UC-NRLF

fi3M

023

Li?.RARY
I

UNIVERSITY Of

CALIFORNIA

UNIVERSITY Of

CALIFORNIA

edited by

Robert Steele

EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY

Extra Series, 66

1894

KRAUS REPRINT

CO.

Millwood, New York 1973

Unaltered Reprint produced with the permission of the Early English Text Society

KRAUS REPRINT
A
U.S. Division of

CO.

Kraus-Thomson Organization Limited

Printed in

Germany

Incites

Ift

IhiltMfrefi.

(ifrn ^Erita,

lxti.

1894.

13937

BERLIN

ASHER &
C.

CO., 13,

UNTER DEN LINDEN.

;

NEW YORK

SCRIBNER &
:

CO.

LEYPOLDT & HOLT.

PHILADELPHIA

J. B.

LIPPINCOTT & CO.

A VEESION OF THE 'SECEETA SECRETORUM.'

EDITED FROM THE SLOANE MS.

2464,

foitb

Infrobwttioit, got^s,

anb ^bssarj,

BY

KOBEET STEELE.

LONDON
PUBLISHT FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY

By

KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER

PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING-CROSS ROAD.
1894.

& CO,

AD

H.

H.

S.

NDICIUM FAMILIARITATIS.

(Edra Strics, Lxvi.

R.

CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BLTJOAT.

PR

CONTENTS.
PAOB

Forewords
Appendices I. Documents
:

vii

xxiii

relating to

II.

The IX

properties of wine,

LyJgate by Lydgate

XXX
xxxi
xxxiii
'

in. In praise of Lydgate by Burgh IV. Specimen of MS. Add. 14408

Philisoffres Ltdg.^te and Burgh's 'Secrees of old
1.

The Prolog
here
is

2.

the fourme of the Epistil that

...
.

kyng Alysaundre

sent

to his maister Aristotiles

3. 4.

o
;

5.

Thanswere philisoffire Callid philip, This Rubryssh rehersith name of the bom in parys, which was translator of this book ... in a p7-ologe, on this here the Translator resortith ageyn to set

of Aristotilees

6
7

wyse
6.

10
15

Alysaundre sent to here folowith the secuwd pistil that kyng

his maistir Aristotiles

7.
8. 9.

To
Of

telle of
is

hym

book the Genealogie which translated this

19

Here

the Epistil of the translator foure maner kynges diuers of disposicion

Aristotil declarith to

20 23
31

10. II.

kyng Alisa^ndre of the stoonys conceyve in his how kyng Alisawndre must prudently Aforn

How
how

providence
12.

32

...

may be parceyvid in a Witt of Sapience or of discreciown kyng or a pn/nce ... 1 3. how a kyng shuld be Religious how a kyng shulde be arrayed lych his Estat
1 4.

33 34 34 34

15.
16.

how how

this vertu Chastite apperteyneth

it

wel in a kyng

longith to a

kyng oonys

in the yeer to

shewe

hym

in

his Estat

Royal
observaunce that longith to a

35

17.
18.

Of his dewe

kyng

19.

20.

2 1.

how solace and disport longith to a kyng What appartenyth also to his glorye ... The Similitude of a Kyng how a kyng shulde be gouerayd in al maner

35 36 36 36

of

wedrys

36

Contents.
PAQB

22.
23.

how

24.
25. 26.

27.
28.

kjmg shuld be mercyable It longith to a kyng specially to kepe his promys how stodye & clergye shuld be promotyd in a kyngdome how a kyng hovith to haue a leche to kepe his body how a kyng shuld be gouemyd in Astronomye Next folowith the vtilite of the helthe of a kyng
a

37

37
...

37

...

38 39
39
39

how mechil
leche

a-vayl
...

is

co?np?-ehendid in the diligence of a good

...
...

...

...

29. 30. 31.

A special

Epistil to the Singuleer helthe of a prynce

...

To conserve hele aftir a mannys Complexion how a kyng must take keep whan he shal rests and whan he
shal sleep
... ... ...

40 40 40
41

...

...

... ...

32.
33.

how

a leche shal gouerne a prynce slepyng

& wakyng

34.

Of the foure .sesowns of |)e yeer I gyn?<e at veer Next than folowith the sesown Callid Estas
Thridde sesown
callid

35. Tlianne folowith after the 36.

Autumpne

The fourthe determynacioMn

of the foure eesowns of the yeer

:

42 43 45 46

deyed this translator and nobil poete and the yonge ... ... ... folowere gan his prologe on this wyse ... 38. how a kyng shal conserve natM?-al hete & helthe of body pistil to Alisauwdre which hurt the body 39. Aristotil writ in
37. here

48
51

52 58 54
55

40.
41.

how

42.
43. 44.

45.

... the body is devided into foure principal pa?ties ... ... ... The secund principal part of the body The Thrydde principal party of the body The fourthe principal parte of the body An Ensample how a kyng shulde be inquisitiff to knowe ... ... diue?-s Oppynyowns of lechis or of phisiciens How profitable is to knowe diuersite & kyndes of metes &

56
57

drynkes
46. 47.
48.

...

...

...

...

... The knowyng of watrys, and which be moost profitable ... Of knowynges of vynes, & noynges & bowntes of them Here specially preyseth wyn, and techith a medycyn ageyn

58 59
61

droMnkenesse of
49. 50.

it

...

...

...

...

...

...

63

Of the Rightwisnesse of a Kyng and Of a kynges Secretary

of his Counseil

64 73 74
75

51.
52. 53.
54.

What

kynges massageer oughte to bee

...

Of Equiperacio?m of Sogettys and Conservacio?m of Justice . ... ... Of the govemaMUce of Bataylle ... Of the Crafft of physynomye, and the ymage of ypocras
... .

76 78

NOTES
nrnsjaiuv

^7
IIJ

...

...

FOREWORDS.

i.

ii.

The Interest of the Poem, p. vii. Authorship of the Sccreta Score'

ix. X. xi.
xii.

The Mamtscripts, p. xiv. The Text itsed by Lydgate,

torum,' p.
iii.

vii.

Summary

of

its

p. xv. History, p. xv.

iv.

V.
vi. vii.

Arabic Texts, p. viii. The 1st Latin Translation, p. ix. The 2nd Latin Translation, p. x. The printed Latin Text, and the
Versions, p. xi.

