Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. þan is it good q{uo}d she. whi nat q{uo}d I. but þis is þe fortune [q{uod} she] of hem þat eiþer ben put in vertue {and} batailen aȝeins aspre þinges. or ellys of hem þat eschewen {and} declinen fro vices {and} taken þe weye of vertue. ¶ þis ne may nat I denye q{uo}d I ¶ But what seist þou of þe myrye fortune þat is ȝeuen to good folk in gerdou{n} deuiniþ ouȝt þe poeples þat it is wicked. nay forsoþe q{uo}d I. but þei demen as it soþe is þat it is ryȝt good. ¶ And what seist þou of þat oþer fortune q{uo}d she. þat al þouȝ it be aspre {and} restreiniþ þe shrewes by ryȝtful tourment. weniþ ouȝt þe poeple þ{a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ¶ But þe poeple demiþ þat it be most wrecched of alle þinges þat may ben þouȝt. war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d she lest þat we in folwyng þe opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed {and} co{n}cluded þing þat is vnable to be wened to þe poeple. what is þat q{uo}d I ¶ Certys q{uo}d she it folweþ or comeþ of þinges þ{a}t ben graunted þat alle fortune what so euer it be. of hem þat eyþer ben i{n} possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys in þe purchasynge of vertue. þat þilke fortune is good. ¶ And þat alle fortune is ryȝt wicked to hem þat dwellen in shrewednesse. as who seiþ. {and} þus weneþ nat þe poeple. ¶ þat is soþe q{uo}d I. ¶ Al be it so þat noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it. ¶ whi so q{uo}d she.
For ryȝt as no strong man ne semeþ nat to abassen or disdaigne{n} as ofte tyme as he hereþ þe noise of þe bataile. ne also it ne semeþ nat to þe wyse man to beren it greuously as oft[e] as he is lad in to þe strif of fortune. for boþe to þat on man {and} eke to þat oþ{er} þilke difficulte is þe matere to þat oon man of encrese of his glorious renou{n}. {and} to þat oþer man to conferme hys sapience. þat is to seine þe asprenesse of hys estat. ¶ For þerfore is it called uertue. for þat it susteniþ {and} enforceþ by hys strengþes þat it nis nat ouer-come{n} by aduersites. ¶ Ne certys þou þat art put in þe encrese or in þe heyȝt of uertue ne hast nat comen to fleten wiþ delices {and} forto welken in bodyly lust. ¶ þou sowest or plauntest a ful egre bataile in þi corage aȝeins euery fortune. for þat þe sorweful fortune ne co{n}fou{n}de þe nat. ne þat þe myrye fortune ne corrumpe þe nat. ¶ Occupy þe mene by stedfast strengþes. for al þat euer is vndir þe mene. or ellys al þat ou{er}-passeþ þe mene despiseþ welefulnesses. ¶ As who seiþ. it is vicious {and} ne haþ no mede of hys trauaile. ¶ For it is set in ȝour{e} hand. as who seiþ it lieþ in ȝour{e} power what fortune ȝow is leuest. þat is to seyne good or yuel. ¶ For alle fortune þat semeþ sharpe or aspre yif it ne ex{er}cise nat þe good folk. ne chastisiþ þe wicked folk. it punisseþ.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.