cōmunis amor◠sed immoderatos Quae facit excessus non reputatur amans Sors tamen vnde Venus attractat corda videre Quae rationis erunt non ratione sinit ¶ Hic loquitur adhur contra incestuosos aniantū coitus / Et narrat mirabile exemplum de magno rege Antiocho qui vxore mortua propriam filiā violauit et quia filie matrimonium penes alios impedire voluit tale ab eo exiit edictum quod si quis eam in vxorem peterit nisi quoddam problema questionis quam ipse rex proposuerat / veraciter solueret capitali sentencia puniretur super quo veniens tandem discretus inuenis princepe Tyri Appolius questionem soluit / Nec tamen filiam habere potuit / sed rex indignatus ipsum propter hoc in mortis odium recoliegit Vnde Appolinus a facie regis fugiens quam plura prout inferius intitulātur propter amorē pericula possus est ¶ Of a cronyke in dayes gone The whiche is cleped Panteone In loues cause I rede thus Howe that the great Antiochus Of whom that Antioche toke His firste name as saith the boke was coupled to a noble quene And had a doughter hem betwene But such fortune cam to honde That deth which no king may withstōd But euery lyfe it mote obey This worthy quene toke awey The kynge whiche made mochel mone Tho stode as who saith all hym one without wyfe but netheles His doughter whche was pereles Of bewte dwelt about hym stylle But whan a man hath welth at wylle The flesshe is freel falleth ofte And that this mayde tendre softe whiche in her fathers chamber dwelte within a tyme wyst and felte For lykynge of concupiscence without insyght of conscyence The fader so with lustes blente That he cast all his holle entente His owne doughter for to spylle The kinge hath leyser at his wylle with strengthe and whan he tyme seye The yonge mayden he forleye And she was tender and ful of drede She couth not hir maydenhede Defende and thus she hath forlore The floure whiche she hath longe bore It helpeth not all though she wepe For they that shulde hir body kepe Of women were absent as than And thus this mayden goeth to man The wylde fader thus deuoureth His owne flessh whiche none socoureth And that was cause of mochel care But after this vnkynde fare Out of the chamber goeth the kinge And she lay styll and of this thinge within hir selfe suche sorowe made There was no wyght that myght hir glad For fere of thylke horrible vice with that came in the noryce whiche fro chyldhode hir had kepte And asketh if she had slepte And why hir chere was vnglad But she whiche hath ben ouerlad Of that she might not be wreke For shame couth vnnethis speke 〈◊〉 nethelesse mercy she prayed with wepynge eye and thus she sayed Alas my suster wel awaye That euer I sygh this ylke daye Thinge whiche my body fyrste begate In to this worlde onelych that My worldes worshyp hath berefte with that she swouneth nowe and efte And euer wissheth after deth So that welny hir lacketh breth That other whiche hir wordes herde In comfortynge of hir answerde To lete hir faders foule desyre She wyst no recoueryre whan thinge is do there is no bote So suffren they that suffren mote There was none other whiche it wyst Thus hath this kynge all that him lyste Of his lykinge and his plesaunce And last in suche a contynuance And suche delyte he toke there in Him thought that it was no syn And she durst him no thinge withseye But faine whiche goeth euery weye To sondry reignes all aboute The great beute telleth oute Of suche a mayde of bye parage So that for loue of maryage The worthy princes come and fende As they whiche all honour wende And knewe no thing howe that it stode The fader whan he vnderstode That they his doughter thus besought with all his wit he cast and sought Howe that he mighte fynde a lette And suche a statute then he sette And in this wise his lawe taxeth That what man his doughter axeth But if he couth his questyon Assoyle vpon suggestyon Of certeyn thinges that befelle The which he wolde vnto him telle He shulde in certeyn lese his hede And thus there were many dede / Her heedes stondinge on the gate Tyl at last longe and late For lacke of answere in this wyse The remenaunte that weren wyse Eschewden to make assay ¶ De aduentu Appolini in Antiochiam / vbi ipse filiam regis Antiochi in vxorem postulauit ⧠Tyl it befyl vpon a daye Appollynus the prince of Tyre whiche hath to loue a great desyre As he whiche in his high mode was lykinge of his hote blode A yonge a fresshe a lusty knyght As he laye musynge on a nyght Of the tydinges whiche he herde He thought assaye howe that it ferde He was with worthy companye Arayed and with good nauye To ship he goeth the winde him driueth And sayleth tyll that he aryueth Saufe in the porte of Antyoche He londeth and goeth to approche The kinges courte and his presence Of euery natural science whiche any clerke him couth teche Him couthe ynough and in his speche Of wordes he was eloquente And whan he sygh the kinge present He praieth he mote his doughter haue The kinge ageyne began to craue And tolde him the condycyon Howe fyrst vnto his questyon He mote answere and fayle nought Or with his beed it shall be bought And he him asketh what it was ¶ Questio regis Antiochi scelere vehor materna carne vescor quero patrem meum matris mee virum vxoris mee filium ¶ The kinge declareth him the caas with sterne worde and stordy chere To him and sayde in this manere with felony I am vp bore I ete and haue it not forlore My moders flessh whose husbond My fader for to seche I fonde whiche is the sonne eke of my wyfe Herof I am inquisytyfe And who that can my tale saue Al quyte he shall my doughter haue Of his answere and if he fayle He shall be deed withouten fayle For thy my sonne quod the kinge Be wel aduysed of this thinge whiche hath thy lyfe in ieopartye Appollynus for his partye whan he that questyon had herde Vnto the kinge he hath answerde And hath reherced one and one The poyntes and sayde therupon The question whiche thou hast spoke If thou wylte that it be vnloke It toucheth all the pryuyte Betwene thyn owne chylde and the And stonte all holle vpon you two The kinge was wondre sory tho And thought if that he sayd it oute Then were he shamed all aboute with sly wordes and with felle He sayth My sonne I shall the telle Though that thou be of lytell wytte It is no great meruayle as yet Thyn age may it not suffyse But loke wel thou nought despyse Thyn owne lyfe for of my grace Of thrytty
out all the synne And byd hem all for to wyte Howe she the letters hadde wryte Fro poynt to poynt as it was wrought And tho she was to deth brought And brent tofore her sonnes eye wherof these other whiche it sye And herden howe the cause stode Seyne that the iudgement is good Of that her sonne her hath so serued For she it hadde wele deserued Through treson of her false tonge which through the lond was after soÌ„ge Constance and euery wyght coÌ„pleineth But he whom all wo dystreyneth This sorowfull kynge was so bestadde That he shall neuer more be gladde He seyth eftsones for to wedde Tyll that he wyste how that she spedde whiche hadde ben his fyrste wyfe And thus his yonge vnlusty lyfe He dryueth forth to as he may ¶ Qualiter post sapsum .xii. annoruÌ„ rex Assee absoluciouis causa Romam proficiens vxorâ—m suam constanciam vna cum filio suo diuina proindencia ibidem setus inuenit ¶ Tyll it besel vpon a day whan he his werres hadde acheuede And thought he wolde be releuede Of soule he le vpon the feyth whiche he hath take than he seyth That he to Rome in pylgremage wolde go where Pope was Pelâ—ge To take his absolucyon And vpon this condicion He made Edwyn his leutenaunt whiche beyre was apparaunt That he the lond in his absence Shall rewle and thus by prouydence Of all thynges well by gonne He toke his leue and forth is gone ¶ Elda which tho was with hem ther Er they fullyche at Rome were was sent tofore to purucye And he his guyde vpon the weye In helpe to ben his herbegeour Hath axed who was Senatour That he his name myght kenne Of Lapodoce he sayde Arcenne He byght and was a worthy knyght To hem goth Elda tho forth ryght And tolde hym of his lorde tydinge And prayd that for his comynge He wolde assygne hym herbergage And be so dyd of good courage ¶ whan all is do that was to done The kynge hym selfe cam after sone This Senatour whan that be come To Luste and to his wyfe at home Hath tolde bowe suche a kynge Alleâ— Of great array to the Lyte was come and Luste vpon his tale with hert close and colour pale A swoune felle and he meruaylleth So sodenly what thynge her eyleth And caught her vpand whan she woke She fygheth with a pytous loke And feyneth sekenesse of the see But it was for the kynge Allee For ioye whiche was in her thought That god hym hath to towne brought This kynge hath spoke with the pope And tolde all that he couthe grope what greueth in his conscyence And than he thought in reuerence Of his estate er that he went To make a feest and thus he sente Vnto the Senatour to come Vpon the morowe and other some To sytte with hym at mete This tale hath Luste not foryete But to Morys her sonne tolde That be vpon the morowe shulde In all that euer he couth and myght Be present in the kynges syght So that the kynge hym ofte sye Morys tofore the kynges eye Vpon the morowe where he sat Full ofte stode and vpon that The kynge his chere vpon hym caste And in his face hym thought al 's faste He sawe his owne wyfe Lonstance For nature as in resemblaunce Of face hym lyketh so to clothe That they were of a suyte both The kyng was moued in his thought Of that be seeth knoweth it nought This childe be loueth kyndely And yet he wote no cause why But wel he sygh and vnderstode That be towarde Arcenne stode And axeth hym anone ryght there yf that this chylde his sonne were He sayde ye so I hym calle And wolde it were so by falle But it is all in other wyse And tho began be to deuyse Howe he the chyldes mother fonde Vpon the see from euery londe within a shyp was sterles And how this lady helpeles Forth withe her chylde he hathe forth drawe The kynge hath vnderstonde his sawe The childes name and axeth tho And what the mother hyght also That he hym wolde telle he prayde Morys this childe is hote he sayd His mother hat Luste and this I not what maner name it is But Allee wyst wel inough wherof somdele smylend he lough For Luste in Saxon is to sayne Coustance vpon the worde Romayn But who that couthe specyfye what tho fell in his fantasye And how his wytte aboute renneth Vpon the loue in whiche he brenneth It ware a wonder for to here For he was neyther there ne here But clene out of hym selfe awey That he not what to thynke or fey So fayne he wolde it were she wherof his hertes pryuete Bygan the warre of ye and nay The whiche in suche balaunce lay That contenaunce for a throwe He loste tyll he myght knowe The soth but in his memorye The man whiche lyeth in purgatorye Desyreth not the heuen more That he ne longeth also sore To wytte what hym shall betyde And when the bordes were asyde And euery man was ryse aboute The kynge hath weyued all the route And with the Senatour alone He spake and prayd hym of a bone To se this Custe where she dwelleth At home with hym so as he telleth The Senatour was wel apayde This thynge no lenger was delayd To see this Luste goth the kynge And she was warned of the thynge And with Eleyne forth she came â—ycne the kynge and he tho name Good hede and whan he sigh his wyfe â—none with all his hertes lyfe He caught her in his armes and kyste was neuer wyght that syghe ne wyste A man that more ioye made wherof they weren all gladde whiche herd telle of this chaunce 〈◊〉 kyng tho with his wife CoÌ„stance 〈◊〉 had a great part of his wylle 〈…〉 for a tyme stylle 〈…〉 and made hym well at case 〈…〉 â—ouâ—h he neuer please 〈…〉 wyfe that she wolde hym seyne 〈…〉 estate the trouthe pleyne 〈…〉 countre that she was bore 〈◊〉 what she was and yet therfore 〈◊〉 all his wyt he hath done seke 〈◊〉 as they lay in bedde and speke 〈◊〉 prayth hym and counscileth both 〈◊〉 for the worship of hem both 〈…〉 thought it were honeste 〈◊〉 an honourable feste 〈…〉 he went in that Cyte where the Emperour hym selfe shall be He graunted all that she hym prayde But as men in that tyme sayde Thyâ—â—â— Emperour from that day That fyrste his doughter went a way He was than after neuer gladde But what that any man hym badde 〈◊〉 grace for his doughter sake That grace wolde he nought forsake And thus ful great almeste he dede wherof he hadde many a bede ¶ 〈◊〉 Constancia que antea per fofum 〈…〉 suâ—pences omnes incognitam se ceâ—â—â—â—â—unt â—â—mum paâ—â—â—suo imperatori se ipsam 〈…〉 manifestaâ—â—i Quod cum rex Aâ—â—ee sciuisset vna cum vniuersa Romanorum multitudine inestimabiâ—i gaudio admirantes cunctipotentem landarunt ¶ This Emperour out of the towne within a
/ belmolum inierunt Et cuÌ„ Achilles dictum regeÌ„ in bello ê“stratuÌ„ occidere voluisset Thelaphê° pietate tuâ— ipsum clipeo cooperiens veniam pro rege a patre postulauit pro quo facto ipse rex adhuc vinens Thephalum regni sui heredem libera vo luntate constituit ¶ He may not faylen of his mede That hath mercy For this I rede In a Cronycke I fynde thus whan Achilles with Telaphus His sonne toward Troye were It fell hem er they come there Ayene Theucer the kynge of Mese To make warre and for to sese His londe as they that wolden reigne And Theucer put out of his reigne And thus the marches they assaylle But Theucer yafe to hem bataille They foughten on both sydes faste But so it happneth at laste This worthy greke this Achilles The kynge amonge all other ches As he that was cruel and felle with swerd in honde on hym he felle And smote hym with a dethes wounde That he vnhorced fell to grounde Achilles vpon hym alyght And wolde anone as he wel myght Haue slayn hym fulliche in the place But Thephalus his faders grace For hym besought and for pyte Prayth that he wolde let hym be And cast his sheld betwene hem two Achilles asketh hym why so And Thephalus his cause tolde And sayth that he is mochel holde For whylome Theucer in a stede Great grace and socour to hym dede And sayth that he hym wolde acquyte And praythe his fader to respyte Achles tho withdrough his honde But all the power of the londe whaÌ„ that they sawe her kyng thus take They fled and hathen the felde forsake The grekes vnto the chaas falle And for the moste part all Of that couutre the lordes great They toke and wonne a greate beyete And anone after this victorye The kynge whiche hadde memorye Vpon the great mercy thought which thelaphus taward him wrought And in presence of all the londe he toke hym fayre by the honde And in this wyse he gan to seye My sonne I mote by double weye Loue and desyre thyn encrees Fyrste for thy fader Achilles whylâ—â—â— full many a day er this whan I shulde haue fare amys Rescouse dyd in my quarele And kept all myn estate in hele How so there falle nowe distaunce Amonge vs yet remembraunce I haue of mercy whiche he dede As than and thou nowe in this stede Of gentilnes and of fraunchesse Hast do mercy the same I gesse So woll I not that any tyme Be loste of that thou haste do hyme For how so this fortune falle yet stant my truste abouen all For the mercy whiche I nowe fynde That thou wylt after this be kynde And for that suche is myn espeyr And for my sonne and for myn heyre I the receyue and all my londe I yeue and sese in to thyn honde And in this wyse they accorde The cause was mysericorde The lordes do her obeysaunce To Thelaphus and purueaunce was made so that he was coroned And thus was mercy reguerdoned wâ—câ—e he to Theucer did tofore To this ensample is made therfore That thou myght take remembraunce 〈…〉 and whan thou seest a chaunce 〈◊〉 other mens passion 〈◊〉 â—â—te and compassion And lâ—t no thinge to the be leef whiche to another man is greef And after this if thou desyre 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nde aâ—en the vice of Ire 〈◊〉 the with pacience 〈◊〉 take in to thy conscyence 〈◊〉 to be thy gouernour 〈◊〉 â—halt thou fele no rancour 〈◊〉 thyn herte shall debate with homicide ne with hate yâ—t â—heste or melancolye 〈◊〉 â—halt be softe in companye withoute contecke or foolhast For â—iâ—es myght thou longe wast Thy tyme er that thou haue thy wylle Of loue for the wedir stylle Men preyse and blame the tempestes ¶ My fader I woll do your hestes And of this poynt ye haue me taught Toward my selfe the better saught I thâ—nke be whyle that I lyue But for as moche as I am shryue Of wrath and all his circumstaunce â—â—ne what ye lyste to my penaunce And aske forther of my lyfe yf otherwyse I be gyltyf Of any thynge that toucheth synne ¶ My sonne er we depart a twynne I shall behynde no thinge leue ¶ My good fader by your leue Than asketh forth what so you lyfte For I haue in you suche a tryfte As ye that be my soule hele That ye fro me nothynge wol hele For I shall telle you the trouthe ¶ My son art thou culpable of slouthe In any poynt whiche to hym longe h◠¶ My fader of thou pointes me longeth To wyte pleynly what they mene So that I maye me shriue clene ¶ Now herke I shal tho pointes deuise And vnderstonde well myn appryse For shryfte stant of no value To hym that woll hym nought vertue To leue of vyces the folye For worde is wynd but the maystrye Is that a man hym selfe defend Of thynge whiche is not to commende wherof ben fewe nowe a daye And netheles so as I may Make vnto thy memorye knowe The pointes of slouth thou shalt know ☞ Explicit liber tercius ⧠☞ Hic in quarto libro loquitur confessor de speciebus Accidie quarum primam tardacionem vocat cuius condicionem pertractans Amanti super hoc consequenter opponit ☞ Incipit liber quartus ⧠Dicunt accidiam fore nutricem viciorum Torpet et in cuntis tarda que leuta bonis Que sieri possent hodie transfert piger in cras Furatoque prius hostia claudit equo Poscenti tardo negat emolumenta Cupido Sed Venus in celeri ludit amore viti VPon the vices to procede After the cause of mannes dede The fyrst poynt of slouth I calle Lachesse and is the chief of all And hath this properly of kind To leuen all thynge behyned Of that he myght do nowe here He taryeth all the longe yere And euermore he sayth To morowe And so he woll his tyme borowe And wyssheth after God me sende That whan he weneth to haue an end Than is he forthest to begyn Thus bryngeth he many a meschiefe in Vnware tyll that he be mescheued And may not than be releued And ryght so nother more ne lesse It stant of loue and of lachesse Some tyme he sloutheth on a daye That he neuer after gete may Nowe sonne as of this ilke thynge If thou haue any knowlechynge That thou to loue hast done er this ¶ Telle on My good fader yis As of laches I am beknowe That I may stonde vpon his rowe As I that am cladde of his sute For whan I thought my pursute To make and therto set a day To speke vnto that swete may Lachesse hadde abyde yet And bare on honde it was no wyt Ne tyme for to speke as tho Thus with his tales to and fro My tyme in taryenge he drough whan there was tyme good ynough He sayd another tyme is better Thou shalt nowe senden her a letter And par caas wryte more
that the floure of maydenhede was thylke tyme holde in pris And so it was and so it is And so it shall for euer stonde And for thou shalte it vnderstonde Nowe herken a tale nexte sewende Howe may denbede is to commende ¶ Hic loquitur de virginitatis commendatione vbi dicit quod nuper Imperatores ob tanti status dignitatem virginibus cedebant in via ¶ Of Rome amonge the gestes olde I fynde howe that Valery tolde That what man was tho emperour Of Rome he shulde done honour To the virgyn and in the weye where he hir mete he shulde obeye In worshyp of virginitie whiche was tho a great dignitie Nought onelyche of the women tho But of the chaste men also It was commended ouerall And for to speke in speciall Touchend of men ensample I fynde ¶ Hic loquitur qualiter Phirinus inuenuÌ„ Rome pulcherimus / vt illesam sud virginitate conserna ret ambos oculos ernens vultus sui decoreÌ„ abho minabilem constituit ¶ Phirinus whiche was of mans kinde Aboue all other the fayreste Of Rome and eke the comlyest That well was her which hym myght Beholde / and haue of hym a syght Thus was be tempted ofte sore But for he wolde be no more Amonge the women so coueyted The beaute of his face streyted He hath and put out bothe his eyen That all women / whiche it seyne That afterwarde of hym ne rought And thus his maydenheed he bought So may I proue wel for thy Aboue all other vnder the sky That maydenheed is for to preyse who that the vertues wolde peyse whiche as the apocalipsis recordeth To Christe in heuen best accordeth So may it shewe well therfore As I haue tolde it here to fore In heuen and eke in erth also It is excepte to bothe two Out of his flesshe a man to lyue Gregory hath this ensample yeue And sayth it shall rather be tolde Lyche to an angell many folde Than to the lyfe of mans kynde There is no reason for to fynde But only through the grace aboue In flesshe without flesshely loue A man to lyue chaste here And netheles a man may here Of suche / that haue bene er this And yet there bene but for it is A vertue whiche is selden wonne Nowe I this matter haue begonne I thynke tellen ouer more whiche is my sonne for thy lore If that the lyste to taken hede To trete vpon the maydenheed Vt â—osa de spinis spineto preualet orta Et â—ilii flores cespite plura ualent Sic sibi uirginitas carnis sponsalia uincit Aeternos flaetus quae fine labe parit The boke seyth that a mans lyfe Vpon knyghthode in warre and stryfe Is set amonge his ennemyes The freyle flesshe whose nature is Ay redy for to spurne and fall The fyrst foman is of all For thylke warre is redy ay It warreth nyght it warreth day So that a man hath neuer rest For thy is thylke knyght the best Through myght grace of gods sonde whiche that batayle may withstonde wherof yet dwelleth the memorie Of hem that some tyme the victorie Of thylke deedly warre hadden The hygh prowesse whiche they ladden wherof the soule stode amended Vpon this erthe it is commended ¶ Hic loquitur qualiter ValeÌ„tinianus imperator euÌ„ ipse octo genarius plures prouincias Romano Imperio belliger sub iugauit dixit se super omnia magic gandere de eo / quod contra sue carnâ—â— concupiscentiam victoriam optinuisset / nam et ipse virgo oibuâ— diebus vite sue castissimus ê‘mansuÌ„ ¶ An emperour by olde dayes There was and he at all assayes A worthy knyght was of his honde There was none suche in all the londe But yet for all his vassellage He stode vnwedded all his age And in cronyke as it is tolde He was an hundred wynter olde But whan men wolde his dedes peyse And his knyghthode of armes preyse Of that he dyd with his hondes whan he the kynges of the londes To his subiection put vnder Of all that preise hath he no wonder For he it set of none accounte And sayd all that may not amounte Ayens a poynt whiche he hath nome That he his flesshe hath ouercome He was a virgyne / as he sayde On that batayle his prys he layd ¶ Lo nowe my sonne auyse the ¶ Ye fader all this may well be But if all other dede so The worlde of men were sone a go And in the lawe a man may fynde Howe god to man by wey of kynde Hath set the worlde to multyplye And who that woll hym iustify It is ynough to do the lawe And netheles your good sawe Is good to kepe who so may I wol nought there ayen say nay ¶ My sonne take it as I say If maydenheed be take away without lawes ordinaunce It may not fayle of vengeaunce And if thou wolte the soth wyten Beholde a tale the which is wryten Howe that the kynge Agamemnon whan he the citie of Lesbon Hath wonne a mayden there he fonde whiche was the fayrest of the londe In thylke tyme that men wyst He toke of her what hym lyst Of thynge whiche was most precious wherof that she was daungerous This fayre mayde cleped is Chryseys the doughter of Chrisys whiche was that tyme in speciall Of thylke temple pryncipall where Phebus had his sacryfyce So was it well the more vyce Agamemnon was than in way To Troywarde and toke a wey This mayden whiche he with hym lad So great lust in hyr he had But Phebus whiche hath great dysdein Of that his maideÌ„ was forlein Anone as he to Troy came Vengeaunce vpon this dede he name And sent a comune pestylence They soughten than her euydence And maden calculacion To knowe in what condycion This deth cam in so sodenly And at laste redyly The cause and eke the man they fonde And forth with al the same stounde AgameÌ„non opposed was whiche hath knowen all the cas Of the foly whiche he hath wrought And therupon mercy they sought Toward the god in sondry wyse with prayer and with sacrifyce The mayden home ayene they send And yafe her good ynough to spende For euer whyles she wolde lyue And thus the synne was forgyue And all the pestylence seced Lo what it is to ben encrecid Of loue / whiche is ylle wonne It were better nought begonne Than take a thynge withoute leue whiche thou most after nedes leue And yet haue mâ—â—gre forth with all For thy to robben ouerall In loues cause if thou begynne I not what ease thou shalt wynne ¶ My sonne be well ware of this For thus of robbery it is ¶ My father your examplarie In loues cause of robberie I haue it ryght well vnderstonde But ouer this howe so it stonde yet wol I wyte of your apprise what thynge is more of couetyse Insidiando latens tempus rimatur et lioram Fur quibus occulto tempore furta parat Sic
