the somme of the reasons, that thou haste concluded and proued, but thilke wordes that thou vsest, deliten me moche more so that at laste fooles, that sometyme renden great thinges, oughten been ashamed of hem self, that is to sain, that we fooles that reprehenden wickedly the thinges, that touchen Goddes gouernaunce, we oughten been ashamed of our self. As I, that saied that God refuseth onely the werkes of men, and ne entermeteth not of it. Philosophie. Thou haste well heard (quod she) the fables of the poetes, how the gyauntes assaileden Heauen, with the goddes: but forsoth the debonaire force of God, disposed hem as it was worthie, that is to sain, distroied the gyauntes as it was worthie. But wilte thou that wee reioynen togither thilke same reasons? For perauenture of soche coniunccions, maie sterten vp some faire sparke of sothe. Boecius. Doe (quod I) as thee list. Philosophie. Wenest thou (quod she) that God ne bee almightie: Boecius. No man is in doubt of it certes (quod I). Philosophie. No wight ne doubteth it, if he be in his minde (quod she). But he that almightie, there nis nothyng that he ne maie. Boecius. That is sothe (quod I). Philosophie. Maie God doe euill (quod she)? Boe. Naie forsothe (quod I). Phi. Than is euill nothyng (quod she) sith that ye maie dooen none euill, that maie doen al thinges. Bo. Scornest thou me (quod I) or els plaiest thou, or disceiuest thou me that haste so wonnen with thy reasons, the hous of Dedalus so enterlasing, that it is vnable to bee vnlaced, that thou otherwhile entrest there thou issuest, and otherwhile issuest there thou entrest. Ne foldest thou not togither, by replicacion of wordes, a maner wonderfull circle, or enuironing of the simplicite diuine: for certes, a little here beforn, whan thou began at blisfulnesse, thou saidest that it is a souerain good, and that God is the blisfulnesse, for whiche thou yaue me as a couenable yefte, that is to sain, that no wight nis blisfull, but if he be God also therewith. And saidest eke, that the forme of good is, the substaunce of God and of blisfulnesse. And saidest that the ilke one is thilke same good, that is required and desired of al the kinde of thinges. And thou prouedest in disputing, that God gouerneth al the thinges of the world, by the gouernaunce of bountie, and saidest that all thinges wold obein to hym, and saydest that the nature of yuell is nothinge. And these thinges shewdest thou not with no reasons taken fro without, but by proues in cercles and homlich knowing. The whiche proues drawen to hem selfe bir faith and hir accorde eueriche of hem of other. Phi. Than said she thus: I ne scorne not, ne plaie, ne disceiue the but I haue shewed the thing that is greatest ouer all thinges, by the yeft of God, that we whilom praiden. For this is the forme of diuine substaunce, that is soche, that it ne flydeth not in to vtterest foraine thinges, ne receiueth not no straunge thinges, in him. right as Permenides saied in Greke, of thilke diuine substaunce: he saied thus, that thilk deuine substaunce, tourneth the world and the mouable cercle of thynges, while the ilke diuine substaunce kepeth it self without mowynges, that is to sayne, that he moueth neuer mo, and yet it moueth al other thinges. But nathelesse, if I haue styred reason that be not taken fro without the compasse of the thing, of the whiche we treaten, but reasons that been bestowed within compasse: there nis not why

But

thou shouldest meruailen, sith thou haste lerned by the sentence of Plato, that nedes the wordes mote been cosins to the thinges of whiche they speken.

Felix, qui potuit boni Fontem visere lucidum. Feliz, qui potuit gravis, &c.

