Part 12

[Sidenote: Eschew unfit men, for this shall be thy meed in the day of judgment.] Eſchew tharfor, for this ſal be thi meid Apone the day when al thing goith aright, Whar none excuß hidyng ſchal ye lyght; 1632 But he the Iug, that no man may ſuſſpek, Eu{er}y thing ful Iuſtly ſal correk. Be-war thar-w{i}t{h}, as before have I told, And cheß them wyſly that thi low ſhal hold. 1636 And als I will that it well oft be sen, Richt to thi-self how thei thi low {con}ten; [Sidenote: Be diligent to inquire how judgment is given.] And how the Right, and how the dom is went, For to Inquer that yow be delygent. 1640 And punyß for, for o thing ſhal yow know, [Fol. 21.] The most treſpas is to ſubuert the low, So that yow be not in thar gilt accuſit, And frome the froit of bliſſit folk refuſit. 1644 [Sidenote: Visit every chief town throughout the bounds of thy kingdom.] And pas yow ſhalt to euery chef toune, Throw-out the boundis of thi Regioune Whar yow ſall be, that Iuſtice be Elyk With-out diuiſione baith to pur {and} ryk. 1648 And that thi puple have [ane] awdiens W{i}t{h} thar complant{is}, and alſo thi p{rese}ns; For qwho his eris frome the puple ſtekith, And not his hond in ther ſupport furth rekith, 1652 His dom ſall be ful grewous & ful hard, When he ſal cry and he ſal no{ch}t be hard. [Sidenote: Give thine ears to the poor.] Wharfor thyne eris ifith to the pwre, Bot in redreß of ned, & not of i{n}Iure; 1656 Thus ſall thei don of Reſſone & knawlag.

[Sidenote: Kings, while minors, may be excused; but, when of age, they must punish those that have wrested justice.] ++But king{is} when thei ben of tend{er} ag, Y wil not ſay I traſt thei ben excuſit, Bot ſchortly thei ſall be ſar accuſit, 1660 When ſo thei cum to yheris of Reſone, If thei tak not full contriſioune, And pwnyß them that hath ther low myſgyit. That this is trouth it may not be denyit; 1664 For vther ways thei ſal them not diſcharg, [Excep thei pwnyß them that have the charg][T39] One eſtatis of ther realm, that ſhold W{i}t{h}-in his ȝouth ſe that his low be hold.[T40] 1668 [Sidenote: Temper justice with mercy.] And thus thow the, w{i}t{h} mercy, kep alway Of Iuſtice furt{h} the ilk bleſſit way.

[Footnote T39: A blank space here occurs, just sufficient to contain one line.] [Footnote T40: MS. “behold.”]

[Sidenote: Be true and stable in thy words.] ++And of thi wordis beis trew and ſtable, Spek not to mych, nore be not vareable. 1672 O king{is} word ſhuld be o king{is} bonde, And ſaid It is, a king{is} word ſhuld ſtond; O king{is} word, among our fad{er}is old, Al-out more p{re}cious & more ſur was hold 1676 Than was the oth or ſeel of any wight; [Sidenote: A king should be the very light of truth.] O king of trouth ſuld be the werray lyght, So treuth and Iuſtice to o king accordyth. And als, as thir clerk{is} old recordith, 1680 [T41] ++In tyme is larges and humilitee Right well according vnto hie dugre, And pleſſith boith to god and man al-so; Wharfor I wil, in{con}tine{n}t thow go, 1684 [Fol. 21b.] And of thi lond in euery p{ar}t abide, Whar yow gar fet and clep one eu{er}y ſid Out of thi cuntreis, and ek out of thi tovnis, [Sidenote: Invite thy dukes, earls, great barons, thy poor knights, and thy bachelors, and welcome them severally.] Thi duk{is}, erlis, and thi gret baronis, 1688 Thi pur kny{ch}t{is}, and thi bach[e]ler{is}, And them reſauf als hartly as afferis, And be them-ſelf yow welcum them ilkon: Syne, them to glaid and cheris, thee diſpone 1692 With feſting and with humyll {con}tynans.

[Footnote T41: The initial I is illuminated; rather because there is here a change of subject than because it begins a new sentence.]

[Headnote: KINGS SHOULD CHERISH ALL MEN.]

