Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULT{US}.
For yif þe þinges þat I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne ben kept hoole {and} vnraced. þou shalt wel knowe by þe auctorite of god. of þe whos regne I speke þat certys þe good[e] folk ben alwey myȝty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and} feble. ne þe vices ben neu{e}re mo wiþ outen peyne[;] ne þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede. and þat blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune comeþ alwey to wicked folke. ¶ And þou shalt wel knowe many[e] þinges of þis kynde þ{a}t sholle cessen þi pleyntes. {and} stedfast þe wiþ stedfast saddenesse. ¶ And for þou hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse by me þat [haue] somtyme I-shewed it þe. And þou hast knowen i{n} whom blysfulnesse is set. alle þinges I treted þ{a}t I trowe ben nessessarie to put[te] furþe ¶ I shal shewe þe. þe weye þat shal brynge þe aȝeyne vnto þi house {and} I shal ficche feþeres in þi þouȝt by whiche it may arysen in heyȝte. so þat al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey þou by my gidyng & by my paþe {and} by my sledes shalt mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in to þi contre.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.