Part 9

And now is it spedefull that we se quhat is the vertu of Temperaunce, and quhat it is nedefull and behovefull till: And as to that, the Doctour sais, That Temperaunce is a vertu quhilk haldis him euer in the mydwarde betuene twa vicis, that is to say, betuene oure lytill and oure mekle, and thus techis temperance a man to kepe the mydwarde, ffor vertu is ay in the mydwarde: ffor man that has na mesure in himself, quhen he dois outhir till the hye or to the law, thare wantis discrecione of temperaunce and mesure, (the quhilk is nedefull to be in Knychthede), ffor quhen Knycht knawis nocht his quantiteis of his mesure in all his dedis, his honoure is in were: ffor he suld be temperit in largesse, that he be nouthir fule large na oure wrechit; in hardinesse, that he be nocht fule hardy na oure cowart; in etyng and drinking that he be nocht glutone, na gormand, na slut, na slutheroune, na zit dronkynsum; na that he hunger nocht himself for wrechitnes; in his speche that he haue nocht our mony wordis, na that he be nocht oure bestely, na our blate, that he haue na langage, na collacione in tyme quhen it efferis; alsua in his clething that he excede nocht, na that he be nocht oure wrechit: And thus in all thing to hald mesure is temperaunce: And schortly to say, it is the reugle of all wisedome, and but it na Knycht may well gouerne his Ordre, na neuer sall men fynd temperance bot with wisdome and with vertu.

Item, Gude custume and vsage is till Knychtis to here every day the Messe, quhare euer he be, gif it may gudely be gottyn, and gif ony preching or teching of clerkis, or wyse men be proponyt, he suld be redy euer to here the Word of God, and euer be redy till honoure, anourne, and pray to God, and to lufe him, serue him, honoure him, and obeye him in all place, atour all thing; and in all his dedis, haue euer his hert on him, and euer think on the Passioun of Crist, and on his awin dede, that he mon anyss dee, and think on the schortnes and the wrechitnes of this warld, and of the paynis of Hell, and of the grete joyis and glore celestiall of Hevyn; And euer ask him of his grace that hye glore of Paradise, and traistis wele that he that takis mare plesaunce in haukis and houndis, deliciouss metis, joly clethingis, fair women, gude wynis and spicis, lycht wordis with negligence of Goddis seruice, and lycht lying and despising of Goddis pure peple, and of the lawis of God and man, syk Knychtis ar nocht worthy Knychtis, bot erar dispisaris of the Ordre, and inymyes to Knychthede; ffor sum trowis in wichecraftis, as in meting of bestis, or in fleyng of foulis with thame or agayne thaim, or on rycht hand, or on left hand, sayand, the rycht syde gais aganis him, and the left syde gais with him: And sayand, That all sik folyis efferis nocht to wisedome, resone, na discrecioune, na to gude faith. Bot it as foly of fulis that grevis God, and castis men of Goddis grace, and gerris thair inymyes oft tymes be maisteris of thame, quhen thai will nocht tak documentis of gude teching, na gude thewis to reugle thair dedis, and mare has traist in thair fretis and folyis, na in the faith of God Almychty. And tharfor, thai that vsis thir folyis, and levis the Vertues before said of Fayth, Gude Hope, and Charitee, Humilitee, Largesse and Lawtee, and nobilnesse of Forse of curage, to gaynstand all thir vnworthy fantasyes, he is nocht worthy to bere that hye, worthy, and noble Ordre of Knychthede that dois thus; ffor sum Knycht has syk custumes to trow, quhen euer he seis a nakit womman in the mornyng, he sall nocht do his prouffit na honoure that day, na quhen he seis a womman kemmand hir hede nakit in the mornyng, he sall nocht have honour in armes that day; and this is a false vnworthy treuth, ffor a juge that kepis the lawis that he is ordanyt to kepe, dois wele his office. Sa dois a Knycht quhen he vsis resone and discrecione, and kepis fayth and lawtee with all the laue of Vertues of noblesse, than is he worthy Knycht, and kepis wele his Ordre: Bot a Knycht that wyrkis eftir [gh]one fretis, that we have here sum part namyt, and otheris, and levis the ordre of gude vertues and gude thewis, he is dois evin as a juge that leuis gude and suthfast witnessis led in a cause before him, and jugis agayn gude fayth, be the chirmyng of foulis, or be the berking of doggis, and syk lyke thing; and thus Knycht suld be ferme in the faithe, nocht variand, na suld nocht traist in sik fretis, na wichcraft; and leue the verray faith of God, ffor all syk thingis are bot janglyng of fendis, that fleis in the ayre, that temptis Cristyn folk, to ger them vary fra the rycht faith to drawe thame to thair condampnacione.

