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

Explicit Liber Quartus.

¶In thys chapytre Philosophia confermeth her exhortation / by exsā¦ple of iii. myghty men / of synguler dedes that they had done. Aga¦menon. Vlixes. & Hercules. And for cause often tymes men eschevv¦eth grete actes for lacke of corage / vvyche corage ys blemesshed or op∣pressed: by iii. thynges in specyal. Ther fore he reherseth of thes vver¦ryours, certen dedes / in vvyche they shevved the myght of ther corage not hurt ne blemesshed by none of thes causes. One thyng ys that often letteth & vvythdraeth the force of mānes corage / fro myghty and manly dedes / that ys tendrenesse of herte and affection that he hathe other to vvordly thynges vvyche he delyteth vpon / Other to vvyffe & chyldren / kynred / or frenshyppe / vvyche he kepeth not to dysplese in vvythdrayng hys presence / nether in any other thyng / that myght be cause of mornyng or heuynesse. But a geynst thys carnalyte / he putteth the exsample of Agamenon. That vvhen he vvas saylynge to∣vvardes the sege•• of Troye / vvhen he came to the Ile of Aulydes /

hym lacked vvynde. Then vvas hyt shevved hym by vvycches & dyuynours / that yf he vvolde haue vvynde: he must slee hys doghter Ephigenie / & brenne her in sacryfyce to the plesance of Dyane. And not vvythstandyng that he loued hys doghter passyng al thynge / yet in hope of vyctory / he put a vvay the tendrenesse of faderly affection / and made hys hert pyteles to hys dere doghter / & so sloo her in sacryfyce.

And so had he vvynde to hys vvyl / & suyngly the vyctory as he desyred ¶The second thynge that letteth a mannes corage ys: vvhen he hath seyn many peryshe for a certeyn purpose: vvych hym self desyreth / and fevve or none atteyn hyt vvyth prosperyte. A geyn thys a basshe¦ment / he putteth the second exsample of Vlixes. vvyche vvhen he had x. yeres erred saylyng in the see after the destruction of Troye & suffred many mysse aduentures / & specyally in transformation & lesynge of hys feloshyppe: by the cursed enchaunteresse Circes. Here he tellethe hovv the grete gyant Poliphemus vvyth one yee in hys frount / had deuored & destroyed hys people / And not vvythstandynge the myscheffe that al hys people had suffered / yet Vlixes a basshed hym noght / but vvayted vvhen thys gyant vvas a slepe / & sodenly put oute hys yee: And theu vvas he syker of hym / that he myght harme hym no more. & so he ven¦ged the morder of hys meyne▪ ¶The moralyte of thys fable / ys thys. Poliphemus ys as moche to say / as lesynge of fame: And he that recketh not of hys fame / may vvel be called one yeed. For he re∣gardeth not that ys to come: ne that ys passed. but only to hys present lustes. But Vlixes the vvyse man / hathe regard bothe to that ys gon: & to that that ys to come / & quencheth in hym self thys one ys of thes present lustes. And thogh so be that al the vvorlde for the more part / by rauesshynge of thys one ye / peresseth / foloynge thes momen∣taney lustes: and vnnethes any man ys that can or vvyl refrayn thē: yet Vlixes the vvyse mā: vvyl stoppe thys ye / & not excuse hym by the comen excuse of vvrecches saynge: Ho ys he that may vvythstand hys desyres / syth so many myghty men & vvyse haue ben dyscomfete of ther lustes. But he vvyl myghtly represse thes passyons by good gouernāce▪ And so venge hym self vpon hys gostely enemy.

