Part 6

Item, Office of Knychtis is to manetene and gouerne landis and policy, and to defend thame; ffor the raddour and the drede that the peple has of the Knychtis, thai byde apon thair craftis and labouragis, and grathis lyfing for the Lordis, for dout to be vndone, destroyit, and desertit; and thus ar the Kingis dred for the Knychtis. And thare, sais the Doctour, that a fals Knycht, that will nocht help to defend his King and his Lord naturale, is lyke faith bot gude charitable workis, or Knychthede tume and idill bot office, or heretike aganis the faith. And thus a fals Knycht that is vntrewe, that dois nocht the bidding of his Prince, and is contrarius till his biddingis and opyniouns, dois grete wrang to the Knychtis that fechtis to the dede for justice, and for the faith, and for his Prince, and his naturale Lord, and is worthy to be punyst vtterly: ffor thare is na Ordre na office that is maid bot it may be vnmaid, or ellis Goddis mycht war bot small; and than, sen the Ordre of Knychthede was ordanyt be God Almychty, and gouernyt and manetenyt be thame that beris the said Ordre, gif thai that suld gouerne the said Ordre, and manetene it, misgouernys it, and dois the contraire, the Ordre is lytill behaldyn to thame, ffor thai vndo the Ordre. And thus the wikkit King vndois nocht anerly the Ordere of Knychthede in himself, bot alssua he vndois it in his Knychtis quhen he gerris thame do aganis the Ordre, outhir be euill ensample that he gevis thame, doand thingis that ar aganis the said Ordre, or be flatery that thai mak to thair wikkit maister, and fals suggestioun to ger thame be lufit of him, knawand that he is euill sett and will redily trow euill talis. And all thus gif it be euill done, to gerr a Knycht be misgouernyt, and mysfarne throu euill gouernaunce. It is mekle were done to misgouerne mony Knychtis, as thir wikkit princis dois, that all the charge of the misgouernaunce of all the Knychtis of his realme is be his default and negligence, or that thai be sa wikkit in thame self, that thai geve him vnworthy counsale, to do apon his subjectis extorsiouns, be wikkitness of tyrannye, or of barate or trechery, tresone to thair naturale lordis, or vnleautee till his subditis, be force of thair wikkit curage; and than is syk a Prince mekle to prise and to love, that knawis syk trychouris, and trompouris and vnworthy traytouris, that beris waste name of Knychthede, that wald counsale him, and tyce him to forffet and vndo the worthy and noble Ordre of Knychthede, that he has sa honourably tane, and worthily hydertillis has manetenyt; mekle honour and worschip is in his curage of the Prince that sa dois, and mekle suld be lufit with thame that beris the Ordre worthily, quhen he takis sik vengeaunce of the inymyes of the Ordre, that throu thair wikkit counsale wald corrumpe his noble curage.

