Chapter 39

Lo, thus Zorobabel hath told 1950 The tale of his opinion: Bot for final conclusion What strengest is of erthli thinges, The wyn, the wommen or the kinges, He seith that trouthe above hem alle Is myhtiest, hou evere it falle. The trouthe, hou so it evere come, Mai for nothing ben overcome; It mai wel soffre for a throwe, Bot ate laste it schal be knowe. 1960 The proverbe is, who that is trewe, Him schal his while nevere rewe: For hou so that the cause wende, The trouthe is schameles ate ende, Bot what thing that is troutheles, It mai noght wel be schameles, And schame hindreth every wyht: So proveth it, ther is no myht Withoute trouthe in no degre. And thus for trouthe of his decre 1970 Zorobabel was most commended, Wherof the question was ended, And he resceived hath his mede For trouthe, which to mannes nede Is most behoveliche overal. Forthi was trouthe in special The ferste point in observance Betake unto the governance Of Alisandre, as it is seid: For therupon the ground is leid 1980 Of every kinges regiment, As thing which most convenient Is forto sette a king in evene Bothe in this world and ek in hevene.

Next after trouthe the secounde, In Policie as it is founde, Which serveth to the worldes fame In worschipe of a kinges name, Largesse it is, whos privilegge Ther mai non Avarice abregge. 1990 The worldes good was ferst comune, Bot afterward upon fortune Was thilke comun profit cessed: For whan the poeple stod encresced And the lignages woxen grete, Anon for singulier beyete Drouh every man to his partie; Wherof cam in the ferste envie With gret debat and werres stronge, And laste among the men so longe, 2000 Til noman wiste who was who, Ne which was frend ne which was fo. Til ate laste in every lond Withinne hemself the poeple fond That it was good to make a king, Which mihte appesen al this thing And yive riht to the lignages In partinge of here heritages And ek of al here other good; And thus above hem alle stod 2010 The king upon his Regalie, As he which hath to justifie The worldes good fro covoitise. So sit it wel in alle wise A king betwen the more and lesse To sette his herte upon largesse Toward himself and ek also Toward his poeple; and if noght so, That is to sein, if that he be Toward himselven large and fre 2020 And of his poeple take and pile, Largesse be no weie of skile It mai be seid, bot Avarice, Which in a king is a gret vice.

A king behoveth ek to fle The vice of Prodegalite, That he mesure in his expence So kepe, that of indigence He mai be sauf: for who that nedeth, In al his werk the worse he spedeth. 2030 As Aristotle upon Chaldee Ensample of gret Auctorite Unto king Alisandre tauhte Of thilke folk that were unsauhte Toward here king for his pilage: Wherof he bad, in his corage That he unto thre pointz entende, Wher that he wolde his good despende. Ferst scholde he loke, hou that it stod, That al were of his oghne good 2040 The yiftes whiche he wolde yive; So myhte he wel the betre live: And ek he moste taken hiede If ther be cause of eny nede, Which oghte forto be defended, Er that his goodes be despended: He mot ek, as it is befalle, Amonges othre thinges alle Se the decertes of his men; And after that thei ben of ken 2050 And of astat and of merite, He schal hem largeliche aquite, Or for the werre, or for the pes, That non honour falle in descres, Which mihte torne into defame, Bot that he kepe his goode name, So that he be noght holde unkinde. For in Cronique a tale I finde, Which spekth somdiel of this matiere, Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere. 2060

