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, 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] There where it is seide that he shuld kepe hym couered with his harneis it is vndirstond that the good sperite shulde kepe his wittis cloose and not voide. Seynt Grigori seith hereoff that a person the which departhit hys vittis fareth as a iowgolowre the [Sidenote: f. 69.] which fyndeth no wers hous than his owyn; therefor he is euer owte of his hows, euen as a man that kepith not his wittes clos is euer vagaunt and owte of the hous of his conscience and farith as an opyn hall where men may entre on euery syde. Therefor [our] Lorde seith in the Gospell, [“Clauso ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito.”][550] XCII.
Of Pollibetes[551] coveite not hastly His harmes, for thei be vnhappy; Of his dispoylyng folowed, parde, Thi wofull deth be theyme þat sewed þe.
Polibetes was a full myghty kyng, the which Hector slewe in the bataile after many othir grete dedes that he hadde done that day. And becawse that he was harmede with ffayre harmes and reche, Hector coveite theyme and stowpyd doung of his hors nekke for to dispoyle the body, and than Achilles, the which swede after hym with hole will to take hym discouerte, smote hym beneth for fawte off his harmure and at oo stroke kylled hym, of whom it was grete harme, ffor a worthier knyght was neuer gyrte whyth swerde of the which stories maken mencion. And that sich couetyses may be no noyens[552] in sich places it shewith bi the seide cas. Therefor the philosophir seith, “Disoordnet couetise[553] ledith a man to deth.”
That we shulde not couete Polibetis armis, we may vndirstond that the goode speryte shuld haue no couetise to no maner of wordly thynges. For Innocent seith[554] that it ledith a man to deth, for covetise it is a fyre that may not be stawnched. The couetous person is neuer content to haue that the which he desyrith, for, whan he hath that he desiryd, he desyrith euer more, euer he setteth his ende in as mych as that he tenteth to have more and not to that the which he hath. Averyse and covetise be.ii^o. saus makers,[555] the which sesseth neuer to seye, “Bryng, bryng”; and to the value that the money waxeth the loue of the mony waxeth. Couetise is the way to the gostly deth and oftetymes to bodily deth. Therefor the postyll Seynt Powle seith, [“Radix omnium malorum cupiditas est”].[556] XCIII.
Assote the not in love of strawnge kynde; The deede of Achilles haue in mynde, Which wende to make of hys enmye [Sidenote: f. 70.]
His veri lyffe and that interely.
Achilles was asotyd in lowe of Polexene the faire mayden, the which was sister to Hector, as he sawe hir in the begynnyng of the yere at the servise off Ectoris yeris meynde[557] in the trwes tyme, where many Grekis went to Troye to see the nobilnes of the cete and of the reche terrement, that was the most solemny made that euer was made for the body of a knyght. There Achilles sawe Polixenne, where he was sore takyn with hir loue that he myght no wyse endure, and therefor he sent to Hecuba the qwene that he wolde treite of mariage and he wolde make the werre to sesse and the sege to departe and he shuld euer be there frend.
It was long after or Achilles armed ayens the Troyens becawse of that lowe and [he] dede grete peyne to make the ost to departe, but he myght not doo it and therfor the mariage was notte made. After that Achilles slew Troylus, the which was so full of worthines that he was ryght leke to Hector his brothir, standyng the yong age that he hadde. But the qwene Ecuba was so full of woo for hym that she sent for Achilles to come to hir to Troye ffor to treite of the mariage. He went thedir, and there he was slayne. And þerfor it is seide to the good knyghte that he shuld not assote hym vpon strawnge loues, ffor by ferre loues comyth harme. And therfor the wyse [man] seith, “When thyn enemys may not venge theyme, than hast thou nede to be ware.”
