Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
XIII. FORTUNE.
(1) Value not beauty, for it may be destroyed by a three days’ fever. (See _Chaucer’s Boethius_, p. 81.) (2) There is no greater plague than the enmity of thy familiar friend. (See _Chaucer’s_ translation, p. 77.) * * * * * Chaucer did not English Boethius second-hand, through any early French version, as some have supposed, but made his translation with the Latin original before him. Jean de Méung’s version, the only early French translation, perhaps, accessible to Chaucer, is not always literal, while the present translation is seldom free or periphrastic, but conforms closely to the Latin, and is at times awkwardly literal. A few passages, taken haphazard, will make this sufficiently clear. _Et dolor ætatem jussit inesse suam._ And sorou haþ comaunded his age to be in me (p. 4). Et ma douleur {com}ma{n}da a vieillesse Entrer en moy / ains quen fust hors ieunesse. _Mors hominum felix, quæ se nec dulcibus annis Inserit, et mæstis sæpe vocata venit._ Þilke deeþ of men is welful þat ne comeþ not in ȝeres þat ben swete (i. _mirie_). but comeþ to wrecches often yclepid. (p. 4) On dit la mort des ho{m}es estre eureuse Qui ne vie{n}t pas en saiso{n} pla{n}tureuse Mais des tristes mo{u}lt souue{n}t appellee Elle y affuit nue / seche et pelee. _Querimoniam lacrymabilem._ Wepli compleynte (p. 5). Fr. ma complainte moy esmouuant a pleurs.
_Styli officio._ Wiþ office of poyntel (p. 5). Fr. (que ie reduisse) p{ar} escript. _Inexhaustus._ Swiche . . . þat it ne myȝt[e] not be emptid (p. 5). Fr. inconsumptible. _Scenicas meretriculas._ Comune strumpetis of siche a place þat men clepen þe theatre (p. 6). Fr. ces ribaudelles fardees. _Præcipiti profundo._ In ouer-þrowyng depnesse (p. 7). [L]As que la pensee de lomme Est troublee et plongie comme En _abisme precipitee_ Sa propre lumiere gastee. _Nec pervetusta nec incelebris._ Neyþer ouer-oolde ne vnsolempne (p. 11). Fr. desquelz la memoire nest pas trop ancienne ou no{n} recitee. _Inter secreta otia._ Among my secre restyng whiles (p. 14). Fr. entre mes secrettes {et} oyseuses estudes. _Palatini canes._ Þe houndys of þe palays (p. 15). Fr. les chiens du palais. _Masculæ prolis._ Of þi masculyn children (p. 37). Fr. de ta lignie masculine. _Ad singularem felicitatis tuæ cumulum venire delectat._ It deliteþ me to comen now to þe singuler vphepyng of þi welefulnesse (p. 37). Fr. Il me plait venir au singulier monceau de ta felicite. _Consulare imperium._ Emperie of consulers (p. 51). Fr. le{m}pire consulaire. _Hoc ipsum brevis habitaculi._ Of þilke litel habitacle (p. 57). Fr. de cest trespetit habitacle. _Late patentes plagas._ Þe brode shewyng contreys (p. 60). QVico{n}ques tend a gloire vaine Et le croit estre souueraine Voye _les regions pate{n}tes_ Du ciel . . . . . .
_Ludens hominum cura._ Þe pleiyng besines of men (p. 68). Si quil tollist par doulz estude Des hommes la solicitude . . _Hausi cœlum._ I took heuene (p. 10). Fr. ie . . . regarday le ciel. _Certamen adversum præfectum prætorii communis commodi ratione suscepi._ I took strif aȝeins þe prouost of þe pretorie for comune profit (p. 15). Fr. ie entrepris lestrif a lencontre du prefect du parlement royal a cause de la commune vtilite. _At cujus criminis arguimur summam quæris?_ But axest þou in somme of what gilt I am accused? (p. 17). Fr. Mais demandes tu la somme du pechie duquel pechie nous so{m}mes arguez? _Fortuita temeritate._ By fortunouse fortune (p. 26). Fr. par fortuite folie. _Quos premunt septem gelidi triones._ Alle þe peoples þat ben vndir þe colde sterres þat hyȝten þe seuene triones (p. 55). Fr. ceulx de septentrion. _Ita ego quoque tibi veluti corollarium dabo._ Ryȝt so wil I ȝeue þe here as a corolarie or a mede of coroune (p. 91). Fr. semblablement ie te donneray ainsi que vng correlaire. _In stadio._ In þe stadie or in þe forlonge (p. 119). Fr. ou (for au) champ. _Conjecto._ I coniecte (p. 154). Fr. ie coniecture. _Nimium . . . adversari ac repugnare videtur._ It semeþ . . . to repugnen and to contrarien gretly. Fr. Ce semble chose trop contraire et repugnante.
