¶ For-why in syche an vnp{ ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But [gh]e wiþdrawen me 80 þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of Eleaticis { and} of achademicis in grece.
¶ But goþ now raþer awey [gh]e meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at þe laste. { and} suffreþ þis man to be cured { and} 84 heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful sciences.
[Sidenote: Blushing for shame they pass the threshold.]
¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wroþely þe chere adou{ n}ward to þe erþe { and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame þei passeden sorowfuly þe 88 þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe sy[gh]t plonged i{ n} teres was derked so þat I ne my[gh]t[e] not knowe what þat woman was of so i{ m}perial auctorite.
[Sidenote: Boethius is astonished at the presence of the august dame.]
¶ I wex al a-besid { and} astoned. { and} caste my sy[gh]t adoune in to þe 92 erþe. { and} bygan stille forto abide what sche wolde don afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere { and} sette hir doun vpon þe vterrest[e] corner of my bedde.
[Sidenote: Philosophy expresses her concern for Boethius.]
{ and} sche byholdyng my chere þat was cast to þe erþe heuy { and} 96 greuous of wepyng. co{ m}pleinede wiþ þise wordes þ{ a}t I schal sey þe p{ er}t{ ur}bac{ i}ou{ n} of my þou[gh]t.
[Linenotes: 79 _syche_--swhiche _myne_--myn 80 _weren_--ne weeren _[gh]e_--ye 81 _haþ_--MS. haþe, C. hath _ben_--be _scoles_--schooles 82 _goþ_--MS. goþe, C. goth 83 _wyche_--whiche þat 85 _say_--seyn _notful_--noteful 86 _I-blamed_--Iblamyd 87 _wroþely_--wrothly _adounward_--downward 88 _redenesse_--rednesse _sorowfuly_--sorwfully 89 _þreschefolde_--thresshfold _sy[gh]t_--syhte 90 _derked_--dyrked _my[gh]t[e]----knowe_--myhte nat knowen 91 _wex_--wax 92 _a-besid_--abaysshed _caste_--cast _adoune in to_--down to 93 _don_--MS. done 95 _vterrest[e] corner_--vttereste corner{ e} _bedde_--bed 97 _compleinede_--compley[n]de 98 _sey_--seyen]
[Headnote: PHILOSOPHY ADDRESSES BOETHIUS.]
[Sidenote: Drowned in the depth of cares the mind loses its proper clearness.]
++Allas how þe þou[gh]t of man dreint in ouer þrowyng depnesse dulleþ { and} forletiþ hys p{ ro}pre clerenesse. 100 myntynge to gone in to foreyne derknesses as ofte as hys anoious bisines wexiþ wiþ-oute{ n} mesure. þ{ a}t is dryuen to { and} fro wiþ worldly wyndes. [[pg 8]]