ERRATA.

P. 2, l. 6, for yowr emost read yowre most.

P. 11, l. 1, for streygth read strey[n]gth.

P. 19, l. 17, for yif is read yif it.

P. 56, Text lii., l. 3, transfer semicolon to end of line.

P. 72, note 3, for metu Dei read nutu Dei.

P. 104, Text xci., l. 3, for thyre read thyne.

1

THE EPISTLE OF OTHEA TO HECTOR; OR THE BOKE OF KNYGHTHODE.

Noble^[101] and worshipfull among the ordre of cheualrie, renommeed ffor in as much as ye and suche othir noble knyghtes and men of worchip haue exerciced and occupied by long continuaunce of tyme the grete part of yowre dayes in dedys of cheualrie and actis of armis, to the whic[h]e entent ye resseyved the ordre of cheualrie, that is to sey, principaly to be occupied in kepyng and defendyng the cristyn feythe, þe rigth of the chirch, the lond, the contre and the comin welefare of it—And now, seth it is soo that the naturel course off kynde, by revolucion and successyon of .lx. yeeres growyn vpon yowe at this tyme of age and feblenesse, ys comen, abatyng youre bodly laboures, takyng away yowre naturall streyngtht and power from all such labouris as concernyth the exercysing off dedis of cheuallrie, be it yowre noble courage and affeccion of such noble and worchipfull actis and desirys departyth not from yow, yet rygth necessarie [it] now were to occupie the tyme of yowre agys and feblenes 2of bodie in gostly cheuallrie off dedes of armes spirituall, as in contemplacion of morall wysdome and exercisyng gostly werkys which that may enforce and cavse yow to be callid to the ordire of knyghthode that schal perpetuelly endure and encrese in ioye and worship endelese.

And therefor I, yowre most humble sone Stevyn, whiche that haue wele poundered and consideryd the many and grete entreprises of labouris and aventuris that ye haue embaundoned and yovyn youre selph to by many yeeris contynued, as wele in Fraunce [and] Normandie as in othir straunge regions, londes and contrees—and God, which is souuerayne cheueten and knyght off all cheualrie, hath euer preseruyd and defendid yow in all yowre seyde laboures off cheualrye into this day, ffor the which ye be most specyaly obliged and bownden to becom hys knyght in yovre auncient age, namely for to make ffyghtyng ayen youre goostly ennemyes, that allwey be redy to werre wyth youre sovle, the |f. 3.| which, and ye ouerecom hym, shall cawse yow to be in renomme and worchyp in Paradis euerlastyng—I, consideryng thees premisses wyth othir, have (be the suffraunce off yowre noble and good ffadyrhode and by yowre commaundement) take vpon me at this tyme to translate ovte off Frenche tong, ffor more encrese of vertu, and to reduce into owre modyr tong a Book off Knyghthode, as wele off gostly and spirituell actis off armys for the sowle hele as of wordly^[102] dedys and policie gouernaunce, and which is auctorised and grounded fryst vpon the .iiii. Cardinal Vertous, as Justice, Prudence, Fors and Temperaunce, also exempled vpon the grete conceytys and doctrine off fulle wyse pooetys and philosophurs, the whiche teche and covnesell how a man schuld be a knyght for the world prynspally, as in yeftis off grace vsyng, as the Cardinalle Vertuus make mencion, ffryst in iustice kepyng, prvdently hym self gouuernyng, hys streynght bodely and gostly vsyng, and magnanimite conseruyng, and allso gouuernyng hymself as a knyght in the seyde Cardinall Vertuouse kepyng. Which materis, conseytys and resons be auctorised and approued vpon the textys and 3dictes off the holde^[103] poetys and wyse men called Philosophurs. And allso ye schal fynde here in this seyde Boke off Cheuallry how and in whatte maner ye, and all othir off whatte astate, condicion or degre he be off, may welle be called a knyght that ouercomyth and conqveryth hys gostly ennemyes by the safegard repuignand defence off hys sovle, wich among all othir victories [and] dedys off worchip is most expedient and necessarie, where as dayly in grettest aventures a man puttyth hym inne and most wery he is to be renommed in worchip and callid a knyght that dothe exercise hys armes and dedys off knyghthode in gostly dedys, in conqveryng his gostly ennemees and ouyrcomyng þe peple and aventure off the world.

And this seyde boke, at the instavnce and praer off a fulle wyse gentylwoman of Frawnce called Dame Cristine, was compiled and grounded by the famous doctours of the most excellent in clerge the nobyl Vniuersyte off Paris, made to the ful noble famous prynce and knyght off renovnne in his dayes, beyng called Jon, Duke of Barry, thryd son to Kyng Jon of Frawnce, that he throwe hys knyghtly labourys, as welle in dedys of armes temporell as spirituell exercisyng by the space and tyme of .c. yeerys^[104] lyvyng, flowrid and rengnyd in grete worchip and renownne of cheualry. And in thre thyngges generaly he exercisyd his knyghtly labowris. Thereof oon was in victories, dedis of cheualrie and of armys, in defendyng the seyde royalme of Frawnce from his ennemyes. [The second was] in grete police vsyng, as of grete cowneseylles and wysdomys, yevyng and executing the same for the conseruacyon of iustice and transquillite and alsoo pease kepyng for all the comon welleffare of that noble royaulme. The thredde was in spirytuell and gostly dedys yovyn ontoo for the helthe and wellfare of hys sovle. And in euery of these thre thynggys the seyde prynce was holden ful cheualrouse and suremounted in his dayes above all othir. Wych schewyth welle opynly to euery vnder-stander |f. 4.| 4in the seyde booke redyng that it was made acordyng to hys seyde victorious dedis and actis of worchip exercysyng.

And the seyde booke ys diuidyd in thre partys gederid in a summe of an .c. textys, drawen vpon the dictis and conceytys of the seyd most famous poetys off olde tyme beyng, as Vyrgyl, Ouyde, Omer and othir; and also with an .c. commentys therevpon, callid exposicyons or glosis vpon the seyde textys, of exemplys temporell of policie gouernaunce and worldlye wysdoms and dedys, grovndyed and also exempled by experiens and by auctorite of the auncient philosophurs and clerkes, as Hermes,^[105] Plato, Salomon, Aristotiles, Socrates, Ptholome and suche othir. And vpon thies exemplis and glosis is made and wretyn also an othyr .c. allegories and moralizacions, applied and moralized to actis and dedys of werkyng spirituell, for to doctrine enforme and to lerne euery man nov lyvyng in this world how he schuld be a knyht exercisyng and doyng the dedys of armys gostly, for euerlastyng victorie and helthe of the sovle. Which allegories and moralizacions ben grovnded and auctorised vpon the .iiii. holy doctoris of the chirche, as Austyn, Jerom, Gregorie, Ambrose, alsoo vpon the Bible, the Holy Ewaungelistes and Epistollys and othyr holy doctorus, as here textis more opynly schalle appere hereafftyr. Fiat. Fiat. Amen.

5

I.

Othea, of prudence named godesse,

That setteth goode in worthynesse,

To the,^[106] Hector, noble prince myghty,

That in armes is evere worthye,

The sone of Mars,^[107] the god of bateyle,

In dedys of armes which wyll not fayle,

And of myghty Minerve, the godes, |f. 5.|

The whiche in armes is hy maystres,

Sucessoure of the noble Troyens,

Heyre^[108] of Troye and of the ceteseyns,

Salutacion afore sette plenere

I sende, wyth love feyned in no manere.

O good lorde, how am I desyryng

Thi grete avayle, which I goo sekeyng,

And that aumented and preseruyd

It may be, and euer obseruede

Thy worchipe and worthines in old age,

That thow hast gretly hadde in thi fryst age.

Now for to schewe the my pistile playnely,

I wyll the enorte and telle verily

Off thyngges that be ful necessarie

To hye worthynesse and the contrarie,

To the opposite off worthinesse,

So that all goode hertys may theym dres^[109]

For to gete be goode besy lernynge

The hors that in the eyre is flyynge

(It is named the Pegasus truly),

6That all louers loueth hyly.^[110]

And because of thi condycion

I knowe be rygth inclynacion

Able to take knythly dedys on hand

More than is in othir .v. score thowsand

(For as a godes I haue knovynge,

Not by the assay but by kunnyng,

Of thynges the which be on to kome),

I owthe to thynkke on the, hole and some^[111];

For I knowe thowe shalte be euer duryng,

Worthiest of all the worthy lyvyng,

And schall afore all othir namyd be,

So that I may be belouyd of the.

Belovyd, why schuld not I be soo?

I am that the which arayeth all thoo

That loueth me and holdyth me dere;

I rede theym lessons in chaiere,

Which maketh theym clyme heuen onto.

I pray the that thow be oon off tho

That will here inne beleve me wele.^[112]

Now sete it well thane in thy mynd and fele

The wordes that I wyll to the endyte,

And yf thowe here me owght telle, sey or wryte

Any thyng that for to come may be

As that I seye, vmbethynke the

As that they were past, so do thow oughte

Knowe ryght wele that they be in my thought

In the spyrite off profecie.

Vndirstonde wele nowe and greve not the,

For I shall no thyng sey but that schalle falle.

Thynke wele the comyng is not yet at all.

7Othea opon the Greke may be takyn for the wysedome off man and woman^[113], and as ancient pepyll of hold tyme, not havynge yit at that tyme lyght of feythe, wirchippyd many goddys, vndyr the which lawe be passed the hyest lordes that hathe ben in the world, as the reaume off Assire, of Perse, the Grekys, the Troyens, Alexandre, the Romaynes and many other, anamly the grettest philosophurs that^[114] euer was—so as yet at that tyme God hade not oppenyd the ȝate off mercy, but we Crysten men and women now at this tyme by the grace of God enlumynid wyth very feyth may bryng ayene to morall mynde the oppinyons of ancient pepyll and thereopon many feyre allegories may be made—and as they hade |f. 6.| a costom to worchipe all thynge the which above the comon cours of thynges hade prerogatyue of some grace, many wyse ladyes in there tyme were called godesses. And trwe it ys, aftyr the storie, that in the tyme that grete^[115] Troye fflorishede in his grete name a ful wyse ladie callede Othea, consyderyng the ffre thought^[116] of Hector of Troye, the which that tyme ffloryshed in vertues, and that it be a shewynge of fortunes to be in hym in tyme commynge, sche sent hyme many grete and notabil yiftys, and namly the fayre stede that men callyd Galathee, the which had no felawe in all the worlde. And becavse that all wordly grace[s] that a good man oughte for to have were in Hector, morally we may sey that he toke theyme by the cownsel of Othea, the which sent hyme this pystylle.

By Othea we schall vndirstond by the vertu of prudence and of wysedome, wherewyth he was arayed; and because the Cardinal Vertues ben necessarie to good pollicie, we schall speke of them, sewynge ich after othyr. And to þe fryst we have youen a name and takyn a maner of speche in some wyse poetykly, the bettyr to folewe owre matere acordyng to the very storie, and to owre purpoyse we schall take some auctoritees of ancient philosophres. Thus we schall sey that by the seyde lady this present was yovyn 8or sente to goode Hector, the which in lech wyse may be to all other desirynge bounte and wysedome. And as the vertue of prudence ought gretely to be recomendede, Aristotle, the prynce off philosophurs, seyth, “Becavse that wysedome is þe most noble off all othir thynges, it schulde be shevyd by the best resone and the most behouely maner that myghte be.”

