The Book of comfort called in latin Boetius de Consolation philosophy Translated in to englesse tongue.   

Prefatio Translatoris.  
un suffysance of cunning & of whit  
Defaute of language & experience  
This labour viche you have upon me put  
Must fully excuse unto your reverence  
if it be not with craft of eloquence  
Depaynted so as other books be  
yet must I needs do my diligence  
with all my power to please yo●ur sovereignty  
¶ This subtel matter of Boetius  
In his book of consolation  
So high it is so hard and curious  
Full far a bow my estimation  
That it be not by my translation  
Defouled ne corrupt to god I pray  
So help me with thy inspiration  
That art of wisdom both lock and key  
¶ As fro the text that I vary nougth  
But keep the sentence in his true intent  
And words eke as nigh as may be brougth  
where law of metre will thereto consent  
This matter wiche that is so excellent  
And passeth both my cunning & my migth  
So have it lord in thy government  
That canst reform all thing to rygth  
I have herd speak & somewhat have I seyn  
Of divers men that wonder craftily  
In metre some & some in prose pleyn  
Haveth this book translated diversly  
In to englesse tongue word for word well nigh  
But I must use the wits that I have  
Though I may not do so well/ yet truly  
with the help of god the sentence will I save  
To chaucer that was flower of retoryke  
In englesse tongue & excellent poet  
I woteful well I am no thing like  
Though I his making do conterfete  
And Gover that so craftily doth trete  
As in his books of moralyte  
Thougth I to him in making an unmeet  
yet will I she worteh that is in me  
it liketh not me to labour nor muse  
upon these old poises dark  
For cristen faith such things most refuse  
As witnesseth jerom the noble clerk  
it should be no cristen man's work  
though false god's names to renew  
For he that hath received cristes merke  
if he do so to Christ he is untrue  
Fro them that criste in heaven bless shall  
Such manner works must be put a side  
For certainly it nedet not at all  
To uhette now the darts of cupyde  
Ne for to bid that venus be our guide  
So that we may our foul lusts win  
lest hereafter the same to us betide  
As did to the said venus for her sin  
¶ And certain I have tasted wonder light  
As of the wells of calyope  
No wonder though I sympelly indite  
yet will I nofte unto Tessiphone  
Ne to her sisters that in hell be  
Beseking after craft of eloquence  
But may to god of his benignity  
My spirit to inspire with his influence 
¶ Calliope as poetes feigneth is one of the sons daughters & is one & chief of the ix muses & they call her goddas of eloquence. She hath. three wells Gramatica/ Dialetica/ & Retorica. of whom is drived all craft of eloquence Also they feyneth to be in hell three fusters called furyas or vengeresses/ that punish men for their mesdedes. the one is called Allecco/ another Megner/ & the three Tessiphone. These also be called muses of morning that tecyth & informeth men to mahe souroful complaints:   
¶ So that fro blame and confusion  
Of all this foul worldly wrechednesse  
He help me in this occupation  
To the honour of his blysfulnesse  
And in reverence of your worthiness  
Madame this work at your instance  
I have begun after my symplenesse  
In will to do you service and plesance   

Incipit Prologus.  
THe while that room was regning in her flores  
And of the world held all the monarchy  
She was governed then by emperors  
Andrea was renowned wonder nobly  
Till pride had set there hearts up on high  
Then began they to use crudelyte  
And reigned by rygurnesse and tyranny  
And oppressed sore the comynalte  
¶ For like as poverty causeth soberness  
And feebleness enforceth continence  
Rygth so prosperity and sykernesse  
is the mother of vice and negligence  
And power also causeth insoleuce  
And after honour changes good manners  
There is none so perilous pestilence  
As is high astate given to srewes  
¶ Of the which was Nero one and principal  
That such manner tyranny began  
Though he bore the diadem ymperial.  
yet was he a very cursed man.  
So cruelly he 'gan to regne than  
Heslew his master & his mother both.  
And moche he did that tell I ne can.  
Ho so hath it read he knoweth well the sooth.  
¶ The chief of holy church he slew also.  
Scent Peter & Paul both upon one day.  
And after them full many other more.  
And of the same it is I dare well say.  
That Paul writeth thus it is no nay.  
And saith now is the foune of wickedness.  
And figure rygth of anticristes lay.  
In whom shall be all manner of cursedness. 
Misterium iam operatur iniquitatis/ ut qui tenet iam teneat donec de medio fiat. ¶ Now saith sent Paul worchet the mystery & form of anticristes wickedness. which anticriste shall be like to him/ using none other lave but wylfulnesse/ leading his life in lusts/ finding occasions for to destroy all the good & virtuous/ cruel and full of unkyndly affections draing to him all the that be like to him in foul conditions.   
¶ For they that truly teacheth Christ's lore.  
To make men forlete their vice.  
Antecriste will punish them therefore.  
And all their preaching set at no price.  
So was he given to lusts & delyce.  
That what desire came unto his thougth.  
He would it do without more advise.  
For no thing than would he spare it nougth.  
¶ And he that would again his vices speak.  
And counsel him his lusts co refrayn.  
withouten more anon he would bewreke.  
He would him put in torment and in pain.  
And he that would his Instes oft withsayn.  
He ne was but dead if that he would appear.  
For such a cause Boecius was slain.  
Of whom this process after treteth here  
¶ And rygth these days men may see this same  
Of some that have the astate of governance.  
Ho so will their vices or lusts blame.  
They take it in despite and displesance.  
They will him do some mischief or mischance  
And though th' sat hold amend e& correct.  
vice/ in them it hath her sustenance.  
And good folk they holdeth as suspect  
¶ The year of criste. u hundred &. xv.  
when Anastasius was emperor  
Boetius this same of whom I mean.  
In Rome he was a noble cenatour.  
But in manner as a conqueror.  
Theodoricus reigned in Italy  
And Rome he held as king and governor  
He had it won by conquest in batayle  
¶ For Anastasius was not like  
Ne not so strong of many at jest  
He consented that Theodoryke  
Should regne in Rome & hold it at his hest  
And he would hold himself in the este  
He said it was according to his heel  
And for his ease in sooth he thougth it best  
For Romayns be full perilous with to deal  
¶ This king of Rome then Theodoryke  
Was full of malice and of cursedness  
And eke for cause he was an heretic  
The cristen people 'gan he sore oppress  
Boetius with all his business  
withstood 'em alway sparing none offence  
And him present often time express  
Reversed his unlawful judgements  
¶ He ne spared nought the height of his astate  
But ever he spoke agenste his tyranny  
wherefore the king hem had sore in hate  
And him exiled in to lombary  
To prison in the cyte of papy  
where as for a recreation  
Between himself and philosophy  
He wrote this book of consolation  
¶ In prose & metre interchangingly  
with words set in colour wonder well  
Of retoryke indited craftily  
And schewing that these wealths temporel  
Are not to be desired never a deal  
Ne worldly mischeffe nothing to be dread  
Enforseng us by reason natural  
So virtue fully for to taken heed  
¶ Then Anastasins had made his fine  
As time of age unto his death hem drawn  
Then aster hem was emperor justine  
A noble knygth a faithful & a true  
For cristes laves wonder well he known  
And kept them as a very cristen man  
And heretics fast he 'gan pursue  
That arrianes were called than  
¶ His letters then in to Rome he sent  
For to destroy all that heresy  
And fully gave them in commandment  
That they should put them out of company  
Theodorincus took this wonder high  
For he himself was holly one oh though  
This message he repelled utterly  
And made a vow it should not be so  
¶ And sworn but if the arrianes must  
Have their peses granted to them again  
He would not leave one in all that cost  
Of cristen faith but he should be slain  
And thus he bed the messengers sayn  
That if he would with arrianes strive  
saith the emperor with words plain  
Of cristen will I leave none a live  
¶ To constantinople he sent a none  
Of senators which that him lest  
And a mouges other pope john  
And bid them labour for their own best  
And ruthfully they made their request  
That justyne should this mandement relese  
For the cristen migth not been in rest  
But if he granted the arrianes piece  
¶ The emperor his malice understood  
Benyngly he granted them their bone  
And well he thougth that it was as good  
That matter to cease till eft soon  
And better mygth it afterward be done  
By good advise of wiser ordinance  
The arrianes so he let alone  
To usen forth there old governance  
¶ These messengers to the kings pay  
turned not so hastily again  
As he desired at a certain day  
wherefore in heart he had great dysdeyne  
And Boyce that lay in prison & in pain  
In exile in the cyte of Papey  
In Melayn he made him to be slain  
In Papey been his bones sickerly  
¶ And when these messengers at the last  
Returned were/ in heart he 'gan to brenne  
Pope john in prison than he cast  
Fer out in the cyte of Ravenne  
And made him closed in a narrow den  
where he ne mygth torn himself ne wend  
And soothe to say he went never thenne  
Till of his life he had made an end  
¶ Also the worthy noble Symmacus  
That was a man grounded all in grace  
The which in virtue was heroicus  
Theridamas left not such another as he was  
Vir heroicus is a man given all to contemplation & to virtue/ in whom all flesly passyous been quenched & repressed.  
without cause surfyt or trespass  
At Ravenne eke he slew him cruelly  
And after wards in that same place  
The next year he died suddenly  
¶ And as sent gregory doth himself write  
As yet his books maketh mentyon  
There was that time a holy heremyte  
As he was in his contemplation  
He did see Theodoryke in visyon  
Between Symacus and pope john  
Right as a theffe to his damnation  
How he was led/ & after that anon  
¶ In the isle of vulcane was he cast then  
That full is of a fire flame of hell  
Theryn alway in pains sore to brenne  
And with the foul fendes for to dwell  
For tyrants that so fierce been and fell  
Been arrayed such rewards for their meed  
I say you but as old books do tell  
Now to my purpose time is that I speed  
¶ And every lord or lady what you be  
Or clerk that liketh for to readen this  
Beseking louly with humility  
Supporteth where I have oft said a miss  
Correcteth only there that nedful is  
if word or sentence be not as it should  
Myself I am unsufficyant I iwis  
For if I could have better done I would  
Explicit prologus.   

¶ Reason and intelligens purely considered in kind of their worching haveth themself every again other/ as practic & theoric/ or as actyf & contemplatyf. And all though the worching of reason like to practyf in order & ꝓcesse in us that useth process go before intelligence as practycke goeth before theorich/ & actyf before contemplatyfe/ yet in worthiness & also in perfection of blestulhed/ intelligens sormounteth & is sovereign to reason. For the same treuthes that reason seeketh & findeth by discourse/ these pure blissful spirits (which been called iutelligences) saith & knoweth perfectly in the mirror of eternal lygth/ that is god's son with outen any discurse of reason. And moche more viche ne may not be perceved here of us in this pilgrimage. But rygth as a good practiser by exercise of labur & experiens of his craft/ may deserve to be made privy of soteltes of his craft & to be made a master/ rygth so a soul coniuned to bodily matter/ may by his good labour of discourse/ deserve to atteyu to be made privy by intelligence of all the same trouthes on high in bliss that these blesful spirits haveth of their first creation. ¶ By nature of the resonabelte of man's soul/ viche resonabelte is the form substantial of the self soul/ there should not be denied hem that he would desire. And that may be scheved by this skyle. ¶ The soul uhos form substaniial is reason or resonabilte/ he may of proper kind nought desire but reasonable. for if he other desired/ he were unreasonable. And if he desire but that is proper to hem of kind/ it may not of reason be denied him. But how is it that a soul coniuned desireth oft other than reasonable/ Theridamas be ii causes. One is for some souls for the intemperance & bosteynesse of their material body faileth in discourse In other that haveth clear discourse yet sensualite vych us the flesly part of the soul replieth ever a gen this discourse of reason/ asking his lusts as proper to his kynder And togth he be never ●o oft ausuered & concluded/ yet ever he resorteth to his first asking havyur ●o regard to all the reasons that may be made agenste him. Right as a man that faileth discourse who men calleth a mad man/ tough a man make to him never so great reasons/ yet is he not ansuered/ he feeleth them not/ but ever he resorteth to that he first began. ¶ This importunate pressenge of sensualite of such unreasonable replications encumbereth so the reason that he leaveth the true end that he had traveled for by discourse & entendethe to the lust of sensualite desiring things that be unreasonable/ which desire if it were grounded in sensualite vych is changeable/ it should a none bring the soul in to endless mischef. for there may no thing stand kindly that contrarieth his aune kind. Ne a reasonable spirit though he be movable in working & in affections yet of proper kind he may not will contradiction/ that is to say nove this & now the contrary for then he erred again reason So then a soul desiring that thyug that is unreasonable/ & consequently to his destruction/ by the high governed it is oftentyme denied him. wherefore he falls in to a peynful heaviness be cause he lacketh that he desireth/ or hath that him loatheth. And were not that the sensualite beareth this peyn the mischef were endless. wherefore the sensualite that is changeable & loatheth this peyn vylling to be delivered thereof/ sometime reforteth to reason forsaking such unskyleful desires & suffereth reason to have his kindly operations. And if this peynful heaviness be mored in the soul & reason fully overcome/ then falls a man in despair. & so some destroeth themselves by wilful death & so continued in perpetual peyn vythout end. Thus fell it of the first angel that desired undiseretly to be leken to god & for he migthe not have his desire/ he fell in peynful heaviness. but in heaven may be no pain/ And he mighth not will the contraty to that he one's villed/ he was so pure & simple of nature. wherefore without remedy he was cast in to mischef in the peyn of hell ¶ So it be fell of this noble clerk Boyce/ because he had that he would not/ that was prison & other tribulation. And also he wanted that he would have/ that was his astate in the cyte of Rome/ his house/ books/ & his other goods/ presens of his wife & children & his other friends uherof he was wron gfully spoiled & but out of his cyte/ exiled as a traitor/ he fell in to a peynful heaviness and made his complaint sayug. Alas I wretch. &c. But for asmuch as this heaviness was but the meving of sensualite/ viche of his nature is chaungable. And lest he fell in to full forgetting of himself & in the uttermost myschef. Reason comforteth the flesly kind/ reducing it to knoulege of it self/ & so to forget the heaviness that he was so grevosly peyned with for losing of his dignity/ wyffe/ children/ & goods afore rehearsed.   
Incipit liber Boetij de consolatone philosophy.  


Metrum primum.  Carmina qui quondam. 
ALas that I wretch uhiles I was in wealth  
And used lusty dytes for to write  
Now am I set in sorrow & unhelthe  
with tmorning my mirth I must respite  
Lamentable muses teacheth me to indite  
Of woe. with weeping they weteth my face  
Thus hath dysese destroyed all my delight  
And brougth my bliss & jolyte full base  
¶ And though that I with myschef now be met  
That false fortune loureth thus on me  
No dread fro me mygth these muses let  
Me to ensue in mine adversity  
My joy they were in all my jolyte  
Of you the that was so glad am & so green  
Now they solaceth my dreary destyne  
And in my age my comforteno we they been  
¶ Vnwarely age cometh on me hastily  
Heyngh on me for harm that I have had  
And soro we his hests hath hoten to be ny  
Whore heres on my head to rathe been spread  
All to me of blood my bodey waxeth bad  
My empty skin beginneth to tremel & quake  
I have no cause whereof I may be glad  
Thus morning for mysese my moan I make  
¶ A death of men a blesful thing it were  
if he would spare them in their lustiness  
And come to them that be of heavy cheer  
When they him call to lake their distress  
But oh alas how dull & deaf he is  
wrynging away fro wrecches when they cleped  
And worneth thenne with wonder cruelness  
The yes for to close that we'll & weep  
¶ But while fortune unfaithful & untrue  
Of lusty life was to me favourable  
Full suddenly my head to ground he dreu  
The careful hour of death unmerciable  
But now that she so changing & unstable  
Hath turned unto me her cloudy face  
This wrecched life that is uncomfortable  
Draeth along and tarrieth now alas  
¶ whereto you friends maden your a vaunt  
So often times of my felycite  
This worldly wealth is not perseveraunte  
Ne never abiding in no stabilyte  
For he that falls out of his degree  
Full sooth it is that stable was he nougth  
Ne he stood never in full prosperity  
That in to mischef was so low I brought  

¶ Fortune was depaynted after fantasy of poetes a lady sitting in mids of a while viche herself continuelly turned a bout/ she had two. visages/ one brygth & another dark. & in both she was blind  
¶ The commentor trinet assgneth three causes why that philosophy was described appearing unto Boyce in lekenesse of a woman The first cause is for this name philosophia as well in latin as in greke is put in the feminyne gender. The second cause is for rygth as a woman norysseth her child with her milk/ rygth so philosophy no ressched her disciples with the subtilyte of her science.  
The third cause is/ for a woman is of kind more tender and compacient for to comfort a man in mischef. And sith this clerk was fall than in to mischef as himself seemed/ he iuduced philosophy in lekenesse of a woman to comfort him in a s●akynge of his heaviness  
She was also descrived reverent/ for she maketh the people reverent in vyche she is impressed.  
The yees of philosophy been reason and understanding/ uherby philosophy is kendly perceived. ¶ They bren by desire of cunning ¶ They shine clear by possibilite of understanding.  
¶ Her myghtes been the virtue of her principles that never may be empted ne fully comprehended. ¶ The chyre of her visage is perfection of doctrine. the colour is fullness of truth. for the whole intent is for to perceive and conprehende truth. She passedde man's age/ for her truths been perpetual. not subget to time that mesureth man his age.    

Prosa prima. Capitulum secundum  Hec dum mecum Boecius loquitur. 
In murning thus I made my complaint  
And for to writ my fingers 'gan I fold  
For drerinesse I wax all feeble & faint  
That of my life almost no thing I told  
But upward at the last I 'gan behold  
In sooth I see so fair a creature  
I couth her not descriven though I would  
So femly was her shape and her feyture  
¶ She was so wonder reverent of her chyre  
Her colonr eke so lovely & so brygth  
Her yene bren semenge as for clear  
Passing far a boven man's sygth  
Albina thoe she were full fresh & clean of mygth  
As she had been full yongly of courage  
yet seemed she to every worldly wigth  
That she was over passed man his age  
¶ Her stature was of doubtful judgement  
sometime thus of comen men's meet  
And sometime was her stature so extent  
That with her head she seemed heavens bete  
And other while so high her head she gete  
She pierced heaven & migth no more be seen  
So that we moste the sygth of her forlete  
And all our looking after was in veyn  
Her clotheses were wrogthof thredessmale  
By subtel cratf of matter perdurable  
And with her hands by her own tale  
She had them wrogth I trow for no fable  
The beutey of them was full commendable  
But dusky they wereforleten as for eld  
As images that in smoke had stonden stable  
That be oot weshe ne wiped but seld  
¶ And in the him beneath made she had  
So as I could it know a greeks P. O.  
And in the bordure all a bow I rad  
And there also she had made a  
And so between these letters migth I see  
like to a ladder what that ever it mend  
whereon men migth alway fro 'gree to gre  
from there beneath upward ever ascend  
¶ Nevertheless some men by violence  
Had cut this clot & pieces born a weigh  
Such as they migth without reverence  
And did there with as was unto there pay  
This creature of whom I 'gan you say  
In her rygth hand small books were  
A septre also of full rich array  
For certain in her other hand she bore  
¶ And when this lady saw these muses there  
un to my beds side approaching neigh  
Enditing words to my weeping cheer  
She 'gan to look upon them fervently  
Ho she said let in this company  
Thus with their song this seek man to please  
That no thing heleth him of his malady  
But rather doth him grievance & dysese  
¶ Lo these it been she said that fowls feeden  
with the sweet venem of corruption  
And tender hearts maketh for to bleden  
with thorns of their foul affection  
They sleyn the worthy fruits of reason  
And only bringeth sickness in usage  
This is the kind of their condition  
And naught at all the sickness to assuage  
¶ if you she said with your dalyance  
Had driven fro me some foul unprofitable  
Less it should have done me displesance  
I might have boren it then as sufferable  
For why in such a foul that is unable  
May naught been harmed of my business  
But these that ever in studies hath been stable  
Should not be founden with your folesnesse  
¶ But goeth you fylthes out of my presence  
your sweetness would him bring at an end  
I shall him save with the self of my science  
That shall be more comfort unto his kende  
And thus this company a way 'gan wend  
And bitterly abashed them of their blame  
Showing well the habit of their mind  
Hanging down to ground their heads for shame  
¶ I than that nigh for tears saw right naught  
'Gan wonder moche what might this woman be  
marveling also greatly in my thought  
That so imperial of authority  
She made that many smartly fro me i'll  
I was abashed & hinge my head to ground  
what she would after done or say to me  
Than I abode & held me still a stound  
¶ But to my bed then 'gan she nyen near  
And on the corner down herself she set  
And sadly 'gan behold upon my cheer  
That so was then with tears all be wet  
And right thus she began wythouten let  
Complaining on my perturbation  
Because of myschef wherewith I was met  
Of me she made this lamentation   

Metrum secundum. Capitulum tercium.  Heu quam precipiti. Philosophta loquitur 
¶ Alas she said how this man's mind  
Is casten down in to full deep dullness  
Forlete the clearness of his proper kind  
And menting for to go to strange derknesse  
As often time as noyos business  
wythouten measure gynneth to encrece  
when worldly wind with myschef & distress  
Him hath byrafte all out of rest & piece  
¶ This is that man that sometime was so free  
To whom by craft was even for to con  
Up in to heavens to behold and see  
And to measure the move of the son  
By craft also the cunning had he won  
How that the moan changes for to prymen  
And what recourse the stars have run  
In their spears how diversly they moven  
¶ As victor hath he sotelly conquered  
The craft by number all he comprehendeth  
from uhens also these winds been a rered  
The smooth see that torneth so & wendeth  
why esperus at even so ascendeth  
Este/ in the west a down again to lout  
And what spirit so busily intendeth  
The round world to wend all a bout  
¶ And what a tempereth so the lusty hours  
Of the fair first summer seson  
Araing it with read rose flowers  
Of the vyche in winter been very feweor none  
And all this could he show by very reason  
In full years ho is that our feedeth  
with great grapes that the people pleson  
And other fruits that them all needeth  
¶ I wont he was also to seek & to know  
Prime causes for to tell of kind  
Alas witless now lieth this man full low  
Under full heavy bonds that him bind  
And now can he none other comfort find  
But heavily his face he hath down fold  
So is he all dysmayed in his mind  
That needs wrecched earth he mote behold   

Prosa secunda. Capitulum quartum.  Sebastian medicine. Philosophia loquitur. 
¶ But now of medicine ꝙ she have we need  
For in complaints lieth no remedy  
un to that purpose let our works speed  
She set her ye on me ententyfly  
Art thou not he she said which that I  
Have fed with milk while thou were young of age  
And sith with strenger metes tenderly  
Till thou were wexen a man of strong courage  
¶ And sith I gave the armour good & strong  
Wych but if thou had cast away fro the  
Thou mightest have be dysesed with no wrong  
But have been sure fro all adversity  
why art thou still she said knovest thou not me  
Is it for shame or thou art stoned sore  
The ne shameth nought I trow by cause of me  
Thou art a stoned of that me dreadeth more  
¶ And when she see me sytten doom & still  
She set her hand full saved upon my breast  
As here she saed no perel is of ill  
This man is with a letargy a rest  
A comen sickness that many hath oppressed  
That out of mind themselves have forlete  
Full esely this evil shall be redreste  
A little whate he hath hemself forget  
¶ He shall remember well & esely  
if I may first me make him for to know  
I shall his yeen wypen tenderly  
Of clouds dark that have them over grow  
And then he shall amend as I trow  
A pleyt she lapped of her garnement  
My yeen then that tears had beflowe  
She wiped till the darkness was all spent   

Metrum tercium. Capitulum quintum.  Tunc me discussa. Boecius loquitur. 
And when this cloud was cleansed fro mine you  
I was anon restored to my sight  
Right as when clouds clippeth in the sky  
The son is let to leme a down his light  
And rain clouds maketh in manner night  
But when a north wind chaseth them a way  
The son will show then his beams bright  
And as it were bringeth again the day   

Prosa tercia. Capitulum sextum.  Haud aliter trsticie. Boecius loquitur 
¶ But even so & in/ none other wise  
This drerynesse out of mine heart 'gan reach  
I looked up & 'gan me better advise  
if I might know the visage of my leche  
Than known I well by visage & by speech  
Mine own gentle nourish philosophy  
That me was wont to viset & to teach  
And fro yought had me in company  
¶ Do ꝙ I my worshypful masteres  
Of all virtues and of honest  
what do you in this wretched wilderness  
Comen thus a down out of the sovereign see  
In to this exile whether be cause of me  
As guilty made also of my trespass  
it ne beseemeth not your sovereynte  
For to be seyn in this unworthy place  
Phia.) O nory ꝙ she should I the forsake  
Sigh thou for me art falsely put in blame  
And not the charge also upon me take  
The which thou bearest for envy of my name  
To philosophy it were reprove & shame  
To leave an Innocent so thus a rayed  
And now at last redoute me of that game  
That is not new to me ne un a said  
¶ trowest thou that I have been not erst assayied  
Of wicked folk with perel & damage  
How have I been tormented & travailed  
with fulhardinesse & foul outrage  
Be foren Plato in time of elder age  
And while that Plato lived presently  
Socrates was slain & had to wage  
In my presence a crown of victory  
¶ The Epicures & The Stoicenes  
The heritage of there opynyou  
They caughten to them as for very means  
Of wealth fullness everych a portion  
And more of wiche I make no mention  
Haveth enforced them with sotelte  
Dravenge his words to their entention  
Of their opynatyve felicity  
¶ This same folk in partey of their a pray  
Caught this cloth that myself had weven  
And though that I rebelled & said nay  
To rent this clot/ ne would they not believed  
And with though clouts that they had me bereven  
They went there weigh & though all had been well  
And folysly they did themselves deceven  
And went I had gone with them every deal  
¶ And so for cause that they these pieces ber●  
Loo some men troved as fowls utterly  
That they had been with me familiar  
And in my household been abydyngly  
And so thorough error of this company  
Full many a fool is foul out of the way  
And by them been perverted perylosly  
And ween that all be wisdom that they say  
¶ Haste thou not herd of Anaxagoras  
That was exiled for be cause of me  
Of Socrates that eke enpoysoned was  
How zeno was tormented by cruelty  
And though that this be a strange thing to the  
yet Canio & Seneke as I trow  
And Sorane also in thy mind be  
For this is a late thing & well y knowe  
¶ Naught else these brought in to distress  
But for they were learned in my lore  
And all unlike as in their business  
To wicked folk that hated them therefore  
it is no thing that thou should wonder fore  
Though we be stirred with storms of desese  
Sigh that our purpose hath been ever more  
These wicked folks for to dysplese  
¶ And though thereof be hugy habundance  
yet nevertheless yet is to be reproved  
Foruhy they been withouten governance  
And naught but flod of error hath them moved  
And if they by this error this contrived  
Arese an host with strength & us assetteth  
Our governor by this is naught a grieved  
His treasure all in to his tour he fetteth  
These fowls laboureth than ententyfly  
On veyn things that may them naught avail  
And we that sitteth in this tour on high  
Full sure enough fro them that us assail  
In such a palace strong of apparyle  
whereto these fowls may not up attain  
we scorneth them of all their waste travail  
There business is everydeal in vain   

Metrum quartum. Capitulum seven.  Quisquis composito. Philosophia loquitur. 
¶ He that standeth clear & ordynate  
And proud haps suffereth under slide  
In all fortunes standing streght algate  
In wealth & woe can evenlych a bide  
The wood see that floveth to every side  
Him dredeh unto thing of his cruelty  
But what desese that may to him betide  
Him grieveth naught but standeth in one degree  
¶ The foul fire that out of hell reketh  
In the monteyn that cleped is vesene  
Ne thunder light that high towers breaketh  
Ne dreadeth not me/ what is it that you mean  
Why dredeye than you wrecches that you been  
Tyrants fierce that been withouten migth  
Put false hope out of our hearts clean  
And flesly dread putteth fro your sight  
¶ For if thou no thing of a man desire  
Ne what he may the don thou haste no dread  
Thou shalt deserve the wrecched man's Ire  
And in no wise he may the naught mysbede  
Ho so hopeth aught or dreadeth out of need  
He casts a weigh his shield & is unstable  
And knetteh a cheyn/ hemselfen with to lede  
where that them lust to him unprofitable  

¶ The covetous king Mida was made juge betvene Apollo & Pan by their both assignment for to demen whether the harp of Apollo were more delicyous/ other the shalmuse of Pan. And so when he had heard them both/ he judged that the shalmuse was swetter than the harp uherfor Apollo having indignation of his lewd judgement/ punysshede him in that party that was seeming the cause of his error/ and gave him long ass ears. ¶ Motally Mida is every worldly man that more appryseth the lust & like of the world them he doth any whit or ghostly wisdom. wherefore such men been dull & insensible to reason/ like to rude asses.    

