tolde the trouth of his foole fo eodem ¶ Howe Roboas by enclyning to yonge counsayle and refusynge of olde lost .x. partes of his kyngedome fo eodem ¶ whether were beter a wise prince with yuell counsayle or a folisshe prince with good counseyle fo clxvi ¶ Of Anthonius whiche by example of Scipio sayde he had leauer to saue o 〈…〉 his owne people than slee an L. of 〈◊〉 â—emes fo eodem ¶ Of â—he fyfte polycie belongynge to a prynce called chastite fo eodem ¶ Howe a prynce to reioyce his mynde ought some tyme to beholde beautyfull women fo clxvii ¶ Howe Sardanapaulus became all womanliche wherby he was subdued and lost his realme fo eodem ¶ Howe kynge Dauid for the loue of women lefte not of the exercise of knighthode fo eodem ¶ How Cirus the kinge of Perse coude not subdue the Lydes tyll by disceyte be caused them to falle to lykinges of flesshely lustes fo eodem ¶ Howe Amoleche by counsayle of Balaam sent feyre women to the hebrewes whiche were cause that the hebrewes were ouercome and discomfite fo clxviii ¶ Howe Salomon was ouercome with carnall concupiscence and howe by then ticiment of his concubines he dyd worshyppe false goddes fo eodem ¶ Howe Achias the prophet shewed before vnto Ieroboas the son of Nabal that after Salomons deth he shulde reigne ouer .x. tribes of Israell fo eodem ¶ Howe Arrous the sonne of Tarquine by a false imagination deceyued and subdued the Gabiens fo clxix ¶ How and vnder what maner Arrous rauished Lucrece fo eodem ¶ Howe the worthy knyght Virginius slough his owne doughter because she shulde not lese her virginite fo clxxii ¶ A ryght notable example bowe the delite and lust in maryage ought to be moderate by the seuen husbondes of Sara the doughter of Raguelis which were slayne the fyrst night of their mariage by a fende called Asmodius And howe Thoby was preseruedde by the counseile of the angel Raphael fo eodeÌ„ ⧠The contentis of the eyght boke ¶ Howe some in loues cause do against nature as in theyr kynred and syâ—rede both contrary to the lawes of reasone and of the churche fo clxxiii ¶ Howe Caius Calygula lay by his owne thre sisters and afterwarde exiled them And howe Amon also ageynste kinde rauished his owne syster Tâ—amar the whiche dede he dere a bought â—fterwarde fo clxxiiii ¶ How Loth lay by his owne two doughters and gote on them two sonnes of the which the one was called Moab and the other Amon fo clxxv ¶ A wretched example of a king named Antiochus whiche defouled his owne doughter and of the probleme that he put to them that desyred to haue her vnto wyfe fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolyn of Tyre came to Antioche and desyred the kinges doughter and howe he assoyled the kynges probleme fo eodem ¶ what the question was that the kyng Antiochus put to them that desyred to haue his doughter fo clxxvi ¶ Howe Appolyn for feare of the great and cruelle kynge Antiochus fledde aweye and durste not abyde in his owne propre countrey fo clxxvii ¶ Howe the kynge Antiochus sente a â—â—â—ht pryuely to Tyre to slee Appolyne 〈◊〉 poyâ—â—n fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolyn arriued in the hauen of â—haâ—â—â— and was lodged with Stranâ—â—â—â— fo eodem ¶ Howe one Hilcane a citezen of Tyre 〈◊〉 â—o Tharse and howe he knewe Apâ—â—â—â—â— and warned hym of Antiochus 〈◊〉 and howe Appolyn therfore for 〈◊〉 â—â—â—rfe and sayled to Pentapolyn 〈◊〉 â—â—we he dydde behaue hym selfe 〈◊〉 fo clxxvij ¶ Howe the kynges doughter of Penâ—â—â—â— loued Appolyn and forsoke all 〈◊〉 â—â—r his sake that offered to marye 〈◊〉 â—â—d howe atte laste he maryed 〈◊〉 fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolinus wyfe trauayled on the 〈◊〉 and howe she there dyed and of the great calamites that felle to hym afterwarde fo clxxix ¶ How Appolyn delyuered his doughter to nource and of the wretched chances that she had fo clxxx ¶ Of the dole and beuynes that Appolâ—â— made whaÌ„ he thought his doughter hadde ben deed and howe at laste he sonde her fo clxxx iij. ¶ Howe Apolyn mette with his wyfe that he for deade before hadde cast in to the see fo clxxxiiij ¶ Howe Apolin toke wreche on Strangulio and Dionyse his wyfe for theyr falsheed fo eodem ¶ Howe the louer for a fynal conclusion of his confession desyred counsayle of his confessor fo clxxxv ¶ Howe fynally Genius enioyneth the louer these thynges that be bolsome for hym fo eodem ¶ The controuersye that felle betwen the confessor and the louer in the ende of his confession fo clxxxvi ¶ The fourme of a supplication that Genius in the louers behalfe delyuered to Venus fo eodem ¶ The aunswere that Venus made to the same supplication after she hadde resceyued it fo clxxxvij ¶ Howe Venus scorneth them which that in theyr olde age sette theyr hartes to be louers fo eodem ¶ Howe the mockynge exhortation of Venus had almost slayne the louer for sorowe fo eodem ¶ The names of the ioly louers bothe yonge and olde that came to comforte this louer in his dedly peyne fo eodem ¶ Howe Cupyde whan he had serched the bowels of the louer and fonde that he was wetheredde awey by age drewe out of hym his fyry darte fo clxxxix ¶ Howe the state of manne is compared to the monthes of the yere fo Lxc. ¶ Here in the ende he maketh a recapitulation on that that he promysed touchynge loues cause in the begynnynge of the boke for he concludeth that all delectation of loue out of Charite is nothynge fo Lxci ¶ Thus endeth the table of this warke entitled Gower de Confessione Amantis ¶ To the moste victorious / and our moste gracious soueraigne lorde kynge Henry the .viii. kynge of Englande and of France / Defender of the feyth / and lorde of Irelande c. PLutarke wryteth / whan Alexander had discoÌ„fyte Darius the kynge of Perse / amonge other iewels of the sayde kynges there was founde a curyous lyttell cheste of great value / whiche the noble kynge Alexander beholdynge / sayde This same shall serue for Homere whiche is noted for the great loue and fauour / that Alexander had vnto lernynge But this I thynke veryly / that his loue and fauour therto / was not so great as your gracis whiche caused me / moost victorious / and most redoubted souerayne lorde / after I had printed this warke / to deuyse with my selfe / whether I myght be so bolde to presente your hyghnesse with one of them / and so in your gracis name putte them forthe your moste hygh and most princely maieste abasshed and cleane discouraged me so to do / both bicause the present as concernynge the value was farre to symple / as me thought / and bycause it was none other wyse my acte / but as I toke some peyne to prynte it more correctly than it was before And though I shulde
bâ—as they were vpon to se His legges they were made all of steele So were his feete also somdele And somedele parte to them was take Of â—â—rthe whiche men pottes make The â—â—ble mengled was with the strong So myght it not stande longe 〈…〉 de quodaÌ„ sapide graÌ„di qui 〈…〉 â—â—edatur ab excesso m◠〈…〉 cortues in sam quasi 〈…〉 penitus contriâ—it ¶ And tho me thought / that I syghe 〈…〉 from an bylle an highe 〈…〉 of sodeyne auenture 〈…〉 of this figure 〈…〉 stone all to broke was 〈…〉 â—â—â—er the stele and bras 〈…〉 pouder brought 〈…〉 â—â—â—ed in to nought 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—tione sommi et pri◠〈…〉 â—urei 〈…〉 was the swenen which he had 〈…〉 auoâ—e aâ—â—d 〈◊〉 hym that figure straunge 〈◊〉 â—eth how the world shal chaÌ„ge 〈◊〉 â—lasse worth and lasse 〈◊〉 to nought all ouer passe 〈…〉 and hede that weren golde 〈…〉 howe that betoken shulde 〈◊〉 thy worlde a noble a ryche To whâ—che none after shall be lyche Depectore argenteo ¶ Of â—â—er that was ouer forthe 〈…〉 a worlde of la e worthe De ventre eneo ¶ And after that the â—ombe of bras â—oken of a wers world it was The whiche steele he sawe afterwarde A worlde betâ—keneth more harde De tibeis ferreis ¶ But yet the werste of euery dele Is last / that when of erth and steele He sawe the fete departed so For that betokeneth moche wo ¶ De significatione pedum que ex duabus materus discordantibus ad inuseeÌ„ diuisi extiterunt ¶ whan that the worlde deuided is It mot algate fare amys For erthe / whiche mengled is with stele To gydre may not laste we le But if that one that other waste So mote it nedes falle at the laste ¶ De sapide statuam confringente The stone / whiche froÌ„ that bylly stage He sawe downe falle on that ymage And hath it in to poudre broke That sweuen hath Daniel vnloke And sayde / that it is goddes myght whiche whan men wene moste vpright To stonde / shall them ouer caste And that is of this worlde the laste And than a newe shall begynne From whiche a man shal neuer twinne Or all to payne / or all to pees That worlde shall laste endles ¶ Hic seribit quasiter huius seculi regna bariso mutationibus preut in dicta statua figurabatur secuÌ„dum temporum diftinetiones sensibiliter hactenus duminuuntur ¶ Lo thus expowned Daniel The kynges sweuen faire and wel In Babylone the cyte where that the wysest of Laldee He couden wytte what it mente But be tolde all the hoole entente As in partie it is befalle Of golde the fyrst regne of all ¶ De seculo aureo quod in capite statue designatum est a tempore in suis Nabugodonosoria regis Casdee vsque in regmi Cyri regis Persaril was in that kynges tyme tho And last many dayes so There / whiles that the monarchye Of all the worlde in that partye To Babylone was subgette And helde hym styll in suche a plight Tyll that the worlde began dyuerse And that was / whaÌ„ the kynge of Perse whiche Lyrus hyght / ayen the pees Forthe with his sonne Lambyses Of Babylone all that Empyre Ryght as they wolde them selfe desire Put vnder in subiection And toke it in possession And slayne was Baltasar the kynge whiche lost his reigne / all his thynge ¶ De seculo argented / quod in pectore designatum est a tempore ipsius regis Cyri vsque in regnum Alexandri regis Macedonie ¶ And thus whan they had it wonne The worlde of syluer was begonne And that of golde was passed out And in thus wyse it goth aboute In to the reigne of Darius And than it felle to Perse thus There Alexander put them vnder which wroght of armes many a woÌ„der So that the monarchie lefte with grekes / and their astate vp lefte And Persiens gone vnder foote So suffre they / that nedes mote ¶ De seculo eneo quod in veÌ„fte designatum est a tempore ipsius Alexandri vsque in regnuÌ„ Iulu Romanorum imperatoris ¶ And tho the worlde began of bras And that of siluer ended was But for the tyme thus it laste Tyll it befelle / that at laste This king / whaÌ„ that his day was come with strength of dethe was ouercome And netheles yet or he dyde He shope his reigne to deuyde To knyghtes / whiche hym had serued And after that they haue deserued yafe the conquestes / that he wanne wherof great werre tho beganne Amonge them / that the reignes had Through proud enuy / whiche them lad Tyll it befelle ayene them thus The noble Lesar Iulius whiche tho was kynge of Rome londe with great batayle / and stronge honde All Grece / Perse / and Chaldee wan / and put vnder so that he Not all only of thorient But all the marche of thoccident Gouerneth vnder his Empyre As he that was holle lorde and syre And helde through his chyualrye Of all the worlde the monarchye And was the fyrste of that honour whiche taketh name of Emperour ¶ De seculo ferreo quod in tibiis designatuÌ„ est a tempore Iulu Cesaris vsque in regnum Caro si magni regis Francorum ¶ where Rome than wolde assayle There myght no thynge contreuayle But euery contrey must obeye Tho goth the reigne of bras aweye And comen is the worlde of steele And stode aboue vpon the whele As steele is hardest in his kynde Aboue all other / that men fynde Of metalles / suche was Rome tho The myghtyest / and laste so Longe tyme amonge the Romayns Tyll they become so vylayns That the emperour Leo with Constaunce his sonne also The patrimonye / and the rychesse whiche to Syluester in pure almesse The fyrste Constantinus lefte Fro holy churche they berefte But Adryan / whiche pope was And sawe the mischefe of this cas Gothe in to Fraunce for to playne And prayeth the great Charlemayne For Chrystes sake / and soule hele That he wolde take the quarele Of holy churche in his defence And Charles / for the reuerence Of god / the cause hath vndertake And with his hoste the waye hath take Ouer the mountes of Lumbardye Of Rome / and all the tyrannye with blody swerde he ouercome And the cytie with strenght nome In suche a wyse / and ther he wrought That holy churche ayene he brought In to Fraunchyse / and dothe restore The popes luste and yaf hym more And thus whaÌ„ he his god hath serued / He toke as he hath well deseruyd The dâ—ademe and was corouned Of Rome and thus was abandoned Th empyre / whiche came neuer agayne In to the hande of no Romayne But a longe tyme it stode stylle Vnder the Frenss he kynges wylle Tyll that fortune her whele so lad That afterwarde the LuÌ„bardes it had â—â—t by the sword but by the suffrauÌ„ce 〈…〉 that tho was kyng of FrauÌ„ce 〈◊〉 Carle Caluus cleped was 〈◊〉 he
wenyng hath farde by me For whan I wende next haue be As I by my wenyng caste Than was I fortheste at laste And as a foole my bowe vnbende when all was fayled that I wend For thy my fader as of this That my wenynge hath gone amys Touchend to Surquedrye Yeue me my penaunce or I dye But if ye wolde in any forme Of this matter a tale enforme whiche were ayene this vice set I shulde fare well the bet ¶ Hic ponit confessor exemplum contra illos / qui suis viribus presumentes debisiores efficiūtur Et narrat qualiter ille Campaneus miles in armis probatissimus de sua presumens audacia inuocationē ad superos tempore necessitatis ex vecordia tm̄ et non aliter primitus prouenisse asseruit vnde in obsidione ciuitatis Thebarum / cum ipse quodam die coram suis hostibus ad debellandum se obtulit / ignis de ceso subito super veniens ipsū armatil totaliter in cineres cōbussit My sonne in all maner wyse Surquedrye is to despyse wherof I fynde write thus The proud knyght Cāpaneus He was of such Surquedrye That he through his chyualrye Vpon hym selfe so mochel truste That to the goddes hym ne luste In no quarell to beseche But sayde it was an ydell speche whiche cause was of pure drede For lacke of herte and for no nede And vpon suche presumption He helde this proude opinion Tyll at the laste vpon a day About Thebes where be lay whan it of syege was beleyne This knyght as the Cronyke seyne In all mannes syght there whan he was proudest in his gere And thought nothinge might him dere Full armed with his shelde and spere As be the citie wolde assayle God toke hym selfe the batayle Ayenst his pride and fro the sky A fyry thonder sodeynly He sende and hym to poudre smote And thus the pride whiche was hote whan he most in his strength wende was brent and lost withouten ende So that it proueth well therfore The strength of man is sone lore But if that he it well gouerne And ouer this a man may lerne That eke full ofte tyme it greueth what that a man hym selfe beleueth As though it shulde hym well beseme That he all other men can deme And hath foryete his owne vice A tale of them that be so nyce And feynen them selfe to be so wyse I shall the telle in suche a wise wherof thou shalte ensample take That thou no suche thynge vndertake ¶ Hic loquitur confessor contra illos qui de sua scientia presumentes aliorum cōdiciones diuidicantes indiscrete redarguunt / Et narrat exemplum de quodam principe regis Hungarie germano / qui cum fratrem suum pauperibus in publico vidit humiliatum / ipsum redarguendo in contrarium edocere presumabat / sed rex omni sapiencia prepollens / ipsum sic incante presumentem ad humilitatis memoriam teribili prouidentia mitius castigauit ¶ I fynde vpon Surquedry Nowe that whylom of Hungarye By olde dayes was a kynge wyse and honest in all thynge And so befelle vpon a daye And that was in the moneth of May As thylke tyme it was vsaunce This kynge with noble purueyaunce Hath for hym selfe his chare arayed wherin he wolde ryde amayed Out of the citie for to playe with lordes and with great noblay Of lusty folke that were yonge where somme playde and some songe And some gone and some ryde And some prycke her horse asyde And brydlen them nowe in nowe out The kynge his eie cast aboute Tyll he was at laste ware And sawe comynge ageyne his chare Two pylgremes of so great age That lyke vnto a drye image That weren pale and fade hewed And as a busshe whiche is besnewed Theyr berdes weren hore and whyte There was of kynde but a lyte That they ne semen fully deade They come to the kynge and bede Some of his good pur charite And he with great humilyte Out of his chare to grounde lepte And them in both his armes kepte And kyst them both foote and honde Before the lordes of his londe And yafe them of his good therto And whan he hath this dede do He goth into his chare ageyne Tho was murmour tho was disdeyne Tho was complaynt on euery syde They sayden of their owne pryde Echone tyll other what is this Our kynge hath do this thinge amysse So to abesse his royaltie That euery man it myght se And humbled hym in suche a wyse To them that were of none empryse Thus was it spoken to and fro Of them that were with hym tho All priuely behynde his backe But to hym selfe no man spake The kynges brother in presence was thylke tyme and great offence He toke therof and was the same Aboue all other whiche moste blame Vpon his lyege lorde hath leyde And hath vnto the lordes seyde Anone as be may tyme fynde There shall nothynge be lefte behynde That he woll speke vnto the kynge Now lyste what felle vpon this thyng They were mery and fayre ynough Echone with other playde and lough And fellen in to tales newe Nowe that the fresshe floures grewe And howe the grene leaues spronge And howe that loue amonge the yonge Beganne the hertes than wake And euery byrde hathe chose his make And thus the Mays day to th ende They lede and home ayene they wende The kynge was not so sone come That whan he had his chambre nome His brother ne was redye there And brought a tale vnto his eare Of that he dyd suche ashame In hyndrynge of his owne name whan he hym selfe so wolde dretche That to so vyle a powre wretche Hym deyneth shewe suche symplesse Agaynst the state of his noblesse And sayth he shall it no more vse And that he mote hym selfe excuse Towarde his lordes euerychone The kynge stode styll as any stone And to his tale an eare he layde And thought more than he sayde But netheles to that he herde well curtoysly the kynge aunswerde And tolde it shulde ben amended And thus whan that their tale is ended All redy was the borde and clothe The kynge vnto his souper goth Amonge the lordes to the halle And whan they hadden souped all They token leue and forth they go The kynge bethought hym selfe tho Howe he his brother may chastie That he through his surquedrye Toke vpon honde and to dispreyse Humilite whiche is to preyse And thervpon yafe suche counseyle Towarde his king / whiche was vnheyle wherof to be the better lered He thinketh to maken hym afered It felle so that in thylke dawe There was ordeyned by the lawe A Trompe with a sterne breath whiche was cleped the trompe of deth And in the Court where the kyng was A certeyne man this trompe of brasse Hath in kepynge and therof serueth That whan a lorde his dethe deserueth He shall this dredefull trompe blowe Tofore his gate and make it knowe Howe that the iugement
is yeue Of deathe whiche shall not be foryeue The kynge whan it was nyght anone This man assent and bad hym gone To trompen at his brothers gate And he whiche mote done algate Goth forth and doth the kynges beste This lorde whiche herde of this tempest That he tofore his gate blewe Tho wyst he by the lawe and knewe That he was sekerly deade And as of helpe he wyst no rede But sende for his frendes all And tolde them howe it is befalle And they hym aske cause why But he the sothe not for thy Ne wyst and there was sorowe tho For it stode thylke tyme so This trompe was of suche sentence That there ayene no resystence They coude ordeyne by no weye That he ne mote algate deye But if so that he may purchace To gette his lyege lordes grace Their wyttes thervpon they cast And ben appoynted at last This lorde a worthy lady had Vnto his wyfe whiche also drad Her lordes death and children fyue Betwene hem two they had aliue That weren yonge and tender of age And of stature and of visage Ryght faire and lusty on to se Tho casten they that he and she Forthe with theyr childre on the morowe As they that were full of sorowe All naked but of smocke and sherte To tendre with the kynges herte His grace shulde go to seche And pardon of the deathe beseche Thus passen they that wofull nyght And erly whan they sawe it lyght They gone them forth in suche a wise As thou tofore hast herde diuyse All naked but their shertes one They wepte and made moche mone Their here hanged about their eares with sobbynge and with sory teares This lorde goth then an humble pas That whilom proude and noble was wherof the citie sore a flyght Of them that sawen thylke syght And nethelesse all openly with suche wepyng and with suche cry Forth with his children / and his wyfe He goth to praye for his lyfe Vnto the courte whan they be come And men therin haue hyed nome There was no wyght if he them sye From water myght kepe his eye For sorowe whiche they maden tho The kynge supposeth of this wo And feyneth as he nought ne wyst But netheles at his vpryste Men tolde hym howe it ferde And whan that he this wonder herde In hast he goth in to the halle And all at ones downe they falle If any pite may be founde The king which seeth theÌ„ go to grouÌ„de Hath asked them what is the fere why they be so dispoyled there His brother sayde A lorde mercy I wote none other cause why But onely that this night full late The trompe of deathe was at my gate In token that I shulde dye Thus we be come for to preye That ye my worldes deathe respyte Ha foole howe thou art for to wyte The kynge vnto his brother saide That thou arte of so lytell frayde That onely for a trompes sowne Hath gone dispoiled through the town Thou and thy wyfe in suche manere Forthe with thy children that ben here In syght of all men aboute For that thou sayst thou art in doubt Of death whiche stant vnder the lawe Of man and man may it withdrawe So that it may perchaunce fayle Nowe shalt thou not for thy meruayle That I downe from my chare alyght whan I behelde to fore my syght In them that were of so great age Myn owne dethe through their ymage whiche god hath set by lawe of kynde wherof I may no bote fynde For well I wote suche as they be Ryght suche am I in my degree Of flesshe and bloud and so shall dey And thus though I that lawe obeye Of whiche that kynges be put vnder It ought be well the lesse wonder Than thou whiche arte without nede For lawe of londe in suche a drede whiche for to accompte is but a iape As thing which thou myght ouerscape For thy my brother after this I rede that sethen that so is That thou canst drede a man so sore Drede god with all thyn herte more For all shall dye and all shall passe As well a lyon as an asse As well a begger as a lorde Towardes deathe in one accorde They shall stonde and in this wyse The kynge with his wordes wyse His brother taught and all foryeue Confessor For thy my sonne if thou wolt lyue In vertue thou must vice eschewe And with lowe herte humblesse sewe So that thou be not surquedous Amans My father I am amorous wherof I wolde you beseche That ye me by some waye teache whiche myght in loues cause stonde Confessor My sonne thou shalte vnderstonde In loue and other thynges all If that surquedry falle It may to hym not well betyde whiche vseth thylke vice of pride whiche tourneth wysedome to wenyng And sothfastnes into lesynge Through foule imagination And for thyn enformation That thou this vice as I the rede Eschewe shalte a tale I rede whiche felle whylom by dayes olde So as the clerke Ouide tolde ¶ Hic in speciali tractat Confessor cum Amante contra illos / qui de propria formositate presumentes amorem multeris dedignaÌ„tur Et narrat exemplum / qualiter cuiusdam principis filius 〈◊〉 mine Narcissus estino tempore / cum ipse venationis causa quendam ce ruum solus cum suis canibus exagitaret in grauem sitim incurrens necessitate coÌ„pulsus ad bibenduÌ„ de quodam fonte 〈◊〉 inclinquit vbi ipse faciem suaÌ„ pulchei rimam in aqua percipiens putabat se per hoc illaÌ„ Nâ—â—â—ham / quam poete Echo vocant in flumine â—â—â—am suis oculis conspexisse / de cuius amore 〈…〉 laqueatus / vt ipsaÌ„ ad se de fonte ex◠〈◊〉 pluribus blandicus adulabatur / sed cuÌ„ 〈◊〉 nâ—â—â—â—tenus perficere potuit pre nimio lanâ— deficiens contra lapides ibidem adiacen◠〈◊〉 exuerberans cerebrum effudit There was whylom a lordes sonne whiche of his pryde a vice wonne Hath caught that worthy to his lyche As sechen all the worldes ryche There was no woman for to loue So hygh he set hym selfe aboue Of stature and of beaute bothe That hym thought all women lothe 〈◊〉 was there no comparyson As towarde his condition This yonge lorde Narcissus hyght No strength of loue bowe myght His herte whiche is vnafyled 〈◊〉 at laste he was begyled 〈◊〉 of the goddes purueyaunce 〈◊〉 telle hym on a day perchaunce That he in all his proude fare Vnto the forest gan to fare Amonge other that there were To hunt and disporte hym there And whan he came in to the place where that he wolde make his chace The houndes were within a throwe Vncoupled and the bornes blowe The great herte anone was founde with swyfte feete set on the grounde And be with spore in horse syde Hym hasteth faste for to ryde Tyll all men be lefte bebynde And as he rode vnder a lynde Besyde a roche as I the telle He sawe where spronge a lusty welle
vâ—ori sue regine porrexit dicens Bibe cum paâ—â—â— tuo / quod et ipsa huiusmodi operis â—â—nara fecit quo facto rex statim super his que â—â—prius gesta fuerant cunctis audieÌ„tibus per singuâ—â— se â—actauit Regina vero cum talia audiffet animo celato factum abhoreÌ„s in mortem dnÌ„i sui regis circumspecta industria conspirauit Ipsum que auxiliaÌ„tibus Glodesida et Helmege brem fuâ— secuto teÌ„pore inter fecit / cuins mortem dux rauenensis tam in corpus regine quam suoruÌ„ fautorum postea vindicauit ¶ Of theÌ„ that we lumbardes now call Albinus was the fyrste of all whiche bare crowne of Lumbardy And was of great chiualrie In warre ageynst dyuers kynges So felle amonge other thynges That he that tyme a warre had with Gurmund which the Geptes lad And was a myghtye kynge also But netheles it felle hym so Albinus slough hym in the felde Ther halpe him nother spere ne shelde That he ne smote his heed of than wherof he toke awey the panne Of whiche he sayde he wolde make A cuppe for Gurmundes sake To kepe and drawe in to memorie Of his batayle the victorie And thus when he the felde had wonne The londe anon was ouerronne And sesed in his owne honde where he Gurmundes doughter fonde whiche mayde Rosamunde hyght And was in euery mans syght A fayre fresshe a lusty one His hert fyll to her anone And suche a loue on her he cast That he her wedded at the last And after that longe tyme in reste with her he dwelleth and to the beste They loue eche other wonder wele But she which kepeth the blynd whele Venus when they be moste aboue In all the hottest of her loue Her whele she torneth and they felle In the maner as I shall telle This kynge which stod in all his welth Of pees of worship and of helth And felt hym on no syde greued As he that hath his worlde acheued Tho thought he wolde a fest make And that was for his wyues sake That she the lordes of the feste That were obeysaunt to his heste May knowe and so forth there vpon He lette ordayne and sent anon By letters and by messengers And warned all his offycers That euery thynge be well araide The great stedes were assayde For iustynge and for tornement And many a perled garnement Embrouded was ageyne the day The lordes in their beste aray Be comen at the tyme sette One iusteth well an other bet And other whyle they torney And thus they caste care awey And token lustes vpon honde And after thou shalt vnderstonde To mete into the kynges halle They comen as they be hydden all And whan they were sette and serued Than after as it was deserued To them that worthy knyghtes were So as they setten here and there The price was youen and spoken out Amonge the heraudes all about And thus benethe and eke aboue All was of armes and of loue wherof aboute at bourdes Men had many sondry wordes That of the myrthe whiche they made The kynge hym selfe bygan to glade within his hert and toke a pryde And sawe the cuppe stonde a syde whiche made was of Gurmundes hed As ye haue hard when he was deed And was with golde and ryche stones Beset and bounde for the nones And stode vpon a fote on hyghte Of borned golde and with great slight Of werkmenshyp it was by graue Of suche worke as it shulde haue And polysshed was eke so clene That no sygne of the sculle was sene But as it were a grypes eye The kyng badde bere his cuppe awey whiche stode before hym on the borde And sette thylke vpon his worde ¶ The sculle is fette and wyne therin wherof he badde his wyfe begynne Drynke with thy father dame he sayd And she to his byddynge obeyde And toke the sculle and what her lyste She drynketh as she which nothynge wist what cup it was and than all out The kynge in audyence about Hath tolde it was her fathers sculle So that the lordes knowe shull Of his batayle a soth wytnesse And made auant through what prowes He hath his wyues loue wonne whiche of the sculle hath so begonne Tho was there mochel pride alofte They speaken all and she was softe Thynkende on thylke vnkynde pride Of that her lorde so nygh her syde Auanteth hym that he hath slayne And pyked out her fathers brayne And of the sculle hath made a cuppe She suffered all tyll they were vppe And tho she hath sekenesse feyned And goth to chambre hath coÌ„pleined Vnto a mayde whiche she trust So that none other wyghte it wyst This mayde Glodesyde is hote To whome this lady hath by hote Of ladyshyp all that she can To auengen her vpon this man whiche dyd her drynke in suche a plite Amonge them all for despyte Of her and of her father bothe wherof her thoughtes ben so wrothe She sayth that she shall not be glad Tylle that she se hym so be bestad That he no more make auaunt And thus they felle in couenaunt That they acorden at the laste with suche wyles as they caste That they woll gette of their accorde Some orped knyght to sle this lorde And with this sleyght they begynne Howe they Helmege myght wynne whiche was the kynges botyler A proude and a lusty bachyler And Glodesyde he loueth hote And she to make hym more assote Her loue graunteth and by nyght They shape howe they to geder myght A bedde mete and done it was The same nyght and in this cas The quene her selfe the nyght seconde went in her stede and there she fonde A chaumber derke without lyght And goth to bedde to this knyght And be to kepe his obseruaunce To loue doth his obeysaunce And weneth it be Glodesyde And she than after lay a syde And axeth hym what he hath do And who she was she tolde hym tho And sayd Helmege I am the quene Nowe shall thy loue well besene Of that thou haste thy wyll wrought Or it shall sore ben abought Or thou shalt worche as I the saye And if thou wolt by suche a waye Do my plesaunce and holde it stylle For euer I shall ben at thy wylle Bothe I and all myn herytage ¶ Anone the wylde loues rage In whiche no man hym can gouerne Made hym that he can not werne But felle all holle to her assent And thus the whele is all myswent The whiche fortune hath vpon honde For howe that euer it after stonde They shope amonge them such a wyle The kynge was deed within a whyle So styly came it not aboute That they ne ben discouered out So that it thought them for the best To fle for there was no reste And thus the tresour of the kynge They trusse and moche other thynge And with a certayne felauship They fled and went awey by ship And helde their nyght cours from then Tyll that they comen to Rauenne where they