Item, Till Knychthede efferis; principaly to be amorouse of the commone prouffit, and of the commouns; ffor quhy? be the commouns, and for the commone prouffit Knychthede was foundyn, stablyst, and ordanyt, than suld Knychtis be curius of thair prouffit, be resone; ffor gude resone gevis, that all Princis, Lordis, and Knychtis specialy, sulde be mare curius of the commoun prouffit, na of thair awin propre gudis; ffor quhy? it is mare nedefull and mare spedefull, and grettar and mare necessair, ffor the commoun prouffit riches bathe Prince and Peple, and gude propre gudis, bot a persone proprely, and mare gude, is to be bathe riche, Prince and Peple, na he allane, and nocht his peple.

Item, To Knycht efferis to speke sobirly and wisely, and curtasly; and to be alssua nobly cled in diuerss clethingis, and honourable, fair horse, fair harnais, in the hanting of weris, and gouernaunce that he has: till hald alsua gude house, eftir his power and estate, till haue honest housing; and treuly Curtasy and Knychthede suld neuer part company; ffor foule and vilaynouse speche fylis the mouth of a noble Knycht, and sa dois it of all persone of estate; hamelynes and gude specialitee of acquyntance with gude folk, worthy and honest, is wele accordant to Knychthede.

Item, Lautee, Veritee, Justice, Humilitee, Charitee, Largesse, Hardynesse, Prowesse, with Forse in curage and noblesse, Pitee, Honestee, Drede, Schame, with othir syk like Vertues, and otheris that we haue before namyt, appertenis wele to be in company with the noble Ordre; and rycht as we say, That in God is all vertu, all noblesse, and all gudelyness, sa suld all Knychtis, Lordis, and Princis, folow at all thair gudely powere the futsteppis of thair ledare, lord, and techour, Jhesu Crist, quhilk all his werkis that he wrocht was all to geve us gude instructioun to gouerne vs in syklike maner. And all the writtis that euer was writtin for our documentis and teching, for the teching of the keping of horse and harnais and wapinis, is nocht anerly the instructione of Knychthede till his barnis and otheris that he suld teche vnder him: bot the gude custumes, gude instructiones in vertues, and gude ensamples of gude godlyke gouernaunce, efter all the form and maner before said, suld be the gouernaunce of Knychtis, first in thameself, and syne teche till otheris; ffor he that better techis his horse na his barnis, he gais nocht the rycht gate to teche the Ordre.

[Decoration]

OCTAUUM CAPITULUM.

HERE DECLARIS THE DOCTOUR THE HONOURIS THAT SULD BE DONE TO THE NOBLE ORDRE OF KNYCHTHEDE.

