Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TUNC EGO PAPE INQ{UA}M. {ET} C{ETERA}.
I wil goon by þat oon wey {and} by þat oþer {and} I wil conferme þe þinges þat ben p{ur}posed now on þis side {and} now on þ{a}t syde. ¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil {and} power. and yif þat oon of þise two fayleþ þere nis no þing þat may be don. for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere nys no wyȝt þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power fayleþ þe wille nis but i{n} ydel {and} stant for nauȝt. and þer of comeþ it þat yif þou se a wyȝt þat wolde gete{n} þat he may nat geten. þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hy{m} to haue{n} þat he wolde. ¶ þis is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no manere. and yif þou se a wyȝt q{uo}d she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don þ{o}u nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it. no q{uo}d. I. and in þat. þat euery wyȝt may. in þat þat men may holden hym myȝty. as who seiþ i{n} as moche as a man is myȝty to done a þing. in so moche men halden hy{m} myȝty. and in þat þat he ne may. in þat men demen hym to ben feble.
I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. Remembriþ þe q{uo}d she þat I. haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of þe wil of ma{n}kynde whiche þat is lad by diuerse studies hastiþ to comen to blisfulnesse. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I þat it hath ben shewed. {and} recordeþ þe nat þan q{uo}d she. þat blisfulnesse is þilke same goode þat men requeren. so þat whan þat blisfulnesse is requered of alle. þat goode [also] is requered {and} desired of al. It recordeþ me wel q{uo}d I. for haue it gretly alwey ficche[d] in my memorie. alle folk þan q{uo}d she goode {and} eke badde enforcen he{m} wiþ oute difference of entenc{i}ou{n} to come{n} to goode. þat is a uerray consequence q{uo}d I. and certeyne is q{uo}d she þat by þe gety{n}g of goode ben men ymaked goode. þis is certeyne q{uo}d. I. ¶ þan geten goode men þat þei desiren. so semeþ it q{uo}d I. but wicked[e] folk q{uo}d she yif þei geten þe goode þat þei desire{n} þei [ne] mowen nat ben wicked. so is it q{uo}d .I. ¶ þan so as þat oon {and} þat oþer [q{uod} she] desiren good. {and} þe goode folk geten good {and} nat þe wicked folk ¶ þan nis it no doute þat þe goode folk ne ben myȝty {and} þe wicked folk ben feble. ¶ who so þat euer q{uo}d I douteþ of þis. he ne may nat considre þe nature of þi{n}ges. ne þe consequence of resou{n}. and ouer þis q{uo}d she. ¶ yif þat þer ben two þinges þat han o same p{ur}pos by kynde. {and} þat one of he{m} p{ur}sueþ {and} p{er}formeþ þilke same þinge by naturel office. {and} þat oþer ne may nat done þilk naturel office. but folweþ by oþer manere þan is couenable to nat{ur}e ¶ Hym þat acomplisiþ hys p{ur}pos kyndely. {and} ȝit he ne acomplisiþ nat hys owen purpos. wheþer of þise two demest þou for more myȝty. ¶ yif þat I coniecte q{uo}d .I. þat þou wilt seye algates. ȝit I desire to herkene it more pleynely of þe. þou nilt nat þan denye q{uo}d she þat þe moeueme{n}tȝ of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for soþe q{uo}d I. ne þou ne doutest nat q{uo}d she þ{a}t þilke naturel office of goynge ne be þe office of feet.