BLISSED is that man that may sene the clere wel of good: blisfull is he that may vnbinden him from the boundes of heuy yearthe. The poete of Thrace Orpheus, that whilome had right great sorowe, for the death of his wife. After that he had maked and constrained by his wepely songes, the woodes mouable to renne, and had maked the ryuers to stonden still, and had maked the hartes and hyndes to ioynen dredlesse hir sydes to cruell lions, to herken his songe, and had maked that the hare was not agast of the hounde, which was pleased by song: so whan the moste ardaund loue of hys wife, brende the entrales of his breaste, ne the songes that hadde ouercomen all thynges, ne myghten not aswagen her lorde Orpheus. He plained him of the Heuen goddes, whiche that were cruell to hym, he wente him to the houses of the Hell: and he tempered his blandishinge songes, by resouning of stringes, and speakest and songe in wepinge, all that euer he had received and laued out the noble welles of his mother Caliope the goddesse. And he sang with as moch as he might of wepinge and with as moche as loue, that doubled his sorow might yeuen him and teache him, and commoued the Hell, and required and besoughte by swete prayer the lordes of soules in Hell of releasinge, that is to saye, to yelden him his wife. Cerberus the porter of Hell, with his thre beedes was caught and al abashed of the newe songe. And the thre goddesses, furyes and wengeresses of felonies, that tourmenten and agasten the soules, by anoy woxen sorowful and sory and teares wepten for pitee. Tho was not the heede of Ixion tourmented, by the ouerthrowinge wheele. And Tantalus, that was distroyed by the woodnesse of long thrust, dispised the floodes to drincke. The foule that hight vultour, that eateth the stomake or the giserne of Tytius is so fulfylled of his songe, that it nill eaten ne tyren no more. At the last the lorde and iudge of soules was moued to misericordies, and cried: "We been ouercomen” (quod he) “yeue we to Orpheus his wife to beare hym companie, he hath well ybought her by his songes and his ditees: but we will putten a lawe in thys, and couenant in the yefte, that is to saine, that till he bee out of Hel if he loke behinde him, that his wife shal lcome agayne vnto vs." But what is he that maye yeue a lawe to louers: loue is a greater lawe and stronger to him self than any lawe that men may yeuen. Alas, whan Orpheus and his wife were almoste at the termes of the night, that is to saine, at the laste boundes of Hel, Orpheus loked backwarde on Euridice his wife, and loste her, and was dedde. This fable aper taineth to you all, who so euer desireth or seketh to lede his thought in to the souerain daie, that is to saye, to clerenesse of souerain good. For who so euer be so ouercomen, that he fixe his eyen in to the pitte of Hell, that is to saine : who so ener set his thougtes in yearthlie thynges, all that euer

he hath drawen of the noble good celestiall, he leseth it, whan he loketh to the Helles, this is to saine, in to low thinges of the erthe.

THUS ENDETH THE THIRDE BOKE OF BOECE, AND HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH THE FOURTHE.

BOOK IV.

Hæc cum Philosophia, dignitate vultus, et oris gravitate servatâ, leniter suaviterque cecinisset, tum ego, nondum penitus insiti mæroris oblitus, &c. WHAN Philosophie had songen softly and delectably the forsaid thynges, keping the dignitye of her chere, and the weight of her wordes, I than that ne had a vtterlye forieten the wepinge and the mourninge that was sette in min herte, forbrake the entencion of her that entended yet to sain some other thynges..

O (quod I) thou that arte gyderesse of very light, the thinges that thou hast saide me hitherto, ben to me so clere and shewing by the diuine loking of hem, and by thy reasons, that they ne mowen ben ouercomen. And thilke thinges, that thou toldest me, all be it so that I had whilom forieten hem, for the sorowe of the wronge that hath be done to me: yet neuerthelesse they ne weren not vtterly vnknowen to me. But this same is namely a right great cause of my sorowe, so that as the gouernour of thinges is good, if that yuels mowen ben by any waies, or elles if that yueles passen without punishinge, the which thing only, how worthye is it to ben wondred vpon. Thou considrest it wel thy self certainly. But yet to this thing there is yet another thynge ioyned more to be wondred vpon. For felonye emperesse, and floureth full of richesses, and vertue nis not al onely without meedes, but it is caste downe, and eke fortroden vnder the fete of felonous folke: and it abieth the turmentes in stede of wicked felons. Of all whiche thinges there is no wight may marualen ynough ne complainen, that soch thinges be doone in the reigne of God, that all thynges wote, and all thinges maye, and ne will not only but good thinges. Than said she thus: certes (quod she) that were a great maruayle, and an abashinge without ende, and well more horrible than all the monsters, if it were as thou wenest, that is to sain, that in the right ordaine house of so moch a father, and an ordainour of meine, that the vesselles that ben foule and vile, shuld ben honoured and heried and the precious vesseles that shuld ben defouled and vile. But it is not so, for if the thinges that I haue concluded a lytell here beforne, ben kept hole and vnaraced, thou shalt wel know by the auctoryte of God, (of the whose reigne I speake) that certes the good folke be alway mightie, and shrewes ben alway outcaste and feble. Ne the vices be neuermore without pain, ne the vertues ne be not with out mede. And that blisfulnes cometh alway to good folk, and infortune cometh alway to wicked folke. And thou shalt well knowen many thinges of this kinde, that shulde ceasen thy playntes, and strengthen the with stedfaste sadnesse. And for thou haste sene the forme of verie blisfulnesse by me, that haue whilom shewed it the, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse is sette: all thing treated, that I trowe be

