Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 — Boethius and Troilus

Al be it so that the proude Nero, with alle his wode luxurie,

kembde him and aparailede him with faire purpres of Tirie,

and with whyte perles, algates yit throf he hateful to alle folk:

this is to seyn, that al was he behated of alle folk. Yit this

wikked Nero hadde gret lordship, and yaf whylom to the

reverents senatours the unworshipful setes of dignitees. Unworshipful

setes he clepeth here, for that Nero, that was so wikked, yaf

tho dignitees. Who-so wolde thanne resonably wenen, that blisfulnesse

were in swiche honours as ben yeven by vicious shrewes?

But regnes and familiaritees of kinges, may they maken a

man to ben mighty? How elles, whan hir blisfulnesse dureth

perpetuely? But certes, the olde age of tyme passed, and eek

of present tyme now, is ful of ensaumples how that kinges ben

chaunged in-to wrecchednesse out of hir welefulnesse. O! a

noble thing and a cleer thing is power, that is nat founden

mighty to kepen it-self! And yif that power of reaumes be

auctour and maker of blisfulnesse, yif thilke power lakketh on

any syde, amenuseth it nat thilke blisfulnesse and bringeth in

wrecchednesse? But yit, al be it so that the reaumes of mankinde

strecchen brode, yit mot ther nede ben moche folk, over

whiche that every king ne hath no lordshipe ne comaundement.

And certes, up-on thilke syde that power faileth, which that

maketh folk blisful, right on that same syde noun-power entreth

under-nethe, that maketh hem wrecches; in this manere thanne

moten kinges han more porcioun of wrecchednesse than of

welefulnesse. A tyraunt, that was king of Sisile, that hadde

assayed the peril of his estat, shewede by similitude the dredes

of reaumes by gastnesse of a swerd that heng over the heved

of his familier. What thing is thanne this power, that may nat

don awey the bytinges of bisinesse, ne eschewe the prikkes of

drede? And certes, yit wolden they liven in sikernesse, but

they may nat; and yit they glorifye hem in hir power. Holdest

thou thanne that thilke man be mighty, that thou seest that

he wolde don that he may nat don? And holdest thou thanne

him a mighty man, that hath envirownede his sydes with men

of armes or seriaunts, and dredeth more hem that he maketh

agast than they dreden him, and that is put in the handes of

his servaunts for he sholde seme mighty? But of familieres

or servaunts of kinges what sholde I telle thee anything, sin

that I myself have shewed thee that reaumes hem-self ben

ful of gret feblesse? The whiche familieres, certes, the ryal

power of kinges, in hool estat and in estat abated, ful ofte

throweth adown. Nero constreynede Senek, his familier and

his mayster, to chesen on what deeth he wolde deyen. Antonius

comaundede that knightes slowen with hir swerdes Papinian

his familier, which Papinian hadde ben longe tyme ful mighty

amonges hem of the court. And yit, certes, they wolden bothe

han renounced hir power; of whiche two Senek enforcede him

to yeven to Nero his richesses, and also to han gon in-to

solitarie exil. But whan the grete weighte, that is to seyn, of

lordes power or of fortune, draweth hem that shullen falle,

neither of hem ne mighte do that he wolde. What thing is

thanne thilke power, that though men han it, yit they ben agast;

and whanne thou woldest han it, thou nart nat siker; and

yif thou woldest forleten it, thou mayst nat eschuen it? But

whether swiche men ben frendes at nede, as ben conseyled by

fortune and nat by vertu? Certes, swiche folk as weleful

fortune maketh freendes, contrarious fortune maketh hem

enemys. And what pestilence is more mighty for to anoye a

wight than a familier enemy?

Who-so wol be mighty, he mot daunten his cruel corage,

ne putte nat his nekke, overcomen, under the foule reynes of

lecherye. For al-be-it so that thy lordshipe strecche so fer,

that the contree of Inde quaketh at thy comaundements or at

thy lawes, and that the last ile in the see, that hight Tyle,

be thral to thee, yit, yif thou mayst nat putten awey thy foule

derke desyrs, and dryven out fro thee wrecched complaintes,

certes, it nis no power that thou hast.