Prosa iiij. Caplm viij.  Sentis ne inquit 
¶ feelest thou not whether my word be soft or sharp  
ꝙ she withyn thy heart ententyfly  
Or art thou like an ass to the harp  
That is not moved with no melody  
If thou covetest help or remedy  
Thou must unhele the wondes that the greven  
Be then a know & show me openly  
And hide it not for I the shall releven  
Boecius) ¶ I droe to me the might of my courage  
you been ꝙ I that brought me in astate  
Needeth it now to tellen my damage  
That haveth me had in your presence algate  
you knoweth in what degree I was but late  
Ne meveth you naught the manner of this place  
Is this the library where you with me sat  
when you were all my joy & my solace  
divine things dysputing there with the  
And other sciences that full lusty were  
when that I stood with you in this degree  
was than this mine habit & my cheer  
when I with you was wont to seek & lere  
Full privy points langing to nature  
How that the stars moved far or nyre  
Descryving it in numbers and figures  
¶ Forming in me the manner of my live  
I like unto the heavenly governance  
And teaching me to be contemplative  
I yield you thank with louly obecyance  
This was a sentence of your ordinance  
That Plato written if I well understand  
Full blesful were thestate of governance  
if only wise might it have on hand  
¶ Or if that they which have government  
would upon wisdom spend their business  
And Plato also to the same intent  
teacheth us thus/ thine own lore it is  
To wise men a skyleful cause is this  
For to desire astate of sovereynte  
lest wicked folk that will govern a miss  
receive astate & harm a comynalte  
¶ For if that wise men & virtuous  
Should thestate of sovereignty forsake  
Then other wicked folk and vicious  
would be full feyn the same astate to take  
And such as they been soveraynes would they make  
And wise people should be set at naught  
Thus should vice & wickedness a wake  
And treuth & virtue be to ground y brought  
¶ As showing therefore your authority  
I had desire to this entention  
That I had lered of your benygnyte  
To put it forth in execution  
witness upon your own dyscretion  
And god that hath you set in man's mend  
I coveted never administration  
But comen profit was both cause & end  
The hate that I have had & heaviness  
Of wicked folk is open evidence  
In maintenance of treuth & ryghtuesnesse  
By very freedom of my consciens  
Of wicked folk I spared none offence  
when Conigast the porayl would oppress  
I met him ever with mighty resistens  
And oft I let him of his cruelness  
¶ And Tranguyle provoste of the kings house  
How oft I cast him down of his malice  
And many a poor man & anguissous  
That weren asset by cursed covetise  
Of men that full of venem were & vice  
I halpe them oft in their adnersyte  
For to defend them out of such foleys  
Lo mine astate I put in jupardy  
¶ There was no man that me fro right withdrow  
To wrong by favour/ frenshyp/ or by wage  
But when I see the contres now & now  
Be put in thraldom & in foul servage  
what by tribute & what by carriage  
And what by raven & extortion  
As sore me grieved the harm of their damage  
As them that suffered tribulation  
¶ And when the province hoten Campaye  
was sore oppressed in a dear year  
So that no man must sell ne buy  
Till that the king had sold up his garner  
At snch a price so grenous & so dear  
That poor folk were harmed & a noyed  
Than I withstood the kings office  
Witting the king that statute I destroyed  
¶ And Paulyn eke a consuler of Rome  
Whom palace hounds had oppressed so  
That wrongfully his goods him benumb  
I received him whether they would or no  
Albyne that was a conseyler also  
That was a judged to a grievous pain  
Myself alone to saven him there fro  
Of Cypryane I suffered great dysdeyne  
¶ That had accused him (how seemeth you  
In palace have I hate & enmyte  
For love of right & were not thus enough  
For to be favoured of the comynalte  
Sigh I no frendshype have as toward me  
In kings court I have no love reserved  
Me seemeth than I should the surer be  
withouten fail where I have love deserved  
¶ But now by whom was I accused thus  
Forsooth of none that honest was of fame  
But one there was that height Basileus  
wych that be forehand founden was with blame  
And out of offyce was he put with shame  
And sith he fell at myschef & at need  
He was accept accuser of my name  
Alas thereto by geftes & by meed  
yet other ij. that haven me thus defiled  
were Gaudencius and Opilion  
The which the kings judges had exiled  
For certain surfeit that they had done  
In to the sanctuary than 'gan they gone  
Them to defend again the kings law  
But knowing thus the king commanded soon  
That out of sanctuary they should be draw  
¶ But if they voided the cyte of Ravenne  
By time assigned at a certain day  
And in their frounte an Iren should them brenne  
And be compelled for to go their way  
un to these false attaynte what shall I say  
Or to the kings cursed cruelty  
Upon that same day it is no nay  
They were admitted to accusen me  
¶ whether that mine art & occupation  
Deserved had thus falsely to be blamed  
Other else thus that my damnation  
Had made them true that false were proclaimed  
And was not fortune hereof foul a shamed  
That she rewarded not mine Innocency  
Unworthiness of them that were defamed  
Should none appeal have made in her presence  
¶ But peradventure you would wite the ground  
In to this exile why I am removed  
I would the senate had been hole & sound  
And in no manner hindered ne reproved  
This is the cause that I am sore aggrieved  
But you would wite the manner & the wise  
By cause of letters viche I had beryved  
Fro him that would the senators accuse  
¶ you masteres what will you demen now  
Shall I this blame forsake or call again  
lest that it should be shameful unto you  
Nay sekerly I shall it never with seyn  
I have it willed & ever shall certain  
That the senate were in rest & piece  
But the accuser hereafter to refrayn  
Or let him oft of his intent I cese  
¶ But vether to willen their prosperity  
Should been deputed for sin or felony  
And certainly they self in their decree  
Have put on me that point of treachery  
But unwise be they that to themself doth lie  
They may not change the meret of my deed  
Though that the fowls themselves will destroy  
My good will is worthy thank & meed  
¶ But unto me by doom of socrates'  
How so ever it stand in their intent  
I trow it be not laful nevertheless  
To deny a sooth or to a false assent  
But nevertheless all this verament  
Excuseth not me in no manner wise  
I put it holly in the judgement  
Of your selfen and of other wise  
¶ The process of this matter every deal  
I have it write & put in remembrance  
That men hereafter may perceive & feel  
How wrongfully I suffer this grievance  
But the ylke letters of their ordinance  
That in my name so falsely were contrived  
if I had had that liberty perchance  
There false fraud should plainly have been proved  
¶ Or had I at the examination  
Myself been present when I was accused  
Right by their own apart confession  
I 'trow' that they should have me clean excused  
This liberty were goodly to been used  
But now what liberty shall I a bide  
Of an answer I am fully advised  
if ever I should that liberty abide  
¶ As Canio unto the king answered  
That was accused of conspyracy  
Had I ꝙ he thereof known or heard  
Thou shuldeste have known it not sickerly  
And sooth to seyn the same wise would I  
Mine own letters better can I bestow  
And also procured them so privily  
That no thing thereof should the king know  
¶ yet hath not morning dulled so my mind  
That this should be the cause that I complain  
That wicked folk been alway so unkende  
A genste virtue such malice for to leyn  
But this is it where I have dysdeyne  
Not only for the purpose of their will  
But that they may there purpose so menteyn  
I meruyl moche how they it may fu●●lle  
¶ For as to wyllen 〈…〉  
That may be of thee 〈…〉  
But that they have that power 〈…〉  
To execute that so purposed is  
As Innocency & virtue to destres  
Only of that I meruele in my mind  
As in his sight that all thing seethe express  
it seemeth me a monster out of kind  
¶ wherefore there was with you familiar  
One that complained thus & skylefully  
sith god is present here & every where  
Fro uhens cometh all evil this marvel I  
And if that god ne were not verily  
Fro uhens should all good things be  
But he that causeth things perfectly  
May know all and none in sooth but he  
¶ All were it leeful to though surfetours  
That all good men noyeth & dysesen  
Purposing for to sle the senators  
No wonder were though they would me losen  
For ever my purpose was them to dysplesen  
And let them of their foul entention  
To senators yet gave I none encheson  
For to conspyren my damnation  
¶ And masteres you remembreth well  
That uhatsoever I thought to done or say  
Both word & work you ruled every deal  
And all by you I governed me alway  
And eke the senators it is no nay  
For their defence they knoweth every one  
In what perel I put me at one day  
A gen the the king myselfen at verone  
¶ you knoweth well that I ne say but so the  
Though I myself had kept it in silence  
For certainly alway I have been loath  
To be commended of my excellence  
For he that will be fain of reverence  
And so receveth reward of renown  
The privy secret of his conscience  
appeareth moche by that condition  
¶ But here you may yourself take heed  
For innocency now what worchyp have I  
For virtue loo receive I to my meed  
pains that proper be for felony  
And ho had ever for any treachery  
His judges so concord in cruelty  
For guilt that was confessed openly  
That some of them ner moved with petty  
¶ All had it be so that I had desired  
The priests death or holy church y brente  
Or cruel death to good men conspired  
Or what malice so that I had ment  
yet should I have been deemed me present  
So convycre of my surfeit or confessed  
And after this have had my judgement  
Thus justly might my doom have been dressed  
¶ But then I being for that same while  
with all my labour & my diligence  
Fro my judgement five hundred mile  
Having in court no advocate ne defence  
To death I was a judged in absence  
Me being in the senators needs  
And they consenting given was the sentence  
Loo how I am rewarded to my medes  
¶ O worthy men of worchyppe & of meed  
For none of them came never at that degree  
To be convyct of such a manner deed  
As to withstand a kings cruelty  
As I have done for their comodyte  
And therefore were they of my guilt a shamed  
For thy in foyling of the dignity  
with sorcery now they have me defamed  
¶ They sayen for covetes of high astate  
That I had used craft of sorcery  
But you that were my governor algate  
you knoweth well how falsely that they lie  
For fro my heart you hadden utterly  
A voided clean all worldly covetise  
And in your presence might not skylefully  
Such sacrilege be used in no wise  
¶ For every day you putten in my thought  
These sothfast sentence of Pictagoras  
That many gods should we serve not  
But one alone that maketh corn & grass  
it needed not/ ne none accord it was  
To me/ but full unsembly in your sight  
The help of foul ghosts to purchas  
Sigh you have made me like to god almight  
¶ Also my wise that is full Innocent  
And other friends of my compaygne  
My wives father also reverent  
Fro such defaults may defend me  
But o malice & cursed crudelyte  
This blame they beareth on you by evidence  
By cause that my governor you be  
They say that I use such enchauntementes  
¶ And this to them it seemeth not enough  
That reverence of you me naught profiteth  
But eke my guilt they putteth upon you  
And mine offence fully you they wyteth  
another thing my sours yet excyteth  
That men saith not the meret of your deed  
But saith alway when that fortune us smiteth  
Of our meret it was deserved need  
¶ And saeth that wealths & prosperity  
Cometh unto us for our rightuesnesse  
And also when there cometh adversity  
it falls only for our wickedness  
with fortune goeth our fame & worthiness  
Owe noble thing so light it is to lose  
And certainly the first thing it is  
That fleeth a way fro wrecches in mysese  
¶ what rumours now this folk will of me find  
How divers sentence & how varyente  
it loatheth me to think it in my mind  
For every man of me saeth his intent  
And this it is that most my heart shent  
There is no fortune grieveth me so sore  
As when that myschef is to wrecches sent  
Men saith it was deserved there before  
¶ I am a way fro all my good y put  
Also despoiled of my dignity  
And to my heart it noyeth more yet  
My name defoyled in the comynalte  
And for the benfet of mine own bounte  
Lo now I suffer torment & distress  
And in my heart me seemeth that I see  
How felons folk beth on their lustynesse  
¶ And every lorel ready is & boon  
Some new coniected frauds to devise  
And good folk hangs the head a down  
Jest they be served in he same wise  
And every surfetour now dare accuse  
By cause of favour & unpunishment  
The good men to defoulen & despise  
And proudly to performen their intent  
¶ stirred thereto by geftes & by meed  
And rightuesnesse may have no reverence  
So Innocentes leaveth now in dread  
Not only that/ but lacketh their defence  
A genst malice is made no resistance  
But sothfastnesse is had in all dysdeyn  
That god will suffer this in his presence  
A cause I have to cry & me complain   

Metrum iiij. Capitulum seven.  O stelliferi conditor or Phia loquitur. 
¶ O maker of the sterred heaven on high  
Eternally that sittest in thy throne  
Thou torneste heaven with a wonder swy  
constraining stars to thy law alone  
So that now in fullness of the moan  
Beshened with her brother's beams bright  
The small stars hedeth them full soon  
In her presence to shine they have no might  
¶ And when she to the son nyeth near  
Full soon she must her bright horns hide  
And hesperus that shineth bright & clear  
And showeth him in the cold even tide  
another year he is the sons guide  
A rising up full pale in the morn  
Loo needs in that course he must a bide  
For so thou hast commanded him before  
¶ In winter when that leves gone a way  
Thou shortest then the fair days light  
In hot summer lengthest thou the day  
And makest short the derknesse of the night  
And thou attemperest times by thy might  
That bore branches waxeth fair & green  
which that were defouled & unhyght  
By stiff storms of the winter keen  
¶ The sedes in winter that been sow  
Thou makest them to wexen fair & high  
And when that they been full to corns grow  
Thou makest them to rypen & to dry  
Thine old law there may no thing unplye  
Ne by no way there kindly course forlete  
Owe god that governest all certainly  
Now only man's work thou hast forget  
¶ why shall fortune tornen up so down  
This thing that is in thy government  
These wicked folk to set in high renown  
And driven down the good & innocent  
with pains that by righteous judgement  
Ben dew to catyffes for their cursedness  
Loo faithful men been shamed & y shent  
And wicked folk been set in worthiness  
¶ Thus false folk the faithful have oppressed  
And virtue that so worthy is of name  
Is put in darkness till it be redressed  
The righteous beareth the wicked men's blame  
Forshoren men that been withouten shame  
They colour their deceits as them lust  
And usen they as for a comen game  
Deceyving them that most upon them trust  
¶ And after them they draeth to consent  
Kings great that many a man must dread  
And maketh them to perform their intent  
And them encumbereth with their cursedhed  
And as they lust rygth so they will them lede  
But now behold this wrecched earthly place  
Thou that knettest all in length & breed  
Now sometime send us succour of thy grace  
¶ For of thy work we been a portion  
Not foul/ but fair after the form of the  
we men that fortune driveth up & down  
A 'mong the wawes of this worldly see  
Repress this flod lord what ever thou be  
That knetteste all in certain ordinance  
Thou reuleste heavens in tranquillyte  
Now set us somuhat in that governance  

¶ it belongeth not a wise man to be moved with a fools word but rather to inform & teach & comfort him/ reducing him in to the bonds of reason. So was this clerk by excess of heaviness/ in manner fallen in to foley/ forleting the bonds of reason/ which philosophy calleth his kende country. for by resonablete man is made like to angeles & a very citizen of heaven. wherefore lest this painful heaviness should put him in despair/ bailly comforted him & saeth that he is not exile by the foresaid violence out of his kende country/ but by error of his own false deduction. For why as long as a man keepeth the knoving of his kendly principles/ he may not be compelled to leave the bonds of reason. but erren he may by his false deduction/ by vyche he weeneth that he be necessed & constrained to that false conclusion. But standing the knoulege of these forsaed principles/ he may return & examen his deduction by labour or by techenge/ & find out his error & consequently return again to the truth  
¶ Multitude of astates in a land or cyte is cause of great confusion/ for be cause that everych of them coveteth to be gretteste/ so that after his will may stand all the rule & governance. ¶ it betydeth oft that lords sotellen in destruction of other/ that be cause of favour of the cominalte/ by wisdom of governance/ or by excellence of cunning or of wit/ been preferred or like been to be preferred in to high astates so that they may the more freely & seketly werken as they would as for to win the astates that they de●yren/ or else the astates that they haven the more freely for to hold/ o'th' for to be prefered in excellens more singnlerly than other ¶ But in this realm of resonabelte that specially belongeth to the court of heaven/ there is but one lord & sovereign. the vyche is god/ principle and ruler of reason/ wherefore in so moche as any man leaveth after reason/ in how moche he is subgect to the rule of god's law. And in how moche he leaveth after reason/ & so moche he a bideth in his country & in his proper cyte. In which god alone is prince & governor Then ensueth thus/ that if a man be obesyant & subgect unto god's law. he may not be exile not put out of his country. Boetius complained him of no ghostly desese but only of harms bodily/ weling of his prison & wanting of kiss books To vyche complaint philosophy answereth & saith/ that him ought more to complain the perturbation of his spiret that so erred weling the lost of his temporal goods which must needs at last utterly be berafte him. Also she saeth he erreth foul weling for his books/ for why she had put in his mind though same things that maketh books dear and precious/ subtle sentences of reason & of kende  
¶ Sienim cuius oriundus sis patrie. The realm & the very country of resonablete is the bliss of heaven. And all the while we work after reason we been in our country as holy & hevenlych by manner of werkenge ¶ The realm of Athenes first was governed by kings/ vyche reigned the term of lives. And after that were ordained princes/ vyche reigned commonly ten ye0res'/ After these were made princes annual that reigned but one year/ & of them should be ix. at once. and of these here speaketh Boetius ¶ Romulus when he had founded the cyte of Rome/ that he might make the cyte copyous of people/ ordained this law that ho so would build in that cyte/ he should never been exiled after for no manner trespass.    

Prosa quarta  Hec ubi continuato dolore. Boetius loquitur. 
¶ when I with morning thus had made my moan  
She was no thing of my complaint a moved  
with pleasant cheer she held her still as stone  
soothly she said while oer thus I conceived  
That thou were exile & thy good beryved  
Right by thy weeping cheer I known it well  
But yet how far ne yet had I not perceived  
But thou thyself had told me every deal  
¶ Nevertheless understand now well this  
Thou art not exile out of thy cyte  
But thou thyself haste taken thy way a miss  
A strayed out in to a strange country  
And if thou ween that thou exiled be  
Than haste that put thyself out sekerly  
For that power hath none over the  
But thou thyself will do it willingly  
¶ For if thou knew or could have in thy mind  
As of what land or what cyte thou were  
Of which thou took thy nature & thy kende  
The laws of that land I could the lere  
For all the world ne may it not conquer  
Not like Athenes that many lords had  
But one lord one law & none other there  
That of his multitude is blithe & glad  
¶ He is full fain that folk will to him draw  
And willingly he will no wight forlete  
For to obey under his lusty law  
Is liberty the greatest that may be gete  
Ne knoveste thou not or else thou haste forget  
The law that alway there is had & used  
Ho so that lust theryn to build his sete  
The lord he will not that he be refused  
¶ And ho so will in that place a byden still  
He may deserve none adversity  
But also soon as he forleteth that will  
He may no longer in that pales be  
For he forfeteh then his liberty  
And fleeth his country of his own assent  
when that he sueth sensualyte  
Forleting reason in his judgement  
Thou askest where the manner of this place  
Me with the for to morn moveth aught  
Me moveth more the manner of thy face  
For this prison moveth me right naught  
Thy lybrary with glass & juery wrought  
neither thy books set I at no price  
But I seek the habit of thy thought  
Where I have made a sete at my devise  
¶ For in thy heart I have no books put  
But things that maketh books precious  
Sotel sentence of cunning & of wit  
wiche un to me was more delicyous  
Of thy meret thou haste remembered us  
The wiche thou haste on comen wealth bestow  
Full sooth it is & not suspecious  
Some haste thou said & yet well more I know  
¶ Thou haste also rehearsed furthermore  
The manner of thine accusation  
And the guilt that thou art grieved fore  
Full honest in thine estimation  
None harm deserved ne damnation  
But rather reward for thy business  
And now for thy remuneration  
Thou haste no thing but harm & heaviness  
¶ And shortly haste rehearsed every deal  
The false frauds of thine accusers  
wiche the comen people knoweth weal  
The wrongful doom eke of the senators  
That rather should have been thy defensours  
Thou soroest also greatly for my blame  
The which I bear for the of surfetours  
Thou welest eke the losing of thy fame  
¶ But at last with fortune 'gan thou chide  
That meed with meret was even weigh  
why surfetours been suffered in their pride  
And good men a grieved thus I herd the say  
And in thy song to god thus 'gan thou pray  
That the ylke piece that is in heaven on hay  
This wrecched world should keep under his key  
That now is ruled thus uncertainly  
¶ I understand all thine entention  
But yet soon in that other side I see  
That moche desire of thine affection  
Hath now distracted & dystrobled thee  
And put thy mind out of tranquillyte  
As sorrow/ morning/ heaviness/ & Ire  
And while that thou art in this degree  
Thou mayst no mighty medicine endure  
¶ wherefore we shall attempten & assay  
Now with a little lighter remedy  
That doleful sorrow for to put away  
That in thy heart is wexen hard & dry  
with esy self a chafe it and defy  
A medicine than that more mighty is  
Amenden shall that malice esely  
That soroful swelling lightly shall we lose   

Metrun quintum. Capitulum. xi.  Cum phebi radiis. Philosophia loquitur. 
¶ Ho so that will in hot summer seson  
when that the son in cancer is y set  
Sown his corn he worcheth out of reason  
And of his trust no doubt he shall be let  
By that he hath with winter days met  
Of other purueyance he shall have need  
And but he can govern himself the bet  
with akernes his hunger must he feed  
¶ And when the north wind bloveth kine & cold  
In winter time a very foul he were  
In wild wood that gether flowers would  
Or ripe grapes in the time of ver  
it falls not that ceson of the year  
The flowers fresh ne ripe fruit to find  
For god hath set all thing in earth here  
To kepen ever one certain course of kind  
¶ He ne suffereth not the stounds for to melle  
That he hath set in certain governance  
As in there offyce every thing to dwell  
They may not faylen with no variance  
what thing that leaveth certain ordinance  
A biding not withyn the course of kende  
He prospereth not but falls in mischance  
He may not faylen of a feeble end  

¶ Here before hath philosophy enquered the quality & condition of the grievance that this clerk was in. Now here she beginneth to enquere the rote & the original cause/ viche standeth specially in three things one because he soroed unskylfully that is to say of measure the lost of his temporel goods. The second stood in error of false opinion troving that wicked mighty men to the world were by might of wickedness welful. The third that he troved the enterchaunging of fortune by vyche often times the good been depressed and the wicked resed/ was without rule of god's purueance. So the very ground of all his heaviness/ was ignorance or else more verily to say forgetting of divyn governance/ as touching the kende of man/ vich error he was fallen in/ by false deduction fro his first principles. for he granted well that god was maker & governor of al. but be cause that he sufferedde wicked folk to execute their malice upon the good/ vyche execution is very open wrong/ to vyche wrong god that is perfit righteous by no way may consent▪ wherefore he supposed that god had forllete the governance of man/ committing their rule to fortune's unstabilyte from known principles by very true deduction/ a man is brought to exclusion of error by conclusions deduced of this principle. So of this principle that god governeth all as precedent to his proper work/ which Boyes confessed/ it ensueth well that god forleteth not the governance of man/ but dresseth his works rightuously. To vyche conclusion this clerk feled the contrary. The fallace of this consequent of this foul error than is founden in three things. One in false deduction. another in defaute of knovenge of the manner of governance. And the third of knoving verily the kind of man. In this his deduction failed that. for cause god wetyngly suffereth wrongs/ he said other god consenteth to wrong (viche is inconvenient) other he forleteth the governance/ & suffereth in that wise. but this foloeth not/ for he snffereth wrongs knovyngly both by righteous & by mercy & yet he consenteth not ne farleteh not his governance By ryghtuesnes he may compel no creature again the principal property of his kende. But the property of man's will is for to be free to good or to yvel/ than shall not god bereave him that liberty. but rightuosly suffereth him choose so that for his good chose he may deserve meed/ & for his bad chose he deserveth pain. ¶ if god should bereave him this liberty then failed mercy/ for them must he needs utterly destroy him/ or put him in to endless punesment. for bereving the principal property of a creature/ that creature is utterly destroed. as bereave hete fro fire/ then is it no fire Right so bereave liberty fro free will/ then is it no will. But sy●h a spiret may not be destroyed. if he should lose this liberty of will/ 〈◊〉 must then anon be put in to endless punishment/ & this must a void mercy. This may be proved thus. if god left this evil unponeshed finally/ then might he seem to consent to evil/ but that may he not no more ne may he leave it finally unponeshed. if he berafte him his liberty/ then might he never after deserve meed in releving of his puneshment/ & then must he needs be endless in pain/ wherefore of mercy & of rightuesnesse he suffereth wickedness. But here might be saed that god of his goodness might let the execution of such malicious purpose/ Not doubt so he doth for the more partey. For though malice be executed/ yet faileth it the full intent of his execution.    

Prosa sexta. Capitulum xij.  Primum igitur pateris. 
But first she said will't thou suffer me  
Now with a few demands for to feel  
The very kende of thy infirmyte  
And all the ground to gropen every deal  
that I may weet how thou might have thy hele  
Boecius) Now saith on ꝙ I what you lust  
That you enserche my sore I will it well  
And I shall answer as me thinketh best  
Phia) Say meshe said how is this world demened  
As whether by fortune his variance  
Or else thou trowest that it is sustened  
By reason of some certain ordinance  
Boetius) That god knoweth that hath all in governance  
This doubt I not/ but truly I believe  
Come never that day that me befall that chance  
Out of my heart that sentence for to meve  
Phia) Right as thou sayest ꝙ she so it is  
And in thy song while oer right so thou meant  
But neverthelater thy complaint was this  
That god on man set no government  
Ne to their works taketh he none intent  
That thing it was that thou 'gan weep & we'll  
All other thing thou wouldest well consent  
That god had set it at certain governele  
¶ O that I wonder now full hugely  
sith thou in such a sentence art y set  
That thou art seek of any malady  
Some thing there is whereby thy hele is let  
wherefore the ground I shall enserchen bet  
sith god himself all things ruleth  
Thus sayest thou while ere/ but say me yet  
By what governments as the seemeth  
Boecius) your sentence ꝙ I have I not conceived  
I can not answer to your question  
Phia) In sooth ꝙ she now am I not deceived  
The causes of thy perturbation  
I know them well by estimation  
But say me yet if thou have this in thy mind  
To what purpose by inclination  
Draeth finally the comen course of kind  
Boecius) I have ꝙ I herd tell it here be forn  
But drerynesse hath marred all my thought  
Phia) yet hast thou not ꝙ she thy wit forlorens  
That thou ne wost ho hath this world wrought  
Boecius) O god ꝙ I hath all thing forth y broft  
Phia) I wonder than she said how may this be  
Of the beginning sith thou doutest nofte  
The end may not been unknoven pard  
¶ This is the kind of such desturbelance  
That they may move a man out of his place  
But nevertheless such manner of grievance  
Ne may him not all utterly arace  
Ne put him fully fro the state of grace  
Might thou remember that thou art a man  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I this were a wonder case  
if I should not myself in mind han  
Phia) yet canst thou ꝙ she tellen furthermore  
The kindly ꝓperte of man what it is  
Boecius (you ꝙ I as I have herd be fore  
A reasonable best with dedlynesse  
That I am such I know & will confess  
Phia) Naught else ꝙ, she knovest thou of thy kende  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I noft else as I gece  
Ne nought but this can I have in my mind  
Phia) another cause now know I well ꝙ she  
Of thy desese & that I wonder great  
wiche is the ground of thine infirmyte  
For what thou art thou hast thyself forget  
wherefore the reason fully have we gete  
Of thy desese/ & furthermore a mean  
How that thou shalt it utterly forlete  
And thou to health be restored clean  
¶ For cause thou art confounded in thy wit  
with the forgetting of thyself/ for thy  
That fro thy good in exile art thou put  
Thou weenest/ & complainest pyteosly  
And furthermore also as suppose I  
For thou ne knovest what the end of things is  
Thou trowest that wrecches full of felony  
That they have very might & welthynesse  
Thou hast forget by wiche governements  
This world is led this makest thou thy colour  
That these fortunes enterchaungementes  
Ben fleting thus withouten governor  
Lo these been causes of right great vygour  
Not only to sickness & desese  
But unto death if that thou fail succour  
That may the with these bitter pains lose  
¶ yet nature hath not all forsaken the  
worth thanks be the auctor of thy hele  
we have yet one comfort that I see  
That shall thy sorrow slaken every deal  
This sothfast sentence have we saved well  
That god this world hath in his governance  
Thus thou believest as I conceive and feel  
And naught subject to haps variance  
¶ Ne dread the naught for of this little schyn  
A lyfly hete shall springen in thy breast  
But for asmuch as mighty medycyn  
To give the yet the time is not best  
And for as moche as minds thus oppressed  
Haveth this nature & condition  
That when they have true conceits jest  
They cloth themselves in false opinion  
¶ whereof derknesse & perturbation  
May wexen up that fully will destroy  
The syghth of true consideration  
where for I shall a say sotelly  
To a void with some esey remedy  
This dark cloud if it may voided be  
Of false affection/ and esely  
The very lyȝth than migth thou know & see   

Metrum. seven. Capitulum xiij.  Nubibus atris condita nullum. 
The stars covered with the clouds black  
Ne may not clearly casten down their lyȝth  
And when the wood south wind doth a wake  
He waleweth up the see with hugy might  
The wawes then that were clear & bright  
like as the glass or as the summer's day  
with filth that is resolved been on hyghth  
And fro these wawes letteth our sight always  
The river running out of high montens  
Is often time withstanden hugely  
As by some stone encontering there a gens  
The which is fallen fro some rock on high  
if thou therefore will't seyn ententyfly  
with true beholding truths for to dame  
Loo/ take this path & hold it certainly  
Gladness & dread out of thy heart thou fleyn  
¶ Ne joy thou naught of worldly welthynes  
Ne dread the nothing of this worldly dine  
Ne hope thou not that transitory is  
Ne sorrow thou naught but if it be for sin  
For every thofte that these regneth in  
trouble & dark it is & may not see  
He is so wrest a way he may nofte win  
And bridled so that he may not be fire    

Incipit Liber secundus.  

Prosa prima. Capitulum secuudum.  Post hec paulisper 
THen after this a stound she held her still  
And when she by a temporet stylnesse  
See well that mine attention & my will  
was set to hearen her with soberness  
Thus she began if it be as I gese  
Quod she/ that I the ground & cause know  
Of all the habit of thy heaviness  
I can the tellen fully as I trow  
¶ In thy desire thou soroest & complainest  
Upon fortune that with the was a while  
which that hath perverted as thou feynest  
Thastate of thy courage in this exile  
I understand her wrenches & her wile  
Of the ylke fortune wonderly dysgesed  
The wiche to them that so her lust beguile  
Not first in the/ but ever she hath them used  
¶ She will be pleasant & familiar  
Full blandesshing/ full soft & deboner  
Till that her like for to change her cheer  
And atlast forlete them in despere  
Albina out of hope that ever she will repair  
if that thou known her kende & her desert  
That thou by her ne hadst no thing fair  
Ne naught lost thou shouldest know apart  
¶ But as I trow withouten great travail  
we shall revoken this to thy science  
For thou were wont to dispute & assail  
with manly words drawn of my science  
when that she blandeshing in thy presence  
So pleased the/ but certain sooth is this  
There falls never such sudden chaungementes  
That your courage somewhat ne changed is  
¶ So is it now befall it is no nay  
That thou art put out of tranquillyte  
But time it is to tasten & assay  
Some soft things that sweet & lusty be  
That when it hath his deveyr done in the  
I hope it shall the amend & dispose  
That stronger drinks may have there entre  
That shall the heal up as I suppose  
¶ Come forth now sweetness retoryens  
with sotelty of thy suasyon  
Wiche only then thy ways canst demene  
When thou ne levest our institution  
Mysyke also with sweetness of thy sound  
That art a damsel of our own house  
Attempre well thy tunes up & down  
That to this man may be delycyous  
¶ what is that man/ whereof canst thou complain  
what is the cause of all thy heaviness  
Some new or uncouth things hast thou seyn  
Fortune again the only turned is  
Now trowest thou so/ then errest thou y wys  
For always such her manners hath be  
But she hath kept in the her stabelnesse  
That kendly standeth in mutabilyte  
¶ Right such she was with all her blandyshing  
when she such flattering plesance 'gan the make  
To lere the lusten in these worldly things  
That passeth right as doth the clouds black  
Take heed/ that blind goddas hast thou take  
with double face of doubtful adventure  
For she it is that hath the now forsake  
Of whose frendshep there may no man be sure  
¶ if thou approve in thine opinion  
Her goodness when she is to thy plesance  
Take thou a worth than her condition  
And use it must thou with her varyance  
complain the naught make no contraryance  
And if the greseth of her treachery  
Than cast her of/ despise her with mischance  
That to pley is wont so harmfully  
¶ The cause that hath the now with sorrow schent  
Should move the now with joy & lustiness  
She hath the left/ the which oer she be went  
There is no wight that may have sekernesse  
And holdest thou this as for a welthynesse  
Of preciosty/ that thus a way shall slide  
And now so dear to the the presence is  
Of this fortune unfaithful to a bide  
¶ And when she goeth/ to morn she you maketh  
Sigh halden at your will she may not be  
She leaveth wrecches the that she forsaketh  
She is nofte else than/ as seemeth me  
That so uncertainly will fro you i'll  
But sign of mischef that shall after fall  
Loo than/ is this all your felicity  
Naught but a fair that you foloeth all  
¶ For it sufficeth not I the ensure  
Only to say one thing that is present  
The end of things prudens doth measure  
For why this divers interchaungement  
For weal to woe that fortune hath the sent  
it should the teach her menace noft to dread  
Ne to her blandyce take right none intent  
To her behests take no manner hide  
¶ For at last the behoveth need  
Sigh thou hast once in her yoke draw  
To suffer all that fortune will the bede  
with esey heart & stand thy lady awe  
And if thou to thy lady write a law  
To go or come at thine ordinance  
Thy labour loo/ availeth not an haw  
Thou wrongest her with thine unsufferance  
¶ Now suffer then & take it not to strange  
Jest thou her feerser in her wreath find  
And sharp the swords wiche thou mayst not change  
Thou mayst her not compellen out of kende  
For if thou have thy sail up in the wind  
Thou mayst not choose where thou shalt arrive  
For what so be the purpose of thy mind  
Thou must there/ as the weder will the drive  
¶ if thou thy corn wilt in the fields sow  
it may not wexen as thy wits fain  
For in thy thought thou must conceve & know  
Some years been plenteous & some bareyn  
Ne for to grow thou mayst it not constrayn  
And if it fail/ thereto what mayst thou done  
How ever it be/ to whom shalt thou complain  
Lete nature all herself therewith alone  
¶ Thou hast the put under the governance  
Of fortune/ loo she must thy lady be  
un to her manners owest thou obecyance  
And if thou purpose to enforcen the  
To stint her uhele of mutabilyte  
Of all fowls yet art thou the meste  
For when fortune standeth in stabilyte  
The name of fortune may no longer lest   

Metrum primum. Capitulum ij.  Hec cum superba Philosophia loquitur. 
¶ When that thus fortune with her hands proute  
Hath thus her stounds changed to & fro  
As Erinus 
Erinus is a river that sometime runneth one way/ sometime another so that she useth no ready course/ ne certain in to neither partey. So fareth fortune byche indifferently and uncertainly giveth both mischeffe and prosperity.  that runneth in and out  
So wonderly her uhele begenneth to go  
Full ryal kings casts she dove in woe  
The which some time many a man 'gan dread  
And some that lieth dyscomfet & undo  
Loo these untrusty/ lifteth up your head  
¶ She thus of wrecches hath no pity  
Though that they weyle & weep day & night  
She scorneth eke so wonder hard is she  
The wailing that herself hath them dight  
Loo thus she playeth thus proveth she her might  
To her servants showing many a wonder  
For he that high in wealths was now right  
withyn an hour he lieth casten under   

Prosa ij. Capitulum iij.  Vellem autem tecum. Philosophia loquitur. 
MENANDER lnst to plede a little now with the  
with such words as fortune may  
Loo saith she/ right now look thyself & see  
Me seemeth well such words might she say  
what is the man/ complaining every day  
what have I guilt/ what wrong have I the wrought  
what good of thine have I berafta way  
That was thine own or with thyselfen brought  
¶ Assign thou & I shall soon appear  
Be fore a juge that can this case redress  
And if thou canst thy purpose proven clear  
Of high astate/ riches/ or worthiness  
To any man that leaveth in dedlynesse  
That these things should appropryat be  
And certainly I shall the grant express  
That thine it was that thou now askest me  
When that nature in to this world the brought  
Out fro thy mother where that thou began  
I took the needy/ naked/ & with naught  
And I the nourished with my goods than  
And all with favour noreshed the to man  
wherefore impatient I find the now  
Have I the wronged/ tell me if thou can  
As in what points/ where with/ & as how  
¶ with all goods longing to my right  
I had the fully fret with habundance  
why should it not be fully in my might  
As fro the same/ wiche that I avaunce  
Mine hand withdraven after my plesance  
The joys thou hadst that was of my grace  
it was not thine/ take it for no grievance  
with wrong thou the complainest in this case  
¶ Why plainest thou I do the no duresse  
Ne violence as every man may trowen  
well liketh me such honour & riches  
Right as me liketh fully to be stawen  
The main need must there lady known  
with me they come & with me must they wend  
This dare I say if they had been thine own  
Thou mightest never have lost them in this kende  
¶ where I be she that only am forhyght  
To execute the custom of my law  
The heaven may the days make bright  
And eke at night she may her light withdraw  
The year also the earth may bestrawe  
with flowers & them eft with winter shined  
The see may now be calm withouten wawe  
And now with stiff storms torn & wend  
¶ But the said unfulsome man's covetise  
Me would now to stabelnesse bind  
A genst mine own manner & my wise  
But this my might is/ this play is my kind  
My swift while thus up & down I wind  
The high & low to enterchaungen oft  
That now be forn is/ eft mote be behind  
That now is law/ me lust to set a loft  
¶ Now worth upon my uhele if that the lust  
But on this covenant that I shall the say  
Thou must descend again thereto thou trust  
when that the reason asketh of my play  
Ne known thou not my manners ere this day  
How Croesus that was called king of Lyde  
That Cyrus oft a feared with great a fray  
yet Cyrus took him in his most pride  
¶ And in the fire he cast him for to brenne  
Loo how the effect was turned to reverse  
A little rain defended him fro than  
what befell him after books doth rehearse  
And when that Paul had take the king of pierce  
This Paul 'gan on him weep for pure pity  
what crieth all tragedyens verse  
But plaineth all on mine unstabylyte  
¶ Tragedies hen dytes made of certain people/ vyche begynnethe in wealth and prosperity/ and endeth in myscheffe & adversity  
They weepeth that sodenlyche I smite  
And welful realms oft I overthrow  
Thou learned this when thou were young & light  
Thou hast not yet forgeten as I trow  
That jupiter ij. tons had bestow  
Withyn the thresfold of his celer laid  
That one was good wine every man to know  
That other nofte/ now hast thou both assayed  
¶ And what if thou more plenty hast y take  
Lo of the better part of lustynesse  
what if I yet have the not all forsake  
what if so be that mine unstabelnesse  
May give the hope of better after this  
For why dysmay the no thing in thy thought  
Ne withyn the realm that comen is  
Thy proper law to use/ covet the naught   

