thyng but drynke and the sauf a lytyl whyle they be in ydlenes and in playes dyssolute and therfore Socrates the philosophre despysed the lyf of the peple of the courte and of alle them that folowe the halles And grete dyners To whome speketh Seneke in one his epystle O ye myserable people that doo noâ—e other thyng but drynke and et â–ª hit is domage that ye haue soule and vnderstondyng syth that ye onely thynke on your body And for somoche vyrgyle in his fyrst boke of Enâ—ydos repreueth dydo by cause she held her longe atte dyner what shal we saye of them â—heneÌ„ of whome ysaye saith in his vij chapyter The whyche haue not leyzer to slepe by cause they wold ryse erly in the morn for to make them self dronke They be lyke to them of whome seneke speketh in his lxxxxvij epystle the whyche â—aâ— nyght drynke alleway and ete sauf a lytyl whyle that they slepe And it is good to wete that theÌ„ne they dreme that they drynke aud ete For gladly men dreme of that whyche they doo by daye Thenne ought the prynces to flee and eschewe glotonnye and ought to haue in theyr court mesure ordynannce and alle honneste But thou shalt fynde there now none ordre but fylthe and foule table clothes And meÌ„ whiche saye them self to be honeste but they renne to the table shouyng And puttyng away eche other And they resemble not men but hogges and swyne goyng to theyr trough in foule etyng there shal thou here noo word spoken of god ne saye noo graces ne benedicte â–ª but dyssolute wordes othes sweryng all dyshoneste shal thou there see regnyng â–ª yf thys were in warre it shold not be ouer grete meruaylle Bu in tyme of peas to mayntene suche a lyf it is not a lyf but it is deth and right glotonnye the whiche engendreth lecherye lyke as sayth valere And also experyence sheweth the same the whyche ys ryght eâ—yl syttyng in prynces geuerally in alle chynalrye And as to me Irepute Impossyble that a man lecherous ameroâ— folyssly of wymmen may be wyse aud kuyghtly â—ecounteth not vegece in his iij boke of Chyualrye how the noble knyght scipion thaffrycanut wolde neuer abuse hym self with wymmen how fayr so euer they were as it apperith of the fayr mayde whiche he refused and restored her to her hustoÌ„ de we rede also how Octauiau seeyng Cleopater a right fayr â—irgyne how be it that he was somwhat enclyned to her loue â—euertheles he wold in no wise abuse her lykeas policrate saâ—th in his iij boke the vij chapytre Semblably we rede how hanybal Gayus Iulius Cezar and Cathon lyuedeu right sobrely and chastly as it apperyth in the v boke of policrate the vj chapytre â–ª Thus thenne ought the prynces to consydere ho w that folyssh loue of wymmen destroyed the strengthe of Sampson The wytte of Salamon the bounte of Dauid â–ª And therfore may neuer prynce longe endure that setteth alle his entencoÌ„n to lecherye lyke as saith seynt Ierome in his xxxiiij epistle And to thys purpos Egesippâ— in his fyrst boke in spekyng of one named Antonye sayd to themperonr knowe thou that Antonye is vaynquysshid â–ª but that is not by the. but this hath doon Cleopatre whome he hath so folysshly loued For he had leuer be vaynqnysshid with her than to vaynquysshâ— without her Thenne ought eâ—y Chyualroâ— man to take hede and see wel to that he be not lost by lecherye Trouth it is that be nameth hym self Amorous But whan I adnyse me wel he may be named maleuroâ— that is vnhappy For it is grete myserye for to haue thought to mayntene a woman For theÌ„ne his hody he destroyeth his strengthe perysshith his syght wasteth hâ—s wytte mynyssheth his lyf shorteth his helthe enpeyreth And his courage for to doo well gooth away aud his good fame renomee And whan he weneth to be happy by cause he hath founde a fayr woman than he hath loâ— hym self by cause of his inordynat loue whiche is that he loueth the woman more than hym self And so it happeth ofte that he is moche deceyued whan he weneth to be byloued singulerly that is to wete be that maynteneth dyuerse and many wymmen For he ought to knowe that neuer woman loued snche a