Part 8

The good sperite shulde not be leke to Jason, the which was rekeles, ne vncunnyng of the benefices reseyvid of his Maker. And Seynt Barnarde seith opon the Cantecles that vnkunnyng is ennemye to the soule, a lesser of vertues and dispraysyng of meritis and a lessyng of beneficis, and allso ingratitude fareth as nowght,[342] the which dryeth the well of pete, the dewe of grace and the reuer of mercye. And to this purpose the wyse man seith, [“Ingrati enim spes tanquam hibernalis glacies tabescet et disperiet tanquam aqua supervacua.”][343]

LV.

Kepe the wele fro the serpent Gorgon; [Sidenote: f. 39.] Be ware that thou looke not hyr[344] opon; Haue good sadde mynde opon Percyualle,[345] And he shall the tell the story all.

Gorgon, as the fable seith, was a gentylvoman of souereyne beaute; but because that Phebus[346] lay by hyr in the temple of Diane, the godes was so sore meved and grevyd that she schawnged hir into a serpent of ryght orribil figure. And þat serpent hade sich a propirte þat euery man that [be]helde hir was changed sodeynely into a ston; and for the harme that folwed of hire Percyvale, the worthi knyght, went for to fyght with that fers beste. And he behelde hym selfe in the bryghtnes of his shelde, the whiche was all golde, because he shulde not beholde the evill serpent, and he dide so mych þat he smote of hir[347] hede. Many exposicions may be made of this fable, and Gorgon may be vndirstonden for a cete or a towne þat was wonte to be of grete bounte, but throw the vicis of the duellers þerin it become a serpent and venemus; that is to vnderstonde, þat it dede mych harme in the marches to there neygburs, as to robbe and to pyll holy chirche,[348] all tho þat thei myghte gete, and merchawndys and othir passeris forby were takyn and holden and put in streyte presonys and thus were thei chawnged into stones. Percivale, that behelde hym selfe in his chelde, þat is to sey, in his strynght and knyghode, and went to fyght ayens the cite, he tooke it and tooke the power fro it, þat it dede no more harme.[349] It myght be that some man myght take a full feyre lady of evyll dedys, þe which bi hire couetise put many from there goodes, but he put hir from þat wyll; and many othir vndirstondynges may be sette herein. Therefor it is seide to þe good knyght that he kepe hym fro behaldyng evill thyngges, þe which myght drawe hym to evyll. And Aristotil seith, “Fle peple full of wikydnes and befolowe wyse men and stody in there bookes and beholde thy selfe in theire dedes.”

How that Gorgon shulde notte be beholden, þat is to sey þat þe good sperite shuld not behold no thyng in no maner delyte, but beholde[350] hym in þe childe[351] of þe state of perfeccion, and þat is for to fle delites. Aristotyl[352] seithe þat, as it is impossibyl þat [fire shuld burn in water, so it is impossibyl þat] compunccion[353] of herte is among wor[l]dly delites, for thei be .ii^o. contrary thynges þat distroyith iche of them othir, for compunccion is modir of terres and delites engenderyth laughynges, compunccion restreynyth the [Sidenote: f. 40.] hert and delites enlargeth it. To thys purpose seyth Holy Scripture, “They þat sowyn in wepyng shal repyn in lawyng.”[354]

LVI.

Yf that loue make shorte to þe þe nyght, Be ware Phebus noye the not with his myght, Wherby thou mayst be take and tied In Vlnecans lyeines and ouerleyede.[355]

A ffable seith that Mars and Venus loued togedir par amovres. It ffelle on a nyght that þe[356] loueres were aslepe, arme in arme. Phebus, the which sawe clerly, come opon theyme and for the which he accused theyme to Vulcans, Venus husbond. Than he, þat sawe theyme in that plyte, forged a lyeine and a cheyne of bras and bond them togedir so that thei myght not meve, as he þat is smyth of heuen and can worke sotely, and thus he come opon theyme and thanne went he forth [to] the tothir godes[357] and sheued theyme his shame. And the fable seith that sich rotters there be þat wolde full fayne falle in þe same mysdede.[358] To this fabill may be sette diuers exposicions, and it may full souereynly towche some poyntes of astronomye[359] to tho þat sotely can vndirstond it. Mars[360] to owre purpose seith þat þe good knyght shulde kepe hym þat in syche [cas] he be not ouerlede before yetilnes of tyme.[361] And a wyse man seith, “Vnnethes is ony thynge of secrete but that of some it is perceyuyd.”