In Rome, to poursuie his riht, Ther was a worthi povere kniht, Which cam al one forto sein His cause, when the court was plein, Wher Julius was in presence. And for him lacketh of despence, Ther was with him non advocat To make ple for his astat. Bot thogh him lacke forto plede, Him lacketh nothing of manhede; 2070 He wiste wel his pours was povere, Bot yit he thoghte his riht recovere, And openly poverte alleide, To themperour and thus he seide: “O Julius, lord of the lawe, Behold, mi conseil is withdrawe For lacke of gold: do thin office After the lawes of justice: Help that I hadde conseil hiere Upon the trouthe of mi matiere.” 2080 And Julius with that anon Assigned him a worthi on, Bot he himself no word ne spak. This kniht was wroth and fond a lak In themperour, and seide thus: “O thou unkinde Julius, Whan thou in thi bataille were Up in Aufrique, and I was there, Mi myht for thi rescousse I dede And putte noman in my stede, 2090 Thou wost what woundes ther I hadde: Bot hier I finde thee so badde, That thee ne liste speke o word Thin oghne mouth, nor of thin hord To yive a florin me to helpe. Hou scholde I thanne me beyelpe Fro this dai forth of thi largesse, Whan such a gret unkindenesse Is founde in such a lord as thou?”

This Julius knew wel ynou 2100 That al was soth which he him tolde; And for he wolde noght ben holde Unkinde, he tok his cause on honde, And as it were of goddes sonde, He yaf him good ynouh to spende For evere into his lives ende. And thus scholde every worthi king Take of his knihtes knowleching, Whan that he syh thei hadden nede, For every service axeth mede: 2110 Bot othre, which have noght deserved Thurgh vertu, bot of japes served, A king schal noght deserve grace, Thogh he be large in such a place.

It sit wel every king to have Discrecion, whan men him crave, So that he mai his yifte wite: Wherof I finde a tale write, Hou Cinichus a povere kniht A Somme which was over myht 2120 Preide of his king Antigonus. The king ansuerde to him thus, And seide hou such a yifte passeth His povere astat: and thanne he lasseth, And axeth bot a litel peny, If that the king wol yive him eny. The king ansuerde, it was to smal For him, which was a lord real; To yive a man so litel thing It were unworschipe in a king. 2130

Be this ensample a king mai lere That forto yive is in manere: For if a king his tresor lasseth Withoute honour and thonkles passeth, Whan he himself wol so beguile, I not who schal compleigne his while, Ne who be rihte him schal relieve. Bot natheles this I believe, To helpe with his oghne lond Behoveth every man his hond 2140 To sette upon necessite; And ek his kinges realte Mot every liege man conforte, With good and bodi to supporte, Whan thei se cause resonable: For who that is noght entendable To holde upriht his kinges name, Him oghte forto be to blame.

Of Policie and overmore To speke in this matiere more, 2150 So as the Philosophre tolde, A king after the reule is holde To modifie and to adresce Hise yiftes upon such largesce That he mesure noght excede: For if a king falle into nede, It causeth ofte sondri thinges Whiche are ungoodly to the kinges. What man wol noght himself mesure, Men sen fulofte that mesure 2160 Him hath forsake: and so doth he That useth Prodegalite, Which is the moder of poverte, Wherof the londes ben deserte; And namely whan thilke vice Aboute a king stant in office And hath withholde of his partie The covoitouse flaterie, Which many a worthi king deceiveth, Er he the fallas aperceiveth 2170 Of hem that serven to the glose. For thei that cunnen plese and glose, Ben, as men tellen, the norrices Unto the fostringe of the vices, Wherof fulofte natheles A king is blamed gulteles.

A Philosophre, as thou schalt hiere, Spak to a king of this matiere, And seide him wel hou that flatours Coupable were of thre errours. 2180 On was toward the goddes hihe, That weren wrothe of that thei sihe The meschief which befalle scholde Of that the false flatour tolde. Toward the king an other was, Whan thei be sleihte and be fallas Of feigned wordes make him wene That blak is whyt and blew is grene Touchende of his condicion: For whanne he doth extorcion 2190 With manye an other vice mo, Men schal noght finden on of tho To groucche or speke therayein, Bot holden up his oil and sein That al is wel, what evere he doth; And thus of fals thei maken soth, So that here kinges yhe is blent And wot not hou the world is went. The thridde errour is harm comune, With which the poeple mot commune 2200 Of wronges that thei bringen inne: And thus thei worchen treble sinne, That ben flatours aboute a king. Ther myhte be no worse thing Aboute a kinges regalie, Thanne is the vice of flaterie.

