Part 12

And [gh]it mare, suld a King be temperit and messurit in his conuersacioun, and repair amang folk, in placis public, our oft tymes; ffor ony thing that Commouns seis oure oft thai prise all the lesse. And quhen it is seldyn sene it gevis folk in mare grete desyre to se it agayne ay mare and mare; and for this cause the grete Souldane of Babilone cummys bot thrise in the [gh]ere in publik audience furthwart, and than quhen he cummys furthwart, on thre festuale dayes, he cummys rydand with sik a state and solempnitee that all the peple desyris and presses the mare to se him, na he rade euery day, or euery wolk or moneth; bot gif it be quhen that he rydis in werefare, and than all his peple and cheualrye may se him.

And suppose I mycht [gh]it compile and gader togedir mony Vertues and properteis that suld be in a Prince, and als mony thingis of Mysgouernaunce that he suld eschew: Bot in gude faith the Doctour sais, that he was sa irkit of wryting, that he mycht nocht as now na mare tak on hand as to put in this Buke of Bataillis; bot and God geve him lyve dayes, he sais, in his conclusioun of his Buke, he sall compile a Trety of propereteis of Gude Condiciouns bathe of Temparale men and of men of Kirk, that sall be gude and prouffitable for all men, that on lukis bathe langand the gouernaunce of thair office and digniteis, as may be compylit be the foundement of Haly Writt, and efter the Lawis writtyn. Bot here he prayis to God mekely that he send grace and gude gouernaunce to the Prince that he has compilit this wrytt for, and maid this Buke till, that is to say King Philip[20] of Fraunce, and geue him grace sa to reule his realme, and his ryall magestee and estate, that God be payit of him, and bring him till his euerlestand joye of Paradise at his ending, and all his frendis and wele willaris. IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI. AMEN.

_Explicit Liber Bellorum, sed potius Dolorum, ut rescitat Doctor in pluribus, etc._

[Decoration]

No. II.

HERE BEFORE ENDIS THE BUKE OF BATAILLES, AND HERE EFTER BEGYNNYS

THE BUKE OF THE ORDERE OF KNYCHTHEDE.

[THIS PORTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT, FROM FOL. 85, TO FOL. 103, IS CONTAINED IN THE PRESENT VOLUME.]

[Decoration]

No. III.

[Fol. 103. b.]

HERE ENDIS THE BUKE OF THE ORDRE OF KNYCHTHEDE; AND BEGYNNIS THE BUKE CALLIT

THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNAUNCE OF PRINCIS, ETC.

HERE BEGYNNYS THE TABLE OF THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNAUNCE OF PRINCIS.

And first of the Prolog of the first fyndyng, and interpretacioun of the said Buke out of diuerse langagis, etc.

Item, Of the first Pistle fend fra Alexander till Arestotil to ask him counsale of the Gouernaunce of Perse new conquest; and of the form of the Epistle, and of his Ansuere.

Item, Of ane othir of thé Ansueris of Aristotle till Alexander; and the forme of the Epistle send fra Aristotle of his opynion.

