¶ Here beginneth the book called the example of virtue. Tabula libri ¶ first a prologue. ¶ How youth met with discretion in a meadow in his dream & was reform by her proverbs ca.i. ¶ How youth with discretion sailed over the dangerous passage of vain glory and arrived in a fair Ilonde longing to four ladies named hardiness/ sapience/ fortune/ & nature. ca two. ¶ Of the marvelous palace of fortune ca iii. ¶ Of the triumphant estate of hardiness. ca iiii. ¶ Of the glorified tower of sapience. ca v. ¶ Of the strong operations of nature ca vi ¶ How these four ladies pleeded at the bar before justice which of them was most profitable unto mankind & of the judgement of justice. ca seven. ¶ How after the judgement of justice/ sapience commanded discretion to lead youth to mary with cleanness the king of loves daughter. ca viii. ¶ How youth by the way met with lechery riding on a goat and pride maned with covetise on an elephant's back in a fair castle/ & how by the aid of discretion he died withstand their temptation and how he met with sapience in the maze of worldly be synes. capitulo. ix. ¶ How sapience & discretion led youth over the narrow bridge of vanity of the world to the palace of the king of love & of his marvelous apparel. ca x. ¶ How sapience presented youth to the king of love for to marry cleanness his daughter & how he before the marriage died fight and discomfit the dragon with three heads. capitulo. xi. ¶ How after the discomfiture of the said dragon he well grown in age was received with a fair company of ladies and was named virtue & with all joy brought to the palace of the king of love. ca xii. ¶ Of the marriage of virtue & cleanness & of the celestial feast how after the marriage an angel showed unto them hell/ & of the divisions of hell. ca xiii. ¶ How virtue cleymed the inheritance longing to cleanness his wife/ & how many angels & saints brought them to heaven/ & how heaven is enteyled to Uertu and to cleanness & to all them that love them & follow & proceed in their steps. capitulo. xiiii. ¶ This book called the example of virtue was made and compiled by Stephyn hawies one of the grooms of the most honourable chamber of our sovereign lord king Henry the vii the xix year of his most noble reign/ and by him presented to our said sovereign lord chapytred & marked after this table here before set. The prologue. When I advert in my remembrance The famous draughts of poets eloquent Which their minds did well enhance Books to contrive that were expedient To be remembered without impediment For the profit of humanity This was the custom of antiquity. I now simple and most rude And naked in depured eloquence For dullness rhetoric doth exclude Wherefore in making I lake intelligence Also considering my great negligence It feareth me sore for to indite But at adventure I will now write. As very blind in the poets art For I thereof can no thing skill Wherefore I lay it all a part But somewhat according to my will I will now write for to fulfil Saint Paul's words and true sentement All that is written is to our document O prudent Gower in language pure Without corruption most facundyous O noble Chauser ever most sure Of fruitful sentence right delicious O virtuous Lydgat moche sentencyous Unto you all I do me excuse Though I your cunning do now use Explicit prologus. Capitulum primum IN Septembre in falling of the leaf When phoebus made his declination And all the wheat gathered was in the sheaf By radyaunt heat and operation When the virgin had full domination And diane entered was one degree Into the sign of Gemyne When the golden stars clear were splendent In the firmament purified clear as crystal By imperial course without incombrement As juppiter and Mars that be celestial With Saturn and Mercury that were supernal Mixed with venus that was not retrograte That caused me to be well fortunate In a slombring sleep with sloth oppressed As I in my naked bed was laid Thinking all night to take my rest Morpleus to me than made abraided And in my dream me thought he said Come walk with me in a meadow amorous depainted with flowers that be delicious I walked with him into a place Where that there grew many a fair flower With joy replete and full of solace And the trees distilling redolent liquor Moore sweeter far than the Aprell shower And tarry I did there by long space Till that I saw before my face A right fair lady of middle stature And also endued with great virtue Her apparel was set with pearls pure Whose beauty always did renew To me she said and ye will extue All wildness I will be your guide That ye to frailty shall not slide. Unto her I answered oh lady glorious I pray you tell me what is your name For ye seem to be right precious And I am young and sore to blame Of vices full and in virtue lame But I will be ruled now by your pleasure So that your order be made by measure cleped I am she said discretion And if ye will be ruled by me You shall have joy without reprehension And never fall in to fragility Youth lacking me it is great pity For in what place I am exiled They be with sin right often defiled It longeth ever unto my property Youth to give courage for to learn I will not meddle with no duplycyte But faithfulness I will discern And bring thy soul to bless eterne By wise example and moral doctrine For youth having to me is a good sign Forsake also all evil company And be found true in word and deed Remember that this world is transitory After thy desert shall be thy meed Love god always and eke him dread And for no man's pleasure be thine own foo give them fair words and let them go Be to thy king ever true subgete As thou shouldest be by right and reason let thy heart lowly on him be seat Without any spot of evil treason And be obedient at every season Unto his grace without rebellion That thou with troth may be companion Love never unloved for that is pain While that thou livest of that beware Love as thou seest the loved again Or else it will torn the to care Be never taken in that fast snare Prove or thou love that is most sure And than thou in doubt shalt not endure. Beware believe no flattering tongue For flatterers be most disseyvable Though that they company with the long Yet at the end they will be variable For they by reason are not favourable But evermore falls and double And with their tongues cause of great trouble This brytell world aye full of bitterness Always turning like to a ball No man in it can have no sickerness For when he clymmeth he hath a fall O wavering shadow bitter as gall O fatal wealth full soon at end Though thou ryghthy do often ascend When she to me had made relation Of all these proverbs by good conclusion She gave to me an information For to deprive all ill abusion And to consider the great derision Which is in youth that may not see No thing appropered to his prosperity Forth than we went to an haven side Where was a ship dying at road tarrying after the wind and tide And with moche spices right well load Upon it looking we long abode Till colus with blasts began to roar Than we her aborded with pain right sore This water eclyped was vainglory Ever with yeopardy and tempestuous And the ship called was right truly The vessel of the passage dangerous The waves were high and greatly troublous The captain called was good comfort And the sterysman fair passport ¶ Capitulum. two. Long were we driven with wind & weather Till we arrived in a fair Ilonde Where was a boot tied with a teeder Of marvelous wood as I understand precious stones lay upon the fond And pointed diamonds grew on the rocks And coral also by ryghthyghe stocks Amazed I was for to behold The precious stones under my feet And the earth glistering of gold With flowers fair of odour sweet Dame discretion I did than great praying her to me to make relation Who of this Ilonde hath domination She said four ladies in virtue excellent Of which the eldest is dame nature That daily formeth after her intent Every be'st and living creature Both foul and fair and also pure All that depending in her ordinance Where that she favoureth there is great pleasance The second is called dame fortune Against whom can be no resistance For she doth set the strings in tune Of every person by her magnificence When they sound best by good experience She will them lose and let them slip Causing them fall by her turning trip The third called is dame hardiness That often rulyth by her chivalry She is right stout and of great prows And the captain of a lusty company And ruleth them ever full hardly And to get honour and worldly treasure She putteth her often in adventure ¶ The fourth is wisdom Turrian lady bright Which is my lyster as ye shall see Whom I do love with all my might For she inclineth ever to benignity And medeleth not with fraud nor subtlety But maketh many noble clerks And ruleth them in all their works ¶ They devil all in a fair castle Beside a river much deep and clear And be expert in feyties manuel That unto them can be no peer Of earthly person that liveth here For they be so fair and wondrous That them to see it is solacyous. ¶ Long have they traversed greatly in the law Which of them should have the pre-eminence And none of them their case will withdraw Till of dame justice they know the sentence They argue often and make defence Each unto other withouten remedy I will no longer of them specefy Capitulum tercium. COme on fair youth and go with me Unto that place that is delectable builded with towers of curiosity And yet though that ye be lamentable When thou art there you wilt be comfortable To see the marvels that there be wrought No man can print it in his thought A path we found right greatly used Where in we went till at the last A castle I saw whereof I mused Not fully from me a stones cast To see the towers I was aghast Set in a valley so strongly fortified So gentle compassed and well edified The towers were high of adamond stones With fanes