Insufficiency of cunning and of wit

Descriptive details

John Walton’s metrical version of Boethius (with Translator’s Preface and Prologue) — 7584 lines in 8-line stanzas (ababbcbc) and rhyme royal (Books IV and V). For extracts occurring separately see DIMEV 2078, DIMEV 4490.

Internal cross references: 2078, 4490

Authors: John Walton; Boethius;
Formal characteristics: eight-line; seven-line; ababbcbc; ababbcc
Subject keywords: mutability; translations; instruction, philosophical

Bibliography

DIMEV: 2677
IMEV: 1597
NIMEV: 1597

Witnesses

1. BodeMus53, ff. 1–112v

A few leaves cut out at end. No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsufficiens of konnynge and of witte
Defaute of langage and of eloquence…

Last lines:

…but alle þise passeth yit intelligence
as be a sight of þeire excellence

2. BodRawPoe151, ff. 1–108v

Begins imperfectly with the last four lines of Translator’s Preface. At the end: ‘Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie de latino in Anglicum translatus Anno domini anllmo cccc(mo) r(o) per capellanum Iohannem’.. No music or illustration.

First lines:

And eke in reuerence of ȝoure worthynesse
This symple werk as for ane obseruaunce…

Last lines:

…Vn to þe presence of þe iuge on hye
þat all þing doth beholde plenerly

3. BodDou100, ff. 1–104v

Ends imperfectly. No music or illustration.

First lines:

UN suffischaunce of kunnyng and of wit
Defawte of langage and of eloquence…

Last lines:

…And so of other craftes sewyngly
Dooth any þing þese crafty men compel

4. OxfBal316A, ff. 2–109v

Attributed title: Explicit liber Boicii de consolacione philosophie de latino in Anglicum translatus per Iohannem Waltoun nuper Canonicum de Osenye Anno domini Milesimo CCCC^mo decimo (f. 109^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsuffishaunce of connyng & wytte
Defaute of langage & of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vn to þe presence of þe Iuge on hie
That all þinge doth beholde plenerlye

5. OxfChrCh151, first item in the manuscript (MS has no foliation)

Verse form: 8-line stanzas ababbcbc and rhyme royal. Attributed title: Explicit liber Boitij de Consolacione Philosophie de Latino in Anglicum translatus per Iohannem Waltonum nuper Canonicum de Oseneye Anno domini 1410 (at end). No music or illustration.

First lines:

IN suffishaunce of connyng & wytte
Defaute of langage & of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vn to þe presence of þe Iuge on hie
That all þing doth beholde plenerly

6. OxfNew319, f. 1

Begins imperfectly with the last two lines of Translator’s Preface. No music or illustration.

7. OxfTri21,

Without Translator’s Preface or Prologue. No music or illustration.

8. CULGg418, ff. 1–112v

Without Translator’s Preface. Attributed title: Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie de latino in anglicum translatus Anno domini M^ie cccc^mo*^mo Per Capellum Johannem (f. 112^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

The Whyle þat Rome Was regnyng in Hys Floures
And of þe world held all þe monarchye…

Last lines:

…Vn to þe presence of þe Iuge on hye
Þat all thing doth behold plenerly

9. CULAdd3573, ff. 1–92v

Imperfect, with note ‘leaves 93-96 gone’; 3 other leaves missing as noted in collation inside back cover. No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsufficiaunce of conning and of Wyt
Defaute of langage and of Eloquence…

Last lines:

…And so it hyndrith hym to a litill stounde
To haue a maner perdurablenesse…

10. CamStJohn196, ff. 1–80v

Ends imperfectly; catchword ‘There tym þei’ (f. 80^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsuffychance of Connyng And Witte
Defaute of langage and of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Whiche on þe sight of his eternite
Bene presente nowe but to þe sight of man…

11. CamFitzMc184, ff. 1–119

Attributed title: Explicit liber Boicii de consolacione philosophie translatus de Latino in Anglice 1410 anno (f. 119). No music or illustration.

First lines:

Insufficience of connynge and witte
Defaute of langage and eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vnto þe presence of þe Iuge on hye
þat all þing beholdeþ plenerlye

12. BLHar43, ff. 4–86v

Without Translator’s preface or prologue; begins with 5-line decorated initial; ends incomplete at usual lower margin of a verso.. No music or illustration.

