e
iugement of socrates ?
iugement of socrates ?
Chaucer - Boethius
e fifte p{ar}t.
_Textus.
_ ?
Whan it was in ?
e soure hungry
tyme ? ere was establissed or cried greuous {and} inplitable coempciou{n}
? at men seyn wel it schulde greetly to{ur}me{n}tyn {and} endamagen al ? e
p{ro}uince of co{m}paigne I took strif a? eins ? e p{ro}uost of ? e
pretorie for comune p{ro}fit. ? And ? e kyng knowyng of it I ouercom it
so ? at ? e coempciou{n} ne was not axed ne took effect. ? Paulyn a
counseiller of Rome ? e rychesse of ? e whyche paulyn ? e houndys of ? e
palays. ? at is to seyn ? e officeres wolde han deuoured by hope {and}
couetise ? ? it drow I hym out of ? e Iowes . s. faucib{us} of hem ? at
gapede{n}. ? And for as myche as ? e peyne of ? e accusac{i}ou{n} aiuged
byforn ne scholde not sodeynly henten ne punischen wrongfuly Albyn a
counseiller of Rome. I put[te] me a? enis ? e hates {and}
indignac{i}ou{n}s of ? e accuso{ur} Ciprian. ? Is it not ? an ynought
yseyn ? at I haue p{ur}chased greet[e] discordes a? eins my self. but I
aughte be more asseured a? enis alle o? er folk ? at for ? e loue of
ry? twisnesse . I. ne reserued[e] neuer no ? ing to my self to hem ward of
? e kynges halle . s. officers. by ? e whiche I were ? e more syker. ? But
? oru? ? e same accuso{ur}s accusyng I am co{n}dempned. ? Of ? e noumbre of
whiche accuso{ur}s one basilius ? at somtyme was chased out of ? e kynges
seruice. is now co{m}pelled i{n} accusyng of my name for nede of foreine
moneye. ? Also opilion {and} Gaudenci{us} han accused me. al be it so
? at ? e Iustice regal hadde su{m}tyme demed hem bo? e to go in to exil.
for her treccheries {and} fraudes wi? -outen noumbre. ? To whiche
iugement ? ei wolde not obeye. but defended[e] hem by sykernesse of holy
houses. ? at is to seyne fledden in to seyntuaries. {and} whan ? is was
ap{er}ceiued to ? e kyng. he comaunded[e] but ? at ? ei voided[e] ? e citee
of Rauenne by certeyne day assigned ? at men scholde merken hem on ? e
forheued wi? an hoke of iren {and} chasen hem out of toune. ? Now what
? ing seme? ? e my? t[e] be lykned to ? is cruelte. For certys ? ilk same day
was receyued ? e accusyng of my name by ? ilk[e] same accuso{ur}s. ? What
may be seid herto. ha? my studie {and} my konnyng deserued ? us. or ellys
? e forseide dampnaciou{n} of me. made ? at hem ry? tful accuso{ur}s or no
(q. d. no{n}). ? 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. ? But axest ? ou in so{m}me of
what gilt . I. am accused. 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 ? 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 ? e (q. d. no{n}). ? 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. ? 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 or a felonie ? at is to seyne to wilne
? e sauuaciou{n} of he{m} (. s senat{us}). ? But folye ? at lieth alwey to
hym self may not chaunge ? e merit of ? inges. ? Ne . I. trowe not by ?
e
iugement of socrates ? {a}t it were leueful 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 as folk ? at
ben to comen aftir our{e} dayes scholle{n} knowen it. ? 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 Rome. What
app{er}tene? me to speken ? er-of. 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 co{n}fessiou{n} of myn accuso{ur}s. ? ? e whiche ? ing in alle nedys
ha? grete strenke? . ? For what o? {er} fredo{m} may men hopen. 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
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.
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 done. For
why. to wylne schrewednesse ? at come? p{ar}auenture of oure defaute.
? But it is lyke to a monstre {and} a meruaille. ? How ? at in ? e
p{re}se{n}t sy? t of god may ben acheued {and} p{er}formed swiche ? 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. ? ? if god
is. whennes comen wikked[e] ? inges. {and} yif god ne is whennes 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} {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}. ? ? ou remembrest wele as I gesse ? at
whan I wolde don or seyn any ? ing. ? ou ? i self alwey p{re}sent
reweledest me. ? 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 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. ? ? ou wost wel ? at I seide so? e. ne I auaunted[e] me neuer in
preysyng of my self. ? 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. 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 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}.
