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

HACTENUS MENDACIS FORMAM.

It suffisiþ þat I haue shewed hider to þe forme of false wilfulnesse. so þat yif þou look[e] now clerely þe ordre of myn entencioun requeriþ from hennes forþe to shewen þe verray wilfulnesse. ¶ For quod .I. (b)[I.] se wel now þat suffisaunce may nat comen by richesse. ne power by realmes. ne reuerence by dignitees. ne gentilesse by glorie. ne ioye by delices. and (p) hast þou wel knowen quod she þe cause whi it is. Certis me semeþ

quod .I. þat .I. se hem ryȝt as þouȝ it were þoruȝ a litel clifte. but me were leuer knowen hem more openly of þe. Certys quod she þe resoun is al redy ¶ For þilk þing þat symply is on þing wiþ outen ony diuisioun. þe errour and folie of mankynde departeþ and diuidiþ it. and mislediþ it and transporteþ from verray and perfit goode. to goodes þat ben false and inperfit. ¶ But seye me þis. wenest þou þat he þat haþ nede of power þat hym ne lakkeþ no þing. Nay quod .I ¶ Certis quod she þou seist aryȝt. For yif so be þat þer is a þing þat in any partie be fieble of power. Certis as in þat it most[e] nedes be nedy of foreine helpe. ¶ Riȝt so it is quod .I. Suffisaunce and power ben þan of on kynde ¶ So semeþ it quod I. ¶ And demyst þou quod she þat a þing þat is of þis manere. þat is to seine suffisaunt and myȝty auȝt[e] to ben dispised. or ellys þat it be ryȝt digne of reuerences abouen alle þinges. ¶ Certys quod I it nys no doute þat it nis ryȝt worþi to ben reuerenced. ¶ Lat vs quod she þan adden reuerence to suffisaunce and to power ¶ So þat we demen þat þise þre þinges ben alle o þing. ¶ Certis quod I lat vs adden it. yif we willen graunten þe soþe. what demest þou þan quod she is þat a dirke þing and nat noble þat is suffisaunt reuerent and myȝty. or ellys þat is ryȝt clere and ryȝt noble of celebrete of renoun. ¶ Considere þan quod she as we han grauntid her byforne. þat he þat ne haþ ne[de] of no þing and is most myȝty and most digne of honour yif hym nediþ any clernesse of renoun whiche clernesse he myȝt[e] nat graunten of hym self. ¶ So þat for lakke of þilke clerenesse he myȝt[e] seme febler on any syde or þe

more outcaste. Glosa. þis is to seyne nay. ¶ For who so þat is suffisaunt myȝty and reuerent. clernesse of renoun folweþ of þe forseide þinges. he haþ it alredy of hys suffisaunce. boice. I may nat quod I denye it. ¶ But I mot graunten as it is. þat þis þing be ryȝt celebrable by clernesse of renoun and noblesse. ¶ þan folweþ it quod she þat we adden clernesse of renoun to þe þre forseide þinges. so þat þer ne be amonges hem no difference. and þis is a consequente quod .I. þis þing þan quod she þat ne haþ no nede of no foreine þing. and þat may don alle þinges by his strengþes. and þat is noble and honourable. nis nat þat a myrie þing and a ioyful. boice. but wenest quod I þat any sorow myȝt[e] comen to þis þing þat is swiche. ¶ Certys I may nat þinke. P. ¶ þanne moten we graunt[e] quod she þat þis þing be ful of gladnesse yif þe forseide þinges be soþe. ¶ And also certys mote we graunten. þat suffisaunce power noblesse reuerence and gladnesse ben only dyuerse bynames. but hir substaunce haþ no diuersite. Boice. It mot nedely be so quod .I. P. þilke þinge þan quod she þat is oon and simple in his nature. þe wikkednesse of men departiþ it [fol. 20] diuidiþ it. and whan þei enforcen hem to gete partie of a þing þat ne haþ no part. þei ne geten hem neiþer þilk[e] partie þat nis none. ne þe þing al hole þat þei ne desire nat. .b.In whiche manere quod .I. p. þilke man quod she þat sekeþ rychesse to fleen pouerte. he ne trauayleþ hym nat to for to gete power for he haþ leuer ben dirk and vile. and eke wiþdraweþ from hym selfe many naturel delitȝ for he nolde lesen þe moneye þat he haþ assembled.

