The boke of comfort called in laten Boetius de Consolatione philosophie. Translated in to englesse tonge

Metrū primū.

Carmina qui quondam.

ALas that I wreche vhiles I was in welth And vsed lustey dytes for to wryte Now am I set in sorow & vnhelthe wyth tmornynge my myrth I muste respyte Lamentable muses techeth me to endyte Of woo. with wepynge they weteth my face Thus hath dysese destroyed al my delyte And brougth my blysse & Iolyte ful bace ¶And though y^t I with myschef nowe be met That false fortune loureth thus on me No drede fro me mygth thes muses let Me to ensue in myne aduersyte My Ioy they were in al my Iolyte Of you the that was so glad om & so grene Now they solaceth my drery destyne And in my age my comforteno we they bene ¶Vnwarely age cometh on me hastely Heyngh on me for harme that I haue had And soro we hys hestes hath hoten to be ny Hore heres on my hed to rathe ben spred Al to me of blod my bodey wexeth bad My empty skyn begynneth to tremel & quake I haue no cause wherof I may be glad Thus mornyng for mysese my mone I make ¶A deth of men a blesful thynge yt were yf he wold spare them in ther lustinesse And come to them that be of heuy chere When they hym cal to lake ther distresse But ooh allas howe dul & deffe he ys wryngynge a wey fro wrecches when they clept

And worneth thenne with wonder cruelnesse The yes for to close that wele & wepe ¶But vhyle fortune vnfaythful & vntru Of lusty lyffe was to me fauorable Ful sodenly my hed to grounde he dreu The careful houre of deth vnmerciable But nowe y^t she so chaungynge & vnstable Hath torned vn to me her cloudy face Thys wrecched lyffe that ys vnconfortable Draeth alonge and taryeth nowe allas ¶wherto ye frendes maden your a vaunte So often tymes of my felycite Thys wordly welth ys not perseueraunte Ne neuer abidynge in no stabilyte For he that falleth out of hys degre Ful sothe yt ys y^t stable was he nougth Ne he stode neuer in ful prosperyte That in to mischef was so low I brought

¶Fortune vvas depaynted after fantasy of poetes a lady syttynge in myddes of a vhyle viche her self continuelly torned a boute / she hadde ii. visages / one brygth & another darke. & in both she vvas blynde

¶The cōmentor trinet assgneth iii. causes vhy that philosophy vas descryued apperynge vn to Boyce in lekenesse of a vvoman The first cause ys for thys name philosophia as vvel in laten as in greke ys put in the feminyne gender. The seconde cause ys for rygth as a vvoman norysseth her chylde vvyth her mylke / rygth so philosophy no ressched her discyples vvithe the subtilyte of her science.

The thyrde cause ys / for a vvoman ys of kynde more tender and com¦pacient for to comforte a man in mischef. And sithe thys clerke vvas falle than in to mischef as hymself semed / he iuduced philosophy in le∣kenesse of a vvoman to comforte hym in a s••akynge of hys heuynesse

She vvas also descriued reuerent / for she maketh the persons reuerent in vyche she ys impressed.

The yees of philosophy ben reson and vnderstandynge / vherby philo∣sophy ys kendly perceyued. ¶They brenne by desyre of cōnyng

¶They shyne clere by possibilite of vnderstandynge.

¶Her myghtes bene the vertu of her principles that neuer may be empted ne fully comprehended. ¶The chyre of her visage ys perfection of doctryne. the colour ys fulnesse of trueth. for the hoole entente ys for to perceyue and conprehende trueth. She passedde mannes age / for her truthes ben perpetual. not subget to tyme that mesureth man hys age.

Prosa prima. Capitulum secundū

Hec dum mecum

Boecius loquitur.

In murnynge thus I made my complaynt And for to write my fyngers gan I folde For drerinesse I waxe al feble & faynt That of my lyffe almoste no thynge I tolde But vpwarde at the laste I gan beholde In sothe I saw so fayer a creature I couthe her not descriuen though I wolde So femly was her shappe and her feyture ¶She was so wonder reuerent of her chyre Hyr colonr eke so louely & so brygth Hyr yene brenne semenge as for clere Passynge fer a bouen mannes sygth Al thoe she were ful fresshe & clene of mygth As she had ben ful yongly of corage yet semed she to euery wordly wigth That she was ouer passed man hys age ¶Hyr stature was of douteful iugemente Sumtyme thus of comen mennes mete And sumtyme was her stature so extente That with her hed she semed heuens bete And other vhyle so hye her hed she gete She perced heuen & migth no more be seyn So that we moste the sygth of her forlete And al our lokynge after was in veyn

Her clothes were wrogthof thredessmale By subtel cratf of mater perdurable And with hyr handes by her awne tale She had them wrogth I trow for no fable The beutey of them was ful commendable But duskey they wereforleten as for elde As ymages that in smoke had stonden stable That be oot weshe ne wyped but selde ¶And in y^e hem by neth made she had So as I coude yt knowe a grekes P. O. And in the bordure al a bow I rad And ther also she had made a 〈☐〉〈☐〉 〈☐〉〈☐〉 And so by twene thes letters migth I se Leke to a ladder what that euer yt mende wheron men migth alwey fro gre to gre Fro ther beneth vpwarde euer ascende ¶Neuertheles some men by violence Had cut thys cloth & peces boren a wey Such as they migth withoute reuerence And dyd ther with as was vnto ther pay Thys creature of whome I gan yow sey In her rygth hande smale bokes were A septre also of ful ryche aray For certen in her other hande she bare ¶And when thys ladey sawe thes muses there Vn to my beddes syde approchynge ney Enditynge wordes to my wepynge chere She gan to loke vpon them feruently Ho she sayd let in thys company Thus with ther songe thys seke man to plese That no thynge heleth hym of hys malady But rather doth hym greuance & dysese

