poundered and consideryd the many and grete entreprises of labouris and
aventuris that ye haue embaundoned and yovyn youre selph to by many
yeeris contynued, as wele in Fraunce [and] Normandie as in othir
straunge regions, londes and contrees—and God, which is souuerayne
cheueten and knyght off all cheualrie, hath euer preseruyd and defendid
yow in all yowre seyde laboures off cheualrye into this day, ffor the
which ye be most specyaly obliged and bownden to becom hys knyght in
yovre auncient age, namely for to make ffyghtyng ayen youre goostly
ennemyes, that allwey be redy to werre wyth youre sovle, the [Sidenote:
f. 3.] which, and ye ouerecom hym, shall cawse yow to be in renomme and
worchyp in Paradis euerlastyng—I, consideryng thees premisses wyth
othir, have (be the suffraunce off yowre noble and good ffadyrhode and
by yowre commaundement) take vpon me at this tyme to translate ovte off
Frenche tong, ffor more encrese of vertu, and to reduce into owre modyr
tong a Book off Knyghthode, as wele off gostly and spirituell actis off
armys for the sowle hele as of wordly[102] dedys and policie
gouernaunce, and which is auctorised and grounded fryst vpon the .iiii.
Cardinal Vertous, as Justice, Prudence, Fors and Temperaunce, also
exempled vpon the grete conceytys and doctrine off fulle wyse pooetys
and philosophurs, the whiche teche and covnesell how a man schuld be a
knyght for the world prynspally, as in yeftis off grace vsyng, as the
Cardinalle Vertuus make mencion, ffryst in iustice kepyng, prvdently hym
self gouuernyng, hys streynght bodely and gostly vsyng, and magnanimite
conseruyng, and allso gouuernyng hymself as a knyght in the seyde
Cardinall Vertuouse kepyng. Which materis, conseytys and resons be
auctorised and approued vpon the textys and dictes off the holde[103]
poetys and wyse men called Philosophurs. And allso ye schal fynde here
in this seyde Boke off Cheuallry how and in whatte maner ye, and all
othir off whatte astate, condicion or degre he be off, may welle be
called a knyght that ouercomyth and conqveryth hys gostly ennemyes by
the safegard repuignand defence off hys sovle, wich among all othir
victories [and] dedys off worchip is most expedient and necessarie,
where as dayly in grettest aventures a man puttyth hym inne and most
wery he is to be renommed in worchip and callid a knyght that dothe
exercise hys armes and dedys off knyghthode in gostly dedys, in
conqveryng his gostly ennemees and ouyrcomyng þe peple and aventure off
the world.
And this seyde boke, at the instavnce and praer off a fulle wyse
gentylwoman of Frawnce called Dame Cristine, was compiled and grounded
by the famous doctours of the most excellent in clerge the nobyl
Vniuersyte off Paris, made to the ful noble famous prynce and knyght off
renovnne in his dayes, beyng called Jon, Duke of Barry, thryd son to
Kyng Jon of Frawnce, that he throwe hys knyghtly labourys, as welle in
dedys of armes temporell as spirituell exercisyng by the space and tyme
of .c. yeerys[104] lyvyng, flowrid and rengnyd in grete worchip and
renownne of cheualry. And in thre thyngges generaly he exercisyd his
knyghtly labowris. Thereof oon was in victories, dedis of cheualrie and
of armys, in defendyng the seyde royalme of Frawnce from his ennemyes.
[The second was] in grete police vsyng, as of grete cowneseylles and
wysdomys, yevyng and executing the same for the conseruacyon of iustice
and transquillite and alsoo pease kepyng for all the comon welleffare of
that noble royaulme. The thredde was in spirytuell and gostly dedys
yovyn ontoo for the helthe and wellfare of hys sovle. And in euery of
these thre thynggys the seyde prynce was holden ful cheualrouse and
suremounted in his dayes above all othir. Wych schewyth welle opynly to
euery vnder-stander [Sidenote: f. 4.] in the seyde booke redyng that it
was made acordyng to hys seyde victorious dedis and actis of worchip
exercysyng.
