Bodleian Library MS e Mus. 53

In sufficiens of konnynge and of witte . defaute of langage . and of eloquence . this werke fro me shulde have w[it]holden yrite but [th]at youre heste . hath done me violence [th]at nedes must I do my diligence . In thyng [th]at passeth my abilite Bisechynge to youre noble excellence . that by youre helpe . hit may amended be . # This sotil matier . of . Boecius . here in [th]is boke . of Consolacioun so high it is . so harde and coryous . Fulle . fere? above . myn . estymacioun . that it be not . by my translacioun . defouled ne corrupt . to .god . I . prey so help me with his inspreacioun that is wisdome both locke and key # As fro [th]e tixte [th]at . I varie noght but kepe this sentence . in his trewe intent and wordes . eke . as nye as may be broght where lawe of metre is not resistent this matier whiche [th]at is so excellent and passeth bothe my kunnyng . & my myght so have hit lorde in [th]i gov[er]nement [th]at canst reforme . all man[er]e [th]inge to ryght # I have herde speke .& som what have . I . seyn . of dyvers men .wondre sotelly . In metre som . aand som . in prose . pleyne . [th]is boke . translatyd . have full suffisauntly . In . to english tonge .worde for worde . wel ny .

Ne to .Alecto. ne to .Megare. Bisechen after crafte. of eloquence. But pray .[th]at god. of his benignite my spirit enspyre; with his Influence. ¶ So [th]at in shenship and confusioun. of alle [th]is foule worldly wretchidnesse he helpe me in [th]is ocupacioun. In honoure . of [th]at sovereyn blisfulnesse. And eke . in reverence . of youre worthynesse. [th]is simple werke as for an observuanuance I shall bigynne. aftre my symplenesse. In wille to do .yow. servyce. and plesaunce. Explicit p[re]facio & incipit p[ro]log[us] sup[er] libru[m] Boecii The while [th]at Rome was regned in his flor[er]s[?] and of [th]e worlde helde all [th]e monarchye. She was gov[er]ned [th]an by Emperoures. and was renou[n]ied. of wonder high nobleye. til pryde had sette her hertes upon hye. [th]anne ganne [th]ei. for to usen cruelte. and regne bi rigoure and by tyrannye In sore oppressioun of [th]e comunalte ¶ For right as poverty[?] causeth sobrenesse. and ffeblesse enforseth continence. Right so prosp[er]ite and sikrenesse. [th]e modre is of vice and necligence. And power also causeth insolence and often honoure chaungeth gode [th]ewes [th]er is no more p[er]ilous pestilence. [th]an high estates yoven un to schrewes ¶ Of whiche was Nero one [th]e pr[i]ncipall [th]at suche maner of tyrannye biganne.

Though he bare diademe Imperiall [y]it was hym self a verrey cursed man. so cruelly he gan to regne than he slough his modre. and his maistre bothe and moche he did that I ne telle can who so hath hit red he knoweþ wele þe sothe ¶ The chief of holy cherche he slough also seint Poule and Petre both upon a day and after hem ful many other mo and of hym self hit is I dar wele say. That Poule writeth þus it is no nay and weith now is þe fourme of wickidnesse And figure right of Antecristes lay In whom shall be alle maner cursidnesse ¶ For þei þat trewly teche cristes lore to make men forsake her vice Antecrist wole pursewe hem þer fore and all þis prechyng sette at no price so was he yeven to lustes and desire In what desire þat come to his þought he wolde hit do wiþ oute more avice For no þinge þere of spare wolde he nought ¶ And he þat wolde a[g]en his vices speke counceilynge hym his vices to refreyne. wi[th] oute more anone he wolde be wreke he wolde hym put in torment and in peyne and he þat wolde his lustes ought wiþ seyne he was but dede yf þat he wolde apere For suche a cause Boecius was slayne of whom þis processe after techeþ here. The yere of Crist V C and XV

whanne Anastasius was Emperour Boecius . the same whome I mene . In Rome he was a noble Senatour but [th]o in manere of a conqueroure Theodoricus . regned in . Itayle . And Rome helde . as hede an . governoure he hadde hit wonne ; by conquest & bataile For Anastasius . was not y lyke ne not so . stronge of meyne atte leste he was consentant . that Theodoryk . shulde regne in Rome . and helde it as hym left . And he wolde hym self in [th]e este he saide hit was acordaunt to his hele . and for his ese in sothe he chese it meste . For Romaynes bene ful p[er]ilous wi[th] to dele This Kynge of Rome . than Theodoryk was full of malice . and of cursidnesse . and eke for cause he was an heretyk the cristen puple . he ganne right sore oppresse . Boecius wi[th] his besynesse . wi[th] stode hym ever sparyng none offenses and hym present full oft tyme expresse . reversid his unlawfull judgementes he spared not [th]e helth of his estate but ever he spak ayens his tirannye where fore [th]e kyng hym had fore in hate and hym exiled in to lumbardye to prisoun in [th]e citee of Pavye where in when . he was . for a recreacioun to brynge hym self of philosophye he wrote [th]is boke of consolacioun .