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

QUID AUTEM DE DIGNITATIBUS ET CETERA.

But what shal I seyne of dignitees and of powers. þe whiche [ye] men þat neiþer knowen verray dignitee ne verray power areysen hem as heye as þe heuene. þe whiche dignitees and powers yif þei come to any wicked man þei don [as] greet[e] damages and distruccioun as doþ þe flamme of þe Mountaigne Ethna whan þe flamme wit walwiþ vp ne no deluge ne doþ so cruel harmes. ¶ Certys ye remembriþ wel as I trowe þat þilke dignitee þat men clepiþ þe emperie of consulers þe whiche þat somtyme was bygynnyng of fredom. ¶ Ȝoure eldres coueiteden to han don a-wey þat dignitee for þe pride of þe conseilers.

¶ And ryȝt for þe same pride ȝoure eldres byforne þat tyme hadden don awey out of þe Citee of rome þe kynges name. þat is to seien. þei nolden haue no lenger no kyng ¶ But now yif so be þat dignitees and powers ben ȝeuen to goode men. þe whiche þing is ful ȝelde. what agreable þinges is þer in þo dignitees. or powers. but only þe goodenes of folk þat vsen hem. ¶ And þerfore it is þus þat honour ne comeþ nat to vertue for cause of dignite. but aȝeinward. honour comeþ to dignite by cause of vertue. but whiche is ȝoure derworþe power þat is so clere and so requerable ¶ O ȝe erþelyche bestes considere ȝe nat ouer whiche þing þat it semeþ þat ȝe han power. ¶ Now yif þou say[e] a mouse amongus [fol. 13b] oþer myse þat chalenged[e] to hymself ward ryȝt and power ouer alle oþer myse. how gret scorne woldest þou han of hit. ¶ Glosa. ¶ So fareþ it by men. þe body haþ power ouer þe body. For yif þow loke wel vpon þe body of a wyȝt what þing shalt þou fynde moore frele þan is mannes kynde. þe whiche ben ful ofte slayn wiþ bytynge of smale flies. or ellys wiþ þe entryng of crepyng wormes in to þe priuetees of mennes bodyes. ¶ But wher shal men fynden any man þat may exercen or haunten any ryȝt vpon an oþer man but oonly vpon hys body. or ellys vpon þinges þat ben lower þen þe body. whiche I clepe fortunous possessiouns ¶ Mayst þou euer haue any comaundement ouer a fre corage ¶ Mayst þou remuen fro þe estat of hys propre reste. a þouȝt þat is cleuyng to gider in hym self by stedfast resoun. ¶ As somtyme a tiraunt wende to confounde a freeman of

corage ¶ And wende to constreyne hym by tourment to maken hym dyscoueren and acusen folk þat wisten of a coniuracioun. whiche I clepe a confederacie þat was cast aȝeins þis tyraunt ¶ But þis free man boot of hys owen tunge. and cast it in þe visage of þilke woode tyraunte. ¶ So þat þe tourmentȝ þat þis tyraunt wende to han maked matere of cruelte. þis wyse man maked[e it] matere of vertues. ¶ But what þing is it þat a man may don to an oþer man. þat he ne may receyue þe same þing of oþer folke in hym self. or þus. ¶ What may a man don to folk. þat folk ne may don hym þe same. ¶ I haue herd told of busirides þat was wont to sleen hys gestes þat herburghden in hys hous. and he was slayn hym self of ercules þat was hys gest ¶ Regulus had[de] taken in bataile many men of affrike. and cast hem in to fetteres. but sone after he most[e] ȝiue hys handes to ben bounden with þe cheynes of hem þat he had[de] somtyme ouercomen. ¶ Wenest þou þan þat he be myȝty. þat may nat don a þing. þat oþer ne may don hym. þat he doþ to oþer. and ȝit more ouer yif it so were þat þise dignites or poweres hadden any propre or naturel goodnesse in hem self neuer nolden þei comen to shrewes. ¶ For contrarious þinges ne ben not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres. ¶ Nature refuseþ þat contra[r]ious þinges ben yioigned. ¶ And so as I am in certeyne þat ryȝt wikked folk han dignitees ofte tymes. þan sheweþ it wel þat dignitees and powers ne ben not goode of hir owen kynde. syn þat þei suffren hem self to cleuen or ioynen hem to shrewes. ¶ And certys þe same þing may most digneliche Iugen

and seyen of alle þe ȝiftis of fortune þat most plenteuously comen to shrewes. ¶ Of þe whiche ȝiftys I trowe þat it auȝt[e] ben considered þat no man doutiþ þat he nis strong. in whom he seeþ strengþe. and in whom þat swiftnesse is ¶ Soþe it is þat he is swyfte. Also musyk makeþ musiciens. and fysik makeþ phisiciens. and rethorik rethoriens. ¶ For whi þe nature of euery þing makiþ his propretee. ne it is nat entermedled wiþ þe effectis of contrarious þinges. ¶ And as of wil it chaseþ oute þinges þat to it ben contrarie ¶ But certys rycchesse may nat restreyne auarice vnstaunched ¶ Ne power [ne] makeþ nat a man myȝty ouer hym self. whiche þat vicious lustis holden destreined wiþ cheins þat ne mowen nat ben vnbounden. and dignitees þat ben ȝeuen to shrewed[e] folk nat oonly ne makiþ hem nat digne. but it sheweþ raþer al openly þat þei ben vnworþi and vndigne. ¶ And whi is it þus. ¶ Certis for ȝe han ioye to clepen þinges wiþ fals[e] names. þat beren hem al in þe contrarie. þe whiche names ben ful ofte reproued by þe effect of þe same þinges. so þat [fol. 14] þise ilke rycchesse ne auȝten nat by ryȝt to ben cleped rycchesse. ne whiche power ne auȝt[e] not ben cleped power. ne whiche dignitee ne auȝt[e] nat ben cleped dignitee. ¶ And at þe laste I may conclude þe same þinge of al þe ȝiftes of fortune in whiche þer nis no þing to ben desired. ne þat haþ in hym self naturel bounte. ¶ as it is ful wel sene. for neyþer þei ne ioygnen hem nat alwey to goode men. ne maken hem alwey goode to whom þei ben y-ioigned.