Nihil igitur dubium est quin hae ad beatitudinem viae devia quaedam sint
nec perducere quemquam eo valeant ad quod se perducturas esse promittunt.
Quantis vero implicitae malis sint, brevissime monstrabo.
Quid enim? Pecuniamne congregare conaberis? Sed eripies habenti.
Dignitatibus fulgere velis?
Danti supplicabis et qui praeire ceteros honore cupis, poscendi humilitate uilesces.
Potentiamne desideras?
Subiectorum insidiis obnoxius periculis subiacebis.
Gloriam petas?
Sed per aspera quaeque distractus securus esse desistis.
Voluptariam vitam degas?
Sed quis non spernat atque abiciat vilissimae fragilissimaeque rei corporis seruum?
Iam vero qui bona prae se corporis ferunt, quam exigua, quam fragili possessione nituntur!
Num enim elephantos mole, tauros robore superare poteritis, num tigres velocitate praeibitis?
Respicite caeli spatium, firmitudinem, celeritatem et aliquando desinite vilia mirari.
Quod quidem caelum non his potius est quam sua qua regitur ratione mirandum.
Formae vero nitor ut rapidus est, ut velox et vernalium florum mutabilitate fugacior!
Quod si, ut Aristoteles ait, Lynceis oculis homines uterentur, ut eorum visus obstantia penetraret, nonne introspectis visceribus illud Alcibiadis superficie pulcherrimum corpus turpissimum videretur?
Igitur te pulchrum videri non tua natura sed oculorum spectantium reddit infirmitas.
Sed aestimate quam vultis nimio corporis bona, dum sciatis hoc quodcumque miramini triduanae febris igniculo posse dissolui!
Ex quibus omnibus illud redigere in summam licet,
Nihil igitur dubium est . quin hȩ uiȩ ad beatitudinem deuia quȩdam sint. Uuánda iz sús íst . pedíu neíst nehéin zuîuel . díse fínf uuéga nesîn âuuekke ze dere sâlighéite.
Nec perducere quemquam ualeant eo . ad quod promittunt se perducturas esse. Nóh sie nîomannen nemúgîn dára fólle-léiten . dára sie gehéizent.
Quantis uero implicitȩ sint malis . breuissime monstrabo. Uuîo mánigíu úbel án ín sîn . díu beatitudinem nément . táz ságeta íh fóre lángséimo . nû uuíle íh iz pegrîfen chúrzlicho.
55. DIUITIAE.
Quid enim ? Pecuniamne congregare conaberis ? Sed eripies habenti. Uués lústet tíh ? Lústet tíh scáz ze sámenônne ? Sô nímest tu ín ándermo.
56. HONORES.
Dignitatibus fulgere uelis ? Danti supplicabis. Uuíle du in ámbahte skînen ? Sô mûost tu fléhôn den gébenten.
Et qui cupis preire cȩteros honore . poscendi humilitate uilescis. Únde uuírdest tu bítendo smáhera . dien ánderên . dîen dû gérôst fórderôra uuérden.
57. POTESTAS.
Potentiamne desideras ? Uuíle dû geuuáltig uuérden ?
Subiectorum obnoxius indisiis . subiacebis periculis. Sô uârênt tír die dîne . únde bíst tés in fréisôn.
58. CLARITAS.
Gloriam petis ? Lústet tíh kûollichi ?
Sed distractus per aspera quȩque . securus esse desistis. Sô mûost tu sórgende sîn . peháfter inblándenên díngen . mít tîen du díh tûomen uuíle.
59. UOLUPTAS.
Voluptariam uitam deligis ? Uuíle du lústsámo lében ?
Sed quis non spernat atque abiciat corporis seruum . rei uilissimȩ et fragilissime? Uuémo nesól áber únuuért sîn . des lîchamen scálh ? tes feruuórfenôsten dínges . únde des prôdesten ? Tîe uoluptati dîenônt . tîe sínt tes lîchamen scálcha. Tîe spiritui dîenônt . tîe sínt spiritales . únde góte gelîh . tér spiritus íst . únde bedíu sínt tîe frî.