¶The thyrde thynge that a basseth the corage: ys covvardyce: vvhē a mā haldeth hym self vnable to the labour that he puryoseth / and hys myght vnsuffycyant & vnmete to resyste that: that vvythstandethe hys vvyl & enteut. Agenste thys covvardyce: philosophia Inducethe the xii. labours of the myghty man Hercules / vvyche semeth to euery mannes hyrynge ferre to excede the myght of any man▪ yet not vvyth¦standyng / Hercules a basshed neuer hys corage: but myghtely {per}formed hys entent & purpos. vvherefore as philosophia concludeth he vvas revvarded vvyth a souereyn geft / and made a bryght shynyng sterre in the heuen a boue. ¶By thes myghty manues labours / ys geuen to ous an exsample / that ther may no thynge a basshe the corage of a vvyse man: vvher by he sholde leue the labour of vertuous leuynge / ne bodely exercyse in vertu shal not seme hym ouerhard to hys myght / but that he may performe hys entente & lust. so shal hys desyre be enforced

vvyth desyre & ful hope to heuenly Ioy.

¶The fyrst labour: the proude Centaurus made he tame: Of thes Centaurus ys sayd be forn / That Ixion gate them of a cloude / vvhen he vvolde haue oypressed Iuno. But vvhat vvyse that Hercules tamed them / hyt ys expressed by the commentor thus. vvhen that thes Cen¦taurus in a certen tyme vvere come to gedres in the mount of Pheloe to a pley that vvas called Palestra / vvyche vve calle vvrastelyng / Her¦cules so sore asset them in vvrastelyng / that they bledde. ¶Also another tyme Hercules comyng oute of spayne vvas logged in the den of Tyro Centaurus that vvas one of the ••heffe masters. And as thys Tyro handeled an aroe / vvyth vvyche Hercules hadde slayn a serpent the venemous aroe fel vpon hys fote / and made hym a vvonde / that vvas vncurable. The thyrde tyme hyt fel that Hercules vvyth hys loue Deiamra tornyng tovvard hys contre / come to the ryuer of He∣uenū / And vvhen he taryed for caryage of hys vvyffe: Neffus Centau¦rus bade hym svvymme ouer before: & he vvold bryng her after. And vvhen that Hercules vvas come to lande / he loked after hys vvyffe / & he savv Centaurus a boute for to oppressen her / And a none vvyth a venemous aroe he shet hym thoro the hert & s••vve hym. And thus he tamed the proude Centaurus. ¶To the litceral truthe of thys tale. Ixion that vvas called the fader of the Centaurus / vvas the fyrst that ordeyned horsemen for to ryde in grece / and gadred of them a hundred & vvasted sore the contrey. And vvhen the rude people dyd see them so smartly pry••k••ng in and oute / they vvend hyt had ben bestes / half hors and half mē. And at last thes myghty Hercules faught vvith them & destroyed them. ¶By thes Centaurus geten of the cloude may be vnderstande suche men as ben exalted in to hye astates / not by meret of ther vertues / but by fauour of lordshyppe / & by ther vayn ple¦saunce. They ben half bestes & half men / bestly in ther leuyng / raue¦ners & extorcyoners: & leke men in pleasaunce to ther lordes Hercules the vertuous shal spare none offence of ther hye astates / ne drede of ther tyrāny / but boldly repreue them of ther vyces / & make them to loke as men sholde. ¶The second of Hercules vvas that he strepte the Lyon out of hys skyn. The truthe of thys labour vvas thys: Ther vvas a passyng hugy Lyon in the forest of Nemeas: vvyche sore a frayed the people of the contrey. vvyche Lion hercules slvve / & strept the skyn: & bare vvyth hym in sygne of vrctory. By thys Lyon ys vnderstande / proude & fers tyrantes: that delyteth al in rauen and py¦lyng of the people / hauyng no pytey vpon the poure. Thes men a vertuous man sholde spoyle of ther poure / & suffer none suche to bere astate of off••ce.

¶The thyrde labour vvas that he sher the herpyas vvyth aroes.

