Bot to noman belongeth more
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 143=]
Than to a king, which hath to lede
[Sidenote: Hic secundum Policiam tractare intendit precipue
super quinque regularum Articulis, que ad Principis Regimen
obseruande specialius existunt,[1071] quarum prima veritas
nuncupatur. Per quam veridicus fit sermo Regis ad omnes.]
The poeple; for of his kinghede
He mai hem bothe save and spille.
And for it stant upon his wille,
It sit him wel to ben avised,
And the vertus whiche are assissed[1072]
Unto a kinges Regiment,
To take in his entendement: 1720
Wherof to tellen, as thei stonde,
Hierafterward nou woll I fonde.
Among the vertus on is chief,
And that is trouthe, which is lief
To god and ek to man also.
And for it hath ben evere so,
Tawhte Aristotle, as he wel couthe,
To Alisandre, hou in his youthe
He scholde of trouthe thilke grace
With al his hole herte embrace, 1730
So that his word be trewe and plein,
Toward the world and so certein
That in him be no double speche:
For if men scholde trouthe seche
And founde it noght withinne a king,
It were an unsittende thing.
The word is tokne of that withinne,
Ther schal a worthi king beginne
To kepe his tunge and to be trewe,
So schal his pris ben evere newe. 1740
Avise him every man tofore,
And be wel war, er he be swore,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 144=]
For afterward it is to late,
If that he wole his word debate.[1073]
For as a king in special
Above all othre is principal
Of his pouer, so scholde he be
Most vertuous in his degre;
And that mai wel be signefied[1074]
Be his corone and specified. 1750
[Sidenote: Nota super hiis que in corona Regis designantur.[1075]]
The gold betokneth excellence,
That men schull don him reverence
As to here liege soverein.
The Stones, as the bokes sein,
Commended ben in treble wise:
Ferst thei ben harde, and thilke assisse
Betokneth in a king Constance,
So that ther schal no variance
Be founde in his condicion;
And also be descripcion 1760
The vertu which is in the stones
A verrai Signe is for the nones
Of that a king schal ben honeste
And holde trewly his beheste
Of thing which longeth to kinghede:
The bryhte colour, as I rede,
Which in the stones is schynende,
Is in figure betoknende
The Cronique of this worldes fame,[1076]
Which stant upon his goode name.[1077] 1770
The cercle which is round aboute
Is tokne of al the lond withoute,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 145=]
Which stant under his Gerarchie,
That he it schal wel kepe and guye.
And for that trouthe, hou so it falle,
Is the vertu soverein of alle,
That longeth unto regiment,
A tale, which is evident
Of trouthe in comendacioun,
Toward thin enformacion, 1780
Mi Sone, hierafter thou schalt hiere
Of a Cronique in this matiere.
[Sidenote: [KING, WINE, WOMAN AND TRUTH.]]
As the Cronique it doth reherce,
A Soldan whilom was of Perce,
[Sidenote: Hic narrat, qualiter Darius filius Ytaspis
Soldanus Percie a tribus suis Cubiculariis, quorum nomina
Arpaghes, Manachaz et Zorobabel dicta sunt, nomine
questionis singillatim interrogauit, vtrum Rex aut mulier
aut vinum maioris fortitudinis vim obtineret: ipsis vero
varia opinione respondentibus, Zorobabel vltimus asseruit[1082]
quod mulier sui amoris complacencia tam Regis quam vini
potenciam excellit. Addidit insuper pro finali conclusione
dicens, quod veritas super omnia vincit. Cuius responsio
ceteris laudabilior acceptabatur.]
Which Daires hihte, and Ytaspis
His fader was; and soth it is
That thurgh wisdom and hih prudence
Mor than for eny reverence
Of his lignage as be descente[1078]
The regne of thilke empire he hente: 1790
And as he was himselve wys,[1079]
The wisemen he hield in pris[1080]
And soghte hem oute on every side,[1081]
That toward him thei scholde abide.
Among the whiche thre ther were
That most service unto him bere
As thei which in his chambre lyhen[1083]
And al his conseil herde and syhen.
Here names ben of strange note,
Arpaghes was the ferste hote,[1084] 1800
And Manachaz was the secounde,
Zorobabel, as it is founde
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 146=]
In the Cronique, was the thridde.
