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
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
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
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
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
begrowe with vynes and at thylke throwe Faunus with Saba the goddesse By whom the large wyldernesse In thylke tyme stode gouerned were in a place as I am lerned Nyghe by whiche Bachus wode hight This Faunus toke a great insyght Of Iolen that was nowe nyghe For whan that he hir beautie syghe Out of his wyt he was assoted And in his herte it hath so noted That he forsoke the Nymphes all And sayde he wolde howe so it fall Assay an other for to wynne So that his herte thought within He set and cast howe that it myght Of loue pyke away by nyght That he by day in other wyse To stele myght not suffyce And therupon his tyme he awayteth Now take good hede how loue affaireth Hym whiche with al is ouercome Faire Iolen whan she was come with Hercules in to the caue She sayde hym that she wolde haue His clothes of hirs bothe And eche of hem shulde other cloth And all was do right as she bad He hath hir in his clothes clad And cast on her his golion whiche of the skyn of a lyon was made as he vpon the weye It slough and ouer this to pleye She toke his great mace also And knyt it at her gyrdell tho So was she lyche the man arrayed And Hercules than hath assayed To clothen hem in her array And thus they iape forth the day Tylle that her souper redy were And whan they hadden souped there They shopen hem to go to rest And as it thought hem for the best They bad as for thylke nyght Two sondry heddes shuld be dyght For they togeder lygge nolde By cause that they offer wolde Vpon the morowe her sacryfyce The seruantes dydden her offyce And sondry beddes made anone wherin that they to rest gone Eche by hem selfe in sondry place Fayre Iolen hath sette the mace Besydes her beddes heed aboue And with the clothes of her loue She hylled all her bedde aboute And he whiche nothynge had in doute Hir wymple wonde about his cheke Her kyrtell and her mantell eke Abrode vpon his bedde he spredde And thus they slepen bothe a bedde what of trauayle what of wyne The seruauntes lyke to dronken swyne Began for to route faste This Faunus whiche his stelth cast was than comen to the caue And fonde they were all saue without noyse and in he went The derke night his syght blent And yet it happed hym to go where Iolen a bedde tho was layde alone for to slepe But for he wolde take kepe whose bedde it was he made assay And of a lyon where he lay The cote he founde and eke he feleth The mace and than his herte keleth That there durst he not abyde But stalketh vpon euery syde And sought about with his honde That other bedde tyll that he fonde where lay bewympled a vysage Tho was he glad in his courage For he her kyrtell fonde also And eke her mantell bothe two Bespredde vpon the bedde alofte He made hym naked than and softe Into the bedde vnware he crepte where Hercules that tyme slepte And wende well it were she And thus in stede of Iole Anone he profreth hym to loue But he whiche felte a man aboue This Hercules hym threwe to grounde So sore that they haue hym founde Lyggende there vpon the morowe And tho was nought a lytell sorowe That Faunus of hym selfe made But els they were all glade And lough hym to scorne aboute Saba with Nymphes all a route Came downe to loke howe that it ferde And whan that they the soth herde He was beiaped ouerall ¶ My sonne be thou ware with all To seche suche mycheryes But if thou haue the better aspyes In aunter if the so betyde As Faunus dyd thylke tyde wherof thou myght be shamed so ¶ Myn holy fader certes no But if I had ryght good leue Suche mycherye I thynke leue My faynt herte woll not serue For maugre wolde I not deserue In thylke place where I loue But for ye tolden here aboue Of couetyse and his pyllage If there be more of that lygnage whiche toucheth to my shryfte I pray That ye therof me wolde say So that I may the vyce eschewe ¶ Sonne if I by order shewe The vyces as they stonde a rowe Of couetyse thou shalt knowe There is yet one whiche is the last In whome there may no vertue last For he with god hym selfe debateth wherof that all the heuen hym hateth Sacrilegus tantum furto loca sacra prophanat Vt sibi sint agri fic domus alma dei Nec locus est in quo noÌ„ temptat amans ê™ amat Si quae posse nequit carpere velle capit ¶ Hic tractat super vltima Cupiditatis specie que sacrilegium dicitur cuius furum ea que altissimo sanctificantur bona depredans ecclesie tantum spoliis insidiatur ¶ The hygh god whiche all good Purueyed hath for mans fode Of clothes and of mete and drynke Bade Adam that he shuld swynke To getten hym his sustenaunce And eke he set an ordynaunce Vpon a lawe of Moyses That though a man be haueles yet shall be not by theft stele But nowe a dayes there ben fele That woll no labour vndertake But what they may by stelth take They holde it sykerlyche wonne And thus the lawe is ouerronne whiche god hath set and namely with hem that so vntruly The goodes robbe of holy churche The theft whiche they than wyrche By name is cleped Sacrylege Ayen the whome I thinke allege Vpon the poyntes as we ben taught Stont Sacrylege and elles nought The fyrste poynt is for to say whan that a thefe shall stele away The holy thynge frome holy place The seconde is if he purchace By way of theft vnholy thinge whiche he vpon his knowleyginge Fro holy place away toke The thyrde poynt as sayth the boke Is suche as where as euer it be In wodde in felde or in cyte Shall no man stele by no wyse That halowed is to the seruyse Of god whiche all thynges wotte But there is nother cold ne hotte whiche he for god or man woll spare So that the body may wel fare And that he may the world escape The heuen hym thynketh is but a iape And thus the soth for to telle He riseleth both boke and belle So forth with all the remenaunt To goddes how 's appertinaunte where that he shulde bydde his bede He doth his theft in holy stede And taketh what thynge he fynt therin For whan be seeth that he may wyn He wondeth for no cursidnesse That bene breketh the holynesse And doth to god no reuerence For be hath lost his conscience That though the preste therfore corse He seyth he fareth not the worse And for to speke it other wyse what man that lasseth the fraunchyse And taketh of holy churche his pray I not what bedes he shall praye whan he fro god whiche hath yiue all The purpartie in speciall whiche vnto Christ
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—
Pite Iesu regarde Et met cest alme in sauue garde ¶ And there by hongeth a table wherin appereth that who so euer praith for the soule of IohnÌ„ Gower he shall so oft as he so dothe haue a thousande and fyue handred dayes of pardon The other lyeth huryed in the monasterye of seynt Peters at westmyster in an I le on the south syde of the churche On whose soules and all christen Iesu haue mercy Amen The table The contentes of the prologe ⧠Howe IohnÌ„ Gower in the .xvi. yere of kynge Rycharde the seconde beganne to make this boke folio .i. ¶ Of the state of royalmes temporally the same yere fo eodem Of the estate of the clergye the tyme of Robert Gylbonense namynge hym selfe Clement than Antipope fo ij ¶ Of thestat of the coÌ„mon people fo iij. ¶ Howe some blame fortune some the influence of the planettes for thynges that chaunce fo eodem ¶ Of the image that Nabugodonosor lawe in his slepe whiche hadde a heed of golde a brest of syluer a bely of brasse legges of iron and fete halfe iron halfe erthe fo iij. ¶ The interpretation of the same dreme and howe the worlde was fyrst of golde and after alway werse and werse fo eod ¶ The apostols wordes concernyng the ende of the worlde fo vi ¶ The mutabilite of thinges fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Howe man by the matter of his complection is diuided and of the diuision of the body and soule and howe Adam diuided from the state of innocence was deiected out of Paradyse fo eodeÌ„ ¶ How the people through the worlde excepte Noe and his for diuision were drowned fo eodem ¶ The diuision of languages and a token of the worldes ende fo vii ¶ Of the harper Arion fo eodem Thus endeth the prologue ¶ The contentes of the fyrste boke ¶ Fyrst the auctour nameth this warke Confessio Amantis wherin is descriued not onely the loue humayne but also of all other lyuynge bestes naturall fo vij ¶ Howe Cupyde smote IohnÌ„ Gower with a fyry darte and wounded hym that Venus commysed hym to Genius her preste to here his confession fo viij ¶ Howe the louer knelynge praith Genius to appose hym in his coÌ„fessioÌ„ fo eo ¶ The wordes of Genius the preeste vpon the louers confession fo ix ¶ Howe the louer dothe make his confession principally of two of his fiue wyttes fo eodem ¶ Howe Acteon for lokyng vpon Diane was turned into an harte fo eodem ¶ Of Phorcus and his thre doughters whiche had but one eye and howe Perseus slewe them fo eodem ¶ Howe the serpent that beareth the CarbuÌ„cle stoppeth his eares whan he is inchanted fo x. ¶ How Vlixes escaped fro the meriâ—â—â—dens by stoppynge of his cares fo eo◠¶ Of the seuen dedly synnes of whom the fyrst is Pryde whiche hath diuers spices the fyrst of them is hipocrisy the whos properte the coÌ„fes declareth fo xi ¶ Howe some innocent women are disceyued fraudulentely throughe hypocrysye fo eodem ¶ Howe a knyghte of Rome named Mundus whiche by his feyned hipocrisie and meane of two false preestes defouled one Pauline the most chast wyfe of Rome fo xij ¶ Howe by the colour of sacrifyce and feyned hipocrisie Troye was wonne and distroyed by the grekes fo xiii Of the seconde spice of pride named inobedience fo xiiij ¶ Of two vices longynge to inobedience called murmour coÌ„playnt fo xv ¶ How the noble knight FloreÌ„ce neuew to the emperour by his obedience restored the kynges doughter of Cicile to hir right shappe fo eodem ¶ Of the thyrde spyce of pryde / which is called Surquedrye fo xviii ¶ Of the presumption whiche desceyueth the louers whan they thinke them selfe most sure fo eodem ¶ How the knyght Campaneus for his surquedrye was breÌ„te by fyre at the siege of Thebes fo eodem ¶ How the kinge of Hungrye humbled him to pour men wherof his brother rebuked him how the kinge by his great â—â—â—â—dome chastised his brother fo xix ¶ Howe Narcissus ennamored on his 〈◊〉 beautye spilte him selfe fo xx 〈◊〉 Of the forth spyce of pryde named â—â—â—â—tance fo xxi 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ge Albine through his folisshe 〈…〉 was â—â—ayne of his owne wyfe 〈◊〉 â—â—â—em 〈…〉 the fifte spice of pride called Vain 〈◊〉 fo xxiii 〈…〉 Nabugodonosor for his pryde 〈◊〉 he was in his moste glorye was of 〈…〉 transformed in to a beast 〈◊〉 â—â—y fo eodem 〈◊〉 Howe a prudent kinge demanded .iii. 