al 's fayre as euer he may Besought and told hem of this Howe that the kynge his fader is But they with proude wordes great Began to manace and threte But he go fro the gate fast They wolden hym take and set fast Fro wordes vnto strokes thus They felle and so Telegonus was sore hurte and well nyghe dede But with his sharpe speres hede He maketh defence howe so it falle And wan the yate vpon hem all And hath slayn of the best fyue And they ascryden al 's blyue Through oute the castel all aboute On euery syde men come oute wherof the kynges herte afflight And he with all the hast he myght Aspere caught and forthe he gothe As he that was right woode for wrothe He sighe the gates full of bloode Telegonus and where he stoode He sighe also but he ne knewe what man it was but to hym threwe His spere and he sterte out a syde But destine whiche shall betyde Befell that ylke tyme so Telegonus knewe nothynge tho what man it was that to hym caste And whyle his owne spere laste with all the sygne therupon He cast vnto the kynge anon And smote hym with a dedly wounde Vlixes felle anone to grounde Tho euery man the kynge the kynge Be gan to crye and of this thynge Telegonus whiche sigh the caas On knes he felle and sayde alas I haue myn owne fader slayne Nowe wolde I deye wonder fayne Nowe sle me who that euer wylle For certes it is ryght and skyll He crieth he wepeth he seyth therfore Alas that euer was I bore That this vnhappy destine So wofully comth in by me This kyng which yet hath life ynough His herte ayen vnto hym drough And to that voyce an eare he layde And vnderstode all that he sayde And gan to speke and sayde on hygh Brynge me this man whan he sigh Telegonus his thought he sette Vpon the sweuen whiche he mette And asketh that he myght se His spere on whiche the fysshes thre He sigh vpon the pensell wrought Tho wyst he well it fayleth nought And bad hym that he telle sholde Fro whens he came and what he wolde Telegonus in sorowe and wo So as he myght told tho Vnto Vlyxes all the cas Howe that Cyrces his mother was And so forth sayde hym euery dele Howe that his moder griete hym wele And in what wyse she hym sent Tho wyst Vlyxes what it ment And toke hym in his armes softe And all bledend kyst hym ofte And sayd Sonne whyle I lyue This infortune I the foryeue After his other sonne in hast He sente and he began hym hast And cam vnto his fader tyte But whan he sygh hym in suche plyte He wolde haue ronne vpon that other Anone and slayne his owne brother Ne had ben that Vlyxes Betwene hem made a corde and pees And to his heyre Thelemachus He bad that he Telegonus with all his power shuld kepe Tyll he were of his woundes depe All hole and than he shulde hym yeue Londe where vpon he myght lyue Thelemachus whan he this herde Vnto his fader he answerd And seyde he wolde done his wylle So dwelle they to geder stylle These bretherne and the fader sterueth Lo wherof sorcery serueth Through sorcerye his lust he wan Through sorcery his wo began Through sorcerye his loue he chese Through sorcery his lyfe he lese The chylde was gete in sorcerye The whiche dyd all his felony Thing which was ayen kynde wrought Vnkyndlyche it was a bought The chylde his owne fader slough That was vnkyndshyp ynough For thy take hede howe that it is So for to wynne loue amys whiche endeth all his ioye in wo For of this arte I fynde so That hath be do for loues sake wherof thou might insample take A great cronycke Emperiall whiche euer in to memoryall Amonge the men howe so it wende Shall dwelle / to the worldes ende ☞ HIC narrat exemplum super eobem qualiter Nectanabus de Egipto in Macedoniam fugitiuus Olimpiadem Philippi regis ibideÌ„ tuÌ„c absentis vxorem arte magyca decipiens cum ipsa concubuit / magnumque ex ea Alexandrum sortelegus genuit qui naius postea cum ad erudiendit sub custodia Nectanabi coÌ„mendatus fuisset ipsum Nectanabum patrem suum ab altitudine cuiusdam turris in fossam profundam precipiens inter fecit Et sic sortilegus pro suo sortilegio infortunii sortem sortitus est ¶ The hygh creatour of thynges whiche is the kynge of all kynges Full many wonder worldes chaunce Let slyde vnder his sufferaunce There wote no man the cause why But he the whiche is almyghty And that was proued whylom thus whan that the kynge Nectanabus whiche had Egypte for to lede But for he sygh tofore the dede Through magike of his sorcerie wherof he couth a great partie His ennemies to hym comende From whom he might him not defende Out of his owne londe he fledde And in the wyse as he hym dredde It felle for all his wytchecrafte So that Egypte hym was berafte And he desguysed fledde away Byshyp and helde the ryght way To Macedoyne where that he Arryueth at the chiefe citie Thre yomen of his chambre there All only for to serue hym were The whiche he trusteth wonder wele For they were trewe as ony stele And hapneth that they with hym ladde Parte of the best good he hadde They take lodgynge in the towne After the disposition where as hym thought best to dwell He axeth than and herde telle Howe that the kynge was out go Vpon a werre he had tho But in that citie than was The quene whiche Olympias was hote and with solempnite The feste of her natiuite As it befell was than holde And for her lust to be behold And preysed of the people aboute She shope her for to ryden out At after meate all openly Anone all men were redy And that was in the moneth of May. This lusty quene in good aray was sette vpon a mule whyte To sene it was a great delyte The ioye that the citie made with fresshe thynges and with glade The noble towne was all behonged And euery wyght was sore alonged To se this lusty lady ryde There was great myrth on all syde where as she passeth by the strete There was ful many a tymbre bete And many a mayde carolende And thus through out the town plaiend This quene vnto the pleyne rode where that she houed and abode 〈◊〉 se dyuers games play â—he lusty folke iust and iourney And so forth euery other man whiche pley couth his pley began 〈◊〉 plese with this noble quene Nectanabus came to the grene Amonges other drough hym nigh 〈◊〉 whan that he this lady sygh â—nd of her beaute hede toke â—e couth not withholde his loke â—o sâ— nought els in the felde But stode and only her behelde Of his clothynge and of his gere He was vnlyche all other there So that it
fyres in the ayre by nyght and of theyr names fo eodem ¶ Of the fyre the forth elemeÌ„t fo cxliij ¶ Of the foure complexions in man fyrste of Melancolie fo eodem ¶ Of fleumatike complexion fo eodem ¶ Of sanguine complexion fo eodem ¶ Of Colerike complexion fo eodem ¶ Of the foure mansions that the four complexions haue in mans body fo eodeÌ„ ¶ wherfore the stomake serueth fo eod ¶ Howe the erth after Noes floud was deuided in to thre partes fo cxliiii ¶ Of the see called Oceanum fo eodem ¶ Of the fyfte elemente whiche as the phylosopher sayth conteyneth within his circuite all thinges vnder heuene and is called Orbis fo eodem ¶ Of the fourth spice of Mathematik called Astronomye with the whiche as felowe astrologye is couÌ„ted and of the vii planettes fo eodem ¶ Of the Mone the first planet fo cxlv ¶ Of the seconde planete called Mercurye fo eodem ¶ Of Venus the thyrde planet fo eod ¶ Of the Sonne whiche reynninge in the myddes of the planettes is the chiefe of all the sterres fo eodem ¶ Of the Sonnes chare and the dyuers apparayle therof fo eodem ¶ Of the fyfte planete whiche is called Mars fo cxlvi ¶ Of the syxte planete which is called Iupiter fo eodem ¶ Oâ— the seuenth planette called Saturn whiche is biher thaÌ„ the other fo eo ¶ Of the .xii. sygnes fo eodem ¶ Of the first signe called Aries fo eo ¶ Of Taurus the .ij. sygne fo eodem ¶ Of Gemini the thyrde sygne fo eod ¶ Of Cancer the fourth sygne fo eod ¶ Of the fifte signe called Leo fo eodeÌ„ ¶ Of the sixte signe called Virgo fo eo ¶ Of the .vii. signe called Libra fo eo ¶ Of the .viii. sige called Scorpio fo eo ¶ Of the .ix. signe called sagittari fo eo ¶ Of the .x. signe called Capricorn fo eo ¶ Of the .xi. signe called Aquarie fo eo Of the .xii. signe called Pisces fo cxlviii ¶ Of the doctryne that Nectanabus taught Alexander and of .xv. principall sterres with their stones Herbes fo eo ¶ The names of the auctors that compiled bokes of Astronomy fo cxlâ—◠¶ Of the seconde parte of philosophye called Rhetoric and of the two spices therof Grammer and Logic fo eodem ¶ The eloquence of Iulius Cesar in Catilins cause fo cl ¶ Of the thirde parte of philosophye called practike of the thre spices therof Ethic Economic and policy fo eodem ¶ Fyue speciall rules of policy belongynge to a prynce fo cli ¶ The question of Darius whether was stronger a kynge wine or a woman fo eodem ¶ An example of the force of loue betwene Cirus king of Perse and Apemen his concubine fo clii ¶ The great trouth and fidelite of the noble Alcest wife to king Admete fo eo ¶ Of the seconde policye belongynge to a kynges maiestye whiche Aristotel calleth Largesse fo eodem ¶ Howe a kynge shulde flee the vice of prodigalite fo eodem ¶ A notable example of Iulius Cesar to encorage a prynce to be lyberall to them that wel deserue it fo cliii ¶ An example of kinge Antigonus how a prynce shulde vse discrete moderation in gyftes fo eodem ¶ How the state of a kynge ought to be supported of his trewe lieges fo eodem ¶ How after Arystotel the prodigalite 〈◊〉 a prynce causeth commune pouerte fo eodem ¶ Howe flaterers in princis courtes do 〈◊〉 thre maner wyse fo eodem ¶ How Aristippus reproued Diogenes 〈◊〉 he wolde not dwele in courte 〈◊〉 Diogenes answerde him agayne fo cliiii ¶ Howe Dante the poete aunswered a 〈◊〉 fo eodem ¶ A notable example agaynst flatterye 〈◊〉 â—â—me that the Romayns vsed in 〈◊〉 â—â—mphe of then emperour fo eodeÌ„ 〈◊〉 An other custome agaynste flatery 〈…〉 Romayns vsed whan theyr Em 〈…〉 intromsed fo clv. 〈…〉 some that make them selfe wyse 〈…〉 fooles in th ende fo eodem 〈◊〉 why â—â—tterours shulde rather be dry 〈◊〉 of courte than receyue any reâ—â—◠〈◊〉 of a prynce fo eodem ¶ Howâ— kinge Achas refused the trewe 〈◊〉 â—â—phesie of Michee and to his destruâ—◠〈◊〉 credence to the false flateryng â—â—â—phet Zedechias fo eodem ¶ The thyrde policy that most specially â—â—â—â—geth vnto a kynge is called Iustâ—ce fo clvi ¶ Howe a kynges maiestie shulde not only be armed with myght and strength but also with good lawes fo eodem ¶ The great Iustice of Maximine the emperour fo clvii ¶ The noble sayenge of Caius Fabricius the which wolde not be corrupted with golde fo eodem ¶ Of the great Iustice of Conradus the emperour fo eodem ¶ Of him that slewe him selfe for the loue of Iustice fo eodem ¶ Howe Cambices the kinge of Perse caused a corrupt iuge to be flayne quicke fo clviii ¶ what they were that fyrste inuented and made lawes and specially of Licurgus whiche preferred the coÌ„mune welth before his owne fo eodem ¶ The fourthe Policie belongynge to a kinge whiche is called Pite fo clix ¶ Howe a knyght that was iuged to the deth by Alexander appeled from the kinges yre vnto his pite fo eodem ¶ A notable talke of a Iewe that went a fote and a pagane that rode through a wyldernes fo eodem ¶ Of the great pite of kinge Codrus whiche to saue his people cheese to be slayne him selfe fo clx ¶ How Pompeius after he badde take the kynge of Armenye he lete hym go quyte saienge It is more noble to make a kynge than to depose a kynge fo â—â—◠¶ Of the greate cruelte of Leontiuâ— to â—ustinian fo clxi ¶ Of the cruell inuention of the bulle of brasse and how Berillus the inuentor was the fyrst that was turmented therin fo eodem ¶ Howe the tyrannous Denyse that gaue men to his horses to eate was him selfe at last deuored of horses fo eodem ¶ Howe the tyraunt Lichaon for that he made men to eate men was torned in to a wolfe fo eodem ¶ The nature of the Lion fo clxii ¶ Howe the cruel kinge of Perse for that he slewe withoute pite those that he conquered he was at last cruelly slain him selfe fo eodem ¶ Howe lyke as a prynce ought not to be to cruell so be shulde not be ouer feynte harted and ferfull fo clxiii ¶ Of the stont stomaked Achilles and the feynt harted Thersites fo eodem ¶ Howe Gedeon with thre hundred men of warre ouer came fyue kynges in the whose hoste were lxxxx thousande men fo eodem ¶ Howe a kinge is bounde of ryght to slee the aduersaries to iustice fo clxiiii ¶ Howe kynge Dauid at his last ende commanded his sonne Salomon that he shulde slee Ioab without any remission fo eodem ¶ Howe Salomon desyringe of god to haue wise dome to gouerne his people opteyned therwith plenty of all thinges folio eodem ¶ Howe Lucius the emperour beinge flatered of his conselours was
tolde the trouth of his foole fo eodem ¶ Howe Roboas by enclyning to yonge counsayle and refusynge of olde lost .x. partes of his kyngedome fo eodem ¶ whether were beter a wise prince with yuell counsayle or a folisshe prince with good counseyle fo clxvi ¶ Of Anthonius whiche by example of Scipio sayde he had leauer to saue o 〈…〉 his owne people than slee an L. of 〈◊〉 â—emes fo eodem ¶ Of â—he fyfte polycie belongynge to a prynce called chastite fo eodem ¶ Howe a prynce to reioyce his mynde ought some tyme to beholde beautyfull women fo clxvii ¶ Howe Sardanapaulus became all womanliche wherby he was subdued and lost his realme fo eodem ¶ Howe kynge Dauid for the loue of women lefte not of the exercise of knighthode fo eodem ¶ How Cirus the kinge of Perse coude not subdue the Lydes tyll by disceyte be caused them to falle to lykinges of flesshely lustes fo eodem ¶ Howe Amoleche by counsayle of Balaam sent feyre women to the hebrewes whiche were cause that the hebrewes were ouercome and discomfite fo clxviii ¶ Howe Salomon was ouercome with carnall concupiscence and howe by then ticiment of his concubines he dyd worshyppe false goddes fo eodem ¶ Howe Achias the prophet shewed before vnto Ieroboas the son of Nabal that after Salomons deth he shulde reigne ouer .x. tribes of Israell fo eodem ¶ Howe Arrous the sonne of Tarquine by a false imagination deceyued and subdued the Gabiens fo clxix ¶ How and vnder what maner Arrous rauished Lucrece fo eodem ¶ Howe the worthy knyght Virginius slough his owne doughter because she shulde not lese her virginite fo clxxii ¶ A ryght notable example bowe the delite and lust in maryage ought to be moderate by the seuen husbondes of Sara the doughter of Raguelis which were slayne the fyrst night of their mariage by a fende called Asmodius And howe Thoby was preseruedde by the counseile of the angel Raphael fo eodeÌ„ ⧠The contentis of the eyght boke ¶ Howe some in loues cause do against nature as in theyr kynred and syâ—rede both contrary to the lawes of reasone and of the churche fo clxxiii ¶ Howe Caius Calygula lay by his owne thre sisters and afterwarde exiled them And howe Amon also ageynste kinde rauished his owne syster Tâ—amar the whiche dede he dere a bought â—fterwarde fo clxxiiii ¶ How Loth lay by his owne two doughters and gote on them two sonnes of the which the one was called Moab and the other Amon fo clxxv ¶ A wretched example of a king named Antiochus whiche defouled his owne doughter and of the probleme that he put to them that desyred to haue her vnto wyfe fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolyn of Tyre came to Antioche and desyred the kinges doughter and howe he assoyled the kynges probleme fo eodem ¶ what the question was that the kyng Antiochus put to them that desyred to haue his doughter fo clxxvi ¶ Howe Appolyn for feare of the great and cruelle kynge Antiochus fledde aweye and durste not abyde in his owne propre countrey fo clxxvii ¶ Howe the kynge Antiochus sente a â—â—â—ht pryuely to Tyre to slee Appolyne 〈◊〉 poyâ—â—n fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolyn arriued in the hauen of â—haâ—â—â— and was lodged with Stranâ—â—â—â— fo eodem ¶ Howe one Hilcane a citezen of Tyre 〈◊〉 â—o Tharse and howe he knewe Apâ—â—â—â—â— and warned hym of Antiochus 〈◊〉 and howe Appolyn therfore for 〈◊〉 â—â—â—rfe and sayled to Pentapolyn 〈◊〉 â—â—we he dydde behaue hym selfe 〈◊〉 fo clxxvij ¶ Howe the kynges doughter of Penâ—â—â—â— loued Appolyn and forsoke all 〈◊〉 â—â—r his sake that offered to marye 〈◊〉 â—â—d howe atte laste he maryed 〈◊〉 fo eodem ¶ Howe Appolinus wyfe trauayled on the 〈◊〉 and howe she there dyed and of the great calamites that felle to hym afterwarde fo clxxix ¶ How Appolyn delyuered his doughter to nource and of the wretched chances that she had fo clxxx ¶ Of the dole and beuynes that Appolâ—â— made whaÌ„ he thought his doughter hadde ben deed and howe at laste he sonde her fo clxxx iij. ¶ Howe Apolyn mette with his wyfe that he for deade before hadde cast in to the see fo clxxxiiij ¶ Howe Apolin toke wreche on Strangulio and Dionyse his wyfe for theyr falsheed fo eodem ¶ Howe the louer for a fynal conclusion of his confession desyred counsayle of his confessor fo clxxxv ¶ Howe fynally Genius enioyneth the louer these thynges that be bolsome for hym fo eodem ¶ The controuersye that felle betwen the confessor and the louer in the ende of his confession fo clxxxvi ¶ The fourme of a supplication that Genius in the louers behalfe delyuered to Venus fo eodem ¶ The aunswere that Venus made to the same supplication after she hadde resceyued it fo clxxxvij ¶ Howe Venus scorneth them which that in theyr olde age sette theyr hartes to be louers fo eodem ¶ Howe the mockynge exhortation of Venus had almost slayne the louer for sorowe fo eodem ¶ The names of the ioly louers bothe yonge and olde that came to comforte this louer in his dedly peyne fo eodem ¶ Howe Cupyde whan he had serched the bowels of the louer and fonde that he was wetheredde awey by age drewe out of hym his fyry darte fo clxxxix ¶ Howe the state of manne is compared to the monthes of the yere fo Lxc. ¶ Here in the ende he maketh a recapitulation on that that he promysed touchynge loues cause in the begynnynge of the boke for he concludeth that all delectation of loue out of Charite is nothynge fo Lxci ¶ Thus endeth the table of this warke entitled Gower de Confessione Amantis ¶ To the moste victorious / and our moste gracious soueraigne lorde kynge Henry the .viii. kynge of Englande and of France / Defender of the feyth / and lorde of Irelande c. PLutarke wryteth / whan Alexander had discoÌ„fyte Darius the kynge of Perse / amonge other iewels of the sayde kynges there was founde a curyous lyttell cheste of great value / whiche the noble kynge Alexander beholdynge / sayde This same shall serue for Homere whiche is noted for the great loue and fauour / that Alexander had vnto lernynge But this I thynke veryly / that his loue and fauour therto / was not so great as your gracis whiche caused me / moost victorious / and most redoubted souerayne lorde / after I had printed this warke / to deuyse with my selfe / whether I myght be so bolde to presente your hyghnesse with one of them / and so in your gracis name putte them forthe your moste hygh and most princely maieste abasshed and cleane discouraged me so to do / both bicause the present as concernynge the value was farre to symple / as me thought / and bycause it was none other wyse my acte / but as I toke some peyne to prynte it more correctly than it was before And though I shulde
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
of to moche or of to lyte 〈◊〉 â—â—ygh is euery man to wyte 〈◊〉 â—â—theles there is no man In all this worlde so wyse that can Of loue temper the measure But as it falleth in auenture For wytte ne strength may not helpe And whiche els wolde hym yelpe Is rathest throwen vnder foote There can no wyghte therof do bote For yet was neuer suche couyne That couth ordeyne a medicine To thyng / whiche god in lawe of kynde Hath set for there may no man fynde The ryght salue for suche a sore It hath and shall be euermore That loue is mayster where he wyll There can no lyfe make other skylle For where as him selfe lyste to set There is no myght which him may let But what shall fallen at laste The soth can no wysedome cast But as it falleth vpon chaunce For if there euer was balaunce whiche of fortune stant gouerned I may well leue as I am lerned That loue hath that balance on honde whiche wyll no reason vnderstande For loue is blinde and may not se For thy may no certeynte Besette vpon his iudgement But as the whele about went He yeueth his graces vndeserued And fro that maÌ„ / whiche hath him serued Ful ofte he taketh awey his fees As he that playeth at the dyes And therupon what shall befall He not tyll that the chaunce fall where he shall lese or he shal wynne And thus full ofte men begyn That if they wysten what it ment They wolde chaunge all their intent ¶ Hic quasi in psona alioril / quos amor assigat / fingens se auctor esse amantem / varias corum passiones varus huius sibri-distinctionibus per singula scribere proponit ¶ And for to preue it is so I am my selfe one of tho whiche to this schole am vnderfonge For it is sothe go not longe As for to speake of this matere I may you telle / if you woll here A wonder happe whiche me befelle That was to me bothe harde and felle Touchyng of loue and his fortune The whiche me lyketh to commune And pleynly for to telle it out To them that louers be aboute Fro poynt to poynte I woll declare And wryten of my wofull care My wofull day my wofull chaunce That men mowe take remembraunce Of that they shall here after rede For in good feythe this wolde I rede That euery man ensample take Of wysedome / whiche is hym betake And that he wote of good appryse To teche it forthe / for suche emprise Is for to preyse and therfore I wyll wryte and shewe all openly Howe loue and I togedre mette wherof the worlde ensample fette May after this / whan I am go Of thylke vnsely iolyfe wo whose reule stant out of the wey Nowe gladde / and nowe gladnes awey And yet it may not be withstonde For ought that men may vnderstonde Non ego Sampsonis uires non Herculis arma Vinco sum sed ut hij uictus amore pari Vt discant alij docet experiencia facti Rebus in ambiguis quae sâ—â—t habenda uia Deuius ordo ducit temtata pericla sequentem Insiruit a tergo me simul ille cadat Me quibus ergo Venus casus laqueauit amaÌ„teÌ„ Orbis in exemplum scribere tendo palam ¶ Hic declarat materia dicens qualiter Cupido quod dignito iaculo sui cordis memoriam graui vscere perforauit quod Venus percipiens ipsum vt dicit quasi in mortis articuso spasmatum ad confitendu se Genio sacerdoti super amoris cau sa sic seminiuum speciasiter coÌ„mendauit ¶ Vpon the poynt that is befalle Of loue / in whiche that I am falle I thynke telle my matere Nowe herken who that woll it here Of my fortune bowe that it ferde This endyrday / as I forthe ferde To walke / as I you telle maye And that was in the moneth of Maye whan euery bryd hath chose his make And thynketh his myrthes for to take Of loue / that he hath acheued But so was I nothynge releued For I was forther fro my loue Than erthe is frome the heuen aboue And for to speke of any spede So wyste I me none other rede But as it were a man forsake Vnto the wood my way gan take Not for to synge with the byrdes For whan I was the wood amyddes I fonde a soote grene playne And there I gan my wo compleyne wysshynge and wepynge all myn one For other myrthes made I none So harde me was that ylke throwe That ofte sythes ouerthrowe To grounde I was withoute brethe And euer I wysshed after dethe whan I out of my peyne awoke And caste vp many a pytous loke Vnto the heuen / and sayde thus O thou Cupyde / O thou Venus Thou god of loue / and thou goddesse where is pyte where is mekenesse Nowe dothe me playnly lyue or dye For certes suche amalydye As I now haue / and longe haue hadde It myght make a wyse man madde If that it shulde longe endure O venus quene of loues cure Thou lyfe / thou lust / thou mannes hele Beholde my cause / and my quarele And yeue me some part of thy grace So that I may fynde in this place If thou be gracious or none And with that worde I sawe anone The kynge of loue / and quene bothe But he that kynge with eyen wrothe His chere a weywarde fro me cast And forthe he passed at the last But netheles or he forth went A fyry dart me thought he sent And threwe it through myn hert rote In hym fonde I none other bote For lenger lyst hym note to dwelle But she / whiche is the source and welle Of wele and wo / that shall betyde To them that louen at that tyde Abode but for to tellen here She cast on me no goodly chere Thus netheles to me she sayde what arte thou sonne and I abrayde Ryght as a man doth out of slepe And therof she toke ryght good kepe And bad me nothynge be adradde But for all that I was not gladde For I ne sawe no cause why And ofte she asked what was I I sayde a caytife that lyeth here what wolde ye my lady dere Shall I be hoole / or elles dye She sayde / telle me thy maladye what is thy sore / of which thou pleinest â—e hyde it nought / for if thou feynest I can do the no medicyne Madame I am a man of thyne 〈◊〉 in thy court haue longe serued â—â—d aske that I haue deserued 〈◊〉 wele after my longe wo. And she began to loure tho And sayde there be many of you â—â—tours and so may be that thou 〈◊〉 ryght suche one / and by feyntise â—â—â—ste that thou haste me do seruice â—nd netheles she wyste wele 〈◊〉 worde stode on an other whele without any feyterye But â—gate of my maladye The had me tell and saye her trouthe Madame if ye wolde haue routhe â—uod I then wolde I telle you 〈◊〉 forth quod