man longe how wel that she sheweth semblaÌ„nt for to loue hym but her hope is for to haue his gold and his syluer I put caas that it were otherwyse And that ther were loue bytwene bothe partyes yet may none otherwyse be 〈…〉 right vnhappy the whiche for loue of the 〈…〉 leueth thestaâ—e 〈…〉 by what moyâ—n his auncetres haâ—e conquerd theyr goodes â—ud honours ¶ How the prynces ought to employe and dispose 〈◊〉 â—elf capâ— viâ— THe Prynces ought to be example of honour And of good lyf to employe dispose them self in good werâ—es and feates for to be cause that theyr snbgettis doo semblably And it is a grete shame yf a prynce that shold be a capytayne of knyghtes be callyd a player of dyse euery knyght ought to knowe that by playeng of dyse or other games semblable may nothyng be goten ryghtfuly ne Iustely but all that is goten by that moyeÌ„ is to the dampnacoÌ„n of his soule hurtyng of his couscyence By suche games the name of god is sworn and forsworn despysed A man loseth his tyme and his reste ofte And whan he shold thynke how he shold gouuerne his people than he studyeth to begyle his felawe and wynne his money And to this purpoos we rede in polycrate how a knyght named Clysson Arryued in the contrey of Corynthe for to treate allyaÌ„nce with the lordes of the contrey the whyche he fonde playeng atte dyse he thys seeyng departed sayde he wold haue none allyaÌ„uce with players of dyse For players of dyse beÌ„ coÌ„ynly light iÌ„ courageÌ„ chaÌ„nge ofte theyr purpoos as dooth the fortuÌ„e of dyse â–ª ben redy for 〈◊〉 promyse to swere also beÌ„ ful of couetyse and by consequent ben enclyned to rapyne and thefte And therfore saith seueâ—â— in his prouerbes that he that knoweth moste of suche playes knoweth most of euyll As who shold saye that in suche games is no thyng but euyll And synne TheÌ„ne is it a grete â—ame tath chyualrye be euployed in suche games For such â—â—ayes make a man to lese his 〈…〉 and cousentyng For I put â—aas that whiche they haue beâ—n â—â—â—fte Neuertheles alle they that playe for auarice and couâ—â— se ben in theyr herte Rauynous And therfore seynt Ausâ—â— sayth in his iiij boke of the cyte of god the xvj chapitre how wyse womaÌ„ dremed that it shold be good to forbede and deâ—â— de alle the games and playes that ben in prâ—uidyce of the â—â—myn wele But I wyl not saye but that the prynces and 〈◊〉 knyghtes may playe And dysporte them with somme hoâ— playe For as seneque saith in his boke of
to the world as tofore is sayd How the creature ought humbly to obeye to god capitulo v THe scrypture sayth that obeyssannce pleseth more vnto god than doth sacrefyse And herof we haue example of our fyrst fader Adam whych vsed hys owen propre wylle and lefte the commaundement of our lord Ihesu cryst which god had gyuen hym And therfore he fyl in to grete pouerte and in to many myseryes as wytnesseth Saynt Augustyn in hys xv omelye vpon the gospel of Saynt Iohn It is also wel reason that the seruaunte obeye to hys mayster And consequently the creature to god And to this purpoos recounteth valerye in his second book how of oldâ— tyme the knyghtes obeyed to the prynces vpon payne of deth By moche more stronge reason we ought to obeye to god wyth al our myght For as sayth the scripture we ought more to obeye to god than to men And yf we obeye vs to men that ought to be for the loue of god Thus counceylleth vs thappostle And certeynly moche good is fallen to them that haue humbly obeyed god And to this purpoos recounteth Saynt gregory in his dyalogue the fyrst book the seuenth chapytre how saynt benet had a dysciple whom he coÌ„manded that he shold reÌ„ne vpon the water whome he obeyed was saued fro peryll Thenne saynt â—enet demauÌ„ded hym yf he had ony fere of the watrr And he ansuerd hym that he had apperceyued noo water And thenne saynt Benet thanked god for as moche as he had seen thus myracle for the obedyence of his discyple Saynt gregory also reherseth of a religyous man whiche at coÌ„mandement of hys abbotte euery day by iij yere watred a piece of wode al