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
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
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
fayle or that he spede Therof take I but lytell hede Nowe haue I sayde my father all As of this poynte in speciall As ferforthly as I haue wyste Nowe axeth forder what you lyste ¶ My sonne er I aske any more I thynke somdele for thy lore Tell an example of this mattere Touchende enuy as thou shalt here wryte in Ciuyle this I fynde Though it be not the houndes kynde To eate chaffe yet woll he werne An oxe whiche cometh to the berne Therof to taken any fode And thus who that it vnderstode It stant of loue in many a place who that is out of loues grace And may hym selfe not auayle He wolde an other shulde fayle And if he may put any lette He doth al that he may to lette wherof I fynde as thou shalt wytte To this purpose a tale wrytte ¶ Hic ponit confessor exemplum contra istoâ— saltem / qui in amoris causa altorum gandiis inuideÌ„tes ne quaquam per hoc fibi ipsis proficiuÌ„t Et narrat qualiter quidaÌ„ inuines miles nomine Acis / queÌ„ Galathea Nimpha puscherrima toto corde peramauit / cum ipsi sub quadaÌ„ rupe iuxta fitus maris colloquium aduinicem habuerunt / Polyphemus gigas concussa rupe magnam inde partem super caput Acis ab alto proiiciens ipsuÌ„ per inuidiam interfecit Et cum ipse super hoc dictam Galatheam rapere voluisset Neptunus gigante obsistens / ipsaÌ„ inuiolataÌ„ salua custodia preseruanit Sed et du miserti corpus Acis defucti in fonteÌ„ aque dulcissime subito traÌ„smutaruÌ„t ¶ There ben of suche mo than twelue That be not able as of them selue To get loue and for enuye Vpon all other they aspye And for them lacketh that they wolde They kepe that none other shulde Touchend of loue his cause spede wherof a great ensample I rede whiche vnto this matter accordeth As Ouid in his boke recordeth How Polyphemus whylom wrought when that he Galathe besought Of loue whiche he may not latche That made hym for to wayte watche By all weyes howe it ferde Tyll at the laste he knewe and herde Howe that an other had leue To loue there as he mote leue As for to speake of any spede So that he knewe none other rede But for to wayten vpon all Tyll he may se the chaunce fall That he her loue myght greue whiche he hym selfe may not acheue This Galathe sayth the poete Aboue all other was vnmete Of beaute that men than knewe And hadde a lusty loue and trewe A bachyler in his degre Ryght suche an other as was she On whom she hath her hert set So that it myght nought be let For yeft ne for no byheste That she ne was all at his best This yonge knyght Acis was hote whiche her ageynwarde also hote All only loueth and no mo Herof was Polyphemus wo Through pure enuye and euer aspyde And wayteth vpon euery syde when he to geder myght se This yonge Acis with Galathe So longe he wayteth to and fro Tyll at the laste he founde hem two In pryue place where they stode To speke and haue her wordes good The place where as he them syghe It was vnder a banke nyghe The greatse and he aboue Stode and behelde the lusty loue whiche eche of them tyll other made with goodly chere and wordes glade That all his hert hath sette a fyre Of pure enuye and as a vyre whiche flyeth out of a myghty bowe Awey he fledde for a throwe As he that was for loue wode whan that he sawe howe it stode This Polypheme a geaunt was And whan he sawe the soth cas Howe Galathe hym hath forsake And Acis to her loue take His herte may it not forbere That he ne roreth as a beare And as it were a wylde beast In whom no reason myght areste He ranne Ethna the hylle about where neuer yet the fyre was out Fulfylled of sorow and great disease That he sawe Acis well at ease Tyll at the last he hym bethoughte As he whiche all enuy sought And tourneth to the banke ageyne where he with Galathe hath seyne That Acis whom he thought greue Though he hym selfe may not releue This geaunt with his rude myght Part of the bake he shofe downe right The whiche euen vpon Acis fylle So that with fallynge of this hylle This Polyphemus Acis slough wherof she made sorowe inough And as she fledde from the londe Neptunus toke her by the honde And kepte her in so faste a place Fro Polypheme and his manace That he with his false enuye He myght atteyne her company This Galathe of whom I speke That of her selfe maye not be wreke without any semblaunt feyned She hath her loues death compleyned And with her sorowe and with her wo She hath the goddes moued so That they of pitie and of grace Haue Acis in the same place There he lay deade into a welle Transformed as the bokes tell with fresshe stremes and with clere As he whylom with lusty chere was fresshe his loue for to queme And with this rude Polypheme For his enuye and for his hate They were wroth and thus algate My sonne thou myght vnderstonde That if thou wolte in grace stonde with loue thou must leue enuye And as thou wylte for thy partye Towarde thy loue stonde fre So must thou suffer a nother be what so byfalle vpon thy chaunce For it is a vnwyse vengeaunce whiche to none other man is lefe And is vnto hym selfe grefe Amans My fader this ensample is good But howe so euer that it stode with Polyphemus loue as tho It shall not stonde with me so To worchen any felonye In loue for no suche enuye For thy if there ought elles be Nowe axeth forth in what degre It is and I me shall confesse with shryfte vnto youre holynesse Vita sibi solito mentalia gaudia liuor Dum videt alterius damna doloris agit â—â—â—dus obridet hodie fletus aliorum â—â—â—â—s cui