This Soldan, what so him betidde,
To hem he triste most of alle,[1085]
Wherof the cas is so befalle:
This lord, which hath conceiptes depe,
Upon a nyht whan he hath slepe,
As he which hath his wit desposed,
Touchende a point hem hath opposed. 1810
The kinges question was this;
Of thinges thre which strengest is,
The wyn, the womman or the king:
And that thei scholde upon this thing
Of here ansuere avised be,[1086]
He yaf hem fulli daies thre,
And hath behote hem be his feith
That who the beste reson seith,
He schal resceive a worthi mede.
Upon this thing thei token hiede 1820
And stoden in desputeison,
That be diverse opinion
Of Argumentz that thei have holde
Arpaghes ferst his tale tolde,
And seide hou that the strengthe of kinges
Is myhtiest of alle thinges.
For king hath pouer over man,
And man is he which reson can,
As he which is of his nature
The moste noble creature 1830
Of alle tho that god hath wroght:
And be that skile it semeth noght,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 147=]
He seith, that eny erthly thing
Mai be so myhty as a king.
A king mai spille, a king mai save,
A king mai make of lord a knave[1087]
And of a knave a lord also:
The pouer of a king stant so,
That he the lawes overpasseth;
What he wol make lasse, he lasseth, 1840
What he wol make more, he moreth;
And as the gentil faucon soreth,[1088]
He fleth, that noman him reclameth;
Bot he al one alle othre tameth,
And stant himself of lawe fre.
Lo, thus a kinges myht, seith he,
So as his reson can argue,
Is strengest and of most value.
Bot Manachaz seide otherwise,
That wyn is of the more emprise; 1850
And that he scheweth be this weie.
The wyn fulofte takth aweie
The reson fro the mannes herte;
The wyn can make a krepel sterte,
And a delivere man unwelde;
It makth a blind man to behelde,
And a bryht yhed seme derk;
It makth a lewed man a clerk,
And fro the clerkes the clergie
It takth aweie, and couardie 1860
It torneth into hardiesse;
Of Avarice it makth largesse.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 148=]
The wyn makth ek the goode blod,
In which the Soule which is good
Hath chosen hire a resting place,
Whil that the lif hir wole embrace.
And be this skile Manachas
Ansuered hath upon this cas,
And seith that wyn be weie of kinde
Is thing which mai the hertes binde 1870
Wel more than the regalie.
Zorobabel for his partie
Seide, as him thoghte for the beste,
That wommen ben the myhtieste.
The king and the vinour also
Of wommen comen bothe tuo;
And ek he seide hou that manhede
Thurgh strengthe unto the wommanhede
Of love, wher he wole or non,
Obeie schal; and therupon, 1880
To schewe of wommen the maistrie,
A tale which he syh with yhe[1089]
As for ensample he tolde this,--[1090]
[Sidenote: Nota hic de vigore amoris, qui inter Cirum Regem
Persarum et Apemen Besazis filiam ipsius Regis Concubinam
spectante tota Curia experiebatur.]
Hou Apemen, of Besazis[1091]
Which dowhter was, in the paleis
Sittende upon his hihe deis,
Whan he was hotest in his ire
Toward the grete of his empire,
Cirus the king tirant sche tok,
And only with hire goodly lok 1890
Sche made him debonaire and meke,
And be the chyn and be the cheke
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 149=]
Sche luggeth him riht as hir liste,
That nou sche japeth, nou sche kiste,
And doth with him what evere hir liketh;
Whan that sche loureth, thanne he siketh,
And whan sche gladeth, he is glad:
And thus this king was overlad
With hire which his lemman was.
Among the men is no solas, 1900
If that ther be no womman there;
For bot if that the wommen were,[1092]
This worldes joie were aweie:
Thurgh hem men finden out the weie
To knihthode and to worldes fame;
Thei make a man to drede schame,
And honour forto be desired:
Thurgh the beaute of hem is fyred
The Dart of which Cupide throweth,
Wherof the jolif peine groweth, 1910
Which al the world hath under fote.
A womman is the mannes bote,
His lif, his deth, his wo, his wel;
And this thing mai be schewed wel,
Hou that wommen ben goode and kihde,
For in ensample this I finde.
[Sidenote: [TALE OF ALCESTIS.]]
Whan that the duk Ametus lay
[Sidenote: Nota de fidelitate Coniugis, qualiter Alcesta
vxor Ameti, vt maritum suum viuificaret, seipsam morti
spontanee subegit.]
Sek in his bedd, that every day
Men waiten whan he scholde deie,
Alceste his wif goth forto preie, 1920
As sche which wolde thonk deserve,
With Sacrifice unto Minerve,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 150=]
To wite ansuere of the goddesse
Hou that hir lord of his seknesse,
Wherof he was so wo besein,
Recovere myhte his hele ayein.
