Part 5

And wyth vs strey[n]gth be honesty þe yete. If that be gretter vertues thou sete, Thou moste the turne toward Hercules And behold wele his grete worthines, In whome there was full myche bounte. And to thi lenage all thoughe that he Was contrarie and a grete name hym gate, [Sidenote: f. 9.] For all that haue thou neuer the more hate To his vertue, streyngth and nobylnese, Which opynned the ȝates of worthinese. Yet, though that thowe wylt folwe hys weye And also hys worthines, I sey It nedyth no thyng to the to make Were[133] with theyme of hell ne no stryfe take, Ne for to were wyth the god Pluto For ony fauour Proserpyng onto, The godes dowter called Ceres, Whome he rauysched on the se of Gres.[134] Ne onto the it is no mystyr[135] That thow be Serebrus,[136] the portar Of helle, besye the hys cheynes to breke, Ne of theyme of helle to take any wreke, The which to vntrewe wynnors be;[137] Nor for his felaws as dede he, Pirotheus and Theseus,[138] in fere, The which that nere hand desceyuyd were [To] auenture theyme in that valy soo, W[h]ere many a sowle hath ful mych woo; For werre inougth in herthe[139] þou schalt fynd felle, Thougth thow goo not to sek yt in helle. It is no thinge necessarie to the So to purchase or do armes, parde, To go and fyghte with serpentes stynggyng, With boores wylde or beerys rampyng.[140] Wheythir thou ymagen this I wote noghte, Or ell of wyldenes it commyth in thy thougth Of worthines for to have a name. In dystres, yf it be not for the same, As ffor thy body the ffor to defende, Yf that sych bestis wylde the offende, Than diffence, if asailled thou be, Withowte dowte it is worchip to the; Yf thow ouercome theym and the saue, Bothe grete lavde and worchip thou shalt haue.

The vertu of strength is not only to vndyrstonde bodely strength, but the stabilnes and stedefastenes that a goode knygth schulde haue in all hys dedis by deliberaciou of good wytte and strength to resyst ayens contrariousnes that may come onto hym, weythir it be infortunes or tribulacions, where strengh and myghti corage may be vaylable to the exaussyng of worthines. And alyche[141] Hercules for to gif exampel of strengh, to the entent that it may be doble availe, that is to seye, in as myche as tocheth to his vertue and anamly in dedes of knygthhode, wherin he was ryghte excellent. And for the hynes of Hector, it is a behouely thynge to gyfe hyme hy[142] example. Hercules was a knyghte of Grece of meruelyous strengh and broute to ende many knyghtly worthines. A grete iorneyer he was in the worlde, and, for the grete and meruelyous viagis and thinges of grete strenghe that he made and dede, the poietes, the wyche spak couertly and in maner of fable, seyde that he wente into helle to fygth wyth the prynces off helle and that [he] favth[143] wyth serpentes and fiers bestis, by the wyche is to vndirstonden the grete and stronge entreprises.[144] * * *

IV.

* * * * *

Elles arte thou note worthy an helme to were, [Sidenote: f. 10.] Ne for to gouerne a reaume nowhere.[145]

Prudence seith to the good knyghte that, yf he will be on of the goode mennes rowe, he most haue the vertue of iustice, that is to seye, ryghtwyse iustice. And Aristotle seith he that is a rytewyse iusticer fryst shulde iustifie hym selph, ffor he that iustifies not hym self is not worthi to iustifye anothir. This is to vndirstond that a man shulde correcte his owne defavtes, so þat thei be holy fordone, and than a man so correctid may wele, and schulde, be a corrector of othir men. And to speke morally, ve shall tell a fable to this purpoise vndir the couertvre of poyetis. Minos, as poyetis sey, is a iusticer off helle or a prouoste or a cheife bayle, and afore hym is broughte alle the sowles descendyng into that vaylie; and afftir that they haue disseruede of penance as many degrees as he wille that thei be sette deipe, as ofte he turnyth his tayle abwte hym. And becawse that he is thee iustice ande the punyschment of God, lete vs take owre maner to speke oure speche veryly to that purpose. O trouth there was a kyng in Grece[146] called Mynos of mervelious fairnes,[147] and in hym was grete rigoure of iustice; and therefor the poietis seyde that aftir his deth he was commytted to be iusticer of helle. And Aristotile seyth, “Justice is a mesure that God hath sette in erthe for to limitte thereby thynges ryghtwysly.”