Works
The

fotoruled

on the
'

'

Secreta

The Life of Lydgate, p. xvi. xiii. The Life of Benedict Burgh, p. xvii. xiv. Remarks on the Poem, p. xviii. XV. The Metre of the Poem, p. xviii. xvi. The Rhyme, p. xix. xvii. General Characteristics of Lydgate s Language, p. xx. Concluding Remarks, p. xxi.

viii.

Secretonim,' p. xii. ' Secreta Secretorum lish, p. xui.

in Eng-

xviii.

i.

The poem,

printed for the

first

time, which the Society

ofi'ers
it

to

the public, has a double interest

clearly the changes

as the last

work

of Lydgate

shows

which have come over the language during a

life-time
it

devoted to writing

and
its

as a translation of

the Secreta Secretorum

brings us before one of the key-books of medieval literature. I have endeavoured in the following pages to give some account of the
Secreta Secretorum and
history, to

summarise what

is

known

of the

authors of this translation, and, though relieved of

much

of the

work

which would otherwise have

I>eculiarities

fallen

upon me by the work

of another editor

in this series (Dr. Schick), to

add some remarks on the language and

It is the fullest

of the poem.
is

The
earliest

text printed

that of Sloane 2464.

and the
authority

copy we possess.

'So emendation

is

made without the

of the other

MSS., and these

are carefully noted.

is

ii.

The

Secreta Secretorum

attributed to Aristotle,

have been written in answer to the request of Alexander.

and is The

said to
prince,

absent on an expedition, writes to the philosopher, desiring his presence,

with the aim of learning that secret doctrine which the Eastern mind looks
for

from every teacher.

Aristotle unable to go to him,

and unwilling

either to

communicate

his doctrine openly, or to disoblige his pupil

*

and

patron, writes

him a

treatise,

de Regimine Principum,' intimating at the

same time that his

secret teaching lies hid there

under a

veil.

The work,

viii

it,
ifi

iii.

Arabic

Texts.

as

we have

doubly divided

into ten books of

it

very unequal length,

and into chapters numbered consecutively.

As may be
sources.

thought, no Greek text corresponding with this

work has

been found, though certain portions of

The work

itself

have been drawn from Greek professes to be translated from Greek into
There
are,

Chaldee (which generally means Syriac) and thence into Arabic, and
accordingly our earliest texts are Arabic.

however, signs of

acquaintance with Greek names in the work.

knowledge of the con-

nection between ^sculapius and the sun, and the descent of Aristotle

from the .^culapides are clearly shown by the choice of finding a ^IS. of Aristotle's dealing with health in a temple dedicated by .^culapius
to the Sun.

may be

allowed to suggest too that there

477, Ed. 1668) and this legend.

may be some
The Syrian

connection between the fact that Asclepiades did write on Alexander

the Great (Arrian

origin of our

vii. p.

work

is

rendered probable by the finding of the book at

attribution of the astrological chapters to Cyprian

Antioch
(1.

(L 443),

by the

1189),

who was

a noted magician and a native of the Syrian Antioch

in the 3rd century,

afterwards

a Christian, Bishop of Carthage, saint,

fact that

and martyr under Diocletian, and by the

Syriac work of Philemon on Physiognomy

Bar Hebraeus (Greg.

Abulpharagus), in his Hist. Dynast. VI., Oxon, pp. 56, 86, speaks of a

translated from the Greek

to

and compares him

the
different
tracts

to Hippocrates.

Philemon I take

be Polemon, not

PhUo quoted by him.

in

I have

the work.
"

come upon Greek sources for two Caps, xlix li (L 1660 1771) are a

translation of

letter,

ad valetudinem tuendam," sent by Diodes

Caristes (b.c. 320) to Antigonus,

which

is

preserved for us by Paulus

109).

Aegineta.

(I quote

from Lugd. 1589.

8., p.

Lib.

(L

2465

2723) is founded on the work of Polemon, an early Avriter on Physiognomy and commentator on Aristotle. He is quoted by Origen (150) contra
Cdsrnn,

(Cantab. 1677. 4,

p. 26.)

His work

is

included by Franzius

8). HermoHermes Magnus, the legendary author of all science, but I cannot find the quotations in any of the works attributed to him that I know. iii. Arabic Texts. There are two forms of the Arabic text in.Eugland, one short, as in the British Museum Add. 7453. 75v to 76v., and another I have seen no other MSS. in longer, as in Bodl. MS. Laud A. 88. England, though doubtless many exist, but they abound in foreign

in his Scriptores Physiognomice Veteres.

(Altenburg, 1780.

genes

is

libraries.

It is especially

noteworthy that one of the Vatican MSS.

is

Avritten in Syriac characters,

when we remember

that the

work

is

com-

piled In Syriac from Greek sources,

and translated thence by the author.

 iv.
*

The First Latin Translation.

1
'

ix
to s:iy,

T find it impossi' Its Arabic name is sirr alasrar.' an actual comparison of several texts, whether the shorter Arabic form is merely a part of the longer, or whether the Arabic text grew, as we shall

without

find the Latin one did.

There

is

some reason
book

for holding the latter view.

Some

little

difficulty is

caused to the student by the fact that two

Johns have been

Spanish physician.

translators of this
I

a
to

Syrian Christian, and a

have not endeavoured

make

the distinction in

the sidenotes, which

are intended to represent

mind when he wrote,

matter.

reserving for this

what was in Lydgate's introduction any discussion of the

the author of the treatise
is

We
al

learn from the Arabic that

Jahja Ibn

Batrik (or John, son of Batrik).^

Lydgate, following the

calls
'

Latin texts, which confuse him with Johannes Hispalensis,

'

him
(IL

John, a spanyol born,

.... And
little

Callyd sone / of

Oon

patricius

604, 609).

The
rule.

author, there can be

doubt, was one of the school of Syriac

Christian physicians, so celebrated in the early days of

Muhammedan

His accuracy (relatively speaking) in dealing with medical matters,

his reliance on astrology as a

brought into Europe at a

inclusion of

and prognosis (a tradition by the school of Saleme), and his alchemy and the occult properties of gems as a quite suboi-di-

means

of diagnosis

later period

nate feature of the treatise

the 8th or 9 th century.

all

these point

him out

as a medical

man

of

The prologue

(11.

1133) and

the two letters

(134210)
'

are usually

attributed in English works to a later translator of the book into Latin.