¶Syneus put oute the yees of hys sonnes / because they had accused ther stepmoder of adultery. vvherfore by Jugement of goddes he vvas blynded hym self / and had certen foules aboute hym vvyth may∣den heddes / that defoyled hys table & bare a vvay hys mete. Thes foules Hercules slvve and droue oute of contrey

¶By thes Herpyas may vvel be vnderstande rennets or ryders ouer the contre / couered vnder lordshyp / as menstrelles & Ioculers and such other / that cometh in to householdes of vvorthy men / & eteth and de∣uoreth ther vytelles / And but they haue also geftes / they vbyl defoule the table / despysyng the persons / And vvhen they ben passed / speke vylenously by al the household. Suche people a vertuous man sholde not cherysshe for fere of vvordes / but rebuke them of thys foule maners / and so destroy that foule vyce and vnhonest vsage.

¶The fourth labour vvas: that he gate the golden apples fro the dra¦gon. As Lucanus feyneth Athlaus had vii. doghters / vvyche had a gardenful of golden apples / vvych garden vvas taken to kepe to a dragon / that alvvay vvas vvakyng. But Hercules by crafte made thys dragon to slepe / and so bare a vvay the apples: and broght them to Euristeus the kyng. By thes vii. doghters of Athlaus / ben vnderstande the vii. artes liberal. Thes damseles haue a garden / that ys the lybrary disperse a monges clerkes. Appel trees ben bokes / the apples ben sotel sentence of vvysedom / vvych the vvakynge dragon / that ys the sensualyte of man hathe to kepe. vvych ys euer vvakyng to lustes and delytes / and so letteth the soule fro connyng. But Her∣cules the vertuous man oppresseth hys sensualyte by good gouernaunce so that hyt letteth hym noght fro study / And so by hys good besynesse he geteth the frute of al the vii. science.

¶The v. labour vvas vvhen he bound Cerberus the foule hound of helle. Of thes Cerberus the fable ys thys. Pirritous vvold vvedde the quene of helle. And he called Hercules & Theseus / & other myghty men to helpe hym. And vvhē they came to helle / lest Cerberus the por¦ter sholde lette them of ther purpose / Hercules bounde hym vvythe a cheyn of adamant: The quene of helle may vvel be called vvordly vvorshyp / vvych Pirritous desyreth. But he taketh vvyse men to hys counsel. And Cerberns vvyth iii. heddes Hercules byndeth / That ys Pryde / Auaryce / and Lechory. Thes iii. hed synnes letteth a man to be vvorshypful / vvhere for the vertuous man byndeth & restreyneth them vvyth a treble cheyn of vertues. And vvhen that thes vyces be so repressed by vertues / a man may not fayle to be vvorshypful.

¶The vi. labour vvas that he made diomede to be eten of hys avvne hors. The fable ys thys. Diomede kyng of Trace / fedde hys hors vvyth mannes flesshe: vvher fore he vsed to slee hys gestes for hys hors. But at last came Hercules and slvve hym / ▪ And made hys horse to ete hym. And fynally sloo the same hors. Thys Diomede beto∣keneth a vvastour that pylleth and despoyleth the people / for to mayn∣teyn hys grete a ray / vvych passeth the suffysaunce of hys astate. But a vertuous man shal besey hym self for to destroy suche maner leuers / & compelle them for to leue by ther avvne good: But vvhen they may not contynue that a ray vvythoute rauen and robbery / ther hors and ther a ray bryngeth them to noght. so that of nede they must leue hyt and leue as they may. ¶The vii. labour vvas / that he brent the serpent Idra. In the ryuer of Lerne vvas a serpent vvyth

many heddes / And euer yf one vvere cut of / ther vvaxe ••ii. ther fore. And vvhen that Hercules had shotte hym & no thyng a vayled / at last he made a boute thys serpēt a hugey hepe of vood: & after set hyt a fyre & so brent thys serpent. Thys fable ys toched be fore & in part declared ¶The viii. labour ys of Achilaus. the fable ys thys. Hercules and Achilaus vvressheled to gether for the mayden Dianer / & vvhen that Achilaus feld hym self at the vvorse / he torned hym self sodenly in to a serpēt / & slypte out of hys handes. And Hercules eftsones caught hym & vvas in poynt to vvery hym. And then Achilaus torned hym self in to a bole. So Hercules a none toke hym & threvv hym to the ground & breke hys horne. & he for shame lepte in to the vvater & hyd hym.

