worthi or manly, þe sone shulde be þe same. The wise[286] man seith to this purpose that the fadris dethe asketh the sone þe vengaunce þerfore.
There where he seith þat Pirus shulde be lech his fader, by þat we may vnderstond the Holy Gost, the which procedyth of the Fadir, in whome the good sperit shulde beleve, as Seynt James þe lesse seith, [“Credo in Spiritum Sanctum”].
XXXII.
Haunt thow the temple and worchip in tyme The godesse[287] of heven, and at all tyme Aftir Cassaundra kepe thow the gyse, Yif þat þou wilt be holdyn for wyse.
Cassandra was Kyng Priantes doghtere, and she was a full good lady and a devoute in there lawe. She seruyd the godesse and haunted þe temple and she spak but lytell withowtyn cawse, and when she most speke she spake nothyng but that was trewe, ne she was neuer founde with no lesyng; she was full konyng. Therefor it is seide to þe good knygh þat he shulde be leke hir, for lewde costomes and lesynges ys gretly to blame in a knyte; for he shulde serue God and worchip the temple, þat is to sey, the chirche and the ministres thereof. And Pictagoras seith, “It is a ryght loveable thyng to serue God and to halowe hys seyntes.”[288] The a[u]ctorite seyth þat þe good knygh shulde haunte the [Sidenote: f.
31.] temple. In leche wyse the goode sperit shuld do, and he shulde haue synguler deuocion in the feythefull holy chirche and in the communion of seyntes, as the Article seyth that Seynt Symond made, the which seyth, [“Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem”].
XXXIII.
Yf þou wylt often haunt the se, Of Neptunus thou shuld ofte remenbre the, And thou shuldest halow gretly his feste, That he may kepe the euer fro tempest.
Neptunus opon the paynemes lawe was called þe god of þe see, and therefor it is seyde to the good knygh þat he shuld serue hym, þat is to vndirstond þat knyghttes, the which gosh often in many viages on the se or in other diueres perelles, haue more nede to be devoute and to serue God and his seyntens than othir peplyl, to the entente [þat] at here nede he may be socourable and helpy to theyme. And thei shulde take a synguler deuocion to some seynte be deuowte prayers, by the which thei may calle to hym or hire in there besynes. And that prayer wyth hert is not all only sufficiaunt, the wise man seith that God all only ys not well serued be wordes but by goode dedes.
Be Neptunus to whom the good knygh shulde calle yf he go ofte by the se we shall vndirstond that the goode sperite, the [which] is continually in the se of the worlde, he shulde calle deuoutely opon his Maker and pray that he wylle gyffe hym grace so to life that he may haue remissyon of his synnes, and he shulde beleve the Article þat Seynt Jude seyth XXXIV.
Looke at all tymes thou take goode hedde Bothe to Acropose[289] craft and his spede, Which smyteth and sparyth non in no kynde; That shal make the to haue þi soule in mynde.
Poyetis calle deth Accropos; wherefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shulde thyngke þat he shal not euer lyffe in this worlde, but sone depart derefro. Therfor he shulde sette more store by the vertues of the soule than to delytte hym in bodely delytes; and all Christen pepill[290] shulde thynkke þeropon to the entent that [t]he[i] myght remembre to[291] provide for the soule, þe which shall endure withowtyn ende. And to this purpose Pytagoras seith that, lech as owre begynnyng comyht of God, owre ende most [Sidenote: f. 32.] nedes be there.
There where it is seyde to the good knygh that he shulde take hede to Acropos, the which is notyd for deth, the same shuld the goode sperite haue, the which by þe merites of the Passyon of owre Lord Jhesu Cryste shulde haue stedefaste hoope with the payne and delygence that he shuld put therto to haue heuen at the last ende; and he shuld beleue stedefastly to ryse ayene at þe day of dome to haue euerlestyng lyfe yf he deserue it, as Seynt Mathi seith in the last Article, where he seith, [“Carnis resurrectionem, vitam æternam”].
XXXV.
Belorophon[292] lete hym example be In all maner of dedes that doo will he, The which hade mech leuer to dye Than to supporte vntrouth be any weye.