layde That to my syster ne to my brother In all this worlde ne to none other ye durst telle a pryuete So well my father as to me For thy my father I you praye Ne casteth nought that hert away For I am she that wolde kepe your honour and with that to wepe Her eie may not be forbore She wyssheth for to ben vnbore Er that her father so mystryst To tellen her of that he wyst And euer amonge mercy she cryed That he ne shulde his counscile hyde From her that so wolde hym good And was so nygh flesshe and bloud So that with wepynge at last His chere vpon his childe he caste And sorowfully to that she prayde He tolde his tale and thus he sayde The sorowe doughter which I make Is not all onely for my sake But for the bothe and for you all For suche a chaunce is me befalle That I shall er this thyrde day Lese all that euer I lese may My lyfe and all my good therto Therfore it is I sorowe so what is the cause alas quod she My father that ye shulden be Dead and distroyed in suche a wise And he began the poyntes deuyse which as the kyng tolde him by mouth And sayd her playnly that he couthe Answere to no poynt of this And she that hereth howe it is Her counsayle yafe and sayd tho My father syn it is so That ye can se none other weye But that ye must nedes deye I wolde pray you of o thynge Lette me go with you to the kynge And ye shall make hym vnderstonde Howe ye my wyttes for to fonde Haue layde your answere vpon me And telleth hym in suche degre Vpon my worde ye wol abyde To lyfe or deth what so betyde For yet perchaunce I may purchace with some good word the kynges grace your lyfe and eke your good to saue For ofte shall a woman haue Thynge whiche a man may not areche The fader herd his doughters speche And thought there was no reason in And sawe his owne lyfe to wynne He couthe done hym selfe no cure So better he thought in auenture To put his lyfe and all his good That in the maner as it stode His lyfe incerteyne for to lese And thus thynkende he gan to chese To do the counseyle of this mayde And toke the purpose whiche she sayd The day was come forth they gone Vnto the courte they come anone where as the kynge in his iugement was sette and hath this knyght assent Arrayed in her beste wyse This mayden with her wordes wyse Her father ledde by the honde In to the place where he fonde The kynge with other which he wolde And to the kynge knelende he tolde As he enfourmed was tofore And prayeth the kyng that he therfore His doughters wordes wolde take And sayth that he woll vndertake Vpon her wordes for to stende Tho was ther great meruaile on hoÌ„de That he whiche was so wyse a knyght His lyfe vpon so yonge a wyght Besette wolde in ieopardye And many it helden for folye But at laste neuertheles The kynge commaundeth ben in peace And to this mayde he cast his chere And sayde he wolde her tale here And badde her speke and she began My lyege lorde so as I can Quod she the poyntes which I herde They shall of reason ben answerde The fyrst I vnderstonde is this what thynge of all the worlde it is which men most helpe hath lest nede My lyege lorde this wolde I rede The erthe it is whiche euermo with mannes labour is bego As well in wynter as in Maye The mannes honde doth what he may To helpe it forth and make it ryche And for thy men it delue and dyche And eren it with strength of plough where it hath of hym selfe inough So that his nede is at leste For euery man byrde and beast Of floure and grasse and rote rynde And euery thynge by wey of kynde Shall sterue and erthe it shall become As it was out of erthe nome It shall to erthe tourne ageyne And thus I may by reason seyne That therthe is most nedeles And most men helpe it netheles So that my lorde touchande of this I haue answerde howe that it is ¶ That other poynt I vnderstode whiche most is worth and most is good And costeth leest a man to kepe My lorde if ye woll take kepe I saye it is Humilite Through whiche the hygh Trinite As for deserte of pure loue Vnto Marye from aboue Of that he knewe her humble entent His owne sonne adowne he sent Aboue all other and her he chese For that vertu which that bodeth pes So that I may by reason calle Humilite moost worthe of all And lest it costeth to maynteyne In all the worlde as it is seyne For who that hath huÌ„blesse on honde He bryngeth no werres in to londe For he desyreth for the best To serten euery man in reste ¶ Thus with your hygh reuerence Me thynketh that this euydence As to this poynt is suffisaunt And touchende of the remenaunt whiche is the thyrde of your askynges what lest is worth of all thynges And costeth most I telle it Pryde whiche may not in the heuen abyde For Lucifer with them that felle Bare Pryde with hym in to helle There was pryde of to great cost whan he for pryde hath heuen loste And after that in Paradyse Adam for pryde lost his pryce In myddell erth And eke also Pryde is the cause of all wo That all the worlde ne may suffise To stanche of pride the reprise Pryde is the heed of all synne whiche wasteth all and may not wynne Pryde is of euery mysse the prycke Pryde is the worste of all wycke And costeth moost and lest is worth In place where he hath his forth Thus haue I sayde that I woll say Of myn answere and to you pray My lyege lorde of your offyce That ye suche grace and suche iustice Ordeyne for my father here That after this when men it here The worlde therof may speake good ¶ The kyng which reason vnderstode And hath all herde howe she hath said was inly gladde and so well payde That all his wrath is ouer go And he beganne to loke tho Vpon this mayden in the face In whiche he fonde so mochell grace That all his price on her he leyde In audience and thus he sayde My fayre mayden well ye be Of thyn answere and eke of the Me lyketh well and as thou wylte Forâ—eue be thy father gylte And if thou were of suche lygnage That thou to me were of parage And that thy father were a pere As he is nowe a bachylere So syker as I haue a lyfe Thou shuldest than be my wyfe But this I saye netheles That I woll shape thyn encrease what worldes good that thou wolte craue Axe of mi yeft thou shalt haue And she the kynge with wordes wise Knelynge thanketh in this wyse My lyege lorde god mote
you quite My father here hath but a lyte Of waryson and that he wende Had all be lost but nowe amende He may well through your noble grace with that the kynge ryght in his place Anon forthe in that fresshe hete An Erledome whiche than of eschete was late falle in to his honde Vnto this knyght with rent and londe Hath youe and with his chartre sesed And thus was all the noyse appesed This maiden which sate on her knees Tofore the kynges charitees CoÌ„men death and sayth euermore My lyege lorde ryght nowe tofore ye sayde and it is of recorde That if my father were a lorde And pere vnto these other great ye wolden for nought elles lette That I ne shulde be your wyfe And thus wote euery worthy lyfe A kynges worde mote nede be holde For thy my lorde if that ye wolde So great a charite fulfylle God wote it were well my wylle For he whiche was a bachylere My father is nowe made a pere So whense as euer that I cam An erles doughter nowe I am This yonge kynge whiche peised all Her beaute and her wytte withall As he whiche was with loue hente Anone therto yafe his assente He myght not the place asterte That she nys lady of his herte So that he toke her to his wyfe To holde whyle that he hath lyfe And thus the kyng towarde his knight Accordeth hym as it is ryght And ouer this good is to wyte In the cronyke as it is wryte This noble kynge of whom I tolde Of spayne by tho dayes olde The kyngedome had in gouernaunce And as the boke maketh remembrance Alphons was his propre name The knyght also if I shall name Dom Petro hyght and as men telle His doughter wyse Petronelle was cleped whiche was full of grace And that was sene in thylke place where she her father out of tene Hath brought made her selfe a quene Of that she hath so well disclosed The poyntes wherof she was opposed Confessor Lo now my sonne as thou might here Of all this thinge to my mattere But one I take and that is pride To whom no grace may betyde In heuen he felle out of his stede And Paradyse hym was forbede The good men in erthe hym hate So that to belle he mote algate where euery vertue shall be weyued And euery vice be resceyued But Humblesse is all other wyse whiche moost is worth and no reprise It taketh ageyn but softe and fayre If ony thynge stant in contraire with humble speche it is redressed Thus was this yonge mayde blessed The whiche I spake of nowe tofore Her fathers lyfe she gatte therfore And wanne withall the kynges loue For thy my sonne if thou wolt loue It sytte the well to leaue pryde And take Humblesse on thy syde The more of grace thou shalt gete Amans ¶ My father I woll not foryete Of this that ye haue tolde me here And if that any suche manere Of humble porte may loue appaye Here afterwarde I thynke aslay But nowe forthe ouer I beseche That ye more of my shryfte seche Confessor ¶ My good sonne it shall be do Nowe herken and lay an eare to For as touchende of prydes fare Al 's ferforth as I can declare In cause of vice in cause of loue That hast thou playnly herde aboue So that there is no more to saye Touchende of that but other wey Touchende enuye I thynke telle whiche hath the propre kynde of helle without cause to mysdo Towarde hym selfe and other also Here afterwarde as vnderstonde Thou shalte the spices as they stonde Explicit liber primus ¶ Hic in secundo libro tractat de inuidia / et eius speciebus / quarum dolor alterius gaudii prima nuncupatur / cuius conditionem / secundum vitiuÌ„ Confessor primitus describens amanti quatenus amoreÌ„ concernit suê‘ eodeÌ„ coÌ„sequenter opponit ¶ Incipit liber Secundus Inuidiae culpa magis est attrita dolore Nam sua mens nullo tempore laeta manet Quo gaudent alii dolet ille nec vnus amicus Est cui de puro commoda velle facit Proximitatis honor sua corda veretur et omnis Est sibi laetitia sic aliena dolor Hoc etenim uitium quam sepe repugnat amaÌ„ti Non sibi sed reliquis dum fauet ipsa Venus Est amor ex propria motu fantasticus quae Gaudia fert alijs credit obesse sibi NOwe after pride the secoÌ„de There is whiche many a wofull stounde Towardes other bearethe aboute within hym selfe and not without For in his thought he brenneth euer whan that he wote an other leuer Or more vertuos than he whiche passeth hym in his degre Therof he taketh his maladye That vyce is cleped hotte enuy For thy my sonne if it be so Thou arte or hast ben one of tho As for to speke in loues cas If euer yet thyn hert was Sicke of an other mannes bele ¶ So god auaunce my quarele My father ye a thousande syth whan I haue sene another blythe Of loue and hadde a goodly chere Ethna whiche brenneth yere by yere was than nought so hote as I Of thylke sore for whiche priuely Myne hertes thought within brenneth The ship which on the wawes renneth And is forstormed and forblowe Is nat more payned for a throwe Than I am than whan I se Another whiche that passeth me In that fortune of loues yefte But father this I telle in shryfte That no where but in a place For who that lese or fynde grace In other stede it may nought greue But thus ye may ryght well beleue Towarde my lady that I serue Though that I weste for to sterue Myn hert is full of suche foly That I my selfe may not chasty whan I the court se of Cupide Approche vnto my lady syde Of hem that lusty ben and fresshe Though it auayle them not a resshe But onely that they ben of speche My sorowe is than not to seche But whan they rownen in her ere Than groweth all my moste fere And namely whan they talen longe My sorowe than be so stronge Of that I se them well at ease I can not telle my disease But syre as of my lady selue Though she haue wowers .x. or twelue For ne mystruste I haue of her 〈◊〉 greueth nought for certes syr I 〈◊〉 in all this worlde to seche 〈◊〉 woman that in dede and speche 〈◊〉 cetter auyse her what she doth Ne better for to saye a sothe 〈◊〉 her honour at all tyde 〈◊〉 yet gette her a thanke besyde 〈◊〉 â—â—â—theles I am beknowe Thy whan I se at any throwe 〈◊〉 if I may it here That she make any man good chere Though I therof haue not to done My thought woll entermete hym sone For though I be my seluen straunge Enuye maketh myn hert chaunge That I am sorowfully be stade Of that I se another glade with her but of other all Of loue what so may befall Or that he
ten myle enuyroune where as it thought hym for the beste Hath sondry places for to reste And as fortune wolde tho He was dwellend at one of tho The kynge Allee forth with thassent Of Custe his wife hath thyder sent Morice his sonne as he was taught To Themperour and he goth straught And in his father halue he sought As he whiche his lordship sought That of his hygh worthynes He wolde do so great mekenes His owne towne to come and se And yâ—ue a tyme in the cyte So that his fader might hym gete That he wolde ones with hym ete This lorde hath graunted his requeste And whan the day was of the feste In worship of the Emperour The kynge and eke the Senatour Forth with her wynes bothe two with many a lorde and lady mo On hors ryden hym ageyne Tyll it befell vpon a playne They sygh where he was comend with that Constaunce anone preyend Spake to her lorde that he abyde So that I may tofore ryde To ben vpon his bien venu The fyrste whiche shall hym salu And thus after her lordes graunt Vpon a mule white amblaunt Forth with a fewe rode this quene They wondred what she wolde mene And ryden after a softe pas But whan this lady comen was To themperour in his presence She sayde aloude in audience My lorde my father wel you be And of this tyme that I se your honour and your good bele whiche is the helpe of my quarele I thanke vnto the goddes myght For ioye his hert was aflyght Of that she tolde in remembraunce And when he wyste it was Constaunce was neuer father halfe so blythe wepend be kyste her ofte sythe So was his hert all ouercome For though his mother were come Fro deth to lyfe out of the graue He myght no more wonder haue Than he hath whan that he her syghe with that her owne lorde come nyghe And is to themperour obeyed And when the fortune is bewreyed Howe that Constaunce is come aboute So harde an hert was none oute That he for pyte tho ne wepte Arcenius which her fonde and kepte was than gladde of that is falle So that with ioye amonge hem all They ryden in at Rome gate This Emperour thought all to late Tyll that the pope were come And of tho lordes sende some To pray hym that he woll haste And he cam forth in all haste And whan that be this tale herde How wonderly this chaunce ferde He thanked god of his myracle To whose myght may be none abstable The kyng a noble feste hem made And thus they were all gladde A perlement or that they went They setten vnto this entent To put Rome in full espeyre That Moris was apparent heyre And shulde abyde with hem stylle For suche was all the londes wylle ¶ Qualiter Mauricius cum imperatore vâ— heres imperu remansit et rex Affee et Constantia in Angliam regressi sunt ¶ whan euery thynge was fully spoke Of sorowe queynt was all the smoke Tho toke his leue Alle the kynye And with full many a ryche thynge whiche thmperour hym badde yeue He hath a gladde lyfe for to lyue For be constance hath in his honde whiche was the comfort of his londe For whan that he come home ageyne There is no tonge that myght seyne what ioye was that ylke stounde Of that he hath his quene founde whiche fyrst was sent of goddes sonde whan she was dryuen vpon the stronde By whome the mysbileue of synne was lefte and Chrystes feyth came inne To hem that whilome were blynde But he whiche hyndreth euery kynde ¶ Quafiter rex Alle in Anglia post biennium humane carnis resofucionem subiens nature debitum persofuit post cuius obitum Constancia cum patre suo Rome se transtulit moraturam ¶ And for no gold may be forbought The deth comend er he besought Toke with this kynge such acqueyntaÌ„ce That he with all his retenaunce Ne myhht not defende his lyfe And thus he parteth from his wyfe whiche than made sorowe ynoughe And therupon her hert droughe To leue Englond for euer And go where she hadde leuer To Rome whens that she came And thus of all the londe she nam Her leue and goth to Rome ageyne And after that the bokes seyne She was not there but a throwe whan deth of kynde hath ouerthrowe Her worthy father whiche men sayde That betwene her armes deyde And afterward the yere suende The god of her hath made an ende And fro this worldes fayrye Hath take her in to companye ¶ Morys her sonne was coroned whiche so ferforth was abandoned To Christes feyth that men hym calle Morys the chrystnest of all And thus the whele menynge of loue was at last set aboue And so as thou haste herd tofore The fals tunges were lore whiche vpon loue wolde lye For thy touchend of this enuye whiche longeth vnto bakbitynge Be ware thou make no lesynge In hvndrynge of another wyght And if thou wolde be taught aryght what mischyfe bakbitynge doth By other weye a tale soth Nowe myght thou here next sewend whiche to this vyce is acordend ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra istos detractores qui in alterius vitupertum mendatia confingentes dissamacionem fieri procurant Et narrat qualiter Perseus Philippi regis Macedonu filius Demetrio fratri suo ob euis probitatem inuidens / composito detractionis mendacio ipsum apud patrem suum mortaliter accusauit dicens ipse non solum patrem / sed et totum Macedonii regnum Romanis hostibus pro ditorie vendidisset quem super hoc in iudicium producens â—testions que indicibus auro subornaâ—â—â— quamvis falsissime morte condempnatum 〈◊〉 quo defuncto eciam et pater infra breue 〈…〉 â—ortuus est Et sic Perseo successiue regnaâ—te deus huiusmodi detractionis inuidiam abâ—â—â—â—â—â—s 〈◊〉 sum cum vniuersa suorum pugnatoruÌ„ 〈…〉 extra Danubii fluuium ab Aemilo 〈◊〉 â—â—norum Consule enentu bellico interâ—â—◠〈…〉 Ita quod ab illo die Macedonii 〈◊〉 penitus destructa Romano Imperio 〈…〉 deseruiuit / et eins detractio / quam 〈◊〉 aâ—ium conspiranerat / in sui ipsius diffama 〈◊〉 pre â—erpetno dinulgata consistit ¶ In a Cronyke as thou shalt wytte A great ensample I fynde wrytte whiche I shall telle vpon this thynge Philyp of Macedony the kynge Two sonnes hadde by his wyfe whose fame yet in Grece is ryfe Demetrius the fyrste brother was hote and Perseus that other Demetrius men sayden tho The better knyght was of the two To whom the londe was attendant As he whiche heyre was apparaunt To regne after his fathers day But that thyng whiche no water may Quenche in this world but euer brenneth In to his broders hert it renneth The proud enuye of that he syghe His brother shulde clyme on hyghe And he to hym mote than obeye That may he suffer by no weye with strength durst he no
thynge fonde So toke he lesynge vpon honde whan he sygh tyme and spake therto For it befelle that tyme so His father great warres hadde with Rome whiche he streyte ladde Through myghty honde of his maÌ„hod As he which hath ynough knyghthod And ofte hem hadde sore greued But er the werre were acheued As he was vpon ordynaunce At home in Grece it felle par chaunce Demetrius whiche ofte aboute Rydend was stode that tyme out So that this Perse in his absence whiche bare the tonge of pestylence with fals wordes whiche he feyneth Vpon his owne brother pleyneth In priuete behynde his bake And to his father thus he spake ¶ My dere father I am holde By wey of kynde as reson wolde That I fro you shall nothynge hyde whiche myght torne in any syde Of youre estate into greuaunce For thy myn hertes obeysaunce Toward you I thynke kepe For it is good ye take kepe Vpon a thynge whiche is me tolde My brother hath vs all solde To hem of Rome and you also For than they be hote hym so That he with them shall regne in pes Thus hath he caste for his encres That your estate shall go to nought And thus to proue shall be brought So ferforth that I vndertake It shall not wel mow be forsake ¶ The kynge vpon his tale answerde And said If this thing which he herd Be soth and may be brought to proue It shall not be to his behoue whiche so hath shapen vs the werste For he hym selfe shall be the ferste That shall be dede if that I may Thus afterwarde vpon a day whan that Demetrius was come Anone his father hath hym nome And badde to his brother Perse That he his tale shall reherse Of thylke treason whiche he tolde And he whiche all vntrouth wolde Counseyleth that so hygh a nede Be treted where as it may spede In common place of iudgement The kynge therto yafe his assent ¶ Demetrius was put in holde wherof that Perseus was bolde Thus stode the trouth vnder the charge And the falseheed goth at large which through behest hath ouercome The greattest of the lordes some That priuelyche of his accorde They stonde as wytnesse of recorde The iudge was made fauourable Thus was the lawe deceyuable So ferforth that the trouth fonde Rescous none and thus the londe Forth with the kynge deceyued were The gylteles was dampned there And deyde vpon accusement But suche a false conspirement Though it be priue for a throwe God wolde not it were vnknowe And this was afterwarde well proued In hym which hath the deth coÌ„troued Of that his brother was so slayne This Perseus was wondre fayne As he that was heyre apparaunt Vpon the reygne expectaunt wherof he waxe so proude and veyne That he his father in disdeyne Hath take and sette at none accompte As he which thought hym to surmouÌ„t That where he was fyrst debonayre He was tho rebelle and contrayre And not as heyre but as a kynge He toke vpon hym in all thynge Of malyce and of tyrrannye In contempte of Regalye Lyuende his father and so wrought That whan the father hym bethought And syghe to whether syde it drough Anone he wyste well inough Howe Perse after his false tonge Hath so thenuyous belles ronge That he hath slayne his owne brother wherof as than he knewe none other But sodeynly the iudge he nome whiche corrupte satte vpon the dome In suche a wyse and hath hym pressed That he the soth hym hath confessed Of all that hath be spoke and do More sory than the kynge was tho was neuer man vpon this molde And thought in certayne that he wold Vengeaunce take vpon this wronge But the other partie was so stronge That for the lawe of no statute There may no ryght be execute And vpon this diuision The londe was tourned vp so downe wherof his herte is so distraught That he for pure sorowe hath caughte The maladye of whiche nature Is queynt in euery creature ¶ And whaÌ„ this kyng was passed thus This false tonged Perseus The regyment hath vnderfonge But there may nothynge stonde longe whiche is not vpon trouth grounded For god whiche al thyng hath bouÌ„ded And syghe the falseheed of his gyle Hath set hym but a lytell whyle That he shall reigne vpon depose For sodeynly ryght as the rose So sodeynly downe he felle ¶ In thylke tyme so it befelle This newe kynge of newe pryde with strength shope hym for to ryde And sayde he wolde to Rome fast wherof he made a besye haste And hath assembled hym an hooste In all that euer he myght moost what man that myght wepen bere Of all he wolde none forbere So that it myght not be nombred The folke which after were encombred Throughe hym that god wolde ouerthrow Anon it was at Rome knowe The pompe whiche that Perse lad And the Romaynes that tyme had A consull whiche was cleped thus By name Paulus Emilius A noble a worthy knyght withall And he whiche chefe was of hem all This werre on honde hath vndertake And whan he shulde his leue take Of a yonge doughter whiche was his She wepte and he what cause it is Her asketh and she hym answerde That Perseus is deade and he it herde And wondreth what she meane wolde And she vpon childehode hym tolde That Perse her lytell hounde is deade with that he pulleth vp his heed And made ryght a gladde vysage And sayd howe that was a presage Touchende to that other Perse Of that fortune hym shulde aduerse He sayth for suche a prenostyke Mooste of an hounde was to hym lyke For as it is an boundes kynde To berke vpon a man behynde Ryghte so behynde his brothers backe with false wordes whiche he spake He hath do slayne and that is routh But he whiche hateth all vntrouthe The hygh god it shall redresse â—or so my doughter prophetesse Yâ—â—â—h with her lytell houndes dothe â—â—â—keneth and thus forth he geth Comforted of this euydence with the Romaynes in his defence Ageyne the Grekes that ben comende This Perseus as nought seende This myschefe whiche that him abode with all his multitude rode And prided hym vpon this thynge Of that he was become a kynge And howe he had his reygne gete That he hath all the ryght foryete whiche longeth vnto gouernaunce wherof through goddes ordynaunce It felle vpon the wynter tyde That with his hoste he shulde ryde Ouer Danubye thylke floode whiche all be frossen than stode So harde that he wende wele To passe but the blynde whele whiche tourneth ofte er men be ware Thilke ice which that the horsmeÌ„ bare To brake so that a great partie was dreynt of the chiualrie The rerewarde it toke aweye Came none of hem to londe drey ¶ Paulus this worthy knight romayn By his aspye it herde sayne And hasteth hym all that he may So that vpon that other day He came where he this hoost behelde And that was in a large
marche costeaunt And he whiche was a pursyuaunt worshyppe of armes to atteyne This Romayne an one let ordeyne That he was redye euery dele And whan he was arrayed wele Of euery thyng whiche hym beloÌ„geth Straught vnto Rayre his weye he tongeth wher he the soudan than londe And asketh that within his londe He myght hym for the werre serue As he whiche woll his thanke deserue The soldan was ryght glad withall And well the more in speciall whan that he wyst he was Romayne But what he was elles incertayne That myght he wyte by no waye And thus the knyght of whom I say Towarde the Souldan is belefte And in the marches nowe and efte where that the dedely werres were He wrought suche knyghthode there That euery man spake of hym good And thylke tyme so it stode This myghty Soldan by his wyfe A doughter hath that in this lyfe Men sayde there was none so feyre She shulde ben her fathers beyre And was of yeres rype ynough Her beaute many an hert drough To bowe to that ylke lawe Fro whiche no lyfe may be withdrawe And that is loue whose nature Set lyfe and deth in a venture Of hem that knyghthode vndertake This lusty peyne hath ouertake The hert of this Romayn so sore That to knyghthode more and more Prowesse auaunteth his courage Lyche to the lyon in his rage Fro whom that all bestes flee Suche was this knyght in his degre where he was armed in the felde Ther durst none abyde his shelde Great pryce vpon the werres he hadde But she whiche all the chaunce ladde Fortune shope the marches so That by thassent of bothe two The Soldan and the Calyphe eke Batayll vpon a day they seke whiche was in suche a wyse set That lenger shulde it not be let They made hem stronge on euery syde Tnd whan it drough towarde the tyde That the batayll shulde be The Soldan in great pryuete A golde rynge of his doughter toke And made her swere vpon a boke And eke vpon the goddes all That if fortune so befall In the bataylle that he deye That she shall thylke man obeye And take hym to her housbonde whiche thylke same rynge to honde Her shulde brynge after his deth This hath she swore forth he geth with all the power of his londe Vnto the marche where he fonde His enemy fulle enbatayled ¶ The Soldan hath the felde assayled They that ben hardy sone assemblen wherof the dredfull hertes tremblen That one slecth and that other sterueth But abouen all his pryce deserueth This knightly Romayn where he rode His dedely swerde no man abode Ayene the whiche was no defence Egypte fledde in his presence And they of Perse vpon the chace Pursuen but I not what grace Befell an arowe out of a bowe All sodenly within a throwe The Soldan smote and there he lay The chas is left for thylke day And he was bore in to a tent ¶ The Soldan sighe how that it went And that he shulde algates dye And to this knyht of Romanye As vnto hym whome he moste tryste His doughters ringe that none it wyste He toke and tolde hym all the cas Vpon her othe what token it was Of that she shulde ben his wyfe whan this was sayde the hertes lyfe Of this Soldan departeth sone And therupon as was to done The dede body well and fayre They cary tyll they come at Kayre There he was worthelyche begraue The lordes whiche as wolden saue The regne whiche was desolate To brynge it in to good astate A parlement they set anone Nowe herken what fell therupon This yonge lorde this worthy knyght Of Rome vpon the same nyght That they a morowe trete sholde Vnto his bachyler he tolde His couÌ„seyll and the ringe with al He sheweth through whiche he shall He seyth the kynges doughter wedde For so the rynge was leyde to wedde He tolde in to her fathers honde That with what man that she it fonde She shulde hym take vnto her lorde And thus he seyth stant of recorde But no man wote who hath this rynge This bachylere vpon this thynge His ere and his entent leyde And thought more than he sayd And feyneth with a fals vysage That he was gladde but his courage was all set in a nother wyse These olde phylosophres wyse They writen vpon thylke whyle That he may best a man begyle In whom the man hath most credence And this befell in euidence Toward this yonge lord of Rome His bachiler whiche hadde tome whan that his lorde by nyght slepte This ringe the whiche his maister kepte Out of his purs aweye be dede And put another in the stede A morow whan the court is set The yonge lady was forth fet To whome the lordes done homage And after that of maryage They treten and asken of her wylle But she whiche thought to fulfylle 〈◊〉 â—aders best in this matter 〈◊〉 openly that men may here The charge whiche her fader badde Tho was this lorde of Rome gladde And drough toward his purs anone But all for nought it was a gone His bachilor it hath forth drawe And â—â—keth therupon the lawe 〈…〉 hym holde couenaunt Thâ— tâ—ken was so suffysaunt â—â—at it ne myght be forsake And netheles his lorde hath take Quarelle ayene his owne man But for no thynge that euer he can He myght as than nought be herde So that his clayme his vnanswerde And he hath of his purpos fayled This bachiler was tho counsayled And wedded and of thylke empyre He was crouned lord and fyre And all the lond hym hath receyued wherof his lorde which was deceyued Ascknes â—r the thyrd morowe Conceyued hath of dedely sorowe And as he lay vpon his deth There while him lasteth speche breth He send for the worthyest Of all the londe and eke the best And tolde hem all the soth tho That he was sonne and heyre also Of themperour of great Rome And howe that they to gyder come This knyght and he ryght as it was He tolde hem all the playne cas And for that he his counseyll tolde That other hath all that he wolde And he hath fayled of his mede As for the good he taketh none hede He sayth but onely of the loue Of whiche he wend haue be aboue And therupon by letter wryte He doth his fader for to wyte Of all the matter bowe it stode And than with an bertely mode Vnto the lordes he besought To telle his lady howe he bought Her loue of whiche another gladdeth And with that worde his hewe fadeth And sayde a dieu my lady swete The lyfe hath loste his kyndely bete And he lay styll as any stone wherof was sory many one But none of all so as she ¶ This fals knyght in his degre Arested was and put in holde For openly whan it was tolde Of the treason whiche is befalle Throughout the londe they saiden alle If it be soth that men suppose His owne vntrouth hym
