ire inimicitias ad mentem reducens issas vsque ad tempus vindic te vefut scriba demonis in cordis papiro commemorandas inserit ¶ Of wrathe yet there is an other whiche is to cheste his owne brother And is by name cleped hate That suffereth not within his gate That there come other loue or peace For he woll make no release Of no debate whiche is befalle Nowe speke if thou arte one of all That with this vice hath he witholde ¶ As yet for ought that ye me tolde My father I not what it is ¶ In good fayth sonne I trowe yis ¶ My father nay but ye me lere ¶ Nowe lyst my son thou shalt here Hate is a wrath not shewende But of longe tyme gatherende And dwelleth in the herte loken Tyll he see tyme to be wroken And than he sheweth his tempest More sodeyne than the wylde beast whiche wote nothynge what mercy is My sonne arte thou knowen of this ¶ My good father as I wene Nowe wote I somedele what ye mene But I dare saufely make an othe My lady was me neuer lothe I woll not swere netheles That I of bate am gylteles For whan I to my lady plye Fro day to day and mercy crye And she no mercy on me leyth But shorte wordes to me seyth Though I my lady loue algate Tho wordes mote I nedes hate And wolde they were all dispent Or so ferre out of londe went That I neuer after shulde hem here And yet loue I my lady dere Thus is there hate as ye may se Betwene my ladyes worde and me The worde I hate and her I loue what so shall me betyde of loue But furthermore I woll me shryue That I haue hated all my lyue These ianglers whiche of her enuye Ben euer redy for to lye For with her false compassement Full often they haue made me shent And hyndred me full ofte tyme whan they no cause wyste byme But onlyche of her owne thought And thus full ofte haue I bought The lye and dronke not of the wyne I wolde her happe were suche as myne For howe so that I be nowe shriue To hem may I nought foryeue Tylle I se hem at debate with loue and with myn estate They myghten by her owne deme And loke how wel it shuld hem queme To hyndre a man that loueth sore And thus I hate hem euermore Tyl loue on hem wold done his wreche For that shall I alway beseche Vnto the myghty Cupydo That he so mochel wolde do So as he is of loue a god To smyte hem with the same rod with whiche I am of loue smyten So that they myght knowe and wyten Howe byndrynge is a wofull peyne To hym that loue wold atteyne Thus euer on hem I wayte and hope Tyll I may sene hem lepe a lope And halten on the same sore whiche I do nowe for euermore I wolde than do my myght So for to stonden in her lyghte That they ne shulden haue awey To that they wolden put awey I wolde hem put out of the stede Fro loue ryght as they me dede with that they speke of me by mouthe So wolde I do if that I couth Of hem and thus so god me saue Is all the hate that I haue Towarde the ianglers euery dele I wolde all other ferde wele Thus haue I father sayd my wylle Say forth nowe for I am stylle ¶ My sonne of that thou hast me sayd I holde me nought fully payde That thou wolte haten any man To that accorden I ne can Though he haue hyndred the tofore But this I telle the therfore Thou myght vpon my benyson well haten the condicion Of the ianglers as thou me toldest But furthermore of that thou woldest Hem byndre in any other wyse Suche hate is euer to despyse For thy my sonne I wolde the rede That thou drawe in by frendely hede That thou ne myght not do by hate So myght thou gete loue algate And sette the my sonne in rest For thou shalte fynde it for the best And ouer this so as I dare I rede that thou be ryght ware Of other mens hate about whiche euery wyse man shulde dout For hate is euer vpon awayte And as the fyssher on his bayte Sleeth whan he seeth the fysshes faste So whan he seeth tyme at last That he may worche an other wo Shall no man tourne hym therfro That hate nyll his felony Fulfyll and feyne companye yet netheles for false semblaunt Is towarde hym of couenaunt witholde so that vnder bothe The preuy wrath can hym cloth That he shall seme a great beleue But ware the well that thou ne leue All that thou seest afore thyn eie Soas the Gregoys whylom sye The boke of Troye who so rede There may he fynde ensample in dede ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum contra illos / qui cuÌ„ ire sue odium aperte vindicare non possint ficta dissimulatione vindictam subdole assequentur Et narrat quod cum Palamides princeps Grecorum in obsidione Troie a quibusdam suis emulis proditorie interfectus fuisset / paterque suus rex Nauplus in patria sua tunc existens / huiusmodi euentus certitudinem sciuisset grecos in sui cordis odium super omnia recollegit vnde contigit ê™ cum greci deuicta Troia per altum mare versus Greciam nauigio remeantes obscurrissimo noctis tempore nimia ventoruÌ„ tempestate iactabantur rex Nauplus in terra sua contra litus maris / vbi maiora saxorum eminebant pericula super cacumina moncium grandissimos noctanter fecit ignes / quos greci aspicientes saluum portum ibidem inuenire certissime putabant / Et teri am aproximaÌ„tes diruptis nauibus magna pars grecorum periclitabatur SOnne after the destruction whan Troy was all beate downe And slain was priamus the king The gregoys whiche of all this thinge Ben cause tornen home ageyne There may no man his hap withseyne It hath ben sene and felte full ofte The harde tyme after the softe By see as they forth homewarde went A rage of great tempest hem hent Iuno let bende her partie bowe The sky waxe derke the wind gan blow The fyry welken began to thonder As though the world shuld al a sonder From heuen out of the water gates The reyny storme felle downe algates And all her tacle made vnwelde That no man myght hym selfe bewelde There may men her shypmen crie That stode in aunter for to dye He that behynde sat to stere May not the for sterne here The shyp arose agayne the wawes The lodesman hath loste his lawes The see on beate on euery syde They nysten what fortune abyde But sett hem well in goddes wyll where he hem wolde saue or spyll And it felle thylke tyme thus There was a kynge whiche Nauplus was hote and be a sonne hadde At Troye whiche the gregoys ladde As he that was made prynce of all Tyll that fortune let
he was fully taught Of wysdom which was him betaught ¶ Nota hic de prima planeta / que aliis inferior luna dicitur ¶ Benethe all other stont the Mone The whiche hath with the see to done Of floodes hygh ebbes lowe Vpon his chaunge it shall be knowe And euery fysshe whiche hath a shelle Mote in his gouernaunce dwelle To wexe and wane in his degre As by the mone a man may se And all that stont vpon the grounde Of his moysture it mote be founde All other sterres as men fynde Ben shynende of her owne kynde Out take only the mone lyght whiche is not of hym selfe bryght But as he takth it of the sonne And yet he hath nought all full wonne His light that he nis somdell derke But what the lette is of that werke In Almagest it telleth this The mones cercle so lowe is wherof the sonne oute of his stage Ne seth him not with full visage For he is with the grounde beshaded So that the mone is somdele faded And may not fully shine clere But what man vnder his powere Is bore he shall his place chaunge And seche many londes straunge And as of this condicion The mones disposicion Vpon the londe of Alemayne Is set and eke vpon Britayne whiche nowe is cleped Englonde For they trauayle in euery londe ☞ De secunda planeta que Mercurine dicitur ¶ Of the planetes the seconde Aboue the mone hath take his bonde Mercurye and his nature is this That vnder him who that borne is In boke he shall be studious And in writinge curious And slowe and lustles to trauayle In thinge whiche els might auayle He loueth ese he loueth rest So is be not the worthiest But yet with somdele besinesse His hert is set vpon rychesse And as in this condicion Theffecte and disposicion Of this planete and of his chaunce Is moste in Borgoyne and in Fraunce ☞ De tercia planeta / que Venus dicitur ¶ Next to Mercurye as wolle befalle Stont that planet whiche men call Venus whose constellacion Gouerneth all the nacion Of louers where they spede or none Of whiche I trowe thou be one But whetherward thin happes wende Shall this planete shewe at ende As it hath do to many mo To some wel to some wo. And netheles of this planete The moste party is softe and swete For who that therof takth his byrth He shall desire ioy and myrthe Gentyl curtoys and debonayre To speke his wordes softe and fayre Suche shal he be by wey of kinde And ouerall where he may fynde Plesaunce of loue his herte boweth with all his might and ther he woweth He is so forforth amorous He not what thinge is vicious Touchend loue for that lawe There may no maner man withdrawe The whiche Veneryen is bore By wey of kinde And therfore Venus of loue the goddesse Is cleped but of wantoÌ„nesse The climate of her lecherye Is most comune in lumbardye ¶ 〈◊〉 de sole qui medio planetarum residens â—â—â—â—rum principatum obtinet ⧠Next vnto this planete of loue The bright sonne stont aboue whiche is the hindâ—rer of the night And fortherer of the dayes light As he whiche is the worldes eye Through whome the lusty companye Of fowles by the morowe singe The fresshe floures sprede and springe The hygh tre the grounde beshadeth And euery mans hert gladdeth And for it is the hede planete Howe that he sitteth in his sete Of what richesse of what nobleye These bokes telle and thus they seye ⧠Nota de curru solis necnon de vâ—rio eiusdem apparatu ¶ Of golde glistrende spoke and whele The sonne his carte hath faire and we le In whiche he sitte and is coroned with bright stones enuyroned Of whiche if that I speke shall There be tofore in speciall Set in the front of his corone Thre stones whiche no persone Hath vpon erth and the first is By name cleped Licuchis That other two cleped thus Astrices and Ceraunus In his corone and also behynde By olde bokes as I fynde There ben of worthy stones thre Set eche of hem in his degre wherof a Christall is that one whiche that corone is sette vpon The seconde is an adamant The thirde is noble and auenaunt whiche cleped is Idriades And ouer this yet netheles Vpon the sydes of the werke After the wrytynge of the clerke There sytten fyue stones mo The Smaragdine is one of tho Iaspis and Elitropius And Vendides and Iacinctus Lo thus the corone is beset wherof it shyneth well the bet And in suche wyse his lyght to sprede Syt with his Diademe on heed The sonne shynende in his carte And for to lede hym swithe and smarte After the bryght dayes lawe There ben ordeyned for to drawe Four hors his chare and hym withall wherof the naâ—â—â— telle I shall Eritheus the first is hote The whiche is redde and shyneth hote The seconde Acteos the bryght Lampes the thirde courser hight And Philogeus is the ferth That bringen lyght vnto this erth And gone so swifte vpon the heuen In foure and twenty houres euen The carte with the bryght sonne They drawe so that ouer ronne They haue vnder the cercles bye All mydde erthe in suche an bye And thus the sonne is ouer all The chefe planet imperiall Aboue hym and beneth hym thre And thus betwene hem renneth he As he that hath the middel place Amonge the seuen and of his face Ben glad all erthely creatures And taken after the natures Her ease and recreacion And in his constellacion who that is bore in speciall Of good wille and of liberall He shall be founde in all place And also stonden in mochel grace Toward the lordes for to serue And great profyte and thonke deserue And ouer that it causeth yet A man to be subtyl of witte To worch in golde and to be wise In euery thinge whiche is of prise But for to speken in what cost Of all this erth he regneth most As for wisdom it is in grece where is appropred thilke spece ☞ Nota de quinta planeta / que Mars dicitur ☞ Mars the planete bataillous Next to the sonne glorious Aboue stant and doth meruailles Vpon the fortune of batayles The Conquerours by dayes olde were vnto this planete holde But who that his natyuite Hath take vpon the propirte Of Martis disposicion By wey of constellacion He shall be fers and full hastyfe And desirous of werre and strife But for to tellen ridily In what climate most commonly That this planete hath his effecte Saide is that he hath his aspecte Vpon the holy londe so caste That there is no pees stedfaste ☞ Nota de sexta planeta / que Iupiter dicitur ¶ Aboue Mars vpon the heuen The sixte planete of the seuen Stant Iupiter the delicate whiche causeth pees and no debate For he is cleped the planete whiche of his kynde softe and swete Attempreth all that to hym longeth And whom this
