[Illustration]
_The seconde tractate/ the first chapiter treteth of the forme of a
kynge of his maners and of his estate_.
The kynge must be thus maad. For he must sitte in a chayer clothed in
purpure/ crowned on his heed in his ryght hand a ceptre and in the lyfte
hande an apple of gold/. For he is the most grettest and hyest in
dignyte aboue alle other and most worthy. And that is signefyed by the
corone/. For the glorye of the peple is the dignite of the kynge/ And
aboue all other the kynge ought to be replenysshid with vertues and of
grace/ and thys signefieth the purpure. For in lyke wyse as the robes of
purpure maketh fayr & enbelysshith the body/ the same wise vertues
maketh the sowle/ he ought alleway thenke on the gouernement of the
Royame and who hath thadmynystracion of Justice/ And thys shuld be by
hym self pryncipally. This signefieth the appell of gold that he holdeth
in his lyfte honde/ And for as moche as hit apperteyneth unto hym to
punysshe the rebelles hath he y'e sceptre in his right hand And for as
moche as mysericorde and trouthe conserue and kepe the kynge in his
trone/ Therfore ought a kynge to be mercyfull and debonayr For whan a
kynge or prynce desired or will be belouyd of his peple late hym be
gouerned by debonarite And valerius saith that debonairte percyth the
hertes of straungers and amolisshith and maketh softe the hertes of his
enemyes/ wherof he reherceth that philostratus that was due of athenes
had a doughter/ whom a man louyd so ardantly/ that on a tyme as he sawe
her wyth her moder/ sodaynly he cam and kyssed her/ wherof the moder was
so angry and soroufull that she wente and requyred of her lord the duc/
that his heed myght be smyten of/ The prynce answerd to her and sayde/
yf we shold slee them that loue us/ what shall we doo to our enemyes
that hate us/ Certaynly this was thanswer of a noble & debonair prynce
That suffred that villonye don to his doughter and to hymself yet more
This prince had also a frende that was named Arispe that sayd on a tyme
as moche villonye unto the prynce as ony man miht saye And that might
not suffise hym/ but he scracchid hym in the visage/ The prynce suffryd
hym paciently in suche wyse as thowh he had doon to hym no vilonye but
curtoysye And whan his sones wold haue auengid this vilonye/ he comanded
them that they shold not be so hardy so to do The next day folowyng
arispe remembrid of the right grete vilonye that he had don to his
frende and lord wythoute cause. He fyll in dispayr and wold haue slayn
hym self/ whan the duc knewe and understode that/ he cam to hym and sayd
ne doubte the nothynge And swore to hym by his fayth/ that also well he
was and shold be his frende fro than forthon as euery he had ben to fore
yf he wold And thus he respited hym of his deth by his debonairte. And
in lyke wyse rede we of the kynge pirre to whom was reported that they
of tarente had said grete vilonye of hym. For whiche cause he maad alle
them to come to fore hym And demanded of them yf they had so sayd. Than
oon of them answerd and sayd/ yf the wyn and the candellys had not
fayllyd/ thys langage had ben but a Iape/ In regarde of that we had
thought to haue doon/ Than the kynge began to lawhe/ for they had
confessid that suche langage as was sayd and spoken was by dronkenship/
And for this cause of debonairte the peple of tarante toke for a custome
that the dronken men shold be puuysshyd/ And the sobre men preyfed. The
kynge than thus ought to loue humylyte and hate falsite after the holy
scripture that speketh of euery man generally/ For the kynge in his
royame representeth god/ And god is verite/ And therfore hym ought to
saye no thynge but yf hit were veritable and stable. Valerius reherceth
that Alixandre wyth alle his ooste rood for to destroye a cyte whyche
was named lapsare/ whan than a phylosophre whiche had to name Anaximenes
which had ben to fore maistre & gouernour of Alixandre herd and
understood of his comyng Cam agayn Alixandre for to desire and requyre
of hym. And whan he sawe Alixandre he supposid to haue axid his
requefte/ Alixandre brake his demande to fore and swore to hym to fore
he axid ony thynge by his goddes. That suche thynge as he axid or
requyryd of hym/ he wold in no wyse doon/ Than the philosopher requyred
hym to destroye the cyte/ whan Alixandre understood his desire/ and the
oth that he had maad/ he suffrid the cyte to stande and not to be
destroyed For he had leuer doo his wyll than to be periured and forsworn
and doo agaynst his oth/ Quyntilian saith that no grete man ne lord
shold not swere/ but where as is grete nede/ And that the symple parole
or worde of a prynce ought to be more stable than the oth of a
marcha[=u]t/ Alas how kepe the prynces their promisses in thise dayes/
not only her promises but their othes her fealis and wrytynges & signes
of their propre handes/ alle faylleth god amende hit &c. A kynge also
ought to hate alle cruelte/ For we rede that neuer yet dyed ony pietous
persone of euyll deth ne cruell persone of good deth Therfore recounteth
valerius that ther was a man named theryle a werke-man in metall/ that
made a boole of coppre and a lityll wyket on the side/ wherby men myght
put in them that shuld be brent therin/ And hit was maad in suche
manere/ that they that shold be put and enclosid therin shold crye
nothinge lyke to the wys of a man but of an oxe. And this made he be
cause men shold haue the lasse pite of them. Whan he had made this hole
of copper/ he presented hit unto a kynge which was callyd philarde that
was so cruell a tyrant that he delited in no thinge but in cruelte And
he told hym the condicion of the bole/ Whan philarde herde and
understode this/ he alowed and preysed moche the werke/ And after sayde
to hym/ thou that art more cruell than I am/ thou shalt assaye & prove
first thy þsente and yeft/ And so made hym to goo in to the boole and
dye an euyll deth/ Therfore faith Ouide ther is no thinge more
raisonable than that a man dye of suche deth as he purchaseth unto other
Also the kynge ought souerainly kepe Iustice/ who maketh or kepeth a
royame with oute Iustice/ of verray force ther muste be grete robberye
and thefte Therfor reherceth saint Augustyn in a book which is intituled
the cyte of god/ that there was a theef of the see named diomedes that
was a grete rouar and dide so moche harme that the complaintes cam to
fore Alixander whiche dide hym to be taken & brought to fore hym/ and he
demanded hym wherfore he was so noyous & cruell in the see And he
answerd to hym agayn/ for as moche as thou art oon a lande in the world/
so am I another in y'e see/ but for as moche as the euyll y't I doo is
in oon galeye or tweyne therfore I am callyd a theef/ but for as moche
as thou dost in many shippis and with grete puyssance and power/
therfore art thou callyd an emperour/ but yf fortune were for me in
suche wyse/ I wold be come a good man and better than I now am/ but
thou/ the more richer and fortunat that thou art/ the more worse art
thou/ Alixander sayd to hym I shall change thy fortune in suche wyse as
thou ne saye/ that thou shalt doo hit by pouerte/ but for euyll and
mauaiste/ And so he made hym ryche/ And thys was he that afterward was a
good prynce and a good Iusticyer/ The kynge ought to be soueraynly
chaste/ And this signefyeth a quene that is only on his ryght syde For
hit is to be beleuyd and credible that whan the kynge is a good man
Iuste. trewe & of good maners and condicions/ that his children shall
folowe gladly the same/ for a good sone & a trewe ought not to forsake &
goo fro y'e good condicions of his fader. For certes hit is agaynst god
and nature in partie whan a man taketh other than his propre wyf/ And
that see we by birdes/ of whom the male and female haue to gyder the
charge in kepynge and norisshinge of their yonge fowlis and birdis/. For
some maner of fowlis kepen them to theyr femeles only/ As hit appereth
by storkes dowues and turtils/ But tho fowles that norisshith not their
birdes haue many wyues and femelles/ As the cock that no thynge
norisshith his chekens/ And therfore amonge alle the bestes that been/
Man and woman putteth most theyr entente and haue moste cure & charge in
norisshyng of their children/ And therfore doon they agaynst nature in
partye whan they leue theyr wyues for other women/ Of this chastete
reherceth valerius an example and faith that ther was a man of rome
which was named scipio affrican. For as moche as he had conquerd
affricque how well that he was of rome born. Whan he was of .xxxiiii.
yer of age he conquerd cartage And toke moche peple in Ostage/ Amonge
whom he was presented wyth a right fair mayde for his solas and playsir
whiche was assurid and handfast unto a noble yong gentillman of cartage
whiche was named Indiuicible/ And anon as this gentill scipio knewe that
Notwythstandyng that he was a prynce noble & lusty Dyde do calle anon
the parents and kynnesmen of them And deliuerid to them their doughter
wyth oute doyng of ony vilonye to her/ and y'e rænsom or gold that they
had ordeyned for their doughter/ gaf hit euery dele In dowaire to her
And the yong man that was her husbonde sawe the fraunchise and gentilnes
of hym/ torned hymself and the hertes of the noble peple unto the loue &
alliance of the romayns/ And this suffiseth as towchynge the kynge &c.
