[SENTIS NE INQUIT.]
FElest þou Philosophy seeks to know the malady of Boethius. quod sche þise þinges and entren þei ouȝt
in þi corage. ¶ Art þou like an asse to þe harpe. [248]
Whi wepest þou whi spillest þou teres. ¶ Yif þou
abidest after helpe of þi leche. þe byhoueþ discouere þi
wounde. Boethius complains of Fortune’s unrelenting rage. ¶ Þo .I. þat hadde gadered strenkeþ in my
corage answered[e] and seide. and nedeþ it ȝitte quod [252]
.I. of rehersyng or of amonicioun. and scheweþ it not
ynouȝ by hym self þe scharpnes of fortune þat wexeþ
woode aȝeynes me. Is not she moved, he asks, with the aspect of his prison? ¶ Ne moeueþ it nat þe to seen þe
face or þe manere of þis place (.i. prisoun.). His library, his habit, and his countenance are all changed. ¶ Is þis [256]
þe librarie wyche þat þou haddest chosen for a ryȝt
certeyne sege to þe in myne house. ¶ Þere as þou
desputest of[te] wiþ me of þe sciences of þinges touching
diuinitee and touchyng mankynde. ¶ Was þan [260]
myn habit swiche as it is now. was þan my face or
quasi diceret non.
my chere swiche as now. ¶ Whan I souȝt[e] wiþ þe
secretys of nature. whan þou enfourmedest my maners
and þe resoun of al my lijf. to þe ensaumple of þe ordre [264]
Is this, he asks, the reward of his fidelity? ironice
of heuene. ¶ Is nat þis þe gerdoun þat I refere to þe
to whom I haue be obeisaunt. ¶ Certis þou enfourmedist
by þe mouþe of plato þis sentence. Plato (de Rep. v.) says that those Commonwealths are most happy that are governed by philosophers, or by those who study to be so. þat is to
seyne þat commune þinges or comunabletes weren [268]
blysful yif þei þat haden studied al fully to wisdom
gouerneden þilke þinges. or ellys yif it so by-felle þat
[* fol. 5 b.] þe gouernours *of communalites studieden in grete wisdomes.
PHILOSOPHERS TO BE POLITICIANS.
The same Plato urged philosophers to take upon them the management of public affairs, lest it should fall into the hands of unprincipled citizens. ¶ Þou saidest eke by þe mouþe of þe same [272]
plato þat it was a necessarie cause wyse men to taken
and desire þe gouernaunce of comune þinges. for þat þe
gouernementes of comune citees y-left in þe hondes of
felonous tourmentours Citiȝenis ne scholde not brynge [276]
inne pestilence and destruccioun to goode folk. Boethius declares that he desired to put in practice (in the management of public affairs) what he had learnt in his retirement. ¶ And
þerfore I folowynge þilk auctoritee (.s. platonis). desiryng
to put[te] furþe in execusioun and in acte of comune
administracioun þo þinges þat .I. hadde lerned of þe [280]
among my secre restyng whiles. ¶ Þou and god þat
put[te] þee in þe þouȝtis of wise folk ben knowen wiþ
me þat no þing brouȝt[e] me to maistrie or dignite: but
þe comune studie of al goodenes. He sought to do good to all, but became involved in discord with the wicked. ¶ And þer-of comeþ [284]
it þat by-twixen wikked folk and me han ben greuouse
discordes. þat ne myȝten not be relesed by prayeres.
