Boecius de consolacione philosophie

Tum ego pape in{quam}. vt magna pronuctis. nec dubito qum possis efficere. tu modo quem ••xitaueris ne mo∣re ••is. Primum igitur inquit. bonis semper adesse po∣tencia. malos cunctis viribus esse desertos agnos••as. Licebit. Quorum quidem alterucrum etc

THen̄e sayde I thus. O I wondre me that thou behe∣test me so greet thinges. ne I ne doubte not. that thou ne maiste well parfourme that thou behetest / But I preye the this that thou ne tary not. to telle me thilk thin∣ges that thou haste meoued. Firste quod she thou muste nedes knowe that good folk bene alweye strong & mighty And the shrewes bene feble & deserte. and naked of alle strengthes. And of these thinges certes euerich of them is declared & shewed by other. for as goode and euyl ben two contraries if so be that good be stidfaste. then̄e sheweth the feblesse of euyl al openly / And if thou knowe clerely the freelnes of euil. the stidfastnes of good is knowen. but for as moche as the feyth of my sentence shal be the more ferme and haboūdante / I wol goon by that oo weye and by that other. and I wole conferme the thinges that b••ne pourposed nowe on this side and nowe on that side. Two thinges there ben in whiche theff••cte of al the dedes of man∣kinde standeth / That is to seyne will and power / And if that one of these two failleth / there nys no thing that may be done. For if that will lakketh there nys no wight that vndertaketh to doo that he wol not done / And if po∣wer failleth the wille nys but in ydell. & stant for nought and therof cometh it. that if thou s••e a wighte that wold geten that he may not geten̄ / thou maiste not doubte that power ne failleth him to hauen that he wold. B. This is open and clere quod I. ne it ne maye not ben denyed in no maner. P. & if thou s••e a wight qd she that hath done. that he wold done. thou nylt not doute / that he ne hath had power to done it / b / no qd I / p. & in that that euy wight may

in that men holden them myghty to done a thing. in somo∣che as a man is myghty to done a thing. in so moche men hold him mighty / and in that that he ne maye. in that m••n demen him to be feble / B / I confesse it wel qd I. P. Re∣membre the quod she that I haue gadred and shewed by for saide resons. that alle the entencion of the wille of man∣kynde / whiche that is lad by dyuerce studies hasteth to co∣men to bl••sfulnesse / B / It remembreth me well quod I that it hath ben shewed / Phīa. And recordeth the nought thenne qd she. that blisfulnesse is thilke same good that men requiren soo that whan blisfulnesse is required of al B. It recordeth me not quod I for I haue it alle weye in my memorie fixed / Phīa / Alle folke thenne quod she good and eke badd enforcen hem withoute diff••rence of en••encion to comen to good. B. This is veray consequence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I. P••ī••. And certayne is quod she that by geting of good ••ee men maked good. B. That is c••rtayn qd I. Phīa / Thenne get••n good men̄ that the•• desiren. B. So it semeth quod I / P. But wicked folke quod she if they geten the good that they desiren they ne mowen not be wicked / B. So it is qd I / P. Thenn•• so as that one and that other qd she desiren the good / & the good folke g••ten the good. and nought the wicked folke •• then̄e hyt is no doubte that the good folk ne be mighty & wicked folk be feble. B. Who so that euer doub••eth of this he ne maye not considere the nature of thinges ne the consequēce of re∣sons. P. And ouer this qd she if that ther ben two thyn∣ges that ••an oo same purpose by kynde. And that one of hem pursueth & {per}fourmeth that same thing by naturel office

and that other ne maye not done thilk office naturelle but foloweth by other manere / than is couenable to nature him that accomplissheth his pourpose kindly / & yet he ne accom∣plissheth not his owne purpose whether as these two demest thou for more myghtye. B. If that I coniecte qd I that thou woldest seye. Algates I desire yet to herken hit more plainly of the. P. Thou nylt not than denye quod she that the meouement of gooyng nys in men by kinde. B. Noo forsothe qd I. P. Ne thou doubtest not qd she that thilke naturell office of goyng ne be the office of fete / Boecius I ne doubte it not quod I. Philosophia. Than quod she if that a wighte bee mightye to meoue and gooth vp on his fete / & another to wh••m thilke naturele office of fete lakketh. enforseth him to go crepyng on his hand which of these two ought to be holden the more mighty by righte B. Knytt forth quod I the remenant / P / For no wight ne doubteth. that he that maye gone by naturel office of fe∣te ne be more myghty than he that ne maye not / But the souerayne good qd she. that is euen like purposed to the good and to the badde. the good folke seken it by naturel office of vertues / And shrewes enforcen hem to geten hit by dyuerce couetises of erthely thinges / whiche that nys noo naturell office to geten thilke souerayne good / Tro∣west thou that hit bee ony other wyse. Boecius. Naye qd I. for the consequeence is opene and shewyng of thinges that I haue graunted / that nedes good folke moten bene myghty. And shrewes moten bene feble and vnmyghty Philosophia / Thou rennest a ryghte by forne me quod she / And thys ys the Iuggement. That ys to seyn̄