There where þe auctorite seith þat, if lowe[362] schorte the nyghte to the, we shall sey þat þe gode sperit shulde kepe hym from þe wacches of the fende. Seynt Leo the pope seith to this, þat þe holde ennemy, the which transfygured hym into an angell of lyght,[363] sesseth not to strech his snaris of temptacions ouer all and to aspie how he may corumpe þe feithe of good beleuers; he beholdyth whome he shall embrace with þe fyer of couetyse, whom he shall enflame with the brennyng desyre of lechery, to whom he shall purpose the lekerousnes of glotenye; he examynyth of all customes, discutyth of hertes, commyteth[364] affeccions and there seketh he cause of iniure where he fyndeth hyme. Therefor seyth Seynt Petyr the apostle, [“Sobrii estote et vigilate quia adversarius vester diabolus tanquam leo rugiens circuit quærens quem devoret”].[365]

LVII.

Thamaris[366] dispraysed may not well be, [Sidenote: f. 41.] Though a voman she were of Femene. Umbethynk the where takyn was Cyrus, For ryght herde and dere he brought þat distrus.[367]

Thamaris [was] qwen of Amazonie, a full worthy lady and full off grete worthynesse, of grete hardynes and wyse in armes and gouernauns. Cirus, the grete kyng of Perse, the which hadde conqwered many a region, with a grete host he meved ffor to goo ayens a grete reaume of Femene, of the which he sette but lytell by the streynghte. But she, the which was experte and sotyll in crafte of armes, suffyrd hym to entre into hyr reaume wythowte ony mevyng of hyr into the tyme that he was comyn into strate passage among hylles and grete mownteynes, where a full strong cuntre was. Than be Thamaris busshmentes[368] he was assaylled on euer[y] parte with the wymmens hoste and browght so ferre forthe þat he was takyn. The qwhen made hym to be browght before hir and made his hede be smetyn off and to be cast in a tobbe full off his barons blode, the which she had made to be sheded in his presens, and Thamaris spak in this wyse, “Cirus, the which had neuer inowgh of mannys blode, now mayst thow drynke inowthe.” And thus endyd Cirus, the grete kyng of Perse, the which was neuer ouercome in no batayle affore. Therefor Othea seith to the good knyght that he shulde neuer be ouertrostyng in hyme selphe, but þat he shulde doute that he mytht happe amysse by some infortune and yit by symplere than he ys. To this purpose Platon seith, “Disprayse noon, ffor hys wertues may be grete.”

Thamaris, the which shulde not be dispraysed, thowe þat she be a voman, is to sey þat a good speryte shulde not disprayse in hate[369] the state of mekenes, be it in relygion or ell where; and that mekenes is to prayse. Jon Cassian[370] seith that in no wyse the edifice of vertues in oure sowle may not reyse ne dresse hym self if the fundement of very mekenes be not tastyd fryst in oure hertes, the which, and it be ryghte stedefastly sette, may susteyne þe lynes of perfeccion and of charite. Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Quanto maior es humilia te ipsum in omnibus et coram Deo invenies gratiam”].[371]

LVIII.

Thy witte to be ennorted[372] suffre nought To foly delitys, ne herto brought Thy wyrchip; if it be asked of the, Anon beholde the wele in Medee.

