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 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}. ¶ 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. ¶ But 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 þei worþi of mercye (as who seiþ nay.) þer myȝt[e] neuer ȝit non of hem ben conuicte. Of swiche a blame as myn is of swiche t{r}espas myn accuso{ur}s seyen ful wel þe dignitee. þe wiche dignite for þei wolde derken it wiþ medelyng of some felonye. þei beren me on honde {and} lieden. þat I hadde polute {and} defouled my conscience wiþ sacrelege. for couetise of dignite. ¶ And certys þou þi self þat art plaunted in me chacedest oute þe sege of my corage al couetise of mortal þinges. ne sacrilege ne had[de] no leue to han a place in me byforne þine eyen. ¶ For þou drouppedest euery day in myn eer{e}s {and} in my þouȝt þilk comaundement of pictogoras. þat is to seyne men schal seruen to god. {and} not to goddes. ¶ Ne it was no couenaunt ne no nede to taken helpe of þe foulest spirites. ¶ I þat þou hast ordeyned or set in syche excellence þ{a}t [þou] makedest me lyke to god. and ouer þis þe ryȝt clene secre chaumbre of myn house. þat is to seye my wijf {and} þe co{m}paignie of myn honeste frendis. {and} my wyues fadir as wel holy as worþi to ben reuerenced þoruȝ hys owen dedis. defenden me of al suspecciou{n} of syche blame. ¶ But o malice. ¶ For þei þat accusen me taken of þe philosophie feiþe of so grete blame. ¶ For þei trowen þat .I. haue had affinite to malyfice or enchau{n}tementȝ by cause þat I am replenissed {and} fulfilled wiþ þi techynges. {and} enformed of þi maners. ¶ And þus it sufficeþ not only þat þi reuerence ne auayle me not. but ȝif þat þou of þi fre wille raþer be blemissed wiþ myne offensiou{n}. ¶ But certys to þe harmes þat I haue þere bytydeþ ȝit þis encrece of harme. þat þe gessinge {and} þe iugement of myche folk ne loken no þing to þe[de]sertys of þinges but only to þe aue{n}t{ur}e of fortune. ¶ And iugen þat only swiche þinges ben p{ur}ueied of god. whiche þat temporel welefulnesse co{m}mendiþ. _Glosa._ ¶ As þus þat yif a wyȝt haue prosperite. he is a good man {and} worþi to haue þat p{ro}sperite. and who so haþ aduersite he is a wikked man. {and} god haþ forsake hym. {and} he is worþi to haue þat aduersite. ¶ Þis is þe opiniou{n} of so{m}me folke.