〈…〉 one of his knightes vpoÌ„ his 〈◊〉 â—hich were assoyled by the knygh 〈…〉 whom the kynge for hir 〈◊〉 maryed fo xxv The contentis of the seconde boke ¶ Of the synne of Inuie and of his spiâ—â—â— â—â—â—â—t of that that is called Sorowe 〈◊〉 other mannes welth fo xxvii ¶ Howe Polyphemus for enuye slewe 〈◊〉 howe he wolde haue rauisshed â—â—â—â—hee whom Neptunus saued from him fo eodem ¶ Of the seconde spyce of enuye called Ioye of an other mans sorowe fo xxviii ¶ Of the Couetous and Enuyous man fo xxix ¶ Of the thirde spice of enuye named Detraction fo eodem ¶ How Constance themperours doughter of Rome was sent to the souden of Surrey and of her meruailous aduentures there fo xxxi ¶ How Constance arriued in Englonde and howe she conuerted Hermegilde to the feyth fo eodem ¶ Howe a yonge man was amorous on Constans of the mischifes dede that he therfore dyd fo eodem ¶ Howe kinge Allee was conuerted to the feyth and wedded CoÌ„stans fo xxxii ¶ Howe Constance was delyuered of a fayre son whom they named Maurice of the great treason of the kinges mother fo eodem ¶ Howe Constance was ageyne put on the see and two yere after arryued in Spayne amonge sarasins and howe at last hir shippe was driuen amonge the Romayne flitte fo xxxiii ¶ Howe kinge Allee toke wreche on his mother for hir treason fo xxxiiii ¶ Howe kinge Allee wente to Rome on pylgremage where he fonde his wyfe his chylde fo eodem ¶ How Constance beknowleged hir to hir fader themperour fo xxxv ¶ How Maurice was constituted heire of the empire of Rome how kinge Alle retorned in to Englonde wher within .ii. yere after he deyed fo xxxvi ¶ Of the enuy and detraction betwene Persyus and Demetrius the two soÌ„nes of kinge Philip of Macedon and howe that one caused that other to be slayne fo eodem ¶ Of the fourth spyce of Enuy whiche is called dissimulacion fo xxxviii ¶ Howe Nessus desceyued Hercules Dianire at a ryuer of the sherte that was the deth of Hercules fo xl ¶ Of the fyfte spice of enuye called Supplantacion fo eodem ¶ How Agamemnon supplanted Achilles and Diomedes Troylus fol. xli ¶ Of Geta Amphitrion fo eodem ¶ Howe an emperours sonne of Rome was supplanted by his felowe of the soudans daughter by tellynge to hym his counsayle fo eodem ¶ Howe Pope Boniface
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
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
heuen mede of suche a grace I can nought speke netheles Christ hath commanded loue and pees And who that worcheth the reuers I trowe his mede is full dyuers And sythen than that we fynde That werres in her owne kynde Ben toward god of no deserte And eke they bryngen in pouerte Of worldes good it is marueyle Amonge the men what it may eyle That they a pees ne connen set I trowe synne be the lette And euery mede of synne is deth So wote I neuer howe it geth But we that be of o beleue Amonge our selfe this wolde I leue That better it were pees to chese Than so by double weye lese ¶ I not if that it nowe so stonde But this a man may vnderstonde who that these olde bokes redeth That couetyse is one whiche ledeth And brought the fyrst werres inne At Grece if that I shall begynne There was it proued howe it stode To Perse whiche was full of good They maden werre in specyall And so they dydden ouer all where great rychesse was in londe So that they lefte nothynge stonde Vnwerred but onely Archade ¶ Nota ê™ greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant sed tantum Archadiam pro eo ê™ pauper et sterilis fuit pacifice dimiserunt ¶ For there they no werres made Bycause it was bareyne and poure wherof they myght nought recouer And thus pouerte was forbore He that nought had nought hath lore But yet it is a wonder thynge whan that a ryche worthy kynge Or lorde what so he be woll aske and clayme propertie In thynge to whiche he hath no right But onely of his great myght For this may euery man well wyte That bothe kynde and lawe wryte Expressely stonden there ageyne But he mote nedes somewhat seyne All though there be no reason inne whiche secheth cause for to wynne For wyt that is with wyll oppressed whan couetyse hym hath adressed And all reasone putte awaye He can well fynde suche a wey To werre where as euer hym lyketh wherof that he the worde entriketh That many a man of hym compleyneth But yet alway some cause he feyneth And of his wrongefull herte he demeth That all is well what euer him semeth Be so that he may wynne inough For as the true man to the plough Only to the gaynynge entendeth Right so the werriour dispendeth His tyme and hath no conscience And in this poynt for euidence Of hem that suche werres make Thou myght a great ensample take Howe they her tirrannye excusen Of that they wrongeful werres vsen And howe they stonde of one accorde The soudiour forth with the lorde The poore man forth with the riche As of courage they ben lyche To make werres and to pylle For lucre and for none other skylle wherof a propre tale I rede As it whylom befelle in dede ¶ Hic declar at per exemplum contra istos prinâ—â—es seu altes quoscilque illicite guerre motores / Et narrat de quodam pirata in partibus mariâ—is speliatore notissimo / qui cum captus fuisset et in iudicium coram rege Alexandro productus et de latricino accusatus dixit / O Alexander vere â—uia cuÌ„ paucis socus spoliorum causa naues tantum eâ—pforo / ego latruncusus vocor in auteÌ„ quia cum infinita beffatorum muftitudine vniuer fam tâ—rram subiugando spofiafti Imperator dicâ—tâ—â— Ita ê™ statue tuus a statu meo differt / sed â—â—â—em animo conditionem paâ—isem habemus 〈◊〉 â—ander vero enis audatiam in responsione 〈◊〉 bans ipsum penes se familiarem retinuit Et 〈◊〉 â—â—â—licâ—sâ—s beffatori complacnit ⧠Of hym whome all this erthe drad whan he the worlde so ouerladde Through werre as it fortuned is Kynge Alysaunder I rede this Howe in a marche where he lay It felle perchaunce vpon a day A Rouer of the see was nome whiche many a man bad ouercome And slayne and take her good awaye This pyller as the bokes say A famous man in sondry stede was of the werkes whiche he dede This prisoner afore the kynge was brought thervpon this thynge In audience he was accused And he his dede hath nought excused And praide the kyng to done him right And sayd Syre if I were of myght I haue an herte lyche vnto thyn For if thy power were myn My wylle is most in especiall To ryfle and gette ouer all The large worldes good about But for I leade a poure route And am as who sayth at mischiefe The name of pyllour and of these I beare and thou whiche routes great Myght leade and take thy beyete And doste right as I wolde do Thy name is nothynge cleped so But thou arte named emperour Our dedes ben of one colour And in effecte of one deserte But thy rychesse and my pouerte They be not taken euen lyche And netheles he that is ryche This day to morowe he may be poorer And in contrary also recouer A poore man to grete ryches Men seyn for thy let ryghtewysenes Be peysed euen in the balaunce ¶ The kynge his hardy contenaunce Behelde his wordes wyse And sayd vnto hym in this wyse Thyne answere I haue vnderstonde wherof my wyl is that thou stonde In my seruyce stylle abyde And forth with al the same tyde He hath hym terme of lyfe withholde The more for he shuld ben holde He made hym knyght yafe hym lond whiche afterwarde was of his honde An orped knyght in many a stede And grete prowesse of armes dede As the Cronykes it recorden And in this wyse they acorden The whiche of condicion Be sette vpon destruction Suche Capitaine suche retinue But for to see what yssue The kynge befalleth at the laste It is great wonder that men caste Her herte vpon suche wronge to wynne where no beyete may ben inne And doth dysese on euery syde But when reson is put a syde And wylle gouerneth the courage The faucon whiche fleeth ramage And suffreth no thyng in the weye wherof that he may take his preye Is not more set vpon rauyne Than thilke man whiche his couyne Hath set in suche a maner wyse For all the worlde may nought suffyse To wyl whiche is not resonable ☞ Hic secundum gefta Alexandri de guerris illicitis ponit Confessor exemplum / dicens quod quamuis Alexander sua potentia totius mundi victor subingarat imperium ipse tandem mortis victoria subiugatus / cunctipotentis sententiam euadere non potuit ⧠wherof ensampele concordable Lyche to this poynte of which I mene was vpon Alysander sene whiche hadde set all his entent So as fortune with hym went That reason myght hym not gouerne But of his wylle he was so sterne That all the worlde he ouerran And what hym lyst he toke and wan In Inde the superyour whan that he was full conquerour And hadde his wylfull pourpose woÌ„ne Of all this erth vnder the sonne This kynge homwarde to Macedoyne whan that he cam
