So sit it wel a king therfore

To loven hem that trouthe mene;

For ate laste it wol be sene

That flaterie is nothing worth.

Bot nou to mi matiere forth, 2690

As forto speken overmore

After the Philosophres lore,

The thridde point of Policie

I thenke forto specifie.

What is a lond wher men ben none?

What ben the men whiche are al one

Withoute a kinges governance?

What is a king in his ligance,

Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?

What is to take lawe on honde, 2700

Bot if the jugges weren trewe?

These olde worldes with the newe

Who that wol take in evidence,

Ther mai he se thexperience,

What thing it is to kepe lawe,

Thurgh which the wronges ben withdrawe

And rihtwisnesse stant commended,

Wherof the regnes ben amended.

For wher the lawe mai comune

The lordes forth with the commune, 2710

Ech hath his propre duete;

And ek the kinges realte

Of bothe his worschipe underfongeth,

To his astat as it belongeth,

Which of his hihe worthinesse

Hath to governe rihtwisnesse,

As he which schal the lawe guide.

And natheles upon som side

His pouer stant above the lawe,

To yive bothe and to withdrawe 2720

The forfet of a mannes lif;

But thinges whiche are excessif

Ayein the lawe, he schal noght do

For love ne for hate also.

The myhtes of a king ben grete,

Bot yit a worthi king schal lete

Of wrong to don, al that he myhte;

For he which schal the poeple ryhte,

It sit wel to his regalie

That he himself ferst justefie 2730

Towardes god in his degre:

For his astat is elles fre

Toward alle othre in his persone,

Save only to the god al one,

Which wol himself a king chastise,

Wher that non other mai suffise.

So were it good to taken hiede

That ferst a king his oghne dede

Betwen the vertu and the vice

Redresce, and thanne of his justice 2740

So sette in evene the balance

Towardes othre in governance,

That to the povere and to the riche

Hise lawes myhten stonde liche,

He schal excepte no persone.

Bot for he mai noght al him one

In sondri places do justice,

He schal of his real office

With wys consideracion

Ordeigne his deputacion 2750

Of suche jugges as ben lerned,

So that his poeple be governed

Be hem that trewe ben and wise.

For if the lawe of covoitise

Be set upon a jugges hond,

Wo is the poeple of thilke lond,

For wrong mai noght himselven hyde:

Bot elles on that other side,

If lawe stonde with the riht,

The poeple is glad and stant upriht. 2760

Wher as the lawe is resonable,

The comun poeple stant menable,

And if the lawe torne amis,

The poeple also mistorned is.

And in ensample of this matiere

Of Maximin a man mai hiere,

Of Rome which was Emperour,

That whanne he made a governour

Be weie of substitucion

Of Province or of region, 2770

He wolde ferst enquere his name,

And let it openly proclame

What man he were, or evel or good.

And upon that his name stod

Enclin to vertu or to vice,

So wolde he sette him in office,

Or elles putte him al aweie.

Thus hield the lawe his rihte weie,

Which fond no let of covoitise:

The world stod than upon the wise, 2780

As be ensample thou myht rede;

And hold it in thi mynde, I rede.

In a Cronique I finde thus,

Hou that Gayus Fabricius,

Which whilom was Consul of Rome,

Be whom the lawes yede and come,

Whan the Sampnites to him broghte

A somme of gold, and him besoghte

To don hem favour in the lawe,

Toward the gold he gan him drawe, 2790

Wherof in alle mennes lok

A part up in his hond he tok,

Which to his mouth in alle haste

He putte, it forto smelle and taste,

And to his yhe and to his Ere,

Bot he ne fond no confort there:

And thanne he gan it to despise,

And tolde unto hem in this wise:

“I not what is with gold to thryve,

Whan non of all my wittes fyve 2800

Fynt savour ne delit therinne.

So is it bot a nyce Sinne

Of gold to ben to covoitous;

Bot he is riche and glorious,

Which hath in his subjeccion

Tho men whiche in possession

Ben riche of gold, and be this skile;

For he mai aldai whan he wile,

Or be hem lieve or be hem lothe,

Justice don upon hem bothe.” 2810

Lo, thus he seide, and with that word

He threw tofore hem on the bord

The gold out of his hond anon,

And seide hem that he wolde non:

So that he kepte his liberte

To do justice and equite,

Withoute lucre of such richesse.

Ther be nou fewe of suche, I gesse;

For it was thilke times used,

That every jugge was refused 2820

Which was noght frend to comun riht;

Bot thei that wolden stonde upriht

For trouthe only to do justice

Preferred were in thilke office

To deme and jugge commun lawe:

Which nou, men sein, is al withdrawe.

To sette a lawe and kepe it noght

Ther is no comun profit soght;

Bot above alle natheles

The lawe, which is mad for pes, 2830

Is good to kepe for the beste,

For that set alle men in reste.

The rihtful Emperour Conrade

To kepe pes such lawe made,

That non withinne the cite

In destorbance of unite

Dorste ones moeven a matiere.

For in his time, as thou myht hiere,

What point that was for lawe set

It scholde for no gold be let, 2840

To what persone that it were.

And this broghte in the comun fere,

Why every man the lawe dradde,

For ther was non which favour hadde.

So as these olde bokes sein,

I finde write hou a Romein,

Which Consul was of the Pretoire,

Whos name was Carmidotoire,

He sette a lawe for the pes,

That non, bot he be wepneles, 2850

Schal come into the conseil hous,

And elles as malicious

He schal ben of the lawe ded.

To that statut and to that red

Acorden alle it schal be so,

For certein cause which was tho:

Nou lest what fell therafter sone.

This Consul hadde forto done,

And was into the feldes ride;

And thei him hadden longe abide, 2860

That lordes of the conseil were,

And for him sende, and he cam there

With swerd begert, and hath foryete,

Til he was in the conseil sete.

Was non of hem that made speche,

Til he himself it wolde seche,

And fond out the defalte himselve;

And thanne he seide unto the tuelve,

Whiche of the Senat weren wise,

“I have deserved the juise, 2870

In haste that it were do.”

And thei him seiden alle no;

For wel thei wiste it was no vice,

Whan he ne thoghte no malice,

Bot onliche of a litel slouthe:

And thus thei leften as for routhe

To do justice upon his gilt,

For that he scholde noght be spilt.

And whanne he sih the maner hou

Thei wolde him save, he made avou 2880

With manfull herte, and thus he seide,

That Rome scholde nevere abreide

His heires, whan he were of dawe,

That here Ancestre brak the lawe.

Forthi, er that thei weren war,

Forth with the same swerd he bar

The statut of his lawe he kepte,

So that al Rome his deth bewepte.

In other place also I rede,

Wher that a jugge his oghne dede 2890

Ne wol noght venge of lawe broke,

The king it hath himselven wroke.

The grete king which Cambises

Was hote, a jugge laweles

He fond, and into remembrance

He dede upon him such vengance:

Out of his skyn he was beflain

Al quyk, and in that wise slain,

So that his skyn was schape al meete,

And nayled on the same seete 2900

Wher that his Sone scholde sitte.

Avise him, if he wolde flitte

The lawe for the coveitise,

Ther sih he redi his juise.

Thus in defalte of other jugge

The king mot otherwhile jugge,

To holden up the rihte lawe.

And forto speke of tholde dawe,

To take ensample of that was tho,

I finde a tale write also, 2910

Hou that a worthi prince is holde

The lawes of his lond to holde,

Ferst for the hihe goddes sake,

And ek for that him is betake

The poeple forto guide and lede,

Which is the charge of his kinghede.

In a Cronique I rede thus

Of the rihtful Ligurgius,

Which of Athenis Prince was,

Hou he the lawe in every cas, 2920

Wherof he scholde his poeple reule,

Hath set upon so good a reule,

In al this world that cite non

Of lawe was so wel begon

Forth with the trouthe of governance.

Ther was among hem no distance,

Bot every man hath his encress;

Ther was withoute werre pes,

Withoute envie love stod;

Richesse upon the comun good 2930

And noght upon the singuler

Ordeigned was, and the pouer

Of hem that weren in astat

Was sauf: wherof upon debat

Ther stod nothing, so that in reste

Mihte every man his herte reste.

And whan this noble rihtful king

Sih hou it ferde of al this thing,

Wherof the poeple stod in ese,

He, which for evere wolde plese 2940

The hihe god, whos thonk he soghte,

A wonder thing thanne him bethoghte,

And schop if that it myhte be,

Hou that his lawe in the cite

Mihte afterward for evere laste.

And therupon his wit he caste

What thing him were best to feigne,

That he his pourpos myhte atteigne.

A Parlement and thus he sette,

His wisdom wher that he besette 2950

In audience of grete and smale,

And in this wise he tolde his tale:

“God wot, and so ye witen alle,

Hierafterward hou so it falle,

Yit into now my will hath be

To do justice and equite

In forthringe of comun profit;

Such hath ben evere my delit.

Bot of o thing I am beknowe,

The which mi will is that ye knowe: 2960

The lawe which I tok on honde,

Was altogedre of goddes sonde

And nothing of myn oghne wit;

So mot it nede endure yit,

And schal do lengere, if ye wile.

For I wol telle you the skile;

The god Mercurius and no man

He hath me tawht al that I can

Of suche lawes as I made,

Wherof that ye ben alle glade; 2970

It was the god and nothing I,

Which dede al this, and nou forthi

He hath comanded of his grace

That I schal come into a place

Which is forein out in an yle,

Wher I mot tarie for a while,

With him to speke, as he hath bede.

For as he seith, in thilke stede

He schal me suche thinges telle,

That evere, whyl the world schal duelle, 2980

Athenis schal the betre fare.

Bot ferst, er that I thider fare,

For that I wolde that mi lawe

Amonges you ne be withdrawe

Ther whyles that I schal ben oute,

Forthi to setten out of doute

Bothe you and me, this wol I preie,

That ye me wolde assure and seie

With such an oth as I wol take,

That ech of you schal undertake 2990

Mi lawes forto kepe and holde.”

Thei seiden alle that thei wolde,

And therupon thei swore here oth,

That fro the time that he goth,

Til he to hem be come ayein,

Thei scholde hise lawes wel and plein

In every point kepe and fulfille.

Thus hath Ligurgius his wille,

And tok his leve and forth he wente.

Bot lest nou wel to what entente 3000

Of rihtwisnesse he dede so:

For after that he was ago,

He schop him nevere to be founde;

So that Athenis, which was bounde,

Nevere after scholde be relessed,

Ne thilke goode lawe cessed,

Which was for comun profit set.

And in this wise he hath it knet;

He, which the comun profit soghte,

The king, his oghne astat ne roghte; 3010

To do profit to the comune,

He tok of exil the fortune,

And lefte of Prince thilke office

Only for love and for justice,

Thurgh which he thoghte, if that he myhte,

For evere after his deth to rihte

The cite which was him betake.

Wherof men oghte ensample take

The goode lawes to avance

With hem which under governance 3020

The lawes have forto kepe;

For who that wolde take kepe

Of hem that ferst the lawes founde,

Als fer as lasteth eny bounde

Of lond, here names yit ben knowe:

And if it like thee to knowe

Some of here names hou thei stonde,

Nou herkne and thou schalt understonde.

Of every bienfet the merite

The god himself it wol aquite; 3030

And ek fulofte it falleth so,

The world it wole aquite also,

Bot that mai noght ben evene liche:

The god he yifth the heveneriche,

The world yifth only bot a name,

Which stant upon the goode fame

Of hem that don the goode dede.

