Read Ebook: The Example of Vertu The Example of Virtue by Hawes Stephen

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Ebook has 318 lines and 18990 words, and 7 pages

A path we founde ryght gretely vsed Where in we went tyll at the last A castell I sawe wherof I mused Not fully from me a stones cast To se the towres I was agast Set in a valey so strongely fortefyed So gentyll compassed and well edefyed

The towres were hyghe of adamond stones With fanes wauerynge in the wynde Of ryght fyne golde made for the noonys And roobuckes ran vnder the lynde And hunters came theym fer behynde A Ioye it was suche sawe I neuer Abyde quod she ye shall se a better.

Forth she me ledde to the castell warde Where we were let in by humylyte And so after she lede me forwarde Tyll that I sawe a royall tre With buddys blossomed of grete beaute And than we wente in to the hall That glased was truely with crystall

And hanged was with clothes of Aras Made of fyne golde with a noble story How that there some tyme reynynge was In the regyon of hyghe Italy A valyaunt emperour and a myghty That had to name forsothe Tyberius Whiche dyde enquere of prudent Iosethus

? The roof was wrought by merueylous gemetry Colered with asure gold and gowlys With knottes coruen full ryght craftely And set also with wanton fowlys As popyniays / pyes / Iays / and owlys And as I loked on my ryght syde A lady I sawe of meruellous pryde

? Syttynge in a chayer at the vpper ende Of all the hall as a lady and prynces Amonge many kynges that dyde entende To be obedyent to her hyghe noblenes Her apparell was made of moche fayre ryches Set with rubyes moost pure and rubicound Embrawded with perles and many a dyamound

Besydes her sate the worthyes nyne And she amonge theym a whele turnynge Full lowe to her they dyd than enclyne She somtyme laughynge and somtyme lowrynge Her condycyon was to be dyssymelynge And many exalten vpon her whele Gyuynge theym grete falles that they dyd fele

Than sayd dyscrecyon beholde and see That in dame fortune is no stablenes This worlde also is but a vanyte A dreme a pompe nothynge in stedfastnes For fortune is fals and full of doblenes Whan she moost flatereth she is not sure As thou mayst se dayly in vre

Capitulum .iiii.

Forth than we went vnto the habytacle Of dame hardynes moost pure and fayre Aboue all places a ryght fayre spectacle Strowyd with floures that gaue good eyer Of vertuous turkeys there was a cheyr Wherin she sate in her cote armure Berynge a shelde the felde of asure

Wherin was sette a rampynge lyon Of fyne golde ryght large and grete A swerd she had of merueylous fassyon As though a thousand she sholde bete No man the vyctory of her myght gete A noble vyrgyn there dyde her serue That fyrst made harnes called Mynerue

The chaumbre where she held her consystory The dewe aromatyke dyde oft degoute Of fragraunt floures full of delycasy That all yll heyres dyde ensence oute A carbuncle there was that all aboute Enlumyned the chaumbre both day and nyght My thought it was an heuenly syght

Nyne quenes I sawe that satte her by Beynge all armed of grete fortytude In many a stower they wanne the vyctory And were endued with facounde pulcrytude For to haunte armes was theyr consuetude Many a regyon they often wanne And also vaynquysshed many a noble man

Nexte vnto her sate the hyghe quene Azia That was a conqueres so puyssaunt And besyde her the quene of Saba Whiche in grete ryches was tryumphaunt And also Ipolyte in armes valyaunt Sate with her besyde quene Hecuba And yet also the quene Europa

Present ther was the wiche quene Iuno And quene Pantasyll wyth fayre quene Elyn And yet I sawe by her than also The noble vyrgyn yonge Polyxyn That was destroyed at the last ruyn Of Troye the grete by cruell Pyrrus The sone of Achylles that was so cheualrus

As I dyd loke I had commaundement Of dame dyscrecyon for to remembre These noble ladyes so pure and excellent Hardy in corage of age ryght tendre Yet not withstandynge deth dyde surrendre And all theyr strength and lusty corage For he spareth nother youth ne age

Capitulum .v.