The First chapiter is, How thare is four maneris of Kingis. 1 How auarice and fule largess suld be eschewit in a King. 2 How Princis and Kingis suld sett them for gude renoun here. 3 How thai suld eschew all outrageous carnall lustis and appetitis. 4 Quhat kynde of sapience efferis to Kingis, Princis, and grete Lordis. 5 Quhatkyn habyt anournement and clething thai suld haue. 6 How Kingis and Princis suld punyse mysdoaris, and honour gude men. 7 How thai suld haue in thame justice and equitee with merci. 8 Quhatkyn plesance, deduytis, and recreaciouns Princis suld tak. 9 How punycioun suld be maid efter the case and state of persons. 10 How Princis may be lyknyt to the dew of the hevyn. 11 How Kingis and Princis are of the samyn nature with symple men. 12 How thai suld delyte thame in bukis of stories of Vertues and Vicis, and of othir honourable dedis of alde Ancestry, and of wisedome. 13 How thai sulde kepe gude faith and lautee till all Mankynde euer. 14 How Princis suld found scolis and studyes of sciences in thair contreis. 15 How thai suld nocht gouerne thame be women, na trow thair counsale. 16 How thai suld nocht traist anerly in a medicine, but ma. 17 How Princes suld gouerne thame be a wyse Clerk, expert in astronomy. 18 Off the science of astronomy, and of the divisioun of it. 19 How Princis suld atoure all thing tak kepe to thair hele. 20 How and in quhat maner thai suld gouerne thair hele keping. 21 Here declaris the Philosophour certane documentis of medicyne. 22 Here declaris the Philosophour certane secrete documentis of medicyne. 23 Here declaris he the four rathis of the [gh]ere, and first of Ver. 24 And first of the kynde of the sesoun of Somer. 25 And syne of the third sesoun that is callit Hervist. 26 And syne of the nature of the Wynter. 27 Quhat thingis fattis or lenys men maist. 28 Here declaris the Philosophour ane othir poynt of medicyne. 29 Quhat kyndis of metis ar best for man. 30 Off syndry kyndis of wateris, and thair naturis. 31 Off syndry kyndis of wynis, and thair naturis. 32 Off bathis and stuphis [stoves], and thair gouernaunce and proffittis. 33 Quhat justice efferis till a Prince or a King. 34 How a Prince or a King suld ken himself. 35 How Kingis and Princis suld gouerne be grete counsale. 36 How the Man is maid of the four elementis. 37 How Princis suld haue discrete Secretaris. 38 How thai suld have discrete and traist messageris. 39 How the Prince and the Peple are comperit till a gardyn. 40

EXPLICIT TABULA DE REGIMINE PRINCIPUM.

HERE BEGYNNIS THE BUKE CALLIT THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNANCE OF PRINCIS, THAT IS CALLIT THE SECRETE OF SECRETIS, MAID BE ARISTOTYLL TILL ALEXANDER THE GRAND: AND FIRST THE PROLOUG AS IT IS CONTENYT IN THE FRANCH BUKE.

PROLOGUS.

Here declaris the Autour of this Buke that a clerk, callit Fair Patrix, wyse in all langagis fand in Grece, kepit within a temple, callit the Temple of the Sonne, (the quhilk the noble philosophour Esculapius had gert mak,) this Buke of the Secretis of Aristotle in language of Grew; the quhilk he translatit out of Grew in the langage of Caldee, the quhilk was quhilom the langage of grete Babyloyne, and now is the langage of grete Inde; and syne, at request of the King of Araby, he translatit it off the langage of Caldee in his langage of Arrabyk. And syne, efter that mony a [gh]ere, ane othir grete clerk, callit Philippus, translatit it out of Arabyk in lang Latyne, and send it till ane reuerend Fader in Crist, and wyse prelate, noble and honourable Sir Guy de Valance, Bischop of Tryploun: And as beris witness be thair alde ancien stories, the worthy and noble Philosophouris in thay tymes, that als lang as Alexander le Grant had with him Aristotil the wyse clerk, he passit throuch and vencust all realmes, and all his inymyes, throu the mekle prudence and wisedome of that noble Philosophour and throu his counsale. And quhen he mycht no mare trauaile with him, he send him ay betuene Lettres and Epistlis, how he suld gouerne him in all his dedis and grete materis. And at the last, quhen he saw he mycht nocht for elde langsumely be nature left, he compilit this Buke to be a reugle of Gouernaunce till him euer mare quhill he lyvit, and send it till him with grete regrate and lamentacioun, that he mycht no mare be with him, sa mekle he lufit him, for cause he was his Maister and his techour euer fra his begynnyng of barnehede till that tyme, and with him in his conquestis. And syne was this ilke Buke translatit out of Latine in the langage of Romaine, nocht all hallely bot alsmekle as thame thocht nedefull and spedefull to the Gouernance of Princis. And tharfore the noble Philosophour said in his counsale geving till Alexander, that it was nocht spedefull that this Buke war till all men publist, bot anerly to the secrete counsale of Princis, and of grete Lordis, and nocht to Commouns; and to rede it oft tymes before thame, to tak, as myrour schawis the faultis and the suthfastnes, ensample, and doctrine of gude lyfing, and formable as efferis to thair honour and prouffit, and of thair subjectis. For it is nocht spedefull that popularis wit the secrete of Princis, na Lordis gouernance, na the reuglis of thair Ordre; and thairfor is the Buke callit THE SECRETE OF SECRETIS OF ARISTOTIL, ordanyt for document and teching of Gouernance of Princis.

