saye For in the lawe of my commune we be nought shape to commune Thy selfe and I neuer after this Nowe haue I seyde all that there is Of loue as for thy fynall ende â—dewe for I mote fro the wende And grete well Chaucer whan ye mete As my discyple and my poete â—or in the floures of his youth In sondry wyse as he well couth 〈◊〉 â—â—ces and of songes glade The whiche he for my sake made 〈◊〉 â—onde fulfylled is ouer all wherof to hym in specyall Aboue all other I am most holde For thy nowe in his dayes olde â—hou shalt hym tell this message That â—e vpon his latter age To â—ette an ende of all his werke As he whiche is myn owne clerke To make his testament of loue As thou hast done thy shryfte aboue So that my courte it may recorde ¶ â—radame I can me well accorde 〈◊〉 I to telle as ye me bydde 〈◊〉 with that worde it so betydde 〈◊〉 of syght all sodeynly Enclosed in a sterred skye Venus whiche is the quene of loue was take in to hir place aboue More wyst I not where she becam And thus my leue of hir I nam And forth with al that same tyde Hir preest whiche wolde not abyde Câ—â—me be lefe or me be lothe Out of my syght forth be goth And I was lefte withouten helpe So wyst I not wherof to yelpe But that onely I had lore My tyme and was sory therfore And thus bewhaped in my thought whan all was tourned in to nought I stode amased for a whyle And in my selfe I gan to smyle Thynkende vpon the bedes blake And howe they were me betake For that I shulde byd and pray And whan I sawe none other way But onely that I was refused Vnto the lyfe whiche I had vsed I thought neuer torne ageyne And in this wyse soth to seyne Homwarde a softe pas I went where that with all myn hole entent Vpon the poynt that I am shryue I thynke bydde whyle I lyue Parce precor Christe populus quo gaudeat iste Anglia ne triste subeat rex summe refiste Corrige quosque status fragiles absolue reatus Vnde deo gratus vigeat locus iste beatus ¶ He whiche within dayes seuen This large worlde forth with the heuen Of his eternall prouydence Hath made and thilke intelligence In mannes soule reasonable Hath shape to be perdurable wherof the man of his feture Aboue all erthly creature After the soule is immortall To thilke lorde in speciall As he whiche is of all thynges The creatour and of the kynges Hath the fortunes vpon honde His grace and mercy for to fonde Vpon my bare knees I praye That he this londe in syker way wyll sette vpon good gouernance For if men take in remembraunce what is to lyue in vnite There is no state in his degre That ne ought to desyre pes without whiche it is no les To seche and loke in to the laste There may no worldes ioye last ¶ Fyrst for to loke the clergy Hem ought well to iustifye Thyng whiche belongeth to their cure As for to pray and to procure Our pees towarde the heuen aboue And eke to sette rest and loue Amonge vs on this erthe here For if they wrought in this manere After the rule of charite I hope that men shulden se This londe amende and ouer this To seche and loke howe that is Touchende of the chiualrye whiche for to loke in some partie Is worthy for to be commended And in some parte to be amended That of her large retenue The londe is full of mayntenue whiche causeth that the coÌ„mune right In fewe countreys stont vpright Extorcion contecke rauyne with holde ben of that couyne All day men here great compleynt Of the disease of the constreynt wherof the people is sore oppressed God graunt it mote be redressed For of knyghthode thordre wolde That they defende and kepe shulde The common right and the fraunchise Of holy churche in all wyse So that no wycked man it dere And therof serueth shelde and spere But for it goth nowe other way Our grace goth the more aweye And for to loken ouermore wherof the people pleynen sore Towarde the lawes of our londe MeÌ„ sein that trouth hath broke his boÌ„d And with brocage is gone aweye So that no man se the weye where for to fynde ryghtwysenesse And if men seke sykernesse Vpon the lucre of marchandye Compassement and trecherye Of synguler profyte to wynne Men sayne is cause of mochel synne And namely of diuysion whiche many a noble worthy towne Fro welth and fro prosperite Hath brought to great aduersite So were it good to be all one For mochell grace thervpon Vnto the citees shulde falle whiche myght auayle to vs alle If these estates amended were So that the vertues stoden there And that the vyces were aweye Me thynketh I durst than seye This londes grace shulde aryse But yet to loke in otherwyse There is astate as ye shall here Aboue all other on erthe here whiche hath the londe in his balaunce To hym belongeth the lygeaunce Of clerke of knyght of man of lawe Vnder his honde is all forth drawe The marchaunt and the laborer So stant it all in his power Or for to spylle or for to saue But though that he suche power haue And that his myghtes ben so large He hath hem nought withouteÌ„ charge To whiche that euery kynge is swore So were it good that he therfore Fyrst vnto ryghtwysenes entende wherof that he hym selfe amende Towarde his god and leue vice whiche is the chiefe of his offyce And after all the remenaunt He shall vpon his couenaunt Gouerne and lede in suche a wyse So that there be no tyrannyse wherof that he his people greue Or elles may he nought acheue That longeth to his regalye For if a kynge wyll iustifye His londe and hem that ben within Fyrst at hym selfe he mote begyn To kepe and rule his owne estate That in hym selfe be no debate Towarde his god for otherwyse Ther may none erthly kynge suffyse Of his kyngedome the folke to lede But he the kynge of heuen drede For what kynge sette hym vpon pryde And takth his lust on euery syde And wyl not go the right weyt Though god his grace cast aweye No wonder is for at last He shall wel wytte it may not last The pompe whiche he secheth here But what kinge that with humble chere After the lawe of god escheweth The vyces and the vertues seweth His grace shall be suffysaunt To gouerne all the remenaunt whiche longeth to his duete So that in his prosperyte The people shal not be oppressed wherof his name shall be blessed For euer and be memoryalle ⧠Hic in fine recapitulat super hoc quod in 〈…〉 libri promisit se in amoris causa speciali 〈…〉 â—â—taturum concludit enim quod omnis amo 〈…〉 extra charitatem nichil est qui ma◠〈◊〉 â—aritate in deo manet ¶ And nowe to speke as in fynalle To â—chende that I vndertoke In englysshe for to make a boke whiche stant betwene ernest and game I haue it made as thylke same whiche aske for to be excused Anâ— that my boke be not refused Of â—â—red men whan they it se For lacke of curyosyte For thylke scole of eloquence Belongeth not to my scyence Vpon the forme of Rhetorike My wordes for to peynte and pyke As Tullius somtyme wrote â—ut this I knowe and this I wote That I haue done my trewe peyne â—â—to rude wordes and with pleyne In all that euer I couthe and might This boke to wryte as I behyght So as sikenes it suffer wolde And also for my dayes olde That I am feble and impotente I wote not howe the worlde is wente So pray I to my lordes all Nowe in min age / howe so befalle That I mot stonden in theyr grace For though me lacke to purchace Her worthy thonke as by deserte â–ª Yet the symplesse of my pouerte Desyreth for to do plesaunce To hem vnder whose gouernaunce I hope syker to abyde But nowe vpon my last tyde That I this boke haue made and wrytte My muse dothe me for to wyte And sayth it shall be for my beste Fro this day forth to take reste That I nomore of loue make whiche many a herte hath ouertake And ouertorned as the blynde Fro reason in to lawe of kynde where as the wysdome goeth aweye And can not se the ryght weye Howe to gouerne his owne estate But euery daye stante in debate within him selfe and can not leue And thus for thy my fynal leue I take nowe for euermore without makinge any more Of loue and of his dedely bele whiche no physicien can hele For his nature is so diuers That it hath euer some trauers Or of to moche / or of to lyte That playnly may no man delyte But if him fayle or that or this But thylke loue whiche that is within a mannes herte affirmed And stante of charyte confirmed Suche loue is goodly for to haue Suche loue may the body saue Suche loue may the sowle amende The hyghe god suche loue vs sende Forthwith the remenaunt of grace So that aboue in thilke place where resteth loue / and all pees Our ioye may be endelees AMEN ☞ Thus endeth De confessione Amantis
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
quarum prima Theorica / secunda Rhetorica tertia Practica nuncupata est de quarum condicionibus subsequenter per singula tractabit ☞ Incipit liber Septimus ⧠Omnibus in causis sapiens doctrina salutem Consequitur nec habet quis nisi docttus opeÌ„ Naturam superat doctrina uiro quod et ortus Ingenij docilis noÌ„ dedit ipsa dabit Non ita discretus hominum per climata regnat Quin magis ut sapiat indiget ipse scholae I Genius the preest of loue My son as thou hast praid aboue That I the schole shall declare Of Aristotle and eke the fare Of Alysaunder bowe he was taught I am somdele therof distraught For it is not the matere Of loue why we sytten here To shryue so as Venus badde But netheles for it is gladde So as thou sayst for thyn appryse To here of suche thynges wyse wherof thou myght thy tyme lysse So as I can I shall the wysse For wysedome is at euery throwe Aboue all other thynge to knowe In loues cause and els where For thy my sonne vnto thyn eare Though it be not in the registre Of Venus yet of that calistre And Aristotle whylom wryte To Alysaunder thou shalt wyte But for the lores ben dyuers I thynke fyrst to the reherce The matter of philosophy whiche Aristotle of his clergie wyse and experte in the science Declared thilke intelligence As of the poyntes principalle wherof the fyrst in specialle Is Theoryke whiche is grounded On him which al the worlde hath fouÌ„ded which coÌ„prehended al the lore And for to loken ouermore Next of science the seconde Is Rhetoric whose facounde Aboue all other is eloquent To telle a tale in iugement So well can no man speke as he The last science of the thre It is practyke whose office The vertu trieth fro the vice And techeth vpon good thewes To fle the company of shrewes whiche stant in disposicion Of mannes fre election Practyke enformeth eke the rewle Howe that a worthy kynge shall rule His realme both in werre and pees Lo thus dane Aristoteles These thre sciences hath deuided And in nature also decyded wherof that eche of hem shall serue The first whiche is the conserue And keper of the remenaunte As that whiche is most suffisaunt And chiefe of the philosophye If I therof shall speciphye So as the philosopher tolde Nowe barke kepe that thou it holde Prima creatorem dat scire scientia summum Qui capit agnoscit sufficit illud ei Plura viros quandoque iuuat nescire sed illud Quod vidit ex pediens sobrius ille sapit ¶ HIC TRACTAT DE PRIma parte philosophie que theorica dicitur / cuius natura triplici dotata est sciencia / scilicet Theologia Phisica et Mathematica Sed primo illam partem Theologice declarabit ¶ Of Theoryk principalle The philosopher in specialle The propirtes hath determined As thilke whiche is enlumined Of wisdome and of hygh prudence Aboue all other in his scyence And stant departed vpon thre The i frst of whiche in his degre Is cleped in philosophye The science of Theology That other named is phisike The thyrde is seide Mathematike Theologie is that science whiche vnto man yeueth euidence Of thynge whiche is not bodely wherof men knowe redely The high almyghty trinite whiche is o god in vnite withouten ende and begynnynge And creature of all thynge Of heuen of erthe and of hell wherof as olde bokes tell The philosopher in his reason wrote vpon this conclusion And of his writynge in a clause He clepeth god the fyrste cause whiche of hym selfe is thylke good withouten whom nothynge is good Of whiche that euery creature Hath his beynge and his nature After the beynge of the thynges There ben thre formes of beynges ¶ Nota quod triplex dicitur assencia Prima teÌ„poranea que incipit definit Secunda perpetua que incipit / et non definit / Tercia sempiterna / que nec incipit nec definit ¶ Thynge whiche began and ende shal That thynge is cleped temporall There is also by other way Thynge whiche began shall not dey As soules that ben spirituell Her beynge is perpetuell But there is one aboue the sonne whose tyme neuer was bigonne And endles shall euer be That is the god whose mageste All other thinges shall gouerne And his beinge is sempiterne The god to whome all honoure Belongeth he is creatoure And other ben his creatures He commaundeth the natures That they to him obeien all withouten him what so befalle Her might is none and he may all The god was euer and euer shall And they begonne of his assente The times al ben present To god and to hem all vnknowe But what him lyketh that they knowe Thus both an angel and a man The whiche of all that god began Ben chief obeien goddes might And he stont endeles vp right To this science ben pryue The clerkes of diuinite The whiche vnto the people preche The feythe of holy churche and teche whiche in one â—as vpon beleue Stant more than they can preue By wey of argument sensyble But netheles it is credible And doth a man great mede haue To him that thynkth him selfe to saue Theology in suche a wyse Of highe science and highe aprise â—â—oue all other stant vnlyke And is the fyrst of theorike ¶ 〈◊〉 de secunda parte Theorice que Phisica 〈◊〉 ¶ Phisike is after the seconde Through whiche the philosophre hath foÌ„de To teche sondry knowlechynges Vpon the bodelyche thinges Of man of beest of herbe of stone Of fâ—â—he of fowle of euerichone That ben of bodely substaunce The nature and the circumstaunce Through this science it is full sought Which vaileth which vaileth nought 〈…〉 tercia parte Theorice / que Matheâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—uius condicio quaruor in se conti◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—gencias scilicet Arithmeticam MusicaÌ„â—â—â—â—â—meâ—â—â—m / et Astronomiam Sed primo de 〈…〉 natura dicere intendit ¶ The thrid point of Theoryk whiche cleped is Mathematyk Deuided is in sondry wyse And â—rant vpon diuers apprise The ferst of whiche is Arthmetik And the second is said Musik The therd is eke Geomatry Also the forth Astronomye ¶ Of Arthmetyk the matere As that of whiche a man may lere what Algorysme in nombre amounteth whan that the wyse man accounteth After the formel proprete Of Algorismes a b c. By whiche multiplication Is made and diminution Of sommes by thexperience Of this arte and of this science ¶ Nota de musica que secunda parâ— artis mathematice dicitur ¶ The seconde of mathematike whiche is the science of musike That teacheth vpon armony A man to maken melody By voice and soune of instrument Thrugh notes of accordement The whiche men pronounce alofte Nowe sharpe notes and nowe softe Nowe hye notes and nowe lowe As by Gam vt a man may knowe whiche techeth the prolacion Of note and the condition ¶ Nota de
Mappamounde Through which the grounde by purparties Departed is in thre parties That is Asye Affrike Europe The whiche vnder the heuen cope Begrypeth all this erthe rounde As ferre as stretcheth any ground But after that the high wreche The water weyes let out seche And ouergo the hylles bye whiche euery kynde made dye That vpon myddell erth stode Out take Noe and his bloode His sonnes and his doughters thre They were saue and so was he Her names who that rede ryght Sem Cam Iaphet the brethern hyght And whan thylke almighty bonde withdrough the water fro the londe And all the rage was away And erth was the mans waye The sonnes thre of whiche I tolde Ryght after that hem selfe wolde This worlde departe they begonne Asia whiche lay to the sonne Vpon the marche of Oryent was graunted by commune assent To Sem whiche was the sonne eldest For that partie was the best And double as moche as other two And was that tyme bounded so wher as the floud whiche men Nile calleth Departed fro his cours and falleth In to the see Alexandryne There taketh Asye first sesyne Towardeth weste and ouer this Of Canabim where the flode is In to the great see rennende Fro that in to the worldes ende Estwarde Asye it is algates Tyll that men comen to the gates Of paradys and there ho. And shortely for to speake it so Of Orient in generall within his bounde Asye hath all ¶ De Affrica et Europa ¶ And than vpon that other syde westwarde as it fell thylke tyde The brother whiche was hote Cam Vnto his parte Affryke nam Iaphet Europe tho toke he Thus parten they the worlde on thre But yet there ben of londes fele In Occident as for the chele In oriente as for the hete whiche of the people be forlete As londe deserte that is vnable For it may not ben habitable ¶ Nota de mare quod magnuÌ„ OceanuÌ„ dicitur ¶ The water eke hath sondry bounde After the londe where it is founde And takth his name of thylke londes where that it renneth on the strondes But thilke se whiche hath no wane Is cleped the great Ocean Out of whiche aryse and come The hye flouddes all and some Is none so lytell well sprynge whiche there ne takth his begynnynge And lyche a man that lacketh brethe By wey of kynde so it gethe Out of the see and in ageyne The water as the bokes seyne ¶ Nota hic secundum philosophum de quinto elemento quod omnia sub celo creata infra suum ambitum continet cui nomen orbis specialiter appropriatum est ¶ Of elementes the properties How that they stonden by degrees As I haue tolde nowe myght thou here My good sonne all the matere Of erthe of water ayre and fyre And for thou sayst that thy desyre Is for to weten ouermore The forme of Aristotles lore He sayth in his entendement That yet there is an element Aboue the foure and is the fyfte Set of the highe goddes yefte The whiche that Orbis cleped is And therupon he telleth this That as the shelle bole and sounde Encloseth all aboute rounde what thynge within a neye belongeth Ryght so this Orbis vnderfongeth These elementes euerychone whiche I haue spoke of one and one But ouer this nowe take good hede My sonne for I wol procede To speake vpon Mathematyke whiche grounded is on Theoryke The science of Astronomye I thynke for to specifye without whiche to tell playne All other science is in vayne Towarde the schole of erthly thynges For as an egle with his wynges Fleeth aboue all that men fynde So doth this science in his kynde Lege planetarum magis inferiora reguntur 〈◊〉 â—ed interdum regula fallit opus 〈◊〉 â—dâ—ante deo sapiens dominabitur astris 〈◊〉 nec immerito quod nouitatis agunt ☞ Hic soquitur de artis Mathematice quarta 〈◊〉 que astronomia nuncupatur cui eciam Astiâ—â—ogia socia connumeratur Sed primo de seâ—â—em planetis que inter astra potenciores existuÌ„t Iâ—â— piendo a luna seorsum tractare intendit ¶ Bynethe vpon this erthe here Of all thynges the matere As tellen vs they that ben lerned Of thynge aboue it stont gouerned That is to seyne of the planetes The cheles bothe and eke the hetes The chaunces of the worlde also That we fortune clepen so Amonge the mennes nacion All is through constellacion wherof that some man hath the wele And some men haue diseses fele In loue as well as other thynges The state of realmes and of kynges In tyme of pees in tyme of werre It is conceiued of the sterre And thus seyth the naturien whiche is an Astonomyen But the diuine saith other wyse That if men were good and wyse And plesant vnto the godhede They shulde not the sterres drede For one man if hym well befalle Is more worthe than be they all Towardes hym that weldeth all But yet the lawe originall whiche he hath set in the natures Mot worchen in the creatures That therof may be none obstacle But if it stonde vpon miracle Through praier of som holy man And for thy so as I began To speke vpon astronomye As it is write in the clergie To telle howe the planetes fare Some parte I thynke to delare My sonne vnto thin audience Astronomy is the science Of wisdom and of high coninnge whiche makth a man haue knowleching Of sterres in the fermament Figure circle and mouement Of eche of hem in sondry place And what betwene hem is of space Howe so they moue or stonde fast All this it telleth to the last Assembled with astronomy Is eke that ilke astrology The whiche in iugement accounteth Theffecte what euery sterre amounteth And howe they causen many a wonder To the clymates that stond hem vnder And for to telle it more pleyne These olde philosophers seyne That Orbis whiche I spake of er Is that whiche fro therthe a ferre Beholde and firmament it calle In whiche the sterres stonden all Amonge the whiche in speciall Planettes seuen principalle There ben that mannes syght demeth By thorizont as to vs semeth And also there ben signes twelue whiche haue her cercles by hem selue Compassed in the Zodiake In whiche they haue her places take And as they stonden in degre Her cercles more or lesse be Made after the proportion Of the erthe whose condicion Is sette to be fundament To susteyne vp the firmament And by this skylle a man may knowe The more that they stonden lowe The more ben the cercles lasse That causeth why that some passe Her due cours tofore an other But nowe my lieue dere brother As thou desyrest for to wyte what I fynde in the bokes wryte To telle of the planettes seuen How that they stonde vpon the heuen And in what point that they ben in Take hede for I woll begyn So as the philosopher taught To Alysaunder and it be taught wherof that
