Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	sinful_a	4,258	5	10.1705	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32749	The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.; Works. 1687	Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.; Speght, Thomas, fl. 1600.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Siege of Thebes.	1687 (1687)	Wing C3736; ESTC R3920	1,295,535	731

Saint Iohn * He that hateth his brother is an homicide Homicide is also by backbiting of which backbiting sayth Salomon that they haue two swerds with which they slay her neighbours * For soothly as wicked is to take fro him his good name as his life Homicide is also in yeuing of wicked counsail by fraud as for to yeue counsayle to areise wrongful customs and talages Of which sayth Salomon * A Lion roring a Bear hungrie be like to the cruel Lords in withholding or abridging of the shepe or the hire of the wages of Seruaunts or else in vsurie or in withdrawing of the Alms of poore folke For whiche the wise manne sayeth * Feedeth him that almost dyeth for honger for soothly but if you feed him you slay him And all these ben deadly sins Bodily manslaughter is when thou sleest him with thy tongue Another manner is when thou commaundest to slea a man or else yeuest counsail to slea a man Mauslaughter indeed is in four manners That one is by law right as a Iustice dampueth him that his culpable to the death But let the Iustice beware that he doe it rightfully and that he do it not for delight to spill blood but for keeping of rightwisenesse Another homicide is done for necessitie as when a man slayeth another in his defence and that he ne may none otherwise escape without slaughter of his aduersarie he doth sin and he shall bear pennaunce as for deadly sin Also if a man by case or aduenture shoot an arrow or cast a stone with which he slaieth a man he is an homicide And if a woman by negligence ouerlyeth her child in her sleeping it is homicide deadly sin Also when a man disturbleth conception of a child maketh a woman either barren by drinking of venemous herbes through which she may not conceiue or slaieth a child by drinks or else putteth certain material things in her secret places to slaie the child or else doth unkindly sin by which a man or woman sheddeth her nature in manner or in a place there as a child may not be conceiued Or else if so be that a woman hath conceiued and hurteth her self and by that mishap the childe is slain yet it is homicide What say we of those women that murderen her children for because of eschewing of worldly shame Certes it is an horrible homicide Homicide is also if a manne approche to a woman by desire of letchery thorow which the child is perished or els smiteth a woman wittingly through which she leseth her child All these been homicides horrible deadly sinnes Yet come there of ire mo sinnes as well in worde as in thought and deede As he that arreteth upon God or blameth God of the thing of which he is himself guilty or despiseth God all his hallows as done the cursed hasardors in diuers countries This cursed sin done they when they fele in her hert full wickedly of God of his halowes Also when they treat unreuerently the sacrament of the aulter that sin is so great y● vnneth it may be releaced but that the mercy of God passeth all his werks it is so great and he so benign Then commeth of Ire an atterly anger when a man is sharply amonested in his shrift to leaue his sin Then woll he be angrie and aunswere hokerly and angerly or defend or excuse his sin by unstedfastnesse of his fleshe or else he did it for to hold companie with his fellows or els he sayth the fiend enticed him or els he doth it for his youth or els his complexion is so courageous that he may not forbear or els it is his destinie he sayth unto a certain age or els he sayth it cometh him of gentlenesse of his auncestors and semblable things All these manner of folke so wrappe hem in her sins that they ne woll not deliver hemself For soothly No wight that excuseth himself wilfully of his sinne may not be deliuered of his sin till that he meekly beknoweth his sin After this then commeth swearing that is expresse ayenste the commandment of God this befalleth often of Anger of Ire God sayeth * Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine or in idle Also our Lord Iesu Christ sayeth by the word of Saint Mathew Ne shal ye not swere in all manner nether by heauen for it is Gods trone ne by yearth for it is the bence of his feet ne by Hierusalem for it is y● city of a great King ne by thine head for thou mayest not make an hayre neyther white ne black but say by your word yea yea nay nay and what that is more it is of euil Thus sayeth Christ For Christs sake sweare not so sinnefully in dismembring of Christ By soul heart bones and body for certes it seemeth that ye thinke that the cursed Iewes ne dismembred not ynough y● precious person of Christ but ye dismember him more And if so be that the law compell you to swear then ruleth you after y● law of god in your swearing as sayeth Ieremie iiii cap. * Thou shalt keep three conditions Thou shalt swear in trouth in doome and in rightwisenes this is to say thou shalt swear sooth For euery lesing is ayenst Christ for Christ is very trouth * And think well this That euery great swearer not compelled lawfully to swear y● plague shal not depart fro his hous while he useth such unleful swearing Thou shalt swear also in dome when thou art constrained by thy doms man to witnes trouth Also thou shalt not swear for enuie neyther for fauour neither for mede or reward but only for rightwisenesse for declaring of it to the honour and worship of God to the ayding help of thine euin Christen And therefore euery man that taketh Gods name in idle or falsely sweareth with his mouth or els taketh on him the name of Christ to be called a Christen man liueth ayenst Christs liuing and his teaching all they take Gods name in idle Look also what sayth saint Peter Actuum iiii capitu Non est aliud nomen sub coelo c. There is none other name sayth saint Peter under heauen yeue to men in which they may be saued that is to say but the name of Iesu Christ Take heed eke how precious is the name of Iesu Christ as sayth S. Poule ad Philipenses ii In nomine Jesu c. * That in the name of Iesu euery knee of heauenly creatures earthly of hell should bow for it is so high and so worshipful that the cursed fiend in hell should tremble to hear it named Then seemeth it that men that swear so horribly by his blessed name that they despise it more boldly than the cursed Iews or els the diuel that trembleth when he heareth his name Now certes sith y● swearing but if it be lawfully done is so highly defended much more is forswearing falsely and yet needlesse What

AYenst this horrible sinne of Accidie and the braunches of the same there is a vertue that is called Fortitudo or strength through which a man despiseth annoyous things this vertue is so mightie and so rigorous that it dare withstond mightily and wisely keep himselfe fro perils that been wicked and wrastle ayenst the assaults of the deuill for it enchaunceth and enforceth the soule right as Accidie abateth maketh it feeble for this fortitude may endure by long sufferaunce the trauails that ben couenable This vertue hath many speces the first is called Magnanimitie that is to say great courage For certes there behoueth great courage ayenst Accidie least that it ne swallow the soule by the sin of sorrow or destroy it by wanhope Certes this vertue maketh folke undertake hard and greeuous thinges by her own will wisely and reasonably And for as much as the deuill fighteth ayenst a manne more by subtilty and sleight than by strength therefore shall a man withstand him by wit reason and discretion Then are there the vertues of fayth and hope in God and in his saints to follow and accomplish the good workes in the which he purposeth fermely to continue Then commeth suretie or sikernesse and that is when a manne ne doubteth no trauail in time comming of the good workes that he hath begun Then commeth Magnificence that is to say when a man doeth and performeth great works of goodnesse that he hath begun and that is the end why that menne should doe good workes For in the accomplishing of good workes lyeth the great guerdon Then is there Constaunce that is stablenes of courage and this should be in heart by stedfast faith and in mouth in bearing in chere and in deed And there been mo speciall remedies ayenst Accidie in diuers works as in consideration of the paines of hell the ioyes of heauen and in trust of the grace of the holy ghost that will yeue him might to performe his good entent ¶ De Avaricia AFter Accidie woll I speak of Auarice and of Couetise Of which sin Saint Poule sayth * The root of all harmes is Couetise Ad Timoth .vi. For soothly when the heart of man is confounded in it self and troubled and that the soul hath lost the comfort of God then seketh he an sole sollace of worldly things Auarice after the description of S. Augustine is a licorousnesse in heart to haue earthly things Some other folke say that Auarice is for to purchase many yearthly things and nothing to yeue to hem that haue need And understand that auarice standeth not only in land ne cattel but sometime in science and glory and in euery manner of outragious things is Auarice And Couetise is this Couetise is for to couet such things that thou hast not And Auarice is to withhold and keep such things as thou hast without right Soothly this auarice is a sin that is full dampnable for all