But glorie, how deceivable and how foul is it ofte! For

which thing nat unskilfully a tragedien, that is to seyn, a maker

of ditees that highten tragedies, cryde and seide: "O glorie,

glorie," quod he, "thou art nothing elles to thousandes of folkes

but a greet sweller of eres!" For manye han had ful greet

renoun by the false opinioun of the poeple, and what thing

may ben thought fouler than swiche preysinge? For thilke folk

that ben preysed falsly, they moten nedes han shame of hir

preysinges. And yif that folk han geten hem thonk or preysinge

by hir desertes, what thing hath thilke prys eched or

encresed to the conscience of wyse folk, that mesuren hir good,

nat by the rumour of the poeple, but by the soothfastnesse of

conscience? And yif it seme a fair thing, a man to han

encresed and spred his name, than folweth it that it is demed

to ben a foul thing, yif it ne be y-sprad and encresed. But,

as I seyde a litel her-biforn that, sin ther mot nedes ben many

folk, to whiche folk the renoun of a man ne may nat comen,

it befalleth that he, that thou wenest be glorious and renomed,

semeth in the nexte partie of the erthes to ben with-oute glorie

and with-oute renoun.

And certes, amonges thise thinges I ne trowe nat that the

prys and grace of the poeple nis neither worthy to ben

remembred, ne cometh of wyse Iugement, ne is ferme perdurably.

But now, of this name of gentilesse, what man is it

that ne may wel seen how veyn and how flittinge a thing it

is? For yif the name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and

cleernesse of linage, thanne is gentil name but a foreine thing,

that is to seyn, to hem that glorifyen hem of hir linage. For it

semeth that gentilesse be a maner preysinge that comth of the

deserte of ancestres. And yif preysinge maketh gentilesse,

thanne moten they nedes be gentil that ben preysed. For

which thing it folweth, that yif thou ne have no gentilesse of

thy-self, that is to seyn, preyse that comth of thy deserte, foreine

gentilesse ne maketh thee nat gentil. But certes, yif ther be

any good in gentilesse, I trowe it be al-only this, that it semeth

as that a maner necessitee be imposed to gentil men, for that

they ne sholden nat outrayen or forliven fro the virtues of hir

noble kinrede.

Al the linage of men that ben in erthe ben of semblable

birthe. On allone is fader of thinges. On allone ministreth

alle thinges. He yaf to the sonne hise bemes; he yaf to the

mone hir hornes. He yaf the men to the erthe; he yaf the

sterres to the hevene. He encloseth with membres the soules

that comen fro his hye sete. Thanne comen alle mortal folk

of noble sede; why noisen ye or bosten of youre eldres? For

yif thou loke your biginninge, and god your auctor and your

maker, thanne nis ther no forlived wight, but-yif he norisshe

his corage un-to vyces, and forlete his propre burthe.

But what shal I seye of delices of body, of whiche delices the

desiringes ben ful of anguissh, and the fulfillinges of hem ben ful

of penaunce? How greet syknesse and how grete sorwes unsufferable,

right as a maner fruit of wikkednesse, ben thilke delices

wont to bringen to the bodies of folk that usen hem! Of whiche

delices I not what Ioye may ben had of hir moevinge. But this

wot I wel, that who-so-ever wole remembren him of hise luxures,

he shal wel understonde that the issues of delices ben sorwful

and sorye. And yif thilke delices mowen maken folk blisful,

than by the same cause moten thise bestes ben cleped blisful;

of whiche bestes al the entencioun hasteth to fulfille hir bodily

Iolitee. And the gladnesse of wyf and children were an honest

thing, but it hath ben seyd that it is over muchel ayeins kinde,

that children han ben founden tormentours to hir fadres, I not

how manye: of whiche children how bytinge is every condicioun,

it nedeth nat to tellen it thee, that hast or this tyme assayed

it, and art yit now anguissous. In this approve I the sentence

of my disciple Euripidis, that seyde, that "he that hath no

children is weleful by infortune."

