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
hym falle His name was Palamydes But through an hate netheles Of some of hem his deathe was caste And he by treason ouercaste His father whan he herde it telle He swore if euer his tyme felle He wolde hym venge if that he myght And therto his auowe he hyght And thus this king through priue hate Abode vpon a wayte algate For he was not of suche empryse To auengen hym in open wyse The fame whiche goth wyde where Maketh knowe howe that the grekes were Homward with al the felauship Fro Troy vpon the see by shyp Nauplus whan he this vnderstode And knewe the tydes of the flode And sawe the wynde blow to the londe A great deceyte anone he fonde Of preuy bate as thou shalte here wherof I telle all this matere This kynge the wether gan beholde And wyst well they moten holde Her cours endelonge the marche right And made vpon the derke nyght Of great shydes and of blockes Great â—â—â—e ageyn the great rockes To shewe vpon the hylles hygh So that the flete of grece it sygh And so felle ryght as he thought This flete whiche an hauen sought The bryght fyres sawe a ferre And they ben drawen ner and ner And wende well and vnderstode Howe all that fyre was made for good To shewe where men shulde aryue And thytherwarde they hasten blyue In semblaunt as men sayne is gyle And that was proued thylke whyle The ship which weÌ„d his helpe accroch Drofe all to peces on the roche And so there deden tenne or twelue There myght no man helpe hym selue For there they wenden death escape withouten helpe her deathe was shape Thus they that comen fyrst tofore Vpon the rockes ben forlore But through noyse and their crie The other were ware therby And whan the day began to rowe Tho myghten they the soth knowe That where they wende frendes fynde They fonde frendship all behynde The londe than was sone weyued where that they hadden be deceyued And toke hem to the hygh see Therto they sayden all ye Fro that day forthe where they were Of that they haue assayed there Confessor ¶ My sonne wherof thou might auise Howe fraude stant in many wyse Amonge hem that gyle thynke There is no scriuener with his inke whiche halfe the fraude wryte can That stant in suche a maner man For thy the wyse men ne demen The thynges after that they semen But after that they knowe and fynde The myrrour sheweth in his kynde As he had all the worlde within And is in sothe nothynge therin And so fareth hate for a throwe Tyll he a man hath ouerthrowe Shall no man knowe by his chere whiche is auaunt and whiche is arere For thy my sonne thynke on this ¶ My father so I woll iwys And if there more of wrath be Nowe aske forthe pur charite As ye by your bokes knowe And I the sothe shall beknowe Qui cohibere manum nequit et sic spem eius Naribus hic populo sepe timendas erit Saepius in luctum Venus et sua gaudia transfert Cumque suis thalamis talis ami cus adest Est amor amplexu non ictibus alliciendus Frangit amicitias impetuosa manus ¶ Hic tractat Confessor super quarta et quinta specie ire / que impetuositas homicidium dicuntur sed primo de impetuositate specialiter tractare intendit cuius natura spmÌ„ in naribus gefiaÌ„do ad omnes â—re mociones in vindicta parata pacientiam nullatenus obseruat ¶ My sonne thou shalte vnderstonde That yet towarde wrath stonde Of deadly vices other two And for to telle her names so It is Contecke and Homicide That be to gether on euery syde Contecke as the bokes sayne Foolehast hath to his chamberlayne By whose counsayle all vnauysed Is Pacyence mooste despysed Tyll Homicide with hem mete Fro Mercy they be all vnmete And thus ben they the worst of all Of hem whiche vnto wrath falle In dede both and eke in thought For they accomten their wrath nought But if there be shedynge of bloud And thus lyche to a beast wode They knowen not the god of lyfe Be so they haue other swerde or knyfe Her deadly wrath for to wreke Of pyte lyst hem not to speke None other reason they ne fonge But that they ben of myght stronge But ware hym well in other place where euery man behoueth grace But there I trowe it shall hym fayle To whom no mercy myght auayle But wroughten vpon tyranny That no pite nÌ„e myght hem plye Now tell me sonne My father what If thou hast be culpable of that ¶ My father nay Christe me forbede I speake onlyche of the dede Of whiche I was neuer culpable without cause reasonable But this is not to my matere Of shryfte why we sytten here For we be sette to shryue of loue As we begonne fyrst aboue And netheles I am beknowe That as touchende of loues throwe whan I my wyttes ouerwende Myn hertes contecke hath none ende But euer stant vpon debate To great disease of myn estate As for the tyme that it lasteth For whan my fortune ouercasteth Her whele is to me so straunge And that I se she woll not chaunge Than cast I all the worlde about And thynke howe I at home in dout Haue all my tyme in veyne spended And se not howe to be amended But rather for to be empeyred As he that is well nygh despeired For I ne may nothynge deserue And euer I loue and euer I serue And euer I am a lyche nere Thus for I stonde in suche a were I am as who sayth out of herre And thus vpon my selfe I werre I brynge and put out all pees That I full ofte in suche a rees Am wery of myn owne lyfe So that of contecke and of stryfe I am beknowe and haue answerde As ye my father nowe haue herde Myn herte is wonderly begone with counsayle wherof wytte is one whiche hath reason in company Agayne the whiche stant partie wylle which hath Hope of his accorde And thus they bryngen vp discorde wytte and reason counsaylen ofte That I myn herte shulde softe And that I shulde V V Y L remue And put hym on t of retenue Or els holde hym vnder fote For as they seyne if that he mote His owne reule haue vpon honde There shall no wytte ben vnderstonde Of hope also to tellen this That ouer all where that he is He sette the herte in ieopardy with wysshynge and with fantasy And is not trewe of that he sayth So that in hym there is no feyth Thus with reason and wytte auysed Is wylle and hope all daye despysed Reason sayth that I shulde leue To loue where there is no leue To spede and wyll sayth there ageyne That suche an herte is to vyleyne whiche dare not loue tyll that he spede Let Hope serue at suche a nede He seyth eke where an herte sytte All holle
/ 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
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
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
well the more to blame Dame Ilya this lady name Men clepe and eke she was also The kynges doughter that was tho whiche Mynitor by name hyght So that ayene the lawes ryght Mars thilke tyme vpon hir that Remus and Romulus begat whiche after whan they come in age Of knyghthode and of vassellage Italy all holle they ouercome And founden the great Rome In armes and of suche emprise They weren that in thilke wyse Her father Mars for the meruayle The god is cleped of batayle They weren his children bothe two Through hem he toke his name so There was none other cause why And yet a sterre vpon the skye He hath vnto his name applyed In whiche that he is signified ¶ And other god they hadden eke To whom for counsayle they beseke The whiche was brother to Venus Apollo men hym clepe thus He was an hunt vpon the hylles There was with hym no vertue elles wherof that any bokes carpe But onely that he couth harpe whiche whan he walked ouer londe Full ofte tyme he toke on honde To get hym with his sustenance For lacke of other purueance And otherwhile of his falsehede He feyneth hym to conne a rede Of thing which afterward shulde fall wherof amonge his sleyghtes all He hath the leude folke deceyued So that the better he was receyued Lo nowe through what creacion He hath deifycacion And cleped is the god of wyt To suche as be the fooles yet ¶ An other god to whom they sought Mercurie hyght and hym ne rought what thyng he stale ne whom ne slough Of sorcerye he couthe inough That whaÌ„ he wold him selfe traÌ„sforme Full ofte tyme he toke the forme Of woman and his owne lefte So dyd he well the more thefte A great speker in all thynges He was also and of lesynges An autor that men wysten none An other suche as he was one And yet they maden of this thefe A god whiche was vnto hem lefe And cleped hym in tho beleues The god of marchantes and of theues But yet a sterre vpon the heuen He hath of planettes seuen ¶ But Vulcanus of whom I spake He had a courbe vpon the backe And therto he was hyppe halte Of whom thou vnderstonde shalt He was a shrewe in al his youth And he none other vertue couth Of crafte to helpe hym selfe with But onely that he was smyth with Iupiter whiche in his forge Dyuers thynges made hym forge So wote I not for what desyre They clepen hym the god of fyre ¶ Kynge of Cecile Hypolitus A sonne hadde and Eolus He hyght and of his fathers graunt He helde by wey of couenaunt The gouernaunce of euery yle whiche was longende vnto Sicyle Of hem that fro the londe foreyn Lay vpon the wynde all pleyne And fro thilke iles in to the londe Full ofte cam the wynde to bonde And after the name of hym for thy The wyndes cleped Eoly They were be the god of wynde Lo nowe howe this beleue is blynde ¶ The kynge of Crete Iupyter The same whiche I spake of er Vnto his brother whiche Neptune was hote it lyst hym to commune Parte of his good so that by shyp He made hym stronge of the lordshyp Of all the see in tho parties where that he wrought his tirrannyes And the straunge yles aboute He wan that euery man hath doute Vpon his marche for to sayle For he anone hem wolde assayle And robbe what thing that they laddeÌ„ His saufe conduit but if they hadden wherof the commen voice aroos In euery londe that suche a loos He caught all nere it worth a stre That he was cleped of the see The god by name and yet he is with hem that so beleue amys This Neptune eke was thilke also whiche was the fyrst founder tho Of noble Troy and he for thy was well the more lette by ¶ The loresman of the shepeherdes And eke of hem that netherdes was of Archade and hyght Pan Of whom hath spoke many a man For in the wodde of Nouarigne Enclosed with the trees of pygne And on the mount of Parysie He had of beastes the bailye And eke beneth the valeye where thilke ryuer as men may seye whiche Ladon hight made his cours He was the chiefe of gouernours Of hem that kepten tame beastes wherof they maken yet the feastes In the citie of Stymphalydes And forth withall yet netheles He taught men the forth drawynge Of bestayle and eke the makynge Of oxen and of hors the same Howe men hem shulde ryde tame Of foules eke so as we fynde Full many a subtyle crafte of kynde He fonde whiche no man knewe tofore Men dyd hym worshyp eke therfore That be the fyrste in thylke londe was whiche the melody fonde Of reedes whan they weren rype with double pypes for to pype Therof he yafe the fyrst lore Tyll afterwarde men couth more To euery crafte of mannes helpe He had a redy wytte to helpe Through naturall experience And thus the nice reuerence Of fooles whan that he was dede The foote was tourned to the hede And clepen hym god of nature For so they maden his fygure ¶ An other god so as they fele whiche Iupiter vpon Semele Begatte in his auoutrie whom for to hyde his lecherie That none therof shall take kepe In a mountayne for to kepe whiche Dyon hight was in Iude He sent in bokes as I fynde And he by name Bacchus hyght which afterwarde whan that he might A wastor was and all his rent In wyne and bordell he dispent But yet all were he wonder bad Amonge the grekes a name be bad They cleped hym the god of wyne And thus a glotton was diuine ¶ There was yet Esculapius A god in thilke tyme as thus His crafte stode vpon surgerie But for the luste of lecherie That he to Daires donghter drough It fell that Iupiter hym slough And yet they made him nought for thy A god and wyst no cause why In Rome he was longe tyme so A god amonge the Romaynes tho For as he sayde of his presence There was distroyed a pestylence whan they to the yle of Delphos went And that Apollo with hym sent This Esculapius his sonne Amonge the Romaynes for to wonne And there he dwelte for a whyle Tyll afterwarde in to that yle Fro when he cam ayene he tourneth where all his lyfe that he soiourneth Amonge the grekes tyll that he deyde And they vpon hym than leyde His name and god of medicyne He hatte after that ilke lyne ¶ An other god of Hercules They made whiche was netheles A man but that he was so stronge In al this worlde that brode and longe So myghty was no man as he Meruayles twelue in his degre As it was couth in sondry londes He dyd with his owne hondes â—geyne geauntes and monsters both The whiche horrible were and loth But he with strength hem ouercam wherof so great a price he nam That they hym clepe amonges all
had be forleyn But that he was so ouerseyn The wonder ouergoth his wyt For in Cronike is written yet Thing whiche shall neuer be foryete Howe that Achilles hath begette Pytrus vpon Deydame wherof came out the trecherye Of fals witnes when he sayde Howe that Achilles was a mayde But that was nothyng sene tho For he is to the syege go Forth with Vlyxes and Dyomede ¶ Lo thus was proued in the dede And fully spoke at thylke whyle If o woman an other begyle where is there any sekyrnesse whā Thetis which was thā the goddesse Daydamye hath so beiaped I not howe it shall bene escaped with tho women whose innocence Is nowe al daye through suche credence Deceyued ofte as it is sene with men that suche vntrouth mene For they ben slygh in suche a wyse That they by sleyght and by queyntise Of fals wytnes bryngyn inne That doth hem ofte for to wynne That they be not worthy therto For thy my sonne do not so ¶ My father as of fals wytnesse The trouth and the maner expresse Touchende of loue howe it hath ferde As ye haue tolde I haue well herde But for ye sayden other wyse Howe thylke vice of couetyse Hath yet periur of his acorde If that you lyst of some recorde To telle an other tale also In loues cause of tyme ago what thynge it is to be forswore I wolde preye you therfore wherof I myght ensamble take ¶ My good sonne and for thy sake Touchende of this I shall fulfyll Thyn axynge at thyne owne wyll And the mattere I shall declare Howe the women deceiued are whan they so tender hertes bere Of that they here men so swere But whan it cometh vnto thassay They fynde it fals a nother day As Iason dyd vnto Medee whiche stante yet of auctoritie In token and in memoriall wherof the tale in speciall Is in the boke of Troye writte whiche I shall do the for to wytte ⧠Hic in amoris caufa ponit exemplum contra periuros Et narrat qualiter Iason priusquam ad Insulam Colchos pro aureo vellere ibidem conquestando transmearet in amorem et coningium Medee regis Othonis filie iuramēto firmius se aftrinxit sed suo postea completo negotio cil ips◠secum nauigio in Cretiam perduxisset vbi illum senectam patris sui Efonis in floridam inuentutē mirabili scientia reformauit Ipse Iason fidei sue ligamento aliis que beneficiis post positis dictam Medeam pro quadam Crensa regis Creontis filia periurus dereliquit ¶ In grece whylom was a kynge Of whom the fame and knowlegyng By leueth yet and Peleus He hyghte but it felle hym thus That his fortune hir whele so lad That he no childe his owne had To reignen after his decesse He had a brother netheles whose ryght name was Eson And he the worthy knyght Iason Begatte the whiche in euery londe All other passed of his honde In armes so that he the best was named and the worthyest He sought worshyp ouer all Nowe herken and I the tell shall An aduenture that he sought whiche afterwarde full dere he bought ¶ There was an yle whiche Colchos was cleped and therof aroos Great speche in euery londe aboute That suche meruayle was none oute In all the wyde worlde no where As tho was in that yle there There was a shepe as it was tolde The whiche his flees bare all of golde And so the goddes had it sette That it ne myght away be fette By power of no worldes wyght And yet full many a worthy knyght It had assayed as they dorst And euer it fell hem to the worst But he that wolde it nought forsake But of his knyghthode vndertake To do what thynge therto belongeth This worthy Iason sore alongeth To se the straunge regions And knowe the conditions Of other marches where he went And for that cause his hole entent He set Colchos for to seche Cnd therupon he made a speche To Peleus his eme the kynge And he wel payde was of that thynge And shope anone for his passage Suche as were of his lignage with other knyghtes whiche he chees with hym he toke and Hercules whiche full was of chiualrie with Iason wente in company And that was in the moneth of may whan colde stormes were away The winde was good the ship was yare They toke her leue and forth they fare Towarde Colchos but on the weye what hem byfelle is longe to seye Howe Laamedon the kynge of Troy whiche ought well haue made hem ioye whan they to rest a whyle hym preyde Out of his londe he them congeyde And so befelle the dissention whiche after was destruction Of that citie as men may here But that is nought to my matere But thus the worthy folke gregoys Fro that kynge whiche was not curtois And fro his londe with seyl vpdrawe They went hem forth and many a sawe They made and many a great manace Tyll at last in to that place whiche as they sought they arryue And stryken seyle and forth as blyue They senten vnto the kynge and tolden who weren there and what they wolden ¶ O etes whiche was then kynge whan that he herde this tydynge Of Iason whiche was comen there And of these other what they were He thought done hem great worshyp For they anone come out of shyp And streyght vnto the kynge they wente And by the honde Iason he hente And that was at the paleys gate So far the kyng came on his gate Towarde Iason to done hym chere And he whom lacketh no manere whan he the kynge sigh in presence Yafe hym ageyne suche reuerence As to a kynges state belongeth And thus the kynge hym vnderfongeth And Iason in his arme he caught And forth in to the halle he straught And there they sat and speke of thinges And Iason tolde hym tho tydynges why he was come and faire hym preide To hast his tyme the kyng thus said Iason thou art a worthy knyght But it lyeth in no mans myght To done that thou arte come fore There hath bene many a knyght forlore Of that they wolden it assaye But Iason wolde nat hym esmaye And sayde of euery worldes cure Fortune stant in auenture Paranter well paranter wo But howe as euer that it go It shall be with myn bonde assayed The kyng tho helde hym not wel payd For he the grekes sore dredde In aunter if Iason ne spedde He myght therof beare a blame For tho was all the worldes fame In grece as for to speke of armes For thy he drad hym of his harmes And gan to preache and to preye But Iason wolde not obeye But sayde he wolde his purpos holde For ought that any man hym tolde The kynge whan these wordes herde And sigh how that this knight āswerde Yet for he wolde make hym glad After Medea gone he bad whiche was his doughter and she cam And Iason whiche good hede
