Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 — Boethius and Troilus

Who-so that, with overthrowinge thought, only seketh glorie of

fame, and weneth that it be sovereyn good: lat him loken up-on

the brode shewinge contrees of hevene, and up-on the streite site

of this erthe; and he shal ben ashamed of the encrees of his

name, that may nat fulfille the litel compas of the erthe. O!

what coveiten proude folk to liften up hir nekkes in ydel in the

dedly yok of this worlde? For al-though that renoun y-sprad,

passinge to ferne poeples, goth by dyverse tonges; and al-though

that grete houses or kinredes shynen with clere titles of honours;

yit, natheles, deeth despyseth alle heye glorie of fame: and deeth

wrappeth to-gidere the heye hevedes and the lowe, and maketh

egal and evene the heyeste to the loweste. Wher wonen now the

bones of trewe Fabricius? What is now Brutus, or stierne

Catoun? The thinne fame, yit lastinge, of hir ydel names, is

marked with a fewe lettres; but al-though that we han knowen

the faire wordes of the fames of hem, it is nat yeven to knowe

hem that ben dede and consumpte. Liggeth thanne stille, al

outrely unknowable; ne fame ne maketh yow nat knowe. And

yif ye wene to liven the longer for winde of your mortal name,

whan o cruel day shal ravisshe yow, thanne is the seconde deeth

dwellinge un-to yow.' Glose. The first deeth he clepeth heer the

departinge of the body and the sowle; and the seconde deeth he

clepeth, as heer, the stintinge of the renoun of fame.

'But for as mochel as thou shalt nat wenen', quod she, 'that I

bere untretable bataile ayeins fortune, yit som-tyme it bifalleth that

she, deceyvable, deserveth to han right good thank of men; and

that is, whan she hir-self opneth, and whan she descovereth hir

frount, and sheweth hir maneres. Peraventure yit understondest

thou nat that I shal seye. It is a wonder that I desire to telle,

and forthy unnethe may I unpleyten my sentence with wordes; for

I deme that contrarious Fortune profiteth more to men than

Fortune debonaire. For alwey, whan Fortune semeth debonaire,

than she lyeth falsly in bihetinge the hope of welefulnesse; but

forsothe contrarious Fortune is alwey soothfast, whan she sheweth

hir-self unstable thorugh hir chaunginge. The amiable Fortune

deceyveth folk; the contrarie Fortune techeth. The amiable

Fortune bindeth with the beautee of false goodes the hertes of

folk that usen hem; the contrarie Fortune unbindeth hem by the

knowinge of freele welefulnesse. The amiable Fortune mayst

thou seen alwey windinge and flowinge, and ever misknowinge of

hir-self; the contrarie Fortune is atempre and restreyned, and wys

thorugh exercise of hir adversitee. At the laste, amiable Fortune

with hir flateringes draweth miswandringe men fro the sovereyne

good; the contrarious Fortune ledeth ofte folk ayein to soothfast

goodes, and haleth hem ayein as with an hooke. Wenest thou

thanne that thou oughtest to leten this a litel thing, that this aspre

and horrible Fortune hath discovered to thee the thoughtes of thy

trewe freendes? For-why this ilke Fortune hath departed and uncovered

to thee bothe the certein visages and eek the doutous

visages of thy felawes. Whan she departed awey fro thee, she

took awey hir freendes, and lafte thee thyne freendes. Now whan

thou were riche and weleful, as thee semede, with how mochel

woldest thou han bought the fulle knowinge of this, that is to seyn,

the knowinge of thy verray freendes? Now pleyne thee nat thanne

of richesse y-lorn, sin thou hast founden the moste precious kinde

of richesses, that is to seyn, thy verray freendes.

