Boethius on wikked lordz

As I told you before, my senior project is to analyze the vocabulary used by Geoffrey Chaucer and Elizabeth I in their translations of Boethius' work The Consolation of Philosophy.  I'm currently editing the text file for the fourth of five books in Elizabeth's translation, and came upon this gem.  Book 4, Meter 2 set me thinking about President O'bama. All the pressure on him and in him to pass a health insurance reform act... or not to pass it, while he in himself is powerless to actually do the voting in Congress.  He's been painted as a blackguard (no pun intended), so listen to what Boethius says about an actual tyrant.

Thos wiche you se as Kings.
Sit in the top of hiest Seat
Florishing wt purple fayre
Invyrond wt dreadful armes
5 With ireful looke that thretes
for hartz yre scant drawing brethe
If any take from wicked men
Of false honor the cover
Within shal se ther Lordz
10 Straightnid gives to beare
hither Lust them drawes
here ire ther myndz afflictz
Who sturred raiseth stormes
Sorow or the taken wers
15 Or Slippar hopes tourment
Wherfor whan One hed
So many tirantz beares
he doth not that he wold
prest wt so wicked Lordz

 Hard to follow? That was Elizabeth I.  Try Chaucer instead:

Bo4 m2 1 "Whoso that the coverturis of hir veyn apparailes
Bo4 m2 2 myghte strepen of thise proude kynges,
Bo4 m2 3 that thow seest sitten an hye in here chayeres,
Bo4 m2 4 gliterynge in schynynge purpre, envyrowned
Bo4 m2 5 with sorwful armures, manasyng with cruel
Bo4 m2 6 mowth, blowynge by woodnesse of herte, he
Bo4 m2 7 schulde seen thanne that thilke lordis berin
Bo4 m2 8 withynne hir corages ful streyte cheynes. For
Bo4 m2 9 lecherye tormenteth hem on that o side
Bo4 m2 10 with gredy venymes; and trowblable ire,
Bo4 m2 11 that areyseth in hem the floodes of trowblynges,
Bo4 m2 12 tormenteth upon that othir side hir
Bo4 m2 13 thought; or sorwe halt hem wery and icawght,
Bo4 m2 14 or slidynge and desceyvynge hope turmenteth
Bo4 m2 15 hem. And therfore, syn thow seest on heved
Bo4 m2 16 (that is to seyn, o tiraunt) beren so manye
Bo4 m2 17 tyranyes, than ne doth thilke tyraunt nat that he
Bo4 m2 18 desireth, syn he is cast doun with so manye
Bo4 m2 19 wikkide lordes (that is to seyn, with so
Bo4 m2 20 manye vices that han so wikkidly lordschipes
Bo4 m2 21 over hym).

For a Biblical parallel, go to Psalm 73.

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

* * *

16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

For a Biblical contrast, go to Jeremiah 17:7-8.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a

tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

I just now heard that the health insurance bill was passed a few minutes ago.  These words still apply:


Wherefore when One head / so many tyrants bears / he doth not what he would / pressed with so wicked Lords.