[Linenotes: 300 _drow_--MS. drowe, C. weth drowh _ȝitte_--yit _wrong_--wronge 301 _rychesse_--richesses _þe_ (2)--omitted 302 _harmed eyþer_--harmyd or amenused owther 303 _tributis_--tributȝ _suffred[e]_--suffreden 304 _harme_--harm 305 _ȝere_--yer _hys_--hise 305, 306, 307 _corne_--corn 306 _schold[e] bie_--sholde byen 308 _But I withstod_--Boece withstood (MS. withstode) _com_--MS. come, C. com 311 _swiche_--swich 312 _bouȝt[e]_--bowhte _busshel_--bossel _most[e] ȝeue_--moste yeue 315 _inplitable_--vnplitable _seyn_--sayen 319 _ouercom_--MS. ouercome, C. ouer com 320 _counseiller_--consoler _rychesse_--rychesses 321 _whyche_--which 322 _wolde_--wolden 323 _drow_--MS. drowe, C. drowh 324 _myche_--moche 326 _punischen_--punisse 327 _putt[e]_--putte 328 _yseyn_--MS. yseyne 329 _greet[e]_--grete 330 _aughte be_--owhte be the _oþer_--oothre 333 _by þe whiche_--by which _þoruȝ þe_--thorw tho] [Headnote: THE ACCUSERS OF BOETHIUS.] [Sidenote: Boethius makes mention of his accusers, Basilius, Opilio, Gaudentius, men who had been commanded to leave the city on account of their many crimes.] ¶ Of þe noumbre of whiche accuso{ur}s one basilius þat somtyme was chased out of þe kynges seruice. is now co{m}pelled 336 i{n} accusyng of my name for nede of foreine moneye. ¶ Also opilion {and} Gaudenci{us} han accused me. al be it so þat þe Iustice regal hadde su{m}tyme demed hem boþe to go in to exil. for her treccheries {and} fraudes 340 wiþ-outen noumbre. ¶ To whiche iugement þei wolde not obeye. but defended[e] hem by sykernesse of holy houses. [Sidenote: [* fol. 6.]] *þat is to seyne fledden in to seyntuaries. {and} whan þis was ap{er}ceiued to þe kyng. he comaunded[e] 344 but þat þei voided[e] þe citee of Rauenne by certeyne day assigned þat men scholde merken hem on þe forheued wiþ an hoke of iren {and} chasen hem out of toune. ¶ Now what þing semeþ þe myȝt[e] be lykned to þis 348 cruelte. [Sidenote: But, on the day this sentence was to be executed, they accused him, and their testimony against him was accepted.] For certys þilk same day was receyued þe accusyng of my name by þilk[e] same accuso{ur}s. ¶ What may be seid herto. haþ my studie {and} my konnyng deserued þus. or ellys þe forseide dampnaciou{n} of me. 352 made þat hem ryȝtful accuso{ur}s or no (q.d. no{n}). [Sidenote: Fortune, if not ashamed at this, might at least blush for the baseness of the accusers.] ¶ Was not fortune asshamed of þis. [Certes alle hadde nat fortune ben asshamyd] þat i{n}nocence was accused. ȝit auȝt[e] sche haue had schame of þe filþe of myn accuso{ur}s. 356