holy writ curseth it and speaketh ayenst that vice for it doth wrong to Iesu Christ for it taketh fro him the loue that men to him owe and tourneth it backward ayenst all reason maketh that the auaricious man hath more hope in his cattel than in Iesu Christ and doth more obseruaunce in keeping of his treasour than he doth in the seruice of Iesu Christ And therefore sayeth Saint Poule Ad Ephesios quinto * That an auaricious man is the thraldom of Idolatrie What difference is there betwixt an Idolater and an auaricious man But that an Idolaster peraduenture ne hath not but a Maumet or two and the auaricious man hath many For certes euery Florein in his cofer is his Maumet And certes the sin of Maumetrie is the first that God defended as in the x. commaundment it beareth witnesse in Exodi Capi. xx Thou shalt haue no false goddes before me ne thou shalt make to thee no grauen thing Thus is an auaricious man that loueth his treasure before God an Idolaster And through this cursed sin of auarice and couetise commeth these hard Lordships through which they ben strained by tallages customs and cariages more than her dutie or reason is or else take they of her bondmen amerciaments which might more reasonably be called extortions than merciamentes Of which amerciaments or raunsoming of bondmen some Lords stewards say that it is rightful for as much as a churl hath no temporel thing that it ne is his Lords as they say But certes these Lordships do wrong that bereaue their bondmen things that they neuer yaue hem Augustinus de Ciuitate dei Libro .ix. Sooth is * That the condition of thraldom and the first cause of thraldom was for sin Thus may ye see that the offence deserued thraldome but not nature Wherefore these Lords ne should not much glorifie hem in her Lordships sith that they by natural condition been not Lords ouer thrals but for that thraldome came first by the desert of sin And more ouer there as the Law sayth That temporal goods of bondfolk been the goods of her Lord yea that is for to understond the goods of the Emperour to defend hem in her right but not to rob hem ne reue hem Therefore sayeth Seneca * Thy prudence should liue benignely with the thrals Those that thou callest thy thrals been Gods people and for humble people been Christs friends they been contubernial with the Lords * Think also that of such seed as churls spring of such seed spring Lords As well may y● churl be saued as the Lord. The same death that taketh the churl such death taketh the Lord. Wherefore I rede do right so with the churle as thou wouldst that thy Lord did with thee if thou were in his plight * Euery sinful man is a churl to sin I rede the Lord certes that thou werk in such wise with thy churls that they rather loue thee than dread thee I wote well that there is degree aboue degree as reason is and skill is that men do her deuoir there as it is due But certes extortions and despight of your underlings is damnable And furthermore understand well that these Conquerors or Tyrants make full oft thrals of hem that been born of as royal blood as been they that hem conquere This name of Thraldome was neuer erst know till that Noe saied that his son Cham should be thral to his brethren for his sin What say we then of hem that pill and doe extortions to holy Church Certes the swerd that men yeue first to a knight when he is new dubbed signifieth that he should defend holy Church and not robbe and pill it and who so doeth is traitour to Christ And as saith S. Augustine * They been the deuils Wolues that strangle the sheepe of Iesu Christ and done worse than Wolues for soothly when the Wolfe hath full his womb he stinteth to strangle sheep But soothly the pillours and destroyers of holy Church goods ne doe not so for they ne stint neuer to pill Now

himselfe for our offence and suffered death for misericorde and foryaue vs our original sins and thereby released vs fro the pains of hell and minished y● pains of purgatory by penitence and yeueth grace well to do and at last the blisse of heauen The speces of misericorde ben for to lene and also for to yeue for to foryeue and release and for to haue pity in heart and compassion of the mischeef of his euin Christen and also to chastise there as need is Another manner of remedy ayenst Auarice is reasonable largesse but soothly here behooueth the consideration of that grace of Iesu Christ and of the temporell goodes and also of the goodes perdurable that Iesu Christ yaue to vs and to haue remembrance of the death which he shall receiue he knoweth not when where ne who and also that he shall forgo all that he hath saue onely that which he hath expended in good werkes But for as much as some folk ben vnmeasurable men ought for to auoyd and eschewe foolish largesse the whiche some people call waste Certes he that is foole large yeueth not his cattell but he leseth his cattell Soothly what thing that he yeueth for vaine-glory as to minstrels and to folke that beare his renome in the world he hath sinne thereof and none almesse certes * He leseth foule his good that he ne seeketh with the yeft of his good nothing but sinne He is like to an horse that seeketh rather to drink drouy or troubled water than for to drink water of the cleare well To hem appertainen the said cursing that Christ shall yeue at the day of doome to hem that shall be damned ¶ Sequitur de Gula. AFter Auarice cometh Glotenie which is expresse ayenst the commandement of God Glotenie is vnmeasurable appetite to eate or to drinke or els to do ynough to the vnmeasurable appetite and disordained couetise to eat or to drink This sinne corrupteth all this world as is well shewed in the sinne of Adam and of Eue. Looke also what saith saint Poul of glotenie * Many saith he gone of which I haue often said to you and now I say it weeping that been the enemies of the crosse of Christ of which the end is death and of which her womb is her God and her glory in confusion of hem that so deuour earthly thinges He that is vsed to this sin of Glotenie he ne may no sin withstond he must be in seruage of all vices for it is the Deuils hourd there he hideth and resteth him This sinne hath many speces The first is dronkennesse * That is the horrible sepulture of mans reason and therefore when a manne is dronke he hath lost his reason And this is deadly sinne But soothly when that a man is not wont to strong drinke and peraduenture ne knoweth not the strength of the drinke or hath feeblesse in his head or hath trauayled through which he drinketh the more all be he suddainely caught with drinke it is no deadly sinne but veniall The second spece of glotenie is that the spirit of a manne wexeth all troubled for dronkennesse bireaueth him the discretion of his wit The third manner spece of Glotonie is when a man deuoureth his meat and hath not rightfull manner of eating The fourth is when through the great abundance of his meat the humours in his body been distempered The fifth is foryetfulnesse by too much drinking for which sometime a man forgetteth ere the morning what he did on the euening before In other manner been distinct the speces of glotonie after S. Gregorie The first is for to eat before time to eat The second is when a man giueth him to delicate meat or drink The third is when men take too much ouer measure The fourth is curiositie with great entent to make and appareill his meat The fift is for to eat too greedily These ben the fiue fingers of the deuils hond by which he draweth folke to sinne ¶ The Remedie ayenst Glotenie AYenst Glotenie the remedie is abstinence as saith Galiene but that I hold not meritorious if he do it for the heale of his body Saint Augustine woll that abstinence be done for vertue and with patience Abstinence saith he is little worth but if a man haue good will thereto and but if he be enforced by patience and charitie and that men do it for Gods sake and in hope to haue blisse in heauen The fellowes of abstinence bee attemperaunce that holdeth the meane in all things Also Shame that escheweth all dishonestie Suffisaunce that seeketh no rich meates ne drinkes ne doth not force of outragious appaireling of meat Measure also that restraineth by reason the vnmeasurable appetite of eating Sobernesse also that restrayneth the outrage of drinke Sparing also that restrayneth the delicate ease to sit long at meat wherefore some folke standen of her owne will when they eate because they woll eate at lesse leasure ¶ De Luxutia AFter Glotenie commeth Letcherie for these two sins been so nigh cousins that oft time they woll not depart God wot this sin is full displeasant to God he forsaid himselfe Do no letcherie And therefore he putteth great paines ayenst this sin For in the old law if a woman thrall were take in this sin she should be beat with staues to death And if she were a gentlewoman she should be slaine with stones And if she were a bishops doughter she should be brent by Gods commaundement Moreouer by the sin of Lechery God drowned all the world and after that he brent fiue cities with thunder and lightning and sanke hem into hell Now let vs speak then of the said stinking sin of Lecherie that men call auoutrie of wedded folk that is to say if that one of hem ben wedded or els both Saint Iohn saith That auouterers shall be in hell in a stacke bre●ning of fire and of brimstone for the stenche of her ordure certes the breaking of this sacrament is an horrible thing it was made of God himself in Paradise and confirmed by Iesus Christ as witnesseth Saint Mathew in the Gospell * A man shall leue father and mother and take him to his wife and they shall be two in one flesh This Sacrament betokeneth the knitting together of Christ and holye Church And not onely that God forbade auoutrie indeede but also he commaunded That thou shouldest not couet thy neighbours wife In this heste saith Saint Augustine is forbode all manner couetise to do Letcherie Lo what saith Saint Mathew in the Gospell * That who so seeth a woman to couetise of his lust he hath done Lecherie with her in his heart Here may ye see that not onely the deed of this sinne is forboden but also the desire to that sin This cursed sin annoyeth greeuously hem that it haunt and first to her soule for he obligeth it to sin and to pain of death which is perdurable then of the body annoyeth it greeuously also for it drieth