Item, the Order of Knychthede standis in the corage, and nocht in the corssage, ffor ellis war the Ordre litill worth; ffor quhy? A lytill persone may quhilum throu habilitee of corps oure cum a mekle, and tak him, and enprisone him. Bot a thousand men, suppos thai be neuer sa stark, may nocht oure cum na vencus a gude Knychtis curage. And thus is the Ordre of Knychthede mare worthily in the curage na in the corssage, ffor ellis war nocht that the Knychthede accordit better to the body na to the saule. And be that, the vnworthy cowartis Knychtis that fleis in bataillis fra thair lordis ar nocht worthy to be callit Knychtis, na to bere the honour that to worthy knychtis efferis, ffor thai drede mare the distroublaunce and maless of thair corssage, na the honoure and worschip of thair curage that appertenis to the Ordre of Knychthede of rycht. And thus nobless of curage is better pertenand to Knychtis na is force of corssage, or ellis suerenes and cowardise in mannis persone suld be of the propereteis of the Ordre. And hardynes and largess suld be contrarius till it, and that war mekle vnresone; bot be all gude way of ordere, quhen a gude Knycht is oure sett with oure grete powar, and lesse has of help and of falouschip to supple him, in sa mekle suld he haue mare hye curage and mare force of spirit, to oure cum all his aduersaris; and gif he be oure thrawin, till manetene the poyntis and propercteis of the worthy Ordre of Knychthede, than has he optenyt the honour and the loss of the worschipfull reward and meryt of justice, that deis for the defenss of the rycht, and manetenaunce of the worschipfull and meritable poyntis of the Ordre, as he that deis for lufe and leautee, and honoure of the noble Ordre that he was ordanyt to. For the wise man sais, That Knychthede and hardynesse may neuer langsumly dwell togider bot wisedome and wise discrecion; ffor quhare na wisdome na discrecione restis, how suld thare be knaulage of honoure. Na, how suld that persone discerne betuix honorable and dishonorable act or vndertaking of worschip, quhare wisdome is away, ffor wisdome will never mare mak fault till his honoure. And forthy, is it signifyit till all Knychtis of honour, that a Knycht may neuer be hardy, na haue the vertues that to Knychthede suld pertene, bot he haue wisedome in him; na thare is na man that may sa mekle honour do till his Ordre of Knychthede, as to stand to the vtterest with stark curage for the rycht fermely, and neuer consent to leve his lord; na his rychtwise actioun to dee tharfore; and treuly that mon be reuglit with witt and resoun, and nocht be foly na ignoraunce; ffor quhen foly and ignoraunce is with the Ordere of Knychthede, wit and resone, knaulage and discrecioun, ar flemyt thairfra; ffor wisedome, resoun, and discrecioun ar the ledaris and gouernouris of Cheualrye bathe in Knycht, King, and Emperoure, and but wisedome the Order is peruertit; ffor inpossible thing it is, that foly and ignoraunce gouerne that worthy Ordre. And than mon it on nede force be gouernyt be wisedome, and thus is it, that sen the Ordre is reuglit be witt and wisedome, than suld all gude Knychtis pres them to be wyse, and sett tharon all thair hert and mynde; the quhilk makis Knycht sa curageus, that he doubtis nocht the dede, in regarde of honoure and his rychtwise cause, that he may lufe and honour his Ordre, to sauf bathe saule and honour, in the contrair of foly and ignoraunce.

Item, Office of Knychthede is to mantene and defend wedowis, maidenis, faderles and moderles barnis, and pore miserable persouns and piteable, and to help the wayke agayne the stark, and the pure agayne the riche; ffor ofttymes sik folk ar be mare stark na thai pelit and derobbit, and thaire gudis tane, and put to destructioun and pouertie, for fault of powere and defence. And becaus all sik dedis is wikkitnes, crueltee, and tyranny, tharfore is the Ordre of Knychthede ordanyt, as in that poynt amang the lave, to gaynstand. And gif a Knycht himself be the manetenar or doare of thir thingis, he is vnworthy to bere the Ordre for his wikkitnes. And rycht as God has gevin to the Knycht pithe, hardynes, and hye curage, rycht sa has he gevin him pitee in hert, to haue merci of the pure that gretis on him; askand help and consort for traist that thai haue in thame of help. And thus suld a Knycht haue gude sicht to the miserable persouns, gude eris to here thame, and gude mynde to think on thame, that pitously cryis apon him for help and confourt. And he that has nocht thir vertues, is nocht verray Knicht, na suld nocht be comptit as ane of the Ordere of Knychthede. Alsua, and the office of Knichthede, that sa mekle is lufit and presit and honourit, war till derub and destroy the pore folk and all sik peaceable persouns, and till desaue wedowis, that has na defence bot God and the Office of Knychthede, and till mysgouerne in thair gudis and heritagis, and dissaue the faderles and moderles barnis, and all thing that war falsate, barate, wikkitnes and trechery, war poyntis of the said office, and the office war alsmekle honourit for euill dedis, and wickit lyfing, as it is now for gude dedis, thare suld ma press to tak the said Ordre and office na thare dois now; ffor be cause that the Ordre is founded apon lautee, curtaisy, liberalitee, lufe, and pitee, many of thame that beris the said Ordre irkis tharof in the warld that now is.