Fore to bryng ayen to allegorie the purpos of owre matyr to owre wordes, we schall applique Holy Scrypture to edificacion of the soule, beyng in wrecheed worlde. As by the grete wysedome and hye myȝte of God all thynges that be resonabily made all scholde streche to the ende of hyme, and becawse that owre speryt, mad off God to hys lekenes, is made of thynges moste noble aftyr the aungelles, it is behouely and necessarie that it be arayed wyth vertues, whereby it may be conveyed to the ende for the which it was made. And becavse it was lettyd by the assautes of the wacches^[117] of the enemy of helle, the which is his dedely enemye and aduersarie and oftyn distourbeth it to come to hys beaute,^[118] we may calle mankyndely lyfe very cheualrie, as the Scripture seyth in many partes, and standyng^[119] all erthyly thynges^[120] be desceyvable,^[121] we schulde haue in contynuell mynde the tyme |f. 7.| for to come, which is wythowte ende. And because this is the grete wysedome of perfite knygthhode and that all othir be of no comparison to regarde of the victorius peple the which be corounede in blys, we schal take a maner of speche of gostly knyhthode, that [is] to be done princypally to the preysynge of God and to the profyth of thoo þat wylle delyte theyme to here this present dittee.

Howe prudence and wysedome is modyr and conditoures of all vertues, wythowte the which the tothire may not be well gouernede, it is necessarie to gostly knyghthode to be arayed wyth prudence, as Seynte Austyn seyth in the book of Singularite off 9Clerkes,^[122] that in what maner of place prudence be men may lyghtly cesse and amende^[123] all contrarius thynges, but there w[h]ere prudence is despisyd all cont[r]arius thynges hath domynacyon. And to this purpoose Salamon seyth in his Proverbis, “Si [intraverit sapientia cor tuum et scientia animæ tuæ placuerit, consilium custodiet te et prudentia servabit te.”]^[124]

II.

And to the entent that know may be

What thou schuldeste do, drawe vnto þe

The vertues that may the most restore,

The bettir to come to that seyde afore

Of the worshipful chevalroures.^[125]

Allthoughe that it be aventerous,

Yet schall I sey whi that I sey thus.

A cosyn germayne^[126] I haue, I wys.

Fullefyllyd sche is beaute wyth all;

But of all thynges in specyall

Sche ys ful softe and temperede full wele;

Of stroke of ire felyth sche no dele; |f. 8.|

Sche thynkkyth no thynge but of rygth balance.

It is the godesse of Temperance.

I may not all only but by hyre face

Haue the name of that by myghty grace;

For yef the weghte ne were sche to the made,

10The all were not worthe a leke blade.^[127]

Therefor I wyll that with me sche love the.

Yf she wyll, lete hire note forgetyn be;

For she is ryght a wele lerned godesse,

Hyr witte I love and prays myche in distrese.

Othea seyth that Temperance is here cosyn germayne,^[128] the which he schuld loue; for the vertu of temperance may veryly be seyde cosyn germayne and lykennd [to] prudence, for temperans is schewer of prudence and of prudence folwyth temperance. Therefor it is seide that he shulde hold hyr for his love; and euery good knygth shulde do the same, that desiryth due prayse of goode peple. As the philosophre Demetricus^[129] seyth, “Temperance moderath vices and perfyteth vertues.”

The good spiryte shuld haue the vertue of temperance, the whiche [hath] the propirte to lemyte and to sede on syde superfluytes.^[130] For Seynt Austyn seyth in the book of the condycions^[131] ... of concupyscence, the whiche be contrary to vs and lettyth vs from Godes lawe, and more also to dispite fleschely delytys and worldly praysynge. Seynt Petir spekyth to that purpose in hys fyrst Pystyl, [“Obsecro vos tanquam advenas et peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desideriis, quæ militant adversus animam”].^[132]

11

III.

And wyth vs strey[n]gth be honesty þe yete.

If that be gretter vertues thou sete,

Thou moste the turne toward Hercules

And behold wele his grete worthines,

In whome there was full myche bounte.

And to thi lenage all thoughe that he

Was contrarie and a grete name hym gate, |f. 9.|

For all that haue thou neuer the more hate

To his vertue, streyngth and nobylnese,

Which opynned the ȝates of worthinese.

Yet, though that thowe wylt folwe hys weye

And also hys worthines, I sey

It nedyth no thyng to the to make

Were^[133] with theyme of hell ne no stryfe take,

Ne for to were wyth the god Pluto

For ony fauour Proserpyng onto,

The godes dowter called Ceres,

Whome he rauysched on the se of Gres.^[134]

Ne onto the it is no mystyr^[135]

That thow be Serebrus,^[136] the portar

Of helle, besye the hys cheynes to breke,

Ne of theyme of helle to take any wreke,

The which to vntrewe wynnors be;^[137]

Nor for his felaws as dede he,

Pirotheus and Theseus,^[138] in fere,

The which that nere hand desceyuyd were

12[To] auenture theyme in that valy soo,

W[h]ere many a sowle hath ful mych woo;

For werre inougth in herthe^[139] þou schalt fynd felle,

Thougth thow goo not to sek yt in helle.

It is no thinge necessarie to the

So to purchase or do armes, parde,

To go and fyghte with serpentes stynggyng,

With boores wylde or beerys rampyng.^[140]

Wheythir thou ymagen this I wote noghte,

Or ell of wyldenes it commyth in thy thougth

Of worthines for to have a name.

In dystres, yf it be not for the same,

As ffor thy body the ffor to defende,

Yf that sych bestis wylde the offende,

Than diffence, if asailled thou be,

Withowte dowte it is worchip to the;

Yf thow ouercome theym and the saue,

Bothe grete lavde and worchip thou shalt haue.

The vertu of strength is not only to vndyrstonde bodely strength, but the stabilnes and stedefastenes that a goode knygth schulde haue in all hys dedis by deliberaciou of good wytte and strength to resyst ayens contrariousnes that may come onto hym, weythir it be infortunes or tribulacions, where strengh and myghti corage may be vaylable to the exaussyng of worthines. And alyche^[141] Hercules for to gif exampel of strengh, to the entent that it may be doble availe, that is to seye, in as myche as tocheth to his vertue and anamly in dedes of knygthhode, wherin he was ryghte excellent. And for the hynes of Hector, it is a behouely thynge to gyfe hyme hy^[142] example. Hercules was a knyghte of Grece of meruelyous strengh and broute to ende many knyghtly worthines. 13A grete iorneyer he was in the worlde, and, for the grete and meruelyous viagis and thinges of grete strenghe that he made and dede, the poietes, the wyche spak couertly and in maner of fable, seyde that he wente into helle to fygth wyth the prynces off helle and that [he] favth^[143] wyth serpentes and fiers bestis, by the wyche is to vndirstonden the grete and stronge entreprises.^[144] * * *

IV.

Elles arte thou note worthy an helme to were, |f. 10.|

Ne for to gouerne a reaume nowhere.^[145]

Prudence seith to the good knyghte that, yf he will be on of the goode mennes rowe, he most haue the vertue of iustice, that is to seye, ryghtwyse iustice. And Aristotle seith he that is a rytewyse iusticer fryst shulde iustifie hym selph, ffor he that iustifies not hym self is not worthi to iustifye anothir. This is to vndirstond that a man shulde correcte his owne defavtes, so þat thei be holy fordone, and than a man so correctid may wele, and schulde, be a corrector of othir men. And to speke morally, ve shall tell a fable to this purpoise vndir the couertvre of poyetis. Minos, as poyetis sey, is a iusticer off helle or a prouoste or a cheife bayle, and afore hym is broughte alle the sowles descendyng into 14that vaylie; and afftir that they haue disseruede of penance as many degrees as he wille that thei be sette deipe, as ofte he turnyth his tayle abwte hym. And becawse that he is thee iustice ande the punyschment of God, lete vs take owre maner to speke oure speche veryly to that purpose. O trouth there was a kyng in Grece^[146] called Mynos of mervelious fairnes,^[147] and in hym was grete rigoure of iustice; and therefor the poietis seyde that aftir his deth he was commytted to be iusticer of helle. And Aristotile seyth, “Justice is a mesure that God hath sette in erthe for to limitte thereby thynges ryghtwysly.”

And even as God is hede of iustice and of all orderes, it is necessarye to the cheualerous sperit that wille come to the victorius blysse for to have this vertue. And Seynt Bernard seith in a sermone^[148] that iustice is not ellis but to giffe euery man that his is. “Yife than,” seith he, “to .iii. maner of peple that the whiche is theires, that is to say, to thi souereyne, to thi felawe and to thi soget: to thi souereyne reuerence and obeissance of body; to thi falawe thou schulde gyffe counsel and helpe, counsel in teschyng hym where he is ignorant and helpe hym in comfortynge his owyn power^[149]; to thi soget, thow schuldest gyf hym chastissyng and kepyng hym frome euyl dedes, in chastisyng^[150] hym forgiffeyng hym that he hath doo amysse.” And thus hereto seyth Salomon in his Proverbis, “Ex[cogitat iustus de domo impii ut detrahat impios a malo.... Gaudium est iusto facere iusticiam”].^[151]

15

V.

Also remenbre the of Percyvale,^[152] |f. 11.|

Whos name is knowen ouer alle

Throwghowte the worlde, both soft and hard,

The swyffte hors Pegasus afterward.

He roode hyme through the eyre flyyng,

And Andromeda in hys goyng

Fro the bellue^[153] he hyr delyueryd

And wyth his streynght hir from hym revede,

As a ryght good errant myghtty knyghte

Brought hyr ageyne to hir kyne ful ryght.

Thys dede in yowre mynde loke that it holde,

For a good knyght shuld kepe that is bolde

Thys wey, if that he will haue exprese

Wyrchip, which is mych better than ryches.

Hys shynnynge shelde than loke thou opon,

The which haue euer ouercome many one.

Wythe his fauchon loke that thou arme the,

Both strong and stedefast than shalt thou be.

And because that it is acordyng thyng^[154] for a good knyght to haue wirchip and reuerence, we shalle make a fygure aftyr the maner of poietis. Percevale was a ful worthi knyght and whan^[155] many reaumes, and the name off the grete lande of Perce come of hyme. And poyetis seide that he roode the hors that flawe in the eyre, the which was called Pegasus; and that is to vnderstonde a goode name, the which flyeth through the eyre. He bare in his honde a fauchon or a glayve; the whiche is seide for the grete multytude of peple that were discomfyte by hym in maney batayles. He delyueryd Andromeda from the bellue; this was a kynggys 16doghter, the which he delyuered from a monstre of the see, the which by the sentence of the godes shulde a^[156] deuoured hire. This is to vndirstonde that alle knyghtes shulde socovre women that hade nede of there socoure. This Percivale and the hors |f. 12.| the which fleeth^[157] may^[158] be notede for the good name that a goode knyghte shulde haue and gete by hys good desertes; and there shuld he ryde, that is to seye, that hys goode name shulde be borne in all contrees. And Aristotile seyth that a good name of a man maketh a name shynnyng to the worlde and agreable in presence of princes.