eke the nobles all Forth with the comun of the towne And as they loken vp and doune They were warē within a throw where cam the hote whiche they wel know And sȳgh how Iason brought his preye And tho they gauen all seye And cryden al with o steuen O where was euer vnder the heuen So noble a knyght as Iason is And wel nyghe all sayden this That Iason was a fayre knyght For it was neuer of mans myght The flees of golde so for to wynne And thus tellen they begynne with that the kynge cam forth anone And sygh the flees howe that shone And whan Iason cam to the londe The kynge hym selfe toke his honde And kyssed hym great ioye him made The grekes weren wonder glade And of that thīg right meri hē thought And forth with hē the fles they brought And eche on other gan to lygh But wel was hym that myght nygh To se there of the properte And thus they passen the cyte And gone vnto the paleis straught Medea whiche forgat her naught was redy there and sayde anon welcome O worthy knyght Iason She wolde haue kyst hym wonder fayn But shame tourned her agayne It was nought the maner as tho For thy she dorste nought do so She toke her leue and Iason went Into his chambre and she hym sente Her mayden to sene howe he ferde The whiche whan that he sygh herde Howe that he hadde faren out And that it stode well all about She tolde her lady what she wyst And she for ioye her mayden kyst The bathes weren than arayed with herbes tempred and assayed And Iason was vnarmed soone And dydde as it befelle to done Into his bathe he went anone And wyss he hym cleane as any bone He toke a soppe and out he cam And on his best aray he nam And kempt his heed whan he was clad And goth hym forth all mery and glad Ryght straught in the kinges halle The kynge cam with his knyghtes alle And made hym glad welcomynge And he hem tolde tho tydynge Of this and that howe it befelle whan that he wan the shepes fell Medea whan she was after sent Come soone to that parlement And whan she myght Iason se was none so glad of all as she There was no ioye for to seche Of hym made euery man a speche Som man sayd one som said other But though he were goddes brother And myght make fyre and thonder There myght be no more wonder Than was of hym in that citie Echone taught other this is he whiche hath in his power within That all the worlde ne myght wynne Lo here the beste of all good Thus they sayden that there stode And eke that walkende vp downe Both of the court and of the towne The tyme of souper cam anone They wysshen and therto they gon Medea was with Iason sette Tho was there many a deynte fette And set tofore hem on the bord But none so lykynge as the worde which was there spoke among hem two So as they dorst speke tho But though they had lytel space Yet they acorden in that place Howe Iason shuld come at nyght whan euery torche and euery lyght were oute and than other thynges they speke alowde for supposinges Of hem that stoden there aboute For loue is euermore in doute For if it be wysly gouerned Of hem that ben of loue lerned whan al was done that dissh and cup And cloth and bord and all was vp They wake whyle hem lyst to wake And after that they leue take And gon to bed for to reste And whan hym thought for the beste That euery man was fast on slepe Iason that wolde his tyme kepe Both forth stalkynge all pryuely Vnto the chambre and redyly There was a mayd whiche hym kepte Medea woke and no thyng slepte But netheles she was a bedde And he with all hast hym spedde And made hym naked and all warme Anone he toke her in his arme what nede is for to speke of ease Hem lyst eche other for to plese So that they had ioy ynowe And tho they setten whan and how That she with hym awey shal stele with wordes suche and other fele whan all was treted to an ende Iason toke leue and gan forth wend vnto his owne chamber in pes There wyst it non but Hercules ¶ He slepet and ros whan it was tyme And whan it fel towardes pryme He toke to hym suche as he tryste In secre that none other wyst And tolde hem of his counseyle there And sayde that his wyll were That they to shyp had all thynge So priuely in the euenynge That no man myght her dede aspie But tho that weren of company For he woll go without leue And lenger woll he nought beleue But he ne wolde at thilke throwe The kynge or quene shulde it knowe They sayde all this shall well be do And Iason trust well therto ¶ Medea in the meane whyle whiche thought her father to begyle The treasour whiche her father hadde with her all priuely she ladde And with Iason at tyme sette Away she stale and fonde no lette And straught she goth her vnto ship Of grece with that felaushyp And they anone drough vp the sayle And all that nyght this was counsayle But erly whan the sonne shone Men sygh that they were agone And come vnto the kynge and tolde And he the soth knowe wolde And axeth where his doughter was There was no worde but out alas She was a go the mother wepte The fa her as a wood man lepte And gan the tyme for to warye And swore his othe he wold no ttary That with Calyphe and with galeye The same cours the same wey which Iason toke he wolde take If that he myght hym ouertake To this they sayden all ye Anone as they weren at the see And all as who sayth at one worde They gone within shyppes boorde The saile goth vp forth they straught But none exploit therof they caught And so forth they tournen home ayene For all that labour was in vayne Iason to grece with his pray Goth through the see the ryght waye whan he there come and men it tolde They maden ioye yonge and olde Eson whan that he wyst of this Howe that his sonne comen is And hath acheued that he sought And home with hym Medea brought In all the wyde worlde was none So glad a man as he was one Together bene these louers tho Tyll that they had sonnes two wherof they weren bothe glade And olde Eson great ioy made To seen the encrees of his lignage For he was of so great an age That men awayten euery day whan that he shulde gone away Iason whiche sigh his fader olde Vpon Medea made hym bolde Of art magyke whiche she couth And praieth her that his fathers youth She wolde make ayenewarde newe And she that was towarde hym trewe Behyghte hym that she wolde it do whan that she tyme
There whyles that hir lorde was oute He myght make a great auant Amonge all the remenant That she one of all the best well myght he set his herte in rest This kynge whan he hir fonde in hele For as he couthe in wysedome dele â—e couthe she in woman bede And whan she sygh withouten drede 〈◊〉 â—â—rde vpon his owne grounde That he was come safe and sounde In all this worlde ne myght be A gladder woman than was she ¶ The fame which may nought be hyd Throughout the londe is sone kyd Her kynge is comen home ayene There may no man the full seyne Howe that they weren all glade So mochel ioye of hym they made The presentes euery daye bene newed He was with yeftes all bisnewed The people was of hym so glad That though none other man hem bad Tâ—llage vpon hem selfe they sette And as it were of pure dette They yeue her goodes to the kynge This was a glad home welcomynge Thus hath Vlyxes what he wolde His wyfe was such as she be shulde His people was to hym subiecte Hym lacketh nothynge of delyte ¶ Horatius Omnia sunt hominum tenni pendentia filo ¶ But fortune is of suche a fleyght That whan a man is most on heyght She maketh hym rathest for to falle There wote no man what shall befalle The happes ouer mannes hede Ben honged with a tender threde That proued was on Vlyxes For whan he was most in his pees Fortune gan to make hym werre And set his welthe oute of herre Vpon a day as he was mery As though there myght hym no thinge derye whan night was come he goth to bedde with slepe and both his eyen fedde And whyle he slepte he met a sweuen Hym thought he sygh a statu euen whiche bryghter than the sonne shone A man it semed was it none But yet it was a fygure Most lyche to mannyssh creature But as of beaute heuenlych It was most to an aungell lyche And thus betwene aungell and man Beholden it this kynge began And suche a lust toke of the syght That fayne he wolde if that he myght The forme of that fygure embrace And goth hym forth toward that place where he sygh that ymage tho And takth it in his armes two And it embraceth hym ageyne And to the kynge thus gan it seyne Vlyxes vnderstond wel this The token of oure acqueyntaunce is Here afterward to mochel tene The loue that is vs betwene Of that we nowe suche ioy make That one of vs the deth shall take whan tyme cometh of destyne It may none otherwyse be Vlixes the began to praye That this fygure wolde hym say what wyght he is that sayth hym so This wyght vpon a speare tho A pensell whiche was well begone Embroudred sheweth hym anone Thre fysshes all of o colour In maner as it were a toure Vpon the pensell were wrought Vlyxes knewe this token nought And prayth to wyte in some partie what thynge it myght signifie A sygne it is the wyght answerde Of an empire and forth he ferde All sodeynly whan he that sayd Vlyxes out of slepe abrayde And that was ryght ayene the day That lenger slepen he ne maye Men say a man hath knowlegynge Saue of hym selfe of all thynge His owne chaunce no man knoweth But as fortune it on hym throweth was neuer yet so wyse a clerke whiche myght knowe all goddes werke Ne the secrete whiche god hath sette Ayene a man may not be lette Vlyxes though that he be wyse with all his wytte in his auyse The more that he his sweuen accouÌ„teth The lesse he wote what it amounteth For all his calculation He seeth no demonstration As pleynly for to knowe an ende But netheles howe so it wende He drad hym of his owne sonne That maketh hym well the more astone And shope therfore anone withall So that within castell walle Thelemachus his sonne he shette And on hym stronge warde he sette The sothe farther he ne knewe Tyll that fortune hym ouerthrewe But netheles for sykernesse where that he myght wyt gesse A place strengest in his londe There let he make of lyme and sonde A strength where he wolde dwell was neuer man yet herde tell Of suche an other as it was And for to strength hym in that cas Of all his londe the sykerest Of seruantes and the worthyest To kepen hym within warde He set his body for to warde And made suche an ordinance For loue ne for aqueintance That were it erely were it late They shulde let in at yate No maner man what so betyd But if so were hym selfe it byd ¶ But all that myghte hym not auayle For whom fortune wol assayle There may be no suche resistence whiche myght make a man defence All that shall be mote fall algate This Cyrces whiche I spake of late On whom Vlyxes hath begete A childe though he it haue foryete whan tyme came as it was wonne She was delyuerde of a sonne whiche cleped is Telegonus This childe whan he was borne thus About his mother to full age That he can reason and langage In good estate was drawe forth And whan he was so mochell worth To stonden in a mannes stede Circes his mother hath hym bede That he shall to his father go And tolde hym all to geder tho what man he was that hym begate And whan Thelegonus of that was ware and hath full knowlechynge Howe that his fader was a kynge He prayth his moder fayre this To go where that his fader is And she hym graunteth that he shall And made hym redy forth with all It was that tyme suche vsance That euery man the cogysaunce Of his contre bare in his honde whan he went in to straunge londe And thus was euery man therfore wel knowe where that he was bore For espyall and mystrowynges They dyd than suche thynges That euery man myght other knowe So it be felle in that throwe Telegonus as in this cas Of his contre the sygne was Thre fisshes whiche he shulde here Vpon the pynon of a spere And whan that he was thus arrayde And hath his barneys all assayde That he was redy euerydele His moder bad him fare wele And sayde hym that he shulde swythe His fader griete a thousand syth Telegonus his moder kist And toke his leue and where he wist His fader was the way name Tyll he vnto Nachaie came whiche of that londe the chyefe cyte was cleped and there asketh he where was the kynge howe he ferde And whan that he the soth herde where that the kynge Vlixes was Alone vpon his hors great pas He roode him forth and in his honde He bare the sygnall of his londe with fisshes thre as I haue tolde And thus he went vnto that holde where that his owne fader dwelleth The cause why he came he telleth Vnto the kepars of the gate And wolde haue comen in there ate But shortely they hym sayde nay And he
what fyll therafter lone This Consul had for to done And was in to the feldes ryde And they hym hadde longe abyde That lordes of the counseyle were And for hym sende and he cam there with swerde begyrde and hath foryete Tyll he was in the counseyle sete was none of hem that made speche Tyll he hym selfe it wolde seche And fonde out the defaut hym selfe And than he sayde vnto the twelfe whiche of the senate weren wyse I haue deserued the iuyse In haste that it were do And they hym sayden all no For well they wyst it was no vyce whan he ne thought no malyce But onelyche of a lytell slouth And thus they leften as for routh To do iustyce vpon his gylte For that he shulde not be spylte And whan he sygh the maners howe They wolde hym saue he made anowe with manful herte and thus he sayde That Rome shulde neuer abrayde His heyres whan he were of dawe That her auncestre brake the lawe For thy er that they weren ware Forthwith the same swerde he bare The statute of his lawe kepte So that all Rome his dethe bewepte ☞ Nota quod falsi iudices mortis pena puuienbi sunt Narrat enim qualiter Cambices rex Per sarum quendam indicem coruptum excoriari vinuÌ„ fecit eiusque pelle cathedram iudicialem operiri coÌ„stituit Ita quod filius suus super patris pellem postea pro tribunali seffurus iudicii equitatem eui dencius memoraretur ⧠In other place also I rede where that a Iuge his owne dede Ne wol nought venge of lawe broke The kynge hath him selfe wroke The great kinge it whiche Cambises was hote a Iuge lawles He fonde and in to remembraunce He dyd vpon him suche vengeaunce Oute of his skin he was beflayne All quycke and in that wise slayne So that his skyn was shape all mete And nayled on the same sete where that his sonne shulde sytte Auise him if he wolde flytte The lawe for the couetyse There sawe be redy his Iuise Thus in defalte of other Iuge The kinge mote otherwhile iuge To holden vp the ryght lawe And for to speke of the olde dawe To take ensample of that was tho I fynde a tale wryten also Howe that a worthy prince is holde The lawes of his londe to holde Fyrst for the hygh goddes sake And eke for that him is betake The people for to guyde and lede whiche is the charge of his kinge hede ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de principibus illis / non solum legem statuentes illam conseruant / sed vt commune bonum adangeant propriam facultateÌ„ diminuuÌ„t Et narrat quod cum AtheuÌ„ principe subditos suos in omni prospiritatis habundantia diuites et vnanimes congruis legibus stare fecisse volens ad vtilitatem reipublice leges if las firmnis obserniari peregre profecissise finxit sed priue iuramentuus solempne a legiis suis sub hac forma exegit quod ipsi vsque in reditum suum seges suas nullatenus infringerent quibus iuratis peregrinationem suam in exilium absque reditu perpetuo delegaust ¶ In a cronyke I rede thus Of the ryghtfull Lycurgus whiche of Athenes prynce was Howe be the lawe in euery cas wherof he shulde his people rule Hath set vpon so good a rule In all this worlde that cite none Of lawe was so well begone Forthwith the trouthe of gouernaunce There was amonge hem no distaunce But euery man hath his encrees There was without werre pees without enuye loue stode Rychesse vpon the coÌ„mune good And not vpon the synguler Ordeyned was and the power Of hem that weren in estate was saufe wherof vpon debate There stode nothynge so that in reste Myght euery man his herte reste And whan this noble ryghtfull kynge Sigh how it ferde of all this thynge wherof the people stode in ease He whiche for euer wolde please The hygh god whose thonke be sought A wonder thynge than he bethought And shope if that it myght be Howe that his lawe in the cite Myght afterwarde for euer laste And thervpon his wytte he caste what thynge hym were best to seyne That he his purpose myght atteyne A parlement and thus he sette His wysdome where that he be set In audience of great and smale And in this wyse he tolde his tale ¶ God wote and so ye woten all Here afterwarde howe so it fall yet in to nowe my wyll hath be To do iustyce and equyte In fordrynge of commune proffyte Suche hath ben euer my delyte But of one thinge I am be knowe The whiles my wylle is that ye knowe The lawe / whiche I toke on honde was all togeder of goddes sonde And no thinge of myn owne wit So mote it nede endure yet And shall do lenger if ye wyl For I wol telle you the skyl The god Mercurius and no man He hath me taught all that I can Of suche lawes as I made wherof that ye ben all gladde It was the god and nothinge I whiche dyd all this And nowe for thy He hath commaunded of his grace That I shall come in to a place whiche is foren oute in an yle where I mote tarye for a whyle with him to speke and he hath bede For as he sayth in thilke stede He shall me suche thinges telle That euer whyle the worlde shal dwell Athenes shall the better fare Bâ—t first er that I thyder fare For that I wolde that my lawe Amonges you ne be withdrawe There whiles that I shall be oute For thy to setten oute of doubte Bâ—â—h you and me thus wol I praye That ye me wolde assure and saye with suche an othe as ye wyl take That eche of you shall vndertake My lawes for to kepe and holde They sayden all that they wolde And there vpon they swore there othe That fro that tyme that he gothe 〈◊〉 he to hem be come ageyne They shuld his lawes wel and pleyne In euery poynt kepe and fulfyl Thus hath Lycurgus his wille And toke his leue and forth he went But list nowe wel to what entent Of rightwisnes be did so For after that he was ago He shope him neuer to be founde So that Athenis wyiche was bounde Neuer after shuld be releced Ne thilke good lawe seced whiche was for commune profit sette And in this wyse he hath it knette He whiche the commune profyte sought The kynge his owne estate ne rought To do profyte to the commune He toke of exyle the fortune And lefte of prynce thylke office Onely for loue and for iustyce Through whiche he thought if that he might For euer after his deth to right The cite whiche was hym betake wherof men ought ensample take The good lawes to auaunce with hem whiche vnder gouernaunce The lawes haue for to kepe For who that wolde take kepe Of hem that fyrst lawes founde Al 's ferre as lasteth any bounde Of londe her names yet ben knowe And if