That a goode spyryte shulde not assote hym vpon strawnge loues, that is to vndirstond that he shulde chawnge[558] no thynge but yf it comme holy of God and [be] determined in hym. “All strange loues” is the worlde, the which he shuld flee. That he shulde flee the worlde Seynt Austyn seith in expownyng of Seynt Jonis Pistil,[559] “The world passith [and its] concupiscens.[560] O resonable man,” than seith he, “whethir had thou leuer loue the temperell worlde and passe with the tyme, or be with[561] Cryst Jhesu and lyfe perpetualy with hyme?” To this purpose Seynt Jon seith in his fryst Pistill, [“Nolite diligere mundum neque ea quæ in mundo sunt”].[562] XCIV.
Vndirtake non harmes folely; It is perell for sowle and body A naked harme and no shelde to take; Off Ayaux may thou example make.
Ayaux was a full prowd knyght of þe Grekis and trostid to mych on hymselfe, but yet he was a goode knyght of his hand. [Sidenote: f. 71.]
And for pride and soleynnes he vndyrtooke to doo armes with his arme naked discouered withowte a chelde, and so he was boron through[563] and ouerthrowen dede. Therefore it is seide to the goode knyght that to doo siche armes, thei be neythir profitabill ne worchipfull, but rather thei be named lewde and prowde, and thei be to perlyous. Aristotil seith that many erreth be ignorance and fawte of knowyng and woote not whate it is to do ne to leue, and some fayle be arrogance and pride.
How armes shulde not be vndertake follely is þat þe good sperite shulde not tryst in his owyn fragilite. As Seynt Tawstyn[564] seyth in a sermon, þat non shulde presume in his owyn herte when he pronownceth a worde ne non sulde[565] [trust] in his streynghte when he sufferith tentacion, for, when we speke wysely goode wordes, thei coume of God and not of owre wytte, and when we endure aduersitees stedefastly, it cometh of God and not of oure pacience. To this purpose the apostyl Seynt Powle seith, [“Fiduciam talem habemus per Christum ad Deum, non quod simus sufficientes aliquid cogitare ex nobis quasi ex nobis”].[566] XCV.
Antenor exile and chase away, Which purchassed ayens his contrey Bothe treson, falsenes and grete vntrouth; But yif he were yolden it were routh.
Anthenor was a baron of Troie, and when it com at the last to grete Troyenne bateylles, the Grekys that hadde long kepte sege afore the cete they wost not how they myght haue a conclusyon to take the cete, ffor it was of ryght grete streynghte, than by the tysyng[567] of Anthenor. For angre that he hadde to kyng Priaunt, he comforted theyme and seide that thei shulde make a pes with the kyng, and by that mene thei may putte theyme selue into the cete and they shall be youen a wey. Thus thei dede, by the which Troye was betrayed. And because that the treson hereoff was to grete and to evill, it is seide to the good knyght that all sich semblable, where he knoweth theyme, he shulde exile and chasse theyme awey, for sich pepill be gretili to hate. Platon seyth that disseyte is capteyne and gouernowre off shrewes.[568] Be Anthenor, the which shulde be chassed awey, we may [Sidenote: f. 72.]
vnderstonde that the goode sperite shulde dryve away all thynges whereby ony inconuenyence myght come to hyme. To this Seynt Austyn seith that he that is not besy to eschewe inconueniencees[569] is leche a b[u]tyrflye that turnyth so ofte abowte the fyre of the lampe that he birneth his wenges and thanne is drowned in the oyle, and to the birde that flieth so ofte abowte the glewe that he lesyth his feddris. Example of Seynte Petir, the which aboode so long in the princes courte of the lawe that he fell into sich an inconuenience to renye[570] his Maystir. And the wyse man seith, [“Fuge a via malorum, ne transeas per eam”].[571] XCVI.
In Mynervez tempell to offir Thou shulde not thi ennemye suffre.
Take thou goode hede to the hors of tre; Troye hadde yet bene, had that not be.