And the seyde booke ys diuidyd in thre partys gederid in a summe of
an .c. textys, drawen vpon the dictis and conceytys of the seyd most
famous poetys off olde tyme beyng, as Vyrgyl, Ouyde, Omer and othir; and
also with an .c. commentys therevpon, callid exposicyons or glosis vpon
the seyde textys, of exemplys temporell of policie gouernaunce and
worldlye wysdoms and dedys, grovndyed and also exempled by experiens and
by auctorite of the auncient philosophurs and clerkes, as Hermes,[105]
Plato, Salomon, Aristotiles, Socrates, Ptholome and suche othir. And
vpon thies exemplis and glosis is made and wretyn also an othyr .c.
allegories and moralizacions, applied and moralized to actis and dedys
of werkyng spirituell, for to doctrine enforme and to lerne euery man
nov lyvyng in this world how he schuld be a knyht exercisyng and doyng
the dedys of armys gostly, for euerlastyng victorie and helthe of the
sovle. Which allegories and moralizacions ben grovnded and auctorised
vpon the .iiii. holy doctoris of the chirche, as Austyn, Jerom,
Gregorie, Ambrose, alsoo vpon the Bible, the Holy Ewaungelistes and
Epistollys and othyr holy doctorus, as here textis more opynly schalle
appere hereafftyr. Fiat. Fiat. Amen.
I.
Othea, of prudence named godesse,
That setteth goode in worthynesse,
To the,[106] Hector, noble prince myghty,
That in armes is evere worthye,
The sone of Mars,[107] the god of bateyle,
In dedys of armes which wyll not fayle,
And of myghty Minerve, the godes, [Sidenote: f. 5.]
The whiche in armes is hy maystres,
Sucessoure of the noble Troyens,
Heyre[108] of Troye and of the ceteseyns,
Salutacion afore sette plenere
I sende, wyth love feyned in no manere.
O good lorde, how am I desyryng
Thi grete avayle, which I goo sekeyng,
And that aumented and preseruyd
It may be, and euer obseruede
Thy worchipe and worthines in old age,
That thow hast gretly hadde in thi fryst age.
Now for to schewe the my pistile playnely,
I wyll the enorte and telle verily
Off thyngges that be ful necessarie
To hye worthynesse and the contrarie,
To the opposite off worthinesse,
So that all goode hertys may theym dres[109]
For to gete be goode besy lernynge
The hors that in the eyre is flyynge
(It is named the Pegasus truly),
That all louers loueth hyly.[110]
And because of thi condycion
I knowe be rygth inclynacion
Able to take knythly dedys on hand
More than is in othir .v. score thowsand
(For as a godes I haue knovynge,
Not by the assay but by kunnyng,
Of thynges the which be on to kome),
I owthe to thynkke on the, hole and some[111];
For I knowe thowe shalte be euer duryng,
Worthiest of all the worthy lyvyng,
And schall afore all othir namyd be,
So that I may be belouyd of the.
Belovyd, why schuld not I be soo?
I am that the which arayeth all thoo
That loueth me and holdyth me dere;
I rede theym lessons in chaiere,
Which maketh theym clyme heuen onto.
I pray the that thow be oon off tho
That will here inne beleve me wele.[112]
Now sete it well thane in thy mynd and fele
The wordes that I wyll to the endyte,
And yf thowe here me owght telle, sey or wryte
Any thyng that for to come may be
As that I seye, vmbethynke the
As that they were past, so do thow oughte
Knowe ryght wele that they be in my thought
In the spyrite off profecie.
Vndirstonde wele nowe and greve not the,
For I shall no thyng sey but that schalle falle.
Thynke wele the comyng is not yet at all.
Othea opon the Greke may be takyn for the wysedome off man and
woman[113], and as ancient pepyll of hold tyme, not havynge yit at that
tyme lyght of feythe, wirchippyd many goddys, vndyr the which lawe be
passed the hyest lordes that hathe ben in the world, as the reaume off
Assire, of Perse, the Grekys, the Troyens, Alexandre, the Romaynes and
many other, anamly the grettest philosophurs that[114] euer was—so as
yet at that tyme God hade not oppenyd the ȝate off mercy, but we Crysten
men and women now at this tyme by the grace of God enlumynid wyth very
feyth may bryng ayene to morall mynde the oppinyons of ancient pepyll
and thereopon many feyre allegories may be made—and as they hade
[Sidenote: f. 6.] a costom to worchipe all thynge the which above the
comon cours of thynges hade prerogatyue of some grace, many wyse ladyes
in there tyme were called godesses. And trwe it ys, aftyr the storie,
that in the tyme that grete[115] Troye fflorishede in his grete name a
ful wyse ladie callede Othea, consyderyng the ffre thought[116] of
Hector of Troye, the which that tyme ffloryshed in vertues, and that it
be a shewynge of fortunes to be in hym in tyme commynge, sche sent hyme
many grete and notabil yiftys, and namly the fayre stede that men callyd
Galathee, the which had no felawe in all the worlde. And becavse that
all wordly grace[s] that a good man oughte for to have were in Hector,
morally we may sey that he toke theyme by the cownsel of Othea, the
which sent hyme this pystylle.