They are, however, found in the Arabic text, which begins, God prosper the Emir-al-Muminim (the leader of the true believers), as well as in In the Latin text they are headed, The the early Hebrew translation.
'
'

prologue of a certain doctor recommending Aristotle.^ iv. The first Latin translation. The Arabic of John, son of Batrik,

was

first

translated into Latin

by Johannes Hispalensis
Secreta Secretorum
is

for

'

Teophina,

queen of the Spaniards.' ^

books which
century

The

thus one of the few

Avere translated directly

from Arabic into Latin, without

(A'Mit. 26,770), where
.>ccupies

passing through the Hebrew.

I have found his translation in a 14th

it

MS.

in the British

Museum

two small quarto leaves, and in eight other MSS. there. In the printed editions it is expanded into Caps, xxxiv to xlv, and forms the basis of lines 1261 1491 of our text. It consists of a short treatise on the rules

' Thongh the attribution of the translation to disguise of the real compiler. * appears in Sloane 405 as Charesie.

him

is

itself believed to

be a

Who

V.

The Second Latin Translation.

In his Intro-

of health, and of another on the four seasons of the year.

duction, Johannes quotes the Arabic title as
'

tursesar,'

and speaks

of

finding the book in the

Temple

of the Sun, written in letters of gold,

11.

and

of bearing it

home

to translate, as in

610

637, but into Latin,

not Arabic.

any of the genealogies of He was John Avendeath, a converted Jewish physician, who translated (about 1135 1142) from Arabic into Latin a number of works principally of a medical and astronomical character, and is connected with Spain by the fact that another of his works, a treatise on arithmetic, de alg&rismo,' was transA monograph on his works lated for Raimund, Archbishop of Toleto. will be found in the works of Steinschneider, and an Alchemical tract
1 have been unable to trace
rulers,
'

Teophine

'

in

Spanish

but Johannes Hispalensis

is

well known.^

'

of Arabic origin bearing his

name

is

found in the Sloane MS. 212.

V.

The second Latin

translation.

century, another translation direct from the Arabic

Toward the close of the next was made by Philip

Tripolitanus (or Philip Clericus) enlarging that of Johannes Hispalensis.

He

prologue

used the longer Arabic text, which included, besides the above, the in praise of Aristotle,' the letter and answer respecting Persia,
'

the prologue of Jahja Ibn

al Bateik,

tion of kings. Astronomy, Precious stones

of the body,
tion, Justice,

and the chapters on The final intenand talismans. The four parts

The knowledge of foods, waters, and wines. Baths, VenesecThe choice of officers, secretaries, messengers, and counsellors,
This translation
is

and, lastly, on Physiognomy.

dedicated to Guido, a
it,

man

of Valence, Bishop of Tripoli, or as

some copies have

to

Guido

Steinschneider in his de Vere, Bishop and Metropolitan of Valence. monograph on the Secreta Secretorum (Jahr. f. rom. u. engl. Lit., xii.
4, p.

that year

366) places Guido a.d. 1204, on the strength of an old deed of naming G. bishop of Tripoli, but this name has been otherwise

ascertained to be Gaufridius.
of Valence, called

bishop of

The lists of Bishops give us three bishops Guido (990995, 10161025, 12721274), and one Porster places him about 1150 or 1210, if Tripoli in 1279.
of Tripoli.

he was bishop
^

sirr alasrar assume will give some idea of the difficulty one meets with in connecting Middle Age Latin forms with their Arabic original. I have found tuosesar, cirotesar, curoscesca, tymessar, cyrcttsar, tyralaceare, cyra-

The forms the Arabic words

laurar, dyalicerar, cyralacerar. 2 See Brechillet-Jourdain, " Hechcrches stir dr Aristotle." The reading Charesi*' the (SI. 405) suggests Tarasia d. of Alfonso VI, king of Leon and Castile, mother of who reigned in his place 11121128, and died Nov. 1130. 1st king of Portugal, was not unusual to style the daughter of the Kiui; of Sjiain, Queen. The date of this translation would then be 11281130, a date conhrmed by thexreface, which indicates

that

it is

one of his

first translation^.

i'

vi.

Tlie

printed Latin Texts, and the Versions.

xi

The question
the

of date

might be attacked

this

way

there are

two

stories in the Secreta Secretorum, that of the poison-maiden,

and that of

Jew and Muhammedan.

it

If either of these are

thirteenth century,
fully at

would seem

to follow that the Secreta

met with before the was translated

wide experience
to

some

earlier period.

It requires, of course,

assert a negative, but I believe the former story first appears in the Gesta

Bomanorum,^ and the

Eoger Bacon
totle,

latter in

Gower.^

Michael Scot (t before 123ri)

is no doubt that work which were not translated

quotes the Sec. Sec. in his Physiognomy, and there

(in 1*?56)

knew

parts of the

by Johannes Hispalensis, and makes constant

for he quotes part of the second letter of Aris-

references to the work, as well as using the title

It

familiarly in other connections.

was

also

known

to

Albertus

Magnus

(1250).

We
and
original.

may

then attribute to the 12th or 13th century this translation,

certain parts of the shorter printed Latin text

which have no Arabic

(a distortion of

These are

11.

330476, 477 G02, 638735

:

the second letter of Aristotle to Alexander), and 736

973 (Of

the four

manners

of kings touching largesse)

of Tripoli,

which we may attribute to Philip who was undoubtedly a Frenchman and most probably of

Paris, as tradition asserts.

From this period the vi. The printed Latin texts, and the versions. work spread over Europe and as it grew in popularity it expanded in
;

size

chapters were added on such subjects as tournaments, others were

enlarged,

and

translations into various languages were made.

As

have

before remarked, only one of these

the

Hebrew

was

taken from the

made from Latin texts. These are numerous. I have myself examined thirty in the British Museum, and a little search
Arabic, the others being

would doubtless bring to light many more, both there and elsewhere. There are iwo main types, though every old copy differs from the others.
^

Burton's

Anatomy

of Mela-ncholy refers to the story,

naming Poms

as the king,

and gives (wrongly) Q. Curtius as authority.

