Hoccleve's Works. III :: :: University of Virginia Library

Hoccleve's Works. III

The regement of princes A.D. 1411-12, from the Harleian MS. 4866, and fourteen of Hoccleve's minor poems from the Egerton MS. 615. Edited by Frederick J. Furnivall

Hoccleve, Thomas (1370?-1450?)

[section]

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

iii

[_]

Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations.

The Regement of Princes.

By THOMAS HOCCLEVE.

[_]

[Harl. MS. 4866. Leaf 1 in a hand about 1700 A.D.]

Heere begynnyth the Book how Pryncys sholden be governyd.

1

Mvsyng vpon the restles bisynesse
Which that this troubly world hath ay on honde,
That othir thyng than fruyt of byttirnesse
Ne yeldeth nought, as I can vndirstonde,
At Chestre ynnë, right fast be the stronde,
As I lay in my bed vp-on a nyght,
Thought me bereft of sleep with force and myght.

2

And many a day and nyght that wykked hyne
Haddë beforn vexid my poorë goost
So grevously, that of anguysh and pyne
No richere man was nougher in no coost;
This dar I seyn, may no wight make his boost
That he with thought was bettir than I aqveynted,
For to the deth it wel nigh hath me feynted.

3

Bysily in my mynde I gan revolue
The welthe onsure of everye creature,
How lightly that ffortune it can dissolue,
Whan that hir lyst that it no lenger dure;
And of the brotylnesse of hyre nature,
My tremlyng hert so gretë gastnesse hadde,
That my spiritis were of my lyfë sadde.

4

Me fel to mynde how that, not long ago,
ffortunës strok doun threst estaat royal
Into myscheef; and I took heed also
Of many anothir lord that had a fall;
In mene estaat eek sikernesse at all
Ne saw I noon; but I sey attë laste,
Wher sëwrte, for to abyde, hir caste.

5

Yn poore estaat sche pyght hir paviloun,
To covere hire from the storm of descendyng;
For [that] sche kneew no lowere discencion,
Save oonly deth, fro which no wight lyvyng
Defendyn hym may; and thus, in my musyng,
I destitut was of joye and good hope,
And to myn esë no thyng koude I groope.

6

For right as blyvë ran it in my thought,
Though I be poore, yet som what leese I may;
Than deemed I that seurëte would nought
With me abyde, it is nought to hir pay,
Ther to soiurne as sche descendë may;
And thus vnsikir of my smal lyfloode,
Thought leyd on me full many an hevy loode.

7

I thought eek, if I in-to povert creepe,
Than am I entred in-to sykirnesse;
But swich seurete myght I ay wayle and weepe,
ffor poverte breedeth but hevynesse.
Allas! wher is this worldis stabilnesse?
Heer vp, heer doun; heer honour, heer repreef;
Now hool, now seek; now bounte, now myscheef.

8

Boecius de consolatione Philosophiæ; maximum genus infortunii est, fuisse felicem &c.

And whan I haddë rolled vp and doun
This worldës stormy wawës in my mynde,
I seey weel povert was exclusïon
Of all weelfarë regnyng in mankynde;
And how in bookës thus I wryten fynde,
“The werstë kynde of wrecchednessë is,
A man to havë been weelfull or this.”

9

“Allas!” þoghte I, “what sykirnesse ys þat
To lyue ay seur of greef and of nuisaunce?
What schal I do? best is I stryuë nat
Agayne þe pays of fortunës balaunce;
ffor wele I wote, þat hir brotel constaunce,
A wyght no whilë suffer can soiourne
In a plyt; þus nat wiste I how to torne.

10

ffor whan a man weneþ stond most constant,
Þan is he nextë to his ouer throwyng;
So flyttyng is sche, and so wariant,
Ther is no trust vp-on hir fair lawhyng;
After glad loue sche schapiþ hir to styng;
I was a-drad so of hir gerynesse,
That my lif was but a dedly gladnesse.”

11

Thus ilkë nyught I walwyd to and fro,
Sekyng restë; but, certeynly sche
Appeerid noght, for þoght, my crewel fo,
Chaced hadde hir & slepe a-way fro me;
And for I schuldë not a-lonë be,
Agayn my luste, Wach profrid his seruise,
And I admittid hym in heuy wyse.

12

So long a nyught ne felde I neuer non,
As was þat samë to my iugëment;
Who so þat thoghty is, is wo-be-gon;
Þe þoghtful wight is vessel of turment,
Þer nys no greef to him equipolent;
He graueþ deppest of seekenesses alle;
fful wo is him þat in swich thoght is falle.

13

What whyght þat inly pensif is, I trowe,
His moste desire is to be solitarie;
Þat þis is soþ, in my persone I knowe,
ffor euere whil þat fretynge aduersarie
Myn hert[e] madë to hym tributarie,
In sowkynge of þe fresschest of my blod,
To sorwe soule, me thoght it dide me good.

Vnde Marcialis Cocus: Ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet.

14

ffor þe nature of heuynesse is þis:
If it haboundë gretly in a wight,
Þe place eschewit he where as ioye is,
ffor ioye & he not mowe accorde a-ryght;
As discordant as day is vn-to nyught,
And honur, aduersarie is vn-to schame,
Is heuynessë so to ioye and game.

15

Whan to þe þoghtful whiȝt is tolde a tale,
He heeriþ it as þogh he þennës were;
Hys heuy thoghtës hym so plukke & hale
Hyder and þedir, and hym greue & dere,
Þat hys erës auayle hym nat a pere;
He vnderstondeþ no þing what men seye,
So ben his wyttës fer gon hem to pleye.

16

Þe smert of þoght, I by experience
knowe as wel as any man doþ lyuynge;
His frosty swoot & fyry hote feruence,
And troubly dremës, drempt al in wakynge,
My mayzed heed sleeplees han of konnynge,
And wyt dispoylyd, & so me be-iapyd,
Þat after deþ ful often haue I gapid.

[HOCCLEVE'S MEETING AND DIALOGUE WITH AN OLD BEGGAR.]

Ther may no wight þe chartre of lyf ensele,
The ende is deþ of male & of femele;
No thyng is morë certein þan deþ is,
Ne more vncertein þan þe tyme I-wis.’

(Beggar.)

Exodus. honora patrem & matrem, vt sis longeuus super terram.

But who so list disport hym in þat same,
Let hym continue, and he schal fynd it grame;
It is wel gretter labour þan it seemeth;
Þe blyndë man of coloures al wrong deemeth.

“Now, sonë myn, hast þou al seid and spoke
Þat þé good likyth?”

[Hoccl.]

“ya, fadir, as now.”

[Beg.]

“Sone, if oght in þin herte elles be loke,
Vnlokke it blyue! com of; what seist þou?”

[Hoccl.]

“ffadir, I can no morë tellë yow
Þan I beforë spoken haue and sayd.”

[Beg.]

No lenger forster, no lenger lemman;
Loue on lust groundid, is not worþ a lek.
But who for vertu weddeþ a womman,
And noþer for muk ne for lust, þat man
Þe formë due of matrimoignë sueþ,
And soulës hurt & bodyes grief eschueþ.

(Beggar.)

“I dar not medle of lordes mariágis,
How þey hem knytten, hir makës vnseen;
But as to me it semeþ swiche vságe is
Not worþ a strawe; for, also mot I theen,
Reportës not so sikyr iuges ben,
As man to se þe womannës persóne;
In whiche a choys, lat man hymself allone.

(Beggar.)

“Weddyng at hoom in þis land, holsom were,
So þat a man hym weddë duëly;
To se þe flesche firste, it may no þing dere,
And hym avisë how hym lykiþ þer-by
Or he be knyt; lo! þis conceyt haue I;
In þis materë depper cowde I go,
But passe I wole, & slippe away þer-fro.

(Beggar.)

“Now sythen þou hast, to my Iugëment,
Þe maryëd vn-to goddës plesaunce,
Be a trewe housbounde, as by myn assent;
kepë þi bond; be war of þencombraunce
Of þe feend, which, with many a circumstaunce
fful sly, him castiþ þë wrappe in & wrye,
To stirë þe for to done aduoutre.

(Beggar.)

In canonibus. Adulterare sponte periurare, & hominem sponte occidere, equiparantur. Ieronimus dicit, Adulterium secundum locum habet in penis.

“Aduoutrie and periurie, and wylful slaghtre,
Þe book seiþ, lik ben, & o peys þei weye.
War aduoutre! it is no pleye or laghtre
To don it; fle also þise oþer tweye!
ffor þus wot I wel, seint Ierom can seye:
‘In peyne, aduoutre haþ þe secounde place.’
Þo þre to eschue, god þe grauntë grace!

(Beggar.)

“I, in þe bible, rede how þat abram

Genesis xijo. Cum que prope esset ut ingrediretur Egiptum, dixit Saray vxori sue, “Noui quod pulcra sis mulier, & quod cum te viderunt Egipcii, dicturi sunt, ‘vxor illius es,’ & interficient me, & te reseruabunt; dic ergo, obsecro, quod soror mea sis, vt bene sit mihi propter te, & viuat anima mea ob graciam tui,” &c.

Genesis xxo. Redde vxorem viro suo; si autem nolueris, scito quod morte morieris tu & omnia que tua sunt.

“And to abymalech, god bade he shulde
Ȝildë sara also to hir housbonde;
ffor he and his, echon, if he ne wolde,
Shulden ben dede, he did hem vndirstonde.
Take heede, o sonë, þat þou clere ay stonde,
ffor god stoppid eke the concepcioun

Item in eodem. Concluserat autem dominus omnem vuluam domus Abymalech, propter Saram vxorem Abrahe.

Of euery woman of his mancioun.

(Beggar.)

“Ne þat she was a wif, wist he no þing;
Ne nogh hir knew in no flesshly folye.
My godë sonë, rede of dauid kyng,
How he bersabe toke, wyf of vrie,

Regum ijo capitulis xo & xjmo

Into his house, and did aduout[e]rie;
And how he made vrië slayne to be,
And how þer-forë punysshed was he.

(Beggar.)

“How was þe tribe also of beniamyn
Punysshid, & put to destruccioun,
ffor aduoutr[i]ë which þei lyued inne,
In þe abhomynable oppressioun

Iudicum xxo Egressi sunt &c.

“But of a thyng be wel waar in al wise,

Prouerbiarum xxixo. Qui blandis fictis que sermonibus loquitur amico suo, expandit rethe gressibus suis.

On flaterië þat þou þe nat founde;
ffor þer-of, sonë, Salamon þe wise,—
As þat I haue in his prouerbës found,—
Seith thus: ‘thei þat in feynëd speche habounde,
And glosyngly vnto hir freendës talke,
Spreden a net bi-forne hem wher they walke.’

(Beggar.)

“If a deceyuour yeue a man to sowke
Wordës plesant, in hony al by-wrappid,

Prouerbiarum I. ffili mi, si te lactauerint peccatores, ne adquiescas eis.

Good is a man eschewë swich a powke;
Thurgh fauel haþ ful many a man mys-happid;
ffor when þat he hath ianglid al and clappid
With his freend, tretyng of pees openly,

Ieremie ix. In ore suo pacem loquitur cum amico suo, & occulte ponit ei insidias.

He in a-wayt lith of hym couertly.

(Beggar.)

“Þe mostë lak þat han þe lordës grete,

Seneca libro vijo de beneficiis. Summa loca tenentibus maxime deest qui veritatem dicat. Adulacionis certamen omnibus officium est, vna omnium contencio quis blandissime fallat.

“And grautë gracë me þat day to se,
That I sumwhat may quytë your goodnesse.
But, goodë fadir, whan and wher schul ye
And I efte metë?” “Sone, in soothfastnesse,
I euery day heere at þe Carmes messe,
It faileth naght o-boute þe hour of seuene.”
“Wel, fadir, god bytake I yow, of heuene!”

(Hoccleve.)

Recordyng in my myndë þe lessoun
That he me yaf, I hoom to metë wente;
And on þe morowe sette I me adoun,
And penne and ynke and parchemyn I hente,
And to performe his wil and his entente
I took corage, and whiles it was hoot,
Vn-to my lord the princë thus I wroot:—

[HOCCLEVE'S “REGEMENT” FOR HENRY V. WHEN PRINCE OF WALES.]

289

Hyë and noblë princë excellent,
My lord the prince, o my lord gracïous,
I, humble seruaunt and obedient
Vnto your éstate hye & glorious,
Of whiche I am full tendir & full ielous,
Me recomaunde vnto your worthynesse,
With hert entier, and spirite of mekenesse.

290

Right humbly axyng of you [the] licence,
That with my penne I may to you declare
(So as that kan my wittës innocence,)
Myne inward wille that thursteth the welefare
Of your persone; and ellës be I bare
Of blisse, whan þat the coldë stroke of deth
My lyfe hath quenched, & me byraft my breth.

291

Though that my livelode and possession
Be skant, I riche am of beneuolence;
To you therof kan I be no nygon:
Goode haue I none, by whiche your excellence
May plesëd be; &, for myne impotence
Stoppeth the way to do as I were holde,
I write as he þat your goode lyfë faynë wolde.

292

Aréstotle, most famous Philosofre,
His Epistles to Alisaundre sent,
Whos sentence is wel bette than gold in cofre,
And more holsomer grounded to trewe entent:
For all þat euer tho Epistles ment,
To settë was þis worthy Conquerour,
In reulë, how to sústene his honour.

293

The tendir loue, and the feruént chiertee
That this worthy clerk ay to this kyng bere,
Trustyng his welthë durable to be,
Vnto his hert[è] stak and satte so nere,
That by writýng his counseill yave he clere
Vnto his lord, to kepe hym fro myschaunce,
As witnesseth his booke of gouernaunce.

294

Of which, and [eek] of Gyles of regyment
Of princes, plotmel thynke I to translate.
And thogh that senple be my sentëment,
O worthi prince, I yow biseeche al-gate
Considerith, how endityng hath in hate
Mi dul conceyt, and nat accordë may
With my childhode; I am so childissh ay.

295

Also byseeche I that þe altitude
Of your estate—þogh þat þis pamfilet
Non ordre holdë, ne in him include—
Nat greuëd be, for I can do no bet.
Anothir day, whan wit & I be met,
Which longe is to, and han vs freenly kist,
Descouere I wole, thát now is nat wist.

296

Nathëles, swich as is my smal konyng,
Withal so treewe an herte, I wole it oute,
As þo two dide, or euere Clerc lyfynge;
But tremblyng is my spirit out of doute,
That to performë þat I am a-boute;
Allas! þe stuf of sad intelligence
Me faillith, to speke in so hy presence.

297

Simple is my goost, and scars my letterure,
Vnto your excellencë for to write
Myn inward loue, and yit in áuenture
Wyle I me puttë, thogh I can but lyte.
Mi derë maistir—god his soulë quyte!—
And fadir, Chaucer, fayn wolde han me taght;
But I was dul, and lernèd lite or naght.

298

Allas! my worthi maister honorable,
This landës verray tresor and richesse,
Deth, by thi deth, hath harme irreparable
Vnto vs doon; hir vengeable duresse
Despoilèd hath þis land of þe swetnesse
Of rethorik; for vn-to Tullius
Was neuer man so lyk a-mongës vs.

299

Also, who was hiër in philosophie
To Aristotle, in our tonge, but thow?
The steppës of virgile in poesie
Thow filwedist eeke, men wot wel y-now.
That combre-world, þat þe, my maistir, slow,
Wold I slayn were! deth was to hastyf
To renne on þe, and reuë the thi lyf.

300

Deth hath but smal consideracïoun
Vnto þe vertuous, I haue espied,
No more, as shewith þe probacïoun,
Than to a vicious maistir losel tried;
A-mong an heep, euery man is maistried;

Ecclesiastici ijo. Moritur doctus simul & indoctus.

With hire, as wel þe porre as is þe riche;
lered and lewde eeke standen al y-liche.

301

She myghte han taried hir vengeance awhile,
Til that sum man had egal to thè be.
Nay, lat be þat! sche knew wel þat þis yle
May neuer man forth bryngë lyk to the,
And hir officë needës do mot she;
God bad hir so, I truste as for thi beste;
O maister, maister, god þi soule reste!

302

Now to my matere, as that I began:
There is a booke, Iacob de Cessoles,
Of þe ordre of Prechours, made, a worthy man,
That “the Chesse moralisèd” cleped is,
In which I purpose eke to laboure y-wis,
And here & there, as that my litell witte
Afforthë may, I thynkë tránslate it.

303

And al be it that in that placë square
Of the lystës, I mane þe eschekere,
A man may lernë to be wise & ware,
I, that haue auentured many a yere,
My witte there-in is but litill the nere,
Save that somwhat I knowe a kyngës draught;
Of other draughtës, lerned haue I naught.

304

And, for that among the draughtës euerychone
That vnto þe chessë appertenë may,
Is none so nedëfull vnto your persone
To knowe, as that of the cheertë verray
That I haue hade vnto your noblesse ay,
And shall, yf your plesaunce it be to here,
A kyngës draught, reporte I shall now here.

305

I am sure that the bookës allë thre,
Redde hath & seen your Innat sapience;
And, as I hope, her vertues folwen ye;
But vnto you compile I this sentence,
That, at the goode luste of your excellence,
In short ye may behold and rede
That in hem thre is skatered ferre in brede.

306

And álthough it be no manér of nede
Yow to counseilë what to done or leve,
Yf þat you liste of stories to take hede,
Somwhat it may profitë, by your leve:
At hardest, when þat ye ben in Chambre at eve,
They ben goodë to drivë forth the nyght;
They shull not harme, yf þey be herd a-right.

307

To your hyenessë, thynke it not to longe,
Though in that draught I somwhat wadë deepe;
The thewës vertuous that to it longe
Wacchen my gost, & letten him to slepe.
Now God in vertu mayntene you and kepe!
And I besechë your magnificence,
Yeve vnto me benignë audience.

308

For though I to the steppes clergyall
Of thisë clerkës thre [may] not atteyne,
Yit, for to putte in prees my cónceyte small
Goode wille me arteth take on me the peyne;
But sorë in me quappeth euery veyne,
So dredefull am I of myne ignoraunce;
The crosse of criste me spedë and auaunce!

309

Now, gracious prince, agayn that the corone
Honoure you shall with roial dignitee,
Beseche I hym that sitte on hye in trone,
That, when þat chargë réceyued han ye,
Swych gouernancë men may feele and se
In yow, as may ben vn-to his plesance,
Profet to vs, and your good loos avance.

[§ 1. ON THE DIGNITY OF A KING.]

310

ffirst and foreward, the dignitee of kyng
Impressid be in the botme of your mynde,
Consideryng how chargeable a thyng
That ofice is; for so ye schul it fynde.
Vn-to good reulë ye yow knytte and bynde;
Of goddës wrechë haue ay drede and awe;
Do right to grete and smale, and keepë lawe.

311

Onës þer was a kyng, as I haue rad,
Whan his coronë was vn-to hym broght,
Or he it tok, in thoght he stood al sad,
And þus he seidë, after he had thoght:
“O þou corone, noble and faire y-wroght,
What man that þe receyueth or admittith,
More esë þan he weneth from hym flittith.

312

Who-so þe peril know, and charge and fere
That is in the, thogh þou at therthe lay,
He woldë noght the vp areyse or rere,
But lat þe lyë stille, and go his way.
ffor sooth is þis, and hath & schal ben ay,
This worldës hook, enuye hath to his bayt,
And ay hath hye degree sore in a-wayt.”

313

Now, noble princë, thogh I be nat wys,
Wel-willed am I, as I first yow tolde;
In þe name of ihesu, wirke after þe auys
That I compyle oute of this auctours olde.
And if I nat the wey of reson holde,
ffolwe me nat; and if þat I do, thenne
Do as I schal reportë with my penne.

[§ 2 ON A KING'S KEEPING HIS CORONATION OATHS; AND ON TRUTH AND CAUTIOUS SPEECH.]

314

Tho othës that at your creacïoun
Shul thurgh your tongë passe, hem wel obserue;
Lat no colóurëd excusacïoun
Yow makë fro hem slippe aside or swerue;
Holde vp hir lyf, lat hem nat in yow sterue;
It is nat knyghtly from an oth to varie;
A kyng of trouth, oweth bene exemplarie.

315

Lo! thus this Aristotle in his book seith
To Alisandre, and to be war hym bit,
That he ne breke his bondës ne his feith,
ffor vn-to folke vntrewë longith it;
He seith þat gracë nat in hym abit,
But wikked ende and cursid áuenture
Hym folowith, that forswere hym hath no cure.

316

By feith, is maad the congregacïoun
Of peple, and of citès enhabitynge;
By feith, han kyngës dominacïoun;
ffeith causith eek of men þe comunynge;
Castelx, by feith, dreden non ássailynge,
By feith, þe Citees standen vnwerréyed,
And kyngës of hir sogetȝ ben obeyed.

317

Who leeseth feith, gretter thyng may non leese.
Or a man speke, or bynde hym by his sel,
And hath his ful libérte, and may cheese
What he do schal, hym oghte auyse hym wel
Or he promette; and heetë naght a deel
By word ne bond, but if he wole it laste;
ffor who so dooth, schal smerten at þe laste.

318

Litel encheson haþ he for to speke,
To whos wordës is ȝeuen no credence:
Perillous is, a man his feith to breke.
ffeith, by necessite ne indigence
Naght artid is: disceyt, & apparence
Of trouthe outward, and inward fikilnesse,
Bulteth out schame, and causeþ gret smartnesse.

319

What was þe cause of þe destruccïoun
Of þe peple of Scites & of Arabiee,
But for hir kyngës, in decepcioun
Of men and Citees nyh to hir contre,
Hir othis vseden, by sotilte
Brekyngë bondës þat stablisshed were
Mankynde to profitë, and not to dere?

320

And for þat synnë, goddës riȝtwisnesse,
That punnysshith falshood and trecherie,
Nat myghte hem suffre endure in þat woodnesse;
But þey destroyed were, it is no lye.
Vntrouthe, allas! þe ordre of chyualrie
Dampneth it; thogh þat þe persone it vse,
Knyghthode itself mot algate it refuse.

321

To god truste I, no lord in al þis lond
Is gilty of þat inconuenience;
ffy! what? a lord breke his byheste or bond?
Nay, god forbedë þat that pestilence
In a lord dwelle, or holdë residence;
ffor if þat he that wicked geste recette,
By suche a lorde wole honour no thing sette.

322

Whan Marcus Regulus was, as I rede,
Venqwisshèd in a bataile of þe see
By hem of Cartage, hoom wiþ hem þey lede
This prisoner; and aftir, sent was he
By hem to Romë, his ownë contre,
Sworn to retournë to Cartage ageyn,
As tullius And eek seint Austyn seyn.

323

The causë whi þey hym to Romë sente,
Was for to do to Romayns hir message,
Wityng of hem, if þat þey wolde Assente,
That, syn ther werë Romayns in cartage
In prisoun, and Romayns hadde eek in cage
Cartagiens, suffre hem at largë goo,
And þe Romayns go schulden [fre] also.

324

Whan Marcus doon hadde as þat he was bode,
The senat axid hym what was his reed;
And he answerde, and seidë þus for gode:—
“Al þis, rede I, lat slepen, & ben deed;
It may by no way sinke in-to myn heed,
That to vs Romayns were it couenable,
Swiche an eschaungë; but vnprofitable.

