[Linenotes: 710 _blak[e]_--blake 712 _stormynge_--turnyng 713 _from_--fro 714 _somtyme_--whilom 715 _lyke_--lyk _fair[e]----wiþstant_ (MS. wiþstante)--fayr{e} cleer{e} dayes {and} brihte withstand 716 _syȝtes_--syhtes 717 _streme_--strem 718 _heyȝe_--hy 720 _from some_--fram som _wilt_--wolt 721 _soþe_--soth _clere_--cleer _holde_--holden 722 _weye_--wey _paþe_--paath 724 _come_--comen 725 _blynde_--blende _þilk_--thilke] [Headnote: PHILOSOPHY EXHIBITS TO BOETHIUS THE WILES OF FORTUNE.] INCIPIT LIBER SECUNDUS. POSTEA [PAU]LISPER CONTICUIT. [Sidenote: [The fyrst p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: Philosophy exhorts Boethius not to torment himself on account of his losses.] ++After þis she stynte a litel. and after þat she hadde gadred by atempre stillenesse myn attenciou{n} she 728 seide þus. [Sidenote: Thou art, she says, affected by the loss of thy former fortune.] ¶ As who so myȝt[e] seye þus. After þise þinges she stynt[e] a lytel. {and} whanne she ap{er}ceiued[e] by atempre stillenesse þat I was ententif to herkene hire. she bygan to speke in þis wyse. ¶ Yif 732 I q{uod} she haue vnderstonde{n} {and} knowe vtterly þe [[pg 30]] causes {and} þe habit of þi maladie. þou languissed {and} art deffeted for talent {and} desijr of þi raþer fortune. [Sidenote: It hath perverted thy faculties.] ¶ She þat ilke fortune only þat is chaunged as þou 736 feinest to þe ward. haþ p{er}uerted þe clerenesse {and} þe astat of þi corage. [Sidenote: I am well acquainted with all the wiles of that Prodigy (_i. e._ Fortune).] ¶ I vnderstonde þe felefolde colo{ur} {and} deceites of þilke merueillous monstre fortune. and how she vseþ ful flatryng familarite wiþ hem 740 þat she enforceþ to bygyle. so longe til þat she co{n}founde wiþ vnsuffreable sorwe hem þat she haþ left in despeir vnpurueyed. [Sidenote: Though she has left thee, thou hast not lost anything of beauty or of worth.] ¶ and if þou remembrest wel þe kynde þe maners {and} þe desert of þilke fortune. þow 744 shalt wel knowe as in hir þou neuer ne haddest ne hast ylost any fair þing. But as I trowe I shal not gretly trauaile to don þe remembren of þise þinges. [Sidenote: Thou wert once proof against her allurements.] ¶ For þou were wont to hurtlen [{and} despysen] hir 748 wiþ manly wordes whan she was blaundissinge {and} presente {and} p{ur}sewedest hir wiþ sentences þat were drawe{n} oute of myne entre. þat is to seyne out of myn i{n}formac{i}ou{n} [Sidenote: But sudden change works a great alteration in the minds of men, hence it is that thou art departed from thy usual peace of mind.]