necessary, to put forthe, I shal shewen the the way, that shal bringen the ayen vnto thin house, and I shall fyxe fethers in thy thought, by which it may arisen in height, so that al tribulacion ydone away thou by my giding and by my pathe, and by my sledes, shalte mowen retourne hole and sounde in to thy countrie.

Sunt etenim pennæ volucres mihi, Quæ celsa conscendunt poli, Quas sibi cum velox mens induit, &c. THAN for thy swifte fethers that sourmounten the height of the Heuen, whan the swift thought hath clothed it in tho feathers it dispiseth the hatefull erthes, and surmounteth the roundenesse of the great ayre, and it seeth the clouds behinde his backe, and passeth the heyght of the region of the fire, that enchaufeth by the swift mouinge of the firmament, tyl that he aryseth in to the houses, that bearen the sterres, and ioyneth the way with the sonne Phebus, aud felawshipeth the waye of the olde colde Saturnus, and he ymaked a knight of the clere sterre, that is to saine, whan the thought is made Goddes knight, by the sekynge of clere trouthe to comen to the very knowledge of God. And thilke soule renneth by the cercle of sterres, in all the places there as the shinynge nyght is ypainted, that is to saine, the nyght that is cloudlesse. For on nyghtes that bee cloudlesse it semeth that the Heuen were "aynted with dyuers ymages of sterres. And whan he hath done there ynoughe, he shall forieten the laste Heuen, and he shal presen an wenden on the backe of the swifte firmamente, and he shall be maked parfite of the wurshipful light of God. There holdeth the lorde of thinges the septre of his might, and attempreth the gouernementes of the worlde, and the shining iudge of thinges stable in hym selfe, gouernethe the swifte carte or waine, that is to saine, the circuler mouinge of the sonne. thy way ledeth the ayen, so that thou be brought thider, than wylt thou saye, that is the countrye that thou requirest, of whiche thou ne haddest no mynde: but nowe it remembereth me well, here was I borne, here woll I fasten my degre, here woll I dwell. But if the lyketh than to loken on the derkenesses of the yearthe, that thou hast forleten, than shalt thou sene, that these felonous tyrauntes, that the wretched people dredeth nowe, shullen be exiled from thilke faire countrie.

And if

Tum ego, papæ, inquam, ut magna promittis. Nec dubito, quin possis efficere, tu modo quem excitaveris, ne moreris, &c.

THAN saide I thus. O wonder me that thou beheteste me so great thinges. Ne I ne doute not that thou ne mayste well perfourme that thou behetest: but I pray the this that thou ne tarie not, to tell me thylke thynges, that thou haste moued. Philoso. First (quod she) thou muste nedes knowe, that good folke been alwaye stronge and myghtye, and the shrewes ben feble and deserte, and naked of all strengthes. And of these thynges certes eueriche of hem is declared and shewed by other. For as good and yuell been two contraries, if so be that good be stedfaste, than sheweth the feblesse al openly. And if thou know

