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

TUNC EGO PAPE INQUAM. ET CETERA.

ÞAnne seide I þus. [owh] I wondre me þat þou by-hetest me so grete þinges. ne I ne doute nat þat þou ne mayst wel performe þat þou by-hetest. but I preie þe oonly þis. þat þou ne tarie nat to telle me þilke þinges þat þou hast meoued. first quod she þou most nedes knowen. þat good[e] folk ben al wey strong[e] and myȝty. and þe shrewes ben feble and desert and naked of alle strengþes. and of þise þinges certys eueryche of hem is declared and shewed by oþer. ¶ For so as good and yuel ben two contraries. yif so be þat goode be stedfast. þan sheweþ þe fieblesse of yuel al openly. and yif þou knowe clerely þe freelnesse of yuel. þe stedfastnesse of goode is knowen. but for as moche as þe fey of my sentence shal be þe more ferme and haboundaunt. I wil goon by þat oon wey and by þat oþer and I wil conferme þe þinges þat ben purposed now on þis side and now on þat syde. ¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil and power. and yif þat oon of þise two fayleþ þere nis no þing þat may be don. for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere nys no wyȝt þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power fayleþ þe wille nis but in ydel and stant for nauȝt. and þer of comeþ it þat yif þou se a wyȝt þat wolde geten þat he may nat geten. þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hym to hauen þat he wolde. ¶ þis is open and clere quod I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no manere. and yif þou se a wyȝt quod she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don þou nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it. no quod. I. and in þat. þat euery wyȝt may. in þat þat men may holden

hym myȝty. as who seiþ in as moche as a man is myȝty to done a þing. in so moche men halden hym myȝty. and in þat þat he ne may. in þat men demen hym to ben feble. I confesse it wel quod I. Remembriþ þe quod she þat I. haue gadred and shewed by forseide resouns þat al þe entencioun of þe wil of mankynde whiche þat is lad by diuerse studies hastiþ to comen to blisfulnesse. ¶ It remembreþ me wel quod I þat it hath ben shewed. and recordeþ þe nat þan quod she. þat blisfulnesse is þilke same goode þat men requeren. so þat whan þat blisfulnesse is requered [fol. 25b] of alle. þat goode [also] is requered and desired of al. It recordeþ me wel quod I. for haue it gretly alwey ficche[d] in my memorie. alle folk þan quod she goode and eke badde enforcen hem wiþ oute difference of entencioun to comen to goode. þat is a uerray consequence quod I. and certeyne is quod she þat by þe getyng of goode ben men ymaked goode. þis is certeyne quod. I. ¶ þan geten goode men þat þei desiren. so semeþ it quod I. but wicked[e] folk quod she yif þei geten þe goode þat þei desiren þei [ne] mowen nat ben wicked. so is it quod .I. ¶ þan so as þat oon and þat oþer [quod she] desiren good. and þe goode folk geten good and nat þe wicked folk ¶ þan nis it no doute þat þe goode folk ne ben myȝty and þe wicked folk ben feble. ¶ who so þat euer quod I douteþ of þis. he ne may nat considre þe nature of þinges. ne þe consequence of resoun. and ouer þis quod she. ¶ yif þat þer ben two þinges þat han o same purpos by kynde. and þat one of hem pursueþ and performeþ þilke same þinge by naturel office. and þat oþer ne may nat done þilk naturel office. but folweþ by oþer manere þan is couenable to nature ¶ Hym þat

acomplisiþ hys purpos kyndely. and ȝit he ne acomplisiþ nat hys owen purpos. wheþer of þise two demest þou for more myȝty. ¶ yif þat I coniecte quod .I. þat þou wilt seye algates. ȝit I desire to herkene it more pleynely of þe. þou nilt nat þan denye quod she þat þe moeuementȝ of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for soþe quod I. ne þou ne doutest nat quod she þat þilke naturel office of goynge ne be þe office of feet. I ne doute it nat quod .I. þan quod she yif þat a wyȝt be myȝty to moeue and goþ vpon hys feet. and anoþer to whom þilke naturel office of feet lakkeþ. enforceþ hym to gone crepynge vpon hys handes. ¶ whiche of þise two auȝte to ben holden more myȝty by ryȝt. knyt furþe þe remenaunt quod I. ¶ For no wyȝt ne douteþ þat he þat may gone by naturel office of feet. ne be more myȝty þan he þat ne may nat ¶ but þe souereyne good quod she þat is euenlyche purposed to þe good folk and to badde. þe good folke seken it by naturel office of uertues. and þe shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by dyuerse couetise of erþely þinges. whiche þat nis no naturel office to geten þilke same souereyne goode. trowest þou þat it be any oþer wyse. nay quod .I. for þe consequence is open and shewynge of þinges þat I haue graunted. ¶ þat nedes goode folk moten ben myȝty. and shrewes feble and vnmyȝty. ¶ þou rennest aryȝt byfore me quod she. and þis is þe iugement þat is to seyn. ¶ I iuge of þe ryȝt as þise leches ben wont forto hopen of seke folk whan þei aperceyuen þat nature is redressed and wiþstondeþ to þe maladie. ¶ But for I see þe now al redy to þe vndirstandynge I shal shewe þe more þilke and continuel resouns. ¶ For loke now