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
and if so is That I haue ought done so er this It is so lyttell of accompte As who sayth it may not amount To wynne of loue his lusty yifte For this I telle you in shryfte That me were leuer her loue wynne Than Raire and all that is therinne And for to slee the heathen alle I not what good there myght falle So moch blod though ther were shad This fynde I write howe Christe bad That no man other shulde slee what shulde I wynne ouer the see If I my lady loste at home But passe they the salte fome To whoÌ„ Christ bad they shuldeÌ„ preche To all the worlde and his feyth teache But nowe they rucken in her nest And resten as hem lyketh beste In all the swetenes of delyces Thus they defenden vs the vices And sytten hem selfe all amydde To slee and fyght they vs bydde Hem whoÌ„ they shuld as the boke saith Conuerten vnto Christes fayth But herof haue I great meruayle How that they shulde me byd trauaile A sarazyn if I slee shall I slee the soule forth withall And that was neuer Christes lore But nowe hoo therof I say no more But I woll speke vpon my shrifte And to Cupyde I make a yefte That who as euer price deserue Of armes I wol loue serue As though I shuld hem bothe kepe Al 's well yet wolde I take kepe when it were tyme to abyde And for to trauayle and for to ryde For howe as euer a man laboure Cupyde appoynted hath his houre ¶ Hic allegat AmaÌ„s in sui excusatione qualiter Achilles apud Troiam propter amorem Polixene arma sua per aliquod tempus dimisit ¶ For I haue herde telle also Achilles lefte his armes so Both of hym selfe and of his men At Troye or Polyxen Vpon her loue when he felle That for no chaunce that befelle Amonge the grekes or vpor downe He wolde nought ayene the towne Ben armed for the loue of hyr And so me thynketh leue syr A man of armes may hym reste Sometyme in hope for the beste If he may fynde a werre nerre what shulde I than go so ferre In straunge londes many a myle To ryde and lese at home there whyle My loue it were a shorte beyete To wynne chaffe and lese whete But if my lady byde wolde That I for her loue sholde Trauayle me thynketh truely I myght flee through out the sky And go through out the depe see For all ne sette I not a stre what thonke that I myght els gete what helpeth a man haue mete where drynke lacketh on the borde what helpeth any mans worde To say howe I trauayle faste where as me fayleth at laste That thynge whiche I trauayle fore O in good tyme were he bore That myght atteyne suche a mede But certes if I myght spede with any maner besynesse Of worldes trauayle than I gesse There shulde me none idelshyp Departe from her ladyshyp But this I se on dayes nowe The blynde god I wote not howe Cupydo whiche of loue is lorde He sette the thinges in discorde That they that lest to loue entende Full ofte he woll hem yeue and sende Moost of his grace and thus I fynde That he that shulde go behynde Goth many a tyme ferre to fore So wote I not ryght well therfore On whether borde that I shall seyle Thus can I nought my selfe counsayle But all I sette on auenture And am as who sayth out of cure For ought that I can sey or do For euermo I fynde it so The more besynesse laye The more that I knele and praye with good wordes and with softe The more I am refused ofte with besynes and may not wynne And in good feyth that is great synne For I may seye of dede and thought That idell man haue I be nought For howe as euer that I be deslayde yet euermore I haue assayde But though my besynesse laste All is but ydell at laste For whan theffecte is ydelnesse I not what thynge is besynesse Saye what auayleth all the dede whiche nothynge helpeth at nede For the fortune of euery fame Shall of his ende beare a name And thus for ought is yet befalle An idell man I woll me calle And after myn entendement But vpon your amendement Myn holy father as you semeth My reason and my cause demeth ¶ My son I haue herde of thy matere Of that thou hast the shryuen here And for to speake of idell fare Me semeth that thou tharst not care But only that thou myght not spede And therof sonne I woll the rede Abyde and haste not to faste Thy dedes ben euery day to caste Thou nost what chaunce shall betyde Better is to wayte vpon the tyde Than rowe ayenste the stremes stronge For though so be the thynke longe Percase the reuolucion Of henen and thy condicyon Ne be not yet of one accorde But I dare make this recorde To Venus whose prest that I am That sythen that I hyther cam To here as she me badde thy lyfe wherof thou els be gyltyfe Thou myght herof thy conscyence Excuse and of great dyligence whiche thou to loue hast so dyspended Thou oughtest wel to be commended But if so be that there ought fayle Of that thou slouthest to trauaylle In armes for to ben absent And for thou makest an argument Of that thou saydest here aboue How Achilles through strength of loue His armes left for a throwe Thou shalt an other tale knowe whiche is contrarye as thou shalt wite For this a man maye fynde wryte whan that knyghthode shall be weired Lust may not than be preferred The bed mot than be forsake And shelde and spere on hond take which thing shall make hem after glad whan thy be worthy knyghtes made wherof so as it cometh to honde A tale thou shalt vnderstonde How that a knyght shall armes sewe And for the whyle his ease eschewe ⧠Hic dicit ê™ amoris delectamento postposito miles arma sua preferre debet Et ponit exempluÌ„ de Vlyxe cum ipse a bello Troiano propter amorem Penelope remanere domi voluisset Nau plus pater Palamidis cum tantis sermonibus allocutus est ê™ Vlixes thoro sue coniugis relicto lobores armorum vna cum afiis Troie magnanimis subibat ⧠Vpon knyghthode I rede thus Howe whylome the kynge Nauplus The fader of Palamydes Came for to preyen Vlyxes with other Gregois eke also That he with hem to Troye go where that the syege shulde be Anone vpon Penelope His wyfe whome that he loueth hote Thynkend wolde hem nought behote But he shope then a wonder wyle Howe that he shulde hem best begyle So 〈…〉 myght dwelle stylle At hoâ—e and weld his loue at wylle wherof erly the morowe day Out of his bed where that he lay whan he was vp he gan to fare In to the felde and loke and stare As he whiche feyneth to be wood He toke a plough where that it stode wherin
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
subiugaium obtinuit ☞ Eneas eke within Itayle He had he wonne the bataylle And done his myght so besyly Ayene kynge Turne his enemy He hadde nought Lauine wonne But for he hath hym ouer ronne And gat his prys he gat her loue By these ensamples here aboue Lo nowe my sonne as I haue told Thou myght wel se who that is bold And dar trauayle and vndertake The cause of loue he shall be take The rather vnto loues grace For comonlyche in worthy place The women louen worthynesse Of manhode and of gentylnesse For the gentils be most desyred ¶ My fader but I were inspired Through lore of you I wote no weye what gentylnesse is for to seye wherof to telle I you beseche ¶ The grounde my sonne for to seche Vpon this diffinicyon The worldes constitucion Hath set the name of gentylnesse Vpon the fortune of rychesse whiche of longe tyme is falle in age Than is a man of hyghe lynage After the forme as thou shalt here But no thynge after the matere For who that reason vnderstond Vpon rychesse it may not stonde For that is thynge whiche fayleth ofte For he that stant to day alofte And all the worlde hath in his wones To morowe he fallyth all at ones Oute of ryches in to pouerte So that therof is no deserte whiche gentylnesse maketh abyde And for to loke on other syde Howe that a gentylman is bore Adam whiche was all tofore with Eue his wyfe as of hem two All was alyche gentyll tho So that of generacyon To make declaration There may no gentylnes be For to the reason if we se Of mannes byrthe the measure It is so common to nature That it yeueth euery man alyche As well to the poore as to the ryche For naked they ben bore bothe The lorde no more hath for to clothe As of hym that ilke throwe Than hath the poorest of the rowe And whan they shull both passe I not of hem whiche hath the lasse Of worldes good but as of charge The lorde is more for to charge whan god shall his accompte here For he hath had his lustes here But of the body whiche shall deye All though there be dyuers weye To deth yet is there but one ende To whiche that euery man shall wende As well the begger as the lorde Of one nature of one accorde She whiche our olde mother is The erthe bothe that and this Receyueth and alyche deuoureth That she do nouther part fauoureth So were I nothynge after kynde where I may gentylles fynde For lacke of vertue lacketh of grace wherof Rychesse in many place whan men best wene for to stonde All sodeynly goth out of honde But vertue sette in the courage There may no worlde be so saluage whiche myght it take and done away Tyll when that the body deye And than he shall be ryched so That it may fayle neuermo So may that well be gentylâ—â—se whiche yeueth so great a sikernes For after the condicion Of reasonable intencyon The whiche out of the soule groweth And the vertue fro vice knoweth wherof a man the vice escheweth without slouth and vertue seweth That is a