Be not penſyve, nore proud in arrogans, [Sidenote: Keep company not with the rich man only, but with the poor worthy man also.] Bot w{i}t{h} them hold in gladnes cumpany; Not with the Rich nor myghty an{er}ly, 1696 Bot with the pure worthi man alſo, W{i}t{h} them thow ſit, w{i}t{h} them yow ryd and go. I ſay not to be our fameliar, For, as the moſt philoſephur can duclar, 1700 [Sidenote: Yet remember that familiarity breeds contempt.] To mych to oyß familiaritee Contempnyng bryngith one to hie dugre; Bot cherice them w{i}t{h} wordis fair depay{n}t, So with thi pupelle ſal yow the aquay{n}t. 1704 [Sidenote: Choose out of each district an aged knight to be thy counsellor.] Than of ilk cuntre wyſly yow enquere An agit kny{ch}t to be thi conſulere, That haith ben hold in armys Richt fam{us}, Wyß and diſcret, & no thing Inwy{us}; 1708 For there is non that knowith ſo wel, I-wyß, O worthy man as he that worthi Is.

[Headnote: KINGS MUST BE LIBERAL.]

[Sidenote: When thou hast sojourned long in a place, then provide thee with plenty of horses, armour, gold, silver, and clothing;] When well long haith yow ſwiornyt i{n} a place, And well acqueynt the v{i}t{h} thi puple has, 1712 Than ſhalt thow ordand & p{ro}wid the Of horß and ek of armour gret plente; Of gold, and ſilu{er}, tressore, and cleithing, And euery Riches that lo{n}gith to o king; 1716 [Sidenote: and, before leaving, distribute gifts liberally.] And when the lykith for to tak thi leif, By largeß thus yow thi reward geif, First to the pure worthy honorable, That is til armys and til ma{n}hed able; 1720 (Set he be pur, ȝhit worſchip in hyme bidith); [Sidenote: Give to the poor worthy man the horse thou thyself ridest.] If hyme the horß one wich thi-ſelwyne Ridith, And bid hyme that he Rid hyme for yhour ſak; Syne til hyme gold and ſilu{er} yow betak; 1724 The horß to hyme for worſchip and prowes, The treſor for his fredome and larges. If moſt of Riches and of Cheriſing; [Fol. 22a.] Eftir this gud kny{ch}t berith vitneſing. 1728 [Sidenote: Give to thy tenants and vavasours easy hackneys, palfries, and coursers.] Syne to thi te{n}nand{is} & to thi wawaſouris If eſſy haknays, palfrais, and curſouris, And robis ſich as pleſand ben and fair; Syne to thi lord{is}, wich at my{ch}ty aire, 1732 [Sidenote: Give to thy lords things strange and uncouth.] As duk{is}, erlis, princ{is}, and ek king{is}, Yow if them ſtrang, yow if them vncout{h} thing{is}, As diu{er}ß iowell{is}, and ek p{re}ciouß ſtonis, Or halk{is}, hundis, ordinit for the nonis, 1736 Or wantone horß that can no{ch}t ſtand in ſtāble; Thar gift{is} mot be fair and delitable. Thus, firſt vn to the vorthi pur yow if Giftis, that may ther pouerte Releif; 1740 And to the rich ift{is} of pleſans, That thei be fair, ſet no{ch}t of gret ſubſtans; For riches aſkith no thing bot delyt, And powert haith ay ane appetyt 1744 For to support ther ned and Indigens: Thus ſhall yow if and makith thi diſpens. [Sidenote: So, too, shall the queen give to maidens and ladies,] And ek the quen, my lady, ſhalt alſo To madenis and to ladeis, quhar ȝhe go, 1748 If, and cheriß one the ſamyne wyß; [Sidenote: for all thy welfare lies in liberality.] For in to largeß al thi welfar lyis. And if thy gift{is} with ſich {con}tinans That thei be ſen ay gifyne v{i}t{h} pleſans; 1752 The wyß man ſais, and ſuth it is app{ro}uit, Thar is no thonk, thar is no ift alowit, Bot It be ifyne In to ſich manere, [Sidenote: Remember that the giver should be as glad in his cheer as the receiver.] (That is to ſay, als glaid i{n} to his chere), 1756 As he the wich the ift of hyme Reſauith; And do he not, the gifar is diſſauith.

