For certys yif þer were beaute or bounte in shynyng of stones. þilke clerenesse is of þe stones hem self. and nat of men. ¶ For whiche I wondre gretly þat men merueilen on swiche þinges. ¶ For whi what þing is it þat yif it wanteþ moeuyng and ioynture of soule and body þat by ryȝt myȝt[e] semen a faire creature to hym þat haþ a soule of resoun. ¶ For al be it so þat gemmes drawen to hem self a litel of þe laste beaute of þe worlde. þoruȝ þe entent of hir creatour and þoruȝ þe distinccioun of hem self. ȝit for as myche as þei ben put vndir ȝoure excellence. þei han not desserued by no weye þat ȝe shullen merueylen on hem. ¶ And þe beaute of feeldes deliteþ it nat mychel vnto ȝow. Boyce . ¶ Whi sholde it nat deliten vs. syn þat it is a ryȝt fayr porcioun of þe ryȝt fair werk. þat is to seyn of þis worlde. ¶ And ryȝt so ben we gladed somtyme of þe face of þe see whan it is clere. And also merueylen we on þe heuene and

on þe sterres. and on þe sonne. and on þe mone. Philosophie. ¶ Apperteineþ quod she any of þilke þinges to þe. whi darst þou glorifie þe in þe shynynge of any swiche þinges. Art þou distingwed and embelised by þe spryngyng floures of þe first somer sesoun. or swelliþ þi plente in fruytes of somer. whi art þou rauyshed wiþ ydel ioies. why enbracest þou straunge goodes as þei weren þine. Fortune shal neuer maken þat swiche þinges ben þine þat nature of þinges maked foreyne fro þe. ¶ Syche is þat wiþ-outen doute þe fruytes of þe erþe owen to ben on þe norssinge of bestes. ¶ And if þou wilt fulfille þi nede after þat it suffiseþ to nature þan is it no nede þat þou seke after þe superfluite of fortune. ¶ For wiþ ful fewe þinges and with ful lytel þing nature halt hire appaied. and yif þou wilt achoken þe fulfillyng of nature wiþ superfluites ¶ Certys þilke þinges þat þou wilt þresten or pouren in to nature shullen ben vnicyeful to þe or ellis anoies. ¶ Wenest þou eke þat it be a fair þinge to shine wiþ dyuerse cloþing. of whiche cloþing yif þe beaute be agreable to loken vpon. I wol merueylen on þe nature of þe matere of þilke cloþes. or ellys on þe werkeman þat wrouȝt[e] hem. but al so a longe route of meyne. makiþ þat a blisful [fol. 12] man. þe whiche seruauntes yif þei ben vicioūs of condiciouns it is a greet charge and a destruccioun to þe house. and a greet enmye to þe lorde hym self ¶ And yif þei ben goode men how shal straung[e] or foreyne goodenes ben put in þe noumbre of þi rycchesse. so þat by alle þise forseide þinges. it is clerly shewed þat neuer none of þilke þinges þat þou accoumptedest for þin goodes nas nat þi goode. ¶ In þe whiche þinges yif þer be no beaute to ben desired.

whi sholdest þou be sory yif þou leese hem. or whi sholdest þou reioysen þe to holden hem. ¶ For if þei ben fair of hire owen kynde. what apperteneþ þat to þe. for as wel sholde þei han ben faire by hem self. þouȝ þei weren departid from alle þin rycchesse. ¶ For-why faire ne precioūs ne weren þei nat. for þat þei comen amonges þi rycchesse. but for þei semeden fair and precious. þerfore þou haddest leuer rekene hem amonges þi rycchesse. but what desirest þou of fortune wiþ so greet a noyse and wiþ so greet a fare ¶ I trowe þou seke to dryue awey nede wiþ habundaunce of þinges. ¶ But certys it turneþ to ȝow al in þe contrarie. for whi certys it nediþ of ful many[e] helpynges to kepen þe dyuersite of preciouse ostelmentȝ. and soþe it is þat of many[e] þinges han þei nede þat many[e] þinges han. and aȝeyneward of litel nediþ hem þat mesuren hir fille after þe nede of kynde and nat after þe outrage of couetyse ¶ Is it þan so þat ye men ne han no propre goode. I-set in ȝow. For whiche ȝe moten seken outwardes ȝoure goodes in foreine and subgit þinges. ¶ So is þan þe condicioun of þinges turned vpso doun. þat a man þat is a devyne beest by merit of hys resoun. þinkeþ þat hym self nys neyþer fair ne noble. but if it be þoruȝ possessioun of ostelmentes. þat ne han no soules. ¶ And certys al oþer þinges ben appaied of hire owen beautes. but ȝe men þat ben semblable to god by ȝoure resonable þouȝt desiren to apparaille ȝoure excellent kynde of þe lowest[e] þinges. ne ȝe ne vndirstonde nat how gret a wrong ȝe don to ȝoure creatour. for he wolde þat man kynde were moost worþi and noble of

any oþer erþely þinges. and ȝe þresten adoun ȝoure dignitees by-neþen þe lowest[e] þinges. ¶ For if þat al þe good of euery þing be more preciouse þan is þilk þing whos þat þe good is. syn ȝe demen þat þe foulest[e] þinges ben ȝoure goodes. þanne summytten ȝe and putten ȝoure self vndir þo foulest[e] þinges by ȝoure estimacioun. ¶ And certis þis bitidiþ nat wiþ out ȝoure desert. For certys swiche is þe condicioun of al man kynde þat oonly whan it haþ knowyng of it self. þan passeþ it in noblesse alle oþer þinges. and whan it forletiþ þe knowyng of it self. þan it is brouȝt byneþen alle beestes. ¶ For-why alle oþer [leuynge] beestes han of kynde to knowe not hem self. but whan þat men leten þe knowyng of hem self. it comeþ hem of vice. but how brode sheweþ þe errour and þe folie of ȝow men þat wenen þat ony þing may ben apparailled wiþ straunge apparaillementȝ ¶ but for-soþe þat may nat be don. for yif a wyȝt shyneþ wiþ þinges þat ben put to hym. as þus. yif þilke þinges shynen wiþ whiche a man is apparailled. ¶ Certis þilke þinges ben commendid and preised wiþ whiche he is apparailled. ¶ But naþeles þe þing þat is couered and wrapped vndir þat dwelleþ in his filþe. and I denye þat þilke þing be good þat anoyeþ hym þat haþ it. ¶ Gabbe I of þis. þou wolt seye nay. ¶ Certys rycchesse han anoyed ful ofte hem þat han þe rycchesse. ¶ Syn þat euery wicked shrew and for hys wickednesse þe more gredy aftir oþer folkes rycchesse wher so euer it be in any place. be it golde or

precious stones. and weniþ hym [fol. 13] only most worþi þat haþ hem ¶ þou þan þat so besy dredest now þe swerde and þe spere. yif þou haddest entred in þe paþe of þis lijf a voide wayfaryng man. þan woldest þou syng[e] by-fore þe þeef. ¶ As who seiþ a poure man þat bereþ no rycchesse on hym by þe weye. may boldly syng[e] byforne þeues. for he haþ nat wher-of to ben robbed. ¶ O preciouse and ryȝt clere is þe blysfulnesse of mortal rycchesse. þat whan þou hast geten it. þan hast þou lorn þi syke[r]nesse.