No More Learning

? it
hadde I not desserued of ? e fadres. ? at is to seyne of
? e senatours ? at ? ei scholde wilne my destrucc{i}ou{n}.

[Sidenote: Boethius defends the integrity of his life. ]

[Sidenote: [* fol. 6 _b_. ]]

? ? ou remembrest wele as I gesse ? at whan I wolde [[pg 19]]
don or *seyn any ? ing. ? ou ? i self alwey p{re}sent reweledest me. 417

[Sidenote: He defended the Senate at Verona. ]

? At ? e citee of verone wha{n} ? at ? e
kyng gredy of comune slau? ter. caste hym to t{ra}nsporten
vpon al ? e ordre of ? e senat. ? e gilt of his real 420
maieste of ? e whiche gilt ? at albyn was accused. wi?
how grete sykernesse of p{er}il to me defended[e] I al
? e senat.

[Sidenote: He spake only the truth, and did not boast. ]

? ? ou wost wel ? at I seide so? e. ne I
auaunted[e] me neuer in preysyng of my self. 424

[Sidenote: (Boasting lessens the pleasure of a self approving
conscience. )]

? For
alwey when any wy? t resceiue? p{re}ciouse renou{n} in
auauntyng hym self of hys werkes: he amenusi? ? e
secre of hys conscience. ? But now ? ou mayst wel
seen to what ende I am comen for myne i{n}nocence. 428

[Linenotes:
397 _whiche_--which
_sorwe_--sorw
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
_witte_--wit
398 _schrewed[e]_--shrewede
399 _folies_--felonies
_vertues_--vertu
400 _had[de]_--han
401 _done_--don
_come? _--comth
402 _lyke to a_--lyk a
404 _sy? t_--syhte
405 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
406 _innocent_--innocent?
_whiche_--which
408 _wikked[e]_--wykkede
410 _bloode_--blod
411 _eke_--ek
412 _gone_--gon {and}
_seyn_--seyen
413 _eke_--ek
414 _seyne_--seyn
415 _scholde_--sholden
416 _wele_--wel
417 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
_seyn_--seyen
418 _? e_ (1)--omitted
419 _slau? ter_--slawhtre
420 _transporten vpon_--transpor vp
422 _grete_--gret
_defended[e]_--deffendede
423 _seide so? e_--seye soth
424 _auaunted[e]_--auauntede
425 _when_--whan
_preciouse_--presious]

[Headnote:
OF HIS FALSE ACCUSERS. ]

[Sidenote: But as the reward of his innocence he is made to suffer
the punishment due to the blackest crime. ]

I receiue peyne of fals felonie in gerdou{n} of verray
vertue. ? And what open co{n}fessiou{n} of felonie
had[de] euer iugis so accordaunt i{n} cruelte. ? at is to
seyne as myne accusyng ha? . ? ? at o? er errour of 432
mans witte or ellys co{n}diciou{n} of fortune ? at is vncerteyne
to al mortal folk ne submytted[e] su{m}me of he{m}. ? at is
to seyne ? at it ne cheyned[e] su{m}me iuge to han pitee
or compassiou{n}. 436

[Sidenote: Had he been accused of a design to burn temples,
massacre priests, he would have been allowed to confront his
accusers. ]

? For al ? ou? I had[de] ben accused
? at I wolde brenne holy houses. {and} strangle p{re}stys
wi? wicked swerde. ? or ? at . I. had[de] gray? ed dee?
to alle goode men algatis ? e sentence scholde han
punysched me p{re}sent confessed or co{n}uict.

[Sidenote: But now this is denied him, and he is proscribed and
condemned to death. ]

? But 440
now I am remewed fro ? e Citee of rome almost fyue-hundre?
? ousand pas. I am wi? outen defence dampned
to p{ro}sc{ri}pciou{n} {and} to ? e dee? . for ? e studie {and}
bountees ? at I haue done to ? e senat. ? But o wel ben 444
? ei wor? i of mercye (as who sei? nay. ) ? er my? t[e] neuer
? it non of hem ben conuicte. Of swiche a blame as [[pg 20]]
myn is of swiche t{r}espas myn accuso{ur}s seyen ful wel ? e dignitee.