ipsis contaminati sunt ¶ And in the bible I fynde also A tale lyke vnto this thynge Howe Ameleche the paynym kynge whan that he myght by no weye Defende his londe and put awey The worthy people of Israell This sarasyn 〈◊〉 it befelle Through the counseyle of Balaam A rout of fayre women nam That lusty were and of yonge age And bad hem go to the lynage Of these hebrewes forth they went with eyen grey and browes bent And well arayed euerychone And whan they comen were anone Emonge thebrews was none in syght But catche who that catche myght And eche of hem his lustes sought whiche after they full dere abought For grace anone began to fayle That whan they comen to batayle Than afterwarde in sory plyte They were take and discomfyte So that within a lytell throwe The myght of hem was ouerthrowe That whylom were wont to stonde Tyll Phynees the cause on honde Hath take this vengeaunce last But than it cesed at laste For god was payed of that he dede For where he fonde vpon a stede A couple whiche mysferred so Throughout he smote hem both two And let hem lygge in mennes eye wherof oll other whiche hem sye Ensampled hem vpon the dede And prayden vnto the godhede Her olde synnes to amende And he whiche wolde his mercy sende Restored hem to newe grace Thus may it shewe in sondry place Of chastite howe the clennesse Accordeth to the worthynesse Of men of armes ouer all But most of all in speciall This vertue to a kynge belongeth For vpon his fortune it hongeth Of that his londe shall spede or spylle For thy but if a kynge his wyll Fro lustes of his flesshe restreyne Ageyne hym selfe he maketh a treyne Into the whiche if that he slyde Hym were better go besyde For euery man may vnderstonde Howe for a tyme that it stonde It is a sory lust to lyke whose ende maketh a man to syke And tourneth ioyes in to sorowe The bryght sonne by the morowe Beshyneth not the derke nyght The lusty yongth of mans myght In age but it stonde wele Mystorneth all the last whele ¶ Hic loquitur qualiter principum irregulata voluptas eos a semita recta multotiens deniare coÌ„pellit Et narrat exemplum de Salomone qui ex sue carnis concupiscentia victus mulierum blandimeÌ„tis in sui scandalum deos alienos colere presumebat ¶ That euery worthy prynce is holde within hym selfe to beholde To se the state of his persone And thynke howe there be ioyes none Vpon this erthe made to laste And how the flesshe shall at last The lustes of his lyfe forsake Hym ought a great ensample take Of Salomon whose appetite was holly sette vpon delyte To take of women the plesaunce So that vpon his ignoraunce The wyde worlde meruayleth yet That he whiche all mens wyt In thilke tyme hath ouerpassed with flesshly lustes was so tassed That he whiche ledde vnder the lawe The people of god him selfe withdrawe He hath fro god in suche a wyse That he worshyp and sacrifice For sondry loue in sondry stede Vnto the false goddes dede This was the wyse Ecclesiaste The fame of whom shall euer laste That he the myghty god forsoke Ageyn the lawe whan he toke His wyues and his concubynes Of hem that were sarazyns For whiche he dyd idolatrie For this I rede of his soty She of Sydoyne so hym ladde That he knelende his armes spradde To astratchen with great humblesse whiche of her londe was the goddesse And she that was of Moabyte So ferforth made hym to delyte Through lust which al his wit deuoreth That he Thamos hir god honoreth An other Amonyte also with loue him hath assoted so Hir god Moloche that with encence He sacreth and doth reuerence In suche a wyse as she hym bad Thus was the wysest ouerlad with blynde lustes whiche he sought But he it afterwarde abought ¶ Nota hic qualiter Achias propheta in signum 〈◊〉 regnum post mortem Salomonie ob eius â—â—â—catuÌ„ a suo herede dimineretur pallium suum in due decim partes scidit vnde decem partes Ieâ—◠〈◊〉 filio Nabal qui regnaturê° postea successit 〈◊〉 to deâ—tribuit ⧠For Achias solenites whiche was prophet er his deces while he was in his lustes all Betokeneth what shall after falle For on a day whan that he mette Ieroboam the knyght he grette And had hym that he shulde abyde To here what hym shall betyde And forth withall Achyas cast His mantell of and also fast He cut it in to peces twelfe wherof two parties vnto hym selfe He kepte and all the remenaunt As god hath set his couenaunt He toke vnto Ieroboas Of Nabal whiche the sonne was And of the kynges courte a knyght And saide hym suche is goddes myght As thou haste sene departed here My mantell right in suche manere After the dethe of Salomon God hath ordeyned thervpon This reygne than he shall deuyde whiche tyme eke thou shalt abyde And vpon that diuision The reygne as in proporcion As thou hast of my mantell take Thou shalt receyue I vndertake And thus the sonne shall abye The lustes and the lechery Of hym whiche nowe his father is So for to taken hede of this It syt a kynge well to be chast For els he may lyghtly wast Hym selfe and eke his reygne bothe And that ought euery kynge to lothe O whiche a synne violent wherof so wise a kynge was shent That he vengeance of his persone was not inough to take alone But afterwarde whan he was passed It hath his heritage lassed As I more openly to fore The tale tolde And thus therfore The philosopher vpon this thynge write and counseyled to a kynge That he the forfete of luxure Shall tempre and rule of suche mesure whiche he to kynde suffisaunt And eke to reason accordaunt So that the lustes ignoraunce Bycause of no mysgouernaunce Through which that he be ouerthrowe As he that wyll no reason knowe For but a mans wyt he swerued whan kynde is dulyche serued It ought of reason to suffyse For if it fall hym otherwyse He may the lustes sore drede ¶ For of Anthony thus I rede whiche of Seuerus was the sonne That he his lyfe of coÌ„mune wonne Yaue holly vnto thilke vice And ofte tyme he was so nyce wherof nature hir hath compleyned Vnto the god whiche hath disceyned The warkes whiche Anthony wrought Of luste whiche he fulle sore abought For god his forfete hath so wroke That in cronyke it is yet spoke But for to take rememembraunce Of speciall mysgouernaunce Through couetyse and iniustyce Forth with the remenaunt of vice And namelyche of lechery I fynde write a great partie within a tale as thou shalt here whiche is thensample of this matere ¶ Hic loquit he Tarquinio Rome nuê‘ impatore / necnoÌ„ et de eiusdeÌ„ filio noie Arrous / qui oim vicâ—oruÌ„ varietate repleti taÌ„ in hoies quam in mulieres in numer
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
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
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
out all the synne And byd hem all for to wyte Howe she the letters hadde wryte Fro poynt to poynt as it was wrought And tho she was to deth brought And brent tofore her sonnes eye wherof these other whiche it sye And herden howe the cause stode Seyne that the iudgement is good Of that her sonne her hath so serued For she it hadde wele deserued Through treson of her false tonge which through the lond was after soÌ„ge Constance and euery wyght coÌ„pleineth But he whom all wo dystreyneth This sorowfull kynge was so bestadde That he shall neuer more be gladde He seyth eftsones for to wedde Tyll that he wyste how that she spedde whiche hadde ben his fyrste wyfe And thus his yonge vnlusty lyfe He dryueth forth to as he may ¶ Qualiter post sapsum .xii. annoruÌ„ rex Assee absoluciouis causa Romam proficiens vxorâ—m suam constanciam vna cum filio suo diuina proindencia ibidem setus inuenit ¶ Tyll it besel vpon a day whan he his werres hadde acheuede And thought he wolde be releuede Of soule he le vpon the feyth whiche he hath take than he seyth That he to Rome in pylgremage wolde go where Pope was Pelâ—ge To take his absolucyon And vpon this condicion He made Edwyn his leutenaunt whiche beyre was apparaunt That he the lond in his absence Shall rewle and thus by prouydence Of all thynges well by gonne He toke his leue and forth is gone ¶ Elda which tho was with hem ther Er they fullyche at Rome were was sent tofore to purucye And he his guyde vpon the weye In helpe to ben his herbegeour Hath axed who was Senatour That he his name myght kenne Of Lapodoce he sayde Arcenne He byght and was a worthy knyght To hem goth Elda tho forth ryght And tolde hym of his lorde tydinge And prayd that for his comynge He wolde assygne hym herbergage And be so dyd of good courage ¶ whan all is do that was to done The kynge hym selfe cam after sone This Senatour whan that be come To Luste and to his wyfe at home Hath tolde bowe suche a kynge Alleâ— Of great array to the Lyte was come and Luste vpon his tale with hert close and colour pale A swoune felle and he meruaylleth So sodenly what thynge her eyleth And caught her vpand whan she woke She fygheth with a pytous loke And feyneth sekenesse of the see But it was for the kynge Allee For ioye whiche was in her thought That god hym hath to towne brought This kynge hath spoke with the pope And tolde all that he couthe grope what greueth in his conscyence And than he thought in reuerence Of his estate er that he went To make a feest and thus he sente Vnto the Senatour to come Vpon the morowe and other some To sytte with hym at mete This tale hath Luste not foryete But to Morys her sonne tolde That be vpon the morowe shulde In all that euer he couth and myght Be present in the kynges syght So that the kynge hym ofte sye Morys tofore the kynges eye Vpon the morowe where he sat Full ofte stode and vpon that The kynge his chere vpon hym caste And in his face hym thought al 's faste He sawe his owne wyfe Lonstance For nature as in resemblaunce Of face hym lyketh so to clothe That they were of a suyte both The kyng was moued in his thought Of that be seeth knoweth it nought This childe be loueth kyndely And yet he wote no cause why But wel he sygh and vnderstode That be towarde Arcenne stode And axeth hym anone ryght there yf that this chylde his sonne were He sayde ye so I hym calle And wolde it were so by falle But it is all in other wyse And tho began be to deuyse Howe he the chyldes mother fonde Vpon the see from euery londe within a shyp was sterles And how this lady helpeles Forth withe her chylde he hathe forth drawe The kynge hath vnderstonde his sawe The childes name and axeth tho And what the mother hyght also That he hym wolde telle he prayde Morys this childe is hote he sayd His mother hat Luste and this I not what maner name it is But Allee wyst wel inough wherof somdele smylend he lough For Luste in Saxon is to sayne Coustance vpon the worde Romayn But who that couthe specyfye what tho fell in his fantasye And how his wytte aboute renneth Vpon the loue in whiche he brenneth It ware a wonder for to here For he was neyther there ne here But clene out of hym selfe awey That he not what to thynke or fey So fayne he wolde it were she wherof his hertes pryuete Bygan the warre of ye and nay The whiche in suche balaunce lay That contenaunce for a throwe He loste tyll he myght knowe The soth but in his memorye The man whiche lyeth in purgatorye Desyreth not the heuen more That he ne longeth also sore To wytte what hym shall betyde And when the bordes were asyde And euery man was ryse aboute The kynge hath weyued all the route And with the Senatour alone He spake and prayd hym of a bone To se this Custe where she dwelleth At home with hym so as he telleth The Senatour was wel apayde This thynge no lenger was delayd To see this Luste goth the kynge And she was warned of the thynge And with Eleyne forth she came â—ycne the kynge and he tho name Good hede and whan he sigh his wyfe â—none with all his hertes lyfe He caught her in his armes and kyste was neuer wyght that syghe ne wyste A man that more ioye made wherof they weren all gladde whiche herd telle of this chaunce 〈◊〉 kyng tho with his wife CoÌ„stance 〈◊〉 had a great part of his wylle 〈…〉 for a tyme stylle 〈…〉 and made hym well at case 〈…〉 â—ouâ—h he neuer please 〈…〉 wyfe that she wolde hym seyne 〈…〉 estate the trouthe pleyne 〈…〉 countre that she was bore 〈◊〉 what she was and yet therfore 〈◊〉 all his wyt he hath done seke 〈◊〉 as they lay in bedde and speke 〈◊〉 prayth hym and counscileth both 〈◊〉 for the worship of hem both 〈…〉 thought it were honeste 〈◊〉 an honourable feste 〈…〉 he went in that Cyte where the Emperour hym selfe shall be He graunted all that she hym prayde But as men in that tyme sayde Thyâ—â—â— Emperour from that day That fyrste his doughter went a way He was than after neuer gladde But what that any man hym badde 〈◊〉 grace for his doughter sake That grace wolde he nought forsake And thus ful great almeste he dede wherof he hadde many a bede ¶ 〈◊〉 Constancia que antea per fofum 〈…〉 suâ—pences omnes incognitam se ceâ—â—â—â—â—unt â—â—mum paâ—â—â—suo imperatori se ipsam 〈…〉 manifestaâ—â—i Quod cum rex Aâ—â—ee sciuisset vna cum vniuersa Romanorum multitudine inestimabiâ—i gaudio admirantes cunctipotentem landarunt ¶ This Emperour out of the towne within a
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
felde where the baners ben displayed He hath anone his men arrayde And whan that he was enbatayled He goth and hath the felde assayled And slough and toke all that he fonde wherof the Macedonye londe which through king Alisander honored Longe tyme stode was tho deuoured To Perse and all that infortune They wyte so that the comune Of all the londe his heyre exile And he dispeyred for the whyle Disguysed in a poore wede To Rome goth and there for nede The crafte whiche thylke tyme was To worken in latouÌ„ and in bras He lerneth for his sustenaunce Suche was the sonnes purueyaunce And of his father it is sayde In stronge prison that he was leyde In Albe where that he was deade For honger and defaulte of breade The hounde was token and prophecie That lyche an hounde he shulde dye whiche lyche was of condition whan he with his detraction Barke on his brother so behynde Confessor To what profyte a man may fynde whiche hyndre woll an other wyght For thy with all thyn hole myght My sonne eschewe thylke vice Amans My father elles were I nyce For ye therfore so well haue spoke That it is in myn herte loke And euer shall but of enuye If there be more in his bailye Towardes loue say me what ¶ My sonne as gyle vnder the hat with sleyghtes of a Tregetour Is hyd enuye of suche colour Hath yet the fourthe deceyuaunt The whiche is cleped fals Semblaunt wherof the mater and the forme Nowe herken and I the shall enforme Nil bilinguis aget nisi duplo concinat ore Dumque diem loquitur nox sua vota tegit Vultus habet luceÌ„ tenebias mens sermo saluteÌ„ Actus sed morbum dat suus esse grauem Pax tibi quaÌ„ spoÌ„det magis est prenostica guerre Commoda si dederit disce subesse dolum Quod pater esse fides in eo fraus estque politi Principium pacti finis habere negat O quem condicio talis deâ—ormat amantem Qui magis apparens est in amore nihil ¶ Hic tractat Conffessor super quarta specie inâ—â—â—â—e / que Dissimulacio dicitur cuius vustus quanto maioris amicicie apparenciam oftendit / â—â—â—te subtisioris dosi fallacias ad decipiendum mâ—nâ— maginatur ¶ Of fals Semblaunt if I shall tell Aboue all other it is the welle Out of the whiche deceyt floweth There is no man so wyse that knoweth Of thylke flode whiche is the tyde He howe he shulde hym selfe n guyde To take saufe passage there And yet the wynde to mans ere Is softe and as it semeth oute It maketh clere weder all aboute But thought it seme it is not so For fals Sâ—mblaunt hath euer mo Of his counsayll in companye The derke vntrewe hipocrysye whose worde discordeth to his thought For thy they ben to gyder brought Of one couyne of one hous holde As it shall after this be tolde Of fals Semblaunt it nedeth nought To telle of olde ensamples ought For all day in experyence A man may see thylke euydence Of fayre wordes whiche he hereth But yet the barge enuye stereth And halt it euer fro the londe which fals SemblauÌ„t with ore in hond It roweth and woll not arryue But let it on the wawes dryue In great tempest and great debate wherof that loue and his estate Empeyreth And therfore I rede My sonne that thou fle and drede This vyce and what that other seyn Let thy semblaunt be trewe and pleyn For fals Semblaunt is thylke vice whiche neuer was without office where that enuye thynketh to gyle He shall be for that ylke whyle Of pryue counsayll messagere For whan his semblaunt is moste clere Than is he moste derke in his thought Thought men hym se they knowe hym nought But as it sheweth in the glas Thynge whiche therin neuer was So sheweth it in his vysage That neuer was in his courage Thus doth he all his thing by sleyghte ¶ Nowe lay thy conseyence in weyght My good sonne and shryue the here If thou were euer customere To fals Semblaunt in any wyse ¶ For ought I can me yet auyse My good father certes no If I for loue haue don so Nowe asketh I wolde pray yowe For elles I wot neuer howe Of fals semblaunt that I haue gylt ¶ My sonne and sethin that thou wylt That I shall aske gab nought But telle if euer was thy thought with fals Semblaunt and Couerture To wytte of any creature Howe that he was with loue ladde So were he sory were he gladde whan that thou wystyst howe it were All that he rouneth in thyn ere Thou toldest forth in other place To setten hym fro loues grace Of what woman that the best lyste There as no man his counseyll wyst But thou by whome he was deceyued Of loue and from his purpose weyued And thoughtest that his disturbaunce Thyn owne cause shulde auaunce As who sayth I am so selce There may no mannes priuete Ben heled halue so well as myn Arte thou my sonne of suche engyn Telle on My good father nay As for the more parte I saye But of somedele I am beknowe That I may stonde in thylke rowe Amonge hem that slaundres vse I woll not me therof excuse That I with suche colour ne steyne whan I my best semblant feyne To my felowe tyll that I wote All his counseylle bothe colde and hote For by that cause I make hym chere â—â—ll I his loue knowe and here And if so be myn hert soucheth 〈◊〉 ought vnto my lady toucheth 〈◊〉 that he woll me telle 〈…〉 I renne vnto the welle 〈…〉 water in the fyre 〈…〉 his carre amyd the myre 〈…〉 I haue his counsayle knowe 〈…〉 syth I ouerthrowe 〈…〉 he weneth best to stonde 〈◊〉 this I do you vnderstonde 〈…〉 man loue elles where 〈…〉 my lady be nought there 〈…〉 tell I wyll it hyde 〈…〉 no worde escape asyde 〈…〉 disceyte of no semblaunt 〈…〉 bâ—cke I no couenaunt 〈…〉 â—â—keth â—at in other place 〈…〉 no man of his grace 〈…〉 to be inquisitife 〈◊〉 â—â—â—we an other mans lyfe where that he loue or loue nought That toucheth nothing to my thought 〈…〉 it passeth through myn care 〈…〉 as a thynge that neuer were 〈…〉 foryete and layde besyde 〈◊〉 if it touche on any syde My lady as I haue er spoken My neâ—â—es ben nought than loken For certes whan that betyt My wyll myn herte and all my wytte Ben fully sette to herken and spere â—hat any man woll speke of her Thus haue I feyned company Full ofte for I wolde aspye what thynge it is that any man Telle of my worthy lady can And for two causes I do this The fyrste cause wherof is If that I myght herken and seke That any man of her mysspeke I woll excuse her so fully That whan she wyst it inderly Myn hope shulde be the more To haue her thanke for euermore That other cause I you assure Is why that I