proprios craftina fata parent 〈◊〉 amore pari stat sorte iocosus amantes Cum vidit illusos inuidus ille quasi 〈◊〉 in uacuum speret tamen ipse leuamen A â—â—â—ius casu lapsus et ipse simul ¶ Hâ—â— segnitur confessor de secunda specie inuiâ—◠〈◊〉 gâ—udium afterius doloris dicitur / Et 〈◊〉 â—â—â—dem vicu materiam tractans amantis 〈◊〉 â—â—am super eodem vsterius inueftigat My good sonne yet there is A vice râ—uers vnto this whiche enuious taketh his gladnes Of that he seeth the heuynesse Of other men For his welfare 〈◊〉 whan he wote another care 〈◊〉 that an other hath a falle He thynketh hym selfe aryst with all Suche is the gladshyppe of enuye In worldes thyng and in partye Full ofte tymes eke also In loues cause it stanâ— ryght so If thou my sonne haste ioye hadde whan thou an other sawe vngladde Shryue the therof My fader yis I am byknowen vnto
Thus say I not that I full ofte Ne haue whan I spake moste softe Parcas sayde more than ynough But so well halt no man the plough That he ne balketh other whyle Ne so wel can no man affyle His tong that somtyme in rape Hym may some lyght worde ouerscape And yet ne meneth he no cheste But that I haue ayene her best Full ofte spoke I am beknowe And howe my wylle is that ye knowe For whan my tyme cometh about That I dar speke and say all out My longe loue of whiche she wot That euer in one alyche hot Me greueth than all my dysese I telle and though it her dysplese I speke it forth and nought ne leue And though it be besyde her leue I hope and trowe netheles That I do not ayene the pes For though I telle her all my thought She wot well that I chyde nought Men may the hyghe god beseche And he wol here a mans speche And he not wroth of that he seyth So yeueth it me the more feyth And maketh me hardy soth to sey That I dar wel the better prey My lady whiche a woman is For though I telle her that er is Of loue whiche me greueth sore Her ought not be wroth the more For I without noyse or crye My playnt make all buxomly To putten all wrath away Thus dar I say vnto this day Of cheste in ernest or in game My lady shall me no thynge blame But ofte tyme it bath betyde That with my seluen I haue chid That no man couthe better chyde And that hath ben at euery tyde whan I cam to my selue allone For than I made a preuy mone And euery tale by and by whiche as I spake to my lady I thynke and peyse in my balaunce And drawe in to my remembraunce And than if that I fynde a lacke Of any worde that I my spake whiche was to moche in any wyse Anone my wyttes I despyse And make a chyding in myn hert That any worde me shulde asterte whiche as I shuld haue holden ynne And soforth after I begynne And loke if there was elles ought To speke and I ne spake it nought And than if I may seche and fynde That any worde be lefte behynde whiche as I shulde more haue spoke I wolde vpon my selfe be wroke And chyde with my selfe n so That all my wyt is ouer go For no man maye his tyme lore Recouer and thus I am therfoe So ouer wroth in all my thought That I my selfe chyde all to nought That for to moche or for to lyte Full ofte I am my selfe to wyt But all that may me not auayle with cheste though I me trauayle But oule on stoke and stoke on oule The more that a man defoule Men wote wel whiche hath the werse And so to me nis worth a kerse But torneth vnto myn owne hede Though I telle that I were dede wolde euer chyde in suche a wyse Of loue as I to you deuyse ¶ But fader nowe ye haue all herd In this maner howe I haue ferd Of cheste and of dyssencyon yeue me your absolucyon Confessor ¶ My sonne if that thou wystest all what cheste doth in speciall To loue and to his welwyllinge Thou woldest fleen his knowlegeynge For who that most can speke fayre And lerne to be debonayre Is most acordende vnto loue Fayre speche hath ofte brought aboue Full many a man as it is knowe whiche elles shuld haue ben right lowe And fayled mochel of his wylle For thy holde thy tonge stylle And lete thy wytte thy wylle reste So that thou falle not in cheste which is the sours of great dystaunce And take in to remembraunce If thou myght gete Pacyence whiche is the leche of all offence As tellen vs the olde wyse ¶ Paciencia est vindicta omnium iniuriarum For whan nought elles may suffyse By strengthe ne by mans wyt Than Pacyence it ouer syt And ouer cometh at laste But he may neuer longe laste whiche woll not bowe er that he breke Take hede sonne of that I speke Amans ¶ My fader of your goodly speche And of the wytte whiche ye me teche I thanke you with all myn hert For that word shall me neuer astert That I ne shall your wordes holde Of Pacyence as ye me tolde Al 's ferforth as myn hert thynketh And of my wrath it me forthynketh But father if ye forth with all Some good ensample in specyall Me wolden teche of some Cronyke It shulde well myn hert lyke Of Pacyence for to here So that I myght in my mater The more vnto my loue obeye And putten my disese aweye ¶ Hic ponit Confessor Exemplum de paciencia in amore contra lites habenda Et narrat qualiter Vxor Socratis ipsum quodam die mustie sermonibus litigauit Sed cum ipse absque vlla responsione omnia probra pacienter sustulit / indignata Vxor quandam ydriam plenam aque / quam in manu tenebat super caput viri sui subito effudit dicens Euigila et loquere / qui respōdens tunc ait O vere iam scio / et expertus sum quod post ventorum rabiem sequuntur imbres Et isto modo litis contumeliam sua paciencia deuicit Confessor My sonne a man to bye hympes Behoueth suffer as Socrates Ensample left whiche is wryte And for thou shalt the soth wyte Of this ensample