ben withdrawe And rihtwisnesse stant commended, Wherof the regnes ben amended. For wher the lawe mai comune The lordes forth with the commune, 2710 Ech hath his propre duete; And ek the kinges realte Of bothe his worschipe underfongeth, To his astat as it belongeth, Which of his hihe worthinesse Hath to governe rihtwisnesse, As he which schal the lawe guide. And natheles upon som side His pouer stant above the lawe, To yive bothe and to withdrawe 2720 The forfet of a mannes lif; But thinges whiche are excessif Ayein the lawe, he schal noght do For love ne for hate also. The myhtes of a king ben grete, Bot yit a worthi king schal lete Of wrong to don, al that he myhte; For he which schal the poeple ryhte, It sit wel to his regalie That he himself ferst justefie 2730 Towardes god in his degre: For his astat is elles fre Toward alle othre in his persone, Save only to the god al one, Which wol himself a king chastise, Wher that non other mai suffise. So were it good to taken hiede That ferst a king his oghne dede Betwen the vertu and the vice Redresce, and thanne of his justice 2740 So sette in evene the balance Towardes othre in governance, That to the povere and to the riche Hise lawes myhten stonde liche, He schal excepte no persone. Bot for he mai noght al him one In sondri places do justice, He schal of his real office With wys consideracion Ordeigne his deputacion 2750 Of suche jugges as ben lerned, So that his poeple be governed Be hem that trewe ben and wise. For if the lawe of covoitise Be set upon a jugges hond, Wo is the poeple of thilke lond, For wrong mai noght himselven hyde: Bot elles on that other side, If lawe stonde with the riht, The poeple is glad and stant upriht. 2760 Wher as the lawe is resonable, The comun poeple stant menable, And if the lawe torne amis, The poeple also mistorned is. And in ensample of this matiere Of Maximin a man mai hiere, Of Rome which was Emperour, That whanne he made a governour Be weie of substitucion Of Province or of region, 2770 He wolde ferst enquere his name, And let it openly proclame What man he were, or evel or good. And upon that his name stod Enclin to vertu or to vice, So wolde he sette him in office, Or elles putte him al aweie. Thus hield the lawe his rihte weie, Which fond no let of covoitise: The world stod than upon the wise, 2780 As be ensample thou myht rede; And hold it in thi mynde, I rede. In a Cronique I finde thus, Hou that Gayus Fabricius, Which whilom was Consul of Rome, Be whom the lawes yede and come, Whan the Sampnites to him broghte A somme of gold, and him besoghte To don hem favour in the lawe, Toward the gold he gan him drawe, 2790 Wherof in alle mennes lok A part up in his hond he tok, Which to his mouth in alle haste He putte, it forto smelle and taste, And to his yhe and to his Ere, Bot he ne fond no confort there: And thanne he gan it to despise, And tolde unto hem in this wise: "I not what is with gold to thryve, Whan non of all my wittes fyve 2800 Fynt savour ne delit therinne. So is it bot a nyce Sinne Of gold to ben to covoitous; Bot he is riche and glorious, Which hath in his subjeccion Tho men whiche in possession Ben riche of gold, and be this skile; For he mai aldai whan he wile, Or be hem lieve or be hem lothe, Justice don upon hem bothe." 2810 Lo, thus he seide, and with that word He threw tofore hem on the bord The gold out of his hond anon, And seide hem that he wolde non: So that he kepte his liberte To do justice and equite, Withoute lucre of such richesse. Ther be nou fewe of suche, I gesse; For it was thilke times used, That every jugge was refused 2820 Which was noght frend to comun riht; Bot thei that wolden stonde upriht For trouthe only to do justice Preferred were in thilke office To deme and jugge commun lawe: Which nou, men sein, is al withdrawe. To sette a lawe and kepe it noght Ther is no comun profit soght; Bot above alle natheles The lawe, which is mad for pes, 2830 Is good to kepe for the beste, For that set alle men in reste. The rihtful Emperour Conrade To kepe pes such lawe made, That non withinne the cite In destorbance of unite Dorste ones moeven a matiere. For in his time, as thou myht hiere, What point that was for lawe set It scholde for no gold be let, 2840 To what persone that it were. And this broghte in the comun fere, Why every man the lawe dradde, For ther was non which favour hadde. So as these olde bokes sein, I finde write hou a Romein, Which Consul was of the Pretoire, Whos name was Carmidotoire, He sette a lawe for the pes, That non, bot he be wepneles, 2850 Schal come into the conseil hous, And elles as malicious He schal ben of the lawe ded. To that statut and to that red Acorden alle it schal be so, For certein cause which was tho: Nou lest what fell therafter sone. This Consul hadde forto done, And was into the feldes ride; And thei him hadden longe abide, 2860 That lordes of the conseil were, And for him sende, and he cam there With swerd begert, and hath foryete, Til he was in the conseil sete. Was non of hem that made speche, Til he himself it wolde seche, And fond out the defalte himselve; And thanne he seide unto the tuelve, Whiche of the Senat weren wise, "I have deserved the juise, 2870 In haste that it were do." And thei him seiden alle no; For wel thei wiste it was no vice, Whan he ne thoghte no malice, Bot onliche of a litel slouthe: And thus thei leften as for routhe To do justice upon his gilt, For that he scholde noght be spilt. And whanne he sih the maner hou Thei wolde him save, he made avou 2880 With manfull herte, and thus he seide, That Rome scholde nevere abreide His heires, whan he were of dawe, That here Ancestre brak the lawe. Forthi, er that thei weren war, Forth with the same swerd he bar The statut of his lawe he kepte, So that al Rome his deth bewepte. In other place also I rede, Wher that a jugge his oghne dede 2890 Ne wol noght venge of lawe broke, The king it hath himselven wroke. The grete king which Cambises Was hote, a jugge laweles He fond, and into remembrance He dede upon him such vengance: Out of his skyn he was beflain Al quyk, and in that wise slain, So that his skyn was schape al meete, And nayled on the same seete 2900 Wher that his Sone scholde sitte. Avise him, if he wolde flitte The lawe for the coveitise, Ther sih he redi his juise. Thus in defalte of other jugge The king mot otherwhile jugge, To holden up the rihte lawe. And forto speke of tholde dawe, To take ensample of that was tho, I finde a tale write also, 2910 Hou that a worthi prince is holde The lawes of his lond to holde, Ferst for the hihe goddes sake, And ek for that him is betake The poeple forto guide and lede, Which is the charge of his kinghede. In a Cronique I rede thus Of the rihtful Ligurgius, Which of Athenis Prince was, Hou he the lawe in every cas, 2920 Wherof he scholde his poeple reule, Hath set upon so good a reule, In al this world that cite non Of lawe was so wel begon Forth with the trouthe of governance. Ther was among hem no distance, Bot every man hath his encress; Ther was withoute werre pes, Withoute envie love stod; Richesse upon the comun good 2930 And noght upon the singuler Ordeigned was, and the pouer Of hem that weren in astat Was sauf: wherof upon debat Ther stod nothing, so that in reste Mihte every man his herte reste. And whan this noble rihtful king Sih hou it ferde of al this thing, Wherof the poeple stod in ese, He, which for evere wolde plese 2940 The hihe god, whos thonk he soghte, A wonder thing thanne him bethoghte, And schop if that it myhte be, Hou that his lawe in the cite Mihte afterward for evere laste. And therupon his wit he caste What thing him were best to feigne, That he his pourpos myhte atteigne. A Parlement and thus he sette, His wisdom wher that he besette 2950 In audience of grete and smale, And in this wise he tolde his tale: "God wot, and so ye witen alle, Hierafterward hou so it falle, Yit into now my will hath be To do justice and equite In forthringe of comun profit; Such hath ben evere my delit. Bot of o thing I am beknowe, The which mi will is that ye knowe: 2960 The lawe which I tok on honde, Was altogedre of goddes sonde And nothing of myn oghne wit; So mot it nede endure yit, And schal do lengere, if ye wile. For I wol telle you the skile; The god Mercurius and no man He hath me tawht al that I can Of suche lawes as I made, Wherof that ye ben alle glade; 2970 It was the god and nothing I, Which dede al this, and nou forthi He hath comanded of his grace That I schal come into a place Which is forein out in an yle, Wher I mot tarie for a while, With him to speke, as he hath bede. For as he seith, in thilke stede He schal me suche thinges telle, That evere, whyl the world schal duelle, 2980 Athenis schal the betre fare. Bot ferst, er that I thider fare, For that I wolde that mi lawe Amonges you ne be withdrawe Ther whyles that I schal ben oute, Forthi to setten out of doute Bothe you and me, this wol I preie, That ye me wolde assure and seie With such an oth as I wol take, That ech of you schal undertake 2990 Mi lawes forto kepe and holde." Thei seiden alle that thei wolde, And therupon thei swore here oth, That fro the time that he goth, Til he to hem be come ayein, Thei scholde hise lawes wel and plein In every point kepe and fulfille. Thus hath Ligurgius his wille, And tok his leve and forth he wente. Bot lest nou wel to what entente 3000 Of rihtwisnesse he dede so: For after that he was ago, He schop him nevere to be founde; So that Athenis, which was bounde, Nevere after scholde be relessed, Ne thilke goode lawe cessed, Which was for comun profit set. And in this wise he hath it knet; He, which the comun profit soghte, The king, his oghne astat ne roghte; 3010 To do profit to the comune, He tok of exil the fortune, And lefte of Prince thilke office Only for love and for justice, Thurgh which he thoghte, if that he myhte, For evere after his deth to rihte The cite which was him betake. Wherof men oghte ensample take The goode lawes to avance With hem which under governance 3020 The lawes have forto kepe; For who that wolde take kepe Of hem that ferst the lawes founde, Als fer as lasteth eny bounde Of lond, here names yit ben knowe: And if it like thee to knowe Some of here names hou thei stonde, Nou herkne and thou schalt understonde. Of every bienfet the merite The god himself it wol aquite; 3030 And ek fulofte it falleth so, The world it wole aquite also, Bot that mai noght ben evene liche: The god he yifth the heveneriche, The world yifth only bot a name, Which stant upon the goode fame Of hem that don the goode dede. And in this wise double mede Resceiven thei that don wel hiere; Wherof if that thee list to hiere 3040 After the fame as it is blowe, Ther myht thou wel the sothe knowe, Hou thilke honeste besinesse Of hem that ferst for rihtwisnesse Among the men the lawes made, Mai nevere upon this erthe fade. For evere, whil ther is a tunge, Here name schal be rad and sunge And holde in the Cronique write; So that the men it scholden wite, 3050 To speke good, as thei wel oghten, Of hem that ferst the lawes soghten In forthringe of the worldes pes. Unto thebreus was Moi5ses The ferste, and to thegipciens Mercurius, and to Troiens Ferst was Neuma Pompilius, To Athenes Ligurgius Yaf ferst the lawe, and to Gregois Forone
