[Footnote I-1: Other translations are by John Walton of Osney, in verse, in 1410 (Reg. MS. 18, A 13), first printed at Tavistock in 1525, and to be edited some time or other for the E.E.T.S. An anonymous prose version in the Bodleian. George Coluile, alias Coldewel, 1556; J. T. 1609; H. Conningesbye, 1664; Lord Preston, 1695, 1712; W. Causton, 1730; Redpath, 1785; R. Duncan, 1789; anon. 1792 (Lowndes).] [Footnote I-2: Dante, in his _Convito_, says, “Misimi a legger quello _non conosciuto da molti_ libro di Boezio, nel quale captivo e discacciato consolato s’avea.”] [Footnote I-3: Printed at Ghent, 1485.] [Footnote I-4: By Reynier de Seinct Trudon, printed at Bruges, 1477.] [Footnote I-5: An old version of the 11th cent., printed by Graff, and a modern one printed at Nuremberg, 1473.] [Footnote I-6: By Jean de Méung, printed at Paris, 1494.] [Footnote I-7: By Varchi, printed at Florence, 1551; Parma, 1798.] I. LOVE. Wost thou nat wel the olde clerkes sawe, That who schal yeve a lover eny lawe, Love is a grettere lawe, by my pan, Then may be yeve to (of) eny erthly man? (_Knightes Tale, Aldine Series_, vol. ii. p. 36, 37.) But what is he þat may ȝeue a lawe to loueres. loue is a gretter lawe and a strengere to hym self þan any lawe þat men may ȝeuen. (_Chaucer’s Prose Translation_, p. 108.) _Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor est sibi._ (Boeth., lib. iii. met. 12.) II. A DRUNKEN MAN. A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous, But he not[I-8] which the righte wey is thider. (_Knightes Tale_, vol. ii. p. 39.) _Ryȝt as a dronke man not nat[I-9] by whiche paþe he may retourne home to hys house._ (Chaucer’s Trans., p. 67.) _Sed velut ebrius, domum quo tramite revertatur, ignorat._ (Boeth., lib. iii. pr. 2.) [Footnote I-8: The Harl. MS. reads _not nat_, to the confusion of the metre.] [Footnote I-9: = ne wot nat = knows not.] III. THE CHAIN OF LOVE. The firste moevere of the cause above, Whan he first made the fayre cheyne of love, Gret was theffect, and heigh was his entente; Wel wist he why, and what therof he mente; _For with that faire cheyne of love he bond The fyr, the watir, the eyr, and eek the lond In certeyn boundes, that they may not flee._ (_Knightes Tale_, p. 92.)