Io. Gower de confessione Amantis ¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestrete by Thomas Berthelette Printer to the kingis grace AN. M.D.XXXII CVM PRIVILEGIO ⧠EPIGRAMMA AVTORIS IN SVVM LIBRVM Torpor hebes sensus schola parua labor minimusque Causant quo minus ipse minora canam Qua tum Engisti lingua canit insula Bruti Anglica Carmente metra iuuante loquar Ossibus ergo carens quae conterit ossa loquelis Absit et interpres stet procul oro malus ¶ To the reder IN tyme paste whanne this warke was prynted I can not very well coniecte what was the cause therof the prologue before was cleane altered And by that mene it wold seme that Gower dydde compyle it at the requeste of the noble duke Henry of Lancastre And all though the bokes that be wrytten be contrary yet I haue folowed therin the prynt copie for as moche as it may serue both weyes and bycause most copies of the same warke are in printe but yet I thought it good to warne the reder that the writen copies do not agre with the prynted Therfore syr I haue prynted here those same lynes that I fynde in the wrytten copies The whiche alteration ye shall perceyue beganne at the .xxiij. lyne in the prologue and goth forth on as ye se here folowynge ¶ In our englysshe I thinke make A boke for kynge Rychardes sake To whom belongeth my ligeance with all myn hartes obeysaunce In all that euer a lyege man Vnto his kynge may done or can So farforth I me recommaunde To him which all me may commaunde Preyende vnto the hygh reigne whiche causeth eury kynge to reygne That his corone longe stonde ¶ I thynke and haue it vnderstonde As it befyll vpon a tyde As thynge whiche shulde tho betyde Vnder the towne of newe Troy whiche toke of Brute his fyrste ioye In Themse whan it was flowende As I by bote came rowende So as fortune hir tyme sette My lyege lorde perchaunce I mette And so befelle as I came nygh Out of my bote whan be me sygh He bad me come into his barge And whan I was with hym at large Amonges other thynges seyde He hath this charge vpon me leyde And bad me do my busynesse That to his hygh worthynesse Some newe thinge I shulde boke That he hym selfe it myght loke After the forme of my wrytynge And thus vpon his commaundynge Myn harte is well the more glad To wryte so as he me bad And eke my feare is well the lasse That none enuy shall compasse without a reasonable wyte To feyne and blame that I wryte A gentyll harte his tonge stylleth That it malice none distilleth But preyseth that is to be preysed But he that hath his worde vnpeysed And handleth out kronge any thynge I pray vnto the heuen kynge Fro suche tonges he me shilde And netheles this worlde is wylde Of suche ianglynge and what befall My kynges heste shall not falle That I in hope to deserue His thonke ne shall his wyll obserue And els were I nought excused For that thyng may nought be refused what that a kynge hym selfe byt For thy the symplest of my wyt I thynke if that it may auayle In his seruyse to trauayle Though I syckenes haue vpon honde And longe haue had yet woll I fonde So as I made my beheste To make a boke after his heste And wryte in suche a maner wyse whiche may be wysedome to the wyse And play to hem that lyst to play But in prouerbe I haue herde say That who that wel his warke beginneth The rather a good ende be wynneth And thus the prologue of my boke After the worlde that whylom toke And eke somdele after the newe I woll begyn for to newe ¶ And thus I saye for these .lxx. lynes there be as many other printed that be cleane contrarye vnto these bothe in sentence and in meanyng And farthermore there were lette out in dyuers places of the warke lynes and columnes ye and sometyme holle padges whiche caused that this mooste pleasunt and easy auctor coude not wel be perceyued for that and chaungynge of wordes and misordâ—ynge of sentences wolde haue mased his mynde in redynge that had ben very 〈◊〉 learned and what can be a greatter 〈◊〉 â—he vnto a noble auctour And 〈◊〉 pâ—â—ise worthily vnto you the great 〈◊〉 of this auctour I knowe my â—â—â—â—ght moche vnable ye shall your â—â—â—we â—â—eine whan ye shall se hym 〈◊〉 as I can sette forth in his owne â—â—ppe and lykenes And this the mene 〈◊〉 I maye be bolde to saye that if we 〈◊〉 â—eâ—er haue sene his counnynge 〈…〉 the whiche euen at the full do 〈…〉 â—â—at a clerke he was the worâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—oste famous and excellente 〈…〉 â—â—â—er that he wrote in the 〈…〉 mâ—â—te speciall warke that is 〈…〉 and Creseyde do suffiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the same where he sayth 〈◊〉 Gâ—wer this boke I directe 〈…〉 the philosophical Strode 〈…〉 â—â—â—te ther nede is to correcte 〈◊〉 your beâ—ignites and zeles good 〈◊〉 â—he whiche noble warke and many 〈…〉 the sayde Chausers that neuer 〈◊〉 â—â—fore imprinted those that very â—â—we mâ—n knewe and fewer hadde them â—â—â—â—we of late put forthe to gether in a 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ume By the whiche wordes of 〈◊〉 we may also vnderstonde that 〈◊〉 Gower were bothe of one selfe 〈◊〉 â—â—th excellently lerned both great frendes to gether and bothe a lyke endeâ—oured them selfe and imployed theyr tyme â—o wel and so vertuously that they dyd not onely passe forth their lyfes here â—yght honourably but also for their so doynge so longe of lykelyhode as letters shal endure continue this noble royalme shall be the better ouer and besyde theyr honest fame and renowme And thus whan they hadde gone theyr iourney the one of them that is to saye IohnÌ„ Gower prepared for his bones a restynge place in the monastery of saynt Marye Oueres where somwhat after the olde fasshion he lyeth ryght sumptuously buryed with a garlande on his heed in token that he in his lyfe dayes flourysshed fresshely in literature and science And the same moniment in remembraunce of hym erected is on the Northe syde of the fore sayde churche in the chapell of saynte IohnÌ„ where he hath of his owne foundation a masse dayly songe And more ouer he hath an obyte yerely done for hym within the same churche / on fryday after the feaste of the blessed pope saynte Gregory Besyde on the wall where as be lyeth there be peynted thre virgins with crownes on theyr beedes / one of the whiche is wrytten Charitie / and she holdethe this diuise in her honde En toy qui es fitz de dieu le pere Sauue soit que gist souz cest piere ¶ The seconde is wrytten Mercye whiche holdeth in her hande this diuise O bone Iesu fait ta mercy Al alme dont le corps gist icy ¶ The thyrde of them is wrytten Pite whiche holdeth in her hand this diuise folowynge Pur tâ—
fraudulentely supplanted Celestine his predecessour howe afterwarde he was taken by the frenche kynge and put in pryson where be endured great hunger and thyrst and at last dyed most wretchedly fo xliij ¶ The prophecye of Iochim the abbotte fo xliiij ¶ Howe Ioab capiteyne of the booste of Dauid slewe Abner and howe Achitofell for enuy that he hadde that Cusy was preferred afore hym benge hym selfe fo eodem ¶ The description of enuy fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Howe the vertue of charite is against enuy and how Constantine themperour was healed of his lepre fo xlv The contentes of the thirde boke ¶ Of the synne of yre and of his fyue spyces of whiche the fyrst is called Melancolye fo xlvij ¶ How Machareus the sonne of Eolus the kynge gotte his syster Canace with childe fo xlviij ¶ How Tyresias was transformed into the shap of a woman fo xlix ¶ Of the seconde spyce of yre named cheste or stryfe and what harme cometh therof fo eodem ¶ Of the noble vertue Pacience with an example of Socrates his wyfe fo l. ¶ Howe Tyresias was ordeyned iuge betwene Iupiter and Iuno in a stryfe betwene hem fo li. ¶ Howe the crowe that was whyte became blacke fo eodem ¶ why Iupiter cutte of the tonge of Lara fo eodem ¶ Of hate the thyrde spice of yre fo lij ¶ How Nauplus reuenged him on the grekes for that his sonne Palamides was slayne trayterously at the siege of Troye fo eodem ¶ Of conteke and homicide whiche be the fourth fyfte spices of wrath fo liij ¶ The answere of Diogenes to Alexander fo liiij ¶ The history of Pyrramus and Thysbe and howe eche slewe them selfe for loue fo eodem ¶ Of the vengeaunce that Athamas and Demophon purposed to do in theyr couÌ„trey after they returned from Troye and howe by the wysedome of the prudent Nestor they were pacified fo eod ¶ Howe Clytemnestra by the counsayle of Egisthus slew her husboÌ„d kyng Agamemnon how his sonne Horestes toke vengeaunce therof fo eodem ¶ Of the mouers of warre which not onely do cause homicide but also desolation of al the worlde fo lix ¶ Howe the grekes made warre in to euery countrey that was ryche and fertyle but bycause Archady was baâ—ayne and poore it abode styll in peace fo lx ¶ Of the aunswere that the see rouer made whan he was taken and brought before kynge Alexander fo eodem ¶ An example of kynge Alexander and of his vnlefull warres whiche nâ—t withstandynge he conquered all the worlde he was by dethe subdued fo lxi ¶ Howe lyghte forgyuenes doth cause offence fo eodem ¶ Of the nature of a byrde the which hath a visage lyke to a man fo eodeÌ„ ¶ An example of pite howe beneficiall it is to mankynde fo lxij ¶ The contentes of the fourth boke ¶ Of the synne of slouth and of his spices of the which the fyrst is called Latchesse fo lxiij ¶ Howe Aeneas lefte Dido behynde hym at Carthage and howe she sâ—ewe hir selfe fo eodem ¶ The epistoll that Penelope wrote to Ylixes in blaminge him for his latches and longe taryenge at Troye fo eodeÌ„ ¶ How the ingenious warke that Gros test was aboute .vii. yere was through laches of a moment all loste fo lxiiii ¶ Of the latches of the fyne folisshe virgins fo eodem ¶ Of a spyce of Slouth called Pusyllanimite fo eodem ¶ Of Pigmalion and his ymage that he made in iuorie fo lxv ¶ Howe the kynge Lygdus doughter was transformed in to a man fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Of the vyce Foryettylnes fo lxvi ¶ Of Demophon and Phillis howe 〈◊〉 â—â—nge her selfe for loue fo lxvii ¶ Of the vice of Negligence fo lxviii ¶ â—owe Phaeton lad his fathers carte â—â—â—we through negligence be set all 〈◊〉 worlde a fyre fo eodem â—â—we Dedalus and Icharus his son 〈…〉 the ayre fo eodem ¶ 〈…〉 spâ—ce of Slouthe called ydel◠〈…〉 fo xix 〈…〉 the kinge of Armenis daughter 〈…〉 â—â—me a company of the fairy 〈◊〉 whom rode a lady alone that ca◠〈◊〉 horse haliers fo lxx 〈…〉 auowed to sacrifice to god 〈…〉 came to welcom him home 〈◊〉 was his owne daughter that 〈…〉 bewayle her virginite fo lxxi 〈…〉 for the cause of loue valiant exâ—â—â— of â—hiualrye shulde not be lefte at 〈◊〉 tyme. fo lxxii 〈…〉 Achilles for the loue of Polixeâ—◠〈◊〉 to do armes at Troye fo eodem 〈…〉 Vlyxes was taken by the greâ—â—â—â— to go to Troye and what wren◠〈◊〉 â—ought to tary at home with his 〈◊〉 fo lxxiii ¶ Howe Proâ—â—eselaus settynge his wi 〈…〉 I le aparte had leuer dye hoâ—â—rably at Troye than abyde at home â—â—ydelnes fo eodem ¶ Howe kinge Saul not withstandinge that Samuel and the Phytones tolde him he shulde be slayne preferred chyualry and wente to batayle fo eodem ¶ Howe Chiro a centaure encoraged Achilles in youth to be hardy fo lxxiiii ¶ Howe Hercules for loue of Deianire conquered Achilous fo eodem ¶ Howe Penthesilea the quene of Amazons came to Troye for Hectors sake and there dyd dedes of armes fo eodem ¶ Howe for the fame of chiualry Philimenis came to Troye and gatte to haue thre maydens sent him yerely from the royalme of Amazons fo lxxv ¶ Howe Aeneas by his conqueste gotte the loue of Lauine and the realme of Italye fo eodem ¶ Howe Gentilnesse is ofte preferred and what gentilnes is fo lxxvi ¶ Of the diligence of our predecessours and theyr doctrine fo eodem ¶ Of the thre stones that the philosophres made that is to say Vegeta Animall and minerall fo lxxvii ¶ Of Sompnolence whiche is chamberlayne to Slouth fo lxxviii ¶ Of kinge Leix and Alceon his wyfe whiche lepte in to the see and dreynte hir selfe for hir husbondes sake fo lxxix ¶ Howe Lephalus by watchynge gate Aurora his loue fo lxxx ¶ Howe Io was transformed into a Lowe and put to the kepinge of Argus by Iuno and howe Mercurius slewe him fo lxxxi ¶ Of the laste spyce of Slouthe called Tristresse which causeth wanhope fo eo ¶ Howe Iphis the sonne of Theucer loued a mayde and how whan he coude not get her loue he henge him self at her fathers gate and howe the goddes therfore turned the mayde in to an harde stone fo lxxxii ☞ The contentis of the fyfte boke ¶ Of Louetise Auarice which is the rote of al euels of his spices fo lxxxiii ¶ Howe Meda the kynge of Frige vndiscretly desyred that euery thynge the whiche he touched myght be torned in to golde fo lxxxiiii ¶ Of the vyce of Ielosie fo lxxxvi ¶ How Vulcanus toke Venus his wyfe a bedde with Mars whom to se he called all the goddis and they for his labour laughed him to scorne fo lxxxvii ¶ Of the false sectes of goddes how they firste began by the painims fo eodeÌ„ ¶ The pistoll sent by the kinge of Brag
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
that their lawe posytife Hath set to make werre and stryfe For wordli goodes / which may not last God wote the cause to the last Of euery ryght and wronge also But whyle the lawe is ruled so That clerkes to the werre intende â—â—oâ— howe that they shall amende The wofull worlde in other thynges To make peace bytwen kynges After the lawe of charyte whiche is the propre dewte Belonged vnto the preesthode But 〈◊〉 it thynketh to manhode The heuen is for the worlde is nyghe And vayne glorye is eke so slygh whiche couetyse hath nowe withholde That they none other thynge beholde But only that they myghten wynne 〈◊〉 thus the werres they begynne 〈…〉 the holy churche is taxed 〈…〉 â—he poynt as it is axed 〈…〉 goth to the batayle 〈…〉 Christe myght not auayle 〈◊〉 them ryght by other waye 〈…〉 sworde the churche kaye 〈…〉 and the holy bede 〈…〉 â—â—rge and euery stede 〈…〉 stonde vpon the feythe 〈…〉 care leythe 〈…〉 the quarele 〈…〉 be the worldes hele 〈…〉 the pestylence 〈…〉 â—â—th â—â—pelled pacience 〈…〉 in speciall 〈…〉 bewed ouerall 〈…〉 whan they be greued 〈…〉 â—gorie be beleued 〈…〉 the bokes writte / 〈…〉 somdele for to witte 〈…〉 of thylke prelacye 〈…〉 is nought of companye 〈…〉 wâ—rke as it is founded 〈…〉 â—â—de or els be confounded 〈…〉 onely for Christes sake 〈…〉 â—ure for to take 〈…〉 for pryde of thylke astate 〈◊〉 a name of a prelate He shall by reson do profyte In holy Churche vpon the plyte That he hath set his conscyence But in the worldes reuerence Thâ—â— be of suche many gladde whaâ— they to thylke astate be made Nought for the meryte of the charge But for they wolde hem selfe discharge Of pouerte / and become grete / And thus for pompe and for beycte The scribe and eke the pharisee Of Moyses vpon the see In the chayre on high ben sette wherof the feyth is ofte lette whiche is betake them to kepe In Christes cause all day they slepe But of the worlde is nought foryete For well is hym / that nowe may gete Offyce in court to be honoured The stronge Coffre hath all deuoured Vnder the keye of auarice The tresour of the benefice wherof the poure shulden clothe And ete / and drynke / and house bothe The charite goth all ynknowe For they no greyne of pite sowe And slouthe kepethe the librarye whiche longeth to the seintuarye To study vpon the worldes lore Suffiseth nought without more Delicacie his swete tothe Hath suffred so that it fordothe Of abstinence all that ther is And for to loken ouer this If Ethna brenne in the clergye Al openly to mannes eye At Auignon thexperyence Therof hath youen an euidence Of that men seen them so deuided And yet the cause is nought decided / But it is saide / and euer shall Bitwene two stooles is the fall whan that men wenen best to sytte In holy churche of suche a slitte Is for to rewe vnto vs alle God graunte it mote welle befalle Towardes him which hath the trouth But ofte is seen / that moche slouth whan men ben drunken of the cuppe Doth moche harme / whaÌ„ the fire is vp But if somwho the flame staunche And so to speke vpon this braunche which proud enuie hath made to spring Of scisme causeth for to bringe This newe secte of lollardye And also many an beresye Amonge the clerkes in them selue It were better dyke and delue And stonde vpon the ryght feyth Than knowe all that the bible seyth And erre / as some clerkes do Vpon an honde to weare a sho And set vpon the foote a gloue Acordeth not to the behoue Of resonable mannes vse If men behelden the vertuse That Christe in erthe taught here They shulde not in suche manere Amonge them / that be holde wyse The papacye so desguyse / Vpon dyuers electyon whiche stant after thaffecton Of sondry londes all aboute But whan god woll / it shall weare out For trouthe mote stande at laste But yet they argumenten faste Vpon the pope / and his astate wherof they fallen in great debate This clerke sayde ye / that other nay And thus they dryue forthe the daye And eche of them hym selfe amendeth Of worldes good but none entendeth To that / whiche commen profyte were They seyen / that god is myghty there And shall ordeyne / what he wylle There make they none other skyll where is the peryll of the feyth / But euery clerke his herte leyth To kepe his worlde in specyall And of the cause generall whiche vnto holy churche longeth Is none of them that vnderfongeth To shapen any resystence / And thus the ryght hath no defence But there I loue / there I holde Lo thus to broke is Christes folde wherof the flocke without guyde Deuourd is on euery syde In lacke of them / that be vnware Shepherdes / which their wittê beware Vpon the worlde in other halue The sharpe prycke in stede of salue They vsen nowe / wherof the bele They hurte of that they shulde hele what shepe / that is full of wulle Vpon his backe they tose and pulle whyle ther is any thynge to pylle And though there be none other skylle But onely for they wolde wynne They leaue nought / whan they beginne Vpon theyr acte to procede whiche is no good shepeherdes dede And vpon this / also men seyn That fro the lese / whiche is pleyne In to the breres they forcatche Here of for that they wolden lache with suche duresse / and so bereue That shall vpon the thornes leue Of wolle / whiche the brere hath tore wherof the shepe ben all to tore Of that the herdes make them lese Lo how they feynen chalke for chese For though they speke and teche wâ—â—â— They done them selfe therof no dele For if the wolfe come in the wey Their gostly staffe is then a weye wherof they shuld their flocke defende But if the poure shepe offende In any thynge / though it be lyte They ben all redy for to smyte And thus howe euer that they tale The strokes falle vpon the smale And vpon other that bene greate Them lacketh hert for to beate So that vnder the clerkes lawe Men seen the merell all mysdrawe I woll not saye in generall For there be somme in speciall In whome that all vertue dwelleth And tho bene / as the apostel telleth Qui vocantur a deo tanquam Aaron That god of his election Hath cleped to perfection In the maner as Aaron was They be nothynge in thylke cas Of Symon / whiche the foldes gate Hath lete / and goth in other gate But they gone in the ryght weye ¶ There bene also somme as men sey That folowen Symon atte heles â—hose â—â—râ—â— goth vpon wheles Of couâ—â—â—se and worldes pryde Aâ—â— holy churche goth besyde wâ—â—che sheweth outwarde a vysage 〈…〉 is nought in the courage For 〈◊〉 men loke in holy churche 〈◊〉 the worde / that they worche