clerely the freelnesse of yuell, the stedfastenesse of good is knowen. But for as moche as the faithe of my sentence shall be the more ferme and haboundant, I wol gone by that one waye and by that other, and I woll confirme the thynges that ben purposed now on this syde, and nowe on that side. Two thinges ther ben, in whiche the effecte of al the dedes of mankind standeth, that is to sayne, wyll and power and if that one of these two faileth, there nis nothong that maye bee done. For if that wil lacketh, there nis no wight that vndertaketh to do that he wol not done: and yf power failethe, the wyll nis but ydle, and stante for naught. And thereof cometh it, that if thou se a wight that wolde getten that he may not getten, thou mayst not doute that power ne faleth him to hauen that he wolde. B. This is open and clere (quod I) ne it ne may not been deyned in no maner. Philoso. And yf thou se a wight (quod she) that hath done that he would done, thou nylt not dout, that he ne hath had power to done it. Boe. No (quod I). Phi. And in that that euery wight may, in that men holden hem mighty to done a thing. In so moch as a man is myghty to doone a thyng, in so moch men holde him myghty: and in that that he ne may, in that men demen him to be feble. Bo. I confesse it wel (quod I). P. Remembre the (quod she) that I haue gathred and shewed by the forsaid reasons, that all the entencion of the wyl of mankinde, whiche that is ladde by dyuers studies, hasteth to comen to blisfulnesse. Boecius. I remembreth me well (quod 1) that it hath bene shewed. Philosophie. And recordeth the naughte than (quod she) that blisfulnesse is thilke same good that men requiren, so that whan blisfulnesse is required of al? Boecius. It recordeth me nat (quod I). For I haue it alwaye in my memorie fyxed. Philosophie. All folke than (quod she) goode and eke badde enforcen hem without difference of entencion to comen to good. Boecius. This is very consequence (quod 1) | Philosop. And certaine is (quod she) that by getting of good be inen maked good. Boe. That is certaine (quod I). Philosoph. Than getten good men that they disiren. Boe. So it semet (quod I). Philosophie. But wicked folke (quod she) if they getten the good that they desiren, they ne mowen not be wicked. So it is (quod I). Philoso. Than so as that one and that other (quod she) desiren the good, and the good folke getten the good, and not the wicked folke: than it is no doute that the good folke ne be mightye, and wicked folke be feble. Boecius. Who so that euer douteth of this, he ne may not consider the nature of thinges ne the consequence of reasons. Philosop. And ouer this (quod she) if that there been twoo thynges that haue one same purpose by kynde. And that one of hem pursueth and perfourmeth that same thing by naturel office, and that other ne may not done thilke office naturel, but foloweth by other maner, than is couenable to nature, him that accomplisheth his purpose kindely, and yet he ne accomplisheth not hys owne purpose: whether of these two demest thou for more mighty? Boeci. If that I con ecte (quod I) that thou woldest say, algates I desire yet to herken it more plainly of thee. Philosop. Thou nylte not than denye (quod she) that the mouement of goynge nis in men by kynde. Boecius. No forsothe (quod I). Philosoph. Ne thou doutest not (quod she) that thilke naturell

:

