Quotiens ego Conigastum in inbecilli cuiusque fortunas impetum facientem obvius excepi,
quotiens Triguillam regiae praepositum domus ab incepta, perpetrata iam prorsus iniuria deieci,
quotiens miseros quos infinitis calumniis inpunita barbarorum semper avaritia vexabat, obiecta periculis auctoritate protexi!
Numquam me ab iure ad iniuriam quisquam detraxit.
Provincialium fortunas tum privatis rapinis tum publicis vectigalibus pessumdari non aliter quam qui patiebantur indolui.
Cum acerbae famis tempore gravis atque inexplicabilis indicta coemptio profligatura inopia Campaniam provinciam videretur, certamen adversum praefectum praetorii communis commodi ratione suscepi, rege cognoscente contendi et ne coemptio exigeretur, evici.
Paulinum consularem virum cuius opes Palatinae canes iam spe atque ambitione devorassent, ab ipsis hiantium faucibus traxi.
Ne Albinum consularem virum praeiudicatae accusationis poena corriperet, odiis me Cypriani delatoris opposui.
Satisne in me magnas videor exaceruasse discordias?
Sed esse apud ceteros tutior debui qui mihi amore iustitiae nihil apud aulicos quo magis essem tutior reservavi.
14. OPERA PIETATIS SUȨ COMMEMORAT.
Quotiens excepi . i . prohibui ego conigastum . facientem impetum . in fortunas cuiusque inbecilli? Uuîo ófto neuuéreta íh conigaste demo gotho . dánne er ána-uártôta uuéichero mánno gûot?
Quotiens deieci Triguillam praepositum regiȩ domus . ab incepta iniuria, prorsus iam perpetrata. Uuîo díccho nestîez íh ten fálenscrâuen triguillen . ába sînemo únréchte . dés ér begúnnen hábeta . únde ióh fólletân hábeta?
Quotiens protexi auctoritate miseros . quos semper uexabat inpunita auaritia barbarorum . i. gothorum infinitis calumniis? Uuîo ófto neuuás íh fóre mít mînero námeháfti uuênegên . dîe dero héidenôn uréchti in gníuz árbeita . mít únzálaháftên léid-tâten?
Numquam detraxit me quisquam ab iure ad iniuriam. Míh negechêrta nîo nehéin mán ába demo réchte án daz únrécht.
Prouincialium fortunas pessumdari . tum priuatis rapinis . tum publicis uectigalibus . non aliter indolui quam qui patiebantur. Nîeht éin dero búrglíuto . núbe óuh sô ih sáhtero lánt-líuto gûot ferôsen uuérden . úmbe frôno-zíns . álde óuh sús fóne îomannes nôt/númfte . dáz uuág mír ében-hárto dîen . dîe iz líten.
Cum tempore acerbȩ famis . grauis atque inexplicabilis coemptio campaniam prouinciam profligatura inopia . indicta a praefecto praetorii . uideretur . s. quando horrea regis aperiebantur. Tô in hándegên húnger-iâren strénge chórn-chóuf in campania . únde úbelêr ze geuuérenne . únde dîa sélbûn gebíurda erármen súlentêr . fóne demo chúninge gebánnen uuárt. Suscepi certamen aduersus praefectum praetorii . ratione communis utilitatis. Tô hínder-stûont íh târ-úmbe ze stîtenne . uuîder démo flégare des praetorii . dés ámbáht iz uuás . úmbe geméine nôttúrfte. Rege cognoscente contendi. Témo chúninge . tés chórn iz uuás . uuízentemo . stréit ih. Et euici . ne exigeretur coemptio.
Paulinum consularem uirum . cuius opes iam spe atque ambitione deuorassent palatini canes . traxi ab ipsis faucibus hiantium. Paulinum éinen gerśtilichen mán ze consule . tés kûot tie hóugîra . sô uílo iz ze íro uuâne únde ze íro gíredo gestûont . íu uerslúnden hábetôn . tén zôh íh ín gínentên ûzer dero chélûn.
Ne albinum consularem uirum corriperet pȩna praeiudicatȩ accusationis, opposui me odiis cipriani delatoris. Nîo albinum éinen sámo hêren mán âne díng . táz neuerskîelte dáz er uerlídôt uuás . târ-úmbe sázta íh míh gágen sînes léidares háze cipriani.
Uideorne exaceruasse . i. multiplicasse in me satis magnas discordias? Nedúnchet tír míh háben gerécchet mír sélbemo gnûog mánige uîntskéfte?
Sed tutior debui esse apud cȩteros . i. apud senatum. Nû sólta ih áber deró ánderro hálb . sô uílo sîn síchurero. Quo mihi amore iustitiȩ . nihil reseruaui . apud aulicos . quo magis tutior essem. Sô uílo ih mîn úmbe réhtes mínna . uuírs kebórgêt hábeta . uuíder die hóuelíute.
Quantes foiz, alans encontre, reçui je Congaste fesant assaut contre les biens de chascun homme pouvre et foible ?
Quantes foiz osté je Triguille, prévost de la maison le roy, du tort que il avoit commencié et ja neis du tout parfait ?
Quantes foiz couvri je, par l’auctorité de moy contremise aus perilz, les chetis que l’avarice neant punie des estranges travailloit touz jours?