By Othea we schall vndirstond by the vertu of prudence and of wysedome,
wherewyth he was arayed; and because the Cardinal Vertues ben necessarie
to good pollicie, we schall speke of them, sewynge ich after othyr. And
to þe fryst we have youen a name and takyn a maner of speche in some
wyse poetykly, the bettyr to folewe owre matere acordyng to the very
storie, and to owre purpoyse we schall take some auctoritees of ancient
philosophres. Thus we schall sey that by the seyde lady this present was
yovyn or sente to goode Hector, the which in lech wyse may be to all
other desirynge bounte and wysedome. And as the vertue of prudence ought
gretely to be recomendede, Aristotle, the prynce off philosophurs,
seyth, “Becavse that wysedome is þe most noble off all othir thynges, it
schulde be shevyd by the best resone and the most behouely maner that
myghte be.”
Fore to bryng ayen to allegorie the purpos of owre matyr to owre wordes,
we schall applique Holy Scrypture to edificacion of the soule, beyng in
wrecheed worlde. As by the grete wysedome and hye myȝte of God all
thynges that be resonabily made all scholde streche to the ende of hyme,
and becawse that owre speryt, mad off God to hys lekenes, is made of
thynges moste noble aftyr the aungelles, it is behouely and necessarie
that it be arayed wyth vertues, whereby it may be conveyed to the ende
for the which it was made. And becavse it was lettyd by the assautes of
the wacches[117] of the enemy of helle, the which is his dedely enemye
and aduersarie and oftyn distourbeth it to come to hys beaute,[118] we
may calle mankyndely lyfe very cheualrie, as the Scripture seyth in many
partes, and standyng[119] all erthyly thynges[120] be desceyvable,[121]
we schulde haue in contynuell mynde the tyme [Sidenote: f. 7.] for to
come, which is wythowte ende. And because this is the grete wysedome of
perfite knygthhode and that all othir be of no comparison to regarde of
the victorius peple the which be corounede in blys, we schal take a
maner of speche of gostly knyhthode, that [is] to be done princypally to
the preysynge of God and to the profyth of thoo þat wylle delyte theyme
to here this present dittee.
Howe prudence and wysedome is modyr and conditoures of all vertues,
wythowte the which the tothire may not be well gouernede, it is
necessarie to gostly knyghthode to be arayed wyth prudence, as Seynte
Austyn seyth in the book of Singularite off Clerkes,[122] that in what
maner of place prudence be men may lyghtly cesse and amende[123] all
contrarius thynges, but there w[h]ere prudence is despisyd all
cont[r]arius thynges hath domynacyon. And to this purpoose Salamon seyth
in his Proverbis, “Si [intraverit sapientia cor tuum et scientia animæ
tuæ placuerit, consilium custodiet te et prudentia servabit te.”][124]
II.
And to the entent that know may be
What thou schuldeste do, drawe vnto þe
The vertues that may the most restore,
The bettir to come to that seyde afore
Of the worshipful chevalroures.[125]
Allthoughe that it be aventerous,
Yet schall I sey whi that I sey thus.
A cosyn germayne[126] I haue, I wys.
Fullefyllyd sche is beaute wyth all;
But of all thynges in specyall
Sche ys ful softe and temperede full wele;
Of stroke of ire felyth sche no dele; [Sidenote: f. 8.]
Sche thynkkyth no thynge but of rygth balance.
It is the godesse of Temperance.
I may not all only but by hyre face
Haue the name of that by myghty grace;
For yef the weghte ne were sche to the made,
The all were not worthe a leke blade.[127]
Therefor I wyll that with me sche love the.
