Part 10

Ceys was a kyng, a full good man, and loued wele Alchyon [Sidenote: f. 59.] his wyff. The kyng tooke a deuocion ffor to go a perlyows passage on the see in a tempest, but Alchyon his wyffe, the whiche loued hym ryght hertily, dyde gretyly hir besynes to meve hym fro[469] that vyage and with grete teris of wepyng prayde hyme full besyly; but it myght not be remedied by here ne he woold not suffir hir to goo with hym, stondyng that she wolde all gates haue gone with hymme and at the departyng she styrte on to the shepe.[470] But Ceys the kyng comfortyd hir and with force made hyre to abyde, for the which she was full anggwyssous and hevy and in ryght grete woo. Neuer the lesse Eolus,[471] the god of wyndes, meved theyme soo gretely opon the see that the kyng Ceys within fewe dayes perysshed on the see; ffor the which, whenne Alchyon knew that aventure, she kest hire selfe into the see. The ffabill seith that the godes had pyte þeroff and chawnged the bodyes of the .ii. louers into .ii. birdes, to the intent that there grete loue myght be had in perpetuell mynde. And yette þe same birdes flee opon the see syde, the which be called Alchions and there fedres be whyte; and whan the maryneris see theyme come, þan be they sekyr of a tempest.[472] The ryght exposicion hereof may be that in mariage .ii^o. loueres loued togedir in lich wyse, the which poyetes lykeneth to the .ii^o. byrdes that hade sich a case and aventure. Therefor it is seide to the goode knyght that he shulde not put hym in no perlyous passage ayens the counsell off his good ffrendis. And Assaron[473] seyth that the wyse man enforseth hym to draw hym fro hurtes, and the foole doth his diligence to fynde hurtes.

For to beleue Alchion, it is to vnderstond that the goode speryte by some evil temptacion is empeched with some errowe or dowte in his thowght, in the which he shuld reporte hym to the openyon off the cherche. For Seynt Ambrose seyth in the .ii. booke off Offices that he is fro hym selfe that dispyseth the counsell of the cherche, for Joseph helped kyng Pharaon more profitably with the cownsell off his prudence than though he had yoven hyme eythir gold or syluer; for syluer myȝgh not a purueyde for the famyn of Egypte the space of vii. yere. Therefor it is concluded, “trust counsell and thou shalt not repent the.” To this purpose the wyse man seith in his Proverbes to the persone of holy chirch, [“Custodi legem atque consilium et erit vita animæ tuæ”].[474]

LXXX.

Off a chylde beleue notte the counsell, For off Troylus remenbre the wele. Trest[475] ye may men aged and prouede, That in armes hath sore bene charged.

When Kyng Priant had repared Troye ayen, the which was dystroyede because of the greuyng of theym that went into Colcos, [Sidenote: f. 60.] than Priant thought to take vengance for that distraccion and asemblyd his counsell, where that were many hy barons and wyse men, for to wete wheythir it were good that Paaris his sone shulde goo into Grece to ravyssh Elen or noon in achaunge for Esyona[476] his sistir, the which was taken be the Thelomonailles[477] and ledde into thraldom. But all the wyse men seyde nay, becavse of proficies and of scriptores, the whiche seide through that rauysshyng Troye shuld be dystroyed. Than Troylus, the whiche was a child and the yongest of Priantes sones, seyde that men shulde not in counsell of werre beleue olde men ne there prouerbes, the which threwe[478] there cowardyse counselleth euer to rest; so he counselled that they shulde goo togedir. Troylus conseil was holdyn, of the which felle myche harme. Therefor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld not holde ne beleve the counsell of a childe, the which of nature is full lyght and lityll to consydir. An auctorite seith to this purpose that where a childe is kyng þe londe ys onappy.[479]

That a good speryte shulde not agre hym to the counsell of a childe, it is to vndirstond that he shulde [not] be ignorant, but knowyng and full lerned in that the which may be prophyte to his helth; ffor ayens ignorant pepyll Seynt Austyn seith, “Ignorance is a full evyl modir, the which hath full evill doughteris, that is to sey, falssenes and doute; the fyrst is myschawnce, the secund is wreechednes, the fyrst is vicyous, but the secund is softer,[480] and these .ii. is drawen away by wysdome.” Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Sapientiam prætereuntes non tantum in hoc lapsi sunt ut ignorarent bona, sed insipientiæ suæ reliquerunt hominibus memoriam”].[481]

LXXXI.