The cheualerours sperit shulde desyre a goode name among the felachipe of the seyntis of heuen gotten by his goode desertes. The good hors Pegasus that [beareth]^[159] hyme shall be his good angel, the which shall make good reporte off hyme at the day of dome. Andromeda that shal be delyuered, it is his sowle, the which he delyueres fro the feend of hell by the ouercomyng off synne. And that a man on the same maner wyse shuld wylne to haue a good name in this worlde to the plesaunce of God and not for vayne glorie, Seynt Austin seyth in the Booke of Correccion^[160] that “ii. thyngges be necessarie to beleve wele,^[161] that is to sey, good conscience and good name, conscience for feyth,^[162] good name for his neyburwe; and [w]ho so trostyth in conscience and dyspiteth a good name, he is cruel”; for it is a synge of a nobyll corage to loue the wele of a good name. And to this purpoise seyth the wyse man, “Curam habe [de bono nomine, magis enim permanebit tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi”].^[163]

17

VI.

And wyth thyne inclynacions

Off Jouis^[164] softe condiccions

Loke thou haue; the better thou shalt be,

Whene that thow kepes theme ryghtfulle.

As it is seyde, poyetis, the whiche worchipped many godes, they helde the planetis of heuen ffor speciall godes, and of the .vii. planetes they made the .vii. dayes of the weke. They worchypped and helde Jouis or Jubiter for there grettest god, because that he is sette in the hyest spere of the planetis vndyr Saturne. The day off Thurseday is named of Jouis. And anamely the philosophres yaf and compared the vertues of the .vii. metallis to the .vii. planetis and named the teremys of there sciences by the same planetis, as a man may se in Geber^[165] and Nicholas^[166] and in othir auctoris of that science. To Jouys is youyne copyr or bras. Jouis or Jubiter is a planete of softe condicion, amiable and ful gladde and fygure^[167] to sanguyne comp[l]eccion. Therefor Othea seyth, that is to sey, Prudence, that a good knyght shuld haue the condicion of Jubiter, and the same shulde euery nobyll man haue, pursewyng knyghtthode. |f. 13.| To this purpose seythe Pictogoras^[168] that a kyng shuld be gracyously conuersaunt wyth his peple and shew to them a glade visage; and on the same wyse it is to vnderstond off all wordly peple tendyng to wirchippe.

18Now lete vs brynge to owre purpoyse in allegorie the properteis of the .vii. planetis. Jouis, the which is a softe and a mankyndly^[169] planete, of the whyche the good knyght schulde haue condicions, may sygnifie to vs mercy and compassyon that the good knyght hade, Jhesu Cryste that is, the which the sperit schulde haue in hym selfe. For Seynte Gregorie seyth in the pistylle of Pontian,^[170] “I remembre not,” seith he, “that euer I herde or redde that he dyed of heuy dethe that hathe wylle to fulfylle the dedes of mercy, ffor mercy hathe many prayeres and it is inpossyble but that many prayeres most nedes be exauced.” To this purpose oure Lord seythe in the Gospell, “Beati [misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur”].^[171]

VII.

Off Venus in no wyse make thi godesse,

And for no thynge sette store by here promysse.

To folowe here it is rauenous,^[172]

Both vnworchippefull and peryllous.

Venus is a planete of heuen, aftyr whome the Fryday is named; and the metall that we call tynne or pewter is yovyn to the same. Venus yiffeth influence of loue and of ydylnes, and she was a lady called soo, the which was qwene of Cippre. And because that [she] excedyd all women in excellent beaute and jolynesse, and was ryght amerous and not stedefast in o loue, and becawse that she yevyth influence of lecheri, Othea seyth to the good knyght that he make here not his godes. This is to vndirstond, that in sech lyfe he shuld not abaundon his body ne his 19entent. Armes^[173] seyth that the vice of lecherye steynyth all vertues.

Venus, of whom the good knyght shuld not make hys godes, it is þat the good speryth in hym selphe shuld haue no vanyte. And Cassidore seyth vpon the Sawtyr, “Vanite made avoyde degre^[174] to becum a fende and yafe dethe^[175] to the fryste man and voyeddid hyme frome the blyssidnesse that was grawntyd on to hyme.” Vanite is modyr off all evelles, welle off all vices, and the weyne^[176] of wykydnesse, the which puttyth a man oute of the grace of God and setti[t]h hym in his hate. To this purpose Dauid seyth in his Sauter, spekyng to God, “Odisti [observantes vanitates supervacue”].^[177]

VIII.

Yf thou asemble the in jugement, |f. 14.|

Be leke to Saturne in avisement;

Or that thou gyf thy sentence, veryly

Be ware that thou yif it not doutously.

Satyrday is named after Saturne, ande the metall lede is youen therto, and it is a planete of slow condicion, hevy and wyse. And there was a kyng in Grece hadde the same name, the [which] was full wyse, off whom poyetis spake vnder conuerteure of fable, and they seyde that his sone Jubiter kutte from hym his preuy menbres. The which is to vnderstond that he toke ffrom hym his myghte 20and dysheryted him and drwe^[178] hym avay. And becawse that Saturne is hevy and wyse, Othea seyth that a good knyght shuld peyse a thynge grettely or^[179] that he^[180] shulde yefe his sentence, weythir that it be in pris of armes or of ony othir dede. And euery iuge may not^[181] the same that hathe offices longgynge to iugement. And to thys purpoise Hermes seith, “Thynkke wele on all thinges that thou hast for to do and in especyall of iugement of othyr.”

As the good knyghte scholde be slowe in the iugement of othir, that is to sey, to peise wele the sentence or þat he gyf it, on the same wyse the goode spiryte shulde doo in that the which longyth to hyme; for to Gode longeth the iugement, the which can discerne cawses ryghtwysly. And Seynt Grigorye seyth in hys Moralles^[182] that, whan owre frelnes cannot comprehende the iugementes of God, we oughte not to discute them in bolde wordes, but we ought to worchippe thyme wyth ferefull scilens and, how mervelyous that euer we thowght theyme, we shulde holde them iuste. And to this purpoose spekyth Dauid in the Sawter-booke, “Timor [Domini sanctus, permanet in seculum seculi. Judicia Domini vera iustificata in semet ipsa”].^[183]

IX.

Lete thi worde be clere and trwe in kynde.

Appollo shall gif it the in mynde,

For he by no mene may non ordure

Suffir no wyse vndere couerture.

Appollo or Phebus, that is the sone, to whom the Sonday is yoven and allsoo the metall that is callyd golde. The sonne by 21hys clerenes shewyth thynges that be hidde; and therefore trewth, the whiche is clere and shewith secrete thynges, may be yofe to hyme. The which vertue shulde be in the herte and in the mowthe of euery good knyghte. And to this purpose seyth Hermes, “Love Godde, trowthe euer, and gyffe good counsell.”

Apollo, the whiche is to sey the sonne, by whom we notyfye trowthe, we may take that man shulde haue in hys mouth the trwthe of the very knyght Jhesu Cryst and flee all falsenes. As Cassiodyr seyth in the booke of Praysyng of Seynt Powle,^[184] “The condicion of falsenes ys swche that, where as it hath no geyneseyyng, yit it falleth in hym selphe; butte the condycion of trowth is to the contrary, ffor it is so sete that the more geyneseynges of aduersytes that it hath, the more it encresyth and reysyth hym selphe.” To this purpose seith Holy Scripture, “Super [omnia vincit veritas].”^[185]

X.

Vnto Phebe resemble not. For why?

He^[186] is to chaungable and enemye

To stedefastnes and to courage strong,

Malencolius is and full of wronge.

Phebe is called the mone, off whom the Moneday hath his name; and to hyme is yoven the metall that we calle syluyr. The mone resteth non oure in a ryghte poynte and yiffeth influens of vnstefastenes and foly, and therefore it is seyde þat a goode knyght shulde kepe hym from which vicys. And to this purpose Hermes seith, “Vse wisedome and be stedefast.”

Phebe the moone, that we not for vnstedefastnes, the whiche a 22goode knyght shulde not haue; on the same wyse the good sperit. As Seynt Ambrose seith in the pistil of Simpliciain,^[187] that a foole is schawnegeable as the moone, but a wyse man is euer stedefast in o state, where he neythir brekyth for fere ner schawngyth for no myght; he reyseth hym notte in prosperite ner plangeth not in heuynes.^[188] “There where wysedome is, there is vertue, strengh and stedefastnes. The wise man is euer of oon corage; it lessyth it notte, ne encressyth not, for [he] schawngyth notte in no maner wyse for no thyng; he flotereth not in dyuers opynions, but abydyth perfythe in Jhesu Cryst, gon growndid in charite and roted in feyth.” And to this purpose seythe Holy Scripture, “Homo sanctus [in sapientia manet sicut sol, nam stultus sicut luna mutatur”].^[189]

XI.

I dowte notte in no wyse Mars thi fadyr.

Thow shalt folowe hyme in heuery matyr;

For thy hy and nobil condycion

Draweth therto thyne inclynacion.

The Twysday is named after Mars; and that metalle that we |f. 16.| callen iren is youen to hym. Mars is a planete that yifeth influence of werris and batayles; therefore euery knyght that loveth and schewyth armes and dedes of knyghthod and hathe a grete name off worthines may be callyd the sone of Mars. And therfor Othea named Hector so, notwythstondyng he was sone to Knyng Pryant, and seyde he wolde well folowe hys fadir in as moche as a goode knyght ought to doo. And a wyse man seith that by the dedes of a man men may knowe his inclynacions.

Mars the god of bateyle may wele be called the Sone of God, the whiche bateilled victoriously in this worlde, by example; [and the 23good sperit shulde] folow^[190] his Fadere Jhesu Cryst and fyght ayens vicis. Seynte Ambrose seyth in the fryst booke off Offices that how so will be Godes frend, he must be the fendes enemy, whoo so will haue pees wyth Jhesu Cryst, he most haue werre withe vices. And even as in veyne men maketh werre in the felde wyth foreyne enemys there where the cete is full of homely spyes, on the same wyse non may ouercome the eveles outewarde that wyll not were strongly wyth the synnes of there sowlys; ffor it is the most gloryous victorie that may be, for a man to ouercome hyme selphe. And tho this purpose seyth Seynt Poule the postyle, [“Non est vobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem sed adversus principes et potestates,” etc.].^[191]

XII.

Of thi faucon^[192] be thou bolde and pleyne,

And of thi worde bothe clene and certeyne.

Mercurye schall teche the that, holde^[193] and sounde,

The which of good spech knowyth wele the grounde.

The Wednysday is named after Mercurye, [the which] ys a planete that yevyth influence off pontificall behavynge and of fayre langage arayed wyth retorique. Therefor it is seide to the good knyte that he shulde be arayed therewyth, for wirchipfull behavynge and faire langage ys full behovely to all nobill pepyll desyryng the hy pris of worchipe, so that they kepe them fro to myche langage; ffor Dyogeneys seyth that off all vertues the more the bettir, saue of speche.