very gentyll man And nothynge els whiche he can Ne whiche he hath ne whiche he may But for all that yet nowe a day In loues courte to taken hede The poore vertue shall not spede where that the ryche vice woweth For selde it is that loue alloweth The gentyll man withouten good Though his condition be good But if a man of bothe two Be ryche and vertuous also Than is he well the more worth But yet to put hym selfe forth He must done his besynesse For nother good ne gentylnesse May helpen hem whiche idel be But who that woll in his degre Trauayle so as it belongeth It happeth ofte that he fongeth worshyppe and ease bothe two For euer yet it hath be so That loue honest in sondry wey Profyteth for it dothe aweye The vice and as the bokes seyne It maketh curteys of the vileyne And to the cowarde hardyesse It yeueth so that the very prowesse Is caused vpon loues reule To hym that can manhode reule And eke towarde the womanhede who that therof woll taken hede For though the better affayted be In euery thynge as men may se For loue hath euer his lustes grene In gentyll folke as it is sene whiche thynge there may no kind arest I trowe that there is no beaste If he with loue shulde acqueynt That he ne wolde make it queynt As for the whyle that it laste And thus I conclude at last That they ben ydell as me semeth whiche vnto thynge that loue demeth For slouthen that they shulden do And ouer this my sonne also After the vertue morail eke To speke of loue if I shall seke Amonge the holy bokes wyse I fynde wrytte in suche a wyse ☞ Nota de amore charitatis vbi dicit qui non diliget / manet in morte who loueth not as here is dede For loue aboue all other is hede whiche hath the vertues for to lede Of all that vnto mannes dede Belongeth For of ydelshyp He hateth all the felaushyp For slouthe is euer to despyse whiche in disdeyne hath all appryse And that acordeth nought to man For he that wyt and reason can It syt hym wel that he trauayle VpoÌ„ such thinge whiche myght auayle For ydelshyp is nought comended But euery lawe it hath defended And in ensample thereupon The noble wyse Salomon whiche hadde of euery thynge insyght Seyth As the byrdes to the flyght Ben made so the man is bore To labour whiche is nought forbore To hem that thynken for to thryue For we whiche are nowe a lyue Of hem that besy whylome were As wel in schole as elles where Nowe euery day ensample take That if it were nowe to make Thyng which that they fyrste founden out It shuld not be brought aboute Her lyues than were longe Her wyttes great her myghtes strong Her hertes full of besynesse wherof the worldes redynesse In bopy both and in courage Stant euer vpon his auauntage And for to drawe in to memorye Her names bothe and her historye Vpon the vertu of her dede In sondry bokes thou myght rede Expedit de manibus labor vt de coridianis Actibus ac vita viuere poscit homo Sed qui doctrina causa fert meute labores Praeualet et merita perpetuata parat ☞ Hic loquitur contra ociosos quoscumque et maxime contra istos qui excellentis prudencie ingenium habentes absque fructu operum torpescunt Et ponit exemplum de diligencia predecessorum qui ad tocius humani generis doctrinam et auxiliuÌ„ suis coÌ„tinuis laboribus et studus gracia mediante diuina artes et sciencias primitus inueneruÌ„t ⧠Of euery wysdome the parfyt ♣ The hyghe god of his spyryt yafe to men in erth here Vpon the forme and the mater Of that he wolde make hem wyse And thus cam in the
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
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
sloughe hymselfe Iphis For loue of Araxarathen And in ensample of the women That suffren men dyen so Hir forme a man may seen also Howe it is tourned flesshe and bone In to the figure of a stone He was to nesshe and she to harde Beware for thy here afterwarde ye men and women bothe two Ensampleth you of that was tho ¶ Lo thus my sonne as I the say It greueth by diuers waye In dispeire a man to falle whiche is the last braunche of all Of slepe as thou hast herde deuyse wherof that thou thy selfe auyse Good is er that thou be deceyued wher that the grace of hope is weyued ¶ My father howe so that it stonde Nowe haue I pleynly vnderstonde Of stouthes courte the properte wherof touchende in my degree For euer I thynke to beware But ouer this so as I dare with all myn hert I you beseche That ye me wolde enforme and teache what there is more of your appryse In loue al 's well as otherwyse So that I may me cleane shryue ¶ My sonne whyle thou arte alyue And hast also thy full mynde Amonge the vices whiche I fynde There is yet one suche of the seuen whiche all this worlde hath set vneuen And causeth many a wronge where he the cause hath vnderfonge wherof hereafter thou shalte here The forme bothe and the matere ¶ Explicit liber quartus ¶ Hic in quinto libro intendit Confessor tractare de auaritia que omnium malorum radix esse dicitur necnon de eiusdem vicii speciebus et primum ipsuis auaritie naturam describit ¶ Incipit liber quintus Of â—â—at auaricia naturae legibus et quae Largus amor poscit strictius illa netat Omâ—â— quod est nimium uiciosum dicitur auruÌ„ Veâ—â—ia sicut oues seruat auarus opes Non decet ut soli seruabitur aes sed amori Debet homo solam solus habere suam FYrste whan the hyghe god beganne This worlde and that the kynde of man was fal into no gret encreâ— For worldes good was tho no pres But all was set to the commune They speken than of no fortune Or for to lese or for to wynne Tyll Auarice brought it in And that was wheÌ„ the world was woxe Of man of hors of shepe of oxe And that men knewen the money Tho went pees out of the wey And werre came on euery syde whiche all loue leyde asyde And of common his propre made So that in stede of shouell and spade The sharpe swerde was take on honde And in this wyse it cam to londe wherof men made dyches depe And hygh walles for to kepe The golde whiche auarice encloseth But all to lytell hym supposeth Though he mighte all the worlde purchase For what thing that he may enbrace Of golde of catell or of londe He let it neuer out of his honde But gette hym more and halt it fast As though the worlde shulde euer last So is he lyche vnto the helle For as these olde bokes telle what cometh ther in lasse or more It shall departe neuermore Thus whan he hath his cofer loken It shall not after ben vnstoken But whan hym lyst to haue a syght Of golde howe that it shyneth bright That he theron may loke and muse For otherwyse he dare not vse To take his part or lesse or more So is he poore and ouermore Hym lacketh that he hath inough An oxe draweth in the plough Of that hym selfe hath no profite A shepe ryght in the same plyte His wolle beareth but on a day An other taketh the flees away Thus hath he that he nought ne hath For he therof his parte ne tath To seye howe suche a man hathe good who so that reasone vnderstoode It is vnproperlyche sayde That good hath hym halt him tayde That he ne gladdeth nought withall But is vnto his good a thrall And a subiecte thus serueth be where that he shulde mayster be Suche is the kynde of thauarous My sonne as thou art amorous Telle if thou fare of loue so ¶ My father as it semeth no That auarous yet neuer I was So as ye setten me the cas For as ye tolden here aboue In full possession of loue yet was I neuer here tofore So that me thynketh well therfore I may excuse well my dede But of my wyll withouten drede If I that treasour myght gete It shulde neuer be foryete That I ne wolde it faste holde Tyll god of loue hym selue wolde That death vs shulde departe a two For leueth well I soue her so That euen with myn owne lyfe If I that swete lusty wyfe Myght ones welden at my wylle For euer I wold holde hir stille And in this wyse taketh kepe If I her had I wolde her kepe And yet no fryday wolde I fast Though I her kepe and helde fast Fye on the bagges in the â—â—st I had inough if I her kyst For certes if she were myn I had her leuer than a myn Of golde for all this worldes ryche Ne myght me make so ryche As she that is so inly good I set nought of other good For myght I gette suche a thynge I had a treasour for a kynge And though I wolde it fast holde I were than wel beholde But I myght pype nowe with lasse And suffre that it ouer passe Not with my wyll for thus I wolde Ben auorous if that I sholde But father I herde you sey Howe the auarous hath yet some wey wherof he may be glad For he May whan hym lyst his treasure se And grope and fele it all aboute But I full ofte am shet theroute There as my worthy tresour is So is my life liche vnto this That ye me tolden here to fore Howe that an oxe his yoke hath bore For thynge that shulde hym not auaile And in this wyse I me trauayle For who that euer hath the welfare I wote wel that I haue the care For I am had and nought ne haue And am as who sayth loues 〈◊〉 Nowe deme in your owne thought If this be auarice or nought ¶ My sonne I haue of the no wonder Though thou to serue be put vnder with loue whiche to kynde accordeth But so as euery boke recordeth It is to kynde no pleasaunce That men aboue his sustenaunce Vnto the golde shall serue and bowe For that may no reason auowe But auarice netheles If he may getten his encrees Of golde that wolde he serue and kepe For he taketh of nought els kepe But for to fylle his bagges large And all is to hym but a charge For he ne parteth nought withall But kepeth it as seruaunt shall And thus though that he multiplie His golde without treasorye He is for man is nought amended with golde but if it be dispended To mans vse wherof I rede A tale and take therof good hede Of that befelle by olde tyde As telleth vs the clerke Ouyde ☞ HIC loquitur contra istos auaros ef narrai