Lo, thus sche cride and thus sche preide,
Til ate laste a vois hir seide,
That if sche wolde for his sake
The maladie soffre and take, 1930
And deie hirself, he scholde live.
Of this ansuere Alceste hath yive[1093]
Unto Minerve gret thonkinge,
So that hir deth and his livinge
Sche ches with al hire hole entente,
And thus acorded hom sche wente.
Into the chambre and whan sche cam,
Hire housebonde anon sche nam
In bothe hire Armes and him kiste,
And spak unto him what hire liste; 1940
And therupon withinne a throwe
This goode wif was overthrowe[1094]
And deide, and he was hool in haste.
So mai a man be reson taste,
Hou next after the god above
The trouthe of wommen and the love,
In whom that alle grace is founde,
Is myhtiest upon this grounde
And most behovely manyfold.
Lo, thus Zorobabel hath told 1950
The tale of his opinion:
Bot for final conclusion
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 151=]
What strengest is of erthli thinges,
The wyn, the wommen or the kinges,
He seith that trouthe above hem alle
Is myhtiest, hou evere it falle.
The trouthe, hou so it evere come,
Mai for nothing ben overcome;
It mai wel soffre for a throwe,
Bot ate laste it schal be knowe. 1960
The proverbe is, who that is trewe,
Him schal his while nevere rewe:
For hou so that the cause wende,
The trouthe is schameles ate ende,
Bot what thing that is troutheles,
It mai noght wel be schameles,
And schame hindreth every wyht:
So proveth it, ther is no myht
Withoute trouthe in no degre.
And thus for trouthe of his decre 1970
Zorobabel was most commended,
Wherof the question was ended,
And he resceived hath his mede
For trouthe, which to mannes nede
Is most behoveliche overal.
Forthi was trouthe in special
The ferste point in observance
Betake unto the governance[1095]
Of Alisandre, as it is seid:
For therupon the ground is leid[1096] 1980
Of every kinges regiment,
As thing which most convenient
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 152=]
Is forto sette a king in evene
Bothe in this world and ek in hevene.
[Sidenote: [THE SECOND POINT OF POLICY. LIBERALITY.]]
viii. _Absit Auaricia, ne tangat regia corda,_
_Eius enim spoliis excoriatur humus._[1097]
_Fama colit largum volitans per secula Regem,_
_Dona tamen licitis sunt moderanda modis._
Next after trouthe the secounde,
In Policie as it is founde,
[Sidenote: Hic tractat de regie maiestatis secunda Policia,
quam Aristotiles largitatem vocat: cuius virtute non solum
propulsata Auaricia Regis nomen magnificum extollitur,
set et sui subditi omni[1098] diuiciarum habundancia
iocundiores efficiuntur.]
Which serveth to the worldes fame
In worschipe of a kinges name,
Largesse it is, whos privilegge
Ther mai non Avarice abregge. 1990
The worldes good was ferst comune,
Bot afterward upon fortune
Was thilke comun profit cessed:
For whan the poeple stod encresced
And the lignages woxen grete,
Anon for singulier beyete
Drouh every man to his partie;
Wherof cam in the ferste envie
With gret debat and werres stronge,
And laste among the men so longe, 2000
Til noman wiste who was who,
Ne which was frend ne which was fo.
Til ate laste in every lond
Withinne hemself the poeple fond
That it was good to make a king,
Which mihte appesen al this thing
And yive riht to the lignages
In partinge of here heritages
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 153=]
And ek of al here other good;
And thus above hem alle stod 2010
The king upon his Regalie,
As he which hath to justifie
The worldes good fro covoitise.
So sit it wel in alle wise
A king betwen the more and lesse[1099]
To sette his herte upon largesse
Toward himself and ek also
Toward his poeple; and if noght so,
That is to sein, if that he be
Toward himselven large and fre 2020
And of his poeple take and pile,[1100]
Largesse be no weie of skile
It mai be seid, bot Avarice,
Which in a king is a gret vice.
A king behoveth ek to fle
The vice of Prodegalite,
That he mesure in his expence
So kepe, that of indigence
He mai be sauf: for who that nedeth,
In al his werk the worse he spedeth. 2030
[Sidenote: Nota super hoc quod Aristotiles Alexandrum
exemplificauit de exaccionibus Regis Chaldeorum.]