what I mene All though it be nowe lytell sene Amonge the men thylke euydence Yet he was vpon pacyence So set that he hym selfe assay In thinge whiche myght him most mispay Desyreth and a wikked wyfe He weddeth which in sorow and stryfe Ageynst his ease was contrayre But he spake euer softe and fayre Tyll it befelle as it is tolde In wynter whan the day is colde This wyfe was fro the welle come where that a pot with water nome She hath and brought it in to howse And sawe howe that her sely spouse was set and loked on a boke Nygh to the fyre as he whiche toke His ease as for a man of age And she began the wood rage And axeth hym what diuel he thought And bare on hond that hym ne rought what labour that she toke on honde And sayth that suche an husbonde was to a wyfe not worth a stre He sayd nother nay ne ye But helde hym stille and lete her chyde And she which may her selfe not hyde Began within for to swelle And that she brought in fro the welle The water pot she hent a lofte And badde hym speke and he all softe Sat stylle and nought a word answerd And she was wroth that he so ferd And axeth hym if he be dede And all the water on his hede She poured out and bad hym a wake But he whiche woll not forsake His pacience than spake And sayde howe that he fond no lake In no thynge whiche she hadde do For it was wynter tyme tho And wynter as by
heuen mede of suche a grace I can nought speke netheles Christ hath commanded loue and pees And who that worcheth the reuers I trowe his mede is full dyuers And sythen than that we fynde That werres in her owne kynde Ben toward god of no deserte And eke they bryngen in pouerte Of worldes good it is marueyle Amonge the men what it may eyle That they a pees ne connen set I trowe synne be the lette And euery mede of synne is deth So wote I neuer howe it geth But we that be of o beleue Amonge our selfe this wolde I leue That better it were pees to chese Than so by double weye lese ¶ I not if that it nowe so stonde But this a man may vnderstonde who that these olde bokes redeth That couetyse is one whiche ledeth And brought the fyrst werres inne At Grece if that I shall begynne There was it proued howe it stode To Perse whiche was full of good They maden werre in specyall And so they dydden ouer all where great rychesse was in londe So that they lefte nothynge stonde Vnwerred but onely Archade ¶ Nota ê™ greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant sed tantum Archadiam pro eo ê™ pauper et sterilis fuit pacifice dimiserunt ¶ For there they no werres made Bycause it was bareyne and poure wherof they myght nought recouer And thus pouerte was forbore He that nought had nought hath lore But yet it is a wonder thynge whan that a ryche worthy kynge Or lorde what so he be woll aske and clayme propertie In thynge to whiche he hath no right But onely of his great myght For this may euery man well wyte That bothe kynde and lawe wryte Expressely stonden there ageyne But he mote nedes somewhat seyne All though there be no reason inne whiche secheth cause for to wynne For wyt that is with wyll oppressed whan couetyse hym hath adressed And all reasone putte awaye He can well fynde suche a wey To werre where as euer hym lyketh wherof that he the worde entriketh That many a man of hym compleyneth But yet alway some cause he feyneth And of his wrongefull herte he demeth That all is well what euer him semeth Be so that he may wynne inough For as the true man to the plough Only to the gaynynge entendeth Right so the werriour dispendeth His tyme and hath no conscience And in this poynt for euidence Of hem that suche werres make Thou myght a great ensample take Howe they her tirrannye excusen Of that they wrongeful werres vsen And howe they stonde of one accorde The soudiour forth with the lorde The poore man forth with the riche As of courage they ben lyche To make werres and to pylle For lucre and for none other skylle wherof a propre tale I rede As it whylom befelle in dede ¶ Hic declar at per exemplum contra istos prinâ—â—es seu altes quoscilque illicite guerre motores / Et narrat de quodam pirata in partibus mariâ—is speliatore notissimo / qui cum captus fuisset et in iudicium coram rege Alexandro productus et de latricino accusatus dixit / O Alexander vere â—uia cuÌ„ paucis socus spoliorum causa naues tantum eâ—pforo / ego latruncusus vocor in auteÌ„ quia cum infinita beffatorum muftitudine vniuer fam tâ—rram subiugando spofiafti Imperator dicâ—tâ—â— Ita ê™ statue tuus a statu meo differt / sed â—â—â—em animo conditionem paâ—isem habemus 〈◊〉 â—ander vero enis audatiam in responsione 〈◊〉 bans ipsum penes se familiarem retinuit Et 〈◊〉 â—â—â—licâ—sâ—s beffatori complacnit ⧠Of hym whome all this erthe drad whan he the worlde so ouerladde Through werre as it fortuned is Kynge Alysaunder I rede this Howe in a marche where he lay It felle perchaunce vpon a day A Rouer of the see was nome whiche many a man bad ouercome And slayne and take her good awaye This pyller as the bokes say A famous man in sondry stede was of the werkes whiche he dede This prisoner afore the kynge was brought thervpon this thynge In audience he was accused And he his dede hath nought excused And praide the kyng to done him right And sayd Syre if I were of myght I haue an herte lyche vnto thyn For if thy power were myn My wylle is most in especiall To ryfle and gette ouer all The large worldes good about But for I leade a poure route And am as who sayth at mischiefe The name of pyllour and of these I beare and thou whiche routes great Myght leade and take thy beyete