That the world with stable feith varieth acordable chaunginges;

that the contrarious qualitee of elements holden among hem-self

aliaunce perdurable; that Phebus the sonne with his goldene

chariet bringeth forth the rosene day; that the mone hath commaundement

over the nightes, which nightes Hesperus the eve-sterre

hath brought; that the see, greedy to flowen, constreyneth

with a certein ende hise flodes, so that it is nat leveful to strecche

hise brode termes or boundes up-on the erthes, that is to seyn, to

covere al the erthe:—al this acordaunce of thinges is bounden with

Love, that governeth erthe and see, and hath also commaundements

to the hevenes. And yif this Love slakede the brydeles,

alle thinges that now loven hem to-gederes wolden maken a bataile

continuely, and stryven to fordoon the fasoun of this worlde, the

whiche they now leden in acordable feith by faire moevinges.

This Love halt to-gideres poeples ioigned with an holy bond, and

knitteth sacrement of mariages of chaste loves; and Love endyteth

lawes to trewe felawes. O! weleful were mankinde, yif thilke

Love that governeth hevene governed youre corages!'

By this she hadde ended hir song, whan the sweetnesse of hir

ditee hadde thorugh-perced me that was desirous of herkninge,

and I astoned hadde yit streighte myn eres, that is to seyn, to

herkne the bet what she wolde seye; so that a litel here-after I

seyde thus: 'O thou that art sovereyn comfort of anguissous

corages, so thou hast remounted and norisshed me with the

weighte of thy sentences and with delyt of thy singinge; so that

I trowe nat now that I be unparigal to the strokes of Fortune:

as who seyth, I dar wel now suffren al the assautes of Fortune, and

wel defende me fro hir. And tho remedies whiche that thou

seydest her-biforn weren right sharpe, nat only that I am nat

a-grisen of hem now, but I, desirous of heringe, axe gretely to

heren the remedies.'

Than seyde she thus: 'That felede I ful wel,' quod she, 'whan

that thou, ententif and stille, ravisshedest my wordes; and I

abood til that thou haddest swich habite of thy thought as thou

hast now; or elles til that I my-self hadde maked to thee the

same habit, which that is a more verray thing. And certes, the

remenaunt of thinges that ben yit to seye ben swiche, that first

whan men tasten hem they ben bytinge, but whan they ben

receyved withinne a wight, than ben they swete. But for thou

seyst that thou art so desirous to herkne hem, with how gret

brenninge woldest thou glowen, yif thou wistest whider I wol

leden thee!'

'Whider is that?' quod I.

'To thilke verray welefulnesse,' quod she, 'of whiche thyn herte

dremeth; but for as moche as thy sighte is ocupied and distorbed

by imaginacioun of erthely thinges, thou mayst nat yit seen thilke

selve welefulnesse.'

'Do,' quod I, 'and shewe me what is thilke verray welefulnesse,

I preye thee, with-oute taryinge.'

'That wole I gladly don,' quod she, 'for the cause of thee;

but I wol first marken thee by wordes and I wol enforcen me to

enformen thee thilke false cause of blisfulnesse that thou more

knowest; so that, whan thou hast fully bi-holden thilke false

goodes, and torned thyn eyen to that other syde, thou mowe knowe

the cleernesse of verray blisfulnesse.

Who-so wole sowe a feeld plentivous, lat him first delivere it fro

thornes, and kerve asunder with his hook the busshes and the

fern, so that the corn may comen hevy of eres and of greynes.

Hony is the more swete, yif mouthes han first tasted savoures that

ben wikkid. The sterres shynen more agreably whan the wind

Nothus leteth his ploungy blastes; and after that Lucifer the

day-sterre hath chased awey the derke night, the day the fairere

ledeth the rosene hors of the sonne. And right so thou, bi-holdinge

first the false goodes, bigin to with-drawen thy nekke

fro the yok of erthely affecciouns; and after-ward the verray goodes

shollen entren in-to thy corage.'

