thy hors and let vs ryde So may we knowe both two Vnwarely what our wyues do And that shall be a trewe assay This Arrous saith not ones nay On horsebacke anone they lepte In suche manere and nothynge slepte Rydende forth tyll that they come All pryuely within Rome In strange place downe they lyght And take a chambre out of syght They be disguysed for a throwe So that no lyfe shulde hem knowe And to the paleys fyrst they sought To se what thyng these ladies wrought Of whiche Arrous made a vaunt And they bi r sygh of glad semblaunt All full of myrthes and of bordes But amonge all other wordes She spake not of hir husbonde And whan they had all vnderstonde Of thilke place what hem lyste They gone hem forth that none it wyst Besyde thilke yate of bras Collaces whiche cleped was where Collatyn hath his dwellynge There founden they at home syttynge Lucrece his wyfe all enuyronned with women whiche were abandoned To werche she wrought eke withall And bad hem haste and said it shall Be for myn husbondes were whiche with his sheld with his spere Lyeth at syege in great disese And if it shulde hym not displese Nowe wolde god I had hym here For certes tyll that I may here Some good tydynge of his estate My herte is euer vpon debate For so as all men wytnesse He is of suche an hardynesse That he can not hym selfe spare And that is all my moste care whan they the walles shulde assayle But if my wysshes myght auayle I wolde it were a groundeles pyt By so the siege were vnknyt And I my husbonde sye with that the water in her eye Arose that she ne myght it stoppe And as men sene the dew bedroppe The leues and the floures eke Ryght so vpon her whyte cheke The wofull salte teres felle whan Collatyne hath herde hir telle The meanynge of hir trewe herte Anone with that to hir he sterte And sayd Lo my good dere Nowe is he come to you here That ye moost louen as ye seyne And she with goodly chere ageyne Beclypt him in her armes smale And the colour whiche erste was pale To beaute than was restored So that it myght not be mored The kynges sonne which was nygh And of this lady herde and sygh The thynges as they ben befalle The reason of his wyttes all Hath loste for loue vpon his parte Cam than of his fyry darte with such a wounde him hath through smyte That he must nedes fele wyte Of thilke blynde malady To whiche no cure of surgery Can helpe but yet netheles At thylke tyme he helde his pees That he no countenaunce made But openly with wordes glade So as he coude in his manere He spake and made frendely chere Tyl it was tyme for to go And Collatyne with him also His leue toke so that by night with all the baste that they might They ryden to the syege ageyn But Arous was so wo bysein with thoughtes which vpon him ronne That he all by the brode sonne To bedde goth not for to reste But for to thynke vpon the beste And the fayrest forth with alle That euer be sigh or euer shalle So as him thought in his corage where he portreyed her ymage Fyrst the fetures of hir face In whiche nature had all grace Of womanlye beaute besette So that it might not be bette And howe hir yelowe here was tressed And hir atyre so wel adressed And how she wepte al this he thought And how she spake how she wrought That he foryeten hath no dele But all it lyketh him so we le â—â—at in the worde nor in dede Hâ— lacked nought of womanhede And thus this tyrannyss be knight wâ—s soupled but not halfe aryght For he none other hede toke But that he might by somme croke All though it were ageyne hir wille The lustes of his flessh fulfylle whiche loue was not reasonable For wher honour is remeuable It ought well to ben aduysed But he whiche hath his lust assysed â—ith medlid loue and tyrannye Hath founde vpon his trecherye A weye whiche he thinketh to holde And sayth fortune vnto the bolde Is fauorable for to helpe And thus within him selfe to yelpe As he whiche was a wylde man Vpon his treason he began And vp he sterte and forth he wente On horsbacke but his entente There knewe no wyght and he name The nexte way tyll he came Vnto Collocea the gate Of Rome and it was somdele late Ryght euen vpon the sonne sette And he whiche had shape his nette Hir innocence to betrappe And as it shulde tho myshappe As priuely as euer he myght He rode and of his hors alyght Tofore Collatynes Inne And all frendelyche goth hym in As he that was cosyn of house And she whiche is the good spouse Lucrece whan that she hym syghe with goodly chere drewe hym nyghe As she whiche all honour supposeth And hym so as she dare opposeth Howe it stode of hir husbonde And he tho dyd hir vnderstonde with tales feyned in this wyse Right as he wolde him selfe deuyse wherof he might hir herte gladde That she the better chere made whan she the gladde wordes herde Howe that hir husbonde ferde And thus