24Be Mercurie, the whiche is called god of langage, we may |f. 17.| vndirstonde that the knyghte of Jhesu Cryste shulde be armed wyth good prechynges and wordes of techynges, and all so thei shulde loue and worchyppe the schewers thereof. And Seynte Gregory seithe in his Omelyis þat men shulde haue the prechores of Holy Scripture in grete reuerence, for they be the masseyngeres that gone to[fore]^[194] owre Lord God and owre Lorde followyth them. Holy prechyng maketh the way, and than owre Lord commeth into the dwellyng place of owre hert; the wordes of exortacion maketh the coorse, and so trwthe is reseyuyd intoo owre vndirstondyng. And to this purpose owre Lorde seyth to his aposteles, [“Qui vos audit me audit, et qui vos spernit me spernit”].^[195]

XIII.

Of all maner sortes of armure

For to arme the wyth, bothe wele and sure,

Be thi moder inough sygned shall be,^[196]

Mynerve, the which is not bitter to the.

Mynerve was a lady of grete connyng and fonde the craft to make armure; for afore the pe[p]yl armed theyme but wyth cuirboyle.^[197] And for the grete wysdom that was in this lady thei called hyr a godes; and because that Hector cowde sette armure welle on werke and that it was hys ryght craft, Othea called hym the sone of Mynerve, notwythstondyng that he was sone to qwen Ecuba of Troye. And in the same wyse all that loueth armes may be named. And to this purpose an auctoure seith that knyghtes youen to armes be soggettes to the same.

25Where it is seide that good armurs and strong inewgh shall be delyuered to the good knygh by his modir, wee may vndirstond the vertu of feyth, the whiche is a devyne vertue and is modir to the good spyrite. And that she delyuerith armoures inow, Cassiodir seythe in the Exposicion of the Crede^[198] that feyth is the lyth^[199] of the sowle, the yate off paradyse, the wynddowe of lyve, and the gronde of the euerlastyng helthe, for wythowte feythe non may plese God. And to this purpose seyth Seynt Poule in the pystyll, [“Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo”].^[200]

XIV.

Joyne thou to the Pallas the godesse,

And sette hir ryght wyth thi worthinesse.

Yf thow haue hir, good fortune thou shalt fele;

Pallas wyth Mynerve is fittyng^[201] full wele.

All so where it is seyde that Pallas sholde be ioyned wyth Mynerve, the which is wele fyttyng, men shall vndirstonde that Pallas and Mynerve ys all o thyng, but the names be diueres and be takyn to .ii. vndirstondynges. For the lady that is callyd |f. 18.| Mynerve was so surnamed Pallas of an yle that is called Pallance^[202] of the whiche she was borne; and because that she generally in all thynges was wyse and foonde many nwe craftes, fayre and sotle, thei called hyr goodes of kunnyng. Mynerve is called thus in that which longeth too knyghthode, and Pallas in all thynges that longeth to wysdom; and therefore it is seyde that he sholde yeuen^[203] wysdom and knythhode, the which is ful wele acordvng therto, 26and that armes shulde be keptte may be vndirstonde be feyth. To this purpose seythe Hermes, “Joyne the loue of feithe wyth wisedom.”

And as that Pallas, the whiche is notyd for wysedom, shulde be ioyned with knyghthode, the vertue^[204] of hope shuld be ioyned with good vertues of the knyghtly speryte, wyhtowte the which he may not avayle. For Orygene seyth in the Omelies opon Exode that the hoope of the goodes that be for to come is the solase of theyme that trauellyth in this bodely lyffe, leche as to laboreres the hoope of there payment softeth there laboures off there besynes, and as [to] champyons that be in bateyle the hoope of the corowne of victorie esyth the woo of there wondes. And to this purpose seyth Seynt Poule the apostyll, [“Fortissimum solatium habemus, qui confugimus ad tenendam propositam spem,” etc.].^[205]

XV.

Pantassele^[206] haue thou fauour vnto,

That ffor thi deth shall haue moch woo;

Syth a woman shuld be loued and knowe,

Off whom so noble a voys is sowe.^[207]

Pantasselle was a ful fayre mayden and qwen of Damazonie^[208] and off mervelyous worthines in armes and in hardines; and for the grete goodnes that the hy name witnessed through the worlde of Hector the worthy she loved hyme ryght hertyly, and fro the parties of the est she come to Troye in the tyme of the grete segge for to se Hector. But qwen she fond hym dede, she was owte off mesure hevy and wyth a grete oste [of] ful cheualrous gentilwomen 27vigerously she vengyd his dethe, where she dide mervelyous worthynesses. And many grete greuaunces she dide to the Grekes. And because she was vertuouse, it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld love hyr, and that is to vndirstonde that euery good knyght shulde loue and prayse euer[y] vertuous persone, anamely a woman in strong vertue of wytte and off concyens. And this woman that is woofull for the dethe of Hector is vndirstonde by worthines and valure, when it is dull and deded in knyghthode. And a wyse man seyth, “Bounte shulde be alowyd where that it is perceyued.”

Be Pantasselle, that was socourable, we may vndirstonde the |f. 19.| vertue off cherite, the whiche is the .iii^e. devyne vertue that the good speryte shuld perfytely haue in hym self. Cassyodir^[209] seith that charyte is as the reyne, the which fallyth in the prime temps, for it distillyth the dropes of vertues, vndir the whiche greine [of] good wille groweth^[210] and good hoope fructifyeth, that is to be pacient in aduersite, tempered in prosperyte, pacient in mekenesse, ioyeus in afflicciones, wellwyllyng to his enemyes and frendes, anamely to his enemyes to be comuniall of his goodis.^[211] To this purpose seyth Poule the postel, [“Caritas patiens est, benigna est, caritas non emulatur, non agit perperam,” etc.].^[212]

XVI.

Narcisus^[213] looke ye resemble not,

Nor into mych pride knyt your knot;

For to ouerwenyng hawteyn knyght

Off many a grace is voide full ryght.

28Narcisus [was] a yonge bachelere that ffor his grete beaute seysyd hym in so grete pride^[214] that he hadde all other in disprayes. And because that he praysed noon but hym selphe, it is seyde that he was so amerous and assottede of hym selfe that he dyede after that he hade beholden hym selfe in the welle. This is to vndirstonde by the ouerwenyng or ouctrecuidez man of hym selfe, wherein he beholdyth hym.^[215] Therefor it is diffendyth the good knyght to beholde hym selfe in hys good dedes, where throwe he myght be ouerwenyng. And to this purpose seith Socrates, “Sone, be ware thou be not disseyvyd in thi beaute of thi youthe, ffor that is no durable thyng.”

Now lete vs sette an allegorie applyyng to owre purpose to the .vii. dedely synnys. Be Narcisus we shall vndirstond the synne of pride, fro the wyche the goode speryte shulde kepe hym. And Orygene seyth in the Omelees, “Whereof it is that erth and asshes prydeth hyme, or how derre a man rayse hym in arogance, when he thynketh whereof he is comyn and what he shall become, and in how frele a vessel his^[216] lyff is all naked and in what harlotrees he is plongeden and what onclene maters he sesseth neuer to cast from hys flesch be all the condittes off hys body?” And to this purpose seith Holy Scripture, [“Si ascenderit ad cœlum superbia ejus et caput ejus nubes tetigerit, quasi sterquilinium in fine perdetur”].^[217]

29

XVII.

Athamas full of ryght grete madnes, |f. 20.|

The goodes verily of woodnes,

She feirsly strangled hir childern tweyne.^[218]

Therefor ire I thefende the pleyne.

Athamas was a kyng maried to qwene Yno, the which made sothyn^[219] corne to be sowne for to disheryte hyr^[220] stepe childire, for she^[221] with mony coromped the prestes of the lawe, the which reported the answeres of the godes, thus seyyng to the kyng or to theyme of the cuntre that the corne that the men hadden sowene profyted not, where it plesyd the godes that .ii.^o fayre and ientyl childir the whiche the kyng hade were dreven away and exiled. And becawse that the kyng consentyd [to] the exillyng of the .ii.^o childyrne, all though that he dyde [it] ayens hys wylle and wyth grete sorowe, the fabyl seyth that the godes Iuno^[222] wolde take vengance therefor and went into helle to compleyne to the godesse 30of woodnes that sche myght come to the kyng Athamas. Than the orrible and the fereful goodes come with all hir serpently herres and sette hyr on the fumerelle^[223] of the palais and streged hir armes to bothe sydys of the yate, and than there began sych stryfe betwene the kyng and the qwene that werrant^[224] yche of them hade slayne othir. And whan they wend a hade rune oute of the palais, than þe woode goodes drwe out of hyr ryght foule herres .ii^o. horrible serpentis and kest in there lappes; and qwen that the goodes saw theyme so ferefull,^[225] than they wexe both madde. Athamas slewe the qwene for woodnes and than his .ii.^o childerne, and hym selfe leep into the see of frome a h[i]ght roche. The exposycion of this fable may wele be that a qwen myght be so dyuers to stepe chyldirne that for some malice she myght disheryte hem, for the which after pes myght notte be hadde betwene the fadir and the steppe modir. And it myght be soo that at the last he slewe theyme. And because that ire is a dedly vice and soo evyle that he that is sore teynt therewyth hath no knowyng of reson, it is seide to the goode knyght that he shuld kepe hym from ire, for it is too grete defaute in a goode knyght to be angry. And there[fore] Arystotile seithe “Kepe the from ire, for it trobelyth the vndyrstondyng and destroubeth reson.”

Be Athamas, the which was soo full of ire, we shall propirly vnderstond the synne of ire, the whiche the goode spyryte shuld woyde from hyme. And Seynte Austyn seith in a pistyll, “Lech as venegre, where it is poote, corrompeth the vessell that it is in, yf it abyde longe therinne, so ire corrumpyth the hert wherein it is sette, yf that it abyde long thereinne, that is to seye fro day to day.”^[226] |f. 21.| 31Therfor seyth Seynt Poule the postell, [“Sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram”].^[227]

XVIII.

Off all thyng that thou may se with ey

Fle euer the fals godes envie,

That made Aglaros^[228] grennere than ivie,

The which to a ston chaunged was þerby.

A ffable seyth that Aglaros was systyr to Herce, the which was soo feire that for hir beaute Mercurius the god of langage wedded hyr, and thei weyre Cycropos doghters, kyng off Athenes. But Aglaros hade so mych envie to hir syster Herce, the which for beaute was so avaunced as to be maried to a god, that sche become throw here ensorgyng in envye dry^[229] and discolourd and grene as ivy leffe for the envie that she hade to hyr systyr. On a day Aglaros was sette on the thresshefolde of the dore and lettyd Mercurius the entre into the hous, ne for no prayowr that he prayed hyre she woolde not suffre hym to hentre. Then the gode wexe wroothe and seide that euer myght she abide there stylle, as harde as hyr corage was; and than Aglaros becomme as hard as a stone. Thys fable may be lekend in leche case to fall to some personys. Mercurius may be a myghty man, weele spekynge, the which made his sistir to be presound or to dye for some displesure that she hade doon to hyme, and therefor it is seide that she was chaunged to a stone. And becawse it is to folow a aspotte^[230] ayens ientylnes to be envyous, it is seide to the goode knyght that of all thynges he kepte hym therfro. 32And Socrates seyth, “He that beryth the fardell of envie hathe perpetuell peyne.”