[Illustration]
_The seconde chapitre of the seconde book treteth of the
forme and maners of the Quene._
Thus ought the Quene be maad/ she ought to be a fair lady sittynge in a
chayer and crowned wyth a corone on her heed and cladd wyth a cloth of
gold & a mantyll aboue furrid wyth ermynes And she shold sytte on the
lyfte syde of the kinge for the amplections and enbrasynge of her
husbonde/ lyke as it is sayd in scripture in the canticles/ her lyfte
arme shall be under my heed And her ryght arme fhall[49] be clyppe and
enbrace me/ In that she is sette on his lyfte syde is by grace gyuen to
the kynge by nature and of ryght. For better is to haue a kynge by
succession than by election/ For oftentymes the electours and chosers
can not ne wyll not accorde/ And so is the election left/ And otherwhyle
they chese not the beste and most able and conuenyent/ but hym that they
best loue/ or is for them most proffytable/ But whan the kynge is by
lignage and by trewe succession/ he is taught enseygned and nourrishid
in his yongth in alle good & vertuous tacches and maners of hys fader/
And also the prynces of the royame dar not so hardily mene warre agaynst
a kynge hauynge a sone for to regne after hym And so a Quene ought to be
chaste. wyse. of honest peple/ well manerd and not curyous in
nourisshynge of her children/ her wyfedom ought not only tappere in feet
and werkes but also in spekynge that is to wete that she be secrete and
telle not suche thynges as ought to be holden secrete/ Wherfore it is a
comyn prouerbe that women can kepe no counceyle And accordyng therto
Macrobe reherceth in the book of the dremes of Scipio. That ther was a
child of rome that was named papirus that on a tyme went with his fader
whiche was a senatour into the chambre where as they helde their
counceyll And that tyme they spak of suche maters as was comanded and
agreed shold be kept secrete upon payn of their heedes And so departed
And whan he was comen home from the senatoire and fro the counceyll with
his fader/ his moder demanded of hym what was the counceyll and wherof
they spack and had taryed so longe there And the childe answerd to her
and sayd he durst not telle ner saye hit for so moche as hit was
defended upon payn of deth Than was the moder more desirous to knowe
than she was to fore/ And began to flatere hym one tyme And afterward to
menace hym that he shold saye and telle to her what hit was And whan the
childe sawe that he might haue no reste of his moder in no wife He made
her first promise that she shold kepe hit secrete And to telle hit to
none of the world/ And that doon/ he fayned a lesing or a lye and sayd
to her/ that the senatours had in counceyll a grete question and
difference whiche was this/ whether hit were better and more for the
comyn wele of rome/ that a man shold have two wyuys/ or a wyf to haue
two husbondes/ And whan she had understonde this/ he defended her that
she shold telle hit to none other body And after this she wente to her
gossyb and told to her this counceyll secretly/ And she told to an
other/ And thus euery wyf tolde hit to other in secrete And thus hit
happend anone after that alle the wyues of rome cam to the senatorye
where the senatours were assemblid/ And cryed wyth an hye voys/ that
they had leuer/ and also hit were better for the comyn wele that a wyf
shold haue two husbondes than a man two wyues/ The senatours heerynge
this. were gretly abasshid and wist not what to saye/ ner how to
answere/ tyll at laste that the child papire reherced to them all the
caas and feet how hit was happend And whan the senatours herd &
understood the mater they were gretly abasshid/ and comended gretly y'e
Ingenye & wytte of the child that so wisely contriued the lye rather
than he wolde discouere their co[=u]ceyll/ And forthwith made hym a
senatour/ and establisshid & ordeyned fro than forthon that no childe in
ony wise sholl entre in to y'e counceyll hous amonge them with their
faders exept papirus/ whome they wold y't he shold alwey be among them/
also a quene ought to be chaste/ for as she is aboue all other in astate
& reuer[=e]ce so shold she be ensample to all other in her liuyng
honestly/ wherof Ierome reherceth agaynst Ionynyan/ that ther was a
gentilman of rome named duele/ and this man was he y't first fond y'e
maner to fight on y'e water/ and had first victorie/ this duele had to
his wif one of the best women & so chaste/ that euery woman might take
ensample of her/ And at y't tyme the synne of the flesshe was the
grettest synne y't ony might doo agaynst nature/ And this sayd good
woman was named ylye/ and so it happend that this duele becam so olde
that he stowped & quaqued for age And on a tyme one of his aduersaries
repreuyd & reprochid hym sayng that he had a stynkynge breth/ And
forthwyth he wente home to his wyf alle angry and abasshid and axid her
why and wherfore she had not told his defaulte to hym that he myght haue
founden remedye to haue ben purgid therof/ And she answerd that as for
as moche as she supposid that euery man had that same faute as well as
he. For she kyst neuer ony mannes mouth but her husbondes/ O moche was
this woman to be preysed & haue a singuler lawde wenynge that this
defaulte had not ben only in her husbonde/ wherfore she suffrid hit
paciently in suche wyse that her husbonde knewe his defaute sonner by
other than by her/ Also we rede that ther was a wedowe named anna/
whiche had a frende that counceyllid her to marye/ For she was yong fayr
and riche/ to whom she answerd that she wold not so doo in no wise For
yf I shold haue an husbond as I haue had and that he were as good as he
was/ I shold euer ben a ferd to lose hym/ lyke as I lost that other/ And
than shold I lyue all wey in fere & drede/ whiche I wyll not And yf hit
happend me to haue awors/ what shold hyt prouffite me to haue an euyll
husbond after a good. And so she concluded that she wold kepe her
chastete. Saynt Austyn reherceth in the book de Civitate dei that in
rome was a noble lady gentill of maners & of hyghe kynrede named
lucrecia/ And had an husbonde named colatyne/ whiche desired on a tyme
the Emþours sone named Torquyne thorguyllous or the proude and he was
callid sixte for to come dyne and sporte hym in his castell or manoir
And whan he was entrid amonge many noble ladyes he sawe lucrecia/ And
whan this Emþours sone had seen & aduertised her deportes. her
contenance. her manere. and her beaulte/ he was all rauysshid and
esprised wyth her loue forthwyth And espyed a tyme whan her husbonde
collatyn wente unto the ooste of themþour/ and camm to the place where
as lucresse was with her felawship/ whom she receyuyd honorably/ and
whan tyme came to goo to bedde and slepe she made redy a bedde ryally
for hym as hit apperteyned to the emperours sone And this sixtus espyed
where lucresia laye. And whan he supposyd & knewe that euery body was in
his first sleep/ he cam to the bedde of lucresse and that oon hand sette
on her breste and in that other hand a naked swerd/ and sayd to her/
lucresse holde thy pees and crye not/ For I am sixte tarquynus sone/ for
yf y'u speke ony worde thou shalt be dede/ And for fere she held her
pees/ Than he began to praye and promise many thinges And after he
menaced & thretenyd her that she shold enclyne to hym to do his wyll/
And whan he sawe he coude ner might haue his entent he sayd to her yf
thou do not my wyll/ I shall slee the and o[=o]n of thy seruantes and
shall leye hym all ded by thy syde And than I shall saye that I haue
slayn yow for your rybawdrye/ And lucresse that than doubted more the
shame of the world than the deth consentid to hym/ And anone after as
the Emþours sone was departid/ the ladye sente l*res to her husbond her
fader her brethern & to her frendes/ and to a man callid brute
conceyllour & neuewe to tarquyn/ And sayd to them/ that yesterday sixte
the emp*ours sone cam in to myn hous as an enemye in likenes of a
frende/ & hath oppressid me And knowe y'u colatyn that he hath
dishonorid thy bedde And how well y't he hath fowled & dishonored my
body/ yet myn herte is not/ wherfore I beseche the of pardon foryfnes &
absolucion of the trespas but not of the payne/ and he y't hath doon
this synne to me hit shall ben to his meschance yf y'e doo your deuoir/
And be cause no woman take ensample of lucresse and lyue after the
trespaas/ but that she in lyke wyse take ensample also of the payne And
forthwyth wyth a swerd that she helde under her gowen or robe/ she roof
her self unto the herte And deyde forthwyth to fore them/ And than brute
the counseillr And her husbond collatyn and alle her other frendes swore
by the blood of lucresse that they wold neuer reste vnto the tyme that
they had put out of rome tarquyn and and alle his lignee/ And that neuer
after none of them shold come to dignite/ And alle this was doon. For
they bare the dede corps thurgh the cyte and meuyd the peple in suche
wyse/ that tarquyn was put in exyle And fixte his sone was slayn/ A
Quene ought to be well manerd & amonge alle she ought to be tumerous and
shamefast/ For whan a woman hath loste shamefastnes/ she may ner can not
well be chaast/ Wherfore saith symachus that they that ben not shamefast
haue no conscience of luxurye/ And saynt Ambrose saith that oon of the
best parements and maketh a woman most fayr in her persone/ is to be
shamefast/ Senecque reherceth that ther was oon named Archezille whiche
was so shamefast That she put in a pelow of fethers a certain some of
money/ and put hit vnder y'e heed of a pour frende of heeris/ whiche
dissimyled his pouerte and wold not ner durst not be a knowen of his
pouerte For for shame she durst not gyue hit openly/ but had leuer that
he shold fynde hit/ than that she had gyuen hit hym/ Wherfore otherwhile
men shold gyue & helpe her frendes so secretly That they knowe not whens
hit come/ For whan we kepe hit secret and make no boost therof/ our
deedes and werkes shall plese god and them also/ A Quene ought to be
chosen whan she shall be wedded of the most honest kynrede and peple/
For oftentymes the doughters folowen the tacches and maners of them that
they ben discended from/ Wherof Valerius maximus sayth that ther was one
that wold marye/ whiche cam to a philosopher and axid counceyll what wif
he might best take He answerd that he shold take her that thou knowe
certaynly that her moder and her grauntdame haue ben chaast and well
condicioned/ For suche moder/ suche doughter comunely/ Alfo a quene
ought to teche her childern to ben contynent and kepe chastite entyerly/
as hit is wreton in ecclesiastes/ yf thou haue sones enseigne and teche
them/ And yf thou haue doughters kepe well them in chastite/ For
helemonde reherceth that euery kynge & prynce ought to be a clerke for
to comande to other to studye and rede the lawe of our lord god/ And
therfore wrote themperour to the kynge of france that he shold doo lerne
hys children sones the seuen sciences lyberall/ And saide amonge other
thynges that a kynge not lettryd resembleth an asse coroned/ Themperour
Octauian maad his sones to be taught and lerne to swyme. to sprynge and
lepe. to Iufte. to playe wyth the axe and swerde/ And alle maner thynge
that apperteyneth to a knyght/ And his doughters he made hem to lerne.