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
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
To hir and yafe the apple tho Thus hope I well if that I go That she for me woll so ordeyne That they matere for to pleyne Shull haue or that I come ayene Nowe haue ye herde that I woll seyne Say ye what stant in your auys And euery man tho sayde his And sondry causes they recorde But at last they accorde That Parys shall to grece wende And thus the parliament toke ende ¶ Cassandra whan she herde of this The whiche to Parys syster is Anone she gan to wepe and weyle And sayde alas what may vs eyle Fortune with her blynde whele Ne woll nought let vs stonde wele For this I dare well vndertake That if Parys his way take As it is sayde that he shall do we ben for euer than vndo The whiche Cassandra than hyght In all the worlde as it beareth syght In bokes as men fynde write Is that Sibille of whom ye wyte That all men yet clepen sage whan that she wyst of this viage How Paris shall to grece fare No woman myght worse fare Ne sorowe more than she dyd And ryght so in the same stede Ferde Helenus whiche was hir brother Of prophecy and suche another And all was holde but a iape So that the purpose whiche was shape Or were hem lefe or were hem lothe was holde and in to Grece goth This Paris with his retenance And as it fell vpon his chaunce Of Grece he londeth in an yle And hym was tolde the same whyle Of folke / whiche he began to freyne Tho was in thyle quene Heleyne And eke of countrees there aboute Of ladies many a lusty route with mochel worthy people also And why they comen theder tho The cause stode in suche a wyse For worshyp and for sacrifyce That they to Venus wolden make As they to fore had vndertake Some of good wyll and some of bihest For than was hir by he fest within a temple whiche was there whan Parys wyst what they were Anone he shope his ordinance To gone to done his obeysance â—o Venus on hir holy day Aâ—d dyd vpon his best aray with great richesse he hym behongeth 〈◊〉 to suche a lorde belongeth He was nought armed netheles Bâ—t as it were in londe of pees And thus he goth forth out of shyp Aâ—d taketh with hym his felaushyp 〈◊〉 suche manere as I you say Vnto the temple he helde his way ¶ Tydyng / whiche goth ouerall To great and small forthe withall Come to the quenes ere and tolde Howe Parys came and that he wolde Do sacrifice to Venus And whan she herde tell thus She thought / howe that it euer be That she wyll hym abyde and se Forth cometh Parys with glad visage In to the temple on pilgremage where vnto Venus the goddesse He yeueth and offreth great rychesse And prayeth hir that he pray wolde And than asyde he gan beholde And se where that this lady stode And he forthe in his fresshe mode Goth there she was made hir chere As he well couth in his manere That of his wordes suche plesance She toke that all hir aqueyntance Al 's ferforth as the herte lay He stale / er that he went away So goth he forthe and toke his leue And thought anone as it was eue He wolde done his sacrilege That many a man shulde it abedge whan he to shyp ayene was come To hym he hath his counsayle nome And all deuysed the matiere In suche a wyse as thou shalt here within nyght all priuely His men he warneth by and by That they be redy armed sone For certeyne thynge whiche is to done And they anone ben redy all And echone other gan to call And went hem out vpon the stronde And toke a purpose there a londe Of what thynge that they wolden do Towarde the temple and forth they go So felle it of deuocion Heleyne in contemplacion with many an other worthy wyght was in the temple and woke all nyght To bydde and praye vnto thymage Of Venus as was than vsage So that Parys ryght as hym lyst In to the temple er they it wyst Came with his men all sodenly And all at ones set askry In hem whiche in the temple were For tho was moche peple there But of defence was no boote So suffren they that suffre mote Paris vnto the quene wente And her in both his armes bente with hym and with his felaushyp And forth they here her vnto shyp Vp goth the sayle and forth they wente And suche a wynde fortune hem sent Tyll they the hauen of Troy caught where out of shyp anone they straught And gone hem forth towarde the towne The whiche came with processyon Ayene Paris to sene his pray And euery man began to say To Parys and to his felaushyp All that they couthen of worshyp was none so lyttell man in Troye That he ne made myrthe and ioye Of that Parys had wonnen Heleyne But all that myrthe is sorowe and peyne To Helenus and to Cassandre For they it tolden shame and sklaundre And losse of all the comon grace That Parys out of holy place By stelth hath take a mans wyfe wherof he shall lese his lyfe And many a worthy man therto And all the citie be for do whiche neuer shall be made ayene And so it fell ryght as they seyne The sacrilege whiche he wrought was cause why the grekes sought Vnto the towne and it belay And wolden neuer parte away Tyll what by sleight what by strength They had it wonnen in brede and length And brente / and slayne that was within Nowe se my sonne suche a synne Is sacrilege in holy stede Beware therfore and byd thy bede And do nothyng in holy churche But that thou myght by reason worche And eke take bede of Achilles whan be vnto his loue chees Polixena that was also In holy temple of Apollo whiche was the cause why he dyede And all his lust was leyde asyde And Troylus vpon Crescyde Also his fyrst loue leyde In holy place and howe it ferde As who seyth all the worlde it herde Forsake he was for Dyomede Suche was of loue his last mede For thy my sonne I wolde rede By this emsample as thou myght rede Seche els where thou wylte thy grace And ware the well in holy place what thou to loue do or speke In aunter if it so be wreke As thou hast herde me tell to fore And take good hede also therfore Vpon the forme of auaryce More than of ony other vyce I haue deuyded in partyes The braunches whiche of companyes Through out the worlde in generall Be nowe the leders ouer all Of couetyse and of periurie Of fals brocage and of vsurie Of scarcenes and of vnkyndeshyp which neuer drough to felaushyp Of robberye and of pryue stelth whiche due is for the worldes welth Of rauyne and of sacrylege which maketh the conscyence agrege All though it may ryches atteyne It floureth but it shall not greyne
lycke hony of the thorne And as who seith vpon the brydell I chewe so that all is ydell As in effecte the fode I haue But as a man that wolde him saue whan he is syke by medycyne Ryght so of loue the famyne I fonde in all that euer I may To fede and dryue forth the day Tylle I may haue the great fest whiche all my honger might areste Lo suche ben my lustes thre Of that I thynke and here and se I take of loue my fedinge with oute tastinge or felynge And as the plouer doth of the heyre I liue and am in good espeyre That for none suche delycacye I trowe I do no gloteny And netheles to your auys Myn holy fader that ben wys I recommande myn estate Of that I haue ben delicate ¶ My sonne I vnderstonde wele That thou hast tolde here euery dele And as me thinketh by thy tale It ben delytes wonder smale wherof thou takest thy loues fode But sonne if that thou vnderstode what is to ben delicious Thou woldest not be curious Vpon the lust of thyn astate To ben to hote or delycate wherof that thou reason excede For in the bokes thou might rede If mans wysdom shall be sewed It ought wel to ben eschewed As wel by reason as b◠kynde Of olde ensamples as men fynde ¶ Hic loquitur de delicacia Neronis qui corpora libus delicus magis adherens spiritualia gandia minus obtinuit ¶ That man that wolde hym well auise Delycacye is to dispyse whan kynde accordeth not withall wherof ensample in specyall Of Nero whylom may be tolde whiche ayens kynde manyfolde His lustes toke tyll at last That god hym wolde all ouercaste Of whome the cronyke is so pleyne Me lust no more of hym to seyne And netheles for glotony Of bodely delycacy To knowe his stomake how it ferde Of that no man tofore herde which he within hym selfe bethought A wonder subtyle thyng he wrought Thre men vpon election Of age and of complection Lyche to hym selfe by all way He toke towardes hym to playe And eate and dranke as well as he Therof was no diuersite For euery day whan that they ete To fore his owne bourde they sete And of suche meate as he was serued All though they had it not deserued They token seruice of the same But afterwarde all thilke game was into wofull ernest tourned For whan they were thus soiourned within a tyme at after mete Nero whiche had not foryete The lustes of his freel astate As he whiche all was delycate To knowe thylke experience The men let come in his presence And to that one the same tyde A courser that he sholde ryde Into the felde anone he hadde wherof this man was wonder gladde And goth to prycke and praunce aboute That other while that he was out He layde vpon his bedde to slepe The thyrde whiche he wolde kepe within his chambre fayre and softe He gothe nowe vp nowe downe ful ofte walkynge a pace that he ne slepte Tyll be whiche on the courser lepte was comen fro the felde ageyne Nero than as bokes seyne These men dyd done take all thre And slough hem for he wolde se The whose stomacke was best defyed And whan he hath the sothe tryed He founde that he whiche goth the pas Defyed beste of all was whiche afterwarde he vsed aye And thus what thynge vnto his paye was most pleasant he lefte none with ony lust he was begone wherof the