tHe laberous & that 〈◊〉 ●e●ieylous works  
Of sapienor sin f●●●e signed nature  
My purpose is to 〈◊〉 as written clerks  
And specially her most ●●●able our  
In my first book I will preach & deputr  
It is so pleasant unto each person  
That it a book shall occupy alone   

soon after this I shall wisdom deseryue  
Her blessed household/ and her woning place  
And than return unto her acts belive  
As she them wrought by time, precesse & space  
All this matter she taught me of her grace  
I spoke with her/ as ye may here and read  
For in my dream I met her in a meed   

O clyo lady most facundyous  
O ravishing delight of Eloquence  
O gylted gods gay and glorious  
inspired with the piercing Influence  
Of delicate heavenly complacence  
Within my mouth late dystylle of thy showers  
And forge my tongue to glad mine auditors   

Mine ignorance whom clouded hath eclippes  
With thy pure beams illumynyne all about  
Thy blessed breath let refleyr in my lips  
And with the dew of heaven thou them degoute  
So that my mouth may blow & incense out  
The redolent dulcour Aromatyke  
Of thy depured lusty Rethoryck   

I know myself most naked in all arts  
My common vulgar the most interupte  
And I conversant & borne in the parts  
Where my natyf language is most corrupt  
And with most sundry tongues mixed & rupte  
O lady mine wherefore I the beseech  
My muse amend/ dress/ forge/ mynysse & each   

For to all makers here I me excuse  
That I ne can a lycatily indite  
Rude is the speech of force/ which I must use  
Such infortune my natyf birth may wite  
But O ye lords which have your delight  
In terms gay/ and been most eloquent  
This book to you no pleasance may present   

But nevertheless as tasted bitterness  
All sweet thing maketh be more precious  
So shall my hook extend the godelynesse  
Of other auctors which been glorious  
And make their writing delicious  
I simple shall extol their sovereignty  
And my rudeness shall show their subtylyts   

Go were chaucers earthly gods two  
Of thirst of eloquent delicacy  
With all your successors few or moo  
fragrant in speech/ expert in poetry  
You ne yet them in no point I envy  
Exiled as far I am from your glory  
As night from day/ or death from vycherye   

I you honour/ bliss/ love. and glorify  
And to whose presence my book shall attain  
His hastyf doom I pray him modify  
And not detcaye/ ne have it in disdain  
For I purpoos no making for to disdain  
meek heart/ good tongue/ and spirit patient  
Who hath these three/ my book I him present   

And as him list let him detray or add  
For sith I am constrained for to write  
By my sovereign/ and have a matter glad  
And can not please paint en●urne. ne indite  
Late ignorance & childhod have the wite  
I ask no more/ but god of his mercy  
Thy look confirm from slander and envy   
Explicit Prohemium   


All busy swimming in the stormy flood  
Of fruitless worldly meditation  
To purpoos late. nothing seemed so good  
As to tell youth hath ●mynacyon  
And for to put in sequestration  
Each other thing that him should cause unrest  
And thus to bed I went with thought my gest   

The Chesplayer/ or he a man have drawn  
Hath only thought to make good purveyance  
For king or queen aulfyn/ knight or pawn  
Echone of these he hath in his remembrance  
So each estate and worldly governance  
In one eschekker in my mind I saw  
But I ne wist what draft was best to draw   

first my desire was to have drawn my king  
At hearts lust in sure prosperity  
But in the chess I had espied a thing  
The king to purposes may not pass his see  
To make him way/ or some pawn drawn be  
Than both to guide the king & pawns eke  
And all other my wits were to seek   

I thought how by moral philosophy  
The Chess was found/ and set in diversity  
Of dranghnt for a mirror of polocye  
The which virtue departed is in three  
first must man con himself rule in degree  
Eft his household/ and than in unyverse  
city and Reign. these been the three diverse   

Arestotyl in his poletyke book  
The first of these saith hyghnt Monestyca  
The second part/ who hath lust to look  
Of policy height Yconomica  
The third party is cleped poletyca  
But of all these sin I had never school  
To play at Chess I me thought but a fool   

For in this board eschekker of my mind  
As I first put a man or to draw a draughnt  
first come the world with dame fortune unkind  
And said eschek/ and so strongly they fought  
Against me that all my men were caughnt  
With their eschekkes so much they each ascate  
That or I wist/ suddenly I was mate   

Than come reason/ and thou to me she said  
With moble fortune· and fase worldliness  
O fool of fools/ h●st thou thy will assayed  
With ●●y man to country them eschesse  
Thou mayse not find a point of syke●●sse  
For in their draft all 〈…〉  
God forth quoth she/ a fool I the conclude   

Than 〈◊〉 I woe/ and prayed a sign  
〈◊〉 me were unto d●me sup●  
That the might learn me some dis●ne  
For 〈◊〉 land we my 〈…〉  
〈◊〉 ignorance mine insufficen●●  
For from of help/ for which I gon●● Weep  
Whyses at the l●s● I 〈…〉   

Thus bronyt on slep/ my spiryt forth qan pass  
And 〈◊〉 I was me thought in a place desert  
In wilderness/ but I nyse when 〈◊〉  
In moche ●●●st●nce/ in 〈◊〉/ in moche 〈◊〉  
With wild 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉  
Now wood/ now 〈◊〉/ now by●●e now 〈◊〉  
Now wind/ now rain/ I knew no were   

The wild wolves after me sewen 〈◊〉  
I would flee them/ but wile s●● I ne might  
And of a way I was wave of the lose  
Thorny/ and seveyor encome 〈◊〉 to the sight  
thither I went/ I was ware of a sight  
But forth I thorough with thorns of to rend  
And thanked god of light which 〈◊〉 had sent   

Out from a meed most heavenly unto look  
About which can a lusty river sweet  
A lady came/ & two with her she took  
I can to her/ and so we 'gan her great  
The waters name asked I/ she said quiet  
And soon she said/ my name is sapience  
intelligence this hyght/ and this science   

Unto all virtues we been ladies three  
Both in office/ and degree different  
It is my part to know divinity  
My sister here hath knowledge diligent  
Of creatures in heaven and earth content  
And dame science of things temporal  
Hath knowledge pure/ thus mayst thou know vo all   

Of us all three I am the most sovereign  
And if the list me deseryue and define  
I am the true propre knowledge certain  
Of earthly thing/ and eke of thing divine  
Ay fresh & green/ & lusty is heart mine  
Though I seem young/ full old my years been  
For sapience in old folk/ is ay seen   

The desert place of fere/ through which thou come  
Is dreadful worldly occupation  
soon leave that place & duelle with me at home  
Thou shalt have wit/ lust/ delectation  
Grace/ help/ life/ hebe. & eterne salvation  
Now will I rest that travailed have all day  
For my labour is brought all unto play   

Glad was I though/ and on knee fell a down  
Held up mine hands/ & said I would full fain  
Her servant be with all subjection  
But lady mine maysires/ & hole sovereign  
Quod I. tell me your labour & your pain  
That ye so long have had I will said she  
Yeve audyeuce the gladder shalt thou be   

A doughtful prince most mighty & most dign  
most excellent and most victorious  
Having a son & four daughters benign  
And a servant which with affectuous  
Love & desire he cherished in his house  
A commandment gave his servant in certain  
The which he brake· & death should old he his pain   

Four tormentors the king cleped to him  
Bade one him to put in prison sour  
And other should quick flee him lieth & limb  
The third kill him the fourth should him devour  
The four daughters herd tell of this rumour  
whose names been Mercy/ truth/ right/ & pease  
But mercy thoughnt her faders ire to cease   

She looked down in to the prison deep  
Her loved servant saw she sitting there  
For whom her heart 'gan both bleed & weep  
distilling tears disdained all here cheer  
She 'gan unlace her tressed sonnysshe here  
naked her breast/ and for compassion  
Before here father on knees fell a down   

O merciful/ and o most merciable  
King of kings/ and father of pity  
whose mighty mercy is inmensurable  
O prince eterne/ O benign lord quoth she  
To whom mercy is yeven of property  
Of thy servant that lieth in prison bound  
Have thou mercy or death mine heart will wound   

I am sovereign above thy works all  
I am the pure avaunt of thy godhead  
I am thy child thy gem celestial  
The minister of all thy godlyhede  
The substance that all mankind doth feed  
I am the treasure of thy deyte  
O prince of peace my bone now grant thou me   

See how I sit dysseveld on 〈◊〉  
My crystal eyen. see how their tears rain  
My rosy lips/ see how they pierced be  
The hemed cheer eke of my clekes twain  
See how the tery river doth dysteyne  
My swannish throat with sighs in distraynte  
My breast forbete/ see father all is faint   

And if if wilt grant me you prisoner  
And gift me leave to lose him out of pain  
Al this distress/ & all this mine heavy cheer  
To gladness thou might restore again  
Thy high vengeance/ why should thou not restrain  
And she we mercy sin he is penitent  
With that came troth. & asked what it meant   

To truth than spack her father reverent  
And said a servant/ which I loved best  
On pain of death I gave a commandment  
Which for to keep in him was all my trest  
But he it brack. & as a proud traitor kest  
Me to supplaunt/ and I made my behest  
For his trespaas he should die at the lest   

My daughter mercy prayeth with voys piteous  
I would forgive/ and on him have pity  
For sith my mercy is most copious  
I must it show/ thus argueth she to me  
Nay nay quod troth/ father it may not be  
Thou must of force observe thine own statute  
And thy promise fulfil for every fute   

think that I am thy daughter verity  
That of all truth doth execution  
Withouten whom thine eterne deyte  
Were unyat with imperfectyon  
Thy will is law/ thy promise is reason  
And sith thy will/ and thy promise also  
Was he should die thou mayst not go there fro   

For thy godlyhede put out all variance  
Stable thy sentence. and thy Just judgement  
let execute in deed the same penance  
That was forbrokyn of thy commandment  
Than said mercy/ unworthy is that assent  
For sans doubt every reasonable creature  
Without mercy may not live no endure   

Know ye not weal that I am sempyterne  
Quod mercy though/ how may ye me refrain  
I am lady above the heaven superne  
Though ye in earth be princess & sovereign  
My mighty grace is never void ne vain  
Ergo I must relieve servant penitent  
Save fro the death assoil this argument   

Right sensible & preygnaunt for your path  
He that strong argument quoth verity  
But do dispute/ mercy is not mine art  
Nother in herne ne in hole/ troth logeth to me  
And permanent I am as weal as ye  
And sin of force my father must be true  
From his behest/ how may ye him renew   

And if ye think/ he broke not his behest  
For to permute with mercy sh● vengeance  
For one is god/ than would ye at the lest  
In his godhead include both ignorance  
And hastiness and exile 〈◊〉  
And prescience and ask eke might I soon  
Why height he that/ that better 〈◊〉 undone   

Than said mercy/ whereto was mercy wrought  
But if mercy had execution  
Whereto on me was all my f●der● thought  
And all his joy in my creation  
Was I not made for res●yon  
Of heavenly bliss/ & for necessyre  
That both angel and man must have of me   

And if so were that I were adnychyla●●  
The heavenly court may not restorely be  
My faders Royalme were vain and vacuate  
A power household it were withouten me  
Why should I not than have a sovereignty  
And complement of my petition  
Than answered troth/ for ye ask no reason   

Though ye all day argue for your purpose  
Truth shall deliver at her own volunte  
My liberty in no point will I loose  
I am my faders child/ as we'll as ye  
And rightwiseness I wot will hold with me  
And with that word truth for her sister went  
Dame rightwiseness. which was anon present   

On godly wise/ but fearful to behold  
Come rightwiseness all bemed full of light  
For she ne spared for hot/ ne for cold  
For high for low/ for to fulfil all right  
My sisters strive qd she with voice on height  
I will discuss/ and their contention  
As right asketh/ bring to conclusycn   