s hath thilke vois, 3060 And Romulus to the Romeins. For suche men that ben vileins The lawe in such a wise ordeigneth, That what man to the lawe pleigneth, Be so the jugge stonde upriht, He schal be served of his riht. And so ferforth it is befalle That lawe is come among ous alle: God lieve it mote wel ben holde, As every king therto is holde; 3070 For thing which is of kinges set, With kinges oghte it noght be let. What king of lawe takth no kepe, Be lawe he mai no regne kepe. Do lawe awey, what is a king? Wher is the riht of eny thing, If that ther be no lawe in londe? This oghte a king wel understonde, As he which is to lawe swore, That if the lawe be forbore 3080 Withouten execucioun, If makth a lond torne up so doun, Which is unto the king a sclandre. Forthi unto king Alisandre The wise Philosophre bad, That he himselve ferst be lad Of lawe, and forth thanne overal So do justice in general, That al the wyde lond aboute The justice of his lawe doute, 3090 And thanne schal he stonde in reste. For therto lawe is on the beste Above alle other erthly thing, To make a liege drede his king. Bot hou a king schal gete him love Toward the hihe god above, And ek among the men in erthe, This nexte point, which is the ferthe Of Aristotles lore, it techeth: Wherof who that the Scole secheth, 3100 What Policie that it is The bok reherceth after this. It nedeth noght that I delate The pris which preised is algate, And hath ben evere and evere schal, Wherof to speke in special, It is the vertu of Pite, Thurgh which the hihe mageste Was stered, whan his Sone alyhte, And in pite the world to rihte 3110 Tok of the Maide fleissh and blod. Pite was cause of thilke good, Wherof that we ben alle save: Wel oghte a man Pite to have And the vertu to sette in pris, Whan he himself which is al wys Hath schewed why it schal be preised. Pite may noght be conterpeised Of tirannie with no peis; For Pite makth a king courteis 3120 Bothe in his word and in his dede. It sit wel every liege drede His king and to his heste obeie, And riht so be the same weie It sit a king to be pitous Toward his poeple and gracious Upon the reule of governance, So that he worche no vengance, Which mai be cleped crualte. Justice which doth equite 3130 Is dredfull, for he noman spareth; Bot in the lond wher Pite fareth The king mai nevere faile of love, For Pite thurgh the grace above, So as the Philosphre affermeth, His regne in good astat confermeth. Thus seide whilom Constantin: "What Emperour that is enclin To Pite forto be servant, Of al the worldes remenant 3140 He is worthi to ben a lord." In olde bokes of record This finde I write of essamplaire: Troian the worthi debonaire, Be whom that Rome stod governed, Upon a time as he was lerned Of that he was to familier, He seide unto that conseiller, That forto ben an Emperour His will was noght for vein honour, 3150 Ne yit for reddour of justice; Bot if he myhte in his office Hise lordes and his poeple plese, Him thoghte it were a grettere ese With love here hertes to him drawe, Than with the drede of eny lawe. For whan a thing is do for doute, Fulofte it comth the worse aboute; Bot wher a king is Pietous, He is the more gracious, 3160 That mochel thrift him schal betyde, Which elles scholde torne aside. Of Pite forto speke plein, Which is with mercy wel besein, Fulofte he wole himselve peine To kepe an other fro the peine: For Charite the moder is Of Pite, which nothing amis Can soffre, if he it mai amende. It sit to every man livende 3170 To be Pitous, bot non so wel As to a king, which on the whiel Fortune hath set aboven alle: For in a king, if so befalle That his Pite be ferme and stable, To al the lond it is vailable Only thurgh grace of his persone; For the Pite of him al one Mai al the large realme save. So sit it wel a king to have 3180 Pite; for this Valeire tolde, And seide hou that be daies olde Codrus, which was in his degre King of Athenis the cite, A werre he hadde ayein Dorrence: And forto take his evidence What schal befalle of the bataille, He thoghte he wolde him ferst consaille With Appollo, in whom he triste; Thurgh whos ansuere this he wiste, 3190 Of tuo pointz that he myhte chese, Or that he wolde his body lese And in bataille himselve deie, Or elles the seconde weie, To sen his poeple desconfit. Bot he, which Pite hath parfit Upon the point of his believe, The poeple thoghte to relieve, And ches himselve to be ded. Wher is nou such an other hed, 3200 Which wolde for the lemes dye? And natheles in som partie It oghte a kinges herte stere, That he hise liege men forbere. And ek toward hise enemis Fulofte he may deserve pris, To take of Pite remembrance, Wher that he myhte do vengance: For whanne a king hath the victoire, And thanne he drawe into memoire 3210 To do Pite in stede of wreche, He mai noght faile of thilke speche Wherof arist the worldes fame, To yive a Prince a worthi name. I rede hou whilom that Pompeie, To whom that Rome moste obeie, A werre hadde in jeupartie Ayein the king of Ermenie, Which of long time him hadde grieved. Bot ate laste it was achieved 3220 That he this king desconfit hadde, And forth with him to Rome ladde As Prisoner, wher many a day In sori plit and povere he lay, The corone of his heved deposed, Withinne walles faste enclosed; And with ful gret humilite He soffreth his adversite. Pompeie sih his pacience And tok pite with conscience, 3230 So that upon his hihe deis Tofore al Rome in his Paleis, As he that wolde upon him rewe, Let yive him his corone newe And his astat al full and plein Restoreth of his regne ayein, And seide it was more goodly thing To make than undon a king, To him which pouer hadde of bothe. Thus thei, that weren longe wrothe, 3240 Acorden hem to final pes; And yit justice natheles Was kept and in nothing offended; Wherof Pompeie was comended. Ther mai no king himself excuse, Bot if justice he kepe and use, Which for teschuie crualte He mot attempre with Pite. Of crualte the felonie Engendred is of tirannie, 3250 Ayein the whos condicion God is himself the champion, Whos strengthe mai noman withstonde. For evere yit it hath so stonde, That god a tirant overladde; Bot wher Pite the regne ladde, Ther mihte no fortune laste Which was grevous, bot ate laste The god himself it hath redresced. Pite is thilke vertu blessed 3260 Which nevere let his Maister falle; Bot crualte, thogh it so falle That it mai regne for a throwe, God wole it schal ben overthrowe: Wherof ensamples ben ynowhe Of hem that thilke merel drowhe. Of crualte I rede thus: Whan the tirant Leoncius Was to thempire of Rome arrived, Fro which he hath with strengthe prived 3270 The pietous Justinian, As he which was a cruel man, His nase of and his lippes bothe He kutte, for he wolde him lothe Unto the poeple and make unable. Bot he which is al merciable, The hihe god, ordeigneth so, That he withinne a time also, Whan he was strengest in his ire, Was schoven out of his empire. 3280 Tiberius the pouer hadde, And Rome after his will he ladde, And for Leonce in such a wise Ordeigneth, that he tok juise Of nase and lippes bothe tuo, For that he dede an other so, Which more worthi was than he. Lo, which a fall hath crualte, And Pite was set up ayein: For after that the bokes sein, 3290 Therbellis king of Bulgarie With helpe of his chivalerie Justinian hath unprisoned And to thempire ayein coroned. In a Cronique I finde also Of Siculus, which was ek so A cruel king lich the tempeste, The whom no Pite myhte areste,- He was the ferste, as bokes seie, Upon the See which fond Galeie 3300 And let hem make for the werre,- As he which al was out of herre Fro Pite and misericorde; For therto couthe he noght acorde, Bot whom he myhte slen, he slouh, And therof was he glad ynouh. He hadde of conseil manyon, Among the whiche ther was on, Be name which Berillus hihte; And he bethoghte him hou he myhte 3310 Unto the tirant do likinge, And of his oghne ymaginynge Let forge and make a Bole of bras, And on the side cast ther was A Dore, wher a man mai inne, Whan he his peine schal beginne Thurgh fyr, which that men putten under. And al this dede he for a wonder, That whanne a man for peine cride, The Bole of bras, which gapeth wyde, 3320 It scholde seme as thogh it were A belwinge in a mannes Ere, And noght the criinge of a man. Bot he which alle sleihtes can, The devel, that lith in helle fast, Him that this caste hath overcast, That for a trespas which he dede He was putt in the same stede, And was himself the ferste of alle Which was into that peine falle 3330 That he for othre men ordeigneth; Ther was noman which him compleigneth. Of tirannie and crualte Be this ensample a king mai se, Himself and ek his conseil bothe, Hou thei ben to mankinde lothe And to the god abhominable. Ensamples that ben concordable I finde of othre Princes mo, As thou schalt hiere, of time go. 3340 The grete tirant Dionys, Which mannes lif sette of no pris, Unto his hors fulofte he yaf The men in stede of corn and chaf, So that the hors of thilke stod Devoureden the mennes blod; Til fortune ate laste cam, That Hercules him overcam, And he riht in the same wise Of this tirant tok the juise: 3350 As he til othre men hath do, The same deth he deide also, That no Pite him hath socoured, Til he was of hise hors devoured. Of Lichaon also I finde Hou he ayein the lawe of kinde Hise hostes slouh, and into mete He made her bodies to ben ete With othre men withinne his hous. Bot Jupiter the glorious, 3360 Which was commoeved of this thing, Vengance upon this cruel king So tok, that he fro mannes forme Into a wolf him let transforme: And thus the crualte was kidd, Which of long time he hadde hidd; A wolf he was thanne openly, The whos nature prively He hadde in his condicion. And unto this conclusioun, 3370 That tirannie is to despise, I finde ensample in sondri wise, And nameliche of hem fulofte, The whom fortune hath set alofte Upon the werres forto winne. Bot hou so that the wrong beginne Of tirannie, it mai noght laste, Bot such as thei don ate laste To othre men, such on hem falleth; For ayein suche Pite calleth 3380 Vengance to the god above. For who that hath no tender love In savinge of a mannes lif, He schal be founde so gultif, That whanne he wolde mercy crave In time of nede, he schal non have. Of the natures this I finde, The fierce Leon in his kinde, Which goth rampende after his preie, If he a man finde in his weie, 3390 He wole him slen, if he withstonde. Bot if the man coude understonde To falle anon before his face In signe of mercy and of grace, The Leon schal of his nature Restreigne his ire in such mesure, As thogh it were a beste tamed, And torne awey halfvinge aschamed, That he the man schal nothing grieve. Hou scholde than a Prince achieve 3400 The worldes grace, if that he wolde Destruie a man whanne he is yolde And stant upon his mercy al? Bot forto speke in special, Ther have be suche and yit ther be Tirantz, whos hertes no pite Mai to no point of mercy plie, That thei upon her tirannie Ne gladen hem the men to sle; And as the rages of the See 3410 Ben unpitous in the tempeste, Riht so mai no Pite areste Of crualte the gret oultrage, Which the tirant in his corage Engendred hath: wherof I finde A tale, which comth nou to mynde. I rede in olde bokes thus: Ther was a Duk, which Spertachus Men clepe, and was a werreiour, A cruel man, a conquerour 3420 With strong pouer the which he ladde. For this condicion he hadde, That where him hapneth the victoire, His lust and al his moste gloire Was forto sle and noght to save: Of rancoun wolde he no good have For savinge of a mannes lif, Bot al goth