[132]. Germeynes sone, the son of Germanicus. This Gaius Cæsar is better known as Caligula, the emperor who succeeded Tiberius.
[143]. famileres, friends, i.e. disciples, viz. Epicurus, in the De Ira Divina, cap. xiii (Stewart).
[154]. Verone, Verona; next to Ravenna, the favourite residence of Theodoric.
[156]. his real maiestee, high treason, lit. 'his royal majesty'; Lat. 'maiestatis crimen.' The king was intent upon repressing all freedom of speech.
[167]. submittede, subdued: 'summitteret.'
[171]. present, i.e. he would, even in such a case, have been allowed to appear in his defence, would have been called upon to confess his crime, and would have been condemned in a regular manner.
[173]. fyve hundred, nearly 500 miles. Boethius was imprisoned in a tower at Pavia.
[176]. as who seith, nay; i.e. it is said ironically. The senate well deserve that no one should ever defend them as I did, and be convicted for it.
[181]. sacrilege; glossed sorcerie: 'sacrilegio.' Sorcery or magic is intended. 'At the command of the barbarians, the occult science of a philosopher was stigmatised with the names of sacrilege and magic.'—Gibbon. See below, l. 196.
[186]. Pictagoras, Pythagoras. The saying here attributed to him is given in the original in Greek—ἕπου θεῷ. Some MSS. add the gloss, i. deo non diis seruiendum. MS. C. has: deo et non diis sacrificandum.