the somme of the reasons, that thou haste concluded and proued, but thilke wordes that thou vsest, deliten me moche more so that at laste fooles, that sometyme renden great thinges, oughten been ashamed of hem self, that is to sain, that we fooles that reprehenden wickedly the thinges, that touchen Goddes gouernaunce, we oughten been ashamed of our self. thou shouldest meruailen, sith thoa haste lerned by the sentence of Plato, that nedes the wordes mote been cosins to the thinges of whiche they speken. qui potuit gravis, &c. As I, that saied that God refuseth onely Felix, qui potuit boni Fontem visere lucidum. Feliz, the werkes of men, and ne entermeteth not of it. Philosophie. Thou haste well heard (quod she) the fables of the poetes, how the gyauntes assaileden Heauen, with the goddes: but forsoth the debonaire force of God, disposed hem as it was worthie, that is to sain, distroied the gyauntes as it was worthie. But wilte thou that wee reioynen togither thilke same reasons? For perauenture of soche coniunccions, maie sterten vp some faire sparke of sothe. Boecius. Doe (quod I) as thee list. Philosophie. Wenest thou (quod she) that God ne bee almightie: Boecius. No man is in doubt of it certes (quod I). Philosophie. No wight ne doubteth it, if he be in his minde (quod she). But he that is almightie, there nis nothyng that he ne maie. Boecius. That is sothe (quod I). Philosophie. Maie God doe euill (quod she)? Boe. Naie forsothe (quod I). Phi. Than is euill nothyng (quod she) sith that ye maie dooen none euill, that maie doen al thinges. Bo. Scornest thou me (quod I) or els plaiest thou, or disceiuest thou me that haste so wonnen with thy reasons, the hous of Dedalus so enterlasing, that it is vnable to bee vnlaced, that thou otherwhile entrest there thou issuest, and otherwhile issuest there thou entrest. Ne foldest thou not togither, by replicacion of wordes, a maner wonderfull circle, or enuironing of the simplicite diuine: for certes, a little here beforn, whan thou began at blisfulnesse, thou saidest that it is a souerain good, and that God is the blisfulnesse, for whiche thou yaue me as a couenable yefte, that is to sain, that no wight nis blisfull, but if he be God also therewith. And saidest eke, that the forme of good is, the substaunce of God and of blisfulnesse. And saidest that the ilke one is thilke same good, that is required and desired of al the kinde of thinges. And thou prouedest in disputing, that God gouerneth al the thinges of the world, by the gouernaunce of bountie, and saidest that all thinges wold obein to hym, and saydest that the nature of yuell is nothinge. And these thinges shewdest thou not with no reasons taken fro without, but by proues in cercles and homlich knowing. The whiche proues drawen to hem selfe hir faith and hir accorde eucriche of hem of other. Phi. Than said she thus: I ne scorne not, ne plaie, ne disceiue the but I haue shewed the thing that is greatest ouer all thinges, by the yeft of God, that we whilom praiden. For this is the forme of diuine substaunce, that is soche, that it ne flydeth not in to vtterest foraine thinges, ne receiueth not no straunge thinges, in him. But right as Permenides saied in Greke, of thilke diuine substaunce: he saied thus, that thilk deuine substaunce, tourneth the world and the mouable cercle of thynges, while the ilke diuine substaunce kepeth it self without mowynges, that is to sayne, that he moueth neuer mo, and yet it moueth al other thinges. But nathelesse, if I haue styred reason that be not taken fro without the compasse of the thing, of the whiche we treaten, but reasons that been bestowed within compasse: there nis not why BLISSED is that man that may sene the clere wel of good: blisfull is he that may vnbinden him from the boundes of heuy yearthe. The poete of Thrace Orpheus, that whilome had right great sorowe, for the death of his wife. After that he had maked and constrained by his wepely songes, the woodes mouable to renne, and had maked the ryuers to stonden still, and had maked the hartes and hyndes to ioynen dredlesse hir sydes to cruel! lions, to herken his songe, and had maked that the hare was not agast of the hounde, which was pleased by song: so whan the moste ardaund loue of hys wife, brende the entrales of his breaste, ne the songes that hadde ouercomen all thynges, ne myghten not aswagen her lorde Orpheus. He plained him of the Heuen goddes, whiche that were cruell to hym, he wente him to the