Tho fastnede she a litel the sighte of hir eyen, and with-drow

hir right as it were in-to the streite sete of hir thought; and bigan

to speke right thus: 'Alle the cures,' quod she, 'of mortal folk,

whiche that travaylen hem in many maner studies, goon certes by

diverse weyes, but natheles they enforcen hem alle to comen only

to oon ende of blisfulnesse. And blisfulnesse is swiche a good,

that who-so that hath geten it, he ne may, over that, no-thing

more desyre. And this thing is forsothe the sovereyn good that

conteyneth in him-self alle maner goodes; to the whiche good yif

ther failede any thing, it mighte nat ben cleped sovereyn good:

for thanne were ther som good, out of this ilke sovereyn good, that

mighte ben desired. Now is it cleer and certein thanne, that

blisfulnesse is a parfit estat by the congregacioun of alle goodes;

the whiche blisfulnesse, as I have seyd, alle mortal folk enforcen

hem to geten by diverse weyes. For-why the coveitise of verray

good is naturelly y-plaunted in the hertes of men; but the miswandringe

errour mis-ledeth hem in-to false goodes. Of the

whiche men, som of hem wenen that sovereyn good be to liven

with-oute nede of any thing, and travaylen hem to be haboundaunt

of richesses. And som other men demen that sovereyn good be,

for to ben right digne of reverence; and enforcen hem to ben

reverenced among hir neighbours by the honours that they han

y-geten. And some folk ther ben that holden, that right heigh

power be sovereyn good, and enforcen hem for to regnen, or elles

to ioignen hem to hem that regnen. And it semeth to some other

folk, that noblesse of renoun be the sovereyn good; and hasten

hem to geten glorious name by the arts of werre and of pees.

And many folk mesuren and gessen that sovereyn good be Ioye

and gladnesse, and wenen that it be right blisful thing to ploungen

hem in voluptuous delyt. And ther ben folk that entrechaungen

the causes and the endes of thise forseyde goodes, as they that

desiren richesses to han power and delytes; or elles they desiren

power for to han moneye, or for cause of renoun. In thise thinges,

and in swiche othre thinges, is torned alle the entencioun of

desiringes and of werkes of men; as thus: noblesse and favour

of people, whiche that yeveth to men, as it semeth hem, a maner

cleernesse of renoun; and wyf and children, that men desiren for

cause of delyt and of merinesse. But forsothe, frendes ne sholden

nat be rekned a-mong the godes of fortune, but of vertu; for it is

a ful holy maner thing. Alle thise othre thinges, forsothe, ben

taken for cause of power or elles for cause of delyt.

Certes, now am I redy to referren the goodes of the body to

thise forseide thinges aboven; for it semeth that strengthe and

gretnesse of body yeven power and worthinesse, and that beautee

and swiftnesse yeven noblesses and glorie of renoun; and hele of

body semeth yeven delyt. In alle thise thinges it semeth only

that blisfulnesse is desired. For-why thilke thing that every man

desireth most over alle thinges, he demeth that it be the sovereyn

good; but I have defyned that blisfulnesse is the sovereyn good;

for which every wight demeth, that thilke estat that he desireth

over alle thinges, that it be blisfulnesse.