dreye whyche was sette in the erthe And yet he must fetche the water a myle fâ—rre And by cause of the meryte of his obeyssance the thyrd yere the sayd tâ—â—e flourysshed and this hystorye reherceth Cassiam the fyrst look of his collacoÌ„ns in whiche he recounteth also how the dysciple of a ryght olde man at his coÌ„mandement wold remeue a ryght grete toche and aduysed hym not yf he myÈt doo it or not For it suffysed hym to obeye his mayster after his power By the whyche thynges it appereth how obedyeÌ„ce is agreable to god for the whyche to haue we haue example in nature as sayen the naturyeÌ„s The bestes obeyen to the lyon as to theyr kynge And dar not passe the cercle that the lyon maketh with his taylle SeÌ„blably the bees that maken hony obeye to theyr kynge and the Cranes also And in nature we see many thynges semblable More ouer in holy scripture we haue to this purpoos many examples And veryly we rede how Noe obeyed ryght expresly to god as it apperith in the vij chapytre of genesis And therfor he was saued fro the flood ¶ Semblably the chyldren of Israel for theyr obedyence were kepte of god as it apperyth in the ix chapytre of the boke of nombres Thappostles also lyghtly obeyeden to god in so moche that they folowed hym atte fyrst callyng as recyteth saynt Mathew in his iiij chapytre And therfor aboue al peple ben they enhaunced in the chyrche and also in heuen Semblably Abraham obeyed to god in so moche that he wold haue sacrefyed his owen sone and smyten of his heed atte coÌ„mandement of god as it apperyth in the xxij chapytre of genesis And therfore god promysed to abraham that of his seed shold be born the sauyour of the world Therfore we ought more to obeye to god than to man as it is tofore sayd And accordyng to this we haue ensaumple of Mathathias whyche ansuerd to the messager of the kyng Anthiocus sayeng that yf alle obeyed to the kyng Anthiocus yet he wold not obeye to hym but to god as it is wryton in the book of machabees the secoÌ„d chapytre ¶ we rede also of the seuen brethern that had leuer to deye than to ete flesshe forboden ayenst the coÌ„mandement of god not wythstoÌ„dyng the kyng coÌ„manded it to them wherby it apperith that they ought to be repreued that excuse them of the euyl that they doo for theyr maistres that so commaunde them For suche is of noo value by cause they ought fyrst obeye the coÌ„maundement of god as sayth Saynt Petre in the v chapytre of thaetes of thappostles More ouer for to obeye ought to enclyne vs the example of the virgyne Marie the whyche obeyed to the wordes of the aungel in sayeng Loo the handmayde of god late it come to me as it shal plese hym after thy word we rede also how dauid not wythstondyng that he was kynge obeyed to hys fader as it apperyth the fyrst book of kynges the vij chapytre And yonge Thobie sayd to his fader that he was redy to obeye to hym And cornchê° centurio was redy tobeye to hym whom god had ordeyued to be prelate and maystre as it apperyth the tenth chapytre of thactes of thappostles ¶ Also we rede how the regabytes dranke no wyn ne had no howses for to obeye to theyr fader As Ieremye reciteth in his thyrd chapytre By whyche thynges it apperith how obedyence was obserued of the Auucient people that they that dysobeyed were pugnysshed of god as it apperyth of the chyldren of Israel the which were ouerthrowen â—n bataylle for so moche as they dyd ayenst the wylle of god entred not in to the lond of ê“myssion which they desyred as it apperith the xxiiij chapitre of the boke of nombres Ionas also was throwen in the see by cause he dysobeyed to do that god had coÌ„manded hym as it she weth in the thyrd chapytre of Ionas therfore we ought to obeye to god fyrs after to other creatures yf we wyl esche we peryl playse Ihesu Cryst as sayth saynt bernard vpon cantycles The man is not worthy to haue ony good yf he knowe not ne obeye god saynt gregory in his omely sayth that he ouÈt to be moost humble toward god and moost enclyned to serue hym that hath receyued moost goodes of hym yf he do otherwyse