I Iugge of right / as these leches ben wente to hopen of se∣ke folke whan they apperceyuen that nature is redressed & withstandeth to the maladie. but for I see the now all re∣dy to the withstanding / I shal shewe the more thilk and continuell reasons / For loke how gretly sheweth the feble∣nesse and infirmite of wicked folke that ne mowen not comen to h••r naturell entencion ledeth hem / And yet all moste thilke naturel entencion̄ constreyneth hem / & what were to demyn then̄e of shrewes / if thilke naturell helpe hadd forleten h••m / the whiche naturell helpe of entencion goth alwey biforn̄ hem / And is so grete that vnnethe hit may be ouercomen. Considere then̄e how grete defaute of po∣wer. & how grete feblesse ther is in wicked felonous folke As who seith the gret••er thing that is coueyted & the desir not acc••mplissh••d. of the lasse might is ••e that coueyteth it & may not accomplisshe. & for thy philosophie seith thus by souerain go••de. ne shrewes ne requiren not light m••des ne veyn̄ games whiche they ne may not folowen ne holden but they faillen of thilk somme of the height of thinges. that is to sayne souerayn̄ good / ne these wretches ne comen not to t••••ff••c••e of souerayne good. the whiche they enf••••cen hem only to geten̄ by nightes and by dayes •• in getyng of whi∣che good•• the strength of good folke is ••••l wel ysene. for right as thou mightest demen him mighty of goyng that gooth on his fe••te till he mighte comen to thilke place. fro the whiche place there ne laye noo weye f••rther to bee goone / ryghte so muste thou nedes demen̄ hym for right myghty whiche that geteth and a••teyneth to the ••nde of alle thinges whiche that been to desiren̄ by yonde•• the

whiche ende there nys noo thing to desire. of the whiche po∣wer of good folke. men maye conclude. that we wicked men semen to be bareyne and naked of alle strength. for why forleten they vertues and folowen vices. nys it not for that they ne knowen not the goodes / But what thing is more feble and more caytiue than is the blindnesse of Ignorance or ellis they knowen well whiche thinges they oughten folowe / but lechery and couetise ouerthroweth hem mystorned. And certes so dooth distemperan̄ce to feble men. that mowe not wrastelen ayeyne these vices / Ne knowe they not well that they forleten the good wilfully And tournen̄ hem wilfully to vices / And in this wyse they ne forleten not onely to be mighty. but they forleten all vtterly in any wise for to ben. For they that forl••ten the com̄une fyne. of alle thinges that bene. they forleten al¦so therwith all for to bene. And perau••nture hit shuld semen to som̄e folke that this were a meruaille to seyne. that shrewes whiche that conteynen the more {per}ties of men̄ ne bene not ne han no beyng / but nath••les hit is soo. and thus stante this thing for they that be shrewes / I denye not but that they be shrewes. but I denye simplie and playnly that they ne bee not. ne han noo beeyng. for right as thou mightest seyne of the careyne of a man that hyt were a deed man. so graūte I well forsothe that vycious folk ben wicked / but I ne maye not absolutely & simply graūt that they ben. For thilke thing that withholdeth or∣dre and kepith nature / thilke thing is & hath being / But what thing faileth that / that is to seye / he that forleteth na∣turel ordre / he forletith thilk being that is set in his nature

But thou wolt seyn̄ the shrewes mowen̄. certes that ne de∣nye y not / but certes her power ne descendeth not of strength but of feblesse. for they mowen done wickednesse / the whiche they ne myght not. if they mighten dwellen in the fourme and in the doyng of goode peple / and thilk power sheweth euydently that they mowen right nought. for so as I haue gadred & proued a litel here byforn̄. that euil is not / and so as shrewes. may only but shrewdnesse. This conclusion is all clere. that shrewes ne mowen right nought ne han no power / And for as moche as thou vnderstandest whi∣che is the strength of this power of shrewes / I haue diffi∣nisshed a litel here byforne. that nothing is so myghty as souerayne good. B. that is soth qd I / P. Is there ony wight then̄e qd she that weneth that men mowen done all thinges / B. noman̄ qd I. but he be out of his wi••te / P. But certes shrewes mowen done euil qd she. B. ye wold god qd I that they might done none / P / Thenne qd she so as he th••t is ••••ghty to done only good thinges maye done all thinges / And they that ben mighty to done euyll thinges. ne mowen not all thinges. then̄e is it open thing and manifeste that they that mowen done euil ben of lasse power And yet to proue this conclusion / there helpeth me I haue shewed here biforne. that all power is to be nom∣bred among thinges that men oughten to require. and I haue shewed that all thinge•• that oughten ben desired / be referred to god right as to a maner height of her na∣••ure. But for to mowen done euil & felonye ne maye not been referred ••o God / thenne is not euil of the nombre of thinges that oughten to been desired and required / then̄e

is it open & clere that the power ne the moeuyng of shrewes nys noo power. And of all these thinges it sheweth well that the good folk been certaynly mighty / And the shre∣wes doubtelesse vnmighty / And it is clere and open that thilke sentence of Plato is vereye and s••th. that seyth that onely wisemen̄ may done that they desiren. And shre∣wes mowen haunten̄ that hem liketh. but that they desiren That is to seyne to come to souerayne good. they ne han no power to accomplisshe that / For shrewes done what h••m luste / whan by tho thinges in whiche they d••l••ten / they we∣nen to atteyne to thilke good that they desiren / but they ne geten ne atteyne not thereto / For vices ne comen not to blisfulnesse