Now hast thou thanne biforn thyn eyen almest al the purposed

forme of the welefulnesse of man-kinde, that is to seyn, richesses,

honours, power, and glorie, and delyts. The whiche delyt only

considerede Epicurus, and iuged and establisshed that delyt is

the sovereyn good; for as moche as alle othre thinges, as him

thoughte, bi-refte awey Ioye and mirthe fram the herte. But I

retorne ayein to the studies of men, of whiche men the corage

alwey reherseth and seketh the sovereyn good, al be it so that

it be with a derked memorie; but he not by whiche path, right

as a dronken man not nat by whiche path he may retorne him to

his hous. Semeth it thanne that folk folyen and erren that

enforcen hem to have nede of nothing? Certes, ther nis non other

thing that may so wel performe blisfulnesse, as an estat plentivous

of alle goodes, that ne hath nede of non other thing, but that is

suffisaunt of himself unto him-self. And folyen swiche folk thanne,

that wenen that thilke thing that is right good, that it be eek right

worthy of honour and of reverence? Certes, nay. For that thing

nis neither foul ne worthy to ben despised, that wel neigh al the

entencioun of mortal folk travaylen for to geten it. And power,

oughte nat that eek to ben rekened amonges goodes? What

elles? For it is nat to wene that thilke thing, that is most worthy

of alle thinges, be feble and with-oute strengthe. And cleernesse

of renoun, oughte that to ben despised? Certes, ther may no

man forsake, that al thing that is right excellent and noble, that it ne

semeth to ben right cleer and renomed. For certes, it nedeth nat

to seye, that blisfulnesse be [nat] anguissous ne drery, ne subgit to

grevaunces ne to sorwes, sin that in right litel thinges folk seken

to have and to usen that may delyten hem. Certes, thise ben

the thinges that men wolen and desiren to geten. And for this

cause desiren they richesses, dignitees, regnes, glorie, and delices.

For therby wenen they to han suffisaunce, honour, power, renoun,

and gladnesse. Than is it good, that men seken thus by so many

diverse studies. In whiche desyr it may lightly ben shewed how

gret is the strengthe of nature; for how so that men han diverse

sentences and discordinge, algates men acorden alle in lovinge the

ende of good.

It lyketh me to shewe, by subtil song, with slakke and delitable

soun of strenges, how that Nature, mighty, enclineth and flitteth

the governements of thinges, and by whiche lawes she, purveyable,

kepeth the grete world; and how she, bindinge, restreyneth alle

thinges by a bonde that may nat ben unbounde. Al be it so that

the lyouns of the contre of Pene beren the faire chaynes, and

taken metes of the handes of folk that yeven it hem, and dreden

hir sturdy maystres of whiche they ben wont to suffren betinges:

yif that hir horrible mouthes ben be-bled, that is to seyn, of bestes

devoured, hir corage of time passed, that hath ben ydel and rested,

repeyreth ayein; and they roren grevously and remembren on hir

nature, and slaken hir nekkes fram hir chaynes unbounde; and

hir mayster, first to-torn with blody tooth, assayeth the wode

wrathes of hem; this is to seyn, they freten hir mayster. And the

iangelinge brid that singeth on the heye braunches, that is to seyn,

in the wode, and after is enclosed in a streyt cage: al-though that

the pleyinge bisinesse of men yeveth hem honiede drinkes and

large metes with swete studie, yit natheles, yif thilke brid, skippinge

out of hir streyte cage, seeth the agreables shadewes of the

wodes, she defouleth with hir feet hir metes y-shad, and seketh

mourninge only the wode; and twitereth, desiringe the wode, with

hir swete vois. The yerde of a tree, that is haled a-doun by

mighty strengthe, boweth redily the crop a-doun: but yif that the

hand of him that it bente lat it gon ayein, anon the crop loketh

up-right to hevene. The sonne Phebus, that falleth at even in

the westrene wawes, retorneth ayein eftsones his carte, by privee

path, ther-as it is wont aryse. Alle thinges seken ayein to hir

propre cours, and alle thinges reioysen hem of hir retorninge ayein

to hir nature. Ne non ordinaunce nis bitaken to thinges, but that

that hath ioyned the endinge to the beginninge, and hath maked

the cours of it-self stable, that it chaungeth nat from his propre

kinde.

Certes also ye men, that ben ertheliche beestes, dremen alwey

youre beginninge, al-though it be with a thinne imaginacioun;

and by a maner thoughte, al be it nat cleerly ne parfitly, ye loken

fram a-fer to thilke verray fyn of blisfulnesse; and ther-fore naturel

entencioun ledeth you to thilke verray good, but many maner

errours mis-torneth you ther-fro. Consider now yif that by thilke

thinges, by whiche a man weneth to geten him blisfulnesse, yif

that he may comen to thilke ende that he weneth to come by

nature. For yif that moneye or honours, or thise other forseyde

thinges bringen to men swich a thing that no good ne fayle hem

ne semeth fayle, certes than wole I graunte that they ben maked

blisful by thilke thinges that they han geten. But yif so be that

thilke thinges ne mowen nat performen that they bi-heten, and

that ther be defaute of manye goodes, sheweth it nat thanne

cleerly that fals beautee of blisfulnesse is knowen and ateint in

thilke thinges? First and forward thou thy-self, that haddest

habundaunces of richesses nat long agon, I axe yif that, in the

habundaunce of alle thilke richesses, thou were never anguissous

or sory in thy corage of any wrong or grevaunce that bi-tidde thee

on any syde?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it ne remembreth me nat that evere I was

so free of my thought that I ne was alwey in anguissh of

som-what.'