the trouthe was deceyued with slye treson whiche was receyued To hir whiche mente all good For as the festes than stode His souper was right wel arrayed But yet he hath no worde assayed To speke of loue in no degre But with couert subtylite His frendely speches he affayteth And as the tygre his tyme a wayteth In hope for to catche his praye whan that the bordes were aweye And they haue souped in the halle He sayth that slepe is on him falle And prayth he mote go to bedde And she with all haste spedde So as hir thought it was to done That euery thinge was redy sone She brought him to his chamber tho And toke hir leue and forth is go In to hir owne chamber by And she that wende certeynly Haue had a frend and had a fo wherof fyll after mochel wo. This tyraunt though he lye softe Oute of his bedde aroos full ofte And goeth aboute and leyed his ere To herken tyl that all were To bedde gone and slepten faste And than vpon hym selfe he caste A mantel and his swerde all naked He toke in honde and she vnwaked A bedde laye but what she mette God wote for he the dore vnshette So priuely that none it herde The softe paas and forth he ferde Into the bedde where that she slepte All sodeynlye and in he crepte And hir in bothe his armes toke with that this worthy wyfe awoke whiche through tendresse of womanhed Hir voyce hath loste for pure drede That one worde speke she ne dare And eke he bade hir to beware For if she made noyse or crye He sayd his swerde laye faste bye To slee hir and hir folke aboute And thus he brought hir
founde whiche serueth to the worldes fame In worshyp of a kynges name Largesse it is whose priuilege There may no auarice abrege The worldes good was fyrst comune But afterwarde vpon fortune was thilke comyn profyt cessed For whan the people stode encressed And the lygnages woxen great Anone for synguler beyete Drough euery man to his partie wherof come in the fyrst enuy with great debate and werres stronge And last amonge the men so longe Tyll no man wyst who was who Ne whiche was frende ne whiche so Tyll at laste in euery londe within hem selfe the people fonde That it was good to make a kynge whiche myght appesen all this thynge And yeue right to the lignages In partynge of her heritages And eke of all her other good And thus aboue hem all stode The kynge vpon his regalye As he whiche hath to iustifye The worldes good fro couetyse So syt it well in all wyse A kynge betwene the more and lesse To sette his herte vpon largesse Towarde hym selfe and eke also Towarde his people and if not so That is to sayne if that he be Towarde hym selfe large and fre And of his people take and pylle Largesse by no wey of skylle It may be sayde but auarice whiche in a kynge is a great vice ¶ Nota super hoc quod Aristot ad Alexandrum exemplificauit de exactionibus regis ChaldeoruÌ„ ¶ A kynge behoueth eke to fle The vice of prodigalite That he measure in his expence So kepe that of indigence He may be saufe for who that nedeth In all his werke the wers he spedeth As Aristotle vpon Caldee Ensample of great auctorite Vnto kynge Alysaunder taught Of thilke folke that were vnsaught Towarde her kynge for his pyllage wherof he badde in his courage That he vnto thre poyntes entende where that he wolde his good dispende Fyrst shulde be loke how that it stood That all were of his owne good The yeues whiche he wolde yeue So myght he wel the better lyue And eke he must taken bede If there be cause of any nede whiche ought for to be defended Er that his goodes ben dispended He mote eke as it is befall Amonges other thynges all Se the decertes of his men And after that they bene of ken And of astate and of meryte He shall hem largelych acquyte Or for the warre or for the pease That none honour fall in discrease whiche myght torne in to diffame But that he kepe his good name So that he be not holde vnkynde For in cronike a tale I fynde whiche speaketh somdele of this matere Herafterwarde as thou shalte here Hic secunduÌ„ gesta Iulii exempluÌ„ ponit qualiter rex suorum militum quos ê“bos agnouerit indigeÌ„tiam largitatis sue beneficiis releuare tenetur ¶ In Rome to pursue his ryght There was a worthy poure knyght whiche came alone for to seyne His cause whan the courte was pleyne wher Iulius was in presence And for hym lacketh of dispense There was with hym none aduocate To make plee for his astate But though hym lacke for to plede Hym lacketh nothynge of manheed He wyst well his purse was pouer But yet be thought his ryght recouer And openly pouerte aleyed To the emperour and thus he sayed O Iulius lorde of the lawe Beholde my counseyll is withdrawe For lacke of golde to thyne office After the lawe of Iustice Helpe that I had counseyll here Vpon the trouthe of my matere And Iulius with that anone Assigned hym a worthy one But