To his servant I think/ what trust & grace  
My father had/ and eke ●haryte  
And in earth for him he made a place  
Of lust/ delight/ and of all liberty  
Each earthly thing eke unto his sovereignty  
He had incline/ and be obedient  
Whiles he truly fulfilleth his commandment   

What thing in earth he couth or might devise  
For hearts rest and lives sustenance  
On him 'gan laugh in all godly wise  
And at his lust made him obeisance  
Exiled from him was unhappy chance  
adversity might never his steps sew  
To his master whiles he was servant true   

And if so were/ he broke his commandment  
My father made a constitution  
That prisoned & all quick flene and rend  
Deed & devoured should be punition  
For his trespaas and his transgression  
That both pure love and fere this just precept  
Should him excite that it were truly kept   

Not withstanding the promise & statute  
The trust/ the love/ the bounty and kindness  
Yone freel servant subject to servitude  
Save to conspire with all ungentleness  
And of the just mandment made full just innsgresse  
Wherefore of right me thinketh he must be deed  
Late be quod peace/ that is a cruel deed   

And with that word peace ceme in to the place  
Whoos person was patron of portature  
Her rosy lips with cheer full of grace  
Offered kissing unto each creature  
Phoebus himself with all his bemed cure  
May not belike the light of her visage  
So pure perfit was that heavenly image   

And on this wise she 'gan her tongue affyse  
And said to troth/ O right how may this mean  
As your purposes peace for to exile  
And to make mercy never more be seen  
And to ordain death for to regne as queen  
This would no more/ but for to deprive express  
My faders Royalme/ & his sovereign richesse   

sith every Royalme that hath division  
Within himself must needs be desolate  
And we been four for one conclusion  
For to abstain the Ream and his estate  
Among us four/ why should then be debate  
And sith that law will rather lossyn pain  
That it extend/ let peace & mercy reign   

My faders Royalme & had suffereth no why●●  
It is of rest and of tranquillity  
By cause of which he writeth in his style  
The prince of peace/ the author of pity  
King of mercy/ and h●d of all bounty  
Thus need of force must peace reign & prevail  
Chyef strife and debate perish in all battle   

The chyef avaunt and commendation  
Of this high Royalme is for it is of peace  
Than whereto make ye disputation  
Contrarious been your debate/ & rees  
With strife I will not duelle withouten ●●es  
And if debate me from this Royame's dissever  
The land of peace destroyed is for ever   

But sith so is/ there is a trespaas done  
Unto mercy let yield the trespasour  
Hit is her office to redress it soon  
For trespaas is to mercy a meryour  
And right as sweet hath his apryet by sour  
So by trespaas mercy hath all her might  
Without trespass mercy hath last of light   

What should be syhte/ but if that sickness were  
What needeth salve/ but if there were a sore  
What needeth drink there thirst hath no powers  
What should mercy/ but trespaas go before  
But trespaas by mercy were little store  
Without trespaas none execution  
May mercy have/ ne yet perfection   

But sister troth/ ye may regne as a princess  
Without falshede/ and have your sovereignty  
Without Injure/ and so may right wiseness  
Eke without were I peace may alwey● be  
But mercy kindly hath no property  
Withouten trespass/ of which she hath her might  
Ryȝt as the son the moan giveth all their light   

Therefore I read as for conclusion  
That we obey mercy with one accord  
And that we leave all our dissension  
For little things as clerks here record  
With peace groweth & goede thing; with discord  
Wydeth away/ therefore lead pacify  
Our lust to one/ and fall we to mercy   

Late be qirod truth to you I nyl assent  
no more will I ywys/ quod rightwiseness  
And with that word/ truth to her father went  
And thus she said O ground of steadfastness  
O permanent/ O very truth endless  
Hold thy hyhest. and support verity  
For rightwiseness acordeth unto me   

These words saith ryghtwysenes.. & kneeleth down  
And said father sith it is mine office  
To give condign remuneracyoun  
To evil/ and good/ to each virtue & vice  
And not to spare for prayer ne for price  
And I shall thy godhead glorify  
That truth asketh/ I must need justify   

The foresaid caas reserving in my mind  
How soon thy servant lust to the offend  
And how he was cruel-fale/ and unkind  
To thy behest I must of right attend  
And need of force to judgement condescend  
Wherefore I give sentence dyffynytyve  
In form foresaid that peyve to death him drive   

Of this process to have the true intent  
I will thou wite quod sapience to me  
This mighty king is god omnipotent  
In one godhead regnaunt. and persons three  
His sone is christ/ his doughnters in degree  
Ben virtues four annexed to his godhead  
His servant is old Adam as I read   

Return we now 〈…〉  
All thorough darted with 〈…〉  
Mercy fell down she might no long feign  
As a swonyd/ or in a ly●ergye  
peace seeing that stood on 〈◊〉  
And at the last with piteous voice and wild  
She said alas/ peace is for ay exyld   

O mercy god/ for my sister mercy  
Leyng in a swooned dying for lak of breathe  
For truth untrue/ and unryghntwysenes  
Against us hath yeven sentence of death  
I will not rest/ but go thorugh holt & heath  
Exiled away returned will I never  
Far we'll father/ Far we'll thy ream for ever   

Far weal mercy/ far we'll thy piteous grace  
So we'll away that vengeance shall prevail  
Fare weal the bemed light of heavens place  
Unto mankind thou mayst no more avail  
The pure darkness of hell the doth assaylle  
O light in vain the clyppes hath the inc●se  
Man was thy lord/ now man is thy refuse   

O Seraphyn give thine harmony  
O cherubin thy glory do away  
O ye trones let be all your melody  
Your hierarchy disdained is for ay  
Your master set in what array  
She lieth in swoon/ & y borne with debate  
Far we'll/ far we'll/ poor household desolate   

O sovereign mighty dominations  
O virtues/ and ye potestates  
O pryncypates with all your heavenly sows  
Archangel/ Angel/ with thrice three estates  
Your spouse deign peace overset is with debates  
Now may ye weep/ and hierarchies three  
Your ordres nine may not restored be   

Far well ye all. dame mercy lieth in swoon  
For soothfastness accused hath mankind  
And rightwiseness that should do all reason  
Hath dampened him as cruel & unkind  
Mercy and peace for them no grace may find  
notwithstanding judgement may have no suit  
By cause of peace/ but it be execute   

Woe worth debate/ that never may have peace  
Woe worth penance that asketh no pity  
Woe worth vengeance/ that mercy may not cees  
Woe worth that judgement that hath none equity  
Woe worth that troth/ that hath no charity  
Woe worth that Inge· that may no guilt save  
And woe worth right/ that may no favour have   

Far well saturn/ jove/ Mars & Phoebus bright  
Far well Venus/ and far well Mercury  
Far well thou shining lady of the nyuht  
I was your guide/ but now away go I  
O cruel mars· thy temrestes fury  
Now mayst thou show. and jupiter thine Ire  
Now mayst thou rain with darts full of fire   

I was the rain/ that held you all to guider  
I bridled you/ and set you in accord  
But now I go ywys I wot never whyder  
Wherefore of force ye must fall to discord  
O thou sovereign of all battle the lord  
Now mayst thou send comet thy messenger  
To signify that battle/ negheth near   

When Flora rideth/ and cold away is gone  
With jupiter/ than mayst thou meet at lust  
And june in some sign of the aquybone  
Engendre fire/ and make herbs combust  
infect the eyer/ and so to guider just  
One with other hot/ cold moist and dry  
contrarious strife for the victory   

Now may ye fight/ & make both wind & rein  
And erratyk aye in your course be  
For peace is gone/ that your Ire did refreyn  
And stabled you in all tranquillity  
Far well ye all with all your broad country  
Far well father/ thy Ream may never increase  
And with that word evanysshed dame peace   

The faders bliss/ the sovereign joy & chief  
Of all the heaven the brother to mercy  
This woeful caas seeing/ and this mischief  
For me ywys did send full hastily  
O sapience he said full piteously  
With some council help now in this need  
thorough pierced/ mine herb beginneth to bleed   

For peace is gone/ & mercy lieth in swoon  
Withouten comfort so weal a weigh the while  
Eke desolate is this heavenly region  
But mercy reygne· and peace come from exile  
O sapience help now to reconcile  
My sister peace/ and mercy to comfort  
And to this fine with council me support   

O master mine/ O sovereign mighty lord  
Hard is this caas quoth I withouten lees  
High is that help/ that may bring to accord  
Mercy & truth/ dame ryghtwysenes & peace  
Mercy would save her man/ & vengeance sees  
Troth will not so ne yet dame rightwiseness  
And for this strife peace is to wilderness   

Echone of them will no weigh be removed  
From her intent it is incomerous  
Them to accord/ how should it be contreved  
Sin two for two stand ay contrarious  
This sole case is wonder studious  
For this accord who so that shall fulfil  
Must need of force perform their aller will   

But sapience who may best please them all  
And give eachone their full desire express  
I mean the wretch/ that lieth in prison thrall  
Mercy to have/ and his guilt to redress  
And not to offend dame truth & ryghtwisenes  
And revoke peace/ who shall this do quoth he  
In one godhead sin we be persons three   

My father is dy full of lasting might  
And all wisdom appropered is to me  
Of all goodness the blessed heavenly light  
The holy ghost hath to his property  
Thus might wisdom & goodness that both three  
Ay of one will/ may this accord make  
But of ve three who shall the treuse take   

My wits hole I godred unto me  
And finally the for conclusion  
O master mine/ I said it lieth in the  
Of this accord the execution  
And on three wise I prove it by reason  
Wherefore of force to make this accord  
dispose thyself. be both subject and lord   

Thy father is so fearful well thou wost  
That peace and mercy that not compromyt  
In him as juge and eke the holy ghost  
In whom all grace goodness & truth is knit  
Dame truth & right for juge will not admit  
For well they wot that he is mercies friend  
Wherefore thyself of this must make an end   

Yone wretch desired not thy father might  
Ne yet the goodness of the holy ghost  
For thy wisdom he cast with the to fight  
And smote thy shield omyd the heavenly host  
For which thyself must answer well thou wost  
Not thy father/ ne yet the third person  
The help of this thus lieth in the alone   

These sisters soul who that shall pacify  
Must be the son of man/ & take mankind  
And for man's guilt/ gylthes' suffer to dyi  
And ransom man that think I in my mind  
sith but to one son the trinity may find  
Which soon thou art/ that by necessity  
This solemyne act lieth finally in the   

Than said myself O lady sapience  
O good beldame or ye further proceed  
vouchsafe to tell your noble tru●tence  
Why might wisdom & goodness as I deed  
To three persons which are in one godhead  
appropered been/ be they not paregal  
And coeterne/ and consubstancial   

Yis son ywys quoth sapience to me  
They been all three in goodness might & wit  
Equal & like/ of one substance they be  
But yet ywys thou clepyse them dryght  
When that thou sayest the father full of might  
The sone of wit/ the spirit of goodness  
This will a cause that is in kind express   

A father is thou wost a name of age  
Of impotence and of debility  
A son a name is of youth/ & courage  
Of inscyence and instabylyte  
A spirit is a name of cruelty  
Of height & pride/ this may thou propre find  
And eke commune if thou wilt see in kind   

Wherefore the father in the trinity  
We clepe mighty the son full of wit  
The good spirit/ this is of property  
To avoid the vice/ that in kind is knit  
But of them all soon mine A will thou wit  
In might with grace more excellent is none  
Echone hath al. and all three is but one   

Return we son mine to our matter  
My sovereign lord the brother of mercy  
Said sapience/ I see it now so clear  
That this accord in me is finally  
But hard it is to take mankind and die  
Nevertheless mercy to recomfort  
And save mankind, such death near but disport   

