Incipit Liber Septimus.

P. iii. 84 [The Education of Alexander.] i. Omnibus in causis sapiens doctrina salutem Consequitur, nec habet quis nisi doctus opem. Naturam superat doctrina, viro quod et ortus Ingenii docilis non dedit, ipsa dabit. Non ita discretus hominum per climata regnat, Quin, magis vt sapiat, indiget ipse scole. I Genius the prest of love, Quia omnis doctrina bona humano regimini salutem confert, in hoc septimo libro ad instanciam Amantis languidi intendit Genius illam ex qua Philosophi et Astrologi philosophie doctrinam Regem Alexandrum imbuerunt, secundum aliquid declarare. Diuidit enim philosophiam in tres partes, quarum prima Theorica, secunda Rethorica, tercia Practica nuncupata est, de quarum condicionibus subsequenter per singula tractabit. Mi Sone, as thou hast preid above That I the Scole schal declare Of Aristotle and ek the fare Of Alisandre, hou he was tauht, I am somdel therof destrauht; For it is noght to the matiere Of love, why we sitten hiere To schryve, so as Venus bad. Bot natheles, for it is glad, 10 So as thou seist, for thin aprise To hiere of suche thinges wise, Wherof thou myht the time lisse,927 So as I can, I schal the wisse: P. iii. 85 For wisdom is at every throwe928 Above alle other thing to knowe In loves cause and elleswhere. Forthi, my Sone, unto thin Ere, Though it be noght in the registre

Of Venus, yit of that Calistre 20 And Aristotle whylom write To Alisandre, thou schalt wite. Bot for the lores ben diverse, [Three Parts of Philosophy.] I thenke ferst to the reherce The nature of Philosophie;929 Which Aristotle of his clergie, Wys and expert in the sciences, Declareth thilke intelligences,930 As of thre pointz in principal.931 Wherof the ferste in special 30 Is Theorique, which is grounded On him which al the world hath founded, Which comprehendeth al the lore. And forto loken overmore, Next of sciences the seconde Is Rethorique, whos faconde Above alle othre is eloquent: To telle a tale in juggement So wel can noman speke as he. The laste science of the thre 40 It is Practique, whos office The vertu tryeth fro the vice, And techeth upon goode thewes To fle the compaignie of schrewes, P. iii. 86 Which stant in disposicion Of mannes free eleccion. Practique enformeth ek the reule, Hou that a worthi king schal reule His Realme bothe in werre and pes. Lo, thus danz Aristotiles 50 These thre sciences hath divided And the nature also decided, Wherof that ech of hem schal serve. The ferste, which is the conserve And kepere of the remnant, As that which is most sufficant932 And chief of the Philosophie, If I therof schal specefie So as the Philosophre tolde, Nou herkne, and kep that thou it holde. 60 [i. Theoric.] ii. Prima creatorem dat scire sciencia summum: Qui caput agnoscit, sufficit illud ei.933 Plura viros quandoque iuuat nescire, set illud Quod videt expediens, sobrius ille sapit. Of Theorique principal The Philosophre in special The propretees hath determined, Hic tractat de prima parte Philosophie, que Theorica dicitur, cuius natura triplici dotata est sciencia, scilicet Theologia, Phisica et Mathematica: set primo illam partem Theologie declarabit. As thilke which is enlumined Of wisdom and of hih prudence Above alle othre in his science: And stant departed upon thre, The ferste of which in his degre Is cleped in Philosophie The science of Theologie, 70 P. iii. 87 That other named is Phisique, The thridde is seid Mathematique. [Theology.] Theologie is that science Which unto man yifth evidence Of thing which is noght bodely, Wherof men knowe redely The hihe almyhti Trinite, Which is o god in unite Withouten ende and beginnynge And creatour of alle thinge, 80 Of hevene, of erthe and ek of helle. Wherof, as olde bokes telle, The Philosophre in his resoun Wrot upon this conclusioun, And of his wrytinge in a clause He clepeth god the ferste cause, Which of himself is thilke good,934 Withoute whom nothing is good, Of which that every creature935 Hath his beinge and his nature. 90 Nota quod triplex dicitur essencia: Prima temporanea, que incipit et desinit, Secunda perpetua, que incipit et non desinit, Tercia sempiterna, que nec incipit nec desinit. After the beinge of the thinges Ther ben thre formes of beinges:936 Thing which began and ende schal, That thing is cleped temporal; Ther is also be other weie Thing which began and schal noght deie, As Soules, that ben spiritiel, Here beinge is perpetuel: Bot ther is on above the Sonne, Whos time nevere was begonne, 100 P. iii. 88 And endeles schal evere be; That is the god, whos mageste Alle othre thinges schal governe, And his beinge is sempiterne. The god, to whom that al honour Belongeth, he is creatour, And othre ben hise creatures: The god commandeth the natures937 That thei to him obeien alle;938 Withouten him, what so befalle, 110 Her myht is non, and he mai al: The god was evere and evere schal, And thei begonne of his assent; The times alle be present To god, to hem and alle unknowe, Bot what him liketh that thei knowe: Thus bothe an angel and a man, The whiche of al that god began Be chief, obeien goddes myht,939 And he stant endeles upriht. 120 To this science ben prive The clerkes of divinite, The whiche unto the poeple prechen The feith of holi cherche and techen, Which in som cas upon believe Stant more than thei conne prieve Be weie of Argument sensible: Bot natheles it is credible, And doth a man gret meede have, To him that thenkth himself to save. 130 P. iii. 89 Theologie in such a wise Of hih science and hih aprise Above alle othre stant unlike, And is the ferste of Theorique. [Physics.] Phisique is after the secounde, Nota de secunda parte Theorice, que Phisica dicitur. Thurgh which the Philosophre hath founde To techen sondri knowlechinges Upon the bodiliche thinges. Of man, of beste, of herbe, of ston, Of fissch, of foughl, of everychon 140 That ben of bodely substance, The nature and the circumstance Thurgh this science it is ful soght, Which vaileth and which vaileth noght. [Mathematics.] The thridde point of Theorique, Nota de tercia parte Theorice, que Mathematica dicitur, cuius condicio quatuor in se continet intelligencias, scilicet Arsmeticam, Musicam, Geometriam et Astronomiam: set primo de Artismetice natura dicere intendit. Which cleped is Mathematique, Devided is in sondri wise And stant upon diverse aprise. The ferste of whiche is Arsmetique, And the secounde is seid Musique, 150 The thridde is ek Geometrie, Also the ferthe Astronomie. Of Arsmetique the matiere Is that of which a man mai liere What Algorisme in nombre amonteth, Whan that the wise man acompteth After the formel proprete Of Algorismes Abece: Be which multiplicacioun Is mad and diminucioun 160 P. iii. 90 Of sommes be thexperience Of this Art and of this science. Nota de Musica, que secunda pars Artis Mathematice dicitur. The seconde of Mathematique,940 Which is the science of Musique, That techeth upon Armonie A man to make melodie Be vois and soun of instrument Thurgh notes of acordement, The whiche men pronounce alofte, Nou scharpe notes and nou softe, 170 Nou hihe notes and nou lowe, As be the gamme a man mai knowe, Which techeth the prolacion Of note and the condicion. Nota de tercia specie Artis Mathematice, quam Geometriam vocant.941 Mathematique of his science Hath yit the thridde intelligence Full of wisdom and of clergie And cleped is Geometrie, Thurgh which a man hath thilke sleyhte Of lengthe, of brede, of depthe, of heyhte 180 To knowe the proporcion Be verrai calculacion Of this science: and in this wise These olde Philosophres wise, Of al this worldes erthe round, Hou large, hou thikke was the ground, Controeveden thexperience; The cercle and the circumference Of every thing unto the hevene Thei setten point and mesure evene.942 190 P. iii. 91 Mathematique above therthe Of hyh science hath yit the ferthe, Which spekth upon Astronomie And techeth of the sterres hihe, Beginnynge upward fro the mone. Bot ferst, as it was forto done, This Aristotle in other thing Unto this worthi yonge king The kinde of every element Which stant under the firmament, 200 Hou it is mad and in what wise, Fro point to point he gan devise. [Creation of the Four Elements.] iii. Quatuor omnipotens elementa creauit origo, Quatuor et venti partibus ora dabat. Nostraque quadruplici complexio sorte creatur, Corpore sicque suo stat variatus homo. Tofore the creacion Of eny worldes stacion, Hic interim943 tractat de creacione quatuor Elementorum, scilicet terre, aque, aeris et ignis, necnon et de eorum naturis, nam et singulis proprietates singule attribuuntur. Of hevene, of erthe, or eke of helle, So as these olde bokes telle, As soun tofore the song is set And yit thei ben togedre knet, Riht so the hihe pourveance Tho hadde under his ordinance 210 A gret substance, a gret matiere, Of which he wolde in his manere These othre thinges make and forme. For yit withouten eny forme Was that matiere universal, Which hihte Ylem in special. P. iii. 92 Of Ylem, as I am enformed, These elementz ben mad and formed, Of Ylem elementz they hote After the Scole of Aristote, 220 Of whiche if more I schal reherce, Foure elementz ther ben diverse. The ferste of hem men erthe calle, Nota de Terra, quod est primum elementum. Which is the lowest of hem alle, And in his forme is schape round, Substancial, strong, sadd and sound, As that which mad is sufficant To bere up al the remenant. For as the point in a compas Stant evene amiddes, riht so was 230 This erthe set and schal abyde, Philosophus. Vnumquodque naturaliter appetit suum centrum. That it may swerve to no side, And hath his centre after the lawe Of kinde, and to that centre drawe Desireth every worldes thing, If ther ne were no lettyng.944 Nota de Aqua, quod est secundum elementum. Above therthe kepth his bounde The water, which is the secounde Of elementz, and al withoute It environeth therthe aboute. 240 Bot as it scheweth, noght forthi This soubtil water myhtely, Thogh it be of himselve softe, The strengthe of therthe perceth ofte; For riht as veines ben of blod In man, riht so the water flod P. iii. 93 Therthe of his cours makth ful of veines, Als wel the helles as the pleines. And that a man may sen at ÿe, For wher the hulles ben most hyhe, 250 Ther mai men welle stremes finde: So proveth it be weie of kinde The water heyher than the lond. Nota de Aere, quod est tercium elementum. And over this nou understond, Air is the thridde of elementz, Of whos kinde his aspirementz Takth every lifissh creature,945 The which schal upon erthe endure: For as the fissh, if it be dreie, Mot in defaute of water deie, 260 Riht so withouten Air on lyve No man ne beste myhte thryve,946 The which is mad of fleissh and bon; There is outake of alle non. Nota qualiter Aer in tribus Periferiis diuiditur. This Air in Periferies thre Divided is of such degre, Benethe is on and on amidde, To whiche above is set the thridde: And upon the divisions947 There ben diverse impressions 270 Of moist and ek of drye also, Whiche of the Sonne bothe tuo Ben drawe and haled upon hy, And maken cloudes in the Sky, As schewed is at mannes sihte;948 Wherof be day and ek be nyhte P. iii. 94 After the times of the yer Among ous upon Erthe her In sondri wise thinges falle. De prima Aeris Periferia. The ferste Periferie of alle 280 Engendreth Myst and overmore The dewes and the Frostes hore, After thilke intersticion In which thei take impression, De secunda Aeris Periferia. Fro the seconde, as bokes sein, The moiste dropes of the reyn Descenden into Middilerthe, And tempreth it to sed and Erthe, And doth to springe grass and flour. And ofte also the grete schour 290 Out of such place it mai be take, That it the forme schal forsake Of reyn, and into snow be torned; And ek it mai be so sojorned In sondri places up alofte, That into hail it torneth ofte. De tercia Aeris Periferia. The thridde of thair after the lawe Thurgh such matiere as up is drawe949 Of dreie thing, as it is ofte, Among the cloudes upon lofte,950 300 And is so clos, it may noght oute,— Thanne is it chased sore aboute, Til it to fyr and leyt be falle,951 And thanne it brekth the cloudes alle, The whiche of so gret noyse craken, That thei the feerful thonder maken. P. iii. 95 The thonderstrok smit er it leyte, And yit men sen the fyr and leyte, The thonderstrok er that men hiere: So mai it wel be proeved hiere 310 In thing which schewed is fro feer, A mannes yhe is there nerr Thanne is the soun to mannes Ere. And natheles it is gret feere Bothe of the strok and of the fyr, Of which is no recoverir In place wher that thei descende, Bot if god wolde his grace sende. Nota hic952 qualiter Ignes, quos noctanter in Aere discurrere videmus, secundum varias apparencie formas varia gestant nomina: quorum primus Assub, secundus Capra saliens, tercius Eges et quartus Daali in libris Philosophorum nuncupatus est. And forto speken over this, In this partie of thair it is 320 That men fulofte sen be nyhte The fyr in sondri forme alyhte. Somtime the fyrdrake it semeth,953 And so the lewed poeple it demeth; Somtime it semeth as it were A Sterre, which that glydeth there: Bot it is nouther of the tuo, The Philosophre telleth so, And seith that of impressions Thurgh diverse exalacions954 330 Upon the cause and the matiere Men sen diverse forme appiere Of fyr, the which hath sondri name. Assub, he seith, is thilke same, The which in sondry place is founde, Whanne it is falle doun to grounde,955 P. iii. 96 So as the fyr it hath aneled, Lich unto slym which is congeled. Of exalacion I finde956 Fyr kinled of the fame kinde, 340 Bot it is of an other forme; Wherof, if that I schal conforme The figure unto that it is, These olde clerkes tellen this, That it is lik a Got skippende, And for that it is such semende, It hatte Capra saliens. And ek these Astronomiens An other fyr also, be nyhte Which scheweth him to mannes syhte, 350 Thei clepen Eges, the which brenneth Lik to the corrant fyr that renneth Upon a corde, as thou hast sein, Whan it with poudre is so besein Of Sulphre and othre thinges mo. Ther is an other fyr also, Which semeth to a mannes yhe Be nyhtes time as thogh ther flyhe A dragon brennende in the Sky, And that is cleped proprely 360 Daaly, wherof men sein fulofte,957 ‘Lo, wher the fyri drake alofte Fleth up in thair!’ and so thei demen. Bot why the fyres suche semen Of sondri formes to beholde,958 The wise Philosophre tolde, P. iii. 97 So as tofore it hath ben herd. Confessor. Lo thus, my Sone, hou it hath ferd:959 Of Air the due proprete In sondri wise thou myht se, 370 And hou under the firmament It is ek the thridde element, Which environeth bothe tuo, The water and the lond also.960 Nota de Igne, quod est quartum elementum. And forto tellen overthis Of elementz which the ferthe is, That is the fyr in his degre, Which environeth thother thre And is withoute moist al drye. Bot lest nou what seith the clergie; 380 For upon hem that I have seid The creatour hath set and leid The kinde and the complexion Of alle mennes nacion. Foure elementz sondri ther be, Lich unto whiche of that degre Among the men ther ben also Complexions foure and nomo, Wherof the Philosophre treteth, That he nothing behinde leteth, 390 And seith hou that thei ben diverse, So as I schal to thee reherse. [The Four Complexions of Man.] He which natureth every kinde,961 The myhti god, so as I finde, Of man, which is his creature, Nota hic qualiter secundum naturam quatuor elementorum quatuor in humano corpore complexiones, scilicet Malencolia, Fleuma, Sanguis et Colera, naturaliter constituuntur: vnde primo de Malencolia dicendum est. Hath so devided the nature, P. iii. 98 That non til other wel acordeth: And be the cause it so discordeth, The lif which fieleth the seknesse Mai stonde upon no sekernesse. 400 Of therthe, which is cold and drye, The kinde of man Malencolie Is cleped, and that is the ferste, The most ungoodlich and the werste; For unto loves werk on nyht Him lacketh bothe will and myht: No wonder is, in lusty place Of love though he lese grace. What man hath that complexion, Full of ymaginacion 410 Of dredes and of wrathful thoghtes, He fret himselven al to noghtes. De complexione Fleumatis. The water, which is moyste and cold, Makth fleume, which is manyfold Foryetel, slou and wery sone Of every thing which is to done: He is of kinde sufficant To holde love his covenant, Bot that him lacketh appetit, Which longeth unto such delit. 420 De complexione Sanguinis. What man that takth his kinde of thair, He schal be lyht, he schal be fair, For his complexion is blood. Of alle ther is non so good, For he hath bothe will and myht To plese and paie love his riht: P. iii. 99 Wher as he hath love undertake, Wrong is if that he be forsake. De complexione Colere. The fyr of his condicion962 Appropreth the complexion 430 Which in a man is Colre hote, Whos propretes ben dreie and hote: It makth a man ben enginous And swift of fote and ek irous; Of contek and folhastifnesse He hath a riht gret besinesse, To thenke of love and litel may: Though he behote wel a day,963 On nyht whan that he wole assaie, He may ful evele his dette paie. 440 Nota qualiter quatuor complexiones quatuor in homine habitaciones diuisim possident. After the kinde of thelement, Thus stant a mannes kinde went, As touchende his complexion, Upon sondri division Of dreie, of moiste, of chele, of hete,964 And ech of hem his oghne sete Appropred hath withinne a man. And ferst to telle as I began, Splen domus est965 Malencolie. The Splen is to Malencolie Assigned for herbergerie: 450 Pulmo domus966m Fleumatis. The moiste fleume with his cold966 Hath in the lunges for his hold Ordeined him a propre stede, To duelle ther as he is bede: Epar domus Sanguinis. To the Sanguin complexion Nature of hire inspeccion967 P. iii. 100 A propre hous hath in the livere For his duellinge mad delivere: Fel domus Colere. The dreie Colre with his hete Be weie of kinde his propre sete 460 Hath in the galle, wher he duelleth, So as the Philosophre telleth. Nota de Stomacho, qui vna cum aliis cordi968 specialius deseruit. Nou over this is forto wite, As it is in Phisique write Of livere, of lunge, of galle, of splen, Thei alle unto the herte ben Servantz, and ech in his office Entendeth to don him service, As he which is chief lord above.969 The livere makth him forto love, 470 The lunge yifth him weie of speche, The galle serveth to do wreche, The Splen doth him to lawhe and pleie, Whan al unclennesse is aweie: Lo, thus hath ech of hem his dede. And to sustienen hem and fede In time of recreacion, Nature hath in creacion970 The Stomach for a comun Coc Ordeined, so as seith the boc.971 480 The Stomach coc is for the halle, And builleth mete for hem alle, To make hem myghty forto serve972 The herte, that he schal noght sterve: For as a king in his Empire Above alle othre is lord and Sire, P. iii. 101 So is the herte principal, To whom reson in special Is yove as for the governance. [The Soul of Man.] And thus nature his pourveance 490 Hath mad for man to liven hiere; Bot god, which hath the Soule diere,973 Hath formed it in other wise. That can noman pleinli devise; Bot as the clerkes ous enforme, That lich to god it hath a forme, Thurgh which figure and which liknesse The Soule hath many an hyh noblesse Appropred to his oghne kinde. Bot ofte hir wittes be mad blinde 500 Al onliche of this ilke point, That hir abydinge is conjoint Forth with the bodi forto duelle: That on desireth toward helle, That other upward to the hevene; So schul thei nevere stonde in evene, Bot if the fleissh be overcome And that the Soule have holi nome974 The governance, and that is selde, Whil that the fleissh him mai bewelde.975 510 Al erthli thing which god began Was only mad to serve man; Bot he the Soule al only made Himselven forto serve and glade. Alle othre bestes that men finde Thei serve unto here oghne kinde, P. iii. 102 Bot to reson the Soule serveth; Wherof the man his thonk deserveth And get him with hise werkes goode The perdurable lyves foode. 520 [The Division of the Earth.] Of what matiere it schal be told,976 A tale lyketh manyfold Hic loquitur vlterius de diuisione Terre que post diluuium tribus filiis Noe in tres partes, scilicet Asiam, Affricam et Europam diuidebatur. The betre, if it be spoke plein: Thus thinke I forto torne ayein And telle plenerly therfore977 Of therthe, wherof nou tofore I spak, and of the water eke, So as these olde clerkes spieke,978 And sette proprely the bounde After the forme of Mappemounde, 530 Thurgh which the ground be pourparties Departed is in thre parties, That is Asie, Aufrique, Europe, The whiche under the hevene cope, Als ferr as streccheth eny ground, Begripeth al this Erthe round. Bot after that the hihe wrieche The water weies let out seche And overgo the helles hye, Which every kinde made dye 540 That upon Middelerthe stod,979 Outake Noë and his blod, His Sones and his doughtres thre, Thei were sauf and so was he;— Here names who that rede rihte, Sem, Cam, Japhet the brethren hihte;—980 P. iii. 103 And whanne thilke almyhty hond Withdrouh the water fro the lond, And al the rage was aweie, And Erthe was the mannes weie, 550 The Sones thre, of whiche I tolde, Riht after that hemselve wolde,981 This world departe thei begonne. De Asia. Asie, which lay to the Sonne Upon the Marche of orient, Was graunted be comun assent To Sem, which was the Sone eldeste; For that partie was the beste And double as moche as othre tuo. And was that time bounded so; 560 Wher as the flod which men Nil calleth Departeth fro his cours and falleth Into the See Alexandrine, Ther takth Asie ferst seisine Toward the West, and over this Of Canahim wher the flod is Into the grete See rennende, Fro that into the worldes ende Estward, Asie it is algates, Til that men come unto the gates 570 Of Paradis, and there ho. And schortly for to speke it so, Of Orient in general Withinne his bounde Asie hath al. De Aufrica982 et Europa. And thanne upon that other syde Westward, as it fell thilke tyde, P. iii. 104 The brother which was hote Cham Upon his part Aufrique nam.983 Japhet Europe tho tok he, Thus parten thei the world on thre. 580 Bot yit ther ben of londes fele In occident as for the chele, In orient as for the hete, Which of the poeple be forlete984 As lond desert that is unable, For it mai noght ben habitable. Nota de mari quod magnum Occeanum dicitur. The water eke hath sondri bounde, After the lond wher it is founde, And takth his name of thilke londes Wher that it renneth on the strondes: 590 Bot thilke See which hath no wane Is cleped the gret Occeane, Out of the which arise and come The hyhe flodes alle and some; Is non so litel welle spring, Which ther ne takth his beginnyng, And lich a man that haleth breth985 Be weie of kinde, so it geth Out of the See and in ayein, The water, as the bokes sein. 600 Nota hic secundum philosophum de quinto Elemento, quod omnia sub celo creata infra suum ambitum continet, cui nomen Orbis specialiter appropriatum est. Of Elementz the propretes Hou that they stonden be degres, As I have told, nou myht thou hiere, Mi goode Sone, al the matiere Of Erthe, of water, Air and fyr. And for thou saist that thi desir P. iii. 105 Is forto witen overmore The forme of Aristotles lore, He seith in his entendement, That yit ther is an Element 610 Above the foure, and is the fifte, Set of the hihe goddes yifte, The which that Orbis cleped is. And therupon he telleth this, That as the schelle hol and sound Encloseth al aboute round What thing withinne an Ey belongeth, Riht so this Orbis underfongeth These elementz alle everychon, Which I have spoke of on and on.986 620 Bot overthis nou tak good hiede,987 Mi Sone, for I wol procede To speke upon Mathematique, Which grounded is on Theorique. The science of Astronomie I thinke forto specefie, Withoute which, to telle plein, Alle othre science is in vein988 Toward the scole of erthli thinges: For as an Egle with his winges 630 Fleth above alle that men finde, So doth this science in his kinde. [Astronomy.] iv. Lege planetarum magis inferiora reguntur, Ista set interdum regula fallit opus. Vir mediante deo sapiens dominabitur astris, Fata nec immerito quid nouitatis agunt.989 P. iii. 106 Benethe upon this Erthe hiere Of alle thinges the matiere, Hic loquitur de Artis Mathematice quarta specie, que Astronomia nuncupata est, cui eciam Astrologia socia connumeratur: set primo de septem planetis, que inter astra potenciores existunt, incipiendo a luna seorsum tractare intendit. As tellen ous thei that ben lerned, Of thing above it stant governed, That is to sein of the Planetes. The cheles bothe and ek the hetes, The chances of the world also, That we fortune clepen so, 640 Among the mennes nacion Al is thurgh constellacion, Wherof that som man hath the wele, And som man hath deseses fele In love als wel as othre thinges; The stat of realmes and of kinges In time of pes, in time of werre It is conceived of the Sterre: And thus seith the naturien Which is an Astronomien. 650 Bot the divin seith otherwise, That if men weren goode and wise And plesant unto the godhede, Thei scholden noght the sterres drede; For o man, if him wel befalle, Is more worth than ben thei alle Towardes him that weldeth al. Bot yit the lawe original, Which he hath set in the natures, Mot worchen in the creatures, 660 That therof mai be non obstacle, Bot if it stonde upon miracle P. iii. 107 Thurgh preiere of som holy man. And forthi, so as I began To speke upon Astronomie, As it is write in the clergie, To telle hou the planetes fare, Som part I thenke to declare, Mi Sone, unto thin Audience. Astronomie is the science 670 Of wisdom and of hih connynge, Which makth a man have knowlechinge990 Of Sterres in the firmament, Figure, cercle and moevement Of ech of hem in sondri place, And what betwen hem is of space, Hou so thei moeve or stonde faste, Al this it telleth to the laste. Assembled with Astronomie Is ek that ilke Astrologie, 680 The which in juggementz acompteth Theffect, what every sterre amonteth, And hou thei causen many a wonder To tho climatz that stonde hem under.991 [Planets and Signs.] And forto telle it more plein,992 These olde philosophres sein That Orbis, which I spak of err, Is that which we fro therthe a ferr Beholde, and firmament it calle, In which the sterres stonden alle, 690 Among the whiche in special Planetes sefne principal P. iii. 108 Ther ben, that mannes sihte demeth, Bot thorizonte, as to ous semeth.993 And also ther ben signes tuelve, Whiche have her cercles be hemselve Compassed in the zodiaque, In which thei have here places take. And as thei stonden in degre, Here cercles more or lasse be, 700 Mad after the proporcion Of therthe, whos condicion Is set to be the foundement To sustiene up the firmament. And be this skile a man mai knowe, The more that thei stonden lowe, The more ben the cercles lasse; That causeth why that some passe Here due cours tofore an other. Bot nou, mi lieve dere brother, 710 As thou desirest forto wite What I finde in the bokes write, To telle of the planetes sevene, Hou that thei stonde upon the hevene And in what point that thei ben inne, Tak hiede, for I wol beginne, So as the Philosophre tauhte994 To Alisandre and it betauhte, Wherof that he was fulli tawht Of wisdom, which was him betawht. 