And in this wise double mede

Resceiven thei that don wel hiere;

Wherof if that thee list to hiere 3040

After the fame as it is blowe,

Ther myht thou wel the sothe knowe,

Hou thilke honeste besinesse

Of hem that ferst for rihtwisnesse

Among the men the lawes made,

Mai nevere upon this erthe fade.

For evere, whil ther is a tunge,

Here name schal be rad and sunge

And holde in the Cronique write;

So that the men it scholden wite, 3050

To speke good, as thei wel oghten,

Of hem that ferst the lawes soghten

In forthringe of the worldes pes.

Unto thebreus was Moises

The ferste, and to thegipciens

Mercurius, and to Troiens

Ferst was Neuma Pompilius,

To Athenes Ligurgius

Yaf ferst the lawe, and to Gregois

Foroneus hath thilke vois, 3060

And Romulus to the Romeins.

For suche men that ben vileins

The lawe in such a wise ordeigneth,

That what man to the lawe pleigneth,

Be so the jugge stonde upriht,

He schal be served of his riht.

And so ferforth it is befalle

That lawe is come among ous alle:

God lieve it mote wel ben holde,

As every king therto is holde; 3070

For thing which is of kinges set,

With kinges oghte it noght be let.

What king of lawe takth no kepe,

Be lawe he mai no regne kepe.

Do lawe awey, what is a king?

Wher is the riht of eny thing,

If that ther be no lawe in londe?

This oghte a king wel understonde,

As he which is to lawe swore,

That if the lawe be forbore 3080

Withouten execucioun,

If makth a lond torne up so doun,

Which is unto the king a sclandre.

Forthi unto king Alisandre

The wise Philosophre bad,

That he himselve ferst be lad

Of lawe, and forth thanne overal

So do justice in general,

That al the wyde lond aboute

The justice of his lawe doute, 3090

And thanne schal he stonde in reste.

For therto lawe is on the beste

Above alle other erthly thing,

To make a liege drede his king.

Bot hou a king schal gete him love

Toward the hihe god above,

And ek among the men in erthe,

This nexte point, which is the ferthe

Of Aristotles lore, it techeth:

Wherof who that the Scole secheth, 3100

What Policie that it is

The bok reherceth after this.

It nedeth noght that I delate

The pris which preised is algate,

And hath ben evere and evere schal,

Wherof to speke in special,

It is the vertu of Pite,

Thurgh which the hihe mageste

Was stered, whan his Sone alyhte,

And in pite the world to rihte 3110

Tok of the Maide fleissh and blod.

Pite was cause of thilke good,

Wherof that we ben alle save:

Wel oghte a man Pite to have

And the vertu to sette in pris,

Whan he himself which is al wys

Hath schewed why it schal be preised.

Pite may noght be conterpeised

Of tirannie with no peis;

For Pite makth a king courteis 3120

Bothe in his word and in his dede.

It sit wel every liege drede

His king and to his heste obeie,

And riht so be the same weie

It sit a king to be pitous

Toward his poeple and gracious

Upon the reule of governance,

So that he worche no vengance,

Which mai be cleped crualte.

Justice which doth equite 3130

Is dredfull, for he noman spareth;

Bot in the lond wher Pite fareth

The king mai nevere faile of love,

For Pite thurgh the grace above,

So as the Philosphre affermeth,

His regne in good astat confermeth.

Thus seide whilom Constantin:

“What Emperour that is enclin

To Pite forto be servant,

Of al the worldes remenant 3140

He is worthi to ben a lord.”

In olde bokes of record

This finde I write of essamplaire:

Troian the worthi debonaire,

Be whom that Rome stod governed,

Upon a time as he was lerned

Of that he was to familier,

He seide unto that conseiller,

That forto ben an Emperour

His will was noght for vein honour, 3150

Ne yit for reddour of justice;

Bot if he myhte in his office

Hise lordes and his poeple plese,

Him thoghte it were a grettere ese

With love here hertes to him drawe,

Than with the drede of eny lawe.

For whan a thing is do for doute,

Fulofte it comth the worse aboute;

Bot wher a king is Pietous,

He is the more gracious, 3160

That mochel thrift him schal betyde,

Which elles scholde torne aside.

Of Pite forto speke plein,

Which is with mercy wel besein,

Fulofte he wole himselve peine

To kepe an other fro the peine:

For Charite the moder is

Of Pite, which nothing amis

Can soffre, if he it mai amende.

It sit to every man livende 3170

To be Pitous, bot non so wel

As to a king, which on the whiel

Fortune hath set aboven alle:

For in a king, if so befalle

That his Pite be ferme and stable,

To al the lond it is vailable

Only thurgh grace of his persone;

For the Pite of him al one

Mai al the large realme save.

So sit it wel a king to have 3180

Pite; for this Valeire tolde,

And seide hou that be daies olde

Codrus, which was in his degre

King of Athenis the cite,

A werre he hadde ayein Dorrence:

And forto take his evidence

What schal befalle of the bataille,

He thoghte he wolde him ferst consaille

With Appollo, in whom he triste;

Thurgh whos ansuere this he wiste, 3190

Of tuo pointz that he myhte chese,

Or that he wolde his body lese

And in bataille himselve deie,

Or elles the seconde weie,

To sen his poeple desconfit.

Bot he, which Pite hath parfit

Upon the point of his believe,

The poeple thoghte to relieve,

And ches himselve to be ded.

Wher is nou such an other hed, 3200

Which wolde for the lemes dye?

And natheles in som partie

It oghte a kinges herte stere,

That he hise liege men forbere.

And ek toward hise enemis

Fulofte he may deserve pris,

To take of Pite remembrance,

Wher that he myhte do vengance:

For whanne a king hath the victoire,

And thanne he drawe into memoire 3210

To do Pite in stede of wreche,

He mai noght faile of thilke speche

Wherof arist the worldes fame,

To yive a Prince a worthi name.

I rede hou whilom that Pompeie,

To whom that Rome moste obeie,

A werre hadde in jeupartie

Ayein the king of Ermenie,

Which of long time him hadde grieved.

Bot ate laste it was achieved 3220

That he this king desconfit hadde,

And forth with him to Rome ladde

As Prisoner, wher many a day

In sori plit and povere he lay,

The corone of his heved deposed,

Withinne walles faste enclosed;

And with ful gret humilite

He soffreth his adversite.

Pompeie sih his pacience

And tok pite with conscience, 3230

So that upon his hihe deis

Tofore al Rome in his Paleis,

As he that wolde upon him rewe,

Let yive him his corone newe

And his astat al full and plein

Restoreth of his regne ayein,

And seide it was more goodly thing

To make than undon a king,

To him which pouer hadde of bothe.

Thus thei, that weren longe wrothe, 3240

Acorden hem to final pes;

And yit justice natheles

Was kept and in nothing offended;

Wherof Pompeie was comended.

Ther mai no king himself excuse,

Bot if justice he kepe and use,

Which for teschuie crualte

He mot attempre with Pite.

Of crualte the felonie

Engendred is of tirannie, 3250

Ayein the whos condicion

God is himself the champion,

Whos strengthe mai noman withstonde.

For evere yit it hath so stonde,

That god a tirant overladde;

Bot wher Pite the regne ladde,

Ther mihte no fortune laste

Which was grevous, bot ate laste

The god himself it hath redresced.

Pite is thilke vertu blessed 3260

Which nevere let his Maister falle;

Bot crualte, thogh it so falle

That it mai regne for a throwe,

God wole it schal ben overthrowe:

Wherof ensamples ben ynowhe

Of hem that thilke merel drowhe.

Of crualte I rede thus:

Whan the tirant Leoncius

Was to thempire of Rome arrived,

Fro which he hath with strengthe prived 3270

The pietous Justinian,

As he which was a cruel man,

His nase of and his lippes bothe

He kutte, for he wolde him lothe

Unto the poeple and make unable.

Bot he which is al merciable,

The hihe god, ordeigneth so,

That he withinne a time also,

Whan he was strengest in his ire,

Was schoven out of his empire. 3280

Tiberius the pouer hadde,

And Rome after his will he ladde,

And for Leonce in such a wise

Ordeigneth, that he tok juise

Of nase and lippes bothe tuo,

For that he dede an other so,

Which more worthi was than he.

Lo, which a fall hath crualte,

And Pite was set up ayein:

For after that the bokes sein, 3290

Therbellis king of Bulgarie

With helpe of his chivalerie

Justinian hath unprisoned

And to thempire ayein coroned.

In a Cronique I finde also

Of Siculus, which was ek so

A cruel king lich the tempeste,

The whom no Pite myhte areste,—

He was the ferste, as bokes seie,

Upon the See which fond Galeie 3300

And let hem make for the werre,—

As he which al was out of herre

Fro Pite and misericorde;

For therto couthe he noght acorde,

Bot whom he myhte slen, he slouh,

And therof was he glad ynouh.

He hadde of conseil manyon,

Among the whiche ther was on,

Be name which Berillus hihte;

And he bethoghte him hou he myhte 3310

Unto the tirant do likinge,

And of his oghne ymaginynge

Let forge and make a Bole of bras,

And on the side cast ther was

A Dore, wher a man mai inne,

Whan he his peine schal beginne

Thurgh fyr, which that men putten under.

And al this dede he for a wonder,

That whanne a man for peine cride,

The Bole of bras, which gapeth wyde, 3320

It scholde seme as thogh it were

A belwinge in a mannes Ere,

And noght the criinge of a man.

Bot he which alle sleihtes can,

The devel, that lith in helle fast,

Him that this caste hath overcast,

That for a trespas which he dede

He was putt in the same stede,

And was himself the ferste of alle

Which was into that peine falle 3330

That he for othre men ordeigneth;

Ther was noman which him compleigneth.

Of tirannie and crualte

Be this ensample a king mai se,

Himself and ek his conseil bothe,

Hou thei ben to mankinde lothe

And to the god abhominable.

Ensamples that ben concordable

I finde of othre Princes mo,

As thou schalt hiere, of time go. 3340

The grete tirant Dionys,

Which mannes lif sette of no pris,

Unto his hors fulofte he yaf

The men in stede of corn and chaf,

So that the hors of thilke stod

Devoureden the mennes blod;

Til fortune ate laste cam,

That Hercules him overcam,

And he riht in the same wise

Of this tirant tok the juise: 3350

As he til othre men hath do,

The same deth he deide also,

That no Pite him hath socoured,

Til he was of hise hors devoured.

Of Lichaon also I finde

Hou he ayein the lawe of kinde

Hise hostes slouh, and into mete

He made her bodies to ben ete

With othre men withinne his hous.

Bot Jupiter the glorious, 3360

Which was commoeved of this thing,

Vengance upon this cruel king

So tok, that he fro mannes forme

Into a wolf him let transforme:

And thus the crualte was kidd,

Which of long time he hadde hidd;

A wolf he was thanne openly,

The whos nature prively

He hadde in his condicion.

And unto this conclusioun, 3370

That tirannie is to despise,

I finde ensample in sondri wise,

And nameliche of hem fulofte,

The whom fortune hath set alofte

Upon the werres forto winne.

Bot hou so that the wrong beginne

Of tirannie, it mai noght laste,

Bot such as thei don ate laste

To othre men, such on hem falleth;

For ayein suche Pite calleth 3380

Vengance to the god above.

For who that hath no tender love

In savinge of a mannes lif,

He schal be founde so gultif,

That whanne he wolde mercy crave

In time of nede, he schal non have.