For the office of Knychthede suld have stark place in gouernaunce, and he suld be wele horsit, and haue power of men to kepe the contree and the Kingis wayis, all pilgrymes, trauailouris, merchandis, labouraris, and suld haue the jurisdictioun of justice in citeis and townis; and quhen nede war, to assemble the folk for the prouffit of the commountee; and quhen perilis war apperand in the landis, to byrn mysal housis, and destroye perilous passagis, ger hag woddis, and byg and mak reparacioun of euill biggit placis, castellis, and wallit townis and fortressis, and kepe and defend all gudely persouns; chastyse and punyse all misdoaris and wikkit cruell persouns; ffor and the contrary of thir gude poyntis war approprit to the Ordre, than all gude gouernance wald faile, and na man wald be seur; ffor the office is foundit ay on gude and prouffitable werkis that ar spede full to the commoun prouffit, and to gaynstand all thame that settis thame for the distrublaunce of the pore peple, and hyndering of the commoun prouffit, and to put down euill and wikkit men, and to fauour, nurise, and manetene gude peple: ffor rycht as the hewing ax is ordanyt to cutt doun treis that hynderis labouragis of landis, and cartis and chariotis and merchandices to passe through the forestis, sa is the suerd of Knychthede ordanyt to kutt away and destroye the wickkit vnworthy wedis and ronnis of thornis of euill men that lettis labouraris, merchandis, and traualouris to trauale throu the warld, quhilk is as a forest and wildernes quhen it is not wele redde; off the quhilk euill men suld be wedit out be Knychtis, keparis of the lawe, that gude men mycht lyve in lee; and he that is a Knycht, and dois nocht this, bot dois evyn the contrary, suld be tane be the Prince, or be othir worthy, faithfull, and honourable Knychtis, and put till dede; ffor quhen a Knycht is a revare, or a thef, or a traytour or a murtherar, or a Lollard, scismatike or heretike, or in syk termys opinly knawin and approuit, than is he vnworthy for to lyve, bot to be punyst in example of otheris that defoulis that maist noble and worthy Ordre, and abusit it aganis the poyntis and the propereteis of the Ordre; ffor it war better to syk a Knycht to [gh]elde him selfe to justice to be punyst, with mortall punycion, na to lyve in sik misordinate lyf for to vndo himself, and otheris mony, quhilk lesse euill war that he war vndone allane, and lesse charge till his saule: ffor gif a knycht or a lord haue all thir forenamyt vicis in him or any part of thame, and wald punyse otheris, and will nocht punyse himself, that is nocht the rycht way of justice; ffor gude justice begynnis at it selfe, and syne at othir men, ffor grete lak is to reproue and correct otheris in that, that he is foulare smyttit him self; quhilk gif he will nocht do, othir Knychtis suld do for honoure of thair Ordre, till hald it euir in honoure and worschip, as wele efferis it to be. And all Knychtis that fauouris syk cruell dedis, and gerris nocht punyse thame, thai ar foule in the dede as the doaris of thame; ffor syk men ar nocht verray Knychtis, bot feigned beris the Ordre, and dois nocht the office; ffor rycht as a Knycht had a hurt in ane of his handis, that hurt is mare nere and dere, to the laue of his othir membris, na it is to me or ane othir man, and erar efferis till him to sett remede tharein. And rycht sa, gif a Knycht mysgouernis him in syk kynde that he be othir thef, or traytour, revar, or murderar, it appertenis mare till othir knychtis to sett thare in remede, na it dois till otheris that ar na knychtis; ffor all knychtis ar, and suld be as a cors. And thare ffore, knychtis has mare wite of the mysgouernaunce of othir knychtis na ony othir man has, and mare dishonoure alssua na men that ar na knychtis; ffor it is thair default, sen the correctioun efferis to the Order and to the Office; ffor quhy, he is inymy to the Ordre that sa gouernys: And than suld it wele effere to the Order to punyse thair inymyes. Quharefore, thou that art a Knycht, and will correk otheris defaultis, correk thine awin faultis fyrst: ffor a traytour, thef, or revare Knycht, he is alssua thef, traytour, and revare till his Order that revis at the worschip and the honoure that appertenis till it, mare na to reve othir mennis gudis; ffor he that stelis or revis honour fra ony persone, bringis him hame schame and dishonoure and euill renoune; quhilkis honoure passis all richess. Quhat difference is thare, to gude vnderstanding, till a traytour that betraisis his awin Lord naturale, or his castell, or his wyf, or his douchter, or his eldest sone, or slais his counsale and murderis thame, or sik dedis dois, in regard of him that euer was lele and trewe in all thir thingis, and deis for his Lord in bataill place. And alssua quhen a Knycht defendis ane othir that is false and traytoure till his Prince or his naturale Lord, and will nocht thole him cum to justice, nor na punycione to be done apon him, he is were na he that did the dede: and the Ordre of Knychthede is dishonourit in his persone, that manetenis, and will nocht bring to justice a false traytour; and vnworthy war that he had justice in keping.

