[Sidenote: Boethius determines to transmit an account of his prosecution to posterity.] ¶ I haue put it in scripture {and} remembraunce. for touching þe l{ett}res falsly maked. by whiche l{ett}res I am accused to han hooped þe fredom of 384 Rome. What app{er}teneþ me to speken þer-of. [Sidenote: Boethius says that he could have defeated his accusers had he been allowed the use of their confessions.] Of whiche l{ett}res þe fraude hadde ben schewed ap{er}tly if I hadde had libertee forto han vsed {and} ben at þe [[pg 18]] co{n}fessiou{n} of myn accuso{ur}s. ¶ Þe whiche þing in 388 alle nedys haþ grete strenkeþ. ¶ For what oþ{er} fredo{m} may men hopen. [Sidenote: But there is now no remains of liberty to be hoped for.] Certys I wolde þat some oþ{er} fredom myȝt[e] be hoped. ¶ I wolde þan haue answered by þe wordes of a man þat hyȝt[e] Canius. for whan he was 392 accused by Gayus Cesar Germeins son þat he (cani{us}) was knowyng {and} consentyng of a coniurac{i}ou{n} maked aȝeins hym (.s. Gai{us}). ¶ Þis Canius answered[e] þus. ¶ Yif I had[de] wist it þou haddest not wist it. 396 [Linenotes: 357 _axest þou_--axestow 358 _seyne_--seyn _sauen_--saue 359 _desirest þou_--desires thow _here_--hereen 362 _maked_--MS. maken, C. makyd 363 _demest þou_--demestow 365 _wold_--MS. wolde, C. wold 366 _seyne_--seyn 367 _þat_--omitted _am_--I am 368 _be_--ben 369 _it_--it thanne _þan_--omitted 371 _þilk_--thilke 372 _her_--hir _hire_--hir _þouȝ_--thogh 373 _or_--and _seyne_--seyn 374 _lieth_--MS. lieþe, C. lieth 377 _assent[e]_--assente 381 _schollen_--shellen 382 {and}--{and} in 385 _speken_--speke 385-86 _of----lettres_--C. omits 386 _if_--yif 387 _had_--MS. hade, C. had 388 _myn_--myne 389 _haþ_--MS. haþe, C. hath _grete_--gret _what_--omitted 390 _some_--som 391 _myȝt[e] be_--myhte ben _þan haue_--thanne han 392 _hyȝt[e]_--hyhte 394 _maked_--ymaked 395 _answered[e]_--answerede 396 _had[de]_--hadde] [Headnote: BOETHIUS COMPLAINS TO PHILOSOPHY.] [Sidenote: It is not strange that the wicked should conspire against virtue.] In whiche þing sorwe haþ not so dulled my witte þ{a}t I pleyne oonly þat schrewed[e] folk apparailen folies aȝeins vertues. ¶ But I wondre gretly how þat þei may p{er}forme þinges þat þei had[de] hoped forto 400 done. [Sidenote: The will to do ill proceeds from the defects of human nature.] For why. to wylne schrewednesse þat comeþ p{ar}auenture of oure defaute. ¶ But it is lyke to a monstre {and} a meruaille. [Sidenote: It is a marvel how such evil acts can be done under the eye of an Omniscient God.]