Hate Calcas and his false disseytes, Off whome the infynyte malicis Betrayeth many reaumes expres[482]; Off wordly pepyll þer is no wers.

Calcas was a sootyl clerke of the cete of Troye,[483] and, whan Kyng Priante knew that the Grekes come opon hym with a grete oste, he sent Calcas into Delphos to wete of the god Appolonie[484] how the werre shulde fortvne. But after that the god hade aunsweryd, the which seide [that] after .x. yere the Grekes shulde haue the victorie, Calcas turned towarde the Grekes and aqwaynttyd hym with Achilles, the which was comme into [Sidenote: f. 61.] Delphos for the same cause, and with hym he went to the Grekes, whome he helpid for to cownsel ayens his owen cete and ofte tymes disturbed the pes betwyne the Grekys and the Troyens. And becawse he was a traytore, it is seide to the goode knyghte that he shulde hate sich evill sotell pepyll, ffor theyre traysones so done be willes may hurte gretly reaumes and empires and all maner of pepyll. Therefor Platon seith, “A soothel[485] enemy, though he be poore and not myghty, may greue more than a ennemy myghty and ryche vnknowyn.”

Calcas, the which shuld be hatyd, may be vnderstonden that the good speryte shulde hate all fraudelous malice ayens his neyghburgh, for he shulde in no wyse consent thertoo. For Seynt Jerom seith that a traytoure will not be sowpled, neythir for familiarite off felachep ne for homlynes of mete and drynke ne for grace of seruyce ne for plente off benefices. Off this vice seith Seynt Poule the aposstell, [“Erunt homines cupidi, elati, superbi, proditores, tumidi”].[486]

LXXXII.

Be thou notte harde for to graunt, I say, Sich a thyng as welle enploy thou may; To Hermofrodicus[487] haue tendyyng,[488] The whiche tooke harme for his denying.

Hermofrodicus was a beauteous yong thyng, and on of the fayree[489] was sore enamourede of hymme, but he in no wyse had leste to love hire and she purswed hym ouer all. Yt felle on a tyme that the yong thyng was full wery of the purswte wherein he hadd trauelled all the day. Than he come to a well-spryng sette abovte with salwes,[490] by the whiche was a fayre stanke, styll and clere, ffor the which a lest he hade to bathe hym.[491] He dyde of his clothes and went into the water. Whan she off the fayree sawe hym onclothyd and all naked, she went in to hym and for grete loue tooke that yong thyng in hir armes; but he, the which was full froward, put hire fro hym ryght rudely, so she myght not wynne his hert for no prayour. Than she of the fayree, full of woo, prayde to the godes that she myght neuer parte from hire loue, the whiche put hire so fro hym. The godes of pete harde hire deuoute prayere; than sodanly they chaunged the .ii^o. bodies into oone, the which were of .ii^o. seytis.[492] This fabill may be vnderstondyn in many maneres, lich as sothell clerkes and philosopheris hath hide there grete secretes vndir couertoure of fable. Thereto it may be [Sidenote: f. 62.] vnderstondyn sentence longyng to the science of astronomy, and as wele of nygromancye,[493] as that maystrys seyth. And because that the matyr of loue is more delictable to here than othir, gladely[494] they made there distinccions[495] opon loue for to be the more delectable to here, anamly to rude pepill, the whiche take but the barke, and the more agreable to subtile, the which sowketh the lyquor. But to owre purpose we may vndirstond that it is velany and a fowle thyng to refuse or to grawnte wyth grete daunger that the which may not turne to vyce ne to preiudice, thowgh it be grawnttyd. For Hermes seyth, “Make no long delay to put it in execucion that the which þou shuld doo.”