the goodes that he hath receyued shal be encreasyug of his payne at the day of IugemeÌ„t This wytnesseth hughe the viij chapytre of the boke of the Arke of Noe. And for to haue cause to remeÌ„bre the god that god hath doon to vs we haue many examples in holy scrypture Rede we not how Iacob after that god had sente to hym many goodes he sayd Syr I thanke the for the good that thou hast doon to me Of whyche I moche remembre as it is shewed in the xxij chapytre of genesis ¶ Semblably dyd Dauid as it apperith in the second book of kynges the vij chapytre And Danyel sayd lord thy name be preysed and blessyd for the good that thou hast doon to me as it apperyth in the second chaptyre of danyel ¶ Semblably the appostle Saynt Poul in hys epystles ryght ofte and contynuelly preyseth and thanketh
they sette nothyng of worldly goodes or lytel this purpoos recouÌ„teth valerye in his viij book how anaxâ—goras lefte his possessyons for to goo estudye in strauÌ„ge conâ—â—es whan he retorned he sawe that his possessyons were eserted theÌ„ne he sayd I myght not haue ben saued yf my posessions had not perisshed as who wold say that richesses ben â—yenst saluacion Semblably he recouÌ„teth of a phylosopher naâ—ed socrates the whiche threwe al his richesses in the see in â—yeng that he had lieuer that his richesses were loste than he â—hold lose hym self SeÌ„blably he recouÌ„teth of a wyse man naâ—ed styllon the which lost al his goodes by fyre theÌ„ne one â—mauÌ„ded hym yf he were not angry wroth for the losse of â—is goodes the which ansuerd that he had nothyng lost that â—â— had vpon hym al his goodes that is to weâ—e scyence verâ—es as yf he sayd that the goodes of fortune were not hys â—y whyche it apperith that he is wyse that despyseth the gooâ—s of fortune as wytnesseth Epedocles And prosper in hys â—ok named Epigramaton sayth that the courage of a coueâ—â—us man shal neuer haue reste for the worldly goodes may â—â—t satysfye theyr hert but engendreth and maketh more the â—â—uetyse and the desyre of the creature to this purpoos recouÌ„â—â—h Ouyde how polydorus by his couetyse slewe the sone of â—amê° for to haue the rychesses that were delyuerd hym for â—â—ouerne therwith the chylde aforsayd but hecuba moder of 〈◊〉 â—ayd sone wyth hyr complyces apperceyued the sayd traysoÌ„ 〈◊〉 came to polidorus in faynyng that they wold gyue hym 〈◊〉 but hecuba hyr felowes slewe hym strangled hym 〈◊〉 was reason that couetyse that had made hym to slee 〈◊〉 shold be cause moyen of his deth wherby it 〈◊〉 how pouerte is good and couetyse euyl and holdeth a man in thought and in peryll of hert and of conscyence ¶ Thus endeth the fyrst book ¶ Here foloweth the second book the whiche speketh of thestate of the people of the chyrche and of the clerkes ¶ Fyrst how the chyrche ought to be honoured and loued had in worshyp and in reuerence capitulo primo THe chyrche is as the moder of al crysten people in the same is gyuen fraunchyse and lyberte by cause it shold be the more in reuerence For hyr spouse and hede is ihesu crist sauyour of all the world to this purpoos we rede in the first book of thystorye tripartyte how Costantyn whan he was made crysten loued so moche god the chyrche that he dyd do â—ere in alle the places where he went a tabernacle made in the â—ourme of a chyrche and had wyth hym preestes and clerkes whyche serued god ryght deuoutly he bare also on his ryght syde the sygne of the crosse for that was the baner by the whiche god sente hym vyctorye in dede he shold haue a bataylle in his slepe the aungel shewed to hym how he shold haue vyctorye by the sygne of the crosse Semblably we rede in the book aforesayd how themperour theodosiâ— was fynably obeyssant to the chyrche Not withstondyng he had be tofore moche rygorous to the chyrche thystorye sayth how the sayd theodosius dyd do slee vij M. men in the cyte of thessalonue by causâ— they had stoned to deth his offyâ—ers After which feat the said theodosius retorned to melane wenyâ—g to haue entred as 〈◊〉 ben accnstomed in to the chyrche ¶ TheÌ„ne