Of the natures this I finde,

The fierce Leon in his kinde,

Which goth rampende after his preie,

If he a man finde in his weie, 3390

He wole him slen, if he withstonde.

Bot if the man coude understonde

To falle anon before his face

In signe of mercy and of grace,

The Leon schal of his nature

Restreigne his ire in such mesure,

As thogh it were a beste tamed,

And torne awey halfvinge aschamed,

That he the man schal nothing grieve.

Hou scholde than a Prince achieve 3400

The worldes grace, if that he wolde

Destruie a man whanne he is yolde

And stant upon his mercy al?

Bot forto speke in special,

Ther have be suche and yit ther be

Tirantz, whos hertes no pite

Mai to no point of mercy plie,

That thei upon her tirannie

Ne gladen hem the men to sle;

And as the rages of the See 3410

Ben unpitous in the tempeste,

Riht so mai no Pite areste

Of crualte the gret oultrage,

Which the tirant in his corage

Engendred hath: wherof I finde

A tale, which comth nou to mynde.

I rede in olde bokes thus:

Ther was a Duk, which Spertachus

Men clepe, and was a werreiour,

A cruel man, a conquerour 3420

With strong pouer the which he ladde.

For this condicion he hadde,

That where him hapneth the victoire,

His lust and al his moste gloire

Was forto sle and noght to save:

Of rancoun wolde he no good have

For savinge of a mannes lif,

Bot al goth to the swerd and knyf,

So lief him was the mannes blod.

And natheles yit thus it stod, 3430

So as fortune aboute wente,

He fell riht heir as be descente

To Perse, and was coroned king.

And whan the worschipe of this thing

Was falle, and he was king of Perse,

If that thei weren ferst diverse,

The tirannies whiche he wroghte,

A thousendfold welmore he soghte

Thanne afterward to do malice.

The god vengance ayein the vice 3440

Hath schape: for upon a tyde,

Whan he was heihest in his Pride,

In his rancour and in his hete

Ayein the queene of Marsagete,

Which Thameris that time hihte,

He made werre al that he myhte:

And sche, which wolde hir lond defende,

Hir oghne Sone ayein him sende,

Which the defence hath undertake.

Bot he desconfit was and take; 3450

And whan this king him hadde in honde,

He wol no mercy understonde,

Bot dede him slen in his presence.

The tidinge of this violence

Whan it cam to the moder Ere,

Sche sende anon ay wydewhere

To suche frendes as sche hadde,

A gret pouer til that sche ladde.

In sondri wise and tho sche caste

Hou sche this king mai overcaste; 3460

And ate laste acorded was,

That in the danger of a pass,

Thurgh which this tirant scholde passe,

Sche schop his pouer to compasse

With strengthe of men be such a weie

That he schal noght eschape aweie.

And whan sche hadde thus ordeigned,

Sche hath hir oghne bodi feigned,

For feere as thogh sche wolde flee

Out of hir lond: and whan that he 3470

Hath herd hou that this ladi fledde,

So faste after the chace he spedde,

That he was founde out of array.

For it betidde upon a day,

Into the pas whanne he was falle,

Thembuisschementz tobrieken alle

And him beclipte on every side,

That fle ne myhte he noght aside:

So that ther weren dede and take

Tuo hundred thousend for his sake, 3480

That weren with him of his host.

And thus was leid the grete bost

Of him and of his tirannie:

It halp no mercy forto crie

To him which whilom dede non;

For he unto the queene anon

Was broght, and whan that sche him sih,

This word sche spak and seide on hih:

“O man, which out of mannes kinde

Reson of man hast left behinde 3490

And lived worse than a beste,

Whom Pite myhte noght areste,

The mannes blod to schede and spille

Thou haddest nevere yit thi fille.

Bot nou the laste time is come,

That thi malice is overcome:

As thou til othre men hast do,

Nou schal be do to thee riht so.”

Tho bad this ladi that men scholde

A vessel bringe, in which sche wolde 3500

Se the vengance of his juise,

Which sche began anon devise;

And tok the Princes whiche he ladde,

Be whom his chief conseil he hadde,

And whil hem lasteth eny breth,

Sche made hem blede to the deth

Into the vessel wher it stod:

And whan it was fulfild of blod,

Sche caste this tirant therinne,

And seide him, “Lo, thus myht thou wynne 3510

The lustes of thin appetit.

In blod was whilom thi delit,

Nou schalt thou drinken al thi fille.”

And thus onliche of goddes wille,

He which that wolde himselve strange

To Pite, fond mercy so strange,

That he withoute grace is lore.

So may it schewe wel therfore

That crualte hath no good ende;

Bot Pite, hou so that it wende, 3520

Makth that the god is merciable,

If ther be cause resonable

Why that a king schal be pitous.

Bot elles, if he be doubtous

To slen in cause of rihtwisnesse,

It mai be said no Pitousnesse,

Bot it is Pusillamite,

Which every Prince scholde flee.

For if Pite mesure excede,

Kinghode may noght wel procede 3530

To do justice upon the riht:

For it belongeth to a knyht

Als gladly forto fihte as reste,

To sette his liege poeple in reste,

Whan that the werre upon hem falleth;

For thanne he mote, as it befalleth,

Of his knyhthode as a Leon

Be to the poeple a champioun

Withouten eny Pite feigned.

For if manhode be restreigned, 3540

Or be it pes or be it werre,

Justice goth al out of herre,

So that knyhthode is set behinde.

Of Aristotles lore I finde,

A king schal make good visage,

That noman knowe of his corage

Bot al honour and worthinesse:

For if a king schal upon gesse

Withoute verrai cause drede,

He mai be lich to that I rede; 3550

And thogh that it be lich a fable,

Thensample is good and resonable.

As it be olde daies fell,

I rede whilom that an hell

Up in the londes of Archade

A wonder dredful noise made;

For so it fell that ilke day,

This hell on his childinge lay,

And whan the throwes on him come,

His noise lich the day of dome 3560

Was ferfull in a mannes thoght

Of thing which that thei sihe noght,

Bot wel thei herden al aboute

The noise, of which thei were in doute,

As thei that wenden to be lore

Of thing which thanne was unbore.

The nerr this hell was upon chance

To taken his deliverance,

The more unbuxomliche he cride;

And every man was fledd aside, 3570

For drede and lefte his oghne hous:

And ate laste it was a Mous,

The which was bore and to norrice

Betake; and tho thei hield hem nyce,

For thei withoute cause dradde.

Thus if a king his herte ladde

With every thing that he schal hiere,

Fulofte he scholde change his chiere

And upon fantasie drede,

Whan that ther is no cause of drede. 3580

Orace to his Prince tolde,

That him were levere that he wolde

Upon knihthode Achillem suie

In time of werre, thanne eschuie,

So as Tersites dede at Troie.

Achilles al his hole joie

Sette upon Armes forto fihte;

Tersites soghte al that he myhte

Unarmed forto stonde in reste:

Bot of the tuo it was the beste 3590

That Achilles upon the nede

Hath do, wherof his knyhtlihiede

Is yit comended overal.

King Salomon in special

Seith, as ther is a time of pes,

So is a time natheles

Of werre, in which a Prince algate

Schal for the comun riht debate

And for his oghne worschipe eke.

Bot it behoveth noght to seke 3600

Only the werre for worschipe,

Bot to the riht of his lordschipe,

Which he is holde to defende,

Mote every worthi Prince entende.

Betwen the simplesce of Pite

And the folhaste of crualte,

Wher stant the verray hardiesce,

Ther mote a king his herte adresce,

Whanne it is time to forsake,

And whan time is also to take 3610

The dedly werres upon honde,

That he schal for no drede wonde,

If rihtwisnesse be withal.

For god is myhty overal

To forthren every mannes trowthe,

Bot it be thurgh his oghne slowthe;

And namely the kinges nede

It mai noght faile forto spede,

For he stant one for hem alle;

So mote it wel the betre falle 3620

And wel the more god favoureth,

Whan he the comun riht socoureth.

And forto se the sothe in dede,

Behold the bible and thou myht rede

Of grete ensamples manyon,

Wherof that I wol tellen on.

Upon a time as it befell,

Ayein Judee and Irahel

Whan sondri kinges come were

In pourpos to destruie there 3630

The poeple which god kepte tho,—

And stod in thilke daies so,

That Gedeon, which scholde lede

The goddes folk, tok him to rede,

And sende in al the lond aboute,

Til he assembled hath a route

With thritti thousend of defence,

To fihte and make resistence

Ayein the whiche hem wolde assaille:

And natheles that o bataille 3640

Of thre that weren enemys

Was double mor than was al his;

Wherof that Gedeon him dradde,

That he so litel poeple hadde.

Bot he which alle thing mai helpe,

Wher that ther lacketh mannes helpe,

To Gedeon his Angel sente,

And bad, er that he forther wente,

Al openly that he do crie

That every man in his partie 3650

Which wolde after his oghne wille

In his delice abide stille

At hom in eny maner wise,

For pourchas or for covoitise,

For lust of love or lacke of herte,

He scholde noght aboute sterte,

Bot holde him stille at hom in pes:

Wherof upon the morwe he les

Wel twenty thousend men and mo,

The whiche after the cri ben go. 3660

Thus was with him bot only left

The thridde part, and yit god eft

His Angel sende and seide this

To Gedeon: “If it so is

That I thin help schal undertake,

Thou schalt yit lasse poeple take,

Be whom mi will is that thou spede.

Forthi tomorwe tak good hiede,

Unto the flod whan ye be come,

What man that hath the water nome 3670

Up in his hond and lapeth so,

To thi part ches out alle tho;

And him which wery is to swinke,

Upon his wombe and lith to drinke,

Forsak and put hem alle aweie.

For I am myhti alle weie,

Wher as me list myn help to schewe

In goode men, thogh thei ben fewe.”

This Gedeon awaiteth wel,

Upon the morwe and everydel, 3680

As god him bad, riht so he dede.

And thus ther leften in that stede

With him thre hundred and nomo,

The remenant was al ago:

Wherof that Gedeon merveileth,

And therupon with god conseileth,

Pleignende as ferforth as he dar.

And god, which wolde he were war

That he schal spede upon his riht,

Hath bede him go the same nyht 3690

And take a man with him, to hiere

What schal be spoke in his matere

Among the hethen enemis;

So mai he be the more wys,

What afterward him schal befalle.

This Gedeon amonges alle

Phara, to whom he triste most,

Be nyhte tok toward thilke host,

Which logged was in a valleie,

To hiere what thei wolden seie; 3700

Upon his fot and as he ferde,

Tuo Sarazins spekende he herde.

Quod on, “Ared mi swevene ariht,

Which I mette in mi slep to nyht.

Me thoghte I sih a barli cake,

Which fro the Hull his weie hath take,

And cam rollende doun at ones;

And as it were for the nones,

Forth in his cours so as it ran,

The kinges tente of Madian, 3710

Of Amalech, of Amoreie,

Of Amon and of Jebuseie,

And many an other tente mo

With gret noise, as me thoghte tho,

It threw to grounde and overcaste,

And al this host so sore agaste

That I awok for pure drede.”

“This swevene can I wel arede,”

Quod thother Sarazin anon:

“The barli cake is Gedeon, 3720

Which fro the hell doun sodeinly

Schal come and sette such ascry

Upon the kinges and ous bothe,

That it schal to ous alle lothe:

For in such drede he schal ous bringe,

That if we hadden flyht of wynge,

The weie on fote in desespeir

We scholden leve and flen in their,

For ther schal nothing him withstonde.”