to the swerd and knyf, So lief him was the mannes blod. And natheles yit thus it stod, 3430 So as fortune aboute wente, He fell riht heir as be descente To Perse, and was coroned king. And whan the worschipe of this thing Was falle, and he was king of Perse, If that thei weren ferst diverse, The tirannies whiche he wroghte, A thousendfold welmore he soghte Thanne afterward to do malice. The god vengance ayein the vice 3440 Hath schape: for upon a tyde, Whan he was heihest in his Pride, In his rancour and in his hete Ayein the queene of Marsagete, Which Thameris that time hihte, He made werre al that he myhte: And sche, which wolde hir lond defende, Hir oghne Sone ayein him sende, Which the defence hath undertake. Bot he desconfit was and take; 3450 And whan this king him hadde in honde, He wol no mercy understonde, Bot dede him slen in his presence. The tidinge of this violence Whan it cam to the moder Ere, Sche sende anon ay wydewhere To suche frendes as sche hadde, A gret pouer til that sche ladde. In sondri wise and tho sche caste Hou sche this king mai overcaste; 3460 And ate laste acorded was, That in the danger of a pass, Thurgh which this tirant scholde passe, Sche schop his pouer to compasse With strengthe of men be such a weie That he schal noght eschape aweie. And whan sche hadde thus ordeigned, Sche hath hir oghne bodi feigned, For feere as thogh sche wolde flee Out of hir lond: and whan that he 3470 Hath herd hou that this ladi fledde, So faste after the chace he spedde, That he was founde out of array. For it betidde upon a day, Into the pas whanne he was falle, Thembuisschementz tobrieken alle And him beclipte on every side, That fle ne myhte he noght aside: So that ther weren dede and take Tuo hundred thousend for his sake, 3480 That weren with him of his host. And thus was leid the grete bost Of him and of his tirannie: It halp no mercy forto crie To him which whilom dede non; For he unto the queene anon Was broght, and whan that sche him sih, This word sche spak and seide on hih: "O man, which out of mannes kinde Reson of man hast left behinde 3490 And lived worse than a beste, Whom Pite myhte noght areste, The mannes blod to schede and spille Thou haddest nevere yit thi fille. Bot nou the laste time is come, That thi malice is overcome: As thou til othre men hast do, Nou schal be do to thee riht so." Tho bad this ladi that men scholde A vessel bringe, in which sche wolde 3500 Se the vengance of his juise, Which sche began anon devise; And tok the Princes whiche he ladde, Be whom his chief conseil he hadde, And whil hem lasteth eny breth, Sche made hem blede to the deth Into the vessel wher it stod: And whan it was fulfild of blod, Sche caste this tirant therinne, And seide him, "Lo, thus myht thou wynne 3510 The lustes of thin appetit. In blod was whilom thi delit, Nou schalt thou drinken al thi fille." And thus onliche of goddes wille, He which that wolde himselve strange To Pite, fond mercy so strange, That he withoute grace is lore. So may it schewe wel therfore That crualte hath no good ende; Bot Pite, hou so that it wende, 3520 Makth that the god is merciable, If ther be cause resonable Why that a king schal be pitous. Bot elles, if he be doubtous To slen in cause of rihtwisnesse, It mai be said no Pitousnesse, Bot it is Pusillamite, Which every Prince scholde flee. For if Pite mesure excede, Kinghode may noght wel procede 3530 To do justice upon the riht: For it belongeth to a knyht Als gladly forto fihte as reste, To sette his liege poeple in reste, Whan that the werre upon hem falleth; For thanne he mote, as it befalleth, Of his knyhthode as a Leon Be to the poeple a champioun Withouten eny Pite feigned. For if manhode be restreigned, 3540 Or be it pes or be it werre, Justice goth al out of herre, So that knyhthode is set behinde. Of Aristotles lore I finde, A king schal make good visage, That noman knowe of his corage Bot al honour and worthinesse: For if a king schal upon gesse Withoute verrai cause drede, He mai be lich to that I rede; 3550 And thogh that it be lich a fable, Thensample is good and resonable. As it be olde daies fell, I rede whilom that an hell Up in the londes of Archade A wonder dredful noise made; For so it fell that ilke day, This hell on his childinge lay, And whan the throwes on him come, His noise lich the day of dome 3560 Was ferfull in a mannes thoght Of thing which that thei sihe noght, Bot wel thei herden al aboute The noise, of which thei were in doute, As thei that wenden to be lore Of thing which thanne was unbore. The nerr this hell was upon chance To taken his deliverance, The more unbuxomliche he cride; And every man was fledd aside, 3570 For drede and lefte his oghne hous: And ate laste it was a Mous, The which was bore and to norrice Betake; and tho thei hield hem nyce, For thei withoute cause dradde. Thus if a king his herte ladde With every thing that he schal hiere, Fulofte he scholde change his chiere And upon fantasie drede, Whan that ther is no cause of drede. 3580 Orace to his Prince tolde, That him were levere that he wolde Upon knihthode Achillem suie In time of werre, thanne eschuie, So as Tersites dede at Troie. Achilles al his hole joie Sette upon Armes forto fihte; Tersites soghte al that he myhte Unarmed forto stonde in reste: Bot of the tuo it was the beste 3590 That Achilles upon the nede Hath do, wherof his knyhtlihiede Is yit comended overal. King Salomon in special Seith, as ther is a time of pes, So is a time natheles Of werre, in which a Prince algate Schal for the comun riht debate And for his oghne worschipe eke. Bot it behoveth noght to seke 3600 Only the werre for worschipe, Bot to the riht of his lordschipe, Which he is holde to defende, Mote every worthi Prince entende. Betwen the simplesce of Pite And the folhaste of crualte, Wher stant the verray hardiesce, Ther mote a king his herte adresce, Whanne it is time to forsake, And whan time is also to take 3610 The dedly werres upon honde, That he schal for no drede wonde, If rihtwisnesse be withal. For god is myhty overal To forthren every mannes trowthe, Bot it be thurgh his oghne slowthe; And namely the kinges nede It mai noght faile forto spede, For he stant one for hem alle; So mote it wel the betre falle 3620 And wel the more god favoureth, Whan he the comun riht socoureth. And forto se the sothe in dede, Behold the bible and thou myht rede Of grete ensamples manyon, Wherof that I wol tellen on. Upon a time as it befell, Ayein Judee and Irahel Whan sondri kinges come were In pourpos to destruie there 3630 The poeple which god kepte tho,- And stod in thilke daies so, That Gedeon, which scholde lede The goddes folk, tok him to rede, And sende in al the lond aboute, Til he assembled hath a route With thritti thousend of defence, To fihte and make resistence Ayein the whiche hem wolde assaille: And natheles that o bataille 3640 Of thre that weren enemys Was double mor than was al his; Wherof that Gedeon him dradde, That he so litel poeple hadde. Bot he which alle thing mai helpe, Wher that ther lacketh mannes helpe, To Gedeon his Angel sente, And bad, er that he forther wente, Al openly that he do crie That every man in his partie 3650 Which wolde after his oghne wille In his delice abide stille At hom in eny maner wise, For pourchas or for covoitise, For lust of love or lacke of herte, He scholde noght aboute sterte, Bot holde him stille at hom in pes: Wherof upon the morwe he les Wel twenty thousend men and mo, The whiche after the cri ben go. 3660 Thus was with him bot only left The thridde part, and yit god eft His Angel sende and seide this To Gedeon: "If it so is That I thin help schal undertake, Thou schalt yit lasse poeple take, Be whom mi will is that thou spede. Forthi tomorwe tak good hiede, Unto the flod whan ye be come, What man that hath the water nome 3670 Up in his hond and lapeth so, To thi part ches out alle tho; And him which wery is to swinke, Upon his wombe and lith to drinke, Forsak and put hem alle aweie. For I am myhti alle weie, Wher as me list myn help to schewe In goode men, thogh thei ben fewe." This Gedeon awaiteth wel, Upon the morwe and everydel, 3680 As god him bad, riht so he dede. And thus ther leften in that stede With him thre hundred and nomo, The remenant was al ago: Wherof that Gedeon merveileth, And therupon with god conseileth, Pleignende as ferforth as he dar. And god, which wolde he were war That he schal spede upon his riht, Hath bede him go the same nyht 3690 And take a man with him, to hiere What schal be spoke in his matere Among the hethen enemis; So mai he be the more wys, What afterward him schal befalle. This Gedeon amonges alle Phara, to whom he triste most, Be nyhte tok toward thilke host, Which logged was in a valleie, To hiere what thei wolden seie; 3700 Upon his fot and as he ferde, Tuo Sarazins spekende he herde. Quod on, "Ared mi swevene ariht, Which I mette in mi slep to nyht. Me thoghte I sih a barli cake, Which fro the Hull his weie hath take, And cam rollende doun at ones; And as it were for the nones, Forth in his cours so as it ran, The kinges tente of Madian, 3710 Of Amalech, of Amoreie, Of Amon and of Jebuseie, And many an other tente mo With gret noise, as me thoghte tho, It threw to grounde and overcaste, And al this host so sore agaste That I awok for pure drede." "This swevene can I wel arede," Quod thother Sarazin anon: "The barli cake is Gedeon, 3720 Which fro the hell doun sodeinly Schal come and sette such ascry Upon the kinges and ous bothe, That it schal to ous alle lothe: For in such drede he schal ous bringe, That if we hadden flyht of wynge, The weie on fote in desespeir We scholden leve and flen in their, For ther schal nothing him withstonde." Whan Gedeon hath understonde 3730 This tale, he thonketh god of al, And priveliche ayein he stal, So that no lif him hath perceived. And thanne he hath fulli conceived That he schal spede; and therupon The nyht suiende he schop to gon This multitude to assaile. Nou schalt thou hiere a gret mervaile, With what voisdie that he wroghte. The litel poeple which he broghte, 3740 Was non of hem that he ne hath A pot of erthe, in which he tath A lyht brennende in a kressette, And ech of hem ek a trompette Bar in his other hond beside; And thus upon the nyhtes tyde Duk Gedeon, whan it was derk, Ordeineth him unto his werk, And parteth thanne his folk in thre, And chargeth hem that thei ne fle, 3750 And tawhte hem hou they scholde ascrie Alle in o vois per compaignie, And what word ek thei scholden speke, And hou thei scholde here pottes breke Echon with other, whan thei herde That he himselve ferst so ferde; For whan thei come into the stede, He bad hem do riht as he dede. And thus stalkende forth a pas This noble Duk, whan time was, 3760 His pot tobrak and loude ascride, And tho thei breke on every side. The trompe was noght forto seke; He blew, and so thei blewen eke With such a noise among hem alle, As thogh the hevene scholde falle. The hull unto here vois ansuerde, This host in the valleie it herde, And sih hou that the hell alyhte; So what of hieringe and of sihte, 3770 Thei cawhten such a sodein feere, That non of hem belefte there: The tentes hole thei forsoke, That thei non other good ne toke, Bot only with here bodi bare Thei fledde, as doth the wylde Hare. And evere upon the hull thei blewe, Til that thei sihe time, and knewe That thei be fled upon the rage; And whan thei wiste here avantage, 3780 Thei felle anon unto the chace. Thus myht thou sen hou goddes grace Unto the goode men availeth; But elles ofte time it faileth To suche as be noght wel disposed. This tale nedeth noght be glosed, For it is openliche schewed That god to hem that ben wel thewed Hath yove and granted the victoire: So that thensample of this histoire 3790 Is good for every king to holde; Ferst in himself that he beholde If he be good of his livinge, And that the folk which he schal bringe Be good also, for thanne he may Be glad of many a merie day, In what as evere he hath to done. For he which sit above the Mone And alle thing mai spille and spede, In every cause, in every nede 3800 His goode king so wel adresceth, That alle his fomen he represseth, So that ther mai noman him dere; And als so wel he can forbere, And soffre a wickid king to falle In hondes of his fomen alle. Nou forthermore if I schal sein Of my matiere, and torne ayein To speke of justice and Pite After the reule of realte, 3810 This mai a king wel understonde, Knihthode mot ben take on honde, Whan that it stant upon the nede: He schal no rihtful cause drede, Nomore of werre thanne of pes, If he wol stonde blameles; For such a cause a king mai have That betre him is to sle than save, Wherof thou myht ensample finde. The hihe makere of mankinde 3820 Be Samuel to Sa