'And was nat that,' quod she, 'for that thee lakked som-what

that thou noldest nat han lakked, or elles thou haddest that thou

noldest nat han had?'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Thanne desiredest thou the presence of that oon and the

absence of that other?'

'I graunte wel,' quod I.

'Forsothe,' quod she, 'than nedeth ther som-what that every

man desireth?'

'Ye, ther nedeth,' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'and he that hath lakke or nede of aught

nis nat in every wey suffisaunt to himself?'

'No,' quod I.

'And thou,' quod she, 'in al the plentee of thy richesses haddest

thilke lakke of suffisaunse?'

'What elles?' quod I.

'Thanne may nat richesses maken that a man nis nedy, ne that

he be suffisaunt to him-self; and that was it that they bi-highten,

as it semeth. And eek certes I trowe, that this be gretly to

considere, that moneye ne hath nat in his owne kinde that it

ne may ben bi-nomen of hem that han it, maugre hem?'

'I bi-knowe it wel,' quod I.

'Why sholdest thou nat bi-knowen it,' quod she, 'whan every

day the strenger folk bi-nemen it fro the febler, maugre hem?

For whennes comen elles alle thise foreyne compleyntes or

quereles of pletinges, but for that men axen ayein here moneye

that hath ben bi-nomen hem by force or by gyle, and alwey

maugre hem?'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Than,' quod she, 'hath a man nede to seken him foreyne

helpe by whiche he may defende his moneye?'

'Who may sey nay?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she; 'and him nedede non help, yif he ne hadde

no moneye that he mighte lese?'

'That is douteles,' quod I.

'Than is this thinge torned in-to the contrarye,' quod she.

'For richesses, that men wenen sholde make suffisaunce, they

maken a man rather han nede of foreyne help! Which is

the manere or the gyse,' quod she, 'that richesse may dryve awey

nede? Riche folk, may they neither han hunger ne thurst?

Thise riche men, may they fele no cold on hir limes on winter?

But thou wolt answeren, that riche men han y-now wher-with they

may staunchen hir hunger, slaken hir thurst, and don a-wey cold.

In this wyse may nede be counforted by richesses; but certes,

nede ne may nat all outrely ben don a-wey. For though this nede,

that is alwey gapinge and gredy, be fulfild with richesses, and axe

any thing, yit dwelleth thanne a nede that mighte be fulfild. I

holde me stille, and telle nat how that litel thing suffiseth to

nature; but certes to avarice y-nough ne suffiseth no-thing. For

sin that richesses ne may nat al don awey nede, but richesses

maken nede, what may it thanne be, that ye wenen that richesses

mowen yeven you suffisaunce?

Al were it so that a riche coveytous man hadde a river fletinge

al of gold, yit sholde it never staunchen his coveitise; and though

he hadde his nekke y-charged with precious stones of the rede

see, and though he do ere his feldes plentivous with an hundred

oxen, never ne shal his bytinge bisinesse for-leten him whyl he

liveth, ne the lighte richesses ne sholle nat beren him companye

whan he is ded.