to sewe. to spynne. to laboure as well in wolle as in lynnen cloth/ And
alle other werkis longynge to women And whan his frendes demanded
wherfore he dyde so/ he answerd how well that he was lord & syre of alle
the world/ yet wyste he not what shold befalle of his children and
whether they shold falle or come to pouerte or noo/ and therfore yf they
conne a good crafte they maye alleway lyue honestly/ The Quene ought to
kepe her doughters in alle chastyte/ For we rede of many maydens that
for theyr virginite haue ben made quenes/ For poule the historiagraph of
the lombardes reherceth y't ther was a duchesse named remonde whiche had
.iii. sones & two doughters And hit happend that the kynge of hongrye
cantanus assaylled a castell where she behelde her enemyes And amonge
all other she sawe the kynge that he was a well faryng and goodly man/
Anone she was esprised and taken wyth his loue/ And that so sore/ that
forthwith she sent to hym that she wold deliuere ouer the castell to hym
yf he wold take her to his wyf and wedde her And he agreed therto/ and
sware that he wold haue her to his wyf on that condicion/ whan than the
kynge was in the castell/ his peple toke men and women and alle that
they fonde/ her sones fledde from her/ of whom one was named Ermoaldus
and was yongest/ and after was duc of boneuentan/ And syn kynge of the
lumbardis. And the two susters toke chikens And put hem vnder her armes
next the flessh and bytwene her pappes/ that of the heete & chaffyng the
flessh of the chikens stanke. And whan so was that they of hongrye wold
haue enforcid & defowled hem anone they felte the stenche and fledde
away and so lefte hem sayng/ fy how these lombardes stynke/ and so they
kept their virginite/ wherfore that one of them afterward was Quene of
france And that other Quene of Aleman/ And hit happend than that the
kynge Catanus toke acordynge to his promyse the duchesse/ and laye with
her one night for to saue his oth And on the morn he made her comune
unto alle the hongres/ And the thirde day after he dyde doo put a staf
of tre fro the nether part of her/ thurgh her body vnto her throte or
mouthe/ for be cause of the lust of her flessh she betrayed her cyte and
sayd suche husbond/ suche wyf &c And this sufficeth of the Quene.
_The thirde chapitre of the seconde tractate treteth of the alphyns her
offices and maners._
The Alphyns ought to be made and formed in manere of Iuges syttynge in a
chayer wyth a book open to fore their eyen/ And that is be cause that
some causes ben crymynell/ And some ben cyuyle as aboute possessyons and
other temporell thynges and trespaces/ And therfore ought to be two
Iuges in the royame/ one in the black for the first cause/ And that
other in whyte as for the seconde/ Theyr office is for to counceyll the
kynge/ And to make by his comandements good lawes And to enforme alle
the royame in good and vertuous maners/ And to Iuge and gyue sentence
well and truly after the caas is had/ And to counceyll well and Iustely
alle them that are counceyll of hem/ wyth oute hauynge of ony eye opene
to ony persone/ And to estudye diligently in suche wyse and to ordeygne
alle that/ that ought to be kept be obseruyd be faste and stable/ So
that they be not founde corrupt for yeft for favour ne for lignage ne
for enuye variable And as touchynge the first poynt Seneque sayth in the
book of benefetes that the poure Dyogenes was more stronge than
Alixandre/ For Alixandre coude not gyue fo moche as Diogenes
wold reffuse.
Marcus cursus a romayn of grete renome sayth thus. That whan he had
besiegid & assayllyd them of amente And boneuentans whiche herde that he
was poure/ they toke a grete masse and wegghe of gold and ended hit to
hym prayng hym that he wold resseyue hyt and leue his assault and siege/
And whan they cam with the present to hym they fonde hym sittynge on the
erthe and ete his mete oute of platers and disshes of tree and of wode
and dyde than her message/ to whom he answerd and sayde that they shold
goo hoome and saye to them that sente hem that marcus cursus loueth
better to be lord and wynne richesses than richesses shold wynne hym/
For by bataylle he shall not be ouercome and vaynquysshid Nor be gold ne
siluer he shal not be corrupt ne corompid Often tymes that thynge taketh
an euyll ende that is vntrewe for gold and siluer/ And that a man is
subgett vnto money may not be lord therof/ helimond reherceth that [50]
demoncene demanded of aristodone how moche he had wonne for pletynge of
a cause for his clyent/ And he answerd a marck of gold. [51] Demoscenes
answerd to hym agayn that he had wonne as moche for to hold his pees and
speke not Thus the tonges of aduocates and men of lawe ben þyllous and
domegeable/yet they must be had yf thou wylt wynne thy cause for wyth
money and yeft thou shall wynne And oftetymes they selle as welle theyr
scilence/ as theyr vtterance/ Valerius reherceth that the senatours of
rome toke counceyll to geder of two persones that one was poure/ And
that other riche and couetous/ whiche of hem bothe were moft apte for to
sende to gouerne and Iuge the contre of spayne/ and scipion of affricque
sayd that none of them bothe were good ner prouffitable to be sente
theder/ For that one hath no thynge And to that other may nothynge
suffise And despised in his saynge alle pouerte and auerice in a Iuge/
For a couetous man hath nede of an halfpeny For he is seruant & bonde
vnto money/ and not lord therof. But pouerte of herte & of wylle ought
to be gretly alowed in a Iuge Therfore we rede that as longe as the
romayns louyd pouerte they were lordes of all the world For many ther
were that exposed alle their goodes for the comyn wele and for that was
most prouffitable for the comynaulte that they were so poure that whan
they were dede they were buryed & brought to erthe with the comyn good/
And theyr doughters were maryed by the comandement of the senatours/ But
syn that they despised pouerte/ And begonne to gadre rychesses/ And haue
maad grete bataylles/ they haue vsed many synnes And so the comyn wele
perysshid/ For there is no synne but that it regneth there/ Ther is none
that is so [52] synfull as he that hath alle the world in despyte/ For
he is in pees that dredeth no man/ And he is ryche that coueyteth no
thynge/ Valere reherceth that he is not ryche that moche hath/ But he is
ryche that hath lytyll and coueyteth no thynge/ Than thus late the Iuges
take hede that they enclyne not for loue or for hate in ony Iugement/
For theophrast saith that alle loue is blynde ther loue is/ ther can not
ryght Iugement by guyen/ For alle loue is blynde And therfore loue is
none euyn Iuge For ofte tymes loue Iugeth a fowll & lothly woman to be
fayr And so reherceth quynte curse in his first book that the grete
Godaches sayth the same to Alixandre men may saye in this caas that
nature is euyll For euery man is lasse auysed and worse in is owne feet
and cause than in an other mans/ And therfore the Iuges ought to kepe
hem well from yre in Iugement/ Tullius sayth that an angry & yrous
þsone weneth that for to doo euyll/ is good counceyll/ and socrates
saith y't .ii. thinges ben contraryous to co[=u]ceyll/ and they ben
haftynes & wrath/ and Galeren sayth in Alexandrye/ yf yre or wrath
ouercome the whan thou sholdest gyue Iugement/ weye all thinge in y'e
balance so that thy Iugement be not enclyned by loue ne by yeste/ ne
fauour of persone torne not thy corage. Helemond reherceth that Cambyses
kynge of perse whiche was a rightwys kynge had an vnrightwys Iuge/
whiche for enuye and euyll will had dampned a man wrongfully and agaynst
right/ wherfore he dide hym to be flain all quyk/ and made the chayer or
fiege of Iugement to be couerid wyth his skyn/ And made his sone Iuge
and to sitte in the chayer on the skyn of his fader/ to thende that the
sone shold Iuge rightwysly/ And abhorre the Iugement & payne of his
fader/ Iuges ought to punysshe the defaultes egally And fullfille the
lawe that they ordeyne/ Caton sayth accomplisshe and do the lawe in
suche wyse as thou hast ordeyned and gyuen. Valerius reherceth that
calengius a consull had a sone whiche was taken in adwultrye. And
therfore after the lawe at that tyme he was dampned to lose bothe his
eyen The fader wold y't the lawe shold be acc[=o]plisshid in his sone
with out fauour/ but all the cyte was meuyd herewyth And wold not suffre
hit/ but in the ende his fader was vaynquysshid by theyr prayers/ And
ordeyned that his sone shold lese oon eye whiche was put oute And he
hymself lost an other eye/ And thus was the lawe obserued and kept/ And
the prayer of the peple was accomplisshid We rede y't ther was a
counceyllour of rome that had gyen counceill to make a statute/ that who
some euer that entrid in to the senatoire/ & a swerd gyrt aboute hym
shold be ded/ Than hit happend on a tyme that he cam from with out and
entrid in to the senatoyre & his swerd gyrt aboute hym/ wherof he took