The Grekes hade made a feynte pes[572] with the Troyens by Anthemores trayson. Thei seyde thei hadde avowed a gifte to Mynerve the godes, the which thei wolde offyr, and the[i] hadde made a horse of tre of an huge grettenes, the which was full of men of armes, and it was so grete that the yate of the cete most be brokyn for to late it cum in. And the hors was sette opon whelis, that rolled it forth to the temple; and when nyght come and when the tovne was most in rest, than the knyghtes lepid owt of the hors and vent abowte in the cete, the which brente and kyllid and distroiid the towne. The[re]for it is seide to the good knyght that he shulde not trost in no sich fantasies ne offerynges. To this purpose a wyse man seith, “A man shulde dowte the sotiltees and the spies of his enemie, yif he be wise, and his shrewdenes,[573] yf he be a foole.”
By Minerve temple we may vnderstond holy chirch, where shulde not a been offird but prayer. And Seynt Awstyn seith in the booke of Feyth, that withowte the ffelechippe of holy chirch and baptym no thyng may availe, ne the dedes of mercye may not vaile to euerlastyng liffe, for withowte the lappe of the chirch non helthe may be. There[for] Dauid seith in the Sauter booke, [“Apud te laus mea in ecclesia magna”].[574] XCVII.
Trost not to haue a sure castell; For Ylyones towre, sette full well, Was take and brent, and so was Thune.[575] All is in the handes of fortune.
Ylyon was the mayster doongon of Troye and the faryst and [Sidenote: f.
73.] the strengest castell that euer was made of the which stories makyth mencion; but notwithstondyng it was take and brent and broute to nowte, and so was the cete of Thune, the which was some tyme a grete thyng. And becavse that sich causes falleth bi the chaungabilnes of fortvne, it is desirid that the good knyght shulde not be prowde in hyme selfe ne thynke hym selfe sure for no streyngh. Therefor Tholome[576] seith, “The hyer that a lorde be raysed the perlyouser is the ouyrthrowe.”
That man shuld not wene to have a svre castell, we may vndirstond that the good sperite shulde take non hede to no maner delite; for as delitees be passyng and not svre and ledith a person to dampnacion, Seynt Jerom seith that it is inpossibile for a person to passe fro delittes to delyttes, that is to sey, for to pase and lepe fro delites of this worlde to the delyttes of paradyse, the which fillyth the wombe here and the sowle there. For the diuine condicion is vnbounde, for it is not yoven to thoo that weneth to haue the worlde euerlastyng in delittes. And to this purpose is wreetyn in the Pocalipce, [“Quantum glorificavit se et in deliciis fuit, tantum date ei tormentum et luctum”].[577] XCVIII.
Eschwe thou shulde þe swyn of Circes, Where that the knyttes[578] off Vlixes Were turnyd to swyne as to the ye.
Vmbethynke the wele of this partie.
Cyrces was a qwene, whos reaume was opon the see of Ytaile, and she was a grete enchaunteresse and knew meche of sorcery and wichcraft. And whan Vlixes, the which wente to the se after the destruccion off Troye, as he went to a returnyd[579] into his cuntre, throwe many grete and perlyous tormentes that he hadde he aryved at a hauen of the same lande. He sent to the qwene by his knyghtes to wete wheythir he myght swrely taken hauen in her lond or noon. Circes reseyuyd his knyghtes full gentely and of curtesei made ordeyne for theyme a potage full delicious to drynke, but the potage hade sich a strengh that sodenly the knyghttes were chaunged into swyne. Circes may be vnderstond in many maners. It ma[y] be vndirstonde be a lande or a cuntre where that knyghtes were putte in fowle and veleyns preson; and allso she may be lekened to a lady full of wantonnesse and ydilnes, that by hire many errant knyghtes, that is to sey, sewyng armes, þe which anamly were of Vlixes pepill, that is to vndirstonde, malicious and noyens, were kepte to soiorne as swyne. And therefor it is seide to þe good knyght that he shulde not reste in sich a soioryng. For Arystotill [Sidenote: f. 74.] seith, “He that is holy[580] in fornicacion may not be aloved[581] in the ende.”