he hymselfe no worde ne spake This knyght was wroth fonde a lake In the emperour and sayde thus O thou vnkynde Iulius whan thou in thy batayle were Vp in Aufrike and I was there My myght for thy rescous I dyd And put no man in my stede Thou wost what woundes there I had But here I fynde the so bad That the ne lyst to speake o worde Thyne owne mouthe or of thyn borde To yeue a floreyn me to helpe Howe shulde I than me be yelpe Fro this day forth of thy largesse whan suche a great vnkyndenesse Is founde in suche a lorde as thou This Iulius knewe well mowe That all was soth whiche he hym tolde And for he wolde not ben holde Vnkynde he toke his cause on honde And as it were of goddes sonde He yaue hym good inough to spende For euer vnto his lyues ende And thus shulde euery worthye kynge Take of his knyghtes knowlegynge when that he sygh they hadden nede For euery seruice axeth mede But other whiche haue not deserued Through vertue but of iapes serued A kynge shall not deserue grace Though he be large in suche a place ¶ Hic ponit exemplum de rege Antigono / qualiter dona regia secundum maius et miuuâ— / equa discrecione moderanda sunt ¶ It sytte well euery kynge to haue Discretion whan men hym craue So that be may his gyfte wyte wherof I fynde a tale write Howe Cinichus a powre knyght A somme whiche was ouer might Prayed of his kinge Antigonus The kinge answerd to him thus And sayde howe suche a yefte passeth His powre estate and than he lasseth And asketh but a litell peny yf that the kinge wolde yeuehym ony The kinge answerd it was to smalle For him whiche was a lord ryalle To yeue a man so lytell thinge It were vnworship in a kynge By this ensample a kinge may lere That for to yeue is in manere For if a kinge his treasour lasseth with out honour and thaÌ„kelesse passeth whan he him selfe wil so begile I not who shall compleyne his while Ne who by right him shall releue But netheles this I beleue Tho helpe with his owne londe Belongeth euery man his honde To set vpon necessite And eke his kinges rialte Mote euery lyege man comforte with good and body to supporte whan they se cause resonable For who that is not entendable To holde vp ryght his kinges name Him ought for to be to blame ¶ Nota hic secundum Aristotelem qualiter princiâ—um prodigalitas paupertatem inducit coÌ„muneÌ„ ⧠Of policie and ouer more To speke in this mater more So as the philosophre tolde A kinge after the reule is holde To modifie and to adresse His yeftes vpon suche largesse That he mesure nought excede ☞ Sal. Sic aliis benefacito vt tibi non nocias ¶ For if a kinge falle in to nede It causeth ofte sondry thinges whiche are vngoodly to the kinges what man wille not him selfe mesure Men seen fulofte that mesure Him hath forsake and so doth he That vseth prodigalite whiche is the mother of pouerte wherof the londes ben deserte And namely whan thilke vice Aboue a kinge stant in office And hath with holde of his partye The couetous flaterye whiche many a worthy kynge deceyueth Er he the fallace perceyueth Of hem that seruen to the glose For they that conne please and glose Ben as men tellen the notices Vnto the fostrynge of the
trouth is noted There may a prince wel conceyue That he shall nought himselfe deceyue Of that he hereth wordes pleyne For him ther nought by reason pleyne That warned is er hem he wo And that was fully proued so whan Rome was the worldes chiefe The sooth sayer tho was leefe whiche wold not the trouth spare But with his worde playne and bare To themperour his sothes tolde As in cronicke it is withholde Here afterwarde as thou shalt here Acordend vnto this matere ☞ Hic eciam contra vicium adulationis ponit exemplum et narrat ê™ cum nuper Romanorum imperator contra suos hostes victoriaÌ„ optmuisset et cum palma triumphi in vrbem redire debuisset ne ipsum inanis glorie altitudo superextolleret licitum suit pro illo die quod vnus quisque priora que sue condicionie agnosceret in aures suas apâ—cius exclamaret vt sic gaudium cum dolore com pesceret et adulantum voces si que fuerant pro minimo computaret ⧠To se this olde ensamplarye That whilom was no flaterye Towarde the he princis wel I finde wherof so as it comthe to mynde My sonne a tale vnto thin ere while that the worthy princes were At Rome I thinke for to telle For whan the chaunces so byfelle That any emperour as tho Victorye had vpon his foo And so fort came to Rome ageyne Of treble honour he was certayne wherof that he was magnified The firste as it is specyfied was whan he came thylke tyde The chart in whiche he shuld ryde Foure whyte stedes shulde it drawe Of Iupiter by thylke lawe The cote he shulde were also His prisoners eke shulden go Endlonge the chare on eyther honde And all the noblesse of the londe Tofore and after with him come Rydend and broughten him