720 Benethe alle othre stant the Mone, [The Planets.] The which hath with the See to done: Nota hic de prima planeta, que aliis inferior Luna dicitur. P. iii. 109 Of flodes hihe and ebbes lowe Upon his change it schal be knowe;995 And every fissh which hath a schelle Mot in his governance duelle, To wexe and wane in his degre, As be the Mone a man mai se; And al that stant upon the grounde Of his moisture it mot be founde. 730 Alle othre sterres, as men finde, Be schynende of here oghne kinde Outake only the monelyht, Which is noght of himselve bright, Bot as he takth it of the Sonne. And yit he hath noght al fulwonne996 His lyht, that he nys somdiel derk; Bot what the lette is of that werk In Almageste it telleth this: The Mones cercle so lowe is, 740 Wherof the Sonne out of his stage Ne seth him noght with full visage, For he is with the ground beschaded, So that the Mone is somdiel faded And may noght fully schyne cler. Bot what man under his pouer Is bore, he schal his places change And seche manye londes strange: And as of this condicion The Mones disposicion 750 Upon the lond of Alemaigne Is set, and ek upon Bretaigne, P. iii. 110 Which nou is cleped Engelond; For thei travaile in every lond. De secunda planeta, que Mercurius dicitur. Of the Planetes the secounde Above the Mone hath take his bounde, Mercurie, and his nature is this, That under him who that bore is, In boke he schal be studious And in wrytinge curious, 760 And slouh and lustles to travaile In thing which elles myhte availe: He loveth ese, he loveth reste, So is he noght the worthieste; Bot yit with somdiel besinesse His herte is set upon richesse. And as in this condicion, Theffect and disposicion Of this Planete and of his chance997 Is most in Burgoigne and in France. 770 De tercia planeta, que Venus dicitur. Next to Mercurie, as wol befalle, Stant that Planete which men calle Venus, whos constellacion Governeth al the nacion Of lovers, wher thei spiede or non, Of whiche I trowe thou be on: Bot whiderward thin happes wende, Schal this planete schewe at ende, As it hath do to many mo, To some wel, to some wo. 780 And natheles of this Planete The moste part is softe and swete; P. iii. 111 For who that therof takth his berthe, He schal desire joie and merthe, Gentil, courteis and debonaire, To speke his wordes softe and faire, Such schal he be be weie of kinde, And overal wher he may finde Plesance of love, his herte boweth With al his myht and there he woweth. 790 He is so ferforth Amourous, He not what thing is vicious Touchende love, for that lawe Ther mai no maner man withdrawe, The which venerien is bore Be weie of kinde, and therefore Venus of love the goddesse Is cleped: bot of wantounesse998 The climat of hir lecherie Is most commun in Lombardie. 800 Nota de Sole, qui medio planetarum residens Astrorum principatum obtinet. Next unto this Planete of love The brighte Sonne stant above, Which is the hindrere of the nyht And forthrere of the daies lyht, As he which is the worldes ÿe, Thurgh whom the lusti compaignie Of foules be the morwe singe, The freisshe floures sprede and springe, The hihe tre the ground beschadeth, And every mannes herte gladeth. 810 And for it is the hed Planete, Hou that he sitteth in his sete, P. iii. 112 Of what richesse, of what nobleie, These bokes telle, and thus thei seie. Nota de curru Solis necnon et de vario eiusdem apparatu. Of gold glistrende Spoke and whiel The Sonne his carte hath faire and wiel, In which he sitt, and is coroned With brighte stones environed; Of whiche if that I speke schal, Ther be tofore in special 820 Set in the front of his corone Thre Stones, whiche no persone Hath upon Erthe, and the ferste is Be name cleped Licuchis; That othre tuo be cleped thus, Astrices and Ceramius. In his corone also behinde, Be olde bokes as I finde, Ther ben of worthi Stones thre Set ech of hem in his degre: 830 Wherof a Cristall is that on, Which that corone is set upon; The seconde is an Adamant; The thridde is noble and avenant, Which cleped is Ydriades. And over this yit natheles Upon the sydes of the werk, After the wrytinge of the clerk, Ther sitten fyve Stones mo: The smaragdine is on of tho, 840 Jaspis and Elitropius And Dendides and Jacinctus, P. iii. 113 Lo, thus the corone is beset, Wherof it schyneth wel the bet; And in such wise his liht to sprede Sit with his Diademe on hede The Sonne schynende in his carte. And forto lede him swithe and smarte After the bryhte daies lawe, Ther ben ordeined forto drawe 850 Foure hors his Char and him withal, Wherof the names telle I schal: Eritheüs the ferste is hote, The which is red and schyneth hote, The seconde Acteos the bryhte, Lampes the thridde coursier hihte, And Philogeüs is the ferthe, That bringen lyht unto this erthe, And gon so swift upon the hevene, In foure and twenty houres evene 860 The carte with the bryhte Sonne Thei drawe, so that overronne Thei have under the cercles hihe Al Middelerthe in such an hye. And thus the Sonne is overal The chief Planete imperial, Above him and benethe him thre: And thus betwen hem regneth he, As he that hath the middel place Among the Sevene, and of his face 870 Be glade alle erthly creatures, And taken after the natures P. iii. 114 Here ese and recreacion. And in his constellacion Who that is bore in special, Of good will and of liberal He schal be founde in alle place, And also stonde in mochel grace Toward the lordes forto serve And gret profit and thonk deserve. 880 And over that it causeth yit A man to be soubtil of wit To worche in gold, and to be wys In every thing which is of pris. Bot forto speken in what cost Of al this erthe he regneth most As for wisdom, it is in Grece, Wher is apropred thilke spiece. Nota de quinta planeta, que Mars dicitur. Mars the Planete bataillous Next to the Sonne glorious 890 Above stant, and doth mervailes Upon the fortune of batailes. The conquerours be daies olde Were unto this planete holde: Bot who that his nativite Hath take upon the proprete Of Martes disposicioun Be weie of constellacioun, He schal be fiers and folhastif And desirous of werre and strif. 900 Bot forto telle redely In what climat most comunly P. iii. 115 That this planete hath his effect, Seid is that he hath his aspect Upon the holi lond so cast, That there is no pes stedefast. Nota de sexta planeta, que Iupiter dicitur. Above Mars upon the hevene, The sexte Planete of the sevene, Stant Jupiter the delicat, Which causeth pes and no debar. 910 For he is cleped that Planete999 Which of his kinde softe and swete Attempreth al that to him longeth; And whom this planete underfongeth To stonde upon his regiment, He schal be meke and pacient And fortunat to Marchandie And lusti to delicacie In every thing which he schal do. This Jupiter is cause also 920 Of the science of lyhte werkes, And in this wise tellen clerkes He is the Planete of delices. Bot in Egipte of his offices He regneth most in special: For ther be lustes overal Of al that to this lif befalleth; For ther no stormy weder falleth, Which myhte grieve man or beste, And ek the lond is so honeste 930 That it is plentevous and plein, Ther is non ydel ground in vein; P. iii. 116 And upon such felicite1000 Stant Jupiter in his degre. De septima planeta, que reliquis celsior Saturnus dictus est.1001 The heyeste and aboven alle Stant that planete which men calle1002 Saturnus, whos complexion Is cold, and his condicion Causeth malice and crualte To him the whos nativite 940 Is set under his governance. For alle hise werkes ben grevance And enemy to mannes hele, In what degre that he schal dele. His climat is in Orient, Wher that he is most violent. Of the Planetes by and by, Hou that thei stonde upon the Sky, Fro point to point as thou myht hiere, Was Alisandre mad to liere. 950 Bot overthis touchende his lore, Of thing that thei him tawhte more Upon the scoles of clergie Now herkne the Philosophie. [The Signs.] He which departeth dai fro nyht, Postquam dictum est de vii. Planetis, quibus singuli septimane dies singulariter attitulantur, dicendum est iam de xii. Signis, per que xii. Menses Anni variis temporibus effectus varios assequntur.1004 That on derk and that other lyht,1003 Of sevene daies made a weke, A Monthe of foure wekes eke He hath ordeigned in his lawe, Of Monthes tuelve and ek forthdrawe 960 He hath also the longe yeer. And as he sette of his pouer P. iii. 117 Acordant to the daies sevene Planetes Sevene upon the hevene, As thou tofore hast herd devise, To speke riht in such a wise, To every Monthe be himselve Upon the hevene of Signes tuelve He hath after his Ordinal Assigned on in special, 970 Wherof, so as I schal rehersen, The tydes of the yer diversen. Bot pleinly forto make it knowe Hou that the Signes sitte arowe, Ech after other be degre In substance and in proprete The zodiaque comprehendeth Withinne his cercle, as it appendeth.1005 Nota hic de primo Signo, quod Aries dicitur, cui Mensis Marcii specialiter appropriatus est. Quo deus in primo produxit ad esse1006 creata. The ferste of whiche natheles1007 Be name is cleped Aries, 980 Which lich a wether of stature Resembled is in his figure. And as it seith in Almageste, Of Sterres tuelve upon this beste1008 Ben set, wherof in his degre The wombe hath tuo, the heved hath thre, The Tail hath sevene, and in this wise, As thou myht hiere me divise, Stant Aries, which hot and drye Is of himself, and in partie 990 P. iii. 118 He is the receipte and the hous Of myhty Mars the bataillous. And overmore ek, as I finde, The creatour of alle kinde Upon this Signe ferst began The world, whan that he made man. And of this constellacioun The verray operacioun Availeth, if a man therinne The pourpos of his werk beginne; 1000 For thanne he hath of proprete Good sped and gret felicite. The tuelve Monthes of the yeer Attitled under the pouer Of these tuelve Signes stonde; Wherof that thou schalt understonde This Aries on of the tuelve1009 Hath March attitled for himselve, Whan every bridd schal chese his make, And every neddre and every Snake 1010 And every Reptil which mai moeve, His myht assaieth forto proeve, To crepen out ayein the Sonne, Whan Ver his Seson hath begonne. Secundum Signum dicitur Taurus, cuius Mensis est Aprilis. Quo prius occultas inuenit herba vias. Taurus the seconde after this Of Signes, which figured is Unto a Bole, is dreie and cold;1010 And as it is in bokes told, P. iii. 119 He is the hous appourtienant1011 To Venus, somdiel descordant. 1020 This Bole is ek with sterres set, Thurgh whiche he hath hise hornes knet Unto the tail of Aries, So is he noght ther sterreles. Upon his brest ek eyhtetiene He hath, and ek, as it is sene, Upon his tail stonde othre tuo.1012 His Monthe assigned ek also Is Averil, which of his schoures Ministreth weie unto the floures. 1030 Tercium Signum dicitur Gemini, cuius Mensis Maiius est. Quo volucrum cantus gaudet de floribus ortis. The thridde signe is Gemini, Which is figured redely Lich to tuo twinnes of mankinde,1013 That naked stonde; and as I finde, Thei be with Sterres wel bego: The heved hath part of thilke tuo That schyne upon the boles tail, So be thei bothe of o parail; But on the wombe of Gemini Ben fyve sterres noght forthi, 1040 And ek upon the feet be tweie, So as these olde bokes seie, That wise Tholomeüs wrot. His propre Monthe wel I wot1014 Assigned is the lusti Maii, Whanne every brid upon his lay P. iii. 120 Among the griene leves singeth, And love of his pointure stingeth After the lawes of nature The youthe of every creature. 1050 Quartum Signum Cancer dicitur, cuius Mensis Iunius est. Quo falcat pratis pabula tonsor equis. Cancer after the reule and space Of Signes halt the ferthe place. Like to the crabbe he hath semblance, And hath unto his retienance Sextiene sterres, wherof ten, So as these olde wise men Descrive, he berth on him tofore, And in the middel tuo be bore,1015 And foure he hath upon his ende. Thus goth he sterred in his kende, 1060 And of himself is moiste and cold, And is the propre hous and hold Which appartieneth to the Mone, And doth what longeth him to done. The Monthe of Juin unto this Signe Thou schalt after the reule assigne. Quintum signum Leo dicitur, cuius Mensis Iulius est. Quo magis ad terras expandit Lucifer ignes. The fifte Signe is Leo hote, Whos kinde is schape dreie and hote, In whom the Sonne hath herbergage. And the semblance of his ymage 1070 Is a leoun, which in baillie Of sterres hath his pourpartie: The foure, which as Cancer hath Upon his ende, Leo tath P. iii. 121 Upon his heved, and thanne nest He hath ek foure upon his brest, And on upon his tail behinde, In olde bokes as we finde. His propre Monthe is Juyl be name,1016 In which men pleien many a game. 1080 Sextum Signum Virgo dicitur, cuius Mensis Augustus est. Quo vacuata prius pubes replet horrea messis. After Leo Virgo the nexte Of Signes cleped is the sexte, Wherof the figure is a Maide; And as the Philosophre saide, Sche is the welthe and the risinge, The lust, the joie and the likinge Unto Mercurie: and soth to seie Sche is with sterres wel beseie, Wherof Leo hath lent hire on, Which sit on hih hir heved upon, 1090 Hire wombe hath fyve, hir feet also Have other fyve: and overmo Touchende as of complexion, Be kindly disposicion Of dreie and cold this Maiden is.1017 And forto tellen over this Hir Monthe, thou schalt understonde, Whan every feld hath corn in honde And many a man his bak hath plied, Unto this Signe is Augst applied.1018 1100 Septimum Signum Libra dicitur, cuius Mensis Septembris est. Vinea quo Bachum pressa liquore colit. After Virgo to reknen evene Libra sit in the nombre of sevene, P. iii. 122 Which hath figure and resemblance Unto a man which a balance Berth in his hond as forto weie: In boke and as it mai be seie, Diverse sterres to him longeth, Wherof on hevede he underfongeth Ferst thre, and ek his wombe hath tuo, And doun benethe eighte othre mo. 1110 This Signe is hot and moiste bothe, The whiche thinges be noght lothe Unto Venus, so that alofte Sche resteth in his hous fulofte, And ek Saturnus often hyed Is in this Signe and magnefied.1019 His propre Monthe is seid Septembre, Which yifth men cause to remembre, If eny Sor be left behinde Of thing which grieve mai to kinde. 1120 Octauum Signum Scorpio dicitur, cuius Mensis October est. Floribus exclusis yemis qui ianitor extat. Among the Signes upon heighte The Signe which is nombred eighte Is Scorpio, which as feloun Figured is a Scorpioun. Bot for al that yit natheles Is Scorpio noght sterreles; For Libra granteth him his ende Of eighte sterres, wher he wende, The whiche upon his heved assised He berth, and ek ther ben divised 1130 P. iii. 123 Upon his wombe sterres thre, And eighte upon his tail hath he. Which of his kinde is moiste and cold And unbehovely manyfold; He harmeth Venus and empeireth, Bot Mars unto his hous repeireth, Bot war whan thei togedre duellen. His propre Monthe is, as men tellen, Octobre, which bringth the kalende Of wynter, that comth next suiende. 1140 Nonum signum Sagittarius dicitur, cuius Mensis Nouember est. Quo mustum bibulo linquit sua nomina vino. The nynthe Signe in nombre also, Which folweth after Scorpio, Is cleped Sagittarius, The whos figure is marked thus, A Monstre with a bowe on honde: On whom that sondri sterres stonde, Thilke eighte of whiche I spak tofore, The whiche upon the tail ben bore1020 Of Scorpio, the heved al faire Bespreden of the Sagittaire; 1150 And eighte of othre stonden evene Upon his wombe, and othre sevene Ther stonde upon his tail behinde. And he is hot and dreie of kinde: To Jupiter his hous is fre, Bot to Mercurie in his degre, For thei ben noght of on assent, He worcheth gret empeirement. P. iii. 124 This Signe hath of his proprete A Monthe, which of duete 1160 After the sesoun that befalleth The Plowed Oxe in wynter stalleth; And fyr into the halle he bringeth,1021 And thilke drinke of which men singeth, He torneth must into the wyn; Thanne is the larder of the swyn; That is Novembre which I meene, Whan that the lef hath lost his greene. Decimum Signum Capricornus dicitur, cuius Mensis December est. Ipse diem Nano noctemque Gigante figurat. The tenthe Signe dreie and cold, The which is Capricornus told, 1170 Unto a Got hath resemblance: For whos love and whos aqueintance Withinne hise houses to sojorne It liketh wel unto Satorne, Bot to the Mone it liketh noght, For no profit is there wroght. This Signe as of his proprete Upon his heved hath sterres thre, And ek upon his wombe tuo, And tweie upon his tail also. 1180 Decembre after the yeeres forme,1022 So as the bokes ous enforme, With daies schorte and nyhtes longe This ilke Signe hath underfonge. Vndecimum Signum Aquarius dicitur, cuius Mensis Ianuarius est. Quo Ianus vultum duplum conuertit in annum. Of tho that sitte upon the hevene Of Signes in the nombre ellevene P. iii. 125 Aquarius hath take his place, And stant wel in Satornes grace, Which duelleth in his herbergage, Bot to the Sonne he doth oultrage. 1190 This Signe is verraily resembled Lich to a man which halt assembled In eyther hand a water spoute, Wherof the stremes rennen oute. He is of kinde moiste and hot, And he that of the sterres wot Seith that he hath of sterres tuo Upon his heved, and ben of tho That Capricorn hath on his ende; And as the bokes maken mende, 1200 That Tholomeüs made himselve, He hath ek on his wombe tuelve, And tweie upon his ende stonde. Thou schalt also this understonde, The frosti colde Janever, Whan comen is the newe yeer, That Janus with his double face In his chaiere hath take his place And loketh upon bothe sides, Somdiel toward the wynter tydes, 1210 Somdiel toward the yeer suiende, That is the Monthe belongende Unto this Signe, and of his dole He yifth the ferste Primerole. Duodecimum Signum Piscis dicitur, cuius Mensis Februarius est. Quo pluuie torrens riparum concitat ampnes. P. iii. 126 The tuelfthe, which is last of alle Of Signes, Piscis men it calle, The which, as telleth the scripture, Berth of tuo fisshes the figure. So is he cold and moiste of kinde, And ek with sterres, as I finde, 1220 Beset in sondri wise, as thus: Tuo of his ende Aquarius Hath lent unto his heved, and tuo1023 This Signe hath of his oghne also Upon his wombe, and over this Upon his ende also ther is A nombre of twenty sterres bryghte, Which is to sen a wonder sighte. Toward this Signe into his hous1024 Comth Jupiter the glorious, 1230 And Venus ek with him acordeth To duellen, as the bok recordeth. The Monthe unto this Signe ordeined Is Februer, which is bereined, And with londflodes in his rage At Fordes letteth the passage. Nou hast thou herd the proprete Of Signes, bot in his degre Albumazar yit over this Seith, so as therthe parted is 1240 In foure, riht so ben divised The Signes tuelve and stonde assised, That ech of hem for his partie Hath his climat to justefie. P. iii. 127 Wherof the ferste regiment Toward the part of Orient From Antioche and that contre Governed is of Signes thre, That is Cancer, Virgo, Leo: And toward Occident also 1250 From Armenie, as I am lerned, Of Capricorn it stant governed, Of Pisces and Aquarius: And after hem I finde thus, Southward from Alisandre forth Tho Signes whiche most ben worth In governance of that doaire, Libra thei ben and Sagittaire With Scorpio, which is conjoint With hem to stonde upon that point:1025 1260 Constantinople the Cite,1026 So as the bokes tellen me, The laste of this division Stant untoward Septemtrion, Wher as be weie of pourveance Hath Aries the governance1027 Forth with Taurus and Gemini. Thus ben the Signes propreli Divided, as it is reherced, Wherof the londes ben diversed. 1270 Confessor. Lo thus, mi Sone, as thou myht hiere, Was Alisandre mad to liere Of hem that weren for his lore. But nou to loken overmore, P. iii. 128 Of othre sterres hou thei fare I thenke hierafter to declare, So as king Alisandre in youthe Of him that suche thinges couthe Enformed was tofore his yhe Be nyhte upon the sterres hihe.1028 1280 [The Fifteen Stars.] Upon sondri creacion Stant sondri operacion, Hic tractat super doctrina Nectanabi, dum ipse iuuenem Alexandrum instruxit, de illis precipue xv. stellis vna cum earum lapidibus et herbis, que ad artis magice naturalis operacionem specialius conueniunt. Som worcheth this, som worcheth that; The fyr is hot in his astat And brenneth what he mai atteigne, The water mai the fyr restreigne, The which is cold and moist also.1029 Of other thing it farth riht so Upon this erthe among ous here; And forto speke in this manere, 1290 Upon the hevene, as men mai finde, The sterres ben of sondri kinde And worchen manye sondri thinges To ous, that ben here underlinges. Among the whiche forth withal Nectanabus in special, Which was an Astronomien And ek a gret Magicien, And undertake hath thilke emprise To Alisandre in his aprise 1300 As of Magique naturel To knowe, enformeth him somdel Of certein sterres what thei mene; Of whiche, he seith, ther ben fiftene, P. iii. 129 And sondrily to everich on A gras belongeth and a Ston, Wherof men worchen many a wonder To sette thing bothe up and under. Prima Stella vocatur Aldeboran, cuius lapis Carbunculus et herba Anabulla est. To telle riht as he began, The ferste sterre Aldeboran, 1310 The cliereste and the moste of alle, Be rihte name men it calle; Which lich is of condicion To Mars, and of complexion To Venus, and hath therupon Carbunculum his propre Ston: His herbe is Anabulla named, Which is of gret vertu proclamed. Secunda stella vocatur Clota seu Pliades, cuius lapis Cristallum et herba Feniculus est. The seconde is noght vertules; Clota or elles Pliades 1320 It hatte, and of the mones kinde1030 He is, and also this I finde, He takth of Mars complexion: And lich to such condicion His Ston appropred is Cristall, And ek his herbe in special The vertuous Fenele it is. Tercia Stella vocatur Algol, cuius lapis Dyamans et herba Eleborum nigrum est. The thridde, which comth after this, Is hote Algol the clere rede, Which of Satorne, as I may rede, 1330 His kinde takth, and ek of Jove Complexion to his behove. His propre Ston is Dyamant, Which is to him most acordant; P. iii. 130 His herbe, which is him betake, Is hote Eleborum the blake. Quarta Stella vocatur Alhaiot, cuius lapis Saphirus et herba Marrubium est. So as it falleth upon lot, The ferthe sterre is Alhaiot, Which in the wise as I seide er Of Satorne and of Jupiter 1340 Hath take his kinde; and therupon The Saphir is his propre Ston, Marrubium his herbe also, The whiche acorden bothe tuo. Quinta Stella vocatur Canis maior, cuius lapis Berillus1031 et herba Savina est. And Canis maior in his like The fifte sterre is of Magique, The whos kinde is venerien, As seith this Astronomien. His propre Ston is seid Berille, Bot forto worche and to fulfille 1350 Thing which to this science falleth, Ther is an herbe which men calleth Saveine, and that behoveth nede To him that wole his pourpos spede. Sexta Stella vocatur Canis minor, cuius lapis Achates et herba Primula est. The sexte suiende after this Be name Canis minor is; The which sterre is Mercurial Be weie of kinde, and forth withal, As it is writen in the carte, Complexion he takth of Marte. 1360 His Ston and herbe, as seith the Scole,1032 Ben Achates and Primerole. Septima Stella vocatur Arial, cuius lapis Gorgonza et herba Celidonia est. The sefnthe sterre in special Of this science is Arial, P. iii. 131 Which sondri nature underfongeth. The Ston which propre unto him longeth, Gorgonza proprely it hihte: His herbe also, which he schal rihte Upon the worchinge as I mene, Is Celidoine freissh and grene. 1370 Octaua stella vocatur Ala Corui, cuius lapis Honochinus1033 et herba Lapacia est. Sterre Ala Corvi upon heihte Hath take his place in nombre of eighte, Which of his kinde mot parforne The will of Marte and of Satorne: To whom Lapacia the grete Is herbe, hot of no beyete; His Ston is Honochinus hote, Thurgh which men worchen gret riote. Nona stella vocatur Alaezel, cuius lapis Smaragdus et herba Salgea est. The nynthe sterre faire and wel Be name is hote Alaezel, 1380 Which takth his propre kinde thus Bothe of Mercurie and of Venus. His Ston is the grene Amyraude,1034 To whom is yoven many a laude: Salge is his herbe appourtenant Aboven al the remenant. Decima stella vocatur Almareth, cuius lapis Iaspis et herba Plantago est. The tenthe sterre is Almareth, Which upon lif and upon deth Thurgh kinde of Jupiter and Mart He doth what longeth to his part. 1390 His Ston is Jaspe, and of Planteine He hath his herbe sovereine. Vndecima Stella vocatur Venenas, cuius lapis Adamans et herba Cicorea est. The sterre ellefthe is Venenas,1035 The whos nature is as it was P. iii. 132 Take of Venus and of the Mone, In thing which he hath forto done. Of Adamant is that perrie In which he worcheth his maistrie; Thilke herbe also which him befalleth, Cicorea the bok it calleth.1036 1400 Duodecima stella vocatur Alpheta, cuius lapis Topazion1037 et herba Rosa marina est. Alpheta in the nombre sit, And is the twelfthe sterre yit; Of Scorpio which is governed, And takth his kinde, as I am lerned; And hath his vertu in the Ston Which cleped is Topazion:1038 His herbe propre is Rosmarine, Which schapen is for his covine. Terciadecima stella vocatur Cor Scorpionis, cuius lapis Sardis et herba Aristologia1039 est. Of these sterres, whiche I mene, Cor Scorpionis is thritiene; 1410 The whos nature Mart and Jove Have yoven unto his behove. His herbe is Aristologie,1040 Which folweth his Astronomie: The Ston which that this sterre alloweth, Is Sardis, which unto him boweth. Quartadecima stella vocatur Botercadent, cuius lapis Crisolitus et herba Satureia est. The sterre which stant next the laste, Nature on him this name caste And clepeth him Botercadent; Which of his kinde obedient 1420 Is to Mercurie and to Venus. His Ston is seid Crisolitus, His herbe is cleped Satureie, So as these olde bokes seie. P. iii. 133 Quintadecima stella vocatur Cauda Scorpionis, cuius lapis Calcedonia et herba Maiorana est. Bot nou the laste sterre of alle The tail of Scorpio men calle, Which to Mercurie and to Satorne Be weie of kinde mot retorne After the preparacion Of due constellacion. 