BANKBOSTON CORP
8-K, 1999-02-17
NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANKS
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<PAGE>
 
______________________________________________________________________________


                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549



                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT


    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

      Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  February 3, 1999



                            BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Massachusetts                           1-6522                04-2471221
(State or other jurisdiction            (Commission           (IRS Employer
  of incorporation)                     File Number)        Identification No.)
 

100 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts                          02110
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (617) 434-2200


______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
<PAGE>
 
                                      -2-

Item 5.  Other Events.

BankBoston Corporation ("the Corporation") has filed a shelf registration
statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-67383) (the "Registration
Statement") pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), covering one or more proposed issuances of (i) debt securities and
warrants to purchase debt securities, (ii) shares of preferred stock, which may
be issued in the form of depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts, and
warrants to purchase shares of preferred stock and (iii) shares of common stock
and warrants to purchase shares of common stock.  The Registration Statement, as
amended by Pre-Effective Amendment No. I thereto, was declared effective by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on February 2, 1999.  On
February 10, 1999, the Corporation filed a Prospectus Supplement with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) under the Act in connection with the
establishment of a program to offer up to $1 billion aggregate initial offering
price of its senior and subordinated Medium-Term Notes (the "Notes").  The
Notes, which may be offered from time to time, will be issued under the above
Registration Statement and will be due nine months or more from the date of
issue.  By filing this Current Report on Form 8-K, the Corporation is
incorporating by reference into the above-referenced Registration Statement the
information contained herein relating to the Notes.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

1      Distribution Agreement, dated February 3, 1999, among the Corporation and
       Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.,
       Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Chase Securities Inc., Credit Suisse First
       Boston Corporation, Lehman Brothers Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill
       Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
       relating to the Notes.

4(a)   Form of global certificate representing the senior fixed rate Notes.

4(b)   Form of global certificate representing the senior floating rate Notes.

4(c)   Form of global certificate representing the subordinated fixed rate
       Notes.

4(d)   Form of global certificate representing the subordinated floating rate
       Notes.
<PAGE>
 
                                  SIGNATURES



    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                                        BANKBOSTON CORPORATION


Dated: February 17, 1999                /s/ Gary A. Spiess
                                        ----------------------------
                                        Gary A. Spiess
                                        Executive Vice President,
                                        General Counsel and Clerk

<PAGE>
 
                                                              EXHIBIT 1

                            BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
                             MEDIUM-TERM NOTES DUE
                      9 Months or More from Date of Issue

                            DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT



                                                                February 3, 1999

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC.
BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.
CHASE SECURITIES INC.
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
             INCORPORATED
SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.

c/o  Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
     1585 Broadway
     New York, New York  10036-8293

Dear Sir/Madam:

     BankBoston Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation (the "Company"),
confirms its agreement with Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, BancBoston
Robertson Stephens Inc., Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Chase Securities Inc., Credit
Suisse First Boston Corporation, Lehman Brothers Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Salomon Smith Barney Inc. (each referred to as
"Agent" and collectively referred to as the "Agents") with respect to the issue
and sale by the Company of its Senior Medium-Term Notes (the "Senior Notes") and
Subordinated Medium-Term Notes (the "Subordinated Notes") described herein (the
Senior Notes and the Subordinated Notes being collectively referred to as the
"Notes").  The Senior Notes are to be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as
of June 15, 1992 (the "Senior Indenture"), between the Company and Norwest Bank
Minnesota, National Association ("Norwest" or the "Trustee"), as trustee.  The
Subordinated Notes are to be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of June
15, 1992, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June
24, 1993 (the "Subordinated Indenture" and, together with the Senior Indenture,
the "Indentures"), between the Company and Norwest, as trustee.  As of the date
hereof, the Company has authorized the issuance and sale of up to U.S.
$1,000,000,000 aggregate initial offering price (or its equivalent, based upon
the applicable exchange rate at the time of issuance, 
<PAGE>
 
in such foreign or composite currencies as the Company shall designate at the
time of issuance) of Notes with maturities of nine months or more from their
respective dates of issue to or through the Agents pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement.

     This Agreement provides both for the sale of Notes by the Company to the
Agents as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers and for the
sale of Notes by the Company directly to investors (as may from time to time be
agreed to by the Company and the Agents), in which case the Agents will act as
agents of the Company in soliciting Note purchases.

     The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-67383), including a
prospectus, for the registration of certain securities, including the Notes,
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") and the offering
thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and
regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations").  Such
registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC and each of the
Indentures has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended
(the "1939 Act").  Such registration statement (and any further registration
statements which may be filed by the Company for the purpose of registering
additional Notes and in connection with which this Agreement is included or
incorporated by reference as an exhibit) and the prospectus constituting a part
thereof, and any prospectus supplements relating to the Notes, including all
documents incorporated therein by reference, as from time to time amended or
supplemented by the filing of documents pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") or the 1933 Act or otherwise, are referred
to herein as the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus", respectively,
except that if any revised prospectus shall be provided to the Agents by the
Company for use in connection with the offering of the Notes, whether or not
such revised prospectus is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule
424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations, the term "Prospectus" shall refer to such
revised prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to the Agents
for such use.

SECTION
1.   Appointment as Agents.
     --------------------- 

     (a) Appointment.  Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and
         -----------                                                        
subject to the reservation by the Company of the right to sell Notes directly on
its own behalf or through an affiliate of the Company in those jurisdictions
where the Company or such affiliate is authorized to do so, the Company hereby
agrees that Notes will be sold exclusively to or through the Agents except as
otherwise described below.  Each Agent is authorized to engage the services of
any other broker or dealer in connection with the offer or sale of the Notes
purchased by such Agent as principal for resale to others but is not authorized
to appoint sub-agents.  In connection with sales by an Agent of Notes purchased
by such Agent as principal to other brokers or dealers, such Agent may allow any
portion of the discount it has received in connection with such purchase from
the Company to such brokers or dealers.  Each Agent is acting in connection with
the Notes individually and not collectively or jointly.  The Company agrees
that, during the period the Agents are acting as the Company's agents hereunder,
unless otherwise agreed, the Company will not appoint other agents (other than
an affiliate of the Company) to act on its behalf, or to assist it, in the
placement of the Notes unless the Company has entered into an agreement or

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
agreements substantially similar to this Agreement with such agent or agents and
has notified the Agents prior to entering into any such substantially similar
agreement.

     (b) Sale of Notes.  The Company shall not sell or approve the solicitation
         -------------                                                         
of purchases of Notes in excess of the amount which shall be authorized by the
Company from time to time or in excess of the principal amount of Notes
registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.  The Agents will have no
responsibility for maintaining records with respect to the aggregate principal
amount of Notes sold, or of otherwise monitoring the availability of Notes for
sale, under the Registration Statement.

     (c) Purchases as Principal.  The Agents shall not have any obligation to
         ----------------------                                              
purchase Notes from the Company as principal, but the Agents may agree from time
to time to purchase Notes as principal.  Any such purchase of Notes by an Agent
as principal shall be made in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof.

     (d) Solicitations as Agents.  If agreed upon by an Agent and the Company,
         -----------------------                                              
such Agent, acting solely as an agent for the Company and not as principal, will
solicit purchases of the Notes.  The Agent will communicate to the Company,
orally, each offer to purchase Notes solicited by such Agent on an agency basis,
other than those offers rejected by such Agent.  Each Agent shall have the
right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, to reject any proposed purchase
of Notes, as a whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a
breach of such Agent's agreement contained herein.  The Company may accept or
reject any proposed purchase of Notes, in whole or in part.  Each Agent shall
make reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each
purchaser whose offer to purchase Notes has been solicited by the Agent and
accepted by the Company.  Each Agent shall not have any liability to the Company
in the event any such agency purchase is not consummated for any reason.  If the
Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Notes to a purchaser whose
offer it has accepted, the Company shall (i) hold the Agent harmless against any
loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company
and (ii) notwithstanding such default, pay to the Agent any commission to which
it would be entitled in connection with such sale.

     (e) Reliance.  The Company and the Agents agree that any Notes purchased by
         --------                                                               
the Agents shall be purchased, and any Notes the placement of which an Agent
arranges shall be placed by such Agent, in reliance on the representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements of the Company contained herein and on the
terms and conditions and in the manner provided herein.

SECTION 2.  Representations and Warranties.
            ------------------------------ 

     (a) The Company represents and warrants to each Agent as of the date
hereof, as of the date of each acceptance by the Company of an offer for the
purchase of Notes (whether from the Agent as principal or through the Agent as
agent), as of the date of each delivery of Notes (whether to such Agent as
principal or through such Agent as agent) (the date of each such delivery to an
Agent as principal being hereafter referred to as a "Settlement Date"), and as
of any time that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended
or supplemented or there is filed with the SEC any document incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus (each of the times referenced above being referred
to herein as a "Representation Date") as follows:

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
               (i)   Due Incorporation.  The Company is a corporation duly
                     -----------------                                    
     organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of The
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts with corporate power and authority under such
     laws to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as
     described in the Prospectus; the Company is duly registered as a bank
     holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended.

               (ii)  Subsidiaries.  BankBoston, N.A. (the "Bank" or the
                     ------------                                      
     "Significant Subsidiary") is a duly organized and validly existing national
     banking association under the laws of the United States, continues to hold
     a valid certificate to do business as such, has full power and authority to
     conduct its business as such, and has the authority under its jurisdiction
     of organization to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
     business.  The Company does not have any subsidiaries which are material to
     its business, except to the extent that the Significant Subsidiary may be
     deemed to be so material.

               (iii) Qualification.  The Company is duly qualified as a foreign
                     -------------                                             
     corporation, and the Significant Subsidiary is duly authorized, to transact
     business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or
     leases property of a nature, or transacts business of a type, that would
     make such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to
     so qualify or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect
     on the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

               (iv)  Registration Statement and Prospectus.  The Company meets
                     -------------------------------------                    
     the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and will meet such
     requirements as of the applicable filing date as to any supplement to the
     Prospectus.  At the time the Registration Statement became effective, the
     Registration Statement complied, and as of each applicable Representation
     Date will comply, in all material respects with the requirements of the
     1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and the rules and
     regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.  The Registration Statement,
     at the time it became effective, did not, and at each time thereafter at
     which any amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective or any
     Annual Report on Form 10-K is filed by the Company with the SEC and as of
     each Representation Date, will not, contain an untrue statement of a
     material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
     therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  The
     Prospectus, as of the date hereof does not, and as of each Representation
     Date will not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
     state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
     the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
     provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this
     --------  -------                                                 
     subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the
     Registration Statement or Prospectus made in reliance upon and in
     conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the
     Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus.  As
     of each applicable Representation Date, the Indentures will comply in all
     material respects with the requirements of the 1939 Act and the rules and
     regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
               (v)   Incorporated Documents.  The documents incorporated by
                     ----------------------                                
     reference in the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933
     Act, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the SEC, complied or
     when so filed will comply, as the case may be, in all material respects
     with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
     promulgated thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations"), and, when read
     together and with the other information in the Prospectus, did not and will
     not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
     material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make
     the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
     were or are made, not misleading.

               (vi)  Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements
                     --------------------                             
     included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the
     Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated
     results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its subsidiaries
     for the periods specified.  Such financial statements have been prepared in
     conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a
     consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed in
     the notes to such financial statements.  The financial statement schedules,
     if any, included in the Registration Statement present fairly the
     information required to be stated therein.

               (vii) Authorization and Validity of this Agreement, the
                     -------------------------------------------------
     Indenture and the Notes.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
     -----------------------                                                    
     and delivered by the Company and, upon execution and delivery by the
     Agents, will be a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company; each
     of the Indentures has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
     Company and, assuming each Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and
     delivered by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the
     Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
     except as enforcement thereof may be limited by the receivership,
     conservatorship and supervisory powers of bank regulatory agencies
     generally as well as bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
     other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
     except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity
     (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity
     or at law) and the availability of equitable remedies, and except further
     as enforcement thereof may be limited by (i) requirements that a claim with
     respect to any Notes denominated other than in U.S. dollars (or a foreign
     currency or currency unit judgment in respect of such claim) be converted
     into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined
     pursuant to applicable law or (ii) governmental authority to limit, delay
     or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States; the Notes
     have been duly and validly authorized for issuance, offer and sale pursuant
     to this Agreement and, when executed, authenticated and delivered in the
     manner provided for in the applicable Indenture and issued and paid for in
     accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, the Notes will constitute
     valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against
     the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof
     may be limited by the receivership, conservatorship and supervisory powers
     of bank regulatory agencies generally as well as bankruptcy, insolvency,
     reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting
     enforcement of creditors' rights generally and except as enforcement
     thereof is subject to general 

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
     principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a
     proceeding in equity or at law) and the availability of equitable remedies,
     and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by (i)
     requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes denominated other than
     in U.S. dollars (or a foreign currency or currency unit judgment in respect
     of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange
     prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or (ii)
     governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments
     outside the United States; the Notes and the Indentures will be
     substantially in the form heretofore delivered to the Agents and conform in
     all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the
     Prospectus; and each holder of Notes will be entitled to the benefits of
     the applicable Indenture.

               (viii) Material Changes or Material Transactions.  Since the
                      -----------------------------------------            
     respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
     Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein or
     contemplated thereby and, except for normal recurring dividends on the
     outstanding common stock and preferred stock of the Company, there has not
     been (a) any material adverse change in the condition (financial or
     otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company
     and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising
     in the ordinary course of business, (b) any transaction entered into by the
     Company or any subsidiary, other than in the ordinary course of business,
     that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
     enterprise, or (c) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid
     or made by the Company on its capital stock.

               (ix)  No Defaults; Regulatory Approvals.  Neither the Company nor
                     ---------------------------------                          
     the Significant Subsidiary is in default in the performance or observance
     of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
     contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other
     agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound
     or to which any of its properties may be subject, except for such defaults
     that would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial
     or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
     Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.  The execution
     and delivery of this Agreement and the Indentures and the consummation of
     the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration
     Statement, and compliance by the Company with the terms of this Agreement
     and the Indentures, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
     action on the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any
     violation of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the Significant
     Subsidiary, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of
     any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute default under, or result
     in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any
     property or assets of the Company or the Significant Subsidiary under, (a)
     any indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or
     instrument to which the Company or the Significant Subsidiary is a party or
     by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject
     (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or
     encumbrances that would not have a material adverse effect on the condition
     (financial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects
     of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise) or (b)
     any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of
     any government, 

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
     governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having
     jurisdiction over the Company or the Significant Subsidiary or any of its
     properties. Each authorization, approval, consent or license of any
     government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign
     (other than under the 1933 Act, the 1939 Act and the securities or blue sky
     laws of the various states), which is required for (A) the valid
     authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes or (B) the
     execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or the Indentures by
     the Company has been received.

               (x)   Legal Proceedings; Contracts.  Except as disclosed in the
                     ----------------------------                             
     Prospectus, there is no action, suit or proceeding before or by any
     government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, now
     pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or
     affecting the Company or the Significant Subsidiary that is required to be
     disclosed in the Prospectus or that, in the final outcome, could, in the
     judgment of the Company, result in any material adverse change in the
     condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business
     prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
     enterprise, or that could materially and adversely affect the properties or
     assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise,
     or that could adversely affect the consummation of the transactions
     contemplated in this Agreement; the aggregate liability or loss, if any,
     resulting from the final outcome of all pending legal or governmental
     proceedings to which the Company or the Significant Subsidiary is a party
     or which affect any of its properties that are not described in the
     Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to its
     business, would not have a material adverse effect on the condition
     (financial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects
     of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise; and
     there are no contracts or documents of a character required to be described
     in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits
     to the Registration Statement that are not described and filed as required.

               (xi)  Properties.  The Company and the Significant Subsidiary
                     ----------                                             
          each has good and marketable title to all properties and assets
          described in the Prospectus as owned by it, free and clear of all
          liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except such as (a) are
          described in the Prospectus or (b) are neither material in amount nor
          materially significant in relation to the business of the Company and
          its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise; all of the leases and
          subleases material to the business of the Company and its
          subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the
          Company or the Significant Subsidiary holds properties described in
          the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company
          nor the Significant Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of
          any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the
          Company or the Significant Subsidiary under any of the leases or
          subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of
          such corporation to the continued possession of the leased or
          subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

               (xii) Licenses.  The Company and the Significant Subsidiary each
                     --------                                                  
          owns or possesses or has obtained all material governmental licenses,
          permits, certificates, consents, orders, approvals and other
          authorizations necessary to lease or own, as 

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
          the case may be, and to operate its properties and to carry on its
          business as presently conducted, and neither the Company nor the
          Significant Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating
          to the revocation or modification of any such licenses, permits,
          certificates, consents, orders, approvals or authorizations that, in
          the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or
          finding, could materially adversely affect the condition (financial or
          otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
          Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

            (xiii) Patents; Trademarks.  The Company and the Significant
                   -------------------                                  
          Subsidiary each owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms,
          adequate patents, patent licenses, trademarks, service marks and trade
          names necessary to carry on their businesses as presently conducted,
          and neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiary has received
          any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of
          others with respect to any patents, patent licenses, trademarks,
          service marks or trade names that, in the aggregate, if the subject of
          an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could materially adversely
          affect the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business
          affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries,
          considered as one enterprise.

            (xiv)  Labor.  To the best knowledge of the Company, no labor
                   -----                                                 
          problem exists with its employees or with employees of the Significant
          Subsidiary or is imminent that could adversely affect the Company and
          its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and the Company is not
          aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees
          of any of its or the Significant Subsidiary's principal suppliers,
          contractors or customers that could be expected to materially
          adversely affect the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings,
          business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
          subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

            (xv)   Doing Business with Cuba.  The Company has materially 
                   ------------------------      
          complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of Florida
          H.B. 1771, codified as Section 517.075 of the Florida Statutes, 1987,
          as amended, and all applicable regulations promulgated thereunder
          relating to issuers doing business in Cuba.

     (b)  Additional Certifications.  Any certificate signed by any director or
          -------------------------                                            
officer of the Company and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents
in connection with an offering of Notes through an Agent as agent or the sale of
Notes to an Agent as principal shall be deemed a representation and warranty by
the Company to the Agents as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such
certificate and at each Representation Date subsequent thereto.

SECTION 3.  Purchases as Principal; Solicitations as Agents.

     (a)  Purchases as Principal.  Unless otherwise agreed by an Agent and the
         ----------------------                                              
Company, Notes shall be purchased by the Agent as principal.  Such purchases
shall be made in accordance with terms agreed upon by the Agent and the Company
with respect to such information (as applicable) as is specified in Exhibit A
hereto (which terms, unless otherwise agreed, shall be 

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
agreed upon orally, with written confirmation prepared by the Agent and mailed
or sent via facsimile transmission to the Company). Each Agent's commitment to
purchase Notes as principal shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of
the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each purchase of Notes,
unless otherwise agreed, shall be at a discount from the principal amount of
each such Note equivalent to the applicable commission set forth in Schedule I
hereto. The Agent may engage the services of any other broker or dealer in
connection with the resale of the Notes purchased as principal and may allow any
portion of the discount received in connection with such purchases from the
Company to such brokers and dealers. At the time of each purchase of Notes by an
Agent as principal, the Agent shall specify the requirements for the stand-off
agreement, officer's certificate, opinion of counsel and comfort letter pursuant
to Sections 4(j), 7(b), 7(c) and 7(d) hereof.

     (b) Solicitations as Agents.  On the basis of the representations and
         -----------------------                                          
warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, when agreed by the Company and an Agent, such Agent, as an agent of the
Company, will use its reasonable efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Notes
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Prospectus.  All Notes
sold through an Agent as agent will be sold at 100% of their principal amount
unless otherwise agreed to by the Company and such Agent.

     The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend
solicitation of purchases of the Notes through the Agents, as agents, commencing
at any time for any period of time or permanently.  Upon receipt of instructions
from the Company, the Agents will forthwith suspend solicitation of purchases
from the Company until such time as the Company has advised the Agents that such
solicitation may be resumed.

     The Company agrees to pay each Agent a commission, in the form of a
discount, equal to the applicable percentage of the principal amount of each
Note sold by the Company as a result of a solicitation made by such Agent as set
forth in Schedule I hereto.

     (c) Administrative Procedures.  The purchase price, interest rate or
         -------------------------                                       
formula, maturity date and other terms of the Notes (as applicable) specified in
Exhibit A hereto shall be agreed upon by the Company and the applicable Agent
and set forth in a pricing supplement to the Prospectus to be prepared in
connection with each sale of Notes.  Except as may be otherwise provided in such
supplement to the Prospectus, the Notes will be issued in denominations of
U.S.$1,000 or any larger amount that is an integral multiple of U.S.$1,000.
Administrative procedures with respect to the sale of Notes shall be agreed upon
from time to time by the Agents, the Company and the Trustee (the "Procedures").
The Agents and the Company agree to perform the respective duties and
obligations specifically provided to be performed by them in the Procedures.

SECTION 4.  Covenants of the Company.
            ------------------------ 

     The Company covenants with each Agent as follows:

     (a) Notice of Certain Events.  The Company will notify the Agents promptly
         ------------------------                                              
(i) of the effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement, (ii) of
the transmittal to the SEC 

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
for filing of any supplement to the Prospectus, (iii) of the receipt of any
comments from the SEC with respect to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, (iv) of any request by the SEC for any amendment to the Registration
Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional
information, and (v) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings
for that purpose. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the
issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the
lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

     (b) Notice of Certain Proposed Filings.  The Company will give the Agents
         ----------------------------------                                   
advance notice of its intention to file or prepare any additional registration
statement with respect to the registration of additional Notes, any amendment to
the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus
(other than through (i) the incorporation of information by reference or (ii) by
an amendment or supplement providing solely for a change in the interest rates
of Notes or similar changes or an amendment or supplement which relates
exclusively to an offering of debt securities other than the Notes).  The
Company will furnish the Agents with copies of any such additional registration
statement and any such amendment or supplement proposed to be filed or prepared
a reasonable time in advance of such proposed filing or preparation, as the case
may be, and will not file any such additional registration statement or
amendment or supplement or other documents in a form to which the Agents or
counsel for the Agents shall reasonably object.

     (c) Copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.  The Company
         -------------------------------------------------------              
will deliver to the Agents as many signed and conformed copies of the
Registration Statement (as originally filed) and of each amendment thereto
(including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein, if
specifically requested by an Agent, and documents incorporated by reference in
the Prospectus) as the Agents may reasonably request.  The Company will furnish
to the Agents as many copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as
the Agents shall reasonably request so long as the Agents are required to
deliver a Prospectus in connection with sales or solicitations of offers to
purchase the Notes.

     (d) Preparation of Pricing Supplements.  The Company will prepare, with
         ----------------------------------                                 
respect to any Notes to be sold through or to the Agents pursuant to this
Agreement, a Pricing Supplement with respect to such Notes in a form previously
approved by the Agents and will file such Pricing Supplement pursuant to Rule
424(b)(3) under the 1933 Act not later than the close of business of the SEC on
the fifth business day after the date on which such Pricing Supplement is first
used.

     (e) Revisions of Prospectus -- Material Changes.  Except as otherwise
         -------------------------------------------                      
provided in subsection (k) of this Section 4, if at any time during the term of
this Agreement any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it
is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Agents and counsel for the
Company, to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will
not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the
light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of both such
counsel, to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in
order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
Regulations, prompt notice shall be given, and confirmed in writing, to the
Agents to cease the solicitation of offers to purchase the Notes in their
capacity as agents and to 

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
cease sales of any Notes the Agents may then own as principal, and the Company
will promptly amend the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, whether by
filing documents pursuant to the 1934 Act, the 1933 Act or otherwise, as may be
necessary to correct such untrue statement or omission or to make the
Registration Statement and Prospectus comply with such requirements. The Agents
shall, at such time as the Company shall have furnished to the Agents an amended
or supplemental Prospectus satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, resume
solicitation of offers to purchase the Notes using the Prospectus as so amended
or supplemented.

     (f) Prospectus Revisions -- Periodic Financial Information.  Except as
         ------------------------------------------------------            
otherwise provided in subsection (k) of this Section 4, on or prior to the date
on which there shall be released to the general public interim financial
statement information related to the Company with respect to each of the first
three quarters of any fiscal year or preliminary financial statement information
with respect to any fiscal year, the Company shall cause the Prospectus to be
amended or supplemented to include or incorporate by reference financial
information with respect thereto and corresponding information for the
comparable period of the preceding fiscal year, as well as such other
information and explanations as shall be necessary for an understanding thereof
or as shall be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.