¶Lo thes yt ben she sayd that foules feden with y^e swete venem of corruption And tender hertes maketh for to bleden with thornes of ther foule affection They sleyn the worthy frutes of reson And only bryngeth sekenes in vsage Thys ys the kynd of ther condition And nought at al the sekenesse to assuage ¶yf ye she sayd with your dalyance Had drauen fro me some foule vnprofytable Lesse yt shuld haue done me displesance I might haue boren yt then as sufferable For vhy in such a foule that ys vnable May nought ben harmed of my besynes But thes that euer in studyes hath ben stable Shuld not be founden with your folesnesse ¶But goeth ye fylthes out of my presence your swetnes wold hym brynge at an ende I shal hym saue with the salfe of my science That shal be more comfort vn to hys kende And thus thys company a wey gan wende And bytterly abasshed them of ther blame Shewynge wel the habyte of ther mynde Hangynge doune to groūde ther heddes for shame ¶I then y^t nye for teres sawe ryght nought Gan wonder moche vhat might thys woman be Meruelynge also gretly in my thought That so emperial of auctoryte She made y^t maney smartly fro me fle I was abasshed & henge my hed to grounde what she wold after done or sey to me Then I abode & held me styl a stounde

¶But to my bed then gan she nyen nere And on the corner doune herself she sette And sadly gan beholde vpon my chere That so was then with teres al be wette And ryght thus she began wythouten lette Complaynynge on my perturbation Because of myschef wherwyth I was mette Of me she made thys lamentation

Metrum secundū. Capitulū tercium.

Heu {quam} precipiti.

Philosophta loquitur

¶Allas she seyd how thys mannes mynde Is casten doune in to ful depe dulnesse Forlete the clerenesse of hys proper kynde And mentynge for to go to straunge derknesse As often tyme as noyos besynesse wythouten mesure gynneth to encrece when wordly wynde wyth myschef & destresse Hym hath byrafte al out of reste & pece ¶Thys ys that man y^t somtyme was so fre To whom by craft was euen for to conne Vp in to heuens to behold and se And to mesure the meuynge of the sonne By craft also the connynge had he wonne How y^t the mone changeth for to prymen And what recours the sterres haue ronne In ther speres how dyuersly they meuen ¶As victor hath he sotelly conquered The craft by nomber al he comprehendeth Fro vhens also thes wyndes ben a rered The smothe see that torneth so & wendeth why esperus at euen so ascendeth Este / in the weste a doune a geyn to loute

And what spyryte so besely entendeth The rounde worlde to wende al a boute ¶And what a tempereth so the lustey houres Of the fayre fyrste somer seson Araynge hyt wyth red rose floures Of the vyche in wynter ben very feweor none And al thys coude he shewe by very reson In ful yeres ho ys that our fedeth wyth grete grapes that the peple pleson And other frutes that them al nedeth ¶I wonte he was also to seke & to knowe Pryme causes for to telle of kynde Allas witles now lyeth thys man ful lowe Vnder ful heuy bondes that hym bynde And now can he none other comfort fynde But heuely hys face he hath doune folde So ys he al dysmayed in hys mynde That nedes wrecched erthe he mot beholde

Prosa secunda. Capitulū quartum.

Seb medicine.

Philosophia loquitur.

¶But now of medycyne {quod} she haue we nede For in complayntes lyeth no remedy Vn to that purpose let oure workes spede She set her yee on me ententyfly Art thow not he she sayd wyche that I Haue fed wyth milke vhyle thou were yong of age And syth wyth strenger metes tenderly Tyl thou were wexen a man of stronge corage ¶And syth I gaue the armour good & stronge Wych but yf thou had caste a wey fro the Thou mightest haue be dysesed with no wronge But haue ben suer fro al aduersyte

why art thou styl she sayd knouest y^u not me Is yt for shame or thou art stoned sore The ne shameth noght I trou by cause of me Thou art a stoned of that me dredeth more ¶And vhen she saw me sytten dome & styl She set her hande ful safte vpon my breste As here she saed no perel ys of yl Thys man ys with a letargy a reste A comen sekenesse that many hath oppreste That out of mynde themself haue forlete Ful esely thys euel shal be redreste A lytel whate he hath hemself forgete ¶He shal remembre wel & esely yf I may fyrst me make hym for to knowe I shal hys yeen wypen tenderly Of cloudes derke that haue them ouer growe And then he shal amende as I trowe A pleyt she lapped of her garnement My yeen then that teres had beflowe She wyped tyl the derkenesse was al spent

Metrū tercium. Capitulū quintū.

Tunc me discussa.

Boecius loquitur.

And vhen thys cloude was clensed fro myn ye I was a none restored to my syght Right as vhen cloudes clippeth in the skye The sonne ys let to leme a doune hys lyght And reyne cloudes maketh in maner nyght But vhen a north wynde chaceth them a way The sonne wil shew then hys bemes bright And as yt were bringeth ageyn the day

Prosa tercia. Capitulū sextū.

Haud aliter trsticie.

Boecius loquitur

¶But euen so & in / none other wyse Thys drerynesse out of myn hert gan reche I loked vp & gan me better aduyse yf I myght know the vysage of my leche Than knew I wel by vysage & by speche Myn owne gentyl noryshe phylosophy That me was wonte to viset & to teche And fro yought had me in company ¶Do {quod} I my worshypful masteres Of al vertues and of honeste what do ye in thys wreched wyldernesse Comen thus a doune out of the souereyn see In to thys exyle vhether be cause of me As gylty made also of my trespace Hyt ne besemeth not your souereynte For to be seyn in thys vnworthy place Phia.) Oh nory {quod} she shuld I the forsake Sith thou for me art falsly put in blame And not the charge also vpon me take The wyche thou berest for envy of my name To philosophy yt were repreue & shame To leue an Innocent so thus a rayed And now at laste redoute me of that game That ys not new to me ne vn a sayd ¶Trouest thou that I haue ben not erst assayied Of wicked folke wyth perel & damage How haue I ben tormented & traueyled with fulhardinesse & foule outrage Be foren Plato in tyme of elder age And vhyle that Plato leued presently Socrates was slayn & had to wage In my presence a croune of vyctory