how gretly shewiþ þe feblesse and infirmite of wicked folke. þat ne mowen nat come to þat hire naturel entencioun ledeþ hem. and ȝitte almost þilk naturel entencioun constreineþ hem. ¶ and what were to deme þan of shrewes. yif þilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten hem. ¶ þe whiche naturel helpe of entencioun goþ alwey byforne hem. and is so grete þat vnneþ it may be ouercomen. ¶ Considre þan how gret defaute of power and how gret feblesse þere is in grete felonous folk as who seiþ þe gretter þinges þat ben coueited and þe desire nat accomplissed of þe lasse myȝt is he þat coueiteþ it and may nat acomplisse. ¶ And forþi philosophie seiþ þus by souereyne good. ¶ Sherewes ne requere nat lyȝt[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche þei ne may nat folwen ne holden. but þei faylen of þilke some of þe heyȝte of þinges þat is to seyne souereyne good. ne þise wrecches ne comen nat to þe effect of souereyne good. [fol. 26] þe whiche þei enforcen hem oonly to geten by nyȝtes and by dayes. ¶ In þe getyn[g] of whiche goode þe strengþe of good folk. is ful wel ysen. For ryȝt so as þou myȝtest demen hym myȝty of goynge þat goþ on hys feet til he myȝt[e] come to þilke place fro þe whiche place þere ne lay no wey forþer to be gon. Ryȝt so most þou nedes demen hym for ryȝt myȝty þat getiþ and atteiniþ to þe ende of alle þinges þat ben to desire. by-ȝonde þe whiche ende þat þer nis no þing to desire. ¶ Of whiche power of good folk men may conclude þat wicked men semen to ben bareyne and naked of alle strengþe. For whi forleten þei vertues and folwen vices. nis it nat for þat þei ne knowen nat þe goodes.

¶ But what þing is more feble and more caitif þan is þe blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys þei knowen ful wel whiche þinges þat þei auȝten to folwen ¶ but lecherye and couetise ouerþroweþ hem mysturned. ¶ and certis so doþ distemperaunce to feble men. þat ne mowen nat wrastle aȝeins þe vices ¶ Ne knowen þei nat þan wel þat þei foreleten þe good wilfully. and turnen hem vilfully to vices. ¶ And in þis wise þei ne forleten nat oonly to ben myȝty. but þei forleten al outerly in any wise forto ben ¶ For þei þat forleten þe comune fyn of alle þinges þat ben. þei for-leten also þerwiþ al forto ben. and perauenture it sholde semen to som folk þat þis were a merueile to seyne þat shrewes whiche þat contienen þe more partie of men ne ben nat. ne han no beynge. ¶ but naþeles it is so. and þus stant þis þing for þei þat ben shrewes I denye nat þat þei ben shrewes. but I denye and sey[e] symplely and pleynly þat þei [ne] ben nat. ne han no beynge. for ryȝt as þou myȝtest seyn of þe careyne of a man þat it were a ded man. ¶ but þou ne myȝtest nat symplely callen it a man. ¶ So graunt[e] I wel for soþe þat vicious folk ben wicked. but I ne may nat graunten absolutely and symplely þat þei ben. ¶ For þilk þing þat wiþ holdeþ ordre and kepiþ nature. þilk þing is and haþ beynge. but þat þing þat faileþ of þat. þat is to seyne he þat forletiþ naturel ordre he for-letiþ þilk beyng þat is set in hys nature. but þou wolt sein þat shrewes mowen. ¶ Certys þat ne denye I nat. ¶ but certys hir power ne descendeþ nat of strengþe but of feblesse. for þei mowen don wickednesses. þe whiche þei ne myȝten nat don yif þei myȝten dwelle in þe forme and

in þe doynge of goode folke. ¶ And þilke power sheweþ ful euydently þat þei ne mowen ryȝt nauȝt. ¶ For so as I haue gadered and proued a lytel her byforn þat yuel is nauȝt. and so as shrewes mowen oonly but shrewednesse. þis conclusioun is al clere. þat shrewes ne mowen ryȝt nat to han power. and for as moche as þou vndirstonde whiche is þe strengþe þat is power of shrewes. I haue diffinised a lytel here byforn þat no þing nis so myȝty as souereyne good ¶ þat is soþe quod .I. [and thilke same souereyn good may don non yuel // Certes no quod I] ¶ Is þer any wyȝt þan quod she þat weniþ þat men mowen don alle þinges. No man quod .I. but yif he be out of hys witte. ¶ but certys sherewes mowen don̄ yuel quod she. ¶ ȝe wolde god quod I þat þei ne myȝten don none. þat quod she so as he þat is myȝty to done oonly but good[e] þinges may don alle þinges. and þei þat ben myȝty to done yuel[e] þinges ne mowen nat alle þinges. þan is þis open þing and manifest þat þei þat mowen don yuel ben of lasse power. and ȝitte to proue þis conclusioun þere helpeþ me þis þat I haue shewed here byforne. þat al power is to be noumbred amonge þinges þat men auȝten requere. and haue shewed þat alle þinges þat auȝten ben desired ben referred to good ryȝt as to a manere heyȝte of hyr nature. ¶ But for to mowen don yuel and felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. þan nis nat yuel of þe noumbre of þinges þat auȝten. [fol. 26b] be desired. but al power auȝt[e] ben desired and requered. ¶ þan is it open and cler þat þe power ne þe moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. and of alle þise þinges it sheweþ wel þat

þe goode folk ben certeynly myȝty. and þe shrewes ben douteles vnmyȝty ¶ And it is clere and open þat þilke sentence of plato is uerray and soþe. þat seyþ þat oonly wisemen may [doon] þat þei desiren. and shrewes mowen haunten þat hem lykeþ. but þat þei desiren þat is to seyne to comen to souereyne good þei ne han no power to acomplissen þat. ¶ For shrewes don þat hem list whan by þo þinges in whiche þei deliten þei wenen to atteyne to þilke good þat þei desiren. but þei ne geten ne atteynen nat þer to. ¶ for vices ne comen nat to blisfulnesse.