Nus hom ne me detrest onques de droit a tort.
Quant je veoie les fortunes du peuple des provinces estre grevees et misez au desouz, ou par privees rapines ou par communs paages, je m’en doului non pas autrement que cil qui ce souffroient.
Comme (le roy Theodoric qui par un chier temps avoit ses greniers plains de blés commanda que cist blé fust chierement vendu et fist crier ban que nus n’achetast blé jusques a tant qu’il eust tout vendu, je Boece alai contre cest establissement et le vainqui, le roy meismes sachant et cognoissant) coemption, c’est a dire communs achéz griéz et non mie desploiable commandéz et establiz seur le peuple ou temps de la fain eigre, fust veuz a degaster et a tormenter par souffreté et par mesaise la province de Champaigne, je reçui l’estrif encontre le prevost de pretoire pour la raison du commun profit. Je, le roy cognoissant, estrivé et vainqui que la coempcion ne fust requise ne ne passast.
Paulin, homme conseilleur, de qui li chien du palés eussent ja devoré les richesses par esperance et convoitise, fortrés je des joes meismes de ceus qui les ouvroient.
Et pour ce que la paine de l’accusacion devant juigiee ne surprist Aubin, homme conseilleur, je me contremis aus haines de Ciprien accuseur.
Ne voit on bien donques asséz que je ai ensemblés grans descordes encontre moy ?
Mais envers ces autres dui je estre plus seurs, qui pour l’amour de droiture ne gardé oncques riens a moy vers ceus du palais roial par quoy je fusse plus seurs.
How ofte have I resisted and withstonde thilke man that highte Conigaste, that made alwey assautes ayeins the prospre fortunes of pore feble folk ?
How ofte eek have I put of or cast out him, Trigwille, provost of the kinges hous, bothe of the wronges that he hadde bigunne to don, and eek fully performed ?
How ofte have I covered and defended by the auctoritee of me, put ayeins perils —that is to seyn, put myn auctoritee in peril for—the wrecched pore folk, that the covetyse of straungeres unpunished tourmenteden alwey with miseyses and grevaunces out of noumbre ?
Never man ne drow me yit fro right to wronge.
Whan I say the fortunes and the richesses of the poeple of the provinces ben harmed or amenused, outher by privee ravynes or by comune tributes or cariages, as sory was I as they that suffreden the harm.
Glossa Whan that Theodoric, the king of Gothes, in a dereyere, hadde hise gerneres ful of corn, and comaundede that no man ne sholde byen no corn til his corn weresold, and that at a grevous dere prys, Boece withstood that ordinaunce, and over-com it, knowinge al this the king him-self.
Textus. Whan it was in the soure hungry tyme, ther was establisshed or cryed grevous and inplitable coempcioun, that men sayen wel it sholde greetly turmenten and endamagen al the province of Campaigne , I took stryf ayeins the provost of the pretorie for comune profit. And, the king knowinge of it, I overcom it, so that the coempcioun ne was not axed ne took effect.
Glossa. Coempcioun, that is to seyn, comune achat or bying to-gidere, that wereestablisshedup-onthepeople by swiche a manere imposicioun, as who-soboughtea busshel corn, he moste yeve the king the fifte part.
Textus. Paulin, a counseiller of Rome, the richesses of the whiche Paulin the houndes of the palays, that is to seyn, the officeres, wolden han devoured by hope and covetise, yit drow I him out of the Iowes (sc.faucibus) of hem that gapeden.
And for as moche as the peyne of the accusacioun aiuged biforn ne sholde nat sodeinly henten ne punisshen wrongfully Albin, a counseiller of Rome, I putte me ayeins the hates and indignaciouns of the accusor Ciprian.
Is it nat thanne y-nough y-seyn, that I have purchased grete discordes ayeins my-self?
But I oughte be the more assured ayeins alle othre folk (s. Romayns), that for the love of rightwisnesse I ne reserved never no-thing to my-self to hemward of the kinges halle, sc. officers, by the whiche I were the more siker.
How oft have I crossed Conigastus, vsing violence to eche mans weke fortune?
How many tymes haue I overthrowne Trigyula, In court cheefe officer, from his begon & almost ended iniurye?
How oft haue I protected poore men, whom the vnpunished auarice of Barberous, with infinite slander vexed, throwing my autoritie against the perils?
Never could any man drawe me from Law to Iniury.
I sorrowed for the provinces misfortunes, wrackt by private ravins and publick taxes, no less than they that suffered them.
Whan the Campania province seemed afflicted through want in tyme of greatest famyne, & such as could not be exprest, when buying & selling was forbyd, I began a quarell against the pretorian RUler for cause of common good. I straue with him, the King knowing it, & wan it that no sale were made.
Paulin the consul, whose goodes the palantine dog with hope & ambition had deuourde, from the gapers Jawes I drew.
I opposde myself to the hate of Ciprian the bakbyter, that payne of the preuidical accusation might not fall to the share of Albinus the consul.
Have not I, suppose you, sharpned quarrels me ynough?
and ought to have ben defended among the rest, euin them that for loue of Justice among the Courtiers might haue saued me, by which I should be safer;
Complete text
Book I: THE SORROWS OF BOETHIUS