No More Learning

ing ne drede nat. {and} 240
so schalt ?
ou desarmen ? e ire of ? ilke vnmy? ty tyraunt. [[pg 13]]

[Sidenote: He whose heart fails him, yields his arms, and forges
his own fetters.
]

?
But who so ? at quakyng drede? or desire? ? ing ? at
nis not stable of his ry?
t. ? at man ? at so do? ha? cast
awey hys schelde {and} is remoeued fro hys place.
{and} 244
enlace?
hym i{n} ? e cheyne wi? whiche he may be
drawen.


[Linenotes:
229 _clere_--cleer
230 _lyuyng_--leuynge
_ha?
_--MS. ha? e
_vnderfote_--vndir-foot
_prowed[e]_--prowde
231 _may----chiere_--may his cheere holde
232 _manace_--manesses
233 _?
e_--? e see
235 _hy?
t_--hihte
_veseuus_--MS.
vesenus
_wirche?
_--writith
236 _broken[e]_--brokene
_smokyng_--smokynge
237 _smyte_--smyten
238 _Wherto ?
en_--wharto thanne
239 _felownes----ony_--felonos withowte any
241 _schalt ?
ou desarmen_--shaltow deseruien
243 _do?
_--MS. do? e, C. doth
_ha?
_--MS. ha? e, C. hath
_cast_--MS.
caste, C. cast
244 _schelde_--sheld
_remoeued fro_--remwed from
245 _whiche_--the which
_be_--ben]


[Headnote:
BOETHIUS SPEAKS OF HIS TROUBLES.
]

SENTIS NE INQUIT.


[Sidenote: [The verthe p{ro}se.
]]

[Sidenote: Philosophy seeks to know the malady of Boethius.
]

++FElest ?
ou q{uod} sche ? ise ? inges {and} entren ? ei ou? t
in ?
i corage. ? Art ? ou like an asse to ? e harpe. 248
Whi wepest ?
ou whi spillest ? ou teres. ? Yif ? ou
abidest after helpe of ?
i leche. ? e byhoue? discouere ? i
wounde.


[Sidenote: Boethius complains of Fortune's unrelenting rage.
]

?
? o . I. ? at hadde gadered strenke? in my
corage answered[e] {and} seide.
{and} nede? it ? itte q{uod} 252
.
I. of rehersyng or of amonic{i}ou{n}. {and} schewe? it not
ynou?
by hym self ? e scharpnes of fortune ? at wexe?
woode a?
eynes me.

[Sidenote: Is not she moved, he asks, with the aspect of his
prison?
]

?
Ne moeue? it nat ? e to seen ? e
face or ?
e man{er}e of ? is place (. i. p{r}isou{n}. ).

[Sidenote: His library, his habit, and his countenance are all
changed.
]

?
Is ? is 256
?
e librarie wyche ? at ? ou haddest chosen for a ry? t
certeyne sege to ?
e i{n} myne house. ? ? ere as ? ou
desputest of[te] wi?
me of ? e sciences of ? inges touching
diuinitee {and} touchyng mankynde.
? Was ? an 260
myn habit swiche as it is now.
was ? an my face or
[Interlinear: quasi d{ice}ret non.
]
my chere swiche as now.


?
Whan I sou? t[e] wi? ? e
secretys of nature.
whan ? ou enfo{ur}medest my maners
{and} ?
e resou{n} of al my lijf. to ? e ensaumple of ? e ordre 264
of heuene.


[Sidenote: Is this, he asks, the reward of his fidelity?
]

[Interlinear: ironice]
?
Is nat ? is ? e gerdou{n} ? at I refere to ? e
to whom I haue be obeisaunt.
? Certis ? ou enfo{ur}medist
by ?
e mou? e of plato ? is sentence.

[Sidenote: Plato (de Rep.
v. ) says that those Commonwealths are
most happy that are governed by philosophers, or by those who
study to be so.
]

?
at is to
seyne ?
at co{m}mune ? inges or comunabletes weren 268
blysful yif ?
ei ? at haden studied al fully to wisdom [[pg 14]]
gouerneden ?
ilke ? inges.

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

or ellys yif it so by-felle ?
at
?
e gouernours *of co{m}munalites studieden in grete wisdomes.

[Linenotes:
247 _Felest ?
ou_--Felistow
_ou?
t_--awht
248 _art ?
ou_--artow
249 _wepest ?
ou_--wepistow
_spillest ?
ou_--spillestow
252 _answered[e]_--answerede
255 _woode_--wood
257 _wyche_--which
258 _myne house ?
ere_--myn hows ther
259 _desputest of[te]_--desputedest ofte
260 _?
an_--thanne
261 _it_ and _?
an_--both omitted
261, 262 _swiche_--swich
262 _sou?
t[e]_--sowhte
263 _secretys_--secret?

_my_--MS.
me, C. my
264 _al_--alle
265 _gerdoun_--gerdouns
266 _enfourmedist_--conformedest
267 _mou?
e_--mowht
268 _comunabletes_--comunalitees
270 _by-felle_--byfille
271 _in grete wisdomes_--to geten wysdom]

[Headnote:
PHILOSOPHERS TO BE POLITICIANS.
]

[Sidenote: The same Plato urged philosophers to take upon them the
management of public affairs, lest it should fall into the hands
of unprincipled citizens.
]

?
? ou saidest eke by ? e mou? e of ? e same 272
plato ?
at it was a necessarie cause wyse men to taken
{and} desire ?
e gou{er}nau{n}ce of comune ? i{n}ges. for ? at ? e
gou{er}nementes of comune citees y-left in ?
e hondes of
felonous to{ur}mento{ur}s Citi?
enis ne scholde not brynge 276
inne pestile{n}ce {and} destrucc{i}ou{n} to goode folk.