n[=o]n heede/ and [=o]n of the senatours told hym of hit/ and whan he
knewe hit & remembrid the statute/ he drewe oute his swerd & slewe
hymself to fore them/ rather to dye than to breke the lawe/ for whos
deth all the senatours made grete sorowe/ but alas we fynde not many in
thise dayes that soo doo/ but they doo lyke as anastasius saith that the
lawes of some ben lyke vnto the nettis of spyncoppis that take no grete
bestes & fowles but lete goo & flee thurgh. But they take flyes &
gnattes & suche smale thynges/ In lyke wise the lawes now a dayes ben
not executed but vpon the poure peple/ the grete and riche breke hit &
goo thurgh with all And for this cause sourden bataylles & discordes/
and make y'e grete & riche men to take by force and strengthe
lordshippis & seignouries vpon the smale & poure peple/ And this doon
they specially that ben gentill of lignage & poure of goodes And causeth
them to robbe and reue And yet constrayned them by force to serue them
And this is no meruayll/ for they that drede not to angre god/ ner to
breke the lawe and to false hit/ Falle often tymes by force in moche
cursednes and wikkidnes/ but whan the grete peple doo acordinge to the
lawe/ and punysh the tr[=a]nsgressours sharply The comyn peple abstayne and
withdrawe hem fro dooyng of euyll/ and chastiseth hem self by theyr
example/ And the Iuges ought to entende for to studie/ for y't yf
smythes the carp[=e]ntiers y'e vignours and other craftymen saye that it is
most necessarye to studye for the comyn prouffit And gloryfye them in
their connyng and saye that they ben prouffitable Than shold the Iuges
studie and contemplaire moche more than they in that/ that shold be for
the comyn wele/ wherfore sayth seneke beleue me that they seme that they
do no thynge they doo more than they that laboure For they doo
spirytuell and also corporall werkis/ and therfore amonge Artificers
ther is no plesant reste/ But that reson of the Iuges hath maad and
ordeyned hit/ And therfore angelius in libro actiui atticatorum de
socrate sayth That socrates was on a tyme so pensyf that in an hole
naturell daye/ He helde one estate that he ne meuyd mouth ne eye ne
foote ne hand but was as he had ben ded rauyshyd. And whan one demanded
hym wherfore he was fo pensyf/ he answerd in alle worldly thynges and
labours of the fame And helde hym bourgoys and cytezeyn of the world And
valerius reherceth that carnardes a knyght was so age wye and laborous
in pensifnes of the comyn wele/ that whan he was sette at table for to
ete/ he forgate to put his hande vnto the mete to fede hymself. And
therfore his wys y't was named mellye whom he had taken more to haue her
companye & felawship than for ony other thynge/ Fedde hym to thende that
he shold not dye for honger in his pensifnes/ Dydymus sayd to
Alix-andrie we ben not deynseyns in the world but stra[=u]gers/ ner we
ben not born in the world for to dwell and abyde allway therein/ but for
to goo and passe thurgh hit/ we haue doon noon euy dede/ but that it is
worthy to be punysshid and we to suffre payne therfore And than we may
goon with opon face and good conscience And so may we goo lightly and
appertly the way that we hope and purpose to goo This suffiseth as for
the Alphyns.
[Illustration]
_The fourth chapitre of the seconde book treteth of the ordre of
cheualerye and knyghthode and of her offices and maners._
The knyght ought to be made alle armed upon an hors in suche wyse that
he haue an helme on his heed and a spere in his ryght hande/ and coueryd
wyth his sheld/ a swerde and a mace on his lyft syde/ Cladd wyth an
hawberk and plates to fore his breste/ legge harnoys on his legges/
Spores on his heelis on his handes his gauntelettes/ his hors well
broken and taught and apte to bataylle and couerid with his armes/ whan
the knyghtes ben maad they ben bayned or bathed/ that is the signe that
they shold lede a newe lyf and newe maners/ also they wake alle the
nyght in prayers and orysons vnto god that he wylle gyue hem grace that
they may gete that thynge that they may not gete by nature/ The kynge or
prynce gyrdeth a boute them a swerde in signe/ that they shold abyde and
kepe hym of whom they take theyr dispenses and dignyte. Also a knyght
ought to be wise, liberall, trewe, stronge and full of mercy and pite
and kepar of the peple and of the lawe/ And ryght as cheualrye passeth
other in vertu in dignite in honour and in reu[=e]rece/ right so ought he
to surmounte alle other in vertu/ For honour is no thing ellis but to do
reuer[=e]ce to an other þsone for y'e good & vertuo'9 disposicion y't is
in hym/ A noble knyght ought to be wyse and preuyd to fore he be made
knyght/ hit behoued hym that he had longe tyme vsid the warre and armes/
that he may be expert and wyse for to gouerne the other For syn that a
knyght is capitayn of a batayll The lyf of them that shall be vnder hym
lyeth in his hand And therfore behoueth hym to be wyse and well aduysed/
for some tyme arte craft and engyue is more worth than strengthe or
hardynes of a man that is not proued in Armes/ For otherwhyle hit
happeth that whan the prynce of the batayll affieth and trusteth in his
hardynes and strength And wole not vse wysedom and engyne for to renne
vpon his enemyes/ he is vaynquysshid and his peple slayn/ Therfore saith
the philosopher that no man shold chese yong peple to be captayns &
gouernours For as moche as ther is no certainte in her wysedom.
Alexandra of macedone vaynquysshid and conquerid Egypte Iude Caldee
Affricque/ and Affirye vnto the marches of bragmans more by the
counceyll of olde men than by the strength of the yong men/ we rede in
the historye of rome y't ther was a knyght whiche had to name malechete
that was so wyse and trewe that whan the Emþour Theodosius was dede/ he
made mortall warre ayenst his broder germain whiche was named Gildo or
Guye For as moche as this said guye wold be lorde of affricque with oute
leue and wyll of the senatours. And this sayd guye had slayn the two
sones of his broder malechete/ And dide moche torment vnto the cristen
peple And afore that he shold come in to the felde ayenst his broder
Emyon/ he wente in to an yle of capayre And ladde with hym alle the
cristen men that had ben sente theder in Exyle And made hem alle to
praye wyth hym by the space of thre dayes & thre nyghtis/ For he had
grete truste in the prayers of good folk/ & specially that noman myght
counceyll ne helpe but god/ and .iii. dayes to fore he shold fight saynt
Ambrofe whiche was ded a lityl to fore apperid to hym/ and shewde hym by
reuelacion the tyme & our that he shold haue victorie/ and for as moche
as he had ben .iii. dayes and .iii nyghtes in his prayers & that he was
assewrid for to haue victorie/ He faught with .v. thousand men ayenst
his broder y't had in his companye .xxiiii. thousand men And by goddes
helpe he had victorie And whan the barbaryns y't were comen to helpe
guion fawe y'e disconfiture they fledde away/ and guion fledd also in to
affricque by shiipp/ and whan he was ther arryued he was sone after
stranglid/ These .ii. knyghtes of whom I speke were two bredern
germayns/ whiche were sent to affricque for to defende the comyn weele/
In likewise Iudas machabe'9 Ionathas & symon his bredern put hem self in
the mercy and garde of our lord god And agayn the enemyes of the lawe of
god with lityll peple in regard of the multitude that were agayn them/
and had also victorye/ The knights ought to ben trewe to theyr princes/
for he that is not trewe leseth y'e name of a knight Vnto a prince
trouth is the grettest precious stone whan it is medlid with Iuftice/
Paule the historiagraph of the lombardes reherceth that ther was a
knight named enulphus and was of the cyte of papye that was so trewe to
his kynge named patharich/ that he put hym in parill of deth for hym/
For hit happend that Grymald Due of [53] buuentayns of whom we haue
touched to fore in the chapitre of the Quene/ Dyde do flee Godebert
whiche was kynge of the lombardes by the hande of Goribert duc of
Tauryn/ whiche was discended of the crowne of lombardis And this grimald
was maad kynge of lombardis in his place/ and after this put &
bannysshid out of the contrey this patharych whiche was broder vnto the
kynge Godebert/ that for fere and drede fledd in to hongrye/ And than
this knyght Enulphus dide so moche that he gate the peas agayn of his
lord patharich agaynft the kynge grymalde/ and that he had licence to
come out of hongrye where he was all wey in paryll. and so he cam and
cryed hym mercy And the kynge grymalde gaf hym leue to dwelle and to
lyue honestly in his contree/ allway forseen that he toke not vpon hym
and named hymself kynge/ how well he was kynge by right This doon a
litill while after/ the kynge that beleuyd euyll tonges/ thought in
hymself how he myght brynge this patharich vnto the deth And alle this
knewe well the knyght enulphus/ whiche cam the same nyght with his
squyer for to visite his lord And made his squyer to vnclothe hym & to