what the Frere said Eye gods mother qd she and blisful maid Is there nought els tell me faithfully Madame qd he how thinketh ye therby How that me thinketh so God me speed I say a churle hath done a churles deed What should I say God let him neuer the His sick head is full of vanite I hold him in a manner of frensie Madam qd he by God I shall not lye But I in any wise may been on him awreke I shall slaunder him ouer all where I speke That false blasphemour that charged me To part it that might not departed be To euery man iliche with mischance The lord sat still as he were in a trance And in his heart he roled vp and down How that this churle had imaginatioun To shew such a probleme to the frere Neuer erst or now heard I such a matere I trow the Deuill put it in his mind In all Arsmetricke there shall no man find Beforne this day of such a question Who should make a demonstration That euery man should haue ilike his part Of a sowne or fauour of a farte O nice proud churle I beshrew thy face Lo sirs qd the lord with hard grace Who euer heard of such a thing or now To euery man ilike tell me how It is an impossible it may not be Eye nice churle God let hem neuer the. The rombling of a fart and euery soun Nys but of eyre reverberatioun And euer it wasteth little and little away There is no man can demen by my fay If that it were departed equally What lo my churle lo how shreudly Vnto my confessour to day he spake I hold him certain a demoniake Now eteth your meat let the churle go play * Let him go hongen himselfe a deuil way Now stood the lords squire at the bord That carf his meat and heard word by word Of all thing of which I haue you sayd My lord qd he be ye not euill apaid I couth tell for a gowne cloth To you sir frere so that ye been not wroth How that this fart should euen idealed be Amonges your couent if it liketh thee Tel on qd the lord and thou shalt haue anon A gown cloth by God and by saint Iohn My lord qd he when the weder is faire Withouten winde or perturbing of ayre Let bring a cart wheele here into this hall But looke well that he haue his spokes all Twelue spokes hath a cart whele commonly And bring me then xii freres wot ye why For thirteene is a couent as I gesse Your confessour here for his worthnesse Shall performe vp the number of his couent Then shullen they knelen adoun by one assent And to euery spokes end in this manere Full sadly lay his nose shall a frere Your noble confessour there God him saue Shall hold his nose vpright vnder the naue Then shal this churle with bely stiffe tought As any tabour hither been ibrought And set him on the whele right of this cart Vpon the naue and make him let a fart And ye shullen see vp perill of my life By good prefe which is demonstratife That equally the sowne of it will wend And eke the stinke vnto the spokes end Saue that this worthy man your confessour Because he is a man of great honour Shall haue the first fruits as reason is The noble vsage of freres yet is this The worthest man of hem shul first be serued And certainly he hath it well deserued He hath to day taught vs so much good With preaching in the pulpet there he stood That I may vouchsafe I say for mee He had the first smell of farts three And so would all his brethren hardely He bereth him so faire and holyly The lord the lady each man saue the frere Said that Ienkin spake in this matere As well as Euclide did or Ptholome Touching the churles sayd subtiltie And hie wit made him speake as he spake He nis no foole ne no demoniake And Ienkin hath iwonne a new gowne My tale is done we been almost at towne ¶ The Clerke of Oxenfords Prologue SIr Clerke of Oxenford our host said Ye ride as still and coy as doth a maid Were new spoused sitting at the bord This day ne heard I of your mouth a word I trow that ye studie about some sophime * But Salomon saith all thing hath time For Gods sake beth of better chere It is no time now to studie here Tell vs some merry tale by your fay For what man is entred into a play He needs mot vnto that play assent But preacheth not as Freres done in Lent To make vs for our old sinnes to weep He that thy tale make vs not to sleep Tell vs some merry thing of auentures Your termes your figures and your colours Keep hem in store till so be that ye endite Hie stile as when men to kings do write Speake so plaine at this time I you pray That we may vnderstond what ye say This worthy Clerke beningly answerd Host qd he I am vnder your yerde Ye haue of vs as now the gouernance And therefore will I do you obeysance As farre as reason asketh hardely I woll you tell a tale which that I Learned at Padow of a worthy clerke As preued is by his words and his werke He is now dead and nailed in his chest I pray to God send his soule good rest Fraunces Petrarke the laureat poet Hight this ilke clerke whose Rethorike sweet Enlumined all Itaile of poetrie As Liuian did of Philosophy Or law or other art perticulere But death that wol not suffer vs dwellen here But as it were the twinkling of an eye Hem both hath slaine and all we shall dye But for to tellen of this worthy man That taught me this tale as I first began I say that he first with hie stile enditeth Or he the body of his tale writeth A proheme in which discriueth he Piemont and of Saluce the countre And speaketh of Apenniny the hilles hye That been the bounds of west Lumbardie And of mount Vesulus in speciall Where as the Poo out of a well small Taketh his first springing and his sours That Eastward euer increaseth in his cours To Emelle ward to Ferare and to Venise The which a long time were to deuise And truly as to my judgement Me thinketh it a thing impartinent Saue that him list conueyen his matere But this is his tale as ye shullen here ¶ The Clerke of Oxenfords Tale. WAlter the Marquesse of Saluce proveth the patience of his wife Grisill by three most sharp trials THere is in the West side of Itaile Downe at the ro●e of Vesulus the cold A lustie plaine habundaunt of vitaile Wher many a town tower thou maist behold That founded were in time of fathers old And many another delectable sight And Saluce this noble countre hight A marques whilom was in that lond As were his worthy elders him before And

hight And he went to the gardenward also For well he spied when she would go Out of her house to any manner place But thus they met of auenture or of grace And he salueth her with glad intent And assked of her whi●er that she went And she answerd halfe as she were mad Vnto the garden as my husbond bad My trouth for to hold alas alas Aurelius gan wondren of this caas And in his heart had great compassion Of her chere and her lamentation And of Aruiragus the worthy knight That bad her hold all that she had hight So loth he was that she should breke her trouth And in his heart he caught of it great routh Considering the hest on euery side That fro his lust were him better abide Than doe so high a churlish wretchednesse Ayenst fraunchise and all gentlenesse For which in few words saied he thus Madame saieth to your lord Aruiragus That sithen I see this great gentlenesse Of him and eke I see well your distresse That ye to me shoulden hold your trouth Certes me thinketh it were great routh I haue well leuer euer to suffer wo Than depart the loue betwixt you two I you release madame into your hond Quite every surement and every bond That ye haue made to me as here beforne Sithens thilk time which that ye were born My trouth I plight I shall you neuer repreve Of no behest and here I take my leve As of the truest and the best wife That euer yet I knew in all my life But euery wight beware of her behest On Dorigene remembreth at the least * Thus can a squier doen a gentle dede As well as can a knight withouten drede She thonked him vpon her knees all bare And home vnto her husbond is she fare And told him all as ye han heard me saied And be ye siker he was so well apaied That it were vnpossible me to write What should I lenger of this case endite Aruiragus and Dorigene his wife In soueraigne blisse leaden forth her life Neuer after was there anger hem betweene He cherished hir as though she were a queene And she was to him true for euermore Of these two folkes ye get of me no more Aurelius that his cost hath all forlorne Cursed the time that euer he was borne Alas qd he alas that euer I beheight Of pured gold a thousand pound of weight Vnto this Philosopher how shall I doe I see no more but that I am fordoe Mine heritage mote I needs goe and sell And bin a begger here may I no lenger dwell And shame all my kinrede in this place But I of him may get better grace But nathelesse I woll of him assay At certaine daies yeare by yeare to pay And thonke him of his great courtesie My trouth woll I keepe I woll not lie With heart sore he goth vnto his cofer And brought gold vnto the Philosopher The value