Part 11

¶ And forsoþe þis forsaide 60 woman ber bookes in hir ryȝt honde. {and} in hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ¶ And when sche sauȝ þese poetical muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges. sche was a lytel ameued 64 and glowed wiþ cruel eyen.

¶ Who q{uo}d sche haþ suffred ap{ro}chen to þis seek man þise comune strumpetis of siche a place þat *men clepen þe theatr{e}. ¶ Þe wyche only ne asswagen not his sorowes. wiþ no 68 remedies. but þei wolde fede {and} norysche hem wiþ swete venym. ¶ Forsoþe þise ben þo þat wiþ þornes {and} prykkynges of talentȝ or affecciou{n}s wiche þat ben no þing frutefiyng nor p{ro}fitable destroyen þe 72 cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson.

¶ For þei holden þe hertes of men i{n} usage. but þei ne delyuere not folk fro maladye. but if ȝe muses hadde wiþdrawen fro me wiþ ȝoure flateries. any vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable [[pg 7]] man as men ben wont to fynde comunely amonges 77 þe peple. I wolde wene suffre þe lasse greuously.

¶ For-why in syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But ȝe wiþdrawen me 80 þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece.

¶ But goþ now raþer awey ȝe meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at þe laste. {and} suffreþ þis man to be cured {and} 84 heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful sciences.

¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wroþely þe chere adou{n}ward to þe erþe {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame þei passeden sorowfuly þe 88 þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe syȝt plonged i{n} teres was derked so þat I ne myȝt not knowe what þat woman was of so i{m}perial auctorite.

¶ I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my syȝt adoune in to þe 92 erþe. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche wolde don afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon þe vterrest corner of my bedde.

{and} sche byholdyng my chere þat was cast to þe erþe heuy {and} 96 greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wiþ þise wordes þ{a}t I schal sey þe p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my þouȝt.

HEU Q{UAM} PRECIPITI MERSA PROFUNDO.

++Allas how þe þouȝt of man dreint in ouer þrowyng depnesse dulleþ {and} forletiþ hys p{ro}pre clerenesse. 100 myntynge to gone in to foreyne derknesses as ofte as hys anoious bisines wexiþ wiþ-oute{n} mesure. þ{a}t is dryuen to {and} fro wiþ worldly wyndes. [[pg 8]]

¶ Þis man þat su{m}tyme was fre to who{m} þe heuene was open 104 {and} knowen {and} was wont to gone in heuenelyche paþes. {and} sauȝ þe lyȝtnesse of þe rede sunne. {and} sauȝ þe sterres of þe colde moone. {and} wyche sterre i{n} heuene vseþ wandryng risorses yflit by dyuerse speres. 108 ¶ Þis man ouer comere hadde co{m}p{re}hendid al þis by noumbre. of accountyng in astronomye. ¶ And ouer þis he was wont to seche þe causes whennes þe sounyng wy{n}des moeuen {and} bisien þe smoþe water of þe 112 see. {and} what spirit turneþ þe stable heuene. {and} whi þe sterre ryseþ oute of þe reede eest. to falle in þe westren wawes. and what attempriþ þe lusty houres of þe fyrste somer sesou{n} þat hiȝteþ {and} apparaileþ 116 þe erþe wiþ rosene floures. ¶ And who makeþ þat plenteuouse autu{m}pne in fulle ȝeres fletiþ wiþ heuy grapes. ¶ And eke þis ma{n} was wont to telle þe dyuerses causes of nature þat weren yhid. 120

¶ Allas now lieþ he emptid of lyȝt of hys þouȝt. {and} hys nekke is p{re}ssid wiþ heuy cheynes {and} bereþ his chere enclined adoune for þe greet weyȝt. and is constreyned to loke on foule erþe. 124

SET MEDICINE INQUIT TEMPUS.

++Bvt tyme is now q{uo}d sche of medicine more þen of compleynte. ¶ Forsoþe þen sche entendyng to me warde wiþ al þe lokyng of hir eyen saide.

¶ Art not þou he q{uo}d sche þat su{m}tyme I-norschid wiþ my 128 mylke {and} fostre wiþ my meetes were ascaped {and} comen to corage of a p{er}fit man. ¶ Certys I ȝaf þe syche armures þat ȝif þou þi self ne haddest first caste [[pg 9]] hem away. þei schulden haue defendid þe in sykernesse 132 þat may not be ouer-comen. ¶ Knowest þou me not.