325

“We Romayns þat þey han in prison loke,
Ben but ȝonge froth, vnlernëd in batayle,
And othir feble folk with age I-broke,
Of whiche I am on; we may nat availe;
Of vs no losse is; but with-outen faile,
Ȝoure prisoners ben myghty men and wyse,
And folk in armës preeuëd at deuyse.”

326

His freendës wolde han holde hym stillë there,
But thei nat myghte; he wolde alwey retourne;
To breke his oth, his goost was ay in fere;
He þoghte noght in his contre soiourne.
Do qwat hem list, whether thei glade or mourne,
Vnto his foos as bliuë he hym dressith,
And knewe wel to be deed, the book witnéssith.

327

He held it bette his oth for to obserue,
And dye in honur, as þat a knyght oghte,
Than by periúrie his lif for to preserue;
Of suche vnknyghtly trikkës he nat roghte.
I trowë now-a-dayës, thogh men soghte,
His heir ful hard were in þis land to fynde;
Men list not so ferforth to trouthe hem bynde.

328

Ȝit nat only to preyse is this Marcus
ffor trouthë, but eek, as it semeth me,
His renoun oghtë doubled ben, as þus—
Where as theschangë myghte han maad hym fre,
Qwit of his foos prisoun, gretter cheerte
He hadde of the profet vníuersel
Than of hym self: his deeth it preued wel.

329

Nota de Alexandri iuramento.

Amongës allë þingës in a knyght,
Trouthe is a þing that he ne lakkë may,
If his honur schal bere his heed vp right.

(R) De iuramento regis Alexandri observato.

Valerie tellith how, wiþ greet array,
Kyng Alisandre and his oost, on a day,
Meeued of ire and maléncolye,
Vn-to a citee dressid hym in hye,

330

Whichë þat clept and called was Lapsat,
Purpósynge bete it to þe erthe adoun;
And or þat this kyng fully cam ther-at,
Ther was a Philosophere in þe toun,—
A man of excellent discrecïoun,
That to this kyng somtyme had maister be,—
fful sore abasshed of him & his meyne.

331

Out of þe toun he spedde hym on his weie,
As hastely as þat he coude or myghte,
Toward þe kyng, of grace hym for to preie;
And ás swithe as þe kyng hadde of hym sighte,
He knewe him and his menynge; and on highte
He seide him þus: “by þe goddës I swere,
Al þi labour schal nat be worth a pere;

332

At þi prayerë do wole I no þing.”
This Philosophre of his ooth took good hede,
And seide, “o worthy conquerour and kyng,
Than prey I þe, vnto the toun þè spede,
And it destroyë bothe in lengthe & brede;
Haue on it no pitee, but al doun caste;
This pray I þe, þat may be done as faste.”

333

And whan þe kyng his prayere vnderstood,
Al his angir and his irrous talent
Refreynèd he; he woldë for no good
On þe toun vengë him, as he had ment;
He rathir chees be disobedient
To his vengeáble wil, and his oth kepe,
Than be forsworn of þat he swoor so depe.

334

Or a kyng swere, it is ful necessarie
A-vise hym wel; for whan þat it is past,
He may his oth in no wise contrarie,
If he of sham or repreef be agast.
A kyng owéth of word be stidëfast;
No thing byhetë, but he it perfourme,
If he wole hym vnto his state conforme.

335

Crisostomus super Matthaeum omelia 12. Nisi consuetudo interdicatur non possunt amputari periuria. Ex iuramento enim periurium generatur; sicut enim qui habet in consuetudine multum loqui neccesse est vt aliquando importune loquitur, sic, qui habet consuetudinem iurare in rebus ydoneis frequenter & in rebus superfluis & nolens consuetudine trahente periurat. In Canone xxij. q. ij

A greet clerk, whiche clept is Crisostomus,
Where he of the matir of sweryng tretith,
Thyse arn the wordës that he writ to vs:—
“What man þe custume of othës nat letith,
In sweryng oftë, what he seith forgetith;
Vsage of othes, of periurie is cause.”
And more he seith eke in þe samë clause.

336

He seith, “periurie engendrid is of othis;
ffor right as he þat custumably
Clappith and ianglith, and to stint loth is,
Moot othir whilë speke vnsittyngly,
Right so, vsage of swering, enemy
To trouthe is, and makith men hem forswere;”

Isti tres. Iuramentum tres habet condiciones, videlicet, veritatem, iudicium & iusticiam: veritatem silicet, vt iurans sciat vel credat verum esse quod iurat; Iudicium, id est, discrecionem vt discrete iuret, non precipitanter.

fful necessarie is, othis to for-bere.

337

Swering haþ thisë thre condicïouns
ffolwynge, as trouthë, doom, and rightwisnesse.
Oth axiþ trouthe, and no decepcïouns,
But swere in his ententë sothfastnesse.
Doom moot discreetly, left al hastynesse,
Swere, and nat needles; and iustice also,
Leeffuly swere, and iustly euermo.

338

Quintilian seith, þat vn-to hygh degre,

Quintilianus dicit, iurare nisi vbi neccesse est, graui viro,—id est, nobili & famoso,—parum conuenit; verbum enim satis simplex in Rege vel in principe firmior sit quam iuramentum in mercatore.

Vnsittynge is to swere in any wise,
Bút it be causid of necessite;
ffor, as he seiþ, and othir clerkis wise,
A kyng or princes word oghtë suffise
Wel morë than, oghte a marchántes oth,
And to go ther ageyn be morë loth.

339

And syn a princes oth, or his promesse,
Whan þei nat holden ben, him dishonure,
His lettre and seel, whiche more open witnesse
Beren than þei, good is take hede and cure
That þei be kept; writingë wil endure;

[R] Litera scripta manet.

What a man is, it prest is for to preue;
Outhir, honure it shal him, or repreue.

340

Now if it happe, as it haþ happed ofte,
A kyng in nedë borwe of his marchántis,
Greet wisdom were it tretë faire & softe,
And holde hem truëly her couenantis;
ffor trust it wel, whan hir couénant is
Nat to hem kept, as þat hir bonde requerith,
The kyng haþ schame, and eke it hem mys-cherith.

341

Loth wolde hem ben eft-sonës for to lene;
He þat is brent, men seyn, dredith þe fire.
Be his day kept, he rekkeþ nat a bene,
But elles, siker, “don is in þe myre.”
Wiþ-outen dowte, a Marchantës desir
Is with good herte his kyng honour and plese,
And, to his myght, refresche & doon him ese.

342

In hem is þe substaunce of euery lone:
What folk cheuyce, as mochil as doon they?
Excellent Prince, I demë your persone,
To hem and to al othir, in good fay,
Wole holdë þat ye heeten hem alway,
And so to do, god, þe auctour of trouthe,
Yow graunte! and elles certes were it routhe.

343

If þat a poorë man breke his byheste,
Or do ageyn his oth, or seel, or lettre,
Men hente him by þe heed, and him arreeste,
And to prisón he gooth; he gette no bettre,
Til his mainpernour his arrest vnfettre;
And yit he moot þe cours of lawe abyde,
Or his mainpernour mot deffende his syde.

344

Among the poorë peple thus it goth,
Thei, for vntrouthe, han smert & open schame;
And if a lorde his bond breke, or his oth,
ffor soþe it is a foul spot in his name;
Thogh men dare not opynly him diffame,
Thei þinke, al be it þat þei no thing speke;
In swichë lordës is vntrouthe I-reke.

345

And syn a kyng, by wey of his office,
To god I-likned is, as in manere,
And god is trouthe itself, þan may the vice
Of vntrouthë, naght in a kyng appeere,

Iacobus iij. Si quis verbo non offendit, perfectus est vir.

If his officë schal to god referre.
A besy tongë bringeth in swiche wit,
He þat by word naght gilteþ, is perfit.

346

A! lord, what it is fair and honurable,
A kyng from mochil spechë him refreyne;
It sitte him ben of wordes mesuráble,
ffor mochil clap wole his estate desteyne.
If he his tongë with mesurës reyne
Gouernë, than his honur it conserueth;
And by þe reuers, diëth it and sterueth.

347

Bet is, þe peples erës thriste and yerne

Aristoteles (de regis continencia a multiloquio dicit R): Melius est quod aures hominum sint sitibundi ad Regis eloquia, quam suis affatibus sacientur: quia saturatis auribus anima eciam saturatur. Prouerbiarum x. In multiloquio non deerit peccatum.

Hir kyng or princes wordës for to here,
Than þat his tongë goo so faste & yerne
That mennës erës dul of his mateere;
ffor dullynge hem, dulleþ þe herte in fere
Of hem þat yeuen to him audience;
In mochil spechë wantiþ not offence.

348

Who so þat hatiþ mochil clap or speche,
Qwenchiþ malice; and he þat his mouth kepiþ,
Keepith his soule, as þat þe bookës teeche.

Ecclesiastici capitulo xixo. Qui odit loquacitatem, extingit maliciam. Prouerbiarum xiij.

Vnbridlid wordës oftë man by-weepiþ;
Prudencë wakiþ whan þe tongë sleepiþ,
And slepith oftë whan þe tongë wakiþ;
Moderat speche engendrith reste, and makith.

Qui custodit os suum, custodit animam, qui autem &c.

349

Allë naturës of bestës and briddes
And of serpentës ben ymakid tame,

Iacobi iij. Omnes nature bestiarum, volucrum & serpentum domantur. [R] Item in eodem: Lingua maculat totum corpus nostrum, &c.

But tonge of man, as it wel knowe & kid is,
Nat may be tamed; o, fy! man, for schame!
Silence of tunge is wardein of good fame;
And after repreef fissheth, clappeth, fouleth;
The tunge of man, all the body defouleth.

350

And that [þat] oute of tunge of kyng procedeth,
The peple specially beren awey.
Wherfore, vnto a kyng þe more it nedeth
Avise hym what he spekë shall alwey,
In mochell spechë som behestë may
Lightly astertë, that may not be holde;
And than [þe] trouthë begynneth to colde.

351

O worthy princë, this, loo, meveth me
Of trouthë for to touchë thus sadly,
For that I woldë that the hye degree
Of Chiualrië vniuersally
Bare vp his hede, & bentë not awry;
Of his honour, vntrouthe a knyght vnlaceth,
And his renoun all vttirly defaceth.

abb aa cc.

And failyng it, the chief flour of his stile
Fadeth & falleth, & begynneth dye.
Honoure appropred is to chiualry[e].
But now passe ouer; touche I wole a while
Of rightwisnesse, which that out of this ile
Purpóseth fully for to fare & wende,
So is our reule vnthrifty & vnthende.

[§ 3. OF JUSTICE.]

353

[R] Anselmus libro Cur deus homo. Justicia est animi libertas, tribuens vnicuique quod suum est secundum propriam dignitatem, &c.

Seint Ancelme seith, Iustice is liberte
Of will, yeuyng vnto euery wight
Thát longeth to his propre dignite;
To god, obedience, as it is right;
And he þat poor is of degree & myght,
Vnto his better, honour & reuerence;
The grete eke to the smale, lore & science.

354

To thyne egall, concorde; vnto thy foo,
Suffrauncë; & to thy self, holynesse;
To the nedy, greved with wrecched wo,
Mercy in dede, & rewë his distresse
After thy power, & releve in heuynesse;

Scriptum est: Sola beneuolencia sufficit amanti, si facultas deest beneficiendi, &c.

And rewe vpon hym, yf that thy myght faile,
For þat will shall þy dedë countervayle.

355

Who-so it be that Iusticë verray

Si quis es qui iusticiam veram sectari desideras, time prius deum. Scriptum est: Non nocere, non est iusticia, sed mali abstinencia, &c.

Desireth folowe, first mote he god drede,
And loue as hertly as he kan & may.
It not suffiseth to do no noyous dede,
But who annoyë hym wold it forbede;
For none anoyë is no righwisnesse,
But it is abstinence of wickkednesse.

356

Of counceill & of helpe we be dettoures

Scriptum est: Ipso iure fraternitatis & societatis humane consilii & auxilii debitores sumus. Hoc enim volumus vt & ipsi nobis impendant consilium, quo nostra erudiatur ignorancia, & auxilium quo iuretur infirmitas nostra.

Eche to other, by right of bretherhede;
For whan a man y-falle in-to errour is,
His brother ought hym counceille & rede
To correcte & amende his wikked dede;
And yf he be vexed with maladie,
Mynystre hym helpe, his greef to remedie.

357

Euery man owiþ studien and muse

[R] Vnusquis que fratrem suum docere studeat, que oporteat vel non oporteat facere, prouocans eum ad meliora, & consulens que recta sunt coram Deo; et hoc non verbo tantum, sed opere &c.

To teche his brothir what þing is to do,
And what be-houëly is to refuse;
That þat is good, prouokyng him þerto;
And þus he mote conseille his brothir, lo!
“Do þat right is, and good, to goddës pay,
In word nat only, but in werk al-way.”

358

Egidius in ij parte primi libri, capitulo xio. Legalis iusticia est quodam modo omnis virtus; habere enim huiusmodi iusticiam est implere legem &c. [R.] Si igitur lex iubet omne bonum, prohibet omne malum, implere legem est perfecte virtuosum, et iuusticia est integra et perfecta malicia &c.

Lawëful iustice is, as in manere,
Al vertu; and who wole han þis iustice,
The lawe of crist, to kepë mot he leere.
Now if þat lawë fórbeede euery vice,
And cómande al good þing, and it cherice,
ffulfillë lawë, is vertu perfyt,
And in-iustice is of al vertu qwyt.

359

Iustice is of the kynde and the nature
Of god; and he haþ made it, and ordeyned
On remës and on euery crëature.

Aristoteles capitulo de forma et modo iusticie. ‘Iusticia est de natura dei,’ &c.

By iustice, is schedyng of blood refreyned,
And gilt punýsched, whan it is compleyned.
Iusticë déffendeth possessions,
And peple kepeþ from oppressions.

360

A kyng is made to kepen and maynteene
Iustice, for she makith obéisant
The mysdoers þat proudë ben & keene;
And hem þat ben in vertu hábundant
Cherisith; a kyng is, by couenant
Of ooth maad in his coronacioun,
Boundë to iustices sauuacioun.

361

And a kyng, in fulfillinge of þat, is
To god lik, whiche is verray rightwisnesse;
And men of yndë seyn and holden þis—
‘A kyngës iustice is a greet richesse
Vnto his peple, as plentee or largesse
Of erthly good, and bettre þan reyn
ffallynge at eue from heuen,’ þei seyn.

362

fful often sithë it is wist and seen,
That for þe wrong and þe vnryghtwisnesse
Of kyngës mynistres, þat kyngës bene
Holden gilty, where-as in soothfastnesse
Thei knowen no þing of þe wikkednesse;
Vniust mynístres ofte hir kyng accusen,
And thei þat iust ben, óf wrong hem excusen.

363

If þe ministres do naght but iustice
To poorë peple, in contre as þei go,
Thogh þe kyng be vniust, yit is his vice
Hid to þe peple; thei wene eueremo
The kyng be iust, for his men gye hem so.
But ministres to seelde hem wel gouerne;
Oppressïoun regneth in euery herne.

364

A kyng, me thinkeþ, for þe seuerte
Of his good loos, by-houeþ it enquere
Of hem þat han his éstate in cheerte,
What famë þat his poore peple him bere;
He of iustice is bounden hem to were
And to diffende; and if þat þei be greued,
By him thei mot be holpen and releued.

365

Excusë schal hym naght his ignorance;
He mot enquere of wrong, and it redresse;
ffor þat he peple haþ in gouernance,
He clept is kyng: if his men peple oppresse,
Witynge hym, and noght rekke of the duresse,
He may, be ryght, be clept no gouernour,
But of his peple a wilful déstroyour.

366

O worthi king! benyngne Edward þe laste!
Thow haddist ofte in herte a drede impressid,
Whiche þat þyn humble goost ful sore a-gaste;
And to know if þou cursed were or blessid,
A-mong þe peple ofte hastow þe dressed
In-to contre, in symple array allone,
To herë what men seide of þi persone.

367

Sapientie. vo [i. e. cap. 6]. Quia non recte iudicastis [R. neque custodistis legem iusticie &c.].

Al-thogh a kyng haue hábundance of myght
In his land, at his lust knytte & vnknytte,
Good is þat he his power vse ariȝt,
That fro the wey of iustice he ne flitte,
Leste oure lord god hym from his gracë schitte,
Of whom al rightwis power is deryued;
ffor if he doo, of blisse he schal be pryued.

368

Refert valerius maximus qualiter Theodorus sirenus crucifigebatur quia regem de lisemaco arguebat pro suis defectibus &c.

I fynde how þat Theódorus sireene,
ffor þat he to þe kyng of Lysëmak
Tolde his defautës, þe kyng leet for teene
Crucifie him; and as he heng & stak
Vppon þe croys, þus to þe kyng he spak:
“This peyne, or othir like þer-to, moot falle
Vppon þi falsë counsaillourës alle.

369

“Nought rekke I thogh I rote an hy or lowe,
As he þat of þe deth hath no gastnesse;
I dye an innocent, y do the knowe;
I dyë to defendë rightwisnesse.
Thy flatereres, en-haunced in richesse,
Dreden to suffre for riȝt suche a peyne,
But I thereby nat settë resshës tweyne.”

370

Ther was a duke Romayn, clept Cámilus,

Nota bene de generositate & iusticia ducis Camili, & de falsitate cuiusdam Magistri qui pueros habebat informandum & doctrinandum.

Leyde onës seegë vn-to a citee,
ffalisk namèd, as seiþ valerius,
Of whiche the men of moost auctorite,
And grettest of power and of degre,
To a Maister in þe citee dwellinge,
Bytook hir children, by wey of lernynge.

371

What doth me this maister, but on a day
Somme of tho children out of þe tounë ledde,
The most expert in science, and þe way
Streight to þe Romayn tentës he hym spedde;
And þe duke þus counsailled he, and redde:
“Haueth this children in possessïoun,
And kepith hem in holde and in prisoun;

372

“The fadres of hem han in gouernaunce
ffalisk þe citee, at hir ownë list;
In hy and low, aftir hir ordenance
Is al þing doon: Whan it is to hem wist,
That ȝe hir children han vndir your fist,
Ye schul wel seen, hir children lyf to saue,
Hem and þe citee schul ye wynne & haue.”

373

The duke answerde anon to þis traytour:
“Thogh þou be fals vn-to þyn ownë toun,
And rekkest nat of shame or déshonour,
But per cas for to gete of me guerdoun
Desirest ffaliskës déstruccïoun,
Nat were it knyghtly, me to þè consente,
That taken hast so traytourous entente.

374

“We Romayns kepen riȝtës of bataile
As trewëly as þe rightës of pees;
Our custume is, no children to assayle;
Thogh we þe toun hadde wonnë, doutëlees
Ther schulde no childe amongës al þe prees
ffor vs han greued be; we armës bere
A-geyn the armëd men, hem for to dere,

375

“And naght a-geyn children vndéfensable.
In þat in þe is, þi myght hastow do,
Thorgh wicked tresoun, false and déceyuable,
Thi citee to destroyen and for-doo;
But I, Romayn, agree me nat þerto;
By vertu of armés wole I it wynne,
ffor al þe myght of men þat ben þerinne.”

376

The duke comaundeth, schortly for to seyn,
His handës hym be-hindë to be bounde,
And bad þe children lede hym hoom a-geyn
To hir fadres; whiche, whan þat þey han founde
So greet iusticë in þis duke habounde,
The senat clept, and þis vnto hem tolde;
The hertës gan to change, of yonge & olde;

377

All þey seiden, of hyë gentillesse,
Groundid vppon iustice, did he þis,
And also of a chiualrous prowesse;
Thei seiden, “it to vs most sitting is
Oure ȝatës opne, & offre vs to ben his;
Is non so good, as lat vs mollifie
Our hertës stoutë to his genterie,

378

“And of his pees, requiren hym & preye.”
They diden so; but what was foluynge,
Nouȝt haue I red, wher-fore I can nat seie;
But þis Iust duke, as by my súpposynge,
Was to hem swiche, in wil & in workynge,
That he hem quittë so as myȝte hem queme:
What schulde I elles of suche a lordë deme?

379

Of Lancastre good duke henri also

[R] De nobili Henrico quondam Lancastrie duce.

Whos Iustice is writén and auctorised,
Whi schulde I nat þè rekene a-mongës þo
That in hir tyme han Iustice excercised?
Ȝit þat vertu only nat haþ suffised
To þe, but al þat longith to knyȝthode
Was inned in þyn excellent manhode.

380

I rede also how þat—hangynge a strif
Betwixt kyng Porrus and a lord clept ffabrice—

Nota de fidelitate cuiusdam domini vocati ffabricius, & de falsitate cuiusdam medici.

The leche of þys kyng, a cursë caitif
Inuolued and y-wrappëd in þe vice
Of couetisë, schoop hym for to trice
His ownë lord þe kyng, & hym to kille,
If þat it haddë ben fabricës wille.

381

This leche vn-to fabrices house by nyght,
As priuely as þat he coudë, went,
And vnto him ensuryd & be-hyght,
If him list to þe dedë [then] consent,—
He was so glad to plese him & content,—
His lorde þe kyng with venym wolde he fede,
So þat ther-þurgh he steruen shuldë nede.

382

This lorde, with þat, bad men his handës teye,
And lede vnto þe kyng þis traytrous wight,
And al þis treson vnto him be-wreye.
Whan þis was done, þe Kyng seyde anone right,
“Se here a trowth and manhode of a knyght!
Men may the sonne as lightly his curse reue,
As þis fabrices make his trowthë leue.”

383

Nota de iusticia cuiusdam Regis, qui quendam iudicem excoriari fecit, quia falsum reddidit iudicium [R. versus quendam, causa odij.]

In Perse onës þer was, by Iugëment
A man to deþë dampnyd in wrong wyse,
ffor wrath and hate, & þe irous talent
Þat to þis ilkë man bare the Iustice;
And whan þe knoulech of þis false iowyse
Was comyn vnto þe kyngës audience,
Þis dome he ȝafe as blyue, and þis sentence:

384

He bad men fla hym quyk out of his skynne,
And þer-with keuyr þe iudicial see,
And made his sonë to be set þer-inne,
That iuge aftir his fadir sholdë be,
To þis ende and entencïoun, þat he
Shuldë be ware how he his domës ȝafe,
And lene alwey to right-wysenessë staffe.

385

Naght ought a iugë, for hatrede or loue
Othir wey demë þen trouth requirith,
But, at þe reuerence of god aboue,
Right ay fauoúr, whan þat it apperith.
Dede of iustice a conciëncë clerith,
Chasyng a-way thoughtës on wrong I-groundid;
Who iuggith wrongfully, is feendly woundid.

386

What Iuge in dome eke ȝeuyth iust sentence,

Gregorius, Qui recte iudicat, & premium remuneracionis expectat, fraudem in deo perpetrat, quia iusticiam quam gratis partiri debuit, acceptacio peccunie vendit.

A-wayting vp-on a golden dragee,
To god he doth displesaunce & offence;
ffor þe iusticë wich of duëtee
He shuldë do, cursidly sellith he,
ffor loue of mede him prouokiþ þer-to,
And riȝtwysnessë no þing so to do.

