Dame Sapyence sayd I do procede Of the strength of the holy ghoost That is and shall be mater in dede G.o.d and lorde of myghtys moost Whose infynall power was neuer lost And yet neuer had no begynnynge But alway lyke stronge without endynge
Where that dame hardynes in her pledynge Made her selfe to knyghtes moost necessary By the meanes of her power shewynge That I by ryght do now well deny For in that case she dyd moche vary For syxe there are that more profyte be Of whiche the lest is better than she
The fyrst is prudence that is the chefe That hym doth rule and is his gyde And kepeth hym from grete reprefe And causeth his worshyp for to abyde So euery crysten man shold prouyde By his wit to withstand the deuyll That he consent not to do euyll
The seconde is that he sholde be true To his souerayn lorde that on hym reyneth And all treason for euer to eschewe In whiche grete shame often remayneth And by whiche he hiz k?ge dysteyneth So a crysten man sholde be true euer To Ihesu Cryst that was his redemer
The thyrde is that he sholde be lyberall Amonge his cmons withouten lette That is the cause euer in generall That he the loue of theym doth gette For it causeth theyr hertes on hym be sette So euery true crysten man sholde be To G.o.d intended with lyberalyte
The fourth is that he sholde be stronge His ryght euer for to defende And neuer to no man for to do wronge But wronges for to dyrecte and amende As ferre as his power wyll extende So a true crysten man sholde exclude All maner of vyces by his fortytude
The fyfth is [that] he sholde be mercyable In all his dedes withouten furoure For that to hym is gretly conuenable And eke to kepe hym out of erroure For he of mercy sholde be a myrroure So vnto them it is ryght necessary Who that wyll be saued for to haue mercy
The syxte is a knyght ought for to kepe The poore folke in theyr grete nede That often for hungre and thyrst do wepe He ought with almes theym for to fede And the better he shall than spede So euery true crysten man sholde do As ferre as his power cometh vnto
I Sapyence am of the kynges counsayll Whiche is clothed with purple that sygnyfyeth The grace and the pulcrytude without fayll Of grete vertues that in hym shyneth For to no vyces he neuer enclyneth Hauynge in his hede a fayre crowne royall That sheweth his dygnyte to be regall
Whiche to his people is the chefe glory Thrugh whome his subgectes be dyrecte And made obedyent to hym certaynly At euery houre by ryght true effecte But forthermore by good aspecte He bereth a ball in his lefte hande The whiche betokeneth as I vnderstande
A kynge to be a good admynystratour Vnto his subgectes in euery place And to be for theym a good prouysour As reason requyreth in euery case I Sapyence do rule his n.o.ble grace In his ryght hand he hath a septure That doth sygnyfye by ryght his rygoure
Yll men to punysshe for theyr offence By his ryghtwysnes whome the loue Of vertue shynynge in experyence Doth not extoll nor yet now remoue A lampe doth hange his heed aboue Alway lyght and clerely brennynge Whiche sygnyfyeth the mercy of a kynge
The olde philosophers by theyr prudence Fonde the seuen scyences lyberall And by theyr exercyse & grete dylygence They made theyr dedes to be memoryall And also poetes that were fatall Craftely colored with clowdy fygures The true sentence of all theyr scryptures
O Iustyce lady and souerayne G.o.ddesse Gyue you true sentence now vpon me As ye be surmountynge in vertue & n.o.blesse Lete me dame Sapyence haue the soueraynte As is accordynge to my royall dygnyte For I am moost profytable vnto man And euer had ben syns the world began
Than sayd dame Fortune ye are imperfyte Without that I therto be accordaunt For all your hardynes & prudence perfyte I vnto you must be well exuberaunt And with your werkes euer concordaunt Where that I fauer they haue good cfort In all theyr dedes by my swete resort
I Fortune am the rule and steere Of euery persone lyke to my wyll That in this worlde now lyueth here Whan that I lyst for to fulfyll My mynde ryght sone I can dystyll The dewe of comfort welth and rychesse To man exaltynge hym to n.o.blenesse
Though that a man were neuer so hardy Without me he myght not attayne And though that a man were neuer so wytty And I dyd my power from hym refrayne All his labour were lost in vayne So hardynesse and prudence in no wyse Without good fortune may well suffyse
Though that a man were but a fole Yf I consent that he be fortunate He nedyth not to make no grete dole For I shall mayntene so his estate That he in rychesse shall be so eleuate Fulfylled with welth & worldely tresure That he shall lacke no maner of pleasure
Where that dame hardynes wold afferme By her cases that are so vnsure That she by her power doth conferme The knyghtes of vyctory for to be sure Whan she doth take theyr hertes in cure Yf fortune be awaye she may not auayle For they by reason must lose the batayle
Yet forthermore as I do well consyder How dame hardynes dyd expresse Sythens the tyme that I came hyder That she promoted had to worthynes Hector dauid and the n.o.ble hercules With many other wherof she fayleth For it was fortune as she well knoweth
For in olde tyme the n.o.ble warryours For to eschewe euer my grete daungere In whiche tyme they were ydolestours Than they to put hym oute of fere To ydols went that theyr G.o.ddes were For to haue answer yf they sholde wynne The batayll or they dyd begynne
What nede I pleed by longe contynuaunce As dame Sapyence dyd in maters hy It were of tyme but dyscontynuaunce But o dame Iustyce the gentyll lady Loke that ye Iuge my mater ryght wysely That I of hardynes may be the pryncypall And of dame prudence & nature with all