Forth we walked to the dwellynge place Of dame sapyence so full of blys Replete with Ioye vertu and grace No thynge there lacked that possyble is Man for to comfort withouten mys Though he were derke in wordely foly He sholde there b enlumyned shortely

Her towre was made of werkes curyous I can no thynge extende the goodlynes Of her palays so good and gloryous Bylded in the place soth of fastnes With owten tast of wordely bytternes No persone can extoll the souerente Of her worthy and royall dygnyte

She eche estate sholde haue in gouernaunce As theym to rule or that they repent For better it is to haue good puruyaunce At the begynnynge as is expedyent Than for to wyssh for thynges myspent That myght be saued longe afore And with a for wytte kepte in store

Her chaumbre was glased with byrall clarefyed Depeynted with colours of delectacyon A place of pleasure so heuenly gloryfyed In vertue heale lyfe and saluacyon Without ony stormy trybulacyon That myght anoy the heuenly helth But alway comfort to the sowlys welth

There sate dame prudence in vertue magnyfyed Impossyble it is to shewe her goodelyhed She was so fayre and clerely puryfyed And so dyscrete and full of womanhede That and I trowe vertue were deed It sholde reuyue yet in her agayne She was so gentyll and without dysdeyn

It was grete comfort vnto my hert For to beholde that heuenly syght Dyscrecyon sayd I sholde not depert Tyll I had spoken with her syster bryght Forth she me ledde with all her myght Vnto that prynces and royall souerayn Ergo my labour was not in vayn

Than spake dame prudence with meke contena?ce Welcome dyscrecyon my syster dere Where haue ye ben by longe contynuaunce Wyth youth she sayd that ye se here And for my sake I you requere Hym to receyue in to your seruyse And he shall serue you in goodely wyse

Welcome she sayd for my systers sake And yet also now for your owne In to my seruyce I wyll you take Sythens that your wyldnes is ouerblowen The sede of vertu on you shall be sowen Vyce to depryue by his good auctoryte As for to subdue all yll iniquyte

Of other mennes wordes be thou not bolde And of theyr promys make no behest And yf thou here an yll tale tolde Gyue no iugement but say the best So shall thou lyue euermore in rest Who lytell medeleth is best at ease For well were he that all myght please

Beware kepe the from grete offence That thou condempned be not by ryghtwysnes Whan she doth gyue her mortall sentence Without pease or mercy cause her reles Her iugement of mortall heuynes That the best frende to the wyll be The for to socour in grete necessyte

But yet in theym haue none affyaunce As fyrst to synne thynkynge that they At the ende to the wyll be delyueraunce Nay ryghtwysnes wyll dryue theym away For of all synnes without delay Suche synne in hope it is the moost For it is the synne of the holy ghoost

Now I amytte you into your rome In the whiche ye shall your selfe apply Of myn owne chaumbre ye shall be grome Loke ye be dylygent and do not vary From my c?maundementes neuer specyally For and ye wyll theym well obserue A moche better rome ye do deserue

The fyrst c?maundement that I gyue the Thynke on the ende or thou begynne For thou by ryght may knowe the certente That deth is fyne of euery synne Be neuer taken in dyabolycall engyne But that repentaunce may loose the sone Of that grete synne that thou hast done

Trust not to moche in fortunes grace Though that she laugh on the a whyle For she can sodenly turne her face Whan that she lyst the to begyle She welth and Ioye can sone defyle And plonge the in the pyte of pouerte Wherfore in her haue thou no suertye

Presume no ferther than the behoueth For it wyll turne the to grete shame For who that from his rome remoueth He is often full gretely to blame And medeleth with other in theym lame As no thynge connynge nor expert They may hym say syr malapert

Or that thou speke call to remembraunce Vnto what mater thy worde shall sygnyfye Loke that it torne no man to greuaunce Though that it be spoken merely Yet many a one wyll take it greuously Whiche that myght cause wroth and debate Whyle that thou lyues beware of that

For a thynge lost without recouer Loke that thou neuer be to pensyfe Thanke god of it thynke to haue an other Lete wysedome than be to the comfortyfe That to thy brayn is best preseruatyfe For euermore ryght wyse is he That can be pacyent in aduersyte