God himself ordanyt Knychthede, and honourit it, and honouris it, and alssua all the peple honouris Knychthede; and as is recountit be the Lawis, Knychthede is honourit abufe all Ordre that euer was next Presthede, as maist honourable ordre and office that is or wes, and aboue all statis, sauffand the Haly Ordre and Office that sacrifyis the body of God, the haly Sacrament of the Altare, with the otheris Sacramentis of the Haly Kirk. And the said Ordre of Knychthede is rycht necessair to the gouernaunce of the warld, as is before said, in syndry placis; and tharefore, before all temporale ordre, Knychthede suld be honourit be mony resouns, with all maner of peple; ffor and Emperouris Kingis and Princis had nocht annext to thame the Ordre of Knychthede, with the vertues and propereteis, and nobiliteis, langand to the said Ordre, thaj war nocht worthy to be Emperouris, Kingis, na Princis: ffor suppose the Office be gretare, the Ordre is y-lyke ane in Kingis and in Knychtis, as Presthede is y-lyke of degree, bathe in Pape, Cardynale, and Patriarche, alsmekle is it in a symple preste: and sa is it in Kingis and Princis knychthede, in regarde of symple Knychtis, suppose the Office be mare grete; tharefore aucht thai till honoure the Office and Ordre of Knychthede, bathe Emperouris, Kingis, Princis, and Barouns; ffor quhan thai do nocht honoure to the said Ordre, thai do dishonour to thameself; ffor the Knychtis gerris the grete Lordis, Princis, and Barouns be honourit aboue the small peple, and than suld thai again do honour to the said Ordre, and honour thame abufe the peple.

Item, All Knychtis ar free be thair Ordre, ffor Knychthede and fredome acordis togeder rycht wele to the ryale magestee and lordschip; and, tharefore, sen Knychthede is ordanyt for the manetenyng, defending, and vp halding of Emperouris and Kingis, Princis, Barouns, and all Commouns and small peple, than is it grete resone that thai all suld defend, manetene, and vphalde the honour of Knychthede, and all Knychtis. And to the honour of Knychthede it appertenis, that he be in honoure haldyn, and that he be lufit for his gudelynes; and that he be doubtit for his prowesse and hardynesse; and that he be lovit for his noble dedis of worthynes; and that he be hamely for his lawlynes, and hichty in tyme: And because he is of the self ordre that Kingis ar of, he suld be haldin of counsale to Kingis and of grete Princis; and because that he is of the natur of all mankynde, and enclynit to vicis, he is the mare worthy and honourable that he has force of noble curage to abstene him tharefra: And, tharefore, suld a Knycht dispise all vicis, and lufe all vertues; ffor the quhilkis, all Knychtis ar honourit, and nocht for othir cause; and all Prince, King, Lord, or Barone, that honouris Knychthede, outhir in court or in counsale, in house or in semblee, he honouris himself: And alsua, quha honouris thame in gouernement of bataill, honouris himself; and alssua, all Lord, that of a wise Knycht makis him a seruand, delyueris his honour in the handis of noblesse of gude curage; and quhat Lord or Prince that encreseis the honoure of a wise Knycht in his seruice, or multiplyis it, encressis and multiplyis his awin honour; and quhat euer Lord that manetenys Knycht that is in office, ordanyt till him, and enforsis him in his office, he enforsis him self and his lordschip; and Lord, that is bathe Prince and Knycht, has grete affinitee, and lufe and frendschip to Knychthede, and grete company suld haue thar with: And gif he requeris of foly and euill maner of trety, ony Knychtis wyf till enclyne hir to wikkitnes, he excedis the honoure of Knychthede; na [gh]it alsa a Knychtis wyf that has barnis vnlaufull of villaine generacione, dois lytill honour to the Ordre of Knychthede, that scho is honourit throu; bot scho destroyis ande puttis to nocht the noble lignie and confraternitee of Knychthede. And quhat Knycht that has his barnis in matrymonye with ony villaine womman, he dois lytill honour to the noble Ordre of Knychthede, na to the band of gentrise: And sen it is sa that noblese and gentillesse ar of tendernesse and frendschip to Knychthede, and to the honour of Knychthede, and of his Lady be the honourit band of mariage; and the contrair is destructione of Knychthede. Thus gif noblis and gentill men that ar na Knychtis, and has bot honour and worschip of thair awin birth and natiuitee, ar oblist naturaly to honour of Noblesse and Knychthede be the vertu of gentrise that thai ar natyf till, than mekle mare ar Knychtis behaldyn to the honoure and worschip of Knychthede, quhilkis be thair ordre thai ar bundyn to; ffor in that that thai do honoure to thair Ordre, thai do honoure to thame self: For all Knycht is oblist at all powere to honour his persone; first to be wele cled in his persone, syne to be wele horssit, and syne wele enarmyt and harnest in his habilliament, and alsua aw nobily to be seruit of noble persons: that is to say, persouns vertuouse, sen all noblenesse presupponis vertu. But [gh]it mekle mare but comparisone is he behaldyn till honoure him self with noblesse of curage; ffor the quhilk noblesse of curage he beris that hye and noble Ordre of Knychthede, the quhilk alssua is defoulit and dishonourit quhen a Knycht levis vertu of curage, and takis him false cogitaciouns of traysouns, ref and rape, murder and thift, and puttis out of his curage, and slokis all the said vertues of noblesse, as Justice, Temperance, Fors, and Prudence with Faith, Gude Hope, and Charitee, Liberalitee and Lautee, with otheris before namyt, appertenand to the maist noble Ordre: And thus, Knycht that dishonouris ane Knycht his fader in Knychthede, is nocht worthy to be honourit, ffor gif he war honourit sen he dishonouris his awin Ordre, mekle wrang war than done to the noble Ordre, to do honour till him that dishonouris him self and his Ordre; ffor quha may better honoure or dishonoure the Ordre na thai that are of the Ordre, and berand the Ordre: and thus sen Knycht has in his hert a noble duelling place for the vertues and noblesse of curage, that suld gouerne and manetene Knychthede, kepe well that castell place and duelling, that it be nocht oure sett na segit with vicis, than mekle honour and reuerence is worthi to be done till him for his mekle worschip and noblesse; and the mare that Knychthede be assemblyt with hie Princehede or hye Lordschip, the mare is the Knycht behaldyn till honoure his Nobile Ordre, and mare oblist to manetene his Knychthede with worschip: At the reuerence, honour, lufe, loving, seruice, and doubting of Almychty God, oure gloriouse Saluioure, and of his dere and gloriouse Moder and Virgyne oure suete Lady Marye, and all the Haly Court of Hevin. IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILIJ, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI, AMEN.

