Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TU{M} EGO SCIS INQ{UA}M.
And also sette þis þer to þat many a nac{i}ou{n} dyuerse of tonge {and} of maneres. {and} eke of resou{n} of hir lyuyng ben enhabitid in þe cloos of þilke litel habitacle. ¶ To þe whiche nac{i}ou{n}s what for difficulte of weyes. {and} what for diu{er}site of langages. {and} what for defaute of vnusage entercomunynge of marchau{n}dise. nat only þe names of singler men ne may [nat] strecchen. but eke þe fame of Citees ne may nat strecchen. ¶ At þe last[e] Certis in þe tyme of Marcus tulyus as hym self writeþ in his book þat þe renou{n} of þe comune of Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte passed ne clou{m}ben ou{er} þe mou{n}taigne þat hyȝt Caucasus. {and} ȝitte was þilk tyme rome wel wexen {and} gretly redouted of þe p{ar}thes. and eke of oþer folk enhabityng aboute. ¶ Sest þou nat þan how streit {and} how comp{re}ssed is þilke glorie þat ȝe t{ra}uaile{n} aboute to shew {and} to multiplie.
For certys of swyche folk speke .I. þat seken glorie wiþ vertue. what is it q{uo}d she. what atteiniþ fame to swiche folk whan þe body is resolued by þe deeþ. atte þe last[e]. ¶ For yif so be þat men dien in al. þat is to seyne body {and} soule. þe whiche þing oure resou{n} defendiþ vs to byleuen þanne is þere no glorie in no wyse. For what sholde þilke glorie ben. for he of who{m} þis glorie is seid to be nis ryȝt nouȝt in no wise. and ȝif þe soule whiche þat haþ in it self science of goode werkes vnbounden fro þe p{r}isou{n} of þe erþe wendeþ frely to þe heuene. dispiseþ it nouȝt þan alle erþely occupac{i}ou{n}s. {and} beynge i{n} heuene reioiseþ þat it is exempt from alle erþely þinges [as wo seith / thanne rekketh the sowle of no glorye of renou{n} of this world].
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.