Belorophon was a knyght of ryght grete beaute and full of trowthe. His stepmodir louyd hym so hoote þat sche required it of hym and, because that he wold not concent to hir will, sche dyde so myche that he was condempned to be deuoured with feers bestis, and he had mo lyste to chese the deth[293] than to do vntrwthe. To this purpose Hermes seyth, “Be glader to dye withowte cawse than to do a inconuenyence.”
We schall come now to declare the Commawndementis off the Feyth, and there too we shall take an allegorie to oure purpose.
Berolophon, the which was so full of trowthe, may be noted for God of Heuen and, as his hy mercy hath ben to vs, and is, full of all trouth, we may take the Fryst Commawndement, the which seith, “Thou shalt worchip no strawnge goddes.” To this seith Seynt Austyn that the worchippe the which is called latre[294] thou shulde not do it, neythir to ydoile ne to ymage ne to no lekenes of no maner of creature, for that is a dew worchyppe all only to God, and in this Commawndement is defendede all ydolatrie. To that owre Lord seyth in the Gospell, [“Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et illi soli seruies”].[295] XXXVI.
Maymon,[296] thyn owyn trewe cosyn indede, The which is thy neyghburgh at þi nede, He louyd the so meche thou ought hym loue, And for his nede arme thy body aboue.
Kyng Maymon was cosyn to Hector and of the Troyens lyne, [Sidenote: f.
33.] and when Hector [was] in fers bayteyles, where he was oftyn grettely oppressed with his enemyes, Maymon, the which was a full worchipfull knyght, folowed hym euer nere and socoured Hector and brake the grete presses of pepyll. And that shewed wele; ffor when Achilles hade sleyn hym by treson, Maymons wonded Achilles sore and [wolde haue] sleyne[297] hym, hade not socoure acome to hym in hast. Therefor it is seide to the goode knygh þat he shulde loue hym and socoure hym at his nede; and this is to vnderstonde that euery prince and goode knygh which hath kyne, be thei neuer so lytell or poore, so he be goode and trwe,[298] he shulde loue hym and support hym in his dedes and en specyall whene he felyth hym trewe to hym. And it happenyth some tyme that a grete prince is better louede and more trwly of his poore kyne than off a full myghtye man. And to this purpose seith Rabyon[299] the phelesophre, “Encres ffrendes, for they shall be socourable to the.”
Be Maymon, þe trwe cosyn, we may vnderstonde God of Heven, þe which hath bene a full trwe cosyn for to take owre manhode, þe which benefette we may not guerdon. Thus here may we take the Secunde Commawndement, that seith, “Thow shalte not take the name of God in veyne,” that is to sey, as Seynt Austyn seith,[300] “Thou shalt not swere dyshonestly, ne withowte a cawse, ne for colour of falsenes, for there may no gretter abusyon ben than to brynge to a flasse[301] wittenes the chefe and the ryghte stefast trowthe.” And in this Commawndement all lesynges be defendede, all periure and all blaspheme. The lawe seith to this purpose, [“Non habebit Dominus insontem eum qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra”].[302] XXXVII.
Avyse the, or ony worde be shewede, Off grete manisynges,[303] nyse or lewde, Comyng forthe of thi mowth be to grete ire, And looke well in Leomedom the fire.[304] Leomedon was kyng of Troye and fader to Priant and, when Jason, Hercules and theire felawes went to Colcos for to gete the flese of gold and were arived and discendid at the porte of Troye ffor to refreysche theyme withowte ony hurte of the cuntre, Leomedon, not wele avised, sent bostus mesangers[305] to voyde theyme of the lond and to manyce theym gretly, if thei voyded not in hast. Than the barons of Grece were so wrooth for that wrongfull conveyng þat after that folowede the destruccion of the fryst Troye. Þerfor it is seide to þe good knyght that, stondyng the worde of manace is foule and velyens, it shulde be sadely passede[306] or that it were spokyne, for many grete hurtes oftyn [Sidenote: f. 34.]
tymes folowyth theroff. To this purpose the poyete Omer seith, “He is wyse that can refreyne his mowth.”