is yeue Of deathe whiche shall not be foryeue The kynge whan it was nyght anone This man assent and bad hym gone To trompen at his brothers gate And he whiche mote done algate Goth forth and doth the kynges beste This lorde whiche herde of this tempest That he tofore his gate blewe Tho wyst he by the lawe and knewe That he was sekerly deade And as of helpe he wyst no rede But sende for his frendes all And tolde them howe it is befalle And they hym aske cause why But he the sothe not for thy Ne wyst and there was sorowe tho For it stode thylke tyme so This trompe was of suche sentence That there ayene no resystence They coude ordeyne by no weye That he ne mote algate deye But if so that he may purchace To gette his lyege lordes grace Their wyttes thervpon they cast And ben appoynted at last This lorde a worthy lady had Vnto his wyfe whiche also drad Her lordes death and children fyue Betwene hem two they had aliue That weren yonge and tender of age And of stature and of visage Ryght faire and lusty on to se Tho casten they that he and she Forthe with theyr childre on the morowe As they that were full of sorowe All naked but of smocke and sherte To tendre with the kynges herte His grace shulde go to seche And pardon of the deathe beseche Thus passen they that wofull nyght And erly whan they sawe it lyght They gone them forth in suche a wise As thou tofore hast herde diuyse All naked but their shertes one They wepte and made moche mone Their here hanged about their eares with sobbynge and with sory teares This lorde goth then an humble pas That whilom proude and noble was wherof the citie sore a flyght Of them that sawen thylke syght And nethelesse all openly with suche wepyng and with suche cry Forth with his children / and his wyfe He goth to praye for his lyfe Vnto the courte whan they be come And men therin haue hyed nome There was no wyght if he them sye From water myght kepe his eye For sorowe whiche they maden tho The kynge supposeth of this wo And feyneth as he nought ne wyst But netheles at his vpryste Men tolde hym howe it ferde And whan that he this wonder herde In hast he goth in to the halle And all at ones downe they falle If any pite may be founde The king which seeth theÌ„ go to grouÌ„de Hath asked them what is the fere why they be so dispoyled there His brother sayde A lorde mercy I wote none other cause why But onely that this night full late The trompe of deathe was at my gate In token that I shulde dye Thus we be come for to preye That ye my worldes deathe respyte Ha foole howe thou art for to wyte The kynge vnto his brother saide That thou arte of so lytell frayde That onely for a trompes sowne Hath gone dispoiled through the town Thou and thy wyfe in suche manere Forthe with thy children that ben here In syght of all men aboute For that thou sayst thou art in doubt Of death whiche stant vnder the lawe Of man and man may it withdrawe So that it may perchaunce fayle Nowe shalt thou not for thy meruayle That I downe from my chare alyght whan I behelde to fore my syght In them that were of so great age Myn owne dethe through their ymage whiche god hath set by lawe of kynde wherof I may no bote fynde For well I wote suche as they be Ryght suche am I in my degree Of flesshe and bloud and so shall dey And thus though I that lawe obeye Of whiche that kynges be put vnder It ought be well the lesse wonder Than thou whiche arte without nede For lawe of londe in suche a drede whiche for to accompte is but a iape As thing which thou myght ouerscape For thy my brother after this I rede that sethen that so is That thou canst drede a man so sore Drede god with all thyn herte more For all shall dye and all shall passe As well a lyon as an asse As well a begger as a lorde Towardes deathe in one accorde They shall stonde and in this wyse The kynge with his wordes wyse His brother taught and all foryeue Confessor For thy my sonne if thou wolt lyue In vertue thou must vice eschewe And with lowe herte humblesse sewe So that thou be not surquedous Amans My father I am amorous wherof I wolde you beseche That ye me by some waye teache whiche myght in loues cause stonde Confessor My sonne thou shalte vnderstonde In loue and other thynges all If that surquedry falle It may to hym not well betyde whiche vseth thylke vice of pride whiche tourneth wysedome to wenyng And sothfastnes into lesynge Through foule imagination And for thyn enformation That thou this vice as I the rede Eschewe shalte a tale I rede whiche felle whylom by dayes olde So as the clerke Ouide tolde ¶ Hic in speciali tractat Confessor cum Amante contra illos / qui de propria formositate presumentes amorem multeris dedignaÌ„tur Et narrat exemplum / qualiter cuiusdam principis filius 〈◊〉 mine Narcissus estino tempore / cum ipse venationis causa quendam ce ruum solus cum suis canibus exagitaret in grauem sitim incurrens necessitate coÌ„pulsus ad bibenduÌ„ de quodam fonte 〈◊〉 inclinquit vbi ipse faciem suaÌ„ pulchei rimam in aqua percipiens putabat se per hoc illaÌ„ Nâ—â—â—ham / quam poete Echo vocant in flumine â—â—â—am suis oculis conspexisse / de cuius amore 〈…〉 laqueatus / vt ipsaÌ„ ad se de fonte ex◠〈◊〉 pluribus blandicus adulabatur / sed cuÌ„ 〈◊〉 nâ—â—â—â—tenus perficere potuit pre nimio lanâ— deficiens contra lapides ibidem adiacen◠〈◊〉 exuerberans cerebrum effudit There was whylom a lordes sonne whiche of his pryde a vice wonne Hath caught that worthy to his lyche As sechen all the worldes ryche There was no woman for to loue So hygh he set hym selfe aboue Of stature and of beaute bothe That hym thought all women lothe 〈◊〉 was there no comparyson As towarde his condition This yonge lorde Narcissus hyght No strength of loue bowe myght His herte whiche is vnafyled 〈◊〉 at laste he was begyled 〈◊〉 of the goddes purueyaunce 〈◊〉 telle hym on a day perchaunce That he in all his proude fare Vnto the forest gan to fare Amonge other that there were To hunt and disporte hym there And whan he came in to the place where that he wolde make his chace The houndes were within a throwe Vncoupled and the bornes blowe The great herte anone was founde with swyfte feete set on the grounde And be with spore in horse syde Hym hasteth faste for to ryde Tyll all men be lefte bebynde And as he rode vnder a lynde Besyde a roche as I the telle He sawe where spronge a lusty welle
layde That to my syster ne to my brother In all this worlde ne to none other ye durst telle a pryuete So well my father as to me For thy my father I you praye Ne casteth nought that hert away For I am she that wolde kepe your honour and with that to wepe Her eie may not be forbore She wyssheth for to ben vnbore Er that her father so mystryst To tellen her of that he wyst And euer amonge mercy she cryed That he ne shulde his counscile hyde From her that so wolde hym good And was so nygh flesshe and bloud So that with wepynge at last His chere vpon his childe he caste And sorowfully to that she prayde He tolde his tale and thus he sayde The sorowe doughter which I make Is not all onely for my sake But for the bothe and for you all For suche a chaunce is me befalle That I shall er this thyrde day Lese all that euer I lese may My lyfe and all my good therto Therfore it is I sorowe so what is the cause alas quod she My father that ye shulden be Dead and distroyed in suche a wise And he began the poyntes deuyse which as the kyng tolde him by mouth And sayd her playnly that he couthe Answere to no poynt of this And she that hereth howe it is Her counsayle yafe and sayd tho My father syn it is so That ye can se none other weye But that ye must nedes deye I wolde pray you of o thynge Lette me go with you to the kynge And ye shall make hym vnderstonde Howe ye my wyttes for to fonde Haue layde your answere vpon me And telleth hym in suche degre Vpon my worde ye wol abyde To lyfe or deth what so betyde For yet perchaunce I may purchace with some good word the kynges grace your lyfe and eke your good to saue For ofte shall a woman haue Thynge whiche a man may not areche The fader herd his doughters speche And thought there was no reason in And sawe his owne lyfe to wynne He couthe done hym selfe no cure So better he thought in auenture To put his lyfe and all his good That in the maner as it stode His lyfe incerteyne for to lese And thus thynkende he gan to chese To do the counseyle of this mayde And toke the purpose whiche she sayd The day was come forth they gone Vnto the courte they come anone where as the kynge in his iugement was sette and hath this knyght assent Arrayed in her beste wyse This mayden with her wordes wyse Her father ledde by the honde In to the place where he fonde The kynge with other which he wolde And to the kynge knelende he tolde As he enfourmed was tofore And prayeth the kyng that he therfore His doughters wordes wolde take And sayth that he woll vndertake Vpon her wordes for to stende Tho was ther great meruaile on hoÌ„de That he whiche was so wyse a knyght His lyfe vpon so yonge a wyght Besette wolde in ieopardye And many it helden for folye But at laste neuertheles The kynge commaundeth ben in peace And to this mayde he cast his chere And sayde he wolde her tale here And badde her speke and she began My lyege lorde so as I can Quod she the poyntes which I herde They shall of reason ben answerde The fyrst I vnderstonde is this what thynge of all the worlde it is which men most helpe hath lest nede My lyege lorde this wolde I rede The erthe it is whiche euermo with mannes labour is bego As well in wynter as in Maye The mannes honde doth what he may To helpe it forth and make it ryche And for thy men it delue and dyche And eren it with strength of plough where it hath of hym selfe inough So that his nede is at leste For euery man byrde and beast Of floure and grasse and rote rynde And euery thynge by wey of kynde Shall sterue and erthe it shall become As it was out of erthe nome It shall to erthe tourne ageyne And thus I may by reason seyne That therthe is most nedeles And most men helpe it netheles So that my lorde touchande of this I haue answerde howe that it is ¶ That other poynt I vnderstode whiche most is worth and most is good And costeth leest a man to kepe My lorde if ye woll take kepe I saye it is Humilite Through whiche the hygh Trinite As for deserte of pure loue Vnto Marye from aboue Of that he knewe her humble entent His owne sonne adowne he sent Aboue all other and her he chese For that vertu which that bodeth pes So that I may by reason calle Humilite moost worthe of all And lest it costeth to maynteyne In all the worlde as it is seyne For who that hath huÌ„blesse on honde He bryngeth no werres in to londe For he desyreth for the best To serten euery man in reste ¶ Thus with your hygh reuerence Me thynketh that this euydence As to this poynt is suffisaunt And touchende of the remenaunt whiche is the thyrde of your askynges what lest is worth of all thynges And costeth most I telle it Pryde whiche may not in the heuen abyde For Lucifer with them that felle Bare Pryde with hym in to helle There was pryde of to great cost whan he for pryde hath heuen loste And after that in Paradyse Adam for pryde lost his pryce In myddell erth And eke also Pryde is the cause of all wo That all the worlde ne may suffise To stanche of pride the reprise Pryde is the heed of all synne whiche wasteth all and may not wynne Pryde is of euery mysse the prycke Pryde is the worste of all wycke And costeth moost and lest is worth In place where he hath his forth Thus haue I sayde that I woll say Of myn answere and to you pray My lyege lorde of your offyce That ye suche grace and suche iustice Ordeyne for my father here That after this when men it here The worlde therof may speake good ¶ The kyng which reason vnderstode And hath all herde howe she hath said was inly gladde and so well payde That all his wrath is ouer go And he beganne to loke tho Vpon this mayden in the face In whiche he fonde so mochell grace That all his price on her he leyde In audience and thus he sayde My fayre mayden well ye be Of thyn answere and eke of the Me lyketh well and as thou wylte Forâ—eue be thy father gylte And if thou were of suche lygnage That thou to me were of parage And that thy father were a pere As he is nowe a bachylere So syker as I haue a lyfe Thou shuldest than be my wyfe But this I saye netheles That I woll shape thyn encrease what worldes good that thou wolte craue Axe of mi yeft thou shalt haue And she the kynge with wordes wise Knelynge thanketh in this wyse My lyege lorde god mote
gouerned vpon wytte He hath this lyues luste forlore And thus myn herte is all to tore Of suche a contecke as they make But yet I may not VV Y L forsake That he nys mayster of my thought Or that I spede or spede nought ¶ Thou dost my son ageynst the ryght But loue is of so great a myght His lawe may no man refuse So myght thou the better excuse And netheles thou shalt be lerned That VV Y L shulde be gouerned Of reason more than of kynde wherof a tale write I fynde ¶ Hic ponit Confessor exemplum quod omnis impetuosa voluntas sit discretionis moderamine gubernanda Et narrat qualiter Diogenes / qui motus animi sui rationi subiugauerat regem Alexandrum sub isto facto sibi opponente plemus informanit ¶ A philosopher of whiche men tolde There was whylom by dayes olde And Dyogenes than he hyght So olde he was that he ne myghte The worlde trauayle and for the best He shope hym for to take his rest And dwelle at home in suche a wyse That nygh his house he lette deuyse Endelonge vpon an axell tree To sette a tonne in suche degree That he it myght tourne aboute wherof one heed was taken out For he therin sytte shulde And tourne hym selfe as he wolde And take the eyre and se the heuen And deme of the planettes seuen As he whiche couthe mochell what And thus full ofte there he sat To muse in his philosophye Sole without companye So that vpon a morowe tyde A thynge whiche shulde tho betyde whan he was sette there as hym lyst To loke vpon the sonne aryst wherof the propertie he syghe It felle there cam rydynge nygh Kynge Alysaunder with a rout And as he cast his eie about He sygh this tonne and what it ment He wolde wytte and thyther sent A knyght by whom he myght it know And he hym selfe that ilke throwe Abode and houeth there stylle This knight after the kynges wylle with spore made his horse to gone And to the tonne he cam anone where that he fonde a man of age And he hym tolde the message Suche as the kynge hym had bede And asketh why in thylke stede The tonne stode and what he was And he whiche vnderstode the cas Sat styll and spake no worde ageyne The knyght bad speke sayth Vyleyn Thou shalt me telle er that I go It is thy kynge whiche asketh so My kyng quod he that were vnright what is he than sayth the knyght Is he thy man that say I nought Quod he but this I am bethought My mannes man howe that he is Thou lyest fals chorle iwys The knight him said was right wroth And to the kynge ayene he goth And told hym how this man answerde The kynge whan he this tale herd Bad that they shulde all abyde For he hym selfe wold thyder ryde And whan he came tofore the Tonne He hath his tale thus begonne Al heyl he seyth what man art thou Quod he Such one as thou seest nowe The kynge whiche had wordes wyse His age wolde nought despyse But sayth My father I the praye That thou me wolt the cause saye How that I am thy mans man Syre kynge quod he that I can yf thou wylt yes seyth the kynge Quod he this is the soth thynge Syth I fyrst reason vnderstode And knew what thing was euil goode The wyl whiche of my body moueth whos werkes that the god reproueth I haue restreyned euer more Of hym that stant vnder the lore Of reason whos subiect he is So that he may not done amys And thus by weye of couenaunt VVYL is my man and my seruant And euer hathe be and euer shall And thy wyl is thy pryncipal And hath the lordship of thy wyt So that thou couthest neuer yet Take a day rest of thy laboure But for to be a Conquerour Of worldes good which may not last Thou hyghest euer a lyche fast where thou no reason hast to wynne Thus thy wyll is cause of synne And is thy lorde to whom thou seruest wherof thou lytel thonke deseruest The kyng of that he thus answerd was nothyng wroth but when he herd The hyghe wisedom whiche he sayde with goodly wordes thus be prayde That be hym wold tell his name I am quod he that ylke same whiche men Dyogenes calle Tho was the king right glad with all For he had herd oft to fore what man he was so that therfore He sayde O wyse Diogene Nowe shall thy great wytte be sene For thou shalt of my yefte haue what worldes thynge thou woltecraue Quod he thaÌ„ houe out of my sonne And lete it shyne in to my Tonne For thou bynemest me thylke yifte which lyeth nat in thy myght to shyfte None other good of the me nedeth The kyng / whoÌ„ euery couÌ„trey dredeth Lo thus he was enformed there wherof my sone thou myght lere How that thy wil shal nought beleued where it is nought of wyt releued And thou hast sayd thy self er this How that thy wyl thy mayster is Through whiche thyn hertes thought within Is euer of conteke to beginne So that it is gretely to drede That it no bomycyde brede For loue is of a wondre kynde And hath his wyttes ofte blynde That they fro mannes reason fall But whan that it is so befalle That wyll shall the courage lede In loues cause it is to drede wherof I fynde ensample wryte whiche is behouefull that thou wyte ¶ Hic in a moris causa ponit Confessor exemplum contra issos / qui in sua dampna nimis accelerantes ex impetuositate se ipsos muftociens offendunt Et narrat qualiter Piramus cum ipse Tisbe amicam suam in foco inter eosdem deputa to tempore aduentus sui promptam non inuenit animo impetuoso se ipsum pre dolore extracto gladio mortaliter transfodit que postea infra breue beniens cum ipsum sic mortaum inuenisset / eciam et illa in sue ipsius mortem impetuose festmans eiusdem gsadii cuspide sui cordis intima per medium penetrauit ¶ I rede a tale and telleth this The citye whiche Semiramis Enclosed hath with walle about Of worthy folke with many a rout was inhabyted here and there Amonge the whiche two there were Abouen all other noble and great Dwellend tho within a strete So nyghe to gether as it was sene There was nothynge hem betwene But wowe to wowe and walle to walle This o lorde hath in specyalle A sonne a lustye bachylere In all the towne was none his pere That other had a doughter eke In all the lande for to seke Men wisten noâ—e so fayre as she And fell for as it shulde be This fayre doughter nye this sonne As they to geder than wonne Cupyde hath so thynges shape That they ne might his handes escape That he his fyre on hem ne caste wherof her hartes he ouercaste To folowe thylke lore
in specyall To my matter therupon Telle in what wyse Agamemnon Through chance that may not be weiued Of loue vntrewe was deceiued An olde sawe is who that is slygh In place were he may be nyghe He maketh the ferre leef loth Of loue and thus ful ofte it goth There whyle Agamemnon bataylleth To wynne Troye and it assaylleth From home and was longe tyme there Egystus drough his quene nere And with the leyser whiche he hadde This lady at his wyll he ladde ClyteÌ„nestre was her ryght name She was therof greatly to blame To loue there it may not laste But felle to mischiefe at laste For whan this noble worthy knyght Fro Troye came the fyrst nyght That he at home a bedde laye Egistus longe er it was daye As this Clytenestre hym had assent And weren bothe of one assent By treason slough hym in his bed But mourder whiche may not beÌ„ hed Spronge out to euery mans eare wherof the londe was full of feare ¶ Agamemnon hath by this quene A sonne and that was after sene But yet as than he was of youth A babe whiche no reason couth And as god wolde it felle hym thus A worthy knyght Taltibius This yonge childe hath in kepynge And whan he herde of this tydynge Of this treason of this mysdede He gan within hym selfe to drede In aunter if this false Egiste Vpon hym come er he it wyste To take and mourther of his malice This childe whiche he hath to noryce And for that cause in all haste Out of the londe he gan hym haste And to the kynge of Crete he straught And hym this yonge lorde betaught And prayde hym for his fathers sake That he this childe wolde vndertake And kepe hym tyll he be of age So as he was of his lygnage And tolde hym ouer all the cas Howe that his father mourthred was And howe Egistus as men sayde was kynge to whom the londe obeyde ¶ And whan Idomeneus the kynge Hath vnderstondynge of this thynge which that this knyght hym hath told He made sorowe many folde And toke the childe vnto his warde And sayde he wolde hym kepe warde Tyll that he were of suche a myght To handle a swerde and be a knyght To vengen hym at his owne wylle And thus Horestes dwelleth stylle Suche was the childes right name whiche after wrought mochel shame In vengeaunce of his fathers deth The tyme of yeres ouergeth That he was man of brede length Of wyt of manhode and of strength A fayre persone amonges all And he beganne to clepe and call As he whiche come was to man Vnto the kynge of Crete than Prayende that he wolde hym make A knyght and power with hym take For lenger wolde he not beleue He sayth but prayth the kynge of leue To gone and cleyme his heritage And venge hym of thylke oultrage whiche was vnto his father do The kynge assenteth well therto with great honor knight him maketh And great power to hym betaketh And gan his iourney for to caste So that Horestes at laste His leue toke and forth he goth As he that was in his herte wroth His fyrste playnt to be mene Vnto the cytie of Athene He goth hym forth and was receyued So there was be nought deceyued The duke and tho that weren wyse They proferen hem to his seruice And he hem thonketh of theyr proffer And sayd hym selfe he wolde gone offer Vnto the goddes for his spede And all men yeue hym rede So goth he vnto the temple forth Of yeftes that be mochell worth His sacrifyce and his offrynge He made and after his askynge He was answerde if that he wolde His estate recouer than he sholde Vpon his mother do vengeaunce So cruell that the remembraunce Therof myght euermore abyde Aâ—â— he that was an homicide â—â—d of her owne lorde mourdrice Hâ—â—â—stes whiche of thylke office 〈◊〉 nothyng glad and than he prayde Vâ—â—o the goddes there and sayde 〈◊〉 they the iugement deuyse â—â—we he shall take the iuyse And thervpon he had answere Tâ—â—t he her pappes shulde of tere 〈◊〉 of her breast his owne hondes Aâ—â— for eâ—sample of all londes 〈◊〉 â—oâ—s she shulde be to drawe 〈◊〉 houndes had her bones gnawe â—â—â—â—out any sepulture 〈◊〉 was a wofull auenture And whan Horestes hath all herde 〈◊〉 that the goddes haue answerde â—â—rth with the strength whiche he lad The duke and his power he had And to a citie forth they gone The whiche was cleped Cropheone where as Phoicus was lorde and fire whiche profereth hym withouten hyre His helpe and all that he may do As he that was right glad therto â—o greue his mortall ennemy And tolde hym certayne cause why Howe that Egyste in maryage His doughter whylom of full age Forlay and afterwarde forsoke whan he Horestes mother toke Men sayne olde synne newe shame Thus more and more arose the blame Ayene Egyste on euery syde Horestes with his hoste to ryde Began and Phoicus with hym went I trowe Egyst shall hym repent They ryden forth vnto Mycene There lay Clytemnestre thilke quene The whiche Horestes mother is And whan she herde telle of this The gates were faste shette And they were of her entre lette Anone this citie was without Beleyne and seged all about And euer amonge they it assayle Fro day to nyght and so trauayle Tyll at last they it wonne Tho was there sorowe inough begonne Horestes dyd his mother calle Anone tofore the lordes all And eke tofore the people also To her and tolde his tale tho And sayde O cruell beast vnkynde Howe mightest thou in thyn hert finde For any luste of loues draught That thou accordest to the slaught Of hym whiche was thyn owne lorde Thy treason stant of suche recorde Thou myght thy werkes not forsake So mote I for my father sake Vengeaunce vpon thy body do As I commaunded am therto Vnkyndely for thou hast wrought Vnkyndelyche it shall be bought The sonne shall the mother slee For that whylom thou saydest ye To that thou shuldest nay haue sayd And he with that his hondes hath laid Vpon his mother breast anone And rent out from the bare bone Her pappes both and caste away Amyddes in the cart way And after toke the deade cors And lete it be drawe awey with hors Vnto the hounde vnto the Rauen She was none other wyse grauen Egystus whiche was elles where Tydynges comen to his eare Howe that Mycenes was beleyne But what was more herd be not sayne with great manace and mochel boste He drough power and made an hoste And came in the rescous of the towne But all the sleyght of this treasone Horestes wyst it by a spye And of his men a great partie He made ambusshement abyde To wayte on hym in suche a tyde That he ne myght her honde escape And in this wyse as he hath shape The thynge befell so that Egyst was take er he hym selfe it wyst And was brought forth his hoÌ„des