_Universitatis ambitum._ Envirounynge of þe vniuersite (p. 165). Fr. lauironnement de luniuersalite. _Rationis universum._ Vniuersite of resoun (p. 165). Fr. luniuersalite de Raison. _Scientiam nunquam deficientis instantiæ rectius æstimabis._ Þou shalt demen [it] more ryȝtfully þat it is science of presence or of instaunce þat neuer ne fayleþ (p. 174). Fr. mais tu la diras plus droittement et mieulx science de instante p{re}sentialite non iamais defaillant mais eternelle. Many of the above examples are very bald renderings of the original, and are only quoted here to show that Chaucer did not make his translation from the French. Chaucer is not always felicitous in his translations:--thus he translates _clavus atque gubernaculum_ by _keye and a stiere_ (p. 103), and _compendium_ (gain, acquisition) by _abreggynge_ (abridging, curtailment), p. 151. Many terms make their appearance in English for the first time,--and most of them have become naturalized, and are such as we could ill spare. Some few are rather uncommon, as _gouernaile_ (gubernaculum), p. 27; _arbitre_ (arbitrium), p. 154. As Chaucer takes the trouble to explain _inestimable_ (inæstimabilis), p. 158, it could not have been a very familiar term. Our translator evidently took note of various readings, for on p. 31 he notes a variation of the original. On p. 51 he uses _armurers_ (= armures) to render _arma_, though most copies agree in reading _arva_.
There are numerous glosses and explanations of particular passages, which seem to be interpolated by Chaucer himself. Thus he explains what is meant by the _heritage of Socrates_ (p. 10, 11); he gives the meaning of _coemption_ (p. 15); of _Euripus_ (p. 33); of the _porch_ (p. 166).[I-11] Some of his definitions are very quaint; as, for instance, that of Tragedy--‘_a dité of a prosperité for a tyme þat endiþ in wrechednesse_’ (p. 35). One would think that the following definition of Tragedian would be rather superfluous after this,--‘_a maker of dites þat hyȝten_ (are called) _tregedies_’ (p. 77). _Melliflui . . . oris Homerus_ is thus quaintly Englished: _Homer wiþ þe hony mouþe, þat is to seyn. homer wiþ þe swete dites_ (p. 153). * * * * * The present translation of the _De Consolatione_ is taken from Additional MS. 10,340, which is supposed to be the _oldest_ manuscript that exists in our public libraries. After it was all copied out and ready for press, Mr Bradshaw was kind enough to procure me, for the purpose of collation, the loan of the Camb. University MS. Ii. 3. 21, from which the various readings at the foot of the pages are taken. Had I had an opportunity of examining the Cambridge MS. carefully throughout before the work was so far advanced, I should certainly have selected it in preference to the text now given to the reader. Though not so ancient as the British Museum MS., it is far more correct in its grammatical inflexions, and is no doubt a copy of an older and very accurate text.
The Additional MS. is written by a scribe who was unacquainted with the force of the final _-e_. Thus he adds it to the preterites of strong verbs, which do not require it; he omits it in the preterites of weak verbs where it is wanted, and attaches it to passive participles (of weak verbs), where it is superfluous. The scribe of the Cambridge MS. is careful to preserve the final _-e_ where it is a sign (1) of the definite declension of the adjective; (2) of the plural adjective; (3) of the infinitive mood; (4) of the preterite of weak verbs; (5) of present participles;[I-12] (6) of the 2nd pers. pret. indic. of strong verbs; (7) of adverbs; (8) of an older vowel ending. The Addit. MS. has frequently _thilk_ (singular and plural), and _-nes_ (in _wrechednes_, &c.), when the Camb. MS. has _thilke_[I-13] and _-nesse_. For further differences the reader may consult the numerous collations at the foot of the page. If the Chaucer Society obtains that amount of patronage from the literary public which it deserves, but unfortunately has yet not succeeded in getting, so that it may be enabled to go on with the great work which has been so successfully commenced, then the time may come when I shall have the opportunity of editing the Camb. MS. of Chaucer’s Boethius for that Society, and lovers of Early English Literature will have two texts instead of one.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.