Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae"Boethius
ReligionComparative
Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae"
Boethius
Happiness; Philosophy and religion
so þat þe coempciou{n} ne was not axed ne took effect. ¶ Paulyn a
counseiller of Rome þe rychesse of þe whyche paulyn þe houndys of þe
palays. þat is to seyn þe officeres wolde han deuoured by hope {and}
couetise ¶ Ȝit drow I hym out of þe Iowes .s. faucib{us} of hem þat
gapede{n}. ¶ And for as myche as þe peyne of þe accusac{i}ou{n} aiuged
byforn ne scholde not sodeynly henten ne punischen wrongfuly Albyn a
counseiller of Rome. I put[te] me aȝenis þe hates {and}
indignac{i}ou{n}s of þe accuso{ur} Ciprian. ¶ Is it not þan ynought
yseyn þat I haue p{ur}chased greet[e] discordes aȝeins my self. but I
aughte be more asseured aȝenis alle oþer folk þat for þe loue of
ryȝtwisnesse .I. ne reserued[e] neuer no þing to my self to hem ward of
þe kynges halle .s. officers. by þe whiche I were þe more syker. ¶ But
þoruȝ þe same accuso{ur}s accusyng I am co{n}dempned. ¶ Of þe noumbre of
whiche accuso{ur}s one basilius þat somtyme was chased out of þe kynges
seruice. is now co{m}pelled i{n} accusyng of my name for nede of foreine
moneye. ¶ Also opilion {and} Gaudenci{us} han accused me. al be it so
þat þe Iustice regal hadde su{m}tyme demed hem boþe to go in to exil.
for her treccheries {and} fraudes wiþ-outen noumbre. ¶ To whiche
iugement þei wolde not obeye. but defended[e] hem by sykernesse of holy
houses. þat is to seyne fledden in to seyntuaries. {and} whan þis was
ap{er}ceiued to þe kyng. he comaunded[e] but þat þei voided[e] þe citee
of Rauenne by certeyne day assigned þat men scholde merken hem on þe
forheued wiþ an hoke of iren {and} chasen hem out of toune. ¶ Now what
þing semeþ þe myȝt[e] be lykned to þis cruelte. For certys þilk same day
was receyued þe accusyng of my name by þilk[e] same accuso{ur}s. ¶ What
may be seid herto. haþ my studie {and} my konnyng deserued þus. or ellys
þe forseide dampnaciou{n} of me. made þat hem ryȝtful accuso{ur}s or no
(q.d. no{n}). ¶ Was not fortune asshamed of þis. [Certes alle hadde nat
fortune ben asshamyd] þat i{n}nocence was accused. ȝit auȝt[e] sche haue
had schame of þe filþe of myn accuso{ur}s. ¶ But axest þou in so{m}me of
what gilt .I. am accused. men seyne þat I wolde sauen þe co{m}paignie of
þe senato{ur}s. ¶ And desirest þou to here in what manere .I. am accused
þat I scholde han distourbed þe accuso{ur} to beren l{ett}res. by whiche
he scholde han maked þe senatours gilty aȝeins þe kynges Real maieste.
¶ O meistresse what demest þou of þis. schal .I. forsake þis blame þat I
ne be no schame to þe (q. d. no{n}). ¶ Certis .I. haue wold it. þat is
to seyne þe sauuaciou{n} of þe senat. ne I schal neuer leten to wilne
it. {and} þat I confesse {and} am a-knowe. but þe entent of þe accusour
to be destourbed schal cese. ¶ For schal I clepe it a felonie þan or a
synne þat I haue desired þe sauuaciou{n} of þe ordre of þe senat. and
certys ȝit hadde þilk same senat don by me þoruȝ her decretȝ {and} hire
iugementys as þouȝ it were a synne or a felonie þat is to seyne to wilne
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