[Sidenote: [The syxte p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: Philosophy proposes to question Boethius.]
++FIrst wolt þou suffre me to touche {and} assaie þe stat
of þi þouȝt by a fewe demaundes. so þat I may
vnderstonde what be þe manere of þi curac{i}ou{n}. ¶ Axe 632
me q{uod} .I. atte þi wille what þou wilt. {and} I schal
answer{e}.
[Sidenote: _P._ Is the world governed by Chance?]
¶ Þo saide sche þus. wheþer wenest þou q{uo}d
sche þ{a}t þis worlde be gouerned by foolisshe happes
{and} fortunes. or elles wenest þou þat þer be i{n} it any 636
gouerneme{n}t of resou{n}.
[Sidenote: _B._ By no means. The Creator presides over his own
works.]
Certes q{uod} .I. ne trowe not
in no manere þat so certeyne þinges scholde be moeued
by fortunouse fortune. but I wot wel þat god maker
{and} mayster is gouerno{ur} of þis werk.
[Sidenote: I shall never swerve from this opinion.]
Ne neuer nas 640
ȝit day þat myȝt[e] putte me oute of þe soþenesse of
þat sentence.
[Sidenote: _P._ Yes! Thou didst say as much when thou didst
declare man alone to be destitute of divine care.]
¶ So is it q{uod} sche. for þe same þing
songe þou a lytel here byforne {and} byweyledest {and}
byweptest. þat only men weren put oute of þe cure of 644
god. ¶ For of alle oþer þinges þou ne doutest nat
þat þei nere gouerned by reso{n}.
[Sidenote: Still thou seemest to labour under some defect even in
this conviction.]
but how (.i. pape.).
I wondre gretly certes whi þat þou art seek. siþen þou
art put in to so holesom a sentence. but lat vs seken 648
depper. I coniecte þat þere lakkeþ I not what. [[pg 27]]
[Sidenote: Tell me how the world is governed.]
but sey me þis. siþen þat þou ne doutest nat þ{a}t þis worlde
be gouerned by god ¶ wiþ swycche gouernailes takest
þou hede þat it is gouerned.
[Sidenote: _B._ I do not thoroughly comprehend your question.]
¶ vnneþ q{uod} .I. knowe 652
.I. þe sente{n}ce of þi q{ue}stiou{n}. so þat I ne may nat
ȝit answeren to þi demaundes.
[Sidenote: _P._ I was not deceived, then, when I said there was
some defect in thy sentiment.]
¶ I nas nat deceiued
q{uod} sche þat þere ne faileþ su{m}what. by whiche þe
maladie of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} is crept in to þi þouȝt. so 656
as þe strengþe of þe paleys schynyng is open.
[Sidenote: Tell me what is the chief end of all things; and
whither all things tend.]
¶ But
seye me þis reme{m}brest þou ouȝt what is þe ende of
þi þinges. whider þat þe entenc{i}ou{n} of al kynde tendeþ.
¶ I haue herd told it somtyme q{uod} .I. but drerynesse 660
haþ dulled my memorie. ¶ Certys q{uod} sche
þou wost wel whe{n}nes þat alle þinges ben comen {and}
p{ro}ceded.
[Sidenote: _B._ God is the beginning of all things.]
I wot wel q{uod} .I. {and} ansewered[e] þat
god is þe bygynnyng of al.
[Sidenote: _P._ How, then, art thou ignorant of their end?]
¶ And how may þis be 664
q{uod} sche þat siþen þ{o}u knowest þe bygynnyng of
þinges. þat þou ne knowest not what is þe endyng of
þinges.
[Sidenote: But it is the nature of these perturbations (which thou
endurest) to unsettle men’s minds.]
but swiche ben þe customes of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n}s.
{and} þis power þei han. þat þei may moeue a ma{n} fro 668
hys place. þat is to seyne from þe stablenes {and} p{er}fecc{i}ou{n}
of hys knowyng. but certys þei may not al
arace hym ne alyene hy{m} in al. ¶ But I wolde þat
þou woldest answere to þis.
[Sidenote: Dost thou remember that thou art a man?]
¶ Remembrest þou þat 672
þou art a man
[Sidenote: _B._ Certainly I do.]
¶ _Boice._ ¶ Whi scholde I nat remembre
þat q{uod} .I.
[Sidenote: _P._ What is man?]
_Philosophie._ ¶ Maiste þou not telle
me þan q{uod} sche what þing is a man.
[Sidenote: _B._ If you ask me whether I am a rational and mortal
creature, I know and confess I am.]
¶ Axest not
me q{uod} I. wheþir þat be a resonable best mortel. I 676
wot wel {and} I confesse wel þat I am it.
[Sidenote: _P._ But dost thou not know that thou art more than
this?]
¶ Wistest
þou neuer ȝit þat þou were ony oþer þing q{uod} she.