And doste right as I wolde do Thy name is nothynge cleped so But thou arte named emperour Our dedes ben of one colour And in effecte of one deserte But thy rychesse and my pouerte They be not taken euen lyche And netheles he that is ryche This day to morowe he may be poorer And in contrary also recouer A poore man to grete ryches Men seyn for thy let ryghtewysenes Be peysed euen in the balaunce ¶ The kynge his hardy contenaunce Behelde his wordes wyse And sayd vnto hym in this wyse Thyne answere I haue vnderstonde wherof my wyl is that thou stonde In my seruyce stylle abyde And forth with al the same tyde He hath hym terme of lyfe withholde The more for he shuld ben holde He made hym knyght yafe hym lond whiche afterwarde was of his honde An orped knyght in many a stede And grete prowesse of armes dede As the Cronykes it recorden And in this wyse they acorden The whiche of condicion Be sette vpon destruction Suche Capitaine suche retinue But for to see what yssue The kynge befalleth at the laste It is great wonder that men caste Her herte vpon suche wronge to wynne where no beyete may ben inne And doth dysese on euery syde But when reson is put a syde And wylle gouerneth the courage The faucon whiche fleeth ramage And suffreth no thyng in the weye wherof that he may take his preye Is not more set vpon rauyne Than thilke man whiche his couyne Hath set in suche a maner wyse For all the worlde may nought suffyse To wyl whiche is not resonable ☞ Hic secundum gefta Alexandri de guerris illicitis ponit Confessor exemplum / dicens quod quamuis Alexander sua potentia totius mundi victor subingarat imperium ipse tandem mortis victoria subiugatus / cunctipotentis sententiam euadere non potuit ⧠wherof ensampele concordable Lyche to this poynte of which I mene was vpon Alysander sene whiche hadde set all his entent So as fortune with hym went That reason myght hym not gouerne But of his wylle he was so sterne That all the worlde he ouerran And what hym lyst he toke and wan In Inde the superyour whan that he was full conquerour And hadde his wylfull pourpose woÌ„ne Of all this erth vnder the sonne This kynge homwarde to Macedoyne whan that he cam
and if so is That I haue ought done so er this It is so lyttell of accompte As who sayth it may not amount To wynne of loue his lusty yifte For this I telle you in shryfte That me were leuer her loue wynne Than Raire and all that is therinne And for to slee the heathen alle I not what good there myght falle So moch blod though ther were shad This fynde I write howe Christe bad That no man other shulde slee what shulde I wynne ouer the see If I my lady loste at home But passe they the salte fome To whoÌ„ Christ bad they shuldeÌ„ preche To all the worlde and his feyth teache But nowe they rucken in her nest And resten as hem lyketh beste In all the swetenes of delyces Thus they defenden vs the vices And sytten hem selfe all amydde To slee and fyght they vs bydde Hem whoÌ„ they shuld as the boke saith Conuerten vnto Christes fayth But herof haue I great meruayle How that they shulde me byd trauaile A sarazyn if I slee shall I slee the soule forth withall And that was neuer Christes lore But nowe hoo therof I say no more But I woll speke vpon my shrifte And to Cupyde I make a yefte That who as euer price deserue Of armes I wol loue serue As though I shuld hem bothe kepe Al 's well yet wolde I take kepe when it were tyme to abyde And for to trauayle and for to ryde For howe as euer a man laboure Cupyde appoynted hath his houre ¶ Hic allegat AmaÌ„s in sui excusatione qualiter Achilles apud Troiam propter amorem Polixene arma sua per aliquod tempus dimisit ¶ For I haue herde telle also Achilles lefte his armes so Both of hym selfe and of his men At Troye or Polyxen Vpon her loue when he felle That for no chaunce that befelle Amonge the grekes or vpor downe He wolde nought ayene the towne Ben armed for the loue of hyr And so me thynketh leue syr A man of armes may hym reste Sometyme in hope for the beste If he may fynde a werre nerre what shulde I than go so ferre In straunge londes many a myle To ryde and lese at home there whyle My loue it were a shorte beyete To wynne chaffe and lese whete But if my lady byde wolde That I for her loue sholde Trauayle me thynketh truely I myght flee through out the sky And go through out the depe see For all ne sette I not a stre what thonke that I myght els gete what helpeth a man haue mete where drynke lacketh on the borde what helpeth any mans worde To say howe I trauayle faste where as me fayleth at laste That thynge whiche I trauayle fore O in good tyme were he bore That myght atteyne suche a mede But certes if I myght spede with any maner besynesse Of worldes trauayle than I gesse There shulde me none idelshyp Departe from her ladyshyp But this I se on dayes nowe The blynde god I wote not howe Cupydo whiche of loue is lorde He sette the thinges in discorde That they that lest to loue entende Full ofte he woll hem yeue and sende Moost of his grace and thus I fynde That he that shulde go behynde Goth many a tyme ferre to fore So wote I not ryght well therfore On whether borde that I shall seyle Thus can I nought my selfe counsayle But all I sette on auenture And am as who sayth out of cure For ought that I can sey or do For euermo I fynde it so The more besynesse laye The more that I knele and praye with good wordes and with softe The more I am refused ofte with besynes and may not wynne And in good feyth that is great synne For I may seye of dede and thought That idell man haue I be nought For howe