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And the Latitud of hym was degre northward from from the ecliptik lyne than took I a sotyl compace and clepyd on poynt of my compace A and that other poynt F than took I the poynt of A and sett hit in the ecliptik lyne in my zodiak in the degre of the longitud of Venus that is to say in the degre of Capricorn and then sett I the poynt of F upward In the sam sign by caus that the latitud was northward up on[?] the latitud of Venus that is to say in the degre fro the hed of Cap[ri]corn and have I the degreis be twyx the tway prikkis than layd I softly my compace And sett the degre of the longitud on the Oryzont than took I and wexid my label in maner of a payr tablis to reseyve distynktely the prikkis of my compace and tho toke I the forsayd label And layd hit fyx ov[er] the degre of my longitude tho took I up my compace & sett the poynt of A in the wax of my label as evyn as I cowd gesse ov[er] the eliptik lyne In the end of the longitude and sett the poynt off F endelyng of my label up on the space of the latytud Inward And over the zodiak that is to say north ward from the Ecliptik Than layd I

ov[er] the Ecliptik In the degre of the longitud and sett the poynt of F endlong in my label the space of the latitude over thwart/ fro the zodiak that is to say sowth ward from the Ecliptik toward the border and turnyd my rete to the prikk of F sat on the Oryzont than saw I that the body of Jubit[er] in his latitud of Degreis merydional ascendid withe my latitude merydionall as I furst sayd // ~

To know the degre of the son[n] in the zo. diak by the days in the bak syd of the Astrolaby Than [g]eff thow wolt wete that rekyn wiche is the day of the monethe that thow art in and lay the rewle of thyn Astrolaby that is to say the alidatha up on the day in thy kalendre of thyn astrolaby and he schal schew the [th]e degre of the sonn ~ To know ev[er]y tym of the day by lyght / of the son[n] and ev[er]y tym of the nyght by ster - ris fix and to know eke by nyght or by day the degre of any signe that descendith on the Est Orizont / the wich is clepid comly the ascendent ~ Tak the altitude of the sonne whan

attende at the sam[m]e tym in thilk forsayd latitude men sayth that thilk planet is in horoscopo bot sotly the hows of the ascendent / that is to say the furst hows of the Est / Angle that is a thyng mor brode and large for aftyr the statutys of Astrologions what celestial body that is .5. degreys Aboven thilk degre that ascendith on the Est Oryzont / Owthir w[ith]in in the nowmbre that is to say ner the ascendi[th]e [g]et rekyn thay thulk planet / in the ascendent / And what planet that is under thilk degre that ascendith the space of .15. degreis [Y]et / sayth thay that thulk / planetis is lyk to hym that owith the hows of the ascendent Bot sotheliche [g]eff that he passe the bowndis of thes forsayd space above other by nethe than sayth thes astrologions that the ascendent may be schap for to be fortunat ascendent clepe .y. whan that no wykkid planet reynyth wykkid planetis clepe thay as saturn o[th][er] mars or ell[se] [th]e tayl of the dragonis in his hows of the ascendent / Ne that no wykkid planet / have noon aspecte of Enmyte up on the ascendent / bot they woll cast that thay have a fortunat / planete in her ascendent / and [g]ete in his felicite And sey they

that it is wele [th][ere] wol they seyn that the infortunyng of ascendent thay say that he is fortunat whan he is in a good place from the ascendent as in an angle or in a succedent wher as he is in his dignite and confortithe w[i]t[h] frendeliche aspectis of planet[es] and wele reseyvyd And ek that he may se the ascendent and he be i[n] no retrogat in co[m]bust ne joyned withe no schrew in the sam signe Ne [th]at he be not in his desce[n]c[i]on ne have upon hym noon aspect infortunat Nevyr the lasse thes beth obervance of judicial mater and ry[g]tis of paynes In wich my Spirit hath no feythe no[th]er affection ne knowyn of her horoscopum Thay say eke that ev[er]y signe is dep[ar]tid in .iii. p[ar]ties evyn by 10 degreis and eche porc[i]on thay clep a face and althow[gh] that a planet have in latitud fro the ecliptik [y]et say som folk so that the planete arise in that sam signe with any degre of the forsayd face in wiche his longitud is rekenyd that [y]et is the planete in horoscopo be hit in nativite or in eleccion To know the very equac[i]on of the degr[e] of the sonne [g]it it hit be so that his fall[e] be twixt thyn almekanteratz for as muche as thyn almekanteratz in thyn astorlaby beth compownyd by 2 ther as son almikanteratz

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 .

¶ In prose in metre entrechaungyngly. with wordes sette in coloure wondre wele. of rethoryk endyted craftely. and schewed wele þis welthe is temp[er]ele. and not to be desired. not a dele. ne worldly myschief no þing for to drede. enforsinge us . by resoun naturele. to vertu . fully for to taken hede. ¶ Whan .Ansastasius. had made his fyne As tyme of age . in to his deth . hym drewe than aftre hym was emperoure .Iustyne. A. noble knyght . a feithfull . and a. trewe. For cristes lawes . wondre wele he knewe. and kept hem . as. a . verrey cristen . man. and heretikes fast he gan pursewe þat . arrians weren y cleped þan. ¶ His lettres in to Rome þan he sent. For to destroye all that heresy And fully [g]af hem . in comaundement. þat þey shulde put hem out of company. Theodoricus. toke wondre hy. For he hym self was onely one of þo. þis message he repelyd uttrely. and made avowe . þat hit shulde not be so. ¶ And swore . but [g]ef þe . Arryans must have full pece . graunted hem . a[g]en[?] he wold not leve one in all þe coste. of cristen . feith . þat he ne shulde be slayve . And þus he bad þe messagers sayve. [Th]at yf he wolde wiþ Arryans stryve.

of cristen . wole I leve none a.lyve . ¶ To Constantinople . he sent anone . of Senatours . whiche [Th]at hym.self . lest And . so. amonge . othere . pope . John . and . bad . hem . laboure . for her owne . best . And rightfully . [th]ei made . her request [th]at Justyne . shulde [th]is maundement relese . For . [th]e cristen . myght not be in . rest but yf he graunted . Arryens pece . ¶ The emp[er]oure . his malice understode benygnly . he graunted hath here bone . And wele ./ he [th]ought . [th]at hit was as gode [th]at mattere for to cese . til est sone . And bettre myght it afterward . be done by gode avice . of wyser ordenaunce . the . Arriens . so he lete alone . to use . forthe her olde . governaunce . ¶ These . messagers . to [th]e Kynges . [th]ay retourned . not so . hastely . ageyn . as he desired . at assygned . day . where fore in hert . he had grete disdeyn . And .. Boece . [th]at lay in prisoun . & peyn. exiled in [th]e citee of Apavye . In . Mylayne . [th]an he . made hym to be slayne . In Pavye . bene his bones . sikrely . ¶ And whan . [th]es . messagers atte last retourned were in hert he gan . to . brenne . and .pope . John . in prisoun . [th]an he . cast . Alle ferre . in to . [th]e . Citee . of Ravenne . and made . hym closed .in a narowe denne . where . he ne myght t[ur]ne hym.self ne wende .