¶ Is nat þis þe gerdou{n} þat I refere to þe to whom I haue be obeisaunt. ¶ Certis þou enfo{ur}medist by þe mouþe of plato þis sentence. þat is to seyne þat co{m}mune þinges or comunabletes weren blysful yif þei þat haden studied al fully to wisdom gouerneden þilke þinges. or ellys yif it so by-felle þat þe gouernours of co{m}munalites studieden in grete wisdomes. ¶ Þou saidest eke by þe mouþe of þe same plato þat it was a necessarie cause wyse men to taken {and} desire þe gou{er}nau{n}ce of comune þi{n}ges. for þat þe gou{er}nementes of comune citees y-left in þe hondes of felonous to{ur}mento{ur}s Citiȝenis ne scholde not brynge inne pestile{n}ce {and} destrucc{i}ou{n} to goode folk. ¶ And þerfore I folowynge þilk auctoritee (.s. platonis). desiryng to put[te] furþe in execusiou{n} {and} in acte of comune admi{ni}st{ra}c{i}ou{n} þo þinges þat .I. hadde lerned of þe among my secre restyng whiles. ¶ Þou {and} god þ{a}t put[te] þee in þe þouȝtis of wise folk ben knowen wiþ me þat no þing brouȝt[e] me to maistrie or dignite: but þe comune studie of al goodenes. ¶ And þer-of comeþ it þat by-twixen wikked folk {and} me han ben greuouse discordes. þat ne myȝten not be relesed by p{ra}yeres. ¶ For þis libertee haþ fredom of conscience þat þe wraþþe of more myȝty folk haþ alwey ben despised of me for saluac{i}ou{n} of ryȝt. ¶ How ofte haue .I. resisted {and} wiþstonde þilk man þat hyȝt[e] conigaste þat made alwey assautes aȝeins þe p{ro}pre fortunes of poure feble folke. ¶ How ofte haue .I. ȝitte put of. or cast out hy{m} trigwille p{ro}uost of þe kynges hous boþe of þe wronges þat he hadde bygon[ne] to done {and} eke fully p{er}formed. ¶ How ofte haue I couered {and} defended by þe auctorite of me put aȝeins p{er}ils. þat is to seine put myne auctorite in peril for þe wreched pore folke. þat þe couetise of straungeres vnpunysched to{ur}mentid alwey wiþ myseses {and} greuaunces oute of noumbre. ¶ Neuer man drow me ȝitte fro ryȝt to wro{n}g. When I say þe fortunes {and} þe rychesse of þe people of þe p{ro}uinces ben harmed eyþer by p{r}iue rauynes or by comune tributis or cariages. as sory was I as þei þat suffred[e] þe harme. _Glosa._ ¶ Whan þat theodoric þe kyng of gothes in a dere ȝere hadde hys gerners ful of corne {and} comaundede þat no ma{n} ne schold[e] bie no corne til his corne were solde {and} þat at a dere greuous pris. ¶ But I w{i}t{h}stod þat ordinaunce {and} ouer-com it knowy{n}g al þis þe kyng hym self. ¶ Coempciou{n} þat is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere þat were establissed vpon poeple by swiche a manere imposiciou{n} as who so bouȝt[e] a busshel corn he most[e] ȝeue þe ky{n}g þe fifte p{ar}t. _Textus._ ¶ Whan it was in þe soure hungry tyme þere was establissed or cried greuous {and} inplitable coempciou{n} þat men seyn wel it schulde greetly to{ur}me{n}tyn {and} endamagen al þe p{ro}uince of co{m}paigne I took strif aȝeins þe p{ro}uost of þe pretorie for comune p{ro}fit. ¶ And þe kyng knowyng of it I ouercom it