20. dignitees; cf. Ch. Boeth. bk. ii. pr. 6.
21. were he out, if he were not in office; cf. l. 23.
26-37. Cf. Ch. Boeth. bk. i. met. 5. 22-39. Thus, slydinge chaunges in l. 31 answers to Chaucer's slydinge fortune (l. 24); and that arn a fayr parcel of the erthe, in l. 32, to a fayr party of so grete a werk (l. 38); and yet again, thou that knittest, in l. 35, to what so ever thou be that knittest (l. 36).
37-40. From Ch. Boeth. bk. i. met 5. 27-30.
64-7. From the same; bk. ii. pr. 2. 7-12.
71-6. From the same; bk. ii. pr. 2. 23-5.
76-80. Cf. the argument in the same; bk. iii. pr. 3.
85-120. From Ch. Boeth. bk. ii. pr. 8. For literal imitations, compare the other haleth him to vertue by the hookes of thoughtes (l. 104-5) with Chaucer's 'the contrarious Fortune ... haleth hem ayein as with an hooke' (l. 21); and Is nat a greet good ... for to knowe the hertes of thy sothfast frendes (ll. 107-9) with Chaucer's 'wenest thou thanne that thou oughtest to leten this a litel thing, that this ... Fortune hath discovered to thee the thoughtes of thy trewe frendes' (l. 22). Also ll. 114-6 with Chaucer (ll. 28-31).
126. let us singen; in imitation of the Metres in Boethius, which break the prose part of the treatise at frequent intervals. Cf. 'and bigan anon to singen right thus'; Boeth. bk. iii. pr. 9. 149.
Book II.