so Spekende all day betwene hem two Through grace of goddes purueyance This mayden taught the creaunce Vnto this wyfe so perfectly Vpon a day that faste by In presence of her husbande where they go walkende on the stronde A blynde man whiche came ther ladde Vnto this wyfe cryende he badde with bothe his hondes vp and prayde To her and in this wyse he sayde O Hermegylde whiche Christes feith Enformed as Constance seyth Receyued hast yeue me my sight Vpon this worde her herte aflyght Thynkende what was beste to done But netheles she she herde his bone And sayde in trust of Christes lawe which done was on the crosse and slawe Thou blynde man beholde and se with that to god vpon his kne Thankende he toke his syght anone wherof they marueyle euery chone But Elda wondreth most of all This open thynge whiche is befalle Concludeth hym by suche awey That he the feyth moste nedes obey ¶ Qualiter quidam inuenis miles in amorem Constantie exardeseens pro eo ê™ ipsa sibi consentire nolint eam de morte Hermegylde quam ipse noctanter interfecit verbis detractorne accufaint / sed angelus domini ipsu sic detrahentem in mayilla subito percutiens / non solum pro mendaci comprobauit sed â—etu mortali post ipsine confessionem penitus interfecit Nowe lyst what fell vpon this thinge This Elda forthe vnto the kynge A morowe toke his wey and rode And Hermegylde at home abode Forth with Constance well at ease Elda which thought his kyng to plese As he that than vnwedded was Of Constance all the pleyne cas As goodly as he couth tolde The kyng was glad and sayd he wold Come thyther in suche a wise That he hym myght of her auyse The tyme appoynted forth withall This Elda truste in speciall Vpon a knyght whom from childhode He had vp drawe in to manhode To hym he tolde all that he thought wherof that after hym forthought And netheles at thylke tyde Vnto his wyfe he had hym ryde To make redy all thynge Ageynst the comynge of the kynge And sayth that he hym selfe tofore Thinketh for to come and bod therfore That he hym kepe and tolde hym whaÌ„ This knyght rode forth his wey than And soth was that of tyme passed He had in all his witte compassed Howe be Constance myght wynne But he sawe tho no spede therin wherof his lust beganne to bate And that was loue is than hate Of her honour he had enuye So that vpon his trecherye A lesynge in his herte he cast Tyl he come home he hygheth fast And doth his lady to vnderstonde The message of her husbonde And thervpon the longe daye They setten thynges in arraye That all was as it shulde be Of euery thynge in his degre And whan it came into the nyght This wyse her hath to bedde dyght where that this mayden with her lay This false knyght vpon delaye Hath taryed tyll they were aslepe As he that woll tyme kepe His deadly werkes to fulfylle And to the bedde he stalketh stylle where that he wyst was the wyfe And in his honde a rasour knyfe He bare with whiche her throte he cut And priuely the knyfe he put Vnder that diere beddes lyde where that Constance lay besyde Elda come home the same nyght And stylle with a preuy lyght As he that wolde not awake His wyfe he hath his weye take In to the chambre and there lyggende He fonde his deade wyfe bledende where that Constance faste by was falle aslepe and sodeynly He cryed aloude and she awoke And forth withall cast a loke And sawe this lady blede there wherof swouned deade for feare She was and stylle as any stone She laye and Elda thervpon In to the Castell clepeth out And vp sterte euery man about In to the chambre forth they went But he whiche all vntrouth ment This false knyght amonge them all Vpon the thyng whiche is befall Seith that ConstaÌ„ce hath do this dede And to the bedde with that he yede After the falseheed of his speche And made him there for to seche And fonde the knyfe where he it layde And than he cryed and thus he said Lo se the knyfe all blody here what nedeth more in this matere To aske and thus her innocence He sclaundreth there in audience with false wordes whiche he feyneth But yet for al that euer he pleyneth ¶ Elda no full credence toke And happed that there lay a boke Vpon the whiche whan he it syghe This knight hath swore said on highe That all men myght it wyte Now by this boke which is here write Constance is gyltyfe well I wote with that the hoÌ„de of heuen him smote In token of that he hath forswore There he was bothe his eyen lore Out of his heed the same stounde They stert and so they were founde A voice was herde whan that they fel whiche sayde O damned man to helle Lo thus hath god thy sclaunder wroke That thou ageyn Constance hath spoke Be knowe the sothe er that thou dye And he tolde out his felonye And starte forth with his tale anone In to the grounde where al gone This deade lady was begraue Elda whiche thought his honour saue All that he may restreyneth sorowe ¶ Qualiter rex Allee ad fidem Christi conuersus baptismum recepit et Constantiam super hoc leto animo despeÌ„sauit que til qualis vel vnde fuit alicui nullo modo falebatur Et cum infra breue postea a domino fuo inpregnata fuisset ipse ad debellanduÌ„ cum feotis iter arripuit et ibideÌ„ super guerras aliquandiu permansit ¶ For he the seconde day at morowe The kyng came as they were accorded And whan it was to hym recorded what god hath wrought vpoÌ„ this chaÌ„ce He toke it in to remembraunce And thought more than he sayde For all his hole herte he layde Vpon Constance and sayde he shulde For loue of her if that she wolde Baptysme take and Christes feyth Beleue and ouer that he sayth He wolde her wedde and vpon this Assured eche to other is And for to make shorte tales There came a bysshop out of wales Fro Bangor and Lucye he hyght whiche throughe the grace of god almight The king with many other mo He christned and betwene hem two He hath fulfylled the mariage But for no lust ne for no rage She tolde hym neuer what she was And netheles vpon this cas â—he kynge was gladde howe so it stode Yâ—â— well he wyst and vnderstode â—he was a noble creature The hygh maker of nature Hâ—â— hath visited in a throwe That it was openlyche knowe She was with childe by the kynge â—herof abouen all other thynge 〈◊〉 â—hanked god and was right glad And fell that tyme he was bestadde Vpon a werre and must ryde 〈◊〉 while he shuld there abyde 〈◊〉 lefte at home to kepe his wyfe Sâ—â—he as he knewe of holy lyfe â—â—da forth with the
by couerture Haue feyned semblaunt ofte tyme To them that passen all day byme And ben louers as well as I For this I wene truely That there is of hem all none That they ne louen euery chone My lady For sothelyche I leue And durst setten it in preue Is none so wyse that shulde asterte But he were lustles in his herte For why and he my lady sye Her vysage and her goodly eye But he her loued er he went And for that suche is myn entent That is the cause of myn aspye why that I feyne company And make felowe ouer all For gladly wolde I knowen all And holde me couerte alwaye That I fulle ofte ye or naye Ne lyst answere in any wyse But feynynge semblaunt as the wyse And herken tales tyll I knowe My ladyes louers all arowe And whan I here howe they wrought I fare as though I herde nought And as I no worde vnderstode But that is nothynge for her good For leueth well and soth is this That whan I knowe all howe it is I woll but forthren hem alyte But all the werste I can endyte I tell it vnto my lady plat For fortherynge of myn owne estate And hyndre them all that euer I maye But for all that yet dare I saye I fynde vnto my selfe no bote All though myn herte nedes mote Through strength of loue al that I here Discouer vnto my lady dere For in good feyth I haue no myght To hele fro that swete wyght If that it toucheth her any thynge But this wote well the heuen kynge That sythen fyrst the worlde began Vnto none other straunge man Ne feyned I semblaunt ne chere To wyte or aske of his matere Though that he loueth .x. or twelue whan it was nought my ladyes selue But if he wolde aske any rede Alonlyche of his owne hede Howe he with other loues ferde His tales with myn eares I herde But to myn herte came it nought Ne sanke no depper in my thought But helde counsayle as I was bede And tolde it neuer in other stede But let it passen as it come Nowe father say what is thy dome And howe thou wolt that I be peyned For suche semblaunt as I haue feyned ¶ My sonne if reason be well peysed There may no vertue be vnpreysed Ne vyce none be sette in pryse For thy my sonne if thou be wyse Do no viser vpon thy face whiche as woll not thyn herte embrace For if thou do within a throwe To other men it shall be knowe So myght thou lyghtly falle in blame And lese a great parte of thy name And netheles in this degre Full ofte tyme thou myght se Of suche men as nowe a day This vice setten in assaye I speke it for no mannes blame But for to warne the the same My sonne as I may here talke In euery place where I walke I not if it be so or none But it is many dayes gone That I fyrst herde telle this Howe false Semblaunt hath be and is Most comonly from yere to yere with them that dwelle amonge vs here Of suche as we Lumbardes calle For they ben the slyest of all So as men sayne in towne about To feyne and shewe thynge without whiche is reuers to that within wherof that they full ofte wynne whan they by reason shulde lese They ben the last and yet they chese And we the fyrste and yet behynde we gone there as we shulden fynde The profyte of our owne londe Thus gone they free without bonde To done her profyte all at large And other men beare all the charge Of Lumbardes vnto this couyne whiche all londes conne engyne May false Semblaunt in especiall Be lykened for they ouer all where that they thynke for to dwelle Amonge them selfe so as they telle Fyrste ben enformed for to lere A crafte whiche cleped is Facrere For if Facrere come about Than afterwarde hem stant no doubte To voyde with a subtile honde The best goodes of the londe And brynge chaffe and take corne where as Facrere goth beforne In all his weye he fynt no lette That dore can none vssher shette In whiche he lyst to take entre And thus the counsayle most secre Of euery thynge Facrere knoweth whiche in to straunge place he bloweth where as he wote it may moste greue And thus Facrere maketh beleue So that full ofte he hath deceyued Er that he may ben apperceyued Thus is this vyce for to drede Fr who these olde bokes rede Of suche ensamples as we are Hym ought be the more ware Of all tho that feyne chere wherof thou shalte a tale here ¶ Hic pâ—nit Confessor exemplum contra iftos â—ui suoÌ„ diffimulate beniuosentie specuso alios in amore defrandant Et narrat quafiter Hercules cum ipse quoddam flunium enius vada non nonit cuÌ„ Dâ—â—â—nyra transmeaie proposuit / supueniens â—essus gâ—gas ob amicitiam Hercusis vt dixit â—â—â—nyram â—n vsnas suas suscipiens traÌ„s ripam 〈◊〉 ver duxit Et statim cuÌ„ ad litus peruenisset quâ— ciâ—o currete potuit ipsaÌ„ tanquaÌ„ propriam in preiâ—udâ—â—im Herculis asportare fugiens conaâ—â—tâ—r Peâ— quod noÌ„ sosum ipsi sed etiam Hercusi â—â—rtâ—e euentum fortuna postmodum causauit ¶ Of fals semblant whiche is beleued Ful many a worthy wyght is greued And was longe tyme or we was bore To the my sonne I wyll therfore A tale tell of fals Semblaunt whiche falseth many a couenaunt And many a fraude of fals counsaylle There be hongend vpon his seyle And that aboughten gylteles Bothe Deâ—anyre and Hercules 〈◊〉 whiche in greate disese fell Through fals SemblauÌ„t as I shall tell ¶ whan Hercules within a throwe 〈◊〉 hath his hert throwe Vpon this fayre Deâ—anyre It tell hym on a day desyre Vpon a ryuer as be stode That passe he wolde ouer the floode â—ithout bote and with hym lede His loue but he was in drede 〈◊〉 tendresse of that swete wight 〈◊〉 he knewe not the forde aryght There was a geaunt than nygh whiche Nessus hyght whan he sygh This Hercules and Deâ—anire within his herte he gan conspire As he whiche through his trechery Hath Hercules in great enuye â—â—iche he bare in his herte loke And than he thought it shall be wroke But he ne durste netheles â—â—â—ne this worthye Hercules â—allâ— in debate as for to feyght But fâ—yned Semblaunt all by sleyght Of frendship and of all good And cometh where as they both stode And maketh hem all the chere be can And sayth that as her owne man He is all redy for to do what thynge be may and it fel so That they vpon his Semblaunte tryste And asken hym if that he wyste what thynge hem were beste to done So that they myghten saufe and sone The water passe he and she And whan Nessus the priuete Knewe of her herte what it ment As he that was of double entent He made hem ryght a gladde visage
wey of kynde whiche stormy is as men it fynde Fyrste maketh the windes for to blowe And after that within a throwe He reyneth and the water gates Vndoth and thus my wyfe algates whiche is with reason well beseyn Hath made me bothe wynde and reyn After the season of the yere And than he set hym ner the fyre And as he myght his clothes dryed That he nomore o worde ne seyd wherof he gat hym somdele rest For that hym thought was for the best ¶ I not if thylke ensample yet Acordeth with a mans wyt To suffer as Sosacrates dede And if it fal in any stede A man to lese so his galle Hym ought amonge the women alle In Loues court by Iugement The name bere of pacient To yeue ensample to the good Of pacience howe that it stode That other men it myght knowe Amans ¶ And sonne if thou at any throwe Be tempted ayenst pacyence Take hede vpon this euidence It shall par case the lesse greue Amans ¶ My fader so as I beleue Of that shall be no maner nede For I woll take so good hede That er I fall in suche assay I thynke eschewe if that I may But if there be ought elles more wherof I myght take lore I pray you so as I dare Nowe telleth that I may beware Some other tale of this matter Confessor ¶ Sonne it is euer good to lere wherof thou myght thy word restreyne Er that thou falle in any peyne For who that can no counseyl hyde He may not fayle of wo besyde whiche shall befalle er he it wyte As I fynde in the bokes wryte ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum quod de alterius lite intromittere cauendum est Et narrat qualiter Iupiter cum Iunone super quadam que sitione litigabant / videlicet vtrum vir an mulier in amoris concupiscentia feruencius ardebat super quo Tiresiam eorum Iudicem constituebant Et qui ille contra Iunonem in dicte litis causa sentenciam diffiniuit irata de ipse deum amborum oculorum lumme claritatis absque remissione priuauit Confessor ¶ Yet cam there neuer good of stryfe To seche in all a mans lyfe Though it begyn on pure game Full ofte it torneth in to grame And doth greuaunce on som syde wherof the great clerke Ouide After the lawe whiche was tho Of Iupiter and of Iuno Maketh in his bokes mencion Howe they felle at dissencyon In maner as it were a borde As they began for to worde Amonge hem selfe in pryuete And that was vpon this degre whiche of the two more amorous is Or man or wyfe And vpon this They myght not acorde in one And toke a Iuge therupon whiche cleped is Tyresyas And bad hym demen in this cas And he withoute auysement Avene Iuno gafe Iugement This goddes vpon his answere was wrothe and wolde not forbere But toke awey for euermo The lyght frome both his eyen two whan Iupiter this hurt hath sene Another benefyte there ayene He yafe and suche a grace hym doth That for he wyste be sayde soth A â—oth sayer he was for euer But yet that other were leuer â—â—ue hadde the lokynge of his eye Than of his worde the prophecye But howe so that the loth went 〈◊〉 was the cause of that he hent So great a peyne bodyly ¶ 〈◊〉 sonne be thou ware there by And holde thy tonge stylle close For who that hath his worde dysclose 〈◊〉 he wyte what he mene 〈◊〉 full ofte nyghe his tene 〈◊〉 leseth full many tyme grace 〈◊〉 that he wold his thank purchace And ouer this my sonne dere 〈◊〉 other men if thou myght here 〈◊〉 priuyte what they haue wrought 〈◊〉 counseyl and dyscouer it nought For cheste can no couÌ„seyl hele Or be it wo or be it wele And take a tale in to thy mynde The whiche of olde ensample I fynde ¶ 〈…〉 Confessor exemplum contra illos 〈…〉 causa allterius consilium reuelare 〈…〉 Et narrat qualiter quedaÌ„ auis tunc 〈…〉 â—â—mine Cornus consilium domine sue 〈…〉 denudauit vnde coÌ„tigit non so◠〈…〉 Coronidem interfect sed et Coruum 〈…〉 tanquam nix albus fuit in piceum coâ—â—rem pro perpetou transmutari Phebus which maketh the dais light A loue he had whiche tho byght Coronis whom abouen all He pleseth But what shall befalle Of loue there is no man knoweth But as fortune her happes throweth So it befell vpon a chaunce A yong knyght toke her acqueintaunce And had of her all that he wolde But a fals byrd which she hath holde And kept in chambre of pure youthe Dyscouerith all that euer he couthe The byrdes name was as tho Coruus the whiche was than also well more whyte than any swan And he the shrewe all that he can Of his lady to Phebus sayde And he for wrath his swerd out braide with whiche Coromde anone he slough But after hym was wo ynough And toke full great repentaunce wherof in token and remembraunce Of hem whiche vsen wycke speche Vpon this byrde he toke his wreche That there he was snowe whyte tofore Euer afterwarde cole blake therfore He was transformed as it sheweth And many a man yet hym beshreweth And clepen hym in to this day A Rauen by whome yet men may Take euydence whan he crieth That some my shap it sygnifyeth Beware therfore and say the best If thou wolt be thy selfe in rest My good sonne as I the rede ¶ Hic soquitur super eodem Et narrat qualiter Lara Nimpha eo quod Iupiter Iuturnam abulterauit / Iunoni Ionis vxori secretum reuelauit Qua propter Iupiter ira commotus singua Laris prins abscisa / ipsam postea in profundum Acherontis exulem pro perpetuo mancipauit ¶ Lo in another place I rede Of thilk Nymphe which Lara hyght For she the priuete by nyght How Iupiter lay by Iuturne Hath told god made her ouertorne Her tonge he cut and in to helle For euer he sent her for to dwelle As she that was not worthy here To ben of loue a chambrere For she no counsayle couth bele And suche a dayes be nowe fele In loues courte as it is sayde That lette her tonges gone vnteyde My sonne be thou none of tho To iangle and telle tales so And namely that thou ne chyde For cheste can no counsayle hyde For wrathe sayde neuer wele ¶ My father sothe is euery dele That ye me teche and I woll holde The rule whiche I am holde To flee the cheste as ye me bydde For well is hym that neuer chydde Nowe telle me forth if there be more As touchynge vnto wrathes lore Daemonis est odium quasi scriba cui dabit ira Materiam scripti cordis ad antra sui Non laxabit amor odii quem frena restringunt Nec secreta sui iuris adire sciuit ¶ Hic tractat Confessor de tercia specie ire que odiuÌ„ dicitur cuius natura omnes