The goode speryte shulde notte be harde to graunt there where he seyth necessite, but reconforte the nedy to his power. As Seynt Gregore seith in his Moralles that, whan we wyll reconforte any that is afrayed in heuynes, we shulde fryst make heuynes with theyme, for he may not veryly reconforte the hevy person which cordeth hyme not with his heuines. For leche a man[496] may not ioyne oon yren to anothir yf thei be note hote bothe .ii^o. and softyd with the fire, on the same wyse we may not redresse anothir yif oure hertes be not softted be compassyon. To this purpose Holy Scripture seith, [“Confortate manus dissolutas et genua debilia roborate”].[497]

LXXXIII.

Thou mayst wyth the pleys the solace Off Vlixes, when thou hast tyme and space In the tyme of trwes and of fest, For they be both sotel and honest.

Vlyxes was a baron of Grece and off grete sotylte and duryng the long seege afore Troye, the whiche lestyd .x. yere, [when] that trwes were, he fond pleys full sotyll and feyre for to disporte knyttes therewyth in the tyme of soioure and rest. And some seyne that he fonde the game of the chesse and sich othir lich. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that in dwe tyme men may wele play at sich games; for Solyn seith, “All thyngges that is sottyl and honest is lefull to be doone.”

The pleyes of Vlixes may be vnderstondyn that, when the knyghtly speryte shall be wery off prayer and of beyng in contemplacion, he may wele disporte in redyng of Holy Scriptures; ffor, as Seynt Jerom seith, Holy Scripture is sete in the yen of owre[498] [Sidenote: f. 63.] hertis as a merowre, to the entent that we shuld se the herdly face[499] of owre sowle, and therefor may we see the lewdenes, there may we see who myche[500] that we profyte and how fayre we ben [fro] profyte.[501] To this purpose owre Lord seith in the Gospell, [“Scrutamini scripturas, quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam æternam habere”].[502]

LXXXIV.

Yif thou wilt yeff the to Cupido, Thy hert and all abaundon hire to, Thynkke on Cresseides nwefanggyllnesse,[503] For hire hert hade to meche dobylnesse.

Cresseide [was] a gentilwoman of grete beaute, an[d] she was yit more qwaynte and sotell to drawe pepill to hir.[504] Troylus, the yongest of Priantes sones, [the which] was full of grete gentilnesse, of beaute and of worthines, loued hire ryght hertily and she hade youen hym hir loue and promysyd to hym that it shuld neuyr fayle. Calcas, fadir to the gentilwoman, the which knew by science that Troye shuld be distroyid, dide so myche that his doughter was delyuered to hym and browght owte of the cete and ledde to the seege among the Grekes, where hir fadir was. Grete was the sorowe and full petous the[505] complayntis of the .ii^o. louers at the departyng. Neuerthelesse within a while aftir Dyomed, the which was a hye baron and a full worthi knyght, aqweynttyd hym with Cresseide and labowrd so soore to hir that she loued hym and only[506] foryate hir trwe loue Troylus. Because that Cresseide was so lyght of corage, it is seide to the gode knyght that, yf he will sette his herte in ony plase, late hym be ware that he be not aqwauyntyd with sich a lady as Cresseide was. And Hermes seith, “Kepe the from evill felachepe, that thou be not on of theyme.”