With full effect he concluded in his heart  
Of all mankind to make redemption  
give death for life/ give joy for pains smart  
Love sovereignty/ and make subjection  
The Angels eke had such compassion  
Of man's death/ that right in special  
To help mankind/ they cast them all   

Unto council the holy spirits went  
The jerarchyes with their heavenly collage  
To pray for man/ it was their hole intent  
That he might come to his old heritage  
Out from the Carybde/ and the smoky cage  
Of seruytude· the which him had incluse  
Four thousand year/ he might it not refuse   

The hierarchy next to the trinity  
With heavenly voys piteous/ and delicate  
Kneeled a down/ and said O god we be  
As thou well wost to the inmedyate  
As assessors we been to thine estate  
Cubyculers also of thy godhead  
To our prayer/ O mighty god take heed   

The to behold is our sovereign solace  
Our life. our lust/ and ay lasting bliss  
The high glory that shineth in thy face  
The wit of kind may not conceive ywys  
And sith that man so like unto the is  
And formed was unto thine own sickness  
Out of thy bliss. why lieth he in darkness   

What honour is/ what worthiness  
To thy godhead to suffer thine image  
Devoured be/ and drenched in darkness  
For whom thou made light to be heritage  
And sith our bliss is hole in thy visage  
O well awey· why should of it the shapnesse  
The to dysteyne alway in darkness   

Wherefore we pray/ O prince full of grace  
Thou have pity of man thy creature  
His hands strong/ vouchesauf to unlace  
let not thy shap so long darkness endure  
Yeve some reward unto thine own honour  
For now is time of mercy and of peace  
And time is common that all vengeance should cees   
Explicit supplicacio prime hierarchy   

Incipit Inuocacio second hierarchy  

Than kneeled down the second hierarchy  
And humbly said O sovereign lord of all  
We be y made thy might to magnify  
And to observe thy law imperial  
As worthy lords that in general  
With busy cure supporten thine empire  
And with knighthood obeyen thy desire   

Hens from us all the proud prince of darkness  
As captive took lords of each estate  
Than man was made through the heavenly goodness  
For to restore this kingdom desolate  
But weleawey/ whereto was man create  
sith that the lion of all cruelty  
In his derk lake of him hath sovereignty   

Our worthy lordshyppes/ & our manners old.  
O mighty god/ how long void shall they be  
Thine heirs eke/ how long shall death withhold  
sith thou art life/ why hath death sovereignty  
If thou be king/ to thine honour thou see  
So bind the fend/ and take man by conquest  
Unto thy bliss/ and set thy regne in rest   

Four thousand year is suffisant  
For to punish old Adam for a taste  
And well away/ hell is exuberaunt  
With his ofsprynges/ & our ream standeth waste  
Now rue on man thou that all mercy haste  
For now is time of mercy and of peace  
And time come that all vengeance should cease   
Explicit supplicacio second hierarchy   

Incipit suppli●acio tercie hierarchy  

Tharchangel than with their hierarchy  
Kneeled down/ and said with voice benign  
O god thou wost/ we be alway ready  
To thy godhead. to give loving condygne  
To what province/ and as thou list assign  
Us in thy Ream/ as true and diligent  
Offycyals we do thy commandment   

Thy messengers/ we be ready always  
And in thy Ream to what place/ we be sent  
We can not find/ but peace is gone away  
And mercy lieth with weeping all be shent  
For truth & right to her will not assent  
To save mankind our ream. which should restore  
Where so we go/ debate is us before   

Our enemies eke of us have victory  
While thy chylder continue in discord  
And but mankind be brought to thy glory  
Thou mayst never them four bring to accord  
On thine old mercy/ O good god record  
And sith each thing to the possible is  
Pease thy children/ & bring mankind to bliss   

The faders heart by kind should be pytrous  
Of his children/ and wail for their absence  
Wherefore I pray/ O prince victorious  
Send for dame peace. bring her to thy presence  
And to mankind grant a plain indulgence  
For now is time of mercy/ and of peace  
And time is come that all vengeance should cees   
Explicit supplicatio tercie hierarchy   


That excellent prince of all worthiness  
That mighty lord/ that father gracious  
That Rote of right/ that well of godelynesse  
That noble king/ that master glorious  
That sovereign sire/ and most victorious  
beheld his Royalme all wasted with ruin  
And in himself to pity 'gan incline   

He herd also how piteously complained  
His heavenly court of his reign desolate  
And how mercy with tears was disdained  
And peace his child exiled for debate  
And how mankind was so incarcerate  
That by no weigh he might his realm restore  
Than 'gan his heart for pity wax all sore   

Unto mercy/ he 'gan his bede to held  
which was in point through weeping for to spill  
Than thorough darted his heart 'gan to yield  
And drops small of pity to distill  
His blessed son than knew his faders will  
Feel Ir●n hot/ and thought time for to smite  
And up be rose with of lust and delight   

He kneeled down and said father of might  
I am thy son/ in whom all wisdom is  
And well I wot/ thou faryst not aright  
For chyld●r thine been o● debate ywys  
Yo●● me th●e canst/ O sovereign lord of bliss  
I shall reward eachone with their intent  
And man again to thy bliss 〈◊〉   

Sweet sweetest son ●oued that good f●der though  
Of 〈…〉 I am entirely glad  
Do what the 〈◊〉 b●ynge man out of woe  
But it forthynketh me that I man made  
I mean the godhead that such gladness he●de  
〈◊〉 to make man in the must took mankind  
And renounce 〈◊〉 his b●nd●e to unbynd   

With humble heart to do thy will  
With 〈…〉 & 〈◊〉 d●syer  
I am 〈◊〉 and what thou w●c● I will  
Thy 〈…〉 I may not but desire  
I 〈◊〉 pursue the right of 〈◊〉 empire  
Quod that good son with spirit diligent  
And up 〈◊〉 rose and to 〈◊〉 lustre w●   

He took her up/ and godly 'gan her kiss  
E●●●ated her unto his heart/ and said  
O sweet mercy/ O princess of all bliss  
O sister mine/ O godly youngly maid  
With salt terre/ why be ye thou or●a●de  
I am that wight/ that shall your sorrow 〈◊〉  
And save mankind/ & being again 〈…〉   

Cast up your eyen behold/ I am your brother  
Your life/ your lust· your love/ your champion  
And for your sake myself shall/ & none other  
Become a man/ and suffer passion  
To help mankind/ and with double renown  
Bring him to you/ & save/ which was thrall  
That mortal is/ I shall make immortal   

Thus shall I do your heart to recomfort  
Your sovereignty eke for to magnify  
Full manfully I shall my pain comport  
And think on yow· as on mine own lady  
To fight in arms/ and obtain victory  
Ye●e troth/ & right their own desire o● full  
And every guilt/ you at lust to ad●ulle   

revive 'gan that goodly lady though  
The brother's speech was salut to all her sore  
〈◊〉 thanked him/ as cure of all her woe  
〈◊〉 kissed him 〈◊〉/ she loved him more & more  
O prince she saide/ which shall my right restore  
What may I do your thank for to deserve  
That ready been for me to live and s●er●e   

O sweet most sweet brother/ & of my knight  
O 〈◊〉 cause of ol mine hearts rest  
To your reward/ where shall I gather might  
To your kindness/ I not how I moy best  
Thank you for this/ but O prince worthiest  
Me as your own/ command ay as ye ●yst  
Thus all was well/ and either other kyst   

The trinity to council went anon  
Concluded in host/ a messenger should go  
Unto the maid the daughter of ●yon  
To sal●we ●ee/ and for to say her to  
The son of god to bring man out of woe  
Mother and maid she should bear & conceive  
Which message done she goodly 'gan receive   

Yet to mercy more strange the to excite  
O blessed son/ see how I sit on knee  
behold these breasts small with all delight  
That gave the sukke the milk of chastity  
behold the womb/ of which thou born would be  
behold the hands/ that on my lap the laid  
behold thy spouse/ thy mother/ and thy maid   

And for all this have mercy son of man  
For nexe thyself/ I dearest have them bought  
For well thou wost/ the sword of sorrow ran  
Out through mine heart. when thou on road was brought  
And I the saw with wounds all besought  
sith thus in pain/ I had my part with the  
Part of my will for man/ son grant thou me   

Thus shall my mother say/ if man offend  
O sister mine/ your lust for to sustain  
Eke myself his trespaas for to amend  
My wounds wide shall hold both new & green  
distilling blood full fresh they shall be seen  
If with mankind my father will debate  
When he them seeth/ he mow no longer hate   

Therefore be glad/ O sister mine mercy  
Have here your man. do with him what ye list  
She kneeled down/ took him full thankfully  
embraced him/ and after sith him kissed  
That tongue can tell uneath her spirit wist  
For pure gladness/ in what place for to abide  
Her perfit bliss pierced the heaven wide   

Forth than he went unto dame verity  
And said sister/ be ye not yet content  
Yis brother mine quod she in all degree  
For truth it is that man was negligent  
More than I ask eke is his punishment  
Than went he forth unto dame rightwiseness  
Asked the same/ which answered thus I guess   

O sweet brother/ man is for his trespaas  
More punished than I myself desire  
I am content debate away shall pass  
And with that word peace fervent as the fire  
Was present tho. for staunched was all Ire  
Mercy & truth met at their own list  
And right and peace to guider heartily kyst   

To which kissing/ O mighty prince of peace  
Bring us all/ as thou starf on a road  
And grant me grate/ or of making cees  
To thy pleasance some matter that is good  
For to compile to help me from the flood  
Of fruitless worldly meditation  
And find a weigh to my salvation   
Explicit liber primus de curia sapiencie qualiter misericordia & veritas obuiaverunt sibi/ justicia et pax obstulate sunt    


Incipit Prohemium secundi libri  

Forth to proceed in matter of my book  
And I dyscryve the solemn mansion  
Of sapience most heavenly unto look  
whose city is set in all perfection  
And to avoid the oblocution  
Of false tongues/ and thank to deserve  
Thou grant me grace/ o good goddess Mynevie   

My style thou dress/ my language thou depure  
My wit enforce thou minister matere·  
For sith I am most simple creature  
I will usurp in thy palace taper  
But thou me guide to show in what matter  
I shall pronounce things/ which thou dost me see  
Thy referendary only will I be   

The pure knowledge and very sentement  
Of thy wisdom was never my dower  
But as the son in light most excellent  
With his beams the moan illumineth clear  
So done alday these wisemen fools bear  
Wherefore thy wisdom/ as thou lust me teach  
O lady mine/ In my book will I preach   
Explicit   


When sapience her busy cure had told  
Which is rehearsed in the foresaid book  
Unto her home she said/ return she would  
intelligence and science with her she took  
And on myself full goodly 'gan she look  
And said beel son if thou wilt wend with me  
Come on in haste/ right welcome moat thou be   

Forth went we thence unto a Rivers side  
whose name is quiet full of all sweetness  
Out over/ which with arches high & wide  
A bridge was set full of all lustiness  
The marble stone the solemn worthiness  
Of geometry showed on such avys  
So good a work that no wight couth devise   

The pillars strong enarched with effect  
With pinnacles and towers full of bliss  
And allured clean gave such a dign prospet  
That such a bridge was never seen ywys  
And on a tower this scripture written is  
Who dreadeth god/ come in/ and right welcome  
For dread of god is way of all wisdom   

I entered on the bridge with sapience  
She led me over unto the Rivers side  
Come in she said/ put the forth in presence  
For such a sight through all the world wide  
Thou never saw so full of lust & pride  
So glorious as here is for the nonce  
As gravel is/ so were the precious stones   

The Alabastyr the electorye  
The Aurypygnient and the Argeryte  
The Asteron full of heavenly glory  
The Admante eke. and the Asteryte  
The Admatyst and eke the Admatyte  
Which bright stone withstondeth the might of fire  
So good a sight no spirit might desire   