Every delyt hath this, that it anguissheth hem with prikkes

that usen it. It resembleth to thise flyinge flyes that we clepen

been, that, after that he hath shad hise agreable honies, he fleeth

awey, and stingeth the hertes, of hem that ben y-smite, with

bytinge overlonge holdinge.

Now is it no doute thanne that thise weyes ne ben a maner

misledinges to blisfulnesse, ne that they ne mowe nat leden

folk thider as they biheten to leden hem. But with how grete

harmes thise forseyde weyes ben enlaced, I shal shewe thee

shortly. For-why yif thou enforcest thee to asemble moneye,

thou most bireven him his moneye that hath it. And yif

thou wolt shynen with dignitees, thou most bisechen and

supplien hem that yeven tho dignitees. And yif thou coveitest

by honour to gon biforn other folk, thou shalt defoule thy-self

thorugh humblesse of axinge. Yif thou desirest power, thou

shalt by awaytes of thy subgits anoyously ben cast under manye

periles. Axest thou glorie? Thou shalt ben so destrat by aspre

thinges that thou shalt forgoon sikernesse. And yif thou wolt

leden thy lyf in delices, every wight shal despisen thee and

forleten thee, as thou that art thral to thing that is right foul

and brotel; that is to seyn, servaunt to thy body. Now is it

thanne wel seen, how litel and how brotel possessioun they

coveiten, that putten the goodes of the body aboven hir owne

resoun. For mayst thou sormounten thise olifaunts in gretnesse

or weight of body? Or mayst thou ben stronger than the bole?

Mayst thou ben swifter than the tygre? Bihold the spaces and

the stablenesse and the swifte cours of the hevene, and stint

som-tyme to wondren on foule thinges; the which hevene, certes,

nis nat rather for thise thinges to ben wondred up-on, than for

the resoun by which it is governed. But the shyning of thy

forme, that is to seyn, the beautee of thy body, how swiftly passinge

is it, and how transitorie; certes, it is more flittinge than the

mutabilitee of flowers of the somer-sesoun. For so Aristotle

telleth, that yif that men hadden eyen of a beest that highte

lynx, so that the lokinge of folk mighte percen thorugh the

thinges that with-stonden it, who-so loked thanne in the entrailes

of the body of Alcibiades, that was ful fayr in the superfice

with-oute, it shold seme right foul. And forthy, yif thou semest

fayr, thy nature maketh nat that, but the desceivaunce of the

feblesse of the eyen that loken. But preyse the goodes of the

body as mochel as ever thee list; so that thou knowe algates

that, what-so it be, that is to seyn, of the goodes of thy body,

which that thou wondrest up-on, may ben destroyed or dissolved

by the hete of a fevere of three dayes. Of alle whiche forseyde

thinges I may reducen this shortly in a somme, that thise worldly

goodes, whiche that ne mowen nat yeven that they biheten, ne

ben nat parfit by the congregacioun of alle goodes; that they

ne ben nat weyes ne pathes that bringen men to blisfulnesse,

ne maken men to ben blisful.

Allas! which folye and which ignoraunce misledeth wandringe

wrecches fro the path of verray goode!

Certes, ye ne seken no gold in grene trees, ne ye ne gaderen

nat precious stones in the vynes, ne ye ne hyden nat your

ginnes in the hye mountaignes to cacchen fish of whiche ye

may maken riche festes. And yif yow lyketh to hunte to roes,

ye ne gon nat to the fordes of the water that highte Tyrene.

And over this, men knowen wel the crykes and the cavernes

of the see y-hid in the flodes, and knowen eek which water

is most plentivous of whyte perles, and knowen which water

haboundeth most of rede purpre, that is to seyn, of a maner

shelle-fish with which men dyen purpre; and knowen which

strondes habounden most with tendre fisshes, or of sharpe fisshes

that highten echines. But folk suffren hem-self to ben so blinde,

that hem ne reccheth nat to knowe where thilke goodes ben

y-hid whiche that they coveiten, but ploungen hem in erthe

and seken there thilke good that sormounteth the hevene that

bereth the sterres. What preyere may I maken that be digne

to the nyce thoughtes of men? But I preye that they coveiten

richesse and honours, so that, whan they han geten tho false

goodes with greet travaile, that ther-by they mowe knowen the

verray goodes.