1430 The Calcedoine unto him longeth, Which for his Ston he underfongeth; Of Majorane his herbe is grounded. Thus have I seid hou thei be founded, Of every sterre in special, Which hath his herbe and Ston withal, As Hermes in his bokes olde Witnesse berth of that I tolde. [Authors of the Science of Astronomy.] The science of Astronomie, Which principal is of clergie 1440 Nota hic de Auctoribus illis, qui ad Astronomie scienciam pre ceteris studiosius intendentes libros super hoc distinctis nominibus composuerunt. To dieme betwen wo and wel In thinges that be naturel, Thei hadde a gret travail on honde1041 That made it ferst ben understonde; And thei also which overmore Here studie sette upon this lore, Thei weren gracious and wys And worthi forto bere a pris. And whom it liketh forto wite Of hem that this science write, 1450 On of the ferste which it wrot After Noë, it was Nembrot, To his disciple Ychonithon And made a bok forth therupon P. iii. 134 The which Megaster cleped was. An other Auctor in this cas Is Arachel, the which men note; His bok is Abbategnyh hote. Danz Tholome is noght the leste, Which makth the bok of Almageste; 1460 And Alfraganus doth the same, Whos bok is Chatemuz be name. Gebuz and Alpetragus eke Of Planisperie, which men seke,1042 The bokes made: and over this Ful many a worthi clerc ther is, That writen upon this clergie The bokes of Altemetrie, Planemetrie and ek also, Whiche as belongen bothe tuo, 1470 So as thei ben naturiens, Unto these Astronomiens. Men sein that Habraham was on;1043 Bot whether that he wrot or non, That finde I noght; and Moïses Ek was an other: bot Hermes Above alle othre in this science1044 He hadde a gret experience; Thurgh him was many a sterre assised, Whos bokes yit ben auctorized. 1480 I mai noght knowen alle tho That writen in the time tho Of this science; bot I finde, Of jugement be weie of kinde P. iii. 135 That in o point thei alle acorden: Of sterres whiche thei recorden That men mai sen upon the hevene, Ther ben a thousend sterres evene And tuo and twenty, to the syhte Whiche aren of hemself so bryhte,1045 1490 That men mai dieme what thei be, The nature and the proprete. Nou hast thou herd, in which a wise1046 These noble Philosophres wise Enformeden this yonge king, And made him have a knowleching Of thing which ferst to the partie Belongeth of Philosophie, Which Theorique cleped is, As thou tofore hast herd er this. 1500 Bot nou to speke of the secounde, Which Aristotle hath also founde, And techeth hou to speke faire, Which is a thing full necessaire To contrepeise the balance, Wher lacketh other sufficance. [ii. Rhetoric.] v. Compositi pulcra sermonis verba placere1047 Principio poterunt, veraque fine placent. Herba, lapis, sermo, tria sunt virtute repleta, Vis tamen ex verbi pondere plura facit.1048 Above alle erthli creatures The hihe makere of natures Hic tractat de secunda parte Philosophie, cuius nomen Rethorica facundos efficit. Loquitur eciam de eiusdem duabus speciebus, scilicet Grammatica et Logica, quarum doctrina Rethor sua verba perornat. The word to man hath yove alone, So that the speche of his persone, 1510 P. iii. 136 Or forto lese or forto winne, The hertes thoght which is withinne Mai schewe, what it wolde mene; And that is noghwhere elles sene Of kinde with non other beste. So scholde he be the more honeste, To whom god yaf so gret a yifte, And loke wel that he ne schifte Hise wordes to no wicked us; For word the techer of vertus 1520 Is cleped in Philosophie. Wherof touchende this partie, Is Rethorique the science Appropred to the reverence Of wordes that ben resonable: And for this art schal be vailable With goodli wordes forto like, It hath Gramaire, it hath Logiqe, That serven bothe unto the speche. Gramaire ferste hath forto teche1049 1530 To speke upon congruite: Logique hath eke in his degre Betwen the trouthe and the falshode The pleine wordes forto schode, So that nothing schal go beside, That he the riht ne schal decide, Wherof full many a gret debat Reformed is to good astat, And pes sustiened up alofte With esy wordes and with softe, 1540 P. iii. 137 Wher strengthe scholde lete it falle. The Philosophre amonges alle Forthi commendeth this science, Which hath the reule of eloquence. In Ston and gras vertu ther is,1050 Bot yit the bokes tellen this, That word above alle erthli thinges Is vertuous in his doinges, Wher so it be to evele or goode. For if the wordes semen goode 1550 And ben wel spoke at mannes Ere, Whan that ther is no trouthe there, Thei don fulofte gret deceipte; For whan the word to the conceipte Descordeth in so double a wise, Such Rethorique is to despise In every place, and forto drede. For of Uluxes thus I rede, As in the bok of Troie is founde, His eloquence and his facounde 1560 Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde, Hath mad that Anthenor him solde The toun, which he with tresoun wan. Word hath beguiled many a man; With word the wilde beste is daunted, With word the Serpent is enchaunted, Of word among the men of Armes Ben woundes heeled with the charmes, Wher lacketh other medicine; Word hath under his discipline 1570 P. iii. 138 Of Sorcerie the karectes. The wordes ben of sondri sectes, Of evele and eke of goode also; The wordes maken frend of fo,1051 And fo of frend, and pes of werre, And werre of pes, and out of herre The word this worldes cause entriketh,1052 And reconsileth whan him liketh. The word under the coupe of hevene Set every thing or odde or evene; 1580 With word the hihe god is plesed, With word the wordes ben appesed, The softe word the loude stilleth; Wher lacketh good, the word fulfilleth, To make amendes for the wrong; Whan wordes medlen with the song, It doth plesance wel the more. Bot forto loke upon the lore1053 Hou Tullius his Rethorique1054 Nota de Eloquencia Iulii in causa Cateline contra Cillenum et alios tunc vrbis Rome Conciues. Componeth, ther a man mai pike 1590 Hou that he schal hise wordes sette, Hou he schal lose, hou he schal knette, And in what wise he schal pronounce His tale plein withoute frounce. Wherof ensample if thou wolt seche, Tak hiede and red whilom the speche1055 Of Julius and Cithero,1056 Which consul was of Rome tho, Of Catoun eke and of Cillene, Behold the wordes hem betwene, 1600 P. iii. 139 Whan the tresoun of Cateline Descoevered was, and the covine Of hem that were of his assent Was knowe and spoke in parlement, And axed hou and in what wise Men scholde don hem to juise. Cillenus ferst his tale tolde, To trouthe and as he was beholde,1057 The comun profit forto save, He seide hou tresoun scholde have 1610 A cruel deth; and thus thei spieke, The Consul bothe and Catoun eke, And seiden that for such a wrong Ther mai no peine be to strong. Bot Julius with wordes wise His tale tolde al otherwise, As he which wolde her deth respite, And fondeth hou he mihte excite The jugges thurgh his eloquence1058 Fro deth to torne the sentence 1620 And sette here hertes to pite. Nou tolden thei, nou tolde he; Thei spieken plein after the lawe, Bot he the wordes of his sawe Coloureth in an other weie Spekende, and thus betwen the tweie, To trete upon this juggement, Made ech of hem his Argument. Wherof the tales forto hiere, Ther mai a man the Scole liere 1630 P. iii. 140 Of Rethoriqes eloquences, Which is the secounde of sciences Touchende to Philosophie; Wherof a man schal justifie Hise wordes in disputeisoun, And knette upon conclusioun His Argument in such a forme, Which mai the pleine trouthe enforme And the soubtil cautele abate, Which every trewman schal debate.1059 1640 [iii. Practic.] vi. Practica quemque statum pars tercia Philosophie Ad regimen recte ducit in orbe vie: Set quanto maior Rex est, tanto magis ipsum Hec scola concernit, qua sua regna regat.1060 The ferste, which is Theorique, Hic tractat de tercia parte Philosophie, que Practica vocatur, cuius species sunt tres, scilicet Etica, Ichonomia et Policia, quarum doctrina regia magestas in suo regimine ad honoris magnificenciam per singula dirigitur. And the secounde Rethorique, Sciences of Philosophie, I have hem told as in partie, So as the Philosophre it tolde To Alisandre: and nou I wolde Telle of the thridde what it is, The which Practique cleped is. Practique stant upon thre thinges Toward the governance of kinges; 1650 Wherof the ferst Etique is named,1061 The whos science stant proclamed To teche of vertu thilke reule, Hou that a king himself schal reule Of his moral condicion With worthi disposicion P. iii. 141 Of good livinge in his persone, Which is the chief of his corone. It makth a king also to lerne Hou he his bodi schal governe, 1660 Hou he schal wake, hou he schal slepe, Hou that he schal his hele kepe In mete, in drinke, in clothinge eke: Ther is no wisdom forto seke As for the reule of his persone, The which that this science al one1062 Ne techeth as be weie of kinde, That ther is nothing left behinde. That other point which to Practique Belongeth is Iconomique,1063 1670 Which techeth thilke honestete1064 Thurgh which a king in his degre His wif and child schal reule and guie, So forth with al the companie Which in his houshold schal abyde, And his astat on every syde In such manere forto lede, That he his houshold ne mislede. Practique hath yit the thridde aprise, Which techeth hou and in what wise 1680 Thurgh hih pourveied ordinance1065 A king schal sette in governance His Realme, and that is Policie, Which longeth unto Regalie In time of werre, in time of pes, To worschipe and to good encress P. iii. 142 Of clerk, of kniht and of Marchant, And so forth of the remenant1066 Of al the comun poeple aboute, Withinne Burgh and ek withoute,1067 1690 Of hem that ben Artificiers, Whiche usen craftes and mestiers, Whos Art is cleped Mechanique. And though thei ben noght alle like, Yit natheles, hou so it falle,1068 O lawe mot governe hem alle, Or that thei lese or that thei winne, After thastat that thei ben inne.1069 [Five Points of Policy.] Lo, thus this worthi yonge king Was fulli tauht of every thing, 1700 Which mihte yive entendement Of good reule and good regiment To such a worthi Prince as he. Bot of verray necessite The Philosophre him hath betake Fyf pointz, whiche he hath undertake To kepe and holde in observance, As for the worthi governance Which longeth to his Regalie, After the reule of Policie. 1710 [The First Point of Policy. Truth.] vii. Moribus ornatus regit hic qui regna moderna, Cercius expectat ceptra futura poli. Et quia veridica virtus supereminet omnes, Regis ab ore boni fabula nulla sonat. To every man behoveth lore,1070 Bot to noman belongeth more P. iii. 143 Than to a king, which hath to lede Hic secundum Policiam tractare intendit precipue super quinque regularum Articulis, que ad Principis Regimen obseruande specialius existunt,1071 quarum prima veritas nuncupatur. Per quam veridicus fit sermo Regis ad omnes. The poeple; for of his kinghede He mai hem bothe save and spille. And for it stant upon his wille, It sit him wel to ben avised, And the vertus whiche are assissed1072 Unto a kinges Regiment, To take in his entendement: 1720 Wherof to tellen, as thei stonde, Hierafterward nou woll I fonde. Among the vertus on is chief, And that is trouthe, which is lief To god and ek to man also. And for it hath ben evere so, Tawhte Aristotle, as he wel couthe, To Alisandre, hou in his youthe He scholde of trouthe thilke grace With al his hole herte embrace, 1730 So that his word be trewe and plein, Toward the world and so certein That in him be no double speche: For if men scholde trouthe seche And founde it noght withinne a king, It were an unsittende thing. The word is tokne of that withinne, Ther schal a worthi king beginne To kepe his tunge and to be trewe, So schal his pris ben evere newe. 1740 Avise him every man tofore, And be wel war, er he be swore, P. iii. 144 For afterward it is to late, If that he wole his word debate.1073 For as a king in special Above all othre is principal Of his pouer, so scholde he be Most vertuous in his degre; And that mai wel be signefied1074 Be his corone and specified. 1750 Nota super hiis que in corona Regis designantur.1075 The gold betokneth excellence, That men schull don him reverence As to here liege soverein. The Stones, as the bokes sein, Commended ben in treble wise: Ferst thei ben harde, and thilke assisse Betokneth in a king Constance, So that ther schal no variance Be founde in his condicion; And also be descripcion 1760 The vertu which is in the stones A verrai Signe is for the nones Of that a king schal ben honeste And holde trewly his beheste Of thing which longeth to kinghede: The bryhte colour, as I rede, Which in the stones is schynende, Is in figure betoknende The Cronique of this worldes fame,1076 Which stant upon his goode name.1077 1770 The cercle which is round aboute Is tokne of al the lond withoute, P. iii. 145 Which stant under his Gerarchie, That he it schal wel kepe and guye. And for that trouthe, hou so it falle, Is the vertu soverein of alle, That longeth unto regiment, A tale, which is evident Of trouthe in comendacioun, Toward thin enformacion, 1780 Mi Sone, hierafter thou schalt hiere Of a Cronique in this matiere. [King, Wine, Woman and Truth.] As the Cronique it doth reherce, A Soldan whilom was of Perce, Hic narrat, qualiter Darius filius Ytaspis Soldanus Percie a tribus suis Cubiculariis, quorum nomina Arpaghes, Manachaz et Zorobabel dicta sunt, nomine questionis singillatim interrogauit, vtrum Rex aut mulier aut vinum maioris fortitudinis vim obtineret: ipsis vero varia opinione respondentibus, Zorobabel vltimus asseruit1082 quod mulier sui amoris complacencia tam Regis quam vini potenciam excellit. Addidit insuper pro finali conclusione dicens, quod veritas super omnia vincit. Cuius responsio ceteris laudabilior acceptabatur. Which Daires hihte, and Ytaspis His fader was; and soth it is That thurgh wisdom and hih prudence Mor than for eny reverence Of his lignage as be descente1078 The regne of thilke empire he hente: 1790 And as he was himselve wys,1079 The wisemen he hield in pris1080 And soghte hem oute on every side,1081 That toward him thei scholde abide. Among the whiche thre ther were That most service unto him bere As thei which in his chambre lyhen1083 And al his conseil herde and syhen. Here names ben of strange note, Arpaghes was the ferste hote,1084 1800 And Manachaz was the secounde, Zorobabel, as it is founde P. iii. 146 In the Cronique, was the thridde. This Soldan, what so him betidde, To hem he triste most of alle,1085 Wherof the cas is so befalle: This lord, which hath conceiptes depe, Upon a nyht whan he hath slepe, As he which hath his wit desposed, Touchende a point hem hath opposed. 1810 The kinges question was this; Of thinges thre which strengest is, The wyn, the womman or the king: And that thei scholde upon this thing Of here ansuere avised be,1086 He yaf hem fulli daies thre, And hath behote hem be his feith That who the beste reson seith, He schal resceive a worthi mede. Upon this thing thei token hiede 1820 And stoden in desputeison, That be diverse opinion Of Argumentz that thei have holde Arpaghes ferst his tale tolde, And seide hou that the strengthe of kinges Is myhtiest of alle thinges. For king hath pouer over man, And man is he which reson can, As he which is of his nature The moste noble creature 1830 Of alle tho that god hath wroght: And be that skile it semeth noght, P. iii. 147 He seith, that eny erthly thing Mai be so myhty as a king. A king mai spille, a king mai save, A king mai make of lord a knave1087 And of a knave a lord also: The pouer of a king stant so, That he the lawes overpasseth; What he wol make lasse, he lasseth, 1840 What he wol make more, he moreth; And as the gentil faucon soreth,1088 He fleth, that noman him reclameth; Bot he al one alle othre tameth, And stant himself of lawe fre. Lo, thus a kinges myht, seith he, So as his reson can argue, Is strengest and of most value. Bot Manachaz seide otherwise, That wyn is of the more emprise; 1850 And that he scheweth be this weie. The wyn fulofte takth aweie The reson fro the mannes herte; The wyn can make a krepel sterte, And a delivere man unwelde; It makth a blind man to behelde, And a bryht yhed seme derk; It makth a lewed man a clerk, And fro the clerkes the clergie It takth aweie, and couardie 1860 It torneth into hardiesse; Of Avarice it makth largesse. P. iii. 148 The wyn makth ek the goode blod, In which the Soule which is good Hath chosen hire a resting place, Whil that the lif hir wole embrace. And be this skile Manachas Ansuered hath upon this cas, And seith that wyn be weie of kinde Is thing which mai the hertes binde 1870 Wel more than the regalie. Zorobabel for his partie Seide, as him thoghte for the beste, That wommen ben the myhtieste. The king and the vinour also Of wommen comen bothe tuo; And ek he seide hou that manhede Thurgh strengthe unto the wommanhede Of love, wher he wole or non, Obeie schal; and therupon, 1880 To schewe of wommen the maistrie, A tale which he syh with yhe1089 As for ensample he tolde this,—1090 Nota hic de vigore amoris, qui inter Cirum Regem Persarum et Apemen Besazis filiam ipsius Regis Concubinam spectante tota Curia experiebatur. Hou Apemen, of Besazis1091 Which dowhter was, in the paleis Sittende upon his hihe deis, Whan he was hotest in his ire Toward the grete of his empire, Cirus the king tirant sche tok, And only with hire goodly lok 1890 Sche made him debonaire and meke, And be the chyn and be the cheke P. iii. 149 Sche luggeth him riht as hir liste, That nou sche japeth, nou sche kiste, And doth with him what evere hir liketh; Whan that sche loureth, thanne he siketh, And whan sche gladeth, he is glad: And thus this king was overlad With hire which his lemman was. Among the men is no solas, 1900 If that ther be no womman there; For bot if that the wommen were,1092 This worldes joie were aweie: Thurgh hem men finden out the weie To knihthode and to worldes fame; Thei make a man to drede schame, And honour forto be desired: Thurgh the beaute of hem is fyred The Dart of which Cupide throweth, Wherof the jolif peine groweth, 1910 Which al the world hath under fote. A womman is the mannes bote, His lif, his deth, his wo, his wel; And this thing mai be schewed wel, Hou that wommen ben goode and kihde, For in ensample this I finde. [Tale of Alcestis.] Whan that the duk Ametus lay Nota de fidelitate Coniugis, qualiter Alcesta vxor Ameti, vt maritum suum viuificaret, seipsam morti spontanee subegit. Sek in his bedd, that every day Men waiten whan he scholde deie, Alceste his wif goth forto preie, 1920 As sche which wolde thonk deserve, With Sacrifice unto Minerve, P. iii. 150 To wite ansuere of the goddesse Hou that hir lord of his seknesse, Wherof he was so wo besein, Recovere myhte his hele ayein. Lo, thus sche cride and thus sche preide, Til ate laste a vois hir seide, That if sche wolde for his sake The maladie soffre and take, 1930 And deie hirself, he scholde live. Of this ansuere Alceste hath yive1093 Unto Minerve gret thonkinge, So that hir deth and his livinge Sche ches with al hire hole entente, And thus acorded hom sche wente. Into the chambre and whan sche cam, Hire housebonde anon sche nam In bothe hire Armes and him kiste, And spak unto him what hire liste; 1940 And therupon withinne a throwe This goode wif was overthrowe1094 And deide, and he was hool in haste. So mai a man be reson taste, Hou next after the god above The trouthe of wommen and the love, In whom that alle grace is founde, Is myhtiest upon this grounde And most behovely manyfold. Lo, thus Zorobabel hath told 1950 The tale of his opinion: Bot for final conclusion P. iii. 151 What strengest is of erthli thinges, The wyn, the wommen or the kinges, He seith that trouthe above hem alle Is myhtiest, hou evere it falle. The trouthe, hou so it evere come, Mai for nothing ben overcome; It mai wel soffre for a throwe, Bot ate laste it schal be knowe. 1960 The proverbe is, who that is trewe, Him schal his while nevere rewe: For hou so that the cause wende, The trouthe is schameles ate ende, Bot what thing that is troutheles, It mai noght wel be schameles, And schame hindreth every wyht: So proveth it, ther is no myht Withoute trouthe in no degre. And thus for trouthe of his decre 1970 Zorobabel was most commended, Wherof the question was ended, And he resceived hath his mede For trouthe, which to mannes nede Is most behoveliche overal. Forthi was trouthe in special The ferste point in observance Betake unto the governance1095 Of Alisandre, as it is seid: For therupon the ground is leid1096 1980 Of every kinges regiment, As thing which most convenient P. iii. 152 Is forto sette a king in evene Bothe in this world and ek in hevene. [The Second Point of Policy. Liberality.] viii. Absit Auaricia, ne tangat regia corda, Eius enim spoliis excoriatur humus.1097 Fama colit largum volitans per secula Regem, Dona tamen licitis sunt moderanda modis. Next after trouthe the secounde, In Policie as it is founde, Hic tractat de regie maiestatis secunda Policia, quam Aristotiles largitatem vocat: cuius virtute non solum propulsata Auaricia Regis nomen magnificum extollitur, set et sui subditi omni1098 diuiciarum habundancia iocundiores efficiuntur. Which serveth to the worldes fame In worschipe of a kinges name, Largesse it is, whos privilegge Ther mai non Avarice abregge. 1990 The worldes good was ferst comune, Bot afterward upon fortune Was thilke comun profit cessed: For whan the poeple stod encresced And the lignages woxen grete, Anon for singulier beyete Drouh every man to his partie; Wherof cam in the ferste envie With gret debat and werres stronge, And laste among the men so longe, 2000 Til noman wiste who was who, Ne which was frend ne which was fo. Til ate laste in every lond Withinne hemself the poeple fond That it was good to make a king, Which mihte appesen al this thing And yive riht to the lignages In partinge of here heritages P. iii. 153 And ek of al here other good; And thus above hem alle stod 2010 The king upon his Regalie, As he which hath to justifie The worldes good fro covoitise. So sit it wel in alle wise A king betwen the more and lesse1099 To sette his herte upon largesse Toward himself and ek also Toward his poeple; and if noght so, That is to sein, if that he be Toward himselven large and fre 2020 And of his poeple take and pile,1100 Largesse be no weie of skile It mai be seid, bot Avarice, Which in a king is a gret vice. A king behoveth ek to fle The vice of Prodegalite, That he mesure in his expence So kepe, that of indigence He mai be sauf: for who that nedeth, In al his werk the worse he spedeth. 2030 Nota super hoc quod Aristotiles Alexandrum exemplificauit de exaccionibus Regis Chaldeorum. As Aristotle upon Chaldee Ensample of gret Auctorite Unto king Alisandre tauhte Of thilke folk that were unsauhte Toward here king for his pilage: Wherof he bad, in his corage That he unto thre pointz entende, Wher that he wolde his good despende. P. iii. 154 Ferst scholde he loke, hou that it stod, That al were of his oghne good 2040 The yiftes whiche he wolde yive; So myhte he wel the betre live: And ek he moste taken hiede1101 If ther be cause of eny nede, Which oghte forto be defended, Er that his goodes be despended: He mot ek, as it is befalle, Amonges othre thinges alle Se the decertes of his men; And after that thei ben of ken 2050 And of astat and of merite, He schal hem largeliche aquite, Or for the werre, or for the pes, That non honour falle in descres, Which mihte torne into defame, Bot that he kepe his goode name, So that he be noght holde unkinde. For in Cronique a tale I finde, Which spekth somdiel of this matiere, Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere. 2060 [Tale of Julius and the poor Knight.] In Rome, to poursuie his riht, Ther was a worthi povere kniht, Hic secundum gesta Iulii exemplum ponit, qualiter Rex suorum militum, quos probos agnouerit, indigenciam largitatis sue beneficiis releuare1102 tenetur. Which cam al one forto sein His cause, when the court was plein, Wher Julius was in presence. And for him lacketh of despence, Ther was with him non advocat To make ple for his astat. P. iii. 155 Bot thogh him lacke forto plede, Him lacketh nothing of manhede; 2070 He wiste wel his pours was povere, Bot yit he thoghte his riht recovere, And openly poverte alleide, To themperour and thus he seide: ‘O Julius, lord of the lawe, Behold, mi conseil is withdrawe For lacke of gold: do thin office1103 After the lawes of justice:1104 Help that I hadde conseil hiere Upon the trouthe of mi matiere.’ 2080 And Julius with that anon Assigned him a worthi on, Bot he himself no word ne spak. This kniht was wroth and fond a lak In themperour, and seide thus: ‘O thou unkinde Julius, Whan thou in thi bataille were Up in Aufrique, and I was there, Mi myht for thi rescousse I dede And putte noman in my stede, 2090 Thou wost what woundes ther I hadde: Bot hier I finde thee so badde, That thee ne liste speke o word1105 Thin oghne mouth, nor of thin hord To yive a florin me to helpe. Hou scholde I thanne me beyelpe Fro this dai forth of thi largesse, Whan such a gret unkindenesse P. iii. 156 Is founde in such a lord as thou?’ This Julius knew wel ynou 2100 That al was soth which he him tolde; And for he wolde noght ben holde Unkinde, he tok his cause on honde, And as it were of goddes sonde, He yaf him good ynouh to spende For evere into his lives ende.1106 And thus scholde every worthi king Take of his knihtes knowleching, Whan that he syh thei hadden nede, For every service axeth mede: 2110 Bot othre, whiche have noght deserved Thurgh vertu, bot of japes served, A king schal noght deserve grace, Thogh he be large in such a place. [Antigonus and Cinichus.] It sit wel every king to have Discrecion, whan men him crave, Hic ponit exemplum de Rege Antigono, qualiter dona regia secundum maius et minus equa discrecione moderanda sunt. So that he mai his yifte wite: Wherof I finde a tale write, Hou Cinichus a povere kniht A Somme which was over myht 2120 Preide of his king Antigonus. The king ansuerde to him thus,1107 And seide hou such a yifte passeth His povere astat: and thanne he lasseth, And axeth bot a litel peny, If that the king wol yive him eny. The king ansuerde, it was to smal For him, which was a lord real;1108 P. iii. 157 To yive a man so litel thing It were unworschipe in a king. 2130 Be this ensample a king mai lere [Discretion in Giving.] That forto yive is in manere: For if a king his tresor lasseth Withoute honour and thonkles passeth, Whan he himself wol so beguile, I not who schal compleigne his while, Ne who be rihte him schal relieve. Bot natheles this I believe, To helpe with his oghne lond Behoveth every man his hond1109 2140 To sette upon necessite; Nota hic quod Regius status a suis fidelibus omni fauore supportandus est. And ek his kinges realte Mot every liege man conforte, With good and bodi to supporte, Whan thei se cause resonable: For who that is noght entendable To holde upriht his kinges name, Him oghte forto be to blame. [Prodigality of Kings.] Of Policie and overmore To speke in this matiere more, 2150 Nota hic secundum Aristotilem,1110 qualiter Principum Prodegalitas paupertatem inducit communem. So as the Philosophre tolde, A king after the reule is holde To modifie and to adresce Hise yiftes upon such largesce Seneca.1111 Sic aliis benefacito, vt tibi non noceas. That he mesure noght excede: For if a king falle into nede, It causeth ofte sondri thinges Whiche are ungoodly to the kinges.1112 P. iii. 158 What man wol noght himself mesure, Men sen fulofte that mesure 2160 Him hath forsake: and so doth he That useth Prodegalite, Which is the moder of poverte, Wherof the londes ben deserte; And namely whan thilke vice Aboute a king stant in office And hath withholde of his partie The covoitouse flaterie, Which many a worthi king deceiveth, Er he the fallas aperceiveth 2170 Of hem that serven to the glose. For thei that cunnen plese and glose, Ben, as men tellen, the norrices Unto the fostringe of the vices, Wherof fulofte natheles A king is blamed gulteles. [Flatterers.] A Philosophre, as thou schalt hiere, Nota qualiter in principum curiis adulatores triplici grauitate offendunt. Spak to a king of this matiere, And seide him wel hou that flatours Coupable were of thre errours. 