by couerture Haue feyned semblaunt ofte tyme To them that passen all day byme And ben louers as well as I For this I wene truely That there is of hem all none That they ne louen euery chone My lady For sothelyche I leue And durst setten it in preue Is none so wyse that shulde asterte But he were lustles in his herte For why and he my lady sye Her vysage and her goodly eye But he her loued er he went And for that suche is myn entent That is the cause of myn aspye why that I feyne company And make felowe ouer all For gladly wolde I knowen all And holde me couerte alwaye That I fulle ofte ye or naye Ne lyst answere in any wyse But feynynge semblaunt as the wyse And herken tales tyll I knowe My ladyes louers all arowe And whan I here howe they wrought I fare as though I herde nought And as I no worde vnderstode But that is nothynge for her good For leueth well and soth is this That whan I knowe all howe it is I woll but forthren hem alyte But all the werste I can endyte I tell it vnto my lady plat For fortherynge of myn owne estate And hyndre them all that euer I maye But for all that yet dare I saye I fynde vnto my selfe no bote All though myn herte nedes mote Through strength of loue al that I here Discouer vnto my lady dere For in good feyth I haue no myght To hele fro that swete wyght If that it toucheth her any thynge But this wote well the heuen kynge That sythen fyrst the worlde began Vnto none other straunge man Ne feyned I semblaunt ne chere To wyte or aske of his matere Though that he loueth .x. or twelue whan it was nought my ladyes selue But if he wolde aske any rede Alonlyche of his owne hede Howe he with other loues ferde His tales with myn eares I herde But to myn herte came it nought Ne sanke no depper in my thought But helde counsayle as I was bede And tolde it neuer in other stede But let it passen as it come Nowe father say what is thy dome And howe thou wolt that I be peyned For suche semblaunt as I haue feyned ¶ My sonne if reason be well peysed There may no vertue be vnpreysed Ne vyce none be sette in pryse For thy my sonne if thou be wyse Do no viser vpon thy face whiche as woll not thyn herte embrace For if thou do within a throwe To other men it shall be knowe So myght thou lyghtly falle in blame And lese a great parte of thy name And netheles in this degre Full ofte tyme thou myght se Of suche men as nowe a day This vice setten in assaye I speke it for no mannes blame But for to warne the the same My sonne as I may here talke In euery place where I walke I not if it be so or none But it is many dayes gone That I fyrst herde telle this Howe false Semblaunt hath be and is Most comonly from yere to yere with them that dwelle amonge vs here Of suche as we Lumbardes calle For they ben the slyest of all So as men sayne in towne about To feyne and shewe thynge without whiche is reuers to that within wherof that they full ofte wynne whan they by reason shulde lese They ben the last and yet they chese And we the fyrste and yet behynde we gone there as we shulden fynde The profyte of our owne londe Thus gone they free without bonde To done her profyte all at large And other men beare all the charge Of Lumbardes vnto this couyne whiche all londes conne engyne May false Semblaunt in especiall Be lykened for they ouer all where that they thynke for to dwelle Amonge them selfe so as they telle Fyrste ben enformed for to lere A crafte whiche cleped is Facrere For if Facrere come about Than afterwarde hem stant no doubte To voyde with a subtile honde The best goodes of the londe And brynge chaffe and take corne where as Facrere goth beforne In all his weye he fynt no lette That dore can none vssher shette In whiche he lyst to take entre And thus the counsayle most secre Of euery thynge Facrere knoweth whiche in to straunge place he bloweth where as he wote it may moste greue And thus Facrere maketh beleue So that full ofte he hath deceyued Er that he may ben apperceyued Thus is this vyce for to drede Fr who these olde bokes rede Of suche ensamples as we are Hym ought be the more ware Of all tho that feyne chere wherof thou shalte a tale here ¶ Hic pâ—nit Confessor exemplum contra iftos â—ui suoÌ„ diffimulate beniuosentie specuso alios in amore defrandant Et narrat quafiter Hercules cum ipse quoddam flunium enius vada non nonit cuÌ„ Dâ—â—â—nyra transmeaie proposuit / supueniens â—essus gâ—gas ob amicitiam Hercusis vt dixit â—â—â—nyram â—n vsnas suas suscipiens traÌ„s ripam 〈◊〉 ver duxit Et statim cuÌ„ ad litus peruenisset quâ— ciâ—o currete potuit ipsaÌ„ tanquaÌ„ propriam in preiâ—udâ—â—im Herculis asportare fugiens conaâ—â—tâ—r Peâ— quod noÌ„ sosum ipsi sed etiam Hercusi â—â—rtâ—e euentum fortuna postmodum causauit ¶ Of fals semblant whiche is beleued Ful many a worthy wyght is greued And was longe tyme or we was bore To the my sonne I wyll therfore A tale tell of fals Semblaunt whiche falseth many a couenaunt And many a fraude of fals counsaylle There be hongend vpon his seyle And that aboughten gylteles Bothe Deâ—anyre and Hercules 〈◊〉 whiche in greate disese fell Through fals SemblauÌ„t as I shall tell ¶ whan Hercules within a throwe 〈◊〉 hath his hert throwe Vpon this fayre Deâ—anyre It tell hym on a day desyre Vpon a ryuer as be stode That passe he wolde ouer the floode â—ithout bote and with hym lede His loue but he was in drede 〈◊〉 tendresse of that swete wight 〈◊〉 he knewe not the forde aryght There was a geaunt than nygh whiche Nessus hyght whan he sygh This Hercules and Deâ—anire within his herte he gan conspire As he whiche through his trechery Hath Hercules in great enuye â—â—iche he bare in his herte loke And than he thought it shall be wroke But he ne durste netheles â—â—â—ne this worthye Hercules â—allâ— in debate as for to feyght But fâ—yned Semblaunt all by sleyght Of frendship and of all good And cometh where as they both stode And maketh hem all the chere be can And sayth that as her owne man He is all redy for to do what thynge be may and it fel so That they vpon his Semblaunte tryste And asken hym if that he wyste what thynge hem were beste to done So that they myghten saufe and sone The water passe he and she And whan Nessus the priuete Knewe of her herte what it ment As he that was of double entent He made hem ryght a gladde visage
mote leue For whan a mannes happes faylen There is no hast may auaylen ¶ My fader graunte mercy of this But whyle I se my lady is No tre but holde her owne forme There may me no man so enforme To whedyr part fortune wende That I vnto my lyues ende Ne wolde her serue euermo Confessor ¶ My sonne syth it is so I say no more but in this cas Beware howe it with Phebus was Nought onely vpon loues chaunce But vpon euery gouernaunce whiche falleth vnto mannes dede Foolhast is euer for to drede And that a man good counseyl take Er he his purpose vndertake For counseyl put foolhast a wey ¶ Nowe good fader I yow prey That for to wysse me the more Some good ensample vpon this lore ye wolde me telle of that is wrytte That I the better myght wytte Howe I foolhast shulde eschewe And the wysedome of counseyl sewe ¶ My sonne that thou myght enforme Thy pacience vpon the forme Of olde ensamples as they felle Nowe vnderstonde what I shall telle ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui nimio furori accensi vindictam Ire sue vlira quam decet coÌ„sequi affectant Et narrat qualiter Athemas et Demephon Reges cum ipsi a bello Troiano ad propria remeassent et asuis ibidem pacifice recepti non fuissent congregato aliunde pugnatorum exercitu regiones suas non solum incendio vastare sed et omnes in eisdem habitantes a minimo vsque admaiorem in perpetnam vindicte memoriam gladio interficere feruore iracun die proposuerunt Sed rex Nestor qui senex et sapiens fuit / tractatus inter ipsos reÌ„ges et eorum regna â—â—ta pace huiusmodi impetuositatem initius pacificauit ¶ when noble Troye was byleyn And ouercome and home ageyne The gregoys torned from the siege The kynges fonde her owne lyege In many place as men sayde That hem forsoke and dysobeyde Amonge the whiche felle this case To Demephon and Athemas That were kynges both two And bothe were serued so Her lieges wolde not hem receyue So that they mote algates weiue To seche londe in other place For there fonde they no grace wherof they token hem to rede And soughten frendes at nede And eche of hem assureth other To helpe as to his owne broder To vengen hem of thylke oultrage And wynne ayene her herytage And thus they ryde aboute faste To getten hem helpe and at laste They hadden power suffysaunt And maden than a couenaunte That they ne shulde no lyfe saue Ne prest ne clerke ne lorde ne knaue Ne wyfe ne chylde of that they fynde whiche bereth vysage of mans kynde So that no lyfe shall be socoured But with the dedely swerde deuoured In suche foolhast her ordynaunce They shapen for to do vengeaunce whan this purpose was wyst knowe Among there host tho was their blowe Of wordes many a speche aboute Of yong men the lusty route were of this tale gladde ynough There was no care for the plough As they that were foolhastyfe They ben acorded to the stryfe And seyn it may not be to great To vengen hem of suche forfet Thus sayth the wylde vnwyse tonge Of hem that there weren yonge But Nestor whiche was olde bore The salue sawe tofore the sore As he that was of counseyle wyse So that anone by his aduyse There was a preuy counsayle nome The lordes ben to gether come This Demephon and Anthemas Her purpose tolden as it was They setten all styll and herde was non but Nestor hem answerde He badde hem if they wolde wynne They shulden se er they begynne Her ende and set her fyrst entent That they hem after ne repent And asketh hem this question To what fynall conclusyon They wolden Regne kynges there If that no people in londe were And seyth it were a wonder wyerd To â—een a kynge bycomen an hyerd where no lyfe is but onely beste vnder the lygeaunce of his heste For who that is of man no kynge The remenaunt is as no thynge He forth eke if they pourpose bolde To 〈◊〉 the people as they two wolde whan they it myght not restore Aâ—â—â—â—ce it shulde abidge sore 〈…〉 the wylde beastes wonne where whylom dwelt mans sonne Anâ— for that cause he bad hem treate A d stynt of tho manaces great Better is to wynne by fayre speche He seyth than suche vengeance seche For whan a man is moost aboue Hym nedeth most to gette hym loue ¶ whan Nestor hath this tale sayde Ayene hym was no worde withsayde It thought hem all he sayde wele And thus fortune her deadly whele Fro werre tourneth in to pees But forth they went en netheles And whan the countreys harde seyne Howe that her kynges be beseyne Of suche a power as they lad was none so bolde that hem ne drad And for to seche peas and gryth They sende and prayde anon forthwith So that the kynges ben appeased And euery mans herte is eased All was foryete and not recorded And thus they ben to geder acorded The kynges were ayene receyued And pees was take and wrath weyued And all through counseyl whiche was good Of hym that reson vnderstode ¶ By this ensample sonne attempre Thyn hert and let no wyl dystempre Thy wytte and do no thing by myght whiche may be do by loue and ryght Foolhast is cause of mochel wo For thy my sonne do not so And as touchend of Homycyde which toucheth vnto loues syde Ful ofte it falleth vnauysed Through VVYL which is not wel assised whan wytte and reason ben awey And that foolhast is in the wey wherof hath falle great vengeaunce For thy take in to remebraunce To loue in suche a maner wyse That thou deserue no iuyse For well I wote thou myght not lette That thou ne shalt thin hert sette To loue where thou wolt or none But if thy witte be ouergone So that it torne vnto malyce There wote no man of thylke vyce what perylle that there may befalle wherof a tale amonges alle whiche is great pyte for to here I thynke for to tellen here That thou such murdre micht withstoÌ„d whan thou the tale hast vnderstonde ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos qui ob sue concupiscencie desiderium Homicide efficiuntur Et narrat qualiter ClyteÌ„nestra vxor Regis Agamemnonis cum ipse a bello Troiano domi rediffet consilio Egisti / quem adultera peramauit sponsum suum in cubili dormientem sub noctis silencio trucidabat cuius mortem fisius eius Horestes tunc iunioris etatis postea diis admonitus crudelissima seueritate vindicauit ¶ Of Troye at thylke noble towne whose same stant yet of renowne And euer shall to mannes ere The syege laste longe there Er that the grekes it myght wynne whyle Priamus was kynge therin But of the grekes that lyen aboute Agamemnon ladde all the route This thynge is knowen ouerall But yet I thynke
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
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
a mayden were Let clothen in the same gere whiche longeth vnto womanhede And he was yonge and toke none bede But suffreth all that she hym dede wherof she hath her women bede And chargeth by her othes alle Howe so it afterward byfalle That they discouer nought this thynge But feyne and make a knowlegynge Vpon the counseyle whiche was nome In euery place where they come To telle and to witnesse this Howe he hyr ladys doughter is And ryght in suche a maner wyse She had they shuld her don seruyse So that Achilles vnderfongeth As to a yong lady belongeth Honoure seruyce and reuerence For Thetys with great dylygence Hym hath so taught and so affayted That howe so that he were awayted with sobre and goodly contenaunce He shuld his womanhede auaunce That none the soth knowe myght But that in euery mans syght He shuld seme a pure mayde And in suche wyse as she hym sayde Achylles whiche that ylke whyle was yonge vpon hym selfe to smyle Began whan he was so beseyn And thus after the bokes seyn with frette of perle vpon his hede All fresshe betwene the whyte and rede As he whiche tho was tender of age Stode the colour in his visage That for to loke vpon his cheke And seen his chyldy maner eke He was a woman to beholde And than his moder to hym tolde That she hym had so begone By cause that she thought gone To Lichomede at thylke tyde where that she sayde be shulde abyde Amonge his doughters for to dwelle Achylles hâ—â—d his moder telle And wyst no â—ght the cause why And netheles full buxomly He was redy to that she had wherof his moder was ryght glad To Lychomede and forth they went And whan the kyng knewe her entent And sawe this yonge doughter there And that it came vnto his ere Of suche record of suche wytnesse He had ryght a great gladnesse Of that he both sygh and herde As he that wote not howe it ferde Vpon the counseyl of the nede But for all that kynge Lychomede Hath toward hym his doughter take And for Thetys his moder sake He put her in to companye To dwelle with Deydamye His owne doughter the eldest The fayrest and the comlyest Of al his doughters whiche he had Lo thus Thetys the cause lad And lefte there Achylles feyned As be which hath hym selfe restreyned In all that euer be may and can O ute of the maner of a man And toke his womanysshe chere wherof vnto his bedfere Deydamye he hath by nyght where kynde wolde hym selue ryght After the Philosophers seyn There may no wight be there ageyn And that was thylke tyme sene The longe nyghtes hem bytwene Nature whiche may not forbere Hath made hem bothe for to stere They kyssen fyrst and ouermore The hyghe wey of loues lore They gone and all was done in dede wherof lost is the may denhede And that was afterward well knowe For it befell that ylke throwe At Troye where the syege lay Vpon the cause of Menelay And of his quene dame Eleyne The gregoys badden mochel peyne All day to fyght and to assayle But for they myght nought auayle So noble a cyte for to wynne A preuy counsayle they begynne In sondry wysewhere they treat And at laste amonge the great They fellen vnto his accorde That Phorceus of his recorde whiche was an Astronomyen And eke a great magicien Shulde of his calculation Screbe of constellation How they the citie myghten gette And he whiche hadde nought foryete Of that belongeth to a clerke His study sette vpon this werke So longe his wyt about he cast Tyll that he fonde out at last But if they hadden Achilles Her werre shall ben endeles And ouer that he tolde hem pleyne In what maner he was beseyne And in what place he shall be founde Sâ— to at within a lytell stounde Vlâ—â—es forth with Dyomede Vpon this poynt to Lychomede Agamemnon to gether sente But Vlyxes er he forth went whiche was one of the most wyse Ordeyned hath in suche a wyse That he the most ryche aray wherof a woman may be gay with hym be toke manifolde And ouermore as it is tolde An harnoys as for a lusty knyght whiche burned was as syluer bryght Oâ— swerde of plate and cke of mayle As though he shulde do batayle He toke also with hym by shyp And thus to gether in felawshyp Forth gone this Dyomede and be In hope tyll they myghten se The place where Achilles is The wynde stode than nought amys But euery topsayle cole it blewe Tyll Vlyxes the marches knewe where Lychomede his reygne had The styresman so well him ladde That they be comen saufe to londe where they gone out vpon the stronde In to the burgh where that they fouÌ„de The kyng and he which hath facounde Vlyxes dyd the message But the counsayle of his courage why that he came he tolde nought But vnderneth he was bethought In what maner he myght aspie Achilles from Deidamye And fro these other that there were Full many a lusty lady there ¶ They plaide hem there a day or two And as it was fortuned so It fell that tyme in suche a wyse To Bacchus that a sacrifice These yonge ladies shulden make And for the straunge mennes sake That comen fro the siege of Troye They maden well the more ioye There was reuell there was daunsynge And euery lyfe whiche couth synge Of lusty women in the route A fresshe caroll hath songe about But for all this yet netheles The grekes vnknowe of Achilles So weren that in no degree They couthen wyte whiche was he Ne by his voys ne by his paas Vlyxes than vpon the caas A thing of high prudeÌ„ce hath wrought For thilk aray which he hath brought To yeue amonge the women there He lette do fetten all the geare Forth with a knyghtes harnoys eke In all the countrey for to seke Men shulden nought a fayrer se And euery thynge in his degre Endelonge vpon a bourde he layde So Lychomede and than he preyde That euery lady chese shulde what thynge of all that she wolde And take it as by way of yefte For they hem selfe it shulde sheft He sayde after her owne wylle Achilles than stode nought stylle whan he the bryght helme behelde The swerde the hauberke the shelde His herte felle therto anone Of all that other wolde he none The knyghtes gere he vnderfongeth And thylke array whiche that beloÌ„geth Vnto the women he forsoke And in this wyse as sayth the boke They knowen than whiche he was For he goth forth the grete paas In to the chambre where he lay Anone and made no delay He armeth hym in knyghtly wyse That better can no man deuise And as fortune shulde falle He came so forth tofore hem alle As he whiche tho was glad inough But Lychomede nothyng lough whan that he sigh howe that it ferde For than he wyst well and herde His doughter
gan floure and beare And waxe all fresshe and grene ageyne whan she this vertue had seyne She lette the leeste droppe of all Vpon the bare floure downe fall Anone there sprong vp floure and gras where as the droppe fall was And waxe anone all medowe grene So that it myght well be sene Medea than knewe and wyst Her medicine is for to tryst And gothe to Eson there he lay And toke a swerde was of assay with whiche a wounde vpon his syde She made that there out may slyde The bloud within whiche was olde And seke and trouble feble and colde And tho she toke vnto his vse Of herbes of all the best Iuse And poured it in to his wounde That made his veynes full and sounde And tho she made his woundes close And toke his honde and vp he rose And tho she yafe hym drynke a draught Of whiche his youth agayne he caught His heed his herte and his visage Lyche vnto twenty wynter age His hore heres were away And lyche vnto the fresshe may whan passed bene the colde shoures Ryght so recouereth he his floures ¶ Lo what myght any man deuyse A woman shewe in any wyse More hertely loue in any stede Than Medea to Iason dede Fyrst she made hym the flees to wyn And after that frome kyth and kyn with great treasore with hym she stale And to his fader forth with all His elde hath torned in to youthe which thyng none other woman couth But howe it was to her a quyt The remembraunce dwelleth yet ¶ Kynge Peleus his eme was deed Iason bare croune on his heed Medea hath fulfylled his wyll But whan he shuld of ryght fulfyll The trouth which to her afore He had in the I le of Colchos swore Tho was Medea most deceyued For he an other hath receiued whiche doughter was to kynge Creon Creusa she hyght and thus Iason As he that was to loue vntrewe Medea lefte and toke a newe But that was afterwarde so a bought Medea with her art hath wrought Of cloth of golde a mantell ryche whiche semeth worthe a kynges ryche And that was vnto Creusa sent In name of yefte and of present For systerhode hem was betwene And whan that yonge fresshe quene That mantyl lapped her aboute Anon therof the fyre sprange oute And brent her both fleshe and bone Tho cam Medea to Iason with both her sonnes on her honde And sayd O thou of euery londe The moste vntrewe creature Lo this shall be thy forfayture with that she both his sonnes slough Before his eie and he out drough His swerde wold haue slayne her tho But farewell she was ago Vnto Pallas the court aboue where as she pleyneth vpon loue As she that was with that goddesse And he was lefte in great distresse ¶ Thus might thou se what sorowe it doth To swere aÌ„ oth which is not soth In loues cause namely My son be well ware for thy And kepe that thou be not forswore For this whiche I haue tolde tofore Ouide telleth euery dele ¶ My father I may leue it wele For I haue herde it ofte saye Howe Iason toke the flees aweye Fro Colchos But yet herde Inought By whom it was fyrst thyder brought And for it were good to here If that you lyst at my prayere Go telle I wolde you beseche ¶ My sonne who that woll it seche In bokes he may fynde it wryte And netheles if thou wolt wyte In the maner as thou hast preyde I shall the tell howe it is seyde ☞ NOTA QVALITERAVâ—â—â—m â—ellus in partes insule Colchos primo de 〈◊〉 Athamas rex Neiphylen habuit coningeÌ„ 〈◊〉 Phriâ—um et Hellen genuit Mortua auâ—â—m Neiphylen Athamas Innouem regis Cadâ—â—â—â—â—m postea in vxorem duxit que more noâ—â—â—â—e dictos infantes in tantum recollegit odiuÌ„ que ambos in mari proicipenes regem procuraâ—â— ende Iuno compaciens quendam Arietem â—â—â—ndem aureo veftitum vellere ad litus natan tâ—m definanit super cuiu â— dorsum pueros apâ—â—â— iuâ—it / quo facio Aries super vndas regressus cum solo Phrixo sibi adhereute in Colchos â—â—â—sicuit vbi Iuno dictum Arietem cum solo â—â—â—ere / prout in aliis canitur cronicis sub are â—a custodia collocauit ¶ The fame of thylke shepes felle whiche in Colchos as it befelle was all of gold shal neuer deye wherof I thynke for to seye Howe it cam fyrst in to that yle There was a kynge in thylke whyle Towardes grece and Athamas The cronycke of his name was And had a wyf which NiphyleÌ„ hyght By whom so as fortune it dight He had of children yonge two ¶ Frixus the fyrst was of tho A knaue childe ryght faire with all A doughter eke the whiche men call Helle he had by his wyfe But for there may no mans lyfe Endure vpon this erth here This worthy quen as thou might here Er that the children were of age Toke of her ende the passage with great worshyp and was begraue what thinge it lyketh god to haue It is great reason to ben his For thy this kynge so as it is with great suffrance it vnderfongeth And afterwarde as hym belongeth whan it was tyme for to wedde A newe wyfe he toke to bedde whiche Ino hight and was a mayde And eke the doughter as men sayde Of Cadme whiche a kyng also was holde in thylke dayes tho ¶ whan Ino was the kynges make She cast how that she myght make These childre to her father loth And shope a wyle ayene hem both whiche to the kynge was all vnknowe A yere or two she let do sowe The lond with soden whete aboute wher of no corne may spryngen oute And thus by sleyght and by couyne Aros the derth and the famyne Through out the londe in suche a wyse So that the kynge a sacrifice Vpon the poynte of this distresse To Ceres whiche is the goddesse Of corne hath shape hym for to yeue To loke if it may be foryeue The mischiefe whiche was in his londe But she which knewe tofore the honde The circumstance of all this thynge Ageyn the comyng of the kynge In to the temple hath shape so Of her accorde that all tho whiche of the temple prestes were Haue sayde and full declared there Vnto the kynge but if so be That he delyuer the countre Of Phryxus and of Helle bothe with whom the goddes ben so wrothe That whyle tho childre be within Suche tylthe shall no man begyn wherof to gette hym any corne Thus was it sayde thus was it sworne Of all the prestes that there are And she whiche causeth all this fare Seyde eke therto what that she wolde And euery man than after tolde So as the quene had hem preyde The kynge whiche hath his ere leyde And leueth all that euer he herde Vnto her tales thus answerde And seyth that leuer is hym to chese His children bothe for to lese Than hym and all the remenant