¶The Epicures & The Stoicenes The heretage of ther opynyou They caughten to them as for very menes Of welth fulnesse euerych a porcion And mo of wiche I make no mention Haueth enforsed them with sotelte Drauenge hys wordes to ther entention Of ther opynatyue felycyte ¶Thys same folke in partey of ther a pray Caught thys clothe that my self had weuen And thogh that I rebelled & seyd nay To rente thys cloth / ne wold they not beleuen And with tho cloutes y^t they had me bereuen They went ther wey & though al had ben wel And folysly they dyd themself deceuen And went I had gon with them euery dele ¶And so for cause that they these peces ber•• Loo some men troued as foules vtterly That they had ben with me familyer And in my household ben abydyngly And so thorugh errour of thys company Ful many a fole ys foule out of the way And by them ben peruerted perylosly And wene that al be wysedom that they say ¶Haste y^u not herd of Anaxagoras That was exyled for be cause of me Of Socrates y^t eke enpoysoned was How zeno was tormented by cruelte And though y^t thys be a straunge thynge to the yet Canio & Seneke as I trowe And Sorane also in thy mynde be For thys ys a late thynge & wel y knowe

¶Nought elles thes brought in to destresse But for they were lerned in my lore And al vnleke as in ther besynesse To wicked folke that hated them therfore Hyt ys no thynge that y^u shulde wonder fore Though we be styred with stormes of desese Sith that our purpose hath ben euer more These wicked folkes for to dysplese ¶And thogh therof be hugy habundance yet neuertheles yet ys to be repreued Forvhy they ben withouten gouernance And nought but flod of errour hath them meued And yf they by thys errour thys contryued Arese an hoste with strenght & ous assetteth Our gouernour by thys ys nought a greued Hys tresour al in to hys toure he fetteth These foules laboreth than ententyfly On veyn thynges that may them nought avayle And we that sytteth in thys toure on hy Ful suer y noghe fro them that ous assayle In suche a palace strong of apparyle whereto these foules may not vp attayne we scorneth them of al ther waste traueyle Ther besynesse ys euerydele in veyne

Metrum quartum. Capitulū vij.

Quisquis cōposito.

Philosophia loquitur.

¶He that standeth clere & ordynate And proude happes suffereth vnder slyde In al fortunes standynge streght algate In welth & woo can euenlych a byde The woode see that floueth to euery syde Hym dredeh nto thynge of hys cruelte

But what desese that may to hym betyde Hym greueth nought but standeth in one degre ¶The foule fyre that out of hel reketh In the monteyn that cleped ys vesene Ne thunder lyʒte that hy toures breketh Ne dredeth not me / what ys yt that ye mene Why dredeye then ye wrecches that ye ben Tyrantes fyers that ben withouten migth Put false hope out of oure hertes clene And flesly drede putteth fro your syght ¶For yf thou no thynge of a man desyre Ne what he may the don thou haste no drede Thou shalte deserue the wrecched mannes Ire And in no wyse he may the nought mysbede Ho so hopeth ought or dredeth out of nede He casteth a wey hys shylde & ys vnstable And knetteh a cheyn / hemselfen with to lede wher that them luste to hym vnprofitable

¶The couetous kyng Mida vvas made Iuge betvene Apollo & Pan by ther both assignemēt for to demen vhether the harpe of Apollo vvere more delicyous / other the shalmuse of Pan. And so vhen he had herde them bothe / he iuged that the shalmuse vvas svvetter than the harpe vherfor Apollo hauyng indignation of hys leude iugement / punysshede hym in that party that vvas semyng the cause of hys errour / and gaue hym longe asse eres. ¶Motally Mida ys euery vvordly man that more appryseth the luste & lekynge of the vvorlde them he doth any vvhit or gostely vvysedom. vherfore suche men ben dulle & insensible to reson / leke to rude asses.

Prosa iiij. Caplm viij.

Sentis ne inquit

¶Felest thou not vhether my word be soft or sharp {quod} she withyn thy hert ententyfly Or art thou leke an asse to the harpe That ys not meued wyth no melody If thou couetest helpe or remedy Thou muste vnhele the wondes y^t the greuen

Be then a know & shew me openly And hyde yt not for I the shal releuen Boecius) ¶I droe to me the myght of my corage ye ben {quod} I that brought me in astate Nedeth yt now to tellen my damage That haueth me had in your presence algate ye knoueth in what degre I was but late Ne meueth yow nought the maner of thys place Is thys the library where ye with me sate when ye were al my Ioy & my solace Dyuyne thynges dysputynge there with the And other sciences that ful lusty were when that I stode with yow in thys degre was than thys myne habyte & my chere when I with yowe was wonte to seke & lere Ful preuy poyntes langynge to nature How that the sterres meued fer or nyre Descryuyng yt in nombers and fygures ¶Formynge in me the maner of my lyue I leke vn to the heuenly gouernance And techynge me to be contemplatyue I yelde yow thanke with louly obecyance Thys was a sentens of your ordynance That Plato wrote yf I wel vnderstande Ful blesful were thastate of gouernance yf only wyse myght yt haue on hande ¶Or yf that they wich haue gouernment wold vpon wysedom spend ther besynes And Plato also to the same entente Techeth ous thus / thyn owne lore hyt ys To wyse men a skyleful cause ys thys For to desyre astate of souereynte

Leste wicked folke that wil gouerne a mys Receyue astate & harme a comynalte ¶For yf that wyse men & vertuous Sholde thastate of souerente forsake Then other wicked folke aud vycyous wold be ful feyn the sam astate to take And suche as they ben soueraynes wold they make And wyse persons shuld be set at nought Thus shuld vyce & wickednesse a wake And treuth & vertu be to grounde y brought ¶As shewynge therfore your auctoryte I had desyre to thys entention That I had lered of your benygnyte To put yt forthe in execution witnesse vpon your awne dyscretion And god that hathe yow set in mannes mende I coueted neuer administration But comen profet was bothe cause & ende The hate that I haue had & heuynesse Of wicked folke ys open euydence In mayntenance of treuth & ryghtuesnesse By very fredom of my consciens Of wycked folke I spared none offence whan Conigast the porayl wold oppresse I met hym euer wyth myghty resistens And ofte I let hym of hys cruelnesse ¶And Tranguyle prouoste of the kynges house How ofte I caste hym doune of hys malyce And many a pouer man & anguissous That weren asset by cursed couetyce Of men that ful of venem were & vyce I halpe them ofte in ther adnersyte