2180 Primo contra deum. On was toward the goddes hihe, That weren wrothe of that thei sihe The meschief which befalle scholde Of that the false flatour tolde. Secundo contra Principem. Toward the king an other was, Whan thei be sleihte and be fallas Of feigned wordes make him wene That blak is whyt and blew is grene P. iii. 159 Touchende of his condicion: For whanne he doth extorcion 2190 With manye an other vice mo, Men schal noght finden on of tho To groucche or speke therayein, Bot holden up his oil and sein That al is wel, what evere he doth; And thus of fals thei maken soth, So that here kinges yhe is blent And wot not hou the world is went.1113 Tercio contra populum.1114 The thridde errour is harm comune, With which the poeple mot commune 2200 Of wronges that thei bringen inne: And thus thei worchen treble sinne, That ben flatours aboute a king. Ther myhte be no worse thing Aboute a kinges regalie, Thanne is the vice of flaterie. And natheles it hath ben used, That it was nevere yit refused As forto speke in court real; For there it is most special, 2210 And mai noght longe be forbore. Bot whan this vice of hem is bore, That scholden the vertus forthbringe, And trouthe is torned to lesinge, It is, as who seith, ayein kinde, Wherof an old ensample I finde. [Tale of Diogenes and Aristippus] Among these othre tales wise Of Philosophres, in this wise P. iii. 160 1115Hic contra vanitates adulantum loquitur, et narrat quod cum Arisippus de Cartagine Philosophus scole studium relinquens sui Principis obsequio in magnis adulacionibus pre ceteris carior assistebat, accidit vt ipse quodam die Diogenem Philosophum nuper socium suum, virum tam moribus quam sciencia probatissimum, herbas ad olera sua collectas lauantem ex casu ad ripam inuenit: cui ait, ‘O Diogenes, vere si tu sicut et ego Principi tuo placere scires, huiusmodi herbas aut colligere aut lauare tibi minime indigeret.’ Cui alter respondit, ‘O Arisippe, certe et si tu sicut et ego olera tua colligere et lauare scires, principem tuum ob inanis glorie cupiditatem blandiri nullatenus deberes.’ I rede, how whilom tuo ther were, And to the Scole forto lere 2220 Unto Athenes fro Cartage Here frendes, whan thei were of Age, Hem sende; and ther thei stoden longe, Til thei such lore have underfonge, That in here time thei surmonte Alle othre men, that to acompte Of hem was tho the grete fame. The ferste of hem his rihte name Was Diogenes thanne hote, In whom was founde no riote: 2230 His felaw Arisippus hyhte, Which mochel couthe and mochel myhte. Bot ate laste, soth to sein, Thei bothe tornen hom ayein Unto Cartage and scole lete. This Diogenes no beyete Of worldes good or lasse or more Ne soghte for his longe lore, Bot tok him only forto duelle At hom; and as the bokes telle, 2240 His hous was nyh to the rivere Besyde a bregge, as thou schalt hiere. Ther duelleth he to take his reste,1116 So as it thoghte him for the beste, To studie in his Philosophie, As he which wolde so defie The worldes pompe on every syde. Bot Arisippe his bok aside P. iii. 161 Hath leid, and to the court he wente, Wher many a wyle and many a wente 2250 With flaterie and wordes softe1117 He caste, and hath compassed ofte Hou he his Prince myhte plese; And in this wise he gat him ese Of vein honour and worldes good. The londes reule upon him stod, The king of him was wonder glad, And all was do, what thing he bad, Bothe in the court and ek withoute. With flaterie he broghte aboute 2260 His pourpos of the worldes werk, Which was ayein the stat of clerk,1118 So that Philosophie he lefte And to richesse himself uplefte: Lo, thus hadde Arisippe his wille. Bot Diogenes duelte stille At home and loked on his bok: He soghte noght the worldes crok For vein honour ne for richesse, Bot all his hertes besinesse 2270 He sette to be vertuous; And thus withinne his oghne hous He liveth to the sufficance Of his havinge. And fell per chance, This Diogene upon a day, And that was in the Monthe of May, Whan that these herbes ben holsome, He walketh forto gadre some P. iii. 162 In his gardin, of whiche his joutes He thoghte have, and thus aboutes 2280 Whanne he hath gadred what him liketh, He satte him thanne doun and pyketh,1119 And wyssh his herbes in the flod Upon the which his gardin stod, Nyh to the bregge, as I tolde er. And hapneth, whil he sitteth ther, Cam Arisippes be the strete With manye hors and routes grete, And straght unto the bregge he rod, Wher that he hoved and abod; 2290 For as he caste his yhe nyh, His felaw Diogene he syh, And what he dede he syh also, Wherof he seide to him so:1120 ‘O Diogene, god thee spede. It were certes litel nede To sitte there and wortes pyke, If thou thi Prince couthest lyke, So as I can in my degre.’ ‘O Arisippe,’ ayein quod he, 2300 ‘If that thou couthist, so as I, Thi wortes pyke, trewely It were als litel nede or lasse, That thou so worldly wolt compasse With flaterie forto serve, Wherof thou thenkest to deserve Thi princes thonk, and to pourchace Hou thou myht stonden in his grace, P. iii. 163 For getinge of a litel good. If thou wolt take into thi mod 2310 Reson, thou myht be reson deeme That so thi prince forto queeme Is noght to reson acordant, Bot it is gretly descordant Unto the Scoles of Athene.’ Lo, thus ansuerde Diogene Ayein the clerkes flaterie. [Flattery.] Bot yit men sen thessamplerie1121 Of Arisippe is wel received, And thilke of Diogene is weyved. 2320 Office in court and gold in cofre Is nou, men sein, the philosophre Which hath the worschipe in the halle; Bot flaterie passeth alle In chambre, whom the court avanceth; For upon thilke lot it chanceth To be beloved nou aday. *I not if it be ye or nay, Bot as the comun vois it telleth;1122 Bot wher that flaterie duelleth1123 2330 *I not if it be ye or nay. [Example of Dante.] How Dante the poete answerde1124 Nota exemplum cuiusdam poete de Ytalia, qui Dante vocabatur. To a flatour, the tale I herde.2330* Upon a strif bitwen hem tuo He seide him, ‘Ther ben many mo1125 Of thy servantes than of myne. For the poete of his covyne Hath non that wol him clothe and fede, But a flatour may reule and lede P. iii. 164 A king with al his loun aboute.’ So stant the wise man in doute Of hem that to folie drawe: For such is now the newe lawe,2340* And as the comune vois it telleth, Wher now that flaterie duelleth In every lond etc. (as 2331 ff.) In eny lond under the Sonne,1126 Ther is ful many a thing begonne Which were betre to be left; That hath be schewed nou and eft. Bot if a Prince wolde him reule1127 Of the Romeins after the reule, In thilke time as it was used,1128 This vice scholde be refused, Wherof the Princes ben assoted. Bot wher the pleine trouthe is noted, 2340 Ther may a Prince wel conceive, That he schal noght himself deceive, Of that he hiereth wordes pleine; For him thar noght be reson pleigne, That warned is er him be wo. And that was fully proeved tho, Whan Rome was the worldes chief, The Sothseiere tho was lief, Which wolde noght the trouthe spare, Bot with hise wordes pleine and bare 2350 To Themperour hise sothes tolde, As in Cronique is yit withholde,1129 Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere Acordende unto this matiere. [The Roman Triumph.] P. iii. 165 To se this olde ensamplerie, That whilom was no flaterie 1130Hic narrat super eodem, qualiter nuper Romanorum Imperator, cum ipse triumphator in hostes a bello Rome rediret, tres sibi laudes in signum sui triumphi precipue debebantur: primo quatuor equi albissimi currum in quo sedebat veherent, secundo tunica Iovis pro tunc indueretur, tercio sui captiui prope currum ad vtrumque latus cathenati deambularent. Set ne tanti honoris adulacio eius animum in superbiam extolleret, quidam scurra linguosus iuxta ipsum in curru sedebat, qui quasi continuatis vocibus improperando ei dixit, ‘Notheos,’ hoc est nosce teipsum, ‘quia si hodie fortuna1133 tibi prospera fuerit,1134 cras forte1135 versa rota mutabilis aduersabitur.’ Toward the Princes wel I finde; Wherof so as it comth to mynde, Mi Sone, a tale unto thin Ere, Whil that the worthi princes were 2360 At Rome, I thenke forto tellen. For whan the chances so befellen That eny Emperour as tho1131 Victoire hadde upon his fo, And so forth cam to Rome ayein, Of treble honour he was certein, Wherof that he was magnefied. The ferste, as it is specefied, Was, whan he cam at thilke tyde, The Charr in which he scholde ryde 2370 Foure whyte Stiedes scholden drawe; Of Jupiter be thilke lawe The Cote he scholde were also; Hise prisoners ek scholden go Endlong the Charr on eyther hond, And alle the nobles of the lond1132 Tofore and after with him come Ridende and broghten him to Rome, In thonk of his chivalerie And for non other flaterie. 2380 And that was schewed forth withal; Wher he sat in his Charr real, Beside him was a Ribald set, Which hadde hise wordes so beset,1136 P. iii. 166 To themperour in al his gloire He seide, ‘Tak into memoire, For al this pompe and al this pride Let no justice gon aside,(2400*) Bot know thiself, what so befalle. For men sen ofte time falle 2390 Thing which men wende siker stonde: Thogh thou victoire have nou on honde, Fortune mai noght stonde alway; The whiel per chance an other day Mai torne, and thou myht overthrowe; Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe.’ With these wordes and with mo This Ribald, which sat with him tho, To Themperour his tale tolde: And overmor what evere he wolde, 2400 Or were it evel or were it good, So pleinly as the trouthe stod, He spareth noght, bot spekth it oute; And so myhte every man aboute The day of that solempnete His tale telle als wel as he To Themperour al openly. And al was this the cause why; That whil he stod in that noblesse,1137 He scholde his vanite represse 2410 With suche wordes as he herde. [The Emperor and his Masons.] Lo nou, hou thilke time it ferde1138 Toward so hih a worthi lord: Hic eciam contra adulacionem scribit quod primo die quo nuper Imperator intronizatus extitit, latomi sui ab ipso constanter peterent, de quali lapide sue sepulture tumulum fabricarent; vt sic futuram mortem commemorans vanitates huius seculi transitorias facilius reprimeret.1139 For this I finde ek of record, P. iii. 167 Which the Cronique hath auctorized. What Emperour was entronized, The ferste day of his corone, Wher he was in his real Throne And hield his feste in the paleis Sittende upon his hihe deis 2420 With al the lust that mai be gete, Whan he was gladdest at his mete, And every menstral hadde pleid, And every Disour hadde seid1140 What most was plesant to his Ere, Than ate laste comen there Hise Macons, for thei scholden crave Wher that he wolde be begrave,1141 And of what Ston his sepulture Thei scholden make, and what sculpture 2430 He wolde ordeine therupon. Tho was ther flaterie non The worthi princes to bejape; The thing was other wise schape1142 With good conseil; and otherwise Thei were hemselven thanne wise, And understoden wel and knewen. Whan suche softe wyndes blewen Of flaterie into here Ere, Thei setten noght here hertes there; 2440 Bot whan thei herden wordes feigned, The pleine trouthe it hath desdeigned Of hem that weren so discrete. So tok the flatour no beyete1143 P. iii. 168 Of him that was his prince tho: And forto proven it is so, A tale which befell in dede In a Cronique of Rome I rede. [Caesar’s Answer.] Cesar upon his real throne Hic inter alia gesta Cesaris narrat vnum exemplum precipue contra illos qui, cum in aspectu principis aliis sapienciores apparere vellent, quandoque tamen simulate sapiencie talia committunt, per que ceteris stulciores in fine comprobantur. Wher that he sat in his persone 2450 And was hyest in al his pris, A man, which wolde make him wys, Fell doun knelende in his presence, And dede him such a reverence, As thogh the hihe god it were: Men hadden gret mervaille there Of the worschipe which he dede. This man aros fro thilke stede, And forth with al the same tyde He goth him up and be his side1144 2460 He set him doun as pier and pier,1145 And seide, ‘If thou that sittest hier Art god, which alle thinges myht, Thanne have I do worschipe ariht1146 As to the god; and other wise, If thou be noght of thilke assisse, Bot art a man such as am I, Than mai I sitte faste by, For we be bothen of o kinde.’1147 Cesar ansuerde and seide, ‘O blinde, 2470 Thou art a fol, it is wel sene Upon thiself: for if thou wene I be a god, thou dost amys To sitte wher thou sest god is; P. iii. 169 And if I be a man, also Thou hast a gret folie do, Whan thou to such on as schal deie The worschipe of thi god aweie Hast yoven so unworthely. Thus mai I prove redely, 2480 Thou art noght wys.’ And thei that herde Hou wysly that the king ansuerde, It was to hem a newe lore; Wherof thei dradden him the more, And broghten nothing to his Ere, Bot if it trouthe and reson were.1148 So be ther manye, in such a wise That feignen wordes to be wise,(2500*) And al is verray flaterie To him which can it wel aspie. 2490 [Flatterers of a King.] The kinde flatour can noght love Bot forto bringe himself above; Nota, qualiter isti circa Principem adulatores pocius a Curia expelli, quam ad regie maiestatis munera acceptari, Policia suadente deberent. For hou that evere his maister fare, So that himself stonde out of care, Him reccheth noght: and thus fulofte Deceived ben with wordes softe The kinges that ben innocent. Wherof as for chastiement The wise Philosophre seide, What king that so his tresor leide 2500 Upon such folk, he hath the lesse, And yit ne doth he no largesse, Bot harmeth with his oghne hond Himself and ek his oghne lond, P. iii. 170 And that be many a sondri weie. Wherof if that a man schal seie, As forto speke in general, Wher such thing falleth overal That eny king himself misreule, The Philosophre upon his reule 2510 In special a cause sette, Which is and evere hath be the lette In governance aboute a king Upon the meschief of the thing, And that, he seith, is Flaterie. Wherof tofore as in partie What vice it is I have declared; For who that hath his wit bewared Upon a flatour to believe, Whan that he weneth best achieve 2520 His goode world, it is most fro. And forto proeven it is so Ensamples ther ben manyon, Of whiche if thou wolt knowen on, It is behovely forto hiere What whilom fell in this matiere. [Ahab and Micaiah.] Among the kinges in the bible I finde a tale, and is credible, Hic loquitur vlterius de consilio adulantum, quorum fabulis principis aures organizate veritatis auditum capere nequiunt. Et narrat exemplum de Rege Achab, qui pro eo quod ipse prophecias fidelis Michee recusauit blandiciisque adulantis1150 Zedechie adhesit, Rex Sirie Benedab in campo bellator ipsum diuino iudicio deuictum interfecit. Of him that whilom Achab hihte, Which hadde al Irahel to rihte;1149 2530 Bot who that couthe glose softe And flatre, suche he sette alofte In gret astat and made hem riche; Bot thei that spieken wordes liche P. iii. 171 To trouthe and wolde it noght forbere, For hem was non astat to bere, The court of suche tok non hiede. Til ate laste upon a nede, That Benedab king of Surie Of Irahel a gret partie,1151 2540 Which Ramoth Galaath was hote, Hath sesed; and of that riote He tok conseil in sondri wise, Bot noght of hem that weren wise. And natheles upon this cas To strengthen him, for Josaphas,1152 Which thanne was king of Judee, He sende forto come, as he Which thurgh frendschipe and alliance Was next to him of aqueintance; 2550 For Joram Sone of Josaphath Achabbes dowhter wedded hath, Which hihte faire Godelie. And thus cam into Samarie King Josaphat, and he fond there The king Achab: and whan thei were Togedre spekende of this thing, This Josaphat seith to the king, Hou that he wolde gladly hiere Som trew prophete in this matiere,1153 2560 That he his conseil myhte yive To what point that it schal be drive.1154 And in that time so befell, Ther was such on in Irahel, P. iii. 172 Which sette him al to flaterie, And he was cleped Sedechie; And after him Achab hath sent: And he at his comandement Tofore him cam, and be a sleyhte He hath upon his heved on heyhte 2570 Tuo large hornes set of bras, As he which al a flatour was, And goth rampende as a leoun And caste hise hornes up and doun, And bad men ben of good espeir, For as the homes percen their, He seith, withoute resistence, So wiste he wel of his science That Benedab is desconfit. Whan Sedechie upon this plit 2580 Hath told this tale to his lord, Anon ther were of his acord Prophetes false manye mo To bere up oil, and alle tho Affermen that which he hath told, Wherof the king Achab was bold And yaf hem yiftes al aboute. But Josaphat was in gret doute,(2600*) And hield fantosme al that he herde, Preiende Achab, hou so it ferde, 2590 If ther were eny other man, The which of prophecie can, To hiere him speke er that thei gon. Quod Achab thanne, ‘Ther is on,1155 P. iii. 173 A brothell, which Micheas hihte; Bot he ne comth noght in my sihte, For he hath longe in prison lein. Him liketh nevere yit to sein1156 A goodly word to mi plesance; And natheles at thin instance 2600 He schal come oute, and thanne he may Seie as he seide many day; For yit he seide nevere wel.’ Tho Josaphat began somdel To gladen him in hope of trouthe, And bad withouten eny slouthe That men him scholden fette anon. And thei that weren for him gon, Whan that thei comen wher he was,1157 Thei tolden unto Micheas 2610 The manere hou that Sedechie Declared hath his prophecie; And therupon thei preie him faire That he wol seie no contraire, Wherof the king mai be desplesed, For so schal every man ben esed, And he mai helpe himselve also. Micheas upon trouthe tho His herte sette, and to hem seith,1158 Al that belongeth to his feith 2620 And of non other feigned thing, That wol he telle unto his king,1159 Als fer as god hath yove him grace. Thus cam this prophete into place P. iii. 174 Wher he the kinges wille herde; And he therto anon ansuerde, And seide unto him in this wise: ‘Mi liege lord, for mi servise, Which trewe hath stonden evere yit, Thou hast me with prisone aquit: 2630 Bot for al that I schal noght glose Of trouthe als fer as I suppose; And as touchende of this bataille,1160 Thou schalt noght of the sothe faile. For if it like thee to hiere, As I am tauht in that matiere, Thou miht it understonde sone;1161 Bot what is afterward to done Avise thee, for this I sih. I was tofor the throne on hih, 2640 Wher al the world me thoghte stod,1162 And there I herde and understod The vois of god with wordes cliere Axende, and seide in this manere: “In what thing mai I best beguile The king Achab?” And for a while Upon this point thei spieken faste. Tho seide a spirit ate laste, “I undertake this emprise.” And god him axeth in what wise. 2650 “I schal,” quod he, “deceive and lye With flaterende prophecie In suche mouthes as he lieveth.” And he which alle thing achieveth P. iii. 175 Bad him go forth and don riht so. And over this I sih also The noble peple of Irahel1163 Dispers as Schep upon an hell, Withoute a kepere unarraied: And as thei wente aboute astraied, 2660 I herde a vois unto hem sein, “Goth hom into your hous ayein, Til I for you have betre ordeigned.”’ Quod Sedechie, ‘Thou hast feigned This tale in angringe of the king.’ And in a wraththe upon this thing He smot Michee upon the cheke; The king him hath rebuked eke, And every man upon him cride: Thus was he schent on every side, 2670 Ayein and into prison lad, For so the king himselve bad. The trouthe myhte noght ben herd; Bot afterward as it hath ferd, The dede proveth his entente: Achab to the bataille wente, Wher Benedab for al his Scheld Him slouh, so that upon the feld His poeple goth aboute astray. Bot god, which alle thinges may, 2680 So doth that thei no meschief have; Here king was ded and thei ben save, And hom ayein in goddes pes Thei wente, and al was founde les P. iii. 176 That Sedechie hath seid tofore. So sit it wel a king therfore To loven hem that trouthe mene; For ate laste it wol be sene(2700*) That flaterie is nothing worth.1164 Bot nou to mi matiere forth, 2690 As forto speken overmore1165 After the Philosophres lore, The thridde point of Policie I thenke forto specifie [The Third Point of Policy. Justice.] ix. Propter transgressos leges statuuntur in orbe, Ut viuant iusti Regis honore viri. Lex sine iusticia populum sub principis vmbra Deuiat, vt rectum nemo videbit iter. What is a lond wher men ben none? What ben the men whiche are al one Hic tractat de tercia Principum regiminis1166 Policia, que Iusticia nominata est, cuius condicio legibus incorrupta vnicuique quod suum est equo pondere distribuit. Withoute a kinges governance? What is a king in his ligance, Wher that ther is no lawe in londe? What is to take lawe on honde, 2700 Bot if the jugges weren trewe? These olde worldes with the newe Who that wol take in evidence, Ther mai he se thexperience, What thing it is to kepe lawe, Thurgh which the wronges ben withdrawe And rihtwisnesse stant commended, Wherof the regnes ben amended. For wher the lawe mai comune The lordes forth with the commune,1167 2710 P. iii. 177 Ech hath his propre duete; And ek the kinges realte Of bothe his worschipe underfongeth, To his astat as it belongeth, Which of his hihe worthinesse Hath to governe rihtwisnesse, As he which schal the lawe guide. And natheles upon som side His pouer stant above the lawe, To yive bothe and to withdrawe 2720 The forfet of a mannes lif; But thinges whiche are excessif Ayein the lawe, he schal noght do For love ne for hate also. The myhtes of a king ben grete, Bot yit a worthi king schal lete Imperatoriam maiestatem non solum armis, set eciam legibus oportet esse armatam. Of wrong to don, al that he myhte; For he which schal the poeple ryhte, It sit wel to his regalie That he himself ferst justefie 2730 Towardes god in his degre: For his astat is elles fre Toward alle othre in his persone, Save only to the god al one, Which wol himself a king chastise, Wher that non other mai suffise. So were it good to taken hiede That ferst a king his oghne dede Betwen the vertu and the vice Redresce, and thanne of his justice 2740 P. iii. 178 So sette in evene the balance Towardes othre in governance, That to the povere and to the riche Hise lawes myhten stonde liche, He schal excepte no persone. Bot for he mai noght al him one In sondri places do justice,1168 He schal of his real office With wys consideracion Ordeigne his deputacion1169 2750 Of suche jugges as ben lerned, So that his poeple be governed Be hem that trewe ben and wise. For if the lawe of covoitise Be set upon a jugges hond, Wo is the poeple of thilke lond, For wrong mai noght himselven hyde: Bot elles on that other side, If lawe stonde with the riht, The poeple is glad and stant upriht. 2760 Wher as the lawe is resonable, The comun poeple stant menable,1170 And if the lawe torne amis, The poeple also mistorned is. [Justice of Maximin.] And in ensample of this matiere Nota hic de iusticia Maximini Imperatoris, qui cum alicuius prouincie custodem sibi substituere volebat, primo de sui nominis fama proclamacione facta ipsius condicionem diligencius inuestigabat. Of Maximin a man mai hiere, Of Rome which was Emperour, That whanne he made a governour Be weie of substitucion Of Province or of region, 2770 P. iii. 179 He wolde ferst enquere his name, And let it openly proclame What man he were, or evel or good. And upon that his name stod Enclin to vertu or to vice,1171 So wolde he sette him in office, Or elles putte him al aweie. Thus hield the lawe his rihte weie, Which fond no let of covoitise: The world stod than upon the wise, 2780 As be ensample thou myht rede; And hold it in thi mynde, I rede. [Gaius Fabricius.] In a Cronique I finde thus, Hou that Gayus Fabricius, Which whilom was Consul of Rome, Hic ponit exemplum de iudicibus incorruptis. Et narrat qualiter Gayus Fabricius nuper Rome Consul aurum a Sampnitibus sibi oblatum renuit, dicens quod nobilius est aurum possidentes dominio subiugare, quam ex auri cupiditate dominii libertatem amittere. Be whom the lawes yede and come, Whan the Sampnites to him broghte A somme of gold, and him besoghte(2800*) To don hem favour in the lawe, Toward the gold he gan him drawe, 2790 Wherof in alle mennes lok A part up in his hond he tok,1172 Which to his mouth in alle haste He putte, it forto smelle and taste,1173 And to his yhe and to his Ere, Bot he ne fond no confort there: And thanne he gan it to despise, And tolde unto hem in this wise: ‘I not what is with gold to thryve, Whan non of all my wittes fyve 2800 P. iii. 180 Fynt savour ne delit therinne. So is it bot a nyce Sinne Of gold to ben to covoitous; Bot he is riche and glorious, Which hath in his subjeccion Tho men whiche in possession1174 Ben riche of gold, and be this skile; For he mai aldai whan he wile, Or be hem lieve or be hem lothe, Justice don upon hem bothe.’ 