quhilk a worthy King had sett and ordanyt a grete assemblee of Lordis and
Knychtis and worthy men, for hie, grete, and honourable actis to be done,
in the quhilkis mony [gh]ong bachelere squieris proposit thame to be maid
knychtis of that worthy Kingis hand: And sa befell that ane of the lordis
sonis of that contree, quhilk had sett his entent and purpose to tak the
Ordre of Knychthede at the said assemblee; and as it hapnyt him to pas
throu that contree quhare the noble anciene Knycht had maid his
habitacioun; And forthy that the said Squier quhilk was ferre trauailit,
for irknes of trauale and waking to cum to the semblee, he slepit apon his
palfray, and wauerit fra his folk out of the hye way, sa that he become
properly in the samyn forest and wilderness quhare the Knycht was
induelland; and to the samyn fontayn, in the herbere thare, quhare the
Knycht was at his contemplacioun, in the samyn tyme come [the palfray]
thare to drink at the well. And als sone as that the Knycht sawe in syk a
kynde, sik ane honourable man, he left his contemplacioun, and tuke out a
Buke of his bosum and began to rede. And sone quhen the pallefray put doun
his hede in the well for to drynk, the Squiere began to wakyn of his slepe,
and wist nocht quhare he was becummyn, and than rais vp the worthy anciene
Knycht, and comit till him to spere of his effere; the quhilk quhen the
[gh]ong Squiere saw sa hare and alde, with a lang berde, and langar syde
hyngand hare, quhite as the snawe, with a syde goun, alde and bare of
wolle, and euill farand, with mony holis ryvin and rent, for grete age of
wering, and for the grete waking and deuocioun and penitence that he had
tane till him in that desert, and the greting that he maid for his trespass
of [gh]outhede, he was worthin rycht lene, pale and wan, with hevy chere,
and holl eyne, sa that be semblance his behalding was lyke to be as of a
haly man and of godly lyf. Sa that grete maruaill had thai ilkane of othir,
ffor sen the Knycht hed left the warld, to duell thare in that desert, he
had nocht sene na man in all that tyme. And the [gh]ong Squyere had mare
grete maruaill, how he was hapnyt thare, and of the grete maruailouss maner
of the worthy man; quhilk be his feris and port semyt till have bene a man
of grete valoure: And with that he lichtit doun of his pallefray, and
salust the noble Knycht, quhilk [gh]eldit him agayne his reuerence and
ressauit him graciously, and gert him sytt doun in the herbere, and reyne
his horse, and rest him; and lang tyme beheld him in the visage, to se gif
he wold aucht say. Bot the Squyere, quhylk maruailit mekle of the efferis
of the Knycht, for the grete worthynes that him thocht apperit in his
visage, and maneris, he deferrit till him to moue first speche, as to do
him reuerence for honour and age. And thus the worthy Knycht spak first,
sayand, Faire frende, quhat is the cause of [gh]oure cummyng here in this
wildernes? And fra quhyn ar [gh]e cummyn, and quhare wald [gh]e be? And
than ansuerd the [gh]ong Bachelere, sayand, Certes Sir, thare is a grete
renoun gangand in ferre contreis of a grete assemblee, and rycht
honourable, that suld be maid in this land be ane of the maist worthy
Kingis that is in the warld: quhare grete multitude of honourable and
worthy men suld assemble, for honourable actis to be done, and thare suld
the said King mak mony new knychtis, be cause that he him self has
entencioun to be maid knycht thare, in the samyn tyme; and thus for honour
of the worthy Prince and of his new knychthede, I and otheris drawis
togedir to se thai honourable actis, and, God willand, to be maid knycht of
his hand thare. And be caus that I tuke grete journeis be the way cummand,
my pallefray, throu his soft passing, gave me curage to slepe, as man
fordouerit, and sa bade behynd my company, and wanderit sa in this
wilderness, vnwittand quhare, quhill my hors, in this haulch, heldit to
drynk. Than ar [gh]e, said the worthy Knycht rycht welcum here.