Lyche as this auctorite dyffendyth the good knyghte envie the vice, Holy Scripture defendyth the good spyryte. And Seynt Austyn seyth^[231] that envie ys hate of othir felycite, for the dedes of the envyos man strecheth ayens tho that be gretter than he by cawse that he is not so grete as they, ayens tho that be evenly to hyme because that he is notte gretter than they, and ayens tho that be lesse than he for fere that they shold wexe as grete as he. To this purpose Holy Scripture seyth, [“Nequam est oculus invidi et avertens faciem suam”].^[232]

XIX.

Ferre ne^[233] slowe be ware that thou not be;

Fro^[234] the malyce loke that thou kepe the

Off Vlyxes, that the geauntes ye^[235]

Stale, though he looke neuer so clerely.

A ffable seyth that, when Vlixes retorned into Grece aftir the |f. 22.| destruccion off Troye, grete rages of tempestes brought hys chip into an ile where a geaunt was that hade but on eye in the myddes of his forred, the whiche was of an hooges gretnes. Vlixes by hy sutylte stale it and toke it fro hym, that ys to saye he putte it owte. This is to vndyrstond that the good knyght shulde be ware that slowthe ouercome hym not with disseytes and willes of malycyous peple, so that his eye be not takyn away, that is to seye, the eye of his vndirstondynge in his worchip, in his gettyng or in that the which is derrer to hym, as many inconu[en]iencies falleth ofte throwe slowthe and lachesse. And to this purpose Hermes seythe, “Blyssyd is he that vsyth hys dayes in dwe occupacions.”

33Where it is seide that the good knygh shulde not be ferre ne slowe, we may vndyrstond the synne of slewthe, the which the good spiryte shuld not haue. For, as Bede^[236] seith in Salomones Prouerbes, the slowe man is not worthi to rengne with God, the which wil not laboure for the lowe of God, and he is not worthi to receyve the coronne promysyd to knyghtes that is a coward to vndyrtake feldes of baytaile. Therefor the Scripture seyth, [“Cogitationes robusti semper in abundantia, omnis autem piger semper in egestate est”].^[237]

XX.

In no wyse stryve wyth no frosses,^[238]

Ne defoule the not in there brothes.

Ayens Lathonna thei assembled sore,

And trobled the clere water hir afore.

The fable seith that the godesse Lathonna was modyr to Phebus and to Phebe, the which is the sone and the moone, and she bare theyme both in her wombe. Juno chased hir in euery contre becawse she was conseyvyd wyth Jubiter hir housbond. On a day the godesse Lathonna was trauelled gretly, and she arivede on a wassh and than she aboode opon the watter for to stawnsh hyr grete thyrste there where a grete feleshyp of carles were ffor to bathe them in the watyr ffor the hete of the sone. And [they] began to chide Lathonna and trobylyd hyr watyr that she [thought]^[239] to haue dronkyn of, and for no prayer that she made they wolde not suffyr hir drynke ne had no pete of hyre myschefe. Than she coursyd theyme and seyde that euer aftyr mote they abyde stylle 34in the broththe^[240]; than were they fowle and abominable and cesyd neuer of brayeng ne chydyng. So the carles become frosshes, the which neuer sythyn cessed of brayng, as it shewyth in somer tyme by reuerys sydys. This may be takyn be communes that dedde some dysplesur to summe grete maystres, the which made them to be cast in a reuer and to be drounede, and thus become they |f. 23.| frosshes. And it is to vndyrstond that a knyght goodly shuld not fyll hyme in the brothe of veleny, ffor leche as veleny may not suffre ientylnesse, on the same wyse ientylnes in hym self may not suffre velany, anamely not to stryve ne make debate wyth a persone vilens of condicions, ne to speke outrageously. Platon seith he that ioyneth to his ientylnes nobilnesse of goode condicions is to prayse and he that holdyth hym content with the ientylnes that comyth of his kyne withowtyn addyng thereto some goode condicions shulde not be holdyn nobyll.

Be the carles that become frosshes we may vndyrstonde the synne of covetyse, the which is contrary to the good sperit. For Seynt Austyn^[241] seith that a couetous man is leche to hell, for hell cannot swolve so many sowlis to seye that he hathe inowe. Euen so, thow all tresowre of the worlde were heppid togedir to the possession of the couetous man, he shuld not yette [be] satisffiede. To this purpose the Scripture seith, [“Insatiabilis oculus cupidi in partes iniquitatis non satiabitur”].^[242]

XXI.

Acorde for no thyng with the god Bachus,

For his tachys^[243] be bothe fowle and vicyous.

His disportis be neyther goode ne fyne,

For he maketh the pepyll turne to swyne.

35Bachus was the man that fryst plantyde vines in Grece, and qwan thei of the cuntre felthe the streyngth of the wyne, þe which made thyme drownkyn, thei seide that Bachus was a god, the which hadde yovyn syche streynghte to his plante. By Bachus is vndirstond drwnkkynnes, as that the whiche is a full vnbehouely thyng to all noble men and to a man that wolde vse reson. And to this purpose Ypocras^[244] seyth that superfluites of vynes and metes distroyith body, sowle and vertues.

Be the god Bachus we may vndirstond the synne off glotenye, ffor the which the good spyryt shuld kepe hym. Seynt Grigory seyth in his Morralles^[245] that, qwan the vice of glotenye hathe the maystry of a person, he lesseth all the good that he hath doone; for, qwenne the bely is not restreynyd by abstynence, all vertues ben drouned togedir. And therefor Seynt Poule seith, [“Quorum finis interitus, quorum deus venter est,” etc.]^[246]

XXII.

Pimaliones ymage for to fele,

Iff that thou be wyse, sette þerby no deele, |f. 24.|

For of siche an ymage so wele wroght

The beaute thereof is to dere bought.

Pymalion was a ful sotyl workeman in makyng of ymages, and a ffable seith þat, for þe grete lewdenes that he sawe in the women of Cidonie,^[247] he dispreisyd them and seyde he shuld make an ymage wherein ther shulde be no thyng for to blame. He mad an ymage after a woman, of souereyne beaute. When he had full made it, 36loue, the which sotely can ravysshe hertis, made hym to be amorous opon the ymage, so that for hire he was vexed with wooes of love, full of clamorous and full of petyous syghynges that he made to hit. Butte the ymage, which was of ston, vndirstode hym notte. Pymalion wente to the temple of Venus and he made there so deuote prayores to hyre that the godesse [was full] of pete,^[248] and in shewyng therof the brond that she helde be hire selfe began to take fire and shew flame, and than the louer was mery for þat tokyn and wente toward his ymage and toke it in his armes and warmed it so sore wyth hys nakyd flesch that the ymage hadde lyff and began to speke, and so Pymalyon recouuered ioye.

To this fable may be set [many]^[249] exposicions, and in leche wise to othir sich fables; and the poietes made them becawse that mennes vndirstondyng shuld be the more scharppe and subtyle to fynde dyueres exposicions. It may be vnderstond also by the dyspreysyng that Pymalion dispreysed the lewdenes of lewde wemen and enamoured hym on a mayden of ryght grete beaute, the which wolde not, or myght not, vnderstond hys petous pleyntes, no more than the ymage of a ston had done; that is to sey, that by thynkkyng on the fayre beautes he was enamoured, but at the last he prayed hir so myche and kepte hym so nere hir that the maydyn louyd hym and at his wille [he] had hir to mariage. And thus the ymage that was hard as stone recouuered lyff by the godesse Venus. So it wolde be seyde that the good knygh shuld not be assottede of sych a made ymage in sych wise that he lyst to folowe^[250] the crafte of armes, to the which he is bownde by þe ordere of knyghthode. And to this purpose seyth Abtalin,^[251] “It longghit nothyng ffor a prynce to assote hym on nothyng that is to be reproued.”

Pymaliones ymage on qwome þe good knygh shuld not be assotted we shall take for the synne of lechery, from þe which þe 37knyghtly gostly sperit shuld kepe his body. Wherefor Seynt |f. 25.| Jerom saith in a pistill, “O fire of hell,” seith he, “of whom the woode is glotenye, the flambe is pride, the sparkes is foule wordes, the smoke is evil name, the asches is pouerte, and the ende is the turnementes of hell.” To this purpose seyth Seynt Petir the apostel, [“Voluptatem existimantes diei delicias, coinquinationes et maculæ deliciis affluentes, in conviviis suis luxuriantes”].^[252]

XXIII.

Off Dyane remenbre besely

For the honeste of thi body;

For hir plesyth no vileyns lyffe,

Ne non dyshoneste ne stryffe.

Dyane, that is the mone, and as þer is no thyng so evile but þat it hath some goode propirte, the mone gyffeth chast condicion; and thei named it after a lady that so was called, the which was full chaste and was euer a vergyn. So it wolde be seyde that honeste of the body is full wele longgyng to a good knygh. And to this purpose Hermes seith, “He may not be off perfyte wite that hathe in hym no chastite.”

And for to bryng to mynde the Articles of the Feyth to owre purpose, wythowte the which a good sperit may lytell avayle, ffor Dyane we shall take God of Heuen, the which is withowte onv spotte off onclen love, to whome a thyng foulede with synne may not be agreable. To the knyghly spirite þan it is necessari to beleve opon the Maker of heuen and of erthe, as þe fyrst Article of the Feyth seith, the which Seynte Petir the apostel sete, [“Credo in Deum Patrem Omnipotentem, creatorem cœli et terræ”].^[253]

38

XXIV.

Be thou leke to the godesse Ceres,

That tooke fro noon but yafe to corne encres;

In syche wyse abaundonede shulde be

The^[254] good knygh, well sette in his degre.

Ceres was a lady that fond the craft to erye^[255] the londe, for aforne gaineyers swe withowte laboure^[256]; and because þat þe londe bare the more plenteously after þat it was erryed, thei seide that she was godesse of cornes, and thei called the londe after hyr name. Wherefor it wold be seide þat, as þe lande^[257] is habaundone[d] and a large yefer of all goodes, on the same wyse shuld a good knygh be habaundonede to all personys and [ought] to gyffe his helpe and comfort aftyr hys power. And Arystotyl seyth, “Be a lyberall gyfer and thou shall hau frendys.”

Here [for] Ceres, to whom þe good knygh shuld resemble, we |f. 26.| shall take the Sone of God, whom the good spirit sholde folowe, þe which hath yoven so largely to vs of hy goodnes,^[258] and in hym shuld be belewede stedeffastly, as the .ii.^o Article seith, the which Seynt Jon sette, [“Et in Ihesum Christum, filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum”].

39

XXV.

All hye vertues as that he wyll sette,

In the, as in Ysis^[259] late theyme b[e] schette

And all maner graynes fructifie;

In sych wyse sholdest þou edyfye.^[260]

Ysys, poetes seyth, is a goodesse of plantes and gryffes, and she yevyth theyme streynght and growyng to multiply. Therefor it is seide to þe good knyght þat so shulde he fructifie in all vertues and eschew all euyl vicis. And Harmes^[261] to this purpose seyth, “O man, yf þou knew þe inconuenyency of vice, that þou woldest be ware þeroff and yf þou knew the rewarde for worthinesse, that^[262] þou woldest loue it gretly.”

