Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TUNC EGO FATEOR INQ{UA}M.
Certys q{uo}d she so it is. but men may nat. for þei han hire eyen so wont to derkenesse of erþely þinges. þat þei may nat liften hem vp to þe lyȝt of clere soþefastnes. ¶ But þei ben lyke to briddes of whiche þe nyȝt lyȝtneþ hyre lookyng. {and} þe day blyndeþ hem. for whan men loken nat þe ordre of þinges but hire lustes {and} talentȝ. þei wene þat oþir þe leue or þe mowynge to done wickednesse or ellys þe escapi{n}g wiþ oute peyne be weleful. but co{n}sider{e} þe iugement of þe p{er}durable lawe. for if þou conferme þi corage to þe beste þinges. þou ne hast no nede to no iuge to ȝiue{n} þe p{r}is or meede. for þou hast ioigned þi self to þe most excellent þing. and yif þou haue enclined þi studies to þe wicked þinges. ne seek no foreyn wrekere out of þi self. for þou þi self hast þrest þe in to wicked þinges. ryȝt as þou myȝtest loken by dyuerse tymes þe foule erþe {and} þe heuene. {and} þat alle oþer þinges stynten fro wiþ oute. so þat þou [ner{e} neyther in heuene ne in erthe] ne say[e] no þing more. þan sholde it semen to þe as by only resou{n} of lokynge. þat þou were in þe sterres. {and} now in þe erþe. but þe poeple ne lokeþ nat on þise þinges. what þan shal we þan app{ro}chen vs to hem þat I haue shewed þat þei ben lyke to þe bestes. (q. d. no{n}) ¶ And what wilt þou seyne of þis ¶ yif þat a man hadde al forlorn hys syȝt. {and} had[de] forȝeten þat he euer saw {and} wende þ{a}t no þing ne fayled[e] hym of p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of ma{n}kynde. now we þat myȝten sen þe same þing wolde we nat wene þat he were bly{n}de (q. d. sic). ne also ne accordeþ nat þe poeple to þat I shal seyne. þe whiche þing is susteyned by a stronge foundement of resou{n}s. þat is to seyn þat more vnsely ben þei þat don wrong to oþer folk. þen þei þat þe wrong suffren. ¶ I wolde heren þilke same resou{n}s q{uo}d I ¶ Deniest þou q{uo}d she þat alle shrewes ne ben worþi to han to{ur}ment. nay q{uo}d I. but q{uo}d she I am certeyne by many resou{n}s þat shrewes ben vnsely. it accordeþ q{uo}d I. þan [ne] dowtest þou nat q{uo}d she þat þilke folk þat ben worþi of to{ur}ment þat þei ne ben wrecches.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.