As these stories are not told in our text, there will be no harm in summarising them here. The Queen of the South {Nicomedia in the early Spanish version, India in the Latin, The Kino of India in the Arabic and Hebrew,) fed a fair daughter on poison from the day of her birth, and sent her at maturity as a present to Alexander. Aristotle warned him of his danger, and pressed him to submit a malefactor to her embrace. As the latter died on the spot, Alexander sent her away. The other tale treats of a discussion on religion in which the Jew summarises his religious duties, and restricts his obligations to those of his own faith. The Muhammedan declares 'lit he is bound to regard all men as brothers, whereon the Jew, who is walking, asks iiim to give him a ride. When the Jew is mounted he rides away, and the Muhammedan thus abandoned in the desert calls on God to assist him in the danger brought
^

on

ity fulfilling his duty. Going further he comes on a lion standing beside and the rent carcase of the Jew. See the prose translation, Lamb. 501.

his mule,

xii

vii.

Worhs founded on

the

'

Secreta Secretorum!

The
the

shorter has
is

about sixty chapters, the longer over one hundred.

Sloane 2413

about the best

into
4,

MS.

The printed

copies, again, following

MSS.

fall

Louvain 1485.

two main classes. Grenville 7925 and 520 d. 5 (2), 7306. a. 16 are good examples of the shorter form
;

and 520.

a.

12, Paris 1520.

12^ are typical of the complete book.

There are MS. commentaries on the work attributed to Bacon,^ Scot, and other medieval writers, who all seem to have taken it quite seriously, and to have aided in spreading its fame. A copy existed some years ago at Holkham which belonged to Edward II. But a better proof of the book's popularity exists in the number of translations. Of these there are extant a very early Spanish, four Italian, and five French independent versions from the Latin. One of the latter is said to have been made in the 12th
century, and so would be of special interest
;

but

it

is

not yet printed.^

I believe there are also some early

German
'

translations.

vii.

Worls founded on
gave
rise

the

Secreta Secretorum.^

work

of this

nature, so suitable to the habits of thought of the writers of medieval

times, naturally
to

a host of imitations

and emendations.

Already in the 12th century, Giraldus Cambrensis had written a work De Instructione Principis, which exists in MS. in the British Museum,
It is doubtful

Cotton Julius B. XIII., an epitome of it being found in Titus. C. XII. 8. whether this was not an independent work in its inception

but the work of Egidio Colonna De Regimine Principum (a copy of Avhich exists in. Bibl. Eeg. 4. D. IV. 4) is clearly based on the Secreta Secre-

torum in very great measure. Hoccleve's translation of this his Regement of Princes or De Regimine Principum is well known, and was Two treatises are ascribed to edited for the Eoxburghe Club in 1860.^ Innocent III. (ob. 1216), De Administratione Principum, and De Erudi-

tione

Principum
:

one to Thomas Aquinas,

to Guill. Peraldi,

Reg. Cyjpri
1

and one

De Regimine Principum, ad De Eruditione Principum. Simon

In MS. Corp. Christ. 149. Bodl. (Tanner) 116, f. 115. It is attributed to Petrus de Abernuu, and is found in Bibl. Nat. 25407 (olim Not. Dame 5, or 277), fol. l73^ 196. I have met with the following lines
'
:

Priinez sacicz ke icest trcttez Est le secrd de secrez numez, Ke Aristotle le philosophe ydoine, Le fiz Nichomache de Macedoine, sun deciple Alisandre en bonefei,

Le grant, le fiz Phelippe le rei, Le fist en sa graunt vielesce Quant de cors cstrcit enfieblesce, Pus qu'il ne pout pas travailler

Ne
Ke Ke Ke

al rei Alisandre repeirar.

and Epilogue

Me ore priez, pur Deu amur, En ceste fin pur le translatur

De
3

de
Ic

Men fere
regnc

li

doint sa grace

E a nics tuz issi le face,

pussum
merir,

cest livre,

ke Pierre ad nun,

K'estreit est de cest de

Abernun,
it

done a sucns a sun plcisir.

Amen.

now

Dr. Furnivall's edition of ready for the printers.

from the Harleian MS. 4866,

for the E. E. T. S. is

viii.

The

'

Secreta Secrciorum.'
(ob.

ix.

The Manusconjpts.

xiii

Islip,

Archbishop of Canterbury
III.,

136G) wrote, while secretary to

Edward

a treatise of this nature, entitled, Speculum

Edwardi III.:
list

and, to mention no others, Ximenes, a Spanish bishop about 1400, wrote

in Spanish, Cresta,
i.e.

de Regiment de Princeps.

Such a

proves the

importance of the Secreta Secretorum in the history of

viii.

literature.^

The

'

Secreta Secretorum' in English.

does not by any means stand alone in English

description of
its

Our author's translation and perhaps a short

;

compeers

may

not be out of place.

Excluding Gower's
(in 14:12),

use of
the

it

in Bk. VII. of his Cor/fessio

Amantis and Hoccleve's

date

first

separate Englishing of

known
circ.

we have
It is long

is

the Secreta

Secretorura in English, addressed to Jas. Butler, Earl of

Ormond, Lord
and rambling,
Holmes,
be printed

Deputy

of Ireland,

by

Jas.

Young,

1420.

omitting parts of the work, and inserting historical examples.

from whose notes much of the preceding paragraph

the translation exists in
for the Society

is

taken, says that

MS.

Bodl. Rawlinson 490.

It will

with the two other prose-renderings named below.

portion of a prose translation begun by

John
f.

Shirley, in his old

It is

age, exists in the British

Museum MS.
vii,

5467,

211.

taken from
early prose

the French, and dedicated to

translation
is

Henry VI.

An anonymous
French text

in

MS.

18.

A.

in a handwriting of about 1460, written

of Harleian

on parchment.
219, and
is

It is a shortened Englishing of the

printed, together with another

anonymous prose

translation

from the Latin (Lambeth MS. 501), for purposes of comparison. The latter translation seems to date from the end of the 14th century, and
is

thus the earliest

still

we

have.

Both

will
4,

be printed,

Warton

(II.

313)

describes

another, published in

by Robt. and
icith

Wm.

Copland in
of

1528, entitled, 'The Seo'et of Aristotyle

the

Governcde of Princes,

and
its

ever//

vianer of Estate, &c.'

is

The order

of the Sec. Sec,

and much

matter

made use

of in Ocia Imperialia
8^.

of Wisdom, Lond. 1663,

tract in the British
jS'or is

by Heydon, in his Temple Lastly, the Physiognomy is reprinted in a

a.