to Rome In token of his chyualrye And for none other flaterye And that was shewed forth with all where he satte in his chare ryalle Besyde him was a rybaud set whiche had his worde so beset To themperour in all his glorye He sayde take in to memorye For all this pompe and all this pryde Let no iustice gon a syde But knowe thy selfe what so befalle For men seen often tyme falle Thinge which men wende syker stonde Though thou victory haue on honde Fortune may not stonde alwey The whele perchaunce anothere day May turne and thou ouer throwe There lasteth no thinge but a throwe with these wordes and with mo This ryhaulde which sat with him tho To themperour his tale tolde And ouermore what euer he wolde Or were it euyl or were it good So playnly as the trouth stood He spareth not but speketh it oute And so myght euery man aboute The day of that solempnyte His tale tel as wele as he To themperour all openly And all was this the cause why That while he stode in his noblesse He shulde his vanite represse with suche wordes as he herde ☞ HIC PONIT EXEMPLVM super codem / et narrat / ê™ eodem die quo imperator intonisatus in palacio suo regio ad conniniuÌ„ in maiori leticia fedisset / ministri sui sculptores procederant alta voce dicentes O imperator dic nobis cuius forme et vbi tumbam sculpture tue faciemus vt sic morte remorsus huius vite blandicias obtemperaret ¶ Lo nowe howe thylke tyme ferde Towarde so high a worthy lorde For this I finde eke of recorde whiche the cronyke hath auctorized what emperour was intronized The fyrst day of his corone where he was in his royal throne And helde his fest in the paleis Sittende vpon his hie deis withall the luste that may be gete whan he was gladest at his mete And euery mynstrell had pleide And euery dissour had saide what moste was pleasant to his ere Than at last came in there His masons for they shulde craue where that he wolde he begraue And of what stone his sepulture They shulden make what sculpture He wolde ordeigne therupon Tho was there flaterye none The worthy prynce to beiape The kynge was otherwyse shape with good counsayle and otherwyse They were hem selfe than wyse And vnderstoden well and knewen when suche softe wyndes blewen Of flaterye in to her eare They setten nought her hertes there But when they herde wordes feyned The pleyne trouth it hath disdeyned Of hem that weren so discrete Tho toke the flaterer no heyete Of hym that was his prince tho And for to prouen it is so A tale whiche befell in dede In a cronyke of Rome I rede Hic inter alia gesta Cesaris narrat vnuÌ„ exeÌ„plum precipue coÌ„tra illos qui cum in aspectu principis aliis sapienciores apparere vellent quandoque tameÌ„ similate sapiencie talia committunt per que ceteris stulciores in fine comprobantur ¶ Cesar vpon his royall trone where that he sat in his persone And was hyest in all his pris A man whiche wolde make hym wyse Fell downe knelende in his presence And dyd hym suche a reuerence As though the high god it were Men hadden great meruayle there Of the worshyp whiche he dede This man aros fro thylke stede And forth with all the same tyde He goth hym vp and by his syde He set hym downe as peer and pere And saide If thou that fyttest here Arte god whiche all thynges myght Than haue I worshypped a ryght As to the god and other wyse If thou be not of thylke assise But arte a man suche as am I Than may I syt the fast by For we be bothe of o kynde Cesar answerde and sayde O blynde Thou arte a fole it is well sene Vpon thy selfe For if thou wene I be a god thou doste amys â—o syt where thou seest god is And if I be a man also Thou hast a great foly do whan thou to suche one as shall deye The worshyp of thy god alweye Hast yeuen so vnworthily Thus may I proue redely Thou art not wise And they that herde Howe wysely that the kynge answerde It was to hem a newe lore wherof they dreden hym the more And brought nothynge to his ere But if it trouthe and reason were So ben there many in suche a wyse That â—aynen wordes to be wyse And all is veray flaterye To hym whiche can it well aspye ¶ Nota qualiter isti circa principem adulatores â—â—â—nus a curia expelli quam ad regie magestatis muneâ—a acceptari policia suadente deberent ¶ The kynde flaterour can not loue But for to brynge hym selfe aboue For howe that euer his mayster fare So that hym selfe stonde out of care Him retcheth nought And thus ful ofte Deceyued bene with wordes softe The kynges that ben innocent wherof as for chastement The wyse philosophre sayde what kynge that so his treasure layde Vpon suche folke he hath the lesse And yet ne doth he no largesse But harmeth with his owne honde Hym selfe and eke his owne londe And