Yf she wyll, lete hire note forgetyn be;
For she is ryght a wele lerned godesse,
Hyr witte I love and prays myche in distrese.
Othea seyth that Temperance is here cosyn germayne,[128] the which he
schuld loue; for the vertu of temperance may veryly be seyde cosyn
germayne and lykennd [to] prudence, for temperans is schewer of prudence
and of prudence folwyth temperance. Therefor it is seide that he shulde
hold hyr for his love; and euery good knygth shulde do the same, that
desiryth due prayse of goode peple. As the philosophre Demetricus[129]
seyth, “Temperance moderath vices and perfyteth vertues.”
The good spiryte shuld haue the vertue of temperance, the whiche [hath]
the propirte to lemyte and to sede on syde superfluytes.[130] For Seynt
Austyn seyth in the book of the condycions[131] ... of concupyscence,
the whiche be contrary to vs and lettyth vs from Godes lawe, and more
also to dispite fleschely delytys and worldly praysynge. Seynt Petir
spekyth to that purpose in hys fyrst Pystyl, [“Obsecro vos tanquam
advenas et peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desideriis, quæ
militant adversus animam”].[132]
III.
And wyth vs strey[n]gth be honesty þe yete.
If that be gretter vertues thou sete,
Thou moste the turne toward Hercules
And behold wele his grete worthines,
In whome there was full myche bounte.
And to thi lenage all thoughe that he
Was contrarie and a grete name hym gate, [Sidenote: f. 9.]
For all that haue thou neuer the more hate
To his vertue, streyngth and nobylnese,
Which opynned the ȝates of worthinese.
Yet, though that thowe wylt folwe hys weye
And also hys worthines, I sey
It nedyth no thyng to the to make
Were[133] with theyme of hell ne no stryfe take,
Ne for to were wyth the god Pluto
For ony fauour Proserpyng onto,
The godes dowter called Ceres,
Whome he rauysched on the se of Gres.[134]
Ne onto the it is no mystyr[135]
That thow be Serebrus,[136] the portar
Of helle, besye the hys cheynes to breke,
Ne of theyme of helle to take any wreke,
The which to vntrewe wynnors be;[137]
Nor for his felaws as dede he,
Pirotheus and Theseus,[138] in fere,
The which that nere hand desceyuyd were
[To] auenture theyme in that valy soo,
W[h]ere many a sowle hath ful mych woo;
For werre inougth in herthe[139] þou schalt fynd felle,
Thougth thow goo not to sek yt in helle.
It is no thinge necessarie to the
So to purchase or do armes, parde,
To go and fyghte with serpentes stynggyng,
With boores wylde or beerys rampyng.[140]
Wheythir thou ymagen this I wote noghte,
Or ell of wyldenes it commyth in thy thougth
Of worthines for to have a name.
In dystres, yf it be not for the same,
As ffor thy body the ffor to defende,
Yf that sych bestis wylde the offende,
Than diffence, if asailled thou be,
Withowte dowte it is worchip to the;
Yf thow ouercome theym and the saue,
Bothe grete lavde and worchip thou shalt haue.
The vertu of strength is not only to vndyrstonde bodely strength, but
the stabilnes and stedefastenes that a goode knygth schulde haue in all
hys dedis by deliberaciou of good wytte and strength to resyst ayens
contrariousnes that may come onto hym, weythir it be infortunes or
tribulacions, where strengh and myghti corage may be vaylable to the
exaussyng of worthines. And alyche[141] Hercules for to gif exampel of
strengh, to the entent that it may be doble availe, that is to seye, in
as myche as tocheth to his vertue and anamly in dedes of knygthhode,
wherin he was ryghte excellent. And for the hynes of Hector, it is a
behouely thynge to gyfe hyme hy[142] example. Hercules was a knyghte of
Grece of meruelyous strengh and broute to ende many knyghtly worthines.
A grete iorneyer he was in the worlde, and, for the grete and meruelyous
viagis and thinges of grete strenghe that he made and dede, the poietes,
the wyche spak couertly and in maner of fable, seyde that he wente into
helle to fygth wyth the prynces off helle and that [he] favth[143] wyth
serpentes and fiers bestis, by the wyche is to vndirstonden the grete
and stronge entreprises.[144] * * *
IV.