office of goynge, ne bee the office of feete. Boecius I ne doute it no (quod I.) Philosophie. Than (quod she) yf that a wyght be mighty to moue and gothe vpon his fete, and another to whom thilke naturell office of fete lacketh, enforceth hym to go crepynge on his hande, whiche of these two ought to be holden the more mighty by ryght. Boece. Knytte forthe (quod I) the remenaunte. Philosophie. For no wyght ne douteth, that he that maye gon by naturell office of feete, ne be more myghtye thanne he that ne maye not. But the souerayne good (quod she) that is euen lyke purposed to the good and to the badde. The good folke seken it by naturel office of vertues, and shrewes enforcen hem to getten it by dyuerse couetises of erthly thinges, whiche that nis no naturel office to getten thilke souerain good. Trowest thou that it be any other wise? Bo. Nay (quod I). For the consequence is open, and shewinge of thinges that I haue graunted, that nedes good folke mote ben mightye, and shrewes moten bene feble and vnmighty. P. Thou renneste a ryght beforne me (quod she) and this is the judgemente, that is to saine, I iudge of right, as these leches ben wont to hopen of sicke folke, whan they apperceyuen, that nature is redressed and withstandeth to the maladye. But for I se the nowe, al redy to the withstanding, I shal shew the more thilk and continuel reasons. For loke how greatly sheweth the feblenesse and infirmyte of wicked folke, that ne mowen not comen, to that hir naturall entencion leadeth hem and yet almost thylke naturel entencion constraineth hem. And what were to demen than of shrewes, yf thike naturel helpe had forleten hem the whiche naturel helpe of entencion gothe alway beforne hem, and is so great, that unneth it may be ouercomen Consider than how great defaute of power, and howe great feblesse there is in wicked felonous folke, as who saith, the greater thing that is coueited and the desire not accomplished, of the lasse might is he that coueiteth it, and may not acomplishe. And for thy philosophie saith thus by souerain good. Ne shrewes ne requiren not light medes ne vaine games, whiche they ne mare not folowen ne holden, but they failen of thilke somme of the height of thinges, that is to saine, souerain good. Ne these wretches ne comen not to theffecte of soueraine good, the which they enforcen hem onely to getten by nightes and by dayes, in gettynge of which good, the strength of good folke is ful wel ysene. For right as thou mightest demen him mighty of going, that goeth on his fete till he myght comen to thylke place, fro the which place there ne lay no way further to begone: right so must thou nedes demen him for right myghty, whiche that getteth and atteineth to the ende of all thynges, whyche that bene to desiren, beyonde the which ende there nis nothings to desire. Of the whiche power of good folke, men may conclude, that we wicked men semen to be baraine and naked of al strenght. For why forleten they vertues and folowen vices, nis it not for that they ne knowen not the goodes ? But what thinge is more feble and more caytife, than is the blindesse of ignoraunce? or ells they knowen wel, whiche thinges they oughten folowen, but lechery and couetise ouerthroweth hem misturned. And certes so doth distemperaunce to feble men, that mowe not wrastlen ayen these vices. Ne know

Certes of ryght fayre mede and right great, abouen all medes. Remembre the of thilke noble corallarie that I yaue the a lytel here beforne, and gather it togither in this maner. So as God him selfe is blisfulnesse, than is it clere and certain, that al good people ben maked blisful, for they ben good and thilke people that ben blisful, it accordeth and is conuenable to be goddes. Than is the mede of people soch, that no day ue shal empairen it, ne no wickednesse shall drinken it, ne power of no wight ne shal not amenuse it, that is to saine, that ben maked goddes. And sithe it is thus, that good men ne failen neuer more of hir mede, certes no man ne may doute of the vndepartable paine of shrewes, that is to saine, that the paine of shrewes departeth not from hem selfe neuer mo. For so as good and yuel, and paine and medes be contrarie, it mote nedes be, that ryght as we se betiden in guerdone of good, that also mote the paine of the yuel answer by the contrary porthes to shrewes. Nowe than so as bountie and prowesse ben mede to good folke, also is shrewdnesse it selfe

tourmente to shrewes. Than who so euer is en

tetched and defouled with paine, he ne doubteth not, that he is entethed and defouled with yuel. Yf shrewes than wollen praisen hem selfe, may it semen to hem that they ben wyth outen partie of tourment, sithe they ben soch that the vttrest wickednesse, that is to saye, wicked thewes, whiche is the vttrest and worst kinde of shreudnesse, nede fouleth ne entecheth not hem onely, but enfecteth and enuenimeth greatly. And also loke on shrewes, that ben the contrarie partie of good men, howe great paine felowshipeth and fouleth hem: for thou hast lerned a litel here deforne, that all thing that is and hath beeinge, is one, and thilke same one is good than is this the consequence, that it semeth well, that al thing that is and hath beynge, is good, that is to saine, as who saithe that beinge, vnite and goodnesse is al one. And in this maner it foloweth than, that all thinge that faileth to be good, it stinteth for to be and for to haue any maner being: wherfore it is that shrewes stinten for to be that they weren. But thilke other forme of mankind, that is to saine, the fourme of the bodye without, sheweth that these shrewes weren whilom men, wherfore whan they bene peruerted and tourned in to malice, certes than they haue forlorne the nature of mankinde: but so as onelie bountie and prowesse maye enhaunsen euerie man, ouer men: than mote it nedes be that shrewes which that shrewdnesse hath caste out of the con