How the worde of grete manase cometh of arrogaunce, and þat to breke þe Commawndment it is also an ouerhoope,[307] we may vndyrstonde by this that noon shulde breke the halyday, for þat is ayenst the Commawndment þat is seide, “Vmbethynke the to halowe the Sabat.” By the which Seynt Austyn seith it is commawndede vs to halowe the Sunday in the stede of the Jues Sabat, for than we shuld solemply allso take reste bodyly, cesyng solemply of all werkes of thralledom, and to be in rest of sowle in cesyng off all synne. And to this purpose Ysaye seyth, the profyte, [“Quiescite agere perverse, discite bene facere”].[308] XXXVIII.
Trust no thyng to be in certeynete Vnto that þe trowth wele knowyn be; For a lytell of presumcion Piramus maketh the mencion.
Pyramus was a yong ientylman of the cyte of Babylonie, and ffro that he was but vii. yere olde loue woundede hym with his darte, and [he] was sore takyne with the loue of Tysbe the feyre yong ientylwoman, þe which was leke to hym in kyn and of age; and by þe grete hauntyng of þe twoo louers togedir þe grete loue was perseyuid and by a seruaunte accused to þe modir of þe yong gentylvoman, þe which tooke hir dougter and schette hir in hir chambre and she shulde kepe hir wele inowgh from the hauntyng of Piramus. And þerfor þer was grete woo betwyne þe two childyrne in full pitous complayntes and wepyng. That prison dured longe, but as they wexe in age þe sparke of loue encressed; for all ther longe absence it qwenchid neuer the more. Bytweyne þe places of ther kyne[309] was but a thynne wall. Thesbe perceyved the wall crassed,[310] where throw she saw brygnes[311] on the toþer side; than she toke the pendavnde of hir gyrdill[312] and put it throw the crevesse to þe entent þat hir loue myht perseyue it, as that he dede in schorte tyme. And there thei ii^o louers made ofte there assembles wiht full petous compleyntes. At the laste, as two sore constreynyd be loue, there acorde was sich that [that] nyte in the fryst qwarter of the nyght they shulde parte fro there kynne and mete withowte the cyte at a well vndir a qwythe thorne,[313] w[h]ere in there childehode they were wonte to pleye. When Thesbe was come to the welle all alone and ferefull, she harde a lyon come full rudly, ffor the which she, full of fere, fledde and layde hyr in a bosche fast by; but in the waye felle from hir a white wymple.
Piramus come, the which by the moneshyne perseyuyd the wymple, but the lyon hade fylyd it and made it all blody, the[314] * * * * * In[315] as mych as the nutte is better than the shelle,[316] it is seyde [Sidenote: f. 35.] to the good knyght þat he shulde not sette his thowght in felicite, þat þe parseyvyng of worthines be leste therefor.
To this purpose Hermes seith that it is better to haue pouerte in doyng goode dedys than riches lewdly or evyl getyn, standing worthines is euerlestyng and riches voide and dissauable.
Juno, whom he shulde not sette myche by, þe which is takyn for ryches, we may vnderstond þerby þat þe good spyrit shulde disprayse ryches. And Seynt Bernard seith, “O son off Adam, leue couetyse. Wherefor louest thou so mych this worldly ryches, the which be neythir trwe ne thei be not yowres, and, wheþþer ye will or non, at yowre dethe ye most nedis leue theyme?” And the Gospell seyth þat a chamelle shuld souner passe throwe an nedelles ye than a riche man shuld entre into the kynddom of heuen; for a chamel hath but oo boche on the bake[317] and the evyl ryche man hath.ii^o., on of evill possessions and þe tothir of synnes.
He most nedis leue the fryst boche at the dethe, but þe tothir, wheythir he will or non, he shall bere with hym, if he leue it not afore or that he dye. To this purpose oure Lord seith in þe Gospell, [“Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire quam divitem intrare in regnum cœlorum”].[318] L.
Ayens Amphoras[319] sad counsell, I þe sey, Go not to distrye, for than thou shalt dye, To Thebes, ne in the cete of Arges Assemble not host with chelde ne targes.
Amphoras was a full wyse clerk of the cete of Arges and hade myche connyng, and, when kyng Adrastus wolde go oppon Thebes for to distrye the cyte, Amphoras, þe which by kunnyng knewe what harme myth fall þerof, counseld the kyng not to goo, for, yf he wente, thei all shulde be dede a[n]d dystroyed; but he was not beleuyd. Yit it felle as he seyde. Wherefor it is seide to the good knyght þat ayens the counsell of wyse men he shulde take no grete enterpryse. But as Soleyne[320] seith, “The wyse manes counsell vayleth lytell to hym þat wyl not do therafter.”