saynt Ambrose came ayenst hym whych was Archebysshop of the sanâ— place and sayd to hym O Emperour goo thy waye Foâ— in to thys chyrche thou shalt not entre seen that thou arte 〈◊〉 of blood and arte not worthy for to beholde god ne see hym ¶ Thenne Theodosius obeyed hym and wepyng departed but by cause the â—este of Crystemas approuched he sente one of hys seruauntes named Ruffyn to saynt Ambrose for to gete grace But nothyng auaylled his requeste And thys seeyng Theodosius cam in his propre persone to sayâ—t Ambrose wepyng requyryng pardon on his knees thenne saynt Ambrose toke hym to grace after he dyd moche good and had many vyctoryes by whyche it apperith how the chirche ought to be honoured And to this purpoos recounteth valere in his iij book the xj chapytre How Iulius Cezar defended to his people that none shold be so hardy to do ony euyl or harme to the temples And for thys cause he was so vyctoryous by ij yere that neuer man had vyctorye ayenst hym But after he was many tymes dyscomfyt after he had defoilled the temple named delphyque As recounteth Policrate in hys vj book the vij chapytre And he sayth more ouer that chyualrye ouÈt to kepe the chyrche to Inpugne the heretykes to honoure the preestes to deffende the poure and tappease stryf and debates Semblably Egesippus recounteth how pompeus dyd neuer harme to temples ne to chyrches and therfor alexander was to hym moche gracyous pardoÌ„ned to hym his mesprisyon by whyche it is euydently shewed to vs how the chyrche ouÈt to be kept and hononred And to this purpoos sayth vegece in his iiij book of chyualrye the iiij chapytre how the knyghtes ought to swere loyalte Fyrst to god secondly to theyr prynce More ouer thou oughtest to knowe that the chyrche ought to 〈◊〉 frauÌ„chysed For it is sygured by the arke of noe in whiche â—ere saued al they that were therin as it apperyth the seuenth â—hapytre of genesis Semblably alle ought to be free in the â—hyrche And in dede we rede in the hystoryes of the romayns â—at one named macelizet deyed a foul deth by cause he had deâ—â—yled the chyrche we rede also of one named Equyla how he â—stroyed alle ytalye â–ª And theÌ„ne the pope named Leon sayd â—hym that he shold leue his cruelte The which ansuerd that â—ym semed that he sawe a fayr olde man whych helde in hys honde a knyf wherof he was sore aferde durst not dysobeâ— And this sygnefyeth to vs. how euery creature ouÈt to dreâ— the chyrche and to obeye it in al ryght and reason ¶ How the people of the chyrche and syngulerly the prelateâ— ought to lyue chastly and vertuously capitulo â— SAynt Ierome in one of his epystles sayth that the prelate ought to haue no concubyne For hys espouse is the chyrche And therfore in the lawe of Canon it is deffended that prelates shold holde no wymmen in theyr howses but yf they be vnder age out of al suspecyon And to thys purpoos we rede of saynt austyn how he wold not dwelle wyth hys owen syster for tesche we suspecoÌ„n of euyl spekyng More ourâ— saynt Gregory in his dyalogue the vij chapytre recyteth 〈◊〉 a prelate named Audrien was moche tempted with a woman of religyon by cause she dwellyd wyth hym By which it apperyth that men of the chyrche ought to flee the conuersâ—â— on of wymmen not onely for tesche we the synne but
â—th that on a tyme he sawe a poure man passyng by in his â—â—uerte moche Ioyously wherof he moche merueylled And â—nne he sayd to his felaws Alas my frendes we laboure in â—yn and in getyng richesses for to lyue surely and Ioyously or ye see this poureman whyche moche passeth vs. and is men longe sith to that we demande aud seche And this hiâ—rye was to fore the conuersion of seynt Austyn Moreouer the holy scrypture thou shaÌ„lt fynde how Moyses kept sheep â— it apperith the iij boke of Exode the prophete helye was so â—ure that he demaÌ„nded a lytil brede and water of a wydowe â— it apperith in the thirde boke of kynghes And thappostles â—nounced all And in dede seynt peter sayd of hym self that â—had neyther gold ne seluer And we rede of Saul that he â—â—epte