mans to kynge Alexander fo xci ¶ The fyrste culture or worshippinge of ydols fo eodem ¶ The seconde that fonde out ymages fo xcii ¶ The thyrde ymage fo eodem ¶ Of the Iewes Synagoge the which fayled whan the churche of Chryste began fo eodem ¶ Of the Chrysten feyth fo xciii ¶ Howe Thoas the high preste of the Temple of Mynerue was corrupted with gold and how he turned his face a syde wyttyngly whyle Anthenor toke awey the Palladium fo eodem ¶ A notable sayenge of saynte Gregory touchinge the increace of the Christen feyth fo xciiii ¶ Of the spice of auarice that is called Couetyse fo eodem ¶ A great and notable example of the Couetous emperour of Rome calledde Crassus fo eodem ¶ Of them that serue princes and grutche at theyr rewarde fo xcvi ¶ Howe themperour Frederike herde two poure men stryue of which the one sayd that he may wel be ryche whome the kinge woll and the other sayde he who that god woll shall be ryche and howe themperour made a proffe therof fo eodem ¶ Of the kynges stewarde that shamfully folde his wyfe for couetousnesse of money fo xcviii ¶ Of the spices of Auarice called false witnes and periurye fo xcix ¶ Howe Thetis clothed Achilles hir sonne in a maydes clothinge and sente him to kinge Lychomede where he lay with his doughter got hir with child bow at last he was perceiued fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Howe Iason woÌ„ne the flees of golde and after falsly forsoke Medea for loue of Creusa fo ci ¶ How Medea by her artemagik made olde Eson that was Iasons father yonge agayne fo cv ¶ Howe the golden flees came fyrste in to the yle of Colchos fo cvi ¶ Of the spyce of auarice whiche is called vsurye fo cvii. ¶ Howe Iuno auenged her vpon Eccho for hir baudrye fo cviii ¶ Of the spice of auarice that is called Scarsnesse fo cix ¶ Howe the Romayne nigarde called Babione was deceyued of his fayre loue Viola by the liberalite and gentilnesse of Croceus fo eodem ¶ Of that monstrous spyce of auarice the whiche is called Ingratitude or vnkyndnes fo cx ¶ How vnkindely Adrian the Senatour of Rome quytte the kindenesse of the poure man called Bardus which saued his lyfe fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Howe vnkyndly and falsly duke Theseus quytte the great kyndenes of the yonge lady Ariadne fo cxii ¶ Of the spice of auarice the whiche is called Rauyne the whose mother is called Extorcion fo cxiii ¶ How Thereus rauisshed Philomene and howe hir syster Prognes and she did reuenge it fo eodem ¶ Of the spice of auarice that is called Thefte fo cxvi ¶ How Neptune wolde haue rauisshed the fayre virgin Cornix howe she was preserued from him by Pallas fo cxvii ¶ Howe Iupiter transformed him selfe in to the lyknesse of a mayden and so rauisshed Calisto fo eodem ¶ what the fayre yonge man Phirinus did to th ende that he wolde kepe his chastyte fo eodem ¶ A comendacion of virginite fo cxviii ¶ Howe the emperour Valentinian reioysed more that he hadde subdued his flesshe kepte him selfe a virgine than of all his other victories fo eodem ¶ Of the spyce of Couetousnes called secrete thefte fo cxix ¶ Howe Phebus defouled the mayde Leucothea and how hir father therfore buryed hir quycke fo cxx ¶ Howe Hercules chaunged raymente with his loue Iole howe therby Fauâ—â—â— was dsceyued and came to bedde to Hercules fo cxxii ¶ Of the spyce of Couetyse called Saâ—â—lege fo eodem ¶ Of thre great Capytaines that comâ—â—â— sacrylege fo eodem ¶ Of the wrytyng that the hand wrote 〈◊〉 walle in the tyme of Balthasar 〈◊〉 fo cxxiii ¶ Of â—â—â—ke in Rome that was called 〈…〉 whiche committed sacrylege 〈…〉 conscience fo eodem 〈◊〉 â—owe Paris kinge Priamus sonne 〈◊〉 â—â—ly rauysshed in the temple of 〈◊〉 â—ayre Helayne kynge Menalay 〈◊〉 howe he ledde hir awaye with 〈◊〉 fo cxxiiii ¶ Of the vertue the whiche is called 〈◊〉 that stondeth betwene Libeâ—â—â—â— and Prodigalyte fo cxxvi The contentis of the syxte boke ¶ Of the synne of Glotonny and of 〈◊〉 spyces that longe therto Dronkeship and Delycacy fo cxxvii ¶ Of Iupiters two tonnes fo cxxx ¶ Howe Bacchus beinge destitute of drynke for him and his hoste prayde vnto Iupiter and howe he was satisfyed to his mynde fo eodem ¶ Howe Trystram was of loue dronke on Bell I soulde fo eodem ¶ Howe the dronken Centaures rauisshed the fayre Ipotacia the same daye that Perithous wedded hir fo eodem ¶ Howe Galba and Vitellus two gentylmen of Spayne for there riote were iuged to deth and howe they chees to dye beinge dronken fo eodem ¶ Of that spyce of glotonnye that is called Delycacy fo eodem ¶ The euangelical exemple of Diues Lazar ageynste the delycate fo cxxxii ¶ The delicate syght in loue fo cxxxii ¶ The delyte of the ear in loue fo cxxxiii ¶ The delycate thought in loue fo eodeÌ„ ¶ The delicacy of Nero fo eodem ¶ Howe Delicacy and dronkenesse prouocke carnall concupiscence fo cxxxiiii ¶ The names of bokes and authors that wrote as welle of naturall as cursed magike fo eodem ¶ Howe Vlisses returninge home from the syge of Troye / arriued in the I le of Cilli where dwelt the great witche Circes on whome he begate a sonne that after slewe him fo cxxxv ¶ Howe Nectanabus by his arte magike deceyued Olimpias king Philippe of Macedones wyfe whyle be was absent and on hir gote Alexander the great Conquerour and howe he was afterwarde of his owne sonne the same Alexander slayne fo cxxxvii ¶ Howe Zorastes the fyrste fynder of art magyk laughed at his birth howe the king of Surrie slewe him fo cxl ☞ The contentis of the .vii. boke ¶ Of the doctryne of Aristotel whiche he taught Alexander and how philosophie is deuided into thre partes fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Of Theoryke the fyrste part of philosohie / the which is departed vpon thre that is to say Theologie Phisyke and Mathematike fyrste of Theologâ— fo eo ¶ Of essencia whiche is thâ—â— maner wyse fâ—â—odem ¶ Of the seconde parte of Theorike called phisike fo eodem ¶ Of the thirde parte of Theorike called Mathematike whiche conteyneth in it .iiii. sciences the fyrst of them is Arithmetike fo eodem ¶ Of Musike the seconde parte of Mathematike fo eodem ¶ The thirde spice of Mathematike whiche is called Geometrie fo eodem ¶ The creation of the .iiii. elementes of theyr propertes fo cxlii ¶ Of the erthe the fyrst element fo eo ¶ Of the water the second elemeÌ„t fo eo ¶ Of the aire the third element fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Howe the ayre is deuided into thre periferiis fo eodem ¶ Of the first periferi of th aire fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Of the second periferi of th aire fo eo ¶ Of the thirde periferi of thair fo eod ¶ Of the fleinge
saye / that it was not moche greatter peyne to that excellent clerke the morall IohnÌ„ Gower to compyle the same noble warke / than it was to me to prynt it / no man wyll beleue it / without conferring both the printis / the olde and myn to gether And as I stode in this basshement / I remembred your incomparable Clemency / the whiche / as I haue my selfe sometyme sene / moste graciously accepteth the sklender gyftes of small value / whiche your hyghnes perceyued were offred with great and louynge affection / and that not onely of the nobuls and great estates / but also of your meane subiectes the whiche so moche boldeth me agayne / that though I / of all other / am your mooste humble subiecte and seruaunt / yet my harte gyueth me / that your hyghnes / as ye are accustomed to do / woll of your moste benigne nature consider / that I wold with as good wyl / if it were as wel in my power / gyue vnto your grace the most goodlyest and largest cite of all the worlde And this more ouer I very wel knowe / that both the nobuls and commons of this your most noble royalme / shall the soner accepte this boke / the gladlyer rede it / and be the more diligent to marke and beare awey the morall doctrines of the same / whanne they shall se hit come forthe vnder your gracis name / whom they with all their very hartes so truely loue drede / whom they knowe so excellently well lerned / whome they euer fynde so good / so iuste / and so gracious a prince And who so euer in redynge of this warke / dothe consyder it well / shal fynde / that it is plentifully stuffed and fournysshed with manyfolde eloquent reasons / sharpe and quicke argumentes / and examples of great auctorite / perswadynge vnto vertue / not onely taken out of the poetes / oratours / historywryters / and philosophers / but also out of the holy scripture There is to my dome / no man / but that he may bi reding of this warke get right great knowlege / as wel for the vnderstandyng of many diuers autors / whose resons / sayenges / histories are translated in to this warke / as for the plenty of englysshe wordes and vulgars / besyde the furtheraunce of the lyfe to vertue whiche olde englysshe wordes and vulgars no wyse man / bycause of theyr antiquite / wyll throwe asyde For the wryters of later dayes / the whiche beganne to loth and hate these olde bulgars / whan they them selfe wolde wryte in our englysshe tonge / were constrayned to brynge in / in their writynges / newe termes as some calle them whiche they borowed out of latyne frenche / and other langages / whiche caused / that they that vnderstode not those langages / from whens these newe vulgars are fette / coude not perceyue theyr wrytynges And though our most allowed olde autors dydde otherwhyle vse to borowe of oâ—her langages / eyther bycause of theyr metre / or elles for lacke of a feete englysshe worde / yet that ought not to be a president to vs / to heape them in / where as nedeth not / and where as we haue all redy wordes approued and receyued / of the same effecte and strength The whiche if any man wante / let hym resorte to this worthy olde wryter IohnÌ„ Gower / that shall as a lanterne gyue hym lyghte to wryte counnyngly / and to garnysshe his sentencis in our vulgar tonge The whiche noble autour / I prostrate at your gracis feete / most lowly present / and beseche your hyghnes / that it may go forthe vnder your gracis fauour And I shal euer pray God that is almyghtye preserue your royal maieste in mooste longe continuance of all welthe / honour / glorye / and grace infinite Amen Prologus ¶ Hic in primis declarat IoaÌ„nes Gower quam ob causam presentem fibelluÌ„ composuit finaliter compfeuit An. regni regis Ric. secundi 16. ⧠Of them / that wryten vs to fore The bokes dwelle and we therfore Ben taught of that was written tho / For thy good is / that we also In our tyme amonge vs here Do write of newe some mattere Ensampled of the olde wyse So that it might in suche a wise whan we be dede and els where Beleaue to the worlde 's ere In tyme comminge after this And for men seyne and sothe it is That who that all of wisdome wryte It dulleth ofte a mannes wytte To hym that shall it all day rede For thilke cause if that ye rede I wol go the myddell wey And wryte a boke bytwene the twey Somwhat of lust / and somwhat of lore That of the lasse / or of the more Some man may lyke of that I wryte And for that fewe men endyte In our englisshe / for to make A boke for Englondes sake The yere .xvi. of kynge Richard what shall bifalle here afterward God wote / for nowe vpon this tyde Men se the worlde on euery syde In sondry wyse so diuersed That it wel nygh stant all reuersed Al 's for to speke of tyme ago The cause why it chaungeth so It nedeth nought to specifye The thynge so open is at the eye That euery man it may beholde And netheles by dayes olde whan that the bokes weren leuer writinge was beloued euer Of them that weren vertuous For here in erthe amonge vs If no man wryte howe it stode The pris of them that were good Shulde as who sayth a great partye Be loste so for to magnifye The worthy princes / that tho were The bokes shewen here and there wherof the worlde ensampled is And tho that diden then amys Through tyranny and cruelte Ryght as they stonden in degre So was the wrytinge of the werke Thus I whiche am a borell clerke Purpose for to wryte a boke After the worlde that why lome toke Longe tyme in olde dayes passed But for men seyn it is nowe lassed In wers plyght than it was tho I thynke for to touche also The worlde / whiche neweth euery daye So as I can / so as I may Though I sekenesse haue vpon honde And longe haue had / yet wol I fonde To wryte / and do my besynesse That in some partye so as I gesse The wyse man may be aduysed For this prologue is so assised That it to wisedome all belongeth That wyse man that it vndertongeth He shall drawe in to remembraunce The fortune of the worldes chaunce The whiche no man in his persone May knowe but the god allone whan the prologue is so dispended The boke shall afterwarde be ended Of loue / whiche dothe many a wondre And many a wise man hath put vnder And in this wyse I thynke to treate Towarde them / that nowe be greate Betwene the vertue and the vyce whiche longeth vnto this office But for my wyttes ben to smale To telle euery mannes tale
whiche Acteon 〈◊〉 â—hete and he was Cosyn nyghe 〈◊〉 hâ—m that Thebes firste on high By set whiche kynge Cadme hyght This Acteon / as he wel myght A 〈◊〉 all other cast his chere And vsed it from yere to yere with houndes and with great bornes Amonge the wodes / and the thornes To make his huntynge / and his chace where hym best thought in euery place To fynde game in his way There rode he for to hunte and play So hym befelle vpon a ryde On his huntynge as he can ryde In a foreste a lone he was He sawe vpon the grene gras The fayre floures fresshe sprynge He herd amonge the leues synge The throstel / with the nyghtyngale Thus er he wyste in to a dale He came / wher was a lytell pleyne All rounde aboute / well beseyne with busshes grene / and cedres bye And there within he caste his eye A myddes the playne he sawe a welle So fayre there myght no man telle In whiche Diana naked stode To bathe and play her in the flode with many nimphes / which her serueth But he his eye awey ne swerueth From her / whiche was naked all And she was wonder wroth with all And hym / as she whiche was goddesse Fo rs hope anone / and the likenesse She made him taken of an herte whiche was tofore his houÌ„des sterte That rone besily aboute with many an horne / and many a route That maden moche noyse and crie And at the laste vnhappilye This hert his owne houndes slough And hym for vengeaunce all to drough ¶ Lo nowe my sone what it is A man to caste his eye amis whiche Acteon hath dere abought Beware for thy / and do it nought For ofte / who that hede toke Better is to wynke than to loke And for to prouen it is so Ouide the Poete also A tale whiche to this matere Acordeth sayth / as thou shalt here ¶ Hic ponit aliud exeÌ„pfuÌ„ de eodeÌ„ vbi dicit quod quid aÌ„ princeps nomine Forcus tres progenuit filias Gorgones a vulgo nuncupatas que vno partu exorte deformitateÌ„ monstroruÌ„ serpentinaÌ„ obtinuerunt quibus cuÌ„ in etatem peruenerant talis destinata fuerit natura quod quicuÌ„que in eas aspiceret in lapideÌ„ fubito mutabatur et sic quaÌ„plures incaute respicientes visis illis perierunt sed Perseus miles clipeo Palladis / gladioque Mercurij munitus eas extra monteÌ„ AtlaÌ„tis cohabitaÌ„tes aio audaci absque sui periculo interfecit ¶ In Methamor it telleth thus How that a lorde / whiche Forcus was hote / had doughters thre But vpon their natiuite Suche was the constellacion That out of mannes nacion Fro kynde they be so myswent That to the lykenes of a serpent They were bothe / and that one Of them was cleped Stellybone That other suster Suryale The thyrde as telleth in the tale Medusa hyght / and netheles Of comon name Gorgones In euery countrey there about As monstres / whiche that men doute Men clepen them / and but one eye Amonge them thre in purpartie They had / of whiche they myght se Nowe hathe it this / nowe hath it she After that cause and nede it ladde By throwes eche of them it hadde A wonder thyng yet more amys There was / wherof I telle all this what man on them his chere caste And them