mirthe amoÌ„ge And sâ—yth ba nowe I am a brydde He nowe my face may ben hyd Though I bene lost my maydenhede Shall no man se my chekes rede Thus medleth she with ioye wo And with her sorowe myrth also So that of loues maladye She maketh dyuers melodie And sayth loue is a wofull blysse A wysedome whiche can no man wysse A lusty feuer a wounde softe This note she reherseth ofte To hem / whiche vnderstonde hir tale Nowe haue I of this nyghtyngale whiche erst was cleped Philomene Tolde all that euer wolde mene Both of her forme and of her note wherof men may the storye note And of her suster Progne I fynde How she was tourned out of kynde In to a swalowe swyfte of wynge whiche eke in wynter lyeth swownynge There as she may no thynge be sene But whan the wodde is woxen grene And â—omen is the sommer tyde Tha fleeth she forth ginneth to chyde And chetereth out in her langage what falsehede is in maryage And telleth in a maner speche Of Thereus the spouse breche She wol not in the woddes dwelle For she wolde openlych telle And eke for that she was a spouse Amonge the folke she cometh to house To do these wyues vnderstonde The falshode of her husbonde That they of hem beware also For there be many vntrewe of tho Thus ben the susters bryddes bothe And ben towarde the men so lothe That they ne wyll for pure shame To no mans honde be tame For euer it dwelleth in her mynde Of that they fonde a man vnkynde And that was fals Thereus If suche one be amonge vs I note but his condition Men say in euery region within towne and eke without Nowe reigneth comonly aboute And natheles in remembraunce I wyll declare / what vengeance The goddes hadden hym ordeyned Of that the susters hadden pleyned For anone after he was chaunged And from his owne kynde straunged A lapwynke made he was And thus he hoppeth on the gras And on his heed there stont vp ryght A crest in token of a knyght And yet vnto this day men seyth A lapynke hath lost his feyth And is the byrde falsest of all Beware my sonne er the so fall For if thou be of suche couyne To get of loue by rauyne Thy lust it may the falle thus As it befelle to Thereus ¶ My father god forbede Me were leuer be fortrede with wylde horses / and to drawe Er I ageyne loue and his lawe Dyd ony thynge or loude or styll whiche were not my ladies wyll Men sayen that euery loue hath drede So foloweth it that I hir drede For I hir loue and who so dredeth To plese his loue and serue hym nedeth Thus may ye knowe by this skyll That no rauyne done I wyll Ageyne hir wyll by suche a wey But whyle I lyue I wyll obeye Abydynge on hir courtesye If any mercy wolde hir plye For thy my father as of this I wote nought I haue do amysse But farthermore I you beseche Some other poynte that ye me teche And asketh forthe if there be ought That I may be the better taught 〈◊〉 ut ex spoliis grandi quam saepe tumultu Quo graditur populus latro perurget iter Mâ— amor ex casu poterit quo capere praedam Silâ—cus est aptus cetera nulla timet ¶ Hic loquitur super illa cupiditatis specie quam lurtum vocant cuius ministri alienius legis offen sam non meiuentes tam in amoris causa quam aliter suam quam sepe conscientiam offendunt ¶ whan Couetyse in poure estate Stont with hym selfe vpon debate Through lacke of his mysgouernaunce That he vnto his sustenaunce Ne can no nother way fynde To get hym good than as the blynde which seeth nought what shal after fall That ylke vice whiche men call Of Robbery he taketh on honde wherof by water and by londe Of thyng whiche other men beswynke He getteth hym clothe mete and drinke Hym retcheth nought what he begyn Through thefte so that he may wyn For thy to make his purchaas He lyeth awaytende on the paas And what thyng that he seeth ther passe He taketh his parte or more or lasse If it be worthy to be take He can the pakkes well ransake So priuely bereth none aboute His golde that he ne fynt it oute Or other iewell what it be He taketh it as his proprete In wodes and in feldes eke Thus robbery goth to seke where as he may his purchas fynde And ryght so in the same kynde My good sone as thou myght here To speke of loue in the mattere And make a very resemblance Right as a thefe maketh his cheuesance And robbeth mens goodes aboute In wode and felde where he goth oute So bene there of these louers somme In wylde stedes where they come And fynden there a woman able And therto place couenable withouten leue er that they fare They take a parte of that chaffare Ye though she were a shepeherdesse Yet woll the lorde of wantonnesse Assay all though she be vnmete For other mennes good is swete But therof wote nothynge the wyfe At home whiche loueth as her lyfe Her lorde and syt all day wysshynge After her lordes home comynge But whan that he comethe home at eâ—e Anone he maketh his wyfe beleue For she nought els shulde knowe He telleth her how his hunt hath blow And howe his boundes haue well ronne And howe there shone a mery sonne And howe his hawkes flowen wele But he wol telle her neuer a dele Howe he to loue vntrewe was Of that he robbed in the pas And toke his lust vnder the shawe Ageyne loue an ageyne his lawe The which thing my son I the forbede For it is an vngoodly dede For who that taketh by robberye His loue he may not iustifye His cause and so fuloft sythe For ones that he hath ben blythe He shall ben after sory thryes Examples for suche robberyes I fynde wryten as thou shalt here Acordende vnto this matere ¶ HIC LOQVITVR CONtra istos in amoris causa predones qui cum suam furtiue concupiscenciam aspirant fortuna in contrarium operatur Et narrat quod cum Neptunus quandam virginem nomine Cornicem solam iuxta mare deambulantem opprimere suo furto voluisset superueniens Pallas ipsam de manibus eius virginitate seruata gracius liberauit ☞ I rede how whilom was a maide The fayrest as Ouyd sayde whiche was in her tyme tho And she was of the chamber also Of Pallas whiche is the goddesse And wyfe to Mars of whome prowesse Is youe to these worthy knyghtes For he is of so great myghtes That he gouerneth the batayle withouten hym may nought auayle The stronge bonde but he it helpe There may no knyght of armes yelpe But he fyght vnder his banere But nowe to speke of my matere This fayre fresshe lusty may Alone as she went on a day Vpon the stronde for
that the floure of maydenhede was thylke tyme holde in pris And so it was and so it is And so it shall for euer stonde And for thou shalte it vnderstonde Nowe herken a tale nexte sewende Howe may denbede is to commende ¶ Hic loquitur de virginitatis commendatione vbi dicit quod nuper Imperatores ob tanti status dignitatem virginibus cedebant in via ¶ Of Rome amonge the gestes olde I fynde howe that Valery tolde That what man was tho emperour Of Rome he shulde done honour To the virgyn and in the weye where he hir mete he shulde obeye In worshyp of virginitie whiche was tho a great dignitie Nought onelyche of the women tho But of the chaste men also It was commended ouerall And for to speke in speciall Touchend of men ensample I fynde ¶ Hic loquitur qualiter Phirinus inuenuÌ„ Rome pulcherimus / vt illesam sud virginitate conserna ret ambos oculos ernens vultus sui decoreÌ„ abho minabilem constituit ¶ Phirinus whiche was of mans kinde Aboue all other the fayreste Of Rome and eke the comlyest That well was her which hym myght Beholde / and haue of hym a syght Thus was be tempted ofte sore But for he wolde be no more Amonge the women so coueyted The beaute of his face streyted He hath and put out bothe his eyen That all women / whiche it seyne That afterwarde of hym ne rought And thus his maydenheed he bought So may I proue wel for thy Aboue all other vnder the sky That maydenheed is for to preyse who that the vertues wolde peyse whiche as the apocalipsis recordeth To Christe in heuen best accordeth So may it shewe well therfore As I haue tolde it here to fore In heuen and eke in erth also It is excepte to bothe two Out of his flesshe a man to lyue Gregory hath this ensample yeue And sayth it shall rather be tolde Lyche to an angell many folde Than to the lyfe of mans kynde There is no reason for to fynde But only through the grace aboue In flesshe without flesshely loue A man to lyue chaste here And netheles a man may here Of suche / that haue bene er this And yet there bene but for it is A vertue whiche is selden wonne Nowe I this matter haue begonne I thynke tellen ouer more whiche is my sonne for thy lore If that the lyste to taken hede To trete vpon the maydenheed Vt â—osa de spinis spineto preualet orta Et â—ilii flores cespite plura ualent Sic sibi uirginitas carnis sponsalia uincit Aeternos flaetus quae fine labe parit The boke seyth that a mans lyfe Vpon knyghthode in warre and stryfe Is set amonge his ennemyes The freyle flesshe whose nature is Ay redy for to spurne and fall The fyrst foman is of all For thylke warre is redy ay It warreth nyght it warreth day So that a man hath neuer rest For thy is thylke knyght the best Through myght grace of gods sonde whiche that batayle may withstonde wherof yet dwelleth the memorie Of hem that some tyme the victorie Of thylke deedly warre hadden The hygh prowesse whiche they ladden wherof the soule stode amended Vpon this erthe it is commended ¶ Hic loquitur qualiter ValeÌ„tinianus imperator euÌ„ ipse octo genarius plures prouincias Romano Imperio belliger sub iugauit dixit se super omnia magic gandere de eo / quod contra sue carnâ—â— concupiscentiam victoriam optinuisset / nam et ipse virgo oibuâ— diebus vite sue castissimus ê‘mansuÌ„ ¶ An emperour by olde dayes There was and he at all assayes A worthy knyght was of his honde There was none suche in all the londe But yet for all his vassellage He stode vnwedded all his age And in cronyke as it is tolde He was an hundred wynter olde But whan men wolde his dedes peyse And his knyghthode of armes preyse Of that he dyd with his hondes whan he the kynges of the londes To his subiection put vnder Of all that preise hath he no wonder For he it set of none accounte And sayd all that may not amounte Ayens a poynt whiche he hath nome That he his flesshe hath ouercome He was a virgyne / as he sayde On that batayle his prys he layd ¶ Lo nowe my sonne auyse the ¶ Ye fader all this may well be But if all other dede so The worlde of men were sone a go And in the lawe a man may fynde Howe god to man by wey of kynde Hath set the worlde to multyplye And who that woll hym iustify It is ynough to do the lawe And netheles your good sawe Is good to kepe who so may I wol nought there ayen say nay ¶ My sonne take it as I say If maydenheed be take away without lawes ordinaunce It may not fayle of vengeaunce And if thou wolte the soth wyten Beholde a tale the which is wryten Howe that the kynge Agamemnon whan he the citie of Lesbon Hath wonne a mayden there he fonde whiche was the fayrest of the londe In thylke tyme that men wyst He toke of her what hym lyst Of thynge whiche was most precious wherof that she was daungerous This fayre mayde cleped is Chryseys the doughter of Chrisys whiche was that tyme in speciall Of thylke temple pryncipall where Phebus had his sacryfyce So was it well the more vyce Agamemnon was than in way To Troywarde and toke a wey This mayden whiche he with hym lad So great lust in hyr he had But Phebus whiche hath great dysdein Of that his maideÌ„ was forlein Anone as he to Troy came Vengeaunce vpon this dede he name And sent a comune pestylence They soughten than her euydence And maden calculacion To knowe in what condycion This deth cam in so sodenly And at laste redyly The cause and eke the man they fonde And forth with al the same stounde AgameÌ„non opposed was whiche hath knowen all the cas Of the foly whiche he hath wrought And therupon mercy they sought Toward the god in sondry wyse with prayer and with sacrifyce The mayden home ayene they send And yafe her good ynough to spende For euer whyles she wolde lyue And thus the synne was forgyue And all the pestylence seced Lo what it is to ben encrecid Of loue / whiche is ylle wonne It were better nought begonne Than take a thynge withoute leue whiche thou most after nedes leue And yet haue mâ—â—gre forth with all For thy to robben ouerall In loues cause if thou begynne I not what ease thou shalt wynne ¶ My sonne be well ware of this For thus of robbery it is ¶ My father your examplarie In loues cause of robberie I haue it ryght well vnderstonde But ouer this howe so it stonde yet wol I wyte of your apprise what thynge is more of couetyse Insidiando latens tempus rimatur et lioram Fur quibus occulto tempore furta parat Sic
gloue So nygh the weder they wyll houe As who sayth she shall not foryet Nowe I this token of her haue gete Thus halowe they the hye feste Suche thefte may no churche areste For all is lefull that hem lyketh To whome that elles it myslyketh And eke ryght in the selfe kynde In great cytees men may fynde This lusty folke that make hem gay And wayte vpon the holy day In churches and in mynstres eke They gon the women for to seke And where that suche one goth about To fore the fayrest of the route where as they sytten all a rewe There wylle he moste his body shewe His croked kempt and therupon set An ouche with a chapelet Or elles one of grene leues whiche late come oute of the greues All for he shulde seme fressh And thus he loketh on his flesshe Ryght as an hauke which hath a syght Vpon the fowle there he shall lyght And as he were a fayrye He sheweth hym to for her eye In holy place where they sytte Al for to make her hertes flytte His eye no where woll abyde But loke and pry on euery syde On her and her as hym best lyketh And other whyle a monge he syketh Thynketh one of hem that was for me And so there thynken two or thre And yet he loueth none of all But where as euer his schaunce falle And netheles to sey a soth The cause why that he so doth Is for to stele an herte or two Out of the churche er that he go And as I sayd it here aboue All is that sacrylege of loue For well may be that he steleth awey That he neuer after yeld may Telle me for thy my sonne anone Hast thou do sacrylege or none As I haue sayd in this manere ¶ My fader as of this matere I wyll you telle redyly what I haue do but truly I may excuse myn entent That I neuer yet to churche went In suche maner as ye me shryue For no woman that is on lyue The cause why I haue it last May be for I vnto that crafte Am nothynge able for so stele Though there be women not so fele But yet wylle I not sey this whan I am there my lady is In whom lyeth holy my quarele And she to churche / or to chappele woll go to matens or to messe That tyme I wayte welle and gesse â—o churche I come and there I stonde Aâ—â— though I take a boke on honde 〈◊〉 countenaunce is on the boke 〈◊〉 toward her is all my loke 〈◊〉 is falle that I pray Vnto my god an somwhat say Of pater noster or of crede 〈◊〉 is for that I wolde spede So that my bede in holy churche There myght som myracle wirche â—y ladys herte for to chaunge whiche euer hath he to me so straunge So that all my deuocion And all my contemplacion with all myn herte and my corage Is onely set on her ymage And euer I wayte vpon the tyde If she loke any thynge asyde That I me may of her auyse Anone I am with couetyse So smyte that me were lefe To be in holy churche a thefe But not to stele a vestement For that is nothyng my talent But I wolde stele if that I myght A glad worde or a goodly syght And euer my seruice I profere And namely whan she woll gone offre For than I lede hir if I may For somwhat wolde I stele away whan I beclyppe hir on the wast Yet at lest I stele a tast And other whyle grant mercy She saith and so wynne I therby A lusty touche a good worde eke But all the remenant to seke Is fro my purpos wonder ferre So may I say as I sayde erre In holy churche if that I wowe My conscience I wolde allowe Be so that vp amendement I myght gete assygnement where for to spede in other place Suche sacrilege I holde a grace And thus my father soth to say In churche ryght as in the way If I myght ought of loue take Suche hansell haue I nought forsake But fynally I me confesse There is in me no holynesse whyle I hir se in holy stede And yet for ought that euer I dede No sacrilege of hir I toke But if it were of worde or loke Or els if that I her frede whan I towarde offrynge hir lede Take therof what I take may For els bere I nought away For though I wolde ought els haue All other thynges bene so saue And kepte with suche a priuilege That I may do no sacrilege God wote my wyl netheles Though I must nedes kepe pees And maugre myn so let it passe My wyll therto is not the lasse If I myght other wyse away For thy my father I you pray Tell what you thynketh therupon 〈◊〉 I therof haue gylte or none ¶ Thy wyll my sonne is for to blame The remenant is but a game That I haue the tolde as yet â—ut take this lore in to thy wyt That all thynge hath tyme and stede The churche serueth for the bede The chambre is of an other speche But if thou wystest of the wreche Howe sacrilege it hath abought Thou woldest bettre be bithought And for thou shalte the more amende A tale I wyll on the dispende ¶ Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum Et narrat pro eo quod Parys Priami regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie Insula a templo Veneris sacriligus abduxit illa Troie famosiffima obsidia ê‘ vniuersa orbis climita diuulgata precipue cansabat ita quod huiusmodi sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Pitami omniumque fuorum interitum / sed ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat ¶ To all men as who sayth knowe It is and in the worlde through blowe Howe that of Troye Lamedon To Hercules and to Iason whan toward Colchos out of Grece By se seylend vpon a pece Of londe of Troye reste preyde But he wrothfully comeyde And for they found hym soo vylleyne whan they came into grece ageyne with power that they get myght Towardes Troye they hem dyght And there they toke suche vengeaunce wherof stant yet the remembraunce For they destroyed kynge and all And leften but the brent walle The grekes of Troyens many slowe And prisoners they toke inowe Amonge the whiche there was one The kynges doughter Lamedon Essiona the faire thynge whiche vnto Thelamon the kynge By Hercules and by thassent Of all the holle parliament was at his wylle yeue graunted And thus hath Grece Troy daunted And home they tourne in suche manere But after this nowe shalt thou here The cause why this tale I telle Vpon the chaunces that befelle ¶ Kynge Lamedon whiche deide thus He had a sonne one Priamus which was nought thilke tyme at home But whan he herde of this he come And fonde howe the citie was falle whiche he began anon to walle And made