Museum

519.

12

(3).

London, 1702,

12.

Lydgate without a

rival

in

his poetical

treatment of

the

Secreta.

Sir

William Forrest
to

(Sir,

because he was a clergyman) drew up

of Somerset in 1548, the Poesye

and addressed
copy

the Protector

Duke

of Princely Practise for the benefit of Edward VI.

still

The

presentation

exists (British

Museum

Bibl. Eeg. 17.

to the

D.

III.),

adorned with a
It is well

drawing of Forrest presenting his work

young king.

^ Thos. Rudboiirne, in his Winchester History, Angl. Sa-cr. I. 242, speaking of Harold, says et disciplinam Aristotelis quam dedit Alexandre sequutus fuisset,' &c., a reference to the Sec. Sec.
'

'

xif.

ix.

The Manuscripts.
folios.

written on rather poor vellum, and extends to seventy-seven

in the

It is

same measure

as our text, seven-line stanzas.

ix.

The Manmcripts.

very

little

search convinced

would be

of little advantage to go outside the British

me that it Museum for MSS.

on me
as being

of the poem.

Not only

is

there an abundance of texts there earlier than

itself

can be found elsewhere, but one of them impressed

probably a presentation copy of the original, and as having passed under

the (VPS of the nvfhor ^f the second part, the peculiar blanks left in the
t.'xt

continuing tne

idi...

that the scribe intended to refer to the author.

The changes of the work ever

its

the times

the Wars

of the Roses
for

may have prevented

it

getting into the

hands

which
;

was designed.

therefore determined to reproduce Sloane

2464

my

reasons being,

first,

early date

(about 1450); second, the manifest care displayed in

;

making the copy third, the fullness of the text. The facsimile which accompanies this work gives a very good idea of It is on the the writing and of the kind of ornamentation employed. same scale as the MS. itself. The rubrics are put in carefuUy, and the vellum is of the best quality. There is, as the MS. now stands, no trace of the original owner except a small fleur-de-lijs stamped on the vellum. This may be the Burgundy crest, and thus may connect the book with Margaret, sister of Edward IV. The following distich is written in a

seventeenth century hand, on the last folio " Perusing me an ye ha doone

:

Conduit

me home

to Thos.

Moone."
It
is

The

other important

MS.

is

Addit. 14,408.

written

in
I

northern hand, and presents some differences from Sloane 2464.

am

printing some stanzas in full for the sake of comparison, and note the
principal differences.
of the other copies.
SI.

It is dated 1473,

and seems

to represent the source

If

it

had been complete,

;

my

decision in favour of
is

2464 would not have been so immediate

but unfortunately a page

missing, and several are injured.

Harleian 4826 contains works

of

Lydgate and Hoccleve.

is

ff.

52 a to
It

81 a contain the Secrees, of which unluckily one leaf

missing.

wa?

written about 1490, on vellum, and contains some poor illumination.^.

As an
*

inset it has
'

a drawing on vellum of

Lydgate presenting his

Pilgrim

to

Thos,

Montacute,

Earl of

Salisbury most probably a

portrait.

Arundel 59
extend from
it

contains works of Lydgate and Hoccleve.

The

'

Secrees

fol.

90 a

to

130

h,

and end
is

at stanza 352.

In

my judgment
its

was written about 1470.

It

on paper, and contains a record of

 X.

The Text used by Lydgate.

xi.

Summary

of

its

History,

xv

purchase by T. Wall, "Windsor Herald at Arms, at a tavern in Bishopsgate,

May

8th, 1528.

Harleian 2251 is Stow's copy of John Shirley's MS. It ends at the same stanza as Arundel 59, and seems to have been made from the same The 'Secrees' run from 188 b to 224 a. It contains a large copy. number of minor poems of Lydgate, and Burgh's Cato major and Cato
minor (attributed
Paston family.
to Lydgate).
is

Lansdownk 285

of incidental interest, as having been

'

made

for the

We

learn from the

it.

Letters

'

that the transcriber Ebes-

ham was

paid Id. a folio for

The volume

contains also a translation

of Vegetius,

made
196

for Sir Thos.

b.

Berkeley in 1408.

The

'Secrees' runs

from 152 a

to

It vpas written before 1469.

*

Sloane 2027
X. T?ie text

paper.

Secrees,'

53

a,

92

b.

med

by Lydgate.

My

next duty would naturally be to

decide as to the sources from which Lydgate

made

his translation.

I
if

am
he

disposed to think he either used a poor Latin text alone, or that

used a French one, he referred to the Latin as well.

Harleian 219,
disposal.
is

The French
is

text in

the sort of copy that would have been placed at Lydgate's

feature of most of the French translations
'

One

a curious

mistranslation of
stitution of

dove

'

for

'

column

'

(1.

98) which arose from the sub-

columba for columpna in the Latin text

mistake easily
Lydgate,
its

overlooked

when

work was transcribed from

dictation.

besides falling into this mistake, follows the French translation in

omission of the story of the poison-maiden.

All argument on the subject
in Lydgate's
tion,

work we have
is

little

is however vitiated by the fact that more than the fragments of a transla-

begun

at various points,

proof of this

the position of lines 974

and brought together afterwards. A clear 1029, which form a part of

'

It seems to me that Lydgate was struck by the lines, translated them to see how they looked,' and laid them by and that after his death Burgh inserted them where they

chapter Ixv in the printed text 7306 a. 16.

now
are
as

stand.

It is inconceivable that a writer of

left
11.

Ly<lgate's experience

would have

638735, and 477602,

;

in such a

muddle

as they

now

xi.

in, if

they were finished work

left

or that a veteran rhymester sucli

their present state.

he was would have

778

780 in

Summary

of

its history.

Briefly stated then, the history of our

in Syriac in the 8th century,
Aristotle, for

poem
it

is this.

Compiled from various sources

ruler

was translated into Arabic, with a prologue recommending

some Muhammedan
PHILOSOPHERS.
2

by the author.

It

was turned into Latin by

its

Philip of Paris in the 13th century, thence into French, and

transla-

xvi

xii.

The Life of Lydgate.

at the desire of

tion into English verse

was undertaken by Lydgate,

some

great personage, probably

Henry VI.

