¶ 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 280 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. [Sidenote: He sought to do good to all, but became involved in discord with the wicked.] ¶ And þer-of comeþ 284 it þat by-twixen wikked folk {and} me han ben greuouse discordes. þat ne myȝten not be relesed by p{ra}yeres. [Sidenote: Consciousness of integrity made him despise the anger of the most powerful.] ¶ For þis libertee haþ fredom of conscience þat þe wraþþe of more myȝty folk haþ alwey ben despised of me for 288 saluac{i}ou{n} of ryȝt. [Sidenote: He opposed Conigastus, and put a stop to the doings of Triguilla.] ¶ 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 292 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. [Sidenote: He put his authority in peril for the defence of poor folk.] þat is to seine put 296 myne auctorite in peril for þe wreched pore folke. þat þe couetise of straungeres vnpunysched to{ur}mentid alwey [[pg 15]] wiþ myseses {and} greuaunces oute of noumbre. [Linenotes: 272 _eke_--ek 275 _comune_--omitted _y-left_--MS. ylefte, C. yleft 276 _Citiȝenis_--citesenes _brynge inne_--bryngen in 278 _þerfore_--therfor _þilk_--thilke _desiryng_--desired 279 _put[te] furþe_--putten forth 280 _þo_--thilke 282 _put[te]_--putte 283 _brouȝt[e]_--ne browhte 284 _þe_--omitted _al goodenes_--alle goodnesse _comeþ_--comth 287, 288 _haþ_--MS. haþe 289 _saluacioun_--sauacioun 290 _þilk_--thilke _hyȝt[e]_--hyhte 290 _conigaste_--MS. coniugaste 292 _ofte_--ofte ek _ȝitte_--omitted 294 _bygon[ne]_--bygunne _done_--don 295 _couered_--MS. couerede, C. couered 296 _put_--MS. putte, C. put _seine_--seyn 297 _myne_--myn 298 _vnpunysched_--vnpunyssed 299 _myseses_--myseyses] [Headnote: BOETHIUS DEFENDS HIS OWN CONDUCT.] [Sidenote: I never deviated, he says, from the path of justice.]