Bot quhen the noble worthy man herd him speke of the hye and noble Ordere
of Knychthede, and of the propereteis that till it appertenis, he gave a
sare sob, with a grete siche, that vness mycht he speke lang tyme eftir;
rememberand of the grete honoure that he had bene in, manetenand the saide
Ordre of sa lang tyme. And quhen the Squyere saw him fall in syk a thocht,
be manere of ane extasy, he sperit at him, Quhat movit him to muse sa mekle
on his wordis? And than the worthy anciene Knycht ansuerd him, sayand, That
his thocht was on the hye and worthy Ordre of Knychthede that he had spoken
of, and on the grete charge that a knycht vndergais quhen he vndertakis
that noble and worschipfull Ordre of Knychthede. And than said the said
Squiere, That gif he coud oucht teche him of the poyntis that mycht pertene
to the said Ordere, for the honour and reuerence of God, that he wald teche
him. And with that the said Knycht blenkit vp, sayand, O faire sone, how
art thou sa bald to sett thee to tak that forenamyt Ordere bot first thou
knew the poyntis belangand the gouernaunce and manetenaunce of it, and the
maner how it suld be kepit, gouernyt, and manetenyt in honoure and
worschip, as efferis, eftir the ordinaunce of God: ffor thare suld nane be
sa hardy to tak that hye honourable Ordre bot he war first worthy be the
sicht of a prince thare till. And syne that coud the poyntis and the
articlis that to the said Ordre appertenis, and to knaw bath the meritis
and the prowess of the Ordre; and rycht sa the defaultis that a knycht may
mak till his Ordre; nathare suld na knycht mak ane othir bot first he
himself coud thai poyntis, techingis, and documentis, to teche thame to the
vassall or bachelere, that he thocht to mak a knycht of: ffor he is
misordanyt and vnworthy knycht that makis knychtis nocht knawand the
propereteis of the said Ordre, to teche to thame that he gevis the Ordre
till the custumys and documentis that till it appertenis. And then said the
Sqyuare, Faire fader, sen it is sa that as I traist [gh]e knaw the
propereteis and custumes of the said Ordre, that [gh]e wald, of [gh]our
gudelynes, teche me and informe of the documentis and propereteis belangand
to the said Ordre of Knichthede; ffor I haue gude hope in God, that for the
traist that I haue thairto, I sulde lere besily and wele all the
perfectioun of the said Ordre.
And than ansuerd the Knycht, sayand, Faire sone, sen it is sa that thou has
sa gude will to lere the reuglis and the documentis belangand the said
Ordre, I sall len thé a lytill Buke quharein all the reuglis and the
ordynaunce of all the poyntis and documentis that pertenis to the said
Ordre ar writin; in the quhilk Buke, I rede wele oft, and takis
consolatioun, of the mekle honoure, worschippis, and worthynes that to the
said Ordre appertenis, and of the grete grace that God hes gevin me in this
erde to be sa happy till haue gouernyt sa, but lak, the said Ordre, that
all my grace and gude auenture throw it I hadand rycht sa I honourit it,
and did all my powere to manetene it, and kepe it in worschip, but repruf;
for rycht as Knycht, be his Ordre, takis bath of God and man honoure,
worschip, and warldly prouffit, rycht sa he is behaldyn till gouerne, kepe,
and manetene his Ordre in all honoure, worschip, and reuerence vndefoulit.