And even as God is hede of iustice and of all orderes, it is necessarye to the cheualerous sperit that wille come to the victorius blysse for to have this vertue. And Seynt Bernard seith in a sermone[148] that iustice is not ellis but to giffe euery man that his is. “Yife than,” seith he, “to .iii. maner of peple that the whiche is theires, that is to say, to thi souereyne, to thi felawe and to thi soget: to thi souereyne reuerence and obeissance of body; to thi falawe thou schulde gyffe counsel and helpe, counsel in teschyng hym where he is ignorant and helpe hym in comfortynge his owyn power[149]; to thi soget, thow schuldest gyf hym chastissyng and kepyng hym frome euyl dedes, in chastisyng[150] hym forgiffeyng hym that he hath doo amysse.” And thus hereto seyth Salomon in his Proverbis, “Ex[cogitat iustus de domo impii ut detrahat impios a malo.... Gaudium est iusto facere iusticiam”].[151]

V.

Also remenbre the of Percyvale,[152] [Sidenote: f. 11.] Whos name is knowen ouer alle Throwghowte the worlde, both soft and hard, The swyffte hors Pegasus afterward. He roode hyme through the eyre flyyng, And Andromeda in hys goyng Fro the bellue[153] he hyr delyueryd And wyth his streynght hir from hym revede, As a ryght good errant myghtty knyghte Brought hyr ageyne to hir kyne ful ryght. Thys dede in yowre mynde loke that it holde, For a good knyght shuld kepe that is bolde Thys wey, if that he will haue exprese Wyrchip, which is mych better than ryches. Hys shynnynge shelde than loke thou opon, The which haue euer ouercome many one. Wythe his fauchon loke that thou arme the, Both strong and stedefast than shalt thou be.

And because that it is acordyng thyng[154] for a good knyght to haue wirchip and reuerence, we shalle make a fygure aftyr the maner of poietis. Percevale was a ful worthi knyght and whan[155] many reaumes, and the name off the grete lande of Perce come of hyme. And poyetis seide that he roode the hors that flawe in the eyre, the which was called Pegasus; and that is to vnderstonde a goode name, the which flyeth through the eyre. He bare in his honde a fauchon or a glayve; the whiche is seide for the grete multytude of peple that were discomfyte by hym in maney batayles. He delyueryd Andromeda from the bellue; this was a kynggys doghter, the which he delyuered from a monstre of the see, the which by the sentence of the godes shulde a[156] deuoured hire. This is to vndirstonde that alle knyghtes shulde socovre women that hade nede of there socoure. This Percivale and the hors [Sidenote: f. 12.] the which fleeth[157] may[158] be notede for the good name that a goode knyghte shulde haue and gete by hys good desertes; and there shuld he ryde, that is to seye, that hys goode name shulde be borne in all contrees. And Aristotile seyth that a good name of a man maketh a name shynnyng to the worlde and agreable in presence of princes.

The cheualerours sperit shulde desyre a goode name among the felachipe of the seyntis of heuen gotten by his goode desertes. The good hors Pegasus that [beareth][159] hyme shall be his good angel, the which shall make good reporte off hyme at the day of dome. Andromeda that shal be delyuered, it is his sowle, the which he delyueres fro the feend of hell by the ouercomyng off synne. And that a man on the same maner wyse shuld wylne to haue a good name in this worlde to the plesaunce of God and not for vayne glorie, Seynt Austin seyth in the Booke of Correccion[160] that “ii. thyngges be necessarie to beleve wele,[161] that is to sey, good conscience and good name, conscience for feyth,[162] good name for his neyburwe; and [w]ho so trostyth in conscience and dyspiteth a good name, he is cruel”; for it is a synge of a nobyll corage to loue the wele of a good name. And to this purpoise seyth the wyse man, “Curam habe [de bono nomine, magis enim permanebit tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi”].[163]

VI.

And wyth thyne inclynacions Off Jouis[164] softe condiccions Loke thou haue; the better thou shalt be, Whene that thow kepes theme ryghtfulle.