Whan Gedeon hath understonde 3730

This tale, he thonketh god of al,

And priveliche ayein he stal,

So that no lif him hath perceived.

And thanne he hath fulli conceived

That he schal spede; and therupon

The nyht suiende he schop to gon

This multitude to assaile.

Nou schalt thou hiere a gret mervaile,

With what voisdie that he wroghte.

The litel poeple which he broghte, 3740

Was non of hem that he ne hath

A pot of erthe, in which he tath

A lyht brennende in a kressette,

And ech of hem ek a trompette

Bar in his other hond beside;

And thus upon the nyhtes tyde

Duk Gedeon, whan it was derk,

Ordeineth him unto his werk,

And parteth thanne his folk in thre,

And chargeth hem that thei ne fle, 3750

And tawhte hem hou they scholde ascrie

Alle in o vois per compaignie,

And what word ek thei scholden speke,

And hou thei scholde here pottes breke

Echon with other, whan thei herde

That he himselve ferst so ferde;

For whan thei come into the stede,

He bad hem do riht as he dede.

And thus stalkende forth a pas

This noble Duk, whan time was, 3760

His pot tobrak and loude ascride,

And tho thei breke on every side.

The trompe was noght forto seke;

He blew, and so thei blewen eke

With such a noise among hem alle,

As thogh the hevene scholde falle.

The hull unto here vois ansuerde,

This host in the valleie it herde,

And sih hou that the hell alyhte;

So what of hieringe and of sihte, 3770

Thei cawhten such a sodein feere,

That non of hem belefte there:

The tentes hole thei forsoke,

That thei non other good ne toke,

Bot only with here bodi bare

Thei fledde, as doth the wylde Hare.

And evere upon the hull thei blewe,

Til that thei sihe time, and knewe

That thei be fled upon the rage;

And whan thei wiste here avantage, 3780

Thei felle anon unto the chace.

Thus myht thou sen hou goddes grace

Unto the goode men availeth;

But elles ofte time it faileth

To suche as be noght wel disposed.

This tale nedeth noght be glosed,

For it is openliche schewed

That god to hem that ben wel thewed

Hath yove and granted the victoire:

So that thensample of this histoire 3790

Is good for every king to holde;

Ferst in himself that he beholde

If he be good of his livinge,

And that the folk which he schal bringe

Be good also, for thanne he may

Be glad of many a merie day,

In what as evere he hath to done.

For he which sit above the Mone

And alle thing mai spille and spede,

In every cause, in every nede 3800

His goode king so wel adresceth,

That alle his fomen he represseth,

So that ther mai noman him dere;

And als so wel he can forbere,

And soffre a wickid king to falle

In hondes of his fomen alle.

Nou forthermore if I schal sein

Of my matiere, and torne ayein

To speke of justice and Pite

After the reule of realte, 3810

This mai a king wel understonde,

Knihthode mot ben take on honde,

Whan that it stant upon the nede:

He schal no rihtful cause drede,

Nomore of werre thanne of pes,

If he wol stonde blameles;

For such a cause a king mai have

That betre him is to sle than save,

Wherof thou myht ensample finde.

The hihe makere of mankinde 3820

Be Samuel to Saul bad,

That he schal nothing ben adrad

Ayein king Agag forto fihte;

For this the godhede him behihte,

That Agag schal ben overcome:

And whan it is so ferforth come,

That Saul hath him desconfit,

The god bad make no respit,

That he ne scholde him slen anon.

Bot Saul let it overgon 3830

And dede noght the goddes heste:

For Agag made gret beheste

Of rancoun which he wolde yive,

King Saul soffreth him to live

And feigneth pite forth withal.

Bot he which seth and knoweth al,

The hihe god, of that he feigneth

To Samuel upon him pleigneth,

And sende him word, for that he lefte

Of Agag that he ne berefte 3840

The lif, he schal noght only dye

Himself, bot fro his regalie

He schal be put for everemo,

Noght he, bot ek his heir also,

That it schal nevere come ayein.

Thus myht thou se the sothe plein,

That of tomoche and of tolyte

Upon the Princes stant the wyte.

Bot evere it was a kinges riht

To do the dedes of a knyht; 3850

For in the handes of a king

The deth and lif is al o thing

After the lawes of justice.

To slen it is a dedly vice,

Bot if a man the deth deserve;

And if a king the lif preserve

Of him which oghte forto dye,

He suieth noght thensamplerie

Which in the bible is evident:

Hou David in his testament, 3860

Whan he no lengere myhte live,

Unto his Sone in charge hath yive

That he Joab schal slen algate;

And whan David was gon his gate,

The yonge wise Salomon

His fader heste dede anon,

And slouh Joab in such a wise,

That thei that herden the juise

Evere after dradden him the more,

And god was ek wel paid therfore, 3870

That he so wolde his herte plye

The lawes forto justefie.

And yit he kepte forth withal

Pite, so as a Prince schal,

That he no tirannie wroghte;

He fond the wisdom which he soghte,

And was so rihtful natheles,

That al his lif he stod in pes,

That he no dedly werres hadde,

For every man his wisdom dradde. 3880

And as he was himselve wys,

Riht so the worthi men of pris

He hath of his conseil withholde;

For that is every Prince holde,

To make of suche his retenue

Whiche wise ben, and to remue

The foles: for ther is nothing

Which mai be betre aboute a king,

Than conseil, which is the substance

Of all a kinges governance. 3890

In Salomon a man mai see

What thing of most necessite

Unto a worthi king belongeth.

Whan he his kingdom underfongeth,

God bad him chese what he wolde,

And seide him that he have scholde

What he wolde axe, as of o thing.

And he, which was a newe king,

Forth therupon his bone preide

To god, and in this wise he seide: 3900

“O king, be whom that I schal regne,

Yif me wisdom, that I my regne,

Forth with thi poeple which I have,

To thin honour mai kepe and save.”

Whan Salomon his bone hath taxed,

The god of that which he hath axed

Was riht wel paid, and granteth sone

Noght al only that he his bone

Schal have of that, bot of richesse,

Of hele, of pes, of hih noblesse, 3910

Forth with wisdom at his axinges,

Which stant above alle othre thinges.

Bot what king wole his regne save,

Ferst him behoveth forto have

After the god and his believe

Such conseil which is to believe,

Fulfild of trouthe and rihtwisnesse:

Bot above alle in his noblesse

Betwen the reddour and pite

A king schal do such equite 3920

And sette the balance in evene,

So that the hihe god in hevene

And al the poeple of his nobleie

Loange unto his name seie.

For most above all erthli good,

Wher that a king himself is good

It helpeth, for in other weie

If so be that a king forsueie,

Fulofte er this it hath be sein,

The comun poeple is overlein 3930

And hath the kinges Senne aboght,

Al thogh the poeple agulte noght.

Of that the king his god misserveth,

The poeple takth that he descerveth

Hier in this world, bot elleswhere

I not hou it schal stonde there.

Forthi good is a king to triste

Ferst to himself, as he ne wiste

Non other help bot god alone;

So schal the reule of his persone 3940

Withinne himself thurgh providence

Ben of the betre conscience.

And forto finde ensample of this,

A tale I rede, and soth it is.

In a Cronique it telleth thus:

The king of Rome Lucius

Withinne his chambre upon a nyht

The Steward of his hous, a knyht,

Forth with his Chamberlein also,

To conseil hadde bothe tuo, 3950

And stoden be the Chiminee

Togedre spekende alle thre.

And happeth that the kinges fol

Sat be the fyr upon a stol,

As he that with his babil pleide,

Bot yit he herde al that thei seide,

And therof token thei non hiede.

The king hem axeth what to rede

Of such matiere as cam to mouthe,

And thei him tolden as thei couthe. 3960

Whan al was spoke of that thei mente,

The king with al his hole entente

Thanne ate laste hem axeth this,

What king men tellen that he is:

Among the folk touchende his name,

Or be it pris, or be it blame,

Riht after that thei herden sein,

He bad hem forto telle it plein,

That thei no point of soth forbere,

Be thilke feith that thei him bere. 3970

The Steward ferst upon this thing

Yaf his ansuere unto the king

And thoghte glose in this matiere,

And seide, als fer as he can hiere,

His name is good and honourable:

Thus was the Stieward favorable,

That he the trouthe plein ne tolde.

The king thanne axeth, as he scholde,

The Chamberlein of his avis.

And he, that was soubtil and wys, 3980

And somdiel thoghte upon his feith,

Him tolde hou al the poeple seith

That if his conseil were trewe,

Thei wiste thanne wel and knewe

That of himself he scholde be

A worthi king in his degre:

And thus the conseil he accuseth

In partie, and the king excuseth.

The fol, which herde of al the cas

That time, as goddes wille was, 3990

Sih that thei seiden noght ynowh,

And hem to skorne bothe lowh,

And to the king he seide tho:

“Sire king, if that it were so,

Of wisdom in thin oghne mod

That thou thiselven were good,

Thi conseil scholde noght be badde.”

The king therof merveille hadde,

Whan that a fol so wisly spak,

And of himself fond out the lack 4000

Withinne his oghne conscience:

And thus the foles evidence,

Which was of goddes grace enspired,

Makth that good conseil was desired.

He putte awey the vicious

And tok to him the vertuous;

The wrongful lawes ben amended,

The londes good is wel despended,

The poeple was nomore oppressed,

And thus stod every thing redressed. 4010

For where a king is propre wys,

And hath suche as himselven is

Of his conseil, it mai noght faile

That every thing ne schal availe:

The vices thanne gon aweie,

And every vertu holt his weie;

Wherof the hihe god is plesed,

And al the londes folk is esed.

For if the comun poeple crie,

And thanne a king list noght to plie 4020

To hiere what the clamour wolde,

And otherwise thanne he scholde

Desdeigneth forto don hem grace,

It hath be sen in many place,

Ther hath befalle gret contraire;

And that I finde of ensamplaire.

After the deth of Salomon,

Whan thilke wise king was gon,

And Roboas in his persone

Receive scholde the corone, 4030

The poeple upon a Parlement

Avised were of on assent,

And alle unto the king thei preiden,

With comun vois and thus thei seiden:

“Oure liege lord, we thee beseche

That thou receive oure humble speche

And grante ous that which reson wile,

Or of thi grace or of thi skile.

Thi fader, whil he was alyve

And myhte bothe grante and pryve, 4040

Upon the werkes whiche he hadde

The comun poeple streite ladde:

Whan he the temple made newe,

Thing which men nevere afore knewe

He broghte up thanne of his taillage,

And al was under the visage

Of werkes whiche he made tho.

Bot nou it is befalle so,

That al is mad, riht as he seide,

And he was riche whan he deide; 4050

So that it is no maner nede,

If thou therof wolt taken hiede,

To pilen of the poeple more,

Which long time hath be grieved sore.

And in this wise as we thee seie,

With tendre herte we thee preie

That thou relesse thilke dette,

Which upon ous thi fader sette.

And if thee like to don so,

We ben thi men for everemo, 4060

To gon and comen at thin heste.”

The king, which herde this requeste,

Seith that he wole ben avised,

And hath therof a time assised;

And in the while as he him thoghte

Upon this thing, conseil he soghte.