houses of the Hell: and he tempered his blandishinge songes, by resouning of stringes, aud speakest and songe in wepinge, all that euer he had receiued and laued out the noble welles of his mother Caliope the goddesse. And he sang with as moch as he might of wepinge and with as moche as loue, that doubled his sorow might yeuen him and teache him, and commoued the Hell, and required and besoughte by swete prayer the lordes of soules in Hell of releasinge, that is to saye, to yelden him his wife. Cerberus the porter of Hell, with his thre heedes was caught and al abashed of the newe songe. And the thre goddesses, furyes and wengeresses of felonies, that tourmenten and agasten the soules, by anoy woxen sorowful and sory and teares wepten for pitee. Tho was not the heede of Ixion tourmented, by the ouerthrowinge wheele. And Tantalus, that was distroyed by the woodnesse of long thrust, dispised the floodes to drincke. The foule that hight vultour, that eateth the stomake or the giserne of Tytius is so fulfylled of his songe, that it nill eaten ne tyren no more. At the last the lorde and iudge of soules was moued to misericordies, and cried: "We been ouercomen" (quod he)" yeue we to Orpheus his wife to beare hym companie, he hath well ybought ber by his songes and his ditees: but we will putten a lawe in thys, and couenant in the yefte, that is to saine, that till he bee out of Hel if he loke behinde him, that his wife shal lcome agayne vnto vs." But what is he that maye yeue a lawe to loners: loue is a greater lawe and stronger to him self than any lawe that men may yeuen. Alas, whan Orpheus and his wife were almoste at the termes of the night, that is to saine, at the laste boundes of Hel, Orpheus loked backwarde on Euridice his wife, and loste her, and was dedde. This fable aper taineth to you all, who so euer desireth or seketh to lede his thought in to the souerain daie, that is to saye, to clerenesse of souerain good. For who so euer be so ouercomen, that he fixe his eyen in to the pitte of Hell, that is to saine : who so euer set his thougtes in yearthlie thynges, all that euer he hath drawen of the noble good celestiall, he | leseth it, whan he loketh to the Helles, this is to saine, in to low thinges of the erthe. THUS ENDETH THE THIRDE BOKE OF BOECE, AND HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH THE FOURTHE. BOOK IV. Hæc cum Philosophia, dignitate vultus, et oris gravitate servatâ, leniter suaviterque cecinisset, tum ego, nondum penitus insiti mæroris oblitus, &c. WHAN Philosophie had songen softly and delectably the forsaid thynges, keping the dignitye of her chere, and the weight of her wordes, I than that ne had al vtterlye forieten the wepinge and the mourninge that was sette in min herte, forbrake the entencion of her that entended yet to sain some other thynges. O (quod I) thou that arte gyderesse of very light, the thinges that thou hast saide me hitherto, ben to me so clere and shewing by the diuine loking of hem, and by thy reasons, that they ne mowen ben ouercomen. And thilke thinges, that thou toldest me, all be it so that I had whilom forieten hem, for the sorowe of the wronge that hath be done to me: yet neuerthelesse they ne weren not vtterly vnknowen to me. But this same is namely a right great cause of my sorowe, so that as the gouernour of thinges is good, if that yuels mowen ben by any waies, or elles if that yueles passen without punishinge, the which thing only, how worthye is it to ben wondred vpon. Thou considrest it wel thy self certainly. But yet to this thing there is yet another thynge ioyned more to be wondred vpon. For felonye is emperesse, and floureth full of richesses, and vertue nis not al onely without meedes, but it is caste downe, and eke fortroden vnder the fete of felonous folke: and it abieth the turmentes in stede of wicked felons. Of all whiche thinges there is no wight may marualen ynough ne complainen, that soch thinges be doone in the reigne of God, that all thynges wote, and all thinges maye, and ne will not only but good thinges. Than said she thus: certes (quod she) that were a great maruayle, and an abashinge without ende, and well more horrible than all the monsters, if it were as thou wenest, that is to sain, that in the right ordaine house of so moch a father, and an ordainour of meine, that the vesselles that ben foule and vile, shuld ben honoured and heried and the precious vesseles that shuld ben defouled and vile. But it is not