of trecherye To greue his body wyl not leue For thy with outen takyng leue As pryuelyche ashe myght He geeth to the see by nyght In shippes that ben with whete laden Her takyl redy tho they maden And haleth the saitâ— forth they fare But for to telle of the care That they of tyre began tho Whan that they wyst he was agoo It is a pyte for to here They loste lust they loste chere They took vpon hem suche penaunce Ther was no songe ther was no dauÌ„ce But euery myrthe melodye To them was thenne a maladye For vnlust of that auenture Ther was no man which toke tonsure In dredeful clothes they them clothe The bathes the stewes bothe They shyt in by euery weye Ther was no lyf which lust to pleye Ne take of ony ioye kepe But for hir liege lord to wepe And euery wyght saith as he couthe Alas the lusty floure of youthe Our prynce our hede our gouernoure Thorugh whom we stonden in honoure Without the conoune assent Thus sodeynly is from vs went Suche was the clamour of hem alle But see now what is befalle Qualiter thaliartus miles vt appolinum veneno intoxicaret ab antiâ— oche in tirum missus ipse ibidem non Inuento antiochiam rediit vpon the fyst tale playn And torne we thereto agayn Antiochus the grete syre Which ful of rancour of yre His herte bereth so as he herde Of that this prynce of tyre answerde He had a felowe bacheler Which was his pryuy counceyller And thaliart by name he hyght The kyng a strong poyson hym dyÈt Within a boxe golde therto In al haste bad hym goo Strayte vnto tyre for to coste Ne spare tyl he had loste The prynce which he wold spylle And whaÌ„ the kyng hath said his wylle This talyart in a galeye With al haste he toke his weye The wynde was good they seyled blyue Tyl he toke londe vpon the ryue Of tyre forth with al anone In to the borough he gan to gone And toke his ynne bode a throwe But for he wold not be knowe Dysgysed thenne he goeth hym oute He sawe the wepyng al aboute And axeth what the cause was And they hym tolde al the caas How sodeynly the prynce was goo And whan he sawe that it was so And that his labour was in veyn A none he torneth home ageyn And to the kyng whan he came nyghe He tolde hym that he herde syghe How that the prynce of tyre was fled So was he comen ageyn vnsped The kyng was sory for a whyle But whan he sawe that with no wile He myght acheue his cruelte He stynte his wrath lete hym be Qualiter apoollinus in portu tharsis applâ—cauit vbi in hospicoÌ„ cuiusdaÌ„ magni vin nomine strangulionis hospitatus est bVt ouer this now for to telle Of aduentures that byfelle Vnto this prynce of whom I tolde He hath his right cours forth holde By stone nedyl tyl he came To tharse there londe he name A bourgeys ryche of golde fee Was thylke tyme in that cyte Which cleped was stranguyllyo His wyf was dyonysye also This yonge prynce as sayth the book With hym his herbegage took And it befyl that cyte so Befâ—â— tyme thenne also Thouâ—gh stronge famyn which he lad Was none that ony whete had Appollynus when that he herde The myschyef how that the cyte ferde Al frelyche of his owne gyfte His whete emonge hem for to shyfte The which by shyp he had brought He yaue toke of hem right nought But sythen fyrst this world began Was neuer yet to suche a man More ioye made than they hym made For they were al of hym so glade That they for euer in remembraunce Made a fygure in resemblaunce Of hym in comyn place They set it vp so that his face Myght euery maner man beholde So that the cyte was beholde It was of laton ouer gylte Thus was his face nouÈt spylte Qualiter hellicanus ciuis tiri tharsim Veniens apollinum de insidijs anthiochi â—rrminiuit vPon a day with a route This lord to pleye goeth hym oute And on his weye of tyre he mette A man which on knees hym grette And hellican by name he hyght Which prayed his lord to haue insyÈt Vpon hym self said hym thus How that the grete antyochus Aweyteth yf that he myght hym spyl That other thought helde hym styl And thanked hym of his warnyng And bad hym telle for no thynge Whan he to tyre came home ageyn That he in tharse hym had seyn Qualiter appolinus portuÌ„ tharsis relin quens cum ipse per mare nauigio securiorem quesiuit superuenieute tempestate nauis cum omnibus preter ipsum solum in eadem contentis iuxta pentapolim periclitabatur fOrtune hath euer be muable And may no whyle stonde stable For now it hyeth now it loweth Now staÌ„te vp right now ouerthroweth Now ful of blysse now ful of bale For now as in tellyng of my tale Here afterward a man may here Which is grete routhe for to here This lord which wold done his beste Within hym self hath lytel reste And thouÈt he wold his place chauÌ„ge And seke a contre more straunge Of tharsyens his leue anone He toke is to shyp gone His cours he name with sayle vp drawe Where as fortune doth the lawe And sheweth as I shal reherce How she was to the lord dyuerce The which vpon the see she ferketh The wynde aroos the weder derketh It blewe made suche tempeste That none anker myÈt the shyp arest Which hath broken al his gere The shypmen stood in suche a fere Was none that myght bestere But euer awayte vpon the lere Whan that they shold drenchen al atones Ther was ynough within the wones Of wepyng of sorowe tho The yonge kyng maketh moche woo For to see the shyp trauayle But al that myght no thynge auayle The mast to brake the seyle to roof The shyp vpon the wawes droof Tyl that they see the londes coste Tho made a vowe leste and moste By that they myghten come a londe But he which hath the see on honde Neptunus wold not accorde But he al to brake cable corde Or they to londe myght approche The shyp to claue vpon a roche And al goeth doun in to the depe But he which al thyng may kepe Vnto this lord was mercyable And brought hym saue vpon a table Which to the londe hath hym bore The remenaunte was al forlore Therof he made mochel mone Thus was this yonge lord allone Qualiter appollinus nudus superlitus iactabatur vbi quidam piscator ipsum collobio suo vestiens ad vrtem pentapolim direxit aL naked in a poure plyte His colour which was whylom whyt Was than of water fade pale And eke be was so sore a cale That he hym self wyst of no bote It helpe no thynge for to mote
he clyppeth also fase Hir tong with a payre of sheres So that what with blode what with â—eres Oute of hir eyen of hir mouthe He made hir fayr faâ—e vncouthe She lay swownyng vnto the deth There was vnnethe ony birth But yet when he hir tong reft A lytel parte yet he left But she no word with al may sowne But chiâ—â—e as a bird iargowne And neuertheles that woode hounde Hyr body hent vp fro thr ground And put her in a towre strong Where that for right or for wronge He purâ—osed that for alway She shold abyde to hir deyng day But neuertheles now taketh hâ—dâ— What after felle of this mysdede When al this meschyef was befalle This Thereus that fowle hym befalle When he was comen his palays nerâ— His wyf anon with mylde chere With al reuereÌ„ce honourably hym kept And when he hit sawe anon he wept And that he did for disseyâ—â— For she bigan to oske streyte Where is my suster he said That she was dede quamâ—â—igue abâ—â—id As she that was a woful wyf And stood bitwene hir deth lyf By cause she herd this tydyng But for she sawe hir lord wepyng She wende not but al trouthe And had wel the more routhe The perles were than forsaken To hir black clothes taken As she that was gentil kynâ—e In worship of hir susters mynde She made a ryche entyerement For she found none amendement To syghe sobbe or sorowe more So was there gyle vnder the gore Now leue we this kyng quene And torne we ageyne to philomene As I bigan to telle erste When she cam to pryson ferst It thought a kyngis donghtet strauÌ„ge To make so sodeyne a chaunge Fro welthe vnto so grete a wo And she began to thynk tho Though she by mouthe no thyng praid Within hir herte thus she said O thou almyghty Iubyter That bye sittest lokest fer Thou suffrest many a wrongful doyng And yet it is not thy wyllyng To the there may no thyng be hid Thou knowest how it is betid I wold I had not ben borne For than I had not forlorn My speche and my vyrgynyte But good lord all is in the Whan thou therof wil do no vengeaÌ„ce And shape my delyueraunce And euer among this lady wept And thought that she neuer kept To be a worldes woman more And that she wysshed euermore But ofâ— vnto her sufter dere Hir herâ—â— speketh on this manere And said O suster ye knewe Of myn estate ye wold rewe I trowe and my delyueraunce Ye wold shap and dâ—o vengeaunâ—â— On hym that is so fals a man And neuertheles so as I can I wpf you send somme tokenyng Wherof ye shal haue som know bechyng Of thyng I wote shal yow lothe The whiche you toucheth me lothe And than within a whyle as Tâ—â—â— She wafe a clothe of sylke al whyte With letters and ymagery In the whiche was al the foly That Tâ—râ—us to hir had done And lopped it to gedre sone And set hir signet therupon And sent it to proygne anon The messager that forth it bare What it amounted was not ware And neuertheles to proygne he goth And pryuely taketh hir the clothe And went ageyne ryght as he cam The Courte of hym no herde nam When Proygne of Philomene herd She wold knowe how it ford And opened that the man had brouÈt And woâ—â— ther by what hath be wrouÈt And what meschyef there is befalle In swoune she gan doune falle And efte aroos and gan to stonde And efte she taketh the clothe on hond And byâ—â—ld the letters the ymages But at the last oute of suche outrages She said to wepe is no bote And swereth yf that she leue mote It shall be venâ—ed otherwise And with that she gan hir auyse How fyrst she myght vnto hyr wyn Hir suster that no man withâ— But only they that were swore It shold knowe shope therfore That Thereus no thyng it wyst And yet ryght as hir seluen lyst Hir suster was delyuerd soone Oute of the pryson by the mone To Proigne she was brouÈt by nyght And when â—â—he of other had a syght In Chambre there they were alone They made many a pitâ—us mone But Proigne most of sorowe made The whiche sawe hir suster pale fade And specheles and dishonoured Of that she had ben deâ—â—oured And also vpon hir lord she thought Of that he so vntruely wrought And had his spousede broken She made a vowe it shold be wroken And with that word she kneled doune Wepyng in grete deuocion Vnto Cupide and Venus She praid and than said thus O ye to whome no thynge asterde Of loue may for euery herte Ye knowe as ye that ben aboue The god and the goddesse of loue Ye wyte wel that euer yet With all my wylle and al my wyt Sith first ye shope me to wedde That I lay with my lord in bedde I haue ben trewe in my degre And euer thought for to be And neuer to loue in other place But al only the kyng of Trace The whiche is my lord I his wyf But now allas this woful strif That I hym thus ageynward fynde The most vntre we the most vnkynde That euer in lady armes lay And well I wote that ne may Amend it â–ª his wrong is so grete For ful lytel of me he lete When he myne owne suster tooke And me that am his wyf forsoke Loo thus to Venus and Cupyde She praid ferthermore she cryde Vnto Aâ—â—ollo the hyhest And said O myghty god of rest Thou doo vengeaunce on this debate My suster and al hir estate Thou knowest â–ª how she hath forlore Hyr mandenhede and I therfore In al the world shall here a blame Of that my suster hath a shame That Thereus to hir I sent That wel thou knowest that myn enteÌ„t Was al for worshyp and for good O lord that geuest lyues fode To euery wyght I pray the here The woful susters that ben here And late vs not to the be lothe We ben thyn owne women lothe Thus playneth proigne asketh wreche And though hir suster tack speche To hym that al thyng wote Hir sorowe is not the lesse hote But he that than herd hem two Hym ought to haue sorowed euermo For sorowe that was hem bitwene With signes pleyneth philomene And Proigne seith she shall it wreke That all the world therof shall speke And Proigne than sykenes feyned Wherof vnto hir lord she pleyned And praid she myght hir chambre kepe And as hir lysteth wake or slepe And he hir graunted to be so And thus to gedre be they two That wold hym but a lytell good Now herken herafter how it stood O woful auentures that be felle These susters that ben bothe felle And that was not on hem alonge But only on the grete wronge The whiche Thereus had hem done They purpose to venge hem soone This Thereus by proigne his
in wooful plyte And aâ— I sawe in my spyryte Me thought emonge other thus The doughter of kyng pryamus Poâ—xâ—na whom pyrrus slough Was there made sorow y nough As she which deyed gyltelis For â—oue yet was loueles And for to take the dysporte I sawe there somme of other porte And that was Circes calypse That coude done the mone clypse Of mâ—n chaunge the sykenesse Of arâ—emagique sorceresse They helde in honde many one To loue whether they wold or none But aboue al woÌ„men that there were Of wommen â— sawe foure there Who 's name be here moost coÌ„mended By hem the courte stode al amended Forth were they come in presence Men dyd theym the reueremce As though they had ben goddesses Of al the world or empresses And as me thought an ere I leyde And herd how that this other seyde Lo thyes ben the foure wyues Who 's feyâ—h was proued in hâ—r lyues For in ensaumple of al goode With mariage so they stode That fame which no grete thing hideth Yet the cronyke of hem abydeth Penolope the oone was hate Whom many a knyght had loued hote Whyle that hir lorde vlyxes lay Ful many a yere and many a day Vpon the grete syege of troye But she which had no worldes ioye But onely of hir husbond Whyle that her lorde was out of londe So wel she kept her womanhede That al the world therof toke hede And namelyche of them in grece That other woman was lucrece Wyfe to the romayn collatyne And she constreyned of tarquyne To thyng which was ayenst hir wyll She wold not hir seluen styll But deyed only for drede of shame In kepyng of hir goode name As she which was one of the beste The thyrd wyfe was hote alceste Which whan ametus shold dye Vpon his grete maladye She prayed vnto the goddes so That she resceyueth al the wo And deyed hir self to gyue hym lyfe So was this thenne a noble wyfe The fourrth wyfe which I there syghe I herde of them that were nyghe How she was clered alsione Which to seix hir lorde allone And to no mo hiâ— body kept And whaÌ„ she saw hym dreÌ„che she lepte Vnto the wawes where he swam And there a sce foul she becam And with hir wynges she hym bespâ—â—d For loue that she to hym had Loo thyse foure weren tho Which I sawe as me thought tho Emonge the grete companye Whiche loue had for to gye But yongthe whiche in special Of loues courte was marchal So â—â—sy was vpon his laye That he none hede where he laye Hath take than as I behelde Me thought I sawe vpon the feldâ— Where â—lde came a softe paâ—â— Toward venus there as she was With hym grete companye he ladde But not so fele as yongthe had The moste parte were of grete age And that was sene in her vysage And not for thy so as they myght They made hem yongely to the syght But yet I herde no pypers there To make myrthe in mannes 〈◊〉 But the â—â—nsyque I myght knowe For olde men which solbned lolbe With harpe lute â—ytole The houe daunce the caâ—â—le In suche a wyse as loue hath bede A softe paas they daunce trede And with the wymmâ—n otherwhyle With sobre there â—monge they smyle For laughter was there none on hye And netheâ—â—es ful wel I sye That they the more queynte it made For loue in whom they weren glade And there me thought I myght see The kyng dauyd with bersale And salamon was not without Passyng an hundreth in a route Of wyues of concubynes Iewesses eke and sarazyns To hym I sabe al Intendaunt I note where he was suffysaunt But nethâ—lees for al his wytte He was attached with that writte Which loue with his honde â—nseâ—eth From whom none erthly maÌ„ appeâ—eth And ouer this as for a wonder With his lâ—on whiche he put vnder With dalyda sampson I knewe Who 's loue his strength al ouerthrâ—wâ— I sawe there arystotle also Whom that the quene of grece so Hath brydeled that in thylke tyme She made hym suche a sylagesyme That he foryate al his â—ogyque Ther was none arte of his practyque Thorugh which he myght be excluded That he ne was fully concluded To loue dyd his obeysaunce And eke vyrgyle of acqueyntaunce I sawe where he the mayden preyd Which was the doughter as men seyde Of themperour whyâ—om of come Sortes plato with hym come So dyd Ouyde the poete I thought thenne how loue is swete Which hath so wyse men reclamed And was my self the lasse ashamed Or for to lese or for to wynne In the myschyef that I was in And thus I layâ— in hope of grace And whan they came to the place Where venus stode I was falle This olde men with one voyce 〈◊〉 To venus prayden formy sake And she that myght not forsake So grete a clamour as was there Leâ—e pyte come in 〈◊〉 ere And forth with al vnto cupyde She prayeth that she vpon his syde Me wold thorugh his grace sende SoÌ„me comforte that I myght amende Vpon the â—â—as which is byfalle And thus for me they preyden alle Of hem that weren olde aboute And eke somme of the yonge rowâ—â— And of gentylesse pure trouthe I herd hem telle it was grete couthe That I withouten helpe so ferdâ— And thus me thought I laye herde Hic traciat qualiter câ—pito amaÌ„tis senectâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Viscera pâ—rscâ—â—tâ—ns ignita sâ—â— concupisâ—â—cie tela ab â—o peni tus extraxit quem venus postea abâ—â—â—â—â—lore percipiens vacuum reliquid Et sic tandem prouisa senectus racionem inuocans hominem interiorem per pâ—â—ns amore infatuatum mentis sanitati pâ—enius restaurauit cVpide which may hurt hele In loues cause as for my hele Vpon the poynte which I hym prâ—yde Came with venus where I was leyde So swownyg vpon the grene gras And as me thought anone there was On euery side so grete prees That euery lyf began to prees I wote not wel how many score Suche as I spake of now toforâ— Louers that comen to beholde But moste of hem that â—en olde They stoden there that at ylke tydâ— To see what ende shal betyde Vpon the cure of my sotye There myght I here grete partyâ— Spe kyng eche his owne aduyâ— Hath tolde one that another this But emonge al this I herde They weren woo that I so ferde And sayden that for no ryote An olde man shold not assoâ—â— For as they tolden redyly There is in hym no cause why But yf he wold hym self be nyâ—â— So were he wel the more nyce And thus despuâ—â—n somme of tho And somme â—ayden no thynge so But that the wylde loues rage In maÌ„nes lyf forbereth none age Whyle there is oyle for to fyre The lampes be lyghtly set a fyre And is ful hard or it be queynte But onely yf it be somme seynte And thus me thouâ—t in sondry place God
