BOETHIUS COMPLAINS TO PHILOSOPHY.
It is not strange that the wicked should conspire against virtue. In whiche þing sorwe haþ not so dulled my witte
þat I pleyne oonly þat schrewed[e] folk apparailen
folies aȝeins vertues. ¶ But I wondre gretly how þat
þei may performe þinges þat þei had[de] hoped forto [400]
done. The will to do ill proceeds from the defects of human nature. For why. to wylne schrewednesse þat comeþ
parauenture of oure defaute. ¶ But it is lyke to a
monstre and a meruaille. It is a marvel how such evil acts can be done under the eye of an Omniscient God. ¶ How þat in þe present
syȝt of god may ben acheued and performed swiche [404]
þinges. as euery felonous man haþ conceyued in hys
þouȝt aȝeins innocent. ¶ For whiche þing oon of þi
familers not vnskilfully axed þus. If there be a God, whence proceeds evil? If there is none, whence arises good? ¶ Ȝif god is. whennes
comen wikked[e] þinges. and yif god ne is whennes [408]
comen goode þinges. but al hadde it ben leueful þat
felonous folk þat now desiren þe bloode and þe deeþ of
alle goode men. and eke of al þe senat han wilned to
gone destroien me. whom þei han seyn alwey batailen [412]
and defenden goode men and eke al þe senat. Ȝit
hadde I not desserued of þe fadres. þat is to seyne of
þe senatours þat þei scholde wilne my destruccioun.
Boethius defends the integrity of his life. ¶ Þou remembrest wele as I gesse þat whan I wolde [416]
[* fol. 6 b.] don or *seyn any þing. þou þi self alwey present
reweledest me. He defended the Senate at Verona. ¶ At þe citee of verone whan þat þe
kyng gredy of comune slauȝter. caste hym to transporten
vpon al þe ordre of þe senat. þe gilt of his real [420]
maieste of þe whiche gilt þat albyn was accused. wiþ
how grete sykernesse of peril to me defended[e] I al
þe senat. He spake only the truth, and did not boast. ¶ Þou wost wel þat I seide soþe. ne I
auaunted[e] me neuer in preysyng of my self. (Boasting lessens the pleasure of a self approving conscience.) ¶ For [424]
alwey when any wyȝt resceiueþ preciouse renoun in
auauntyng hym self of hys werkes: he amenusiþ þe
secre of hys conscience. ¶ But now þou mayst wel
seen to what ende I am comen for myne innocence. [428]
OF HIS FALSE ACCUSERS.
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 gerdoun of verray
vertue. ¶ And what open confessioun of felonie
had[de] euer iugis so accordaunt in cruelte. þat is to
seyne as myne accusyng haþ. ¶ Þat oþer errour of [432]
mans witte or ellys condicioun of fortune þat is vncerteyne
to al mortal folk ne submytted[e] summe of hem. þat is
to seyne þat it ne cheyned[e] summe iuge to han pitee
or compassioun. Had he been accused of a design to burn temples, massacre priests, he would have been allowed to confront his accusers. ¶ For al þouȝ I had[de] ben accused [436]
þat I wolde brenne holy houses. and strangle prestys
wiþ wicked swerde. ¶ or þat .I. had[de] grayþed deeþ
to alle goode men algatis þe sentence scholde han
punysched me present confessed or conuict. [440]
But now this is denied him, and he is proscribed and condemned to death. ¶ But now I am remewed fro þe Citee of rome almost
fyue-hundreþ þousand pas. I am wiþ outen defence dampned
to proscripcioun and to þe deeþ. for þe studie and
bountees þat I haue done to þe senat. ¶ But o wel ben [444]
þei worþi of mercye (as who seiþ nay.) þer myȝt[e] neuer
ȝit non of hem ben conuicte. Of swiche a blame as
myn is of swiche trespas myn accusours seyen ful wel þe dignitee.
BOETHIUS ACCUSED OF SORCERY.
