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In the meane while that I stil recorded these thynges with my self, and marked my wepelie complainte, with office of poinctell: I sought stondyng abouen the hight of mine hed a woman of full greate reuerence, by semblaunt. Her iyen bren

ALAS, I wepyng am constrained to begin versenying, and clere, seyng ouer the common might of

of sorowefull matter, that whilom in florishyng studie made delitable ditees. For lo, rendyng muses of poetes, enditen to me thinges to be writen, and drerie teares. At laste no drede ne might ouercome tho muses, that thei ne werren fellowes, and folowden my waie, that is to saie: whan I was exiled, thei that weren of iny youthe, whilom weelfull and grene, comforten now sorow full wierdes, of me old man: for elde is comen vnwarely vpon me, hasted by the harmes that I haue, and sorowe hath commaunded his age to bee in me. Heeres hore aren shad ouertime liche vpon my head: and the slacke skinne trembleth of mine empted bodie. Thilke death of men is welefull, that ne commeth not in yeres that be swet, but cometh to wretches often icleped: alas, alas, with how defe an eare death cruell turneth awaie fro wretches, and naieth for to close wepyng iyen. While fortune vnfaithfull, fauoured me with light goodes, that sorowfull boure, that is to saie, the death, had almoste drente myne hedde: but now for fortune cloudie, hath chaunged her deceiuable chere to mewarde, myne vnpitous life draweth along vngreable dwellynges. O ye my frendes, what, or wherto auaunted ye me to been welfull? For he that hath fallen, stode in no stedfast degree.

menne, with a liuely colour, and with soche vigour and strength that it ne might not been nempned, all were it so, that she were full of so greate age, that menne woulden not trowen in no manere, that she were of our elde.

The stature of her, was of doutous judgemente, for sometyme she constrained and shronke her seluen, like to the common measure of menne: and sometyme it semed, that she touched the Heauen, with the hight of her hedde. And whan she houe her hedde higher, she. perced the self Heauen, so that the sight of menne lookyng was in idell: her clothes wer maked of right delie thredes, and subtel craft of perdurable mattier. The whiche clothes, she had wouen with her owne handes, as I knewe well after, by her self declaryng, and shewyng to me the beautie: the whiche clothes a darkenesse of a forleten and dispised elde, had dusked and darked, as it is wonte to darke by smoked images,

In the netherest bemme or border of these clothes, menne redde iwouen therein a Grekishe A. that signifieth the life actiue, and aboue that letter, in the hiest bordure, a Grekishe C. that signifieth the life contemplatife. And betwene these twoo letters, there were seen degrees nobly wrought, in

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maner of ladders, by whiche degrees, menne might climben from the netherest letter, to the vpperest: nathelesse handes of some men, hadden kerue that clothe, by violence or by strength, and eueriche manne of hem, had borne awaie soche peces, as he might getten. And forsothe this foresaied woman, bare smale bookes in her right hande, and in her left hand, she bare a scepter. And whan she sawe these poeticall muses, approchyng aboute my bed, and endityng wordes to my wepynges, she was a litle amoued, and glowed with cruell iyen. Who (quod she) hath suffered approchen to this sicke manne, these common strompettes, of which is the place, that menne call theatre, the whiche onely ne asswagen not his sorowes with remedies, but thei would feden and norishe hym with swete venime? Forsothe, that been tho that with thornes, and prickynges of talentes of affeccions, whiche that been nothyngs fructous nor profitable, distroien the corne, plentuous of fruictes of reason. For thei holden hertes of men in vsage, but thei ne deliuer no folke fro maladie. But if the muses had withdrawen fro me with your flatteries, any an vnconnyng and vnprofitable manne, as been wont to finde commenly emong the people, I would well suffre the lasse greuously. For why, in soche an vnprofitable man, myne ententes were nothyng endamaged. But ye withdrowen fro me this man, that he hath been nourished in my studies or scoles of Cleaticis, and of Achademicis in Grece. But goeth now rather awaie ye mermaidens, whiche that been swete, till it be at the last, and suffreth this man to be cured and healed by my muses, that is to say, by my notefull sciences. And thus this companie of muses iblamed, casten wrothly the chere, dounward to the yearth, and shewing by rednesse hir shame, thei passeden sorowfully the thresholde. And I of whom the sight plounged in teares was darked, so that I ne might not know, what that woman was, of so imperiall aucthoritie, I woxe all abashed and stonied, and cast my sight doune to the yerth, and began still for to abide what she would doen afterward. Then came she nere, and set her doune vpon the vttermost corner of my bed, and she beholdyng my chere, that was cast to the yearth, heauie and greuous of wepyng, complained with these woords (that I shall saine) the perturbacion of my thought.

