No More Learning

ha? my studie {and} my konnyng
deserued ? us. or ellys ? e forseide dampnaciou{n} of me. 352
made ? at hem ry? tful accuso{ur}s or no (q. d. no{n}).

[Sidenote: Fortune, if not ashamed at this, might at least blush
for the baseness of the accusers. ]

? Was not fortune asshamed of ? is. [Certes alle hadde
nat fortune ben asshamyd] ? at i{n}nocence was accused.
? it au? t[e] sche haue had schame of ? e fil? e of myn accuso{ur}s. 356

[Linenotes:
335 _whiche_--the whiche
_one_--oon
_somtyme_--whilom
339 _sumtyme_--whilon
340 _go_--gon
_her_--hir
341 _wi? -outen_--withowte
_wolde not_--nolden nat
342 _defended[e]_--defendedyn
_by_--by the
343 _seyne_--seyn
_seyntuaries_--sentuarye
344 _was_--omitted
_comaunded[e]_--comaundede
345 _voided[e]_--voidede
_certeyne_--certeyn
346 _men_--me
_merken_--marke
347 _hoke of iren_--hoot yren
348 _? e_--omitted
_my? t[e] be_--myhte ben
349 _? ilk_--thilke
350 _? ilk[e]_--thilke
351 _be_--ben
_seid_--MS. seide, C. seyd
_ha? _--MS. ha? e
354, 355 [_Certes----asshamyd_]--from C.
356 _au? t[e]_--owte
_haue had_--han had, MS. hadde]

[[pg 17]]
[Headnote:
THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BOETHIUS. ]

? But axest ? ou in so{m}me of what gilt . I.
am accused.

[Sidenote: Boethius says he is accused of trying to save the
Senate, and of having embarrassed an informer against the Senate. ]

men seyne ? at I wolde sauen ? e co{m}paignie
of ? e senato{ur}s. ? And desirest ? ou to here
in what manere . I. am accused ? at I scholde han distourbed 360
? e accuso{ur} to beren l{ett}res. by whiche he
scholde han maked ? e senatours gilty a? eins ? e kynges
Real maieste. ? O meistresse what demest ? ou of
? is. schal . I. forsake ? is blame ? at I ne be no schame to 364
? e (q. d. no{n}).

[Sidenote: It is true that he tried to save the Senate, for he has
and will have its best interests always at heart. ]

? Certis . I. haue wold it. ? at is to
seyne ? e sauuaciou{n} of ? e senat. ne I schal neuer leten
to wilne it. {and} ? at I confesse {and} am a-knowe. but
? e entent of ? e accusour to be destourbed schal cese. 368
? For schal I clepe it a felonie ? an or a synne ? at I
haue desired ? e sauuaciou{n} of ? e ordre of ? e senat.
and certys ? it hadde ? ilk same senat don by me ? oru?
her decret? {and} hire iugementys as ? ou? it were a synne 372
or a felonie ? at is to seyne to wilne ? e sauuaciou{n} of
he{m} (. s senat{us}).

[Sidenote: (Folly cannot change the merit of things. ]

? But folye ? at lieth alwey to hym
self may not chaunge ? e merit of ? inges.

[Sidenote: According to Socrates' judgment it is not lawful to
hide the truth nor assent to a falsehood. )]

? Ne . I.
trowe not by ? e iugement of socrates ? {a}t it were leueful 376
to me to hide ? e so? e. ne assent[e] to lesynges.
? But certys how so euer it be of ? is I put[te] it to gessen
or p{re}ise{n} to ? e iugeme{n}t of ? e {and} of wise folk. ? Of
whiche ? ing al ? e ordinaunce {and} ? e so? e for as moche 380
as folk ? at ben to comen aftir our{e} dayes scholle{n}
knowen it.

[Sidenote: Boethius determines to transmit an account of his
prosecution to posterity. ]

? I haue put it in scripture {and} remembraunce.
for touching ? e l{ett}res falsly maked. by
whiche l{ett}res I am accused to han hooped ? e fredom of 384
Rome. What app{er}tene? me to speken ? er-of.