Metrum ij. Capitulum iiij.  Si quantas rapidus. Phia loquitur. 
Though plenty wiche that cleped is goods  
Of worldly good/ would cast un you at one's  
As many habundances of richesse  
Loo as the see hath small gravel stones  
Other as stars when full many one is  
Full clearly shining in a lusty even  
yet this mankend of their ruthful moans  
Ne their complaints can they not leaven  
¶ And though that god of his benygnyte  
There prayer here & gladly would them please  
And of he's goods grant them great plente  
Of riches & honour fully to their ease  
Theridamas covetise yet/ may there no thing peses  
There cruel raven gapeth after more  
And always been complaining of desese  
And set at nofte all that they had before  
¶ what manner brydel might a man devise  
This wrecched lust to rulen & restrayn  
To this unthryfty men's covetise  
That ever the more they have the more they pleyn  
The thirst of having brenneth them with peyn  
For he that nedeles so fereful is  
And weyleth so/ forsooth I dare well sayen  
He is not rich though all the world were his   

Prosa iij. Capitulum u.  Hijs igitur verbis. Phia loquitur. 
¶ if that fortune might for herself sayen  
Right in these wise as I have said to the  
Thou hast not what one word to speak again  
And if thou have now say it unto me  
Defend thy quarrel (if thou canst) let see  
Thou shalt be herd till that thou have rehearsed  
And if thou canst not let thy plaints be  
Vnlaful quarrel aught to been amerced  
Boecius) Certain ꝙ I full fair is this to hire  
Of retoryke all full/ & honey sweet  
wiche only while they souneth in mine ere  
They lusteth well/ but soon it is forget  
For my desese so light is not to let  
For all so smartly as your song is cessed  
The grugging of my grievance is so great  
That all my mind with morning is oppressed  
Phia) Right so it is she saed/ but yet for that  
This is no remedy for thy sickness  
But again thy sorwes obstynat  
Again thine health it is a manar less  
But when I see that better seson is  
Of such as shall the percen to the rote  
I shall the serve/ & all that is a miss  
it shall redress & hoelly be thy boat  
¶ But jest that thou thyself a wrecche hold  
Now would I weet where thou remember not  
The manner of thy wealths many a fold  
Boecius) I hold my peace ꝙ I saeth on your thought  
Phia) when thou she saed were so low brought  
As orphelyn in manner desolate  
Fortune for the so goodly had wrought  
Thou were in cure of men of high astate  
¶ And drawn scythe in to affynyte  
Of princes & of men of governance  
Full lief to lords/ ere thou mightest be  
Aught worth thyself in worldly suffysance  
And set in high degree of alliance  
Honorio saed not then that thou were fully blessed  
Thy father in law whom virtue doth avaunce  
Thy wyf also so goodly & honest  
¶ Thy sons both sitting by thy side  
your worship went on every man's mouth  
And for to let these comen things slide  
what dygnytes thou hadst in thy youth  
That to full old men been werned in sooth  
But I delight to tellen more express  
Of soleyn things stranger & uncouth  
How thou were wrapped all in welthynesse  
¶ if any thing that mortal is in kende  
with any fruit of bliss be founden here  
There may no myschef put out of thy mind  
That day that when thy sons both in fere  
Hadden take thestate of consuyler  
And with assemble fro thy hons y lad  
Of senators & lords that there were  
with hugy press of people blithe & glad  
¶ And than in court when that thou saw them sit  
In setes belonging to their dignity  
There won thou joy of eloquence & wit  
As pronouncer of kings nobylyte  
Of all that folk behalding upon the  
And with thy preysing as victoryous  
So well thou feddest all that comynalte  
with geftes of thy words glorious  
¶ Thou feoffedest fortune then with words gay  
while she the norshed in her own delyce  
And such guerdon fro her thou bore a way  
The wiche in sooth was so high a price  
That never before that day at my device  
She granted not unto no comyner  
wilt thou a count with fortune/ art thou wise  
Of a rereage thou shalt not passen clear  
¶ For now at arst she hath on the behold  
And prynched on the with a bitter you  
But now considering clearly if thou would  
The manner of thy wealths by & by  
Of all thy joys leaving lustily  
And in that other side thy heaviness  
A counted all/ yet mayst thou not deny  
That thou ne haste yet a part of welthynesse  
¶ And if thou hold thyself infortunate  
Now for asmuch as these that wealths semen  
Ben passed thus/ no cause haste thou for that  
That thou in mischef should thyselfen demen  
For these sorrows that trobeleth thus thine heart  
And haldest them as for a grievous pain  
Ne doubt the naught but fro the will they start  
Than art thou set in welthynesse again  
¶ And wilt thou trow that thou the first be  
That to this life came as a sudden gyst  
Or wilt thou trow that any stabylyte  
In man's life be where upon to trust  
This knovest thou well it is nothing unwist  
That in an hour a man is at an end  
Loo all your life with death so is bet wist  
Now here you been/ & here a way you wend  
¶ And if so be as it betydeth seld  
That in fortune is any faithfulness  
Abiding with man till he the ghost up eld  
The last day yet of your life y wys  
A manner death eke unto fortune is  
what for'rs is than where she the forsaketh  
Fleing fro the of her untrustynesse  
Or thou fro her/ when death a way the taketh   

Metrum iij. Capitulum uj.  Cum polo phoebus'. Philosophia loquitur 
VHen that phoebus' beginneth for to spread  
Her bright beams out on every side  
As by the morning/ the stars for dread  
They waxeth pale beginning them to hide  
Forestes eke that large been and wide  
Full fresly in the first summer ceson  
The zephirus right as it were for pride  
with flowers hath depaynted/ you to plesen  
¶ And when that austere putteth out his horns  
And bitter blasts gynneth for to blow  
A bateth than the beutey of the thorns  
Thus all your lusts passeth in a throw  
The see also as every man may know  
Now may be calm withouten movone  
And suddenly oer any man will trow  
with tempest is it turned up so down  
¶ And sith the form of all this worldly things  
So selden is it that it standeth stable  
But changeth by so many varyenges  
And man's fortune is so transmutable  
Than wilt thou trust to goods deceivable  
This is a law withouten chaungementes  
There may no thing be kendly perdurable  
That is engendered of these elements   

Prosa iiij. Capitulum seven.  Tum ego/ vera inquam Boecius loquitur. 
¶ Than said I thus/ O worshypful nourish  
all virtue to feeden and sustain  
In all my wit/ but if I were unwise  
I can not weet but sooth is that you sayen  
And of my fortune sooth it is certain  
That wonder smartly hath she me enhanced  
But here upon it is that I complain  
That she undoth wiche that she had avaunced  
¶ For of myshappes to rehersen all  
it is the worst/ for to be well  
And in to myschef aster to be fall  
For this must shend a very heart of steel  
Phia) Though thou ꝙ she thus in thy wits feel  
By false conceit of thine opinion  
The truth ne aggrieveth the never a deal  
To wite it her/ yet hast thou no reason  
¶ And if this Idel name of welthynesse  
That so uncertain is/ yet moveth the  
with me now come & thine a counts guess  
Of thynghes wiche as yet) thou hast plenty  
The wiche thou hadst ever in most deynte  
when all in richesse fortune had the fret  
How might thou plain of thy felicity  
Sigh that thou hast thy best goods yet  
¶ yet whole & sound the father of thy wyf  
He leaveth loo/ honour & reverence  
Of all man kende/ which thou with thy life  
wouldest gladly obey standing in his defence  
Symmachus made of all sapience  
All full of virtue & of honest  
Though he be sure of any violence  
As to himself/ yet weyleth he for the  
Thy witty wyf so full of soberness  
So chaste/ so honest/ & so debonaer  
In short to conclude all her worthiness  
like to her father as his kendly heyer  
Full loath her life she leadeth in despaer  
Only to the she keepeth her careful ghost  
This one thing is that may thy wealth apayre  
This grant I well & do moon it most  
¶ And of thy sons wiche been consulers  
what shall I sayen/ but shortly that they be  
In manner print & as exemplares  
Both of their elder father & of the  
And every mortal thing as thou mayst see  
Upon this hath his princypal business  
This live to keep fro all infirmyte  
And unto man the dearest thing it is  
¶ And these to the been dearer than thy life  
I dare it well affermen certainly  
Lo Symmachus/ thy sons/ & thy wife  
Thou hast them yet now let thy tears dry  
For yet fortune is not thine enemy  
In all/ so ferforthe as thyself fainest  
Ne yet is not on the so fervently  
The tempest fallen as thou the complainest  
¶ For why good holding hath thine anchor hent  
They been full strong & cleaveth wonder fast  
The wiche/ thy comfort of this time present  
Ne hope of better/ suffereth not to be passed  
Boecius) Owe god ꝙ I thou grant it that they last  
For while they haldeth how that ever it stand  
Or how that ever these wicked winds wrest  
Yet in some manner shall we fleet a land  
¶ But how great beauty of mine apparel  
Is fro me gone/ yowselfen saith it best  
Phia) I have ꝙ she if it may aught a veil  
Promoted somewhat that thou were in rest  
But if so be thou thyselfen tempest  
Dysplesed with the sort of all thy life  
How should than thy myschef be redressed  
if thou wilt always set thyself in stryf  
But I ne may not suffer thy delyce  
Complaining with so grievous heaviness  
Always coniecting so in thy devise  
That somewhat wanteth of thy welthynesse  
For hoys that that leaveth in dedlynesse  
That in his wealths standeth so ordynat  
That he ne striveth always more or lass  
with the quality of his astate  
¶ Full anguesous they been as for the nonce  
The kende of worldly wealth I say/ for why  
For other they cometh not all at one's  
Or they ne standeth never stabelly  
For these hath riches loo habundantly  
Him shameth that his lineage is so low  
And these loo is renowned nobelly  
Yet had he liefer for poverty been unknown  
¶ Another hath both renown & riches  
He hath no wyf wherefore he is dysplesed  
These hath a wyf that to him lusty is  
Defaute of issue maketh him be desesed  
He note ho with his goods shall be sesed  
And these hath issue to his lust perchance  
yet haply of their vice he is unesed  
And weyleth of their wicked governance  
¶ wherefore in sooth there is no wight that can  
with proper fortune hold hemself a paed  
For why some thing is feled of every man  
That none knoweth but he that hath assaed  
And he that knoweth he is thereof afraid  
Set this thereto the every welful wight  
Full tender is to suffer & mysapayed  
If all thing fall not to his will a right  
¶ And he that worldly is most fortunate  
And set most hyely in prosperity  
Full little thing his bliss may abate  
That is not used in adversity  
How many trowest thou in this world there be  
if that they had the jest bliss of. seven.  
That I can tell of thy felicyte  
They would supposen that they were in heaven  
¶ This place of exile as thou hast it named  
Good country is to them that in it been  
And never the worse though it of the be blamed  
Thou art no wrecche but thou thyself it ween  
Though fantasy have brought the thus in tene  
And every fortune there again is good  
Ho so can in patience himself demene  
And suffer softly with an esy mode  
¶ Now tell me thus what wilful man is that  
That standeth in bliss as he can devise  
That sometime nold changen his astate  
when patience is put out of service  
what trobel with your wealths many a wise  
Is menged/ if you could it have in mind  
Though they be sweet to such as them use  
They will not be with hold when they wend  
¶ Than may you seyn by open evidence  
The myschef of these mortal things thus  
They standeth not though thou have patience  
Ne lusteth not in all thy anguysous  
O folly/ unwyt/ so erroneus  
Of mortal folk seeking themself without  
your welthynesse & it so plenteous  
Is set withyn yourself withouten doubt  
¶ I shall the show of thy felicity  
A sovereign point/ intend what I shall say  
Is any thing so dear worth unto the  
As is thyself thou wilt answer me nay  
if thou be hole thine own conclude I may  
Thou haste that thou ne wouldest forlete  
The wiche fortune may not bereven a way  
Till thou thyself it wilfully forfete  
¶ And that thou know that things temporel  
May not be such wherein thou shouldest find  
Thy blysfulnesse/ now understand me well  
And take these words hoelly to thy mind  
Sigh blysfulnesse is sovereign good of kind  
Hose life is reason & intelligence  
And sovereign good is thing that hath no end  
Ne may beraft the by no violence  
¶ Than upon this I may conclude & seyn  
That these fortune's mutabilyte  
To blesfulnesse may no thing attain  
Ne is not had by such unstabylyte  
And when so that this false felicyte  
Thus carrieth forth/ he wot or wot it not  
How false she is & always hath y be  
This division is immedyat  
¶ if he ne wot it not he is deceived  
what bliss may be than in this ignorance  
And if so be he hath well a perceived  
The manner of her kindly varyance  
He dreadeth than with full great grievance  
To lose that thing that lightly may be gone  
So that this dread with long continuance  
withdraweth his bliss wiche that he trust upon  
¶ Other if it be so that he lose his bliss  
He weeneth to stand in repreffe & in scorn  
And no doubt full little good it is  
whose lost with esey heart may be born  
And thou art he to who that here be forn  
it hath be showed by demonstration  
That man's soul ne may not be forlorn  
As thing that turneth to corruption  
¶ And clear it is that all this worldly weal  
As fro you men with death a way shall wende●  
Than may it not be doubted never a deal  
But sooth it is by reason & by kende  
if worldly bliss should be your final end  
And very form of all your welthynesse  
Than every creature of mortal kende  
with death must tornen in to wrecchednesse  
¶ But we have wist of many one here be fore  
To seek the fruit of bliss in their intent  
That haveth it bought full bitterly & sore  
By death/ by dolour/ by pains & torment  
How might it be then that this life present  
with any lusts/ might you welful make  
sith it is so that when this life is went  
They be no wrecches wiche it hath forsake   

Metrum iiij. Capitulum viij.  Quisquis volet Phia loquitur. 
HO so that lust to byld hemself a sete  
That should be mighty/ sure/ & perdurable  
That bitter Eurus brese it naught ne bete  
Ne fers floddes make it not movable  
The high hills be not profitable  
And moystey sands must he needs exchew  
For on the mounteyn may no thing be stable  
neither in sand no thing be true  
¶ For uhy/ the south wind bloweth sore a loft  
That on the monteyn may no thing be sure  
And sands that so loose been & soft  
An heavy borden may they not endnre  
To i'll therefore this perilous adventure  
A syker sete to set thyself a upon  
Take this in mind & do thereto thy cure  
To byld a law house on a syker stone  
¶ That is to sayen that thou shalt set all thy mind  
Upon that bliss that ever shall a bide  
And though so fall that the wood wind  
Torn up & down the see on every side  
In very rest/ thou mayst thyselfen hide  
As in thy castle full of blesfulnesse  
In lusty age than shall the well betide  
And set at naught this worldly wrecchednesse   

Prosa u. Capitulum ix  Sed quoniam rationum. Phia loquitur. 
But for asmuch as I have done this  
By my reason descending in to the  
To usen now (I trow that time is)  
Some medicine that more mighty be  
Now understand/ all were it so pard  
That goods wiche that fortune hath bestowen  
Should standen ever in perdurabelte  
How might thou ever account them for thy own  
¶ And these same that you acompte them best  
if that they were consydred as they aught  
Full foul they sholden seem & dyshoneste  
And been a counted for a thing of naught  
Now of riches how seemeth in thy thought  
why been they good/ whether of their proper kind  
Or for they been in to your ward y brought  
And should been good till that they fro you wend  
¶ What is it./ gold wiche that you call riches  
Or money gathered in your tresory  
But these showeth more their worthiness  
In putting out/ then keeping privily  
For avarous men been hated commonly  
And every wight will have them in dysdeyn  
And though that will dyspenden largely  
They shall have love & worship there again  
¶ And this good that thou dyspendest thus  
when it is spent a bideth not with the  
Than is thy money only precious  
when thou it hast pnt a way fro the  
Than in dyspending lieth the precyouste  
Of your treasure & not in hepes great  
it stint you never at no comodyte  
Ne availeth no thing till it be forlete  
¶ And what if all the gold that all men han  
As it is now in dystribution  
were assembled in an heap/ and than  
One man it had in his possession  
This gold then by this supposition  
All other men must needy make & bore  
And one man rich this is no question  
believing after all the world in care  
¶ A voice universal (I may conclude)  
At one's may without apeyrement  
fulfil the years of a multitude  
your riches is not so suffycyant  
For till they be departed & y spent  
To many men ne may they not be taken  
And these men fro whom they been y went  
They leave them pour when they have them forsaken  
¶ O strait & pour that riches may I call  
which all men ne may not have at one's  
Ne one have all/ but if that other all  
For poverty & for need make their moans  
And eke I marvel that these precious stonies  
That you be haldeth them so lustily  
And feigneth beauty in things where none is  
And their it is you can it not a spy  
¶ And what thing is it? brightness of colour  
why that this perry seemeth you so fair  
This weet you well the brightness is not your  
Ne naught of you/ but only it is there  
As by a light rebounding in the air  
And moche I marvel why you wonder so  
On things that may be a mend ne pair  
Your kendly good by nought that they may do  
¶ what thing is that that lacketh life & light  
what may be lekened to a creature  
That beareth life/ & reason hath there with  
That should be deemed fair as by nature  
And though they draw a beauty in figure  
Of him that made it/ yet in your presence  
They may not worthy been in no measure  
To be merueled of your excellence  
¶ And where these fields that been fair & green  
So full of flowers delighteth aught your sight  
Boecius) why should they not said I sigh that they been  
A fair part of the work of god all might  
For so some times when the see is bright  
we wonder moche/ & when the heaven is clear  
Upon the moan & stars in the night  
And on the son that shineth a 'mong us here  
Phia) ¶ But apperteyneh ꝙ she aught to the  
Mayst thou that beauty in thyselfen find  
darest thou reioycen that they in the be  
As thing subjecteth in thy proper kind  
Art thou depaynted seemeth in thy mind  
with flowers of the first summer seson  
Or art thou as a tree with rote & rind  
Mayst thou nourish fruits? trowest thou this by reason  
¶ And wherefore art thou ravished so in vain  
As though these goods should be thine own  
The which fro the been utterly foreyn  
And wonder fer as every man may known  
For why fortune (thou mayst it fully trowen  
Ne may not make them thine for to be  
The wych nature hath else where bestowen  
And utterly made fro the alien  
¶ For why the fruit that doth on earth encrecen  
Deserveth unto bests sustynance  
And little thing your need may a cessen  
So that nature have her suffysance  
why shouldest thou then desire abundance  
And ask of fortune superfluity  
sith that nature may have her plesance  
with little thing in prise & quantity  
¶ And if thou wilt her suffysance oppress  
with superfluity surfetously  
Other it will the bring in heaviness  
Other else the a noyen grievously  
But of this one thing certain meruyl I  
That thou wouldest semen fair & glorious  
As for to be clothed ryally  
In divers shape & colour precious  
¶ For if in clotheses any beauty be  
where by the sight is fair & agreeable  
That appertaineth no thing unto the  
But that matter hauled I meruylable  
Other the wit of him is commendable  
That made this thing this may be cause of word  
But that thou shouldest therefore be honourable  
As in your kenned/ you been full far a sounder  
¶ Or for to walken with a hugy rout  
And of main to be copyous  
May make the blysful/ nay wythouten doubt  
For I suppose that they been vicious  
They been a grievous charge unto thy house  
And may be cause of thy destruction  
And what if they be good & virtuous  
And very honest of condytion  
¶ why should their virtue other honest  
Be accounted as part of thy riches  
Or wherefore shouldest thou commended be  
Or have a thank of foreyn worthiness  
Loo in all these rehearsed here express  
The which as thou acomptest in thy thought  
As for thy goods clearly as I guess  
I have the showed that thine be they naught  
¶ In wych things as I have said beforn  
if thou no lusty beauty canst find  
why soroest thou that thou them hast forloren  
Or of the having enjoyest in thy mind  
if they be fair as of their own kind  
what may that apperteyn unto the  
For had they been fro the wythouten end  
Also fair & lusty had they be  
¶ For no doubt they be not precious  
For thou them hast & keepest busily  
But for they seemed the delycyous  
Thou them accompest in thy tresory  
what crave you then with so great a cry  
That you on fortune calleth thus alway  
with abundance in sooth/ as suppose I  
you seeketh for to dryven need a way  
¶ But yet the contrary to your intent doth fall  
For you needeth help (not little) to maintain  
And for to keep your precious things all  
Jest so be fall that you it lose again  
So moche the more your labour is in vain  
That you must live in heaviness & dread  
And this is sooth also that I shall sayen  
Ho so much hath/ of moche thing hath need  
¶ And little thing him needeth certainly  
That can his plenty measure on this wise  
Right even as nature needeth kendly  
And not unto the lust of covetise  
Ne can you not yourself better advise  
To see what good is set yourself wythyn  
But needs will you seken & devise  
In strange things your goods for to win  
¶ And thus of things that should be worthiest  
The order is perverted up so down  
The which is called a divine best  
By kendly might & meret of reason  
Ne can not known his own condytion  
Nor see the meret of his excellence  
But by the desire of vain possession  
Trusteth worldly riches to be his defence  
¶ All other bests haldeth themself a paid  
Of beauty that wythyn themself is  
But you men the which as I have said  
your god hath set you in such a worthiness  
That in your souls you beareth his lekenesse  
And be in kende so noble a creature  
you seeketh here by filth & wrecchednesse  
To enblemesshe your excellent nature  
you understand not ne will not see  
what wrong you do unto your creator  
sith he man kind hath set in this degree  
All earthly things to exceed in vaylour  
you do your dignity great dishonour  
To thrust it under most unworthy things  
Right as it were a lord & governor  
would make him subject to his underlynges  
¶ For if you should have this entention  
That all thing which is had of every wight  
Should more be set of reputation  
Than he that hath or aweth it by right  
you do yourself shame & great unhyght  
So foul things/ sith you dame them yours  
Submytting you as in your own sight  
To things where of you been the possessors  
¶ At your desert this falls verament  
The kind of man loo standeth in this degree  
That only than he is most excellent  
when that he knoweth his own dignity  
And there again eftsoons when that he  
Ne can not know his own worthiness  
He is be nethen bestyalyte  
And undercast to all wrecchednesse  
¶ A rude best his nature useth thus  
To may not know hemselfen kindly  
In man it is full foul & vicious  
His nature to forleten folely  
And thus your error showeth openly  
There you supposeth that such accydentes  
your kende that is so worthy & so high  
Should make fair by foreyn ornaments  
¶ it may not be that reason hath forfended  
For if such accydentes be fair & gay  
These accydentes aught to be commended  
But that covered thing it is no nay  
In his filth a bideth still all way  
And I deny & utterly dyspreve  
That any thing is good/ that harmen may  
Or aught the haver noyen or a grieve  
¶ Now is this sooth in certain as I guess  
Thou wilt it say/ I gabbe not of this  
For oft it falls that treasure & riches  
Maketh her lords for to far a miss  
sith every wrecched foul that cursed is  
Such gold & treasure uhoes that ever it be  
He will covet & will that it were his  
And therefore put his life in jeparde  
¶ And only them he holdeth worthiest  
That of such gold & treasure haveth enough  
For why he besyeth him with outen rest  
To have that good ne recketh he not how  
But thou that levest in such a dread now  
As though thou shouldest with sword or spear be stonge  
Hadst thou been pour it had been for thy prow  
Be fore the theffe thou mayst have gone & song  
¶ O/ wonder clear is this felicity  
Of mortal thing & worthy to be soft  
That reaveth a man of his tranquillity  
And maketh him destrobled in his thought  
I note how dear that bliss may be boght  
A man to win such a welfulnesse  
Thou art in peace the while thou hast it nought  
when thou it hast thou lesest thy sykernesse   

Metrum. u Capitulum x.  Felix nimium prior etas. Phia loquitur. 
¶ Full wonder blysful was that rather age  
what time that men couth halde themself a paid  
To feed themself with out such outrage  
With meet that true fields had a raid  
With akernes their hunger was a laid  
And so they couth cessen their talon  
They had as yet no quenty craft assayed  
As clarrey for to make/ ne pyment  
¶ To die purper couth they not bethynke  
The white flees with venem tyryens  
The running river gave them lusty drink  
And wholesome sleep they took upon the green  
The Pynus that so full of branches been  
That was their house to keep them under shade  
The see to kerue no ships were there seyn  
Theridamas was no man that merchandise made  
¶ Them leked not to saylen up & down  
But kept themself there they were bread  
though was full husche the cruel claryoune  
with eyger hate there was no blood y shed  
Ne therewith was none armour yet be bled  
For in that time ho dared have been so would  
Such bitter wondes that he would not dread  
wythouten meed for to lose his blood  
¶ I would our time might tornen certainly  
And these manners always with us dwell  
But love of having brenneth fervently  
Moore ferser than the very fire of hell  
Alas ho was that man that would him mell  
This gold & gems that were covered thus  
That first began to mine I can not tell  
But that he found a perel precious   

Prosa. uj. Capitulum xj  Quid autem de dignitatibus Phia loquitur. 
¶ But furthermore what shall I tell or sayen  
Of high power or else of dignity  
The which you magnyfyeth so in vain  
As though they should as high as heavens be  
Rygh as a thing of high felicity  
And folely you faileth all a miss  
Ne can you not wythyn your wits see  
where that very dignity & power is  
¶ And if it so be that a wrecched wight  
As often hath it fallen hire before  
In high astate or dignity be dight  
How fierce a flod may harmen you so sore  
The fire of Ethna may not harmen more  
That blasteth out & brenneth every side  
Such a wretch had better been vnbore  
Than such astates should to him betide  
¶ And certes thou remembreste as I guess  
Of the consulers' dignity  
That was the hyeste astate of worthiness  
In the beginning of your liberty  
They were so full of pride & cruelty  
wherefore your elders would it have removed  
And for the same cause fro your cyte  
The name of king was voided & repryved  
¶ And if so be that good men be raised  
To high astate as selden is that chance  
Ho is therefore of reason to be praised  
Not that astate/ but there good governance  
So than in virtue lieth the suffysance  
where by that honour cometh to dignity  
And dignity not by contraryance  
Maketh not virtue worshypful to be  
¶ This power which that is so sore y soft  
So dear worth & so clear in your intent  
what thing is it/ & why behold you nofte  
To wiche things you been presydent  
And uher upon your power is extent  
what if thou saw a wrecched mouse alone  
To cleymen power or government  
Of other mice/ thou wouldest laughed soon  
¶ And if thou wouldest behalden in thy mind  
what is the mortal body of a wight  
A freyler thing ne shalt thou none find  
That less hath of power or of might  
How soon it may beflayed or a fright  
Or dead by biting of a little fly  
Or by some worm that crepen may in right  
withyn a man's body privily  
¶ And ho is he that may do strength or forhis  
Or usen might or power/ say me this  
But only on a corruptible cors  
Right of the same kende/ that is his  
Other on thing/ that more unworthy is  
As on fortune/ or uhose might may attain  
By high astate/ pour ●or worthiness  
A free courage to arteyn or constrayn  
¶ Steadfast that hath hemself in rest  
And knetteh himself in reason every deal  
Mayst thou his piece bereave out of his breast  
un to thy will his purpose to compelle  
Of such a man (zeno) as some time it be fell  
A tyrant would have arted him by pains  
A certain counsel to be wrey and tell  
The wiche that was conspired him a geynes  
But then this man boat of his tongues end  
And in his face it spete/ so that he  
This torment wiche this same tyrant wend  
To have been matter of his cruelty  
This wise mau to show his liberty  
Of free courage that may not be constrained  
He made it cause of virtue for to be  
And set at naught how sore that he were peyned  
¶ And what is that of auger or of grame  
wherewith a man another may oppress  
That he ne may sustain of him the same  
if afterward such adventure encresse  
As we have learned that Busirides  
His own gests often had slain  
And afterward hemself of Hercules  
That was his geste: was done to death again  
¶ And Regulus full many one in batel  
Of men of affryke/ as thou hast it rad  
Had taken when he had governayle  
And cast them in to bonds sore & sad  
And afterward in manner was he glad  
For fere of pain to put forth his hands  
To though that first of him were sore a dread  
Than was he fettered in the same bonds  
¶ And wouldest thou setten by a man's might  
That may not let the same thing be wrought  
unto himselfen of the same wight  
The wiche he hath in to desese y brought  
And if so were as seemeth in thy thought  
if high astate might kendly contain  
Any proper good/ I ne doubt it naught  
To wicked folk ne should it never atteyn  
¶ Contrarious things that manner hath not used  
As for to be coniuned & y met  
For ever yet nature it hath refused  
And sith that often wicked men been set  
In high astate as it will not be let  
Than seweth this that no good kendly  
Hath that astate that suffereth to be knet  
To such that leadeth their lives wickedly  
¶ And loo the same I may well dame of all  
Fortune's goods be they more or less  
That most abundantly be wont to fall  
To wicked people full of cursedness  
For of all these I may suppose & guess  
That ho so hath strength a mighty man he is  
And in when may be founden great swyftnesse  
That man is swift/ so most it needs be  
¶ Thus music maketh a musytion  
And phisyke a physician to be  
Thus rethoryke maketh a retoryens  
The kende of every thing (we may well see  
Most needs induce his kendly property  
Ne suffereth not to be coniuned to  
None effects of contraryouste  
But all adverse things putteth him fro  
But loo your worldly riches hath not that  
For to restrain your cursed avarice  
Neither the power of none high astate  
May make him strong that is bond in vice  
That leadeth his life in lusts & delyce  
Ne dignity in shreved folk bestaved  
Maketh not them the worthier of price  
But rather maketh them unthryfty to be knowed  
¶ And uhy is this? in soothe for you delyten  
And reioycen in your fantasy  
False names on things to conterfeten  
All other/ than becometh them kendly  
For uhy/ the effects proveth openly  
That dignity/ that power/ that richesse  
Theridamas names beareth all unto  
As I have showed/ it sueth even express  
¶ And too this same I may concluden well  
Of all fortune's things (as seemeth me)  
In which there is no bounte naturel  
Ne cause why they should desired be  
For seld it is as every man may see  
They joineth them to good & virtuous    


As may thestate of good plente  
Of foreyn thing to needen nought at all  
But in it self to have all suffysance  
Of all good to speak in general  
¶ And furthermore what sayest thou/ erren they  
That such a thing a counten honourable  
The which is sovereign good/ for soothe nay  
For such a thing may not be repreveable  
That to all mortal folk is desyreable  
where to is set all their entention  
And also power/ is it commendable  
it is full good it is no question  
¶ How should might fro such a thing be ryved  
The which of all thing is worthiest  
And noble renown should it be reproved  
That is a thing so worthy & honest  
sith thing that is most excellent & best  
Must need be worchypful & reverent  
For every wight to win it is full priest  
And there to traveleth with their hole intent  
¶ But for to speak of anger or distress  
Or sorrow/ murning/ anguesse/ other pain  
Such things may not be in blysfulnesse  
Therefore of ●uche it needeth nought to sayen  
For in full little things men be fain  
To have & use that may them do solace  
And only this to haven in certain  
All worldly men enforcen to purchase  
¶ And for this cause desireth they abundance  
As lordship/ fame/ delyce/ & dignity  
There by to win & have suffysance  
Of honour/ revoune/ might/ & glad to be  
Than is it good as every man may see  
That men so fast seeketh in this wise  
And so traveleth everych in his degree  
To win it as they can best devise  
¶ In which desire appeareth openly  
How great & mighty is the strength of kende  
sith also be it that full diversly  
Dyscordeth loo the sentence of their mind  
yet all these consenteth at one end  
As for to love a thing that seemeth best  
For here to nature doth there hearts tend  
Till this be had they may not be in rest   

Metrum ij. Capitulum iiij.  Quamtas rerum flectat. Phia loquitur. 
it lust to shown by subtle songs  
And by the so●ne of delectable strenges  
How that nature that mighty is & strong  
Attempreth the government of things  
This great world with all his varynges  
So by her laws keepeth & sustaineth  
And by bonds that haveth no losynges  
Full sickerly she bindeth & restraineth  
¶ For though the lion of that strange land  
That height Pene/ the fair chains bear  
And taketh meet by gefte of man's hand  
And of their sturdy masters haveth fere  
Of who they often stiff strokes bear  
And softly they suffereth to be bete  
yet be they once loosed of that gere  
There old courage will they not forget  
¶ For if the hot blood of any best  
There foul mowthes have made read  
There high courage that long hath been a rest  
it will repair in to there cruelhed  
He casts then his chains over head  
And roareth fast remembering as it were  
His master first of whom he was a dread  
with bloody tethe than will he all to tear  
¶ The bird that singeth on the branch on high  
if he be closed in a cage of tree  
And lusty men him serveth busily  
with metes that full sweet & lusty be  
if he may once skyp out & be free  
His Insty meet he casts under foot  
And to the wood full fast seeketh he  
And beginneth to trute with a lusty note  
¶ A yerde that is grown up in length  
with man's hand bowed down to ground  
if that the hand remitteh of his strength  
The crop full soon will up again rebound  
And when the son is passed days stound  
As undergon the wawes of the west  
Full soon he hath a privy path y found  
And in the morning a riseth in the este  
¶ And so again the day beginneth spring  
Thus every thing rejoiceth in his kende  
There recourse againward for to bring  
And busily to tornen & to wend  
Loo this we should conceiven in our mind  
That all things must there order sew  
And the beginning joinen with the end  
And to themselfen make a circle true   