so, for if the thinges that I haue concluded a lytell here beforne, ben kept hole and vnaraced, thou shalt wel know by the auctoryte of God, (of the whose reigne I speake) that certes the good folke be alway mightie, and shrewes ben alway outcaste and feble. Ne the vices be nenermore without pain, ne the vertues ne be not with out mede. And that blisfulnes cometh alway to good folk, and infortune cometh alway to wicked folke. And thou shalt well knowen many thinges of this kinde, that shulde ceasen thy playntes, and strengthen the with stedfaste sadnesse. And for thou haste sene the forme of verie blisfulnesse by me, that haue whilom shewed it the, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse is sette: all thing treated, that I trowe be necessary, to put forthe, I shal shewen the the way, that shal bringen the ayen vnto thin house, and I shall fyxe fethers in thy thought, by which it may arisen in height, so that al tribulacion ydone away thou by my giding and by my pathe, and by my sledes, shalte mowen retourne hole and sounde in to thy countrie. Sunt etenim pennæ volucres mihi, Quæ celsa conscendunt poli, Quas sibi cum velox mens induit, &c. THAN for thy swifte fethers that sourmounten the height of the Heuen, whan the swift thought hath clothed it in tho feathers it dispiseth the hatefull erthes, and surmounteth the roundenesse of the great ayre, and it seeth the clouds bebinde his backe, and passeth the heyght of the region of the fire, that enchaufeth by the swift mouinge of the firmament, tyl that he aryseth in to the houses, that bearen the sterres, and ioyneth the way with the sonne Phebus, and felawshipeth the waye of the olde colde Saturnus, and he ymaked a knight of the clere sterre, that is to saine, whan the thought is made Goddes knight, by the sekynge of clere trouthe to comen to the very knowledge of God. And thilke soule renneth by the cercle of sterres, in all the places there as the shinynge nyght is ypainted, that is to saine, the nyght that is cloudlesse. For on nyghtes that bee cloudlesse it semeth that the Heuen were paynted with dyuers ymages of sterres. And whan he hath done there ynoughe, he shall forleten the laste Heuen, and he shal presen an wenden on the backe of the swifte firmamente, and he shall be maked parfite of the wurshipful light of God. There holdeth the lorde of thinges the septre of his might, and attempreth the gouernementes of the worlde, and the shining iudge of thinges stable in hym selfe, gouernethe the swifte carte or waine, that is to saine, the circuler mouinge of the sonne. And if thy way ledeth the ayen, so that thou be brought thider, than wylt thou saye, that is the countrye that thou requirest, of whiche thou ne haddest no mynde: but nowe it remembereth me well, here was I borne, here woll I fasten my degre, here woll I dwell. But if the lyketh than to loken on the derkenesses of the yearthe, that thou hast forleten, than shalt thou sene, that these felonous tyrauntes, that the wretched people dredeth nowe, shullen be exiled from thilke faire countrie. Tum ego, papæ, inquam, ut magna promittis. Nec dubito, quin possis efficere, tu modo quem excitaveris, ne moreris, &c. THAN saide I thus. O wonder me that thou beheteste me so great thinges. Ne I ne doute not that thou ne mayste well perfourme that thou behetest: but I pray the this that thou ne tarie not, to tell me thylke thynges, that thou haste moued. Philoso. First (quod she) thou muste nedes knowe, that good folke been alwaye stronge and myghtye, and the shrewes ben feble and deserte, and naked of all strengthes. And of these thynges certes eueriche of hem is declared and shewed by other. For as good and yuell been two contraries, if so be that good be stedfaste, than sheweth the feblesse al openly. And if thou know clerely the freelnesse of yuell, the stedfastenesse of good is knowen. But for as moche as the faithe of my sentence shall be the more ferme and haboundant, I wol gone by that one waye and by that other, and I woll confirme the thynges that ben purposed now on this syde, and nowe on that side. Two thinges ther ben, in whiche the effecte of al the dedes of mankind standeth, that is to sayne, wyll and power and if that one of these two faileth, there nis nothong that maye bee done. For if that wil lacketh, there nis no wight that vndertaketh to do that he wol not done: and yf power failethe, the wyll nis but ydle, and stante for naught. And thereof cometh it, that if thou