Dr. Schick, in his Introduction to xii. Jlie life of Lydgate. Lydgate's Temple of Glas, has devoted much care to making out a list including the known events and dates of Lydgate's life. In the
first

Appendix

will be found a

unpublished

which

number
to

of

documents

some
is

previously
his

enable us
of

trace out

Lydgate's history in

closing years.

The grant

ten marks, Ap. 22,

1439

particularly

interesting as tending

to confirm

Schick's date (1430-38) against

ten

Brinck's (1424-33) for the Falls of Princes.

John

Baret,

whose name

was inserted by Lydgate's wish in the grants, was treasurer of the Abbey of St. Edmund's. His will is published by the Camden Society in their

Bury
leaves

Wills.
is

He

died in 1467.

a copy of the Story of Thebes.

to call

enough
Alcock
533.

my

attention to a

The only memorial of Lydgate he Mr. Sydney Lee has been kind ballad of Lydgate's mentioned by Bp.
ii.

(b.

1430) in a sermon quoted in Brydge's British Billiographer,

'

This ballad,

of

which the

refrain is "

Englonde may wayle

It

y' ever

Galand came here,'" was written, Alcock says, Gascony, Guienne, and Normandy, i. e. 1452.
Eurnivall, Ballads from

after the loss of France,

was pubhshed by Dr.

MSS.

vol.

(Ballad Soc), and in Hazlitt's Early

English Poetry.

This seems to put Lydgate's death as later than 1452.

The following

alterations should be

made

in the table, p. cxii

of Dr.

Schick's introduction to the Temple of Glas, summarising of Lydgate's life and works.

what

is

known

1423. Lease of lands and pension granted to Lydgate and others on nomination of Rochford. 1438. Mercer's play. 1439. App. 22, grant of 10 marks yearly from the Customs of Ipswich. 1440. Easter, payment of 6 4s. b\d. to collector of Customs. May 7, grant of 7 136-. M. yearly from proceeds of the farm of

1441.

1443. 1446. 1447. 1448. 1449. 1452.

Wayteiee. Michaelmas, payment of 3 IGs. 8(i. to Sheriff. !Nov. 14, petition for change of grant. 21, patent made out to Lydgate and Baret, and the sur vivor of them, from the revenues of the county. Michaelmas, payment of the year. Michaelmas, payment of 1 \2>s. 4c?. Oct. 2, receipt of Baret for 3 16s. M. Epitaphiuni Ducis Gloucestrie. Payment of 7 \Zs. id. to Michaelmas. Payment of 7 13s. id. to Michaelmas. Galande Ballad.

Jj*
,


xiii.

xiii.

The Life of Benedict Burgh.

Burgh.

xvii

TJie life of Benedict

Of

Burgli, LyJgate's successor,

is

little is

known.

He

is

usually spoken of as Magister, and his degree

attributed to Oxford without reference

by Wharton.

He may

have been

one of the Masters in

Grammar who never went through

the Arts course.

first

He would
hear of
sented to

be a native of the village of Eurgh in Essex, though we

as rector of

him

Sandon, and vicar of ^laldon, when he was prethe former living, July 6th, 1440, by Thomas, seventh Baron

de Scales. At this time he held the position of tutor to William, son of Henry Bourchier, afterwards Earl of Essex, who had married Isabel, daughter of Eichard Earl of Cambridge, sister of Eichard Duke of York, and aunt to Edward IV. Burgh thus became acquainted with the York family, and another of his pupils, Henry Bourchier, married the daughter of the Lord Scales, who gave Burgh the living of Sandon.^ In Add. 29729, fol. 6 , we find a short poem written by Benedict Burgh to Lydgate. It is most unfortunate that the top of it has been cut down in binding, as it would seem to have given some information connecting Lydgate with Windsor, from which we could have fixed a
date.

It appears to be the

the notice of the famous old

of

means by which Burgh introduced himself to Avriter. At this time he entertained hopes
of obtaining help
[2].

becoming acquainted with Lydgate, and

I

from him in

his studies.

have added this in an Appendix

We

may imagine
;

him his friendly aid and guiding criticism and under Burgh produced the translation of Cato's Distiches,^ printed by Caxton about 1478, and alluded to by him in his Forewords to his own translation. Beleigh Abbey is a mile from Maldon, and Bourchier was buried there. Burgh redgned his living of Sandon in Sept. 1444,^ and does not seem to have held any other preferment till Oct. 19, 1450, when he became rector of Hedingham Sibele, a Bourchier living in the same
that Lydgate lent

these auspices

county.

Much

of this

interval he spent, doubtless in

company with

Lydgate, and soon after his death, Burgh was called upon to complete our

poem

to act as the

Monk

of Bury's literary executor, in fact

either

by

Yiscount Bourchier, or even by the king himself, with

seems to have been a favourite.

whom

Lydgate

Probably the living was Burgh's

^ I am indebted to- the Rev. B. Wright, Rector of Sandon, for a copy of some proving rather curiously that Burgh's predecessor was Vicar of All Saints, Maldon. ^ Lond. (about) 1478. 4". (Camb. A. B 8. 48. [2 editions]), London 1558. 8. (Mus.

entries,

Brit. G. 9792).
^

His successor entered on his duties Sep.

24, 1444.

h 2

xviii

xiv.

Remarks on

the

Foem.

xv.

The Metre of the Poera.

of

reward.

Through the same influence he was appointed Archdeacon

Colchester, Feb. 10, 1465, and on Feb. 23, 1472, a prebendary of St.
Paul's, his forinei- pupil being

now

brother-in-law of

Edward IV.

In

Feb. 1476, he was

made
his

Canon

of St. Stephen's at Westminster,

and

thereon

resigned

living

and prebend.

This post of honour and

dignity he held

till

his death, July 13th, 1483, the

nessed the decease of his old patron, Henry Bourchier,

same year as witIt was while

Canon

of

St.

Stephen's that Burgh

got his translation published.

Burgh's

made Caxton's acquaintance, and name is preserved among the beneviii.

factors of St. Stephen's (Cott. Faustina, B.

[1,

2]),

and

his bene-

faction

muse have been of some

value, since the grants to the clergy

present at his anniversary mass are on a fairly liberal scale.

Otiier
ed.

works of Burgh's are, A Christmas Game, in Christmas Carols, 1841 by Wright for the Percy Society, and in Notes and Queries,
16, 1868,

May

edited

by Dr. Furnivall Aristotle's A B C, 'm the Bahees Booh, by Dr. Furnivall for the E. E. T. S. 1868, and a balade in Add.
;

29729, following that given in our Appendix.

pieces attributed to Lydgate

Some

of

the shorter

may

also

have been written by Burgh.