Prosa iij. Capitulum u.  Vos quoque terrena. Phia loquitur. 
But you earthly bests/ as it seemeth  
with a full thin Imagination  
your beginning as it were you dremeth  
I led by natural inclination  
And haveth in manner blind inspection  
As of the end of very blysfulnesse  
But error of your false affection  
Wythdraeth you to very wrecchednesse  
¶ Behalde & see now if it may be so  
where men atteyn mown in this wise  
un to that end that nature draeth them to  
Of blysfulnesse so as themself devise  
if so be that there nice covetise  
Of money/ honour/ or such other thing  
May make them fully to themself suffice  
That no good lack as unto their like  
¶ And than by these will I grant & seyn  
That a man may leaven blysfully  
But than eft in that other side again  
if they may not performen verily  
All that they have behyght them utterly  
But many goods lacketh that they miss  
will it not than apperen plenerly  
As a full false colour of blysfulnesse  
¶ But first of the I ask this demand  
As thou that were not yet full long a go  
In worldly wealths fully habundante  
whether thou a 'mong though wealths everichone  
As in thy courage/ never feldest thou none  
distress or grievance no time in thy mind  
Boecius) Certain ꝙ I that I can think upon  
In that astate couth I me never find  
¶ That I ne was always somewhat in distress  
Phia) And was not this ꝙ she the cause why  
That some thing lacked the as dyst thou guess  
The which thou wouldest have had presently  
And some thing eke thou hadst sickerly  
The which thou wouldest gladly have foregone  
Boecius) Right as you sayen right so it is ꝙ I  
Phia) Thou wyllest ꝙ she the presence of that one  
¶ And the absence of that other than  
Boecius) ꝙ I I grant I can not go there fro  
Phia) Now than ꝙ s; he needeth every man  
The same thing that he desireth to  
Boecius) Full sooth it is ꝙ I him needeth so  
Phia) Now than ꝙ she he that needeth aught  
He is not suffysant (Boecius) I said no  
As to himselfen he sufficeth not  
Phia) when thou she said were full in thy riches  
Thou suffered then this same unsuffysance  
Boecius) How else ꝙ I so it is express  
Phia) Than is it so ꝙ she that abundance  
Of worldly good may never a man a vaunce  
As to himselfen that he may suffice  
And need naught of foreyn purueyance  
And this is that they height to a complyse  
¶ And this is to be consydred I trow  
That money hath no kendly resystens  
For to defend the lords that them own  
That they ne may be rafte by violence  
Boecins) I grant well ꝙ I to your sentence  
Phia) And what ꝙ she though that thou sedyst nay  
sith every day men doth their diligence  
The strengest for to gete it if he may  
¶ For uhereof else be quarrels moved  
That men all day in courts them complain  
But for their good is falsely them bereaved  
By forhis or fraud & asketh it again  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I it is right as you seyn  
Phia) Loo then ꝙ she needeth every man  
Of succour & of foreyn help certain  
As for to keep the money that they han  
¶ Boecius) Honorio is that may denyen this ꝙ I  
PHia) And then ꝙ she should him need none  
Of such defence ne ward certainly  
Ne had he that money that he may foregone  
Boecius) There is ꝙ I no doubt there upon  
Phia) Loo then ꝙ she all your affyance  
Is turned you unto reverse a none  
For it bereveth you your suffysance  
¶ where by you ween in ease for to be  
And bringeth you in anguysse & distress  
Of foreyn help to have necessity  
yet would I know the manner wise express  
How need may been voided by riches  
where rich men ne hungereth never a deal  
Or where they may not thursten wilt thou guess  
where they ne may no cold in winter feel  
¶ But unto this thou wilt answer me soon  
That rich men have uherwyth every day  
There cold/ there thirst/ their hunger to for done  
As unto this in all I say not nay  
In sooth this will I graunten that they may  
By there good be comforted at their need  
But utterly to putten need a way  
That power have they not wythowten dread  
¶ For sith this need that always gapeth so  
To be fulfilled/ & after more it gredeth  
Is such a thing that never may be do  
Of kende ne speak I naught that jytel needeth  
But avarice that no thing fully feedeth  
Ne may not be fulfilled with habundance  
But in to more necessity you leadeth  
why trow you there by to have suffysance   

Metrum iij. Capitulum uj.  Quamuis fluente dives Phia loquitur. 
ALL were it that the rich covetous  
Had all of gold full running a river  
And also feel of stones precious  
As in his neck he might hem selfen bear  
And o●en on field his lands for to eyre  
His business yet till that he shall they  
He will not leave/ ne when he lieth on bear  
All his riches ne shall him not convey   

Prosa iiij. Capitulum. seven.  Sed dignitates. Phia loquitur. 
VHether dygnytes to such as them win  
May make them fully worshypful to be  
Other impressen virtue them wythyn  
And make vice out of their hearts i'll  
Not so for sooth thou mayst thyselfen see  
it is not wont to a voyden wickedness  
But vice that was all close in prevyte  
it maketh fully to be known express  
¶ where of it is I have right great dysdeyn  
That such wicked men & surfetours  
Should any time in dignity be seen  
There fore it was that one Catullius  
when he see one that height Nomius  
Set in a sete of worship in the town  
He called him a postem venomous  
All full of atter & corruption  
¶ Ne sayst thou not what shame & velony  
To such shrewd wicked folk it is  
For to be set in such honour on high  
For were not that/ yet their unworthiness  
Of other folk should known be the less  
And what perilous wouldest thou standen at  
ere thou wouldest bear an offyce/ shall I guess  
with a such cursed man dedecorate  
¶ Ne I ne may not demen in my wit  
That such wrecches should been honourable  
And worth that worship though they have hy●  
That been there to unworthy & unable  
But if thou see a wise man & an able  
And hoelly all fulfilled with sapience  
wouldest thou dame that man as repreveable  
And as unworthy to that excellence  
Boecius) I said no (Phia) now certes thē● she  
These dygnytes belongeth properly  
Only to virtue & to honest  
And virtue shall transport them verily  
To which she is conjoined sewyngly  
And for as mychel as such reverence  
received of the people commonly  
Accords not always with conscience  
¶ Ne to that honour wych that they receiven  
Ne may not make them worthy for to be  
Than may we clearly known & conceiven  
That honour hath in proper no bewte  
As even worthy to that dignity  
And most to this you awth to taken heed  
The more folk that despiseth them perdie  
The more abject they been it is no dread  
¶ So than as dignity may not suffice  
To maken srewes worth no reverence  
But rather maketh that men them will despise  
Though they honour them in their presence  
yet they despise them in their conscience  
Theridamas dygnytes so maketh them to be know  
And clearly showeth to folks their offence  
Of whom they been despised as they own  
¶ And this is not unponysshed sickerly  
For they revenge them on their dignity  
The which they have defouled wrecchedly  
As with their vice & their unhoneste  
But that thou might thyselfen know & see  
That very honour falls in no wise  
By such astates that transitory be  
Now understand what I the shall devise  
¶ I suppose that a man of high renown  
That oft hath had the astate of consuler  
Should come a 'mong a strange nation  
That they ne known what astate he bore  
Trowest thou they would him honouren there  
For his astate thou wilt answer me nay  
But if honour in such astates were  
In kenned a proper thing/ than would I say  
¶ There kendly office should they not forlete  
Though that he went unto the worlds end  
As fire ne may not cessen of his hete  
Vhyle that it fire is where that ever it wend  
But honour is no proper thing of kind  
To dignity/ but false opinion  
As nice men devyseth in their mind  
where fore a 'mong a strange nation  
¶ That naught ne knoweth of that dignity  
He is honoured as another man  
In strange land thou sayst this may well be  
But look that land uher that astate be 'gan  
where that it should always his honour han  
Stands it always in his honour there  
But of the provostry what sayest thou than  
That uhylom was astate of high power  
¶ Now is it no thing but an Idel name  
And loo the charge of senators rend  
Now at this day it standeth in the same  
Though that some time it was full reverent  
A man some time was held excellent  
That had the charge of vytayl in the town  
Thus up so down is the world ywent  
Now is it of no reputation  
¶ As we have said a little here beforn  
A thing that hath no beauty properly  
Now hath it honour & now it hath forlorn  
After the use of men's fantasy  
sith dignity ne may not kendly  
Inducen very cause of reverence  
But oft it is defouled sickerly  
By them that useth it with insolence  
¶ And if they now be fair & now not so  
As times have their transmutation  
And if their beauty thus them passeth fro  
After man's estymatyon  
what is there/ after your opinion  
Of beauty in them worthy to be sought  
sith that they been of such condytion  
How should they give that they ne haveth nought   

Metrum iiij. Capitulum viij.  Quamuis se tirio. Phia loquitur. 
Though proud Nero with his lechery  
Clothed him with purpur tyryens  
And with full rich perry ryally  
Of life he was unthryfty & unclean  
That he was loathly every wight to seyn  
yet gave he seytes to the senators  
How shouldest thou trow them blysful for to be  
though that of wrecches taketh such honours   

Prosa u. Capitulum ix.  An vero regna. Phia loquitur. 
But what trowest thou for to be a king  
Other with kings to been familiar  
wouldest thou hold it for a noble thing  
That may the make strong & mighty here  
Boecius) what else ꝙ I should I trow it were  
Phia) you ꝙ she when that their felicity  
Shall always stonden in his wealths clear  
And ever a bide in perdurabylyte  
¶ But elder age of time that is y went  
Ensamples hath of great unstabelnesse  
And also of this time now present  
we see it proved every day express  
That kings falls fro their welfulnesse  
And unto very myschef been brought  
Owe/ clear & noble thing that renown is  
To save it seluen that sufficeth not  
¶ For if that realms of such regalte  
And governance of lands long & wide  
May make a man to have felicity  
what if him lacketh aught in any side  
Than must his wealth some what slake & slide  
And myschef enter for unsnffysance  
And though it be so as it may betide  
That kings haveth in their governance  
¶ Moche folk at their commandment  
yet shall we find many a nation  
That been to kings not obedient  
Ne haldeth them at no reputation  
Than here of ensueth this conclusion  
where faileth might that causeth blysfulnesse  
There is no mean in this division  
Vnmyght is there that causeth wrecchednesse  
¶ There is none earthly king this dare I say  
That is so mighty in his governance  
But more there been that will him not obey  
Than be constrained at his ordinance  
In these his power lacketh suffysance  
And if that both/ his power & unmyght  
Should been counterpeysed in balance  
His unpower would be the more of wight  
¶ sith wrecchednesse cometh of unpower  
As may not be withsaid by no reason  
And loo there is no king that leaveth here  
But his unmyght hath in proportion  
As for to make a just comparison  
well moche more than his power is  
Than will there ensuen this conclusion  
Loo that his more part is wrecchednesse  
¶ A king there was that had experience  
Of great perel & often was in dread  
He made a man be set in his presence  
And made a sword to hang a 'bove his head  
Fastened by a little subtle thread  
That every man might wnderstand & see  
Loo break this thread than is this man but dead  
So stint a king always in juparde  
¶ what is this power that nought may remewe  
The bitter biting of this business  
Ne the pricks may he not exchwe  
Of all this dread & all this heaviness  
These kings loo would leave in sykernesse  
But certainly they can not come there to  
And ever more they seek it as they guess  
And ever the far they been a way there fro  
¶ But they reioycen mighty to be hold  
And wilt thou trow him mighty for to be  
That may not worken that he fainest would  
Or for to walken with a company  
Of mighty men that lusty been to see  
And at his bidding all a realm a rereth  
And yet himselfen standeth in this degree  
He dreadeth the same that he feareth  
¶ And for he would mighty seem & strong  
He must put himselfen in danger  
As of the main which he is among  
And of his life he standeth in a where  
Or with a king to be familiar  
To what it shall a veil I can not sayen  
sith often is it showed a 'mong us here  
That kings of their main have be slain  
¶ And often times is this shown express  
Of some that with kings haveth be nigh  
That these kings of their cruelness  
Haveth them put at myschef suddenly  
Some time stirred by malice & envy  
Of wicked folk that worse been than fendes  
And kings often standeth slyperly  
And if they fallen falls eke their friends  
¶ For loo Nero that cursed emperor  
Made Seneca his own death devise  
That was his master & his governor  
And Antoninus in the same wise  
Papynyan that had him done service  
And a full mighty man had long been  
He made his knights full of cowardyse  
That with their swords all they should him slain  
¶ And both ij. yet would they have been glad  
To have forlete their power utterly  
And Seneca loo all the good he had  
He would have given it Nero willingly  
And been exiled ever perpetuelly  
Forsaking all his occupation  
And so have lived solytaryly  
And led his life in contemplation  
¶ But he that menteth downward for to go  
His own wight will draw him down in haste  
And therefore neither of them both to  
Ne might his purpose haven at last  
This power than that every man so fast  
Desireth thus/ what is it would I see  
sith he that hath it is there of aghast  
Honorio so will forlete it may not syker be  
¶ And when thou wouldest it willingly forsake  
Loo at thy will thou mayst it not foregone  
And friends which that fortune doth the make  
And virtue not/ what profit may they done  
when lusty fortune forth is fro the gone  
Than all her friends with her goeth in fere  
A more perilous myschef is there none  
Than is thy foo wyththe familiar   

Metrum u Capitulum x.  Qui se volet. Phia loquitur. 
¶ Ho so desireth mighty for to be  
And of his foes to have the victory  
first his courage that is so fierce & keen  
He must repressen well & mightily  
So that the foul lust of lechery  
May have no manner mastery in his mind  
For though thou be so haught & so high  
That men the dreadeth in the land of Ind  
¶ And eke the isle that ferrest is of all  
Out in the west that tile cleped is  
Be to the suget as thy bond thrall  
yet if thy foul dark business  
with sore complaints of thy wrecchednesse  
Thus in their bounds haldeth the so fast  
That thou ne might them voyden ne repress  
I say it is no power that thou hast   

Prosa uj. Capitulum xj.  Gloria vero quam fallax. Phia loquitur. 
But high renown how full of vanity  
How foul it is & often deceivable  
As a tragedyens in his dyte  
Not causeless thus crieth in a fable  
Owe/ renown saith he false & variable  
To many a thousand of thine homagers  
In no thing else art thou commendable  
But as a wind that swelleth in their years  
¶ For many one by false opinion  
Of nice folk have had a hugy name  
But certainly a foul confusion  
it is/ so falsely for to have a fame  
For needs return to them most shame  
when that they been commended wrongfully  
And though they have deserved yet that same  
what shall a wise man furdred be there by  
¶ That meeteth not the measure of his meed  
By veyn rumour of folks audience  
But putteth all the meret of her deed  
In very virtue of their conscience  
And if thou hauled it for an excellence  
Thy noble renown for to be extended  
Than will it enswe even of consequence  
That thou were foul but if thou were commended  
¶ But as I said a little here beforn  
That needs must be many a nation  
To which one man's name may not be born  
The which as in thine estymatyon  
A man of worship is & of renown  
Loo than as for the most quantity  
Of all this little worldly region  
He must needs unrenowned be  
¶ I hauled it not full moche expedient  
Of comen people to be commendable  
That haveth no reason in their judgement  
For it is fleting & not perdurable   


They dyscord in dryth & moisture/ for fire is dry & air is mostey this dyscord letteth them for to meddle/ that everich keepeth his kendly place ¶ Also the air & the water accordeth in moisture/ & they dyscordeth in hete & cold. for air is hot & water cold. which discord lettethe them to meddle. water & earth accordeth in cold & dyscordeth in moisture & drythe/ for the earth is dry & the water moystey Fire & earth accordeth in drouthe so that the earth may not disjoin fro his place/ ne the fire fro his & they dyscord in cold & hete/ wherefore they may not meddle but everych keepeth his kendly place. Also the elements that of qualyteys been contrary/ he bindeth together by intermene elements according in qualyteys with both/ as fire & water that been very contrary in qualyteys/ been bound to gedres with air that is intermene according with fire in hete & with water in moisture. Earth and air been knet to gedres by water that is entermene according with earth in cold & with air in moisture.  
¶ For clear understanding of this chapiter/ it is for to know that he that shall help another/ it needeth that he be mighty/ wise/ and well willed. For if a thing be asked of a man the which he may not do ne can not/ ne his will skylefully may not consent/ of very right he may deny it/ for no such thing aught to be asked. ¶ Therefore first he showeth the suffysance of god in might/ in asmuch as he governeth all the world/ not by great labour as creatures governeth/ but by perdurable reason. For sith he first set the world in governance the natural progression never varied/ but haldeth himself always in the first ordinance. Also in producing of creatures he showeth his benevolence & good will to all that is consonant to reason. In that he showeth that is to say In that he maketh the elements as seed & matter whereof been engendered all earthly things. And thus doth he not compelled of no foreyn cause as men been compelled/ but only of the habundance of his goodness▪ which is & ever was perfe●ly in himself/ the which goodness was so entensyfly habundant that it must needs of reason be extended by communion: ¶ Also he showeth the suffysance of his wisdom & cunning/ in as moche as all that ever was/ is/ or shall be her after/ it is open to him/ in his eternal exsampler or mitrour of his mind that all things comprehendeth presently at once. And sith so wisely produceth it in to his being/ not only in general/ but all parts in special absolutely without default or need of any exterior cause.  
And in this is showed the wisdom of god in as much as he is the formal cause of all thing as in exsampler. After that he hath showed the suffysance of god in might/ goodness/ & wisdom/ in governance of these things in special/ he commendeth the same suffysance in general in creation & governance of some other things of more deeper conceit of inward speculation/ in that he showeth & rehearseth the sotel knytting of the iiii. elements/ as is before said ¶ Furthermore also in creation of the mean spiret of triple kenned/ which some phylosophres as plato & his folders called anima mundi/ the soul of the world For cause that Plato saw his master Socrates empoysened & put to death for his sooth saying/ he would not dyscover his sotel conceits ne the preuy●es of nature to the rude people/ but put them under manner of parables & privy words which might enstore his wysedom unto the time that men would be better willed for to hire truth. The greeks at that time wor shypped the son & called him Apollo/ god of wysedom/ fantasing that he caused all other things to be. from which error socrates' dyssented & said that the son was a form creature/ wherefore he was slain as is be fore said. And before him Anaxagoras was exiled for the same cause. wherefore Plato left the cyte of Athenes & chose his habytation in a cyte or place named Acadencia. In which place was often times earth quakes. This place he chose be cause his disciples should ever leave in dread of their lives/ which dread should refrayn foul passions of flesly lusts/ & so for to a void the foul error of Epicurenes that did put the fulfelycyte of man in fleshly delight. ¶ Plato then speaking of the governance of the world in his book named Thimeus/ saith thus.  
¶ God of the same & ever a hiding matter. & also of divers matter and variable/ meddled & made the third kende. Of the which he took first one part. sith two. sith three & after iiii. after viii. after ix. & after xxvii Of vyche he made the kende of this spyret or of this soul. And then he fulfilled the intervals of these numbers with mean proportions/ as here after doth appear.  
I dupla two. sesqueal●a three sesque●cia. three. dupla viii sesqueotaua ix. tripla xxvi●  
¶ Then this renge thus draen a long he divided in two. parts of the which one should contain even numbers & proportions/ and the other odd/ so that the beginning of either should be I Then either of these numbers he brought in to compace/ & put the lass Circle wythyn the more. And the circle of the same nature that is to say of odd proportions he turned fro the right hand to the left hand. And the other of divers nature that is to say of even ꝓportions/ he turned fro the life hand to the right hand/ this may be perceived by this figure foloing   diagram of the celestial sphere 
Primum mobile movetur motu uniformi ab oriente in occidentem.  
¶ Sphere planetarum movea difformiter ab occidente in orientem.  
¶ Inter numeros exterioris sphere est proportio equalis.  
¶ Inter numeros interioris sphere est proportio inequalis.  
¶ Fordermore Philosophia showeth her petitonn reasonable as to three things asked first he asked the knowledge of sovereign God. He asked also in this knowledge perseverance. And last he asked to be comforted by his sovereign light. ¶ first she assigneth a reason for this last petition/ where she saith thou art clernesse/ by which all things been beshened & cleared. For perseverance she assygneth the second reason & saith/ thou art peseable rest to the meek.  
Than assyneth she the third reason & saith the to behold it is the end to which man was made. For thou art beginner of all thou betest & conteynest all/ thou ledest us by natural inclination. thou art the path of the way of love by which we shall return to the. thou art all the bliss or heaven/ thou art the term & end of all our worldly labour/ we seeketh none other.  
¶ The understanding of this sotel conceit is thus. where he saith this soul is meddled of the same matter & diverse/ he understandeth that the soul of the world was made of nature changeable & of nature unchangeable. Nature unchangeable he calleth the same/ And changeable he calleth diverse. The even numbers for asmuch as they may be divided in to even/ he calleth nature changeable: And the odd numbers that may not eveuly be divided/ he calleth nature unchangeable. ¶ Furthermore for to show that this soul is princyple of doblenesse/ that is to say of unyformyte that is in the first movable which is the sterred fitmament that clerks callen Primunr mobile/ And also of difformyte/ that is in the planets. he saith that god cut these numbers in two. parts. of the which one part contained odd numbers that longeth to uniformyte. And the other contained even numbers that pertaineth to difformyte/ by cause of his divisibilyte. And either of these parts he turned in to compass in sign of circular moving But the part of odd numbers he turned for the rygth hand to the left hand in sign of uniformyte in moving. And the other of even numbers/ he turned fro the lift hand to the right/ in sign of difformyte. The right hand of the world is the este/ the life hand the west/ the head is the south/ & the feet is the north. The moving of uniformyte he put to move fro este to west for so meveth the sterred sphere. The moving of difformyte/ he calleth the spears of the seven. planets/ which is moved fro west to the este.  
¶ Also it is to considre that both these numbers of odd & even meeteth at one/ that is called unyte/ in sign of the onehed & the simplicite of god. at whom beginneth & endeth all creatures. upon hoos stableness is grounded every move/ upon hoos uniformyte/ all difforme & variable things been ryghted & reduced. ¶ Now then to the process & conceit of Boecius where he saith thus. Thou god knettest the mean soul that is the soul of the world of triple kenned that mevythe all thing. He calleth the soul of the world/ the spyret that next under god intendeth to the move & governance of the world/ which is mean be tuene the stabilyte of godhead & meveablenesse of creatures.  
Of triple kind. For first he is partner of the kende of angeles vithe been of uniform kende/ that is to say of simple nature/ pure/ & unmedled: which Plato calleth the same & ever a by●ynge matter/ that is to seyn of perdurable kende. The second part of his kende/ may be called the alliance to these earthly things. which been variable & corruptible & divers in there being. The third part of his kende/ is medlede of these both/ that is his alliance to the spheres of stars & of planets. which been in part movable & in part unmeveable. they be movable in their kendly course/ & unmeveable in continuance of their course & ●e●yng of the place & order which they were set in at their first creation. How he meveth all thing the letter showeth furthermore where he saeth. Resolving it in membres consonant/ that is to say/ departing his labour in to the move of all the viii. spheres of stars & of planets.  
Hoos moving though they be discordant in their course/ contrarious & divers in effects/ yet be they so consonant to gedres/ that none letteth but rather righteth & dresseth everych other. For the viii. sphere moving west ward ravesheth all the neither spheres & maketh them to move the same way/ where there natural move is estewarde. Also though the effects of the planets been divers yet there kendly course of moving is such that everych tempereth other so that there fall no confusion in this worldly governance ¶ Also this move he dyvydeth in to two. spheres or two. cercles as is afore said. by moving of which/ been governed the clements with all their transmutations & all other things under the moan. And he retorneth unto himself/ that is to say to there where he began for there is no perfect moving but in compace that always retornethe in to himself/ by which circular move or worching he atteyneth by similitude of natural perfection to the deep mind of divine intelligence which is the last end of nature simpliciter. withouten other And after this circular moving by form of like convenience he tornethe heaven & bout/ dressing the effects of all this moving after the sovereign exempler of the high purueance of god. Furthermore Boecius commendeth the might/ the goodness/ & the wisdom of god/ in making & governing of earthly things/ & specially in the disposing of man's soul uhee ●e saith in the text thus Thou avauncest or reysest souls & less lives of creatures & by evenly or like causes makest them able to lift carts.  
¶ Vhen he hath sotelly treted of the soul of the world than goeth he to the soul of man & saith that in manner like as god hath made the soul of the world of three natures/ so hath he made the soul of man.  
For first he taketh a matter perdurable that is to say a nature immortal of the kende of angeles & joineth it to a nature changeable & corruptible/ that is the sensualyte driven of this corruptible f●eshe. And of these it▪ resulteth the third/ wiche is in part deadly be cause of he body & also be cause of his unstableness/ And in part undedly/ be cause of the perdurable nature of intelligence/ uhereof he is partner This soul is druyded in to two. compaces of the which one is of perdurable nature that is reason/ & meveth kendly fro the right hand to the left hand that is to say▪ he groundeth all his works upon virtue/ & so putteth them in perfect execution▪ But the other circle of sensualyte meveth in contrary for he groundeth all his works upon the flesh/ & so proceedeth in to vicious lusts. But the reason must ravyshe the sensualyte with him in to the way of virtue. or else must they both torn in to mischief  
And so though reason be stirred & distracted by error & rehellyon of sensualyte/ yet must he return in to himself/ beholding the excellence of his nature/ not resting there proudly with Lucifer/ but enserching & seeking by thought & devote prayer the de●e intelligence that is god. And there behold in the mirror of eternal wisdom what he aught to do. repressing with the fire of love all vicious mevynges. For why thou god haste made the soul able to high carts (that is to say) to be re●ed in heaven. ¶ Thou sowest in heaven and in earth. first he maketh the soul & puttethe it in to this earthly body/ there for to increase in meret and virtues. And sith when they been ripe/ he taketh 'em in to heaven: And how? For sooth the virtues that himself hath planted in the soul/ he himself no●ysheth them with ●yry beams of love/ And maketh them rypen in to full ●rute/ and so return up to him fro whennes they took there being.    

Prosa x. Capitulum nineteeen.  Quoniam igitur. Phia loquitur. 
FOr as moche as thou hast seyn in this  
which is imperfet good & to eschwe  
The form of good also that perfect is  
The which that is to seken & to sue  
from heavens forth our process to pursue  
it is to shown as it seemeth me  
The very good that perfect is & true  
what thing it is & where it might be  
¶ But first I hold it needful to enquere  
if such thing may been in any kende  
As we be forn dyffyned have while ere  
Jest so be that in vain our wits wend  
And jest we be deceived at the end  
As by a false Imagination  
Of thing that naught is form in our mind  
And so to lose our occupation  
¶ But that we save our purpose hole & sound  
That perfect good is/ no wight may wythsayn  
The which is in manner the well & ground  
Of all good that is/ thou be certain  
There may no wight replyen there again  
if any thing have imperfection  
That is be cause it is not full ne pleyn  
with perfect thing as in comparison  
¶ For why in any general of kende  
where any thing imparfet is/ say I  
A perfect thing also there mayst thou find  
For if there were no perfect utterly  
sith lack of perfect is the cause why  
That any thing imperfet may be proved  
A perfect thing there must be sickerly  
from which imperfet things be dyscryned  
¶ For why of things scars & dymynute  
Nature took not her first production  
But all hole complete & absolute  
Fro all defaute & all corruption  
And so fro thence made progressyon  
un to these lower things that we seyn  
That less havethe of perfection  
And as it were all void & empty been  
¶ And if so be/ as I have showed ere this  
Theridamas is an imperfet felicity  
Of frayel & feeble good/ full sooth it is  
Another good & perfect must there be  
Boecius) Full sooth is this ꝙ I as seemeth me  
Concluded also full & fermly  
Phia) But now she said thou must behold & see  
where that this good is founden finally  
¶ The comen conceit loo of man's mind  
By reason is unto this point y brought  
That god/ that prince & auctor is of kende  
Himself is good/ in this they faileth nought  
sith that there may no better thing be thought  
Than god himself/ this wot well every wight  
That god is good & worthy to be sought  
This doutethe none that reason saith a right  
¶ yet reason will inducen furthermore  
By very forhis that in god perfetly  
Is very good/ in no wight may be more  
He were not else called ryghteusly  
The prince of things/ I shall the tellen why  
For else one were worthier than he  
That perfect good possessed principally  
That rather must & also elder be  
¶ For every thing that fully is perfect  
Than any thing imperfet rather is  
Now jest our process pass in infynyt  
we be compelled for to graunten this  
That sovereign god of perfect good y wys  
Loo is fulfilled/ than suethe here upon  
sith perfect good is very blysfulnesse  
In god is perfect blysfulnesse alone  
Boecius) Full well ꝙ I this I perceive & feel  
There may no wight replyen here again  
Phia) I pray the ꝙ she understand me weal  
How fermly is proved that we sayen  
Loo/ that of perfect good & sovereign  
God is fulfilled by my conclusion  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I this would I hearen fain  
How you it prove by demonstration  
Phia) That self ꝙ she that is the prince of all  
And full of sovereign good how seemeth the  
That fro wythouten this good is fall  
Or is it in 'em by kendly property  
And thinkest that two. things must they be  
God/ the haver/ & his blysfulnesse  
And in their substance have diversity  
This wilt thou not supposen as I guess  
¶ And if he have received of without  
This blysfulnesse/ then suethe sickerly  
The giver of that thing/ is no doubt  
Precelleth the receiver certainly  
But this we must confessen utterly  
A bow all things god is excellent  
And if this good in god be kendly  
In substance & in reason dyfferent  
¶ The prince of things which that we rehearse  
Let se devise or fain it ho so may  
Honorio hath conjoined these ij. diverse  
He may no further by no manner way  
But at last this dare I soothly say  
A thing that divers fro another is  
it may not be the same it is no nay  
Fro which it is dyversed so ywis  
¶ wherefore that thing that hath diversity  
Fro sovereign good/ in reason of nature  
The same sovereign good it may not be  
And god forbid that any creature  
As in his wit should passen so measure  
Of god our sovereign for to dame so  
That keepeth all & hath us in his cure  
So perfect & so good there beth no more  
¶ Loo this I trow perceiveth every man  
That the kenned of no thing utterly  
May better been than he that it be 'gan  
Than may I thus concluden finally  
That he that is beginner verily  
Of all thing that is/ I say that he  
In substance & in kende properly  
This sovereign good he must needs be  
Boecius) This is ꝙ I concluded well & clear  
Phia) And sovereign good ꝙ she is blysfulnesse  
Boecius) Right so ꝙ I this granted I while ere  
Phia) Lo than ꝙ she it suethe here express  
That god himself is sovereign blysfulnesse  
Loo where it is that thou so long hast sought  
Boecius) This must I ꝙ I grant & confess  
your reasons have me to that point brought  
¶ Phia) That this ꝙ she be proved fermly  
Behold & here what I shall further sayen  
ij. things that been divers properly  
They may not be ij. goods sovereign  
For if there be dyscord between them twain  
They may not been the self & the same  
Euerych that other is/ thou be certain  
though that they both be called on by name  
¶ if they be sovereign goods both ij.  
devise it in his conceit ho so may  
if that this one good be that other fro  
Imperfet been they both it is no nay  
sith neither been wythouten other may  
But thing that lacketh of perfection  
That it be sovereign good thou wilt not say  
it would includen contradiction  
¶ Then may they not be ij. thus ne diverse  
This sovereign good as sueth here express  
But blysfulnesse & god that we rehearse  
This sovereign good in all wise it is  
That same thing that than is blysfulnesse  
That same thing is sovereign deyte  
Boecius) No thing ꝙ I may truer be I guess  
Ne worthier of god concluded be  
Phia) Than right ꝙ she as geometres all  
when they have showed their propositions  
They bringeth in Porismus/ that they call  
That been conceits or conclusyons  
And as in manner declarations  
Of foresaid thing/ right so shall I the fede  
As suing on my demonstrations  
This correlary I give the to thy meed  
¶ sith that by getting of this blysfulnesse  
Men been blysful made/ & wilt thou see  
Blysfulnesse the sovereign godhead is  
And eke the getting of that deyte  
Maketh blysful/ as it is showed to the  
But right as wisdom maketh men be wise  
And ryghtuosnesse righteous for to be  
I may conclude & suyngly devise  
¶ That by winning of divinity  
Men been maked gods sickerly  
Loo than is every blysful man pard  
A god/ this suethe also formally  
Though that there be but one god kendly  
In sooth yet by participation  
Right well there may be many/ not for thy  
As in the astate of full perfectyon  
¶ Boecius) This is ꝙ I full fair & precious  
whether it porysme or corrolary is  
Phia) it is ꝙ she more fair & glorious  
That reason will annecten unto this  
Boeus) I asked what Phia) ꝙ she sith blysfulnesse  
So moche thing doth in it self contain  
As honour/ power/ lust/ fame/ & richesse  
whether all they been as membres will thou sayen  
¶ which as of parts divers in manner  
This blysfulnesse compoundeth in this wise  
In to a perfect body as it were  
Other thou trowest that some one thing of these  
The same blysfulnesse doth a complesse  
In to one perfect thing substantial  
To whom these other as I do devise  
Referred been as to their pryncypal  
¶ Boecius) I would have this ꝙ I declared fain  
Phia) Have we not said ꝙ she that blysfulnesse  
Is good (Boeus) yes said I/ high & sovereign  
Phia) Add we ꝙ she the remanent un to this  
That sovereign good before rehearsed is  
Loo sovereign might & sovereign suffysance  
Lust/ fame/ honour/ one thing they been ywis  
with blysfulnesse wythouten varyance  
¶ This is that I would asken ere of the  
This suffysance/ honour/ delight/ renown  
whether they be membres of felicity  
As divers parts doth one thing compoune  
Or thou hast this consideration  
That all these which that we rehearsed han  
To sovereign good should have relation  
As to their head/ this say me if thou can  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I now understand I weal  
what you pnrposeth to enserchen here  
But I desire to here of you & feel  
This question that you would make it clear  
Phia) I shall ꝙ she said in this manner  
if all these things which that we rehearse  
Of blysfulnesse in manner membres were  
Than must these membres needs be divers  
¶ For loo of parts this the nature is  
That they divers one body certainly  
Shall make/ but it is showed ere this  
That all these been one thing Boecius) you ꝙ I  
Phia) They been ꝙ she no membres sickerly  
sith they been one/ or else would it sue  
That blysfulnesse were made full wonderly  
Of a member that nature would exchwe  
Boeus) This is ꝙ I full sooth I doubt it nought  
But now full fain the remanent would I see  
Phia) Than all these things ꝙ she must be brought  
And to this good as chief referred be  
And for this good full sooth it is pard  
Men desiren after suffysance  
To have power or stand in high degree  
For it is good they maketh purueyance  
¶ The same I may devysen suyngly  
Of reverence/ renown/ & lustynesse  
They dame it good that is the cause why  
That they require it with their business  
Than is this good the very cause y wysse  
And some of all that aught to be required  
For thing that no good hath in lekelynesse  
Ne none in sooth/ it may not be desired  
¶ And there again loo in contrary wise  
A thing that is not good in no manner  
yet if it seemeth good as they devise  
Right as they very right goods were  
Men willeth them/ than will it suen here  
That bounte is the ground & cause of all  
why things aught to be leave & dear  
That any man of right desiren shall  
¶ And over this it seemeth furthermore  
That every thing that is the cause why  
Loo that another is desired fore  
That cause is eke desired principally  
Right as be cause of he'll finally  
A man desireth for to ride & play  
His hele he doth desiren sekerly  
As well as for to ride it is no nay  
¶ sith all this thing that thus desired is  
The cause of all is pryncypal/ bounte  
This bounte is desired than y wys  
As moche as that thing in his degree  
But we have granted that felicity  
is 'cause these things everichone  
Desired been/ then sueth it pard  
That blysfulnesse desired is alone  
¶ Of this it seemeth & it suethe loo  
That then this good & very blysfulnesse  
In substance been one thing & no more  
And verily the same thing express  
Boecius) I can not say ꝙ I in sothfastnesse  
How any wight your words may blame  
Phia) But god ꝙ she & very blysfulnesse  
As we have showed been one thing & the same  
Boecius) Right as you sayen ꝙ I it is full clear  
Phia) Than may I ꝙ she well & sickerly  
The sentence & the some of this matter  
Loo thus concluden full & finally  
That the substance loo of god on high  
Is set & founded in none other place  
But in the same good eternally  
To find it there god sand the grace   