but certis in þis manere he ne getiþ hym nat suffisaunce þat power forletiþ. and þat moleste prekeþ. and þat filþe makeþ outcaste. and þat derknesse hideþ. and certis he þat desireþ only power he wastiþ and scatriþ rychesse and dispiseþ delices and eke honour þat is wiþ out power. ne he ne preiseþ glorie no þing. ¶ Certys þus seest þou wel þat many þingus failen to hym. for he haþ somtyme faute of many necessites. and many anguysses biten hym ¶ and whan he may nat don þo defautes awey. he forleteþ to ben myȝty. and þat is þe þing þat he most desireþ. and ryȝt þus may I make semblable resouns of honours and of glorie and of delices. ¶ For so as euery of þise forseide þinges is þe same þat þise oþer þinges ben. þat is to sein. al oon þing. who so þat euer sekeþ to geten þat oon of þise and nat þat oþer. he ne geteþ nat þat he desireþ. Boice . ¶ what seist þou þan yif þat a man coueiteþ to geten alle þise þinges to gider. P. Certys quod she .I. wolde seie þat he wolde geten hym souereyne blisfulnes. but þat shal he nat fynde in þo þinges þat .I. haue shewed þat ne mowe nat ȝeuen þat þei byheten. boice. Certys no quod .I. ¶ þan quod she ne sholden men nat by no weye seken blysfulnesse in swiche þinges as men wenen þat þei ne mowe ȝeuen but o þing senglely of alle þat men seken. I graunt[e] wel quod .I. ne no soþer þing ne may nat ben said. P. ¶ Now hast þou þan quod she þe forme and þe causes of false welefulnesse. ¶ Now turne and flitte þe eyen of þi þouȝt. for þere shalt þou seen an oon þilk verray blysfulnesse þat I haue byhyȝt þee. b.Certys quod .I. it is cler and opyn. þouȝ þat it were to a blynde man. and þat shewedest þou me [ful wel] a

lytel her byforne. whan þou enforcedest þe to shewe me þe causes of þe false blysfulnesse ¶ For but yif I be bygiled. þan is þilke þe verray perfit blisfulnesse þat perfitly makiþ a man suffisaunt. myȝty. honourable noble. and ful of gladnesse. and for þou shalt wel knowe þat I haue wel vndirstonden þise þinges wiþ inne myne herte. I knowe wel þilke blisfulnesse þat may verrayly ȝeuen on of þe forseide þinges syn þei ben al oon .I. knowe douteles þat þilke þing is þe fulle of blysfulnesse. P.O my nurry quod she by þis oppinioun quod she I sey[e] þat þou art blisful yif þou putte þis þer to þat I shal seine. what is þat quod .I ¶ Trowest þou þat þer be any þing in þis erþely mortal toumblyng þinges þat may bryngen þis estat. Certys quod I trowe it nat. and þou hast shewed me wel þat ouer þilke goode þer is no þing more to ben desired. P. þise þinges þan quod she. þat is to seyne erþely suffisaunce and power. and swiche þinges eyþer þei semen likenesse of verray goode. or ellys it semeþ þat þei ȝeuen to mortal folk a maner of goodes þat ne ben nat perfit. ¶ But þilke goode þat is verray and perfit. þat may þei nat ȝeuen. boice. I. accorde me wel quod .I. þan quod she for as moche as þou hast knowen whiche is þilke verray blisfulnesse. and eke whiche þilke þinges ben þat lien falsly blisfulnesse. þat is to seyne. þat by desceit semen verray goodes. ¶ Now byhoueþ þe to knowen [fol. 20b] whennes and where þou mowe seek[e] þilke verray blisfulnesse. ¶ Certys quod I þat desijr I gretly and haue abiden longe tyme to herkene it. ¶ But for as moche quod she as it likeþ to my disciple plato in his book of in thimeo. þat in ryȝt lytel þinges men sholde bysechen þe helpe of god. ¶ what iugest þou þat be

[now] to done so þat we may deserue to fynde þe sete of þilke souereyne goode. B. ¶ Certys quod .I. I. deme þat we shulle clepen to þe fadir of alle goodes. ¶ For wiþ outen hym nis þer no þing founden aryȝt. þou seist a-ryȝt quod she. and bygan on-one to syngen ryȝt þus.