60. BONIS CORPORIS . HOMINES NON AEQUARI BESTIIS.
Iam uero qui pre se ferunt bona corporiis . quam exigua . quam fragili possessione nituntur. Tîe des lîchamen fróma fúre-sézzent tîen frómôn dero sêlo . ze uuîo lúzzelemo dínge síh tîe hábent. Fóne dien simiis . tîe uuír héizên áffen . íst táz kespróchen . pre se ferunt. Ter áffo guuínnet îo zuéi uuélfer . únde déro zuéio . íst ímo daz éina lîebera . dánne daz ánder. Taz lîebera chêret îo fúre síh . taz ánder fólgêt ímo. Sô man ín iágôn gestât . sô héuet er daz lîebera ûf zû-se sînên brústen . daz léídera sprínget ûf án ín . únde hábet síh . ze sînemo hâre. Sô ímo dára-nâh nôten gestât . sô uerlâzet er daz lîebera . únde indrínnet mít témo . dáz ímo léidera uuás.
Num enim poteritis superare elephantos mole . tauros robore ? Múgent ír uuérden mêrôren dánne hélfenda . stárcheren dánne fárre ? Num tigres uelocitate preibitis ? Álde snélleren . dánne tigres ? Tigris chît sagitta. Tén námen hábet iz fóne dero snélli . uuánda ímo nîoman indrínnen nemág. Fóne díu scrîbet sanctus ambrosius in exameron . dér ímo sîn uuélf ferstílet . únz er in uuéido íst . tér netrûêt ímo nîeht infáren . únde bedíu hábet er síh keuuárnôt sînero glésinôn bállôn . únde dâr er ín erlóufet . târ uuírfet er ímo éina . sámo-so ér ímo ergébe daz uuélf. In déro ersíhet er síh . únde uuânet táz pílde uuésen sîn uuélf . únde béitet síh táz sóugen. Sô ímo dés nespûot . únde er ímo áber nâhlóufet . sô tríuget er ín mít tero ánderro . únde mít tero dríttûn . únde îo sô . únz er síh kenéret.
Respicite spatium cȩli . firmitudinem . celeritatem . et desinite aliquando uilia mirari. Uuártênt uuîo míchel der hímel sî . uuíder dien elephantis . uuîo féste únde stárh uuíder dien fárren . uuîo snél uuíder dien tigribus . únde nesî íuuih uuúnder dero smáhôn díngo. Sîd tiu érda míchel íst . únde dóh néheina comparationem néhabet ze demo hímile . uuér mág tánne sîna uuîti uuízen . únde sîna mícheli ? Sîd er dóh álso uuîtêr síh úmbe-uuérbet in uiginti quator horis . uuáz mág tánne sô snélles sîn . únde sô drâtes ? Sîd ín óuh tiu únméziga drâti neuerbríchet . uuáz mág tánne sô féstes ?
Quod quidem cȩlum . non his potius est mirandum . quam sua ratione qua regitur. Áber dero genámdôn drîo . neíst er nîeht sô uuúnderlîh . sô déro rédo díu ín trîbet. Tíu réda íst kótes uuîstûom.
Formȩ uero nitor ut rapidus est . ut uelox . et fugatior mutabilitate uernalium florum. Uuártênt óuh uuîo gáhe . únde uuîo spûotîg tir íst tíu scôni des mánnes ketâte . íh méino sînes píldes . únde uuéhseligôra dánne dero blûomôn scôni.
Quodsi ut aristotiles ait . homines uterentur linceis oculis. Úbe die ménnisken hábetîn sô aristotiles chît lúhstiníu óugen. Ut eorum uisis penetraret obstantia. íh méino dáz siu den mán dúrh-séhen máhtîn. Nonne introspectis uisceribus . turpissimum uideretur . illud superfitie pulcherrimum corpus alcibiadis ? Sô siu ínnenân gesáhîn . nedûohti ín dánne ióh ter alcibiadis lîchamo úbelo getân na ? Tér ûzenân állero lîchamôn scônesto uuás. Uuír neuuízen uuér díu scôna alcibias uuás . tóh cnûoge râtiscoên dáz si herculis mûoter uuâre . uuánda er alcides hîez.
Igitur te pulchrum uideri . non tua natura . sed oculorum reddit infirmitas. Táz tu scône dúnchest mánne . dáz netûot tîn natura nîeht . uuánda dû míst ínnenân bíst . núbe dero óugôn únmagen.
Sed estimate quam uultis nimio corporis bona . dum sciatis hoc quodcumque miramini . triduanȩ febris igniculo posse dissolui. Nû tíurent ten lîchamen so-uuîo-so ír uuéllênt . tánne ír dóh uuízînt . tér íu sô uuúnder-tíure íst . táz tér mít trítagigemo ríten mág erstérbet uuérden.