lye in the bedde of his lord And made his lord to ryse and clothe hym
wyth the clothis of his squyer/ And in this wyse brought hym oute/
brawlynge and betynge hym as his seruant by them that were assigned to
kepe the hows of patharik y't he shold not escape Whiche supposid that
hit had ben his squyer that he entretid so outragiously/ & so he brought
hym to his hous whiche Ioyned with the walles of the toun/ And at
mydnyght whan alle men were asleepe/ he lete a doun his maistre by a
corde/ whiche toke an hors oute of the pasture And fled vnto the cyte of
Aast and ther cam to the kynge of fraunce/ And whan hit cam vnto the
morn. Hit was founden that Arnolphus and his squyer had deceyvyd the
kynge and the wacchemen/ whom the kyng comanded shold be brought to fore
hym And demanded of them the maner how he was escaped And they told hym
the trouthe/ Than the kynge demanded his counceyll of what deth they had
deseruyd to dye that had so doon and wrought agayn the wylle of hym/
Some sayde that they shold ben honged/ and some sayd they shold ben
slayn And other sayd that they shold be beheedid. Than sayd the kynge by
that lord that made me/ they ben not worthy to dye/ but for to haue
moche worship and honour/ For they haue ben trewe to theyr lord/
wherfore the kynge gaf hem a grete lawde and honour for their feet And
after hit happend that the propre squyer and seruant of godeberd slewe
the traytre Goribalde that by trayson had slayn his lord at a feste of
seynt Iohn in his Cyte of Tauryn wherof he was lord and duc/ Thus ought
the knyghtes to love to gyder/ And eche to put his lyf in aventure for
other/ For so ben they the strenger And the more doubted/ Lyke as were
the noble knyghtes Ioab and Abysay that fought agaynst the syryens and
Amonytes/ And were so trewe that oon to that other that they
vaynquysshid theyr enemies And were so Ioyned to gyder that yf the
siryens were strenger than that one of them/ that other helpe hym/ we
rede that damon and phisias were so ryght parfyt frendes to gyder that
whan Dionisius whiche was kynge of cecylle had Iuged one to deth for his
trespaas in the cyte of syracusane whom he wold haue executed/ he
desired grace and leue to goo in to hys contre for to dispose and
ordonne his testament/ And his felawe pleggid hym and was sewrte for hym
vpon his heed that he shold come agayn. Wherof they that sawe & herd
this/ helde hym for a fool and blamed hym/ And he said all way that he
repentid hym nothynge at all/ For he knewe well the trouth of his felawe
And whan the day cam and the oure that execusion shold be doon/ his
felawe cam and presented hymself to fore the Iuge/ And dischargid his
felawe that was plegge for hym/ wherof the kynge was gretly abasshid And
for the grete trouthe that was founden in hym He pardonyd hym and prayd
hem bothe that they wold resseyue hym as their grete frende and felawe/
Lo here the vertues of loue that a man ought nought to doubte the deth
for his frende/ Lo what it is to doo for a frende/ And to lede a lyf
debonayr And to be wyth out cruelte/ to loue and not to hate/ whiche
causeth to doo good ayenst euyll And to torne payne into benefete and to
quenche cruelte Anthonyus sayth that Julius Cesar/ lefte not lightly
frenshippe and Amytye/ But whan he had hit he reteyned hit faste and
maynteyned hit alleway/ Scipion of Affricque sayth that ther is no
thynge so stronge/ as for to mayntene loue vnto the deth The loue of
concupiscence and of lecherye is sone dissoluyd and broken/ But the
verray true loue of the comyn wele and prouffit now a dayes is selde
founden/ where shall thou fynde a man in thyse dayes that wyll expose
hymself for the worshippe and honour of his frende/ or for the comyn
wele/ selde or neuer shall he be founden/ Also the knyghtes shold be
large & liberall For whan a knyght hath regarde vnto his singuler
prouffit by his couetyse/ he dispoylleth his peple For whan the
souldyours see that they putte hem in paryll. And theyr mayster wyll not
paye hem theyr wages liberally/ but entendeth to his owne propre gayn
and proussryt/ than whan the Enemyes come they torne sone her backes and
flee oftentymes/ And thus hit happeth by hym that entendeth more to gete
money than victorye that his auaryce is ofte tymes cause of his
confusion Than late euery knyght take heede to be liberall in suche wyse
that he wene not ne suppose that his scarcete be to hym a grete wynnynge
or gayn/ And for thys cause he be the lasse louyd of his peple/ And that
his aduersarye wythdrawe to hym them by large gyuynge/ For oftetyme
bataylle is auaunced more for getynge of siluer. Than by the force and
strengthe of men/ For men see alle daye that suche thynges as may not be
achieuyd by force of nature/ ben goten and achieuyd by force of money/
And for so moche hit behoueth to see well to that whan the tyme of the
bataylle cometh/ that he borowe not ne make no tayllage/ For noman may
be ryche that leuyth his owne/ hopyng to gete and take of other/ Than
all waye all her gayn and wynnynge ought to be comyn amonge them exept
theyr Armes. For in lyke wyse as the victorie is comune/ so shold the
dispoyll and botye be comune vnto them And therfore Dauid that gentyll
knyght in the fyrst book of kynges in the last chapitre made a lawe/
that he that abode behynde by maladye or sekenes in the tentes shold
haue as moche parte of the butyn as he that had be in the bataylle/ And
for the loue of thys lawe he was made afterward kynge of Isræll/
Alexander of Macedone cam on a tyme lyke a symple knyght vnto the court
of Porus kynge of Inde for to espye thestate of the kynge and of the
knyghtes of the court/ And the kynge resseyuyd hym ryght worshipfully/
And demanded of hym many thynges of Alexander and of his constance and
strengthe/ nothynge wenynge that he had ben Alexander But antygone one
of his knyghtis and after he had hym to dyner And whan they had feruyd
Alexander in vayssell of gold and siluer with dyuerce metes &c. After
that he had eten suche as plesid hym he voyded the mete and toke the
vayssell and helde hit to hymself and put hit in his bosom or sleuys/
wherof he was accusid vnto the kynge After dyner than the kynge callid
hym and demanded hym wherfore he had taken his vayssell And he answerd/
Syre kynge my lord I pray the to vnderstande and take heede thy self and
also thy knyghtes/ I haue herd moche of thy grete hyenes And y't thou
art more myghty and puyssant in cheualrye & in dispensis than is
Alexander/ and therfore I am come to the a pour knyght whiche am named
Antygone for to serue the/ Than hit is the custome in the Courte of
Alexandre/ that what thynge a knyght is seruyd wyth all is alle his/
mete and vayssell and cuppe And therfore I had supposid that this
custome had ben kept in thy court for thou art richer than he/ whan the
knyghtes herd this/ an[=o]n they lefte porus/ and wente for to serue
alixandre/ and thus he drewe to hym y'e hertes of them by yeftes/ whiche
afterward slewe Porus that was kynge of Inde/ And they made Alexandra
kynge therof Therfore remembre knyght alleway that wyth a closid and
shette purse shalt thou neuer haue victorye. Ouyde sayth that he that
taketh yeftes/ he is glad therwyth/ For they wynne wyth yeftes the
hertes of the goddes and of men For yf Iupiter were angrid/ wyth yestes
he wold be plesid/ The knyghtes ought to be stronge not only of body but
also in corage. Ther ben many stronge and grete of body/ that ben faynt
and feble in the herte/ he is stronge that may not be vaynquysshid and
ouercomen/ how well that he suffryth moche otherwhile/ And so we beleue
that they that be not ouer grete ne ouer lityll ben most corageous &
beste in batayll. We rede that cadrus duc of athenes shold haue a
batayll agayn them of polipe/ And he was warned and had a reuelacion of
the goddes/ that they shold haue the victorie of whom the prynce shold
be slayn in the batayll/ And the prince whiche was of a grete corage and
trewe herte Toke other armes of a poure man/ And put hymself in the
fronte of the batayll to thende that he might be slain And so he was/
for the right trewe prince had leuer dye Than his peple shold be
ouercomen/ And so they had the victorye/ Certes hyt was a noble and fayr
thynge to expose hym self to the deth for to deffende his contrey. But
no man wold doo so/ but yf he hopyd to haue a better thynge therfore/
Therfore the lawe sayth that they lyue in her sowles gloriously that ben
slain in the warre for the comyn wele A knyght ought also to be
mercifull and pyetous For ther is nothynge y't maketh a knyght so
renomed as is whan he sauyth the lyf of them that he may slee/ For to
shede and spylle blood is the condicion of a wylde beste and not the
condicion of a good knyght Therfore we rede that scylla that was Duc of
the Romayns wyth oute had many fayr victoyres agaynst the Romayns wyth
Inne that were contrayre to hym/ In so moche that in the batayll of
puylle he slewe .xviii. thousand men/ And in champanye .lxx. thousand.
