Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
SENTIS NE INQUIT.
Certys I wolde þat some oþ{er} fredom myȝt[e] be hoped. ¶ I wolde þan haue answered by þe wordes of a man þat hyȝt[e] Canius. for whan he was 392 accused by Gayus Cesar Germeins son þat he (cani{us}) was knowyng {and} consentyng of a coniurac{i}ou{n} maked aȝeins hym (.s. Gai{us}). ¶ Þis Canius answered[e] þus. ¶ Yif I had[de] wist it þou haddest not wist it. 396 [Linenotes: 357 _axest þou_--axestow 358 _seyne_--seyn _sauen_--saue 359 _desirest þou_--desires thow _here_--hereen 362 _maked_--MS. maken, C. makyd 363 _demest þou_--demestow 365 _wold_--MS. wolde, C. wold 366 _seyne_--seyn 367 _þat_--omitted _am_--I am 368 _be_--ben 369 _it_--it thanne _þan_--omitted 371 _þilk_--thilke 372 _her_--hir _hire_--hir _þouȝ_--thogh 373 _or_--and _seyne_--seyn 374 _lieth_--MS. lieþe, C. lieth 377 _assent[e]_--assente 381 _schollen_--shellen 382 {and}--{and} in 385 _speken_--speke 385-86 _of----lettres_--C. omits 386 _if_--yif 387 _had_--MS. hade, C. had 388 _myn_--myne 389 _haþ_--MS. haþe, C. hath _grete_--gret _what_--omitted 390 _some_--som 391 _myȝt[e] be_--myhte ben _þan haue_--thanne han 392 _hyȝt[e]_--hyhte 394 _maked_--ymaked 395 _answered[e]_--answerede 396 _had[de]_--hadde] [Headnote: BOETHIUS COMPLAINS TO PHILOSOPHY.] [Sidenote: It is not strange that the wicked should conspire against virtue.] In whiche þing sorwe haþ not so dulled my witte þ{a}t I pleyne oonly þat schrewed[e] folk apparailen folies aȝeins vertues. ¶ But I wondre gretly how þat þei may p{er}forme þinges þat þei had[de] hoped forto 400 done.
I receiue peyne of fals felonie in gerdou{n} of verray vertue. ¶ And what open co{n}fessiou{n} of felonie had[de] euer iugis so accordaunt i{n} cruelte. þat is to seyne as myne accusyng haþ. ¶ Þat oþer errour of 432 mans witte or ellys co{n}diciou{n} of fortune þat is vncerteyne to al mortal folk ne submytted[e] su{m}me of he{m}. þat is to seyne þat it ne cheyned[e] su{m}me iuge to han pitee or compassiou{n}. 436 [Sidenote: Had he been accused of a design to burn temples, massacre priests, he would have been allowed to confront his accusers.] ¶ For al þouȝ I had[de] ben accused þat I wolde brenne holy houses. {and} strangle p{re}stys wiþ wicked swerde. ¶ or þat .I. had[de] grayþed deeþ to alle goode men algatis þe sentence scholde han punysched me p{re}sent confessed or co{n}uict. [Sidenote: But now this is denied him, and he is proscribed and condemned to death.] ¶ But 440 now I am remewed fro þe Citee of rome almost fyue-hundreþ þousand pas. I am wiþ outen defence dampned to p{ro}sc{ri}pciou{n} {and} to þe deeþ. for þe studie {and} bountees þat I haue done to þe senat. ¶ But o wel ben 444 þei worþi of mercye (as who seiþ nay.) þer myȝt[e] neuer ȝit non of hem ben conuicte. Of swiche a blame as [[pg 20]] myn is of swiche t{r}espas myn accuso{ur}s seyen ful wel þe dignitee.
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