For to defend them out of suche foleys Lo myne astate I put in Iupardy ¶Ther was no man y^t me fro ryght withdrow To wrong by fauour / frenshyp / or by wage But when I saw the contres now & now Be put in thraldom & in foule seruage what by trybute & what by caryage And what by rauen & extortion As sore me greued the harme of ther damage As them that suffered tribulation ¶And when the prouynce hoten Campaye was sore oppressed in a dere yere So that no man muste selle ne bye Tyl that the kynge had solde vp hys garner At snch a pryce so grenous & so dere That pouer folke were harmed & a noyed Than I withstode the kynges offycer Wetynge the kynge that statute I destroyed ¶And Paulyn eke a consuler of Rome Whom palays houndes had oppressed so That wrongfully hys goodes hym benome I receyued hym vhether they wold or no Albyne that was a conseyler also That was a iuged to a greuous payne Myself a lone to sauen hym ther fro Of Cypryane I suffered grete dysdeyne ¶That had accused hym (how semeth yow In paleys haue I hate & enmyte For loue of ryght & were not thus y now For to be fauored of the comynalte Sith I no frendshype haue as towarde me In kynges courte I haue no loue reserued

Me semeth than I shuld the surer be withouten fayle where I haue loue deserued ¶But now by whom was I accused thus Forsoth of none that honest was of fame But one ther was that hyght Basileus wych that be forehand founden was with blame And out of offyce was he put with shame And syth he fel at myschef & at nede He was accepte accuser of my name Allas therto by geftes & by mede yet other ij. that hauen me thus defyled were Gaudencius and Opilion The wich the kynges Iuges had exyled For certen surfet that they had don In to the sanctuary then gan they gon Them to defend agen the kynges lawe But knowyng thus the kynge commanded sone That out of sanctuary they shuld be drawe ¶But yf they voyded the cyte of Rauenne By tyme assigned at a certen day And in ther frounte an Iren shuld them brenne And be compelled for to go ther way Vn to thes false attaynte what shal I say Or to the kynges cursed cruelte Vpon that same day yt ys no nay They were admytted to accusen me ¶whether that myne arte & occupation Deserued had thus falsly to be blamed Other elles thus that my dampnation Had made them tru that false were proclamed And was not fortune hereof foule a shamed That she rewarded not myn Innocency

Vnworthynesse of them that were defamed Shold none appele haue made in her presence ¶But perauenture ye wold wyte the grounde In to thys exyle vhy I am remeued I wolde the senate had ben hole & sounde And in no maner hyndred ne repreued Thys ys the cause that I am sore agreued But ye wold wyte the maner & the wyse By cause of letters viche I had beryued Fro hym that wolde the senatours accuse ¶yowe masteres vhat wil ye demen nowe Shal I thys blame forsake or cal a geyn Leste that yt shulde be shameful vn to yowe Nay sekerly I shal yt neuer with seyn I haue yt willed & euer shal certeyn That the senate were in reste & pece But the accuser hereafter to refrayn Or let hym ofte of hys entent I cese ¶But vether to willen ther prosperite Shulde ben deputed for synne or felony And certenly they self in ther decre Haue put on me that poynt of trechery But vnwyse be they that to themselfe doth lye They may not chaunge the meret of my dede Though that the foules themself wil destroy My good wil ys worthy thanke & mede ¶But vn to me by dome of socrates Howe so euer yt stande in ther entente I trou yt be not laful neuertheles To denye a sothe or to a false assent But neuertheles al thys verament Excuseth not me in no maner wyse

I put hyt holly in the iugemente Of yowr selfen and of other wyse ¶The processe of thys mater euery dele I haue hyt wryte & put in rememberance That men hereafter may perceyue & fele How wrongfully I suffer thys greuance But y^e ylke letters of ther ordynance That in my name so falsly were contriued yf I had hadde that lyberte perchaunce Ther false fraude shulde playnly haue ben preued ¶Or had I at the examination My self ben present vhen I was accused Ryght by ther owne aperte confessyon I trou that they shulde haue me clene excused Thys lyberte were goodly to ben vsed But now what lyberte shal I a byde Of an aunswer I am fully aduysed yf euer I shulde that lyberte abyde ¶As Canio vn to the kynge answered That was accused of conspyracy Had I {quod} he therof knouen or herde Thou shuldeste haue knouen hyt not sykerly And soth to seyn the same wyse wolde I Myn owne letters better can I bestowe And also procured them so preuely That no thynge therof shulde the kynge knowe ¶yet hath not mornynge dulled so my mynde That thys shuld be the cause y^t I complayn That wycked folke ben alwey so vnkende A genste vertu suche malyce for to leyn But thys ys yt where I haue dysdeyne Not only for the purpose of ther wyl

But that they may ther purpose so menteyn I meruyl moche how they yt may fu••••lle ¶For as to wyllen 〈…〉〈…〉 That may be of thee 〈…〉〈…〉 But that they haue that pouer 〈…〉〈…〉 To execute that so purposed ys As Innocency & vertu to destres Only of that I meruele in my mynde As in hys syght that al thynge seeth expresse Hyt semeth me a monstre out of kynde ¶wherfore ther was with yow famylyer One that complayned thus & skylefully Sythe god ys present here & euery vhere Fro vhens cometh al euel thys meruel I And yf that god ne were not verely Fro vhens shuld al good thynges be But he that causeth thynges perfectly May knowe al and none in sothe but he ¶Al were hyt leful to tho surfetours That al good men noyeth & dysesen Purposynge for to sle the senatours No wonder were though they wold me lesen For euer my purpose was them to dysplesen And let them of ther foule entention To senatours yet gaue I none encheson For to conspyren my dampnation ¶And masteres ye remembreth wel That vhatsoeuer I thought to don or sey Both word & worke ye ruled euery dele And al by yow I gouerned me alwey And eke the senatours yt ys no nay For ther defence they knoueth euery one