Be Amphoras counsel, ayens the which non shulde goo to bateyle, we may take that the goode sperit shuld folowe holy prechyngges. And Seynte Gregorie seyth in his Omelies þat, lech as the lyffe of the body may notte be susteyned withowte that he take his refeccion bodyly, on the same wyse þe lyfe of the soule may not be [Sidenote: f. 36] susteined withowte ofte heryng the good worde of God.[321] Than Godes wordes the which ye here[322] with youre bodely heris reseyue them in yowre hertis; for, whan the word is hed and kepte in yowre wombe of mynde, than it may profyte, but, as a seke stomak castyth owt his mete, and as men be in dispayre of hym that brokyth notte but casti[t]h all owte, euen so his he in perell of euerlastyng dethe þat heryth prechyng and doth not þerafter. Þerfor the Scriptur seith, [“Non in omni solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo quod procedit de ore Dei.”][323] LI.
Gouerne thou thi tong aftir Saturne; Late not evill theryn long soiorne.
To speke to mech it is a fowle custome, And grete foly þerin is to presume.
Saturne, as I haue seide before,[324] is a planeth hevy and sclowe.
Therfor it is seide to þe good knyght that his tong shulde be leke to hym; for the tong shulde not be to hasty in spekyng to mych, but wysyly, so that it speke non harme of noon, ne no thyng þat a mane myth there impresun folye,[325] for a poyete seyth, “By the worde men knowyth a wyse man, and by the looke a foole.”
Be the tong, the which shulde be lech Saturne, is vndirstonden the sadenes[326] of speche. Hue of Seynt Victore seith to this purpose that þe mouth þe which hathe not the kepyng of discrecion farith as a cete that is withoute a walle, as a vessell that hathe no bothom,[327] as an horse that hath no brydel, and as a chippe þat hath no rothir. An evil kepte tong glydith as an ele, it perchith as an arwe; frendes [are] sone turned therby and ennemyes multiplied. It is sclaunderus and soweth discordes; at a strok it smyttyth and kyllyth many persones. Whoso kepyth his tong kepith his soule; for[328] deth and lyffe is in the poure off þe soule. And to this purpose Dauid seith in the Sawter booke, [“Prohibe linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolum”].[329] LII.
Beleue the Crow and his true counsell, And be neuer besy ne trauele In evil thyngges to be þe berer; Off thi deme thou mayst be þe suerer.[330] The fable seith that the crowe mette þe ravyn when he browte the tidynges to Phebus of his loue Corinis, þe which hade done [Sidenote: f.
37.] amysse, and she[331] requiryd of hym so ferre þat he tolde hyr[332] the cawse of this iurneye. But[333] she dissalowed hyme because he went not for to gyffe hym example of the same, the which for a lych cas hade ben chassede owte of the pallas howse, where some [time] [s]he was wonte to be gretly avanced. But he wolde not beleue hyr, for þe which harme folowed to hym. Where it is seyde to þe good knyght þat he shulde trost þe crowe; and Platon seith, “Be no iangeler ne to the knyng grete reportur of tydynges.”
How the crowe shulde be beleued, it is seide that the goode speryte shulde vse sych counsell. As Seynt Grigorie seith in his Omelies, þat strenght vailet not when counsel is not, ffor streynght is sone ouerthrowyn, iffe it be not rested opon the gyfte of counsell, and the soule þe whych hath lost in hym the seege of counsell outewarde he is dysparbuled[334] in diuerse desires. Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Si intraverit sapientia cor tuum, consilium custodiet te et prudentia servabit te”].[335] LIII.
Iff thou enforce the with[336] any wyght Strenger than thou to make playes of myghte, Withdrawe the fayre þat hurte thou ne be; Off Ganymedes vmbethynk the.