the asses of his fader And dauid was a sheepherde and euertheles after they were kynges Thenne me semeth that â—ponerte euery man ought to haue good pacyenee and he is â—oche ryche that lyueth in suffysauÌ„ce that is to wete conteÌ„t â—â—â—h that he hath ¶ Of the state of old age and how men ought to be good retuoê° capitulo iij â— AFter the age of a man he ought to be the more rype aduysed by thexperyences that he hath seen he ought to the more wyse of maners And therfore seneke in his ix â—stle thankyd preysed his olde age by cause that therby he 〈◊〉 many euyllis synnes And saynt Ambrose in his fyrst 〈…〉 for tensie we the same in the processe of theyr lyf For Senekâ—â— saith in his boke of maners euery persone dooth that gladly that whiche he hath lerned to doo in his youtghe Aristotle 〈◊〉 his boke of Ethiques saith that it is a thynge naturel to take playfance delectacoÌ„n in that thynge the whiche he hath beaccustomed to doo in his chyldhode youghte therfore the wâ—â—se man ni the xj capytre of ecclesiastes speketh to a yong manâ— saith thus youge man aduyse the to dyspose thy herbe in gooâ— werkes For lyke as he ought no thyng to repe that hath no thyng soweÌ„ right so iÌ„ old age he shal fynde nothyng good bâ— that he hath accustomed to doo in his yougthe And therfor ought the yonge people to kepe theÌ„ wel fro euyl companye to whiche is ofte cause of the destruction perdicoÌ„n of yonge folâ—ke it is hard for a yong man to be good whaÌ„ he conuersed with people of enyl lyf And to this purpoos saith tulle in hiâ— second boke of offyces that Chyldren ought to be nouryssheâ— wyth good folke honeste And ought to duelle with them contynuelly And theÌ„ne by cause of the good people he shal â— ashamed for to doo euyll For they shal be a ferde for to be repreuyd consequently they shal be a shamed to be reprehended They also that haue the gouernaÌ„nce of the yong people oughâ— not to cesse to reperue and chastyse them And theÌ„ne is a maâ— wel dysposed to receyue chastysement whan he is yong And not harded ne made tude to doo harme And therfore saynt Aâ—â—lme in his boke of symylitudes compareth Infancye or chyldehode to waxe whiche is softe is dysposed to receyue such prynte as men wyll The chylde also resembleth to the rode whan it boweth lyghtly it is wounden as men wylle TheÌ„ne oweÌ„ the fader Moder to haue right grete aduys vpon the â—â—nernaÌ„ce of theyr chyldren as it shal be said here after The châ—â—dren also owen to theyr parentes to theyr maistres to obeyâ— in folowyug â—saac the whyche obeyed in suche wyse to his fader that he was all redy to receyue the deth at his comandemÌ„ as it apperith the xxij chapytre of genesis yet he was at thâ— tyme of the age of xxxij yere And of dauid we rede how he was obeyssant to his fader as it apperith the fyrst boke of kynges And IhuÌ„ Cryste hym self in his yougth was obeyssaÌ„nt 〈◊〉 his parentes as saith seynt luc in his secund chapytre wel â—s trouthe that many by cause of theyr yougthe wene to be excuâ—ed of alle theyr euyllis that they doo the whyche ben moche deâ—eyued For syth they haue wytte and vnderstondyng they ben 〈◊〉 be repreuyd they shal be pugnysshid of god yf they doo duyâ— uyll And herof we haue example of the sones of hely the â—hiche were right greuously pugnysshyd by cause they lyueâ—en after theyr wylle in delyces as it apperith the first boke of â—ynges we rede also of the ij chyldren whiche god made to be â—euoured by the wulues by cause they soorned and mocqued 〈◊〉 prophete helyzee as it apperith the iiij boke of kynges Moreâ—uer the yonge people gloryfye them self in theyr beaulte why 〈◊〉 be moche deceyued For as Aristotle sayth yf a man had 〈◊〉 eyeu of a lyâ—x that he myght see thurgh his body he shold 〈◊〉 in hym self and in euery creature moche fylthe and ordnre And suche ther be that wene that they be right fayr And yf â—â—xy sawe them self they shold well knowe that they be right â—ull For they haue nothyng fayr sauf the skyn withoutforth â—ore ouer they gloryfye in theyr age haue hope for to