? 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. ? But 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 ?
tyme ? ere was establissed or cried greuous {and} inplitable coempciou{n}
? at men seyn wel it schulde greetly to{ur}me{n}tyn {and} endamagen al ? e
p{ro}uince of co{m}paigne I took strif a? eins ? e p{ro}uost of ? e
pretorie for comune p{ro}fit. ? And ? e kyng knowyng of it I ouercom it
so ? at ? e coempciou{n} ne was not axed ne took effect. ? Paulyn a
counseiller of Rome ? e rychesse of ? e whyche paulyn ? e houndys of ? e
palays. ? at is to seyn ? e officeres wolde han deuoured by hope {and}
couetise ? ? it drow I hym out of ? e Iowes . s. faucib{us} of hem ? at
gapede{n}. ? And for as myche as ? e peyne of ? e accusac{i}ou{n} aiuged
byforn ne scholde not sodeynly henten ne punischen wrongfuly Albyn a
counseiller of Rome. I put[te] me a? enis ? e hates {and}
indignac{i}ou{n}s of ? e accuso{ur} Ciprian. ? Is it not ? an ynought
yseyn ? at I haue p{ur}chased greet[e] discordes a? eins my self. but I
aughte be more asseured a? enis alle o? er folk ? at for ? e loue of
ry? twisnesse . I. ne reserued[e] neuer no ? ing to my self to hem ward of
? e kynges halle . s. officers. by ? e whiche I were ? e more syker. ? But
? oru? ? e same accuso{ur}s accusyng I am co{n}dempned. ? Of ? e noumbre of
whiche accuso{ur}s one basilius ? at somtyme was chased out of ? e kynges
seruice. is now co{m}pelled i{n} accusyng of my name for nede of foreine
moneye. ? Also opilion {and} Gaudenci{us} han accused me. al be it so
? at ? e Iustice regal hadde su{m}tyme demed hem bo? e to go in to exil.
for her treccheries {and} fraudes wi? -outen noumbre. ? To whiche
iugement ? ei wolde not obeye. but defended[e] hem by sykernesse of holy
houses. ? at is to seyne fledden in to seyntuaries. {and} whan ? is was
ap{er}ceiued to ? e kyng. he comaunded[e] but ? at ? ei voided[e] ? e citee
of Rauenne by certeyne day assigned ? at men scholde merken hem on ? e
forheued wi? an hoke of iren {and} chasen hem out of toune. ? Now what
? ing seme? ? e my? t[e] be lykned to ? is cruelte. For certys ? ilk same day
was receyued ? e accusyng of my name by ? ilk[e] same accuso{ur}s. ? What
may be seid herto. ha? my studie {and} my konnyng deserued ? us. or ellys
? e forseide dampnaciou{n} of me. made ? at hem ry? tful accuso{ur}s or no
(q. d. no{n}). ? 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. ? But axest ? ou in so{m}me of
what gilt . I. am accused. 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 ? 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 ? e (q. d. no{n}). ? 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. ? 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 or a felonie ? at is to seyne to wilne
? e sauuaciou{n} of he{m} (. s senat{us}). ? But folye ? at lieth alwey to
hym self may not chaunge ? e merit of ? inges. ? Ne . I. trowe not by ?
e
iugement of socrates ? {a}t it were leueful 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 as folk ? at
ben to comen aftir our{e} dayes scholle{n} knowen it. ? 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 Rome. What
app{er}tene? me to speken ? er-of. 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 co{n}fessiou{n} of myn accuso{ur}s. ? ? e whiche ? ing in alle nedys
ha? grete strenke? . ? For what o? {er} fredo{m} may men hopen. 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
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.
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 done. For
why. to wylne schrewednesse ? at come? p{ar}auenture of oure defaute.
? But it is lyke to a monstre {and} a meruaille. ? How ? at in ? e
p{re}se{n}t sy? t of god may ben acheued {and} p{er}formed swiche ? 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. ? ? if god
is. whennes comen wikked[e] ? inges. {and} yif god ne is whennes 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} {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}. ? ? ou remembrest wele as I gesse ? at
whan I wolde don or seyn any ? ing. ? ou ? i self alwey p{re}sent
reweledest me. ? 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 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. ? ? ou wost wel ? at I seide so? e. ne I auaunted[e] me neuer in
preysyng of my self. ? 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. 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 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}.
? 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. ? But 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 ?