behelde / he was al 's faste Out of man in to a stone Forshape / and thus full many one Deceyued were / of that they wolde Misloke / where they ne shulde But Perseus / that worthy knyght whome Pallas / of her great myght Halpe / and toke hym a shelde therto And eke the god Mercury also Lent hym a swerde he as it fylle Beyonde Athlans the hyghe hylle These moÌ„stres sought / there he fonde Diuerse men of thylke londe Through sight of them mistorned were Standinge as stones here and there But he which wysdome and prowesse Hath of the god and the godesse The shelde of Pallas gan embrace with whiche he couereth saufe his face And Mercurius swerde out he drough And so he bare hym / that he slough These dredfull monstres all thre Confessor ¶ Lo nowe my sonne auyse the That thou thy syght not misuse Cast not thin eye vpon Meduse That thou be torned in to stone For so wyse man was neuer none But yf he woll his eye kepe And take of foule delyte no kepe That he with luste nis ofte nome Through strengthe of loue / ouercome Of mislokynge howe it hath ferde As I haue tolde / nowe hast thou herde My good sonne take good hede And ouer this I the rede That thou beware of thine herynge whiche to the harte the tydinge Of many a vanite hath brought To tarye with a manes thought And netheles good is to here Suche thynge / wherof a man may lere That to vertue is accordaunt And towarde all the remenaunt Good is to torne his ere fro For elles but a man do so Hym may full ofte mysbefalle I rede ensample amonges alle wherof to kepe wel an eare It ought put a man in feare ¶ Hic confessor exempluÌ„ narrat / vt non ab auris exauditione fatua animus deceptus inuolâ—atur Et dicit qualiter ille serpens qui aspis vocatur quendaÌ„ preciosissimuÌ„ lapidem nomine caâ— bunculuÌ„ in sue frontis medio geftans coÌ„tra verba incantantis aurem vnaÌ„ terre affigeÌ„do prema aliaÌ„ sue caude stimulo firmissime obturat ¶ A serpent / whiche that aspidis Is cleped / of his kynde hath this That he the stone noblest of all The whiche that men CarbuÌ„cle call Bereth in his heed aboue on high For whiche whan that a man by slight The stone to wynne / hym to daunte with his carecte hym wolde enchaunte Anone as he perceyueth that He leyth downe his one eare all plat Vnto the grounde / and halt it fast And eke that tother eare al 's faste He stoppeth with his taylle so sore That he the wordes / lasse or more Of his enchauntement ne hereth And in this wyse hym selfe he skyereth So that he hath the wordes wayued And thus his eare is nought deceyued ¶ Aliud exempluÌ„ super eodeÌ„ qualiter rex Vlix es cuÌ„ a bello Troiano versus Greciam nauigio remiaret et prope issa monstra a maxima Syrenes micuâ—ata angefica voce canorans ipsum veÌ„â—â—rum aduersitate nauigare oporteret omnium nautarum suorum aures obturari coegit ¶ In other thyng who that recordeth Lyke vnto this sample acordeth whiche in the tale of Troye I fynde Syrenes of a wonder kynde Ben monstres / as the bokes tellen And in the great see they dwellen Of body bothe and of vysage Lyke vnto women of yonge age Vp fro the nauyl on highe they be And downe benethe as men may se They bere of fysshes the fygure And ouer this of suche nature They beâ— that with so swete a
heuen mede of suche a grace I can nought speke netheles Christ hath commanded loue and pees And who that worcheth the reuers I trowe his mede is full dyuers And sythen than that we fynde That werres in her owne kynde Ben toward god of no deserte And eke they bryngen in pouerte Of worldes good it is marueyle Amonge the men what it may eyle That they a pees ne connen set I trowe synne be the lette And euery mede of synne is deth So wote I neuer howe it geth But we that be of o beleue Amonge our selfe this wolde I leue That better it were pees to chese Than so by double weye lese ¶ I not if that it nowe so stonde But this a man may vnderstonde who that these olde bokes redeth That couetyse is one whiche ledeth And brought the fyrst werres inne At Grece if that I shall begynne There was it proued howe it stode To Perse whiche was full of good They maden werre in specyall And so they dydden ouer all where great rychesse was in londe So that they lefte nothynge stonde Vnwerred but onely Archade ¶ Nota ê™ greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant sed tantum Archadiam pro eo ê™ pauper et sterilis fuit pacifice dimiserunt ¶ For there they no werres made Bycause it was bareyne and poure wherof they myght nought recouer And thus pouerte was forbore He that nought had nought hath lore But yet it is a wonder thynge whan that a ryche worthy kynge Or lorde what so he be woll aske and clayme propertie In thynge to whiche he hath no right But onely of his great myght For this may euery man well wyte That bothe kynde and lawe wryte Expressely stonden there ageyne But he mote nedes somewhat seyne All though there be no reason inne whiche secheth cause for to wynne For wyt that is with wyll oppressed whan couetyse hym hath adressed And all reasone putte awaye He can well fynde suche a wey To werre where as euer hym lyketh wherof that he the worde entriketh That many a man of hym compleyneth But yet alway some cause he feyneth And of his wrongefull herte he demeth That all is well what euer him semeth Be so that he may wynne inough For as the true man to the plough Only to the gaynynge entendeth Right so the werriour dispendeth His tyme and hath no conscience And in this poynt for euidence Of hem that suche werres make Thou myght a great ensample take Howe they her tirrannye excusen Of that they wrongeful werres vsen And howe they stonde of one accorde The soudiour forth with the lorde The poore man forth with the riche As of courage they ben lyche To make werres and to pylle For lucre and for none other skylle wherof a propre tale I rede As it whylom befelle in dede ¶ Hic declar at per exemplum contra istos prinâ—â—es seu altes quoscilque illicite guerre motores / Et narrat de quodam pirata in partibus mariâ—is speliatore notissimo / qui cum captus fuisset et in iudicium coram rege Alexandro productus et de latricino accusatus dixit / O Alexander vere â—uia cuÌ„ paucis socus spoliorum causa naues tantum eâ—pforo / ego latruncusus vocor in auteÌ„ quia cum infinita beffatorum muftitudine vniuer fam tâ—rram subiugando spofiafti Imperator dicâ—tâ—â— Ita ê™ statue tuus a statu meo differt / sed â—â—â—em animo conditionem paâ—isem habemus 〈◊〉 â—ander vero enis audatiam in responsione 〈◊〉 bans ipsum penes se familiarem retinuit Et 〈◊〉 â—â—â—licâ—sâ—s beffatori complacnit ⧠Of hym whome all this erthe drad whan he the worlde so ouerladde Through werre as it fortuned is Kynge Alysaunder I rede this Howe in a marche where he lay It felle perchaunce vpon a day A Rouer of the see was nome whiche many a man bad ouercome And slayne and take her good awaye This pyller as the bokes say A famous man in sondry stede was of the werkes whiche he dede This prisoner afore the kynge was brought thervpon this thynge In audience he was accused And he his dede hath nought excused And praide the kyng to done him right And sayd Syre if I were of myght I haue an herte lyche vnto thyn For if thy power were myn My wylle is most in especiall To ryfle and gette ouer all The large worldes good about But for I leade a poure route And am as who sayth at mischiefe The name of pyllour and of these I beare and thou whiche routes great Myght leade and take thy beyete And doste right as I wolde do Thy name is nothynge cleped so But thou arte named emperour Our dedes ben of one colour And in effecte of one deserte But thy rychesse and my pouerte They be not taken euen lyche And netheles he that is ryche This day to morowe he may be poorer And in contrary also recouer A poore man to grete ryches Men seyn for thy let ryghtewysenes Be peysed euen in the balaunce ¶ The kynge his hardy contenaunce Behelde his wordes wyse And sayd vnto hym in this wyse Thyne answere I haue vnderstonde wherof my wyl is that thou stonde In my seruyce stylle abyde And forth with al the same tyde He hath hym terme of lyfe withholde The more for he shuld ben holde He made hym knyght yafe hym lond whiche afterwarde was of his honde An orped knyght in many a stede And grete prowesse of armes dede As the Cronykes it recorden And in this wyse they acorden The whiche of condicion Be sette vpon destruction Suche Capitaine suche retinue But for to see what yssue The kynge befalleth at the laste It is great wonder that men caste Her herte vpon suche wronge to wynne where no beyete may ben inne And doth dysese on euery syde But when reson is put a syde And wylle gouerneth the courage The faucon whiche fleeth ramage And suffreth no thyng in the weye wherof that he may take his preye Is not more set vpon rauyne Than thilke man whiche his couyne Hath set in suche a maner wyse For all the worlde may nought suffyse To wyl whiche is not resonable ☞ Hic secundum gefta Alexandri de guerris illicitis ponit Confessor exemplum / dicens quod quamuis Alexander sua potentia totius mundi victor subingarat imperium ipse tandem mortis victoria subiugatus / cunctipotentis sententiam euadere non potuit ⧠wherof ensampele concordable Lyche to this poynte of which I mene was vpon Alysander sene whiche hadde set all his entent So as fortune with hym went That reason myght hym not gouerne But of his wylle he was so sterne That all the worlde he ouerran And what hym lyst he toke and wan In Inde the superyour whan that he was full conquerour And hadde his wylfull pourpose woÌ„ne Of all this erth vnder the sonne This kynge homwarde to Macedoyne whan that he cam
and if so is That I haue ought done so er this It is so lyttell of accompte As who sayth it may not amount To wynne of loue his lusty yifte For this I telle you in shryfte That me were leuer her loue wynne Than Raire and all that is therinne And for to slee the heathen alle I not what good there myght falle So moch blod though ther were shad This fynde I write howe Christe bad That no man other shulde slee what shulde I wynne ouer the see If I my lady loste at home But passe they the salte fome To whoÌ„ Christ bad they shuldeÌ„ preche To all the worlde and his feyth teache But nowe they rucken in her nest And resten as hem lyketh beste In all the swetenes of delyces Thus they defenden vs the vices And sytten hem selfe all amydde To slee and fyght they vs bydde Hem whoÌ„ they shuld as the boke saith Conuerten vnto Christes fayth But herof haue I great meruayle How that they shulde me byd trauaile A sarazyn if I slee shall I slee the soule forth withall And that was neuer Christes lore But nowe hoo therof I say no more But I woll speke vpon my shrifte And to Cupyde I make a yefte That who as euer price deserue Of armes I wol loue serue As though I shuld hem bothe kepe Al 's well yet wolde I take kepe when it were tyme to abyde And for to trauayle and for to ryde For howe as euer a man laboure Cupyde appoynted hath his houre ¶ Hic allegat AmaÌ„s in sui excusatione qualiter Achilles apud Troiam propter amorem Polixene arma sua per aliquod tempus dimisit ¶ For I haue herde telle also Achilles lefte his armes so Both of hym selfe and of his men At Troye or Polyxen Vpon her loue when he felle That for no chaunce that befelle Amonge the grekes or vpor downe He wolde nought ayene the towne Ben armed for the loue of hyr And so me thynketh leue syr A man of armes may hym reste Sometyme in hope for the beste If he may fynde a werre nerre what shulde I than go so ferre In straunge londes many a myle To ryde and lese at home there whyle My loue it were a shorte beyete To wynne chaffe and lese whete But if my lady byde wolde That I for her loue sholde Trauayle me thynketh truely I myght flee through out the sky And go through out the depe see For all ne sette I not a stre what thonke that I myght els gete what helpeth a man haue mete where drynke lacketh on the borde what helpeth any mans worde To say howe I trauayle faste where as me fayleth at laste That thynge whiche I trauayle fore O in good tyme were he bore That myght atteyne suche a mede But certes if I myght spede with any maner besynesse Of worldes trauayle than I gesse There shulde me none idelshyp Departe from her ladyshyp But this I se on dayes nowe The blynde god I wote not howe Cupydo whiche of loue is lorde He sette the thinges in discorde That they that lest to loue entende Full ofte he woll hem yeue and sende Moost of his grace and thus I fynde That he that shulde go behynde Goth many a tyme ferre to fore So wote I not ryght well therfore On whether borde that I shall seyle Thus can I nought my selfe counsayle But all I sette on auenture And am as who sayth out of cure For ought that I can sey or do For euermo I fynde it so The more besynesse laye The more that I knele and praye with good wordes and with softe The more I am refused ofte with besynes and may not wynne And in good feyth that is great synne For I may seye of dede and thought That idell man haue I be nought For howe as euer that I be deslayde yet euermore I haue assayde But though my besynesse laste All is but ydell at laste For whan theffecte is ydelnesse I not what thynge is besynesse Saye what auayleth all the dede whiche nothynge helpeth at nede For the fortune of euery fame Shall of his ende beare a name And thus for ought is yet befalle An idell man I woll me calle And after myn entendement But vpon your amendement Myn holy father as you semeth My reason and my cause demeth ¶ My son I haue herde of thy matere Of that thou hast the shryuen here And for to speake of idell fare Me semeth that thou tharst not care But only that thou myght not spede And therof sonne I woll the rede Abyde and haste not to faste Thy dedes ben euery day to caste Thou nost what chaunce shall betyde Better is to wayte vpon the tyde Than rowe ayenste the stremes stronge For though so be the thynke longe Percase the reuolucion Of henen and thy condicyon Ne be not yet of one accorde But I dare make this recorde To Venus whose prest that I am That sythen that I hyther cam To here as she me badde thy lyfe wherof thou els be gyltyfe Thou myght herof thy conscyence Excuse and of great dyligence whiche thou to loue hast so dyspended Thou oughtest wel to be commended But if so be that there ought fayle Of that thou slouthest to trauaylle In armes for to ben absent And for thou makest an argument Of that thou saydest here aboue How Achilles through strength of loue His armes left for a throwe Thou shalt an other tale knowe whiche is contrarye as thou shalt wite For this a man maye fynde wryte whan that knyghthode shall be weired Lust may not than be preferred The bed mot than be forsake And shelde and spere on hond take which thing shall make hem after glad whan thy be worthy knyghtes made wherof so as it cometh to honde A tale thou shalt vnderstonde How that a knyght shall armes sewe And for the whyle his ease eschewe ⧠Hic dicit ê™ amoris delectamento postposito miles arma sua preferre debet Et ponit exempluÌ„ de Vlyxe cum ipse a bello Troiano propter amorem Penelope remanere domi voluisset Nau plus pater Palamidis cum tantis sermonibus allocutus est ê™ Vlixes thoro sue coniugis relicto lobores armorum vna cum afiis Troie magnanimis subibat ⧠Vpon knyghthode I rede thus Howe whylome the kynge Nauplus The fader of Palamydes Came for to preyen Vlyxes with other Gregois eke also That he with hem to Troye go where that the syege shulde be Anone vpon Penelope His wyfe whome that he loueth hote Thynkend wolde hem nought behote But he shope then a wonder wyle Howe that he shulde hem best begyle So 〈…〉 myght dwelle stylle At hoâ—e and weld his loue at wylle wherof erly the morowe day Out of his bed where that he lay whan he was vp he gan to fare In to the felde and loke and stare As he whiche feyneth to be wood He toke a plough where that it stode wherin