     (g) Earnings Statements.  The Company will make generally available to its
         -------------------                                                   
security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than 90 days after the
close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying
with the provisions of Rule 158 under the 1933 Act) covering each twelve month
period beginning, in each case, not later than the first day of the Company's
fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as defined in such Rule 158)
of the Registration Statement with respect to each sale of Notes.

     (h) Blue Sky Qualifications.  The Company will endeavor, in cooperation
         -----------------------                                            
with the Agents, to qualify the Notes for offering and sale under the applicable
securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions of the United States as
the Agents may designate, and will maintain such qualifications in effect for as
long as may be required for the distribution of the Notes; provided, however,
                                                           --------  ------- 
that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service
of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which
it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing
business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.  The
Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of
each jurisdiction in which the Notes have been qualified as above provided.  The
Company will promptly advise the Agents of the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Notes
for sale in any such state or jurisdiction or the initiating or threatening of
any proceeding for such purpose.

     (i) 1934 Act Filings.  The Company, during the period when the Prospectus
         ----------------                                                     
is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file promptly all documents
required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d)
of the 1934 Act.

     (j) Stand-Off Agreement.  If specified by the Agent in connection with a
         -------------------                                                 
purchase by it of Notes as principal, between the date of the agreement to
purchase such Notes and the Settlement Date with respect to such purchase, the
Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Agent who is a party
to such agreement, offer or sell, or enter into any agreement 

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
to sell, any debt securities of the Company in the United States (other than the
Notes that are to be sold pursuant to such agreement and commercial paper in the
ordinary course of business).

     (k)  Suspension of Certain Obligations.  The Company shall not be required
          ---------------------------------                                    
to comply with the provisions of subsections (e) or (f) of this Section during
any period from the time (i) the Agents shall have suspended solicitation of
purchases of the Notes in their capacity as agents pursuant to a request from
the Company and (ii) the Agents shall not then hold any Notes purchased as
principal pursuant hereto, until the time the Company shall determine that
solicitation of purchases of the Notes should be resumed or the Agents shall
subsequently purchase Notes from the Company as principal.

SECTION 5.  Conditions of Obligations.
            ------------------------- 

     The obligations of the Agents to purchase Notes as principal and to solicit
offers to purchase the Notes as agents of the Company, and the obligations of
any purchasers of the Notes sold through the Agents as agents, will be subject
to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company
herein and to the accuracy of the statements of the Company's officers made in
any certificate furnished pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance
and observance by the Company of all its covenants and agreements herein
contained and to the following additional conditions precedent:

     (a)  Legal Opinions. On the date hereof, the Agents shall have received the
          --------------                                                        
following legal opinions, dated as of the date hereof and in form and substance
satisfactory to the Agents:

          (1) Opinion of Company Counsel.  The opinion of Gary A. Spiess, Esq.,
              --------------------------                                       
          General Counsel of the Company, to the effect that:

                    (i)   The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly
          existing and in good standing under the laws of The Commonwealth of
          Massachusetts with corporate power and authority under such laws to
          own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as
          described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

                    (ii)  The Company is duly qualified to transact business as
          a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in
          which it owns or leases property of a nature, or transacts business of
          a type, that would make such qualification necessary, except to the
          extent that the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not
          have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
          considered as one enterprise.

                    (iii)  The Bank is a duly organized and validly existing
          national banking association under the laws of the United States,
          continues to hold a valid certificate to do business as such and has
          full power and authority to conduct its business as such; and the
          Significant Subsidiary has the authority under its jurisdiction of
          organization to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct
          its business.

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
                    (iv)   The Significant Subsidiary is duly qualified to
          transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in
          which it owns or leases property of a nature, or transacts business of
          a type, that would make such qualification necessary, except to the
          extent that the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not
          have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
          considered as one enterprise.

                    (v)    The Company is duly registered under the Bank Holding
          Company Act of 1956, as amended; and the Significant Subsidiary is
          duly authorized to conduct such banking business in each jurisdiction
          in which its banking business is conducted.

                    (vi)   All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
          Significant Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued
          and are fully paid and non-assessable; except for directors'
          qualifying shares, all of such shares are owned by the Company,
          directly or through one or more subsidiaries, free and clear of any
          pledge, lien, security interest, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance
          of any kind; and none of such shares was issued in violation of the
          preemptive rights of any stockholder of the Significant Subsidiary.

                    (vii)  This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized,
          executed and delivered by the Company.

                    (viii) The Notes have been duly authorized and, when the
          global certificates representing the Notes have been duly executed,
          authenticated and delivered in the manner provided for in the
          applicable Indenture, and issued and paid for in accordance with the
          provisions of this Agreement, the Notes will constitute valid and
          binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in
          accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be
          limited by the receivership, conservatorship and supervisory powers of
          bank regulatory agencies generally as well as bankruptcy, insolvency,
          reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting enforcement
          of creditors' rights generally or by general equity principles
          (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in
          equity or at law) and the availability of equitable remedies, and
          except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by (A)
          requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes denominated other
          than in U.S. dollars (or a foreign currency or foreign currency unit
          judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into United States
          dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant
          to applicable law or (B) governmental authority to limit, delay or
          prohibit the making of payments in foreign currency or currency units
          or payments outside the United States, and each holder of Notes will
          be entitled to the benefits of the applicable Indenture.

                    (ix)   Each Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and
          delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization,
          execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and
          binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
          accordance with its terms, except 

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
          as enforcement thereof may be limited by the receivership,
          conservatorship and supervisory powers of bank regulatory agencies
          generally as well as by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
          moratorium or other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors'
          rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to
          general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is
          considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the availability
          of equitable remedies, and except further as enforcement thereof may
          be limited by (A) requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes
          denominated other than in U.S. dollars (or a foreign currency or
          foreign currency unit judgment in respect of such claim) be converted
          into United States dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date
          determined pursuant to applicable law or (B) governmental authority to
          limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments in foreign currency or
          currency units or payments outside the United States; and each
          Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

                    (x)    The Registration Statement is effective under the
          1933 Act and, to the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order
          suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
          issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are
          pending or contemplated under the 1933 Act.

                    (xi)   The Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
          excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each
          amendment or supplement thereto (except for the financial statements
          and other financial or statistical data included therein or omitted
          therefrom, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) as of
          their respective effective or issue dates appear on their face to have
          been appropriately responsive in all material respects to the
          requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

                    (xii)  The documents incorporated by reference in the
          Prospectus (except for the financial statements and other financial or
          statistical data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which
          such counsel need express no opinion, and except to the extent that
          any statement therein is modified or superseded in the Prospectus), as
          of the dates they were filed with the SEC and as of the date hereof,
          appear on their face to have been appropriately responsive in all
          material respects to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act
          Regulations.

                    (xiii) Each authorization, approval, consent or license of
          any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or
          foreign (other than under the 1933 Act, the 1939 Act and the
          securities or blue sky laws of the various states), which is required
          for (A) the valid authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the
          Notes or (B) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement
          or the Indentures by the Company has been received.


                    (xiv)  Such counsel does not know of any statutes or
          regulations, or any pending or threatened legal or governmental
          proceedings, required to be 

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
          described in the Prospectus that are not described as required, nor of
          any contracts or documents of a character required to be described or
          referred to in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
          Registration Statement that are not described, referred to or filed as
          required.

                    (xv)   The descriptions in the Prospectus of the statutes,
          regulations, legal or governmental proceedings, contracts and other
          documents therein described are accurate and fairly discuss in all
          material respects the information required to be shown.

                    (xvi)  To the knowledge of such counsel, no default exists
          in the performance or observance of any material obligation,
          agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture,
          loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is
          described or referred to in the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to
          the Registration Statement.

                    (xvii) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and
          the Indentures, the consummation by the Company of the transactions
          contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with the
          terms of this Agreement and the Indentures do not and will not result
          in any violation of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the
          Significant Subsidiary and do not and will not conflict with, or
          result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute
          a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
          charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or
          the Significant Subsidiary under (a) any indenture, mortgage or loan
          agreement or any other agreement or instrument known to such counsel,
          to which the Company or the Significant Subsidiary is a party or by
          which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject
          (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or
          encumbrances that would not have a material adverse effect on the
          condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or
          business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as
          one enterprise), (b) any existing applicable law, rule or regulation
          (other than the securities or blue sky laws of the various states, as
          to which such counsel need express no opinion), or (c) any judgment,
          order or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or
          court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or
          the Significant Subsidiary or any of its properties.

          (2) Opinion of Counsel to the Agents.  The opinion of Brown & Wood
              --------------------------------                              
          llp, counsel to the Agents, covering the matters referred to in
          subparagraph (1) under the subheadings (i) and (vii) to (xi),
          inclusive, above.

          (3) In giving their opinions required by subsection (a)(1) and (a)(2)
          of this Section, Gary A. Spiess, Esq. and Brown & Wood llp shall each
          additionally state that nothing has come to their attention that would
          lead them to believe that the Registration Statement, at the time it
          became effective or, if an amendment to the Registration Statement or
          an Annual Report on Form 10-K has been filed by the Company with the
          SEC subsequent to the effectiveness of the Registration 

                                       15
<PAGE>
 
          Statement, then at the time such amendment became effective or at the
          time of the most recent such filing, as the case may be, or at the
          date hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material
          fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact required to be
          stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein
          not misleading or that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented at
          the date hereof, or (if such opinion is being delivered in connection
          with the purchase of Notes by an Agent as principal pursuant to
          Section 7(c) hereof) at the date of any agreement by the Agent to
          purchase Notes as principal and at the Settlement Date with respect
          thereto, as the case may be, included or includes an untrue statement
          of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact
          necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
          circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

     (b)  Officers' Certificate.  At the date hereof, the Agents shall have
          ---------------------                                            
received a certificate, dated the date hereof, of the President or Vice
President or person holding a functional title of equivalent rank and the chief
financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, to the effect that (i)
since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus or since the date of any agreement by an Agent to
purchase Notes as principal, there has not been any material adverse change in
the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) the
other representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 2
hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly
made at and as of the date of such certificate, (iii) the Company has performed
or complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to the date of such certificate,  and (iv) no
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or threatened by
the SEC.

     (c)  Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof, the Agents shall have received a
          --------------                                                       
letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., dated as of the date hereof and in
form and substance satisfactory to the Agents, to the effect that:

               (i)   They are independent public accountants with respect to the
     Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the
     applicable published 1933 Act Regulations.

               (ii)  In their opinion, the audited consolidated financial
     statements and the related consolidated financial statement schedules of
     the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in
     the Company's most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K comply as to
     form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
     of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations with respect to registration
     statements on Form S-3 and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations with
     respect to annual reports on Form 10-K.

               (iii) On the basis of procedures (but not an examination in
     accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) consisting of a
     reading of the minutes of all meetings of the stockholders and directors of
     the Company and of the Bank and the 

                                       16
<PAGE>
 
     minutes of meetings of the Executive, Audit and Compensation and Board
     Governance Committees of the Board of Directors of the Company from the
     date of the latest audited consolidated financial statements of the
     Company, a reading of the unaudited consolidated financial statements of
     the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in
     each of the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed prior to the
     date hereof and subsequent to the Form 10-K described in (ii) above, a
     reading of the most recent consolidated financial statement of the Company,
     and inquiries of certain officials of the Company and its subsidiaries
     responsible for financial and accounting matters, all such inquiries and
     procedures being carried out to a specified date not more than five
     business days prior to the date of the letter, nothing came to their
     attention that caused them to believe that: (A) the unaudited consolidated
     financial statements included or incorporated by reference in each
     quarterly report on Form 10-Q do not comply as to form in all material
     respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and
     the 1934 Act Regulations with respect to Form 10-Q, or (B) such unaudited
     consolidated financial statements are not in conformity with generally
     accepted accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent
     with that of the audited consolidated financial statements referred to
     above, except as disclosed in the notes to such unaudited consolidated
     financial statements or as otherwise described in such letter, or (C) there
     was any increase at the specified date in the consolidated notes payable of
     the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or any increase in the number
     of outstanding shares of common stock, perpetual preferred stock or other
     capital securities of the Company acceptable to the Company's primary
     federal regulator, or any decrease in the stockholder's equity of the
     Company, in each case as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent
     balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated
     by reference in the Registration Statement, except in each case for
     changes, decreases or increases that the Registration Statement discloses
     have occurred or may occur, or which are disclosed in the letter, or (D)
     for the period from the date of the latest consolidated balance sheet of
     the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in
     the Prospectus to such specified date, there was any decrease in the
     Company's consolidated net interest revenue or increase in consolidated 
     non-interest expense, in each case as compared with the comparable period
     in the preceding year, except in each case for any increases or decreases
     that the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur, or
     which are disclosed in the letter.

               (iv) Such letter shall further state that, in addition to their
     examinations, inspections, inquiries and other procedures referred to
     therein, they have performed such other procedures, specified by the
     Agents, not constituting an audit, as they have agreed to perform and
     report on with respect to certain amounts, percentages, numerical data and
     other financial information in the most recently filed Form 10-K, each Form
     10-Q incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
     Prospectus and the exhibits to the Registration Statement or in other
     documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, and have compared
     certain of such amounts, percentages, numerical data and financial
     information with, and have found such items to be in agreement with or
     derived from, the detailed accounting and financial records of the Company
     and its subsidiaries.

     (d) Other Documents.  On the date hereof and on each Settlement Date,
         ---------------                                                  
counsel to the Agents shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions
as such counsel may 

                                       17
<PAGE>
 
reasonably require for the purpose of enabling such counsel to pass upon the
issuance and sale of Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in
order to evidence the accuracy and completeness of any of the representations
and warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained;
and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and
sale of Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance
to the Agents and to counsel to the Agents.

     If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled
when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement (or, at the option of the
Agent, any applicable agreement by an Agent to purchase Notes as principal) may
be terminated by the Agents by notice to the Company at any time and any such
termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except
that the covenant regarding provision of an earnings statement set forth in
Section 4(g) hereof, the provisions concerning payment of  expenses under
Section 10 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in
Sections 8 and 9 hereof, the provisions concerning the representations,
warranties and agreements to survive delivery of Section 11 hereof, the
provisions relating to governing law set forth in Section 14 and the provisions
set forth under "Parties" of Section 15 hereof shall remain in effect.

SECTION 6.  Delivery of and Payment for Notes Sold through an Agent.

     Delivery of Notes sold through an Agent as agent shall be made by the
Company to such Agent for the account of any purchaser only against payment
therefor in immediately available funds.  In the event that a purchaser shall
fail either to accept delivery of or to make payment for a Note on the date
fixed for settlement, the Agent shall promptly notify the Company and deliver
the Note to the Company, and, if the Agent has theretofore paid the Company for
such Note, the Company will promptly return such funds to the Agent.  If such
failure occurred for any reason other than default by the applicable Agent in
the performance of its obligations hereunder, the Company will reimburse such
Agent on an equitable basis for its loss of the use of the funds for the period
such funds were credited to the Company's account.

SECTION 7.  Additional Covenants of the Company.
            ----------------------------------- 

     The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent that:

     (a) Reaffirmation of Representations and Warranties.  Each acceptance by it
         -----------------------------------------------                        
of an offer for the purchase of Notes (whether to an Agent as principal or
through the Agent as agent), and each delivery of Notes to an Agent (whether to
an Agent as principal or through an Agent as agent), shall be deemed to be an
affirmation that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in
this Agreement and in any certificate theretofore delivered to the Agent
pursuant hereto are true and correct at the time of such acceptance or sale, as
the case may be, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties
will be true and correct at the time of delivery to the purchaser or its agent,
or to the applicable Agent, of the Note or Notes relating to such acceptance or
sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of each such time (and it is
understood that such representations and warranties shall relate to the
Registration Statement and Prospectus as amended and supplemented to each such
time).

                                       18
<PAGE>
 
     (b)  Subsequent Delivery of Certificates.  Each time that (i) the
          -----------------------------------                         
Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other
than by an amendment or supplement providing  solely for a change in the
interest rates of Notes or similar changes, and, unless the Agents shall
otherwise specify, other than by an amendment or supplement which relates
exclusively to an offering of debt securities other than the Notes), (ii) there
is filed with the SEC any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus
(other than any Current Report on Form 8-K relating exclusively to the issuance
of debt securities under the Registration Statement, unless the Agents shall
otherwise specify), (iii) (if required in connection with the purchase of Notes
by an Agent as principal) the Company sells Notes to an Agent as principal or
(iv) if the Company issues and sells Notes in a form not previously certified to
the Agents by the Company, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to
the Agents forthwith a certificate dated the date of filing with the SEC of such
supplement or document, the date of effectiveness of such amendment, or the date
of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agents to the
effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section
5(b) hereof which was last furnished to the Agents are true and correct at the
time of such amendment, supplement, filing or sale, as the case may be, as
though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed
to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and
supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the
same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 5(b), modified as
necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended
and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate.

     (c)  Subsequent Delivery of Legal Opinions.  Each time that (i) the
          -------------------------------------                         
Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other
than by an amendment or supplement providing solely for a change in the interest
rates of the Notes or similar changes or solely for the inclusion of additional
financial information, and, unless the Agents shall otherwise specify, other
than by an amendment or supplement which relates exclusively to an offering of
debt securities other than the Notes), (ii) there is filed with the SEC any
document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (other than any Current
Report on Form 8-K, unless the Agent shall otherwise specify), (iii) (if
required in connection with the purchase of Notes by an Agent as principal) the
Company sells Notes to an Agent as principal or (iv) if the Company issues and
sells Notes in a form not previously certified to the Agents by the Company, the
Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agents and to
counsel to the Agents a written opinion of Gary A. Spiess, Esq., General Counsel
of the Company, or other counsel satisfactory to the Agents dated the date of
filing with the SEC of such supplement or document, the date of effectiveness
of such amendment, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Agents, of the same tenor as the opinion referred
to in Sections 5(a)(1) and 5(a)(3) hereof, but modified, as necessary, to relate
to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to
the time of delivery of such opinion; or, in lieu of such opinion, counsel last
furnishing such opinion to the Agents shall furnish the Agents with a letter to
the effect that the Agents may rely on such last opinion to the same extent as
though it was dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that
statements in such last opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery
of such letter authorizing reliance).

     (d)  Subsequent Delivery of Comfort Letters.  Each time that (i) the
          --------------------------------------                         
Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to
include additional financial 

                                       19
<PAGE>
 
information or there is filed with the SEC any document incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus which contains additional financial information,
or (ii) (if required in connection with the purchase of Notes by an Agent as
principal) the Company sells Notes to an Agent as principal, the Company shall
cause PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. forthwith to furnish the Agents a letter,
dated the date of effectiveness of such amendment, supplement or document with
the SEC, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to
the Agents, of the same tenor as the portions of the letter referred to in
clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 5(c) hereof but modified to relate to the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date
of such letter, and of the same general tenor as the portions of the letter
referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of said Section 5(c) with such changes as
may be necessary to reflect changes in the financial statements and other
information derived from the accounting records of the Company.

SECTION 8. Indemnification.
           --------------- 

     (a) Indemnification of the Agents.  The Company agrees to indemnify and
         -----------------------------                                      
hold harmless each Agent and each person, if any, who controls each Agent within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act as follows:

           (i)   against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense
     whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged
     untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement
     (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom
     of a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading
     or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
     material fact included in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
     thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
     necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
     under which they were made, not misleading;

           (ii)  against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense
     whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in
     settlement of any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any
     governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim
     whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such
     alleged untrue statement or omission, if such settlement is effected with
     the written consent of the Company; and

           (iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred, (including
     the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Agents) reasonably
     incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation,
     or investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body,
     commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue
     statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to
     the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above.

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement does not apply to any loss,
- --------  -------                                                           
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of an untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information 

                                       20
<PAGE>
 
furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration
Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto);

     (b) Indemnification of Company.  Each Agent severally agrees to indemnify
         --------------------------                                           
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed
the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act against any and all loss,
liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in
subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue
statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by such Agent expressly for use in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto).

     (c) General.  Each indemnified party shall give prompt notice to each
         -------                                                          
indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which
indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying
party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability which it may
have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  An indemnifying
party may participate at its own expense in the defense of such action.  In no
event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for the fees and expenses of more
than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified parties
in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in
the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or
circumstances.

SECTION 9.  Contribution.
            ------------ 

     In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in
which the indemnity agreement provided for in Section 8 hereof is for any reason
held to be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless the indemnified
parties although applicable in accordance with its terms, the Company and the
Agents shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages
and expenses of the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by
the Company and the Agents, as incurred, in such proportions that each Agent is
responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the total
commissions and underwriting discounts received by such Agent to the date of
such liability bears to the total sales price from the sale of Notes sold to or
through such Agent to the date of such liability, and the Company is responsible
for the balance; provided, however, that (i) in no case shall any Agent be
                 --------  -------                                        
liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the total commissions and
underwriting discounts received by such Agent to the date of such liability and
(ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For purposes of this
Section, each person, if any, who controls each Agent within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such
Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed
the Registration Statement, and  each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to
contribution as the Company.

SECTION 10.  Payment of Expenses.
             ------------------- 

                                       21
<PAGE>
 
     The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its
obligations under this Agreement, including:

     (a) The preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and all
amendments thereto and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto;

     (b) The preparation, filing and reproduction of this Agreement;

     (c) The preparation, printing, issuance and delivery of the Notes,
including any fees and expenses relating to the use of book-entry notes;

     (d) The fees and disbursements of the Company's accountants and counsel, of
the Trustee and its counsel, and of any Calculation Agent or Exchange Rate
Agent;

     (e) The reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents incurred
in connection with the establishment of the program relating to the Notes and
incurred from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby;

     (f) The qualification of the Notes under state securities laws in
accordance with the provisions of Section 4(h) hereof, including filing fees and
the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection
therewith and in connection with the preparation of any Blue Sky Survey and any
Legal Investment Survey;

     (g) The printing and delivery to the Agents in quantities as hereinabove
stated of copies of the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto, and
of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto;

     (h) The preparation, printing, reproducing and delivery to the Agents of
copies of the Indenture and all supplements and amendments thereto;

     (i) Any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Notes;

     (j) The fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the
Notes on any securities exchange;

     (k) The fees and expenses, if any, incurred with respect to any filing with
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.;

     (l) Any advertising and other out-of-pocket expenses of the Agents incurred
with the approval of the Company; and

     (m) The cost of providing any CUSIP or other identification numbers for the
Notes.

SECTION 11.  Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.

     All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement
or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto or
thereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation made by or on behalf of the 

                                       22
<PAGE>
 
Agents or any controlling person of an Agent, or by or on behalf of the Company,
and shall survive each delivery of and payment for any of the Notes.

SECTION 12.  Termination.
             ----------- 

     (a) Termination of this Agreement.  This Agreement (excluding any agreement
         -----------------------------                                          
hereunder by an Agent to purchase Notes as principal) may be terminated for any
reason, at any time by either the Company or any of the Agents as to itself,
immediately upon the giving of 30 days written notice of such termination to the
other parties hereto.

     (b) Termination of Agreement to Purchase Notes as Principal.  Any Agent may
         -------------------------------------------------------                
terminate any agreement hereunder by such Agent to purchase Notes as principal,
immediately upon notice to the Company, at any time prior to the Settlement Date
relating thereto (i) if there has been, since the date of such agreement or
since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and
its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there shall have occurred any outbreak
or escalation of existing hostilities or other national or international
calamity or crisis the effect of which on the financial markets of the United
States is such as to make it, in the judgment of such Agent, impracticable to
market the Notes or enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, or (iii) if
trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended by the SEC or the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or if trading generally on the
New York Stock Exchange, the Boston Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter
market shall have been suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have
been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by
either of said exchanges or by order of the SEC any exchange on which such
securities are listed or any other governmental authority with appropriate
jurisdiction over such matters, or (iv) if a banking moratorium shall have been
declared by either Federal or New York authorities or if a banking moratorium
shall have been declared by the relevant authorities in the country or countries
of origin of any foreign currency or currencies in which the Notes are
denominated or payable, or (v) if the rating assigned by any nationally
recognized securities rating agency to any debt securities of the Company as of
the date of any applicable principal purchase shall have been lowered since that
date or if any such rating agency shall have publicly announced that it has
under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of
any debt securities of the Company.