lyue â—onge and they consydere not that assone deyeth the yong man â—s dooth the olde And that more is we see that the yong men eyen most comynly For they be more ful of oultrages sonâ—er falle in to the sekenesses of hasty deth And thus nature â—ath no certayn terme of lyuyng Therfore no yong man ne â—oman ought not for hope of longe lyf to take ony hardyâ—es for to doo euyl For for to lyue or not to lyue the synne â—â— uyl shal be pugnysshed And hope is cause ofte to lyue euyl in 〈◊〉 tyme of olde age â—Of thestate of mariage how it ought to be goâ—Ì„ned capo. v MAriage is ordeyned for to haue lygnage and for to loue eche other And therfor thappostle seynt poul in his fyâ—the chapitre admonesteth the wedded men sayeng ye men loâ—â— your wyues as IhuÌ„s Cryste loueth his chyrche And to this purpoos valere in his iiij boke the v chapytre recyteth how 〈◊〉 man named graceus lonyd his wyf named Corneylle 〈◊〉 moche that he wold deye for to gete the helthe of his wyf he 〈◊〉 counteth also how Cuplacius herd saye that his wyf waâ—dâ—ed· And theÌ„ne he smote hym self in the breste with a knyâ— and requyred to be with her drowned or brente as at 〈◊〉 tyme was the custoÌ„me to doo whan the peple were deed Anâ— how be it that noman ought so to doo Neuertheles by 〈◊〉 said hystoryes it appereth how men ought to loue theyr wyues· Semblably also the wymmen owen to loue theyr husâ—bondes And herof we haue example as valere recounteth 〈◊〉 his boke aforfaid how Iulia the doughter of Cezar seeyng 〈…〉 of hir husbond spotted wyth blood was soo troubled that for sorowe and henynes her chyld that she
had withinÌ„ her bely was destroyed· For she had supposed that her husbond had ben deed or that he had receyued soÌ„me vylonnye whos name was Pompee the graÌ„ut After he recyteth of the doughter of Cathon named Porcia seeyng her husbond brutns to bâ— slayn she demaunded a knyf to slee her self also And by cause that none wold delyue to her no knyf she toke brennyng cooles and put them in her monthe ete them donÌ„ in suche wyse that she deyde by a right merueylloâ— manere Semblably be recounteth of the wyf of kynge metridatus whyche folowed hym in alle places where he wente were it in bataylles or els where And certaynly she kytte of her heeris and arayed her lyke a man for to haue the better oportunyte for to folowe hym in alle places And how be it for to doo in lyke wyse it is noâ— of congruyte ne of necessite yet by the said hystoryes it apperâ—â—â— how mariage ought to be had in grete loue And to the samâ— purpoos recyteth valerius in his vj boke the vij chapitre 〈◊〉 â—ulpiâ—a a kepte her husbond in a lytyl place right secretely Not withstondyng she wyfâ— wel that she shold be deed yf her husboÌ„d were founde with her whom they songht to put to deth And â—t is good to knowe how in mariage after the doctours thâ—e â—hynges ought to be that is to wete fayth loyalte lygnage â—acrament By fayth and loyalte is gyuen to vnderstoÌ„de that neyther of the parties maryed ought not to trespace with his â—â—dy but to kepe it to his partye For as thapostle faith in 〈◊〉 fyrst epystle to the Corynthyeus the body of the man is by â—ngyng to the wyf And the body of the wyf to the man that â—s to vnderstonde in mariage And as seynt Ambrose saith in â—is exameron god made eue of the syde of Adam in signefyâ—â—ce that in mariage a man and woman ought to be all one â—ody one self thyng And me semeth that the partye that forâ—ayteth his maryage dooth a yenst the lawe of nature For â—he storke hath suche forfayture in abhomynacoÌ„n of storkes to â—â—ee hym or her that so forfayteth lyke as Alexander recouÌ„teth in his boke of nature of byrdes And me semeth it is a grete abhomynacion to see in many maryages so lytyl fayth and loyalte as now is But I byleue that one of the causes emonge the other is that the maryage be not duely maad but for money or other euyl cause TheÌ„ne it is noo merueylle that the maryage contynue not well syth the begynuyng therfor the kynge lygurgis wolde and ordeyued in his RoyaÌ„me that the