Explicit Lordre de Chevalrie.

HERE ENDIS THE BUKE OF THE ORDRE OF KNYCHTHEDE.

Appendix.

[Decoration]

No. I.

EXTRACTS

FROM

The Buke of the Law of Armys.

[Fol. 1.]

_Gracia Domini nostri Jhesu Christi, et caritas Dei, et communicacio Sancti Spiritus sit semper cum omnibus nobis in Christo Jhesu Domino nostro. Amen._

Here begynnys the Buke callit THE BUKE OF THE LAW OF ARMYS, the quhilk was compilit be a notable man, Doctour in Decreis, callit BONNET, PRIOURE OF SALLON; the quhilk, quhen it was maid, callit it The Fleur of Bataillis, or the Tree; into the quhilk Buke thare salbe foure partis efter as the Rubryis schawis. The First part salbe, Of the Tribulacioun of the Kirk before the Natiuitee of Christe. The Secund party salbe, Of the Tribulaciouns and Destructioun of the Four Principale Realmes grettest of the Warld, &c. The Thrid salbe, Of Bataillis in generale. The Ferde, Of Bataillis in specialitee.

HERE BEGYNNYS THE RUBRYIS OF THE FIRST PARTY, ETC., BE THE QUHILKIS MEN MAY BETTER KNAW THE PROCESSE OF THE SAID BUKE, AND OF EUERY CHAPTERE SPECIALY.