[Sidenote: Boethius declares that he desired to put in practice
(in the management of public affairs) what he had learnt in his
retirement.
]

?
And
?
erfore I folowynge ? ilk auctoritee (. s. platonis). desiryng
to put[te] fur?

e in execusiou{n} {and} in acte of comune
admi{ni}st{ra}c{i}ou{n} ?
o ? inges ? at . I. hadde lerned of ? e 280
among my secre restyng whiles.
? ? ou {and} god ? {a}t
put[te] ?
ee in ? e ? ou? tis of wise folk ben knowen wi?
me ?
at no ? ing brou? t[e] me to maistrie or dignite: but
?
e comune studie of al goodenes.

[Sidenote: He sought to do good to all, but became involved in
discord with the wicked.
]

?
And ? er-of come? 284
it ?
at by-twixen wikked folk {and} me han ben greuouse
discordes.
? at ne my? ten not be relesed by p{ra}yeres.

[Sidenote: Consciousness of integrity made him despise the anger
of the most powerful.
]

?
For ? is libertee ha? fredom of conscience ? at ? e wra? ? e
of more my?
ty folk ha? alwey ben despised of me for 288
saluac{i}ou{n} of ry?
t.

[Sidenote: He opposed Conigastus, and put a stop to the doings of
Triguilla.
]

?
How ofte haue . I. resisted {and}
wi?
stonde ? ilk man ? at hy? t[e] conigaste ? at made
alwey assautes a?
eins ? e p{ro}pre fortunes of poure feble
folke.
? How ofte haue . I. ? itte put of. or cast out 292
hy{m} trigwille p{ro}uost of ?
e kynges hous bo? e of ? e
wronges ?
at he hadde bygon[ne] to done {and} eke fully
p{er}formed.
? How ofte haue I couered {and} defended
by ?
e auctorite of me put a? eins p{er}ils.

[Sidenote: He put his authority in peril for the defence of poor
folk.
]

?
at is to seine put 296
myne auctorite in peril for ?
e wreched pore folke. ? at
?
e couetise of straungeres vnpunysched to{ur}mentid alwey [[pg 15]]
wi?
myseses {and} greuaunces oute of noumbre.

[Linenotes:
272 _eke_--ek
275 _comune_--omitted
_y-left_--MS.
ylefte, C. yleft
276 _Citi?
enis_--citesenes
_brynge inne_--bryngen in
278 _?
erfore_--therfor
_?
ilk_--thilke
_desiryng_--desired
279 _put[te] fur?
e_--putten forth
280 _?
o_--thilke
282 _put[te]_--putte
283 _brou?
t[e]_--ne browhte
284 _?
e_--omitted
_al goodenes_--alle goodnesse
_come?
_--comth
287, 288 _ha?
_--MS. ha? e
289 _saluacioun_--sauacioun
290 _?
ilk_--thilke
_hy?
t[e]_--hyhte
290 _conigaste_--MS.
coniugaste
292 _ofte_--ofte ek
_?
itte_--omitted
294 _bygon[ne]_--bygunne
_done_--don
295 _couered_--MS.
couerede, C. couered
296 _put_--MS.
putte, C. put
_seine_--seyn
297 _myne_--myn
298 _vnpunysched_--vnpunyssed
299 _myseses_--myseyses]

[Headnote:
BOETHIUS DEFENDS HIS OWN CONDUCT.
]

[Sidenote: I never deviated, he says, from the path of justice.
]

?
Neuer man drow me ? itte fro ry? t to wro{n}g. When I say ? e 300
fortunes {and} ?
e rychesse of ? e people of ? e p{ro}uinces
ben harmed ey?
er by p{r}iue rauynes or by comune
tributis or cariages.


[Sidenote: I felt for those that were wrongfully oppressed.
]

as sory was I as ?
ei ? at suffred[e]
?
e harme. _Glosa. _ ? Whan ? at theodoric ? e kyng of 304
gothes in a dere ?
ere hadde hys gerners ful of corne
{and} comaundede ?
at no ma{n} ne schold[e] bie no corne
til his corne were solde {and} ?
at at a dere greuous pris.
?
But I w{i}t{h}stod ? at ordinaunce {and} ouer-com it 308
knowy{n}g al ?
is ? e kyng hym self. ? Coempciou{n} ? at
is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere ?
at were
establissed vpon poeple by swiche a manere imposiciou{n}
as who so bou?
t[e] a busshel corn he most[e] ? eue ? e 312
ky{n}g ?
e fifte p{ar}t. _Textus. _

[Sidenote: I opposed successfully Coemption in Campania.
]

?
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 316
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.


[Sidenote: I saved Paulinus out of the hands of the hounds of the
palace (_Palatini canes_).
]

?
Paulyn a counseiller of Rome ? e rychesse 320
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}.

[Sidenote: I defended Albinus against Cyprian.
]

?
And for as myche as ? e peyne 324
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 [[pg 16]]
of ?
e accuso{ur} Ciprian. ? Is it not ? an ynought yseyn 328
?
at I haue p{ur}chased greet[e] discordes a? eins my self.

[Sidenote: For the love of justice I forfeited all favour at
Court.
]

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. 332
by ?
e whiche I were ? e more syker. ? But ? oru? ? e
same accuso{ur}s accusyng I am co{n}dempned.