Heu quam precipiti mersa profundo Mens hebet, et propria luce relicta, Tendit in externas ire tenebras, Terrenis quoties flatibus aucta Crescit in immensum noxia cura. Hic quondam cælo liber aperto.

ALAS, howe the thought of this man, dreinte in ouerthrowyng depenesse, dulleth and forleteth his proper clerenesse, mintyng to gone into forain darkenesse, as ofte as his anoious besines wexeth without measure, that is driuen with worldlie mindes. This man that whilome was free, to whom the Heauen was open and knowen, and was wont to gone in heauenly pathes, and sawe the lightnesse of the redde Sunne, and behelde the sterres of the colde Moone, and whiche sterre in Heauen, vseth wanderyng recourses iflitte by diuers spheres. This manne ouercomer had comprehended all this thyng, by nomber of accompting in astronomie. And ouer this, he

sea.

was wont to seken the causes, whens the sowning windes mouen, and besien the smothe water of the And what spirite tourneth the stable Heauen. And why the sterre riseth out of the red east, to fallen in the westeren waues. And what attempreth the lustie houres of the first sommer season, and highteth and apparaileth the yearth with rosie floures. And who maketh the plumtuous autumpne, in full yeres fleeten with heauie grapes. And eke this manne was wonte, to tell the diuers causes of nature that were hidde. Alas, how lightlie is empted the light of his thought, and his necke is pressed with heauie chaines, and beareth his chere enclined adowne for the greate weight, and is constrained to looken on the fole yearth.

Sed magis medicine (inquit) tempus est quam querele Boe. Tum vero totis in me intenta luminibus. Philo. Tu ne ille es (ait) qui nostro quondam lacte nutritus, nostris educatus alimentis, in virilis animi robur evaseras? &c.

BUT tyme is now of medicine (quod she) more then complainte. Forsothe than she entendynge to me warde, with all the lookyng of her iyen saied. Art not thou he (quod she) that whilome I nourished with my milke, and fostred with my meates, were escaped and commen to the courage of a parfaite manne: Certes, I yaue thee soche armours, that if thou thyself, ne haddest firste caste hem a waie, thei shoulden haue defended thee in sikernesse, that maie not bee ouercomen. Knowest thou not me? why art thou still: is it for shame, or for astoniyng? It were me leuer it were for shame, but it semeth me that astoniyng hath oppressed thee. And when she sawe me not onely stil, but rather without office of tongue, and all dombe, she laied her hande softelie vpon my breast, and saied: Here is no perill (quod she) he is fallen into a litrage, whiche that is a common sickenesse, to hertes that been deceiued. He hath a little foryeten hymself. But certes he shall light lie remembren hymself, if so bee that he hath knowen me er nowe. And that he maie doen so, I will wipe his iyen a little, that be darked by the cloude of mortall thynges. These woordes saied she, and with the lappe of her garnemente, iplited in a frounce she dried myne iyen, that weren full of the wawes of my wepynges.

Tunc me discussa liquerunt nocte tenebræ, Luminibusque prior rediit vigor. Ut cum præcipiti glomerantur sidera Choro, Nimbosisque polus stetit imbribus. Sol latet, ac non dum cælo venientibus astris, &c.

THUS whan that nighte was discussed awaie, darkenesse forlete me, and to my iyen repaired again her first strength. And right as by ensample, as the Sunne is hidde when the sterres been couerde with cloudes, by a swifte winde that hight Chorus, and the firmamente stante dercked by weate plungie cloudes. And that the sterres not apperen vpon the heauen, so that the night semed sprad vpon the yearth. If then the wind that hight Boreas, isent out of the caue, of the countrey of Trace, beateth this night, that is to saine, chas

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eth it awaie, and discouereth the closed daie.
Than shineth Phebus, ishaken with sodaine light,
and smiteth with his beames in marueilyng iyen.