se a wight that wolde getten that he may not getten, thou mayst not doute that power ne faleth him to hauen that he wolde. B. This is open and clere (quod I) ne it ne may not been deyned in no maner. Philoso. And yf thou se a wight (quod she) that hath done that he would done, thou nylt not dout, that he ne hath had power to done it. Boe. No (quod I). Phi. And in that that euery wight may, in that men holden hem mighty to done a thing. In so moch as a man is myghty to doone a thyng, in so moch men holde him myghty: and in that that he ne may, in that men demen him to be feble. Bo. I confesse it wel (quod I). P. Remembre the (quod she) that I haue gathred and shewed by the forsaid reasons, that all the entencion of the wyl of mankinde, whiche that is ladde by dyuers studies, hasteth to comen to blisfuluesse. Boecius. I remembreth me well (quod 1) that it hath bene shewed. Philosophie. And recordeth the naughte than (quod she) that blisfulnesse is thilke same good that men requiren, so that when blisfulnesse is required of al? Boecius. It recordeth me nat (quod I). For I haue it alwaye in my memorie fyxed. Philosophie. All folke than (quod she) goode and eke badde enforcen hem without difference of entencion to comen to good. Boecius. This is very consequence (quod I) Philosop. And certaine is (quod she) that by getting of good be men maked good. Boe. That is certaine (quod I). Philosoph. Than getten good men that they disiren. Boe. So it semet (quod I). Philosophie. But wicked folke (quod she) if they getten the good that they desiren, they ne mowen not be wicked. So it is (quod I). Philoso. Than so as that one and that other (quod she) desiren the good, and the good folke getten the good, and not the wicked folke: than it is no doute that the good folke ne be mightye, and wicked folke be feble. Boecius. Who so that euer douteth of this, he ne may not consider the nature of thinges ne the consequence of reasons. Philosop. And ouer this (quod she) if that there been twoo thynges that haue one same purpose by kynde. And that one of hem pursueth and perfourmeth that same thing by naturel office, and that other ne may not done thilke office naturel, but foloweth by other maner, than is couenable to nature, him that accomplisheth his purpose kindely, and yet he ne accomplisheth not hys owne purpose: whether of these two demest thou for more mighty? Boeci. If that I coniecte (quod I) that thou woldest say, algates I desire yet to herken it more plainly of thee. Philosop. Thou nylte not than denye (quod she) that the mouement of goynge nis in men by kynde. Boecius. No forsothe (quod I). Philosoph. Ne thou doutest not (quod she) that thilke naturell office of goynge, ne bee the office of feete. Boecius I ne doute it no (quod I.) Philosophie. Than (quod she) yf that a wyght be mighty to moue and gothe vpon his fete, and another to whom thilke naturell office of fete lacketh, enforceth hym to go crepynge on his hande, whiche of these two oughte to be holden the more mighty by ryght. Boece. Knytte forthe (quod I) the remenaunte. Philosophie. For no wyght ne douteth, that he that maye gon by naturell office of feete, ne be more myghtye thanne he that ne maye not. But the souerayne good (quod she) that is euen lyke purposed to the good and to the badde. The good folke seken it by naturel office of vertues, and shrewes enforcen hem to getten it by dyuerse couetises of erthly thinges, whiche that nis no naturel office to getten thilke souerain good. Trowest thou that it be any other wise? Bo. Nay (quod I). For the consequence is open, and shewinge of thinges that I haue graunted, that nedes good folke mote ben mightye, and shrewes moten bene feble and vnmighty. P. Thou renneste a ryght beforne me (quod she) and this is the judgemente, that is to saine, I iudge of right, as these leches ben wont to hopen of sicke folke, whan they apperceyuen, that nature is redressed and withstandeth to the maladye. But for I se the nowe, al redy to the withstanding, I shal shew the more thilk and continuel reasons. For loke how greatly sheweth the feblenesse and infirmyte of wicked folke, that ne mowen not comen, to that hir naturall entencion leadeth hem and yet almost thylke naturel entencion constraineth hem. And what were to demen than of shrewes, yf thike naturel helpe had forleten hem the whiche naturel helpe of entencion gothe alway beforne hem, and is so great, that unneth it may be ouercomen? Consider than how great defaute