therof was lore So that in due tyme is bore This childe and forthwith therupon There fell wonders many one Of teremote vniuersele The sonne toke colloure of stele And lost his lyght the windes blewe And many strengthes ouerthrewe These his propre kynde chaungeth And all the worlde his forme strangeth The thonder with his fyry leuen So cruel was vpon the heuen That euery erthely creature Tho thought his lyfe in auenture The tempest at last sesseth The childe is kepte his age encreceth And Alisaunder his name is hote To whome Calystre and Arystote To techen him philosophye Entenden and Astronomye with other thinges whiche he couth Also to teche him in his youth Nectanabus toke vpon honde But euery man may vnderstonde Of sorcery howe that it wende It wolle him selfe proue at ende And namely for to begyle A lady / whiche withoute gyle Supposeth trouthe all that she hereth But often he that euyll stereth His ship is dreint therin a mydde And in this cas right so betydde Nectanabus vpon a nyght whan it was fayre and sterre lyght This yonge lorde lad vpon highe A boue a towre where as he syghe The sterres suche as he acounteth And saith what eche of hem amounteth As though he knewe of all thinge yet hath he no knowlechinge what shal vnto him selfe befall whan he hath tolde his wordes all This yonge lorde than him apposeth And asketh if that he supposeth what deth he shule him selfe deye He seith or fortune is aweye And euery sterre hath lost his wonne Or els of myn owne sonne I shall be slayn I may not fle Thought Alysaunder in priuete Herof this olde dotarde lyeth Ander that other ought aspyeth All sodeinlyche his olde bones He shofe ouer the walle at ones And saith hym Lye downe there a part wherof nowe serueth all thyn art Thou knewe all other mens chaunce And of thy selfe hast ignoraunce That thou hast sayd amonges all Of thy persone is not befall ¶ Nectanabus whiche hath his death yet whyles hym lasteth lyfe and brethe To Alysaunder he spake and seyd That he with wrong blame on him leid Fro poynt to poynt and all the cas He tolde howe he his sonne was Tho be whiche sory was inough Out of the dyche his father drough And tolde his mother howe it ferde In counsayle and when she it herde And knewe the tokens whiche he tolde She nyst what she say shulde But stode abasshed as for the whyle Of this magike and all the gyle She thought how that she was deceyued That she hath of a maÌ„ conceiued And wende a god it had he But netheles in suche degree So as she myght her honour saue She shope the body was begraue And thus Nectanabus abought The sorcery whiche he wrought Though he vpon the creatures Through his caretes and fygures The maystry and the power had His creatour to nought hym lad Ageyne whose lawe his crafte he vseth when he for lust his god refuseth And toke hym to the deuyls crafte Lo what profyte is hym belafte That thing through which he weÌ„d haue stonde First him exiled out of londe which was his owne and from a kynge Made hym to be an vnderlynge And sythen to deceyue a quene That torneth hym to mochel tene Through lust of loue he gat hym hate That ende couth he nought abate His olde sleyghtes whiche he cast yonge Alisandre hym ouercast His father whiche hym mysbegat He sloughe a great myshappe was that But for omys an other mys was yolde and so full ofte it is Nectanabus his crafte myswent And so it mysfell hym er he went I not what helpeth that clergy whiche maketh a man to do foly And namelyche of Nygromance whiche stont vpon the myscreance ¶ Nota qualiter rex Zorastes statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur gaudâ—o magno risit in quo pronosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur Nam et ipse detestabilis artis magice primus fuit inuentor queÌ„ postea rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit et sic opus operariuÌ„ coÌ„sumpsit ¶ And for to se more euidence Zorastes whiche thexperience Of art magike ferst forth drough Anone as he was bore he lough whiche token was of wo suinge For of his owne controuinge He fond magik and taught it forth But all that was him lytel worth For of Surry a worthy kynge Him slewe and that was his endinge But yet through him this crafte is vsed And he through all the worlde excused For it shall neuer well acheue That stont not ryght with the beleue But liche to wolle is euil sponne who leseth him selfe hath litell wonne And ende proueth euery thyng ¶ Saul whiche was of iewes kynge Vp peyne of deth forbad this arte And yet he toke therof his parte The phitonysse in Samary yafe hym counsayle by sorcery whiche after felle to moche sorowe For he was slayne vpon the morowe To conne mochell thynge it helpeth But of to moche no man yelpeth So for to loke on euery syde Magyke may not well betyde For thy my sonne I woll the rede That thou of these ensamples drede That for no lust of erthly loue Thou seche so to come aboue wherof as in the worldes wonder Thou shalt for euer be put vnder ¶ My good fader graunt mercy For euer I shall beware therby Of loue what me so befalle Suche sorcery abouen all Fro this day forth I shall eschewe That so ne wylle I not pursewe My lust of loue for to seche But this I wolde you beseche Beside that me stant of loue As I you herd speke aboue Howe Alysandre was betaught Of Arystotle and so well taught Of all that to a kynge belongeth wherof my herte sore longeth To wyte what it wolde mene For by reason I wolde wene But if I herde of thinges straunge Yet for a tyme it shulde chaunge My peyne and lisse me somdele ¶ My good sonne thou sayest wele For wisdome howe that euer it stonde To him that can it vnderstonde Doth great profite in sondry wyse But touchend of so hyghe a pryse whiche is not vnto Venus knowe 〈◊〉 may it not my selfe knowe whiche of her courte am all forth drawe And can no thinge but of her lawe But netheles to knowe more As wel as thou me longeth sore And for it helpeth to commune All be they nought to me coÌ„mune The scholes of philosophye Yet thinke I for to specyfye In bokes as it is comprehended wherof thou mightest ben amended For though I be not all counninge Vpon the forme of this wrytinge Some part therof yet I haue herde In this mater howe it hath ferd ☞ Explicit liber sextus ⧠QVIA OMNIS DOCTRIna bona humano regimini saluteÌ„ confert / In hoc septimo libro ad instantiam amantis languidi intendit Genius illam ex qua philosophi et Astrologi philosophie doctrinam regem Alexandrum imbuerunt secundum aliquid declarare Diuidit enim philosophiam in tres partes /
tertia specie artis Mathematice / qud Geometriam vocant ¶ Mathematyke of his science Hath yet the thyrde intelligence Full of wysedome and of clergie And cleped is Geometrie Through which a man hath the sleight Of length of brede of depth of heyght To knowe the proporcion By very calculacion Of this science and in this wyse These olde philosophres wise Of all this worldes erth rounde Howe large how thick was the grouÌ„de Contriued by the experience The Cercle and the circomference Of euery thynge vnto the heuen They setten point and mesure euen Mathemetike aboue the erth Of high science aboue the ferth whiche speketh vpon Astronomy And techeth of the sterres bye Begynnynge vpwarde fro the mone But fyrst as it was for to done This Aristotle in other thynge Vnto this worthy yonge kynge The kynde of euery element whiche stant vnder the firmament Howe it is made and in what wyse Fro poynt to poynt be gan deuise Quatuor omnipotens elementa creauit origo Quatuor et uenti partibus ora dabat Nostra que quadruplici complectio sorte creatur Corpore sic que suo stat uariatus homo ¶ Hic traciat de creatione quatuor elementorum scilicet terre aque aeris et ignis Nec non et de eorum naturis nam et singulis ê“prietates singula attribituntur ¶ Tofore the creation Of ony worldes station Of heuen of erthe or eke of hell So as these olde bokes tell As soune to fore the songe is set And yet they ben to gether knet Ryght so the high purueance Tho had vnder his ordenance A great substance a great mattere Of whiche he wolde in his manere These other thynges make and forme For yet withouten any forme was that matere vniuersall whiche hight Ilem in speciall Of Ilem as I am enformed These elementes ben made and formed Of Ilem clementes they hote After the schole of Aristote Of whiche if more I shall reherse Foure elementes there ben diuerse ☞ Nota de terra quod est primum elementum ¶ The fyrst of hem men erthe call whiche is the lowest of hem all And in his forme is shape rounde Substanciall stronge sad and sounde As that whiche made is suffisant To beare vp all the remenant For as the poynt in a compas Stant euen amyddes ryght so was This erthe set and shall abyde That it may swerue to no syde And hath his centre after the lawe Of kynde and to that Centre drawe Desyreth euery worldes thynge If there ne were no lettynge ¶ Nota de aqua quod est secundum elementum ¶ Aboue the erthe kepeth his bounde The water whiche is the seconde Of elementes and all without It enuyronneth therthe about But as it sheweth nought for thy The subtyle water myghtily Though it be of hym selfe softe The strength of the erth passeth ofte For ryght as veynes ben of bloud In man ryght so the water floud Therth of his cours makth ful of veines Al 's well the hylles as the pleines And that a man may seen at eye For wher the hylles ben most hye There may men wel stremes fynde So preueth it by way of kynde The water hygher than the londe And ouer this nowe vnderstonde ¶ Nota de aera quod est tertium elementum Ayer is the thyrde of elementes Of whose kynde his aspirementes Taketh euery lyuysshe creature The whiche shall vpon erth endure For as the fysshe if it be drye Mote in defaute of water dye Ryght so without ayer on lyue No man ne beest myght thryue The whiche is made of flesshe and bone There is out take of all none ¶ Nota quod aer in tribus periferiss diuiditur ¶ This ayer in periferis thre Deuyded is of suche degree Beneth is one and one amydde To whiche aboue is the thrydde And vpon the deuysions There ben dyuers oppressions Of moyst and eke of drye also whiche of the sonne both two Ben drawe and haled vpon bye And maken cloudes in the skye And shewed is at mans sight wherof by day and eke by nyght After the tymes of the yere Amonge vs vpon erth here In sondry wyse thynges falle ¶ Nota de prima aeris periferia ¶ The fyrste periferye of all Engendreth myst and ouermore The dewes and the frostes bore After thilke interstition In whiche they take impression ☞ Nota de secunda aeris periferia ¶ Fro the seconde as bokes seyne The moyst droppes of the reyne Descenden in to the myddel erthe And tempreth it to sede and erth And doth to sprynge gras and floure And ofte also the great shoure Out of suche place it may be take That it the forme shall forsake Of reyne and in to snowe be torned And eke it may be so soiourned In sondry places vp alofte That in to hayle it tourneth ofte ¶ Nota de tertia aeris periferia ¶ The thirde of ayer after the lawe Through suche matere as is vp drawe Of drye thynge as it is ofte Amonge the cloudes vpon lofte And is so close it may not out Than is it chased sore about Tyll it to fyre and leyte falle And than it breketh the cloudes all The whiche of so great noyse craken That they the fearefull thonder maken The thonder stroke smyt er it leyte And yet men sene the fire and leyte The thonder stroke er that men here So may it well be proued here In thynge whiche shewed is fro ferre A mans eye is there nerre Than is the sounde to mans eare And netheles it is great feare Both of the stroke and of the fire Of whiche is no recouerire In place where that they discende But if god wolde his grace sende ¶ Nota qualiter ignes quos motantur in aeâ—e discurrere videmus secundum varias apparentie formas varia gesta ni nomina quorum primus Assub Secondus Capra saliens tertius Eges Et quarius Daali in libris philosophorum nuncupaâ—ns est ¶ And for to speaken ouer this In this parte of the aire it is That men full ofte sene by nyght The fyre in sondry forme alyght Somtyme the fyre drake it semeth And so the lewde people it demeth Somtyme it semeth as it were A sterre whiche that glydeth there But it is nether of the two The philosophre telleth so And seith that of impressions Through diuers exaltations Vpon the cause and the matere Men sene diuerse forme appere Of fyre the whiche hatâ— bondry name Assub he sayth is thylke same The whiche in sondry place is founde whan it is fall downe to grounde So as the fyre it hath aneled Lyke vnto slyme whiche is congeled Of exaltation I fynde Fyre kengled of the same kynde But it is of an other forme wherof if that I shall conforme The figure vnto that it is These olde clerkes tellen this That it is lyke a gote skyppende And for that it is suche semende It is hote Capra saliens And eke these Astronomyens An other fyre also
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
vmbra Deuiat vt rectum nemo videbit iter ☞ Hic tractat de tercia principum legis policia que iusticia nominata est cuius condicio legibus in corupta vnicuique quod suum est equo pondere distribuit ⧠what is a londe where men be none what ben the men whiche are allone withoute a kinges gouernaunce what is a kinge in his ligeaunce where that there is no lawe in londe what is to take lawe on honde But if the Iuges ben trewe These olde worldes with the newe who that wil take in euydence There may he se experience what thinge it is to kepe lawe Through which wronges be withdrawe And rightwisnes stante commended wherof the regnes ben amended For where the lawe may commune The lordes forth with the comune Eche hath his propre deute And eke the kinges rialte Of bothe his worshyp vnderfongeth To his estate as it belongeth whiche of his high worthinesse Hath to gouerne rightwisnesse As he which shall the lawe guyde And netheles vpon some syde His power stant aboue the lawe To yeue both and to withdrawe The forset of a mannes lyfe But thinges which are excessise Ayen the lawe he shal not do For loue ne for hate also ¶ Imperatoriam magestatem non solum armie sed etiam legibus oportet esse armatam ¶ The mightes of a kinge be gret But yet a worthy kinge shall let Of wronge to done all that he might For he whiche shal the people right It syt wel to his regalye That he him selfe first Iustifye Towardes god in his degree For his astate is elles fre Towarde all other in his persone Saue onely to the god alone whiche wyl hym selfe a kynge chastise where that none other may suffise So were it good to taken hede That fyrste a kynge his owne dede Betwene the vertue and the vice Redresse and than of his iustice To set in euen the balance Towardes other in gouernance That to the powre and to the ryche His lawes myghten stondeÌ„ lyche He shall excepte no persone But for he may not all hym one In sondry places do iustyce He shall of his ryall office with wyse consideration Ordeyne his deputation Of sube iuges as ben lerned So that his people be gouerned By hem that true ben and wyfe For if the lawe of couetyse Be set vpon a iuges honde wo is the people of thylke londe For wronge may not hym selfe n hyde But els on that other syde If lawe stonde with the right The people is glad stont vpright where as the lawe is reasonable The comyn people stant menable And if the lawe torne amys The people also mystorned is ⧠Nota hic de iusticia Maximmi imperatoria / qui cum alicuius prouincie custodem sibi constituere volebat / primo de sui nonumis fama proclamacione facta ipsius condicionem diligencius inuestigabat ⧠And in ensample of this matere Of Maxymyn a man may here Of Rome which was emperour That whan he made a gouernour By weye of substitucion Of prouynce or of region He wolde fyrst enquire his name And lete it openly proclame what man he were or euyl or good And vpon that his name stode Enclyned to vertue or to vyce So wolde he set him in office Or elles put hym all aweye Thus helde the lawe his ryght weye which fonde no let of couetyse The worlde stode than vpon the wyse As by ensample thou might rede And holde it in the minde I rede ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de iudicibus incorruptis et narrat qualiter Caius Fabriâ—nis nuper Rome consul autum a Sampnitibus sibi oblatum renuit dicene / quod nobilus est aurum possidenâ—es dominio subiugare / quam ex auri cupiditate dominu libertatem amittere ¶ In a cronycke I fynde thus Howe that Cayus Fabrycius whiche whilome was consull of Rome By whome the lawes yede and come whan the Samuytes to hym brought A somme of golde and him besought To don hem fauour in the lawe Towarde the golde he gan him drawe wherof in all mennes loke Parte vp in his honde he toke whiche to his mouth in all haste He put it for to smelle and iuste And to his eye and to his ere But he ne founde no comforte there And than be gan it to despise And tolde vnto hem in this wyse I not what is with golde to thriue whan none of all my wittes fyue Fynde sauour ne delyte therin So is it but a nyce sinne Of golde to ben to couetouse But he is ryche and gloriouse whiche hath in his subiection Tho men whiche in possession Ben ryche of golde and by this skyll For he may all day whan he wyll Or be hem lese or be hem lothe Iustice done vpon hem both Lo thus he sayd and with that worde He threwe tofore hem on the borde The golde oute of his honde anone And sayd hem that he wolde none So that he kepte his lyberte To do Iustyce and equyte withoute lucre of suche rychesse There ben nowe fewe of suche I gesse For it was thylke tymes vsed That euery Iuge was refused whiche was not frende to comyn ryght But they that wolden stonde vp right For trouthe onely to do Iustyce Preferred were in thylke offyce Lo deme and Iuge comyn lawe which nowe men sayn is all withdrawe â— To sette a lawe and kepe it nought There is no comune profite sought But aboue al netheles The lawe whiche is made for pees Is good to kepe for the beste For that setteth all men in reste ¶ Hic narrat de iusticia nuper Conradi imperato 〈◊〉 cuius tempore alicuius reuerencia persone 〈◊〉 seâ— precum internencione quacunque vel auâ—â—â—empcione legum statuta commutari seu redi â—â—â—â—â—tenus potuerunt ¶ The ryghtful emperour Conrade To kepe pees suche lawe made That none within the cyte In dysturbaunce of vnyte Durst ones meuen a matere For in his tyme as thou myght here what poynte that was for lawe sette It shulde for no good be lette To what persone that it were And this brought in the comyn fere why euery man the lawe dradde For there was none which fauour bad ¶ Nota exemplum de constantia iudicis vbi narrat de Carmidotiro Rome nuper consule qui cum sui statuti legem nescius offendisset / Romani que super hoc penam sibi remittere voluissent ipse pro pria manu / vbi nullus alius in ipsum vindex fuit / sui criminis vindictam executus est ⧠So as these olde bokes sayne I fynde wryte howe a romayne whiche consull was of the pretoyre whose name was Carmidotoire He sette a lawe for the pees That none but he be wepenles Shall came into the counseyle hous And elles as malicious He shal ben of the lawe dede To that statute and to that rede Accorden all it shall be so For certeyne cause whiche was tho Nowe lyst