There qwere it is seide þat þe good knygh shulde be leche to Ysys, the whiche is a planter, may we vnderstond the blissyd Concepcion off Jhesu Cryst by þe Holy Gost in the Blyssyd Virgyne Marie, modyr off all grace, of whom the grete bountes may not be ymagenede ne holy seide, þe which worthi Concepcion the good sperit shuld haue holy in hym and kepe this holy Artecle stedefastly, as Seynt James the gretter seith, [“Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria virgine”].

40

XXVI.

To the iugement in no wyse holde the

Of Mygdas, the which no thyng wysely

Juged; by his counsell sette thou no store,

For erys of an asse he hadde thereffore.

Mydas was a knyght^[263] that hadde lytell vnderstondyng; and a fable seyth þat Phebus and Pan,^[264] the god of pastures,^[265] strove togedir and Phebus seide that the sownde of the harpe is more to prayse than the sownde of the pype or off the flowte. Pan heelde the contrarye and seide þe sownde of the flowte was more to prayse. Thei made Mygdas iuge off that discorde, and affter that thei were both ioyned afore Mygdas, at long leyser he iuged that the sownde of þe flowte was bettyr and more plesaunte than þe sownde of the |f. 27.| harpe. So the fable seith þat Phebus, the which was g[r]evyd [and] hadde dyspyte off his iugement, made hym rude erys leche an asse, in schewyng that he hadde vnderstondyng of an asse, the which hade iuged so folyly. It may be allso that some iuged lewdely ayens a prince or a myghty man, the whiche punychyd hym, makyng hym to bere on hym some syngne off a ffoole, the which is to vnderstond the eres of the asse. Also it is to vnderstond by this fable that a good knyght shuld not hold hym content with a lewde iugement, not grownded on reson, ne hym selfe shuld be no iuge of so fawty a sentence. A philosopher seyth to this purpose that a foole is leche a molle,^[266] the which heryth and vnderstondyth not. And Dyogenes lykenyth the foole to a ston.

The iugement of Mygdas, the which a good knight shulde not kepe, we may vnderstond Pylate, the which iuged the blyssyd Sone of God to be taken and streyned as a harpe and to be hangged 41opon the gebet of þe Crosse as a bryboure,^[267] he the which was pure wyth[out] ony spotte. Also it is to vnderstond þat þe goode speryt shulde be ware how he shulde iuge an innocent, and he shulde beleve the Artycle that Seynt Andrewe seith, [“Passus sub Poncio Pylato, crucifixus, mortuus et sepultus”].

XXVII.

As trewe felawes of armes doth,

Vnto hell, whedir that sowles gothe,

Thou schuldest go, theyme to socoure serteyne

In nede,^[268] lich Hercules dyde, as men seyne.

The fable seith that Thesus and Protheus^[269] went into hell for to rescue Proserpyne þat Pluto rauysshed, and thei hade ben evyle begone hade not Hercules a ben for there felawes; [for thei]^[270] hade not bene socoured hade he ne be, the which dyde so notable dedes of armes that he affrayed all the peple off hell, and he smote in soundir Cereberus the porteris chynnes.^[271] So it is seyde þat a good knygh shulde not faile his felawe for no maner of perell that myght be; for trewe felaws shuld be evyn as on thyng and all on. And Pitagoras seyth, “Thou shuld kepe the loue of thi freende dylygently.”

By the auctorite that seith he shulde socoure his trwe freendis in armes vnto hell we may vnderstonde the blyssyd sowle of Jhesu Cryste, the which drewe owte the good sowles of holy patriarkes and profhetes þat were in lymbo; and be this example the goode sperite |f. 28.| scholde draw to hym all vertues and beleve the Article that Seynt Phelip seith, [“Descendit ad inferna”].

42

XXVIII.

Cadimus^[272] love and yife to hym preisyng,

And that auctorised may his techyng

Be in the; for the welle in serteyne

He whan^[273] fro the serpent with grete peyne.

Cadimus was a full noble man and ffounded Thebes, the which was a cite of grete name. He sette þerin a vniuersyte^[274] and hym selph was gretly lettyrd and of grete kunnyng and wysdom. The whiche man, after that the fabyl seith, he dowted þe serpent at the welle. This is to vnderstond konnyng and wisdom, the which rysyth all weye, that is for the welle; the serpent is notyd for the peyne and the trauell that a stodier most doute or that he gete kunnyng. And the fable seithe that he become a serpent hym selfe, the which is to vndirstond that he become mayster and correctore of othir. So Othea seith that a good knygh shulde love and worchip clerkes that be letteryd, þe which be growndyd in konnyng. To this purpose Aristotle seide to Alysawndre, “Worchip wisdom and fortyfie it wyth good maystres.”

Be Cadimus that douted the serpent at þe well, þe whiche þe good knygh shuld love, we may vnderstond the blyssed manhode of Jhesu Cryste, the which douted the serpent and wanne the welle, þat is to sey, the lyfe of this worlde, þe which he passed with grete peyne and with grete trauelle, off whom he hade victorie be strengh, when he rose the thredde day, as Seynt Thomas seith, [“Tertia die resurrexit a mortuis”].

43

XXIX.

Delyte gretly in the kunnyng

Of Yo more than good or othir thyng^[275];

For by that thou mayst lerne full gretly

And of good theryng take largely.^[276]

Yo was a yong ientilwoman and doughter to knyng Ynacus;^[277] þe which was rygh konnyng and fond many maners of letteris þat hade not be se afore. Though that some fables sey þat Yo was Jupiteris love and þat sche becam a kowe and after a woman as she was, [this was not so], but, as the poietis hathe hyde trowth vnder couerture of fable, it may be þat Jubiter lovid hire, þat is to vndirstond by the vertues þe which was in here^[278] she become a kowe, for, as a kowe yevith mylke, the which is swete and norisshyng, she be the letteris that she fonde gaffe norysshyng to |f. 29.| vnderstondyng. And in that she was a comon woman may be vndirstond that here wytte was comon to all, as lettris be comon to all peple. Þerfore it is seide þat þe good knygh shuld full mych love Yo,^[279] þe which may be vnderstondyn þe letteris and scriptures and stories of good peple, þe which þe good knygh shold hire telle gladely and reede þe example of, þe which may be vailable to hym. To this purpos Hermes seith, “Who so enforceth hyme to gete konyng and goode condicions, he fyndith þat þe which shall plese hym in this worlde and in the tothir.”

44Yo, the which is noted for letteris and scriptures, may be vnderstondyn þat þe good sperit shuld delyte hym to reede or to here Holy Writte and not^[280] þe Scriptures in his mynde, and thereby may he lerne to clyme to hevyn with Jhesu Cryst by good werkys and holy contemplacion and shuld beleve the worethi Article that Seynt Bertylmw seith, [“Ascendit ad cœlos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris Omnipotentis”].

XXX.

Beware in whatte place so that it be

In the noyse of flowtes slepe not ye;

For Mercurius that softe syngeth

With his flowte þe peple enchaunteth.

A ffabill seyth þat, when Jubiter louede fayre Yo, Juno had hym gretly in suspeccion and discendid from heven in a skye^[281] for to take hire husbonde whit^[282] the dede. But qwhan Jubiter sawe hir come, he chawnged his love to a cowe; yit for all that Juno was [not] owt of suspeccion, but askyd hym þe cowe of yifte, and Jubiter ayens his lyst grauntyd [it] to hyr, as he þat dryst not ayens say hire for doute of suspeccion. Þan Juno gaffe Argus, þe which hade .c. yen, this cow to kepe, and euer he wchid^[283] it. But the god Mercurius by þe commaundement of Jubiter toke his flowte, þe which song softly, and blew so longe in Argus eyre þat all his .c. eyne were aslepe. Than he smote of hys hede and toke the cowe.

The exposicion of this fable may be as þat some myghthi man loved a gentilwoman; than his wyf tooke to hire for to make wache on hir husbonde þat he disseyvyd hire not, and þeropon sette grete weches and clere seers, þe which may be noted for 45Argus eyne. But þe louer by a person malicius and well spekyng dide so miche þat þe kepers concentyd to gyf hym hys love, and thus were thei browght aslepe by Mercurius flowte and hade there hedes smyttyn off. There[fore] it is seyde to þe good knyght þat he shulde not suffre [himself] to be brought on slepe with non swiche flovte as to be robbed of that þe which he shuld kepe. And to this purpos Hermes seith, “Kepe thou fro þo that is gouuernede be malice.”

Be Mercurius flovte we may vnderstond þat þe goode sperit be |f. 30.| not disseyvid by þe hold enemy trowe^[284] ony mysbeleve of þe feyth or othir wyse than he shuld beleue stedefastly þe Article þat Seynt Matheu þe Euangelist seith, þat God shall come and iuge þe qweke and the dede, where he seith, [“Inde venturus iudicare vivos et mortuos”].

XXXI.

Thinketh that Pirus^[285] shalle resemble

His fadire and that he shal trobyle

His enemyis and put theyme to distres;

The deth he shall venge for Achilles.

Pyrus was Achilles sone and resembled full wele his ffadir in streyngh and hardines, and after the deth of his fadyr he come to Troye and full charply venged his fadir and hurte grettly the Troyens. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght þat, yf he have myssedone to the ffadir, lete hym be ware of the sone, when he comyth to age, and, yf the fadir be worthi or manly, þe sone shulde be þe same. The wise^[286] man seith to this purpose that the fadris dethe asketh the sone þe vengaunce þerfore.

46There where he seith þat Pirus shulde be lech his fader, by þat we may vnderstond the Holy Gost, the which procedyth of the Fadir, in whome the good sperit shulde beleve, as Seynt James þe lesse seith, [“Credo in Spiritum Sanctum”].

XXXII.

Haunt thow the temple and worchip in tyme

The godesse^[287] of heven, and at all tyme

Aftir Cassaundra kepe thow the gyse,

Yif þat þou wilt be holdyn for wyse.

Cassandra was Kyng Priantes doghtere, and she was a full good lady and a devoute in there lawe. She seruyd the godesse and haunted þe temple and she spak but lytell withowtyn cawse, and when she most speke she spake nothyng but that was trewe, ne she was neuer founde with no lesyng; she was full konyng. Therefor it is seide to þe good knygh þat he shulde be leke hir, for lewde costomes and lesynges ys gretly to blame in a knyte; for he shulde serue God and worchip the temple, þat is to sey, the chirche and the ministres thereof. And Pictagoras seith, “It is a ryght loveable thyng to serue God and to halowe hys seyntes.”^[288]

The a[u]ctorite seyth þat þe good knygh shulde haunte the |f. 31.| temple. In leche wyse the goode sperit shuld do, and he shulde haue synguler deuocion in the feythefull holy chirche and in the communion of seyntes, as the Article seyth that Seynt Symond made, the which seyth, [“Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem”].

47

XXXIII.

Yf þou wylt often haunt the se,

Of Neptunus thou shuld ofte remenbre the,

And thou shuldest halow gretly his feste,

That he may kepe the euer fro tempest.

Neptunus opon the paynemes lawe was called þe god of þe see, and therefor it is seyde to the good knygh þat he shuld serue hym, þat is to vndirstond þat knyghttes, the which gosh often in many viages on the se or in other diueres perelles, haue more nede to be devoute and to serue God and his seyntens than othir peplyl, to the entente [þat] at here nede he may be socourable and helpy to theyme. And thei shulde take a synguler deuocion to some seynte be deuowte prayers, by the which thei may calle to hym or hire in there besynes. And that prayer wyth hert is not all only sufficiaunt, the wise man seith that God all only ys not well serued be wordes but by goode dedes.