387

To swich a iugë withdrawë þe hope

Eodem capitulo: cui si spes peccunie subtrahatur, confestim a iusticia recedit.

Of money, and he fro iusticë flyttyþ;
Wher he supposith mony [for] to grope,
Iust iugëment he in his hert admittith;
But who so þat his hand fro ȝiftys shittith,—

Ysaye 33o. Qui excutit manus suas ab omni munere, iste in excelsis habitabit.

As vnto vs wyttenessith ysaye,—
He shal in heuen dwelle, & sitten hye.

388

Cristen men, ȝelde oughten iust iugëment

xj. q. iij. non licet & xiiij. q. v. Sane, Iustum quidem iudicium gratis reddere debent Christiani, quia non licet vendere iustum iudicium, quamiuis viro perito liceat vendere consilium, &c.

ffrely, for vnleful is it to selle;
Thogh it be leful and conuenient,
A wyse man for rewarde his reed to telle.
A iuges purs, with goldë noght shulde swelle;
If one iustice he shape his dome to bilde,
His iugëmentës he ȝiftlés must ȝilde.

389

And he þat doth of iusticë rigoure,

Scriptum est: Qui rigorem iusticie excercere intendit, caueat ne puniendo delectet, vel iniurias suas vicisci glorientur; caueat eciam ne modum excedat aut quantitatem delicti.

Let hym be ware he hauë no delyte
In [þe] punýsshyng of þe óffendoure,
Þat haþ I-do þe trespase, or the wyte;
Ner him reioyse of his anoyance plyte,
Ne þe maner excede in swichë case,
Or quantite of þe gilt, or þe trespace.

390

Euen as a soule is bodies lyflynesse,

Egidius in ijda parte primi libri capitulo xjo. Sicut anima est corporis vita, &c.

And when þat it is twynëd from a wight
The hert is dede, so farith right-wisenesse;
ffor whan a reme is reulid by hir myght,
Þen may the peple be ful gladde & lyght,
Þe londe may bathen in prosperite;
And lost is al, if þat absent be she.

391

Nota bene! qualiter satisfactum erat legi per quondam consulem Romanum.

Ther was a lawe I-made vppon a tyme
At romë, by the consoulës assent,
Þat who so werë gilty of þe cryme
Of áduoutrië, and were þer-in hent.
His eyen bothë shulden out be brent.
Now fel it so, a man þat sonë was
To a conseil, was take in þis trespas.

392

And whan þat þe myshappe of þis persone
Was to þe peple knowën of þe toune,
Thei loueden his fadir so, echon,
And had him in so chere affeccioun,
Þei seyden þat non execucioun
Shuld on þis sonë for this dedë falle,
And þe consulës so þei preyden alle.

393

To which þe fadir gan replië þo,
And þus allegëd he for him, & seyde:—
“Considereth, sires, I am oon of þo
Þat to þis lawe consentid and obeide;
And shulde I now þe samë breke,” he seyde,
“ffor fauour of myself or any of myne?
Nay, sirrës, to þat may I not enclyne.

100

394

“Maffeith! þat werë wrong and villonye!
Þe lawe shal forthë, thogh it fille on me.”
Þe peple gan to rumble, & clappe & crye,
And the consulës preyed of þe Citee
The reuers; and thus ouercome was he;
So at the last he sye non othir wey,
But in party he must hir lust obeye.

395

“Now,” quod he, “sithen it may be not bet,
Sum what to yow, me conformë wol I,
So þat þe lawë shal al noght be let,
Thogh þat it myght obseruëd be fully:
Thus wol I, and none othir truëly:
Oon of myne eyen wol I now for-go;
Mi sone anoþir; it shal be riȝt so.

396

“We two wol hauë but o mannës sight.”
Thus was done; but naght al at the plesaunce
Of þe peple; but þei none othir myght.
Now if to-morowe fil þer swich a chaunce,
Shulde men fyndë so iust gouernaunce?
Nay, nay! þis londe is al to scarce & lyte,
To fynde oon þat so iustly wolde hym quyte.

[§ 4. ON OBSERVING OF THE LAWS.]

397

Prince excellent, hauë your lawës chere;

De legum obseruacione.

Obserue hem, and offende hem by no wey!
Bi oth to kepe it, bounde is þe powere
Of kyng; and by it is kyngës nobley
Sustenëd; lawe is bothë lokke and key
Of suërtë; whil law is kept in londe,
A prince in his estate may sikir stonde.

101

398

And doutëlesse, if þat fordone be lawe,
A princes power may goo pley him þenne;
ffor þei þat nought ne haue, with knyfe I-drawe,
Wol on hem þat of good be myghty, renne,
And hurt hem, and hir houses fire & brenne,
And robbe and slee, and do al swich folye,
Whan þer no lawe is, hem to iustifie.

399

Now in gode feith, I pray god it amende,
Lawe is nye flemëd out of þis cuntre,
ffor fewë be þat dreden it offende.
Correccïoun and al is long on the:
Whi soffrest þou so many an ássemble
Of armëd folk? wel ny in euery shire,
Partye is made to venge her cruel ire;

400

Thei, with her hande wrong, to hem done redresse;
Hem deyneth naght an accioun attame
At comun lawë: swich vnbuxumnesse
Suffréd, vs makë wol of seuerte lame.
Who-so may þis correct, is worthi blame
Þat he ne doth naght. alasse! þis suffraunce
Wol vs destroyë by continuance.

401

Is ther no lawë þis to remedie?
I can no morë; but, and this forth growe,
This londe shal it repent and sore abye;
And al such mayntenance, as men wel knowe,
Sustenëd is naght by personës lowe,
But Cobbes gretë þis ryot sustene;
Correct it, gode is, whil þat it is grene.

102

402

ffor, and it horë, þis lande is but lost;
He þat our heede is, sore it shal repent;
And this tamend, axith no gretter cost
But to do lawe in no vengeáble entent,
Seye I; but for þe better, hem take and hent,
And punysshe hem by lawful riȝtwysenesse,
And suffre naght ich othir þus to oppresse.

403

Smal tendirnesse is had now of our lawes;
ffor if so be þat oon of þe grete wattes
A dede do, which þat a-geyn þe lawe is,
No thyng at al he punysshid for þat is;
Riȝt as lop-webbys, flyës smale & gnattes
Taken, and suffre gretë flyës go,
ffor al þis worlde, lawe is now rewlyd so.

404

The riche and myghty man, thogh he trespace,
No man seith onës þat blak is his eye;
But to þe pore, is denyed al grace;
He snybbyd is, and put to tormentrie;
He naght a-stirtë may, he shal a-bye;
He caught is in the webbe, & may naght twynne;
Mochil gode reule is sowe, & spryngith thynne.

405

Of þis groweth strifë, bataille, and discorde,
And by þe gretë, poër folk ben greuyd;
ffor he þat noble is of blode, and a lorde
In stile, and naght hath, sterid is, and meved
Vnto rapynë; þis is often preuyd;
Þe pore it felith. þus of lawë lak,
Norysshith wrong, and castith riȝt a-bak.

103

406

When a kyng doþ his peyne and diligence,
His reme by lawë and reson to gye,
He stondith morë in beneualence
Of god, and more his werk shal fructifie,
And shal haue gretter mede, it is no lye,
Than þei þat swich a cure haue none on honde;
Thus fynde I wretyn, as I vndirstonde.

407

Who-so þat in hye dignite is sette,
And may do greuous wrong & cruelte,
If he for-bere hem, to commend is bette,
And gretter shal his mede and meryte be,
Þen þei þat naght may kithe iniquite,
Ne naght may done; for were sum man of myght,
Often wolde he do, grét harme and vnryght.

408

Principatus virum ostendit.

Hye dignite, the philosofre writeþ,
Preueth a man, what he is in his dede.
When þat a prince in vertu him delitith,
Þen is his peple warisshëd of drede;
Then may thei sey and syng alowde, & grede,
“Honour, long lyfe, ioie, and cristës blyssyng,
Mot haue oure sustenour, our prince & kyng!”

409

Whan þat an Emperour in dayës olde

In vita I{o}hannis [illeg.]lemosinani.

Corownëd was, aftir as blyue anone,
Makers of tounbës cum vnto him sholde,
And ask him ‘of what metal or what stone
His toumbe shulde ben’; & forth þei gone,
With swich deuyse as þe lorde list deuyse,
And vp þei make it in her bestë wyse.

104

410

This was done, for to bring vnto memórie
That he was naght but a man córuptible,
And þat þis worldis ioye is transitorie,
And þe trust on it slippir and fallible;
And þis considered, ought him be peynyble
His remë wel for to gouerne and gye;
ffor who so lyueþ wel, wel shal he dye.

411

Like a bridel is deþës rémembraunce,

Ecclesiastici vijo Meditacio mortis est quasi frenum hominem refrenans, ne excerceat vltra.

Þat mannës hertë réstreyneth fro vice.
Þat kyng þat knyghtly is of gouernaunce,
Þat is to seyn, doþ iustly his office,
Of loue and pes and rest he is noryce;
And whan þat he is out of þis worlde went,
Thus seyn men þat goon by his monument:

412

“In heuen mote þis kyngës soulë rest!
Þis is a worthy kyng, gret was þe pees
Þat men had in his tyme, he was þe best
That myght be; he kept his peple harmles;
In his comyng, glad was al þe pres,
And sory weren of his départyng.”
O, graciouse princë, swich be your wirkyng!

413

Thus, my gode lorde, wynneth your peples voice;

Vox populi vox dei.

ffor peples vois is goddes voys, men seyne.
And he þat for vs starf vpon þe croyse
Shal white it yow, I doute it noght certeyne;
Your labour shal naght ydel be, ne veyne;
“No goode dede vnrewardid is, or quytte;

Nullum bonum irremuneratum. &c.

Ne euyl vnpunysshid,” seith holy writte.

105

414

In your prosperite and in your welthe,
Remembreth euer a-monge, þat ye shul dye,
And wot naght whan; it comeþ in a stelthe;
Haue often him by-fore your myndes ye;
ffor whan no hertë hydë may ne wrye
His secre thoughtës, god al wot & weyeth;
Hym, loue & drede; and his lawës obeyeth.

415

Quod elecciones sint in ecclesiis cathedralibus libere.

Now sen a kyng is to his lawës swore,
And lawë biddeth free elecïoun
In chirches passe; my godë lorde, þer-fore,
Let no fauour ne none affeccïoun
So meeue your wysë circumspeccïoun,
To lette hem of hir laweful liberte;
Lat hem reioyse hir propre duëte.

416

The chapitre of a chirchë Cáthedral,
When þei haue chosen hir heed & pastour,
Which as hem thenkeþ sufficiant at al,
Hem for to rewle, and ben hir gouernoure,
Writeþ vnto þe pope in hir fauour,
Bisekyng humble[l]y his fadir-hede
It to conferme; and þat is a iust dede.

417

And if the lawë suffre yow to write
ffor any man apart, herkenth now me;
Let vertu þennë þerto yow excite;
Lokith þat þe man haue abilite,
Þat shal resseyuë þat hy dignite,
Þat is to seyn, he be clene of lyuyng,
Discrete, iust, and of súffisant konnyng.

106

418

If þe pope to þat estate prouyde
A persone, at your prayer and instaunce,
Your sonde he takeþ to þe better syde;
He holdeth þe persone of sufficïaunce
To hauë swich a cure in gouernaunce,
ffor so wittenessith þe suggestioun
Þat to hym made is for prouisïoun.

419

To kynges letters, yeven is credence;
Beth ware how þat ye wryte in swich matere,
Lest þat ye hurt and maynë concïence.
ffor if þat execute be your prayere,
Þe persone vnworthy, ye shul ful dere
Rewe it; no smal charche is the soulës cure
Of al a diocise, I yow ensure.

420

Of swich writyng be of right súffrable,
And þe man able, swich charge to resseyue,
ffor whom ye writte, þat is comméndable;
And ellës wol it your soule deseyve.
Help him þat able is; and tunhable weyue;
Weyuë fauel with his polýsshïd speche;
And help him þat wel doth, and wel can teche.

421

But certes, fauel hath caght so sad foote
In lordës courtës, he may naght þens slyde;
Who com or go, algate abyde he moote;
His craft is to susteyne ay þe wrong syde,
And fro vertu his lordë to devide;
And, for soth sawës ben to lordës lothe,
Noght wol he soth seyn, he hath made his oth.

107

422

Qualiter quidam miles in exilium se posuit, quia leges bonas per se factas vellet obseruari.

Let fauel passë; foule mot he falle!
fforth in iusticë wol I now procede:
Þer was a knyght, I not what men hym calle,
A iuste man and a trewe in al his dede,
Which on a tyme, as þought him it was nede,
Þe froward peple by sharp lawës bynde;
lawës ful iust he made, and in streyte kynde.

423

And when þei weren byfore hem I-radde,
Þei made hem wondir wroth, & seyden al
Þei weren not so nycë ne so madde
To hem assent, for ought that may befalle;
They wolden nat hem to þo lawës thralle,
And wold han artyd þis knyght hem repele,
Makyng ageyn him an haynous querele.

424

When he se þis, he blyuë to hem seyde:
“I mad hem naght, it was god áppollo;
And on my bak,” quod he, “þe charge he leyde
To kepe hem; sirës, what sey ye here-to?
As he me chargid hath, riȝt so I do.”
And vnto þat, answerd anone þe prees,
“We wol hem naght admitten doutëles.”

425

“Wel,” quod he, “þenne is gode, or ye hem breke,
That vnto god apollo I me dresse,
To trete of þis matere, and with him speke,—
With-owtyn him I may it naght redresse,—
Biseche him wol I, of his gentilnesse,
Repele hem, sen þat þei to streytë be,
And do my deuer riȝt wel, ȝe shul see.

108

426

“But or I go, ye shul vnto me swere
Þe lawës kepë til I agayn come,
And Breke hem naght;” to which þei gan answere,
“Ȝee, ȝee, man, ȝee! we graunt it al and summe.”
Þei made her oth, and he his wey hath nomme.
He nought to Apollo, but to grecë went,
And þer abode tyl þat þe deþ him hent.

427

And whan his lastë daye gan to appere,
He bad men þrowe his body in þe see,
Lest vpon þe londe made were his bere,
Þe peple myghten vn-to hir Citee
His bonës cary, and at hir largë be
Quyte of hir oth, as to hir iugëment;
Thus he deuysid in his testament.

428

Syn I spoke haue of iustice, as ye knowe,
Vnto pite—which mot ben had al-gatis,
And namëly in princes ought it growe—
Wol I me dressë: she opneþ the ȝates
Of helth to him þat in sekenesse estate is;
Sche esith many a wyght þat is distressid,
Þat nere hir helpë shulde be sore oppressid.

[§ 5. DE PIETATE.]

429

Pitee, naght ellës is, to vndirstonde,
But good wille inward of debónair hert,
And outhewarde spech, and werk of man, to fonde
To help him þat men sen in meschif smert.
Men selde him seen in-to wykkýd deþ stert,

109

Þat pitous is; but þei han cruel deþ
Often whos cruelte cruelly sleth.

430

Refert Horosius qualiter quidam artifex subtilis puniebatur per artem propriam.

Whilom þer was a tyraunt dispitouse,
Þat so delited him in cruelte,
Þat of no þing was he so désirous.
Now shope it so, a man þat to pyte
ffo was, and frende vnto iniquite,
A sotel werkeman in craft of metal,
Wrought in þis wyse as I yow tellë shal.

431

His lorde þe king he þoughtë plese and glade,
And craftëly he made a bol of bras,
And in þe syde of it he slily made
A litel wyket, þat ordeynëd was
To réceyue hem þat stode in deþës case,
Vndir þe which men shulden sharpe fire make,
Tho folk to deþë for to brenne & bake.

432

And ȝit more-ouer, þe kyng for to meve
The lesse vnto pitee, it made was so
By sotil art þe dampnëd folk to greve
Þat whan to crye, hem cómpellyd hir woo,
Hir woys was lyke a bolës euer-mo,
And nothyng lyke a mannys voise in soun,
As þe scripturë maketh mencïoun.

433

But our lord god, of pite þe auctour,
Displesid with þis cruel ordinaunce,
Swich rewarde shape vnto this losengeour,
Þat it abatid al his countenaunce;
And for to preue his fendely purueaunce,
How sharp it was, & coudë folk distreyne,
The first he was þat entryd in þat peyne.

110

434

ffor whan þe kyng, his cruel werk had seyne,
Þe craft of it commendith he ful wele;
But þe entent he fully helde a-gayne,
And seydë, “þou þat art morë cruel
Than I, þe maydenhede of this Iuel
Shalt preue anone; þis is my Iugëment.”
And so as blyue he was þer-in I-brent.

435

Men may sen here, how fauel hym enclyneth
Ay to his lordys lust, what so it be;

Contra blanditores.

Vnto þat ende he bysieth hym and clynyth,
And no consideracïoun hath he,
Thogh it be harmë to his lordys degre,
Or a-geyn feith, honour, or concïence;
In fals plesaunce is al his diligence.

436

To what þing it be, if it his lorde lyke,
He him conformyth; he neuer denyeth
His lordës resouns, but a þank to pike,
His lordys wil and witte he iustifieth;
Whil fauel liueþ, no fals conseil dieth;
ffauel is wedded to plesaunt deseyt,
And in þat wedlok trewe is his conceite.

437

Grounde of treson, o þou cursyd fauel!
How longë shalt þou be a potestate?
In lordës courtes þou pleyest þi parcel,
So þat it strecchith to þi lordys mate;
ffor þu hast neuer þi lordys estate
To hertë chere, but al þi bysynesse
Is for þi lucre, and þi cofres warmnesse.

111

438

Dicit Seneca de quibusdam qui Neronem sequebantur. Mel musce sequuntur, cadauera lupi; predam sequitur ista turba non hominem.

ffauel was neuer frendly, man vnto;
lordës, beth ware! it nedith trewëlye.
Senek, by hem þat folweden Nero,
Seith þus, “a ffyë folweþ the honye;
Þe wolf, careyn,” he seith; so, wel wot I
Þat companyë folweden her pray,
And naght þe man; & so do men þis day.

439

Whil þat þe swetnesse of riches endurith,
Vnto þe riche is manny man plesaunt;
Only þe richessë þer-to hem lurith;
What he comaundiþ, þei ben obysaunt
To do, whil þat he of goode is habundaunt;
But whan þe pray, þe ricchesse, is a-goo,
The man forsaken þei for euermo.

440

Ieronimus. Adulator secus est qui pro questu vel gracia transitoria sua & alterius animam interficit.

O ffauel! a blynde marchant art þou oone,
That, for wordly goode, & grace and fauoure,—
Which faylë shal & passe, and ouer goone,—
Swich diligencë dost, and swich laboure,
Þat þou þi soulë fro our saueoure
Twynnest, and slest þi lordis soule also,
And causyst hem to peyne eternal go.

441

Þer is a long and a large difference
Twix vertuous plesaunce and flaterie:
Good plesaunce is of swich beneuolence,
Þat what gode dede he may in man espie,
He preysith it, and rébukith folye;
But fauel takeþ al on othir parte;
In wrong preysyng is al his craft and arte.

112

442

A gloser also kepith his silence

Hugo de sancto victore. Adulator est ille qui tacet & dat consensum ne offendat quem optat habere propicium.

Often, where he his lord seeth him mystake.
Lest þat his answere myghtë done offence
Vn-to his lorde, and him displesyd make,
He holt his pees; nat a worde dare he crake;
And for he naght ne seith, he his assent
Ȝeueþ þerto, by mannës Iugëment.

443

Who-so þat wot þe purpose of a wyght,

Qui tacet, &c.

Þat is agroundid vppon wykydnesse,
And noght ne lettith it, vnto his myght,
ffauorith it, as þe boke can expresse;

Canonum xxiij. q. iij. capitulo. Qui potest.

Who-so it lokith, fynde it shal no lesse.
But of al þis now make I here an ende,
And to my tale of pite wol I wende.

444

A Princë mot be of condicioun
Pitouse, and his angir refreyne, & ire,

Aristoteles, in principum regimine, capitulo de Regis prouidencia.

Lest þat vnavisid commocioun
Hym chaufë so, & sette his hert on fire,
That hym to wenge as blyuë he desire,
And fulfille it in dede: hym owyþ knowe.
His errour, and qwenche þat firy lowe.

445

Aristotle amonestith wonder faste,
In his book whiche to Alisaundre he wroot,
If he wolde haue his regne endure and laste,
That for non ire he neuere be soo hoot,
Blood of man schede; and god seith, wel I woot,

Michi vindictam. (R. adds: Item, Qui gladio percutit, &c.)

That vnto hym reseruëd is vengeaunce;
Who-so þat sleþ, schal haue þe samë chaunce.

113

446

But this noght ment is by þe cours of lawe,
That put a man to deth for cryme horrible.
Whan he a man y-murdred haþ and slawe,
A man to sle by lawe, it is lisible;

ffacilitas venie incentiuum prebet delinquendi.

That slaughtre beforn god is ádmittible,
And if a kyng do swichë murdrers grace
Of lyf, he boldeþ hem eft to trespace.

447

Nota contra concessiones cartarum pardonacionum de murdris.

kyng of þis lond whilom, herde I seyn,
ffor mannës deth a pardoun hadde e-graunted
Vnto a man, whiche afterward ageyn
The samë gilt hadde in an othir haunted;
Aftir whos deth, he homly haþ avaunted
He nas naght so frendlés, he woldë do
Wel y-now thogh he hadde slayn othir two.

448

“Of frendes,” quod he, “haue I largë wone,
That, for þat they haue had, and schul, of myne,
Byforne þe kyng for me schal knele echone;
They at þe fullë kunne his hertë myne;
Thidir wil I goo, streght as any lyne,
And þey þat now annoyen me or greue,
I schal hem qwite here-aftir, as I leue.”

449

He cam vnto þe kyng, and axid grace
Of þat he wroghtë hadde so synfully.
The kyng auysëd hym wel on his face,
And seydë, “frend, me þynketh how þat I
Haue vnto þe doon grace or þis, soothly;
I graunted onës a chartre to þe
Of mannës deth, as it remembreth me.

114

450

“Hast þou now slayn an othir man also?”
Now stood a foolë sage þe kyng byside;
And or þe kyng spak any wordës moo,
He to hym seidë, “[Now,] for god þat dyde,
Whi demen ye þis man an homicide?
He slow hym naght, for ye your self hym slow,
And, by your leuen, I schal tellen how:

451

“If þat þe lawë myghte his cours han had,
This man here hadde ben, for þe firste man, deed;
fforyeue hym now; and yif þat he be drad
To slee þe thriddë, þan girde of myn heed.
Now be avisëd wel; it is my reed,
How ye your pardoun grauntë, leste errour
Of nycë pitee be your áccusour.”

452

This kyng wel þoughtë þat he seide hym trouthe,
And chartirles gooþ þis man ful of drede;
And aftirward, of whos dissert was routhe,
The lawe hym yaf þat longëd to his mede.
My tale is doon; now sooþly it is nede
To grauntës to wiþstondë, þat procure
Meschévous deth to many a crëature.

453

Pitee auailith mochil, but naght þere;
ffor bet it is to sle þe mordreman,
Than suffre hym regnë, for he haþ no fere
His hand to vsë forth as he by-gan;
And in my cónceit, feelë wel I can,
That of suche pitee, is þe abstinence
Of gretter pite, for þe consequence.