Medee was on of the konnyngest women of sorserye that euer [Sidenote: f. 42.] was and hade most kunnyng; and þat stories seith. Notwythstondyng she suffred hire witte to be enorted at the owne will for to fullfylle hire delyte, as in lewde love she suffyrd hyre to be maystyrde, so þat she sette hire herte opon Jason and yaffe hym worchip, body and goodes; ffor the which after that he yaffe hire a full evyll rewarde. Wherefor Othea seith that the good knyght shulde not suffre reson to be ouercome wyth lewde delyte in no maner cas, iff he will vse of the vertue of streynght. And Platon seyth that a man of lyghte corage is sone meved[373] wyth that the which he louede.

That a man shulde not suffre his wytte to be ennorted to lewde delyte may be vnderstondyn that the goode sperit shulde not suffre his propir will to haue dominacion; for, yf propir will of dominacion cesyd not, there shulde be noon hell ne the fyer off hell shuld haue no dominacion but opon the person that sufferyth his propir will to be lorde of hym, ffor propir will feythyt ayens God and enprideth the selfe. That is the which dispoilleth Paradyse and clothit hell and voydeth the valu of the blode of Cryst Jhesu and submyttyth the worlde to the tharledom of the feend. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Virga atque correptio tribuit sapientiam; puer autem qui dimittitur voluntati suæ confundit matrem suam.”][374]

LIX.

Iff thou be soget to god Cupido, The wood[375] giant looke thou kepe the fro, That the harde roche in no wyse may put be Opon Acis and opon Galatee.[376]

Galatee was a fayre godesse, the which had a yong ientilman that she loued and he was dede.[377] There was a gyant of a fowle stature that loued hir, but she lyste not to loue hym; but he aspied hir so besily that he perceyued theyme bothe in the creues of a roche. Thanne were they ouerleyde[378] with a sodeyne rage, and the roche trembled in syche wyse that it holy brak and raffe asownedyr. But Galatee, the which was a fayrye,[379] dressyd hir into the see[380] and askapid therby. This is to vndirstond that the good knyght shulde be ware in sich case to be ouerleyde with sich as hath myght and wyll to greve hym.

How he shuld be ware of the gyant, the which is yoven to Cupido, itt is to vnderstond that the good speryte [shuld] be wele ware that he hath non ymagenacion to the worlde ne to no thynge [Sidenote: f. 43.] þerof, but euer thynke that all woordly thynges may litell while endure. For Seynt Jerom seyth opon Jeremye that there is no thyng may be noysed long emong those thynges which shalle haue ende; so all owre tyme is as of litell regarde to the euerlastyng terme. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Transierunt omnia illa tanquam umbra et tanquam nuntius percurrens”].[381]

LX.

Fleeth euer the godesse of Dyscorde; Euyl be hire lyenis and hire corde. Pellus[382] mariage full sore she trobled, For the which after mych foolke assembled.

Dyscorde is a godesse of evil dedys, and a fabyll seyth that whan Pellus weddyd the godesse Thetis, off whome Achilles was after that borne, Jubiter and all the tothir godes and godesses were at the mariage, but the godes of Discorde was not prayed therto and therefor for invie she com onsent for. But she come not all for noghte, for she dide verily hir office. When they were sette at dynne at a borde, the .iii. myghty godesses Pallas, Juno and Venus, there come Discorde and cast an appell of golde opon the borde, whereon was wretyn “Lete this be gouen to the ffayrest”; and than the fest was trobeld, for yche off theyme sey thei ought to haue it. They went afore Jubiter for to be iuged of that discorde, but he wolde not plese on to displese anothir. Wherefore thei putte the debate opon Paaris of Troye,[383] the [which] was an herde man than,[384] as his modir drempt, when sche was grete with hyme, that he schulde be cawse off distruccion of Troye; he was sent therfor to the forest to the herdeman, venyng[385] to hym that he hadde bene his sone. And there Mercurius, the wiche [conducted] the ladies,[386] tolde hym whos sone that he was; than he lefte kepyng of shepe and went to Troye to his grete kynne. The fabill witneschit thus, where the weri stori is hidde vndir poyetikly couertoure, and because that often tymes many grete mischevis hath fallen and fallyth throwe discorde and debate, Othea seith to the goode knyth that he shulde be ware of discorde; so that, as it is a fowle thyng to be a debatoure and to move riottes, Pitagoras seith “Go not,” seith he, “in that weye where that hattes[387] growes.”