It suffyseth that I have shewed hider-to the forme of false

welefulnesse, so that, yif thou loke now cleerly, the order of

myn entencioun requireth from hennes-forth to shewen thee the

verray welefulnesse.'

'For sothe,' quod I, 'I see wel now that suffisaunce may nat

comen by richesses, ne power by reames, ne reverence by

dignitees, ne gentilesse by glorie, ne Ioye by delices.'

'And hast thou wel knowen the causes,' quod she, 'why it is?'

'Certes, me semeth,' quod I, 'that I see hem right as though

it were thorugh a litel clifte; but me were levere knowen hem

more openly of thee.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'the resoun is al redy. For thilke thing

that simply is o thing, with-outen any devisioun, the errour

and folye of mankinde departeth and devydeth it, and misledeth

it and transporteth from verray and parfit good to goodes that

ben false and unparfit. But sey me this. Wenest thou that

he, that hath nede of power, that him ne lakketh no-thing?'

'Nay,' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'thou seyst a-right. For yif so be that

ther is a thing, that in any partye be febler of power, certes,

as in that, it mot nedes ben nedy of foreine help.'

'Right so is it,' quod I.

'Suffisaunce and power ben thanne of o kinde?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'And demest thou,' quod she, 'that a thing that is of this

manere, that is to seyn, suffisaunt and mighty, oughte ben

despysed, or elles that it be right digne of reverence aboven

alle thinges?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it nis no doute, that it is right worthy to

ben reverenced.'

'Lat us,' quod she, 'adden thanne reverence to suffisaunce

and to power, so that we demen that thise three thinges ben

al o thing.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'lat us adden it, yif we wolen graunten the

sothe.'

'What demest thou thanne?' quod she; 'is that a derk thing

and nat noble, that is suffisaunt, reverent, and mighty, or elles that

it is right noble and right cleer by celebritee of renoun? Consider

thanne,' quod she, 'as we han graunted her-biforn, that he that

ne hath nede of no-thing, and is most mighty and most digne

of honour, yif him nedeth any cleernesse of renoun, which

cleernesse he mighte nat graunten of him-self, so that, for lakke

of thilke cleernesse, he mighte seme the febeler on any syde

or the more out-cast?' Glose. This is to seyn, nay; for who-so

that is suffisaunt, mighty, and reverent, cleernesse of renoun folweth

of the forseyde thinges; he hath it al redy of his suffisaunce.

Boece. 'I may nat,' quod I, 'denye it; but I mot graunte

as it is, that this thing be right celebrable by cleernesse of renoun

and noblesse.'

'Thanne folweth it,' quod she, 'that we adden cleernesse of

renoun to the three forseyde thinges, so that ther ne be amonges

hem no difference?'

'This is a consequence,' quod I.

'This thing thanne,' quod she, 'that ne hath nede of no

foreine thing, and that may don alle thinges by hise strengthes,

and that is noble and honourable, nis nat that a mery thing

and a Ioyful?'

'But whennes,' quod I, 'that any sorwe mighte comen to this

thing that is swiche, certes, I may nat thinke.'

'Thanne moten we graunte,' quod she, 'that this thing be

ful of gladnesse, yif the forseyde thinges ben sothe; and certes,

also mote we graunten that suffisaunce, power, noblesse, reverence,

and gladnesse ben only dyverse by names, but hir substaunce

hath no diversitee.'

'It mot needly been so,' quod I.

'Thilke thing thanne,' quod she, 'that is oon and simple

in his nature, the wikkednesse of men departeth it and devydeth

it; and whan they enforcen hem to geten partye of a thing

that ne hath no part, they ne geten hem neither thilke partye that

nis non, ne the thing al hool that they ne desire nat.'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Thilke man,' quod she, 'that secheth richesses to fleen

povertee, he ne travaileth him nat for to gete power; for he

hath levere ben derk and vyl; and eek withdraweth from

him-self many naturel delyts, for he nolde lese the moneye that

he hath assembled. But certes, in this manere he ne geteth

him nat suffisaunce that power forleteth, and that molestie

prikketh, and that filthe maketh out-cast, and that derkenesse

hydeth. And certes, he that desireth only power, he wasteth

and scatereth richesse, and despyseth delyts, and eek honour

that is with-oute power, ne he ne preyseth glorie no-thing.