As it is seyde, poyetis, the whiche worchipped many godes, they helde the planetis of heuen ffor speciall godes, and of the .vii. planetes they made the .vii. dayes of the weke. They worchypped and helde Jouis or Jubiter for there grettest god, because that he is sette in the hyest spere of the planetis vndyr Saturne. The day off Thurseday is named of Jouis. And anamely the philosophres yaf and compared the vertues of the .vii. metallis to the .vii. planetis and named the teremys of there sciences by the same planetis, as a man may se in Geber[165] and Nicholas[166] and in othir auctoris of that science. To Jouys is youyne copyr or bras. Jouis or Jubiter is a planete of softe condicion, amiable and ful gladde and fygure[167] to sanguyne comp[l]eccion. Therefor Othea seyth, that is to sey, Prudence, that a good knyght shuld haue the condicion of Jubiter, and the same shulde euery nobyll man haue, pursewyng knyghtthode. [Sidenote: f. 13.] To this purpose seythe Pictogoras[168] that a kyng shuld be gracyously conuersaunt wyth his peple and shew to them a glade visage; and on the same wyse it is to vnderstond off all wordly peple tendyng to wirchippe.

Now lete vs brynge to owre purpoyse in allegorie the properteis of the .vii. planetis. Jouis, the which is a softe and a mankyndly[169] planete, of the whyche the good knyght schulde haue condicions, may sygnifie to vs mercy and compassyon that the good knyght hade, Jhesu Cryste that is, the which the sperit schulde haue in hym selfe. For Seynte Gregorie seyth in the pistylle of Pontian,[170] “I remembre not,” seith he, “that euer I herde or redde that he dyed of heuy dethe that hathe wylle to fulfylle the dedes of mercy, ffor mercy hathe many prayeres and it is inpossyble but that many prayeres most nedes be exauced.” To this purpose oure Lord seythe in the Gospell, “Beati [misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur”].[171]

VII.

Off Venus in no wyse make thi godesse, And for no thynge sette store by here promysse. To folowe here it is rauenous,[172] Both vnworchippefull and peryllous.

Venus is a planete of heuen, aftyr whome the Fryday is named; and the metall that we call tynne or pewter is yovyn to the same. Venus yiffeth influence of loue and of ydylnes, and she was a lady called soo, the which was qwene of Cippre. And because that [she] excedyd all women in excellent beaute and jolynesse, and was ryght amerous and not stedefast in o loue, and becawse that she yevyth influence of lecheri, Othea seyth to the good knyght that he make here not his godes. This is to vndirstond, that in sech lyfe he shuld not abaundon his body ne his entent. Armes[173] seyth that the vice of lecherye steynyth all vertues.

Venus, of whom the good knyght shuld not make hys godes, it is þat the good speryth in hym selphe shuld haue no vanyte. And Cassidore seyth vpon the Sawtyr, “Vanite made avoyde degre[174] to becum a fende and yafe dethe[175] to the fryste man and voyeddid hyme frome the blyssidnesse that was grawntyd on to hyme.” Vanite is modyr off all evelles, welle off all vices, and the weyne[176] of wykydnesse, the which puttyth a man oute of the grace of God and setti[t]h hym in his hate. To this purpose Dauid seyth in his Sauter, spekyng to God, “Odisti [observantes vanitates supervacue”].[177]

VIII.

Yf thou asemble the in jugement, [Sidenote: f. 14.] Be leke to Saturne in avisement; Or that thou gyf thy sentence, veryly Be ware that thou yif it not doutously.

Satyrday is named after Saturne, ande the metall lede is youen therto, and it is a planete of slow condicion, hevy and wyse. And there was a kyng in Grece hadde the same name, the [which] was full wyse, off whom poyetis spake vnder conuerteure of fable, and they seyde that his sone Jubiter kutte from hym his preuy menbres. The which is to vnderstond that he toke ffrom hym his myghte and dysheryted him and drwe[178] hym avay. And becawse that Saturne is hevy and wyse, Othea seyth that a good knyght shuld peyse a thynge grettely or[179] that he[180] shulde yefe his sentence, weythir that it be in pris of armes or of ony othir dede. And euery iuge may not[181] the same that hathe offices longgynge to iugement. And to thys purpoise Hermes seith, “Thynkke wele on all thinges that thou hast for to do and in especyall of iugement of othyr.”

As the good knyghte scholde be slowe in the iugement of othir, that is to sey, to peise wele the sentence or þat he gyf it, on the same wyse the goode spiryte shulde doo in that the which longyth to hyme; for to Gode longeth the iugement, the which can discerne cawses ryghtwysly. And Seynt Grigorye seyth in hys Moralles[182] that, whan owre frelnes cannot comprehende the iugementes of God, we oughte not to discute them in bolde wordes, but we ought to worchippe thyme wyth ferefull scilens and, how mervelyous that euer we thowght theyme, we shulde holde them iuste. And to this purpoose spekyth Dauid in the Sawter-booke, “Timor [Domini sanctus, permanet in seculum seculi. Judicia Domini vera iustificata in semet ipsa”].[183]

IX.