l bad, That he schal nothing ben adrad Ayein king Agag forto fihte; For this the godhede him behihte, That Agag schal ben overcome: And whan it is so ferforth come, That Sa
l hath him desconfit, The god bad make no respit, That he ne scholde him slen anon. Bot Sa
l let it overgon 3830 And dede noght the goddes heste: For Agag made gret beheste Of rancoun which he wolde yive, King Sa
l soffreth him to live And feigneth pite forth withal. Bot he which seth and knoweth al, The hihe god, of that he feigneth To Samuel upon him pleigneth, And sende him word, for that he lefte Of Agag that he ne berefte 3840 The lif, he schal noght only dye Himself, bot fro his regalie He schal be put for everemo, Noght he, bot ek his heir also, That it schal nevere come ayein. Thus myht thou se the sothe plein, That of tomoche and of tolyte Upon the Princes stant the wyte. Bot evere it was a kinges riht To do the dedes of a knyht; 3850 For in the handes of a king The deth and lif is al o thing After the lawes of justice. To slen it is a dedly vice, Bot if a man the deth deserve; And if a king the lif preserve Of him which oghte forto dye, He suieth noght thensamplerie Which in the bible is evident: Hou David in his testament, 3860 Whan he no lengere myhte live, Unto his Sone in charge hath yive That he Joab schal slen algate; And whan David was gon his gate, The yonge wise Salomon His fader heste dede anon, And slouh Joab in such a wise, That thei that herden the juise Evere after dradden him the more, And god was ek wel paid therfore, 3870 That he so wolde his herte plye The lawes forto justefie. And yit he kepte forth withal Pite, so as a Prince schal, That he no tirannie wroghte; He fond the wisdom which he soghte, And was so rihtful natheles, That al his lif he stod in pes, That he no dedly werres hadde, For every man his wisdom dradde. 3880 And as he was himselve wys, Riht so the worthi men of pris He hath of his conseil withholde; For that is every Prince holde, To make of suche his retenue Whiche wise ben, and to remue The foles: for ther is nothing Which mai be betre aboute a king, Than conseil, which is the substance Of all a kinges governance. 3890 In Salomon a man mai see What thing of most necessite Unto a worthi king belongeth. Whan he his kingdom underfongeth, God bad him chese what he wolde, And seide him that he have scholde What he wolde axe, as of o thing. And he, which was a newe king, Forth therupon his bone preide To god, and in this wise he seide: 3900 "O king, be whom that I schal regne, Yif me wisdom, that I my regne, Forth with thi poeple which I have, To thin honour mai kepe and save." Whan Salomon his bone hath taxed, The god of that which he hath axed Was riht wel paid, and granteth sone Noght al only that he his bone Schal have of that, bot of richesse, Of hele, of pes, of hih noblesse, 3910 Forth with wisdom at his axinges, Which stant above alle othre thinges. Bot what king wole his regne save, Ferst him behoveth forto have After the god and his believe Such conseil which is to believe, Fulfild of trouthe and rihtwisnesse: Bot above alle in his noblesse Betwen the reddour and pite A king schal do such equite 3920 And sette the balance in evene, So that the hihe god in hevene And al the poeple of his nobleie Loange unto his name seie. For most above all erthli good, Wher that a king himself is good It helpeth, for in other weie If so be that a king forsueie, Fulofte er this it hath be sein, The comun poeple is overlein 3930 And hath the kinges Senne aboght, Al thogh the poeple agulte noght. Of that the king his god misserveth, The poeple takth that he descerveth Hier in this world, bot elleswhere I not hou it schal stonde there. Forthi good is a king to triste Ferst to himself, as he ne wiste Non other help bot god alone; So schal the reule of his persone 3940 Withinne himself thurgh providence Ben of the betre conscience. And forto finde ensample of this, A tale I rede, and soth it is. In a Cronique it telleth thus: The king of Rome Lucius Withinne his chambre upon a nyht The Steward of his hous, a knyht, Forth with his Chamberlein also, To conseil hadde bothe tuo, 3950 And stoden be the Chiminee Togedre spekende alle thre. And happeth that the kinges fol Sat be the fyr upon a stol, As he that with his babil pleide, Bot yit he herde al that thei seide, And therof token thei non hiede. The king hem axeth what to rede Of such matiere as cam to mouthe, And thei him tolden as thei couthe. 3960 Whan al was spoke of that thei mente, The king with al his hole entente Thanne ate laste hem axeth this, What king men tellen that he is: Among the folk touchende his name, Or be it pris, or be it blame, Riht after that thei herden sein, He bad hem forto telle it plein, That thei no point of soth forbere, Be thilke feith that thei him bere. 3970 The Steward ferst upon this thing Yaf his ansuere unto the king And thoghte glose in this matiere, And seide, als fer as he can hiere, His name is good and honourable: Thus was the Stieward favorable, That he the trouthe plein ne tolde. The king thanne axeth, as he scholde, The Chamberlein of his avis. And he, that was soubtil and wys, 3980 And somdiel thoghte upon his feith, Him tolde hou al the poeple seith That if his conseil were trewe, Thei wiste thanne wel and knewe That of himself he scholde be A worthi king in his degre: And thus the conseil he accuseth In partie, and the king excuseth. The fol, which herde of al the cas That time, as goddes wille was, 3990 Sih that thei seiden noght ynowh, And hem to skorne bothe lowh, And to the king he seide tho: "Sire king, if that it were so, Of wisdom in thin oghne mod That thou thiselven were good, Thi conseil scholde noght be badde." The king therof merveille hadde, Whan that a fol so wisly spak, And of himself fond out the lack 4000 Withinne his oghne conscience: And thus the foles evidence, Which was of goddes grace enspired, Makth that good conseil was desired. He putte awey the vicious And tok to him the vertuous; The wrongful lawes ben amended, The londes good is wel despended, The poeple was nomore oppressed, And thus stod every thing redressed. 4010 For where a king is propre wys, And hath suche as himselven is Of his conseil, it mai noght faile That every thing ne schal availe: The vices thanne gon aweie, And every vertu holt his weie; Wherof the hihe god is plesed, And al the londes folk is esed. For if the comun poeple crie, And thanne a king list noght to plie 4020 To hiere what the clamour wolde, And otherwise thanne he scholde Desdeigneth forto don hem grace, It hath be sen in many place, Ther hath befalle gret contraire; And that I finde of ensamplaire. After the deth of Salomon, Whan thilke wise king was gon, And Roboas in his persone Receive scholde the corone, 4030 The poeple upon a Parlement Avised were of on assent, And alle unto the king thei preiden, With comun vois and thus thei seiden: "Oure liege lord, we thee beseche That thou receive oure humble speche And grante ous that which reson wile, Or of thi grace or of thi skile. Thi fader, whil he was alyve And myhte bothe grante and pryve, 4040 Upon the werkes whiche he hadde The comun poeple streite ladde: Whan he the temple made newe, Thing which men nevere afore knewe He broghte up thanne of his taillage, And al was under the visage Of werkes whiche he made tho. Bot nou it is befalle so, That al is mad, riht as he seide, And he was riche whan he deide; 4050 So that it is no maner nede, If thou therof wolt taken hiede, To pilen of the poeple more, Which long time hath be grieved sore. And in this wise as we thee seie, With tendre herte we thee preie That thou relesse thilke dette, Which upon ous thi fader sette. And if thee like to don so, We ben thi men for everemo, 4060 To gon and comen at thin heste." The king, which herde this requeste, Seith that he wole ben avised, And hath therof a time assised; And in the while as he him thoghte Upon this thing, conseil he soghte. And ferst the wise knyhtes olde, To whom that he his tale tolde, Conseilen him in this manere; That he with love and with glad chiere 4070 Foryive and grante al that is axed Of that his fader hadde taxed; For so he mai his regne achieve With thing which schal him litel grieve. The king hem herde and overpasseth, And with these othre his wit compasseth, That yonge were and nothing wise. And thei these olde men despise, And seiden: "Sire, it schal be schame For evere unto thi worthi name, 4080 If thou ne kepe noght the riht, Whil thou art in thi yonge myht, Which that thin olde fader gat. Bot seie unto the poeple plat, That whil thou livest in thi lond, The leste finger of thin hond It schal be strengere overal Than was thi fadres bodi al. And this also schal be thi tale, If he hem smot with roddes smale, 4090 With Scorpions thou schalt hem smyte; And wher thi fader tok a lyte, Thou thenkst to take mochel more. Thus schalt thou make hem drede sore The grete herte of thi corage, So forto holde hem in servage. This yonge king him hath conformed To don as he was last enformed, Which was to him his undoinge: For whan it cam to the spekinge, 4100 He hath the yonge conseil holde, That he the same wordes tolde Of al the poeple in audience; And whan thei herden the sentence Of his malice and the manace, Anon tofore his oghne face Thei have him oultreli refused And with ful gret reproef accused. So thei begunne forto rave, That he was fain himself to save; 4110 For as the wilde wode rage Of wyndes makth the See salvage, And that was calm bringth into wawe, So for defalte of grace and lawe This poeple is stered al at ones And forth thei gon out of hise wones; So that of the lignages tuelve Tuo tribes only be hemselve With him abiden and nomo: So were thei for everemo 4120 Of no retorn withoute espeir Departed fro the rihtfull heir. Al Irahel with comun vois A king upon here oghne chois Among hemself anon thei make, And have here yonge lord forsake; A povere knyht Jeroboas Thei toke, and lefte Roboas, Which rihtfull heir was be descente. Lo, thus the yonge cause wente: 4130 For that the conseil was noght good, The regne fro the rihtfull blod Evere afterward divided was. So mai it proven be this cas That yong conseil, which is to warm, Er men be war doth ofte harm. Old age for the conseil serveth, And lusti youthe his thonk deserveth Upon the travail which he doth; And bothe, forto seie a soth, 4140 Be sondri cause forto have, If that he wole his regne save, A king behoveth every day. That on can and that other mai, Be so the king hem bothe reule, For elles al goth out of reule. And upon this matiere also A question betwen the tuo Thus writen in a bok I fond; Wher it be betre for the lond 4150 A king himselve to be wys, And so to bere his oghne pris, And that his consail be noght good, Or other wise if it so stod, A king if he be vicious And his conseil be vertuous. It is ansuerd in such a wise, That betre it is that thei be wise Be whom that the conseil schal gon, For thei be manye, and he is on; 4160 And rathere schal an one man With fals conseil, for oght he can, From his wisdom be mad to falle, Thanne he al one scholde hem alle Fro vices into vertu change, For that is wel the more strange. Forthi the lond mai wel be glad, Whos king with good conseil is lad, Which set him unto rihtwisnesse, So that his hihe worthinesse 4170 Betwen the reddour and Pite Doth mercy forth with equite. A king is holden overal To Pite, bot in special To hem wher he is most beholde; Thei scholde his Pite most beholde That ben the Lieges of his lond, For thei ben evere under his hond After the goddes ordinaunce To stonde upon his governance. 