Certes, thus seest thou wel, that manye thinges faylen to him;

for he hath som-tyme defaute of many necessitees, and many

anguisshes byten him; and whan he ne may nat don tho defautes

a-wey, he forleteth to ben mighty, and that is the thing that

he most desireth. And right thus may I maken semblable

resouns of honours, and of glorie, and of delyts. For so as

every of thise forseyde thinges is the same that thise other

thinges ben, that is to seyn, al oon thing, who-so that ever

seketh to geten that oon of thise, and nat that other, he ne

geteth nat that he desireth.'

Boece. 'What seyst thou thanne, yif that a man coveiteth

to geten alle thise thinges to-gider?'

Philosophie. 'Certes,' quod she, 'I wolde seye, that he wolde

geten him sovereyn blisfulnesse; but that shal he nat finde in

tho thinges that I have shewed, that ne mowen nat yeven that

they beheten.'

'Certes, no,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'ne sholden men nat by no wey seken

blisfulnesse in swiche thinges as men wene that they ne mowen

yeven but o thing senglely of alle that men seken.'

'I graunte wel,' quod I; 'ne no sother thing ne may ben

sayd.'

'Now hast thou thanne,' quod she, 'the forme and the causes

of false welefulnesse. Now torne and flitte the eyen of thy

thought; for ther shalt thou sen anon thilke verray blisfulnesse

that I have bihight thee.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it is cleer and open, thogh it were to

a blinde man; and that shewedest thou me ful wel a litel her-biforn,

whan thou enforcedest thee to shewe me the causes

of the false blisfulnesse. For but-yif I be bigyled, thanne

is thilke the verray blisfulnesse parfit, that parfitly maketh a

man suffisaunt, mighty, honourable, noble, and ful of gladnesse.

And, for thou shalt wel knowe that I have wel understonden

thise thinges with-in my herte, I knowe wel that thilke blisfulnesse,

that may verrayly yeven oon of the forseyde thinges, sin

they ben al oon, I knowe, douteles, that thilke thing is the

fulle blisfulnesse.'

Philosophie. 'O my norie,' quod she, 'by this opinioun I

seye that thou art blisful, yif thou putte this ther-to that I

shal seyn.'

'What is that?' quod I.

'Trowest thou that ther be any thing in thise erthely mortal

toumbling thinges that may bringen this estat?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'I trowe it naught; and thou hast shewed

me wel that over thilke good ther nis no-thing more to ben

desired.'

'Thise thinges thanne,' quod she, 'that is to sey, erthely

suffisaunce and power and swiche thinges, either they semen

lykenesses of verray good, or elles it semeth that they yeve to

mortal folk a maner of goodes that ne ben nat parfit; but thilke

good that is verray and parfit, that may they nat yeven.'

'I acorde me wel,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'for as mochel as thou hast knowen

which is thilke verray blisfulnesse, and eek whiche thilke thinges

ben that lyen falsly blisfulnesse, that is to seyn, that by deceite

semen verray goodes, now behoveth thee to knowe whennes and

where thou mowe seke thilke verray blisfulnesse.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'that desire I greetly, and have abiden longe

tyme to herknen it.'

'But for as moche,' quod she, 'as it lyketh to my disciple

Plato, in his book of "in Timeo," that in right litel thinges men

sholden bisechen the help of god, what iugest thou that be now

to done, so that we may deserve to finde the sete of thilke

verray good?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'I deme that we shollen clepen the fader

of alle goodes; for with-outen him nis ther no-thing founden

a-right.'