[Linenotes:
429 _in_--for
430 _vertue_--vertu
431 _had[de]_--hadde
432 _seyne_--seyn
_myne_--myn
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
433 _witte_--wit
_vncerteyne_--vncerteyn
434 _al_--alle
_submytted[e]_--submittede
435 _seyne_--seyn
_cheyned[e]_--enclinede
436 _had[de]_--hadde
438 _wicked_--wykkede
_had[de]_--hadde
441 _almost_--almest
442 _? ousand_--MS. ? ousas
_wi? outen_--withowte
444 _done_--doon
445 _my? t[e]_--myhte
446 _ben_--be
_swiche_--swich
447 _myn_ (_both_)--myne
_swiche_--whiche
_seyen_--sayen]

[Headnote:
BOETHIUS ACCUSED OF SORCERY. ]

[Sidenote: Boethius says that his enemies accused him of sorcery. ]

? e wiche dignite for ? ei wolde derken it 448
wi? medelyng of some felonye. ? ei beren me on honde
{and} lieden. ? at I hadde polute {and} defouled my conscience
wi? sacrelege. for couetise of dignite. ? And
certys ? ou ? i self ? at art plaunted in me chacedest oute 452
? e sege of my corage al couetise of mortal ? inges. ne
sacrilege ne had[de] no leue to han a place in me byforne
? ine eyen.

[Sidenote: He affirms that he has always followed the golden maxim
of Pythagoras,-- ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . ]

? For ? ou drouppedest euery day in myn
eer{e}s {and} in my ? ou? t ? ilk comaundement of pictogoras. 456
? at is to seyne men schal seruen to god. {and} not to
goddes. ? Ne it was no couenaunt ne no nede to
taken helpe of ? e foulest spirites. ? I ? at ? ou hast
ordeyned or set in syche excellence ? {a}t [? ou] makedest 460
me lyke to god. and ouer ? is ? e ry? t clene secre
chaumbre of myn house.

[Sidenote: His family and friends could clear him from all
suspicion of the crime of sorcery. ]

? at is to seye my wijf {and} ? e
co{m}paignie of myn honeste frendis. {and} my wyues
fadir as wel holy as wor? i to ben reuerenced ? oru? 464
hys owen dedis. defenden me of al suspecciou{n} of syche
blame. ? But o malice. ? For ? ei ? at accusen me
taken of ? e philosophie fei? e of so grete blame.
[Sidenote: Because he has given himself up to Philosophy, his
enemies accuse him of using unlawful arts. ]

? For 467
? ei trowen ? at . I. haue had affinite to malyfice or enchau{n}tement?
by cause ? at I am replenissed {and} fulfilled
wi? ? i techynges. {and} enformed of ? i maners.
? And ? us it suffice? not only ? at ? i reuerence ne auayle
me not. but ? if ? at ? ou of ? i fre wille ra? er be blemissed 472
wi? myne offensiou{n}. ? But certys to ? e harmes ? at I
haue ? ere bytyde? ? it ? is encrece of harme.

[Linenotes:
448 _wolde_--wolden
449 _some_--som
_beren_--baren
_on honde_--an hand
450 _polute_--polut
451 _sacrelege_--C. _has_ sorcerie _as a gloss to_ sacrilege
453 _al_--alle
454 _had[de]_--hadde
_byforne_--byforn
455 _drouppedest_--droppedest
_myn_--myne
456 _? ilk_--thilke
457 _seyne_--seyn
_seruen_--serue
_god_--godde
459 _helpe_--help
_spirites_--spirite
460 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
_syche_--swiche
[_? ou_]--thow
461 _lyke_--lyk
462 _house_--hows
_seye_--seyn
463 _myn_--my
465 _owen_--owne
_of al_--from alle
_syche_--swich
467 _philosophie_--philosophre
_fei? e_--feyth
_grete_--gret
468 _had_--MS. hadde, C. had
473 _myne_--myn
474 _? ere_--ther
_harme_--harm]

[[pg 21]]
[Headnote:
BOETHIUS DEPLORES THE POPULAR CENSURE. ]

? at ? e gessinge {and} ? e iugement of myche folk ne loken no
? ing to ? e[de]sertys of ? inges but only to ? e aue{n}t{ur}e 476
of fortune.