HERE DECLARIS HE HOW ARISTOTLE RESSAUIT A PISTLE SENT FRA ALEXANDER till him in his grete age, to ask counsale, quhen he had conquest Perse, Quhethir he suld destroy and sla all the folk of that land, and peple it with others? because that thay war perilouse to gouerne, and subtile, and full of mychti maliciouse engyne of conquest, for the quhilk he dred thair subtile malice.

FORMA EPISTOLE ALEXANDRI REGIS MAGNI AD ARISTOTILEM.

Till ane maist noble and worthy Lord of Justice, I signify to thy prudence, that I haue foundyn in the land of Perse a kynde of folk rycht haboundand in richess, and of lytill vnderstanding, settand thair study to mak conquestis of realmes, and desyrand till haue lordschip atour othir men; ffor the quhilk cause, that we can nocht fynd to be seker of thame, we haue tane to purpose to put thame all to dede; bot bydand to haue thy counsale thareto, be wrytt in lettres; the quhilk counsale we will kepe and fulfill at the vtterast.

HERE FOLLOWIS THE ANSUERE OF ARISTOTIL TILL ALEXANDER IN EPISTIL.

Alexander, gif thou may change the nature of the erde, the water, and the aire of that regioun, and the disposicioun of the citeis of the landis of Perse, than counsale I that thou do thy will hardily; and gif thou may nocht do as foresaid is, sla thame nocht, bot gouerne thame in all gudelynes, with clemence, benignitee, and sueteness, put honour to thaim, and graciously demayne thame in graciouse justice and equitee; the quhilk gif thou dois, I traist, that with the grace of God, that thai sal be gude subjectis to thé, and sall gouerne thame at thy plesaunce and commandement: ffor than for the lufe that thai sall haue to thé for thy nobless, thou sall haue the dominacioun apon thame with peis and tranquilitie.

The quhilkis lettres the Prince ressauit with benignitee, and fulfillit his counsale vtterly; throu the quhilkis thingis the peple of Perse gafe sik a luferent till Alexander, that thai lufit him better, and was mare obeysand till him, na ony othir pepele of ony of his othir conquestis.

HERE FOLLOWIS A PISTLE SEND FRA ARISTOTIL TILL ALEXANDER excusand him for sore elde and waykenes he mycht na mare byde with him na hald the court; and tharfore he send him a Regement in wrytt, how and in quhat maner he suld gouerne him ay furth; the quhilk begynnis in this maner as efter folowis:--

ALEXANDER, faire Sone, gloriouss Emperour, the Souerane preciouss God Almychty mot confirme thé, and send thé knaulege to fauour the wayis of vertu, and of veritee, and that he wald refreyne in thé all bestiale appetitis, and that he wald illumyn thyne engyne, and conferme thy spirit of thy gouernaunce till his honour and service, honourably to be ressauit as efferis. And I have vnderstandin, how thou desyris that I war with thé; and that thou sais thou art amaruailit that I may abstene fra thy presence; thinkand that I am not sa besy and diligent of thy gouernaunce as I was wont to be: And be this cause I haue vndertane to make litil Reugles callit Cannonet, that is to say, A lytil buke, the quhilk salbe as a balaunce in the quhilk thou sall payss all thy werkis in; and to be a supplee to thé in my absence, rycht as I war present: &c.

* * * * *

XL.--CAPITULUM.

[Fol. 129.]