Be thou neuer so blynde in wylle Yet loke thou be refourmed by reason Than shalt thou my mynde fulfyll And thou therto thy selfe abandon Stryue not with reason for none encheson For wher she lacketh ther is grete outrage And without her may not aswage

Eschew also the synne of pryde The moder and the feruent rote Of all the synnes at euery tyde Wherfore trede thou her vnder fote With helpe of vertue so swete and sote Whiche is best salue to hele thy sore And to thy helth the to restore

Wo worth synne without repentaunce Wo worth bondage without reles Wo worth man without good gouernaunce Wo worth infynall payne and dystresse Wo worth vyce put fer in presse Wo worth soueraynte hauynge dysdeyn And wo worth pyte that doth refrayn

Wo worth ryght that may not be herd Wo worth frendshyp without stabylyte Wo worth true sentence that is deferd Wo worth the man full of duplycyte Wo worth hym without benygnyte Wo worth lybertye withouten pease And wo worth crueltye that may not cease

Wo worth connynge that is abused Wo worth promys withouten payment Wo worth vertue that is refused Wo worth trouble without extynguysment Wo worth foly on message sent Wo worth reason that is exyled And wo worth trouth that is defyled

Wo worth the trust without assuraunce Wo worth grace not sette by Wo worth Iustyce kepte in dystaunce Wo worth welth replete with enuy Wo worth the batayll without vyctory Wo worth begynnynge without good ende And wo worth wronge that doth defende

These commaundementes I put in memory Theym for to kepe doynge my dylygence With dame Sapyence I dyd longe tary Whiche dyd me teche with partynge influence Of her delycate and doulcete complacence Than spake dyscrecyon anone to me In the presens of her systers mageste

Thou art beholdynge to my syster reuerent That the reteyned hath vnto her seruaunt Wherfore be thou to her obedyent And at euery houre to her attendaunt And ryotous company do thou not haunt For that wyll payre and yll thy name Wherfore of vertuous myrth let be thy game

Capitulum .vi.

Discrecyon ferther forth me lede Vnto the solempne and royall mancyon Of dame nature in humayne stede Ryght pleasaunt was her habytacyon Of merueylous werke and sytuacyon And she her selfe helde her estate In a gloryous chaumbre without chekmate

Her towre was gylted full of sonne bemys And within hanged with cloth of aras The roof was paynted with golden stremys And lyke crystall depured was Euery wyndowe aboute of glas Where that she sat as a fayre goddes All thynges creatynge by her besynes

Me thought she was of merueylous beaute Tyll that Dyscrecyon lede me behynde Where that I sawe all the pryuyte Of her werke and humayne kynde And at her backe I dyd than fynde Of cruell deth a dolfull ymage That all her beaute dyd perswage

Full wonderous was her operacyon In euery kynde eke and ryght degre Withouten rest or recreacyon I wyll not medle with her secrete For it no thynge longeth to my faculte But somwhat after I wyll expres Of her grete power and worthynes

But in my boke well for to procede Dame dyscrecyon ferther me brought Into a fayre chambre as ye may rede Of fyne gemetry ryght well wrought To comfort man there lacked nought But that me thought there was no company Saue onely dame dyscrecyon and I

We had ben but a lytell whyle there But that we sawe a lady clere Ryght well appareled in sad gere Mylde in her hauour dyscrete of chere That came vs by and very nere Ascendynge vp in to her hyghe sete Garnysshed with perle and with gold bete

Than sayd dyscrecyon this is dame Iustyce Clene of conscyence without corrupcyon And neuer be spotted with the synne of couetyse But true as stele in the entencyon Of ryght euermore without destruccyon Geuynge alway a ryghtfull iugement Obey thou youth this lady reuerent

A iuge fulfylled with the synne of auaryce Or with fauour of kynne made blynd Must nedys do wronge by grete iudyce For fauour shold not conscyence bynd Ryght to dyssymyll as I now fynd In problemys wryten of antiquyte Made by phylosophers of auctoryte

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