And natheles it hath ben used, That it was nevere yit refused As forto speke in court real; For there it is most special, 2210 And mai noght longe be forbore. Bot whan this vice of hem is bore, That scholden the vertus forthbringe, And trouthe is torned to lesinge, It is, as who seith, ayein kinde, Wherof an old ensample I finde.

Among these othre tales wise Of Philosophres, in this wise I rede, how whilom tuo ther were, And to the Scole forto lere 2220 Unto Athenes fro Cartage Here frendes, whan thei were of Age, Hem sende; and ther thei stoden longe, Til thei such lore have underfonge, That in here time thei surmonte Alle othre men, that to acompte Of hem was tho the grete fame. The ferste of hem his rihte name Was Diogenes thanne hote, In whom was founde no riote: 2230 His felaw Arisippus hyhte, Which mochel couthe and mochel myhte. Bot ate laste, soth to sein, Thei bothe tornen hom ayein Unto Cartage and scole lete. This Diogenes no beyete Of worldes good or lasse or more Ne soghte for his longe lore, Bot tok him only forto duelle At hom; and as the bokes telle, 2240 His hous was nyh to the rivere Besyde a bregge, as thou schalt hiere. Ther duelleth he to take his reste, So as it thoghte him for the beste, To studie in his Philosophie, As he which wolde so defie The worldes pompe on every syde.

Bot Arisippe his bok aside Hath leid, and to the court he wente, Wher many a wyle and many a wente 2250 With flaterie and wordes softe He caste, and hath compassed ofte Hou he his Prince myhte plese; And in this wise he gat him ese Of vein honour and worldes good. The londes reule upon him stod, The king of him was wonder glad, And all was do, what thing he bad, Bothe in the court and ek withoute. With flaterie he broghte aboute 2260 His pourpos of the worldes werk, Which was ayein the stat of clerk, So that Philosophie he lefte And to richesse himself uplefte: Lo, thus hadde Arisippe his wille.

Bot Diogenes duelte stille A home and loked on his bok: He soghte noght the worldes crok For vein honour ne for richesse, Bot all his hertes besinesse 2270 He sette to be vertuous; And thus withinne his oghne hous He liveth to the sufficance Of his havinge. And fell per chance, This Diogene upon a day, And that was in the Monthe of May, Whan that these herbes ben holsome, He walketh forto gadre some In his gardin, of whiche his joutes He thoghte have, and thus aboutes 2280 Whanne he hath gadred what him liketh, He satte him thanne doun and pyketh, And wyssh his herbes in the flod Upon the which his gardin stod, Nyh to the bregge, as I tolde er. And hapneth, whil he sitteth ther, Cam Arisippes be the strete With manye hors and routes grete, And straght unto the bregge he rod. Wher that he hoved and abod; 2290 For as he caste his yhe nyh, His felaw Diogene he syh, And what he dede he syh also, Wherof he seide to him so:

“O Diogene, god thee spede. It were certes litel nede To sitte there and wortes pyke, If thou thi Prince couthest lyke, So as I can in my degre.”

“O Arisippe,” ayein quod he, 2300 “If that thou couthist, so as I, Thi wortes pyke, trewely It were als litel nede or lasse, That thou so worldly wolt compasse With flaterie forto serve, Wherof thou thenkest to deserve Thi princes thonk, and to pourchace Hou thou myht stonden in his grace, For getinge of a litel good. If thou wolt take into thi mod 2310 Reson, thou myht be reson deeme That so thi prince forto queeme Is noght to reson acordant, Bot it is gretly descordant Unto the Scoles of Athene.” Lo, thus ansuerde Diogene Ayein the clerkes flaterie.