in specyall To my matter therupon Telle in what wyse Agamemnon Through chance that may not be weiued Of loue vntrewe was deceiued An olde sawe is who that is slygh In place were he may be nyghe He maketh the ferre leef loth Of loue and thus ful ofte it goth There whyle Agamemnon bataylleth To wynne Troye and it assaylleth From home and was longe tyme there Egystus drough his quene nere And with the leyser whiche he hadde This lady at his wyll he ladde ClyteÌ„nestre was her ryght name She was therof greatly to blame To loue there it may not laste But felle to mischiefe at laste For whan this noble worthy knyght Fro Troye came the fyrst nyght That he at home a bedde laye Egistus longe er it was daye As this Clytenestre hym had assent And weren bothe of one assent By treason slough hym in his bed But mourder whiche may not beÌ„ hed Spronge out to euery mans eare wherof the londe was full of feare ¶ Agamemnon hath by this quene A sonne and that was after sene But yet as than he was of youth A babe whiche no reason couth And as god wolde it felle hym thus A worthy knyght Taltibius This yonge childe hath in kepynge And whan he herde of this tydynge Of this treason of this mysdede He gan within hym selfe to drede In aunter if this false Egiste Vpon hym come er he it wyste To take and mourther of his malice This childe whiche he hath to noryce And for that cause in all haste Out of the londe he gan hym haste And to the kynge of Crete he straught And hym this yonge lorde betaught And prayde hym for his fathers sake That he this childe wolde vndertake And kepe hym tyll he be of age So as he was of his lygnage And tolde hym ouer all the cas Howe that his father mourthred was And howe Egistus as men sayde was kynge to whom the londe obeyde ¶ And whan Idomeneus the kynge Hath vnderstondynge of this thynge which that this knyght hym hath told He made sorowe many folde And toke the childe vnto his warde And sayde he wolde hym kepe warde Tyll that he were of suche a myght To handle a swerde and be a knyght To vengen hym at his owne wylle And thus Horestes dwelleth stylle Suche was the childes right name whiche after wrought mochel shame In vengeaunce of his fathers deth The tyme of yeres ouergeth That he was man of brede length Of wyt of manhode and of strength A fayre persone amonges all And he beganne to clepe and call As he whiche come was to man Vnto the kynge of Crete than Prayende that he wolde hym make A knyght and power with hym take For lenger wolde he not beleue He sayth but prayth the kynge of leue To gone and cleyme his heritage And venge hym of thylke oultrage whiche was vnto his father do The kynge assenteth well therto with great honor knight him maketh And great power to hym betaketh And gan his iourney for to caste So that Horestes at laste His leue toke and forth he goth As he that was in his herte wroth His fyrste playnt to be mene Vnto the cytie of Athene He goth hym forth and was receyued So there was be nought deceyued The duke and tho that weren wyse They proferen hem to his seruice And he hem thonketh of theyr proffer And sayd hym selfe he wolde gone offer Vnto the goddes for his spede And all men yeue hym rede So goth he vnto the temple forth Of yeftes that be mochell worth His sacrifyce and his offrynge He made and after his askynge He was answerde if that he wolde His estate recouer than he sholde Vpon his mother do vengeaunce So cruell that the remembraunce Therof myght euermore abyde Aâ—â— he that was an homicide â—â—d of her owne lorde mourdrice Hâ—â—â—stes whiche of thylke office 〈◊〉 nothyng glad and than he prayde Vâ—â—o the goddes there and sayde 〈◊〉 they the iugement deuyse â—â—we he shall take the iuyse And thervpon he had answere Tâ—â—t he her pappes shulde of tere 〈◊〉 of her breast his owne hondes Aâ—â— for eâ—sample of all londes 〈◊〉 â—oâ—s she shulde be to drawe 〈◊〉 houndes had her bones gnawe â—â—â—â—out any sepulture 〈◊〉 was a wofull auenture And whan Horestes hath all herde 〈◊〉 that the goddes haue answerde â—â—rth with the strength whiche he lad The duke and his power he had And to a citie forth they gone The whiche was cleped Cropheone where as Phoicus was lorde and fire whiche profereth hym withouten hyre His helpe and all that he may do As he that was right glad therto â—o greue his mortall ennemy And tolde hym certayne cause why Howe that Egyste in maryage His doughter whylom of full age Forlay and afterwarde forsoke whan he Horestes mother toke Men sayne olde synne newe shame Thus more and more arose the blame Ayene Egyste on euery syde Horestes with his hoste to ryde Began and Phoicus with hym went I trowe Egyst shall hym repent They ryden forth vnto Mycene There lay Clytemnestre thilke quene The whiche Horestes mother is And whan she herde telle of this The gates were faste shette And they were of her entre lette Anone this citie was without Beleyne and seged all about And euer amonge they it assayle Fro day to nyght and so trauayle Tyll at last they it wonne Tho was there sorowe inough begonne Horestes dyd his mother calle Anone tofore the lordes all And eke tofore the people also To her and tolde his tale tho And sayde O cruell beast vnkynde Howe mightest thou in thyn hert finde For any luste of loues draught That thou accordest to the slaught Of hym whiche was thyn owne lorde Thy treason stant of suche recorde Thou myght thy werkes not forsake So mote I for my father sake Vengeaunce vpon thy body do As I commaunded am therto Vnkyndely for thou hast wrought Vnkyndelyche it shall be bought The sonne shall the mother slee For that whylom thou saydest ye To that thou shuldest nay haue sayd And he with that his hondes hath laid Vpon his mother breast anone And rent out from the bare bone Her pappes both and caste away Amyddes in the cart way And after toke the deade cors And lete it be drawe awey with hors Vnto the hounde vnto the Rauen She was none other wyse grauen Egystus whiche was elles where Tydynges comen to his eare Howe that Mycenes was beleyne But what was more herd be not sayne with great manace and mochel boste He drough power and made an hoste And came in the rescous of the towne But all the sleyght of this treasone Horestes wyst it by a spye And of his men a great partie He made ambusshement abyde To wayte on hym in suche a tyde That he ne myght her honde escape And in this wyse as he hath shape The thynge befell so that Egyst was take er he hym selfe it wyst And was brought forth his hoÌ„des
boÌ„de As whan men haue a traytour fonde And tho that were with hym take whiche of treason were ouertake To gether in one sentence falle But false Egyste aboue hem alle was demed to dyuers peyne The werst that men couthe ordeyne And so after by the lawe He was vnto the gybet drawe where he aboue all other hongeth As to a traytour it belongeth The fame with her swyfte wynges About fleeth and bare tydynges And made it couth in all londes Howe that Horestes with his hondes Clytemnestre his owne mother slough Some seyne he dyd well inough And some seyne he dyd amys Dyuers opinions there is That she is dede they speken all But pleynly howe it is befalle The matter in so lyttell throwe In sothe there myght no man knowe But they that weren at the dede And commonlyche in euery nede The werst speche is rathest herde And leued tyll it be answerde The kynges and the lordes great Begonne Horestes for to threat To putten hym out of his reigne He is not worthy for to reigne The child which slough his moder so They sayde and thervpon also The lordes of common assent The tyme sette of parlement And to Athenys kynge and lorde To gether come of one accorde To knowe howe that the soth was So that Horestes in this cas They senden after and he come ¶ Kynge Menelay the wordes nome And asketh hym of this matere And he that all it myght here Answerde and tolde his tale at large And howe the goddes in his charge Commaunded hym in suche a wyse His owne honde to do iuyse with this tale a duke arose whiche was a worthy knyght of lose His name was Menestheus And sayde vnto the lordes thus The wreche whiche Horestes dede It was thynge of the goddes bede And nothynge of his crueltie And if there were of my degre In all this place suche a knyght That woll seyne it was no ryght I woll it with my body proue And thervpon he cast his gloue And eke this noble duke a leyde Full many an other skyll and seyde She had well deserued wreche Fyrst for the cause of spouse breche And after wrought in suche a wise That all the worlde it ought agryse whan that she for so foule a vice was of her owne lorde mourdrice They sytten all stylle and herde But therto was no man answerde It tought hem all he sayde skylle There is no man with say it wylle whan they vpon the reason musen Horestes all they excusen So that with great solempnite He was vnto his dignite Receyued and coroned kynge And tho befell a wondre thynge Egyona whan she it wyste whiche was the doughter of Egyste And syster on the mother syde To this Horest at thylke tyde whan she herde how her brother sped For pure sorowe whiche herled That he ne hadde ben exyled She hath her owne lyfe begyled Anone and henge her selfe tho It hath and shall be euermo To mourtherwho that woll assente He may not fayle to repent This false Egyona was one whiche to mourther Agamemnon yaue her accorde and her assent So that by goddes iugement Though none other man it wolde She toke her iuyse as she sholde And as she to an other wrought Vengeaunce vpon her self she thought And hath of her vnhappy wytte A mourther with a mourther quyt Suche is of mourther the vengeaunce ¶ For thy my sonne in remembrance â—f this â—nsample take good hede For who that thynketh his loue spede with mourther be shall with worldes shame Him selfe eke his loue shame ¶ My father of this auenture whiche ye haue tolde I you assure My herte is sory for to here But onely for I wolde lere what is to done and what to leue And ouer this by your leue That ye me wolde telle I prey If there be leful any weye withoute synne a man may slee ¶ My sone in sondry wyse ye what man that is of Traytorye Of mordre or elles Robberye At teynt the Iuge shal not let But he shal fleen of pure det And doth greate sinne if that he woÌ„de For who that lawe hath vpon honde And spareth for to do iustyce For mercy doth not his offyce That he his mercy so bewareth whaÌ„ for one shrewe whiche he spareth A thousand good men be greueth with suche mercy who that bileueth To please god he is deceyued Or elles mote reason be weyued The lawe stode or we were bore Howe that a kynges swerde is bore In sygne that he shall defende His true people and make an ende Of suche as wolden hem deuour ¶ Lo thus my sonne to souccour The lawe and common right to wynne A man may slee without synne And do therof a great almesse So for to kepe ryghtwysenes And ouer this for his countree In tyme of werre a man is free Hymselfe his house and eke his londe Defende with his owne honde And sleen if be may no bet After the lawe whiche is sette ¶ Nowe father than I you beseche Of hem that deedly werres seche In worldes cause and sheden bloode If suche an homicide is good Confessor ¶ My sonne vpon thy questyon The trouth of myn opinyon Al 's ferforth as my wyt arecheth And as the playne lawe teacheth I wolde the telle in euydence To rule with thy conscience Quod â—reat ipse deê° necat hoc homicida creatuÌ„ Vltor et humano sanguine spargit humum Vt pecoris sic est hoiÌ„s cruor heu modo fusus Victa iacet pietas et furor vrget opus Angelus in terra pax dixit et vltima Christi Verba sonent pacem quaÌ„ modo guerra fugat ¶ Hic sequitur contra motoresguerre que non solum homicidii sed vniuersi mundi desolationis mater existit ¶ The hygh god of his iustice The ilke foule horrible vice Of homicide he hath forbede By Moyses as it was bede whan goddes sonne was also bore He sent his aungell downe therfore whom the shepeherdes herden synge Pees to the men of welwyllynge In erthe amonge vs here So for to speke in this matere After the lawe of charite There shall no deadly werre be And eke nature it hath defended And in her lawe pees commended whiche is the chiefe of mans welth Of mans lyfe of mans helth But deadly werre hath his couyne Of pestilence and of famyne Of pouerte and of all wo wherof this worlde we blamen so which nowe the werre hath vnderfote Tyll god him selfe therof do bote For al thing which god hath wrought In erthe werre it bryngeth to nought The churche is brent the prest is slayn The wyfe the mayde is eke forlayne The lawe is lore and god vnserued I not what mede he hath deserned That suche werres ledeth inne If that he do it for to wynne Fyrst to accompte his great coste Forth with the folke that he hath loste As to the worldes reckenynge There shall he fynde no wynnynge And if be do it to purchace The
heuen mede of suche a grace I can nought speke netheles Christ hath commanded loue and pees And who that worcheth the reuers I trowe his mede is full dyuers And sythen than that we fynde That werres in her owne kynde Ben toward god of no deserte And eke they bryngen in pouerte Of worldes good it is marueyle Amonge the men what it may eyle That they a pees ne connen set I trowe synne be the lette And euery mede of synne is deth So wote I neuer howe it geth But we that be of o beleue Amonge our selfe this wolde I leue That better it were pees to chese Than so by double weye lese ¶ I not if that it nowe so stonde But this a man may vnderstonde who that these olde bokes redeth That couetyse is one whiche ledeth And brought the fyrst werres inne At Grece if that I shall begynne There was it proued howe it stode To Perse whiche was full of good They maden werre in specyall And so they dydden ouer all where great rychesse was in londe So that they lefte nothynge stonde Vnwerred but onely Archade ¶ Nota ê™ greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant sed tantum Archadiam pro eo ê™ pauper et sterilis fuit pacifice dimiserunt ¶ For there they no werres made Bycause it was bareyne and poure wherof they myght nought recouer And thus pouerte was forbore He that nought had nought hath lore But yet it is a wonder thynge whan that a ryche worthy kynge Or lorde what so he be woll aske and clayme propertie In thynge to whiche he hath no right But onely of his great myght For this may euery man well wyte That bothe kynde and lawe wryte Expressely stonden there ageyne But he mote nedes somewhat seyne All though there be no reason inne whiche secheth cause for to wynne For wyt that is with wyll oppressed whan couetyse hym hath adressed And all reasone putte awaye He can well fynde suche a wey To werre where as euer hym lyketh wherof that he the worde entriketh That many a man of hym compleyneth But yet alway some cause he feyneth And of his wrongefull herte he demeth That all is well what euer him semeth Be so that he may wynne inough For as the true man to the plough Only to the gaynynge entendeth Right so the werriour dispendeth His tyme and hath no conscience And in this poynt for euidence Of hem that suche werres make Thou myght a great ensample take Howe they her tirrannye excusen Of that they wrongeful werres vsen And howe they stonde of one accorde The soudiour forth with the lorde The poore man forth with the riche As of courage they ben lyche To make werres and to pylle For lucre and for none other skylle wherof a propre tale I rede As it whylom befelle in dede ¶ Hic declar at per exemplum contra istos prinâ—â—es seu altes quoscilque illicite guerre motores / Et narrat de quodam pirata in partibus mariâ—is speliatore notissimo / qui cum captus fuisset et in iudicium coram rege Alexandro productus et de latricino accusatus dixit / O Alexander vere â—uia cuÌ„ paucis socus spoliorum causa naues tantum eâ—pforo / ego latruncusus vocor in auteÌ„ quia cum infinita beffatorum muftitudine vniuer fam tâ—rram subiugando spofiafti Imperator dicâ—tâ—â— Ita ê™ statue tuus a statu meo differt / sed â—â—â—em animo conditionem paâ—isem habemus 〈◊〉 â—ander vero enis audatiam in responsione 〈◊〉 bans ipsum penes se familiarem retinuit Et 〈◊〉 â—â—â—licâ—sâ—s beffatori complacnit ⧠Of hym whome all this erthe drad whan he the worlde so ouerladde Through werre as it fortuned is Kynge Alysaunder I rede this Howe in a marche where he lay It felle perchaunce vpon a day A Rouer of the see was nome whiche many a man bad ouercome And slayne and take her good awaye This pyller as the bokes say A famous man in sondry stede was of the werkes whiche he dede This prisoner afore the kynge was brought thervpon this thynge In audience he was accused And he his dede hath nought excused And praide the kyng to done him right And sayd Syre if I were of myght I haue an herte lyche vnto thyn For if thy power were myn My wylle is most in especiall To ryfle and gette ouer all The large worldes good about But for I leade a poure route And am as who sayth at mischiefe The name of pyllour and of these I beare and thou whiche routes great Myght leade and take thy beyete And doste right as I wolde do Thy name is nothynge cleped so But thou arte named emperour Our dedes ben of one colour And in effecte of one deserte But thy rychesse and my pouerte They be not taken euen lyche And netheles he that is ryche This day to morowe he may be poorer And in contrary also recouer A poore man to grete ryches Men seyn for thy let ryghtewysenes Be peysed euen in the balaunce ¶ The kynge his hardy contenaunce Behelde his wordes wyse And sayd vnto hym in this wyse Thyne answere I haue vnderstonde wherof my wyl is that thou stonde In my seruyce stylle abyde And forth with al the same tyde He hath hym terme of lyfe withholde The more for he shuld ben holde He made hym knyght yafe hym lond whiche afterwarde was of his honde An orped knyght in many a stede And grete prowesse of armes dede As the Cronykes it recorden And in this wyse they acorden The whiche of condicion Be sette vpon destruction Suche Capitaine suche retinue But for to see what yssue The kynge befalleth at the laste It is great wonder that men caste Her herte vpon suche wronge to wynne where no beyete may ben inne And doth dysese on euery syde But when reson is put a syde And wylle gouerneth the courage The faucon whiche fleeth ramage And suffreth no thyng in the weye wherof that he may take his preye Is not more set vpon rauyne Than thilke man whiche his couyne Hath set in suche a maner wyse For all the worlde may nought suffyse To wyl whiche is not resonable ☞ Hic secundum gefta Alexandri de guerris illicitis ponit Confessor exemplum / dicens quod quamuis Alexander sua potentia totius mundi victor subingarat imperium ipse tandem mortis victoria subiugatus / cunctipotentis sententiam euadere non potuit ⧠wherof ensampele concordable Lyche to this poynte of which I mene was vpon Alysander sene whiche hadde set all his entent So as fortune with hym went That reason myght hym not gouerne But of his wylle he was so sterne That all the worlde he ouerran And what hym lyst he toke and wan In Inde the superyour whan that he was full conquerour And hadde his wylfull pourpose woÌ„ne Of all this erth vnder the sonne This kynge homwarde to Macedoyne whan that he cam
/ belmolum inierunt Et cuÌ„ Achilles dictum regeÌ„ in bello ê“stratuÌ„ occidere voluisset Thelaphê° pietate tuâ— ipsum clipeo cooperiens veniam pro rege a patre postulauit pro quo facto ipse rex adhuc vinens Thephalum regni sui heredem libera vo luntate constituit ¶ He may not faylen of his mede That hath mercy For this I rede In a Cronycke I fynde thus whan Achilles with Telaphus His sonne toward Troye were It fell hem er they come there Ayene Theucer the kynge of Mese To make warre and for to sese His londe as they that wolden reigne And Theucer put out of his reigne And thus the marches they assaylle But Theucer yafe to hem bataille They foughten on both sydes faste But so it happneth at laste This worthy greke this Achilles The kynge amonge all other ches As he that was cruel and felle with swerd in honde on hym he felle And smote hym with a dethes wounde That he vnhorced fell to grounde Achilles vpon hym alyght And wolde anone as he wel myght Haue slayn hym fulliche in the place But Thephalus his faders grace For hym besought and for pyte Prayth that he wolde let hym be And cast his sheld betwene hem two Achilles asketh hym why so And Thephalus his cause tolde And sayth that he is mochel holde For whylome Theucer in a stede Great grace and socour to hym dede And sayth that he hym wolde acquyte And praythe his fader to respyte Achles tho withdrough his honde But all the power of the londe whaÌ„ that they sawe her kyng thus take They fled and hathen the felde forsake The grekes vnto the chaas falle And for the moste part all Of that couutre the lordes great They toke and wonne a greate beyete And anone after this victorye The kynge whiche hadde memorye Vpon the great mercy thought which thelaphus taward him wrought And in presence of all the londe he toke hym fayre by the honde And in this wyse he gan to seye My sonne I mote by double weye Loue and desyre thyn encrees Fyrste for thy fader Achilles whylâ—â—â— full many a day er this whan I shulde haue fare amys Rescouse dyd in my quarele And kept all myn estate in hele How so there falle nowe distaunce Amonge vs yet remembraunce I haue of mercy whiche he dede As than and thou nowe in this stede Of gentilnes and of fraunchesse Hast do mercy the same I gesse So woll I not that any tyme Be loste of that thou haste do hyme For how so this fortune falle yet stant my truste abouen all For the mercy whiche I nowe fynde That thou wylt after this be kynde And for that suche is myn espeyr And for my sonne and for myn heyre I the receyue and all my londe I yeue and sese in to thyn honde And in this wyse they accorde The cause was mysericorde The lordes do her obeysaunce To Thelaphus and purueaunce was made so that he was coroned And thus was mercy reguerdoned wâ—câ—e he to Theucer did tofore To this ensample is made therfore That thou myght take remembraunce 〈…〉 and whan thou seest a chaunce 〈◊〉 other mens passion 〈◊〉 â—â—te and compassion And lâ—t no thinge to the be leef whiche to another man is greef And after this if thou desyre 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nde aâ—en the vice of Ire 〈◊〉 the with pacience 〈◊〉 take in to thy conscyence 〈◊〉 to be thy gouernour 〈◊〉 â—halt thou fele no rancour 〈◊〉 thyn herte shall debate with homicide ne with hate yâ—t â—heste or melancolye 〈◊〉 â—halt be softe in companye withoute contecke or foolhast For â—iâ—es myght thou longe wast Thy tyme er that thou haue thy wylle Of loue for the wedir stylle Men preyse and blame the tempestes ¶ My fader I woll do your hestes And of this poynt ye haue me taught Toward my selfe the better saught I thâ—nke be whyle that I lyue But for as moche as I am shryue Of wrath and all his circumstaunce â—â—ne what ye lyste to my penaunce And aske forther of my lyfe yf otherwyse I be gyltyf Of any thynge that toucheth synne ¶ My sonne er we depart a twynne I shall behynde no thinge leue ¶ My good fader by your leue Than asketh forth what so you lyfte For I haue in you suche a tryfte As ye that be my soule hele That ye fro me nothynge wol hele For I shall telle you the trouthe ¶ My son art thou culpable of slouthe In any poynt whiche to hym longe h◠¶ My fader of thou pointes me longeth To wyte pleynly what they mene So that I maye me shriue clene ¶ Now herke I shal tho pointes deuise And vnderstonde well myn appryse For shryfte stant of no value To hym that woll hym nought vertue To leue of vyces the folye For worde is wynd but the maystrye Is that a man hym selfe defend Of thynge whiche is not to commende wherof ben fewe nowe a daye And netheles so as I may Make vnto thy memorye knowe The pointes of slouth thou shalt know ☞ Explicit liber tercius ⧠☞ Hic in quarto libro loquitur confessor de speciebus Accidie quarum primam tardacionem vocat cuius condicionem pertractans Amanti super hoc consequenter opponit ☞ Incipit liber quartus ⧠Dicunt accidiam fore nutricem viciorum Torpet et in cuntis tarda que leuta bonis Que sieri possent hodie transfert piger in cras Furatoque prius hostia claudit equo Poscenti tardo negat emolumenta Cupido Sed Venus in celeri ludit amore viti VPon the vices to procede After the cause of mannes dede The fyrst poynt of slouth I calle Lachesse and is the chief of all And hath this properly of kind To leuen all thynge behyned Of that he myght do nowe here He taryeth all the longe yere And euermore he sayth To morowe And so he woll his tyme borowe And wyssheth after God me sende That whan he weneth to haue an end Than is he forthest to begyn Thus bryngeth he many a meschiefe in Vnware tyll that he be mescheued And may not than be releued And ryght so nother more ne lesse It stant of loue and of lachesse Some tyme he sloutheth on a daye That he neuer after gete may Nowe sonne as of this ilke thynge If thou haue any knowlechynge That thou to loue hast done er this ¶ Telle on My good fader yis As of laches I am beknowe That I may stonde vpon his rowe As I that am cladde of his sute For whan I thought my pursute To make and therto set a day To speke vnto that swete may Lachesse hadde abyde yet And bare on honde it was no wyt Ne tyme for to speke as tho Thus with his tales to and fro My tyme in taryenge he drough whan there was tyme good ynough He sayd another tyme is better Thou shalt nowe senden her a letter And par caas wryte more
and of fals enuye Full ofte medled with disease But thylke loue is well at ease whiche sette is vpon mariage For that dare shewen the vysage In alle places openly A great meruayle it is for thy Howe that a mayde woll lette That she her tyme ne besette To haste vnto thylke feste wherof the loue is all honeste Men may recouer losse of good But so wyse a man yet neuer stode whiche may recouer tyme ylore So may a mayden well therfore Ensample take of that she straungeth Her loue longe or that she chaungeth Her herte vpon her lustes grene To mariage as it is sene For thus a yere two or thre She lefte er that she wedded be whyle she the charge myght beare Of children whiche the worlde forbere Ne may but if it shulde fayle But what mayden that in her spousaile wolde tarie whan she take may She shall perchaunce an other day Be let whan that her leuest were wherof a tale vnto thyn eare whiche is culpable vpon this dede I thynke telle of that I rede ☞ Hic ponit exemplum super eodem Et narrat de filia Iepte / que cum ex sui patris voio in holocaustum deo occidi et offerri deberet ipsa pro eo / quod virgo fuit et prolem ad augmentationem populi dei nondum genuisset .xl. dierum spacium vt cum suis sodalibus virginibus suam defleret virginitatem priusquam moreretur / in exemplum asiorum a patre postulauit ¶ Amonge the iewes as men tolde There was whylom by dayes olde A noble duke whiche Iepte hyght And felle he shulde go to fyght Agayne Amon the cruell kynge And for to speke vpon this thynge within his herte he made a vowe To god and sayd A lorde if thou wolte graunt vnto thy man victorie I shall in token of thy memorie The fyrste lyfe that I may se Of man or woman where it be Anone as I come home ageyne To the whiche arte god souereyne Sleen in thy name and sacrifie And thus with his chiualrie He goth hym forth so as he shulde And wanne all that he wynne wolde And ouercame his fomen alle May no man knowe that shall falle This duke a lusty doughter had And fame whiche the worldes sprad Hath brought vnto this ladyes eare Howe that her father hath do there She wayteth vpon his comynge with daunsynge and with carolynge As she that wolde be tofore All other and so she was therfore In masphat at her fathers gate The fyrst and whan he cometh ther at And sygh his doughter he to brayde His clothes and wepende he sayde * O myghty god amonge vs here Nowe wote I that in no manere This worldes ioy may be playne I had all that I couth sayne Ayene my fomen by thy grace So whan I came towarde this place There was no gladder man than I But nowe my lorde all sodeynly My ioye is tourned in to sorowe For I my doughter shall to morowe To hewe and brenne in thy seruice To louynge of thy sacrifice Through myn auowe so as it is The mayden whan she wyst of this And sawe the sorowe her fatheer made So as she may with wordes glade Comforted hym and had hym holde His couenant as he was beholde Towardes god as he behyght But netheles his herte aflyght Of that she sawe her deathe comende And than vnto the grounde knelende Tofore her father she is falle And sayth so as it is falle Vpon this poynt that she shall deye Of one thinge fyrst she wolde hym prey That forty dayes of respyte He wolde hir graunt vpon this plyght That she the whyle may bewepe Her maydenhode whiche she to kepe So longe hath kept and not be set wherof her lusty youth is lette That she no children hath forth drawe In mariage after the lawe So that the people is not encreased But that it myght be released That she her tyme hath lore so She wolde by his leue go with other maydens to complayne And afterwarde vnto the payne Of death she wolde come ageyne The father herde his doughter seyne And thervpon of one assent The maydens were anone assent That shulden with this mayden wende So for to speake vnto this ende They gone the downes and the dales with wepynge and with wofull tales And euery wyght her maydenhede Complayneth vpon thilke nede That she no children hadde bore wherof she hath her youth lore whiche neuer she recouer maye For so felle that her laste daye was come in whiche she shulde take Her dethe whiche she may not forsake Lo thus she deyde a wofull mayde For thylke cause whiche I sayde As thou hast vnderstonde aboue ¶ My father as towarde the loue Of maydens for to telle trouthe ye haue thylke vice of slouthe Me thinketh ryght woÌ„der wel declared That ye the women haue not spared Of hem that taryen so behynde But yet it falleth in my mynde Towarde the men howe that ye speke Of hem that woll no trauayle seke In cause of loue vpon deserte To speke in wordes so couerte I not what trauayle that ye ment ¶ My sonne and after myn entent I woll the telle what I thought Howe whylom men her loues boughte Through great trauaile in strange loÌ„des where that they wrought with her hondes Of armes many a worthy dede In sondry places as men may rede QueÌ„ ê“bat armoruÌ„ ê“bitas Venus ap ê“bat er queÌ„ Torpor habet reprobum reprobat illa uiruÌ„ Vecors segnicies insignia nescit amoris Nam piger ad brauium tardius ipse uenit ☞ Hic loquitur quod in amoris causa militie probitas ad armorum laboris exercitium nullatenus torpescat ¶ That euery loue of pure kynde Is fyrst forth drawe well I fynde But nethelesse yet ouer this Deserte dothe so that it is The rather had in many place For thy who secheth loues grace where that these worthy women are He may not than hym selue spare Vpon his trauayle for to serue wherof that he may thanke deserue where as these men of armes be Sometyme ouer the great see So that by londe and eke by ship He mote trauayle for worshyp And make many hasty rodes Somtime in Pruys somtyme in Rodes And some tyme in to Tartarye So that these herauldes on hym crie Vaylant vaylant lo where he goth And than he yeueth hem golde cloth So that his fame myght sprynge And to his ladyes eare brynge Some tydynge of his worthynesse So that she myght of his prowesse Of that she herde men recorde The better vnto his loue accorde And daunger put out of her mood whan all men recorden good And that she wote well for her sake That be no trauayle woll forsake My â—â—â—ne of this trauayle I mene Now shryue the for it shall be sene If thou arte ydell in this cas ¶ My father ye and euer was For as me thynketh truely That euery man doth more than I As of this poynt