The Alabastre white giveth victory  
And Ire suageth the shining argeryte  
And love reformeth the said electorye  
The Admant eke but the asteryte  
Hath in himself a star full of delight  
The Aurypygment hot is in effect  
The Amatyst giveth right good intellect   

The pale byrel that healeth eyen sore  
And helpeth love and stauncheth enmity  
The Selydon that with lust who can restore  
And medycyn is to old infirmity  
The Carbuncle that hath his sovereignty  
When darkness is/ the precious crisolyte  
Which fiends fleen/ & holden in despite   

The Calcydone which hard is in to grave  
The Crysopasse most shining on the night  
The Crystal clear that men oft doth save  
The Gyral red which flux stauncheth aright  
The Ceranne stone in thunder which hath might  
The Caleophan that voices sore doth clence  
All these done boat without offence   

The Dyadek/ that doth spirits to preach  
The Dyonys/ which that hateth drunkenness  
The good eschyte/ that is the wombs leche  
In birth of child/ & cause of their gladness  
The Emachyte that stauncheth blood express  
The Elytrope· which is the sons foo  
And venom sleeth with many virtues moo   

The stone Enydros' most wonder in kind  
That ay dystysseth drops to the sight  
And never moist ne les men shall it find  
The weeping stone a clerk saith it height  
The epystyte/ which is a stone full bright  
Frendful to Corn and excelyte rose  
In colours felt/ as clerks don depose   

There was also the gentle gagates  
Good for woman that long in child bed pine  
Which if a maid drink/ it shall it pleas  
And in her body hold it weal and fine  
Where she corrupt/ she should anon ruin  
The Salachyte for milk most profitable  
Theridamas was also in virtue commendable   

Ge●aty●en which is a noble stone  
Black in colour· but virtuous in might  
And maketh beloved where they gone  
If they him bear/ and tell them aright  
What other think ye/ the jaspre green of sight  
Wholesome against the fevours access  
There for I lie full of all lustiness   

The good jacynet/ that is right comfortable  
And in the pestilence a noble medicine  
The Adachyd that hath withouten fable  
Within himself over other stone fine  
That sweteth water wonder to divine  
The jerachyte which if a man bear  
There may no flees with biting him dear   

There was the good Iris' of Arebye  
Wholesome for women in their chyldled  
The stone jona that teacheth prophecy  
The sad Camen with divers colour lead  
The dropcy/ which healeth as I ●●de  
In books old and the bygurius  
That colour lost restoreth unto us   

A noble stone/ that is for hunters good  
Lipparia which is cleped a right  
For beasts wild be they never so wood  
To his presence/ he bringeth thorough his sight  
The Alabandyne/ that to blood giveth might  
The Alabystus which through heat will remain  
Seven days in heat/ as noble clerks say   

The Margaryte which is both bright & white  
Eke medicinable and comfortatyf  
The magnes sad that giveth grace & delight  
And sovereign hath virtue attractatyf  
The mellanyte whose juice is exceptyf  
Sweet as honey/ in colour white & green  
The good myryte/ which hath an odour clean   

The stone Menysyte/ and eke the Melochyte  
That children young when they in cradles been  
keepeth of kind from noy and all despite  
The stone nitrum that helpeth to wash clean  
The medries eke good for blindness of eyen  
The stone Neset/ which in the tood men find  
And nigh venom he waxeth hot of kind   

The Onychyne that is a stone of Ind  
The Onyx eke which as a mirror  
His own image a man may see & find  
Optallyus of many strong colour  
That is to thieves good patron and succour  
The Oryte eke that saveth from beasts wild  
And suffereth not women to be with child   

The Paryus/ and eke the prassyus  
Grene of colour/ and good for feeble syghnt  
The pyrryte stone anon which brenneth us  
Within our hand if we him press dryght  
The stone ponyte/ which hath a wonder might  
Good for women/ and of himself alone  
He bringeth forth right swyth another stone   

The stone Quyrryne/ that doth the sleper say  
What so he dreameth/ & eke the quanydras good  
That can increase breasts with milk all way  
The good Ruby that stauncheth alway blood  
The Rebe eke/ which of beasts wood  
The strong biting healeth for evermore  
And noble medicine is for wounds sore   

The good Sapphire most noble and most dign  
Of all stones and most preseruatyf  
Comfort of peace/ and to sore eyen benign  
Of heat unkindly/ and most repressyf  
It maketh glad/ It is comfortatyf  
It stauncheth blood and sweet/ and chastity  
He loveth best/ and doth the venom flee   

The green smaragd/ that is right medicynable  
Against tempest sickness and fantasy  
The Sardonyx/ that is right commendable  
Friend to meekness/ and hadeth lechery  
The Sardyns that maketh men hardy  
The sons gems full of beams bright  
The serenyte that in love hath his might   

Topacius good for men lunatic  
And stauncheth Ire/ and suageth heaviness  
It wholesome is eke to men frenetyke  
The good turkoys/ that engendereth gladness  
Good for the sight/ the ȝemeth that sickness  
He let divers/ the zyngynt/ which of kind  
refraineth blood and holdeth man in his mind   

All other stones which been precious  
There might men see full of all pure delight  
But I of force must be compendious  
Therefore of them I will no ferther write  
Of their virtues I touch here but a light  
Their properties who lust to have told  
I council them/ go look in books old   

As in a book cleped the lapydarye  
In Isodre or dyascorydese  
By philosophers as by platearye  
Or Barthylme we/ look who may the please  
Natures and kind there mayst thou see at ease  
Such things/ as longeth not to common mater●  
Another field I have in haste to ere   

And if thou seme· that here be stones strange  
And thou in english can them better name  
Do as thou life. their names for to change  
So my language and my book thou not blame  
For I suppose there be few words lame  
For by the latin for the more surety  
I name them all/ and for the more comunte   
Explicit descripcio lapidum in littore Rivi consistencium/   

Incipit descripcio Rivi  

Than all my lust was goodly to behold  
That good water/ that noble clement  
That river swede in his kind moist & cold  
That is the wholesome perfect nutriment  
To every thing/ that is in earth content  
To corn. herbe· tree/ plant/ & each thing living  
It giveth his drink/ & cleanseth all foul thing   

The earth he maketh to be plenteous  
He tempreth well also the heaven a son  
And with his subtile vapour curious  
He grieveth the air incorporation  
And densyth him/ & is of high renown  
In to the high to s●y● is his solace  
For to challenge heaven for woning place   

From whence be falleth distilling showers sweet  
Replenysshing piercing and commyttyf  
Unto the earth/ but to the heavens heat  
His moist vapour is most temporatyf  
His drops sweet eke hen most nutrytyf  
And cause of life to each thing animate  
Withouten him/ all thing were vycyate   

For thorough the earth he goth with his moisture  
And pierceth him through his effusion  
The parts of the earth eke thorough his cure  
Ben stabled sad/ and take unyon  
else for great heat and high intention  
Of sovereign drought right by necessity  
Unto powder they should dissolved be   

He is to fish wholesome and profitable  
As air to be'st/ and cause of all their bliss  
His properties/ that been most commendable  
Dame science there declareth well ywys  
And as a glass so speculer. he is  
Of thing object the shap to represent  
Of him hath need all thing in him content   

He will ay move withouten rest or constance  
Whiles that his party superfycial  
Be adequate by right and like distance  
Out from the earth like from the mid of all  
And of the sons light celestial  
In to the heaven he maketh reflectyon  
The natures four he passeth in renown   

Of water thus to speak in general  
Theridamas may none find a goodly property  
But in himself this river hath them all  
In paradies he had his sovereignty  
Both out and in/ to run with liberty  
From sulphur veins/ and from metal ure  
He can abstain/ and be ay sweet and pure   

Basilius in his exameron  
Deseryveth water/ and his property  
Who so hath lust/ he may look them upon  
But I myself will flee prolyxyte  
And of my river speak as liketh me  
What should I say him to here and behold  
All earthly joy passeth a thousand fold   

His heavenly sows/ his groans delicate  
His sweet mumur/ his subtle course & still  
His fresh colour/ which no storm may abate  
His sapour sweet having refleyr at will  
Might say askance/ on this wise be I will  
For to excite out from the heavens place  
Nature to come to see of my solace   

O physon Tygrys Gyon. Eufrates  
O doryx eke the flood of paradise  
O jordan Cobar/ and thou Edapces  
Danybyus and pharphar at devise.  
Abana eke as written clerks wise  
Which of damask with his moist passage  
The gardyns green fulfilleth with herbage   

O Tybre. Rodan/ Yber/ leyre and sayne  
Geron and Ryne with many watery drop  
And O ye solemn floodies and sovereign  
Of Asia/ africa/ and Europe  
Among you all I snote a goodly soap  
Like to this river in comparison  
The Ocean doth him subjection   

O ye floods/ and ye other all  
That have your course out thorūgh the earth's space  
Were not like in no points special  
To this river in bounce nor in grace  
And who so lust floods to know and trace  
In Barthylmewe in his fifteen book  
Among his province/ may ye go and look   

Holy scripture the maketh mention  
In Genesis and other places moo  
Of floods feel/ and their condition  
And Philosophers tell them also  
As I read/ but all this let I go  
Of this river and his encenement gay  
I mean of fish now somewhat will I say   
Explicit descripcio Rivium   

Incipit descripcio Piscium  

This lusty fish within this river sweet  
There swimming/ which we fynnes clepe  
They put in use to bear swim and fleet  
Now at the ground/ and now above they leap  
Now dysceverd/ and now upon an heap  
Nou here now there now endelong. now outhwert  
The sight of them might he'll each wounded heart   

Somme had lust to sew the sons light  
Somme to the private umbre 'gan to attend  
And gathered in their to dies to the sight  
Shoot out of length their courage to extend  
Their perfit bliss nature might not amend  
Of net ne hook/ of deceit were they afeard  
What should I say/ they had a joy in erred   

The whale/ the dolphin and Estaryus  
The Carabo and eke effuneron  
The Cakodryl and uratynstopus  
The see swyn. and eke fastolyon  
The myllago/ that fleeteth the water on  
The hamo that dreadeth ay the hook  
With many moo/ who so hath lust to look   

The Myllanne/ Gastor/ ꝑpecanius  
Auronnea/ Phager/ Ferra also  
The Conger eke fish. which height Coruns  
The pike/ the luce/ the Salmon see I though  
The swerdfyssh with many other moo  
The Roche the tench/ the lamperey/ and the Eel  
The Flouk/ the please/ the flounder good to sell   

The Crab/ the lobster/ and the Craveys eke  
The welk/ the Oystur/ and the muscul good  
The rouche/ the Perche/ theridamas was no fish to seek  
That in the see in river or in flood  
In pond/ stew/ dyke· that ever swum or yode  
Who so him sought· anon there may him see  
In lust. in bliss/ and all prosperity   

And if so were he had of kind a vice  
In any point/ or were malicious  
For her were brought from that river of price  
And of that water glorious  
He should anon be good and virtuous  
Shortly to say/ to each fish great and small  
It is preseruatyf and medycynal   

Their names all I need not to rehearse  
For every fish that goodly is in kind  
In this river had lust to converce  
Who lust him seek/ anon there may him find  
It is the pure wholesome river and kind  
And of each nature and complexyoun  
To every fish it is refectyoun   

And who so lust to know diversity of fish  
And how they varrye in their mansion  
How they them fed. & which is good in dish  
Of their wisdom and generation  
Of their virtue and operation  
Of what shap eke what substance & what kind  
That they are of/ thou may in books find   

By Arystotyl in his book of beasts  
By jorath eke ysydre plenius  
By avicen/ by Bathylmewys gests  
By Constantyn/ and by Basylyus  
By Ambrose eke/ that such matter to us  
Declareth weal in his exameron  
Who so hath lust/ god look these clerks on   

