paramours. Juno, the wiche was in ialoucie, tooke the lekenes of an
auncient woman and cam to Semelle and with fayre wordys began to reson
hyre in so moche that Semelle knowliged to hyre all the love off hyre
and of hyr loue, and to [be] well beloued and knowen of hyme she vaunted
hire. The godesse þanne seyde to hir, the [Sidenote: f. 45.] wiche tooke
no hede of the dissayte, [that] she perceyued[397] nothyng yit of the
love of hire love, [but] when she shulde be nexte with hym, that she
shulde aske hym a yifte and, when she hadde well requyred hym and that
he hadde grawnted, that she shulde desyre of hym that he wolde
vouchesafe to halse[398] hir in syche wyse as [he] halsed Juno his
wyffe, when that he wolde solace hym with here, and in syche wyse myght
she perceyue the loue of hyre love. Semelle fforyate it not, and when
she hade made the requeste to Jubiter, the wiche hade promysyd it hyre
and as a god that myght not calle it agayne, he was full sori and wyst
wele that sche hadde bene disseyved. Than Jubiter tooke lekenes of
fire[399] and halsed his loue, the wiche in a litell while was all
bruled and brent, for the wiche Jubiter was full hevy of þat aventure.
Opon this fabill may be takyn many vnderstondynges, anamly opon the
science off astronomie, as maystris seyne. But it may be allso that be
some weye a gentilwoman may be disseyved by the wyffe of hyr loue,
wherethrowgh hym selfe made hir to die be inaduertance. And therfor it
is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld be ware, whanne he spekyth of
a thyng that he wolde that it were secrete, afore or he speke hys worde,
to whome he seyth it and whatte he seyth, for by the circumstances
thyngges ma ben vndirstondyn. Therefor Hermes seith, “Shewe not the
secretes of thi thoughtes but to thoo that thou hast well preued.”
How he shulde take hede to whome he spekyth we may vndirstond that the
good sperite, what so euer hys thowtys be, he shulde be ware in euery
cas where evil suspeccion myght falle to ony othir. As Seynt Austyn
seith in the booke of Job,[400] that we shuld not all only sete store to
haue good conscience, but in as myche as owre infirmyte may, and as
myche [as] the diligence of mankyndly frelnes may, wee shuld take good
hede that we dede no thyng that myght come to evil suspeccion to owre
stedefast brothir.[401] To this purpose seith Seynt Poule the apostle,
[“In omnibus præbe te ipsum exemplum bonorum operum”].[402]
LXIII.
The disporte trust not to mychyll opon
Of Dyane, for þer is disporte right none
For them þat ben in knyghthode pursewyng
That shuld cause them to haunt to mych huntyng.
Dyane is called godess off the wode and of huntyng; so it is seide to
the good knyght pursewyng the hight name of armes þat he shulde not mvse
to myche in the disportes of huntyng, for it is a [Sidenote: f. 46.]
thyng that longeth to ydylnes. And Arystotle seith that ydilnes ledyth a
man to all inconveniences.
That a man shuld not folwe to myche Dyanes disporte, the wiche is take
for ydilnes, the goode speryte may noote the same, and that is to
eschew. Seynt Grygori seyth, “Do euer some goode thynge, that the fende
may allway fynde the occupied in some goode occupacion.” To this purpose
the wyse man seith, [“Consideravit semitas domus suæ et panem otiosa non
comedit”].[403]
LXIV.
Avaunte the not, for grete harme fell therefore[404]
To Yragnes,[405] the wich myssetook hir sore,
That ayens Pallas hire so avaunted,
For the wyche the goodesse hire enchaunted.
The fable seyth that Yragnes was a gentylwoman full sotyll and kunnyng
in schapyng, wevyng and sewyng, but she was too presumtuos of hir
connyng and indede she vaunted hire ayens Pallas. For the wyche the
godes was greued wyth here that fore that foly vauntyng sche schawneged
hyr into an yraigne and than seyde, “Thou vaunted the so myche in wevyng
and sewyng that thou shalt euer aftir this weve and spynne werke of no
value,” and fro thiens come the yraignes that be yite, the wiche sessyth
not of spynnyng and wevyng. It may be so vndirstonden that some persone
wanted ayens hir maystres, ffor the wiche in some wyse thei tooke harme.
Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld not vaunt hyme,
standyng it is a foule thyng for a knyght to be a vauntoure, for it may
abuse to myche the prayse of his bownte. And in the same wyse Platon
seyth, “When thou dost a t[h]yng,” seith he,[406] “better than anothir,
be ware thou avaunte not therof, for yf thou doo thyne avayle is myche
the lesse.”
For that a man shuld not vaunte hym, we may sey that the goode sperite
shulde be ware of wauntyng, for Seynt Austyn spekith ayens vauntyng in
the .xii. boke of the Cete of God, þat vauntyng is not mankyndly
praysyng, but is aturnyd to vyse of the sovle, the wich louyth mankyndly
praysynges and dispithet the wery wytnes of his propyr consyence. To
this purpose the wyse man seythe, [“Quid nobis profuit superbia, aut
diuitiarum jactantia?”].[407]
LXV.
Iff to grete desyre will them brynge
To loue mechell disporte of huntynge,
Dadonius[408] than remenbre may the,
For with a woode wilde bore dede was he.
Dadanius was a ioly gentylman[409] and of grete beaute. Venus loued hym
paramoures, but because he delytyd hym to myche in huntyng, Venus, the
wich douted that some hurt myth com to hym by some aventure, she prayed
hym ofte to be ware how he huntyd to grete bestes. But Dadonius wolde
not be ware, and therfor he was slayne wyth a wilde bore. Therfor it is
seyde to the good knyght that, yf he wille all gates hunte, late [hym]
kepe hym from sych huntyng that may doo hym harme. To this purpose the
profete Sedechias[410] seith that a knyght shulde not suffre his sone
hunte to myche ne be ydyll, but he shulde make hym to be enformed to
goode condicions and to fle vanyte.
How he shulde thynke on Dadonius may be vnderstondyn that, yif the goode
sperite be in any wyse out off the weye, that at the leste he shulde
thynke on the grete perell of perseuerance; for, as the fende hath grete
myght opon synners, Seynt Petir seythe in the secund Pystyll[411] that
synners ben bownde to corupcion and the fende hath power ouer theyme,
for he that in batayle is ouercome of an othir is becomyn bonde to hym.
And in tokyn therof it is seyde in the Pocalipse, [“Data est bestiæ
potestas in omnem tribum et populum.”][412]
LXVI.
If so be thette there assaile the any,
Be ware thou ne thi men ryse not lyghtly
Ayens theyme, that thi town of strenght not slake;
Off the fryst Troye example thou mayst take.
Whenne Hercules wyth mych pepyll com opon the fryst Troye and that kyng
Leomedon herd seye of there comyng, than he with all the peple that he
myght gete in the cete yode owte and went ayens theyme to the water
syde, and there theye assembled wyth full ferse bataile and þe cete was
left voyde of peple. Than Thelamen Ayaux, the wich was enbushed wyth a
grete oste nere the walles of the cete, enteryd into it, and thus the
fryst Troye was takyn. Therefor it is seyde to the goode knyght that he
shulde kepe hym, that in siche wyse he be not disseyuyd wyth his
[Sidenote: f. 48.] ennemyes. And Hermes seyth, “Kepe the from the
peple[413] of thyn ennemyes.”
Where it is seyde that a man shuld kepe hym, yf he be assayled, that his
cete be not voide, it is to sey that the good spyryte shulde euer kepe
hym sesid and filled with vertues. And hereto seyth Seynt Austyn that,
lyche as in tyme of werre men of armes shuld not be onsesyde of theyre
armes ne owt of theyme nyght ner day, on the same wyse duryng the tyme
of this present lyfe he shulde not be dyspoyled of vertues, for he thate
the fende fyndeth withowte vertues faryth as he that the aduersari
fyndyth withoute armes. Therfor the Gospel seyth, [“Fortis armatus
custodit atrium suum”].[414]
LXVII.
Opon the harpe assot the not to sore
Off Orpheus. Yf thou sete any store
Be armes, thou wylte þerin wele spede.
To fre[415] instrementis thou hast non nede.