anone in stede of oxes He let do yoken great Foxes And with great salt the londe be sewe But Nauplus which the cause knewe Ayene the sleyghte whiche he feyneth Another sleyghte anone ordeyneth And fell that tyme Vlyxes hadde A chylde to sonne and Nauplus radde How men that sonne take shulde And set hym vpon the molde where that his fader helde the plough In thilk forough which he tho drough For in such wyse he thought assaye Howe it Vlyxes shulde paye If that he were wood or none The knightes for this child forth gone Telemachus anone was fette To fore the plough and euen sette where that his fader shulde dryue But whan he sawe his chylde as blyue He droof the plough out of the weye And Nauplus tho began to seye And hath halfe in a â—ape cryed O Vlyxes thou art aspyed what is all this thou woldest mene For openlyche it is nowe sene That thou hast feyned all this thynge which is great shame to a kynge whan that for lust of any slouthe Thou wyltâ—n a quarel of trouthe Of armes thylke honour forsake And dwelle at home for loues sake For better it were honour to wynne Than loue whiche lykynge is ynne For thy take worshyp vpon honde And elles thou shalt vnderstonde These other worthy kynges all Of Grece whiche vnto the calle Towardes the wol be ryght wroth And greue the perchans both whiche shall be to the double shame Most for the hyndrynge of thy name That thou for slouthe of any loue Shalt so thy lustes set aboue And leue of armes the knyghthode whiche is the pryce of thy manhode And ought fyrst to be desyred But he whiche hadde his herte fyred Vpon his wyfe whan he this herd Nought one word there ayene answerd But torneth home haluynge ashamed And hath within hym selfe so tamed His herte that all the sotye Of loue for chyualrye He lefte and be hym leef or loth To Troye forth with hem he goth That he hym myght not excuse Thus stant it if a knyght refuse The lust of armes to trauayle There may no worldes ease auayle But if worshyp be with all And that hath she wed ouerall For it syt wel in all wyse A knyght to ben of hyghe empryse And putten all drede aweye For in this wyse I haue herd seye 〈◊〉 narrat super â—odem qualiter Laodomia 〈…〉 vâ—or voâ—ens ipsum a bello 〈…〉 secunt retinere fatatam sibi mortem in 〈◊〉 Trâ—â—e prenunciauit sed ipse miliciam poci 〈…〉 affectans Troiam adut vbi sue mor◠〈…〉 perpetue laudis Cronicam ademit ⧠The worthy knyght Prothesalay On his passage where he lay Toward Troye thylke syege She whiche was all his owne lyege â—â—â—domye his lusty wyfe whiche for his loue was pensyf As he whiche all her hert hadde Vpon a thynge wherof she dradde A letter for to make hym dwelle Fro Troye send hym thus to telle Howe she hath asked of the wyse Touchend of hym in suche a wyse That they haue done her vnderstond Toward other howe so it stonde The destyne it hath so shape That he shall not the deth escape In caas that he arryue at Troye For thy as to hyr worldes ioye with all her herte she hym preyde And many another cause alleyde That he with her at home abyde But he hath cast her letter a syde As he whiche tho no maner hede Toke of her wommanlyche drede And forth he goth as nought ne were To Troye and was the fyrste there whiche londeth and toke arryuayle For hym was leuer in the bataylle He seyth to deyen as a knyght Than for to lyue in all his myght And be reproued of his name Lo thus vpon the worldes fame Knyghthode hath euer yet beset whiche with no cowardys is let ☞ Adhuc super eodem qualiter Rex Saul nâ— obstante ê™ Samuelem a Phitonissa fuscitatum et conturatil vesponsum ê™ ipse in bello moreretur accepisset hostes tameÌ„ suos aggrediens milicie famaÌ„ cuÌ„tis huius vitâ— blaÌ„demeÌ„tis preposuit ⧠Of kynge Saul also I fynde ♣ whan Samuel out of his kynde Through that the Phitones hath lered In Samarye was arered Longe tyme after that he was dede The kynge Saul hym asketh rede If that he shall go fyght or none And Samuel hym sayd anone The fyrst day of the batayle Thou shalte be slayn withoute fayle And Ionathas thy sonne also But howe as euer it felle so This worthy knyght of his courage Hath vndertake the vyage And wolde nought his knyghthode let For no perylle he couth set wherof that bothe his sonne and he Vpon the Mount of Gelboe Assemblen with her enemyes For they knyghthode of suche a prys By olde dayes than belden That they none other thynge behelden And thus the fader for worshyp Forth with his sonne of felaushyp Through lust of armes weren dede As men may in the byble rede They whos knyghthode is yet in mynd And shall be to the worldes ende ⧠Hic loquitur ê™ miles in suis primordiis ad audaciam pronocari debet Et narrat qualiter Chiro Centaurus Achillem qui secum ab infan cia in montem Peleon educauit vt audax efficere tur primitus edocuit quod cum ipse venacionibus ibidem insifteret leones et tigrides huinsmodique animalia sibi resistentia et nulla alia fugitiua agitaret et sic Achilles in inuentute animatus famosissime militie probitateÌ„ postmoduÌ„ ad optanit ANd for to loken ouermore It hath and shall ben euermore That of knyghthode the prowesse Is grounded vpon hardynesse Of hym that dare wel vndertake And who that wolde ensample take Vpon the forme of knyghtes lawe Howe that Achilles was forth drawe with Chiro whiche Centaurus hyght Of many a wonder here he myght For it stood thylke tyme thus That this Chiro this Centaurus within a large wyldernesse where was lyon and leonesse The lepard and the Tygre also with hert and hynd buk and do Had his dwellenge as tho befylle Of Peleon vpon the hylle wherof was than mochel speche There hath Chiro this chyld to teche what tyme he was of twelue yere age wherfore to maken his courage The more hardy by other weye In the forest to hunt and pleye whan that Achilles walke wolde Centaurus badde that he ne shulde After no best make his chas whiche wolde fleen out of his place As buke and do and herte and hynde with whiche he may no werre fynde But tho that wolden hym withstonde There shuld be with his dart on honde Vpon the Tygre and the lyon Purchace and make his venyson As to a knyght is acordaunt And therupon a couenaunt This Chiro with Achilles set That euery day withoute lette He shulde seche a cruel best Or sle or wounden at the lest So that he myght a token brynge Of bloude vpon his home comynge And thus of that Chiro hym taught Achilles suche an herte caught That he no more a lyon drad whan
speke a goodly worde assent And netheles this dare I say That if a synfull wolde preye To god of his foryeuenes with halfe so great a besynesse As I haue do to my lady In lacke of askynge of mercy He shulde neuer come in helle And thus I may you sothly telle Saufe onely that I crie and bydde I am in tristesse all amydde And fulfylled of desperaunce And therof yeue me my penaunce Myn holy father as you lyketh ¶ My sonne of that thyn herte syketh with sorowe myght thou not amende Tyll loue his grace woll the sende For thou thyn owne cause empeirest what tyme as thou thy selfe despeirest I not what other thinge auayleth Of hope whan the herte fayleth For suche a sore is incurable And eke the goddes ben vengeable And that a man may right well frede These olde bokes who so rede Of thinge whiche hath befalle er this Nowe here of what ensample it is ☞ HIC narrat qualiter Iphis / regis Theucer filius eb amorem cuiusdam puelle nomine Araâ—arathen quaÌ„ neque donis aut precibus vinâ—â—â—â—â—tuit / deâ—perans ante patris ipsius puelle 〈◊〉 nectanter se suspendit vnder dii commoti 〈◊〉 â—nellum in lapidem durissimam transmutâ—â—nt quam rex Theucer vna cuÌ„ filio suo apud Sâ—â—â—num in Templo veneris pro perpetua 〈◊〉 morta sepeliri et locari fecit ¶ whylom by olde dayes fer Of Moâ—e was the kynge Theucer whiche had a knyghte to sonne Iphis Of loue and he so maistred is That he hath set all his courage As to regarde of his lygnage Vpon a mayde of lowe estate But though he were a potestate Of worldes good he was subiecte To loue and put in suche a plyte That he excedeth the measure Of reason that hym selfe assure He can nought For the more he praid The lasse loue on hym she layde He was with loue vnwise constreined And she with reason was restreyned The lustes of his herte he seweth And she for drede shame escheweth And as she shulde toke good hede To saue and kepe her womanhede And thus the thinge stode in debate Betwene his lust and her estate He yaue he sende he spake by mouth But yet for ought that euer he couthe Vnto his spede he fonde no weye So that he cast his hope aweye within his hert he gan despeyre Fro day to day and so empeire That he hath lost all his delyte Of lust of slepe of appetyte That he through streÌ„gth of loue lasseth His wyt and reason ouerpasseth As he whiche of his lyfe ne rought His death vpon hym selfe he sought So that by nyght his weye he nam There wyst none where he becam The nyghte was derke there shone no mone Tofore the gates he cam sone where that this yonge mayde was And with this wofull worde alas His deadly pleyntes he began So styll that there was no man It herde and than he sayde thus O thou Cupyde O thou Venus Fortuned by whose ordynaunce Of loue is euery mans chaunce Ye knowen all myn hole hert That I ne may your hondes astert On you is euer that I crie And you deyneth not to plie Ne towarde me your eare enclyne Thus for I se no medicine To make an ende of my quarele My deth shall be in stede of hele Ha thou my wofull lady dere whiche dwellest with thy father here And slepest in thy bedde at ease Thou wotest nothynge of my disease Howe thou and I be nowe vnmete A lorde what sweuen shalt thou mete what dremes hast thou now on honde Thou slepest there and I here stonde Though I no death to the deserue Here shall I for thy loue sterue Here shall I a kynges sonne dye For loue and for no felonye whether thou therof haue ioy or sorow Here shalt thou se me deed to morowe O harde herte abouen alle This death whiche shall to me falle For that thou wolde not do my grace It shall be tolde in many place That I am deed for loue and trouth In thy defaute and in thy slouth Thy daunger shall to many mo Ensample be for euermo when they the wofull death recorde And with that worde he toke a corde with whiche vpon the gate tre He henge him selfe that was pite The morowe cam the nyght is gone Men come out and sygh anone where that this yonge lorde was deed There was an hous without rede For no man knewe the cause why There was wepynge there was cry This mayden whan she it herde And sigh this thinge howe it mysferde Anone she wyst what it ment And all the cause howe it went To all the worlde she tolde it out And preyeth to hem that were aboute To take of her the vengeaunce For she was cause of thilke chaunce why that this kynges sonne is spylt She taketh vpon her selfe the gilt And is all redy to the peyne whiche any man her wolde ordeyne But if any other wolde She saith that her selfe she sholde Do wreche with her owne honde Through out the worlde in euery loÌ„de That euery lyfe therof shall speke Howe she her selfe it shulde wreke She wepeth she cryeth she swouneth ofte She caste her eien vp alofte And sayde amonge full pitously O god thou wost that it am I For whom Iphis is thus beseyne Ordeyne so that men may seyne A thousande wynter after this Howe suche a mayden dyd amys And as I dydde do to me For I ne dydde no pite To hym whiche for my loue is lore Do no pite to me therfore And with this worde she fell to grouÌ„de A swoune and there she laye astounde The goddes which her pleyntes herd And sygh howe wofully she ferde Hir lyfe they toke awey anone And shopen hir into a stone After the forme of hir image Of body both and of visage And for the meruayle of this thynge Vnto the place came the kynge And eke the quene and many mo And whan they wysten it was so As I haue tolde it here aboue Howe that Iphis was deade for loue Of that he had be refused They helden all men excused And wondren vpon the vengeaunce And for to kepe remembraunce This fayre image mayden lyche with company noble and ryche with torches and great solempnite To Salamyne the Citie They leade carie forth withall This deade corps and seyne it shall Besyde thilke image haue His sepulture and be begraue This corps and this image thus In to the citie to Venus where that goddesse her temple had Together bothe two they ladde This ilke image as for myracle was set vpon an hygh pinacle That all men it myght knowe And vnder that they maden lowe A tombe ryche for the nones Of marble and eke of Iaspre stones wherin that Iphis was beloken That euermore it shall be spoken And for men shall the sothe wyte They haue her ephitaphe wryte As thynge whiche shulde abyde stable The letters grauen in a table Of marble were and sayde this Here lyeth whiche
qualiter Mida rex Frigie Cillenū Baccbi sacerdotem quem rustici vinculis ferreis alligarunt dissoluit et in hospiciū suū benignissime recollegit pro quo Bacchus quodcunque munus rex exigere vellei donari cōcessit Vnde rex auatitia ductus / vt quicquid tangeret in aurum conuerteretur indiscrete petiit ¶ Bacchus whiche is the god of wine Accordant vnto his diuine A prest the whiche Cillenus hight He had and fell so that by night This prest was drunke goth a strayde wherof the men were euyll apayde In Frygelonde where as he went But at last a chorle hym hent with strength of other felaushyp So that vpon his drunkeshyp They bounden hym with cheynes faste And forth they lad hym also faste Vnto the kynge whiche hyght Myde But he that wolde his vice hyde This curtois kynge toke of hym hede And bad that men shulde hym lede In to a chambre for to kepe Tyll he of leyser hadde slepe And thus this prest was sone vnbound And vpon a couche fro the grounde To slepe he was leyde softe inough And whā he woke the king him drough To his presence and dyd hym chere So that this preest in suche manere while that him liketh ther he dwelleth And al this he to Bacchus telleth whan that he cam to hym ageyne And whan that Bacchus hard seyne Howe Myde hath done his curtesy Hym thinketh it were a vilanie But he rewarde hym for his dede So as he myght of his godhede Vnto this kynge this god appereth And clepeth and that other hereth This god to Myde thonketh fayre Of that he was so debonayre Towarde his prest and had hym seye what thynge it were he wolde preye He shulde it haue of worldes good This kynge was glad and stylle stode And was of his askynge in doute And all the worlde he casteth aboute what thynge was best for his astate And with hym selfe stode in debate Vpon thre poyntes whiche I fynde Ben leuest vnto mannes kynde The fyrst of hem it is delyte The two ben worshyp and profyte And than he thought if that I craue Delyte though I delyte may haue Delyte shall passen in my age That is no syker auauntage For euery ioye bodely Shall ende in wo delyte for thy woll I not chese and if I worshyp Aske of the worlde lordshyp That is an occupation Of proude imagination whiche maketh an herte vayne within There is no certayne for to wynne For lorde and knaue is all one wey whan they be bore and whan they dey And if I profyte aske wolde I◠not in what maner I sholde Of worldes good haue sykernes For euery these vpon rychesse Awayteth for to robbe and stele Suche good is cause of harmes fele And also though a man at ones Of all the worlde within his wones The treasour myght haue euery dele yet had he but one mans dele Towarde hym selfe so as I thynke Of clothynge and of meate and drinke For more out take vanite There hath no lorde in his degre And thus vpon these poyntes diuerse Dyuersly he gan reherce what poynt hym thought for the beste But playnly for to gette hym rest He can no syker way cast And netheles yet at laste He felle vpon the couetyse Of golde and than in sondry wyse He thought as I haue sayd tofore How treasour may be soone lore And hadde an inly great desyre Touchende of suche recouer Howe that he myght his cause auayle To gete hym gold withouten fayle within his hert and thus he preyseth The gold fayth how that he peyseth Abouen all other metall most The golde he sayth may lede an hoost To make werre ayene the kynge The golde put vnder all thynge And set it whan hym lyst aboue The golde can make of hate loue And werre of pees and ryght of wrong And longe to short and short to longe withoute golde may be no fest Gold is the lorde of man and best And may hem both bye and selle So that a man may sothely telle That all the worlde to golde obeyeth For thy this kinge to Bacchus preyth To graunte him golde but he excedeth Mesure more than hym nedeth Men tellen that the maladye whiche cleped is hydropsye Resembled is vnto this vyce By waye of kynde of Auaryce The more hidropsy drynketh The more hym thrsteth for him thynketh That he may neuer drynke his fylle So that there may no thynge fulfylle The lustes of his appetyte And ryght in suche a maner plyte Stant euer Auaryce and euer stode The more he hath of worldes good The more he wolde it kepe streyte And euer more and more coueyte And ryght in suche condycion withoute good discrecyon This kynge with Auaryce is smitte That all the worlde it myght witte For he to Bacchus than preyd That therupon his honde he leyd It shulde through his touche anone Become gold and therupon This god hym graunteth as he badde Tho was this kynge of Fryge gladde And for to put it in assaye with all the hast that he maye He toucheth that he toucheth this And in his hond all golde it is The stone the tre the leef the gras The floure the fruyte all gold it was Thus toucheth he whyle he may laste To go but honger at laste Hym toke so that he mote nede By wey of kynde his honger fede The cloth was leyd the borde was set And all was forth tofore hym set His dyssh his cup his drynk his meet But whan he wolde or drynke or ete Anone as it his mouth cam nyghe It was all golde and than he syghe Of Auaryce the folye And he with that byganne to crye And preyde Bacchus to foryeue His gylt and suffer hym for to lyue And be suche as he was tofore So that he were nought forlore This god which herd of this greuaunce Toke routhe wpon his repentaunce And had hym go forth redyly Vnto a flood was fast by whiche Paceole than hyght In whiche al 's fast as euer he myght He shuld hym wasshe ouerall And sayd hym than that he shall Recouer his fyrste astate ageyn This kynge ryght as he herd seyn In to the flood goth fro the lond And wesshe hym both fote and hond And so forth all the remenaunte As hym was set in couenaunt And than he sygh meruayles straunge The flood his colour gan to chaunge The grauel with the smal stones To gold they torne both attones And he was quyte of that he hadde And thus fortune his chaunce ladde And whan he sygh his touch awey He goth hym home the ryght wey And lyueth forth as he dyd er And put all auaryce a fer And the ryches of gold despyseth And seith that mete and cloth suffyseth Thus hath this kynge experyence Howe fooles done the reuerence To gold whiche of his owne kynde Is lasse worth than is the rynde To sustenaunce of mars fode And than he made lawes good And all his thinge set vpon skylle He bede his