Boethius says that his enemies accused him of sorcery. þe wiche dignite for þei wolde derken it [448]
wiþ medelyng of some felonye. þei beren me on honde
and lieden. þat I hadde polute and defouled my conscience
wiþ sacrelege. for couetise of dignite. ¶ And
certys þou þi self þat art plaunted in me chacedest oute [452]
þe sege of my corage al couetise of mortal þinges. ne
sacrilege ne had[de] no leue to han a place in me byforne
þine eyen. He affirms that he has always followed the golden maxim of Pythagoras,— ἕπου Θεῷ [Greek: hepou Theô]. ¶ For þou drouppedest euery day in myn
eeres and in my þouȝt þilk comaundement of pictogoras. [456]
þat is to seyne men schal seruen to god. and not to
goddes. ¶ Ne it was no couenaunt ne no nede to
taken helpe of þe foulest spirites. ¶ I þat þou hast
ordeyned or set in syche excellence þat [þou] makedest [460]
me lyke to god. and ouer þis þe ryȝt clene secre
chaumbre of myn house. His family and friends could clear him from all suspicion of the crime of sorcery. þat is to seye my wijf and þe
compaignie of myn honeste frendis. and my wyues
fadir as wel holy as worþi to ben reuerenced þoruȝ [464]
hys owen dedis. defenden me of al suspeccioun of syche
blame. ¶ But o malice. ¶ For þei þat accusen me
taken of þe philosophie feiþe of so grete blame. Because he has given himself up to Philosophy, his enemies accuse him of using unlawful arts. ¶ For
þei trowen þat .I. haue had affinite to malyfice or enchauntementȝ [468]
by cause þat I am replenissed and fulfilled
wiþ þi techynges. and enformed of þi maners.
¶ And þus it sufficeþ not only þat þi reuerence ne auayle
me not. but ȝif þat þou of þi fre wille raþer be blemissed [472]
wiþ myne offensioun. ¶ But certys to þe harmes þat I
haue þere bytydeþ ȝit þis encrece of harme.
BOETHIUS DEPLORES THE POPULAR CENSURE.
þat þe gessinge and þe iugement of myche folk ne loken no
þing to þe[de]sertys of þinges but only to þe auenture [476]
of fortune. Most people imagine that that only should be judged to be undertaken with prudent foresight which is crowned with success. ¶ And iugen þat only swiche þinges ben
purueied of god. whiche þat temporel welefulnesse
commendiþ. Glosa. ¶ As þus þat yif a wyȝt haue
prosperite. he is a good man and worþi to haue þat [480]
prosperite. The unfortunate lose the good opinion of the world. and who so haþ aduersite he is a wikked
man. and god haþ forsake hym. and he is worþi to
haue þat aduersite. ¶ Þis is þe opinioun of somme
folke. [* Text begins again.] *and þer of comeþ þat good gessyng. ¶ Fyrste of [484]
al þing forsakeþ wrecches certys it greueþ me to þink[e]
ryȝt now þe dyuerse sentences þat þe poeple seiþ of
me. ¶ And þus moche I seye þat þe laste charge of
contrarious fortune is þis. [* fol. 7.] *þat whan þat ony blame is [488]
laid vpon a caytif. men wenen þat he haþ deserued þat
he suffreþ. Boethius laments the loss of his dignities and reputation. ¶ And I þat am put awey from goode men
and despoiled from dignitees and defoulid of my name
by gessyng haue suffred torment for my goode dedis. [492]
The wicked, he says, sin with impunity, while the innocent are deprived of security, protection, and defence. ¶ Certys me semeþ þat I se þe felonus couines of
wikked men abounden in ioie and in gladnes. ¶ And
I se þat euery lorel shapiþ hym to fynde oute newe
fraudes forto accusen goode folke. and I se þat goode [496]
men ben ouerþrowen for drede of my peril. ¶ and
euery luxurious tourmentour dar don alle felonie vnpunissed
and ben excited þerto by ȝiftes. and innocentȝ
ne ben not oonly despoiled of sykernesse but of defence [500]
and þerfore me list to crien to god in þis manere.
247 Felest þou—Felistow
ouȝt—awht
248 art þou—artow