Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS.
And abouen þ{a}t l{ett}re in þe heyȝest[e] bordure a grekysche T. þat signifieþ þe lijf contemplatif. ¶ And by-twene þese two l{ett}res þere weren seien degrees nobly wrouȝt in manere of laddres. By wyche degrees men myȝt[en] clymbe fro þe neþemast[e] l{ett}re to þe ouermast[e]. ¶ Naþeles hondes of su{m} men hadde korue þ{a}t cloþe by vyolence {and} by strenkeþ. ¶ And eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche peces as he myȝte geet[e]. ¶ And forsoþe þis forsaide woman ber bookes in hir ryȝt honde. {and} in hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ¶ And when sche sauȝ þese poetical muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges. sche was a lytel ameued and glowed[e] wiþ cruel eyen. ¶ Who q{uo}d sche haþ suffred ap{ro}chen to þis seek[e] man þise comune strumpetis of siche a place þat men clepen þe theatr{e}. ¶ Þe wyche only ne asswagen not his sorowes. wiþ no remedies. but þei wolde fede {and} norysche hem wiþ swete venym. ¶ Forsoþe þise ben þo þat wiþ þornes {and} prykkynges of talentȝ or affecciou{n}s wiche þat ben no þing frutefiyng nor p{ro}fitable destroyen þe cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. ¶ For þei holden þe hertes of men i{n} usage. but þei ne delyuere not folk fro maladye. but if ȝe muses hadde wiþdrawen fro me wiþ ȝoure flateries. any vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable man as men ben wont to fynde comunely amonges þe peple.
I wolde wene suffre þe lasse greuously. ¶ For-why in syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But ȝe wiþdrawen me þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece. ¶ But goþ now raþer awey ȝe meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at þe laste. {and} suffreþ þis man to be cured {and} heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful sciences. ¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wroþely þe chere adou{n}ward to þe erþe {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame þei passeden sorowfuly þe þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe syȝt plonged i{n} teres was derked so þat I ne myȝt[e] not knowe what þat woman was of so i{m}perial auctorite. ¶ I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my syȝt adoune in to þe erþe. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche wolde don afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon þe vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. {and} sche byholdyng my chere þat was cast to þe erþe heuy {and} greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wiþ þise wordes þ{a}t I schal sey þe p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my þouȝt.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.