of fiue hundred pounds as I gesse And him beseecheth of his gentlenesse To graunt him daies of the remnaunt And said maister I dare mell make auaunt I failed never of my trouth as yet For sikerly my debt shall be quit Towards you how that ever I fare To gone a begging in my kirtle bare But would ye vouchsafe upon suerte Two yeare or three for to respite me Then were I well for els mote I sell Mine heritage there is no more to tell This Philosopher soberly answerd And saied thus when he this word herd Have I not hold covenaunt unto thee Yes certes well and truly qd he Hast thou not had thy lady as thee liketh No no qd he and sorily he siketh What was the cause tell me if that thou can Aurelius anon his tale began And told him all as ye han heard before It needeth not to rehearce it any more He saied Aruiragus of gentlenesse Had leuer die in sorow and in distresse Than his wife were of her trouth fals The sorrow of Dorigene he told him al 's How loth she was to been a wicked wife And that she had leuer have lost her life And that her trouth she swore through innocence She now erst heard speake of apparence That made me have of her so great pite And right as freely as he sent her to me As freely sent I her to him again This is all some there nis no more to sain The Philosopher answerd leue brother Everych of you did gently to other Thou art a squier and he is a knight But God forbid for his blisful might But if a clerke could doen a gentle deed As well as any of you it is no dreed Sir I release thee thy thousand pound As now thou were crope out of the ground Ne never ere now haddest thou knowen mee For sir I woll not taken a penny of thee For all my craft ne nought for my trauaile Thou hast ypaied right well for m● vitaile It is ynough farwell and haue good day And tooke his horse rode forth on his way Lordings this question would I aske now Which was the most free as thinketh you Now telleth me ere that I further wend I can no more my tale is at an end ¶ The Second Nonnes Prologue THe minister the norice vnto vices Which that men clepen in English idlenesse That is porter of the gate of delices To eschue and by her contrary her oppresse That is to saine by lefull businesse * Well ought we to doen our intent Least that the fiend through idlenesse vs hent For he that with his thousand cords slie Continually vs waiteth to be clap When he may man in idlenesse espie He can so lightly catch him in his trap Till that a man be hent right by the lap He nis not ware the fiend hath him in hond * Well ought vs werch idlenesse withstond And though men dreaden neuer for to die Yet see men well by reason doubtles * That idlenesse is root of sluggardie Of which there commeth neuer good encrees For soothly sloth holdeth hem in a lees Onely to sleepe and for to eat and drinke And to deuouren all that other swinke And for to put vs from such idlenesse That cause is of so great confusion I haue here doen my faithfull businesse After the Legend in translation Right of thy glorious life and passion Thou with thy garlond wrought with rose lilly Thee meane I maid martir saint Cecily And thou that art floure of virgins all Of whom that Bernard list so well to write To thee at my beginning first I call Thou comfort of vs wretches doe me endite Thy maidens death that wan through hir merite The eterne life and of the fiend victory As men may after read in her story Thou maiden mother doughter of thy son Thou Well of mercy sinfull soules cure In whom the God of bounty chese to won Thou humble and high ouer euery creature Thou noblest and so farre ouer nature That no disdaine the maker had of kind

with such things as appertaineth not unto him And Salomon saith * That he that entremetleth of the noise or strife of another manne is like to him that taketh a straunge hound by the eares For right as hee that taketh a straunge hound by the eeres is otherwhile bitten by the hond right so in the same wise it is reason that he have harme that by his impatience medleth him of the noise of another man whereas it appertaineth not unto him But ye know well that this deed that is to say my greefe and my disease toucheth me right nigh And therefore though I bee wroth and impatient it is no mervaile and saving your grace I cannot see that it might greatly harme me though I took vengeaunce for I am richer and more mightie than mine enemies bee And well know ye that by money and by having great possessions beene all things of this world governed And Salomon sayth * All these things obey to money When Prudence had heard her husbond avaunt him of his richesse and his money dispraising the power of his adversaries shee spake and saied in this wise Certes deare sir I graunt you that yee bee rich and mightie and * That the richesse is good to hem that have well gotten hem and that well can use them For right as the body of a manne may not live without the soule no more may it live without the temporall goodes and by richesse may a manne get him great friends And therefore sayeth Pamphillus If a Nerthes doughter he sayeth be rich she may chese of a thousand menne which shee woll take to her husbond for of a thousand one woll not forsake her ne refuse her And this Pamphillus saith also * If thou be right happie that is to say if thou be rich thou shalt find a great number of fellowes and friendes And if thy fortune chaunge farewell friendship and fellowship for thou shalt be alone withouten any companie but if it be the companie of poore folke And yet sayeth this Pamphillus moreover * That they that been bond and thrall of linage shall be made worthy and noble by the richesses And right so as by the richesses there come many goodnesses right so by povertie come there many harmes and evils * For great povertie constraineth a manne to doe many evils * And therefore calleth Cassiodor Povertie the mother of ruine that is to say the mother of overthrowing or of falling down And therefore sayth Peter Alfonce * One of the greatest adversities of this world is when a free man by kinde or of birth is constrained by povertie to eate the almose of his enemie And the same sayeth Innocente in one of his bookes He sayth * That sorrowfull mishap is the condition of a poore begger for if he aske not his meat hee dieth for hunger and if he aske he dieth for shame algates necessity constraineth him to aske And therefore sayeth Salomon * That better is to die than for to have such povertie And as the same Saloman sayth Better it is to die of bitter death than for to live in such wise By these reasons that I have said unto you and by many other reasons that I could say I graunt you that richesses been good to hem that hem well getten and to hem that well usen tho richesses And therfore woll I shew you how ye shall behave you in gathering of riches and in what manner she shullen use hem First * Yee shall get hem withouten great desire by good leisure sokingly and not over hastily for a manne that is too desiring to get richesse habandoneth him first to theft and to all other evils And therefore sayeth Salomon * He that hasteth him too busily to wexe rich he shall be none innocent He sayeth also * That the richesse that hastily commeth to a manne soone lightly goeth and passeth from a man but that richesse that commeth little and little wexeth alway and multiplieth And sir ye shall get richesse by your wit and by your trauaile vnto your profite and that without wrong or harme doing to any other person For the Law sayeth * There maketh no manne himselfe rich if hee doe harme to another wight this is to say that nature defendeth and forbiddeth by right that no manne maketh himselfe rich vnto the harme of another person And Tullius sayth * That no sorow ne no dread of death ne nothing that may fall vnto a man is so much ayenst nature as a man to encrease his owne profite to the harme of another manne And though the great and mightie menne get richesses more lightly than thou yet shalt thou not bee idle ne slowe to doe thy profite for thou shalt in all wise flie idlenesse For Salomon sayth * That idlenesse teacheth a man to doe many evils And the same Salomon sayeth * That he that trauaileth and busieth him to tilthe his lond shall eat bread but he that is idle and casteth him to no businesse ne occupation shall fall into pouertie die for hunger And he that is idle and slow can neuer find couenable time for to doe his profite For there is a verifier sayeth * That the idle manne excuseth him in Winter because of the great cold and in Sommer because of the heat * For these causes sayth Caton waketh and encline you not ouer much for to sleepe for ouer much rest nourisheth and causeth many vices And therefore sayeth saint Hierome * Do some good deeds that the diuel which is our enemie ne find you not vnoccupied for the deuill ne taketh not lightly vnto his werking such as hee findeth occupied in good werkes Then thus in getting richesses ye must flie idlenesse And afterward yee shull vse the richesses which yee haue got by your wit and by your trauaile in such manner that men hold you not too scarce ne too sparing ne foole large that is to say ouer large a spender for right as men blame an auaricious man because of his scarcitie and chincherie in the same wise is he to blame that spendeth ouer largely And therfore saith Caton * Vse sayth he the richesses that thou hast gotten in such manner that men may haue no matter ne cause to call thee nother wretch ne chinche * For it is a great shame to a man to haue a poore heart and a rich purse Hee sayth also the goods that thou hast gote vse them by measure that is to say spend measurably for they that foolishly wast and dispend the goods that they haue when they haue no more proper of her owne then they shape hem to take the goods of another manne I say then that ye shall flie auarice vsing your richesse in such manner that men say not that your richesses been buried but that yee haue hem in your might in your welding For a wise man repreueth the auaricious man sayth thus in these verses two * Whereto and why burieth a manne his goods by his