HERE DECLARIS THE NOBLE PHILOSOPHOUR HOW THAT THE SUBJECTIS OF PRINCIS THAT AR THE VPHALD OF THE WARLDE, AR COMPERIT TILL A FAIRE GARDYN, OR TILL A LORDIS TRESOURE, AND THAT THAI SULD BE KEPIT AS TRESOURE.

Alexander, faire Sone, [gh]it will I that thow witt, that thy subjectis suld be kepit as thy tresouris, ffor thai ar thy tresoure. For thai may be comperit till a Lord that has a faire and gude gardyn quhare thare is grete quantitee of fruyte treis, herbis, and othir gresis, richess, and nedefull till mannis behufe, the quhilkis [gh]erely and contynualy beris grete plentee of fruytis for mannis sustenaunce quhen thai ar well grathit, scroubbit, and demaynit, and wele gudit, kepit, sustenit, and gouernyt at rycht, and suld be wele sene to, and socourit at thair nedis. And kepit wele in gude reugle of justice and saufit fra injuris and oppressins, and that thare be bot thou allane gardener upon thame, and nocht mony maister gardenaris; ffor quhare mony maister gardeneris ar the gardyn is nocht commounly all prouffitably gouernyt, the quhilk suld be of gude gouernaunce that stent him nocht to spill thy treis, na gader thy fruytis, that is to say, thy subjectis gudis wrangwisely; and sa may thy realme left, and be wele defendit and conseruit, sa that thou kepe thé nocht to haue mony dispensaris in thy gardyn, that is thy realme. Ffor quhy, for couatise and gredynes of thy fruytis, thar may enter corrupcioun in thy gardyn, and syne apon thyself, quhen ilk ane pressis oure otheris to be masteris of thi gudis, and of thy counsaile, and thi gouernaunce. Bot thare is mony that will hecht and say thai sall do wele, and quhen thai mount in gouernaunce thai do all othir wayis. And sum corrumpis be giftis and hechtis Princis Counsailouris, and peruertis all gude gouernaunce throu thair gredyness of gudis, gevand giftis to Lordis of the Counsale for to maneteine thame lang in thaire officis and in thaire malicis. And traist wele, ALEXANDER, that thy Peple and thy Barouns, thy Bacheleris and thy Commons ar the stuf and the multiplicacioun and furnyssing of thy realme, and be thame mon thou be crownyt, and thy croun vphaldyn and mayntenyt, and be thai nocht throu thé manetenyt and sustenyt in thair rychtis and richess, thai will nocht lufe thé, na honoure thé, na tho court, na help to sustene thyne estate; ffor bot gyf thou mak thaim cause to be fyablez and traist to thé, and thy worschip and prouffit, and to hald lufe and lautee betuix thé and thy peple, thou fall neuer be seker na seure a day in thy realme. And will thou vmbethink thé wele of all that I haue said, and gouerne thé efter my deuise and counsale beforesaid, thou sal be haldyn as wyse and worthy King, and doubtit and lufit of thy peple, and of all otheris: And thou sall cum aboue of all thyne vndertakingis and desyris: Quhilkis gif thou faillis to do, thou sall se that thare sall cum greuouse mischeif and mysfortune, bathe upon thé and thy realme, and thy gouernaunce, and it sall nocht be in thy powar to sett remede, na thou can nocht, na may nocht estymy the paynis that suld be injunct to thé tharfore. Bot here I pray hertfully to the hye and mychty God, makare of Hevyn and Erde, to geue thé grace, as he is gudely Gouernoure of Hevin and Erde, and of all the Warlde to gouerne thé sa in vertu and in veritee, in justice and leautee, that God and man be payit of the end: And rycht sa mote it be of oure worthy King, and graciouse Prince, and all his welewillaris, I pray to God Almichti, IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI. Amen.

EXPLICIT LE GOUERNEMENT DES PRINCES.

[Decoration]

* * * * *

NOTES.

[1] Dunbar's Poems, by Laing, vol. i. pp. 42, 214, Edin. 1834, 2 vols. post 8vo.