suche a wyse And bad me that I shold shryue As couchend of my wyttes fyue And share that they were amended Of that I had hem myspended For tho be properly the gates Thorugh whiche as to the herte algates Cometh al thyng vnto the feyre Whiche may the maÌ„nys soule empeyre And now is this mater brouÈt ynne My sone I thynk fyrst begynne To wyce how thyn eye hath stonde The whiche is as I vnderstonde The moost princypal of alle Thorugh whome the perylle may befalle And for to speke in loues kynde Ful many suche a man may fynde Whiche euer cast about her eye To loke yf that they myght aspye Ful ofte thyng which he in ne toucheth But only that here herte soucheth In hyndrynge of another wyght And thus ful many a worthy kynÈt And many a lusty lady bothe Hath be ful ofte sythe wrothe So that an eye is a theef To loue doth ful grete meschyef And also for his owne part Ful ofte that ylke fyry dart Of loue which that euery maÌ„ brenneth Thorugh hym in to the hert renneth And thus a mannes eye first Hym self greueth alder werst And many a tyme that he knoweth Vnto his owne harme it groweth My sone herkne me now for thy A tale to be ware therby Thyn eye for to kepe warde See that it passe nought the warde hIc narrat Confessor exemplum de visu ab illicitis preseruando dicens qualiter Acceon Cadmi Regis Thebarum nepos dum in quadam foresta venacionis causa spaaretur accidit vt ipse quendam fontem nemorosa arborum pulcritudine circuÌ„ uentum superueniens vidit enim Dia nam cum suis Nimphis nudam in flu mine balncantem quam diligencius intuens oculos suos a muliebri nudita te nullatenns auertere volebat vnde indignata Diana ipsum in cerui figuram transformauit Vyde sayth in his booke Ensample touchend mysloke And sayth whilome ther was one A worthy lord whiche Acceone Was hote was Cosyn nyghe To hym that The bes fyrst on hyghe Vpset whiche kyng Cadme hyght This Acceon as he wel myght Aboue al other cast his chere And vsed it from yere to yere With houndes with grete hornes Among the wodes the thornes To make his huntyng his chace Where hym best thought in euery place To fyude game in his way Ther rood he for to hunte play So hym by felle vpon a tyde On his huntyng as he cam ryde In a forest all one he was He sawe vpon the grene gras The fayre fressh flonres sprynge He herd among the leues synge The throstel with the nyghtyngalc Thus er he wyst in to a dale He cam wher was a lytel pleyne Al round about wel beseyn With bnsshes grene Cedres hyghe And ther within he caste his eye A myddes the pleyne he sawe a welle So fayr ther myght noman telle In whiche Dyana naked stood To bathe play hyr in the flood With many a nimphe which her serueth But he his eye awey ne suerueth Fro her whiche was naked al And she was wonder wroth with al And hym as she whiche was goddesse Forshoop anone the lykenesse She made hym take of an herte Whiche was to fore his houÌ„des sterte That ronne besylyche aboute With many an horne many a route That maden moche noyse crye And at the last vnhappelye This hert his owne houÌ„des slough And hym for vengeauÌ„ce al to drough lO now my sone what it is A man to caste his eye amys Whiche Acceon hath dere abought Beware for thy do it nought For ofte who that hede toke Better it is to wynke than loke And for to proue it is so Ouyde the Poete also A tale whiche to this matere Acordeth sayth al 's thou shalt here hIc ponit aliud exemplum de eo deÌ„ vbi dicit ê™ quidam princeps nomine Phorceê° tres progenuit filias Gorgones a vulgo nuncupatas que vno partu exorte deformitatem monstrorum serpentinam obtinuerunt qui bus citra in etatem peruenerant talis destinata fuerat natura ê™ quicumque in eas aspiceret in lapidem subito mutabatur Et sic ê™ plures incaute respicientes visis illis perierunt fed perseus Miles Clipeo palladis gladio que mercu rij munitus eas extra montem Athelantis cohabitantes auimo audaci abs que sui periculo interfecit IN Methamor it telleth thus o How that a lord which phorcheê° a Ws hote had doughters thre Bnt vpon her natyuyte Suche was the Constellacyon That out of mannes nacyon Fro kynde they be so myswent That to lykenes of a serpent They were bothe that one Of hem was cleped stellybone That other suster Snryale The thyrd as tellyth in the tale Me'ousa hyght netheles Of Comon name Gorgones In euery countrey ther about As monstres whiche as men doute Men clepe hem but one eye Among hem thre in poure partye They had of whiche they myght see Now hath it this now hath it she After the cause nede it lad By throwes eche of hem it had A wonder thyng yet more amys Ther was wherof I telle al this What man on hem his chere cast And hem byhelde he was al 's fast Oute of a man in to a stone For shape and thus many one Deceyued were of that they wolde Mysloke where they ne sholde But Perseus that worthy knyght Whome pallas of here grete myght Halpe took hym a sheld therto And eke the god mercurye also Lent hym a swerd he as it felle Beyonde Athlans the hyghe hylle These monstres foughte ther he fond Dyuerse men of thylk lond Thorugh syght of hem mystorned were Standed as stones here and there But he whiche wysedome pro wesse Had of the god of the goddesse The sheld of pallas gan embrace With whiche he couerd sauf his face Mercurius swerd oute he drough And so he bare hym that he slough These dredeful monstres al thre Confessor â—O now my sone auyse the That thou thy syght not mysuse Case not thyn eye vpon meduse That thou be torned in to stone For so wyse man was neuer none But yf he wol his eye kepe And take of foule delyte no kepe That with lust nys ofte nome Thorugh streugthe of loue oâ—come Of myllokyng how it hath ferd As I haue told now hast thou herd My good sonne take good hede And ouer this yet I the vede That thou beware of thyne heryng Whiche to the hert the tydynge Of many a wnyte hath brought And tarye with a mannes thonght And netheles good is to here 〈…〉 thyng wherof a man maye lere That to vertu is accordauÌ„t And toward al the remenaunt Good is to torne his ere fro For esses but yf a man do soo Hym may ful ofte mysbefalle I rede ensample amonges alle Wherof to kepe wel an ere It ought put a man in fere hIc Confessor exemplum narrat vt
her mercy But syre of that ye wold mene That I shold otherwyse wene To be byloued than I was I am beknowe as in that cas Confessor My good sone telle me how Amans Now lest I wol telle you My good fadre how it is Ful ofte it hath byfalle or this Thorugh hope was not certeyne My wenyng hath be set in veyne To truste in thyng that helpe me nouÈt But onlyche of myn owne thought For as semeth that a belle Lyke to the wordes that men telle Ansueryth ryght so nomore ne lesse To yow my fadre I confesse Suche wyl my wytte hath euer set That what so hope me behet Ful many a tyme I wene it sothe But fynally no spede it dothe Thus may I telle as I can Wenyng begyleth many a man So hath it me ryght wel I wote For yf a man wol in a bote Whiche is withoute botome ro we He must nedes onerthrowe Ryght so wenyng hath ferde by me For whan I wende next haue be As I by my wenyng cast Than was I forthest at last And as a foole my bowe vnbende Whan al was fayled than I wende For thy my fadre as of this That my wenyng hath gone amys Touchend to Snrquedrye Yeue me my penaunce or I dye But yf ye wold in ony forme â— Of this mater a tale enforme Whiche were ayene this vyce set I shold fare wel the bet hIc ponit confessor exemplum coÌ„ tra illos qui in suis viribus presumeÌ„tes debiliores efficiuntur Et narrat qualiter ille Capaneê° miles m armis probatissimus de sua presumens audacia inuocacionem ad superos tempore necessitatis ex vecordia tamen et non a liter primitus prouenisse asseruit vnde in obsidione Ciuitatis Thebarum cuÌ„ ipse quodam die coram suis hostibus ad debellan dum se obtulit ignis de celo subito superueniens Ipsum armatum totaliter in Cineres conbussit mY sone in al maner wyse Surquedrye is to despyse Wherof I fynde write thus The proud knyght Capaneê° He was of suche Surquedrye That he thorugh his chyualrye Vpon hym self so mochel truste That to the goddes hym ne lust In no quarelle to beseche But sayd it was an ydel speche Whiche cause was of pure drede For lak of herte for nede And vpon suche presumpcion He held this proud oppynyon Tyl at the last â–ª vpon a day Aboute Thebes where he lay Whan it of syege was beleyne This knyght as the Cromyque seyne In al mannes syght there Whan he was proudest in his gere And how nothyng myght hym dere Ful armed with his sheld spere As he the Cyte wold assaylle God toke hym self the bataylle Ayene his pryde fro the sky A fyry thonder sodenly He sende to poudre hym smote And thus the pryde whiche was hote Whan he most in his strengthe wende Was brent lost withouten ende So that it proueth wel therfore The strengthe of man is sone lore But yf that he it wel gouerne And ouer this a man may lerne That eke ful oftyme it greueth What that a man hym self beleueth As though it shold hym wel beseme That he al other men can deme And hath foryete his owne vyce A tale of hem that be so nyce And feynen hem self to be wyse I shal telle the in suche a wyse Wherof thou shalt ensample take That thou no suche thyng vndertake hIc loquitur Confessor contra illos qui de sua scieÌ„cia presumentes aliorum condicioues dâ—udicantes indi screte redarguuÌ„t Et narrat ExempluÌ„ de quodam principe Regis Hungarie Germano qui cum featrem suum pau peribus m publico vidit humiliatum Ipsum redarguendo in contrarium edocere presumebat Sed Rex omni sciencia prepollens ipsum sic incaute presumentem ad humilitatis memoriam ter ribili prouidencia micius castigauit I Fynde vpon Surquedrye How that whilom of huÌ„garye By old dayes was a kyng Wyse honest in al thyng And so byfel vpon a daye And that was m the moneth of Maye As thylk tyme it was vsance This kyng with noble purueannce Hath for hym self his chaar arrayed Wheryn he wold ryde amayed Oute of the Cyte for to playe With lordes grete arraye Of lusty folk that were yonge Where somme pleyd somme songe And somme gone som ryde And somme pryke her hors a syde And brydlen hem now in now oute The kyng his eye cast aboute Tyll he atte last was ware And sawe comend ageyne his chare Two pylgryms of so grete age That lyche vnto a drye ymage That weren pale fade hewed And as a busshe whiche is besnewed Here berdes be hoore whyte Ther was of kynde but a lyte That they ne semen fully dede They come to the kyng bede Somme of his good pur charyte And with grete humylyte Oute of his chare to grounde he lepe And hem m bothe his armes kepe And kyst hem bothe foote honde Byfore the lordes of his lond And yaf hem of his good therto And whan he hath this dede do He goth in to his chare ageyne Tho was murmour tho was dysdeyne Tho was compleynt on euery syde They sayden of her owne pryde Echone to other what is this Oure kyng hath do this thynge amys So to abesse his Royalte That euery man it myght se And humbled hym in suche a wyse To hem that were of none empryse Thus was it spoken to fro Of hem that were with hym tho Al pryuely behynde his bak But to hym self noman spak The kynges broder in presence Was thylk tyme grete offence He toke therof was the same Abouen al other which most to blame Vpon his lyege lord hath leyd And hath vnto the lordes seyd Anone as he can tyme fynde There shal nothyng be left behynde That he wol speke vnto the kyng Now what felle vpon this thyng They were mery fayr ynongh Echone with other playd lough And fellen in to tales newe How that the fresshe floures grewe And how the grene leues spronge And how that loue among the yonge Bygan the hertes than to wake And euery byrd hath chose his make And thus the may day to th ende They lad home aye ne they wende The kyng was not so sone come That whan he had his chambre nome His broder ne was redy there And brought a tale vnto his ere Of that he had suche a shame In hyndeyng of his owne name When he hym self wold dretche That to so vyle a pouer wretche Hym deyneth shewe suche symplesse Ageynst the state of his noblesse And sayth he shal no more vse And that he mote hym self excuse Toward his lordes euerychone The kyng stode stylle as onystone And to his tale an ere he leyde And thought more than he seyde But netheles to that he herde Wel curtoysly he ansuerde And told it shold be amended And thus when that here tale was
I fynde in the bokes wryte hIc ponit Confessor Exemplum contra illos qui de sua in armis probitate vel de suo in amous causa de siderio completo se iactant Et narrat qualiter Albinus primus Rex Longo bardorum cum ipse quendam alium rege in nomine GurmunduÌ„ in bello morientem triumphasset testam capitio de functi au ferens aphum ex ea gemmis ouw circumligatum in sue victorie memoriam fabricari constituit insuper Ipsius Gurmundi filiam RosemuÌ„dam vapiens maritali thoro in coningeÌ„sibi copilauit Vnde Ipso Albino postea coram regni sui nobilibus in suo regasli con 〈…〉 o sedente dicti GurmuÌ„di aphuÌ„ infuso bino ad se inter epulas of ferri iussit quem sumptum Vxori sue Regiue porrexit dicens Bibe cum patre tuo qd Ipsa huiusmodi operis ig nara feat quo facto Rex statim suâ— his que per prius gesta fucrant cunctis au dientibus per singula se iactauit Regina vero cum talia audisset animo celato factum abhorrens in mordem DnÌ„i sui Regis circumspecta Induseria conspiraint Ipsum que auxiliantibus Glodesida Helmege brew subsecuto tempore inter fecit cuius mortem Dux Rauenensis tam in corpus Regine quam suorum fautorum pestea vindicauit oF hem that we luÌ„bardes calle Albinus was the first of alle Which bare croun of luÌ„bardie And was of grete chyualrye An werre ageynst dyuers kynges So fell among other thynges That he that tyme a werre had With GurmuÌ„d which â— Geptees lad And was a myghty kyng also But netheles it felle hym so Albinus slough hym in the felde There halpe hym notherspere ne shelde That he ne smote his heed of than Wherof he toke awey the panne Of whiche he sayd he wold make A cuppe for Gurmundes sake To kepe drawe in to memorye Of his bataylle the vyctorye And when he thus the feld had woÌ„ne The lond anone was ouer ronne And sesed in his owne honde There he gurmundes doughter fouÌ„de Whiche mayde Rosamund hyght And was in euery mans syght A fayre fressh a lusty one His hert fylle to hyr anone And suche a loue on hyr he cast That he hyr wedded at the last And after that tyme long in reste With hyr he dwelte to the beste They loue eche other wondre wel But she which kepeth the blynde wheel Venue when they be most about An al the hottest of her loue Hyr whele she torneth they felle An the maner as I shal telle This king which stode in al his welth Of pees of worship of helth And felt hym on no syde greued As he that hath his world acheued Tho thought he a fest he wold make And that for his wyues sake That she the lordes at the feste That were obeysaunt to his heste May knowe so therupon He lete ordeyne sent anon By lettres by messagyers And warned al his offycers That euery thyng be wel arayed The grete stedes were assayed For Iustyng for tornement And many a perled garnement Embrouded was ageyne the day The lordes in here best aray Be comen at tyme set One Iusteth wel another bet And other whyle they torney And thus they cast care awey And toke lustes vpon honde And after thou shalt vnderstonde To mete in to the kynges halle They comen as they he beden alle And when they were set serued Than after as it was deserued To hem that worthy knyghees were So as they seten here there The pryce was spoke youe oute Among the herawdes al aboute And thus bynethe eke aboue Al was of armes of loue Wherof aboute at boordes Men had many sondry wordes That of the myrthe whiche they made The kyng hym self bygan to glade Within his hert took a pryde And sawe the cuppe stonde a syde Whiche made was of GurmuÌ„des hede As ye haue herd when he was dede And was with gold ryche stones Beset bounde for the nones And stood vpon a foote on hyghte Of borned gold with grete sleyghte Of werkemanshyp it was bygraue Of suche werke as it shold haue And polysshed was eke so clene That no sygne of the sculle was sene But as it were a grypes eye The kyng bad bere his cuppe aweye Whiche stood byfore hym on the boord And fette thylk vpon his word The sculle is fet wyn therin Wherof he bad his wyf hegynne Drynke with thy fadre dame he seyde And she to his byddyng obeyde And toke the sculle what her lyst She drynketh as she nothyng wyst What cuppe it was than al oute The kyng in audyence aboute Hath told it was hyr fadres sculle So that the lordes knowe shulle Of his vataylle a soth wytnesse And made auauÌ„t thorugh what prowesse He hath his wyues loue wonne Whiche of the sculle hath so bygonne Tho was there pryde mochel alofte They speken as she was softe Thynkend thylk vnkynde pryde Of that hyr lord so nygh her syde Auaunath hym that he has slayn And pyked oute hyr fadres brayn And of the sculle hath made a cuppe She suffered tyll they be vppe And tho she hath sekenesse feyned And goth to chaÌ„bre hath coÌ„pleyned Vnto a mayde whiche she trust So that none other wyght it wyst This mayde Glodesyde is hote To whome this lady hath byhote Of sadyshyp al that she can â—o auenge hyr vpon this man Which dyd hyr drynke in suche a pliÈt Among hem al for despyte Of hyr of hyr fadre bothe Wherof her thoughtes ben so wrothe 〈…〉 sayd that she shal not be glad 〈…〉 that she hym so hath bestad â—hat be nomore make auaunt And thus they felle in couenaunt â—hat they acorden at the last With suche wyles as they cast That they wol gete of hyr acord Som orped knyght to slee this lord And with this sleyghte they begynne How they helmege myght wynne Whiche was the kynges botyler A proud a lusty bachiler And Glodesyde he loueth hote And she to make hym more assote Here loue graunted by nyght They shape how they to gedre myght A bedde mete done it was The same nyght in this was The quene hyr self the nyght seconde Went in her stede there she fonde A chambre derke withoute lyght And goth to bedde to this knyght And he to kepe his obseruaunce To loue doth his obeysaunce And weneth it be Glodesyde And she than after lay a syde And hym axeth what he hath do And who she was she told hym tho And sayd I am thy quene Now shal thy loue wel beseen Of that thou hast thy wylle wrought Or it shal sore ben abought Or thou shalt worche as I the saye And yf thou wolt by suche a waye Do my plesaunce hold it stylle For euer I shal ben at thy wylle Bothe I al myn herytage Anone the