Remarks on the poem. Considered as literature, the work empty of interest. It would in any case have been difficult to make poetry out of the Secreta Secretorum, and only in one stanza does Lydgate come near it. His work is scrappy, ill-ordered, and tedious
xiv.
before us
is

to a

remarkable degree even for him.

Doubtless,
if

Nor has

it

much

bearing on the

science of his time.

Lydgate had

lived,

he would have

revised his ^vork, but precisely because of his death, and the piety of his
'

young

follower,'

who

did not allow himself to alter the last writings of

his dead master,

to to

we see the seven-line stanza in the making. This seems me to be the main point of interest to us in it. Burgh's work appears me to affect a more archaic tone than Lydgate's of his stanzas, the
;

prolog seems the best,

it

has been printed by Halliwell in the preface

to his collection of Lydgate's shorter poems.

Lines 477 602 and 974 1029 were printed by Ashmole in his Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum,
1652,
4.

London
XV.

The metre of

the

poem.

The work

is

written in

Rhyme

Royal, in seven-line stanzas of ten-syllable lines with rhymes

ahahhcc.

Dr. Schick, wliose Introduction to the Temj'le of Glas is indispensable to every reader of Lydgate, enumerates five varieties of verse. Students

should however be warned that

Schick's work.

its

prosody

is

the

weak point

of Dr.

XV i.

The

R'liynic.

xix

A. Five iambics, with sometimes an extra syllable at the end, and

usually a well-defined caesura after the second foot
1.

9.

The

16rd to pk-se /

and

his lawes to kepe.

B. Lines with an extra syllable before the caesura

1.

33.

For prudent princes

most digne

of Reverence.
syllables

C.

The
:

peculiar Lydgatian type in

which the two accented

ferthermore in dede
first syllable is

clash

1.

167.

"Whan

this

is

doon

D. The headless
1.

line, in

which the
/

cut off

135,

Moost notable

and digne
measure
/
:

of Ituuez-ence.

E. Lines with trisyllabic

first

L 171. Count of ther Citees

the famous Gove/'nawnre.

To

these I would add, that some of Lydgate's lines scan oi>ly on tho
:

assumption that they are six-measure lines

1.

1365. 1496.

And
The

the traraslacyoMn of
diilnesse of

1.

Th6mas / mdrtryd in C/vystemasse. my penne / yow besechyng tenlumyne.

;

Line 1497 may be best scanned on this assumption

remarks,

'mt, as

Schick
I

many

of

Lydgate's lines

scan in
as

several

ditll-rent

ways.

suggest, with all of the

due deference, that

is

Lydgate broke nearly every rule

to a

Ehyme

Royal, there

no reason for supposing that he kept

the greater part of
little

five-beat measure.

In

fact,

the Secreest coiUd be

liberal use

scanned on a six-beat basis with

of the pause.

trouble

by allowing a

Assuming that
followincr results

a ten-syllable verse

is

the normal one, I have scanned

the whole of the poem, and counting no slurred syllables, I get XXm

Lydgate in 1491
1

lines has

XX

xvii.

General Characteristics of Lydgatcs Language.

;

cherche

Averche

1.

281 desirs

cleer

is.

Stanza 176

is

altogether in a

muddle, the rhymes being

abaaacc.
:

Many
Eyer
1.
:

of the vliymes are cheap

1.

1.

50 corage
;

age

outrage
:

1.

286

Repayer;
:

615 tarye
corde.

solitarye

1.

1112 partye

Jupartye
V

1419 accorde
as icind

Before concluding that Lydgate's rhymes are

impure,

we must

bear in

mind our

o-vna.

double pronunciation of such

words

and wan,
as

to suit the

rhyme.
gi-eater
:

Turning to Burgh, we note in his rhyme much

weakness.
\

Such rhymes
parfightly
specially
:
:

fooly

are

1. 1604 body 1. 1702 egir wedir 1. 1952 mesurably body 1. 2008 remedy; 1. 2150 trewly contrary feithfully 1. 2651 angry hardly ever met in Lydgate. 1. 1602 tyme ffyne 1. 1882 be-

1.

1527 tryvyal
:

equal;
;

1.

1597

fat

estat;

gan
can

nigram

1.

1987 venym
1.

wyn

1,

2136 Oon
is

boom;

I.

2171 man

wysdani

2668 knee

slevys

are examples of another fault unalso

:

common
Rebeel

in the

Monk
;

of Bury.
1.

Burgh
:

markedly

careless of his
;

vowels in the rhyme.

feel
:

2360 mynde

sende

condiscende

and

1.

2304

Cel

cannot ever have rhymed.

xvii.

General characteristics of Lydgate's language.

is

striking feature of the language

rarely

that

it

is

so

modern.

sounded in words of Old English

origin,

and

still

The most The final e is more rarely in

,

those of French.
itself in this

The

influence of the fifty years since Chaucer shows

work, which should be compared with one of Lydgate's

in this respect.

earlier

poems

The

plural
all

is,

more often than

not,

sounded

as our

own

is,

i.

e.

not sounded at

as a separate syllable,

and the
(II.

plural of adjectives is dropped, the e in hih seems to be plural

440,

715), but not uniformly so.

e

mute

(e),
1.

as

1.

398 rwyne,
1.

1.

French nouns are generally sounded with 402 shadwe, owmbre, 1. 656 folwe, 1. 1309

salwe,

1611 malwe,

1807 morwe.

The
I

e in

composition

is

not in-

variably sounded as modeffye, L 1204.

the accidence of

had prepared some notes on Lydgate, but the appearance of The Temj^le of Glas

has rendered
the notes.

it

unnecessary, and I accordingly reserve any remarks for

The mannerisms
'tlie

of

Lydgate are well

style,'
1.

to the fore here.

His modesty
to
till

line

'this

Rudnesse of

my

21

the phrases
is

he repeats

up a
'In

to seyn,' 'set in ordre,' 'it

scripture,'

also of

hym maad

mencioun,'

'by Recoord of
sentence breef,'
'

'in

especial,'
;
'

'lyk

our entencyouns,'

'for

short conclusyown

and

the familiar metaphor

have no Colour,

])ut
if

Oonly Chalk and

sable.'