And than delyuerit the Knycht the Buke to the Bachelere; in the quhilk
quhen he had red a lytill space, he hevit vp his handis to the hevyn, and
lovit Almychti God that had gevin him the grace to cum that way, in the
tyme that he was sa wele fortunyt to haue knaulage of the poyntis,
techingis, and properteis of the said Ordre, and reuglis that till it
appertenit, the quhilk I have lang tyme mekle desyrit to knawe. And than
said the Knycht, Faire sone, thou sall tak this Buke with thé to the Court,
for sen I am bath alde and wayke, and may nocht trauaill to schaw the
reuglis, and documentis, and propereteis of the said Ordre to thame that
desyris thame, that ar with the King, thou sall geve the copy of this said
Buke till all men that desyris it; and thou sall hecht me, quhen thou art
doubbit Knycht, thou sall cum this way agayne this, and tell me quhat
Knychtis salbe maid thare, and all the manere of thair making, and how the
King and the new Knychtis takis in thank this Buke of the reuglis and
documentis of the said Ordre; and quha askis the copy of it.
And thus tuke the Bachelere his leve at the Knycht, and the Knycht his
benedictioun, and sa lap on his horse, and passit on, quhill he met with
his men[gh]é; and sa to the Kingis palace; and did his devoyr in
gouernement of his persone rycht worthily, and gave the copy till all maner
of noble man that wald desyre till have it: the quhilk Buke the King lovit
mekle, and prisit, and all the lordis, and held it rycht dere.
[Decoration]
SECUNDUM CAPITULUM.
HERE FOLOWIS THE SECUND CHAPITRE, THAT SPEKIS OF THE POYNTIS OF THE ORDRE
THAT A BACHELERE SQUIERE SULD LERE, OR HE TAK THE FORENAMYT ORDRE.
In the tyme that cheritee, leautee, justice, and veritee was failit in the
warld, than began crueltee, vnlautee, injure and falsetee: and than was
errour and distrublaunce in the warld; in the quhilk warld God had maid man
to duelle to trowe in him, serue him, honoure him, loue him, and dout him:
Bot first quhen despising of justice come in the warld, and than was syk
mysreugle and misgouernaunce in the warld amang the peple for fault of
justice, that for to gere the reugle of gude gouernaunce cum agayn with
force and drede of awe, the peple gert chess a Man amang a thousand, the
quhilk was maist wise, maist stark and sturdy, and best of gouernaunce,
maist godlyke, and full of grete leautee, and of maist nobless, maist
curageus, and best techit in vertues; and ay of ilke thowsand of the peple
thare was syk a man chosyn to be chiftane of the laue, and to gouerne
thame, and be thaire ledare: And syne thai inquerit and soucht quhat beste
was maist worthy, maist stark and sturdy, and maist swift rynnand, and
maist hable to mannis service, and behove, and thareto was chosyn the
Horse; for the maist worthy and convenable and best rynnand, and maist
hable for mannis service; and that hors was ordanyt to that chose Man to
ryde upon; and eftir the Hors the Knycht, ane of his namys, that in Franche
is callit Cheualier, that is to say, Hors man, and be the tothir
significacioun, that is callit Miles; that cummys of this foresaid caus,
that he was in thai tymes a man chosyn be the prince and the peple of ilke
thousand men, the worthiest to be thair Chiftane and Gouernoure in were,
and thaire Protectour in tyme of pes. And thus quhen he was in thai tymes
chosyn amang a thousand, ane of maist vertu, and worthiest to be a
gouernour of the laue; and syne the maist worthy and noble beste of the
warld chosin to bere him, that he suld nocht ga on fut: syne eftir ordaynyt
thai that the maist noble and worthy armoure suld be deuisit and maid to
thai Knychtis to kepe thair persouns in hele fra strakis of thair inymyeis,
and fra the dede; and thare was he enarmyt and sett upon the hors and maid
Chiftane and Gouernour of a thowsand persouns vnder him; and thus was
Knychthede first ordanyt and maid. And thar fore all Knychtis suld think
apon thair worthy and noble begynnyng, and the propereteis and causis thar
of; and sett him sa that he haue als noble a curage in him self as suld