Cyrceses swyne may we take for ypocrysy, the which the goode sperite shulde eschewe off all thynges. Ayens ypocrytes Seynt Gregory seith in his Moralles,[582] that the lyfe of ypocrytes is but a frawdelous vysyon and as a fantasye ymagenid, the which shewith owtewarde lykenes of an ymage, the which is not in very dede inwarde. To this purpose owre Lorde seith in the Gospell, [“Væ vobis, hypocritæ, quia similes estis XCIX.
Thou shulde no grete reson shewe to þe man The which as that tyme vndirstond ne can.
Yno, the which the soddyn corne dide sowe, Noteth it to the well inowgh, I trowe.
Yno was a qwene, the which made sothyn[584] corne to be sowen, the which comme not vppe. And therfor it is seide to the goode knyght þat gode resons and weele sette and wyse autorites shulde not be tolde to the pepill of rude vndirstondyng and that cannot vndirstond them, ffor they be lost. And therfor Aristotile seith, “As reyne avaylith notte to corne that is sowen on a stone, no more availleth argumentes to an onwyse man.”
That faire and wise wordis shuld not be tolde to rude and ignorant pepill, the which cannot vnderstond theyme, it is to sey that it is as a thyng loste, and than ignorance is to blame. Seynt Bernard seith in a book of xv. Degrees of Mekenes that fore noght tho ascuse theyme of fragilite or off ignorance,[585] standyng that siche as syne most frely be gladly ffreel and ignorant, and many thynges the which shuld be knowen be some tyme vnknowen, outhir be necligence to kune it...[586] All sich ignorances hath non excusacion. Therefore the postil Seynt Povle seyth, [“Si quis ignorat, ignorabitur”].[587] C.
Auctorites I haue written to the An.c.; late theyme be take agre,[588] For a woman lerned Augustus To be worchipped and taught hym thus.
Cesar Augustus was Emperoure off the Romayns and off all [Sidenote: f.
75.] the worlde, and because thet in th[e] tyme of his reygne pes was in all þe world and that he reyngned pesibily, lewed pepill and misse-beleueres thought that the pes was becawse of his goodnes; but it was notte, for it was Crist Jhesu, the which was borne off the Virgine Mary and was that tyme on þe erth, and as long as he was on erth, it was pes ouer all the worlde. So they wold haue worchippede Cesar as God; but thanne Sebille bad hym to be well ware that he made hyme note to be worchipped, and that ther was no God but on alone, þe which had made all thynges. And thanne she lede hyme to an hy mounteyn withowte the cete and in the sone by the will of owre Lord aperyd a Vergine holdyng a Childe.[589] Sibille shewed it to hym and seyd to hyme that ther was very God, the which shuld be worchipped, and than Cesar worchippede hym.
And becaus that Ceesar Augustus, the [which] was prince off all the wor[l]de, lerned to knowe God and the Beleve off a woman, to the purpose may be seide the auctorite that Hermes seith, “Be not ashamed to here trowth and good techyngges of whom that euer seith it, for trouth noblyth hym þat pronounceth it.”
There where Othea seith that she hath wreten to hym an.c. [Sidenote: f.
75b.] auctorites and that Augustus lerned of a woman, it is to vndirstond that good wordes and good techynges is to prayse of what persone þat seith it.[590] Howe[591] de Seint Victor spekyth hereof in a boke called Didascalicon, that a wyse man gladdely herith all maner of techynges; he dispisyth not the Scriptur, he dispyseth not the person, he dispiseth not the doctrine; he sekyth indifferently ouer all, and all that euer he seth the which he hath defaute; he considerith notte what he is that spekyth, but [what] that is the which he seith[592]; he taketh no hede how myche he can hymme selfe, but how mech he cannot. To this purpose þe wyse man seith, [“Auris bona audiet cum omni concupiscentia sapientiam”].[593] GLOSSARY.