[Headnote: LIBERAL KINGS ARE LOVED IN LIFE,]

For who that iff{is}, as he not if wald, Mor p{ro}fit war his ift for to w{i}t{h}-hald; 1760 His thonk he tynith, and his ift alſo. Bot that thow ifith, if w{i}t{h} boith two, [Sidenote: Give with both hand and heart at once;] That is to ſay, vith hart and hand atonis; And ſo the wyſman ay ye ift diſponis. 1764 Beith larg and iff{is} frely of thi thing; [Sidenote: for liberality is the treasure of a king.] For largeß is the treſour of o king, And not this other Iowell{is} nor this gold That is in to thi treſory with-holde. 1768 Who gladly iffith, be vertew of larges [Fol. 22b.] [Sidenote: Whoso gives liberally, his treasury increases.] His treſory encreſis of Richeſß, And ſal aȝañe the mor al-out reſawe. [Sidenote: For the receiver shall place his goods at the king’s disposal,] For he to quhome he ȝewith ſall hawe, 1772 Firſt his body, ſyne his hart with two, His gudis al for to diſpone also [Sidenote: who shall gain, moreover, both worship and praise.] In his ſ{er}uice; and mor atour he ſhall Have O thing, and that is beſt of all; 1776 That is to ſay, the worſchip and the loß That vpone larges in this world furth goß. And yow ſhal knaw the lawbour & the preß In to this erth about the gret Richeß. 1780 [Sidenote: Is there any labour except for meat and clothing? All the remnant is for fame.] Is ony, bot[T42] apone the cauß we see Of met, of cloth, & of p{ro}ſperitee? All the remanant ſtant apone the name Of purches, furth apone this world{is} fame. 1784 And well yow wot, in thyne allegians Ful many Is, the wich haith ſufficians Of euery thing that longith to ther ned; 1787 What haith yow more, qwich [haith] them al to lede, For al thi Realmys and thi gret Riches, If that yow lak of worſchip the encreß? Well leß, al-out; for eft{er} thar eſtate Thei have vorſchip, and kepith It al-gat; 1792 And yow degradith al thyne hie dugree, That ſo ſchuld ſhyne In to nobelitee, Throuch wys and throw the wrechitneß of hart.

[Footnote T42: MS. “Is ony bout bot;” “bout” being defaced.]

[Headnote: AND COMMENDED AFTER DEATH.]

[Sidenote: Knowest thou not what shall be thy part, when thou passest away from this world?] And knowis yow not what ſall be[T43] thi part, 1796 Out of this world when yow ſal paß the courß? Fair well, I-wyß! yow neu{er} ſhall Recourß Whar no prince more ſhall the subiet[T44] have, But be als dep in to the erd y-grave, 1800 [Sidenote: Virtue and honour will alone remain.] Sauf vertew only and worſchip wich abidith; W{i}t{h} them the world apone the laif dewidith; [Sidenote: And if thy successor be liberal, he will be commended of the world;] And if he, wich ſhal eftir the ſucced, By larges ſpend, of quhich that yhow had dreid, 1804 He of the world comendit is and priſit, And yow ſtant furth of euery thing diſpiſit; The puple ſaith and demyth thus of thee, “Now is he gone, a werray vrech was hee, 1808 And he the wich that is our king and lord Boith wertew haith & larges in accorde; Welcum be he!” and ſo the puple ſoundith. Thus through thi viß his wertew mor aboundith, 1812 [Fol. 23a.] [Sidenote: and his virtue will abound through thy vice.] And his vertew the more thi wice furth ſchawith. Wharfor ȝhe, wich that princes ben y-knawith, Lat not yhour vrechit hart so yhow dant, That he that cu{m}myth next yhow may awant 1816 To be mor larg, nore more to be co{m}mendit;

[Footnote T43: MS. has “by.”] [Footnote T44: MS. has “subei^et.”] [[superscript e only]]

[Headnote: LIBERAL KINGS WIN SUBJECTS,]

[Sidenote: Riches well spent are the best kept.] Best kepit Is the Riches well diſpendit. O ȝhe, the wich that king{is} ben, fore ſham Remembrith yhow, this world hath bot o naam̅ 1820 Of good or ewill, eft{er} ȝhe ar gone! And wyſly tharfor cheſſith yhow the toñ Wich moſt accordith to nobilitee, And knytith larges to yhour hie degre. 1824 For qwhar that fredome In O p{ri}nce Ri{n}gnis, It bryngith In the victory of king{is}, And makith realmys and puple boith to dout, And ſubect{is}[T45] of the cuntre al about. 1828 [Sidenote: Whoso will be a conqueror, let him not reck to give largely.] And qwho that thinkith ben o co{n}querour, Suppos his largeß ſumquhat pas myſour, Ne rak he nat, bot frely iffith ay; And as he wynyth, beis var al-way 1832 To mych nor ȝhit to gredy that he hold, Wich ſal the hart{is} of the puple colde. [Sidenote: Both love and fear spring from liberality.] And low and radour cu{m}myth boith two Of larges; Reid and ȝhe ſal fynd It ſo. 1836 Alex{ander} this lord the warld that wan, Firſt w{i}t{h} the ſuerd of larges he began, [Sidenote: Alexander gave so liberally,] And as he wynith ifith largely, He rakith No thing bot of cheuelry; 1840 Wharfor of hyme ſo paſſith the Renown, [Sidenote: that many cities desired to have such a lord,] That many o cetee, and many o ſtrang towñ Of his worſchip that herith the Recorde, Diſſirith ſo to haveing ſich o lorde; 1844 [Sidenote: and offered themselves peaceably to him, though they were manly men of war.] And offerith them w{i}t{h}-outen ſtrok of ſpere, Suppos that thei war manly men of were, But only for his gentilleß that thei Have hard; and ſo he louit was al-way 1848 For his larges, humilitee, and manhed, W{i}t{h} his awn folk, that neu{er}more, we Reid, For al his weris nor his gret trawell, [Fol. 23b.] In al his tym that thei hyme onys faill; 1852 Bot in his worſchip al thar beſynes Thei ſet, and lewith in to no diſtres; Whar-throw the ſuerd of victory he berith.