[Linenotes:
630 _wolt þou_--woltow
_stat_--estat
633 _atte_--at
_wilt_--wolt
635 _worlde_--world
_foolisshe_--foolyssh
636 _fortunes_--fortunows
638 _scholde_--sholden
639 _wot_--MS. wote, C. woot
641 _myȝt[e] putte_--myhte put
644 _put_--MS. putte
645 _doutest_--dowtedest
646 _how_--owh
647 _seek siþen_--syk{e} syn
648 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
649 _depper_--depper{e}
_not what_--not ner{e} what
650 _siþen_--syn
_worlde_--world
651 _takest þou_--takestow
658 _seye_--sey
_remembrest þou_--remenbres thow
_ouȝt_--omitted
659 _al_--alle
660 _herd told_--MS. herde tolde
_herd told it_--herd yt toold
661 _haþ_--MS. haþe
663 _proceded_--procedeth
_ansewered[e]_--answerede
664 _þe_--omitted
_al_--alle
665 _siþen_--syn
668 _fro_--owt of
669 _seyne from_--seyn fro
672 _Remembrest þou_--Remenbresthow
674 _Maiste þou_--Maysthow
675 _þan_--þanne
_þing_--thinge
_Axest_--Axestow
677 _Wistest þou_--wystesthow
678 _þing_--thinge]
[[pg 28]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS NEEDS LIGHT REMEDIES.]
[Sidenote: _B._ No.]
No q{uod} .I.
[Sidenote: _P._ Now I know the principal cause of thy distemper.]
now wot I q{uod} she oþer cause of þi
maladie {and} þat ryȝt grete ¶ Þou hast left forto 680
knowe þi self what þou art. þoruȝ whiche I haue pleynelyche
knowen þe cause of þi maladie. or ellis þe
entre of recoueryng of þin hele.
[Sidenote: Thou hast lost the knowledge of thyself, thou knowest
not the end of things, and hast forgotten how the world is
governed.]
¶ Forwhy for þou
art co{n}founded wiþ forȝetyng of þi self. forþi sorwest 684
þou þat þou art exiled of þi p{ro}pre goodes. ¶ And
for þou ne wost what is þe ende of þinges. for[þi] demest
[þou] þat felono{us} {and} wikked men ben myȝty {and} weleful
for þou hast forȝeten by whiche gouernementȝ þe worlde 688
is gouerned. ¶ Forþi wenest þou þat þise mutac{i}ou{n}s
of fortune fleten wiþ oute{n} gouerno{ur}.
[Sidenote: These are not only great occasions of disease, but also
causes of death itself.]
þise ben grete
causes not oonly to maladie. but certes grete causes to
deeþ
[Sidenote: I thank God that Reason hath not wholly deserted thee.]
¶ But I þanke þe auctour {and} þe makere of 692
heele þat nat{ur}e haþ not al forleten þe.
[Sidenote: I have some hope of thy recovery since thou believest
that the world is under Divine Providence, for this small spark
shall produce vital heat.]
{and} I haue
g[r]ete norissinges of þi hele. {and} þat is þe soþe sentence
of gou{er}nau{n}ce of þe worlde.
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8 _b_.]]
þat þou byleuest
þat þe gou{er}nynge of it nis nat subgit ne vnderput 696
to þe folie *of þise happes auenterouses. but to þe
resou{n} of god ¶ And þer fore doute þe noþing.
For of þis litel spark þine heet of lijf schal shine.
[Sidenote: But as this is not the time for stronger remedies, and
because it is natural to embrace false opinions so soon as we have
laid aside the true, from whence arises a mist that darkens the
understanding, I shall endeavour therefore to dissipate these
vapours so that you may perceive the true light.]
¶ But
for as muche as it is not tyme ȝitte of fastere remedies 700
¶ And þe nature of þouȝtes disseiued is þis þat as ofte
as þei casten aweye soþe opyniou{n}s: þei cloþen hem in
fals[e] opiniou{n}s. [of which{e} false opyniou{n}s] þe derknesse
of p{er}turbac{i}ou{n} wexeþ vp. þat comfoundeþ þe verray 704
insyȝt. {and} þat derkenes schal .I. say somwhat to
maken þi{n}ne {and} wayk by lyȝt {and} meenelyche remedies.
so þat after þat þe derknes of desseyuynge
desyrynges is don awey. þou mow[e] knowe þe schynyng 708
of verray lyȝt.
[Linenotes:
680 _hast left_--MS. haste lefte, C. hast left
681 _knowe_--knowen
_pleynelyche knowen_--pleynly fwonde [= founde]
684 _sorwest þou_--sorwistow
686 _for[þi] demest [þou]_--For thy demesthow
687 _wikked_--MS. wilked, C. wykkyd
688 _worlde_--world
689 _wenest þou_--wenestow
690 _outen_--owte
693 _haþ_--MS. haþe
_al_--alle
694 _þi_--thin
696 _vnderput_--vndyrputte
697 _to_ (2)--omitted
698 _fore_--for
_noþing_--nothinge
699 _spark þine heet_--sparke thin hete
700 _muche_--meche
702 _aweye_--away
703 [_of----opyniouns_]--from C.
705 _insyȝt_--insyhte
_say_--assaye
706 _lyȝt_--lyhte
708 _don_--MS. don{e}
_mow[e]_--mowe]
[[pg 29]]
[Headnote:
HE IS NOT TO TAKE HIS LOSSES TO HEART.]