for her best For whan she was to lond brought She which that tyme thought nought But all trouth and toke no kepe Hath layd her soft for to slepe As she whiche longe hath ben forwatched But certes she was euil matched And fer from all loues kynde For more than the best vnkynde Theseus whiche no trouth kept whyle that this yonge lady slept Fulfylled of all vnkyndshyp Hath all forgeten the goodshyp whiche Ariadne hym had do And had vnto the shypmen tho Hale vp the sayle and nought abyde And forth he gothe the same tyde Toward Athenis and her on londe He left whiche lay nygh the stronde Slepend tyl that she awoke But whan that she cast vp her loke Towarde the stronde sygh no wyght Her herte was so sore aflyght That she ne wyst what to thynke But drough her to the water brinke where she behelde the see at large She sigh no shyp she sigh no barge Al 's ferforth as she myght kenne Ha lorde she sayd which a senne As all the worlde shall after here Vpon this wofull woman here This worthye knyghte hath done and wrought I weÌ„d I had his loue bought And so deserued at nede whan that he stode vpon his drede And eke the loue he me behyght It is great wonder howe he might Towardes me nowe ben vnkynde And so to lette out of his mynde Thyng which he sayd his owne mouth But after this whan it is couth And drawe to the worldes fame It shall ben hyndrynge of his name For well he wote and so wote I He yafe his trouthe bodely That he myn honour shulde kepe And with that worde she gan wepe And soroweth more than inough Hyr faire tresses she to drough And with her selfe she toke such a strife That she betwene the deth and life Swounende lay full ofte amonge And all was this on hym alonge whiche was to loue vnkynde so wherof the wronge shall euermo Stonde in cronyke of remembrance And eke it asketh a vengeance To ben vnkynde in loues cas So as Theseus than was All though he were a noble knyght For he the lawe of loues ryght Forfayted hath in all waye That Ariadne he put away whiche was a great vnkynde dede And after that so as I rede Phedra the whiche his syster is He toke in stede of hir and this Fell afterwarde to mekell tene For thilke vyce of whiche I mene Vnkyndshyp where it falleth The trouthe of mannes herte it palleth That he can no good dede acquyte So may be stonde of no meryte Towardes god and eke also Men calle hym the worldes fo For he no more than the fende Vnto none other man is frende But all toward hym selfe alone For thy my sonne in thy persone This vyce aboue all other flee ¶ My fader as ye teche me I thynke to do in this matere But ouer this I wolde fayn here wherof I shall me shryue more ¶ My good sonne as for thy lore After the reule of couetyse I shall the propyrte deuyse Of euery vyce by and by Nowe herken and be wel ware therby 〈◊〉 ex â—lara res tollit luce rapina Floribus et iuncta virgine mella capit ¶ Hâ—c tractat super illa specia cupida que rapina 〈◊〉 â—atur cuius mater extorcio ipsam ad desâ—â—â—â—nduÌ„ magnatuÌ„ curiis specialius coÌ„meÌ„dauit ¶ In the lygnage of auaryce My sonne yet there is a vyce His ryght name it is rauyne whiche hath a route of his couyne Rauyne amonge the maysters dwelleth And with his seruauntes as men telleth Extorcion is nowe witholde Rauyne of other mennes folde Maketh his lardyr and payeth nought For where as euer it may be sought In his hous there shall no thynge lacke And that fulofte abyeth the packe Of powre men that dwelle a boute Thus stant the coÌ„mune people in doute which can do none amendement For whan hym fayleth paiement Rauyne maketh non other skylle But taketh by strength al that he wille So ben there in the same wyse Louers as I the shall deuyse That whan nought elles may auayle Anone with strength they assayle And gette of loue the sesyne when they se tyme by rauyne For thy my sonne shryue the here If thou hast ben a Rauynere Of loue ¶ Certes father no For I my lady loue so For though I were as was Pompey That all the worlde me wolde obey Or els suche as Alisaundre I wolde nought do suche a sclaunder It is no good man whiche so doth ¶ In good feyth sonne thou sayst sothe For he that woll of purueance By suche a wey his luste auaunce He shall it after sore abye But if these olde ensamples lye ¶ Nowe good father telle me one So as ye connen many one Touchende of loue in this matere ¶ Now lyst my son thou shalte here So as it hath be befall er this In loues cause howe that it is A man to take by rauyne The preye whiche is feminyne ¶ Hic ponit exemplum contra istos in amoris causa raptores Et narrat qualiter Pandyon tex Athen .ii. filias vez ProgneÌ„ PhilomenaÌ„ habuit Progne autem regi Tracie Therreo desponsata contigit quod cum Tereus ad instantiam vxoris sue Philomenam de Athen in Traciam sororie visitationis causa secum quadam vice perduceret in concupiscentiam Philomene tanta seneritate in Itinere dilapsus est quod ipse non solum sue violentia rapine virginitatem