fall a weather that shall it dere And make it to fade and fall The stalke the greine and floures all That to the tillers is fordone The hope that he had too soone I drede certaine that so fare I For hope and trauaile sikerly Ben me beraft all with a storme The floure nill seden of my corne For Loue hath so auaunced me When I began my priuite To Bialacoil all for to tell Whom I ne found froward ne fell But tooke agree all whole my play But Loue is of so hard assay That all at ones he reued me When I weent best abouen to haue be * It is of Loue as of Fortune That chaungeth oft and nill contune Which whylome woll of folke smile And glombe on hem another while * Now friend now foe shalt her feele For a twinckling tourneth her wheele * She can writhe her head away This is the concourse of her play She can areise that doeth mourne And whirle adoune and ouertourne Who sitteth highest but as her lust A foole is he that woll her trust For it is I that am come doun Through charge and reuolutioun Sith Bialacoil mote fro me twin Shette in her prison yonde within His absence at mine heart I fele For all my ioy and all mine hele Was in him and in the Rose That but you will which him doeth close Open that I may him see Loue woll not that I cured bee Of the paines that I endure Nor of my cruell auenture AH Bialacoil mine owne dere Though thou be now a prisonere Keepe at least thine heart to me And suffer not that it daunted be Ne let not iealousie in his rage Putten thine heart in no seruage Although he chastice thee without And make thy bodie vnto him lout Haue heart as hard as Diamaunt Stedfast and naught pliaunt * In prison though thy bodie bee At large keepe thine heart free A true heart will not plie For no mannace that it may drie If Ielousie doeth thee paine Quite him his while thus againe To venge thee at least in thought If other way thou maiest nought And in this wise subtelly Worch and winne the maistrie But yet I am in great affray Least thou doe nat as I say I drede thou canst me great maugre That thou emprisoned art for me But that nat for my trespas For through me neuer discouered was Yet thing that ought be secre Well more annoy is in me Than is in thee of this mischaunce For I endure more hard pennaunce Than any can saine or thinke That for the sorrow almost I sinke When I remember me of my wo Full nigh out of my witte I go Inward mine heart I feele blede For comfortlesse the death I drede Owe I nat well to haue distresse When false through her wickednesse And traitours that arne enviours To noien me be so coragious Ah Bialacoil full well I see That they hem shape to deceiue thee To make thee buxum to her law And with her cord thee to draw Where so hem lust right at her will I drede they haue thee brought theretill Without comfort thought me sleath This game would bring me to my death For if your good will I lese I mote be dead I may not chese And if that thou foryete me Mine heart shall neuer in liking be Nor elswhere find sollace If I be put out of your grace As it shall neuer ben I hope Then should I fall in wanhope Alas in wanhope nay parde For I woll neuer dispaired be If hope me faile then am I Vngracious and vnworthy In hope I woll comforted be For Loue when he betaught her me Saied that Hope where so I go Should aye be relees to my wo. But what and she my bales bete And be to me curteis and swete She is in nothing full certaine Louers she put in full great paine And maketh hem with wo to dele Her faire beheste deceiueth fele For she woll behote sikerly And failen after vtterly Ah that is a full noyous thing For many a louer in louing Hangeth upon her and trusteth fast Which lese her trauaile at the last Of thing to commen she wot right nought Therefore if it be wisely sought Her counsaile follie is to take For many times when she woll make A full good sillogisme I drede That afterward there shall indede Follow an euill conclusion This put me in confusion * For many times I haue it seene That many haue beguiled beene For trust that they haue set in Hope Which fell hem afterward a slope BVt nathelesse yet gladly she would That he that woll him with her hold Had all times her purpose clere Without deceit any where That she desireth sikerly When I her blamed I did folly But what auaileth her good will When she ne may staunch my stound ill That helpeth little that she may do Or take behest vnto my wo * And heste certaine in no wise Without ifete is not to preise * When heste and deed asunder vary They doen a great contrary Thus am I posted vp and doun With dole thought and confusioun Of my disease there is no number Daunger and Shame me encumber Drede also and Ielousie And wicked Tongue full of enuie Of which the sharpe and cruell ire Full oft me put in great martire They haue my ioy fully let Sith Bialacoil they haue beshet Fro me in prison wickedly Whom I loue so entierly That it woll my bane bee But I the sooner may him see And yet moreouer worst of all There is set to keepe foule her befall A Rimpled vecke ferre ronne in rage Frouning and yellow in her visage Which in await lieth day and night That none of him may haue a sight NOw mote my sorrow enforced be Full sooth it is that Loue yafe me Three wonder yefts of his grace Which I haue lorne now in this place Sith they ne may without drede Helpen but little who taketh hede For here auaileth no Sweet thought And Sweet speech helpeth right nought The third was called Sweet Looking That now is lorne without lesing Yefts were faire but nat for thy They helpe me but simply But Bialacoil loosed bee To gone at large and to be free For him my life lieth all in dout But if he come the rather out Alas I trow it woll nat beene For how should I euermore him seene He may nat out and that is wrong Because the toure is so strong How should he out or by whose prowesse Of so strong a forteresse By me certaine it nill be do God wote I haue no with thereto But well I wote I was in rage When I to Loue did homage Who was the cause in soothfastnesse But her selfe dame Idlenesse Which me conueide through faire praiers To enter into that faire vergere She was to blame me to leue The which now doeth me sore greue * A fooles word is nought to trow Ne worth an apple for to low Men should hem snibbe bitterly At prime temps of his

clothed all in greene And saied God right of your curtesie Ye mote herken if he can replie Ayenst all this that ye have to him meved A God ne shulde nat be thus agreved But of his deite he shal be stable And thereto gracious and merciable And if ye nere a God that knowen all Then might it be as I you tellen shall This man to you may falsely ben accused That as by right him ought ben excused For in your court is many a losengeour And many a queinte totoler accusour That tabouren in your eares many a soun Right after her imaginacioun To have your daliaunce and for envie These ben the causes and I shall nat lie Envie is lavender of the court alway For she ne parteth neither night ne day Out of the house of Cesar thus saith Dant Who so that goeth algate she wol nat want And eke peraunter for this man is nice He might done it gessing no malice But for he vseth thinges for to make Him recketh nought of what mater he take Or him was boden make thilke twey Of some persone and durst it nat withsey Or him repenteth vtterly of this He ne hath nat done so grevously amis To translaten that old clerkes writen As though that he of malice would enditen Dispite of love and had himselfe it wrought This shold a riȝtwise lord have in his thouȝt And nat be like tiraunts of Lombardie That han no reward but at tyrannie * For he that king or lorde is naturell Him ought nat be tiraunt ne cruell As is a fermour to done the harme he can He must thinke it is his liege man And is his tresour and his gold in cofer This is the sentence of the Philosopher A king to kepe his lieges in Iustice Withouten doute that is his office All woll he kepe his lordes in her degree As it is right and skil that they bee Enhaunsed and honoured and most dere For they ben halfe goddes in this world here Yet mote he done both right to poore riche All be that her estate be nat both iliche And have of poore folke compassion For lo the gentill kinde of the lion For when a flie offendeth him or biteth He with his taile away the flie smiteth Al easily for of his gentrie Him deineth nat to wreke him on a flie As doeth a curre or els another beest * In noble corage ought ben areest And waien every thing by equite And ever have regard vnto his owne degre For sir it is no maistrie for a lord To dampne a man without answere of word And for a lorde that is full foule to vse And it so be he may him nat excuse But asketh mercy with a dreadfull hert And profereth him right in his bare sherte To ben right at your owne judgement Then ought a God by short avisement Consider his owne honour and his trespace For sith no cause of death lieth in this case You ought to ben the lightlier merciable Letteth your ire bethe somewhat tretable The man hath served you of his conninges And forthred well your law in his makinges All be it that he can nat well