4180 Of themperour Anthonius I finde hou that he seide thus, That levere him were forto save Oon of his lieges than to have Of enemis a thousend dede. And this he lernede, as I rede, Of Cipio, which hadde be Consul of Rome. And thus to se Diverse ensamples hou thei stonde, A king which hath the charge on honde 4190 The comun poeple to governe, If that he wole, he mai wel lerne. Is non so good to the plesance Of god, as is good governance; And every governance is due To Pite: thus I mai argue That Pite is the foundement Of every kinges regiment, If it be medled with justice. Thei tuo remuen alle vice, 4200 And ben of vertu most vailable To make a kinges regne stable. Lo, thus the foure pointz tofore, In governance as thei ben bore, Of trouthe ferst and of largesse, Of Pite forth with rihtwisnesse, I have hem told; and over this The fifte point, so as it is Set of the reule of Policie, Wherof a king schal modefie 4210 The fleisschly lustes of nature, Nou thenk I telle of such mesure, That bothe kinde schal be served And ek the lawe of god observed. The Madle is mad for the the femele, Bot where as on desireth fele, That nedeth noght be weie of kinde: For whan a man mai redy finde His oghne wif, what scholde he seche In strange places to beseche 4220 To borwe an other mannes plouh, Whan he hath geere good ynouh Affaited at his oghne heste, And is to him wel more honeste Than other thing which is unknowe? Forthi scholde every good man knowe And thenke, hou that in mariage His trouthe pliht lith in morgage, Which if he breke, it is falshode, And that descordeth to manhode, 4230 And namely toward the grete, Wherof the bokes alle trete; So as the Philosophre techeth To Alisandre, and him betecheth The lore hou that he schal mesure His bodi, so that no mesure Of fleisshly lust he scholde excede. And thus forth if I schal procede, The fifte point, as I seide er, Is chastete, which sielde wher 4240 Comth nou adaies into place; And natheles, bot it be grace Above alle othre in special, Is non that chaste mai ben all. Bot yit a kinges hihe astat, Which of his ordre as a prelat Schal ben enoignt and seintefied, He mot be more magnefied For dignete of his corone, Than scholde an other low persone, 4250 Which is noght of so hih emprise. Therfore a Prince him scholde avise, Er that he felle in such riote, And namely that he nassote To change for the wommanhede The worthinesse of his manhede. Of Aristotle I have wel rad, Hou he to Alisandre bad, That forto gladen his corage He schal beholde the visage 4260 Of wommen, whan that thei ben faire. Bot yit he set an essamplaire, His bodi so to guide and reule, That he ne passe noght the reule, Wherof that he himself beguile. For in the womman is no guile Of that a man himself bewhapeth; Whan he his oghne wit bejapeth, I can the wommen wel excuse: Bot what man wole upon hem muse 4270 After the fool impression Of his ymaginacioun, Withinne himself the fyr he bloweth, Wherof the womman nothing knoweth, So mai sche nothing be to wyte. For if a man himself excite To drenche, and wol it noght forbere, The water schal no blame bere. What mai the gold, thogh men coveite? If that a man wol love streite, 4280 The womman hath him nothing bounde; If he his oghne herte wounde, Sche mai noght lette the folie; And thogh so felle of compainie That he myht eny thing pourchace, Yit makth a man the ferste chace, The womman fleth and he poursuieth: So that be weie of skile it suieth, The man is cause, hou so befalle, That he fulofte sithe is falle 4290 Wher that he mai noght wel aryse. And natheles ful manye wise Befoled have hemself er this, As nou adaies yit it is Among the men and evere was, The stronge is fieblest in this cas. It sit a man be weie of kinde To love, bot it is noght kinde A man for love his wit to lese: For if the Monthe of Juil schal frese 4300 And that Decembre schal ben hot, The yeer mistorneth, wel I wot. To sen a man fro his astat Thurgh his sotie effeminat, And leve that a man schal do, It is as Hose above the Scho, To man which oghte noght ben used. Bot yit the world hath ofte accused Ful grete Princes of this dede, Hou thei for love hemself mislede, 4310 Wherof manhode stod behinde, Of olde ensamples as I finde. These olde gestes tellen thus, That whilom Sardana Pallus, Which hield al hol in his empire The grete kingdom of Assire, Was thurgh the slouthe of his corage Falle into thilke fyri rage Of love, which the men assoteth, Wherof himself he so rioteth, 4320 And wax so ferforth wommannyssh, That ayein kinde, as if a fissh Abide wolde upon the lond, In wommen such a lust he fond, That he duelte evere in chambre stille, And only wroghte after the wille Of wommen, so as he was bede, That selden whanne in other stede If that he wolde wenden oute, To sen hou that it stod aboute. 4330 Bot ther he keste and there he pleide, Thei tawhten him a Las to breide, And weve a Pours, and to enfile A Perle: and fell that ilke while, On Barbarus the Prince of Mede Sih hou this king in wommanhede Was falle fro chivalerie, And gat him help and compaignie, And wroghte so, that ate laste This king out of his regne he caste, 4340 Which was undon for everemo: And yit men speken of him so, That it is schame forto hiere. Forthi to love is in manere. King David hadde many a love, Bot natheles alwey above Knyhthode he kepte in such a wise, That for no fleisshli covoitise Of lust to ligge in ladi armes He lefte noght the lust of armes. 4350 For where a Prince hise lustes suieth, That he the werre noght poursuieth, Whan it is time to ben armed, His contre stant fulofte harmed, Whan thenemis ben woxe bolde, That thei defence non beholde. Ful many a lond hath so be lore, As men mai rede of time afore Of hem that so here eses soghten, Which after thei full diere aboghten. 4360 To mochel ese is nothing worth, For that set every vice forth And every vertu put abak, Wherof priss torneth into lak, As in Cronique I mai reherse: Which telleth hou the king of Perse, That Cirus hihte, a werre hadde Ayein a poeple which he dradde, Of a contre which Liddos hihte; Bot yit for oght that he do mihte 4370 As in bataille upon the werre, He hadde of hem alwey the werre. And whan he sih and wiste it wel, That he be strengthe wan no del, Thanne ate laste he caste a wyle This worthi poeple to beguile, And tok with hem a feigned pes, Which scholde lasten endeles, So as he seide in wordes wise, Bot he thoghte al in other wise. 4380 For it betidd upon the cas, Whan that this poeple in reste was, Thei token eses manyfold; And worldes ese, as it is told, Be weie of kinde is the norrice Of every lust which toucheth vice. Thus whan thei were in lustes falle, The werres ben foryeten alle; Was non which wolde the worschipe Of Armes, bot in idelschipe 4390 Thei putten besinesse aweie And token hem to daunce and pleie; Bot most above alle othre thinges Thei token hem to the likinges Of fleysshly lust, that chastete Received was in no degre, Bot every man doth what him liste. And whan the king of Perse it wiste, That thei unto folie entenden, With his pouer, whan thei lest wenden, 4400 Mor sodeinly than doth the thunder He cam, for evere and put hem under. And thus hath lecherie lore The lond, which hadde be tofore The beste of hem that were tho. And in the bible I finde also A tale lich unto this thing, Hou Amalech the paien king, Whan that he myhte be no weie Defende his lond and putte aweie 4410 The worthi poeple of Irael, This Sarazin, as it befell, Thurgh the conseil of Balaam A route of faire wommen nam, That lusti were and yonge of Age, And bad hem gon to the lignage Of these Hebreus: and forth thei wente With yhen greye and browes bente And wel arraied everych on; And whan thei come were anon 4420 Among thebreus, was non insihte, Bot cacche who that cacche myhte, And ech of hem hise lustes soghte, Whiche after thei full diere boghte. For grace anon began to faile, That whan thei comen to bataille Thanne afterward, in sori plit Thei were take and disconfit, So that withinne a litel throwe The myht of hem was overthrowe, 4430 That whilom were wont to stonde. Til Phinees the cause on honde Hath take, this vengance laste, Bot thanne it cessede ate laste, For god was paid of that he dede: For wher he fond upon a stede A couple which misferde so, Thurghout he smot hem bothe tuo, And let hem ligge in mennes yhe; Wherof alle othre whiche hem sihe 4440 Ensamplede hem upon the dede, And preiden unto the godhiede Here olde Sennes to amende: And he, which wolde his mercy sende, Restorede hem to newe grace. Thus mai it schewe in sondri place, Of chastete hou the clennesse Acordeth to the worthinesse Of men of Armes overal; Bot most of alle in special 4450 This vertu to a king belongeth, For upon his fortune it hongeth Of that his lond schal spede or spille. Forthi bot if a king his wille Fro lustes of his fleissh restreigne, Ayein himself he makth a treigne, Into the which if that he slyde, Him were betre go besyde. For every man mai understonde, Hou for a time that it stonde, 4460 It is a sori lust to lyke, Whos ende makth a man to syke And torneth joies into sorwe. The brihte Sonne be the morwe Beschyneth noght the derke nyht, The lusti youthe of mannes myht, In Age bot it stonde wel, Mistorneth al the laste whiel. That every worthi Prince is holde Withinne himself himself beholde, 4470 To se the stat of his persone, And thenke hou ther be joies none Upon this Erthe mad to laste, And hou the fleissh schal ate laste The lustes of this lif forsake, Him oghte a gret ensample take Of Salomon, whos appetit Was holy set upon delit, To take of wommen the plesance: So that upon his ignorance 4480 The wyde world merveileth yit, That he, which alle mennes wit In thilke time hath overpassed, With fleisshly lustes was so tassed, That he which ladde under the lawe The poeple of god, himself withdrawe He hath fro god in such a wise, That he worschipe and sacrifise For sondri love in sondri stede Unto the false goddes