Cresseide, of whom a man shulde be ware to aqweynt hym, is veyne glori, with the which the good sperite shuld not aqwaynte hym, but fle it onto his power, for it is to lyghte and commyth to sodenly. And Seynt Austyn opon the Sauter seith that he the which hath wele lerned and asayed by experiens to ouergoo degrees of vices, he is coume to the knowlyge that the synne of veyne glory is holy or most specyaly to eschwe of perfyȝte men, ffor emong all othir synnes it is hardest to ouercom. Therefor the apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur”].[507]

LXXXV.

When thou hast kylled Patroclus, Ware of Achilles, I counsell þe thus, Yf thou loue me, for thei be all on, [Sidenote: f. 64.] There goods betweyne theym be comon.

Patroclus and Achilles were felawes togedir and ryght dere freendis, so that there were neuer to[508] brethere loued better togedir, and thei and here goodes were comon as all o thyng. And because that Hector slew Patroclus in batayle Achilles had grete hate to Hector, and fro theyns forthe swore his dethe. But because he doutyd meche his grete streynght, he lefte neuer to wayte how he myght fynde hym discouered to betray hym. Therfor Othea seide to Hector, as by profecye of that which was for to come, that, when he hadde sleyne Patroclus, it were nede for hym to be ware of Achilles. That is to vnderstond þat euery man the which hath slayne or mysdoon to anothir mannys trwe freen, his[509] felawe will take vengance if he may. Therefor Magdare[510] seith, “In what [place] that euer thou be wyth thy ennemye, holde hym euer in suspecte, thow[511] that thow be myghtyer than he.”

Where it is seide that, when thow hast sleyne Patroclus thou shulde be ware of Achilles, we may vnderstond that, yf the goode speryte suffir hym by the feend to bowe to synne, he howte[512] to dowte euerlastyng dethe. And Solyn seith,[513] “This present lyue is but a knyghthode an[d] in tokyn theroff this present lyf is called werre in deference of that aboue, the which is called victorius, for it hath euer of enemyes.” To this purpose the apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Induite vos armaturam Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli.”][514]

LXXXVI.

Be ware thou voide note fro the Echo, Ne hir[515] petous complayntes also; Susteyne all hir wille, yif it may be, For thou wote not what may com to the.

The fabill seith that Echo was a fayre woman, and because she was wont to be to grete a iangelere and by hir iangyllyng on a day accused Juno, the which for ialousie on day lay in awayte on hir husbond, the godesse was wroothe and seide, “For hens forth thou shalt no more speke fryst, but after anothir.” Echo was anamored on faire Arcisus,[516] but neyther for prayer ne for sygne of love that she made to hym he lyst not to haue pete off hire, in so mych that the faire creature diede for his love. But dyeng she prayed to the godesse that she myght be vengyd of hyme in whome [Sidenote: f. 65.] she hade fownde so mych cruellnes that ons yit thei myghte make hym to fele the charpenesse of loue, whereby he may preue the grete woo þat veray louers haue the which in loue be refussede; þan she died. So Eccho made an ende, but hire voyse remaneth, which lestyth yitte. And there the godes made it perpetuall for memorie of that aventure, and yit it answheris to pepill in valeyys and on reueres aftyr the woyse of othir, but it may not speke fryst. Eccho may syngnyfie a persone the which off grete necessite requyryth the voyse that is youen to anothir; that is to sey, of nedy pepyll there is abydyng enowe, for they may not helpe themselffe withowte helpe of othir.[517] Therefor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld haue pete of nedy pepill that reqwyrith it. And Zaqualquin[518] seith, “Who so will kepe wele the lawe, shulde helpe hys frend with his goode and leue to nedi pepill and be gracious, not denying iustice to his enemy, and kepe hym fro vice and dishonour.”

Be Echo, the which shuld not be refusyd, may be notyd the mercy þat the good sperite shulde haue in hym selfe. And Seynt Austyn seith in the book of owre Lo[r]dis Sermon that he made on the Hille that blyssyd be thoo that willyngly socourith poore pepill, the which be in penowrye, for thei discerue mercy of God opon them that is in penuery. And it is a iust thyng that who so will be holpyn of a souereyne more myghtye than he shuld helpe[519] a sympler than he is, in as myche that he is mythyer than he. Therefor the wyse man seith in his Prouerbis, [“Qui pronus est ad misericordiam benedicetur.”][520]

LXXXVII.