wanering in the wind Of right fine gold made for the noonies And roobuckes ran under the lined And hunters came them fer behind A joy it was such saw I never Abide quoth she ye shall see a better. Forth she me led to the castle ward Where we were let in by humility And so after she lead me forward Till that I saw a royal tree With buddies blossomed of great bellute And than we went in to the hall That glazed was truly with crystal And hanged was with clotheses of Aras Made of fine gold with a noble story Now that there some time reyning was In the region of high Italy A valiant emperdur and a mighty That had to name for so the Tiberius Which died inquire of prudent josethus ¶ Why he his officers so long kept Unto him he answered a good cause why Sometime I saw a man that slept That wounded was full piteously And on his wounds sucking many a fly I than for pity moved them away By which he work and to me died say ¶ Where that thou trowed to me comfort Thou now hast done me double grievance Putting away the flies that died resort To me being full of bloody sustenance By this thou mayst have good perseverance That now will come the flies most hungry That will me bite ten times more grievously ¶ The roof was wrought by marvelous gemetry Colered with azure gold and gowlies With knots carven bookful right craftily And set also with wanton fowls As popyniays/ pies/ jays/ and owls And as I looked on my right side A lady I saw of marvelous pride ¶ sitting in a chair at the upper end Of all the hall as a lady and princes Among many kings that died intend To be obedient to her high nobleness Her apparel was made of moche fair riches Set with rubies most pure and rubicound Embrawded with pearls and many a dyamound Besides her sat the worthies nine And she among them a wheel turning Full low to her they did than incline She sometime laughing and sometime lowering Her condition was to be dyssymeling And many exalten upon her wheel giving them great falls that they did feel Than said discretion behold and see That in dame fortune is no stableness This world also is but a vanity A dream a pomp nothing in steadfastness For fortune is false and full of doblenes When she most flattereth she is not sure As thou mayst see daily in ure Capitulum. iiii. FOrth than we went unto the habitacle Of dame hardiness most pure and fair Above all places a right fair spectacle strewed with flowers that gave good eyer Of virtuous turkeys there was a chair Wherein she sat in her cote armure bearing a shield the field of azure Wherein was set a ramping lion Of fine gold right large and great Aswerd she had of marvelous fashion As though a thousand she should beat No man the victory of her might get A noble virgin there died her serve That first made harness called minerve The chamber where she held her consistory The dew aromatic died often degoute Of fragrant flowers full of delycasy That all ill heirs died incense out A carbuncle there was that all about enlumined the chamber both day and night My thought u was an heavenly sight Nine queens I saw that sat her by Being all armed of great fortitude In many a stour they wan the victory And were endued with facounde pulcrytude For to haunt arms was their consuetude Many a region they often wan And also vanquished many a noble man next unto her sat the high queen Azia That was a conqueres so puissant And beside her the queen of Saba Which in great riches was triumphant And also Ipolyte in arms valiant Sat with her beside queen Hecuba And yet also the queen Europa Present there was the which queen juno And queen Pantasyll with fair queen Elyn And yet I saw by her than also The noble virgin young Polyxyn That was destroyed at the last ruin Of Troy the great by cruel Pyrrus The sone of Achilles that was so chevalrus As I did look I had commandment Of dame discretion for to remember These noble ladies so pure and excellent Hardy in courage of age right tender Yet not withstanding death died surrendre And all their strength and lusty courage For he spareth nother youth ne age Capitulum. u FOrth we walked to the dwelling place Of dame sapience so full of bliss Replete with joy virtue and grace No thing there lacked that possible is Man for to comfort withouten miss Though he were dark in worldly folly He should there b enlumined shortly Her tower was made of works curious I can no thing extend the goodliness Of her palace so good and glorious builded in the place soothe of faslnes Withouten taste of worldly bitterness No person can extol the sovereignty Of her worthy and royal dignity She each estate should have in governance As them to rule or that they repent For better it is to have good purveyance At the beginning as is expedient Than for to wyssh for things misspent That might be saved long afore And with a for wit kept in store Her chamber was glazed with byrall clarefyed depainted with colours of delectation A place of pleasure so heavenly glorified In virtue heal life and salvation Without any stormy tribulation That might annoy the heavenly health But always comfort to the souls wealth There sat dame prudence in virtue magnified impossible it is to show her goodelyhed She was so fair and clearly purified And so discrete and full of womanhead That and I trow virtue were deed It should revive yet in her again She was so gentle and without dysdeyn It was great comfort unto my heart For to behold that heavenly sight discretion said I should not depert Till I had spoken with her sister bright Forth she me led with all her might Unto that princes and royal sovereign Ergo my labour was not in vain Than spoke dame prudence with meek countenance Welcome discretion my sister dear Where have ye been by long continuance With youth she said that ye see here And for my sake I you require Him to receive in to your service And he shall serve you in goodly wise Welcome she said for my sisters sake And yet also now for your own In to my service I will you take Sithence that your wildness is overblown The seed of virtue on you shall be sown Vice to deprive by his good authority As for subdue all ill iniquity Of other meunes words be thou not bold And of their promise make no behest And if thou here an ill tale told give no judgement but say the best So shall thou live evermore in rest Who little medeleth is best at ease For well were he that all might please Beware keep the from great offence That thou condemned be not by rightwiseness When she doth give her mortal sentence Without pease or mercy 'cause her reles Her judgement of mortal heaviness That the best friend to the will be The for to succour in great necessity But yet in them have none affiance As first to sin thinking that they At the end to the will be deliverance Nay rightwiseness will drive them away For of all sins without delay Such sin in hope it is the most For it is the sin of the holy ghost Now I amytte you into your room In the which ye shall yourself apply Of mine own chamber ye shall be gromen Look ye be diligent and do not vary From my commandments never specially For and ye will them well observe A moche better room ye do deserve The first commandment that I give the Think on the end or thou begin For thou by right may know the certente That death is fine of every sin Be never taken in diabolical engine But that repentance may lose the sone Of that great sin that thou hast done Trust not to much in fortune's grace Though that she laugh on the a while For she can suddenly turn her face When that she list the to beguile She wealth and joy can soon defile And plunge the in the pity of poverty Wherefore in her have thou no surety Presume no ferther than the behoveth For it will turn the to great shame For who that from his room removeth He is often full greatly to blame And medeleth with other in them lame As no thing cunning nor expert They may him say sir malapert Or that thou speak call to remembrance Unto what matter thy word shall signify Look that it torn no man to grievance Though that it be spoken merely Yet many a one will take it grievously Which that might 'cause wroth and debate While that thou lives beware of that For a thing 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 Look that thou never be to pensive Thank god of shrink to have an other let wisdom than be to the comfortyfe That to thy brain is 〈◊〉 preservative For evermore right wise is he That can be patient in adversity Prove thy friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matter feigned Or thou have need than shalt thou see Whither he be ●●●●y with the retained The for to succour in thy necessity By proof thou mayst 〈◊〉 we the verity For proof afore that need require Defeteth doubt ever in ●ere Be thou never so blind in will Yet look thou be reformed by reason Than shalt thou my mind fulfil And thou thereto thyself abandon strive not with reason for none encheason For where she lacketh there is great outrage And without he may not assuage Eschew also the sin of pride The mother and the fervent role Of all the sins at every tide Wherefore trede thou her under foot With help of virtue so sweet and sweet Which is best salve to hele thy sore And to thy health the to restore Woe worth sin without repentanunce Woe worth bondage without reles Woe worth man without good governance Woe worth infynall pain and distress Woe worth vice put far in press Woe worth sovereignty having dysdeyn And woe worth pity that doth refrain Woe worth right that may not be herd Woe worth friendship without stability Woe worth true sentence that is deferred Woe worth the man full of duplycyte Woe worth him without benignity Woe worth liberty withouten pease And woe worth cruelty that may not cease Woe worth cunning that is abused Woe worth promise withouten payment Woe worth virtue that is refused Woe worth trouble without extynguysment Woe worth folly on message sent Woe worth reason that is exiled And woe worth troth that is defiled Woe