115

454

If right-ful deth of oo man, kepe and saue
Two innocentës lyuës, þinkeþ me
By resoun morë merit oghte hym haue
That cómandith his gylty man deed be,
Than he þat lif hym graunteþ: why lat se,
The gylty man is no wrong doon vnto,
But wrong is doon vnto thise othir two.

455

Euery man woot wel, fór to saue tweyne
Is gretter gracë þan to saue but on.
Of murdre, is cause gret for to compleyne;
Tho pardons alle to lyghtly passe and goon;
Auyse hem þat fauoúre hem, by seynt Iohn;
Who so it be that þerto þe kyng meeveth,
Wel morë þan he woot, his soulë greeveth.

456

Avise a kyng eek, for any requeste
Vnto hym maad, by greet estat or mene,
That he fauoúre it noght; it is þe beste
Tho réquestës to werne and voydë clene,
Of swiche in sothe as murdrers ben, I mene;
But and on be by malice of his foos
Endited, pardoun be to hym noght cloos.

457

If þat be sooth, lat pitee walk at large,
ffor sche and mercy þerto wil assente;
It is a parcel of hir either charge;
Routhë were it þe giltëles turmente;
Pitee schal soul of man to god presente,
And god, þat yaf vs ensample of pitee,
To pitous folk sauacïoun schal be.

116

458

The pitous herte of Marcus Marcellus
Wele worthy is, be drawen in memórie;
He may ensample and mirrour be to vs;
ffor, as Valerie writith in a storie,
Whan þis Marc obtened hadde þe victórie
By segë leyde to men of siracuse,
As I schal seyn, he heuyly gan muse.

459

He wente hym vp on hy vppon a toure,
Where he byholdë myghte al þe citee,
And how fortune hadde schape hym þat honoure.
With hertë tendre than considered he,
And hadde of folkës dethës suche pitee,
That from wepynge he myghte hym not restreyne;
Al his tryumphë was to hym but peyne.

460

Who-so hadde stonden by hym in þat tyde,
And hym avisëd on his contenaunce,
Wolde han supposëd that þat othir side
Rathir hadde I-putte hym to þe outraunce,
Than he hadde had of hem so fair a chaunce:
O worthy knyght! who schal þi steppës sue?
Thi súccessour halt hym to longe in mue.

461

O citee! syn fortune was contrarie
To the in o part, yit hir gentilnesse
Purveyëd þe a bénigne aduersarie.
Thanke hir of þat, for thy disese is lesse,
ffalle in þe daunger of lambës humblesse,
Than he with cruel woluës al to-frete;
A lamb is naght so gredy on hir mete.

117

462

Ther nys no þing, as witnessith a storie,
Makyth a knyght so schynynge in renoun,
Whan þat he of his foos hath þe victórie,
As rew on hym þat throwen is a-doun,
And of his blode eschue effusioun.
A bestes kynde is, þat is wilde and wood,
Victórie naght desire, but þe blood.

463

De pietate pompei.

Also, whan þat þe kyng of hermenye
Venquysshet was in batayle by pompeye,
This kyng fel doun vnto his foot in hye,
And from hym caste his dyademe aweye;
But pompeyus, as blyue, of his nobleye
Stirte vnto hym, and vp hym lifte & hente,
And many a word benigne on hym dispente.

464

He dide his myght hym to conforte and qweeme;
And right anon, with-oute any delay,
Vpon his heed bad sette his dyademe
Ageyn; and so was doon, it is no nay.

De pietate cesaris imperatoris.

Whan Cesar, emperour, eek on a day
Pompeyë saw biforn hym lad & bounde,
Cesar in terës saltë gan habounde.

465

De pietate Alexandri.

Whan Alisaundre eek, as Vallerie haþ told,
Was, in a tyme, in þe feld wiþ his host,
An agëd knyght of his, for verray cold,
His lyfly myght he loren hadde al-moost,
So greuous tempest tho fil in þat coost;
And whan þis worþy kyng þis hadde aspied,
Out of his see he roos, and to hym hied,

118

466

And by the hand þis oldë knyght he took,
Confortynge hym [right] in his beste manere,
And ledde hym to his tente, as seith þe book,
And in his real seege and his chaiere
As blyue hym settë: þus may kyngës leere,
Distressëd knyghtes to helpë and releeue:
To take ensample of þis, it schal noght greue.

467

What wonder was it, thogh þat knyghtës tho
Desirëden so noble princë serue,
Syn þat hym leuer was for to for-go
His dignite, and hir helþë conserue,
Than his estat keepe, and hym suffre sterue?
Yit hoope I seen his heir in þis prouince;
And þat schal ye be, my good lord þe prince.

468

Before a iuge, eek in poynt to be deed,
Of Iulïus Cesar þer was a knyght,

De Pietate Iulii Cesaris.

Whiche, wiþ an hye voys, for to saue his heed,
To his lord Cesar cryde a-lowdë ryght,
By-sechynge hym þat, of his gracious myght,
He wolde hym helpe and rew on his estat;
And Cesar sente hym a good aduocat.

469

And vnto þat, þis knyght as blyuë þus
On heightë wel, þat al þe peple it herde,
With manly cheerë spak to Iulius,
His lorde, and in þis wisë hym answerde:—
“Han ye for-gote how scharp it wiþ yow ferde,
Whan ye were in þe werrës of asie?
Maffeith! your lif stood þere in iupartie;

119

470

“And aduocat ne sente I non to yow,
But my-self put in prees, & for yow faght;
My woundës beren good witnesse y-now
That I sooth seye; and, lest ye leeue it naght,
I schal yow schewe what harmë haue I caght,
The doute out of youre hertë for to dryue.”
He nakid hym, and schewëd hym as blyue.

471

Of whiche, Cesar ful sorë was aschamed,
And in his hertë sorwe made, and moone;
He heeld hym selfen worthy to be blamed.
“My freend,” he seidë, “let me now allone;
Aduócat wole I be in my persone
ffor þe; I am wel holden to do soo.”
And þus, þis knyght, his deth he saued fro.

472

He dredde hym, if he naddë þus y-wroght
The peple hym wolde han for a proude man deemed,
And vngentil, and þat he cowdë noght,
As that it scholde eeke haue vnto hym seemed,
Thanke hem þat worþy werë to be qwemed;
“What princë,” quoth he, “peyneth hym naght wynne
His knyghtës loue, his loue is to hem þynne.”

473

Out of pitee, growith mercy and springiþ,
ffor piteelés man cán do no mercy;
What prince hem lakkith, naght aright he kyngeth;
And, for þat þei ben neghëboures so nygh,
To pitee, mercy ioynë now wole I.
Excellent prince haue in hem good sauour,
And ellës al in waast is your labour.

120

[§ 6.] De Misericordia.

474

Mercy, aftir þe worde of seynt Austyn,

Augustinus dicit, quod misericordia est aliene miserie ex corde vera compassio, & hec vertus consistit in duobus, scilicet, dando & dimittendo.

Of herte is a verray compassïoun
Of othir menys harm, and þat comth yn
By gyfte of god, and by remissïoun;
As, if iniúrie or oppressioun
Be doon to vs, þat gilt for-yeue vs oghte,
ffor loue of crist, þat, by deth, our lif boghte.

475

Who-so, wronge to hym doön, wole for-yeue,

Matthaei vijo. Qui enim dimittit iniuriam, & si peccauerit ipse, dimittetur ei.

His synnë schal to hym for-yeuen be;
Thogh þat he no þing of his goodës yeue,

Vnde dominus in euangelio: Date & dabitur vobis; dimitte & dimitetur vobis; sed qui dimittit & non dat, & si plene non operatus est, eam meliorem tamen partem tenet misericordie.

The better part yit of mercy halt he;
Thus fynde I writen of auctorite:
but fully may þere no man do mercy,
But if þat he releuë þe nedy.

476

Thogh þat a man be sobre, chaast, & trewe,

Ambrosius. Quis fidelis sit, sobrius & castus & aliis vertutibus oneratus, si tamen misericors non est misericordiam non meritur. Dicit enim Apostolus Iacobus ijo. Iudicium sine misericordia illi qui non facit misericordiam.

And be wiþ many an hy vertu endowëd,
And yeue, and naght for-yeue, it schal hym rewe:
Where as oure werkes mostë ben avowëd,
The vnmerciáble schal be disallowëd:
Who naght forȝeueth, mercy dooth he non;
And mercyles man, mercy schal for-gon.

477

Mercy, crist causëd to ben incarnate,
And humbled hym to take oure breþerhede.
God in-mortel, rewynge oure seek estate,
Mortel be-cam, to purge oure synful dede;
Hym lothid naght his precious body sprede
Vpon þe croys, this lord benyngne and good;
He wroot oure chartre of mercy with his blood.

121

478

Of hym, his handwerk and his crëature,
ffor to be merciable, aright may lerne;
This lyf present schul but a whilë dure,
And lastynge it, your mercy naght ne werne,
O worthy princë, for to god eterne
It ful plesant is; dooth your mercy here;
ffor to late is, aftir ye goo to beere.

479

De misericordia Iohannis ducis lancastrie, (cuius anime propicietur deus!) & de misericordia domini nostri Regis henrici, filii sui.

Take hede, excéllent prince, of your graunt-syre,
How in his werkës he was merciáble;
He þat for mercy dydë, qwyte his hire!
He neuere was, in al his lyf, vengeáble,
But ay for-yaf the gylty and coupáble.
Our ligë lord your fadir, dith þe same;
Now folwe hem two, my lord, in goddis name!

480

They often haddë gret cause hem to venge,
But hir spiritis bénigne and pesible
Thoghten þat craft vnlusty and alenge,
And fórbaar it; þei knewe it vnlisible.
To mercy were hir hertës ay flexible;
ffor-why with mercy god schal qwyte hem wel,

Beati misericordes &c.

Aftir þe wordës write in þe gospell.

481

It is to leue and deme, if a kyng schyne
In vertu, þat his sonë schuldë sue,
And to his fadris manerës enclyne,
And wykked teichës and vices eschue:
Thus oghte it be, this to natúre is due.
He mot considre of whom he took hys kynde,
And folwe his vertu, as men writen fynde.

122

482

He moost is like to god, as seith Bernard,

Ait beatus Bernardus, ‘Ille maxime deum imitat, qui nichil iudicauerit preciosius quam misereri.’

Þat holdeth no þing morë precious
Than to be merciful; it is ful hard
To lakkë mercy and ben vnpitous.
“Mercy wole I,” seith oure lord glorious;

Matthaei. ij. clamauit deus, misericordiam volo; qui quod vult deus, deo negat, a deo sibi quod desiderat, vult negari.

He þat denyeth god, þát he wolde haue,
God nayte hym schal, þat he wil axe or craue.

483

Senek seith how þe kyng and þe ledere

[R, om. H] Seneca dicit, quod rex apium omnino sine aculeo est; voluit enim natura nec seuum esse, nec ulcionum expetere.

Of bees is prikkëles; he haþ right non
Wherwith to styngen, or annoye, or dere;
But othir bees, prikkës han euerichon;
Natúrë woldë sche schulde it for-goon,
And do no cruelte vnto þe swarm,
But mekely hem gouerne, & do non harm.

484

Of þis, ensample schuldë kyngës take,
And princes, þat han peple for to gye;
ffor to hem longith it, for goddës sake,
To wayuë cruelte and tyrannye,
And to pitee, hir hertës bowe & wrye,
And reule hir peple esily and faire:
It is kyngly, be meeke and debonaire.

485

I rede of á kyng, þat Pirus was named,

De miti animo Regis Piri.

Whan hym was tolde, how þat men of Tarente
Hadde, at a festë, his estat diffamed,
He for þe samë folkës blyuë sente;
And whan þey cam, axid to what entente
They of hym spak so, and so foulë ferde;
And oon of hem, as ye schulle here, answerde:

123

486

“My lord, if þat þe wyne noght faillëd hadde,
Al þat we spak, nerë but game and play,
Hauynge rewardë to þe wordës badde
That we thoghte haue I-spoken in good fay.”
The kyng took a laghtre, and wente his way,
And of al þat, he heeld hem ful excused:
He seide it wás wyne, þat so hem accused.

487

Wengeance, in þis good lord, haddë no stide;
Mercy and humble disposicïoun
Dispensid with tho men, and grace hem dide,
And thriste vndír foote cruelte adoun.
O myghty princë! this condicïoun
To your highnessë is ful ácordant,
And vnto god al-myghty ryght plesant.

488

Potestas sine misericordia vertit Regem in tirannum: ita scriptum est.

Power withouten mercy, a kyng tourneth
Into a tyraunt, war þat feendly spek!
ffor in what man þat cruelte soiourneth,
Vnto his soule it is an odious spek.
Tho men of god han nouthir look ne bek,
But if þat it be bekkës of manace,
Where as his mercy folweþ mochë grace.

489

Prouerbiarum capitulo xxo. Misericordia & veritas Regem custodiunt; & roboratur clemencia thronus eius.

Salomon in his prouerbis expressith,
‘Mercy and trouthë, wardeynes ben of kyngës;
And with iustice also,’ as he witnéssith,
‘His trone is strengþed:’ what man þat a kyng is,
But if þat he, amongis oþir thyngës,
Endowëd he wiþ allë þisë thre,
Men seyn he halteth in his hyge degre.

124

490

A noble and glorious kynde of vengeance is,
A kynght to spare, whan þat he sleë may.
Ther was a duc callid pisistaris,

De misericordia ducis Pisistaris.

Þat a yong doghtir haddë, a fair may,
Whiche with hir modir walkid on a day—
Naght seith the book whider, ne what to done,
But þus it schoop, as I schal tellë sone.

491

A yong, fresche, lusty, wel by-seyën man
So brente in loue, he wentë for to dye,
Rauyssht of þe beauté of þis womman,
This tendir yong morsel, þis doghter, I seye.
And as þis yong man mette hir in þe weye,
He at a leep was at hir, and hir kyste:
The modir, angry wood, whan sche it wiste,

492

Sche right anon hir lord, þe duc, be-soghte
To putte hym to þe deth for his trespas.
He seydë nay; to do þat neuere he þoghte:
“Schulle we sleen hem þat louen vs? allas!
What schuld we þanne in the contrárie cas,
That is to seyn, do to our enemys?”
Thus seide þis duc, mercïable and wys.

493

Allas! whi was þis womman so vengeáble?
Certes, in þat sche lakked wommanhede.
This louer hadde ben deede, it is no fable,
If þis duc hadde ben like to hir in dede;
But mercy hym for-bad, any blood schede;
Sche and pitee weren of oon accord,
And senten pacïence vnto þis lord.

125

494

And for as mochil as þat pacïence
To mercy as in lyne of blood atteyneth,
Now wole I do my payne and diligence,
To telle how hir benignyte restreyneth
The feruent hetë þat þe hertë pyneth
Wrechë cruel to take, and scharp vengeaunce,
Of þat þe herte of man felith greuaunce.

[§ 7.] De Paciencia.

495

Gregorius dicit, paciencia vera est, aliena mala equanimiter pati, & contra eum qui mala irrogat, nullo dolore mori.

Gregórie seith, pacïencë verray
Is, of harm doon to man, softë souffraunce,
And naght be wrooth, by no manere of way,
With hym þat hath y-doon a man nusance.

Socrates dicit, Nemo bene sapiens est qui pacienciam non habet; viri enim boni est scire pati &c.

Socrates seith, no mannës gouernance
Is wys, but it be by suffrancë preeued;
A good man souffrith wrong, and is not greued.

496

The kynde of pacïence is to sustene
Myghtily wrongës, and hem neuere wreke,
But hem for-yeue, and wratthe & irous tene
Out of þe hertë for to spere and steke.
Hir kynde is noght to lete a word out breke,
That harmful is; for hertë voyde of ire
Hath naght wherwith to sette a tonge afire.

497

O pacïent, o humble kyng benyngne!
O kyng Dauid! þi pacïent meeknesse
Naght meeued was ageyn Semey maligne,
Whos hy malice and crabbid wikkidnesse
Yaf greet enchesoun to thy worthynesse
To vengë the; but þi benyngnite
ffor-bad þyn hand to kythë cruelte.

126

498

As this kyng onës cam to bahurim,

Regum 2o. Capitulo 16. Venit ergo Rex Dauid vsque bahurim & ecce egrediebatur &c.

Out cam þis man, malicïous Semey,
Sone of Gera, and swiche despite dide hym
And to his men, as by hym wenten they,
Castyngë stonës vnto hym alwey,
That wondir was; for which, on Abusay

Dixit autem Abusay filius Saruie: Quare maledicit canis iste? &c. Vadam & amputabo [caput ejus R],

Wolde haue hym slayn; but þe kyng seidë, “nay!

499

“Lat hym curse, aftir þe comaundëment

Et ait Rex: ‘dimitte eum vt maledicit iuxta preceptum domini. Si forte respiciat dominus affliccionem meam, & reddet mihi bonum pro malediccione hac hodierna &c.

Of god; whan he seeth myn affliccïoun,
And my disese, and my grevous turment,
He wole, for þis dayës malicïoun,
Par áventurë, do me som guerdoun.”
Thus vndirstonde I, write is in þe bible,
Whiche is a book autentik and credible.

500

The paciënce of Iob, men may nat hyde,

De paciencia Regis Alexandri.

The comoun voys wole algate it by-wreye;
And Alisaundre, whos fame is sprad ful wyde,
fful pacïent was, as þe bookës seye.
A sad wys knyght of his with lokkës greye,
Grucchynge ageyn his fleschely lustës, seide
Vnto his lord, and þus he hym vp breyde:

501

“O Alisaundre! it is vncouenable,
The for to haue of peple regyment,
Syn þi lust, bestial and miserable,
Hath qweynt thy resoun and entendëment
So ferforth, þat the hetë violent
Of leccherye is in þe, lord and sire;
Repreef, I dredë, qwytë schal þin hire.

127

502

“ffy! schamëles vnworthy gouernour!”
And whan þe knyghtës talë was al endid,
The kyng answerde, “I knowë myn errour;”
And pacïently seide, “I haue offendid;
I woot it wel; and it schal be amendid.”

De paciencia Iulii Cesaris.

A man also to Iulius Cesar onës
Crabbidly seid, and schrewdly for þe nonës,

503

And among othir wordës þat he speek,
“Iulius,” quod he, “make it noght so tow,
ffor of thy birthe art þou noght wort a leek:
Whens þat þou cam, men knowen wel I-now:
Wenest þou naght þat I can tellen how
Thy fadir was a bakere? o, lat be!
Ne make it nat so qweyntë, I pray the!”

504

Smylynge, vnto hym spak þis Emperour:
“Whethir supposist þou bet, þat noblesse
Begynne in me, or noblesse and honour
Deffaile in þe?” this questïoun, I gesse,
Was, in swiche cas, but answer of softnesse;
ffor þat was seide in repreef of his name,
His pacïence, as who seith, took in game.

505

De Paciencia Scipionis affricani bellicosissimi.

To þe chiualrous worþy Scipio
Of Aufrik, also speek onës a wight,
And seide, “in armës durste he but smal do;
He faght but smal whan he cam to þe fight.”
And paciently answerde he anon right,
“My modir me bare, a childe feeble and smal,
And forth me broghte, and no fightere at al.”

128

506

Senek seith, how þe kyng Antigone
Herde onës folk speke of hym wikkedly,

De benignitate [&] paciencia Regis Antigone.

ffor ther nas but a curtyn, as seith he,
Twixt hym and hem; and whan hys tyme he sy,
Aside he drow the curtyn sodenly,
And seidë, “gooth hens, lest þe kyng yow here,
ffor þe curtyn haþ herde al your matere.”

507

Of duc Pisistaris eek wil I telle:
He hadde a freend, arispus was his name,

De paciencia & misericordia ducis pisistaris supra nominati.

Whiche onës hastily, with wordës felle
Rebukid so þis duc, þat it was schame
To heren it; and yit, with sorwe and grame,
He in despyt spette in þis dukës face;
And he þerto no word spak in þat place.

508

He had him so in port & word and chere,
Ryght as hym hadde be do no vilenye,
But luked forth in a freendely manere.
Now ther were in this dukës companye
His sonës two, that busked hem in hye
To this Arispus, and wolden ful fayn,
Nad hir fadir hem let, haue hym Islayn.

509

The nextë day after, this Arispus
To takë gan consideracïoun
How that he to þe duke mys-bare hym thus,
And madë morë waymentacïoun
Than I can make of nominacioun;
He wolde han slayn himselfe, it is no lese,
But that this duke broughte al to rest & pees.

129

510

Whan he knew how it with Arispus stood,
He dressid him to him, and þat as swithë,
And bad him to be glad of cheere and mood;
He seide, and swoorë to him oftë sithë,
“As freendly wole I be, and stande as ny the
As I dide euere;” and thus his pacïencie
And meknesse hath qwenchid al þis offence.

511

Salomon. Ubi est humilitas, ibi sapientia. Origines: si humilis non fueris in te non potuit habitare gracia spiritus sancti.

Salomon seith, in him is sapience
That is indewed with benyngne humblesse.
Grace of þe holy goost, no residence
Holdith in þat man þat lakkéth meeknesse.
God took vppon him humble buxumnesse
Whan he him wrappid in our mortell rynde:
That oughte a myrour be to al man-kynde.

512

Bernardus dicit, Beata maria, ex virginitate placuit deo, sed ex humilitate concepit deum. [Written over stanza 512.]

Plesant to god was þe virginite
Of his modir; but verray god & man
Conseyued was thoruȝ þe humilite
Whiche he be-heeld in þat blyssed woman.
O humble maidë! who is it þat can
The debonaire humblessë tellen al,
Restynge in þy clennessë virginal?

513

Basilius. Humilis licet habitu vilis sit, gloriosus tamen est virtutibus. Superbus autem si decorus videatur aspectu tamen operibus vilis est.

Thogh þat þe humble were a foul habyt,
Ȝit in vertuës glorious is he;
But þe proud man stant in anoþer plyt;
Thogh his array be fair & fresche to se,
His dedës and his werkës foulë be.
What hyȝe estate þat a man represente,

Isodorus. Quamuis summus es humilitatem tene. Salomon. Quanto maior, &c.

Humble to be, let hym sette his entente!

130

514

Humylite verray, as seith Cesárie,

Cesarius. Nunquam sine caritate vera humilitas aut fuerat aut poterat esse.

May neuere be with-outen charite;
And sche is a vertu most necessarie:
Amongës allë vertuës þat be,

Ysodorus. Nullum premium caritati equatur, caritas enim virtutum omnium optinet principatum. A regno dei se separant qui semetipsos a caritate dissociant.

Sche on hem alle opteeneth dignite.
They fro þe regne of god hem-self dyuyde,
That charite wayven and caste a-syde.

515

Right as a man ne may nat thider goo

Anselmus. Et sicut sine via nullus peruenit quo tendit, Ita, sine caritate que dicta est via ab apostolo, non recte ambulare possumus in via dei.

Where he purposeth hym, but if a way
Be thiderward, seint Amselm seiþ, right so,
With-outen charite, men goo ne may
Aryght vnto godward: men mowen ay
Doon as him list, if þei ben charitable;
But lakkynge it, is no þing profitable.