grace That al his pryce on her he â—eyde In audyence thus he seyde My fayre mayde wel ye be Of thyne ansuere eke of the Me lyketh as thou wylt Foryeue be thy fadre gylt And yf thou were of suche lygnage That thou to me were of parage And that thy fadre were a pere As he is now a bachylere Thou sholdest then be my wyf So syker as I haue lyf But this I say netheles That I wol shape thyn encrees What worldes good that thou wolt baue Axe of my yeft thou shalt haue And she the kynges wordes wyse Knelyng thanked in this wyse My lyege lord god mote yow quyte My fader here hath but a lyte Of waryson that he wende Had al be lost but now amende Ye may wel thorugh your noble grace With that the kyng ryght in his place A none forth in the fressh hete An Erldom whiche than was eschete Was late falle in to his honde Vnto the knyght with rente londe Hath youe with his chartre sesed And thus was al the noyse appesed This maide which sate vpon hir knees Byfore the kynges charytees Comen deth sayth euermore My lyege lord ryght now to fore Ye sayde as it is of record That yf my fadre were a lord And pere vnto these other grete Ye wolden not elles lete That I ne shold be your wyf And thus wote enery worthy lyf A kynges word mote be holden For thy my lord yf that ye wolden So grete a charyte fulfylle God wote it were wel my wylle For he whiche was a bachilere My fadre is now made a pere So when as euer that I cam An erles doughter now I am This yong kyng whiche plesyd alle Hyr beaute hyr wyt with alle As he that wae with loue hente A none therto yaf his assente He myght not the mayde asterte That she nys lady of his herte So that he took hyr to his wyfe To holde whyle that he hath lyfe And thus the kyng toward this knyÈt Acordeth to hym as it is ryght And ouer this good is to wyte In the Cronyes as it is wryte This noble kyng of whome I tolde Of Spayne by tho dayes olde The kyngdome had in gouernaunce Aud as the book maketh remembrauÌ„ce Alphons was his propre name The knyght also yf I shal name Dom Petro hyght as men telle His doughter wyse Petronelle Was cleped whiche was ful of grace And that was sene in thylk place Where she hyr fadre oute of tene Hath breuÈt made hyr self a quene Of that she hath so wel disclosed The poyntes wherof she was opposed Confessor Lo now my sone as thou myght here Of al this thyng to my matere But one I take that is pryde To whome no grace may betyde In heuene he felle oute of his stede And paradys hym was forbede The good men in erthe hym hate So that to helle he mote algate Where euery vertu shal be weyued Aud euery vyce be receyued But Humblesse is al other wyse Whiche moost is worthy noo repryse It taketh ageyne both softe fayre If ony thyng stant in contrayre With humble speche it is redressed Thus was this yong mayd blessyd The whiche I spak of now to fore Her fadre lyfe she gat therfore And wanne with al the kynges loue For thy my sone yf thou wolt loue It sytt the wel to loue pryde And take Humblesse on thy syde The more of grace thou shalt gete Amans My fadre I wol not foryete Of this that ye haue told me here And yf that ony suche manere Of humble port may loue appaye Here afterward I thenke assaye But now ouer I beseche That ye more of my shryfte seche Confessor My good sone it shal be do Now herkne lay an ere to For as tonchand of pryde fayre Al 's ferforth as I can declare In cause of vyce in cause of loue That thou hast pleyne herd aboue So that there is nomore to seye Touchend of that but other weye Touchend enuye I thynk to telle Whiche hath by propre kynde of helle Withoute cause to mysdo Toward hym self other mo Here afterward as I vnderstonde Thou shalt the spyces as they stonde Explicit liber primus Liter secundus hOw after pryde the second Ther is which many a wo ful stouÌ„d To wardes other beryth aÌ„boute Within hym self not withoute For in his thought he brenneth euer Whan that he wote another leuer Or more vertuous than he Whiche passeth hym in his degre Wherof he taketh his maladye That vyce is cleped hoote enuye For thy my sone yf it be so That the art or hast ben one of tho As for to speke in loues cas Yf euer yet thyn herte was Seke of other mennes hele So god auannce my quarele My fadre ye a thousand sythe Whan I haue sene another blythe Of loue a goodly chere Ethna whiche brenneth yere byyere Was than not so hoote as I Of thylk for whiche pryuely Myn hertes thought within brenneth The ship whiche on the wawe renneth And is forstormed for blowe Is not more payned for athrowe Than I am than whan I se Another whiche that passeth me In that fortune of loues yefte But fadre this I telle in shryfte That now here but in a place For who that seche fynde grace In other stede it may nought greue But this ye may ryght wel byleue Toward my lady that I serue Though that I wyst for to sterue Myn hert is ful of suche folye That I my self may not chastye Whan I the court see of Cupyde Approche vnto my lady syde Of hem that lusty ben fresshe Though it auayle hem not a resshe But only that they ben of speche My sorowe is than not to seche But whan they rownen in her ere Then groweth al my most fere And namely whan they talen long My sorowes be than so strong Of that I se hem wel at ease I can not telle my dysease But syre as of my lady selue Though she haue wowers x or twelue For no mystrust I haue of hire Me greueth nonght for certes syre I trowe in al this world to seche Nys woman that in dede speche Wol better auyse hyr what she doth Ne better for to sey a soth Kepe hyr honour at al tyde And yet gete hyr a thank besyde But netheles I am be knowe That whan I see ony throwe Or elles yf it I may here That she make ony man good chere Though I therof haue not to done My thought wol entermete sone For though I be my self straunge Enuye maketh myn hert chaunge That I am sorowfully be stad Of that I se another glad With hyr but of other alle Of loue what so may byfalle Or that he fayle or that he spede Therof take I but lytel hede Now haue I sayd my fader alle And of this poynt in specyal As ferforthly as I haue wyst
yf he besought Vpon what syde as euer it falle It is the werst vyce of alle Whiche of hym self hath most malyce For vnderstonde that euery vyce Som cause it hath wherof it groweth But of enuye no man knoweth Fro whens he cam but oute of helle For thus the wyse clerkes telle That no spyryt but of malyce By wey of kynde but on a vyce Is tempted by suche a waye Enuye hath kynde put a waye And of malyce hath his sturyng Wherof he maketh his bakbytyng And is hym self therof dyseased So may ther be no kynde pleased For ay the more that he enuyeth The more ayene hym self he plenyeth Thus stant enuyt in good espeyr To ben hym self the deuels heyr As he whiche is the next lyche And forthest from the heuen ryche For there he may neuer wone For thy my good dere sone If thou wold fynde a syker weye To lone put enuye aweye Myn holy fadre reson wolde That I this vyce esche we shold But yet to strengthe my courage If that ye wold in auauntage Therof set a recouere It were to me a grete desyre That I this vyce myght flee Now vnderstonde my sone see There is physyk for the seke And vertues for the vyces eke Who that the vyces wold esche we He mote by reson than sewe The vertues for by thylk weye He may the vyces done aweye For they to gydre maye not duelle For as the water of a welle Of fyre abateth the malyce Ryght so vertu fordoth the vyce Ayene enuye is charyte Whiche iâ— the modre of pyte That maketh a mans hert tendre That it may no malyce engendre In hym that is incline therin For his courage is tempred so That though he myght hym self releue Yet wold he not another greue But rather for to do plesaunce He bereth hym self the greuaunce So fayne he wold another case Wherof my sone for thyn ease Now â— tâ—ne a tale whiche I rede And vnderstond it wel I rede hIc ponit Confossor Exemplum de virtute cartatis centra Inuidi am Et narrat de Constantino E lene filio suo qiu cum Imperij Romani dig nitatem obtinuerat a morbo lepre in â—fectus medici pro sanitate recuperanda ipsum in sanguineâ— puerorum moseulorum balneare prepe suerant sed cum in numera multitudo matrum cum filijs huiusmodi medicine causa in circuitu palacij affuisset Imperator que corum gemitus clamores percepisset caritate motus ingemiscens sic agit O vere ipse est dominus qui se facit seruum pietatis Et his dictis statum suum cuncti potentis medele commuttens sui ipsiê° morbum pocius quam infancium mor tem benignus elegit vnde ipse quo an tâ—a paganê° lepresus extiterat ex vnda baptismatis renatê° vtrinsque materie taÌ„ corporis que anime diuine miraculo consecutus est salutem IMong the bokes of latyn I fynde it wryte of CoÌ„staÌ„tyn The worthy emperour of rome Suche infortunes to hym come When he was in his lusty age The lepre caught in his vysage And so forth ouer al aboute That he myght not ryden oute So left he both shelde spere As he that myght hym not bestere And holde hym in his chambre close Thorugh al the world the fame arose The grete clerkes ben assent And come at his commaaundement To trete vpon this lordes he le So long they to geder dele That they vpon this medycyne Appoynten hem determyne That in the maner as it stood They wold hym bathe in childes blode Within seuen yere age For as they sayen that shold a suage The lepre al the vyolence Whiche that they knewe of accidence And not by wey of kynde is falle And therto they acorden alle As for fynal conclusyon And tolden her oppynyon To themperour he anone His counseyl toke therupone With letters with seales oute They send in euery lond aboute The yong children for to seche Whoo 's blood they sayd shold be leche For themperours maladye There was ynough to wepe crye Among the modres when they herd How wofully this cause ferd But netheles they mote bowe And thus women ther come ynowe With children soukend on theyr tete There were many teres lete But were hem lyef or were hem lothe The women the children bothe In to the paleys forth be brought With many a sory hertes thought Of hem whiche of her body bore The children had so forlore Within a whyle shold see The modres wepe in her degre And many of hem a swoune falle The yong babyes cryeden alle This noyse arose this lord it herde And loked oute how it ferde He sawe as who sayd abrayd Oute of his slepe thus he sayd O thou dyuyne purueaunce Whiche euery man in the balaunce Of kynde hast formed to be lyche The pore is bore as is the ryche And dyeth in the same wyse Vpon the fool vpon the wyse Seken esse he le enter comune May not eschewe that fortune Whiche kynde hath in her lawe sett Her strengthe beaute ben set To euery man a lyche fre That she profereth no degre As in the dysposycyon Of bodely complexyon And eke of soule resonable The pore child is bore as able To vertu as the kynges sone For euery man his owne wone After the luste of his assaye The vyce or vertue chefe maye Thus stand al men fraunchysed But in estate they be deuysed To somme worshyp rychesse To some pouerte dystresse One lordeth another serueth But yet as euery man deserueth The world yeueth not his yeftes here But certes he hath grete matere To be of good condycyon Whiche hath in his subiectyon The men that ben of his semblaunce And eke he toke a remembraunce How that he made lawe of kynde Wolde euery man to lawe bynde And bad a man suche as he wold Toward hym self ryght suche he shold Toward another done also And thus this worthy lord al tho Set in balaunce his owne estate And with hym self stood in debate And thought how it was not good To see so mochel mans blood Be spylt by cause of hym alone He sawe also the grete mone Of that the moders were vnglade And of the wo the childre made Wherof that his hert tendreth And suche pyte within engendreth And that hym was leuer for to chese His owne body for to lese Than see so grete a mordre wrought Vpon the blood which gylteth nought Thus for the pyte whiche he toke Al other leches he forsoke And put hym oute of auenture Al only in to goddes cure And sayth who that wol mayster be He mote be seruaunt to pyte So ferforth he was ouercome With charyte that he hath nome His counseyll his offycers And bad vnto his tresorers That they his tresour al aboute Departe among the pouer route And of wymmen of chyldren bothe Wherof they myght hem fede
the dede And comonlyche at euery nede The worst speche is rathest herd And leued tyl it be ansuerd The kynges the lordes grete Begonne Horestes for to threâ—â— To putten hym out of his regne He is not worthy for to regne The child whiche slough his moder soo They sayde therupon also The lordes of comon assent The tyme sett of parlement And to Athenys kyng lord To gederâ—come of one acord To knowe how the sothe was So that Horestes in this cas They senden after they come Kyng Men â—lay the wordes nome And axeth hym of this matere And he that al it myght here Ansuerd told his tale at large And how the goddes in his charge Commaunded hym in suche a wyse His owne hond to do Iuyse With this tale a Duk arose Whiche was a worthy knyght of lose His name was Menesteus And sayd vnto the lordes thus The wreche whiche Horestes dede At was thyng of the goddes â—edâ— And no thynge of his ocuelte And yf there were of ony degre An al this plaâ—â— suche a knyght That wol seyn it was no ryght I wol it with my body proue And therupon he cast his gloue And eke this noble duk Alleyde Ful many another skylle he seyde She had wel deserued wreche Fyrst for the cause of spouse breche And after wrought in suche a wyse That al the world it ought agryse When that she for so foul a vyce Was of her owne lord Mordryce They sytten al stylle herde But therto was noman ansuerde At ought hem alle he sayd skylle There is noman wythsey it wylle When they vpon the reson musen Horestes alle they â—â—cusen So that with grete solempnyte He was vnto his dygnyde Receyned coroned kyng And tho byfel a wondre thyng Egyona when she it wyst Whiche was the doughter of Egyst And suster on the modre syde To thys Horeste at thylaÌ„ tyde When she herd ho whis broder sped For pure sorowe whiche her led That he had len â—xyled She bath her owne lyf begyled Anone henge hyr self tho At hath shal be euermo To mordre who that wol assente He may not fayle to repente This fals Egyona was one Whiche to mordre Agamenone Yaue her acord her assent So that by goddes Augement Though none other man it wolde She took her Iuyse as she sholde And as she to another wrought Vengeaunce vpon her self she thought And hath of hyr vnhappy wyt A mordre with a mordre quyt Suche is of mordre the vengeaunce For thy my sone in remembraunce Of this ensample take good frede For who that thynketh his loue spede With mordre he shal with worldes shame Hym self eke his loue shame My fadre of this auenture Whiche ye haue told A yow assure Myn hertiâ— fory for to here But only for A Bold here What is to done what to leue And ouer this by your leue That ye me wold telle A prâ—y Af there be leful ony weye Withoute synne a man to slee My sone in sondry wyse ye What man that is of Traytorye Of mordre or elles Robberye Atteynt the Iuge shal not bet But he shal sleen of pure def And doth grete syune yf that he woÌ„de For who that lawe hath vpon honde And spareth for to do Iustyce For mercy doth not his offyce That he his mercy so be wareth When for one shrewe whiche he spareth A thousand good men he greueth Which suche mercy as who that bileueth To please god he is deceyned Or elles more reson be weyued The lawe stood or we were bore How that a kynges swerd is bore An sygne that he shal defende His peple make an ende Of suche as wolden hem deuoure Lo thus my sone to socoure The lawe comon ryght to wynne A man may shee withoute synne Aud therof a grete almesse So for to kepe ryght wyseuesse And ouer this for this contre An tyme of werre a man is fee Hym self his â—ous eke his lond Defende with his owne hond And slayne yf that he maye no bet After the lawe whiche is set Now fadre than A you byseche Of hem that dedely werres seche An worldes cause shedâ—n lobod Af suche an homycyde is good Confessor My sone vpon thy questyon The trouthe of myn oppynyon Ale ferforth as my wyt arecheth And as the pleyn lawe techeth A wold the telle in euydence To reule with thy conscyence Quod creat iyse deê° nâ—eat hoc homicida creatum â—ltor humano sanguine sâ— git humum Vt pecoris sic est hominis cruor heu hoÌ„ fusus Victa iacet pietas furoâ— vrget opus Angelus in term pax dixit vltima Cristi Verba so nent pacem quam mâ— guerra fugat Hic sequitur contra â—â—otoâ—â—s guerre que non solum homicidij sed vniuer se mnndi desolacionis mater existit tHe hyghe god of his iustyce That ylke foule horryble vyce Of Homycyde he hath forbede By Moyses as it was bede When goddes sone also was bore He sente his Aungel doune therfore Whome the shepeherdes herde synge â—â—es to the men of welwyllynge In erthe among vs here So for to speke in this matere After the lawe of charyte There shal no dayly werre be And eke nature it hath defended And in hyr lawe pees comended Whiche is the chyef of mannes welthe Of mannes lyf of mannes helthe But dedely werre hath this couyne Of pestylence of famyne Of pouerte of al woo Wherof this world we blamen so Whiche now the werre hath vnderfote Tyl god hym self therof do bote For al thyng whiche god hath wrouÈt In erthe werre it bryngeth to nought The chirche is brent the prest is slayn The wyf the mayde is the forlayn The lawe is lord god vnserued I not what mede he hath deserued That suche werres ledeth Inne If that he do it for to wynne Fyrst to acompte his grete cost Forth with the folk that he hath losâ— As to the worldes rekenyng There shal he fynde no wynnyng And yf he do it to purchace The heuen mede of suche a grace I can not speke netheles Cryst hath commaunded loue peâ—â— And who that worcheth the reuers I trowe his mood is ful dyuersâ— And sythen â–ª that â–ª we fynde The werres in her owne kynde Ben toward god of no deserte And eke they bryngen in pouertâ— Of worldes good it is merueyle Among the men what it maye eyle That they vs a pees ne conne set I trowe synne be the let And euery mede of synne is deth So wote I neuer how it geth But we that be of one byleue Among oure self this world I leue That better it were pees to chese Than so by double weye lese I not yf that it now so stonde But this a man may vnderstonde Who that these old lokes redeth That one is Couetyse whiche ledeth And brought the fyrst werres inne At grece yf that I shal begynne
