Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
PRIMU{M} IGITUR PATERIS ROGACIONIB{US}.
I coniecte þat þere lakkeþ I not what. but sey me þis. siþen þat þou ne doutest nat þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by god ¶ wiþ swycche gouernailes takest þou hede þat it is gouerned. ¶ vnneþ q{uod} .I. knowe .I. þe sente{n}ce of þi q{ue}stiou{n}. so þat I ne may nat ȝit answeren to þi demaundes. ¶ I nas nat deceiued q{uod} sche þat þere ne faileþ su{m}what. by whiche þe maladie of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} is crept in to þi þouȝt. so as þe strengþe of þe paleys schynyng is open. ¶ But seye me þis reme{m}brest þou ouȝt what is þe ende of þi þinges. whider þat þe entenc{i}ou{n} of al kynde tendeþ. ¶ I haue herd told it somtyme q{uod} .I. but drerynesse haþ dulled my memorie. ¶ Certys q{uod} sche þou wost wel whe{n}nes þat alle þinges ben comen {and} p{ro}ceded. I wot wel q{uod} .I. {and} ansewered[e] þat god is þe bygynnyng of al. ¶ And how may þis be q{uod} sche þat siþen þ{o}u knowest þe bygynnyng of þinges. þat þou ne knowest not what is þe endyng of þinges. but swiche ben þe customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s. {and} þis power þei han. þat þei may moeue a ma{n} fro hys place. þat is to seyne from þe stablenes {and} p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of hys knowyng. but certys þei may not al arace hym ne alyene hy{m} in al. ¶ But I wolde þat þou woldest answere to þis. ¶ Remembrest þou þat þou art a man ¶ _Boice._ ¶ Whi scholde I nat remembre þat q{uod} .I. _Philosophie._ ¶ Maiste þou not telle me þan q{uod} sche what þing is a man. ¶ Axest not me q{uod} I. wheþir þat be a resonable best mortel. I wot wel {and} I confesse wel þat I am it. ¶ Wistest þou neuer ȝit þat þou were ony oþer þing q{uod} she.
No q{uod} .I. now wot I q{uod} she oþer cause of þi maladie {and} þat ryȝt grete ¶ Þou hast left forto knowe þi self what þou art. þoruȝ whiche I haue pleynelyche knowen þe cause of þi maladie. or ellis þe entre of recoueryng of þin hele. ¶ Forwhy for þou art co{n}founded wiþ forȝetyng of þi self. forþi sorwest þou þat þou art exiled of þi p{ro}pre goodes. ¶ And for þou ne wost what is þe ende of þinges. for[þi] demest [þou] þat felono{us} {and} wikked men ben myȝty {and} weleful for þou hast forȝeten by whiche gouernementȝ þe worlde is gouerned. ¶ Forþi wenest þou þat þise mutac{i}ou{n}s of fortune fleten wiþ oute{n} gouerno{ur}. þise ben grete causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to deeþ ¶ But I þanke þe auctour {and} þe makere of heele þat nat{ur}e haþ not al forleten þe. {and} I haue g[r]ete norissinges of þi hele. {and} þat is þe soþe sentence of gou{er}nau{n}ce of þe worlde. þat þou byleuest þat þe gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput to þe folie of þise happes auenterouses. but to þe resou{n} of god ¶ And þer fore doute þe noþing. For of þis litel spark þine heet of lijf schal shine. ¶ But for as muche as it is not tyme ȝitte of fastere remedies ¶ And þe nature of þouȝtes disseiued is þis þat as ofte as þei casten aweye soþe opyniou{n}s: þei cloþen hem in fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] þe derknesse of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexeþ vp. þat comfoundeþ þe verray insyȝt. {and} þat derkenes schal .I. say somwhat to maken þi{n}ne {and} wayk by lyȝt {and} meenelyche remedies. so þat after þat þe derknes of desseyuynge desyrynges is don awey. þou mow[e] knowe þe schynyng of verray lyȝt.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.