2810 Lo, thus he seide, and with that word He threw tofore hem on the bord The gold out of his hond anon, And seide hem that he wolde non:1175 So that he kepte his liberte To do justice and equite, Withoute lucre of such richesse. Ther be nou fewe of suche, I gesse; For it was thilke times used, That every jugge was refused 2820 Which was noght frend to comun riht; Bot thei that wolden stonde upriht For trouthe only to do justice Preferred were in thilke office To deme and jugge commun lawe: Which nou, men sein, is al withdrawe. To sette a lawe and kepe it noght Ther is no comun profit soght; Bot above alle natheles The lawe, which is mad for pes, 2830 P. iii. 181 Is good to kepe for the beste, For that set alle men in reste. [The Emperor Conrad.] The rihtful Emperour Conrade Hic narrat de iusticia nuper Conradi Imperatoris, cuius tempore alicuius reuerencia persone, aliqua seu precum interuencione quacunque vel auri redempcione, legum Statuta commutari seu redimi nullatenus potuerunt. To kepe pes such lawe made, That non withinne the cite In destorbance of unite Dorste ones moeven a matiere. For in his time, as thou myht hiere, What point that was for lawe set It scholde for no gold be let,1176 2840 To what persone that it were. And this broghte in the comun fere, Why every man the lawe dradde, For ther was non which favour hadde. [The Consul Carmidotirus.] So as these olde bokes sein, I finde write hou a Romein, Nota exemplum de constancia iudicis; vbi narrat de Carmidotiro Rome nuper Consule, qui cum sui statuti legem nescius offendisset, Romanique super hoc penam sibi remittere voluissent, ipse propria manu, vbi nullus alius in ipsum vindex fuit, sui criminis vindictam executus est. Which Consul was of the Pretoire, Whos name was Carmidotoire, He sette a lawe for the pes, That non, bot he be wepneles,1177 2850 Schal come into the conseil hous, And elles as malicious He schal ben of the lawe ded. To that statut and to that red Acorden alle it schal be so, For certein cause which was tho: Nou lest what fell therafter sone.1178 This Consul hadde forto done,1179 And was into the feldes ride; And thei him hadden longe abide, 2860 P. iii. 182 That lordes of the conseil were, And for him sende, and he cam there With swerd begert, and hath foryete,1180 Til he was in the conseil sete. Was non of hem that made speche, Til he himself it wolde seche, And fond out the defalte himselve; And thanne he seide unto the tuelve, Whiche of the Senat weren wise, ‘I have deserved the juise, 2870 In haste that it were do.’ And thei him seiden alle no; For wel thei wiste it was no vice, Whan he ne thoghte no malice, Bot onliche of a litel slouthe: And thus thei leften as for routhe To do justice upon his gilt, For that he scholde noght be spilt. And whanne he sih the maner hou Thei wolde him save, he made avou 2880 With manfull herte, and thus he seide, That Rome scholde nevere abreide His heires, whan he were of dawe, That here Ancestre brak the lawe. Forthi, er that thei weren war, Forth with the same swerd he bar The statut of his lawe he kepte,1181 So that al Rome his deth bewepte.(2900*) [Example of Cambyses.] In other place also I rede, Wher that a jugge his oghne dede 2890 P. iii. 183 Nota quod falsi iudices mortis pena puniendi sunt. Narrat enim qualiter Cambises Rex Persarum quendam iudicem corruptum excoriari viuum fecit, eiusque pelle cathedram iudicialem operiri constituit: ita quod filius suus super patris pellem postea pro tribunali cessurus iudicii equitatem euidencius memoraretur. Ne wol noght venge of lawe broke, The king it hath himselven wroke. The grete king which Cambises Was hote, a jugge laweles He fond, and into remembrance He dede upon him such vengance: Out of his skyn he was beflain Al quyk, and in that wise slain, So that his skyn was schape al meete,1182 And nayled on the same seete1183 2900 Wher that his Sone scholde sitte. Avise him, if he wolde flitte The lawe for the coveitise, Ther sih he redi his juise. Thus in defalte of other jugge The king mot otherwhile jugge, To holden up the rihte lawe. And forto speke of tholde dawe, To take ensample of that was tho, I finde a tale write also, 2910 Hou that a worthi prince is holde The lawes of his lond to holde, Ferst for the hihe goddes sake, And ek for that him is betake The poeple forto guide and lede, Which is the charge of his kinghede. [Lycurgus and his Laws.] In a Cronique I rede thus Of the rihtful Ligurgius, Hic ponit exemplum de Principibus illis, qui1184 non solum legem statuentes illam conseruant, set vt commune bonum adaugeant, propriam facultatem diminuunt. Et narrat quod, cum Ligurgius Athenarum princeps subditos suos1185 in omni prosperitatis habundancia divites et vnanimes congruis legibus stare fecisset, volens ad vtilitatem rei publice leges illas firmius obseruari, peregre proficisci se finxit; set prius iuramentum solempne a legiis suis sub hac forma exegit, quod ipsi vsque in reditum suum leges suas nullatenus infringerent: quibus iuratis peregrinacionem suam in exilium absque reditu pro perpetuo delegauit.1186 Which of Athenis Prince was, Hou he the lawe in every cas, 2920 P. iii. 184 Wherof he scholde his poeple reule, Hath set upon so good a reule, In al this world that cite non Of lawe was so wel begon Forth with the trouthe of governance. Ther was among hem no distance, Bot every man hath his encress; Ther was withoute werre pes, Withoute envie love stod; Richesse upon the comun good 2930 And noght upon the singuler Ordeigned was, and the pouer Of hem that weren in astat Was sauf: wherof upon debat Ther stod nothing, so that in reste Mihte every man his herte reste. And whan this noble rihtful king Sih hou it ferde of al this thing, Wherof the poeple stod in ese, He, which for evere wolde plese 2940 The hihe god, whos thonk he soghte, A wonder thing thanne him bethoghte, And schop if that it myhte be, Hou that his lawe in the cite Mihte afterward for evere laste. And therupon his wit he caste What thing him were best to feigne, That he his pourpos myhte atteigne. A Parlement and thus he sette, His wisdom wher that he besette 2950 P. iii. 185 In audience of grete and smale,1187 And in this wise he tolde his tale: ‘God wot, and so ye witen alle, Hierafterward hou so it falle, Yit into now my will hath be To do justice and equite In forthringe of comun profit: Such hath ben evere my delit. Bot of o thing I am beknowe, The which mi will is that ye knowe: 2960 The lawe which I tok on honde, Was altogedre of goddes sonde And nothing of myn oghne wit; So mot it nede endure yit, And schal do lengere, if ye wile. For I wol telle you the skile; The god Mercurius and no man1188 He hath me tawht al that I can Of suche lawes as I made, Wherof that ye ben alle glade; 2970 It was the god and nothing I, Which dede al this, and nou forthi He hath comanded of his grace That I schal come into a place Which is forein out in an yle, Wher I mot tarie for a while, With him to speke, as he hath bede.1189 For as he seith, in thilke stede He schal me suche thinges telle, That evere, whyl the world schal duelle, 2980 P. iii. 186 Athenis schal the betre fare. Bot ferst, er that I thider fare, For that I wolde that mi lawe Amonges you ne be withdrawe Ther whyles that I schal ben oute, Forthi to setten out of doute Bothe you and me, this wol I preie, That ye me wolde assure and seie(3000*) With such an oth as I wol take,1190 That ech of you schal undertake 2990 Mi lawes forto kepe and holde.’ Thei seiden alle that thei wolde, And therupon thei swore here oth,1191 That fro the time that he goth, Til he to hem be come ayein, Thei scholde hise lawes wel and plein In every point kepe and fulfille. Thus hath Ligurgius his wille, And tok his leve and forth he wente. Bot lest nou wel to what entente1192 3000 Of rihtwisnesse he dede so: For after that he was ago, He schop him nevere to be founde;1193 So that Athenis, which was bounde, Nevere after scholde be relessed,1194 Ne thilke goode lawe cessed, Which was for comun profit set. And in this wise he hath it knet; He, which the comun profit soghte, The king, his oghne astat ne roghte; 3010 P. iii. 187 To do profit to the comune, He tok of exil the fortune, And lefte of Prince thilke office Only for love and for justice, Thurgh which he thoghte, if that he myhte, For evere after his deth to rihte The cite which was him betake. Wherof men oghte ensample take The goode lawes to avance With hem which under governance1195 3020 The lawes have forto kepe; For who that wolde take kepe Of hem that ferst the lawes founde, Als fer as lasteth eny bounde Of lond, here names yit ben knowe: And if it like thee to knowe Some of here names hou thei stonde, Nou herkne and thou schalt understonde. [The First Law-givers.] Of every bienfet the merite The god himself it wol aquite; 3030 Hic ad eorum laudem, qui iusticie causa leges primo statuerunt, aliquorum nomina specialius commemorat. And ek fulofte it falleth so, The world it wole aquite also, Bot that mai noght ben evene liche: The god he yifth the heveneriche, The world yifth only bot a name, Which stant upon the goode fame Of hem that don the goode dede. And in this wise double mede Resceiven thei that don wel hiere; Wherof if that thee list to hiere1196 3040 P. iii. 188 After the fame as it is blowe, Ther myht thou wel the sothe knowe, Hou thilke honeste besinesse Of hem that ferst for rihtwisnesse Among the men the lawes made, Mai nevere upon this erthe fade. For evere, whil ther is a tunge, Here name schal be rad and sunge And holde in the Cronique write; So that the men it scholden wite, 3050 To speke good, as thei wel oghten, Of hem that ferst the lawes soghten In forthringe of the worldes pes. Unto thebreus was Moïses The ferste, and to thegipciens Mercurius, and to Troiens Ferst was Neuma Pompilius, To Athenes Ligurgius Yaf ferst the lawe, and to Gregois Foroneüs hath thilke vois,1197 3060 And Romulus to the Romeins. For suche men that ben vileins The lawe in such a wise ordeigneth,1198 That what man to the lawe pleigneth, [Kings must keep the Laws.] Be so the jugge stonde upriht, He schal be served of his riht. And so ferforth it is befalle That lawe is come among ous alle: God lieve it mote wel ben holde, As every king therto is holde; 3070 P. iii. 189 For thing which is of kinges set, With kinges oghte it noght be let. What king of lawe takth no kepe, Be lawe he mai no regne kepe. Do lawe awey, what is a king? Wher is the riht of eny thing, If that ther be no lawe in londe? This oghte a king wel understonde, As he which is to lawe swore, That if the lawe be forbore 3080 Withouten execucioun, It makth a lond torne up so doun, Which is unto the king a sclandre. Forthi unto king Alisandre The wise Philosophre bad, That he himselve ferst be lad1199 Of lawe, and forth thanne overal So do justice in general,1200(3100*) That al the wyde lond aboute The justice of his lawe doute, 3090 And thanne schal he stonde in reste. For therto lawe is on the beste Above alle other erthly thing, To make a liege drede his king. Bot hou a king schal gete him love Toward the hihe god above, And ek among the men in erthe, This nexte point, which is the ferthe Of Aristotles lore, it techeth: Wherof who that the Scole secheth, 3100 P. iii. 190 What Policie that it is The bok reherceth after this. [The Fourth Point of Policy. Pity.] x. Nil racionis habens vbi velle tirannica regna Stringit, amor populi transiet exul ibi.1201 Set Pietas, regnum que conseruabit in euum, Non tantum populo, set placet illa deo. It nedeth noght that I delate The pris which preised is algate, Hic tractat de quarta Principum regiminis Policia, que Pietas dicta est; per quam Principes erga populum misericordes effecti misericordiam altissimi gracius1202 consequuntur. And hath ben evere and evere schal, Wherof to speke in special, It is the vertu of Pite, Thurgh which the hihe mageste Was stered, whan his Sone alyhte, And in pite the world to rihte 3110 Tok of the Maide fleissh and blod. Pite was cause of thilke good, Wherof that we ben alle save: Wel oghte a man Pite to have And the vertu to sette in pris, Whan he himself which is al wys Hath schewed why it schal be preised. Pite may noght be conterpeised Of tirannie with no peis; For Pite makth a king courteis 3120 Bothe in his word and in his dede. Nota.1203 It sit wel every liege drede His king and to his heste obeie, And riht so be the same weie It sit a king to be pitous Toward his poeple and gracious P. iii. 191 Upon the reule of governance, So that he worche no vengance, Which mai be cleped crualte. Justice which doth equite 3130 Is dredfull, for he noman spareth; Bot in the lond wher Pite fareth The king mai nevere faile of love, For Pite thurgh the grace above, So as the Philosophre affermeth,1204 His regne in good astat confermeth.* *Thapostle James in this wise1205 Seith, what man scholde do juise,12063150* And hath not pite forth with al, The doom of him which demeth al He may himself fulsore drede, That him schal lakke upon the nede To fynde pite, whan he wolde: For who that pite wol biholde,— It is a poynt of Cristes lore. And for to loken overmore, It is bihovely, as we fynde, To resoun and to lawe of kynde.3160* Cassodorus. Vbi regnat pietas, consolidatur regnum. Cassodre in his apprise telleth, ‘The regne is sauf, wher pite duelleth.’ Tullius. Qui pietate vincitur scutum victorie merito gestabit. And Tullius his tale avoweth,1207 And seith, ‘What king to pite boweth And with pite stant overcome, He hath that schield of grace nome, P. iii. 192 Which to the kinges yifth victoire.’ Valerius narrat quod cum rex Alexander in ira sua quendam militem morti condempnasset, et ille appellauit, dixit rex, ‘In terra nullus maior me est: ad quem ergo appellas?’ Respondit miles, ‘Non a maiestate tua, set a sentencia ire tue tantum ad pietatem tuam appello.’ Et sic rex pietate motus ipsum in misericordiam benignissime suscepit. Of Alisandre in his histoire I rede how he a worthi knight Of sodein wraththe and nought of right3170* Forjugged hath, and he appeleth. And with that word the king quereleth, And seith, ‘Non is above me.’ ‘That wot I wel my lord,’ quoth he; ‘Fro thy lordschipe appele I nought, But fro thy wraththe in al my thought To thy pitee stant myn appeel. The king, which understod him wel, Of pure pite yaf him grace. And eek I rede in other place,3180* Thus seide whilom etc. (as 3137 ff.) Constantinus Imperator ait: ‘Vere se dominum esse comprobat, qui seruum pietatis se facit.’ Thus seide whilom Constantin:1208 ‘What Emperour that is enclin To Pite forto be servant, Of al the worldes remenant 3140 He is worthi to ben a lord.’ Troianus ait, quod ipse subditos suos solite pietatis fauore magis quam austeritatis rigore regere, eorumque benevolenciam pocius quam timorem penes se attractare proponebat.1209 In olde bokes of record This finde I write of essamplaire:1210 Troian the worthi debonaire, Be whom that Rome stod governed, Upon a time as he was lerned(3190*) Of that he was to familier, He seide unto that conseiller,1211 That forto ben an Emperour His will was noght for vein honour, 3150 Ne yit for reddour of justice; Bot if he myhte in his office P. iii. 193 Hise lordes and his poeple plese, Him thoghte it were a grettere ese With love here hertes to him drawe, Than with the drede of eny lawe.(3200*) For whan a thing is do for doute, Fulofte it comth the worse aboute; Bot wher a king is Pietous,1212 He is the more gracious, 3160 That mochel thrift him schal betyde, Which elles scholde torne aside.* [Tale of the Jew and the Pagan.] *To do pite support and grace,1213 The Philosophre upon a place Hic in pietatis exemplum prout Aristotiles Regi Alexandro nuper rettulit, declarans scribit qualiter Iudeus pedester cum quodam pagano asinum equitante per desertum itinerando ipsum de secta et fide sua strictius interrogauit. Qui respondens ait: ‘Paganus sum et fides mea hec est, vt omnes vno animo diligam et penes vnumquemque tempore necessitatis pietatem1214 pro posse meo excerceam.’1215 Cui Iudeus: ‘Permitte me ergo, qui lassatus itinere deficio, aliquantulum equitare, et tu respectu pietatis ob meam recreacionem pedibus pro tempore1216 incedas.’ Et ita factum est, vnde postea paganus infra breue lassatus asino suo restitui1217 a Iudeo postulauit. At ille ait: ‘Nequaquam: quia fides mea est, vt illi qui sectam meam non credit, nocumentum1218 absque pietate prouocare debeo.’ Et hiis dictis asellum veloci passu coegit, et paganum a dorso illusum reliquit. Quod videns paganus in terram dolens corruit, extensisque in celum manibus summam iusticiam inuocabat. Postque a terra exurgens, cum paulisper deambulasset, respexit in quamdam vallem1219 Iudeum a leone in mortis articulo prostratum; et sic asinum suum cum gaudio resumens, pietatem magis quam austeritatem laudabilem decreuit.1220 In his writinge of daies olde A tale of gret essample tolde3210* Unto the king of Macedoine: How betwen Kaire and Babeloine,1221 Whan comen is the somer heete, It hapneth tuo men forto meete, As thei scholde entren in a pas, Wher that the wyldernesse was. And as they wenten forth spekende Under the large wodes ende, That o man axeth of that other: ‘What man art thou, mi lieve brother?12223220* Which is thi creance and thi feith?’ ‘I am paien,’ that other seith, ‘And be the lawe which I use I schal noght in mi feith refuse P. iii. 194 To loven alle men aliche, The povere bothe and ek the riche: Whan thei ben glade I schal be glad, And sori whan thei ben bestad; So schal I live in unite With every man in his degre.3230* For riht as to miself I wolde, Riht so toward alle othre I scholde1223 Be gracious and debonaire. Thus have I told thee softe and faire Mi feith, mi lawe, and mi creance; And if thee list for aqueintance, Now tell what maner man thou art.’ And he ansuerde upon his part: ‘I am a Jew, and be mi lawe I schal to noman be felawe3240* To kepe him trowthe in word ne dede, Bot if he be withoute drede1224 A verrai Jew riht as am I: For elles I mai trewely Bereve him bothe lif and good.’ The paien herde and understod, And thoghte it was a wonder lawe. And thus upon here sondri sawe Talkende bothe forth thei wente. The dai was hoot, the sonne brente,3250* The paien rod upon an asse, And of his catell more and lasse With him a riche trusse he ladde. The Jew, which al untrowthe hadde, P. iii. 195 And wente upon his feet beside, Bethoghte him how he mihte ride;1225 And with his wordes slihe and wise Unto the paien in this wise He seide: ‘O, now it schal be seene What thing it is thou woldest meene:3260* For if thi lawe be certein As thou hast told, I dar wel sein, Thou wolt beholde mi destresse. Which am so full of werinesse, That I ne mai unethe go,1226 And let me ride a Myle or tuo, So that I mai mi bodi ese.’ The paien wolde him noght desplese Of that he spak, bot in pite It list him forto knowe and se3270* The pleignte which that other made; And for he wolde his herte glade, He lihte and made him nothing strange. Thus was ther made a newe change, The paien goth, the Jew alofte Was sett upon his asse softe: So gon thei forth carpende faste Of this and that, til ate laste1227 The paien mihte go nomore, And preide unto the Jew therfore3280* To suffre him ride a litel while. The Jew, which thoghte him to beguile, Anon rod forth the grete pas,1228 And to the paien in this cas P. iii. 196 He seide, ‘Thou hast do thi riht, Of that thou haddest me behiht To do socour upon mi nede; And that acordeth to the dede, As thou art to the lawe holde. And in such wise as I thee tolde,3290* I thenke also for mi partie Upon the lawe of Juerie1229 To worche and do mi duete. Thin asse schal go forth with me With al thi good, which I have sesed; And that I wot thou art desesed, I am riht glad and noght mispaid.’ And whanne he hath these wordes said, In alle haste he rod aweie. This paien wot non other weie,3300* Bot on the ground he kneleth evene, His handes up unto the hevene, And seide, ‘O hihe sothfastnesse, That lovest alle rihtwisnesse, Unto thi dom, lord, I appele;1230 Behold and deme mi querele, With humble herte I thee beseche; The mercy bothe and ek the wreche I sette al in thi juggement.’ And thus upon his marrement3310* This paien hath made his preiere:1231 And than he ros with drery chiere,1232 And goth him forth, and in his gate He caste his yhe aboute algate, P. iii. 197 The Jew if that he mihte se. Bot for a time it mai noght be; Til ate laste ayein the nyht, So as god wolde, he wente ariht, As he which hield the hihe weie, And thanne he sih in a valleie3320* Wher that the Jew liggende was, Al blodi ded upon the gras, Which strangled was of a leoun. And as he lokede up and doun, He fond his asse faste by Forth with his harneis redely Al hol and sound, as he it lefte,1233 Whan that the Jew it him berefte: Wherof he thonketh god knelende. Lo, thus a man mai knowe at ende,3330* How the pitous pite deserveth. For what man that to pite serveth, As Aristotle it berth witnesse, God schal hise foomen so represse, That thei schul ay stonde under foote. Pite, men sein, is thilke roote Wherof the vertus springen alle: What infortune that befalle In eny lond, lacke of pite1234 Is cause of thilke adversite;3340* And that aldai mai schewe at yhe, Who that the world discretly syhe.1235 Good is that every man therfore Take hiede of that is seid tofore; P. iii. 198 For of this tale and othre ynowhe These noble princes whilom drowhe Here evidence and here aprise, As men mai finde in many a wise,1236 Who that these olde bokes rede: And thogh thei ben in erthe dede,3350* Here goode name may noght deie For Pite, which thei wolde obeie, To do the dedes of mercy. And who this tale redily Remembre, as Aristotle it tolde, He mai the will of god beholde Upon the point as it was ended, Wherof that pite stod commended, Which is to charite felawe, As thei that kepen bothe o lawe.12373360* [Tale of Codrus.] P. iii. 198, l. 17 Of Pite forto speke plein, Which is with mercy wel besein, Fulofte he wole himselve peine Nota hic de Principis pietate erga populum, vbi narrat quod, cum Codrus Rex Athenarum contra Dorences bellum gerere deberet, consulto prius Appolline responsum accepit, quod vnum de duobus, videlicet aut seipsum in prelio interfici et populum suum saluari, aut populum interfici et se1238 saluum fieri, eligere oporteret. Super quo Rex pietate motus plebisque sue magis quam proprii corporis salutem affectans, mortem sibi preelegit; et sic bellum aggrediens pro vita multorum solus interiit. To kepe an other fro the peine: For Charite the moder is Of Pite, which nothing amis Can soffre, if he it mai amende. It sit to every man livende 3170 To be Pitous, bot non so wel As to a king, which on the whiel(3370*) Fortune hath set aboven alle: For in a king, if so befalle1239 That his Pite be ferme and stable, To al the loud it is vailable P. iii. 199 Only thurgh grace of his persone; For the Pite of him al one Mai al the large realme save. So sit it wel a king to have 3180 Pite; for this Valeire tolde, And seide hou that be daies olde(3380*) Codrus, which was in his degre King of Athenis the cite, A werre he hadde ayein Dorrence: And forto take his evidence1240 What schal befalle of the bataille, He thoghte he wolde him ferst consaille With Appollo, in whom he triste; Thurgh whos ansuere this he wiste, 3190 Of tuo pointz that he myhte chese, Or that he wolde his body lese(3390*) And in bataille himselve deie, Or elles the seconde weie, To sen his poeple desconfit. Bot he, which Pite hath parfit Upon the point of his believe, The poeple thoghte to relieve,1241 And ches himselve to be ded. Wher is nou such an other hed, 3200 Which wolde for the lemes dye? And natheles in som partie(3400*) It oghte a kinges herte stere, That he hise liege men forbere. And ek toward hise enemis Fulofte he may deserve pris, P. iii. 200 To take of Pite remembrance, Wher that he myhte do vengance: For whanne a king hath the victoire, And thanne he drawe into memoire 3210 To do Pite in stede of wreche, He mai noght faile of thilke speche Wherof arist the worldes fame, To yive a Prince a worthi name. [Pompeius and the King of Armenia.] I rede hou whilom that Pompeie, To whom that Rome moste obeie, Hic ponit exemplum de victoriosi Principis pietate erga aduersarios suos. Et narrat quod, cum Pompeius Romanorum Imperator Regem Armenie aduersarium suum in bello victum cepisset, captumque vinculis alligatum Rome tenuisset, tirannidis iracundie stimulos postponens, pietatis mansuetudinem operatus est. Dixit enim quod nobilius est Regem facere quam deponere: super quo dictum Regem absque vlla redempcione non solum a vinculis absoluit, set ad sui regni culmen gratuita voluntate coronatum restituit.1244 A werre hadde in jeupartie Ayein the king of Ermenie,1242 Which of long time him hadde grieved. Bot ate laste it was achieved 3220 That he this king desconfit hadde, And forth with him to Rome ladde As Prisoner, wher many a day In sori plit and povere he lay, The corone of his heved deposed,1243 Withinne walles faste enclosed; And with ful gret humilite He soffreth his adversite. Pompeie sih his pacience And tok pite with conscience, 3230 So that upon his hihe deis Tofore al Rome in his Paleis, As he that wolde upon him rewe, Let yive him his corone newe And his astat al full and plein1245 Restoreth of his regne ayein, P. iii. 201 And seide it was more goodly thing To make than undon a king, To him which pouer hadde of bothe. Thus thei, that weren longe wrothe, 3240 Acorden hem to final pes; And yit justice natheles Was kept and in nothing offended; Wherof Pompeie was comended.1246 Ther mai no king himself excuse, Bot if justice he kepe and use, Which for teschuie crualte He mot attempre with Pite. [Cruelty.] Of crualte the felonie Engendred is of tirannie, 3250 Ayein the whos condicion God is himself the champion,(3450*) Whos strengthe mai noman withstonde. For evere yit it hath so stonde, That god a tirant overladde; Bot wher Pite the regne ladde, Ther mihte no fortune laste Which was grevous, bot ate laste The god himself it hath redresced. Pite is thilke vertu blessed 3260 Which nevere let his Maister falle; Bot crualte, thogh it so falle That it mai regne for a throwe, God wole it schal ben overthrowe: Wherof ensamples ben ynowhe Of hem that thilke merel drowhe. [Cruelty of Leontius.] P. iii. 202 Of crualte I rede thus: Whan the tirant Leoncius Hic loquitur contra illos, qui tirannica potestate principatum obtinentes in1247 iniquitatis sue malicia gloriantur. Et narrat exemplum,1248 qualiter Leoncius tirannus pium Iustinianum non solum a solio imperatorie maiestatis fraudulenter expulit, set vt ipse inhabilis ad regnum in1249 aspectu plebis efficeretur, naso et labris abscisis, ipsum tirannice mutulauit. Deus tamen, qui super omnia pius est, Tiberio superueniente vna cum adiutorio Terbellis Bulgarie Regis, Iustinianum interfecto Leoncio ad imperium restitui misericorditer procurauit. Was to thempire of Rome arrived, Fro which he hath with strengthe prived1250 3270 The pietous Justinian,1251 As he which was a cruel man, His nase of and his lippes bothe He kutte, for he wolde him lothe Unto the poeple and make unable. Bot he which is al merciable,1252 The hihe god, ordeigneth so, That he withinne a time also, Whan he was strengest in his ire,1253 Was schoven out of his empire. 