Bot yit men sen thessamplerie Of Arisippe is wel received, And thilke of Diogene is weyved. 2320 Office in court and gold in cofre Is nou, men sein, the philosophre Which hath the worschipe in the halle; Bot flaterie passeth alle In chambre, whom the court avanceth; For upon thilke lot it chanceth To be beloved nou aday. I not if it be ye or nay, Bot as the comun vois it telleth; Bot wher that flaterie duelleth 2330 In eny lond under the Sonne, Ther is ful many a thing begonne Which were betre to be left; That hath be schewed nou and eft.

Bot if a Prince wolde him reule Of the Romeins after the reule, In thilke time as it was used, This vice scholde be refused, Wherof the Princes ben assoted. Bot wher the pleine trouthe is noted, 2340 Ther may a Prince wel conceive, That he schal noght himself deceive, Of that he hiereth wordes pleine; For him thar noght be reson pleigne, That warned is er him be wo. And that was fully proeved tho, Whan Rome was the worldes chief, The Sothseiere tho was lief, Which wolde noght the trouthe spare, Bot with hise wordes pleine and bare 2350 To Themperour hise sothes tolde, As in Cronique is yit withholde, Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere Acordende unto this matiere.

To se this olde ensamplerie, That whilom was no flaterie Toward the Princes wel I finde; Wherof so as it comth to mynde, Mi Sone, a tale unto thin Ere, Whil that the worthi princes were 2360 At Rome, I thenke forto tellen. For whan the chances so befellen That eny Emperour as tho Victoire hadde upon his fo, And so forth cam to Rome ayein, Of treble honour he was certein, Wherof that he was magnefied. The ferste, as it is specefied, Was, whan he cam at thilke tyde, The Charr in which he scholde ryde 2370 Foure whyte Stiedes scholden drawe; Of Jupiter be thilke lawe The Cote he scholde were also; Hise prisoners ek scholden go Endlong the Charr on eyther hond, And alle the nobles of the lond Tofore and after with him come Ridende and broghten him to Rome, In thonk of his chivalerie And for non other flaterie. 2380 And that was schewed forth withal; Wher he sat in his Charr real, Beside him was a Ribald set, Which hadde hise wordes so beset, To themperour in al his gloire He seide, “Tak into memoire, For al this pompe and al this pride Let no justice gon aside, Bot know thiself, what so befalle. For men sen ofte time falle 2390 Thing which men wende siker stonde: Thogh thou victoire have nou on honde, Fortune mai noght stonde alway; The whiel per chance an other day Mai torne, and thou myht overthrowe; Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe.”

With these wordes and with mo This Ribald, which sat with him tho, To Themperour his tale tolde: And overmor what evere he wolde, 2400 Or were it evel or were it good, So pleinly as the trouthe stod, He spareth noght, bot spekth it oute; And so myhte every man aboute The day of that solempnete His tale telle als wel as he To Themperour al openly. And al was this the cause why; That whil he stod in that noblesse, He scholde his vanite represse 2410 With suche wordes as he herde.

Lo nou, hou thilke time it ferde Toward so hih a worthi lord: For this I finde ek of record, Which the Cronique hath auctorized. What Emperour was entronized, The ferste day of his corone, Wher he was in his real Throne And hield his feste in the paleis Sittende upon his hihe deis 2420 With al the lust that mai be gete, Whan he was gladdest at his mete, And every menstral hadde pleid, And every Disour hadde seid What most was plesant to his Ere, Than ate laste comen there Hise Macons, for thei scholden crave Wher that he wolde be begrave, And of what Ston his sepulture Thei scholden make, and what sculpture 2430 He wolde ordeine therupon.