effere to the Noble Ordre, that he ressauis in virtueis, and in gude
thewis, and worthynes of condiciouns, sa that his worthy condiciouns and
vertewis accorde to the begynnyng that is sa noble; ffor and he do the
contrair, he is inymy till his Ordre, and syk men suld nocht be ressauit to
the Ordre that ar inymyes tharetill. Na suld nane be maid Knychtis that had
contrarius condiciouns to that worthy and noble Ordre: he suld haue lufe
and drede in him till God, and till his Prince, agains haterent and
despising; and rycht as he suld lufe and drede God, and his Lord and
Prince, sa suld he ger him self be dred and lufit of his folk, bathe be
nobless of curage, and gude thewis, and gude custumes, thinkand apon the
hye honoure and worschip that is gevin till him, that is sa hye and sa
noble ane office, and of sik worschip, that the condiciouns, and the
nobless of the Ordre, suld be accordand togeder: Sa that throu the grete
honour of his electioun, first, that be the prince and the people, is
chosin amang a thousand for the maist worthy, and syne the maist noble and
worthy armouris put on him, and syne the maist noble and worthy beste that
was in the world gevin and ordanyt him to ryde on, and otheris to gang on
sut besyde him; than aucht he wele to lufe and drede God, and his Prince
that sendis him that hye honour and worschip; and syne he aw wele to mak
syk cause throu nobless of curage and gude custumes, that he be lufit and
dred of the peple; sa that be lufe he conquest charitee, and be drede he
conquest lautee and justice: And thus all Knycht suld haue in him thir
foure thingis, that is to say, charitee and gude thewis, lautee and
justice, and suld excede otheris in nobless of vertues as he does in
nobless of honouris. And alssua, in samekle as man is mare worthy, mare
curageus, and vertuous, and mare wit and vnderstanding has na womman, and
of mair stark nature, in samekle is he better na womman, or ellis nature
war contrary till it self; that bountee and beautee of curage suld folowe
bountee, and beautee, and nobless of cors; and thus sen a man is mare hable
till haue mare noble curage, and to be better na womman, in samekle is he
mare enclynit to be tempit to vice na is the womman, ffor he is mare hardy
vndertakare, bathe in gude and euill, opynly; and in samekle has he mare
meryt till abstene him fra vicis na has the womman, that is of wayke
nature: and tharfore ilke man suld be war that wald enter in the foresaid
Ordre; and wit wele first quhat he dois, ffor he takis thare a grete
honoure, maryte with a grete seruitute; that is to say, a grete thrillage
that he mon ressaue with the Ordre, to be thrall to the condiciouns,
propereteis, and custumes that appertenis to the said Ordre, and to the
frendis of the said Ordre: ffor quhy, that in samekle that a man has mare
noble creacioun and begynning, and mare has of honour, in samekle is he
mare thrall, and bounde to be gude and agreable to God, and till him that
dois him that honoure. And gif he be of wikkit and euill lyf of tyranny and
crimynous lyfing, he is contrarius and inymy of the Ordre, and rebellour to
the commandementis of honour. For the Ordre of Knychthede, be the caus that
it is maid and ordanyt for, is sa noble of it self, that the Princis war
nocht anerly content, and the peple to ches the maist noble man of ligny,
and to geue him the maist noble armouris, and syne sett him on the maist
noble and curageus beste for mannis vse. Bot sen thai ordanyt him to be a
lorde: Bot quhat vnderstandis thou redare be a lorde? A man is nocht a lord
supposs he haue neuer sa mekle of warldly gudis: bot he is a lord that has
seignoury and jurisdictioun vpon other men, to gouerne thame, and hald law
and justice apon thame quhen thai trespass. In the quhilk lordschip thare
is sa mekle nobless, and in seruitude thare is sa mekle subjectioun,
bondage, and thrillage, that grete difference is betuene, and than suld
thare be alsmekle difference in the personis, as thare is difference betuix
the twa estatis: For and a man tak the Ordere of Knychthede, and he be