Augustinus. Habe caritatem & fac quod vis, &c.

516

Only keepyng of charitee vs preeveth,
That we disciples ben of god almyghty.

Gregorius in moralibus. Omnipotentis eterni dei nos esse discipulos sola custodia caritatis probat.

What þing it be þat harmeth man or greueth,
By goodnesse ouercome it paciently;
No seint to heuene comyth, as rede I,
But by kepynge of pacïence, and how

Scriptum est, Nemo quidem sanctorum ad celestem gloriam, nisi pacienciam seruando peruenit.

Men may it lerë, wole I schewë yow.

517

Take heede how, whan þat crist oure sauëour
Was bobbid, and his visage al be-spet,
And gret despit doon him, and déshonour,
Bounden and scourgëd & greuoúsly bett,
Crownëd with thorne, naylëd to þe gybett,
Ȝit, for al this tormént, no word he speeke,
So was he pacïent, benigne, and meke.

131

518

And syn our lord god was of swiche suffránce,
Thanne is it to his crëaturë schame,
On greef to hym doon, take any vengeánce.
Man oghtë rathir sorowe for the blame
That god schal konne him þat hath done þe grame,
Than for þe harme þat þe greuéd haþ hent:
So doth þe charitáble and pacïent.

[§ 8.] De Castitate.

519

To chastite purpóse I now to haste,
Whiche couenable is, and conuenient,
Vn-to a kyng for to sauoure and taaste.

Scriptum est, Nisi pudicitia sedeat in mente, nulla perfectio sequitur in opere.

What princë þat with vnclennesse is brent,
And ther-in settith his luste and talent,
No perfyt dede or werk him folwe may:
Mochil, is hertë chaast, to goddys pay.

520

Right as þe persone of a prince outward
Honúred is wiþ clothës precïous,
So aughte his hertë cloþid ben inward
With vertu, and hym kythë vertuous.
ffresche apparaile and hertë leccherous
Unsittynly ben in a Princë ioynt,
Namëly in a cristen kyng enoynt.

521

In as mochel as dignite of a kyng
Excedith othir folk in reuerence,
The more hym oghtë peyne hym, lest al þing
Othir folk passe in vertuous excellence.
Honour noȝt ellës is in éxistence
Than reuerencë ȝeuen in witnesse
Of vertu, as þe scripturës expresse.

132

522

Honur, whiche was goten vertuously,

[R, om. H] Boecius dicit, Honor virtuose adquisitus, non primo per dignitatem adquirebatur, sed dignitatis honor per virtutem adquisitus erat, &c.

Ne was naght first by dignite purcháced,
As þat Boecë telleþ éxpresly,
But dignitees honour was émbraced
With vertu; dignite had ben vnlaced
And vngirt of honour, nad vertu be;
ffor vertu hath hir propre dignite.

523

Aristotle counseilled Alisaundre,
To leccherye he noght enclynë scholde,
ffor it [is] hoggës lif, whiche were esclaundre
To him, if he tho weiës takë wolde
That beestës resonles vsen and holde;
ffor of body it is destruccïoun,
And eek of al vertu corrupcioun.

524

Syn thei, þat naght were of cristen bapteme,
Counseillëd men eschuë leccherie,
Than oghte vs cristen men þat vicë fleeme,
And swichë lustës in vs mortifie.
Who so entendeth in-to blisse stye,
That firy sparkle algate he moste qwenche,
And lustës leue, of lady and of wenche.

525

The scripture seïþ, no fornicatour,

Ad Ephesios. vo. ffornicator non habebit hereditatem in regno christi & dei. Ad Ebreos, iijo. ffornicatores & adulteros iudicabit deus.

The regne of crist and god shal énherite;
It seith eek, that him and þe aduoutour
God demë shal; he can hir labour qwyte
fful scharply, that in tho tweynë delite,
And so he wolë, but correccioun
Be mannës scheeld, & his proteccioun.

133

526

Affrican Scipio, þat noble knyght,

De castitate Scipionis Affricani.

Whan he was xxti and iiij of age,
And by prowesse, and by manhode & myght
Cartágiens putte hadde into seruáge,
Ther was a mayde sent him into hostáge,
Of yeerës ripe I-now, and of beaute
Most excellent that men myghte owher se.

527

And whan þis worthi ȝong prince honurable,
This woman sigh, of hir he took good ȝeme,
Thynkynge þat she was of beaute able,
The worthieste on lyuë for to queeme;
And in him multiplied thoughtës breeme;
But nathëles, for al þis besy þought,
Enquere he gan, if she wyf were, or nouȝt.

528

Sche trouthëd was to Iudibal, men seide,
A lord of þat Citee; and Scipio,
On a mynystre of his þe chargë leide,
ffor hir fadir and modir blyuë goo.
Thei at his hestë cam vnto him tho;
And in hir clenë virginal estat,
Restorëd he þis mayde inuiolat.

529

The gold eek þat for hir redempcioun
Purveyëd was, for-ȝaf he vtterly,
In help and increes and promocïoun
Of hir wedlok. and whan Iudibal sy
And knewe how scipio thus nobl[el]y
Demenëd him, he was ful wel apayed
Of þat he grucchid first, and was affrayed.

134

530

He went vnto testatës of þe toun,
And tolde hem al þe cas, as it befil;
And thei þis lord yaf loude and hy renoun
ffor þat; and allë, with oon hert and wil,
Submitted hem to þis princë gentil;
Thus hertë chaast and tendre gentillesse
Conquéreth hertës, rather þan duresse.

531

Or marcus marcellus had þe citee
Of Ciracusë taken or y-nome,
He leet do crye amongës his meyne,
That whan þe citee he had ouercome,
And his folk ther-in entred were & come,
Noon be so hardy, þe wommen oppresse,
Ne touche hem by no wey of vnclennesse.

532

Ther was also a seemly fresshe yong man,
To whom naturë swiche fauour had lent

De castitate cuiusdam iuuenis.

Of schap and beaute, þat þer nas womman
That onës had a look on hym dispent,
But þat hir hertë yaf flesshely consent;
And nathëles eschuëd he þe taast
Of vnclennesse, and kepte his body chaast.

533

By toknës knew he hire vnclene entente,
And with his naylës cracched he his face,
And scocched it with knyuës, and to-rente,
And it so wonderly þus gan difface,
That his beaute refusëd hadde hir place:
Al þis dide he, hir hertës to remewe
ffrom him, and make hem vnclennésse eschue.

135

534

De castitate cuiusdam femine Vlie numcupate.

Ierom tellith, agayn Iouinian,
A faire womman, a maidë clept Vlie,
Y-wedded was vnto an agëd man,
A Romayn, smyten with þe pallësie;
But sche in chastite was sette so hye,
That an ensaumple verrayliche was sche
To allë tho þat louëd chastitee.

535

Hire housbonde herde onès an enemy,
Whiche þat he haddë, spoke in his repreef,
That his breth stank, as þat he stode him by;
Wher-of he toke gret heuynesse and greef;
He goth hoom to his wyf, and þis mescheef
fful heuely to hire he gan compleyne,
And þus of hire he gan to aske and freyne:

536

“Whi, wyf,” quod he, “han ye noght or this tyme
I-warnëd me how þat it wiþ me stood?”
“Sire, it was nought,” quod sche, “aspied by me;
I held your breth ay also suete and good
As other mennës ben; I vnderstood
Non othir, ne yit do in sothfastnesse.”
fful fewë men had sche kist, as I gesse.

537

She hily was to preyse and to commende,
That naght ne knewe by othir mennès mouthes
Hir makis vice: it was al wel, sche wende.
To fyndë many swiche ful vnkouthe is;
Lat vs awayte wel whan þe wynd south is
And north at onès blowynge on þe sky,
And fyndë swiche an hepe þan hardily.

136

538

Plato, his patrimoygne and his contree

De Platonis castitate.

Lefte and for-sook, and dwelte in wildernesse,
ffor to restreynë fleschely nycete;
And his disciples louëd so clennesse,
And for to fallen hadden swiche gastnesse,
Hir eyën they out of hir heedës brente,
Lest sighte of hem, spottë myght her entente.

539

Demostenes his handës onës putte

De Domestenes castitate.

In a wommannës bosom iapyngly,
Of facë faire, but of hir body a slutte:
“With yow to delë,” seide he, “what schal I
Yow yeuë?” “xl pens,” quod sche, soothly.
He seydë nay, so dere he byë nolde
A thyng for whiche þat him repentë schulde.

540

I fynde, how two doughtres of a duchesse,

De castitate duarum filiarum cuiusdam ducisse.

The fleschely touches of men for to fle,
When men of Hongary hem wolde oppresse,
In cónseruynge of hir virginite,
Thei hem purveyded a good sotilte:
Thei chiknës flesche putte vndirneþe hir pappes,
Hem to defendë from vnclenly happes.

541

Be-holde, of wommen here a noble wyle!
In schort avisëment, who can do bet?
Bi that þis flesche þus hadde leyen a while,
And þat it was y-chaufëd wel and hete,
It stank so foulë, þat it haþ I-lette
Tho men, þat wery þei were of hir pray,
And fórsook þe wommen, and went hir way.

137

542

O wommanhode! in þe regneþ vertu
So excellent, þat to feble is my witt
To éxpresse it; wherefor I am eschu
To melde or make a long sermoun of it.
Som mannës mouth yit wolde I were I-schet,
That vice of wommen spareþ nought bywreye,
ffor allë soothës ben nought for to seie.

543

But for to talkë forth of contynence
Or chastite,—who-so chaast lyuë schal,
Moot scourge his fleschely lust with abstinence,
Thristë him dowyn, yeue him no place at al:
Metës & drynkës make a soulë thral,
If þe body be reulëd by excesse;
ffor-thi it nedeth take of hem þe lesse.

544

Excesse of mete and drynke is wombës frende,
And wombe is next to oure membres priue;
Glotonye is ful plesant to þe fende,
To leccherië redy path is sche.
The fend lyth in a-wayte of oure freelte,
And stireth a man to drinkës delicat,
To make agaynës chastite debat.

545

A man schulde ete and drynke in swiche a wise
As may be to his helthës sústenynge,
Aftir þe doctrine of Senek þe wise.
Sum man drynketh the wyn þat is wenynge;
Than he drynkeþ his witt: more is preysinge
And honurable, a man compleyne of thrist,
Than dronken be, whan he þe cuppe haþ kist.

138

546

Thus seidë Ierom vn-to a virgyne:
“O doghter, syn thapostle sorë dredde

Ieronimus ad filiam virginem. ‘O filia,’ inquit, ‘si apostolus castigauit corpus & in seruitutem redegit.’

Lust of his flesche, and dide his body peyne,
And heeld it lowe, and symplëly it fedde,
Wherthoruȝ þe vice of vnclennesse he fledde,
Of continence how maist þou siker be,
Of foodë delicat þat hast plente,

547

And specialy now in þi youthës hete?”
ffor who so wilneth to be contynent,

Seneca. Si continenciam diligis, circumcide superflua & voluptuosa.

Many a lust superflu mot he lete,
And lykerous; by mesure, his talent
Mesúre he moot; whan resoun is regent
Of man, þan regneþ no delicacie;
Resoun, a man defendeth fro folye.

548

The wynës delicat, and swete and strong,
Causen ful many an inconuenience;
If þat a man outrageously hem fonge,
Thei birien wit, and fórbeden scilence
Of conseil; thei outraien pacience,
Thei kyndlen ire, and firen liccherie,
And causen both body and soulë dye.

549

And trewëly it is ful perilous
Vnto a princë, whiche þat hath a land
In gouernance, in þat be vicïous;
It nedeth him take heede vnto his hand,
Þat that vicë him combre not; for and
It do, he schal noght regnë but a throwe:
fful many a man haþ éxcesse ouerthrowe.

139

550

Danielis vio. Eadem nocte interfectus est Baltasar, Rex Caldeus, & Darius medus successit in regno, &c.

Of babiloynë, þe kyng Baltasar,
Nat haddë ben I-pryuëd of his lyf,
If he of dronkenessë hadde be war;
But for þat he þerin was défectyf,
It of his deth was verray causatyf;
By nyghtertale he was slayn by kyng dárie;
Thus payeth glotoun éxcesse hir salárie.

551

Regum I. capitulo xxvo. Cor Nabal iocundum erat ebrius enim nimis, &c. Machabeorum xxviijo.

Thorugh drunkenesse, how took his deth Nabal?
And how slow Tholome also Symoun?
Allas! þat drynkë so man seruë schal!
How leidë Lothës doghtres hem a-down

Et cum inebriatus esset Simon & filii eius, surexit tholomeus, &c.

By hir fadir? whan his discrecïoun
Was dreynt with wyn, he with hem fleschely delte,
And þerof no thing ne wistë nor feelte.

552

Genesis xixo. Veni, inebriemus eum vino, dormiamusque cum eo, vt reseruare possimus ex patre nostro semen, &c. Iudith. capitulo 22o.

How was eek Olofernë, by Iudith
The womman slayn, but þorugh his drunkenesse?
What prince it be, þat spotted is þerwith,
His welthe haþ but a brotil stablenesse:
Of swichë stories mo wolde I expresse,
But for I noght ne can, I lete hem passe;
I am as lewed and dulle as is an asse.

553

With litel foodë, cóntent is natúre;
And bet þe body farith wiþ a lite,
Than whan it charged is out of mesúre.
Lookë what þing may þe body profite,
And þe soule in þe samë schal delite;
What þing þat it distempereth & dissesith,
The soule it hurteth, for it god displesith.

140

554

Wratthë, þe body of man inward fretith,
And god þer-wiþ displesid is ful sore;
Envie also of god and man hir getith
Lik thank and ese, and schal do euermore;
And leccherie, as techiþ smertës lore,
The body wastith, and þe soulë grevith,
And foodë delicat þerto man meevith.

555

Be-holde also, whan þat þe paunche is ful,
A fumë clymbith vp in-to þe heed,
And makiþ a man al lustles and al dul;
He vexith heuy as a peece of leed.
Who-so þat þan woldë yeue him reed
To looke in a book of deuocïoun,
I trowe in ydel were his mocïoun.

556

But conseil him to trotte vnto þe wyn,
And, for al his excesse and his outrage,
He þerto wole assentë wel and fyn,
And þerë wole he outen his langáge;
And do to Bachus and Venus homáge;
ffor non of hem two can be wel from othir,
Thei loue as vel as doth sustir & brothir.

557

And aftir moot he rownë with a pilwe,
His lyfles resouns þerë to despende.
We beestës resonable, allas! whi wil we
Ageyn resoun werrye, and hir offende?
O goodë god! thy gracë to vs sende,
That we may fle suche superfluite,
And al þing that is foo to chastite!

141

[§ 9.] De Regis Magnanimitate.

558

Off magnanimite now wole I trete,
Þat is to seyn, strong herte or grete corage,
Whiche in knyghthode haþ stablisshed hir sete.
Ye, gracious Prince, of blode and of lynage
Descendid ben, to haue it in vsage;
Mars haþ euer ben frend to ȝour worþi lyne;
Ye moot of kyndë to manhode enclyne.

559

He þat is strong of corage and of herte,—
Yf he lordschipës haue, or grete richesse,
Or þat fortunës stynge hym ouerthwerte,—
Is alwey on in welthe and in distresse;
He, lucre and los, weyeth in euenesse;
He settiþ litel by good temperel;
How þe worlde schape, he takiþ it ay wel.

560

But for to speke of corage of a kyng,
he of his peple oweþ be so cheer,
That hir profet he moot for any þing
Promotë wit his myght and his power.
And for his reme and him take him so neer,
That vnto þe perilës of bataille
He moot him puttë, and in hem trauaylle,

561

And in diffense of holy chirche also,
And for oure feith putte him in iupartye;
Othir causes ben ther but fewë mo,
Whi a kyng aughte to bataylë hym hye,
And in tho causes drede him not to dye,
But kythe hym a good knyght a-mong his foos:
Thus wonne is magnanymyteës loos.

142

562

Right as we seen by reson and natúre,
Part of mannys body diffendeth al;
As an arme putteþ him in áuenture
ffor þe body, þat nat perische it schal,
Right so a kyngës chertë special,
If he god loue, and his peple, & his land,
Whan nede is, mot diffende hem wiþ his hande.

563

Thoruȝ grete emprises wonne is hy renoun;
Renoun is callëd glorie & honour;
Magnanimite haþ þis condicïoun,
That in bataile, how scharp þat be þe stour,
Hym leuere is to suffre dethës schour,
Than cowardly and schamëfully flee,
So manly of curáge and herte is he.

564

He medleth neuere but of þingës grete,
And hye, and vertuous; he neuere is meeved
With smalë thingës, as the bookës trete;
And swiche a drede haþ for to be repreued,
That vnto þing þat may be knowe or preued
ffor vilonous, or foul, or répreeuáble,
He neuere obeieþ, þis knyȝt honuráble.

565

Thane I rede of oon clepet Coadrus,

De magnanimitate Coadri Principis excercitus atheniensis.

That was prince of þe oost of Athinyens,
How in þe feeld a lawë made was þus
Twixt his host and hem of Polipolens—
With triumphë schuldë þat part go þens,
Whos duc or Princë were vnarmëd slawe
In habit straungë; lo! swiche was þe lawe.

143

566

Him leuer was him selfen for to dye,
And his men liuë, þan se hem be-stad
So streitë, þat by violent maistrie
His foos hadde hem venqwissht or ouer-lad.
A-dayës now is non swiche chierte had;
Algatës I ne can nat seen it vsid,
Knyghtës ben loth þerof to ben accused.

567

O worthi Prince! I truste in ȝour manhode,
Medlid wiþ prudence and discrecïoun,
That ȝe schulle makë many a knyȝtly rode,
And þe pride of oure foos thristen adoun.
Manhode and witt conquéren hy renoun;
And qwo-so lakkiþ outhir of þe tweyne,
Of armës wantiþ þe bridél and reyne.

568

Yf þe ordre of knyghthode be resceyuëd,
fful nedeful is a man to be prudent,
Ellës þat host may lightly be disceyuëd
That is vnto his gouernance I-bent;
Presumpcïon is disobedient
Al day, and by wisdom not will him gie,
All iustifieth his obstýnacie.

569

Ofte in batailës hath be seen or this,
A sydë suffred hath discomfiture,
Whiche an vnwys heed giëd hath amys.
What knyght on hym takith þat charge or cure,
If he in knyghtly honur schal endure,
Him oghte endowëd ben of sapience,
And haue in armës greet experience.

144

570

Experience and art in a bataille,
Of þe prudent knyght morë may profite,
Than hardinesse or forcë may auaille
Of him þat þerof knoweþ noght or lite.
Hardinesse, in effecte, nat worth a myte
Is to victorious conclusïoun,
But wiþ hym medle art, wit, and resoun.

571

Whan reueled wit and manly hardynesse
Ben knytte to-gidre, as ȝok of mariage,
Ther foloweþ of victórie þe swetnesse;
ffor to sette on hym whettith his coráge,
And wit restreyne his wil can & aswage
In tymë duë, and in couenáble;
And thus tho two ioynt ben ful profitable.

572

But be a knyght wys or coragëous,
Or haue hem bothe at onès at his lust,
If þat his herte of good be désirous,
On his manhode is ther but litel trust.
God grauntë knyghtès rubbe away the rust
Of couetise, if it hir hertës cancre,
And graunte hem picche in souffisance hir ancre.

[§ 10.] Quod rex non debet felicitatem suam ponere in diuiciis.

573

Now, for as moche as magnanymyte
May no foot holde, if þat þe herte of man
Gretly vnto richesse enclynëd be,
Than is þe bestë reed þat I see can,
A kyng þer-in delyte hym naght; for whan
His herte is in þat vicë ficched hye,
Smal prowesse in hym wole it signifie.

145

574

And if a kyngës honour schal be queynt
With a foul and a wrecched couetise,
His peples trust in hym schal be ful feynt;
A kyng may naght gouérne hym in þat wise;
The coueitous may do no gret emprise;
ffor whan his hertë lurketh in his cofre,
His body to batayle he dar not profre.

575

If þat a kyng sette his felicite
Principally on rychesse & moneye,
His peple it torneþ to aduersite,
ffor he ne rekkeþ in what wise or weye
He pile hem: allas! þat kyngës nobleye
Turnë schulde into style of tirranye!
Allas! the peril, harme, and vilenye!

576

God I byseeche, your hert to enlumyne,
Gracïous princë, þat þe feend our foo
No power hauë so your hertë myne,
But of his gracë kepë yow ther-fro,
And grantë yow to gouernë yow so
As most holsom is for bodý and soule;
That desire I, by God and by seynt Poule.

577

Qualiter Marcus Curcius dixit, quod mallet diuites habere suo mandato obedientes, quam diues ipsemet esse.

Whan that Marcus Curcius, a Romeyn,
Vnto þe Beneventans seegë leide,
ffor he was poore, as þat þey herdë seyn,
They a grete somme of gold hym sente, & preyde
Withdrawe his seege; and he answerde and seide,
“To hem retourneth / þat yow hider sente,
And thus to hem declareth myn entente:

146

578

“Seye hem, Marcus Curcïus leuer is
Richë men haue at his commandëment,
Than to be riche hym-self; tellë hem this:
He may with gold not be corrupt, ne blent;
Of force of men eek, þey ben impotent
To venqwisshe hym; for þere hir art schal faile,
Hir blyndë profers schal hem noght auaile.”

579

To Alisaundre, as I schal tellen here,
A knyght, whiche was vnto hym specïal,

Refert Valerius qualiter quidam miles Alexandri arguebat eum de sua cupiditate.

Thus spake, and blamed hym in þis manere:
He seide, “if oure goddës thy body smal,
To thi gredy desire had maad egal,
Al þe world haddë nouȝt be súffisant
To han receyuëd so large a Geaunt.

580

“ffor with þi riȝt honde, thow þe orient
Shuldest han touchid, I am sure of þat;
And with þi list honde, eke þe occident;
Now, syn þat þy body answérith nat
Vnto þi willë, what may I sey, what?
Ethir þou art a man, or god, or nouȝt;
Mechil of þe, merueyle I in my þought.

581

“If þou be god, thow folow most his trace,
And nouȝt men of her gode robbe or be-reue,
But hem releue, & do hem ese and grace.
If þou be man, considere eke, by thy leue,
Þou art mortél, þou mayst be dede or eue.
If þou be no þing, þe putte out of mynde,
Os he þat is of no nature or kynde.

147

582

“Ther is no hye estate so sadde and stable,
Remembre wele, lat it nat be for-ȝete,
But he to falle in perile is ful able.
By deeth, a leon maad is briddës mete,
And bestës also his flessh gnawe & frete.”
Þe answere of þe kyng, naught haue I herde;
My booke not telleth how he was answerde.

583

Pauper diogenes dicior erat Alexandro.

Senek seith, the poër Diogenes,
Kyng Alisandre in richessë past,
ffor he ne myȝt, as he seith doutëles,
Ȝeue hym so mochil golde, ne on hym cast,
As he refusë wolde: O! at the last,
Men þinke shullen þei to mochil haue had,
And of þis worldys muk be ful vnglad.

584

Desire of good, a king mot leye apart,
And peyne him to purcháse him a good fame;
Ther-in lat him laboure, and doon his art;
Ther nys no þing vnto a worthi name;
And if a kyng it lakke, it were his shame,
And shame is contrarie vnto worthynesse;
Gode lose desserued, is grettest richesse.

