[Sidenote: But as the reward of his innocence he is made to suffer the punishment due to the blackest crime.] 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 432 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}. 436 [Sidenote: Had he been accused of a design to burn temples, massacre priests, he would have been allowed to confront his accusers.] ¶ 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. [Sidenote: But now this is denied him, and he is proscribed and condemned to death.] ¶ But 440 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 444 þei worþi of mercye (as who seiþ nay.) þer myȝt[e] neuer ȝit non of hem ben conuicte. Of swiche a blame as [[pg 20]] myn is of swiche t{r}espas myn accuso{ur}s seyen ful wel þe dignitee. [Linenotes: 429 _in_--for 430 _vertue_--vertu 431 _had[de]_--hadde 432 _seyne_--seyn _myne_--myn _haþ_--MS. haþe 433 _witte_--wit _vncerteyne_--vncerteyn 434 _al_--alle _submytted[e]_--submittede 435 _seyne_--seyn _cheyned[e]_--enclinede 436 _had[de]_--hadde 438 _wicked_--wykkede _had[de]_--hadde 441 _almost_--almest 442 _þousand_--MS. þousas _wiþ outen_--withowte 444 _done_--doon 445 _myȝt[e]_--myhte 446 _ben_--be _swiche_--swich 447 _myn_ (_both_)--myne _swiche_--whiche _seyen_--sayen] [Headnote: BOETHIUS ACCUSED OF SORCERY.] [Sidenote: Boethius says that his enemies accused him of sorcery.] þe wiche dignite for þei wolde derken it 448 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 452 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. [Sidenote: He affirms that he has always followed the golden maxim of Pythagoras,-- ἕπου Θεῷ.]