As Aristotle upon Chaldee
Ensample of gret Auctorite
Unto king Alisandre tauhte
Of thilke folk that were unsauhte
Toward here king for his pilage:
Wherof he bad, in his corage
That he unto thre pointz entende,
Wher that he wolde his good despende.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 154=]
Ferst scholde he loke, hou that it stod,
That al were of his oghne good 2040
The yiftes whiche he wolde yive;
So myhte he wel the betre live:
And ek he moste taken hiede[1101]
If ther be cause of eny nede,
Which oghte forto be defended,
Er that his goodes be despended:
He mot ek, as it is befalle,
Amonges othre thinges alle
Se the decertes of his men;
And after that thei ben of ken 2050
And of astat and of merite,
He schal hem largeliche aquite,
Or for the werre, or for the pes,
That non honour falle in descres,
Which mihte torne into defame,
Bot that he kepe his goode name,
So that he be noght holde unkinde.
For in Cronique a tale I finde,
Which spekth somdiel of this matiere,
Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere. 2060
[Sidenote: [TALE OF JULIUS AND THE POOR KNIGHT.]]
In Rome, to poursuie his riht,
Ther was a worthi povere kniht,
[Sidenote: Hic secundum gesta Iulii exemplum ponit,
qualiter Rex suorum militum, quos probos agnouerit,
indigenciam largitatis sue beneficiis releuare[1102]
tenetur.]
Which cam al one forto sein
His cause, when the court was plein,
Wher Julius was in presence.
And for him lacketh of despence,
Ther was with him non advocat
To make ple for his astat.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 155=]
Bot thogh him lacke forto plede,
Him lacketh nothing of manhede; 2070
He wiste wel his pours was povere,
Bot yit he thoghte his riht recovere,
And openly poverte alleide,
To themperour and thus he seide:
‘O Julius, lord of the lawe,
Behold, mi conseil is withdrawe
For lacke of gold: do thin office[1103]
After the lawes of justice:[1104]
Help that I hadde conseil hiere
Upon the trouthe of mi matiere.’ 2080
And Julius with that anon
Assigned him a worthi on,
Bot he himself no word ne spak.
This kniht was wroth and fond a lak
In themperour, and seide thus:
‘O thou unkinde Julius,
Whan thou in thi bataille were
Up in Aufrique, and I was there,
Mi myht for thi rescousse I dede
And putte noman in my stede, 2090
Thou wost what woundes ther I hadde:
Bot hier I finde thee so badde,
That thee ne liste speke o word[1105]
Thin oghne mouth, nor of thin hord
To yive a florin me to helpe.
Hou scholde I thanne me beyelpe
Fro this dai forth of thi largesse,
Whan such a gret unkindenesse
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 156=]
Is founde in such a lord as thou?’
This Julius knew wel ynou 2100
That al was soth which he him tolde;
And for he wolde noght ben holde
Unkinde, he tok his cause on honde,
And as it were of goddes sonde,
He yaf him good ynouh to spende
For evere into his lives ende.[1106]
And thus scholde every worthi king
Take of his knihtes knowleching,
Whan that he syh thei hadden nede,
For every service axeth mede: 2110
Bot othre, whiche have noght deserved
Thurgh vertu, bot of japes served,
A king schal noght deserve grace,
Thogh he be large in such a place.
[Sidenote: [ANTIGONUS AND CINICHUS.]]
It sit wel every king to have
Discrecion, whan men him crave,
[Sidenote: Hic ponit exemplum de Rege Antigono, qualiter
dona regia secundum maius et minus equa discrecione
moderanda sunt.]
So that he mai his yifte wite:
Wherof I finde a tale write,
Hou Cinichus a povere kniht
A Somme which was over myht 2120
Preide of his king Antigonus.
The king ansuerde to him thus,[1107]
And seide hou such a yifte passeth
His povere astat: and thanne he lasseth,
And axeth bot a litel peny,
If that the king wol yive him eny.
The king ansuerde, it was to smal
For him, which was a lord real;[1108]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 157=]
To yive a man so litel thing
It were unworschipe in a king. 2130
Be this ensample a king mai lere
[Sidenote: [DISCRETION IN GIVING.]]
That forto yive is in manere:
For if a king his tresor lasseth
Withoute honour and thonkles passeth,
Whan he himself wol so beguile,
I not who schal compleigne his while,
Ne who be rihte him schal relieve.
Bot natheles this I believe,
To helpe with his oghne lond
Behoveth every man his hond[1109] 2140
To sette upon necessite;
[Sidenote: Nota hic quod Regius status a suis fidelibus
omni fauore supportandus est.]
