Nunc enim primum censes apud inprobos mores lacessitam periculis esse sapientiam?
Nonne apud veteres quoque ante nostri Platonis aetatem magnum saepe certamen cum stultitiae temeritate certavimus eodemque superstite praeceptor eius Socrates iniustae victoriam mortis me adstante promeruit?
Cuius hereditatem cum deinceps Epicureum vulgus ac Stoicum ceterique pro sua quisque parte raptum ire molirentur meque reclamantem renitentemque velut in partem praedae traherent,
vestem quam meis texueram manibus, disciderunt abreptisque ab ea panniculis totam me sibi cessisse credentes abiere.
In quibus quoniam quaedam nostri habitus vestigia videbantur, meos esse familiares inprudentia rata nonnullos eorum profanae multitudinis errore pervertit.
Quod si nec Anaxagorae fugam nec Socratis venenum nec Zenonis tormenta quoniam sunt peregrina novisti, at Canios, at Senecas, at Soranos quorum nec pervetusta nec incelebris memoria est, scire potuisti.
Quos nihil aliud in cladem detraxit nisi quod nostris moribus instituti studiis improborum dissimillimi videbantur.
8. NON MELIORA SPERANDA NOUIS QUAM PRISCIS TEMPORIBUS.
Censes enim nunc primum . lacessitam periculis esse sapientiam . apud inprobos mores? Uuânest tu nû êrest sapientem in nôt kestôzena fóne dien úbelên?
Nonne certauimus sepe apud ueteres quoque ante ȩtatem nostri platonis . magnum certamen cum temeritate stultitiȩ? Neuáht íh ófto ióh pe dîen áltên . fóre platonis zîten . stárchen uuîg . uuîder dero góucho nánde? Eodemque superstite . praeceptor eius socrates . promoueruit uictoriam iniustȩ mortis . me astante? Únde ímo lébendemo . úbersígenôta sîn méister socrates ten dôt . mír zûo-séhentero?
Cuius hereditatem cum deinde molirentur raptum ire . epicureum uulgus . ac stoicum . ceterique quisque pro sua parte. Únde dánne sîn érbe îltîn zócchôn epicurei atque stoici . únde óuh ándere . îogelîh gágen sînemo téile. Meque traherent uelut in partem prȩdȩ . reclamantem renitentem. Únde sîe míh . álso dâr man róub téilet tánsotîn . uuídere zíhenta . únde dáz uuíderônta.
Disciderunt uestem . quam texueram meis manibus. Zebrâchen sie mîna uuât . tîa íh sélbíu uuórhta. Abreptisque ab ea panniculis. Únde blézzen târ-ába gezúhtên. Credentes me sibi totam cessisse . abierunt. Síh uuânende míh álla háben . fûoren sie mít tíu.
In quibus quoniam uidebantur quȩdam uestigia nostri habitus. Uuánda dóh an dîen zóccharen . ételîh kelîhnísse uuás mînero. Rata imprudentia . meos esse familiares. Únfrôti uuánentíu sîe uuésen mîne gesuâsen. Peruertit nonnullos eorum. Petróug si íro súmeliche. Errore profane multitudinis. Mít témo írreglichen uuâne . dér ío uuírbet mít téro uerulûochenûn mánegi. Sîe gelóubt<ôn téro mánegi . táz sie uuîse uuârîn.
Quodsi nec fugam Anaxagorȩ nouisti. Úbe du nîo negeéiscotôst . uuîo anaxagoras stoicus philosophus indrán . s. ut non pateretur tormenta . únde ér fóne díu lángo uuás in exilio. Nec Socratis uenenum. Nóh uuîo socrates kenôtet uuârd trínchen cicutam . uuánda ér iouem únde apollinem hîez mortuos. Únde er chád tén éid uuésen tíureren . dén man suûore be demo lébendenn húnde . dánne be demo tôten ioue. Nec Zenonis tormenta. Nóh uuélíu uuîze zeno philosophus léid . tér ímo sélbemo dia zúngûn ába / béiz . uuânda ér dîe méldên neuuólta . dîe ér uuíssa coniuratos. Quoniam sunt peregrina. Úbe dû iz fóne díu neuuéist . uuánda iz in urémedemo lánde gskáh . íh méino in gretia. At scire potuisti canios. Tû máchtôst áber uuízen canio gelîche . tér be gaio imperatore uuás. At Senecas. Únde senecȩ gelîche . dér uóne neronis gebóte erslágen uuárd. At Soranos. Únde óuh sorano. Quorum memoria nec uetusta nec incelebris est. Téro geuuáht nóh nîeht ált neîst . nóh únmâre.
