Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TUM EGO PLATONI INQ{UA}M.
Me remembriþ it wel q{uo}d I. {and} I confesse wel þat I ne wist[e] it nat ¶ But al be it so þat I se now fro{m} afer what þou p{ur}posest ¶ Algates I desire ȝit to herkene it of þe more pleynely. ¶ þou ne wendest nat q{uo}d she a litel here byforne þat men sholden doute þat þis worlde is gouerned by god. ¶ Certys q{uo}d I ne ȝitte doute I it nauȝt. ne I nil neuer wene þat it were to doute. as who seiþ. but I wot wel þat god gouerneþ þis worlde. ¶ And I shal shortly answere þe by what resou{n}s I am brouȝt to þis. ¶ þis worlde q{uod} I of so many dyuerse {and} co{n}trarious p{ar}ties ne myȝten neuer han ben assembled in o forme. but yif þere ne were oon þat conioigned so many[e diu{er}se] þinges. ¶ And þe same diuersite of hire natures þat so discordeden þat oon fro þat oþer most[e] dep{ar}ten {and} vnioigne{n} þe þi{n}ges þat ben co{n}ioigned. yif þere ne were oon þat contened[e] þat he haþ co{n}ioigned {and} ybounde. ne þe certein ordre of nature ne sholde. nat brynge furþe so ordinee moeuynge. by places. by tymes. by doynges. by spaces. by qualites. yif þere ne were oon þat were ay stedfast dwellynge. þat ordeyned[e] {and} disposed[e] þise diuersites of moeuynges. ¶ and þilke þinge what so euer it be. by whiche þat alle þinges ben maked {and} ylad.
I clepe hym god þat is a worde þat is vsed to alle folke. þan seide she. syn þou felest þus þise þinges q{uo}d she. I trowe þat I haue lytel more to done. þat þou myȝty of wilfulnesse hool {and} sounde ne se eftsones þi contre. ¶ But lat vs loken þe þinges þat we han p{ur}posed her-byforn. ¶ Haue I nat nou{m}bred {and} seid q{uod} she þat suffisaunce is in blisfulnesse. {and} we han accorded þat god is {and} þilke same blisfulnesse. ¶ yis forsoþe q{uo}d I. {and} þat to gouerne þis worlde q{uod} she. ne shal he neuer han nede of none helpe fro wiþoute. for ellys yif he had[de] nede of any helpe. he ne sholde not haue [no] ful suffisau{n}ce. ȝis þus it mot nedes be q{uo}d I. ¶ þan ordeyneþ he by hym self al oon alle þinges q{uo}d she. þat may nat ben denied q{uo}d I. ¶ And I haue shewed þat god is þe same good. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I. ¶ þan ordeineþ he alle þinges by þilke goode q{uod} she. Syn he whiche we han accorded to ben good gouerneþ alle þi{n}g{us} by hym self. {and} he is a keye {and} a stiere by whiche þat þe edifice of þis worlde is ykept stable {and} wiþ oute corumpynge ¶ I accorde me gretly q{uod} I. {and} I ap{er}ceiuede a litel here byforn þat þou woldest seyne þus. Al be it so þat it were by a þinne suspeciou{n}.
I trowe it wel q{uo}d she. ¶ For as I trowe þou leedest nowe more ententifly þine eyen to loken þe verray goodes ¶ but naþeles þe þinges þat I shal telle þe ȝit ne sheweþ nat lasse to loken. what is þat q{uo}d I. ¶ So as men trowen q{uo}d she {and} þat ryȝtfully þat god gouerneþ alle þinges by þe keye of his goodnesse. ¶ And alle þise same þinges as I [haue] tauȝt þe. hasten hem by naturel ente{n}c{i}ou{n} to comen to goode þer may no man doute{n}. þat þei ne ben gouerned uoluntariely. {and} þat þei ne conuerten [hem] nat of her owe{n} wille to þe wille of hire ordeno{ur}. as þei þat ben accordyng {and} enclinynge to her gouerno{ur} {and} her kyng. ¶ It mot nedys be so q{uo}d. I. ¶ For þe realme ne sholde not seme blisful ȝif þere were a ȝok of mysdrawynges in diu{er}se p{ar}ties ne þe sauynge of obedient þinges ne sholde nat be. þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þ{a}t kepiþ hys nature[;] þat enforceþ hym to gone aȝeyne god. ¶ No q{uo}d. I. ¶ And if þat any þi{n}g enforced[e] hym to wiþstonde god. myȝt[e] it auayle at þe laste aȝeyns hym þat we han g{ra}unted to ben al myȝty by þe ryȝt of blisfulnesse. ¶ Certis q{uo}d I al outerly it ne myȝt[e] nat auaylen hym. þan is þere no þing q{uo}d she þat eyþer wol or may wiþstonde to þis souereyne good. ¶ I trowe nat q{uo}d. I ¶ þan is þilke þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat alle þi{n}g{us} gouerneþ strongly {and} ordeyneþ hem softly. þa{n} seide I þus.