And ferst the wise knyhtes olde,

To whom that he his tale tolde,

Conseilen him in this manere;

That he with love and with glad chiere 4070

Foryive and grante al that is axed

Of that his fader hadde taxed;

For so he mai his regne achieve

With thing which schal him litel grieve.

The king hem herde and overpasseth,

And with these othre his wit compasseth,

That yonge were and nothing wise.

And thei these olde men despise,

And seiden: “Sire, it schal be schame

For evere unto thi worthi name, 4080

If thou ne kepe noght the riht,

Whil thou art in thi yonge myht,

Which that thin olde fader gat.

Bot seie unto the poeple plat,

That whil thou livest in thi lond,

The leste finger of thin hond

It schal be strengere overal

Than was thi fadres bodi al.

And this also schal be thi tale,

If he hem smot with roddes smale, 4090

With Scorpions thou schalt hem smyte;

And wher thi fader tok a lyte,

Thou thenkst to take mochel more.

Thus schalt thou make hem drede sore

The grete herte of thi corage,

So forto holde hem in servage.

This yonge king him hath conformed

To don as he was last enformed,

Which was to him his undoinge:

For whan it cam to the spekinge, 4100

He hath the yonge conseil holde,

That he the same wordes tolde

Of al the poeple in audience;

And whan thei herden the sentence

Of his malice and the manace,

Anon tofore his oghne face

Thei have him oultreli refused

And with ful gret reproef accused.

So thei begunne forto rave,

That he was fain himself to save; 4110

For as the wilde wode rage

Of wyndes makth the See salvage,

And that was calm bringth into wawe,

So for defalte of grace and lawe

This poeple is stered al at ones

And forth thei gon out of hise wones;

So that of the lignages tuelve

Tuo tribes only be hemselve

With him abiden and nomo:

So were thei for everemo 4120

Of no retorn withoute espeir

Departed fro the rihtfull heir.

Al Irahel with comun vois

A king upon here oghne chois

Among hemself anon thei make,

And have here yonge lord forsake;

A povere knyht Jeroboas

Thei toke, and lefte Roboas,

Which rihtfull heir was be descente.

Lo, thus the yonge cause wente: 4130

For that the conseil was noght good,

The regne fro the rihtfull blod

Evere afterward divided was.

So mai it proven be this cas

That yong conseil, which is to warm,

Er men be war doth ofte harm.

Old age for the conseil serveth,

And lusti youthe his thonk deserveth

Upon the travail which he doth;

And bothe, forto seie a soth, 4140

Be sondri cause forto have,

If that he wole his regne save,

A king behoveth every day.

That on can and that other mai,

Be so the king hem bothe reule,

For elles al goth out of reule.

And upon this matiere also

A question betwen the tuo

Thus writen in a bok I fond;

Wher it be betre for the lond 4150

A king himselve to be wys,

And so to bere his oghne pris,

And that his consail be noght good,

Or other wise if it so stod,

A king if he be vicious

And his conseil be vertuous.

It is ansuerd in such a wise,

That betre it is that thei be wise

Be whom that the conseil schal gon,

For thei be manye, and he is on; 4160

And rathere schal an one man

With fals conseil, for oght he can,

From his wisdom be mad to falle,

Thanne he al one scholde hem alle

Fro vices into vertu change,

For that is wel the more strange.

Forthi the lond mai wel be glad,

Whos king with good conseil is lad,

Which set him unto rihtwisnesse,

So that his hihe worthinesse 4170

Betwen the reddour and Pite

Doth mercy forth with equite.

A king is holden overal

To Pite, bot in special

To hem wher he is most beholde;

Thei scholde his Pite most beholde

That ben the Lieges of his lond,

For thei ben evere under his hond

After the goddes ordinaunce

To stonde upon his governance. 4180

Of themperour Anthonius

I finde hou that he seide thus,

That levere him were forto save

Oon of his lieges than to have

Of enemis a thousend dede.

And this he lernede, as I rede,

Of Cipio, which hadde be

Consul of Rome. And thus to se

Diverse ensamples hou thei stonde,

A king which hath the charge on honde 4190

The comun poeple to governe,

If that he wole, he mai wel lerne.

Is non so good to the plesance

Of god, as is good governance;

And every governance is due

To Pite: thus I mai argue

That Pite is the foundement

Of every kinges regiment,

If it be medled with justice.

Thei tuo remuen alle vice, 4200

And ben of vertu most vailable

To make a kinges regne stable.

Lo, thus the foure pointz tofore,

In governance as thei ben bore,

Of trouthe ferst and of largesse,

Of Pite forth with rihtwisnesse,

I have hem told; and over this

The fifte point, so as it is

Set of the reule of Policie,

Wherof a king schal modefie 4210

The fleisschly lustes of nature,

Nou thenk I telle of such mesure,

That bothe kinde schal be served

And ek the lawe of god observed.

The Madle is mad for the the femele,

Bot where as on desireth fele,

That nedeth noght be weie of kinde:

For whan a man mai redy finde

His oghne wif, what scholde he seche

In strange places to beseche 4220

To borwe an other mannes plouh,

Whan he hath geere good ynouh

Affaited at his oghne heste,

And is to him wel more honeste

Than other thing which is unknowe?

Forthi scholde every good man knowe

And thenke, hou that in mariage

His trouthe pliht lith in morgage,

Which if he breke, it is falshode,

And that descordeth to manhode, 4230

And namely toward the grete,

Wherof the bokes alle trete;

So as the Philosophre techeth

To Alisandre, and him betecheth

The lore hou that he schal mesure

His bodi, so that no mesure

Of fleisshly lust he scholde excede.

And thus forth if I schal procede,

The fifte point, as I seide er,

Is chastete, which sielde wher 4240

Comth nou adaies into place;

And natheles, bot it be grace

Above alle othre in special,

Is non that chaste mai ben all.

Bot yit a kinges hihe astat,

Which of his ordre as a prelat

Schal ben enoignt and seintefied,

He mot be more magnefied

For dignete of his corone,

Than scholde an other low persone, 4250

Which is noght of so hih emprise.

Therfore a Prince him scholde avise,

Er that he felle in such riote,

And namely that he nassote

To change for the wommanhede

The worthinesse of his manhede.

Of Aristotle I have wel rad,

Hou he to Alisandre bad,

That forto gladen his corage

He schal beholde the visage 4260

Of wommen, whan that thei ben faire.

Bot yit he set an essamplaire,

His bodi so to guide and reule,

That he ne passe noght the reule,

Wherof that he himself beguile.

For in the womman is no guile

Of that a man himself bewhapeth;

Whan he his oghne wit bejapeth,

I can the wommen wel excuse:

Bot what man wole upon hem muse 4270

After the fool impression

Of his ymaginacioun,

Withinne himself the fyr he bloweth,

Wherof the womman nothing knoweth,

So mai sche nothing be to wyte.

For if a man himself excite

To drenche, and wol it noght forbere,

The water schal no blame bere.

What mai the gold, thogh men coveite?

If that a man wol love streite, 4280

The womman hath him nothing bounde;

If he his oghne herte wounde,

Sche mai noght lette the folie;

And thogh so felle of compainie

That he myht eny thing pourchace,

Yit makth a man the ferste chace,

The womman fleth and he poursuieth:

So that be weie of skile it suieth,

The man is cause, hou so befalle,

That he fulofte sithe is falle 4290

Wher that he mai noght wel aryse.

And natheles ful manye wise

Befoled have hemself er this,

As nou adaies yit it is

Among the men and evere was,

The stronge is fieblest in this cas.

It sit a man be weie of kinde

To love, bot it is noght kinde

A man for love his wit to lese:

For if the Monthe of Juil schal frese 4300

And that Decembre schal ben hot,

The yeer mistorneth, wel I wot.

To sen a man fro his astat

Thurgh his sotie effeminat,

And leve that a man schal do,

It is as Hose above the Scho,

To man which oghte noght ben used.

Bot yit the world hath ofte accused

Ful grete Princes of this dede,

Hou thei for love hemself mislede, 4310

Wherof manhode stod behinde,

Of olde ensamples as I finde.

These olde gestes tellen thus,

That whilom Sardana Pallus,

Which hield al hol in his empire

The grete kingdom of Assire,

Was thurgh the slouthe of his corage

Falle into thilke fyri rage

Of love, which the men assoteth,

Wherof himself he so rioteth, 4320

And wax so ferforth wommannyssh,

That ayein kinde, as if a fissh

Abide wolde upon the lond,

In wommen such a lust he fond,

That he duelte evere in chambre stille,

And only wroghte after the wille

Of wommen, so as he was bede,

That selden whanne in other stede

If that he wolde wenden oute,

To sen hou that it stod aboute. 4330

Bot ther he keste and there he pleide,

Thei tawhten him a Las to breide,

And weve a Pours, and to enfile

A Perle: and fell that ilke while,

On Barbarus the Prince of Mede

Sih hou this king in wommanhede

Was falle fro chivalerie,

And gat him help and compaignie,

And wroghte so, that ate laste

This king out of his regne he caste, 4340

Which was undon for everemo:

And yit men speken of him so,

That it is schame forto hiere.

Forthi to love is in manere.

King David hadde many a love,

Bot natheles alwey above

Knyhthode he kepte in such a wise,

That for no fleisshli covoitise

Of lust to ligge in ladi armes

He lefte noght the lust of armes. 4350

For where a Prince hise lustes suieth,

That he the werre noght poursuieth,

Whan it is time to ben armed,

His contre stant fulofte harmed,

Whan thenemis ben woxe bolde,

That thei defence non beholde.

Ful many a lond hath so be lore,

As men mai rede of time afore

Of hem that so here eses soghten,

Which after thei full diere aboghten. 4360

To mochel ese is nothing worth,

For that set every vice forth

And every vertu put abak,

Wherof priss torneth into lak,

As in Cronique I mai reherse:

Which telleth hou the king of Perse,

That Cirus hihte, a werre hadde

Ayein a poeple which he dradde,

Of a contre which Liddos hihte;

Bot yit for oght that he do mihte 4370

As in bataille upon the werre,

He hadde of hem alwey the werre.

And whan he sih and wiste it wel,

That he be strengthe wan no del,

Thanne ate laste he caste a wyle

This worthi poeple to beguile,

And tok with hem a feigned pes,

Which scholde lasten endeles,

So as he seide in wordes wise,

Bot he thoghte al in other wise. 4380

For it betidd upon the cas,

Whan that this poeple in reste was,

Thei token eses manyfold;

And worldes ese, as it is told,

Be weie of kinde is the norrice

Of every lust which toucheth vice.

Thus whan thei were in lustes falle,

The werres ben foryeten alle;

Was non which wolde the worschipe

Of Armes, bot in idelschipe 4390

Thei putten besinesse aweie

And token hem to daunce and pleie;

Bot most above alle othre thinges

Thei token hem to the likinges

Of fleysshly lust, that chastete

Received was in no degre,

Bot every man doth what him liste.

And whan the king of Perse it wiste,

That thei unto folie entenden,

With his pouer, whan thei lest wenden, 4400

Mor sodeinly than doth the thunder

He cam, for evere and put hem under.

And thus hath lecherie lore

The lond, which hadde be tofore

The beste of hem that were tho.

And in the bible I finde also

A tale lich unto this thing,

Hou Amalech the paien king,

Whan that he myhte be no weie

Defende his lond and putte aweie 4410

The worthi poeple of Irael,

This Sarazin, as it befell,

Thurgh the conseil of Balaam

A route of faire wommen nam,

That lusti were and yonge of Age,

And bad hem gon to the lignage

Of these Hebreus: and forth thei wente

With yhen greye and browes bente

And wel arraied everych on;

And whan thei come were anon 4420

Among thebreus, was non insihte,

Bot cacche who that cacche myhte,

And ech of hem hise lustes soghte,

Whiche after thei full diere boghte.