villaine of his condiciouns, and wykkit of lyf, he dois grete injure to all
his subjectes that he has vnder him in gouernaunce, that ar gude folk and
symple, and mekle seruis punycioun for cruell and wickit lyf that tyrane
lordis ar of, to the peple, makis tham mare worthy to be bondis bound, na
to be lordis of the peple of God, off the quhilkis thai mon [gh]elde a
strayte compt a day, quhilk efferis to the Prince to punys, be the counsale
of thame that gude and worthy Knychtis ar, ffor vnworthy war, that thai war
callit Knychtis, and here the name and the honoure of that hye Ordre that
wyrkis in the contrair, destroyand and vndoand the peple of God, that thai
ar chosin be electioun, and oblist to defend, and for that caus has thair
lordschippis to gouerne the peple of God: ffor nocht anerly the chesing and
electioun to the Ordre, na the noble hors, na armouris, na gouernaunce, na
lordschip, thame thocht nocht anerly, was sufficiand to the worthynes of
that noble and worschipfull Ordre till hald it at honour; bot thai ordanyt
him a Squier, and a varlet Page to be euer contynualy at his bidding and
seruice in all placis thare he war, to tak kepe till him,--the Squiar to
gang with him at his bidding, the Page to kepe his Hors. And ordanyt the
peple to labour the ground, to graith lyfing for the Knychtis and Nobles
that war thair gouernouris and protectouris, and to thair hors and
seruandis; the quhilkis was excusit to nocht laboure, bot to rest thame
euer betuix dedis of armes and actis honourable, at hunting and hauking,
and othir disportis, and to gouerne and kepe passibles the labouraris, and
sauf thame fra fors and wrang, sa that clerkis mycht pesably study in
sciencis, men of kirk vake in Goddis seruice, merchandis in thair
marchandice, and othir craftis wirkand at lordis deuiss. And thus quhen
clerkis studyis in sciencis, how men suld be techit to knawe, lufe, and
serue God, and doubt, and to geue gude ensample of doctrine to the lawit
peple to rycht sa do, for the honour and reuerence of Almychtie God in
deuocioun and gude lyf. Rycht sa apon the tothir part, quhen Knychtis ar
maid be Princis, thai suld sett thame with gude virtues and gude ensamplis
and nobless of curage, and othir wayis gif nede war be force of armes to
manetene, gouerne and defend the small peple in all justice and equitee, in
lufe and drede both of God and of the Prince as is before recomptit, be the
quhilkis thai suld throu lufe haue contynuale charitee amang tham, and be
the drede thai suld stand awe to do oucht ilkane till othir wrang, or
wikkitness; and here atour as the clerkis techis thair scoleris to the
sculis of sciencis of clergy, sa suld a gude Knycht teche his barnis the
nobless of the poyntis and propereteis of chyualrie; and that suld be done
in thair [gh]outhede: And first and formast a Knycht suld lere his sone to
be doctryned in vertues, and syne suld he be doctrinyt and techit to ryding
in his [gh]outhede, or ellis he sall neuer be gude rydare; and ay as he
cummys till elde, that he lere to gouerne hors and armouris; and that he be
seruand to sum lord, and vse him in armes lang or he tak the Ordre, ffor
vnworthy war he suld be a lord or a maister that knew neuer quhat it is to
be a seruand, ffor he may neuer wele tak na knawe the suetenes that it is
to be the lord, bot gif he had sum knaulage of the sourness that it is, and
payne to a gude hert, to be ane vnderlout or a seruand. And tharfore war he
neuer sa grete a lordis sone appertenand to be lord, he war the better that
in [gh]outhede sum lord that he seruit to kerue before him, to serue in
chaumer, till arme a lord, till ouresee his hors, that thai war wele
gouernyt and grathit, to haunt armouris, to ryn a spere, to excercise
wapnis, and othir habiliteis of honour quhilk appertenis to nobless, and
namely, thai suld be techit and doctrinyt be a Knycht thay [gh]ong lordis
sonis that thocht to be knychtis, ffor rycht as it war nocht semand till a
[gh]ong man that wald lere to be a man of craft, suld lere at ane othir