as euer that I be deslayde yet euermore I haue assayde But though my besynesse laste All is but ydell at laste For whan theffecte is ydelnesse I not what thynge is besynesse Saye what auayleth all the dede whiche nothynge helpeth at nede For the fortune of euery fame Shall of his ende beare a name And thus for ought is yet befalle An idell man I woll me calle And after myn entendement But vpon your amendement Myn holy father as you semeth My reason and my cause demeth ¶ My son I haue herde of thy matere Of that thou hast the shryuen here And for to speake of idell fare Me semeth that thou tharst not care But only that thou myght not spede And therof sonne I woll the rede Abyde and haste not to faste Thy dedes ben euery day to caste Thou nost what chaunce shall betyde Better is to wayte vpon the tyde Than rowe ayenste the stremes stronge For though so be the thynke longe Percase the reuolucion Of henen and thy condicyon Ne be not yet of one accorde But I dare make this recorde To Venus whose prest that I am That sythen that I hyther cam To here as she me badde thy lyfe wherof thou els be gyltyfe Thou myght herof thy conscyence Excuse and of great dyligence whiche thou to loue hast so dyspended Thou oughtest wel to be commended But if so be that there ought fayle Of that thou slouthest to trauaylle In armes for to ben absent And for thou makest an argument Of that thou saydest here aboue How Achilles through strength of loue His armes left for a throwe Thou shalt an other tale knowe whiche is contrarye as thou shalt wite For this a man maye fynde wryte whan that knyghthode shall be weired Lust may not than be preferred The bed mot than be forsake And shelde and spere on hond take which thing shall make hem after glad whan thy be worthy knyghtes made wherof so as it cometh to honde A tale thou shalt vnderstonde How that a knyght shall armes sewe And for the whyle his ease eschewe ⧠Hic dicit ê™ amoris delectamento postposito miles arma sua preferre debet Et ponit exempluÌ„ de Vlyxe cum ipse a bello Troiano propter amorem Penelope remanere domi voluisset Nau plus pater Palamidis cum tantis sermonibus allocutus est ê™ Vlixes thoro sue coniugis relicto lobores armorum vna cum afiis Troie magnanimis subibat ⧠Vpon knyghthode I rede thus Howe whylome the kynge Nauplus The fader of Palamydes Came for to preyen Vlyxes with other Gregois eke also That he with hem to Troye go where that the syege shulde be Anone vpon Penelope His wyfe whome that he loueth hote Thynkend wolde hem nought behote But he shope then a wonder wyle Howe that he shulde hem best begyle So 〈…〉 myght dwelle stylle At hoâ—e and weld his loue at wylle wherof erly the morowe day Out of his bed where that he lay whan he was vp he gan to fare In to the felde and loke and stare As he whiche feyneth to be wood He toke a plough where that it stode wherin
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
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
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
sigh therto But what she dyd in that matere It is a wonder thynge to here But yet for the nouelrye I thynke tellen a great partye ⧠Nota quibus medicamentis Essonem senet tute decrepitum ad sue inuentutis adolescenciam prudens Medea reduxit ¶ Thus it befell vpon a nyght whan there was nought but sterre lyght She was vanisshed ryght as her lyst That no wyght but her selfe wyst And that was at mydnyght tyde The worlde was stylle on euery syde with open heed and foote all bare Her here to sprad she gan to fare Vpon her clothes gyrte she was All specheles vpon the gras She glode forth as an adder doth None other wyse she ne goth Tyll she came to the fresshe flode And there a whyle she withstode Thryes she turned her aboute And thryes eke she gan downe loute And in the flode she weet hir here And thryes on the water there She gaspeth with a dretchynge onde And tho she toke her speche on honde Fyrst she began to clepe and call Vpwarde vnto the sterres all To wynde to ayre to see to londe She preyde and eke helde vp her honde To Echates and gan to crie whiche is the goddesse of Sorcerie She sayde helpeth at this nede And as ye maden me to spede whan Iason came the flees to seche So helpe me nowe I you beseche with that she loketh and was ware Downe fro the skye there came a chare The whiche dragons aboute drowe And tho she gan her heed downe bowe And vp she styghe and faire and well She drofe forth by chare and wheel Aboue in the ayre amonge the skyes The londe of Crete in tho parties She sought and fast gan her hyghe And therupon the hulles hyghe Of Othryn and Olymphe also And eke of other hulles moo She fonde and gethereth herbes snote She pulleth vp some by the rote And many with a knyfe she shereth And all in to her chaar she bereth Thus whā she hath the hulles sought The flodes there foryate she nought Erydyan and Amphrysos Peneyee and eke Sperceydos To hem she went and there she nome Bothe of the water and of the fome The sonde and eke the small stones whiche as she chese out for the nones And of the rede see a parte That was behouelyche to her art She toke and afterwarde that about She sought sondry sedes out In feldes and in many greues And eke a parte she toke of leues But thynge whiche myght her most auayle She fōde in Crete in thessaile In dayes and nyghtes nyne To make with this medicine She was purueyed of euery pece And torneth homward in to grece Before the gates of Eson Her chare she lette away to gone And toke out fyrst that was therin For tho she thought to begyn Suche thynge as semeth impossible