[Sidenote: Most people imagine that that only should be judged to
be undertaken with prudent foresight which is crowned with
success. ]

? And iugen ? at only swiche ? inges ben
p{ur}ueied of god. whiche ? at temporel welefulnesse
co{m}mendi? . _Glosa. _ ? As ? us ? at yif a wy? t haue
prosperite. he is a good man {and} wor? i to haue ? at 480
p{ro}sperite.

[Sidenote: The unfortunate lose the good opinion of the world. ]

and who so ha? aduersite he is a wikked
man. {and} god ha? forsake hym. {and} he is wor? i to
haue ? at aduersite. ? ? is is ? e opiniou{n} of so{m}me
folke.

[Sidenote: [* Text begins again. ]]

*{and} ? er of come? ? at good gessyng. ? Fyrste of 484
al ? i{n}g forsake? wrecches certys it greue? me to ? ink[e]
ry? t now ? e dyuerse sentences ? at ? e poeple sei? of
me. ? And ? us moche I seye ? at ? e laste charge of
contrarious fortune is ? is.

[Sidenote: [* fol. 7. ]]

*? at whan ? at ony blame is 488
laid vpon a caytif. men wenen ? at he ha? deserued ? at
he suffre? .

[Sidenote: Boethius laments the loss of his dignities and
reputation. ]

? And I ? at am put awey fro{m} goode men
{and} despoiled from dignitees {and} defoulid of my name
by gessyng haue suffred torment for my goode dedis. 492

[Sidenote: The wicked, he says, sin with impunity, while the
innocent are deprived of security, protection, and defence. ]

? Certys me seme? ? at I se ? e felonus couines of
wikked men abounden in ioie {and} in gladnes. ? And
I se ? at euery lorel shapi? hy{m} to fynde oute newe
fraudes forto accusen goode folke. and I se ? at goode 496
men ben ou{er}? rowen for drede of my p{er}il. ? and
euery luxurious to{ur}mentour dar don alle felonie vnpunissed
{and} ben excited ? erto by ? iftes. and i{n}nocent?
ne ben not oonly despoiled of sykernesse but of defence 500
{and} ? erfore me list to crien to god in ? is manere.

[Linenotes:
475 _myche_--moche
476 _? e[de]sertys_--the desert?
479 _Glosa_--glose
480 _good_--MS. goode, C. good
_haue_--han
481 _so_--omitted in C.
481, 482 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
483 _haue_--han
484 _Fyrste_--fyrst
485 _al_--alle
_? ink[e]_--thinke
488 _ony_--any
489 _laid_--MS. laide, C. leyd
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
490 _put_--MS. putte, C. put
491 _from_--of
494 _abounden_--habownden
_gladnes_--gladnesse
495 _oute_--owt
496 _accusen_--accuse
497 _ben_--beth
501 _manere_--wise]


[Headnote:
THE CRUEL CHANGES OF FORTUNE]

O STELLIFERI CONDITOR ORBIS.

[Sidenote: [The fifthe met{ur}. ]]

[Sidenote: Author of the starry sky, Thou, seated on high, turnest
the spheres, and imposest laws upon the stars and planets. ]

++O ? ou maker of ? e whele ? at bere? ? e sterres. whiche
? at art fastned to ? i p{er}durable chayere. {and}
turnest ? e heuene wi? a rauyssyng sweigh{e}
{and} {con}streinest [[pg 22]]
? e sterres to suffren ? i lawe. ? So ? {a}t ? e 505
mone somtyme schynyng wi? hir ful hornes metyng
wi? alle ? e bemes of ? e sonne.

[Sidenote: The sun obscures the lesser lights, and quenches even
the moon's light. ]

? Hir bro? er hide? ? e
sterres ? at ben lasse. {and} somtyme whan ? e mone 508
pale wi? hir derke hornes approche? ? e sonne. leesith
hir ly? tes.

[Sidenote: Thou raisest Hesperus to usher in the shades of night,
and again causest him to be the harbinger of day, whence his name
Lucifer. ]

? And ? at ? e euesterre esperus whiche
? at in ? e first[e] tyme of ? e ny?