For I will not make declaration  
Of such matters that been collatural  
It were ywys to long disgressyon  
Nature of fish/ to tell/ and name them all  
It must suffice my scripture general  
For now I will my pen with writing feed  
And somewhat tell of that most heavenly meed   
Explicit Descripcio Piscium   


The sovereign honour of the erthes' space  
The sweet mother/ the fresh month of may  
To Flow sent/ and prayed her of her grace  
That she would come with her enormentes gay  
For to reveste depaynt and to array  
This blessed meed with perfit diversity  
Of colours fressh full of solemnity   

She come right glad enourned in haste  
With herb flower/ tree & all fruit precious  
Her thirsty cure in no point would she wast  
For each good thing was there most plentyvoꝰ  
O paradies with thy sight glorious  
Thou art not now but an image feigned  
This perfit meed all thy bliss hath disdained   

The Rose the lyle/ the vyolet  
Reflexing/ shining/ and painting the ground  
Rody and bright with heavenly colour set  
Blood and milk and Azure 'gan habunde  
The red/ that white/ the blue which there was found  
'Gan represent in colours delight  
The Ruby. the Saphyr· the Margaryte   

The purple two or godly staunching blood  
The two langing been precious medicinable  
The heavenly two against pain be good  
And to the nose the first is delectable  
And to the sight the second amiable  
The third in taste right goodly is bysene  
The Rose/ the lylle/ the vyolet I mean   

The fair jacynct the longing premerose  
The Dayse/ the good gylofur flower  
With all other herbs withouten gloze  
That gendereth flower or fresh colour  
Agnus castus the worthy paramour  
Of chastity the good saffron also  
Of time the mint/ the rue with many moo   

The Rose marry the sawge. the savoury eke  
Arystologye also long and round  
The anis good/ the beat good for the seek  
The dyten that is good for a wound  
The Selydon right goodly on the ground  
The Century and eke the fumytere  
The malue the dok/ three dragaunce/ & eke the breed   

The marigold cleped the Ilytrope  
The bure/ the fenel/ and the percele  
The lettuce sweet with many melky drop  
The Coryandre that hound doth to flee  
The plantain eke/ the mandrake eke I see  
With all other that groweth on the ground  
Each goodly herb haste lust there to abound   

Their names all/ it needeth not for to write  
Ne their virtues/ my labour only is  
For to deseryue what lust and what delight  
What pleasance/ comfort/ honour/ & what bliss  
Unto this meed they ministered ywys  
The sight of them/ and of their youngly flowers  
Was verray salve. and he'll to all langours   
Explicit descripcio florūm et herbarum   

Incipit descripcio Arborum  

A Heavenly wood was on that other side  
And closed in with that river about  
Planted at lust with trees full of pride  
The blossmy bows unto the earth 'gan lout  
The cedar tree presumptuus and stout  
Having disdain in earth only to abide  
Among the stars his heed began to hide   

He and the palm/ and eke the good Cypress  
'Gan rise & burgyn/ and refleyre with delight  
The bows brought forth of all gentleness  
And gaf umbre unto that solemn sight  
With double bliss/ each tree was insygnyte  
With fruit to man/ with umbre to the ground  
Thus hunger there need not to abound   

The peretre/ the olive/ the Appyltree  
Wax great & green/ and eke most plenteous  
The peers in bows/ and apples of bounty  
The Almond tree with jardyns fructuous  
distilling come from his hole precious  
The fir in height unto the Cider like  
To Amoune the red Aromatyke   

The Aloes/ the gentle can and good  
Whoos marugh and juse is made in sucre sweet  
The balsom distilling in a flood  
His gentle balm made through the ground to fleet  
The cinnamon with fresh oder replete  
The good spikenard/ mastic/ the gum/ rosin  
Olybanum the precious thure and fyn   

The vine tree bearing clustres great & huge  
In this wood which largely did spread  
With grapes honey sweet/ & herbs dug  
Which been in might strong as I read  
The first in taste/ the t'other done exceed  
The second be help unto the strong access  
They staunchyn thirst/ they helpen in sickness   

Thyk fair and green in bow bark and leaves  
The cedar was sovereign of trees all  
The top/ the hold/ the Rote among the griefs  
Herberd/ nourished/ and sweet in strands small  
The bird/ the be/ the water special  
In breed and bows they been bred in the hole  
And out of the Rote the well distilled hole   

The bows brought forth both birds & fruit  
The hole. the bark/ offered honey and wax  
The Rote findeth the moist and cold refuyte  
Of all the earth made to abound & wax  
The honey sweet fell down in drops lax  
And with the balm & jufe of flowers glad  
In the water Electuarye they made   

The sturdy oak the ash/ the plum tree  
With acorns chattels/ and with the Damecyne  
Al other trees with their fruits in degree  
The Ramp/ the more/ the laurer/ and the pine  
The Cherubynte sweating the sweet Rasyne  
The byrche the box/ the Alme/ the Sycomore  
The fig/ the win of trees I speak no more   

For every tree and fruit in especial  
And every spice and mace ginger and clowe  
Pepper & greynes with other spices all  
That ever on tree or bush or herb can grow  
There was at lust/ and Zephyrus 'gan blow  
Out thorough the meed/ and tafia 'gan refleyr  
Their perfit bliss illumyned all the eyer   
Explicit descripcio Arborumm   

Incipit descripcio Auium  

The busy birds in their melody  
Their heavenly voys 'gan to entone  
Their Anglyk ravishing harmony  
Out thorough the heaven unto the highest throne  
Gave price/ and pass the nine ordres eachone  
O cherubin they said/ come here to us  
Le●e with what tune thou should sing sanctus   

The throstel cock upon the cedar green  
The nightinggale upon the blosme thorn  
The noble swan with white feathers & clean  
The gentle lark fleeing among the corn  
Ne ceased not to sing from even to morn  
With all other fowls of pleasance  
Their voys 'gan daunt unto the concordance   

Each other fowls in kind there had his bliss  
His lust/ his comfort and his sustenance  
They had no need Raveyn to use ywys  
Each thing obeyed to their pleasance  
Debate no staff/ discord/ ne yet distance  
Among them might not engendered be  
Echone other support in degree   

The proud peacock his tail began to wheel  
On which the sparking son so poorly brent  
That to the sight he seemed every deal  
An archangel down from the heaven sent  
All heavenly colours in heaven were content  
His tail/ the flowers/ the birds eke ywys  
The eye/ the nose. the ere food with all bliss   

The Eagle fresh sovereign of fowls all  
The good Gooshauk/ the fresh falcon of prise  
With all other that to dysport Royal  
disposed been there reigned at devise  
The gentle dowue Innocent of all vice  
The turtle true/ the Fenyx syngulere  
In lust in bliss to geders all they were   

The wholesome Pertryche and the Pellycane  
The sparrows eke/ the plover/ and the pie  
The Popyngay/ the Roke/ the hen. the Crane  
Their names all here to specify  
It needeth not for every foul shortly  
That is in kind/ & hath in virtue might  
In all comfort/ rejoiced there his flyghnt   

They flee at lust/ there is not them to let  
They build in bliss/ they have all liberty  
They need not dread for gyler/ ne for net  
Flee where they will/ they been in all surety  
The wind the rain/ ne none adversity  
May them disturb/ all joy is them among  
The heaven among above delighted in their song   
Explicit descripcio Auium   

Incipit descripcio Animalium  

The noble lion/ and the leonesse  
The unycorn/ the Olyfaunt also  
The leopard/ the wolf/ the bear express  
Withouten Ire in rest and peace 'gan go  
The heart/ the hind. the buk/ & eke the do  
The bull/ the ox/ the Cow/ and eke her caulf  
No Raveyn dread/ peace was on every half   

The heart/ the hind and the gentle do  
Proud and mighty/ and leaping lustily  
In heed and breast/ on foot eke to and fro  
japed paced/ and started merrily  
Jack napys nice made them all minstrelsy  
Now here now there in each place was his feet  
Each thing object/ he 'gan to counterfeit   

The brock/ the pantere/ and the dromydare  
The ass the Camyl and the lynx full of sight  
The bore/ the Swine/ the whesel/ and the hare  
The Fox/ the Tiger of most speedy might  
The hound. the Ermyn bright/ and white  
The Squerel eke/ the mice/ the Cat/ the Ramme  
The ghoot/ the kid/ the horse/ the sheep/ the lamme   

All other beasts shortly for to wite  
That been in kind/ that 'gan sustain  
In peace/ and rest/ in comfort and delight  
Each best & bird/ fish flower/ & herbs green  
To steer to swim/ sing laugh or flene  
In wood/ in nest/ in water/ and the meed  
Their perfit bliss unto the heaven 'gan spread   

The waters sown/ the lusty fish and feyre  
The good season/ the youngly son & bright  
The meed/ the herbs the flower/ & their refleyre  
The blosmy bows. the fowls fresh of flight  
The tender wind with his breath & his might  
inspired thorough the blossoms at device  
Hit to seen was an heavenly paradise   
Explicit descripcio Animalium   

Incipit descripcio Castri mansionis sapienty  

When I had seen the solemn sovereign sight  
Dame sapience led me a little beside  
Unto a Cumly castle shining bright  
Full of all solace delight lust/ and pride  
In whose circuit with wants large & wide  
Of perfit bliss y set were towers seven  
The light of which/ astyed up to heaven   

The dyke of it form with delight  
fulfilled was with water of comet  
The marbyl stone/ the Alabaster white  
By geometry so friendly 'gan meet  
That such one as in heed body and feet  
With precious stones illumined at devise  
Was never seen/ it passed paradise   

Upon a Roche it was grounded and set  
And every buttras full of imagery  
Each pinnacle Corner. tower and Towret  
With gold and pearl and stones curyously  
depainted was and powdered lustily  
And on the gate illumined with all bliss  
With gold letters thus write ywys   

This is the weigh to vertu/ & to grace  
To cunning/ knowledge wit/ and all wisdom  
This is the weigh unto the heavenly place  
There scorn ne thirst sin vice. ne evil may come  
This is the weigh to that solemn kingdom  
Where rest peace bliss/ & comfort seceth never  
Come in who will/ and right welcome for ever   

Seven ladies bright down from the heaven  
Came to the gate with many ladies moo  
Servants to them whose name will I nevene  
faith hope tofore with charity go  
Prudence/ the wise dame. fortitude also  
With temporance and rightwiseness ywys  
Met sapience/ and heartily 'gan to kiss   

With faith was Clemens and vyrgynyte  
Dame continence and dame devotion  
Dame lowlmesse· the dame eke chastity  
On whose heed was their garlands of renown  
One for virgins and their religion  
One for spoused people that lyven clean  
The third for widows/ if they pure contene   

With hope was gladness and contrition  
Dame discipline/ and eke dame sapience  
confession/ and contemplation  
The blessed lady/ eke dame penitence  
With charity was grace and indulgence  
Pees and accord/ pity/ compassion  
And dame mercy Empress of all renown   

With dame prudence was council and reason  
The dread of god and tractabylyte  
Dame diligence/ and dame discretion  
Dame providence causer of all bounty  
With temporance was dame benygnnyte  
morality manner and tolerance  
Dame soberness/ and proper suffisance   

With fortitude was dame perseverance  
Rest/ and quiet/ science and stability  
Ay of one strength without variance  
And never proud for no prosperity  
Nother yet grudging for adversity  
With right wiseness was law & correction  
Truth. right/ and doom and execution   

Than come a lady divine theology  
With ladies seven her sewing in a rout  
Dame sapience they followed full humbly  
Pryst her with bliss/ and lowly 'gan to lout  
Echone other embraced all about  
Glad of that meeting full of grace  
What should I say/ it was an heavenly place   

