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

VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.

Seest þou nat þan in how gret filþe þise shrewes ben ywrapped. and wiþ whiche cleernesse þise good folk shynen. In þis sheweþ it wel þat to good folk ne lakkeþ neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo tourmentis. for of alle þinges þat ben ydon þilke þing for whiche any þing is doon. it semeþ as by ryȝt þat þilke þing be þe mede of þat. as þus. ¶ yif a man renneþ in þe stadie or in þe forlonge for þe corone. þan lieþ þe mede in þe corone for whiche he renneþ. ¶ And I haue shewed þat blisfulnesse is þilke same good for whiche þat alle þingus ben don. þan is þilke same good purposed to þe werkes of mankynde ryȝt as a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no wyȝt as by ryȝt fro þennes forþe þat hym lakkiþ goodnesse ne shal ben cleped good. For whiche þing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so þat sherewes waxen as wood as hem list aȝeynes good[e] folk. ȝitte neuer þe les þe corone of wise men ne shal nat fallen ne faden. ¶ For foreine shrewednesse ne bynymeþ nat fro þe corages of good[e] folk hire propre honoure. but yif þat any wyȝt reioiseþ hem of goodnesse þat þei had[de] taken fro wiþoute. as who seiþ yif [þat] any wyȝt had[de] hys goodnesse of any oþer man þan of hym self. certys he þat ȝaf hym þilke goodnesse or ellys som oþer wyȝt myȝt[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wyȝt hys owen propre bounte ȝeueþ hym hys mede. þan at arst shal he faylen of mede whan he forletiþ to ben good. and at þe laste so as alle medes ben requered for men wenen þat þei ben

good[e]. who is he þat wolde deme þat he þat is ryȝt myȝty of goode were partles of mede. [fol. 27] and of what mede shal he be gerdoned. certys of ryȝt faire mede and ryȝt greet abouen alle medes. ¶ Remembre þe of þilk noble corolarie þat I ȝaf þe a lytel here byforne. and gadre it to gidre in þis manere. so as god hym self is blisfulnesse. þan is it clere and certeyn. þat alle good folk ben makid blisful for þei ben good[e]. and þilke folk þat ben blisful it accordiþ and is couenable to ben godde[s]. þan is þe mede of goode folk swiche. þat no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal endirken it. ne power of no wyȝt ne shal nat amenusen it þat is to seyn to ben maked goddes. ¶ and syn it is þus þat goode men ne faylen neuer mo of hire medes. ¶ certys no wise man ne may doute of þe vndepartable peyne of shrewes. ¶ þat is to seyn þat þe peyne of shrewes ne departiþ nat from hem self neuer mo. ¶ For so as goode and yuel and peyne and medes ben contrarie it mot nedes ben þat ryȝt as we seen by-tiden in gerdoun of goode. þat also mot þe peyne of yuel answere by þe contrarie partye to shrewes. now þan so as bounte and prowesse ben þe medes to goode folk. also is shrewednesse it self torment to shrewes ¶ þan who so þat euer is entecched and defouled wiþ yuel. yif shrewes wolen þan preisen hem self may it semen to hem þat þei ben wiþ outen partye of tourment. syn þei ben swiche þat þe [vtteriste wikkednesse / þat is to seyn wikkede thewes / which þat is the] outereste and þe w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouliþ nat ne entecehiþ nat hem oonly but infectiþ and enuenemyþ hem gretely ¶ And al so loke on shrewes þat ben þe

contrarie partye of goode men. how grete peyne felawshipeþ and folweþ hem. ¶ For þou hast lerned a litel here byforn þat al þing þat is and haþ beynge is oon. and þilke same oon is good. þan is þis consequence þat it semeþ wel. þat al þat is and haþ beynge is good. þis is to seyne. as who seiþ þat beynge and vnite and goodnesse is al oon. and in þis manere it folweþ þan. þat al þing þat faileþ to ben good. it styntiþ forto be. and forto haue any beynge. wher fore it is þat shrewes stynten forto ben þat þei weren. but þilke oþer forme of mankynde. þat is to seyne þe forme of þe body wiþ oute. shewiþ ȝit þat þise shrewes were somtyme men. ¶ wher fore whan þei ben peruerted and torned in to malice. certys þan han þei forlorn þe nature of mankynde. but so as oonly bounte and prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer oþer men. þan mot it nedes be þat shrewes whiche þat shrewednesse haþ cast out of þe condicioun of mankynde ben put vndir þe merite and þe deserte of men. þan bitidiþ it þat yif þou seest a wyȝt þat be transformed in to vices. þou ne mayst nat wene þat he be a man. ¶ For ȝif he [be] ardaunt in auarice. and þat he be a rauynour by violence of foreine rychesse. þou shalt seyn þat he is lyke to a wolf. and yif he be felonous and wiþ out reste and exercise hys tonge to chidynges. þou shalt lykene hym to þe hounde. and yif he be a preue awaitour yhid and reioyseþ hym to rauysshe by wyles. þou shalt seyne hym lyke to þe fox whelpes. ¶ And yif he be distempre and quakiþ for ire men shal wene þat he bereþ þe corage of a lyoun. and yif he be dredeful and fleynge and dredeþ þinges þat ne auȝten nat ben dred. men

shal holde hym lyke to þe herte. and yif he be slowe and astoned and lache. he lyueþ as an asse. and yif he be lyȝt and vnstedfast of corage and chaungeþ ay his studies. he is lickened to briddes. ¶ and yif he be plounged in foule and vnclene luxuries. he is wiþholden in þe foule delices of þe foule soowe. ¶ þan folweþ it þat he þat forletiþ bountee and prowesse. he forletiþ to ben a man. syn he ne may nat passe in to þe condicioun of god. he is tourned in to a beest.