* * * * *
Elles arte thou note worthy an helme to were, [Sidenote: f. 10.]
Ne for to gouerne a reaume nowhere.[145]
Prudence seith to the good knyghte that, yf he will be on of the goode
mennes rowe, he most haue the vertue of iustice, that is to seye,
ryghtwyse iustice. And Aristotle seith he that is a rytewyse iusticer
fryst shulde iustifie hym selph, ffor he that iustifies not hym self is
not worthi to iustifye anothir. This is to vndirstond that a man shulde
correcte his owne defavtes, so þat thei be holy fordone, and than a man
so correctid may wele, and schulde, be a corrector of othir men. And to
speke morally, ve shall tell a fable to this purpoise vndir the
couertvre of poyetis. Minos, as poyetis sey, is a iusticer off helle or
a prouoste or a cheife bayle, and afore hym is broughte alle the sowles
descendyng into that vaylie; and afftir that they haue disseruede of
penance as many degrees as he wille that thei be sette deipe, as ofte he
turnyth his tayle abwte hym. And becawse that he is thee iustice ande
the punyschment of God, lete vs take owre maner to speke oure speche
veryly to that purpose. O trouth there was a kyng in Grece[146] called
Mynos of mervelious fairnes,[147] and in hym was grete rigoure of
iustice; and therefor the poietis seyde that aftir his deth he was
commytted to be iusticer of helle. And Aristotile seyth, “Justice is a
mesure that God hath sette in erthe for to limitte thereby thynges
ryghtwysly.”
And even as God is hede of iustice and of all orderes, it is necessarye
to the cheualerous sperit that wille come to the victorius blysse for to
have this vertue. And Seynt Bernard seith in a sermone[148] that iustice
is not ellis but to giffe euery man that his is. “Yife than,” seith he,
“to .iii. maner of peple that the whiche is theires, that is to say, to
thi souereyne, to thi felawe and to thi soget: to thi souereyne
reuerence and obeissance of body; to thi falawe thou schulde gyffe
counsel and helpe, counsel in teschyng hym where he is ignorant and
helpe hym in comfortynge his owyn power[149]; to thi soget, thow
schuldest gyf hym chastissyng and kepyng hym frome euyl dedes, in
chastisyng[150] hym forgiffeyng hym that he hath doo amysse.” And thus
hereto seyth Salomon in his Proverbis, “Ex[cogitat iustus de domo impii
ut detrahat impios a malo.... Gaudium est iusto facere iusticiam”].[151]
V.
Also remenbre the of Percyvale,[152] [Sidenote: f. 11.]
Whos name is knowen ouer alle
Throwghowte the worlde, both soft and hard,
The swyffte hors Pegasus afterward.
He roode hyme through the eyre flyyng,
And Andromeda in hys goyng
Fro the bellue[153] he hyr delyueryd
And wyth his streynght hir from hym revede,
As a ryght good errant myghtty knyghte
Brought hyr ageyne to hir kyne ful ryght.
Thys dede in yowre mynde loke that it holde,
For a good knyght shuld kepe that is bolde
Thys wey, if that he will haue exprese
Wyrchip, which is mych better than ryches.
Hys shynnynge shelde than loke thou opon,
The which haue euer ouercome many one.
Wythe his fauchon loke that thou arme the,
Both strong and stedefast than shalt thou be.
And because that it is acordyng thyng[154] for a good knyght to haue
wirchip and reuerence, we shalle make a fygure aftyr the maner of
poietis. Percevale was a ful worthi knyght and whan[155] many reaumes,
and the name off the grete lande of Perce come of hyme. And poyetis
seide that he roode the hors that flawe in the eyre, the which was
called Pegasus; and that is to vnderstonde a goode name, the which
flyeth through the eyre. He bare in his honde a fauchon or a glayve; the
whiche is seide for the grete multytude of peple that were discomfyte by
hym in maney batayles. He delyueryd Andromeda from the bellue; this was
a kynggys doghter, the which he delyuered from a monstre of the see, the
which by the sentence of the godes shulde a[156] deuoured hire. This is
to vndirstonde that alle knyghtes shulde socovre women that hade nede of
there socoure. This Percivale and the hors [Sidenote: f. 12.] the which
fleeth[157] may[158] be notede for the good name that a goode knyghte
shulde haue and gete by hys good desertes; and there shuld he ryde, that
is to seye, that hys goode name shulde be borne in all contrees. And
Aristotile seyth that a good name of a man maketh a name shynnyng to the
worlde and agreable in presence of princes.