Iff thou wilte haue a croune of victorie, Which is better than ony good wordly, Damee[521] thou most folue and purswe And shalt haue hir, if thou will wele swe.

The fabil seith Damee was a gentylwoman that Phebus loued hertily, and he purswede hire sore, but she wolde not agre to hym. It felle on a day that he sawe the fayre creature go in a way and he folowed and, whanne she sawe hym come, she fledde and the god aftir. And when he was so nere that she sawe well she myght not scape hym, she made hir prayers to the godes Diane that she shulde save hire virginite, and the body of the maydyn chaunged into a grene lorier; and when Phebus was come nere therto, he tooke of the brawnches of the tre and made hym a chaplete in syngne of victorie. And anamly in the tyme[522] of the Romayns greete felicite the victorius pepill of theyme were crowned with [Sidenote: f. 66.] lorier. This fabill may haue many vndirstondynges. It myght happe that some myty man with long traveyle swed a lady in so mych that with his grete pursvte he com to his will vndir a lorier, and for that cavse fro theyns forth he loued the lorier and bare it in his devyse in signe of the victorie that he hade of his love vndir the lorier. And allso the lorier may be take for golde, the which betokynyth worchippe. It is seide to the good knyght that he most pursue Damee, if that he will haue a croune of lorier, that is to seyne, payne and traveyle, yf he will com to worchippe. To this purpose Omer seyth, “Be grete diligence a man comyth to grete perfeccion.”

That Damee wolde be purswede for to have a croune of lorier, we may vndirstonde that, yf the goode speryth will haue a glorius victorie, he must haue perseuerance, the which sall lede hym to the victorie of paradyse, of the which the ioies be infynite. As Seynt Grygory seith, “Who hath þat tong that may suffice to tell it, and where is the vndirstondyng that may or canne comprehend it, who[523] many ioyes be there in that souereyne cete off paradyse, euer to be present[524] ... visage of God, to se the vnscribable lyght, to be in surte neuer to haue fere off deth, to be mery with the gyfte of euerlastyng clennes?” To this purpose Dauid seith in þe Savter, [“Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei”].[525]

LXXXVIII.

To the also I make mencion Off Andromathais[526] vision; Dispite not thi wyfe, I counsell the, Ne othir wemen that wise be.

Avdromatha was Hectoures wyffe, and the nyght afore that he was sleyne there com to his wyfe in a vision that the next daye that Hector went to the batayle withowten dowte there he shuld be sleyne. For the which Andromatha with grete seghens and vepynges dide hire power that he shuld no goo into the batayle; but Hector wold not beleue hir and there he was slayne. Wherefor it is seide that a goode knyght shuld not holy disprayse visions of his wife, that is to sey, in avice and the counsell of his wyfe, if he be wyse and well condiciond, and anamly of othir wise women. For Platon seith, “Thou shuld not disprayse the counsell of a lytill wise person, for, þough thou be neuer so olde, be not ashamed to lerne, though a childe wolde teche the, for some tyme the ingnorant may avise the wise man.”

The avision of Andromatha, the whiche shulde not be dispreysed, [Sidenote: f. 67.] is that a good purpose sent by the Holy Gost Jhesu Cristis knyght shuld not sette it at nought, but anoon sette it in effecte vnto his power. Thereoff spekyth Seynt Gregory in his Moralles that the good Sperite for to draw vs to goodnes andmonychit vs, meveth vs and techitht vs. He admonychyt owre mynde, he meuith oure will and techyt owre vnderstondynges. The Sperite, softe and swete, suffirth no maner of litell spote of chaffe[527] abydyng in the habitacion of the herte where he inspiryth, but broyleth it anoon with his subtile circunspeccion.[528] Therefore the postile Seynt Powle seith, [“Spiritum nolite extinguere”].[529]

LXXXIX.