For grace anon began to faile,

That whan thei comen to bataille

Thanne afterward, in sori plit

Thei were take and disconfit,

So that withinne a litel throwe

The myht of hem was overthrowe, 4430

That whilom were wont to stonde.

Til Phinees the cause on honde

Hath take, this vengance laste,

Bot thanne it cessede ate laste,

For god was paid of that he dede:

For wher he fond upon a stede

A couple which misferde so,

Thurghout he smot hem bothe tuo,

And let hem ligge in mennes yhe;

Wherof alle othre whiche hem sihe 4440

Ensamplede hem upon the dede,

And preiden unto the godhiede

Here olde Sennes to amende:

And he, which wolde his mercy sende,

Restorede hem to newe grace.

Thus mai it schewe in sondri place,

Of chastete hou the clennesse

Acordeth to the worthinesse

Of men of Armes overal;

Bot most of alle in special 4450

This vertu to a king belongeth,

For upon his fortune it hongeth

Of that his lond schal spede or spille.

Forthi bot if a king his wille

Fro lustes of his fleissh restreigne,

Ayein himself he makth a treigne,

Into the which if that he slyde,

Him were betre go besyde.

For every man mai understonde,

Hou for a time that it stonde, 4460

It is a sori lust to lyke,

Whos ende makth a man to syke

And torneth joies into sorwe.

The brihte Sonne be the morwe

Beschyneth noght the derke nyht,

The lusti youthe of mannes myht,

In Age bot it stonde wel,

Mistorneth al the laste whiel.

That every worthi Prince is holde

Withinne himself himself beholde, 4470

To se the stat of his persone,

And thenke hou ther be joies none

Upon this Erthe mad to laste,

And hou the fleissh schal ate laste

The lustes of this lif forsake,

Him oghte a gret ensample take

Of Salomon, whos appetit

Was holy set upon delit,

To take of wommen the plesance:

So that upon his ignorance 4480

The wyde world merveileth yit,

That he, which alle mennes wit

In thilke time hath overpassed,

With fleisshly lustes was so tassed,

That he which ladde under the lawe

The poeple of god, himself withdrawe

He hath fro god in such a wise,

That he worschipe and sacrifise

For sondri love in sondri stede

Unto the false goddes dede. 4490

This was the wise ecclesiaste,

The fame of whom schal evere laste,

That he the myhti god forsok,

Ayein the lawe whanne he tok

His wyves and his concubines

Of hem that weren Sarazines,

For whiche he dede ydolatrie.

For this I rede of his sotie:

Sche of Sidoyne so him ladde,

That he knelende his armes spradde 4500

To Astrathen with gret humblesse,

Which of hire lond was the goddesse:

And sche that was a Moabite

So ferforth made him to delite

Thurgh lust, which al his wit devoureth,

That he Chamos hire god honoureth.

An other Amonyte also

With love him hath assoted so,

Hire god Moloch that with encense

He sacreth, and doth reverence 4510

In such a wise as sche him bad.

Thus was the wiseste overlad

With blinde lustes whiche he soghte;

Bot he it afterward aboghte.

For Achias Selonites,

Which was prophete, er his decess,

Whil he was in hise lustes alle,

Betokneth what schal after falle.

For on a day, whan that he mette

Jeroboam the knyht, he grette 4520

And bad him that he scholde abyde,

To hiere what him schal betyde.

And forth withal Achias caste

His mantell of, and also faste

He kut it into pieces twelve,

Wherof tuo partz toward himselve

He kepte, and al the remenant,

As god hath set his covenant,

He tok unto Jeroboas,

Of Nabal which the Sone was, 4530

And of the kinges court a knyht:

And seide him, “Such is goddes myht,

As thou hast sen departed hiere

Mi mantell, riht in such manere

After the deth of Salomon

God hath ordeigned therupon,

This regne thanne he schal divide:

Which time thou schalt ek abide,

And upon that division

The regne as in proporcion 4540

As thou hast of mi mantell take,

Thou schalt receive, I undertake.

And thus the Sone schal abie

The lustes and the lecherie

Of him which nou his fader is.”

So forto taken hiede of this,

It sit a king wel to be chaste,

For elles he mai lihtly waste

Himself and ek his regne bothe,

And that oghte every king to lothe. 4550

O, which a Senne violent,

Wherof so wys a king was schent,

That the vengance in his persone

Was noght ynouh to take al one,

Bot afterward, whan he was passed,

It hath his heritage lassed,

As I more openli tofore

The tale tolde. And thus therfore

The Philosophre upon this thing

Writ and conseileth to a king, 4560

That he the surfet of luxure

Schal tempre and reule of such mesure,

Which be to kinde sufficant

And ek to reson acordant,

So that the lustes ignorance

Be cause of no misgovernance,

Thurgh which that he be overthrowe,

As he that wol no reson knowe.

For bot a mannes wit be swerved,

Whan kinde is dueliche served, 4570

It oghte of reson to suffise;

For if it falle him otherwise,

He mai tho lustes sore drede.

For of Anthonie thus I rede,

Which of Severus was the Sone,

That he his lif of comun wone

Yaf holy unto thilke vice,

And ofte time he was so nyce,

Wherof nature hire hath compleigned

Unto the god, which hath desdeigned 4580

The werkes whiche Antonie wroghte

Of lust, whiche he ful sore aboghte:

For god his forfet hath so wroke

That in Cronique it is yit spoke.

Bot forto take remembrance

Of special misgovernance

Thurgh covoitise and injustice

Forth with the remenant of vice,

And nameliche of lecherie,

I finde write a gret partie 4590

Withinne a tale, as thou schalt hiere,

Which is thensample of this matiere.

So as these olde gestes sein,

The proude tirannyssh Romein

Tarquinus, which was thanne king

And wroghte many a wrongful thing,

Of Sones hadde manyon,

Among the whiche Arrons was on,

Lich to his fader of maneres;

So that withinne a fewe yeres 4600

With tresoun and with tirannie

Thei wonne of lond a gret partie,

And token hiede of no justice,

Which due was to here office

Upon the reule of governance;

Bot al that evere was plesance

Unto the fleisshes lust thei toke.

And fell so, that thei undertoke

A werre, which was noght achieved,

Bot ofte time it hadde hem grieved, 4610

Ayein a folk which thanne hihte

The Gabiens: and al be nyhte

This Arrons, whan he was at hom

In Rome, a prive place he nom

Withinne a chambre, and bet himselve

And made him woundes ten or tuelve

Upon the bak, as it was sene;

And so forth with hise hurtes grene

In al the haste that he may

He rod, and cam that other day 4620

Unto Gabie the Cite,

And in he wente: and whan that he

Was knowe, anon the gates schette,

The lordes alle upon him sette

With drawe swerdes upon honde.

This Arrons wolde hem noght withstonde,

Bot seide, “I am hier at your wille,

Als lief it is that ye me spille,

As if myn oghne fader dede.”

And forthwith in the same stede 4630

He preide hem that thei wolde se,

And schewede hem in what degre

His fader and hise brethren bothe,

Whiche, as he seide, weren wrothe,

Him hadde beten and reviled,

For evere and out of Rome exiled.

And thus he made hem to believe,

And seide, if that he myhte achieve

His pourpos, it schal wel be yolde,

Be so that thei him helpe wolde. 4640

Whan that the lordes hadde sein

Hou wofully he was besein,

Thei token Pite of his grief;

Bot yit it was hem wonder lief

That Rome him hadde exiled so.

These Gabiens be conseil tho

Upon the goddes made him swere,

That he to hem schal trouthe bere

And strengthen hem with al his myht;

And thei also him have behiht 4650

To helpen him in his querele.

Thei schopen thanne for his hele

That he was bathed and enoignt,

Til that he was in lusti point;

And what he wolde thanne he hadde,

That he al hol the cite ladde

Riht as he wolde himself divise.

And thanne he thoghte him in what wise

He myhte his tirannie schewe;

And to his conseil tok a schrewe, 4660

Whom to his fader forth he sente

In his message, and he tho wente,

And preide his fader forto seie

Be his avis, and finde a weie,

Hou they the cite myhten winne,

Whil that he stod so wel therinne.

And whan the messager was come

To Rome, and hath in conseil nome

The king, it fell per chance so

That thei were in a gardin tho, 4670

This messager forth with the king.

And whanne he hadde told the thing

In what manere that it stod,

And that Tarquinus understod

Be the message hou that it ferde,

Anon he tok in honde a yerde,

And in the gardin as thei gon,

The lilie croppes on and on,

Wher that thei weren sprongen oute,

He smot of, as thei stode aboute, 4680

And seide unto the messager:

“Lo, this thing, which I do nou hier,

Schal ben in stede of thin ansuere;

And in this wise as I me bere,

Thou schalt unto mi Sone telle.”

And he no lengere wolde duelle,

Bot tok his leve and goth withal

Unto his lord, and told him al,

Hou that his fader hadde do.

Whan Arrons herde him telle so, 4690

Anon he wiste what it mente,

And therto sette al his entente,

Til he thurgh fraude and tricherie

The Princes hefdes of Gabie

Hath smiten of, and al was wonne:

His fader cam tofore the Sonne

Into the toun with the Romeins,

And tok and slowh the citezeins

Withoute reson or pite,

That he ne spareth no degre. 4700

And for the sped of this conqueste

He let do make a riche feste

With a sollempne Sacrifise

In Phebus temple; and in this wise

Whan the Romeins assembled were,

In presence of hem alle there,

Upon thalter whan al was diht

And that the fyres were alyht,

From under thalter sodeinly

An hidous Serpent openly 4710

Cam out and hath devoured al

The Sacrifice, and ek withal

The fyres queynt, and forth anon,

So as he cam, so is he gon

Into the depe ground ayein.

And every man began to sein,

“Ha lord, what mai this signefie?”

And therupon thei preie and crie

To Phebus, that thei mihten knowe

The cause: and he the same throwe 4720

With gastly vois, that alle it herde,

The Romeins in this wise ansuerde,

And seide hou for the wikkidnesse

Of Pride and of unrihtwisnesse,

That Tarquin and his Sone hath do,

The Sacrifice is wasted so,

Which myhte noght ben acceptable

Upon such Senne abhominable.

And over that yit he hem wisseth,

And seith that which of hem ferst kisseth 4730

His moder, he schal take wrieche

Upon the wrong: and of that speche

Thei ben withinne here hertes glade,

Thogh thei outward no semblant made.

Ther was a knyht which Brutus hihte,

And he with al the haste he myhte

To grounde fell and therthe kiste,

Bot non of hem the cause wiste,

Bot wenden that he hadde sporned

Per chance, and so was overtorned. 4740

Bot Brutus al an other mente;

For he knew wel in his entente

Hou therthe of every mannes kinde

Is Moder: bot thei weren blinde,

And sihen noght so fer as he.

Bot whan thei leften the Cite

And comen hom to Rome ayein,

Thanne every man which was Romein

And moder hath, to hire he bende

And keste, and ech of hem thus wende 4750

To be the ferste upon the chance,

Of Tarquin forto do vengance,

So as thei herden Phebus sein.