fyrste apryse Of bokes and of all good Through hem that whilom vnderstode The lore whiche to hem was yeue wherof these other that nowe lyue Ben euery day to lerne newe But er the tyme that men fewe And that the labour forth it brought There was no corn though men it souÈt In none of all the feldes oute And er the wysdome cam aboute Of hem that fyrst the bokes wryte This may wel euery wyse man wyte There was great labour eke also Thus was none ydel of the two That on the plough hath vndertake with labour which the hond hath take That other toke to studye and muse As he whiche wolde not refuse The labour of his wyttes all And in this wyse it is befalle Of labour whiche that they begonne we be now taught of that we conne Her besynes is yet to sene That it stant euer alyche grene All be it so the body deye The name of hem shall neuer aweye In the Cronycke as I fynde Cham whos labour is yet in mynde was he whiche fyrste the letters fonde And wrote in hebrewe with his honde Of naturall philosophye He fonde fyrst also the clergye Cadmus the letters of gregoys Fyrst made vpon his owne chose Theges of thynge whiche shal befalle He was the fyrst angur of all And Philemon by the visage Fonde to descryue the courage Claudius Esdras and Sulpices Termegis Pandulfe and Frigidilles Menander Ephiloquorus Solinus Pandas and Iosephus The fyrste were of enditours Of olde Cronyke and eke auctours And Heredot in his science Of metre of ryme and of cadence The fyrste was whiche men note And of musyke also the note In mans voyce or softe or sharpe That fonde Iuball and of the harpe The mery sowne whiche is to lyke That fonde Paulius forth with phisike Zâ—uzis fonde fyrste the portrature And Promotheus the sculpture After what forme that hem thought The resemblance anon they wrought Aâ—bâ—ll in yron and in stele Fâ—nde first the forge wrought it wele And Iadahel as saith the boke Fyrste made nette and fysshes toke Of huntynge eke be fonde the chace whiche nowe is knowe in many place A tent of clothe with corde and stake He sette vp fyrste and dyd it make Herconius of cokerye Fyrste made the delycacie The crafte Mynerue of wolle fonde And made cloth her owne honde And Delbora made it of lyne The women were of great engyne But thing which yeueth mete drinke And doth the labour for to swynke To tylle the londes and sette the vynes wherof the corne and the wynes Bâ—n sustenaunce to mankynde In olde bokes as I fynde Saturnus of his owne wyt Hath founde fyrste and more yet Of chapmenhode he fonde the weye And eke to coygne the money Of sondry metall as it is He was the fyrste man of this But howe that metall cam a place Through mans wyt and goddes grace The route of philosophers wyse Contreueden by sondry wyse Fyrst for to gette it out of myne And after for to trye and fyne And also with great dilygence They fonde thylke experience whiche cleped is Alconomy wherof the syluer multiplye They made and eke the golde also And for to telle howe it is so Of bodyes seuen in specyall with foure spirites ioynt withall Stant the substance of this matere The bodyes whiche I speke of here Of the planettes ben begonne The golde is tytled to the sonne The mone of syluer hath his part And Iron that stonde vpon Mart The leed after Saturne groweth And Iubiter the brasse bestoweth The copper sette is to Venus And to his part Mercurius Hath the quicke siluer as it falleth The whiche after the boke it calleth Is fyrst of thilke foure named Of spirites whiche ben proclaymed And the spirite whiche is seconde In Sal Armonyake is founde The thirde spirite Sulphur is The fourth sewende after this ArceÌ„nicum by name is hote with blowynge and with fyres hote In these thynges whiche I saye They worchen by dyuers waye For as the philosopher tolde Of golde and siluer they ben holde Two principall extremities To whiche all other by degrees Of the metalles ben accordaunt And so through kynde resemblant That what man couth away take The rust of whiche they woxen blacke And the sauour of the hardnes They shulden take the lykenes Of golde or syluer parfectly But for to worche it sykerly Betwene the corps and the spirite Er that the metall be parfyte In seuen formes it is sette Of all and if one be lette The remenaunt may not auayle But other wyse it may nought fayle For they by whoÌ„ this art was founde To euery poynt a certaine bounde Ordeynen that a man may fynde This crafte is wrought by wey of kinde So that there is no fallace inne But what man that this werke begyn He mote awayte at euery tyde So that nothynge be lefte a syde Fyrst of the distillacion Forth with the congellation Solucyon Discention And kepe in his entencyon The poynt of sublymation ⧠And forth with Calcination Of very approbation Do that there be fyxation with temperate hetes of the fyre Tyll he the parfyte Elyxer Of thilke philosophers stone May gette of whiche that many one Of philosophers whylom wryte And if thou wolt the names wyte Of thilke stone with other two whiche as the clerkes maden tho So as the bokes it recorden The kynde of hem I shall recorden ⧠Nota de tribus lapidibus / quod philosophi composuerunt quorum primus que lapis vegetabilis qui sanitatem conseruat / Secundus dicitur lapis Animalis que membra et virtutes sensibiles fortificat Tertius dicitur lapis mineralls / que omnia metalla purificat / et in suum perfectum naturali potencia deducit ¶ These olde philosophers wyse By wey of kynde in sondry wyse Thie stones made through clergie The fyrste I shall specifie was cleped Vegetabilis Of whiche the propre vertue is To mannes heale for to serue As for to kepe and to preserue The body fro sickenes all Tyll deth of kynde vpon hym fall The seconde stone I the behote Is lapis Animalis hote The whose vertue is propre and couth For eare and eie nose and mouth wherof a man may here and se And smelle and taste in his degre And for to fele and for to go It helpeth a man of bothe two The wyttes fyue he vnderfongeth To kepe as it to hym belongeth The thirde stone in speciall By name is cleped Mynerall whiche the metalles of euery myne Attempreth tyll that they ben fyne And pureth hem by suche a wey That all the vice goth a weye Of rust of stynke and of hardnes And whan they ben of suche clennes This mynerall so as I fynde Transformeth all the fyrst kynde And maketh hem able to conceyue Through his vertue and receyue Both in substaunce and in fygure Of golde and syluer the nature For they two ben thextremites To whiche after the properties Hath euery metall his
desire with helpe and comforte of the fyre Forth with this stone as it is sayde which to the sonne and mone is layde For to the redde and to the white This stone hath power to profyte It maketh multiplication Of golde and the fyxacion It causeth and of his habyte He doth the werke to be parsyte Of thilke Elyxer whiche men call Alconomy as is befalle To hem that whylom were wyse But nowe it stant all otherwyse They speken fast of thilke stone But howe to make it nowe wote none After the sothe experience And netheles great diligence They setten vp thilke dede And spyllen more than they spede For alway they fynde a lette whiche bringeth in pouerte and dette To hem that ryche were tofore The losse is had the lucre is lore To get a pounde they spenden fyue I not how suche a crafte shall thryue In the maner as it is vsed It were better be refused Than for to worchen vpon wene In thinge which stant not as they wene But not for thy who that it knewe The science of hym selfe is trewe Vpon the forme as it was founded wherof the names yet be grounded Of hem that fyrst it founden out And thus the fame goth all about To suche as soughten besynes Of vertue and of worthynes Of whom if I the names calle Hermes was one the fyrst of all To whom this arte is moste applied Geber therof was magnified And Ortolan and Moryen Amonge the whiche is Auicen whiche fonde and wrote a great partie The practyke of Alconomy whose bokes pleynly as they stonde Vpon this crafte fewe vnderstonde But yet to putten hem in assay There ben full many nowe a day That knowen lytell what they mene It is not one to wyte and wene Informe of wordes they it trete But yet they faylen of beyete For of to moche or of to lyte There is algate founde a wyte So that they folowe not the lyne Of the partyte medycine whiche grounded is vpon nature But they that wryten the scripture Of Greke Arabe and Caldee They were of suche auctorite That they fyrst founden out the wey Of all that thou hast herde me sey wherof the cronyke of her lore Shall stonde in price for euermore But towarde our marches here Of the Latyns if thou wolte here Of hem that whylom vertuous were and therto laborious Carment made of her engyne The fyrst letters of latyne Of whiche the tonge romayn came wherof that Aristarchus nam Forth with Donat and Dyndymus The fyrst reule of scole as thus Howe that latyne shall be compowned And in what wyse it shall be sowned That euery worde in his degre Shall stonde vpon congruite And thilke tyme at Rome also was Tullius Cicero That writeth vpon Rethorike How that men shuld her wordes pyke After the forme of cloquence whiche is men seyne a great prudence And after that out of hebrewe Ierome whiche the langage knewe The byble in whiche the lawe is closed In to latyne he hath transposed And many an other writer eke Out of Caldee Arabe and Greke with great labour the bokes wyse Translateden and otherwyse The latyns of hem selfe also Her study at thylke tyme so with great trauayle of scole toke In sondry forme for to loke That we may take her euidence Vpon the lore of the science Of craftes bothe and of clergie Amonge the whiche in poesie To the louers O uyde wrote And taught if loue be to hote In what maner it shulde akele ¶ For thy my sonne if that thou fele That loue wrynge the to sore Beholde O uyde and take his lore ¶ My father if they might spede My loue I wolde his bokes rede And if they techen to restreyne My loue it were an idell peyne To lerne a thynge which may not be For lyche vnto the grene tre If that men take his rote awey Ryght so myn herte shulde deye If that my loue be withdrawe wherof touchende vnto this sawe There is but onely to pursewe My loue and idelshyp eschewe ¶ My good sonne soth to seye If there be siker any weye To loue thou hast sayde the best For who that woll haue all his rest and do no trauayle at nede It is no reason that he spede In loues cause for to wynne For he whiche dare nothyng begynne I not what thynge he shulde acheue But ouer this thou shalte beleue So as it syt the well to knowe That there ben other vices slowe whiche vnto loue do great lette If thou thyn herte vpon hem sette Perdit homo causam linquens sua iura sopori Et quasi dimidium pars sua mortis habet Est in amore uigil Venus et ê™ habet uigilanti Obsequium thalamis fert vigilata suis ☞ HIC loquitur de Sompnolencia / que Accidie Cameraria dicta est / cuins natura semimortua alicuius negotii vigilius obseruari sopori sero torpore recusat vnde quatenus amoreÌ„ concernit Confessor Amanti diligeÌ„tius opponit ¶ Towarde the slowe progeny There is yet one of companye And he is cleped Sompnolence whiche dothe to Slouth his reuerence As he whiche is his chamberleyn That many an honderde time hath lein To slepe when he shulde wake He hath with loue truce take That wake who so wake wyll If he may couche adowne his byll He hath all wowed what hym lyst That ofte he goth to bedde vnkyst And sayth that for no druery He woll not leue his sluggardy For though that no maÌ„ it wold alowe To slepe leuer than to wowe Is his maner and thus on nyghtes when he seeth the lusty knyghtes Reuelen where these women are Awey be sculketh as an hare And gothe to bed and leyth hym softe And of his slouthe he dremeth ofte Howe that he stycketh in the myre And howe he sytteth by the fyre And claweth on his bare shankes And howe he clymeth vp the bankes And falleth in the slades depe But than who so take kepe when he is falle in suche a dreme Ryght as a shyp agaynst the streme He routeth with a slepy noyse And brustleth as a monkes froyse when it is throwe in to the panne And otherwhile selde whanne That he may dreme a lusty sweuen Hym thynketh as thoughe he were in heueÌ„ And as the world were holly his And than he speaketh of that and this And maketh his exposition After his disposition Of that he wold in suche a wyse He dothe to loue all his seruise I not what thonke he shall deserue But sonne if thou wolte loue serue I rede that thou do not so ¶ A good father certes no I had leauer by my trouth Er I were sette on suche a slouth And bere suche a slepy snoute Bothe eien of my heed were out For me were better fully dye Than I of suche sluggardye Had any name god me shelde For whan my mother was with childe And I lay in her wombe close I wolde rather Atropos whiche is goddesse of all