Ane othir poynt of the Office of the Knychthede is, to accuse traytouris aganis his prince, or otheris that it efferis, and till appelle thame of bataill, and feicht wyth thame: And office of traytour is, to deny his tresone, and hyde it, and cover it, quhill he may, and eschewe all prufis tharof; and thus ar the twa curagis wele contrarius togidder, that neuer curage of traytour mycht ourcum ane noble curage of a trew Knycht; bot gif it be throw pride or surquidy, that is callit oure presumptuouse in himself: the quhilk God tholes quhilom be punyst in bataill place. Bot the curage of a lele Knycht, that for a lele cause debatis, may nocht be oure cummyn, bot gif it be for sum syn agaynis the Ordre of Knychthede: ffor gif a Knycht wald reve fra the small peple the gude that God has gevin thame, and geve it till otheris that he aw nocht to, that war agayne the Office of Knychthede, to tak fra laware na himself outhir moble gudis or possessiouns, and hald it as heretage till him, nocht gevand, na restorand agayn; he may be lyknyt to the wolf that the lord gave the schepe to kepe to, as till a familyar faa; or he may be lyknyt till a fule lorde that left his faire wyf in keping till a [gh]ong traytour knycht; or he that left his stark castell and his gudis till a bitter cuvatous knycht, vntrew knycht; and thus is he mekle to wyte that gevis his castell, or his wyf, or his schepe, in syk gouernaunce; or how ane othir suld traist his gouernaunce in him that gouernis nocht wele himself? ffor thir ar thingis that men suld nocht put in misgouernaunce of fule men, his faire wyf, his castell, and his moble gudis; ffor commonly syk men that begylis thair lordis may neuer be reformyt na redressit till lautee, na till honour of Knychthede.

Item, Ane othir poynt of the Office of Knychthede is, to hald his armouris cleine and faire, and wele at poynt, and to se wele to the gouernaunce of his horse, and nocht to play thame at playes of dice, and of tabilles, and othir licht playis, quhilkis ar nocht contenyt in the poyntis of the Ordre: ffor it is forbedyn in the lawis to mak ony ath contrary to the Ordre of Knychthede, na to the Office; and he that puttis doune the principale thingis quhare with the Ordre and Office is haldyn at honoure and worschip, throw lycht playes or uthir wayis, he honouris nocht wele his Ordre; ffor Knycht in weris, but horse and harnais, is lytill presit; and sen it is sa, that God and man acordit in the poyntis of the Ordre of Knychthede that na false aythis suld be tharein, na in thame that gouernis the said Ordre, suld than nane be.