And made her selfe n inuysible As she that with the aire enclosed And might of no man be disclosed She toke vp turues of the londe without helpe of mans honde And heled with the grene gras Of whiche an Aulter made there was Vnto Echates the goddesse Of arte magyke and maistresse And efte an other to inuent As she whiche dyd her holle intent Tho toke she feldwodde and verueyne Of herbes ben not better tweyne Of whiche anone without let These aulters ben about set Two sondry pyttes fast by She made and with that hastely A wether which was black she slough And out therof the bloud she drough And dyd in to the pyttes two warme mylke she put also therto with hony meynt and in suche wyse She gan to make hir sacrifice And cried and prayde forth withall To Pluto the god infernal And to the quene Proserpyne And so she sought out all the lyne Of hem that longen to that crafte Behynde was no name laft And prayd hem all as she well couth To graunt Eson his fyrste youth This olde Eson brought forth was tho Away she bad all other go Vpon peryll that myght falle And with that worde they wenten all And lefte there them two alone And tho she began to gaspe and gone And made signes many one And sayd her wordes therupon And with spellynge and her charmes She toke Eson in both her armes And made hym for to slepe fast And hym vpon her herbes cast The blacke wether tho she toke And hewe the flesshe as doth the cooke On eyther aulter part she layde And with the charmes that she sayde A fyre downe from the sky alyght And made it for to brenne lyght And whan Medea sawe it brenne Anone she gan to sterte and renne The fyry aulters all about There was no best whiche goth oute More wylde than she semeth there Aboute her shulders henge her heere As though she were oute of her mynde And torneth in to another kynde Tho lay there certeyne wodde clefte Of whiche the peces nowe and efte She made hem in the pyttes wete And put hem in the fyry hete And toke the bronde with all the blase And thries she began to rase About Eson there as he slepte And efte with water / whiche she kepte She made a cercle about hym thries And efte with fyre of sulphur twyes Full many another thynge she dede whiche is not wryten in the stede But she ran vp so and doune She made many a wonder soune Somtyme lyche vnto the cocke Somtyme vnto the lauerocke Somtyme cacleth as an henne Somtyme speketh as don the men And ryght so as her iargon strangeth In sondry wyse her forme chaungeth She semeth fayre and no woman Forth with the craftes that she can She was as who saith a goddesse And what her lyst more or lesse She dyd in bokes as we fynde That passeth ouer mannes kynde But who that woll of wonders here what thyng she wrought in this mater To make an ende of that she gan Suche meruayl herd neuer man ¶ Apoynted in the newe mone whan it was tyme for to done She set a cauldron on the fyre In whiche was al the hole a tyre where on the medicine stode Of Iuse of water and of bloude And lette it boyle in suche a plyte Tyll that she sygh the spume whyte And tho she cast in rynde and rote And sede and floure that was for bote with many an herbe and many a stone wherof she hath there many one And eke Cimpheius the serpent To her hath all her scales lent Chelidre hir yafe hir adders skyn and she to boyle cast hem in And parte eke of the borned oule The whiche men here on nightes houle And of a rauen whiche was tolde Of nyne hondred wynter olde She toke the heed with all the bylle And as the medycine it wylle She toke herafter the bowele Of the se foule and for the bele Of Eson with a thousand mo Of thynges that she had tho In that caldron to gyder as blyue She put and toke than of olyue A drye braunche hem with to stere The whiche anone
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
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
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
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
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
it lyke the to knowe Some of her names howe they stonde Nowe herken thou shalt vnderstoÌ„de ☞ Hic ad eorum laudem qui iustitie causa leges statuerunt aliquorum nomina specialius coÌ„memorat ¶ Of euery benfite the merite The god hym selfe it wol acquyte And eke full ofte it falleth so The worlde it woll acquyte also But that may not ben euen lyche The god he yeueth the heuen ryche The worlde yefth onely but a name whiche stont vpon the good fame Of hem that done the good dede And in this wyse double mede Receyuen they that done well here wherof if that the lyst to here After the fame as it is blowe There myght thou well the soth knowe Howe thilke honest besynesse Of hem that first for ryghtwysenesse Amonge the men the lawes made May neuer vpon this erthe fade For euer while there is a tonge Her name shal be redde and songe And holde in the cronyke write So that the men it shullen wyte To speaken good as they well oughten Of hem that fyrste the lawes soughten In foâ—drynge of the worldes pees Vnto the Hebrewes was Moyses The fyrste and to the Egypciens Mercurius and to Troiens Fyrst was Numa Pompilius To Athenes Licurgus yaue fyrst the lawe vnto gregoys Foroneus hath thylke voyce And Romulus of romayns For suche men that ben vilayns The lawe in suche a wyse ordeineth That what man to the lawe pleyneth Be so the iuge stande vpryght He shall be serued of his ryght And so ferforth it is befall That lawe is come amonge vs all God leue it mote well bene holde As euery kynge therto is holde For thynge whiche is of kynges sette with kynges