worth the trust without assurance Woe worth grace not set by Woe worth justice kept in distance woe worth wealth replete with envy Woe worth the battle without victory Woe worth beginning without good end And woe worth wrong that doth defend These commandments I put in memory them for to keep doing my diligence With dame sapience I did long tarry Which did me teach with parting influence Of her delicate and doulcete complacence Than spoke discretion anon to me In the presence of her sisters majesty Thou art beholding to my sister reverent That the retained hath unto her servant Wherefore be thou to her obedient And at every hour to her attendant And riotous company do thou not haunt For that will pair and ill thy name Wherefore of virtuous mirth let be thy game Capitulum. vi. discretion ferther forth me lead Unto the solemn and royal mansion Of dame nature in human stead Right pleasant was her habitation Of marvelous work and situation And she herself held her estate In a glorious chamber without chekmate Her tower was guilded full of son hemies And within hanged with cloth of arras The roof was painted with golden streams And like crystal depured was Every window about of glass Where that she sat as a fair gods All things creating by her business Me thought she was of marvelous beauty Till that discretion lead me behind Where that I saw all the privity Of her work and human kind And at her back I did than find Of cruel death a doleful image That all her beauty did perswage Full wondrous was her operation In every kind eke and right degree Withouten rest or recreation I will not meddle with her secret For it no thing longeth to my faculty But somewhat after I will express Of her great power and worthiness But in my book well for to proceed Dame discretion ferther me brought Into a fair chamber as ye may read Of fine gemetry right well wrought To comfort man there lacked naught But that me thought there was no company Save only dame discretion and I We had been but a little while there But that we saw a lady clear Right well apparelled in sad gear Mild in her haviour discrete of cheer That came us by and very near Ascending up in to her high seat garnished with pearl and with gold beat Than said discretion this is dame justice Clean of conscience without corruption And never be spotted with the sin of covetise But true as steel in the intention Of right evermore without destruction giving always a rightful judgement Obey thou youth this lady reverent A judge fulfilled with the sin of avarice Or with favour of kin made blind Must needs do wrong by great piudyce For favour should not conscience bind Right to dyssymyll as I now find In problemies written of antiquity Made by philosophers of authority As we stood talking thus to gydere Up came dame fortune so gaily glorified impossible it is for me to discover Now gorges she was & greatly magnified Full like a gods that had been deified Clothed with gold set full of rubies And tynst with emeraudies & many a turks And next to her there did ensue Dame hardiness that noble lady After whom anon did pursue Dame sapience which did not tarry Than came dame nature apparelled royally And all the other clad in gold Set with diamonds many a fold They lowted all unto the ground Afore dame justice for obeisance That sat there both hole and sound Withouten any dyscontynuaunce giving god ere unto the utterance Of these four ladies pleading at bar With all their cases did well a varre Capitulm. seven. first dame hardiness began to plead saying she was to man most profitable For she the hearts hath often feed Of conquerous as it was covenable And by my courage have made them able regions to win their enemies to subdue And if I were not they had it rue And if a man be never so wise Withouten me he getyth none utterance Wherefore his wisdom may not suffice All only without mine allegiance For I by right must needs enhauncce A low born man to an high degree If that he will be ruled by me Have I not caused many a noble warreour To win the battle by my great might Without me was made never conqueror Nor yet man courageous when he did fight No man without me may defend his right I may be worst from him forborn For and I were not he were forlorn Did I not 'cause the noble hercules By my power to win the victory Of the sturdy and strong Philotes As is recorded in books of memory For without me can be no chivalry And under the wing of my protection All rebels brought be to subjection A realm is upholden by things three The first and the chief it is the sword Which causeth it to be in good surety And other realms of it to be afeard By which the usurpers be dyfferd From their will with treason knit And by me slain for their false fyte The second is law that ever serveth But within the realm only For other nations our law ne dreadeth But our sword they do in specially For and they roose against us proudly As they have done often in times passed Yet with our sword they should be overcast The third be merchants that do multiply In this realm wealth and prosperity For of every thing they often occupy Every man like unto his faculty For without merchants can not be No realm upholden in wealth & pleasure For it to us is a special treasure Also yet hercules the puissant giant Did slay the monster afore Troy the great And with his strokes he did him daunt They were so peysantly on him set That he the victory on him did get Had I not be comfort unto his heart Such victory had been laid apart Did he not vanquish in the forest of Nemee The three mortal lions by his great hardiness And rived their jaws as was to see between his hands by chyvalrus prows And yet by arms and knightly excess In egypt he slew the tyrant Busyre And brent him after in a great fire Also he slew the tyrant Cacus For his tyranny and great mischief By cause his deeds were so odious For he did murder and was a thief Wherefore his death to many was lief Who more of his acts will have report To the Trojans story let him resort Also the worthy and the noble hectour That eclyped was the trojans champion And of all chivalry called the flower In his time reyning and of renown Of whose noble deeds the brute and sown Was spread by every strange habitation That they of his fayties died make relation By his power and hardy courage He put the greeks full often to flight And beat them down by a great outrage That well was he that him save might Full often he brought them to the plight His deeds were pure without magician And without nigromancy or such corruption Did I not 'cause also king davith A lion jawbones to rent and tear That did devour his sheep in the frith As he sat keeping of them there The lions cruelty might not him fere And he in his youth so hardy was That he did slay the giant Golias Did I not 'cause the noble julius Emperor of rome for to be elect By cause he was so strong and chevalrus When in arms he knew the affect He all his enemies did abject And by the support of my chief succour He governed himself like a noble emperor And also Arthur king of Bretayne With all the knights of the round table Never adventures had sought certain And I thereto had not been agreeable They for to fight had not been able Who that me lacketh is but a coward And shame is ever his reward Also king Charlemagne king of France With his dyssypers Rowland and Oliver With all the residue of his alliance That in all arms so noble were On goddys' enemies broke many a spear Causing them to flee to their great villainy hardiness was cause that they had victory O worthy hardiness the shining star Always to man's heart the comfort When that it is the time of were Unto what party that thou resort They win the battle by thy support And where that thou lettest thy beams dyssende They often high to honour ascend Than said dame hardiness unto the judge I pray you that right I may have Sithence I to man am chief refuge When that he listeth of me to crave I make him courageous and his worship save Wherefore I out to have the pre-eminence By right reason and good experience That I deny you said dame sapience Of whom have you your order of pleading For ye never can have none intelligence But by the mean of mine informing For I am always your mind teaching And without me your tale were but a fable For ye without wit should always babble This will I prove by mine opinion That I am ground of the arts seven And of all good works in communion For no man without me can go to heaven My deeds be marvelous for man to neven When they beu wrought in to their degree Who that will learn them he hath the liberty Of my deeds books do make record The which clerks put into remembrance For an example without discord Of heavenly way by virtuous governance Without me man can have no pleasance Nor yet him rule in no manner wise A man without wit is to despise hardiness without prudence may not avail Though that a man be never so sturdy For a wiseman feeble may win the battle Of him that is right strong and mighty For better it is for to be right witty In the defence of his good save guard Than often to strike and to run forward That thing that hardiness may not win May be gotten by my high sovereignty And with the help of subtile engynne It may be brought to the extremity Where that it might not by possibility Of hardiness long afore he won Yet by great wisdom it may be done Unto divers cases I take exception Of dame hardiness which are no law Unto the first under your correction She said and she her power did withdraw No rebel than should stand in awe And she is the chief as I know well That causeth him for to be rebel By her folly and folyssne hardiness She causeth men to rise against their lord She is the cause of mortal heaviness When she doth break the good concord Wherefore me think by one accord For to exile her it is now the best Than man should live in peace and rest And where she said that she exalted julius cesar by her great