eius oppressit sed et ipsius linguam ne factum detegeret forcipe mitula nit vnde imperpetue memorie ceonicam tanti raptoris austeritatem miro ordine dii postea vindicarunt ¶ There was a ryall noble kynge A ryche of all worldes thynge whiche of his propre enheritance Athenis had in gouernance And who so thynketh therupon His name was kynge Pandyon Two doughters had he by his wyfe The whiche he loued as his lyfe The fyrst doughter Progne hyght And the seconde as she well myght was cleped faire Philomene To whom fell after mochel tene The father of his purueaunce His doughter Progne wolde auarice And gaâ—e hir vnto mariage A worthy kyng of high lignage A noble knyght eke of his honde So was he kyd in euery londe Of Trace he hyght Thereus The clerke Ouide telleth thus This Thereus his wyfe home lad A lusty lyfe with her he had Tyll it befelle vpon a tyde This Progne as she lay hym besyde Bethought hir howe that it myght be That she hir suster myght se And to hir lorde hir wyll she sayde with goodly wordes and hym preyde That she to hir myght go And if it lyked hym not so That than he wolde hym selfe wende Or els by some other sende whiche myght hir dere suster grete And shap◠〈◊〉 that they myght mete Hir lordâ— anone to that he herde yafe his accorde and thus answerde I wyll saide he for thy sake The wey after thy syster take My selfe and brynge hir if I
fyrste ben vnderstonde And they also whiche ouermore Her study set vpon this lore They weren gracious and wyse And worthy for to bere a prise And whom it lyketh for to wete â—f hem that this science wryte One of the fyrst whiche it wrote Alter Noe it was Nembrote To his disciple Ichonyton And made a boke forth therupon The whiche Megastre cleped was An other auctor in this cas â—s â—â—â—hel the whiche men note His boke is Abbateneyth bote Dâ—â—e Ptolome is not the leest whiche maketh the boke of Almagest And Altraganus doth the same whose boke is Cathenus by name Gebus and Alpetragus eke Of palmestry whiche men seke The bokes made And ouer this Full many a worthy clerke there is That wryten vpon this clergy The bokes of Altemetry Planemetry and eke also whiche as belongeth bothe two So as they bene naturiens Vnto these astronomyens Men seyne that Abraham was one But whether that be wrote or none That fynde I not and Moyses Eke was an other but Hermes Aboue all other in his science He had a great experience Through hym was many a sterre assised whose bokes yet ben auctorised I may not knowen all tho That wryten in the tyme tho Of this science but I fynde Of iugement by way of kynde That in one poynt they all accorden Of sterres whiche they recorden That men may se vpon the heuen There ben a thousande sterres euen And two and twenty to the syght whiche ben of hem selfe so bryght That men may deme what they be The nature and the proprete Nowe hast thou hard in suche awise These noble philosophers wise Enformden this yonge kinge And made him haue a knowelechinge Of thinge whiche first to the partie Belongeth of philosophy whiche Theorike cleped is As thou tofore hast herde er this But nowe to speke of the seconde whiche Aristotle hath also founde And techeth howe to speke faire whiche is a thinge full necessayre To counterpaise the balaunce where lacketh other suffisance Compositi pulcra sermones verba placere Principio poterunt vera ê™ fine placent Herba lapis sermo tria sunt uirtute repleta Vis tuÌ„ ex verbi pondere pulcra facit ¶ Hic tractat de secunda parte philosophie cuius nomen Rhetorica facuÌ„dos efficit Loquitur etiam de eiusdem duabus speciebus scilicet GraÌ„matica et Logica quarum doctrina Rhethor sua verba perornat ¶ Aboue al erthly creatures The high maker of natures The worde to man hath youe alone So that the speche of his persone Or for to lese or for to wynne The hertes thought which is withinne May shewe what it wolde mene And that is no where els sene Of kynde with none other beest So shulde he be the more honest To whom god yafe so worthy a yifte And loke well that he ne shyfte His wordes to none wicked vse For worde the teacher of vertuse Is cleped in philosophy wherof thouchende this party Is Rhetoric the science Appropred to the reuerence Of wordes that ben reasonable And for this arte shall be vaylable with goodly wordes for to lyke It hath Grammer it hath Logyke That seruen both vnto the speche Grammer fyrst hath for to teche To speake vpon congruyte Logyke hath eke in his degre Betwene the trouthe and the falshede The pleyne wordes for to shede So that nothynge shall go besyde That he the ryght ne shall decyde wherof full many a great debate Reformed is to good astate And peace susteyned vp alofte with easy wordes and with softe where strengthe shulde let it falle The philosophre amonges alle For thy commendeth this science whiche