a loue may not laste But nowe men seyn in oure dayes Men maken but a fewe assayes But if the cause be rychesse For thy the loue is well the lesse And who that wold ensamples telle By olde dayes as they felle Than myght a man wel vnderstonde Suche loue may not longe stonde Now herken sonne thou shalt here A great ensample of this matere ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra istos / qui non propter amorem sed propter diuicias sponsalia fumunt Et narrat de quodam regis Apulie Se nescalo / qui non solum propter pecuniam vxoreÌ„ duxit sed eciam pecunie commercis vxorem sibi desponsatum vendidit ¶ To trete vpon the cas of loue So as we toâ—d here aboue I fynde wryte a wonder thynge Of Puyle whylom was a kynge A man of hygh complexion And yonge but his affectyon After the nature of his age was yet not falle in his courage The lust of woman for to knowe So it betyd vpon a throwe This lorde felle in to great sekenes Physyke hath done the besynes Of sondry cures many one To make hym holle and therupon A worthy mayster whiche there was Yafe hym counseyle vhon this cas That if he wolde haue parfyte hele He shuld with a woman dele Atress he a yonge a lusty wyght To don hym companye a nyght For than he sayde hym redely That he shal be al hole ther by And other wyse he knewe no cure The kyng whiche stode in a venture Of lyfe and deth for medicine Assented was and of couyne His stewarde whom he trusteth well He toke and tolde hym euery dele How that this mayster had sayde And thervpon he hath hym prayde And charged vpon his lygeaunce That he do make purueaunce Of suche one as be couenable For his pleasaunce and delitable And badde hym how that euer it stode That he shall spare for no good For his wyll is ryght well to pay The stewarde sayde he wolde assay ¶ But now here after thou shalt wyte As I fynde in the bokes wryte what couetyse in loue doth This stewarde for to telle soth Amonges all the men on alyue A lusty lady hath to wyue whiche netheles for golde he toke And nought for loue as sayth the boke A ryche marchaunt of the londe Her fader was and he her fonde So worthely and suche rychesse Of worldes good and suche largesse with her he yafe in mariage That onely for thilke auauntage Of good the stewarde hath her take For lucre and nought for loues sake And that was afterwarde wel sene Nowe herken what it woll mene The stewarde in his owne hert Sigh that his lorde may not asterte His maladie but he haue A lusty woman hym to saue And though he wolde yeue inough Of his treasour wherof he drough Great couetyse in to his mynde And set his honour ferre behynde Thus he whom golde hath ouersette was trapped in his owne nette The golde hath made his wyttes lame So that sechende his owne shame He ronneth in the kynges eare And sayd hym that he wyst where A gentyll and a lusty one Tho was and thyther wolde he gone But he mote yeue yeftes great For but it be through great beyete Of golde he sayd he shulde not spede The kynge hym bad vpon the nede That take an hundrede pouÌ„de he shuld And yeue it where that he wolde Be so it were in worthy place And thus to stonde in loues grace This kyng his golde hath habandoned And whan this tale was full rouned The stewarde toke the gold and went within his herte and many a went Of couetyse than he cast wherof a purpose at laste Ayene loue and ayene his ryght He toke and sayde how thilke nyght His wyfe shall lygge by the kynge And goth thynkende vpon this thynge Towarde his inne tyll he cam home In to the chaumbre and than he nome His wyfe and tolde her al the cas And she whiche redde for shame was with bothe her handes to hym prayde Kâ—â—lende and in this wyse sayde That she to reason and to skylle In what thynge that he bydde wyll Is redy for to done his beste But this thynge that were not honeste That he for golde her shulde selle And he tho with his wordes felle Forth with his gastely countenaunce Sayth that she shall done obeysaunce And folowe his wylle in euery place And thus through strength of his manace Her innocence is ouerladde wherof she was so sore adradde That she his wylle mote nede obeye And thervpon was shape a weye That he his owne wyfe by nyght Hath out of all mennes syght So priuely that none it wyst Brought to the king which as hym list May do with her what he wolde For whan she was there as she sholde with hym a bedde vnder the cloth The stewarde toke his leue and goth In to the chambre fast by But howe he slepte that wote not I For he sygh cause of ielousy ¶ But he whiche hath the company Of suche a lusty one as she Hym thought that of his degre There was no man so well at ease She doth all that she may to please So that his herte all holle she had And thus this kynge his ioye lad Tyll it was nygh vpon the day The stewarde than where she lay Cam to the bedde and in this wyse Hath bydde she shulde aryse The kynge sayth nay she shall not go The stewarde sayde nothynge so For she mote gone er it be knowe And so I swore at thilke throwe whan I her fette to you here The kynge his tale wolde not here And seith how that he hath her bought For thy she shall departe nought Tyll he the bryght day beholde And caught her in her armes folde As be whiche lyst for to pleye And bad his stewarde gone aweye And so he dyd ayene his wylle And thus his wyfe a bedde stylle Lay with the kynge the longe nyght Tyll that it was hygh sonne lyght But who she was he knew nothynge Tho cam the stewarde to the kynge And prayde hym without shame In sauynge of her good name He myght leaden home ayene This lady and tolde hym pleyne Howe that it was his owne wyfe The kynge his ere vnto this stryfe Hath leyde and whan that he it herde well nyhe out of his wyt he ferde And sayde A caytife moste of all where was it euer or this befall That any Cokarde in this wyse Betoke his wyfe for couetyse Thou hast bothe her and me begyled And eke thyn owne estate reuyled wherof that buxome vnto the Here after shall she neuer be For this auowe to god I make After this day / if I the take Thou shalte be honged and to drawe Nowe loke anone thou be withdrawe So that I se the neuer more This stewarde that drad hym sore with all the hast that he may And fled awey the same day And was exyled oute of lond ¶ Lo there a nyce husbond whiche
a mayden were Let clothen in the same gere whiche longeth vnto womanhede And he was yonge and toke none bede But suffreth all that she hym dede wherof she hath her women bede And chargeth by her othes alle Howe so it afterward byfalle That they discouer nought this thynge But feyne and make a knowlegynge Vpon the counseyle whiche was nome In euery place where they come To telle and to witnesse this Howe he hyr ladys doughter is And ryght in suche a maner wyse She had they shuld her don seruyse So that Achilles vnderfongeth As to a yong lady belongeth Honoure seruyce and reuerence For Thetys with great dylygence Hym hath so taught and so affayted That howe so that he were awayted with sobre and goodly contenaunce He shuld his womanhede auaunce That none the soth knowe myght But that in euery mans syght He shuld seme a pure mayde And in suche wyse as she hym sayde Achylles whiche that ylke whyle was yonge vpon hym selfe to smyle Began whan he was so beseyn And thus after the bokes seyn with frette of perle vpon his hede All fresshe betwene the whyte and rede As he whiche tho was tender of age Stode the colour in his visage That for to loke vpon his cheke And seen his chyldy maner eke He was a woman to beholde And than his moder to hym tolde That she hym had so begone By cause that she thought gone To Lichomede at thylke tyde where that she sayde be shulde abyde Amonge his doughters for to dwelle Achylles hâ—â—d his moder telle And wyst no â—ght the cause why And netheles full buxomly He was redy to that she had wherof his moder was ryght glad To Lychomede and forth they went And whan the kyng knewe her entent And sawe this yonge doughter there And that it came vnto his ere Of suche record of suche wytnesse He had ryght a great gladnesse Of that he both sygh and herde As he that wote not howe it ferde Vpon the counseyl of the nede But for all that kynge Lychomede Hath toward hym his doughter take And for Thetys his moder sake He put her in to companye To dwelle with Deydamye His owne doughter the eldest The fayrest and the comlyest Of al his doughters whiche he had Lo thus Thetys the cause lad And lefte there Achylles feyned As be which hath hym selfe restreyned In all that euer be may and can O ute of the maner of a man And toke his womanysshe chere wherof vnto his bedfere Deydamye he hath by nyght where kynde wolde hym selue ryght After the Philosophers seyn There may no wight be there ageyn And that was thylke tyme sene The longe nyghtes hem bytwene Nature whiche may not forbere Hath made hem bothe for to stere They kyssen fyrst and ouermore The hyghe wey of loues lore They gone and all was done in dede wherof lost is the may denhede And that was afterward well knowe For it befell that ylke throwe At Troye where the syege lay Vpon the cause of Menelay And of his quene dame Eleyne The gregoys badden mochel peyne All day to fyght and to assayle But for they myght nought auayle So noble a cyte for to wynne A preuy counsayle they begynne In sondry wysewhere they treat And at laste amonge the great They fellen vnto his accorde That Phorceus of his recorde whiche was an Astronomyen And eke a great magicien Shulde of his calculation Screbe of constellation How they the citie myghten gette And he whiche hadde nought foryete Of that belongeth to a clerke His study sette vpon this werke So longe his wyt about he cast Tyll that he fonde out at last But if they hadden Achilles Her werre shall ben endeles And ouer that he tolde hem pleyne In what maner he was beseyne And in what place he shall be founde Sâ— to at within a lytell stounde Vlâ—â—es forth with Dyomede Vpon this poynt to Lychomede Agamemnon to gether sente But Vlyxes er he forth went whiche was one of the most wyse Ordeyned hath in suche a wyse That he the most ryche aray wherof a woman may be gay with hym be toke manifolde And ouermore as it is tolde An harnoys as for a lusty knyght whiche burned was as syluer bryght Oâ— swerde of plate and cke of mayle As though he shulde do batayle He toke also with hym by shyp And thus to gether in felawshyp Forth gone this Dyomede and be In hope tyll they myghten se The place where Achilles is The wynde stode than nought amys But euery topsayle cole it blewe Tyll Vlyxes the marches knewe where Lychomede his reygne had The styresman so well him ladde That they be comen saufe to londe where they gone out vpon the stronde In to the burgh where that they fouÌ„de The kyng and he which hath facounde Vlyxes dyd the message But the counsayle of his courage why that he came he tolde nought But vnderneth he was bethought In what maner he myght aspie Achilles from Deidamye And fro these other that there were Full many a lusty lady there ¶ They plaide hem there a day or two And as it was fortuned so It fell that tyme in suche a wyse To Bacchus that a sacrifice These yonge ladies shulden make And for the straunge mennes sake That comen fro the siege of Troye They maden well the more ioye There was reuell there was daunsynge And euery lyfe whiche couth synge Of lusty women in the route A fresshe caroll hath songe about But for all this yet netheles The grekes vnknowe of Achilles So weren that in no degree They couthen wyte whiche was he Ne by his voys ne by his paas Vlyxes than vpon the caas A thing of high prudeÌ„ce hath wrought For thilk aray which he hath brought To yeue amonge the women there He lette do fetten all the geare Forth with a knyghtes harnoys eke In all the countrey for to seke Men shulden nought a fayrer se And euery thynge in his degre Endelonge vpon a bourde he layde So Lychomede and than he preyde That euery lady chese shulde what thynge of all that she wolde And take it as by way of yefte For they hem selfe it shulde sheft He sayde after her owne wylle Achilles than stode nought stylle whan he the bryght helme behelde The swerde the hauberke the shelde His herte felle therto anone Of all that other wolde he none The knyghtes gere he vnderfongeth And thylke array whiche that beloÌ„geth Vnto the women he forsoke And in this wyse as sayth the boke They knowen than whiche he was For he goth forth the grete paas In to the chambre where he lay Anone and made no delay He armeth hym in knyghtly wyse That better can no man deuise And as fortune shulde falle He came so forth tofore hem alle As he whiche tho was glad inough But Lychomede nothyng lough whan that he sigh howe that it ferde For than he wyst well and herde His doughter
had be forleyn But that he was so ouerseyn The wonder ouergoth his wyt For in Cronike is written yet Thing whiche shall neuer be foryete Howe that Achilles hath begette Pytrus vpon Deydame wherof came out the trecherye Of fals witnes when he sayde Howe that Achilles was a mayde But that was nothyng sene tho For he is to the syege go Forth with Vlyxes and Dyomede ¶ Lo thus was proued in the dede And fully spoke at thylke whyle If o woman an other begyle where is there any sekyrnesse whā Thetis which was thā the goddesse Daydamye hath so beiaped I not howe it shall bene escaped with tho women whose innocence Is nowe al daye through suche credence Deceyued ofte as it is sene with men that suche vntrouth mene For they ben slygh in suche a wyse That they by sleyght and by queyntise Of fals wytnes bryngyn inne That doth hem ofte for to wynne That they be not worthy therto For thy my sonne do not so ¶ My father as of fals wytnesse The trouth and the maner expresse Touchende of loue howe it hath ferde As ye haue tolde I haue well herde But for ye sayden other wyse Howe thylke vice of couetyse Hath yet periur of his acorde If that you lyst of some recorde To telle an other tale also In loues cause of tyme ago what thynge it is to be forswore I wolde preye you therfore wherof I myght ensamble take ¶ My good sonne and for thy sake Touchende of this I shall fulfyll Thyn axynge at thyne owne wyll And the mattere I shall declare Howe the women deceiued are whan they so tender hertes bere Of that they here men so swere But whan it cometh vnto thassay They fynde it fals a nother day As Iason dyd vnto Medee whiche stante yet of auctoritie In token and in memoriall wherof the tale in speciall Is in the boke of Troye writte whiche I shall do the for to wytte ⧠Hic in amoris caufa ponit exemplum contra periuros Et narrat qualiter Iason priusquam ad Insulam Colchos pro aureo vellere ibidem conquestando transmearet in amorem et coningium Medee regis Othonis filie iuramēto firmius se aftrinxit sed suo postea completo negotio cil ips◠secum nauigio in Cretiam perduxisset vbi illum senectam patris sui Efonis in floridam inuentutē mirabili scientia reformauit Ipse Iason fidei sue ligamento aliis que beneficiis post positis dictam Medeam pro quadam Crensa regis Creontis filia periurus dereliquit ¶ In grece whylom was a kynge Of whom the fame and knowlegyng By leueth yet and Peleus He hyghte but it felle hym thus That his fortune hir whele so lad That he no childe his owne had To reignen after his decesse He had a brother netheles whose ryght name was Eson And he the worthy knyght Iason Begatte the whiche in euery londe All other passed of his honde In armes so that he the best was named and the worthyest He sought worshyp ouer all Nowe herken and I the tell shall An aduenture that he sought whiche afterwarde full dere he bought ¶ There was an yle whiche Colchos was cleped and therof aroos Great speche in euery londe aboute That suche meruayle was none oute In all the wyde worlde no where As tho was in that yle there There was a shepe as it was tolde The whiche his flees bare all of golde And so the goddes had it sette That it ne myght away be fette By power of no worldes wyght And yet full many a worthy knyght It had assayed as they dorst And euer it fell hem to the worst But he that wolde it nought forsake But of his knyghthode vndertake To do what thynge therto belongeth This worthy Iason sore alongeth To se the straunge regions And knowe the conditions Of other marches where he went And for that cause his hole entent He set Colchos for to seche Cnd therupon he made a speche To Peleus his eme the kynge And he wel payde was of that thynge And shope anone for his passage Suche as were of his lignage with other knyghtes whiche he chees with hym he toke and Hercules whiche full was of chiualrie with Iason wente in company And that was in the moneth of may whan colde stormes were away The winde was good the ship was yare They toke her leue and forth they fare Towarde Colchos but on the weye what hem byfelle is longe to seye Howe Laamedon the kynge of Troy whiche ought well haue made hem ioye whan they to rest a whyle hym preyde Out of his londe he them congeyde And so befelle the dissention whiche after was destruction Of that citie as men may here But that is nought to my matere But thus the worthy folke gregoys Fro that kynge whiche was not curtois And fro his londe with seyl vpdrawe They went hem forth and many a sawe They made and many a great manace Tyll at last in to that place whiche as they sought they arryue And stryken seyle and forth as blyue They senten vnto the kynge and tolden who weren there and what they wolden ¶ O etes whiche was then kynge whan that he herde this tydynge Of Iason whiche was comen there And of these other what they were He thought done hem great worshyp For they anone come out of shyp And streyght vnto the kynge they wente And by the honde Iason he hente And that was at the paleys gate So far the kyng came on his gate Towarde Iason to done hym chere And he whom lacketh no manere whan he the kynge sigh in presence Yafe hym ageyne suche reuerence As to a kynges state belongeth And thus the kynge hym vnderfongeth And Iason in his arme he caught And forth in to the halle he straught And there they sat and speke of thinges And Iason tolde hym tho tydynges why he was come and faire hym preide To hast his tyme the kyng thus said Iason thou art a worthy knyght But it lyeth in no mans myght To done that thou arte come fore There hath bene many a knyght forlore Of that they wolden it assaye But Iason wolde nat hym esmaye And sayde of euery worldes cure Fortune stant in auenture Paranter well paranter wo But howe as euer that it go It shall be with myn bonde assayed The kyng tho helde hym not wel payd For he the grekes sore dredde In aunter if Iason ne spedde He myght therof beare a blame For tho was all the worldes fame In grece as for to speke of armes For thy he drad hym of his harmes And gan to preache and to preye But Iason wolde not obeye But sayde he wolde his purpos holde For ought that any man hym tolde The kynge whan these wordes herde And sigh how that this knight āswerde Yet for he wolde make hym glad After Medea gone he bad whiche was his doughter and she cam And Iason whiche good hede
gloue So nygh the weder they wyll houe As who sayth she shall not foryet Nowe I this token of her haue gete Thus halowe they the hye feste Suche thefte may no churche areste For all is lefull that hem lyketh To whome that elles it myslyketh And eke ryght in the selfe kynde In great cytees men may fynde This lusty folke that make hem gay And wayte vpon the holy day In churches and in mynstres eke They gon the women for to seke And where that suche one goth about To fore the fayrest of the route where as they sytten all a rewe There wylle he moste his body shewe His croked kempt and therupon set An ouche with a chapelet Or elles one of grene leues whiche late come oute of the greues All for he shulde seme fressh And thus he loketh on his flesshe Ryght as an hauke which hath a syght Vpon the fowle there he shall lyght And as he were a fayrye He sheweth hym to for her eye In holy place where they sytte Al for to make her hertes flytte His eye no where woll abyde But loke and pry on euery syde On her and her as hym best lyketh And other whyle a monge he syketh Thynketh one of hem that was for me And so there thynken two or thre And yet he loueth none of all But where as euer his schaunce falle And netheles to sey a soth The cause why that he so doth Is for to stele an herte or two Out of the churche er that he go And as I sayd it here aboue All is that sacrylege of loue For well may be that he steleth awey That he neuer after yeld may Telle me for thy my sonne anone Hast thou do sacrylege or none As I haue sayd in this manere ¶ My fader as of this matere I wyll you telle redyly what I haue do but truly I may excuse myn entent That I neuer yet to churche went In suche maner as ye me shryue For no woman that is on lyue The cause why I haue it last May be for I vnto that crafte Am nothynge able for so stele Though there be women not so fele But yet wylle I not sey this whan I am there my lady is In whom lyeth holy my quarele And she to churche / or to chappele woll go to matens or to messe That tyme I wayte welle and gesse â—o churche I come and there I stonde Aâ—â— though I take a boke on honde 〈◊〉 countenaunce is on the boke 〈◊〉 toward her is all my loke 〈◊〉 is falle that I pray Vnto my god an somwhat say Of pater noster or of crede 〈◊〉 is for that I wolde spede So that my bede in holy churche There myght som myracle wirche â—y ladys herte for to chaunge whiche euer hath he to me so straunge So that all my deuocion And all my contemplacion with all myn herte and my corage Is onely set on her ymage And euer I wayte vpon the tyde If she loke any thynge asyde That I me may of her auyse Anone I am with couetyse So smyte that me were lefe To be in holy churche a thefe But not to stele a vestement For that is nothyng my talent But I wolde stele if that I myght A glad worde or a goodly syght And euer my seruice I profere And namely whan she woll gone offre For than I lede hir if I may For somwhat wolde I stele away whan I beclyppe hir on the wast Yet at lest I stele a tast And other whyle grant mercy She saith and so wynne I therby A lusty touche a good worde eke But all the remenant to seke Is fro my purpos wonder ferre So may I say as I sayde erre In holy churche if that I wowe My conscience I wolde allowe Be so that vp amendement I myght gete assygnement where for to spede in other place Suche sacrilege I holde a grace And thus my father soth to say In churche ryght as in the way If I myght ought of loue take Suche hansell haue I nought forsake But fynally I me confesse There is in me no holynesse whyle I hir se in holy stede And yet for ought that euer I dede No sacrilege of hir I toke But if it were of worde or loke Or els if that I her frede whan I towarde offrynge hir lede Take therof what I take may For els bere I nought away For though I wolde ought els haue All other thynges bene so saue And kepte with suche a priuilege That I may do no sacrilege God wote my wyl netheles Though I must nedes kepe pees And maugre myn so let it passe My wyll therto is not the lasse If I myght other wyse away For thy my father I you pray Tell what you thynketh therupon 〈◊〉 I therof haue gylte or none ¶ Thy wyll my sonne is for to blame The remenant is but a game That I haue the tolde as yet â—ut take this lore in to thy wyt That all thynge hath tyme and stede The churche serueth for the bede The chambre is of an other speche But if thou wystest of the wreche Howe sacrilege it hath abought Thou woldest bettre be bithought And for thou shalte the more amende A tale I wyll on the dispende ¶ Hic in amoris causa super istius vicii articulo ponit exemplum Et narrat pro eo quod Parys Priami regis filius Helenam Menelai vxorem in quadam Grecie Insula a templo Veneris sacriligus abduxit illa Troie famosiffima obsidia ê‘ vniuersa orbis climita diuulgata precipue cansabat ita quod huiusmodi sacrilegium non solum ad ipsius regis Pitami omniumque fuorum interitum / sed ad perpetuam vrbis desolacionem vindicte fomitem ministrabat ¶ To all men as who sayth knowe It is and in the worlde through blowe Howe that of Troye Lamedon To Hercules and to Iason whan toward Colchos out of Grece By se seylend vpon a pece Of londe of Troye reste preyde But he wrothfully comeyde And for they found hym soo vylleyne whan they came into grece ageyne with power that they get myght Towardes Troye they hem dyght And there they toke suche vengeaunce wherof stant yet the remembraunce For they destroyed kynge and all And leften but the brent walle The grekes of Troyens many slowe And prisoners they toke inowe Amonge the whiche there was one The kynges doughter Lamedon Essiona the faire thynge whiche vnto Thelamon the kynge By Hercules and by thassent Of all the holle parliament was at his wylle yeue graunted And thus hath Grece Troy daunted And home they tourne in suche manere But after this nowe shalt thou here The cause why this tale I telle Vpon the chaunces that befelle ¶ Kynge Lamedon whiche deide thus He had a sonne one Priamus which was nought thilke tyme at home But whan he herde of this he come And fonde howe the citie was falle whiche he began anon to walle And made