And after in the cyte he slewe thre thousand men vnarmed And whan one of
his knyghtes that was named Quyntus catulus sawe this cruelte sayd to
hym/ Sesse now and suffre them to lyue and be mercyfull to them wyth
whom we haue ben victorious And wyth whom we ought to lyue/ For hit is
the most hyest and fayr vengeance that a man may doo/ as to spare them &
gyue hem her lyf whome he may slee Therfore Joab ordeyned whan absalom
was slayn/ he sowned a trompette/ that his peple shold no more renne &
slee theyr aduersaryes. For ther were slayn aboute .xx. thousand of
them/ and in lyke wyse dide he whan he faught ayenst Abner And Abner was
vaynquysshid and fledde. For where that he wente in the chaas he
comanded to spare the peple The knyghtes ought to kepe the peple/ For
whan the peple ben in theyr tentes or castellis/ the knyghtes ought to
kepe the wacche/ For this cause the romayns callyd them legyons And they
were made of dyuerce prouynces and of dyuerce nacyons to thentente to
kepe the peple/ And the peple shold entende to theyre werke/ For no
crafty man may bothe entende to his craft & to fighte/ how may a crafty
man entende to hys werke sewrely in tyme of warre but yf he be kept And
right in suche wyse as the knyghtes shold kepe y'e peple in tyme of peas
in lyke wise the peple ought to pourveye for theyr dispensis/ how shold
a plowman be sewre in the felde/ but yf the knyghtes made dayly wacche
to kepe hem/ For lyke as the glorye of a kynge is vpon his knyghtis/ so
hit is necessarye to the knyghtes that the marchantis craftymen and
comyn peple be defended and kepte/ therfore late the knyghtes kepe the
peple in suche wyse that they maye enioye pees and gete and gadre the
costis and expensis of them bothe/ we rede that Athis sayd to dauid
whiche was a knyght/ I make the my kepar and defendar alleway. Thus
shold the knightes haue grete zele that the lawe be kept/ For the
mageste ryall ought not only to be garnysshid wyth armes but also wyth
good lawes/ And therfore shold they laboure that they shold be well kept
Turgeus pompeyus reherceth of a noble knyght named Ligurgyus that had
made auncyent lawes the whiche the peple wold not kepe ne obserue/ For
they semed hard for them to kepe And wold constrayne hym to rapele &
sette hem a part whan the noble knight sawe that He dyde the peple to
vnderstande that he had not made them/ but a god that was named Apollo
delphynus. had made them/ And had comanded hym that he shold do the
peple kepe them/ Thise wordes auayled not/ they wold in no wyse kepe
them/ And than he sayd to them that hit were good that er the said lawes
shold be broken that he had gyuen to them that he shold goo and speke
wyth the god Appollo/ For to gete of hym a dispensacion to breke hem/
And that the peple shold kepe & obserue them tyll that he retorned
agayn/ The peple acorded therto & swore that they shold kepe them to the
tyme he retorned Than the knighte wente in to grece in exyle & dwellid
ther alle his lyf/ And whan he shold dye he comanded that his body shold
be cast in the see/ For as moche as yf his body shold be born theder/
the people shold wene to be quyt of theyr oth/ And shold kepe no lenger
his lawes that were so good & resonable/ & so the knight had leuer to
forsake his owne centre & to dye so than to repele his lawes And his
lawes were suche/ The first lawe was that y'e peple shold obeye & serue
the princes/ And the princes shold kepe the peple & do Iustice on the
malefactours The second lawe that they shold be all sobre/ For he wiste
well that the labour of cheualrye is most stronge whan they lyue
sobrely/ The thirde was y't noman shold bye ony thynge for money but
they shold change ware for ware & one marchandyse for an other/ The
fourthe was that men shold sette no more by money ner kepe hit more than
they wold donge or fylthe/ The fyfthe he ordeyned for the comyn wele
alle thynge by ordre/ that the prynces myght meue and make bataylle by
her power, to the maistres counceillours he comysid the Iugementis. And
the Annuell rentes/ to the senatours the kepynge of the lawe/ And to the
comyn peple he gaf power to chese suche Iuges as they wold haue/ The
sixte he ordeyned that all thinge shold be departid egally & all thinge
shold be comyn And none richer than other in patry-monye/ The seuenth
that euery man shold ete lyke well in comen openly/ that riches shold
not be cause of luxurye whan they ete secretly/ The eygthe that the
yonge peple shold not haue but o[=n] gowne or garment in the yere/ The
nynth that men shold sette poure children to laboure in the felde/ to
thende that they shold not enploye theyr yongthe in playes and in folye/
but in labour/ The tenthe that the maydens shold be maryed wythoute
dowayre/ In suche wyfe that no man shold take a wyf for moneye/ The xi.
that men shold rather take a wyf for her good maners and vertues than
for her richesses/ The twelfthe that men shold worshippe the olde and
auncyent men for theyr age and more for theyr wysedom than for her
riches this knyght made none of thyse lawes/ but he first kepte hem.
[Illustration]
_The fyfthe chapitre of the second book of the forme
and maners of the rooks._
The rooks whiche ben vicaires and legats of the kynge ought to be made
lyke a knyght vpon an hors and a mantell and hood furryd with meneuyer
holdynge a staf in his hande/ & for as moche as a kyng may not be in
alle places of his royame/ Therfore the auctorite of hym is gyuen to the
rooks/ whiche represent the kynge/ And for as moche as a royame is grete
and large/ and that rebellion or nouelletes might sourdre and aryse in
oon partye or other/ therfore ther ben two rooks one on the right side
and that other on the lifte side They ought to haue in hem. pyte.
Iuftice. humylite. wilfull pouerte. and liberalite/ Fyrst Iustice for
hit is most fayr of the vertues/ For it happeth oftetyme that the
ministris by theyr pryde and orgueyll subuerte Iuftice and do no ryght/
Wherfore the kynges otherwhyle lose theyr royames with out theyr culpe
or gylte/ For an vntrewe Iuge or officyer maketh hys lord to be named
vnIufte and euyll And contrarye wyse a trewe mynestre of the lawe and
ryghtwys/ causeth the kynge to be reputed Iuste and trewe/ The Romayns
therfore made good lawes/ And wolde that/ that they sholde be Iufte and
trewe/ And they that establisshid them for to gouerne the peple/ wold in
no wyse breke them/ but kepe them for to dye for them/ For the auncyent
and wyse men sayd comynly that it was not good to make and ordeygne that
lawe that is not Iuste Wherof Valerius reherceth that ther was a man
that was named Themistides whiche cam to the counceyllours of athenes
and sayd that he knewe a counceyll whiche was ryght prouffytable for
them/ But he wolde telle hyt but to But to one of them whom that they
wold/ And they asligned to hym a wyse man named Aristides/ And whan he
had vnderstand hym he cam agayn to the other of the counceyll And sayd
that the counceyll of Themystides was well prouffitable/ but hit was not
Iuste/ how be hit y'e may reuolue hit in your mynde/ And the counceyll
that he sayd was this/ that ther were comen two grete shippis fro
lacedome and were arryued in theyr londe. And that hit were good to take
them/ And whan the counceyll herde hym that sayde/ that hit was not
Iuste ner right/ they lefte hem alle in pees And wold not haue adoo with
alle/ The vicarye or Iuge of the kynge ought to be so Iuste/ that he
shold employe alle his entente to saue the comyn wele And yf hit were
nede to put his lyf and/ lose hit therfore/ we haue an ensample of
marcus regulus wherof Tullius reherceth in the book of offices And saynt
Augustyn also de ciuitate dei/ how he faught agayn them of cartage by
see in shippis and was vaynquysshid and taken/ Than hit happend that
they of cartage sente hymm in her message to rome for to haue theyr
prisoners there/ for them y'e were taken/ and so to cha[=u]ge one for an
other And made hym swere and promyse to come agayn/ And so he cam to
rome And made proposicion tofore the senate And demanded them of cartage
of the senatours to be cha[=u]ged as afore is sayd And than the senatours
demanded hym what counceyll he gaf Certayn sayd he I co[=u]ceyll yow that
y'e do hit not in no wise For as moche as the peple of rome that they of
cartage holde in prison of youris ben olde men and brusid in the warre
as I am my self/ But they that y'e holde in prison of their peple is alle
the flour of alle their folke/ whiche counceyll they toke/ And than his
frendes wolde haue holde hym and counceyllyd hym to abide there and not
retorne agayn prysoner in to cartage/ but he wold neuer doo so ner
abide/ but wold goo agayn and kepe his oth How well that he knewe that
he went toward his deth For he had leuyr dye than to breke his oth
Valeri9 reherceth in the sixth book of one Emelye duc of the romayns/
that in the tyme whan he had assieged the phalistes/ The scole maystre
of the children deceyuyd the children of the gentilmen that he drewe hym
a lityll and a lytyll vnto the tentys of the romayns by fayr speche. And
sayd to the duc Emelie/ that by the moyan of the children that he had
brought to hym/ he shold haue the cyte/ For theyr faders were lordes and
gouernours. Whan Emelie had herde hym he sayd thus to hym Thou that art
euyll and cruell And thou that woldest gyue a gyfte of grete felonnye
and of mauuastye/ thou shalt ner hast not founden here Duc ne peple that
resembleth the/ we haue also well lawes to kepe in batayll & warre As in
our contres & other places/ and we wole obserue and kepe them vnto euery
man as they ought to be kept And we ben armed agaynst our enemyes y't
wole defende them And not ayenst them y't can not saue their lyf whan
their contre is taken/ as thise lityll children/ Thou hast vaynquysshid