But dignitees, to whom they ben comen, maken they him

honorable and reverent? Han they nat so gret strengthe, that

they may putte vertues in the hertes of folk that usen the lordshipes

of hem? Or elles may they don a-wey the vyces? Certes, they

ne be nat wont to don awey wikkednesse, but they ben wont

rather to shewen wikkednesse. And ther-of comth it that I have

right grete desdeyn, that dignitees ben yeven ofte to wikked

men; for which thing Catullus cleped a consul of Rome, that

highte Nonius, "postum" or "boch"; as who seyth, he cleped him

a congregacioun of vyces in his brest, as a postum is ful of corupcioun,

al were this Nonius set in a chayre of dignitee. Seest thou nat

thanne how gret vilenye dignitees don to wikked men? Certes,

unworthinesse of wikked men sholde be the lasse y-sene, yif they

nere renomed of none honours. Certes, thou thyself ne mightest

nat ben brought with as manye perils as thou mightest suffren

that thou woldest beren the magistrat with Decorat; that is to

seyn, that for no peril that mighte befallen thee by offence of the king

Theodorike, thou noldest nat be felawe in governaunce with Decorat;

whan thou saye that he hadde wikked corage of a likerous shrewe

and of an accuser. Ne I ne may nat, for swiche honours, iugen

hem worthy of reverence, that I deme and holde unworthy to han

thilke same honours. Now yif thou saye a man that were fulfild

of wisdom, certes, thou ne mightest nat deme that he were unworthy

to the honour, or elles to the wisdom of which he is

fulfild?'—'No,' quod I.—'Certes, dignitees,' quod she, 'apertienen

proprely to vertu; and vertu transporteth dignitee anon to

thilke man to which she hir-self is conioigned. And for as moche

as honours of poeple ne may nat maken folk digne of honour, it

is wel seyn cleerly that they ne han no propre beautee of dignitee.

And yit men oughten taken more heed in this. For yif it so be

that a wikked wight be so mochel the foulere and the more out-cast,

that he is despysed of most folk, so as dignitee ne may nat

maken shrewes digne of reverence, the which shrewes dignitee

sheweth to moche folk, thanne maketh dignitee shrewes rather so

moche more despysed than preysed; and forsothe nat unpunisshed:

that is for to seyn, that shrewes revengen hem ayeinward

up-on dignitees; for they yilden ayein to dignitees as gret guerdoun,

whan they bi-spotten and defoulen dignitees with hir

vilenye. And for as mochel as thou mowe knowe that thilke

verray reverence ne may nat comen by thise shadewy transitorie

dignitees, undirstond now thus: yif that a man hadde used and

had many maner dignitees of consules, and were comen peraventure

amonge straunge naciouns, sholde thilke honour maken

him worshipful and redouted of straunge folk? Certes, yif that

honour of poeple were a naturel yift to dignitees, it ne mighte

never cesen nowher amonges no maner folk to don his office,

right as fyr in every contree ne stinteth nat to eschaufen and to

ben hoot. But for as moche as for to ben holden honourable or

reverent ne cometh nat to folk of hir propre strengthe of nature,

but only of the false opinioun of folk, that is to seyn, that wenen

that dignitees maken folk digne of honour; anon therfore whan

that they comen ther-as folk ne knowen nat thilke dignitees, hir

honours vanisshen awey, and that anon. But that is amonges

straunge folk, mayst thou seyn; but amonges hem ther they

weren born, ne duren nat thilke dignitees alwey? Certes, the

dignitee of the provostrie of Rome was whylom a gret power;

now is it nothing but an ydel name, and the rente of the senatorie

a gret charge. And yif a wight whylom hadde the office to taken

hede to the vitailes of the poeple, as of corn and other thinges, he

was holden amonges grete; but what thing is now more out-cast

thanne thilke provostrie? And, as I have seyd a litel her-biforn,

that thilke thing that hath no propre beautee of him-self receiveth

som-tyme prys and shyninge, and som-tyme leseth it by the

opinioun of usaunces. Now yif that dignitees thanne ne mowen

nat maken folk digne of reverence, and yif that dignitees wexen

foule of hir wille by the filthe of shrewes, and yif that dignitees

lesen hir shyninge by chaunginge of tymes, and yif they wexen

foule by estimacioun of poeple: what is it that they han in hem-self

of beautee that oughte ben desired? as who seyth, non;

thanne ne mowen they yeven no beautee of dignitee to non other.