Ganymedes[337] was a yong ientilman of the Troyens ligne; and a fable seith þat Phebus and he strof togedir in castyng of a barre of yron, and, as Ganymedes myth not withstond the strenght of Phebus, he was slayne wyth þe reboundyng of þe barre Phebus hade lawnchyd so hye that he had lost þe syght þerof. And þerfor it is seyde that þe stryffe is not goode with a strenger and a myghtier than a man is hym selfe, ffor ther may not cumme thereof but grete inconuenyencie. Where a wyse man seith, “To be besy with men þat vse vngracious games, it is a syngne of pride, and communly the ende is angry.”
Fore to sey that a man shuld not enforce hym ayens a streynger þan he is hym selfe, it is to vndirstond that the goode sperite shulde not take on hym to stronge pennawnce withowte counsell. Seynt Grigori in his Moralles spekyth hereof and seyth þat penawnce profytteth not, yf it be not discrete, ne the vertue of abstynens is not worthe, yf it be sette in sych wyse that it be scharper than the body may suffre. And þerfor it is to conclude þat no poore person shulde take it on hym withowte counsel off more discrete than hym selfe. Where the wyse man seyth in his Prouerbes, [“Ubi multa consilia, ibi est salus”].[338] LIV.
Resemble not to Jasone, that man [Sidenote: f. 38.]
The which throuȝ Medee þe fleze wan Off golde, for þe which soon afterwarde He yafe hire right evill guerdon and harde.
Jason was a knyght of Grece, þe which went into strawnge cuntreis, that is to sey, into the Ile of Colcos, by the enortyng off his vncle Pelleus, the which of envy desired his deth. There was a chepe[339] þat hadde a flees of golde and it was kepte by enchauntment; but the conquest was so strong that non comme thedir but that lost there lyfe.
Medee, the whiche was the kynges doughter of that cuntre, toke so grete loue to Jason þat by the enchauntmentes that sche cowde, off the which sche was a soueren maysteres, she made charmes and lerned Jason enchauntementis by the whiche he whanne the fleese of golde, wereby he hade worchip aboue all knyttes lyvynge, and by Medee was reserued fro deth, to whom he hade promysyd euer to be trwe freende. But efftyr he fayled of hys feyth and loued anothir and left hyr holy[340] and forsoke hir, notwithstondyng she was off soueren beaute. Therfor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shulde not be leke to Jason, the which was vnknowyn and to ontrwe to þat the which hade schewed hym mych goodenes.[341] Wherefor it is to veleyns a thyng for a knyght or any nobill person to be rekeles or evyll knowyng of goodenesse, iff any he hath reseyuyd, be it of lady or off gentylwoman or off ony othir persone; ffor he shulde euere thynke thereon and guerdon it vnto his powere. To this purpose Hermes seith, “Be not slowe ne delayyng to remembre of hym þat hath doone the goode, for thou shuldest euer thynkke thereopon.”
The good sperite shulde not be leke to Jason, the which was rekeles, ne vncunnyng of the benefices reseyvid of his Maker. And Seynt Barnarde seith opon the Cantecles that vnkunnyng is ennemye to the soule, a lesser of vertues and dispraysyng of meritis and a lessyng of beneficis, and allso ingratitude fareth as nowght,[342] the which dryeth the well of pete, the dewe of grace and the reuer of mercye. And to this purpose the wyse man seith, [“Ingrati enim spes tanquam hibernalis glacies tabescet et disperiet tanquam aqua supervacua.”][343] LV.
Kepe the wele fro the serpent Gorgon; [Sidenote: f. 39.]
Be ware that thou looke not hyr[344] opon; Haue good sadde mynde opon Percyualle,[345] And he shall the tell the story all.