There was it proued how it stood To Perse whiche was ful of good They maden werre in especyal Anâ— soo they dyden oâ—eral Where grete rychesse was in lond So that they left no thyng stond â—n werred but only Archade Nota ê™ greci omnem terram deâ—ellabant fertilem sed tantum ArchadiaÌ„ pro eo quam pauper et steriâ—â—s fuit pacifiâ—â— dimiserunt For there they no werres made By cause it was bareyn pouer Wherof they myght not recouer And thus pouerte was forbore He that nought had nought â–ª hath lore But yet it is â–ª a wondre thyng When that a ryche worthy kynge Or other lord what so he be Wol axe clayme propyrte In thyng whiche he hath no ryght But only of his grete myght For this may euery man wel wyte That bothe kynde lawe wryte Expressely stonde there ageyn But he mote nedes somwhat seyn Al though â–ª there be no reson ynne Whiche seche cause â–ª for to wynne For wyt that his wyl oppressed When couetyse hym hath redressed And al reson put awey He can wel fynde suche a wey To werre where as euer he lyketh Wherof that he the word entryketh That many a man of hym coÌ„pleyneth But yet alwey somme cause he feyneth And of his wrongful hert hath demed That al is wel that euer hym semed Br so he may wynne ynough For as the trewe man to the plough Only to the gaygnage entendeth Ryght so the werryour dyspendeth His tyme hath no conscyence And in this poynt for euydence Of hem that suche werres make Thou myght a grete ensample take How they hyr tyrannye excusen Of that they wrongful werres vsen And they stonde of one acord The Sâ—udyour forth with the lord The poure man forth with the ryche As of courage they ben lyche To make werres to pyle For lucre for none other skyle Wherof a propyr tale I rede As it whylome byfell in dede hIc declarat per Exemplum coÌ„tra istos principes seu alios quos cumque illicite guerre motores Et narrat de quodam Pirata in partiâ—ê° mari nis spoliatore qui cum captus fuisset in iudicium coram Rege Alexandro productus de latricinio accusatê° dixit O Alexandre vere quia cum pau cis socijs spoliorum causa naues tantuÌ„ exploro â–ª ego latrunculus vâ—ooâ— tu auteÌ„ qâ—â—a cum infinita bellatorum multitu dine vniuersam terram subiuganâ—o spoliasti Imperator diceres Ita quam sta tus tuus a statu meo differt sed eodeÌ„ animo condicionem paâ—â—lem habemus Alexander vero eius audaciam in responsione comprobans penes se familiarem retinuit Et sic bellicosus bellatori complaâ—â—t oF hym al this erthe drad When he the world so ouerlad Thurgh werre as it fortuned is Kyng Alysaunder I rede this How in a marche where he lay It felle par chaunce vpon a day A Rouer of the see was nome Whiche many a man had ouercome And slayn take her good awaye This Pylour as the boks saye A famous man in sondry stede Was of the werkes whiche he dede This prysoner afore the kyng Was brought therupon this thyng In audyence was he accused And he his dede hath nought excused And praid the kyngÌ„ to done hym ryÈt And seyd Syre yf I were of myght I haue an hert lyche vnto thyn For yf thy power were myn My wylle is moost in especyal To ryfle to gete oueral The large worldes good aboute But for I lede a poure route And am as who sayth at meschyef The name of Pylour of thyef I bere thou whiche Routes grete Maye lede take thy beyete And dost ryght as I wold doo Thy name is nothyng cleped so But thou art named Emperour Oure dedes ben of one colour And in effect of one deserte But thy Rychesse my pouerte They be not taken euen lyche And nethâ—lâ—â— he that â—s ryche This day to morowe he may by poure And in contrary also receuer A pouer man to grete ryches Men seyn for thy ryghtwysenes Be peyced euen in the balaunce The kyng his hardy contenaunce Behelde his wordes wyse And sayd vnto hym in this wyse Thyne ansuere I haue vnderstonde Wherof my wyl â—e that thou stonde In my seruyce stylle abyde And forth with al the same tyde He hath hym â—â—â—me of lyf witholde The more for he shal beholde He made hym knyght yaf hym lond Whiche afterward was of his hond Aâ— orped knyght in many a stede And grete prowesse of armes dede As the Cronyke it recorden And in this wyse they acorden The whiche of one â—â—ndycyâ—n Be sett vpon destructyon Suche Capytayne suche retenue But for to see what yssue The kyng befallyth at the laste In his grete wondre what men caste Her â—â—â—t vpon suche wrong to wynne Where no beâ—â—â—e may be Inne And deth dyâ—â—se on euery syde But when reson is put a syde And wylle gâ—nerneth the courage The fauâ—â—n with that fleeth ramage And suffreth no thyng in the weye Wherof that he may take his preye Is not more set vpon rauyne Than ylk man whiche his couyne Hath set in suche maner wyse For al the world ne may suffyse To wyl whiche is not resonable Wherof ensample concordable Lyche to this poynt of whiche I mene Was vpon Alysander sene Whiche had set al his entent So as fortune with hym went That the reson myÈt hym not gouerne But of his wylle he was so sterne That al the world he ouerâ—an And what hym lyst he took wan In inde the superyour When that he was ful conquerour And had his wylful purpoos wonne Of al this erthe vnder the sonne This kyng homeward to Macedoyne When that he cam to Babyloyne And wende moost in â–ª his empyre As he whiche was lord syre In honour for to be receyued Moost sodenlyche he was deceyued And with strong poyson enuenynâ—â—d And as he hath the world mystymed Not as he shold with his wyt Not as he wold it was acquyt Thus was he slayn that whylome slongh And he whiche ryche was ynough This day to morowe had nought And in suche wyse as he was wrouÈt In dysturbaunce of worldes pees His werre he fonde than endeles In whiche for euer dyscomfyte He was â–ª lo now for what proufyte Of werre it helpeth for to ryde For couetyse worldes pryde To slee the worldes men aboute As bestes whiche gone ther oute For ony lyf whiche reson can Ought wel â–ª to knowe that a man Ne shold thorugh no tyrannye Lyche to these other bestes dye Tyl kynde wold for hym sende I not how he it myght amende Whiche taketh awey for euermore The lyf that he may not restore For thy my sone in al weye Be wel auysed I the preye Of slaught or that thou be culpable Withoute cause resonable My fadre vnderstonde it is That ye haue sayd but ouer this I pray you
And seyth that he is mochel holde For whylome Theucer in a stede Grete grace socour to hym dede And sayth that he hym wold acquyte And prayth his fadre to respyte Achilles tho withdrough his hond But al the power of the lond When that they sawe hyr kyng thus take They fled hath the fâ—ld forsake The grekes vnto the chaas falle And for the moost part alle Of that countre the lordes grete They took wonne a grete beyete And anone after this vyctorye The kyng whiche had memorye Vpon the grete mercy thought Which the laphus toward hym wrouÈt And in presence of al the londe He took hym fayre by the honde And in this wyse he gan to seye My sone I mote by double weye Loue desyre thyn encrees Fyrst for thy fadre Achilles Whylome ful many a day or this When I shold fare amys Rescouse dyd in my quarele And kepte al myn estate in hele How so ther falle now dystaunce Among vs yet remembraunce I haue of mercy whiche he dede Than â–ª thou now in this stede Of gentylnes of fraunchesse Hast do mercy the same I gesse So wol I not that ony tyme Be lost of that thou hast do byme For how so this fortune falle Yet stant my trust abouen alle For the mercy whiche I now fynde That thou wolt after this â—e kynde And for that suche is myn espeyr And for my sone for myn he yre I the receyue al my lond I yeue sese in to thyn honde And in this wyse they accorde The cause was myserycorde The lordes do her obeysaunce To Thelaphus purueaunce Was made so that he was coroned And thus was mercy reguerdoned Whiche he to Theucer dyde to fore Loo this ensample is made therfore That thou myght take remembraunce My sone when thou seest a chaunce Of other mens passyon Take pyte compassyon And lete no thynge to the be leef Whiche to another man is greef And after this yf thou desyre To stonde ayene the vyce of Ire Counseyl the with pacyence And take in to thy conscyence Mercy to be thy gouernour So shalt thouâ—fynde no rancour Wherof thyn herte shal debate With homycyde ne with hate For cheste or melancolye Thou shalt be softe in companye Withoute conteck or foolhast For elles myght thou long wast Thy tyme or that thou haue thy wylle Of loue for the wedyr stylle Men preyse blame the tempestes My fadre I wol do your hestes And of this poynt ye haue me tauÈt Toward my self the better saught I thenke bewayle whyle that I lyne But for as moche as I am shryne Of wrathe al his circumstaunce Yeue that ye lyst to my penaunce And axe forther of my lyf Yf other wyse I be gyltyf Of ony thyng that toucheth synne My sone or we departe a twynne I shal behynde no thynge leue Amans My good fadre with your leue Than axe forth what you lyste For I haue in you suche tryste As ye that be my soule hele That ye fro me nothyng wol hele For I shal telle you the trouthe My sone art thou culpable of slouthe In ony poynt whiche to hym longeth My fadre of tho poyntes me longeth To wyte pleynly what they mene So that I maye me shryue clene Now herkne I shal the pointes deuyse And vnderstonde wel myn appryse For shryfte stant of no value To hym that wol hym not vertue To leue of vyces the folye For wynd is word but the maystrye Is that a man hym self defende Of thyng whiche is not to comende Wherof ben fewe now a daye And netheles so as I may Make vnto thy memorye knowe The poyntes of slouthe thou shalt knowe Explicit liber Tercius Incipit liber quartus dIcuÌ„t accidiaÌ„ fore nutriâ—em viaoruÌ„ Corpet in cunctis tarda que lenta bonis Que fieri possent hodie transfert piger in ceas Furato que prius hostia clandit equo Poscenti tardo negat emolumeÌ„ta cupi do Sed venê° in câ—beri ludit amore viri Iâ— in quarto libro loquitur con 〈◊〉 fessor de speciebus Accidie qua 〈◊〉 primam tardacionem vocat cuius â—â—â—diciouem pertractans Amanti suâ—â— hoc consequenter opponit bPon the vyces to procede After the cause ofemaÌ„nes dede The fyrst poynt of slouthe I calle Lachesse and is the chyef of alle Aud hath this properly of kynde To leuen al thyng behynde Of that he myght do now here He taryeth al the long yere And euermore he sayth to morowe And so he wol his tyme borowe And wyssheth after god me sende Than when he weneth to haue an ende Than is he forthest to begynne Thus bryngeth he many meschief Inue Vnware tyl that he be mescheued And may not than be releued And ryght so nother more ne lesse It stant ofloue of lachesse Somtyme he slouteth on a daye That he neuer after gete may Now sone as of this ylke thyng If thou haue ony knoulechyng That thou to loue hast done or this Telle on my good fadre yis As of laches I am be knowe That I may stonde vpon his rowe As I that am clad of his sute For when I thought my pursute To make therto set a day To speke vnto the swete may Lachesse bad abyde yet And bare on hond it was no wyt Ne tyme for to speke as tho Thus with his tales to fro My tyme in taryeng he drough When ther was tyme good ynough He sayd another tyme is better Thou shalt now sende here a letter And par caas wryte more pleyn Than thou by mouthe durst seyn Thus haue I lete tyme slyde For slouthe kept not my tyde So that laches with his vyce Ful of be hath made my wyt so nyce That what I thought speke or do With taryeng be â—eld me so Tyl when I wold myght nought I not what thyng is in my thought Or it was drede or it was shame But euer in ernest in game I wote ther is no long tyme passed But yet is not the loue lassed Whiche I vnto my lady haue For though my tonge is slouÈ to ocaue At al tyme as I haue bede Myn hert stant euer in one stede And axe besylyche grace The whiche I may not yet embrace And god wote it is maulgre myn For this I wote ryght wel afyn My grace cometh so selde aboute That is the slouthe whiche I doute More than of al the remenaunt Whiche is to loue appertenaunt And thus as touchend of lachesse As I haue told I me confesse To yow my fadre Eâ—byseche That ferthermore ye wol me teche And yf ther be of this matere Som goodly tale for to lere How I may do lachesse awey That ye it wold telle I prey To wysse the my sonne rede Among the tales whiche I rede An old ensample therupon Now herkne I wol telle on hIc ponit Confessor Exemplum contra Istos
qui in amoris causa tardantes delinquunt Et narrat quali ter Dido Regina Eartaginis Eneam ab Incendijs Troie fugitiuum in amo rem suum gaiusa suscepit qui cum postea in partes Italie a Cartagine bella turum se transtulit ninuam que ibidem moram faciens tempus redditus sui ad Didonem vltra modum tardauit Ipsa intolieravili gaudio concussa sui cordis intima gladio transfodit aGeyne lachesse in loues caas I fynde how whylom Eneas Whome Anchyses to sone had With greete nauye which he lad Fro Troye arryueth at Eartage Where fo a while his herbergage He took betyd soo With hyr whiche was quene tho Of the Cyte his acqueyntaunce He wan whos name in remembrauÌ„ce Is yet Dydo she was hote Whiche loueth Eneas soo hote Vpon the wordes whiche he sayd That al hyr herte on hym she layd And dyd al holy what he wolde But after that as it be sholde Fro then he goth to Itayle By shyp thew his arryuayle Hath take shope hym for to ryde But she whiche may not long abyde The hote payne of loues throwe Anone within a lytel throwe A setter vnto hyr knyght hath wryte And dyde hym pseynsy for to wyte If he made ony tarying To dretche of his ayene comyng That she ne myght hym fele see She shold stonde in suche degree As whylome stood a swan to fore Of that she had hyr make â—ore For sorowe a fether in to her brayne She shoof hath hyr self slayn As kyng Menander in a lay The soth hath fonde where she lay Spraulend with her wynges tweye As she whiche shold than deye For loue of hym which was her make And so shal I do for thy sake This quene sayde wel I wote Lo to Enee thus she wrote With many another word of coÌ„pleynt But he which had his thoughtes feint Towardes loue ful of slouthe â—â—s tyme let that was routhe For she whiche loueth hym to fore 〈◊〉 euer more more And when she sawe hym tarye so Hyr hert was so ful of wo That compleynend manyfolde She hath hyr owne tale tolde Vnto her self thus she spack A who fonde euer suche a lack Of slouthe in ony worthy knyght Now wote I wel my deth is dyght Thurgh hym whiche shold haue be my â—yf But for to stynten al this stryf Thus when she syghe none other bote Ryght euen vnto her hert rote A naked sword anone she threste And thus she got hyr self reste In remembraunce of al slowe Wherof my sone thou myght knowe Hou taryeng vpon the nede In loues cause is for to drede And that hath Dydo sore abought Whoo 's deth shal euer be bethought And euermore yf I shal seche In this maner another speche In a Cronyke I fynde wryte A tale whiche is good to wyte His loquitur super eodem qualiter â—enolope vlixum maritum suum in obsidione Troie diucius morantem ob ipsius ibidem tardacionem epistola sua redargiut aT Twye when kyng Vlyxes Vpon the sege among the pres Of hem the worthy kniÈtes were Abode longe tyme stylle there In thylke tyme a man may see Hou goodly that Penolope Whiche was to hym his trewe wyf Of his lachesse waâ— pleyntyf Wherof to Troye she hym sende Hyr wylle by letter thus spekende My worthy loue lorde alsso It is hath be euer soo That where a woman is alone At maketh a man in his persoue The more hardy for to wowe In hope that she wolde bowe To suche thyuge as his wylle werr Whyle that here lord were elles where And of my self I telle this For it so long passed is Syth fyrste that ye from home went That we le nyhe euery man is went To come there I am whyle ye be oute And besyly eche of hem aboute Whiche loue can my loue secheth With grete prayer me bysecheth And somme maken grete manace That yf they myght come in place Where that they myght here wyl haue There is no thyng me shold saue That they ne wold worche thynges And somme telle me tydynges That ye he dede somme seyn That certeynly ye be beseyn To loue a newe leue me But holle as euer that it be I thanke vnto the goddes alle As yet for ought that is byfalle May no man do my chekes rede But netheles it is to drede That lachesse in contynuaunce Fortune myght werke suche aâ—chaunce Whiche nomanâ— after shal amende Loo thus thys lady compleynend A letter vnto hyr lord hath wryte And prayd hym that he wold wyte And thynke how that she was al his And that he tarye not in this But that he wold his loue acquyte To her ayeneward not wryte But come hym self in al hast That he none other paper wast Soo that he kepe holde his trouthe Withoute let of ony slouthe Vnto her lord loue lyege To Troye where the grete syege Was leyd this letter was conueyd And he whiche wysedom hath purueyd Of al that to reson belongeth With gentyl hert it vnderfongeth And when he hath it ouer rad In part he was ryght Inly glad And eke in part he was dysesed But loue his hert hath thorugh sesed With pure ymagynacyon That for none occupacyon Whiche he gan take on other syde He may not flyt his hert asyde For that his wyf hym had enformed Wherof he hath hym self conformed With al the wyl of his courage To shape take the â—yage Homeward what tyme that he may Soo that hym thynketh one day A thousand yere tyl he may see The â—ysage of Penolope Whiche he desyreth moost of alle And when the tyme was so byfalle That Troye was destroyed brent He made no delayment But goth hym home in al hyghe Where that he fond to fore his eye His worthy wyf in good estate And thus was seced the debate Of loue slouthe was excused Which doth gret harme where it is bsed And hyndreth many a cause honest Nota ad huc de quodam Astrologo super eodem qui quondam opê° ingeniosum quasi ad complementum septennius perducens vnius momenti tardacione omnem sui operis diligenciam pe nitus feustrauit For of the grete clerk Grostest I rede how redy that he was Vpon clergyr an hede of bras To make forge it for to telle Of suche thynges as befelle And seuen yeres besynesse He layde but for the lachesse Of half a mynute of an houre Fro fyrst that he began laboure He lost al that he had do And other whyle it fareth soo In loues cause who is slowe That he withoute vnder the wowe By nyght fue ofte stant a colde Whiche myght yf that he had wolde His tyme haue kept haue ben Inne Nota ad huc contra tardacionem de virginibus fatuis que niâ—â—iam moraÌ„ facientes intrante sponso ad nupaâ—â—s cum ipso non introterunt But slouthe may no profyt wynne But he may
the beaute of her face Ne yet for vertu ne for grace Whiche she hath elles ryght Inough But for the park for the plough And other thynges whiche therto loÌ„geth For in none otherwyse ther longeth To loue but yf they profyt fynde And yf the profyte be behynde Hyr loue is euer lesse lesse For after that she hath rychesse Here loue is of proporcyon If thou hast suche condycyon My sone telle ryght as it is Myn holy fader nay Iwys Condycyon suche haue I none For truly fader I loue one So well with al myn hertes thougÌ„ht That certes though she had nought And were as poure as Medea Whiche was exyled for Creusa I wold hyr nought the lesse loue Ne though she were at hyr aboue As was the Ryche quene Candaâ—e Whiche to deserue loue grace To Alysander that was kyng Yofe many a worthy ryche thyng Or elles as Pantasylee Whiche was the quene of Femyne And grete Rychesse with hyr nam When she for loue of Hector cam To Troye in rescous of the toune I am of suche condycyon That though my lady of hyr selue Where also ryche as suche twelue I couthe not though it were so No better loue hyr than I do For I loue in so pleyne a wyse That for to speke of couetyse As for pouerte or for rychesse My loue is nouther more ne lesse For in good feyth I tro we this So couetous no man is For why he my lady syghe That he thorugh lokyng of his eye Ne sholde haue suche a stroke withyn That for no gold he myght wyn He shold nought hyr loue asterte But yf he lefte there his herte Be so it were suche a man That couthe-skylle of a woman For there be men so rude some When they among the women come They gone vnder protectyon That loue his affectyon Ne shal not take hem by the sleue For they ben oute of that byleue Hem lusteth of no lady cheere But euer thynkend here there Where as the gold is in the Cofte And wol none other loue profre But who so wote what loue amouÌ„teth And by reson trulyche acompteth Then may he knowe taken hede That al the lust of womanhede Whiche may ben in a lady face My lady hath eke of grace If men shold yeuen here apryse They maye wel seye hou she is wyse And sobre symple of contenaunce And al that to good gouernaunce Belongeth of a worthy wyght She hath pleynly for thylk nyght That she was bore as for the nones Nature set in hyr al at ones Beaute with bounte so byseyn That I maye wel afferme seyn I sawe yet neuer creature Of comlyheede of feture In ony kynges Regyon Be lyche hyr in comparyson And therto as I haue you told Yet hath she more a thousand fold Of bounte and shortely to telle She is pure heede welle And myrroure ensample of good Who so hyr vertues vnderstood Me thynketh it ought ynough suffyse Withouten other couetyse To loue suche one to serue Whiche with hyr chere can deserue To be byloued better ywys Than she par cas that rychest is And hath of gold a mylyon Suche hath be myn opynyon And euer shal neuertheles I saye nought she is haueles That she nys ryche wel at ese And hath Inough where with to plese Of worldes good whome that hyr lyst But one thyng I wold wel ye wyst That neuer for no worldes good Myn hert vnto hyr ward stood But only ryght for purr loue That wote the hyghe god aboue Now fader what ye say therto Confessor My sone I saye it is wel doo For take of this ryght good byleue What man that wol hym self releue To loue in ony other wyse He shal wel fynde his couetyse Shal sore greue hym at last For suche a loue may not last But now men seyn oure dayes Men taken but a fewe assayes But yf the cause be rychesse For thy the loue is wel the lesse And who that wold ensamples telle By old dayes as they felle Than myght a man wel vnderstond Suche loue may not long stonde Now herkne sone thou shalt here A grete ensample of this matere Hic ponit Exemplum contra istos qui non propter amorem sed propter diuicias sponsalia sumunt Et narrat de quodam Regis Apubic Senescalla qui non solum propter pecuniam vxorem duxit sed eciam pecunie comeâ—cis vxorem sibi desponsatam vendidit tO trete vpon the cas of loue Soo as we tolden here aboue I fynde wryte a woÌ„der thyng Of puyle whysome was a kyng A man of hyghe complexyon And yong but his affectyon After the nature of his age Was yet not falle in his courage The lust of women for to knowe Soo it betyd vpon a throwe This lord felle in to grete sekenes Phisyk hath done the hesynes Of sondry cures many one To make hym hoole therupon A worthy mayster whiche ther was Yafe hym counseyl vpon this cas That yf he wold haue parfyte heele He shold with a woman dele A fresshe a yong a lusty wyght To done hym compauye a nyght For than he sayd hym redely That he shal be al hole ther by And otherwyse he knewe no cure This kyng which stode in auenture Of lyf deth for medycyne Assented was of couyne His styward whome he trusteth wel He took told hym euery del Hou that this mayster hath seyd And therupon he hath hym prayd And charged vpon his lygeaunce That he do make purueaunce Of suche one as be couenable For his plesaunce delytable And bad hym hou that euer it stood That he shal spare for no good For his wylle is ryght wel to paye The styward seyd he wold assaye Bnt now here after thou shalt wyte As I fynde in the bokes wryte What couetyse in loue doth This styward for to telle soth Amonges al the men on lyue A lusty lady hath to wyue Whiche netheles for gold he took And nouÈt for loue as seyth the book A ryche marchaunt of the lond Hyr fader was hyr fond So worthely suche Rychesse Of worldes good suche largesse With hyr he yafe in maryage That only for thylk auauntage Of gold the styward hath hyr take For lucre nought for loues sake And that was in the stiward wel sene Now herkne what it wol mene The styward in his owne herte Sowe that his lord may not asterte His maladye but he haue A lusty woman hym to saue And though he wold yeue Inough Of his tresour wherof he drough Grete couetyse in to his mynde And set his honour fer behynde Thus he whome gold hath ouerset Was trapped in his owne net The gold hath made his wyttes lame Soo that sechend his owne shame He rouneth in the kynges ere And seyd that he wyste where A gentyl a lusty one Tho was thyder wolde he gone But he mote yiue yeftes grete For