qualiter Mida rex Frigie Cillenū Baccbi sacerdotem quem rustici vinculis ferreis alligarunt dissoluit et in hospiciū suū benignissime recollegit pro quo Bacchus quodcunque munus rex exigere vellei donari cōcessit Vnde rex auatitia ductus / vt quicquid tangeret in aurum conuerteretur indiscrete petiit ¶ Bacchus whiche is the god of wine Accordant vnto his diuine A prest the whiche Cillenus hight He had and fell so that by night This prest was drunke goth a strayde wherof the men were euyll apayde In Frygelonde where as he went But at last a chorle hym hent with strength of other felaushyp So that vpon his drunkeshyp They bounden hym with cheynes faste And forth they lad hym also faste Vnto the kynge whiche hyght Myde But he that wolde his vice hyde This curtois kynge toke of hym hede And bad that men shulde hym lede In to a chambre for to kepe Tyll he of leyser hadde slepe And thus this prest was sone vnbound And vpon a couche fro the grounde To slepe he was leyde softe inough And whā he woke the king him drough To his presence and dyd hym chere So that this preest in suche manere while that him liketh ther he dwelleth And al this he to Bacchus telleth whan that he cam to hym ageyne And whan that Bacchus hard seyne Howe Myde hath done his curtesy Hym thinketh it were a vilanie But he rewarde hym for his dede So as he myght of his godhede Vnto this kynge this god appereth And clepeth and that other hereth This god to Myde thonketh fayre Of that he was so debonayre Towarde his prest and had hym seye what thynge it were he wolde preye He shulde it haue of worldes good This kynge was glad and stylle stode And was of his askynge in doute And all the worlde he casteth aboute what thynge was best for his astate And with hym selfe stode in debate Vpon thre poyntes whiche I fynde Ben leuest vnto mannes kynde The fyrst of hem it is delyte The two ben worshyp and profyte And than he thought if that I craue Delyte though I delyte may haue Delyte shall passen in my age That is no syker auauntage For euery ioye bodely Shall ende in wo delyte for thy woll I not chese and if I worshyp Aske of the worlde lordshyp That is an occupation Of proude imagination whiche maketh an herte vayne within There is no certayne for to wynne For lorde and knaue is all one wey whan they be bore and whan they dey And if I profyte aske wolde I◠not in what maner I sholde Of worldes good haue sykernes For euery these vpon rychesse Awayteth for to robbe and stele Suche good is cause of harmes fele And also though a man at ones Of all the worlde within his wones The treasour myght haue euery dele yet had he but one mans dele Towarde hym selfe so as I thynke Of clothynge and of meate and drinke For more out take vanite There hath no lorde in his degre And thus vpon these poyntes diuerse Dyuersly he gan reherce what poynt hym thought for the beste But playnly for to gette hym rest He can no syker way cast And netheles yet at laste He felle vpon the couetyse Of golde and than in sondry wyse He thought as I haue sayd tofore How treasour may be soone lore And hadde an inly great desyre Touchende of suche recouer Howe that he myght his cause auayle To gete hym gold withouten fayle within his hert and thus he preyseth The gold fayth how that he peyseth Abouen all other metall most The golde he sayth may lede an hoost To make werre ayene the kynge The golde put vnder all thynge And set it whan hym lyst aboue The golde can make of hate loue And werre of pees and ryght of wrong And longe to short and short to longe withoute golde may be no fest Gold is the lorde of man and best And may hem both bye and selle So that a man may sothely telle That all the worlde to golde obeyeth For thy this kinge to Bacchus preyth To graunte him golde but he excedeth Mesure more than hym nedeth Men tellen that the maladye whiche cleped is hydropsye Resembled is vnto this vyce By waye of kynde of Auaryce The more hidropsy drynketh The more hym thrsteth for him thynketh That he may neuer drynke his fylle So that there may no thynge fulfylle The lustes of his appetyte And ryght in suche a maner plyte Stant euer Auaryce and euer stode The more he hath of worldes good The more he wolde it kepe streyte And euer more and more coueyte And ryght in suche condycion withoute good discrecyon This kynge with Auaryce is smitte That all the worlde it myght witte For he to Bacchus than preyd That therupon his honde he leyd It shulde through his touche anone Become gold and therupon This god hym graunteth as he badde Tho was this kynge of Fryge gladde And for to put it in assaye with all the hast that he maye He toucheth that he toucheth this And in his hond all golde it is The stone the tre the leef the gras The floure the fruyte all gold it was Thus toucheth he whyle he may laste To go but honger at laste Hym toke so that he mote nede By wey of kynde his honger fede The cloth was leyd the borde was set And all was forth tofore hym set His dyssh his cup his drynk his meet But whan he wolde or drynke or ete Anone as it his mouth cam nyghe It was all golde and than he syghe Of Auaryce the folye And he with that byganne to crye And preyde Bacchus to foryeue His gylt and suffer hym for to lyue And be suche as he was tofore So that he were nought forlore This god which herd of this greuaunce Toke routhe wpon his repentaunce And had hym go forth redyly Vnto a flood was fast by whiche Paceole than hyght In whiche al 's fast as euer he myght He shuld hym wasshe ouerall And sayd hym than that he shall Recouer his fyrste astate ageyn This kynge ryght as he herd seyn In to the flood goth fro the lond And wesshe hym both fote and hond And so forth all the remenaunte As hym was set in couenaunt And than he sygh meruayles straunge The flood his colour gan to chaunge The grauel with the smal stones To gold they torne both attones And he was quyte of that he hadde And thus fortune his chaunce ladde And whan he sygh his touch awey He goth hym home the ryght wey And lyueth forth as he dyd er And put all auaryce a fer And the ryches of gold despyseth And seith that mete and cloth suffyseth Thus hath this kynge experyence Howe fooles done the reuerence To gold whiche of his owne kynde Is lasse worth than is the rynde To sustenaunce of mars fode And than he made lawes good And all his thinge set vpon skylle He bede his
lytel nede Among the men to taken hede Of that they heren pseudo telle whiche nowe is come for to dwelle To sowe Cockyl with the corn So that the tylthe is nygh forlorn whiche Chryst sewe fyrst his own hond Nowe stant the Cockylle in the lond where stode whylom the good greyne For the prelates nowe as men seyne For slouthen that they shuld tylle And that I trowe be the skylle whan there is lacke in hem aboue The people is straunged to the loue Of trouth in cause of ignoraunce For where there is no purueaunce Of lyght men erren in the darke But if the prelates wolden werke Vpon the feyth whiche they vs teache Men shulden nought her way seche without lyght as nowe is vsed Men se the charge all day refused whiche holy churche hath vndertake ¶ Gregorius Quando Petrus cum Iudea / Andreas cum Achia Thomas cum India / et Paulus cuÌ„ gente venient quid dicemus nos moderni quoruÌ„ fossuÌ„ talentuÌ„ ê“ nichilo coÌ„putabitur ¶ But who that wolde ensample take Gregory vpon his O melye Ageyne the slouth of Preclacye Compleyneth hym and thus he sayth whan Peter father of the faith At Domesday shall with hym brynge Iudeam whiche through his preching He wan and Andrewe with Achay Shall come his dette for to pay And Thomas eke with his beyete Of Inde and Poule the routes great Of sondry londes to present And we fulfylled of londe rent whiche of this worlde we holden here with voyde hondes shall appere Touchende our cure spirtuall whiche is our charge in specyall I not what thynge it may amount Vpon thilke ende of our accompte whiche Christ hym selfe is auditour which taketh none hede of vein honour The office of the Chauncellery Or of the kynges treasory Ne for to wryte ne for to tayle To warrant may not than auayle The worlde which now so wel we trow Shall make vs than but a mowe So passe we without mede That we none otherwyse spede But as we rede that he spedde The whiche his lordes besaunt hedde And thervpon gat none encrees But at his tyme netheles what other man his thanke deserue The worlde so lusty is to serue That we with hym ben all accorded And that is wyst and well recorded Through out this erthe in all londes Let knyghtes wynne with her bondes For our tonges shall be stylle And stande vpon the flesshes wyll It were a trauayle for to preche The fayth of Christ as for to teche The folke paynem it woll not be But euery prelate holde his see with all suche as he may gette Of lusty drynke / of lusty meate wherof the body fatte and full Is vnto gostely labour dulle And slough to handle thylke plough But els we ben swyfte inough Towarde the worldes auarice And that is as a sacrifyce whiche after that thapostle sayth Is openly ayene the fayth Vnto the idols youe and graunted But netheles as it is nowe haunted And vertue chaunged into vice So that largesse is auarice In whose chaptre nowe we trete ¶ My father this matter is bete So far / that euer whyle I lyue I shall the better hede yeue Vnto my selfe by many weye But ouer this nowe wolde I prey To wyte what the braunches are Of auarice and howe they fare Al 's well in loue as otherwyse ¶ My sonne and I the shall deuyse In suche a maner as they stonde So that thou shalt vnderstonde A gros iungit agris Cupidus domibê° domosque Possidiat totam sic quasi solus humum Solus et innumeros mulierum spirat amores Vt sacra millenis sit sibi culta Venus ☞ Hic tractat Confessor super illa spetie auaritie que cupiditas dicitur / quam in amoris causa pertractans amanti super hoc opponit ¶ Dame auarice is nought soleyne whiche is of golde the capiteyne But of her courte in sondry wyse After the schole of her apryse She hath of seruauntes many one wherof that couetyse is one whiche with the large worlde about To seche thauauntages out where that he maye the profyte wynne To auarice and bryngeth it inne That one halt that other draweth There is no day whiche hem bedaweth No more the sonne than the mone whan there is any thynge to done And namely with couetyse For he stant out of all assyse Of reasonable mans fare where he purposeth hym to fare Vpon his lucre and his beyete The small pathe the large strete The furlonge and the longe myle All is but one for thilke whyle And for that he is suche one holde Dame auarice hym hath with holde As he whiche is the princypall Outwarde for he is ouer all A purue our and an espye For ryght as of an hungry py The storue beastes ben awayted Ryght so is couetyse affayted To loke where be may purchace For by his wyll be wolde enbrace All that this wyde wolrde beclyppeth But euer be somwhat ouerhyppeth That he may nought all fulfylle The lustes of his gredy wylle But where it falleth in a londe That couetyse in myghty honde Is sette it is full harde to fede For than he taketh none other hede But that he may purchace and gete His conscience hath all foryete And not what thynge it may amount That be shall afterwarde accompte But as the Luce in his degre Of tho that lesse ben than he The fysshes gredily deuoureth So that no water hem socoureth Ryght so no lawe may rescowe Fro hym that woll not ryghte allowe For where that suche one is of myghte His wyll shall stonde in stede of ryghte Thus ben the men distroyed full ofte Tyll that the great god alofte Ayene so great a couetyse Redresse it in his owne wyse And in example of all tho I fynde a tale written so The whiche for it is good to lere Hereafterwarde thou shalt here ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra magnates cupidos / Et narrat de Crasso Romanorâ— Imperatore qui turrimin qua speculum Virgiâ—â— Rome fixum extiterat doloso circumuentus cupiditate euertit vnde non solum sui ipsius perdicionem sed tocius ciuitatis intollerabilem damnum contingere causauit ¶ whan Rome stode in noble plite Virgile whiche was tho parfite A mirrour made of his clergie And sette it in the townes eye Of marbre on a pyller without That they by thirty myle about By day and eke also by nyght In that myrrour beholde myght Her ennemyes / if any were with all her ordynaunce there whiche they ayene the citie cast So that whyle thilke myrrour last Ther was no lond which might acheue with werre Rome for to greue wherof was great enuy tho And it felle that ilke tyme so That Rome had werres stronge Ageyne Carthage and stode longe The two cities vpon debate Carthage sygh the stronge astate Of Rome in thilke myrrour stonde And thought all priuely to fonde To ouerthrowe it by some wyle And Haniball was thilke whyle
Or of rychesse or of pouerte How so it stande of the deserte Here is nought euery thynge acquite For ofte a man may se this yet That who best doth lest thoÌ„k shal haue It helpeth nought the worlde to craue whiche out of reule and of measure Hath euer stande in auenture As well in courte as els where And howe in olde dayes there It stode so as the thynges felle I thynke a tale for to telle ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra illos qui in domibus regum sernientes pro eo ê™ ipsi secunduÌ„ eorum cupiditateÌ„ promoti non existunt / de regio seruitio quamuis iÌ„ eoruÌ„ defectu indiscrete murmuraÌ„t ¶ In a cronyke this I rede About a kynge as must nede There was knyghtes and squiers Great route and eke offycers Some of longe tyme hym had serued And thoughteÌ„ that they haue deserued Auauncement and gone without And some also ben of the route That comen but a whyle agone And they auaunced were anone These olde men vpon this thyng So as they durst ageyne the kynge Amonge hem selfe compleynen ofte But there is nothynge sayde so softe That it ne cometh out at last The kynge it wyst anone al 's fast As he whiche was of hygh prudence He shope therfore an euidence Of hem that playnen in the cas To knowe in whose defaute it was And all within his owne entent That no man wyst what it ment Anone be lette two cofres make Of one semblaunce of one make So lyche that no lyfe thilke throwe That one may fro that other knowe They were in to his chaumber brought But no man wote why they be brought And netheles the kynge hath bede That they be sette in preuy stede As he that was of wysedome slygh whan he therto his tyme sygh All priueliche that none it wyst His owne bondes that one kyst Of fyne golde / and of fyne perye The whiche out of his tresorie was take anone he fylde full That other coffre of strawe and mull with stones meued he fylde also Thus be they full bothe two So that erelyche vpon a day He had within / there he lay There shulde to fore his bedde A bourde vp sette and fayre spredde And than he let the cofres fette Vpon the bourde and did hem set He knewe the names well of tho The whiche ayene hym grutched so Both of his chambre and of his halle Anone and sent for hem alll And sayde to hem in this wyse ¶ There shall no man his hap despyse I wote well ye haue longe serued And god wote what ye haue deserued But if it is alonge on me Of that ye vnauaunced be Or els if it belonge on you The soth shall be preued nowe To stoppe with your euyll worde Lo here two cofers on the borde Chese whiche you lyst of both two And wyteth well that one of tho Is with treasour so full begone That if ye happe therupon Ye shal be riche men for euer Nowe chese take whiche you is leuer But be well ware er that ye take For of that one I vndertake There is no maner good therin wherof ye myght profite wynne Nowe goth to gether of one assent And maketh your aduisement For but I you this day auaunce It stant vpon your owne chaunce All onely in default of grace So shall be shewe in this place Vpon you all well afyne That no defaute shall be myn They knelen all and with one voys The kynge they thanken of this choys And after that they vp aryse And gon a syde and hem auyse And at last they acorde wherof her tale to recorde To what yssue they ben falle A knyght shall speke for hem alle He kneleth downe to the kynge And sayth that they vpon this thynge Or for to wynne or for to lese Ben all auysed for to chese Tho toke this knyght a yerd on hond And goth there as the cofers stond And with thassent of euerychone He leyd his yard vpon one And seyth the kynge howe thylke same They chese in reguerdon by name And preith him that they might it haue The king which wold his honour saue whan he hath herd the comon voys Hath graunted hem her owne choys And toke hem therupon the keye But for he wolde it were seye what good they haue as they suppose He had anone the cofer vnclose whiche was fulfilled with straw stones Thus be they serued all at ones This kynge than in the same stede Anone that other Cofer vndede where as they sawen great rychesse wel more than they couthen gesse Lo seyth the kynge nowe may ye see That there is no defaute in me For thy my selfe I wol acquyte And bereth ye your owne wyte Of that fortune hath you refused Thus was this wyse kynge excused And they lefte of her euyl speche And mercy of her kynge beseche ¶ Nota de diuiciarum accidencia / vbi narrat qualiter Fredericus RomanoruÌ„ imperator duos â—anperes andiuit litigantes quorum vnus dixit Bene potest ditari quem rex vult ditare Et alius dixit quem deus vult ditare diues erit / que rex cum ad experimeÌ„toÌ„ postea probata fuiffet ill equi deum innocabat pastellum auto plinum sortitâ—â— est alius vero caponis pastellum sorte preelegit ⧠Somdele to this mater lyke I fynde a tale howe Frederyke Of Rome that tyme Emperour Herde as he wente a great clamour Of two beggers vpon the weye That one of hem began to seye Halord wel may the man be ryche whome that a kynge lyst to ryche That other sayd no thynge soo But he is ryche and wel bego To whome that god wol send wele And thus they maden wordes fele wherof this lord hath hede nome And dyd hem both for to come To the payleys where he shall ete And bad ordeyn for her mete Two pasteys whiche he lete do make A capon in that one was bake And in that other for to wynne Of floreyns all that may within He let do put a great riches And euen as lyche as man may gesse Outward they were both two This begger was commaunded tho He that whiche held hym to the kynge That he fyrst chese vpon this thynge He sawe hem but he felt hem nought So that vpon his owne thought He chese the capon and forsoke That other whiche his felawe toke But whan he wyst howe that it ferde He seyth aloude that men it herde Nowe haue I certaynly conceyued That he may lyghtly be deceyued That trysteth vnto mans helpe But wel is hym that god wol helpe For he stant on the syker syde whiche elles shulde go besyde I se my felawe wel recouer And I mote dwelle still pouer Thus spake the begger his entent And powre he cam and powre he went Of that he hath rychesse sought His infortune it wolde nought So may it shewe in sondry wyse Betwene fortune and couetyse The chance
a loue may not laste But nowe men seyn in oure dayes Men maken but a fewe assayes But if the cause be rychesse For thy the loue is well the lesse And who that wold ensamples telle By olde dayes as they felle Than myght a man wel vnderstonde Suche loue may not longe stonde Now herken sonne thou shalt here A great ensample of this matere ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra istos / qui non propter amorem sed propter diuicias sponsalia fumunt Et narrat de quodam regis Apulie Se nescalo / qui non solum propter pecuniam vxoreÌ„ duxit sed eciam pecunie commercis vxorem sibi desponsatum vendidit ¶ To trete vpon the cas of loue So as we toâ—d here aboue I fynde wryte a wonder thynge Of Puyle whylom was a kynge A man of hygh complexion And yonge but his affectyon After the nature of his age was yet not falle in his courage The lust of woman for to knowe So it betyd vpon a throwe This lorde felle in to great sekenes Physyke hath done the besynes Of sondry cures many one To make hym holle and therupon A worthy mayster whiche there was Yafe hym counseyle vhon this cas That if he wolde haue parfyte hele He shuld with a woman dele Atress he a yonge a lusty wyght To don hym companye a nyght For than he sayde hym redely That he shal be al hole ther by And other wyse he knewe no cure The kyng whiche stode in a venture Of lyfe and deth for medicine Assented was and of couyne His stewarde whom he trusteth well He toke and tolde hym euery dele How that this mayster had sayde And thervpon he hath hym prayde And charged vpon his lygeaunce That he do make purueaunce Of suche one as be couenable For his pleasaunce and delitable And badde hym how that euer it stode That he shall spare for no good For his wyll is ryght well to pay The stewarde sayde he wolde assay ¶ But now here after thou shalt wyte As I fynde in the bokes wryte what couetyse in loue doth This stewarde for to telle soth Amonges all the men on alyue A lusty lady hath to wyue whiche netheles for golde he toke And nought for loue as sayth the boke A ryche marchaunt of the londe Her fader was and he her fonde So worthely and suche rychesse Of worldes good and suche largesse with her he yafe in mariage That onely for thilke auauntage Of good the stewarde hath her take For lucre and nought for loues sake And that was afterwarde wel sene Nowe herken what it woll mene The stewarde in his owne hert Sigh that his lorde may not asterte His maladie but he haue A lusty woman hym to saue And though he wolde yeue inough Of his treasour wherof he drough Great couetyse in to his mynde And set his honour ferre behynde Thus he whom golde hath ouersette was trapped in his owne nette The golde hath made his wyttes lame So that sechende his owne shame He ronneth in the kynges eare And sayd hym that he wyst where A gentyll and a lusty one Tho was and thyther wolde he gone But he mote yeue yeftes great For but it be through great beyete Of golde he sayd he shulde not spede The kynge hym bad vpon the nede That take an hundrede pouÌ„de he shuld And yeue it where that he wolde Be so it were in worthy place And thus to stonde in loues grace This kyng his golde hath habandoned And whan this tale was full rouned The stewarde toke the gold and went within his herte and many a went Of couetyse than he cast wherof a purpose at laste Ayene loue and ayene his ryght He toke and sayde how thilke nyght His wyfe shall lygge by the kynge And goth thynkende vpon this thynge Towarde his inne tyll he cam home In to the chaumbre and than he nome His wyfe and tolde her al the cas And she whiche redde for shame was with bothe her handes to hym prayde Kâ—â—lende and in this wyse sayde That she to reason and to skylle In what thynge that he bydde wyll Is redy for to done his beste But this thynge that were not honeste That he for golde her shulde selle And he tho with his wordes felle Forth with his gastely countenaunce Sayth that she shall done obeysaunce And folowe his wylle in euery place And thus through strength of his manace Her innocence is ouerladde wherof she was so sore adradde That she his wylle mote nede obeye And thervpon was shape a weye That he his owne wyfe by nyght Hath out of all mennes syght So priuely that none it wyst Brought to the king which as hym list May do with her what he wolde For whan she was there as she sholde with hym a bedde vnder the cloth The stewarde toke his leue and goth In to the chambre fast by But howe he slepte that wote not I For he sygh cause of ielousy ¶ But he whiche hath the company Of suche a lusty one as she Hym thought that of his degre There was no man so well at ease She doth all that she may to please So that his herte all holle she had And thus this kynge his ioye lad Tyll it was nygh vpon the day The stewarde than where she lay Cam to the bedde and in this wyse Hath bydde she shulde aryse The kynge sayth nay she shall not go The stewarde sayde nothynge so For she mote gone er it be knowe And so I swore at thilke throwe whan I her fette to you here The kynge his tale wolde not here And seith how that he hath her bought For thy she shall departe nought Tyll he the bryght day beholde And caught her in her armes folde As be whiche lyst for to pleye And bad his stewarde gone aweye And so he dyd ayene his wylle And thus his wyfe a bedde stylle Lay with the kynge the longe nyght Tyll that it was hygh sonne lyght But who she was he knew nothynge Tho cam the stewarde to the kynge And prayde hym without shame In sauynge of her good name He myght leaden home ayene This lady and tolde hym pleyne Howe that it was his owne wyfe The kynge his ere vnto this stryfe Hath leyde and whan that he it herde well nyhe out of his wyt he ferde And sayde A caytife moste of all where was it euer or this befall That any Cokarde in this wyse Betoke his wyfe for couetyse Thou hast bothe her and me begyled And eke thyn owne estate reuyled wherof that buxome vnto the Here after shall she neuer be For this auowe to god I make After this day / if I the take Thou shalte be honged and to drawe Nowe loke anone thou be withdrawe So that I se the neuer more This stewarde that drad hym sore with all the hast that he may And fled awey the same day And was exyled oute of lond ¶ Lo there a nyce husbond whiche