[Footnote T45: Or “subett{is}.”]

[Headnote: BUT UNJUST ONES DESPOIL THEM.]

[Sidenote: Many princes bear the palm of victory, through liberality;] And many prince full oft the palm werith, 1856 As has ben hard, by largeß, of before, In conqueringe of Rignis & of glore. [Sidenote: while miserliness hath made realms desolate.] And wrechitnes Richt ſo, in the contrar, Haith Realmys maid ful deſolat & bare, 1860 And king{is} broght doun from ful hie eſtat; And who that Red ther old buk{is}, wat The vicis lef, the wertew have in mynde, And takith larges In his awn kynd; 1864 [Sidenote: Choose the mean between prodigality and avarice.] A-myd ſtanding of the vicis two, Prodegalitee and awerice alſo. Wharfor her-of It nedith not to more, So mych ther-of haith clerk{is} vrit to-fore. 1868 [Sidenote: Whoso chooses to be liberal,] Bot who the wertw of larges & the law Sal cheß, mot ned conſidir well & knaw [Sidenote: must understand three things: the _amount he has_, to _whom_ he giveth, and the _fit time_ for giving.] In to hyme-ſelf, and thir thre wnd{er}ſtande, The ſubſtans firſt, the powar of his land, 1872 Whome to he iffith, and the cauß wharfore, The nedful tyme awatith eu{er}more. Kepith thir thre; for qwho that ſal exced His rent, he fallith ſodandly in nede. 1876 [Sidenote: (1) The king that becomes _indigent_ overthrows his subjects.] And ſo the king, that on to myſt{er} drowis, His subiett{is} and his puple he our-thrawis, And them diſpolȝeith boith of lond and Rent; So is the king, ſo is the puple ſchent. 1880 [Sidenote: For the voice of the oppressed shrieketh up ceaselessly to heaven;] For-quhi the woice It ſcrik[i]th vp ful ewyne W{i}t{h}-out abaid, and paſſith to the hewyne, Whar god hyme-ſelf reſauith ther the crye Of the oppreſioune and the teranny, 1884 [Sidenote: and God smiteth down with the sword of vengeance.] And vith the ſuerd of wengans dou{n} y-ſmytith, The wich that caruith al to ſor, and bitith, And hyme diſtroyth, as has ben hard or this Of euery king that wirkith ſich o mys. 1888 For ther is few eſchapith them, It ſall [Sidenote: For God hath given the king the wand of justice:] Boith vpone hyme & his ſucceſſione fall; For he forſuth haith ifyne hyme the wond To Iuſtefy and Reull in pece his lond, 1892 [Fol. 24a.] The puple all ſubmytit to his cure; And he aȝan one to no creatur Save only ſhall vn to his gode obey.

[Headnote: BEWARE OF INJUSTICE AND FLATTERY.]