out of mans lyke And of a dragon toke the forme As he whiche wolde hym all conforme To that she sawe in sweuener this And thus to chambre come he is The quene lay a bed and syghe And hopeth euer as he cam nyghe That he god of Luby were So hath she well the lesse fere But for he wolde hir more assure yet efte he changeth his fygure And of a wether the lykenesse He toke in sygne of his noblesse with large hornes for the nones Of fyne golde and ryche stones A crowne on his heed he bare And sodeinlyche er she was ware As he whiche all guyle can His forme he torneth in to man And came to bedde and she lay styll where as she suffreth all his wyll As she whiche wende not mysdo But netheles it hapneth so All though she were in parte deceiued yet for all that she hath conceiued The worthiest of all kithe whiche euer was tofore or sith Of conquest and of chyualrye So that through gyle and sorcery There was that noble knight begonne whiche all the worlde hath after wonne Thus fell the thing whiche fall shuld Nectanabus hath that he wolde with gyle he hath his loue sped with gyle he came in to the bed with gyle he gothe hym oute ayene He was a shrewed chamberleyne So to begyle a worthy quene And that on hym was after sene But netheles the thynge is do This fals god was sone go with his deceyte helde hym close Tyll morow cam that he arose And tho whan tyme and leyser was The quene tolde hym all the cas As she that gyle none supposeth And of two poyntes she hym apposeth One was if that this god no more wyll come ayene and ouermore How she shall stonden in accorde with kynge Philip her owne lorde when he comth home seeth her grone ¶ Madame he seyth let me alone As for the god I vndertake That whan it lyketh you to take His company at any throwe If I a day to fore it knowe He shall be with you on the nyght And he is welle of suche a might To kepe you frome al blame For thy comforte you madame There shall none other cause be Thus tooke he leue and forth goth he And tho began be for to muse Howe he the quene might excuse Towarde the kinge of that is falle And founde a crafte amonges alle Through which he hath a se foule daÌ„ted with his magike and so enchaunted That he flewe forth whan it was night Vnto the kinges tent right where that he lay amidde his hoste And whan he was a slepe moste with that the se foull to him brought An other charme whiche he wrought At home within his chamber stylle The kinge he torneth at his wylle And makth him for to dreme and se The dragon and the priuete which was betwene him and the quene And ouer that he made him wene In sweuen howe that the god Amos whan he vp fro the quene aros Toke forth a rynge wherin a stone was set and graue therupon A sonne in whiche whan he cam nighe A lyon with a swerde he sigh And with that prente as he so mette Vpon the quenes wombe he sette A seale and goth him forth his way with that the sweuen went a waye And tho began the kinge a wake And sighe for his wyues sake where as he lay within his tent And hath great wonder what it mente with that he hasted him to ryse Anone and sent after the wyse Amonge the whiche there was one A Clerke his name is Amphyon whan he the kinges sweuen herd what it betokneth he answerde And saith as sekerly as the lyfe A god hath layne by thy wyfe And gotte a sonne whiche shall wynne The worlde and all that is withinne As the lyon is kynge of beastes So shall the worlde obeye his bestes which with his swerde shal al be wonne Al 's ferre as shyneth any sonne The kynge was doutife of this dome But netheles whan that be come Ageyne into his owne londe His wyfe with childe great be founde He myght not hym selfe n stere That he ne made her heuy chere But he whiche couth of all sorowe Nectanabus vpon the morowe Through the deceyte of Nygromaunce Toke of a dragon the semblaunce And where the kynge sat in his halle Cam in rampende amonge hem all with suche a noyse and suche a rore That they agast were all so sore As though they shulde dye anone And netheles he greueth none But goth towarde the deyse on bye And whan he cam the quene nye He stynt his noyse and in his wyse To her he profreth his seruice And layth his heed vpon hir barme And she with goodly chere hir arme About his necke ayenewarde layde And thus the quene with hym playde In sight of all men about And at last be gan to loute And obeysaunce vnto her make As he that wolde his leue take And sodeynly his lothely forme In to an egle be gan transforme And flewe and set hym on a rayle wherof the kynge had great meruayle For there he pruneth hym and pyketh As doth an hauke whan him wel lyketh And after that him selfe he shoke wherof that all the halle quoke As it a terremote were They seyden all god was there In suche a rees and forth he flygh ¶ The kyng which all this woÌ„der sygh whan he cam to his chambre alone Vnto the quene made his mone And of foryeues he hir praide For than he knewe well as he sayde She was with childe with a god Thus was the kynge without rod Chastised and the quene excused Of that she had ben accused And for the greatter euidence yet after that in the presence Of kynge Philip and other mo whan they yode in the fyldes tho A fesaunt came before her eye The whiche anone as they hir seye Fleende let an neye downe falle And it to brake tofore hem alle And as they token therof kepe They sigh out of the shelle crepe A lâ—tell serpent on the grounde whiche rampeth all aboute rounde And in ayene he woll haue wonne But for the brennyng of the sonne It myght not and so be deide And therupon the clerkes seyde As the serpent when it was out went enuyron the shelle aboute And myght not torne in ayene So shall it fall in certeyne This childe the worlde shall enuirone And aboue all the corone Hym shall befall and in his yonge age He shall desire in his corage whan all the worlde is in his honde To turne ayene vnto the londe where he was bore and in his weye Homewarde he shall with poyson deye The kynge whiche al this sigh herde Fro that day forth howe so it ferde His ielousye hath all foryete But he whiche hath the childe begete Nectanabus in priuite The tyme of his natiuite Vpon the constellation Awayteth and relation Maketh to the quene howe she had do And euery houre appointeth so That no mynute
founde whiche serueth to the worldes fame In worshyp of a kynges name Largesse it is whose priuilege There may no auarice abrege The worldes good was fyrst comune But afterwarde vpon fortune was thilke comyn profyt cessed For whan the people stode encressed And the lygnages woxen great Anone for synguler beyete Drough euery man to his partie wherof come in the fyrst enuy with great debate and werres stronge And last amonge the men so longe Tyll no man wyst who was who Ne whiche was frende ne whiche so Tyll at laste in euery londe within hem selfe the people fonde That it was good to make a kynge whiche myght appesen all this thynge And yeue right to the lignages In partynge of her heritages And eke of all her other good And thus aboue hem all stode The kynge vpon his regalye As he whiche hath to iustifye The worldes good fro couetyse So syt it well in all wyse A kynge betwene the more and lesse To sette his herte vpon largesse Towarde hym selfe and eke also Towarde his people and if not so That is to sayne if that he be Towarde hym selfe large and fre And of his people take and pylle Largesse by no wey of skylle It may be sayde but auarice whiche in a kynge is a great vice ¶ Nota super hoc quod Aristot ad Alexandrum exemplificauit de exactionibus regis ChaldeoruÌ„ ¶ A kynge behoueth eke to fle The vice of prodigalite That he measure in his expence So kepe that of indigence He may be saufe for who that nedeth In all his werke the wers he spedeth As Aristotle vpon Caldee Ensample of great auctorite Vnto kynge Alysaunder taught Of thilke folke that were vnsaught Towarde her kynge for his pyllage wherof he badde in his courage That he vnto thre poyntes entende where that he wolde his good dispende Fyrst shulde be loke how that it stood That all were of his owne good The yeues whiche he wolde yeue So myght he wel the better lyue And eke he must taken bede If there be cause of any nede whiche ought for to be defended Er that his goodes ben dispended He mote eke as it is befall Amonges other thynges all Se the decertes of his men And after that they bene of ken And of astate and of meryte He shall hem largelych acquyte Or for the warre or for the pease That none honour fall in discrease whiche myght torne in to diffame But that he kepe his good name So that he be not holde vnkynde For in cronike a tale I fynde whiche speaketh somdele of this matere Herafterwarde as thou shalte here Hic secunduÌ„ gesta Iulii exempluÌ„ ponit qualiter rex suorum militum quos ê“bos agnouerit indigeÌ„tiam largitatis sue beneficiis releuare tenetur ¶ In Rome to pursue his ryght There was a worthy poure knyght whiche came alone for to seyne His cause whan the courte was pleyne wher Iulius was in presence And for hym lacketh of dispense There was with hym none aduocate To make plee for his astate But though hym lacke for to plede Hym lacketh nothynge of manheed He wyst well his purse was pouer But yet be thought his ryght recouer And openly pouerte aleyed To the emperour and thus he sayed O Iulius lorde of the lawe Beholde my counseyll is withdrawe For lacke of golde to thyne office After the lawe of Iustice Helpe that I had counseyll here Vpon the trouthe of my matere And Iulius with that anone Assigned hym a worthy one But he hymselfe no worde ne spake This knyght was wroth fonde a lake In the emperour and sayde thus O thou vnkynde Iulius whan thou in thy batayle were Vp in Aufrike and I was there My myght for thy rescous I dyd And put no man in my stede Thou wost what woundes there I had But here I fynde the so bad That the ne lyst to speake o worde Thyne owne mouthe or of thyn borde To yeue a floreyn me to helpe Howe shulde I than me be yelpe Fro this day forth of thy largesse whan suche a great vnkyndenesse Is founde in suche a lorde as thou This Iulius knewe well mowe That all was soth whiche he hym tolde And for he wolde not ben holde Vnkynde he toke his cause on honde And as it were of goddes sonde He yaue hym good inough to spende For euer vnto his lyues ende And thus shulde euery worthye kynge Take of his knyghtes knowlegynge when that he sygh they hadden nede For euery seruice axeth mede But other whiche haue not deserued Through vertue but of iapes serued A kynge shall not deserue grace Though he be large in suche a place ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de rege Antigono / qualiter dona regia secundum maius et miuuâ— / equa discrecione moderanda sunt ¶ It sytte well euery kynge to haue Discretion whan men hym craue So that be may his gyfte wyte wherof I fynde a tale write Howe Cinichus a powre knyght A somme whiche was ouer might Prayed of his kinge Antigonus The kinge answerd to him thus And sayde howe suche a yefte passeth His powre estate and than he lasseth And asketh but a litell peny yf that the kinge wolde yeuehym ony The kinge answerd it was to smalle For him whiche was a lord ryalle To yeue a man so lytell thinge It were vnworship in a kynge By this ensample a kinge may lere That for to yeue is in manere For if a kinge his treasour lasseth with out honour and thaÌ„kelesse passeth whan he him selfe wil so begile I not who shall compleyne his while Ne who by right him shall releue But netheles this I beleue Tho helpe with his owne londe Belongeth euery man his honde To set vpon necessite And eke his kinges rialte Mote euery lyege man comforte with good and body to supporte whan they se cause resonable For who that is not entendable To holde vp ryght his kinges name Him ought for to be to blame ¶ Nota hic secundum Aristotelem qualiter princiâ—um prodigalitas paupertatem inducit coÌ„muneÌ„ ⧠Of policie and ouer more To speke in this mater more So as the philosophre tolde A kinge after the reule is holde To modifie and to adresse His yeftes vpon suche largesse That he mesure nought excede ☞ Sal. Sic aliis benefacito vt tibi non nocias ¶ For if a kinge falle in to nede It causeth ofte sondry thinges whiche are vngoodly to the kinges what man wille not him selfe mesure Men seen fulofte that mesure Him hath forsake and so doth he That vseth prodigalite whiche is the mother of pouerte wherof the londes ben deserte And namely whan thilke vice Aboue a kinge stant in office And hath with holde of his partye The couetous flaterye whiche many a worthy kynge deceyueth Er he the fallace perceyueth Of hem that seruen to the glose For they that conne please and glose Ben as men tellen the notices Vnto the fostrynge of the
that many a sondry weye wherof if that a man shall seye As for to speake in generall where suche thynge falleth ouer all That any kinge him selfe misreule The philosophre vpon his reule In speciall a cause set whiche is and euer hath be lette In gouernance aboute a kinge Vpon the meschiefe of the thinge And that he seith is flaterye wherof tofore as in partye what vice it is I haue declared For who that hath his wit bewared Vpon a flatour to bileue whan that he weneth best achieue His good worlde it is moste fro And for to prouen it is so Ensamples there be many one Of whiche if thou wolte knowe one It is behouely for to here what whylom fell in this matere ¶ Hic loquitur vlterius de consilio adulantuÌ„ quo rum fabulis principis aures organizate veritatis audituÌ„ capere nequeunt Et narrat exempluÌ„ de rege Achab que pro eo / quod ipse propheciâ—â— fidelis Michee recusauit / blandicus / que adulantis Zedechie adhesit rex Syrie Benedab in campo bellator ipsuÌ„ diuino iudicio denictum interfecit ¶ Amonge the kynges in the byble I fynde a tale and is credible Of hym that whylom Achab hyght whiche had all Israell to ryght But who that coude glose softe And flater suche he sette alofte In great estate and made hem ryche But they that speken wordes liche To trouthe and wolde it not forbere For hem was none estate to bere The courte of suche toke none hede Tyll at last vpon a nede That Benedab kynge of Surry Of Israell a great partie whiche Ramoth Galaad was hote Hath sesed and of that ryote He toke counseyle in sondry wyse But not of hem that weren wyse And netheles vpon this cas To strenghthen him for Iosephas whiche than was kynge of Iudee He sende for to come as he whiche through frendshyp and alyance was nexte to hym of acqueyntaunce For Ioram sonne of Iosaphath Achabs doughter wedded hath whiche hyght fayre Goodelye And thus cam into Samary Kynge Iosaphat and he founde there The kynge Achab and when they were To gether spekende of this thyng This Iosaphat saith to the kynge Howe that he wolde gladly here Some true prophet in this matere That he his counsayle might yeue To what poynt it shall be dreue And in that tyme so befelle There was suche one in Israel whiche sette hym all to flaterye And he was cleped Sedechy And after hym Achab hath sent And he at his commaundement Tofore hym cam and by a sleyght He hath vpon his heed on heyght Two large hornes set of bras As he whiche all a flattrour was And goth rampende as a lyon And cast his horne vp and downe And bad men ben of good espcire For as the hornes persen the eyre He saith withouten resistence So wyst be well of his science That Benedab is dyscomfyte when Sâ—dechy vpon this plyte Hath tolde this tale vnto his lorde Anone they were of his acorde Prophetes false many mo To bere vp oyle and al tho Affermen that whiche he hath tolde wherof the kynge Achab was bolde And yaue hem yeftes all aboute But Iosaphat was in great doubte And beine fantosme all that he herde Prayende Achab howe so ferde If there were ony other man The whiche of prophecie can To here hym speke er that they gone Quod Achab than there is one A brothel whiche Myche as hyght But he ne comth nought in my syght For he hath longe in prisone leyen Hym lyked neuer yet to seyen A goodly worde to my pleasance And netheles at thyne instance He shall come out and than he may Say as he sayde many a day For yet he sayde neuer wele Tho Iosaphat began some dele To gladen hym in hope of trouthe And bade withouten any slouthe That men hym shulde fette anone And they that were for hym gone whan that they comen where he was They tolden vnto Mycheas The manere howe that Sedechye Declared hath his prophecye And therupon they prayen hym fayre That he wyll say no contrarye wherof the kynge may be displeased For so shall euery man be eased And he may helpe hym selfe also Mycheas vpon trouthe tho His herte set and to hem saythe All that belonged to his faythe And of none other feyned thynge That woll he tell vnto the kynge As ferre as god hath yeue hym grace Thus came this prophete in to place where he the kynges wyll herde And he therto anone answerde And sayde vnto hym in this wyse My liege lorde for my seruice whiche trewe hath stonde euer yet Thou haste with prisone me acquite But for all that I shall nat glose Of trouthe as far as I suppose And as touchende of thy batayle Thou shalte not of the sothe fayle For if it lyke the to here As I am taught in that matere Thou myght it vnderstonde sone But what is afterwarde to done Auise the for this I sye I was tofore the trone on hye where all the worlde me thought stode And there I herde and vnderstode The voyce of god with wordes clere Axende and sayde in this manere In what thynge may I best begyle The kynge Achab and for a whyle Vpon this poynt they speken fast Tho sayd a spirite at last I vndertake this emprise And god hym axeth in what wyse I shall qd he deceyue and lye wâ—â—h flaterende prophecie In suche mouthes as he leueth And be whiche all thynge acheueth â—ad hym go forth and do ryght so And ouer this I sygh also The noble people of Israel Dispers as shepe vpon an hylle without a keper vnarayed And as they wenten about astrayed I herde a voyce vnto hem seyne Goth home in to your hous ayene Til I for you haue better ordeyned â—uod Sedechi thou hast feined This tale in angringe of the kynge And in a wrathe vpon this thinge He smote Miche vpon the cheke The kinge him hath rebuked eke And euery man vpon him cried Thus was he shente on euery syde A yene and in to prisone ladde For so the kinge him selfe hadde The trouth might nought ben herde But afterward as it hath ferde The dede proueth his entent Achab to the batayle went where Benedab for all his shelde Him slough so that vpon the felde His people goth aboute a straye But god whiche all thinges may So doth that they no mischiefe haue Her kinge was deed / and they be saue And home ageyn in goddes pees They wente and all was founde ses That Sedechye hath saide tofore So sit it wel a kinge therfore To loue them that trouth mene For at last it will be sene That flaterye is no thinge worth But nowe to my mater forth As for to speken ouer more After the philosophers lore The thirde poynte of policye I thinke for to specifye Propter transgressos leges statuuntur in orbe Vt viuant iusti regis honore viri Lex sine iusticie populum sub principis
this cruelkinge So toke that he fro mannes forme In to a wolfe he let transforme And thus the cruelte was kyd whiche of longe tyme he had hyd ¶ A wolfe he was than openly The whose nature priuely He had in his condicion And vnto this conclusion That tyranny is to despyse I fynde ensample in sondry wyse And namelyche of hem full ofte The whome fortune hath set alofte Vpon the werres for to wynne But howe so that the wronge begynne Of tiranny it may nought laste But suche as they done at laste To other men suche on hem falleth For ayene suche pite calleth Vengeaunce to the god aboue For who that hath no tender loue In sauynge of a mannes lyfe He shall be founde so gyltyfe That whan he wolde mercy craue In tyme of nede be shall none haue ¶ Nota qualiter leo hominibus stratis percit ¶ Of the nature this I fynde The fiers lyon in his kynde whiche goth rampende after his pray If he a man fynde in his way He wyll hym sleyen if he withstonde But if the man couthe vnderstonde To fall anone tofore his face In signe of mercy and of grace The lyon shall of his nature Restreigne his Ire in such mesure As though it were a beste tamed And torne aweye halfyng ashamed That he the man shall nothyng greue Howe shold than a prynce acheue The worldes grace yf that he wolde Destroye a man whan he is yolde And stante vpon his mercy alle But for to speake in specialle There haue be suche and suche there be Tyrantes whose hertes no pyte May to no poynt of mercy plye That they vpon her tyrannye Ne gladen hem the men to slee And as the rages of the see Ben vnpitous in the tempeste Ryght so may no pite areste Of cruelte the great vltrage whiche the tyrant in his corage Engendred hath wherof I fynde A tale whiche comth nowe to mynde ¶ Hic loquitur precipuâ— contra tyrannos illos qui cum in bello vincere possuÌ„t humani sanguiniâ— effusionem saturari nequeunt et narrat in exemplum de quodam Persarum rege cuius nomen Spartachus erat qui pre ceteris tunc in oriente bellicosus et victoriosus quoscuÌ„que gladio vincerâ— poterat / absque psetate interfici constituit Seb tandem sub manu Thomiris Marsegittarum regine in bello captus ê™ a diu quesiuit seueritatem pro seueritate finaliter inuenit Nam et ipsa quoddam vas de sanguine Persarum plenum ante se afferre decreuit in quo caput tyraÌ„m vsque ad mor tem mergenâ— dixit O tyrannorum crudelissime semper esnâ—iens sanguinem sitisti ecce iam ad saturitatem sanguinem bibe ¶ I rede in olde bokes thus There was a duc whiche Spartachus Men clepe and was a warriour A cruel man a conquerour with stronge power the whiche he lad For this condition he had That where hym hapneth the victoire His lust and all his most gloire was for to slee and not to saue Of raunsome wolde he no good haue For sauynge of a mans lyfe But all gothe to the swerde and knyfe So leefe hym was the mans bloode And netheles yet thus it stode So as fortune aboute went He fell ryght heire as by discent To Pers and was coroned kynge And whan the worshyp of this thynge was falle and he was kynge of Pers If that they weren fyrste diuers The tyrannies whiche he wrought A thousant folde wel more he sought Than afterwarde to do malyce Tylle god vengeaunce ayene the vice Hath shape For vpon a tyde whan he was hieste in his pryde In his rancour and in his hete Ayene the quene of Mersagete whiche Thomiris that tyme hyght He made werre all that he myght And she which wolde her londe defende Her owne sonne ayene him sende whiche the defence hath vndertake But he discomfite was and take And whan this kinge hym had in honde He wol no mercy vnderstonde But dyd hym slee in his presence The tydynge of this violence whan it cam to the mothers eare She sende anone ay wyde where To suche frendes as she had A great power tyll that she lad In sondry wyse tho she cast Howe she this kynge may ouercast And at last accorded was That in the daunger of a pas Through whiche this tyrant shuld pas She shope his power to compas with strength of men by suche a wey That he shall not escape awey And when she had thus ordeined She hath hir owne body feyned For fere as though she wolde flee Out of hir londe And whan that he Hath herde howe that this lady fledde So fast after the chase he spedde That he was founde out of araye For it betyd vpon a daye In to the paas whan he was fall The cubusshementes to breaken all And hym beclipte on euery syde That flee ne myght be not asyde So that there weren deed and take Two hundred thousande for his sake That weren with hym of his hooste And thus was leyed the great booste Of hym and of his tyranny It halpe no mercy for to cry To hym whiche whylome dyd none For he vnto the quene anone was broughte whan that she him sye This worde she spake and sayd on hye O man whiche out of mannes kynde Reason of man hast lefte behynde And lyued worse than a beste whom pyte myght none areste The mannes blode to shede and spylle Thou haddest neuer yet thy fylle But nowe the laste tyme is come That thy malyce is ouercome As thou tyll other men hast do Nowe shall be do to the ryght so Tho bad this lady that men shulde A vessell brynge in whiche she wolde Se the vengeance of his Iuise whiche she began anone deuyse And toke the princis whiche he ladde By whom his chiefe councell he hadde And whyle hem lasteth any breth She made hem blede to the deth Into the vessell where it stode And whan it was fulfylde of bloud She cast this tyraunt therin And sayde hym Lo thus myght thou wynne The lustes of thyne appetyte In bloud was whylom thy delyte Nowe shalte thou drynken all thy fylle And thus onelyche of goddes wylle He whiche that wolde hym selfe strauÌ„ge To pite fonde mercy so straunge That he without grace is lore So may it well shewe the more That cruelte hath no good ende But pite howe so that it wende Makth that god is merciable If there be cause reasonable why that a kynge shall be pytous But els if he be doubtous To sleen in cause of ryghtwysenesse It may be sayde no pytousnesse But it is pusyllanimyte whiche euery prynce shulde flee For if pite mesure excede Knyghthode may not alwey procede To do iustyse vpon the ryght For it belongeth to a knyght As gladly for to fyght as reste To sette his lyege people in reste whan that the warre vpon hem falleth For hem be mote as it befalleth Of his knyghthode as a lyon Be