hath the reule of eloquence In stone and gras vertue there is But yet the bokes tellen this That worde aboue all erthly thynges Is vertuous in his doinges where so it be to yuell or good For it the wordes semen good And bene well spoke at mans ere whan that there is no trouthe there They done full ofte full great deceyte For whan the worde to the conceyte Discordeth in so double a wyse Suche Rhetoric is to dispise In euery place and for to drede For of Vlixes thus I rede As in the boke of Troye is founde His eloquence and his faconde Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde Hath made that Anthenor him solde The towne whiche he with treson wan worde hath begyled many a man with worde the wylde beest is daunted with worde the serpent is enchaunted Of wordes amonge the men of armes Ben woundes heled with the charmes where lacketh other medycyne worde hath vnder his discipline Of sorsery the carectes The wordes ben of sondry sectes Of euyll and eke of good also The wordes maken of frende fo And fo of frende and peace of werre And werre of peace and out of herre The worde the worldes cause entryketh And reconcileth who on hym lyketh The worde vnder the cope of heuen Set euery thynge or odde or euen with worde the hygh god is pleased with worde the wordes ben appesed The softe worde the loude stylleth where lacketh good the worde fulfylleth To make amendes for the wronge whan wordes medlen with the songe It doth plesaunce well the more But for to loke vpon this lore Howe Tullius his Rhetorike Compouneth there a man may pyke How that he shall his wordes set How he shall lose how he shall knet And in what wyse he shall pronounce His tale pleyne without frounce wherof ensample if thou wilt seche Take hede and rede whilom the speche ¶ Nota de eloquentia Iulii in causa Catilme coÌ„tra Syllanum et alios tunc vrbis Romane continentes ¶ Of Iulius and Cicero whiche consul was of Rome tho Of Cato eke and Syllene Beholde the wordes hem betwene whan the treason of Catiline Discouered was and the couine Of hem that were of his assent was knowe and spoke in parliment And asked howe and in what wise Men shulde done him to Iuwyse Syllanus first his tale tolde To trouth and as he was beholde The comon profyt for to saue He sayde howe treason shulde haue A cruel dethe And thus they speake The Consul both and Cato eke And saiden that for suche a wronge There may no peyne be to stronge But Iulius with wordes wyse His tale tolde all other wyse As be whiche wolde his dethe respite And foundeth howe he myght excyte The iuges through his eloquence Fro dethe to torne the sentence And set her hertes to pyte Nowe tolden they nowe tolde he They speaken pleyne after the lawe But he the wordes of his sawe Coloureth in an other wey Spekende and thus betwene the twey To trete vpon this iugement Made eche of hem his argument wherof the tales for to here There may a man the schole lere Of Rhetoric the eloquence whiche is the seconde of science Touchende to philosophie wherof a man shall iustifie His wordes in disputeson And knytte vpon conclusion His argument in suche a forme whiche may the pleyne
trouthe enforme And the subtile cautele abate whiche euery trewe man shall debate Practica quecunque statuÌ„ pars terria philosophie Ad regimen recte ducit in orbe uiae Sed quanto maior rex est tanto magis ipsum Ex schola concernit quo sua regna regit ¶ Hic tractat de tertia parte philosophie que practica vocatur cuius species sunt tres scilicet Etâ—ica Economia et Politica quarum doctrina regia magestas in suo regimine ad honoris magnificentiam per singula dirigitur ¶ The firste whiche is theoryke And the seconde Rhetoryke Sciences of philosophy I haue hem tolde as in party So as the philosopher it tolde To Alysandre and nowe I wolde Tell of the thyrde what it is The whiche practyke cleped is Practyke stont vpon thre thynges Towarde the gouernance of kynges wherof the fyrste Etyke is named The whose science stant proclamed To teche of vertue thylke rule Howe that a kynge hym selfe shall rule Of his moral condition with worthy disposition Of good lyuyng in his persone whiche is the chiefe of his corone It maketh a kynge also to lerne Howe he his body shall gouerne Howe he shall wake how he shall slepe How that he shall his hele kepe In mete in drynke in clothyng eke There is no wysedome for to seke As for the reule of his persone The whiche that this science all one Ne techeth as by wey of kynde That there is nothynge lefte behynde That other thynge whiche to practyke Belongeth is Economyke whiche techeth thylke honestee Through whiche a kynge in his degree His wyfe and childe shal reule and gye So forth withall the companye whiche in his housholde shall abyde And his estate on euery syde In suche manere for to lede That he his housholde