them as moche as is in the by thy newe deceyuable falsenes and by
subtilnes and not by armes/ but I that am a romayn shall vainquysshe
them by craft and strengthe of armes/ And anon he comanded to take the
said scole maister/ And to bynde his handes behynde hym as a traytour
and lede hem to the parentis of the children And whan the faders &
parentis sawe the grete courtosie that he had don to them They opend the
yates and yelded them vnto hym/ we rede that hanyball had taken a prince
of rome whiche vpon his oth and promyse suffrid hym to gon home/ and to
sende hym his raunson/ or he shold come agayn within a certain tyme And
whan he was at home in his place/ he sayde that he had deceyuyd hym by a
false oth And whan the senatours knewe therof/ they constrayned hym to
retorne agayn vnto hanyball/ Amos florus tellyth that the phisicien of
kynge pirrus cam on a nyght to fabrice his aduersarye And promyfid hym
yf he wold gyue hym for his laboure that he wold enpoysone pirrus his
maister/ whan fabricius vnderstode this He dyde to take hym and bynde
hym hande & foote/ and sente hym to his maistre and dyde do saye to hym
word for worde lyke as the physicien had sayd and promysid hym to doo/
And whan pirrus vnderstode this he was gretly ameruaylled of the loyalte
and trouth of fabrice his enemye/ and sayd certaynly that the sonne
myghte lighther and sonner be enpesshid of his cours/ than fabrice shold
be letted to holde loyalte and trouthe/ yf they than that were not
cristen were so Iuste and trewe and louyd their contrey and their good
renomee/ what shold we now doon than that ben cristen and that cure lawe
is sette alle vpon loue and charyte/ But now a dayes ther is nothynge
ellys in the world but barate Treson deceyte falsenes and trecherye Men
kepe not theyr couenantes promyses. othes. writynges. ne trouthe/ The
subgettis rebelle agayn theyr lorde/ ther is now no lawe kepte. nor
fidelite/ ne oth holden/ the peple murmure and ryse agayn theyr lord and
wole not be subget/ they ought to be pietous in herte/ whiche is
auaillable to all thinge ther is pite in effecte by compassion/ and in
worde by remission and pardon/ by almesse/ for to enclyne hymself to the
poure For pite is nothynge ellis but a right grete will of a debonaire
herte for to helpe alle men/ Valerius reherceth that ther was a Iuge
named sangis whiche dampned a woman that had deseruyd the deth for to
haue her heed smyten of or ellis that she shold dye in prison/ The
Geayler that had pite on the woman put not her anone to deth but put her
in the pryson/ And this woman had a doughter whiche cam for to se and
conforte her moder But allway er she entryd into the pryson the Iayler
serchid her that se shold bere no mete ne drynke to her moder/ but that
she shold dye for honger/ Than hit happend after this that he meruaylled
moche why this woman deyd not/ And began to espye the cause why she
lyuyd so longe/ And fonde at laste how her doughter gaf souke to her
moder/ And fedde her with her melke. whan the Iayler aawe this meruaill/
he wente & told the Iuge/ And whan the Iuge sawe this grete pite of the
doughter to the moder he pardoned her and made her to be delyuerid oute
of her pryson what is that/ that pite ne amolisshith/ moche peple wene
that it is agaynst nature and wondre that the doughter shold gyue the
moder to souke/ hit were agayn nature but the children shold be kynde to
fader and moder/ Seneca sayth that the kynge of bees hath no prykke to
stynge with as other bees haue. And that nature hath take hit away from
hym be cause he shold haue none armes to assaylle them And this is an
example vnto prynces that they shold be of the fame condicion/ Valerius
reherceth in his .v. book of marchus martellus that whan he had taken
the cyte of siracusane. And was sette in the hyest place of the cyte/ he
behelde the grete destruction of the peple and of the cyte/ he wepte and
sayde/ thou oughtest to be sorofull/ for so moche as thou woldest haue
no pite of thy self/ But enioye the for thou art fallen in the hande of
a right debonaire prynce. Also he recounteth whan pompeye had conqueryd
the kynge of Germanye that often tymes had foughten ayenst the romayns
And that he was brought to fore hym bounden/ he was so pietous that he
wold not suffre hym to be longe on his knees to fore hym/ but he
receyuyd hym cortoysly And sette the crowne agayn on his heed and put
hym in thestate that he was to fore/ For he had oppynyon that hit was as
worshipfull and fittynge to a kynge to pardone/ as to punysshe. Also he
reherceth of a co[=u]ceyllour that was named poule that dide do brynge to
fore hym a man that was prisonner And as he knelid to fore hym he toke
hym vp fro the ground & made hym to sytte beside hym for to gyue hym
good esperance and hoope And sayd to the other stondynge by/ in this
wyse. yf hit be grete noblesse that we shewe our self contrarye to our
enemyes/ than this fete ought to be alowed that we shew our self
debonair to our caytyfs & prisonners Cesar whan he herde the deth of
cathon whiche was his aduersarye sayde that he had grete enuye of his
glorye. And no thinge of his patrimonye/ and therfore he lefte to his
children frely all his patrimonye Thus taught vyrgyle and enseygned the
gloryus prynces to rewle and gouerne the peple of rome. And saynt
Augustin de ciuitate dei saith thus Thou emperour gouerne the peple
pietously And make peas ouerall/ deporte and forbere thy subgets/
repreue & correcte the prowde/ for so enseyne And teche the the lawes/
And hit was wreton vnto Alexander/ that euery prynce ought to be pyetous
in punysshynge/ and redy for to rewarde/ Ther is no thynge that causeth
a prynce to be so belouyd of hys peple/ As whan he speketh to hem
swetly/ and co[=u]ersith with hem symply/ And all this cometh of the roote
of pyte/ we rede of the Emperour Traian that his frendes repreuyd hym of
that he was to moche pryue and familier wyth the comyn peple more than
an emperour ought to be/ And he answerd that he wold be suche an
emperour as euery man desired to haue hym/ Also we rede of Alixander
that on a tyme he ladde his oost forth hastely/ and in that haste he
beheld where satte an olde knight that was sore acolde Whom he dide do
arise and sette hym in his owne sete or siege/ what wondre was hit
though y'e knightes desired to serue suche a lord that louyd better
theyr helth than his dignite/ The rookes ought also to be humble & meke
After the holy scripture whiche saith/ the gretter or in the hier astate
that thou arte/ so moche more oughtest thou be meker & more humble
Valerius reherceth in his .vii. book that ther was an emperour named
publius cesar/ That dide do bete doun his hows whiche was in the middis
of y'e market place for as moche as hit was heier than other houses/ for
as moche as he was more glorious in astate than other/ Therfore wold he
haue a lasse hous than other And scipion of affrique that was so poure
of vol[=u]tarie pouerte y't whan he was dede/ he was buried at y'e
dispencis of y'e comyn good/ They shold be so humble y't they shold leue
theyr offices/ and suffre other to take hem whan her tyme comyth/ & doo
honour to other/ for he gouerneth wel y'e royame y't may gouerne hit
whan he will Valeri'9 saith In his thirde book that fabyan the grete had
ben maistre counceyllour of his fader his grauntsire/ And of his
grauntsirs fader & of alle his antecessours And yet dide he alle his
payne and labour/ that his sone shold neuer haue that office after hym/
but for nothynge that he mystrusted his sone/ For he was noble and wise
and more attemprid than other/ but he wold that the office shold not all
way reste in the familye and hows of the fabyans Also he reherceth in
his seuenth book that they wold make the sayd fabyan emþour/ but he
excused hym and sayd that he was blynde and myght not see for age/ but
that excusacion myght not helpe hym/ Than sayd he to hem/ seke y'e and
gete yow another/ For yf y'e make me your emþour I may not suffre your
maners/ nor y'e may not suffre myn/ Ther was a kynge of so subtyll engyne
That whan men brought hym the crowne/ to fore that he toke hit/ he
remembrid hym a lityll and saide/ O thou crowne that art more noble than
happy For yf a kynge knewe well and parfaytly how that thou art full of
paryls of thoughte and of charge/ yf thou were on the grounde/ he wolde
neuer lyfte ner take the vp/ Remembre the that whan thou art most
gloryous/ than haue some men moste enuye on the/ and whan thou haste
moste seignourye and lordships than shalt thou haue moste care. thought
and anguysshes/ Vaspasian was so humble that whan Nero was slayn alle
the peple cryed for to haue hym emþour/ and many of his frendes cam &
prayde hym that he wold take hit vpon hym/ so at the last he was
constrayned to take hit vpon hym. And sayd to his frendes Hit is better
and more to preyse and alowe for a man to take thempire agaynst his wil/
than for to laboure to haue hit and to put hym self therin/ Thus ought
they to be humble and meke for to resseyue worship/ Therfore sayth the
bible that Ioab the sone of Saryre that was captayn of the warre of the
kynge Dauid/ whan he cam to take and wynne a Cyte/ He sente to Dauid and
desired hym to come to the warre/ that the victorye shold be gyuen to
Dauid/ And not to hym self/ Also they ought to be ware that they chaunge
not ofte tymes her officers/ Josephus reherceth that the frendes of
tyberyus meruaylled moche why he helde hys offycyers so longe in theyr
offices wyth oute changynge/ And they demanded of hym the cause/ to whom
he answerd/ I wold chaunge them gladly/ yf I wyste that hit shold be
good for the peple/ But I sawe on a tyme a man that was roynyous & full
of soores/ And many flyes satte vpon the soores and souked his blood
that hit was meruaylle to see/ wherfore I smote and chaced them away.