Haud aliter tristitiæ nebulis dissolutis, hausi cœlum,
et ad cognoscendam medicantis faciem, mentem re-
cepi. Itaque ubi in eam deduxi oculos, intuitum-
que defixi, respicio nutricem meam, in cujus ab
adolescentia, &c.

men. Of whiche shrewes, all be the hooste neuer so greate, it is to dispise, for it is not gouerned with no leader of reason, but it is rauished onely by fletyng errour, folilie and lightlie. And if thei sometyme, make an hooste ayenst vs, assaile vs as strenger: our leader draweth together, his richesses into his toure, and thei been ententife, about sarpleris or sachelles, vnprofitable for to taken. But we than been high abouen, siker from all tumulte and woode noise, warenestored and enclosed in soche a Paleis, whither as the clateryng or anoiyng folie, maie not attaine, we scorne soche raueners, and henters of foulest thynges.

Quisquis composito serenus ævo, Fatum sub pedibus egit superbum: Fortunamque tuens utramque rectus, Invictum potuit tenere vultum, &c.

The rages ne the manaces of the sea, commouyng and chasyng vnware, heat from the bottome, mountaigne that hight Uesenus, that writheth out ne shall not moue that manne, ne the vnstable through his broken chimeneis, smokyng fires, ne the waie of thonder leite, that is wonte to smiten

high toures, ne shall not moue that man. Whereto than wretches drede ye tirauntes, that been wood, and felonnous with any strength? hope after nothyng, ne drede thou not: and so shalte thou disarmen the ire of thilke vnmightie tiraunte. But who that quakyng dredeth, or desireth thyng that is not stable of his right, that manne that so dooeth, bath caste awaie his shilde, and is remoued fro his place, and enlaseth hym in the chaine, with the whiche he maie be drawen.

RIGHT SO and none otherwise, the cloudes of sorowe
dissolued. and dooen awaie, I tooke heauen, and
receiued mynde to knowen the face of my phisi-
cien: so that I sette myne iyen vpon her, and fas-
tened my lookyng. I beheld my nourice Philoso-
phie, in whose house I had conuersed fro my
youthe, and I saied thus. O thou maistresse of all
vertues, discended from the souerain seate, why art
WHO SO it bee that cleare of vertue, sadde, and well
thou commen into this solitarie place of myneordinate of liuyng, that hath putte vnder foote the
exile: art thou comen, for thou art made coulpa- proude wierdes, and looketh vpright vppon either
ble with me of false blames. O (quod she) my Fortune, he maie holden his chere vndiscomfited.
nourice, should I forsake thee now, and should I
not parten with thee by commen trauaile, the
charge that thou haste suffered for enuie of my
name? Certes, it were not lefull ne sittyng to Phi-
losophie, to leten without companie, the waie of
hym that is innocente: should I then redout my
blame, and agrise as though there wer befallen a
newe thing? for trowest thou that Philosophie, bee
now alderfirst assailed in perilles, by folke of wicked
maner? haue I not striuen with full grate strief,
in olde tyme, before the age of my Plato, ayenst
the foolebardinesse of foly: and eke the same
Plato liuyng, his maister Socrates, deserued vic-
torie of vnrightfull death in my presence. The
heritage of the whiche Socrates, the heritage, is to
saine the doctrine, of the which Socrates, in his
opinion of felicite, that I cleape welefulnesse :
whan that the people of Epicuriens and Stoicines,
and many other, enforced theim to go rauish,
euery man for his parte, that is to saine: that
euerich of hem would drawen, to the defence of his
opinion, the wordes of Socrates. Thei as in partie
of their praie, to droune me, criyng and debatyng
there ayenste, and coruen and renten my clothes,
that I had wonen with myne owne bandes. And
with tho clothes that thei had araced out of my
clothes, thei wenten awaie, wenyng that I had gone
with hem euery dele. In whiche Epicuriens and
Stoiciens, for as moche as there semed some traces
and steppes of my habite. The folie of wenyng
tho Epicuriens and Stoiciens, my familiers, per-
werted some, through the errour of the wicked
multitude of hem: this is to sain, for thei semed
philosophers, thei weren pursued to the death and
slaine. So if thou hast not knowen the exilyng of
Anaxagoras, ne the enpoisoning of Socrates, ne the
tourmentes of Zeno, for. thei weren straungers, yet
mightest thou haue knowen the Senecas, the Ca-
nios, and the Soranos: of whiche folke, the renome
is neither ouer olde ne vnsolempne. The whiche
menne nothyng els ne brought to the death, but
onely for thei were enformed of my maners, and
semeden mooste valike to the studies of wicked
folke. And for thy thou oughtest not to wondren,
though that I in the bitter sea, be driuen with
tempestes blowing about. In the whiche this is my
moste purpose, that is to sain, to displeasen wicked