dede. 4490 This was the wise ecclesiaste, The fame of whom schal evere laste, That he the myhti god forsok, Ayein the lawe whanne he tok His wyves and his concubines Of hem that weren Sarazines, For whiche he dede ydolatrie. For this I rede of his sotie: Sche of Sidoyne so him ladde, That he knelende his armes spradde 4500 To Astrathen with gret humblesse, Which of hire lond was the goddesse: And sche that was a Moabite So ferforth made him to delite Thurgh lust, which al his wit devoureth, That he Chamos hire god honoureth. An other Amonyte also With love him hath assoted so, Hire god Moloch that with encense He sacreth, and doth reverence 4510 In such a wise as sche him bad. Thus was the wiseste overlad With blinde lustes whiche he soghte; Bot he it afterward aboghte. For Achias Selonites, Which was prophete, er his decess, Whil he was in hise lustes alle, Betokneth what schal after falle. For on a day, whan that he mette Jeroboam the knyht, he grette 4520 And bad him that he scholde abyde, To hiere what him schal betyde. And forth withal Achias caste His mantell of, and also faste He kut it into pieces twelve, Wherof tuo partz toward himselve He kepte, and al the remenant, As god hath set his covenant, He tok unto Jeroboas, Of Nabal which the Sone was, 4530 And of the kinges court a knyht: And seide him, "Such is goddes myht, As thou hast sen departed hiere Mi mantell, riht in such manere After the deth of Salomon God hath ordeigned therupon, This regne thanne he schal divide: Which time thou schalt ek abide, And upon that division The regne as in proporcion 4540 As thou hast of mi mantell take, Thou schalt receive, I undertake. And thus the Sone schal abie The lustes and the lecherie Of him which nou his fader is." So forto taken hiede of this, It sit a king wel to be chaste, For elles he mai lihtly waste Himself and ek his regne bothe, And that oghte every king to lothe. 4550 O, which a Senne violent, Wherof so wys a king was schent, That the vengance in his persone Was noght ynouh to take al one, Bot afterward, whan he was passed, It hath his heritage lassed, As I more openli tofore The tale tolde. And thus therfore The Philosophre upon this thing Writ and conseileth to a king, 4560 That he the surfet of luxure Schal tempre and reule of such mesure, Which be to kinde sufficant And ek to reson acordant, So that the lustes ignorance Be cause of no misgovernance, Thurgh which that he be overthrowe, As he that wol no reson knowe. For bot a mannes wit be swerved, Whan kinde is dueliche served, 4570 It oghte of reson to suffise; For if it falle him otherwise, He mai tho lustes sore drede. For of Anthonie thus I rede, Which of Severus was the Sone, That he his lif of comun wone Yaf holy unto thilke vice, And ofte time he was so nyce, Wherof nature hire hath compleigned Unto the god, which hath desdeigned 4580 The werkes whiche Antonie wroghte Of lust, whiche he ful sore aboghte: For god his forfet hath so wroke That in Cronique it is yit spoke. Bot forto take remembrance Of special misgovernance Thurgh covoitise and injustice Forth with the remenant of vice, And nameliche of lecherie, I finde write a gret partie 4590 Withinne a tale, as thou schalt hiere, Which is thensample of this matiere. So as these olde gestes sein, The proude tirannyssh Romein Tarquinus, which was thanne king And wroghte many a wrongful thing, Of Sones hadde manyon, Among the whiche Arrons was on, Lich to his fader of maneres; So that withinne a fewe yeres 4600 With tresoun and with tirannie Thei wonne of lond a gret partie, And token hiede of no justice, Which due was to here office Upon the reule of governance; Bot al that evere was plesance Unto the fleisshes lust thei toke. And fell so, that thei undertoke A werre, which was noght achieved, Bot ofte time it hadde hem grieved, 4610 Ayein a folk which thanne hihte The Gabiens: and al be nyhte This Arrons, whan he was at hom In Rome, a prive place he nom Withinne a chambre, and bet himselve And made him woundes ten or tuelve Upon the bak, as it was sene; And so forth with hise hurtes grene In al the haste that he may He rod, and cam that other day 4620 Unto Gabie the Cite, And in he wente: and whan that he Was knowe, anon the gates schette, The lordes alle upon him sette With drawe swerdes upon honde. This Arrons wolde hem noght withstonde, Bot seide, "I am hier at your wille, Als lief it is that ye me spille, As if myn oghne fader dede." And forthwith in the same stede 4630 He preide hem that thei wolde se, And schewede hem in what degre His fader and hise brethren bothe, Whiche, as he seide, weren wrothe, Him hadde beten and reviled, For evere and out of Rome exiled. And thus he made hem to believe, And seide, if that he myhte achieve His pourpos, it schal wel be yolde, Be so that thei him helpe wolde. 4640 Whan that the lordes hadde sein Hou wofully he was besein, Thei token Pite of his grief; Bot yit it was hem wonder lief That Rome him hadde exiled so. These Gabiens be conseil tho Upon the goddes made him swere, That he to hem schal trouthe bere And strengthen hem with al his myht; And thei also him have behiht 4650 To helpen him in his querele. Thei schopen thanne for his hele That he was bathed and enoignt, Til that he was in lusti point; And what he wolde thanne he hadde, That he al hol the cite ladde Riht as he wolde himself divise. And thanne he thoghte him in what wise He myhte his tirannie schewe; And to his conseil tok a schrewe, 4660 Whom to his fader forth he sente In his message, and he tho wente, And preide his fader forto seie Be his avis, and finde a weie, Hou they the cite myhten winne, Whil that he stod so wel therinne. And whan the messager was come To Rome, and hath in conseil nome The king, it fell per chance so That thei were in a gardin tho, 4670 This messager forth with the king. And whanne he hadde told the thing In what manere that it stod, And that Tarquinus understod Be the message hou that it ferde, Anon he tok in honde a yerde, And in the gardin as thei gon, The lilie croppes on and on, Wher that thei weren sprongen oute, He smot of, as thei stode aboute, 4680 And seide unto the messager: "Lo, this thing, which I do nou hier, Schal ben in stede of thin ansuere; And in this wise as I me bere, Thou schalt unto mi Sone telle." And he no lengere wolde duelle, Bot tok his leve and goth withal Unto his lord, and told him al, Hou that his fader hadde do. Whan Arrons herde him telle so, 4690 Anon he wiste what it mente, And therto sette al his entente, Til he thurgh fraude and tricherie The Princes hefdes of Gabie Hath smiten of, and al was wonne: His fader cam tofore the Sonne Into the toun with the Romeins, And tok and slowh the citezeins Withoute reson or pite, That he ne spareth no degre. 4700 And for the sped of this conqueste He let do make a riche feste With a sollempne Sacrifise In Phebus temple; and in this wise Whan the Romeins assembled were, In presence of hem alle there, Upon thalter whan al was diht And that the fyres were alyht, From under thalter sodeinly An hidous Serpent openly 4710 Cam out and hath devoured al The Sacrifice, and ek withal The fyres queynt, and forth anon, So as he cam, so is he gon Into the depe ground ayein. And every man began to sein, "Ha lord, what mai this signefie?" And therupon thei preie and crie To Phebus, that thei mihten knowe The cause: and he the same throwe 4720 With gastly vois, that alle it herde, The Romeins in this wise ansuerde, And seide hou for the wikkidnesse Of Pride and of unrihtwisnesse, That Tarquin and his Sone hath do, The Sacrifice is wasted so, Which myhte noght ben acceptable Upon such Senne abhominable. And over that yit he hem wisseth, And seith that which of hem ferst kisseth 4730 His moder, he schal take wrieche Upon the wrong: and of that speche Thei ben withinne here hertes glade, Thogh thei outward no semblant made. Ther was a knyht which Brutus hihte, And he with al the haste he myhte To grounde fell and therthe kiste, Bot non of hem the cause wiste, Bot wenden that he hadde sporned Per chance, and so was overtorned. 4740 Bot Brutus al an other mente; For he knew wel in his entente Hou therthe of every mannes kinde Is Moder: bot thei weren blinde, And sihen noght so fer as he. Bot whan thei leften the Cite And comen hom to Rome ayein, Thanne every man which was Romein And moder hath, to hire he bende And keste, and ech of hem thus wende 4750 To be the ferste upon the chance, Of Tarquin forto do vengance, So as thei herden Phebus sein. Bot every time hath his certein, So moste it nedes thanne abide, Til afterward upon a tyde Tarquinus made unskilfully A werre, which was fasteby Ayein a toun with walles stronge Which Ardea was cleped longe, 4760 And caste a Siege theraboute, That ther mai noman passen oute. So it befell upon a nyht, Arrons, which hadde his souper diht, A part of the chivalerie With him to soupe in compaignie Hath bede: and whan thei comen were And seten at the souper there, Among here othre wordes glade Arrons a gret spekinge made, 4770 Who hadde tho the beste wif Of Rome: and ther began a strif, For Arrons seith he hath the beste. So jangle thei withoute reste, Til ate laste on Collatin, A worthi knyht, and was cousin To Arrons, seide him in this wise: "It is," quod he, "of non emprise To speke a word, bot of the dede, Therof it is to taken hiede. 4780 Anon forthi this same tyde Lep on thin hors and let ous ryde: So mai we knowe bothe tuo Unwarli what oure wyves do, And that schal be a trewe assay." This Arrons seith noght ones nay: On horse bak anon thei lepte In such manere, and nothing slepte, Ridende forth til that thei come Al prively withinne Rome; 4790 In strange place and doun thei lihte, And take a chambre, and out of sihte Thei be desguised for a throwe, So that no lif hem scholde knowe. And to the paleis ferst thei soghte, To se what thing this ladi wroghte Of which Arrons made his avant: And thei hire sihe of glad semblant, Al full of merthes and of bordes; Bot among alle hire othre wordes 4800 Sche spak noght of hire housebonde. And whan thei hadde al understonde Of thilke place what hem liste, Thei gon hem forth, that non it wiste, Beside thilke gate of bras, Collacea which cleped was, Wher Collatin hath his duellinge. Ther founden thei at hom sittinge Lucrece his wif, al environed With wommen, whiche are abandoned 4810 To werche, and sche wroghte ek withal, And bad hem haste, and seith, "It schal Be for mi housebondes were, Which with his swerd and with his spere Lith at the Siege in gret desese. And if it scholde him noght displese, Nou wolde god I hadde him hiere; For certes til that I mai hiere Som good tidinge of his astat, Min herte is evere upon debat. 