And ek his kinges realte
Mot every liege man conforte,
With good and bodi to supporte,
Whan thei se cause resonable:
For who that is noght entendable
To holde upriht his kinges name,
Him oghte forto be to blame.
[Sidenote: [PRODIGALITY OF KINGS.]]
Of Policie and overmore
To speke in this matiere more, 2150
[Sidenote: Nota hic secundum Aristotilem,[1110] qualiter
Principum Prodegalitas paupertatem inducit communem.]
So as the Philosophre tolde,
A king after the reule is holde
To modifie and to adresce
Hise yiftes upon such largesce
[Sidenote: Seneca.[1111] Sic aliis benefacito, vt tibi non
noceas.]
That he mesure noght excede:
For if a king falle into nede,
It causeth ofte sondri thinges
Whiche are ungoodly to the kinges.[1112]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 158=]
What man wol noght himself mesure,
Men sen fulofte that mesure 2160
Him hath forsake: and so doth he
That useth Prodegalite,
Which is the moder of poverte,
Wherof the londes ben deserte;
And namely whan thilke vice
Aboute a king stant in office
And hath withholde of his partie
The covoitouse flaterie,
Which many a worthi king deceiveth,
Er he the fallas aperceiveth 2170
Of hem that serven to the glose.
For thei that cunnen plese and glose,
Ben, as men tellen, the norrices
Unto the fostringe of the vices,
Wherof fulofte natheles
A king is blamed gulteles.
[Sidenote: [FLATTERERS.]]
A Philosophre, as thou schalt hiere,
[Sidenote: Nota qualiter in principum curiis adulatores
triplici grauitate offendunt.]
Spak to a king of this matiere,
And seide him wel hou that flatours
Coupable were of thre errours. 2180
[Sidenote: Primo contra deum.]
On was toward the goddes hihe,
That weren wrothe of that thei sihe
The meschief which befalle scholde
Of that the false flatour tolde.
[Sidenote: Secundo contra Principem.]
Toward the king an other was,
Whan thei be sleihte and be fallas
Of feigned wordes make him wene
That blak is whyt and blew is grene
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 159=]
Touchende of his condicion:
For whanne he doth extorcion 2190
With manye an other vice mo,
Men schal noght finden on of tho
To groucche or speke therayein,
Bot holden up his oil and sein
That al is wel, what evere he doth;
And thus of fals thei maken soth,
So that here kinges yhe is blent
And wot not hou the world is went.[1113]
[Sidenote: Tercio contra populum.[1114]]
The thridde errour is harm comune,
With which the poeple mot commune 2200
Of wronges that thei bringen inne:
And thus thei worchen treble sinne,
That ben flatours aboute a king.
Ther myhte be no worse thing
Aboute a kinges regalie,
Thanne is the vice of flaterie.
And natheles it hath ben used,
That it was nevere yit refused
As forto speke in court real;
For there it is most special, 2210
And mai noght longe be forbore.
Bot whan this vice of hem is bore,
That scholden the vertus forthbringe,
And trouthe is torned to lesinge,
It is, as who seith, ayein kinde,
Wherof an old ensample I finde.
[Sidenote: [TALE OF DIOGENES AND ARISTIPPUS]]
Among these othre tales wise
Of Philosophres, in this wise
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 160=]
[Sidenote: [1115]Hic contra vanitates adulantum loquitur,
et narrat quod cum Arisippus de Cartagine Philosophus
scole studium relinquens sui Principis obsequio in magnis
adulacionibus pre ceteris carior assistebat, accidit vt
ipse quodam die Diogenem Philosophum nuper socium suum,
virum tam moribus quam sciencia probatissimum, herbas ad
olera sua collectas lauantem ex casu ad ripam inuenit: cui
ait, ‘O Diogenes, vere si tu sicut et ego Principi tuo
placere scires, huiusmodi herbas aut colligere aut lauare
tibi minime indigeret.’ Cui alter respondit, ‘O Arisippe,
certe et si tu sicut et ego olera tua colligere et lauare
scires, principem tuum ob inanis glorie cupiditatem
blandiri nullatenus deberes.’]
I rede, how whilom tuo ther were,
And to the Scole forto lere 2220
Unto Athenes fro Cartage
Here frendes, whan thei were of Age,
Hem sende; and ther thei stoden longe,
Til thei such lore have underfonge,
That in here time thei surmonte
Alle othre men, that to acompte
Of hem was tho the grete fame.
The ferste of hem his rihte name
Was Diogenes thanne hote,
In whom was founde no riote: 2230
His felaw Arisippus hyhte,
Which mochel couthe and mochel myhte.