body myght glade For he no abstynence made But most of all erthely thynges Of women vnto the lykinges Nero set all his hole herte For that lust hym shulde not asterte whā that the thurst of loue him caught where that hym lyst he toke a draught He spareth nether wyfe ne mayde That suche a nother as men sayde In all this worlde was neuer yet He was so dronke in all his wit Through sondry lustes whiche he toke That euer whyle there is a boke Of Nero men shall rede and synge Vnto the worldes knowlechynge My good sonne as thou hast herde For euer yet it hath so ferde Delycacy in loues cas without reason is and was For where that loue is herte sette Hym thynketh it myght be no bet All though it be not fully mete The luste of loue is euer swete Lo thus to gether of felaushyp Delycacy and dronkshyp wherof reason stant out of herre Haue made many a man erre In loues cause moste of all For than howe so that euer it fall wytte can no reason vnderstonde But let the gouernaunce stonde To wylle whiche than wexeth so wylde That he can not hym selfe shylde Fro the perylle but oute of fere The way he secheth here and there Hym retcheth not vpon what syde For oft tyme he goth besyde And doth such thynge withoute drede wherof hym ought wel to drede But whan that loue assoteth sore It passeth all mens lore what lust it is that he ordeyneth There is no mans myght restreyneth And of god taketh he none hede But lawles withouten drede His purpos for he wolde acheue Ayenst the poyntes of the beleue He tempteth heuen erthe and helle Here afterward as I shall telle Dū stimulai amor quic quid iubet orta voluptas Auder et aggreditur nulla timenda timens Omne quod astra queunt lierbarū siue potestas Seu vigor inferni singula temptat amaus Quod nequid ipse deo mediante parare sinistrū Daemonis hoc magica credulus arte parat Sic sibi non curat ad opus quae retia tendit Dūmodo nudatam prendere posset anem ¶ Hic tractat qualiter ebrietas et delicacia omnis pudicicie contrarium infligantes inter alia ad carnalis concupiscencie promocionem sortilegio magicam requirunt who dare do thinge which loue ne dare To loue is euery lawe vnware But to the lawes of his best The fysshe the fowle the man the beest Of all the worldes kynde lowteth For loue is he which nothyng douteth In mannes herte where it sytte He counteth nought toward his wytte The wo no more than the we le No more the hete than the chele No more the wete than the drye No more to lyue than to dye So that to fore ne behynde He seeth no thynge but as the blynde withoute insyght of his courage He doth meruayles in his rage To what thynge that he wol him drawe There is no god there is no lawe Of whome that he taketh any hede But as baiarde the blynde stede Tyll he falle in the dytche a mydde He gothe there no man wyll hym bydde He stant so ferforthe out of rewle There is no wytte that may hym reule And thus to tell of hym in sothe Full many a wonder thynge he dothe That were better to be lafte Amonge the whiche is witche crafte That somme men clepen sorcerie whiche for to wynne his drewry with many a circumstance he vseth There is no poynt whiche he refuseth ¶ Nota de
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
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
tertia specie artis Mathematice / qud Geometriam vocant ¶ Mathematyke of his science Hath yet the thyrde intelligence Full of wysedome and of clergie And cleped is Geometrie Through which a man hath the sleight Of length of brede of depth of heyght To knowe the proporcion By very calculacion Of this science and in this wyse These olde philosophres wise Of all this worldes erth rounde Howe large how thick was the grouÌ„de Contriued by the experience The Cercle and the circomference Of euery thynge vnto the heuen They setten point and mesure euen Mathemetike aboue the erth Of high science aboue the ferth whiche speketh vpon Astronomy And techeth of the sterres bye Begynnynge vpwarde fro the mone But fyrst as it was for to done This Aristotle in other thynge Vnto this worthy yonge kynge The kynde of euery element whiche stant vnder the firmament Howe it is made and in what wyse Fro poynt to poynt be gan deuise Quatuor omnipotens elementa creauit origo Quatuor et uenti partibus ora dabat Nostra que quadruplici complectio sorte creatur Corpore sic que suo stat uariatus homo ¶ Hic traciat de creatione quatuor elementorum scilicet terre aque aeris et ignis Nec non et de eorum naturis nam et singulis ê“prietates singula attribituntur ¶ Tofore the creation Of ony worldes station Of heuen of erthe or eke of hell So as these olde bokes tell As soune to fore the songe is set And yet they ben to gether knet Ryght so the high purueance Tho had vnder his ordenance A great substance a great mattere Of whiche he wolde in his manere These other thynges make and forme For yet withouten any forme was that matere vniuersall whiche hight Ilem in speciall Of Ilem as I am enformed These elementes ben made and formed Of Ilem clementes they hote After the schole of Aristote Of whiche if more I shall reherse Foure elementes there ben diuerse ☞ Nota de terra quod est primum elementum ¶ The fyrst of hem men erthe call whiche is the lowest of hem all And in his forme is shape rounde Substanciall stronge sad and sounde As that whiche made is suffisant To beare vp all the remenant For as the poynt in a compas Stant euen amyddes ryght so was This erthe set and shall abyde That it may swerue to no syde And hath his centre after the lawe Of kynde and to that Centre drawe Desyreth euery worldes thynge If there ne were no lettynge ¶ Nota de aqua quod est secundum elementum ¶ Aboue the erthe kepeth his bounde The water whiche is the seconde Of elementes and all without It enuyronneth therthe about But as it sheweth nought for thy The subtyle water myghtily Though it be of hym selfe softe The strength of the erth passeth ofte For ryght as veynes ben of bloud In man ryght so the water floud Therth of his cours makth ful of veines Al 's well the hylles as the pleines And that a man may seen at eye For wher the hylles ben most hye There may men wel stremes fynde So preueth it by way of kynde The water hygher than the londe And ouer this nowe vnderstonde ¶ Nota de aera quod est tertium elementum Ayer is the thyrde of elementes Of whose kynde his aspirementes Taketh euery lyuysshe creature The whiche shall vpon erth endure For as the fysshe if it be drye Mote in defaute of water dye Ryght so without ayer on lyue No man ne beest myght thryue The whiche is made of flesshe and bone There is out take of all none ¶ Nota quod aer in tribus periferiss diuiditur ¶ This ayer in periferis thre Deuyded is of suche degree Beneth is one and one amydde To whiche aboue is the thrydde And vpon the deuysions There ben dyuers oppressions Of moyst and eke of drye also whiche of the sonne both two Ben drawe and haled vpon bye And maken cloudes in the skye And shewed is at mans sight wherof by day and eke by nyght After the tymes of the yere Amonge vs vpon erth here In sondry wyse thynges falle ¶ Nota de prima aeris periferia ¶ The fyrste periferye of all Engendreth myst and ouermore The dewes and the frostes bore After thilke interstition In whiche they take impression ☞ Nota de secunda aeris periferia ¶ Fro the seconde as bokes seyne The moyst droppes of the reyne Descenden in to the myddel erthe And tempreth it to sede and erth And doth to sprynge gras and floure And ofte also the great shoure Out of suche place it may be take That it the forme shall forsake Of reyne and in to snowe be torned And eke it may be so soiourned In sondry places vp alofte That in to hayle it tourneth ofte ¶ Nota de tertia aeris periferia ¶ The thirde of ayer after the lawe Through suche matere as is vp drawe Of drye thynge as it is ofte Amonge the cloudes vpon lofte And is so close it may not out Than is it chased sore about Tyll it to fyre and leyte falle And than it breketh the cloudes all The whiche of so great noyse craken That they the fearefull thonder maken The thonder stroke smyt er it leyte And yet men sene the fire and leyte The thonder stroke er that men here So may it well be proued here In thynge whiche shewed is fro ferre A mans eye is there nerre Than is the sounde to mans eare And netheles it is great feare Both of the stroke and of the fire Of whiche is no recouerire In place where that they discende But if god wolde his grace sende ¶ Nota qualiter ignes quos motantur in aeâ—e discurrere videmus secundum varias apparentie formas varia gesta ni nomina quorum primus Assub Secondus Capra saliens tertius Eges Et quarius Daali in libris philosophorum nuncupaâ—ns est ¶ And for to speaken ouer this In this parte of the aire it is That men full ofte sene by nyght The fyre in sondry forme alyght Somtyme the fyre drake it semeth And so the lewde people it demeth Somtyme it semeth as it were A sterre whiche that glydeth there But it is nether of the two The philosophre telleth so And seith that of impressions Through diuers exaltations Vpon the cause and the matere Men sene diuerse forme appere Of fyre the whiche hatâ— bondry name Assub he sayth is thylke same The whiche in sondry place is founde whan it is fall downe to grounde So as the fyre it hath aneled Lyke vnto slyme whiche is congeled Of exaltation I fynde Fyre kengled of the same kynde But it is of an other forme wherof if that I shall conforme The figure vnto that it is These olde clerkes tellen this That it is lyke a gote skyppende And for that it is suche semende It is hote Capra saliens And eke these Astronomyens An other fyre also