hym falle His name was Palamydes But through an hate netheles Of some of hem his deathe was caste And he by treason ouercaste His father whan he herde it telle He swore if euer his tyme felle He wolde hym venge if that he myght And therto his auowe he hyght And thus this king through priue hate Abode vpon a wayte algate For he was not of suche empryse To auengen hym in open wyse The fame whiche goth wyde where Maketh knowe howe that the grekes were Homward with al the felauship Fro Troy vpon the see by shyp Nauplus whan he this vnderstode And knewe the tydes of the flode And sawe the wynde blow to the londe A great deceyte anone he fonde Of preuy bate as thou shalte here wherof I telle all this matere This kynge the wether gan beholde And wyst well they moten holde Her cours endelonge the marche right And made vpon the derke nyght Of great shydes and of blockes Great â—â—â—e ageyn the great rockes To shewe vpon the hylles hygh So that the flete of grece it sygh And so felle ryght as he thought This flete whiche an hauen sought The bryght fyres sawe a ferre And they ben drawen ner and ner And wende well and vnderstode Howe all that fyre was made for good To shewe where men shulde aryue And thytherwarde they hasten blyue In semblaunt as men sayne is gyle And that was proued thylke whyle The ship which weÌ„d his helpe accroch Drofe all to peces on the roche And so there deden tenne or twelue There myght no man helpe hym selue For there they wenden death escape withouten helpe her deathe was shape Thus they that comen fyrst tofore Vpon the rockes ben forlore But through noyse and their crie The other were ware therby And whan the day began to rowe Tho myghten they the soth knowe That where they wende frendes fynde They fonde frendship all behynde The londe than was sone weyued where that they hadden be deceyued And toke hem to the hygh see Therto they sayden all ye Fro that day forthe where they were Of that they haue assayed there Confessor ¶ My sonne wherof thou might auise Howe fraude stant in many wyse Amonge hem that gyle thynke There is no scriuener with his inke whiche halfe the fraude wryte can That stant in suche a maner man For thy the wyse men ne demen The thynges after that they semen But after that they knowe and fynde The myrrour sheweth in his kynde As he had all the worlde within And is in sothe nothynge therin And so fareth hate for a throwe Tyll he a man hath ouerthrowe Shall no man knowe by his chere whiche is auaunt and whiche is arere For thy my sonne thynke on this ¶ My father so I woll iwys And if there more of wrath be Nowe aske forthe pur charite As ye by your bokes knowe And I the sothe shall beknowe Qui cohibere manum nequit et sic spem eius Naribus hic populo sepe timendas erit Saepius in luctum Venus et sua gaudia transfert Cumque suis thalamis talis ami cus adest Est amor amplexu non ictibus alliciendus Frangit amicitias impetuosa manus ¶ Hic tractat Confessor super quarta et quinta specie ire / que impetuositas homicidium dicuntur sed primo de impetuositate specialiter tractare intendit cuius natura spmÌ„ in naribus gefiaÌ„do ad omnes â—re mociones in vindicta parata pacientiam nullatenus obseruat ¶ My sonne thou shalte vnderstonde That yet towarde wrath stonde Of deadly vices other two And for to telle her names so It is Contecke and Homicide That be to gether on euery syde Contecke as the bokes sayne Foolehast hath to his chamberlayne By whose counsayle all vnauysed Is Pacyence mooste despysed Tyll Homicide with hem mete Fro Mercy they be all vnmete And thus ben they the worst of all Of hem whiche vnto wrath falle In dede both and eke in thought For they accomten their wrath nought But if there be shedynge of bloud And thus lyche to a beast wode They knowen not the god of lyfe Be so they haue other swerde or knyfe Her deadly wrath for to wreke Of pyte lyst hem not to speke None other reason they ne fonge But that they ben of myght stronge But ware hym well in other place where euery man behoueth grace But there I trowe it shall hym fayle To whom no mercy myght auayle But wroughten vpon tyranny That no pite nÌ„e myght hem plye Now tell me sonne My father what If thou hast be culpable of that ¶ My father nay Christe me forbede I speake onlyche of the dede Of whiche I was neuer culpable without cause reasonable But this is not to my matere Of shryfte why we sytten here For we be sette to shryue of loue As we begonne fyrst aboue And netheles I am beknowe That as touchende of loues throwe whan I my wyttes ouerwende Myn hertes contecke hath none ende But euer stant vpon debate To great disease of myn estate As for the tyme that it lasteth For whan my fortune ouercasteth Her whele is to me so straunge And that I se she woll not chaunge Than cast I all the worlde about And thynke howe I at home in dout Haue all my tyme in veyne spended And se not howe to be amended But rather for to be empeyred As he that is well nygh despeired For I ne may nothynge deserue And euer I loue and euer I serue And euer I am a lyche nere Thus for I stonde in suche a were I am as who sayth out of herre And thus vpon my selfe I werre I brynge and put out all pees That I full ofte in suche a rees Am wery of myn owne lyfe So that of contecke and of stryfe I am beknowe and haue answerde As ye my father nowe haue herde Myn herte is wonderly begone with counsayle wherof wytte is one whiche hath reason in company Agayne the whiche stant partie wylle which hath Hope of his accorde And thus they bryngen vp discorde wytte and reason counsaylen ofte That I myn herte shulde softe And that I shulde V V Y L remue And put hym on t of retenue Or els holde hym vnder fote For as they seyne if that he mote His owne reule haue vpon honde There shall no wytte ben vnderstonde Of hope also to tellen this That ouer all where that he is He sette the herte in ieopardy with wysshynge and with fantasy And is not trewe of that he sayth So that in hym there is no feyth Thus with reason and wytte auysed Is wylle and hope all daye despysed Reason sayth that I shulde leue To loue where there is no leue To spede and wyll sayth there ageyne That suche an herte is to vyleyne whiche dare not loue tyll that he spede Let Hope serue at suche a nede He seyth eke where an herte sytte All holle
Excuse me of neglygence Towardes loue in all wyse For though I be none of the wyse I am so truly amorous That I am euer curyous Of hem that can best enforme To knowen and wyten all the forme what falleth vnto loues craft But yet ne fond I nought the hast whiche myght vnto the blade acorde For neuer herd I man recorde what thynge it is that myght auayle To wynne loue withoute fayle yet so fer couthe I neuer fynde Man that by reason ne by kynde Me couthe teche suche an arte That he ne fayled of a parte And as toward myn owne wytte Contryue I couthe neuer yet To fynde any sikernesse That me myght other more or lesse Of loue make for to spede For leueth wel withouten drede That if there were suche aweye As certaynly as I shall deye I hadde it lerned longe a go But I wote wel there is none so And netheles it may wel be I am so rude in my degre And eke my wyttes ben so dul That I ne may nought to the full Attayne vnto so hyghe a lore But this I dar sey ouermore All though my wyt ne be not stronge It is not on my wyl alonge For that is besy nyght and day To lerne all that he lerne may How that I myght loue wynne But yet I am as to begynne Of that I wolde make an ende And for I not howe it shall wende That is to me my moste sorowe But I dare take god to borowe As after myn entendement None other wyse neglygent Than I you saye haue I not be For thy pur seynt charyte Telle me my fader what you semeth ¶ In good feith sonne wel me quemeth That thou thy selue hast thus acquyte Toward this in whiche no wyght Abyde may for in an houre He lest all that he may laboure The longe yere so that men seyne what euer he doth it is in veyne For through the slouth of negligence There was yet neuer suche scyence Ne vertue whiche was bodely That nys destroyed and lost therby Ensample that it hath be so In boke I fynde wryte also ☞ Hic contra vicium negligencie ponit Confessor exemplum Et narrat / quod cum Phaeton filius Solis currum patris sui per aera regere deliuerat admo nitus a patre vt equos ne deuiâ—rent equa manu diligencius refrenaret ipse con filium patris sua negligencia pretiriens equos cum curru nimis basse errare permisit / vnde non solum incendio orbem inflammauit sed et ipsum de cuâ—â—u cadentem in quoddam fluuium demergi aâ— interitum causauit ⧠Phebus whiche is the son hote That shyneth vpon erthe hote And causeth euery lyues helth He hadde a sonne in all his welth whiche Phaeton hyght he desyreth And with his moder he conspyreth The whiche was cleped Clemene For helpe and counsayl so that he His faders cart lede myght Vpon the fayre dayes lyght And for this thynge they both prayde Vnto the fader And he sayde He wolde wel but forth with all Thre poyntes he hadde in speciall Vnto his sonne in all wyse That he hym shulde wel auyse And take it as by weye of lore 〈◊〉 fyrst was that he his hors to sore Tâ—â—pryke And ouer that he tolde â—â—at he the reynes fast hold And also that he be ryght ware In what maner he ledeth his chare That he mistake not his gate But vpon auâ—sement algat He shuld bere a syker eye That he to lowe ne to hye His cart dryue at any throwe wherof that he myght ouerthrowe And thus by Phebus ordinaunce Toke Phaeton in to gouernaunce The Sonnes cart which he ladde But he suche vayn glory hadde Of that he was set vpon hygh That he his owne estate ne sygh Through negligence and toke none hed So myght he wel not longe spede For he the hors withouten lawe The cart let aboute drawe where as hym lyketh wantonly That at the last sodenly For he no reason wolde knowe This fyry cart he droue to lowe And fyreth all the worlde aboute wherof they weren all in doute And to the god for helpe cryden Of suche vnhappes as betyden Phebus whiche sawe the neglygence Howe Phaeton ayene his defence His chare hath dryue oute of the weye Ordeyneth that he fel aweye Out of the cart in to the flood And dreint lo nowe howe it stood with hym that was so negligent That fro the hyghe fyrmament For that he wolde go to lowe He was anone downe ouerthrowe In hyghe estate it is a vyce To go to lowe and in seruyce It greueth for to go to hye wherof a tale in Poesye ☞ Exemplum super eodem de Icharo filio Dedali in carcere Minotauri existente cui Dedalus vt inde euolaret alas componens firmiter iniunxit ne nimis alte propter solus ardorem ascenderet quod Icharus sua negligencia post ponens cum altius sublimatus fuisset subito ad terram corruens expirauit ☞ I fynde how whylom Dedalus whiche hadde a sonne and Icharus He hight though him thought loth In suche pryson they were both with mynotaurns that aboute They myghten no where wenden oute So they bygonnen for to shape Howe they the pryson myght escape This Dedalus which fro his youthe was taught and many craftes couthe Of fethers and of other thynges Hath made to flee dyuers wynges For hym and for his sonne also To whome he yafe in charge tho And hadde hym thynke therupon Howe that his winges ben set on with wax and if he toke his flyght To hyghe all sodenlyche he myght Make it to melt with the sonne And thus they haue her flyght begonne Out of the pryson fayre and softe And whan they weren both alofte This Icharus began to mounte And of the counseyll none acompte He set whiche his fader taught Tyl that the sonne his wynges caught wherof it melt and frome the hyght withoutten helpe of any flyght He felle to his destruction And liche to that condition There fallen oftimes fele For lacke of gouernaunce in wele Al 's wel loue as other weye ¶ Nowe good fader I you preye If there be more in this mattere Of slouth that I myght here ¶ My sonne as for thy dylygence whiche euery mans conscyence By reason shulde reule and kepe If that the lyste to take kepe I wol the tellen abouen all In whome no vertu may befall whiche yeueth vnto the vyces rest And is of slouthe the slowest Absque labore vagus vir inurilis ocia plectens Nescio quid presens vita valebit ei Non amor in taâ— misero viget imo valoris Qui faciunt opera clamat habere suos ☞ Hic loquitur Confessor super illa specie accidie que Ocium dicitur / cuius condicio in virtutum cultura nullius occupacionis diligenciam admitteÌ„s / cuiuscuÌ„que expedicioneÌ„ cause noÌ„ attigit ⧠Among these other of slouthes kind whiche al laboure set be
he his dart on honde had Than if a lyon were an asse And that hath made hym for to passe All other knyghtes of his dede whan it cam the great nede As it was afterward wel knowe ¶ Lo thus my son thou myght knowe That the courage of hardinesse Is of knyghthode the prowesse whiche is to loue suffysaunt Abouen all the remenaunt That vnto loues court pursue But who that wold no slouth eschewe Vpon knyghthode and not trauayle I not what loue hym shuld auayle But euery labour asketh why Of some reward wherof that I Ensamples couth tel ynough Of hem that towarde loue drough By olde dayes as they shulde ¶ My fader therof here I wolde ¶ My sonne it is wyl reasonable In place whiche is honourable If that a man his herte sette That than he for no slouthe lette To do what longeth to manhede For if thou wolt the bokes rede Of Launcelot and other mo There might thou seen how it was tho Of armes for they wold atteyne To loue whiche withouten peyne May not be gette of ydelnesse And that I take to wytnesse An olde Cronycke in speciall The whiche in to memoryall As wryte for his loues sake Howe that a knyght shal vndertake ☞ Hic dicet ê™ miles priusqua amoris amplexu dignus efficiatur euentus bellicos victoriosus amplectere debet / et narrat qualiter Hercules et Achillous propter Deianiram Calidonie regis filiam singulare duellum ad inuicemnierunt / cuins victor Hercules existens armorum meritis amorem virginis laudabiliter conquestauit ☞ Ther was a kynge which Oenes was hote and he vnder pees Held Calydonye in his empyre And hadde a doughter Deyanyre Men wyst in thylke tyme none So fayre a wyght as she was one And as she was a lusty wyght Ryght so was than a noble knyght To whome Mercurye fader was This knyght the two pylers of bras The whiche yet a man may fynde Set vp in the deserte of Inde That was the worthy Hercules whos name shall ben endeles For the meruayles which he wrought This Hercules the loue sought Of Deyanyre and of this thynge Vnto her fader whiche was kynge He spake touchend of maryage The kynge knowend his hye lynage And dead also his myghtes sterne To hym ne durst his doughter werne And netheles this he hym seyde Howe Achilous er he fyrst preyde To wedden her and in acorde They stode as it was of recorde But for all that this he hym grauÌ„teth That which of hem that other dauÌ„teth In armes hym she shulde take And that the kynge hath vndertake This Achilous was a geaunt A subtyl man a deceyuaunt whiche through Magyke and sorcerye Couthe all the worlde of recherye And whan that he this tale herde Howe vpon that the kynge answerd with Hercules he must feyght He trusteth nought vpon his sleyght Al onely whan it cometh to nede But that whiche voydeth all drede And euery noble herte stereth The loue that no lyfe forbereth For his lady whome he desyreth with hardynesse his herte fyreth And sente hym worde without fayle That he woll take the batayle They setten day they chosen felde The knyghtes couered vnder shelde To gyder come at tyme sette And eche one is with other mette It fel they foughten bothe on fote There was no stone there was no rote whiche myght letten hem the weye But all was voyde and take aweye They smyten strokes but a fewe For Hercules whiche wolde shewe His great strengthe as for the nones He stert vpon hym all at ones And caught hym in his armes stronge This geaunt wote he may not longe Endure vnder so harde bondes And thought he wold out of his boÌ„des By sleyghte in some maner escape And as he couthe hym selfe forshape In lykenesse of an adder he slypte Oute of his honde and forth he skipte And ofte as he that fyght wolle He torneth hym in to a bolle And gan to belwe in suche a soune As though the world shuld al go doune The grounde he sporneth he trauÌ„ceth His large hornes he auaunceth And cast hem here and there aboute But he whiche stant of hem no doute Awayteth wel whan that he came And hym by bothe bornes nam And all at ones he hym caste Vnto the grounde and helde hym faste That he ne myght with no sleyght Out of his honde gete vpon heyghte Tylle he was ouercome and yolde And Hercules hath what he wolde The kynge hym graunted to fulfylle His askynge at his owne wylle And she for whome he hadde serued Her thought he hath hir wel deserued And thus with great desert of armes He wan hym for to lygge in armes As he whiche hath it dere abought For otherwyse shulde he nought ⧠Nota de penthefilea Amazonie regina que Hectoris amore colligata / contra Pirrum Achillis filium apud Troiam arma ferre eciam personaliter non recusauit And ouer this if thou wylte here Vpon knyghthode of this mattere How loue and armes ben acqueynted A man may se bothe wryte and peynted So ferforth that Penthesyle whiche was the quene of Femyne The loue of Hector for to seke And for thonour of armes eke To Troye cam with spere and shelde And rode her selfe in to the felde with maydens armed all aroute In rescus of the Towne a boute whiche with the grekes was belein ☞ Nota qualiter Philimenia propter milicie famam a finibus terre in defensionem Troie veniens tres puellas a regno Amazonie quolibet anno percipiendas sibi et heredibus suis imperpetuum ea de causa habere promeruit ⧠Fro Paphlagonie as men sein ♣ whiche stant vpon the worldes ende That tyme it lyked eke to wend Philimenis whiche was kynge To Troye and came vpon this thynge In helpe of thylke noble towne And all was that for the renoune Of worship and of worldes fame Of whiche he wolde bere a name And so he dyd forth with all He wan of loue in specyall A fayr trybute for euermo For it felle thylke tyme so Pyrrus the sonne of Achylles This worthy quene amonge the pres with dedely swerd sought oute fonde And slough her with his owne honde wherof this kynge of Paphlagonye Penthesyle of Amazonie where she was quene with hym ladde with suche maydens as she hadde Of hem that were left alyue Forth in his shyp tyl they aryue where that the body was begraue with worsyp and the women saue And for the goodshyp of this dede They graunten hym a lusty mede That euery yere for his truage To hym and to his herytage Of maydens fayre he shall haue thre And in this wyse spedde he whiche the fortune of armes sought with his trauayle his ease he bought For other wyse he shulde haue fayled If that he hadde nought trauayled ☞ Nota pro eo quod Eneas regem Turnum in bello deuicit non solum amorem Lauine / sed et regnum Italie sibi