'Thou seyst a-right,' quod she; and bigan anon to singen

right thus:—

'O thou fader, creator of hevene and of erthes, that governest

this world by perdurable resoun, that comaundest the tymes to

gon from sin that age hadde beginninge; thou that dwellest

thy-self ay stedefast and stable, and yevest alle othre thinges

to ben moeved; ne foreine causes necesseden thee never to

compoune werk of floteringe matere, but only the forme of

soverein good y-set with-in thee with-oute envye, that moevede

thee freely. Thou that art alder-fayrest, beringe the faire world

in thy thought, formedest this world to the lyknesse semblable

of that faire world in thy thought. Thou drawest al thing of

thy soverein ensaumpler, and comaundest that this world,

parfitliche y-maked, have freely and absolut his parfit parties.

Thou bindest the elements by noumbres proporcionables, that

the colde thinges mowen acorden with the hote thinges, and

the drye thinges with the moiste thinges; that the fyr, that

is purest, ne flee nat over hye, ne that the hevinesse ne drawe

nat adoun over-lowe the erthes that ben plounged in the wateres.

Thou knittest to-gider the mene sowle of treble kinde, moevinge

alle thinges, and devydest it by membres acordinge; and whan

it is thus devyded, it hath asembled a moevinge in-to two

roundes; it goth to torne ayein to him-self, and envirouneth a

ful deep thought, and torneth the hevene by semblable image.

Thou by evene-lyke causes enhansest the sowles and the lasse

lyves, and, ablinge hem heye by lighte cartes, thou sowest hem

in-to hevene and in-to erthe; and whan they ben converted to

thee by thy benigne lawe, thou makest hem retorne ayein to

thee by ayein-ledinge fyr.

O fader, yive thou to the thought to styen up in-to thy streite

sete, and graunte him to enviroune the welle of good; and, the

lighte y-founde, graunte him to fichen the clere sightes of his

corage in thee. And scater thou and to-breke thou the weightes

and the cloudes of erthely hevinesse, and shyne thou by thy

brightnesse. For thou art cleernesse; thou art peysible reste

to debonaire folk; thou thy-self art biginninge, berer, leder, path,

and terme; to loke on thee, that is our ende.

For as moche thanne as thou hast seyn, which is the forme

of good that nis nat parfit, and which is the forme of good that

is parfit, now trowe I that it were good to shewe in what this

perfeccioun of blisfulnesse is set. And in this thing, I trowe

that we sholden first enquere for to witen, yif that any swiche

maner good as thilke good that thou has diffinisshed a litel

heer-biforn, that is to seyn, soverein good, may ben founde in the

nature of thinges; for that veyn imaginacioun of thought ne

deceyve us nat, and putte us out of the sothfastnesse of thilke

thing that is summitted unto us. But it may nat ben deneyed

that thilke good ne is, and that it nis right as welle of alle

goodes. For al thing that is cleped inparfit is proeved inparfit

by the amenusinge of perfeccioun or of thing that is parfit.

And ther-of comth it, that in every thing general, yif that men

sen any-thing that is inparfit, certes, in thilke general ther mot

ben som-thing that is parfit; for yif so be that perfeccioun is

don awey, men may nat thinke ne seye fro whennes thilke

thing is that is cleped inparfit. For the nature of thinges ne

took nat hir beginninge of thinges amenused and inparfit, but

it procedeth of thinges that ben al hoole and absolut, and

descendeth so doun in-to outterest thinges, and in-to thinges

empty and with-outen frut. But, as I have y-shewed a litel

her-biforn, that yif ther be a blisfulnesse that be freele and

veyn and inparfit, ther may no man doute that ther nis som

blisfulnesse that is sad, stedefast, and parfit.'

Boece. 'This is concluded,' quod I, 'fermely and sothfastly.'

Philosophie. 'But considere also,' quod she, 'in wham this

blisfulnesse enhabiteth. The comune acordaunce and conceite

of the corages of men proeveth and graunteth, that god, prince

of alle thinges, is good. For, so as nothing ne may ben thought

bettre than god, it may nat ben douted thanne that he, that

nothing nis bettre, that he nis good. Certes, resoun sheweth

that god is so good, that it proveth by verray force that parfit

good is in him. For yif god ne is swich, he ne may nat ben

prince of alle thinges; for certes som-thing possessing in it-self

parfit good, sholde ben more worthy than god, and it sholde

semen that thilke thing were first, and elder than god. For

we han shewed apertly that alle thinges that ben parfit ben

first or thinges that ben unparfit; and for-thy, for as moche as

that my resoun or my proces ne go nat a-wey with-oute an

ende, we owen to graunten that the soverein god is right ful

of soverein parfit good. And we han establisshed that the

soverein good is verray blisfulnesse: thanne mot it nedes be,

that verray blisfulnesse is set in soverein god.'