     (c) General.  In the event of any such termination, no party will have any
         -------                                                               
liability to any other party hereto, except that (i) the Agents shall be
entitled to any commission earned in accordance with the third paragraph of
Section 3(b) hereof, (ii) if at the time of termination (a) an Agent shall own
any Notes purchased by it as principal with the intention of reselling them or
(b) an offer to purchase any of the Notes has been accepted by the Company but
the time of delivery to the purchaser or his agent of the Note or Notes relating
thereto has not occurred, the covenants set forth in Sections 4 and 7 hereof
shall remain in effect until such Notes are so resold or delivered, as the case
may be, and (iii) the covenant set forth in Section 4(g) hereof, the provisions
of Section 10 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in
Sections 8 and 9 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 11, 14 and 15 hereof
shall remain in effect.

                                       23
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 13.  Notices.
             ------- 

     Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices required under the terms and
provisions hereof shall be in writing, either delivered by hand, by mail or by
telex, telecopier or telegram, and any such notice shall be effective when
received at the address specified below.

     If to the Company:

          BankBoston Corporation
          100 Federal Street
          Boston, Massachusetts 02110

          Attention:  Kathleen M. McGillycuddy, Executive Vice President, Global
          Treasury & Investments
          Fax:  (617) 434-0501

     With a copy to:

          BankBoston Corporation
          100 Federal Street
          Boston, Massachusetts  02110

          Attention:  Gary A. Spiess, Executive Vice President and General
          Counsel
          Fax:  (617) 434-7980

     If to Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated:

          Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
          1585 Broadway - 2nd Floor
          New York, New York  10036

          Attention:  Manager--Continuously Offered Products
          Fax:  (212) 761-0780

     With a copy to:

          Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
          1585 Broadway - 34th Floor
          New York, New York  10036

          Attention:  Peter Cooper--Investment Banking Information Center
          Fax:  (212) 761-0260

     If to BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.:

          BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
          100 Federal Street
          M.S. 01-12-06

                                       24
<PAGE>
 
          Boston, Massachusetts  02110

          Attention: Daniel J. Richter
          Fax:  (617) 434-3709

     If to Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.:

          Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
          245 Park Avenue - 4th Floor
          New York, New York  10167

          Attention:  Medium-Term Note Desk
          Fax:  (212) 272-6227

     If to Chase Securities Inc.:

          Chase Securities Inc.
          270 Park Avenue - 8th Floor
          New York, New York 10017

          Attention:  Medium-Term Note Desk
          Fax:  (212) 834-6081

     If to Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation:

          Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
          11 Madison Avenue
          New York, New York  10010

          Attention:  Short and Medium-Term Finance
          Fax:  (212) 325-8183

     If to Lehman Brothers Inc.:

          Lehman Brothers Inc.
          3 World Financial Center - 12th Floor
          New York, New York  10285

          Attention:  Medium-Term Note Department
          Fax:  (212) 528-1718

     If to Merrill Lynch & Co.:

          Merrill Lynch & Co.
          Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                   Incorporated
          North Tower - 10th Floor
          World Financial Center

                                       25
<PAGE>
 
          New York, New York  10281-1310

          Attention:  MTN Product Management
          Fax:  (212) 449-2234

     If to Salomon Smith Barney Inc:

          Salomon Smith Barney Inc
          7 World Trade Center
          New York, New York  10048

          Attention:  Medium-Term Note Department
          Fax:  (212) 783-2274

or at such other address as such party may designate from time to time by notice
duly given in accordance with the terms of this Section 13.

SECTION 14.  Governing Law; Forum.
             -------------------- 

     This Agreement and all the rights and obligations of the parties shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York
applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such State.  Any suit,
action or proceeding brought by the Company against an Agent in connection with
or arising under this Agreement shall be brought solely in the state or federal
court of appropriate jurisdiction located in the Borough of Manhattan, The City
of New York.

SECTION 15.  Parties.
             ------- 

     This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Agents
and the Company and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned
in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or
corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and
the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 8 and
9 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein
contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended
to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective successors and said controlling persons and officers and directors
and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other
person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Notes shall be deemed to be a
successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 16.  Counterparts.
             ------------ 

     This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and when a
counterpart has been executed by each party, all such counterparts taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

                                       26
<PAGE>
 
     If the foregoing is in accordance with the Agents' understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon
this instrument along with all counterparts will become a binding agreement
among the Agents and the Company in accordance with its terms.

                         Very truly yours,

                         BANKBOSTON CORPORATION

                         By:    /s/ Kathleen M. McGillycuddy
                              -------------------------------------------
                              Name: Kathleen M. McGillycuddy
                              Title: Executive Vice President, Global
                              Treasury & Investments

Accepted:

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED

By:    /s/ Michael Rollings
     --------------------------------------
     Name: Michael Rollings
     Title: Principal

BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC.

By:    /s/ Daniel J. Richter
     ---------------------------------------
     Name: Daniel J. Richter
     Title:

BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.

By:    /s/ Timothy A. O'Neill
     ---------------------------------------
     Name: Timothy A. O'Neill
     Title: Senior Managing Director

CHASE SECURITIES INC.

By:    /s/ Therese Esperdy
     ---------------------------------------
     Name: Therese Esperdy
     Title: MD
<PAGE>
 
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION

By:    /s/ Helen Willner
     --------------------------------------
     Name: Helen Willner
     Title: Director

LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.

By:    /s/ Bart McDade
     --------------------------------------
     Name: Bart McDade
     Title: Managing Director

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED

By:    /s/ Scott  G. Primrose
     --------------------------------------
     Name: Scott G. Primrose
     Title: Authorized Signatory

SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.

By:    /s/ Martha D. Bailey
     --------------------------------------
     Name:  Martha D. Bailey
     Title:  First Vice President
<PAGE>
 
                                                                       EXHIBIT A

     The following terms, if applicable, shall be agreed to by the applicable
Agent and the Company in connection with each sale of Notes:

     Principal Amount: $_______
          (or principal amount of foreign currency)
          Original Issue Date:
          Discount Note:
          If Discount Note, specify Issue Price:

     Interest Rate:
          If Fixed Rate Note:
               Interest Rate:
               Interest Payment Dates:

          If Floating Rate Note:
               Interest Rate Basis or Bases:
               Interest Category:
               Initial Interest Rate:
               Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any:
               Initial Interest Reset Date:
               Interest Reset Date(s):
               Interest Payment Date(s):
               Index Maturity:
               Maximum Interest Rate, if any:
               Minimum Interest Rate, if any:
               Interest Rate Reset Period:
               Interest Payment Period:
               Calculation Agent:
               Day Count Convention:
               Exchange Rate Agent:
               If LIBOR, specify LIBOR Reuters or LIBOR Telerate:
               If CMT Rate, specify Designated CMT Telerate Page:
               Designated CMT Maturity Index:

     If Redeemable:
          Initial Redemption Date:
          Initial Redemption Percentage:
          Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction:

     If Repayable:
          Optional Repayment Date(s):

     Stated Maturity Date:
     Purchase Price:  ___%
     Settlement Date and Time:
     Authorized Denominations:
     Specified Currency (if currency is other than U.S. dollar):

                                      A-1
<PAGE>
 
     Default Rate, if any:
     Additional Terms:


Also, in connection with the purchase of Notes by an Agent as principal,
agreement as to whether the following will be required:

     Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Distribution
     Agreement.

     Legal Opinion pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Distribution Agreement.

     Comfort Letter pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Distribution Agreement.

     Stand-off Agreement pursuant to Section 4(j) of the Distribution Agreement.

                                      A-2
<PAGE>
 
                                  SCHEDULE I

     As compensation for the services of the Agents hereunder, the Company shall
pay the applicable Agent, on a discount basis, a commission for the sale of each
Note equal to the principal amount of such Note multiplied by the appropriate
percentage set forth below:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            PERCENT OF
MATURITY RANGES                                          PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
- ---------------                                          ----------------
<S>                                                      <C>
From 9 months to less than 1 year......................        .125%
From 1 year to less than 18 months.....................        .150
From 18 months to less than 2 years....................        .200
From 2 years to less than 3 years......................        .250
From 3 years to less than 4 years......................        .350
From 4 years to less than 5 years......................        .450
From 5 years to less than 6 years......................        .500
From 6 years to less than 7 years......................        .550
From 7 years to less than 10 years.....................        .600
From 10 years to less than 15 years....................        .625
From 15 years to less than 20 years....................        .700
From 20 years to 30 years..............................        .750
Greater than 30 years..................................        *
</TABLE>



__________________________
*  As agreed to by the Company and the applicable Agent at the time of sale.

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 4(A)

              [FORM OF SENIOR FIXED RATE GLOBAL MEDIUM-TERM NOTE]

     THIS NOTE IS A DIRECT, UNCONDITIONAL UNSECURED AND UNSUBORDINATED
OBLIGATION OF BANKBOSTON CORPORATION (THE "CORPORATION"), IS NOT A SAVINGS
ACCOUNT, DEPOSIT OR OTHER OBLIGATION OF ANY BANK OR NONBANK SUBSIDIARY OF THE
CORPORATION AND IS NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE
BANK INSURANCE FUND OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

     THIS CERTIFICATE IS A GLOBAL CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SENIOR
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (THE
"DEPOSITARY"), OR ITS NOMINEE, AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR
NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY
THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY
TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR
ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR
DEPOSITARY.

     BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THIS CERTIFICATE WILL BE SHOWN ON, AND TRANSFERS
THEREOF WILL BE EFFECTED ONLY THROUGH, RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPOSITARY AND
ITS PARTICIPANTS. BANKBOSTON, N.A. IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND SECURITIES
TRANSFER and REPORTING SERVICES, INC. IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF
NEW YORK (COLLECTIVELY, THE "PAYING AGENTS") WILL ACT AS THE CORPORATION'S
PAYING AGENTS WITH RESPECT TO THIS NOTE. THE CORPORATION MAY AT ANY TIME RESCIND
THE DESIGNATION OF A PAYING AGENT, APPOINT A SUCCESSOR PAYING AGENT OR APPROVE A
CHANGE IN THE OFFICE THROUGH WHICH ANY PAYING AGENT ACTS.

     UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY TO THE CORPORATION OR ITS AGENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,
EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO.
OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
REGISTERED                                                                       PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
No. FX                              CUSIP No. ______________                     ________________

                                  BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
                                   SENIOR MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
                                          (Fixed Rate)
<S>                               <C>                                      <C>        
ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:                INTEREST RATE:                              STATED MATURITY DATE:

SPECIFIED CURRENCY:                 OPTION TO ELECT PAYMENT IN                  AUTHORIZED DENOMINATION:
(if other than U.S. dollars)        SPECIFIED CURRENCY                          [_] $1,000 and integral multiples thereof
                                    (only applicable if Specified Currency      [_] Other:
                                    is other than U.S. dollars)
                                    [_] Yes  [_] No

EXCHANGE RATE AGENT:
INTEREST PAYMENT DATE(S):                                                  REGULAR RECORD DATES
[_] At Maturity only                                                       (FOR NOTES WITH MATURITIES GREATER
[_] June 15 and December 15                                                THAN ONE YEAR):
[_] Other:                                                                 [_] June 1 and December 1
                                                                           [_] OTHER:

INITIAL REDEMPTION DATE:            INITIAL REDEMPTION                           ANNUAL REDEMPTION                       
                                    PERCENTAGE:                                  PERCENTAGE REDUCTION: 


OPTIONAL REPAYMENT                                                                                     
DATE(S): 


DAY COUNT CONVENTION:
[ ] 30/360 FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                                   TO  
[ ] ACTUAL/360 FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                               TO  
[ ] ACTUAL/ACTUAL FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                            TO  

ADDENDUM ATTACHED:
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
DEFAULT RATE:                       DISCOUNT NOTE:
                                    [ ] Yes
                                    [ ] No
                                    Issue Price:   %

OTHER PROVISIONS:
</TABLE>

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
     BankBoston Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation ("Issuer" or the
"Corporation", which terms include any successor corporation under the Senior
Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay
to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount of
___________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (except to the
extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date), and to pay
interest thereon at the Interest Rate per annum specified above, until the
principal hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent
that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the Default
Rate per annum specified above on any overdue principal and premium, if any, and
on any overdue installment of interest.

     The Corporation will pay interest on each Interest Payment Date specified
above, commencing on the first Interest Payment Date next succeeding the
Original Issue Date specified above, and on the Stated Maturity Date or any
Redemption Date or Optional Repayment Date (as defined below) (the date of each
such Stated Maturity Date, Redemption Date and Optional Repayment Date and the
date on which principal or an installment of principal is due and payable by
declaration of acceleration pursuant to the Senior Indenture, being referred to
hereinafter as a "Maturity" with respect to principal payable on such date);
provided, however, that if the Original Issue Date falls between a Regular
- --------  -------                                                         
Record Date (as defined below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date,
interest payments will commence on the Interest Payment Date immediately
following the next succeeding Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on
such next succeeding Regular Record Date. Unless otherwise specified above, the
"Regular Record Date" with respect to any Interest Payment Date shall be the
June 1 or December 1 (whether or not a Business Day (as defined below)), as the
case may be, next preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date. Interest on
this Note will accrue from and including the most recent Interest Payment Date
to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been
paid or duly provided for, from and including the Original Issue Date specified
above, to but excluding such Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may
be. If the Maturity or an Interest Payment Date for this Note falls on a day
which is not a Business Day, the related payment of principal, premium, if any,
or interest will be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force
and effect as if made on such Maturity or Interest Payment Date, as the case may
be, and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from
and after such Maturity or Interest Payment Date, as the case may be. The
interest so payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest
Payment Date will, as provided in the Senior Indenture, be paid to the Person in
whose name this Note (or one or more predecessor securities) is registered at
the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date.
Any such interest which is payable, but not punctually paid or duly provided for
on any Interest Payment Date (herein called "Defaulted Interest"), shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such Regular Record
Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the
close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder
of this Note not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be
paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in the
Senior Indenture. Interest payable at Maturity will be payable to the Person to
whom the principal hereof shall be payable.

     This Note will constitute Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the Senior
Indenture) ranking on a parity with other unsecured Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
     Reference herein to "this Note", "hereof", "herein" and comparable terms
shall include an Addendum hereto if an Addendum is specified above.

     Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth
on the reverse hereof and, if so specified on the face hereof, in an Addendum
hereto, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same force and
effect as if set forth at this place.

     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of one of its authorized
signatories, this Note shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Note to be duly
executed.

                                        BANKBOSTON CORPORATION           
                                                                        
[SEAL]                                  By:___________________________  
                                           Name:                        
                                           Title:                        

Attest:

By: ________________________________
    Name:
    Title:

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This Note is one of the Securities
referred to in the Senior Indenture
referred to herein.

NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

By: BANKBOSTON, N.A., as
    Authenticating Agent

By: ________________________________               Dated: ____________
    Name:
    Title:

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
                               [Reverse of Note]
                            BankBoston Corporation
                               Medium-Term Note
                              (Senior Fixed Rate)

     This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities (hereinafter
called the "Securities") of the Corporation designated as its Senior Medium-Term
Notes (the "Notes"). The Notes are issued and to be issued under a Senior
Indenture dated as of June 15, 1992 (herein the "Senior Indenture"), between the
Corporation and Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association, Trustee (the
"Trustee" which term shall include any duly appointed successor trustee acting
in such capacity), to which Senior Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights
thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and
the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and
delivered. Copies of the Senior Indenture are on file and available for
inspection at the offices of the Trustee located at 6th Street and Marquette
Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 or at such other place or places the
Trustee shall designate by notice to the person in whose name this Note is
registered (the "Holder") on the Security Register (as defined below). The terms
of individual Notes may vary with respect to interest rates or interest rate
formulas, issue dates, maturity, redemption, repayment, currency of payment and
otherwise.

     The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in the
Authorized Denominations specified on the face hereof. As provided in the Senior
Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the Notes are
exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes denominated as
authorized, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

     Unless otherwise specified herein, payments of principal of and premium, if
any, and interest on this Note are payable by the Corporation in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof (or, if such Specified Currency is not at
the time of such payment legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts, in such other coin or currency of the country which issued such Specified
Currency as at the time of such payment is legal tender for the payment of such
debts). If the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof is other than
United States dollars, any such amounts paid by the Corporation will be
converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified on the face hereof into United
States dollars for payment to the Holder of this Note.

     If the Specified Currency on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, any United States dollar amount to be received by the Holder of this
Note will be based on the highest bid quotation in The City of New York received
by the Exchange Rate Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on
the second Business Day preceding the applicable payment date from three
recognized foreign exchange dealers (one of whom may be the Exchange Rate Agent)
selected by the Exchange Rate Agent and approved by the Corporation for the
purchase by the quoting dealer of the Specified Currency for United States
dollars for settlement on such payment date in the aggregate amount of the
Specified Currency payable to all Holders of Foreign Currency Notes denominated
in a currency other than United States dollars scheduled to receive United
States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a
contract. All currency exchange costs will be borne by the Holder of

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
this Note by deductions from such payments. If three such bid quotations are not
available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

     The Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment of the principal of
and premium, if any, and/or interest on this Note in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof by submitting a written request for such payment to
the Trustee at its principal corporate trust office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on
or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior
to the Maturity, as the case may be. Such written request may be mailed or hand
delivered or sent by cable, telex or other form of facsimile transmission. The
Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment in the applicable Specified
Currency for all such principal, premium, if any, and interest payments and need
not file a separate election for each payment. Such election will remain in
effect until revoked by written notice to the Trustee, but written notice of any
such revocation must be received by the Trustee on or prior to the applicable
Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior to the Maturity, as the case
may be.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof and the applicable Specified Currency is not
available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances
beyond the control of the Corporation, the Corporation shall be entitled to
satisfy its obligations to the Holder hereof by making such payment in United
States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate on the second Business
Day prior to such payment or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then
available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or
as otherwise provided herein. The "Market Exchange Rate" for a Specified
Currency other than United States dollars means the noon dollar buying rate in
The City of New York for cable transfer for such Specified Currency as certified
for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Any payment made under such circumstances in
United States dollars where the required payment is in a Specified Currency
other than United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default under
the Senior Indenture with respect to this Note.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest hereon in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof and such Specified Currency is a currency
unit that is unavailable due to the imposition of exchange controls or other
circumstances beyond the Corporation's control, then the Corporation shall be
entitled, but not required, to make any payments in respect of this Note in
United States dollars until such currency unit is again available. The amount of
each payment in United States dollars shall be computed on the basis of the
equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars, which shall be
determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the following basis. The component
currencies of the currency unit for this purpose (collectively, the "Component
Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that
were components of the currency unit as of the last day on which the currency
unit was used. The equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars
shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the
Component Currencies. The United States dollar equivalent of each of the
Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis
of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each such Component
Currency.

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
     If the official unit of any Component Currency is altered by way of
combination or subdivision, the number of units of the currency as a Component
Currency shall be divided or multiplied in the same proportion. If two or more
Component Currencies are consolidated into a single currency, the amounts of
those currencies as Component Currencies shall be replaced by an amount in such
single currency equal to the sum of the amounts of the consolidated Component
Currencies expressed in such single currency. If any Component Currency is
divided into two or more currencies, the amount of the original Component
Currency shall be replaced by the amounts of such two or more currencies, the
sum of which shall be equal to the amount of the original Component Currency.

     All determinations referred to above made by the Exchange Rate Agent shall
be at its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be
conclusive for all purposes and binding on the Holder hereof.

     Except as otherwise provided in the Senior Indenture and as set forth
below, the Notes will be represented by one or more global securities,
registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and ownership of the
Notes shall be maintained in book-entry form by the Depositary for the accounts
of participating organizations of the Depositary. This Note is exchangeable for
definitive Notes in registered form to persons other than the Depositary or its
nominee only if (a) the Depositary notifies the Corporation in writing that it
is no longer willing or able to continue as a depositary for the Notes or if the
Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a successor depositary is not appointed by
the Corporation within ninety days after the effective date of the Depositary's
ceasing to act as depositary for the Notes, (b) the Corporation, at its option,
notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of Notes in
definitive form, or (c) any event shall have happened and be continuing which,
after notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default
with respect to the Notes. In the event of such occurrences, upon the surrender
by the Depositary or a successor depositary of this Note the Corporation will
execute, and the Trustee will, upon the execution of the then standard form of
the Trustee's agreement for certificated securities and upon receipt of
instructions in writing from the Corporation, authenticate and deliver
securities of like tenor and terms in definitive form to each person that the
Depositary or a successor depositary identifies as the beneficial owner of an
interest in this Note in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of Notes represented by this Note then outstanding in exchange for this
Note. Any such certificated security will be issued in fully registered form,
without coupons, in an Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof.
Such certificated security may not subsequently be exchanged by a Holder for
Notes in denominations of less than the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof.

     This Note is not subject to any sinking fund or to the defeasance or
covenant defeasance provisions of the Senior Indenture and, unless otherwise
provided above in accordance with the provisions of the following paragraphs, is
not redeemable or repayable prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

     If so provided above, this Note may be redeemed by the Corporation on any
date on and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any, specified above.  If no
Initial Redemption Date is set forth above, this Note may not be redeemed prior
to the Stated Maturity Date.  On and after the 

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
Initial Redemption Date, if any, this Note may be redeemed at any time in whole
or from time to time in part in increments of $1,000 (or, if the Specified
Currency indicated on the face hereof is other than United States dollars, the
minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof) at the option of
the Corporation at the applicable Redemption Price (as defined below), together
with unpaid interest, if any, accrued hereon at the applicable rate payable to
the date of redemption (each such date, a "Redemption Date"), on written notice
given not more than 60 nor less than 30 calendar days prior to the Redemption
Date. In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note for the
unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon
the surrender hereof. Whenever less than all the Notes at any time outstanding
are to be redeemed, the terms of the Notes to be so redeemed shall be selected
by the Corporation. In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new
Note for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder
hereof upon surrender hereof.

     Unless otherwise specified above, the "Redemption Price" shall initially be
the Initial Redemption Percentage, specified above, of the principal amount of
this Note to be redeemed and, if greater than 100%, shall decline at each
anniversary of the Initial Redemption Date by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if any, specified above, of the principal amount to be redeemed until
the Redemption Price is 100% of such principal amount.

     This Note may be subject to repayment at the option of the Holder on the
Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, indicated above. If no Optional Repayment
Date(s) are set forth above, this Note is not subject to repayment at the option
of the Holder hereof prior to the Stated Maturity Date. On any Optional
Repayment Date, this Note shall be repayable in whole or in part in increments
of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other
than United States dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on
the face hereof) at the option of the Holder hereof at a repayment price equal
to the sum of (i) 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid plus (ii)
accrued interest, if any, hereon at the applicable rate payable to the relevant
Optional Repayment Date. For this Note to be repaid in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder hereof, this Note must be received, with the form entitled
"Option to Elect Repayment" below duly completed, by one of the Paying Agents at
its office, or such address which the Corporation shall from time to time notify
the Holders of the Notes, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the
relevant Optional Repayment Date. Exercise of such repayment option by the
Holder hereof shall be irrevocable. In the event of repayment of this Note in
part only, a new Note for the unrepaid portion hereof shall be issued in the
name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     While this Note is held by or on behalf of the Depositary, and registered
in the name of the Depositary or the Depositary's nominee, the option for
repayment may be exercised by the applicable participant that has an account
with the Depositary, on behalf of the beneficial owners of this Note, by
delivering a written notice substantially similar to the above mentioned form to
one of the Paying Agents at its office (or such other address of which the
Corporation shall from time to time notify the Holders), not more than 60 nor
less than 30 days prior to the date of repayment. Notices of elections from
participants on behalf of beneficial owners of this Note to exercise their
option to have the interests of such beneficial owners in this Note repaid must
be received by one of the Paying Agents not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the last day for giving such notice. In order to ensure that a notice
is received by one of the Paying

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
Agents on a particular day, the beneficial owner of this Note must so direct the
applicable participant before such participant's deadline for accepting
instructions for that day. Different firms may have different deadlines for
accepting instructions from their customers. Accordingly, beneficial owners of
this Note should consult the participants through which they own their interest
herein for the respective deadlines for such participants. All notices shall be
executed by a duly authorized officer of such participant (with signature
guaranteed) and shall be irrevocable. In addition, beneficial owners of this
Note shall effect delivery at the time such notices of election are given to the
Depositary by causing the applicable participant to transfer such beneficial
owner's interest in this Note, on the Depositary's records, to the Trustee.

     Interest payments on this Note shall include interest accrued from and
including the Original Issue Date indicated above, or the most recent date to
which interest has been paid or duly provided for, to but excluding the related
Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may be.  Interest payments for
this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve
30-day months if the Day Count Convention specified above is "30/360" for the
period specified thereunder, on the basis of the actual number of days in the
related month and a 360-day year if the Day Count Convention specified above is
"Actual/360" for the period specified thereunder or on the basis of the actual
number of days in the related year and month if the Day Count Convention
specified above is "Actual/Actual" for the period specified thereunder.