openly ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra viros amori ingratos Et narrat qualiter Theseus Aegei filius consilio fultus Adriane regis Minos filie in domo que Laborinthus dicitur Minotaurum vicit vnde Theseus Adriane sponsalie certissime promittens / ipsaÌ„ vna cum Phedra sorore sua a Creta secuÌ„ nauigio duxit Sed statim postea oblito gratitudinis beneficio Adriadnam ipsum saluantem in insula Chion spretam post terguÌ„ re fiquit Et Phedram Athenis sibi sponsatam ingratus coronauit ¶ Minos as tellen the poete The which whylom was kyng of Crete A sonne hadde and Androchee He hyght and so befelle that be Vnto Athenes for to lere was sente and so he bare him there For that he was of high lignage Suche pride he toke in his corage That he foryeten hath the scholes And in ryot amonge the foles He dyd many thynges wronge And vsed thylke lyfe so longe Tyl at last of that he wrought He fonde the mischiefe which he sought wherof it fell that he was slayne His fader whiche it herde sayne was wrothe and all that euer he myght Of men of armes he hym dyght A stronge power and forth he went Vnto Athenis where he brent The playne countre al aboute The cities stode of hym in doute As they that no defence hadde Ageyne the power whiche he ladde Egeus whiche was there kynge His counsell toke vpon this thynge For he was than in the citie So that of pees in to trete Bitwene Mynos and Egeus They fell and bene accorded thus That kynge Mynos fro yere to yere Receyue shal as thou shalt here Out of Athenys for truage Of men that were of myghty age Parsons nyne of whiche he shall His wyl don in speciall For vengeaunce of his sonnes deth None other grace there ne geth But for to take the Iuyse And that was don in suche a wyse Vpon whiche stode a wonder cas For that tyme so it was wherof that men yet rede and synge Kynge Mynos had in his kepynge A cruell monster as seyth the iest For he was halfe man and halfe best And Mynotaurus he was hote which was begotten in a ryote Vpon Pasyphae his owne wyfe whyles he was out vpon the stryfe Of that great syege of Troye But she whiche lost hath all ioye whan that she syghe this monstre bore Bad men ordeyne anon therfore And felle that ilke tyme thus There was a clerke one Dedalus whiche had ben of hir assent Of that her lorde was so myswent And he made of his owne wyt wherof the remembraunce is yet For Mynotaure suche a hous That was so stronge and meruaylous That what man that within went There was so many a sondry went That he ne shulde nought come out But gone amased all aboute And in this house to locke and warde was Mynotaurus put in warde That what lyfe that therin cam Or man or beest be ouercam And slough and fedde hym thervpon And in this wyse many one Out of Athenis for truage Deuouted weren in that rage For euery yere they shopen hem so They of Athenis er they go Towarde that ilke wofull chaunce As it was sette in ordynaunce Vpon fortune her lotte they cast Tyll that Theseus at laste whiche was the kynges sonne there Amonges other that there were In thilke yere as it befelle The lotte vpon his chaunce felle He was a worthy knyght withall And whan he sygh his chaunce falle Hâ—â—erde as though he toke none hede But all that euer he myght spede with hym / and with his felaushyp Forth in to Crete he goth by shyp where that the kyng Mynos he sought And profereth all that he hym oughte Vpon the poynt of her accorde This sterne kynge this cruell lorde Toke euery day one of the nyne And put hym in to the discipline Of Mynotaure to be deuoured But Theseus was so fauoured That he was kepte tyll at laste And the meane whyle he cast what thynge hym were best to do And felle / that Ariadne tho whiche was the doughter of Mynos And had herde the worthy los Of Theseus and of his myght And sygh he was a lusty knyght Her holle herte on hym she layde And he also of loue her prayd So ferforth that they were alone And she ordeneth that anone In what maner she shuld hym saue And shope so that she dyd hym haue A clewe of threde of whiche within Fyrst at dore he shall begynne with hym to take that one ende Than whan he wold ageynward wende He myght go the same weye And ouer this so as I seye Of pytche she toke hym a pelote The whiche he shuld in to the throte Of Mynotaure cast ryght Suche wepen also for hym she dyght That he by reason may not fayle To make an ende of his bataile For she hym taught in sondry wyse Tylle he was knowe of thylke empryse Howe he this best shuld quelle And thus shortely for to telle So as this mayden hym had taught Theseus with his monster faught And smote of his hede the whiche be nam And by the thred so as he cam He goth ageyne tyl he were oute So was great wonder all aboute Mynos the tribute hath releced And so was all the werre seced Betwene Athenys and hem of Crete But nowe to speke of that swete The whose beaute was withoute wan This fayre mayden Adryan whan that she sygh Theseus sounde was neuer yet vpon this grounde A gladder wyght than she was tho Theseus dwelt a day or two where that Mynos great chere him did Theseus in a preue sted Hath with this maiden spoke rowned That she to hym was abandouned In al that euer she couth So that her lusty youth All pryuely bytwene hem twey The fyrste floure he toke awey For he so fayre tho behyght That euer whyle he lyue myght He shuld her take for his wyfe And as his owne bertes lyfe He wolde her loue and trouth here And she whiche myght not forbere So sore loueth hym ageyne That what as euer he wold seyne with all her hert she it leueth And thus his purpose he acheuyth So that assured of his trouth with hym she went that was routh Phedra her yonge suster eke A lusty mayd a sobre a meke Fulfylled of all curtosye For susterhode and companye Of loue whiche was hem betwene To se her suster be made a quene Her fader lefte and forth she went with hym whiche all his fyrst entent Forgat within a lytel throwe So that it was all ouer throwe whan she best wend it shuld stonde The shyp was blowen fro the londe wherin that they sailend were This Ariadne had mochel fere Of that the wynde so lowde blewe As she whiche of these ne knewe And praid for to reste a whyle And so felle that vpon an yle whiche Chio hyght they ben dreue where he to her leue hath yeue That she shall lond and take her rest But that was nothynge
befall In swoune tho she gan downe fall And efte arose and gan to stonde And efte she taketh the clothe on honde Behelde the letters and thymages But at last of suche outrages She sayde wepynge is nought the bote And swereth if that she leue mote It shall be venged other wyse And with that she gan her auyse How fyrst she myght vnto hir wyn Her suster that no man within But onely they that were swore It shulde knowe and shope therfore That Thereus nothynge it wyst And yet ryght as her seluen lyste Her syster was delyuered sone Out of prison by the mone To Progne she was brought by nyghte whan eche of other had a syght In chambre there they were alone They maden many a pytous mone But Progne most of sorow made whiche sigh her syster pale and fade And specheles and dishonoured Of that she had be defloured And eke vpon hir lorde she thought Of that he so vntruely wrought And had his espousayle broke She maketh auowe it shall be wroke And with that word she kneleth downe wepynge in great deuocion Vnto Cupyde and to Venus She prayd and sayd than thus O ye to whome no thynge astert Of loue may for euery herte ye knowe as ye that ben aboue The god and the goddesse of loue ye wyten well that euer yet withal my wylle and all my wyt Syth fyrst ye shope me to wedde That I lay with my lorde a bedde I haue ben trewe in my degre And euer thought for to be And neuer loue in other place But all onely the kynge of Trace whiche is my lorde and I his wyfe But nowe allas this wofull stryfe That I hym thus ageynward fynde The most vntrewe and most vnkynde That euer in ladys armes lay And wel I wote that he ne may Amend his wronge it is so great For to lytell of me he lete whan he myn owne suster toke And me that am his wyfe forsoke Lo thus to Venus and Cupyde She prayd and ferthermore she cryde Vnto Apollo the hyghest And sayd O myghty god of rest Thou do vengeaunce of this debate My suster and all her estate Thou wost how she hath forlore Her maydenhede and I therfore In all the worlde shall beare a blame Of that my suster hath ashame That Thereus to hir I sente And well thou wost / that myn entent was all for worshyp and for good O lorde that gyuest the lyues fode To euery wyght I pray the here These wofull systers that ben here And let vs nought to the ben loth we ben thyn owne women both Thus plaineth Progne / axeth wreche And though her sister lacke speche To hym that all thynges wote Her sorowe is not the lesse hote But he / that than herd them two Hym ought haue sorowed euermo For sorowe which was hem betwene with signes playneth Philomene And Progne saith / it shal be wreke That all the worlde therof shall speake And Progne tho syckenes feyned wherof vnto her lorde she pleyned And preith she mote her chambre kepe And as her lyketh wake slepe And he her graunteth to be so And thus to gether ben they two That wolde hym but a lytell good Nowe herken hereafter / how it stode Of wofull auntres that befelle These susters that ben both felle And that was not on hem alonge But onely on the great wronge whiche Thereus had hem do They shopen for to venge hem tho This Thereus by Progne his wyfe A sonne hath whiche as his lyfe He loueth and I this he hyght His mother wyst well she myght Do Thereus no more greue Than slee his childe whiche was so leue Thus she that was as who saith madde Of wo whiche hath her ouerladde without insyght of motherheed Forgate pyte and lost drede And in hir chambre priuely This childe without noyse or crye She slough and hewe hym all to peces And after with dyuers spieses The flesshe whan it was so to hewe She taketh and maketh therof a sewe with whiche the fader at his mete was serued tyll he had hym ete That he ne wyst howe that it stode But thus his owne flesshe and blode Hym selfe deuoureth ageyne kynde As he that was to fore vnkynde And than er that he were aryse For that he shulde bene agryse To shewen hym the childe was dede This Philomene toke the hede Betwene two dysshes / and all wrothe Tho came forthe the susters bothe And setten it vpon the borde And Progne than began the worde And seyde O werst of all wykke Of conscience whom no prykke May stere lo what thou hast do Lo here ben nowe we systers two O rauener lo here thy preye with whom so falsely on the weye Thou hast thy tyranny wrought Lo nowe it is som dele abought And better it shall for of thy dede The worlde shall euer synge and rede In remembraunce of thy defame For thou to loue hast done suche shame That it shall neuer be forgete with that he sterte vp fro the mete And shoue the borde in to the flore And caught a sworde anone and swore That they shulde of his hondes dye And they vnto the goddes crye Began with so loude a steuene That they were herde vnto heuene And in the twynkelyng of an eye The goddes that the myschiefe seye Her formes chaunged all thre Eche of hem in his degree was turned in to a bryddes kynde Dyuerselyche as men may fynde After the state that they were ynne Her formes were set a twynne And as it telleth in the tale The fyrst in to a nyghtyngale was shape and that was Philomene whiche in the wynter is not sene For than be the leues falle And naked ben the busshes alle For after that she was a brydde Her wylle was euer to be hyd And for to dwelle in pryue place That noman shuld se hir face For shame whiche may not be lassid Of thynge that was tofore passid whan that she lost her maydenhed Foreuer vpon her womanhede Though that the gods wold her chāg She thynketh and is the more straunge And holt her clos the wynter day But whan the wynter goth away And that nature the goddesse wyll of her owne fre largesse with herbes and with flours both The feldes and the medowes clothe And eke the woodes and the greues Ben bylled all with grene leues So that a brydde her hyde may Betwene March Apryl and May She that the winter held her clos For pure shame and nought aros whan that she sygh the bowes thycke And that there is no bare stycke But all his hyd with leues grene To wode cometh this Philomene And maketh hir fyrst yers flyght where as she syngeth day and nyght And in her songe all openly She maketh her plaint saith O why why ne were I yet a mayde For so this olde wyse sayd whiche vnderstood what she ment Her notes ben of suche entent And eke they sayd how in her songe She maketh great ioye
to play There came Neptunus in the way whiche hath these in gouernaunce And in his herte suche plesaunce He toke whan he this mayden sygh That all his hert aros on hygh For he so sodenlyche vnware Beheld the beaute that she bare And cast anone within his hert That she hym shall no way astert But if be take in auauntage Fro thilke mayde somme pyllage Nought of the broches ne the rynges But of some other smale thynges He thought parte er that he went And her in bothe his armes bent And put his honde towarde the cofre where to robbe he made a profre That lusty treasour for to steale whiche passeth other goodes fele And cleped is the maydenheed whiche is the floure of womanheed This mayde whiche Cornyr by name was hote dredynge all shame Sigh that she myght nought debate And well she wyst he wolde algate Fulfylle his luste of robbreie Anone began to wepe and crye And sayde O Pallas noble quene Shewe nowe thy myght let be sene To kepe and saue myn honour Helpe that I lese nought my floure which nowe vnder thy key is loke That worde was not so soone spoke whan Pallas shope recouyre After the wylle and the desyre Of hir whiche a mayde was And sodeinly vpon this cas Out of her womanlyche kynde In to a bryddes lykenes I fynde She was transformed forth withall So that Neptunus nothynge stall Of such thinge that he wolde haue stole with fethers blacke as any cole Out of his armes in a throwe She flegh before his eien a crowe whiche was to her a more delyte To kepe her maydenheed whyte Vnder the wede of fethers blacke In perles whyte than forsake That no lyfe may restore agayne But this Neptune his herte in vayne Hath vpon robberye sette The bryd is iflowe and he was let The fayre mayde is hym escaped wherof for euer he was beiaped And scorned of that he hath lore ¶ My sonne be thou ware therfore That thou no maydenheed stele wherof men se diseses fele So as I shall the yet deuyse Another tale thervpon whiche felle by olde dayes gone ¶ HIC ponit exemplum contra istos in causa â—â—â—ginitatis lese predones et narrat quod cum Calisto regis Lichaonis mire pulchritudinis filia suam virginitatem Diane conseruandam castissima vâ—nisset Et in siluam / que Tegea dicitur inteâ—â—â—â—us ibidem nymphas moraturaÌ„ se transtuâ—â—â—â—et Iupiter virginis castitateÌ„ subtili furto surâ—â—â—â—us quendam filium qui postea Archas noâ—â—natus est ex ea genuit vnde Iuno in CafistonaÌ„â—â—â—â—ns eius pulchritudinem in vrse turpissime â—â—â—â—mitatem subito transfigurauit ¶ Kynge Lichaon vpon his wyfe A doughter hadde a goodly lyfe And cleue mayden of worthy fame Calistona whose ryght name was cleped and of many a lorde She was besought but her accorde To loue might no man wynne As she / whiche hath no lust therinne But swore within her herte and sayde That she woll euer ben a mayde wherfore to kepe her selfe in pees with suche as Amadriades were cleped woodmaydens tho And with the nymphes eke also Vpon the sprynge of fresshe welles She shope to dwelle and no where elles And thus came this Calistona Into the wodde of Tegea where she virginite behight Vnto Diane and therto plight Her trouth vpon the bowes grene To kepe her maydenheed clene whiche afterwarde vpon a day was priuelyche stole away For Iupiter through his queintyse From her it toke in suche a wyse That sodenlyche forth withall Her wombe arose / and she to swall So that it myght not be hydde And therupon it is betydde That Dyane whiche it herde tell In priue place vnto a welle with Nymphes al a company was come and in a ragery She sayde that she hathe wolde And had that euery mayden shulde with hir all naked hathe also And tho began the priuie wo Calistona wex rede for shame But they that knewe not the game To whom no suche thynge was befalle Anone they made hem naked all As they nothynge wolde hyde But she withdrewe hir euer asyde And netheles in the flode where that Dyana hir selfe stode She thought to come vnperceyued But therof she was all deceyued For whan she came a lytell nyghe And that Dyana her wombe syghe She sayd away thou foule beest For thyne astate is not honest This chaft water for to touche For thou hast take suche a touche whiche neuer may ben hole ageyne And thus goth she whiche was forleine with shame and the Nymphes fledde Tyll whan that nature hir spedde That of a sonne whiche Archas was named she delyuered was And tho Iuno whiche was the wyfe Of Iupiter wrothe and hastyfe In purpose for to do vengeaunce Came forthe vpon thylke chaunce And to Calistona she spake And set vpon her many a lacke And sayd a nowe thou arte take That thou thy werke might not forsake A thou vngoodly hypocryte Thou art greatly for to wyte But nowe thou shalt full sore abye That ylke stelthe of mycherye That thou hast both take and do wherof thy fader Lychao Shall not be glad whan he it wote Of that his doughter was so hote That she hath broken her chast vowe But I the shall chastyse nowe Thy great beaute shall be torned Through whiche that thou hast be mestorned Thy large froÌ„te thy eyen gray I shall hem chaunge in other way And all the feture of thy face In suche a wyse I shall deface That euery man the shall forbere with that the likenes of a bere She toke and was forshapen anone within a tyme and therupon Befelle that with a bowe in bonde To hunte and game for to fonde In to that woode goth to playe Her sonne Archas and in his waye It happeth that this here came And whan that he good hede name where that be stode vnder the bough She knewe hym well to hym drough For though she had her forme lore The loue was nought lost therfore whiche kynde hath set vnder his lawe whan she vnder the woode shawe Her chylde beheld she was so glad That she with both her armes sprade As though she were in womanhed Toward hym come and toke none hede Of that he bare a bowe bente And he with that an arowe hath bent And gan to teyse it in his bowe As he that can none other knowe But that it was a beste wylde But Iupiter which wolde shylde The moder and the sonne also Ordeyneth for hem both two That they for euer were saue But thus my sonne thou myght haue Ensample howe that it is to flee To robbe the virginite Of a yonge innocent aweye And ouer this by other weye In olde bokes as I rede Suche roberye is for to drede And namlyche of thylke good whiche euery woman that is good Desyreth for to kepe and holde As whylome was by dayes olde For if thou here my tale wele Of that was tho / thou myght somdele Of olde ensamples taken hede Howe
hym selfe is due By nemeth he may not wel eschue The peyne comynge afterwarde For he hath made his forewarde with sacrilege for to dwelle whiche hath his heritage in helle ¶ Hic tractat precipue de tribus sacrilegis quorum vnus fuit Antiochus alter Nabuzardan tertius Nabugodonosor ¶ And if we rede of tholde lawe I fynde wryte in thylke lawe Of princes howe there weren thre Culpable sore in this degre That one of hem was cleped thus The proude kynge Antiochus That other Nabuzardan hyght whiche of his cruelte behyght The temple to distroye and waste And so he dyd in all haste The thrydde which was after shamed was Nabugodonosor named And he Hierusalem put vnder Of sacrilege and many a wonder There in the holy temple he wrought whiche Balthasar his heyre abought ☞ Nota de scripta in pariete tempore regis Balthasar que fuit Mane Techel Phares ¶ whan Mane Techel Phares wryte was on the walle as thou myght wyte So as the bible it hath declared But for al that it is nought spared yet nowe a day that men ne pylle And maken argument and skylle To sacrilege as it belongeth For what man that there after longeth He taketh none hede what he doth And if a man shall tell soth Of gyle and of subtyltie Is none so slygh in his degree To feyne a thynge for his beyete As is this vice of whiche I trete He can so priuiliche pyke He can so well his wordes slyke To put away suspecion That in his excusation There shall no man defaute fynde And thus full ofte men be blynde That stonden of his worde deceyued Er his queintise be perceyued But netheles yet other whyle For all his stelth and all his gyle Of that he wolde his werke forsake He is atteynt and ouertake wherof thou shalte a tale rede ☞ HIC LOQVITVR DE 〈◊〉 â—ni laruata conscientia sacrilegium sibi licere â—â—â—â—â—nt Et narrat quod cum quidam Lucius â—â—â—â—cus famosus et imperatori notus deum 〈◊〉 Aroâ—â—mem in Templo Rome de anulo suo 〈◊〉 et barba aurea spoliasset / ipse tandem â—â—â—â—ebensus ei coram imperatore accusatus â—â—â—ter se excusando eit Anulum a deo recepi 〈◊〉 â—se digito protenso ex sua largitate anuâ—â—m lâ—nc gratiose mihi obtulit pallium ex lamine a reo constructum tuli quia aurum maxime â—â—â—â—eresum et frigidum naturaliter consistit 〈◊〉 nec in estate propter pondus nec in hyeme 〈◊〉 teâ— frigus ad dei vestes vtile fuit barbam a 〈…〉 Qui ipsuÌ„ patri suo assimulare volui 〈◊〉 et Apollo stetit absque barba / innenis appaâ—â—t Et â—ic ea que gessi non ex furto sed ex honeâ—ate processisse manifeste declaram ¶ Er Rome came to the creance Of Christis feyth it fell perchance Cesar whiche tho was emperour Hym lyst for to done honour Vnto the temple Apollinis And made an ymage vpon this The whiche was cleped Apollo was none so ryche in Rome tho Of plate of golde a herde he had The whiche his brest all ouer spradde Of golde also without fayle His mantell was of large entayle Be sette with perrey all aboute Forth ryght he straught his fynger out Vpon the whiche he had a rynge To seen it was a ryche thyng A fyne carbuncle for the nones Moste precious of all stones And fell that tyme in Rome thus There was a clerke one Lucius A courtier a famous man Of euery wytte somwhat he can Out take that hym lacketh reule His owne estate to guyde and rule Howe so it stode of his spekynge He was not wyse in his doynge But euery ryote at last Mote nedes falle and may not laste After the nede of his deserte So felle this clerke in pouerte And wyst not howe for to ryse wherof in many a sondry wyse He cast his wyttes here and ther He loketh nygh he loketh ferre Tyll on a tyme that he come Into the temple and hede nome where that the god Apollo stode He sygh the ryches and the good And thought he wolde by some wey The treasure pycke and stele away And thervpon so sleyghly wrought That his purpose about he brought And went awey vnaperceued Thus hath the man his god deceyued His rynge his mantell and his berd As he whiche nothynge was aferd All priuely with hym he bare And whan the wardeyns were ware Of that her god despoiled was Hem thought it was a wonder cas Howe that a man for any wele Durste in so holy place stele And namely so great a thynge This tale came vnto the kynge And was through spoken ouerall But for to knowe in speciall what maner man hath do the dede They soughten helpe vpon the nede And maden calculacion wherof by demonstracion The man was founde with the good In iugement and whan he stode The kynge hath asked of hym Sey thou vnsely Lucius why hast thou done this sacrilege My lorde if I the cause allege Quod he ayene me thynketh this That I haue do nothynge amis Thre pointes ther ben which I haue do wherof the fyrste poynt stant so That I the rynge haue take away Vnto that poynt this woll I say whan I the god behelde about I sygh / howe he his honde straught out And profred me the rynge to yeue And I whiche wolde gladly lyue Out of pouerte through his largesse It vnderfange so that I gesse And therof am I nought to wyte And ouermore I woll me quyte Of golde that I the mantell toke Golde in his kynde as saythe the boke Is heuy both and colde also And for that it was heuy so Me thought it was no garnement Vnto the god conuenient To clothen hym the sommer tyde I thought vpon that other syde Howe gold is colde and suche a clothe By reason ought to be lothe In wynter tyme for the chele And thus thynkende thoughtes fele As I myn eie aboute caste His large berde than at laste I sygh and thought anone therfore Howe that his father hym before whiche stode vpon the same place was berdles with a yongly face And in suche wise as ye haue herde I toke away the sonnes berde For that his father had none To make hem lyche and here vpon I aske for to ben excused ¶ Lo thus where sacrilege is vsed A man can feyne his conscience And ryght vpon suche euidence In loues cause if I shall trete There ben of such small and great If they no leyser fynde elles They wol not wonde for the belles Ne though they se the preest at masse That wol they leten ouerpasse If that they fynde her loue there They stande and telle in her ere And aske of god none other grace whyle they ben in that holy place But er they gon some auauntage There wyll they haue and som pyllage Of goodly wordes or of beheste Or elles they take at leste Out of her honde a rynge or
there a citie newe That they whiche other londes knewe Tho seyden that of lyme and stone In all the worlde so faire was none And on that o syde of the towne The kynge lette make Ilion That hygh toure that stronge place whiche was adrad of no manace Of quarcle nor of none engyne And though men wolden make a myne No mans crafte it myght approche For it was sette vpon a roche The walles of the towne about Hem stode of all the worlde no dout And after the proportion Sixe gates were there of the towne Of suche a forme of suche entayle That hem to se was great meruayle The dyches weren brode depe A fewe meirit myght kepe From all the worlde as semeth tho But if the goddes weren fo Great prees vnto that citie drough So that there was of people inough Of burgeys that therin dwellen There may no man 's tunge tellen Howe that citie was ryche and good ¶ whan all was made all well stode Kynge Priamus tho hym bethought what they of grece whilom wrought And what was of her sworde deuoured And howe his suster deshonoured with Thelamon away was lad And tho thynkende he waxte vnglad And sette anone a parliment To whiche the lordes were assent In many a wyse there was spoke Howe that they myghten bene a wroke But at the last netheles They saiden all accorde and pees To setten euery parte in rest It thought hem than for the best with reasonable amendement And thus was Anthenor forth sent To aske Esyona ageyne And witten what they wolde seyne So passeth he the see by barge To grece for to sey his charge The whiche he sayde redyly Vnto the lordes by and by But where he spake in grece aboute He herde not but wordes stoute And namelyche of Thelamon The mayden wolde he not forgone He sayde for no maner thynge And had hym gone home to his kynge For there gate he none amende For ought he couth do or sende This Anthenor ayene goth home Vnto his kynge and whan he come He tolde in grece of that be herde And howe that Thelamon answerde And howe they were at her aboue That they wol neither pees ne loue But euery man shall done his best But for men seyen that nyght hath rest The kyng bithought him all that nyght And erely whan the day was lyght He toke his councell of this matere And they accorde in this manere That he withouten any let A certeyne tyme shulde set A parlement to ben auysed And in this wyse it was auysed Of parlement he set a day And that was in the moneth of May This Priamus had in his yght A wyfe and Hecuba she byght By whom that tyme eke had he Sonnes fyue and doughters thre Besyden hem and thyrty mo And weren knyghtes also tho But not vpon his wyfe begete But els where he myght hem gete Of women whiche he had knowe Suche was the worlde that â—ilke thâ—â—â—â— So that he was of children ryche So therof was no man hym lyche Of parlement the day was come There bene lordes all and some Tho was pronounced and purposed And all the cause was hem disclosed Howe Anthenor in grece ferde They sytten all styll and herde And tho spake euery man aboute There was alledged many a doute And many a proude worde spoke also But for the moste parte as tho They wysten not what was the beste Or for to warre or for to reste But he that was without fere Hector amonge the lordes there His tale tolde in suche a wyse And sayde Lordes ye ben wyse Ye knowen this / as well as I Aboue all other most worthy Stant nowe in grece the manhod Of worthynes and of knyghthod For who so wyll it wel agrope To hem belongeth all Europe whiche is the thyrd parte euen Of all the worlde vnder the heuen And we be but of folke a fewe So were it reson for to eschewe The perel er we fall therin Better is to leue than begyn Thyng which as may not ben acheued He is not wyse / that fynde hym greued And doth so that his greue be more For who that loketh all tofore And woll not se what is behynde He may full ofte his harmes fynde wycke is to stryue and haue the worse we haue encheson for to corse This wote I well and for to hate The grekes but er that we debate with hem that ben of suche a myght It is full good that euery wyght Be of hym selfe ryght well bethought But as for me thus say I nought For whyle that my lyfe woll stonde If that ye take werre in honde Falle it to the best or to the werst I shall my seluen be the ferst To greuen hem what euer I may I wolle not ones say nay To thinge whiche that your couÌ„ceil demeth For vnto me welle more it quemeth The werre certes than the pees But this I saye netheles As me belongeth for to say Nowe shape ye the beste way ¶ whan Hector hath sayde his auyse Next after hym tho spake Paris whiche was his brother and aleyed what hym best thought thus he sayde Stronge thynge it is to suffer wronge And suffer shame is more stronge But we haue suffred both two And for all that yet haue we do what so we myght to reforme The pees whan we in suche a forme Sent Anthenor as ye wel knowe And they her gret wordes blowe Vpon her wrongfull dedes eke And who that woll not hym selfe meke To pees and lyst no reason take Men seyn reason wyl hym forsake For in the multitude of men Is not the strengthe for with ten It hath be sene in trewe quarele Ayene an bonderd false dele And had the better of goddes grace Thus hath befalle in many place And if it lyke vnto you all I wylle assay howe so it falle Our enemys if I may greue For I haue caught a gret beleue Vpon a poynt I wol declare This ender day as I gan fare To hunte vnto the great herte whiche was tofore myn houndes sterte And euery man went on his syde Hym to pursewe and I to ryde Began to chase and sooth to say within a whyle oute of my way I rode and nyst where I was And slepe me caught and on the grasse Besyde a welle I leyd me downe To slepe and in a vysyon To me the god Mercurye came Goddesses thre with hym he nam Minerue Venus and Iuno And in his honde an apple tho He helde of golde with letters wryte And this he dyd me to wyte Howe that they put hem vpon me That to the fayrest of hem thre Of golde that apple shulde I yeue with eche of hem tho was I shryue And eche one faire me behyght But Venus sayde if that she myght That apple of my yefte gette She wolde it neuermore foryete And sayde howe that in grece londe She wolde brynge in to myn honde Of all this erth the fayrest So that me thought it for the best