Metrum x. Capitulum xx.  Huc oens pariter venite. Phia loquitur. 
How cometh all you that been y brought  
In bounds full of bitter business  
Of earthly lust a biding in your thought  
Here is the rest of all your business  
Here is the port of peace & restfulnesse  
To them that standeth in storms of desese  
Only refuge to wrecches in distress  
And all comfort of myschef & mysese  
¶ For all that ever Tagus 
¶ Tagus is a river of Spayn/ full of golden greynes.  doth you bede  
with his golden gravel stones bright  
Other Erinus 
¶ Erinus is a river in Asya the less/ all full of greynes of gold.  with his stronds rede  
May given you for to please your sight  
Other the river which that Indus 
Indus is a river of India/ that rennethe in to the read see/ full of perry and moche precyousty.  height  
That is full nigh the hot region  
which the green stones with his might  
with white perelles torneth up so down  
¶ They shineth wonder clear unto your you  
But your insyght in sooth they maketh blind  
And with their dark clouds perylously  
with vanity your hearts doth they bind  
For how that ever they plesith to your mind  
As praised worth full many a thousand pound  
yet been they full unworthy in there kenned  
As noreshed in the caves of the ground  
¶ But the shining of that sovereign light  
By which the high heaven governed is  
Chaseth a way the foul dark night  
That hath your souls drawn all a miss  
This sovereign light if thou may say ywis  
Behold it well & keep it if thou con  
And thou shalt see that in regard of this  
There be no bright beams in the son   

Prosa xj. Eapitulum xxj.  Assencior inquam. Boecius loquitu 
TO this ꝙ I/ I must needs assen●  
your words haveth me knet so fermly  
By reason of your subtel argument  
Phia) what if thou known ꝙ she verily  
This good/ what wouldest thou than set there by  
if thou might known clearly what it were  
Boecius) I would it prese at infinite ꝙ I  
If I might known god in that manner  
Phia/ I shall ꝙ she as very reasonable  
Show the that apertly oer thou go  
So that these things stand farm & stable  
That we be fore this have consented to  
Boecius) They must ꝙ I we may not go there fro  
Phia) Have I not showed the plenerly ꝙ she  
That all these things that been desired so  
Of fell folk been full of vanity  
¶ And sith they been divers it is no nay  
They be no very goods perfetly  
For when that one fro other is a way  
No full ne very goods utterly  
To no wight may they bring certainly  
But when they been assembled in to one  
In working & in form verily  
Than is it good & else is it none  
¶ So that this power & this suffysance  
Gladsomeness/ honour/ & nobelte  
Be right the same & one thing in substance  
And if they lacketh of this unity  
There is not why they should desired be  
Ne loved/ if you do look well a bout  
Boecius) while ere ꝙ I thus have you showed ꝑde  
Full true it is it may not been in doubt  
¶ sith so it is that good be they naught  
when diversity is founden them between  
Andrea when that they to onehed been y brought  
Than be they good as every man may seyne  
what is that maketh them good for to been  
But the getting of this unity  
Boecius Right so it is ꝙ I right as you mean  
Phia) But every thing that good is then ꝙ she  
¶ why is it good/ wilt thou not graunten this  
That for it hath partycypatyon  
Loo of this foresaid good (Boecius) I said eyes  
Phia) Than must thou ꝙ she by the same reason  
Grant also this conclusion  
That good & one been one thing verily  
For things lekely of condytyon  
Not divers in effects kendly  
¶ In substance been they one thing & no more  
Boecius) Fro this ꝙ I y may not go a side  
Phia) And knowest thou not that every thing also  
That is ꝙ she/ so long shall a bide  
while it is one/ & if it so betide  
That this thing forleteth to be one  
Is it not then dyssolued & destroyed  
Boecius) And how ꝙ I Phia) I shall the tell anon  
¶ Thou sayst thyself that in a best ꝙ she  
while soul & body been together knet  
And so abideth in their unity  
This knowest thou well a best men calleth it  
But when this onehed is divided  
As by their bothes separation  
That no best it is/ it is perceived  
But careyn torning to corruption  
¶ And eke also the body of a wight  
while that the membres standeth kendly  
On/ in that form that nature hath them dight  
He is a man this knowest thou verily  
But if they been departed sickerly  
So that this unity be done a way  
That same thing it is not utterly  
Ne no man's body the sooth to say  
¶ And in the same wise it stint y wys  
Of every thing to thynken in thy thought  
The while it standeth one/ that while it is  
And when it faileth one than is it nought  
For it is to corruption brought  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I I can not other find  
Of every creature that may be sought  
This must be sooth by very course of kende  
Phia) But wilt thou trow that any thing ꝙ she  
Hath this of natural intention  
As to forleten utterly to be  
And lust to torn in to corruption  
Boecius) To have ꝙ I consideration  
To bests which that haveth of nature  
Both will & nel by fire election  
I will not trow it of no creature  
¶ That but they be constrained of without  
There kendly being will they not foregone  
Ne willingly be dead it is no doubt  
Therefore it is that bests everichone  
Loo all their labour setteth here upon  
Them selfen for to save & keep in hele  
And willingly to death there willeth none  
I note ho is/ with death that lust to deal  
¶ But nevertheless as yet I am in doubt  
Of trees & eke of herbs & of grass  
And stone that utterly is live without  
Phia) There is naught why to douten in this case  
sith thou mayst see ꝙ she be fore thy face  
And every day thou hast experience  
That trees & herbs wexyth in that place  
As to there kenned is most convenience  
¶ So that asmuch as their nature sufficeth  
They suffereth not to schorchen ne to die  
For some of them in fair fields riseth  
And some wexyth in the hills high  
And some doth in marreys' multyply  
And some to the hard roches clyngeth  
And some there be that in the sands dry  
That bareyn been full plenteously springeth  
¶ And if a wight that nought there kendes knoweth  
would elleswhere them plant they die as fast  
For nature giveth to everych that him oweth  
And laboureth that as long as they may lest  
That they be not destroyed ne down cast  
Now & what sayest thou of their chevysance  
As though their mouths were in earth y thraste  
So by the rote they draw their sustenance  
¶ And so the kendly moisture after this  
In to the stock & rind it sendeth wide  
And yet this moisture that most tender is  
wythynforth always it doth a bide  
again the wedres hard/ it self to hide  
wythouten hath it sadness of the tree  
wythouten that the bark on every side  
That may defence a geynst the wedres be  
¶ Here mayst thou well behold & taken hide  
Loo how nature intendeth busily  
Every thing to nory hen by his seed  
That year by year doth cress & multyply  
Not only for a time sickerly  
But they been subtle gins as it were  
That it may stonden perdurabelly  
By generation in that manner  
¶ And things that without souls been also  
Doth they not everych busily intend  
To that his nature aperteyneth to  
why else doth a flame of fire ascend  
Or why doth heavy earth so descend  
But for that everych hath convenience  
To certain place to which as to their end  
They meveth/ so they have no resistance  
¶ For every thing intendeth sickerly  
As ferforthe as it may have suffysance  
though things to conseruen busily  
with which it hath in kenned his accordance  
Right even as thing that of contraryance  
Albina that they may corrupteth & destroyeth  
Right so have they there kendly governance  
For to exchwe all thing that them noyeth  
¶ And stones that so hard & strong been  
How they wythstandeth their partytion  
And clyngeth fast as every man may say  
To save the parts fro corruption  
And things that so floeth up & down  
air & water parteth esely  
By violence/ fro which division  
To onehed they retorneth kendly  
¶ But fire all such division refuseth  
Of wilful moving of the soul I let  
To speak as now/ in that he reason useth  
But of the natural intent I trete  
That when you do receiven so your meet  
you swoloeth & haveth thereon no thought  
And in your sleep when all thing is forget  
you draweth breath & yet you know it nought  
¶ Not only of the soul's wylfulnesse  
These bests loveth to leave & endure  
But principally dependeth it express  
Of the high pryncyples of nature  
For oft it falls that a creature  
His own death will taken willingly  
where needful causes been peradventure  
The which that nature aborreth kendly  
¶ you seethe also that in contrary wise  
The will of man wythstandeth & refraineth  
The lust of very kendly covetise  
By which all only nature hath ordained  
That deadly kenned to keep & be sustained  
The which is flesly generation  
so that this love is not only contained  
principally in your bestly motion  
¶ But also of intention natural  
For why the sovereign god's purueance  
Hath given this as 'cause effectual  
To things that been of his ordinance  
That by a very kendly governance  
They shall desyren always for to be  
As long as nature hath that sufffysance  
To keep she parts in their unity  
¶ There is nought why thou shouldest doubt in this  
But that all thing coveteth kendly  
To keep it self in firm stableness  
And to be corrupt they lothen utterly  
Boeus) Loo now must I confess this ꝙ I  
For things that in doubt were before  
Now I behold them well & certainly  
Phia) And thing that so desireth evermore  
¶ For to stand in firm stableness  
That self thing desireth for to be  
And if this one be voided sooth it is  
Then is it not/ thou mayst thyselfen see  
Boecius) Full sooth ꝙ Phia) then all thing ꝙ she  
Desireth one Boecius) ꝙ I I grant it well  
Phia) But one & good as thou hast granted me  
Loo be the same & divers near a deal  
Boeus) Right so ꝙ Phia) them all thing requireth  
This one ꝙ she that thus may be described  
Good is that thing that all thing desireth  
Boecius) No thing ꝙ I may sother be contrived  
All thing to nought must else be derived  
As flowing ever wythouten governor  
As destitute & of their head deprived  
Than were our end but myschef & dolour  
¶ And if there may be founden there again  
One thing to whom all other been intended  
Of all good this must be sovereign  
As he that all hath in him comprehended  
Phia) This conceit ꝙ she may not been amended  
My nory dear now am I glad y wys  
The point now of thy thought thou hast extended  
Right in the mids of very sothfastnesse  
¶ And loo in this is showed the plenerly  
The thing which whyler thou toldest me  
Thou known it not Boecius) & what is that ꝙ I  
Phia) what is the end of things said she  
This same thing loo must it needs be  
That every thing of kenned desiren shall  
And sith that this is good it seemeth me  
That sovereign good must be the end of all   

Metrun xj. Capitulum xxij.  Quisquis profunda. Phia loquitur. 
NOT so will ensearch sothfastnesse a right  
And will not be deceived never a deal  
The pure clearness of his inward sight  
wythyn hem self he must revoluen weal  
And all his thoughts trenden as a wheel  
And leave this earthly occupation  
And teach his soul to understand & feel  
By doom of good delyberation  
¶ That all that ever he seeketh here without  
Travelling these truths for to know  
Hid it was all close it is no doubt  
Right as treasure wythyn hemself bestow  
though things than that erst were overblow  
with the clouds of error & ignorance  
it shall to the be clearer as I trow  
Than is the son & more to thy plesance  
¶ For why the body that hath that soul oppressed  
As with the wight of his corruption  
Hath not all despoiled ne dystressed  
The light of understanding & of reason  
Theridamas cleaveth yet a noble portion  
wythyn thy soul right as an abylyte  
The seed of truth in full possession  
The which by teaching must enforced be  
¶ How might you else jugen formally  
Other answer to demands that you hire  
But if your heart contained verily  
A lyfly nourishing as it were  
And thing that Plato said in this manner  
if it be sooth as do his books trete  
no thing else do you when you lere  
But as record a thing that was forget  

¶ Not thing else do you when you lere & ●. ¶ An harp well & lustily ●uned by true accords of music/ all be it in that no wight toche it ne set hand there to/ yet containeth that harp wythyn hem all songs ● all twes possible to be song or toched upon the same harp. Or else might not the harper find there on that was not there be fore Right so in man's soul is contained all conny●ge/ that of an earthly creature possible is be known. But it is slylled & in manner forget/ other more properly for to speaken/ forlete/ which cunning by labour of reason & exercise of learning is found out by little & little. right as a man that learneth to harp seeketh out his tunes.    

Prosa twelve. Capitulum twenty-three.  Tum ego platoni. Boecius loquitur. 
TO Plato said I/ must I need consent  
For twice now you have remembered me  
Of thing that first was fro my mind y went  
As by my bodily contagyouste  
And sith I stood eftesone in this degree  
Of heaviness/ I had it eke forlorn  
Phia) if thou she said wilt behold & see  
To things of the granted here be forn  
¶ Thou shalt record also to thy science  
Things which thou said whyler thou knwe it nought  
Boeus) & what ꝙ I Phia) by wych governments  
This world ꝙ she is in this rule brought  
Boecius) I am ꝙ I remembered in my thought  
Of mine uncunning that I was beknowe  
And though I have as now perceived aught  
Moore plenerly yet would I lern of you  
¶ Phia) while ere ꝙ she thou dowted noft at all  
Loo that this world by god governed is  
Boecius) Ne now ꝙ I ne never hereafter shall  
As in that matter been in doubt ywis  
And what reason induceth me to this  
Briefly I shall you show/ as seemeth me  
Now look yourself if I perceive a miss  
This world ꝙ I stonding in this degree  
¶ Of parts divers & contraryous  
As every wight may understand & feel  
In such a form might never accorden this  
Butt if that one conjoined every deal  
That so divers been/ this wot I well  
Ne so conjoined might they not endure  
But if one keeper were perpetuel  
The same diversity of their nature  
¶ So dyscordant should apeyr & shende  
And all disjoin as seemeth in my thought  
But if there were one governor of kende  
To keep all this that is to gedres brought  
Ne such a certain order might not  
Of nature/ so proceed in ordinance  
To meven so/ but he that all hath wrought  
Should have it holly in his governance  
¶ There moving is so fair & ordynat  
In times/ steeds/ space/ & quality  
And such effects causeth eke algate  
That wondered it is/ every wight to see  
Than is there one that this diversity  
Him selfen stable that so dysposeth all  
And ho so doth all this/ I say that he  
Is god/ this used name I will 'em call  
Phia) sith thou ꝙ she mayst this behold & feel  
I trow I shall with little business  
Full hole & sound the make to see full weal  
Thine own country full of blysfulnesse  
But that we have purposed her ere this  
Let us behold/ have we not long a go  
said that suffysance is in blysfulnesse  
And that god is blysfulnesse also  
Boeus) Right so ꝙ I phia) & that him needeth nought  
ꝙ she unto this worldly governance  
For if he of without needed aught  
He had not then plenary suffysance  
Boecius) Fro this ꝙ I there is no varyance  
Phia) Himself alone all thing dysposeth than  
Boecius) I may ꝙ I now make none avoydaunce  
Phia) And god is good as we deduced han  
¶ Boeus) And this also remember I well ꝙ I  
Phia) By good than he governeth all ꝙ she  
For sith as thou hast granted/ suyngly  
He that is good dysposeth all pard  
Himself alone than must he needs be  
Right as it were a ruler of a stern  
Hym selfen stable ever in one degree  
That all this world incorrupt doth govern  
Boecius) Full well ꝙ I accord I unto this  
And loo whyler as by suspection  
I trowed the same you would have said y wys  
And proved this in your conclusion  
Phia) I trow it well/ for thine inspection  
Is more ententyf then it was before  
As to behold a truth & good reason  
But that I shall the shown furthermore  
¶ it is as clear & open to thy sight  
Boeus) And what ꝙ I that known fain I would  
Phia) sith god ꝙ she if we believed right  
with his stern of bounte as I told  
Governeth all & rewleth as he should  
These things all by natural intent  
Ben willingly subject & underfolde  
Obeing always unto his government  
¶ Boecius) This is ꝙ I full true & necessary  
For else were no blysful governance  
if no yoke were to things contrary  
That will not obey to his ordinance  
Phia) Then is there nought that doth their observance  
To keep themself in order of nature  
That may enforcen with contraryance  
again there god Boecius) ꝙ I no creature  
¶ Phia) what if so that again this governayle  
They might enforcen them with frowardness  
Might they aught again their god avail  
wych that by right of very blysfulnesse  
As we be forn have said almighty is  
Boeus) In sooth they might nought avail ꝙ I  
Phia) ꝙ she then is there no thing as I guess  
That may or will wythstanden kendly  
¶ This sovereign good what wilt thyself suppose  
Boeus) I said no Phia) this sovereign good ꝙ she  
All things than full sweetly doth dispose  
And mightily all thing governeth he  
Boecius) ꝙ I not only I delight me  
As in the sum of your conclusion  
But the words wych that you use to me  
well more they doth me delectation  
¶ In so far forth that in myself I shame  
And of my folly foul I am confused  
So high a thing to reprehend or blame  
And that I have so masedlych y mused  
That man of god was utterly refused  
And that he had him not in his governance  
Phia) Such fables ꝙ she have poetes used  
As thou hast heard/ that some time giants  
¶ would have made their way up in to heaven  
And high hills 'gan they to bylden fast  
But god sent down a thunder certain  
And all their work upon them over cast  
And so they were wythstonden at last  
By the might of sovereign god benign  
which for them all disposed so in haste  
As their dysert was worthy & condign  
¶ But wilt thou now that we to gedres drive  
Thesresons all & in to one them bring  
And peradventure of that stroke as belive  
Theridamas may of truth a little sparkle spring  
Boecius) Now saith ꝙ I as is to your leking  
Phia) we say ꝙ she that god almighty is  
Boecius) sith he of all ꝙ I is lord & king  
There is no wight that is in doubt of this  
¶ Phia) And he she said that is so full of might  
Is their any thing that he ne may  
Boeus) Nay ꝙ I Phia) ꝙ she now say me right  
May god do any evil Boecius) I said nay  
Phia) Loo than is evil no thing I dare well say  
sith he that is almighty may it not  
Boecius) ꝙ I whether do you scorn or else play  
And have to this labour it brought  
¶ your reasons weaveth you so wonderly  
In manner like the house of Didalus  
Full hard for to resoluen or unplye  
your reasons been so high & curious  
that to my wit they been full marvelous  
Where you go out you entereth eft a none  
And even there as you been entered thus  
The same way you passeth out eft soon  
¶ A wonder compace have yo knet & fold  
Of the high divine ymplycyte  
For thus while oer when you began you told  
Of blysfulnesse that is felicity  
That sovereign good was it you said to me  
And that also in sovereign good it is  
That god was sovereign good than said you  
Also that he is perfect blysfulnesse  
¶ And for a gift you took me this there to  
That no wight might have very blysfulnesse  
But if he were in manner god also  
By lekelynesse of possessing of his bliss  
And furthermore also you said this  
That the form of very perfect good  
it is the substance of this welfulnesse  
And eke of god/ loo this I understand  
¶ you said also as unto my conceit  
That good & one all one thing should they be  
That every kende of things must covet  
That god eke with the stern of his bounte  
Governeth all this hole university  
And all must to his governance a lout  
That evil is no thing/ also proved you  
Not seeking hereto reasons fro without  
¶ But you have this enplyed & preved  
By skyles that been known openly  
And everych maketh other to be believed  
They knetteth so in compace sotelly  
Phia) She said than I play not sickerly  
But that we have whyler of god besoght  
Now have I showed the here that is so high  
And greteste that in heart may be thought  
¶ For of substance divine the form is this  
That he may not augment ne decresse  
By no foreyn thing the so the it is  
And all yet he containeth never the less  
But right as said Perymenydes  
The round wheel of things all a bout  
He meveth/ yet himself is in piece  
And meveth nought at all it is no doubt  
¶ if I have showed the skyles good & meet  
Not fro wythouten sought/ but verily  
wythyn the things whereof that we trete  
To wonder now thou hast no cause why  
For thou hast herd & read as suppose I  
This sothfaste sentence/ Plato said it loo  
That words must be cousins kendly  
To things which they been referred to   

Full blysful is that man that may behold  
The bright well of very blysfulnesse  
And well is him that may himself unfold  
from bounds of this worldly wrecchednesse  
The poet Orpheus with great heaviness  
His wyffes death had weyled wepyngly  
And with his songs full of carefulness  
Made woods for to run full wonderly  
¶ And made the streams standen & bide  
The hind also feared of no perel  
But suffered the lion to lie by her side  
neither the hare dreaded near a deal  
To see the hound/ it leked them so weal  
To here these songs that so lusty were  
And boldly they durst together dwell  
That near a best then had of other fere  
¶ And when the love 'gan kendle in his breast  
Of his wyffe most hot & fervently  
His song that had so many a wild best  
Made so meek to leaven commonly  
They might him not conforten utterly  
On high gods 'gan he then complain  
And said they deled with him cruelly  
That they did sand him not his wyffe again  
¶ He went then to houses infernal  
And fast his strenges there dressed he  
And souned out the sweet songs all  
That he had tasted of the wells three  
Of his mother dear Calliope  
That is goddess & chief of eloquenc●  
With words that most pyteoust myghe be  
As sorrow had given him full experience  
¶ And love also that dobeleth heaviness  
To hell began he his complaint to make  
asking mercy there/ with lowliness  
At the lords of these shadous black  
And Cerberus that woned was to wake  
with heads three & hell gates keep  
So hadden him these new songs take  
That the sweetness made him fall on sleep  
¶ The furies that been vengeresse of sin  
And surfetours smiteth so with fere  
For heaviness that this man was in  
They 'gan to morn & wept many a tere  
And though the swift while had no power  
To torn a bout the head of Ixyon  
Ne Tantalus for thirst all though he were  
I peyned long/ yet water would he none  
¶ The gripe that eat the maw of Ticius  
And tired on it long there be fore  
This song to him was so delycyous  
He cast it of & tired it no more  
And when that Orpheus had mourned sore  
though said the juge of hell/ pains strong  
Pyte me hath convict/ I will restore  
This man his wyffe/ this wone he with his song  
¶ But with a law this geft I will restrayn  
That unto he this bounds have forsake  
if he behold upon his wyffe again  
His wyffe fro him eftsoons shall be take  
But ho to lovers may a law make  
For love is rather to hemself a law  
when he was nigh out of the bounds black  
He turned him & Erudis he saw  
¶ Alas he lost & lest his wyffe behind  
This fable loo to you pertaineth right  
For you that would lift up your mind  
In to the high blysful sovereign light  
if you eftsoons torn dove your sight  
In to this foul wrecched earthly delle  
Loo all that ever your labour hath you dight  
you loose when you looketh in to hell  

¶ As Duyde in his book of Metamorphoseos maketh mention/ and feigning in manet a fable saying that Orpheus was a curious harper dwelling in Trace/ that was sometime a province in the north side of Grece. which Orpheus was the son of Callyope. He harped so lustily/ that not only men were drawn by his melody/ but also wild bests for very delight forget there kendly courage of fersnesse. And not only this/ but he made rivers for to stand & forestes for to move & ten ¶ This Orpheus had a wife named Erudis/ which a shepherd named Aristeus wooed & desired. But Erudis refusing his love fled thorgh a meed/ & treding upon a serpent she was enuenemed & dead. & went to hell. Orpheus' soroing for his wife & willing for to draw her out of hell/ purposed for to please the high gods with his melody that they should restore him his wife/ but it availed not. Than went he to hell/ & as this process showeth in the letter/ so moche he pleased the gods of hell with his melody/ that at last upon a condition his wife was granted him/ so that he looked not upon her/ till that he were passed the bounds of hell. But when he was nigh the bounds/ so moche he desired for to see his his wife/ that he turned him & looked upon her/ & a none she was gone again to hell where she was before▪ This fable Fulgencius exponeth morally on this uhyse. ¶ By Orpheus is understand the higher part of the soul/ that is resonabelte/ informed with wisdom & eloquence. wherefore he is called the son of phoebus' & of Laliope Phoebus of the greeks was called god of wysedom. The same is Apollo. Calliope is asmuch to say/ as god's son. & it betokeneth eloquence. so every wise man & eloquent in this manner of speaking may be called the sorne of phoebus' & Calliope. ¶ This Orpheus bythe sweetness of his harp/ that    
Explicit Liber tercius.   

Liber Quartus.  

But though that haveth might to worken ill  
They may not worken all that is their will  
¶ Then is it plain & clear enough to seyn  
These wicked men that wyckedlych may  
Full less of power & of might they been  
Set this there to that I shall after say  
sith might is such a thing the which always  
Aught to be coveted & desired  
And every thing that is to be required  
¶ To good it must be referred need  
As to the sovereign head & pryncypal  
But power for to worken wrecchedhed  
To good may not referred been at all  
it is nought then/ that be desired shall  
But power shall desired be by right  
Than power of the wicked is no might  
¶ Loo of all this it will apperens well  
That mighty been the good folk alone  
And wicked folk be mighty never a deal  
But week & myghtles been they everichone  
The sentence than may be perceved soon  
where that Plato writeth in this wise  
Do that them liketh only may the wise  
¶ For wicked men do works that them lust  
But their desire they may not yet fulfil  
what them delighteth that them seemeth best  
For why they do it be it never so ill  
To their desire yet may they not a till  
The which they seek in lusts & delights  
For blysfulnesse may not be had by vice   

Metrum ij. Capitulum iiij.  Quos vides sedere celsos. Phia loquitur. 
These great kings full of cruelty  
Shining in their purpur ryally  
sitting in the heythes of there see  
with wild words threating cruelly  
with blasting woodness of their hearts high  
with moche wrecched weeping by their side  
Ho so would fro these princes full of pride  
¶ Spoil them of their wrecched vain a ray  
Behold & see well what they be wythyn  
Though they be lords wonder stout & gay  
In streyt chains been they bond of sin  
Fro which they may not themselfen win  
These loo leadeth his life in lechery  
That all the world him speaketh velony  
¶ So is he troubled by this passion  
with wretch his mind is beaten & oppressed  
Or heaviness draeth him a down  
Or slyper hope him else hath distressed  
Loo such an head I trow is evil y blessed  
That is encumbered with so moche vice  
His might is to be set at little price   

Prosa iij. Capitulum u.  Vides ne igitur. Phia loquitur. 
ANd sayst thou not the foul vicious  
what filth them hath defiled & unhyght  
And the good folk & virtuous  
How worthily they shine fair & bright  
Of this it may apperens to thy sight  
That the wicked folk faileth never of peyn  
Ne the good folk their meed there again  
¶ That same thing that meveth any wight  
For to done or worken any deed  
That same thing I may it seyn by right  
Loo of that work it is the very meed  
This shall I prove if thou wilt taken hide  
For running lieth a garland for the game  
And he that runneth best shall have the same  
¶ But sovereign good is very blysfulnesse  
And is the very ground & cause why  
That any manner work purposed is  
As for to speak of purpose kendly  
Than is this good purposed commonly  
For man's work a meed for his travail  
Fro good men this meed may not fail  
¶ Ho so lacketh good as seemeth in my thought  
Be called good of right yet may not he  
The good then of meed faileth nought  
sith their meed is verily bounty  
Though wicked folk be wood in cruelty  
And useth all the malice that they mown  
yet the wise man loseth not his crowen  
¶ For why there is no foreyn wickedness  
Of men that been so perilous & proute  
That may bereave the kendly worthiness  
That longeth to the good/ it is no doubt  
But if they had it wonnen of without  
another then might it take a way  
Or he that gave that good/ it is no nay  
¶ But sith the goodness of a worthy wight  
Of good manners must be caused need  
when he forleteth them/ then is it right  
That he should be despoiled of his meed  
But finally in this matter to proceed  
sith all medes that desired been  
it is for they been good/ or as they ween  
¶ Of him that hath this good ho will it seyn  
That he this meed lacketh utterly  
None that reason hath I am certain  
But what thing is this meed verily  
The best thing & fairest sekerly  
That may be had or heart may devise  
This is it that is disposed for the wise  
¶ A Corrolary high & precious  
That I the gave whyler remember the  
which all in sum thou shalt assemble thus  
Loo sith that god is this felicity  
which that maketh blysful for to be  
All though that good works usen  
And wrecched vice will utterly refusen  
¶ And though that blysful been thou understand  
In a manner gods that they were  
Than is this gift the meed of all good  
That no day may consume in no manner  
Ne dymynuce it may no power  
Ne dymmen it no other man's vice  
Though wicked folk it would of their malice  
¶ sith it is so it is wythouten dread  
The wicked may not be wythouten peyn  
For sith that evil & good/ loo pain & meed  
Contraryous been/ then is it clear & pleyn  
sith good is sure of meed in full certain  
The bad is sure of pains & of woe  
if one be sooth the other must also  
¶ Then is the goodness of the good wight  
The reward & the meed of his goodness  
And to the wicked by the same right  
Theridamas peyn is eke there proper wickedness  
what ever he be/ than sueth it express  
That with such pains is he desesed oft  
with evil he is infect it faileth nought  
¶ For if the wicked would themselfen seyn  
Might they trowen as it seemeth the  
That they wythouten bitter pains been  
whom loo the uttermost extremyte  
Of all wickedness & cruelty  
Not only hath infected grievously  
But eke him hath infected hugely  
¶ But now behold that other part upon  
if any pains have the good a grieved  
Hast thou not learned/ that all that ever is one  
Is good also/ as I have it described  
Loo consequently than it may be proved  
As seemeth well that every thing that is  
it must also be good it is no miss  
¶ I may concluden than that all though  
That faileth fro this good rehearsed here  
He faileth then for to be also  
The wicked than they be not that they were  
For thoh thou see that man's body there  
Full sooth it is a man he was beforn  
By wickedness his kende he hath forlorn  
¶ But sith that only virtue & goodness  
A boven manhood may a man a raise  
Needs than ho so useth wickedness  
Benethen manhood down it doth him peyse  
And though so be that many one them praise  
whom that thou sayst transformed in to vice  
Thou holdest him not a man if thou be wise  
¶ whose lusts brenneth all in covetise  
And riveth men there good by violence  
I like a wolf thou might him well devise  
He that is fers & spareth none offence  
And what he saith he hath no consciens  
To make stryffes & dissension  
He is an hound as by comparison  
¶ And he that will a wayten privily  
Foreyn goods how he may beryven  
A fox thou might him callen skylefully  
And whom that cursed Ire doth a moven  
A lion as in that thou might him preven  
He that is feared & fleeth wythouten need  
An heart thou might him call it is no dread  
¶ And he that useth sloth & I delnesse  
And will not do no works profitable  
Thou might him call a very ass express  
And he that is inconstant & unstable  
To fowls might thou hauled him comparable  
And he that leadeth his life in lechory  
Aswyne thou might him callen skylefully  
¶ it seemeth than that he that hath forlete  
The life of virtue & of honest  
To been a man in that he hath forfete  
And skylefully forlorn that dignity  
And there he might a god in manner be  
Or like to god in leaving at jest  
Now is he changed to a rude best   

Metrum iij. Capitulum uj:  Vela Naricii ducis. Phia loquitur. 
¶ The south-west wind that bloweth boustesly  
The sails of the Duke Naricius   