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
it belongeth But slouthe no lyfe vnderfongeth whiche is to loue appertenaunt ¶ My fader vpon the couenaunt I dare wel make this auowe Of all my lyfe in to nowe Al 's ferforth as I can vnderstonde yet took I neuer slepe on hond whan it was tyme for to wake For though myn eye it wolde take Myn herte is euer there ageyne But netheles to speke it pleyne All this that I haue sayde you here Of my wakynge as ye may here â—t toucheth to my lady swete For other wyse I you byhete In straunge place whan I go Me lyst no thynge to wake so For whan the women lysten playe And I her se not in the waye Of whome I shulde myrthe take Me lyst not longe for to wake But if it be for pure shame Of that I wolde eschewe a name That they ne shuld haue cause none To seye A lo where suche one That hath forlore his contenaunce And thus amonge I synge and daunce And feyne lust there none is For ofte syth I fele this Of thought which in min herte falleth whan it is nyght myn hede appallyth And that is for I se her nought whiche is the waker of my thought And thus as tymelyche as I may Fâ—loâ—tâ— â–ª whan it is brode daye I 〈◊〉 of all these other leue And go my wey and they beleue That seen per cas her loues there Aâ—d I go forth as nought ne were Vâ—to my bed so that alone I may there lygge syghe and grone â—â—d wysshen all the longe nyght 〈◊〉 that I se the dayes lyght I not if that be sompnolence But vpon your conscience Myn holy fader demeth ye ¶ My sonne I am well payd with the Of slepe that thou the sluggardye By nyght in loues companye Eschewe hast and do thy payne So that thy loue dare not pleyne For loue vpon his lust wakende Is euer and wold that none ende wherof the longe nyght is sette wherof that thou beware the bette To telle a tale I am bethought Howe loue and slepe acorden nought ⧠Hic dicit ê™ vigilia in amantibus / et non sompnolencia laudanda est Et ponit exemplum de Cephalo filio Phebi / qui nocturno silencio auroram amicam suam diligencius amplectene Solem et Lunam interpellabat / videlicet ê™ sol in circulo ab oriente distantiori curruÌ„ cuÌ„ luce sua retardaret et quod Luna sphera sua longissima orbem circuens noctem continuaret / ita vt ipsum Cephalam amplexibus Aurore volutuÌ„ priusquaÌ„ dies illucesceret suis deliciis adquiescere diutius permittere dignarentur ⧠For loue who that lyst to wake By nyght he may ensample take Of Cephalus whan that he lay with Aurora the swete may In armes all the longe nyght But whan it drough towarde the lyght That he within his herte sye The day whiche was the morowe nye Anone vnto the Sonne he preyde For lust of loue and thus he sayde O Phebus whiche the dayes lyght Gouernest tyl that it be nyght And gladdest euery creature After the lawe of thy nature But netheles there is a thynge whiche onlyche to thy knowlechynge Belongeth as in pryuete To loue and to his dute whiche asketh not to ben a pert But in sylence and in couert Desyreth for to be beshadyd And thus whan that the lyght is faded And vesper sheweth hym alofte And that the nyght is longe and softe Vnder the clowdes derke and stylle Than hath this thyng most of his wille For thy vnto thy myghtes hye As thou whiche art the dayes eye Of loue and myght no counseyl hyde Vpon this derke nyghtes tyde with all myn herte I the beseche That I pleasaunce myght seche with her whiche lyeth in myn armes withdrawe the baner of thyn armes And lete thy lyghtes ben vnborne And in the sygne of Capricorne The hous appropred to Saturne I preye the that thou wolt soiourne where ben the nyghtes derke and longe For I my loue haue vnderfonge whiche lyeth here by my syde naked As she whiche wolde ben awaked And me lyst no thynge for to slepe So were it good to take kepe Nowe at this nede of my prayer And that the lyke for to stere Thy fyry â—art and so ordeyne That thou thy swyft hors restrayne Lowe vnder erthe in occident That they toward thoryent By sercle go the longe weye And eke to the Dyane I preye whiche cleped art of thy noblesse The nyghtes mone and the Goddesse That thou to me be gracyous And in Cancro thyn owne hous Ayene Phebus in opposite Stond at this tyme and of delyte Beholde Venus with a gladde eye For than vpon Astronomye Of due constellacyon Thou makest prolifycacion And dost that chyldren ben begete whiche grace if that I myght gete with all myn herte I woll serue By nyght and thy vygylle obserue Lo thus this lusty Cephalus Prayed vnto Phebe and to Phebus The nyght in lengthe for to drawe So that he myght do the lawe In thylke poynt of loues beste whiche cleped is the nyghtes feste with outen slepe of sluggardye whiche Venus oute of companye Hath put awey as thylke same which lustles fer from game In chambre doth full ofte wo A bedd whean it falleth so That loue shulde ben awayted But slouthe whiche is euyl affayted with slepe hath made his retenue That what thinge is to loue due Of all his dette he payeth none The wote not howe the nyght is gone Ne howe the daye is come aboute But onely for to slepe and route Tyl hyghe mydday that he aryse But Cephalus dyd otherwyse As thou my sonne hast herd aboue ¶ My fader who that hath his loue A bedde naked by his syde And wold than his eyen hyde with slepe I not what man is he But certes as touchend of me That felle me neuer yet er this But other whyle whan so is That I may catche slepe on honde Lyggend alone than I fonde To dreme a mery sweuen or day And if so falle that I may My thought with suche a sweuen plese Me thynke I am somdele at ese For I none other comfort haue So nedeth nought that I shall craue The Sonnes carte for to tary Ne yet the Mone that she carye Her cours a longe vpon the heuen For I am nought the more in euen Towardes loue in no degre But in my slepe yete than I se Somwhat in sweuen of that me lyketh whiche afterward myn herte entryketh whan that I fynde it other wyse So wote I not of what seruyce That slepe to mans case doth ¶ My sonne certes thou sayst soth But onely that it helpeth kynd Somtyme in Physyk as I fynde whan it is take by mesure But he which can no slepe mesure Vpon the reule as it belongeth Fulofte of sodeyne chaunce he fongeth Suche infortune that hym greueth But who these olde bokes leueth Of sompnolence howe it is wryte There may aman the sothe wyte If that he wolde
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 loue may not laste But nowe men seyn in oure dayes Men maken but a fewe assayes But if the cause be rychesse For thy the loue is well the lesse And who that wold ensamples telle By olde dayes as they felle Than myght a man wel vnderstonde Suche loue may not longe stonde Now herken sonne thou shalt here A great ensample of this matere ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra istos / qui non propter amorem sed propter diuicias sponsalia fumunt Et narrat de quodam regis Apulie Se nescalo / qui non solum propter pecuniam vxoreÌ„ duxit sed eciam pecunie commercis vxorem sibi desponsatum vendidit ¶ To trete vpon the cas of loue So as we toâ—d here aboue I fynde wryte a wonder thynge Of Puyle whylom was a kynge A man of hygh complexion And yonge but his affectyon After the nature of his age was yet not falle in his courage The lust of woman for to knowe So it betyd vpon a throwe This lorde felle in to great sekenes Physyke hath done the besynes Of sondry cures many one To make hym holle and therupon A worthy mayster whiche there was Yafe hym counseyle vhon this cas That if he wolde haue parfyte hele He shuld with a woman dele Atress he a yonge a lusty wyght To don hym companye a nyght For than he sayde hym redely That he shal be al hole ther by And other wyse he knewe no cure The kyng whiche stode in a venture Of lyfe and deth for medicine Assented was and of couyne His stewarde whom he trusteth well He toke and tolde hym euery dele How that this mayster had sayde And thervpon he hath hym prayde And charged vpon his lygeaunce That he do make purueaunce Of suche one as be couenable For his pleasaunce and delitable And badde hym how that euer it stode That he shall spare for no good For his wyll is ryght well to pay The stewarde sayde he wolde assay ¶ But now here after thou shalt wyte As I fynde in the bokes wryte what couetyse in loue doth This stewarde for to telle soth Amonges all the men on alyue A lusty lady hath to wyue whiche netheles for golde he toke And nought for loue as sayth the boke A ryche marchaunt of the londe Her fader was and he her fonde So worthely and suche rychesse Of worldes good and suche largesse with her he yafe in mariage That onely for thilke auauntage Of good the stewarde hath her take For lucre and nought for loues sake And that was afterwarde wel sene Nowe herken what it woll mene The stewarde in his owne hert Sigh that his lorde may not asterte His maladie but he haue A lusty woman hym to saue And though he wolde yeue inough Of his treasour wherof he drough Great couetyse in to his mynde And set his honour ferre behynde Thus he whom golde hath ouersette was trapped in his owne nette The golde hath made his wyttes lame So that sechende his owne shame He ronneth in the kynges eare And sayd hym that he wyst where A gentyll and a lusty one Tho was and thyther wolde he gone But he mote yeue yeftes great For but it be through great beyete Of golde he sayd he shulde not spede The kynge hym bad vpon the nede That take an hundrede pouÌ„de he shuld And yeue it where that he wolde Be so it were in worthy place And thus to stonde in loues grace This kyng his golde hath habandoned And whan this tale was full rouned The stewarde toke the gold and went within his herte and many a went Of couetyse than he cast wherof a purpose at laste Ayene loue and ayene his ryght He toke and sayde how thilke nyght His wyfe shall lygge by the kynge And goth thynkende vpon this thynge Towarde his inne tyll he cam home In to the chaumbre and than he nome His wyfe and tolde her al the cas And she whiche redde for shame was with bothe her handes to hym prayde Kâ—â—lende and in this wyse sayde That she to reason and to skylle In what thynge that he bydde wyll Is redy for to done his beste But this thynge that were not honeste That he for golde her shulde selle And he tho with his wordes felle Forth with his gastely countenaunce Sayth that she shall done obeysaunce And folowe his wylle in euery place And thus through strength of his manace Her innocence is ouerladde wherof she was so sore adradde That she his wylle mote nede obeye And thervpon was shape a weye That he his owne wyfe by nyght Hath out of all mennes syght So priuely that none it wyst Brought to the king which as hym list May do with her what he wolde For whan she was there as she sholde with hym a bedde vnder the cloth The stewarde toke his leue and goth In to the chambre fast by But howe he slepte that wote not I For he sygh cause of ielousy ¶ But he whiche hath the company Of suche a lusty one as she Hym thought that of his degre There was no man so well at ease She doth all that she may to please So that his herte all holle she had And thus this kynge his ioye lad Tyll it was nygh vpon the day The stewarde than where she lay Cam to the bedde and in this wyse Hath bydde she shulde aryse The kynge sayth nay she shall not go The stewarde sayde nothynge so For she mote gone er it be knowe And so I swore at thilke throwe whan I her fette to you here The kynge his tale wolde not here And seith how that he hath her bought For thy she shall departe nought Tyll he the bryght day beholde And caught her in her armes folde As be whiche lyst for to pleye And bad his stewarde gone aweye And so he dyd ayene his wylle And thus his wyfe a bedde stylle Lay with the kynge the longe nyght Tyll that it was hygh sonne lyght But who she was he knew nothynge Tho cam the stewarde to the kynge And prayde hym without shame In sauynge of her good name He myght leaden home ayene This lady and tolde hym pleyne Howe that it was his owne wyfe The kynge his ere vnto this stryfe Hath leyde and whan that he it herde well nyhe out of his wyt he ferde And sayde A caytife moste of all where was it euer or this befall That any Cokarde in this wyse Betoke his wyfe for couetyse Thou hast bothe her and me begyled And eke thyn owne estate reuyled wherof that buxome vnto the Here after shall she neuer be For this auowe to god I make After this day / if I the take Thou shalte be honged and to drawe Nowe loke anone thou be withdrawe So that I se the neuer more This stewarde that drad hym sore with all the hast that he may And fled awey the same day And was exyled oute of lond ¶ Lo there a nyce husbond whiche
thus his wyfe hath loste for euer But netheles she hadde a leuer The kynge her weddeth and honoureth wherof her name she socoureth whiche erst was lost through couetyse Of hym that lad her other wyse And hath hym selfe also forlore My sonne be thou ware therfore where thou shalt loue in any place That thou no couetyse embrace The whiche is not of loues kynde But for all that a man may fynde Nowe in this tyme of thylke rage Full great dysese in maryage whan venym medleth with the suger And maryage is made for lucre Or for the lust or for the hele what man that shall with other dele He may not fayle to repent ¶ My fader suche is myn entent But netheles good is to haue For good may oft tyme saue The loue whiche shuld elles spylle But god whiche wote my hertes wylle I dar wel take to wytnesse yet was I neuer for rychesse Be set with maryage none For all myn herte is vpon one So frely that in the persone Stant all my worldes ioye alone I aske nother parke ne plough If I her hadde it were ynough Her loue shulde me suffyse withouten other couetyse Lo nowe my fader as of this Touchend of me ryght as it is My shryfte I am be knowe pleyn And if ye wol ought elles seyn Of couetyse if there be more In loue agropeth out the sore Fallere cum nequeat ê“pria vir fraude subornat Testes sit ê™ eis uera retorta fides Sicut agros cupidus dum querie amans mulieres Vult testes falfos falsus habeâ—â— fuos Non sine uindicta periurus abibit in eis Visu qui cordis intima cuncta uidet Fallere periuro non est laudanda puellam Gloria sed falso conditionis opus ☞ HIC tractat super illis auaricie speciebus / que falsum testimonium et periurium nuncupantur quorum fraudulenta circumuentio tam in cupiditatis quam in amoris causa sui desiderit proposituÌ„ quaÌ„ sepe fallaciter attingit ⧠My sonne thou shalt vnderstonde Howe couietse hath yet on honde In specyall two counseylours That ben also his procurours The fyrst of hem is fals wytnesse whiche euer is redy to wytnesse what thyng his mayster woll hym hote Periure is the second hote which spareth nought to swere an othe Though it be fals and god be wrothe That one shall fals wytnes bere That other shall the thynge forswere whan he his charged on the boke So what with hepe what with croke They make her maister ofte winne And woll nat knowe what is sinne For couetise and thus men seyn They make many a fals bargeyn There may no trewe quarel aryse In thylke queste of thylke assyse where as they two the people enforme For they kepe euer o maner forme That vpon golde her conscience They founde / and take her euidence And thus with fals witnes and othes They winne hem mete drinke clothes Right so there be who that hem knew Of these louers ful many vntrewe Nowe may a woman fynde ynowe That eche of hem whan he shall wowe Anone he wyl his hande downe leyne Vpon a boke and swere and seyne That he wol feyth â—nd trouth bere And thus he profeâ—eth hym to swere To seruen euer tyll be dye And all is very trechery For whan the soth hym selfe tryeth The more he swereth the more he lyeth whan he his feyth maketh all thermest Than may a woman trust hym lest For tyll he may his wyll acheue He is no lenger for to leue Thus is the trothe of loue exyled And many a good woman beguyled And eke to speke of fals wytnesse There ben now suche many I gesse That lyche vnto the prouysours They make he her preuy procuratours To tell howe there is suche a man whiche is worthy to loue and can All that a good man shulde conne So that with lesynge is begonne The cause in whiche they woll procede And also syker as the crede They make of that they knowen fals And thus full ofte about the halfe Loue is of fals men embraced But loue whiche is so purchaced Come afterwarde to lytell pryse For thy my sonne if thou be wyse Nowe thou hast herde this euidence Thou myght thyn owne conscience Oppose if thou hast be suche one ¶ Nay god wote father I am none Ne neuer was for as men sayth whan that a man shall make his fayth His hert and tonge must accorde For if so be that they discorde Than is he fals and els nought And I dare say as of my thought In loue it is not discordable Vnto my worde but accordable And in this wyse father I May ryght well swere and saufly That I my lady loue well For that accordeth euery dele It nedeth nought to my soth sawe That I wytnesse shulde drawe Into this day for euer yet Ne myght it synke in to my wyt That I my counsayle shulde seye To any wyght or me hewreye To sechen helpe in suche manere But onely for my lady dere And though a thousande men it wyste That I her loue and than hem lyst with me to swere / and to wytnesse yet were that no fals wytnesse For I dare vnto this trouth dwelle I loue her more than I can telle Thus am I father gylteles As ye haue herde and netheles In your dome I put it all ¶ My sonne wyte in specyall It shall not commonlyche fayle All though it for a tyme fayle That fals wytnesse his cause spede Vpon the poynt of his falsheed It shall well afterwarde be kyd wherof so as it is betyd Ensample of such thynges blynde In a cronyke wryte I fynde ⧠HIC PONIT exemplum de iffis qui falsum testificantes amoris innocentiam circumueniunt / Et narrat qualiter Thetis Achillem filium suum ad o lscentem muliebri vestitum apparatu afferens esse puellam inter regis Lithomedis filias ad educandum produxit Et sic Achilles decepto rege filie sue Deidamie sociâ— et cubicularia effectus super ipsam Pirrum genuit qui postea mire probitatis miliciam affecutus mortem patris sui apud Troiam Polixent Tirrannice vindicauit ¶ The goddesse of the see Thetis She had a sonne and his name is Achilles whom to kepe and warde whyle he was yonge and in to warde She thought hym saufly to betake As she whiche drad for his sake Of that was sayde of prophecie That he at Troy sholde dye whan that the citie was beleyne For thy so as the bokes seyne She cast her wyt in sondry wyse Howe she hym myght so desguyse That no man shuld his body knowe And so befelle that ilke throwe whyle that she thought vpon this dede There was a kyng whiche Lychomede was hote and he was well begone with faire doughters many one And dwelte ferre out in an yle Nowe shalt thou here a wonder wyle This quene whiche the mother was Of Achilles vpon this cas Her sonne as