     As used herein, "Business Day" means, unless otherwise specified above, any
day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day
on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law, regulation or
executive order to close in The City of New York or Boston, Massachusetts;
provided, however, that, if the Holder hereof shall have duly made an election
- --------  -------                                                             
to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and/or interest on this
Note in the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof, such day is also
not a day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law,
regulation or executive order to close in the Principal Financial Center (as
defined below) of the country issuing such Specified Currency unless the
Specified Currency is euro, in which case such day is also not a day on which
the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Target (TARGET)
System is closed. "Principal Financial Center" means the capital city of the
country issuing the Specified Currency, except that with respect to U.S.
dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, Deutsche marks, Dutch guilders,
South African rand and Swiss francs, the "Principal Financial Center" shall be
The City of New York, Melbourne, Toronto, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Johannesburg and
Zurich, respectively.

     Any provision contained herein with respect to the calculation of the rate
of interest applicable to this Note, its Interest Payment Dates or any other
matter relating hereto may be modified as specified in an Addendum relating
hereto if so specified above.

     If an Event of Default (as defined in the Senior Indenture) with respect to
the Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the Notes may be
declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Senior Indenture.

     If this Note is specified on the face hereof as a Discount Note, the amount
payable to the Holder of this Note in the event of redemption, repayment or
acceleration of maturity of this

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
Note will be equal to the sum of (1) the Issue Price specified on the face
hereof (increased by any accruals of the Discount, as defined below) and, in the
event of any redemption of this Note (if applicable), multiplied by the Initial
Redemption Percentage (as adjusted by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if applicable) and (2) any unpaid interest accrued thereon to the
Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity, as the case
may be. The difference between the Issue Price and 100% of the principal amount
of this Note is referred to herein as the "Discount."

     For purposes of determining the amount of Discount that has accrued as of
any Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity of this
Note, such Discount will be accrued so as to cause the yield on the Note to be
constant. The constant yield will be calculated using a 30-day month, 360-day
year convention, a compounding period that, except for the Initial Period (as
defined below), corresponds to the shortest period between Interest Payment
Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a constant coupon
rate equal to the initial interest rate applicable to this Note and an
assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated. If the period
from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date (the "Initial
Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a proportionate
amount of the yield for an entire compounding period will be accrued. If the
Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such period will be
divided into a regular compounding period and a short period, with the short
period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

     The Senior Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided,
the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be
affected under the Senior Indenture at any time by the Corporation and the
Trustee with the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in aggregate principal amount
of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Senior Indenture,
of each series affected thereby. The Senior Indenture also contains provisions
permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of each series at the time, on behalf of the Holders
of all Securities of each series, to waive compliance with certain provisions of
the Senior Indenture and certain past defaults under the Senior Indenture and
their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall
be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this
Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in
exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or
waiver is made upon this Note.

     No reference herein to the Senior Indenture and no provision of this Note
or of the Senior Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the
Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and
interest on this Note at the time, place and rate or formula, and in the coin or
currency, herein prescribed.

     As provided in the Senior Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, this registered Note may be presented for transfer (duly
endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, if so required by
the Corporation or the Security Registrar) or exchanged for other Notes of the
same series at the office of Securities Transfer and Reporting Services, Inc. in
The City of New York or the principal office of BankBoston, N.A. in The City of
Boston.

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
     No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

     Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the
Corporation or the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may
treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for
all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Corporation,
the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

     This Note and the Senior Indenture shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

     All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Senior Indenture shall
have the meanings assigned to them in the Senior Indenture.

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
                           OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably request(s) and instruct(s) the
Corporation to repay this Note (or portion hereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount hereof together with interest
to the repayment date, to the undersigned, at __________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

     For this Note to be repaid, one of the Paying Agents must receive at its
office, or at such other place or places of which the Corporation shall from
time to time notify the Holder of this Note, not more than 60 nor less than 30
days prior to an Optional Repayment Date, if any, shown above, this Note with
this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed.

     If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid,
specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of $1,000 (or, if the
Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof))
which the Holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or
denominations (which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be
issued to the Holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the
absence of any such specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion
not being repaid).

$_______________________        _____________________________________________
                                NOTICE:  The signature on this Option to Elect
Date____________________        Repayment must correspond with the name as
                                written upon the face of this Note in every
                                particular, without alteration or enlargement
                                or any change whatever.
 

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
                           ASSIGNMENT/TRANSFER FORM
                           ------------------------

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned registered Holder hereby sell(s),
assign(s) and transfer(s) unto (insert Social Security or Taxpayer
Identification No.) ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
 (Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of
assignee)
________________________________________________________________________________
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing __________________________ attorney to transfer said Note on the
books of the Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated: _____________                    ________________________________________

     NOTICE: The signature of the registered Holder to this assignment must
     correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument
     in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
     whatsoever.

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
                                 ABBREVIATIONS

     The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations.

          TEN COM--as tenants in common

                                
          UNIF GIFT MIN ACT--......................Custodian....................
                                     (Cust)                        (Minor)

                                     Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
 
                                    ............................................
                                                    (State)

          TEN ENT--as tenants by the entireties
          JT TEN--as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants
          in common

     Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

                                       15

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 4(B)

            [FORM OF SENIOR FLOATING RATE GLOBAL MEDIUM-TERM NOTE]

THIS NOTE IS A DIRECT, UNCONDITIONAL UNSECURED AND UNSUBORDINATED OBLIGATION OF
BANKBOSTON CORPORATION (THE "CORPORATION"), IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, DEPOSIT OR
OTHER OBLIGATION OF ANY BANK OR NONBANK SUBSIDIARY OF THE CORPORATION AND IS NOT
INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE BANK INSURANCE FUND OR
ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

THIS CERTIFICATE IS A GLOBAL CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SENIOR
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (THE
"DEPOSITARY"), OR ITS NOMINEE, AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR
NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY
THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY
TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR
ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR
DEPOSITARY.

BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THIS CERTIFICATE WILL BE SHOWN ON, AND TRANSFERS THEREOF
WILL BE EFFECTED ONLY THROUGH, RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPOSITARY AND ITS
PARTICIPANTS.  BANKBOSTON, N.A. IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND SECURITIES TRANSFER
and REPORTING SERVICES, INC. IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW YORK
(COLLECTIVELY, THE "PAYING AGENTS") WILL ACT AS THE CORPORATION'S PAYING AGENTS
WITH RESPECT TO THIS NOTE.  THE CORPORATION MAY AT ANY TIME RESCIND THE
DESIGNATION OF A PAYING AGENT, APPOINT A SUCCESSOR PAYING AGENT OR APPROVE A
CHANGE IN THE OFFICE THROUGH WHICH ANY PAYING AGENT ACTS.

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY TO THE CORPORATION OR ITS AGENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,
EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO.
OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
REGISTERED                                                                        PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
No. FLR___                               CUSIP No.__________                      _______________

                                                 BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
                                                 SENIOR MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
                                                     (Floating Rate)
<S>                                     <C>                                       <C> 
INTEREST RATE BASIS                     ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:                      STATED MATURITY DATE:
OR BASES:

IF LIBOR:                                        IF CMT RATE:
     [ ] LIBOR Reuters                              Designated CMT Telerate Page:
     [ ] LIBOR Telerate                             If Telerate Page 7052:
                                                    [ ] Weekly Average
                                                    [ ] Monthly Avenue
                                                    Designated CMT Maturity Index:

DESIGNATED LIBOR CURRENCY:

INDEX MATURITY:                         INITIAL INTEREST RATE:                    INTEREST PAYMENT PERIOD:

SPREAD (PLUS OR MINUS):                 INITIAL INTEREST RESET DATE:              INTEREST PAYMENT DATES:

SPREAD MULTIPLIER:                      INTEREST RATE RESET PERIOD:               INTEREST RESET DATES:

MAXIMUM INTEREST RATE:                  MINIMUM INTEREST RATE:                    INITIAL REDEMPTION DATE:

INITIAL REDEMPTION PERCENTAGE:          ANNUAL REDEMPTION PERCENTAGE REDUCTION:   OPTIONAL REPAYMENT DATE(S):

CALCULATION AGENT:

INTEREST CATEGORY:                               DAY COUNT CONVENTION:
[ ] Regular Floating Rate Note                   [ ] 30/360 for the period
[ ] Floating Rate/Fixed Rate                         from            to    .
    Fixed Rate Commencement Date:                [ ] Actual/360 for the period
    Fixed Interest Rate:                             from            to    .
[ ] Inverse Floating Rate Note                   [ ] Actual/Actual for the period
    Fixed Interest Rate:                             from            to    .

SPECIFIED CURRENCY:                     OPTION TO ELECT PAYMENT IN SPECIFIED      AUTHORIZED DENOMINATION:
(if other than U.S. dollars)            CURRENCY                                  [_] $1,000 and integral multiples thereof
                                        (only applicable if Specified Currency    [_] Other
                                        is other than U.S. dollars):
                                        [_]Yes       [_]No

EXCHANGE RATE AGENT:

ADDENDUM ATTACHED:                      DISCOUNT NOTE:
[ ] Yes                                 [ ] Yes
[ ] No                                  [ ] No
                                        Issue Price:  %
DEFAULT RATE:

OTHER PROVISIONS:
</TABLE>

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
     BANKBOSTON CORPORATION, a Massachusetts corporation ("Issuer" or the
"Corporation," which terms include any successor corporation under the Senior
Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay
to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount of
___________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (except to the
extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date), and to pay
interest thereon, at a rate per annum equal to the Initial Interest Rate
specified above until the Initial Interest Reset Date specified above and
thereafter at a rate per annum determined in accordance with the provisions
hereof and any Addendum relating hereto depending upon the Interest Rate Basis
or Bases, if any, and such other terms specified above, until the principal
hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent that the
payment of such interest is legally enforceable) at the Default Rate per annum
specified above on any overdue principal and premium, if any, and on any overdue
installment of interest.

     The Corporation will pay interest monthly, quarterly, semi-annually,
annually or such other period as specified above under "Interest Payment
Period", on each Interest Payment Date specified above, commencing on the first
Interest Payment Date specified above next succeeding the Original Issue Date
specified above, and on the Stated Maturity Date or any Redemption Date or
Optional Repayment Date (as defined below) (the date of each such Stated
Maturity Date, Redemption Date and Optional Repayment Date and the date on which
principal or an installment of principal is due and payable by declaration of
acceleration pursuant to the Senior Indenture, being referred to hereinafter as
a "Maturity" with respect to principal payable on such date); provided, however,
                                                              --------  ------- 
that if the Original Issue Date falls between a Regular Record Date (as defined
below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest payments will
commence on the Interest Payment Date immediately following the next succeeding
Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on such next succeeding Regular
Record Date; and provided, further, that if an Interest Payment Date (other than
                 --------  -------                                              
an Interest Payment Date at Maturity) would otherwise fall on a day that is not
a Business Day (as defined below), such Interest Payment Date shall be postponed
to the next succeeding day that is a Business Day, except that if an  Interest
Rate Basis is LIBOR, as indicated above, and such next Business Day falls in the
next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Payment Date shall be the
immediately preceding day that is a Business Day.  Unless otherwise specified
above, the "Regular Record Date" with respect to any Interest Payment Date shall
be the date 15 calendar days (whether or not a Business Day) immediately
preceding such Interest Payment Date.  If the Maturity of this Note falls on a
day which is not a Business Day, the payment of principal, premium, if any, and
interest due at Maturity will be made on the next succeeding Business Day with
the same force and effect as if made on such Maturity and no interest shall
accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Maturity.
The interest so payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest
Payment Date will, as provided in the Senior Indenture, be paid to the Person in
whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at
the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date.
Any such interest which is payable, but not punctually paid or duly provided for
on any Interest Payment Date (herein called "Defaulted Interest"), shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such Regular Record
Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the
close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder
of this Note not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be
paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in the
Senior Indenture.  Interest payable at Maturity will be payable to the Person to
whom the principal hereof shall be payable.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
     This Note will constitute Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the Senior
Indenture) ranking on a parity with other unsecured Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation.

     Reference herein to "this Note", "hereof", "herein" and comparable terms
shall include an Addendum hereto if an Addendum is specified above.

     Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth
on the reverse hereof, and, if so specified on the face hereof, in an Addendum
hereto, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same force and
effect as if set forth at this place.

     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Authenticating Agent, the manual signature of one of its authorized signatories,
this Note shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Note to be duly
executed.

                              BANKBOSTON CORPORATION


[SEAL]                        By:_____________________________
                                 Name:
                                 Title:


Attest:


By:________________________
   Name:
   Title:

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This Note is one of the Securities
referred to in the Senior Indenture
referred to herein.

NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION


By:  BANKBOSTON, N.A., as
     Authenticating Agent



By:________________________                 Dated:____________
   Name:
   Title:

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
                               [Reverse of Note]
                                  BankBoston
                               Medium-Term Note
                            (Senior Floating Rate)

     This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities (hereinafter
called the "Securities") of the Corporation designated as its Senior Medium-Term
Notes (the "Notes").  The Notes are issued and to be issued under a Senior
Indenture dated as of June 15, 1992 (herein the "Senior Indenture") between the
Corporation and Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association, Trustee (the
"Trustee" which term shall include any duly appointed successor trustee acting
in such capacity), to which Senior Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights
thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and
the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and
delivered.  Copies of the Senior Indenture are on file and available for
inspection at the offices of the Trustee located at 6th Street and Marquette
Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 or at such other place or places the
Trustee shall designate by notice to the person in whose name this Note is
registered (the "Holder") on the Security Register (as defined below).  The
terms of individual Notes may vary with respect to interest rates or interest
rate formulas, issue dates, maturity, redemption, repayment, currency of payment
and otherwise.

     The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in the
Authorized Denominations specified on the face hereof.  As provided in the
Senior Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the Notes
are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes denominated as
authorized, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

     Unless otherwise specified herein, payments of principal of and premium, if
any, and interest on this Note are payable by the Corporation in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof (or, if such Specified Currency is not at
the time of such payment legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts, in such other coin or currency of the country which issued such Specified
Currency as at the time of such payment is legal tender for the payment of such
debts).  If the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof is other than
United States dollars, any such amounts paid by the Corporation will be
converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified on the face hereof into United
States dollars for payment to the Holder of this Note.

     If the Specified Currency on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, any United States dollar amount to be received by the Holder of this
Note will be based on the highest bid quotation in The City of New York received
by the Exchange Rate Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on
the second Business Day preceding the applicable payment date from three
recognized foreign exchange dealers (one of whom may be the Exchange Rate Agent)
selected by the Exchange Rate Agent and approved by the Corporation for the
purchase by the quoting dealer of the Specified Currency for United States
dollars for settlement on such payment date in the aggregate amount of the
Specified Currency payable to all Holders of Foreign Currency Notes denominated
in a currency other than United States dollars scheduled to receive United
States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a
contract.  All currency exchange costs will be borne by the Holder of this Note
by deductions from such payments.  If three such bid quotations are not
available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

     The Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment of the principal of
and premium, if any, and/or interest on this Note in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof by submitting a 

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
written request for such payment to the Trustee at its principal corporate trust
office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on or prior to the applicable Record Date or at
least fifteen calendar days prior to the Maturity, as the case may be. Such
written request may be mailed or hand delivered or sent by cable, telex or other
form of facsimile transmission. The Holder of this Note may elect to receive
payment in the applicable Specified Currency for all such principal, premium, if
any, and interest payments and need not file a separate election for each
payment. Such election will remain in effect until revoked by written notice to
the Trustee, but written notice of any such revocation must be received by the
Trustee on or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least fifteen calendar
days prior to the Maturity, as the case may be.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof and the applicable Specified Currency is not
available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances
beyond the control of the Corporation, the Corporation shall be entitled to
satisfy its obligations to the Holder hereof by making such payment in United
States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate on the second Business
Day prior to such payment or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then
available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or
as otherwise provided herein.  The "Market Exchange Rate" for a Specified
Currency other than United States dollars means the noon dollar buying rate in
The City of New York for cable transfer for such Specified Currency as certified
for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Any payment made under such circumstances in
United States dollars where the required payment is in a Specified Currency
other than United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default under
the Senior Indenture with respect to this Note.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest hereon in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof and such Specified Currency is a currency
unit that is unavailable due to the imposition of exchange controls or other
circumstances beyond the Corporation's control, then the Corporation will be
entitled, but not required, to make any payments in respect of this Note in
United States dollars until such currency unit is again available.  The amount
of each payment in United States dollars shall be computed on the basis of the
equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars, which shall be
determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the following basis.  The component
currencies of the currency unit for this purpose (collectively, the "Component
Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that
were components of the currency unit as of the last day on which the currency
unit was used. The equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars
shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the
Component Currencies.  The United States dollar equivalent of each of the
Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis
of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each such Component
Currency.

     If the official unit of any Component Currency is altered by way of
combination or subdivision, the number of units of the currency as a Component
Currency shall be divided or multiplied in the same proportion.  If two or more
Component Currencies are consolidated into a single currency, the amounts of
those currencies as Component Currencies shall be replaced by an amount in such
single currency equal to the sum of the amounts of the consolidated Component
Currencies expressed in such single currency.  If any Component Currency is
divided into two or more currencies, the amount of the original Component
Currency shall be replaced by the amounts of 

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
such two or more currencies, the sum of which shall be equal to the amount of
the original Component Currency.

     All determinations referred to above made by the Exchange Rate Agent shall
be at its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be
conclusive for all purposes and binding on the Holder hereof.

     Except as otherwise provided in the Senior Indenture and as set forth
below, the Notes will be represented by one or more global securities,
registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and ownership of the
Notes shall be maintained in book-entry form by the Depositary for the accounts
of participating organizations of the Depositary.  This Note is exchangeable for
definitive Notes in registered form to persons other than the Depositary or its
nominee only if (a) the Depositary notifies the Corporation in writing that it
is no longer willing or able to continue as a depositary for the Notes or if the
Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a successor depositary is not appointed by
the Corporation within ninety days after the effective date of the Depositary's
ceasing to act as depositary for the Notes, (b) the Corporation, at its option,
notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of Notes in
definitive form, or (c) any event shall have happened and be continuing which,
after notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default
with respect to the Notes.  In the event of such occurrences, upon the surrender
by the Depositary or a successor depositary of this Note the Corporation will
execute, and the Trustee will, upon the execution of the then standard form of
the Trustee's agreement for certificated securities and upon receipt of
instructions in writing from the Corporation, authenticate and deliver
securities of like tenor and terms in definitive form to each person that the
Depositary or a successor depositary identifies as the beneficial owner of an
interest in this Note in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of Notes represented by this Note then outstanding in exchange for this
Note.  Any such certificated security will be issued in fully registered form,
without coupons, in the Authorized Denominations specified on the face hereof.
Such certificated security may not subsequently be exchanged by a Holder for
Notes in denominations of less than the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof.

     This Note is not subject to any sinking fund or to the defeasance or
covenant defeasance provisions of the Senior Indenture and, unless otherwise
provided above in accordance with the provisions of the following paragraphs, is
not redeemable or repayable prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

     If so provided above, this Note may be redeemed by the Corporation on any
date on and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any, specified above.  If no
Initial Redemption Date is set forth above, this Note may not be redeemed prior
to the Stated Maturity Date.  On and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any,
this Note may be redeemed at any time in whole or from time to time in part in
increments of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof
is other than United States dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof) at the option of the Corporation at the applicable
Redemption Price (as defined below), together with unpaid interest, if any,
accrued hereon at the applicable rate payable to the date of redemption (each
such date, a "Redemption Date"), on written notice given not more than 60 nor
less than 30 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date.  In the event of
redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note for the unredeemed portion
hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender
hereof. Whenever less than all the Notes at any time outstanding are to be
redeemed, the terms of the Notes to be so redeemed shall be selected by the
Corporation. In the event of redemption of this Note

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
in part only, a new Note for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in
the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     Unless otherwise specified above, the "Redemption Price" shall initially be
the Initial Redemption Percentage, specified above, of the principal amount of
this Note to be redeemed and, if greater than 100%, shall decline at each
anniversary of the Initial Redemption Date by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if any, specified above, of the principal amount to be redeemed until
the Redemption Price is 100% of such principal amount.

     This Note may be subject to repayment at the option of the Holder on the
Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, indicated above.  If no Optional Repayment
Date(s) are set forth above, this Note is not subject to repayment at the option
of the Holder hereof prior to the Stated Maturity Date.  On any Optional
Repayment Date, this Note shall be repayable in whole or in part in increments
of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other
than United States dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on
the face hereof) at the option of the Holder hereof at a repayment price equal
to the sum of (i) 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid plus (ii)
accrued interest, if any, hereon at the applicable rate payable to the relevant
Optional Repayment Date.  For this Note to be repaid in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder hereof, this Note must be received, with the form entitled
"Option to Elect Repayment" below duly completed, by one of the Paying Agents at
its office, or such address which the Corporation shall from time to time notify
the Holders of the Notes, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the
relevant Optional Repayment Date.  Exercise of such repayment option by the
Holder hereof shall be irrevocable.  In the event of repayment of this Note in
part only, a new Note for the unrepaid portion hereof shall be issued in the
name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     While this Note is held by or on behalf of the Depositary, and registered
in the name of the Depositary or the Depositary's nominee, the option for
repayment may be exercised by the applicable participant that has an account
with the Depositary, on behalf of the beneficial owners of this Note, by
delivering a written notice substantially similar to the above mentioned form to
one of the Paying Agents at its office (or such other address of which the
Corporation shall from time to time notify the Holders), not more than 60 nor
less than 30 days prior to the date of repayment.  Notices of elections from
participants on behalf of beneficial owners of this Note to exercise their
option to have the interests of such beneficial owners in this Note repaid must
be received by one of the Paying Agents not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the last day for giving such notice.  In order to ensure that a notice
is received by one of the Paying Agents on a particular day, the beneficial
owner of this Note must so direct the applicable participant before such
participant's deadline for accepting instructions for that day.  Different firms
may have different deadlines for accepting instructions from their customers.
Accordingly, beneficial owners of this Note should consult the participants
through which they own their interest herein for the respective deadlines for
such participants.  All notices shall be executed by a duly authorized officer
of such participant (with signature guaranteed) and shall be irrevocable.  In
addition, beneficial owners of this Note shall effect delivery at the time such
notices of election are given to the Depositary by causing the applicable
participant to transfer such beneficial owner's interest in this Note, on the
Depositary's records, to the Trustee.

     The interest rate borne by this Note shall be determined as follows:

          1.  If this Note is designated as a Regular Floating Rate Note on the
     face hereof or if no designation is made for Interest Calculation on the
     face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto, this
     Note shall bear interest at the 

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
     rate determined by reference to the applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases
     shown on the face hereof (i) plus or minus the applicable Spread, if any,
     and/or (ii) multiplied by the applicable Spread Multiplier, if any,
     specified and applied in the manner described on the face hereof.
     Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest
     on this Note is payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date
     specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that the interest rate in
                                   --------  -------
     effect for the period from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest
     Reset Date will be the Initial Interest Rate.

          2.  If this Note is designated as a Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Note on
     the face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto,
     this Note shall bear interest at the rate determined by reference to the
     applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases shown on the face hereof (i) plus
     or minus the applicable Spread, if any, and/or (ii) multiplied by the
     applicable Spread Multiplier, if any, specified and applied in the manner
     described on the face hereof.  Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset
     Date, the rate at which interest on this Note is payable shall be reset as
     of each Interest Reset Date specified on the face hereof; provided,
                                                               -------- 
     however, that (i) the interest rate in effect for the period from the
     -------                                                              
     Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest Reset Date shall be the Initial
     Interest Rate; and (ii) the interest rate in effect for the period
     commencing on, and including, the Fixed Rate Commencement Date to the
     Maturity shall be the Fixed Interest Rate, if such a rate is specified on
     the face hereof, or if no such Fixed Interest Rate is so specified, the
     interest rate in effect hereon on the Business Day immediately preceding
     the Fixed Rate Commencement Date.

          3.  If this Note is designated as an Inverse Floating Rate Note on the
     face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto, this
     Note shall bear interest equal to the Fixed Interest Rate indicated on the
     face hereof minus the rate determined by reference to the applicable
     Interest Rate Basis or Bases shown on the face hereof (i) plus or minus the
     applicable Spread, if any, and/or (ii) multiplied by the applicable Spread
     Multiplier, if any, specified and applied in the manner described on the
     face hereof; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified on the
                  --------  -------                                         
     face hereof, the interest rate hereon will not be less than zero percent.
     Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest
     on this Note is payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date
     specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that the interest rate in
                                   --------  -------                           
     effect for the period from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest
     Reset Date shall be the Initial Interest Rate.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Note is designated on the face
hereof as having an Addendum attached, this Note shall bear interest in
accordance with the terms described in such Addendum.