endite Yet hath he made leude folke delite To serve you in preising of your name He made the boke that hight The house of fame And eke the death of Blaunche the Duchesse And the Parliament of Foules as I gesse And al the love of Palamon and Arcite Of Thebes though the storie is knowen li●e And many an Himpne for your holy daies That highten balades rondels virelaies And for to speake of other holinesse He hath in prose translated Boece And made the life also of saint Cecile He made also gone is a great while Origenes vpon the Maudelaine Him ought now to have the lesse paine He hath made many a ley and many a thing Now as ye be a God and eke a king I your Alceste whilom quene of Trace I aske you this man right of your grace That ye him never hurt in al his live And he shal swearen to you and that blive He shal never more agilten in this wise But shal maken as ye woll devise Of women trewe in loving al her life Where so ye woll of maiden or of wife And forthren you as much as he misseide Or in the Rose or els in Creseide The God of Love answerde her thus anon Madame qd he it is so long agon That I you knew so charitable and trewe That never yet sens the world was newe To me ne found I better none than ye If that I woll save my degree I may nor woll nat werne your request Al lieth in you doth with him as you lest I al foryeve withouten lenger space * For who so yeveth a yefte or doth a grace Do it betime his thanke shall be the more And demeth ye what ye shal do therfore Go thanke now my lady here qd he I rose and doun I set me on my knee And said thus Madame the God above For yelde you that the God of Love Have maked me his wrath to foryeve And grace so long for to live That I may know sothely what ye be That have me holpen and put in this degre But trewly I wende as in this caas Nought have a gilte ne done to love trespas * For why a trewe man withouten drede Hath nat to parten with a theves dede Ne a trewe lover ought me nat to blame Though y● I speke a false lover some shame They ought rather with me for to hold For that I of Creseide wrote or told Or of the Rose what so mine author ment Algate God wotte it was mine entent To forthren trouth in love and it cherice And to ben ware fro falsenesse and fro vice By which ensample this was my mening And she answerde let be thine arguing For love ne wol not counterpleted be In right ne wrong and lerne that of me Thou hast thy grace hold the right thereto Now woll I saine with penance thou shalt do For thy trespace vnderstand it here Thou shalt while that thou livest yere by yere The most partie of thy time spende In making of a glorious legende Of good women maidens and wives That weren trewe in loving all her lives And tell of false men that hem betraien That al her life ne do nat but assaien How many women they may done a shame For in your world that is now hold a game And though thee like nat a lover be Speke wel of love this penance yeve I thee And to the God of love I shal so pray That he shal charge his servants by any way To forthren thee and wel thy labour quite Go now thy waie this penaunce is but lite And when this boke is made yeve it y● quene On my behalfe at Eltham or at Shene The God of love gan smile and then he said Wost thou qd he where this be wife or maid Or queene or countesse or of what

with any of my seruants in mine eyen shall soch thing not be looked after How often is it commanded by these passed wise that to one God shall men serue not two Gods And who that list to haue mine helps shall aske none help of foul Spirits Alas is not man maked semblable to God Woste thou not well that all vertue of liueliche werking by Gods purueighance is vnderput to reasonable creature in yerth is not euery thing a thishalf God made buxom to mans contemplacion vnderstanding in heauen in earth and in hell Hath not man being with stones soul of wexing with trees and herbs Hath he not soul of feling with beasts fishes and fouls and he hath soule of reason and vnderstonding with Angels so that in him is knit all maner of liuings by a reasonable proporcion Also man is made of all y● fower Elements All uniuersity is rekened in him alone he hath under god principality aboue al things Now is his soul here now a thousand mile hence now farre now nigh now high now low as farre in a moment as in mountenance of ten Winter al this is in mans gouernance disposicion Then sheweth it that men been lich vnto gods children of most height * But now sithen al things vnderput to y● will of reasonable creatures God forbid any man to win that Lordship ask help of any thing lower than himselfe and then namely of foule things innominable Now then why shouldest thou wene to loue to high sithen nothing is thee aboue but God alone Truly I wote wel that the ilk jewel is in a manner euen in line of degree there thou art thy selue nought aboue saue thus Angel vpon Angel Man vpon Man Deuil vpon Deuil han a maner of Souerainty that shal cease at y● day of Dome so I say though thou be put to serue thilk jewel during thy life yet is that no seruage of vnderputting but a maner of travailing pleasance to conquere and get that thou hast not I set now the hardest in my seruice now thou deydest for sorrow of wanting in thy desires Truly all heauenly bodies with one voice shul come make melody in thy comming say welcome our fere and worthy to enter into Iupiters joy for thou with might hast ouercome death thou wouldest neuer flit out of thy seruice we all shul now pray to the gods row by row to make thilke Margarite that no routh had in this person but vnkindly without comfort let thee dye shall beset her self in soch wise that in yearth for part of vengeaunce shall she no joy haue in loues seruice and when she is dedde then shall her soul been brought vp into thy presence and whider thou wilt chese thilke soule shall been committed Or els after thy death anone all the foresaid heauenly bodies by one accorde shall be nommen from thilke perle all the vertues that firste her were taken for she hath hem forfeyted by y● on thee my seruaunt in thy liue she would not suffer to worche all vertues withdrawen by might of the high bodies Why then shouldest thou wene so any more And if thee liste to looke vpon the law of kind and with order which to me was ordayned soothly none age none ouertourning time but hitherto had no time ne power to chaunge the wedding ne that knotte to vnbinde of two hertes through one assent in my presence togither accorden to enduren till death hem depart What trowest thou euery ideot wot the meaning the priuy entent of these things They wene forsoth that soche accorde may not be but y● Rose of maidenhede be plucked do way do way they know nothing of this * For consente of two hertes alone maketh the fastning of the knot neither law of kind ne mans Low determineth neither y● age ne the quality of persons but onely accord between thilke tway And truely after time that such accorde by their consent in herte is ensealed put in my tresory amongs my priuy things then ginneth the name of spousaile and although they breken forward bothe yet soch matter ensealed is kept in remembrance for euer And see now that spouses haue the name anon after accord though the Rose be not take The Aungell bad Ioseph take Mary his spouse and to Egypt wend Lo she was cleped spouse and yet toforne ne after neither of hem both meant no fleshly lust know wherfore y● words of trouth accorden y● my seruants shoulden forsake both father and mother be adherand to his spouse and they two in unity of one flesh shoulden accorde And this wise two that werne first in a little manner disaccordaunt higher that one and lower that other been made euenliche in gree to stonde But now to enforme thee y● ye been liche Goddes these Clerkes sain and in determinacion shewen that three things hauen the names of Goddes been cleped y● is to saine Man Deuil and Images but yet is there but one God of whom all goodnesse all grace and all vertue commeth he is louing and true and euerlasting prime cause of al being things but men been goddes louing true but not euerlasting that this by adoption of the euerlasting God Deuils been goddes stirring by a manner of liuing but neither been they true ne euerlasting their name of godlihed they han by vsurpacion as the Prophet saieth Al Goddes of Gentiles that is to say Painims are Diuels But Images been Goddes by nuncupacion they been neither liuing ne true ne euerlasting After these words they clepen Gods Images wrought with mens hands But now reasonable creature that by adoption alone art to y● great god euerlasting therby thou art good cleped let thy fathers maners so entre thy wits that thou might follow in as much as longeth to thee thy fathers worship so that in nothing thy kind from his will decline ne from his nobley pouerty In thus wise if thou werche thou art aboue all other things saue Ood alone and to say no more thine herte to serue in too hie a place FVlly haue I now declared thine estate to be good so thou follow thereafter and that the objection first by thee alleged in worthinesse of thy Margarite shall not thee let as it shall further thee and increase thee it is now to declare the last objection in nothing may greue Yes certes qd I both greue and let must it needs the contrary may not beene proued and see nowe why While I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse and had soch goodes in wealth as maken men riche tho was I draw into compaignies that loos prise and name yeuen Tho loureden blasours tho curreiden glosours tho welcomeden flatteres tho worshipped thilke that now deinen not to looke Euery wight in soch yearthly weale habundaunt is hold noble precious benigne wise to do with he shall in any degree that menne him set all be it that the soth