ex tribus precipne statuis exorta est / quarum prima fuit illa / quam in filii sui memoriaÌ„ quidaÌ„ Princeps nomine Cirophanes a sculptore Promotheo fabricari constituit ¶ Thus was dyspers in sondry wyse The mysbyleue as I deuyse with many an ymage of entaylle Of suche as myght hem not auayle For thy withoute lyues chere Vnmyghty be to se or here Or speke or do or elles fele And yet the fooles to hem knele whiche is her owne hande werke A lord howe this byleue is derke And fer fro reasonable wytte And netheles they don it yet That was this day a raggyd tre To morowe vpon his maieste Stant in the Temple wel beseyne Howe myght a mans reason seyn That suche a stocke may helpe or greue But they that ben of suche beleue And vnto suche goddes calle It shall to hem ryght so befalle And faylen at most nede But if the lyst to taken heede And of the fyrst ymage wyte Petronius therof hath wryte And eke Nygargarus also And they afferme and wryte so That Promotheus was tofore And fonde the fyrst craft therfore And Cyrophanes as they telle Through couÌ„sel which was take in hell In remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his lignage Let setten vp the fyrst ymage Of Cyrophanes seyth the booke That he for sorow whiche he toke Of that he sygh his sonne deede Of comfort knewe none other rede But lete do make in remembraunce A fayre ymage of his semblaunce And set it in the market place whiche openly to fore his face Stood euery day to done hym ease And they that than wolden please The fader shuld it obeye whan that they comen thylke weye ¶ Secunda statuta fuit illa / quam ad sui patris Beli culturam rex Ninus fieri et adorari decreuit Et sic de nomine Beli postea Bel et Belzebub Idolum accreuit ¶ And of Nynus kynge of Assyre I rede howe that in his Empyre He was next after the second Of hem that fyrst ymages founde For he ryght in semblable caas Of Belus whiche his fader was From Nembroth in the ryght lyne Lete make of gold and stones fyne A precyous ymage ryche After his fader euenlyche And therupon a lawe he sette That euery man of pure dette with sacryfyce and with truage Honour shuld thylke ymage So that within tyme it felle Of Belus cam the name of Belle Of Bel cam Belsabub and so The mysbyleue went tho ¶ Tercia statuta fuit illa que ad honorem Apis Regis GrecoruÌ„ sculpta fuit cui postea nomeÌ„ Serapis iuponeÌ„tes ipsuÌ„ quasi deuÌ„ pagani coluerunt ¶ The thyrd ymage next to this whan the kynge of Grece Apys was deed they made a fygure â—n resemblaunce of his stature Of this kynge Apys seyth the booke That Serapys his nome tooke In whom through longe contynuance Of mysbyleue a great creaunce They hadden and the reuerence Of sacryfyce and of encence To hym they made and as they telle Amonge the wonders that befelle whan Alexander fro Candace Cam rydend in a wylde place Vnder an hylle a caue he fond And Candalus whiche in that lond was bore and was Candaces sonne Hym told howe that of comon wonne The goddes were in thylke caue And he that wolde assaye and haue A knoweleygnge if it be soth Lyght of his bors and in he gothe And fond therin that he sought For through the fendes sleyght hym thought Amonge other goddes mo That Serapys spake to hym tho whome he sygh there in great araye And thus the fende from day to daye The worshyp of ydolatrye Drough forth vpon the fantasye Of hem that were than blynde And couthen nought the trouth fynde Thus hast thou herd in what degre Of Grece Egypte and Chaldee The mysbyleue whylome stood And howe so they be not good Ne trewe yet they sprongen oute wherof the wyde worlde aboute His parte of mysbyleue toke Tyl so befelle as seyth the boke That god a people for hym selue Hath chose of the lynages twelue wherof the sothe redyly As it is wryten in Genesy I thynke telle in suche a wyse That it shall be to thyn a pryse ¶ De hebreorum seu Iudeorum secta quorum Sinogoga ecclesia Cristi superueniente defecit ¶ After the flood fro whiche Noe was saufe the worlde in his degree was made as who seyth newe ageyn Of flour of fruit of gras of greyn Of beest of byrd and of mankynde whiche euer hath be to god vnkynd For not withstondinge all the fare Of that this worlde was made so bare And afterward it was restored Amonge the men was nothynge mored Toward god of good lyuynge But all was torned to lykynge After the flesshe so that foryete was he whiche yafe hem lyfe and mete Of heuen and erth creatour And thus cam forth the great errour That they the hyghe god ne knewe But maden other goddes newe As thou hast herd me sayd tofore There was no man that tyme bore That he ne had after his choys A god to whom ye yafe his voys wherof the mysbeleue cam In to the tyme of Abraham But he fonde oute the ryght wey Howe onely men shuld obeye The hyghe god whiche weldeth all And euer hath done and euer shall In heuen in erth and eke in helle There is no tonge his myght may telle This Patriarche to his lynage Forbad that they to none ymage Enclyne shuld in no wyse But her offrende and sacryfyse with all the hole hertes loue Vnto the myghty god aboue They shulden yeue and to no mo And thus en thylke tyme tho Began that sect vpon this erthe whiche of byleues was the ferthe Of ryghtwysnes it was conceyued So must it nedes be receyued Of hym that all ryght is ynne The hygh god whiche wolde wynne A people vnto his owne feyth On Abraham the grounde he leyth And made hym for to multyply In to so great a progeny That they Egypte all ouer sprad But Phaaro with wronge hem lad In seruytude ayen the pees Tyl god let send Moyses To make the delyueraunce And for his people great vengeaunce He toke which is to here a wonder The kyng was slayn the lond put vnder God bad the reed se deuyd whiche stode vpryght on euery syde And yafe vnto his people aweye That they on fote it passed dreye And gone so forth in to desert where for to kepe hem in couert The dayes whan the sonne brent A large cloude hem ouer went And for to wyssen hem by nyght A fyry pyller hem alyght And whan that they for honger pleyn The myghty god began to reyne Manna fro heuen downe to ground wherof that eche of hem hath funde His fod suche ryght as hym lyst And for they shuld vpon hym tryst Ryght as who set a tonne a broche He perced the hard roche And spronge oute water all at wylle That man and best hath dronke his fille And afterward he yafe the
a mayden were Let clothen in the same gere whiche longeth vnto womanhede And he was yonge and toke none bede But suffreth all that she hym dede wherof she hath her women bede And chargeth by her othes alle Howe so it afterward byfalle That they discouer nought this thynge But feyne and make a knowlegynge Vpon the counseyle whiche was nome In euery place where they come To telle and to witnesse this Howe he hyr ladys doughter is And ryght in suche a maner wyse She had they shuld her don seruyse So that Achilles vnderfongeth As to a yong lady belongeth Honoure seruyce and reuerence For Thetys with great dylygence Hym hath so taught and so affayted That howe so that he were awayted with sobre and goodly contenaunce He shuld his womanhede auaunce That none the soth knowe myght But that in euery mans syght He shuld seme a pure mayde And in suche wyse as she hym sayde Achylles whiche that ylke whyle was yonge vpon hym selfe to smyle Began whan he was so beseyn And thus after the bokes seyn with frette of perle vpon his hede All fresshe betwene the whyte and rede As he whiche tho was tender of age Stode the colour in his visage That for to loke vpon his cheke And seen his chyldy maner eke He was a woman to beholde And than his moder to hym tolde That she hym had so begone By cause that she thought gone To Lichomede at thylke tyde where that she sayde be shulde abyde Amonge his doughters for to dwelle Achylles hâ—â—d his moder telle And wyst no â—ght the cause why And netheles full buxomly He was redy to that she had wherof his moder was ryght glad To Lychomede and forth they went And whan the kyng knewe her entent And sawe this yonge doughter there And that it came vnto his ere Of suche record of suche wytnesse He had ryght a great gladnesse Of that he both sygh and herde As he that wote not howe it ferde Vpon the counseyl of the nede But for all that kynge Lychomede Hath toward hym his doughter take And for Thetys his moder sake He put her in to companye To dwelle with Deydamye His owne doughter the eldest The fayrest and the comlyest Of al his doughters whiche he had Lo thus Thetys the cause lad And lefte there Achylles feyned As be which hath hym selfe restreyned In all that euer be may and can O ute of the maner of a man And toke his womanysshe chere wherof vnto his bedfere Deydamye he hath by nyght where kynde wolde hym selue ryght After the Philosophers seyn There may no wight be there ageyn And that was thylke tyme sene The longe nyghtes hem bytwene Nature whiche may not forbere Hath made hem bothe for to stere They kyssen fyrst and ouermore The hyghe wey of loues lore They gone and all was done in dede wherof lost is the may denhede And that was afterward well knowe For it befell that ylke throwe At Troye where the syege lay Vpon the cause of Menelay And of his quene dame Eleyne The gregoys badden mochel peyne All day to fyght and to assayle But for they myght nought auayle So noble a cyte for to wynne A preuy counsayle they begynne In sondry wysewhere they treat And at laste amonge the great They fellen vnto his accorde That Phorceus of his recorde whiche was an Astronomyen And eke a great magicien Shulde of his calculation Screbe of constellation How they the citie myghten gette And he whiche hadde nought foryete Of that belongeth to a clerke His study sette vpon this werke So longe his wyt about he cast Tyll that he fonde out at last But if they hadden Achilles Her werre shall ben endeles And ouer that he tolde hem pleyne In what maner he was beseyne And in what place he shall be founde Sâ— to at within a lytell stounde Vlâ—â—es forth with Dyomede Vpon this poynt to Lychomede Agamemnon to gether sente But Vlyxes er he forth went whiche was one of the most wyse Ordeyned hath in suche a wyse That he the most ryche aray wherof a woman may be gay with hym be toke manifolde And ouermore as it is tolde An harnoys as for a lusty knyght whiche burned was as syluer bryght Oâ— swerde of plate and cke of mayle As though he shulde do batayle He toke also with hym by shyp And thus to gether in felawshyp Forth gone this Dyomede and be In hope tyll they myghten se The place where Achilles is The wynde stode than nought amys But euery topsayle cole it blewe Tyll Vlyxes the marches knewe where Lychomede his reygne had The styresman so well him ladde That they be comen saufe to londe where they gone out vpon the stronde In to the burgh where that they fouÌ„de The kyng and he which hath facounde Vlyxes dyd the message But the counsayle of his courage why that he came he tolde nought But vnderneth he was bethought In what maner he myght aspie Achilles from Deidamye And fro these other that there were Full many a lusty lady there ¶ They plaide hem there a day or two And as it was fortuned so It fell that tyme in suche a wyse To Bacchus that a sacrifice These yonge ladies shulden make And for the straunge mennes sake That comen fro the siege of Troye They maden well the more ioye There was reuell there was daunsynge And euery lyfe whiche couth synge Of lusty women in the route A fresshe caroll hath songe about But for all this yet netheles The grekes vnknowe of Achilles So weren that in no degree They couthen wyte whiche was he Ne by his voys ne by his paas Vlyxes than vpon the caas A thing of high prudeÌ„ce hath wrought For thilk aray which he hath brought To yeue amonge the women there He lette do fetten all the geare Forth with a knyghtes harnoys eke In all the countrey for to seke Men shulden nought a fayrer se And euery thynge in his degre Endelonge vpon a bourde he layde So Lychomede and than he preyde That euery lady chese shulde what thynge of all that she wolde And take it as by way of yefte For they hem selfe it shulde sheft He sayde after her owne wylle Achilles than stode nought stylle whan he the bryght helme behelde The swerde the hauberke the shelde His herte felle therto anone Of all that other wolde he none The knyghtes gere he vnderfongeth And thylke array whiche that beloÌ„geth Vnto the women he forsoke And in this wyse as sayth the boke They knowen than whiche he was For he goth forth the grete paas In to the chambre where he lay Anone and made no delay He armeth hym in knyghtly wyse That better can no man deuise And as fortune shulde falle He came so forth tofore hem alle As he whiche tho was glad inough But Lychomede nothyng lough whan that he sigh howe that it ferde For than he wyst well and herde His doughter