     Except as provided above, the interest rate in effect on each day shall be
(a) if such day is an Interest Reset Date, the interest rate determined as of
the Interest Determination Date (as defined below) immediately preceding such
Interest Reset Date or (b) if such day is not an Interest Reset Date, the
interest rate determined as of the Interest Determination Date immediately
preceding the next preceding Interest Reset Date.  Each Interest Rate Basis
shall be the rate determined in accordance with the applicable provision below.
If any Interest Reset Date (which term includes the term Initial Interest Reset
Date unless the context otherwise requires) would otherwise be a day that is not
a Business Day, such Interest Reset Date shall be postponed to the next
succeeding day that is a 

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
Business Day, except that if an Interest Rate Basis specified on the face hereof
is LIBOR and such next Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month,
such Interest Reset Date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, interest payable on this
Note on any Interest Payment Date shall be the amount of interest accrued from
and including the next preceding Interest Payment Date in respect of which
interest has been paid (or from and including the Original Issue Date specified
on the face hereof, if no interest has been paid), to but excluding the related
Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may be.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, accrued interest hereon
shall be an amount calculated by multiplying the face amount hereof by an
accrued interest factor.  Such accrued interest factor shall be computed by
adding the interest factor calculated for each day in the period for which
accrued interest is being calculated.  Unless otherwise specified on the face
hereof, the interest factor for each such day shall be computed on the basis of
a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months if the Day Count Convention specified on
the face hereof is "30/360" for the period specified thereunder, or by dividing
the interest rate applicable to such day by 360 if the Day Count Convention
specified on the face hereof is "Actual/360" for the period specified thereunder
or by the actual number of days in the year if the Day Count Convention
specified on the face hereof is "Actual/Actual" for the period specified
thereunder.  If interest on this Note is to be calculated with reference to two
or more Interest Rate Bases as specified on the face hereof, the interest factor
will be calculated in each period in the same manner as if only one of the
applicable Interest Rate Bases applied.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, the "Interest Determination
Date" with respect to the CMT Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Federal Funds
Rate and the Prime Rate will be the second Business Day immediately preceding
each Interest Reset Date; the "Interest Determination Date" with respect to
LIBOR shall be the second London Business Day (as defined below) immediately
preceding each Interest Reset Date; and the "Interest Determination Date" with
respect to the Treasury Rate will be the day in the week in which the Interest
Reset Date falls on which day Treasury bills (as defined below) are normally
auctioned (Treasury bills are normally sold at auction on Monday of each week,
unless that day is a legal holiday, in which case the auction is normally held
on the following Tuesday, except that such auction may be held on the preceding
Friday); provided, however, that if an auction is held on the Friday of the week
         --------  -------                                                      
preceding the related Interest Reset Date, the Interest Determination Date shall
be such preceding Friday; and provided, further, that if an auction shall fall
                              --------  -------                               
on any Interest Reset Date, then the Interest Reset Date shall instead be the
first Business Day following such auction.  If the interest rate of this Note is
determined with reference to two or more Interest Rate Bases as specified on the
face hereof, the Interest Determination Date pertaining to this Note will be the
most  recent Business Day which is at least two Business Days prior to such
Interest Reset Date on which each Interest Rate Basis is determinable.  Each
Interest Rate Basis shall be determined on such date, and the applicable
interest rate shall take effect on the related Interest Reset Date.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, the "Calculation Date"
pertaining to any Interest Determination Date will be the earlier of (i) the
tenth calendar day after such Interest Determination Date or, if such day is not
a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day and (ii) the Business Day
immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the
case may be.  All calculations on this Note shall be made by the Calculation
Agent specified on the 

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
face hereof or such successor thereto as is duly appointed by the Corporation.
The determination of any interest rate by the Calculation Agent will be final
and binding absent manifest error.

     All percentages resulting from any calculation on this Note will be
rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage
point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upward (e.g.,
9.876545% (or 0.09876545) would be rounded to 9.87655% (or 0.0987655) and
9.876544% (or 0.09876544) would be rounded to 9.87654% (or 0.0987654)), and all
U.S. dollar amounts used in or resulting from such calculation will be rounded
to the nearest cent or, in the case of a Specified Currency other than U.S.
dollars, to the nearest unit (with one-half cent or unit being rounded upward).

     As used herein, "Business Day" means, unless otherwise specified above, any
day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day
on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law, regulation or
executive order to close in The City of New York or Boston, Massachusetts;
provided, however, that, if the Holder hereof shall have duly made an election
- --------  -------                                                             
to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and/or interest on this
Note in the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof, such day is also
not a day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law,
regulation or executive order to close in the Principal Financial Center (as
defined below) of the country issuing such Specified Currency unless the
Specified Currency is euro, in which case such day is also not a day on which
the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Target (TARGET)
System is closed; provided, further, that, if LIBOR is an applicable Interest
                  --------  -------                                          
Rate Basis, such day is also a London Business Day.  "London Business Day" means
any day on which commercial banks are open for business, including dealings in
the Designated LIBOR Currency (as hereinafter defined), in London. "Principal
Financial Center" means (i) the capital city of the country issuing the
Specified Currency, or (ii) the capital city of the country to which the
Designated LIBOR Currency relates, as applicable, except, in the case of (i) or
(ii) above, that with respect to U.S. dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian
dollars, Deutsche marks, Dutch guilders, Portuguese escudos, South African rand
and Swiss francs, the "Principal Financial Center" shall be The City of New
York, Sydney and (solely in the case of the Specified Currency) Melbourne,
Toronto, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London (solely in the case of the Designated
LIBOR Currency), Johannesburg and Zurich, respectively.

     Determination of CMT Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is the
     -------------------------                                                 
CMT Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the CMT Rate shall be determined as
of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "CMT Rate Interest
Determination Date"), as the rate displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page
(as defined below) under the caption "...Treasury Constant Maturities...Federal
Reserve Board Release H.15...Mondays Approximately 3:45 P.M.," under the column
for the Designated CMT Maturity Index (as defined below) for (i) if the
Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7051, the rate on such CMT Rate Interest
Determination Date and (ii) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7052, the
weekly, or the monthly average as indicated on the face hereof, for the week or
the month, as applicable, ended immediately preceding the week or the month in
which the related CMT Rate Interest Determination Date falls.  If such rate is
no longer displayed on the relevant page, or if not displayed by 3:00 P.M., New
York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for such CMT
Rate Interest Determination Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate
for the Designated CMT Maturity Index as published by the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System in the relevant weekly statistical release designated
as such, or any successor publication ("H.15(519)").  If such rate is no longer

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
published, or if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related
Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for such CMT Rate Interest Determination
Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT
Maturity Index (or other United States Treasury rate for the Designated CMT
Maturity Index) for the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date with respect to
such Interest Reset Date as may then be published by either the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the United States Department of the
Treasury that the Calculation Agent determines to be comparable to the rate
formerly displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page and published in
H.15(519).  If such information is not provided by 3:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for the CMT Rate
Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and
shall be a yield to maturity, based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary
market offered rates as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on the
CMT Rate Interest Determination Date reported, according to their written
records, by three leading primary United States government securities dealers
(each, a "Reference Dealer") in The City of New York selected by the Calculation
Agent (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and
eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the
highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the
lowest)), for the most recently issued direct noncallable fixed rate obligations
of the United States ("Treasury Notes") with an original maturity of
approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index and a remaining term to maturity
of not less than such Designated CMT Maturity Index minus one year.  If the
Calculation Agent cannot obtain three such Treasury Note quotations, the CMT
Rate for such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the
Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity based on the arithmetic mean
of the secondary market offered rates as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York
City time, on the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date of three Reference
Dealers in The City of New York (from five such Reference Dealers selected by
the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of
equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of
equality, one of the lowest)), for Treasury Notes with an original maturity of
the number of years that is the next highest to the Designated CMT Maturity
Index and a remaining term to maturity closest to the Designated CMT Maturity
Index and in an amount of at least $100 million.  If three or four (and not
five) of such Reference Dealers are quoting as described above, then the CMT
Rate will be based on the arithmetic mean of the offered rates obtained and
neither the highest nor the lowest of such quotes will be eliminated; provided,
                                                                      -------- 
however, that if fewer than three Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation
- -------                                                                        
Agent are quoting as described herein, the CMT Rate will be the CMT Rate in
effect on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date.  If two Treasury Notes with
an original maturity of approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index have
remaining terms to maturity equally close to the Designated CMT Maturity Index,
the quotes for the Treasury Note with the shorter remaining term to maturity
will be used.

     "Designated CMT Telerate Page" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc.
(or any successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any
other page as may replace such page on that service) for the purpose of
displaying Treasury Constant Maturities as reported in H.15(519).  If no such
page is specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Telerate Page shall be
7052.

     "Designated CMT Maturity Index" means the original period to maturity of
the U.S. Treasury securities (either 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20 or 30 years specified
on the face hereof with 

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
respect to which the CMT Rate will be calculated. If no such maturity is
specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Maturity Index shall be 2
years.

     Determination of Commercial Paper Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this
     --------------------------------------                                     
Note is the Commercial Paper Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the
Commercial Paper Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest
Determination Date (a "Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date"), as
the Money Market Yield (as defined below) on such date of the rate for
commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as
published in H.15(519) under the caption "Commercial Paper--Nonfinancial" or, if
not so published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation
Date, the rate on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date for
commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as
published in H.15 Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source used
for the purpose of displaying such rate, under the caption "Commercial Paper--
Nonfinancial".  In the event that such rate is not published in H.15(519), H.15
Daily Update or another recognized electronic source by 3:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Commercial Paper Rate on such
Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the
Calculation Agent and shall be the Money Market Yield of the arithmetic mean of
the offered rates at approximately 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on such
Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date of three leading dealers of
U.S. dollar commercial paper in The City of New York selected by the Calculation
Agent for commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face
hereof placed for industrial issuers whose bond rating is "Aa," or the
equivalent, from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization;
provided, however, that if any of the dealers selected as aforesaid by the
- --------  -------                                                         
Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Commercial
Paper Rate determined as of such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination
Date shall be the rate in effect on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest
Determination Date.

     "Money Market Yield" shall be a yield (expressed as a percentage)
calculated in accordance with the following formula:

                                            D X 360
                    Money Market Yield= ------------- x 100
                                        360 - (D X M)


where "D" refers to the applicable per annum rate for commercial paper quoted on
a bank discount basis and expressed as a decimal and "M" refers to the actual
number of days in the applicable Interest Reset Period.

     Determination of Federal Funds Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this
     -----------------------------------                                     
Note is the Federal Funds Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the Federal
Funds Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date
(a "Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date"), as the rate on such date
for United States dollar federal funds as published in H.15(519) under the
caption "Federal Funds (Effective)" on Telerate Page 120, or if such rate does
not appear on Telerate Page 120 or, if not so published by 3:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on such Federal Funds Rate
Interest Determination Date for U.S. dollar federal funds as published in H.15
Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of
displaying such rate, under the caption "Federal Funds/Effective Rate."  If by
3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date such rate does
not appear on Telerate Page 120 or is not published in H.15(519), H.15 Daily
Update or another recognized electronic source, then the Federal Funds Rate on
such Federal Funds Rate Interest

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
 Determination Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be
the arithmetic mean of the rates for the last transaction in overnight United
States dollar federal funds arranged prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on
such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date by three leading brokers of
federal funds transactions in The City of New York selected by the Calculation
Agent; provided, however, that if any of the brokers selected as aforesaid by
       --------  -------                    
the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Federal
Funds Rate determined as of such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date
shall be the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such Federal Funds Rate Interest
Determination Date.

     "Telerate Page 120" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 120 (or such other page as may replace the 120 page
on that service).

     Determination of LIBOR.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is LIBOR,
     ----------------------                                                    
as indicated on the face hereof, LIBOR shall be determined by the Calculation
Agent as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "LIBOR Interest
Determination Date") in accordance with the following provisions:

     (i)  (a)  "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the face hereof, the arithmetic
mean of the offered rates (unless the Designated LIBOR Page by its terms
provides only for a single rate, in which case such single rate shall be used)
for deposits in the Designated LIBOR Currency having the Index Maturity,
commencing on the applicable Interest Reset Date, that appear (or, if only a
single rate is required as aforesaid, appears) on the Designated LIBOR Page as
of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date, or (b)
"LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof, or if neither "LIBOR Reuters"
nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the method for
calculating LIBOR, the rate for deposits in the Designated LIBOR Currency having
the Index Maturity, commencing on such Interest Reset Date, that appears on the
Designated LIBOR Page as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest
Determination Date.  If fewer than two such offered rates so appear, or if no
such rate so appears, as applicable, LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination
Date shall be determined in accordance with the provisions described in clause
(ii) below.

     (ii) With respect to a LIBOR Interest Determination Date on which fewer
than two offered rates appear, or no rate appears, as the case may be, on the
Designated LIBOR Page as specified in clause (i) above, the Calculation Agent
shall request the principal London offices of each of four major reference banks
in the London interbank market, as selected by the Calculation Agent, to provide
the Calculation Agent with its offered quotation for deposits in the Designated
LIBOR Currency for the period of the Index Maturity, commencing on the
applicable Interest Reset Date, to prime banks in the London interbank market at
approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
and in a principal amount that is representative for a single transaction in the
Designated LIBOR Currency in such market at such time.  If at least two such
quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations.  If fewer than two such
quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 A.M., in
the applicable Principal Financial Center, on such LIBOR Interest Determination
Date by three major banks in such Principal Financial Center selected by the
Calculation Agent for loans in the Designated LIBOR Currency to leading European
banks, having the Index Maturity and in a principal amount that is
representative for a single transaction in the Designated LIBOR Currency in such

                                       15
<PAGE>
 
market at such time; provided, however, that if the banks so selected by the
                     --------  -------                                      
Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, LIBOR
determined as of such LIBOR Interest Determination Date shall be LIBOR in effect
on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date.

     "Designated LIBOR Currency" means the currency specified on the face hereof
as to which LIBOR shall be calculated or, if no such currency is specified on
the face hereof, United States dollars.

     "Designated LIBOR Page" means (a) if "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the
face hereof, the display on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or any
successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page
as may replace such page on such service) for the purpose of displaying the
London interbank rates of major banks for the Designated LIBOR Currency, or (b)
if "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof or neither "LIBOR Reuters"
nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the method for
calculating LIBOR, the display Bridge Telerate Inc. (or any successor service)
on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page as may replace such
page on such service) for the purpose of displaying the London interbank rates
of major banks for the Designated LIBOR Currency.

     Determination of Prime Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is
     ---------------------------                                             
the Prime Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the Prime Rate shall be
determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Prime Rate
Interest Determination Date") as the rate on such date as such rate is published
in H.15(519) under the caption "Bank Prime Loan".  If such rate is not published
by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date as published in H.15 Daily Update,
or such other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of displaying
such rate, under the caption "Bank Prime Loan."  If such rate is not yet
published in H.15(519), H.15 Daily Update or another recognized electronic
source by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then
the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates of interest publicly
announced by each bank that appears on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page (as
defined below) as such bank's prime rate or base lending rate as of 11:00 A.M.,
New York City time, on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date.  If fewer
than four such rates appear on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page for such Prime
Rate Interest Determination Date, then the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic
mean of the prime rates or base lending rates quoted on the basis of the actual
number of days in the year divided by a 360-day year as of the close of business
on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date by three major banks in The City
of New York selected by the Calculation Agent.  If the banks selected as
aforesaid are not quoting as mentioned above, the Prime Rate determined as of
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date shall be the Prime Rate in effect on
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date.

     "Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page" means the display on the Reuter Monitor
Money Rates Service (or any successor service) on the "USPRIME1" page (or such
other page as may replace the USPRIME1 page on such service) for the purpose of
displaying prime rates or base lending rates of major United States banks.

     Determination of Treasury Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is
     ------------------------------                                             
the Treasury Rate, as specified on the face hereof, the Treasury Rate shall be
determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Treasury Rate
Interest Determination Date") as the rate from the auction held on such Treasury
Rate Interest Determination Date (the "Auction") of direct obligations of the
United States ("Treasury Bills") having the Index Maturity specified on the 

                                       16
<PAGE>
 
face hereof, as such rate is published under the caption "AVGE INVEST YIELD" on
Telerate Page 56 or Telerate Page 57 or, if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the related Calculation Date, the auction average rate of such
Treasury Bills (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or
366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) as otherwise announced by
the United States Department of the Treasury. In the event that the results of
the Auction of Treasury Bills having the Index Maturity specified on the face
hereof are not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation
Date, or if no such Auction is held, then the Treasury Rate shall be the rate
(expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as
applicable, and applied on a daily basis) on such Treasury Rate Interest
Determination Date of Treasury Bills having the Index Maturity specified on the
face hereof as published in H.15(519) under the caption "U.S. Government
Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market" or, if not yet published by 3:00
P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on such
Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date of such Treasury Bills as published in
H.15 Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source used for the
purpose of displaying such rate, under the caption "U.S. Government
Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market." If such rate is not yet published
in H.15(519), H.15 Daily Update or another recognized electronic source, then
the Treasury Rate will be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be a
yield to maturity (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365
or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) of the arithmetic mean
of the secondary market bid rates, as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City
time, on such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date, of three primary United
States government securities dealers selected by the Calculation Agent, for the
issue of Treasury Bills with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity
specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that if any of the dealers
                              --------  -------                            
selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in
this sentence, the Treasury Rate determined as of such Treasury Rate Interest
Determination Date shall be the Treasury Rate in effect on such Treasury Rate
Interest Determination Date.

     "Telerate Page 56" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 56 (or such other page as may replace the 56 page on
that service).

     "Telerate Page 57" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 57 (or such other page as may replace the 57 page on
that service).

     Any provision contained herein, including the determination of an Interest
Rate Basis, the specification of an Interest Rate Basis, calculation of the
interest rate applicable to this Note, its Interest Payment Dates or any other
matter relating hereto may be modified as specified in an Addendum relating
hereto if so specified on the face hereof.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the interest rate hereon shall not be
greater than the Maximum Interest Rate, if any, or  less than the Minimum
Interest Rate, if any, specified on the face hereof.  In addition to any Maximum
Interest Rate applicable hereto pursuant to the above provisions, the interest
rate on this Note will in no event be higher than the maximum rate permitted by
Massachusetts law, as the same may be modified by United States law of general
application.  The Calculation Agent shall calculate the interest rate hereon in
accordance with the foregoing on or before each Calculation Date.  Unless
otherwise specified on the face hereof, BankBoston, N.A. will be the Calculation
Agent.  The determination of any interest rate by the Calculation Agent shall be
final and binding absent manifest error.

                                       17
<PAGE>
 
     At the request of the Holder hereof, the Calculation Agent shall provide to
the Holder hereof the interest rate hereon then in effect and, if determined,
the interest rate which shall become effective as of the next Interest Reset
Date.

     If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall occur and be
continuing, the principal of all the Notes may be declared due and payable in
the manner and with the effect provided in the Senior Indenture.

     If this Note is specified on the face hereof as a Discount Note, the amount
payable to the Holder of this Note in the event of redemption, repayment or
acceleration of maturity of this Note will be equal to the sum of (1) the Issue
Price specified on the face hereof (increased by any accruals of the Discount,
as defined below) and, in the event of any redemption of this Note (if
applicable), multiplied by the Initial Redemption Percentage (as adjusted by the
Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if applicable) and (2) any unpaid
interest accrued thereon to the Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of
acceleration of maturity, as the case may be.  The difference between the Issue
Price and 100% of the principal amount of this Note is referred to herein as the
"Discount."

     For purposes of determining the amount of Discount that has accrued as of
any Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity of this
Note, such Discount will be accrued so as to cause an assumed yield on the Note
to be constant.  The assumed constant yield will be calculated using a 30-day
month, 360-day year convention, a compounding period that, except for the
Initial Period (as defined below), corresponds to the shortest period between
Interest Payment Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a
constant coupon rate equal to the initial interest rate applicable to this Note
and an assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated.  If
the period from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date
(the "Initial Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a
proportionate amount of the yield for an entire compounding period will be
accrued.  If the Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such
period will be divided into a regular compounding period and a short period,
with the short period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

     The Senior Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided,
the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be
affected under the Senior Indenture at any time by the Corporation and the
Trustee with the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in aggregate principal amount
of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Senior Indenture,
of each series affected thereby.  The Senior Indenture also contains provisions
permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of each series at the time, on behalf of the Holders
of all Securities of each series, to waive compliance with certain provisions of
the Senior Indenture and certain past defaults under the Senior Indenture and
their consequences.  Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall
be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this
Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in
exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or
waiver is made upon this Note.

     No reference herein to the Senior Indenture and no provision of this Note
or of the Senior Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the
Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and
interest on this Note at the time, place and rate, and in the coin or currency,
herein prescribed.

                                       18
<PAGE>
 
     As provided in the Senior Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, this registered Note may be presented for transfer (duly
endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, if so required by
the Corporation or the Security Registrar) or exchanged for other Notes of the
same series at the office of Securities Transfer and Reporting Services, Inc. in
The City of New York or the principal office of BankBoston, N.A. in The City of
Boston.

     No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

     Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the
Corporation or the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may
treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for
all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Corporation,
the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

     This Note and the Senior Indenture shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

     All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Senior Indenture shall
have the meanings assigned to them in the Senior Indenture.

                                       19
<PAGE>
 
                           OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably request(s) and instruct(s) the
Corporation to repay this Note (or portion hereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount hereof together with interest
to the repayment date, to the undersigned, at __________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

     For this Note to be repaid, one of the Paying Agents must receive at its
office, or at such other place or places of which the Corporation shall from
time to time notify the Holder of this Note, not more than 60 nor less than 30
days prior to an Optional Repayment Date, if any, shown above, this Note with
this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed.

     If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid,
specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of $1,000) (or, if the
Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof)
which the Holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or
denominations (which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be
issued to the Holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the
absence of any such specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion
not being repaid).

$____________________________                   ________________________________
                                                NOTICE: The signature on this
                                                Option to Elect Repayment must
Date ________________________                   correspond with the name as
                                                written upon the face of this
                                                Note in every particular,
                                                without alteration or
                                                enlargement or any change
                                                whatever.

                                       20
<PAGE>
 
                           ASSIGNMENT/TRANSFER FORM
                           ------------------------

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED  the undersigned registered Holder hereby sell(s),
assign(s) and transfer(s) unto(insert Social Security or Taxpayer Identification
No.)____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of
assignee)
________________________________________________________________________________
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting
and appointing __________________________ attorney to transfer said Note on the
books of the Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated: _____________              ______________________________________________

     NOTICE:  The signature of the registered Holder to this assignment must
     correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument
     in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
     whatsoever.

                                       21
<PAGE>
 
                                 ABBREVIATIONS

     The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations.

          TEN COM--as tenants in common

          UNIF GIFT MIN ACT--.................Custodian...................
                                    (Cust)                 (Minor)


                                    Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
 
                                    ......................................
                                                   (State)

          TEN ENT--as tenants by the entireties
          JT TEN--as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants
                  in common

     Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

                                       22

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 4(C)

           [FORM OF SUBORDINATED FIXED RATE GLOBAL MEDIUM-TERM NOTE]

     THIS NOTE IS A DIRECT, UNCONDITIONAL AND UNSECURED OBLIGATION OF BANKBOSTON
CORPORATION (THE "CORPORATION"), IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, DEPOSIT OR OTHER
OBLIGATION OF ANY BANK OR NONBANK SUBSIDIARY OF THE CORPORATION AND IS NOT
INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE BANK INSURANCE FUND OR
ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.  THE OBLIGATIONS OF BANK OF BOSTON CORPORATION
EVIDENCED BY THIS NOTE ARE TO THE EXTENT AND IN THE MANNER SET FORTH HEREIN,
SUBORDINATE TO BANKBOSTON CORPORATION'S OBLIGATIONS TO HOLDERS OF ITS SENIOR
INDEBTEDNESS.

     THIS CERTIFICATE IS A GLOBAL CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SENIOR
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (THE
"DEPOSITARY"), OR ITS NOMINEE, AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR
NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY
THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY
TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR
ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR
DEPOSITARY.

     BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THIS CERTIFICATE WILL BE SHOWN ON, AND TRANSFERS
THEREOF WILL BE EFFECTED ONLY THROUGH, RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPOSITARY AND
ITS PARTICIPANTS.  BANKBOSTON, N.A. IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND SECURITIES
TRANSFER & REPORTING SERVICES, INC. IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW
YORK (COLLECTIVELY, THE "PAYING AGENTS") WILL ACT AS THE CORPORATION'S PAYING
AGENTS WITH RESPECT TO THIS NOTE.  THE CORPORATION MAY AT ANY TIME RESCIND THE
DESIGNATION OF A PAYING AGENT, APPOINT A SUCCESSOR PAYING AGENT OR APPROVE A
CHANGE IN THE OFFICE THROUGH WHICH ANY PAYING AGENT ACTS.

     UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY TO THE CORPORATION OR ITS AGENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,
EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO.
OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR 
<PAGE>
 
TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO.,
HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
REGISTERED                              CUSIP No. _____________                  PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
                                                                                 -----------
No. FX

                                          BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
                                      SUBORDINATED MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
                                               (Fixed Rate)


ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:                    INTEREST RATE:                           STATED MATURITY DATE:
<S>                                     <C>                                      <C> 
SPECIFIED CURRENCY:                     OPTION TO ELECT PAYMENT                  AUTHORIZED DENOMINATIONS:
(if other than                          IN SPECIFIED CURRENCY                    [_] $1,000 and integral
U.S. dollars)                           (only applicable if                      multiples thereof.
                                        Specified Currency is                    [_] Other:
                                        other than
                                        U.S. dollars):
                                        [_]Yes   [_]No

EXCHANGE RATE AGENT:

INTEREST PAYMENT DATE(S):                                           REGULAR RECORD DATES
[_]At Maturity only                                                 (FOR NOTES WITH MATURITIES
[_]June 15 and December 15                                          GREATER THAN ONE YEAR):
[_]Other:                                                           [_] June 1 and December 1
                                                                    [_] OTHER

INITIAL REDEMPTION                      INITIAL REDEMPTION                       ANNUAL REDEMPTION
DATE:                                   PERCENTAGE:                              PERCENTAGE REDUCTION:

OPTIONAL REPAYMENT DATE(S):
 
DAY COUNT CONVENTION:
[  ] 30/360 FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                                      TO               .
[  ] ACTUAL/360 FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                                  TO               .
[  ] ACTUAL/ACTUAL FOR THE PERIOD FROM                                               TO               .

ADDENDUM ATTACHED:
[ ]  Yes
[ ]  No
DEFAULT RATE:                                           DISCOUNT NOTE:
                                                        [  ] Yes
                                                        [  ] No
                                                        Issue Price:     %
OTHER PROVISIONS:
</TABLE> 

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
     BankBoston Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation ("Issuer" or the
"Corporation", which terms include any successor corporation under the
Subordinated Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby
promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount of
___________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (except to the
extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date), and to pay
interest thereon at the Interest Rate per annum specified above, until the
principal hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent
that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the Default
Rate per annum specified above on any overdue principal and premium, if any, and
on any overdue installment of interest.

     The Corporation will pay interest on each Interest Payment Date specified
above, commencing on the first Interest Payment Date next succeeding the
Original Issue Date specified above, and on the Stated Maturity Date or any
Redemption Date or Optional Repayment Date (as defined below) (the date of each
such Stated Maturity Date, Redemption Date and Optional Repayment Date and the
date on which principal or an installment of principal is due and payable by
declaration of acceleration pursuant to the Subordinated Indenture, being
referred to hereinafter as a "Maturity" with respect to principal payable on
such date); provided, however, that if the Original Issue Date falls between a
            --------  -------                                                 
Regular Record Date (as defined below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment
Date, interest payments will commence on the Interest Payment Date immediately
following the next succeeding Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on
such next succeeding Regular Record Date.  Unless otherwise specified above, the
"Regular Record Date" with respect to any Interest Payment Date shall be the
June 1 or December 1 (whether or not a Business Day (as defined below)), as the
case may be, next preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date.  Interest on
this Note will accrue from and including the most recent Interest Payment Date
to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been
paid or duly provided for, from and including the Original Issue Date specified
above, to but excluding such Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may
be.  If the Maturity or an Interest Payment Date for this Note falls on a day
which is not a Business Day, the related payment of principal, premium, if any,
or interest will be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force
and effect as if made on such Maturity or Interest Payment Date, as the case may
be, and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from
and after such Maturity or Interest Payment Date, as the case may be.  The
interest so payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest
Payment Date will, as provided in the Subordinated Indenture, be paid to the
Person in whose name this Note (or one or more predecessor securities) is
registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such Interest
Payment Date.  Any such interest which is payable, but not punctually paid or
duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date (herein called "Defaulted
Interest"), shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such
Regular Record Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is
registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of
such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be
given to the Holder of this Note not less than 10 days prior to such Special
Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more
fully provided in the Subordinated Indenture.  Interest payable at Maturity will
be payable to the Person to whom the principal hereof shall be payable.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
     Reference herein to "this Note", "hereof", "herein" and comparable terms
shall include an Addendum hereto if an Addendum is specified above.

     Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth
on the reverse hereof and, if so specified on the face hereof, in an Addendum
hereto, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same force and
effect as if set forth at this place.

     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of one of its authorized
signatories, this Note shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Note to be duly
executed.

                                                  BANKBOSTON CORPORATION



[SEAL]                                            By:_________________________
                                                     Name:
                                                     Title:

Attest:

By:____________________________
   Name:
   Title:



CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This Note is one of the Securities
referred to in the Subordinated Indenture
referred to herein.

NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION



By:  BANKBOSTON, N.A., as
     Authenticating Agent



By:____________________________                   Dated:_________________
     Name:
     Title:

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
                               [Reverse of Note]
                            BankBoston Corporation
                               Medium-Term Note
                           (Subordinated Fixed Rate)

     This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities (hereinafter
called the "Securities") of the Corporation designated as its Subordinated
Medium-Term Notes (the "Notes").  The Notes are issued and to be issued under a
Subordinated Indenture dated as of June 15, 1992 (as amended by the First
Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 24, 1993 (the "First Supplemental
Indenture," referred to collectively herein with the Subordinated Indenture as
the "Subordinated Indenture")), between the Corporation and Norwest Bank
Minnesota, National Association, as Trustee (the "Trustee" which term shall
include any duly appointed successor trustee acting in such capacity), to which
Subordinated Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is
hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the
Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and the terms upon
which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.  Copies of
the Subordinated Indenture are on file and available for inspection at the
offices of the Trustee located at 6th Street and Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55479 or at such other place or places the Trustee shall designate by
notice to the person in whose name this Note is registered (the "Holder") on the
Security Register (as defined below).  The terms of individual Notes may vary
with respect to interest rates or interest rate formulas, issue dates, maturity,
redemption, repayment, currency of payment and otherwise.

     The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in the
Authorized Denominations specified on the face hereof.  As provided in the
Subordinated Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the
Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes
denominated as authorized, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

     PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL OF THIS NOTE MAY BE ACCELERATED ONLY IN CERTAIN EVENTS
INVOLVING THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE CORPORATION OR THE RECEIVERSHIP OF BANKBOSTON,
N.A.  THERE IS NO RIGHT OF ACCELERATION IN THE CASE OF A DEFAULT IN THE PAYMENT
OF PRINCIPAL OR INTEREST ON THIS NOTE OR ANY DEFAULT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ANY
OTHER COVENANT OR AGREEMENT IN THIS NOTE OR IN THE SUBORDINATED INDENTURE.

     The Corporation, for itself, its successors and assigns, covenants and
agrees, and each Holder of this Note likewise covenants and agrees by his, her
or its acceptance hereof, (A) that the obligation of the Corporation to make any
payment on account of the principal of and interest on each and all of the
Securities shall be subordinate and junior in right of payment to the
Corporation's obligations to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations) and under the
circumstances described in clause (B)(ii) of this sentence, to the holders of
Additional Senior Obligations, to the extent provided herein, and (B) that in
the case of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, conservatorship,
reorganization, readjustment of debt, marshalling of assets and liabilities or
similar proceedings or any 

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
liquidation or winding-up of or relating to the Corporation as a whole, whether
voluntary or involuntary (i) all obligations of the Corporation to the holders
of Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than Additional Senior
Obligations) shall be entitled to be paid in full before any payment shall be
made on account of the principal (including principal to be paid by delivery of
Capital Securities) of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the
Securities or on any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities and
(ii) after payment in full of all sums owing with respect to Senior Indebtedness
of the Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations), the holders of
the Securities, together with the holders of any Indebtedness Ranking on a
Parity with the Securities, shall be entitled, ratably, to be paid from the
remaining assets of the Corporation the amounts at the time due and owing on
account of unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities
and on any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities before any
payment or other distribution, whether in cash, property or otherwise, shall be
made on account of any capital stock or any Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the
Securities, provided, however, that if, after giving effect to the operation of
            --------  -------                       
clause (B)(i) above, (x) any amount of cash, property or securities remains
available for payment or distribution in respect of the Securities (such cash,
property or securities constituting "Excess Proceeds") and (y) creditors in
respect of Additional Senior Obligations have not received payment in full of
amounts due or to become due thereon or payment of such amounts has not been
duly provided for, then such Excess Proceeds shall first be applied, ratably if
and to the extent provided with respect to any other subordinated indebtedness
of the Corporation, to pay or provide for the payment in full of all such
Additional Senior Obligations before any payment shall be made on account of the
principal of or interest on the Securities.

     In addition, in the event of any proceeding described in clause (B) above,
if any payment or distribution of assets of the Corporation of any kind or
character, whether in cash, property or securities, including any such payment
or distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of
any other indebtedness of the Corporation being subordinated to the payment of
the Securities, shall be received by the Trustee or the Holders of the
Securities before all Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation is paid in full,
such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall
be paid over to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their representative
or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which
any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued
for application to the payment first, of all such Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations) remaining unpaid and
second, of all Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation constituting Additional
Senior Obligations until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in
full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness.

     The subordination provisions of the foregoing paragraphs shall not be
applicable to amounts at the time due and owing on the securities of any series
on account of the unpaid principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any,
on the securities of any series for the payment of which funds have been
deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or have been set aside
by the Corporation in trust in accordance with the provisions of the
Subordinated Indenture; nor shall such provisions impair any rights, interests,
remedies or powers of any 

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
secured creditor of the Corporation in respect of any security the creation of
which is not prohibited by the provisions of the Subordinated Indenture.

     In addition, in the event and during the continuation of any default in the
payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Senior
Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations)
beyond any applicable period of grace, or in the event that any event of default
with respect to any Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than
Additional Senior Obligations) shall have occurred and be continuing, or would
occur as a result of the payment referred to hereinafter, permitting the holders
of such Senior Indebtedness (or trustee on behalf of the holders thereof) to
accelerate the maturity thereof, then, unless and until such default or event of
default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist, no
payment of principal of or interest on the Securities, or in respect of any
redemption, exchange, retirement, purchase or other acquisition of any of the
Securities, shall be made by the Corporation.

     The securing of any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities or
Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities shall not be deemed to prevent
such obligations from constituting Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the
Securities or Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities.

     Each Holder of this Note, by the acceptance hereof, agrees to be bound by
the terms and conditions set forth in this Note and in the Subordinated
Indenture, including, without limitation, Article XIII thereof.

     Unless otherwise specified herein, payments of principal of and premium, if
any, and interest on this Note are payable by the Corporation in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof (or, if such Specified Currency is not at
the time of such payment legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts, in such other coin or currency of the country which issued such Specified
Currency as at the time of such payment is legal tender for the payment of such
debts).  If the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof is other than
United States dollars, any such amounts paid by the Corporation will be
converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified on the face hereof into United
States dollars for payment to the Holder of this Note.

     If the Specified Currency on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, any United States dollar amount to be received by the Holder of this
Note will be based on the highest bid quotation in The City of New York received
by the Exchange Rate Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on
the second Business Day preceding the applicable payment date from three
recognized foreign exchange dealers (one of whom may be the Exchange Rate Agent)
selected by the Exchange Rate Agent and approved by the Corporation for the
purchase by the quoting dealer of the Specified Currency for United States
dollars for settlement on such payment date in the aggregate amount of the
Specified Currency payable to all Holders of Foreign Currency Notes denominated
in a currency other than United States dollars scheduled to receive United
States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a
contract.  All currency exchange costs will be borne by the Holder of 

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
this Note by deductions from such payments. If three such bid quotations are not
available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

     The Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment of the principal of
and premium, if any, and/or interest on this Note in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof by submitting a written request for such payment to
the Trustee at its principal corporate trust office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on
or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior
to the Maturity, as the case may be.  Such written request may be mailed or hand
delivered or sent by cable, telex or other form of facsimile transmission.  The
Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment in the applicable Specified
Currency for all such principal, premium, if any, and interest payments and need
not file a separate election for each payment.  Such election will remain in
effect until revoked by written notice to the Trustee, but written notice of any
such revocation must be received by the Trustee on or prior to the applicable
Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior to the Maturity, as the case
may be.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof and the applicable Specified Currency is not
available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances
beyond the control of the Corporation, the Corporation shall be entitled to
satisfy its obligations to the Holder hereof by making such payment in United
States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate on the second Business
Day prior to such payment or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then
available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or
as otherwise provided herein.  The "Market Exchange Rate" for a Specified
Currency other than United States dollars means the noon dollar buying rate in
The City of New York for cable transfer for such Specified Currency as certified
for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Any payment made under such circumstances in
United States dollars where the required payment is in a Specified Currency
other than United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default under
the Subordinated Indenture with respect to this Note.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest hereon in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof and such Specified Currency is a currency
unit that is unavailable due to the imposition of exchange controls or other
circumstances beyond the Corporation's control, then the Corporation shall be
entitled, but not required, to make any payments in respect of this Note in
United States dollars until such currency unit is again available.  The amount
of each payment in United States dollars shall be computed on the basis of the
equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars, which shall be
determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the following basis.  The component
currencies of the currency unit for this purpose (collectively, the "Component
Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that
were components of the currency unit as of the last day on which the currency
unit was used. The equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars
shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the
Component Currencies.  The United States dollar equivalent of each of the
Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate 

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
Agent on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each
such Component Currency.

     If the official unit of any Component Currency is altered by way of
combination or subdivision, the number of units of the currency as a Component
Currency shall be divided or multiplied in the same proportion.  If two or more
Component Currencies are consolidated into a single currency, the amounts of
those currencies as Component Currencies shall be replaced by an amount in such
single currency equal to the sum of the amounts of the consolidated Component
Currencies expressed in such single currency.  If any Component Currency is
divided into two or more currencies, the amount of the original Component
Currency shall be replaced by the amounts of such two or more currencies, the
sum of which shall be equal to the amount of the original Component Currency.

     All determinations referred to above made by the Exchange Rate Agent shall
be at its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be
conclusive for all purposes and binding on the Holder hereof.

     Except as otherwise provided in the Subordinated Indenture and as set forth
below, the Notes will be represented by one or more global securities,
registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and ownership of the
Notes shall be maintained in book-entry form by the Depositary for the accounts
of participating organizations of the Depositary.  This Note is exchangeable for
definitive Notes in registered form to persons other than the Depositary or its
nominee only if (a) the Depositary notifies the Corporation in writing that it
is no longer willing or able to continue as a depositary for the Notes or if the
Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a successor depositary is not appointed by
the Corporation within ninety days after the effective date of the Depositary's
ceasing to act as depositary for the Notes, (b) the Corporation, at its option,
notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of Notes in
definitive form, or (c) any event shall have happened and be continuing which,
after notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default
with respect to the Notes.  In the event of such occurrences, upon the surrender
by the Depositary or a successor depositary of this Note the Corporation will
execute, and the Trustee will, upon the execution of the then standard form of
the Trustee's agreement for certificated securities and upon receipt of
instructions in writing from the Corporation, authenticate and deliver
securities of like tenor and terms in definitive form to each person that the
Depositary or a successor depositary identifies as the beneficial owner of an
interest in this Note in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of Notes represented by this Note then outstanding in exchange for this
Note.  Any such certificated security will be issued in fully registered form,
without coupons, in an Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof.
Such certificated security may not subsequently be exchanged by a Holder for
Notes in denominations of less than the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof.

     This Note is not subject to any sinking fund or to the defeasance or
covenant defeasance provisions of the Subordinated Indenture and, unless
otherwise provided above in accordance 

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
with the provisions of the following paragraphs, is not redeemable or repayable
prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

     If so provided above, this Note may be redeemed by the Corporation on any
date on and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any, specified above.  If no
Initial Redemption Date is set forth above, this Note may not be redeemed prior
to the Stated Maturity Date.  On and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any,
this Note may be redeemed at any time in whole or from time to time in part in
increments of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof
is other than United States dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof) at the option of the Corporation at the applicable
Redemption Price (as defined below), together with unpaid interest, if any,
accrued hereon at the applicable rate payable to the date of redemption (each
such date, a "Redemption Date"), on written notice given not more than 60 nor
less than 30 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date.  In the event of
redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note for the unredeemed portion
hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender
hereof.  Whenever less than all the Notes at any time outstanding are to be
redeemed, the terms of the Notes to be so redeemed shall be selected by the
Corporation.  In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note
for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder
hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     Unless otherwise specified above, the "Redemption Price" shall initially be
the Initial Redemption Percentage, specified above, of the principal amount of
this Note to be redeemed and, if greater than 100%, shall decline at each
anniversary of the Initial Redemption Date by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if any, specified above, of the principal amount to be redeemed until
the Redemption Price is 100% of such principal amount.

     This Note may be subject to repayment at the option of the Holder on the
Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, indicated above.  If no Optional Repayment
Date(s) are set forth above, this Note is not subject to repayment at the option
of the Holder hereof prior to the Stated Maturity Date.  On any Optional
Repayment Date, this Note shall be repayable in whole or in part in increments
of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other
than United States dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on
the face hereof) at the option of the Holder hereof at a repayment price equal
to the sum of (i) 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid plus (ii)
accrued interest, if any, hereon at the applicable rate payable to the relevant
Optional Repayment Date.  For this Note to be repaid in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder hereof, this Note must be received, with the form entitled
"Option to Elect Repayment" below duly completed, by one of the Paying Agents at
its office, or such address which the Corporation shall from time to time notify
the Holders of the Notes, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the
relevant Optional Repayment Date.  Exercise of such repayment option by the
Holder hereof shall be irrevocable.  In the event of repayment of this Note in
part only, a new Note for the unrepaid portion hereof shall be issued in the
name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     While this Note is held by or on behalf of the Depositary, and registered
in the name of the Depositary or the Depositary's nominee, the option for
repayment may be exercised by the 

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
applicable participant that has an account with the Depositary, on behalf of the
beneficial owners of this Note, by delivering a written notice substantially
similar to the above mentioned form to one of the Paying Agents at its office
(or such other address of which the Corporation shall from time to time notify
the Holders), not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the date of
repayment. Notices of elections from participants on behalf of beneficial owners
of this Note to exercise their option to have the interests of such beneficial
owners in this Note repaid must be received by one of the Paying Agents not
later than 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the last day for giving such
notice. In order to ensure that a notice is received by one of the Paying Agents
on a particular day, the beneficial owner of this Note must so direct the
applicable participant before such participant's deadline for accepting
instructions for that day. Different firms may have different deadlines for
accepting instructions from their customers. Accordingly, beneficial owners of
this Note should consult the participants through which they own their interest
herein for the respective deadlines for such participants. All notices shall be
executed by a duly authorized officer of such participant (with signature
guaranteed) and shall be irrevocable. In addition, beneficial owners of this
Note shall effect delivery at the time such notices of election are given to the
Depositary by causing the applicable participant to transfer such beneficial
owner's interest in this Note, on the Depositary's records, to the Trustee.

     Interest payments on this Note shall include interest accrued from and
including the Original Issue Date indicated above, or the most recent date to
which interest has been paid or duly provided for, to but excluding the related
Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may be.  Interest payments for
this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve
30-day months if the Day Count Convention specified above is "30/360" for the
period specified thereunder, on the basis of the actual number of days in the
related month and a 360-day year if the Day Count Convention specified above is
"Actual/360" for the period specified thereunder or on the basis of the actual
number of days in the related year and month if the Day Count Convention
specified above is "Actual/Actual" for the period specified thereunder.

     As used herein, "Business Day" means, unless otherwise specified above, any
day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day
on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law, regulation or
executive order to close in The City of New York or Boston, Massachusetts;
provided, however, that, if the Holder hereof shall have duly made an election
- --------  -------                                                             
to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and/or interest on this
Note in the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof, such day is also
not a day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law,
regulation or executive order to close in the Principal Financial Center (as
defined below) of the country issuing such Specified Currency unless the
Specified Currency is euro, in which case such day is also not a day on which
the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Target (TARGET)
System is closed.  "Principal Financial Center" means the capital city of the
country issuing the Specified Currency, except that with respect to U.S.
dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, Deutsche marks, Dutch guilders,
South African rand and Swiss francs, the "Principal Financial Center" shall be
The City of New York, Melbourne, Toronto, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Johannesburg and
Zurich, respectively.

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
     Any provision contained herein with respect to the calculation of the rate
of interest applicable to this Note, its Interest Payment Dates or any other
matter relating hereto may be modified as specified in an Addendum relating
hereto if so specified above.

     If an Event of Default (as defined in the Subordinated Indenture) with
respect to the Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the
Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided
in the Subordinated Indenture.

     If this Note is specified on the face hereof as a Discount Note, the amount
payable to the Holder of this Note in the event of redemption, repayment or
acceleration of maturity of this Note will be equal to the sum of (1) the Issue
Price specified on the face hereof (increased by any accruals of the Discount,
as defined below) and, in the event of any redemption of this Note (if
applicable), multiplied by the Initial Redemption Percentage (as adjusted by the
Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if applicable) and (2) any unpaid
interest accrued thereon to the Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of
acceleration of maturity, as the case may be.  The difference between the Issue
Price and 100% of the principal amount of this Note is referred to herein as the
"Discount."

     For purposes of determining the amount of Discount that has accrued as of
any Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity of this
Note, such Discount will be accrued so as to cause the yield on the Note to be
constant.  The constant yield will be calculated using a 30-day month, 360-day
year convention, a compounding period that, except for the Initial Period (as
defined below), corresponds to the shortest period between Interest Payment
Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a constant coupon
rate equal to the initial interest rate applicable to this Note and an
assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated.  If the
period from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date (the
"Initial Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a
proportionate amount of the yield for an entire compounding period will be
accrued.  If the Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such
period will be divided into a regular compounding period and a short period,
with the short period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

     The Subordinated Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein
provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and
obligations of the Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities
of each series to be affected under the Subordinated Indenture at any time by
the Corporation and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in
aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined
in the Subordinated Indenture, of each series affected thereby.  The
Subordinated Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of
specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of each series at the time, on behalf of the Holders of all
Securities of each series, to waive compliance with certain provisions of the
Subordinated Indenture and certain past defaults under the Subordinated
Indenture and their consequences.  Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of
this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future
Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration 

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not
notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

     No reference herein to the Subordinated Indenture and no provision of this
Note or of the Subordinated Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of
the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of
and interest on this Note at the time, place and rate or formula, and in the
coin or currency, herein prescribed.

     As provided in the Subordinated Indenture and subject to certain
limitations therein set forth, this registered Note may be presented for
transfer (duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, if
so required by the Corporation or the Security Registrar) or exchanged for other
Notes of the same series at the office of Securities Transfer & Reporting
Services, Inc. in The City of New York or the principal office of BankBoston,
N.A. in The City of Boston.

     No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

     Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the
Corporation or the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may
treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for
all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Corporation,
the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

     This Note and the Subordinated Indenture shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

     All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Subordinated Indenture
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Subordinated Indenture.

                                       15
<PAGE>
 
                           OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably request(s) and instruct(s) the
Corporation to repay this Note (or portion hereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount hereof together with interest
to the repayment date, to the undersigned, at __________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

     For this Note to be repaid, one of the Paying Agents must receive at its
office, or at such other place or places of which the Corporation shall from
time to time notify the Holder of this Note, not more than 60 nor less than 30
days prior to an Optional Repayment Date, if any, shown above, this Note with
this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed.

     If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid,
specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of $1,000 (or, if the
Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof) which
the Holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or denominations
(which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be issued to the
Holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the absence of any such
specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion not being repaid).


$_________________________                  ____________________________________
                                            NOTICE: The signature on this Option
Date______________________                  to Elect Repayment must correspond
                                            with the name as written upon the
                                            face of this Note in every
                                            particular, without alteration or
                                            enlargement or any change whatever.