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
he was fully taught Of wysdom which was him betaught ¶ Nota hic de prima planeta / que aliis inferior luna dicitur ¶ Benethe all other stont the Mone The whiche hath with the see to done Of floodes hygh ebbes lowe Vpon his chaunge it shall be knowe And euery fysshe whiche hath a shelle Mote in his gouernaunce dwelle To wexe and wane in his degre As by the mone a man may se And all that stont vpon the grounde Of his moysture it mote be founde All other sterres as men fynde Ben shynende of her owne kynde Out take only the mone lyght whiche is not of hym selfe bryght But as he takth it of the sonne And yet he hath nought all full wonne His light that he nis somdell derke But what the lette is of that werke In Almagest it telleth this The mones cercle so lowe is wherof the sonne oute of his stage Ne seth him not with full visage For he is with the grounde beshaded So that the mone is somdele faded And may not fully shine clere But what man vnder his powere Is bore he shall his place chaunge And seche many londes straunge And as of this condicion The mones disposicion Vpon the londe of Alemayne Is set and eke vpon Britayne whiche nowe is cleped Englonde For they trauayle in euery londe ☞ De secunda planeta que Mercurine dicitur ¶ Of the planetes the seconde Aboue the mone hath take his bonde Mercurye and his nature is this That vnder him who that borne is In boke he shall be studious And in writinge curious And slowe and lustles to trauayle In thinge whiche els might auayle He loueth ese he loueth rest So is be not the worthiest But yet with somdele besinesse His hert is set vpon rychesse And as in this condicion Theffecte and disposicion Of this planete and of his chaunce Is moste in Borgoyne and in Fraunce ☞ De tercia planeta / que Venus dicitur ¶ Next to Mercurye as wolle befalle Stont that planet whiche men call Venus whose constellacion Gouerneth all the nacion Of louers where they spede or none Of whiche I trowe thou be one But whetherward thin happes wende Shall this planete shewe at ende As it hath do to many mo To some wel to some wo. And netheles of this planete The moste party is softe and swete For who that therof takth his byrth He shall desire ioy and myrthe Gentyl curtoys and debonayre To speke his wordes softe and fayre Suche shal he be by wey of kinde And ouerall where he may fynde Plesaunce of loue his herte boweth with all his might and ther he woweth He is so forforth amorous He not what thinge is vicious Touchend loue for that lawe There may no maner man withdrawe The whiche Veneryen is bore By wey of kinde And therfore Venus of loue the goddesse Is cleped but of wantoÌ„nesse The climate of her lecherye Is most comune in lumbardye ¶ 〈◊〉 de sole qui medio planetarum residens â—â—â—â—rum principatum obtinet ⧠Next vnto this planete of loue The bright sonne stont aboue whiche is the hindâ—rer of the night And fortherer of the dayes light As he whiche is the worldes eye Through whome the lusty companye Of fowles by the morowe singe The fresshe floures sprede and springe The hygh tre the grounde beshadeth And euery mans hert gladdeth And for it is the hede planete Howe that he sitteth in his sete Of what richesse of what nobleye These bokes telle and thus they seye ⧠Nota de curru solis necnon de vâ—rio eiusdem apparatu ¶ Of golde glistrende spoke and whele The sonne his carte hath faire and we le In whiche he sitte and is coroned with bright stones enuyroned Of whiche if that I speke shall There be tofore in speciall Set in the front of his corone Thre stones whiche no persone Hath vpon erth and the first is By name cleped Licuchis That other two cleped thus Astrices and Ceraunus In his corone and also behynde By olde bokes as I fynde There ben of worthy stones thre Set eche of hem in his degre wherof a Christall is that one whiche that corone is sette vpon The seconde is an adamant The thirde is noble and auenaunt whiche cleped is Idriades And ouer this yet netheles Vpon the sydes of the werke After the wrytynge of the clerke There sytten fyue stones mo The Smaragdine is one of tho Iaspis and Elitropius And Vendides and Iacinctus Lo thus the corone is beset wherof it shyneth well the bet And in suche wyse his lyght to sprede Syt with his Diademe on heed The sonne shynende in his carte And for to lede hym swithe and smarte After the bryght dayes lawe There ben ordeyned for to drawe Four hors his chare and hym withall wherof the naâ—â—â— telle I shall Eritheus the first is hote The whiche is redde and shyneth hote The seconde Acteos the bryght Lampes the thirde courser hight And Philogeus is the ferth That bringen lyght vnto this erth And gone so swifte vpon the heuen In foure and twenty houres euen The carte with the bryght sonne They drawe so that ouer ronne They haue vnder the cercles bye All mydde erthe in suche an bye And thus the sonne is ouer all The chefe planet imperiall Aboue hym and beneth hym thre And thus betwene hem renneth he As he that hath the middel place Amonge the seuen and of his face Ben glad all erthely creatures And taken after the natures Her ease and recreacion And in his constellacion who that is bore in speciall Of good wille and of liberall He shall be founde in all place And also stonden in mochel grace Toward the lordes for to serue And great profyte and thonke deserue And ouer that it causeth yet A man to be subtyl of witte To worch in golde and to be wise In euery thinge whiche is of prise But for to speken in what cost Of all this erth he regneth most As for wisdom it is in grece where is appropred thilke spece ☞ Nota de quinta planeta / que Mars dicitur ☞ Mars the planete bataillous Next to the sonne glorious Aboue stant and doth meruailles Vpon the fortune of batayles The Conquerours by dayes olde were vnto this planete holde But who that his natyuite Hath take vpon the propirte Of Martis disposicion By wey of constellacion He shall be fers and full hastyfe And desirous of werre and strife But for to tellen ridily In what climate most commonly That this planete hath his effecte Saide is that he hath his aspecte Vpon the holy londe so caste That there is no pees stedfaste ☞ Nota de sexta planeta / que Iupiter dicitur ¶ Aboue Mars vpon the heuen The sixte planete of the seuen Stant Iupiter the delicate whiche causeth pees and no debate For he is cleped the planete whiche of his kynde softe and swete Attempreth all that to hym longeth And whom this
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
vices wherof full ofte netheles A kynge is blamed gylteles ¶ Qualiter in principum curiis adulatores triplici grauitate offendunt ¶ A philosopher as thou shalt here Spake to a kynge of this matere And seyd hym well how that flatours Coulpable were of thre errours One was towarde the goddes bye That weren wroth of that they sye The mischiefe whiche befall shulde Of that the fals flatour tolde Towarde the kynge An other was whan they by sleyght and by fallas Of feyned wordes make hym wene That blacke is whyte and blew is grene Touchende of his condicion For whan he doth extorcion with many an other vice mo Men shall not fynde one of tho To grutche or speke there ageyne But holden vp his oyle and seyne That all is well what euer he doth And thus of fals they maken soth So that her kynges eye is blent And wote not howe the worlde is went The thirde errour is harme coÌ„mune with whiche the people mote coÌ„mune Of wronges that they bryngen inne And thus they werchen treble synne That ben flatours about a kynge There myght be no werse thynge About a kynges regalye Than is the vice of flaterye And netheles it hath ben vsed That it was neuer yet refused As for to speke in court ryall For there it is most speciall And may not longe be forbore But when this vice of hem is bore That shulde the vertues forth brynge And trouthe is torned to lesynge It is as who seith agaynst kynde wherof an olde ensample I fynde ¶ Hic loquitur super eodeÌ„ et narrat ê™ est Diâ—genes et Aristippus philosophi a scholis AthenÌ„ ad Cartaginem vnde orti fuerunt renertissent Aristippus Curie principis sui familiaris adhefâ— Diogenes vero in quodam mansuinculo suo studio vocane permansit et contigit ê™ cum ipse quodaÌ„ die ad finem orti sui super ripam herbas quas ele gerat ad ofera lauasset Superuenit ex casu Aristippus dixitque ei O Diogenes certe si principi tuo placere scires tu ad olera tua lauanda non indigeres Cui ille respondit O Aristippe Certe si tu olera tua lauare scires te in vlandiciis et adulationibus principi tuo seruire non oporteret ¶ Amonge these other tales wyse Of philosophers in this wyse I rede howe whylome two there were And to the schole for to lere Vnto Athenes fro Cartage Her frendes whan they were of age Hem sende and there they studeÌ„ longe Tyll they suche lore haue vnderfonge That in her tyme they surmounte All other men that to accounte Of hem was tho the great fame The firste of hem his ryght name was Diogenes than hote In whom was founde no ryote His felawe Aristippus hyght whiche mochel couthe mochel might But at last sothe to seyne They bothe turnen home ayene Vnto Cartage and schole lete This Diogenes no beyete Of worldes good or lasse or more Ne sought for his longe lore But toke hym only for to dwelle At home and as the bokes telle His house was nygh to a ryuere Besyde a brygge as thou shalte here There dwelleth he and takth his rest So as it thought hym for the best To study in his philosophie As he whiche wolde so defye The worldes pompe on euery syde But Aristippe his boke a syde Hath leyde and to the courte he wente where many a wyle and many a wente with