dicion of mankinde, bene put vnder the merite and deserte of men. Than betideth it, that if thou seeste a wight whiche that is transfourmed in to vices, thou maiest not wene that he bee a man. For if he be ardaunte in auarice, and that he be a rauenour by violence of forain richesse, thou shalte saine that he is lyke a wolfe. And if he be felonous and withouten reste, and exercice his tonge to chidinges, thou shalte lyken him to the bound. And if he be a priuie awaytour hydde, and rejoyseth him to rauishe by wiles, thou shalte saine hym lyke to the foxe whelpes. And if he bee distempred and quaked for ire, men shall wenen that be bearethe the corage of a lion. And if he be dredeful and flienge and dredeth thinges, whiche that ne oughten not to be dredde, men shal holde him lyke to the hart. And if he be slowe and astonyed and lache, men shall holde him lyke to a

an asse. And yf he be lyghte and vnstedfaste of corage, and chaungeth aye his studies, men shal holde him like to the birdes. And yf he bee plounged in foule and vnclene luxuries, he is withholden in the foule delyces of the foule sowe, than foloweth it, that he that forlettethe bounte and prowesse, he forletteth to be a man, sith he ne maye not passen in the condicion of God, he is turned in to a beest.

Vela Neriti ducis, Et vagas pelago rates, Eurus appulit insula, pulchra qua residens dea, Solis edita semine, &c.

EURUS the wind, ariued the sailes of Ulixes duke of the countre of Narice, and his wandringe shyppes by the see, in to the yle there as Circes the faire medleth to her newe gestes, drinkes that been goddesse doughter of the Sunne dwelleth, that touched and maked with enchauntementes. And after that her hande mighty ouer the herbes, had chaunged hir gestes in to diuers maners, that one of hem is couered his face with forme of a boor, of Marmorike, and his nailes and his tethe wexen. that other is chaunged in to a lion, of the countre That other of hem is newlyche chaunged in to a wolfe, and howlyth whan he wolde wepe, that other goth debonairly in the house as a tygre of Inde. But al be it so that the godheed of Mercury, that of the duke Ulyxes, byseged wyth dyuerse yuelles, is cleped that birde of Archadie, hath had mercy and hath vnbounden hym fro the pestilence of hys hostesse, algathes the rowers and the mariners hadden by this ydrawen in to hyr mouthes, and

dronken the wicked drinkes. They that weren of bread, for to eaten akorne of okes. None hir woxen swine, hadden by this ychaunged hyr meate limmes ne dwelleth with hem hoole, but they haue dwellethe with hem stable, that wepeth and bylost the voyce and the body, onely bir thought waileth the monstruous chaunginge that they suffren. O ouer light hande, as who saith, feble and light is the hand of Circes the enchaunteresse, that chaungeth the bodies of folke in to beestes, to regarde and to comparyson of mutacion, that is maked by vices, ne the herbes of Circes ne be not myghty, for all be it so that they may not chaungen the limmes of the body, algate yet they may not chaunge the hertes, for wythyn is yhyd the strength and the vigoure of men in the secretour of hir hertes, venims of vices, to drawen a man to hem more that is to saine, the strength of reason, but thilke mightely than the venime of Cyrces, for vices been so cruell that they persen and thorowe passen the courage within, and thoughe they ne anoye not the body, yet vices wooden to destroyen men by wounde of thought.

Tum ego, fateor, inquam, nec injuria dici video vitioses, tamelsi humani corporis speciem servent, &c. THAN saide I thus: I confesse and am aknowe it (quod I) ne I ne se not that men may say, as by right, that shrewes ben chaunged in to beestes, by the qualite of hir soules, all be it so that they kepen yet the forme of the bodye of mankynde: but I wolde not of shrewes, of whiche the thought