In vhat perel I put me at one day A gen the y^e kynge myselfen at verone ¶ye knoueth wel that I ne sey but so the Though I my self had kept yt in silence For certenly alwey I haue ben lothe To be commended of my excellence For he that wil be fayn of reuerence And so receueth rewarde of renoune The preuy secret of hys conscience Apereth moche by that condition ¶But here ye may your self take hede For innocency nowe what worchyp haue I For vertu loo receue I to my mede Peynes that proper be for felony And ho had euer for any trechery Hys Iuges so concord in cruelty For gylte that was confessed openly That some of them ner moued with pety ¶Al had yt be so that I had desired The prestes deth or holy churche y brente Or cruel deth to good men conspired Or vhat malyce so that I had y mente yet shuld I haue ben demed me presente So conuycre of my surfet or confessed And after thys haue had my iugemente Thus iustly might my dome haue ben dressed ¶But then I beyng for that same vhyle with al my labour & my dilygence Fro my iugemente fyue hundred myle Hauyng in court no aduocate ne defence To deth I was a iuged in absence Me beyng in the senatours nedes

And they consentyng geuen was y^e sentence Loo how I am rewarded to my medes ¶O worthy men of worchyppe & of mede For none of them came neuer at that degre To be conuyct of suche a maner dede As to withstand a kynges cruelte As I haue done for ther comodyte And therfore were they of my gylte a shamed For thy in foylyng of the dygnyte with sorcery now they haue me defamed ¶They sayn for couetes of hy astate That I had vsed crafte of sorcery But ye that were my gouernour algate ye knoueth wel how falsly y^t they ly For fro my hert ye hadden vtterly A voyded clene al wordly couetyce And in your presence might not skylefully Suche sacrilege be vsed in no wyse ¶For euery day ye putten in my thought These sothfast sentence of Pictagoras That many goddes shulde we serue not But one a lone that maketh corn & gras Hyt neded not / ne none accord yt was To me / but ful vnsembly in your syght The helpe of foule gostes to purchas Sith ye haue made me leke to god almight ¶Also my wyse that ys ful Innocente And other frendes of my compaygne My wyues fader also reuerente Fro suche defautes may defende me But oh malyce & cursed crudelyte Thys blame they bereth on yow by euydence

By cause that my gouernour ye be They sey that I vse suche enchauntementes ¶And thys to them hyt semeth not y now That reuerence of yow me nought profyteth But eke my gylte they putteth vpon yow And myne offence fully yow they wyteth A nother thynge my sowres yet excyteth That men seyth not the meret of your dede But sayth alwey when y^t fortune ous smyteth Of our meret yt was deserued nede ¶And saeth that welthes & prosperyte Cometh vn to ous for our rightuesnesse And also when ther cometh aduersyte Hyt falleth only for our wyckednesse with fortune goeth our fame & worthynesse Ow noble thynge so lyght hyt ys to lese And certenly the first thynge yt ys That fleeth a way fro wrecches in mysese ¶what rumors now thys folke wil of me fynde How dyuers sentence & how varyente Hyt lotheth me to thynke yt in my mynde For euery man of me saeth hys entente And thys yt ys that moste my hert shente Ther ys no fortune greueth me so sore As vhen that myschef ys to wrecches sente Men sayth yt was deserued ther before ¶I am a way fro al my good y put Also despoyled of my dygnyte And to my herte yt noyeth more yet My name defoyled in the comynalte And for the benfet of myn awne bounte Lo now I suffer torment & dystresse

And in my herte me semeth that I se How felons folke beth on ther lustynesse ¶And euery lorel redy ys & boune Som new coniected fraudes to deuyse And good folke hangeth the hed a doune Lest they be serued in he same wyse And euery surfetour now dare accuse By cause of fauor & vn punyshmente The good men to defoulen & despyse And proudly to performen ther entente ¶Styred therto by geftes & by mede And rightuesnesse may haue no reuerence So Innocentes leueth now in drede Not only that / but lacketh ther defence A genst malyce ys made no resistence But sothfastnesse ys had in al dysdeyn That god wyl suffer thys in hys presence A cause I haue to cry & me complayn

Metrū iiij. Capitulū vij.

O stelliferi cōditor or

Phia loquitur.

¶O maker of the sterred heuen on hy Eternally that syttest in thy trone Thou torneste heuen with a wonder swy Constreynyng sterres to thy law alone So that now in fulnesse of the mone Beshened with her brothers bemes bryght The smale sterres hedeth them ful sone In her presence to shyne they haue no might ¶And when she to the sonne nyeth nere Ful sone she muste her bryght hornes hyde And hesperus that shyneth bryght & clere And sheweth hym in the colde euen tyde

A nother yere he ys the sonnes gyde A rysynge vp ful pale in the morne Loo nedes in that cours he must a byde For so thou hast commanded hym beforne ¶In wynter when that leues goen a way Thou shortest then the fayre dayes lyght In hote somer lengthest thou the day And makest short the derknesse of y^e nyght And thou attemperest tymes by thy myght That bare branches wexeth fayre & grene whiche that were defouled & vnhyght By styffe stormes of the wynter kene ¶The sedes in wynter y^t ben sowe Thou makest them to wexen fayre & hye And when that they ben ful to cornes growe Thou makest them to rypen & to drye Thyn olde law ther may no thynge vnplye Ne by no way ther kyndly cours forlete Ow god that gouernest al certenly Now only mannes worke thou hast forgete ¶why shal fortune tornen vp so doune Thys thynge that ys in thy gouernement Thes wycked folke to set in hye renoune And dryuen doune the good & innocent with peynes that by ryghtuous iugement Ben dew to catyffes for ther cursednesse Loo faythful men ben shamed & y shent And wicked folke ben set in worthynesse ¶Thus false folke the faythful haue oppressed And vertu that so worthy ys of name Is put in derkenesse tyl yt be redressed The rightuous bereth y^e wycked mennes blame

