Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
VELLEM AUTE{M} PAUCA.
Lernedest nat þou 888 in grek whan þou were ȝonge þat in þe entre or in þe seler of Iuppiter þer ben couched two tunnes. þat on is ful of good þat oþer is ful of harme. [Sidenote: What if you have drunk too deep of the first vessel?] ¶ What ryȝt hast þou to pleyne. yif þou hast taken more plenteuously 892 of þe goode syde þat is to seyne of my rycchesse {and} p{ro}sp{er}ites. {and} what eke. yif I be nat departed fro þe. [Sidenote: My mutability gives thee hope of happier days.] What eke. yif my mutabilitee ȝiueþ þe ryȝtful cause of hope to han ȝit better þi{n}ges. [Sidenote: Desire not to be exempted from the vicissitudes of humanity.] ¶ Naþeles desmaie þe 896 nat in þi þouȝt. and þ{o}u þat art put in comune realme of alle: ne desijr[e] nat to lyue by þine oonly p{ro}pre ryȝt. [Linenotes: 874 _worþe_--worth _wilt_--wolt 876 _doun_--adou{n} _whanne_--wan _pleye_--pley _Wost þou_--wistesthow 877 _kyng_ (1)--the kyng _lyndens_--lydyens 878 _byforne_--byforn 880 _reyne descended[e]_--rayn dessendede _from_--fro 881 _rescowed[e]_--rescowede 882 _take_--takyn 885 _an_--a 886 _þe_--omitted 887 _seyne_--seyn 890 _tunnes_--tonnes 891 _harme_--harm 892 _hast þou_--hasthow 893 _seyne_--seyn _rycchesse_--rychesses 894 _I be nat_--I ne be nat al 896 _better_--beter{e} 898 _lyue_--lyuen _þine_--thin] [Headnote: THE COVETOUS ARE EVER DISCONTENTED.]
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