The cheualerours sperit shulde desyre a goode name among the felachipe
of the seyntis of heuen gotten by his goode desertes. The good hors
Pegasus that [beareth][159] hyme shall be his good angel, the which
shall make good reporte off hyme at the day of dome. Andromeda that shal
be delyuered, it is his sowle, the which he delyueres fro the feend of
hell by the ouercomyng off synne. And that a man on the same maner wyse
shuld wylne to haue a good name in this worlde to the plesaunce of God
and not for vayne glorie, Seynt Austin seyth in the Booke of
Correccion[160] that “ii. thyngges be necessarie to beleve wele,[161]
that is to sey, good conscience and good name, conscience for
feyth,[162] good name for his neyburwe; and [w]ho so trostyth in
conscience and dyspiteth a good name, he is cruel”; for it is a synge of
a nobyll corage to loue the wele of a good name. And to this purpoise
seyth the wyse man, “Curam habe [de bono nomine, magis enim permanebit
tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi”].[163]
VI.
And wyth thyne inclynacions
Off Jouis[164] softe condiccions
Loke thou haue; the better thou shalt be,
Whene that thow kepes theme ryghtfulle.
As it is seyde, poyetis, the whiche worchipped many godes, they helde
the planetis of heuen ffor speciall godes, and of the .vii. planetes
they made the .vii. dayes of the weke. They worchypped and helde Jouis
or Jubiter for there grettest god, because that he is sette in the hyest
spere of the planetis vndyr Saturne. The day off Thurseday is named of
Jouis. And anamely the philosophres yaf and compared the vertues of
the .vii. metallis to the .vii. planetis and named the teremys of there
sciences by the same planetis, as a man may se in Geber[165] and
Nicholas[166] and in othir auctoris of that science. To Jouys is youyne
copyr or bras. Jouis or Jubiter is a planete of softe condicion, amiable
and ful gladde and fygure[167] to sanguyne comp[l]eccion. Therefor Othea
seyth, that is to sey, Prudence, that a good knyght shuld haue the
condicion of Jubiter, and the same shulde euery nobyll man haue,
pursewyng knyghtthode. [Sidenote: f. 13.] To this purpose seythe
Pictogoras[168] that a kyng shuld be gracyously conuersaunt wyth his
peple and shew to them a glade visage; and on the same wyse it is to
vnderstond off all wordly peple tendyng to wirchippe.
Now lete vs brynge to owre purpoyse in allegorie the properteis of
the .vii. planetis. Jouis, the which is a softe and a mankyndly[169]
planete, of the whyche the good knyght schulde haue condicions, may
sygnifie to vs mercy and compassyon that the good knyght hade, Jhesu
Cryste that is, the which the sperit schulde haue in hym selfe. For
Seynte Gregorie seyth in the pistylle of Pontian,[170] “I remembre not,”
seith he, “that euer I herde or redde that he dyed of heuy dethe that
hathe wylle to fulfylle the dedes of mercy, ffor mercy hathe many
prayeres and it is inpossyble but that many prayeres most nedes be
exauced.” To this purpose oure Lord seythe in the Gospell, “Beati
[misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur”].[171]
VII.
Off Venus in no wyse make thi godesse,
And for no thynge sette store by here promysse.
To folowe here it is rauenous,[172]
Both vnworchippefull and peryllous.
Venus is a planete of heuen, aftyr whome the Fryday is named; and the
metall that we call tynne or pewter is yovyn to the same. Venus yiffeth
influence of loue and of ydylnes, and she was a lady called soo, the
which was qwene of Cippre. And because that [she] excedyd all women in
excellent beaute and jolynesse, and was ryght amerous and not stedefast
in o loue, and becawse that she yevyth influence of lecheri, Othea seyth
to the good knyght that he make here not his godes. This is to
vndirstond, that in sech lyfe he shuld not abaundon his body ne his
entent. Armes[173] seyth that the vice of lecherye steynyth all vertues.