'This take I wel,' quod I, 'ne this ne may nat ben withseid

in no manere.'

'But I preye,' quod she, 'see now how thou mayst proeven,

holily and with-oute corupcioun, this that I have seyd, that the

soverein god is right ful of soverein good.'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Wenest thou aught,' quod she, 'that this prince of alle

thinges have y-take thilke soverein good any-wher out of him-self,

of which soverein good men proveth that he is ful, right

as thou mightest thinken that god, that hath blisfulnesse in

him-self, and thilke blisfulnesse that is in him, weren dyvers in

substaunce? For yif thou wene that god have received thilke

good out of him-self, thou mayst wene that he that yaf thilke

good to god be more worthy than is god. But I am bi-knowen

and confesse, and that right dignely, that god is right worthy

aboven alle thinges; and, yif so be that this good be in him

by nature, but that it is dyvers fro him by weninge resoun,

sin we speke of god prince of alle thinges: feigne who-so

feigne may, who was he that hath conioigned thise dyverse

thinges to-gider? And eek, at the laste, see wel that a thing

that is dyvers from any thing, that thilke thing nis nat that

same thing fro which it is understonden to ben dyvers. Thanne

folweth it, that thilke thing that by his nature is dyvers fro

soverein good, that that thing nis nat soverein good; but certes,

that were a felonous corsednesse to thinken that of him that

nothing nis more worth. For alwey, of alle thinges, the nature

of hem ne may nat ben bettre than his biginning; for which

I may concluden, by right verray resoun, that thilke that is

biginning of alle thinges, thilke same thing is soverein good

in his substaunce.'

Boece. 'Thou hast seyd rightfully,' quod I.

Philosophie. 'But we han graunted,' quod she, 'that the

soverein good is blisfulnesse.'

'And that is sooth,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'moten we nedes graunten and confessen

that thilke same soverein good be god.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'I ne may nat denye ne withstonde the

resouns purposed; and I see wel that it folweth by strengthe

of the premisses.'

'Loke now,' quod she, 'yif this be proved yit more fermely

thus: that ther ne mowen nat ben two soverein goodes that

ben dyverse amonge hem-self. For certes, the goodes that

ben dyverse amonges hem-self, that oon nis nat that that other

is; thanne ne [may] neither of hem ben parfit, so as either of

hem lakketh to other. But that that nis nat parfit, men may

seen apertly that it nis nat soverein. The thinges, thanne, that

ben sovereinly goode, ne mowen by no wey ben dyverse. But

I have wel concluded that blisfulnesse and god ben the soverein

good; for whiche it mot nedes ben, that soverein blisfulnesse

is soverein divinitee.'

'Nothing,' quod I, 'nis more soothfast than this, ne more

ferme by resoun; ne a more worthy thing than god may nat

ben concluded.'

'Up-on thise thinges thanne,' quod she, 'right as thise geometriens,

whan they han shewed hir proposiciouns, ben wont

to bringen in thinges that they clepen porismes, or declaraciouns

of forseide thinges, right so wole I yeve thee heer as a corollarie,

or a mede of coroune. For-why, for as moche as by the getinge

of blisfulnesse men ben maked blisful, and blisfulnesse is

divinitee: thanne is it manifest and open, that by the getinge

of divinitee men ben maked blisful. Right as by the getinge

of Iustice [they ben maked iust], and by the getinge of sapience

they ben maked wyse: right so, nedes, by the semblable resoun,

whan they han geten divinitee, they ben maked goddes. Thanne

is every blisful man god; but certes, by nature, ther nis but

o god; but, by the participacioun of divinitee, ther ne let ne

desturbeth nothing that ther ne ben manye goddes.'