Ex quibus omnibus licet illud in summam . i. in breuitatem redigere. Fóne dîen rédôn állên . uuíle íh iz ze demo gnôtesten bríngen.
Now is it no doute thanne that thise weyes ne ben a maner misledinges to blisfulnesse,
ne that they ne mowe nat leden folk thider as they biheten to leden hem.
But with how grete harmes thise forseyde weyes ben enlaced, I shal shewe thee shortly.
For-why yif thou enforcest thee to asemble moneye, thou most bireven him his moneye that hath it.
And yif thou wolt shynen with dignitees,
thou most bisechen and supplien hem that yeven tho dignitees. And yif thou coveitest by honour to gon biforn other folk, thou shalt defoule thy-self thorugh humblesse of axinge.
Yif thou desirest power,
thou shalt by awaytes of thy subgits anoyously ben cast under manye periles.
Is glory thy aim?
Thou shalt ben so destrat by aspre thinges that thou shalt forgoon sikernesse.
And yif thou wolt leden thy lyf in delices,
every wight shal despisen thee and forleten thee, as thou that art thral to thing that is right foul and brotel ; that is to seyn, servaunt to thy body.
Now is it thanne wel seen, how litel and how brotel possessioun they coveiten, that putten the goodes of the body aboven hir owne resoun.
For mayst thou sormounten thise olifaunts in gretnesse or weight of body? Or mayst thou ben stronger than the bole? Mayst thou ben swifter than the tygre?
Bihold the spaces and the stablenesse and the swifte cours of the hevene, and stint som-tyme to wondren on foule thinges;
the which hevene, certes, nis nat rather for thise thinges to ben wondred up-on, than for the resoun by which it is governed.
But the shyning of thy forme, that is to seyn, the beautee of thy body, how swiftly passinge is it, and how transitorie; certes, it is more flittinge than the mutabilitee of flowers of the somer-sesoun.
For so Aristotle telleth, that yif that men hadden eyen of a beest that highte lynx, so that the lokinge of folk mighte percen thorugh the thinges that with-stonden it, who-so loked thanne in the entrailes of the body of Alcibiades, that was ful fayr in the superfice with-oute, it shold seme right foul.
And forthy, yif thou semest fayr, thy nature maketh nat that, but the desceivaunce of the feblesse of the eyen that loken.
But preyse the goodes of the body as mochel as ever thee list; so that thou knowe algates that, what-so it be, that is to seyn, ofthe goodes of thybody, which that thou wondrest up-on, may ben destroyed or dissolved by the hete of a fevere of three dayes.
Of alle whiche forseyde thinges I may reducen this shortly in a somme ,
"Doubte then ther is none, but that these to blesse, be crooked steps,
nor thither can any man bring, whither they promise leade him.
How wrapt they be in euills, shortly I can shew you.
For what, wilt thou snatch monny? Thou must take it from the hauer.
Woldst thou shyne with dignities?
Thou wilt pray the giuer ; & thou that desyrst to
aduaunce others in honour, with lowlynes of request, art dasht.
Dost thou desyre powre?
to subjectes ambusshes thou shalt
lye in danger.
Dost thou seeke glory?
Thou leanest to be
sure, that art drawen by so sharp wayes.
Pleasurable lyfe dost
thou deayre?
But who wold not despise & throwe away
tbe bodyes bondage so frayle & vile?
But now, such as
cares for bcdyes strength, on how frayle & meane a posses-sion
doo they trust!
Can you in force exceede the Elephantes waight, or bulls strength? Shall you forego the Tigres
swiftnes?
Looke thou on heauens compasse, stabilitie and speede, & leave to wonder at that is base.
A marveil in reason it were that Skye it selfe were better than he by whom it is guided.
Whose forme is so much the fayrer as it is
carved with soudain & speedy change of Springes floures?
Yf, as Aristotle sayes, men could vse Liuxes eyes, to peirce
throw that they sawe, wold they not whan bowells all were
seene, suppose that that fayre body whose covering Alcibiades
spake of, should fowlest seeme?
Wherfore not thy nature but weaknes of vewars sight makes thè seeme fayre.
Esteeme
how much you will of bodyes goodes, when this you knowe,
whatso you wonder, a fyre of a Tercian may dissolue.
Of
which all, this in somme you may gather,
Complete text
Book I: THE SORROWS OF BOETHIUS