*Why art þou stille. is it for schame or for astonynge. It were me leuer þat it were for schame. but it semeþ me þat astony{n}ge haþ opp{re}ssed þe.

¶ And whan 136 sche say me not oonly stille. but wiþ-outen office of tonge {and} al doumbe. sche leide hir honde softely vpon my brest {and} seide. ¶ Here nis no p{er}il q{uod} sche. ¶ He is fallen in to a litargie. whiche þat is a comune 140 sekenes to hertes þat ben desceiued. ¶ He haþ a litel forȝeten hym self. but certis he schal lyȝtly reme{m}bren hym self. ¶ Ȝif so be þat he haþ knowe{n} me or now.

{and} þat he may so done I wil wipe a litel hys eyen. 144 þat ben derked by þe cloude of mortel þinges ¶ Þise wordes seide sche. and wiþ þe lappe of hir garment yplitid in a frounce sche dried myn eyen þat were ful of þe wawes of my wepynges. 148

TUNC ME DISCUSSA.

++Þus when þat nyȝt was discussed {and} chased awey. derknesses forleften me. {and} to myn eyen repeyre aȝeyne her firste strenkeþ. and ryȝt by ensample as þe sonne is hid when þe sterres ben clustred. þat is to 152 sey whe{n} sterres ben couered wiþ cloudes by a swifte wynde þat hyȝt chorus. {and} þat þe firmame{n}t stont derked by wete ploungy cloudes. and þat þe sterres not apperen vpo{n} heuene. ¶ So þat þe nyȝt semeþ sprad 156 vpo{n} erþe. ¶ Yif þan þe wynde þat hyȝt borias sent out of þe kaues of þe contre of Trace betiþ þis [[pg 10]] nyȝt. þat is to seyn chasiþ it away {and} descouereþ þe closed day. ¶ Þan schineþ pheb{us} yshaken wiþ 160 sodeyne lyȝt {and} smyteþ wiþ hys bemes i{n} m{er}uely{n}g eyen.

HAUT ALITER TRISTICIE.

++Ryȝt so {and} none oþer wyse þe cloudes of sorowe dissolued {and} don awey. ¶ I took heuene. {and} 164 receyuede mynde to knowe þe face of my fyciscien. ¶ So þat I sette myne eyen on hir {and} festned my lokyng. I byholde my norice philosophie. in whos houses I hadde conuersed {and} haunted fro my ȝouþe. 168 {and} I seide þus.

¶ O þou maistresse of alle uertues descendid fro þe souereyne sete. Whi art þou comen in to þis solitarie place of myn exil. ¶ Art þou comen for þ{o}u art mad coupable wiþ me of fals blames. 172

¶ O q{uod} sche my norry scholde I forsake þe now. and scholde I not parte wiþ þe by comune trauaille þe charge þat þou hast suffred for envie of my name. ¶ Certis it nar not leueful ne sittyng to philosophie to leten 176 wiþ-outen compaignie þe wey of hym þat is i{n}nocent.

¶ Scholde I þan redoute my blame {and} agrisen as þouȝ þer were byfallen a newe þing. q. d. non. ¶ For trowest þou þat philosophi be now alþerfirst assailed 180 i{n} p{er}ils by folk of wicked maneres.

¶ Haue I not stryuen wiþ ful greet strife in olde tyme byfore þe age of my plato aȝeins þe foolhardines of foly {and} eke þe same plato lyuyng. hys maistre socrates 184 deserued victorie of vnryȝtful deeþ in my presence.

¶ Þe heritage of wyche socrates. þe h{er}itage is to seyne þe doctrine of þe whiche soc{ra}tes in hys oppiniou{n} of [[pg 11]] felicite þat I clepe welfulnesse ¶ Whan þat þe people 188 of epicuriens {and} stoyciens {and} many oþer enforceden hem to go rauische eueryche man for his part þat is to seyne. þat to eueryche of hem wolde drawen to þe defence of his oppiniou{n} þe wordes of socrates. 192

¶ Þei as in p{ar}tie of hir preye todrowe{n} me criynge {and} debatyng þer aȝeins. {and} tornen {and} torente{n} my cloþes þat I hadde woue{n} wiþ myn handes. {and} wiþ þe cloutes þat þei hadden arased oute of my cloþes. þei 196 wenten awey wenyng þat I hadde gon wiþ he{m} euery dele.