Bot every time hath his certein,

So moste it nedes thanne abide,

Til afterward upon a tyde

Tarquinus made unskilfully

A werre, which was fasteby

Ayein a toun with walles stronge

Which Ardea was cleped longe, 4760

And caste a Siege theraboute,

That ther mai noman passen oute.

So it befell upon a nyht,

Arrons, which hadde his souper diht,

A part of the chivalerie

With him to soupe in compaignie

Hath bede: and whan thei comen were

And seten at the souper there,

Among here othre wordes glade

Arrons a gret spekinge made, 4770

Who hadde tho the beste wif

Of Rome: and ther began a strif,

For Arrons seith he hath the beste.

So jangle thei withoute reste,

Til ate laste on Collatin,

A worthi knyht, and was cousin

To Arrons, seide him in this wise:

“It is,” quod he, “of non emprise

To speke a word, bot of the dede,

Therof it is to taken hiede. 4780

Anon forthi this same tyde

Lep on thin hors and let ous ryde:

So mai we knowe bothe tuo

Unwarli what oure wyves do,

And that schal be a trewe assay.”

This Arrons seith noght ones nay:

On horse bak anon thei lepte

In such manere, and nothing slepte,

Ridende forth til that thei come

Al prively withinne Rome; 4790

In strange place and doun thei lihte,

And take a chambre, and out of sihte

Thei be desguised for a throwe,

So that no lif hem scholde knowe.

And to the paleis ferst thei soghte,

To se what thing this ladi wroghte

Of which Arrons made his avant:

And thei hire sihe of glad semblant,

Al full of merthes and of bordes;

Bot among alle hire othre wordes 4800

Sche spak noght of hire housebonde.

And whan thei hadde al understonde

Of thilke place what hem liste,

Thei gon hem forth, that non it wiste,

Beside thilke gate of bras,

Collacea which cleped was,

Wher Collatin hath his duellinge.

Ther founden thei at hom sittinge

Lucrece his wif, al environed

With wommen, whiche are abandoned 4810

To werche, and sche wroghte ek withal,

And bad hem haste, and seith, “It schal

Be for mi housebondes were,

Which with his swerd and with his spere

Lith at the Siege in gret desese.

And if it scholde him noght displese,

Nou wolde god I hadde him hiere;

For certes til that I mai hiere

Som good tidinge of his astat,

Min herte is evere upon debat. 4820

For so as alle men witnesse,

He is of such an hardiesse,

That he can noght himselve spare,

And that is al my moste care,

Whan thei the walles schulle assaile.

Bot if mi wisshes myhte availe,

I wolde it were a groundles pet,

Be so the Siege were unknet,

And I myn housebonde sihe.”

With that the water in hire yhe 4830

Aros, that sche ne myhte it stoppe,

And as men sen the dew bedroppe

The leves and the floures eke,

Riht so upon hire whyte cheke

The wofull salte teres felle.

Whan Collatin hath herd hire telle

The menynge of hire trewe herte,

Anon with that to hire he sterte,

And seide, “Lo, mi goode diere,

Nou is he come to you hiere, 4840

That ye most loven, as ye sein.”

And sche with goodly chiere ayein

Beclipte him in hire armes smale,

And the colour, which erst was pale,

To Beaute thanne was restored,

So that it myhte noght be mored.

The kinges Sone, which was nyh,

And of this lady herde and syh

The thinges as thei ben befalle,

The resoun of hise wittes alle 4850

Hath lost; for love upon his part

Cam thanne, and of his fyri dart

With such a wounde him hath thurghsmite,

That he mot nedes fiele and wite

Of thilke blinde maladie,

To which no cure of Surgerie

Can helpe. Bot yit natheles

At thilke time he hield his pes,

That he no contienance made,

Bot openly with wordes glade, 4860

So as he couthe in his manere,

He spak and made frendly chiere,

Til it was time forto go.

And Collatin with him also

His leve tok, so that be nyhte

With al the haste that thei myhte

Thei riden to the Siege ayein.

Bot Arrons was so wo besein

With thoghtes whiche upon him runne,

That he al be the brode Sunne 4870

To bedde goth, noght forto reste,

Bot forto thenke upon the beste

And the faireste forth withal,

That evere he syh or evere schal,

So as him thoghte in his corage,

Where he pourtreieth hire ymage:

Ferst the fetures of hir face,

In which nature hadde alle grace

Of wommanly beaute beset,

So that it myhte noght be bet; 4880

And hou hir yelwe her was tresced

And hire atir so wel adresced,

And hou sche spak, and hou sche wroghte,

And hou sche wepte, al this he thoghte,

That he foryeten hath no del,

Bot al it liketh him so wel,

That in the word nor in the dede

Hire lacketh noght of wommanhiede.

And thus this tirannysshe knyht

Was soupled, bot noght half ariht, 4890

For he non other hiede tok,

Bot that he myhte be som crok,

Althogh it were ayein hire wille,

The lustes of his fleissh fulfille;

Which love was noght resonable,

For where honour is remuable,

It oghte wel to ben avised.

Bot he, which hath his lust assised

With melled love and tirannie,

Hath founde upon his tricherie 4900

A weie which he thenkth to holde,

And seith, “Fortune unto the bolde

Is favorable forto helpe.”

And thus withinne himself to yelpe,

As he which was a wylde man,

Upon his treson he began:

And up he sterte, and forth he wente

On horsebak, bot his entente

Ther knew no wiht, and thus he nam

The nexte weie, til he cam 4910

Unto Collacea the gate

Of Rome, and it was somdiel late,

Riht evene upon the Sonne set,

As he which hadde schape his net

Hire innocence to betrappe.

And as it scholde tho mishappe,

Als priveliche as evere he myhte

He rod, and of his hors alyhte

Tofore Collatines In,

And al frendliche he goth him in, 4920

As he that was cousin of house.

And sche, which is the goode spouse,

Lucrece, whan that sche him sih,

With goodli chiere drowh him nyh,

As sche which al honour supposeth,

And him, so as sche dar, opposeth

Hou it stod of hire housebonde.

And he tho dede hire understonde

With tales feigned in his wise,

Riht as he wolde himself devise, 4930

Wherof he myhte hire herte glade,

That sche the betre chiere made,

Whan sche the glade wordes herde,

Hou that hire housebonde ferde.

And thus the trouthe was deceived

With slih tresoun, which was received

To hire which mente alle goode;

For as the festes thanne stode,

His Souper was ryht wel arraied.

Bot yit he hath no word assaied 4940

To speke of love in no degre;

Bot with covert subtilite

His frendly speches he affaiteth,

And as the Tigre his time awaiteth

In hope forto cacche his preie.

Whan that the bordes were aweie

And thei have souped in the halle,

He seith that slep is on him falle,

And preith he moste go to bedde;

And sche with alle haste spedde, 4950

So as hire thoghte it was to done,

That every thing was redi sone.

Sche broghte him to his chambre tho

And tok hire leve, and forth is go

Into hire oghne chambre by,

As sche that wende certeinly

Have had a frend, and hadde a fo,

Wherof fell after mochel wo.

This tirant, thogh he lyhe softe,

Out of his bed aros fulofte, 4960

And goth aboute, and leide his Ere

To herkne, til that alle were

To bedde gon and slepten faste.

And thanne upon himself he caste

A mantell, and his swerd al naked

He tok in honde; and sche unwaked

Abedde lay, but what sche mette,

God wot; for he the Dore unschette

So prively that non it herde,

The softe pas and forth he ferde 4970

Unto the bed wher that sche slepte,

Al sodeinliche and in he crepte,

And hire in bothe his Armes tok.

With that this worthi wif awok,

Which thurgh tendresce of wommanhiede

Hire vois hath lost for pure drede,

That o word speke sche ne dar:

And ek he bad hir to be war,

For if sche made noise or cry,

He seide, his swerd lay faste by 4980

To slen hire and hire folk aboute.

And thus he broghte hire herte in doute,

That lich a Lomb whanne it is sesed

In wolves mouth, so was desesed

Lucrece, which he naked fond:

Wherof sche swounede in his hond,

And, as who seith, lay ded oppressed.

And he, which al him hadde adresced

To lust, tok thanne what him liste,

And goth his wey, that non it wiste, 4990

Into his oghne chambre ayein,

And clepede up his chamberlein,

And made him redi forto ryde.

And thus this lecherouse pride

To horse lepte and forth he rod;

And sche, which in hire bed abod,

Whan that sche wiste he was agon,

Sche clepede after liht anon

And up aros long er the day,

And caste awey hire freissh aray, 5000

As sche which hath the world forsake,

And tok upon the clothes blake:

And evere upon continuinge,

Riht as men sen a welle springe,

With yhen fulle of wofull teres,

Hire her hangende aboute hire Eres,

Sche wepte, and noman wiste why.

Bot yit among full pitously

Sche preide that thei nolden drecche

Hire housebonde forto fecche 5010

Forth with hire fader ek also.

Thus be thei comen bothe tuo,

And Brutus cam with Collatin,

Which to Lucrece was cousin,

And in thei wenten alle thre

To chambre, wher thei myhten se

The wofulleste upon this Molde,

Which wepte as sche to water scholde.

The chambre Dore anon was stoke,

Er thei have oght unto hire spoke; 5020

Thei sihe hire clothes al desguised,

And hou sche hath hirself despised,

Hire her hangende unkemd aboute,

Bot natheles sche gan to loute

And knele unto hire housebonde;

And he, which fain wolde understonde

The cause why sche ferde so,

With softe wordes axeth tho,

“What mai you be, mi goode swete?”

And sche, which thoghte hirself unmete 5030

And the lest worth of wommen alle,

Hire wofull chiere let doun falle

For schame and couthe unnethes loke.

And thei therof good hiede toke,

And preiden hire in alle weie

That sche ne spare forto seie

Unto hir frendes what hire eileth,

Why sche so sore hirself beweileth,

And what the sothe wolde mene.

And sche, which hath hire sorwes grene, 5040

Hire wo to telle thanne assaieth,

Bot tendre schame hire word delaieth,

That sondri times as sche minte

To speke, upon the point sche stinte.

And thei hire bidden evere in on

To telle forth, and therupon,

Whan that sche sih sche moste nede,

Hire tale betwen schame and drede

Sche tolde, noght withoute peine.

And he, which wolde hire wo restreigne, 5050

Hire housebonde, a sory man,

Conforteth hire al that he can,

And swor, and ek hire fader bothe,

That thei with hire be noght wrothe

Of that is don ayein hire wille;

And preiden hire to be stille,

For thei to hire have al foryive.

Bot sche, which thoghte noght to live,

Of hem wol no foryivenesse,

And seide, of thilke wickednesse 5060

Which was unto hire bodi wroght,

Al were it so sche myhte it noght,

Nevere afterward the world ne schal

Reproeven hire; and forth withal,

Er eny man therof be war,

A naked swerd, the which sche bar

Withinne hire Mantel priveli,

Betwen hire hondes sodeinly

Sche tok, and thurgh hire herte it throng,

And fell to grounde, and evere among, 5070

Whan that sche fell, so as sche myhte,

Hire clothes with hire hand sche rihte,

That noman dounward fro the kne

Scholde eny thing of hire se:

Thus lay this wif honestely,

Althogh sche deide wofully.

Tho was no sorwe forto seke:

Hire housebonde, hire fader eke

Aswoune upon the bodi felle;

Ther mai no mannes tunge telle 5080

In which anguisshe that thei were.