Consciousness of integrity made him despise the anger of the most powerful. ¶ For þis libertee haþ fredom of conscience þat þe wraþþe
of more myȝty folk haþ alwey ben despised of me for [288]
saluacioun of ryȝt. He opposed Conigastus, and put a stop to the doings of Triguilla. ¶ How ofte haue .I. resisted and
wiþstonde þilk man þat hyȝt[e] conigaste þat made
alwey assautes aȝeins þe propre fortunes of poure feble
folke. ¶ How ofte haue .I. ȝitte put of. or cast out [292]
hym trigwille prouost of þe kynges hous boþe of þe
wronges þat he hadde bygon[ne] to done and eke fully
performed. ¶ How ofte haue I couered and defended
by þe auctorite of me put aȝeins perils. He put his authority in peril for the defence of poor folk. þat is to seine put [296]
myne auctorite in peril for þe wreched pore folke. þat
þe couetise of straungeres vnpunysched tourmentid alwey
wiþ myseses and greuaunces oute of noumbre.
BOETHIUS DEFENDS HIS OWN CONDUCT.
I never deviated, he says, from the path of justice. ¶ Neuer man drow me ȝitte fro ryȝt to wrong. When I say þe [300]
fortunes and þe rychesse of þe people of þe prouinces
ben harmed eyþer by priue rauynes or by comune
tributis or cariages. I felt for those that were wrongfully oppressed. as sory was I as þei þat suffred[e]
þe harme. Glosa. ¶ Whan þat theodoric þe kyng of [304]
gothes in a dere ȝere hadde hys gerners ful of corne
and comaundede þat no man ne schold[e] bie no corne
til his corne were solde and þat at a dere greuous pris.
¶ But I withstod þat ordinaunce and ouer-com it [308]
knowyng al þis þe kyng hym self. ¶ Coempcioun þat
is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere þat were
establissed vpon poeple by swiche a manere imposicioun
as who so bouȝt[e] a busshel corn he most[e] ȝeue þe [312]
kyng þe fifte part. Textus. I opposed successfully Coemption in Campania. ¶ Whan it was in þe
soure hungry tyme þere was establissed or cried greuous
and inplitable coempcioun þat men seyn wel it schulde
greetly tourmentyn and endamagen al þe prouince of [316]
compaigne I took strif aȝeins þe prouost of þe pretorie
for comune profit. ¶ And þe kyng knowyng of it I
ouercom it so þat þe coempcioun ne was not axed ne
took effect. I saved Paulinus out of the hands of the hounds of the palace (Palatini canes). ¶ Paulyn a counseiller of Rome þe rychesse [320]
of þe whyche paulyn þe houndys of þe palays. þat is to
seyn þe officeres wolde han deuoured by hope and
couetise ¶ Ȝit drow I hym out of þe Iowes .s. faucibus
of hem þat gapeden. I defended Albinus against Cyprian. ¶ And for as myche as þe peyne [324]
of þe accusacioun aiuged byforn ne scholde not sodeynly
henten ne punischen wrongfuly Albyn a counseiller of
Rome. I put[te] me aȝenis þe hates and indignaciouns
of þe accusour Ciprian. ¶ Is it not þan ynought yseyn [328]
þat I haue purchased greet[e] discordes aȝeins my self.
For the love of justice I forfeited all favour at Court. but I aughte be more asseured aȝenis alle oþer folk þat
for þe loue of ryȝtwisnesse .I. ne reserued[e] neuer no
þing to my self to hem ward of þe kynges halle .s. officers. [332]
by þe whiche I were þe more syker. ¶ But þoruȝ þe
same accusours accusyng I am condempned.
THE ACCUSERS OF BOETHIUS.
Boethius makes mention of his accusers, Basilius, Opilio, Gaudentius, men who had been commanded to leave the city on account of their many crimes. ¶ Of þe noumbre of whiche accusours one basilius þat somtyme
was chased out of þe kynges seruice. is now compelled [336]
in accusyng of my name for nede of foreine
moneye. ¶ Also opilion and Gaudencius han accused
me. al be it so þat þe Iustice regal hadde sumtyme demed
hem boþe to go in to exil. for her treccheries and fraudes [340]
wiþ-outen noumbre. ¶ To whiche iugement þei wolde
not obeye. but defended[e] hem by sykernesse of holy
houses. [* fol. 6.] *þat is to seyne fledden in to seyntuaries. and
whan þis was aperceiued to þe kyng. he comaunded[e] [344]
but þat þei voided[e] þe citee of Rauenne by certeyne
day assigned þat men scholde merken hem on þe forheued
wiþ an hoke of iren and chasen hem out of toune.