585

And for largessë wynneþ gode renoun,
Ther-of þink I now, to trete a litil stounde;
A prince & kyng of al a regioun
Mot avaricë thrist a-doune to grounde;
To hym þat lith in hellë depe I-bounde,
The, auarice, by-takë I to kepe;
Thow pynëpeny, ther ay mot þou slepe!

148

586

Golde wolde, for false enprisonyng, a writ
Sue agayn þe, if he at largë were;
But he so fast is in þi cofre shit,
He may not out. O fals enprisonere,
Largessë woldë be with shelde & spere
Euen in þi berde, if he brake out to-morwe,
And for his sakë do thë care and sorwe.

587

Þou to largessë dost ful muchil wronge,
Þat haþ hir seruant vndir þi seruage;
On the, and noght on hir, is it a-longe
Þat golde is lette to goon on hir message.
She haþ hym sent in many a viage
Or this, & that was the comoun profyte,
The whiche to lette, is euere þi delyte.

588

Largesse only noght list golde seruant be
Vnto hir self; but the peple, she wolde
Had as gode part of hir seruyce as she;
To hir is al the comoun peple I-holde,
But þou makest þe peplës hertës colde;
Þou slest an hepë which þat she wolde saue;
Þou no wyte helpest, þow he þi help craue.

589

Me list no morë speke of þe this tyme,
But of myne helply lady souereyne
Largessë, my ladý, now wil I ryme,
And aftirward of þi cursëd careyne
I spekë shal; nought o worde wol I feyne,
But as scripturës treten of the, wrecche,
I touchë shal; þe feende the hennës fecche!

149

[§ 11.] De Virtute Largitatis, & De Vicio Prodigalitatis.

590

Aristoteles de regimine principum, capitulo de largitate. ‘Si vis virtutem largitatis adquirere, considera posse tuum, tempora necessitatis & merita hominis,’ &c.

Aristotil, of largesse, telleth this:
Who vertuously largë list to be,
Concider first of what power he is,
And eke the tymës of necessite;
And as þe men disseruen, so be fre;
Yif in mesure vn-to þe indigent
And the worthi, and þat is wel dispent.

591

[R, om. H] Qui aliter dat, regulam excedit largitatis. Qui largiter bona sua hominibus non indigentibus nulla; et quicquid datur indignis perditur; et qui fundit ultra modum diuicias suas, cito veniet ad amara litora paupertatis, et assimilatur illi qui victoriam super se dat inimicis suis &c.

And who doth othir wyse in his ȝeuyng,
Largesses rulë passith and excedith;
He nouther worthi is þank ne preysyng,
That to hym þat no nede hath, ȝiftës bedith.
Of verray folye also it procedith
To ȝeuë the onworthi; for þat cost
All mysse dispendid is, for it is lost.

592

And he þat díspendith out of mesúre
Shal tast a-none pouértes bitternesse;
ffoole largesse is ther-to a verray lure.
Of hem also he berith the lyknesse,
That on him self, as þe booke berith witnesse,
Victórie ȝeueth to his enemys;
And he þat so dispendith, is not wyse.

593

Largessë stant noght in mochil ȝeuynge,
But it is aftir þe wille & þe myght
Of hym þat ȝeueth aftir his hauynge;
ffor it may som tyme happë þat a wight,
Which of richessë berith nat but light,
Ȝeueth but smal; & ȝit larger is he
Than he þat ȝeueth gretter quantite.

150

594

Aftir his goode, man may ȝeue & dispende
Wher as nede is; but he þat al dispendith,
And wastith al, shal him-selue first offende.
ffoolë largesse al day wrycchédly endith;
Many a man hir foule outragë shendith;
But of largesse is goode þe gouernaunce;
Bothë to god and man it is plesaunce.

595

Evene as a mannës blood is norisshyng
To his body, if it corrupt naght be,
So ben richesses to soulës feedynge
Holsom, if þei, were-as necessite
Axith, despent ben, and also if he
Whiche þat hem wan, gat hem with riȝtwisnesse;
ffor heuene and helle is gotë by richesse.

596

A crookid hors neuere is the bet entecched,
Al-þogh his bridel glistre of gold, and schyne;
Right so a man þat vicious is, & wrecched,
And his richésses gote haþ of rapyne,
And also euele as man can ýmagyne,
Despendith hem / naght for hem þe bet is,
But mochil wers; good is take hede of þis.

597

He þat his flesche dispendith, and his blood,
Mi lorde, in ȝour seruice, him ȝiftës bede;
There is largessë mesuráble good;
A kyng so bounde is, he moot doo so nede;
Seruice vnquyt and murdre, it is no drede,
As clerkes writen, and desheritaunce,
Bifore al-mighty god auxen vengeaunce.

151

598

Of fool largessë wole I talke a space;
How it befil, I not in what contree,
But þere was oon named Iohn of Canace,
A richë man, & two douȝtres had he,
That to two worthy men of a Citee
He wedded leet; and þerë was gladnesse
And reuel, morë than I can expresse.

599

The fadir, his doughtres and hir husbondes
Loued ful wele, and had hem leef & dere;
Tyme to tyme he ȝaf hem with his hondes
Of his goode passyngly; & þei swich chere
Him made, & were of so plesant manere
Þat he ne wist how be bettre at ese,
Þei couden hym so wele cheryssh & please.

600

ffor he as mochil hauntid in partie
Hir house, as þat he did his ownë house;
Þei held hym vp so with her flaterye,
That of dispens he was outragëous,
And of goodë þei were ay desirous;
Al þat þei axed, haden þei redy;
Þei euer weren on hym right gredy.

601

Þis sely man contynued his outráge,
Tyl al his goodë was disshid & goone;
And when þei felt his dispenses a-swage,
Thei wax to him vnkyndë right anone;
ffor after haddë he cherishing none,
Thei wery weren of his companye:
And he was wyse, and shope a remedye.

152

602

He to a marchaunt goose, of his notise,
Wich þat his trusty frende had be ful ȝore,
Besechyng hym, þat he wold hym cheuyse
Of ten thousand pounde, ne lenger ne more
Than dayës thre, and he wolde it restore
At his day; þis was done; þe summe he hent,
And to his ownë house þer-with he went.

603

And on the mornë, prayde he to soupere
His sonnës both & his doughtres also.
Þei to him cam, with-owten any daungere:
How þat þei ferden, lat I passe and goo;
Thei ferden wel, with-outen wordës moo;
To his konyng, he grete disport hem made,
He did his myght to chere hem, & to glade.

604

Aftir souper, whan þei hir tymë sye,
Þei toke her leue, & home þei wolde al-gate;
And he answered, and seyde hem sekirly,
“This nyȝt ye shul nat passe out of the gate;
Your house is fer, and it is dyrke and late;
Neuen it nat, for it shal nat be-tyde;”
And so al nyȝt he made hem to abyde.

605

The fadir logëd hem, of sly purpóse,
In a chambre next to his ioynyng;
ffor by-twix hem nas þer but a parclose
Of bordë, nauȝt but of homly makyng;
Þurgh out þe which, at many a chynnyng,
In echë chambre þei myghten beholde,
And see what othir dyden, if þat þei wolde.

153

606

I kan nat sey how þei slepten þat nyȝt;
Also it longith nat to my matere;
But on þe morwë, at brodë day liȝt
The fadir roose; and for þei shulden here
What þat he dyd, in a boystous manere
Vnto his chist, which þat three lokkys hadde,
He went, and þer-at wrested he ful sadde.

607

And when it was I-opned & vnshytte,
Þe bagged gold by þe marchaunt hym lent
He hath vncofred, and streyte forþ with it
Vnto his beddis feete gone is & went.
What doth þan þis fel man & right prudent,
But out þis golde on a tippet hath shotte,
That in þe baggës leftë þere no grotte.

608

And al þis did he noght but for a wyle,
As þat ye shul wel knowen aftirwarde;
He shope his sonnës & doughtres begile.
His noysë made hem dressen hem vpwarde;
Þei cast her erës to his chambre-warde,
And herd of golde þe russhyng and the soun,
As that he rudëly threwe hem adoun.

609

And to þe parclos þei hem hast and hye,
To wyte and knowë what her fadir wrought.
In at þe chynnës of þe borde þei prye,
And sigh how he amonge þe nobles sought
If défectif were any, as hem þought;
And on his nayl he threwe hem oft & cast,
And baggëd hem and cofred at the last;

154

610

And opned his dore, & dounë goth his wey.
And aftir blyue, out of hir bedde þei rise,
And cam doune eke: hir fadir þanken þey
Of his gode cherë, in hir bestë wyse,—
And al was for þe goldës couetyse,—
And to gon hoom, þei axid of hym leue;
Thei ben departyd, and þei þere hym leue.

611

Walkyng homward, þei iangeld fast, & speeke
Of þe golde which þei sey hir fadir haue.
Oon seyd, “I wondre ther-on;” “and I eke,”
Quod a-nothir, “for, also god me saue,
Ȝistir-day, thogh I shuld in-to my graue
Haue crept, I durst on it haue leyde my lyfe,
That golde with hym nought haddë ben so ryfe.”

612

Now lat hem muse on þat, what so hem list;
And to hir fadir now wol I me dresse.
He al þis golde takith out of his chist,
And to þe marchaunt payde it more & lesse,
Þankyng hym often of his kyndënesse;
And þennës goth he homë to his mete,
And to his sonnës house when he had ete.

613

When he cam thidir, thei made of hym more
Þan þat þei werë wont, by many folde;
So gret disport þei made hym noȝt ful ȝore.
“ffadir,” quod þei, “þis is your owne housholde;
In feith, þer is no þing within oure holde,
But it shal be at your comandëment;
Wolde god þat ye weren at oure assent,

155

614

Þennë we shulden ay to-gedir dwelle.”
Al what þei menten, wist he wel I-now:
“Sonnës and doughtres,” quod he, “soth to telle,
Mi wille is goode also to be with yow.
How shuld I myrier be? nat wot I how,
Than with yow for to be continuel;
Your companyë liketh me ful wel.”

615

Now shope it so, þei helden house in fere,
Sauf þe fadir; and as þei lough & pleyde,
His doughtres bothë with a lawghyng chere
Vn-to hir fadir spake, and þus þei seyde,
And to assoile hir questïoun hym preyde:
“Now, godë fadir, how mochil monye
In your strong bounden chist is, we yow preye?

616

“Ten thousand pounde,” he seide, & lyëd lowde,
“I told hem,” quod he, “nat ful long agoo,
And þat as redely as þat I cowde.
Ȝif ye wil aftir þis do to me so
As ye haue done by-fornë, þan al tho
I in my testament disposë shal
ffor your profytë; yours it shal ben al.”

617

Aftir þis day, þei all in oon house were,
Til þe day com of þe fadirs deying.
Goode mete and drynke, and clothës for to were
He had, and payëd nat to his endyng.
When he sey þe tyme of his départyng,
His sonës and his doughtres did he calle,
And in this wise he spakë to hem alle:

156

618

“Nat purpose I make othir testament,
But of þat is in my strong chist I-bounde;
And riȝt anone, or I be hennës hent,
An hundred pound of nobles gode and rounde,
Takith to prechours; tarryeth it no stounde;
An hundred pound eke to þe frerës grey,
And carmës fifty: tarrye it nought, I sey.

619

“And when I buried am, of hem the keyes
Of my chist takith, for þat þei hem kepe;
By euery keyë writen ben the weyes
Of my wille.” þis golde was nat suffred slepe;
It was anone dalt, for hir hertis depe
Stak in his bounden cofre, and al hir hope
Was godë bagges þerin for to grope.

620

To euery chirche and recluse of þe toune,
Bad hem eeke of golde ȝeue a quantite:
Al as he bad, þei weren prest and boune,
And did it blyuë; but, so mot I the,
fful slily he disceyuyd þis meyne,
His sonnës and his doughtres boþ, I mene;
Hir berdës shauëd he right smothe & clene.

621

When he was dede, and his exéquies do,
Solenily þei to þe frerës ȝide,
And bad þo keyes delyuere hem vn-to;
And as þat þei hem beden, so þei dide.
Tho ioyful sonës dresse hem to þe stide
Wher as þis strongë bounden chistë stoode;
But or þei twynned þens, þei pekkid moode.

157

622

Thei opneden þe chist, & fonde riȝt nought
But a passyngly greet sergeántës mace,
In which ther gaily made was and I-wrought
This samë scripture: “I, Iohn of Canace,
Makë swhich testament here in þis place;
Who berith charge of othir men, & is
Of hem despisëd, slayn be he with this.”

623

Among folïes all is noon, I leue,
More þan a man his gode ful largëly
Despende, in hopë men wol hym releue
Whan his gode is despendid vtterly;
The indigént men setten no þing by.
I, Hoccleue, in swich case am gilty, þis me touchith,
So seith pouert, which oon foole large him vouchith.

624

ffor þogh I neuer were of hy degree,
Ne haddë mochil gode ne gret richesse,
Ȝit hath þe vice of prodigalite
Smerted me sore, & done me hevynesse.
He þat but litil hath, may done excesse
In his degree, as wel as may þe riche,
Thogh hir dispenses werë nat elyche.

625

So haue I plukked at my pursë strynges,
And made hem often for to gape & gane,
Þat his smal stuf hath take hym to his wynges,
And hath I-sworne to be my welthës bane,
But if releef a-way my sorowe plane;
And whens it comë shal, can I nought gesse,
Mi lorde, but it procede of your hynesse.

158

626

I me repent of my mysrewly lyfe;
Wherfor, in þé wey of sauacïoun
I hope I be; my dotage éxcessyfe
Hath put me to swich castigacïoun,
Þat indigence hath dominacïoun
On me; o! had I help, now wolde I thryue,
And so ne did I neuer ȝit in my lyue.

627

My yeerly guerdoun, myn annuite,
That was me graunted for my long labóur,
Is al behynde, I may naght payëd be,
Whiche causeth me to lyuen in langour.
O liberal prince! ensample of honour!
Vnto your gracë lyke it to promoote
Mi poore estat, and to my woo beth boote!

628

And, worþy prince, at cristës reuerence
Herkeneth what I schal seyn, and be noght greued,
But lat me stande in your beneuolence;
ffor if myn hertës wil wiste were, and preeued,
How yow to loue it stirëd is and meeved,
Ye schulden knowe, y your honour and welþe
Triste and desire, and eek your soulës helþe.

629

In al my book ye schul naght see ne fynde,
That I youre dedës lakke, or hem despreise;
But for I woldë þat ye hadde in mynde
Swich thyng as your renoun myghte vp areyse,
I write as my symple conceyt may peyse;
And trustith wel, al þat my pennë seith,
Proceedith of good herte and trewe, in feith.

159

630

Aristoteles de regimine, capitulo de vicio superfluitatis. “O Alexander, firmiter dico tibi, quod quis rerum superflue contulerit dominaciones, vltra quod regnum suum possit sufficere, talis Rex procul dubio destruit & destruitur.’

What kyng þat dooth more éxcessif despenses
Than his land may to suffice or atteyne,
Schal be destruëd, after þe sentences
Of Aristotle; he schal naght fle þe peyne.
ffoolë largësse and avarice, þo tweyne,
If þat a kyng eschue, & largë be,
Reioyse he schal his rëal dignite.

631

How fool largesse a kyng destroyë may,
As blyuë wole I vnto yow declare:
ffool largessë yeueþ so moche a-way,
That it þe kyngës cofres makeþ bare,
And þanne awakiþ poorë peples care;
ffor al þat sche dispendid haþ & wastid,
They moot releuë, therto be þey hastid.

632

The Tylere with his porë cote and land,
That may vnnethës gete his sustenance,
And he þat naght haþ but labóur of hand,
Ben often put vnto ful smert nusance.
Good is be-ware of goddës long suffrance;
Thogh he to venge hym tarie, & be suffráble,
Whan his strook cometh, it is importáble.

633

Naght speke I ageyn eidës vttirly,
In sum cas þey ben good and necessárie;
But whan þey goon to custumáblely,
The peple it makiþ for to curse and warie:
And if þey ben despended in contrárie
Of þat þey graunted of þe peple were,
The morë grucchen þey þe cost to bere.

160

634

The pot so longë to þe watir goth,
That hoom it cometh at þe laste y-broke.
Whan þat þe peple, with a cherë loth,
Hir purs y-emptid haue, & eek hir poke,
Hem þynkith þat þey ouer nyh ben soke.
What harm of þat to kynges haþ be-tid,
Scripturës tellen; it may nought ben hid.

635

But fauel naght reportith tho scripturis;

Aristoteles eodem capitulo. Subditi vero propter iniuriam clamauerunt ad deum excelsum & gloriosum.

His lordës soulë salue, he from hym hydith;
He besieth hym so in sly portraituris,
Þat homly trouthë naght with hym abidith;
The swetë venym of his tongë gydeth
His lord vnto þe valeie of dirknesse,
If he gouérne hym by his fykilnesse.

636

The trewë man, if he may apparceyue
A défaute in his lord, as othir while
It happith, he his lord it redith weyue,
And bit hym to vertu hym reconsile;
And yit fauel, þe net of fraude and gile,
The þank hath, and þat othir þe maugree:
O god! þat verray trouþe art for to see.

637

Who þat, fro drede of any lord or syre,

Augustinus. Quisquis metu alicuius potestatis veritatem occultat, iram dei super se prouocat, quia magis timet hominem quam deum.

Hydeth þe trouthe, and naght wil it out seie,
He vppon hym prouokith goddës yre,
ffor þat he more of man than god hath eye.
They þat þe trouthë of hir hertes bywreye
To lordës, and telle hem hir wicked lyf,
No grace in hem fynden for hir motyf.

libere veritatem predicantes & praue vite gesta arguuentes, non habent gratiam apud homines, &c.

161

638

But bet, for trouthe is to suffre turment,
Than richëly enhauncëd be for glose.

Augustinus. Melius est pro veritate pati supplicium, quam adulacione beneficium, &c.

If þis lyf herë be naght wel dispent,
I wot it wel, I wele it naght suppose,
God wole his regnë from vs schitte & close.
Here is þe way to peynë, or to blisse;
Who so wel dooth, of yoye he may naght misse.

639

Eternel god, the blessid trinite,
Whiche þat euery man of cristen byleeue
Knoweth an vndyuyded vnite,
His mercy and his gracë kythe & preeue
In yow, my lord; þat so your dedës cheeue
As þat your soule, aftir þis lyf present,
To heuene blisse vp may be take & hent.

[§ 12.] De Vicio Auaricie.

640

Now go we to þe Auericïous,
To whom non hábundancë may suffice.
A chynchë neuere can be plentevous
Thogh al were his; swiche is his couetise;
To thriste ay aftir more, it is his gyse;
He is þe swolwe þat is neuere ful:
At Auericë now haue here a pul.

641

Sche may, as god forbede, vndo a kyng
Thurgh hire insaciable gredynesse.
Hire herte is sette vppon non oþer þing
But how sche may golde hepe; al in dirknesse
Lurkith þe purchas of hire egrenesse;
In bagges vndir lok, hir gold sche thristeth;
Al to þe cofre it goth, and al sche chistith.

162

642

There is it hidde; no sonne it seeþ, ne moone;
Thogh al þe world steruë schulde on a day
ffor lak of good, naght were it for to done
To borwe of hire; euere is hir answere nay;
That sche naght haþ, also sche swerith ay.
Hir nature is to kepe, and naght despende,
And hir desir of good ne hath non ende.

643

Auarice is a loue inmoderat,

Scriptum est, Auaricia est amor immoderatus adquirendi temporalia, & est pestis fere omnes homines solicitans. Vnde propheta ait Ieremie vjo A maiori vsque ad minorem omnes student Auariciam &c.

Richésses temporel for to purcháce;
Sche besieth hir in euerych estat;
Sche shapith hir al þe world to embrace
ffro þe morë to þe lessë; hir trace
To suë, studien men, seith Ysaye,
And sche þe thraldom is of Maumetrye.

644

Sche is a couetysë éxcessyf
Of othres good; & of hire ownë, sche
So streit and hard is, and so rétentyf,
That it profytë may in no degree.
O auericïous, what eilith þee?
Þe goodës whyichë ben vnto þe lent,
Why hydest þou? I-wis þou wilt be schent.

645

Weenest þou þat þou doost naght wickedly,
Þat so many a manys sustenance
Thi self wiþ-holdest soul? yis, hardily.
Thow þat of richesse hast greet habundaunce,

Iterum scriptum est Neque enim minus est criminis habenti tollere, quam cum possis & habundans sis, indigentibus necessaria denegare.

And to þe nedy yeuest no pitaunce,
No lesse offendist þou than he þat schakith
Men out of hire good, and from hem it takith.

163

646

Thus may thy stylë likned be to thefte;
As a theef in þis world is hangid here,
ffor good whiche þat he of þe peple refte,
So schalt þou honge in helle, and bye it deere,
But if so be, or þou goo to þi beere,
Thow córrectë thy greedy appetyt,
And of streit kepynge emptë þy delyt.

647

Item scriptum est. Esuriencium panis est quem tu detines; nudorum vestimentum est quod tu recludis.

The breed of hungry peple þou with-holdist,
And schutest vp the nakid mennës cloth
That keuere hem sholde; if þou oght of god toldist,
ffor to doo so, þou woldest be ful loth.
Al þat þou getist, to hid place it goth.

Iterum scriptum est, Tantorum ergo te scias inuadere bona, quantorum de possessione tua poteris subuenire, & non vis. Prouerbiarum xxvij. Qui odit auariciam, longi fient dies eius.

As many men, hir good þow hem byreuest
As þou releuë myghtest, and it leuest.

648

Who so þat fro þe poorë mannës cry
Stoppith his erës, þogh he lowdë crye,
Schal naght be herde; and more ouer, rede y,
His dayës schulle encresse & multiplie
That auerice hatith, þis is no lye.

Ecclesiastici x. Nichil iniquius quam amare pecuniam.

Werse is no þing þan to loue moneye,
As þat Ecclesiasticus can seye.

649

Ambrosius de officiis. Caueas ne intra loculos tuos includas salutem inopum, & tanquam in tumilo ne sepelias vitam pauperum.

Ambrosë seith, war, man, þat þou ne schitte
With-in þi purs þe nedy peples hele,
And to þe buriellës naght committe
The lyf of poorë men; ȝeue hem, & dele
Part of þi good; o, þy baggës vnsele;
Opne hem; hir knyttynge al to sore annoyeth;
Thy pynëd stuf, many a man destroyeth.

164

650

Thow seist per cas, “yf I no man byreue
His good, what wrong, myn owne is it to hyde
And multiplie?” o, chynchë! by þi leue,
What seist þou is þin? what was þin, þat tyde
Thow cam in-to þis world, þou homycide?
Thow broghtist naght; claymë no propertee

Scilicet tempore necescitatis R.

Of thing þat oghtë communë to be.

651

Thi talkinge and þi clap is al of erthe,

Ysaie xixo. de terra loqueris & de humo audietur eloquium tuum propter amorem quem habes ad sordes. Luce xij. Cui multum datum est multum queretur ab eo a deo & hominibus.