whyle suche tydyng The whiche shall make vs bothe gaâ—â— But for he wold kepe hyr name When that he wyst it was nyhe day He said adyeu my swete may And forth with hym he took his geâ—â— The whiche she bad take hym there And streyght vnto his chambre he weÌ„t And gothe to â—ed a slepe hym henâ— And lay that no man hym awoke For Hercules hede of hym toke Tyl it was vnder of the day more And than he ganne to syke sore And sodenly abrayed of slepe And than they took of hym kepe His chamberleyns â—en soone there And make redy al his gere And he awos and vnto the kyng He went and said how to that thyng For whiche he cam he wold go The kyng therfore was wonder woo And for he wold hym fayn withdraw He told hym many a dredeful saw But Iason wold it not recorde And at the last they were accorde When that he wold not abyde A â—ote was redy at the â—yde In that which this worthy knyÈt of greâ—â— Ful armed vp at euery pece To his batayle that belongeth Toke other on hond sore him longeth Till he the water passid were And whan he cam to that yâ—â— there He set hym on his knee doun strauÈl And his carecte as he was taught He rad made his sacryfyce And sythen anoynced hym mâ— wysâ— As Medea hym hath â—ede And than he arose hym fro the 〈◊〉 And with the glewe the fiâ—e he quâ—ynt He anone after gan ateynt The grete serpent and hym slough But erst he had sorowe ynough For that serpent made hym to trauaile So hard and sore of his batayle That now he stood now he felle For long tyme soâ— it be felle Thâ—t with his swerd ne with his spere He myght not that serpent dere It was so shelled al aboute It spyld al edge tole withoute He was soo rude and hard of skyn There myght no thyng goo ther in Venym and fire to geder he cast That he â—ason greued sore with blast And yf it had not ben his oynement His rynge his enchauntement The whiche Medea took hym beforn He had with that worm be lorn But thurgh the vertu that therof caâ— Iason the dragon ouercam And he anone the tethe oute drowe And set his oxen in a plowe With the whiche he brake a pece of â—ond And sewe hem with his owne â—ond Than myght he grete merueyle see Of euery tooth in his degre SpraÌ„g vp a knyÈt with spere sheld Of the whiche ryght anon 〈◊〉 the feld Echone slough other with that Iason not Medea forgat On bothe his knees he gan doune fall And gaâ— thankyng to the goddes all The flees he took gothe to the bote The sonne shyneth bryght hote The flees of gold shone forth with all The water glystered oueralle Medea weped and syghed ofte And stode vppon a to wre aloft Al pryuely within hir self There herd it not ten or twelf She prayd and said god hym spede The knyght that hath my maidenhede And dy she loked toward the yle And when she sawe within a whyle The flees glisteryng â—geyn the sonne She said O lord al is wonne My knyght the feld hath ouereomen Now wold god that he were comen O lord god I wold he were in londe But I dare take this on honde If that she had wynges two She wold haue flowen to hym tho Streyte there he was vnto the â—ote The day wâ—s clere the sonne was hote The grekes were in grete doute The whyle that hyr lord was oute They wise not what shold betyde But waited vpon the tyde To see what ende shold falle There stood also the nobles alle Footh with the comyn of the Towne And as they loked vp doune They were ware within a throwe Where as cam the bote as they wel know And saw how â—ason brought his prey And than they gan al to sey And â—â—yden of with one sreuen O where was euer vnder heuen So noble a knyght as Iason is And wel nyâ—e al saiden this That Iason was a fayre knyght 〈…〉 t was neuer of mans myght The â—â—â—es of gold so for to wynne And thus to talk they begynne 〈…〉 that the kyng forth anone 〈◊〉 sawe the flees how that shone And when Iason cam to the londe The kyng hym self took his honde And kyssed hym â–ª and greete ioyr made â—he grekes were wonder glade And of the thyng right mery thought And forth with hym that flees they broÈt And euery man gan prece in For well was hym that myght wyn To see there of the propyrte And thus they passen the Cyte And gone vnto the place straught Medea the whiche forgate hyr naught Was redy there and saiâ— anone Welcome O worthy knyght Iason She wold haue kyst hym woÌ„der fayne But shame borned hyr agayne It was not the maner as tho For thy she durst not do so She took hyr leue and Iason wenâ—e In to his chambre she hym sente Hyr maide to see how he ferd The whiche whan she sawe and herdâ— How that he had faren oute And that it stood wel al aboute She told hyr lady what she wist And she for ioye hyr mayden kyst The bathes were than arrayd With herbes tempred and assayd And Iason was vnarmed soonâ— And dyde as it befelle to done In to his bathe he went anone And wysshe hym clene as ony â—one He took a soppe and oute he came And on his best array he name And kempt his hede when he was glad And goth hym forth al mery glad Ryght streyght in to the kynges hallâ— Aâ—pmg the grete lordes alle And made hym glad welcomyng And he hem told the tythyng Of this that how it befelle When that he wan the shepes felle Medea when she was after sent Came soone to that parlement And when she myght Iason see Was none so glad of al as she There was no ioye for to seche Of hym made euery ma n a speche Som men said one somme saide other But though he were goddes broder And myght make fire and thonder There myght be no more wonder Then was of hym in that Cyde Eche man taught other this is he That hath in his power within That al the world myght not wyn Lo here the best of al goode Thus seid they that there stood And also that walked vp and doune Bothe of the Court of the towne The tyme of souper cam anone They wysshen therto they gone Medea was with Iason set Tho was there many a deynte fet And set to â—ore hem on the boord But none soo lykyng as the word Which was ther spoke amoÌ„g hem two Soâ— as they dorst speke tho But though they â—adden lytyl space Yet they acorden in that place How Iason shold come at nyght When euery torche euery lyght Were oute than of other thynges They speken a loude for supposynges Of hem that stoden there aboute For loue is
whiche hath a route of his couyne Rauyne among the maystres dwelleth And with his seruauÌ„tes as men telleth Extorcion is now witholde Rauyne of other mennes folde Maketh his lord payeth nought For where as euer it may be sought In his how 's ther shall no thyng lack And that ful ofte abyeth the pack Of poure men that dwellen aboute Thus stoÌ„deth the comyn peple in doute The whiche can doo none amendement For whan hym fayleth payment Rauyne maketh none other skyle But taketh by strengthe what he will So ben other in the same wyse Louers as I shal deuyse That whan not els may auayle Anone with strengthe they assayle And gete of loue the sesyne When they see the tyme by Rauyne Of loue Certes fader no For I my lady loue soo For though I were as was Pompey That al the world me wold obey Or els suche as Alisandre I wold not do suche a sclaundre He is no good man that soo doth In good feyth sone thou seyst sooth For he that wol of purueannce By suche a weye his lust auaunce He shal it after sore abye But yf these old examples lye Now good fader telle me one So as they conne many one Touchend of loue in this matere Now lysten my sone thou shalt here So as it hath befallen or this In loues cause how that it is A man to take the Rauyne The pray the whiche is femenyne Hic ponit Exemplum contra istos in amoris causa raptores Et narrat qualiter Pandyon Rex Athenensis du as filias progne auteÌ„ Regi Tracie terres desponsata contigit quod cum Tereus ad instanciam vxoris sue Philomenam de Athenis in Traciam sorore visitacionis causa secum quadam vice perduceret in concupiscenciaÌ„ Philoment tanta seueritate in Itinere dilapsus est quod non solum ipse violencia sue rapine virginitateÌ„ oppressit sed et ipsiue linguam non factum detegeret forpice intulauit vnde imperpetue memorie cro nicam tanti raptoris postea vindicaruÌ„t tHer was a ryal noble kyng A ryche of al worldes thyng The whiche of his propre enherytaÌ„ce Athenis had in gouernaunce And who so thynketh therupon His name was kyng Pandyon Two doughters had he by his wyf The whiche he loued as his lyf The first doughter proygne hyght The second as she wel myght Was called faire philomene To whom felle after moche tene The fader of his purueaunce His doughter Proygne wold auance And gaf hir vnto maryage A worthy kyng of his lygnage A noble knyght also of his honde So was he kyd in euery lond Of Trace he hyght Thereus The Clerk Ouyde telleth thus This thereus his wyfe home ladde A lusty lyf with hir he hadde Till it be felle vppon a tyde This Proygne as she lay hym besyde Bethought hyr how that it myght be That she hir suster myght see And to hyr lord hir wylle she said With goodly wordes hym praid That she to hyr myghe goo And yf it lyked hym not so That than he wold hym self wende Or els by somme other sende The whiche myght hir dâ—re sufter grete And shape how they myght mete Hir lord anone to that he herd Gaue his acord thus answerd I wille he said for youre sake The wey after youre suster take My self and bryng hir yf I may And she with that there as she lay â—igan hym in hir armes to clyppe And kyssed hym with hyr softe lyppe And said syre graunt mercy And he sone after was redy And tooke his leue for to go In sory tyme dyd he soo This thereus goth forth to shippe And with hym his felaushippe By see the right cours he nam In to the Countrey til he cam Where Philomene was dwellyng And of hyr suster the tydyng He told than they were glade And mochel ioye of hym they made The fader and the moder bothe To leue hir doughter they were lothe But yf they were in presence And neuertheles at the reuerence Of hym that wolde hym self trauaile They wold not that he shold faile Of that he praid to gyue hir leue And she that wold not behynde leue In al hast made hir â—are Toward hir suster for to fare With Thereus and forth she went And be with his hole entent When she fro hir frendes is gone So sottith hym on hyr loue anone That his eyen myght he not withoâ—â— That he ne must on hyr behold And with the sight he gan desyre And set his owne herte a fyre And fire when it to towe approchetâ— To hym anone the strengthe â—â—rocheth Till with his hete it be deuoured The towe ne may be succoured And so that Tiraunt rauener When that she was in his power And he therto sawe tyme and space And he that lose hath al grace Forgate he was a wedded man And in a rage on hir he ran Ryght as a wolf that taketh his pray And she bygan to â—â—ye pray O my fader and moder dere Now help but they ne myght it here And she was of to lytel myght Defence ageyne so rude a knyght â— To make when he was so woode That he no reson vnderstoode But helde hir vnder in suche a wyse That she myght not arise But say oppressid and dysesed And yf a Goushauke had seysed A byrd the whiche durst not for fâ—â—â— Remeue and thus this Tiraunt theâ—â— Byâ—aft suche thyng as men seyn May neuer more be yolden ageyn And that was the Vyrgynyâ—â— Of suche â—auyn was pyâ—â— But when she to her self came And of meschyef hede name And knewe how that she was no maid With woful herte thus she said O thou of al men the werse Where was there euer man that dersâ— Doo suche a dede as thou hast do That day shall falle I hope soo That I shalle telle oute my fylle And with my speche I shall fulfille The wyde world in â—rede and lengthe That thou hast done to me with strâ—gth And yf that I among the peple dwelle Vnto the peple I shall it telle And yf I be with in walle Of stones closed than I shalle Vnto the stones clepe and â—â—yâ— And telle hem al the felonye And yf I to the wodes wende There shalle I â—â—le â—llâ— aâ— enâ—â— And crye it to the byrdes oute That they shall here it al aboute For I so lowde shall reherse That my voyce shall the heuen perce That it shalle sowne in goddes erâ— O fals man where is thy fere O more â—â—uel than ony beest How shalt thou hold thy byheste The whiche thou vnto my suster madesâ— O thou that al loue vngladese And arte ensample of al vntrewe Now wold god my suster knewe Of thyn vntrouthe how that it stood And he than as a lyon wode With his vnhappy hondes stronge He caught her by the tresses longe With the whiche he bond hir armes That was a feble dede of armes And to the grounde anone hyr case And oute
tho But not vpon his wyt bygete But els where he myght hem get Of whiche he had knowe Suche was the world that ylk throwe And so he was of children ryche And therof was no man hym lyche Of parlement the day was come There ben the lordes al some Tho was prouounced purposed And all the cause hem was disclosed How Anthenor in grece ferde They sytten ay stylle and herde And tho spak euery man aboute There was alledged many a doute And many a prowde word spoke also But for the moost partye as tho They wysten not what was the best Or for to werre or for to rest But he that was withoute fere Hector among the lordes there His tale told in suche a wyse And said lordes ye ben wyse Ye knowen this as wel as I Aboue al other moost worthy Stant now in grete manhode Of worthynes and of knyghthode For who so will it wel agrope To hem bylongeth al Europe Whiche is the thyrd parte euen Of alle the world vnder the heuen And we be but folke a fewe So were it reson to eschewe The perylle or we falle therin Better is to leue than to bygyn Thyng whiche may not be acheued He is not wyse that fynde hym greued And doth so that his greue be more For who that loketh all to fore And wylle not see what is behynde He may ful ofte his harmes fynde Wyck is to strif haue the worse We haue encheson for to corse This wote I wel for to hate The grekes but or we debate With hem that ben of suche a myght It is ful good that euery wyght Be of hym self ryght wel bythought But as for me thus sey I nought For whyle that my lyf may stonde If that ye taken werre in honde Falle it to the best or to the werst I shall my seluen be the ferst To greue hem what euer I may I stylle not ones say nay To thyng which that your coūceil demeth For vnto me more wel it quemeth The werre certes than the pees But this I say netheles As me belongeth for to say Now shape ye the best way Whan Hector had said his deuyse Next after hym tho spak paryse Whiche was his broder and alyed When hym best thought thus he seid Strong thyng it is to suffer wrong And suffre shame is more stronge But we haue suffred both the two And for al that yet haue we doo What soo we myght to reforme This wrong shame in better forme Sente Anthenor as ye wel knowe And they hir grete wordes blowe Vppon hir wrongfull dedes eke And who that wol not hym self meke To pees lyst no reson take Men seyn Reson wyll hym forsake For in the multitude of men Is not the strengthe for with ten It hath be sene in trewe quarele Ayene an honderd haluendele And hath the better by goddes grace Thus hath befalle in many place And yf it lyke vnto yow alle I wylle assay how so it bifalle Oure enemy yf I may greue For I haue caught a grete byleue Vpon a pleyne poynt I wol declare This yonder day as I gan fare To hunte vnto the grete herte Whiche was to fore my houndes sterte And euery man went on his syde Hym to pursewe and I to ryde Bigan to chase sooth to say Within a whyle oute of my way I rode nyst where I was And slope me caught on the grasse Beside a welle I leyd me doune To slepe and in a vysyoun To me the god Mercurye came Goddesses thre with hym he name Mynerue Venus and Iuno And in his hond an Appel tho He held of gold with lettres wryte And thus he dyd me to wyte How that they put hem vpon me That to the fayrest of hem thre Of gold that Appel shold I gyue With eche of hem I was shryue And echone faire me behyght But Venus said yf that she myght That Appel of my gyfte gete She wold it neuermore forgete And said how that in grece londe She wold brynge in to my honde Of al this erthe the fayrest So that me thought it for the best To hyr and yaf that appel tho Thus hope I well yf that I goo But she for me wylle so ordeyne That they matere for to pleyne Shal haue or that I come ageyne Now haue ye herd that I wold seyne Saye ye what stont in youre auyse And euery man tho said his And sondry causes they recorde But at the last they acorde That parys shall to grece wende And thus the parlement took an ende Cassandre when she herd of this The whiche to parys suster is Anone she gan to wepe and wayle And said alas what may vs ayle Fortune with hir blynd whele Ne wylle not lete vs stonde wele For this I dare wel vndertake That yf parys his wey take As it is seid that he shal doo We ben euer than fordoo This mayden Cassandre hyght In al the world as it bereth syght In bookes as men fynde wryte Is that Sybell of whome ye wyte That al men yet clepen sage Whan that she wyst of this vyage How Parys shold to grece fare No woman myght werse fare Ne sorowe more than she dyde And ryght so in the same stede Ferd Helenus whiche was hir broder Of prophecy and suche another And al was holde but a iape So that purpoos whiche was shape Or were hem leef or were hem lothe Was holde and in to grece goth This parys with his retenaunce And as it felle vpon his chaunce Of grece he londeth in an yle And hym was told that same whyle Of folk whiche he began to freyne Tho wás in that yle quene Eleyne And eke of countrees there aboute Of ladyes many a lufty rowte With mochel worthy peple also And why they comen thedertho The cause stood in suche a wyse For worship and for sacryfyse That they to Venus wold make As they to fore had vndertake Some of good wyll some of biheste For than was hir hyhe feste Within a Temple whiche was there Whan parys wyst what they were Anone he shope his ordynaunce To gone te done his obeysaunce To Venus on hir hooly day And dyd vpon his best aray With grete rychesse he hym behongeth As it to suche a lord longeth He was not armed netheles But as it were in londe of pees And thus he gothe oute of ship And taketh with hym his felauship In suche maner as I yow say Vnto the temple he hold his way Tydyng whiche gothe oueral To grete smal forth with all Come to the quenes ere told How parys come that he wold Doo sacryfyce vnto Venus And whan she herd telle thus She thought how that euer it be That she wylle hym abyde and see Forth cometh parys with glad vysage In to the temple on pylgremage Where vnto Venus the goddesse He yeueth offreth grete rychesse And prayeth hyr that he pray wold On that other syde he