There was grammar ground of science all  
And Dyaletyk full of pure knowing  
Dame Rethoryk science imperial  
Dame Arsmetryk science in proporcyoning  
Geometry that measureth every thing  
The lady music and astronomy  
These ladies seven sewed theology   

Than from the dungeon great within the place  
A solemn tower which stied up to heaven  
Philosophy the lady full of grace  
With ladies come as after I shall neven  
To sapience the way she took full even  
And said welcome sister and sovereign  
They kissed sweet/ of other both were fain   

philosophy is who lust to define  
Knowledge of earthly and eke heavenly thing  
Y joined with sad study and fine  
Of governance honest and good living  
It is also the probable cunning  
Of worldly thing/ and goodly thing ywys  
As much as to man possible is   

She is cleped also the art of arts  
And eke of death the meditation  
Her being eke y set in two parts  
In pure science and opination  
science thing teacheth by certain reason  
opination is in certainty  
When thing by reason may not proved be   

And if the son be more in quantity  
Than is the earth/ how moche eke is the heaven  
Of what matter/ and if he stable be  
Or yet moble/ this can not science neven  
If that the moan be moisty/ hollow or even  
This know we not by propre pure reason  
But this we have by opination   

This sovereign lady dame philosophy  
Within herself all arts doth contene  
Nature and kind/ vertu and policy  
How they y taught eke execute should been  
In her wisdom she hath groundly and clean  
Wherefore to her annexed been sisters three  
Which ladies been of all sovereign bounty   

The first sister is cleped Natural  
Whom folk of grace clepyn dame phisyca  
The second height the good princess moral  
Whom they of grece eke clepyn dame Ethyca  
They clepe also the third/ Dame Loyca  
Whom our clerks clepyn Racyonal  
philosophy hath these in especial   

The first doth teach the cause of every thing  
Her proper kind/ her kindly property  
And in the second is trust of living  
Knowledge of virtues and honest  
When kind and virtues may than known be  
The third sister cometh with her resoun  
Of evil and good making discrypcyoun   

Millesius one of the sages seven  
In grece first drew/ as in the craft of kind  
By his reason the causes of the heaven  
And of each the nature 'gan he find  
Than come plato a worthy clerk of kind  
For natural art sought out geomatrye  
Arsmetryk. music and astronomy   

Dame Ethyca princess of policy  
Good Socrates first founder of governance  
To knew virtue and con live honestly  
And four ladies he sought full of pleasance  
To serve dame Ethyke with obeisance  
Whoos names been prudence and rightwiseness  
Dame fortitude and temporance I guess   

Than fond plato the lady racyonal  
Which when that kind & virtue known been  
teacheth each man by reason special  
To understand the subtle strength and clean  
Of kind and virtue what they would & mean  
Than sought he out Dame Dyaletyca  
To serve her with Dame Rethorica   

In these three sisters grounded may we find  
divinity/ if we look weal ywys  
For each divine other speaketh of kind  
As in the noble book of Genesis  
Or of manners as in proverbs  
Or of logic/ for whom divines all  
The canticle taken in special   

Some sayne that philosophye called resoun  
Hath ladies two subject in special  
The first height Inspectyve whose eye a boun  
discerneth thing which is celestial  
The second lady hyghnt Actual  
That of each thing maketh discrypcyoun  
As it showeth in operation   

Dame Inspectyve hath serving ladies three  
Dame natural/ and eke dame doctrynal  
The third in heaven hath sight and sovereignty  
Wherefore she height the princess dyvynal  
The first teacheth kind of things all  
By craft the second getteth Intellect  
The third invisible things hath respect   

Dame doctrynal hath servants four iwies  
The good Arysmetryk and dame Geometrye  
Dame Musyk eke the lady full of bliss  
The fourth princess height dame astronomy  
Of these four ladies must I specially  
Herafterward in my treaties indite  
Of them no more wherefore now will I write   

Dame Actual hath other ladies three  
As dame moral/ and dame dispensatyve  
Dame civil height the third full of bounty  
The first disposeth to each man of live  
Manner of living/ the second is active  
Which can her household rule without distance  
The third of cities hath in governance   

We entered in this gate full of bliss  
Unto the first court full of heavenly light  
Which dame science had in keeping iwies  
Which house and ward loyal lusty & bright  
Ellumyned fresh/ and painted to the sight  
With proper kind of each thing temporal  
Man/ be'st/ herb/ tree/ there mayst thou know them all   

Scripture there taȝt how man should govern him  
And what he is in body/ and in blood  
And what matter he in lieth/ or yet in him  
Why this is evil/ and why that thing is good  
Why this is tame/ and why that be'st is wood  
All policy in earth/ and all knowledge  
Dame science there had in that herbergage   

There was all natural philosophye  
And in a goodly parlour see I sit  
The philosopher with his company  
treating of kind/ and what longeth to it  
There was clerk/ note/ cunning/ and wit  
The point they write/ they dispute they depure  
They determine each thing that hath nature   

Arystotyl averous and Auycenne  
Good Algazel/ Galyene/ and Appollynus  
Pyctagoras and Plato with his pen  
Macrobius/ Crato/ Boecius  
Rasus Isake/ Calyxte Orbasius  
Salustius/ cleophyl/ hippocras  
With many more whose names I let pas   

These had delight to serve dame science  
And to have knowledge in phylosophye  
They worshypped her/ they did reverence  
Their hole desire was to her sovereignly  
They wake/ they work/ they study busily  
Whiles that they been with dame science expert  
them to behold might ravish every heart   
Explicit processus de prima Curia   

Incipit processus de secunda curia  

Unto the second court than in we yode  
The cure of the which had dame intelligence  
With hall chambres/ with towers high & good  
Full of all lust/ and heavenly complacence  
There was depainted with all reverence  
The heaven/ his bliss/ and who dueleth in it  
The hierarchies in nine ordres y knyt   

Of what degree was every hierarchy  
Of what office/ and of what observance  
And why the first eke height ypyphanye  
There was depainted with all pure pleasance  
Of lucifer and his unhappy chance  
Of the spirits which that with him fell  
There might men see and of the pain of hell   

Our wits five when they begin to fail  
As in each invisible creature  
intelligence must give us than counsel  
By her we have perfit knowledge and pure  
When eye/ nose/ ere/ mouth/ eke is unsure  
And we by them may get no pure science  
Than must us run unto intelligence   

There was Dapys Bernard/ bede/ barthilmew  
The good Cardynal/ the sweet bonaventure  
Within inspired/ which had seen and knew  
The privy council of the first nature  
And many moo within a parlour pure  
Of clerks which that were contemplative  
There see I sit heavenly thing to describe   

Their names all/ I may not now rehearse  
The multitude of them so passing been  
They may not all be contained in a verce  
But to behold how fresh lusty and green  
Was their desire to look on books clean  
And heavenly with eye mental to see  
All earthly joy it passeth in degree    

Incipit processus de tercia curia  

With joy and bliss and delectation  
Dame sapience that good goddess  
Unto her ward sovereign of all renown  
Than led us forth unto a hall express  
whose bliss. beauty/ lust/ and perfit neblesse  
All earthly place passeth a thousand fold  
The joy of it with tongue may not be told   

Hit was an heaven only to look it on  
So ravyssing it was and elegant  
O pryamus and thine hall Ilyon  
With all his propre beauty pure pleasant  
For to be like it is not suffisant  
Unto this hall/ which made by nature  
As for master chyef in portraiture   

It hanged was with avys work in gold  
Full of stars of wisdom and of wit  
The parables most godely to behold  
Ecclesiastes eke than followed hit  
The book of sapience full we write  
The good book eke Ecclesiasticus  
All wisdom there clare 'gan and discuss   

And on the days/ minerve that height pallas  
The goddess of wisdom full of light  
On heavenly wise portreyed and painted was  
A lady fair enourned fresh and bryghnte  
Whoos heed was with the reynbowe dyghte  
A Crest above her right hand had a spear  
The other side a sheld of Crystal clear   

Her heed was fearful and eke monstrous  
For divers serpent's hinge her heed about  
Bright eyen she had/ and clothing precious  
Of colours there delicious and stout  
An olive tree with branches on a rout  
On which a night crow lustily was set  
Stood her beside. it might not be made bet   

And what it meant there told dame sapience  
This is the goddess of all wit sovereign  
depainted thus with lust and reverence  
Y get she was of jupyters brain  
To moral sense/ it is as much to say  
That all wisdom come from god above  
Whoome poets clepe jupiter and jove   

Eke wisdom hath armour of all virtue  
The bright Reynbowe of love and frendlyheede  
The Crest of honour/ the fearful heed to show  
With serpents divers is the perfit dread  
Of god of death/ and of the high falshede  
Of his envy full of despite  
Every wiseman that serpent moat him hyte   

She hath the right spear of correction  
The sheld of fortitude and of patience  
Tholyve of peace/ the night crow a bonne  
Which is the bird of meekness and licence  
She hath the eyen of reason and prudence  
Her clothing eke/ that is of colours three  
Betokenyth faith. hope/ and charity   

wisdom or prudence/ who so lust describe  
Or her array perfit and lustily  
I council him/ that he go look believe  
Fulgencius in his Methologye  
first in Satourn/ and him than council I  
Go look in juno/ Neptune/ and pluto  
There shall he see/ which thing I let overgoo   

Was never place in earth so glorious  
As is the worthy hall of sapience  
With house of office most delicious  
Inhabit full with folk of reverence  
And in a chapel full of complacence  
Within a shrine lusty to all devise  
Set with all bliss was Solomon the wise   

theology a bible took anon  
And turned to many a story fyn  
The Gospelers/ Mark/ Matthew/ Luke & john  
The Doctors four/ as Gregory and Anstyn  
Jerome/ Ambrose/ expert in things divine  
Unto her came all about her all they sit  
There might men bear of wisdom and of wit   

There studied holcote upon sapience  
And Notyngham upon the gospelers  
The good clerk/ the master of sentence  
saint Thomas eke worship unto all Freres  
To master of the stories with his feres  
And many one moo good clerk and divine  
Than for to tell my wits can define   

With grammar were ladies well beseen  
Of which the first height dame Ortographye  
Within a parlour· lusty fresh and green  
There was eke gentle Ethymologye  
Dyasynstastica/ and prosodye  
These sisters four different in office  
Served grammar/ as lady full of price   

The first taught lrens'/ & how men should them write  
The second taught the parts of reason  
To tell each word truly is her delight  
And which is nomen which verbum. & ꝓnom●●  
The third did teach party constructyon  
The last each word gave his time & accident  
And in these four all grammar is content   

These four served that science literal  
In writing pronouncing/ and construing  
Of lettre/ syllable/ word/ Reason/ with all  
She hath her principal considering  
She is the ground/ the gate/ the entering  
To all the noble arts liberal  
By her friendship they be made special   

There was Moses/ Cadmus/ and Carmenta  
Ebrard Ferryn/ and johan Gerlond. & donate  
Prescyane/ Petyr/ Thomas de hennaya  
Lambart Papy/ they write early and late  
The Ianuens was there in great estate  
And Arystotyl for their books wise  
Catholycon and paryarmonyse   

Hugucyon with many author moo  
Writing there was/ and looking on grammar  
Whoos names all shortly I let over go  
They may not do/ but prolong my matter  
Many a babe of sovereign heavenly cheer  
Desirous all in cunning to abound  
About dame grammar sat to have their ground   
Explicit brevis descripcio Gramatice et eius parcium   

Incipit brevis Tractatio de Dialetica  

Within another par●out full of bliss  
With many clerk of scholar of young age  
Dame Dyaletica was set ywys  
She read them/ all latin was their language  
They all of her asked none other wage  
But that they might discern and eke depure  
Troth from falshede/ that was their aller cure   