¶ Now what þing semeþ þe myȝt[e] be lykned to þis [348]
cruelte. But, on the day this sentence was to be executed, they accused him, and their testimony against him was accepted. For certys þilk same day was receyued þe accusyng
of my name by þilk[e] same accusours. ¶ What
may be seid herto. haþ my studie and my konnyng
deserued þus. or ellys þe forseide dampnacioun of me. [352]
made þat hem ryȝtful accusours or no (q.d. non).
Fortune, if not ashamed at this, might at least blush for the baseness of the accusers. ¶ Was not fortune asshamed of þis. [Certes alle hadde
nat fortune ben asshamyd] þat innocence was accused.
ȝit auȝt[e] sche haue had schame of þe filþe of myn accusours. [356]
THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BOETHIUS.
¶ But axest þou in somme of what gilt .I.
am accused. Boethius says he is accused of trying to save the Senate, and of having embarrassed an informer against the Senate. men seyne þat I wolde sauen þe compaignie
of þe senatours. ¶ And desirest þou to here
in what manere .I. am accused þat I scholde han distourbed [360]
þe accusour to beren lettres. by whiche he
scholde han maked þe senatours gilty aȝeins þe kynges
Real maieste. ¶ O meistresse what demest þou of
þis. schal .I. forsake þis blame þat I ne be no schame to [364]
þe (q. d. non). 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. þat is to
seyne þe sauuacioun of þe senat. ne I schal neuer leten
to wilne it. and þat I confesse and am a-knowe. but
þe entent of þe accusour to be destourbed schal cese. [368]
¶ For schal I clepe it a felonie þan or a synne þat I
haue desired þe sauuacioun of þe ordre of þe senat.
and certys ȝit hadde þilk same senat don by me þoruȝ
her decretȝ and hire iugementys as þouȝ it were a synne [372]
or a felonie þat is to seyne to wilne þe sauuacioun of
hem (.s senatus). (Folly cannot change the merit of things. ¶ But folye þat lieth alwey to hym
self may not chaunge þe merit of þinges. According to Socrates’ judgment it is not lawful to hide the truth nor assent to a falsehood.) ¶ Ne .I.
trowe not by þe iugement of socrates þat it were leueful [376]
to me to hide þe soþe. ne assent[e] to lesynges.
¶ But certys how so euer it be of þis I put[te] it to gessen
or preisen to þe iugement of þe and of wise folk. ¶ Of
whiche þing al þe ordinaunce and þe soþe for as moche [380]
as folk þat ben to comen aftir oure dayes schollen
knowen it. Boethius determines to transmit an account of his prosecution to posterity. ¶ I haue put it in scripture and remembraunce.
for touching þe lettres falsly maked. by
whiche lettres I am accused to han hooped þe fredom of [384]
Rome. What apperteneþ me to speken þer-of.
Boethius says that he could have defeated his accusers had he been allowed the use of their confessions. Of whiche lettres þe fraude hadde ben schewed apertly if
I hadde had libertee forto han vsed and ben at þe
confessioun of myn accusours. ¶ Þe whiche þing in [388]
alle nedys haþ grete strenkeþ. ¶ For what oþer fredom
may men hopen. But there is now no remains of liberty to be hoped for. Certys I wolde þat some oþer fredom
myȝt[e] be hoped. ¶ I wolde þan haue answered by
þe wordes of a man þat hyȝt[e] Canius. for whan he was [392]
accused by Gayus Cesar Germeins son þat he (canius)
was knowyng and consentyng of a coniuracioun maked
aȝeins hym (.s. Gaius). ¶ Þis Canius answered[e]
þus. ¶ Yif I had[de] wist it þou haddest not wist it. [396]