                                       16
<PAGE>
 
                           ASSIGNMENT/TRANSFER FORM
                           ------------------------

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED  the undersigned registered Holder hereby sell(s),
assign(s) and transfer(s) unto (insert Social Security or Taxpayer
Identification No.)_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of
assignee)
 
________________________________________________________________________________
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing __________________________ attorney to transfer said Note on the
books of the Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated: _____________        ____________________________________________________

     NOTICE:  The signature of the registered Holder to this assignment must
     correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument
     in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
     whatsoever.

                                       17
<PAGE>
 
                                 ABBREVIATIONS

     The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according
to applicable laws or regulations.

          TEN COM--as tenants in common

          UNIF GIFT MIN ACT-- ................Custodian........................
                                    (Cust)                       (Minor)

                           Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

                           ..................................
                                        (State)

          TEN ENT--as tenants by the entireties
          JT TEN--as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants
                  in common

    Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

                                       18

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 4(D)

         [FORM OF SUBORDINATED FLOATING RATE GLOBAL MEDIUM-TERM NOTE]

     THIS NOTE IS A DIRECT, UNCONDITIONAL AND UNSECURED OBLIGATION OF BANKBOSTON
CORPORATION (THE "CORPORATION"), IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, DEPOSIT OR OTHER
OBLIGATION OF ANY BANK OR NONBANK SUBSIDIARY OF THE CORPORATION AND IS NOT
INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE BANK INSURANCE FUND OR
ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.  THE OBLIGATIONS OF BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
EVIDENCED BY THIS NOTE ARE TO THE EXTENT AND IN THE MANNER SET FORTH HEREIN,
SUBORDINATE TO BANKBOSTON CORPORATION'S OBLIGATIONS TO HOLDERS OF ITS SENIOR
INDEBTEDNESS.

     THIS CERTIFICATE IS A GLOBAL CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SENIOR
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (THE
"DEPOSITARY"), OR ITS NOMINEE, AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR
NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY
THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY
TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR
ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR
DEPOSITARY.

     BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN THIS CERTIFICATE WILL BE SHOWN ON, AND TRANSFERS
THEREOF WILL BE EFFECTED ONLY THROUGH, RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPOSITARY AND
ITS PARTICIPANTS.  BANKBOSTON, N.A. IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND SECURITIES
TRANSFER & REPORTING SERVICES, INC. IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW
YORK (COLLECTIVELY, THE "PAYING AGENTS") WILL ACT AS THE CORPORATION'S PAYING
AGENTS WITH RESPECT TO THIS NOTE.  THE CORPORATION MAY AT ANY TIME RESCIND THE
DESIGNATION OF A PAYING AGENT, APPOINT A SUCCESSOR PAYING AGENT OR APPROVE A
CHANGE IN THE OFFICE THROUGH WHICH ANY PAYING AGENT ACTS.

     UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY TO THE CORPORATION OR ITS AGENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,
EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO.
OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
REGISTERED                                             CUSIP No.__________                  PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
No. FLR______                                                                               _________   


                            BANKBOSTON CORPORATION
                         SUBORDINATED MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
                                (Floating Rate)
<S>                                   <C>                                          <C> 
INTEREST RATE BASIS                   ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:                         STATED MATURITY DATE:
OR BASES:

IF LIBOR:                                        IF CMT RATE:
     [ ] LIBOR Reuters                              Designated CMT Telerate Page:
     [ ] LIBOR Telerate                             If Telerate Page 7052:
                                                    [ ] Weekly Average
                                                    [ ] Monthly Average
                                                    Designated CMT Maturity Index:

DESIGNATED LIBOR CURRENCY:

INDEX MATURITY:                       INITIAL INTEREST RATE:                       INTEREST PAYMENT PERIOD:

SPREAD (PLUS OR MINUS):               INITIAL INTEREST RESET DATE:                 INTEREST PAYMENT DATES:

SPREAD MULTIPLIER:                    INTEREST RATE RESET PERIOD:                  INTEREST RESET DATES:

MAXIMUM INTEREST RATE:                MINIMUM INTEREST RATE:                       INITIAL REDEMPTION DATE:

INITIAL REDEMPTION PERCENTAGE:        ANNUAL REDEMPTION PERCENTAGE REDUCTION:      OPTIONAL REPAYMENT DATE(S):

CALCULATION AGENT:

INTEREST CATEGORY:                                               DAY COUNT CONVENTION:
[ ] Regular Floating Rate Note                                   [ ] 30/360 for the period
[ ] Floating Rate/Fixed Rate                                             from                to              .
      Fixed Rate Commencement Date:                              [ ] Actual/360 for the period
      Fixed Interest Rate:                                               from                to              .
[ ] Inverse Floating Rate Note                                   [ ] Actual/Actual for the period
      Fixed Interest Rate:                                               from                to              .

SPECIFIED CURRENCY:                                  OPTION TO ELECT PAYMENT           AUTHORIZED DENOMINATION:
(if other than                                       IN SPECIFIC CURRENCY              [ ] $1,000 and integral
U.S. dollars)                                        (only applicable if                   multiples thereof
                                                     Specified Currency is             [ ] Other
                                                     other than U.S. dollars):
                                                     [ ]Yes   [ ]No

EXCHANGE RATE AGENT:

ADDENDUM ATTACHED:                                   DISCOUNT NOTE:
[ ]  Yes                                             [ ]  Yes
[ ]  No                                              [ ]  No
                                                     Issue Price:  %
DEFAULT RATE:

OTHER PROVISIONS:
</TABLE>

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
     BANKBOSTON CORPORATION, a Massachusetts corporation ("Issuer" or the
"Corporation," which terms include any successor corporation under the
Subordinated Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby
promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount of
_____________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (except to
the extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date), and to pay
interest thereon, at a rate per annum equal to the Initial Interest Rate
specified above until the Initial Interest Reset Date specified above and
thereafter at a rate per annum determined in accordance with the provisions
hereof and any Addendum relating hereto depending upon the Interest Rate Basis
or Bases, if any, and such other terms specified above, until the principal
hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent that the
payment of such interest is legally enforceable) at the Default Rate per annum
specified above on any overdue principal and premium, if any, and on any overdue
installment of interest.

     The Corporation will pay interest monthly, quarterly, semi-annually,
annually or such other period as specified above under "Interest Payment
Period", on each Interest Payment Date specified above, commencing on the first
Interest Payment Date specified above next succeeding the Original Issue Date
specified above, and on the Stated Maturity Date or any Redemption Date or
Optional Repayment Date (as defined below) (the date of each such Stated
Maturity Date, Redemption Date and Optional Repayment Date and the date on which
principal or an installment of principal is due and payable by declaration of
acceleration pursuant to the Subordinated Indenture, being referred to
hereinafter as a "Maturity" with respect to principal payable on such date);
provided, however, that if the Original Issue Date falls between a Regular
- --------  -------                                                         
Record Date (as defined below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date,
interest payments will commence on the Interest Payment Date immediately
following the next succeeding Regular Record Date to the registered Holder on
such next succeeding Regular Record Date; and provided, further, that if an
                                              --------  -------            
Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date at Maturity) would
otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day (as defined below), such
Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the next succeeding day that is a
Business Day, except that if an  Interest Rate Basis is LIBOR, as indicated
above, and such next Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month,
such Interest Payment Date shall be the immediately preceding day that is a
Business Day.  Unless otherwise specified above, the "Regular Record Date" with
respect to any Interest Payment Date shall be the date 15 calendar days (whether
or not a Business Day) immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.  If the
Maturity of this Note falls on a day which is not a Business Day, the payment of
principal, premium, if any, and interest due at Maturity will be made on the
next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such
Maturity and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period
from and after such Maturity.  The interest so payable and punctually paid or
duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the
Subordinated Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or
more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the
Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date.  Any such interest which is
payable, but not punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment
Date (herein called "Defaulted Interest"), shall forthwith cease to be payable
to the registered Holder on such Regular Record Date, and may be paid to the
Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a
Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by
the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder of this Note not less
than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in
any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in the Subordinated

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
Indenture.  Interest payable at Maturity will be payable to the Person to whom
the principal hereof shall be payable.

     Reference herein to "this Note", "hereof", "herein" and comparable terms
shall include an Addendum hereto if an Addendum is specified above.

     Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth
on the reverse hereof and, if so specified on the face hereof, in an Addendum
hereto, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same force and
effect as if set forth at this place.

     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Authenticating Agent, the manual signature of one of its authorized signatories,
this Note shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Note to be duly
executed.

                                         BANKBOSTON CORPORATION



[SEAL]                                          By:  ___________________________
                                                     Name:
                                                     Title:


Attest:


By:  ____________________________
     Name:
     Title:



CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This Note is one of the Securities
referred to in the Subordinated Indenture
referred to herein.


NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION



By:  BANKBOSTON, N.A., as
     Authenticating Agent



By:  ____________________________               Dated:____________________
     Name:
     Title:

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
                               [Reverse of Note]
                                  BankBoston
                               Medium-Term Note
                         (Subordinated Floating Rate)

     This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities (hereinafter
called the "Securities") of the Corporation designated as its Subordinated
Medium-Term Notes (the "Notes").  The Notes are issued and to be issued under a
Subordinated Indenture dated as of June 15, 1992 (as amended by the First
Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 24, 1993 (the "First Supplemental
Indenture," referred to collectively herein with the Subordinated Indenture as
the "Subordinated Indenture")), between the Corporation and Norwest Bank
Minnesota, National Association, as Trustee (the "Trustee" which term shall
include any duly appointed successor trustee acting in such capacity), to which
Subordinated Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is
hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the
Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and the terms upon
which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.  Copies of
the Subordinated Indenture are on file and available for inspection at the
offices of the Trustee located at 6th Street and Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55479 or at such other place or places the Trustee shall designate by
notice to the person in whose name this Note is registered (the "Holder") on the
Security Register (as defined below).  The terms of individual Notes may vary
with respect to interest rates or interest rate formulas, issue dates, maturity,
redemption, repayment, currency of payment and otherwise.

     The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in the
Authorized Denominations specified on the face hereof.  As provided in the
Subordinated Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the
Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes
denominated as authorized, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

     PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL OF THIS NOTE MAY BE ACCELERATED ONLY IN CERTAIN EVENTS
INVOLVING THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE CORPORATION OR THE RECEIVERSHIP OF BANKBOSTON,
N.A.  THERE IS NO RIGHT OF ACCELERATION IN THE CASE OF A DEFAULT IN THE PAYMENT
OF PRINCIPAL OR INTEREST ON THIS NOTE OR ANY DEFAULT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ANY
OTHER COVENANT OR AGREEMENT IN THIS NOTE OR IN THE SUBORDINATED INDENTURE.

     The Corporation, for itself, its successors and assigns, covenants and
agrees, and each Holder of this Note likewise covenants and agrees by his, her
or its acceptance hereof, (A) that the obligation of the Corporation to make any
payment on account of the principal of and interest on each and all of the
Securities shall be subordinate and junior in right of payment to the
Corporation's obligations to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations) and under the
circumstances described in clause (B)(ii) of this sentence, to the holders of
Additional Senior Obligations, to the extent provided herein, and (B) that in
the case of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, conservatorship,
reorganization, readjustment of debt, marshalling of assets and liabilities or
similar proceedings or any liquidation or winding-up of or relating to the
Corporation as a whole, whether voluntary or involuntary (i) all obligations of
the Corporation to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation (other
than Additional Senior Obligations) shall be entitled to be paid in full before

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
any payment shall be made on account of the principal (including principal to
be paid by delivery of Capital Securities) of, or premium, if any, or interest,
if any, on the Securities or on any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the
Securities and (ii) after payment in full of all sums owing with respect to
Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than Additional Senior
Obligations), the holders of the Securities, together with the holders of any
Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities, shall be entitled,
ratably, to be paid from the remaining assets of the Corporation the amounts at
the time due and owing on account of unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on the Securities and on any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the
Securities before any payment or other distribution, whether in cash, property
or otherwise, shall be made on account of any capital stock or any Indebtedness
Ranking Junior to the Securities, provided, however, that if, after giving
                                  --------  -------                       
effect to the operation of clause (B)(i) above, (x) any amount of cash, property
or securities remains available for payment or distribution in respect of the
Securities (such cash, property or securities constituting "Excess Proceeds")
and (y) creditors in respect of Additional Senior Obligations have not received
payment in full of amounts due or to become due thereon or payment of such
amounts has not been duly provided for, then such Excess Proceeds shall first be
applied, ratably if and to the extent provided with respect to any other
subordinated indebtedness of the Corporation, to pay or provide for the payment
in full of all such Additional Senior Obligations before any payment shall be
made on account of the principal of or interest on the Securities.

     In addition, in the event of any proceeding described in clause (B) above,
if any payment or distribution of assets of the Corporation of any kind or
character, whether in cash, property or securities, including any such payment
or distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of
any other indebtedness of the Corporation being subordinated to the payment of
the Securities, shall be received by the Trustee or the Holders of the
Securities before all Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation is paid in full,
such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall
be paid over to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their representative
or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which
any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued
for application to the payment first, of all such Senior Indebtedness of the
Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations) remaining unpaid and
second, of all Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation constituting Additional
Senior Obligations until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in
full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness.

     The subordination provisions of the foregoing paragraphs shall not be
applicable to amounts at the time due and owing on the securities of any series
on account of the unpaid principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any,
on the securities of any series for the payment of which funds have been
deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or have been set aside
by the Corporation in trust in accordance with the provisions of the
Subordinated Indenture; nor shall such provisions impair any rights, interests,
remedies or powers of any secured creditor of the Corporation in respect of any
security the creation of which is not prohibited by the provisions of the
Subordinated Indenture.

     In addition, in the event and during the continuation of any default in the
payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Senior
Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than Additional Senior Obligations)
beyond any applicable period of grace, or in the event that 

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
any event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness of the Corporation
(other than Additional Senior Obligations) shall have occurred and be
continuing, or would occur as a result of the payment referred to hereinafter,
permitting the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or trustee on behalf of the
holders thereof) to accelerate the maturity thereof, then, unless and until such
default or event of default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased
to exist, no payment of principal of or interest on the Securities, or in
respect of any redemption, exchange, retirement, purchase or other acquisition
of any of the Securities, shall be made by the Corporation.

     The securing of any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities or
Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities shall not be deemed to prevent
such obligations from constituting Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the
Securities or Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities.

     Each Holder of this Note, by the acceptance hereof, agrees to be bound by
the terms and conditions set forth in this Note and in the Subordinated
Indenture, including, without limitation, Article XIII thereof.

     Unless otherwise specified herein, payments of principal of and premium, if
any, and interest on this Note are payable by the Corporation in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof (or, if such Specified Currency is not at
the time of such payment legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts, in such other coin or currency of the country which issued such Specified
Currency as at the time of such payment is legal tender for the payment of such
debts).  If the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof is other than
United States dollars, any such amounts paid by the Corporation will be
converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified on the face hereof into United
States dollars for payment to the Holder of this Note.

     If the Specified Currency on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, any United States dollar amount to be received by the Holder of this
Note will be based on the highest bid quotation in The City of New York received
by the Exchange Rate Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on
the second Business Day preceding the applicable payment date from three
recognized foreign exchange dealers (one of whom may be the Exchange Rate Agent)
selected by the Exchange Rate Agent and approved by the Corporation for the
purchase by the quoting dealer of the Specified Currency for United States
dollars for settlement on such payment date in the aggregate amount of the
Specified Currency payable to all Holders of Foreign Currency Notes denominated
in a currency other than United States dollars scheduled to receive United
States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a
contract.  All currency exchange costs will be borne by the Holder of this Note
by deductions from such payments.  If three such bid quotations are not
available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

     The Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment of the principal of
and premium, if any, and/or interest on this Note in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof by submitting a written request for such payment to
the Trustee at its principal corporate trust office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on
or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior
to the Maturity, as the case may be.  Such written request may be mailed or hand
delivered or sent by cable, telex or other form of facsimile 

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
transmission. The Holder of this Note may elect to receive payment in the
applicable Specified Currency for all such principal, premium, if any, and
interest payments and need not file a separate election for each payment. Such
election will remain in effect until revoked by written notice to the Trustee,
but written notice of any such revocation must be received by the Trustee on or
prior to the applicable Record Date or at least fifteen calendar days prior to
the Maturity, as the case may be.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest in the Specified Currency
specified on the face hereof and the applicable Specified Currency is not
available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances
beyond the control of the Corporation, the Corporation shall be entitled to
satisfy its obligations to the Holder hereof by making such payment in United
States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate on the second Business
Day prior to such payment or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then
available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or
as otherwise provided herein.  The "Market Exchange Rate" for a Specified
Currency other than United States dollars means the noon dollar buying rate in
The City of New York for cable transfer for such Specified Currency as certified
for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Any payment made under such circumstances in
United States dollars where the required payment is in a Specified Currency
other than United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default under
the Subordinated Indenture with respect to this Note.

     If the Holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive
payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest hereon in the Specified
Currency specified on the face hereof and such Specified Currency is a currency
unit that is unavailable due to the imposition of exchange controls or other
circumstances beyond the Corporation's control, then the Corporation shall be
entitled, but not required, to make any payments in respect of this Note in
United States dollars until such currency unit is again available.  The amount
of each payment in United States dollars shall be computed on the basis of the
equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars, which shall be
determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the following basis.  The component
currencies of the currency unit for this purpose (collectively, the "Component
Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that
were components of the currency unit as of the last day on which the currency
unit was used. The equivalent of the currency unit in United States dollars
shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the
Component Currencies.  The United States dollar equivalent of each of the
Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis
of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each such Component
Currency.

     If the official unit of any Component Currency is altered by way of
combination or subdivision, the number of units of the currency as a Component
Currency shall be divided or multiplied in the same proportion.  If two or more
Component Currencies are consolidated into a single currency, the amounts of
those currencies as Component Currencies shall be replaced by an amount in such
single currency equal to the sum of the amounts of the consolidated Component
Currencies expressed in such single currency.  If any Component Currency is
divided into two or more currencies, the amount of the original 

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
Component Currency shall be replaced by the amounts of such two or more
currencies, the sum of which shall be equal to the amount of the original
Component Currency.

     All determinations referred to above made by the Exchange Rate Agent shall
be at its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be
conclusive for all purposes and binding on the Holder hereof.

     Except as otherwise provided in the Subordinated Indenture and as set forth
below, the Notes will be represented by one or more global securities,
registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and ownership of the
Notes shall be maintained in book-entry form by the Depositary for the accounts
of participating organizations of the Depositary.  This Note is exchangeable for
definitive Notes in registered form to persons other than the Depositary or its
nominee only if (a) the Depositary notifies the Corporation in writing that it
is no longer willing or able to continue as a depositary for the Notes or if the
Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a successor depositary is not appointed by
the Corporation within ninety days after the effective date of the Depositary's
ceasing to act as depositary for the Notes, (b) the Corporation, at its option,
notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of Notes in
definitive form, or (c) any event shall have happened and be continuing which,
after notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default
with respect to the Notes.  In the event of such occurrences, upon the surrender
by the Depositary or a successor depositary of this Note the Corporation will
execute, and the Trustee will, upon the execution of the then standard form of
the Trustee's agreement for certificated securities and upon receipt of
instructions in writing from the Corporation, authenticate and deliver
securities of like tenor and terms in definitive form to each person that the
Depositary or a successor depositary identifies as the beneficial owner of an
interest in this Note in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of Notes represented by this Note then outstanding in exchange for this
Note.  Any such certificated security will be issued in fully registered form,
without coupons, in an Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof.
Such certificated security may not subsequently be exchanged by a Holder for
Notes in denominations of less than the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof.

     This Note is not subject to any sinking fund or to the defeasance or
covenant defeasance provisions of the Subordinated Indenture and, unless
otherwise provided above in accordance with the provisions of the following
paragraphs, is not redeemable or repayable prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

     If so provided above, this Note may be redeemed by the Corporation on any
date on and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any, specified above.  If no
Initial Redemption Date is set forth above, this Note may not be redeemed prior
to the Stated Maturity Date.  On and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any,
this Note may be redeemed at any time in whole or from time to time in part in
increments of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof
is other than United States dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination
specified on the face hereof) at the option of the Corporation at the applicable
Redemption Price (as defined below), together with unpaid interest, if any,
accrued hereon at the applicable rate payable to the date of redemption (each
such date, a "Redemption Date"), on 

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
written notice given not more than 60 nor less than 30 calendar days prior to
the Redemption Date. In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new
Note for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder
hereof upon the surrender hereof. Whenever less than all the Notes at any time
outstanding are to be redeemed, the terms of the Notes to be so redeemed shall
be selected by the Corporation. In the event of redemption of this Note in part
only, a new Note for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name
of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     Unless otherwise specified above, the "Redemption Price" shall initially be
the Initial Redemption Percentage, specified above, of the principal amount of
this Note to be redeemed and, if greater than 100%, shall decline at each
anniversary of the Initial Redemption Date by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if any, specified above, of the principal amount to be redeemed until
the Redemption Price is 100% of such principal amount.

     This Note may be subject to repayment at the option of the Holder on the
Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, indicated above.  If no Optional Repayment
Date(s) are set forth above, this Note is not subject to repayment at the option
of the Holder hereof prior to the Stated Maturity Date.  On any Optional
Repayment Date, this Note shall be repayable in whole or in part in increments
of $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other
than United States dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on
the face hereof) at the option of the Holder hereof at a repayment price equal
to the sum of (i) 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid plus (ii)
accrued interest, if any, hereon at the applicable rate payable to the relevant
Optional Repayment Date.  For this Note to be repaid in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder hereof, this Note must be received, with the form entitled
"Option to Elect Repayment" below duly completed, by one of the Paying Agents at
its office, or such address which the Corporation shall from time to time notify
the Holders of the Notes, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the
relevant Optional Repayment Date.  Exercise of such repayment option by the
Holder hereof shall be irrevocable.  In the event of repayment of this Note in
part only, a new Note for the unrepaid portion hereof shall be issued in the
name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

     While this Note is held by or on behalf of the Depositary, and registered
in the name of the Depositary or the Depositary's nominee, the option for
repayment may be exercised by the applicable participant that has an account
with the Depositary, on behalf of the beneficial owners of this Note, by
delivering a written notice substantially similar to the above mentioned form to
one of the Paying Agents at its office (or such other address of which the
Corporation shall from time to time notify the Holders), not more than 60 nor
less than 30 days prior to the date of repayment.  Notices of elections from
participants on behalf of beneficial owners of this Note to exercise their
option to have the interests of such beneficial owners in this Note repaid must
be received by one of the Paying Agents not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the last day for giving such notice.  In order to ensure that a notice
is received by one of the Paying Agents on a particular day, the beneficial
owner of this Note must so direct the applicable participant before such
participant's deadline for accepting instructions for that day.  Different firms
may have different deadlines for accepting instructions from their customers.
Accordingly, beneficial 

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
owners of this Note should consult the participants through which they own their
interest herein for the respective deadlines for such participants. All notices
shall be executed by a duly authorized officer of such participant (with
signature guaranteed) and shall be irrevocable. In addition, beneficial owners
of this Note shall effect delivery at the time such notices of election are
given to the Depositary by causing the applicable participant to transfer such
beneficial owner's interest in this Note, on the Depositary's records, to the
Trustee.

     The interest rate borne by this Note shall be determined as follows:

          1.  If this Note is designated as a Regular Floating Rate Note on the
     face hereof or if no designation is made for Interest Calculation on the
     face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto, this
     Note shall bear interest at the rate determined by reference to the
     applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases shown on the face hereof (i) plus
     or minus the applicable Spread, if any, and/or (ii) multiplied by the
     applicable Spread Multiplier, if any, specified and applied in the manner
     described on the face hereof.  Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset
     Date, the rate at which interest on this Note is payable shall be reset as
     of each Interest Reset Date specified on the face hereof; provided,
                                                               -------- 
     however, that the interest rate in effect for the period from the Original
     -------                                                                   

          2.  If this Note is designated as a Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Note on
     the face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto,
     this Note shall bear interest at the rate determined by reference to the
     applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases shown on the face hereof (i) plus
     or minus the applicable Spread, if any, and/or (ii) multiplied by the
     applicable Spread Multiplier, if any, specified and applied in the manner
     described on the face hereof.  Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset
     Date, the rate at which interest on this Note is payable shall be reset as
     of each Interest Reset Date specified on the face hereof; provided,
                                                               -------- 
     however, that (i) the interest rate in effect for the period from the
     -------                                                              
     Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest Reset Date shall be the Initial
     Interest Rate; and (ii) the interest rate in effect for the period
     commencing on, and including, the Fixed Rate Commencement Date to the
     Maturity shall be the Fixed Interest Rate, if such a rate is specified on
     the face hereof, or if no such Fixed Interest Rate is so specified, the
     interest rate in effect hereon on the Business Day immediately preceding
     the Fixed Rate Commencement Date.