great synne originall whiche euery man in general Vpon his birth hath enuennomed In paradys it was mystimed whan Adame of thylke appel bote His swete morcell was to hote whiche dedly made the mankynde And in the bokes as I fynde This vyce whiche so oute of rule Hath set vs all is cleped Gule Of whiche the braunches ben so greate That of hem all I wol not treate But onlyche as touchende of two I thynke to speke and of no mo wherof the fyrste is dronkeshyp whiche bereth the cuppe felaushyp Ful many a wonder doth that vyce He can make of a wysman nyce And of a foole that hym shall seme That he can all the lawe deme And yeue euery iugement whiche longeth to the fyrmament Both of the sterre and of the mone And thus he maketh a great clerke sone Of hym that is a lewde man There is no thynge whiche he ne can whyle he hath dronkeshyp on honde He knowethe the see he knowethe the strōde He is a noble man of armes And yet no strength is in his armes There he was stronge inowe tofore with dronkeshyp it is forlore And all is chaunged his estate And wexeth anone so feble and mate That he may neither go ne come But all to gether he is benome The power both of honde fote So that algate abyde he mote And all his wyttes he foryete The whiche is to hym suche a lete That he wote neuer what he doth He whiche is fals ne whiche is soth Ne whiche is day ne whiche is nyght That the tyme he knoweth no wyghte That he ne wote so moche as this what maner thynge hym seluen is Or he be man or he be beast That holde I ryght a sory feaste whan he that reason vnderstode So sodeinlyche is wexe wode Or elles lyche the deade man whiche nother go ne speke can Thus ofte he is to bedde brought But yet woteth he wher he lieth nought Tyll he aryse vpon the morowe And than he saith O whiche a sorowe It is for to be drynkeles So that halfe dronke in suche a rees with drye mouth be sterte hym vp And saith bayles sa the cuppe That made hym lese his wyt at eue Is than a morowe all his beleue The cuppe is all that euer hym pleaseth And also that hym most diseseth It is the cuppe whom he serueth whiche all cares from hym kerneth And all bales to hym bryngeth In ioye he wepeth in sorowe he syngeth For dronkenshyp is so dyuers It may no whyle stonde inuers He drynketh the wyne but at last The wyne drynketh him bynt him fast And leyth hym dronke by the walle As hym whiche is his bonde thralle And all in his subiection And lyche to suche condicion As for to speke it otherwyse It falleth that the most wyse Ben other whyle of loue adoted And so biwhapped and assoted Of dronken men that neuer yet was none whiche halfe so lost his wytte Of drynke as they of suche thynges do whiche cleped is the iolyfe wo And wexen of her owne thought So dronke that they knowe nought what reason is or more or lesse Suche is the kynde of that syknesse And that is not for lacke of brayne But loue is of so great a mayne That where he taketh a herte on honde There may nothig his might withstōde The wyse Salomon was nome And stronge Sampson ouercome The knyghtly Dauid him ne might Rescue that he with the syght Of Bersabe ne was bestade Virgile also was ouerlade And Aristotle was put vnder ¶ For thy my sonne it is no wonder yf thou be dronke of loue amonge whiche is aboue all other stronge And if so is that thou so be Telle me thy shryfte in pryuyte It is no shame of suche a thewe Of yonge man to be dronkelewe Of suche phisike as I can a parte And as me semeth by that arte Thou shuldest by phisonomye Be shapen to that maladye Of loue dronke and that is routhe ¶ A holy fader all is trouthe That ye me telle I am be knowe That I with loue am so bethrowe And al my herte is so through sonke That I am verylyche dronke And yet I may both speke and go But I am ouercome so And torned fro my selfe so clene That ofte I wote not what I mene So that excusen I ne may My herte fro the fyrst day That I cam to my lady kythe I was neuer yet sobre syth where I her se or se her nought with musynge of myn owne thought Of loue whiche my herte assayleth So dronke I am that my wytte fayleth And all my brayne is ouertorned And my maner so mystorned That I foryete all that I can And stonde lyke a mased man That ofte whan I shulde play It maketh me drawe oute of the way In soleyn place by my selfe As doth a laborer to delfe whiche can no gentylmans chere Or elles as a lewde frere whan he is put to his penaunce Ryght so lese I my contenaunce And if it nedes so betyde That I in company abyde There as I must daunce and synge The houe daunce and carolynge Or for to go the newe fote I may not wel heue vp my fote If that she be not in the way For than is all my myrth away And wexe anone of thought so full wherof my lymmes ben so dulle I may vnnethes gon the pas For thus it is and euer it was whan I on suche thoughtes muse The lust and myrth that men vse whan I se not my lady byme All is foryete for the tyme So ferforth that my wyttes chaunge And all lustes fro me straungen That they seyn all truly And swere that it am not I For as the man which ofte drynketh The wyne that in his stomake synketh waxeth dronke and wytles for a throwe Right so my lust is ouerthrowe And of myn owne thought so mate I waxe that to myn astate There is no lymme wyll me serue But as a dronken man I swerue And suffre suche a passyon That men haue great compassyon And eueryche by hym selfe meruayleth what thynge it is that me so eyleth Suche is the maner of my wo whiche tyme that I am hir fro Tyll efte ayene that I hir se But than it were a nycete To tell you howe that I fare For whan I may vpon hir stare Her womanheed her gentylnesse Myn hert is full of suche gladnesse That ouerpasseth so my wyt That I wote neuer where it syt But am so drunken of that syght Me thinketh that for the time I might Ryght sterte through the holle walle And than I may well if I shall Both synge and daunce and lepe about And holde forthe the lusty route But netheles it falleth so Full ofte that I fro her go Ne may but as it were a stake I stonde / auysement to take And loke vpon her faire face That for the whyle out of the place For all the worlde ne might I wende Suche luste comth than into my mynde
was a sory felaushyp For this thou myght wel vnderstonde That man may welle not longe stonde whiche is wine dronke of co men vse For he hath lore the vertues wherof reason shuld hym doth And that was sen vpon hem both Men seyn there his no euydence wherof to knowe a difference Betwene the dronken and the wode For they be neuer nother good For where that wyne doth wyt a weye wysdome hath lost the ryght weye That he no maner vyce dredeth No more than a blynd man thredeth His nedel by the sonne lyght No more is reason than of myght whan be with dronkeshyp is blent And in this poynt they weren shent This Galba both and eke Vytelle Vpon the cause as I shall tell wherof good is to take hede For they two through her dronkenhede Of witles excitation Oppressed all the nacion Of Spayne for all foule vsaunce whiche done was of continuaunce Of hem whiche all day dronke were There was no wyfe ne mayden there what so they were or fayre or foule whom they ne taken to defoule wherof the londe was often wo And eke in other thynges mo They wroughten many a sondry wroÌ„ge But howe so that the day be longe The derke nyght cometh at last God wolde nought they shulden last And shope the lawe in suche a wyse That they through dome to the Iuyse Bâ— damned for to be forlore But they that had be tofore Eâ—â—lyned to all dronkenesse Her ende than bare wytnesse For they in hope to asswage The peyne of dethe vpon the rage That they lasse shulden fele Of wyne let fyll full a meele And dronken tyll so was befell That they her strengthes losen all withouten wyt of ony brayne And thus they ben halfe deed slayne That hem ne greueth but a lite ¶ My sonne if thou be for to wite In ony poynt whiche I haue sayde wherof thy wyttes bene vnteyde I rede clepe hem home ageyne ¶ I shall do father as ye seyne Al 's ferforth as I may suffise But well I wote that in no wyse The dronkeshyp of loue aweye I may remue by no weye It stant nought vpon my fortune But if you lyst to coÌ„mune Of the seconde glotonye whiche cleped is delicacye wherof ye spake here to fore Beseche I wolde you therfore ¶ My sonne as of that ylke vice whiche of all other is the noryce And stant vpon the retenue Of Venus so as it is due The properte howe that it fareth The boke herafter nowe declareth Deliciae cum diuiciis sunt iura potentum In quibus orta Venus excitat ora gulae Non sunt deliciae tales que corpora pascunt Ex quibus impletus gaudia uenter agit Qui completus amor maiori munere gaudet Cum data deliciis mens in aman te fatur ☞ HIC tractat super illa specie gule que delicatia nuncupatur cuius mollicies volupiuose carni personis precipue potentibus queque compla centia corporaliter ministrat ¶ Of this chapter in whiche we trete There is yet one of suche dyete To whiche no pore may attayne For all is past as payndemayne And sondry wyne and sondry drynke wherof that he woll eate and drynke His cookes ben for hym affayted So that his body is awayted That hym shall lacke no delyte Al 's ferforth as his appetite Suffyseth to the meates hote wherof the lusty vice is hote Of Gule the delycacye whiche all the holle progenye Of lusty folke hath vndertake To fede whyle that he may take Rychesse wherof to be founde Of abstinence he wote no bounde To what profyte it shulde serue And yet phisyke of his conserue Maketh many a restrauracion Vnto his recreacion whiche wolde be to Venus lefe Thus for the poynt of his relefe The cooke whiche shal his meate aray But he the better his mouth assay His lordes thonke shall ofte lese Er he be serued to the chese For there may lacke not so lyte That he ne fyut anone a wyte But his lust be fully serued There hath no wight his thonke desued And yet for mans sustenaunce To kepe and holde in gouernance To hym that woll his hele gete Is none so good as comon mete For who that loketh on the bokes It seyth confection of Cookes A man hym shulde well auyse Howe he it toke and in what wyse For who that vseth that he knoweth Full selden sikenes on hym groweth And who that vseth metes straunge Though his nature empayre chaunge It is no wonder lyefe sonne whan that he doth ayene his wonne For in sikenes this I fynde Vsage is the seconde kynde In loue al 's well as other wey For as these holy bokes sey The bodely delyces all In euery poynt howe so they fall Vnto the soule done greuance And for to take in remembrance A tale accordant vnto this whiche of great vnderstanding is To mans soule reasonable I thynke tell and is no fable ¶ HIC PONIT EXEMPLVM contra iftos delicatos et narrat de diuite et Lazaro quorum gefta in euangelio Lucas euidentius describit ¶ Of Christis worde who wol it rede Howe that this vice is for to drede In theuangile it telleth pleyne whiche mote algate be certeyne For Christe hym selfe it bereth wytnesse And though the clerke and the clergesse In laten tonge it rede and synge yet for the more knowlechynge Of trouthe whiche is good to wite I shal declare as it is wriie In englyshe for thus it began ¶ Christe seith there was a ryche man A myghty lorde of great astate And he was eke so delycate Of his clothynge that euery day Of purpre and bysse he made hym gay And ete and dranke therto his fyll After the lustes of his wyll And he whiche all stode in delice And toke none hede of thilke vice And as it shulde so betyde A poure lazer vpon a tyde Came to the gate and axed mete But there myght he nothyng gete His deedly hungre for to staunche For he whiche had his full paunche Of all lustes at borde Ne deyneth not to speke a worde Onlyche a Cromme for to yeue wherof this poure myght leue Vpon the yefte of his almesse Thus lay this poure in great distresse A colde and hongred at the gate For whiche he myght go no gate So was he wofully besene And as these holy bokes seyn The houndes comen fro the haile where that this sycke man was falle And as he lay there for to deye The woundes of his maladye They lycken for to done hym ese But he was full of suche dysese That he may not the deth escape But as it was that tyme shape The sowle fro the body passeth And he whom nothynge ouerpasseth The hygh god vp to the heuen Hym toke where he hath set hym euen In Abrahams barme on hyghe where he the heuens ioye syghe And had all that he haue wold And fell as it befall shulde This ryche man the same throwe with sodeyn deth was
autorum nec non et librorum tam natâ—â— alis quam execrabilis magice nominibus ¶ The crafte whiche that Saturnus founde To make pykes in the sounde That Geomance cleped is Ful ofte he vseth it amys And of the floode his ydromance And of the fyre the pyromance with questions eche one of tho He tempteth ofte and eke also Aeromance in iugement To loue be bryngeth of his assent For these craftes as I fynde A man may do by way of kynde Be so it be to good entent But he goth all another went For rather er he shulde fayle with â—y gromance he wolde assayle To make his incantacion with bote subfumygacion Thylke arte whiche spatula is hote And vsed is of comon rote Amonge paines whiche that crafte eke Of whiche is auctor Thosez the greke He wercheth one and one by rowe Razel is not to hym vnknowe The Salamones Candarye His Ideac his Eutonye The fygure of the boke withall Of Balamuz and of Ghenball The seale and therupon thymage Of Thebith for his auantage He taketh and some what of Gybere whiche helpliche is to this matere Babylla to her sonnes seuen whiche hath renounced to the heuen with Cernes bothe square and rounde He traceth ofte vpon the grounde Makynge his inuocation And for full information The schole whiche Honorius wrote he pursueth and lo thus Magyke he vseth for to wynne His loue and spareth for no synne And ouer that of his soty Ryght as he secheth sorcery Of hem that bene magycyens Ryght so of the naturyens Vpon the sterres from aboue His wey he secheth vnto loue Al 's ferre as he hem vnderstondeth In many a sondry wyse he fondeth He maketh ymage he maketh sculpture He maketh wrytynge he maketh fygure He maketh his calculacions He maketh his demonstrations His hours of astronomy He kepeth as for that partye whiche longeth to the inspection Of loue and his affection He wolde in to the helle seche The deuell hym selfe to beseche If that he wyst for to spede To gete of loue his lusty mede where that he hath his herte set He bydde neuer fare bet Ne wytte of other heuen more My sonne if thou of suche a lore Hast ben er this I rede the leue ¶ Myn holy father by your leue Of all that ye haue spoken here whiche toucheth vnto this matere To telle soth right as I wene I wote not o worde what ye mene I woll not say if that I couth That I nolde in my lusty youth Beneth in helle and eke aboue To wyn with my ladyes loue Done al that euer that I myght For therof haue I none insyght where afterwarde that I am become So that I wonne and ouercome Hir loue whiche I moste coueyte ¶ My sonne that gothe wonder streyte For this I may well tell sothe There is no man whiche so dothe For all the crafte that he can caste That he ne byeth it at laste For often he that wyll begyle Is guyled with the same guyle And thus the guyler is beguyled As I fynde in a boke compyled To this matere an olde histoire The whiche comth now to my memoire And is of great ensamplarye Ayene the vice of sorcerye wherof none ende may be good But howe whylome therof it stood A tale whiche is good to knowe To the my sonne I shall biknowe ¶ Nota contra istos ob amoris causam sortilegos vbi narrat in exemplum quod cum Vlixes a subuersione Troie repatriare nauigio voluisset ipsum in Insula Cilli vbi illa expertissima maga nomine Cyrces regnauit coÌ„tigit