Sentis ne (inquit) hæc? atque animo illabuntur tuo? expers ne es lyra? quid fles? quid lachrimis manas? si operam medicantis expectas, oportet ut vulnus detegas tuum. &c.

FELEST thou (quod she) these thyngs: and entren thei aught in thy courage? art thou like an asse to the harp? why wepest thou? why spilleste thou teares: if thou abidest after helpe of the leche, thee behoueth discouer thy wounde? Tho F had gathered strength in my courage, and answered and saied. And nedeth it (quod I) of rehearsyng, or of amonicion, and sheweth it nct inough by hymself, the sharpenes that wexeth woode against me. Ne moueth it not thee to se the face, or the maner of this place? Is this the librarie that thou haddest chosen for a right cer tain liege, to thee in mine hous there as thou disputest oft with me, of the science of thynges, touchyng diuinite, and touchynge mankynde? was than myne habite soche as it is now, was my face or chere, soch as it is now, whan I sought with the secretes of nature, whan thou enformedest my maners, and the reason of all my life, to the ensample of thorder of Heauen? Is not this the guerdone that I referre to thee, to whom I haue be obeisaunt? Certes, thou enformedest by the mouthe of Plato this sentence, that is to saine: that comen

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thinges or comunalties weren blisfull, if thei that had studied all fully to wisedome, gouerneden thilke thynges: or els if it so befell, that the gouernours of communalties, studien to gette wisedome. Thou saidest eke by the mouthe, of the saied Plato, that it was a necessarie cause, wise menne to taken and desiren the gouernaunce of comen thynges, for that the gouernaunce of citees, ileft in the bandes of felonous tourmentors, citezeins ne shoulden not bringen in pestilence and distruccion to good folke. And therefore I followyng thilke aucthours, desired to put forthe in execucion and in acte, of comen administracion thilke thinges, that I had learned of thee, emong my secrete resting whiles, thou and God, that put in the thoughtes of wise folke, been knowen with me, that nothyng ne brought me to mastrie or dignitie, but the common studie of all goodnesse. And therfore cometh it, that betwene wicked folk and me, haue been greuous discordes, that ne mighten not bee released by praiers: for this libertie hath the fredome of conscience, that the wrathe of more mightie folke, hath alwaie been dispised of me, for sauacion of right. How oft haue I resisted and withstande, that man that bight Canigast, that made alwaie thassant, ayenst the prosper fortunes of poor feoble folke? How eft eke haue I put of or cast out hym Triguill, prouoste of the kynges hous, bothe of the wronges that he had begonne to doen, and eke fully performed? How often haue I couered and defended by the aucthoritie of me, put ayenst perilles, that is to saine: put myne aucthoritie in perill, for the wretched poore folke, that the couetise of straungers vnpunished, turmenteden alwaie with miseases, and greuaunces out of nomber? Neuer manne yet drowe me fro right to wrong. Whan I sawe the fortunes and the richesses of the people of the prouinces, been harmed and amenused, either by priuie rauines, or by comen tributes or cariages, as sory was I as thei that suffreden the harme. Glose. Whan Theoderike king of Gothes in a dedde yere had his garners full of corne, and commaunded that no man should buye no corne, till his corne wer sold, and at a greuous dere prise: Beoce withstoode that ordinaunce, and ouercame it, knowyng all this the king Theodorike hymself. Coempcion is to saie, comen achate or buiyng together, that were established vpon the people, by soche a maner imposicion, as who so bought a bushell of corne, he must yeuen the kyng the fiueth parte. Textns. Whan it was in the sore hongrie tyme, there was established greuous and vnprofitable coempcion, that men seen well, it shuld greatlie tourmenten and endomagen all the pro uince of Campaine. I tooke strife ayenst the prouost of the pretorie, for the common profite. And the knowyng of it, I ouercame it, so that the coempcion was not asked, ne tooke effecte.