Bot Brutus, which was with hem there,

Toward himself his herte kepte,

And to Lucrece anon he lepte,

The blodi swerd and pulleth oute,

And swor the goddes al aboute

That he therof schal do vengance.

And sche tho made a contienance,

Hire dedlich yhe and ate laste

In thonkinge as it were up caste, 5090

And so behield him in the wise,

Whil sche to loke mai suffise.

And Brutus with a manlich herte

Hire housebonde hath mad up sterte

Forth with hire fader ek also

In alle haste, and seide hem tho

That thei anon withoute lette

A Beere for the body fette;

Lucrece and therupon bledende

He leide, and so forth out criende 5100

He goth into the Market place

Of Rome: and in a litel space

Thurgh cry the cite was assembled,

And every mannes herte is trembled,

Whan thei the sothe herde of the cas.

And therupon the conseil was

Take of the grete and of the smale,

And Brutus tolde hem al the tale;

And thus cam into remembrance

Of Senne the continuance, 5110

Which Arrons hadde do tofore,

And ek, long time er he was bore,

Of that his fadre hadde do

The wrong cam into place tho;

So that the comun clamour tolde

The newe schame of Sennes olde.

And al the toun began to crie,

“Awey, awey the tirannie

Of lecherie and covoitise!”

And ate laste in such a wise 5120

The fader in the same while

Forth with his Sone thei exile,

And taken betre governance.

Bot yit an other remembrance

That rihtwisnesse and lecherie

Acorden noght in compaignie

With him that hath the lawe on honde,

That mai a man wel understonde,

As be a tale thou shalt wite,

Of olde ensample as it is write. 5130

At Rome whan that Apius,

Whos other name is Claudius,

Was governour of the cite,

Ther fell a wonder thing to se

Touchende a gentil Maide, as thus,

Whom Livius Virginius

Begeten hadde upon his wif:

Men seiden that so fair a lif

As sche was noght in al the toun.

This fame, which goth up and doun, 5140

To Claudius cam in his Ere,

Wherof his thoght anon was there,

Which al his herte hath set afyre,

That he began the flour desire

Which longeth unto maydenhede,

And sende, if that he myhte spede

The blinde lustes of his wille.

Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille,

For sche stod upon Mariage;

A worthi kniht of gret lignage, 5150

Ilicius which thanne hihte,

Acorded in hire fader sihte

Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde.

Bot er the cause fully spedde,

Hire fader, which in Romanie

The ledinge of chivalerie

In governance hath undertake,

Upon a werre which was take

Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde

Of men of Armes whiche he ladde: 5160

So was the mariage left,

And stod upon acord til eft.

The king, which herde telle of this,

Hou that this Maide ordeigned is

To Mariage, thoghte an other.

And hadde thilke time a brother,

Which Marchus Claudius was hote,

And was a man of such riote

Riht as the king himselve was:

Thei tuo togedre upon this cas 5170

In conseil founden out this weie,

That Marchus Claudius schal seie

Hou sche be weie of covenant

To his service appourtenant

Was hol, and to non other man;

And therupon he seith he can

In every point witnesse take,

So that sche schal it noght forsake.

Whan that thei hadden schape so,

After the lawe which was tho, 5180

Whil that hir fader was absent,

Sche was somouned and assent

To come in presence of the king

And stonde in ansuere of this thing.

Hire frendes wisten alle wel

That it was falshed everydel,

And comen to the king and seiden,

Upon the comun lawe and preiden,

So as this noble worthi knyht

Hir fader for the comun riht 5190

In thilke time, as was befalle,

Lai for the profit of hem alle

Upon the wylde feldes armed,

That he ne scholde noght ben harmed

Ne schamed, whil that he were oute;

And thus thei preiden al aboute.

For al the clamour that he herde,

The king upon his lust ansuerde,

And yaf hem only daies tuo

Of respit; for he wende tho, 5200

That in so schorte a time appiere

Hire fader mihte in no manere.

Bot as therof he was deceived;

For Livius hadde al conceived

The pourpos of the king tofore,

So that to Rome ayein therfore

In alle haste he cam ridende,

And lefte upon the field liggende

His host, til that he come ayein.

And thus this worthi capitein 5210

Appiereth redi at his day,

Wher al that evere reson may

Be lawe in audience he doth,

So that his dowhter upon soth

Of that Marchus hire hadde accused

He hath tofore the court excused.

The king, which sih his pourpos faile,

And that no sleihte mihte availe,

Encombred of his lustes blinde

The lawe torneth out of kinde, 5220

And half in wraththe as thogh it were,

In presence of hem alle there

Deceived of concupiscence

Yaf for his brother the sentence,

And bad him that he scholde sese

This Maide and make him wel at ese;

Bot al withinne his oghne entente

He wiste hou that the cause wente,

Of that his brother hath the wyte

He was himselven forto wyte. 5230

Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong,

Which was upon the king along,

Bot ayein him was non Appel,

And that the fader wiste wel:

Wherof upon the tirannie,

That for the lust of Lecherie

His douhter scholde be deceived,

And that Ilicius was weyved

Untrewly fro the Mariage,

Riht as a Leon in his rage, 5240

Which of no drede set acompte

And not what pite scholde amounte,

A naked swerd he pulleth oute,

The which amonges al the route

He threste thurgh his dowhter side,

And al alowd this word he cride:

“Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king,

For me is levere upon this thing

To be the fader of a Maide,

Thogh sche be ded, that if men saide 5250

That in hir lif sche were schamed

And I therof were evele named.”

Tho bad the king men scholde areste

His bodi, bot of thilke heste,

Lich to the chaced wylde bor,

The houndes whan he fieleth sor,

Tothroweth and goth forth his weie,

In such a wise forto seie

This worthi kniht with swerd on honde

His weie made, and thei him wonde, 5260

That non of hem his strokes kepte;

And thus upon his hors he lepte,

And with his swerd droppende of blod,

The which withinne his douhter stod,

He cam ther as the pouer was

Of Rome, and tolde hem al the cas,

And seide hem that thei myhten liere

Upon the wrong of his matiere,

That betre it were to redresce

At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse, 5270

Than forto werre in strange place

And lese at hom here oghne grace.

For thus stant every mannes lif

In jeupartie for his wif

Or for his dowhter, if thei be

Passende an other of beaute.

Of this merveile which thei sihe

So apparant tofore here yhe,

Of that the king him hath misbore,

Here othes thei have alle swore 5280

That thei wol stonde be the riht.

And thus of on acord upriht

To Rome at ones hom ayein

Thei torne, and schortly forto sein,

This tirannye cam to mouthe,

And every man seith what he couthe,

So that the prive tricherie,

Which set was upon lecherie,

Cam openly to mannes Ere;

And that broghte in the comun feere, 5290

That every man the peril dradde

Of him that so hem overladde.

Forthi, er that it worse falle,

Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle

Thei have here wrongfull king deposed,

And hem in whom it was supposed

The conseil stod of his ledinge

Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe,

Wher thei receiven the penance

That longeth to such governance. 5300

And thus thunchaste was chastised,

Wherof thei myhte ben avised

That scholden afterward governe,

And be this evidence lerne,

Hou it is good a king eschuie

The lust of vice and vertu suie.

To make an ende in this partie,

Which toucheth to the Policie

Of Chastite in special,

As for conclusion final 5310

That every lust is to eschue

Be gret ensample I mai argue:

Hou in Rages a toun of Mede

Ther was a Mayde, and as I rede,

Sarra sche hihte, and Raguel

Hir fader was; and so befell,

Of bodi bothe and of visage

Was non so fair of the lignage,

To seche among hem alle, as sche;

Wherof the riche of the cite, 5320

Of lusti folk that couden love,

Assoted were upon hire love,

And asken hire forto wedde.

On was which ate laste spedde,

Bot that was more for likinge,

To have his lust, than for weddinge,

As he withinne his herte caste,

Which him repenteth ate laste.

For so it fell the ferste nyht,

That whanne he was to bedde dyht, 5330

As he which nothing god besecheth

Bot al only hise lustes secheth,

Abedde er he was fully warm

And wolde have take hire in his Arm,

Asmod, which was a fend of helle,

And serveth, as the bokes telle,

To tempte a man of such a wise,

Was redy there, and thilke emprise,

Which he hath set upon delit,

He vengeth thanne in such a plit, 5340

That he his necke hathe writhe atuo.

This yonge wif was sory tho,

Which wiste nothing what it mente;

And natheles yit thus it wente

Noght only of this ferste man,

Bot after, riht as he began,

Sexe othre of hire housebondes

Asmod hath take into hise bondes,

So that thei alle abedde deiden,

Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden, 5350

Noght for the lawe of Mariage,

Bot for that ilke fyri rage

In which that thei the lawe excede:

For who that wolde taken hiede

What after fell in this matiere,

Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere.

Whan sche was wedded to Thobie,

And Raphael in compainie

Hath tawht him hou to ben honeste,

Asmod wan noght at thilke feste, 5360

And yit Thobie his wille hadde;

For he his lust so goodly ladde,

That bothe lawe and kinde is served,

Wherof he hath himself preserved,

That he fell noght in the sentence.

O which an open evidence

Of this ensample a man mai se,

That whan likinge in the degre

Of Mariage mai forsueie,

Wel oghte him thanne in other weie 5370

Of lust to be the betre avised.

For god the lawes hath assissed

Als wel to reson as to kinde,

Bot he the bestes wolde binde

Only to lawes of nature,

Bot to the mannes creature

God yaf him reson forth withal,

Wherof that he nature schal

Upon the causes modefie,

That he schal do no lecherie, 5380

And yit he schal hise lustes have.

So ben the lawes bothe save

And every thing put out of sclandre;

As whilom to king Alisandre

The wise Philosophre tawhte,

Whan he his ferste lore cawhte,

Noght only upon chastete,

Bot upon alle honestete;

Wherof a king himself mai taste,

Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste 5390

Him oghte of reson forto be,

Forth with the vertu of Pite,

Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserve

Toward his godd, that he preserve

Him and his poeple in alle welthe

Of pes, richesse, honour and helthe

Hier in this world and elles eke.

Mi Sone, as we tofore spieke

In schrifte, so as thou me seidest,

And for thin ese, as thou me preidest, 5400

Thi love throghes forto lisse,

That I thee wolde telle and wisse

The forme of Aristotles lore,

I have it seid, and somdiel more

Of othre ensamples, to assaie

If I thi peines myhte allaie

Thurgh eny thing that I can seie.

Do wey, mi fader, I you preie:

Of that ye have unto me told

I thonke you a thousendfold. 5410

The tales sounen in myn Ere,

Bot yit min herte is elleswhere,

I mai miselve noght restreigne,

That I nam evere in loves peine:

Such lore couthe I nevere gete,

Which myhte make me foryete

O point, bot if so were I slepte,

That I my tydes ay ne kepte

To thenke of love and of his lawe;

That herte can I noght withdrawe. 5420

Forthi, my goode fader diere,

Lef al and speke of my matiere

Touchende of love, as we begonne:

If that ther be oght overronne

Or oght foryete or left behinde

Which falleth unto loves kinde,

Wherof it nedeth to be schrive,

Nou axeth, so that whil I live

I myhte amende that is mys.

Mi goode diere Sone, yis. 5430

Thi schrifte forto make plein,

Ther is yit more forto sein

Of love which is unavised.

Bot for thou schalt be wel avised

Unto thi schrifte as it belongeth,

A point which upon love hongeth

And is the laste of alle tho,

I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

Explicit Liber Septimus.