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
And by the lawe whiche I vse I shall not in my feyth refuse To louen all men ylyche The poure bothe and eke the ryche whan they be glad I shall be glad And sory whan they ben bestad So shall I lyue in vnite with euery man in his degre For ryght as to my selfe I wolde Ryght so towarde al other shulde Be gracious and debonaire Thus haue I tolde the softe faire My faith my lawe and my creaunce And if the lyst for acqueyntaunce Nowe telle what maner man thou art And he answerde vpon his parte I am a iewe and by my lawe I shall to no man be felawe To kepe hym trouth in worde ne dede But if he be without drede A very iewe right as am I. For elles I may trewly Bereue hym both life and good The paynim herde and vnderstode And thought it was a wonder lawe And thus vpon their sondry sawe Talkende both forth they went The day was hote the sonne brent The paynim rode vpon an asse And of his catell more and lasse with hym a ryche trusse he lad The iewe which all vntrouth had And went vpon his fete besyde Bethought hym howe he myght ryde And with his wordes slye and wise Vnto the paynym in this wyse He sayde O nowe it shall be sene what thynge it is thou woldest mene For if thy lawe be certeyne As thou hast tolde I dare well seyne Thou wolt beholde my distres whiche am so full of werynesse That I ne may vneth go And let me ryde a myle or two So that I may my body ease The paynim wold hym not displease Of that he spake but in pite It list him for to knowe and se The pleynt whiche that other made And for he wolde his hert glade He light and made him nothing strauÌ„ge Thus was there made a newe chaunge The paynim goth the iewe alofte was sette vpon his asse softe So gone they forth carpende fast On this on that tyll at laste The paynym myght go no more And prayed vnto the iewe therfore To suffre hym ryde a lytell whyle The iewe which thought him to begyle Anone rode forth the great pase And to the paynym in this case He sayde Thou hast do thy ryght Of that thou haddest me behyght To do succour vpon my nede And that accordeth to the dede As thou art to the lawe holde And in suche wyse as I the tolde I thynke also for my partie Vpon the lawe of Iewerie To worche and do my duete Thin asse shall go forth with me with all thy good whiche I haue sesed And that I wote thou arte disesed I am right glad and not my spayde And whan he hath these wordes sayde In all haste he rode away This paynim wote none other way But on the grounde he kneleth euen His handes vp to the heuen And saide O hibe sothfastnes That louest all rightwysnesse Vnto thy dome lorde I appele Beholde and deme my quarele with vmble herte I the beseche The mercy bothe and eke the wreche I set all in thy iugement And thus vpon his marrement This paynym hath made his preiere And than he rose with drery chere And goth hym forth and in his gate He cast his eye aboute algate The iewe if that he myght se But for a tyme it might not be Tyll at last ayene the nyght So as god wolde he went a ryght As he whiche helde the highe weye And than he syghe in a valeye where that the iewe lyggende was All bloody deed vpon the gras whiche strangled was of a lyon And as he loked vp and down He fonde his asse fast by Forthe with his harneis redily All hole and sounde as he it lefte whan that the iewe it hym berefte wherof he thanked god knelende Lo thus a man may knowe at ende Howe the pitous pitie deserueth For what man that to pitie serueth As Aristotle it bereth witnesse God shall his fomen so redresse That they shall aye stonde vnder fote Pitie men seyne is thylke rote wherof the vertues sprengen all what infortune that befall In any londe lacke of pyte Is cause of thilke aduersite And that alday may shewe at eye who that the worlde discretely sye Good is that euery man therfore Take hede of that is sayde tofore For of this tale and other inowe These noble princes whylom drowe Her euidence and her apprise As men may fynde in many wyfe who that these olde bokes rede And though they ben in erthe deed Her good name may nought deye For pite whiche they wold obeye To do the dedes of mercy And who this tale redily Remembreth as Aristotle it tolde He may the wylle of god beholde Vpon the poynt as it was ended wherof that pyte stode commended whiche is to charite felawe As they that kepen bothe o lawe ¶ â—â—ta hic de principis pietate erga populum / 〈…〉 quod cum Codrus tex Athenis contra â—â—rences bellum gerere deberet consulto 〈◊〉 Apoâ—ine responsum accepit quod vnum de 〈◊〉 videâ—â—cet aut seipsum in prelio interfici 〈◊〉 populum suum sasuare aut seipsum saluuÌ„ fieri 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—um interfici eligere oporteret / Super 〈◊〉 â—â—â—etote motus plebisque sue magis quam 〈…〉 salutem affectans / mortem sibi 〈…〉 / Et sic bellum aggrediens pro vita 〈◊〉 solus interut ¶ Of pite for to speke pleyne whiche is with mercy well beseyne Full ofte he woll hym selue peyne To kepe an other fro the peyne For charâ—â— the mother is Of pite whiche nothynge amys Can suffre if he it may amende It syt to euery man lyuende To be pytous but none so wele As to a kynge whiche on the whele Fortune hath set abouen all For in a kynge if so befalle That his pitche ferme and stable To all the londe it is vaillable Onely through grace of his persone For the pite of hym alone May all the large royalme saue So sit it wel a kinge to haue Pyte For this Valery tolde And sayd howe that by dayes olde Codrus whiche was in his degre Kynge of Athenes the cyte A werre he had ayeinst Dorrence And for to take his euydence what shall befalle of the batayle He thought he wolde him first counsaile with Apollo in whom he tryste Through whose answere thus he wyste Of two poyntes that he might chese Or that he wolde his body lese And in batayle him selfe deye Or els the seconde weye To seen his people discomfite But he / whiche pite hath perfyte Vpon the poynte of his byleue The people thought to releue And chese him selfe to be deed where is nowe suche another heed whiche wolde for the lymmes dye And netheles in somme partye It ought a kinges hert stere That he his lyege men forbere And eke towarde his enemyes Full ofte he may deserue pryse To take of pyte remembraunce where that he might do vengeaunce For whan a kinge hath the victoire And than he drawe in
this cruelkinge So toke that he fro mannes forme In to a wolfe he let transforme And thus the cruelte was kyd whiche of longe tyme he had hyd ¶ A wolfe he was than openly The whose nature priuely He had in his condicion And vnto this conclusion That tyranny is to despyse I fynde ensample in sondry wyse And namelyche of hem full ofte The whome fortune hath set alofte Vpon the werres for to wynne But howe so that the wronge begynne Of tiranny it may nought laste But suche as they done at laste To other men suche on hem falleth For ayene suche pite calleth Vengeaunce to the god aboue For who that hath no tender loue In sauynge of a mannes lyfe He shall be founde so gyltyfe That whan he wolde mercy craue In tyme of nede be shall none haue ¶ Nota qualiter leo hominibus stratis percit ¶ Of the nature this I fynde The fiers lyon in his kynde whiche goth rampende after his pray If he a man fynde in his way He wyll hym sleyen if he withstonde But if the man couthe vnderstonde To fall anone tofore his face In signe of mercy and of grace The lyon shall of his nature Restreigne his Ire in such mesure As though it were a beste tamed And torne aweye halfyng ashamed That he the man shall nothyng greue Howe shold than a prynce acheue The worldes grace yf that he wolde Destroye a man whan he is yolde And stante vpon his mercy alle But for to speake in specialle There haue be suche and suche there be Tyrantes whose hertes no pyte May to no poynt of mercy plye That they vpon her tyrannye Ne gladen hem the men to slee And as the rages of the see Ben vnpitous in the tempeste Ryght so may no pite areste Of cruelte the great vltrage whiche the tyrant in his corage Engendred hath wherof I fynde A tale whiche comth nowe to mynde ¶ Hic loquitur precipuâ— contra tyrannos illos qui cum in bello vincere possuÌ„t humani sanguiniâ— effusionem saturari nequeunt et narrat in exemplum de quodam Persarum rege cuius nomen Spartachus erat qui pre ceteris tunc in oriente bellicosus et victoriosus quoscuÌ„que gladio vincerâ— poterat / absque psetate interfici constituit Seb tandem sub manu Thomiris Marsegittarum regine in bello captus ê™ a diu quesiuit seueritatem pro seueritate finaliter inuenit Nam et ipsa quoddam vas de sanguine Persarum plenum ante se afferre decreuit in quo caput tyraÌ„m vsque ad mor tem mergenâ— dixit O tyrannorum crudelissime semper esnâ—iens sanguinem sitisti ecce iam ad saturitatem sanguinem bibe ¶ I rede in olde bokes thus There was a duc whiche Spartachus Men clepe and was a warriour A cruel man a conquerour with stronge power the whiche he lad For this condition he had That where hym hapneth the victoire His lust and all his most gloire was for to slee and not to saue Of raunsome wolde he no good haue For sauynge of a mans lyfe But all gothe to the swerde and knyfe So leefe hym was the mans bloode And netheles yet thus it stode So as fortune aboute went He fell ryght heire as by discent To Pers and was coroned kynge And whan the worshyp of this thynge was falle and he was kynge of Pers If that they weren fyrste diuers The tyrannies whiche he wrought A thousant folde wel more he sought Than afterwarde to do malyce Tylle god vengeaunce ayene the vice Hath shape For vpon a tyde whan he was hieste in his pryde In his rancour and in his hete Ayene the quene of Mersagete whiche Thomiris that tyme hyght He made werre all that he myght And she which wolde her londe defende Her owne sonne ayene him sende whiche the defence hath vndertake But he discomfite was and take And whan this kinge hym had in honde He wol no mercy vnderstonde But dyd hym slee in his presence The tydynge of this violence whan it cam to the mothers eare She sende anone ay wyde where To suche frendes as she had A great power tyll that she lad In sondry wyse tho she cast Howe she this kynge may ouercast And at last accorded was That in the daunger of a pas Through whiche this tyrant shuld pas She shope his power to compas with strength of men by suche a wey That he shall not escape awey And when she had thus ordeined She hath hir owne body feyned For fere as though she wolde flee Out of hir londe And whan that he Hath herde howe that this lady fledde So fast after the chase he spedde That he was founde out of araye For it betyd vpon a daye In to the paas whan he was fall The cubusshementes to breaken all And hym beclipte on euery syde That flee ne myght be not asyde So that there weren deed and take Two hundred thousande for his sake That weren with hym of his hooste And thus was leyed the great booste Of hym and of his tyranny It halpe no mercy for to cry To hym whiche whylome dyd none For he vnto the quene anone was broughte whan that she him sye This worde she spake and sayd on hye O man whiche out of mannes kynde Reason of man hast lefte behynde And lyued worse than a beste whom pyte myght none areste The mannes blode to shede and spylle Thou haddest neuer yet thy fylle But nowe the laste tyme is come That thy malyce is ouercome As thou tyll other men hast do Nowe shall be do to the ryght so Tho bad this lady that men shulde A vessell brynge in whiche she wolde Se the vengeance of his Iuise whiche she began anone deuyse And toke the princis whiche he ladde By whom his chiefe councell he hadde And whyle hem lasteth any breth She made hem blede to the deth Into the vessell where it stode And whan it was fulfylde of bloud She cast this tyraunt therin And sayde hym Lo thus myght thou wynne The lustes of thyne appetyte In bloud was whylom thy delyte Nowe shalte thou drynken all thy fylle And thus onelyche of goddes wylle He whiche that wolde hym selfe strauÌ„ge To pite fonde mercy so straunge That he without grace is lore So may it well shewe the more That cruelte hath no good ende But pite howe so that it wende Makth that god is merciable If there be cause reasonable why that a kynge shall be pytous But els if he be doubtous To sleen in cause of ryghtwysenesse It may be sayde no pytousnesse But it is pusyllanimyte whiche euery prynce shulde flee For if pite mesure excede Knyghthode may not alwey procede To do iustyse vpon the ryght For it belongeth to a knyght As gladly for to fyght as reste To sette his lyege people in reste whan that the warre vpon hem falleth For hem be mote as it befalleth Of his knyghthode as a lyon Be
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
wyues tyl it came In to the tyme of Abraham whan the thirde age was bygonne The nede tho was oueronne / For there was people ynough in londe Than at fyrste it came to bonde That systerhode of mariage was torned in to cosynage So that after the ryght lyne The cosyn weddeth the cosyne For Abraham er that be deyed This charge vpon his seruaunt leyed To him and in this wyse spake That he his sonne Isaac Do wedde for no worldes good But onely to his owne blood wherof the seruaunt as he hadde whan he was dede his sonne hath ladde To Bathuel where he Rebecke Hath wedded with the whyte necke For she he wist wel and sygh was to the chylde cosyne nyghe And thus as Abraham hath taught whan Isaac was god bytaught His sonne Iacob did also And of Laban the doughters two whiche was his eme he toke to wyse And gate vpon hem in his lyfe Of hir fyrst which hight Lye Syx sonnes of his progenye And of Rachel two sonnes eke The remenaunt was for to seke That is to seyn of four mo â–ª wherof he gate on Bala two And of Zelpha he had eke twey And these twelue as I the seye Through prouydence of god hym selfe Ben sayde the Patriarkes twelfe Of whom as afterwarde befel The tribus twelfe of Israel Engendred were and ben the same That of hebrwes tho hadden name which of Libred in alyaunce For euer kepten thylke vsaunce Most comonly tyll Christe was bore But afterwarde it was forlore Amonge vs that ben baptyzed For of the lawe canonyzed The pope hath bode to the men That none shall wedden of his kyn Ne the seconde ne the thryd But though that holy churche byd So to restreyne maryage There ben yet vpon loues rage Ful many of suche nowe a daye That taken where they take may For loue whiche is vnbeseyn Of all reason as men sayn Through sotye and through nycete Of his voluptuosite He spareth no condycion Of kynne / ne yet relegion But as a cocke amonge the hennes Or as a stalon in the fennes whiche goth amonge all the stode Rigâ—t so can he no more good / But taketh what thynge comth nexte to hoÌ„de My son thou shalt vnderstoÌ„de That suche delyte is for to blame For thy if thou hast ben the same â—o loue in any suche manere Tell forth therof and shryue the here ¶ My fader nay god wot the sothe My feyre is not in suche a bothe So wylde a man yet was I neuer That of my kynne or leue or leuer â—e lust loue in suche a wyse And eke I not for what empryse I shulde assote vpon a nonne For though I had hir loue wonne It myght into no pryce amounte So therof set I none acounte ye may wel aske of this and that But sothely for to tell plat In all this worlde there is but one The whiche my herte hath ouer gone I am toward all other fre ¶ Full wel my sonne nowe I se Thy worde stonte euer vpon o place But yet therof thou hast a grace That thou the might so wel excuse Of loue suche as somme men vse So as I spake of nowe tofore For all suche tyme of loue is lore And lyke vnto the bytter swete For though it thynke a man fyrst swete He shall wel felen at laste That it is soure and may not laste For as a morcel enuenomed So hath suche loue his lust mistymed And great ensamples many one A man may fynde therupon ¶ Hic loquitur contra illos / quos Venus ful de siderii feruore inflammaÌ„e ita incestuosos efferit vt neque propriis sororibus parcunt Et narrat ex emplum qualiter pro eo quod Gaine Caligula tres sorores suas virgines coitu illicito opressit deus tanti sceleris peccatuÌ„ non ferens ipsum non solum ab impio sed a vita iusticia vindicem priuauit / Narrat eciam aliud exemplum super eodeÌ„ qualiter Amon filius Dauid fatui amoris concupiscencia preuentus / sororem suam Thamar a sue virginitatis pudicicia inuitaÌ„ deflorauit / propter quod et ipse a fraire suo Absolon postea inteâ— fectus peccatuÌ„ fue mortis precio inuitê° redemit ⧠At Rome fyrste if we begyn There shal I fynde howe of this syn An emperour was for to blame Gaius Caligula by name whiche of his owne susters thre Byreste the virgynyte And whan he had hem so forleyn As he whiche was all vyleyn He dyd hem oute of londe exyle But afterwarde within a whyle God hath by refte him in his yâ—e His lyfe and eke his large empyre And thus for lykinge of a throwe For euer his lust was ouerthrowe ¶ Of this soty also I fynde Amon his suster ageyn kynde whiche hight Thamar he forleye But he that lust another day Abought whan that Absolon His owne broder there vpon Of that be had his suster shente Toke of that synne vengemente And slough him with his owne honde And thus vnkynde vnkynd fond ¶ Hic narrat qualiter Lotâ— duas filias fuâ—â— ipâ—â—â— coÌ„sâ—encientibus carnali copula cognouit duas ê™ ex eis filios sciâ—â—â—z Moab AmoÌ„ progeniut quorum postea generatio prana et exusperans contra populuÌ„ dei in terra saltim promissionis vario granamine quam sâ—piuâ— insultabat ¶ And for to se more of this thynge The byble makth a knowlegynge wherof thou myght take euidence Vpon the sothe experyence whan Lothes wyfe was ouergone And shape vnto the salte stone As it is spoke vnto this day By both his doughters than he lay with childe he made hem both great Tyl that nature hem wolde lette And so the cause about ladde That eche of hem a sonne had Moab the fyrst and the seconde Amon of whiche as it is fonde Cam afterwarde to great encres Two nacions and netheles For that the stockes were not good The braunches myghten not ben good For of the false Moabytes Forth with the strength of Amonytes Of that they were fyrst mysget The people of god was ofte vpset In Israell and in Iudee As in the bible a man may se ¶ Lo thus my sonne as I the say Thou myght thy selfe be besay Of that thou hast of other herde For euer yet it hath so ferde Of loues lust if so befall That it in other place falle Than it is of the lawe sette He whiche his loue hath so besette Mote afterwarde repent hym sore And euery man is others lore Of that befyll in tyme er this The present tyme whiche nowe is May ben enformed how it stode And take that hym thynkth good And leue that whiche is nought so But for to loke of tyme ago Howe lust of loue excedeth lawe It ought for to be withdrawe For euery man it shulde brede And namelyche in his syhrede whiche tourneth ofte to vengeaunce wherof a tale in remembraunce whiche is a longe processe to here I thynke for to tellen here Omnibus est
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
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
