[Sidenote: Their prosperity is affected by the caprice of their fortunate
masters as well as by the adversity to which they are
incident.
Chaucer - Boethius
at is put in ?e handes of hise
seruaunt?. for he sholde seme my?ty but of familiers
[or] seruaunt? of ky{n}ges.
[Sidenote: Why need I enlarge upon the favourites of princes
having thus displayed the imbecility of kings!]
? what sholde I telle ?e
any ?ing. syn ?at I my self haue shewed ?e ?at realmes 2092
hem self ben ful of gret feblenesse.
[Sidenote: Their prosperity is affected by the caprice of their fortunate
masters as well as by the adversity to which they are
incident.
]
?e whiche familiers
certis ?e real power of kynges in hool estat {and} in estat
abated ful [ofte] ?rowe? adou{n}.
[Sidenote: Nero only allowed his master Seneca to choose the
manner of his death.]
? Nero co{n}streined[e]
his familier {and} his maistre seneca to chesen on what 2096
dee? he wolde deien.
[Sidenote: Antonius (Caracalla) commanded Papinian to be slain by
the swords of his soldiers.]
? Antonius comau{n}did[e] ?at
kny?tis slowen wi? her swerdis Papinian his familier
whiche Papinian had[de] ben long tyme ful my?