But of that we have granted here before  
As necessary must it suen need  
Boeus) I asked what phia) ꝙ she now take good heed  
Moore welful been the wicked in their peyn  
Than if they sholden none at all susteyn  
¶ But this is not my conceit principally  
That commonly men have in their devise  
That wicked folk so peyned ryghtuously  
There by they been corrected of their vice  
And dread of peyn a peseth their malice  
And that example unto other more  
whythdraeth them fro that they wolden do  
¶ But in another manner wise I mean  
That bad folk without punytion  
Moore unwelful sickerly they been  
Than if they suffered none affliction  
Not having regard to correction  
Ne to example/ ne to dread of peyn  
That moche myschef often doth refrayn  
¶ Boectus) ꝙ I what manner wise may this be  
Other than you tolden here before  
Phia) Loo have not we confessed here ꝙ she  
That good men been welful evermore  
And wicked folk been wrecches & forlore  
Boeus) right so ꝙ I phia) ꝙ she now say me thyg  
What if that unto such a wrecchednesse  
¶ If any part of good were added to  
were not he then more welful wilt thou say  
Than he that standeth all in myschef so  
Fro whom all manner good is raft a way  
Boecius) ꝙ I it seemeth so it is no nay  
Phia) And what ꝙ she if to this wrecched man  
Fro whom all manner goods lacketh than  
¶ Another harm were joined & y knet  
Above the myscheffe which hath him oppressed  
wouldest thou not dame him more unwelful yet  
Than of his myschef somewhat were relesed  
And so by perceiving of good repressed  
Boecius) ꝙ I How should it other wise be  
Phia) Than have the wicked certainly ꝙ she  
¶ Somewhat of good when that they been in pain  
Annexed then unto his wrecchednesse  
when they been punished so/ that is to seyn  
The same peyn that for their wickedness  
They suffer/ which be cause of ryghtuosnesse  
where by that peyn is give it is no nay  
That self peyn is good I dare well say  
¶ And when that they been spared of torment  
Of this yvel than have they somewhat more  
That is the favour of unpunysment  
Of righteous pains that they been forbore  
The which as thou hast granted here before  
sith peyn is dwe reward of felony  
Vnpunysment is evil sickerly  
Boecius) I may not this denyen though I would  
Phia) The wicked them unpunished so with wrong  
So more unsely been they many a fold  
Then when by righteous doom they underfong  
Vengeance for their sin & soroes strong  
sith ryghtuousnesse tormenteth trespasours  
Than is it wrong to sparen surfetours  
¶ Boeus) Denyen this ꝙ I there may no wight  
Phia) May any man ꝙ she denyen this  
That all is good that ever is done by right  
And all that ever is wrong is wickedness  
Boecins) And this ꝙ I is consequent iwis  
To that you hove concluded loo while ere  
But now I pray you one thing say me hire  
¶ When that the body resolved is by death  
Shall the soul suffern any pain  
Phia) when that the soul out of the body geth  
Full hugy ꝙ she/ take it in certain  
For some full bitter pains shall susteyn  
And some shall be purged all with grace  
To treten here of this/ we have no place  
¶ But I have unto this that is in me  
Full done my dever that thou shouldest known  
The might of shrews/ which as seemeth the  
In them is full unworthily bestowen  
it is no power verily to trowen  
And there as thou complainest in thy thought  
That wicked folks been y punysshed nought  
¶ There might thou sayn the wicked for their sin  
To faylen never of pains sickerly  
But that they may there wicked purpose win  
with licence for to worken wickedly  
Thou dyst pray to been ended hastily  
And I have made the clearly for to know  
That it ne lesteth but a little throw  
¶ And that the longer that endureth though  
The more wrecches been they I the told  
And if they shulden ever endure so  
Than were they wrecches more a thousand fold  
And more wrecches eke thou might them hold  
when they with wrong of pains been relesed  
Then when they be with righteous peyn oppressed  
¶ And over this yet shall I further sayen  
Loo of this sentence sueth consequent  
Than are the bad in most despytous pain  
When that they seem they have no punysment  
Boeus) I said than/ when I with hole intent  
Behold your reasons how you doth them prove  
No thing is sother said as I believe  
¶ But to the judgement of man's wit  
That is not moved by such evidence  
Ho is that man that will beleven it  
Or dame it worthy any audience  
They troweth no thing but experience  
Phia) As thou hast said ꝙ she right so it is  
For yees that been used to derknesse  
¶ The light of treuthe may they not behold  
As fowls that been wont to i'll by night  
For to be seen a day they be not bold  
For why the day is blynding to their sight  
But nights derknesse maketh there yees bright  
So men infect with lusts & lekynges  
Have no regard to the ordinance of things  
¶ For they supposeth that such sufferance  
Or unpunyshment of cursedhede  
Should a man to welfulnesse avaunce  
But in the law eternal mayst thou rede  
if thou do well thou hast no manner need  
To ask a juge for thy recompense  
For thou hast set thyself in excellence  
¶ And if thou have thyselfen willingly  
Inclined unto sin & wrecchednesse  
To seek no vengeour of thy felony  
without thyself it needeth not iwis  
For thou hast set thyself in wickedness  
And made the like unto a rude best  
And put the in pains that ever shall jest  
Right as thou wouldest cast thy sight a bout  
Now to ground & now to heaven light  
All other causes ceasing of without  
Be cause of thine unstableness of sight  
Now wouldest thou seem with the stars bright  
And now right in this moddy ground to be  
But comen people this can they not see  
¶ Boeus) I asked than what this should mean  
Phia) Should we ꝙ she consenten unto these  
which we have showed that like to bests been  
if one of them which that the lust devise  
Loo had forlorn his sight in any wise  
All utterly/ & also furthermore  
Had all forget that ever he see before  
¶ And weeneth him want no thing utterly  
Of man's natural perfection  
Now we that this beholdeth verily  
Should we accord to their entention  
And not believe our own inspection  
Should we not trove that such men been blind  
And well the blynder for their mased mind  
¶ And things that as like may be proved  
By reasons of as mighty foundement  
Of such folk they may not be believed  
That such wicked men & violent  
when they desese a simple Innocent  
lWel more unsely been they in the deed  
Than though that suffereth all there wrangfulhede  
Boeus) though reasons said I would I hearen fain  
Phia) Every wicked shrewd man ꝙ she  
wilt thou deny him worth care & pain  
Boecius) Nay ꝙ I that have you not of me  
Phia) Than more unsely must they needs be  
Such that leadeth their lyffes cursedly  
Boecius) Right as you sayen right so it is ꝙ I  
¶ Phia) And though ꝙ she that worthy been torment  
wilt thou not dame them wrecches in that case  
Boecius) yes ꝙ I it is full convenient  
Phia) ꝙ she if thou shouldest. jugen in this place  
And mightest do vengeance or else grace  
whom wouldest thou demen worthy to be hung  
whether him that doth or him that suffereth wrong  
¶ Boeus) To him ꝙ I that had the wrongs done  
I would a jugen suffysance of peyn  
The patient so should be a venged soon  
That he should have no matter to complain  
Phia) Moore wrecched is the worcher wilt thou sayen  
ꝙ she than he that soffereth every deal  
Boeus) In sooth ꝙ I right so it sueth well  
¶ Phia) Of these causes & of other more  
That of the self rote suyngly  
Enforced been/ it will apperen loo  
That the filth of sins kendly  
Right of the self sins properly  
though men they maketh wrecches for to be  
That useth vices & dyshoneste  
¶ The wrong also is not the wrecchednesse  
Of him that suffereth harms & grievance  
But in sooth the wrecchednesse is his  
That wrongusly hath done him a noyance  
But pledours done in this contraryance  
That so the judges unto mercy moven  
A genst them that wrongs doth agreven  
¶ For sickerly the pity longeth more  
To 'em that hath unthryftyfully wrought  
And as the seek a leche is led before  
So should he be before the judge brought  
Of piteous accusours and wroth nought  
That with the pain as with a sotel gin  
Cowde cut a weigh the malady of sin  
¶ And thus the business of advocates  
Schuld be forleten & men schuld it refusen  
Or if they would approven men algates  
All other wise they schuld there offyce usen  
And though that so mysdone alway accusen  
And if these wrecches also furthermore  
Mygth seen the virtue that they have forlore  
¶ Sigh that bounty with pains may be had  
And filth of vice been utterly fordone  
To suffer pains schuld he be full glad  
Ne pains soothly schuld he hold them none  
His advocates forsaken should he soon  
And to the juge he should hem self be take  
That might hem hole of all his sins make  
¶ Than is it so that as a genst the wise  
Is left no place of hate it is full sooth  
Hoo will the good haten or despite  
But a fool that wot not what he doth  
And though the bad be to the full loath  
To haten 'em yet have you no reason  
But rather have of them compassion  
¶ for as sickness the body doth grievance  
Rygth so is vice a manner malady  
The which the soul oppresseth with noyance  
And as we should not demen skylefully  
Him worthy hate that seek is bodily  
But rwen rather on his pains sore  
Then ghostly languor should us meven more  
¶ it is not convenient to haten ne pursue  
The souls that oppressed been with vice  
But rather on their bitter pains rwe  
And ho that could (not moved with malice)  
That man a menden with full good advise  
Though that he put him to full bitter peyn  
Of cruelty there may no wight complain   

Metrum iiij. Capitulum viij.  Quid tantos juuat. Phia loquitur. 
WHat helpeth it to meven or excite  
with ꝓper hands your haps busily  
For if you seek death it needeth light  
For he will come hymselfen willingly  
He tarrieth not he spedeth him hastily  
Loo serpent/ Leon/ Tiger/ Bore/ & Bear  
They seeketh you to a racen & to tere  
¶ And you with sword each other doth assail  
For cause that your manners been divers  
Vnryghtuously so meveth you battle  
with enterchaunging darts for to pierce  
your cruelty/ your reason doth reverse  
wilt thou that every man his meret had  
Loo love the good/ & rwe upon the bad   

Prosa u. Capitulum ix.  Hinc video inquam. Boecius loquitur. 
¶ In this ꝙ I I perceive every deal  
Both the myschef & the welfulnesse  
As for the meed of them that worcheth well  
And eke of them also that done a miss  
But nevertheless alday I see well this  
That of fortune to which the people hedeth  
Both good & evil full often time proceedeth  
¶ Ne there is no wise man as I guess  
That rather would be power & nameless  
And in exile/ than flouresh in riches  
In power & in honour to encresse  
And in his cyte for to dwell in piece  
This is the best way as I devise  
To profit by the offyce of the wise  
¶ So may their blyssfulnesse/ it is no doubt  
As by the virtue of their governance  
Be well transfunded in to folk a bout  
That been committed to their ordinance  
But than/ this mine heart doth grievance  
sith it is so that lawful prysonment  
divers Ingynnes/ pains & torment  
¶ For wicked folk were first ordained  
And unto them it longeth skylefully  
why is it then that good men beth peyned  
And in their stead oppressed grievously  
And meed that to virtue properly  
Of very right is pertynent & dwe  
These medes have the wicked & untrwe  
¶ What is the skyle of this confusion  
That so unrighteous seemeth for to be  
Of you I would have Information  
For less merueyl should it be to me  
if all things stood in this degree  
Meddled all with fortune & with chance  
And had at all none other governance  
¶ But god that is the governor of all  
Lo maketh me a stoned as in this  
Sigh joy & wealths often doth befall  
To good folk. & often time iwis  
The wicked be in care and heaviness  
And often time the bad there again  
Been in there lusts & the good in peyn  
¶ But if there be some skyle or evidence  
why god rewardeth folk in this manner.  
As thinketh me there is no difference  
But hap and fortune rewleth all yfere  
Phia) Of this ꝙ sche I misorder naught as here  
Sigh thou ne couldst the skyle of ordinance  
Though thou meruele upon the governance  
¶ And hauled it folly & confusion  
But though to the the causes beth unknow  
As of so high a dysposytion  
when so him lust to setten high or low  
sith he is good as thou must needs trow  
That all governeth/ take this for a sooth  
That all is righteous what that ever he doth   

Metrum u Capitulum x.  Si quis arcturi sidera Phia loquitur. 
HE that knoweth not the causes why  
Ne how it is/ in sooth he can not sayen  
That the star arcturus goeth so nigh  
moving a bout the pole sovereign  
And why Bootes' rests not his weyn  
And he his flames plongeth down so late  
And why so soon he riseth este algate  
¶ it is no doubt he shall be stoned soon  
As of the law of high heaven bright  
why that the horns of the full moan  
So infected with the dark night  
Becometh pale/ & the stars light  
which that she hid with her beams clear  
Dyscovering them/ she maketh to us appear  
¶ And open error maketh fowls blind  
That beteth brass the moan to reskewen  
Men wondereth nought upon the stormy wind  
That maketh the see so fersly for to flown  
That doth the brenkes bete & overthrown  
Ne that the cold forsen clottes great  
So been resolved by the sons hete  
¶ The cause of this is esy to be feled  
These other are hid/ therefore you wonder so  
For all that falls suddenly & seld  
Thus wondereth these movable folks loo  
And if this cloudy error pass them fro  
So that they might the very causes see  
They should not semen wondered to be   

Prosa uj. Capitulum xi.  Ita est inquam. Boecius loquitur. 
RIght so ꝙ I this will I not reverse  
But loo this gift is yours sickerly  
These prime causes which that you rehearse  
And reasons hid in clouds mystycally  
To maken clear/ this one thing coveyt I  
it is a thing that trobleth most my mind  
And with merueyl marred/ I me find  
Phia) She 'gan to smile a little & said than  
Thou askest now of me a question  
Loo of the highest thing that any man  
May asken at mine estymation  
Or may perceive by clear entention  
To which unnethes may there aught suffice  
Of any word that I can the devise  
¶ Such is the matter that we been a bout  
The which to known thou desirest so  
That when we been delivered of a doubt  
wythouten number soon riseth more  
That been well nigh as hard to a voyden fro  
As heads that one dragon encresse  
The serpent that was slain of Hercules  
¶ Ne in this matter is none other end  
Ne how these great doubts to redressen  
But that a lyfly fire of man's mind  
Must myghtly restrayn them & repressen  
For otherwise thou shalt them not expressen  
For loo in this men useth to enquere  
Thus fell as I shall the rehercen here  
¶ first of the wondered symplycyte  
Of the high divine purueyance  
Of fatum that men calleth desteney  
Of fortune that is called sudden chance  
Of knowing & of god's ordinance  
That is called predestination  
And eke of freedom of election  
¶ How hugyous is this matter with to deal  
Thou knowest it well thyself it is no nay  
But sith it is a parcel of thine hele  
To known this/ I shall do what I may  
Thou that the time be short I shall a say  
sith I have said the somewhat here before  
I shall myself enforcen furthermore  
¶ And though so be that music the delight  
And metre is full lusty to thine ere  
As for a time that lust must thou respite  
The while that I in order knette in fere  
My reasons which I shall the shown here  
Boecius) Right as you lust ꝙ I/ & she began  
As it were all another process than  
¶ Phia) Loo every kendly generation  
Of all things be they more or less  
And every natural progress you  
That in his being hath chaungeablenesse  
And what that ever hyt be that moved is  
Theridamas order/ form & causes forth been brought  
Fro the stable high divine thought  
¶ This sovereign thought that all doth so devise  
Set in the tour of high symplycyte  
Hath ordained many divers manner wise  
To things that been done/ loo wilt thou see  
And if this manner of desposytion referred be  
un to the pure divine intelligence  
Than is it purueyance or prescience  
¶ But when this same manner referred is  
To things that been moved & governed  
As old men have called it ere this  
Than is it destiny as I have learned  
Full soon is this diversity dyscerned  
Of him that seethe the myghtes of them both  
And esely he shall well see the sooth  
¶ For purueyance loo is that reason high  
Of good our aller prince sovereign  
By which/ all he desposeth mightily  
But destiny the very sooth to sayen  
Loo is that dysposytion certain  
which these things been annexed to  
That of their kendes been movable so  
¶ By which the high divine prescience  
All things in their ordinance enlaceth  
This purueyance loo hath this excellence  
That all thing at one's he embraceth  
Fro his presence is no thing that passeth  
Though they be infinite & endless  
Yet all he comprehendeth nevertheless  
¶ But destiny in certain time & space  
singularly dyvydeth every deal  
Disposing it in meving time & place  
And when that this disposing temporel  
Is comprehended & referred well  
un to the onehed of god's governance  
Than is it soothly called purueyance  
¶ But for to have consideration  
How they divided in divers times be  
That self order of this desposytion  
Than is it hothly called destiny  
And though they have such diversity  
yet nevertheless there may no thing be sother  
Then that one of them dependeth of the other  
¶ For of the symplycyte of purveyance  
This order fatal certain doth proceed  
There is the form of all that ordinance  
Right as a crafty man that will him speed  
A work to maken/ first he taketh heed  
And all the shape desposeth in his mind  
And sith the effect he bringeth to the end  
¶ As he hath first devised every deal  
And in his thought enprented symplely  
He bringeth forth by order temporel  
Right so god all purueyeth singularly  
And to be done desposeth stablely  
And when it fully is disposed so  
By destiny he maketh it to be do  
¶ And whether this exercise destynal  
By any spirits of the heaven on high  
That to this purueyance intendeth all  
Or if the soul doth it verily  
Or else nature doth it kendly  
Or the moving of the stars bright  
Or else angeles of the heaven light  
¶ Other else by the fendes business  
By some of these other by all in fere  
This order destynal performed is  
yet loo this is full open & full clear  
And needs it must be so in all manner  
That the stable & simple ordinance  
Of thing to don is called purueyance  
¶ But loo/ the process of succession  
In which they been performed suyngly  
By the simple dysposytion  
Before seyn of god be forn eternally  
Loo destiny men call it sickerly  
So all that ever is under destiny  
So must it under purueyance be  
¶ As is the self destiny also  
And to that self purueyance both  
Some things been subject that been ydone  
As after this I shall declaren to the  
That again standeth destiny for sooth  
And some to god approacheth so by love  
That order destynal they pass a 'bove  
¶ As divers compace on one point y pyght  
Upon the centre turning all a bout  
The Innermest compace to thy sight  
The which next to the centre is without  
A centre will it seem/ it is no doubt  
And seemeth as it meveth never a deal  
A bout which so meveth all the while  
¶ But this uttermost circumference  
That to thy sight is largest in compace  
And ferrest fro this point in difference  
So must he moven in a larger space  
And he that negheth to that myddel place  
Compressed next to that symplycyte  
He cesseth for to moven as seemeth the  
¶ By lekely reason he that ferrest fleteth  
Fro the sovereign thought of god on high  
To destiny the faster he him knetteth  
And he that can & will approach nigh  
This sovereign centre-god ententyfly  
The more he standeth in freedom & in ease  
That destiny shall little him desese  
¶ Right as dyscours of reason may not be meet  
un to the Intellect of man's mind  
Ne thing that is/ to thing that is not yet  
Ne a little stound to time wythouten end  
May not be like in worthiness of kende  
But as the point to the circumference  
Between them is an hugey difference  
¶ Right so this fatayl mutabylyte  
That always is so full of varyance  
Referred to the high symplycyte  
Of the stable & sovereign purueyance  
which that heavens hath in governance  
He meveth stars/ he tempereth elements  
Transforming them by enterchaungementes  
¶ And all that nature doth on earth breed  
And so bideth/ shall fallen down eft soon  
Renewing them by fruits & by seed  
He seethe also the works that you done  
And fortunes he governeth everych one  
Constreyning with an Insoluble bond  
Of causes which that may not be wythstonde  
¶ And sith these causes passen fro so high  
A ground/ as purueyance unuaryable  
Than may I say full well & sothfastly  
That needs must it been untransmutable  
That governance/ & most profitable  
when this symplycyte of divine thought  
ordaineth causes which that faileth nought  
¶ Thus in a certain order sooth to sayen  
That steadfast is & it may faylen never  
And but this order govern & refrayn  
This worldly things which that changeth ever  
Full soon they shall dyssoluen & dessever  
Fleting/ right as thing of no valour  
And whavering so wythouten governor  
¶ And though so be that we may not behold  
The causes of this desposytion  
Ne see the skyleful order as we should  
There fore be we in perturbation  
it seemeth us error & confusion  
Yet is it dressed if we understood  
And well disposed every deal to good  
¶ For cause of evil is no thing verily  
Performed of the worst man that is  
For as I have declared plenerly  
They seeketh good/ but they been led a miss  
By error of their own wrecchednesse  
For why that order which that doth proceed  
Fro sovereign good/ it may no wight myslede  
¶ But unto this peradventure wilt thou say  
What confusion may there worse be  
sith good & bad indifferent alday  
Now have they wealth & now adversity  
Now that they love/ now that they wolden i'll  
But wilt thou trow that men be now so wise  
That every thing must be as they devise  
¶ As whom them lust to jugen good or bad  
Of very force it must be needs so  
In man's doom discord full oft is had  
For of these one man/ these will demen loo  
That he is worthy moche peyn & woe  
And these will dame him worthy thank & meed  
And yet the one must be deceived need  
¶ But let us graunten here that any wight  
The good & bad may verily discern  
Now trowest thou that they been of such a might  
For to enserche the Innermest thought  
Of man's ghost & all that he hath wrought  
And clearly jugen thereof every doubt  
As men are wont of bodies here without  
¶ As for to juge their attemperure  
Of diversity of their complexion  
As greatly wondereth every creature  
That knoweth not by clear inspection  
There kendes ne their dysposytions  
why these accordeth well with things sweet  
These other most have sour & sweet forlete  
¶ And seek folks been y cured oft  
Some with sharp things sickerly  
And some by thing that esy is & soft  
But this the leche knoweth verily  
That knoweth the manner of the malady  
There temperure & manner of their hele  
Of this discord he wondereth never a deal  
¶ And what may be the health of thy courage  
But honest & virtue most of price  
what sickness may thy soul do damage  
But unhoneste & cursedness of vice  
But now what creature may be so wise  
To saven health & a voyden heaviness  
No wight but god in certain as I guess  
¶ He is the very leche of man's mind  
That fro the waiting of his purueyance  
He seethe what is acordant to the kende  
Of everych that he hath in governance  
And for them so he maketh ordinance  
To everych as belongeth to his health  
whether that you dame it woe or wealth  
¶ Than is this noble wonder to your thought  
And merueyl of this order destynal  
when god all cunning/ hath that work wrought  
it stoneth them that knoweth nought at all  
For man's cunning certain is but small  
And man's reason little may dyffyne  
Of things in the sovereign thought divine  
¶ peradventure thou wilt demen of a wight  
That he is Just & true in his intent  
yet in the purueyance of god's sight  
There falls all another judgement  
And a doom that is fer dyfferent  
Loo as Lucanus my familiar  
In his books written of this matter  
¶ The cause convyct as Cato 'gan devise  
He deemed best/ that was Pompeius  
But loo the gods judged other wise  
They deemed Just the cause of julius  
Wherefore they maden him vyc●oryous  
So things done outwardly to thy sight  
Yet is it done by ordinance of right  
¶ But yet as to thine opynable wit  
it seemeth overthorte confusion  
But peradventure I suppose yet  
Here is some man of such condytion  
That in the doom is no dystynction  
But god & man accordeth all in one  
In judgement that error is there none  
¶ But upon hap so feynt his courage is  
That if there fall him other than he would  
it should him causen for to done a miss  
And to forlete his good custumes old  
By which/ fortune might he not with hold  
where fore the wise dyspensation  
Regarding to his dysposytion  
¶ And seeing that by such adversity  
He should be moche apeyred & y shent  
For why he spareth him of his pity  
And giveth him so as is convenient  
That he may keep him true & Innocent  
And these loo stont in virtue perfetly  
And as a saint is joined god full nigh  
¶ Of these the high divine purueyance  
Would dame it as for sin & felony  
To put upon him harms or grievance  
He will him nought be harmed bodily  
Ne be desesed by no malady  
Thus said one that of wisdom was fulfilled  
That virtue hath a saints body builded  
¶ And often when astate of worthiness  
And governance is given to the wise  
That is for to rebuken & repress  
The vice that would encressen & a rise  
And some he ruleth in another wise  
And as him liketh enterchaungeth both  
Right as best is for them it is the sooth  
¶ And some he suffereth softly to be grieved  
Jest they outrage in their wealths long  
And some with sharp showers to be moved  
That virtue of their courage ever a 'mong  
By use of patience be proved strong  
And be confirmed by that exercise  
And some because of very cowardyce  
¶ Full nedeles of moche thing they dread  
which they may well perform the sooth to sayen  
And these loo is full hardy in his deed  
Presuming more than he may sustain  
To these expedient it is there again  
To know themselfen by experience  
And these loo for a name of excellence  
¶ Full manly with death he hath it boght  
And so he hath sustained pains sore  
As for example ever to be thought  
That men may seyn by things done be fore  
That virtue hath Inuict been evermore  
And is not harmed by adversity  
But if defaute of men themselfen be  
¶ How ryghtuously disposed all a bout  
And loo how well these things been ydone  
Ho so looketh this/ he may not been in doubt  
And for their profit when they falls to  
For to the wicked that betydeth so  
That now they have desese & now their lust  
To these same causes may be wist  
¶ But when they been in pains & distress  
There is no wight that wondereth never a deal  
For why they all will suppose & guess  
That 〈◊〉 pains were deserved well  
And these pains that these wrecches feel  
Maketh other wrecches pains for to fere  
And often foul vices to forbear  
¶ And also for their own amendment  
But things falling lusty to their chyre  
it giveth men a mighty argument  
what they should demen of these wealths here  
sith they to wrecches be familiar  
And certainly I suppose as in this  
That god despenseth with their frowardness  
¶ For some men been their loo peradventure  
That been so importune in their malice  
And eke so overthrowing of nature  
That need them maketh fallen in to vice  
But than this prescyence that is so wise  
A genst the perel of this malady  
By worldly plentey maketh remedy  
¶ Loo these beholdeth on his consciens  
Defouled so with sin & cursedhede  
And saith how great a dysconuenyence  
Than is between his fortune & his deed  
peradventure he falls so in dread  
Jest that the use of thing that doth him ease  
He may forfete & by his sins lose  
¶ He changeth than his customs everichone  
Him feareth so his fortune to forlete  
And all his vices he forsaketh soon  
And these hath loo these worldly wealths great  
To which in sooth his meret is unmeet  
And suddenly the wrecche is overthrown  
And set at nought as his deserts awen  
¶ And some have power & authority  
Loo whom them lust to punysshen & dystrayn  
So that it may unto the good be  
An exercise of virtue the sooth to sayen  
And to the wicked man a cause of peyn  
For right as good & bad dyscordeth ever  
Right so bad themself accordeth never  
And why not/ sith it falteth every day  
That they dyscorden in themselfen so  
There conscience repreveth them always  
And often time it falls that they do  
Some deed/ that when the time is over go  
themself they deemeth in their own thought  
That better had that deed been unwroght  
¶ This purueyaunce if you it understood  
it worcheth here a wonder to your heart  
By bad men the bad he maketh good  
And fro their vices wonderly convert  
For when the fowls feel them felfen smert  
when other wrecches hath them harmed sore  
it falls that they hateth them there fore  
¶ And while they coveyt unto s●che men  
To be unlike/ that useth such unright  
To fruit of virtue they resorteth than  
For only this is thing of gods might  
Right as it liketh him/ it is but light  
That bad thing is good as he devyseth  
when good effects of the bad a riseth  
¶ For why in order all thing embraceth  
And what that fleteth fro this ordinance  
In to another order then it passeth  
For in the realm of certain purueyaunce  
That mighty god hath in his governance  
There may no thing be done uncertainly  
Ne but it have a skyleful cause why  
¶ For unto man in sooth it langeth not  
To know all his wondered engine  
As of the works which that been wrought  
So by the high purueyaunce divine  
Ne them with words fully dyffyne  
No creature hath that habylyte  
But only this sufficeth/ it to see  
¶ That god the first founder of nature  
All thing to good desposeth he & dresseth  
So far forth that in every creature  
The lekenesse of himself he empresseth  
And for to kepen this/ loo he represseth  
All wicked things fro his governance  
A voiding it by fatal ordinance  
¶ For why if thou mark well in thy mind  
The purueyaunce that all thing desposeth  
There is no thing that thou shalt bade find  
Though so be that thy wits so supposeth  
For every thing wythyn it self encloseth  
Some manner cause of good it is no dread  
where of some other goods shall proceed  
¶ But yet whyler I see the wexen faint  
As for the wyghtes of my question  
This long process hath the sore atteynt  
Some sweet thing of delectation  
Thou askest for a recreation  
Have taste of this & strenger shalt thou be  
Than/ & hegher to ascend after me   

Metrum uj. Capitulum xj.  Si vis celsi iura tonantis. Phia loquitur. 
TOo if thou wilt behold ententyfly  
with all the clear myghtes of thy mend  
The laws of our sovereign god on hay  
Up in to heaven thou must thy wits sand  
There every thing doth keep his course of kende  
The stars with a righteous allyaunce  
They keepeth there there old governawce  
¶ And loo the bright son it is no doubt  
The cold moan letteth never a deal  
And Vrsa which that meveth round a bout  
The pole artyke right as it were a wheel  
Her old course she keepeth wonder weal  
Though other stars move in to the west  
To a byden there a 'bove she liketh best  
¶ And Hesperus the eve star clear  
Loo showeth himself before the dark night  
And the lusty star Lucifer  
He bringeth by este again the day light  
This perdurable course they keepeth right  
Thus all dyscord by enterchaunged love  
Loo is exiled from the heaven a 'bove  
¶ This same accord of love by stounds meet  
Attempereth eke the fighting elements  
That drought may accord with the weet  
That hete & cold may have convenience  
And though they keep there kendly resistance  
The light fire yet algates up asceudeth  
And the heavy earth contrary way descendeth  
¶ And by causes of the self reason  
Sweet flowers springeth lustily  
In the fair first summer season  
And so the hot summer suyngly  
Maketh the corn to rypen hastily  
And so autumpnus bringeth forth his blede  
Lusty fruits folks for to feed  
¶ This same attemperaunce it is no nay  
The winter so be dweth with the rain  
All leaving thing it norysseth sooth to say  
And eft with death retorneth down again  
The whiles sitteth the maker sovereign  
well & ground both lord & king is he  
La/ & wise juge of equity  
¶ The reins of the world he hath in hand  
So making it to meven & to go  
A resting eft he maketh it to stand  
For thing that fletteh ever to & fro  
But if that he enstabelysshe it so  
Compelling it to moven in to round  
it must needs faylen fro his ground  
¶ And fro the order which they now observe  
This love comen to every creature  
coveteth them to kepen & conserve  
The end of good that ground is of nature  
For in other wise may they not endure  
But love return them in to unyte  
Of god on high that caused them to be   

Prosa seven. Capitulum xiij.  jam ne igitur vides. Phia loquitur. 
ANd sayst thou not ꝙ she what sueth here  
Upon all that we have rehearsed now  
Boeus) I asked what phia) ꝙ she it is full  
That all fortune is good boeus) y asked how (clear  
Phia) Full soon ꝙ she that shall I show the now  
Thou understandest well that this is sooth  
That every fortune justey is or loath  
¶ Yet been they given for an exercise  
Of virtue to the good or else thus  
As for a guerdoning unto the wise  
Or they been given to the vicious  
To punish them that been malicious  
Or to correct them of their mysdede  
This is the very cause it is no dread  
¶ And all that ever is Just & profitable  
wilt thou not hold it good Boeus) I said yes  
For why it sueth right as reasonable  
To that you have rehearsed here y wys  
Of purueyance & destiny ere this  
Full firmly your sentence is y knytte  
But saeth me one thing if you liketh yet  
¶ As you have put be fore a little oer  
Acounteth fortune now in this degree  
you sayden that a rude comyner  
Can not believe/ ne will it not see  
Phia) And whereto shall I speak of that ꝙ she  
Boeus ꝙ I this speech of men is used wide  
That evil fortune to some men doth betide  
¶ Phia) And wilt thou ꝙ she that we negh near  
un to the comen used speech than  
Jest them seem that I go to far  
A boven all the comen use of man  
Boeus) As liketh you ꝙ I Phia) & she began  
Demest thou not good that causeth good to encresse  
Boeus) yes ꝙ I for sooth I may juge no less  
¶ Phia) Now all that virtue is enforced by  
Other that correcteth any deed  
Doth it not profyten) Boecius) yes ꝙ I  
Phia) Than is it good ꝙ she wythouten dread  
Boecius) In sooth ꝙ I this must I grant need  
Phia) But this ꝙ she to them doth aperteyn  
That grounded been in virtue the sooth to seyn  
¶ That taketh bateyl with such adventures  
whythstanding them with mighty patience  
Or it pertaineth to though creatures  
That have led their life in insolence  
And so to virtue doth their diligence  
There to enforced with adversity  
Boecius) & this ꝙ I may not denied be  
Phia) But when ꝙ she fortune of lustynesse  
To good men is given for their meed  
Is it then bad? will these folks guess  
Boeus) I said nay full right they will it rede  
That this fortune is good wythouten dread  
Phia) And what ꝙ she when fortune anguysous  
Is bestowed upon the vicious  
¶ To peyn them for their sins ryghtuously  
whether will they dame it good or nought  
Boeus) Good will they not jugen it ꝙ I  
But wrecchednesse the worst that may be thought  
Phia) Behold ꝙ she now where we been brought  
As suing this vulgar opinion  
In to a marvelous conclusion  
Boeus) I asked what Phia) it sueth here ꝙ she  
Of that we have confessed plenerly  
Lo that there may no wicked fortune be  
To such that haveth virtue perfetly  
Or to though that encresseth aught there by  
Or tho that doth in virtue first begin  
To virtue so converted fro their sin  
¶ And they that dwelleth in their wickedness  
what fortune that them fall of well or woe  
it is myschef to them & wrecchednesse  
Boeus) In sooth ꝙ I it sueth well there to  
Though no man will it grant yet is it so  
Phia) For why she said a wise & perfect man  
Should not so sore grogen than  
¶ When fortune as a foo doth 'em assail  
Right as a strong man should him not dysdeyn  
When that he hyreth rumour of battle  
But thereof should he be full glad & fain  
For such distress a matter is certain  
For to confirm these one in sapience  
These other in astate of excellence  
¶ For than her name virtue useth right  
All only when it stont in this degree  
when it enforceth of his proper might  
To be not overthroen by adversity  
And to you that in encrece of virtue be  
it belongeth not to lede a lusty life  
with every fortune have you taken stryffe  
¶ And a bateyl wonder sharp & keen  
Look how you can you keep in this distress  
To set yourself in a mighty mean  
So that her sorrows no thing you oppress  
Ne that you be not by her lustynesse  
Corrupt/ for all that a 'bove this mean a riseth  
Or is beneath/ felicity despiseth  
¶ And shall no meed as for his labour take  
For in your own hands put is it  
your proper fortune/ which you will make  
For if it seem sharp unto your wit  
Loo exercise of virtue giveth it  
Or else you converteth fro your sin  
Or punysseth you that will a bide theryn   

AGamenon the vengeour of heleyve  
A bateyl held of ȝerus twice five  
So he destroyed troy & wan again  
The same helyve that was his broad wyffe  
But when he first 'gan stir him to that stryffe  
Him lacked wind to sail on the flod  
And soon he boght it with his daughter blood  
¶ And so he made himselfen pyteles  
In sacrifice he sloo his daughter dear  
Also when that noble Vlixes  
In the see had sailed many year  
He wept his main with a ruthful cheer  
For Poliphemus daring in his den  
So fersly had devoured all his men  
¶ But Vlixes full warily 'gan espy  
when that this Poliphemus was a sleep  
And suddenly than put he out his you  
And Poliphemus though be 'gan to lepe  
And for malice & anguish weyle & weep  
where of Vlixes was full blithe & glad  
In vengeance of the harms that he had  
¶ And Hercules gate him a noble name  
By labours which that hard were & great  
first the proud Centaurus made he tame  
The Lion fierce out of his skin he gete  
And Arpyas eke with aroes he sheet  
And golden apples wych the dragon kept  
He gate them while the cruel dragon slept  
¶ And Cerberus the foul hound of hell  
with a three fold cheyn he bound full last  
And dyomede the tyrant fierce & fell  
He made his horse devour him at last  
Upon the serpent Idra fire he cast  
And so he brent him in to asches cold  
That no man his venem noyen should  
¶ When Achilaus made himself by craft  
I like to a bull with Hercules to fight  
Than Hercules his horns him be raft  
And fully him despoiled of his might  
Achilaus in to a river right  
For shame he leapt & hid himselfen there  
And on the land he darest no more apere  
¶ Antheus the geaunt of Libie  
That on the ground his myghtes would renwe  
Thus Hercules him sloo full manfully  
Upon his breast & to the ground him thrwe  
And Cakus' the thief that was untrwe  
He sloo/ & Euanderus Ire he pesed  
That of Cakus' often was desesed  
¶ And over this he sloo the mighty bore  
with hoos foom his shoulders marked were  
But than his last labour furthermore  
was when he on his neck heavens bear  
And of this labour he deserved there  
That heaven for to have to his meed  
you mighty men to this you taketh heed  
¶ Now hasteth you the high way to wend  
Right as you may by this example see  
you nice men & mased in your mind  
why will you not fight a genste adversity  
with virtue/ sith you may so syker be  
Ho so in earth hath the victory  
He shall be worthy to the heaven on high  