out of mans lyke And of a dragon toke the forme As he whiche wolde hym all conforme To that she sawe in sweuener this And thus to chambre come he is The quene lay a bed and syghe And hopeth euer as he cam nyghe That he god of Luby were So hath she well the lesse fere But for he wolde hir more assure yet efte he changeth his fygure And of a wether the lykenesse He toke in sygne of his noblesse with large hornes for the nones Of fyne golde and ryche stones A crowne on his heed he bare And sodeinlyche er she was ware As he whiche all guyle can His forme he torneth in to man And came to bedde and she lay styll where as she suffreth all his wyll As she whiche wende not mysdo But netheles it hapneth so All though she were in parte deceiued yet for all that she hath conceiued The worthiest of all kithe whiche euer was tofore or sith Of conquest and of chyualrye So that through gyle and sorcery There was that noble knight begonne whiche all the worlde hath after wonne Thus fell the thing whiche fall shuld Nectanabus hath that he wolde with gyle he hath his loue sped with gyle he came in to the bed with gyle he gothe hym oute ayene He was a shrewed chamberleyne So to begyle a worthy quene And that on hym was after sene But netheles the thynge is do This fals god was sone go with his deceyte helde hym close Tyll morow cam that he arose And tho whan tyme and leyser was The quene tolde hym all the cas As she that gyle none supposeth And of two poyntes she hym apposeth One was if that this god no more wyll come ayene and ouermore How she shall stonden in accorde with kynge Philip her owne lorde when he comth home seeth her grone ¶ Madame he seyth let me alone As for the god I vndertake That whan it lyketh you to take His company at any throwe If I a day to fore it knowe He shall be with you on the nyght And he is welle of suche a might To kepe you frome al blame For thy comforte you madame There shall none other cause be Thus tooke he leue and forth goth he And tho began be for to muse Howe he the quene might excuse Towarde the kinge of that is falle And founde a crafte amonges alle Through which he hath a se foule daÌ„ted with his magike and so enchaunted That he flewe forth whan it was night Vnto the kinges tent right where that he lay amidde his hoste And whan he was a slepe moste with that the se foull to him brought An other charme whiche he wrought At home within his chamber stylle The kinge he torneth at his wylle And makth him for to dreme and se The dragon and the priuete which was betwene him and the quene And ouer that he made him wene In sweuen howe that the god Amos whan he vp fro the quene aros Toke forth a rynge wherin a stone was set and graue therupon A sonne in whiche whan he cam nighe A lyon with a swerde he sigh And with that prente as he so mette Vpon the quenes wombe he sette A seale and goth him forth his way with that the sweuen went a waye And tho began the kinge a wake And sighe for his wyues sake where as he lay within his tent And hath great wonder what it mente with that he hasted him to ryse Anone and sent after the wyse Amonge the whiche there was one A Clerke his name is Amphyon whan he the kinges sweuen herd what it betokneth he answerde And saith as sekerly as the lyfe A god hath layne by thy wyfe And gotte a sonne whiche shall wynne The worlde and all that is withinne As the lyon is kynge of beastes So shall the worlde obeye his bestes which with his swerde shal al be wonne Al 's ferre as shyneth any sonne The kynge was doutife of this dome But netheles whan that be come Ageyne into his owne londe His wyfe with childe great be founde He myght not hym selfe n stere That he ne made her heuy chere But he whiche couth of all sorowe Nectanabus vpon the morowe Through the deceyte of Nygromaunce Toke of a dragon the semblaunce And where the kynge sat in his halle Cam in rampende amonge hem all with suche a noyse and suche a rore That they agast were all so sore As though they shulde dye anone And netheles he greueth none But goth towarde the deyse on bye And whan he cam the quene nye He stynt his noyse and in his wyse To her he profreth his seruice And layth his heed vpon hir barme And she with goodly chere hir arme About his necke ayenewarde layde And thus the quene with hym playde In sight of all men about And at last be gan to loute And obeysaunce vnto her make As he that wolde his leue take And sodeynly his lothely forme In to an egle be gan transforme And flewe and set hym on a rayle wherof the kynge had great meruayle For there he pruneth hym and pyketh As doth an hauke whan him wel lyketh And after that him selfe he shoke wherof that all the halle quoke As it a terremote were They seyden all god was there In suche a rees and forth he flygh ¶ The kyng which all this woÌ„der sygh whan he cam to his chambre alone Vnto the quene made his mone And of foryeues he hir praide For than he knewe well as he sayde She was with childe with a god Thus was the kynge without rod Chastised and the quene excused Of that she had ben accused And for the greatter euidence yet after that in the presence Of kynge Philip and other mo whan they yode in the fyldes tho A fesaunt came before her eye The whiche anone as they hir seye Fleende let an neye downe falle And it to brake tofore hem alle And as they token therof kepe They sigh out of the shelle crepe A lâ—tell serpent on the grounde whiche rampeth all aboute rounde And in ayene he woll haue wonne But for the brennyng of the sonne It myght not and so be deide And therupon the clerkes seyde As the serpent when it was out went enuyron the shelle aboute And myght not torne in ayene So shall it fall in certeyne This childe the worlde shall enuirone And aboue all the corone Hym shall befall and in his yonge age He shall desire in his corage whan all the worlde is in his honde To turne ayene vnto the londe where he was bore and in his weye Homewarde he shall with poyson deye The kynge whiche al this sigh herde Fro that day forth howe so it ferde His ielousye hath all foryete But he whiche hath the childe begete Nectanabus in priuite The tyme of his natiuite Vpon the constellation Awayteth and relation Maketh to the quene howe she had do And euery houre appointeth so That no mynute
by nyght whiche sheweth hym to mans syght They clepen Eges the whiche brenneth Lyke to the currant fyre that renneth Vpon a corde as thou haste sene when it with poudre is so besene Of sulphur and other thynges mo There is a nother fyre also whiche semeth to a mans eye By nyghtes tyme as though there flye Aâ—ragon brennynge in the skye And that is cleped proprely Daâ—li wherof men say full ofte Lo where the fyrye drake a lofte Fleeth vp in th aire and so they deâ—en But why the fyres suche semen Of sondry forme to beholde The wyse philosophre tolde So as to fore it hath bene herde Lo thus my sonne it hath ferde Of ayre the due proprete In sondry wyse thou myght se And howe vnder the firmament It is eke the thyrde element whiche enuyroneth bothe two The water and the lande also ☞ Nota de igne quod est quartum elementum ¶ And for to tell ouer this Of elementes whiche the forthe is That is the Fire in his degre whiche enuironeth thother thre And is without moyste all drye But lyst nowe what seyth the clergie For vpon hem that I haue sayde The creatour hath set and leyde The kynde and the complexion Of all mennes nacion Foure elementes sondry there be Lyche vnto whiche of that degre Amonge the men there bene also Complections foure and no mo wherof the philosophre treteth That he nothyng behynde leteth And seyth howe that they bene diuerse So as I shall to the reherce ⧠Nota hic qualiter secundum naturam quatuor elementoruÌ„ quatuor in humano corpore complexiones scilicet MelaÌ„colia Flengma SaÌ„guis et Colera naturaliter constituuntur vnde primo de Melancolia dicendum est ⧠He whiche naturith euery kynde The myghty god so as I fynde Of man whiche is his creature Hath so deuyded the nature That none tyll other well accordeth And by the cause it so discordeth The lyfe whiche feleth the sykenesse May stonde vpon no likernesse ¶ Of therthe whiche is colde and dry The kynde of man Melancolye Is cleped and that is the fyrste The moste vngoodlyche and the werste For vnto loues werke on nyght Hym lacketh both wyll and myght No wondre is in lusty place Of loue though he lese grace what man hath that complexion Full of imagination Of dedes and of wrathfull thoughte He freteth hym seluen all to noughte ☞ De complexione fleugmatis ¶ The water whiche is moyste colde Maketh fleme whiche is manyfolde Foryetel slowe and wery sone Of euery thynge whiche is to done He is of kinde suffisaunt To holde loue his couenaunt But that him lacketh appetyte whiche longeth vnto suche delyte ⧠De complexione sanguinis what man that takth his kind of thaier He shall be lyght he shall be fayre For his complexion is bloode Of all there is none so good For he hath both wyll and might To please and pay loue his right where as he hath loue vndertake wronge is if that he forsake ☞ De complexione colere ¶ The first of his condicion Appropreth the complexion whose properties ben drye and hote whiche in a man is coler hote It maketh a man ben engynous And swyfte of fote and eke yrous Of conteke and foole hastynesse He hath a ryght great besynesse To thynke on loue and lytell may Though he be hote well a day On nyght whan that he woll assay He may full euyll his dettes paye ⧠Nota qualiter quatuor complexiones quatuor in homine habitationes diuisim possident ☞ After the kynde of thelement Thus stant a mans kinde went As touchend his complexion Vpon sondry diuision Of drye of moyst of chele of bete And eche of hem his owne sete Appropred hath within a man And first to telle as I began ☞ Splen domus melancolie The splen is to Melancolye Assigned for berbyrgery ⧠☞ Pulmo domus flengmatis ¶ The moyst fleume with the colde Hath in the longes for his holde Ordeined him a propre stede To dwell there as he is bede ⧠Epar domus sanguinis ⧠¶ To the sanguine complexion Nature of his inspection A propre bous hath in the lyuer For his dwellinge made delyuer ☞ Fel domus colere ⧠¶ The drye coler with his bete By wey of kynde his propre sete Hath in the galle where be dwelleth So as the philosophre telleth ☞ Nota de stomacho qui vna cum aliis cordi sâ—ecâ—alius deseruit ¶ Nowe ouer this is for to wyte As it is in phisike wryte Of lyuer of longe of galle of splene They all vnto the herte bene Seruauntes and eche in his offyce Entenden to don him seruice As he whiche is chiefe lorde aboue The lyuer makth him for to loue The longe gyueth him wey of speche The galle serueth to do wreche The splen doth him to laugh and plâ—y whan all vnclennes is a way Lo thus hath eche of hem his dede To susteynen hem and fede In tyme of recreation Nature hath increation The stomake for a comune koke Ordeined so as sayth the boke The stomake cooke is for the ball And boyleth mete for hem all To make hem myghty for to serue The herte that he shall nought sterue For as a kynge in his empire Aboue all other is lorde and syre So is the herte principall To whom reason in speciall Is yeue as for the gouernance ¶ And thus nature his purueance Hath made for man to lyuen here But god whiche hath the soule dere Hath formed it in other wyse That can no man pleynely deuise But as the clerkes vs enforme That lyche to god it hath a forme Through which figure which likenesse The soule hath many an high noblesse Appropried to his owne kynde But of hir wyttes ben made blynde Al onelyche of this ylke poynte That hir abydyng is conioynte Forth with the body for to dwelle That one desireth towarde belle That other vpwarde to the heuen So shall they neuer stonde in euen But if the flesshe be ouercome And that the soule haue holly nome The gouernance and that is selde whyle that the flesshe him may bewelde All erthely thynge whiche god began was only made to serue man But he the soule all onely made Hym seluen for to serue and glade All other bestes that men fynde They seruen vnto her owne kynde But to reason the soule serueth wherof the man his thonke deserueth And get hym with his workes goode The perdurable lyues foode ☞ Hic laquitur vlterinâ— de diuisione terre que post diluuium tribus filiis Noe in tres partes scilicet Asiam Affricam / et Europam diuidevatur ¶ Of what matere it shall be tolde A tale lyketh many folde The better if that it be spoke pleyne Thus thynke I for to tourne ageyne And telle plenerly therfore Of the erthe wherof nowe tofore I spake and of the water eke So as these olde bokes speke And sette properly the bounde After the forme of
what so him betyde To hem be tryst most of all wherof the case is so befalle This lorde whiche hath conceytes depe Vpon a night whan he hath slepe As he whiche hath his wit disposed Touchend a poynt hem hath opposed The kinges question was this Of thinges thre whiche strongest is The wine the woman or the kinge And that they shulde vpon this thinge Of her answere auised be He yeue hem fully dayes thre And hath bihote hem by his feyth That who the best reason seyth He shalle receiue a worthy mede Vpon this thinge they token hede And stoden in disputesion That by dyuers opinion Of argumentes that they haue holde Harpages fyrst his tale tolde And sayde howe that the strength of kinges Is mightiest of all thinges For kinge hath power ouer man And man is he / whiche reason can As he whiche is of his nature The most noble creature Of all tho that god hath wrought And by that skille it semeth nought He saith that any erthly thinge May be so myghty as a kinge A kynge may spille a kynge may saue A kynge may make a lorde a knaue And of a knaue a lorde also The power of a kynge stont so That he the lawes ouerpasseth what he wyll make lesse he lasseth what he wyll make more he moreth And as a gentyll faucone soreth He fleeth that no man hym reclameth But be alone all other tameth And stante hym selfe of lawe fre Lo thus a kynges myght sayth he So as his reason can argue Is strengest and of most value ¶ But Manachas sayth other wyse That wyne is of the more mpryse And that he sheweth by this waye The wyne full ofte taketh away The reason fro the mans herte The wyne can make a creple sterte And a delyuer man vnwelde It maketh a blynde man to behelde And a bryght eyed seme derke It maketh a leude man a clerke And fro the clerke the clergy It taketh awey and cowardy It tourneth in to hardynesse Of auarice it maketh largesse The wyne maketh eke the good blood In whiche the soule whiche is good Hath chosen her a restinge place whyle that the lyfe her wolle enbrace And by this skylle Monathas Answerd hath vpon this cas And seith that wyne by wey of kind Is thinge whiche may the hertes binde wele more than the regalye Zorobabell for his partye Seid as him thought for the best That women ben the mightyest The kynge and the vynour also Of women comen both two And eke he sayd howe that manhede Through strengthe vnto the womanhed Of loue where he wylle or none Obeye shall and therupon To shewe of women the maistry A tale whiche he sigh with eye As for ensample he tolde this ¶ Nota hic de vigore amorie qui inter Cirum regem PersaruÌ„ et Apemen Besazis filiam ipsius regis coÌ„cubinaÌ„ spectaÌ„te tota curia experiebatur ¶ Howe Apemen of Besasis whiche doughter was in the paleis Sittende vpon his high deis whan he was hotest in his yre Towarde the great of his empyre Cyrus the kinge tiraunt she toke And only with her goodly loke She made him debonaire and meke And by the chyn and by the cheke She loggeth him right as her lyst That now she iapeth and nowe she kist And doth with him what euer her liketh whan that she loureth than he syketh And whan she gladeth he is glad And thus this kinge was ouerlad with her whiche his lemman was Amonge the men is no solas If that there be no woman there For but if that the woman were This worldes ioye were awey This is trouthe that I you seye To knyghthode and to worldes fame They make a man to drede shame And honour for to be desyred Through the beaute of hem is fyred The darte of whiche Cupyde throweth wherof the iolyfe peyne groweth whiche al the worlde hath vnderfote A woman is the mans bote His lyfe his â—eth his wo his wele And this thynge may be shewed wele Howe that women ben good and kynde For in ensample thus I fynde ¶ Nota de fidelitate coniugis qualiter Alcesta vxor Adineti / vt maritum suum viuificaret seipsaÌ„ morti spontance subegit ¶ whan that the duke Admetus lay Sycke in his bedde that euery day Men wayten whan he shulde dey Alcest his wyfe goth for to prey As she whiche wold thonke deserue with sacrifice vnto Minerue To wyte answere of the goddesse Howe that her lorde of his syckenesse wherof he was so wo beseyne Recouer myght his hele ayene Lo thus she cryde and thus she praide Tyll at last a voyce her sayde That if she wolde for his sake The malady suffre and take And dye her selfe he shulde lyue Of this answere Aleest hath yeue Vnto Mynerue great thonkynge So that her dethe and his lyuynge She chese with all her hole entent And thus accorded home she went In to the chambre whan she came Her housbande anone she name In bothe her armes and hym kyst And spake vnto hym what her lyst And thervpon within a throwe The good wyfe was ouerthrowe And dyed and he was holle in hast So may a man by reason taste Howe nexte after the god aboue The trouth of women and the loue In whome that all grace is founde Is myghtyest vpon this grounde And moste behouely manyfolde Lo thus Zorobabell hath tolde The tale of his opinion But for fynall conclusion what strengest is of erthly thynges The wyne the women or the kynges He sayth that trouthe aboue hem all Is myghtyest howe euer it fall The trouthe howe so it euer come May for nothynge ben ouercome It may well suffre for a throwe But at last it shall be knowe The prouerbe is who that is trewe Hym shall his whyle neuer rewe For howe so that the cause wende The trouthe is shameles at ende But what thynge that is troutheles It may not well be shameles And shame hyndereth euery wyght So proueth it there is no myght without trouthe in no degre And thus for trouthe of his decre â—â—robabel was moste commended wherof the question was ended â—nd be receyued hath his mede For trouthe whiche to mannes nede Is moste behouelyche ouer all For thy was trouthe in speciall The fyrste poynt in obseruance Be take vnto the gouernance Of Alysandre as it is sayde For therupon the grounde is leyde Of euery kynges regyment 〈◊〉 thynge whiche moste conuenient Iâ— for to set a kynge in euen Bothe in this worlde and eke in heuen 〈…〉 ne tangat regis corda 〈◊〉 enim spoliis excoriatur humus 〈◊〉 colit largum nolutans per saecula regem Dona tamen licius sunt moderanda modis ¶ Hic iractat de regie magestatis secuÌ„da policia 〈◊〉 Aristoteles largitatem vocat cuius virtute 〈◊〉 â—â—lum propulsata anaricia regis nomen maâ—â—â—â—cum extollatur sed et sui subdicionum diuiâ—â—â—m â—â—â—undantia â—ocundiores efficiuntur ¶ Nexte after trouthe the seconde In polycye as it is
founde whiche serueth to the worldes fame In worshyp of a kynges name Largesse it is whose priuilege There may no auarice abrege The worldes good was fyrst comune But afterwarde vpon fortune was thilke comyn profyt cessed For whan the people stode encressed And the lygnages woxen great Anone for synguler beyete Drough euery man to his partie wherof come in the fyrst enuy with great debate and werres stronge And last amonge the men so longe Tyll no man wyst who was who Ne whiche was frende ne whiche so Tyll at laste in euery londe within hem selfe the people fonde That it was good to make a kynge whiche myght appesen all this thynge And yeue right to the lignages In partynge of her heritages And eke of all her other good And thus aboue hem all stode The kynge vpon his regalye As he whiche hath to iustifye The worldes good fro couetyse So syt it well in all wyse A kynge betwene the more and lesse To sette his herte vpon largesse Towarde hym selfe and eke also Towarde his people and if not so That is to sayne if that he be Towarde hym selfe large and fre And of his people take and pylle Largesse by no wey of skylle It may be sayde but auarice whiche in a kynge is a great vice ¶ Nota super hoc quod Aristot ad Alexandrum exemplificauit de exactionibus regis ChaldeoruÌ„ ¶ A kynge behoueth eke to fle The vice of prodigalite That he measure in his expence So kepe that of indigence He may be saufe for who that nedeth In all his werke the wers he spedeth As Aristotle vpon Caldee Ensample of great auctorite Vnto kynge Alysaunder taught Of thilke folke that were vnsaught Towarde her kynge for his pyllage wherof he badde in his courage That he vnto thre poyntes entende where that he wolde his good dispende Fyrst shulde be loke how that it stood That all were of his owne good The yeues whiche he wolde yeue So myght he wel the better lyue And eke he must taken bede If there be cause of any nede whiche ought for to be defended Er that his goodes ben dispended He mote eke as it is befall Amonges other thynges all Se the decertes of his men And after that they bene of ken And of astate and of meryte He shall hem largelych acquyte Or for the warre or for the pease That none honour fall in discrease whiche myght torne in to diffame But that he kepe his good name So that he be not holde vnkynde For in cronike a tale I fynde whiche speaketh somdele of this matere Herafterwarde as thou shalte here Hic secunduÌ„ gesta Iulii exempluÌ„ ponit qualiter rex suorum militum quos ê“bos agnouerit indigeÌ„tiam largitatis sue beneficiis releuare tenetur ¶ In Rome to pursue his ryght There was a worthy poure knyght whiche came alone for to seyne His cause whan the courte was pleyne wher Iulius was in presence And for hym lacketh of dispense There was with hym none aduocate To make plee for his astate But though hym lacke for to plede Hym lacketh nothynge of manheed He wyst well his purse was pouer But yet be thought his ryght recouer And openly pouerte aleyed To the emperour and thus he sayed O Iulius lorde of the lawe Beholde my counseyll is withdrawe For lacke of golde to thyne office After the lawe of Iustice Helpe that I had counseyll here Vpon the trouthe of my matere And Iulius with that anone Assigned hym a worthy one But he hymselfe no worde ne spake This knyght was wroth fonde a lake In the emperour and sayde thus O thou vnkynde Iulius whan thou in thy batayle were Vp in Aufrike and I was there My myght for thy rescous I dyd And put no man in my stede Thou wost what woundes there I had But here I fynde the so bad That the ne lyst to speake o worde Thyne owne mouthe or of thyn borde To yeue a floreyn me to helpe Howe shulde I than me be yelpe Fro this day forth of thy largesse whan suche a great vnkyndenesse Is founde in suche a lorde as thou This Iulius knewe well mowe That all was soth whiche he hym tolde And for he wolde not ben holde Vnkynde he toke his cause on honde And as it were of goddes sonde He yaue hym good inough to spende For euer vnto his lyues ende And thus shulde euery worthye kynge Take of his knyghtes knowlegynge when that he sygh they hadden nede For euery seruice axeth mede But other whiche haue not deserued Through vertue but of iapes serued A kynge shall not deserue grace Though he be large in suche a place ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de rege Antigono / qualiter dona regia secundum maius et miuuâ— / equa discrecione moderanda sunt ¶ It sytte well euery kynge to haue Discretion whan men hym craue So that be may his gyfte wyte wherof I fynde a tale write Howe Cinichus a powre knyght A somme whiche was ouer might Prayed of his kinge Antigonus The kinge answerd to him thus And sayde howe suche a yefte passeth His powre estate and than he lasseth And asketh but a litell peny yf that the kinge wolde yeuehym ony The kinge answerd it was to smalle For him whiche was a lord ryalle To yeue a man so lytell thinge It were vnworship in a kynge By this ensample a kinge may lere That for to yeue is in manere For if a kinge his treasour lasseth with out honour and thaÌ„kelesse passeth whan he him selfe wil so begile I not who shall compleyne his while Ne who by right him shall releue But netheles this I beleue Tho helpe with his owne londe Belongeth euery man his honde To set vpon necessite And eke his kinges rialte Mote euery lyege man comforte with good and body to supporte whan they se cause resonable For who that is not entendable To holde vp ryght his kinges name Him ought for to be to blame ¶ Nota hic secundum Aristotelem qualiter princiâ—um prodigalitas paupertatem inducit coÌ„muneÌ„ ⧠Of policie and ouer more To speke in this mater more So as the philosophre tolde A kinge after the reule is holde To modifie and to adresse His yeftes vpon suche largesse That he mesure nought excede ☞ Sal. Sic aliis benefacito vt tibi non nocias ¶ For if a kinge falle in to nede It causeth ofte sondry thinges whiche are vngoodly to the kinges what man wille not him selfe mesure Men seen fulofte that mesure Him hath forsake and so doth he That vseth prodigalite whiche is the mother of pouerte wherof the londes ben deserte And namely whan thilke vice Aboue a kinge stant in office And hath with holde of his partye The couetous flaterye whiche many a worthy kynge deceyueth Er he the fallace perceyueth Of hem that seruen to the glose For they that conne please and glose Ben as men tellen the notices Vnto the fostrynge of the
that many a sondry weye wherof if that a man shall seye As for to speake in generall where suche thynge falleth ouer all That any kinge him selfe misreule The philosophre vpon his reule In speciall a cause set whiche is and euer hath be lette In gouernance aboute a kinge Vpon the meschiefe of the thinge And that he seith is flaterye wherof tofore as in partye what vice it is I haue declared For who that hath his wit bewared Vpon a flatour to bileue whan that he weneth best achieue His good worlde it is moste fro And for to prouen it is so Ensamples there be many one Of whiche if thou wolte knowe one It is behouely for to here what whylom fell in this matere ¶ Hic loquitur vlterius de consilio adulantuÌ„ quo rum fabulis principis aures organizate veritatis audituÌ„ capere nequeunt Et narrat exempluÌ„ de rege Achab que pro eo / quod ipse propheciâ—â— fidelis Michee recusauit / blandicus / que adulantis Zedechie adhesit rex Syrie Benedab in campo bellator ipsuÌ„ diuino iudicio denictum interfecit ¶ Amonge the kynges in the byble I fynde a tale and is credible Of hym that whylom Achab hyght whiche had all Israell to ryght But who that coude glose softe And flater suche he sette alofte In great estate and made hem ryche But they that speken wordes liche To trouthe and wolde it not forbere For hem was none estate to bere The courte of suche toke none hede Tyll at last vpon a nede That Benedab kynge of Surry Of Israell a great partie whiche Ramoth Galaad was hote Hath sesed and of that ryote He toke counseyle in sondry wyse But not of hem that weren wyse And netheles vpon this cas To strenghthen him for Iosephas whiche than was kynge of Iudee He sende for to come as he whiche through frendshyp and alyance was nexte to hym of acqueyntaunce For Ioram sonne of Iosaphath Achabs doughter wedded hath whiche hyght fayre Goodelye And thus cam into Samary Kynge Iosaphat and he founde there The kynge Achab and when they were To gether spekende of this thyng This Iosaphat saith to the kynge Howe that he wolde gladly here Some true prophet in this matere That he his counsayle might yeue To what poynt it shall be dreue And in that tyme so befelle There was suche one in Israel whiche sette hym all to flaterye And he was cleped Sedechy And after hym Achab hath sent And he at his commaundement Tofore hym cam and by a sleyght He hath vpon his heed on heyght Two large hornes set of bras As he whiche all a flattrour was And goth rampende as a lyon And cast his horne vp and downe And bad men ben of good espcire For as the hornes persen the eyre He saith withouten resistence So wyst be well of his science That Benedab is dyscomfyte when Sâ—dechy vpon this plyte Hath tolde this tale vnto his lorde Anone they were of his acorde Prophetes false many mo To bere vp oyle and al tho Affermen that whiche he hath tolde wherof the kynge Achab was bolde And yaue hem yeftes all aboute But Iosaphat was in great doubte And beine fantosme all that he herde Prayende Achab howe so ferde If there were ony other man The whiche of prophecie can To here hym speke er that they gone Quod Achab than there is one A brothel whiche Myche as hyght But he ne comth nought in my syght For he hath longe in prisone leyen Hym lyked neuer yet to seyen A goodly worde to my pleasance And netheles at thyne instance He shall come out and than he may Say as he sayde many a day For yet he sayde neuer wele Tho Iosaphat began some dele To gladen hym in hope of trouthe And bade withouten any slouthe That men hym shulde fette anone And they that were for hym gone whan that they comen where he was They tolden vnto Mycheas The manere howe that Sedechye Declared hath his prophecye And therupon they prayen hym fayre That he wyll say no contrarye wherof the kynge may be displeased For so shall euery man be eased And he may helpe hym selfe also Mycheas vpon trouthe tho His herte set and to hem saythe All that belonged to his faythe And of none other feyned thynge That woll he tell vnto the kynge As ferre as god hath yeue hym grace Thus came this prophete in to place where he the kynges wyll herde And he therto anone answerde And sayde vnto hym in this wyse My liege lorde for my seruice whiche trewe hath stonde euer yet Thou haste with prisone me acquite But for all that I shall nat glose Of trouthe as far as I suppose And as touchende of thy batayle Thou shalte not of the sothe fayle For if it lyke the to here As I am taught in that matere Thou myght it vnderstonde sone But what is afterwarde to done Auise the for this I sye I was tofore the trone on hye where all the worlde me thought stode And there I herde and vnderstode The voyce of god with wordes clere Axende and sayde in this manere In what thynge may I best begyle The kynge Achab and for a whyle Vpon this poynt they speken fast Tho sayd a spirite at last I vndertake this emprise And god hym axeth in what wyse I shall qd he deceyue and lye wâ—â—h flaterende prophecie In suche mouthes as he leueth And be whiche all thynge acheueth â—ad hym go forth and do ryght so And ouer this I sygh also The noble people of Israel Dispers as shepe vpon an hylle without a keper vnarayed And as they wenten about astrayed I herde a voyce vnto hem seyne Goth home in to your hous ayene Til I for you haue better ordeyned â—uod Sedechi thou hast feined This tale in angringe of the kynge And in a wrathe vpon this thinge He smote Miche vpon the cheke The kinge him hath rebuked eke And euery man vpon him cried Thus was he shente on euery syde A yene and in to prisone ladde For so the kinge him selfe hadde The trouth might nought ben herde But afterward as it hath ferde The dede proueth his entent Achab to the batayle went where Benedab for all his shelde Him slough so that vpon the felde His people goth aboute a straye But god whiche all thinges may So doth that they no mischiefe haue Her kinge was deed / and they be saue And home ageyn in goddes pees They wente and all was founde ses That Sedechye hath saide tofore So sit it wel a kinge therfore To loue them that trouth mene For at last it will be sene That flaterye is no thinge worth But nowe to my mater forth As for to speken ouer more After the philosophers lore The thirde poynte of policye I thinke for to specifye Propter transgressos leges statuuntur in orbe Vt viuant iusti regis honore viri Lex sine iusticie populum sub principis