Tho was ther flaterie non The worthi princes to bejape; The thing was other wise schape With good conseil; and otherwise Thei were hemselven thanne wise, And understoden wel and knewen. Whan suche softe wyndes blewen Of flaterie into here Ere, Thei setten noght here hertes there; 2440 Bot whan thei herden wordes feigned, The pleine trouthe it hath desdeigned Of hem that weren so discrete. So tok the flatour no beyete Of him that was his prince tho: And forto proven it is so, A tale which befell in dede In a Cronique of Rome I rede.

Cesar upon his real throne Wher that he sat in his persone 2450 And was hyest in al his pris, A man, which wolde make him wys, Fell doun knelende in his presence, And dede him such a reverence, As thogh the hihe god it were: Men hadden gret mervaille there Of the worschipe which he dede. This man aros fro thilke stede, And forth with al the same tyde He goth him up and be his side 2460 He set him doun as pier and pier, And seide, “If thou that sittest hier Art god, which alle thinges myht, Thanne have I do worshipe ariht As to the god; and other wise, If thou be noght of thilke assisse, Bot art a man such as am I, Than mai I sitte faste by, For we be bothen of o kinde.”

Cesar ansuerde and seide, “O blinde, 2470 Thou art a fol, it is wel sene Upon thiself: for if thou wene I be a god, thou dost amys To sitte wher thou sest god is; And if I be a man, also Thou hast a gret folie do, Whan thou to such on as schal deie The worschipe of thi god aweie Hast yoven so unworthely. Thus mai I prove redely, 2480 Thou art noght wys.” And thei that herde Hou wysly that the king ansuerde, It was to hem a newe lore; Wherof thei dradden him the more, And broghten nothing to his Ere, Bot if it trouthe and reson were. So be ther manye, in such a wise That feignen wordes to be wise, And al is verray flaterie To him which can it wel aspie. 2490

The kinde flatour can noght love Bot forto bringe himself above; For hou that evere his maister fare, So that himself stonde out of care, Him reccheth noght: and thus fulofte Deceived ben with wordes softe The kinges that ben innocent. Wherof as for chastiement The wise Philosophre seide, What king that so his tresor leide 2500 Upon such folk, he hath the lesse, And yit ne doth he no largesse, Bot harmeth with his oghne hond Himself and ek his oghne lond, And that be many a sondri weie. Wherof if that a man schal seie, As forto speke in general, Wher such thing falleth overal That eny king himself misreule, The Philosophre upon his reule 2510 In special a cause sette, Which is and evere hath be the lette In governance aboute a king Upon the meschief of the thing, And that, he seith, is Flaterie. Wherof tofore as in partie What vice it is I have declared; For who that hath his wit bewared Upon a flatour to believe, Whan that he weneth best achieve 2520 His goode world, it is most fro. And forto proeven it is so Ensamples ther ben manyon, Of whiche if thou wolt knowen on, It is behovely forto hiere What whilom fell in this matiere.

Among the kinges in the bible I finde a tale, and is credible, Of him that whilom Achab hihte, Which hadde al Irahel to rihte; 2530 Bot who that couthe glose softe And flatre, suche he sette alofte In gret astat and made hem riche; Bot thei that spieken wordes liche To trouthe and wolde it noght forbere, For hem was non astat to bere, The court of suche tok non hiede. Til ate laste upon a nede, That Benedab king of Surie Of Irahel a gret partie, 2540 Which Ramoth Galaath was hote, Hath sesed; and of that riote He tok conseil in sondri wise, Bot noght of hem that weren wise. And natheles upon this cas To strengthen him, for Josaphas, Which thanne was king of Judee, He sende forto come, as he Which thurgh frendschipe and alliance Was next to him of aqueintance; 2550 For Joram Sone of Josaphath Achabbes dowhter wedded hath, Which hihte faire Godelie. And thus cam into Samarie King Josaphat, and he fond there The king Achab: and whan thei were Togedre spekende of this thing, This Josaphat seith to the king, Hou that he wolde gladly hiere Som trew prophete in this matiere, 2560 That he his conseil myhte yive To what point that it schal be drive.