grete vnderstondyng is In mans soule resonable I thynke to telle is no fable Hic ponit exemplum contra istos de licatos Et narrat de diuite et LaÈaro quorum gestns m euangelio lucasuidencius describit oF Cristes worde who wil it rede How that this vyce is for to drede In the euangely it telleth pleyne wiche must algate be certeyne For crist hym self bereth wytnesse And though the clerk the clergesse In latyn tong it rede and synge Yet for the more knowlechyng Of trouthe whiche is good to wyte I shall declare as I it wrâ—te In Englysâ—he for thus it bigan Crist seith there was a ryche man A myghty lord of grete estate And he was eke so delycate Of his clothyng that euery day Of purpir bice he made hym gay And ete and drank to his fylle After the lustes of his wylle As he whiche stood al in delyce And took no hede of thylk vyce And as it shold so betyde A poure LaÈar vpon a tyde Came to the gate axeth mete But there myght he no thyng gete His dedely honger for to staunche But he whiche had his ful paunche Of all lustes at the bord Ne deyneth not to speke a word Onlyche a Cromme for to yeue Wherof the peure myght leue Vpon the yeft of his almesse Thus lay this poure in grete distresse Acâ—lde hongred at the gate For whiche he myght goo no gate So was he woful besene That there as he lay on the grene The houndes comen fro the halle Where that this sike man was falle And as he lay there for to dye The woundes of his maladye They lyeken for to done hym ese But he was full of suche dysese That he may not the deth escape But as it was that tyme shape The so wle fro the body passeth And he whome no thyng ouerpasseth The hyghe god vp to the heuen Hym took where he hath set hym euen In Abrahams barme on hyghe Where he the heuens ioyr sighe And had all that he haue wold And felle as it befalle shold This ryche man this same throwe With sodeyne deth was ouerblowe And forth withouten ony went In to helle streyght he went The fende in to the fire hym drough Where that he had peyne ynough Of flamme whiche that euer brenneth And as his eye aboute renneth Toward the heuen he cast his loke Where that he sawe hede tooke How LaÈar set was in his see As ferre as euer he myght see With Abraham than he prayde Vnto the patriarke and sayde Sende LaÈar doune fro thylk sete And doo that he his fynger wete In water so that he may droppe Vpon my tonge for to stoppe The grete hete in whiche I hrenne But Abraham auswerd thenne And seid to hym in this wyse My sone thou the myght auyse And take in thy remembraunce How Lalar had grete penaunce Whyles he was in that other lyf But thou in al thy lusty iolyf The bodely delytes soughtest For thy so as thou than wroughtest Now shalt thou take to thy reward Of dedely payne herafter ward In helle whiche shall ener last And this LaÈar now at the last The worldes payne is ouer ronnâ— In heuen he hath his lyf begonne Of ioye whiche is endeles But that thou praydest neuertheles That I shal LaÈar to the sende With water on his fyngers ende Thyne hote tonge for to kele Thou shalt not suche graces fele For in that folble place of synne For euer in whiche thou shalt ben Inne Cometh none out of this place thidder Ne none of yow maye come hydder Thus be ye parted now a two The ryche ayeneward cryed tho O Abraham sith hit soo is That laÈar may not doo me this Whiche I haue axed in this place I wold pray another grace For I haue yet of bretheren fyue That with my fader ben alyue To geder dwellen in one how 's To whome as thou arte gracious I pray that thou woldest sende LaÈar so that he myght wende To warne hem how the world is weÌ„t That afterward they be not shent Of suche peynes as I drye Loo this I pray this I crye That they may hem self amende The patriarke anone sende Of his prayer answer nay And said hym how that euery day His bretheren myght knowe here Of moyses in erthe here And of prophetes other mo What hem was best he said no But yf there myght a man aryse From deth to lyf in suche a wyse To tellen hem how that it were He seyd thenne of pure fere They sholden than beware therby Quod Abraham nay sikerly For yf they now wylle not obeye To suche as teche hem the wey And al day preche al day telle How that it stont of heuen helle They wylle not than taken hede Though it befelle so in dede That ony dede man so arered To ben of hym no better lered Than of another man on lyue If thou my sone canst descryue This tale as Cryst hym self told Thou shalt haue cause to be hold To see so grete an euydence There of the sooth experyence Hath shewed openlyche at the eye That bodely delycacye Of hym whiche yeueth no almesse Shal after falle in grete distresse And that was sene vpon the riche For he ne wold vnto his lyche A croÌ„me yeuen of his brede Than afterward when he was dede A droppe of water hym was werned Thus may a mannes wytte be lerned Of hem that so delytes taken When they with deth ben ouertaken That erst was swete is than sowre But he that is gouernoure Of worldes good yf he be wyse Within his herbe he set no pryce Of al the world yet he vseth The good that he nothyng refuseth As he whiche lord is of the thynges The ouches the ryche thynges The clothe of gold the perrye He taketh yet the delycacye He leueth though he were all this The best mete that there is He eteth drynketh the best drynke And taketh none hede to thynke Delycacye to put awaye As he whiche goth the right waye Not only for to fede clothe His body but his sowle bothe But they that taken otherwyse Her lustes ben none of the wyse And that whylome was shewed eke If thou these old bookes seke As wel by reson as by kynde Of old ensamples as men fynde Hic loquitur de desicacia Newnis qui corporalibus delicijs magis adherens spiritualia gaudia minus obtinuit tHat man that wold hym wel auise Delycacye is to despyse Whan kynde acordeth not with all Wherof ensample in special Of new whylome may be told Whiche ayens kynde many fold His lustes took till at the last That god hym wold all ouercast Of whome the Cronyke is so pleyne Me lust no more of hym to seyne And netheles for glotonye Of bodely delycacye To knowe his stomak how it ferd Of that no man to fore herd Whiche he wythin hym self bethought A wonder subtyle thyng
hath his herte set He lede neuer to fare bet Ne wyte of other heuen more My sone yf thou of suche a lore Hast ben or thie I rede the leue Amans My holy fader by youre leue Of al that ye haue spoken here Whiche tâ—uchith vnto this matere To telle the soothe right as I wene I wote not one word what ye mene I wille not sey yf that I couthe That I nold in my lusty youthe Binethe in helle eke aboue To wyn with my lady loue Done al that euer that I myght For therof haue I none insight Where afterward that I bycome So that I wynne ouercome Hir loue whiche I coueyte My sone that gothe wonder streyte For this I may wel telle soothe There is noman whiche so doth For al the craft that he can cast That he ne byeth it at the last For ofte he that wol begyle Is gyled with the same gyle And thus the gylour is begyled I fynde in a book compyled To this matere an old hystorye Whiche cometh now to memorye And is of grete ensamplerye Ageynst the vyce of sorcerye Wherof none ende may be good But whylome how therof stood A tale whiche is good to knowe To the my sone I shal beknowe Nota hic contra istos ob amoris causam sortologos vbi narrat Exemplum quod cum Vlixes a subuersione Troie repatriare nanigio voluisset ipsum in Insula Cilli vbi illa expertissima ma ga nomine Cyrces regnauit coÌ„tigit applicuisse quem vt in sui amoris concupiscenciam exardesceret Circes oÌ„nibus suis incaÌ„tacionibus vincere conabatur Vlixes tamen Magica potencior ipsam in amore subegit Ex qua filium nomine thelogonum genuit qui postea patrem suum interfecit et sic contra fidei naturam geâ—â—tus contra generacionis naturam patricidium operatus est â— MoÌ„ges whiche at Troye were Vlixes at the syege there Was one by name in special Of whome yet the memoryall Abydeth for whyle ther is a mouthe For euer his name shal be couthe He was a worthy knyght and kyng And clerk knowyng of euery thyng He was a grete rethoryen He was a grete magycyen Of tullius the Rethoryk Of kyng Zorastes the magyke Of tholome the Astronomye Of plato the philosophye Of danyel the slepy dremes Of neptune eke the water stremes Of Salamon the prouerbis Of mater at the strengthe of herbes And the phisike of ypocras And lyche vnto pyctagoras Of surgerye he knewe the cures But somwhat of his auentures Whiche to my mater shal acorde To the my sone I wylle recorde This kyng of whiche thou hast herd seyne From Troye as he goth home ageyne By ship he found the see dyuerse With many wyndy storme reuerse But he thorugh wysedom that he shapeth Ful many grete perylle he escapeth Of whiche I thynk telle one How that mangre the nedel stone Wynde dryue he was al sodenly Vpon the strondes of Cylly Where that he must abyde a whyle Two quenes weren in that yle Calypha named aud Cyrces And when they herd how Vlixes Is londed therupon the Ryue For hym they senden also blyue With hym suche as he wold name And to the Courte to hem he came The quenâ—s weren as two goddesses Of art magyke sorceresses That what lord cometh to that ryuage They make hym loue in suche a rage That vpon hem assote soo That they wol haue oâ—â— that he goâ— Al that he hath of worldes good â—lixes wel this vnderstood They couthe moche he couthe more They shape cast ayenst hym sore And wrought many a subtyle wyle But yet they myght hym not â—egy But of the men of his nauye They two forshope a grete partye May none of hem withstond her hestes Some parte they shopen in to beestes Some parte they shopen in to fowles To beres tygres apes and oules Or els by some other way There myght no thyng hem disobeye Suche crafte they had aboue kynde But that arte couthe they not fynde Of whiche Vlixes was deceyued That he ne hath hem all weyued And broughte hem in to suche a rote That vpon hym they both assote And thurgh the scyences of his arte He took of hem so wel his parte That he bigate Cyrces with childe He kept hym sobre made hym wyld He set hym self so aboue That with hir good with hir loue Who that therof be leef or lothe Al quyte in to his ship he gothe Cyrces to swelle bothe sides He lefte wayted on the tydes And streyght thorugh the salt fome He taketh his cours cometh home Where as he fonde penelope A better wyf there may none be And yet there ben ynowe of good But who hir goodlyship vnderstood Fro first she wyfehode tooke How many loues she forsoke And how she bare hir al aboute Ther whyles that hir lord was oute Sâ—e myght take grete auaunt Amonges all the remenaunt That she was one of all the rest Wel myght he set his herte in rest This kyng whan he fouÌ„d hir al in bele For as he couthe in wysedom dele So couthe she in womanhede And when she sawe withoute drede Hir lord vpon his owne ground That â—e was come sauf and sonude In al the world ne myght be A gladder woman than was she The fame whiche may not be hydde Thorugh oute the lond is sone kydde â—ir kyng is come home ageyne There may no man the ful seyne How that they weren al glade So mechâ—â—â—oye of hem they made Tâ—◠〈…〉 euery day â—e newed He was with gyftes al be sewed The peple was of hym so glade Tâ—â—t â—â—â—ugh none other maÌ„ hym bade Tâ—â—â—ge vpon hem self they sette And as it were of pure dette Tâ—â—y yâ—ue her goodes to the kyng This was a glad welhome comyng Thus both Vlyxes what he wold His wyf was suche as she sholde His peple was to hym subiect As they shold be withoute lette But fortune is of suche a sleyght That whan a man is moost of myght Sâ—â— maketh hym rathest for to falle There no man wote what shall befalle The happes ouer mannâ—â— hede Bâ—â— hanged with a tendre threde That proued was on Vlyxes For whan he was moost in his pâ—â—s For 〈◊〉 sone gan to meke hym werre And set hie welthe oute of herre Vpon a day as he was mery As 〈…〉 there myÈt hym no thynge 〈…〉 when nyght was come â–ª he goth to â—â—dde with slâ—pe bothe his â—yen fedde And whyle he slepte he met a sweuen Hym thought he sawe a statue euen Whiche bryghter than sonne shenâ— A man it semeth was it none But as it was in fygure Moost lyche to mannes creature But as of beaute henenlyche It was moost to an Aungel lyche And thus bytwene Angel and man Beholden it this kyng began And suche a lust took of the syght That fayne he wold yf that he myght The forme of that figure embrace And goth hym forth toward the place Where
what thyng is vycyoâ—â—s Touchyng for that lawe There may no maner man withdrawe The whiche Veneryen is bore By wey of kynde and therfore Venus of loue the goddesse Is cleped but of wantonnesse The clymate of hir lecherye Is moost comune in lumbardye Nota de sole qui medio planetaram residens Astrorum principatum obtinet Next vnto the planetes of loue The bryght sonne stont aboue Whiche is the hynderer of the nyght And fâ—rthereth of the dayes lyght As he whiche is the worldes â—ye Thorugh whome the lusty companye Of fowles by the morolâ—e synge The fresshe floures sprede and spryng The hye tree the ground beshadeth And euery mans herte gladeth For it is the hede planete Now that he sytteth in his sete Of what rychesse and what nobleye These bookes telle and thus they seye Nota de curru solis necnon de eius dem apparatu oF gold glispering spole whele The sonne his carte hath fayr we le In which he sytteth is coroned With bryght stones enuyroned Of whiche yf that I speke shal There be to fore in specialle Set in the frounte of his corone Hâ—â— stones whiche no persone Hath vpon erthe and the fyrst is By name cleped Lycuthis That other two ben cleped thus Astryces and Seramyus In his Corone also behynde By old bookes as I fynde There ben of worthy stones thre Set eche of his degre Wherof a Cristal is that one Whiche that Coroune it set vpone The second is an admaunt The thyrd is noble and aduenaunt Whiche cleped is ydryates And ouer this yet netheles â—oâ—â—n the sydes of the werk After the wrytyng of the clerk There syt â— stones â—â—o The smaragdyne is one of tho â—osâ—â—s and Elithropius And dendydes and Iacinctus Loo thus the Corowne is byset Wherof it shyneth wel the bet And in suche wyse his lyght to sprede Syt with his Dyademe on his hede The sonne shynyng in his carte And for to lede hym swythe smarte After the bryght dayes lawe There ben ordeyned for to drawe Four horses his chare hym with all Wherof the names telle I shall Ertheus the first is hote The whiche is tede shynyng hote The second acteos the bryght Lampes the thyrde hors hyght And philogeus is the ferth That bryngeth lyght in to this erthe And gone so swyft vpon the heuen In foure twenty houres euen The carte with the bryght sonne They drawe so that ouer ronne They haue vnder the Cercles hyghe Al myddel erthe in suche an hyghe And thus the sonne is oueral The chyef planete Imperiall Aboue hym and bynethe hym thre And thus bitwene tweyne renneth he As he that hath the myddel place Among the seuen of the face Be glad al erthely creatures And taken after the natures Here ease and recreacion And in his Constellacion He that is bore in speciall Of good wylle of lyberall He shalle â—e founde in al place And also stonden in myddel grace Toward the lordes for to serue And grete profyte thonke deserue Aud ouer that it causeth yet A man to be subtyle of wytte To worche in gold to be wyse In euery thyng that is of pryse But for to speken in what Coost Of al this erthe he regneth moost As for wysedom it is in grece Where is appropred thylke spece Nota de quinta planeta que mars dicitur Mars the planete batayllous Next to the sonne glorious Aboue stant doth meruaylles Vpon the fortune of batayles The Conquerours by dayes olde Were vnto this planete holde But who that his natyuyte Hath taken vpon the propyrte Of Martes disposicion By weye of constellacion He shall be fers and ful hastyf And desirous of werre and strif But for to telle redyly In what clymate moost contynuelly That this planete hath his affect Said is that he hath his aspect Vpon the hooly londe so cast That there is no pees stedfaste Nota de sexta planeta que Iubiter dicitur Aboue mars vpon the heuen The sixthe planete of the seuen Stant Iubiter he delycate Whiche causeth pees and no debate For he is cleped that planete Whiche of his kynde cold heete Attempreth all that to hym longeth And whom this planete vnderfongeth To stonde vpon his rayment He shall be meke and pacyent And fortunate to marchaundye And lusty to delycacye In euery thyng whiche he shal dâ— This Iubiter is cause also Of the scyence of highe werkes And in this wyse tellen clerkes He is the planete of delyces But in Egypt of his offices He renneth moost in specialle For there be lustes oueralle Of al that to this lyf befalleth For there no stormy weder falleth Whiche myght greue man or beest And â—â—e the londe is so honest That it is plentyuous and pleyne There is no ydell ground in veyne And vpon suche felycite Stant Iubiter in his degre De septima planeta que reliquis celcior Saturuus dictus est The hyest and abouen alle Stant the planete whiche men calle Saturnus whos complexion Is cold and his condicion Causeth malyce and cruelte To hym whoo 's natyuyte Is set vnder his gouernaunce For al his werkes ben greuaunce And enemy to mans hele In what degre that he shalle dele His clement is the oryent Where that he is moost vyolent Of the planetes by by How that they stonde vpon the sky Fro poynt to poynt as thou myÈt here Was Alysander made to lere But ouer this touchyng his lore Of thyng that they hym taught more Vpon the scoles of Clergy Now herken the philosophy Postquam dictum est de septem planetâ—s quibus sigule septimane dies sin gulariter attitulantur dicendum est â—aÌ„ de duodecim signis per quem duodecim meÌ„ses anni varijs temporibus effectus varijs assecuutur He whiche departed day fro nyght That one derk that other lyght Of seuen dayes made a wyke A moneth of foure wekes eke He hath ordeyned in his lawe Of monethes xij eke forth drawe He hath also the long yere And as he sette of his powere Accordaunt to the dayes seuen Planetes seuen vpon the heuen As thou to fore host herde deuyse To speke right in suche a wyse To euery moneth by hym selue Vpon the heuen of signes twelue He hath after his ordynalle Assigned one in specialle Wherof so as I shall reherce The tydes of the yere dyuerse But pleynly for to make it knowe How that the signes set arowe Eche after other by degre In substaunce and in propyrte The ydyote comprehendeth Within his Cercle it appendeth Nota hic de primo signo quod Aries diatur cuius meÌ„sis specialiter mar 〈◊〉 appropriatus est Quo deus in primo produxit adesse creata The whiche of the fyrst netheles By name is cleped Aryes Whiche lyche a wether of stature Resembled is in his figure And as it is seyd in almageste Of sterres twelue vpon the beste Bene set wherof in his degre The wâ—â—e