Explicit Liber Quartus.  
¶ In this chapytre Philosophia confermeth her exhortation/ by example of three mighty men/ of singular deeds that they had done. Agamenon. Vlixes. & Hercules. And for cause often times men escheweth great acts for lack of courage/ which courage is blemesshed or oppressed: by three things in special. There fore he rehearseth of these werryours, certain deeds/ in which they showed the might of their courage not hurt ne blemesshed by none of these causes. One thing is that often letteth & wythdraeth the force of man's courage/ fro mighty and manly deeds/ that is tendrenesse of heart and affection that he hath other to worldly things which he delighteth upon/ Other to wife & children/ kindred/ or frenshyppe/ which he keepeth not to dysplese in wythdraing his presence/ neither in any other thing/ that might be cause of morning or heaviness. But against this carnalyte/ he putteth the example of Agamenon. That when he was sailing towards the sege● of Troy/ when he came to the isle of Aulydes/ him lacked wind. Then was it showed him by wycches & dyvynours/ that if he would have wind: he must slay his daughter Ephigenie/ & brenne her in sacrifice to the plesance of Dyane. And not wythstanding that he loved his daughter passing all thing/ yet in hope of victory/ he put a way the tendrenesse of faderly affection/ and made his heart pyteles to his dear daughter/ & so sloo her in sacrifice.  
And so had he wind to his will/ & suyngly the victory as he desired ¶ The second thing that letteth a man's courage is: when he hath seyn many perish for a certain purpose: which himself desireth/ and few or none atteyn it with prosperity. Again this a basshement/ he putteth the second example of Vlixes. which when he had x. years erred sailing in the see after the destruction of Troy & suffered many miss adventures/ & specially in transformation & losing of his feloshyppe: by the cursed enchaunteresse Circe's. Here he tellethe how the great giant Poliphemus with one ye in his frount/ had devored & destroyed his people/ And not wythstanding the myscheffe that all his people had suffered/ yet Vlixes a basshed him nought/ but waited when this giant was a sleep/ & suddenly put out his ye: And theu was he syker of him/ that he might harm him no more. & so he venged the murder of his main▪ ¶ The moralyte of this fable/ is this. Poliphemus is as moche to say/ as losing of fame: And he that recketh not of his fame/ may well be called one yeed. For he regardeth not that is to come: ne that is passed. but only to his present lusts. But Vlixes the wise man/ hath regard both to that is gone: & to that that is to come/ & quencheth in himself this one is of these present lusts. And though so be that all the world for the more part/ by ravesshing of this one you/ peresseth/ foloing these momentaney lusts: and unnethes any man is that can or will refrayn them: yet Vlixes the wise man: will stop this you/ & not excuse him by the comen excuse of wrecches saying: Ho is he that may withstand his desires/ sith so many mighty men & wise have been dyscomfete of their lusts. But he will myghtly repress these passions by good governance▪ And so venge himself upon his ghostly enemy.  
¶ The third thing that a basseth the courage: is cowardyce: when a man haldeth himself unable to the labour that he puryoseth/ and his might unsuffycyant & unmeet to resist that: that wythstandethe his will & enteut. Agenste this cowardyce: philosophia Inducethe the twelve. labours of the mighty man Hercules/ which seemeth to every man's hiring far to exceed the might of any man▪ yet not wythstanding/ Hercules a basshed never his courage: but mightily performed his intent & purpose. wherefore as philosophia concludeth he was rewarded with a sovereign geft/ and made a bright shining star in the heaven a 'bove. ¶ By these mighty manues labours/ is given to us an example/ that there may no thing a basshe the courage of a wise man: where by he should leave the labour of virtuous leaving/ ne bodily exercise in virtue shall not seem him overhard to his might/ but that he may perform his intent & lust. so shall his desire be enforced with desire & full hope to heavenly joy.  
¶ The first labour: the proud Centaurus made he tame: Of these Centaurus is said be forn/ That Ixion gate them of a cloud/ when he would have oypressed juno. But what wise that Hercules tamed them/ it is expressed by the commentor thus. when that these Centaurus in a certain time were come to gedres in the mount of Pheloe to a pley that was called Palestra/ which we call wrestling/ Hercules so sore asset them in wrestling/ that they bledde. ¶ Also another time Hercules coming out of spain was logged in the den of Tyro Centaurus that was one of the ●heffe masters. And as this Tyro handled an aroe/ with which Hercules had slain a serpent the venomous aroe fell upon his foot/ and made him a wonde/ that was uncurable. The third time it fell that Hercules with his love Deiamra turning toward his country/ come to the river of Hevenun/ And when he tarried for carriage of his wife: Neffus Centaurus bade him swim over before: & he would bring her after. And when that Hercules was come to land/ he looked after his wife/ & he saw Centaurus a bout for to oppressen her/ And a none with a venomous aroe he shut him thoro the heart & s●we him. And thus he tamed the proud Centaurus. ¶ To the litceral truth of this tale. Ixion that was called the father of the Centaurus/ was the first that ordained horsemen for to ride in grece/ and gathered of them a hundred & wasted sore the country. And when the rude people did see them so smartly pry●k●ng in and out/ they wend it had been bests/ half horse and half men. And at last these mighty Hercules fought with them & destroyed them. ¶ By these Centaurus geten of the cloud may be understand such men as been exalted in to high astates/ not by meret of their virtues/ but by favour of lordship/ & by their vain pleasance. They been half bests & half men/ bestly in their leaving/ raveners & extortioners: & like men in pleasance to their lords Hercules the virtuous shall spare none offence of their high astates/ ne dread of their tyranny/ but boldly reprove them of their vices/ & make them to look as men should. ¶ The second of Hercules was that he strepte the Lion out of his skin. The truth of this labour was this: There was a passing hugy Lion in the forest of Nemeas: which sore afraid the people of the country. which Lion hercules' slwe/ & strept the skin: & bore with him in sign of urctory. By this Lion is understand/ proud & fierce tyrants: that delighteth all in raven and pyling of the people/ having no pity upon the power. These men a virtuous man should spoil of there pour/ & suffer none such to bear astate of office.  
¶ The third labour was that he sher the herpyas with aroes.  
¶ Syneus put out the yees of his sons/ because they had accused their stepmoder of adultery. wherefore by Jugement of gods he was blinded himself/ and had certain fowls about him with maiden heads/ that defoyled his table & bore a way his meet. These fowls Hercules slwe and drove out of country  
¶ By these Herpyas may well be understand rennets or riders over the country/ covered under lordship/ as menstrelles & joculers and such other/ that cometh in to households of worthy men/ & eateth and devoreth their vytelles'/ And but they have also geftes/ they ubyl defoule the table/ despising the people/ And when they been passed/ speak vylenously by all the household. Such people a virtuous man should not cherysshe for fere of words/ but rebuke them of this foul manners/ and so destroy that foul vice and unhonest usage.  
¶ The fourth labour was: that he gate the golden apples fro the dragon. As Lucanus feyneth Athlaus had seven. doghters'/ which had a gardenful of golden apples/ which garden was taken to keep to a dragon/ that always was waking. But Hercules by craft made this dragon to sleep/ and so bore a way the apples: and brought them to Euristeus the king. By these seven. doghters of Athlaus/ been understand the seven. arts liberal. These damseles have a garden/ that is the lybrary disperse a monges clerks. Appel trees been books/ the apples been subtle sentence of wisdom/ which the waking dragon/ that is the sensualyte of man hath to keep. which is ever waking to lusts and delights/ and so letteth the soul fro cunning. But Hercules the virtuous man oppresseth his sensualyte by good governance so that it letteth him nought fro study/ And so by his good business he getteth the fruit of all the seven. science.  
¶ The u labour was when he bond Cerberus the foul hound of hell. Of these Cerberus the fable is this. Pirritous would wed the queen of hell. And he called Hercules & Theseus/ & other mighty men to help him. And when they came to hell/ jest Cerberus the porter should let them of their purpose/ Hercules bound him with a cheyn of adamant: The queen of hell may well be called worldly worship/ which Pirritou desireth. But he taketh wise men to his counsel. And Cerberns with three heads Hercules bindeth/ That is Pride/ Avarice/ and Lechory. These three head sins letteth a man to be worshypful/ where for the virtuous man bindeth & restreyneth them with a triple cheyn of virtues. And when that these vices be so repressed by virtues/ a man may not fail to be worshypful.  
¶ The vi. labour was that he made diomed to be eten of his own horse. The fable is this. Diomedes king of Trace/ fed his horse with man's flesh: wherefore he used to slay his gests for his horse. But at last came Hercules and slwe him/▪ And made his horse to eat him. And finally sloo the same horse. This Diomedes betokeneth a wastour that pylleth and despoyleth the people/ for to maintain his great a ray/ which passeth the suffysaunce of his astate. But a virtuous man shall besey himself for to destroy such manner levers/ & compel them for to leave by their own good: But when they may not continue that a ray without raven and robbery/ their horse and there a ray bringeth them to nought. so that of need they must leave it and leave as they may. ¶ The seven. labour was/ that he brent the serpent Idra. In the river of Learn was a serpent with many heads/ And ever if one were cut of/ there wax ●ii. therefore. And when that Hercules had shot him & no thing a veiled/ at last he made a bout this serpent a hugey heap of vood: & after set it a fire & so brent this serpent. This fable is toched be fore & in part declared ¶ The viii. labour is of Achilaus. the fable is this. Hercules and Achilaus wressheled together for the maiden Dianer/ & when that Achilaus felled himself at the worse/ he turned himself suddenly in to a serpent/ & slypte out of his hands. And Hercules eftsoons caught him & was in point to weary him. And then Achilaus turned himself in to a bull. So Hercules a none took him & threw him to the ground & break his horn. & he for shame leapt in to the water & hid him.  
The truth of this fable is this Achilaus is a river be tween grece & Calcedoyne. In this Calcedoyne reigned a king named Genus/ hose daughter Hercules ravished. And coming to this river when he might not pass it he stopped an arm of it & dried it/ & so he passed with his love. By this kings daughter may be understand virtue/ which Hercules the mighty man coveteth for to have. Achilaus betokeneth the sensualyte/ which in youth hyley wythstandeth a man that would be virtuous. But first the sensualyte as a serpent assaileth him by many side ways/ And when this mighty man hath overcome all though serpent's deceits/ he torneth in to a bull with two. horns/ Lechory/ & gluttony. But this one horn of Lechory/ the virtuous man breaketh & utterly destroyeth. & then is the sensualyte overcome/ For the other horn of gluttony will lightly of a virtuous man be put under by good governance. So this bull lepeth in to the river. the sensualyte is repressed & keleth himself by penance/ and so winneth the mighty man virtue to his love.  
¶ The ix. labour is of Antheas the great geaunt/ which was geten of the earth/ And ever as he toched the earth/ he renewed his strength with which geaunt Hercules wrasteled/ But always when he seemed dyscomfeted/ falling to ground he become as fresh as he was before Than Hercules percevyug this took him in his arms/ & laid him on his breast/ and so strained him to death by strength: & so cast him to the ground/ & thus destroyed he the geaunt. By these Antheus may be understand worldly covetyce/ which encresseth & renueth his strength by toching of the ground. For covetyce will not be quenched by plenty of worldly good/ but rather is there by renewed & enforced. Hercules' then the virtuous man/ streyneth this covetise wythyn his breast/ & with draeth it utterly fro worldly good/ & so he quencheth the lust that he had there on/ & putteth it holely in virtue & in wisdom.  
¶ The x. labour is of Cakus' the theffe of Libya which Hercules dyscomfeted & slwe. The fable is this. There was in the mount Aucentyne a monster/ that spete fire at his mouth/ robbing & despoyling the people of the country. And he was the son of Vulcan/ by whom evander king of the land was greatly a noyed. And Hercules coming by that country/ bringing with him out of spayn great plenty of bests/ this Cakus' stale iiii. bolles & as many keyn: & droe them in to his den by the tails bacward/ that the stappes should not be seen Inward. And Hercules by estimation espied where they were/ and so droe Cakus' out of his den/ and sloo him. and so he esed the king destroying his enemy. ¶ The moralyte is thus. By this Cakus' may be understand pride. He speteth fire at his mouth/ high words of malice and menace: He is Vulcanus son. For that vice is appropryat to the devil that first it found. He wasteth and devoreth and steleth all that he may/ and so harmeth the country▪ For a proud man wasteth moche in his a ray & other expenses/ that all that been a bout him been noyed there by. evander the reason that is king of the soul may not overcome him/ for he will not worche by him/ He dareth in his den: sitting in man's heart/ he steleth iiii. bolles of Hercules he oppresseth the iiii. cardynal virtues/ & as many keyn/ all other virtues that been under them. For a proud man is myghtles/ untemperate/ unware & unrighteous. This theffe Hercules that is consciens espieth: and draeth out this theffe pride out of the heart/ and sleyth & destroyth him/ and so hath he his bests again/ that be virtues. And reason that was over come/ now regneth in the soul as king in ●pece and rest.  
¶ The xi. labour is of the bore that Hercules s●we. In archadia was a mighty bore that wasted the region sore. which Hercules hunted and at last this bore turned unto Hercules & smote him in the shulder/ and marked it with the foom of his mouth. By these bore may be understand the vice of the flesh/ which wasteth foul a man his substance: These vices Hercules the mighty chaseth and hunteth/ in will to destroy them: But this bore torneth and assaileth Hercules: For it chanceth oft/ that a full mighty man in virtues: that pursueth & hateth all vices/ is assailed & repted with the sin of the flesh/ & peradventure is marked falling theryn. But one vicious deed beryveth not the habit of virtue: but ma●●●h a man more ware: and diligent for to keep himself/ and so at last he overcometh his flesh and sleyth this bore of lust and like.  
¶ The twelve. labour was this: after the fable of Duyde. Athlas the mighty geaunt/ in the geauntes battle/ fighting a genst the gods above/ bore heaven upon his shulder: And when that he saw Hercules come to him/ after his other labours/ he was weary of fighting & also of this burden/ prayed him to help him to bear heaven/ And he took and bore it mightily. whereby he deserved to be made a fair star in heaven. The truth was this. Athlas was a cheffe astronomer/ wherefore he was said that he bore heaven/ the cunning of heavenly things. But when Athlas died/ which death is a rest and a refreshing to the virtuous/ Hercules took heaven upon his shulder. The moralyte may be thus. The battle of geauntes is the enforsing of ghostly myghtes a genst the gods a 'bove/ that is a genst natural inclination to vices/ which is caused by constellations/ But a genst these inclinations/ he may fight best/ that hath cunning of astronomy. For to search the myghtes of the planets for certain times/ and knoweth also how these vycious inclinations becaused. But at last he must leave the labour of astronomy compelled by age/ when all his passions been cessed: and then Hercules taketh heaven upon his shulder: and giveth him holly to heavenly contemplation.  
And so he deserveth by this labour specially to be made a citizen of heaven. ¶ Loo thus must every mighty man that wild seruen heaven. first loath and abhor the monsters of sin: both in himself: and also in other: and at last leaving all outward occupation/ give him holly to serve god: in prayer and contemplation: and so many he be syker of all that he desireth.  
¶ To whom so ever the moralyte of these fables be plefaunt or unlusty were you well that they lacketh all in some things lytteral truth. But a fable lacking lytteral truth unexponed: is nought else but a losing. And as holy scripture saeth/ all that ever doth or speaketh losing/ shall be partners of the pit of hell. wherefore after my simple cunning/ I have moralysed them in my manner: leaving the correction to other that been clerks and more cunning in that science. For sith it aperteneth not to holy wryt: every man without offence: may say that him seemeth most like to truth.    
Explicit Liber quartus.   

Sequitur Liber Quintus Boetij de consolatone Phie.  

WHen she had said she 'gan herself high  
To other things treted for to be  
your noble exhortation ꝙ I  
Full worthy it is of high authority  
But yet while oer as I remember me  
you did speak of divine prescience  
How hard it is I have experience  
¶ And all belapped with demands feel  
Encomberous to any man's wit  
Full dangerous is that matter with to deal  
But now I pray you that you say me yet  
if hap be aught/ what manner thing is it  
Phia) I speed me ꝙ she for to pay my debt  
Of things that while oer I thee behete  
¶ And for to set the in a ready way  
So that thou might return in to thy land  
This matter that thou askest sooth to say  
Though it be good to know & understand  
Loo yet this purpose that we have on hand  
Somewhat it is impertynent there to  
And furthermore it is to dread also  
¶ Jest of thy ways that thou faint & fail  
As for thy journey that is overgone  
And jest thou suffice not to thy travail  
To that thou hast hereafter for to done  
Boeus) Then dread you not ꝙ I let me alone  
For this shall be right as a time of rest  
To hire of thing that me delighteth best  
¶ And namely sith your process all a bout  
By dysputation so formally  
Concluded is/ it may not been in doubt  
Of that you will enducen suyngly  
Phia) Right as thou wilt ꝙ she right so will I  
And she be 'gan to declare in this wise  
what ever he be ꝙ she that will devise  
¶ That hap is such a thing that should be fall  
wythouten cause or skyle of governance  
Than say I thus/ that hap is naught at all  
But an Idel name & of no vaylaunce  
sith god hath set all thing in ordinance  
Now should there any place then be  
To worken things in uncertainty  
¶ For tru●y nogh this sentence hath be hold  
Loo that there may no thing be done of naught  
This sentence revoked never fathers old  
Of one beginner all thing must be wrought  
yet this was not the conceit of their thought  
though all thing have a maker pryncypal  
They did mean of subject materyal  
¶ For that they put as for a fundament  
And that hath ever reason of nature  
Than will it suen clear and consequent  
This may well perceive every creature  
if any thing were done by adventure  
wythouten causes where of to proceed  
Than must it come of naught it is no dread  
¶ But sith this may not be in no manner  
Than hap may not be called sickerly  
such as we dyffyned have while ere  
Boecius) what is there than no manner thing ꝙ I  
That chance or hap is called skylefully  
Or such a thing there is to folken unknown  
where to these name belangeth as you trow  
¶ Phia) yes mine Aristoteles ꝙ she  
In his book of physyke naturel  
Breffely he showeth what thing it should be  
Full nigh the truth dyffyneth he it full well  
Boeus) And how ꝙ I phia) Lo this is every deal  
ꝙ she that writeth Aristoteles  
Of this matter/ & it is no less  
¶ As often as there is a work wrought  
As for a certain purpose of intent  
And then of other causes unbethoght  
Betydeth other wise than was be meant  
Loo hap this may be called verament  
As if it lust a man to delffe his land  
And hid theryn a some of gold he found  
¶ Of such a thing men deemeth sickerly  
Loo that a sudden adventure it is  
yet came it not of no thing pardey  
But proper causes were be forn ywis  
The concourse of wych causeth this  
Butt for it fell unware & unbethought  
it seemeth folk that hap ●ut hath wrought  
¶ For but the telyer had dolue his ground  
And eke the hyder put it in that stead  
Thou mayst well seyn the gold had not be found  
As in that manner wise it is no dread  
These causes been of adventurous deed  
when that they meet & been assembled so  
wythouten certain purpose to be do  
¶ For he that dalf & he that hid it there  
Purposed not thou mayst suppose it well  
That gold to have been found in that manner  
Never one of them bethoght it never a deal  
But right as I have said it so befell  
That in the same place where these it hid  
That other dalf & found as it betide  
¶ Now then in short to make an end of all  
And to make a final dyffynytion  
Loo hap is such a thing that doth befall  
No thing purposed of entention  
Of divers causes meeting in to one  
In things that for somewhat were wrought  
But unto that that is be fall/ nought  
¶ But this uneschevable ordinance  
which that the well head proceedeth fro  
Of the high divine purueyaunce  
wythouten which there may no thing be do  
That maketh these causes to concurren so  
That all thing desposeth kendly  
In proper place & times certainly   

Metrum j Capitulum ij.  Rupis achimenie scopulis. Phia loquitur. 
TIgris and Eufrates springeth both  
Out of a nag rock of Ermeny  
Out of one well head to say the sooth  
where men been wont to fyghten wonderly  
In flight they harmeth them that sueth nigh  
There sharp darts in their breast fyxing  
So when they fleyth their foes moste noing  
¶ These rivers both been disjoined soon  
And runneth in to divers streams great  
And after that they fallen in to one  
where that they in another place meet  
The ships than & stocks that their fleet  
In either of these streams down a long  
it happeth that they meet ever a 'mong  
¶ This water thus Implieth & 〈◊〉  
Thus meddling many chances fortunel  
But of that shevey earth it so behappeth  
The wych this water sueth/ weet it well  
That fleting order ruleth every deal  
Right so is hap unruled as deemeth you  
But nevertheless it hath a law of certente   

Prosia ij. Capituln iij.  Animaduerto inquam. Boecius loquitur. 
TO this ꝙ I full well accord I can  
And that you say I may it well believed  
But in the order of these causes than  
The wych so suyngly to gedres cleveu  
This would I see/ if you could show or preven  
if in out choice is any liberty  
Other else that this cheyn of destyne  
¶ Constreyneth all the movyug of our wit  
Phia) ꝙ she in sooth then were it all a miss  
That will I show & clearly proven it  
For why/ no kenned that reasonable is  
whythouten liberty may been ywis  
For all that kendly reason usen may  
May demen & dyscern it is no nay  
¶ And by himself he knoweth kendly  
what thing is to desire & what to fleen  
And what thing that he deemeth verily  
That worthy is desired for to be  
That thing loo seeketh & desireth he  
And what he judgeth worthy to be forsake  
That will he leave/ & that other take  
¶ Then every thing that reason hath certain  
Of will & nel hath liberty thereto  
But all y  leke/ in sooth will I not sayen  
For divine substances standeth not so  
The judgement is wonder clear of though  
There will is incorrupt/ there might is priest  
And speedy to all that them liketh best  
¶ But moste in freedom is the soul of man  
when he is set in contemplation  
And fully fyxen all his thoughts can  
In high divine speculation  
And less if that his occupation  
In worldly thing dystracteth aught his mind  
And less when flesly bounds doth him bind  
¶ But when a man is given unto vice  
Than is he utterly bond & thrall  
When he hath set his reason at no prise  
And wilfully hath let it fro him fall  
His liberty is then jest of all  
When that his sight in worldly wrecchednesse  
Is cast fro light of sovereign sothfastnesse  
¶ He begenneth then to wax dark & dull  
Of that foul cloud of Ignorance  
Of foul affections than he shall be full  
Encumbered with the vice of inconstance  
That trobeleth him with anguish & grievance  
To wych when he consenteth in his wit  
In servage then himselfen hath he knit  
¶ In manner of his proper liberty  
A caytyf is becomen in conscience  
But never the later he that all may see  
As by his high eternal prescience  
All thing governing by his excellence  
He hyreth & saith well every thought & deed  
And so he will desposen for their meed   

Metrum ij.  Puro clarum lumie. Phia 
THe noble poet honey mouth Omere  
Loo of the son singeth on this wise  
And saith/ for all his bright beams clear  
The see/ ne land yet may he not suffice  
To persen thorough/ so may we not devise  
Of him that hath this wide world wrought  
The heavy earth him wythstandeth nought  
¶ from far & high all thing he saith a none  
He is not let by clouds of the night  
For all that is/ was/ or shall be done  
At one's is it all beforn his sight  
sith he alone with his beams bright  
So all things may behold & see  
We may well sayen a very son is he   

Prosa iij. Capitulum u.  Tum ego en inquam. Boecius loquitur. 
I said then/ a greater doubt now  
Confoundeth me then did be fore ywis  
Phia) Of what ꝙ she art thou in doubt now  
Now right in sooth conject I what it is  
Boecius) full hugely ꝙ I repugneth this  
That god may known all thing oer it be  
And that our will may stand at liberty  
¶ sith god be forn saith all that shall be do  
And his sight loo may be deceived naught  
Of very for'rs then need it must be so  
That prescience hath seyn that is to be wrought  
And not only work/ but will & thought  
Of every wight he knoweth plenerly  
Than is no freedom in our arbytry  
¶ For why there may be nother thought ne deed  
That pnrueyaunce beforn ne saith it all  
He faileth not there of/ it is no dread  
But all that ever he wot betyden shall  
All that he saith beforn it must befall  
And if it may be turned other wise  
it was not seyn be fore at my devise  
¶ Than shall this be no very prescience  
But as an uncertain opinion  
But sickerly this were a foul offence  
Of god to feelen that conclusion  
And some men supposeth that this question  
May been assoiled thus/ as they believe  
But their reasons can I not apprene  
¶ Loo thus they sayen/ a thing that shall betide  
Betydeth not for god provideth so  
But god that thing to comen doth provide  
And saith beforn all thing that shall be do  
And thus a geynward should the causes go  
That god foreseyth this thing that shall be wrought  
But of need it shall vetyde naught  
¶ They sayen also that thing that shall befall  
In god's sight provided is it need  
Loo this answer assoyleth naught at all  
This doubtful question it is no dread  
Only to this intent it doth proceed  
Loo of ij. divers things to enquere  
wych of them the cause of other were  
¶ Whether that the prescience of god a lone  
Causeth thing to fallen nedely  
Other else thing that needs shall be done  
Loo causeth prescience in god on high  
This is no very answer sickerly  
To that that I intend for to show  
But nevertheless my purpose standeth true  
¶ How ever it standeth of this ordinance  
That wych of these the cause of other be  
A thing that is forseyn by purueyaunce  
Of need it must betide as seemeth me  
Though it be so that this necessyre  
Be not y caused of this prescience  
As in effect there is no difference  
¶ As if I sit & thou supposest it  
Than needs sooth is thine opinion  
But my sitting is not caused yet  
As needful by thy estimation  
And right so if thou torn it up so down  
if thou supposest sooth of that I do  
Eke of necessity than is it so  
¶ necessity then must there been in both  
un to that point loo here we been brought  
In me of sitting & in the of sooth  
yet wottest thou well that therefore sit I nought  
As for that sooth opinion in thy thought  
But rather thus/ be cause that I sat  
Loo thine opyvyon was sooth in that  
¶ Than is this truth caused of the deed  
And so in both there is necessity  
Loo in the same wise we may proceed  
Of this purueyaunce as seemeth me  
For 'cause these things shall here after be  
There fore by purueyaunce he saith it all  
And yet therefore doth it not befall  
¶ And never the later all that shall betide  
Of god it is provided nedefully  
And eft again all that he doth provide  
Of need it doth befallen certainly  
And all the freedom of our arbytry  
Loo this sufficeth to destroy clean  
Here appeareth well how masedly we mean  
¶ That adventure of things temporel  
Should causen his eternal prescience  
But this would been a folly thing to feel  
with reason hath it no convenience  
For it would suen of their evidence  
That things past long time seyn  
Should causen god that is our sovereign  
¶ As if I know a thing that present is  
while I it know needs is it so  
Right so a thing that shall been after this  
if I it know/ of need it must be do  
it sueth well we may not go there fro  
And so my purpose may not be removed  
That thing prescite/ may not been exchued  
¶ For if I dame thus of a certain thing  
And is not so/ it is no question  
Not only is that conceit no cunning  
But error of a false opinion  
And wonder far is that suspection  
And divers fro the truth as I suppose  
But ho can save it with a better gloze  
¶ For if there shall a certain thing be wrought  
And shall not fallen of necessity  
But is uncertain to betide or nought  
it is not known to been as seemeth me  
For knowing/ with falsehood may no wise be  
In no manner conjoined ne deceived  
But it must been that knowing hath conceived  
¶ And other wise may it not be done  
For loo that is the very cause why  
That in a knowing error is there none  
sith troth then standeth nedefully  
And knowing comprehendeth verily  
what than a 'vaileth that we been a bout  
How knoweth god a thing that is in doubt  
¶ For if that god a certain thing devise  
For to be done that no wight may exchwe  
And yet it may betyden other wise  
A perilous error here of will there sue  
That god's judgement should been untrue  
But loo of god our high sovereign  
Full felones is/ thus to think or sayen  
¶ And if he knoweth things for to be  
So that they may betide indifferent  
As be or not be/ then can I not seyn  
But this is an uncertain judgement  
The prescience of god omnip●otent  
what thing is it I can it not defend  
That may no thing in certain comprehend  
¶ Than should there be no manner difference  
As seemeth in mine estimation  
between the high divine prescience  
And Tyresyes dyvynation  
Of whom Ouyde maketh mention  
what ever I say she said/ it shall be fall  
Other else shall it not betide at all  
¶ what better shall this purueyance be  
Than the opinion of a man's wit  
That deemeth things in uncertainty  
And so uncertainly betydeth it  
Over all thing we must believed yet  
That god is very well & syker ground  
In whom no thing uncertain may be found  
¶ Than every thing in certain shall betide  
Thyt is before seyn in his purueyance  
Than is no liberty in man's side  
Ne in our chesing is no chevysance  
divine thought may have no varyance  
wythouten error he beholdeth all  
And bindeth us to thing that must befall  
¶ And have we once fully geten this  
He may perceven ho so taketh heed  
Man's life in what myscheffe it is  
And standeth ever in heaviness & dread  
why should there any man receiven meed  
Or any surfetour be put in peyn  
All this will semen but a thing in veyn  
¶ sith that no wilful moving of their ghost  
Of liberty they naught deserved han  
And things that now been commended most  
As very wrong they must be deemed than  
For virtue to rewarden any man  
Or punyssshen any wicked skylefully  
There neither hath deserved willingly  
¶ Butt necessity them hath constrained  
To things that of certain must be done  
Than vice & virtue is but thing feigned  
Ne in our works meret is there none  
But an undyscrete confusion  
There is no thing that worse may be thought  
sith all thing in order forth is brought  
¶ Of purueyaunce/ ne unto man's wit  
No thing is lefful/ & our vices wood  
Loo unto god they been referred yet  
which that very auctor is of all good  
And furthermore if that this error s●ode  
whereto should we prayen aught or trust  
when we may no thing win that us lust  
¶ if all that ever we can desire or say  
One certain order unreversed knetteth  
Then whereto should we hopen aught or pray  
sith purueyaunce faileth not ne fletteth  
That every thing so at a certain putteth  
This only merchandise is voided than  
That used is between god & man  
¶ Prayer & hope should been unprofitable  
But with the price of Just humility  
we getteth of god a meed unestimable  
For only that hath ever the manner be  
That every man may have hab●lyte  
with god to speak & neghen to that light  
That pierced may not be with man's sight  
¶ By very reason of this prayer meek  
To him we be conjoined verily  
Before or then we gete that we beseke  
And if we should assenten utterly  
That thing to come must fallen nedefully  
This hope & trust of which we spoken beforn  
Is thing of naught & all our labour loren  
¶ How should we then to that prince a 'bove  
Aprochen or be knette by any mean  
if that we may deserve of him no love  
And all our labour is not worth a been  
But all mankend standeth disjoined clean  
As fro their head departed all with wrong  
Right as while oer you said in your song   

Metrum iij. Capitulum uj.  Que nam discors. Boecius loquitur. 
WHat manner cause of wonder dyscordance  
So hath disjoined thus in this manner  
Our liberty & gods purueyaunce  
That neither may to other neyghen near  
What god this battle hath devised here  
Be tweve ij. truths here of have I wonder  
That sooth enough been while they been a sounder  
¶ But loo they may not been together set  
And yet dyscord in truths is there none  
Full certainly they been to gedres knette  
But man's soul that so is overgone  
Enclosed thus wythyn flesh & bone  
That soppressed hath her fiery light  
That she yet may not lyften up her sight  
¶ These sotel knots to be hold & see  
The flesly bounds doth it so oppress  
But why so fervently desireth she  
The notes for to find of sothfastnesse  
And that she seeketh so with business  
wot she that herself knoweth it  
But ho desireth a knawen thing to weet  
¶ Ho may desire a thing & knoweth it naught  
if he ne knoweth what seeketh he so blind  
Or ho may seek that is not in his thought  
Or if he seek it/ how shall he it find  
Or how shall he remember it in his mind  
How may he known when he findeth this  
And wot not of what manner form it is  
¶ when that the soul is sole & separate  
Behalding on that sovereign thought on high  
Then may he see/ that now he may nat  
All thing in some & also singularly  
But now she is enclosed bodily  
Some part of this sight she hath forlete  
But utterly she hath not all forget  
¶ For why the some she haldeth as I trow  
But not so every thing in specyalte  
He than that these truth would know  
All knoweth he not/ thou mayst well se  
Ne all the truth forget hath not he  
But loo the knowing of the general  
Maketh him to labour for the special  
¶ This some then wych she haldeth here  
In her thought remembering oft again  
She seeketh in that sovereign mirror clear  
wheat every sooth may syngul●rly be seen  
Enforsing her with labour & with peyn  
Forgeten thing/ if that she may it find  
To put it to the treasure of her mind   