'This is,' quod I, 'a fair thing and a precious, clepe it as

thou wolt; be it porisme or corollarie,' or mede of coroune or

declaringes.

'Certes,' quod she, 'nothing nis fayrer than is the thing that

by resoun sholde ben added to thise forseide thinges.'

'What thing?' quod I.

'So,' quod she, 'as it semeth that blisfulnesse conteneth many

thinges, it were for to witen whether that alle thise thinges maken

or conioignen as a maner body of blisfulnesse, by dyversitee of

parties or of membres; or elles, yif that any of alle thilke thinges

be swich that it acomplisshe by him-self the substaunce of

blisfulnesse, so that alle thise othre thinges ben referred and

brought to blisfulnesse,' that is to seyn, as to the cheef of hem.

'I wolde,' quod I, 'that thou makedest me cleerly to understonde

what thou seyst, and that thou recordedest me the forseyde

thinges.'

'Have I nat iuged,' quod she, 'that blisfulnesse is good?'

'Yis, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that soverein good.'

'Adde thanne,' quod she, 'thilke good, that is maked blisfulnesse,

to alle the forseide thinges; for thilke same blisfulnesse

that is demed to ben soverein suffisaunce, thilke selve is soverein

power, soverein reverence, soverein cleernesse or noblesse, and

soverein delyt. Conclusio. What seyst thou thanne of alle thise

thinges, that is to seyn, suffisaunce, power, and this othre thinges;

ben they thanne as membres of blisfulnesse, or ben they referred

and brought to soverein good, right as alle thinges that ben brought

to the chief of hem?'

'I understonde wel;' quod I, 'what thou purposest to seke;

but I desire for to herkne that thou shewe it me.'

'Tak now thus the discrecioun of this questioun,' quod she.

'Yif alle thise thinges,' quod she, 'weren membres to felicitee,

than weren they dyverse that oon from that other; and swich is

the nature of parties or of membres, that dyverse membres compounen

a body.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'it hath wel ben shewed heer-biforn, that alle

thise thinges ben alle o thing.'

'Thanne ben they none membres,' quod she; 'for elles it

sholde seme that blisfulnesse were conioigned al of on membre

allone; but that is a thing that may nat be don.'

'This thing,' quod I, 'nis nat doutous; but I abyde to herknen

the remnaunt of thy questioun.'

'This is open and cleer,' quod she, 'that alle othre thinges ben

referred and brought to good. For therefore is suffisaunce requered,

for it is demed to ben good; and forthy is power requered,

for men trowen also that it be good; and this same thing mowen

we thinken and coniecten of reverence, and of noblesse, and of

delyt. Thanne is soverein good the somme and the cause of al

that aughte ben desired; for-why thilke thing that with-holdeth

no good in it-self, ne semblaunce of good, it ne may nat wel in

no manere be desired ne requered. And the contrarie: for

thogh that thinges by hir nature ne ben nat goode, algates, yif

men wene that ben goode, yit ben they desired as though that

they weren verrayliche goode. And therfor is it that men oughten

to wene by right, that bountee be the soverein fyn, and the cause

of alle the thinges that ben to requeren. But certes, thilke that

is cause for which men requeren any thing, it semeth that thilke

same thing be most desired. As thus: yif that a wight wolde

ryden for cause of hele, he ne desireth nat so mochel the moevinge

to ryden, as the effect of his hele. Now thanne, sin that

alle thinges ben requered for the grace of good, they ne ben nat

desired of alle folk more thanne the same good. But we han

graunted that blisfulnesse is that thing, for whiche that alle thise

othre thinges ben desired; thanne is it thus: that, certes, only

blisfulnesse is requered and desired. By whiche thing it sheweth

cleerly, that of good and of blisfulnesse is al oon and the same

substaunce.'

'I see nat,' quod I, 'wherfore that men mighten discorden in

this.'

'And we han shewed that god and verray blisfulnesse is al oo

thing.'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

'Thanne mowen we conclude sikerly, that the substaunce of

god is set in thilke same good, and in non other place.