In the First Chapiter he speris, Quhat thing is Bataill? i The Second Chapiter is, Quhare was first foundyn Bataill? ii The Third is, Of the tribulacions of the Kirk by passit, iij The Ferde is, Of the first Angel, iiij The Fyft is, Of the tother Angel, v The Exposicioun apon the tothir party of the Visioun of Sanct Johne, vj The thrid Angel, vij The ferde Angel, viij The fyft Angel, ix And [gh]it spekis he mare furtherly of the Visioun, x

_Expliciunt Rubrice Prime Partis, etc._

_Sequitur Prologus in breuibus._

Here folowis the Proloug of the said Buke, in termis, as the forenamyt DOCTOURE BONNET, Prioure of Sallon, maid his first Intitulacioun and Prohemium: And syne efter sall folowe the principale parties of the Buke forenamyt, Translatit be me GILBERT OF THE HAYE KNYCHT, Maister in Arte, and Bachilere in Decreis, Chaumerlayn vmquhile to the maist worthy King Charles of Fraunce, at the request of ane hye and mychty Prince and worthy Lord, WILLIAME ERLE OF ORKNAY AND OF CATHNES, Lord Synclere, and Chancelare of Scotland, in his Castell of Rosselyn, the [gh]ere of our Lord a thowsand four hundreth fyfty and sex.

[Fol. 2.]

PROLOGUS.

To the haly Croune of Fraunce, in the quhilk this day regnys CHARLES THE SEXT of that name, the quhilk is lufit and redoubtit oure all the warld be the ordynaunce of God; till him be gevin honoure, lose, and glore, abune all erdely Lordschippis: Maist hye Prince I am callit, be my richt name, BONNET PRIOUR OF SALLON, Doctoure in Decreis. The quhilk I haue had mony smale thouchtis and gude will to mak sum Buke; First, in the honoure of God, and of his suete Moder, and of [gh]our hye Lordschip. And the resouns quhy I haue vndertane to mak this Buke ar gude yneuch, as semys me. And First and formast, for quhy? That the state of Haly Kirk is in sik tribulacioun that bot gif God oure Lorde set sum gude remede, the quhilk was wont till mak gude cheuisaunce and gude end, in that mater be the Brether of the faith, auentureris of the Christin Faith, I can se be na way that it may wele be, bot gif thare be sum gudely way of acordaunce fundyn and sone. The Secund cause is and resoun, For I se all Cristyndome sa grevit, and stroublit of weris, discensiouns, thiftis, and reueryis, haterentis, and envyes, that men kennys almaist na realme in Cristyndome bot it is in were. Thrid resone is, for quhy? That the land of Provence, of quhilk I am borne and vp brocht, is sa turnyt now for the renewing of new Lordschip, and for diuerse opyniouns that ar amang Lordis and the Communiteis, that with grete payne may ony wyse man here it be rehersit, the mekle sorowe that the Commouns sustenis for sik debatis. The Ferde resoun, for quhy? That mony notable Clerkis, the quhilkis wenys thai vnderstand wele the glosyng of ancien Prophecies, sais, that it sulde be ane of the hie lignie of Fraunce, the quhilk suld sett remede in all this thingis, and put this trauailland warld in pes and rest, that now is put in grete pestilence. And for this cause my curage has gevin me to mak sum newing of thing till enfourme [gh]our [gh]outhede of mony syndry knaulagis of Haly wrytt, sa that [gh]our curage suld be movit the mare to help to sett remede in the Haly Cristyn faith, the quhilk is in poynt of perising, and geve it socour; and to geve [gh]ow corage for to do in sik manere, that the Prophecyes, the quhilkis are presumyt to be vnderstandin in [gh]our persone maist worthy, be verifyit in [gh]our maist noble and worthy Princehede, throu [gh]our notable and haly werkis: And forthy, I mak [gh]our Hienes hertly request and supplicacioune, that nathing that I sall put in this Buke, [gh]e disprise, na lichtly, ffor all that I here say takis foundement of Haly Writt, and of the Decreis and Lawis Cannon and Ciuile, and Philosophy Naturale, that is Natural Resoun. The quhilk Buke sal be callit THE FLOURE OF BATAILLIS, OR THE TREE: And syne mon I pas to my werk; and tharefore is thare cummyn to me sik ane ymaginacioun, that I will ger mak a Tree, the quhilk sall bere bot fruyte of sorowe; as men may se, that all the persecuciouns of the Kirk and Contreis beris bot fruyte of dule and diseise; departit in Four Partis, as is before said, on the quhilkis Four Partis the diuisioun of oure Buke sal be foundit, etc.

