Boethius: De Consolatione Philosophiae Translated by John Walton ... Edited with introduction, notes and glossary by Mark Science |
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PREFACIO TRANSLATORIS IN LIBRUM QUARTUM ET QUINTUM |
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 | Boethius: De Consolatione Philosophiae |  |
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PREFACIO TRANSLATORIS IN LIBRUM QUARTUM ET QUINTUM
1.
O hyhe and riche tresour of scienceAnd wisdom which in god eternally
Conceyued is, so þat his iugementes
Ne mowe not be enserched certanly,
Neither þe wey be knowen vtterly
Be whiche this wonder worldes gouernaunce
He kepith in suche a certeyn ordenaunce!
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Who wist his wit when he þis world began?Or who was he þat was his conseillour?
When noþing was, who was þat gaf hym þan,
To whom he is in daunger as dettour?
Of hym is all, for he is creatour,
Be hym it is þat all þing is susteyned,
In hym is all þing kyndely conteyned.
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Lo of so hye a mater for to treteAs after þis myn auctour doth pursue,
This wote I well, my wittes ben vnmete
The sentence for to saue in metre trewe.
And noght-for-thi I may it noght eschewe,
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And schewe myseluen here presumptuous
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Of hap of fortune and of destine,Þat marred haþ full many a mannes mynde
Supposyng þat oure kyndely liberte
Thus to and fro must allwey turne and wende,
So þat oure werkes to a certeyn ende
Constreyned ben wher þat we will or noght,
So þat none oþer-wise þey may be wroght.
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To speken of devyne purveaunceÞat all þing knoweth or it be bygonne,
No worldly wight may haue þat suffisaunce
With all þe wit and clergie þat þei konne,
No more þan perce þe myddes of þe sonne
As wiþ þe litell vigour of þaire sight;
Well myche more it passeth mannes myght.
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And þat we stonden in oure arbetrie,As fully set in verray liberte,
So þat we mowe chesen wilfully
Bothe good and euel, bothe wel and wo to be;
And yit þat god is his eternyte
So knoweth all þat evire schal betide;
Who can thise two compownen and devide?
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It is noght elles bot þat oure desireWolde kyndely þat conseyt comprehende;
Right as we seen a litell flaumb of fuyre
How scharp it makeþ it-seluen to ascende,
And noght-forþi it failleþ of his ende,
And is full fer fro theder þat it scholde,
So may we þinke or telle what we wolde.
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Bot fuyre right of mouynge of nature,Beholde how scharp it makeþ it and light,
And also ferforth as it may endure,
How it enforceth for to stye vp-right.
Bot we wolde haue noght elles but a sight,
And knowe the height of goddes priuete,
And will oure-self all-wey in erthe be.
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To þe þat art þe welle of sapience,All-myghti lord, þis labour I comyt;
Thogh I be fer fro craft of eloquence,
Enforce þou my connyng and my wit
This matter for to treten so þat it
Be to þi honour and to þi plesaunce;
So take it lord in-to þi gouernaunce.
| Boethius: De Consolatione Philosophiae | |