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
had be forleyn But that he was so ouerseyn The wonder ouergoth his wyt For in Cronike is written yet Thing whiche shall neuer be foryete Howe that Achilles hath begette Pytrus vpon Deydame wherof came out the trecherye Of fals witnes when he sayde Howe that Achilles was a mayde But that was nothyng sene tho For he is to the syege go Forth with Vlyxes and Dyomede ¶ Lo thus was proued in the dede And fully spoke at thylke whyle If o woman an other begyle where is there any sekyrnesse whā Thetis which was thā the goddesse Daydamye hath so beiaped I not howe it shall bene escaped with tho women whose innocence Is nowe al daye through suche credence Deceyued ofte as it is sene with men that suche vntrouth mene For they ben slygh in suche a wyse That they by sleyght and by queyntise Of fals wytnes bryngyn inne That doth hem ofte for to wynne That they be not worthy therto For thy my sonne do not so ¶ My father as of fals wytnesse The trouth and the maner expresse Touchende of loue howe it hath ferde As ye haue tolde I haue well herde But for ye sayden other wyse Howe thylke vice of couetyse Hath yet periur of his acorde If that you lyst of some recorde To telle an other tale also In loues cause of tyme ago what thynge it is to be forswore I wolde preye you therfore wherof I myght ensamble take ¶ My good sonne and for thy sake Touchende of this I shall fulfyll Thyn axynge at thyne owne wyll And the mattere I shall declare Howe the women deceiued are whan they so tender hertes bere Of that they here men so swere But whan it cometh vnto thassay They fynde it fals a nother day As Iason dyd vnto Medee whiche stante yet of auctoritie In token and in memoriall wherof the tale in speciall Is in the boke of Troye writte whiche I shall do the for to wytte ⧠Hic in amoris caufa ponit exemplum contra periuros Et narrat qualiter Iason priusquam ad Insulam Colchos pro aureo vellere ibidem conquestando transmearet in amorem et coningium Medee regis Othonis filie iuramēto firmius se aftrinxit sed suo postea completo negotio cil ips◠secum nauigio in Cretiam perduxisset vbi illum senectam patris sui Efonis in floridam inuentutē mirabili scientia reformauit Ipse Iason fidei sue ligamento aliis que beneficiis post positis dictam Medeam pro quadam Crensa regis Creontis filia periurus dereliquit ¶ In grece whylom was a kynge Of whom the fame and knowlegyng By leueth yet and Peleus He hyghte but it felle hym thus That his fortune hir whele so lad That he no childe his owne had To reignen after his decesse He had a brother netheles whose ryght name was Eson And he the worthy knyght Iason Begatte the whiche in euery londe All other passed of his honde In armes so that he the best was named and the worthyest He sought worshyp ouer all Nowe herken and I the tell shall An aduenture that he sought whiche afterwarde full dere he bought ¶ There was an yle whiche Colchos was cleped and therof aroos Great speche in euery londe aboute That suche meruayle was none oute In all the wyde worlde no where As tho was in that yle there There was a shepe as it was tolde The whiche his flees bare all of golde And so the goddes had it sette That it ne myght away be fette By power of no worldes wyght And yet full many a worthy knyght It had assayed as they dorst And euer it fell hem to the worst But he that wolde it nought forsake But of his knyghthode vndertake To do what thynge therto belongeth This worthy Iason sore alongeth To se the straunge regions And knowe the conditions Of other marches where he went And for that cause his hole entent He set Colchos for to seche Cnd therupon he made a speche To Peleus his eme the kynge And he wel payde was of that thynge And shope anone for his passage Suche as were of his lignage with other knyghtes whiche he chees with hym he toke and Hercules whiche full was of chiualrie with Iason wente in company And that was in the moneth of may whan colde stormes were away The winde was good the ship was yare They toke her leue and forth they fare Towarde Colchos but on the weye what hem byfelle is longe to seye Howe Laamedon the kynge of Troy whiche ought well haue made hem ioye whan they to rest a whyle hym preyde Out of his londe he them congeyde And so befelle the dissention whiche after was destruction Of that citie as men may here But that is nought to my matere But thus the worthy folke gregoys Fro that kynge whiche was not curtois And fro his londe with seyl vpdrawe They went hem forth and many a sawe They made and many a great manace Tyll at last in to that place whiche as they sought they arryue And stryken seyle and forth as blyue They senten vnto the kynge and tolden who weren there and what they wolden ¶ O etes whiche was then kynge whan that he herde this tydynge Of Iason whiche was comen there And of these other what they were He thought done hem great worshyp For they anone come out of shyp And streyght vnto the kynge they wente And by the honde Iason he hente And that was at the paleys gate So far the kyng came on his gate Towarde Iason to done hym chere And he whom lacketh no manere whan he the kynge sigh in presence Yafe hym ageyne suche reuerence As to a kynges state belongeth And thus the kynge hym vnderfongeth And Iason in his arme he caught And forth in to the halle he straught And there they sat and speke of thinges And Iason tolde hym tho tydynges why he was come and faire hym preide To hast his tyme the kyng thus said Iason thou art a worthy knyght But it lyeth in no mans myght To done that thou arte come fore There hath bene many a knyght forlore Of that they wolden it assaye But Iason wolde nat hym esmaye And sayde of euery worldes cure Fortune stant in auenture Paranter well paranter wo But howe as euer that it go It shall be with myn bonde assayed The kyng tho helde hym not wel payd For he the grekes sore dredde In aunter if Iason ne spedde He myght therof beare a blame For tho was all the worldes fame In grece as for to speke of armes For thy he drad hym of his harmes And gan to preache and to preye But Iason wolde not obeye But sayde he wolde his purpos holde For ought that any man hym tolde The kynge whan these wordes herde And sigh how that this knight āswerde Yet for he wolde make hym glad After Medea gone he bad whiche was his doughter and she cam And Iason whiche good hede
gan floure and beare And waxe all fresshe and grene ageyne whan she this vertue had seyne She lette the leeste droppe of all Vpon the bare floure downe fall Anone there sprong vp floure and gras where as the droppe fall was And waxe anone all medowe grene So that it myght well be sene Medea than knewe and wyst Her medicine is for to tryst And gothe to Eson there he lay And toke a swerde was of assay with whiche a wounde vpon his syde She made that there out may slyde The bloud within whiche was olde And seke and trouble feble and colde And tho she toke vnto his vse Of herbes of all the best Iuse And poured it in to his wounde That made his veynes full and sounde And tho she made his woundes close And toke his honde and vp he rose And tho she yafe hym drynke a draught Of whiche his youth agayne he caught His heed his herte and his visage Lyche vnto twenty wynter age His hore heres were away And lyche vnto the fresshe may whan passed bene the colde shoures Ryght so recouereth he his floures ¶ Lo what myght any man deuyse A woman shewe in any wyse More hertely loue in any stede Than Medea to Iason dede Fyrst she made hym the flees to wyn And after that frome kyth and kyn with great treasore with hym she stale And to his fader forth with all His elde hath torned in to youthe which thyng none other woman couth But howe it was to her a quyt The remembraunce dwelleth yet ¶ Kynge Peleus his eme was deed Iason bare croune on his heed Medea hath fulfylled his wyll But whan he shuld of ryght fulfyll The trouth which to her afore He had in the I le of Colchos swore Tho was Medea most deceyued For he an other hath receiued whiche doughter was to kynge Creon Creusa she hyght and thus Iason As he that was to loue vntrewe Medea lefte and toke a newe But that was afterwarde so a bought Medea with her art hath wrought Of cloth of golde a mantell ryche whiche semeth worthe a kynges ryche And that was vnto Creusa sent In name of yefte and of present For systerhode hem was betwene And whan that yonge fresshe quene That mantyl lapped her aboute Anon therof the fyre sprange oute And brent her both fleshe and bone Tho cam Medea to Iason with both her sonnes on her honde And sayd O thou of euery londe The moste vntrewe creature Lo this shall be thy forfayture with that she both his sonnes slough Before his eie and he out drough His swerde wold haue slayne her tho But farewell she was ago Vnto Pallas the court aboue where as she pleyneth vpon loue As she that was with that goddesse And he was lefte in great distresse ¶ Thus might thou se what sorowe it doth To swere aÌ„ oth which is not soth In loues cause namely My son be well ware for thy And kepe that thou be not forswore For this whiche I haue tolde tofore Ouide telleth euery dele ¶ My father I may leue it wele For I haue herde it ofte saye Howe Iason toke the flees aweye Fro Colchos But yet herde Inought By whom it was fyrst thyder brought And for it were good to here If that you lyst at my prayere Go telle I wolde you beseche ¶ My sonne who that woll it seche In bokes he may fynde it wryte And netheles if thou wolt wyte In the maner as thou hast preyde I shall the tell howe it is seyde ☞ NOTA QVALITERAVâ—â—â—m â—ellus in partes insule Colchos primo de 〈◊〉 Athamas rex Neiphylen habuit coningeÌ„ 〈◊〉 Phriâ—um et Hellen genuit Mortua auâ—â—m Neiphylen Athamas Innouem regis Cadâ—â—â—â—â—m postea in vxorem duxit que more noâ—â—â—â—e dictos infantes in tantum recollegit odiuÌ„ que ambos in mari proicipenes regem procuraâ—â— ende Iuno compaciens quendam Arietem â—â—â—ndem aureo veftitum vellere ad litus natan tâ—m definanit super cuiu â— dorsum pueros apâ—â—â— iuâ—it / quo facio Aries super vndas regressus cum solo Phrixo sibi adhereute in Colchos â—â—â—sicuit vbi Iuno dictum Arietem cum solo â—â—â—ere / prout in aliis canitur cronicis sub are â—a custodia collocauit ¶ The fame of thylke shepes felle whiche in Colchos as it befelle was all of gold shal neuer deye wherof I thynke for to seye Howe it cam fyrst in to that yle There was a kynge in thylke whyle Towardes grece and Athamas The cronycke of his name was And had a wyf which NiphyleÌ„ hyght By whom so as fortune it dight He had of children yonge two ¶ Frixus the fyrst was of tho A knaue childe ryght faire with all A doughter eke the whiche men call Helle he had by his wyfe But for there may no mans lyfe Endure vpon this erth here This worthy quen as thou might here Er that the children were of age Toke of her ende the passage with great worshyp and was begraue what thinge it lyketh god to haue It is great reason to ben his For thy this kynge so as it is with great suffrance it vnderfongeth And afterwarde as hym belongeth whan it was tyme for to wedde A newe wyfe he toke to bedde whiche Ino hight and was a mayde And eke the doughter as men sayde Of Cadme whiche a kyng also was holde in thylke dayes tho ¶ whan Ino was the kynges make She cast how that she myght make These childre to her father loth And shope a wyle ayene hem both whiche to the kynge was all vnknowe A yere or two she let do sowe The lond with soden whete aboute wher of no corne may spryngen oute And thus by sleyght and by couyne Aros the derth and the famyne Through out the londe in suche a wyse So that the kynge a sacrifice Vpon the poynte of this distresse To Ceres whiche is the goddesse Of corne hath shape hym for to yeue To loke if it may be foryeue The mischiefe whiche was in his londe But she which knewe tofore the honde The circumstance of all this thynge Ageyn the comyng of the kynge In to the temple hath shape so Of her accorde that all tho whiche of the temple prestes were Haue sayde and full declared there Vnto the kynge but if so be That he delyuer the countre Of Phryxus and of Helle bothe with whom the goddes ben so wrothe That whyle tho childre be within Suche tylthe shall no man begyn wherof to gette hym any corne Thus was it sayde thus was it sworne Of all the prestes that there are And she whiche causeth all this fare Seyde eke therto what that she wolde And euery man than after tolde So as the quene had hem preyde The kynge whiche hath his ere leyde And leueth all that euer he herde Vnto her tales thus answerde And seyth that leuer is hym to chese His children bothe for to lese Than hym and all the remenant
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
therof was lore So that in due tyme is bore This childe and forthwith therupon There fell wonders many one Of teremote vniuersele The sonne toke colloure of stele And lost his lyght the windes blewe And many strengthes ouerthrewe These his propre kynde chaungeth And all the worlde his forme strangeth The thonder with his fyry leuen So cruel was vpon the heuen That euery erthely creature Tho thought his lyfe in auenture The tempest at last sesseth The childe is kepte his age encreceth And Alisaunder his name is hote To whome Calystre and Arystote To techen him philosophye Entenden and Astronomye with other thinges whiche he couth Also to teche him in his youth Nectanabus toke vpon honde But euery man may vnderstonde Of sorcery howe that it wende It wolle him selfe proue at ende And namely for to begyle A lady / whiche withoute gyle Supposeth trouthe all that she hereth But often he that euyll stereth His ship is dreint therin a mydde And in this cas right so betydde Nectanabus vpon a nyght whan it was fayre and sterre lyght This yonge lorde lad vpon highe A boue a towre where as he syghe The sterres suche as he acounteth And saith what eche of hem amounteth As though he knewe of all thinge yet hath he no knowlechinge what shal vnto him selfe befall whan he hath tolde his wordes all This yonge lorde than him apposeth And asketh if that he supposeth what deth he shule him selfe deye He seith or fortune is aweye And euery sterre hath lost his wonne Or els of myn owne sonne I shall be slayn I may not fle Thought Alysaunder in priuete Herof this olde dotarde lyeth Ander that other ought aspyeth All sodeinlyche his olde bones He shofe ouer the walle at ones And saith hym Lye downe there a part wherof nowe serueth all thyn art Thou knewe all other mens chaunce And of thy selfe hast ignoraunce That thou hast sayd amonges all Of thy persone is not befall ¶ Nectanabus whiche hath his death yet whyles hym lasteth lyfe and brethe To Alysaunder he spake and seyd That he with wrong blame on him leid Fro poynt to poynt and all the cas He tolde howe he his sonne was Tho be whiche sory was inough Out of the dyche his father drough And tolde his mother howe it ferde In counsayle and when she it herde And knewe the tokens whiche he tolde She nyst what she say shulde But stode abasshed as for the whyle Of this magike and all the gyle She thought how that she was deceyued That she hath of a maÌ„ conceiued And wende a god it had he But netheles in suche degree So as she myght her honour saue She shope the body was begraue And thus Nectanabus abought The sorcery whiche he wrought Though he vpon the creatures Through his caretes and fygures The maystry and the power had His creatour to nought hym lad Ageyne whose lawe his crafte he vseth when he for lust his god refuseth And toke hym to the deuyls crafte Lo what profyte is hym belafte That thing through which he weÌ„d haue stonde First him exiled out of londe which was his owne and from a kynge Made hym to be an vnderlynge And sythen to deceyue a quene That torneth hym to mochel tene Through lust of loue he gat hym hate That ende couth he nought abate His olde sleyghtes whiche he cast yonge Alisandre hym ouercast His father whiche hym mysbegat He sloughe a great myshappe was that But for omys an other mys was yolde and so full ofte it is Nectanabus his crafte myswent And so it mysfell hym er he went I not what helpeth that clergy whiche maketh a man to do foly And namelyche of Nygromance whiche stont vpon the myscreance ¶ Nota qualiter rex Zorastes statim cum ab vtero matris sue nasceretur gaudâ—o magno risit in quo pronosticum doloris subsequentis signum figurabatur Nam et ipse detestabilis artis magice primus fuit inuentor queÌ„ postea rex Surrie dira morte trucidauit et sic opus operariuÌ„ coÌ„sumpsit ¶ And for to se more euidence Zorastes whiche thexperience Of art magike ferst forth drough Anone as he was bore he lough whiche token was of wo suinge For of his owne controuinge He fond magik and taught it forth But all that was him lytel worth For of Surry a worthy kynge Him slewe and that was his endinge But yet through him this crafte is vsed And he through all the worlde excused For it shall neuer well acheue That stont not ryght with the beleue But liche to wolle is euil sponne who leseth him selfe hath litell wonne And ende proueth euery thyng ¶ Saul whiche was of iewes kynge Vp peyne of deth forbad this arte And yet he toke therof his parte The phitonysse in Samary yafe hym counsayle by sorcery whiche after felle to moche sorowe For he was slayne vpon the morowe To conne mochell thynge it helpeth But of to moche no man yelpeth So for to loke on euery syde Magyke may not well betyde For thy my sonne I woll the rede That thou of these ensamples drede That for no lust of erthly loue Thou seche so to come aboue wherof as in the worldes wonder Thou shalt for euer be put vnder ¶ My good fader graunt mercy For euer I shall beware therby Of loue what me so befalle Suche sorcery abouen all Fro this day forth I shall eschewe That so ne wylle I not pursewe My lust of loue for to seche But this I wolde you beseche Beside that me stant of loue As I you herd speke aboue Howe Alysandre was betaught Of Arystotle and so well taught Of all that to a kynge belongeth wherof my herte sore longeth To wyte what it wolde mene For by reason I wolde wene But if I herde of thinges straunge Yet for a tyme it shulde chaunge My peyne and lisse me somdele ¶ My good sonne thou sayest wele For wisdome howe that euer it stonde To him that can it vnderstonde Doth great profite in sondry wyse But touchend of so hyghe a pryse whiche is not vnto Venus knowe 〈◊〉 may it not my selfe knowe whiche of her courte am all forth drawe And can no thinge but of her lawe But netheles to knowe more As wel as thou me longeth sore And for it helpeth to commune All be they nought to me coÌ„mune The scholes of philosophye Yet thinke I for to specyfye In bokes as it is comprehended wherof thou mightest ben amended For though I be not all counninge Vpon the forme of this wrytinge Some part therof yet I haue herde In this mater howe it hath ferd ☞ Explicit liber sextus ⧠QVIA OMNIS DOCTRIna bona humano regimini saluteÌ„ confert / In hoc septimo libro ad instantiam amantis languidi intendit Genius illam ex qua philosophi et Astrologi philosophie doctrinam regem Alexandrum imbuerunt secundum aliquid declarare Diuidit enim philosophiam in tres partes /