Be Neptunus to whom the good knygh shulde calle yf he go ofte by the se we shall vndirstond that the goode sperite, the [which] is continually in the se of the worlde, he shulde calle deuoutely opon his Maker and pray that he wylle gyffe hym grace so to life that he may haue remissyon of his synnes, and he shulde beleve the Article þat Seynt Jude seyth [“Remissionem peccatorum”].

XXXIV.

Looke at all tymes thou take goode hedde

Bothe to Acropose^[289] craft and his spede,

Which smyteth and sparyth non in no kynde;

That shal make the to haue þi soule in mynde.

48Poyetis calle deth Accropos; wherefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shulde thyngke þat he shal not euer lyffe in this worlde, but sone depart derefro. Therfor he shulde sette more store by the vertues of the soule than to delytte hym in bodely delytes; and all Christen pepill^[290] shulde thynkke þeropon to the entent that [t]he[i] myght remembre to^[291] provide for the soule, þe which shall endure withowtyn ende. And to this purpose Pytagoras seith that, lech as owre begynnyng comyht of God, owre ende most |f. 32.| nedes be there.

There where it is seyde to the good knygh that he shulde take hede to Acropos, the which is notyd for deth, the same shuld the goode sperite haue, the which by þe merites of the Passyon of owre Lord Jhesu Cryste shulde haue stedefaste hoope with the payne and delygence that he shuld put therto to haue heuen at the last ende; and he shuld beleue stedefastly to ryse ayene at þe day of dome to haue euerlestyng lyfe yf he deserue it, as Seynt Mathi seith in the last Article, where he seith, [“Carnis resurrectionem, vitam æternam”].

XXXV.

Belorophon^[292] lete hym example be

In all maner of dedes that doo will he,

The which hade mech leuer to dye

Than to supporte vntrouth be any weye.

Belorophon was a knyght of ryght grete beaute and full of trowthe. His stepmodir louyd hym so hoote þat sche required it of hym and, because that he wold not concent to hir will, sche dyde so myche that he was condempned to be deuoured with feers 49bestis, and he had mo lyste to chese the deth^[293] than to do vntrwthe. To this purpose Hermes seyth, “Be glader to dye withowte cawse than to do a inconuenyence.”

We schall come now to declare the Commawndementis off the Feyth, and there too we shall take an allegorie to oure purpose.

Berolophon, the which was so full of trowthe, may be noted for God of Heuen and, as his hy mercy hath ben to vs, and is, full of all trouth, we may take the Fryst Commawndement, the which seith, “Thou shalt worchip no strawnge goddes.” To this seith Seynt Austyn that the worchippe the which is called latre^[294] thou shulde not do it, neythir to ydoile ne to ymage ne to no lekenes of no maner of creature, for that is a dew worchyppe all only to God, and in this Commawndement is defendede all ydolatrie. To that owre Lord seyth in the Gospell, [“Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et illi soli seruies”].^[295]

XXXVI.

Maymon,^[296] thyn owyn trewe cosyn indede,

The which is thy neyghburgh at þi nede,

He louyd the so meche thou ought hym loue,

And for his nede arme thy body aboue.

Kyng Maymon was cosyn to Hector and of the Troyens lyne, |f. 33.| and when Hector [was] in fers bayteyles, where he was oftyn grettely oppressed with his enemyes, Maymon, the which was a full 50worchipfull knyght, folowed hym euer nere and socoured Hector and brake the grete presses of pepyll. And that shewed wele; ffor when Achilles hade sleyn hym by treson, Maymons wonded Achilles sore and [wolde haue] sleyne^[297] hym, hade not socoure acome to hym in hast. Therefor it is seide to the goode knygh þat he shulde loue hym and socoure hym at his nede; and this is to vnderstonde that euery prince and goode knygh which hath kyne, be thei neuer so lytell or poore, so he be goode and trwe,^[298] he shulde loue hym and support hym in his dedes and en specyall whene he felyth hym trewe to hym. And it happenyth some tyme that a grete prince is better louede and more trwly of his poore kyne than off a full myghtye man. And to this purpose seith Rabyon^[299] the phelesophre, “Encres ffrendes, for they shall be socourable to the.”

Be Maymon, þe trwe cosyn, we may vnderstonde God of Heven, þe which hath bene a full trwe cosyn for to take owre manhode, þe which benefette we may not guerdon. Thus here may we take the Secunde Commawndement, that seith, “Thow shalte not take the name of God in veyne,” that is to sey, as Seynt Austyn seith,^[300] “Thou shalt not swere dyshonestly, ne withowte a cawse, ne for colour of falsenes, for there may no gretter abusyon ben than to brynge to a flasse^[301] wittenes the chefe and the ryghte stefast trowthe.” And in this Commawndement all lesynges be defendede, all periure and all blaspheme. The lawe seith to this purpose, [“Non habebit Dominus insontem eum qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra”].^[302]

51

XXXVII.

Avyse the, or ony worde be shewede,

Off grete manisynges,^[303] nyse or lewde,

Comyng forthe of thi mowth be to grete ire,

And looke well in Leomedom the fire.^[304]

Leomedon was kyng of Troye and fader to Priant and, when Jason, Hercules and theire felawes went to Colcos for to gete the flese of gold and were arived and discendid at the porte of Troye ffor to refreysche theyme withowte ony hurte of the cuntre, Leomedon, not wele avised, sent bostus mesangers^[305] to voyde theyme of the lond and to manyce theym gretly, if thei voyded not in hast. Than the barons of Grece were so wrooth for that wrongfull conveyng þat after that folowede the destruccion of the fryst Troye. Þerfor it is seide to þe good knyght that, stondyng the worde of manace is foule and velyens, it shulde be sadely passede^[306] or that it were spokyne, for many grete hurtes oftyn |f. 34.| tymes folowyth theroff. To this purpose the poyete Omer seith, “He is wyse that can refreyne his mowth.”

How the worde of grete manase cometh of arrogaunce, and þat to breke þe Commawndment it is also an ouerhoope,^[307] we may vndyrstonde by this that noon shulde breke the halyday, for þat is ayenst the Commawndment þat is seide, “Vmbethynke the to halowe the Sabat.” By the which Seynt Austyn seith it is commawndede vs to halowe the Sunday in the stede of the Jues Sabat, for than we shuld solemply allso take reste bodyly, cesyng solemply of all werkes of thralledom, and to be in rest of sowle in cesyng 52off all synne. And to this purpose Ysaye seyth, the profyte, [“Quiescite agere perverse, discite bene facere”].^[308]

XXXVIII.

Trust no thyng to be in certeynete

Vnto that þe trowth wele knowyn be;

For a lytell of presumcion

Piramus maketh the mencion.

Pyramus was a yong ientylman of the cyte of Babylonie, and ffro that he was but vii. yere olde loue woundede hym with his darte, and [he] was sore takyne with the loue of Tysbe the feyre yong ientylwoman, þe which was leke to hym in kyn and of age; and by þe grete hauntyng of þe twoo louers togedir þe grete loue was perseyuid and by a seruaunte accused to þe modir of þe yong gentylvoman, þe which tooke hir dougter and schette hir in hir chambre and she shulde kepe hir wele inowgh from the hauntyng of Piramus. And þerfor þer was grete woo betwyne þe two childyrne in full pitous complayntes and wepyng. That prison dured longe, but as they wexe in age þe sparke of loue encressed; for all ther longe absence it qwenchid neuer the more. Bytweyne þe places of ther kyne^[309] was but a thynne wall. Thesbe perceyved the wall crassed,^[310] where throw she saw brygnes^[311] on the toþer side; than she toke the pendavnde of hir gyrdill^[312] and put it throw the crevesse to þe entent þat hir loue myht perseyue it, as that he dede in schorte tyme. And there thei ii^o louers made ofte there assembles wiht full petous compleyntes. At the laste, as two sore constreynyd be loue, there acorde was sich that [that] nyte in the fryst qwarter of the nyght they shulde parte fro there kynne and 53mete withowte the cyte at a well vndir a qwythe thorne,^[313] w[h]ere in there childehode they were wonte to pleye. When Thesbe was come to the welle all alone and ferefull, she harde a lyon come full rudly, ffor the which she, full of fere, fledde and layde hyr in a bosche fast by; but in the waye felle from hir a white wymple. Piramus come, the which by the moneshyne perseyuyd the wymple, but the lyon hade fylyd it and made it all blody, the^[314]

In^[315] as mych as the nutte is better than the shelle,^[316] it is seyde |f. 35.| to the good knyght þat he shulde not sette his thowght in felicite, þat þe parseyvyng of worthines be leste therefor. To this purpose Hermes seith that it is better to haue pouerte in doyng goode dedys than riches lewdly or evyl getyn, standing worthines is euerlestyng and riches voide and dissauable.

Juno, whom he shulde not sette myche by, þe which is takyn for ryches, we may vnderstond þerby þat þe good spyrit shulde 54disprayse ryches. And Seynt Bernard seith, “O son off Adam, leue couetyse. Wherefor louest thou so mych this worldly ryches, the which be neythir trwe ne thei be not yowres, and, wheþþer ye will or non, at yowre dethe ye most nedis leue theyme?” And the Gospell seyth þat a chamelle shuld souner passe throwe an nedelles ye than a riche man shuld entre into the kynddom of heuen; for a chamel hath but oo boche on the bake^[317] and the evyl ryche man hath .ii^o., on of evill possessions and þe tothir of synnes. He most nedis leue the fryst boche at the dethe, but þe tothir, wheythir he will or non, he shall bere with hym, if he leue it not afore or that he dye. To this purpose oure Lord seith in þe Gospell, [“Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire quam divitem intrare in regnum cœlorum”].^[318]

L.

Ayens Amphoras^[319] sad counsell, I þe sey,

Go not to distrye, for than thou shalt dye,

To Thebes, ne in the cete of Arges

Assemble not host with chelde ne targes.

Amphoras was a full wyse clerk of the cete of Arges and hade myche connyng, and, when kyng Adrastus wolde go oppon Thebes for to distrye the cyte, Amphoras, þe which by kunnyng knewe what harme myth fall þerof, counseld the kyng not to goo, for, yf he wente, thei all shulde be dede a[n]d dystroyed; but he was not beleuyd. Yit it felle as he seyde. Wherefor it is seide to the good knyght þat ayens the counsell of wyse men he shulde take no grete enterpryse. But as Soleyne^[320] seith, “The wyse manes counsell vayleth lytell to hym þat wyl not do therafter.”

55Be Amphoras counsel, ayens the which non shulde goo to bateyle, we may take that the goode sperit shuld folowe holy prechyngges. And Seynte Gregorie seyth in his Omelies þat, lech as the lyffe of the body may notte be susteyned withowte that he take his refeccion bodyly, on the same wyse þe lyfe of the soule may not be |f. 36| susteined withowte ofte heryng the good worde of God.^[321] Than Godes wordes the which ye here^[322] with youre bodely heris reseyue them in yowre hertis; for, whan the word is hed and kepte in yowre wombe of mynde, than it may profyte, but, as a seke stomak castyth owt his mete, and as men be in dispayre of hym that brokyth notte but casti[t]h all owte, euen so his he in perell of euerlastyng dethe þat heryth prechyng and doth not þerafter. Þerfor the Scriptur seith, [“Non in omni solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo quod procedit de ore Dei.”]^[323]

LI.

