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 DIGNITATIBUS. [Read dignitates]

Bvt dignitees to whom þei ben comen make þei hym honorable and reuerent. han þei nat so grete strengþe þat þei may putte vertues in þe hertis of folk. þat vsen þe lordshipes of hem. or ellys may þei don awey þe vices. Certys þei [ne] ben nat wont to don awey wikkednesses. but þei ben wont raþer to shew[en] wikkednesses. and þer of comeþ it þat I haue ryȝt grete desdeyne. þat dignites ben ȝeuen ofte to wicked men. ¶ For whiche þing catullus clepid a consul of Rome þat hyȝt nonius postum. or boch. as who seiþ he clepiþ hym a congregacioun of uices in his brest as a postum is ful of corrupcioun. al were þis nonius set in a chayere of dignitee. Sest þou nat þan how gret vylenye dignitees don to wikked men. ¶ Certys vnworþines of wikked men sholde ben þe lasse ysen yif þei nere renomed of none honours. ¶ Certys þou þi self ne myȝtest nat ben brouȝt wiþ as many perils as þou myȝtest suffren þat þou woldest bere þi magistrat wiþ decorat. þat is to seyn. þat for no peril þat myȝt[e] bifallen þe by þe offence of þe kyng theodorik þou noldest nat ben felawe in gouernaunce with decorat. whanne þou say[e] þat he had[de] wikkid corage of a likerous shrewe and of an acusor. ¶ Ne I ne may nat for swiche honours Iugen hem worþi of reuerence þat I deme and holde vnworþi to han þilke same honours. ¶ Now yif þou saie a man þat were fulfilled of wisdom. certys þou

ne myȝtest nat demen þat he were vnworþi to þe honour. or ellys to þe wisdom of whiche he is fulfilled. No quod .I. ¶ Certys dignitees quod she appertienen properly to vertue. and uertue transporteþ dignite anon to þilke man to whiche she hir self is conioigned. ¶ And for as moche as honours of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of honour. it is wel seyn clerly þat þei ne han no propre beaute of dignite. ¶ And ȝit men auȝten take more hede in þis. ¶ For if it so be þat he is most out cast þat most folk dispisen. or as dignite ne may nat maken shrewes worþi of no reuerences. þan makeþ dignites shrewes more dispised þan preised. þe whiche shrewes dignit[e] scheweþ to moche folk ¶ and for soþe nat vnpunissed. þat is forto sein. þat shrewes reuengen hem aȝeinward vpon dignites. for þei ȝelden aȝein to dignites as gret gerdoun whan þei byspotten and defoulen dignites wiþ hire vylenie. ¶ And for as moche as þou mow[e] knowe þat þilke verray reuerence ne may nat comen by þe shadewy transitorie dignitees. vndirstonde now þis. yif þat a man hadde vsed and hadde many manere dignites of consules and were comen perauenture amonges straunge naciouns. sholde þilke honour maken hym worshipful and redouted of straunge folk ¶ Certys yif þat honour of poeple were a naturel ȝifte to dignites. it ne myȝte neuer cesen nowher amonges no maner folke to done hys office. ¶ Ryȝt as fire in euery contre ne stinteþ nat to enchaufen and [fol. 17b] to ben hote. but for as myche as forto be holden honorable or reuerent ne comeþ nat to folk of

hir propre strengþe of nature. but only of þe fals[e] opinioun of folk. þat is to sein. þat wenen þat dignites maken folk digne of honour. An on þerfore whan þat þei comen þer as folk ne knowen nat þilke dignites. her honours vanissen awey and þat on oon. but þat is a-mong straung folk. maist þou sein. but amongus hem þat þei weren born duren þilk[e] dignites alwey. ¶ Certys þe dignite of þe prouostrie of Rome was somtyme a grete power. now is it no þing but an ydel name. and þe rente of þe senatorie a gret charge. and yif a whiȝt somtyme hadde þe office to taken he[de] to þe vitailes of þe poeple as of corne and what oþer þinges he was holden amonges grete. but what þing is more nowe out cast þanne þilke prouostrie ¶ And as I haue seid a litel here byforne. þat þilke þing þat haþ no propre beaute of hym self resceyueþ somtyme pris and shinynge and somtyme lesiþ it by þe opinioun of vsaunces. ¶ Now yif þat dignites þanne ne mowen nat maken folk digne of reuerence. and yif þat dignites wexen foule of hir wille by þe filþe of shrewes. ¶ and yif þat dignites lesen hir shynynge by chaungyng of tymes. and yif þei wexen foule by estimacioun of poeple. what is it þat þei han in hem self of beaute þat auȝte ben desired. as who seiþ none. þanne ne mowen þei ȝiuen no beaute of dignite to none oþer.