exylence In that case she right clearly varied For it was I by my great diligence That never was out of his presence But ruled him and made him worthy To be chosen emperor of all Italy Chofen he was by the common assent For the great wisdom that in him shone With a great voice and a hole intent For like unto him was there none That was so able as he alone For to occupy an emperors dignity Of his promotion he might thank me I sapience am endued with grace And the load star of heavenly doctrine The spring of comfort joy and solace Who that list to me for to incline He shall know things that be divine And at his end behold the deity That is one god and persons three It pleased the father that is omnipotent His sone to sand to be incarnate Of the virgin Mary the star most excellent Maiden and mother yet not violate Like a vessel chosen and made ornat All only for to be goddys' mother And he himself unto man brother But a strife there was between god and man When man consented to sin deadly By that the discord first began When he the son of god on high That is his brother again will crucefy If he had power by which is offended The father of heaven as is intended Therefore let us to our brother go Named Ihesu christ and axe him mercy With a good intent and heart also There is for us none other remedy That any tongue truly can specyfy And he will take it for a correction And of all vengeance seize the affection That we may of him have forgiveness Of our great sin with reformation Of peace between the faders higness Of heaven and us in suspiration Therefore if thou dread the amotion Of his rightwiseness look that thou flee Right fast unto his merciful pity For his mercy is more than all our misery And eke above his works all As David showeth in his prophecy saying his mercy is over all To whom I pray ever in especial To give me grace well my pen to lead That quaketh ay for dread Dame sapience said I do proceed Of the strength of the holy ghost That is and shall be matter in deed God and lord of mights most Whose infynall power was never lost And yet never had no beginning But always like strong without ending Where that dame hardiness in her pleading Made herself to knights most necessary By the means of her power showing That I by right do now well deny For in that case she did moche vary For two there are that more profit be Of which the jest is better than she The first is prudence that is the chief That him doth rule and is his guide And keepeth him from great reproof And causeth his worship for to abide So every christian man should provide By his wit to withstand the devil That he consent not to do evil The second is that he should be true To his sovereign lord that on him raineth And all treason for ever to eschew In which great shame often remaineth And by which he his kin dysteyneth So a christian man should be true ever To Ihesu christ that was his redeemer The third is that he should be liberal Among his commons withouten let That is the cause ever in general That he the love of them doth get For it causeth their hearts on him be set So every true christian man should be To god intended with liberality The fourth is that he should be strong His right ever for to defend And never to no man for to do wrong But wrongs for to direct and amend As far as his power will extend So a true christian man should exclude All manner of vices by his fortitude The fifth is that he should be merciable In all his deeds withouten furor For that to him is greatly convenable And eke to keep him out of error For he of mercy should be a mirror So unto them it is right necessary Who that will be saved for to have mercy The sixth is a knight aught for to keep The poor folk in their great need That often for hunger and thirst do weep He aught with alms them for to feed And the better he shall than speed So every true christian man should do As far as his power cometh unto I sapience am of the kings counsel Which is clothed with purple that signifieth The grace and the pulcrytude without fail Of great virtues that in him shineth For to no vices he never inclineth Having in his heed a fair crown royal That showeth his dignity to be regal Which to his people is the chief glory Through whom his subjects be direct And made obedient to him certainly At every hour by right true effect But furthermore by good aspect He beareth a ball in his left hand The which betokeneth as I understand A king to be a good admynystratour Unto his subjects in every place And to be for them a good provysour As reason requireth in every case I sapience do rule his noble grace In his right hand he hath a sceptre That doth signify by right his rigour Ill men to punish for their offence By his rightwiseness whom the love Of virtue shining in experience Doth not extol nor yet now remove A lamp doth hang his heed above Always light and clearly brenning Which signifieth the mercy of a king The old philosophers by their prudence Fond the seven sciences liberal And by their exercise & great diligence They made their deeds to be memorial And also poets that were fatal Craftily coloured with cloudy figures The true sentence of all their scriptures O justice lady and sovereign goddess give you true sentence now upon me As ye be surmounting in virtue & noblesse let me dame sapience have the sovereignty As is according to my royal dignity For I am most profitable unto man And ever had been sins the world began Than said dame Fortune ye are imperfect Without that I thereto be accordant For all your hardiness & prudence perfit I unto you must be well exuberaunt And with your works ever concordaunt Where that I favour they have good comfort In all their deeds by my sweet resort I Fortune am the rule and steer Of every person like to my will That in this world now liveth here When that I list for to fulfil My mind right soon I can distill The dew of comfort wealth and richesse To man exaltyuge him to nobleness Though that a man were never so hardy Without me he might not attain And though that a man were never so witty And I did my power from him refrain All his labour were lost in vain So hardiness and prudence in no wise Without good fortune may well suffice Though that a man were but a fool If I consent that he be fortunate He needeth not to make no great dole For I shall maintain so his estate That he in richesse shall be so elevate fulfilled with wealth & worldly treasure That he shall lack no manner of pleasure Where that dame hardiness would affirm By her cases that are so unsure That she by her power doth confirm The knights of victory for to be sure When she doth take their hearts in cure If fortune be a way she may not avail For they by reason must loose the battle Yet furthermore as I do well consider How dame hardiness did express Sithence the time that I came hither That she promoted had to worthiness Hector david and the noble hercules With many other whereof she faileth For it was fortune as she well knoweth For in old time the noble warriors For to eschew ever my great danger In which time they were ydolestours Than they to put him out of fere To idols went that their gods were For to have answer if they should win The battle or they did begin What need I pleed by long continuance As dame sapience did in matters high It were of time but dyscontynuaunce But oh dame justice the gentle lady Look that ye judge my matter right wisely That I of hardiness may be the principal And of dame prudence & nature with all Than said dame nature that may not be As I can prove by right and reason For I am most comfort to humanity As man well knoweth at every encheason And can not be forborn for none season For where I lack without any delay Man is but deed and turned to clay That nature giveth by her power Wisdom nor hardiness may not defeat For I to man am the chief doer During his life without retreat Also dame fortune may not well let Me of my course though she it thought In sundry wise my deeds are so wrought Though that a man were infortunable And though that he were never so foolish And a great coward to fight not able Yet should he live and never perish Till that my power of him doth finish Which fail must once it is my property And that was given me by the deity I am the original of man's creation And by me always the world doth multiply In wealth pleasure and delectation As I will show now in this party My deeds be subtle & wrought craftily What were the world if I were note It were soon done as I well wot The law of nature doth man bind Both best foul and fish also In their degree to do their kind Blame them not if they do so For hard it is ever to over go The kind of nature in her degree For every thing must show his property Who of their properties list to read let him look in the book of barthelmewe And to his scripture take good heed That right nobly of them do show With all their acts being not a few But wondrous many by alteration For like hath like his operation I nature nourish by mine affliction Man's human parties superfyxcyall And am the spring of his complexion The fonteyne of his veins inferyall To him conserve most dear and special Though he were hardy & wise he might not me forbear Nor fortune without me availeth not him a peer Wherefore dame justice be you now indifferent consider that I am most dear and leaf Unto every man that is eliquylent And above all medicines to him most chief And by my strongh unto him relief In his disease wherefore as think me I aught of reason to have the sovereignty Than spoke dame justice with meek countenance I will all your contraversy now redress For I of your reasons have good perseverance And after your cases both more and less Wherefore I justice by good rightwiseness give now upon you a final judgement That ye four agreed by a hole assent Man for to please at every hour Without dysgrement or contradiction And in his need to do him succour With loving heart and true