it lyke the to knowe Some of her names howe they stonde Nowe herken thou shalt vnderstoÌ„de ☞ Hic ad eorum laudem qui iustitie causa leges statuerunt aliquorum nomina specialius coÌ„memorat ¶ Of euery benfite the merite The god hym selfe it wol acquyte And eke full ofte it falleth so The worlde it woll acquyte also But that may not ben euen lyche The god he yeueth the heuen ryche The worlde yefth onely but a name whiche stont vpon the good fame Of hem that done the good dede And in this wyse double mede Receyuen they that done well here wherof if that the lyst to here After the fame as it is blowe There myght thou well the soth knowe Howe thilke honest besynesse Of hem that first for ryghtwysenesse Amonge the men the lawes made May neuer vpon this erthe fade For euer while there is a tonge Her name shal be redde and songe And holde in the cronyke write So that the men it shullen wyte To speaken good as they well oughten Of hem that fyrste the lawes soughten In foâ—drynge of the worldes pees Vnto the Hebrewes was Moyses The fyrste and to the Egypciens Mercurius and to Troiens Fyrst was Numa Pompilius To Athenes Licurgus yaue fyrst the lawe vnto gregoys Foroneus hath thylke voyce And Romulus of romayns For suche men that ben vilayns The lawe in suche a wyse ordeineth That what man to the lawe pleyneth Be so the iuge stande vpryght He shall be serued of his ryght And so ferforth it is befall That lawe is come amonge vs all God leue it mote well bene holde As euery kynge therto is holde For thynge whiche is of kynges sette with kynges ought it not be lette what kynge of lawe taketh no kepe By lawe he may no royalme kepe Do lawe away what is a kynge where is the ryght of any thynge If that there be no lawe in londe This ought a kynge well vnderstonde As he whiche is to lawe swore That if the lawe be forlore withouten execucion It makth a londe turne vp so doun whiche is vnto the kynge a sclaundre For thy vnto kynge Alisaundre The wyse philosophre badde That he hym selfe fyrste be ladde Of lawe and forth than ouer all To do iustice in generall That all the wyde londe aboute The iustice of his lawe doubte And than shall be stonde in rest For therto lawe is one the best Aboue all other erthly thynge To make a liege drede his kynge But howe a kynge shall gete hym loue Towarde the hygh god aboue And eke amonge the men in erthe This nexte poynt whiche is the ferthe Of Aristotles lore it techeth wherof who that the schole secheth what policie that it is The boke reherseth after this Nil rationis habens ubi uelle tyrannica regna Stringit amor populi transiet exul ibi Sed pietas regnum quae conseruabit in aeuum Non tantum populo sed placet illa deo ¶ Hic tractat de quarta principum regiminis policia que pietas dicta est per quam principes erga populum misericordes effecti misericordiam altissimi gratius consequuntur ¶ It nedeth not that I delate The price whiche preysed is algate And hath bene euer and euer shall wherof to speake in speciall It is the vertue of Pite Through whiche the hye maieste was stered whan his sonne alyght And in pyte the worlde to ryght Toke of the mayde flesshe blood Pite was cause of thylke good wherof that we ben all saue well ought a man pite to haue And the vertue to sette in price whan he hym selfe whiche is all wyse Hath shewed why it shall be preysed Pite may not be counterpeysed Of tyranny with no peyse For pyte makth a kynge curteyse Both in his worde and in his dede It syt well euery lyege drede His kinge and to his best obeye And right so by the same weye It sit a kinge to be pitous Towarde his people and gracious Vpon the reule of gouernaunce So that he worche no vengeaunce whiche may be cleped cruelte Iustice whiche doth equite Is dredful for he no man spareth But in the lond where pite fareth The kinge may neuer fayle of loue For pyte through the grace aboue So as the holy boke affermed His reigne in good estate confermed Thapostel Iames in this wise Seyth what man shulde do Iuise And hath not pyte forth with all The dome of him whiche demeth all He may him selfe ful sore drede That him shall lacke vpon the nede To fynde pyte whan he wolde For who that pyte woll beholde It is a poynte of Christes lore And for to loken ouermore It is behouely as we fynde To reason and to lawe of kinde Cassodore in his aprise telleth The reigne is saufe where pite dwelleth And Tullyus his tale auoweth And sayth what kinge to pite boweth And with pite stont ouercome / He hath that shelde of grace nome whiche the kinges yeueth victorye ¶ Of Alysaunder in his histoyre 〈◊〉 rede howe he a worthy knyght Of â—odeyn wrath and not of right For iuged hath and he appelleth And with that word the king quareleth And saith None is aboue me That wote I wel my lorde quod he Fro thy lorship appele I nought But fro thy wrath in all my thought To thy pyte stant myn appele The kinge which vnderstode him wele Of pure pyte yaue him grace And eke I rede in other place Thus saide whilome Constantyne what emperour that is enclyne To pyte for to be seruaunt Of all the worldes remenaunt He is worthy to ben a lord ¶ In olde bokes of recorde Thus finde I wryte of ensamplaire â—â—aâ—an the worthy debonaire By whome that Rome stode gouerned Vpon a tyme as he was lerned Of that he was to familyer He sayde vnto that counceller That for to be an emperour His wil was not for vayne honoure Ne yet for reddour of iustice But if he myght in his office His lordes and his people plese Him thought it were a greatter ease with loue her hartes to him drawe Than with the drede of any lawe For whan a thinge is done for doubte Ful ofte it comth the wers aboute But where a kinge is pyetous He is the more gracious That mochel thrifte him shall be tyde whiche ellis shulde torne a syde Qualiter Iudeus pedester cum paganos equi tante itenerauit prr desertum et ipsum de fide sua interrogauit ☞ To do pyte supporte and grace The philosophre vpon a place In his writenge of dayes olde A tale of great ensample tolde Vnto the kynge of Macedoyne Howe betwene Cayr and Babyloyne whan comen is the somer hete It hapneth two men for to mete As they shulde entre in a paas where that the wyldernesse was And as they wente forthe spekende Vnder the large wodes ende That o man asketh of that other what man arte thou my liefe brother whiche is thy creance and thy feyth I am paynym that other sayth
his kyngdome vnderfongeth God had hym chese what he wolde And sayde hym that he haue sholde what he wolde aske as of o thynge And he whiche was a newe kynge Forth thervpon his boone prayde To god and in this wyse sayde O kynge by whom that I shall reigne Yeue me wysdome that I my reygne Forth with the people whiche I haue To thyn honour may kepe and saue whan Salomon his boone hath taxed The god of that whiche he hath axed was ryght well payde granteth soone Not all onely that he his boone Shall haue of that but of rychesse Of hele of pees of hye noblesse For with wysdome at his askynges whiche stant aboue all other thynges ¶ Hic dicit secundum Salomonem quod regie magestatis imperium ante omnia sano coÌ„silio dirigendum eft ¶ But what kyng wyll his reygne saue Fyrst hym behoueth for to haue After the god and his beleue Suche counseyle whiche is to beleue Full fylde of trouth and ryghtwysenes But aboue all in his noblesse Betwene the reddour and Pyte A kynge shall do suche equite And set the balaunce in euen So that the hygh god of heuen And all the people of his nobleye Lowenge vnto his name seye For moost aboue all erthly good where that a kynge hym selfe is good It helpeth for in other weye If so be that a kynge forsweye ¶ Quidquid delirant reges plectuntur Achiui Full ofte er this it hath be seyne The comen people is ouerleyne And hath the kynges synne abought All though the people agylte nought Of that the kynge his god mysserueth The people takth that he deserueth Here in this worlde but elles where I not howe it shall stonde there For thy good is a kynge to triste Fyrst to hym selfe as he ne wyst None other helpe but god allone So shall the rule of his persone within hym selfe through prouidence Ben of the better conscience And for to fynde ensample of this A tale I rede and soth it is ¶ Hic de Lucio imperatore exemplum ponit qualiter princepa sui nominis famam a secretis consilariis sapienter inuestigare debet et si quid in ea sinistrum inuenerit prouisa discretione ad dexteraÌ„ conuertat ⧠In a cronyke it telleth thus The kynge of Rome Lucyus within his chambre vpon a nyght The stewarde of his hous a knyght Forth with his chamberleyne also To counseyle had both two And stoden by the chymne To gether spekende all thre And happeth that the kynges fole Sat by the fyre vpon a stole As he that with his bable playde But yet he herde all that they sayde And therof toke they no hede The kynge hem axeth what to rede Of suche matere as cam to mouth And they hym tolde as they couth whan all was spoke of that they ment The kynge with all his holle entent Then at last hem axeth this what kynge men tellen that he is Emonge the folke touchyng his name Or it be prys or it be blame Ryght after that they herden seyne He had hem for to telle it pleyne That they no poynt of soth forbere By thylke feyth that they hym bere The stewarde first vpon this thynge Gafe his answere vnto the kynge And thought glose in this matere And said al 's ferre as he can here His name is good and honourable Thus was the stewarde fauourable That he the trouth pleyne ne tolde The kynge than axeth as he sholde The chamberleyne of his auyse And he that was subtyle and wyse And somdele thought vpon his feyth Hym tolde howe all the people seyth That if his counseyle were trewe They wyst than well and knewe That of hym selfe he shulde be A worthy kynge in his degre And thus the counseyle he accuseth In party and the kynge excuseth The fole whiche herde of all this cas what tyme as goddes wylle was Sigh that they sayden not ynough And hem to scorne both lough And to the kynge he sayd tho Syr kynge if that it were so Of wysdome in thyn owne mode That thou thy selfe were good Thy counceyl shuld not be bad The kynge therof merueyle had whan that a fole so wysely spake And of hym selfe fonde oute the lacke within his owne conscience And thus the folis euidence whiche was of goddes grace enspyred Makth that good counceil was desired He put awey the vicious And toke to him the vertuous The wrongfull lawes ben amended The londes good is well dispended The people was nomore opressed And thus stode euery thinge redressed For where a kynge is propre wyse And hath suche as him selfe is Of his counceyl / it may not fayle That euery thinge ne shal auayle The vyces than gone awey And euery vertu bolte his wey wherof the hye god is plesed And all the londes folke esed For if the comyn people crye And than a kynge lyst not to plye To here what the clamore wolde And other wyse than he shulde Disdayneth for to done hem grace It hath be seen in many place There hath be falle great contraire And that I fynde of ensamplaire ⧠Hic dicit quod seniores magis experti ad â—â—â—neâ—â—â—e consilium admittendi pocius existunt / Et narrat / qualiter pro eo quod Roboas Salomonis filius et heres senium sermonibus renuncians dicta inuenum preelegit / de duodecim tribus Israel a domino suo decem penitus amisit / et sic cuÌ„ duabus taÌ„tuÌ„modo illusus postea regnauit ⧠After the deth of Salomone whan thilke wyse kynge was gone And Roboas in his persone Receyue shuld the corone The people vpon a parlement Auysed were of one assent And all vnto the kynge they preyde with comune voys and thus they sayde Our liege lorde we the byseche That thou receyue our humble speche And graunt vs whiche that reason wyl Or of thy grace / or of thy skyl Thy fader whyle he was alyue And might both graunte and priue Vpon the werkes whiche he had The comon people streite lad whan he the temple made newe Thinge whiche men neuer afore knewe He brought vp than of his tallage And all was vnder the visage Of werkes whiche he made tho But nowe it is befalle so That all is made right as he sayde And he was riche whan he deyd So that it is no maner nede If thou therof wilt taken hede To pillen of the people more whiche longe tyme hath be greued sore And in this wyse as we the seye with tender herte we the preye That thou relesse thilke dette whiche vpon vs thy fader sette And if the lyke to done so we ben thy men for euermo To gone and comen at thyn heste The kinge whiche herde this requeste Saith that he wyl ben aduysed And hath therof a tyme assised And in the whyle as he him thought Vpon this thinge counceyl he sought And firste the wise knightes olde To whome that he his tale tolde Counceyllen him in
this manere That he with loue and with glad chere Foryeue and graunte all that is asked Of that his fader had tasked For so he may his regne acheue with thing which shall hem litell greue The kinge hem herd and ouer passeth And with this other his wit compasseth That yonge were and nothinge wyse And they these olde men despise And sayden Sir it shall be shame For euer vnto thy worthy name If thou ne kepe not thy ryght while thou arte in thy yonge myght whiche that thyn olde father gate But say vnto the people plate That whyle thou lyuest in thy londe The leest fynger of thyn honde It shall be strenger ouer all Than was thy fathers body all And thus also shall be thy tale If he hem smote with roddes smale with scorpions thou shalt hem smyte And where thy father toke a lyte Thou thynkest take mychell more Thus shalt thou make hem drede sore The great hert of thy corage So for to holde hem in seruage This yonge kyng hym hath conformed To done as he was last enformed whiche was to him his vndoynge For whan it came to the spekynge He hath the yonge counseyle holde That he the same wordes tolde Of all the people in audience And whan they herden the sentence Of his malyce and the manace Anone tofore his owne face They haue hym vtterly refused And with full great reproue accused So they began for to raue That he hym selfe was fayne to saue For as the wylde wode rage Of wyndes maketh the see sauage And that was calme bryngeth to wawe So for defaut and grace of lawe The people is stered all at ones And forth they gone out of his wones So that of the lygnages twelfe Two tribus onely by hem selfe with hym abyden and no mo So were they for euermo Of no retourne without espeire Departed fro the rightfull heire Of Israell with comen voyce A kynge vpon her owne choyce Amonge hem selfe a anone they make And haue her yonge lorde forsake A powre knyght Ieroboas They toke and lefte Roboas whiche ryghtfull beyre was by dissent Lo thus the yonge cause went For that the counseyle was not good The reygne fro the ryghtfull blood Euer afterwarde deuyded was So may it prouen by this cas That yong counseyl which is to warme Or men beware doth ofte harme Olde age for the counseyle serueth And lusty yongth his thonke deserueth Vpon the traueyle whiche he doth And both for to sey a fothe By sondry cause for to haue If that he wyll his reigne saue A kynge behoueth euery day That one can and that other may Be so the kynge hem both rule Or elles all goth out of rule ¶ Nota questionem cuiusdam philosophi / vtrum regno conuenientius foret principem cum malo consilio optare sapientem quam cum sano consilio ipsum eligere insipientem ¶ And vpon this matere also A question betwene the two Thus wryten in boke I fonde where it be better for the londe A kynge hym selfe to be wyse And so to bere his owne pryse And that his counseyle be not good Or otherwyse if it so stode A kynge if he be vicious And his counseyle be vertuous It is answerde in suche a wyse That better it is that they be wyse By whom that the counseyle shall gone For they ben many and he is one And rather shall an one man with fals counseyle for ought he can From his wysedome be made to fall Than he alone shulde hem all Fro vices vnto vertue chaunge For that is well the more straunge For thy the londe may well be glad whose kynge with good counseyle is lad whiche sette hym vnto ryghtwysnes So that his high worthynes Betwene the reddour and pyte Doth mercy forth with equyte A kinge is holden ouer all To pyte but in speciall To hem where he is moste beholde They shulde his pite most beholde That ben the lieges of the londe For they ben euer vnder his honde After the goddes ordenaunce To stonde vpon his gouernaunce ¶ â—â—â—a ad huc precipne de principum erga suos 〈…〉 debâ—ta â—ietate legitur enim qualiter An 〈…〉 Sciâ—â—â—ne exeÌ„pâ—ificatus dixit quod malâ—er vâ—â—m de populo sibi commisso virum saluare câ—â—â—â—enâ—â— ex hostibê° alienigenis in bello perdere ☞ Of themperour Anthonius I fynd bowe that he sayde thus How him were leuer for to saue One of his liges than to haue Of enemyes an hundred dede And thus he lerned as I rede Of Scipio whiche had be Consul of Rome and thus to se Dyuers ensamples howe they stonde A kinge which hath the charge on hoÌ„de The comyn people to gouerne If that he wyl he may wel lerne Is none so good to the plesaunce Of god as is good gouernaunce And euery gouernaunce is due To pyte thus I may argue That pyte is the foundemente Of euery kynges regimente If it be medlyd with iustice They two remeuen all vyce And ben of vertu most vaylable To make a kinges royame stable Lo thus the foure poyntes tofore In gouernaunce as they be bore Of trouth fyrst and of largesse Of pyte forth with rightwisnesse I haue hem tolde and ouer this The fyrst poynte so as it is Set of the rule of policye wherof a kynge shall modefye The flesshly lustes of nature Nowe thinke I telle of suche mesure That both kinde shall be serued And eke the lawe of god obserued Corporis et mentis regeÌ„ decet omnis honestas Nominis vt famam nulla libido ruat Omne quod est liominis effeminat illa voluptas Sit nisi magnanimi cordis vt obstat ei ¶ Hic tractat secundum Aristotelem de quinta principum policia que castitatem concernit cuius honestas impudicicie molus obtemperans tam corporis quam anime mundiciciam specialius preseruat ⧠The male is made for the femele But where as one desyreth fele That nedeth nought by weye of kynde For whan a man may redy fynde His owne wyfe what shuld he seche In straunge places to beseche To borowe another mans plough whan he hath geare at home ynough Affayted at his owne heste And is to hym wel more honeste Than other thinge which is vnknowe For thy shulde euery good man knowe And thynke howe that in maryage His trouth plyte / lyeth in morgage whiche if he breke it is falsehode And that discordeth to manhode And namely towarde the great wherof the bokes all trete So as the phylosophre techeth To Alysaunder and him by techeth The lore howe that he shall mesure His body so that no mesure Of flesshly lust he shulde excede And thus forth if I shall procede The fyfte poynte / as I sayd ere Is Chastyte whiche selde where Comth nowe a dayes in to place And nethelesse but it be grace Aboue all other in specialle Is none that chaste may ben alle But yet a kynges hygh estate whiche of his order as
that might him nought auayle The mast to brake the sayle to roofe The ship vpon the wawes droofe Tyl that they se the londes coste Tho made a vowe the leste and moste Be so they mighten come a loude But he whiche hath the se on honde Neptunus wolde nought accorde But all to brake cable and corde Er they to londe myght approche The ship to claue vpon a roche And all goth doune in to the depe But he that all thinge may kepe Vnto this lorde was mercyable And brought him saue vpon a table whiche to the londe him hath vpbore The remenaunt was all forlore Therof he made mochel mone ¶ Qualiter Appolinus nudus super litus iaciabatur / vbi quidam piscator ipsum suo collobio vestiens ad vrbem Pentapolim direxit ¶ Thus was this yonge lorde alone All naked in a poure plyte His colour which was whylom whyte was than of water fade and pale And eke he was so sore a cale That he wist of him selfe no bote It helpe him no thynge for to mote To gete a geyn that he hath lore But she which hath his deth forlore Fortune though she wyll not yelpe All sodeynly hath sent him helpe whan him thought all grace aweye There came a fyssher in the weye And sigh a man there naked stonde And whan that he hath vnderstonde The cause he hath of hym great routh And onely of his pouer trouth Of suche clothes as he hadde with great pite this lorde he cladde And he hym thonketh as he sholde And saith hym that it shall be yolde If euer he gete his state ageyne And prayth that he wolde hym seyne If nygh were any towne for hym He sayde ye Pentopolym where both kynge and quene dwellen â–ª whan he this tale herde tellen He gladdeth hym and gan beseche That be the wey hym wolde teche And he hym taught and forth he went And prayde god with good entent To sende hym ioye after his sorowe It was nought passed yet mydmorowe ¶ Qualiter Appollino Pentapolim adueniente 〈◊〉 â—â—gnasâ— per vrbem publice ê“clamatus est ¶ Than afterwarde his wey he nam where soone vpon the none he cam He â—te suche as he myght gete And forth anone whan he had ete He goth to se the towne about And cam there as he fonde a rout Of yonge lusty men withall And as it shulde tho befalle That day was set of suche assyse That they shulde in the londes gyse As was herde of the people seye Her commune game than pleye And cryed was that they shulde come Vnto the game all and some Of hem that ben delyuer and wyght To do suche maistry as they myght They made hem naked as they sholde For so that ilke game wolde And it was the custome and vse Amonges hem was no refuse The floure of all the towne was there And of the courte also there were And that was in a large place Ryght euen before the kynges face whiche Arthescates than hyght The pley was pleyed rigâ—â— in his syght And who moste worthy was of dede Receyue he shulde a certayne mede And in the cite berâ— a price Appolynus whiche ware and wyse Of euery game couth an ende He thought assay howe so it wende ¶ Qualiter Appollinus ludum gignasil vintâ—â—â— in aula regis ad cenam honorifice ceptus est ¶ And fyll amonge hem into game And there he wanne hym suche a name So as the kynge hym selfe accounteth That he all other men surmounteth And bare the pryce aboue hem all The kynge bad that in to his halle At souper tyme he shulde be brought And he cam than and lefte it nought without company alone was none so semely of persone Of visage and of lymmes bothe If that he had what to clothe At souper tyme netheles The kynge amyddes all the pres Let clepe hym vp amonge hem all And bad his marshall of his hall To setten hym in suche degre That he vpon hym myght se The kynge was sone sette and serued And he whiche had his prise deserued After the kynges owne worde was made begyn a myddel borde That both kynge and quene hym sye He sette and cast about his eye And sawe the lordes in estate And with hym selfe wexe in debate Thynkende what he had lore And suche a sorowe he toke therfore That he sat euer stylle and thought As he whiche of no mete rought ¶ Qualiter Appollinê° in cena recumbens nihil comedit sed doloroso vultu submisso capite maxime ingemescebat qui tandem a filia regis confortatus Citheram plectens cunctis audieÌ„tibus / citherando vltra modum complacuit ¶ The kynge behelde his heuynesse And of his great gentylnesse His doughter which was fayre good And at the borde bifore him stode As it was thylke tyme vsage He bad to go on his message And fonde for to make him glade And she did as hir fader bade And goth to him the softe paas And asketh whens and what he was And praith he shulde his thought I leue He sayth madame by your leue My name is hote Appolynus And of my ryches it is thus Vpon the see I haue it lore The contre where as I was bore where that my londe is and my rente I lefte at Tyre whan that I wente The worshyp there of whiche I ought Vnto the god I there betought And thus togider as they two speke The teeris ranne downe by his cheke The king which therof toke good kepe Had great pite to se him wepe And for his doughter send ageyn And prayd hir fayre and gan to sayn That she no lenger wolde dretche But that she wolde anone forth fetche Hir harpe and done al that she can To glad with that sory man And she to done hir faders hest Hir harpe fet and in the feste Vpon a chair whiche they fette Hir selfe next to this man she sette with harpe both and eke with mouth To him she did all that she couth To make him chere and euer he sigheth And she him asketh howe him lyketh Madame certes wel he sayed But if ye the mesure played whiche if you lyst I shall you lere It were a gladde thinge for to here A leue syr tho quod she Nowe take the harpe and lete me se Of what mesure that ye mene Tho prayth the kinge tho prayth the quene Forth with the lordes all arewe That he somme myrthe wolde shewe He takth the harpe and in his wise He tempreth and of suche assyse Synginge he harpeth forth with all That as a voyce celestiall Hem thought it sowned in her ere As though that it an aungell were They gladen of his melodye But moste of all the companye The kinges doughter whiche it herde And thought eke of that he answerde whan that it was of hir apposed within hir herte hath wel supposed That he is of great gentylnesse His dedes ben therof wytnesse Forthwith the wisdome of his lore It nedeth
not to seche more He might not haue suche manere Of gentyl blood but if he were whan he hath harped all his fylle The kinges hest to fulfylle A weye goth disshe a way goth cup Doun goth the borde the cloth was vp They rysen and gone oute of halle ¶ Qualitur Appollinus cum rege pro filia sua erudienda retentus est ¶ The kynge his chamberleyn let calle And bad that he by all weye A chamber for this man purueye whiche nighe his owne chambre be It shall be do my lorde quod he Appollynus of whom I mene Tho toke his leue of kynge and quene And of the worthy mayde also whiche prayed vnto hir fader tho That she myght of the yonge man Of tho sciences whiche he can His lore haue And in this wyse The kynge hir graunteth hir apprise So that hym selfe therto assent Thus was accorded er they wente That he with all that euer he may This yonge fayre fresse he may Of that he couth shulde enforme And ful assented in this forme They token leue as for that night ¶ Qualiter filia regis Appollinum ornato apparatu vestiri fecit Et ipse ad puelle doctrinam in quam pluribus familiariter intendebat vnde placata puella in â—â—orem Appollini exardescens / infirmabatur ¶ And whan it was on morowe right Vnto this yonge man of Tyre Of clothes and of good attyre with golde and syluer to dispende This worthy yonge lady sende And thus she made hym well at ease And be with all that he can plese Hir serueth well and faire ageyne He taught her tyll she was certeyne Of harpe cytole and of ryote with many a tewne and many a note Vpon musyke vpon measure And of hir harpe the temprure He taught hir eke as he well couth But as men seyne that frele is youth with leyser and contynuaunce This mayde fyll vpon a chaunce That loue hath made hym a quarele Ageyne her yongth fresshe and frele That inaugre wher she wold or nought She mote with all her hertes thought Lo loue and to his lawe obey And that she shall full sore obeye For she wote neuer what it is But euer amonge she feleth this Touchynge vpon this man of Tyre Her herte is hote as any fyre And otherwhyle it is a cale Nowe is she reed nowe is she pale Ryght after the condicion Of hir imagination But euer amonge hir thoughtes all She thought what so may befall Or that she laugh or that she wepe She wolde her good name kepe For fere of womannysshe shame But what in ernest what in game She stant for loue in suche a plyte That she hath lost all appetyte Of mete and drynke of nyghtes rest As she that note what is the best But for to thynke all hir fylle She helde hir ofte tymes stylle within hir chambre goth not out The kynge was of hir lyfe in doute whiche wyst nothynge what it ment ¶ Qualiter tres filu principuÌ„ filiaÌ„ regis sigillatâ—m in vxorem suis supplicationibus postularent ¶ But fyll a tyme as he out went To walke of prynces sonnes thre There came and fyll to his knee And eche of hem in sondry wyse Besought and profereth his seruyce So that he myght his doughter haue The kyng which wold hir honour saue Saith she is sycke and of that speche Tho was no tyme to beseche But eche of hem to make a bylle He had and wryte his owne wylle His name his father and his good And whan she wyst howe that it stode And had her bylles ouerseyne They shulden haue aunswere ageyne Of this counseyle they weren glad And writen as the kynge hem had And euery man his owne boke Into the kynges honde betoke And he it to his doughter sende And pray de hir for to make an ende And write ageyne hir owne honde Ryght as she in hir hert fonde ☞ Qualiter filia regis omnibus aliis relictis Appollinum in maritum preelegit ¶ The bylles weren well receyued But she hath all her loues weyued And thought tho was tyme and space To put hir in hir faders grace And wrote ageyne and thus she sayde The shame which is in a mayde with speche dare not be vnloke But in writynge it may be spoke So wryte I to you fader thus But if I haue Appollynus Of all this worlde what so betyde I wyl non other man abyde And certes if I of him fayle I wot right welle withoute fayle ye shall for me be doughterles This letter came and there was prese Tofore the kinge / there as he stode And whan that he it vnderstode He yaue hem answere by and by But that was done so priuely That none of others counseyle wiste They toke her leue and where hem lyst They wente forth vpon their wey ¶ Qualiter rex et regina in maritagium filie sue cum Appolino consencierunt ¶ The kyng ne wolde nought bewrey The counceyl for no maner hye But suffreth tyl be tyme sye And whan that he to chamber is com He hath vnto counceyl nome This man of Tyre and lete him se The letter and all the priuyte The whiche his doughter to him sente And he his kne to grounde bente And thonketh him and hir also And er they wente then a two with good herte and with good corage Of full loue and full maryage The kinge and he be hole accorded And after whan it was recorded Vnto the doughter howe it stode The yefte of all this worldes good Ne shuld haue made hir halfe so blithe And forth with all the kinge al 's swith For he woll haue hir good assent Hath for the quene hir moder sente The quene is come whan she herde Of this mater howe that it ferde She sigh debate she sigh disese But if she wolde hir doughter plese And is therto assented ful whiche is a dede wonderful For no man knewe the soth cas But he him selfe what man he was And nethelesse so as hem thought His dedes to the soth wrought That he was come of gentyl blood Him lacketh nought but worldes good And as therof is no dispeyre For she shall be hir faders heyre And he was able to gouerne Thus wyl they not the loue werne Of him and hir in no wyse But all accorded they deuyse The day and tyme of mariage where loue is lorde of the corage Him thinketh longe er that he spede But at laste vnto the dede ¶ Qualiter Appolinus filie regis nupsit / et prima nociâ— cum ea concubiens ipsam inpregnauit ¶ The tyme is come and in her wyse with great offrynge and sacryfyce They wedde and make a great feste And euery thinge was right honeste within hous and eke withoute It was so done that all aboute Of greate worshyp and great noblesse There cryed many a man largesse Vnto the lordes hygh and loude The knyghtes that be yonge prowde They Iuste fyrste and after daunce