I delite me q{uo}d I nat oonly in þe endes or in þe so{m}mes of [the] resou{n}s þat þou hast concludid {and} p{ro}ued. ¶ But þilke wordes þat þ{o}u vsest deliten me moche more. ¶ So at þe last[e] fooles þat so{m}tyme renden greet[e] þinges auȝte{n} ben asshamed of hem self. ¶ þat is to seyne þ{a}t we fooles þat rep{re}henden wickedly þe þi{n}g{us} þat touchen goddes gouernaunce we auȝte{n} ben asshamed of oure self. As I þat seide god refuseþ oonly þe werkes of men. {and} ne entremetiþ nat of he{m}. _p._ þou hast wel herd q{uo}d she þe fables of þe poetes. how þe geauntes assailden þe heuene wiþ þe goddes. but for soþe þe debonaire force of god disposed[e] hem so as it was worþi. þat is to seyne distroied[e] þe geauntes. as it was worþi. ¶ But wilt þou þat we ioygnen togedre þilke same resou{n}s. for p{er}auenture of swiche coniuncc{i}ou{n} may sterten vp some faire sp{er}kele of soþe ¶ Do q{uo}d I as þe list. wenest þou q{uo}d she þat god ne is almyȝty. no man is in doute of it.
Certys q{uo}d I no wyȝt ne defendiþ it if he be in hys mynde. but he q{uo}d she þat is al myȝty þere nis no þing þat he ne may do. þat is soþe q{uo}d I. May god done yuel q{uo}d she. nay for soþe q{uo}d. I. ¶ þan is yuel no þing q{uo}d she. ¶ Syn þat he ne may not done yuel þat may done alle þinges. scornest þou me q{uo}d. I. or ellys pleyest þou or deceiuest þou me. þat hast so wouen me wiþ þi resou{n}s. þe house of didalus so entrelaced. þat it is vnable to ben vnlaced. þou þat oþer while entrest þere þou issest {and} oþer while issest þere þou entrest. ne fooldest þou nat to gidre by replicac{i}ou{n} of wordes a maner wondirful cercle or envirounynge of symplicite deuyne. ¶ For certys a litel her byforn{e} whan þou bygu{n}ne atte blisfulnesse þ{o}u seidest þat it is souereyne good. {and} seidest þat it is set in souereyne god. {and} þat god is þe ful[le] blisfulnesse. for whiche þou ȝaf[e] me as a couenable ȝifte. þat is to seyne þ{a}t no wyȝt nis blisful. but yif he be good al so þer wiþ {and} seidest eke þat þe forme of goode is þe substaunce of god. {and} of blisfulnesse. {and} seidest þ{a}t þilke same oone is þilke same goode þat is requered {and} desired of al þe kynde of þinges. {and} þou p{ro}euedest in disputynge þat god gouerneþ alle [the] þinges of þe worlde by þe gouernementys of bountee. {and} seydest þat alle þinges wolen ybeyen to hym. and seidest þat þe nature of yuel nis no þing. {and} þise þinges ne shewedest þou nat wiþ no resou{n}s ytake fro wiþoute but by proues in cercles {and} homelyche knowen. ¶ þe whiche p{ro}eues drawen to hem self hir feiþ {and} hir accorde eu{er}iche [of] hem of oþer. þan seide she þus.
I ne scorne þe nat ne pleye ne desseyue þe. but I haue shewed to þe þinge þat is grettest ouer alle þinges by þe ȝifte of god þat we some tyme prayden ¶ For þis is þe forme of [the] deuyne substaunce. þat is swiche þat it ne slydeþ nat in to outerest foreine þinges. ne ne rec[e]yueþ no st{ra}nge þinges in hym. but ryȝt as p{ar}maynws seide in grek of þilke deuyne substaunce. he seide þus þat þilke deuyne substaunce torneþ þe worlde {and} þilke cercle moeueable of þinges while þilke dyuyne substau{n}ce kepiþ it self wiþ outen moeuynge. þat is to seyne þat it ne moeuiþ neuere mo. {and} ȝitte it moeueþ alle oþer þinges. but na-þeles yif I [haue] stered resou{n}s þat ne ben nat taken fro wiþ oute þe compas of þe þinge of whiche we treten. but resou{n}s þat ben bystowed wiþ i{n}ne þat compas þere nis nat whi þat þou sholde[st] merueylen. sen þou hast lerned by þe sentence of plato þat nedes þe wordes moten ben cosynes to þo þinges of whiche þei speken.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.