          3.  If this Note is designated as an Inverse Floating Rate Note on the
     face hereof, then, except as described below or in an Addendum hereto, this
     Note shall bear interest equal to the Fixed Interest Rate indicated on the
     face hereof minus the rate determined by reference to the applicable
     Interest Rate Basis or Bases shown on the face hereof (i) plus or minus the
     applicable Spread, if any, and/or (ii) multiplied by the applicable Spread
     Multiplier, if any, specified and applied in the manner described on the
     face hereof; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified on the
                  --------  -------                                         
     face hereof, the interest rate hereon will not be less than zero percent.
     Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest
     on this Note is payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date
     specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that the interest rate in
                                   --------  -------                           
     effect for the period from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest
     Reset Date shall be the Initial Interest Rate.

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Note is designated on the face
hereof as having an Addendum attached, this Note shall bear interest in
accordance with the terms described in such Addendum.

     Except as provided above, the interest rate in effect on each day shall be
(a) if such day is an Interest Reset Date, the interest rate determined as of
the Interest Determination Date (as defined below) immediately preceding such
Interest Reset Date or (b) if such day is not an Interest Reset Date, the
interest rate determined as of the Interest Determination Date immediately
preceding the next preceding Interest Reset Date.  Each Interest Rate Basis
shall be the rate determined in accordance with the applicable provision below.
If any Interest Reset Date (which term includes the term Initial Interest Reset
Date unless the context otherwise requires) would otherwise be a day that is not
a Business Day, such Interest Reset Date shall be postponed to the next
succeeding day that is a Business Day, except that if an Interest Rate Basis
specified on the face hereof is LIBOR and such next Business Day falls in the
next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Reset Date shall be the
immediately preceding Business Day.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, interest payable on this
Note on any Interest Payment Date shall be the amount of interest accrued from
and including the next preceding Interest Payment Date in respect of which
interest has been paid (or from and including the Original Issue Date specified
on the face hereof, if no interest has been paid), to but excluding the related
Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the case may be.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, accrued interest hereon
shall be an amount calculated by multiplying the face amount hereof by an
accrued interest factor.  Such accrued interest factor shall be computed by
adding the interest factor calculated for each day in the period for which
accrued interest is being calculated.  Unless otherwise specified on the face
hereof, the interest factor for each such day shall be computed on the basis of
a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months if the Day Count Convention specified on
the face hereof is "30/360" for the period specified thereunder, or by dividing
the interest rate applicable to such day by 360 if the Day Count Convention
specified on the face hereof is "Actual/360" for the period specified thereunder
or by the actual number of days in the year if the Day Count Convention
specified on the face hereof is "Actual/Actual" for the period specified
thereunder.  If interest on this Note is to be calculated with reference to two
or more Interest Rate Bases as specified on the face hereof, the interest factor
will be calculated in each period in the same manner as if only one of the
applicable Interest Rate Bases applied.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, the "Interest Determination
Date" with respect to the CMT Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Federal Funds
Rate and the Prime Rate will be the second Business Day immediately preceding
each Interest Reset Date; the "Interest Determination Date" with respect to
LIBOR shall be the second London Business Day (as defined below) immediately
preceding each Interest Reset Date; and the "Interest Determination Date" with
respect to the Treasury Rate will be the day in the week in which the related
Interest Reset Date falls on which day Treasury bills (as defined below) are
normally auctioned (Treasury bills are normally sold at auction on Monday of
each week, unless that day is a legal holiday, in which case the auction is
normally held on the following 

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
Tuesday, except that such auction may be held on the preceding Friday);
provided, however, that if an auction is held on the Friday of the week
- --------  -------                                   
preceding the related Interest Reset Date, the Interest Determination Date shall
be such preceding Friday; and provided, further, that if an auction shall fall
                              --------  -------      
on any Interest Reset Date, then the Interest Reset Date shall instead be the
first Business Day following such auction. If the interest rate of this Note is
determined with reference to two or more Interest Rate Bases as specified on the
face hereof, the Interest Determination Date pertaining to this Note will be the
most recent Business Day which is at least two Business Days prior to the
related Interest Reset Date on which each Interest Rate Basis is determinable.
Each Interest Rate Basis shall be determined on such date, and the applicable
interest rate shall take effect on the related Interest Reset Date.

     Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof, the "Calculation Date"
pertaining to any Interest Determination Date will be the earlier of (i) the
tenth calendar day after such Interest Determination Date or, if such day is not
a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day and (ii) the Business Day
immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date or Maturity, as the
case may be.  All calculations on this Note shall be made by the Calculation
Agent specified on the face hereof or such successor thereto as is duly
appointed by the Corporation.  The determination of any interest rate by the
Calculation Agent shall be final and binding absent manifest error.

     All percentages resulting from any calculation on this Note will be
rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage
point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upward (e.g.,
9.876545% (or 0.09876545) would be rounded to 9.87655% (or 0.0987655) and
9.876544% (or 0.09876544) would be rounded to 9.87654% (or 0.0987654)), and all
U.S. dollar amounts used in or resulting from such calculation will be rounded
to the nearest cent or, in the case of a Specified Currency other than U.S.
dollars, to the nearest unit (with one-half cent or unit being rounded upward).

     As used herein, "Business Day" means, unless otherwise specified above, any
day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day
on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law, regulation or
executive order to close in The City of New York or Boston, Massachusetts;
provided, however, that, if the Holder hereof shall have duly made an election
- --------  -------                                                             
to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and/or interest on this
Note in the Specified Currency specified on the face hereof, such day is also
not a day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law,
regulation or executive order to close in the Principal Financial Center (as
defined below) of the country issuing such Specified Currency unless the
Specified Currency is euro, in which case such day is also not a day on which
the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Target (TARGET)
System is closed; provided, further, that, if LIBOR is an applicable Interest
                  --------  -------                                          
Rate Basis, such day is also a London Business Day.  "London Business Day" means
any day on which commercial banks are open for business, including dealings in
the Designated LIBOR Currency (as hereinafter defined), in London. "Principal
Financial Center" means (i) the capital city of the country issuing the
Specified Currency, or (ii) the capital city of the country to which the
Designated LIBOR Currency relates, as applicable, except, in the case of (i) or
(ii) above, that with respect to U.S. dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian
dollars, Deutsche marks, Dutch guilders, Portuguese escudos, South African rand
and Swiss francs, the "Principal Financial Center" shall be The City of New

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
York, Sydney and (solely in the case of the Specified Currency) Melbourne,
Toronto, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London (solely in the case of the Designated
LIBOR Currency), Johannesburg and Zurich, respectively.

     Determination of CMT Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is the
     -------------------------                                                 
CMT Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the CMT Rate shall be determined as
of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "CMT Rate Interest
Determination Date"), as the rate displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page
(as defined below) under the caption "...Treasury Constant Maturities...Federal
Reserve Board Release H.15...Mondays Approximately 3:45 P.M.," under the column
for the Designated CMT Maturity Index (as defined below) for (i) if the
Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7051, the rate on such CMT Rate Interest
Determination Date and (ii) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7052, the
weekly, or the monthly average as indicated on the face hereof, for the week or
the month, as applicable, ended immediately preceding the week or the month in
which the related CMT Rate Interest Determination Date falls.  If such rate is
no longer displayed on the relevant page, or if not displayed by 3:00 P.M., New
York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for such CMT
Rate Interest Determination Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate
for the Designated CMT Maturity Index as published by the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System in the relevant weekly statistical release designated
as such, or any successor publication ("H.15(519)").  If such rate is no longer
published, or if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related
Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for such CMT Rate Interest Determination
Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT
Maturity Index (or other United States Treasury rate for the Designated CMT
Maturity Index) for the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date with respect to
such Interest Reset Date as may then be published by either the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the United States Department of the
Treasury that the Calculation Agent determines to be comparable to the rate
formerly displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page and published in
H.15(519).  If such information is not provided by 3:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for the CMT Rate
Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and
shall be a yield to maturity, based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary
market offered rates as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on the
CMT Rate Interest Determination Date reported, according to their written
records, by three leading primary United States government securities dealers
(each, a "Reference Dealer") in The City of New York selected by the Calculation
Agent (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and
eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the
highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the
lowest)), for the most recently issued direct noncallable fixed rate obligations
of the United States ("Treasury Notes") with an original maturity of
approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index and a remaining term to maturity
of not less than such Designated CMT Maturity Index minus one year.  If the
Calculation Agent cannot obtain three such Treasury Note quotations, the CMT
Rate for such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the
Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity based on the arithmetic mean
of the secondary market offered rates as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York
City time, on the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date of three Reference
Dealers in The City of New York (from five such Reference Dealers selected by
the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of

                                       15
<PAGE>
 
equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of
equality, one of the lowest)), for Treasury Notes with an original maturity of
the number of years that is the next highest to the Designated CMT Maturity
Index and a remaining term to maturity closest to the Designated CMT Maturity
Index and in an amount of at least $100 million.  If three or four (and not
five) of such Reference Dealers are quoting as described above, then the CMT
Rate will be based on the arithmetic mean of the offered rates obtained and
neither the highest nor the lowest of such quotes will be eliminated; provided,
                                                                      -------- 
however, that if fewer than three Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation
- -------                                                                        
Agent are quoting as described herein, the CMT Rate will be the CMT Rate in
effect on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date.  If two Treasury Notes with
an original maturity of approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index have
remaining terms to maturity equally close to the Designated CMT Maturity Index,
the quotes for the Treasury Note with the shorter remaining term to maturity
will be used.

     "Designated CMT Telerate Page" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc.
(or any successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any
other page as may replace such page on that service) for the purpose of
displaying Treasury Constant Maturities as reported in H.15(519).  If no such
page is specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Telerate Page shall be
7052.

     "Designated CMT Maturity Index" means the original period to maturity of
the U.S. Treasury securities (either 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20 or 30 years specified
on the face hereof with respect to which the CMT Rate will be calculated.  If no
such maturity is specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Maturity Index
shall be 2 years.

     Determination of Commercial Paper Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this
     --------------------------------------                                     
Note is the Commercial Paper Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the
Commercial Paper Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest
Determination Date (a "Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date"), as
the Money Market Yield (as defined below) on such date of the rate for
commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as
published in H.15(519) under the caption "Commercial Paper--Nonfinancial" or, if
not so published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation
Date, the rate on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date for
commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as
published in H.15 Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source used
for the purpose of displaying such rate, under the caption "Commercial Paper--
Nonfinancial".  In the event that such rate is not published in H.15(519), H.15
Daily Update or another recognized electronic source by 3:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Commercial Paper Rate on such
Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the
Calculation Agent and shall be the Money Market Yield of the arithmetic mean of
the offered rates at approximately 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on such
Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date of three leading dealers of
U.S. dollar commercial paper in The City of New York selected by the Calculation
Agent for commercial paper having the Index Maturity specified on the face
hereof placed for industrial issuers whose bond rating is "Aa," or the
equivalent, from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization;
provided, however, that if any of the dealers selected as aforesaid by the
- --------  -------                                                         
Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Commercial
Paper Rate 

                                       16
<PAGE>
 
determined as of such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date shall be
the rate in effect on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date.

     "Money Market Yield" shall be a yield (expressed as a percentage)
calculated in accordance with the following formula:


                                          D X 360
                    Money Market Yield = --------------- X 100
                                          360 - (D X M)


where "D" refers to the applicable per annum rate for commercial paper quoted on
a bank discount basis and expressed as a decimal and "M" refers to the actual
number of days in the applicable Interest Reset Period.

     Determination of Federal Funds Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this
     -----------------------------------                                     
Note is the Federal Funds Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the Federal
Funds Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date
(a "Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date"), as the rate on such date
for United States dollar federal funds as published in H.15(519) under the
caption "Federal Funds (Effective)" on Telerate Page 120, or if such rate does
not appear on Telerate Page 120 or, if not so published by 3:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on such Federal Funds Rate
Interest Determination Date for U.S. dollar federal funds as published in H.15
Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of
displaying such rate, under the caption "Federal Funds/Effective Rate."  If by
3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date such rate does
not appear on Telerate Page 120 or is not published in H.15(519), H.15 Daily
Update or another recognized electronic source, then the Federal Funds Rate on
such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the
Calculation Agent and shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates for the last
transaction in overnight United States dollar federal funds arranged prior to
9:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination
Date by three leading brokers of federal funds transactions in The City of New
York selected by the Calculation Agent; provided, however, that if any of the
                                        --------  -------                    
brokers selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as
mentioned in this sentence, the Federal Funds Rate determined as of such Federal
Funds Rate Interest Determination Date shall be the Federal Funds Rate in effect
on such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date.

     "Telerate Page 120" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 120 (or such other page as may replace the 120 page
on that service).

     Determination of LIBOR.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is LIBOR,
     ----------------------                                                    
as indicated on the face hereof, LIBOR shall be determined by the Calculation
Agent as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "LIBOR Interest
Determination Date") in accordance with the following provisions:

     (i) (a)  "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the face hereof, the arithmetic
mean of the offered rates (unless the Designated LIBOR Page by its terms
provides only for a single rate, in which case such single rate shall be used)
for deposits in the Designated LIBOR Currency having the Index Maturity,
commencing on the applicable Interest Reset Date, that appear 

                                       17
<PAGE>
 
(or, if only a single rate is required as aforesaid, appears) on the Designated
LIBOR Page as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination
Date, or (b) "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof, or if neither
"LIBOR Reuters" nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the
method for calculating LIBOR, the rate for deposits in the Designated LIBOR
Currency having the Index Maturity, commencing on such Interest Reset Date, that
appears on the Designated LIBOR Page as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such
LIBOR Interest Determination Date. If fewer than two such offered rates so
appear, or if no such rate so appears, as applicable, LIBOR on such LIBOR
Interest Determination Date shall be determined in accordance with the
provisions described in clause (ii) below.

     (ii) With respect to a LIBOR Interest Determination Date on which fewer
than two offered rates appear, or no rate appears, as the case may be, on the
Designated LIBOR Page as specified in clause (i) above, the Calculation Agent
shall request the principal London offices of each of four major reference banks
in the London interbank market, as selected by the Calculation Agent, to provide
the Calculation Agent with its offered quotation for deposits in the Designated
LIBOR Currency for the period of the Index Maturity, commencing on the
applicable Interest Reset Date, to prime banks in the London interbank market at
approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
and in a principal amount that is representative for a single transaction in the
Designated LIBOR Currency in such market at such time.  If at least two such
quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations.  If fewer than two such
quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date
will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 A.M., in
the applicable Principal Financial Center, on such LIBOR Interest Determination
Date by three major banks in such Principal Financial Center selected by the
Calculation Agent for loans in the Designated LIBOR Currency to leading European
banks, having the Index Maturity and in a principal amount that is
representative for a single transaction in the Designated LIBOR Currency in such
market at such time; provided, however, that if the banks so selected by the
                     --------  -------                                      
Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, LIBOR
determined as of such LIBOR Interest Determination Date shall be LIBOR in effect
on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date.

     "Designated LIBOR Currency" means the currency specified on the face hereof
as to which LIBOR shall be calculated or, if no such currency is specified on
the face hereof, United States dollars.

     "Designated LIBOR Page" means (a) if "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the
face hereof, the display on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or any
successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page
as may replace such page on such service) for the purpose of displaying the
London interbank rates of major banks for the Designated LIBOR Currency, or (b)
if "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof or neither "LIBOR Reuters"
nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the method for
calculating LIBOR, the display Bridge Telerate Inc. (or any successor service)
on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page as may replace such
page on such service) for the purpose of displaying the London interbank rates
of major banks for the Designated LIBOR Currency.

                                       18
<PAGE>
 
     Determination of Prime Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is
     ---------------------------                                             
the Prime Rate, as indicated on the face hereof, the Prime Rate shall be
determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Prime Rate
Interest Determination Date") as the rate on such date as such rate is published
in H.15(519) under the caption "Bank Prime Loan".  If such rate is not published
by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date as published in H.15 Daily Update,
or such other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of displaying
such rate, under the caption "Bank Prime Loan."  If such rate is not yet
published in H.15(519), H.15 Daily Update or another recognized electronic
source by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then
the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates of interest publicly
announced by each bank that appears on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page (as
defined below) as such bank's prime rate or base lending rate as of 11:00 A.M.,
New York City time, on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date.  If fewer
than four such rates appear on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page for such Prime
Rate Interest Determination Date, then the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic
mean of the prime rates or base lending rates quoted on the basis of the actual
number of days in the year divided by a 360-day year as of the close of business
on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date by three major banks in The City
of New York selected by the Calculation Agent.  If the banks selected as
aforesaid are not quoting as mentioned above, the Prime Rate determined as of
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date shall be the Prime Rate in effect on
such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date.

     "Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page" means the display on the Reuter Monitor
Money Rates Service (or any successor service) on the "USPRIME1" page (or such
other page as may replace the USPRIME1 page on such service) for the purpose of
displaying prime rates or base lending rates of major United States banks.

     Determination of Treasury Rate.  If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is
     ------------------------------                                             
the Treasury Rate, as specified on the face hereof, the Treasury Rate shall be
determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Treasury Rate
Interest Determination Date") as the rate from the auction held on such Treasury
Rate Interest Determination Date (the "Auction") of direct obligations of the
United States ("Treasury Bills") having the Index Maturity specified on the face
hereof, as such rate is published under the caption "AVGE INVEST YIELD" on
Telerate Page 56 or Telerate Page 57 or, if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the related Calculation Date, the auction average rate of such
Treasury Bills (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or
366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) as otherwise announced by
the United States Department of the Treasury.  In the event that the results of
the Auction of Treasury Bills having the Index Maturity specified on the face
hereof are not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation
Date, or if no such Auction is held, then the Treasury Rate shall be the rate
(expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as
applicable, and applied on a daily basis) on such Treasury Rate Interest
Determination Date of Treasury Bills having the Index Maturity specified on the
face hereof as published in H.15(519) under the caption "U.S. Government
Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market" or, if not yet published by 3:00
P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on such
Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date of such Treasury Bills as published in
H.15 Daily Update, or such other recognized electronic source 

                                       19
<PAGE>
 
used for the purpose of displaying such rate, under the caption "U.S. Government
Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market." If such rate is not yet published
in H.15(519), H.15 Daily Update or another recognized electronic source, then
the Treasury Rate will be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be a
yield to maturity (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365
or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) of the arithmetic mean
of the secondary market bid rates, as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City
time, on such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date, of three primary United
States government securities dealers selected by the Calculation Agent, for the
issue of Treasury Bills with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity
specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that if any of the dealers
                              --------  -------                            
selected as aforesaid by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in
this sentence, the Treasury Rate determined as of such Treasury Rate Interest
Determination Date shall be the Treasury Rate in effect on such Treasury Rate
Interest Determination Date.

     "Telerate Page 56" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 56 (or such other page as may replace the 56 page on
that service).

     "Telerate Page 57" means the display on Bridge Telerate, Inc. (or any
successor service) on page 57 (or such other page as may replace the 57 page on
that service).

     Any provision contained herein, including the determination of an Interest
Rate Basis, the specification of an Interest Rate Basis, calculation of the
interest rate applicable to this Note, its Interest Payment Dates or any other
matter relating hereto may be modified as specified in an Addendum relating
hereto if so specified on the face hereof.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the interest rate hereon shall not be
greater than the Maximum Interest Rate, if any, or  less than the Minimum
Interest Rate, if any, specified on the face hereof.  In addition to any Maximum
Interest Rate applicable hereto pursuant to the above provisions, the interest
rate on this Note will in no event be higher than the maximum rate permitted by
Massachusetts law, as the same may be modified by United States law of general
application.  The Calculation Agent shall calculate the interest rate hereon in
accordance with the foregoing on or before each Calculation Date.  Unless
otherwise specified on the face hereof, BankBoston, N.A. will be the Calculation
Agent.  The determination of any interest rate by the Calculation Agent shall be
final and binding absent manifest error.

     At the request of the Holder hereof, the Calculation Agent shall provide to
the Holder hereof the interest rate hereon then in effect and, if determined,
the interest rate which shall become effective as of the next Interest Reset
Date.

     If an Event of Default (as defined in the Subordinated Indenture) with
respect to the Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the
Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided
in the Subordinated Indenture.

     If this Note is specified on the face hereof as a Discount Note, the amount
payable to the Holder of this Note in the event of redemption, repayment or
acceleration of maturity of this Note will be equal to the sum of (1) the Issue
Price specified on the face hereof 

                                       20
<PAGE>
 
(increased by any accruals of the Discount, as defined below) and, in the event
of any redemption of this Note (if applicable), multiplied by the Initial
Redemption Percentage (as adjusted by the Annual Redemption Percentage
Reduction, if applicable) and (2) any unpaid interest accrued thereon to the
Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity, as the case
may be. The difference between the Issue Price and 100% of the principal amount
of this Note is referred to herein as the "Discount."

     For purposes of determining the amount of Discount that has accrued as of
any Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity of this
Note, such Discount will be accrued so as to cause an assumed yield on the Note
to be constant.  The assumed constant yield will be calculated using a 30-day
month, 360-day year convention, a compounding period that, except for the
Initial Period (as defined below), corresponds to the shortest period between
Interest Payment Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a
constant coupon rate equal to the initial interest rate applicable to this Note
and an assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated.  If
the period from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date
(the "Initial Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a
proportionate amount of the yield for an entire compounding period will be
accrued.  If the Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such
period will be divided into a regular compounding period and a short period,
with the short period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

     The Subordinated Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein
provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and
obligations of the Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities
of each series to be affected under the Subordinated Indenture at any time by
the Corporation and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in
aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined
in the Subordinated Indenture, of each series affected thereby.  The
Subordinated Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of
specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of each series at the time, on behalf of the Holders of all
Securities of each series, to waive compliance with certain provisions of the
Subordinated Indenture and certain past defaults under the Subordinated
Indenture and their consequences.  Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of
this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future
Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer
hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such
consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

     No reference herein to the Subordinated Indenture and no provision of this
Note or of the Subordinated Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of
the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of
and interest on this Note at the time, place and rate, and in the coin or
currency, herein prescribed.

     As provided in the Subordinated Indenture and subject to certain
limitations therein set forth, this registered Note may be presented for
transfer (duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, if
so required by the Corporation or the Security Registrar) or exchanged for other
Notes of the same series at the office of Securities Transfer 

                                       21
<PAGE>
 
& Reporting Services, Inc. in The City of New York or the principal office of
BankBoston, N.A. in The City of Boston.

     No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

     Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the
Corporation or the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may
treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for
all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Corporation,
the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

     This Note and the Subordinated Indenture shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

     All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Subordinated Indenture
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Subordinated Indenture.

                                       22
<PAGE>
 
                           OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably request(s) and instruct(s) the
Corporation to repay this Note (or portion hereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount hereof together with interest
to the repayment date, to the undersigned, at___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

     For this Note to be repaid, one of the Paying Agents must receive at its
office, or at such other place or places of which the Corporation shall from
time to time notify the Holder of this Note, not more than 60 nor less than 30
days prior to an Optional Repayment Date, if any, shown above, this Note with
this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed.

     If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid,
specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of $1,000) (or, if the
Specified Currency indicated on the face hereof is other than United States
dollars, in the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof)
which the Holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or
denominations (which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be
issued to the Holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the
absence of any such specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion
not being repaid).


$_____________________________
                                       NOTICE: The signature on this Option to
                                       Elect Repayment must correspond with the
Date__________________________         name as written upon the face of this
                                       Note in every particular, without
                                       alteration or enlargement or any change
                                       whatever.

                                       23
<PAGE>
 
                           ASSIGNMENT/TRANSFER FORM
                           ------------------------

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED  the undersigned registered Holder hereby sell(s),
assign(s) and transfer(s) unto (insert Social Security or Taxpayer
Identification No.)_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of
assignee)
________________________________________________________________________________
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing __________________________ attorney to transfer said Note on the
books of the Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated:  _______________         ________________________________________________

     NOTICE:  The signature of the registered Holder to this assignment must
     correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument
     in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
     whatsoever.

                                       24
<PAGE>
 
                                 ABBREVIATIONS

     The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations.

          TEN COM--as tenants in common

          UNIF GIFT MIN ACT-- ................Custodian........................
                                    (Cust)                    (Minor)

                                    Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

                                    ............................................
                                                      (State)

          TEN ENT--as tenants by the entireties
          JT TEN--as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants
                  in common

     Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

                                       25


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