applicuisse quem vt in sui amoris concupiscentiam exardesceret Circes omnibus suis incantationibus vincere conabatur Vlixes tamen Magica potentior ipsam in amore subegit Ex qua filium nomine Telegonum genuit qui postea patrem suum interfecit et sic contra fidei naturam genitus coÌ„tra generationis naturam patricidium operatus est ¶ Amonge hem whiche at Troy were Vlixes at the syege there was one by name in speciall Of whom yet the memoriall Abydeth for while there is a mouthe For euer his name shall be couthe He was a worthy knyght and a kynge And clerke knowende of euery thynge He was a great Rethorien He was a great magicien Of Tullius the Rethoryke Of kynge Zorastes the magyke Of Ptolome thastronomye Of Plato the philosophye Of Daniel the slepy dremes Of Neptune eke the water stremes Of Salomon and the prouerbes Of Macer all the strength of herbes And the phisyke of hipocras And lyche vnto Pythagoras Of surgery he knewe the cures But some what of his auentures whiche shall to my matter accorde To the my sonne I wyll recorde This king of which thou hast herd sein From Troy as he goth home ageyne By shyp he founde the see dyuerse with many a wyndy storme reuerse But he through wisdom which he shapeth Ful many a great peryl escapeth Of whiche I thynke tellen one Howe that maugre the nedell and stone wynde dryue he was all sodeynly Vpon the strondes of Cylly where that he must abyde a whyle Tway quenes weren in that yle Calipso named and Cyrces And whan they herde how Vlyxes Is londed there vpon the Ryue For hym they senden also blyue with hym suche as he wolde he nam And to the courte to hem he cam These quenes were as two goddesses Of arte magyke sorceresses That what lorde cometh to that ryuage They make hym loue in such a rage And vpon hem assote so That they woll haue er that he go All that he hath of worldes good Vlyxes well this vnderstode They couth moche he couthe more They shape and cast ayenst hym sore And wrought many a subtyle wyle But yet they myght hym not begyle But of the men of his nauye They two forshope a great partie May none of hem withstonde her hestes Some parte they shopen in to bestes Some parte they shopen in to foules To beres tygres apes oules Or els by some other wey Ther myght nothynge bem disobey Suche crafte they had aboue kynde But that arte couth they not fynde Of whiche Vlyxes was deceyued That he ne hath hem all weyued And brought hem in to suche a rote That vpon hym they bothe assote And through the science of his arte He toke of hem so well his parte That he begat Circes with childe He kepte hym sobre made hem wylde He set hym selue so aboue That with her good and with her loue who that therof beliefe or lothe All quite in to his shyp he gothe Circes to swolle bothe sydes He lefte and wayteth on the tydes And straught throughout the salte fome He taketh his cours comth him home where as he founde Penelope A better wyfe there may none be And yet there bene ynowe of good But who that hir goodship vnderstood â—â—o fyrst that she wyfehode toke â—â—we many loues she forsoke And howe she bare hir all aboute
happeneth at laste The quene vpon hym her eie cast And knewe that he was straunge anone But he behelde her euer in one without blenchynge of his chere She toke good hede of his manere And wondreth why he dyd so And bad men shulde for hym go He came and dyd her reuerence And she hym asketh in sylence From whens he cam and what he wold And he with sobre wordes tolde He sayth Madame a clerke I am To you and in message I cam The whiche I may not tellen here But if it liketh you to here It mote be sayde so priuely where none shall be but ye and I. Thus for the tyme he toke his leue The day gothe forthe tyll it was eue That euery man mote leue his werke And she thought euer vpon this clerke what thynge it is that he wolde mene And in this wyse abode the quene And ouerpasseth thylke nyght Tyll it was on the morowe lyght She sende for hym and he came with hym his Astrolabe he name with poyntes and cercles merueylous whiche was of fyne golde precious And eke the heuenly fygures wrought in a boke full of peyntures He toke this lady for to shewe And tolde of eche of hem by rewe The cours and the condition And she with great affection Sate styll and herde what he wolde And thus whan he seeth tyme he tolde And feyneth with his wordes wyse A tale and seyth in suche a wyse Madame but a whyle a go where I was in Egypte tho And radde in schole of this science It fell in to my conscience That I vnto the temple went And there with all my holle entent As I my sacrifice dede One of the goddes hath me bede That I you warne priuely So that ye make you redy And that ye be nothynge agast For he suche loue hath to you cast That ye shall bene his owne dere And he shall be your bedfere Tyll ye conceyue and be with childe And with that worde she wex all mylde And somdele redde bicame for shame And asketh hym the goddes name whiche so woll done her company And he seide Amos of Luby / And she saith that may I not leue But if I se a better preue Madame quod Nectanabus In token that it shall be thus This nyght for enformation ye shall haue a vision That Amos shall to you appere To shewe and teche in what manere The thynge shall afterwarde befall ye oughten well abouen all To make ioye of suche a lorde For whan ye be of one accorde He shall a sonne of you begete whiche with his swerde shall win gete The wyde worlde in length and brede All erthely kynges shall hym drede And in suche wyse I you behote The god of erthe he shall be hote If this be sothe tho quod the quene This nyght thou seyest it shall be sene And if it falle in to my grace Of god Amos that I purchace To take of hym so great worshyp I wol do the suche ladyshyp wherof thou shalte for euermo Be ryche And he hir thanketh tho And toke his leue and forthe he wente She wyst lytell what he ment For it was gyle and sorcerye All that she toke for prophecye Nactanabus through out the day whan he cam home where as he lay His chambre he hym selfe bitoke And ouertorneth many a boke And through the crafte of artemage Of wexe he forged an ymage He loketh his equacions And eke the constellacions He loketh the coniunctions He loketh the receptions His sygne his houre his ascendent And draweth fortune of his assent The name of quene Olympias In thylke ymage written was A myddes in the front aboue And thus to wynne his lust of loue Nectanabus this werke hath dyght And whan it came within nyght That euery wyght is fall a slepe He thought he wolde his tyme kepe As he whiche hath his houre apointed And than fyrste he hath anoynted with sondry herbes that fygure And therupon he gan coniure So that through his enchantement This lady whiche was innocent And wyste nothynge of this guyle Mette as she slepte thylke whyle Howe fro the heuen came a lyght whiche all hir chambre made lyght And as she loketh to and fro She sigh hir thought a dragon tho whose scherdes shynen as the sonne And hath his softe pas begonne with all the chere that he may Towarde the bedde there as she lay Tyll he came to the beddes syde And she lay styll and nothynge cryde For he dyd all his thynges fayre And was courteis and debonayre And as he stode hir fast by His forme he chaungeth sodeynly And the fygure of man he nome To her and in to bedde he come And such thing ther of loue he wrought wherof so as hir than thought Through lykenes of this god Amos with childe anone her wombe aros And she was wonder glad withall Nectanabus whiche causeth all Of this metred the substaunce whan he seeth tyme his nygromance He stynt and nothynge more seyde Of his carecte she abreyde Out of her slepe and leueth wele That it is soth than euery dele Of that this clerke hir had tolde And was the glader many folde In hope of suche a glad metrede which after shall befalle in dede She longeth sore after the day That she her sweuen telle may To this gilour in priuete whiche knewe it also well as she And netheles on morowe sone She lefte al other thinge to done And for him sent and all the cas She tolde hym pleynely as it was And sayde howe than well she wyst That she his wordes myght tryst For she fonde hir auision Ryght after the condition whiche he hir had tolde to fore And praide hym hertely therfore That he hir holde couenant So forth of all the remenant That she may through his ordinance Towardes god do suche plesance That she wakende myght hym kepe In suche wyse as she met a slepe And he that couthe of guyle ynough whan be this herde for ioye he lough And seyth Madame it shall be do But this I warne you therto This night whan that he comth to play That there be no lyfe in the way But I that shall at his lykynge Ordeine so for his comynge That ye ne shall not of hym fayle For this madame I you counsayle That ye it kepe so priue That no wyght els but we thre Haue knowlechynge howe that it is For els myght it fare amys If ye dyd ought that shulde him greue And thus he makth hir to beleue And fayneth vnder guyle feyth But netheles all that he seyth She troweth and ayene the nyght She hath within hir chambre dyght where as this guyler fast by Vpon this god shall priuely Awayte as he makth hir to wene And thus this noble gentyll quene whan she most trysted was deceyued ¶ The night cam the chābre is weiued Nectanabus hath take his place And whan he sigh tyme and space Through the disceite of his magyke He put hym
tertia specie artis Mathematice / qud Geometriam vocant ¶ Mathematyke of his science Hath yet the thyrde intelligence Full of wysedome and of clergie And cleped is Geometrie Through which a man hath the sleight Of length of brede of depth of heyght To knowe the proporcion By very calculacion Of this science and in this wyse These olde philosophres wise Of all this worldes erth rounde Howe large how thick was the grouÌ„de Contriued by the experience The Cercle and the circomference Of euery thynge vnto the heuen They setten point and mesure euen Mathemetike aboue the erth Of high science aboue the ferth whiche speketh vpon Astronomy And techeth of the sterres bye Begynnynge vpwarde fro the mone But fyrst as it was for to done This Aristotle in other thynge Vnto this worthy yonge kynge The kynde of euery element whiche stant vnder the firmament Howe it is made and in what wyse Fro poynt to poynt be gan deuise Quatuor omnipotens elementa creauit origo Quatuor et uenti partibus ora dabat Nostra que quadruplici complectio sorte creatur Corpore sic que suo stat uariatus homo ¶ Hic traciat de creatione quatuor elementorum scilicet terre aque aeris et ignis Nec non et de eorum naturis nam et singulis ê“prietates singula attribituntur ¶ Tofore the creation Of ony worldes station Of heuen of erthe or eke of hell So as these olde bokes tell As soune to fore the songe is set And yet they ben to gether knet Ryght so the high purueance Tho had vnder his ordenance A great substance a great mattere Of whiche he wolde in his manere These other thynges make and forme For yet withouten any forme was that matere vniuersall whiche hight Ilem in speciall Of Ilem as I am enformed These elementes ben made and formed Of Ilem clementes they hote After the schole of Aristote Of whiche if more I shall reherse Foure elementes there ben diuerse ☞ Nota de terra quod est primum elementum ¶ The fyrst of hem men erthe call whiche is the lowest of hem all And in his forme is shape rounde Substanciall stronge sad and sounde As that whiche made is suffisant To beare vp all the remenant For as the poynt in a compas Stant euen amyddes ryght so was This erthe set and shall abyde That it may swerue to no syde And hath his centre after the lawe Of kynde and to that Centre drawe Desyreth euery worldes thynge If there ne were no lettynge ¶ Nota de aqua quod est secundum elementum ¶ Aboue the erthe kepeth his bounde The water whiche is the seconde Of elementes and all without It enuyronneth therthe about But as it sheweth nought for thy The subtyle water myghtily Though it be of hym selfe softe The strength of the erth passeth ofte For ryght as veynes ben of bloud In man ryght so the water floud Therth of his cours makth ful of veines Al 's well the hylles as the pleines And that a man may seen at eye For wher the hylles ben most hye There may men wel stremes fynde So preueth it by way of kynde The water hygher than the londe And ouer this nowe vnderstonde ¶ Nota de aera quod est tertium elementum Ayer is the thyrde of elementes Of whose kynde his aspirementes Taketh euery lyuysshe creature The whiche shall vpon erth endure For as the fysshe if it be drye Mote in defaute of water dye Ryght so without ayer on lyue No man ne beest myght thryue The whiche is made of flesshe and bone There is out take of all none ¶ Nota quod aer in tribus periferiss diuiditur ¶ This ayer in periferis thre Deuyded is of suche degree Beneth is one and one amydde To whiche aboue is the thrydde And vpon the deuysions There ben dyuers oppressions Of moyst and eke of drye also whiche of the sonne both two Ben drawe and haled vpon bye And maken cloudes in the skye And shewed is at mans sight wherof by day and eke by nyght After the tymes of the yere Amonge vs vpon erth here In sondry wyse thynges falle ¶ Nota de prima aeris periferia ¶ The fyrste periferye of all Engendreth myst and ouermore The dewes and the frostes bore After thilke interstition In whiche they take impression ☞ Nota de secunda aeris periferia ¶ Fro the seconde as bokes seyne The moyst droppes of the reyne Descenden in to the myddel erthe And tempreth it to sede and erth And doth to sprynge gras and floure And ofte also the great shoure Out of suche place it may be take That it the forme shall forsake Of reyne and in to snowe be torned And eke it may be so soiourned In sondry places vp alofte That in to hayle it tourneth ofte ¶ Nota de tertia aeris periferia ¶ The thirde of ayer after the lawe Through suche matere as is vp drawe Of drye thynge as it is ofte Amonge the cloudes vpon lofte And is so close it may not out Than is it chased sore about Tyll it to fyre and leyte falle And than it breketh the cloudes all The whiche of so great noyse craken That they the fearefull thonder maken The thonder stroke smyt er it leyte And yet men sene the fire and leyte The thonder stroke er that men here So may it well be proued here In thynge whiche shewed is fro ferre A mans eye is there nerre Than is the sounde to mans eare And netheles it is great feare Both of the stroke and of the fire Of whiche is no recouerire In place where that they discende But if god wolde his grace sende ¶ Nota qualiter ignes quos motantur in aeâ—e discurrere videmus secundum varias apparentie formas varia gesta ni nomina quorum primus Assub Secondus Capra saliens tertius Eges Et quarius Daali in libris philosophorum nuncupaâ—ns est ¶ And for to speaken ouer this In this parte of the aire it is That men full ofte sene by nyght The fyre in sondry forme alyght Somtyme the fyre drake it semeth And so the lewde people it demeth Somtyme it semeth as it were A sterre whiche that glydeth there But it is nether of the two The philosophre telleth so And seith that of impressions Through diuers exaltations Vpon the cause and the matere Men sene diuerse forme appere Of fyre the whiche hatâ— bondry name Assub he sayth is thylke same The whiche in sondry place is founde whan it is fall downe to grounde So as the fyre it hath aneled Lyke vnto slyme whiche is congeled Of exaltation I fynde Fyre kengled of the same kynde But it is of an other forme wherof if that I shall conforme The figure vnto that it is These olde clerkes tellen this That it is lyke a gote skyppende And for that it is suche semende It is hote Capra saliens And eke these Astronomyens An other fyre also