The truthe of thys fable ys thys Achilaus ys a ryuer be tvvene grece & Calcedoyne. In thys Calcedoyne regned a kyng named Genus / hose doghter Hercules rauesshed. And comyng to thys ryuer vvhē he might not passe hyt he stopped an arme of hyt & dryed hyt / & so he passed vvith hys loue. By thys kynges doghter may be vnderstand vertu / vvyche Hercules the myghty man coueyteth for to haue. Achilaus betokeneth the sensualyte / vvych in youth hyley vvythstandeth a man that vvold be vertuous. But fyrst the sensualyte as a serpent assayleth hym by ma¦ny syde vvayes / And vvhen thys myghty man hath ouercome al tho ser¦pentes deceytes / he torneth in to a bole vvyth ii. hornes / Lechory / & Glotony. But thys one horne of Lechory / the vertuous man breketh & vtterly destroyeth. & then ys the sensualyte ouercome / For the other horne of glotony vvyl lyghtly of a vertuous man be put vnder by good gouernaunce. So thys bole lepeth in to the ryuer. the sensualyte ys re∣pressed & keleth hym self by penance / and so vvynneth the myghty man vertue to hys loue.

¶The ix. labour ys of Antheas the grete geaunt / vvych vvas geten of the erthe / And euer as he toched the erthe / he renued hys strengthe vvyth vvych geaunt Hercules vvrasteled / But alvvay vvhen he semed dyscomfeted / fallyng to ground he became as fresshe as he vvas before Than Hercules perceuyug thys toke hym in hys armes / & leyd hym on hys brest / and so streyned hym to deth by strengthe: & so caste hym to the grounde / & thus destroyed he the geaunt. By thes Antheus may be vnderstand vvordly couetyce / vvych encresseth & renueth hys strēgth by tochyng of the groūd. For couetyce vvyl not be quenched by plenty of vvordly good / but rather ys ther by renued & enforced. Hercules thē the vertuous man / streyneth thys couetyce vvythyn hys brest / & vvyth draeth hyt vtterly fro vvordly good / & so he quencheth the lust that he had ther on / & putteth hyt holely in vertu & in vvysedom.

¶The x. labour ys of Cakus the theffe of Libia vvych Hercules dys∣comfeted & slvve. The fable ys thys. Ther vvas in the mounte Aucentyne a monstre / that spete fyre at hys mouthe / robbyng & despoy¦lyng the people of the contrey. And he vvas the sonne of Vulcane / by vvhom Euander kyng of the land vvas gretly a noyed. And Hercules comyng by that contre / bryngyng vvyth hym out of spayn grete plenty of bestes / thys Cakus stale iiii. bolles & as many keyn: & droe them in

to hys den by the tayles bacvvard / that the stappes sholde not be seyn Invvard. And Hercules by estimation espyed vvhere they vvere / and so droe Cakus out of hys denne / and sloo hym. and so he esed the kyng destroyng hys enemy. ¶The moralyte ys thus. By thys Cakus may be vnderstand pryde. He speteth fyre at hys mouthe / hye vvordes of malyce and manace: He ys Vulcanus sonne. For that vyce ys appro¦pryat to the deuel that fyrst hyt founde. He vvasteth and deuoreth and steleth al that he may / and so harmeth the contre▪ For a proude man vvasteth moche in hys a ray & other expenses / that al that ben a boute hym ben noyed ther by. Euander the reson that ys kyng of the soule may not ouercome hym / for he vvyl not vvorche by hym / He dareth in hys den: syttyng in mannes hert / he steleth iiii. bolles of Hercules he oppresseth the iiii. cardynal vertues / & as many keyn / al other ver∣tues that ben vnder them. For a proude man ys myghtles / vntempe∣rate / vnvvare & vnryghtuous. Thys theffe Hercules that ys consciens espyeth: and draeth out thys theffe pryde out of the hert / and sleyth & destroyth hym / and so hath he hys bestes a geyn / that be vertues. And reson that vvas ouer come / novv regneth in the soule as kyng in ••pece and reste.