Prosa iiij. Capitulum seven.  Tum illa vetus inquam. Phia loquitur. 
SHe said then/ this is an old complaint  
And a full comen used question  
To Marcus Tullius it samed quaint  
As by his book of dyvynation  
He had there with great occupation  
And of thyself full long it hath be sought  
And none of you as yet ne fonud it naught  
¶ Ne suffysantly have not declared it  
And sickerly the cause may this be  
That the dyscours of a man's wit  
May not atteyn to so high degree  
To demen of that high symplycyte  
which is in divine purueyaunce  
He is not soothly of that suffysaunce  
¶ And if this might be thought or comprehended  
Thou shouldest then be never a deal in doubt  
But at last I hope I shall amend it  
if that I may my matter bring a bout  
This error of thy heart to a voyden out  
But first I will a voyden & dyspreven  
Conceits/ which the to this error moven  
¶ But first I ask the the cause why  
Thou holdest this reason not effectuel  
Of them that shown that your arbytry  
Algates in his freedom standeth well  
sith presciens constreyneth never a deal  
By need/ things which that shall be done  
But is contingeut for to be or none  
¶ Loo makest thou any other argument  
Of thing to fallen of necessity  
But for 'cause that god omuipotent  
Knoweth it/ that it shall here after be  
it may not be undone as seemeth the  
And yet this presciens causeth naught  
The same thing of need to be wrought  
¶ That granted thou while oer if thou have mend  
why is it then that voluntary deed  
So is constrained to a certain end  
That thing to comen must be fallen need  
But that I may the to the truth lede  
To see what sueth here by consequence  
I put this case there were no prescience  
¶ Will then thine argument a vaylen aught  
The wych in prescience thou groundest so  
That things wych of free will should be wrought  
That any need compelleth them there to  
Thou wilt not trow that Boecius) I said no  
Phia) Now set we ꝙ she prescience again  
So that of need it do no thing constreyn  
¶ Than standeth absolute the same will  
Hole in his liberty/ this wottest thou well  
But I suppose thou makest me this skyle  
Though prescience necesseth never a deal  
Thing to come in stounds temporel  
Thou sayst it is a very sign true  
Of thing that must as necessary sue  
¶ Right so thou might concluden as by this  
Though that there were no prescience at all  
That things wych to come hire after is  
necessarily it must be fall  
For only every sign shown shall  
A thyug that is or after shall be seyn  
But yet that sign maketh it not to be  
¶ And if that prescience a sign were  
Of every thing that needs must come  
first it needeth us to shown hire  
That no thing falls but needs it must be done  
And if it be not so than knowest thou soon  
That sign may there none be verily  
without a thing betokened be there by  
¶ But to confirmen fully all a bout  
And sadly to susteyn our intent  
we may not seek signs of without  
Ne fyxe us in a foreyn argument  
But of causes full convenient  
And necessary/ behoveth us to proceed  
if that we should in our purpose speed  
¶ But this thou wilt replyen here again  
How may that thing not fallen sayest thou me  
which that is provided & foreseyn  
By purueyaunce here after for to be  
As chance that I couth none other see  
But thing that prescience doth provide  
we trowed that it were not to betide  
¶ But rather this intended I for to prove  
That though a certain thing befall so  
yet of proper kende we do believe  
So was it not necessed to be do  
This lightly master thou understanden loo  
As many a thing▪ is subject to our sight  
The while it is be forn us present right  
¶ As when a charre is ruled readily  
And how it torneth we be hold full well  
And so of other crafts suyngly  
Doth any thing this crafts men compelle  
Or any of these works canst thou tell  
Or if they be constrained to be wrought  
Boecius) Nay ꝙ I they be compelled naught  
¶ Then ydel were the craft of any man  
if every thing were compelled for to move  
Phia) sith things while they been she said them  
Been not coacted to be/ thou wilt believe  
Loo by that same reason now mayst thou prove  
That before though same things be  
Not for to comen of necessity  
¶ Full many a thing shall been it is no dread  
And is to come it sueth well by this  
That utterly is absolute of need  
I trow that no wight this will sayen y wys  
That any thing that now in present is  
was not to come unto the time it fell  
Though they beforn of god were known well  
¶ In sooth yet been they freely to be fall  
For rygh as very knowing & science  
A present thing compelleth naught at all  
Right so it standeth eke of prescience  
As thou mayst see by like convenience  
Though god this thing to comen doth provide  
yet is it not compelled to beryde  
¶ But loo of this thou sayest me/ doutest thou  
sith things wych that shall here after been  
Be not to come as necessary now  
How is that thing fore seyn thou canst not seyn  
it seemeth the that this dyssoneth clean  
To foreseyn thing it must needs sue  
necessity/ thou canst it not exchwe  
¶ And if necessity should be forfended  
Loo foreseyn is there no thing utterly  
Ne naught by knowing may be comprehended  
But thing that must betyden verily  
And if there aught betide uncertainly  
And is fore seyn full certain as it were  
Thou sayest/ no very knowing is there there  
¶ But as a dark & opynable thing  
And for to trowen other wise or guess  
Than very sooth/ that callest thou no cunning  
But a weening of unstableness  
And loo the cause of all this error is  
That you trow the cause of knowledge to be  
In the thing & not in the knower perdie  
¶ But in contrary wise it standeth right  
For every thing that known is by wit  
it is not known by his proper might  
But by his might that comprehendeth it  
As by example mayst thou feelen yet  
For of a thing that round is verily  
Loo sight & feeling knoweth it diversly  
¶ The sight beholdeth the form fro a far  
At one's comprehending every deal  
But he that feeleth is conjoined near  
un to that compace for to know it well  
All a bout the sides must he feel  
And all that roundness so he knoweth than  
Loo/ diversly known is a man  
¶ The comen wits jugen of without  
Imagination another wise  
And reason other wise it is no doubt  
Intelligence passeth all these  
Every of them so as he may suffice  
The comen wits knoweth naught at all  
But forms of subject materyal  
¶ Imagening all only comprehendeth  
The form of man as unmateryally  
Reason then a boven this transcendeth  
Of man's kende he deemeth singularly  
with universal sight full sotelly  
But all these passeth yet intelligence  
As by a sight of heyer excellence  
¶ He passeth all a 'bove these kendes here  
The compace of the university  
And he beholdeth in that exsampler  
The mirror of the high eternyte  
The form of man in his symplycyte  
But most it is to taken hide in this  
That the same might always that higher is  
¶ Loo all the lower comprehendeth well  
But they may ascenden naught again  
To know & comprehend never a deal  
Of though that been a 'bove sooth to sayen  
For their comen wit may not up attain  
To things wych been Immateryal  
They may perceiven never a deal at all  
¶ And furthermore Imagination  
Vnyversal kendes may not seyn  
Ne reason may have none Inspection  
Of forms/ wych that pure & simple been  
Intelligence comprehendeth clean  
And as it were/ beholdeth fro on high  
These forms he perceiveth plenerly  
¶ conceiving than this form pryncipal  
He deemeth after/ all that is in man  
As he hath in the exsampler Ideal  
conceived/ that none other may ne can  
The university of reason knoweth he than  
And also forms of Imagening  
And eke materyal sensible thing  
¶ And reason yet in this he useth naught  
Imagination ne comen wit  
But with a sotel smyting of the thought  
Full formally so he beholdeth it  
And more plenerly to speaken yet  
The sovereign high divine intelligence  
Over all things hath prospycience  
¶ When reason doth behalden aught or see  
As in his comen kende universal  
Imagening/ no thing yet useth he  
neither the comen wits never a deal  
And never the less he comprehendeth well  
All thing that Imagenable is  
And all that comen wit may know y wysse  
¶ Thus reason his conceits strong & stable  
Of universal loo deffyneth he  
Man is a best two. footed reasonable  
Loo/ this knowing as every man may see  
Universal must it needs be  
And this thing also to every man's wit  
Imagenable & sensible is it yet  
¶ But reason this beholdeth kendly  
No thing by Imagination  
Ne by the comen wits sickerly  
But only hath consideration  
By dyscours & by conceit of reason  
But this Imagination begin doth  
In the comen wits his works in sooth  
¶ Forms for to shappen & devise  
And yet these comen wits all without  
sensible things/ in a wonder wise  
He saith/ & them compaseth all a bout  
Not sensyblely/ it is no doubt  
But by Imagination of mind  
Of knowing loo/ here mayst thou see the kind  
¶ That not the might of thing that known is  
But proper might/ the knower useth need  
And skylefully for every doom y wysse  
Loo of the juge/ it is the proper deed  
So than of reason/ if thou take good hide  
The work of man is no foreyn might  
But proper myghtes useth every wight   

Metrum iiij. Capitulum ix.  Quondan porticus attulit Phia loquitur. 
Some time in the porches of Athenes  
were old clerks dark in their courage  
which in their time were called stoicenes  
That in the porches had maden their stages  
Desputing/ that the forms & Images  
Of bodily substances/ as they guessed  
were in to a man's soul impressed  
¶ As men been used to written & portrayen  
Letters in a pagyn fair & clean  
In wych beforn were no notes seyn  
But this a mased thing is for to mean  
For if the soul of man/ so as they ween  
Of his proper might Implieth naught  
But suffereth to been prented in his thought  
¶ subjecteth to the notes as it were  
That bodies doth in them enpressen so  
And vain Images representeth there  
Right as a mirror is I woned to do  
But all this knowing whence cometh it fro  
By wych not only things corporal  
But also forms Immateryal  
¶ He saith & so beholdeth singularly  
As in her high conceits speculatyffe  
And knowing things then suyngly  
So he dyvydeth by a negatyffe  
And after wards by an affyrmatyffe  
These same things that divided be  
Assembleth & again compouneth he  
¶ And so this way he enterchaungeth oft  
For now to pryncypal proposytions  
Loo/ his intent he lifteth up a loft  
And falls after to conclusions  
Referring then his own intentions  
And saith what things will of other sue  
Repreving so the false by the true  
¶ Than is he rather 'cause efficient  
And more of might than thing that lieth oppressed  
In manner like a matter patient  
That notes hath so in himself Impressed  
But that thou have this matter more expressed  
There goth before a manner sufferance  
wythyn the lively bodily substance  
¶ wych that the myghtes of the soul excyteth  
And maketh the to understand & lere  
As when that light in to thine yeyn smiteth  
And maketh the for to behalden there  
Or when a voice hath souned in thine ere  
And so commoveth the to hearken aught  
Then been stirred the myghtes of thy thought  
¶ And things which that were yet kendely  
wythyn thyselfen hid/ it is no doubt  
Thou then appliest in thy fantasy  
To these other notes of without  
And thus remembering in thyself a bout  
though foreyn Images than addeth he  
To forms which that hid wythyn the be   

Prosa u Capitulum ix.  Quod si in corporibus. Phia loquitur. 
THough that object qualyteys than  
Commove & stir our foreyn Instruments  
wych I call the comen wit of man  
That of wythouteforth giveth judgements  
And goth before the ghostly sentementes  
A manner sufferance corporal  
For to excyte the ghostly might with all  
¶ And styren so the working of the mind  
To forms wych arrested so were wythyn  
So that the courage may them feel & find  
And though the wits all this work begin  
The knowing of these bodies for to win  
And bringeth him to a manner remembrance  
The soul is subject to no sufferance  
¶ But he deemeth of his proper might  
These passions that in the body been  
How moche more such a ghostly wight  
That fully is all absolute & clean  
In whom may none affection be seyn  
Of any thing to be feled bodily  
His proper might shall usen kendly  
¶ And foreyn myghtes shall he usen naught  
For to discern objects of without  
But by the working of his own thought  
He winneth his conceits all a bout  
And by the same skyle it is no doubt  
Full many fold of knowing mayst thou find  
In substances/ divers in there kende  
¶ The feeling may be called one of though  
which have bests that been unmeveable  
That wit they have all only & no more  
As shell fish & such that cleven stable  
In cleffes/ as to them is covenable  
And so such other shylle fish of the see  
which in divers places norysshed be  
¶ But knowing of Imagination  
movable bests have & doth it sue  
The wych in manner haveth affection  
Some manner thing to coveyt or exchwe  
But reason to dyscernen false & true  
Only to man it hath convenience  
As only doth to god intelligence  
¶ Than is it so as every man may see  
That this knowing most worthy is & high  
wych of his own kendly property  
Not only that pertaineth kendely  
un to his own knowing properly  
He knoweth well/ but furthermore yet  
The subject knoweth he of every wit  
¶ But what if comen wits stood again  
And in this wise peradventure answer  
And would unto dyscours of reason sayen  
Loo/ that this universal/ no thing were  
That reason seemeth he beholdeth there  
For all that ever Imagenable is  
Or comen wits may perceive y wysse  
¶ it is not universal in no wise  
Now/ or the judgement of reason than  
Must be sooth/ if he will thus devise  
That no thing may be sensible to man  
Or for he wot well that these wits han  
Subjects many/ divers/ that they know  
His own conceving fallace must he trow  
¶ When that he saith & comprehendeth well  
Thing that sensible is & singular  
Behalding it right as universal  
To this if reason would aunsweren hear  
That she herself beholdeth well & clear  
By reason of universalyte  
Albina that these other may perceive & see  
¶ for wits ne Imagination  
May no way comprehenden sickerly  
These universal things of reason  
For they may not exceeden properly  
As by their own knowing kendly  
Shappes & figures corporal  
A boven that may they no thing at all  
¶ In knowing then of things at the last  
it is to give credence to the judgement  
That most perfect is & stedefaste  
And we that have this reason excellent  
And comen wit to demen thing present  
And Imagination also  
Should we not reason here assenten to  
¶ But man's reason is alike in this  
As towards divine intelligence  
Right as imagining or wits is  
To reason of a man's conscience  
That weeneth that divine prescience  
May no manner thing behalde as he troweth  
That is to come/ but as himselfen knoweth  
¶ For loo/ this argument thou makest me  
if things that hereafter shall be done  
Not certain ne necessary be  
For knowing may not fallen there upon  
For prescience sayest thou is their none  
And if so is that prescience be  
There falls naught but of necessity  
¶ But if we might partners been  
Loo/ of the domes of divine thought  
Right as we may by very reason see  
That Imagening sufficeth naught  
Ne comen wits to perceiven aught  
The judgement of reason as we dame  
Full Just it should man's reason seem  
¶ To be subject & undercast always  
un to divine thought/ I am certain  
A rise we there fore fully if we may  
To that intelligence sovereign  
And if we may in to that height atteyn  
Loo there shall reason feel & known well  
That in it self he may do never a deal  
¶ Loo/ that is this as in what wise & how  
The things that betydeth thus uncertainly  
This prescience saith it well enough  
Dyffyned in his thought eternally  
Not by guessing opynablely  
But by sovereign science of symplenesse  
whom terms may not closen ne compress   

Metrum u Capitulum x.  Quam varijs terras. Phia loquitur. 
These bests in their kendes dyfferent  
Full diversly on earth doth they glyden  
Somme on their body strecching & extent  
Creeping upon their breasts down they slyden  
And in the dust a forwe they dyvyden  
And some by very lightness of their kind  
with their wings planeth in the wind  
¶ And long spaces of the air on high  
So in their flight/ they swymmeth as it were  
And sum been glad to keep themselfen nigh  
This ground a low & set their stappes here  
In green fields/ there is all their cheer  
And some to walk in woods & forestes  
And though so be that all these wild bests  
¶ Been divers in their shappes & figure  
All their faces been inclined yet  
un to the ground showing their nature  
And the kendly dullness of their wit  
Loo/ only kende of man reverseth it  
For man's head a riseth up on height  
And even upright his body standeth streght  
¶ And under him the earth beholdeth he  
whether dotest thou/ or art thou in a sweven  
Thou earthly man thy figure teacheth the  
That lifteth up thy visage in to heaven  
And thy frount in to the air full even  
On earthly thing thou shouldest not set thy love  
But set it holly in the heaven a 'bove  
¶ There shouldest thou be there is thy kendly place  
Thou hast of the earth but thy bestly kende  
And yet loo thou wilt bring thyselfen base  
And so with bests set thyself behind  
Lete not the noble nature of thy mind  
Be plounged down & to the ground y pyght  
sith that thy body standeth even upright   

Prosa uj. Capitulum xj.  Quoniam igitur uti. Phia loquitur. 
sith every thing as I have showed now right  
That wist or known is in any way  
it is not known of the proper might  
Of that self thing it is no nay  
But of the kendly might/ the sooth to say  
Of though that doth it know or comprehend  
Now let us then behalden & intend  
¶ So as our simple kende may suffice  
what thing is that astate of excellence  
Of divine substance/ & in that wise  
Than somewhat may we know of his science  
This is the used general sentence  
Of all/ that by reason doth discern  
They say that god himself is eterne  
¶ But now what thing is this eternyte  
it needeth first to known sickerly  
And after that we may behalde & see  
The science and the nature plenerly  
So as we may suffysen symplely  
Of god that is our prince & sovereign  
Eternyte is this as clerks sayen  
¶ it is a perfect hole possession  
At one's of a life intermynable  
This is declared by comparison  
Of thing that is by times variable  
For all that leaveth in time it is unstable  
Present yet is/ the time a gone is passed  
To time coming hyeth it full fast  
There may no thing be set in time & space  
As clerks have devised here be forn  
That all at once may his life embrace  
For why as yet/ he faileth of to morn  
And yesterday is passed & forlorn  
And in the same day that present is  
Of your life you have no more y wysse  
¶ But this moment transitory loo  
That thing that hath this dysposytion  
His times for to over passen so  
Though that it were of such condytion  
By Aristoteles tradition  
That said this world never began  
Ne never here after shall an end han  
¶ Though that it might as Aristotel seemed  
To infinite it selfen so extend  
Eterne it may not ryghtuously be deemed  
Though it were infinite wythouten end  
At one's all it may not comprehend  
Ne clyppen all these spaces temporel  
For of time to come yet hath it not a deal  
¶ But he that of the life intermynable  
The fullness comprehendeth verily  
possessing it at one's perdurable  
Fro whom no thing doth lacken verily  
For time to come he hath it presently  
Ne time passed fro him is there none  
Is/ & was/ & shall be/ all is one  
¶ Eterne he may be called well by right  
To himself present and peerless  
And all way present is be fore his sight  
The moble space of times endless  
But they rehersen Plato/ nevertheless  
His conceit they reporteth all a miss  
And of his meaning faileth foul y wysse  
¶ Loo Plato saith this world hath ever ybe  

¶ As clerks have deffyned/ Time is measure of moving of before & after. This measure is taken most commonly after the moving of the E●noctial whos moving is the swiftest that is possible. The which line is divided in to CCC.lx. even parts. Of which parts/ everich is called a degree. The measure of a rising of xv. degrees/ is called an hour natural. The measure of a rising of xxiiii. hours/ is a day natural. The measure of CCC. lxv. days & vi. hours of encresse and certain mynutes/ is called a year. By which times: the perdurabelte of this world of before & after/ is measured usyngly. sith than that measure of moving is called time/ then sueth it: that before the world moved/ there was no time: But god eternally is/ er any thing moved: or any time were/ and shall be after that all mevynges cesseth: For his being is measured by no moving of before & after/ for himself is unmeveable/ ne his being hath no regard to before & after For all times present/ passed/ and to come: been to him verily present Ne his being is not measured by succession of times. For he hath his being unmesured all at one's. which is called his eternyte. There fore is god called Inmensus. But the perdurabelte of the world is measured by moving of the heaven/ which is called time: And longer than heaven meveth/ shall there be no tyme. Than is it so that the being of god is called erernyte. The being of this world is named perpetuyte. Then is this the conceit of Plato saying that the world hath ever been/ That is to mean/ as long as any thing hath moved. And as long as any thing meveth: or any time is/ so long it shall endure in such being as it now hath. And after that all moving and all times cesseth/ the world renewed shall endure in life interminable. For so saith our lord. Ecce nova facio omnia.  
¶ This interminable life/ is the eternal being of our creator▪ to whom as to their end/ all thing shall be reduced: and at him as at their final end: rest & abide. Therefore saith plato as is in the text alleged/ that the world hath ever been: that is to say: sith any time was. and it shall never while any time is/ cessen of his meaning. So moving & time shall cessen both at one's. And the world than shall not end by destruction or torn in to naught/ for god and nature did never thing in vain. Ne god noughteth never thing that he made but the corruption of one thing/ is the generation of another thing. So that at last every corruptible thing retorneth in round in to the Elements/ that it was first form of. And there fore the author saith/ that the intent of temporel things that so mevethe in round/ casts & intendeth by leading of nature/ to counterfete the perdurable life of god. For kendly every creature coveteth: to conform him to his make/ at jest in being. where fore of nature every thing wythstandeth in that it may/ his own corruption & division of his parts. And when it is corrupt and resolved in to his first matter/ which is the elements/ which been cleped the sedes of earthly things then been they apt as they were be fore to be matter and to cloth other divers forms. And so been they perpetuate/ by their chaungeabelte in to an endless compate. For these things if they fail in there individues/ yet in their universals they a bideth ever: after time that they once be. And the matter of the singulers/ torneth into other things/ after that nature worcheth. Than is this the conceit of the clerk in the letter. Every creature as is before said/ coveteth of nature/ for to counterfete his maker. But for cause these earthly things of feebleness and contraryoustey of their matter/ may not endure/ but needs be resolved/ therefore they take that they may of being/ enduring by succession of times. where that god endureth (not by temporal succession) but hath his being separate fro creatures all at one's so that towards him naught is to come/ ne naught over passed/ But all that is/ was/ and shall be: is be fore him present.  
Than having regard to the eternyte of god/ which hath his being all at one's unmesured by succession of times/ there is no purueyaunce ne foresyght/ but he saith all by present knowledge/ & in him/ is none other sight but cunning. For all knowing of present and passed/ noteth imperfection of creatures that be passing and corruptible. And it needeth naught/ ne is convenient/ to conform his eternal insyght to our temporal estimation/ that all thing deemeth by before and after as we have over being. But it accordeth better/ and is more kendly/ that the creature submit all his wit/ and conform all his knowing holly to his maker/ with out whom he is naught/ can naught/ ne hath naught at all/ that aught oweth to be cleped.  
¶ sith it is so then that every judgement/ must sue the nature of the juge/ that is of him that knoweth/ it needeth not them to bynden things to fall necessarily/ ne to weet the knowing of god for to compel though things to betide/ be cause that he saith it presently as he all beholdeth/ no more than for to wit me the moving of the son/ by cause I see it move/ or for to wit me the death of a man because cause I see him die. For the moving of the son is caused absolutely of the first ordinance of him that made it for to move.  
But that I now see it move/ it proceedeth of my own fire will/ presupposed that I have my yees hole & liberty to see all present objects that falls to my lust.    

And to an end it shall never be brought  
They say therefore it hath eternyte  
As even alike with god that hath it wrought  
But yet all one in certain is it naught  
A life interminable for to lede  
As Plato thought himself it is no dread  
¶ it is another to enclosen all  
At once so this life intermynable  
For all that is/ or was/ or ever shall  
At him it is present & permenable  
He fleteth naught but always standeth stable  
Loo/ of divine thought the state is this  
No creature may been alike y wisse  
¶ And yet for that you shall not demen here  
That god is elder as in time of space  
Than creatures made of his power  
But this loo shall you jugen in this case  
That god himselfen always is & was  
Before/ er any formed creature  
In proper symplenesse of his nature  
¶ And the intent of things temporel  
That always meveth so contynuelly  
They cast to counterfeten every deal  
The perdurable life of god on high  
That changeth not but standeth presently  
But when it may not even it self there to  
There very stableness they falls fro  
¶ And meveth then out of symplycyte  
Decressing out of present then a none  
To infinite and endless quantity  
Of time to come & time that is a gone  
But when he may not bring it in to one  
Albina his life at one's for to have  
it willeth thus it selfen for to save  
¶ And there it may not been a bout y brought  
So all his life at one's for to gete  
yet in as moche as it endeth naught  
This lyffe it doth not utterly forlete  
But it seemeth that it volde counterfete  
The sovereign life of god omnipotent  
In so moche as he somewhat hath present  
¶ And so it bindeth him to a little stound  
To have a manner perdurablenesse  
In which no time of space may be found  
But for it hath a manner lekelynesse  
Of the eternal life that present is  
it seemeth how so ever hyt flee or fleet  
That in present ever a bideth it  
¶ And for it may not after his delight  
A byden/ but for such a little space  
it taketh always of times infinite  
And for it may not all his life embrace  
At one's/ as his princypal purpose was  
Passing forth the life he keepeth so  
For cause he may ne can none other do  
¶ And if we should by names him discern  
To suen Plato where he said well  
He said that god himself is eterne  
Loo/ & the world should be perpetuel  
Of this mayst thou conceiven then full well  
sith every judgement that shall be true  
it must the nature of himselfen sue  
¶ To comprehenden things of without  
And thestate of sovereign god on high  
standeth ever in one it is no doubt  
Algates in himselfen presently  
His knowing then surmounteth sickerly  
All thing/ that hath moving in difference  
A biding in his symplycyte of presence  
¶ And so encloseth spaces infinite  
Of time that was & shall here after be  
But to though spaces hath he no respect  
But to his own hole eternyte  
By knowing of his high symplycyte  
All thing in presens of his sight  
He saith it as it were do now right  
¶ if thou consydre that prescience in thy though  
By wych he knoweth all things so  
This prescience shalt thou referren naught  
As to a thing that after shall be do  
But very science shalt thou dame it loo  
Of present time that never faylen may  
Ne out of presens pass never a way  
¶ For why it is not called prevydence  
But rather is it called purueyaunce  
That all things knoweth in presence  
In wych knowing there is no variance  
Fro our knowing/ it hath full great distance  
For we beholdeth lo things here  
But fro on high beholdeth he all in fere  
¶ sith every judgement must suen than  
The nature of the knower kendely  
wherefore is it that thou askest than  
That all must fallen necessarily  
That seyn is in divine sight on high  
sith men the present things that they seyn  
Maketh naught/ of need for to be  
¶ Loo/ may thy sight of things here present  
Make them to fallen of necessity  
Boeus) I said nay Phia) ꝙ she right so it stint  
Of god's purueyaunce/ as seemeth me  
All though there may no comparison be  
For the prescience of a man's thought  
To god's prescience may be lekened naught  
¶ For right as you beholdeth with your sight  
That in this time present is y don  
Rygh so he saith in his eternal light  
So/ that thing to coming is there none  
As in his sight/ ne no thing over go  
where fore his prescience (it sueth well)  
The nature of things changeth never a deal  
¶ For sith he saith though things presently  
Right as they shall here afterward befall  
The judgement of things sickerly  
His knowing confundeth no thing at all  
For all thing that betide here after shall  
whether needful or contingent be the end  
At one's all he saith it is in his mind  
¶ Right as thou sayst a man go on the ground  
And the son also in heaven a rise  
And both thou behaldest in one stound  
yet canst thou well dyscernen & devise  
Loo that that this man wych walketh in this wise  
He doth himself willingly that deed  
But yet in sooth the son a riseth need  
¶ Ne the sight of god that is so clear  
That all thing doth him be nethen see  
Of these worldly things that been here  
Destorbeleth never a deal the quality  
which in the sight of his eternyte  
Ben present now/ but to the sight of man  
Theridamas time they shall here afterwards han  
¶ And here of cometh this conclusion  
That what he wot that shall here after sue  
it is no fallace nother opinion  
But very science suffysant & true  
By wych he knoweth that it is not due  
As of necessity to fallen so  
But than thou sayest a thing that shall be do  
¶ And is provided in divine thought  
it may not unbetyde/ it is no dread  
And thing that so may be exchwed naught  
Than of necessity/ it falls need  
And so thou wilt me bynden to the deed  
As by this word/ that is necessity  
And loo as truth/ I will it grant the  
¶ But this uneath may feelen any wight  
Ne well conceiven in this earthly life  
But if he had a conceit & a sight  
Of god/ & fully were contemplative  
But unto this I answer the belyve  
when that thing that so to comen is  
To divine science/ referred is  
¶ Loo/ necessary is it sickerly  
But in the manner of that proper kende  
when that thou it behaldest verily  
necessity doth it in no wise bind  
For ij. necessyteys shalt thou find  
Of which that one is simple/ weet it well  
And that other is conditional  
¶ That every man is mortal of nature  
This is necessity of symplenesse  
But when thou knowest a man peradventure  
That walketh of his own wylfulnesse  
That man's walking necessary is  
with this condytion y put there to  
The while it is known to be so  
¶ For thing that known is in man's thought  
As for the time it may none other be  
But this condytion sufficeth naught  
with him to drawn this symplycyte  
For well thou wottest that this necessity  
Cometh not of kendly dysposytion  
But of that accydent condytion  
¶ And necessity doth him not compelle  
To walken/ he that walketh willingly  
But while he goth/ this will I grant well  
Loo that he walketh vecessaryly  
And in the same wise sickerly  
what purueyaunce as present doth provide  
So of necessity it doth betide  
¶ And yet that thing as of his proper kende  
Truly doth not of necessity befall  
But all that god beholdeth in his mind  
That so of liberty betyden shall  
He beholdeth it as present all  
And so referred to divine sight  
As necessary they been a counted right  
¶ But this is only by condytion  
Of the knowing of divine wit  
But when these things have relation  
un to their own proper kende yet  
All absolutely then betydeth it  
No thing compelled of necessity  
Ne it forleteth naught his liberty  
¶ So than it shall befallen doubtless  
All that god to comen doth provide  
And moche thing shall fallen nevertheless  
That only shall of liberty betide  
So that they standeth free fro either side  
And though they be to come yet may we cheese  
So proper nature doth they not forlese  
¶ There kende is this/ be forehand oer they were  
Of liberty they might have been undo  
But what force is it wilt thou say me hire  
where they come of necessity or no  
sith of divine science is it so  
In all wise it doth befallen this  
Right even as thing that necessary is  
¶ Loo this/ as I a little here beforn  
Purposed by example plenerly  
Of the son that riseth by the morn  
And of a man that walketh willingly  
Till time they be in doing presently  
They may well be undone it is no dread  
But that one was to betyden need  
¶ But sickerly that other needed naught  
So all that he beholdeth as present  
Right so wythouten doubt it shall be wrought  
But that the son riseth verament  
Loo of necessity it hath dessent  
But the man to walken or to gone  
His own choice it standeth all upon  
¶ Now then in this we have said but right  
That when these things so referred be  
un to the knowing of divine sight  
Loo then they falls of necessity  
But referred to their quality  
Full absolute in liberty they stand  
As out of all necessary bond  
¶ As all that appeareth to the comen wit  
if that they be referred to reason  
Universal than in sooth is it  
And if thou set in thine entention  
The property of their condytion  
So then thou feelest it as singular  
But if it be (thou sayest) in my power  
¶ My purpose for to changen as me lust  
Loo than shall I a voyden purueyaunce  
By which the same is known & wist  
But I shall answer to thine allegiance  
Thy purpose mayst thou change at thy pleasance  
But this might for to done or do it naught  
And all that divers changing of thy thought  
¶ The very present truth of prescience  
Every deal beholdeth presently  
And thou mayst not a voyden his presence  
No more than thou mayst a void verily  
The behalding of a present ye  
Though that thou wouldest thyselfen torn or wend  
As liketh to the free will of thy mind  
¶ But here thou makest this objection  
if god's science may be changed so  
At my proper dysposytion  
As when I this now/ & now that may I do  
Than may I enterchaungen to & fro  
Loo his science by stounds at my will  
Nay for sooth/ that mayst thou not by skyle  
¶ For why the knowing of divine sight  
Goeth before that thing that shall befall  
And before the proper presence right  
Loo of his knowing he retorneth all  
That ever was/ or been here after shall  
Ne as thou weenest he altereth naught  
His presence by stounds of thy thought  
¶ As now this thing & now that thing to know  
But he abiding every wit compaseth  
The changing of thy thoughts all a row  
with one sight all at one's he enlaceth  
He goth also before & all embraceth  
His might also/ that all comprehendeth  
And eke his sight that to so fer extendeth  
¶ All things to behalden presently  
He hath them not received so as we  
Of thing that is to comen suyngly  
But of his proper high symplycyte  
whereby it may full well assoiled be  
That thou while ere a geynst me hast y put  
Vnsembly sayest thou is it to thy wit  
¶ That thing to come of our unstableness  
Should the cause been of his science  
But of his cunning loo the might is this  
He closeth all with knowing of presence  
Of divers time he hath no difference  
And all thing in to certain hath he brought  
To things passed oweth he right naught  
¶ sith it is so/ I may concluden now  
That in every mortal creature  
The liberty abideth hole enough  
And standeth fully in their own cure  
And laws which that medes doth measure  
To though men that been good & virtuous  
And also pains to the vicious  
¶ Then for unryght they may not been arected  
sith every man his own will is at  
As by necessity no thing y letted  
But that he may deseruen love or hate  
And god himselfen sit a 'bove algate  
And every thing he knoweth oer it be  
As present in his high eternyte  
¶ In us behalding every thought & deed  
That is/ or shall be done/ in full certain  
And to the good men he desposeth meed  
And to the wicked punishment & peyn  
To trust in god it is no thing in veyn  
And preyours/ if they ryghtuously be led  
Believe it well/ they may not been unspedde  
¶ withstand thou vice/ & give the to vertu  
To righteous hope/ thou life up thy courage  
And for thy needs/ if thou wilt pursue  
Humble preyer send in thy message  
Up to thy god/ it faileth not his wage  
Ne doubt the naught/ thou shalt be sped full soon  
For he refuseth never a lowly boon  
¶ And look that thou my counsel not forget  
Dyssymule not/ but do thy business  
The need is thine/ also the charge is great  
That thau be found in virtue & prowess  
sith all thy work is open & express  
un to the presence of the juge on high  
That all thing doth behalden plenerly   
Explicit Liber Quintus Boecijs De consolation Phie  
Deo gracias.   

Collectis in sequentibus cuiuslibet linee primis litteris/ non solum Translatoris sed & transferri procurantis/ nomina cum cognominibus/ investigare poteris.  

Nomen transferri procurantis.  
EVer more exalted be thou lord on high  
Lawly which of thy benygnyte  
In flesh and blodde apering willingly  
So piteously were peyned on the tree  
And sufferest/ that grievous was to the  
Be bledde with all thy blodde for man's sake  
Ever more exalted be thy majesty  
Thine heart blood/ our ransom wouldest thou make   

Cognomen.  
¶ Blysful lord I pray the heartily  
ere I departed of this mortalyte  
Rescue me fro my perilous enemy  
Keeping me fro his cursed cruelty  
Eternally to set my thought in the  
Lust of sins fully to forsake  
Endless god which art both one & iij.  
yn to thy cure for ever I me betake   

Nomen Translatoris.  
Tyelde you thanks lady Sapience  
Of that this work you to an end y brought  
Have you the worship & the recompense  
And I no deal/ I have deserved naught  
None other lust desire I in my thought  
Ne naught coveyt I but your Influence  
Eternally/ so that I may be brought  
sovereign lady in to your presence   

Cognomen Translatoris.  
with all my heart to do you reverence  
And service/ such as of me may be wrought  
Lawly under your obedience  
To please you if I sufficed aught  
With all my heart/ as ever I have besoght  
No thing coveyt I of your excellence  
Eternally but that I may be brought  
My sovereign lady in to your presence    

Here endeth the book of comfort called in latyn Boecius de consolation Phie. Enprented in the exempt monastery of Tavestok in Denshyre. By me Dan Thomas Richard monk of the said Monastery/ To the instant desire of the right worshypful esquyer Master Robert Langdon. Anno d. MDxxv.  
Deo Gracias.   


Robertus Lanhdon.   blazon of Robert Langdon, Esq.