Item, Lordis na Knychtis suld nocht brek the ath of mariage throw misordynate lechery, ffor that is a poynt that discordis with the poyntis of the Ordre; ffor thare is thre gree of chastitee, the quhilkis all honourable persouns ar behaldin till, that is, ane in mariage, ane in wedowhede, and ane in maidynhede that is callit virginitee; of quhilk the Haly Writt biddis thame that may nocht lyve chaste, mary thame, and syne kepe thair maryage; ffor gif thai do nocht, and thai brek mariage, that brekis thair aithe to godwart, the quhilk is agayn the Ordre and Office of Knychthede; ffor chastitee is vertu, and misordanyt lechery is vice: And thus sen all vertu folowis the Ordre, and all vice discordis with it, it syttis wele that princis, lordis, and knychtis kepe honour in that poynt, and namely, nocht to forffet to thair mariage.

Item, Justice and Knychthede acordis togeder, and justice and mariage, bresing and othir disordinate lechery discordis with justice; and thus Knychthede and disordanyt lechery discordis, as apperis be the lawis of Haly Kirk, quhilkis efferis prelatis to correct: And thus gif a prince, or a lord, or a knycht brekis mariage, he is mare to blame na ony of lawer degree; ffor the hyar degree the gretter fault, and mare to be punyst in all excessis of vertu.

Item, Ane othir poynt of Knychthede is, that a Knycht suld be meke and full of clemence, and nocht prydy, na presumptuouse, na orguillouse; ffor oft tymes of pryde and orguille and presumpcione cummys injure and discensione; ffor orguille is contrary to justice, and inymy to concord; and tharfore, thare suld na Knycht be hautayn, na feir, na prydefull, na presumptuouse, bot euer with mekenes, and clemence, and humilitee, be symple as a may amang peple, and in his inymyes presence be as lyone rampand; ffor quhat ever he be, that be full of pryde and presumptuousnes, amang vertuous men is repute nocht, for thai ar contrarius to pes and concorde, and pes and concorde ar contrarius to justice. And sa is pride aganis the poyntis of the Ordre. And humilitee is the rute of the stedefastnes of Knychthede; ffor schortly to say, Knychthede acordis till all vertu and justice, and all thingis that ar contrariouse to virtu and justice ar contrariouse to the Ordere and Office of Knychthede: ffor Knychthede suld defend all injuris and wrangis, all pilleries, wrang, weris, and tribulaciouns, and suld hald the peple in all justice, equitee, veritee, and lautee, pes and debonairetee, and outsched the wikkit fra the gude peple pesable; quhilkis, gif thai do nocht, bot dois the contrarye in thair governaunce, thai ar contrarius to thair Ordere, and worthy to be punyst. Bot thare is nane that all knawis, na all may punyse, bot the Emperoure, the quhilk ordanyt Knychthede spirituale, to kepe justice, ordinare, be reugle vertuouse, in pes and concorde, and justice rigorouse, that is, the Ordre of Knychthede, quhilk suld on force compell euill men, and of wikkit lyf, to desist and cesse fra thair wikkitnesse, and punyse thame tharfore: And thus is thare Knychtis of pes and concorde amorouse, and be reugle of justice, to mak gud reugle and gracious concorde and gouernaunce in the peple; and alssua Knychtis of the justice rigorouse, ordanyt to compelle be fors of armes all tyrannis, traytouris, and all othir mysdoaris, and cruell tormentouris of the haly labouraris, kirk men, merchandis, and traualouris, to cesse and desist fra thair wikkitnesse. The quhilkis Knychtis suld be full of vertues, and gude lyf, to geue otheris ensample.

[Decoration]

QUARTUM CAPITULUM.

HERE SPEKIS THE DOCTOURE OF THE EXAMINACIOUN OF THE SQUYER, WHILK SULD ENTER IN THE ORDER NEWLY OF KNYCHTHEDE.

