“Gentilesse” in Chaucer’s Boece (Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy)

From III prosa 6

But now of this name of gentilesse, what man is it that ne may wele seen how veyn and how flyttynge a thyng it es? For yif the name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and cleernesse of lynage, thanne is gentil name but a foreyne thyng (that is to seyn, to hem that gloryfien hem of hir lynage.) For it semeth that gentilesse be a maner preisynge that cometh of the dessertes of auncestres; and yif preisynge make gentilesse, thanne mote they nedes ben gentil that been preysed . For whiche thing it folweth that yif thou ne have no gentilesse of thiself (that is to seyn, prys that cometh of thy deserte), foreyne gentilesse ne maketh the nat gentil. But certes yif ther be ony good in gentilesse, I trowe it be al only this, that it semeth as that a maner necessite be imposed to gentil men for that thei ne schulde nat owtrayen or forlynen fro the vertus of hir noble kynrede.

III Metrum 6

Alle the lynage of men that ben in erthe ben of semblable byrthe. On allone is fadir of thynges; on allone mynystreth alle thynges. He yaf to the sonne his bemes, he yaf to the moone hir horns, he yaf the men to the erthe, he yaf the sterres to the hevene. He encloseth with membres the soules that comen from his heye sete. Thanne comen alle mortel folk of noble seed. Why noysen ye or bosten of your eldres? For yif thow loke youre bygynnyng, and God your auctour and yowr makere, thanne nis ther none forlyned wyght or ongentil, but ,if he noryssche his corage unto vices and forlete his propre byrthe.