ne myslede Practike hath yet the thirde apprise whiche techeth howe and in what wise Through his purueide ordinance A kinge shall set in gouernance His realme and that is Policie whiche longeth vnto regalie In tyme of werre in time of pees To worship and to good encrees Of clerke of knight and of marchant And so forth all the remenant Of all the comon people aboute within borgh and eke without Of hem that ben artificers whiche vsen craftes and mysters â—hose â—rte is cleped Mechanyke And though they be not all lyke yet netheles how so it fall O lawe mote gouerne hem all Or that they lese or that they wynne After the state that they ben inne ¶ Lo thus this worthy yonge kynge was fully taught of euery thynge whiche myght yeue entendement Of good rule and good regiment To suche a worthy prynce as he But of very necessite The philosopher hym hath betake Fyue pointes which he hath vndertake To kepe and holde in obseruaunce As for the worthy gouernaunce whiche longeth to his regaly After the rule of policye Moribus ornatus regit hic qui regna moderna Certius expectat sceptra futura poli Et quia ueredica uirtus supereminet omnes Regis ab ore boni fabula nulla sona◠⧠Hic secundum policiam tractare intendiâ— precipue super quinque regularuÌ„ articulis que ad principis regimen obseruande specialius existuÌ„t / quarum prima veritas nuncupatur per quam veredicus sit serâ—o regie ad omnes ¶ To euery man belongeth lore But to no man belongeth more Than to a kynge whiche hath to lede The people for his kyngheed He may hem both saue and spylle And for it stont vpon his wylle It syt hym well to be auysed And the vertues whiche are assised Vnto a kynges regiment To take in his entendement wherof to tellen as they stonde Hereafterwarde now woll I fonde Amonge the vertues one is chiefe And that is trouth whiche is lyefe To god and eke to man also And for it hath ben euer so Taught Aristotle as he well couth To Alysaunder howe in his youth He shulde of trouth thilke grace with all his holle herte enbrace So that his worde be trewe and pleyne Towarde the worlde and so certeyne That in hym be no double speche For if men shulde trouthe â—eche And fynde it not within a kynge It were an vnsyttende thynge The worde is token of that within There shall a worthy kynge begyn To kepe his tonge and to be trewe So shall his price ben euer newe Auyse hym euery man to fore And be well ware er he be swore For afterwarde it is to late If that he wolde his worde debate For as a kynge in speciall Aboue all other is principall Of his power so shulde he be Moste vertuous in his degre And that may well be signifyed By his corone and specifyed ¶ The golde betoketh excellence That men shulde done hym reuerence As to her liege souerayne The stones as the bokes sayne Commended bene in treble wyse Fyrste they ben harde and thylke assise Betokeneth in a kynge constance So that there shall no varyance Be founde in his condition And also by description The vertue whiche is in the stones A very signe is for the nones Of that a kynge shall be honest And holde trewely his behest Of thyng whiche longeth to kingheed The bryght coloure as I rede whiche is in the stones shynynge Is in figure betokenynge The cronyke of this worldes fame whiche stante vpon his good name The circle whiche is rounde aboute Is token of all the londe aboute whiche stant vnder his hierarchye That he it shall well kepe and guye And for that trouthe howe so it falle Is the vertue souerayne of alle That longeth vnto regyment A tale whiche is euident Of trouthe in commendacion Towarde thyn enformacion My sonne herafter thou shalt here Of a cronycke in this mater ¶ Hic narrat qualiter Darius filius Itapsis soldanus Persie a tribus suis cubicularibus quoruÌ„ nomina Harpages / Monachas / et Zorobabel dicta sunt nomina questionis sigillatim interrogatie vtrum rex aut mulier aut vinum maioris fortitudinis vim optineret / Ipsis vero varia opinione respondentibus Zorobabel vltimus asserit quod mulier sui amoris complacentia tam regis quam vini potenciam excellit Addidit insuper finali conclusioni dicens quod veritas super oÌ„nia vincit Cunis responsio ceteris landabilior acceptabatur ☞ As the cronycke it doth reherce A soldan whilome was of Perse whiche Dares hight and Itapsis His fader was and sothe it is Of his lygnage as by discente The regne of thilke empyre he bent And as he was him selfe wise The wyse men be held in prise And sought hem oute on euery syde That towarde him they shulde abyde Amonge the whiche thre there were That must seruyce vnto him here As they whiche in his chamber lighen And all his counceylle herd and syghen Her names ben of straunge note Harpages was the first hote And Monachas was the seconde Zorobabel as it is founde In the cronycke was the thrydde This Soldan