Where it is seyde that discorde shuld be fleed, on the same wyse the good sperit shulde flee all lettynges of consience and [Sidenote: f. 44.] eschewe stryvis and riottes. [Cassiodorus][388] souuerainly seith, “He fleeth stryves and riottes; for to stryve ayens pes it is woodnes, to stryue ayens his souereyne it is maddenes, to stryve ayens his soogette it is grete velany.” Therefor Seynte Powle seith, [“Non in contentione et æmulatione”].[389]

LXI.

Thyne evyll misdede forgete thou noght, Iff thou to any[390] haue so myche wroughte, For the reward he will wele kepe fro the. Distroyed was Leomedon, parde.

Leomedon, as I haue seide, was kyng off Troye, and he hadde done grete velany to the barons of Grece[391] to voyde them fro his lande[392]; the wiche they foryate noght, but Leomedon hathe foryeten it whan the Grekes ron on hym, the wiche ouercome hym, he oncouered and disporveide, so they distroyyd hym. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that, yf he hathe mysdone to any, that he kepe hym wele, ffor he may be sekyr it shal notte be foryeten, but rather wenged,[393] whanne he may haue tyme and place. And to this purpose Hermes seyth, “Be ware that thynne ennemyes com not vpon the, and thou disporveyde.”

That he shuld not forgete the myssedede that he hathe done to anothir may be vndirstondyn þat, when the good sperite felyth hym in synne for fawte of resistence, he shulde thynke that he shuld be ponnysshede, as thei be that be dampnyd, yf he amende hym notte. And therof seith Seynt Gregorie that the dome of God goth nowe fair and softely and a sclowe pas, but in tyme comyng it shall recompence the more greuously the mercy shall tarry of his acte. To this purpose the prophete Joel seith, [“Convertimini ad Dominum Deum vestrum, quia benignus et misericors est,” etc.].[394]

LXII.

Iff it happe thou be of loue doited,[395] Be ware at the leste to whom thou tell it; That thi dedes discouered not be, Vmbethynke the welle of Semelle.[396]

The fable seith that Semelle was a gentylwoman that Jubiter loved paramours. Juno, the wiche was in ialoucie, tooke the lekenes of an auncient woman and cam to Semelle and with fayre wordys began to reson hyre in so moche that Semelle knowliged to hyre all the love off hyre and of hyr loue, and to [be] well beloued and knowen of hyme she vaunted hire. The godesse þanne seyde to hir, the [Sidenote: f. 45.] wiche tooke no hede of the dissayte, [that] she perceyued[397] nothyng yit of the love of hire love, [but] when she shulde be nexte with hym, that she shulde aske hym a yifte and, when she hadde well requyred hym and that he hadde grawnted, that she shulde desyre of hym that he wolde vouchesafe to halse[398] hir in syche wyse as [he] halsed Juno his wyffe, when that he wolde solace hym with here, and in syche wyse myght she perceyue the loue of hyre love. Semelle fforyate it not, and when she hade made the requeste to Jubiter, the wiche hade promysyd it hyre and as a god that myght not calle it agayne, he was full sori and wyst wele that sche hadde bene disseyved. Than Jubiter tooke lekenes of fire[399] and halsed his loue, the wiche in a litell while was all bruled and brent, for the wiche Jubiter was full hevy of þat aventure. Opon this fabill may be takyn many vnderstondynges, anamly opon the science off astronomie, as maystris seyne. But it may be allso that be some weye a gentilwoman may be disseyved by the wyffe of hyr loue, wherethrowgh hym selfe made hir to die be inaduertance. And therfor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld be ware, whanne he spekyth of a thyng that he wolde that it were secrete, afore or he speke hys worde, to whome he seyth it and whatte he seyth, for by the circumstances thyngges ma ben vndirstondyn. Therefor Hermes seith, “Shewe not the secretes of thi thoughtes but to thoo that thou hast well preued.”