ought it not be lette what kynge of lawe taketh no kepe By lawe he may no royalme kepe Do lawe away what is a kynge where is the ryght of any thynge If that there be no lawe in londe This ought a kynge well vnderstonde As he whiche is to lawe swore That if the lawe be forlore withouten execucion It makth a londe turne vp so doun whiche is vnto the kynge a sclaundre For thy vnto kynge Alisaundre The wyse philosophre badde That he hym selfe fyrste be ladde Of lawe and forth than ouer all To do iustice in generall That all the wyde londe aboute The iustice of his lawe doubte And than shall be stonde in rest For therto lawe is one the best Aboue all other erthly thynge To make a liege drede his kynge But howe a kynge shall gete hym loue Towarde the hygh god aboue And eke amonge the men in erthe This nexte poynt whiche is the ferthe Of Aristotles lore it techeth wherof who that the schole secheth what policie that it is The boke reherseth after this Nil rationis habens ubi uelle tyrannica regna Stringit amor populi transiet exul ibi Sed pietas regnum quae conseruabit in aeuum Non tantum populo sed placet illa deo ¶ Hic tractat de quarta principum regiminis policia que pietas dicta est per quam principes erga populum misericordes effecti misericordiam altissimi gratius consequuntur ¶ It nedeth not that I delate The price whiche preysed is algate And hath bene euer and euer shall wherof to speake in speciall It is the vertue of Pite Through whiche the hye maieste was stered whan his sonne alyght And in pyte the worlde to ryght Toke of the mayde flesshe blood Pite was cause of thylke good wherof that we ben all saue well ought a man pite to haue And the vertue to sette in price whan he hym selfe whiche is all wyse Hath shewed why it shall be preysed Pite may not be counterpeysed Of tyranny with no peyse For pyte makth a kynge curteyse Both in his worde and in his dede It syt well euery lyege drede His kinge and to his best obeye And right so by the same weye It sit a kinge to be pitous Towarde his people and gracious Vpon the reule of gouernaunce So that he worche no vengeaunce whiche may be cleped cruelte Iustice whiche doth equite Is dredful for he no man spareth But in the lond where pite fareth The kinge may neuer fayle of loue For pyte through the grace aboue So as the holy boke affermed His reigne in good estate confermed Thapostel Iames in this wise Seyth what man shulde do Iuise And hath not pyte forth with all The dome of him whiche demeth all He may him selfe ful sore drede That him shall lacke vpon the nede To fynde pyte whan he wolde For who that pyte woll beholde It is a poynte of Christes lore And for to loken ouermore It is behouely as we fynde To reason and to lawe of kinde Cassodore in his aprise telleth The reigne is saufe where pite dwelleth And Tullyus his tale auoweth And sayth what kinge to pite boweth And with pite stont ouercome / He hath that shelde of grace nome whiche the kinges yeueth victorye ¶ Of Alysaunder in his histoyre 〈◊〉 rede howe he a worthy knyght Of â—odeyn wrath and not of right For iuged hath and he appelleth And with that word the king quareleth And saith None is aboue me That wote I wel my lorde quod he Fro thy lorship appele I nought But fro thy wrath in all my thought To thy pyte stant myn appele The kinge which vnderstode him wele Of pure pyte yaue him grace And eke I rede in other place Thus saide whilome Constantyne what emperour that is enclyne To pyte for to be seruaunt Of all the worldes remenaunt He is worthy to ben a lord ¶ In olde bokes of recorde Thus finde I wryte of ensamplaire â—â—aâ—an the worthy debonaire By whome that Rome stode gouerned Vpon a tyme as he was lerned Of that he was to familyer He sayde vnto that counceller That for to be an emperour His wil was not for vayne honoure Ne yet for reddour of iustice But if he myght in his office His lordes and his people plese Him thought it were a greatter ease with loue her hartes to him drawe Than with the drede of any lawe For whan a thinge is done for doubte Ful ofte it comth the wers aboute But where a kinge is pyetous He is the more gracious That mochel thrifte him shall be tyde whiche ellis shulde torne a syde Qualiter Iudeus pedester cum paganos equi tante itenerauit prr desertum et ipsum de fide sua interrogauit ☞ To do pyte supporte and grace The philosophre vpon a place In his writenge of dayes olde A tale of great ensample tolde Vnto the kynge of Macedoyne Howe betwene Cayr and Babyloyne whan comen is the somer hete It hapneth two men for to mete As they shulde entre in a paas where that the wyldernesse was And as they wente forthe spekende Vnder the large wodes ende That o man asketh of that other what man arte thou my liefe brother whiche is thy creance and thy feyth I am paynym that other sayth