[Sidenote: Boethius says that he could have defeated his accusers
had he been allowed the use of their confessions. ]

Of whiche l{ett}res ? e fraude hadde ben schewed ap{er}tly if
I hadde had libertee forto han vsed {and} ben at ? e [[pg 18]]
co{n}fessiou{n} of myn accuso{ur}s. ? ? e whiche ? ing in 388
alle nedys ha? grete strenke? . ? For what o? {er} fredo{m}
may men hopen.

[Sidenote: But there is now no remains of liberty to be hoped
for. ]

Certys I wolde ? at some o? {er} fredom
my? t[e] be hoped. ? I wolde ? an haue answered by
? e wordes of a man ? at hy? t[e] Canius. for whan he was 392
accused by Gayus Cesar Germeins son ? at he (cani{us})
was knowyng {and} consentyng of a coniurac{i}ou{n} maked
a? eins hym (. s. Gai{us}). ? ? is Canius answered[e]
? us. ? Yif I had[de] wist it ? ou haddest not wist it. 396

[Linenotes:
357 _axest ? ou_--axestow
358 _seyne_--seyn
_sauen_--saue
359 _desirest ? ou_--desires thow
_here_--hereen
362 _maked_--MS. maken, C. makyd
363 _demest ? ou_--demestow
365 _wold_--MS. wolde, C. wold
366 _seyne_--seyn
367 _? at_--omitted
_am_--I am
368 _be_--ben
369 _it_--it thanne
_? an_--omitted
371 _? ilk_--thilke
372 _her_--hir
_hire_--hir
_? ou? _--thogh
373 _or_--and
_seyne_--seyn
374 _lieth_--MS. lie? e, C. lieth
377 _assent[e]_--assente
381 _schollen_--shellen
382 {and}--{and} in
385 _speken_--speke
385-86 _of----lettres_--C. omits
386 _if_--yif
387 _had_--MS. hade, C. had
388 _myn_--myne
389 _ha? _--MS. ha? e, C. hath
_grete_--gret
_what_--omitted
390 _some_--som
391 _my? t[e] be_--myhte ben
_? an haue_--thanne han
392 _hy?
t[e]_--hyhte
394 _maked_--ymaked
395 _answered[e]_--answerede
396 _had[de]_--hadde]

[Headnote:
BOETHIUS COMPLAINS TO PHILOSOPHY. ]

[Sidenote: It is not strange that the wicked should conspire
against virtue. ]

In whiche ? ing sorwe ha? not so dulled my witte
? {a}t I pleyne oonly ? at schrewed[e] folk apparailen
folies a? eins vertues. ? But I wondre gretly how ? at
? ei may p{er}forme ? inges ? at ? ei had[de] hoped forto 400
done.

[Sidenote: The will to do ill proceeds from the defects of human
nature. ]

For why. to wylne schrewednesse ? at come?
p{ar}auenture of oure defaute. ? But it is lyke to a
monstre {and} a meruaille.

[Sidenote: It is a marvel how such evil acts can be done under the
eye of an Omniscient God. ]

? How ? at in ? e p{re}se{n}t
sy? t of god may ben acheued {and} p{er}formed swiche 404
? inges. as euery felonous man ha? conceyued in hys
? ou? t a? eins i{n}nocent. ? For whiche ? ing oon of ? i
familers not vnskilfully axed ? us.

[Sidenote: If there be a God, whence proceeds evil? If there is
none, whence arises good? ]

? ? if god is. whennes
comen wikked[e] ? inges. {and} yif god ne is whennes 408
comen goode ? inges. but al hadde it ben leueful ? at
felonous folk ? at now desiren ? e bloode {and} ? e dee? of
alle goode men. {and} eke of al ? e senat han wilned to
gone destroien me. whom ? ei han seyn alwey bataile{n} 412
{and} defenden goode men {and} eke al ? e senat. ? 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?