Orpheus was a poyete, and the fabill seyth that he cowde welle pleye on
the harrpe, so that the ryngyng[416] wateres all only tournyd theyre
coruse, and the birdes of the eyre, the wylde bestes and the fres[417]
serpentis foryate there cruelnes and restyd to here the songge and the
swete sounde of his harpe. This is to vnderstond he pleyith so wele that
all maner of pepill of whate condicions that they were delytede theyme
to here the poietis pley. And becawse that syche instrumentis sotted
often the hertis of men, it is seyde to the goode knyght that he shuld
not delyte hym to meche therein, for it longeth not to the sones of
knyghthode to mvse to mych in instrumentis ne in othir ydylnes. To this
purpose an auctorite seyth, “The soule of the instrument is the snare of
the serpent”; and Platon seyth, “He þat settyth holy his plesauns of
fleysly delythes is more bond þan a sclawe,” that is to seye, than a man
that is bought and solde.
Orpheus harpe, vpon the wich a man shulde not be assotted, we may
vndirstonde that the knyghtly sperite shulde not be assotted ne mvsyd in
no maner of wordly felacheppe, be it kynne or othir. Seynt Austyn seyth
in the booke of the Syngularyte off Clerkis that the solytary man felyth
lesse prekynges of his fleych that havntyth not voluptuousenes than he
that hawntyth it, and lesse it [Sidenote: f. 49.] sterith to couetyse
the which seeth not wordly riches[418] than he that seeth it. Therefor
Dauyd seith, [“Vigilavi et factus sum sicut passer solitarius in
tecto”].[419]
LXVIII.
Grownde yow not opon noone avysyons,
Ne opon no lewde illusyons
Off grete emprise, thought it be ryght or wrong,
And of Paaris remenbre yow among.
Because that Paryis hadde dremed that he shulde ravysch Helayne in
Grece, a grete army was made and sent ffro Troye into Grece, where that
Paryis ravysshede Heleyne. Than for that wrongfull dede they com after
that opon Troye with all the power off Grece. There was soo grete a
covnetre at that tyme that it lastyd to the contre that we calle now
Puille[420] and Calebre in Ytaly, and that tyme it was called Lytyl
Grece.[421] And of that contre was Achilles and þe Mirmedewes, the which
were so worthi fyters. That grete quantite of pepill confoundid Troye
and all the contre. Therefor it is seyde to the good knyght that he
shulde not ondirtake to doo no grete thynge opon avysiones, for grete
harme and grete besynes may come thereoff. And that a grete emprise
shuld not be done wythowte good deliberacion of counsell, Platon seyth,
“Do nothyng,” seith he, “but that thy wytte hath ouerseen afore.”
That a grete empryse shuld not be takyn for avisyon, that is to sey that
the good sperite shulde in no vyse presume ne reyse hym selphe in
arrogance for no maner of grace that God hath yoven hym. And Seynt
Gregorie seyth in his Morales that there be .iiii. spices[422] in the
whiche all bolnynges of arrogances be shewed. The fryst is when they
noyse they haue of them selfe the goodnes that they haue; the .ii. is
when they wene welle that they haue deseruyd and reseyuyd it for ther
meritis the goodnes þat they haue; the .iii. is when they avant to haue
the goodnes that they haue not; and the .iiii. is when that they
dysprese othir and desire that men shuld know the goo[d]nes that is in
theyme. Ayens this vyse the wyse man spekyth in his Prouerbes,
[“Arrogantiam et superbiam et os bilingue detestor”].[423]
LXIX.
Iff thou loue well houndes an birdes, than
On Anteon,[424] the fayre yong gentilman,
The which becomme an herte, vmbethynk well þe,
And loke that siche fortune com not to the.