And in that time so befell, Ther was such on in Irahel, Which sette him al to flaterie, And he was cleped Sedechie; And after him Achab hath sent: And he at his comandement Tofore him cam, and be a sleyhte He hath upon his heved on heyhte 2570 Tuo large hornes set of bras, As he which al a flatour was, And goth rampende as a leoun And caste hise hornes up and doun, And bad men ben of good espeir, For as the hornes percen their, He seith, withoute resistence, So wiste he wel of his science That Benedab is desconfit. Whan Sedechie upon this plit 2580 Hath told this tale to his lord, Anon ther were of his acord Prophetes false manye mo To bere up oil, and alle tho Affermen that which he hath told, Wherof the king Achab was bold And yaf hem yiftes al aboute. But Josaphat was in gret doute, And hield fantosme al that he herde, Preiende Achab, hou so it ferde, 2590 If ther were eny other man, The which of prophecie can, To hiere him speke er that thei gon. Quod Achab thanne, “Ther is on, A brothell, which Micheas hihte; Bot he ne comth noght in my sihte, For he hath longe in prison lein. Him liketh nevere yit to sein A goodly word to mi plesance; And natheles at thin instance 2600 He schal come oute, and thanne he may Seie as he seide many day; For yit he seide nevere wel.” Tho Josaphat began somdel To gladen him in hope of trouthe, And bad withouten eny slouthe That men him scholden fette anon. And thei that weren for him gon, Whan that thei comen wher he was, Thei tolden unto Micheas 2610 The manere hou that Sedechie Declared hath his prophecie; And therupon thei preie him faire That he wol seie no contraire, Wherof the king mai be desplesed, For so schal every man ben esed, And he mai helpe himselve also.

Micheas upon trouthe tho His herte sette, and to hem seith, Al that belongeth to his feith 2620 And of non other feigned thing, That wol he telle unto his king, Als fer as god hath yove him grace. Thus cam this prophete into place Wher he the kinges wille herde; And he therto anon ansuerde, And seide unto him in this wise: “Mi liege lord, for mi servise, Which trewe hath stonden evere yit, Thou hast me with prisone aquit; 2630 Bot for al that I schal noght glose Of trouthe als fer as I suppose; And as touchende of this bataille, Thou schalt noght of the sothe faile. For if it like thee to hiere, As I am tauht in that matiere, Thou miht it understonde sone; Bot what is afterward to done Avise thee, for this I sih. I was tofor the throne on hih, 2640 Wher al the world me thoghte stod, And there I herde and understod The vois of god with wordes cliere Axende, and seide in this manere: “In what thing mai I best beguile The king Achab?” And for a while Upon this point thei spieken faste. Tho seide a spirit ate laste, “I undertake this emprise.” And god him axeth in what wise. 2650 “I schal,” quod he, “deceive and lye With flaterende prophecie In suche mouthes as he lieveth.” And he which alle thing achieveth Bad him go forth and don riht so. And over this I sih also The noble peple of Irahel Dispers as Schep upon an hell, Withoute a kepere unarraied: And as thei wente aboute astraied, 2660 I herde a vois unto hem sein, “Goth hom into your hous ayein, Til I for you have betre ordeigned.”

Quod Sedechie, “Thou hast feigned This tale in angringe of the king.” And in a wraththe upon this thing He smot Michee upon the cheke; The king him hath rebuked eke, And every man upon him cride: Thus was he schent on every side, 2670 Ayein and into prison lad, For so the king himselve bad. The trouthe myhte noght ben herd; Bot afterward as it hath ferd, The dede proveth his entente: Achab to the bataille wente, Wher Benedab for al his Scheld Him slouh, so that upon the feld His poeple goth aboute astray. Bot god, which alle thinges may, 2680 So doth that thei no meschief have; Here king was ded and thei ben save, And hom ayein in goddes pes Thei wente, and al was founde les That Sedechie hath seid tofore.