fol. 5r

my self I am unsuffisaunt y wis .
For if I coude do bettre . done I wolde .
¶ Explicit prologus . & Incipit liber Boecii .
Carmina qui quondam studio florente . p[er]egi . ¶metru[m] }
Flebisis . heu . mestos . cogor inire modos . p[r]imun }
Allas I wrecche . þat whilom was in welthe
And lusty songes . used for to write .
Now am I sette in sorowes and un helthe
wiþ mo[ur]nynge nowe my merthe I must respite .
Lo redyng muses . techen . me . tendyte .
and wo wiþ wepyng . wypen . þei my face .
thus . hath . disese . destroide all my delite .
and brought my blisse . and my bonchief al . bace .
¶ And þough . þat I wiþ my thef now be mette .
that . fals fortune . soureth . þus . on .me .
no dred . for me . ne myght þes muses . lette .
me for to sewe in myne adversite .
my ioyes . were . alle . in my iolyte
of youthe . þat was . so gladsom . & so grene .
Now þei solace . my drery . destyne .
¶ And in myn .age . my comforte . now þei bene .
unwarely age . cometh on me . hastely .
hiynge on . me . for . harme . þat I have had .
And sorowe . his elde . hathe hoten . to be ny .
hore heres on . my hede . so rathe .ben . sprad
Alle come of blode . my body wexeth bad .
myn . empty skyn genneþ to tremble . & quake .
I knowe . no cause where of I shulde be glad.
but socourles . þus . am I alle forsake .
¶ In . deth of men . a . blissfull þynge it were .
yf . he wolde spare . hem . in her lustynesse .