affection He shall be in your good jurisdiction And you of him shall be copertyners Both of his life and of his manners Than said dame hardiness I agree thereto And so do I than said dame sapience Than said dame Fortune I also do Agree unto dame justice sentence And I dame Nature will do my diligence Like as ye do man for to please And him to strength in his disease With that dame justice up arose Unto the ladies bidding fare well And went into her chamber close I cleped conscience where she did devil As dame discretion did me tell Than hardiness & fortune went down the stair And after them Nature so clear and fair Capitulum. viii. DAme sapience tarried a little while Behind the other saying to discretion And began on her to laugh and smile Axing her how I stood in condition Well she said in good perfection But best it is that he married be For to eschew all ill censualyte I know a lady of marvelous beauty Sprung out of high and noble lineage Replete with virtue and full of bounty Which unto youth were a good marriage For she is comen of royal apparage But heard it will be to get her love Without youth frailty do sore reprove I kneeled down than upon my knee Afore dame sapience with humble cheer Beseeching her of me to have pity And also discretion her sister dear Than dame sapience came me near saying youth will ye have a wife And her to love during her life You madame that would I fain If that she be both fair and bright I will her love ever more certain And pleas her always with all my might Of such a person would I have a sight With all my heart now at this hour Would to god I had so fair a flower Than said discretion there is a king Dwelling far hens in a fair castle Of whom I often have herd great talking Which hath a daughter as I you tell I trow that youth will like her well She is both good eke fair and pure As I report me unto dame Nature But if that youth should her go seek You must sister than him well endue With your great power so good and meek That he all frailty may eschew For by the way it will often pursue On him by flattery and great temptation That shall bring him in tribulation As for that said she he shall not care For he shall them soon overcome And of their flattery right well beware For I to him shall give great wisdom Their deeds to withstand & make them dumb Wherefore dear sister as I you pray Unto her lead him now on the way Look that ye sand me in his necessity By dame swiftness full soon a letter By which that I may know the certainty That I may come to aid him better So that frailty to him be no freter And though I be not always visible With him my power he hath invincible Than said dame sapience to discretion Far well dear sister I may not tarry Look ye of youth have the tuition That he fall not into vainglory And that ye purvey for him shortly That he may wed the fair dame cleanness Which for her love have been in duresse With that dame sapience down went In to her place that was the doctrynall Of famous clerks in cunning splendent A mirror of learning that was dyvynall With all the crafts artyfycyall Before her dame Fortune went to her mansion And eke dame hardiness to her habitation Capitulum nonum FOrth than went discretion and I Out of the castle into a green Where birds sang by great melody There danced also the fair queen Beside a river named Ephesene Over which we went to the other side That was a meadow both long and wide Long there we wandered till at the last We came unto a right great wilderness By that time Phoebus was over passed Wherefore we walked in great darkness The which to me was a great heaviness For Lucyna eke did her shroud Under a black and misty cloud For she was horned and no thing clear And entered into the sign of caprycorne Right far from phoebus fulgent spear And not against him the crown had worn I went up and down till on the morn That phoebus his golden reyes did spread Than discretion ferther forth me lead Among thorns sharp & beasts wild There was the lion the wolf & the bear But I could meet nother man ne child But many serpents that died me fere And by a sweet smell I knew a pantere So forth I went by long continuance Till that I saw an herber of pleasance To which I took anon my way Where that I saw a lady excellent Riding on a goat in fresh array Right young of age & lusty of intent praying me to her for to assent As to fulfil the fleshly pleasure Which she desired me out of measure Nay said discretion that may not be No said I in no manner of wise To her request I will now agreed But evermore here foul lust despise For I my self do now advise To keep me chaste that I may marry Fair dame cleanness that noble lady SO forth I went walking my journey Meeting a lady old and amiable Syrting in a castle both fresh and gay On an elephant's back in strength so stable Which it to bear was good and able Having in her hand a cup of gold Set with pearls right many afolde She said she was the lady of richesse The queen of wealth and worldly glory praying me to company with her nobleness And she than would promote me shortly To innumerable riches and make me worthy Where I am poor and set by naught By her to worship I should be brought Unto her I answered I would not so As for to hunt in the park of pride The which to cleanness is mortal foe But with discretion I will abide Which doth a wife for me provide By whom I shall have the possessyowne Of heavenly kingdom & great renown So forth I went and had great travail Without the comfort of any person Save of discretion which did me counsel As she went walking with me alone Unto her I made full great moan And likened the wilderness by moral sense Unto worldly trouble by good experience She said the first lady that I did meet Iclyped was dame Sensualyte Which can well flatter with words sweet Causing a man to fall into fragility And for to haunt the carnal frailty Which unto cleanness is abominable For they in work be greatly variable The second was pride endued with covetise A lady of right fruitless meditation Delyting greatly in the sin of avarice The which is cause of her damnation For she by her false supportation blindeth many a man's conscience And driveth right often far in absence So ferther I went till at the last I was in a maze going in and out There was none other way I was aghast But forth I walked in great doubt Now here now there and so round about Than said unto me dame discretion You are in the business of worldly fastyon Therein I travailed by long space Till that I met a lady glorious Endued with virtue and great grace To whom I said oh lady precious As ye seem to be good and virtuous I you beseech now without delay Unto dame cleanness to teach me the way I sapience now will show to the The right way unto fair cleanness And if thou wilt be ruled by me Thou shalt marry that noble princes Yes that will I said than doubtless discretion said she would be my surety sapience said none better might be Than said discretion to dame sapience Welcome to us my sister dear And I to her did humble reverence saying who had went to find you here Yes she said I have been near You often times sith my departing And have been cause of your good guiding Capitulum. x. COme on your way walk on a pace For ye long for to have a sight Of dame cleanness so clear a face So goodly of body in beauty bright That there can not be so fair a wight So forth we walked to a river side That ebbed and flowed at every tide Than I saw a castle a pales royal builded with marble black as the get With glass windows as clear as crystal Which on the other side was set No man to the castle might get But over the water on a little bridge Not half so broad as a house ridge But as I cast mine eye than aside I saw a lady wondrous fair Demure of countenance without pride That went herself for to repair By the water side to take the air Behold and see than said dame sapience Yonder is dame cleanness the star of excellence Full glad was I than in my mind For to see that flower of complacence The sight of her did my heart bind Ever her to love with piercing influence Unto her I said oh well of continence Unto your grace fain would I go Ne'er letting of this water blue To me she answered than again saying this world withouten miss Is but a vanity no thing certain In the like wise as this water is You can not come to me now iwis But by that bridge that goth over This stormy troublous & wawy water Thereof said sapience he shall not let Well said cleanness be you his guide And discretion also for to be set For to uphold him unto the other side That he do not in the water slide So to the bridge they died me lead I quacked than for fere and dread I saw there written this literal sense No man this bridge may over go But he be pure without negligence And steadfast in gods believe also If he be ignorant and do not so He must needs into this water fall Over the heed and be drowned with all They led me over this bridge so perilous Till that I came to a privy place Where were written with letters glorious This is the kingdom of great grace No man by yond this mark may trace But if he be brought in by dame wisdom If he so be he is much welcome So furthermore yet forth we went In to a hall that was solacyous Made of precious stones splendent That them to see it was right wondrous They were there so greatly plenteous That the hall paved was for the nonce With none other gravel but precious stones THere was dame cleanness that lady gent And eke her father the king of love He sat in a chair right clear and excellent At the upper end of the hall above He sat estyll and did not remove gird with wylowes and might not see No manner a thing in his degree He had two wings right large and great And his body also was naked And a dart in his right hand was set And a torch in his left hand burned A bottle about his neck was hanged His one leg armed and naked the other Him for to see it was a wonder sapience bade me marvel