Antheon was a full corteis ientylman and of gentyl condicions [Sidenote:
f. 50.] and loued houndes and birdes to myche; fore the fabill seith
that on a day as he huntyd all alone in a thykke forest, wheryn his men
hadde lost hym, thane as Dyane the godesse of the woode hadde huntyd in
the forest to it was the oure of noone, she was sore chaffede and hoote
for the grete hete of the sunne, for þe which she had a lyste to bathe
hir in a f[a]yre welle and a clere, the whiche was ther fast by, and as
she was in the welle all nakyde envyrouned wyth fayreis[425] and godes
the whiche seruyd hyre, Antheon, the which tooke non heede, com sodeynly
opon hire and sawe all the godes, of whome for hire grete castite the
vesage wexe reede for shame and was full sory. And than she seide,
“Becawse that I know wele that thysse yong gentilman wyll vaunt hym of
ladies and gentilwomen—to the entent that thou schalte not mowe vante
the that hathe see me naked, I shall take the myght of thy speche from
the.” Than she cursyd hym, and anon Antheon becomme a wilde herte and no
thyng was lefte hym of mankyndly shape but all only vndirstondyng. Than
he, full of grete sorowe and off sodeyne feere, wente fleyng throwe the
busches, and anon he was reseyuyd with his owen houndes and halewed wyth
hys owen men that serched the forest for hym, but nowe they haue founde
hyme and knowe hym not. There Antheon was drawe doune, the whych wepte
grete teres afore his owne men and fayne woolde haue cryed theyme mercy
yif he myght haue spokyn. And sene that tyme hethir to hertes euer at
there dethe wepyn. Antheon was slayne and martired with grete woo with
his owen menye, the which in a litell while had all devowred hym. Many
exposicions may be made vpon this fable; but to oure purpose it may be
seide of a yong man that habaundoneth hym holy in ydylnes and dispendith
his goodes and his gettynges in delyte off his body and in disportes of
huntyng and to kepe ydel menye. Hereby may it be seide that he was hated
of Dyane, the which is noted for chastite, and deuowred of his owen
menye. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld be ware he
were not deuowred in leche wyse. And a wyse man seith, “Idilnes
engendyrth idylnes[426] and errour.”
Be Antheon, the which become an herte, we may vnderstond the veray
repentaunt man that was wonnte to be a synner and now hath ouercome his
fleyssch and made it bonde to the good sperite [and] takyn the state of
pennaunce. Seynt Austyn seith in the Sawtyr that pennance is an esy
thyng or dede and a lyght charge; it owght not to be called a grete
charge for a man but wenges off a byrde fleyng, for, as a birde in herth
here bereth the charge of [Sidenote: f. 51.] there wenges and there
wenges berith theyme to heven, on the same wyse, yff we bere on erthe
here the charge off pennawnce, it shal bere vs to heven. To this purpose
þe Gospell seith, [“Pœnitentiam agite, appropinquavit enim regnum
cœlorum”].[427]
LXX.
I seye go notte to the yates of helle
For to seke Euridice be my counselle.
Litell he wanne there with his harpe and play,
Orpheus, as that I haue ofte herd seye.
Orpheus the poyete, the which harpede so well,[428] a fabil seith that
he maried hym to Euridice, but on the day of mariage thei wente to
disporte theyme in a medwe barefoote ffor the grete hete of the sonne,
and an herde coveytyd that fayyr woman and ranne ffor to a rauysshed
hyr, and as she flede afore hym for fere of hym she was betyn with a
serpent that was hyd wnder the gresse of the medwe, and within a litell
while after the mayden dyed. Orpheus was ryght heuy of that mysse
aventure; yit he tooke his harpe and wentte to þe yattes of helle in the
dyrke waly afore the helle paleys, and thanne he begane to harppe
pytously and he pleyyd so swetely that all the tormentes off helle cesyd
and all the helly offices lefte there besynes for to here the sownde of
the harppe, and anamly Proserpyne, the godes off helle, was meuyd with
grete pete. Than Pluto, Lucifere, Cerebrus and Acaron,[429] the which
for the harpor sawe that the offices off hell peynnes lefte and cesed,
toke hym hys wyff vpon a condicion that he shulde goo afore and sche
after, and that he shulde notte loke behynde hym to he come owt of the
valy of helle, and yff he looked behynde hym he shuld lefe hire. Opon
this condicion she was delyuered to hym ayen. So Orpheus wente afore and
his loue after, but he that was to hoote in loue, the which desired to
beholde hire, myght not kepe hym from lokyng ayen after his loue, and
anoon as [he] loked byhynd hym Euredice partyd from hyme and was ayen in
helle, so that he myght no more haue hire. This fable may be
vndyrstondyn in many maneres. It myght be so that some man had his wyff
takyn fro hyme and he had getten hire ayen; on the same wyse it may be
of a castell or of anothir thyng. But to owre purpose it may be seide
that he seketh veryly Euredice in hell, the which sekyth an inpossibyl
thyng and, thowgh a man may notte recouer that, he owghte not to be
wrothe. Salamon seyth the same, “It is a foly thyng,” he seith, “to seke
that the which is impossybylle to be hadde.” [Sidenote: f. 52.]