Gorgon, as the fable seith, was a gentylvoman of souereyne beaute; but because that Phebus[346] lay by hyr in the temple of Diane, the godes was so sore meved and grevyd that she schawnged hir into a serpent of ryght orribil figure. And þat serpent hade sich a propirte þat euery man that [be]helde hir was changed sodeynely into a ston; and for the harme that folwed of hire Percyvale, the worthi knyght, went for to fyght with that fers beste. And he behelde hym selfe in the bryghtnes of his shelde, the whiche was all golde, because he shulde not beholde the evill serpent, and he dide so mych þat he smote of hir[347] hede. Many exposicions may be made of this fable, and Gorgon may be vndirstonden for a cete or a towne þat was wonte to be of grete bounte, but throw the vicis of the duellers þerin it become a serpent and venemus; that is to vnderstonde, þat it dede mych harme in the marches to there neygburs, as to robbe and to pyll holy chirche,[348] all tho þat thei myghte gete, and merchawndys and othir passeris forby were takyn and holden and put in streyte presonys and thus were thei chawnged into stones. Percivale, that behelde hym selfe in his chelde, þat is to sey, in his strynght and knyghode, and went to fyght ayens the cite, he tooke it and tooke the power fro it, þat it dede no more harme.[349] It myght be that some man myght take a full feyre lady of evyll dedys, þe which bi hire couetise put many from there goodes, but he put hir from þat wyll; and many othir vndirstondynges may be sette herein. Therefor it is seide to þe good knyght that he kepe hym fro behaldyng evill thyngges, þe which myght drawe hym to evyll. And Aristotil seith, “Fle peple full of wikydnes and befolowe wyse men and stody in there bookes and beholde thy selfe in theire dedes.”
How that Gorgon shulde notte be beholden, þat is to sey þat þe good sperite shuld not behold no thyng in no maner delyte, but beholde[350] hym in þe childe[351] of þe state of perfeccion, and þat is for to fle delites. Aristotyl[352] seithe þat, as it is impossibyl þat [fire shuld burn in water, so it is impossibyl þat] compunccion[353] of herte is among wor[l]dly delites, for thei be.ii^o. contrary thynges þat distroyith iche of them othir, for compunccion is modir of terres and delites engenderyth laughynges, compunccion restreynyth the [Sidenote: f. 40.] hert and delites enlargeth it. To thys purpose seyth Holy Scripture, “They þat sowyn in wepyng shal repyn in lawyng.”[354] LVI.
Yf that loue make shorte to þe þe nyght, Be ware Phebus noye the not with his myght, Wherby thou mayst be take and tied In Vlnecans lyeines and ouerleyede.[355] A ffable seith that Mars and Venus loued togedir par amovres. It ffelle on a nyght that þe[356] loueres were aslepe, arme in arme. Phebus, the which sawe clerly, come opon theyme and for the which he accused theyme to Vulcans, Venus husbond. Than he, þat sawe theyme in that plyte, forged a lyeine and a cheyne of bras and bond them togedir so that thei myght not meve, as he þat is smyth of heuen and can worke sotely, and thus he come opon theyme and thanne went he forth [to] the tothir godes[357] and sheued theyme his shame. And the fable seith that sich rotters there be þat wolde full fayne falle in þe same mysdede.[358] To this fabill may be sette diuers exposicions, and it may full souereynly towche some poyntes of astronomye[359] to tho þat sotely can vndirstond it. Mars[360] to owre purpose seith þat þe good knyght shulde kepe hym þat in syche [cas] he be not ouerlede before yetilnes of tyme.[361] And a wyse man seith, “Vnnethes is ony thynge of secrete but that of some it is perceyuyd.”
There where þe auctorite seith þat, if lowe[362] schorte the nyghte to the, we shall sey þat þe gode sperit shulde kepe hym from þe wacches of the fende. Seynt Leo the pope seith to this, þat þe holde ennemy, the which transfygured hym into an angell of lyght,[363] sesseth not to strech his snaris of temptacions ouer all and to aspie how he may corumpe þe feithe of good beleuers; he beholdyth whome he shall embrace with þe fyer of couetyse, whom he shall enflame with the brennyng desyre of lechery, to whom he shall purpose the lekerousnes of glotenye; he examynyth of all customes, discutyth of hertes, commyteth[364] affeccions and there seketh he cause of iniure where he fyndeth hyme.
Therefor seyth Seynt Petyr the apostle, [“Sobrii estote et vigilate quia adversarius vester diabolus tanquam leo rugiens circuit quærens quem devoret”].[365] LVII.
Thamaris[366] dispraysed may not well be, [Sidenote: f. 41.]
Though a voman she were of Femene.