Than sayd dame nature that may not be As I can proue by ryght and reason For I am moost confort to humanyte As man well knoweth at euery encheason And can not be forborne for none season For where I lacke without ony delay Man is but dede and turned to clay
That nature gyueth by her power Wysedome nor hardynes may not defete For I to man am the chefe doer Durynge his lyfe without retrete Also dame fortune may not well lete Me of my course though she it thought In sondery wyse my dedes are so wrought
Though that a man were infortunable And though that he were neuer so folysshe And a grete coward to fyght not able Yet shulde he lyue and neuer perysshe Tyll that my power of hym doth fynysshe Whiche fayle must ones it is my proprete And that was gyuen me by the deyte
I am the orygynall of mannes creacyon And by me alway the world doth multyply In welth pleasure and delectacyon As I wyll shewe now in this party My dedes be subtyll & wrought craftely What were the worlde yf I were note It were sone done as I well wote
The lawe of nature doth man bynde Both beste foule and fysshe also In theyr degre to do theyr kynde Blame theym not yf they do so For harde it is euer to ouer go The kynde of nature in her degre For euery thynge must shewe his proprete
Who of theyr propretes lyst to rede Lete hym loke in the boke of barthelmewe And to his scripture take good hede That ryght n.o.bly of theym do shewe With all theyr actes beynge not a fewe But wounderous many by alteracyon For lyke hath lyke his operacyon
I nature norysshe by myn afflyccyon Mannes humayne partyes superfyxcyall And am the sprynge of his complexion The fonteyne of his vaynes inferyall To hym conserue moost dere and specyall Though he were hardy & wyse he my?t not me forbere Nor fortune without me auayleth not hym a pere
Wherfore dame Iustyce be you now indyfferent Consydre that I am moost dere and lefe Vnto euery man that is eliquylent And aboue all medycyns to hym moost chefe And by my strongh vnto hym relefe In his dysease wherfore as thynke me I ought of reason to haue the soueraynte
Than spake dame Iustyce with meke contenauce I wyll all your contrauersy now redresse For I of your reasons haue good perseueraunce And after your cases both more and lesse Wherfore I Iustyce by good ryghtwysnesse Gyue now vpon you a fynall Iugement That ye foure agree by a hole a.s.sent
Man for to please at euery houre Without dysgrement or contradiccyon And in his nede to do hym socoure With louynge herte and true affeccyon He shall be in your good iurysdyccyon And you of hym shall be copertyners Both of his lyfe and of his maners
Than sayd dame hardynes I agre therto And so do I than sayd dame Sapyence Than sayd dame Fortune I also do Agre vnto dame Iustyce sentence And I dame Nature wyll do my dylygence Lyke as ye do man for to please And hym to strength in his dysease
With that dame Iustyce vp arose Vnto the ladyes byddynge fare well And went into her chaumbre close I cleped conscyence wher she dyd dwell As dame Dyscrecyon dyd me tell Than hardynes & fortune went downe the stayre And after theym Nature so clere and fayre
Capitulum .viii.
Dame Sapyence taryed a lytell whyle Behynd the other saynge to Dyscrecyon And began on her to laugh and smyle Axynge her how I stode in condycyon Well she sayd in good perfeccyon But best it is that he maryed be For to eschewe all yll censualyte
I knowe a lady of meruelous beaute Sp.r.o.nge out of hyghe and n.o.ble lynage Replete with vertue and full of bounte Whiche vnto youth were a good maryage For she is comen of royall apparage But herde it wyll be to gete her loue Without youth frayltye do sore reproue
I kneled downe than vpon my kne Afore dame Sapyence with humble chere Besechynge her of me to haue pyte And also Dyscrecyon her syster dere Than dame Sapyence came me nere Saynge youth wyll ye haue a wyfe And her to loue durynge her lyfe
Ye madame that wolde I fayne Yf that she be both fayre and bryght I wyll her loue euer more certayne And pleas her alway with all my myght Of suche a persone wolde I haue a syght With all my herte now at this houre Wolde to G.o.d I had so fayre a floure
Than sayd dyscrecyon there is a kynge Dwellynge fer hens in a fayre castell Of whome I oft haue herd grete talkynge Whiche hath a doughter as I you tell I trowe that youth wyll lyke her well She is both good eke fayre and pure As I report me vnto dame Nature
But yf that youth sholde her go seke Ye must syster than hym well indue With your grete power so good and meke That he all frayltye may eschue For by the way it wyll oft pursue On hym by flatery and grete temptacyon That shall brynge hym in tribulacyon
As for that sayd she he shall not care For he shall theym sone ouercome And of theyr flatery ryght well beware For I to hym shall gyue grete wysedome Theyr dedes to withstande & make theym dme Wherfore dere syster as I you pray Vnto her lede hym now on the way
Loke that ye send me in his necessyte By dame swyftnes full sone a letter By whiche that I may knowe the certaynte That I may come to ayde hym beter So that fraylte to hym be no freter And though I be not alway vysyble With hym my power he hath inuyncyble
Than sayd dame Sapyence to dyscrecyon Fare well dere syster I may not tary Loke ye of youth haue the tuycyon That he fall not into vaynglory And that ye puruey for hym shortly That he may wedde the fayre dame clennesse Whiche for her loue haue ben in duresse
With that dame Sapyence downe went In to her place that was the doctrynall Of famous clerkes in connynge splendent A myrrour of lernyng that was dyuynall With all the craftes artyfycyall Byfore her dame Fortune went to her mancyon And eke dame hardynes to her habytacyon
Capitulum nonum
[Ill.u.s.tration]