First lines:

…Allas I wrech that whylom was in welþe
And lusty song vsede for to wryȝte…

Last lines:

…ffor whi the knowyng of dyuyne sight
Hit gothe by fore þat thyng þat shold be fall…

13. BLHar44, ff. 2–102

With a Proheme of 31 st. on f. 2.. Attributed title: Boetius De Consolatione Philosophiae (f. 1^v, added by a later hand); Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione Philosophie de latino in anglicum translatus Anno domini Millesimo CCCC^mo x^mo per Capellanum Johannem (f. 102, by scribe). No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsuffisaunce of cummyng and of wytte
Defaute of langwage and of Eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vnto the presence of the Iuge an hye
That al thyng doith be holde playnerly

14. BLRoy18Axiii, ff. 2–113v

348 stanzas only; classmark changed as per Gray.. Attributed title: Explicit liber Boetij de consolacione philosophie de latio in anglicum translatus. Anno domini milesimo CCCC^mo X^o per capellum Iohannem (f. 113^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

Insuffisiaunce of cunnyng & of wit
Defaut of langage & of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vnto þe presence of þe iuge on hye
That all thinge doth beholde plenerlye

Bibliographical references:

Editions: Schuemmer1914;

15. BLSl554, ff. 1–52v

Begins imperfectly. Attributed title: Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie de latino in Anglicum translatus Anno domini Millesimo CCCC^mo X^o] Per Capellanum Iohannem (f. 52^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

…Hast þou quod she aspied þe cause why
That all þees þinges stonde in þis maner…

Last lines:

…vnto þe Presence of þe iuge on hye
That all þing doth byholde plenerly

16. DULCosVii15, ff. 2–112v

Without first 8 of 9 stanzas of the Translator’s Preface (one folio missing), so begins at line 65.. Attributed title: Boetius his 5 Bookes of Philosophicall Comfort (f. 1^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

…Soo that in shenshippe And confusion
Of alle this foule worldy wrecchidnes…

Last lines:

…vnto the presence of the Iugis on hye
whiche alle thynge doothe beholde plenerly Explicit

17. Lincoln103, ff. 3–100v

Attributed title: Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie de latino in anglicum translatus Anno domini Millesimo cccc^mo x^o Per capellum Johanem (f. 100^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

IN suffishaunce of cunnyng & of wit
Defaut of langage & of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vnto þe presence of þe iuge on hye
Þat al þing doth be holde plenerlye

Bibliographical references:

Editions: Science1927;

18. SocAnt134, ff. 283v col. a–297v col. b

Breaks off in Book II, stanza 10.. Attributed title: In nomine trino hoc opus incipio (f. 283^va, rubric); Explicit prefacio translatoris Incipit prologus eiusdem super librum Boecii (f. 283^vb); Explicit prologue Incipit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie (f. 285^ra). No music or illustration.

First lines:

Insuffisaunce of konnynge and of wit
Defaute of langage and of eloquence…

Last lines:

…ffor to dilate his name and his renoun
Amonges hem þat dwelle nyȝe present…

19. Chicago36, ff. 78–204

Without Translator’s Preface. Followed by a Latin prose recapitulation of the Consolatio Philosophiae, ‘per dominum I. Glynton prorem scripsit. .148.’ [sic] (ff. 204-207^v).. No music or illustration.

First lines:

The wyle that Rome was reynyng in hys flowres
And of the worlde helde the monarclye
He was gouerned than by emperowres
And was renouned wonder nobylye…

Last lines:

…Vn to þe presennce of þe Iuge on hye
þat all þing do be holde plenerly

20. PhilRos108330, ff. 78–177v

Folios not numbered; this has sig. a.1, beginning second half of book.. Attributed title: Heere begynnyth Boys of the consolacioun of Philosophie (f. 78); Explicit liber Boecii de consolacione philosophie de latino in Anglicum translatus Anno domino Millesimo CCCC x^o per Capellanum Johannem Teband Alias Watyrbeche (177^v = sig. n.2^v). No music or illustration.

First lines:

INsuffisaunce of kunnyng and of wyt
Defaute of langage and of eloquence…

Last lines:

…Vn to the presence off the Iuge on hye
That al thyng dooth beholde plenerlye

21. CopenThott304,

Begins and ends imperfectly.. No music or illustration.

22. STC3200, sigs. A2–A4

Attributed title: Prefatio Translatoris (sig. A2 and RT). No music or illustration.

First lines:

A suffysance of connyng & of whit
Defaute of langage & experience
Thys labour viche ye haue vpon me put
Muste fully excuse vn to your reuerence…

Last lines:

…And in reuerence of your worthynesse
Madame thys worke at your instance
I haue begonne after my symplenesse
In wyl to do yow seruyce and plesance

Bibliographical ghosts

Prior scholarly tradition erroneously attributes copies of this item to the following documents.

HelminghamHall