And þe ground for-þi schal answere the,
ffor þat þe loue of muk sittith so neer þe.
Of him þat hath of goodës gret plentee,
Of god and man mochil axid schal be;
Thow schalt be rekned with, heer-aftir, chynche,
Where as þou schalt not at þe acountës pynche.

652

By what title þat þou getist þi good,
Thow countist naght þe value of a myte;
Thyn hert is euermore on gold so wood,
That no thing ellës canst þou in delite;
Of conscïencë rekkist þou so lite,
What goodis þat þou getist of rapyne,
Þou hem affermest by good title þyne.

653

ffeith and prowessë, leist þou vndir foote,

Salustius dicit: Auaricia fidem & probitatem subpeditat, & docet hominem in se habere superbiam & crudelitatem.

And techist folk to haue in hem-self pride;
And cruelte hath caght in þe swiche roote,
That sche noght slippë may fro þe, ne slyde;
And euery vertu throwest þou a-syde.
O, euery prince and kyng moot ben eschu,
In al maneere, of þi lym and þi glu.

165

654

ffor ellës is it light to vndirstonde,
To euery man þat wit can & resoun,
It is nat likly, á kyng for to stonde
In his welthë but a litil sesoun,
ffor Auaricë may ben énchesoun
His peple to destroyen and oppresse;
And, as I saydë, so may fool largesse.

655

ffool largesse is a sekenesse curable,

Dicit idem philosophus, quod prodigalitas est morbus curabilis, ab egestate vel etate.

Outhir of indigence, othir ellës age;
He þat fool large in ȝouthe is, is ful able
In eldë to abate it and aswage,
ffor agid folk ben more in þe seruage
Of auaricë þan ben folk in yowthe;
And what I schal eek seyn, herkneth wel nowþe.

656

Auaricia est morbus incurabilis, vt idem dicit.

Of nede eek may it curid ben, and helid;
A man may so largë despenses make,
Til al is good be díspendid and delid;
And whan his purs y-emptid is, and schake,
Than, begynneþ indigence a-wake,
By whiche he cured is of þe seekenesse
Of prodigalitee, or fool largesse.

657

But auarice, he seith, incurable is;
ffor ay þe more a man þerin procedith
And wexith olde, so mochil more I-wys,
He auaricious is; in him naght breedith
But thoght and woo, for ay his hertë dreedith
His good to leese; and morë for to hepe
His thoghtës stirten heere & þere, and lepe.

166

658

Now if þe heed of al a regioun,
By whom þat al gouérned is and gyed,
Be of so seekly a condicïoun,
That it may by no curë be maistryed,
Thanne is he to þe wersë part applied;
And as the philosofre seith vs to,
The lessë wikke is fool largesse of two.

659

The philosofre preeueth Auarice

Respice in Egidio de regimine principum: ‘probat philosophus iiijto ethicorum, iijo racione, quod auaricia peior est prodigalitate. [R adds] primo enim melius est infirmari morbo curabili quam incurabili.

Wel wersë þan is prodigalite:
By thre causes he halt it gretter vice:
ffirst, he seith, it is better seek to be,
Of a sekenesse or infirmite
Of whiche a man may haue rekeueryng,
Þan of swiche on as þer is non helyng.

660

The seconde cause is, prodigalitee

[lf. 83 (81) a] Secundo, probat quod prodigalitas est magis propinqua virtuti quam Auaricia, nam liberalis non libenter recipit, sed libenter dat, quorum vtrumque facit prodigus;

Is morë ny to vertu many del
Than Auerice; and why, ye schul wele see:
He þat is liberal, naght list so wel
ffor to receyue any good or catell
As yeuë, but what man þat is fool large
To take and yeuë, yeueth he no charge.

661

Wherfore he seiþ, þere is no difference

non ergo differt prodigus a liberalitate, nisi quod prodigus non dat vt debet, & quibus debet, nec cuius gratia debet,

Twixt fool largesse and liberalitee,
Sauf þe fool largë, óf his imprudénce,
Of his dispenses is to dislauee,
And yeueth there as oghtë naght to be;
And for what cause also, and for what skile
He yeuë schal, non hede he takë wile.

167

662

quare cum prodigus non sit amator pecunie sicut nec liberalis, de facili prodigus fieri possit liberalis &c.

And syn fool large, on gold settiþ his herte
No morë þan þe liberal, þan may
ffool large into liberalite sterte
lightly ynow. for vertu is kynges pray,
He Auerice eschuë mot alway,
By causë sche more is contrarious
To vertu, þan the large outragëous.

663

[R] Tercio, quia rex est positus in regno propter salutem regni, & vt prosit hijs qui in regno sunt; auarus autem nulli prodest.

The þriddë skile is, for a kyng is set
In his remë for his peples releef,
ffor þey schulden for hym fare þe bet;
But þe streyt chynchë qwencheþ neuere greef;
His gold is neuere saluë to myschef;
Only to gadre and kepe, he hym delitith;
But þe fool largë, many man profitith;

664

[R] Idem dicit quod largitas est ad similitudinem vasorum; vasa enim habencia os largum, abunde emittunt quod in eis est.

Yit vices ben þey gretë bothë tweyne.
O! worþy princë, take on yow largesse;
Dooth so, o gracious lord, for goddës peyne!
Largesse I-put is vnto þe liknesse
Of vessels, whos mouthës han gret wydnesse,
And hilde out hir licóur habundantly;
Thus seith þe philosofre trewëly.

665

[R] Cum ergo tanto deceat fontem habere largum os, quanto ex eo plures participare debent, tanto decet regem largiorem esse, &c.

And in as mochil as a welle also,
At þe whiche many folk hir water fecche,
Nedith to han the larger mouth; right so
The largesse of a kyng moot ferþer strecche,
If he of his estat any þing recche,
Than oþer mennës; for hir impotence
Strecchiþ naght so fer as his influence.

168

666

Largesse is ‘liberalitee’ y-callid,
And likned is vnto hem þat ben free;
But he þat auaricious is, is thrallid
To moneie. a kyng moot algatës flee
A chynchës hertë, for his honeste
And for þe profyte, as I seide aboue,
Of his peple, if he þynke wynne here loue.

667

Victorie and honour, he schal hym purcháse

Prouerbiarum xxij. Victoriam & honorem adquiret qui dat munera. Item: ne dicas amico tuo ‘vade & reuertere, & cras dabo tibi,’ cum statim possis dare.

That is of yiftës fre; but war alway
That he naght tarye ne delaye his grace;
Dryue it noght forth vnto anoþer day,
Whan, if hym list, anon he yeuë may;
Yeue it as blyue, hys þank is wel þe more;
This vouche I on holy scripturës lore.

668

The vertu is of liberalitee,

De virtute liberalitatis.

Yeue and dispende, in place and in tyme due;
Right as largessë dooth in swiche degree,
They bothë moot in hir conseytes chue
Where is good yeue, and wherë to eschue,
The persone, and þe somme, and causë why:
What þey yeuen, yeue it vertuously.

669

But it naght longeth to þe liberal
To yeue hym good þat vseþ flaterie;
His menynge and his éntencïoun final
On fals plesance, is set for briberie;
He is þe verray cofre of treccherie;
His doublenesse his lord doun ouerthroweþ;
The seed of his confusïoun he soweþ.

169

670

Nota quod laudandus est ille quem pietas mouet reuelamen prestare indigenti: nota bene hic!

That man I-born is in a blissed hour,
Whom þat pitee, dissert, or kyndënesse,
Stiren to yeue, or mynystre hym socour,
That infortunës strokës bitternesse
I-woundid hath wiþ pouertes scharpnesse:
Nat mene I hem þat hire, and fees and wages,
Hath at þe dees loost, and hir heritáges;

671

But þo þat men welthy han ben byfore,
And vertuous ben, and han hir goodë lost,
And can not beggë, to be deed þerfore;
On hem ful wel bystowëd is þe cost.
But welaway! as harde as is a post—
A post? nay, as a stoon—ben hertës now!
Lordës, for schamë! what þing eyleth yow?

672

A gentil hertë, for to begge haþ schame;
His rody schamfastnessë dar not preye.
Ye þat of gentillesse han stile & name,
Lat nat your poorë bretheren by yow deye!
Se vnto hem, thogh þey nat speke or seie.
Is pitee fro yow fled? calle hir agayn!
ffor hir absence haþ many good man slayn.

673

Senek seith, hé haþ nat þat þing for noght,
That byeth it by speche and by prayere.
There is no thyng þat is in eerthë wroght,
As þat he seith, þat is y-bought so deere;
It standith streytë, whan it schal apere,
ffor it is vois of wrecchidnesse and sorwe,
Whan þat a man schal praye, or begge, or borwe.

170

674

Allas! þogh þat a man disceuere & pleyne
To many a lord his méscheuous myserie,
The lord naght deyneth vndirstonde his peyne;
He settith noght þerby a blakberie.
Welthe in þe lordës sayl bloweþ ful merye;
But the nedy berith his sail so lowe,
That no wynd of comfórt may in hit blowe.

675

Of liberalitee yit forthermore

Hic caueant capitanei, quod non retineant vadia.

I tellë wole, as þat I haue herd seyn
Amongës wysë folk, gon is ful yore.
What man a ledere is, or a chiefteyn
Of peple, his labour is al wast and veyn,
But he be fre vnto his sowdëours,
If þat he sekë conquest of honours.

676

And specialy þat he hir duëtee
Abriggë naght, ne naght syncope hir wages
That hem assigned ben: in certeyntee,
Peril of schamë folwen swiche vságes.
Whan al a-counted is, tho auantáges
That founded ben of wrong and on repreef,
Ben naght but auantáges of mescheef.

677

This makith couetise or Auarice
Roote of al harmës, fo to conscïence;
Of wikked purchas is sche Emperice,
And mochil hath, and ay haþ indigence.
Sho rather wil lyuen in abstinence
Of mete and drynkë, for hertës scantnesse,
Than for þe soule or bodyes holsumnesse.

171

678

Prince excellent! so moot ye wirke and wilne
As may your soulës helthë edifie;
And a-mong othir þingës, þat your wilne
Be infecte wiþ no wrecched chyncherie.
Largesse mesúrable vnto yow tye,
And fool largessë voydeth fro yow clene
ffor free largessë is a vertuous mene.

[§ 13.] De regis prudencia.

679

Now, gracious princë, lyke it yow to wyte
That touche I thynke of a kyngës prudence,
As þat I ther-of fynde in bookës write.
Prudence is callid wit and sapience,
And needës moot rëal magnificence
Be prudent, as þat þé scripture vs lereth,
If he schal ben as his estate requerith.

680

Prudence, attemperancë, strengthe, and right,
Tho fourë ben vertuës principal;
Prudencë gooth by-fore, and ȝeueth light
Of counseil, what þo other thre do schal,
That þey may wirkë, be it greet or smal,
Aftir hir reed, wiþ-outen whom no man
Wel vnto god, né þe world lyuë can.

681

Prudence is vertu of entendëment;
She makith man by resoun him gouérne.
Who-so þat list to be wys and prudént,
And þe light folwe wole of hir lanterne,
he mostë caste his look in euery herne

172

Of þyngës past, and ben, & þat schul be:
The endë seeþ, and eek mesúreth, sche.

682

There is no wight þat sche schapiþ disceyue,
And, thogh men casten hem hire to begile,
Naght wole it be; by wit sche wole it weyue.
Eek sche obserueth so wele trouthës style,
And þerto can so wel her tonge affyle,
That, lest þe fauour of frendschipës corde,
Othir þan trouthë can sche not recorde.

683

Sche bý-heetith by good avisëment,
And ȝeueth morë þan hir list promette;
Scho yeueth tó men eek commandëment
‘Naght in fortune truste, or by hir sette;
And al þe truste, out of hir hertë schette,
Of myght of worldly dominacïoun:’
Vertu gyeth hir operacïoun.

684

Prudence hath leuer louëd be þan drad;
Ther may no prince in his estate endure,
Ne ther-yn any whilë standë sad,
But he be louëd; fór loue is armure
Of seurëte. o! take on yow þe cure,
Excellent princë, louë to embrace,
And þan your herte is sette in siker place.

685

Now, if þat ye graunten by your patente
To your seruauntës a yeerly guerdoun,
Crist scheeldë þat your wil or your entente
Be sette to maken a restriccioun
Of paiëment; for þat condicïoun
Exileþ þé peples beneuolence,
And kyndeleþ hate vndir priue scilence.

173

686

Beeth wel avisëd, or your graunt out go,
How ye þat chargë may performe and bere;
Whan it is past, obserue it wel also,
ffor ellës wole it yow annoye and dere;
ffor your honur it muchel bettre were,
No graunt to graunt at al, þan þat your graunt
Yow preeue a brekere of a couenaunt.

687

He þat is louëd, men drede hym offende;
But he þat drad, & naght by-louëd is,
As Tullïus seith, lightly may descende,
And þe lordschipë leesë þat was his;
And Senek also seith as touchyng þis,
The sogett hateth whom he haþ in drede;
And hate is hard, if it his venym schede.

688

Was neuere dredë yit a good wardeyn,
To holdë lordschepe in his sikernesse,
But only loue is þing most souereyn;
Loue is norice of welþe and of gladnesse,
But out of louë spryngeþ ferdfulnesse,
And feere is good, whiche þat on loue groundeth,
But othir feerë naght heliþ, but woundeth.

689

Louë, withouten a good gouernaille,
A kyng haþ non; for thogh men no word seye,
If he his peple oppresse, it is no faile
They loue hym noght, in no manere of weie;
They may his hestës outward wel obeie,
But in hir hertes is smal obediaunce,
And vnto god þey cómpleyne hir grevaunce.

174

690

And swich a kyng is naght prudent ne wys,
That of his peple purchaseth hym hate,
ffor loue excedith al tresour in prys;
So hath it ben, and so be wole algate.
Whan þat richésses ebben & abbate,
If loue endurë, it may hym restore,
And loue is goten by prudénces lore.

691

By wise conseil, settith your hy estat
In swhiche an ordre as ye lyuë may
Of your good propre, in reule moderat;
Is it knyghtly lyue on rapynë? nay!
ffor Cristës sakë, so yow gyeth ay,
As þat may strecchë to your peples ese,
And þerwith-al ye schul god hily plese.

692

It apparteneth a kyng for to be

Egidius in ija parte j. libri politicorum: Aristoteles and Regem maxime spectat vt sit rex secundum rei veritatem.

A kyng in verray soth and éxisténce.
A kyng, of office and of dignite
The name is; he moot don his diligence
His peple for to gyë by prudénce;
ffor þat he rule hem schuldë duëly,
The stile of a ‘kyng’ he berith certeynly.

693

As an archer may naght his arwe schete

Eodem capitulo: sicut sagittator non potest sagittam sufficienter dirigere in signum, nisi ipsum signum viderit, sic nec Rex &c.

Euene at a merk, bút he þe merk see,
No morë may a kyng, I yow byhete,
Gouerne his peple in rigth and equitee,
But by prudénce he reule his hyghe degree;
If þat be wel, his peple hath sikernesse
Of reste and pees, welþe, ioyë, and gladnesse.

175

694

Inicium sapiencie, timor domini.

Bygynnynge of wisdom is, god to drede;
What kyng þat dredith god, is good and iust
To his peple; beeþ swiche, my lord, I rede!
In loue and in awe of god, ficcheþ your lust;
Than be ye wys, and þan yow needës must,
Aftir your worldly sceptre transitórie,
In heuene regne in pérpetuel glorie.

[§ 14.] De consilio habendo in omnibus factis.

695

Now purpose I, to trete how to a kyng
It nedeful is to do by consail ay;
With-outen whiche, good is he do no þing;
ffor a kyng is but a man soul, parfay!
And be his witt neuere so good, he may
Erre and mistake hym oþer while among,
Where-as good counsail may exclude a wrong.

696

Excellent princë, in axynge of reed,
Descouereþ naght your wille in no maneere;
What þat ye þinkë doo, lat it be deed
As for þe tymë, lat no word appere;
But what euery man seith, wel herkne & here;
And yit whan good counsail is yeuen yow,
What ye do wolë, kepe it close y-now

697

Til þat yow lykë párforme it in dede;
And if it schal be don, lat it noght tarie,
ffor þat is perillous with-outë drede;
Ther is no þing may make a lond myscarie
Morë than swiche delay; ful necessárie
It is, a gode purpos parforme as bliue,
As, if it naght be, out of mynde it dryue.

176

698

And if þat á man of symple degree,
Or pore of birth, or ȝonge, be wel conseile,
Admytte his resoun and take it in gre:
Why naght, my godë lorde? what shuld yow eyle?
But men do naght so; where-of I merueyle;
Þe worlde fauórith ay þe richës sawe,
Þow þat his conseil be noght worth an hawe.

699

What he seith, is vp to þe clowdës bore;

Ecclesiastici xiiijo diues locutus est, & omnes tacuerunt, & verbum illius vsque ad nubes perducunt: pauper locutus est, & dicunt, ‘quis est hic?’ &c.

But and þe porë spekë worth þe twey,
His seed naght spryngë may, it nys but lore;
Thei seyen, “what is he, þis? lat hym goo pley!
O! worthi princë, beth wel ware, I prey,
Þat your hye dygnite and sad prudénce
No desdein haue of þe porës senténce.

700

Thogh men contrárie eek your óppynyoun,
Þei may, per cas, conseilë yow þe best;
Also ye ben at your eleccioun
To doo or leuë, as your seluen lyst.
If it be gode, impresse it in þe chest
Of your memórie, and excusith it;
If it naght be, to leue it, is a wyt.

701

And if yow list your cónseilere to preue,
Ye feynë mot ye haue necessite
Of golde; and if he sterë yow, and meeue,
Your Iewels ley in weddë, certeyn he
Loueth your éstate and prosperite;
But he þat redith yow, your peple oppresse,
He hatheth yow, certéyne, it is no lesse.

177

702

And if a man, in tyme of swich a nede,
Of his goode ȝeuë yow a goode substaunce,
Swich oon cherich, and ellës god forbede,
Konneth hym þank of his goode cheuesaunce,
ffor him is leuer to suffre penaunce
Him-self, þan þat your peple shuldë smert;
Ther is a preef of trewë louyng hert.

703

In auxenge eeke of reed, ware of fauel;

Non exigatur consilium ab adulatore nec de auaro.

Also ware of þe auaricïouse;
ffor none of þo two can conseilë wel;
Hir reed & conseil is envenymouse;
Þei bothë ben of golde so désirous,
Þei rekkë naght what bryge her lorde be Inne,
So þat þei mowen golde & siluyr wynne.

704

And if your conseil which þat ye haue take,
Vnto þe knowlech or þe audience
Of your foos comen be, þan lat it slake,
And witterly putte it in abstinence;
ffor execute it were an inprudence;
In swich a caas, is wisdam it to chaunge;
Goode is, your conseil be to your foes straunge.

705

Scriptum est, quod consilium bene potest freno comparari.

Conseil may wel be likend to a bridil,
Which þat an hors vpkepeth fro fallyng,
If man do by conseil; but al in Idel
Is reed, if man naght folwe it in wirkyng.
Do no þing redeles, do by conseylyng

Sine consilio nichil facias, & post factum non penitebis.

Of hedës wyse, and than noo répentaunce
Þer folwe yow schal in your gouernaunce.

178

706

Comméndable is, conséil take óf þe wyse,

Thobie 4o. Consilium semper a sapiente perquire, & non a fatuo, &c.

And noght of foolës, for þei may noght loue
But swich þing as hem likyth. in al wyse,
Your conseiler, chesith our lorde god a-boue;

Scriptum est, Cum fatuis non habeas consilium, quia non possunt diligere nisi quod eis placet.

Chesith eke godë men; ánd awey shoue
The wykkyd, whos conseyl is déceyuáble;
Þus byddyth holy writ, it is no fable.

Iterum Thobie 4o. Omnia consilia tua in deo permaneant, &c.

707

Chesith men eke of olde experience;

Scriptum est, Cum bonis fac tuum consilium, non cum impiis, &c.

Hir wit and intellect is gloriouse;
Of hir conseil, holsome is þe sentence;
Þe oldë mannës rede is fructuouse;

Prouerbiarum 12o. consilia impiorum fraudulenta.

Ware of yong cónseyl, it is perilouse;
Roboas fonde it so, whan he forsoke

3o Regum 12o. Ad Roboam dixerunt Iuuenes qui nutriti erant cum eo, ‘sic loqueris ad eos; Minimus digitus meus est grossior dorso patris mei; & nunc pater meus posuit super vos iugum graue, ego autem addam super iugum vestrum; pater mens cecidit vos flagellis, ego autem cedam vos scropionibus.’

Oldë conseil, and to þe yong hym toke.

708

The éntente, wot I wele, of þe yong man
As louyng is and trewe, as of the olde,
Þogh þat he noght so wele conseilen can.
Yong men, strong ben, hardy, and bolde,
And more weldy to fight, if þat þei sholde;
But aske þe olde in tyme of pees or werre
Rede & conseil; it schal naght be þe werre.

709

He þat is fressh and lusty now þis day,
By lengthe of yerees shal no þing be so;
ffresshnesse & lust may naght endure al-wey;
Whan age is comen, he commaundeth, ho!
But lat see, who considereth þis two,
Goode is þat agë sette a gouernayle,
And youthe it sue: thus may al avayle.

179

710

Mandatum est, sabata sanctifices.

Excellent prince, eeke on the holydayes
Beth warë þat ye nat your conseilles holde;
As for tho tymës, put hem in deleyes;
Thenketh wel this, ye wel apayed be nolde
If your soggettes not be your hestës tolde,
Right so our lorde god, kyng & commaundour
Of kynges al, is wroth with þat errour.

711

In þe longe ȝere be werkë daye I-nowe,
If þei be wel despent, for to entende
To conseilës: to god your hertë bowe,
If ye desire men hir hertës bende
To yow. What kyng nat dredeth god offende,
Ne naght rekkéth do hym desóbeisaunce,
He shal be disobeiëd eeke perchaunce.

712

The firstë fyndere of our faire langáge,
Hath seyde in caas sembláble, & othir moo,
So hyly wel, þat it is my dotáge
ffor to expresse or touche any of thoo.
Alasse! my fadir fro þe worlde is goo—
My worthi maister Chaucer, hym I mene—
Be þou aduóket for hym, heuenes quene!

713

As þou wel knowest, o blissid virgyne,
With louyng hert, and hye deuocïoun
In þyne honour he wroot ful many a lyne;
O now þine helpe & þi promocïoun,
To god þi sonë make a mocïoun,
How he þi seruaunt was, maydén marie,
And lat his louë floure and fructifie.

180

714

Al-þogh his lyfe be queynt, þe résemblaunce
Of him haþ in me so fressh lyflynesse,
Þat, to putte othir men in rémembraunce
Of his persóne, I haue heere his lyknesse
Do makë, to þis ende in sothfastnesse,
Þat þei þat haue of him lest þought & mynde,
By þis peynturë may ageyn him fynde.

715

The ymages þat in þe chirchë been,
Maken folk þenke on god & on his seyntes,
Whan þe ymáges þei be-holden & seen;
Were oft vnsyte of hem causith restreyntes
Of þoughtës godë: whan a þing depeynt is,
Or éntailëd, if men take of it heede,
Thoght of þe lyknesse, it wil in hem brede.