Be that a man shulde not goo to seke Euredice in hell, we may vndirstond
that the goode speryte shulde aske ne requyre of God no thyng that is
meruellious,[430] ne that mervell to be thyng oon, that is to sey, to
tempte God. And Seynt Austyn seith opon Seynt John Gospell that Godes
creature is not exavced when he requiryth a thyng the which may not be
doone or shuld not be doone, or a thyng the which he wolde vse amysse yf
that it were grawntyd hyme, or ell a thyng that shuld hurte the sowle yf
it were exauuced. And therfor it comyth of the mercy off God, if he gyff
not to a creature a thyng the which he knowyth he wolde vse amysse. To
this purpose Seynt James the apostell seyth in his Pistell, [“Petitis et
non accipitis eo quod male petatis”].[431]
LXXI.
Iff thou will veraly knowe a knyght
In cloystir or clos where he be dyght,
The say[432] that was made to Achilles
Sall lerne the to proue theym doutles.
The fable seith that Achilles was sone to the godes Thetis, and becawse
that, as a godes, she knew if hir sone haunted armes that he shu[l]d
dye, she, the which louyd hym with to grete love, hide hym in maydinis
clothyng and made hyme were a vaile leche a nonne. In the godesse
abbay[433] he lyffed so, and Achilles was long hydde vnto that some
persones perseyuyd hym, and the fabill seith that there he begate
Pirus[434] opon the kynges dougther, the which was after that full
cheualerous. Than began the Troyens grete werres, and the Grekes knew
wele that thei hadde nede of Achilles for to streynght theyme. He was
sowte ouer all, but thei myght not here of hym. Vlixes, the which was
full of grete malice, sowgth hym ouer all [and] come to the temple, but
yit he myght not perseyue the trowght. He avysyd hym of grete malice and
sotilte, and than Vlixes toke keuercheffes, girdill and all maner of
iowell[435] longyng to ladies and therwith feyre armure and bryghte and
cast all doune in the myddes of the place in presens of the ladyes and
praide iche of theyme to take[436] that the which plessede theyme best;
and than, as euery thyng drawith to his nature, the ladies ronne to the
jowell and Achilles sessede the armure. And thanne Vlixes ranne and
tooke hyme in his armys and seyde, “This is he that I seke.” And becawse
that knyghtes shulde be more inclyned to armes than to plesawnce,[437]
which longgeth to ladies, the auctorite seith that therby a man may
knowe the veray knyght. And to this purpose Legaron[438] seith that a
knyghte is not [Sidenote: f. 53.] knowen but be his dedes of armes.[439]
And Hermes seith that thou shuldest preue a man afore or that thou trost
hym to gretely.
Where it is seyde, “Yf thou wylte knowe a goode knyght,” we may
vnderstondyn that the good knyght [of] Cryst Jhesu shuld be know by the
dede of armes in goode workyng, and that siche a knyght shulde haue the
dwe prayse that longgeth to goode men. Seynt Jerom seith in a pistil
that, as the ryghtvisnes of God levyth non evil thyng vnponysshede, on
the same wyse it levith no goode thyng vnrewarded. So than to good
pepill noo labour shulde be thought to harde, ne no tyme to longe,
standyng that thei [are] abydyng[440] the euerlastyng hire and blys.
Therfor Holy Scripture seith, [“Confortamini et non dissolvantur manus
vestræ, erit enim merces operi vestro”].[441]
LXXII.
Wyth Athalenta stryue thou not nowe,
For she hath gretter talent þan thou.
It was hir crafte for to renne fast.
To siche a rennyng haue thou non hast.
Athalenta was on of the fayre[442] and lyche to a gentilvoman of grete
beaute, but hire destonye was diuerse; ffor because of hire mony lost
ther lyves. This gentilvoman for hire grete beaute was covetyde of mony
oon to be hadde to maryage, but ther was made sich a conuenawnt that non
shulde haue hire but he ouerranne hir, and yf she ouerranne hym, he
shuld dye. Athalenta was mervelious swyft, so that non myght streche to
hir in rennyng and that cawsed many on for to die. This rennyng may be
vnderstondyn in many maneres. It may be as some thyng that is gretly
covetyid of many persones, but yit it may notte be hadde withowte grete
traueyle; the rennyng that she made is the defence or the resistence of
the same thynges. And allso the fabill may be noted anamly for tho that
makyth grete stryve and nedith not. Also the auctorite seyth that a hard
man and a coragius ought not to myche to stryve for onprofytabyll
thynges, the whiche he shulde not set by, stondyng that thei
[t]owche[443] not to his worchyppe for many grete [h]urtes folwyth off
sich stryues. And Thessille[444] [se]ith, “Thou shuldest doo that the
which is moste [pro]fetable to the body and most behouely to the soule
and fle the contrarye.”