[2] This work extends to 3 volumes in folio. Vol. I. was published at Edinburgh in 1708; Vol. II. in 1711; Vol. III. in 1722. This volume contains a List of nearly 600 Subscribers. On the title of a MS. which belonged to Robert Myln, the Genealogist, he makes a reference to a Life of Dr Thomas Reid, among "the schedules of Dr Mackenzie's 4th Volume of Lives." Whether such "schedules" still exist, is uncertain.

[3] Dr George Mackenzie, was born on the 10th December 1669. He was the son of the Hon. Colin Mackenzie, second son of George, second Earl of Seaforth, and of Jean, daughter of Dr Robert Laurie, Bishop of Brechin. He died at Fortrose, on the 28th November 1725.--(Caledonian Mercury, Dec. 16, 1725.)

[4] The last three leaves contain a transcript of two articles unconnected with the rest of the volume, viz.--"The Ordour of the processioun and bering of the Sacrament in Antuarpe the first day of Junij the [gh]eir of God I^m V^c lxij." And a Letter or Testimonial from Thomas Bishop of Orknoy in 1446, addressed to the King of Norwege, respecting the Genealogy of William of Sanctclare, Erle of Orchadie, &c. (the ancestor of the St Clairs of Roslin,) "Translatit out of Latin into Scottis, be me, Deine Thomas Gwld, Monk of Newbothill," in the year 1554.

[5] Les Manuscrits François de la Bibliothéque du Roi: par A. Paulin Paris, vol. v. p. 103.

[6] See Lewis's Life of Caxton, p. 81.

[7] Catalogue des Livres imprimés sur Vélin, de la Bibliothéque du Roi, tome iii. p. 81.

[8] Edinburgh, 1801, p. 65.

[9] In Maidment's Analecta Scotica, vol. ii. p. 1, is a curious Indenture betwixt Sir William the Hay, Knight, Lorde of the Nauchtane, and Alan of Kynnarde Lord of that ilke, and Dame Mary of Murray his wife, for the marriage of their children, dated 7th December 1420.

[10] At a latter period, among the Determinants at St Andrews, in 1449, we find "Gilbertus Hay, cujus bursa, viij^s. vj^d;" and again "M. Gilbertus Hay," as having taken his degree as a Licentiate in 1451. But this obviously could not have been Sir Gilbert Hay. In the "Compot. Magist. Roberti Pantre receptoris facultatis arcium anni [M.CCCC.]LII. datum iiii^o die Decembris," at the end of a long list of contributions is this entry--"Item, per Magistrum Gilbertum Hay, xxv^s. Debitor Thomas Hay licentiatus, frater ejusdem Gilberti." The name of Thomas Hay stands first in the list of Licentiates in 1452-3.

[11] Genealogie of the Sainteclaires of Rosslyn, by Father Richard Augustin Hay, p. 26. Edin. 1835, 4to.

[12] Lord Hailes's Additional Case of the Countess of Sutherland, pp. 110, 128.

[13] Genealogie of the Sainteclaires of Rosslyn, p. 91-98.

[14] "Extracts from The Buike of King Alexander the Conquerour, a Manuscript in the Library at Taymouth Castle." (1831). 4to. Privately printed by the Secretary of the Bannatyne Club.

[15] See _supra_, page 1.

[16] The Number of the Chapters, in both the Second and Third Parts or Books, are omitted in the Original Manuscript.

[17] In the MS. the Numbers of the Chapters in this Fourth Part, are marked, Primum Capitulum, II. Ca^m., III. Ca^m. &c.

[18] Although each chapter at the beginning is marked with a rubric, the number of the chapter is not given in the Original Manuscript. The following selection will be found to differ somewhat in the divisions, but it represents the whole portion of the Manuscript which corresponds with the titles of chapters 138 to 153, in the preceding Table; along with the conclusion of the Work.

[19] In the original, "Car toutes comparaisons sont haynneuses."

[20] [It will be observed, that in the Prologue or dedication, at page 64, this "Buke" was addressed by the Author to Charles the Sixth, King of France.]

End of Project Gutenberg's The Buke of the Order of Knyghthood, by Ramon Llull