EXPLICIT PROHEMIUM.

PRIMUM CAPITULUM.

[Fol. 2, b.]

Sen it is sa that apon this mater, the quhilk may be lyknyt till a Tree, that may bere na fruyte but fruyte of doloure and diseiss, we see twa partis principale, amang the quhilkis is grete discorde, discensioun, and were; first, apon the Haly Kirk and the Fredome of it, as apon the Pape, and the Sege of Rome, with the fredomys: And apon the tothir part, we see, how amang Kingis and Princis, and Temporale Lordis, thare is rysin sa grete discensiouns, discordis, and weris, that the Brethir of the Fayth, as Nobles, men that wont was to be werreyouris to defend the Kirk rycht, ar now rysyn agayne the Commouns and Comiteis agayn thame, that grete dule is to se: Quharefore this Buke may wele be comparit till a Tree quhilk beris na fruyte, but fruyte of dule, etc.

* * * * *

HERE EFTERE FOLOWES THE DECLARACIOUN OF THE RUBRYIS OF THE SECUND BUKE, ETC.

[Fol. 11.]

In the first, Of the persecucioun and destructioun of the Foure grete Realmes. 1[16] Item, How and in quhat tyme the Citie of Rome was first foundit. 2 Item, In quhat tyme gouernyt the Senatouris. 3 Item, Of the gouernement of the King Tules. 4 Item, Of the King Fernicle Archy. 5 Item, Efter of the King Tarquyn. 6 Item, Of the dede of King Alexander. 7 Item, Here he spekis of grete Archile, Consul of Rome. 8 Item, Here spekis he of grete Sir Sempny, Consul of Rome. 9 Item, Of the grete worthynes of Schir Sypre, Consul of Rome. 10 Item, How grete Cartage was destroyit. 11 Item, How the Almaynis wan a bataill apon the Romayns. 12 Item, Of Scilla, the grete inymy of the Romayns. 13 Item, How the Provincis maid Julius Cesar thaire lord, for his worthynes. 14 Item, How that Fortune is rycht variable. 15 Item, Here he spekis of Sir Arthoma, Consul of Rome. 16 Item, Spekis he of a questioun, be the quhilk thar come first Jurisdictioun amang men. 17 Item, Here he tellis quha was first Juge amang men. 18

* * * * *

[Fol. 21, b.]

HERE FOLOWIS THE CHAPTERIS OF THE THRID PARTY OF THIS PRESENT BUKE, AS FOLOWIS HERE BE DECLARACIOUN.

In the first, Quhethir it be lefull and lawufull thing till entre in cloisit feldis to defend richtwise cause. 1 Item, Of the samyn mater [gh]it spekis he mare furtherly. 2 Quhethir it be thing possible that this Warld be in pes. 3 How that Force is ane of the principale foundementis of Bataill. 4 How it may be kend in a Man gif he be forsy or nocht. 5 Quhethir is mare vertu till a man to assail[gh]e, or to byde in felde. 6 Be how mony thingis may men knaw the prowess of a Knycht. 7 A man suld erar chese to dee in felde, na flee fra the bataill. 8 Quhat punycioun suld he haue that passis fra the Ost but leue. 9 Quhat punycioun suld he haue that fechtis wyth his Lordis inymy but leve, or of the Constable. 10

* * * * *

[Fol. 26.]

HERE BEGYNNIS THE TABLE OF THE FERDE PART OF THIS BUKE.