that war nocht of the craft, sa is it vnsemand that lordis sonis that wald
be in the maist noble Ordre of Knychthede suld sett thame to lere the
documents and propereteis of the Ordre of Knychthede, bot at thame that war
expert in the knaulage of virtues and gude thewis honourable that to the
said Ordre apperteins; the quhilkis ar vnknawable till ignoraunt and
vnworthy personis; ffor the grete nobless of the said Ordre may nocht ferd
at keping of hors na justis na tournaymentis, na [gh]it to haunt na duell
with lordis, na knychtis in company, to pas in weris na in bataillis. Bot
it war rycht expedient that thare war deuisit, and ordanyt be the Prince,
scolis of doctrinyng and teching of the noble poyntis and properteis that
efferis to that hye and worthy Ordre till [gh]ong lordis barnis that war
lykly to cum to perfectioun. And that the knawlage thar of ware writtin in
bukis be wys men of knaulage, that knewe and had experience tharof, sa that
ignorant [gh]ong lordis barnis mycht first lere the science be study and
speculacioun, and syne efter thai mycht, quhen thai come eldar, lere the
practik of the Ordre, be conuersacioun, as to pas to diuers justis and
tournaymentis, to diuers realmes, in diuers voyagis and battaillis, sa
mycht thai haue the pratyk with the science; ffor vile thing is, to bere
office or ordre, and nocht to knawe the gouernaunce tharof throu wilfull
ignorance; ffor war nocht the sculis of clergy, mony errouris and
ignorauncis war in the warld mare na thare is. Bot sen thare is na sculis
of cheualrye, quhat maruaill is thouch thare be mony Knychtis vnwytty; ffor
war all Knychtis and clerkis but errour, than wald thai be till all the
laue of the warld a gude myroure, and than suld ilkane drede to do wrangis
and injuris till othir: And sen thir tua thingis gouernis and manetenis all
this warld--the tane the Spiritualitee, the tother the Temporalitee; and
thare is sa mony sculis in sere contreis of sciencis of clergy, and nocht
ane that men wate of the nobil Ordre of Cheualrye, than ar the gouernouris
and manetenouris of the said Ordre, to blame in thair awin proffit and
honour, quhare sa grete nede is, to be sa negligent.
Quharfor the Autour of this Buke prayis and requeris, and mekely makis
supplicacioun to the Magestee Ryall, and till all the company of the
Nobless and Chyualrye of the Realme, that thai assemble thame togidder, and
mak reformacioun of this grete fault that is maid to the Noble Ordre, and
the grete wrang that is done till it, in the fault of doctrine and teching
of the poyntis and propereteis of Noblesse, etc.
[Decoration]
TERTIUM CAPITULUM.
HOW SEN THE DOCTOURE HAS DECLARIT IN SUM PART THE POYNTIS OF THE ORDRE WITH
THE PROPERETEIS AND CONDICIOUNS,--NOW LYKIS IT HIM TO SPEKE OF THE OFFICE
THAT FOLLOWIS THE SAID ORDRE:--
That is to say, to quhat purpos it was ordanyt--to quhat fyne--and quhat
entencioun: And how gif Knychtis vss nocht thair office, thai ar contrarius
to thair Ordre, and to the begynning of thair awin making: ffor the quhilk
caus he is nocht veray Knycht in dede, supposs he bere the name; ffor sik
Knychtis ar mare villayns na is outhir smyth, wrycht, or masoun, that dois
thair craft, as thai ar techit, and tharefor to schaw the poyntis of the
Ordre is grete meryt to thame that wate it nocht: the quhilkis he declaris
here efterwart; and first and formast, Knychthede was ordanyit to manetene
and defend Haly Kirk, and the Faith, for the quhilk God, the Fader of
Hevyn, send his Sone in this warld, to tak in him oure humanitee, fleschly
inumbrit, and incarnate in the glorious Virgyne Mary, his suete moder, be
the joyfull message brocht till hir be the angel Gabriel; and fyne for our
sakis, and to synde vs of the origynale syn, and to geve vs eternale lyf,
tuke dede and passioun here, with grete dispising vilaynous, to geue vs
ensample and informacioun how we suld reule oure lyfing here: Quhilk
ordanyt all writtis for oure teching and doctrine; and all his werkis and
dedis here, he did for oure ensample and enformyng, to multiply his faith.