fyrste ben vnderstonde And they also whiche ouermore Her study set vpon this lore They weren gracious and wyse And worthy for to bere a prise And whom it lyketh for to wete â—f hem that this science wryte One of the fyrst whiche it wrote Alter Noe it was Nembrote To his disciple Ichonyton And made a boke forth therupon The whiche Megastre cleped was An other auctor in this cas â—s â—â—â—hel the whiche men note His boke is Abbateneyth bote Dâ—â—e Ptolome is not the leest whiche maketh the boke of Almagest And Altraganus doth the same whose boke is Cathenus by name Gebus and Alpetragus eke Of palmestry whiche men seke The bokes made And ouer this Full many a worthy clerke there is That wryten vpon this clergy The bokes of Altemetry Planemetry and eke also whiche as belongeth bothe two So as they bene naturiens Vnto these astronomyens Men seyne that Abraham was one But whether that be wrote or none That fynde I not and Moyses Eke was an other but Hermes Aboue all other in his science He had a great experience Through hym was many a sterre assised whose bokes yet ben auctorised I may not knowen all tho That wryten in the tyme tho Of this science but I fynde Of iugement by way of kynde That in one poynt they all accorden Of sterres whiche they recorden That men may se vpon the heuen There ben a thousande sterres euen And two and twenty to the syght whiche ben of hem selfe so bryght That men may deme what they be The nature and the proprete Nowe hast thou hard in suche awise These noble philosophers wise Enformden this yonge kinge And made him haue a knowelechinge Of thinge whiche first to the partie Belongeth of philosophy whiche Theorike cleped is As thou tofore hast herde er this But nowe to speke of the seconde whiche Aristotle hath also founde And techeth howe to speke faire whiche is a thinge full necessayre To counterpaise the balaunce where lacketh other suffisance Compositi pulcra sermones verba placere Principio poterunt vera ê™ fine placent Herba lapis sermo tria sunt uirtute repleta Vis tuÌ„ ex verbi pondere pulcra facit ¶ Hic tractat de secunda parte philosophie cuius nomen Rhetorica facuÌ„dos efficit Loquitur etiam de eiusdem duabus speciebus scilicet GraÌ„matica et Logica quarum doctrina Rhethor sua verba perornat ¶ Aboue al erthly creatures The high maker of natures The worde to man hath youe alone So that the speche of his persone Or for to lese or for to wynne The hertes thought which is withinne May shewe what it wolde mene And that is no where els sene Of kynde with none other beest So shulde he be the more honest To whom god yafe so worthy a yifte And loke well that he ne shyfte His wordes to none wicked vse For worde the teacher of vertuse Is cleped in philosophy wherof thouchende this party Is Rhetoric the science Appropred to the reuerence Of wordes that ben reasonable And for this arte shall be vaylable with goodly wordes for to lyke It hath Grammer it hath Logyke That seruen both vnto the speche Grammer fyrst hath for to teche To speake vpon congruyte Logyke hath eke in his degre Betwene the trouthe and the falshede The pleyne wordes for to shede So that nothynge shall go besyde That he the ryght ne shall decyde wherof full many a great debate Reformed is to good astate And peace susteyned vp alofte with easy wordes and with softe where strengthe shulde let it falle The philosophre amonges alle For thy commendeth this science whiche hath the reule of eloquence In stone and gras vertue there is But yet the bokes tellen this That worde aboue all erthly thynges Is vertuous in his doinges where so it be to yuell or good For it the wordes semen good And bene well spoke at mans ere whan that there is no trouthe there They done full ofte full great deceyte For whan the worde to the conceyte Discordeth in so double a wyse Suche Rhetoric is to dispise In euery place and for to drede For of Vlixes thus I rede As in the boke of Troye is founde His eloquence and his faconde Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde Hath made that Anthenor him solde The towne whiche he with treson wan worde hath begyled many a man with worde the wylde beest is daunted with worde the serpent is enchaunted Of wordes amonge the men of armes Ben woundes heled with the charmes where lacketh other medycyne worde hath vnder his discipline Of sorsery the carectes The wordes ben of sondry sectes Of euyll and eke of good also The wordes maken of frende fo And fo of frende and peace of werre And werre of peace and out of herre The worde the worldes cause entryketh And reconcileth who on hym lyketh The worde vnder the cope of heuen Set euery thynge or odde or euen with worde the hygh god is pleased with worde the wordes ben appesed The softe worde the loude stylleth where lacketh good the worde fulfylleth To make amendes for the wronge whan wordes medlen with the songe It doth plesaunce well the more But for to loke vpon this lore Howe Tullius his Rhetorike Compouneth there a man may pyke How that he shall his wordes set How he shall lose how he shall knet And in what wyse he shall pronounce His tale pleyne without frounce wherof ensample if thou wilt seche Take hede and rede whilom the speche ¶ Nota de eloquentia Iulii in causa Catilme coÌ„tra Syllanum et alios tunc vrbis Romane continentes ¶ Of Iulius and Cicero whiche consul was of Rome tho Of Cato eke and Syllene Beholde the wordes hem betwene whan the treason of Catiline Discouered was and the couine Of hem that were of his assent was knowe and spoke in parliment And asked howe and in what wise Men shulde done him to Iuwyse Syllanus first his tale tolde To trouth and as he was beholde The comon profyt for to saue He sayde howe treason shulde haue A cruel dethe And thus they speake The Consul both and Cato eke And saiden that for suche a wronge There may no peyne be to stronge But Iulius with wordes wyse His tale tolde all other wyse As be whiche wolde his dethe respite And foundeth howe he myght excyte The iuges through his eloquence Fro dethe to torne the sentence And set her hertes to pyte Nowe tolden they nowe tolde he They speaken pleyne after the lawe But he the wordes of his sawe Coloureth in an other wey Spekende and thus betwene the twey To trete vpon this iugement Made eche of hem his argument wherof the tales for to here There may a man the schole lere Of Rhetoric the eloquence whiche is the seconde of science Touchende to philosophie wherof a man shall iustifie His wordes in disputeson And knytte vpon conclusion His argument in suche a forme whiche may the pleyne
nauigio dolens arripuit ¶ The shyp forthe on the wawes went The prynce hath chaunged his entent And saith he wyll not come at Tyre As than but all his desyre Is fyrst to saylen vnto Tharse The wyndy storme began to scarse The sonne aryst the weder clereth The shypman which behynde stereth whan that he saw the wyndes saught Towards Tharse his cours he straught ¶ Qualiter corpus predicte defuncte super litus apud Ephesim quidam medicus nomine Cerimon cum aliquibus suis discipulis inuenit quod in hospicium portans et extra cistam ponens spiraculo vite in ea adhuc inuento ipsaÌ„ plene sanitati restituit ¶ But nowe to my matere ageyn To telle as olde bokes seyne This deed corps of whiche ye knowe with wynde and was forth throwe Nowe here now there tyll at last At Ephesym the see vpcast The coffre and all that was therin Of great meruayle nowe begyn May here who that sytteth styll That god wyll saue may not spyll Ryght as the corps was throwe a londe There cam walkynge vpon the stronde A worthy clerke and surgyen And eke a great physicien Of all the londe the wysest one whiche hight mayster Cerimone There were of his dysciples some This mayster is to the coffer come He peyseth there was somwhat in And had hem here it to his ynne And goeth him selfe forth with alle All that shall falle falle shall They comen home and tary nought This coffer in to his chamber is brought whiche that they fynde faste stoke But they with crafte it haue vnloke They loken in where as they founde A body dede whiche was y wounde In cloth of golde as I sayde ere The â—resour eke they founden there Forthwith the letter whiche they rede And tho they token better hede Vnsowed was the body soune As he that knewe what was to done This noble clerke with all haste Began the veynes for to taste And sawe hir age was of youthe And with the craftes whiche he couthe He sought and fonde a sygne of lyfe with that this worthy kinges wyfe Honestlye they token oute And maden fyres all aboute They leyed hir on a couche softe And with a shete warmed ofte Hir colde breste began to bete / Hir derte also to flacke and bete This maysten hath hir euery ioynte with certeyn oyle and balsam anoynte And put a lycour in her mouthe whiche is to fewe clerkes couthe So that she couereth at laste And fyrst hir eyen vp she caste And whan she more of strength caught Hir armes both forth she straught Helde vp hir honde and pytouslye She spake and sayde where am I where is my lorde what worlde is this As she that wote not howe it is But Cerymon the worthy leche Answerde anone vpon hir speche And sayde madame ye ben here where ye be saue as ye shall here Here afterwarde for thy as nowe My counceyl is comforteth you For trysteth wel withoute fayle There is no thinge which shal you fayle That ought of reason to be do Thus passen they a day or two ¶ Qualiter vxor Appolini sanata / domum religionis peciit / vbi sacro velamine munita castam omni tempore vouit ⧠They speke of nought as for an ende Tyl she began somdele amende And wyst hir selfe what she mente Tho for to knowe hir hole entente This mayster asketh all the caas Howe she cam there and what she was Howe I came here wote I nought Quod she but wel I am bethought Of other thinges all aboute Fro poynte to poynte tolde him oute As ferforthly as she it wyste And he hir tolde howe in a chyste The see hir threwe vpon the londe And what tresour with hir he fonde whiche was all redy at hir wylle As he that shope him to fulfylle with al his might what thing he shuld She thonketh him that he so wolde And all hir herte she discloseth And saith him wel that she supposeth Hir lorde be dreynt hir chylde also So sawe she nought but all wo. wherof as to the worlde nomore Ne wyl she torne and prayeth therfore That in some temple of the cyte To kepe and holde hir chastyte She might amonge the women dwell whan he this tale herde tell He was right glad made hir knowen That he a doughter of his owen Hath whiche he wil vnto hir yeue To serue whyle they both lyue In stede of that whiche she hath loste Al onely at his owne coste She shall be rendred forth with hir She sayth graunte mercy leue syr God quyte it you there I ne may And thus they dryue forth the day Tyll tyme cam that she was hole And tho they toke her counseyle hole To shape vpon good gouernance And made a worthy purueance Ageyne day whan they be veiled And thus wheÌ„ that they were counseiled In blacke clothes they them cloth The doughter and the lady both And yolde hem to religion The feste and the profession After the rule of that degre was made with great solempnite where as Diane is sanctifyed Thus stant this lady iustifyed In ordre where she thynketh to dwelle ¶ Qualiter Appolinus Tharsim nauigans filiaÌ„ suaÌ„ Thaisim Strangulioni et Dionisie vxori sue educandum commendauitâ—et deinde Tyrum adiit vbi cum inestimabili gandio a suis receptus est ¶ But nowe ageynwarde for to telle In what plyte that her lorde stode in He sayleth tyll that he may wynne The hauen of Tharse as I sayde ere And whan he was arryued there Tho was it through the cite knowe Men myght se within a throwe As who saith all the towne at ones They come ageyne hym for the nones To yeuen hym the reuerence So glad they were of his presence And though he were in his corage Disesed yet with glad vysage He made hem chere and to his inne where he whylom soiourned in He goth hym straught was receyued And whaÌ„ the prees of people is weyued He taketh his boost vnto hym tho And saith My frende Strangulio Lo thus and thus it is befalle And thou thy selfe arte one of all Forthwith thy wyfe which I most tryst For thy if it you both lyst My doughter Thayse by your leue I thynke shall with you bileue As for a tyme and thus I pray That she be kepte by al way And whan she hath of age more That she be set to bokes lore And this auowe to god I make That I shall neuer for hir sake My berde for no lykynge shaue Tyll it befalle that I haue In couenable tyme of age Besette her vnto mariage Thus they accorde and all is welle And for to resten hym somdele As for a whyle he ther soiourneth And than he taketh his leue tourneth To shyp and goth hym home to Tyre where euery man with great desyre Awayteth vpon his comynge But whan the shyp cam in saylynge And perceyuen that it is he was neuer yet in no cite Suche ioye