The day is go the nightes chaunce Hath derked all the bright sonne This lord which hath his loue wonne Is go to bed with his wyfe where as they lede a lusty lyfe And that was after somdele sene For as they pleyden hem betwene They gete a chylde betwene hem two To whom fyl after mochel wo. ¶ Qualiter ambassiatores a Tyro in quadam naui Pentapolim venientes mortem regis Antiochi Appolino nunciauerunt ¶ Now haue I tolde of the spousayles â–ª But for to speke of the meruayles whiche afterwarde to hem befelle It is a wonder for to telle ¶ It fel a day they ryden oute The kinge and quene and all the route To pleyen hem vpon the stronde where as they seen towarde the londe A ship saylynge of great arraye To knowe what it mene may Til it be come they abyde Than se they stonde on euery syde Endlonge the shippes borde to shewe Of penounceals a ryche rewe They asken whens the ship is come Fro Tyre anone answerde some And ouer this they sayden more The cause why they comen fore was for to seche and for to fynde Appollynus whiche is of kynde Her lyege lorde â–ª and he appereth And of the tale whiche he hereth He was righte glad for they hym tolde That for vengeaunce as god it wolde Antiochus as men may wyte with thonder and lyghtning is forsmite His doughter hath the same chaunce So ben they both in o balaunce For thy our lyege lorde we seye In name of all the londe and preye That lefte all other thynge to done It lyke you to come sone And se your owne lyege men with other that ben of your ken That lyuen in longynge and desyre Tyll ye be com ageyne to Tyre This tale after the kynge it had Pentapolyn all ouersprad There was no ioye for to seche For euery man it had in speche And sayden all of one accorde A worthy kynge shall ben our lorde That thought vs fyrst an beuynes Is shape vs nowe to great gladnes Thus goth the tydynge ouer all ¶ Qualiter Appolino cuÌ„ vxore sua imprlgnata 〈◊〉 veâ—sus Tirum nauigantibus contigit 〈…〉 mortis articulo angustiatam in naui filiaÌ„ 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ta Thaâ—sis vocabatur parere ¶ But nede he mote that nede shall Appolynus his leue toke â—o god and all the londe betoke with all the people longe and brode That he no lenger there abode â–ª ¶ The kynge and quene sorowe made But yet somdele they were glade Oâ— suche thynge as they herde tho And thus betwene the we le and wo To shyp he goth his wyfe with chylde The whiche was euer meke and mylde And wolde not departe hym fro Suche loue was betwene hem two Lichorida for hir offyce was take whiche was a norice To wende with this yonge wyfe To whom was shape a wofull lyfe within a tyme as it betyd whan they were in the see amyd Out of the north they se a cloude The storme arose the wyndes loude They blewen many a dredefull blaste The welken was all ouercaste The derke nyght the sonne hath vnder There was a great tempest of thonder The mone and eke the sterres both In blacke cloudes they hem clothe wherof theyr bryght loke they hyde This yonge lady wepte and cryde To whom no comforte myght auayle Of chylde she began trauayle where she lay in a caban close Her wofull lorde fro hir arose And that was longe or any morowe So that in anguysshe and in sorowe She was delyuered all by nyght And deyde in euery mannes syght ¶ But nethelesse for all this wo A mayde chylde was bore tho Qualiter Appolinus mortem vxoris sue planxit ¶ Appolynus when he this knewe For sorowe a swoune he ouerthrewe That no man wyst in hym no lyfe And whan he woke be said a wyfe My ioye my lust and my desyre My welth and my recouerire why shall I lyue and thou shalt dye Ha thou fortune I the defye Now hast thou do to me thy werst A berte / why ne wylt thou berst That forth with hir I myght passe My paynes were well the lasse In suche wepynge and suche crye His deed wyfe whiche lay hym bye A thousande sithes he hir kyste was neuer man that sawe ne wyst A sorow to his sorowe lyche was euer amonge vpon the lyche He fyll swounynge as he that thought His owne deth whiche he sought Vnto the goddes all aboue with many a pitous worde of loue But suche wordes as tho were Herde neuer no mannes eare But onely thilke whiche he sayde The maister shypman came and prayde with other suche as ben therin And sayne that he may nothyng wyn Ageyne the deth but they hym rede He be well ware and take hede The see by wey of his nature Receyue may no creature within hym selfe as for to holde The whiche is deed For thy they wolde As they counseylen all about The deed body casten out For better it is they sayden all That it of her so befalle Than if they shulden all spylle ¶ Qualiter suadentibus nautis corpus vxoris sue mortue in quadam cista plumbo et ferro obtusa / que circumligata Appolinus cum magno thesauro vna cum quadam littera sub eius capite scripta recludi in marâ—proici fecit ¶ The kyng which vnderstode her wyll And knew her counsaile that was trewe Began ageyne his sorowe newe with pytous herte and thus to seye It is all reason that ye preye I am qd be but one alone So wolde I not for my persone There fell suche aduersite But whan it may no better be Doth than thus vpon my worde Let make a coffre stronge of borde That it be fyrme with leed and pytche Anone was made a coffer suche All redy brought vnto his honde And whan he sawe and redy fonde This coffre made and well englued The deed body was besewed In cloth of golde and leyde therin And for he wolde vnto her wyn Vpon some coste a sepulture Vnder her heed in aduenture Of golde he leyde sommes great And of iewels stronge beyete Forth with a letter and sayd thus ¶ Copia littere capiti vxoris sue supposite ¶ I kynge of Tyre Appolynus Doth all men for to wyte That here se this letter wryte That helpeles without rede Here lyeth a kynges doughter deede And who that happeth hir to fynde For charite take in his mynde And do so that she be begraue with this treasour whiche he shal haue Thus whan the letter was full spoke They haue anone the coffre stoke And bounden it with yron faste That it may with the wawes last And stoppen it by suche a weye That it shall be within dreye So that no water myght it greue And thus in hope and good beleue Of that the corps shall well aryue They cast it ouer borde as blyue ¶ Qualiter Appolinus vxoris sue corpore in mare proiecto Tyrum relinquens cursum suum versus Tharsim
the cytole and to the harpe And whome it lyketh for to carpe Prouerbes and demaundes slye An other suche they neuer sye whiche that science so well taught wherof she great gyftes caught That she to Lyonyn hath wonne And thus hir name is so begonne Of sondry thynges that she techeth That all the londe to hir secheth Of yonge women for to lere ¶ Qualiter Theophilus ad Dionisiam mane rediens affirmauit se Thaisim occidisse super quo Dionisia vnâ— cum Strangulione marito suo dolorem in publico confingentes exequias et sepulturam honorifice quantum ad extra subdola coniectatione fieri constituerunt ¶ Nowe lette we this mayden here And speke of Dionyse ageyne And of Theophyle the vyleyne Of whiche I spake of nowe tofore whan Thayse shulde haue be forlore This false chorle to his lady whan he cam home all priuely He saith Madame sleyne I haue This mayde Thayse and is begraue In preuy place as ye me hede For thy madame taketh hede And kepe counseyle howe so it stonde This fende whiche hath this vnderstoÌ„d was glad and weneth it be soth Now se hereafter how she doth She wepeth she crieth she coÌ„pleyneth And of syckenes whiche she feyneth She saith that Thaise sodeynly By nyght is deed as she and I To gether lyen nygh my lorde She was a woman of recorde And all is leued that she seyth And for to yeue a more feith Hir husbonde and eke she both In blacke clothes they hem cloth And make a great enterement And for the people shall be blent Of Thayse as for the remembraunce â—â—ter the ryall olde vsaunce A tombe of laton noble and ryche with an ymage vnto her lyche â—â—ggâ—nge aboue thervpon They made and set it vp anon Her â—â—itaphe of good assyse was wryte about and in this wyse It spake O ye that this beholde Lâ— here lyeth she the which was holde The fayrest and the floure of all whose name Thaysis men call The kynge of Tyre Appolynus Hir father was nowe lyeth she thus â—ourtene yere she was of age â—handeth hir toke to his viage ¶ Quâ—liter Appolinus in regno suo apud TyraÌ„ 〈…〉 parliamentum fieri constituit ¶ Thus was this false treason hyd whiche afterward was wyde kyd As by the tale a man shall here But to declare my matere To Tyre I thynke tourne ageyne And telle as the cronykes seyne whan that the kynge was comen home And hath lefte in the salte fome His wyfe whiche he may not foryete For he some comforte wolde gete He lette sommone a parlement To whiche the lordes weren assent And of the tyme he hath ben out He seeth the thynges all about And tolde hem eke howe he hath fare whyle he was out of londe fare And prayde hem all to abyde For he wolde at same tyde Do shape for his wyues mynde As he that wolde not be vnkynde Solempne was that ilke offyce And ryche was the sacrifice The feest ryally was holde And therto was he well beholde For suche a wyfe as he had one In thylke dayes was there none ¶ Qualiter Appolinus post parliamentuÌ„ Thasim pro Thaise filia sua querenda adiit qua ibideÌ„ non inuenta abinde nauigio recessit whaÌ„ this was done theÌ„ he him thought Vpon his doughter and besought Suche of his lordes as he wolde That they with hym to Tharse sholde To sette his doughter Thaise there And they anone all redy were To shyp they gone and forth they went Tyll they the hauen of Tharse bent They londe and fayle of that they seche By couerture and sleyght of speche This false man Strangulio And Dionyse his wyfe also That he the better trowe myght They ladde hym to haue a syght where that hir tombe was arrayed The lasse yet he was myspayde And netheles so as he durst He curseth and seyth all the worst Vnto fortune as to the blynde whiche can no syker wey fynde For hym she neweth euer amonge And medleth sorowe with his songe But sythe it may no better be He thonketh god and forth goth he Saylynge towarde Tyre ageyne But sodeynly the wynde and reyne Began vpon the see debate So that he suffre mote algate ¶ Qualiter nauis Appollini ventis agitata potum urbis Mitelene in die quo festa Neptuni celebrari consifeueruÌ„t / applicuit sed ipse pro dolore Thaisis filie sue quam mortuam reputabat in fundo nauis obscuro iacens sumen videre noluit ⧠The law which Neptune ordeineth wherof full oft tyme he pleyneth And held him wel the more esmayed Of that he hath tofore assayed So that for pure sorowe and care Of that he seeth this worlde so fare The reste he leueth of his caban That for the counceyl of no man Ageyne therin he nolde come But hath beneth his place nome where he wepinge allone lay There as be sawe no lyght of day And thus tofore the wynd they dryue Tyl longe and lat they arryue with great distresse as it was sene Vpon this towne of Mytelene whiche was a noble cite tho And happeneth thylke tyme so The lordes both and the commune The high festes of Neptune Vpon the stronde at ryuage As it was custome and vsage Solempnelych they be sight whan they this straunge vessel sygh Com in / and hath his sayle aualed The towne therof hath spoke and taled ¶ Qualiter Atenagoras vrbis Mitelene princeps nauim Appolini inuestigans ipsuÌ„ sic coÌ„tristatuÌ„ nihil que respondenteÌ„ consolari satagebat ¶ The lorde whiche of that cyte was whose name is Atenagoras was there and sayde he wolde se what ship it is and who they be That ben therin and after soune whan that he sigh it was to done His barge was for him arayed And he goeth forth and hath assayed He fonde the shyp of great araye But what thinge it a mownte may He sygh they maden heuy chere But wel him thynketh by the manere That they ben worthy men of blood And asketh of hem howe it stode And they him tellen all the caas Howe that her lorde fordryue was And whiche a sorowe that he made Of whiche there may no man him glad He prayeth that he her lorde may se But they him tolde it may not be For he lyeth in so derke a place That there may no wyght se his face But for all that though hem be lothe He fond the ladder and doune he goeth And to him spake but none answer Ageyne of him ne might he bere For ought that he can do er seyne And thus he goeth him vp ageyn ¶ Qualiter precepto principis vt Appolinum consolaretur Thaisis cum cithera sua ad ipsum in obscuro nauis vbi iacebat producta est ¶ Tho was there spoke in many wyse Amongest hem that weren wyse Nowe this nowe that but at last The wysdome of the towne thus cast That yonge Thayse was assent For if there be amendement To glad with this wofull
kinge She can so moche of euery thinge That she shall glad him anone A messager for hir is gone And she came with hir harpe in honde And saide hem that she wolde fonde By all the weyes that she can To glad with this sory man But what he was she wyst nought But all the shyp hir hath besought That she hir wytte on him dispende In aunter if he might amende And sayn it shall be wel aquyte whan she hath vnderstonden it She goeth hir doune there as he laye where that she harpeth many a laye And lyke an aungel songe with alle But he no more than the walle Toke hede of any thinge he herde And whan she sawe that he so ferde She falleth with him vnto wordes And telleth him of sondry bordes And asketh him demaundes straunge whereof she made his herte chaunge And to hir speche his ere he leyde And hath meruayle of that she sayde For in prouerbe and in probleme She spake and had he shulde deme In many a subtyle question But he for no suggestion whiche towarde hym she coude stere He wolde not one worde answere But as a mad man at laste His heed wepynge awey he caste And halfe in wrath he had hir go But yet she wolde not do so And in the derke forth she gothe Tyll she hym toucheth and he wroth And after hir with his honde He smote and thus whaÌ„ she him fonde Disesed courteisly she sayde Eâ—oy my lorde I am a mayde And if ye wyst what I am And out of what lynage I cam Ye wolde not be so saluage with that he sobreth his courage ¶ 〈◊〉 sicut deus destinauit paterfiliaÌ„ inuen 〈…〉 ¶ And put awey his heuy chere 〈◊〉 of hem two a man may lere what is to be so sybbe of bloud 〈◊〉 wyst of other howe it stode And yet the father at last His herte vpon this mayde cast A hathe her loueth kyndely And yet he wyst neuer why 〈◊〉 all was knowe or that they went yor god wote her hole entent Her hertes both anone discloseth This kynge vnto this mayde opposeth And asketh first what is her name And where she lerned all this game And of what kyn she was come And she that hath his wordes nome Answereth saith my name is Thayse That was sometyme well at ayse In Charse I was forthdrawe fedde There I lerned tyll I was spedde Of that I can my father eke I not where that I shulde hym seke He was a kynge men tolde me My mother dreynt in the see Fro poynt to poynt all she hym tolde That she hath longe in herte holde And neuer durst make hir mone But onely to this lorde allone To whom hir herte can not he le Tourne it to wo tourne it to wele Tourne it to good tourne it to harme And he tho toke hir in his arme But suche a ioye as he tho made was neuer sene thus ben they glade That sory hadden be toforne Fro this day fortune hath sworne To set hym vpwarde on the whele So goth the worlde now wo now wele ¶ Qualiter Athenagoras Appolinum de naui in hospicium honorifice recollegit et Thaisim / patre consensciente in vxorem duxit ¶ This kynge hath founde newe grace So that out of his derke place He goth hym vp in to the lyght And with hym cam that swete wyght His doughter Thayse and forth anone They bothe into the caban gone whiche was ordeyned for the kynge And there he dyd of all his thynge And was arayed ryally And out he cam all openly where Athenagoras be fonde whiche was lorde of all the londe He prayeth the kynge to come and se His castell bothe and his cite And thus they gone forthall in fere This kyng this lorde this mayden dere This lorde tho made hem ryche feste with euery thynge whiche was honeste To plese with this worthy kynge Ther lacketh hem no maner thynge But yet for al his noble araye wyueles he was vnto that day As he that yet was of yonge age So fyl ther in to his corage The lusty woo the glad payne Of loue whiche no man restrayne Yet neuer myght as now tofore This lorde thynketh al this world lore But if the kynge wyll done hym grace He wayteth tyme he wayteth place Hym thought his herte wold to breke Tyl he may to this mayde speke And to hir fader eke also For maryage and it fyl so That all was done right as he thought His purpos to an ende he brought She wedded him as for hir lorde Thus ben they all of one accorde ¶ Qualter Appolinus vna cum filia et eius marito nauim ingredieÌ„tes a Mitilena vsque Tharsim cursum proposuerunt sed Appolinus in sompnis admottus versus Ephesim vt ibideÌ„in templo Dia ne sacrificaret vela per mare diuertit ¶ whaÌ„ al was done right as they wold The kinge vnto his sonne tolde Of Tharse thylke trayterye And sayd howe in his companye His doughter and him seluen eke Shall go vengeaunce for to seke The shippes were redy soune And whan they sawe it was to done withoute let of any went with sayle vp drawe forth they wente Towarde Tharse vpon the tyde But he that wote what shall betyde The hye god whiche wolde him kepe whan that this kinge was fast a slepe By nyghtes tyme he hath him bede To sayle vnto another stede To Ephesym he bad him drawe And as it was that tyme lawe He shall do there his sacryfyce And eke he bad in all wyse That in the temple amongest all His fortune as it is befalle Touchinge his doughter and his wyfe He shall be knowe vpon his lyfe The kinge of this auision Hath great ymaginacion what thinge it signifye may And nethelesse whan it was day He bad cast anker and abode And whyle that he on anker rode The wynde that was tofore straunge Vpon the poynte began to chaunge And torneth thyder as it shulde Tho knewe he wel that god it wolde And bad the mayster make him yare Tofore the wynde for he wolde fare To Ephesym and so he dede And whan he came in to the stede where as he shulde londe he londeth with all the haste he may and fondeth To shapen him in suche a wyse That he may by the morowe aryse And done after the maundement Of him whiche hath him thider sent And in the wise that he thought Vpon the morowe so he wrought His doughter and his sonne he nome And forth to the temple he come with a great route in companye His yeftes for to sacryfye The cytezeins tho herden seye Of suche a kinge that came to praye Vnto Dyane the goddesse And lefte all other besynesse They comen thyder for to se The kinge and the solempnyte ¶ Qualiter Appolinus Ephesim in templo Dia ne sacrificans / vxorem suam ibidem velatam in uenit qua secum assumpta nauim versus Tyril regressus est ¶ with worthy knyghtes
enuyroned The kinge him selfe hath abandoned To the temple in good entente The dore is vp and in he wente where as with great deuocion Of holy contemplacion within his herte he made his shryfte And after that a ryche yefte He offreth with great reuerence And there in open audyence Of hem that stoden all aboute He tolde hem and declareth oute His happe suche as him is befalle There was no thinge foryete of alle His wyfe as it was goddes grace whiche was professed in the place As she that was abbesse there Vnto his tale hath leyed hir ere She knewe the voys and the vysage For pure ioy as in a rage She straught to him all at ones And fyl a swoune vpon the stones / wherof the temple flore was paued She was anone with water laued Tyl she came to hir selfe ageyne And than she began to seyne A blessed be the hygh sonde That I may se my husbonde whiche whylom he and I were one The kynge with that knewe hir anone And toke hir in his arme and kyst And all the towne this sone it wyst Tho was there ioye manyfolde For euery man this tale hath tolde As for myracle weren glade But neuer man suche ioye made As doth the king which hath his wyfe And whan men herde how that her lyfe was saued and by whom it was They wondred all of suche a cas Through all the londe arose the speche Of mayster Cerimon the leche And of the cure whiche he dede The kynge hym selfe tho hath hede 〈◊〉 seke the quene forth with hym 〈◊〉 â—he the towne of Ephesym 〈◊〉 leue and go where as they be 〈◊〉 neuer man of his degre Hath do to hem so mychell good And he his profyte vnderstode And graunteth with hem for to wende And thus they maden there an ende And token leue and gone to shyp 〈◊〉 had the hole felaushyp ¶ Qualiter Arcelinus vna cum vxore et filia 〈…〉 â—â—â—lâ—eâ—â—t ¶ This king which now hath his desire Saith he woll holde his cours to Tyre They hadden wynde at wyll tho with topsayle coole and forth they go And stryken neuer tyll they come To Lyre wher as they haue nome And â—â—nden hem with mochell blysse There was many a mouth to kysse Eche one welcometh other home But whan the quene to londe come And Thayse her doughter by her syde The whiche ioy was thylke tyde There may no man 's tunge telle They seyden all here cometh the welle Of all womannysshe grace The kynge hath take his royall place The quene is in to chambre go There was great fest arayed tho whan tyme was they gone to mete All olde sorowes ben foryete And gladen hem with ioyes newe The discoloured pale hewe Is nowe become a ruddy cheke There was no myrth for to seke ¶ Qualiter Appolinus Athenagord cuÌ„ Thase vxore sua super Tyrum coronari fecit ¶ But euery man hath what he wolde The kynge as he well coude and shulde Makth to his people right good chere And after sone as thou shalt here A parlement he had sommoned where he his doughter hath coroned Forth with the lorde of Mitelene That one is kynge that other quene And thus the fathers ordynaunce This londe hath set in gouernaunce And sayde that he wolde wende To Tharse for to make an ende Of that his doughter was betrayed wherof were all men well payed And said howe it was for to done The shyppes weren redy sone ¶ Qualiter Appolinus a Tyro per mare versus Tharsim iter arripiens vindictam coÌ„tra StraÌ„gulionem et Dionisiam vxorem suam ê“ inuiria quaÌ„ ipsi taâ—si filie sue italeruÌ„t iudicialiter affecutus est ¶ A strong power with hym he toke Vpon the skye he cast his loke And sygh the wynde was couenable They hale vp ancre with the cable They seyle on hye the stere on honde They seylen tyll they come a londe At Tharse nygh to the cite And whan they wysten it was he The towne hath done hym reuerence He telleth hem the violence which the traytour Strangulio And Dionise hym had do Touchynge his doughter as ye herde And whan they wyst how it ferde As he whiche pees and loue sought Vnto the towne this he besought To done him right in iugement Anone they weren both assente with strengthe of men and comen sone And as hem thought it was to done Atteyne they weren by the lawe And demed so honged and drawe And brent and with wynde to blowe That all the worlde it might knowe And vpon this condicion The dome in execucion was put anone withoute fayle And euery man hath great meruayle whiche herde tellen of this chaunce And thonked goddes purueaunce whiche doth mercy forth with iustice Slain is the mordrer and the mordrice Through very trouth of rightwysnesse And through mercy saue is simplesse Of hir whom mercy preserueth Thus hath he wel that wel deserueth ¶ Qualiter Artestrate PeÌ„tapolim rege mortuo ipsi de regno epistolas super hoc Appolino direx erunt Vnde Appolinus vna cum vxore sua ibideÌ„ aduenientes ad decus imperii cum magno gaudio coronati sunt ☞ whan al this thinge is done ended This kinge whiche loued was frended A letter hath whiche came to hym By ship fro Pentapolym In whiche the londe hath to him wrytte That he wolde vnderstonde and wyte Howe in good mynde and in good pees Deed is the kinge Artestrates wherof they all of one accorde Him prayden as her lyege lorde That be the letter wol receyue And come his reygne to receyue whiche god hath yeue him and fortune And thus besought the commune Forthwith the great lordes all This kinge sighe howe it is befalle Fro Tharse and in prosperite He toke his leue of that cyte And goeth him in to ship ayene The wynde was good these was pleyne Hem nedeth not a ryffe to slake Tyl they Pentapolym haue take The loude which herde of that tydinge was wonder glad of his cominge He resteth him a day or two And toke his counceyl to him tho And set a tyme of parlement where al the londe of one assente Forthwith his wyfe haue him croned where all good him was forsoned Lo what it is to be wel grounded For he hath fyrst his loue founded Honestly as for to wedde Honestly his loue he spedde And had chyldren with his wyfe And as him lyst he led his lyfe And in ensaumple his lyfe was wryte That all louers mighten wyt Howe at laste it shal be sene Of loue what they wolden mene For se nowe on that other syde Antiochus with all his pryde whiche set his loue vnkyndely His ende had sodeynly Set ageyn kynde vpon vengeaunce And for his lust hath his penaunce ¶ Lo thus my sonne might thou lerâ— what is to loue in good manere And what to loue in other wyse The mede aryseth of the seruyce Fortune though she be not stable yet at somtyme is
to Babyloyne And wend moste in his empyre As he which was holle lorde and syre In honour for to be receyued Most sodenlyche he was deceyned And with stronge poyson enuenymed And as he hath the worlde mystimed Not as he shulde with his wyt Not as he wolde it was acquyt Thus was he slayn that whiloÌ„ slough And he whiche ryche was ynough This day to morowe hadde nought And in suche wyse as he hath wrought In disturbaunce of worldes pees His werre he fonde than endeles In whiche for euer discomfyte He was Lo nowe for what proufyte Of werre it helpeth for to ryde For couetyse and worldes pryde To slee the worldes men aboute As bestes whiche gone there oute For euery lyfe whiche reason can Ought wel to knowe that a man Ne shulde through no tyrannye Lyche to this other bestes dye Tyl kynde wolde for hym sende I not how he it myght amend whiche taketh a weye for euermore The lyfe that he may not restore For thy my sonne in all weye Be wel auysed I the preye Bf slaught er that thou be culpable withoute cause reasonable ¶ My fader vnderstonde it is That ye haue sayde but ouer this I pray you telle me nay or ye To passe ouer the great see To warre and sle the Sarasyn Is that the lawe Sonne myn To preche and suffer for the feyth That haue I herd the gospel seyth But for to sle that here I nought Christ with his owne deth hath bought All other men and made hem fre In token of perfyte charite And after that he taught him selue whan he was dede these other twelue Of his aposteles went aboute The holy feyth to preche oute wherof the deth in sondry place They suffer and so god of his grace The feyth of Christ hath made aryse But if they wolde in other wyse By werre haue brought in the creaunce It hadde yet stonde in balaunce And that may prouen in the dede For what man the Cronyckes rede Fro first that holi churche hath weiued To preche hath the swerde receyued wherof the werres ben begoÌ„ne A great partye of that was wonne To Christes feyth stant nowe myswent God do therof amendement So as he wote what is the best But sonne if thou wylt lyue in rest Of conscyence well assysed Er that thou slee be wel auysed For man as tellen vs the clarkes Hath god aboue all erthely werkes Ordeyned to be pryncypall And eke of soule in specyall He is made lyche to the godhede So syt it wel to taken hede And for to loke on euery syde Er that thou falle in homycyde whiche synne is now so generall That it wel nye stant ouerall In holy churche as elles where But all the whyle it is so there The world mot nede fare amis For whan the wel of pyte is Through couetyse of worldes good Defoulled with shedinge of blode The remenaunte of tolke aboute Vnne the stonden in any dout To werre eche other and to slee So is it all not worth a stre The charite wherof we prechen For we do no thynge as we techen And this the blynde conscience Of pes hath lost thylke euidence whiche Chryst vpon this erth taught Now may men se morder manslaught Lâ—che as it was by dayes olde whan men the synnes bought and solde 〈…〉 â—â—â—tas venie occasioneÌ„ prebet delinqueÌ„di In Grece afore Christes feythe I rede as the Cronycke seyth Touchend of this matter thus In thylke tyme howe Peleus His owne broder Phocus slough But for he hadde golde ynough â—o yâ—ue his synne was dispensed with golde wherof it was compensed Acastus whiche with Venus was Her priest assoylled in that cas Al were there no repentaunce And as the boke maketh remeÌ„braunce It tellyth of Medee also Of that she slough her sonnes two Egeus in the same plyte Hath made her of her synne quyte The sonne eke of Ampbyoras whos ryght name Almeus was His moder slough Eryphele But Achiloo the prest and he So as the bokes it recorden For certayne some of golde acorden That thylke horable synfull dede Assoyled was and thus for mede Of worldes good it falleth ofte That homycyde is set alofte Here in this world but after this There shall be knowe how that it is Of hem that suche thynges wyrche And how also that holy churche Lete suche synnes passe quyte And how they wolde hem selfe acquyte Of dedely werres that they make For who that wolde ensample take The lawe whiche is naturell By weye of kynde sheweth wel That homycyde in no degre whiche werreth ayene charyte Amonge the men shulde not dwelle For after that the bokes telle To seche in all the worlde ryche Men shall not fynde vpon his lych A best for to take his preye And sythen kynde hathe suche aweye Than is it wonder of a man whiche kynde hath and reason can That he woll eyther more or lasse His kynde and reason ouerpasse And slee that is to hym semblable So is the man not reasonable Ne kynde and that is not honeste whan he is worse than a beste ☞ Nota secundum Solinum contra homicidias de natura a cuiusdam auis faciem ad similitudinem humanam habentis / que cum de vreda sua homineÌ„ iuxta fluuiuÌ„ occiderit videritque in aqua simileÌ„ sibi occisum statim pre dolore moritur ☞ Among the bokes which I fynde Solynus speketh of a wonder kynde And sayth of foules there is one whiche hath a face of blode and bone Lyke to a man in resemblaunce And if it falle so parchaunce As he whiche is a foule of pray That he a man fynde in his way He woll hym slee if that he may But afterward the same day whan he hath eten all his felle And that shall be besyde a welle In whiche he woll drynke take Of his visage and the make That he hath slayn anone he thynketh Of his misdede and it forthynketh So greatly that for pure sorowe He lyueth not tyll on the morowe By this ensample it may well sewe That man shall homicide eschewe For euer is mercy good to take But if the lawe it hath forsake And that Iustice is there agayne Ful ofttyme I haue hard sayne Amonges hem that werres haden But they somwhyle her cause ladden By mercy whan they myght haue slain wherof that they were after fayn And sonne if that thou wolt recorde The vertu of Misericorde Thou syghe neuer thylke place where it was vsed lacke grace For euery lawe and euery kynde The mannes wyt to mercy bynde And namely the worthy knyghtes whan that they stondeÌ„ moste vprightes And ben moste myghty for to greue They shulden thenne moste releue Tym whome they myghten ouerthrow And by ensample may men knowe ☞ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum de pietate contra homicidium in guerris / habenda Et narrat qualiter Achilles vna cum filio suo contra regem Mesee qui tunc Theucer vocabatur