Umbethynk the where takyn was Cyrus, For ryght herde and dere he brought þat distrus.[367] Thamaris [was] qwen of Amazonie, a full worthy lady and full off grete worthynesse, of grete hardynes and wyse in armes and gouernauns. Cirus, the grete kyng of Perse, the which hadde conqwered many a region, with a grete host he meved ffor to goo ayens a grete reaume of Femene, of the which he sette but lytell by the streynghte. But she, the which was experte and sotyll in crafte of armes, suffyrd hym to entre into hyr reaume wythowte ony mevyng of hyr into the tyme that he was comyn into strate passage among hylles and grete mownteynes, where a full strong cuntre was. Than be Thamaris busshmentes[368] he was assaylled on euer[y] parte with the wymmens hoste and browght so ferre forthe þat he was takyn. The qwhen made hym to be browght before hir and made his hede be smetyn off and to be cast in a tobbe full off his barons blode, the which she had made to be sheded in his presens, and Thamaris spak in this wyse, “Cirus, the which had neuer inowgh of mannys blode, now mayst thow drynke inowthe.” And thus endyd Cirus, the grete kyng of Perse, the which was neuer ouercome in no batayle affore. Therefor Othea seith to the good knyght that he shulde neuer be ouertrostyng in hyme selphe, but þat he shulde doute that he mytht happe amysse by some infortune and yit by symplere than he ys. To this purpose Platon seith, “Disprayse noon, ffor hys wertues may be grete.”
Thamaris, the which shulde not be dispraysed, thowe þat she be a voman, is to sey þat a good speryte shulde not disprayse in hate[369] the state of mekenes, be it in relygion or ell where; and that mekenes is to prayse. Jon Cassian[370] seith that in no wyse the edifice of vertues in oure sowle may not reyse ne dresse hym self if the fundement of very mekenes be not tastyd fryst in oure hertes, the which, and it be ryghte stedefastly sette, may susteyne þe lynes of perfeccion and of charite.
Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Quanto maior es humilia te ipsum in omnibus et coram Deo invenies gratiam”].[371] LVIII.
Thy witte to be ennorted[372] suffre nought To foly delitys, ne herto brought Thy wyrchip; if it be asked of the, Anon beholde the wele in Medee.
Medee was on of the konnyngest women of sorserye that euer [Sidenote: f.
42.] was and hade most kunnyng; and þat stories seith. Notwythstondyng she suffred hire witte to be enorted at the owne will for to fullfylle hire delyte, as in lewde love she suffyrd hyre to be maystyrde, so þat she sette hire herte opon Jason and yaffe hym worchip, body and goodes; ffor the which after that he yaffe hire a full evyll rewarde. Wherefor Othea seith that the good knyght shulde not suffre reson to be ouercome wyth lewde delyte in no maner cas, iff he will vse of the vertue of streynght. And Platon seyth that a man of lyghte corage is sone meved[373] wyth that the which he louede.
That a man shulde not suffre his wytte to be ennorted to lewde delyte may be vnderstondyn that the goode sperit shulde not suffre his propir will to haue dominacion; for, yf propir will of dominacion cesyd not, there shulde be noon hell ne the fyer off hell shuld haue no dominacion but opon the person that sufferyth his propir will to be lorde of hym, ffor propir will feythyt ayens God and enprideth the selfe. That is the which dispoilleth Paradyse and clothit hell and voydeth the valu of the blode of Cryst Jhesu and submyttyth the worlde to the tharledom of the feend. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Virga atque correptio tribuit sapientiam; puer autem qui dimittitur voluntati suæ confundit matrem suam.”][374] LIX.
Iff thou be soget to god Cupido, The wood[375] giant looke thou kepe the fro, That the harde roche in no wyse may put be Opon Acis and opon Galatee.[376] Galatee was a fayre godesse, the which had a yong ientilman that she loued and he was dede.[377] There was a gyant of a fowle stature that loued hir, but she lyste not to loue hym; but he aspied hir so besily that he perceyued theyme bothe in the creues of a roche. Thanne were they ouerleyde[378] with a sodeyne rage, and the roche trembled in syche wyse that it holy brak and raffe asownedyr. But Galatee, the which was a fayrye,[379] dressyd hir into the see[380] and askapid therby. This is to vndirstond that the good knyght shulde be ware in sich case to be ouerleyde with sich as hath myght and wyll to greve hym.