Sayand, That he suld be first examynyt be ane alde Knycht that knewe and lufit wele the said Order atoure all thing, next to God: ffor thare is mony Princis that rekkis nocht quhat maner of condicioune na of lyf his Knichtis be, sa that he haue grete nomber of Knychtis in his company. Bot it suld nocht be sa: ffor Knychthede takis na hede to multitude bot to noblesse of cheualrye, and of curage, and of gude thewis, that we haue before spokyn of; and tharefore, gif he that is examynour lufys better multitude, na noblesse of curage and of vertu, he is nocht worthy to be examynoure of Squyeris, bot suld be reprovit and punyst be the Prince of Knychthede, of his defoulyng of the Order of Knychthede: and first and foremast it suld be sperit, Gif he trowis, lufis, and doubtis God? but quhilk poynt is na man worthy till nane order of Noblesse. Item, Gif he dredis the defaultis to do, that dishonouris the Order? and thus Squier, but lufe and but drede to do mys, is unworthy to the Ordre. And gif he takis it agayne thir propereteis and condiciouns, he wenis he takis honour till him, bot he takis dishonour; ffor a Squyer but noblesse is nocht worthy to sa hye honour, as to the worthy honour of Knychthede; na [gh]it in the weris of his prince or otheris, but horse, armouris, and sik men, ar nocht habil to wyn honour in armes, ffor men may nocht mare cruelly destroye the noble Order of Knychthede, na till haue ane vnworthy examynoure of the Squier that suld enter in the said Ordre; ffor gif he admytt to the Ordre a man of vnworthy curage, that is destructione of the Ordre; and suld a Squier examyne himself first, and think on the mony noble propereteis and condiciouns of the Ordre, to think in him self gif he war worthy, or he put him to the examnacioune. Rycht as Scholaris examynit to be Prestis or greid in scholis, suld nocht sett thame thar fore, bot thai fand thame worthy tharfore, ffor dout thai war repellit, or ellis defoulit thair greis; rycht sa suld Bachelere Squieris in the examinacioune of the Order of Knychthede, ffor he suld nocht alssua ask the Ordre that he wald eftir deffoule be his euill thewis. And alssua Lordis that ar sa informyt, that thai will mak sik men Knychtis, thai do aganis the poyntis of the Ordre, and chargis thair consciences; ffor men knawis nocht noblesse of curage in fair wordis, bot in worthy werkis: Na nocht in faire clething, ffor oft tymes vnder a faire habyte may be a full false hert, full of barate, trechery, and traysoune; na he takis him nocht be his faire harnais, na his faire horse, na othir faire habilliamentis; ffor oft tymes vnder syk faire habilliament ar nocht the best men of armes, and worthiast in vertues. Quharfore, gif thou will wale worthyast and maist noble man of curage, thou seke him be thir takenis, that is, for to say, justice, and temperance, force and prudence, ffayth, esperaunce that is gude hope, and cheritee, and leautee; and be thir takenis, thou sall knawe the nobless of curage; be the quhilkis vertues, the noble hert defendis it fra the inymyes of Knychthede; quhilkis ar falsehede, trechery, traysone, thift and murder, and syk lyke thingis.

Item, Our [gh]ong men suld nocht be maid Knychtis, bot gif thai had gude tutouris and curatouris, for dout of misgouernaunce of the Ordre for fault of knaulage; ffor quhen a childe is made Knycht, he thinkis nocht on the poyntis of the Ordre that he sueris to kepe. And gif the Squiere that is ressauit be the examynouris to be Knycht and admyttit, be a rekles man and a wikkit, and of vile condiciouns, he dois grete wrang to the Ordre that he beris, and till himself too; ffor and he be vencust in barrier, or he be cowart or full of wikkit vicis, as fleand fra battaillis, revand or steland, he sall neuer haue honour na prouffit of his Ordre: ffor rycht as it honouris the honourable, it dishonouris the dishonourable. Bot of all thing, a Knycht suld kepe him in all vertu to hald the mydwart, for ay the mydwart is vertu, sa is the extremitee vice; and thus a Knycht suld be of resonable gude age, that he knaw the propereteis and poyntis that he aw till haue, that he nouthir excede, na be our lache in his dede.