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
þat endiþ in wrechednesse. Lernedest nat þou in grek whan þou were ȝonge
þat in þe entre or in þe seler of Iuppiter þer ben couched two tunnes.
þat on is ful of good þat oþer is ful of harme. ¶ What ryȝt hast þou to
pleyne. yif þou hast taken more plenteuously of þe goode syde þat is to
seyne of my rycchesse {and} p{ro}sp{er}ites. {and} what eke. yif I be
nat departed fro þe. What eke. yif my mutabilitee ȝiueþ þe ryȝtful cause
of hope to han ȝit better þi{n}ges. ¶ Naþeles desmaie þe nat in þi
þouȝt. and þ{o}u þat art put in comune realme of alle: ne desijr[e] nat
to lyue by þine oonly p{ro}pre ryȝt.
SI Q{UA}NTAS RAPIDIS.
[Sidenote: [the secu{n}de met{ur}.]]
++ÞOuȝ plentee þat is goddesse of rycches hielde adou{n} wiþ ful horn.
{and} wiþdraweþ nat hir hand. ¶ As many recches as þe see turneþ
vpwardes sandes whan it is moeued wiþ rauysshing blastes. or ellys as
many rycches as þer shynen bryȝt[e] sterres on heuene on þe sterry nyȝt.
Ȝit for al þat mankynde nolde not cesce to wope wrecched[e] pleyntes.
¶ And al be it so þat god receyueþ gladly her p{ra}yers {and} ȝeueþ hem
as ful large muche golde {and} app{ar}aileþ coueytous folk wiþ noble or
clere hono{ur}s. ȝit semeþ hem haue I-gete noþing. but alwey her cruel
ravyne deuourynge al þat þei han geten shewiþ oþer gapinges. þat is to
seye gapen {and} desiren ȝit after moo rycchesse. ¶ What brideles myȝten
wiþholde to any certeyne ende þe desordene coueitise of men ¶ Whan euere
þe raþer þ{a}t it fletiþ in large ȝiftis: þe more ay brenneþ in hem þe
þrest of hauyng. ¶ Certis he þat quakyng {and} dredeful weneþ hym seluen
nedy. he ne lyueþ neu{er}e mo ryche.
HIIS IGITUR SI PRO SE.
[Sidenote: [The thrydde p{ro}se.]]
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