that mater deepe how shuld I then haue waded lightly might I haue drenched and spilt there my self Yea qd she I shal help thee to swim * For right as law punisheth brekers of precepts and the contrary doers of the writen constitucions right so ayenward law rewardeth and yeueth mede to hem that law strengthen By one law this rebel is punished this innocent is mede the shrew is emprisoned this rightful is corowned The same law that joyneth by wedlock without forsaking y● same law yeueth libel of departicion bycause of deuorse both deemed declared Ye ye qd I I find in no law to mede reward in goodnes the gilty of deserts Fool qd she gilty conuerted in your law mykel merite deserueth Also Pauly of Rome was corowned that by him y● mainteiners of Pompeus weren known distroyed yet toforn was this Paulin chiefe of Pompeus counsaile This law in Rome hath yet his name of mesuring in mede the bewraying of y● conspiracy ordained by tho senatours the death Iulius Cesar is accompted into Catons rightwisnesse for euer in trouth florisheth his name among the knowers of reason Perdicas was crowned in y● heritage of Alexander the great for telling of a priuy hate y● king Porrus to Alexander had Wherefore euery wight by reason of law after his rightwisenes apertly his mede may chalenge so thou y● maintainest law of kind therefore disease hast suffred in y● law reward is worthy to be rewarded and ordayned apertly thy mede might thou chalenge Certes qd I this haue I well lerned euer henceforward I shal draw me thereafter in one hed of will to abide this law both maintain kepe and so hope I best entre in to your grace well deseruing in o worship of a wight without needful compulsion ought medefully to be rewarded Truly qd Loue that is soth tho by constitucion good seruice in to profite auauntage stretch vtterly many men it demen to haue more desert of mede then good wil nat compelled Se now qd I how may men holden of this the contrary And with is good seruice Of you wold I here this question declared I shall say thee qd she in a few words resonable workings in plesaunce profite of thy soueraine How shuld I this perform qd I. Right wel qd she here me now a litell It is hardly qd she to vnderstand that right as mater by due ouerchaungings followeth his perfection his form right so euery man by rightfull werkings ought to follow y● lefull desires in his heart see toforne to with end he deserueth for many times he y● loketh not after thendes but vtterly thereof is vnknown befalleth often many yuels to done wherethrough er he be ware shamefully he is confounded th ende thereof neden to be before looked to euery desire of such foresight in good seruice three things specially needeth to be rulers in his works First y● he do good next that he do by his election in his own hert the third that he do godly withouten any surquedry in thoughts That your werkes shulden be good in seruice or in any other acts authorites many may be alledged neuer the latter by reason thus may it be shewed All your works be cleped second mouen in vertue of the first wercher which in good works wrought you to proceed right so your werks mouen in to vertue of y● last end right in y● first working were nat no man should in y● second werch Right so but ye feled to with end and sen their goodnesse closed ye should no more retch with ye wrought but the ginning gan with good and there shall it ceafe in the last end if it be well considred Wherfore y● midle if other ways it draw then accordaunt to thends there stinteth the course of good and another manner course entreth so it is a party by him selue euery part be not accordaunt to his all is foule ought to be eschewed wherefore euery thing y● is wrought be nat good is nat accordaunt to thendes of his all hole it is foul and ought to be withdraw * Thus the persons that neither done good ne harme shamen foule their making Wherefore without working of good acts in good seruice may no man bene accepted * Trewlye thlike that han might to do good and done it not the crown of worship shal be take from hem and with shame shul they be anulled And so to make one werke accordaunt with his endes euery good seruaunt by reason of consequence must do good needs Certes it suffiseth not alone to do good but goodly withal follows y● thank of goodnes els in nought he deserueth For right as all your beyng come from the greatest good in whom all goodness is closed Right so your ends been direct to y● same good * Aristotel determineth y● end good been one conuertible in vnderstanding he y● in wil doth away good he y● loketh not to th end loketh not to good but he y● doth good and doth not goodly draweth away thy direction of the end not goodly must needs be bad Lo bad is nothing els but absence or negatiue of good as darknesse is absence or negatiue of light Then he that doth goodly directeth thilke good into th end of badde So must thing not good follow eke badnes to such folk oft followeth Thus contrariaunt workers of th end that is good been worthy y● contrary of th end that is good to haue How qd I may any good deed be done but if goodly it helpe Yes qd Loue the Deuill doth many good deeds but goodly he leueth behind for euen badly in desceiuable wise he worketh Wherefore y● contrary of thend him followeth And do he never so many good dedes bycause goodly is away his goodnes is not rekened Lo then tho a man do good but he do good but he do goodly thend in goodnesse wol not folow and thus in good seruice both good deed and goodly done musten joyne togider and that it be done with free choyse in heart and els deserueth he nat the merite in goodes that woll I proue For if thou do any thing good by chaunce or by hap in what thing art thou thereof worthy to be commended for nothing by reason of that turneth in to thy praising ne lacking Lo thilke thing done by hap by thy will is nat caused and thereby should I thanke or lack deserue and sithen y● faileth thend which y● wel should reward must needs faile Clerkes saine no man but willing is blessed a good deed y● he hath done is not done of free choyse willing without which blissednes may nat follow Ergo nether thanke of goodnesse ne seruice in that is contrary of y● good end so then to good seruice longeth good deed goodly done thorow free choise in heart Truely qd I this haue I well vnderstand Well qd she euery thing thus done

many reignes great In the Orient with many a faire cite Appertainaunt vnto the maiestie O Rome with strength held the mfull fast Ne neuer might her foemen doe her fle All the while that Odinates dayes last Her battailes who so list hem for to rede Againe Sapor the king and other mo And how all this proces fill in dede Why she conquered and her title therto And after of her mischiefe and her wo How that she was besieged and itake Let him to my maister Petrarke go That writeth ynough of this I vndertake When Odenat was dead she mightily The realmes held and with her owne honde Ayenst her foes she fought so truely That ther nas no prince ne king in all the lond But were full glad if they that grace fond That she ne should vpon his londe warrey With her they made aliaunce by bond To be in peace and let hem ride and pley The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him beforne the Romain Galien Ne durst neuer be so coragious Ne non Armen ne non Egipcien Ne Surrien ne none Arabien Within the field that durst with her fight Lest that she would hem with her hondes sleen Or with her maine put hem to flight In kings habite wenten her sonnes two As the lawfull heires of her realmes all And Hermanno and Titamallo Her names were as Perciens hem call * But aie fortune hath in her honie gall This mightie Queene may no while endure Fortune out of her reigne made her to fall To wretchednesse and to misauenture Aurelian when that the gouernance Of Rome came into his honds twey He shope vpon this Queene to do vengeance And with his legions he tooke his way Toward Zenobia and shortly for to say He made her flie and at last her hent And fettered her and eke her children tway And wan the land home to Rome he went Emongest other things that he wan Her chair that of gold was wrought pierre This great Romaine this Aurelian Hath with him lad that for men should it see All beforne his triumph walked she With golden chaines on her necke honging Crowned she was as after he degre And full of pierre charged her clothing Alas fortune she that whilom was Dredefull to kings and to Emperours Now gaureth all the people on her alas And she that helmed was in stark stoures And wan by force townes strong and toures Shall on her head now weare autremite And she that bare the septer full of floures Shall beare a distafe her cost for to quite Nero. ALthough that Nero were as vicious As any fende that lieth full low adown Yet he as telleth vs Suetonius All this world had in subiectioun Both East and West and Septentrioun Of Rubies Saphires and of Perles white Were all his clothes broudred vp and down For he in gemmes greatly gan delite More delicate more pompous of aray More proude was neuer Emperour than he That like cloth that he had weared o day After that time he nold it neuer see Nettes of golde threde had he great plente To fish in Tiber when him list to play His lusts were as law in his degre For fortune as his friend would him obay He Rome brent for his dilicacie The Senatours he slue vpon a day To heare how her wiues would weepe crie