Her parlour fresh/ her clothing proud & stout  
Of dyffert scire and of Incipit  
With sophysmes depeynted full all about  
And other matres/ as of dyffynytyf  
The common treaties taught she them ryf  
Which whatkyns/ what is a proposition  
What thing he is/ and his division   

Which is subject/ couple and predicate  
And how he is reason indycatyf  
And when he hath universal estate  
particular or is affyrmatyf  
Infynytyf syngulere or negatyf  
Which Subaltern/ which contradictyon  
Which is contrary taught she be resoun   

Equypollens and conversion  
Sylogysmus manner of arguing  
And for to make an obligation  
She taught 'em there with bus● and all liking  
Fast they dispute in their cunning  
With sophyms strange matters they discuss  
And fast they cry oft/ tu es Asinus   

The unyversels and the nature's good  
The predycamentes Topykes also  
The pryncipals the Elynk●/ as they stood  
She read them all with many tretes moo  
She taught them way to proceed & to go  
And to attain to all phylosophye  
Her to behold. it was a bliss heavenly   

The phylosophres which rehearsed been  
With Dame science in her first tower of all  
With this lady eke goodly were bysene  
And had contours to her in especial  
Alfred haly jorath and Juvenal  
Eraclius Affricane/ Demoscene  
Mercurius and noble Damascene   

Gyles and Eucundo/ Rusus/ and Cythero  
Democritus and Physyologus  
Sir Theoprasse Tytrus and Cypro  
William Concles peno johanneus  
Sir Tholome and New and plumus  
Salustyane/ Pernienides also  
And many/ on whose name I let go   
Explicit brevis tractacio de Dyaleci●a   

Incipit brevis tractatus de Rethorica  

Dame rhetoric mother of Eloquence  
most elegaunt/ most pure and glorious  
With lust delight/ bliss honour and reverence  
Within her parlour fresh and precious  
Was set as queen/ whose speech delicious  
Her auditors 'gan to all joy converce  
Each word of her might muysshe every heart   

And many clerk had lust her for to here  
Her speech to them was perfit sustenance  
Each word of her deputed was so clear  
And illumined with so perfit pleasance  
That heaven it was to hear her beauperlaunce  
Her terms gay as facund sovereign  
Catepbaton in no point might dystayn   

She taught them the craft of enditing  
Which vices been that should avoided be  
Which been the colours gay of that cunning  
Their difference and eke their property  
Each thing indite how it should pointed be  
Dystynctyon she 'gan clare and discuss  
Which is Coma Colym perydus   

Who so thinketh my writing dull & blunt  
And would conceive the colours purperate  
Of Rethoryke· go he to tria sunt  
And to Galfryde the poet laureate  
To Ianuens a clerk of great estate  
Within the first part of his grammar book  
Of this matter there groundly may he look   

In Tullius also most eloquent  
The chosen spouse unto this lady free  
His gilted craft and glory in content  
Gay things y made eke/ if thou lust to see  
Go look the Code also the dygestes three  
The books of law and of physic good  
Of ornate speech there springeth up the flood   

In prose and metre of all kind ywys  
This lady blessed had lust for to play  
With her was blesens Richard pophies  
Farrose pystyls clear lusty fresh and gay  
With matters were poets in good array  
Ovid/ Omer/ Vyrgyl/ Lucan/ Orace  
Alane· Bernard/ prudencius and State   
Explicit processus ●e Rethorica   

Incipit de Arsmetrica  

Arsmetryke than amid the ladies all  
As a princess goodly had her mansion  
Each of her had need in special  
By cause of which she was of great renown  
And all her craft by numeration  
Was for to set each thing in his ordre  
Withouten her been the sex arts unsure   

She told us there how both the earth & the heaven  
Had their making/ and their parfectyon  
In days six and eke in nyghntes' seven  
How three persons/ and one god aboune  
The trinity contenteth with renown  
How Moses Ely/ and how cryst himself  
Fast forty days/ and of the Apostles twelve   

In holy write moche thing numbered is  
Of which by her we have cognition  
And in this world each creature ywys  
Is made by numeral proportion  
Four elements/ the seven planets above  
These be dystynct in true number certain  
Withouten her all crafts be but vain   

It is write that god all thing hath made  
In weight/ in number/ and eke in measure  
Of Arsmetryk wherefore he should be glad  
Of any thing/ which hath knowledge pure  
When our week/ month/ year/ there is sure  
Their currycles their times/ and their space  
By this lady to have knowledge we trace   

She taught number which is old/ & which even  
Divided him with subdyvysyon  
Ten figures eke of Augrym 'gan she neven  
And Calendres for numeration  
She told the craft of computation  
To add/ to mynue/ and to multiply  
Each thing to count she taught truly   

She taught us eke what thing that number was  
A multitude of unytees she said  
And with her set the old Pyctagoras  
Nychomacus/ of whom moche good is said  
Apulenis and Boece right weal arrayed  
These were the first in latin and grew  
That in the craft of number ever drew   
Explicit brevis processus de Arsmetrica   

Incipit brevis Tractatus de Geometria  

And Geometrye her subtle craft out rung  
And her place as lady reverent  
She sat at lust with lines large and long  
Compass rule/ plumb/ and many instrument  
With figures quaint and all to her intent  
Of every thing to give the true measure  
This her craft/ her labour and her cure   

She made cerculis/ figures/ and spires strange  
Tryangles quadrantes wonderly wrought  
Laid lines a long/ & oft she did 'em change  
The pure measure of every thing she sought  
And by her craft the pure knowledge she brought  
How high/ how low/ how long. & how broad eke  
Was every thing she had it not to seek   

Which is the wynt/ the centre or the pole  
Full craftily she taught of every spear  
Which Cercle is cut/ and which is hole  
Which line is right/ which perpenty culere  
Which Circuler· and which Dyametere  
And by this craft of all the erthes' space  
The very measure truly 'gan she trace   

The erthes' space how long it is about  
Arystotyl saith that old clerks sayne  
That four and twenty thousand all out  
In his circle he containeth certain  
But Albert thinketh/ it is an error plain  
For in his time there couth it not forclere  
The quantity of his Dyametere   

But another clerk showing Theolome  
Said that earth in his circuit round  
Should twenty thousand mile and forty be  
And thus one clerk another doth confound  
So that the truth by none of them is found  
Good thing saith basil should have remembrance  
And that should pass which standeth in doutaunce   

With her divers clerks of Egypte were  
Which first did find the craft of Geometry  
Eke Theodosius in his manner  
With philosophers sat full lustily  
Of that science treating full craftily  
As good Englyd/ and many clerks moo  
Of them no more/ for ferther must I go   
Explicit de Geometria   

Incipit de Musica  

A little beside within a place of bliss  
Dame Musyk sat/ and with her ladies three  
The first height dame Armonyca ywys  
The second Rethenica a lady free  
The third height metrica full of beauty  
The song she pricked/ she numered notes new  
Their melody form on heaven new   

The first delighted her in tunes meet  
The second measured dyte with the note  
The third numered her song with certain feet  
And which be her bounds right well she wot  
And with them were good clerks that thus wrote  
And said that Musyk was the pure cunning  
And very weigh of true perfit singing   

They wrote also/ who that first Musyk found  
Some said Tubal/ somme said Linus Tibeus  
Some Zetus/ Amphyonas they did understand  
Some said also it was one Orpheus  
Some plainly saidfor ought they could discuss  
That by the son of hamers in a forge  
Pyetagoras first gan Musyk forge   

Dame Musyk gan her craft to record  
And made a weigh/ how folk should first begin  
Her example was in a monycord  
On instrument quadraunt long hollow within  
Of which the mid one strenge had in a begin  
Out of the which divers tunes she wrought  
And thus the ground of music first she sought   

She taught sex syllables/ which we notes clepe  
And in her craft they necessary been  
Which on an ympne thou mayst bring to heap  
If thou his metre can proportion clean  
Vt queant laxis is it/ which I mean  
There mayst thou find ut/ Re/ My/ Fa/ Sol/ la  
These syllables sex used Dame Musica   

She taught the notes by her monycord  
As she the streng did touch or pull  
And as she lengthened or shorted the cord  
Which high/ low/ or sharp/ & which is dull  
Of all these notes taught she at the full  
Their variance/ and their dissension  
Their orders eke/ and their ascension   

A Gamut than wonderly she found  
Which is a rule to teach them for to sing  
And it to know she taught them on their hand  
By which they wot the ground of all singing  
The notes they know thereby & their changing  
And proveth eke/ which song is false or true  
To Musyk thus she 'gan the ways show   

She taught them which were tunes perfit  
And gave he in lust to here their concordance  
Which tunes eke been cleped inparfyte  
And which in song should be their governance  
proportion she had in remembrance  
Dyapason and dyapente eke  
And Dyatesseron nas not to seek   

Which large/ long. which breve or semybreve  
Mynym crotchet/ in rule and eke in space  
Al this she taught/ but for I must be breve  
In this matter I nyl no ferther trace  
For though I would thereto I have no space  
But who so lust of Musyk for to wit  
For very ground to Boece I him remit   

And to a Clerk/ which cleped is berno  
johan de Muris/ and john de Musica  
To guide eke in his Metrologo  
There mayst thou see of Dame Armonyca  
Of Dame Metryk/ and of dame Rethinica  
Of all music the very ground perfit  
There shalt thou find. with bliss and all delyde   

And these with music were in joy & bliss  
And helped her province/ with her harmony  
And with them was each instrument ywys  
That is of music/ and of minstrelsy  
Harp/ lute/ pipe/ trump/ Fydel/ ryvyls/ sautry  
The Rote/ cagons'/ and the monycord  
The Gyterne/ Symbol/ and the clavycord   
Explicit Tractatus de Musica   

Incipit brevis processus de Astronomia  

Than see I sit in place full of all pleasance  
The heavenly lady dame astronomy  
Which of the stars the course & governance  
Their figures eke descryveth craftily  
And with her was the maid astrology  
Which sometime is kindly/ and precious  
And otherwhyse over moche superstyous   

She is kindly when that she showeth clear  
The sons course/ the moan. the stars eke  
And doth nothing/ but as kind doth her lere  
But when she lust in stars for to seek  
The birth of man/ which hole shall be seek  
And will divine/ and preach thing for to be  
unkindly than/ and unleeful is she   

astronomy that lady full of grace  
'Gan first divine what thing the world should be  
What thing heaven is his course & his place  
His palace eke/ his parties in degree  
His form/ his spear/ and eke his property  
His syhte/ his course/ his moving at the best  
With all other parties most and lest   

His hemyspery/ and his cer●tis five  
Their property/ and how they cleped been  
The Zodyak also she 'gan describe  
The son his course & his effect clean  
His magnitude. his nature well beseen  
The moan her course/ her divers forms eke  
And their Eclipses/ there was nothing to seek   

She taught also how sundry stars hyghnt  
And in what time they go their cercules all  
Eke how the son the moan giveth all their light  
Which Lucina we clepe in special  
And how that fire out from heaven doth fall  
Like as the stars fill it is seen  
The cause of this/ and what it may mean   

And to each star that cleped is a sign  
By sight of which thing to come men may guess  
A proper name she 'gan to assign  
As Arctur/ Vrsa/ the more eke & the less  
Thus divers names 'gan she for to dress  
As Tryones/ Bootes'/ Yades  
Aricturus. Oryon/ and plyades   

As lucifer/ Comets/ Vesperus  
Their names old she told full craftily  
The planets seven she nevened unto us  
Saturne· jove/ Mars/ Phoebus/ and Mercury  
The Moon Venus/ and what they signify  
Their influence/ and their quality  
With cyrcumstannce of pure solemnity   

Twelve figures than she told right well arrayed  
The Ram/ the Bul/ and the gemelles to  
The Crab. the lyon· and the strait maid  
The balance tharcher/ and the Scorpio  
The Goat/ the water sire/ and the fish also  
The planets seven as they to this attain  
Such each time dysposed· sooth to say   