And if he paſſith ſo far out of the wey, 1896 [Sidenote: and if he oppresses them whom he should rule,] Them to oppreß, that he ſhuld reul & gid, Ther heritag, there gwdis to dewide, Ye, wnd{er} whome that he moſt nedis ſtond, [Sidenote: God shall stretch His mighty hand for correction.] At correccioune ſal ſtrek his my{ch}ty hond, 1900 Not euery day, bot ſhal at onys fall On hyme, mayhap, and his ſucceſcione all. [Sidenote: Herein, alas! is the blindness of kings.] In this, allace! the blynd{is} of the king{is}, And Is the fall of princ{is} and of Rygnis. 1904 The moſt wertew, the gret Intellegens, [Sidenote: The blessed token of a king’s wisdom is for him to restrain his hand from his people’s riches.] The bleſſit tokyne of wyſdom and prudens Iſß, in o king, for to reſtren his honde Frome his pupleis Riches & ther lond. 1908 Mot euery king have this wice i{n} mynd In tyme, and not when that he ned fynde! And in thi larges beith war, I pray, [Sidenote: (2) Choose a _fitting time_.] Of nedful tyme, for than is beſt alway. 1912 [Sidenote: (3) Take care _to whom_ you give.] Awyß the ek quhome to that thow ſalt if, Of there fam, and ek how that thei leif; [Sidenote: Let not the virtuous and the vicious stand in the same degree.] And of the wertws and wicious folk alſo, I the beſeich dewidith well thir two, 1916 So that thei ſtond no{ch}t in[to] o degree; Diſcreccioune ſall mak the diu{er}ſitee, Wich clepith the mod{er} of al vertewis.

[Headnote: FLATTERERS SUCCEED WHEN KINGS ARE FOOLISH.]

[Sidenote: Beware of flattery.] And beith war, I the beſeich of this, 1920 That is to ſay of flatry, wich that longith To court, and al the king{is} larges fongith. The vertuouß man no thing thar-of reſauith, The flatterer{is} now ſo the king diſſauith 1924 And blyndith them that wot no thing, I-wyß, When thei do well, or quhen thei do o myß; And latith king{is} oft til wnd{er}ſtonde Thar vicis, and ek ye falt{is} of ther lond. 1928 In to the realme about o king Is holde [Sidenote: A flatterer is worse than a storm or a pestilence.] O flatterere were than is the ſtormys cold, Or peſtelens, and mor the realme anoyith; For he the law and puple boith diſtroyith. 1932 [Sidenote: Three things make flatterers in favour.] And in to principall ben ther three thing{is}, [Fol. 24b.] That cauſſith flattereris ſtonding w{i}t{h} the king{is}; [Sidenote: First, the blind ignorance of kings.] And on, It is the blyndit Ignorans Of king{is}, wich that hath no gou{er}nans 1936 To wnd{er}ſtond who doith ſich o myß; But who that fareſt ſchewith hym, I-wyß, Moſt ſuffiſith and beſt to his pleſans. Wo to the realme that havith ſich o chans! 1940 [Sidenote: Secondly, where a king is vicious himself.] And ſecundly, quhar that o king Is Weciuß hyme-ſelf, he cheriſſith, ywys, Al them the wich that one to vicis ſoundith, Whar-throw that vicis and flattery ek aboundith. 1944 [Sidenote: Thirdly, where the king is so foolish, that he knows their flattery, yet withdraws from reproving them.] The thrid, is the ilk ſchrewit harrmful wice, Wich makith o king w{i}t{h}in hyme-ſelf ſo nyce, That al thar flattry and ther gilt he knowith In to his wit, and ȝhit he hyme w{i}t{h}-drowith 1948 Them to repref, and of ther vicis he wot; And this It is wich that diſſemblyng hot, That in no way accordith for o king. Is he not ſet abuf apone his Ri{n}gne, 1952 As ſou{er}ane his puple for to lede? [Sidenote: Why should a king spare to say the truth?] Whi ſchuld he ſpare, or quhom of ſchuld he dred To ſay the treuth, as he of Right is hold? And if ſo ware that al the king{is} wold, 1956 When that his leg{is} comytit ony wyce, As beith not to ſchamful, nore to nyce, That thei preſume that he is negligent, [Sidenote: He should reprove without dissembling, as it is fitting.] But als far as he thinkith that thei myß-went, 1960 But diſſemblyng reprewith as afferis; And pwnice them quhar pwnyſing Requeris, Sauf only m{er}cy in the tyme of ned. And ſo o king he ſchuld his puple led, 1964 That no treſpaß, that cu{m}myth in his way, Shuld paß his hond wne-pwniſt away; Nore no good deid in to the ſamyn degree, Nore no wertew, ſuld wn-Reuardid bee. 1968 [Sidenote: Then flattery, that now is high, should be low.] Than flattry ſhuld, that now is he, be low, And wice from the king{is} court w{i}t{h}-drow; His miniſt{er}is that ſhuld the Iuſtice reull, Shuld kep well furt{h} of quiet & reull, 1972 That now, god wat, as It conſerwit Is, The ſtere is loſt, and al is gon amys; And vertew ſhuld hame to the court hyme dreß, [Fol. 25a.] That exillith goith in to the wild{er}nes. 1976

[Headnote: WISE KINGS MAKE A WISE PEOPLE.]