to the people a champion without any pite feyned For if manhode be restreyned Or be it pees or be it warre Iustyce goth all out of herre So that knyghthode is set behynde ¶ Of Aristotles lore I fynde A kynge shall make good vysage That no man knowe of his courage But all honour and worthynesse For if a kynge shall vpon gesse without verâ—y cause drede He may be lyche to that I rede And though that be lyke a fable Then saumple is good and reasonable ⧠Hic loquitur secundum philosophum diceus quod sicut non decet principes tyrannica impetuositate esse crudeles it a nec decet timorosa pufillanimitate esse vecordes ⧠As it by olde dayes fylle I rede whylom that an hylle Vp in the londes of Archade And wonder dredfull noyse it made For so it fyl that ylke day This hylle on his chyldynge lay And whan the throwes on him come His noyse liche the day of dome was ferefull in a mannes thought Of thinges which that they se nought But wel they herden all aboute The noise of which they were in doubte As they that wenden to be lore Of thinge whiche than was vnbore The nere this hyl was vpon chaunce To take his deliueraunce The more vnbuxomly he cryde And euery man was fledde a syde For drede and lefte his owne how 's And at last it was a mows The whiche was bore and to noryce By take and tho they helde hem nyce For they withouten cause dradde Thus if a kinge his herte ladde with euery thinge that he shall here Ful ofte he shulde chaunge his chere And vpon fantasye drede whan that there is no cause of drede ¶ Nota hic secundum Horacium de magnanimo Iacide et pusillanimo Thersite ¶ Horace to his prince tolde That him were leuer that he wolde Vpon knyghthode Achylles sewe In tyme of warre than eschewe So as Thersites did at Troye Achilles al his hole ioye Set vpon armes for to fyght Thersites sought all that he might Vnarmed for to stonde in reste But of the two it was the beste That Achilles vpon the nede Hath do wherof his knyghtlyhede Is yet commended oueralle Kynge Salomon in speciall Saith As there is a tyme of pees So is a tyme netheles Of werre in whiche a prynce algate Shall for the comon right debate And for his owne worship eke But it behoueth not to seke Onely the werre for worship But to the right of his lordship whiche he is holde to defende Mote euery worthy prince entende Betwene the symplesse of pyte And the fole hast of cruelte where stonte the very hardinesse There mote a kinge his herte adresse whan it is tyme to forsake And whan tyme is also to take The deedly werres vpon honde That he shall for no drede wonde If ryghtwisenes be withall For god is mighty ouer all To forther euery mans trouthe But it be through his owne slouthe And namely the kinges nede It may not fayle for to spede For he stante one for hem all So mote it well the better falle And wel the more god fauoureth whan he the comune righte socoureth And for to se the soth in dede Beholde the bible and thou might rede Of great ensamples many one wherof that I wil tellen one ¶ Hic dicit / quod princeps iusticie causa bellum nullo modo timere debet Et narrat qualiter dux Gedeon cum solis trecentis viris quinque reges scilicet Madianitarum Amalechitarum / Amoitanorum Amoreorum et Iebuseorum cum eorit excercitu qui ad nonaginta milia numeraius eft / gracia cooperante diuina victoriose in fugam conuertit ☞ Vpon a tyme as it byfelle Ayenst Iude and Israelle whan sondry kynges come were In purpos to destroye there The people / whiche god kepte tho And stode in thylke dayes so That Gedeon whiche shulde lede The goddes folke / toke him to rede And sende in all the londe aboute Tyl he assembled hath a route with .xxx. thousand of defence To fyght and make resistence Ageyne the whiche hem wolde assayle And netheles that one batayle Of thre / that weren enemys was double more than was all his wherof that Gedeon him drad That he so lytel people had But he whiche all thinge may helpe where that there locketh mannes helpe To Gedeon his aungel sente And bad / er that he forther wente All openly that he do crye That euery man in his partye whiche wolde after his owne wylle In his delyte abyde stylle At home in any maner wyse For purchace or for couetyse For lust of loue or lacke of herte He shuld nought aboute sterte But holde him stylle at home in pees wherof vpon the morow he lees wel .xx. thousande men and mo The whiche after the cry ben go Thus was with him but onely lefte The thryde parte and yet god efte His aungel send and sayd this To Gedeon If it so is That I thyn helpe shall vndertake Thou shalt yet lesse people take By whome my wyl is that thou spede For thy to morowe take good hede Vnto the flood whan ye be come what man that hath the water nome Vp in his hande and lappeth so To thy parte chese oute all tho And him whiche wery is to swinke Vpon his wombe and lyeth to drynke Forsake and put hem al aweye For I am myghty all weye where as me lyst my helpe to shewe In good men though they be fewe This Gedeon a wayteth wele Vpon the morowe and euery dele As god him bad right so he dede And thus ther lefte in that stede with him thre hondred and no mo The remenaunte was all ago wherof that Gedeon merueyleth And theron with god counceyleth Pleynynge as ferforth as he dare And god whiche wolde he were ware That he shuld spede vpon his right Hath bede him go the same nyght And take a man with hym to here what shall be spoke in this matere Amonge the hethen enemyes So may he be the more wyse what afterwarde him shall befalle This Gedeon amonges alle Phara to whome he tryst moste By nyght toke towarde thylke hoste whiche lodged was in a valeye To here what they wolden seye Vpon his fote and as he ferde Two sarazyns spekende he herde Quod one arede my sweuen aryght whiche I met in my slepe to night Me thought I sygh a barly cake whiche fro the hylle his wey hath take And com rollende doune at ones And as it were for the nones Forth in his cours so as it ran The kynges tente of Madyan Of Amaleche of Amorie Of A mon and of Iebuseye And many another tente mo with great ioye as me thought tho It threwe to grounde and ouer cast And all his host so sore agaste That I awoke for pure drede This sweuen can I well arede Quod the other sarazen anone The barly cake is Gedeon whiche fro the hylle donne sodenlye Shall come and set suche a skrye
Vpon the kinges and vs both That it shall to vs all lothe For in suche drede he shall vs brynge That if we haden flight of wynge The weye one fote in dispayre we shull loue and flee in the ayre For there shal nothing him withstonde whan Gedeon hath vnderstonde This tale he thonketh god of all And priuelyche ageyne he stalle So that no lyfe hym hath perceyued And than he hath fully conceyued That he shall spede therupon The nyght sewend he shope to gone This multitude to assayle Now shalt thou here a great meruaile with what wysdome that he wrought The lytell people whiche he brought was none of hem that he ne hath A potte of erthe in whiche he tath A lyght brennynge in a cresset And eche of hem eke a trompet Bare in his other honde besyde And thus vpon the nyghtes tyde Duc Gedeon whan it was derke Ordeyneth hym vnto his werke And parted than his folke in thre And chargeth hem that they ne flee And taught hem how they shuld askry All in o voyce par company And what worde they shulde eke speke And howe they shulde her pottes breke Echeone with other whan they herde That he hym selfe fyrst so ferde For whan they cam into the stede He bad hem do ryght as he dede And thus stalkende forth a paas This noble duc whan tyme was His potte to brake loude ascryde And tho they breke on euery syde The trompe was nought for to seke He blewe and so they blewen eke with suche a noyse amonge hem all As though the heuen shulde fall The hylle vnto her voyce answerde This hoste in the valey it herde And sigh how that the bylle a lyght So what of herynge and of syght They caught suche a sodeyne fere That none of hem be lefte there The tentes holly they forsoke That they none other good ne toke But onely with her body bare They fledde as doth the wylde hare And euer vpon the hylle they blewe Tyll that they sygh tyme and knewe That they be fled vpon the rage And whan they wyste their auauntage They fyll anone vpon the chace Thus myght thou se how goddes grace Vnto the good men auayleth But els ofte tyme it fayleth To suche as be not well disposed This tale nedeth not to be glosed For it is openly shewed That god to him that ben well thewed Hath yeue graunted the victoire So that thensaumple of this histoire Is good for euery kynge to holde First in hym selfe that he beholde yf he be good of his lyuynge And that the folke which he shal bring Be good also for than he may Be glad of many a mery day In what that euer he hath to done For he whiche sytte aboue the mone And all thynge may spylle and spede In euery cas and euery nede His good kynge so well adresseth That all his foo men he represseth So that there may no man hym dere And also well he can forbere And suffre a wycked kynge to falle In handes of his fomen all ¶ Hic dicit quod vbi et quando causa et tempus requirunt princeps illos sub potestate sua / quos iusticie aduersarios agnouerit occidere de iure te netur Et narrat in exemplum qualiter pro eo quod Saul regem Agag in bello deuicium iuxta Samuelis consilium occidere noluit / ipse diuino iudicio non solum a regno Israel prinatus / sed et heredes sui pro perpetuo exheredati sunt ⧠Nowe ferthermore if I shall seyn Of my matere and tourn ageyn To speke of Iustyce and Pite After the rule of ryalte This may a kynge well vnderstonde Knyghthode mote be take on honde whan that it stont vpon the nede He shall no rightfull cause drede No more of werre than of pees If he wyll stonde blameles For suche a cause a kynge may haue Better it is to slee than saue wherof thou myght ensample fynde The hygh maker of mankynde By Samuel to Saul badde That he shall nothynge ben adrad Agayne kynge Agag for to fyght For this the godhede hym behyght That Agag shall be ouercome And whan it is so ferforth come That Saul hath hym discomfyte The god had make no respyte That he ne shulde hym slee anone But Saul let it ouergone And dyd not the goddes beste For Agag made a great beheste Of raunsome whiche he wold gyue Kynge Saul suffreth hym to lyue And feyneth pite forth withall But he whiche seeth knoweth al The bye god of that he feyneth To Samuel vpon hym pleyneth And sende hym worde for that he lefte Of Agag that he ne berefte The lyfe he shall not onely dye Hym selfe but fro his regalye He shall be put for euermo Nought he but eke his heyre also That it shall neuer come ageyn ¶ 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—at vlteriê° super eodeÌ„ qualiter Dauid 〈◊〉 extremâ—s iusticie causa vt Ioab occideretur ab 〈◊〉 â—lla remissione filio suo Salomoni iniunxit ¶ Thus myght thou se the soth pleyne That of to moche and of to lyte Vpon the prynces stant the wyte But euer it was a kynges ryght To do the dedes of a knyght For in the hondes of a kynge The dethe and lyfe is all othynge After the lawes of iustyce To sleen it is a deedly vice But if a man the deth deserue And if a kynge the lyfe preserue Of hym whiche ought for to dye He seweth not the ensamplarie whiche in the byble is euydent Howe Dauyd in his testament whan he no lenger myght leue Vnto his sonne in charge hath geue That he Ioab shall slee algate And whan Dauyd was gone his gate The yonge wyse Salomone His fathers heste dyd anone And slewe Ioab in suche a wyse That they that herden the iuyse Euer after dredden hym the more And god was eke well payd therfore That be so wolde his herte plye The lawes for to iustifye And yet he kepte forth withall Pyte so as a prynce shall That he no tyranny wrought He fonde the wysdom which he sought And was so rightfull netheles That all his lyfe he stode in pees That he no deadly werres had For euery man his wysdom drad And as he was hym selfe wyse Ryght so the worthy men of pryse He hath of his counseyle with holde For that is euery prynce holde To make of suche his retenue whiche wyse ben and remue The fooles For there is nothynge whiche may be better about a kynge Than counseyle which is the substaunce Of all a kynges gouernaunce ¶ Hic dicit quod populum sibi commissum bene regere super omnia principi laudabilius est Et narrat in exemplum qualiter pro eo quod Salomon vt populum bene regeret ab altissimo sapientiaÌ„ specialius postulauit omnia bona pariter cum illa sibi habundancius aduenerunt ¶ In Salomon a man may se what thynge of most necessite Vnto a worthy kynge belongeth whan he
this manere That he with loue and with glad chere Foryeue and graunte all that is asked Of that his fader had tasked For so he may his regne acheue with thing which shall hem litell greue The kinge hem herd and ouer passeth And with this other his wit compasseth That yonge were and nothinge wyse And they these olde men despise And sayden Sir it shall be shame For euer vnto thy worthy name If thou ne kepe not thy ryght while thou arte in thy yonge myght whiche that thyn olde father gate But say vnto the people plate That whyle thou lyuest in thy londe The leest fynger of thyn honde It shall be strenger ouer all Than was thy fathers body all And thus also shall be thy tale If he hem smote with roddes smale with scorpions thou shalt hem smyte And where thy father toke a lyte Thou thynkest take mychell more Thus shalt thou make hem drede sore The great hert of thy corage So for to holde hem in seruage This yonge kyng hym hath conformed To done as he was last enformed whiche was to him his vndoynge For whan it came to the spekynge He hath the yonge counseyle holde That he the same wordes tolde Of all the people in audience And whan they herden the sentence Of his malyce and the manace Anone tofore his owne face They haue hym vtterly refused And with full great reproue accused So they began for to raue That he hym selfe was fayne to saue For as the wylde wode rage Of wyndes maketh the see sauage And that was calme bryngeth to wawe So for defaut and grace of lawe The people is stered all at ones And forth they gone out of his wones So that of the lygnages twelfe Two tribus onely by hem selfe with hym abyden and no mo So were they for euermo Of no retourne without espeire Departed fro the rightfull heire Of Israell with comen voyce A kynge vpon her owne choyce Amonge hem selfe a anone they make And haue her yonge lorde forsake A powre knyght Ieroboas They toke and lefte Roboas whiche ryghtfull beyre was by dissent Lo thus the yonge cause went For that the counseyle was not good The reygne fro the ryghtfull blood Euer afterwarde deuyded was So may it prouen by this cas That yong counseyl which is to warme Or men beware doth ofte harme Olde age for the counseyle serueth And lusty yongth his thonke deserueth Vpon the traueyle whiche he doth And both for to sey a fothe By sondry cause for to haue If that he wyll his reigne saue A kynge behoueth euery day That one can and that other may Be so the kynge hem both rule Or elles all goth out of rule ¶ Nota questionem cuiusdam philosophi / vtrum regno conuenientius foret principem cum malo consilio optare sapientem quam cum sano consilio ipsum eligere insipientem ¶ And vpon this matere also A question betwene the two Thus wryten in boke I fonde where it be better for the londe A kynge hym selfe to be wyse And so to bere his owne pryse And that his counseyle be not good Or otherwyse if it so stode A kynge if he be vicious And his counseyle be vertuous It is answerde in suche a wyse That better it is that they be wyse By whom that the counseyle shall gone For they ben many and he is one And rather shall an one man with fals counseyle for ought he can From his wysedome be made to fall Than he alone shulde hem all Fro vices vnto vertue chaunge For that is well the more straunge For thy the londe may well be glad whose kynge with good counseyle is lad whiche sette hym vnto ryghtwysnes So that his high worthynes Betwene the reddour and pyte Doth mercy forth with equyte A kinge is holden ouer all To pyte but in speciall To hem where he is moste beholde They shulde his pite most beholde That ben the lieges of the londe For they ben euer vnder his honde After the goddes ordenaunce To stonde vpon his gouernaunce ¶ â—â—â—a ad huc precipne de principum erga suos 〈…〉 debâ—ta â—ietate legitur enim qualiter An 〈…〉 Sciâ—â—â—ne exeÌ„pâ—ificatus dixit quod malâ—er vâ—â—m de populo sibi commisso virum saluare câ—â—â—â—enâ—â— ex hostibê° alienigenis in bello perdere ☞ Of themperour Anthonius I fynd bowe that he sayde thus How him were leuer for to saue One of his liges than to haue Of enemyes an hundred dede And thus he lerned as I rede Of Scipio whiche had be Consul of Rome and thus to se Dyuers ensamples howe they stonde A kinge which hath the charge on hoÌ„de The comyn people to gouerne If that he wyl he may wel lerne Is none so good to the plesaunce Of god as is good gouernaunce And euery gouernaunce is due To pyte thus I may argue That pyte is the foundemente Of euery kynges regimente If it be medlyd with iustice They two remeuen all vyce And ben of vertu most vaylable To make a kinges royame stable Lo thus the foure poyntes tofore In gouernaunce as they be bore Of trouth fyrst and of largesse Of pyte forth with rightwisnesse I haue hem tolde and ouer this The fyrst poynte so as it is Set of the rule of policye wherof a kynge shall modefye The flesshly lustes of nature Nowe thinke I telle of suche mesure That both kinde shall be serued And eke the lawe of god obserued Corporis et mentis regeÌ„ decet omnis honestas Nominis vt famam nulla libido ruat Omne quod est liominis effeminat illa voluptas Sit nisi magnanimi cordis vt obstat ei ¶ Hic tractat secundum Aristotelem de quinta principum policia que castitatem concernit cuius honestas impudicicie molus obtemperans tam corporis quam anime mundiciciam specialius preseruat ⧠The male is made for the femele But where as one desyreth fele That nedeth nought by weye of kynde For whan a man may redy fynde His owne wyfe what shuld he seche In straunge places to beseche To borowe another mans plough whan he hath geare at home ynough Affayted at his owne heste And is to hym wel more honeste Than other thinge which is vnknowe For thy shulde euery good man knowe And thynke howe that in maryage His trouth plyte / lyeth in morgage whiche if he breke it is falsehode And that discordeth to manhode And namely towarde the great wherof the bokes all trete So as the phylosophre techeth To Alysaunder and him by techeth The lore howe that he shall mesure His body so that no mesure Of flesshly lust he shulde excede And thus forth if I shall procede The fyfte poynte / as I sayd ere Is Chastyte whiche selde where Comth nowe a dayes in to place And nethelesse but it be grace Aboue all other in specialle Is none that chaste may ben alle But yet a kynges hygh estate whiche of his order as
herte in doute That lyke a lambe whan it is cesed In wolues mouth so was disesed Lucrece whiche he naked fonde wherof she swouned in his honde And as who sayth laye dede oppressed And be whiche all him had adressed To luste toke than what him lyste And goth his weye that none it wist In to his owne chamber ageyn And cleped vp his chamberleyn And made him redy for to ryde And thus this lecherous pryde To hors lepte and forth he rode And she which in hir bed abode whan that she wyst he was agone She cleped after lyght anone And vp aroos longe er the daye And cast aweye hir fresshe araye As she whiche hath the worlde forsake And toke vpon the clothes blacke And euer vpon continuinge Right as men se a welle springe with eyen full of wofull teeres Hir here hangynge aboute her eeres She wepte and no man wyst whye But yet amonge full pitouslye She prayed that they nolden dretche Her husbonde for to fetche Forthwith hir fader eke also Thus be they comen bothe two And Brutus came with Collatyne whiche to Lucrece was cosyne And in they wenten all thre To chambre / where they might se The woofullest vpon this molde whiche wepte as she to water sholde The chamber dore anone was stoke Er they haue ought vnto her spoke They se hir clothes all disgysed And howe she hath her selfe despysed Hir here hangynge vnkemte aboute But nethelesse she gan to lowte And knele vnto hir husbonde And he wolde fayne haue vnderstonde The cause why she fared so with softe wordes asked tho / what may you be my good swete And she which thought her self vnmete And the leste worth of women alle Hir woful chere lete doune falle For shame and coude vnnethes loke And they therof good hede toke And prayden hir in al waye That she ne spare for to saye Vnto hir frendes what hir ayleth why she so sore hir selfe bewayleth And what the soth wolde mene And she which hath hir sorowe grene Hir wo to tell thenne assayed / But tender shame her worde delayed That sondry tymes as she mente To speke vpon the poynte she stente And they hir beden euer in one To telle forth / and there vpon whan that she sygh she must nede Hir tale bitwene shame and drede She tolde not without peyne And he whiche wolde hir wo restreyne Hir husbond a sory man Comforteth hir all that he can And swore and eke hir fader bothe That they with hir be not wroth Of that is do ageynst hir wylle And prayden hir to be stylle For they to hir haue all foryeue But she whiche thought not to leue Of hem wyll no foryeuenesse And said of thilke wyckednesse whiche was to hir body wrought All were it so she myght it nought Neuer afterwarde the worlde ne shall Reprouen hir and forthwithall Or any man therof be ware A naked swerde the whiche she bare within hir mantell priuely Betwene hir bondes sodeynly She toke through her hert it thronge And fyll to grounde euer amonge whan that she fyll so as she myght Her clothes with her honde she ryght That no man downewarde fro the knee Shuld any thynge of hir se Thus lay this wyfe honestly Aâ—though she dyed wofully Tho was no sorowe for to seke Hâ—r housbande and hir father eke A â—woune vpon the body felle There may no mans tonge telle In whiche anguysshe that they were But Brutê° which was with hem there â—â—warde hym selfe his hert kept And to Lucrece anone be lepte The bloudy swerde and pulleth out And swore the goddes al aboute That he therof shall do vengeaunce And â—he tho made a countenaunce Hir dedly eye and at laste Iâ— thonkynge as it were vp cast And so behelde hym in the wyse whyle â—he to loke may suffyse And Brutus with a manly herte Hir husbonde hath made vp sterte Forth with her father eke also In all haste and sayde hem tho That they anone without lette A bere for the body fette Lucrece thervpon bledend He leyde and so forth out cryend He goth vnto the market place Of Rome and in a lytell space Through crye the cite was assembled And euery mans hert trembled whan they the soth herde of the câ—s And there vpon the counseyle was Take of the great and of the smale And Brutus tolde hem all the tale And thus cam in to remembraunce Of synne the continuance whiche Arrous had do tofore And eke longe tyme er he was bore Of that his father hadde do The wronge came in to place tho So that the comen clamour tolde The newe shame of synnes olde And all the towne began to crye Awey awey the tyranny Of lechery and couetyse And at last in suche a wyse The father in the same whyle Forth with the sonne they exile And taken better gouernaunce But yet an other remembraunce That ryghtwysenes and lechery Accorden not in company with hym that hath the lawe on honde That may a man well vnderstonde As by a tale thou shalte wyte Of olde ensample as it is wryte ¶ Hic ponit exemplum super eodem qualiter Linius Virginius dux exercitus Romanorum vnicam filiam pulâ—herrimam habens cum quodam nobili viro nomine Ilicio vt ipsam in vxoreÌ„ duceret finaliter concordauit Sed interim Appius Claudius Imperator virginis formositatem vt eam violaret concupiscens occasiones / quibê° matrimonii impedire ipsam que ad sui vsum apprehendere posset subdola conspiratione fieri coniectauit et cum propositum sui desiderii productiâ— faâ—sis testibus in Iudicio Imperator habere debuisset pater tunc ibideÌ„ presens extracio gladio filie sue pectus mortali vulnere per medium traÌ„fodit dicens malo michi de filia mea virgineÌ„ habere mortuam quam in sui scandalum meretricem seruare vinentem ⧠At Rome whan Appius whos other name was Claudius was gouernour of the cyte There fyll a wonder thinge to se Touchend a gentyl mayde as thus whome Lyuius Virgnius Begeten had vpon his wyfe Men sayden that so fayre a lyfe As she was not in al the towne This fame whiche goth vp and doune To Claudius came in his ere wherof his thought anone was there whiche all his herte hath sette a fyre That he began the floure desyre whiche longeth vnto maydenhede And sende if that he might spede The blynde lustes of his wylle But that thinge he might not fulfylle For she stode vpon maryage A worthy knyght of great lignage Ilycius whiche than hight Accorded in her faders sight was that he shulde his doughter wed But er the cause were fully spedde Her fader whiche in Romanye The ledinge of the chyualrye In gouernaunce hath vndertake Vpon a werre whiche was take Gothe out with all the strength he had Of men of armes whiche he lad So was the maryage lefte And stode vpon accorde tyl efte The kynge whiche herde telle of