virgynes and maydens shold be wedded without to haue gold or syluer to th ende that the maryage shold not be made by couetyse lyke as pompeus recyteth in his iij boke And valere in his vij boke the first chapytre recyteth how one demaÌ„nded som â—ym of a phylosopher named themystodes how and to whome 〈◊〉 shold marye his doughter that is to wete to a poure man 〈◊〉 to a ryche The whiche ansuerde that he ought not to demaÌ„nâ—e pouerte ne richesse but the bounte and the vertues of the mâ—Ì„â—ore ouer in maryage ther lyeth right grete aduys and not â—â—ly for parentage but also for to Mayntene it And to this purpoos speketh Theofraste dystyple of Arystole in his boke that he made of maryage in whiche he saith that a maÌ„ ought more to beholde the bounte of the woman than the beaulte and yf thou demaÌ„nde whiche is better to take a fayr woman or a foule he ausuerde that it is an hard thyng to kepe a fayr woman the whiche many men desyre And it is a grete payne â—â— loue the foule one whiche many despyse alleway yf she be good the goodnesse shal kepe her beaulte And yf she be not fayr 〈◊〉 is none hard thyng to loue her that is of right good wyll for naturally resonably more ought the bounte to be praysed thaâ— the beaulte More ouer in maryage is moche to be suffred sinâ—gulerly yf bothe parties be not wyse For men ben ofte suspecyonnoâ— of theyr wyues Therfore ought a woman to be syâ—ple and good not onely of her body but also of her mayntâ—â— and maners For in spekyng in beholdyng ne in conuersaâ—â— she ought not doo ony thyng by whiche ony other myght thynke or Iuge in her ony euyll And it happeth ofte that by they folyssh mayntene and maners the wymÌ„en make theyr husâ—boudes to mysdeme and euyl of byleue Many also seeyng they manere folyssh suspcoÌ„nnoâ— payne them self to deceyue thâ—â— wenyng that they be of euyl disposicoÌ„n by cause of theyr wanâ—â— and folysshe maner And oftyme it happeth that suche one â— taken with her nette the whiche she neuer thought it shold haâ—â— pen And alle this euyl cometh by the false semblaÌ„ntes Anâ— countenances that many wymÌ„en maken The men also tha purpose to marye oughten to aduyse and beholde the condycoâ— of her that they desyre to haue to wyf But many ben deceyueâ— by cause they take them in the age of xij yere or ther aboute anâ— theÌ„ne what they be noman may wete ne knowe For as 〈◊〉 prouerbe saith how seeth a chylde seeth no thyng Al 's in maryeng hym self one ought to here many speke For louâ— and carnal affeceyon blyndeth the vnderstondyng and makeâ—â— a man fauourable to Iuge whan he is surprysed of suche 〈◊〉 therfore a maÌ„ ought to byleue more another than hym so ¶ How the wymÌ„en ought to gouerne them self capo. vj A woman ought to haue resonably two condicoÌ„ns that is to wyte shame of repreef and drede of disobeyeng of her partye For thenne a woman is loste dissolute whan she hath in her neyther drede ne shame And it is a thyng moche to be repreued to see wymÌ„en hardy dissolute and redy to doo many euyllis Snche ben they the whyche by theyr maners foule and dissolute and by theyr lecheroâ— beholdynges drawe men to doo euyll of whome speketh seynt Ierome in his epystle Cviij And sayth that many wymÌ„en ben lyke to thydolles the whiche drawen the people of the world to the fende Semâ—lably ben they that poppe them self make them to seme fayr for to brynge other to synne And it is grete merueylle how they presume to deffeate and altere that whiche god hath made moche lewde is the woman the whiche weneth to make â—er more fair than god hath made her And it is a grete presumpcoÌ„n to defface the paynture of god for to make the paynture as saith seynt Ambrose in his exameron to this purpoos Guyllem in the boke of his boke of the vnyuersal world recyteth how two wymÌ„en somtyme were riyht câ—ryou se for to make them soo fayr and to kembe them soo it happed that the one deyde the whyche after apperyd to her felaw whaÌ„ she arayed and kembed her self and sayd to her my frende aduyse the For I am dampned for my curiosytees the