Lete thi worde be clere and trwe in kynde. Appollo shall gif it the in mynde, For he by no mene may non ordure Suffir no wyse vndere couerture.

Appollo or Phebus, that is the sone, to whom the Sonday is yoven and allsoo the metall that is callyd golde. The sonne by hys clerenes shewyth thynges that be hidde; and therefore trewth, the whiche is clere and shewith secrete thynges, may be yofe to hyme. The which vertue shulde be in the herte and in the mowthe of euery good knyghte. And to this purpose seyth Hermes, “Love Godde, trowthe euer, and gyffe good counsell.”

Apollo, the whiche is to sey the sonne, by whom we notyfye trowthe, we may take that man shulde haue in hys mouth the trwthe of the very knyght Jhesu Cryst and flee all falsenes. As Cassiodyr seyth in the booke of Praysyng of Seynt Powle,[184] “The condicion of falsenes ys swche that, where as it hath no geyneseyyng, yit it falleth in hym selphe; butte the condycion of trowth is to the contrary, ffor it is so sete that the more geyneseynges of aduersytes that it hath, the more it encresyth and reysyth hym selphe.” To this purpose seith Holy Scripture, “Super [omnia vincit veritas].”[185]

X.

Vnto Phebe resemble not. For why? He[186] is to chaungable and enemye To stedefastnes and to courage strong, Malencolius is and full of wronge.

Phebe is called the mone, off whom the Moneday hath his name; and to hyme is yoven the metall that we calle syluyr. The mone resteth non oure in a ryghte poynte and yiffeth influens of vnstefastenes and foly, and therefore it is seyde þat a goode knyght shulde kepe hym from which vicys. And to this purpose Hermes seith, “Vse wisedome and be stedefast.”

Phebe the moone, that we not for vnstedefastnes, the whiche a goode knyght shulde not haue; on the same wyse the good sperit. As Seynt Ambrose seith in the pistil of Simpliciain,[187] that a foole is schawnegeable as the moone, but a wyse man is euer stedefast in o state, where he neythir brekyth for fere ner schawngyth for no myght; he reyseth hym notte in prosperite ner plangeth not in heuynes.[188] “There where wysedome is, there is vertue, strengh and stedefastnes. The wise man is euer of oon corage; it lessyth it notte, ne encressyth not, for [he] schawngyth notte in no maner wyse for no thyng; he flotereth not in dyuers opynions, but abydyth perfythe in Jhesu Cryst, gon growndid in charite and roted in feyth.” And to this purpose seythe Holy Scripture, “Homo sanctus [in sapientia manet sicut sol, nam stultus sicut luna mutatur”].[189]

XI.

I dowte notte in no wyse Mars thi fadyr. Thow shalt folowe hyme in heuery matyr; For thy hy and nobil condycion Draweth therto thyne inclynacion.

The Twysday is named after Mars; and that metalle that we [Sidenote: f. 16.] callen iren is youen to hym. Mars is a planete that yifeth influence of werris and batayles; therefore euery knyght that loveth and schewyth armes and dedes of knyghthod and hathe a grete name off worthines may be callyd the sone of Mars. And therfor Othea named Hector so, notwythstondyng he was sone to Knyng Pryant, and seyde he wolde well folowe hys fadir in as moche as a goode knyght ought to doo. And a wyse man seith that by the dedes of a man men may knowe his inclynacions.

Mars the god of bateyle may wele be called the Sone of God, the whiche bateilled victoriously in this worlde, by example; [and the good sperit shulde] folow[190] his Fadere Jhesu Cryst and fyght ayens vicis. Seynte Ambrose seyth in the fryst booke off Offices that how so will be Godes frend, he must be the fendes enemy, whoo so will haue pees wyth Jhesu Cryst, he most haue werre withe vices. And even as in veyne men maketh werre in the felde wyth foreyne enemys there where the cete is full of homely spyes, on the same wyse non may ouercome the eveles outewarde that wyll not were strongly wyth the synnes of there sowlys; ffor it is the most gloryous victorie that may be, for a man to ouercome hyme selphe. And tho this purpose seyth Seynt Poule the postyle, [“Non est vobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem sed adversus principes et potestates,” etc.].[191]

XII.

Of thi faucon[192] be thou bolde and pleyne, And of thi worde bothe clene and certeyne. Mercurye schall teche the that, holde[193] and sounde, The which of good spech knowyth wele the grounde.