flatery and wordes softe He caste and hath compassed ofte Howe he his prince myght please And in this wyfe be gate hym ease Of veyne honour and worldes good The londes rule vpon hym stode The kynge of hym was wondre glad And all was do what thynge he had Gothe in the courte and eke without with flatery be brought about His purpos of the worldes werke whiche was ayene the state of clerke So that philosophy he lefte And to ryches hym selfe vp lefte Lo thus had Aristyppe his wyll But Diogenes dwelte styll At home and loked on his boke He sought not the worldes croke For veyne honour ne for rychesse But all his hertes besynesse He sette to be vertuous And thus within his owne hous He lyuch to the suffysaunce Of his hauynge and fell perchaunce This Diogene vpon a day And that was in the month of May whan that these herbes ben holsome He walketh for to gether some In his gardyn of whiche his ioutes He thought to haue and thus aboutes whan he hath gadred what him lyketh He set him than downe and piketh And wisshe his herbes in the flode Vpon the whiche his garden stode Nigh to the bregge as Itolde ere And hapneth whyle he sytteth there Cam Aristippus by the strete with many bors and routes great And straught vnto the bregge he rode where that he boued and abode For as he cast his eye nygh His felawe Diogene he sigh And what he dede he sigh also wherof he sayde to him tho O Deogene god the spede It were certes litel nede To sitte here and wortes pyke If thouthy prince coudest lyke So as I can in my degre O â—ristippe ageyne quod he If that thou coudest so as I Thy wortes pycke truely It were as lytell nede or lasse That thou so worldly woll compasse with flatery for to serue wherof thou thynkest for to deserue Thy prynces thonke and to purchace How thou myght stonde in his grace For gettynge of a lyttell good If thou wolt take in to thy mode Reason thou myght by reason deme That so thy prynce for to queme Is not to reason accordaunt But it is greatly discordaunt Vnto the scholes of Athene Lo thus answerde Diogene Ageyne the clerkes flateye But yet men seyne thessamplerye Of Aristyppe is well receyued And thilke of Diogene is weyued Office in courte and golde in coffer Is now men seyn the philosopher whiche hath the worshyp in the hall But flatery passeth all In chambre whom the court auaunceth For vpon chylke lotte it chuanceth To be beloued nowe a day ⧠Nota exemplum cuiusdam poete de Italia ouâ— Dante 's vocabatur ¶ I not if it be ye or nay Howe Dante the poete answerde To a flattrour the tale I herde Vpon a stryfe betwene hem two He sayd hym there ben many mo Of thy seruauntes than of myn For the poete of his couyne Hath none that wyl hym cloth and fede But a flatour may rule and lede A kynge with all his londe about So stant the wyse man in dout Of hem that to foly drewe For suche is nowe the comen lawe And as the commune voyce it telleth where nowe that flaterie dwelleth In euery londe vnder the lonne There is full many a thinge begonne whiche were better to be lefte That hath be shewed nowe and efte But if a prince him wolde rule Of the Romayns after the reule In thilke tyme as it was vsed This vice shulde be refused wherof the princis ben assoted But where the playn
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
And by the lawe whiche I vse I shall not in my feyth refuse To louen all men ylyche The poure bothe and eke the ryche whan they be glad I shall be glad And sory whan they ben bestad So shall I lyue in vnite with euery man in his degre For ryght as to my selfe I wolde Ryght so towarde al other shulde Be gracious and debonaire Thus haue I tolde the softe faire My faith my lawe and my creaunce And if the lyst for acqueyntaunce Nowe telle what maner man thou art And he answerde vpon his parte I am a iewe and by my lawe I shall to no man be felawe To kepe hym trouth in worde ne dede But if he be without drede A very iewe right as am I. For elles I may trewly Bereue hym both life and good The paynim herde and vnderstode And thought it was a wonder lawe And thus vpon their sondry sawe Talkende both forth they went The day was hote the sonne brent The paynim rode vpon an asse And of his catell more and lasse with hym a ryche trusse he lad The iewe which all vntrouth had And went vpon his fete besyde Bethought hym howe he myght ryde And with his wordes slye and wise Vnto the paynym in this wyse He sayde O nowe it shall be sene what thynge it is thou woldest mene For if thy lawe be certeyne As thou hast tolde I dare well seyne Thou wolt beholde my distres whiche am so full of werynesse That I ne may vneth go And let me ryde a myle or two So that I may my body ease The paynim wold hym not displease Of that he spake but in pite It list him for to knowe and se The pleynt whiche that other made And for he wolde his hert glade He light and made him nothing strauÌ„ge Thus was there made a newe chaunge The paynim goth the iewe alofte was sette vpon his asse softe So gone they forth carpende fast On this on that tyll at laste The paynym myght go no more And prayed vnto the iewe therfore To suffre hym ryde a lytell whyle The iewe which thought him to begyle Anone rode forth the great pase And to the paynym in this case He sayde Thou hast do thy ryght Of that thou haddest me behyght To do succour vpon my nede And that accordeth to the dede As thou art to the lawe holde And in suche wyse as I the tolde I thynke also for my partie Vpon the lawe of Iewerie To worche and do my duete Thin asse shall go forth with me with all thy good whiche I haue sesed And that I wote thou arte disesed I am right glad and not my spayde And whan he hath these wordes sayde In all haste he rode away This paynim wote none other way But on the grounde he kneleth euen His handes vp to the heuen And saide O hibe sothfastnes That louest all rightwysnesse Vnto thy dome lorde I appele Beholde and deme my quarele with vmble herte I the beseche The mercy bothe and eke the wreche I set all in thy iugement And thus vpon his marrement This paynym hath made his preiere And than he rose with drery chere And goth hym forth and in his gate He cast his eye aboute algate The iewe if that he myght se But for a tyme it might not be Tyll at last ayene the nyght So as god wolde he went a ryght As he whiche helde the highe weye And than he syghe in a valeye where that the iewe lyggende was All bloody deed vpon the gras whiche strangled was of a lyon And as he loked vp and down He fonde his asse fast by Forthe with his harneis redily All hole and sounde as he it lefte whan that the iewe it hym berefte wherof he thanked god knelende Lo thus a man may knowe at ende Howe the pitous pitie deserueth For what man that to pitie serueth As Aristotle it bereth witnesse God shall his fomen so redresse That they shall aye stonde vnder fote Pitie men seyne is thylke rote wherof the vertues sprengen all what infortune that befall In any londe lacke of pyte Is cause of thilke aduersite And that alday may shewe at eye who that the worlde discretely sye Good is that euery man therfore Take hede of that is sayde tofore For of this tale and other inowe These noble princes whylom drowe Her euidence and her apprise As men may fynde in many wyfe who that these olde bokes rede And though they ben in erthe deed Her good name may nought deye For pite whiche they wold obeye To do the dedes of mercy And who this tale redily Remembreth as Aristotle it tolde He may the wylle of god beholde Vpon the poynt as it was ended wherof that pyte stode commended whiche is to charite felawe As they that kepen bothe o lawe ¶ â—â—ta hic de principis pietate erga populum / 〈…〉 quod cum Codrus tex Athenis contra â—â—rences bellum gerere deberet consulto 〈◊〉 Apoâ—ine responsum accepit quod vnum de 〈◊〉 videâ—â—cet aut seipsum in prelio interfici 〈◊〉 populum suum sasuare aut seipsum saluuÌ„ fieri 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—um interfici eligere oporteret / Super 〈◊〉 â—â—â—etote motus plebisque sue magis quam 〈…〉 salutem affectans / mortem sibi 〈…〉 / Et sic bellum aggrediens pro vita 〈◊〉 solus interut ¶ Of pite for to speke pleyne whiche is with mercy well beseyne Full ofte he woll hym selue peyne To kepe an other fro the peyne For charâ—â— the mother is Of pite whiche nothynge amys Can suffre if he it may amende It syt to euery man lyuende To be pytous but none so wele As to a kynge whiche on the whele Fortune hath set abouen all For in a kynge if so befalle That his pitche ferme and stable To all the londe it is vaillable Onely through grace of his persone For the pite of hym alone May all the large royalme saue So sit it wel a kinge to haue Pyte For this Valery tolde And sayd howe that by dayes olde Codrus whiche was in his degre Kynge of Athenes the cyte A werre he had ayeinst Dorrence And for to take his euydence what shall befalle of the batayle He thought he wolde him first counsaile with Apollo in whom he tryste Through whose answere thus he wyste Of two poyntes that he might chese Or that he wolde his body lese And in batayle him selfe deye Or els the seconde weye To seen his people discomfite But he / whiche pite hath perfyte Vpon the poynte of his byleue The people thought to releue And chese him selfe to be deed where is nowe suche another heed whiche wolde for the lymmes dye And netheles in somme partye It ought a kinges hert stere That he his lyege men forbere And eke towarde his enemyes Full ofte he may deserue pryse To take of pyte remembraunce where that he might do vengeaunce For whan a kinge hath the victoire And than he drawe in
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