speke in generalle Where suche thynge falleth ouer al That ony kyng hym self mysrule The phylosophre vpon this rule In speaal a cause sette Whiche is euer hath be the bette In gouernaunce aboute a kyng Vpon 〈◊〉 myselyef of the thyng And that he seyth is slaâ—â—ye Wherof to fore as in partye What that vyce is I haue declared For who that hath his wytte bywared Vpon a flaterer to beleue Whan that he weneth best acheue His god worde it is moste fro And for to preuen it is so Exaumples ther ben many one Of whiche yf thou wylt knowe one It is behouely for to here What whylom fyl in this matere hIc loquitur vlterius de consilio adusantum quorum fabulis principes aures organiÈate veritatis auditum caâ—ere nequeunt Et narrat exempluÌ„ de rege achab oui pro eo qd ipse prophe aâ—s fidelis Michee recu auit blandiaas oue adulantis Èedechye adhesit Rex Sirâ—e benedab in campo bellator ipsum diuino Iudicio deuictum interfecit â—Monge the kynges in the byble I fynde a tale is credyble Of one that whylom achab hyght Whiche had al Israel to ryght But who that coude glose softe And â—latre which he sette on lofte In arete estate and made hem ryche But they that wroten wordes lyche To trouthe wold it not forbere For hem was none estate to beâ—â— The contre of suche toke none here Tyl atte laste vpon a nede That benadab the kyng of surry Of Israel a grete partye Which ramoth coloath was hote Hath seced of that â—yote He toke counceyl in sondry wyse But not of hem that weren wyse And nethelesse vpon this caas To strengthe hym for Iosaphas Whiche thenne was kyng of Iudee He sende for to come as he Whiche thorugh frendshyp alliauÌ„ce Was nexte to hym of acqueyntaunce For Ioram sone of Iosaphath Achabbes doughter wedded hath Whiche hyght fayr goodelye And thus came in to samerye Kyng Iosaphath he founde there The kyng achab whan they were To gyder spekyng of this thynge This Iosaphath saith to the kynge How that he wold gladly here Somme trewe prophete in this matere That he his counceyl myght yeue To what poynte it shal be dreue And in that tyme so befelle That there was suche one in Israel Whiche sette hym al to flaterye And he was cleped sedechye And after hym achab hath sente And he at his coÌ„maundement To hym came by a sleyghte He hath vpon his heed on heyght Two large hornes sette of bras And he which a flaterour was And goeth rampynâ— as a lyon And cast his hornes vp doun And bad men ben of good espeyre For as the hornes persen the eyre He saith withouten resistence So wist he wel of his science That benadab is discomfyte Whan sedechye vpon this plyte Hath tolde this tale vnto this lord Anone they were of one accorde Prophetes false many mâ— To bere vp oyle and altho Affermed that whiche he hath tolde Wherof the kyng achab was bolde And yaue hem yeftes al aboute But Iosaphath was in grete doubte He helde fantasme al that he herde Prayeng achab how so it ferde Yf there were ony other man The whiche of prophecye can To here hym speke or that théy gone Quod achab than there is one A brothel which mycheas hyght But he ne cometh in my syght For he hath longe in pryson leyen Hym lyked neuer yet to sayen A goodely word to my plesaunce And nethelesse at thyn instauÌ„ce He shal come out than he may Say as he hath said many a day For yet he said neuer wele Tho Iosaphath gan somme dele To gladen hym in hope of trouthe And bade hym withouten slouthe That men hym shold fâ—tte anone And they that were fro hym gone Whan that they came where he was They tolden vnto mycheas The manere how that sedechye Declared hath his prophecye And therupon they praye hym fayre That he wyl say no contrayre Wherof the kyng may be dyspleseâ— For so shal euery man be esed And he may helpe hym self also Mycheas vpon trouthe tho His herte sette to hem seyth Al that belongeth vnto his feyth And of none other feyned thynge That wyl he telle vnto the kynge As ferre as god hath yeue hym grace Thus came this prophete in to the place Where he the kynges wylle herde And he therto anone answerde Vnto hym in this wyse My lyege lord for my fernyse With treuth stonde hath euer yet Thou hast me with pason aquyt But for al that I shal not glose Of trouthe after as I suppose And as touchyng of this batayle Thou shalt not of the soth sayle For yf it lyke the to here As I am taught in that matere Thou myght it vnderstonde sone But what is afterward to done Auyse the of this I seye I was tofore the trone on heye Where al the world me thought stode And there I herde vnderstode The voyce of god with wordes clere Axyng said in this manere In what wyse may I best begylâ— This kyng achab for a whyle And vpon this poynte they speke fast Tho said a spyrit atte last I vndertake this empryse And god hym axeth in what wyse I shal qd he deceyue and lye With flateryng prophecye In suche mowthes as he leueth And he whiche al thynge acheueth Bad hym goo forth and do right so And ouer this I say also This noble peple of Israel Dispers as sheep vpon an hylle Without a kepar vn arayed And as they wente aboute strayed I herde a voys vnto hem seyn Goeth home in to your how 's ageyn Tyl I for you haue fetter ordeyned Quod sedechye thou hast feyned This tale in angeryng of the kyng And in a wrath vpon this thynge He smote mychee vpon the cheke The kyng hym hath rebuked eke And euery man vpon hym cryed Thus was he shente on euery syde Ageyn in to pryson ladde For so the kyng hym self badde The trouthe myght not be herde But afterward as it hath ferde The dede proueth his entente Achab to the batayle wente Where benadab for al his shelde Hym slewe so that vpon the felde His peple goeth aboute a straye But god whiche al thynge may So doth that they no myschyef haue Her kyng was deed they be saue And home ageyn in goddes pees They wente al was founde lees That sâ—â—â—chye hath sayd tofore So sit it wel a kyng therfore To loue theym that trewe mene For atte laste it wyl be sene That flaterye is no thynge worthe But now to my matere forth As for to speken ouer more After the phylosophers lore The third poynte of polecye I thynke for to specefye Propter transgressores leges statuuntur in oâ—be Vt vnâ—aÌ„t iusti regis honore vâ—â— â–ª Lex sine Iusticia populum sub principis vmbra Deuiat vt rectum nemo videbit itâ—r Hic tractat de tercia principum legie policia
To god he yeueth the heuen ryche The world yeueth onely but a name Which stante vpon the good fame Of hem that done the good dede And in this wyse double mede Receyuen that done wel here Wherof yf that thou list to here After the fame as it is blowe Ther myght thou wel the soth knowe How thilke honest besynesse Of hem that first of rightwysnesse Emonge the men the lawes made May neuer vpon this erthe fade For euer while there is a tonge Her name shal be redde songe And hole in the cronyke write So that the men shullen wyte To speke good as they wel oughten Of hem that first the lawes soughten In forderyng of the worldes pees Vnto thebrewes was moyses The first the Egypciens Mercurius to troiens First was ne wma pompilius To athenes ligurius Yaue first the lawe vnto gregoys Foroneus hath thylke voyce And romulus of romayns For suche men as ben vylayns The lawe in suche a wyse ordeyneth That what man the lawe pleyneth By so the juge stonde vp right He shal be serued of his right And so ferforth it is befalle That lawe is comune emonge vs alle God lene it moâ—e wel be holde As euery kyng therto is holde For thynge whiche is of kynges sette With kynges ought it not to be lette What kyng of lawe taketh no kepe By lawe he may no royame kepe Do lawe aweye what is a kynge Where is the right of ony thynge If that there be no lawe in londe This ought a kyng wel vnderstonde As he which is to lawe sworne That yf the lawe be forlorne Withouten execusyoun Hit maketh a londe torne vp so dou n Which is vnto the kyng sclaundre For thy vnto kyng alisaundre The wyse philosophre hadde That he hym self first be ladde Of lawe than forth with alle To doo justyse in generalle That al the wyde londe aboute The iustyce of his lawe doubte And than shal he stonde in reste For therto lawe is one the beste Aboue al other erthely thynge To make a liege drede his kynge But how a kyng shal gete hym loue Toward the hygh god aboue And eke a man in erthe This nexte poynte whiche is the ferthe Of aristotles lore it techeth Wherof who the soole secheth What polecye that it is The book reherceth after this Nil racionis habens vbi vel tiraÌ„ni 〈◊〉 regna Stringit amor populi transiet exul ibi Set pietas regnum que conseruabit in euum Non tantum po pulo set placet illa deo Hic tractat de quarta principum re giminis policia que pietatis dicta est per quam principes erga populum mi serioordes effecti misericordiam altissimi consecuntur iT nedeth not that I debate The prynce which preised is algate And hath ben euer euer shal Wherof to speke in special It is the vertu of pyte Thorough which the hye mageste Was sterred whan his sone alyght And in pyte the world to right Toke of the mayde flesshe blood Pyte was cause of thylke good Wherof that we ben all saue Wel oughte a man pyte to haue And the vertu to sette in price Whan he hym self which is al wyse Hath shewed why it shal be preysed Pyte may not be counterpeysed Of tyrannye with no peyse For pyte maketh a man curteyse Bothe in his worde in his dede It sit wel euery liege to drede His kyng to his heste obeye And right so by the same weye It sit a kyng to be pytous Toward his peple gracious Vpon the rule of gouernaunce So that he worche no vengeauuce Whiche may be cleped cruelte Iustyce which doth equyte Is dredeful for he no man spareth But in the lâ—nde where pyte fareth The kyng may neuer fayle of loue â–ª For pyte thorough the grace aboue So as the phylosophre affermeth His reygne in good estate confermeth The appostle iames in this wyse Sâ—yth what man that shold do iuyse And hath not pyte forth wyth all The dome of hym whiche demeth all He may hym self ful sore drede That hym shal lacke vpon the nede To fynde pyte whan he wolde For who that pyte wyl beholde It is a poynte of cristes love And for to loken ouermore It is behouely as we fynde To reson to lawe of kynde Tassyodre in his aprise telleth The royame is sauf where pite dwelleth And tullyus this tale auoweth And saith what kyng to pite boweth And with pyte stonte ouercome He hath that shelde of grace nome Whichâ— vnto kynges yeueth victoryâ— Of alisannder in his hystorye I rede how a worthy knyght Of sodeyn wrath not of right Foriuged bath he appeleth And with that word the kyng quareleth And said none is aboue me That wote I wel my lord ad he Fro thy lordshyp appele I nought But fro thy wrath in al my thouÈt To thy pyte stante myn appele The kyng which vnderstode hym wele Of pure pyte gaue hym grace And eke I rede in another place Constantinus imperator ait vere se dominum esse â–ª comprobat qui seruum pietatis se facit Thus said whilom constantyne What emperour that is enclyne To pyte for to be seruaunte Of al the worldes remenaunte He is worthy to ben a lorde In olde bookes of recorde Traiâ—nus ait qd cum ipse subditos suos solite pietatis fauore magis quaÌ„ austeritatis rigore regere corum que be neuolenciam pocius quam timorem penes se attractare proponebat tHis fynde I write of ensauÌ„playr Traian the worthy debonayr By whome that rome stode gouerned Vpon a tyme as he was lerned Of that he was to famulyer He said vnto that counceller That for to be an emperour His wylle was not for veyne honour Ne yet for reddour of Iustyce But yf he myght in his offyce His lord his peple plese Hym thought it were a grete ease With loue her hertes to hym drawe Than with the drede of ony lawe For whaÌ„ a thynge is done for doubte Ful ofte it cometh the wers aboute But where a kynge is pytous He is the more gracious That mykel thrist hym shal leiyde Whiche ellis shold torne a syde Qualiter Iudeus predester cum pa â— gaue equitante itinerauit per desertum et ipsum de fide sua interrogauit tO do pite supporte grace The phiâ—â—sophre vpon a place In his writyng of dayes olde A tale of grete ensaumble tolde Vnto the kyng of macedoyne How bytwene cayr babyloyne Whan comen is the somer hete It happened two men for to mete As they shold entre in to a paas Where that the wyldernes was And as they wente forth spekende Vnder the large wodes ende That one man axeth of that other What man art thou my lyef broder Which is thy creaunce thy feyth I am a paynym that other seyth And by the lawe which I vse I shal not in my feyth refuse To louen al men y
pluriê° famulialiter intendebat Vnde placata puella in amorem appolini exazdescens infirmabâ—tur tHey toke lette as for that nyght And whan it was on morow right Vnto this yonge man of tyre Of clothes and of good attyre With golde syluer for to spende This worthy yonge lady sende And thus she made hym wel at ease And he with al that he can plese Hir serueth wel fayr ageyn He taughte hir tyl she thas certeyn Of harpe of cytole of rote With many a tewne many a note Vpon musyque vpon mesure And of hir harpe the temprure He taughte hir wel as he roel couthe But as men sayn that frele is youthe With leâ—â—er contynuaunce This mayde fyl vpon a chaunce That loue hath mad hym a quarele Ageynst yongthe fressh frele That mangre wheder she wyl or nouÈt She mote with al her hertes thought To loue to his loue obeye And that she shal ful sore obeye For the wote not what it is But euer emonge she feleth this Towchyug this man of tyre Hir herte is hote as ony fyre And other whyle it is a cale Now is she reed now is she pale Right after the condycyon Of hir ymagynacyon But euer emonge her thoughtes alle Hir thought what may befalle Or that she laughe or that she wepe She wold hir good name kepe For fere of womannysshe shame But what in ernest in game She stante for loue in suche a plyte That she hath loste al appetyte Of mete of drynke of nyghtes reste As she that note what is the beste But for to thynke al hir fylle She holde hir ofte tymes stylle Within hir chambre goeth not oute The kyng was of hir lyf in doute Which wyst no thynge what it mente But fyl a tyme as he out wente tO walke of prynces sones thre There came fyl to his knee Qualiter tres filij principum filiam regis singillatim in vxorem suis supplicacionibus postularent And eche of hem in sondry wâ—se Bysought proferith his seruyse So that he myght his doughter haue The kyng which wold hir honour saue Saith she is seek of that speche Tho was no tyme to beseche But eche of hem do make a bylle He bad wrytc his owne wylle His name his fader his good And whan she wyst how that it stood And had hyr lylles ouer seyn They shold haue answer ageyn Of this counceyl they were glad And wrote as the kyng hem bad And euery man his owne bock In to the kynges honde bytook And he it to his doughter sende And prayed hir for to make an ende And wrote ageyn hir owne honde Right as she in her herte fonde Qualiter fitia regis omnibus alijs retictis appollinum in maritu 〈…〉 preclegit tHe bylles were wel receyued But she hath al hir loues weyued And thouÈt that thaÌ„ was tyme space To put hir in her faders grace And wrote ageyn thus she sayd The shame which is in a mayde With speche dare noâ— be vnloke But in wryfyng it may be spoke So wryte I fader to you thus But yf I haue apollynus Of al this world what so besyde I wyl none other man abyde And certes yf I of hym fayle I wote right wel without fayle Ye shal for me be faderles This lettre came there was prese Tofore the kyng there as he stode And whan that he it vnderstode He yaue hem auswer by by But that was do pryuelye That â—â—â—e â—f other counceyl wyste They toke her leue where hem lyste And wente forth vpon theyr weys The kyng wold not bewreye The counceyl for no maner hye But suffreth tyl he tyme sye Qualiter rex regina in maritagium filie sue cum appolino consencierunt And whan that he to chambre is come His counceyl therto hym nome This man of tyre lete hym see The lettre al the pryuyte The which his doughter to hym sente And he his knee to grounde bente And thonked hym and hyr also And or they wente thenne a two With good herte good corage Of ful loue and ful mariage The kyng he be hole accorded And after whan it was recorded Vnto the doughter how it stode The yefte of al the worldes good Ne shold haue made hir halfe so blythe And forth with al the kyng asswithe For he wyl haue hir good assent Hath for the quene hir moder sente The quene is comen when she herde Of this matere how that is ferde She sawe debate she sawe dysese But yf she wold hir doughter plese And is therto assented ful Which is a dede wonderful For no man knewe the soth â—â—as But he hym self what man he was And nethelesse so as hym thought His dedes to the sothe wrought That he was come of gentyl blood Hym lacketh but worldes good And as therof is no dyspeyre For she shal be hir faderes heyre And he was able to gouerne Thus wyl they not the loue werne Of hym hyr in no wyse But al accorded they deuyse Qualiter appollinus filie regies nup â— sit et primo nocte cum ea concubiens ipsam inpregnauit tHe day of tyme of mariage Where loue is lorde of corage Hym thynketh longe or that he spede But atte laste vnto the dede The tyme is come in her wyse With grete offryng sacrefyse They wedde make a grete feste And euery thynge was right he neste Within how 's eke without It was so done that al aboute Of grete worshyp grete noblesse There cryed many a man a largesse Vnto the lordes hygh loude The knyghtes that be yonge prowde They Iuste fyrst after daunce The day is goo the nyghtes chaunce Hath derked al the bright sonne The lord which hath his loue wonne Is goo to bed with his wyf Where as they lede a lusty lyf And that was after somdele sene For as they pleyden hem bytwene They gete a chylde betwene hem two To whom fyl after mochel woo Qualiter amtassiatores a tiro in quodam naui pentapolim venieÌ„tes mortem regis antiochi Appollino nuÌ„ciaueruÌ„t Now haue I tolde of the spousayles But for to speke of the meruayles Which afterward to hem byfelle It iâ— a wonder for to telle It fyl a day they rode out Kyng quene al the route To pleye hem vpon the seconde Where as they seen toward the londe A shyp saylyng of grete araye To knowe what it mene may Tyl it be come they abyde Than sawe they stonde on euery syde Endlong the shyppes borde to shewe Of the penonnes a ryche rewe They axâ—d whan the shyp is come Fro tyre anone answerd somme And ouer this they sayden more The cause is they comen fore Was for to seche for to fynde Appollynus which of kynde Hir lyege lord he appereth And of the tale which he hereth He was riÈt glad for they hym tolde That