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
vmbra Deuiat vt rectum nemo videbit iter ☞ Hic tractat de tercia principum legis policia que iusticia nominata est cuius condicio legibus in corupta vnicuique quod suum est equo pondere distribuit ⧠what is a londe where men be none what ben the men whiche are allone withoute a kinges gouernaunce what is a kinge in his ligeaunce where that there is no lawe in londe what is to take lawe on honde But if the Iuges ben trewe These olde worldes with the newe who that wil take in euydence There may he se experience what thinge it is to kepe lawe Through which wronges be withdrawe And rightwisnes stante commended wherof the regnes ben amended For where the lawe may commune The lordes forth with the comune Eche hath his propre deute And eke the kinges rialte Of bothe his worshyp vnderfongeth To his estate as it belongeth whiche of his high worthinesse Hath to gouerne rightwisnesse As he which shall the lawe guyde And netheles vpon some syde His power stant aboue the lawe To yeue both and to withdrawe The forset of a mannes lyfe But thinges which are excessise Ayen the lawe he shal not do For loue ne for hate also ¶ Imperatoriam magestatem non solum armie sed etiam legibus oportet esse armatam ¶ The mightes of a kinge be gret But yet a worthy kinge shall let Of wronge to done all that he might For he whiche shal the people right It syt wel to his regalye That he him selfe first Iustifye Towardes god in his degree For his astate is elles fre Towarde all other in his persone Saue onely to the god alone whiche wyl hym selfe a kynge chastise where that none other may suffise So were it good to taken hede That fyrste a kynge his owne dede Betwene the vertue and the vice Redresse and than of his iustice To set in euen the balance Towardes other in gouernance That to the powre and to the ryche His lawes myghten stondeÌ„ lyche He shall excepte no persone But for he may not all hym one In sondry places do iustyce He shall of his ryall office with wyse consideration Ordeyne his deputation Of sube iuges as ben lerned So that his people be gouerned By hem that true ben and wyfe For if the lawe of couetyse Be set vpon a iuges honde wo is the people of thylke londe For wronge may not hym selfe n hyde But els on that other syde If lawe stonde with the right The people is glad stont vpright where as the lawe is reasonable The comyn people stant menable And if the lawe torne amys The people also mystorned is ⧠Nota hic de iusticia Maximmi imperatoria / qui cum alicuius prouincie custodem sibi constituere volebat / primo de sui nonumis fama proclamacione facta ipsius condicionem diligencius inuestigabat ⧠And in ensample of this matere Of Maxymyn a man may here Of Rome which was emperour That whan he made a gouernour By weye of substitucion Of prouynce or of region He wolde fyrst enquire his name And lete it openly proclame what man he were or euyl or good And vpon that his name stode Enclyned to vertue or to vyce So wolde he set him in office Or elles put hym all aweye Thus helde the lawe his ryght weye which fonde no let of couetyse The worlde stode than vpon the wyse As by ensample thou might rede And holde it in the minde I rede ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de iudicibus incorruptis et narrat qualiter Caius Fabriâ—nis nuper Rome consul autum a Sampnitibus sibi oblatum renuit dicene / quod nobilus est aurum possidenâ—es dominio subiugare / quam ex auri cupiditate dominu libertatem amittere ¶ In a cronycke I fynde thus Howe that Cayus Fabrycius whiche whilome was consull of Rome By whome the lawes yede and come whan the Samuytes to hym brought A somme of golde and him besought To don hem fauour in the lawe Towarde the golde he gan him drawe wherof in all mennes loke Parte vp in his honde he toke whiche to his mouth in all haste He put it for to smelle and iuste And to his eye and to his ere But he ne founde no comforte there And than be gan it to despise And tolde vnto hem in this wyse I not what is with golde to thriue whan none of all my wittes fyue Fynde sauour ne delyte therin So is it but a nyce sinne Of golde to ben to couetouse But he is ryche and gloriouse whiche hath in his subiection Tho men whiche in possession Ben ryche of golde and by this skyll For he may all day whan he wyll Or be hem lese or be hem lothe Iustice done vpon hem both Lo thus he sayd and with that worde He threwe tofore hem on the borde The golde oute of his honde anone And sayd hem that he wolde none So that he kepte his lyberte To do Iustyce and equyte withoute lucre of suche rychesse There ben nowe fewe of suche I gesse For it was thylke tymes vsed That euery Iuge was refused whiche was not frende to comyn ryght But they that wolden stonde vp right For trouthe onely to do Iustyce Preferred were in thylke offyce Lo deme and Iuge comyn lawe which nowe men sayn is all withdrawe â— To sette a lawe and kepe it nought There is no comune profite sought But aboue al netheles The lawe whiche is made for pees Is good to kepe for the beste For that setteth all men in reste ¶ Hic narrat de iusticia nuper Conradi imperato 〈◊〉 cuius tempore alicuius reuerencia persone 〈◊〉 seâ— precum internencione quacunque vel auâ—â—â—empcione legum statuta commutari seu redi â—â—â—â—â—tenus potuerunt ¶ The ryghtful emperour Conrade To kepe pees suche lawe made That none within the cyte In dysturbaunce of vnyte Durst ones meuen a matere For in his tyme as thou myght here what poynte that was for lawe sette It shulde for no good be lette To what persone that it were And this brought in the comyn fere why euery man the lawe dradde For there was none which fauour bad ¶ Nota exemplum de constantia iudicis vbi narrat de Carmidotiro Rome nuper consule qui cum sui statuti legem nescius offendisset / Romani que super hoc penam sibi remittere voluissent ipse pro pria manu / vbi nullus alius in ipsum vindex fuit / sui criminis vindictam executus est ⧠So as these olde bokes sayne I fynde wryte howe a romayne whiche consull was of the pretoyre whose name was Carmidotoire He sette a lawe for the pees That none but he be wepenles Shall came into the counseyle hous And elles as malicious He shal ben of the lawe dede To that statute and to that rede Accorden all it shall be so For certeyne cause whiche was tho Nowe lyst
it lyke the to knowe Some of her names howe they stonde Nowe herken thou shalt vnderstoÌ„de ☞ Hic ad eorum laudem qui iustitie causa leges statuerunt aliquorum nomina specialius coÌ„memorat ¶ Of euery benfite the merite The god hym selfe it wol acquyte And eke full ofte it falleth so The worlde it woll acquyte also But that may not ben euen lyche The god he yeueth the heuen ryche The worlde yefth onely but a name whiche stont vpon the good fame Of hem that done the good dede And in this wyse double mede Receyuen they that done well here wherof if that the lyst to here After the fame as it is blowe There myght thou well the soth knowe Howe thilke honest besynesse Of hem that first for ryghtwysenesse Amonge the men the lawes made May neuer vpon this erthe fade For euer while there is a tonge Her name shal be redde and songe And holde in the cronyke write So that the men it shullen wyte To speaken good as they well oughten Of hem that fyrste the lawes soughten In foâ—drynge of the worldes pees Vnto the Hebrewes was Moyses The fyrste and to the Egypciens Mercurius and to Troiens Fyrst was Numa Pompilius To Athenes Licurgus yaue fyrst the lawe vnto gregoys Foroneus hath thylke voyce And Romulus of romayns For suche men that ben vilayns The lawe in suche a wyse ordeineth That what man to the lawe pleyneth Be so the iuge stande vpryght He shall be serued of his ryght And so ferforth it is befall That lawe is come amonge vs all God leue it mote well bene holde As euery kynge therto is holde For thynge whiche is of kynges sette with kynges ought it not be lette what kynge of lawe taketh no kepe By lawe he may no royalme kepe Do lawe away what is a kynge where is the ryght of any thynge If that there be no lawe in londe This ought a kynge well vnderstonde As he whiche is to lawe swore That if the lawe be forlore withouten execucion It makth a londe turne vp so doun whiche is vnto the kynge a sclaundre For thy vnto kynge Alisaundre The wyse philosophre badde That he hym selfe fyrste be ladde Of lawe and forth than ouer all To do iustice in generall That all the wyde londe aboute The iustice of his lawe doubte And than shall be stonde in rest For therto lawe is one the best Aboue all other erthly thynge To make a liege drede his kynge But howe a kynge shall gete hym loue Towarde the hygh god aboue And eke amonge the men in erthe This nexte poynt whiche is the ferthe Of Aristotles lore it techeth wherof who that the schole secheth what policie that it is The boke reherseth after this Nil rationis habens ubi uelle tyrannica regna Stringit amor populi transiet exul ibi Sed pietas regnum quae conseruabit in aeuum Non tantum populo sed placet illa deo ¶ Hic tractat de quarta principum regiminis policia que pietas dicta est per quam principes erga populum misericordes effecti misericordiam altissimi gratius consequuntur ¶ It nedeth not that I delate The price whiche preysed is algate And hath bene euer and euer shall wherof to speake in speciall It is the vertue of Pite Through whiche the hye maieste was stered whan his sonne alyght And in pyte the worlde to ryght Toke of the mayde flesshe blood Pite was cause of thylke good wherof that we ben all saue well ought a man pite to haue And the vertue to sette in price whan he hym selfe whiche is all wyse Hath shewed why it shall be preysed Pite may not be counterpeysed Of tyranny with no peyse For pyte makth a kynge curteyse Both in his worde and in his dede It syt well euery lyege drede His kinge and to his best obeye And right so by the same weye It sit a kinge to be pitous Towarde his people and gracious Vpon the reule of gouernaunce So that he worche no vengeaunce whiche may be cleped cruelte Iustice whiche doth equite Is dredful for he no man spareth But in the lond where pite fareth The kinge may neuer fayle of loue For pyte through the grace aboue So as the holy boke affermed His reigne in good estate confermed Thapostel Iames in this wise Seyth what man shulde do Iuise And hath not pyte forth with all The dome of him whiche demeth all He may him selfe ful sore drede That him shall lacke vpon the nede To fynde pyte whan he wolde For who that pyte woll beholde It is a poynte of Christes lore And for to loken ouermore It is behouely as we fynde To reason and to lawe of kinde Cassodore in his aprise telleth The reigne is saufe where pite dwelleth And Tullyus his tale auoweth And sayth what kinge to pite boweth And with pite stont ouercome / He hath that shelde of grace nome whiche the kinges yeueth victorye ¶ Of Alysaunder in his histoyre 〈◊〉 rede howe he a worthy knyght Of â—odeyn wrath and not of right For iuged hath and he appelleth And with that word the king quareleth And saith None is aboue me That wote I wel my lorde quod he Fro thy lorship appele I nought But fro thy wrath in all my thought To thy pyte stant myn appele The kinge which vnderstode him wele Of pure pyte yaue him grace And eke I rede in other place Thus saide whilome Constantyne what emperour that is enclyne To pyte for to be seruaunt Of all the worldes remenaunt He is worthy to ben a lord ¶ In olde bokes of recorde Thus finde I wryte of ensamplaire â—â—aâ—an the worthy debonaire By whome that Rome stode gouerned Vpon a tyme as he was lerned Of that he was to familyer He sayde vnto that counceller That for to be an emperour His wil was not for vayne honoure Ne yet for reddour of iustice But if he myght in his office His lordes and his people plese Him thought it were a greatter ease with loue her hartes to him drawe Than with the drede of any lawe For whan a thinge is done for doubte Ful ofte it comth the wers aboute But where a kinge is pyetous He is the more gracious That mochel thrifte him shall be tyde whiche ellis shulde torne a syde Qualiter Iudeus pedester cum paganos equi tante itenerauit prr desertum et ipsum de fide sua interrogauit ☞ To do pyte supporte and grace The philosophre vpon a place In his writenge of dayes olde A tale of great ensample tolde Vnto the kynge of Macedoyne Howe betwene Cayr and Babyloyne whan comen is the somer hete It hapneth two men for to mete As they shulde entre in a paas where that the wyldernesse was And as they wente forthe spekende Vnder the large wodes ende That o man asketh of that other what man arte thou my liefe brother whiche is thy creance and thy feyth I am paynym that other sayth
this manere That he with loue and with glad chere Foryeue and graunte all that is asked Of that his fader had tasked For so he may his regne acheue with thing which shall hem litell greue The kinge hem herd and ouer passeth And with this other his wit compasseth That yonge were and nothinge wyse And they these olde men despise And sayden Sir it shall be shame For euer vnto thy worthy name If thou ne kepe not thy ryght while thou arte in thy yonge myght whiche that thyn olde father gate But say vnto the people plate That whyle thou lyuest in thy londe The leest fynger of thyn honde It shall be strenger ouer all Than was thy fathers body all And thus also shall be thy tale If he hem smote with roddes smale with scorpions thou shalt hem smyte And where thy father toke a lyte Thou thynkest take mychell more Thus shalt thou make hem drede sore The great hert of thy corage So for to holde hem in seruage This yonge kyng hym hath conformed To done as he was last enformed whiche was to him his vndoynge For whan it came to the spekynge He hath the yonge counseyle holde That he the same wordes tolde Of all the people in audience And whan they herden the sentence Of his malyce and the manace Anone tofore his owne face They haue hym vtterly refused And with full great reproue accused So they began for to raue That he hym selfe was fayne to saue For as the wylde wode rage Of wyndes maketh the see sauage And that was calme bryngeth to wawe So for defaut and grace of lawe The people is stered all at ones And forth they gone out of his wones So that of the lygnages twelfe Two tribus onely by hem selfe with hym abyden and no mo So were they for euermo Of no retourne without espeire Departed fro the rightfull heire Of Israell with comen voyce A kynge vpon her owne choyce Amonge hem selfe a anone they make And haue her yonge lorde forsake A powre knyght Ieroboas They toke and lefte Roboas whiche ryghtfull beyre was by dissent Lo thus the yonge cause went For that the counseyle was not good The reygne fro the ryghtfull blood Euer afterwarde deuyded was So may it prouen by this cas That yong counseyl which is to warme Or men beware doth ofte harme Olde age for the counseyle serueth And lusty yongth his thonke deserueth Vpon the traueyle whiche he doth And both for to sey a fothe By sondry cause for to haue If that he wyll his reigne saue A kynge behoueth euery day That one can and that other may Be so the kynge hem both rule Or elles all goth out of rule ¶ Nota questionem cuiusdam philosophi / vtrum regno conuenientius foret principem cum malo consilio optare sapientem quam cum sano consilio ipsum eligere insipientem ¶ And vpon this matere also A question betwene the two Thus wryten in boke I fonde where it be better for the londe A kynge hym selfe to be wyse And so to bere his owne pryse And that his counseyle be not good Or otherwyse if it so stode A kynge if he be vicious And his counseyle be vertuous It is answerde in suche a wyse That better it is that they be wyse By whom that the counseyle shall gone For they ben many and he is one And rather shall an one man with fals counseyle for ought he can From his wysedome be made to fall Than he alone shulde hem all Fro vices vnto vertue chaunge For that is well the more straunge For thy the londe may well be glad whose kynge with good counseyle is lad whiche sette hym vnto ryghtwysnes So that his high worthynes Betwene the reddour and pyte Doth mercy forth with equyte A kinge is holden ouer all To pyte but in speciall To hem where he is moste beholde They shulde his pite most beholde That ben the lieges of the londe For they ben euer vnder his honde After the goddes ordenaunce To stonde vpon his gouernaunce ¶ â—â—â—a ad huc precipne de principum erga suos 〈…〉 debâ—ta â—ietate legitur enim qualiter An 〈…〉 Sciâ—â—â—ne exeÌ„pâ—ificatus dixit quod malâ—er vâ—â—m de populo sibi commisso virum saluare câ—â—â—â—enâ—â— ex hostibê° alienigenis in bello perdere ☞ Of themperour Anthonius I fynd bowe that he sayde thus How him were leuer for to saue One of his liges than to haue Of enemyes an hundred dede And thus he lerned as I rede Of Scipio whiche had be Consul of Rome and thus to se Dyuers ensamples howe they stonde A kinge which hath the charge on hoÌ„de The comyn people to gouerne If that he wyl he may wel lerne Is none so good to the plesaunce Of god as is good gouernaunce And euery gouernaunce is due To pyte thus I may argue That pyte is the foundemente Of euery kynges regimente If it be medlyd with iustice They two remeuen all vyce And ben of vertu most vaylable To make a kinges royame stable Lo thus the foure poyntes tofore In gouernaunce as they be bore Of trouth fyrst and of largesse Of pyte forth with rightwisnesse I haue hem tolde and ouer this The fyrst poynte so as it is Set of the rule of policye wherof a kynge shall modefye The flesshly lustes of nature Nowe thinke I telle of suche mesure That both kinde shall be serued And eke the lawe of god obserued Corporis et mentis regeÌ„ decet omnis honestas Nominis vt famam nulla libido ruat Omne quod est liominis effeminat illa voluptas Sit nisi magnanimi cordis vt obstat ei ¶ Hic tractat secundum Aristotelem de quinta principum policia que castitatem concernit cuius honestas impudicicie molus obtemperans tam corporis quam anime mundiciciam specialius preseruat ⧠The male is made for the femele But where as one desyreth fele That nedeth nought by weye of kynde For whan a man may redy fynde His owne wyfe what shuld he seche In straunge places to beseche To borowe another mans plough whan he hath geare at home ynough Affayted at his owne heste And is to hym wel more honeste Than other thinge which is vnknowe For thy shulde euery good man knowe And thynke howe that in maryage His trouth plyte / lyeth in morgage whiche if he breke it is falsehode And that discordeth to manhode And namely towarde the great wherof the bokes all trete So as the phylosophre techeth To Alysaunder and him by techeth The lore howe that he shall mesure His body so that no mesure Of flesshly lust he shulde excede And thus forth if I shall procede The fyfte poynte / as I sayd ere Is Chastyte whiche selde where Comth nowe a dayes in to place And nethelesse but it be grace Aboue all other in specialle Is none that chaste may ben alle But yet a kynges hygh estate whiche of his order as