181

716

Yit somme holden oppynÿoun, and sey,
Þat none ymáges schuld I-maked be:
Þei erren foule, & goon ont of þe wey;
Of trouth haue þei scant sensibilite.
Passe ouer þat: now, blessid trinite,
Vppon my maistres soulë, mercy haue,
ffor him, lady, eke þi mercy I craue.

717

More othir þing, wolde I fayne speke & touche
Heere in þis booke; but such is my dulnesse—
ffor þat al voyde and empty is my pouche,—
Þat al my lust is queynt with heuynesse,
And heuy spirit cómaundith stilnesse.
And haue I spoke of pees, I schal be stille;
God sende vs pees, if þat it be his wille.

[§ 15. OF PEACE.]

718

Scriptum est, Qui amplectitur pacem in mentis hospicio mansionem preparit Christo, &c. leronimus: Qui sine pace est, christum non habet. apud christianos non qui patitur sed qui facit contumeliam miser est. Prouerbiarum 12o. Qui pacis ineunt consilia, sequitur eos gaudium. Ciprianus dicit, Sacrificium deo est pax nostra & fraterna concordia.

Touche I wol heere, of pees, a worde or two,
As þat scripturës maken mencïoun,
And þan my boke is endid al, and do.
To crist ordeyneþ he a mancïoun,
Which in his hertës habitacïoun
Embraceth pees. wher pees is, crist is there,
ffor crist nat lyst a-byden ellës-where.

719

A-mongës cristen folk, wreche is he none
Þat pacïéntly suffreth a duresse;
But sikirly a wrecchë is he one
Þat makiþ strife; & hym sueth gladnesse
Which þat of pees conséilith þe suernesse.
Our pees also and concorde brothirly
Is sacrificë to god ál myghty.

182

720

Thyngës þat leden men to pees be thre:

Scriptum est, Tria sunt pacis subsidia & ad pacem ducencia, scilicet conformitas in deo, humilitas in seipso, & tranquillitas cum proximo, &c.

Conformyng in god; in our self humblesse;
And with our neighëboures tranquillite.
ffirst seye I þat we moot our willës dresse,
And hem conformen allë more & lesse
To goddis wil; al þingis is in his myght,
Sauf only þat he máy done non vnright.

721

Euene as a man is euer in werre and strife,
Þat besieth hym withstande a man, which he
Nat may; right so hathe he peisible lyfe
Continuelly, whos willës fully be
To goddës wille conformyng: o, pardee!

[R] Iob iiijto Quis resist it Deo, et pacem habuit? quasi diceret nullus.

A-geyn god helpeth þere no résistence,
So strong and myȝty is his excellence.

722

Humilite, to pees eke may men lede;
Men say two gretë may nat in o sak;
But symple humblesse is of such godely-hede,
Þat she of troubly hatë haþ no smak;
She stryueth nat; of discorde hath she lak;
She voyde and empty is of cruelte:
Humble spirit desirith vnite.

723

The thrid is eke tranquillite of þought,
Þat gydeth man to pees; for as a wight
May in a bedde of þornës restë noght,
Riȝt so, who is with greuous þoughtës twight,
May with himself nor othir folk a-riȝt
Hauë no pees; a man mot nedys smert
Whan irous þoughtës occupye his hert.

183

724

And euene as vppon a pillow softe,
Man may him restë wele, and take his ese,
Riȝt so þat lorde þat sittith in heuen a-lofte,
Hertë peisible can so like and plese,
Þat he wol entre þér-in, and it sese,

Scriptum est, In pace factus est locus eius, &c. [R] Est enim pax mala, que est vere paci contraria; & hoc est quando corda sunt in mala concordancia, &c. Talem pacem habuit Pilatus cum Herode, &c.

And occupie it as iust póssessoure;
In place of pees, resteth our savïour.

725

But al an othir pees þer is also,
Which is naght worth; it is envenymouse;
ffor it is vnto verray pees a foo;
Whan men in a purpós malicïouse

De tali pace loquitur psalmista, Zelam super iniquos pacem peccatorum videns.

Acorden, þát pees is to god greuous:
Swich pees was twix Heródes & pilat;
And in swich caas, pees is wers þanne debat.

726

A feynëd pees, eeke is to pees verray,
A foo; and swich was þe pees of Iudas
Kissyng crist. Lord! whedir þat þis day
Any swich pees vsëd is as þat was!
Ȝe, so I drede me, by seynt Thomas,
The kus of Iudas is now widë sprad,
Tokenes of pees ben, but smal loue is had.

727

Men contrefete in wordis Tullïus,
And folwe in werke Iudas or Genyloun;
Many an hony worde and many a kus

Et de tali pace loquitur psalmista. Qui loquuntur pacem cum proximo suo, mala autem, &c.

Ther is; but wayte on þe conclusïoun,
And pryue galle all turnyth vp-so-doun;
Ther leueth naght of pees, but contenance,
ffor al þe peyntyd chere and daliance.

184

728

Ther is also a pees inordinat,
Whan þe grettér obeith to þe lesse;
As þus, whan to his soget a prelat
Obeyeth; and whan reson, þe blyndnesse
Sueth of sensualitees madnesse,
Obeying it: al swich pees is haynous,
ffor it is goodë pees contrarious.

729

Right swich a pees, Adam had with Eue,
Whan þat he vnto hir desire obeyde;
He was, per caas, adraddë for to greue;
Where-for he did as þat she to hym seide:

Contra talem pacem loquitur christus, Matthaei 10. Non veni, inquit, pacem mittere, sed gladium. &c.

In þat obediencë he foleyde,
ffor god hir him bytoke him to obeye;
But I a-drad am þat I þus fer seye;

730

If þat þis come vnto the audience
Of women, I am sure I shal be shent:
ffor þat I touche of swich obedience,
Many a browë shal on me be bent;
Thei willë wayten been equipollent,
And sumwhat morë, vnto hir housbondis,
And sum men seyn swich vsage in þis lond is.

731

And it no wonder is, as semeth me,
Whan þat I me be-þought haue al aboute,
Þogh þat womén desiren souereynte,
And hir housbondës makë to hem loute;
Thei made ware of a ribbe, it is no doute,

Genesis 2o. Mulier facta fuit de costa Ade; homo vero de limo terre, &c.

Which more strong is, and súbstancial,
Þan slyme of eerthe, & clenner þer-with-al.

185

732

Wher-for it semeth þat þe worthynesse
Of women, passyth mennës encerteyne;
And ȝit sum nysë men, of lewdënesse,
In répref of hem holden ther-a-geyn,
ffor crokid was þat ribbe; and speke & seyne,
That also crokid is hir curtaisie;
But a-gayn þat, strongly wil I replie;

733

ffor in the writyng and in þe scripture
Of Philosophers, men may see & reede,

Secundum omnes philosophos, ffigura circularis est perfectissima figura, & significat in geometria vnitatem.

Cercly shap is most perfite figúre,
Bi-tokenyng, in gémetrie, onhede;
And crokydnesse a part is, þat may lede
Sumwhat vnto cercle or a cumpas:
What so men seyen, women stonde in gode caas.

734

ffor ther-by shewith it, þat crokydnesse
Streccheth vnto þe gretter perfeccioun,
Þan doth a þing þat is of euenesse;
Of þis helpith no contradiccïoun,
ffor it soth is; it is no ficcïoun;
Euery perfit body þat man kan neuene,
Is rounde and crokyd, and noght streghte ne euene.

735

By-gynnë first at heuen, & rounde it is;
Þe sonne and mone, & þe sterrës also;
Hed of man, þen mouth, & hert, I-wisse,
Ben allë rounde; and othir ben þer moo
Than I expresse as now; but or I goo,
Ȝit shal I bet wommannës part sustene;
So biddeth pees, & þat to folwe I mene.

186

736

Now for to speke or touchen of þe place
In which þat man & womman fourmed were:
Almyghty God to womman shope swich grace,
That she was formëd in the worthier;

Mulier fuit formata in paradiso, & homo in agro damaseeno, qui locus est extra paradisum, &c.

In paradys men wot wel he made here;
But man ymade was out of paradys,
In place of lessë worthinesse & prys.

737

And of þe maner of formacïoun
Of bothë two herkenþ now wel I prey;
The token or þe significacioun
Of making of Adám, may be no way
Strecchë to so perfyte a goode, I say,
As didë þe formacïoun of Eue;
And þat as swithë here I schal it preue.

738

ffor morë haue I for hir partye ȝit:

Secundum augustinum & omnes doctores catholicos, fformacio Eue significauit formacionem ecclesie & sacramentorum eius; Nam sicut, Adam dormiente, formabatur Eua & membra eius de latere ipsius Ade, sic christo dormiente in cruce, formabatur de latere &c. [R eius ecclesia et eius sacramenta.] Beatus bernardus dicit.

Making of Euë tokned þe makyng
Of holy chirche, and sacramentes of it;
As of þe syde of Adam, him slepyng,
Euë vas made, so our lorde crist deyeng
Vpon þe crois, holý chirche, of his syde,
And þe sacrámentes made were in þat tyde.

739

ffro tyme eeke crist was of xij ȝerë age
Vnto þritty, he with his modir ay
Was seruyng hir with right plesant coráge;
To teche humilite, he tooke þe way
ffro heuen hiddir, and mekënesse verray

A tempore quo christus erat duodennis, vsque ad annum xxxti,

Tauȝt he, þe mostë partie of his lyf,
Whil he was with his modir & his wyfe;

187

740

fuit cum matre sua, seruiens ei in omnibus que sciuit sibi placitura, eo quod ad hoc venerat in mundum, vt doceret veram humilitatem.

ffor she was bothë two; and syn she had
So long of hir housbondë þe maystrie,
Women, I trowë, be nat now so mad
Þat stylë to for-go; nay, swich folye,
What man þat can in a womán espye,
Is worthi shrynëd be; god saue hem alle,
And graunt hir hyë corage nat to palle!

741

Ecclesiastici. 25o. Mulier, si primatum habeat, contraria est viro suo.

Holy writ seith, ‘if women souereynte
Of hir housbondës haue, how þat þei
Vnto housbondës contrarïous be:’
Þe text is such, I woot wel, but what þei?
That text I vndir-stondë þus al-wey:
Whan þat housbondës hem mys-take and erre,
Ageyn þat vicë wyuës maken werre.

742

Thogh a woman hir housbonde contrarie
In his oppynyoun erroneous,
Shul men for þat deme hir his aduersarie?
Straw! be he neuer so harrageous,
If he & she shul dwellen in on house,
Goode is he suffre; therby pees may spring;
Housbondës pees is pesible suffryng.

743

By concorde, smalë þingës multiplien;
And by discorde, hate, ire, and rancour,
Perysshen þingës grete, & wast & dyen.
Pees hath þe fruyt of eese in his fauour;
To getë pees holsóme is þe labour,
And kepe it wel, whan a man hath it cauȝt,
That ire ne discórde bannysshe it naght.

188

744

How plesant to god, is of pees þe myrthe!
What delyte eeke in pees and vnioun

Et in terra pax hominibus. Pax vobis. Pacem relinquo vobis.

The prince of pees hath shewëd in his birth,
By angels delitáble song and soun;
Also, aftir his resurreccïoun
He pees bad; and whan vnto heuen he stigh,
He leftë pees in erthë truëly.

745

Þat ȝift of pees, þat precïouse Iewel,
If men it kepe, & do it naght away,
Sonës of crist þei may be clept ful wel;

Beati pacifici &c.

But strif, which moche is to þe fendës paye,
Among vs feruent is so, welawey!
We cristen folk, with-inne vs and with-out,
Haue so gret stryfe, þat þer may no pees rout.

746

The ryot þat haþ ben with-in þis lande
Among our-self, many a wyntrës space,
Hath to þe swerd put many a thousand:
The gredy hert, þat woldë al embrace,
With irous wil, and crabbed palë face,
And swypir feendly hand with strook vengeáble,
Haþ many a woman maad hem cloþe in sable.

747

Þis is no doutë, þat ambicïoun
And couetysë fyre al þis debate;
Tho two be of wikkéd condicïoun.
No wight halt hym content of his estate;
Euery man wilneþ to ben éxaltat;
Þogh he be gret, ȝit hirë wolde he goo,
And þeis aren causes of our stryues & woo.

189

748

Werrë within our-Iself is most harmfúl
And perillous, & most is a-gayn kynde.
Þer-with þis land hath wrastled many a pul;
Þe smert is swich, it may nat out of mynde,
ffor it haþ cast our welthë far be-hynde,
And ferther wolë, but thoo werrës stynt;
No goode may come of werrës wrathful dynt.

749

Whilës þat Romaynes were in hert al oon,
And vndeuydid, al hool stode, þei were
Lordës of al þe worlde; foo was þer non
Out-warde, as who seith, myght hem greue or dere;
But al sauf welthë may men suffre and bere;
With-Inne hym-self sprang such deuysïoun,
Þat it hem broughtë to confusioun.

750

What causyd hir inwárd werre and rumour
But auericë? she reft hem her wele;
Whilës þei had in cheerte and fauour
Profit commun, thei hadden bi þe stele
Prosperite; but it a-way gan stele
Whan þei him drough to profyte singuler,
And of profyt commun nat weren cheer.

751

Nota de Auaricia.

By-hold how auaricë crepith inne,
And kyndlith werre, and quenchiþ vnite!
O fauel! þou myghtést ben of hir kynne,
ffor swich a breekë-pees as þat is she,
Right swich a-nothir, may I namë þe;
Þou rekkest nat, ne dredest nat, to wende
ffor muk to helle, vnto þe ferthest ende.

190

752

This fauel is of pees a déstourbour;
Twix god and mannës soule he werrë reisith;
This worlde is blent by þis dissymulour;
Vertú he blameþ, ánd vicés he preysith;
Sore in þe bowe of treccherye he teisyth;
His shot is gay, but it is énvenymed;
His fikil art may nat a-ryght be rymed.

753

Vertuouse trouthë, hydë þou þine heede!
Þou mayst as wele, thyn art may nat a-vayle;
Out of þis worldës grace art þou as dede:
But fauel, traitour! þi fals gouernaile
Makith ful manny shippës for to saile
In-to þi cofre; warme is þine office;
Þat trouthë lesith, wynnë can þi vice.

754

Alas! so manny a worthi clerk famóuse,
In Oxinford, and in Cambrigge also,
Stonde vn-avancëd, wher the viciouse
ffauel hath chirches. & preuendres, moo
Þan god is plesid with; alasse! of thoo
Þat weiuen vertu so to be promoted;
And þei helples, in whom vertu is rooted.

755

The knyght or sqwier, on þat othir syde,
Or Ieman, þat haþ in pees or in werris
Dispent with his lorde his blode, but he hyde
Þe trouth, and can currey fauel, he nat þe nere is
His lordës grace; and vn-trouth ful fer is
ffrom him, þat worthy corage hath honóured;
Grace of his lorde by fauel is deuóured.

191

756

Now vnto my mateere of werre inwarde
Resort I; but to sekë stories olde
Non nede is, syn þis day sharp werre & harde
Is at þe dore here, as men may be-holde:
ffrauncë, no wondir þogh þine hertë colde,
And brenne also: swich is þine agonye,
Thi self manaseth þi self for to dye.

757

Thi self destroye, and feble is þi victórye!
Thow hast in þi self stryven oft or nowe,
And hast appesid al, haue in memórie,
Thurgh þi prudence; wost þou nat wel how
Slaghtre is defendid? and nat rekkest þow
To rebelle a-geyn god þat it forbedith?
ffor the, myne heuy gost bisily dredith.

758

What any part offendid hath to othir,
Redresse it faire and charytablely;
By lawe of god, ye ben ech others brothir.
O! now adayës is noon enemye
Lyke oon þat is to othir of bloodë nye;
Beth ware! correct it! lest men of yow seye,
‘lo! whilom this was ffraunce of hye nobley!’

759

I am an Englyssh-man, & am þi foo,
ffor þou a foo art vnto my lygeánce;
And yit myn hertë stuffid is with woo
To see þyn vnkyndly disseueraunce:
Accordeth yow! girdeþ yow with suffraunce!
Ye greuë god, and your-self harme & shame,
And your foos ther-of han disport & game.

192

760

Alase! Also, þe greet dissencïoun,
The pitous harme, þe hatëful discorde,
Þat hath endurëd twix þis regioun
And othir landës cristen! he, þat lorde
Of Remes al is þe auctor of concorde
And pees, sore is meeuëd þer-with; but we
Naght dreden for to offend his mageste.

761

Off fraunce and englonde, o cristen princes,
Syn þat your style of worthynes is ronge
Thurgh-out þe world, in al þe prouinces,
If þat of yow myghtë be red or songe
That ye were oon in herte, ther nys no tonge
That myghte expresse, how profitable and good
Vnto al peple it were of cristen blood.

762

Yeue hem ensamplen! ye ben hir mirrours;
They folowen yow: what sorwe lamentable
Is causëd of youre werrës scharpë schoures
Ther wot no wight, it is irréparable!
O noble cristen Princes honurable,
ffor him þat for yow suffred passïoun,
Of cristen blod, haueþ compassïoun!

763

Allas! what peple haþ your werrë slayn!
What cornës wast, and dounë trode & schent!
How many a wif and maide haþ be by layn!
Castels doun bette, and tymbred houses brent,
And drawen downe, and al to-tornë and rent!
The harm ne may nat rekened be, ne told;
This werrë wexiþ al to hoor and old.

193

764

To wynnë worldly tresour and richesse,
Is of your strif þe longe continuaunce;
Wherby it semeth þat ye han scantnesse
Of good, or ye konne haue no súffisaunce
Of plente; and if þér be hábundaunce
In youre cofres, and in your hertës nede,
Of lordly cónceit may it not procede.

765

Whan Alisaundre deed was, and y-graue,
And his toumbe óf gold wroght ful richëly,
As kyngës dignite wole axe and craue,
Dyuerse philosophres droghen hem nygh
Therto; and as oon of hem stood þerby,
he seidë þus among þe folkës alle:—
“Seeþ swiche a chaunge is newë now byfalle!

766

“This Alisaundre madë yistirday
Of gold his tresor, but gold makiþ now
Tresor of him, as ye be-holdë may.”
An othir philosopher seide eek how
“Al þis world yistirday was nat y-now
To stoppen Alisaundres couetise,
And now thre elnes of cloþë him suffice.”

767

O worthi princes two, now takiþ hede!
As hardy, deth is yow for to assaille
As sche dide Alisaundre, whom in drede
Hadde al þis world; what myght his force auaille
A-gayn þe deth? no thing, sanȝ faille;
ffor þogh þat he swerd wer of chiualrie,
Deth threwe him doun to grounde, & lete him lye.

194

768

With how grete labour, or wiþ how gret peyne,
Men wynnë good, to þe world [þey] leue it schal;
Vnto þe pitte goþ nought but þe careyne:
And þogh gold werë grauen þer-with-al,
Naght myght it helpë: beth nat goldës thral!
Suffiseth to your good, ye princes boþe;
With pees and restë, armë yow and clothe!

769

Whan ye haue stryue and foughten al your fille,
Pees folwe moot; but good were it, or thanne,

ffinis belli pax.

That pees were hadde: what lust han ye to spille
The blood þat crist with his blood boghte, whanne
He on þe croys starf? o lady seint Anne,
Thi doughter preyë to beseche hir sone
To stynte of werrës þe dampnáble wone.

770

The book of reuelacïouns of Bride

libro 4o de reuelacionibus sancte Brigide, capitulo cvo Christus dicit, “ego sum pax,” &c.

Expressith how crist þus seide hir vnto:
“I am pees verray; þere I wole abide,
Where as pees is; non oþer wole I do.
Of ffraunce and Engëlond þe kyngës two,

Si reges ffrancie & Anglie voluerint habere pacem, ego dabo eis perpetuam pacem: sed pax vera non potest haberi, nisi veritas & iusticia diligantur. Ideo quia alter Regum habet iusticiam, placet mihi quod per matrimonium fiat pax, & sic regnum ad legittimum heredem poterit peruenire &c.

If þei wole haue pees, pees perpetuel
Thei schul han”; thus hir book seiþ, woot I wel;

771

“But verray pees may be had by no way,
But if trouthë and Iustice louëd be;
And for þat á kyng haþ right, forthi may
By matrimoignë pees and vnite
Ben had; cristës plesance is swiche; þus he
That right heir is, may þe remë reioyse,
Cesynge al strif, debate, or werre, or noyse.”

195

772

Now syn þe wey is open, as ye see,
How pees to gete in vertuous manere,
ffor loue of him þat dide vppon þe tree,
And of Mary, his blysful modir dere,
ffolweþ þat way, and your strif leye on bere;
Purchaseth pees by wey of marïage,
And ye þerinne schul fynden auauntage.

773

Now, pees! approche, and dryue out werre & strif!
ffrenchepe! appere, and bannysshë thow hate!
Tranquillite! reuë þou ire hir lif
That feruent is, and leef for to debate!
Ye thre vertuës, now late see abate
The malice of þe foulë vices thre,
Þat verray foos ben to al christiante.

774

O cristen princes! for þe loue and awe
Of him þat is þe king of kingës al,
Nessheth your hertës, and to pees yow drawe!
Considereth what good may þerof fal!
The hony takiþ, and leuyth þe gal!
The sternë iugë in his iugëment
May doo but right for his punyschëment.

775

What desobeïssance and rébellioun,
What wil vnbuxum, what vnkyndënesse,
May he preue in yow, þat destruccïoun
Don of men, his handwerk, soothly, I gesse.
It mostë nedës stire his rightwisnesse
A-geyn yow; stinteþ at his reuerence,
Sueth his grace and his beneuolence!

196

776

ffrom hennës-forth lat þere by-twixe yow be
So vertuous a strif, for cristës sake,
That ye of pees and loue and charite
May striuë; lat your pite now a-wake,
That longe haþ slept; and pees bytwixt yow make;
And on þe foos of crist, your rédemptour,
Werreth! thére kitheth your vigour!

777

Vppon þe mescreantys to makë werre,
And hem vnto the feith of crist to brynge,
Good were; therynne may ye no thyng erre,
That were a meritorye werrying;
That is the wey vn-to the conqueryng
Of hevenes blyssë, that is endëles,
To which yow bryngë the auctour of pees.

Amen!

Explicit.

[THE ENVOY]

778

O litell booke, who yafe the hardynesse
Thy wordës to pronounce in the presence
Of kyngës Impe, and princes worthynesse,
Syn thou all naked art of eloquence?
And why approchest thou his excellence
Vnclothed, saue thy kirtell bare allone?
I am right sure his humble pacïence
The yeueth hardynessë so to done.

197

779

But o thyng wote I wele: go where thou go,
I am so priuë [un]to thy sentence,
Thou hast, and art, and wolt ben euermo
To his hyenesse, of suche beneuolence,
Though thou not do to hym due reuerence
In wordes, thy cheerte not is the lesse.
And yf lust be, to his magnificence,
Do by thy rede: his welthe it shall witnesse!

780

Beseche hym, of his gracious noblesse,
The holde excused of thyne Innocence
Of endityng; and with hertes mekenesse,
If ony thyng the passe of necligence,
Beseche hym of mercy and indulgence,
And that, for thy gode hert, he be not fo
To the þat all seest of loues feruence!
That knoweth he, that no thyng is hidde fro.

Cest tout.