Forshoren men that ben withouten shame They colour ther deceytes as them luste And vsen they as for a comen game Deceyuynge them y^t moste vpon them truste ¶And after them they draeth to consente Kynges grete that many a man muste drede And maketh them to performe ther entente And them encombreth with ther cursedhed And as they luste rygth so they wyl them lede But now beholde thys wrecched erthly place Thou y^t knettest al in length & brede Now somtyme sende ous socour of thy grace ¶For of thy worke we ben a portion Not foule / but fayre after the forme of the we men that fortune dreueth vp & downe A monge the wawes of thys wordly see Represse thys flod lorde what euer thou be That knetteste al in certen ordynance Thou reuleste heuens in tranquillyte Now set ous somvhat in that gouernance

¶Hyt belongeth not a vvyse man to be moued vvyth a fooles vvorde but rather to enforme & teche & comforte hym / reducyng hym in to the bondes of reson. So vvas thys clerke by excesse of heuynesse / in ma¦ner fallen in to foley / forletynge the bondes of reson / vvyche philoso∣phy calleth hys kende contrey. for by resonablete man ys made leke to angeles & a very cytesen of heuen. vherfore leste thys paynful heuynes sholde put hym in despere / philosophy conforted hym & saeth that he ys not exyle by the foresayd vyolence out of hys kende contre / but by errour of hys ovne false deduction. For vhy as longe as a man ke∣peth the knouynge of hys kendly principles / he may not be compelled to leue the bondes of reson. but erren he may by hys false deduccion / by vyche he vveneth that he be necessed & constrayned to that false conclu¦syon. But standyng the knoulege of these forsaed principles / he may retorne & examen hys deduction by labour or by techenge / & fynde oute hys errour & consequently retorne a geyn to the truth

¶Multitude of astates in a lande or cyte ys cause of grete confusion / for be cause that euerych of them coueteth to be gretteste / so that after

hys vvyl may stande al the rule & gouernance. ¶Hyt betydeth ofte that lordes sotellen in destruction of other / that be cause of fauour of the cominalte / by vvysedom of gouernance / or by excellence of con¦nynge or of vvyt / ben preferred or lekely ben to be preferred in to hye astates so that they may the more frely & seketly vverken as they vvold as for to vvynne the astates that they de••yren / or elles the astates that they hauen the more frely for to holde / othe for to be p̄ferred in excellēs more singnlerly thā other ¶But in thys realme of resonabelte that specially belongeth to the courte of heuen / ther ys but one lorde & soue∣reyn. the vyche ys god / principle and ruler of reson / vverfore in so moche as any man leueth after reson / in hovve moche he ys subgect to the rule of goddes lavve. And in hovve moche he leueth after reson / & so moche he a bydeth in hys contre & in hys proper cyte. In vviche god a lone ys prince & gouernour Then ensueth thus / that yf a man be obe¦syant & subgect vn to goddes lavve. he may not be exyle not put out of hys contre. Boetius complayned hym of no gostely desese but only of harmes bodely / vvelyng of hys prison & vvātynge of kys bokes To vyche complaynte philosophy ansvvereth & seyth / that hym oughte more to complayn the perturbation of hys spiret that so erred vvelynge the loste of hys temporal goodes vvyche muste nedes at laste vtterly be berafte hym. Also she saeth he erreth foule vvelynge for hys bokes / for vhy she had put in hys mynde tho same thynges that maketh bokes dere and precious / sotel sentences of reson & of kende

¶Sienim cuius oriundus sis patrie. The realme & the very cōtre of resonablete ys the blysse of heuen. And al the vhyle vve vvorke after reson vve ben in our contre as holy & heuenlych by maner of vverkenge ¶The realme of Athenes firste vvas gouerned by kynges / vyche reg∣ned the terme of lyues. And after that vvere ordeyned princes / vyche regned comenly .x. ye0res / After thes vvere made princes annual that regned but one yere / & of them shulde be ix. at ones. and of thes here speketh Boetius ¶Romulus vhen he had founded the cyte of Rome / that he might make the cyte copyous of people / ordey¦ned thys lavve that ho so vvolde bylde in that cyte / he shuld neuer ben exyled after for no maner trespace.

Prosa quarta

Hec vbi continuato dolore.

Boetius loquitur.

¶whē I with mornyng thus had made my mone She was no thynge of my complaynte a meued with plesant chere she helde her styl as stone Sothly she seyd whyle er thus I conceued That thou were exyle & thy good beryued Ryght by thy wepynge chere I knew yt wel

But yet how fer ne yet had I not perceyued But thou thy self had tolde me euery dele ¶Neuertheles vnderstande nowe wel thys Thou art not exyle out of thy cyte But thou thyself haste taken thy way a mysse A strayed out in to a strange contre And yf thou wene that thou exyled be Than haste y^t put thyself out sekerly For that power hathe none ouer the But thou thyself wyl do hyt wyllyngly ¶For yf y^u knewe or coude haue in thy mynde As of what lande or what cyte thou were Of wich thou toke thy nature & thy kende The lawes of that lande I coude the lere For al the worlde ne may yt not conquere Not leke Athenes that many lordes had But one lorde one lawe & none other there That of hys multitude ys blythe & glad ¶He ys ful fayn that folke wyl to hym drawe And willyngly he wyl no wight forlete For to obey vnder hys lustey lawe Is lyberte the grettest that may be gete Ne knoueste thou not or elles thou haste forgete The lawe y^t alwey ther ys had & vsed Ho so that luste theryn to bylde hys sete The lorde he wil not y^t he be refused ¶And ho so wyl in that place a byden styl He may deserue none aduersyte But also sone as he forleteth that wyl He may no lenger in that pales be For he forfeteh then hys lyberte And fleeth hys contre of hys awne assente