And by the lawe whiche I vse I shall not in my feyth refuse To louen all men ylyche The poure bothe and eke the ryche whan they be glad I shall be glad And sory whan they ben bestad So shall I lyue in vnite with euery man in his degre For ryght as to my selfe I wolde Ryght so towarde al other shulde Be gracious and debonaire Thus haue I tolde the softe faire My faith my lawe and my creaunce And if the lyst for acqueyntaunce Nowe telle what maner man thou art And he answerde vpon his parte I am a iewe and by my lawe I shall to no man be felawe To kepe hym trouth in worde ne dede But if he be without drede A very iewe right as am I. For elles I may trewly Bereue hym both life and good The paynim herde and vnderstode And thought it was a wonder lawe And thus vpon their sondry sawe Talkende both forth they went The day was hote the sonne brent The paynim rode vpon an asse And of his catell more and lasse with hym a ryche trusse he lad The iewe which all vntrouth had And went vpon his fete besyde Bethought hym howe he myght ryde And with his wordes slye and wise Vnto the paynym in this wyse He sayde O nowe it shall be sene what thynge it is thou woldest mene For if thy lawe be certeyne As thou hast tolde I dare well seyne Thou wolt beholde my distres whiche am so full of werynesse That I ne may vneth go And let me ryde a myle or two So that I may my body ease The paynim wold hym not displease Of that he spake but in pite It list him for to knowe and se The pleynt whiche that other made And for he wolde his hert glade He light and made him nothing strauÌ„ge Thus was there made a newe chaunge The paynim goth the iewe alofte was sette vpon his asse softe So gone they forth carpende fast On this on that tyll at laste The paynym myght go no more And prayed vnto the iewe therfore To suffre hym ryde a lytell whyle The iewe which thought him to begyle Anone rode forth the great pase And to the paynym in this case He sayde Thou hast do thy ryght Of that thou haddest me behyght To do succour vpon my nede And that accordeth to the dede As thou art to the lawe holde And in suche wyse as I the tolde I thynke also for my partie Vpon the lawe of Iewerie To worche and do my duete Thin asse shall go forth with me with all thy good whiche I haue sesed And that I wote thou arte disesed I am right glad and not my spayde And whan he hath these wordes sayde In all haste he rode away This paynim wote none other way But on the grounde he kneleth euen His handes vp to the heuen And saide O hibe sothfastnes That louest all rightwysnesse Vnto thy dome lorde I appele Beholde and deme my quarele with vmble herte I the beseche The mercy bothe and eke the wreche I set all in thy iugement And thus vpon his marrement This paynym hath made his preiere And than he rose with drery chere And goth hym forth and in his gate He cast his eye aboute algate The iewe if that he myght se But for a tyme it might not be Tyll at last ayene the nyght So as god wolde he went a ryght As he whiche helde the highe weye And than he syghe in a valeye where that the iewe lyggende was All bloody deed vpon the gras whiche strangled was of a lyon And as he loked vp and down He fonde his asse fast by Forthe with his harneis redily All hole and sounde as he it lefte whan that the iewe it hym berefte wherof he thanked god knelende Lo thus a man may knowe at ende Howe the pitous pitie deserueth For what man that to pitie serueth As Aristotle it bereth witnesse God shall his fomen so redresse That they shall aye stonde vnder fote Pitie men seyne is thylke rote wherof the vertues sprengen all what infortune that befall In any londe lacke of pyte Is cause of thilke aduersite And that alday may shewe at eye who that the worlde discretely sye Good is that euery man therfore Take hede of that is sayde tofore For of this tale and other inowe These noble princes whylom drowe Her euidence and her apprise As men may fynde in many wyfe who that these olde bokes rede And though they ben in erthe deed Her good name may nought deye For pite whiche they wold obeye To do the dedes of mercy And who this tale redily Remembreth as Aristotle it tolde He may the wylle of god beholde Vpon the poynt as it was ended wherof that pyte stode commended whiche is to charite felawe As they that kepen bothe o lawe ¶ â—â—ta hic de principis pietate erga populum / 〈…〉 quod cum Codrus tex Athenis contra â—â—rences bellum gerere deberet consulto 〈◊〉 Apoâ—ine responsum accepit quod vnum de 〈◊〉 videâ—â—cet aut seipsum in prelio interfici 〈◊〉 populum suum sasuare aut seipsum saluuÌ„ fieri 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—um interfici eligere oporteret / Super 〈◊〉 â—â—â—etote motus plebisque sue magis quam 〈…〉 salutem affectans / mortem sibi 〈…〉 / Et sic bellum aggrediens pro vita 〈◊〉 solus interut ¶ Of pite for to speke pleyne whiche is with mercy well beseyne Full ofte he woll hym selue peyne To kepe an other fro the peyne For charâ—â— the mother is Of pite whiche nothynge amys Can suffre if he it may amende It syt to euery man lyuende To be pytous but none so wele As to a kynge whiche on the whele Fortune hath set abouen all For in a kynge if so befalle That his pitche ferme and stable To all the londe it is vaillable Onely through grace of his persone For the pite of hym alone May all the large royalme saue So sit it wel a kinge to haue Pyte For this Valery tolde And sayd howe that by dayes olde Codrus whiche was in his degre Kynge of Athenes the cyte A werre he had ayeinst Dorrence And for to take his euydence what shall befalle of the batayle He thought he wolde him first counsaile with Apollo in whom he tryste Through whose answere thus he wyste Of two poyntes that he might chese Or that he wolde his body lese And in batayle him selfe deye Or els the seconde weye To seen his people discomfite But he / whiche pite hath perfyte Vpon the poynte of his byleue The people thought to releue And chese him selfe to be deed where is nowe suche another heed whiche wolde for the lymmes dye And netheles in somme partye It ought a kinges hert stere That he his lyege men forbere And eke towarde his enemyes Full ofte he may deserue pryse To take of pyte remembraunce where that he might do vengeaunce For whan a kinge hath the victoire And than he drawe in
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