The Wednysday is named after Mercurye, [the which] ys a planete that yevyth influence off pontificall behavynge and of fayre langage arayed wyth retorique. Therefor it is seide to the good knyte that he shulde be arayed therewyth, for wirchipfull behavynge and faire langage ys full behovely to all nobill pepyll desyryng the hy pris of worchipe, so that they kepe them fro to myche langage; ffor Dyogeneys seyth that off all vertues the more the bettir, saue of speche.

Be Mercurie, the whiche is called god of langage, we may [Sidenote: f. 17.] vndirstonde that the knyghte of Jhesu Cryste shulde be armed wyth good prechynges and wordes of techynges, and all so thei shulde loue and worchyppe the schewers thereof. And Seynte Gregory seithe in his Omelyis þat men shulde haue the prechores of Holy Scripture in grete reuerence, for they be the masseyngeres that gone to[fore][194] owre Lord God and owre Lorde followyth them. Holy prechyng maketh the way, and than owre Lord commeth into the dwellyng place of owre hert; the wordes of exortacion maketh the coorse, and so trwthe is reseyuyd intoo owre vndirstondyng. And to this purpose owre Lorde seyth to his aposteles, [“Qui vos audit me audit, et qui vos spernit me spernit”].[195]

XIII.

Of all maner sortes of armure For to arme the wyth, bothe wele and sure, Be thi moder inough sygned shall be,[196] Mynerve, the which is not bitter to the.

Mynerve was a lady of grete connyng and fonde the craft to make armure; for afore the pe[p]yl armed theyme but wyth cuirboyle.[197] And for the grete wysdom that was in this lady thei called hyr a godes; and because that Hector cowde sette armure welle on werke and that it was hys ryght craft, Othea called hym the sone of Mynerve, notwythstondyng that he was sone to qwen Ecuba of Troye. And in the same wyse all that loueth armes may be named. And to this purpose an auctoure seith that knyghtes youen to armes be soggettes to the same.

Where it is seide that good armurs and strong inewgh shall be delyuered to the good knygh by his modir, wee may vndirstond the vertu of feyth, the whiche is a devyne vertue and is modir to the good spyrite. And that she delyuerith armoures inow, Cassiodir seythe in the Exposicion of the Crede[198] that feyth is the lyth[199] of the sowle, the yate off paradyse, the wynddowe of lyve, and the gronde of the euerlastyng helthe, for wythowte feythe non may plese God. And to this purpose seyth Seynt Poule in the pystyll, [“Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo”].[200]

XIV.

Joyne thou to the Pallas the godesse, And sette hir ryght wyth thi worthinesse. Yf thow haue hir, good fortune thou shalt fele; Pallas wyth Mynerve is fittyng[201] full wele.

All so where it is seyde that Pallas sholde be ioyned wyth Mynerve, the which is wele fyttyng, men shall vndirstonde that Pallas and Mynerve ys all o thyng, but the names be diueres and be takyn to .ii. vndirstondynges. For the lady that is callyd [Sidenote: f. 18.] Mynerve was so surnamed Pallas of an yle that is called Pallance[202] of the whiche she was borne; and because that she generally in all thynges was wyse and foonde many nwe craftes, fayre and sotle, thei called hyr goodes of kunnyng. Mynerve is called thus in that which longeth too knyghthode, and Pallas in all thynges that longeth to wysdom; and therefore it is seyde that he sholde yeuen[203] wysdom and knythhode, the which is ful wele acordvng therto, and that armes shulde be keptte may be vndirstonde be feyth. To this purpose seythe Hermes, “Joyne the loue of feithe wyth wisedom.”

And as that Pallas, the whiche is notyd for wysedom, shulde be ioyned with knyghthode, the vertue[204] of hope shuld be ioyned with good vertues of the knyghtly speryte, wyhtowte the which he may not avayle. For Orygene seyth in the Omelies opon Exode that the hoope of the goodes that be for to come is the solase of theyme that trauellyth in this bodely lyffe, leche as to laboreres the hoope of there payment softeth there laboures off there besynes, and as [to] champyons that be in bateyle the hoope of the corowne of victorie esyth the woo of there wondes. And to this purpose seyth Seynt Poule the apostyll, [“Fortissimum solatium habemus, qui confugimus ad tenendam propositam spem,” etc.].[205]

XV.

Pantassele[206] haue thou fauour vnto, That ffor thi deth shall haue moch woo; Syth a woman shuld be loued and knowe, Off whom so noble a voys is sowe.[207]