I ne doute it nat q{uo}d .I. þan q{uo}d she yif þat a wyȝt be myȝty to moeue {and} goþ vpon hys feet. and anoþer to whom þilke naturel office of feet lakkeþ. enforceþ hym to gone crepynge vpo{n} hys handes. ¶ whiche of þise two auȝte to ben holden more myȝty by ryȝt. knyt furþe þe remenaunt q{uo}d I. ¶ For no wyȝt ne douteþ þat he þat may gone by nat{ur}el office of feet. ne be more myȝty þan he þat ne may nat ¶ but þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat is euenlyche p{ur}posed to þe good folk {and} to badde. þe good folke seken it by naturel office of uertues. {and} þe shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by dyuerse couetise of erþely þinges. whiche þat nis no naturel office to geten þilke same souereyne goode. trowest þou þat it be any oþer wyse. nay q{uo}d .I. for þe co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of þinges þat I haue graunted. ¶ þat nedes goode folk moten ben myȝty. {and} shrewes feble {and} vnmyȝty. ¶ þou rennest aryȝt byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} þis is þe iugement þat is to seyn. ¶ I iuge of þe ryȝt as þise leches ben wont forto hopen of seke folk whan þei ap{er}ceyuen þat nature is redressed {and} wiþstondeþ to þe maladie. ¶ But for I see þe now al redy to þe vndirstandynge I shal shewe þe more þilke {and} continuel resou{n}s. ¶ For loke now how gretly shewiþ þe feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked folke. þat ne mowen nat come to þat hire naturel entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ hem. {and} ȝitte almost þilk naturel entenc{i}ou{n} constreineþ hem. ¶ and what wer{e} to deme þan of shrewes. yif þilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten hem. ¶ þe whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} goþ alwey byforne hem. {and} is so grete þat vnneþ it may be ou{er}comen. ¶ Considre þan how gret defaute of power {and} how gret feblesse þere is in grete felonous folk as who seiþ þe gretter þi{n}ges þat ben coueited {and} þe desire nat accomplissed of þe lasse myȝt is he þat coueiteþ it {and} may nat acomplisse. ¶ And forþi philosophie seiþ þus by souereyne good. ¶ Sherewes ne requere nat lyȝt[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche þei ne may nat folwen ne holden. but þei fayle{n} of þilke some of þe heyȝte of þinges þat is to seyne souereyne good. ne þise wrecches ne comen nat to þe effect of souereyne good. þe whiche þei enforcen hem oonly to gete{n} by nyȝtes {and} by dayes. ¶ In þe getyn[g] of whiche goode þe strengþe of good folk. is ful wel ysen.
I haue diffinised a lytel here byforn þat no þing nis so myȝty as souereyne good ¶ þat is soþe q{uo}d .I. [{and} thilke same souereyn good may don non yuel // Certes no q{uod} I] ¶ Is þer any wyȝt þan q{uo}d she þat weniþ þat men mowen don alle þinges. No man q{uo}d .I. but yif he be out of hys witte. ¶ but certys sherewes mowen doñ yuel q{uo}d she. ¶ ȝe wolde god q{uo}d I þat þei ne myȝte{n} don none. þat q{uo}d she so as he þat is myȝty to done oonly but good[e] þinges may don alle þinges. and þei þat ben myȝty to done yuel[e] þinges ne mowen nat alle þinges. þan is þis open þing {and} manifest þat þei þ{a}t mowe{n} don yuel ben of lasse power. and ȝitte to p{ro}ue þis conclusiou{n} þere helpeþ me þis þat I haue shewed here byforne. þat al power is to be nou{m}bred amonge þinges þat men auȝten requere. {and} haue shewed þat alle þi{n}ges þat auȝten ben desired ben referred to good ryȝt as to a manere heyȝte of hyr nature. ¶ But for to mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. þan nis nat yuel of þe nou{m}bre of þinges þat auȝte{n}. be desired. but al power auȝt[e] ben desired {and} requered. ¶ þan is it open {and} cler þat þe power ne þe moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle þise þinges it sheweþ wel þat þe goode folk ben certeynly myȝty. {and} þe shrewes ben douteles vnmyȝty ¶ And it is clere {and} open þat þilke sentence of plato is uerray {and} soþe. þ{a}t seyþ þat oonly wiseme{n} may [doon] þat þei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten þat hem lykeþ. but þat þei desiren þat is to seyne to comen to souereyne good þei ne han no power to acomplissen þat. ¶ For shrewes don þat hem list whan by þo þinges in whiche þei deliten þei wenen to atteyne to þilke good þat þei desiren. but þei ne geten ne atteynen nat þer to. ¶ for vices ne comen nat to blisfulnesse.
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