¶The xi. labour ys of the bore that Hercules s••vve. In archadia vvas a myghty bore that vvasted the regyon sore. vvych Hercules hun¦ted and at last thys bore torned vn to Hercules & smote hym in the shul¦der / and marked hyt vvyth the foom of hys mouthe. By thes bore may be vnderstand the vyce of the flesshe / vvyche vvasteth foule a mā hys substance: Thes vyces Hercules the myghty chaceth and hunteth / in vvyl to destroy them: But thys bore torneth and assayleth Hercu∣les: For hyt chaunceth ofte / that a ful myghty man in vertues: that pursueth & hateth al vyces / ys assayled & repted vvyth the synne of the flesshe / & perauenture ys marked fallyng theryn. But one vycyous dede beryueth not the habyte of vertu: but ma••••••h a man more vvare: and dylygent for to kepe hym self / and so at laste he ouercometh hys flesshe and sleyth thys bore of luste and lekyng.

¶The xii. labour vvas thys: after the fable of Duyde. Athlas the myghty geaunt / in the geauntes batayl / fyghtyng a genst the goddes aboue / bare heuen vpon hys shulder: And vvhen that he savve Hercu¦les come to hym / after hys other labours / he vvas vvery of fyghtyng & also of thys burden / prayd hym to helpe hym to bere heuen / And he toke and bare hyt myghtely. vvherby he deserued to be made a fayr sterre in heuen. The truthe vvas thys. Athlas vvas a cheffe astro∣nomer / vvherefore he vvas sayd that he bare heuen / the connynge of heuenly thynges. But vvhen Athlas dyed / vvych deth ys a rest and a refresshyng to the vertuous / Hercules toke heuen vpon hys shulder. The moralyte may be thus. The batayl of geauntes ys the enforsynge of goostly myghtes a genst the goddes a boue / that ys a genst natural inclination to vyces / vvyche ys caused by constella¦tions / But a genst thes inclinations / he may fyght best / that hathe connyng of astronomy. For to serche the myghtes of the planetes for

certen tymes / and knovveth also hovv thes vycious inclinations be∣caused. But at last he must leue the labour of astronomy compelled by age / vvhen al hys passyons ben cessed: and then Hercules taketh heuen vpon hys shulder: and geueth hym holly to heuenly contemplation.

And so he deserueth by thys labour specyally to be made a cytesen of he¦uen. ¶Loo thus must euery myghty man that vvyl de seruen heuen. Fyrst lothe and abhorre the monstres of synne: bothe in hym self: and also in other: and at last leuyng al outvvard occupation / geue hym holly to serue god: in prayer and contemplation: and so many he be syker of al that he desyreth.

¶To vvhom so euer the moralyte of thes fables be plefaūt or vnlusty vvere ye vvel that they lacketh al in som thynges lytteral truthe. But a fable lackyng lytteral truthe vnexponed: ys noght elles but a lesyng. And as holy scripture saeth / al that euer doth or speketh lesyng / shal be parteners of the pytte of helle. Vvher fore after my symple connynge / I haue moralysed thē in my maner: leuyng the correction to other that ben clerkes and more connyng in that science. For syth hyt aperteneth not to holy vvryt: euery man vvythout offence: may say that hym se∣meth most lekely to truthe.