[Sidenote: The clouds of sorrow being dispelled, Boethius recollects the features of his Physician, whom he discovers to be Philosophy.] ++Ryȝt so {and} none oþer wyse þe cloudes of sorowe dissolued {and} don awey. ¶ I took heuene. {and} 164 receyuede mynde to knowe þe face of my fyciscien. ¶ So þat I sette myne eyen on hir {and} festned[e] my lokyng. I byholde my norice philosophie. in whos houses I hadde conuersed {and} haunted fro my ȝouþe. 168 {and} I seide þus. [Sidenote: He addresses her.] ¶ O þou maistresse of alle uertues descendid fro þe souereyne sete. Whi art þou comen in to þis solitarie place of myn exil. ¶ Art þou comen for þ{o}u art mad coupable wiþ me of fals[e] blames. 172 [Sidenote: She expresses her concern for him, and tells him that she is willing to share his misfortunes.] ¶ O q{uod} sche my norry scholde I forsake þe now. and scholde I not parte wiþ þe by comune trauaille þe charge þat þou hast suffred for envie of my name. ¶ Certis it nar[e] not leueful ne sittyng to philosophie to leten 176 wiþ-outen compaignie þe wey of hym þat is i{n}nocent. [Sidenote: She fears not any accusation, as if it were a new thing.] ¶ Scholde I þan redoute my blame {and} agrisen as þouȝ þer were byfallen a newe þing. q. d. non. ¶ For trowest þou þat philosophi be now alþerfirst assailed 180 i{n} p{er}ils by folk of wicked[e] maneres. [Sidenote: For before the age of Plato she contended against folly, and by her help Socrates triumphed over an unjust death.] ¶ Haue I not stryuen wiþ ful greet strife in olde tyme byfore þe age of my plato aȝeins þe foolhardines of foly {and} eke þe same plato lyuyng. hys maistre socrates 184 deserued[e] victorie of vnryȝtful deeþ in my presence. [Sidenote: Of the inheritance of Socrates the rout of Epicureans and Stoics wanted to get a part.] ¶ Þe heritage of wyche socrates. þe h{er}itage is to seyne þe doctrine of þe whiche soc{ra}tes in hys oppiniou{n} of [[pg 11]] felicite þat I clepe welfulnesse ¶ Whan þat þe people 188 of epicuriens {and} stoyciens {and} many oþer enforceden hem to go rauische eueryche man for his part þat is to seyne. þat to eueryche of hem wolde drawen to þe defence of his oppiniou{n} þe wordes of socrates. 192 [Sidenote: Philosophy withstood them, whereupon they tore her robe, and, departing with the shreds, imagined that they had got possession of her.] ¶ Þei as in p{ar}tie of hir preye todrowe{n} me criynge {and} debatyng þer aȝeins. {and} tornen {and} torente{n} my cloþes þat I hadde woue{n} wiþ myn handes. {and} wiþ þe cloutes þat þei hadden arased oute of my cloþes. þei 196 wenten awey wenyng þat I hadde gon wiþ he{m} euery dele.