How he shuld be ware of the gyant, the which is yoven to Cupido, itt is to vnderstond that the good speryte [shuld] be wele ware that he hath non ymagenacion to the worlde ne to no thynge [Sidenote: f. 43.] þerof, but euer thynke that all woordly thynges may litell while endure. For Seynt Jerom seyth opon Jeremye that there is no thyng may be noysed long emong those thynges which shalle haue ende; so all owre tyme is as of litell regarde to the euerlastyng terme. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Transierunt omnia illa tanquam umbra et tanquam nuntius percurrens”].[381] LX.
Fleeth euer the godesse of Dyscorde; Euyl be hire lyenis and hire corde.
Pellus[382] mariage full sore she trobled, For the which after mych foolke assembled.
Dyscorde is a godesse of evil dedys, and a fabyll seyth that whan Pellus weddyd the godesse Thetis, off whome Achilles was after that borne, Jubiter and all the tothir godes and godesses were at the mariage, but the godes of Discorde was not prayed therto and therefor for invie she com onsent for. But she come not all for noghte, for she dide verily hir office. When they were sette at dynne at a borde, the.iii. myghty godesses Pallas, Juno and Venus, there come Discorde and cast an appell of golde opon the borde, whereon was wretyn “Lete this be gouen to the ffayrest”; and than the fest was trobeld, for yche off theyme sey thei ought to haue it. They went afore Jubiter for to be iuged of that discorde, but he wolde not plese on to displese anothir. Wherefore thei putte the debate opon Paaris of Troye,[383] the [which] was an herde man than,[384] as his modir drempt, when sche was grete with hyme, that he schulde be cawse off distruccion of Troye; he was sent therfor to the forest to the herdeman, venyng[385] to hym that he hadde bene his sone.
And there Mercurius, the wiche [conducted] the ladies,[386] tolde hym whos sone that he was; than he lefte kepyng of shepe and went to Troye to his grete kynne. The fabill witneschit thus, where the weri stori is hidde vndir poyetikly couertoure, and because that often tymes many grete mischevis hath fallen and fallyth throwe discorde and debate, Othea seith to the goode knyth that he shulde be ware of discorde; so that, as it is a fowle thyng to be a debatoure and to move riottes, Pitagoras seith “Go not,” seith he, “in that weye where that hattes[387] growes.”
Where it is seyde that discorde shuld be fleed, on the same wyse the good sperit shulde flee all lettynges of consience and [Sidenote: f.
44.] eschewe stryvis and riottes. [Cassiodorus][388] souuerainly seith, “He fleeth stryves and riottes; for to stryve ayens pes it is woodnes, to stryue ayens his souereyne it is maddenes, to stryve ayens his soogette it is grete velany.” Therefor Seynte Powle seith, [“Non in contentione et æmulatione”].[389] LXI.
Thyne evyll misdede forgete thou noght, Iff thou to any[390] haue so myche wroughte, For the reward he will wele kepe fro the.
Distroyed was Leomedon, parde.
Leomedon, as I haue seide, was kyng off Troye, and he hadde done grete velany to the barons of Grece[391] to voyde them fro his lande[392]; the wiche they foryate noght, but Leomedon hathe foryeten it whan the Grekes ron on hym, the wiche ouercome hym, he oncouered and disporveide, so they distroyyd hym. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that, yf he hathe mysdone to any, that he kepe hym wele, ffor he may be sekyr it shal notte be foryeten, but rather wenged,[393] whanne he may haue tyme and place. And to this purpose Hermes seyth, “Be ware that thynne ennemyes com not vpon the, and thou disporveyde.”
That he shuld not forgete the myssedede that he hathe done to anothir may be vndirstondyn þat, when the good sperite felyth hym in synne for fawte of resistence, he shulde thynke that he shuld be ponnysshede, as thei be that be dampnyd, yf he amende hym notte. And therof seith Seynt Gregorie that the dome of God goth nowe fair and softely and a sclowe pas, but in tyme comyng it shall recompence the more greuously the mercy shall tarry of his acte. To this purpose the prophete Joel seith, [“Convertimini ad Dominum Deum vestrum, quia benignus et misericors est,” etc.].[394] LXII.
Iff it happe thou be of loue doited,[395] Be ware at the leste to whom thou tell it; That thi dedes discouered not be, Vmbethynke the welle of Semelle.[396] The fable seith that Semelle was a gentylwoman that Jubiter loved paramours. Juno, the wiche was in ialoucie, tooke the lekenes of an