no thing For she would show me the signification Why he so sat by short reckoning According to a moralization Now of the first to make relation Love should be gird fast with stability Without which love can have no surety Love may not see but is always blind And weeneth no man can have perseverance Where that he loveth by natural kind But he do show him by words of utterance Trught he bewreyeth him by countenance For hard it will be love so to cover But that some man shall it percevere Also his nakedness doth signify That true love no thing else desireth But the very person and eke body That he so well and fervently loveth His wings also well betokeneth That his mind fleeth unto the person That he doth love so well alone And also love is stricken with a sharp dart That maketh a man for to complain When that it hath wounded sore his heart It brenneth hot like fire certain Than love his purpose would fain attain And is evermore both hoot and dry Till his lady give him drink of mercy His one leg is armed to defend The right that longeth unto amity And wrong love for to amend His naked leg betokeneth charity That is the joy of great felicity So charity right love and good concord With stablynes reigneth in this mighty lord Capitulum. xi. THan forth me led good dame sapience Afore that mighty lords majesty Come on she said put the in presence That thou mayst see dame cleanness beauty Ponder in thy mind by verity That so fair as she was not queen helyn Queen Ipolyte or young Polyxyn This lady is clean without corruption And weareth three crowns for her virginity Due is for people of perfit religion An other for maidens keeping chastity The third for true widows as the maystse I will the now to her father present Her for to marry if she will consent Than said dame sapience oh noble emperor O sovereign lord and royal potestate O victorious prince & famous conqueror O king of love and seaser of debate To the no creature may say chekmate I present the now this virtuous knight For to marry cleanness your daughter bright I thank you he said for your good will But he that to cleanness married must be He must my commandment first fulfil As to scomfyte the dragon with heeds three That is a serpent of great subtlety Which well betokeneth as we do find The world the flesh & the devil by kind sapience said I should not fail To do his commandment for cleanness sake As for to slay the dragon in battle That lay in a marsh in a great lake Which was moche stinking foul & black Wisdom bade me be not aterde For she would give me a shield and sword And arm me also with fair armure To vanquish that dragon so fierce & great She said it should be so good and sure That I no harm of him should get Though he his teeth on me had seat Yet should I slay him for all his might By my great strokes when I did fight first she my leg harness set on And after my plackets of great riches She armed me herself alone And laced my helmet of her gentleness I thanked her for her great goodness And gave me my sword and shield also saying let us to the dragon go This is the armure for the soul That in his epystole wrote saint Poule Good hope thy leg harness shall be The habergyn of rightwiseness gird with chastity Thy plackarde of business with branches of alms deed Thy shield of believe and meekness for the heed Thy sword shall be the to defend The word of god the devil to blind DAme sapience & I did take our licence Of the king of love in virtue depured And of his daughter shining in excellence Which to me said with words assured O virtuous knight you for me have dured Ingrete woe & pain but think you verily To scomfyt that dragon by wisdom shortly Thamn went we forth to that serpent In marvelous travail of sorrow and bale By that time the day right fair was spent And phoebus his course began to avail But at the last we came into a dale Where we felt the saver of a dungeon Of the foul and stinking dragon near to that dragon there was a way That men used upon a fair hill Unto high heaven so fresh and gay But that dragon let them their will And by the way he did them kill bringing them unto the dungeon Iclyped the place of great oblivion I had not be there half an hour But that this dragon me approached As though that he would me devour He so fiercely than on me marched The battle between us long continued But he had me right soon overcome If I had not help of dame wisdom I struck at him fast with my sword And with my shield did me defend Wisdom bade me not be afeard But my stroke that for to amend As fer as my might wield extend So by her words I plucked up mine heart And did than unto the dragon start But he caught me than in his claws And so we wrestled long to guider But he held me sharply in his paws Till wisdom my feebleness did consider Behold she said dame cleanness yonder Than as a side I cast all my sight I saw that lady so pure and bright My strength than dobeled an hundred fold And I from him broke by virtuous prows My heart was warm that afore was cold With the comfortable sight of fair dame cleanness Than I to him gave strokes of excess And with my sharpeswerde cut of anon Two of his heeds leaving him but one These two heeds by good moral sens The world and the flesh do signify As I in scripture have intelligence The first the world that is transitory Lieth between man and heavenly glory Lettyuge him often of his passage If it of him can get advantage The second is the fleshly desire That troubleth a man right sore within Setting his courage upon a fire Causing him to incline to deadly sin His flesh the battle of him doth win Often bringing him into damnation It repentance were not his salvation Repentance always requireth mercy And penance to god is a satisfaction For god desireth evermore truly An humble heart full of contrition And the world desireth restitution Of goods that have be gotten wrongfully To be restored unto the rightful party When I by wisdom had won the victory Of these two heeds I was right glad His third heed marched against me sharply But I my sword in my hand had Striking at him with strokes sad And blood of him could I draw none For he had nother flesh ne bone But at the last I did him vanquish driving him home to his dark region Of infernal pain that shall not finish For hell is called his proper mansion And of all other of his opinion That do the precepts of god forsake And to develyche works them do be take God by his rightwiseness made a law By which man for deadly sin is condemned If god his vengeance do not withdraw In everlasting pain he should be prisoned But and man mercy of him required With penitent heart he should it have And with his mercy he will man save ¶ Capitulum. xii. When I had scomfyte this serpent venomous sapience to me right gently said blessed be god ye are so gracious That ye shall marry cleanness the maid But yet ere whiles ye were a frayed You I said and swetfull right sore Till ye new strength did me restore This battle was great & long endured Which caused me to be right weary But sapience with her words me mured With walls of comfort making me merry Come on she said and walk on lightly Unto the castle that we come fro I answered to her I would do so Than forth we went a great pace Till that we came to the castle side There met us ladies with great solace And welcomed us at the same tide So fair a sort in the world so wide May not be found by no manner of reason As I saw there at the same season The first lady that did us meet I clyped was dame perseverance Which to me said with words sweet blessed be god of your good governance That hath kept you from the incomberaunce Of the serpent with the heeds three And caused you victor of him to be Than came dame faith that lady glorious Welcome she said with words amiable I am right glad ye are so victorious Of that foul dragon so abominable She said that I was evermore stable In her in deed eke word and thought Or else my labour had been to naught Than spoke the lady fair dame charity Welcome virtue the noble veteran Sithence that ye always have loved me From the first season that ye began Both in your youth & sith ye were man You have had me in humble reverence And have been ruled by my pre-eminence Than said dame prayer in my presence You never cast me in oblyvyaunce By no sloth nor worldly negligence But have had me in great remembrance Which hath been to me very great pleasance Wherefore welcome virtue my deer Unto this castle that ye se here Than came fast to me dame lowelynes Clipping me hard with lovely cheer Bidding me welcome with great gladness As by her countenance it did well appear Come on she said and walk on near So than among these fair ladies all I went in to the great castle hall And there met me dame cleanness belive And dame grace bore up her train Which ever to her was affirmative From whom dame cleanness might not refrain Than said she to me I am right fain That ye are comen in to this place Where ye shall wed me in short space Upon my knee I kneeled than down saying o star of the bliss eterne O well of virtue and of great renown O divine comfort most sempyterne When I your beauty do so well decern You set mine heart upon a brenning fire With fervent love to come to my desire To me she answered in this wise O my dear heart my spouse so pure Why do ye not on your feet arise You of my true love shall be sure For ye my heart have now in cure let us go now to our father reverent So forth unto him than we went When that we came afore his fair face Dame cleanness made curtelye unto the ground saying of ader king of great grace This knight to love ye are now bound And so am I for I have often found great kindness on him both night and day For he hath loved me right well always Welcome he said right noble knight How have ye done sithence your departing Have ye discomfited with your might The marvelous dragon so greatly stinking You I said with the power shining Of my mistress good dame