How he shulde take hede to whome he spekyth we may vndirstond that the good sperite, what so euer hys thowtys be, he shulde be ware in euery cas where evil suspeccion myght falle to ony othir. As Seynt Austyn seith in the booke of Job,[400] that we shuld not all only sete store to haue good conscience, but in as myche as owre infirmyte may, and as myche [as] the diligence of mankyndly frelnes may, wee shuld take good hede that we dede no thyng that myght come to evil suspeccion to owre stedefast brothir.[401] To this purpose seith Seynt Poule the apostle, [“In omnibus præbe te ipsum exemplum bonorum operum”].[402]

LXIII.

The disporte trust not to mychyll opon Of Dyane, for þer is disporte right none For them þat ben in knyghthode pursewyng That shuld cause them to haunt to mych huntyng.

Dyane is called godess off the wode and of huntyng; so it is seide to the good knyght pursewyng the hight name of armes þat he shulde not mvse to myche in the disportes of huntyng, for it is a [Sidenote: f. 46.] thyng that longeth to ydylnes. And Arystotle seith that ydilnes ledyth a man to all inconveniences.

That a man shuld not folwe to myche Dyanes disporte, the wiche is take for ydilnes, the goode speryte may noote the same, and that is to eschew. Seynt Grygori seyth, “Do euer some goode thynge, that the fende may allway fynde the occupied in some goode occupacion.” To this purpose the wyse man seith, [“Consideravit semitas domus suæ et panem otiosa non comedit”].[403]

LXIV.

Avaunte the not, for grete harme fell therefore[404] To Yragnes,[405] the wich myssetook hir sore, That ayens Pallas hire so avaunted, For the wyche the goodesse hire enchaunted.

The fable seyth that Yragnes was a gentylwoman full sotyll and kunnyng in schapyng, wevyng and sewyng, but she was too presumtuos of hir connyng and indede she vaunted hire ayens Pallas. For the wyche the godes was greued wyth here that fore that foly vauntyng sche schawneged hyr into an yraigne and than seyde, “Thou vaunted the so myche in wevyng and sewyng that thou shalt euer aftir this weve and spynne werke of no value,” and fro thiens come the yraignes that be yite, the wiche sessyth not of spynnyng and wevyng. It may be so vndirstonden that some persone wanted ayens hir maystres, ffor the wiche in some wyse thei tooke harme. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght that he shuld not vaunt hyme, standyng it is a foule thyng for a knyght to be a vauntoure, for it may abuse to myche the prayse of his bownte. And in the same wyse Platon seyth, “When thou dost a t[h]yng,” seith he,[406] “better than anothir, be ware thou avaunte not therof, for yf thou doo thyne avayle is myche the lesse.”

For that a man shuld not vaunte hym, we may sey that the goode sperite shulde be ware of wauntyng, for Seynt Austyn spekith ayens vauntyng in the .xii. boke of the Cete of God, þat vauntyng is not mankyndly praysyng, but is aturnyd to vyse of the sovle, the wich louyth mankyndly praysynges and dispithet the wery wytnes of his propyr consyence. To this purpose the wyse man seythe, [“Quid nobis profuit superbia, aut diuitiarum jactantia?”].[407]

LXV.

Iff to grete desyre will them brynge To loue mechell disporte of huntynge, Dadonius[408] than remenbre may the, For with a woode wilde bore dede was he.

Dadanius was a ioly gentylman[409] and of grete beaute. Venus loued hym paramoures, but because he delytyd hym to myche in huntyng, Venus, the wich douted that some hurt myth com to hym by some aventure, she prayed hym ofte to be ware how he huntyd to grete bestes. But Dadonius wolde not be ware, and therfor he was slayne wyth a wilde bore. Therfor it is seyde to the good knyght that, yf he wille all gates hunte, late [hym] kepe hym from sych huntyng that may doo hym harme. To this purpose the profete Sedechias[410] seith that a knyght shulde not suffre his sone hunte to myche ne be ydyll, but he shulde make hym to be enformed to goode condicions and to fle vanyte.