And thus, rycht as he has chosin to growe and manetene his fayth, the
worthi and wys clerkis to hald scolis, and ilkane to teche othir be the
haly wryttis of prophecies and of lawis aganis the inymyes of the Faith:
Rycht sa the hye glorious God chesit Knychtis to be his campiouns, sa that
the unworthy mystrowaris and rebellouris agaynis his faith mycht be throu
thame chastisit, be force of armes to vencuss and ourecum his inymyes, the
quhilkis every day forss thame at thair powar to put doun the fayth of Haly
Kirk, and thir Knychtis that thus occupyis thame in the defense of his
rychtis ar callit his Knychtis of Honour in this warld, and in the tothir,
that defendis the Haly Kirk and the Cristyn Faith, quhilk is oure saule
hele and salvacioun. And tharefore Knychtis that has faith and baptesme in
him, and usis nocht the vertues and properteis of the faith, ar contrarius
till otheris that kepis the faith, evyn as a man that God hes gevin till
resoun, and discrecioun, and he dois evyn the contrary. Thus he that has
faith, and kepis it nocht, is contrarius till himself, for he wald be sauf,
and gais nocht the hye gate till his salvacioun: ffor quhy, his will
discordis with his witt, and ledis it the way of mystreuth, that is agayne
his salvacioun, and ledis him to the way of eternale dampnacioun; and syk
men takis the office and ordre, mare to be prisit and honourit in this
warld, na for any prouffit that thai think to do to God, na to thair Prince
that gave thame the office. Bot the maist noble officeris and ordres in
this erd ar office and ordre of Clerkis and of Knychtis, and the best lufe
in this erde is ay betuix thame; and tharfore rycht as Clergy was nocht
ordanyt to be agayn the Ordre of Knychthede, bot to honoure it, and thame
that worthily beris it, sa suld Knychtis nocht be aganis the haly ordre and
office of Clergy, to manetene worschip and defend it, aganis the
rebellouris and euill willaris of the Kirk, that are callit Sonis of
Iniquitee, as thai ar oblist in taking of the said Ordre of Knychthede:
ffor a man is nocht anerly oblist to lufe his ordre, bot he is oblist with
that to lufe thame that be othir ordres vnder his awin lord; for to lufe
his ordre, and nocht to lufe the caus that his ordre is ordanyt for; ffor
syk lufe is nocht ordere lyke, ffor God has ordanyt nane ordre vnder him to
be contrair till ane othir; and as to that thare is ordres of religious
that few of thame lufis ane othir, and [gh]it lufis well thair awin ordre;
bot that is nocht the rycht ordre of lufe and charitee, that suld be in
religious: And rycht sa a Knycht suld nocht samekle lufe his awin ordre,
that he myslufe othere ordres, ffor that war aganis God, and gude faith;
ffor the Ordre of Knychthede is sa hye, that quhen a King makis a knycht,
he sulde mak him lord and governour of grete landis and contreis, efter his
worthines, and all Knychtis suld think that there is a Lord and syre aboue
all knychtis, ffor the honour of quham thai ar all made Knychtis for to do
his will, and serue him fyrst, and syne thair temporale lordis.