for vengeaunce as god it wolde Antyochus as men may wyte With fire lyghtenyng is al to smyte His doughter hath the same chaunce So ben they bothe in one balaunce For thy our lyege lord we the seye In name of al the londe and preye That lefte al other thynge to done It lyke you to come sone And see your owne lyege men With other that ben of your ken That lyuen in longyng desyre Tyl ye be come ageyn to tyre This tole after the kyng it had Pentapolyn al ouer it sprad There was no ioye for to seche For euery man it had in speche And sayden al of one acoorde A worthy kyng shal ben our lorde That thouÈt vs first an heuynesse Is shape vs now to grete gladnesse Qualiter appollino cum vxore sua imprignata a pentapoli versus tyrum nauigantiê° contigit vxorem mortis artiaâ—â— angustiatam in naui filiam que postea thaysies vocabatur patere tThus goeth the tydyng ouer al But nede he must that nede shal Appollynus his leue took To god he al that bonde bytook With al the peple longe brode That he no lenger there abode The kyng quene sorow made But yet somdele they were glade Of suche thynge as they herde tho And thus bytwene the we le woo To shyp he goeth his wyf with childe The which was euer meke mylde And wold not departe hym fro Suche loue was bytwene hem two Lycho rida for hir offyce Was take which was a norice To wende with this yonge wyf To whom was shape a wooful lyf Within a tyme as it betyd When they were in the see amyd Out of the northe they see a cloude The storme awos the wyndes loud They blewen many a dredesul blaste The welken was al ouer caste The derke nyght the sonne hath vnder Ther was a grete tempest of thondre The mone eke the sterres bothe In blacke clowdes they hem clothe Wherof their bright loke they hyde This yonge lady wepte cryde To whom no comforte myght auayle Of chylde she began to trauayle Where she laye in a caban choos This wooful lord fro hir awos And that was longe or ony morowe So that in anguysshe in sorowe She was delyuerd al by nyght And dede in euery mannes syght But nethelesse for al this woo A mayde chylde was boren tho Qualiter appollinus mortem vxoris sue planxit Appollynus when he thys kuewe A swowne he hym self ouerthrewe That no man wyst in hym no lyf And when he woke he said a wyf My ioye my lust my desyre My welth my recoueryre Why shal I lyue thou shalt dye Ha thou fortune I the defye Now hast thou do to me thy werste A herte why ne wyl thou breste That forth with hir I myght passe My paynes were moche the lasse In suche wepyng suche crye His dede wyf which laye hym bye A thousand sythes he hir kyste Was neuer man that sawe ne wyste A sorowe to his sorowe lyche Was euer emonge vpon the lyche He fyl swownyng as he that thouÈt His owne deth which he besought Vnto the goddes al aboue With many a pytous worde of loue But suche wordes as tho were Herde neuer no mannes eere But onely thylke which he sayed The mayster shypman came prayed With other suche as ben therin And sayn that he may no thyng wyn Ageyn the deth but they hym rede He be wel ware take hede The see by weye of his nature Receyue may no creature Within hym self as for to holde The which is dede for thy they wolde As they counceyllen al aboute The deed body casten oute For better it is they sayden alle That it of hir so byfalle Than yf they sholden al spylle The kyng which vnderstode her wylle And knewe her counceyl was trewe Began ageyn his sorowe newe With pytous herte thus to seye It is al reson that ye preye Qualiter suadentibuâ— nautis corpus vxoris sue mortue in quadam cista plumbo et ferro obtusa circumligata apoolinus cum magno thesauro vna cuÌ„ quadam littera sub eius capite scripta reludi in mari proiti fecit IAm ad he but one allone So wold I not for my persone There fel suche aduersite But whan it may no better be Doth than thus vpon my worde â—ete make a coofere stronge of borde That it be fyrme with lede pytche Anone was made his coofre suche Al redy brought vnto his honde And whan he sawe redy fonde This cooffre made wel englued The deed body was besewed In cloth of golde leyed therin And for he wold vnto hir wyn Vpon somme coste a sepulture Vnder hir heed in aduenture Of golde he leyed sommes grete And of Iuels stronge byyete Copia littere capiti vxoris sue supposite Forthwith a lettre said thus Kyng of tyre Appollynus Doeth al men to wyte That heereth seeth this lettre wryte That helpeles without rede Here lâ—eth a kynges doughter dede And who that happeth hir to fynde For charite take in his mynde And do so that she begraue With that tresour that she haue Thus whan the lettre was ful spoke A none they haue the coofre sâ—oke And bounden it with yron faste So that it may with wawes laste And stoppen it by suche a weyâ— That it shal be within dreye So that no water myght it greue And thus in hope good beleue Of that the corps sâ—â—l nâ—l aryâ—e They caste it ouer borde as blyue Qualiter appoâ—â—â—ê° vxoris sue corâ—e in â—â—are proiecto Tirum reâ—â—nguens cursuÌ„â—â—um versus tharsim nauigio dolens arripuit The shippes forth on the wawes went The prynce hath chaunged his entent And saith he wyl not come at tyre As thenne but al his desyre Is first to saylen vnto tharse The wyndy storme began to scarse The sonne aryseth the weder clereth The shâ—â—man which behynde stereth Whan that he sawe the wyndes softe Toward tharse his cours he sought Qualiter corâ—us predicte deffun â—â—e super â—â—ttus apud ephesim quidem medicus nomine Cerimon cum aâ—â—auâ—â—us suis dscipulâ—s inuenit quod in hospicium â—ortans et extra cistam 〈◊〉 â— neÌ„s spirâ— cuâ—o vite in ca inuento ipsam plene sanitati restituit bâ—t now to my matere agâ—yn To telle as olde bookes seyn This dede corps of which ye knowe With wynde water was forthrowe Now here now there tyl atte laste At ephesym the see vp caste The cooffre al that was therin Of grete meruayle now begyn May hâ—re who that sâ—te stylle That god wyl saue may not spylle Right as the corps was throwe on loÌ„de There came walkyng by the stronde A worthy clerke surgyen And eke a grâ—te physycien Of that londe the wysest one Which hyght mayster Ciâ—â—mone Ther was of his dysaples somme This maistre is to the â—â—offre come He poyseth ther was somwhat in And bade hym bere it
tyde That deed was trewe lecheryde Which had be seruaunt of thaise So that she was the wors at ease For she hath thenne no seruâ—se But onely thorugh this dyonyse Which was hir dedely enemye Thorugh pure treson and enuye She that of al sorowe can Tho spake she vnto hir bondeman Which câ—eped was theo phylus And made hym swere in couÌ„ceyl thus That he suche tyme as she hym sette Shal come thayse for to fette And lede hir out of al syght Where that no man hir helpe myght Vpon the stroude nygh the see And there he shal this mayden slee This chorles herte is in a traunce As he which drad hym of vengeaunâ— Whan tyme cometh another day But yâ—â— durst he not say nâ—y But swore said he shold fulfille Hir hestys at hir owne wylle Qualiter dionisia thaisim vt occideret theophoâ—o sâ—ruo suo â—radidit qui cuÌ„ nocturnanter â—ongius aâ— vâ—be ipsam ê“pe â—itê° maris iÌ„terficere ê“posuerat pirate iâ—id latitaÌ„tes thaisim de manu car nificis erupueruÌ„t ipsam 〈◊〉 vsâ—â— ciuitatem mitelenaÌ„ ducentes cuid leonino scortorum ibid magistro veÌ„dideruÌ„t aNd treson the tyme it shape So fel it that the chorles knape Hath lad this mayden where he wold Vpon the sâ—ronde what she shold She was a drad â—e oute brayde A rusty sâ—berd to hir sayde Thou shalt 〈◊〉 dede alas â—d she Why shal I soo 〈◊〉 thus quod he My lady dionise hath bede Thou shalt be murdred in this stede This mayde tho for sere shryght And â—or the â—â—â—e of god al myght She prâ—â—â—th that for a litel stouude She myÈâ— knele vpon the grounde Toward the heuen for to câ—aue Hir wooful sowâ— for to saue And with noyse with this crye Out of a barge fast by Which hyd was there on scomer fare Men sterten out were â— ware Of this feâ—on he to goo And she began to crye tho Aâ— mercy helpe for goddes saâ—e In to the barge they hir take As theues shold forth they wente Vpon the seâ— the wynde hem hente And malgre where they wold or none Tofore the weder forth they gone Ther helpe no sayle ther helpe none oore Forstormed forblowen sore In grete â—â—ryl so forthe they dryue Tyl atte laste â—â—ey aryue At Myte â—ne the cytee In hauen â—auffe whan they be The maisâ—â—r shypman made hym boun And goeth hym in to the toun And proffereth thayse for to selle One leonyum it herde telle Which mayster of the â—ordel was And bad hym goo a redy paas To fetchen hir forth he went And thayse out of his barge he hent And to this bordeâ—er he hir solde And that he by hir body wolde Take auauntage lete do crye That what man wold his lecherye Atempte vpon hir maydenhede Laye doun the golde he shold spede And thus whan he hath cryed hiâ— oute In syght of al the peple aboute Quater leoninus â—haisi ad lupa nâ—r destinauit vbi dei gracia preuenta ipsius virginitatem nullus violaâ—e po tuit He lad hir to the bordel tho No wondre is though she be woo Cloâ—s in a chambre by hir self Eche after other ten or â—welf Of yonge men in to hir wente But suche a grace god hath hir sente That for the sorowe which she made Was none of hem which power hade To done hir ony vylanye This leonyum lâ—tâ— euer espye And wayteth after grete beyete But al for nought she was forleâ—â— That no man wolde there come Whan he therof had hede nome And knewe that she was yet a mayde Vnto his owne man he sayde That he with strengthe ageyn hir leue So shold hir maydenhode byreue This man went in but so it ferde Whan he hir wooful ple yntes herde And he therof hath take grete kâ—pe Hym lyst better for to wepe Than do cught â—llys to the game And thus she kept hir self fro shame And knelyd doun to therthe prayed Vnto this man thus she sayed Yf so be that thy mayster wold That I his golde encrece shold It may not falle by thys weye But suffre me to goo my weye Out of this how 's where I am in And I shal do hym for to wyn In somme place here of the towne By so it be of relygyowne Where that honest wymmen dwelle And thus thou myÈt thy mayster telle That whan I haue a chambre there Lete hym do crye al wyde where What bord that hath his doughter dere And is in wylle that she shal lere Of suche a scole that is trewe I shal hir tâ—che of thynges newe Which that none other woman can In al this londe tho this man Hir tale hath herde he goeth ageyn And tolde vnto his mayster pleyn That she hath said therupon Whan that he sawe byyete noon At bordel bycause of hir He bad his man gâ—o and spyr A place where she myght abyde That he may wynne vpon somme syde By that she can but atte leste Thus was she saufe of this tempeste Qualiter thaisis a lupanari virgo liberata inter sacras mulieres hospiciuÌ„ habens scieâ—cias quibâ— edocta fuit nobiles regni puellas ibidem edocebat He hath hir fro the boâ—dell take But that was not for goddes sake But for the lucre as she hym tolde Now comâ—n tho that comen wolde Of wymmen in her lusty youthe To here set what thynge she couthe She can the wysdom of a clerke She can of ony lusty werke Which to a gentyl woman longeth And soÌ„me of hem she vnder fongeth To the cytole and to the harpe And whome it lyketh for to carpe Prouerbes demaundes slye And other which they neuer sye Which that scyence so wel taught Wherof she grete yeftes raught That she to lyonyum hath wonne And thus hir name is so begonne In sondry thynges that she techeth That al the londe vnto hir secheth Of yonge wymmen for to lere Now lete we this mayden here And speke of dyonyse ageyn And of theophyle the vyleyn Of which I spake of now tofore Whan thayse shold haue be forlore Qualiter theophilus ad dyonisiam mane rediens affirmauit se thaisim occidisse super quo dionisia vna cuÌ„ stran guâ—â—one marito suo dolorem in publico confingentes exâ—quias et sepulturam honorifice quantum ad extra subdola conâ—ectacione fieri constituerunt His false chorle to his lady Whan he came home pryuely He sayth madame sleyn I haue This mayde thayse is bygraue In pryuy place as ye me bede For thy madame taketh hede And kepe counceyl how so it stonde This fende which hath this vnderstoÌ„de Was glad weneth it be sothe Now herken herafter how she dothe She wepeth she soroweth coÌ„pleyneth And of sekenes which she feyneth She saith that thayse sodaynly By nyght is deed as she and I To gyder lyen nygh my lorde She was a woman of recorde And al is leued that she
seyth And for to yeue a more feyth Hir husbond eke she bothe In blacke clothes they hem clothe And made a grete enterement And for the peple shal be blente Of thayse as for the remembraunce After the ryal olde vsaunce A tombe of laton noble ryche With an ymage vnto hyr lyche Lyggyng aboue therupon They made aud sette it vp anon Hir epytaffe good assyse Was wryte aboue in this wyse It spake â— ye that this beholde Lo here lyeth she which was holde The fayrest the floure of alle Who 's name thayse men calle The kyng of tyre appollynus Hir fader was now she lyeth thus Fourtene yere she was of age Whan deth hir toke to hir vyage Qualiter appolinus in regno suo apud tirum existens parliamentum fieri constituit Thus was this false treson hyd Which afterward was wyde kyd As by the tale a man shal here But to declare my matere To tyre I thynke to torne ageyn And telle as the cronycles seyn Whan that the kyng was comen home And hath lefte in the salte fome His wyf which he may not foryete For he somme comforte wold gete He lete sommone a parlement To which the lordes weren assent That of the tyme he hath ben ou â—e He seeth the thynges al aboute And tolde hem eke how he hath fare Whyle he was out of bonde fare And prayed al to abyde For he wold atte same tyde Do shape for his wyues mynde As he that wold not be vnkynde Solempne was that ylke offyce And ryche was the sacrefyce The feest ryally was holde And therto was he wel beholde For suche a wyf as he had one In thylke dayes ther were none Oualiter appolinus post ê‘liamentuÌ„ tharsim ê“ thaise filia sua quereda adiit qua ibid non inuenta abinde nauigio recessit WhaÌ„ this was done thaÌ„ he hym thouÈt Vpon his doughter bysought Suche of his lordes as he wolde That they with hym to tharse sholde To fette his doughter thayse there And they anone al redy were To shyp they gone forth they went Tyl they the hauen of tharse hente They bonde fayle of that they seche By couertour sleyght of speche This false man strangulyo And dyonyse his wyf also That he the better trowe myght They ladde hym to hane a syght Where that hir tombe was arayed The lasse yet he was myspayed And nethelesse so as he durste He curseth saith al the worste Vnto fortuue as to the blynde Which can no syker weye fynde For hym she neweth euer emouge And medleth sorowe with his songe But sythe it may no better be He thonketh god forth goeth he Saylyng toward tyre ageyn But sodeynly the wynde reyn Began vpon the see debate So that he suffre mote algate Qualiter nauis appollini ventis agi taâ—â— pertum vâ—bis metelene in die quo feâ—â—a neptuni â—elebrari coÌ„suâ—uÌ„t applicu it sz â—pse pre dolore thaisis fike sue quaÌ„ mortuam reputabat in fundo nauis obsâ—uro â—aâ—â—ns lumen videre noluit The lawe which neptune ordyneth Wherof â—ul ofte tyme he pleyneth And helde hym wel the more esmayed Of that he hath tofore assayed So that for pure sorowe care Of that he seeth this world so fare The reste he leueth of his caban That for the counceyl of no man Ageyn therin he nolde come But hath bynethe his place nome There he wepyng allone lay There as he sawe no lyght of day And thus tofore the wynde they dryue Tyl longe late they arryue With grete distresse as it was sene Vpon this towne of mytelene Which was a noble cite tho And happeneth thylke tyme so The lordes bothe the commune The hygh festes of neptune Vpon the stronde atte ryuage As it was custome vsage Sole pnely they he syghe When they this straunge vessel syghe Comen hath his sayle aualed That one therof hath spoke talâ—d Qualiter athana goras vrbis metelene princeps nauim appolini iÌ„uestigans ipsuÌ„ sic contrâ—statum nichil que respoÌ„dente consolaâ—â— satageâ—at tHe lorde which of that cyte was Who 's name is atâ—nagoras Was there said he wold see What shyp it is who they be That ben therin after sone Whan that he sawe it was to done His large was for hym arayed And he goeth forth he assayed He founde the shyp of grete aray But what thyng that it mownte may He sawe they maden heuy chere But wel hym thynketh by the manere That they ben worthy men of blood And axeth of hem how it stood And they hym tellen al the caas How that her lord fordryue was And which a sorowe that he made Of which ther may no maÌ„ hym glade He prayeth that he hir lord may see But they hym tolde it may not be For he lyeth in so dâ—rkâ— a place That there may no wyght see his face But for al that though hym be lothe He fonde the ladder doun he gothe And to hym spake but none answere Agâ—yn of hym ne myght he here For ought that he can do or seyne And thus he goeth hym vp ageyn Qualiter precepto principis ut appollnuÌ„ consolaretur thaisis cuÌ„ citheâ— sua ad ipsum in obscuro nauis vbi iacebat producta est Thus was spoke in many a wyse Emongest hem that weren wyse Now this now that but atte laste The wysdom of the towne thus caste That yonge thayse was assent For yf ther be a mendement To glad with this wooful kynge Whiche can so moche of euery thynge That she shal glade hym anone A messager for hir is gone And she came with hir harpe in honde And said hem that she wold fonde By al the weyes that she can To glad wyth this sory man Bur what he was she wyst nought But al the shyp hir hath bysought That she hir wytte on hym dyspende In aunter yf he myght amende And sayn it shal be wel aquyt Whan he hath vnderstonden it She goeth hir doun there as he laye Wher that she harpeth many a laye And lyke an aungel songe with alle But he nomore than the walle Toke hede of ony thynge he herde And whan she sawe that he so ferde She falleth with hym vnto wordes And telleth hym of sondry lordes And axeth hym demaundes straunge Wherof she made his herte chaunge And to hir speche his erre he leyde And hath meruayle of that she seyde For in the prouerbe in probleme She spake bad he shold deme An many a subtyl questyon But he for no subiestyon Which toward hym she coude sterr He wold not one word answere But as a mad man otte laste His heed wepyng aweye he caste And halfe in wrath he bad hir goo But yet she wold not do so And in the derke forth she goeth Tyl she hym towcheth thaÌ„ he wroeth And after hir with his honde He smote thus whan she hym fonde