How he shulde thynke on Dadonius may be vnderstondyn that, yif the goode sperite be in any wyse out off the weye, that at the leste he shulde thynke on the grete perell of perseuerance; for, as the fende hath grete myght opon synners, Seynt Petir seythe in the secund Pystyll[411] that synners ben bownde to corupcion and the fende hath power ouer theyme, for he that in batayle is ouercome of an othir is becomyn bonde to hym. And in tokyn therof it is seyde in the Pocalipse, [“Data est bestiæ potestas in omnem tribum et populum.”][412]

LXVI.

If so be thette there assaile the any, Be ware thou ne thi men ryse not lyghtly Ayens theyme, that thi town of strenght not slake; Off the fryst Troye example thou mayst take.

Whenne Hercules wyth mych pepyll com opon the fryst Troye and that kyng Leomedon herd seye of there comyng, than he with all the peple that he myght gete in the cete yode owte and went ayens theyme to the water syde, and there theye assembled wyth full ferse bataile and þe cete was left voyde of peple. Than Thelamen Ayaux, the wich was enbushed wyth a grete oste nere the walles of the cete, enteryd into it, and thus the fryst Troye was takyn. Therefor it is seyde to the goode knyght that he shulde kepe hym, that in siche wyse he be not disseyuyd wyth his [Sidenote: f. 48.] ennemyes. And Hermes seyth, “Kepe the from the peple[413] of thyn ennemyes.”

Where it is seyde that a man shuld kepe hym, yf he be assayled, that his cete be not voide, it is to sey that the good spyryte shulde euer kepe hym sesid and filled with vertues. And hereto seyth Seynt Austyn that, lyche as in tyme of werre men of armes shuld not be onsesyde of theyre armes ne owt of theyme nyght ner day, on the same wyse duryng the tyme of this present lyfe he shulde not be dyspoyled of vertues, for he thate the fende fyndeth withowte vertues faryth as he that the aduersari fyndyth withoute armes. Therfor the Gospel seyth, [“Fortis armatus custodit atrium suum”].[414]

LXVII.

Opon the harpe assot the not to sore Off Orpheus. Yf thou sete any store Be armes, thou wylte þerin wele spede. To fre[415] instrementis thou hast non nede.

Orpheus was a poyete, and the fabill seyth that he cowde welle pleye on the harrpe, so that the ryngyng[416] wateres all only tournyd theyre coruse, and the birdes of the eyre, the wylde bestes and the fres[417] serpentis foryate there cruelnes and restyd to here the songge and the swete sounde of his harpe. This is to vnderstond he pleyith so wele that all maner of pepill of whate condicions that they were delytede theyme to here the poietis pley. And becawse that syche instrumentis sotted often the hertis of men, it is seyde to the goode knyght that he shuld not delyte hym to meche therein, for it longeth not to the sones of knyghthode to mvse to mych in instrumentis ne in othir ydylnes. To this purpose an auctorite seyth, “The soule of the instrument is the snare of the serpent”; and Platon seyth, “He þat settyth holy his plesauns of fleysly delythes is more bond þan a sclawe,” that is to seye, than a man that is bought and solde.

Orpheus harpe, vpon the wich a man shulde not be assotted, we may vndirstonde that the knyghtly sperite shulde not be assotted ne mvsyd in no maner of wordly felacheppe, be it kynne or othir. Seynt Austyn seyth in the booke of the Syngularyte off Clerkis that the solytary man felyth lesse prekynges of his fleych that havntyth not voluptuousenes than he that hawntyth it, and lesse it [Sidenote: f. 49.] sterith to couetyse the which seeth not wordly riches[418] than he that seeth it. Therefor Dauyd seith, [“Vigilavi et factus sum sicut passer solitarius in tecto”].[419]

LXVIII.