If that thoue haue grete werre and besy, In Babilonies streynght verely Troste not, for be Minos[530] and that soone It was take; trosteth not than thereone.

Grete Babilony was founded bi the grete gyaunt Nambroth,[531] and it was the streyngest cete that euer was; but notwithstondyng it was take by knynght Minos.[532] Therefore it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld not so myche truste in the streynght of his cete or off his castell in tyme off werre, but that it be full purveide off pepyll and of all thyng that behoueth for dwe defence. For Platon seith, “Who so trostith all only in his streyngth is often ouercomen.”

Be the streynth of Babilonie, wherein men shuld not trost, it is to vndirstonde that the good sperite shulde not trust ne attende to thynges that the worlde promysith; and Seynt Austyn spekith therof in the booke of Syngularite of Clerkes,[533] that it is to lewde a trust[534] to name his lyffe to be swre ayens the perell of this worlde. And it is a folych hope to wene to be saue among the byttynges[535] of synnys; yit the victorie incerteyne is as long as men be among the dartes of there enmyes and kepith theyme vnhurte,[536] but who so is envirouned with flawmes is not lyghtly delyuered withowtyn brennyng. Trost to hym that hath the experience; though the world lawith[537] on the, tryst it not, lete thi hoope be sette in God. Therefor seith the prophete Dauid, “Spera in Domino,” etc.[538]

XC.

Hector me must pronunce thi deth smerte. Wherefor grete sorwe bitteth my herte. That shall [be] whene that Priant the kyng [Thou] woldest not trost, which come the praying.[539]

The day that Hector was sleyne in bataile Andromatha his [Sidenote: f. 68.] wiffe come to pray Kyng Priant with full grete compleyntes and wepynges that he wolde not that day suffre Hector to goo to bataile, for withowte dowte he shulde be sleyne yf he went thedir.[540] Mars, the god of bataile, and Minerve, the godesse of armes, hade veraly shewed it there in hir slepe,[541] where thei apperid to hir. Priant dide all that he myghte for he shulde not fyght that day, but Hector stale fro his fadir and stirte owte of the cete by a waye vndir the erthe and went to the bataile, where he was sleyne. And for because he neuer dishobehed his fadir but that day, [it] may be seide the day that he shulde dishabey his ffadir than shulde he die. And it may be vnderstond that noon shulde dishobey his souereyne ne his good ffrendes, when they awyse hym as in reson. And therfor Aristotil seide to Alexandir, “As long as thou trustist the cownsell of theyme that vsith wisdom and that loued the truly, thou salt reigne glorously.”

Where she[542] seide to Hector that she most pronounce his name,[543] [it] is that the good sperite shulde haue contynell mynde on the owre of deth. Thereof seith Seynt Bernard[544] that in mankyndely thynges men fynde no thyng more certeyne þan deth, ne lesse incerteyne than is the owre of deth; for deth hath no mercy of pouerte and dothe no worshippe to reches; it sparith neythir wisedom, condicions ne age; men hath non othir certeyne of deth but that it is at the doores of aged men and it is in the mydwes[545] of yong men. To this purpose the wise man seith, [“Memor esto, quoniam mors non tardat”].[546]

XCI.

I purpose yet to make the sadde and wyse,[547] That thou vse in batailes ffor no gise Off thyne harneis discouered for to be, For thi deth than it will opyn to the.

In the bataile Hector was founde discouerede of his harneis, and thanne he was sleyne. And therefor it is seide to the goode knyght that he shuld not in bataile be discouered of his harneis. For Hermes seyth that deth farith as the stokke[548] of an arrowe and lyff farith as an arrowe that is sette to shoote.[549]