And how each figure had of his property  
A proper name/ thus 'gan she construe  
The gentiles eke how that they blinded be  
That lust/ honour with worship fresh & new  
The planets seven/ as perfit gods true  
Their rites old/ and their idolatry  
She 'gan rehearse/ as teacheth poeterye   

And how they clepe the ramme the first sign  
For that in mars beginning of the year  
The son in him maketh his course dign  
And they worship him on their manner  
By cause of jove whom in their temples clear  
If they depaynte a Rams heed they make  
With horns two for jubyters sake   

He come an ox/ and took Europa they said  
Wherefore the bull they worship of their grace  
Castor pollux eke when they deed were laid  
Among the stars they deemed have a place  
Whom they clepe the gemelles with solace  
For Hercules eke slough the great lion  
Him for that sign they worship with renown   

O misbelief marvelous for to neven  
O cursed blindness of these gentiles all  
Which demyn fish/ and bestyal be in heaven  
For glorified regnaunt perpetual  
As Rame/ bore/ Crabbe/ and bear in special  
Hound/ lion/ swan/ the eagle eke in fere  
Whom they worship for Jove's chief squire   

She told also of battle destiny  
And how in stars some men have such believe  
That in their birth right by necessity  
Ordained is all that him shall please or grieve  
This old error our doctors done reprove  
Socrates the same with Arystotyl saith  
notwithstanding they were not of our faith   

Or if a man were in his nativity  
Constreyved to/ his sundry arts all  
them for to do right by necessity  
Why should good men have lawre in special  
Or myslyvers to punishment be thrall  
Good Isodre maketh this reason  
In dampning of this falls opinion   

astronomy the Egyptes' first did find  
astrology/ and her quaint observance  
Folk of Called first sought & brought to mind  
Whom Abraham taught the egyptes with plesance  
As writeth josephus withouten doutaunce  
But greeks say this craft first was found  
By one Athlant/ & of him had his ground   

And with this lady was sire Tholome  
john de hispayn/ and Mysaleth also  
With all other auctors in degree  
That drew of her/ whose names let I go  
Thus in stars I will cease and ho  
And by the order of the arts seven  
Stir folk to leave the world/ & draw to heaven   
Explicit de Astronomia   

Incipit Tractatus de Fide  

Dame faith than led us unto her woning place  
Unto a tower solemn and glorious  
Full of all lust/ comfort/ vertu and grace  
Depeynted fresh with colour precious  
And in a parlour full solacyous  
Thappostles all were set with pure delight  
And of our truth the articles they write   

They had believe in god fadel of might  
Maker of heaven and earth/ and all that is  
Of visible and invisible wight  
And in his son christ full of bliss  
Before the world/ which was alway ywys  
I get not made and consubstauncial  
To his father/ of whom formed is all   

He came from heaven/ and in the maid mary  
By inspiration of the holy ghost  
Mankind he took/ & borne he was for to die  
To win man's soul out from the fiends host  
And under pilate set with Jews boost  
Bounden & beat/ crowned and crucified  
With watery wounds Innocent he died   

For he was graven man out from hell he brought  
And rose the third day unto live again  
Stied to heaven/ his faders Throne he sought  
From whence as king/ he shall come yet certain  
Both quick and deed to dame/ to life/ or pain  
The good to bliss/ the evil to punishment  
heaven earth & hell shall quake in that judgement   

And in the holy ghost believe they had  
In holy church baptism communion  
Of saints eke to hold farm and sad  
Of all trespaas to have remission  
And for to trow the resurectyon  
Of people deed/ and in life lasting  
Unto the which almighty god us bring   

These articles with other points all  
That longeth to the holy trinity  
Dame faith herself 'gan tell in special  
With all the secrets of the deyte  
Which in english not rehearsed be  
Such thing as should be private & occult  
I read we leave/ and take quicumque vult   

There was to faith doing all reverence  
The holy sinner Mary Magdalene  
Which by dame faith hath gotten indulgence  
Of all her sin/ and was assoiled clean  
Good martha eke by her grace 'gan optene  
And brought to live her brother lasedarus  
So was the son also of Regulus   

There was the daughter eke of Canane  
Which by her was brought fro the fiends bond  
All other eke/ that of any infirmity  
thorough faith was cured/ with her see I stand  
Blind doom and deef leprous foot & hand  
Whom faith hath healed/ and brought unto grace  
With all honour obeyed her in that place   

There was also the holy confessors  
That preached faith while they were on live  
Doctors martyrs and glorious auctors  
Writing of faith/ and her merit belive  
And on this wise/ they 'gan her describe  
And said that faith is ground of all goodness  
Withouten whom life hath no sykernes   

Unto all good she giveth strength & comfort  
And who troweth not he falleth impotent  
The sheld of faith who lust to comport  
All thing overcometh as unto reverence  
His three enemies with their irous pretence  
Against him shall nevermore prevail  
Ask & believe thine asking shall not fail   

She is ●y/ for as the clerk saith  
There is but one god lord perpetual  
principally/ of whom preached is faith  
Eke hole she is of her articles all  
True without error other great or small  
lively and quick to do every quick deed  
For else she were but as a body deed   

There was the lady cleanness well arrayed  
devotion and dame virginity  
Dame continence and chastity the maid  
Dame Loulynesse and dame stability  
Enlumyned fresh eachone in their degree  
These serven faith/ and as they couth devise  
With bliss they song/ & said upon this wise   

If better is to trow in god above  
Than in mankind or in many other thing  
Who troweth in him/ for he can keep and love  
Their lust fulfil/ & grant them their asking  
And in his gospel eke a worthy king  
He said himself in me/ who lust believe  
Though he be deed ywys yet shall he leave   

O cursed folk with your idolatry  
Which in false gods setten your delight  
Blind doom/ and death is all your mametrye  
Of stock & stone/ men may such karue & thwyte  
Leave them for falls with sour and despite  
In our one god cast anchor and believe  
Though ye were deed/ he can make you leave   

He is all life when your gods be deed  
They have a time/ and he is sempyterne  
They are but earth/ and brought low as lead  
He reigneth god above the heaven superne  
blessed be he. for he no grace will werne  
To them/ that will in him beset their believe  
And though they die ywys yet shall they live   
Explicit Tractatus de Fide et Cantus famule sue    

These things following is every christian man and woman hold/ and bound to learn/ and to con to their power in way of their salvation  

The Pater noster  
The ave maria  
And the Crede  
The ten commandentis  
Have one god in worship  
In this is foreboden all manner mammetry  
Wytchecraft  
enchantment  
reading of dreams  
And all misbelieve  
Take not his name invayn  
In this is foreboden all heresies  
All mysmening  
Vnworshyp of god  
Forswering  
Taking his name in vain  
And such other  
hallow thine holy day  
To this belongeth  
Hearing of thy service  
Keeping the out of deadly sin  
visiting of thy power neighbours  
According them that been at debate  
And such other  
Worspyp thy father and mother  
God thy father  
Holy chirche thy mother  
The ghostly faders  
Thy fleshly father & mother  
All men of age & worship  
And prelate's of holy church  
Slay no man  
With hand smiting  
With mouth backbiting  
heart cursing  
Ne willing evil  
Ne vengeance  
Do no lechery  
Here is forboden  
all spousebreche  
all fleshly deeds  
And all myssheding of man's seed  
Do no theft  
Here is forboden stealing  
Wrong purchacing  
Dysheryting of heirs  
Treachery  
usury  
Wrong amersementis  
False measure & weights  
And such other  
Bear no false witness  
Here is forboden  
False lying  
Bacbyting  
Accusing  
Appayring of good lots  
And such other  
Desire not thy neighbours wife  
In this is not only  
Forboden the deed  
But also the desire  
And will of heart  
Desire not thy neighbours things  
house  
Londe  
Be'st  
Servant  
Ne nothing/ that is his  
The seven deadly sins Pride  
Hereof cometh boasting of proud bearing  
Dysplesing  
scorning  
High heart  
Gay array  
Pride of richesse  
Faytenes  
Cunning  
strength  
Virtue  
Goodness  
Pride of kin  
Vnbuxomnes  
Vain glory  
despite of thine neighbour  
hypocrisy & such other Envy  
Glad of thy neighbours evil far  
heavy of his welfare  
backbiting  
Swooning of discord  
scorning  
And such other wrath  
Fighting  
chiding  
Hurting  
Beting  
Waryeng  
Cursing  
grudging  
Desiring of vengeance  
cruelness  
Manslaughter  
And such other Covetise  
Falsehood in winning  
In beyeng  
In selling  
In meeting  
In weyeng  
Gyle  
Treachery  
Sacrrilege  
simony  
usury  
Theft  
receiving of stolen goods  
Extortion  
Wrong withholding  
Withdrawing of servants hire  
Withholding of tithes and dutees of holy Chirehe gluttony  
Eting or drinking over moche  
To early  
To late  
Out of measure  
Breaking of fast  
Using of delicate meats and drinks  
Or in using them to strength thy body/ to sin  
And such other sloth  
Thereof cometh idleness  
Delight in sleep  
negligence of thy believe  
Vnlusty to gods service  
Foryetefulnes of shryfte  
Myspending of time  
Dyspayer  
Wanhope/ and such other Lechery  
In thought  
will  
Werke  
Sight  
Feeling  
Deed doing  
With single  
With common  
Widows  
Maidens  
wives  
Gossybbes  
Goddoughters  
religious  
Or any other out of wedlock  
Sin against kind or such other  
The five wits  
Sight  
Hearing  
Smelling  
Tasting  
Feeling  
The seven deeds of mercy bodily  
Feed the hungry  
Yene drink to the thirsty  
Cloth the naked  
Herbero we the howseles  
visit the sick  
deliver the prisoners  
And bury the power that been deed at her death  
though seven deeds of mercy ghostly  
teach them that can not  
Yeve good counseyl to him that asketh it  
chastise thy subject that offendeth  
Comfort the sorry  
forgive him that tresp●ceth to the  
Have ruth on the sinner  
And pray for thine enemy  
The seven pryncypal virtues Faith  
This is ground and beginning of our salvation  
And it standeth in three things  
In the unity of the godhead in three persons  
In the manhood of christ  
And in the sacraments of the church Hope  
This is a trust by the mercy of god to be saved  
And it standeth in the grace of god/ and good works charity  
This is the end & perfection of all the commandements of god  
And it standeth in the love of god above all thing  
And thy neighbour/ as the self  
rightwiseness  
This is a paying of dente of each thing that it duly longeth to  
As to god praising/ and thanking  
To thy neighbour love and charity  
And to thyself business to fulfil gods will wisdom  
That is a virtue to depart good fro evil  
And it standeth in choosing of good/ and in refusing of evil strength  
This maketh a man mighty & hardy/ to do great things for the love of god  
And it standeth in suffering patiently adversity  
And meekly taking prosperity Measure  
This is a mean between to moche and to little  
And it standeth in taking sufficiently that needeth  
And in refusing utterly that is to moche or to little  
By these things shall each man and woman know god  
These that followen bring a man to heaven  
Good perseverance  
patience in adversity  
Obedience of the commandments of god  
Ryghntwysenes in deeds  
Penance in the life  
contrition of sin  
Knowledge of thyself  
And charity  
These bringen one in to hell  
desperation  
woodness in adversity  
Vnryghtwysenes of deeds  
Love of sin  
Malice  
obstination in sins  
Despite of the commandments of god  
Hate of good things  
And ignorance  
The five wits ghostly  
Mind of the kindness of god and of thy last end  
understanding of his benefetties/ and of his bore  
will to worshyppe him in thought/ word/ and deed  
Without any weariness  
Reason to rule with thy wits/ both inward & outward  
Without any blindness  
imagination of virtuous living/ needful works/ and dreadful deeds of joy and of pain