Boecius de consolacione philosophie

Quid autem de dignitatibus potencia{que} disseram qs wo vere dignitatis ac pot••statis insc•• c••lo ersequatis Que si ī īprobiss••num quē{que} ceciderint. que incendia flammis ethne ••ructantibus q dilu••••um etc

B••t what shal I saye of dignitees & powers / the whi∣che ye men that neyther knowen verry dignite ne ve∣ry power areisen hem as high as the heuen the whiche dig∣nitees & powers. if they comen to any ••i••kid man. they don as grete domages & destruccions as doth the flambe of the mōtayne ethna. whan the flambe waloweth vp. ne no delu∣uy•• ne doth so cruel harmes / certes ye remēbre wel as I trow that thilk dignite that men clepe the imperie of coūceilours the whiche whilom was begyn̄yng of fredom / your elders coueyted to haue don away that dignite for the pryde of the

counceyllours. And right for that same youre elders by fore that tyme hadde done awaye oute of the Cyte of rome the kynges name. that is to seyn they nolde haue no lenger no kyng / But now if so be that dignitees & powers been youen to good men̄. the whiche thing is full seeld what agreable thinges is there in tho dignitees and powers but only the goodnes of folke that vsen hem / And therfore is it thus that honour cometh not to vertu bicausi of dig∣nite / And a yenward honour cometh to dignite for cause of vertue. But whiche is thilke your derworth power that is so clere & so requirable / O ye erthly beestis considere ye not ouer whiche thing that hit semeth that ye han power / Now if thou sawe a mowse among other mise that chalan∣ged to him selfward right and power ouer al other myse How grete scorne woldest thou haue of it Glosa So fa∣reth it by men / the body hath power ouer the body / for if thou loke wel vpon the body of a wight what thing shalt thou finde more freel. than is mankinde / the whiche men ful oft be slayne by byting of flies / or ellis with entring or cre∣pyng wormes into the pryuitees of man̄es body. but where shall men finden ony man that may excercen or haūten ony right vpon an other man but onely on his body. or ellis vpon thinges that been lower than the body. the whiche I clepe fortunous possessions. Maist thou haue euer ony com∣maundement ouer a free courage / Mayste thou remeeue fro thestate of his propre reste a thoughte that is cliuyng to geder in him selfe by stedfaste reson. As whylome a Tyraunt wened to confounde a free man̄ of courayge & he wende to constreyne him by tourmentes to maken

him discoueren and accusen folke that wisten of a coniu∣racion. whiche I clepe a confedrecie that was caste ayenst this tyraūte / but this freman bote of his owne tonge and caste hit in the vysage of thilke wood tyraūt. So that the tourmentes that this wood tyraūt wende to han made matiere of cruelte / this wyse man̄ mad it matiere of ver∣tue. But what thyng is hit that a man̄ maye doo to an other man̄ / that he ne may receyuen the same thing of other folke in him selfe. or thus / what maye a man done to folk That folke ne may done to him the same / I haue herde told of Busirides that was wonte to sleen his gestes. that her∣burghden in his house / And he was slayne hym selfe by Hercules that was his geste. regusus hadd taken in ba∣taille many men of Aufryke and caste hem into fetteres But sone after he must yeuen his ••andes to bee boūde with the cheynes of hem that he hadd whilome ouercomen. we∣nest thou thenne that he bee myghty that hath power to done a thyng / that other ne maye doon in hym that ••e hath in other / And yet more ouer if so were that these digny∣tees or powers hadden ony propre or nature••l goodne•• in hem selfe / neuer nolde they comen to shrewes / for contrari∣ous thinges ne ben wonte to been yfelaushipped to gedirs Nature refuseth that contrarious thinges been Ioyned. And so as I am in certayne that wicked folke han dig∣nytees ofte tyme / Then̄e sheweth hit well that dygnite∣es and powers ne been not good of her owne kynde / syn that they suffren hem selfe to cleuen or Ioynen hem selfe to shrewes / and certayne the same thyng may I most dig∣nelich iuggen & seyn̄ of all the yeftes of fortune that most

plenteously comen̄ to shrewes / of whiche yeftes I trowe it ought be considered that noman doubted that he is strong in whom he seeth strength. & in whom swiftines is. soth it is that he is swift. Also musique maketh musiciens. and phisike maketh phisiciens / and rethorike rethoriens. for why the nature of euery thing maketh his {pro}perte. ne it is not entremedled with theffecte of contrario{us} thinges. but certes richesse may not restreyne auarice vnstaūched / Ne power ne maketh not aman mighty ouer him self / whiche that vicious lustes holden distreyned with chaynes that ne mowen not be vnboūden / & dignitees that be yeuen to shrewde folke / not only ne maketh hem not digne. but she∣weth rather al openly that they ben vnworthy & indigne / & it is thus / for certes ye han ioye to clepe thinges with fals names that beren hem in al the coūtray / the whiche names ben ful ofte re{pro}ued by theffecte of the same thinges. so that these ilke richesses ne oughten not by right to be cleped ri∣chesses. ne suche power ne ought not to be cleped power. ne suche dignite ne ought not to be cleped dignite. & at last I may conclude the same thing of al the yeftes of fortune In whiche ther nys nothing to be desired ne that hath in him self naturel boūte / as it is wel y sene. for neyther they ioynen hem / not alway to good men. ne maken hem alle way good to whom they ben ioyned