saye For in the lawe of my commune we be nought shape to commune Thy selfe and I neuer after this Nowe haue I seyde all that there is Of loue as for thy fynall ende â—dewe for I mote fro the wende And grete well Chaucer whan ye mete As my discyple and my poete â—or in the floures of his youth In sondry wyse as he well couth 〈◊〉 â—â—ces and of songes glade The whiche he for my sake made 〈◊〉 â—onde fulfylled is ouer all wherof to hym in specyall Aboue all other I am most holde For thy nowe in his dayes olde â—hou shalt hym tell this message That â—e vpon his latter age To â—ette an ende of all his werke As he whiche is myn owne clerke To make his testament of loue As thou hast done thy shryfte aboue So that my courte it may recorde ¶ â—radame I can me well accorde 〈◊〉 I to telle as ye me bydde 〈◊〉 with that worde it so betydde 〈◊〉 of syght all sodeynly Enclosed in a sterred skye Venus whiche is the quene of loue was take in to hir place aboue More wyst I not where she becam And thus my leue of hir I nam And forth with al that same tyde Hir preest whiche wolde not abyde Câ—â—me be lefe or me be lothe Out of my syght forth be goth And I was lefte withouten helpe So wyst I not wherof to yelpe But that onely I had lore My tyme and was sory therfore And thus bewhaped in my thought whan all was tourned in to nought I stode amased for a whyle And in my selfe I gan to smyle Thynkende vpon the bedes blake And howe they were me betake For that I shulde byd and pray And whan I sawe none other way But onely that I was refused Vnto the lyfe whiche I had vsed I thought neuer torne ageyne And in this wyse soth to seyne Homwarde a softe pas I went where that with all myn hole entent Vpon the poynt that I am shryue I thynke bydde whyle I lyue Parce precor Christe populus quo gaudeat iste Anglia ne triste subeat rex summe refiste Corrige quosque status fragiles absolue reatus Vnde deo gratus vigeat locus iste beatus ¶ He whiche within dayes seuen This large worlde forth with the heuen Of his eternall prouydence Hath made and thilke intelligence In mannes soule reasonable Hath shape to be perdurable wherof the man of his feture Aboue all erthly creature After the soule is immortall To thilke lorde in speciall As he whiche is of all thynges The creatour and of the kynges Hath the fortunes vpon honde His grace and mercy for to fonde Vpon my bare knees I praye That he this londe in syker way wyll sette vpon good gouernance For if men take in remembraunce what is to lyue in vnite There is no state in his degre That ne ought to desyre pes without whiche it is no les To seche and loke in to the laste There may no worldes ioye last ¶ Fyrst for to loke the clergy Hem ought well to iustifye Thyng whiche belongeth to their cure As for to pray and to procure Our pees towarde the heuen aboue And eke to sette rest and loue Amonge vs on this erthe here For if they wrought in this manere After the rule of charite I hope that men shulden se This londe amende and ouer this To seche and loke howe that is Touchende of the chiualrye whiche for to loke in some partie Is worthy for to be commended And in some parte to be amended That of her large retenue The londe is full of mayntenue whiche causeth that the coÌ„mune right In fewe countreys stont vpright Extorcion contecke rauyne with holde ben of that couyne All day men here great compleynt Of the disease of the constreynt wherof the people is sore oppressed God graunt it mote be redressed For of knyghthode thordre wolde That they defende and kepe shulde The common right and the fraunchise Of holy churche in all wyse So that no wycked man it dere And therof serueth shelde and spere But for it goth nowe other way Our grace goth the more aweye And for to loken ouermore wherof the people pleynen sore Towarde the lawes of our londe MeÌ„ sein that trouth hath broke his boÌ„d And with brocage is gone aweye So that no man se the weye where for to fynde ryghtwysenesse And if men seke sykernesse Vpon the lucre of marchandye Compassement and trecherye Of synguler profyte to wynne Men sayne is cause of mochel synne And namely of diuysion whiche many a noble worthy towne Fro welth and fro prosperite Hath brought to great aduersite So were it good to be all one For mochell grace thervpon Vnto the citees shulde falle whiche myght auayle to vs alle If these estates amended were So that the vertues stoden there And that the vyces were aweye Me thynketh I durst than seye This londes grace shulde aryse But yet to loke in otherwyse There is astate as ye shall here Aboue all other on erthe here whiche hath the londe in his balaunce To hym belongeth the lygeaunce Of clerke of knyght of man of lawe Vnder his honde is all forth drawe The marchaunt and the laborer So stant it all in his power Or for to spylle or for to saue But though that he suche power haue And that his myghtes ben so large He hath hem nought withouteÌ„ charge To whiche that euery kynge is swore So were it good that he therfore Fyrst vnto ryghtwysenes entende wherof that he hym selfe amende Towarde his god and leue vice whiche is the chiefe of his offyce And after all the remenaunt He shall vpon his couenaunt Gouerne and lede in suche a wyse So that there be no tyrannyse wherof that he his people greue Or elles may he nought acheue That longeth to his regalye For if a kynge wyll iustifye His londe and hem that ben within Fyrst at hym selfe he mote begyn To kepe and rule his owne estate That in hym selfe be no debate Towarde his god for otherwyse Ther may none erthly kynge suffyse Of his kyngedome the folke to lede But he the kynge of heuen drede For what kynge sette hym vpon pryde And takth his lust on euery syde And wyl not go the right weyt Though god his grace cast aweye No wonder is for at last He shall wel wytte it may not last The pompe whiche he secheth here But what kinge that with humble chere After the lawe of god escheweth The vyces and the vertues seweth His grace shall be suffysaunt To gouerne all the remenaunt whiche longeth to his duete So that in his prosperyte The people shal not be oppressed wherof his name shall be blessed For euer and be memoryalle ⧠Hic in fine recapitulat super hoc quod in 〈…〉 libri promisit se in amoris causa speciali 〈…〉 â—â—taturum concludit enim quod omnis amo 〈…〉 extra charitatem nichil est qui ma◠〈◊〉 â—aritate in deo manet ¶ And nowe to speke as in fynalle To â—chende that I vndertoke In englysshe for to make a boke whiche stant betwene ernest and game I haue it made as thylke same whiche aske for to be excused Anâ— that my boke be not refused Of â—â—red men whan they it se For lacke of curyosyte For thylke scole of eloquence Belongeth not to my scyence Vpon the forme of Rhetorike My wordes for to peynte and pyke As Tullius somtyme wrote â—ut this I knowe and this I wote That I haue done my trewe peyne â—â—to rude wordes and with pleyne In all that euer I couthe and might This boke to wryte as I behyght So as sikenes it suffer wolde And also for my dayes olde That I am feble and impotente I wote not howe the worlde is wente So pray I to my lordes all Nowe in min age / howe so befalle That I mot stonden in theyr grace For though me lacke to purchace Her worthy thonke as by deserte â–ª Yet the symplesse of my pouerte Desyreth for to do plesaunce To hem vnder whose gouernaunce I hope syker to abyde But nowe vpon my last tyde That I this boke haue made and wrytte My muse dothe me for to wyte And sayth it shall be for my beste Fro this day forth to take reste That I nomore of loue make whiche many a herte hath ouertake And ouertorned as the blynde Fro reason in to lawe of kynde where as the wysdome goeth aweye And can not se the ryght weye Howe to gouerne his owne estate But euery daye stante in debate within him selfe and can not leue And thus for thy my fynal leue I take nowe for euermore without makinge any more Of loue and of his dedely bele whiche no physicien can hele For his nature is so diuers That it hath euer some trauers Or of to moche / or of to lyte That playnly may no man delyte But if him fayle or that or this But thylke loue whiche that is within a mannes herte affirmed And stante of charyte confirmed Suche loue is goodly for to haue Suche loue may the body saue Suche loue may the sowle amende The hyghe god suche loue vs sende Forthwith the remenaunt of grace So that aboue in thilke place where resteth loue / and all pees Our ioye may be endelees AMEN ☞ Thus endeth De confessione Amantis
thus his wyfe hath loste for euer But netheles she hadde a leuer The kynge her weddeth and honoureth wherof her name she socoureth whiche erst was lost through couetyse Of hym that lad her other wyse And hath hym selfe also forlore My sonne be thou ware therfore where thou shalt loue in any place That thou no couetyse embrace The whiche is not of loues kynde But for all that a man may fynde Nowe in this tyme of thylke rage Full great dysese in maryage whan venym medleth with the suger And maryage is made for lucre Or for the lust or for the hele what man that shall with other dele He may not fayle to repent ¶ My fader suche is myn entent But netheles good is to haue For good may oft tyme saue The loue whiche shuld elles spylle But god whiche wote my hertes wylle I dar wel take to wytnesse yet was I neuer for rychesse Be set with maryage none For all myn herte is vpon one So frely that in the persone Stant all my worldes ioye alone I aske nother parke ne plough If I her hadde it were ynough Her loue shulde me suffyse withouten other couetyse Lo nowe my fader as of this Touchend of me ryght as it is My shryfte I am be knowe pleyn And if ye wol ought elles seyn Of couetyse if there be more In loue agropeth out the sore Fallere cum nequeat ê“pria vir fraude subornat Testes sit ê™ eis uera retorta fides Sicut agros cupidus dum querie amans mulieres Vult testes falfos falsus habeâ—â— fuos Non sine uindicta periurus abibit in eis Visu qui cordis intima cuncta uidet Fallere periuro non est laudanda puellam Gloria sed falso conditionis opus ☞ HIC tractat super illis auaricie speciebus / que falsum testimonium et periurium nuncupantur quorum fraudulenta circumuentio tam in cupiditatis quam in amoris causa sui desiderit proposituÌ„ quaÌ„ sepe fallaciter attingit ⧠My sonne thou shalt vnderstonde Howe couietse hath yet on honde In specyall two counseylours That ben also his procurours The fyrst of hem is fals wytnesse whiche euer is redy to wytnesse what thyng his mayster woll hym hote Periure is the second hote which spareth nought to swere an othe Though it be fals and god be wrothe That one shall fals wytnes bere That other shall the thynge forswere whan he his charged on the boke So what with hepe what with croke They make her maister ofte winne And woll nat knowe what is sinne For couetise and thus men seyn They make many a fals bargeyn There may no trewe quarel aryse In thylke queste of thylke assyse where as they two the people enforme For they kepe euer o maner forme That vpon golde her conscience They founde / and take her euidence And thus with fals witnes and othes They winne hem mete drinke clothes Right so there be who that hem knew Of these louers ful many vntrewe Nowe may a woman fynde ynowe That eche of hem whan he shall wowe Anone he wyl his hande downe leyne Vpon a boke and swere and seyne That he wol feyth â—nd trouth bere And thus he profeâ—eth hym to swere To seruen euer tyll be dye And all is very trechery For whan the soth hym selfe tryeth The more he swereth the more he lyeth whan he his feyth maketh all thermest Than may a woman trust hym lest For tyll he may his wyll acheue He is no lenger for to leue Thus is the trothe of loue exyled And many a good woman beguyled And eke to speke of fals wytnesse There ben now suche many I gesse That lyche vnto the prouysours They make he her preuy procuratours To tell howe there is suche a man whiche is worthy to loue and can All that a good man shulde conne So that with lesynge is begonne The cause in whiche they woll procede And also syker as the crede They make of that they knowen fals And thus full ofte about the halfe Loue is of fals men embraced But loue whiche is so purchaced Come afterwarde to lytell pryse For thy my sonne if thou be wyse Nowe thou hast herde this euidence Thou myght thyn owne conscience Oppose if thou hast be suche one ¶ Nay god wote father I am none Ne neuer was for as men sayth whan that a man shall make his fayth His hert and tonge must accorde For if so be that they discorde Than is he fals and els nought And I dare say as of my thought In loue it is not discordable Vnto my worde but accordable And in this wyse father I May ryght well swere and saufly That I my lady loue well For that accordeth euery dele It nedeth nought to my soth sawe That I wytnesse shulde drawe Into this day for euer yet Ne myght it synke in to my wyt That I my counsayle shulde seye To any wyght or me hewreye To sechen helpe in suche manere But onely for my lady dere And though a thousande men it wyste That I her loue and than hem lyst with me to swere / and to wytnesse yet were that no fals wytnesse For I dare vnto this trouth dwelle I loue her more than I can telle Thus am I father gylteles As ye haue herde and netheles In your dome I put it all ¶ My sonne wyte in specyall It shall not commonlyche fayle All though it for a tyme fayle That fals wytnesse his cause spede Vpon the poynt of his falsheed It shall well afterwarde be kyd wherof so as it is betyd Ensample of such thynges blynde In a cronyke wryte I fynde ⧠HIC PONIT exemplum de iffis qui falsum testificantes amoris innocentiam circumueniunt / Et narrat qualiter Thetis Achillem filium suum ad o lscentem muliebri vestitum apparatu afferens esse puellam inter regis Lithomedis filias ad educandum produxit Et sic Achilles decepto rege filie sue Deidamie sociâ— et cubicularia effectus super ipsam Pirrum genuit qui postea mire probitatis miliciam affecutus mortem patris sui apud Troiam Polixent Tirrannice vindicauit ¶ The goddesse of the see Thetis She had a sonne and his name is Achilles whom to kepe and warde whyle he was yonge and in to warde She thought hym saufly to betake As she whiche drad for his sake Of that was sayde of prophecie That he at Troy sholde dye whan that the citie was beleyne For thy so as the bokes seyne She cast her wyt in sondry wyse Howe she hym myght so desguyse That no man shuld his body knowe And so befelle that ilke throwe whyle that she thought vpon this dede There was a kyng whiche Lychomede was hote and he was well begone with faire doughters many one And dwelte ferre out in an yle Nowe shalt thou here a wonder wyle This quene whiche the mother was Of Achilles vpon this cas Her sonne as
trouth is noted There may a prince wel conceyue That he shall nought himselfe deceyue Of that he hereth wordes pleyne For him ther nought by reason pleyne That warned is er hem he wo And that was fully proued so whan Rome was the worldes chiefe The sooth sayer tho was leefe whiche wold not the trouth spare But with his worde playne and bare To themperour his sothes tolde As in cronicke it is withholde Here afterwarde as thou shalt here Acordend vnto this matere ☞ Hic eciam contra vicium adulationis ponit exemplum et narrat ê™ cum nuper Romanorum imperator contra suos hostes victoriaÌ„ optmuisset et cum palma triumphi in vrbem redire debuisset ne ipsum inanis glorie altitudo superextolleret licitum suit pro illo die quod vnus quisque priora que sue condicionie agnosceret in aures suas apâ—cius exclamaret vt sic gaudium cum dolore com pesceret et adulantum voces si que fuerant pro minimo computaret ⧠To se this olde ensamplarye That whilom was no flaterye Towarde the he princis wel I finde wherof so as it comthe to mynde My sonne a tale vnto thin ere while that the worthy princes were At Rome I thinke for to telle For whan the chaunces so byfelle That any emperour as tho Victorye had vpon his foo And so fort came to Rome ageyne Of treble honour he was certayne wherof that he was magnified The firste as it is specyfied was whan he came thylke tyde The chart in whiche he shuld ryde Foure whyte stedes shulde it drawe Of Iupiter by thylke lawe The cote he shulde were also His prisoners eke shulden go Endlonge the chare on eyther honde And all the noblesse of the londe Tofore and after with him come Rydend and broughten him to Rome In token of his chyualrye And for none other flaterye And that was shewed forth with all where he satte in his chare ryalle Besyde him was a rybaud set whiche had his worde so beset To themperour in all his glorye He sayde take in to memorye For all this pompe and all this pryde Let no iustice gon a syde But knowe thy selfe what so befalle For men seen often tyme falle Thinge which men wende syker stonde Though thou victory haue on honde Fortune may not stonde alwey The whele perchaunce anothere day May turne and thou ouer throwe There lasteth no thinge but a throwe with these wordes and with mo This ryhaulde which sat with him tho To themperour his tale tolde And ouermore what euer he wolde Or were it euyl or were it good So playnly as the trouth stood He spareth not but speketh it oute And so myght euery man aboute The day of that solempnyte His tale tel as wele as he To themperour all openly And all was this the cause why That while he stode in his noblesse He shulde his vanite represse with suche wordes as he herde ☞ HIC PONIT EXEMPLVM super codem / et narrat / ê™ eodem die quo imperator intonisatus in palacio suo regio ad conniniuÌ„ in maiori leticia fedisset / ministri sui sculptores procederant alta voce dicentes O imperator dic nobis cuius forme et vbi tumbam sculpture tue faciemus vt sic morte remorsus huius vite blandicias obtemperaret ¶ Lo nowe howe thylke tyme ferde Towarde so high a worthy lorde For this I finde eke of recorde whiche the cronyke hath auctorized what emperour was intronized The fyrst day of his corone where he was in his royal throne And helde his fest in the paleis Sittende vpon his hie deis withall the luste that may be gete whan he was gladest at his mete And euery mynstrell had pleide And euery dissour had saide what moste was pleasant to his ere Than at last came in there His masons for they shulde craue where that he wolde he begraue And of what stone his sepulture They shulden make what sculpture He wolde ordeigne therupon Tho was there flaterye none The worthy prynce to beiape The kynge was otherwyse shape with good counsayle and otherwyse They were hem selfe than wyse And vnderstoden well and knewen when suche softe wyndes blewen Of flaterye in to her eare They setten nought her hertes there But when they herde wordes feyned The pleyne trouth it hath disdeyned Of hem that weren so discrete Tho toke the flaterer no heyete Of hym that was his prince tho And for to prouen it is so A tale whiche befell in dede In a cronyke of Rome I rede Hic inter alia gesta Cesaris narrat vnuÌ„ exeÌ„plum precipue coÌ„tra illos qui cum in aspectu principis aliis sapienciores apparere vellent quandoque tameÌ„ similate sapiencie talia committunt per que ceteris stulciores in fine comprobantur ¶ Cesar vpon his royall trone where that he sat in his persone And was hyest in all his pris A man whiche wolde make hym wyse Fell downe knelende in his presence And dyd hym suche a reuerence As though the high god it were Men hadden great meruayle there Of the worshyp whiche he dede This man aros fro thylke stede And forth with all the same tyde He goth hym vp and by his syde He set hym downe as peer and pere And saide If thou that fyttest here Arte god whiche all thynges myght Than haue I worshypped a ryght As to the god and other wyse If thou be not of thylke assise But arte a man suche as am I Than may I syt the fast by For we be bothe of o kynde Cesar answerde and sayde O blynde Thou arte a fole it is well sene Vpon thy selfe For if thou wene I be a god thou doste amys â—o syt where thou seest god is And if I be a man also Thou hast a great foly do whan thou to suche one as shall deye The worshyp of thy god alweye Hast yeuen so vnworthily Thus may I proue redely Thou art not wise And they that herde Howe wysely that the kynge answerde It was to hem a newe lore wherof they dreden hym the more And brought nothynge to his ere But if it trouthe and reason were So ben there many in suche a wyse That â—aynen wordes to be wyse And all is veray flaterye To hym whiche can it well aspye ¶ Nota qualiter isti circa principem adulatores â—â—â—nus a curia expelli quam ad regie magestatis muneâ—a acceptari policia suadente deberent ¶ The kynde flaterour can not loue But for to brynge hym selfe aboue For howe that euer his mayster fare So that hym selfe stonde out of care Him retcheth nought And thus ful ofte Deceyued bene with wordes softe The kynges that ben innocent wherof as for chastement The wyse philosophre sayde what kynge that so his treasure layde Vpon suche folke he hath the lesse And yet ne doth he no largesse But harmeth with his owne honde Hym selfe and eke his owne londe And
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