Bot ate laste, soth to sein,
Thei bothe tornen hom ayein
Unto Cartage and scole lete.
This Diogenes no beyete
Of worldes good or lasse or more
Ne soghte for his longe lore,
Bot tok him only forto duelle
At hom; and as the bokes telle, 2240
His hous was nyh to the rivere
Besyde a bregge, as thou schalt hiere.
Ther duelleth he to take his reste,[1116]
So as it thoghte him for the beste,
To studie in his Philosophie,
As he which wolde so defie
The worldes pompe on every syde.
Bot Arisippe his bok aside
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 161=]
Hath leid, and to the court he wente,
Wher many a wyle and many a wente 2250
With flaterie and wordes softe[1117]
He caste, and hath compassed ofte
Hou he his Prince myhte plese;
And in this wise he gat him ese
Of vein honour and worldes good.
The londes reule upon him stod,
The king of him was wonder glad,
And all was do, what thing he bad,
Bothe in the court and ek withoute.
With flaterie he broghte aboute 2260
His pourpos of the worldes werk,
Which was ayein the stat of clerk,[1118]
So that Philosophie he lefte
And to richesse himself uplefte:
Lo, thus hadde Arisippe his wille.
Bot Diogenes duelte stille
At home and loked on his bok:
He soghte noght the worldes crok
For vein honour ne for richesse,
Bot all his hertes besinesse 2270
He sette to be vertuous;
And thus withinne his oghne hous
He liveth to the sufficance
Of his havinge. And fell per chance,
This Diogene upon a day,
And that was in the Monthe of May,
Whan that these herbes ben holsome,
He walketh forto gadre some
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 162=]
In his gardin, of whiche his joutes
He thoghte have, and thus aboutes 2280
Whanne he hath gadred what him liketh,
He satte him thanne doun and pyketh,[1119]
And wyssh his herbes in the flod
Upon the which his gardin stod,
Nyh to the bregge, as I tolde er.
And hapneth, whil he sitteth ther,
Cam Arisippes be the strete
With manye hors and routes grete,
And straght unto the bregge he rod,
Wher that he hoved and abod; 2290
For as he caste his yhe nyh,
His felaw Diogene he syh,
And what he dede he syh also,
Wherof he seide to him so:[1120]
‘O Diogene, god thee spede.
It were certes litel nede
To sitte there and wortes pyke,
If thou thi Prince couthest lyke,
So as I can in my degre.’
‘O Arisippe,’ ayein quod he, 2300
‘If that thou couthist, so as I,
Thi wortes pyke, trewely
It were als litel nede or lasse,
That thou so worldly wolt compasse
With flaterie forto serve,
Wherof thou thenkest to deserve
Thi princes thonk, and to pourchace
Hou thou myht stonden in his grace,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 163=]
For getinge of a litel good.
If thou wolt take into thi mod 2310
Reson, thou myht be reson deeme
That so thi prince forto queeme
Is noght to reson acordant,
Bot it is gretly descordant
Unto the Scoles of Athene.’
Lo, thus ansuerde Diogene
Ayein the clerkes flaterie.
[Sidenote: [FLATTERY.]]
Bot yit men sen thessamplerie[1121]
Of Arisippe is wel received,
And thilke of Diogene is weyved. 2320
Office in court and gold in cofre
Is nou, men sein, the philosophre
Which hath the worschipe in the halle;
Bot flaterie passeth alle
In chambre, whom the court avanceth;
For upon thilke lot it chanceth
To be beloved nou aday.
*I not if it be ye or nay,
Bot as the comun vois it telleth;[1122]
Bot wher that flaterie duelleth[1123] 2330
* * * * *
*I not if it be ye or nay.
[Sidenote: [EXAMPLE OF DANTE.]]
How Dante the poete answerde[1124]
[Sidenote: Nota exemplum cuiusdam poete de Ytalia, qui
Dante vocabatur.]
To a flatour, the tale I herde. 2330*
Upon a strif bitwen hem tuo
He seide him, ‘Ther ben many mo[1125]
Of thy servantes than of myne.
For the poete of his covyne
Hath non that wol him clothe and fede,
But a flatour may reule and lede
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 164=]
A king with al his loun aboute.’
So stant the wise man in doute
Of hem that to folie drawe:
For such is now the newe lawe, 2340*
And as the comune vois it telleth,
Wher now that flaterie duelleth
In every lond etc. (_as_ 2331 ff.)
* * * * *