whan that he sueth sensualyte Forletynge reson in hys iugemente Thou askest where the maner of thys place Me with the for to morne moueth ought Me moueth more the maner of thy face For thys prison moueth me right nought Thy lybrary with glasse & Iuery wrought Nether thy bokes set I at no pryce But I seke the habyte of thy thought Where I haue made a sete at my deuyse ¶For in thy herte I haue no bokes put But thynges that maketh bokes precious Sotel sentence of connynge & of wit wiche vn to me was more delicyous Of thy meret thou haste remembred ous The wiche y^u haste on comen welth bestowe Ful sothe yt ys & not suspecious Som haste y^u seyd & yet wel more I knowe ¶Thou haste also rehersed furdermore The maner of thyn accusation And the gylt that thou art greued fore Full honest in thyn estimation None harme deserued ne dampnation But rather rewarde for thy besynesse And now for thy remuneration Thou haste no thynge but harme & heuynesse ¶And shortly haste rehersed euery dele The false fraudes of thyn accusers wiche the comen peple knoueth wele The wrongful dome eke of the senatours That rather shulde haue ben thy defensours Thou soroest also gretly for my blame

The wyche I bere for the of surfetours Thou welest eke the lesynge of thy fame ¶But at laste with fortune gan thou chyde That mede with meret was euen wey why surfetours ben suffered in ther pryde And good men a greued thus I herd y^e sey And in thy songe to god thus gan thou pray That y^e ylke pece that ys in heuen on hey Thys wrecched world shulde kepe vnder hys key That nowe ys ruled thus vncertenly ¶I vnderstande al thyn entention But yet sone in that other syde I se That moche desyre of thyn affection Hathe now distracted & dystrobled the And put thy mynde out of tranquillyte As sorow / mornynge / heuynesse / & Ire And vhyle y^t thou art in thys degre Thou mayste no mighty medicyne endure ¶wherfore we shal attempten & assay Now with a lytel lyghter remedy That doleful sorow for to put a wey That in thy herte ys wexen hard & dry with esy salfe a chafe hyt and defye A medycyne than that more mighty ys Amenden shal that malyce esely That soroful swellynge lyghtly shal we lese

Metrū quintū. Capitulū. xi.

Cū phebi radiis.

Philosophia loquitur.

¶Ho so that wyl in hote somer seson when that the sonne in cancer ys y set Sowen hys corne he worcheth out of reson And of hys trust no doute he shal be let

By that he hath with wynter dayes met Of other purueyance he shal haue nede And but he can gouerne hymself the bet with akernes hys hunger muste he fede ¶And when y^e north wynde bloueth kyne & colde In wynter tyme a very foule he were In wilde wode that gether floures wolde Or rype grapes in the tyme of vere Hyt falleth not that ceson of the yere The floures freshe ne rype frute to fynde For god hath set al thynge in erthe here To kepen euer one certen course of kynde ¶He ne suffereth not the stoundes for to melle That he hath set in certen gouernance As in ther offyce euery thynge to dwelle They may not faylen with no variance what thynge that leueth certen ordynance A bydynge not withyn the cours of kende He prospereth not but falleth in mischaunce He may not faylen of a feble ende

¶Here before hath philosophy enquered the qualyte & cōdition of the greuance that thys clerke vvas in. Novv here she begynneth to enque¦re the rote & the original cause / viche stōdeth specially ī iii. thynges one because he soroed vnskylfully that ys to sey of mesure the loste of hys temporel goodes. The second stode in errour of false opynion trouyng that vvycked myghty men to the vvorld vvere by might of vvickednes vvelful. The thyrde that he troued the enterchaungynge of fortune by vyche often tymes the good ben depressed and the vvicked resed / vvas vvithout rule of goddes purueance. So the very ground of al hys heuynes / vvas ignorance or elles more verely to sey forgetyng of diuyn gouernance / as touchynge the kende of man / vich errour he vvas fal∣len in / by false deduction fro hys firste principles. for he graunted vvel that god vvas maker & gouernour of al. but be cause that he sufferedde vvycked folke to execute ther malyce vpon the goode / vyche execution ys very open vvronge / to vyche vvronge god that ys perfyt ryghtuous by no vvay may consente▪ vvherfore he supposed that god had forllete the gouernance of man / committynge ther rule to fortunes vnstabilyte

Fro knouen principles by very tru deduction / a man ys brought to exclu¦sion of errour by conclusions deduced of thys principle. So of thys principle that god gouerneth al as presidēt to hys proper vvorke / viche Boyes confessed / hyt ensueth vvel that god forleteth not the gouernāce of man / but dresseth hys vvorkes rightuously. To vyche conclusion thys clerke feled the contrary. The fallace of thys consequent of thys foule errour then ys founden in iii. thynges. One in false deduction. A nother in defaute of knouenge of the maner of gouernance. And the thirde of knouynge verely the kynde of man. In thys hys deduc∣tion fayled that. for cause god vvetyngly suffereth vvronges / he seyd other god consenteth to vvronge (viche ys inconuenient) other he for∣leteth the gouernance / & suffereth in that vvyse. but thys foloeth not / for he snffereth vvronges knouyngly both by rightuous & by mercy & yet he consenteth not ne farleteh not hys gouernance By ryghtuesnes he may compelle no creature a geyn the principal properte of hys kende. But the properte of mannes vvyl ys for to be fre to good or to yuel / thā shal not god bereue hym that lyberte. but rightuosly suffereth hym chuse so that for hys goode chose he may deserue mede / & for hys bad chose he deserueth payn. ¶yf god shuld bereue hym thys lyberte thē fayled mercy / for thē muste he nedes vtterly destroy hym / or put hym ī to end¦les punesmente. for bereuynge the principal properte of a creature / that creature ys vtterly destroed. as bereue hete fro fyre / then ys yt no fyre Right so bereue lyberte fro fre vvyl / then ys yt no vvyl. But sy••h a spiret may not be destroyed. yf he shulde lese thys lyberte of vvyl / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 muste then anone be put in to endles punishmēt / & thys muste a voyde mercy. Thys may be proued thus. yf god lefte thys euel vnpones¦hed finally / then might he seme to cōsente to euel / but that may he not no more ne may he leue yt finally vnponeshed. yf he berafte hym hys liberte / then might he neuer after deserue mede in releuynge of hys pu∣neshment / & then muste he nedes be endles in payn / vvherfore of mer∣cy & of rightuesnesse he suffereth vvickednesse. But here might be saed that god of hys goodnesse might lette the execution of suche malicious purpose / No doute so he doth for the more partey. For though malyce be executed / yet fayleth yt the ful entent of hys execution.