of power, and howe great feblesse there is in wicked felonous folke, as who saith, the greater thing that is coueited and the desire not accomplished, of the lasse might is he that coueiteth it, and may not acomplishe. And for thy philosophie saith thus by souerain good. Ne shrewes ne requiren not light medes ne vaine games, whiche they ne maye not folowen ne holden, but they failen of thilke somme of the height of thinges, that is to saine, souerain good. Ne these wretches ne comen not to theffecte of soueraine good, the which they enforcen hem onely to getten by nightes and by dayes, in gettynge of which good, the strength of good folke is ful wel ysene. For right as thou mightest demen him mighty of going, that goeth on his fete till he myght comen to thylke place, fro the which place there ne lay no way further to begone: right so must thou nedes demen him for right myghty, whiche that getteth and atteineth to the ende of all thynges, whyche that bene to desiren, beyonde the which ende there nis nothinge to desire. Of the whiche power of good folke, men may conclude, that we wicked men semen to be baraine and naked of al strenght. For why forleten they vertues and folowen vices, pis it not for that they ne knowen not the goodes? But what thinge is more feble and more caytife, than is the blindesse of ignoraunce? or ells they knowen wel, whiche thinges they oughten folowen, but lechery and couetise ouerthroweth hem misturned. And certes so doth distemperaunce to feble men, that mowe not wrastlen ayen these vices. Ne know they not wel that they forleten the good wilfully, and tournen hem wilfully to vices. And in this wise they ne forleten not only to be myghty, but they forleten all vtterly in any wyse for to been. For they that forleten the comune fine of al thinges that ben, they forleten also therwithall for to bene. And perauenture it shulde semen to some folke, that this were a meruayle to saine, that shrewes, which that conteinen the more partes of men, ne been not, ne haue no being. But nathelesse it is so, and thus stant this thinge. For they that be shrewes, I deny not but that thei be shrewes, but I deny simplye and plainly that they ne be not, ne haue no beinge. For righte as thou mightest sayne of the caraine of a man, that it were a deed man: so graunt I wel forsothe, that vycious folke ben wicked, but I ne may not absolutely and simply graunt that they been. For thilke thing that with holdeth ordre and kepeth nature, thilke thinge is and hath beinge. But what thynge faileth that, that is to saye, he that forleteth naturel ordre, be forleteth thilk beinge that is set in his nature? But thou wolt saine, the shrewes mowen. Certes that ne denie I not: but certes hir power ne discendeth not of strength, but of feblesse, for they mowen doone wickednesse, the whiche they ne might not, if they mighten dwellen in the forme, and in the doynge of good people. And thilke power sheweth euidently, that they mowen righte naught. For so as I haue gadred and proued a litel here beforne, that yuel is not, and so as shrewes may onely but shrewednes. This conclusion is al clere, that shrewes ne mowen right naught, ne haue no power. And for as moche as thou vnderstondest whiche is the strength of this power, I haue definished a lytel here beforne, that no thing nis so mighty as soueraine good. B. That is sothe (quod I). Phil. And thilke same soveraine good maye done none yuel. Boecius. Certes no (quod I). Philosop. Is there any wight than (quod she) that weneth that men mowen done al thinges. Boecius. No man (quod 1) but if he be out of his wit. P. But certes shrewes mowen don yuels (quod she). Boecius. Ye wolde God (quod I) that they ne mighten done none. Phil. Than (quod she) so as he that is mightie to done onelye good thinges, he maie done all thynges, and they that ben mighty to done yuell thinges, ne mowed not all thynges. Than is it open thinge and manifeste, that they that mowen don yuel ben of lasse power. And yet the proue this conclusion there helpeth me this, that I haue shewed here beforne, that al power is to be nombred among thinges that men oughten require. And I haue shewed that all thinges that oughten ben desired be referred to God, right as to a maner height of hir nature:' but for to mowen done yuell and felonie, ne may not ben referred to God. Than is not yuell of the nombre of thynges, that oughteu to ben desired and required. Than is it open and clere that the power ne the mouynge