Gouerne thou thi tong aftir Saturne;

Late not evill theryn long soiorne.

To speke to mech it is a fowle custome,

And grete foly þerin is to presume.

Saturne, as I haue seide before,^[324] is a planeth hevy and sclowe. Therfor it is seide to þe good knyght that his tong shulde be leke to hym; for the tong shulde not be to hasty in spekyng to mych, but wysyly, so that it speke non harme of noon, ne no thyng þat a mane myth there impresun folye,^[325] for a poyete seyth, “By the worde men knowyth a wyse man, and by the looke a foole.”

56Be the tong, the which shulde be lech Saturne, is vndirstonden the sadenes^[326] of speche. Hue of Seynt Victore seith to this purpose that þe mouth þe which hathe not the kepyng of discrecion farith as a cete that is withoute a walle, as a vessell that hathe no bothom,^[327] as an horse that hath no brydel, and as a chippe þat hath no rothir. An evil kepte tong glydith as an ele, it perchith as an arwe; frendes [are] sone turned therby and ennemyes multiplied. It is sclaunderus and soweth discordes; at a strok it smyttyth and kyllyth many persones. Whoso kepyth his tong kepith his soule; for^[328] deth and lyffe is in the poure off þe soule. And to this purpose Dauid seith in the Sawter booke, [“Prohibe linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolum”].^[329]

LII.

Beleue the Crow and his true counsell,

And be neuer besy ne trauele

In evil thyngges to be þe berer;

Off thi deme thou mayst be þe suerer.^[330]

The fable seith that the crowe mette þe ravyn when he browte the tidynges to Phebus of his loue Corinis, þe which hade done |f. 37.| amysse, and she^[331] requiryd of hym so ferre þat he tolde hyr^[332] the cawse of this iurneye. But^[333] she dissalowed hyme because he 57went not for to gyffe hym example of the same, the which for a lych cas hade ben chassede owte of the pallas howse, where some [time] [s]he was wonte to be gretly avanced. But he wolde not beleue hyr, for þe which harme folowed to hym. Where it is seyde to þe good knyght þat he shulde trost þe crowe; and Platon seith, “Be no iangeler ne to the knyng grete reportur of tydynges.”

How the crowe shulde be beleued, it is seide that the goode speryte shulde vse sych counsell. As Seynt Grigorie seith in his Omelies, þat strenght vailet not when counsel is not, ffor streynght is sone ouerthrowyn, iffe it be not rested opon the gyfte of counsell, and the soule þe whych hath lost in hym the seege of counsell outewarde he is dysparbuled^[334] in diuerse desires. Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Si intraverit sapientia cor tuum, consilium custodiet te et prudentia servabit te”].^[335]

LIII.

Iff thou enforce the with^[336] any wyght

Strenger than thou to make playes of myghte,

Withdrawe the fayre þat hurte thou ne be;

Off Ganymedes vmbethynk the.

Ganymedes^[337] was a yong ientilman of the Troyens ligne; and a fable seith þat Phebus and he strof togedir in castyng of a barre of yron, and, as Ganymedes myth not withstond the strenght of Phebus, he was slayne wyth þe reboundyng of þe barre Phebus hade lawnchyd so hye that he had lost þe syght þerof. And þerfor it is seyde that þe stryffe is not goode with a strenger and a 58myghtier than a man is hym selfe, ffor ther may not cumme thereof but grete inconuenyencie. Where a wyse man seith, “To be besy with men þat vse vngracious games, it is a syngne of pride, and communly the ende is angry.”

Fore to sey that a man shuld not enforce hym ayens a streynger þan he is hym selfe, it is to vndirstond that the goode sperite shulde not take on hym to stronge pennawnce withowte counsell. Seynt Grigori in his Moralles spekyth hereof and seyth þat penawnce profytteth not, yf it be not discrete, ne the vertue of abstynens is not worthe, yf it be sette in sych wyse that it be scharper than the body may suffre. And þerfor it is to conclude þat no poore person shulde take it on hym withowte counsel off more discrete than hym selfe. Where the wyse man seyth in his Prouerbes, [“Ubi multa consilia, ibi est salus”].^[338]

LIV.

Resemble not to Jasone, that man |f. 38.|

The which throuȝ Medee þe fleze wan

Off golde, for þe which soon afterwarde

He yafe hire right evill guerdon and harde.

Jason was a knyght of Grece, þe which went into strawnge cuntreis, that is to sey, into the Ile of Colcos, by the enortyng off his vncle Pelleus, the which of envy desired his deth. There was a chepe^[339] þat hadde a flees of golde and it was kepte by enchauntment; but the conquest was so strong that non comme thedir but that lost there lyfe. Medee, the whiche was the kynges doughter of that cuntre, toke so grete loue to Jason þat by the enchauntmentes that sche cowde, off the which sche was a soueren maysteres, she made charmes and lerned Jason enchauntementis by the whiche 59he whanne the fleese of golde, wereby he hade worchip aboue all knyttes lyvynge, and by Medee was reserued fro deth, to whom he hade promysyd euer to be trwe freende. But efftyr he fayled of hys feyth and loued anothir and left hyr holy^[340] and forsoke hir, notwithstondyng she was off soueren beaute. Therfor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shulde not be leke to Jason, the which was vnknowyn and to ontrwe to þat the which hade schewed hym mych goodenes.^[341] Wherefor it is to veleyns a thyng for a knyght or any nobill person to be rekeles or evyll knowyng of goodenesse, iff any he hath reseyuyd, be it of lady or off gentylwoman or off ony othir persone; ffor he shulde euere thynke thereon and guerdon it vnto his powere. To this purpose Hermes seith, “Be not slowe ne delayyng to remembre of hym þat hath doone the goode, for thou shuldest euer thynkke thereopon.”

The good sperite shulde not be leke to Jason, the which was rekeles, ne vncunnyng of the benefices reseyvid of his Maker. And Seynt Barnarde seith opon the Cantecles that vnkunnyng is ennemye to the soule, a lesser of vertues and dispraysyng of meritis and a lessyng of beneficis, and allso ingratitude fareth as nowght,^[342] the which dryeth the well of pete, the dewe of grace and the reuer of mercye. And to this purpose the wyse man seith, [“Ingrati enim spes tanquam hibernalis glacies tabescet et disperiet tanquam aqua supervacua.”]^[343]

LV.

Kepe the wele fro the serpent Gorgon; |f. 39.|

Be ware that thou looke not hyr^[344] opon;

Haue good sadde mynde opon Percyualle,^[345]

And he shall the tell the story all.

60Gorgon, as the fable seith, was a gentylvoman of souereyne beaute; but because that Phebus^[346] lay by hyr in the temple of Diane, the godes was so sore meved and grevyd that she schawnged hir into a serpent of ryght orribil figure. And þat serpent hade sich a propirte þat euery man that [be]helde hir was changed sodeynely into a ston; and for the harme that folwed of hire Percyvale, the worthi knyght, went for to fyght with that fers beste. And he behelde hym selfe in the bryghtnes of his shelde, the whiche was all golde, because he shulde not beholde the evill serpent, and he dide so mych þat he smote of hir^[347] hede. Many exposicions may be made of this fable, and Gorgon may be vndirstonden for a cete or a towne þat was wonte to be of grete bounte, but throw the vicis of the duellers þerin it become a serpent and venemus; that is to vnderstonde, þat it dede mych harme in the marches to there neygburs, as to robbe and to pyll holy chirche,^[348] all tho þat thei myghte gete, and merchawndys and othir passeris forby were takyn and holden and put in streyte presonys and thus were thei chawnged into stones. Percivale, that behelde hym selfe in his chelde, þat is to sey, in his strynght and knyghode, and went to fyght ayens the cite, he tooke it and tooke the power fro it, þat it dede no more harme.^[349] It myght be that some man myght take a full feyre lady of evyll dedys, þe which bi hire couetise put many from there goodes, but he put hir from þat wyll; and many othir vndirstondynges may be sette herein. Therefor it is seide to þe good knyght that he kepe hym fro behaldyng evill thyngges, þe which myght drawe hym to evyll. And Aristotil seith, “Fle peple full of wikydnes and befolowe wyse men and stody in there bookes and beholde thy selfe in theire dedes.”

How that Gorgon shulde notte be beholden, þat is to sey þat 61þe good sperite shuld not behold no thyng in no maner delyte, but beholde^[350] hym in þe childe^[351] of þe state of perfeccion, and þat is for to fle delites. Aristotyl^[352] seithe þat, as it is impossibyl þat [fire shuld burn in water, so it is impossibyl þat] compunccion^[353] of herte is among wor[l]dly delites, for thei be .ii^o. contrary thynges þat distroyith iche of them othir, for compunccion is modir of terres and delites engenderyth laughynges, compunccion restreynyth the |f. 40.| hert and delites enlargeth it. To thys purpose seyth Holy Scripture, “They þat sowyn in wepyng shal repyn in lawyng.”^[354]

LVI.

Yf that loue make shorte to þe þe nyght,

Be ware Phebus noye the not with his myght,

Wherby thou mayst be take and tied

In Vlnecans lyeines and ouerleyede.^[355]

A ffable seith that Mars and Venus loued togedir par amovres. It ffelle on a nyght that þe^[356] loueres were aslepe, arme in arme. Phebus, the which sawe clerly, come opon theyme and for the which he accused theyme to Vulcans, Venus husbond. Than he, þat sawe theyme in that plyte, forged a lyeine and a cheyne of bras and bond them togedir so that thei myght not meve, as he þat is smyth of heuen and can worke sotely, and thus he come opon 62theyme and thanne went he forth [to] the tothir godes^[357] and sheued theyme his shame. And the fable seith that sich rotters there be þat wolde full fayne falle in þe same mysdede.^[358] To this fabill may be sette diuers exposicions, and it may full souereynly towche some poyntes of astronomye^[359] to tho þat sotely can vndirstond it. Mars^[360] to owre purpose seith þat þe good knyght shulde kepe hym þat in syche [cas] he be not ouerlede before yetilnes of tyme.^[361] And a wyse man seith, “Vnnethes is ony thynge of secrete but that of some it is perceyuyd.”

There where þe auctorite seith þat, if lowe^[362] schorte the nyghte to the, we shall sey þat þe gode sperit shulde kepe hym from þe wacches of the fende. Seynt Leo the pope seith to this, þat þe holde ennemy, the which transfygured hym into an angell of lyght,^[363] sesseth not to strech his snaris of temptacions ouer all and to aspie how he may corumpe þe feithe of good beleuers; he beholdyth whome he shall embrace with þe fyer of couetyse, whom he shall enflame with the brennyng desyre of lechery, to whom he shall purpose the lekerousnes of glotenye; he examynyth of all customes, discutyth of hertes, commyteth^[364] affeccions and there seketh he cause of iniure where he fyndeth hyme. Therefor seyth Seynt Petyr the apostle, [“Sobrii estote et vigilate quia adversarius vester diabolus tanquam leo rugiens circuit quærens quem devoret”].^[365]