4820 For so as alle men witnesse, He is of such an hardiesse, That he can noght himselve spare, And that is al my moste care, Whan thei the walles schulle assaile. Bot if mi wisshes myhte availe, I wolde it were a groundles pet, Be so the Siege were unknet, And I myn housebonde sihe." With that the water in hire yhe 4830 Aros, that sche ne myhte it stoppe, And as men sen the dew bedroppe The leves and the floures eke, Riht so upon hire whyte cheke The wofull salte teres felle. Whan Collatin hath herd hire telle The menynge of hire trewe herte, Anon with that to hire he sterte, And seide, "Lo, mi goode diere, Nou is he come to you hiere, 4840 That ye most loven, as ye sein." And sche with goodly chiere ayein Beclipte him in hire armes smale, And the colour, which erst was pale, To Beaute thanne was restored, So that it myhte noght be mored. The kinges Sone, which was nyh, And of this lady herde and syh The thinges as thei ben befalle, The resoun of hise wittes alle 4850 Hath lost; for love upon his part Cam thanne, and of his fyri dart With such a wounde him hath thurghsmite, That he mot nedes fiele and wite Of thilke blinde maladie, To which no cure of Surgerie Can helpe. Bot yit natheles At thilke time he hield his pes, That he no contienance made, Bot openly with wordes glade, 4860 So as he couthe in his manere, He spak and made frendly chiere, Til it was time forto go. And Collatin with him also His leve tok, so that be nyhte With al the haste that thei myhte Thei riden to the Siege ayein. Bot Arrons was so wo besein With thoghtes whiche upon him runne, That he al be the brode Sunne 4870 To bedde goth, noght forto reste, Bot forto thenke upon the beste And the faireste forth withal, That evere he syh or evere schal, So as him thoghte in his corage, Where he pourtreieth hire ymage: Ferst the fetures of hir face, In which nature hadde alle grace Of wommanly beaute beset, So that it myhte noght be bet; 4880 And hou hir yelwe her was tresced And hire atir so wel adresced, And hou sche spak, and hou sche wroghte, And hou sche wepte, al this he thoghte, That he foryeten hath no del, Bot al it liketh him so wel, That in the word nor in the dede Hire lacketh noght of wommanhiede. And thus this tirannysshe knyht Was soupled, bot noght half ariht, 4890 For he non other hiede tok, Bot that he myhte be som crok, Althogh it were ayein hire wille, The lustes of his fleissh fulfille; Which love was noght resonable, For where honour is remuable, It oghte wel to ben avised. Bot he, which hath his lust assised With melled love and tirannie, Hath founde upon his tricherie 4900 A weie which he thenkth to holde, And seith, "Fortune unto the bolde Is favorable forto helpe." And thus withinne himself to yelpe, As he which was a wylde man, Upon his treson he began: And up he sterte, and forth he wente On horsebak, bot his entente Ther knew no wiht, and thus he nam The nexte weie, til he cam 4910 Unto Collacea the gate Of Rome, and it was somdiel late, Riht evene upon the Sonne set, As he which hadde schape his net Hire innocence to betrappe. And as it scholde tho mishappe, Als priveliche as evere he myhte He rod, and of his hors alyhte Tofore Collatines In, And al frendliche he goth him in, 4920 As he that was cousin of house. And sche, which is the goode spouse, Lucrece, whan that sche him sih, With goodli chiere drowh him nyh, As sche which al honour supposeth, And him, so as sche dar, opposeth Hou it stod of hire housebonde. And he tho dede hire understonde With tales feigned in his wise, Riht as he wolde himself devise, 4930 Wherof he myhte hire herte glade, That sche the betre chiere made, Whan sche the glade wordes herde, Hou that hire housebonde ferde. And thus the trouthe was deceived With slih tresoun, which was received To hire which mente alle goode; For as the festes thanne stode, His Souper was ryht wel arraied. Bot yit he hath no word assaied 4940 To speke of love in no degre; Bot with covert subtilite His frendly speches he affaiteth, And as the Tigre his time awaiteth In hope forto cacche his preie. Whan that the bordes were aweie And thei have souped in the halle, He seith that slep is on him falle, And preith he moste go to bedde; And sche with alle haste spedde, 4950 So as hire thoghte it was to done, That every thing was redi sone. Sche broghte him to his chambre tho And tok hire leve, and forth is go Into hire oghne chambre by, As sche that wende certeinly Have had a frend, and hadde a fo, Wherof fell after mochel wo. This tirant, thogh he lyhe softe, Out of his bed aros fulofte, 4960 And goth aboute, and leide his Ere To herkne, til that alle were To bedde gon and slepten faste. And thanne upon himself he caste A mantell, and his swerd al naked He tok in honde; and sche unwaked Abedde lay, but what sche mette, God wot; for he the Dore unschette So prively that non it herde, The softe pas and forth he ferde 4970 Unto the bed wher that sche slepte, Al sodeinliche and in he crepte, And hire in bothe his Armes tok. With that this worthi wif awok, Which thurgh tendresce of wommanhiede Hire vois hath lost for pure drede, That o word speke sche ne dar: And ek he bad hir to be war, For if sche made noise or cry, He seide, his swerd lay faste by 4980 To slen hire and hire folk aboute. And thus he broghte hire herte in doute, That lich a Lomb whanne it is sesed In wolves mouth, so was desesed Lucrece, which he naked fond: Wherof sche swounede in his hond, And, as who seith, lay ded oppressed. And he, which al him hadde adresced To lust, tok thanne what him liste, And goth his wey, that non it wiste, 4990 Into his oghne chambre ayein, And clepede up his chamberlein, And made him redi forto ryde. And thus this lecherouse pride To horse lepte and forth he rod; And sche, which in hire bed abod, Whan that sche wiste he was agon, Sche clepede after liht anon And up aros long er the day, And caste awey hire freissh aray, 5000 As sche which hath the world forsake, And tok upon the clothes blake: And evere upon continuinge, Riht as men sen a welle springe, With yhen fulle of wofull teres, Hire her hangende aboute hire Eres, Sche wepte, and noman wiste why. Bot yit among full pitously Sche preide that thei nolden drecche Hire housebonde forto fecche 5010 Forth with hire fader ek also. Thus be thei comen bothe tuo, And Brutus cam with Collatin, Which to Lucrece was cousin, And in thei wenten alle thre To chambre, wher thei myhten se The wofulleste upon this Molde, Which wepte as sche to water scholde. The chambre Dore anon was stoke, Er thei have oght unto hire spoke; 5020 Thei sihe hire clothes al desguised, And hou sche hath hirself despised, Hire her hangende unkemd aboute, Bot natheles sche gan to loute And knele unto hire housebonde; And he, which fain wolde understonde The cause why sche ferde so, With softe wordes axeth tho, "What mai you be, mi goode swete?" And sche, which thoghte hirself unmete 5030 And the lest worth of wommen alle, Hire wofull chiere let doun falle For schame and couthe unnethes loke. And thei therof good hiede toke, And preiden hire in alle weie That sche ne spare forto seie Unto hir frendes what hire eileth, Why sche so sore hirself beweileth, And what the sothe wolde mene. And sche, which hath hire sorwes grene, 5040 Hire wo to telle thanne assaieth, Bot tendre schame hire word delaieth, That sondri times as sche minte To speke, upon the point sche stinte. And thei hire bidden evere in on To telle forth, and therupon, Whan that sche sih sche moste nede, Hire tale betwen schame and drede Sche tolde, noght withoute peine. And he, which wolde hire wo restreigne, 5050 Hire housebonde, a sory man, Conforteth hire al that he can, And swor, and ek hire fader bothe, That thei with hire be noght wrothe Of that is don ayein hire wille; And preiden hire to be stille, For thei to hire have al foryive. Bot sche, which thoghte noght to live, Of hem wol no foryivenesse, And seide, of thilke wickednesse 5060 Which was unto hire bodi wroght, Al were it so sche myhte it noght, Nevere afterward the world ne schal Reproeven hire; and forth withal, Er eny man therof be war, A naked swerd, the which sche bar Withinne hire Mantel priveli, Betwen hire hondes sodeinly Sche tok, and thurgh hire herte it throng, And fell to grounde, and evere among, 5070 Whan that sche fell, so as sche myhte, Hire clothes with hire hand sche rihte, That noman dounward fro the kne Scholde eny thing of hire se: Thus lay this wif honestely, Althogh sche deide wofully. Tho was no sorwe forto seke: Hire housebonde, hire fader eke Aswoune upon the bodi felle; Ther mai no mannes tunge telle 5080 In which anguisshe that thei were. Bot Brutus, which was with hem there, Toward himself his herte kepte, And to Lucrece anon he lepte, The blodi swerd and pulleth oute, And swor the goddes al aboute That he therof schal do vengance. And sche tho made a contienance, Hire dedlich yhe and ate laste In thonkinge as it were up caste, 5090 And so behield him in the wise, Whil sche to loke mai suffise. And Brutus with a manlich herte Hire housebonde hath mad up sterte Forth with hire fader ek also In alle haste, and seide hem tho That thei anon withoute lette A Beere for the body fette; Lucrece and therupon bledende He leide, and so forth out criende 5100 He goth into the Market place Of Rome: and in a litel space Thurgh cry the cite was assembled, And every mannes herte is trembled, Whan thei the sothe herde of the cas. And therupon the conseil was Take of the grete and of the smale, And Brutus tolde hem al the tale; And thus cam into remembrance Of Senne the continuance, 5110 Which Arrons hadde do tofore, And ek, long time er he was bore, Of that his fadre hadde do The wrong cam into place tho; So that the comun clamour tolde The newe schame of Sennes olde. And al the toun began to crie, "Awey, awey the tirannie Of lecherie and covoitise!" And ate laste in such a wise 5120 The fader in the same while Forth with his Sone thei exile, And taken betre governance. Bot yit an other remembrance That rihtwisnesse and lecherie Acorden noght in compaignie With him that hath the lawe on honde, That mai a man wel understonde, As be a tale thou shalt wite, Of olde ensample as it is write. 5130 At Rome whan that Apius, Whos other name is Claudius, Was governour of the cite, Ther fell a wonder thing to se Touchende a gentil Maide, as thus, Whom Livius Virginius Begeten hadde upon his wif: Men seiden that so fair a lif As sche was noght in al the toun. This fame, which goth up and doun, 5140 To Claudius cam in his Ere, Wherof his thoght anon was there, Which al his herte hath set afyre, That he began the flour desire Which longeth unto maydenhede, And sende, if that he myhte spede The blinde lustes of his wille. Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille, For sche stod upon Mariage; A worthi kniht of gret lignage, 5150 Ilicius which thanne hihte, Acorded in hire fader sihte Was, that he scholde his douhter wedde. Bot er the cause fully spedde, Hire fader, which in Romanie The ledinge of chivalerie In governance hath undertake, Upon a werre which was take Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde Of men of Armes whiche he ladde: 5160 So was the mariage left, And stod upon acord til eft. The king, which herde telle of this, Hou that this Maide ordeigned is To Mariage, thoghte an other. And hadde thilke time a brother, Which Marchus Claudius was hote, And was a man of such riote Riht as the king himselve was: Thei tuo togedre upon this cas 5170 In conseil founden out this weie, That Marchus Claudius schal seie Hou sche be weie of covenant To his service appourtenant Was hol, and to non other man; And therupon he seith he can In every point witnesse take, So that sche schal it noght forsake. Whan that thei hadden schape so, After the lawe which was tho, 5180 Whil that hir fader was absent, Sche was somouned and assent To come in presence of the king And stonde in ansuere of this thing. Hire frendes wisten alle wel That it was falshed everydel, And comen to the king and seiden, Upon the comun lawe and preiden, So as this noble worthi knyht Hir fader for the comun riht 5190 In thilke time, as was befalle, Lai for the profit of hem alle Upon the wylde feldes armed, That he ne scholde noght ben harmed Ne schamed, whil that he were oute; And thus thei preiden al aboute. For al the clamour that he herde, The king upon his lust ansuerde, And yaf hem only daies tuo Of respit; for he wende tho, 5200 That in so schorte a time appiere Hire fader mihte in no manere. Bot as therof he was deceived; For Livius hadde al conceived The pourpos of the king tofore, So that to Rome ayein therfore In alle haste he cam ridende, And lefte upon the field liggende His host, til that he come ayein. And thus this worthi capitein 5210 Appiereth redi at his day, Wher al that evere reson may Be lawe in audience he doth, So that his dowhter upon soth Of that Marchus hire hadde accused He hath tofore the court excused. The king, which sih his pourpos faile, And that no sleihte mihte availe, Encombred of his lustes blinde The lawe torneth out of kinde, 5220 And half in wraththe as thogh it were, In presence of hem alle there Deceived of concupiscence Yaf for his brother the sentence, And bad him that he scholde sese This Maide and make him wel at ese; Bot al withinne his oghne entente He wiste hou that the cause wente, Of that his brother hath the wyte He was himselven forto wyte. 5230 Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong, Which was upon the king along, Bot ayein him was non Appel, And that the fader wiste wel: Wherof upon the tirannie, That for the lust of Lecherie His douhter scholde be deceived, And that Ilicius was weyved Untrewly fro the Mariage, Riht as a Leon in his rage, 5240 Which of no drede set acompte And not what pite scholde amounte, A naked swerd he pulleth oute, The which amonges al the route He threste thurgh his dowhter side, And al alowd this word he cride: "Lo, take hire ther, thou wrongfull king, For me is levere upon this thing To be the fader of a Maide, Thogh sche be ded, that if men saide 5250 That in hir lif sche were schamed And I therof were evele named." Tho bad the king men scholde areste His bodi, bot of thilke heste, Lich to the chaced wylde bor, The houndes whan he fieleth sor, Tothroweth and goth forth his weie, In such a wise forto seie This worthi kniht with swerd on honde His weie made, and thei him wonde, 5260 That non of hem his strokes kepte; And thus upon his hors he lepte, And with his swerd droppende of blod, The which withinne his douhter stod, He cam ther as the pouer was Of Rome, and tolde hem al the cas, And seide hem that thei myhten liere Upon the wrong of his matiere, That betre it were to redresce At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse, 5270 Than forto werre in strange place And lese at hom here oghne grace. For thus stant every mannes lif In jeupartie for his wif Or for his dowhter, if thei be Passende an other of beaute. Of this merveile which thei sihe So apparant tofore here yhe, Of that the king him hath misbore, Here othes thei have alle swore 5280 That thei wol stonde be the riht. And thus of on acord upriht To Rome at ones hom ayein Thei torne, and schortly forto sein, This tirannye cam to mouthe, And every man seith what he couthe, So that the prive tricherie, Which set was upon lecherie, Cam openly to mannes Ere; And that broghte in the comun feere, 5290 That every man the peril dradde Of him that so hem overladde. Forthi, er that it worse falle, Thurgh comun conseil of hem alle Thei have here wrongfull king deposed, And hem in whom it was supposed The conseil stod of his ledinge Be lawe unto the dom thei bringe, Wher thei receiven the penance That longeth to such governance. 5300 And thus thunchaste was chastised, Wherof thei myhte ben avised That scholden afterward governe, And be this evidence lerne, Hou it is good a king eschuie The lust of vice and vertu suie. To make an ende in this partie, Which toucheth to the Policie Of Chastite in special, As for conclusion final 5310 That every lust is to eschue Be gret ensample I mai argue: Hou in Rages a toun of Mede Ther was a Mayde, and as I rede, Sarra sche hihte, and Raguel Hir fader was; and so befell, Of bodi bothe and of visage Was non so fair of the lignage, To seche among hem alle, as sche; Wherof the riche of the cite, 5320 Of lusti folk that couden love, Assoted were upon hire love, And asken hire forto wedde. On was which ate laste spedde, Bot that was more for likinge, To have his lust, than for weddinge, As he withinne his herte caste, Which him repenteth ate laste. For so it fell the ferste nyht, That whanne he was to bedde dyht, 5330 As he which nothing god besecheth Bot al only hise lustes secheth, Abedde er he was fully warm And wolde have take hire in his Arm, Asmod, which was a fend of helle, And serveth, as the bokes telle, To tempte a man of such a wise, Was redy there, and thilke emprise, Which he hath set upon delit, He vengeth thanne in such a plit, 5340 That he his necke hathe writhe atuo. This yonge wif was sory tho, Which wiste nothing what it mente; And natheles yit thus it wente Noght only of this ferste man, Bot after, riht as he began, Sexe othre of hire housebondes Asmod hath take into hise bondes, So that thei alle abedde deiden, Whan thei her hand toward hir leiden, 5350 Noght for the lawe of Mariage, Bot for that ilke fyri rage In which that thei the lawe excede: For who that wolde taken hiede What after fell in this matiere, Ther mihte he wel the sothe hiere. Whan sche was wedded to Thobie, And Raphael in compainie Hath tawht him hou to ben honeste, Asmod wan noght at thilke feste, 5360 And yit Thobie his wille hadde; For he his lust so goodly ladde, That bothe lawe and kinde is served, Wherof he hath himself preserved, That he fell noght in the sentence. O which an open evidence Of this ensample a man mai se, That whan likinge in the degre Of Mariage mai forsueie, Wel oghte him thanne in other weie 5370 Of lust to be the betre avised. For god the lawes hath assissed Als wel to reson as to kinde, Bot he the bestes wolde binde Only to lawes of nature, Bot to the mannes creature God yaf him reson forth withal, Wherof that he nature schal Upon the causes modefie, That he schal do no lecherie, 5380 And yit he schal hise lustes have. So ben the lawes bothe save And every thing put out of sclandre; As whilom to king Alisandre The wise Philosophre tawhte, Whan he his ferste lore cawhte, Noght only upon chastete, Bot upon alle honestete; Wherof a king himself mai taste, Hou trewe, hou large, hou joust, hou chaste 5390 Him oghte of reson forto be, Forth with the vertu of Pite, Thurgh which he mai gret thonk deserve Toward his godd, that he preserve Him and his poeple in alle welthe Of pes, richesse, honour and helthe Hier in this world and elles eke. Mi Sone, as we tofore spieke In schrifte, so as thou me seidest, And for thin ese, as thou me preidest, 5400 Thi love throghes forto lisse, That I thee wolde telle and wisse The forme of Aristotles lore, I have it seid, and somdiel more Of othre ensamples, to assaie If I thi peines myhte allaie Thurgh eny thing that I can seie. Do wey, mi fader, I you preie: Of that ye have unto me told I thonke you a thousendfold. 5410 The tales sounen in myn Ere, Bot yit min herte is elleswhere, I mai miselve noght restreigne, That I nam evere in loves peine: Such lore couthe I nevere gete, Which myhte make me foryete O point, bot if so were I slepte, That I my tydes ay ne kepte To thenke of love and of his lawe; That herte can I noght withdrawe. 5420 Forthi, my goode fader diere, Lef al and speke of my matiere Touchende of love, as we begonne: If that ther be oght overronne Or oght foryete or left behinde Which falleth unto loves kinde, Wherof it nedeth to be schrive, Nou axeth, so that whil I live I myhte amende that is mys. Mi goode diere Sone, yis. 5430 Thi schrifte forto make plein, Ther is yit more forto sein Of love which is unavised. Bot for thou schalt be wel avised Unto thi schrifte as it belongeth, A point which upon love hongeth And is the laste of alle tho, I wol thee telle, and thanne ho.

Explicit Liber Septimus.



Incipit Liber Octavus

Que favet ad vicium vetus hec modo regula confert, Nec novus e contra qui docet ordo placet. Cecus amor dudum nondum sua lumina cepit, Quo Venus impositum devia fallit iter.

The myhti god, which unbegunne Stant of himself and hath begunne Alle othre thinges at his wille, The hevene him liste to fulfille Of alle joie, where as he Sit inthronized in his See, And hath hise Angles him to serve, Suche as him liketh to preserve, So that thei mowe noght forsueie: Bot Lucifer he putte aweie, 10 With al the route apostazied Of hem that ben to him allied, Whiche out of hevene into the helle From Angles into fendes felle; Wher that ther is no joie of lyht, Bot more derk than eny nyht The peine schal ben endeles; And yit of fyres natheles Ther is plente, bot thei ben blake, Wherof no syhte mai be take. 20 Thus whan the thinges ben befalle, That Luciferes court was falle Wher dedly Pride hem hath conveied, Anon forthwith it was pourveied Thurgh him which alle thinges may; He made Adam the sexte day In Paradis, and to his make Him liketh Eve also to make, And bad hem cresce and multiplie. For of the mannes Progenie, 30 Which of the womman schal be bore, The nombre of Angles which was lore, Whan thei out fro the blisse felle, He thoghte to restore, and felle In hevene thilke holy place Which stod tho voide upon his grace. Bot as it is wel wiste and knowe, Adam and Eve bot a throwe, So as it scholde of hem betyde, In Paradis at thilke tyde 40 Ne duelten, and the cause why, Write in the bok of Genesi, As who seith, alle men have herd, Hou Raphael the fyri swerd In honde tok and drof hem oute, To gete here lyves fode aboute Upon this wofull Erthe hiere. Metodre seith to this matiere, As he be revelacion It hadde upon avision, 50 Hou that Adam and Eve also Virgines comen bothe tuo Into the world and were aschamed, Til that nature hem hath reclamed To love, and tauht hem thilke lore, That ferst thei keste, and overmore Thei don that is to kinde due, Wherof thei hadden fair issue. A Sone was the ferste of alle, And Chain be name thei him calle; 60 Abel was after the secounde, And in the geste as it is founde, Nature so the cause ladde, Tuo douhtres ek Dame Eve hadde, The ferste cleped Calmana Was, and that other Delbora. Thus was mankinde to beginne; Forthi that time it was no Sinne The Soster forto take hire brother, Whan that ther was of chois non other: 70 To Chain was Calmana betake, And Delboram hath Abel take, In whom was gete natheles Of worldes folk the ferste encres. Men sein that nede hath no lawe, And so it was be thilke dawe And laste into the Secounde Age, Til that the grete water rage, Of Noeh which was seid the flod, The world, which thanne in Senne stod, 80 Hath dreint, outake lyves Eyhte. Tho was mankinde of litel weyhte; Sem, Cham, Japhet, of these thre, That ben the Sones of Noe5, The world of mannes nacion Into multiplicacion Was tho restored newe ayein So ferforth, as the bokes sein, That of hem thre and here issue Ther was so large a retenue, 90 Of naciouns seventy and tuo; In sondri place ech on of tho The wyde world have enhabited. Bot as nature hem hath excited, Thei token thanne litel hiede, The brother of the Sosterhiede To wedde wyves, til it cam Into the time of Habraham. Whan the thridde Age was begunne, The nede tho was overrunne, 100 For ther was poeple ynouh in londe: Thanne ate ferste it cam to honde, That Sosterhode of mariage Was torned into cousinage, So that after the