That we shulde notte stryve wyth Athalenta may be vnderstondyn that the
goode speryte shulde not be letted with non thyng [Sidenote: f. 54.]
that the worlde dothe, of what gouernans it be. And to the same Seynt
Austyn seyth in a pistil that the worlde is more perlious to creaturis
when it is eesy than whan it is sharpe, for the softer he seeth it the
les it shulde lete hym and lees he shulde drawe it to his love then
whenne it yeffyth hym cause to dispite it. To this purpose Seynt John
the Euaungelist seyth in his fryst Pistill, [“Si quis diligit mundum,
non est charitas Patris in eo”].[445]
LXXIII.
As that Paris iugede iuge thou noght,
For many men hau ben full hard brought
Be grauntyng of evil sentence
And had þerfor ryght greuous recompence.
The fable seith that .iii. godesses of grete myght, that is to sey,
Pallas godes of kunnyng,[446] Juno godes of goode,[447] and Venus godes
off love, com before Paris holdyng an apple of golde,[448] the which
seide, “Lete this be youen to the fayrest and the myghttyest of vs.”
There was grete discord ffor this appyll, for iche of theyme seyde they
ought to haue it, and at the last thei tooke Paris for to iuge the
cavse. Paris sought delegently the strenghte and the myghte of ich of
theyme by the selfe. Than seide Pallas, “I am godes of cheualry and of
wysdom, for by me armes is departed to knyghtes and konyng to clerkes,
and yf thou wilt yiff me the appyll, tryst veryli that I shall make the
to paase[449] all othir in koonyng and in knytehode.” After that Juno,
godes of goode, seide, “And by me is departyd the grete lordshippes and
also tresowrys off the worlde. If thou wyl gyff me the appyll, I shall
make the recher and mygh[t]ier than ony othir.” And than spake Venus
wyth full louyng wordes and seide, “I am she that kepyth scoles of loue
and off iolines[450] and maketh fooles to be wyse men and wyse men to do
foly, and I make ryche men poore and tho þat be exiled riche. There is
no myght that may compare wyth my myght. Iff thou wylt yeffve me the
appyll, by me thou shalt haue þe love of fayre Helaine of Grece, the
which may avayle the more than any maner of ryches.” And thanne Paris
gaff his sentence and forsoke bothe knyghthode, wisdom and riches for
Venus, to whome he gaff the appyll; for the which after that Troye was
dystryd. This is to vnderstonde, because that Paris was not cheuallrous
ne reche, he sette be noo thyng, but all his thought was on loue, and
therefor yaffe he the appill to Venus. Werefor it is seide to the goode
knyght that he shuld not demene hym so. And Pictagoras seith, [Sidenote:
f. 55.] “The iuge that iugede not iustyly, diserveth myche evyll.”
Be Parys that iuged folely is vnderstonden that the goode sperite shulde
be ware how he iuged oþer. Seynt Austyn spekyth thereoff ayens the
[Manichees][451] that there be .ii. thynges the whych in especiall we
shulde eschewe, fryst to iuge othir persones, for we know not of what
corage thynges be done, the which to contempne it is þerfor[452] grete
presumcion, for we shuld take theyme to the better partye; secundly for
because we be not incerteyne what the[i] shall be that now be goode or
now evill. Owre Lord to this purpose seith in þe Gospell, [“Nolite
judicare et non judicabimini, in quo enim judicio judicaveritis
judicabimini.”][453]
LXXIV.
In Fortvne, that grete myghty godesse,
Trist not to mych, ne in hyre promyse;
For in a lytell space she chaungeth,
And the hyest ofte ouerthroweth.
Fortune aftyr the spekyng off poyetis may be wele called the grete
godes, for by hire we see that wordly thynges be gouernde. And becauce
she promysyth to many prosperite inowght—and indede to some she yeffeth
it—and in litell space takyth it awaye when it plesyth hire, it is seide
to the goode knyght that he shuld not trost in hire promysses ne
discomfort hym not in his aduersites. And Socrates seith the cours of
fortvne farith as engins.[454]