that they the lawe excede For who that wolde take hede what after fyll in this matere There myght be well the soth here whan she was wedded to Thoby And Raphael in company Hath taught hym howe to be honest Asmode wan nought at thylke feste And yet Thoby his wylle had For he his lust so goddely ladde That both lawe kynde is serued wherof he hath hym selfe preserued That he fyll not in the sentence Of whiche an open euidence Of this ensample a man may se That whan lykynge in the degre Of mariage may forsweye well ought hym than in other weye Of lust to be the better aduysed For god the lawe hath assysed As well to reason as to kynde But he the beastes wolde bynde Onely to lawes of nature But to the mannes creature God gaue hym rason forth withall wherof that he nature shall Vpon the causes modifye That he shall do no lechery And yet he shall his lustes haue So ben the lawes both saue And euery thinge put out of sclaunder As whylom to kynge Alysaunder The wyse philosopher taught whan he his fyrst lore caught Not only vpon chastite But vpon all honeste wherof a kynge hym selfe may taste How trewe how large how iuste howe chaste Hym ought of reason for to be Forth with the vertue of pite Through which he may great thoÌ„ke deserue Toward his god that he pÌ„serue Hym and his people in all welthe Of pees richesse honour and helth Here in this worlde and elles eke My sonne as we tofore speke In shryfte so as thou me seydest And for thyn ese as thou me preydest Thy loue throwes for to lysse That I the wolde telle and wysse The forme of Aristotles lore I haue it seyde and somdele more Of other ensamples to assaye If I thy paynes myght alay Through any thynge whiche I can say ¶ Do weye my father I you pray Of that ye haue vnto me tolde I thanke you a thousand folde The tales sounden in min ere But yet my herte is ellys where I may my selfe not restreyne That I name euer in loues peyne Suche lore coude I neuer gete whiche might make me foryete O poynte but if so were I slepte That I my tydes ay ne kepte To thinke on loue and on his lawe That hert can I not withdrawe For thy my good fader dere Leue and speke of my matere Louehend of loue as we begonne If that there be ought ouer ronne Or ought foryete or lefte behynde whiche falleth vnto loues kynde wherof it nedeth to be shryne Now asketh so that whyle I lyue I might amende that is amys ¶ My good dere sonne yis Thy â—hryfte for to make playne Theâ—e is yet more for to layne Of loue whiche is vnaduysed But for thou shalt ben well aduysed Vnto thy shryfte as it bylongeth A pointe whiche vpon loue bongeth And is the laste of all tho I wyl the telle and than ho. ¶ Explicit liber septimus ⧠â—â—ff quam ad instantiam amantie confessi â—â—â—essor Genius super hic que Aristoteles regem Aleâ—â—drum edocuit vna cum aliarum cronicaruÌ„ exeÌ„ples seriose tractauit iam vltimo in isto octaâ—o â—â—lumine ad confessionem in amoris causa regâ—â—diens tractare proponit super hoc quod non nullo primordia nature ad libitum voluptuose coÌ„sequentes nullo humano rationis arbitrio seu â—cclesie legum impositione a suis excessibê° debite refrenantur vnde quatenus amorem concernit amantis conscientiam pro finali sue confessioniâ— materia Gemne rimari conatur ⧠INCIPIT LIBER OCTAVVS Qâ—â— fauet ad uiciuÌ„ uetê° haec modo regula coÌ„fert â—eâ—noue contra qui doceâ—ordo placet â—â—us amor dudum non dum sua lumina caepit Quo Venus impositum deuia fallititer THe myghty god whiche vnbegonne Stoute of hym selfe hath begonne Al other thinges at his will The heuen him lyste to fulfylle Of all ioye where as he Sit entronysed in his see And hath his angels hym to serue Suche as him lyketh to preserue So that they mowe nought forsweye But Lucyfer he put aweye with al the route apostasyed Of hem that ben to him alyed whiche oute of heuen in to helle Frome aungels in to fendes felle where that there nys no ioye of lyght But more derke than any nyght The payne shall ben endelesse And yet of fyres netheles There is plente but they ben blake wherof no syght may be take Thus whan the thinges ben byfalle That Lucyfers courte was falle where deedly pryde hem hath conueied Anone forthwith it was purneyed Through him whiche all thinges may He made Adam the syxte daye In paradyse and to his make Him lyketh Eue also to make And had hem crece and multiplye For of the mannes progenye whiche of the woman shall be bore The nombre of aungels which was lore whan they oute of the blysse felle He thought to restore and fille In heuen thylke holy place which stode the voyde vpon his grace But as it is wel wyst and knowe Adam and Eue but a throwe So as it shuld of hem betyde In Paradyse at thylke tyde Ne dwelten and the cause whye wryte in the boke of Genesye As who sayth all men haâ—e herde Howe Raphael the fyry swerde In bonde â—oke and droue hem out To geteâ—er lyues fode aboute Vpon this wofull erthe here Meâ—odre saith to this matere As he by reuelacion It had vpon a vision Howe that Adam and Eue also Virgines comen bothe two In to the worlde and were ashamed Tyll that nature hath hem reclaimed To loue and taught hem thylke lore That fyrst they kyste and ouer more They done that is to kynde due wherof they hadden fayre issue A sonne was the fyrste of all And Caym by name they hym call Abel was after the seconde And in the geste as it is founde Nature so the cause ladde Two doughters eke dame Eue hadde The fyrste cleped Calmana was and that other Delbora Thus was mankynde to begynne For thy that tyme it was no synne The suster to take the brother whan that ther was of chois non other To Caym was Calmana betake And Delbora hath Abel take In whom was gete natheles Of worldes folke the fyrste encres Men sein that nede hath no lawe And so it was by thylke dawe And laste vnto the seconde age Tyll that the great water rage Of Noe whiche was sayde the flood The worlde whiche than in synne stood Hath dreinte out take lyues eyght Tho was mankynde of lytell weyght Sem Cam Iaphet of these thre That ben the sonnes of Noe The worlde of mans nacion In to multiplication was restored newe ageyne So ferforth as these bokes seyne That of hem thre and her issue There was so large a retinue Of nacyons seuenty and two In sondry place eche one of tho The wyde worlde haue enhabyted But as nature hem hath excyted They toke than lytel hede The brother of the suster hede To wedde
not to seche more He might not haue suche manere Of gentyl blood but if he were whan he hath harped all his fylle The kinges hest to fulfylle A weye goth disshe a way goth cup Doun goth the borde the cloth was vp They rysen and gone oute of halle ¶ Qualitur Appollinus cum rege pro filia sua erudienda retentus est ¶ The kynge his chamberleyn let calle And bad that he by all weye A chamber for this man purueye whiche nighe his owne chambre be It shall be do my lorde quod he Appollynus of whom I mene Tho toke his leue of kynge and quene And of the worthy mayde also whiche prayed vnto hir fader tho That she myght of the yonge man Of tho sciences whiche he can His lore haue And in this wyse The kynge hir graunteth hir apprise So that hym selfe therto assent Thus was accorded er they wente That he with all that euer he may This yonge fayre fresse he may Of that he couth shulde enforme And ful assented in this forme They token leue as for that night ¶ Qualiter filia regis Appollinum ornato apparatu vestiri fecit Et ipse ad puelle doctrinam in quam pluribus familiariter intendebat vnde placata puella in â—â—orem Appollini exardescens / infirmabatur ¶ And whan it was on morowe right Vnto this yonge man of Tyre Of clothes and of good attyre with golde and syluer to dispende This worthy yonge lady sende And thus she made hym well at ease And be with all that he can plese Hir serueth well and faire ageyne He taught her tyll she was certeyne Of harpe cytole and of ryote with many a tewne and many a note Vpon musyke vpon measure And of hir harpe the temprure He taught hir eke as he well couth But as men seyne that frele is youth with leyser and contynuaunce This mayde fyll vpon a chaunce That loue hath made hym a quarele Ageyne her yongth fresshe and frele That inaugre wher she wold or nought She mote with all her hertes thought Lo loue and to his lawe obey And that she shall full sore obeye For she wote neuer what it is But euer amonge she feleth this Touchynge vpon this man of Tyre Her herte is hote as any fyre And otherwhyle it is a cale Nowe is she reed nowe is she pale Ryght after the condicion Of hir imagination But euer amonge hir thoughtes all She thought what so may befall Or that she laugh or that she wepe She wolde her good name kepe For fere of womannysshe shame But what in ernest what in game She stant for loue in suche a plyte That she hath lost all appetyte Of mete and drynke of nyghtes rest As she that note what is the best But for to thynke all hir fylle She helde hir ofte tymes stylle within hir chambre goth not out The kynge was of hir lyfe in doute whiche wyst nothynge what it ment ¶ Qualiter tres filu principuÌ„ filiaÌ„ regis sigillatâ—m in vxorem suis supplicationibus postularent ¶ But fyll a tyme as he out went To walke of prynces sonnes thre There came and fyll to his knee And eche of hem in sondry wyse Besought and profereth his seruyce So that he myght his doughter haue The kyng which wold hir honour saue Saith she is sycke and of that speche Tho was no tyme to beseche But eche of hem to make a bylle He had and wryte his owne wylle His name his father and his good And whan she wyst howe that it stode And had her bylles ouerseyne They shulden haue aunswere ageyne Of this counseyle they weren glad And writen as the kynge hem had And euery man his owne boke Into the kynges honde betoke And he it to his doughter sende And pray de hir for to make an ende And write ageyne hir owne honde Ryght as she in hir hert fonde ☞ Qualiter filia regis omnibus aliis relictis Appollinum in maritum preelegit ¶ The bylles weren well receyued But she hath all her loues weyued And thought tho was tyme and space To put hir in hir faders grace And wrote ageyne and thus she sayde The shame which is in a mayde with speche dare not be vnloke But in writynge it may be spoke So wryte I to you fader thus But if I haue Appollynus Of all this worlde what so betyde I wyl non other man abyde And certes if I of him fayle I wot right welle withoute fayle ye shall for me be doughterles This letter came and there was prese Tofore the kinge / there as he stode And whan that he it vnderstode He yaue hem answere by and by But that was done so priuely That none of others counseyle wiste They toke her leue and where hem lyst They wente forth vpon their wey ¶ Qualiter rex et regina in maritagium filie sue cum Appolino consencierunt ¶ The kyng ne wolde nought bewrey The counceyl for no maner hye But suffreth tyl be tyme sye And whan that he to chamber is com He hath vnto counceyl nome This man of Tyre and lete him se The letter and all the priuyte The whiche his doughter to him sente And he his kne to grounde bente And thonketh him and hir also And er they wente then a two with good herte and with good corage Of full loue and full maryage The kinge and he be hole accorded And after whan it was recorded Vnto the doughter howe it stode The yefte of all this worldes good Ne shuld haue made hir halfe so blithe And forth with all the kinge al 's swith For he woll haue hir good assent Hath for the quene hir moder sente The quene is come whan she herde Of this mater howe that it ferde She sigh debate she sigh disese But if she wolde hir doughter plese And is therto assented ful whiche is a dede wonderful For no man knewe the soth cas But he him selfe what man he was And nethelesse so as hem thought His dedes to the soth wrought That he was come of gentyl blood Him lacketh nought but worldes good And as therof is no dispeyre For she shall be hir faders heyre And he was able to gouerne Thus wyl they not the loue werne Of him and hir in no wyse But all accorded they deuyse The day and tyme of mariage where loue is lorde of the corage Him thinketh longe er that he spede But at laste vnto the dede ¶ Qualiter Appolinus filie regis nupsit / et prima nociâ— cum ea concubiens ipsam inpregnauit ¶ The tyme is come and in her wyse with great offrynge and sacryfyce They wedde and make a great feste And euery thinge was right honeste within hous and eke withoute It was so done that all aboute Of greate worshyp and great noblesse There cryed many a man largesse Vnto the lordes hygh and loude The knyghtes that be yonge prowde They Iuste fyrste and after daunce
confracti viscera perscrutans ignita sue coÌ„cupisceÌ„tie tela ab eo penitus extraxit queÌ„ Venê° postea absque calore percipiens / vacuum reliquit Et sic tandeÌ„ prouisa senectus rationeÌ„ inuocans homineÌ„ interiorem perprins amore infatuatum mentis sanitati plenius restaurauit ¶ Cupyde whiche may hurte and he le In loues cause as for my hele Vpon the poynte which him was preyd Cam with Venus where I was leyde Swounend vpon the grene gras And as me thought anone there was On euery syde so great prees That euery lyfe began to prees I wot not wel howe many score Suche as I spake of nowe tofore Louers that comen to beholde But most of hem that were olde They stoden there at thylke tyde To se what ende shall be tyde Vpon the cure of my soty Tho might I here greate partye Spekende and eche his owne aduys Hath tolde one that another this But amonge all this I herde They weren wo that I so ferde And sayden that for no ryote An olde man shulde not assote For as they tolden redyly There is in him no cause why But if he wolde him selfe be nyce So were he wel the more nyce And thus desputen some of tho And some sayden no thinge so But that the wylde loues rage In mannes lyfe forbereth none age whyle there is oyle for to fyre The lampe is lyghtly set a fyre And is full herde er it be queynte But onely if he be some seynte whiche god preserueth of his grace And thus me thought in sondry place Of hem that walken vp and doune There was diuers opynion And so for a whyle it last Tyl that Cupyde to the laste Forthwith his moder ful aduysed Hath determined and deuysed Vnto what poynte he wol descende And all this tyme I was lyggende Vpon the grounde tofore his eyen And they that my disese syen Supposen nought I shulde lyue But he whiche wolde than yeue His grace so as it may be This blynde god whiche may not se Hath groped tyl that he me fonde And as he put forth his honde Vpon my body where I laye Me thought a fyry launcegaye which whilom through my hert he cast He pulleth oute and also fast As this was do Cupyde nam His wey I not where he becam And so dyd all the remenaunt whiche vnto him was entendaunt Of hem that in a vysyon I had a reuelacion So as I tolde nowe tofore But Venus went nought therfore Ne Genius / whiche thylke tyme Aboden both fast bime And she whiche may the hertes bynde In loues cause eke vnbynde Er I out of my traunce aroos Venus whiche helde a boxe cloos And wold not I shold deye Toke out more colde thenne ony keye An oyntement and in suche poynte She hath my wounded herte anoynte My temples and my reynes also And forth with al she toke me tho A wonder myrrour for to holde In whiche she had me to beholde And take hede of that I seye wherin anone my hertes eye I cast and sawe my colour fade Myn eyen dym and all vnglade My chekes thynne and all my face with elde I might se deface So ryueled and so wo beseyn That there was no thingeful ne pleyn I sawe also myn hearts hore My wyll was tho to se no more On whiche for there was no pleasaunce And then into my remembraunce I drewe myn olde dayes passed And as reason it hath compassed ¶ Quod status hominis mensibus anni equiperatur ¶ I made a lykenes of my selue Vnto the sondry monthes twelue wherof the yere in his estate Is made and stant vpon debate That lyke to other none accordeth For who the tymes wel recordeth And than at Marche if he begyn whan that the lusty yere comth in Tyll that Auguste be passed SepteÌ„bre The myghty yongth he may remembre In whiche the yere hath his deduite Of grasse of lefe of floure of fruite Of corne and eke the wyny grape And afterwarde the tyme is shape To frost to snowe to wynde to reyne Tyll efte that Marche be come ageyne The wynter woll no sommer knowe The grene lefe is ouerthrowe The clothed erth is than bare Dispoyled is the sommer fare That erst was hete is than chele And thus thynkende thoughtes fele I was out of my swowne affraide wherof I sygh my wyttes strayde And gan to clepe hem home ageyne And whan reason it herde seyne That loues rage was aweye He cam to me the ryght weye And hath remeued the sotye Of thilke vnwyse fantasye wherof that I was wont to playn So that of thylke fyry payne I was made sobre and hole inough Venus behelde me than and lough And axeth as it were in game what loue was I for shame Ne wyst what I shulde answere And netheles I gan to swere That by my trouth I knew him nought So ferre it was out of my thought Ryght as it had neuer be ¶ My good sonne tho qd she Nowe at this tyme I leue it wele So goth the fortune of my whele For thy my counseyle is thou leue ¶ Madame I said by your leue Ye wyten well and so wote I That I am vnbehouely Your courte fro this day for to serue And for I may no thonke deserue And also for I am refused I pray you to ben excused And nâ—theles as for to last whyle that my wyttes with me laste Touchende my confession I axe an absolucion Of Genius er that I go ¶ The preest anone was redy tho And sayde Sonne as of thy shryfte Thou hast full pardon and foryefte Foryete it thou and so wyll I. ¶ My holy father graunt mercy Quod I to hym and to the quene I fyll on knees vpon the grene And toke my leue for to wende But she that wolde make an ende As therto whiche I was most able A paire of bedes blacke as sable She toke and hynge my necke about Vpon the gaudees all without was wryte of golde pur reposer Lo thus she sayd IohnÌ„ Gower Now thou art at last cast Thus haue I for thyn ease caste That thou of loue no more seche But my wyll is that thou beseche And pray hereafter for the pees And that thou make a pleyne relees To loue whiche taketh lytel hede Of olde men vpon the nede whan that the lustes ben awey For thy to the nys but o wey In whiche let reason be thy guyde For he may sone hym selfe mysgyde That seeth not the peryll tofore My sonne be well ware therfore And kepe the sentence of my lore And tary thou my courte no more But go there vertue morall dwelleth There ben thy bokes as men telleth whiche of longe tyme thou haste wryte For this I do the well to wyte If thou thyn hele wyll purchace Thou myght not make sute and chace where that the game is not prouable It were a thynge vnreasonable A man to be so ouersaye For thy take hede of that I