Prosa sexta. Capitulum xij.

Primū igitur pateris.

But firste she sayd wilt thou suffer me Now with a few demaundes for to fele The very kende of thy infirmyte And al the grounde to gropen euery dele that I may wete how y^u might haue thy hele Boecius) Now seyth on {quod} I what ye luste

That ye enserche my sore I wil hyt wel And I shal answere as me thynketh beste Phia) Sey meshe sayd hou is thys world demened As vhether by fortune hys variance Or elles thou trouest y^t hyt ys sustened By reson of som certen ordynance Boetius) That god knoueth y^t hath al in gouernāce Thys doute I not / but truly I beleue Come neuer y^t day y^t me befalle that chaunce Out of my herte that sentēce for to meve Phia) Right as y^u sayest {quod} she so hyt ys And in thy songe vhyle er right so thou mente But neuerthelater thy complaynte was thys That god on man set no gouernemente Ne to ther workes taketh he none entente That thynge yt was y^t thou gan wepe & wele Al other thynge thou woldest wel consente That god had set hyt at certen gouernele ¶Oh that I wonder now ful hugely Syth thou in suche a sentence art y set That thou art seke af any malady Som thynge ther ys wherby thy hele ys let wherfore the grounde I shal enserchen bet Syth god hymselfe al thynges ruleth Thus sayest thou whyle er / but say me yet By what gouernmentes as the semeth Boecius) your sentence {quod} I haue I not conceyued I can not aunswere to your question Phia) In soth {quod} she now am I not deceyued The causes of thy perturbation I knowe them wel by estimation But sey me yet yf thou haue thys in thy mynde

To what purpose by inclination Draeth fynally y^e comen cours of kynde Boecius) I haue {quod} I herd tel yt here be forn But drerynesse hath marred al my thought Phia) yet hast y^u not {quod} she thy wyt forloren That y^u ne wost ho hath thys world y wroght Boecius) O god {quod} I hath al thyng forth y broft Phia) I wonder then she sayd how may thys be Of the begynnynge syth thou doutest nofte The ende may not ben vnknouen parde ¶Thys ys the kynde of suche desturbelance That they may meue a man out of hys place But neuertheles suche maner of greuance Ne may hym not al vtterly arace Ne put hym fully fro the state of grace Might thou remembre that y^u art a man Boecius) In sothe {quod} I thys were a wonder case yf I shuld not my self in mynde han Phia) yet cannest y^u {quod} she tellen furdermore The kyndly {pro}perte of man what yt ys Boecius (ye {quod} I as I haue herde be fore A resonable beste with dedlynesse That I am suche I know & wyl confesse Phia) Nought elles {quod}, she knouest y^u of thy kende Boecius) In sothe {quod} I noft elles as I gece Ne noght but thys can I haue in my mynde Phia) A nother cause now know I wel {quod} she Of thy desese & that I wonder grete wiche ys the ground of thyn infirmyte For what y^u art thou hast thyself forgete wherfore the reson fully haue we gete Of thy desese / & furdermore a mene

How that thou shalt yt vtterly forlete And thou to helthe be restored clene ¶For cause thou art confounded in thy wyt with the forgetynge of thy self / for thy That fro thy good in exyle art thou put Thou wenest / & complaynest pyteosly And furdermore also as suppose I For y^u ne knouest what the ende of thynges ys Thou trouest that wrecches ful of felony That they haue very might & welthynesse Thou hast forgete by wiche gouernementes Thys worlde ys led thys makest y^u thy colour That these fortunes enterchaungementes Ben fletynge thus withouten gouernour Lo thes ben causes of ryght grete vygour Not only to sekenesse & desese But vn to deth yf that y^u fayle socour That may the with these bytter paynes lese ¶yet nature hath not al forsaken the worth thankes be the auctor of thy hele we haue yet one comfort that I se That shal thy sorow slaken euery dele Thys sothfast sentence haue we saued wel That god thys world hath in hys gouernance Thus y^u beleuest as I conceue and fele And nought subiect to happes variance ¶Ne drede y^e nought for of thys lytel schyn A lyfly hete shal spryngen in thy brest But for asmoche as mighty medycyn To geue the yet the tyme ys not best And for as moche as myndes thus opprest Haueth thys nature & condition

That when they haue trew conceytes lest They clothe themself in false opynyon ¶wherof derknesse & perturbation May wexen vp that fully wyl destroy The syʒth of trew consideration wher for I shal a say sotelly To a voyde with some esey remedy Thys derke cloude yf yt may voyded be Of false affection / and esely The very lyʒth then migth thou know & see

Metrū. vij. Capitulum xiij.

Nubi{bus} atris cōdita nullū.

The sterres couered with the cloudes blake Ne may not clerely casten doune ther lyʒth And when y^e wode south wynde doth a wake He waleweth vp the see withe hugy might The wawes then y^t were clere & bright Leke as the glasse or as the somers day with fylthe y^t ys resolued ben on hyʒth And fro thes wawes letteth our sight alway The ryuer rennynge out of hye montens Is often tyme withstanden hugely As by som stone enconterynge ther a gens The wich ys fallen fro som rocke on hy yf thou therfore wilt seyn ententyfly with trew beholdynge truthes for to deme Loo / take thys pathe & holde yt certenly Gladnesse & drede out of thy hert thou fleyn ¶Ne Ioy thou nought of worldly welthynes Ne drede y^e nothynge of thys worldly dyne Ne hope thou not that transytory ys Ne sorow thou nought but yf yt be for synne

For euery thofte that thes regneth in Troble & derke yt ys & may not se He ys so wrast a way he may nofte wynne And brideled so that he may not be fre