sapience I did him vanquish by her experience Where is dame sapience than said he And eke her sister dame discretion Sir I said they are comen with me And they have had me in jurisdiction sins my departing without destruction Than spoke dame sapience by her faculty Unto that mighty lords majesty saying this knight than cleped virtue Hath loved your daughter by long continuance With stable love so faithful and true And for her sake hath put to utterance The three heeded dragon by wise purveyance Wherefore me think he aught to marry Your daughter cleanness that noble lady The king said me think the same If that my daughter will agree And she do not she moche is to blame considering his wisdom & great beauty Come hither he said my daughter free To be wife to virtue will ye consent You father she said with hole intent Than he called unto his presence perseverance charity and fidelity With lowliness prayer and intelligence Showing unto them the certainty How cleanness his daughter wedded shall be Unto me now virtue in all godly haste By fore that three days be right fully past He called me than to his magnificence Bidding me go to bed and to rest In the chamber of clean conscience Than so to do I thought it the best For phoebus was turned into the west So sapience and I went forth to bed For lake of rest oppressed was my head A little whelp within this chamber was That lay waking and barked always That no man in to it should pass That would with conscience make a fray I did sleep there till that it was day Than up I rose and made me ready Calling unto me dame sapience shortly saying unto her oh lady and master O comfortable salve unto every sore O fountain of wealth and carbuncle of clearness Without ye help me I am forlorn Wherefore I show you as now before Without I marry fair dame cleanness I shall endure in mortal heaviness Thereof said she be no thing dreaded For ye shall marry here right soon By me your matter shall be well sped And the same day it shall be done About the hour truly of noon And there shall be at your good dinner charity faith penance and prayer Dame sapience led me into a garden Where cleanness was among flowers sweet Her to repair without dysdeyn As I to her went she did me meet bringing me a flower called the margarete Which is a flower right sweet and precious Endued with beauty and moche virtuous This flower I kissed often right sweetly Setting it near unto my heart Dame cleanness looked upon me lovely saying that I should not depert Till she had showed me a great covert So with her I went without delay Where birds sat on many a spray By this time phoebus had begun His ascencyall course in great brightness In to the sign of the fierous lion exiling the fenerous frosty coldness And depriving the noxyall darkness And also setherus his fragrant breath distilled had upon every heth Than to her I said my lady dear Behold this weather so clear and fair How royal walking that it is here Like a place of pleasure you to repair Among the flowers so sweet of air An other she had as she me told brighter than phoebus a thousand fold This is a place of recreation My mind to comfort after study In wealth pleasure and delectation For if I should myself apply Ever to pray to god an high Without this place I may not be sure another time in prayer to endure But the other garden is celestial That longeth to us by inheritance And is entailed to us in general For our clean life & virtuous governance Who that us loveth without doubtawnce With us shall go to eternal glory In short space or else to purgatory Than forth we went to her father royal Which welcomed us by great humility saying my daughter dear and special You shall this day by great solemnity Be wedded to virtue with benignity We kneeled down and thanked his grace And than forth we went to an other place Capitulum. xiii. IN to a chapel gaily glorified And also hanged with cloth of tissue A place it was right greatly deified The roof was set with stones of virtue As with rubies and emeralds bright of hue The rood fit was ivory garnished with gold Set with dyamoundes right many a fold There I did see the ark of god With many saints that suffered martyrdom And also I saw there Moses' rod And saint Austyn that brought christendom Into england by his great wisdom And the xii. apostles that fast 'gan write Of our believe and eke did indite There was saint peter the noble pope That did stand on the right side Of the high altar in a rich cope Dame cleanness and I did there abide And up there came than at that tide Dame prayer with her sister charity And eke dame penitence with humility Than came dame faith anon to us With rightwiseness peace and dame mercy With dame contrition gay and glorious Which after them did not long tarry And than came bede and eke saint gregory With saint ambrose the noble doctor Which of our faith was good protector Than came the king of fervent love Led with argoes in goodly wise Without whom he might not remove From his seat by right prudent guise Who loveth argoes will not devise Nor yet begin no manner of thing Without in his mind these good ending Also saint Jerome the noble cardinal Came up to us by humble reverence Which evermore was a good doctrynall preaching to us by virtuous influence With exhortation of divine complacence And than four bishops in great dignity Right cunning cerning unto the deity On him waited by great diligence And never did forsake his company But him obeyed by good experience And from his commandment did not vary But in the chapel they did there tarry And than saint Jerome went to the king Of fervent love unto him saying O amiable king seasour of debate O joiner of virtue and well of unity O royal emperor oh sovereign estate O messenger of fervent amity O fervent dart of cordial privity Here is your daughter fair dame cleanness That must be married with good rightwiseness Unto virtue the lovely knight Which the battle now hath won By dame sapience help and might Of the foul three heeded dragon This marriage by me shall be done Go ye now straight into your tabernacle Which is to you most proper habitacle Than the sovereign king to him did call Dame faith discretion and dame sapience With dame contrition & charity withal And eke dame mercy and dame penitence Unto them saying ye have intelligence That this day cleanness my daughter dear Shall be married to virtue that ye see here Than they died all come unto me With dame peace and dame grace And after them came dame virginity Which in her arms did me embrace saying that I was to her great solace giving me unto my good marriage A gown of silver for great aparage She gave an other of the same Unto dame cleanness putting it one Upon her back withouten blame After which cleanness went anon Unto her father herself alone And I with saint Jerome did there tarry To wed dame cleanness that noble lady And all the ladies with meek contenence Stood on a rue beside the closette Of cleanness father without resistance Which hanged was gaily with blue velvet And with pearls & rubies richly set Than forth came cleanness with two angels led Which their golden wings abroad did spread Dame grace after her bore up her train And xu ladies her did ensue first went dame humility certain And after her than did pursue Dame faith in stableness so true leading with her the fair dame pease That wealth and riches doth well increase Than went dame reason with perseverance And than dame mercy with contrition And than exersyce with remembrance After whom went dame restitution With dame prayer and dame confession And dame charity with obedience And after them came fair dame abstinence Saint Jerome did make there conjunction Of dame cleanness and me in matrimony With heavenly words and virtuous fastyon And angels came down from heaven high As saint Mychell with gabriel & the gerachye To help saint peter the mass to sing The organs went and the bells did ring My pen for feebleness may not now write Nor my tongue for domnes may not express Nor my mind for negligence may not indite Of the angelical joy and sweet gladness That I saw there without heaviness And when this wedding holy was finished The angels than to heaven vanished Than down I went in to the hall Where ordained was by great solemnity A dinner of virtue most celestial To which came my wife full of benignity On the one side led by good authority With saint Edmond the noble king And martyr which did her down bring And she was led on the other side With saint Edward the king and confessor And so between them went this bride To whom all the ladies made great honour As always serving her without error And a little while anon after her Ergos brought down her noble father The king of love than sat him down At the table for that time to ette Causing dame cleanness for her renown On his one side than for to be set And I on the other without any let And beside me sapience and discretion And than by them sat dame contrition Than sat saint Edward with virginity And afore him sat dame obedience Saint Edmond and dame charity And than dame prayer with dame abstinence And than dame faith shining in excellence With saint Jerome and saint Austeyn And than saint gregory without dysdeyn There was two angels holding fast The table cloth at every end kneeling down humbly and steadfast Whose service no man could amend Other there were that did intend Us for to serve with their great diligence That in them found could be no negligence There did saint Peter by great holiness Serve us of our sweet lords body first he served the father of cleanness And after that he served her shortly With charity faith and dame mercy And I with discretion and dame sapience Of saint Peter was served with great indulgence So dame obedience with contrition With saint Edward and virginity In likewise were served without corruption And saint Edmond with dame charity And saint Jerome with dame humility With saint austin and saint