And he than said to me why chacest and smytest away thyse flyes that ben
full of my blood/ And now shallt thou late come other that ben hongrye
whiche shall doon to me double payne more than the other dide/ for the
prikke of the hongrye is more poyngnant the half/ than of y'e fulle And
therfore sayde he I leue the officiers in their offices. for they ben
all riche/ and doo not so moch euyl & harme As the newe shold doo & were
poure yf I shold sette hem in her places/ They ought also to be pacyent
in herynge of wordes & in suffrynge payne on her bodyes/ as to the first
One said to alisander that he was not worthy to regne. specially whan he
suffrid that lecherie and delyte to haue seignoire in hym/ he suffrid
hit paciently/ And answerd none otherwyse but that he wolde corrette hym
self. And take better maners and more honeste Also hit is reherced that
Iulius cezar was ballyd wherof he had desplaysir so grete that he kempt
his heeris that laye on the after parte of his heed forward for to hyde
the bare to fore. Than sayd a knyght to him Cezar hit is lighther And
sonner to be made that thou be not ballid/ than that I haue vsid ony
cowardyse in the warre of rome/ or hereafter shall doo ony cowardyse/ he
suffrid hit paciently and sayd not aword/ Another reproched hym by his
lignage And callyd hym fornier/ he answerd that hit is better that
noblesse begynne in me/ than hit shold faylle in me/ Another callid hym
tyraunt/ he answerd yf I were one. thou woldest not saie soo A knight
callid on a tyme scipion of affricque fowle & olde knyght in armes And
that he knewe lityll good And he answerd I was born of my moder a lityll
child and feble and not a man of armes. And yet he was at alle tymes one
of the best and moste worthy in armes that liuyd. Another sayd to
vaspasian/ And a wolf shold sonner change his skyn and heer/ than thou
sholdest cha[=u]ge thy lyf For the lenger thou lyvest the more thou
coueytest And he answerd of thyse wordes we ought to laughe. But we
ought to amende our selfe And punysshe the trespaces. Seneque reherceth
that the kynge Antygonus herde certayn peple speke and saye euyll of
hym/ And therwas betwene hem nomore but a courtyne/ And than he sayde
make an ende of your euyll langage leste the kynge here yow/ for the
courtyne heereth yow well[54] I nowhe. Than as towchynge to the paynes
that they ought to suffre paciently Valerius reherceth that a tyrant
dide do tormente Anamaximenes & thretenyd hym for to cutte of his tonge.
To whom he sayd hit is not in thy power to doo soo/ and forthwyth he
bote of his owne tonge/ And shewed hit wyth his teth and casted hit in
the visage of the Tyrant Hit is a grete vertu in a man that he forgete
not to be pacyent in corrections of wronges/ Hit is better to leue a
gylty man vnpunysshyd/ than to punysshe hym in a wrath or yre Valerius
reherceth that archita of tarente that was mayster to plato sawe that
his feldes & lande was destroyed and lost by the necligence of his
seruant To whom he sayd yf I were not angry with the I wold take
vengeance and turmente the/ Lo there y'e may see that he had leuer to
leue to punysshe/ than to pugnysshe more by yre & wrath than by right
And therfore sayth seneque/ doo no thynge that thou oughtest to doo whan
y'u art angry/ For whan thou art angry thou woldest doo alle thynges
after thy playsir/ And yf thou canst not vaynquysshe thyn yre/ than
muste thyn yre ouercome the/ After thys ought they to haue wylfull
pouerte/ lyke as hit was in the auncyent prynces/ For they coueyted more
to be riche in wytte and good maners than in moneye/ And that reherceth
Valerius in his .viii. booke that scipion of Affryque was accused vnto
the Senate that he shold haue grete tresour/ And he answerd certes whan
I submysed affryque in to your poeste/ I helde no thynge to myself that
I myght faye this is myn save only the surname of affryque/ Ner the
affryquans haue not founden in me ner in my broder ony auarice/ ner y't
we were so couetouse that we had ne had gretter enuye to be riche of
name than of rychesses/ And therfore sayth seneque that the kynge
Altagone vsid gladly in his hows vessels of erthe/ And some sayde he
dyde hit for couetyse/ But he sayde that hit was better and more noble
thynge to myne in good maners than in vayssell And whan some men
demanded hym why and for what cause he dyde so/ he answerd I am now
kynge of secylle/ and was sone of a potter/ and for as moche as I doubte
fortune. For whan I yssued out of the hous of my fader and moder/ I was
sodaynly made riche/ wherfore I beholde the natiuyte of me and of my
lignage/ whiche is humble & meke/ And alle these thynges cometh of
wilfull pouerte/ for he entended more to the comyn prouffyt than to his
owen/ And of thys pouerte speketh saynt Augustyn in the booke of the
cyte of god That they that entende to the comyn prouffyt. sorowe more
that wilfull pouerte is lost in rome/ than the richesses of rome/ For by
the wilfull pouerte was the renomee of good maners kept entierly/ thus
by this richesse pouerte is not only corrupt in thyse dayes ner the cyte
ner the maners/ but also the thoughtes of the men ben corrupt by thys
couetyse and by felonnye that is worse. than ony other enemye And of the
cruelte of the peple of rome speketh the good man of noble memorye Iohn
the monke late cardynall of rome in the decretall the syxte in the
chapitre gens sancta where he sayth/ that they ben felo[=u]s ayenst god.
contrarye to holy thynges. traytres one to that other. enuyous to her
neyghbours. proude vnto straungers. rebelle and vntrewe vnto theyr
souerayns Not suffringe to them that ben of lower degree than they and
nothinge shamfast to demande thinges discouenable and not to leue tyll
they haue that they demande/ and not plesid but disagreable whan they
haue resseyuyd the yeft They haue their tonges redy for to make grete
boost/ and doo lityll/ They ben large in promysynges/ And smale gyuers/
they ben ryght fals deceyuours/ And ryght mordent and bitynge
detractours/ For whiche thynge hit is a grete sorowe to see the humylite
the pacyence And the good wisedom that was woute to be in this cyte of
rome whiche is chief of alle the world is peruertid & torned in to
maleheurte and thise euylles/ And me thynketh that in other partyes of
crestiante they haue taken ensample of them to doo euyll/ They may saye
that this is after the decretale of seygnourye and disobeysance/ that
sayth That suche thynges that the souerayns doo/ Is lightly and sone
taken in ensample of theyr subgets/ Also thise vicayres shold be large
and liberall/ In so moche that suche peple as serue them ben duly payd
and guerdoned of her labour/ For euery man doth his labour the better
and lightlyer whan he seeth that he shall be well payd and rewarded/ And
we rede that Titus the sone of vaspasian was so large and so liberall/
That he gaf and promysyd somewhat to euery man/ And whan hys moste pryuy
frendes demanded of hym why he promysid more that he myght gyue/ he
answerd for as moche as hyt apperteyneth not to a prynce that ony man
shold departe sorowfull or tryste fro hym/ Than hit happend on a day
that he gaf ner promysid no thynge to ony man And whan hit was euen
auysed hymself/ he sayd to hys frendes/ O y'e my frendes thys day haue I
lost for this day haue I don no good,' And also we rede of Iulius Cefar
that he neuer saide in alle his lyue to his knyghtes goo oon but all way
be sayde come come/ For I loue allway to be in youre companye/ And he
knewe well that hit was lasse payne & trauayll to the knyghtes whan the
prynce is in her companye that loueth hem & c[=o]forted hem And also we
rede of the same Iulius cesar in the booke of truphes of phylosophers/
that ther was an Auncyent knyght of his that was in paryll of a caas
hangynge to fore the Iuges of rome so he callyd cefar on a tyme and said
to hym to fore all men that he shold be his aduocate And cesar deliueryd
and assigned to hym a right good aduocate And the knyght sayd to hym O
cesar I put no vicaire in my place whan thou were in parill in y'e
batayll of assise/ But I faught for the. And than he shewed to hym the
places of his woundes that he had receyuyd in the batayll And than cam
cesar in his propre persone for to be his aduocate & to plete his cause
for hym/ he wold not haue the name of vnkyndenes/ but doubted that men
shold saye that he were proude And that he wold not do for them that had
seruyd hym They that can not do so moche/ as for to be belouyd of her
knyghtes/ can not loue the knyghtes And this sufficeth of the rooks.