Quos nihil aliud detraxit in mortem. Tîe nîeht ánderes ze demo tôde nebrâhta. Nisi quod uidebantur instituti nostris moribus. Âne dáz sîe uuâren gerŕte nâh mînemo síte. Dissimillimi studiis improborum. Úngeliche démo flîze dero scádelôn.
Car juges tu que philosophie soit ores premierement assaillie par perilz envers les meurs mauvés ?
Ne estrivasmes nous ainsi par grant estrif envers les anciens, neis devant l’aage de nostre Platon, encontre le hardement de folie? Et puis que Platon fu remés vis, deservi, moi presente, Socrates ses maistres victoire de mort non mie droituriere ?
Du quel comme le peuple epicuriens et stoiciens et pluseur autre s’aparaillassent a aler ravir l’eritage, chascun pour sa partie, et detressissent, moi reclamant et efforçant encontre, ainsi comme en partie de praie
il me depecierent ma robe que je avoie tissue de mes propres mains ; et les girons arrachiéz, en cuidanz que je m’en alasse toute a euz, se departirent de moy.
Et en yceus pour ce que aucunes traces de notre habit i apparoient, la folie des hommes cuidant que cil fussent mi familier, deçut et perverti pluseurs, par l’erreur de la fole multitude, de ceus.
Mais se tu n’as pas cogneu la fuite de Anaxagoras ne le venim de Socrates ne les tourmens de Zenon pour ce que il sont estrange, au mains as tu peu savoir les Caniens et les Seneciens et Seranz dont la memoire n’est pas moult ancienne ne non moult celebrable,
les quiex nule chose ne trest oncques a mort fors ce que il, enformés de nos meurs, apparoient estre dessemblable aus estudes et aus meurs des mauvais.
For trowestow that Philosophie be now alderfirst assailed in perils by folk of wikkede maneres?
Have I nat striven with ful greet stryf, in olde tyme, bifore the age of my Plato, ayeines the foolhardinesse of folye? And eek, the same Plato livinge, his maister Socrates deservede victorie of unrightful deeth in my presence.
The heritage of which Socrates —the heritage is to seyn the doctrine of the whiche Socrates in his opinioun of Felicitee, that I clepe welefulnesse—whan that the poeple of Epicuriens and Stoiciens and many othre enforceden hem to go ravisshe everich man for his part—that is to seyn, that everich of hem wolde drawen to thedefenceof his opinioun the wordes of Socrates—they, as in partie of hir preye,
to-drowen me, cryinge and debatinge ther-ayeins, and corven and to-renten my clothes that I hadde woven with myn handes; and with tho cloutes that they hadden araced out of my clothes they wenten awey, weninge that I hadde gon with hem everydel.
In whiche Epicuriens and Stoiciens, for as moche as ther semede some traces or steppes of myn habite, the folye of men, weninge tho Epicuriens and Stoiciens my famuleres , perverted (sc. persequendo) some through the errour of the wikkede or uncunninge multitude of hem. This is to seyn that, for they semede philosophres, they weren pursued to the deeth and slayn.
So yif thou hast nat knowen the exilinge of Anaxogore, ne the enpoysoninge of Socrates, ne the tourments of Zeno, for they weren straungeres: yit mightestow han knowen the Senecciens and the Canios and the Sorans, of whiche folk the renoun is neither over-olde ne unsolempne.
The whiche men, no-thing elles ne broughte hem to the deeth but only for they weren enfourmed of myne maneres, and semeden most unlyke to the studies of wikkede folk.
Ar you now to knowe how amonge wicked folkes wisedom is assailed with many dangers?
Haue we not wrestled with follies rashnes among the elder sorte afore our Platoes age, and made therewith great battaile? yea, he aliue, his master Socrates vniustely claimed the victory of dethe when I was by:
whose inheritance, when after the vulgar Epicurian and Stoick and all the rest, each man for his part, ment to beraue me, sundred, as in parte of their prey, my garment, though I resisted and exclaymed.
For being the workmanship of myne own hande, they plucking some ragges from it, supposing they had all departed from me.
Among which, for that some prints of my garment appeared, folly supposing they were my familiars, abused some of them with error of the vayne multitude.
Though thou haste not knowen Anaxagoras flight, nor Socrates Venim, nor Zenos torment, because they are strange, yet Cauni, Senecæ, Sorani, thou maist knowe, for they are not cowards nor of vnhonored memory:
whom nothing els to their bane brought, but that instructed with our conditions, they seamed vnlike the wickeds endeuors.
Complete text
Book I: THE SORROWS OF BOETHIUS