of shrewes nis no power. And of all these thinges it sheweth wel that the good folk ben certainly mighty, and the shrewes dontlesse vnmighty. And it is clere and open that thilke sentence of Plato is very and sothe, that saithe, that onely wisemen may don that they desiren, and shrewes mowen haunten that hem liketh, but that they desiren, that is to saine, to come to soueraine good, they ne haue no power to accomplisshe that. For shrewes done what hem lyst, whan by tho thinges in which they deliten they wenen to attaine to thilke good that they desyren, but they ne getten ne attaine not therto for vices ne comen not to blisfulnesse. Quos vides sedere celsos, Solii culmine reges, Purpura claros nitente, &c. WHO SO that the couerture, of hir vaine aparaylles, myght stripen of these proude kynges that thou seest sitten an high in hir chaires, glittering in shininge purpure, enuironned with sorowefull armures, manassynge with cruell mouth, blowinge by woodnesse of herte, he shulde sene that thilke lordes, bearen within hir corages full straite chaines: for lechery tourmenteth hem on that one side, with gredy venimes and troublable ire, that araiseth in hem the flode of troublinges, tourmenteth on that other side, hir thought or sorow halt hem wery and ycaught, or sliding and disceining hope tourmenteth hem. And therefore sithe thou seest one heed, that is to saine, one tiraunte bearen so manye tirannyes, than he doth thilke tyraunt, not that he desyreth syhe he is caste downe wyth so manye wycked lordes, that is to saine, so many vices that haue so wickedly lordships ouer him. Vides ne igitur quando in ceno probra volvantur, qua probitas luce resplendeat? in quo perspicuum est, nunquam bonis præmia, &c. SEEST thou not than, in howe great filthe these shrewes ben ywrapped, and with whiche clerenesse these good folke shinen. In this sheweth it well that to good folke ne lacketh neuer mo hir medes, ne shrewes lacken neuer more tourmentes. For of al thinges that be done, thilke thinge for whiche any thinge is done, it semeth as by right, that thilke thing be the mede of that, as thus: if a man renneth in the stady or in the forlonge for the crown, than lieth the mede in the crowne for which he renneth. And I haue shewed that blisfulnesse is thilke same good, for whiche that all thynges ben doue. Than is thilke same good purposed to the werkes of mankinde, right as a commune mede, whiche mede ne maye not be disceuered from good folke: for no wight has by right, from thensforth that him lacketh goodnesse, ne shall be cleped good for which thing folke of good maners, hir medes ne forsaken hem neuer mo. For albeit so that shrewes waxen as wode as hem liste against good folke, yet neuerthelesse the crowne of wise men, ne shall not fallen ne faden fro foraine shewdnesse, ne benimmen not fro the courage of good people hir propre honour. But yf anie wight reioysed him of goodnesse, that he had taken fro without, as who saith, if a man had his goodnesse of any other man than of him selfe: certes he that yaue him thylke goodnesse, or elles some other wyght might bynome it him. But for as moche as to euery wight his propre bounte yeueth him his mede, than at erste shal he failen of mede, whan he forleteth to be good. And at the laste, so as all medes ben required, for men wenen that they be good, who is he that nold deme, that he that is ryghte mightye of good, were part lesse of mede? And of what mede shall he be reguerdoned, Certes of ryght fayre mede and right great, abouen tetched and defouled with paine, he ne doubteth an asse. And yf he be lyghte and vnstedfaste of corage, and chaungeth aye his studies, men shal And yf he bee holde him like to the birdes. plounged in foule and vnclene luxuries, he is withholden in the foule delyces of the foule sowe, than foloweth it, that he that forlettethe bounte and prowesse, he forletteth to be a man, sith he ne maye not passen in the condicion of God, he is turned in to a beest. Vela Neritii ducis, Et vagas pelago rates, Eurus ap- EURUS the wind, ariued the sailes of Ulixes duke of Tumego, fateor, inquam, nec injuria dici video vitiosos, lamelsi humani corporis speciem servent, &c. THAN saide I thus: I confesse and am aknowe it (quod I) ne I ne se not that men may say, as by right, that shrewes ben chaunged in to beestes, by the qualite of hir soules, all be it so that they kepen yet the forme of the bodye of mankynde: but I wolde not of shrewes, of whiche the thought |