3280 Tiberius the pouer hadde, And Rome after his will he ladde, And for Leonce in such a wise Ordeigneth, that he tok juise Of nase and lippes bothe tuo, For that he dede an other so, Which more worthi was than he. Lo, which a fall hath crualte, And Pite was set up ayein: For after that the bokes sein, 3290 Therbellis king of Bulgarie With helpe of his chivalerie Justinian hath unprisoned And to thempire ayein coroned. [Cruelty of Siculus.] In a Cronique I finde also Of Siculus, which was ek so P. iii. 203 Hic loquitur vlterius de crudelitate Siculi tiranni,1254 necnon et de Berillo eiusdem Consiliario, qui ad tormentum populi quendam taurum eneum tirannica coniectura fabricari constituit; in quo tamen ipse prior, proprio crimine illud exigente, vsque ad sui interitus expiracionem iudicialiter torquebatur. A cruel king lich the tempeste, The whom no Pite myhte areste,—1255 He was the ferste, as bokes seie, Upon the See which fond Galeie 3300 And let hem make for the werre,— As he which al was out of herre(3500*) Fro Pite and misericorde; For therto couthe he noght acorde, Bot whom he myhte slen, he slouh, And therof was he glad ynouh. He hadde of conseil manyon, Among the whiche ther was on, Be name which Berillus hihte; And he bethoghte him hou he myhte 3310 Unto the tirant do likinge, And of his oghne ymaginynge Let forge and make a Bole of bras, And on the side cast ther was A Dore, wher a man mai inne, Whan he his peine schal beginne Thurgh fyr, which that men putten under. And al this dede he for a wonder, That whanne a man for peine cride, The Bole of bras, which gapeth wyde, 3320 It scholde seme as thogh it were A belwinge in a mannes Ere, And noght the criinge of a man. Bot he which alle sleihtes can, The devel, that lith in helle fast, Him that this caste hath overcast,1256 P. iii. 204 That for a trespas which he dede He was putt in the same stede, And was himself the ferste of alle Which was into that peine falle1257 3330 That he for othre men ordeigneth; Ther was noman which him compleigneth.1258 Of tirannie and crualte Be this ensample a king mai se, Himself and ek his conseil bothe, Hou thei ben to mankinde lothe And to the god abhominable. Ensamples that ben concordable1259 I finde of othre Princes mo, As thou schalt hiere, of time go.1260 3340 The grete tirant Dionys, Which mannes lif sette of no pris,1261 [Dionysius and his Horses.] Unto his hors fulofte he yaf The men in stede of corn and chaf, Nota hic de Dionisio tiranno, qui mire crudelitatis seueritate eciam hospites suos ad deuorandum equis suis tribuit: cui Hercules tandem superueniens victum impium in impietate sua pari morte conclusit. So that the hors of thilke stod Devoureden the mennes blod; Til fortune ate laste cam, That Hercules him overcam, And he riht in the same wise Of this tirant tok the juise: 3350 As he til othre men hath do, The same deth he deide also,(3550*) That no Pite him hath socoured, Til he was of hise hors devoured. [Lichaon.] Of Lichaon also I finde Hou he ayein the lawe of kinde P. iii. 205 Nota hic de consimili Lichaontis tirannia, qui carnes hominum hominibus in suo hospicio ad vescendum dedit; cuius formam condicioni similem Iupiter1262 coequans ipsum in lupum transformauit. Hise hostes slouh, and into mete He made her bodies to ben ete With othre men withinne his hous. Bot Jupiter the glorious, 3360 Which was commoeved of this thing, Vengance upon this cruel king So tok, that he fro mannes forme Into a wolf him let transforme: And thus the crualte was kidd, Which of long time he hadde hidd; A wolf he was thanne openly, The whos nature prively He hadde in his condicion. And unto this conclusioun, 3370 That tirannie is to despise, I finde ensample in sondri wise, And nameliche of hem fulofte, The whom fortune hath set alofte Upon the werres forto winne. Bot hou so that the wrong beginne Of tirannie, it mai noght laste, Bot such as thei don ate laste To othre men, such on hem falleth; For ayein suche Pite calleth 3380 Vengance to the god above. For who that hath no tender love In savinge of a mannes lif, He schal be founde so gultif, That whanne he wolde mercy crave [Nobleness of the Lion.] In time of nede, he schal non have. P. iii. 206 Of the natures this I finde,1263 Nota qualiter Leo hominibus stratis parcit. The fierce Leon in his kinde, Which goth rampende after his preie, If he a man finde in his weie, 3390 He wole him slen, if he withstonde. Bot if the man coude understonde To falle anon before his face In signe of mercy and of grace, The Leon schal of his nature Restreigne his ire in such mesure, As thogh it were a beste tamed,1264 And torne awey halfvinge aschamed, That he the man schal nothing grieve. Hou scholde than a Prince achieve 3400 The worldes grace, if that he wolde Destruie a man whanne he is yolde(3600*) And stant upon his mercy al? Bot forto speke in special, Ther have be suche and yit ther be Tirantz, whos hertes no pite Mai to no point of mercy plie, That thei upon her tirannie Ne gladen hem the men to sle; And as the rages of the See 3410 Ben unpitous in the tempeste, Riht so mai no Pite areste1265 Of crualte the gret oultrage, Which the tirant in his corage Engendred hath: wherof I finde A tale, which comth nou to mynde. P. iii. 207 I rede in olde bokes thus: [Spertachus and Thamaris.] Ther was a Duk, which Spertachus Men clepe, and was a werreiour, Hic loquitur precipue1266 contra tirannos illos qui, cum in bello vincere possunt, humani sanguinis effusione saturari nequiunt. Et narrat in exemplum de quodam Persarum Rege, cuius nomen Spertachus erat, qui pre ceteris tunc in Oriente bellicosus et victoriosus, quoscunque gladio vincere poterat, absque pietate interfici constituit. Set tandem sub manu Thamaris Marsegetarum Regine in bello captus, quod a diu quesivit, seueritatem pro seueritate finaliter inuenit. Nam et ipsa quoddam vas de sanguine Persarum plenum ante se afferri1267 decreuit, in quo caput tiranni vsque ad mortem mergens dixit: ‘O tirannorum crudelissime, semper esuriens sanguinem sitisti: ecce iam ad saturitatem sanguinem bibe.’ A cruel man, a conquerour 3420 With strong pouer the which he ladde. For this condicion he hadde, That where him hapneth the victoire,1268 His lust and al his moste gloire Was forto sle and noght to save: Of rancoun wolde he no good have For savinge of a mannes lif, Bot al goth to the swerd and knyf, So lief him was the mannes blod.1269 And natheles yit thus it stod, 3430 So as fortune aboute wente, He fell riht heir as be descente1270 To Perse, and was coroned king. And whan the worschipe of this thing Was falle, and he was king of Perse, If that thei weren ferst diverse, The tirannies whiche he wroghte, A thousendfold welmore he soghte Thanne afterward to do malice. The god vengance ayein the vice1271 3440 Hath schape: for upon a tyde, Whan he was heihest in his Pride, In his rancour and in his hete Ayein the queene of Marsagete, Which Thameris that time hihte, He made werre al that he myhte: P. iii. 208 And sche, which wolde hir loud defende, Hir oghne Sone ayein him sende,1272 Which the defence hath undertake. Bot he desconfit was and take; 3450 And whan this king him hadde in honde, He wol no mercy understonde,(3650*) Bot dede him slen in his presence. The tidinge of this violence1273 Whan it cam to the moder Ere, Sche sende anon ay wydewhere To suche frendes as sche hadde, A gret pouer til that sche ladde. In sondri wise and tho sche caste Hou sche this king mai overcaste; 3460 And ate laste acorded was, That in the danger of a pass, Thurgh which this tirant scholde passe, Sche schop his pouer to compasse1274 With strengthe of men be such a weie1275 That he schal noght eschape aweie. And whan sche hadde thus ordeigned, Sche hath hir oghne bodi feigned, For feere as thogh sche wolde flee Out of hir lond: and whan that he 3470 Hath herd hou that this ladi fledde, So faste after the chace he spedde, That he was founde out of array. For it betidde upon a day, Into the pas whanne he was falle, Thembuisschementz tobrieken alle1276 P. iii. 209 And him beclipte on every side, That fle ne myhte he noght aside: So that ther weren dede and take Tuo hundred thousend for his sake, 3480 That weren with him of his host. And thus was leid the grete bost Of him and of his tirannie:1277 It halp no mercy forto crie1278 To him which whilom dede non; For he unto the queene anon Was broght, and whan that sche him sih, This word sche spak and seide on hih: ‘O man, which out of mannes kinde Reson of man hast left behinde 3490 And lived worse than a beste, Whom Pite myhte noght areste, The mannes blod to schede and spille Thou haddest nevere yit thi fille. Bot nou the laste time is come, That thi malice is overcome: As thou til othre men hast do, Nou schal be do to thee riht so.’ Tho bad this ladi that men scholde A vessel bringe, in which sche wolde 3500 Se the vengance of his juise, Which sche began anon devise;(3700*) And tok the Princes whiche he ladde, Be whom his chief conseil he hadde, And whil hem lasteth eny breth,1279 Sche made hem blede to the deth P. iii. 210 Into the vessel wher it stod: And whan it was fulfild of blod, Sche caste this tirant therinne, And seide him, ‘Lo, thus myht thou wynne1280 3510 The lustes of thin appetit. In blod was whilom thi delit, Nou schalt thou drinken al thi fille.’ And thus onliche of goddes wille, He which that wolde himselve strange To Pite, fond mercy so strange, That he withoute grace is lore. So may it schewe wel therfore That crualte hath no good ende; Bot Pite, hou so that it wende, 3520 Makth that the god is merciable, If ther be cause resonable Why that a king schal be pitous.1281 Bot elles, if he be doubtous To slen in cause of rihtwisnesse, It mai be said no Pitousnesse, Bot it is Pusillamite, [Mercy must be without Weakness.] Which every Prince scholde flee. For if Pite mesure excede, Kinghode may noght wel procede1282 3530 To do justice upon the riht: For it belongeth to a knyht Als gladly forto fihte as reste, To sette his liege poeple in reste, Whan that the werre upon hem falleth; For thanne he mote, as it befalleth, P. iii. 211 Of his knyhthode as a Leon Be to the poeple a champioun Withouten eny Pite feigned. For if manhode be restreigned, 3540 Or be it pes or be it werre, Justice goth al out of herre, So that knyhthode is set behinde. Of Aristotles lore I finde, A king schal make good visage, That noman knowe of his corage Bot al honour and worthinesse: For if a king schal upon gesse Withoute verrai cause drede, He mai be lich to that I rede; 3550 And thogh that it be lich a fable,1283 Thensample is good and resonable.(3750*) [The Mountain and the Mouse.] As it be olde daies fell, I rede whilom that an hell Hic loquitur secundum Philosophum, dicens quod sicut non decet Principes tirannica impetuositate esse crudeles, ita nec decet timorosa pusillanimitate esse vecordes. Up in the londes of Archade A wonder dredful noise made;1284 For so it fell that ilke day, This hell on his childinge lay, And whan the throwes on him come, His noise lich the day of dome 3560 Was ferfull in a mannes thoght Of thing which that thei sihe noght, Bot wel thei herden al aboute The noise, of which thei were in doute, As thei that wenden to be lore Of thing which thanne was unbore. P. iii. 212 The nerr this hell was upon chance To taken his deliverance, The more unbuxomliche he cride; And every man was fledd aside, 3570 For drede and lefte his oghne hous: And ate laste it was a Mous, The which was bore and to norrice Betake; and tho thei hield hem nyce,1285 For thei withoute cause dradde.1286 Thus if a king his herte ladde With every thing that he schal hiere, Fulofte he scholde change his chiere And upon fantasie drede, Whan that ther is no cause of drede. 3580 Nota hic secundum Oracium de magnanimo Yacide et pusillanime Thersite. Orace to his Prince tolde, That him were levere that he wolde Upon knihthode Achillem suie In time of werre, thanne eschuie, So as Tersites dede at Troie. Achilles al his hole joie Sette upon Armes forto fihte; Tersites soghte al that he myhte Unarmed forto stonde in reste:1287 Bot of the tuo it was the beste 3590 That Achilles upon the nede Hath do, wherof his knyhtlihiede1288 Is yit comended overal. Salomon. Tempus belli, tempus pacis. King Salomon in special Seith, as ther is a time of pes, So is a time natheles P. iii. 213 Of werre, in which a Prince algate Schal for the comun riht debate And for his oghne worschipe eke. Bot it behoveth noght to seke 3600 [There is a time for War.] Only the werre for worschipe, Bot to the riht of his lordschipe,(3800*) Which he is holde to defende, Mote every worthi Prince entende. Nota qualiter inter duo extrema consistit virtus. Betwen the simplesce of Pite And the folhaste of crualte, Wher stant the verray hardiesce,1289 Ther mote a king his herte adresce, Whanne it is time to forsake, And whan time is also to take 3610 The dedly werres upon honde, That he schal for no drede wonde, If rihtwisnesse be withal. For god is myhty overal To forthren every mannes trowthe,1290 Bot it be thurgh his oghne slowthe; And namely the kinges nede It mai noght faile forto spede, For he stant one for hem alle; So mote it wel the betre falle 3620 And wel the more god favoureth, Whan he the comun riht socoureth. And forto se the sothe in dede, Behold the bible and thou myht rede Of grete ensamples manyon, Wherof that I wol tellen on. [Story of Gideon.] P. iii. 214 Upon a time as it befell, Ayein Judee and Irahel1291 Whan sondri kinges come were Hic dicit quod Princeps iusticie causa bellum nullo modo timere debet. Et narrat qualiter dux Gedeon cum solis tricentis viris quinque Reges, scilicet Madianitarum, Amalechitarum, Amonitarum, Amoreorum et Iebuseorum, cum eorum excercitu, qui ad lxxxx^ta Milia numeratus est, gracia cooperante diuina, victoriose in fugam conuertit. In pourpos to destruie there 3630 The poeple which god kepte tho,— And stod in thilke daies so, That Gedeon, which scholde lede The goddes folk, tok him to rede, And sende in al the lond aboute, Til he assembled hath a route With thritti thousend of defence, To fihte and make resistence Ayein the whiche hem wolde assaille:1292 And natheles that o bataille 3640 Of thre that weren enemys1293 Was double mor than was al his; Wherof that Gedeon him dradde, That he so litel poeple hadde. Bot he which alle thing mai helpe, Wher that ther lacketh mannes helpe, To Gedeon his Angel sente, And bad, er that he forther wente, Al openly that he do crie That every man in his partie 3650 Which wolde after his oghne wille In his delice abide stille1294(3850*) At hom in eny maner wise, For pourchas or for covoitise, For lust of love or lacke of herte, He scholde noght aboute sterte, P. iii. 215 Bot holde him stille at hom in pes: Wherof upon the morwe he les Wel twenty thousend men and mo, The whiche after the cri ben go. 3660 Thus was with him bot only left The thridde part, and yit god eft His Angel sende and seide this To Gedeon: ‘If it so is That I thin help schal undertake, Thou schalt yit lasse poeple take, Be whom mi will is that thou spede. Forthi tomorwe tak good hiede, Unto the flod whan ye be come, What man that hath the water nome 3670 Up in his hond and lapeth so, To thi part ches out alle tho;1295 And him which wery is to swinke, Upon his wombe and lith to drinke, Forsak and put hem alle aweie. For I am myhti alle weie, Wher as me list myn help to schewe1296 In goode men, thogh thei ben fewe.’ This Gedeon awaiteth wel, Upon the morwe and everydel, 3680 As god him bad, riht so he dede. And thus ther leften in that stede With him thre hundred and nomo,1297 The remenant was al ago: Wherof that Gedeon merveileth, And therupon with god conseileth, P. iii. 216 Pleignende as ferforth as he dar. And god, which wolde he were war1298 That he schal spede upon his riht,1299 Hath bede him go the same nyht 3690 And take a man with him, to hiere What schal be spoke in his matere1300 Among the hethen enemis; So mai he be the more wys, What afterward him schal befalle. This Gedeon amonges alle Phara, to whom he triste most, Be nyhte tok toward thilke host, Which logged was in a valleie, To hiere what thei wolden seie; 3700 Upon his fot and as he ferde,1301 Tuo Sarazins spekende he herde.(3900*) Quod on, ‘Ared mi swevene ariht, Which I mette in mi slep to nyht.1302 Me thoghte I sih a barli cake, Which fro the Hull his weie hath take, And cam rollende doun at ones; And as it were for the nones, Forth in his cours so as it ran, The kinges tente of Madian, 3710 Of Amalech, of Amoreie, Of Amon and of Jebuseie, And many an other tente mo With gret noise, as me thoghte tho, It threw to grounde and overcaste, And al this host so sore agaste1303 P. iii. 217 That I awok for pure drede.’ ‘This swevene can I wel arede,’ Quod thother Sarazin anon: ‘The barli cake is Gedeon, 3720 Which fro the hell doun sodeinly Schal come and sette such ascry Upon the kinges and ous bothe, That it schal to ous alle lothe: For in such drede he schal ous bringe, That if we hadden flyht of wynge, The weie on fote in desespeir1304 We scholden leve and flen in their,1305 For ther schal nothing him withstonde.’ Whan Gedeon hath understonde 3730 This tale, he thonketh god of al, And priveliche ayein he stal, So that no lif him hath perceived. And thanne he hath fulli conceived That he schal spede; and therupon The nyht suiende he schop to gon This multitude to assaile. Nou schalt thou hiere a gret mervaile, With what voisdie that he wroghte. The litel poeple which he broghte, 3740 Was non of hem that he ne hath A pot of erthe, in which he tath A lyht brennende in a kressette, And ech of hem ek a trompette Bar in his other hond beside; And thus upon the nyhtes tyde P. iii. 218 Duk Gedeon, whan it was derk, Ordeineth him unto his werk,1306 And parteth thanne his folk in thre, And chargeth hem that thei ne fle, 3750 And tawhte hem hou they scholde ascrie Alle in o vois per compaignie,1307(3950*) And what word ek thei scholden speke, And hou thei scholde here pottes breke Echon with other, whan thei herde That he himselve ferst so ferde; For whan thei come into the stede, He bad hem do riht as he dede. And thus stalkende forth a pas This noble Duk, whan time was, 3760 His pot tobrak and loude ascride, And tho thei breke on every side. The trompe was noght forto seke;1308 He blew, and so thei blewen eke With such a noise among hem alle, As thogh the hevene scholde falle. The hull unto here vois ansuerde, This host in the valleie it herde, And sih hou that the hell alyhte; So what of hieringe and of sihte, 3770 Thei cawhten such a sodein feere, That non of hem belefte there: The tentes hole thei forsoke,1309 That thei non other good ne toke, Bot only with here bodi bare Thei fledde, as doth the wylde Hare. P. iii. 219 And evere upon the hull thei blewe, Til that thei sihe time, and knewe That thei be fled upon the rage; And whan thei wiste here avantage, 3780 Thei felle anon unto the chace. Thus myht thou sen hou goddes grace Unto the goode men availeth; But elles ofte time it faileth To suche as be noght wel disposed. This tale nedeth noght be glosed, For it is openliche schewed That god to hem that ben wel thewed Hath yove and granted the victoire: So that thensample of this histoire 3790 Is good for every king to holde; Ferst in himself that he beholde If he be good of his livinge, And that the folk which he schal bringe Be good also, for thanne he may Be glad of many a merie day, In what as evere he hath to done.1310 For he which sit above the Mone And alle thing mai spille and spede, In every cause, in every nede1311 3800 His goode king so wel adresceth, That alle his fomen he represseth,(4000*) So that ther mai noman him dere; And als so wel he can forbere, And soffre a wickid king to falle In hondes of his fomen alle. [Saul and Agag.] P. iii. 220 Nou forthermore if I schal sein Of my matiere, and torne ayein Hic dicit quod vbi et quando causa et tempus requirunt, princeps illos sub potestate sua, quos iusticie aduersarios agnouerit, occidere de iure tenetur. Et narrat in exemplum qualiter, pro eo quod Saul Regem Agag in bello deuictum iuxta Samuelis consilium occidere noluit, ipse diuino iudicio non solum a regno Israel priuatus, set et heredes sui pro perpetuo exheredati sunt. To speke of justice and Pite After the reule of realte, 3810 This mai a king wel understonde, Knihthode mot ben take on honde, Whan that it stant upon the nede: He schal no rihtful cause drede, Nomore of werre thanne of pes, If he wol stonde blameles; For such a cause a king mai have That betre him is to sle than save, Wherof thou myht ensample finde.1312 The hihe makere of mankinde 3820 Be Samuel to Saül bad, That he schal nothing ben adrad Ayein king Agag forto fihte; For this the godhede him behihte, That Agag schal ben overcome: And whan it is so ferforth come, That Saül hath him desconfit, The god bad make no respit, That he ne scholde him slen anon. Bot Saül let it overgon 3830 And dede noght the goddes heste: For Agag made gret beheste Of rancoun which he wolde yive, King Saül soffreth him to live And feigneth pite forth withal. Bot he which seth and knoweth al, P. iii. 221 The hihe god, of that he feigneth To Samuel upon him pleigneth. And sende him word, for that he lefte Of Agag that he ne berefte 3840 The lif, he schal noght only dye Himself, bot fro his regalie He schal be put for everemo, Noght he, bot ek his heir also, That it schal nevere come ayein. [David and Joab.] Thus myht thou se the sothe plein, Hic narrat vlterius super eodem, qualiter Dauid in extremis iusticie causa vt Ioab occideretur absque vlla remissione filio suo Salomoni iniunxit. That of tomoche and of tolyte Upon the Princes stant the wyte. Bot evere it was a kinges riht To do the dedes of a knyht; 3850 For in the handes of a king The deth and lif is al o thing(4050*) After the lawes of justice. To slen it is a dedly vice,1313 Bot if a man the deth deserve; And if a king the lif preserve Of him which oghte forto dye, He suieth noght thensamplerie Which in the bible is evident: Hou David in his testament, 3860 Whan he no lengere myhte live,1314 Unto his Sone in charge hath yive That he Joab schal slen algate; And whan David was gon his gate, The yonge wise Salomon His fader heste dede anon, P. iii. 222 And slouh Joab in such a wise, That thei that herden the juise Evere after dradden him the more, And god was ek wel paid therfore, 3870 That he so wolde his herte plye The lawes forto justefie. And yit he kepte forth withal Pite, so as a Prince schal, That he no tirannie wroghte; He fond the wisdom which he soghte, And was so rihtful natheles, That al his lif he stod in pes, That he no dedly werres hadde, For every man his wisdom dradde. 3880 And as he was himselve wys, Riht so the worthi men of pris He hath of his conseil withholde; For that is every Prince holde, To make of suche his retenue Whiche wise ben, and to remue The foles: for ther is nothing Which mai be betre aboute a king, Than conseil, which is the substance Of all a kinges governance. 3890 [Solomon’s Wisdom.] In Salomon a man mai see What thing of most necessite Hic dicit quod populum sibi commissum bene regere super omnia Principi laudabilius est. Et narrat in exemplum qualiter, pro eo quod Salomon, vt populum bene regeret, ab altissimo sapienciam specialius postulauit, omnia bona pariter cum illa sibi habundancius aduenerunt. Unto a worthi king belongeth. Whan he his kingdom underfongeth, God bad him chese what he wolde, And seide him that he have scholde P. iii. 223 What he wolde axe, as of o thing. And he, which was a newe king, Forth therupon his bone preide To god, and in this wise he seide: 3900 ‘O king, be whom that I schal regne, Yif me wisdom, that I my regne,1315(4100*) Forth with thi poeple which I have,1316 To thin honour mai kepe and save.’ Whan Salomon his bone hath taxed, The god of that which he hath axed Was riht wel paid, and granteth sone Noght al only that he his bone Schal have of that, bot of richesse, Of hele, of pes, of hih noblesse, 3910 Forth with wisdom at his axinges, Which stant above alle othre thinges. Bot what king wole his regne save, Hic dicit secundum Salomonem, quod regie maiestatis imperium ante omnia sano consilio dirigendum est. Ferst him behoveth forto have After the god and his believe Such conseil which is to believe, Fulfild of trouthe and rihtwisnesse: Bot above alle in his noblesse Betwen the reddour and pite A king schal do such equite 3920 And sette the balance in evene, So that the hihe god in hevene And al the poeple of his nobleie Loange unto his name seie. For most above all erthli good, Wher that a king himself is good P. iii. 224 It helpeth, for in other weie If so be that a king forsueie, Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achiui. Fulofte er this it hath be sein, The comun poeple is overlein 3930 And hath the kinges Senne aboght, Al thogh the poeple agulte noght. Of that the king his god misserveth, The poeple takth that he descerveth Hier in this world, bot elleswhere I not hou it schal stonde there. Forthi good is a king to triste Ferst to himself, as he ne wiste Non other help hot god alone; So schal the reule of his persone 3940 Withinne himself thurgh providence Ben of the betre conscience. And forto finde ensample of this, A tale I rede, and soth it is. [The Courtiers and the Fool.] In a Cronique it telleth thus: The king of Rome Lucius Withinne his chambre upon a nyht Hic de Lucio Imperatore exemplum ponit, qualiter Princeps sui nominis famam a secretis consiliariis sapienter inuestigare debet; et si quid in ea sinistrum inuenerit, prouisa discrecione ad dexteram conuertat. The Steward of his hous, a knyht, Forth with his Chamberlein also, To conseil hadde bothe tuo, 3950 And stoden be the Chiminee Togedre spekende alle thre.(4150*) And happeth that the kinges fol Sat be the fyr upon a stol, As he that with his babil pleide, Bot yit he herde al that thei seide, P. iii. 225 And therof token thei non hiede. The king hem axeth what to rede Of such matiere as cam to mouthe, And thei him tolden as thei couthe. 3960 Whan al was spoke of that thei mente, The king with al his hole entente Thanne ate laste hem axeth this, What king men tellen that he is: Among the folk touchende his name, Or be it pris, or be it blame, Riht after that thei herden sein, He bad hem forto telle it plein, That thei no point of soth forbere, Be thilke feith that thei him bere. 3970 The Steward ferst upon this thing Yaf his ansuere unto the king And thoghte glose in this matiere, And seide, als fer as he can hiere, His name is good and honourable: Thus was the Stieward favorable, That he the trouthe plein ne tolde. The king thanne axeth, as he scholde, The Chamberlein of his avis. And he, that was soubtil and wys, 3980 And somdiel thoghte upon his feith, Him tolde hou al the poeple seith That if his conseil were trewe, Thei wiste thanne wel and knewe1317 That of himself he scholde be A worthi king in his degre: P. iii. 226 And thus the conseil he accuseth In partie, and the king excuseth. The fol, which herde of al the cas1318 That time, as goddes wille was,1319 3990 Sih that thei seiden noght ynowh, And hem to skorne bothe lowh, And to the king he seide tho: ‘Sire king, if that it were so, Of wisdom in thin oghne mod That thou thiselven were good, Thi conseil scholde noght be badde.’ The king therof merveille hadde, Whan that a fol so wisly spak, And of himself fond out the lack 4000 Withinne his oghne conscience: And thus the foles evidence,(4200*) Which was of goddes grace enspired, Makth that good conseil was desired.1320 He putte awey the vicious And tok to him the vertuous; The wrongful lawes ben amended, The londes good is wel despended, The poeple was nomore oppressed, And thus stod every thing redressed. 4010 For where a king is propre wys, And hath suche as himselven is Of his conseil, it mai noght faile That every thing ne schal availe: The vices thanne gon aweie, And every vertu holt his weie; P. iii. 227 Wherof the hihe god is plesed, And al the londes folk is esed. For if the comun poeple crie, And thanne a king list noght to plie1321 4020 To hiere what the clamour wolde, And otherwise thanne he scholde Desdeigneth forto don hem grace, It hath be sen in many place, Ther hath befalle gret contraire; And that I finde of ensamplaire. [Folly of Rehoboam.] After the deth of Salomon, Whan thilke wise king was gon, Hic dicit quod Seniores magis experti ad Principis consilium admittendi pocius existunt. Et narrat qualiter, pro eo quod Roboas Salomonis filius et heres senium sermonibus renuncians dicta iuuenum preelegit, de xii. tribubus Israel a dominio suo x. penitus amisit, et sic cum duabus tantummodo illusus postea regnauit. And Roboas in his persone Receive scholde the corone, 4030 The poeple upon a Parlement1322 Avised were of on assent, And alle unto the king thei preiden, With comun vois and thus thei seiden: ‘Oure liege lord, we thee beseche That thou receive oure humble speche And grante ous that which reson wile,1323 Or of thi grace or of thi skile. Thi fader, whil he was alyve And myhte bothe grante and pryve, 4040 Upon the werkes whiche he hadde The comun poeple streite ladde: Whan he the temple made newe, Thing which men nevere afore knewe1324 He broghte up thanne of his taillage, And al was under the visage P. iii. 228 Of werkes whiche he made tho. Bot nou it is befalle so, That al is mad, riht as he seide, And he was riche whan he deide; 4050 So that it is no maner nede, If thou therof wolt taken hiede,(4250*) To pilen of the poeple more, Which long time hath be grieved sore. And in this wise as we thee seie, With tendre herte we thee preie That thou relesse thilke dette, Which upon ous thi fader sette. And if thee like to don so, We ben thi men for everemo, 4060 To gon and comen at thin heste.’ The king, which herde this requeste, Seith that he wole ben avised, And hath therof a time assised; And in the while as he him thoghte Upon this thing, conseil he soghte. And ferst the wise knyhtes olde, To whom that he his tale tolde, De consilio Senium. Conseilen him in this manere; That he with love and with glad chiere 4070 Foryive and grante al that is axed Of that his fader hadde taxed; For so he mai his regne achieve With thing which schal him litel grieve. The king hem herde and overpasseth, And with these othre his wit compasseth, P. iii. 229 That yonge were and nothing wise. And thei these olde men despise, De consilio iuuenum. And seiden: ‘Sire, it schal be schame For evere unto thi worthi name, 4080 If thou ne kepe noght the riht,1325 Whil thou art in thi yonge myht, Which that thin olde fader gat. Bot seie unto the poeple plat, That whil thou livest in thi lond, The leste finger of thin hond It schal be strengere overal Than was thi fadres bodi al. And this also schal be thi tale, If he hem smot with roddes smale, 4090 With Scorpions thou schalt hem smyte;1326 And wher thi fader tok a lyte,1327 Thou thenkst to take mochel more.1328 Thus schalt thou make hem drede sore The grete herte of thi corage, So forto holde hem in servage.’ This yonge king him hath conformed To don as he was last enformed, Which was to him his undoinge: For whan it cam to the spekinge, 4100 He hath the yonge conseil holde, That he the same wordes tolde(4300*) Of al the poeple in audience; And whan thei herden the sentence Of his malice and the manace, Anon tofore his oghne face P. iii. 230 Thei have him oultreli refused And with ful gret reproef accused. So thei begunne forto rave, That he was fain himself to save; 4110 For as the wilde wode rage Of wyndes makth the See salvage, And that was calm bringth into wawe, So for defalte of grace and lawe This poeple is stered al at ones1329 And forth thei gon out of hise wones; So that of the lignages tuelve Tuo tribes only be hemselve With him abiden and nomo: So were thei for everemo 4120 Of no retorn withoute espeir Departed fro the rihtfull heir. Al Irahel with comun vois1330 A king upon here oghne chois Among hemself anon thei make, And have here yonge lord forsake; A povere knyht Jeroboas Thei toke, and lefte Roboas, Which rihtfull heir was be descente. Lo, thus the yonge cause wente: 4130 For that the conseil was noght good, The regne fro the rihtfull blod Evere afterward divided was. So mai it proven be this cas That yong conseil, which is to warm, Er men be war doth ofte harm. P. iii. 231 Old age for the conseil serveth, And lusti youthe his thonk deserveth Upon the travail which he doth; And bothe, forto seie a soth, 4140 Be sondri cause forto have, If that he wole his regne save, A king behoveth every day. That on can and that other mai, Be so the king hem bothe reule, For elles al goth out of reule. [Wisdom in a King’s Council.] And upon this matiere also A question betwen the tuo Nota questionem cuiusdam Philosophi, vtrum regno conueniencius foret principem cum malo consilio optare sapientem, quam cum sano consilio ipsum eligere insipientem. Thus writen in a bok I fond; Wher it be betre for the lond 4150 A king himselve to be wys, And so to bere his oghne pris,(4350*) And that his consail be noght good, Or other wise if it so stod, A king if he be vicious And his conseil be vertuous. It is ansuerd in such a wise, That betre it is that thei be wise Be whom that the conseil schal gon, For thei be manye, and he is on;1331 4160 And rathere schal an one man1332 With fals conseil, for oght he can, From his wisdom be mad to falle, Thanne he al one scholde hem alle Fro vices into vertu change, For that is wel the more strange. [Mercy and Justice.] P. iii. 232 Forthi the lond mai wel be glad, Whos king with good conseil is lad, Which set him unto rihtwisnesse, So that his hihe worthinesse 4170 Betwen the reddour and Pite Doth mercy forth with equite. A king is holden overal To Pite, bot in special1333 To hem wher he is most beholde; Thei scholde his Pite most beholde That ben the Lieges of his lond, For thei ben evere under his hond After the goddes ordinaunce To stonde upon his governance. 4180 Nota adhuc precipue de principis erga suos subditos debita pietate. Legitur enim qualiter Anthonius a Cipione exemplificatus dixit, quod mallet vnum de populo sibi commisso virum saluare, quam centum ex hostibus alienigenis in bello perdere. Of themperour Anthonius I finde hou that he seide thus, That levere him were forto save1334 Oon of his lieges than to have Of enemis a thousend dede.1335 And this he lernede, as I rede,1336 Of Cipio, which hadde be Consul of Rome. And thus to se Diverse ensamples hou thei stonde, A king which hath the charge on honde 4190 The comun poeple to governe, If that he wole, he mai wel lerne. Is non so good to the plesance Of god, as is good governance;1337 And every governance is due To Pite: thus I mai argue P. iii. 233 That Pite is the foundement Of every kinges regiment, If it be medled with justice. Thei tuo remuen alle vice, 4200 And ben of vertu most vailable To make a kinges regne stable.(4400*) Lo, thus the foure pointz tofore, In governance as thei ben bore, Of trouthe ferst and of largesse, Of Pite forth with rihtwisnesse, I have hem told; and over this The fifte point, so as it is1338 Set of the reule of Policie, Wherof a king schal modefie 4210 The fleisschly lustes of nature, Nou thenk I telle of such mesure,1339 That bothe kinde schal be served And ek the lawe of god observed. [The Fifth Point of Policy. Chastity.] xi. Corporis et mentis regem decet omnis honestas, Nominis vt famam nulla libido ruat. Omne quod est hominis effeminat illa voluptas, Sit nisi magnanimi cordis, vt obstet ei. The Madle is mad for the femele, Bot where as on desireth fele, That nedeth noght be weie of kinde: Hic tractat secundum Aristotelem de quinta principum regiminis Policia, que Castitatem concernit, cuius honestas impudicicie motus obtemperans tam corporis quam anime mundiciam specialius preseruat. For whan a man mai redy finde His oghne wif, what scholde he seche In strange places to beseche 4220 To borwe an other mannes plouh, Whan he hath geere good ynouh1340 P. iii. 234 Affaited at his oghne heste, And is to him wel more honeste Than other thing which is unknowe? Forthi scholde every good man knowe And thenke, hou that in mariage His trouthe plight lith in morgage, Which if he breke, it is falshode, And that descordeth to manhode, 4230 And namely toward the grete, Wherof the bokes alle trete; So as the Philosophre techeth To Alisandre, and him betecheth The lore hou that he schal mesure His bodi, so that no mesure Of fleisshly lust he scholde excede. And thus forth if I schal procede, The fifte point, as I seide er,1341 Is chastete, which sielde wher 4240 Comth nou adaies into place; And natheles, bot it be grace Above alle othre in special, Is non that chaste mai ben all. Bot yit a kinges hihe astat,1342 Which of his ordre as a prelat Schal ben enoignt and seintefied, He mot be more magnefied For dignete of his corone, Than scholde an other low persone, 4250 Which is noght of so hih emprise. Therfore a Prince him scholde avise,(4450*) P. iii. 235 Er that he felle in such riote, And namely that he nassote To change for the wommanhede The worthinesse of his manhede. Nota de doctrina Aristotilis, qualiter Princeps, vt animi sui iocunditatem prouocet, mulieres formosas crebro aspicere debet. Caueat tamen, ne mens voluptuosa torpescens ex carnis fragilitate in vicium dilabatur. Of Aristotle I have wel rad, Hou he to Alisandre bad, That forto gladen his corage He schal beholde the visage 4260 Of wommen, whan that thei ben faire. Bot yit he set an essamplaire,1343 His bodi so to guide and reule, That he ne passe noght the reule, Wherof that he himself beguile. For in the womman is no guile1344 Of that a man himself bewhapeth; Whan he his oghne wit bejapeth, I can the wommen wel excuse:1345 Bot what man wole upon hem muse 4270 After the fool impression Of his ymaginacioun, Withinne himself the fyr he bloweth, Wherof the womman nothing knoweth, So mai sche nothing be to wyte. For if a man himself excite To drenche, and wol it noght forbere,1346 The water schal no blame bere. What mai the gold, thogh men coveite? If that a man wol love streite, 4280 The womman hath him nothing bounde; If he his oghne herte wounde, P. iii 236 Sche mai noght lette the folie; And thogh so felle of compainie That he myht eny thing pourchace, Yit makth a man the ferste chace, The womman fleth and he poursuieth: So that be weie of skile it suieth, The man is cause, hou so befalle, That he fulofte sithe is falle 4290 Wher that he mai noght wel aryse. And natheles ful manye wise Befoled have hemself er this, As nou adaies yit it is Among the men and evere was, The stronge is fieblest in this cas. It sit a man be weie of kinde To love, bot it is noght kinde A man for love his wit to lese: For if the Monthe of Juil schal frese 4300 And that Decembre schal ben hot, The yeer mistorneth, wel I wot.(4500*) To sen a man fro his astat Thurgh his sotie effeminat, And leve that a man schal do, It is as Hose above the Scho, To man which oghte noght ben used. Bot yit the world hath ofte accused Ful grete Princes of this dede, Hou thei for love hemself mislede, 4310 Wherof manhode stod behinde, Of olde ensamples as I finde.1347 [Evil Example of Sardanapalus.] P. iii. 237 These olde gestes tellen thus, That whilom Sardana Pallus,1348 Hic ponit exemplum qualiter, pro eo quod Sardana Pallus1349 Assiriorum Princeps muliebri1350 oblectamento effeminatus sue concupiscencie torporem quasi ex consuetudine adhibebat, a Barbaro Rege Medorum super hoc insidiante in sui feruoris maiori voluptate1351 subitis mutacionibus extinctus est. Which hield al hol in his empire The grete kingdom of Assire, Was thurgh the slouthe of his corage Falle into thilke fyri rage Of love, which the men assoteth, Wherof himself he so rioteth, 4320 And wax so ferforth womannyssh,1352 That ayein kinde, as if a fissh Abide wolde upon the lond, In wommen such a lust he fond, That he duelte evere in chambre stille, And only wroghte after the wille Of wommen, so as he was bede, That selden whanne in other stede If that he wolde wenden oute, To sen hou that it stod aboute. 4330 Bot ther he keste and there he pleide,1353 Thei tawhten him a Las to breide, And weve a Pours, and to enfile A Perle: and fell that ilke while, On Barbarus the Prince of Mede Sih hou this king in wommanhede1354 Was falle fro chivalerie, And gat him help and compaignie, And wroghte so, that ate laste This king out of his regne he caste, 4340 Which was undon for everemo: And yit men speken of him so, P. iii. 238 That it is schame forto hiere. [David.] Forthi to love is in manere. Nota qualiter Dauid amans mulieres propter hoc probitatem Armorum non minus excercuit. King David hadde many a love, Bot natheles alwey above Knyhthode he kepte in such a wise, That for no fleisshli covoitise Of lust to ligge in ladi armes He lefte noght the lust of armes. 4350 For where a Prince hise lustes suieth, That he the werre noght poursuieth,(4550*) Whan it is time to ben armed, His contre stant fulofte harmed, Whan thenemis ben woxe bolde, That thei defence non beholde. Ful many a lond hath so be lore,1355 As men mai rede of time afore Of hem that so here eses soghten, Which after thei full diere aboghten. 4360 [Cyrus and the Lydians.] To mochel ese is nothing worth, For that set every vice forth1356 Hic loquitur qualiter regnum lasciuie voluptatibus deditum de facili vincitur.1357 Et ponit exemplum de Ciro Rege Persarum, qui cum Liddos mire1358 probitatis strenuissimos sibique in bello aduersantes nullo modo vincere potuit, cum ipsis tandem pacis tractatum dissimilans concordiam finalem stabiliri1359 finxit. Super quo Liddi postea per aliquod tempus armis insoliti sub pacis torpore1360 voluptatibus intendebant: quod Cirus percipiens in eos armatus subito irruit, ipsosque indefencibiles1361 vincens sub imperio tributarios subiugauit. And every vertu put abak, Wherof priss torneth into lak, As in Cronique I mai reherse: Which telleth hou the king of Perse, That Cirus hihte, a werre hadde Ayein a poeple which he dradde, Of a contre which Liddos hihte; Bot yit for oght that he do mihte 4370 As in bataille upon the werre, He hadde of hem alwey the werre. P. iii. 239 And whan he sih and wiste it wel, That he be strengthe wan no del, Thanne ate laste he caste a wyle This worthi poeple to beguile, And tok with hem a feigned pes, Which scholde lasten endeles, So as he seide in wordes wise, Bot he thoghte al in other wise. 4380 For it betidd upon the cas,1362 Whan that this poeple in reste was, Thei token eses manyfold; And worldes ese, as it is told, Be weie of kinde is the norrice Of every lust which toucheth vice. Thus whan thei were in lustes falle, The werres ben foryeten alle; Was non which wolde the worschipe Of Armes, hot in idelschipe 4390 Thei putten besinesse aweie And token hem to daunce and pleie; Bot most above alle othre thinges Thei token hem to the likinges Of fleysshly lust, that chastete1363 Received was in no degre, Bot every man doth what him liste. And whan the king of Perse it wiste, That thei unto folie entenden, With his pouer, whan thei lest wenden, 4400 Mor sodeinly than doth the thunder He cam, for evere and put hem under.1364(4600*) P. iii. 240 And thus hath lecherie lore The lond, which hadde be tofore The beste of hem that were tho. [The Counsel of Balaam.] And in the bible I finde also A tale lich unto this thing, Nota hic1365 qualiter fata bellica luxus infortunat. Et narrat quod cum Rex Amalech Hebreis sibi insultantibus resistere nequiit, consilio Balaam mulieres regni sui pulcherrimas in castra Hebreorum misit; qui ab ipsis contaminati1366 graciam statim amiserunt. Et sic ab Amalech deuicti in magna multitudine gladio ceciderunt. Hou Amalech the paien king, Whan that he myhte be no weie Defende his lond and putte aweie 4410 The worthi poeple of Irael,1367 This Sarazin, as it befell, Thurgh the conseil of Balaam A route of faire wommen nam, That lusti were and yonge of Age,1368 And bad hem gon to the lignage Of these Hebreus: and forth thei wente With yhen greye and browes bente And wel arraied everych on; And whan thei come were anon 4420 Among thebreus, was non insihte, Bot cacche who that cacche myhte, And ech of hem hise lustes soghte, Whiche after thei full diere boghte.1369 For grace anon began to faile, That whan thei comen to bataille Thanne afterward, in sori plit Thei were take and disconfit, So that withinne a litel throwe The myht of hem was overthrowe, 4430 That whilom were wont to stonde. Til Phinces the cause on honde P. iii. 241 Hath take, this vengance laste, Bot thanne it cessede ate laste, For god was paid of that he dede:1370 For wher he fond upon a stede A couple which misferde so, Thurghout he smot hem bothe tuo, And let hem ligge in mennes yhe; Wherof alle othre whiche hem sihe 4440 Ensamplede hem upon the dede, And preiden unto the godhiede Here olde Sennes to amende: And he, which wolde his mercy sende, Restorede hem to newe grace. Thus mai it schewe in sondri place, Of chastete hou the clennesse Acordeth to the worthinesse Of men of Armes overal; Bot most of alle in special 4450 This vertu to a king belongeth, For upon his fortune it hongeth(4650*) Of that his lond schal spede or spille. Forthi bot if a king his wille Fro lustes of his fleissh restreigne, Ayein himself he makth a treigne, Into the which if that he slyde, Him were betre go besyde. For every man mai understonde, Hou for a time that it stonde, 4460 It is a sori lust to lyke, Whos ende makth a man to syke P. iii. 242 And torneth joies into sorwe. The brihte Sonne be the morwe Beschyneth noght the derke nyht, The lusti youthe of mannes myht, In Age bot it stonde wel, Mistorneth al the laste whiel. [Evil Example of Solomon.] That every worthi Prince is holde Withinne himself himself beholde, 4470 Hic loquitur qualiter Principum irregulata voluptas eos a semita recta multociens deuiare compellit. Et narrat exemplum de Salomone, qui ex sue carnis concupiscencia victus mulierum blandimentis in sui scandalum deos alienos eolere presumebat. To se the stat of his persone,1371 And thenke hou ther be joies none Upon this Erthe mad to laste, And hou the fleissh schal ate laste The lustes of this lif forsake, Him oghte a gret ensample take Of Salomon, whos appetit Was holy set upon delit, To take of wommen the plesance: So that upon his ignorance 4480 The wyde world merveileth yit, That he, which alle mennes wit In thilke time hath overpassed, With fleisshly lustes was so tassed, That he which ladde under the lawe The poeple of god, himself withdrawe He hath fro god in such a wise, That he worschipe and sacrifise For sondri love in sondri stede Unto the false goddes dede. 4490 This was the wise ecclesiaste, The fame of whom schal evere laste,1372 P. iii. 243 That he the myhti god forsok, Ayein the lawe whanne he tok Hise wyves and hise concubines Of hem that weren Sarazines, For whiche he dede ydolatrie. For this I rede of his sotie: Sche of Sidoyne so him ladde, De filia Regis Cidonie. That he knelende hise armes spradde 4500 To Astrathen with gret humblesse, Which of hire lond was the goddesse:(4700*) De filia Regis Moab. And sche that was a Moabite So ferforth made him to delite Thurgh lust, which al his wit devoureth, That he Chamos hire god honoureth. De filia Regis Amon. An other Amonyte also With love him hath assoted so, Hire god Moloch that with encense He sacreth, and doth reverence 4510 In such a wise as sche him bad. Thus was the wiseste overlad With blinde lustes whiche he soghte: Bot he it afterward aboghte. [Division of his Kingdom.] For Achias Selonites, Which was prophete, er his decess, Nota hic qualiter Achias propheta, in signum quod regnum post mortem Salomonis ob eius peccatum a suo herede diminueretur, pallium suum in xii. partes scidit, vnde x. partes Ieroboe filio Nabal, qui regnaturus postea successit, precepto dei tribuit. Whil he was in hise lustes alle, Betokneth what schal after falle. For on a day, whan that he mette Jeroboam the knyht, he grette 4520 And bad him that he scholde abyde, To hiere what him schal betyde. P. iii. 244 And forth withal Achias caste His mantell of, and also faste He kut it into pieces twelve,1373 Wherof tuo partz toward himselve1374 He kepte, and al the remenant, As god hath set his covenant, He tok unto Jeroboas, Of Nabal which the Sone was 4530 And of the kinges court a knyht: And seide him, ‘Such is goddes myht, As thou hast sen departed hiere Mi mantell, riht in such manere After the deth of Salomon God hath ordeigned therupon, This regne thanne he schal divide: Which time thou schalt ek abide, And upon that division The regne as in proporcion 4540 As thou hast of mi mantell take, Thou schalt receive, I undertake. And thus the Sone schal abie The lustes and the lecherie Of him which nou his fader is.’ So forto taken hiede of this, It sit a king wel to be chaste, For elles he mai lihtly waste Himself and ek his regne bothe, And that oghte every king to lothe. 4550 O, which a Senne violent, Wherof so wys a king was schent,(4750*) P. iii. 245 That the vengance in his persone Was noght ynouh to take al one, Bot afterward, whan he was passed, It hath his heritage lassed, As I more openli tofore1375 The tale tolde. And thus therfore Aristotiles.1376 O Alexander, super omnia consulo, conserua tibi calorem naturalem. The Philosophre upon this thing Writ and conseileth to a king, 4560 That he the surfet of luxure Schal tempre and reule of such mesure, Which be to kinde sufficant And ek to reson acordant, So that the lustes ignorance Be cause of no misgovernance, Thurgh which that he be overthrowe, As he that wol no reson knowe. For bot a mannes wit be swerved, Whan kinde is dueliche served, 4570 It oghte of reson to suffise; For if it falle him otherwise,1377 He mai tho lustes sore drede.1378 [Antonius.] For of Anthonie thus I rede,1379 De voluptuoso Antonio. Which of Severus was the Sone, That he his lif of comun wone Yaf holy unto thilke vice, And ofte time he was so nyce, Wherof nature hire hath compleigned Unto the god, which hath desdeigned 4580 The werkes whiche Antonie wroghte1380 Of lust, whiche he ful sore aboghte: P. iii. 246 For god his forfet hath so wroke That in Cronique it is yit spoke. Bot forto take remembrance Of special misgovernance Thurgh covoitise and injustice Forth with the remenant of vice, And nameliche of lecherie, I finde write a gret partie 4590 Withinne a tale, as thou schalt hiere, Which is thensample of this matiere. [Tarquin and his son Aruns.] So as these olde gestes sein, The proude tirannyssh Romein Hic loquitur de Tarquino nuper Rome1381 Imperatore, necnon et de eiusdem filio nomine Arrons, qui omni viciorum varietate repleti tam in homines quam in mulieres innumera scelera perpetrarunt: set specialiter super hiis que contra Gabinos fraudulenter operati sunt tractare intendit. Tarquinus, which was thanne king And wroghte many a wrongful thing, Of Sones hadde manyon, Among the whiche Arrons was on, Lich to his fader of maneres; So that withinne a fewe yeres 4600 With tresoun and with tirannie Thei wonne of lond a gret partie,(4800*) And token hiede of no justice, Which due was to here office Upon the reule of governance; Bot al that evere was plesance Unto the fleisshes lust thei toke. And fell so, that thei undertoke A werre, which was noght achieved, Bot ofte time it hadde hem grieved,1382 4610 Ayein a folk which thanne hihte1383 The Gabiens: and al be nyhte P. iii. 247 This Arrons, whan he was at hom In Rome, a prive place he nom Withinne a chambre, and bet himselve And made him woundes ten or tuelve Upon the bak, as it was sene; And so forth with hise hurtes grene In al the haste that he may He rod, and cam that other day 4620 Unto Gabie the Cite, And in he wente: and whan that he Was knowe, anon the gates schette, The lordes alle upon him sette With drawe swerdes upon honde. This Arrons wolde hem noght withstonde, Bot seide, ‘I am hier at your wille, Als lief it is that ye me spille,1384 As if myn oghne fader dede.’ And forthwith in the same stede 4630 He preide hem that thei wolde se, And schewede hem in what degre His fader and hise brethren bothe, Whiche, as he seide, weren wrothe, Him hadde beten and reviled, For evere and out of Rome exiled. And thus he made hem to believe, And seide, if that he myhte achieve His pourpos, it schal wel be yolde, Be so that thei him helpe wolde. 4640 Whan that the lordes hadde sein1385 Hou wofully he was besein, P. iii. 248 Thei token Pite of his grief; Bot yit it was hem wonder lief That Rome him hadde exiled so. These Gabiens be conseil tho1386 Upon the goddes made him swere, That he to hem schal trouthe bere And strengthen hem with al his myht; And thei also him have behiht 4650 To helpen him in his querele. Thei schopen thanne for his hele(4850*) That he was bathed and enoignt, Til that he was in lusti point; And what he wolde thanne he hadde, That he al hol the cite ladde Riht as he wolde himself divise. And thanne he thoghte him in what wise He myhte his tirannie schewe; And to his conseil tok a schrewe, 4660 Whom to his fader forth he sente In his message, and he tho wente,1387 And preide his fader forto seie Be his avis, and finde a weie, Hou they the cite myhten winne, Whil that he stod so wel therinne. And whan the messager was come To Rome, and hath in conseil nome The king, it fell per chance so That thei were in a gardin tho, 4670 This messager forth with the king. And whanne he hadde told the thing P. iii. 249 In what manere that it stod, And that Tarquinus understod Be the message hou that it ferde, Anon he tok in honde a yerde, And in the gardin as thei gon, The lilie croppes on and on, Wher that thei weren sprongen oute, He smot of, as thei stode aboute, 4680 And seide unto the messager: ‘Lo, this thing, which I do nou hier, Schal ben in stede of thin ansuere; And in this wise as I me bere, Thou schalt unto mi Sone telle.’ And he no lengere wolde duelle, Bot tok his leve and goth withal Unto his lord and told him al,1388 Hou that his fader hadde do. Whan Arrons herde him telle so, 4690 Anon he wiste what it mente, And therto sette al his entente, Til he thurgh fraude and tricherie The Princes hefdes of Gabie Hath smiten of, and al was wonne: His fader cam tofore the Sonne Into the toun with the Romeins, And tok and slowh the citezeins Withoute reson or pite, That he ne spareth no degre. 4700 And for the sped of this conqueste He let do make a riche feste(4900*) P. iii. 250 With a sollempne Sacrifise In Phebus temple; and in this wise Whan the Romeins assembled were, In presence of hem alle there, Upon thalter whan al was diht And that the fyres were alyht, From under thalter sodeinly An hidous Serpent openly 4710 Cam out and hath devoured al The Sacrifice, and ek withal The fyres queynt, and forth anon, So as he cam, so is he gon Into the depe ground ayein. And every man began to sein, ‘Ha lord, what mai this signefie?’ And therupon thei preie and crie To Phebus, that thei mihten knowe The cause: and he the same throwe 4720 With gastly vois, that alle it herde, The Romeins in this wise ansuerde, And seide hou for the wikkidnesse Of Pride and of unrihtwisnesse, That Tarquin and his Sone hath do, The Sacrifice is wasted so, Which myhte noght ben acceptable Upon such Senne abhominable. And over that yit he hem wisseth, And seith that which of hem ferst kisseth 4730 His moder, he schal take wrieche Upon the wrong: and of that speche P. iii. 251 Thei ben withinne here hertes glade, Thogh thei outward no semblant made. Ther was a knyht which Brutus hihte, And he with al the haste he myhte To grounde fell and therthe kiste,1389 Bot non of hem the cause wiste, Bot wenden that he hadde sporned Per chance, and so was overtorned. 4740 Bot Brutus al an other mente; For he knew wel in his entente Hou therthe of every mannes kinde Is Moder: bot thei weren blinde, And sihen noght so fer as he. Bot whan thei leften the Cite1390 And comen hom to Rome ayein, Thanne every man which was Romein And moder hath, to hire he bende And keste, and ech of hem thus wende 4750 To be the ferste upon the chance, Of Tarquin forto do vengance,(4950*) So as thei herden Phebus sein. [The Rape of Lucrece.] Bot every time hath his certein,1391 So moste it nedes thanne abide, Til afterward upon a tyde Hic narrat quod, cum Tarquinus in obsidione Ciuitatis Ardee, vt eam destrueret, intentus fuit, Arrons filius eius Romam secreto adiens in domo Collatini hospitatus est; vbi de nocte illam castissimam dominam Lucreciam ymaginata fraude vi oppressit: vnde illa pre dolore mortua, ipse cum Tarquino patre suo tota conclamante Roma in perpetuum exilium delegati sunt. Tarquinus made unskilfully A werre, which was fasteby Ayein a toun with walles stronge Which Ardea was cleped longe, 4760 And caste a Siege theraboute, That ther mai noman passen oute. P. iii. 252 So it befell upon a nyht, Arrons, which hadde his souper diht, A part of the chivalerie With him to soupe in compaignie Hath bede: and whan thei comen were And seten at the souper there, Among here othre wordes glade Arrons a gret spekinge made, 4770 Who hadde tho the beste wif Of Rome: and ther began a strif,1392 For Arrons seith he hath the beste. So jangle thei withoute reste, Til ate laste on Collatin, A worthi knyht, and was cousin To Arrons, seide him in this wise: ‘It is,’ quod he, ‘of non emprise To speke a word, bot of the dede, Therof it is to taken hiede.1393 4780 Anon forthi this same tyde Lep on thin hors and let ous ryde: So mai we knowe bothe tuo Unwarli what oure wyves do, And that schal be a trewe assay.’ This Arrons seith noght ones nay: On horse bak anon thei lepte In such manere, and nothing slepte, Ridende forth til that thei come Al prively withinne Rome; 4790 In strange place and doun thei lihte, And take a chambre, and out of sihte P. iii. 253 Thei be desguised for a throwe, So that no lif hem scholde knowe. And to the paleis ferst thei soghte,1394 To se what thing this ladi wroghte1395 Of which Arrons made his avant: And thei hire sihe of glad semblant, Al full of merthes and of bordes; Bot among alle hire othre wordes 4800 Sche spak noght of hire housebonde. And whan thei hadde al understonde(5000*) Of thilke place what hem liste,1396 Thei gon hem forth, that non it wiste, Beside thilke gate of bras, Collacea which cleped was, Wher Collatin hath his duellinge. Ther founden thei at hom sittinge Lucrece his wif, al environed With wommen, whiche are abandoned1397 4810 To werche, and sche wroghte ek withal, And bad hem haste, and seith, ‘It schal1398 Be for mi housebondes were, Which with his swerd and with his spere1399 Lith at the Siege in gret desese. And if it scholde him noght displese, Nou wolde god I hadde him hiere; For certes til that I mai hiere Som good tidinge of his astat, Min herte is evere upon debat. 4820 For so as alle men witnesse, He is of such an hardiesse, P. iii. 254 That he can noght himselve spare, And that is al my moste care, Whan thei the walles schulle assaile.1400 Bot if mi wisshes myhte availe, I wolde it were a groundles pet, Be so the Siege were unknet, And I myn housebonde sihe.’ With that the water in hire yhe 4830 Aros, that sche ne myhte it stoppe, And as men sen the dew bedroppe1401 The leves and the floures eke, Riht so upon hire whyte cheke The wofull salte teres felle. Whan Collatin hath herd hire telle The menynge of hire trewe herte, Anon with that to hire he sterte, And seide, ‘Lo, mi goode diere, Nou is he come to you hiere, 4840 That ye most loven, as ye sein.’ And sche with goodly chiere ayein Beclipte him in hire armes smale, And the colour, which erst was pale, To Beaute thanne was restored, So that it myhte noght be mored. The kinges Sone, which was nyh, And of this lady herde and syh The thinges as thei ben befalle, The resoun of hise wittes alle 4850 Hath lost; for love upon his part Cam thanne, and of his fyri dart(5050*) P. iii. 255 With such a wounde him hath thurghsmite, That he mot nedes fiele and wite Of thilke blinde maladie, To which no cure of Surgerie Can helpe. Bot yit natheles At thilke time he hield his pes, That he no contienance made, Bot openly with wordes glade, 4860 So as he couthe in his manere, He spak and made frendly chiere, Til it was time forto go. And Collatin with him also His leve tok, so that be nyhte With al the haste that thei myhte Thei riden to the Siege ayein. Bot Arrons was so wo besein With thoghtes whiche upon him runne, That he al be the brode Sunne 4870 To bedde goth, noght forto reste, Bot forto thenke upon the beste And the faireste forth withal, That evere he syh or evere schal, So as him thoghte in his corage, Where he pourtreieth hire ymage: Ferst the fetures of hir face, In which nature hadde alle grace Of wommanly beaute beset, So that it myhte noght be bet;1402 4880 And hou hir yelwe her was tresced1403 And hire atir so wel adresced, P. iii. 256 And hou sche spak, and hou sche wroghte, And hou sche wepte, al this he thoghte, That he foryeten hath no del, Bot al it liketh him so wel,1404 That in the word nor in the dede1405 Hire lacketh noght of wommanhiede. And thus this tirannysshe knyht Was soupled, bot noght half ariht, 4890 For he non other hiede tok, Bot that he myhte be som crok, Althogh it were ayein hire wille, The lustes of his fleissh fulfille; Which love was noght resonable, For where honour is remuable, It oghte wel to ben avised. Bot he, which hath his lust assised With melled love and tirannie, Hath founde upon his tricherie 4900 A weie which he thenkth to holde, Audaces fortuna iuuat. And seith, ‘Fortune unto the bolde(5100*) Is favorable forto helpe.’ And thus withinne himself to yelpe, As he which was a wylde man, Upon his treson he began: And up he sterte, and forth he wente On horsebak, bot his entente Ther knew no wiht, and thus he nam The nexte weie, til he cam 4910 Unto Collacea the gate Of Rome, and it was somdiel late, P. iii. 257 Riht evene upon the Sonne set, As he which hadde schape his net1406 Hire innocence to betrappe. And as it scholde tho mishappe, Als priveliche as evere he myhte He rod, and of his hors alyhte1407 Tofore Collatines In, And al frendliche he goth him in,1408 4920 As he that was cousin of house. And sche, which is the goode spouse, Lucrece, whan that sche him sih, With goodli chiere drowh him nyh, As sche which al honour supposeth, And him, so as sche dar, opposeth Hou it stod of hire housebonde. And he tho dede hire understonde With tales feigned in his wise,1409 Riht as he wolde himself devise, 4930 Wherof he myhte hire herte glade, That sche the betre chiere made, Whan sche the glade wordes herde, Hou that hire housebonde ferde. And thus the trouthe was deceived With slih tresoun, which was received To hire which mente alle goode; For as the festes thanne stode, His Souper was ryht wel arraied. Bot yit he hath no word assaied1410 4940 To speke of love in no degre; Bot with covert soubtilite P. iii. 258 His frendly speches he affaiteth, And as the Tigre his time awaiteth1411 In hope forto cacche his preie. Whan that the bordes were aweie And thei have souped in the halle, He seith that slep is on him falle, And preith he moste go to bedde; And sche with alle haste spedde, 4950 So as hire thoghte it was to done, That every thing was redi sone.(5150*) Sche broghte him to his chambre tho And tok hire leve, and forth is go Into hire oghne chambre by, As sche that wende certeinly Have had a frend, and hadde a fo, Wherof fell after mochel wo. This tirant, thogh he lyhe softe, Out of his bed aros fulofte, 4960 And goth aboute, and leide his Ere To herkne, til that alle were To bedde gon and slepten faste. And thanne upon himself he caste A mantell, and his swerd al naked He tok in honde; and sche unwaked Abedde lay, but what sche mette, God wot; for he the Dore unschette So prively that non it herde, The softe pas and forth he ferde 4970 Unto the bed wher that sche slepte,1412 Al sodeinliche and in he crepte, P. iii. 259 And hire in bothe his Armes tok. With that this worthi wif awok, Which thurgh tendresce of wommanhiede Hire vois hath lost for pure drede, That o word speke sche ne dar: And ek he bad hir to be war, For if sche made noise or cry, He seide, his swerd lay faste by 4980 To slen hire and hire folk aboute. And thus he broghte hire herte in doute, That lich a Lomb whanne it is sesed In wolves mouth, so was desesed Lucrece, which he naked fond: Wherof sche swounede in his hond, And, as who seith, lay ded oppressed. And he, which al him hadde adresced To lust, tok thanne what him liste, And goth his wey, that non it wiste, 4990 Into his oghne chambre ayein, And clepede up his chamberlein, And made him redi forto ryde. And thus this lecherouse pride To horse lepte and forth he rod; And sche, which in hire bed abod, Whan that sche wiste he was agon, Sche clepede after liht anon And up aros long er the day, And caste awey hire freissh aray, 5000 As sche which hath the world forsake, And tok upon the clothes blake:(5200*) P. iii. 260 And evere upon continuinge, Riht as men sen a welle springe, With yhen fulle of wofull teres, Hire her hangende aboute hire Eres, Sche wepte, and noman wiste why. Bot yit among full pitously Sche preide that thei nolden drecche Hire housebonde forto fecche 5010 Forth with hire fader ek also. Thus be thei comen bothe tuo, And Brutus cam with Collatin, Which to Lucrece was cousin, And in thei wenten alle thre To chambre, wher thei myhten se The wofulleste upon this Molde, Which wepte as sche to water scholde. The chambre Dore anon was stoke, Er thei have oght unto hire spoke; 5020 Thei sihe hire clothes al desguised, And hou sche hath hirself despised, Hire her hangende unkemd aboute, Bot natheles sche gan to loute And knele unto hire housebonde; And he, which fain wolde understonde The cause why sche ferde so, With softe wordes axeth tho, ‘What mai you be, mi goode swete?’ And sche, which thoghte hirself unmete 5030 And the lest worth of wommen alle, Hire wofull chiere let doun falle P. iii. 261 For schame and couthe unnethes loke. And thei therof good hiede toke, And preiden hire in alle weie That sche ne spare forto seie Unto hir frendes what hire eileth, Why sche so sore hirself beweileth, And what the sothe wolde mene. And sche, which hath hire sorwes grene, 5040 Hire wo to telle thanne assaieth, Bot tendre schame hire word delaieth, That sondri times as sche minte1413 To speke, upon the point sche stinte. And thei hire bidden evere in on To telle forth, and therupon, Whan that sche sih sche moste nede, Hire tale betwen schame and drede Sche tolde, noght withoute peine. And he, which wolde hire wo restreigne, 5050 Hire housebonde, a sory man, Conforteth hire al that he can,(5250*) And swor, and ek hire fader bothe, That thei with hire be noght wrothe Of that is don ayein hire wille; And preiden hire to be stille, For thei to hire have al foryive. But sche, which thoghte noght to live, Of hem wol no foryivenesse, And seide, of thilke wickednesse 5060 Which was unto hire bodi wroght, Al were it so sche myhte it noght, P. iii. 262 Nevere afterward the world ne schal Reproeven hire; and forth withal, Er eny man therof be war, A naked swerd, the which sche bar Withinne hire Mantel priveli, Betwen hire hondes sodeinly Sche tok, and thurgh hire herte it throng, And fell to grounde, and evere among, 5070 Whan that sche fell, so as sche myhte, Hire clothes with hire hand sche rihte, That noman dounward fro the kne Scholde eny thing of hire se: Thus lay this wif honestely, Althogh she deide wofully. Tho was no sorwe forto seke: Hire housebonde, hire fader eke Aswoune upon the bodi felle; Ther mai no mannes tunge telle 5080 In which anguisshe that thei were. Bot Brutus, which was with hem there, Toward himself his herte kepte, And to Lucrece anon he lepte, The blodi swerd and pulleth oute, And swor the goddes al aboute That he therof schal do vengance. And sche tho made a contienance, Hire dedlich yhe and ate laste In thonkinge as it were up caste, 5090 And so behield him in the wise, Whil sche to loke mai suffise. P. iii. 263 And Brutus with a manlich herte Hire housebonde hath mad up sterte Forth with hire fader ek also In alle haste, and seide hem tho That thei anon withoute lette A Beere for the body fette; Lucrece and therupon bledende He leide, and so forth out criende 5100 He goth into the Market place1414 Of Rome: and in a litel space(5300*) Thurgh cry the cite was assembled, And every mannes herte is trembled,1415 Whan thei the sothe herde of the cas. And therupon the conseil was Take of the grete and of the smale, And Brutus tolde hem al the tale; And thus cam into remembrance Of Senne the continuance, 5110 Which Arrons hadde do tofore, And ek, long time er he was bore, Of that his fadre hadde do1416 The wrong cam into place tho; So that the comun clamour tolde The newe schame of Sennes olde. And al the toun began to crie, ‘Awey, awey the tirannie Of lecherie and covoitise!’ And ate laste in such a wise 5120 The fader in the same while Forth with his Sone thei exile, P. iii. 264 And taken betre governance. Bot yit an other remembrance That rihtwisnesse and lecherie Acorden noght in compaignie With him that hath the lawe on honde, That mai a man wel understonde, As be a tale thou shalt wite, Of olde ensample as it is write.1417 5130 [Tale of Virginia.] At Rome whan that Apius, Hic ponit exemplum super eodem,1418 qualiter Liuius Virginius dux excercitus Romanorum vnicam filiam pulcherimam habens cum quodam nobili viro nomine Ilicio, vt ipsam in vxorem duceret, finaliter concordauit. Set interim Apius Claudius tunc1419 Imperator virginis formositatem, vt eam violaret, concupiscens, occasiones quibus matrimonium impedire, ipsamque ad sui vsum apprehendere posset, subdola conspiracione fieri coniectauit. Et cum propositum sui desiderii productis falsis testibus in iudicio Imperator habere debuisset, pater tunc ibidem presens extracto gladio filie sue pectus mortali vulnere per medium transfodit, dicens: ‘Malo michi de filia mea virginem habere mortuam, quam in sui scandalum meretricem reseruare viuentem.’ Whos other name is Claudius, Was governour of the cite, Ther fell a wonder thing to se Touchende a gentil Maide, as thus,1420 Whom Livius Virginius Begeten hadde upon his wif: Men seiden that so fair a lif As sche was noght in al the toun. This fame, which goth up and doun, 5140 To Claudius cam in his Ere, Wherof his thoght anon was there, Which al his herte hath set afyre, That he began the flour desire Which longeth unto maydenhede, And sende, if that he myhte spede The blinde lustes of his wille. Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille, For sche stod upon Mariage; A worthi kniht of gret lignage, 5150 Ilicius which thanne hihte, Acorded in hire fader sihte(5350*) P. iii. 265 Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde. Bot er the cause fully spedde, Hire fader, which in Romanie The ledinge of chivalerie In governance hath undertake, Upon a werre which was take Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde Of men of Armes whiche he ladde: 5160 So was the mariage left,1421 And stod upon acord til eft. The king, which herde telle of this, Hou that this Maide ordeigned is To Mariage, thoghte an other. And hadde thilke time a brother, Which Marchus Claudius was hote, And was a man of such riote Riht as the king himselve was: Thei tuo togedre upon this cas 5170 In conseil founden out this weie,1422 That Marchus Claudius schal seie Hou sche be weie of covenant To his service appourtenant Was hol, and to non other man; And therupon he seith he can In every point witnesse take, So that sche schal it noght forsake. Whan that thei hadden schape so, After the lawe which was tho, 5180 Whil that hir fader was absent, Sche was somouned and assent1423 P. iii. 266 To come in presence of the king And stonde in ansuere of this thing.1424 Hire frendes wisten alle wel That it was falshed everydel, And comen to the king and seiden, Upon the comun lawe and preiden, So as this noble worthi knyht Hir fader for the comun riht 5190 In thilke time, as was befalle, Lai for the profit of hem alle Upon the wylde feldes armed, That he ne scholde noght ben harmed Ne schamed, whil that he were oute; And thus thei preiden al aboute. For al the clamour that he herde, The king upon his lust ansuerde, And yaf hem only daies tuo Of respit; for he wende tho, 5200 That in so schorte a time appiere1425 Hire fader mihte in no manere.(5400*) Bot as therof he was deceived; For Livius hadde al conceived The pourpos of the king tofore, So that to Rome ayein therfore1426 In alle haste he cam ridende, And lefte upon the field liggende His host, til that he come ayein. And thus this worthi capitein 5210 Appiereth redi at his day, Wher al that evere reson may P. iii. 267 Be lawe in audience he doth, So that his dowhter upon soth Of that Marchus hire hadde accused He hath tofore the court excused. The king, which sih his pourpos faile, And that no sleihte mihte availe, Encombred of his lustes blinde The lawe torneth out of kinde,1427 5220 And half in wraththe as thogh it were, In presence of hem alle there Deceived of concupiscence Yaf for his brother the sentence, And bad him that he scholde sese This Maide and make him wel at ese; Bot al withinne his oghne entente He wiste hou that the cause wente, Of that his brother hath the wyte He was himselven forto wyte. 5230 Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong, Which was upon the king along, Bot ayein him was non Appel, And that the fader wiste wel: Wherof upon the tirannie, That for the lust of Lecherie His douhter scholde be deceived, And that Ilicius was weyved Untrewly fro the Mariage,1428 Riht as a Leon in his rage, 5240 Which of no drede set acompte And not what pite scholde amounte, P. iii. 268 A naked swerd he pulleth oute, The which amonges al the route He threste thurgh his dowhter side, And al alowd this word he cride: ‘Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king,1429 For me is levere upon this thing To be the fader of a Maide, Thogh sche be ded, than if men saide 5250 That in hir lif sche were schamed1430 And I therof were evele named.’(5450*) Tho bad the king men scholde areste His bodi, bot of thilke heste, Lich to the chaced wylde bor, The houndes whan he fieleth sor, Tothroweth and goth forth his weie, In such a wise forto seie This worthi kniht with swerd on honde His weie made, and thei him wonde, 5260 That non of hem his strokes kepte; And thus upon his hors he lepte, And with his swerd droppende of blod,1431 The which withinne his douhter stod, He cam ther as the pouer was Of Rome, and tolde hem al the cas, And seide hem that thei myhten liere1432 Upon the wrong of his matiere,1433 That betre it were to redresce At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse, 5270 Than forto werre in strange place And lese at hom here oghne grace. P. iii. 269 For thus stant every mannes lif In jeupartie for his wif Or for his dowhter, if thei be1434 Passende an other of beaute. Of this merveile which thei sihe So apparant tofore here yhe, Of that the king him hath misbore,1435 Here othes thei have alle swore 5280 That thei wol stonde be the riht. And thus of on acord upriht To Rome at ones hom ayein Thei torne, and schortly forto sein, This tirannye cam to mouthe, And every man seith what he couthe, So that the prive tricherie, Which set was upon lecherie, Cam openly to mannes Ere; And that broghte in the comun feere, 5290 That every man the peril dradde Of him that so hem overladde. Forthi, er that it worse falle,1436 Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle Thei have here wrongfull king deposed, And hem in whom it was supposed The conseil stod of his ledinge1437 Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe, Wher thei receiven the penance That longeth to such governance. 5300 And thus thunchaste was chastised, Wherof thei myhte ben avised(5500*) P. iii. 270 That scholden afterward governe, And be this evidence lerne, Hou it is good a king eschuie The lust of vice and vertu suie. [Tobias and Sara.] To make an ende in this partie, Which toucheth to the Policie Hic inter alia castitatis regimen concernencia loquitur quomodo Matrimonium, cuius status Sacramentum, quasi continenciam equiperans, eciam honeste delectacionis regimine moderari debet. Et narrat in exemplum, qualiter pro eo quod illi vii.^tem viri, qui Sarre Raguelis filie magis propter concupiscenciam quam propter matrimonium voluptuose nupserunt, vnus post alium omnes prima nocte a demone Asmodeo singillatim iugulati interierunt. Of Chastite in special, As for conclusion final 5310 That every lust is to eschue Be gret ensample I mai argue: Hou in Rages a toun of Mede Ther was a Mayde, and as I rede, Sarra sche hihte, and Raguel Hir fader was; and so befell, Of bodi bothe and of visage Was non so fair of the lignage, To seche among hem alle, as sche; Wherof the riche of the cite, 5320 Of lusti folk that couden love, Assoted were upon hire love, And asken hire forto wedde. On was which ate laste spedde, Bot that was more for likinge, To have his lust, than for weddinge, As he withinne his herte caste, Which him repenteth ate laste. For so it fell the ferste nyht, That whanne he was to bedde dyht, 5330 As he which nothing god besecheth Bot al only hise lustes secheth, P. iii. 271 Abedde er he was fully warm And wolde have take hire in his Arm, Asmod, which was a fend of helle, And serveth, as the bokes telle,1438 To tempte a man of such a wise,1439 Was redy there, and thilke emprise, Which he hath set upon delit, He vengeth thanne in such a plit, 5340 That he his necke hath writhe atuo.1440 This yonge wif was sory tho, Which wiste nothing what it mente; And natheles yit thus it wente Noght only of this ferste man,1441 Bot after, riht as he began, Sexe othre of hire housebondes Asmod hath take into hise bondes,1442 So that thei alle abedde deiden, Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden, 5350 Noght for the lawe of Mariage, Bot for that ilke fyri rage(5550*) In which that thei the lawe excede: For who that wolde taken hiede What after fell in this matiere, Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere. Whan sche was wedded to Thobie, And Raphael in compainie Hath tawht him hou to ben honeste, Asmod wan noght at thilke feste, 5360 And yit Thobie his wille hadde; For he his lust so goodly ladde, P. iii. 272 That bothe lawe and kinde is served, Wherof he hath himself preserved, That he fell noght in the sentence. O which an open evidence1443 Of this ensample a man mai se, That whan likinge in the degre [Chastity.] Of Mariage mai forsueie, Wel oghte him thanne in other weie 5370 Of lust to be the betre avised. For god the lawes hath assissed Als wel to reson as to kinde, Bot he the bestes wolde binde Only to lawes of nature, Bot to the mannes creature God yaf him reson forth withal, Wherof that he nature schal Upon the causes modefie,1444 Nota.1445 That he schal do no lecherie, 5380 And yit he schal hise lustes have. So ben the lawes bothe save And every thing put out of sclandre;1446 As whilom to king Alisandre The wise Philosophre tawhte, Whan he his ferste lore cawhte, Noght only upon chastete, Bot upon alle honestete;1447 Wherof a king himself mai taste, Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste 5390 Him oghte of reson forto be, Forth with the vertu of Pite,1448 P. iii. 273 Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserve Toward his godd, that he preserve Him and his poeple in alle welthe Of pes, richesse, honour and helthe Hier in this world and elles eke. Confessor. Mi Sone, as we tofore spieke In schrifte, so as thou me seidest, And for thin ese, as thou me preidest, 5400 Thi love throghes forto lisse, That I thee wolde telle and wisse(5600*) The forme of Aristotles lore, I have it seid, and somdiel more Of othre ensamples, to assaie If I thi peines myhte allaie Thurgh eny thing that I can seie.1449 Amans. Do wey, mi fader, I you preie: Of that ye have unto me told I thonke you a thousendfold. 5410 The tales sounen in myn Ere,1450 Bot yit myn herte is elleswhere, I mai miselve noght restreigne, That I nam evere in loves peine: Such lore couthe I nevere gete, Which myhte make me foryete O point, bot if so were I slepte,1451 That I my tydes ay ne kepte To thenke of love and of his lawe; That herte can I noght withdrawe. 5420 Forthi, my goode fader diere, Lef al and speke of my matiere1452 P. iii. 274 Touchende of love, as we begonne: If that ther be oght overronne Or oght foryete or left behinde Which falleth unto loves kinde,1453 Wherof it nedeth to be schrive, Nou axeth, so that whil I live I myhte amende that is mys. Confessor. Mi goode diere Sone, yis. 5430 Thi schrifte forto make plein, Ther is yit more forto sein Of love which is unavised. Bot for thou schalt be wel avised Unto thi schrifte as it belongeth, A point which upon love hongeth And is the laste of alle tho, I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.