this Howe that this mayde ordeyned is To maryage thought a nother And had thilke tyme a broder whiche Marcus Claudius was hote And was a man of suche riote Right as the kinge him selfe was They two togyder vpon this caas In counceyle founden out the weye That Marcus Claudius shall seye Howe she by weye of couenaunte To his seruyce apurtenaunte was holle and to none other man And there vpon he sayth he can In euery poynte witnesse take So that she shall it not forsake whan that they had shape so After the lawe whiche was tho whyle that her fader was absente She was somoned and assente To come in prsence of the kynge And stode in answere of this thinge Her frendes wysten all wele That it was falshede euery dele And comen to the kynge and sayden Vpon the comune lawe and prayden So as this noble worthy knyght Hir father for the comon ryght In thylke tyme as was befall Lay for the profyte of them all Vpon the wylde feldes armed That he ne shulde not ben harmed Ne shamed whyle that he were oute And thus they preyden al aboute For all the clamour that he herde The kinge vpon his luste answerde And yaue hem onely dayes two Of respyte for he wende tho That in so shorte a tyme appere Her fader might in no manere But as therof he was deceyued For Lyuyus had all conceyued The purpos of the kynge tofore So that to Rome ayene therfore In all hast he came rydende And lefte vpon the felde lyggende His boost tyll that he came ageyne And thus this worthy capiteyne Appered redy at his daye where all that euer reasone may By lawe in audyence he doth So that his doughter vpon soth Of that Marcus her had accused He hath tofore the courte excused The kyng which saw his purpose faile And that no sleight myght auayle Incombred of his lustes blynde The lawe tourneth out of kynde And halfe in wrath as though it were In presence of hem all there Deceyued of concupiscence yaue for his broder the sentence And bad hym that he shulde cese This mayde and make hym well at ese But all within his owne entent He wyst how that the cause went Of that his brother hath the wyte He was hym selfe for to wyte But thus this mayden had wronge whiche was vpon the kynge alonge But ageyne hym was none apele And that the father wyst wele wherof vpon the tyrannye That for the lust of lecherie His doughter shuld be disceyued And that Ilicius was weyued Vntruly fro the mariage Ryght as a lyon in his rage whiche of no drede set account And not what pite shulde amount A naked swerde he pulled out The whiche amonges all the rout He threst through his doughter syde And all aloude thus he cryde Lo take hir there thou wrongfull kyng For me is leuer vpon this thynge To be the father of a mayde Though she be deed than if men sayde That in hir lyfe she were shamed And I therof were euyll named Tho bad the kynge men shulde areste His body but of thilke heste Lyke to the chaced wylde bore The boundes whan he feleth sore To throwe and goth forth his wey In suche a wyse for to sey This worthy knyght with swerd in hoÌ„d His wey made they hym wonde That none of hem his strokes kepte And thus vpon his hors he lepte And with his swerde droppyng al blode which within his doughter stode He cam there as the power was Of Rome and tolde hem all the cas And sayd hem that they myght lere Vpon the wronge of this matere That better it were to redresse At home the great vnrightwysenesse Than for to warre in straunge place And lese at home her owne grace For thus stant euery mans lyfe In ieopardye for his wyfe And for his doughter if they be Passynge an other of beaute Of this meruayle whiche they sye So apparaunt afore her eie Of that the kynge hath hym mysbore Her othes they haue all swore That they wyll stonde by the right And thus of one accorde vpright To Rome at ones home ageyne They torne and shortly for to sayne This tiranny cam to mouth And euery man saith what he couth So that the preuy trechery whiche set was vpon lechery Cam openly to mannes ere And that brought in the comen fere That euery man the peryll dradde Of hym that so hem ouerlad For they or that were worse falle Through comen counseyle of hem all They haue her wrongful kyng deposed And hem in whom it was supposed The counceyle stode of his leâ—ynge By lawe vnto the dome they brynge where they receyuen the penaunce That longeth to suche gouernaunce And thus the vnchaste was chastised wherof they myght ben aduysed That shulde afterwarde gouerne And by this euidence lerne Howe it is good a kynge eschewe The luste of vice and vertue sewe ¶ Hic inter alia castitatis regimen concernentia loquitur / quomodo matrimonium / cuius status sacramentum quasi continentiam equiperans etiaÌ„ honeste delectationis regimine moderari decet Et narrat in exeÌ„ptuÌ„ qualiter pro eo quod illi septeÌ„ viri / qui Sarre Raguelis filie magis propter concupiscentiam quam propter matrimonium voluptuose nupserunt vnus post alium omnes prima nocte a demone Asmodeo sigillatim ingulati interierunt ¶ To make an ende in this partie which toucheth to the policie Of chastite in speciall As for conclusion fynall That euery lust is to eschewe By great ensample I may argewe Howe in rages a towne of Mede There was a mayde and as I rede Sara she hight and Raguelle Hir father was and so befelle Of body bothe and of visage was none so fayre of the lignage To seche amonge hem all as she wherof the ryche of the cyte Of lusty folke that couden loue Assoted were vpon hir loue And axen hir for to wedde One was whiche at last spedde But that was more for lykynge To haue his lust than for weddynge As he within his herte caste whiche hym repenteth at laste For so it felle the fyrst nyght whan he was to the bedde â—yght As he / whiche nothynge god besecheth But all onely his lustes fecheth A bedde er he was fully warme And wolde haue take hir in his arme Asmode whiche was a fende of helle And serueth as the bokes telle To tempte a man in suche a wyse was redy there thilke emprise whiche he hath set vpon delyte He vengeth than in suche a plyte That be his necke hath writh a two This yonge wyfe was sory tho whiche wyst nothynge what it ment And nethelesse yet thus it went Not onely for this fyrst man But after right as he began Sixe other of her husbondes Asmode hath take in to his hondes So that they all a bedde deyde whan they her hande toward her leyd Nought for the lawe of mariage But for that ilke fyry rage In whiche
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
dayes full a space I graunte the to ben aduysed And thus with leue and tyme assysed This yonge prynce forth he wente And vnderstode wel what it mente within his herte as he was lered That for to make him afered The kinge his tyme hath so delayed wherof he drad and was amayed Of treson that he deye shulde For he the kinge his southe tolde And sodeynly the nyghtes tyde That more wolde he nought abyde Al pryuely his barge he hente And home ageyne to Tyre he wente And in his owne witte he sayed For drede if he the kynge bewrayed He knewe so wel the kinges herte That deth ne shulde he nought asterte The kynge him wolde so purse we But he that wolde his deth eschewe And knewe all this tofore the honde Forsake he thought his owne londe That there wolde he not abyde For wel he knewe that on som syde This tyraunt of his felonye By some manere of trecherye To greue his body wyl not leue ¶ De fuga Appollini per mare a regno suo ¶ For thy withouten takinge leue As priuelyche as they might He goeth him to the see by night Her shippes that ben with whete laden Her takyl redy tho they maden And haleth sayle and forth they fare But for to tellen of the care That they of Tyre began tho whan that they wist he was ago It is a pyte for to here They losten lust they losten chere They toke vpon hem suche penaunce Ther was no songe there was no dauÌ„ce But euery myrthe and melody To hem was then a malady For vnlust of that auenture There was no man which toke tonsure In deedly clothes they hem clothe The bathes and the stewes bothe They shyt in by euery wey There was no lyfe whiche lust pley Ne take of any ioye kepe But for her lyege lorde to wepe And euery wyght saith as he couth Alas the lusty floure of youth Our prynce our heed our gouernour Through whom we stonden in honour without the commune assent That sodeynly is fro vs went Suche was the clamour of hem all ¶ Qualiter Thaliartus miles vt Appolinum 〈…〉 â—â—caret ab Antiocho in Tirum missê° ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ nâ—n inuento Antiochiam rediit ¶ But se we nowe what is befalle Vpon the fyrst tale playne And tourne we therto agayne ¶ Antiochus the great syre which full of rancour and of yre His herte hereth so as ye herde Of that this prynce of Tyre answerde He had a felowe bacheler whiche was his preuy counseyler And Thaliart by name he hyght The kynge a stronge poyson hym dight within a boxe and golde therto In all haste and bad hym go Streyght vnto Tyre and for no coste Ne spare tyll he had lost The prynce whiche he wolde spylle And whan the kynge hath said his wyll This Taliart in a galeye with all the haste he toke his wey The wynde is good they seyleth blyue Tyll he toke londe vpon the ryue Of Tyre and forth with all anone Into the borough be gan to gone And toke his inne and bode a throwe But for he wold nought be knowe Disguysed than he goth hym out He sygh the wepynge all about And axeth what the cause was And they hym tolde all the cas Howe sodeynly the prynce is go And whan he sygh that it was so And that his labour was in veyne Anone he tourneth home ageyne And to the kynge whan he cam nygh He tolde of that he herde and sygh Howe that the prynce of Tyre is fled So was be come ageyne vnsped The kynge was sory for a whyle But whan he sygh that with no wyle He myght acheue his cruelte He stynt his wrath and let hym be ¶ Qualiter Appolinus in portu Tharsis applicuit vbi in hospicio cuiusdam magni viri nomine Strangulionis hospitatus est ¶ But ouer this nowe for to telle Of aduentures that befelle Vnto this prince of whiche I tolde He hath his right cours forth holde By stone and nedell tyll he cam To Tharse and ther his londe be nam A bourgeys ryche of golde and fee was thylke tyme in that cite whiche cleped was Stranguillio His wyfe was Dionisie also This yonge prynce as saith the boke with hym his herbergage toke And it befyll that cite so Before tyme and than also Through stronge famyn whiche beÌ„ lad was none that any whete had Appolynus whan that he herde The mischefe howe the cite ferde All frelyche of his owne gyfte His whete amonge hem for to shyfte The whiche by shyp he had brought He yaue and toke of hem right nought But sithen fyrst this worlde began was neuer yet to suche a man More ioye made than they hym made For they were all of hym so glade That they for euer in remembraunce Made a fygure in resemblaunce Of hym and in a comon place They set it vp so that his face Myght euery maner man beholde So as the citie was beholde It was of â—aton ouer gylte Thus hath he nought his yefte spylte ☞ Qualiter Hellicanus ciuis Tyri Tharsim â—entens Appollinum de insidiis Anthiochi prenunciauit ¶ Vpon a tyme with a route This lorde to pley goeth hym oute And in his way of Tyre he mette A man whiche on his knees hym grette And Hellican by name he hyght whiche prayde his lorde to haue insight Vpon hym selfe and sayde hym thus Howe that the great Antiochus Awayteth if that he myght hym spylle That other thought / helde hym stylle And thanked hym of his warnynge And bad hym tell no tydynge whan he to Tyre cam home ageyne That he in Tharse hym had seyne ¶ Qualiter Appollinus portum Tharsis relinquens cum ipse per mare nauigio securiorem quesiuit superueniente tempestate nauis cum omnibpreter ipsum solum in eadem contentis iuxta Pen tapolim periclitabatur ¶ Fortune hath euer be muable And may no whyle stonde stable For nowe it hyeth nowe it loweth Nowe stant vpright now ouerthroweth Nowe full of blysse and nowe of bale As in the tellyng of my tale Here afterwarde a man may lere whiche is great routh for to here ¶ This lorde which wold done his best within hym selfe hath lytell rest And thought he wolde his place chauÌ„ge And seke a countre more straunge Of Tharsyens his leue anone He toke and is to shyppe ygone His cours he name with sayle vp drawe where as fortune doth the lawe And sheweth as I shall reherse Howe she was to this lorde diuerse The whiche vpon the see she ferketh The wynde aroos the wether derketh It blewe and made suche tempeste None anker may the ship arest whiche hath to broken al his gere The shipmen stode in suche a fere was none that might him selfe bestere But euer awayte vpon the lere whan that they shuldeÌ„ drenche at ones There was ynough within the wones Of wepinge / and of sorowe tho The yonge kyng maketh mochel wo So for to se the ship trauayle But all
that might him nought auayle The mast to brake the sayle to roofe The ship vpon the wawes droofe Tyl that they se the londes coste Tho made a vowe the leste and moste Be so they mighten come a loude But he whiche hath the se on honde Neptunus wolde nought accorde But all to brake cable and corde Er they to londe myght approche The ship to claue vpon a roche And all goth doune in to the depe But he that all thinge may kepe Vnto this lorde was mercyable And brought him saue vpon a table whiche to the londe him hath vpbore The remenaunt was all forlore Therof he made mochel mone ¶ Qualiter Appolinus nudus super litus iaciabatur / vbi quidam piscator ipsum suo collobio vestiens ad vrbem Pentapolim direxit ¶ Thus was this yonge lorde alone All naked in a poure plyte His colour which was whylom whyte was than of water fade and pale And eke he was so sore a cale That he wist of him selfe no bote It helpe him no thynge for to mote To gete a geyn that he hath lore But she which hath his deth forlore Fortune though she wyll not yelpe All sodeynly hath sent him helpe whan him thought all grace aweye There came a fyssher in the weye And sigh a man there naked stonde And whan that he hath vnderstonde The cause he hath of hym great routh And onely of his pouer trouth Of suche clothes as he hadde with great pite this lorde he cladde And he hym thonketh as he sholde And saith hym that it shall be yolde If euer he gete his state ageyne And prayth that he wolde hym seyne If nygh were any towne for hym He sayde ye Pentopolym where both kynge and quene dwellen â–ª whan he this tale herde tellen He gladdeth hym and gan beseche That be the wey hym wolde teche And he hym taught and forth he went And prayde god with good entent To sende hym ioye after his sorowe It was nought passed yet mydmorowe ¶ Qualiter Appollino Pentapolim adueniente 〈◊〉 â—â—gnasâ— per vrbem publice ê“clamatus est ¶ Than afterwarde his wey he nam where soone vpon the none he cam He â—te suche as he myght gete And forth anone whan he had ete He goth to se the towne about And cam there as he fonde a rout Of yonge lusty men withall And as it shulde tho befalle That day was set of suche assyse That they shulde in the londes gyse As was herde of the people seye Her commune game than pleye And cryed was that they shulde come Vnto the game all and some Of hem that ben delyuer and wyght To do suche maistry as they myght They made hem naked as they sholde For so that ilke game wolde And it was the custome and vse Amonges hem was no refuse The floure of all the towne was there And of the courte also there were And that was in a large place Ryght euen before the kynges face whiche Arthescates than hyght The pley was pleyed rigâ—â— in his syght And who moste worthy was of dede Receyue he shulde a certayne mede And in the cite berâ— a price Appolynus whiche ware and wyse Of euery game couth an ende He thought assay howe so it wende ¶ Qualiter Appollinus ludum gignasil vintâ—â—â— in aula regis ad cenam honorifice ceptus est ¶ And fyll amonge hem into game And there he wanne hym suche a name So as the kynge hym selfe accounteth That he all other men surmounteth And bare the pryce aboue hem all The kynge bad that in to his halle At souper tyme he shulde be brought And he cam than and lefte it nought without company alone was none so semely of persone Of visage and of lymmes bothe If that he had what to clothe At souper tyme netheles The kynge amyddes all the pres Let clepe hym vp amonge hem all And bad his marshall of his hall To setten hym in suche degre That he vpon hym myght se The kynge was sone sette and serued And he whiche had his prise deserued After the kynges owne worde was made begyn a myddel borde That both kynge and quene hym sye He sette and cast about his eye And sawe the lordes in estate And with hym selfe wexe in debate Thynkende what he had lore And suche a sorowe he toke therfore That he sat euer stylle and thought As he whiche of no mete rought ¶ Qualiter Appollinê° in cena recumbens nihil comedit sed doloroso vultu submisso capite maxime ingemescebat qui tandem a filia regis confortatus Citheram plectens cunctis audieÌ„tibus / citherando vltra modum complacuit ¶ The kynge behelde his heuynesse And of his great gentylnesse His doughter which was fayre good And at the borde bifore him stode As it was thylke tyme vsage He bad to go on his message And fonde for to make him glade And she did as hir fader bade And goth to him the softe paas And asketh whens and what he was And praith he shulde his thought I leue He sayth madame by your leue My name is hote Appolynus And of my ryches it is thus Vpon the see I haue it lore The contre where as I was bore where that my londe is and my rente I lefte at Tyre whan that I wente The worshyp there of whiche I ought Vnto the god I there betought And thus togider as they two speke The teeris ranne downe by his cheke The king which therof toke good kepe Had great pite to se him wepe And for his doughter send ageyn And prayd hir fayre and gan to sayn That she no lenger wolde dretche But that she wolde anone forth fetche Hir harpe and done al that she can To glad with that sory man And she to done hir faders hest Hir harpe fet and in the feste Vpon a chair whiche they fette Hir selfe next to this man she sette with harpe both and eke with mouth To him she did all that she couth To make him chere and euer he sigheth And she him asketh howe him lyketh Madame certes wel he sayed But if ye the mesure played whiche if you lyst I shall you lere It were a gladde thinge for to here A leue syr tho quod she Nowe take the harpe and lete me se Of what mesure that ye mene Tho prayth the kinge tho prayth the quene Forth with the lordes all arewe That he somme myrthe wolde shewe He takth the harpe and in his wise He tempreth and of suche assyse Synginge he harpeth forth with all That as a voyce celestiall Hem thought it sowned in her ere As though that it an aungell were They gladen of his melodye But moste of all the companye The kinges doughter whiche it herde And thought eke of that he answerde whan that it was of hir apposed within hir herte hath wel supposed That he is of great gentylnesse His dedes ben therof wytnesse Forthwith the wisdome of his lore It nedeth
There whyles that hir lorde was oute He myght make a great auant Amonge all the remenant That she one of all the best well myght he set his herte in rest This kynge whan he hir fonde in hele For as he couthe in wysedome dele â—e couthe she in woman bede And whan she sygh withouten drede 〈◊〉 â—â—rde vpon his owne grounde That he was come safe and sounde In all this worlde ne myght be A gladder woman than was she ¶ The fame which may nought be hyd Throughout the londe is sone kyd Her kynge is comen home ayene There may no man the full seyne Howe that they weren all glade So mochel ioye of hym they made The presentes euery daye bene newed He was with yeftes all bisnewed The people was of hym so glad That though none other man hem bad Tâ—llage vpon hem selfe they sette And as it were of pure dette They yeue her goodes to the kynge This was a glad home welcomynge Thus hath Vlyxes what he wolde His wyfe was such as she be shulde His people was to hym subiecte Hym lacketh nothynge of delyte ¶ Horatius Omnia sunt hominum tenni pendentia filo ¶ But fortune is of suche a fleyght That whan a man is most on heyght She maketh hym rathest for to falle There wote no man what shall befalle The happes ouer mannes hede Ben honged with a tender threde That proued was on Vlyxes For whan he was most in his pees Fortune gan to make hym werre And set his welthe oute of herre Vpon a day as he was mery As though there myght hym no thinge derye whan night was come he goth to bedde with slepe and both his eyen fedde And whyle he slepte he met a sweuen Hym thought he sygh a statu euen whiche bryghter than the sonne shone A man it semed was it none But yet it was a fygure Most lyche to mannyssh creature But as of beaute heuenlych It was most to an aungell lyche And thus betwene aungell and man Beholden it this kynge began And suche a lust toke of the syght That fayne he wolde if that he myght The forme of that fygure embrace And goth hym forth toward that place where he sygh that ymage tho And takth it in his armes two And it embraceth hym ageyne And to the kynge thus gan it seyne Vlyxes vnderstond wel this The token of oure acqueyntaunce is Here afterward to mochel tene The loue that is vs betwene Of that we nowe suche ioy make That one of vs the deth shall take whan tyme cometh of destyne It may none otherwyse be Vlixes the began to praye That this fygure wolde hym say what wyght he is that sayth hym so This wyght vpon a speare tho A pensell whiche was well begone Embroudred sheweth hym anone Thre fysshes all of o colour In maner as it were a toure Vpon the pensell were wrought Vlyxes knewe this token nought And prayth to wyte in some partie what thynge it myght signifie A sygne it is the wyght answerde Of an empire and forth he ferde All sodeynly whan he that sayd Vlyxes out of slepe abrayde And that was ryght ayene the day That lenger slepen he ne maye Men say a man hath knowlegynge Saue of hym selfe of all thynge His owne chaunce no man knoweth But as fortune it on hym throweth was neuer yet so wyse a clerke whiche myght knowe all goddes werke Ne the secrete whiche god hath sette Ayene a man may not be lette Vlyxes though that he be wyse with all his wytte in his auyse The more that he his sweuen accouÌ„teth The lesse he wote what it amounteth For all his calculation He seeth no demonstration As pleynly for to knowe an ende But netheles howe so it wende He drad hym of his owne sonne That maketh hym well the more astone And shope therfore anone withall So that within castell walle Thelemachus his sonne he shette And on hym stronge warde he sette The sothe farther he ne knewe Tyll that fortune hym ouerthrewe But netheles for sykernesse where that he myght wyt gesse A place strengest in his londe There let he make of lyme and sonde A strength where he wolde dwell was neuer man yet herde tell Of suche an other as it was And for to strength hym in that cas Of all his londe the sykerest Of seruantes and the worthyest To kepen hym within warde He set his body for to warde And made suche an ordinance For loue ne for aqueintance That were it erely were it late They shulde let in at yate No maner man what so betyd But if so were hym selfe it byd ¶ But all that myghte hym not auayle For whom fortune wol assayle There may be no suche resistence whiche myght make a man defence All that shall be mote fall algate This Cyrces whiche I spake of late On whom Vlyxes hath begete A childe though he it haue foryete whan tyme came as it was wonne She was delyuerde of a sonne whiche cleped is Telegonus This childe whan he was borne thus About his mother to full age That he can reason and langage In good estate was drawe forth And whan he was so mochell worth To stonden in a mannes stede Circes his mother hath hym bede That he shall to his father go And tolde hym all to geder tho what man he was that hym begate And whan Thelegonus of that was ware and hath full knowlechynge Howe that his fader was a kynge He prayth his moder fayre this To go where that his fader is And she hym graunteth that he shall And made hym redy forth with all It was that tyme suche vsance That euery man the cogysaunce Of his contre bare in his honde whan he went in to straunge londe And thus was euery man therfore wel knowe where that he was bore For espyall and mystrowynges They dyd than suche thynges That euery man myght other knowe So it be felle in that throwe Telegonus as in this cas Of his contre the sygne was Thre fisshes whiche he shulde here Vpon the pynon of a spere And whan that he was thus arrayde And hath his barneys all assayde That he was redy euerydele His moder bad him fare wele And sayde hym that he shulde swythe His fader griete a thousand syth Telegonus his moder kist And toke his leue and where he wist His fader was the way name Tyll he vnto Nachaie came whiche of that londe the chyefe cyte was cleped and there asketh he where was the kynge howe he ferde And whan that he the soth herde where that the kynge Vlixes was Alone vpon his hors great pas He roode him forth and in his honde He bare the sygnall of his londe with fisshes thre as I haue tolde And thus he went vnto that holde where that his owne fader dwelleth The cause why he came he telleth Vnto the kepars of the gate And wolde haue comen in there ate But shortely they hym sayde nay And he