[Sidenote: [The 2de Met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: Drowned in the depth of cares the mind loses its proper
clearness.]
++Allas how þe þouȝt of man dreint in ouer þrowyng
depnesse dulleþ {and} forletiþ hys p{ro}pre clerenesse. 100
myntynge to gone in to foreyne derknesses as
ofte as hys anoious bisines wexiþ wiþ-oute{n} mesure.
þ{a}t is dryuen to {and} fro wiþ worldly wyndes. [[pg 8]]
[Sidenote: Man in his freedom knew each region of the sky, the
motions of the planets, and was wont to investigate the causes of
storms, the nature and properties of the seasons, and the hidden
causes of nature.]
¶ Þis
man þat su{m}tyme was fre to who{m} þe heuene was open 104
{and} knowen {and} was wont to gone in heuenelyche
paþes. {and} sauȝ þe lyȝtnesse of þe rede sunne. {and} sauȝ
þe sterres of þe colde moone. {and} wyche sterre i{n}
heuene vseþ wandryng risorses yflit by dyuerse speres. 108
¶ Þis man ouer comere hadde co{m}p{re}hendid al þis by
noumbre. of accountyng in astronomye. ¶ And ouer
þis he was wont to seche þe causes whennes þe sounyng
wy{n}des moeuen {and} bisien þe smoþe water of þe 112
see. {and} what spirit turneþ þe stable heuene. {and}
whi þe sterre ryseþ oute of þe reede eest. to falle
in þe westren wawes. and what attempriþ þe lusty
houres of þe fyrste somer sesou{n} þat hiȝteþ {and} apparaileþ 116
þe erþe wiþ rosene floures. ¶ And who
makeþ þat plenteuouse autu{m}pne in fulle ȝeres fletiþ
wiþ heuy grapes. ¶ And eke þis ma{n} was wont to
telle þe dyuerses causes of nature þat weren yhid. 120
[Sidenote: But now, alas, he is constrained to keep his face to
the ground.]
¶ Allas now lieþ he emptid of lyȝt of hys þouȝt. {and}
hys nekke is p{re}ssid wiþ heuy cheynes {and} bereþ his
chere enclined adoune for þe greet[e] weyȝt. and is
constreyned to loke on foule erþe. 124
[Linenotes:
101 _gone_--goon
102 _bisines_--bysynesse
_outen_--owte
103 _worldly_--wordely
104 _sumtyme_--whilom
105 _gone_--goon
106 _paþes_--paathes
_sauȝ_--sawh
_lyȝtnesse_--lythnesse
_sunne_--sonne
_sauȝ_--MS. sue, C. sawgh
107 _wyche_--which
108 _risorses_--recourses
111 _seche_--seken
_sounyng_--sownynge
114 _ryseþ oute_--aryseth owt
_falle_--fallen
115 _westren_--westrene
116 _fyrste_--fyrst
119 _eke_--ek
120 _dyuerses_--diuerse
_yhid_--MS. yhidde
121 _lieþ_--lith
_emptid_--emted
123 _adoune_--adown
_greet[e] weyȝt_--grete weyhte
124 _loke----foule_--looken on the fool]
[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHY ENLIGHTENS BOETHIUS.]