fol. 3r

whanne Anastasius was Emperour
Boecius . the same whome I mene .
In Rome he was a noble Senatour
but [th]o in manere of a conqueroure
Theodoricus . regned in . Itayle .
And Rome helde . as hede an . governoure
he hadde hit wonne ; by conquest & bataile
For Anastasius . was not y lyke
ne not so . stronge of meyne atte leste
he was consentant . that Theodoryk .
shulde regne in Rome . and helde it as hym left .
And he wolde hym self in [th]e este
he saide hit was acordaunt to his hele .
and for his ese in sothe he chese it meste .
For Romaynes bene ful p[er]ilous wi[th] to dele
This Kynge of Rome . than Theodoryk
was full of malice . and of cursidnesse .
and eke for cause he was an heretyk
the cristen puple . he ganne right sore oppresse .
Boecius wi[th] his besynesse .
wi[th] stode hym ever sparyng none offenses
and hym present full oft tyme expresse .
reversid his unlawfull judgementes
he spared not [th]e helth of his estate
but ever he spak ayens his tirannye
where fore [th]e kyng hym had fore in hate
and hym exiled in to lumbardye
to prisoun in [th]e citee of Pavye
where in when . he was . for a recreacioun
to brynge hym self of philosophye
he wrote [th]is boke of consolacioun .