Pauline a counsailour of Roome, the richesses of the whiche Pauline, the hondes of the paleis, that is to saie, the officers woulden haue deuoured by hope and couetise: yet drowe I out of the iowes, of hem that gapeden. And for as moche as the paine of the accusacion a judged beforne, ne should not sodainly henten, ne punishen wrongfully Albine a counsailour of Roome, I putte nie ayenst the hates, and indignacions of the accusour Ciprian. Is it not then inough, sens that I haue purchased great discordes ayenst myself? but I

ought bee more assured ayenst other folke, that for the loue of right wisnesse I neuer reserued nothyng to myself, to hemwarde of the kynges halle, by whiche I were the more siker. But through tho same accusours accusyng, I am condempned. Of the nomber of whiche accusours, one Basilius that whilome was chased out of the kynges seruice, is now compelled in accusyng of my name, for nede of foraine money.

Also, Opilion and Gaudencius, haue accused me: all be it, so that the justice regall had whilome demed theim bothe, to gone into exile, for hir tretcheries and fraudes without nomber. To whiche judgement thei nolden not obeye, but defended hem by the sikernesse of holie houses, that is to saine, fledden into seinte warie: and than whan this was apperceiued by the kynge, he commaunded, but if thei auoided the citee of Rauenne, by certayne daye assigned, that menne should marken hem on the forehedde, with an hotte yron, and chasen hem out of the toune. Now what thyng semeth might be likened to this crueltie, for certes, this same daie was received, the accusing of my name, by thilke same accusoures? What maie bee saied hereto? Hath my studie and my connynge deserued thus, or els the foresaied dampnacion of me, made theim rightfull accusours or no? Was not fortune ashamed of this? Certes, all had not fortune ben ashamed, that innocence was accused, yet ought she haue had shame of the filthe of myne accusours. But aske thou in some, of what gilte I am accused. Men saine that I would sauen the companie of the senatours. And desirest thou to heren, in what maner I am accused, that I should haue distourbed the accusour to bearen letters, by whiche he should haue made the senatours giltie, ayenst the kynges roiall maiestie.

O maistresse, what demest thou of this? Shall I forsake this blame, that I ne bee no shame to thee? Certes, I haue would it (that is to saie) the sauacion of the senate, ne I shall neuer let to wilne it, and that I confesse and am a knowe, but the entente of the accusour to been distourbed, shall cease. Shall I clepe that a felonie or a synne, that I haue desired the sauacion of the order of the senate. And certes, had thilke same senate, doen through hir decretes and hir iudgementes, as though it wer a sinne and a felonie, that is to wilne the sauacion of them. But folie that lieth alwaie to hymself, maie not chaunge the merite of thynges, ne I trowe not by the iudgemente of Socrates, that it were lefull to me, to hide the sothe, ne assente to leasynges: but certes, how so euer it bee of this, I putte it to gessen or prisen, of the indgement of thee, and of wise folke, of whiche thynge all the ordinaunce and the sothe (for as moche as folke that been to comen after onr daies, shal kuowen it) I haue putte it in scripture, and in remembraunce. For touchyng the letters falsely made, by whiche letters I am accused, to haue hoped the freedome of Roome, what apertaineth me to speaken thereof. Of whiche letters, the fraude had been shewed apertlie, if I had had li bertie for to haue vsed and been at confession of mine accusours, the whiche thyng in all nedes hath great strength, for what other fredom maie menne hopen? Certes, I would that some other freedome might be hoped, I would than haue aunswered, by the woordes of a man, that hight Camus: for whan he was accused of Canius, Cesar

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