And slow his brother and by his sister lay His mother made he in a pitous aray For he her wombe let slit to behold Where he conceiued was so welaway That he so little of his mother told No teares out of his eyen for that sight He came but saied a faire woman was she Great wonder is that he coud or might Be Domisman of her dead beaute The wine to bring him commaunded he And dranke anon none other wo he made * When might is joined vnto cruelte Alas too deepe will the venume wade In youth a maister had this Emperour To teach him lettrure and courtesie For of moralite he was the flour And in his time but if his bookes lie And whiles his maister had of him maistrie He made him so cunning and so souple That long time it was or tyrannie Or any vice durst in him encouple Senek his maister was of which I deuise Because Nero had of him such drede For he for his vices would him chastise Discreetly as by word and not by dede Sir he would say an Emperour mote nede Be vertuous and hate tyrannie For which he made him in a bathe to blede On both his armes till he must die This Nero had eke a customaunce In youth ayenst his maister to rise And afterward him thought great grevaunce Because he often would him chastise Therefore he made him to die in this wise He chose in a bathe to die in this manere Rather than to have another turmentise And thus hath Nero slaine his maister dere Now fell it so that fortune list no longer The high pride of Nero to cherishe For tho he were strong yet was she stronger She thought thus by God I am too nice To set a man that is fulfilled of vice In high degree and an Emperour him call By God out of his seat I woll him trice When he least weneth soonest shall he fall The people rose upon him on a night For his defaut and when he it aspied Out of his dores anon he hath him dight Alone and there he wend have been allied He knocked fast and aye the more he cried The faster shet they the dores all Tho wist he well he had himselfe beguiled And went his way no lenger durst he call The people cried rombled up and down That with his ears he heard how they saied Where is this false tyrant this Neroun For feare full neere out of his wit he braied And to his gods right pitously he praied For succour but it might not betide For drede of this him thought that he deid And ran into a garden him to hide And in this garden found he chorles twey Sitting by a fire great and red And to the chorles two he gan to prey To slea him and to gird off his hed That to his body when he were ded Were no despite done for his defame Himselfe he slough he could no better red Of which fortune lough had then game Holofernes WAs neuer capitaine vnder a king That reignes mo put in subjectioun Ne stronger was in field of all thing As in his time ne greater of renoun Ne more pompous in high presumptioun Than Holoferne which fortune aye kist And so licourous●y lad him up and doun Till that he dead was ere that he wist * Not onely that this world had of him awe For lesing of richesse and liberte But he made euery man renie his lawe Nabuchodonosor was lord saied he None other God should honoured be Ayenst his hest there dare no wight trespace Saue in Bethulia a strong cite Where Eliachem was priest of that place But take keepe of the

death of Holoferue Amid his host he dronke lay all night Within his tent large as is a berue And yet for all his pompe and all his might Iudith a woman as he lay vpright Sleeping his head off smote fro his tent Full priuely she stole from euery wight And with his head vnto her toun she went Antiochus WHat needeth it of king Antiochus To tell his high and roiall maieste His great pride and his worke venemus For soch another man nas neuer as he Redeth what that he was in Machabe And redeth the proud wordes that he seid And why he fill from his prosperite And in an hill how wretchedly he deid Fortune him had enchaunsed so in pride That verily he wend he might attain Vnto the sterres vpon euerie side And in a balaunce to wey each mountain And all the floudes of the sea restrain And Gods people had he most in hate Hem would he slea in torment and in pain Wening that God ne might his pride abate And for that Nichanore and Timothe By Iews were venquished mightily Vnto the Iewes soch an hate had he That he had greithe his chare full has●ely And swore and saied full dispitously Vnto Hierusalem he would eftsone To wrecke his yre on it full cruelly But of his purpose was he let full sone God for his manace him so sore smote With inuisible wound aie incurable That in his guttes carfe so and bote That his paines was importable And certainly the wreche was reasonable For many a mans guttes did he paine But from his purpose cursed damnable For all his smert he nolde him not restrain But bade anon aparaile his host And sodainly or he then was ware God daunted all his pride and all his bost For he so sore fell out of his chare That all his limmes and his skinne to tare So that he no more might go ne ride But in a chaire men about him bare All forbruised both backe and side The wreche of God him smote so cruelly That in his bodie wicked wormes crept And therewithall he stanke so horribly That none of all his meine that him kept Whether that he woke or els slept Ne might not of him the stinke endure And in his mischief he wayled and wept And knew God Lord of euerie creature To all his host and to himselfe also Full lothsome was the stinke of his caraine No man might him beare to ne fro And in his stinke and in his horrible paine He sterfe full wretchedly on a mountaine Thus hath this robber and this homicide That many a man made to wepe and plaine Soch guerdon as belongeth to pride Alexander THe storie of Alexander is so commune That every wight that hath discretioun Hath heard somwhat or all of his fortune This wide world as in conclusioun He wan by strength and for his renoun They were glad for peace unto him send The pride of man and bost he layed adown Where so he came vnto the worlds end Comparison might yet never be maked Betwixt him and another conquerour For al this world for dread of him hath quaked He was of knighthood of freedome floure Fortune him made the heir of high honour Saue wine women nothing might assuage His high intent in armes and labour So was he full of loving courage What price wer it to him though I you told Of Darius and of an hundred thousand mo Of Princes Earles and knights bold Which he conquered and brought to wo I say as ferre as a man may ride or go The world was his with shuld I more devise For though I wrote and told you evermo Of his knighthood it might not suffice Twelve yere he raigned as I rede in Machabe Phillips sonne of Macedone he was That first was King of Grece that countre O worthy gentle Alexander alas That ever should thee fall soch a case Empoisoned of thy folke thou were * Thy sice fortune hath turned into an ace And yet for thee ne wept she never a tere Who shall yeve men teres to complaine The death of gentlenesse and of fraunchise That all the world welded in his demaine And yet him thought it might not suffice So full was his courage of high emprise Alas who shall me helpe to endite False fortune and her poyson to despise The which of all this woe I wite Iulius Cesar BY wisedome manhood and high labour From humble bed to royal Majeste Vp rose he Iulius Conquerour That all the Occident by lond and see Wan by strength of honde or else by trete And unto Rome made him tributarie And sith of Rome Emperour was he Till that fortune wexe his adversarie O mighty Cesar that in Thessaly Ayenst Pompey father thine in law That of the Orient had the chivalry As ferre as that the day beginneth to daw Then through knighthood hast take islaw Saue few folke that with Pompeius fled Through which thou put all the orient in aw Thanke fortune that so well thee ysped But now a little while I woll bewaile This Pompey this noble governour Of Rome which that fled at this battaile I say one of his men a false traitour His head off smote to win him favour Of Iulius and to him the head brought Alas Pompey of the orient conquerour That fortune vnto such a fine thee wrought To Rome againe repaireth Iulius With his triumph lauriate full hie But on a time Brutus Cassius That ever had of his high estate envie Full prively had made conspiracie Ayenst this Iulius in subtil wise And cast the place in which he should die With bodkins as I shall you deuise This Iulius unto the Capitoll went Vpon a day as he was wont to gone And in the Capitoll anon him hent This fals Brutus and his other sone And sticked him with bodkins anone With many a wound thus they let him lie But never grutched he at no stroke but one Or else at two but if his storie lie So manly was this Iulius of hart And so well loved stately honeste That tho his deadly wounds so sore smart His mantle over his hips yet cast he For no man should see his privite And as he lay in dying in a traunce And wist verily that die should he Of honestie yet had he remembraunce Lucan to thee this storie I recommend And to Sueton and Valerie also That of this storie writen word and end How that to these great conquerours two Fortune was first a friend and sith a fo * No man trust upon her favour long But have her in await for euermo Witnesse on all the conquerours strong Cresus THe rich Cresus whilom king of Lide Of which Cresus Cirus sore him drad Yet was he caught amid all his pride And to brenne men to the fire him lad But such a rain down fro the firmament shad That queint the fire and made him to scape But to beware yet no grace he had Till fortune on the gallows made him