gregory What need I longer of them specyfy This was a fist most sweet and precious To feed the soul with divine comfort This was a meet most dear and glorious That causeth all man for to resort To sempiternal life and comfort Than saint ambrose being divine After our meet gave us good wine By this time was I.lx. year old And desired for to live in peace For I began to grow two fold And my feebleness died sore increase For nature her strength than did scance Wherefore after this ghostly fist I thought with my wife to abide in rest And I to her said with loving cheer O my sweet spouse most fair and beauteous To me ever right lief and dear Where is your land that is solacyous You showed me of your garden glorious Unto which now fain would I go There for to devil and you also Sir she said the angel raphaell Shall with these martyrs & noble confessors Bring you thither with them to devil Where ye shall see all your progenitors With many saints and glorious auctors This land is heaven that to us longeth As our evidence the gospel telleth Than came my father in law to us saying by right I did combynd cleanness my daughter with virtue precious And you must I love by natural kind For on you now is all my mind Afore him I kissed my wife most sweetly For we loved to guider hot and truly Than came my good angel to me Causing me with him for to go With cleanness my wife where I did see The pains of hell full of great woe There was the dragon that I did slow Bound with chains in fire infynall With the seven deadly sins in general Than my good angel to me said If ye had loved dame sensuality The which with you did make a brayed You had been dampened by right and equity In to this pit full of all iniquity Wherefore thank god that sent you wisdom such deadly perils for to overcome Also the lady with the cup of gold Is here condemned for her great pride In endless pain both hot and cold Where in for sin she shall abide This is a dungeon long and wide Made for them that do sin deadly And of christ Ihesu will axe no mercy This is a place full of all dèrkenes Wherein be serpents foul and odious This is a place of mortal heaviness Where I saw devils black and tedious Dampened souls tormented with hokes rigorous This is the uppermost part of hell In which paynims dampened do devil For as much as they lacked instruction For to be leave in god omnipotent They have deserved the less correction Yet their pain have none extinguysshement For they are dampened by true sentyment For their believe and false idolatry That made their gods of mars & mercury Than went we down to an other vault Where jews lay in great pains strong Whom devils tormented by great assault Drawing them with hooks a long For their opinion so falls and wrong Which believed not in the nativity Of Ihesu christ and the virgin Mare Nor yet that he did suffer passion Both for them and all mankind Nother yet of his resurrection In their believe they are so blind Yet as in books written we do find That they have been taught many a time For to forsake their own false crime Than went we down to a depper vale Where christian souls did weppe & cry In great sorrow pain and bale Brenning in fire most hot and dry And some in Ice right deep did lie For to express it is impossible The pains there they are so horrible These christian men know god's law And every day had information From devilish works them to withdranwe That they should not fall in damnation Yet will they not make sequestration Of god's commandment but sin deadly Therefore here are they dampened right wysey And thou hadst set thy delectation In fleshly pleasure and vain glory Thou hadst been here without salvation Without thou of god had axed mercy Who that it asketh shall have it truly If he be contryt and do repent That he his life in ill hath spent This place sithence it is most heavy most dark and most far from lightness As philosophers affirm by astronomy Is in the mids of the earth doubtless That is a place of desolate darkness Wherefore by reason it must needs be set In the mids of the earth both long & great Capitulum. xiiii My good angel by his great virtue showed me all this in a short space And after him I did than pursue With my wife unto the fair place That we came fro full of all solace Where was my father in the company Of many saints that did there tarry My wife and me than for to bring To the place of eternal glory With heavenly tewnes sweetly singing That them to here it was great melody Moore than any tongue can specyfy This was their song so sweet and glorious That they did sing with voice so virtuous O celestial king one two and three All people praise the god and lord Which art in heaven oh noble trinity Whose royal power and miserycorde confirmed is by thine high accord On us with troth for to endure Withouten end as we are sure Glory be to the father almighty And to the son and to the holy ghost Three persons and one god truly Whose power never can be loost For he is lord of mights most And so hath been without beginning And ever shall be without ending When we were in the air of azure There did us meet the noble hierarchy As Cherubyn and Seraphyn so pure With other angels in their company That did proclaim & sing on high With voice insacyat most melodious To god above Sanctus sanctus sanctus There did I see the planets seven Move in order by alteration To marvelous for me to neven For they seized not their operation Some ascended some made declination entering their houses of the xii synes Some indyrectly and some by direct lines To heaven we stied a place most glorious Where that we did behold the deity With insatiable countenance most defyrous And truly than the more that we Did look upon his sovereign beauty The more our desire did increase This is a joy that shall not cease This is a region most full of sweetness This is a realm of delectation This is a land of infenyte gladness Without any stormy tribulation This place is of eterne salvation Where angels and saints for their solace Evermore do look on god's face What should I write things of divinity Or endyght of such matters high sithen it no thing longeth to my faculty Therefore of it I will not longer tarry For fere that I in it should vary And by cause that troth shall be my meed I will now leave and take me to my creed So virtue and cleanness by good right Truly in marriage joined must be For they love to guider with all their might Without dissension or duplycyte And they both are always in unity To whom heaven by tail general Entailed is by a deed memorial Now are they to guider to heaven go There for to devil in joy eternal Where that there is the heavenly throne Of our saviour Ihesu deer & special Who that him loveth truly over all leading his life with virtue and cleanness Shall come unto the glory endless But in the finishing of my matter To god the maker of all thing devoutly now I make my prayer To safe king Henry our rightful king From all treason and doleful morning And for to maintain the great honour Of this sweet red rose so fair a colour This flower was kept right long in close Among the leaves wholesome and sweet And regally sprang and arose Out of the noble stoke and rote Of the red rose tree to be our boat After our bale sent by great grace On us to reign by right long space O lord god what joy was this Unto his mother so good and gracious When that she saw her son I iwis Of his enemies to be so victorious It caused her to be most joyous And yet there of no wonder why For he was right long from her truly A joyful meeting than between The mother and the son so dear A day of gladness bright and sheen Fresher than phoebus myddaye spear When her son to us did appear He did us light with his pure beams Quenching of mars the fyrous lemies O heavenly king oh eternal emperor O three persons and one god equal I pray the to keep from all dolour This mother with her son in special With all their noble buds in general And laud be to the that did enhance Him to his right and proper heritance The white rose that with tempests troublous Aualed was and eke blown aside The reed rose fortified and made delicious It pleased god for him so to provide That his redolent buds shall not slide But ever increase and be victorious Of fatal briars which he contrarious Thus god by grace did well combine The red rose and the white in marriage Being oned right clear doth shine In all cleanness and virtuous courage Of whose right and royal lineage Prince Henry is sprung our king to be After his father by right good equity O noble prince Henry our second treasure Surmonting in virtue & mirror of beauty O gem of gentleness & lantern of plasure O rubycound blossom and star of humility O famous bud full of benignity I pray to god well for to increase Your high estate in rest and pease O thoughfull heart for lack of cunning Now laid to sleep this long winters night Rise up again look on the shining Of fair lucyna clear and bright Behold eke mercury with his fair light Casling a down his streams merry It may well glad thine emyspery O go were fountain most aromatic I the now lake for to depure My rudeness with thy lusty retoryke And also I miss as I am sure My master Chaucer's to take the cure Of my pen for he was expert In eloquent terms subtle and covert Where is now lydgate flowering in sentence That should my mind forge to indite After the terms of famous eloquence And strength my pen well for to write With matters fresh of pure delight They can not help me there is no remedy But for to pray to god almighty For to distill the dew of influence Upon my brain so dull and rude And to enlumyn me with his sapience That I my rudeness may exclude And in my matter well to conclude Unto thy pleasure and to the readers all To whom I excuse me now in general Explicit exemplum virtutis ¶ Here beginneth a little treatise that showeth how every man & woman aught to fast and abstain them from flesh on the wednesday.