Burgh has well imitated

it

his master's

envoy

indeed Lydgate did not write

himself;

it recalls

some

of his earlier ones in several respects.

Concluding Remarks.

xxi

recent editor of Lj-dgate has spoken of the 'Philistine

I

maxims'

of

the Secrees.

am

afraid that

some

of us,

who

live

on the borderland, and

to serve a

are often driven

by the bumptiousness of the chosen people

has been a pleasure to

campaign under the banners of

matter.
Still,
it

Philistia, are not the best judges

on the
such

me

to

add

to the notes

sci-aps of a discursive

reading as will tend to show that the maxims of the

Seer eta Secretorum were the commonplaces of such Philistines as Cicero

and Plutarch,

of

all classical

antiquity.
is

In the case of such a work one

can hope no more, nor indeed

I have to express

more

required.

my

gratitude to the authorities and attendants of

British

the Manuscript
courtesy,

Room

at the

Museum

for

their kindness

and

and

to

acknowledge with gratitude the debt I owe

in

common,

I believe, with every one

who

seeks his advice and help

to the Director

of the Society, Dr. Fumivall.

Modern

School, Bedford,

July 1892.

APPENDIX
T.

I.

DOCUMENTS RELATING TO LYDGATK

The
f.

dates of Lydgate's ordei-s are given in Cotton.

Tib.

B. IX.

35^ 69^ 85^

Subdeacon, 17th (Nov.?), 1389.

Deacon, 28th May, 1393.

Priest, 4th April, 1397.

II.

Lease to Dan John Lydgate and others by Sir Kalph Rochford of the lands of the alien Priory
of Longville
Gifford,

or

Newenton

Longvillo,

with the pension of Spalding, formerly appertaining to the

letters patent of

Abbey of Angers, by virtue of Henry IV. and Henry V. to the

said Sir

Ralph Rochford.
Nicolas's Acts of the Privy Council, III. 40.

(MS. Cotton.

Cleopatra, F. IV.

f.

7.)
p?-e-

a.d. i42s,

xxj" die Februarij anno pri'wio apud Westmonastei-ium,

sentibus don'nis Ducibzis Gloucestrie et

Feb. 2i.
Present

Exome, Archiejnscopo

CAWtuariensi, 'Londoniensi Wyntoniensi et Wygorniensi 'Episcopis,

comaii,

Marchie

Warrema

et

Northumbrie Comitibiis, Cromwell' Tiptoft

sigilh',

et Himge/-ford',i

C&ncellario Thesaurario et Custoc?e private

concessj^m erat quod omnia terre et tenementa pertinewcm prioratui Sancte Fidis

itwasait

de Longville (alienigene ^
przoratui
in

lilias

dicto pnoratui de ^

lie

hinds

.-ind

Longville Gifford, alios dicto

ville)

cum pertinencm

Newenton' Longregno Aiigh'e una cuin om?abMs aliis

de
porcionil)?/."?,

rents oltlie Alien Piioiy,

iiianeriis

tenis pratis redditibws, boscis, molendinis,

pensionibtts, feodw, rectorzVs, reversionibws, juribtfs,-

communk,
per anw?/m
with
tiie

do?nzniis,exitibziS,emolumentis, revencionibw.'?, et lie>"editacionilm.

quibuscumqwe,

et

pensione de Spaldyng

valom

xl.

li.

pen-

abbathie de Aungiers, dudu7n pertinentibws secnd?/m foriua/ peraumuaof

et

a^ecitcm hVerarMm patenctwn {".oiniuonim Henrici quarti etoiAngeii.

'

Domiuis

o/.'

tied t

Appx.
should go to

I.

Lease and Grant to Lydgate, 1423-40.

Dan

Jolin i.ydgate and three others,

Hi'nrici quinti Eec,'U7?i An^h'e 'R&.Aulpho Eocheford' militi inde x i o o

concessa?-Hi

et

confirmatarwTTi

dimittantMr,

modo ad firmam
Tofte

Dompno
on the nomiiiation of Sir

lohanni

Lidgate
_

et

lohanni
_

de

monachis,

Ralph Roche-

\o\ianni Glastoii' et "WiIleZ?no Malton' capellanis ad no??iiwa^ cioiiem pj'efati Eadw/^j/a Eocheford' sine aliquo iude reddendo,

quousqwe d?c^o ^Adulpho provisu? fnmt de recompensa conveTiiente

ffivenat

ad iei-minum. vite sue ad valorem annuuw terrarnm

p?-edictorM??i,

et

ieuementorum

prout sibi promissu??i fuit per do?i-

num

'Regem defunctu??! pa^rem 'Regis nunc apud Dovorr'.

III.

grant of 10 marks to Lydgate from the

Customs

at Ipswich.
p. 1,

Patent Roll, 17 Henry VI.,

m.

7.

Pro JohawTie Lydgate Monacho.

Rex Omnibus ad quos

April:

etc.

salMtem.

Sciatis

qwod de

gracia.

Tiostvsi spec^ali,

ac pro bono et gj-atuito seruicio quod dilec^us nobis

3ohan77es Lydgate,
Saiicti

Monachus
tarn

Monaste?-ij siue AhhatJiie de

et

Bury

Edmundi,

Carissimo

Auunculis nos^ris defunctis

nos^ro
10 marks

Domino quam nobw et

Ratri nostra ac

carissimo
supej-stiti

Auunculo
ante hec

Humfrtfio Duci Gloucestrie adhuc

tempora multipliciter impendit, concessimt^ eidem Johanni decern marcas percipiendos annuatim, pro t?Tnino vite sue, tarn

de

frora the

antiqua

et

parua custumis

nostris,

quam. de subsidio lanarum

cori-

OTum
of Ipswich,

et

pellium lanutarwm, necnon de subsidio trium solidorMm

et

de dolio
wici per

duodecim denariorwjn de
siue

libra, in

portu ville Gippeet

manus CustumariorMm

CoUectomm custumarww
pe7'

to be paid at

subsidiomm p?-edictoTOm in portu p-edtc^o pro tempore

encium, ad terminos Sancti MichoeZis et Pasche,
porctones.

exist-

Michaelmas and Easter

in equal portions.

equalea

In cuius

etc.

Teste Rege

apud Castrum snnm de

sigillo.

Wyndesore, xxij die

Aprilis.

per brewe de priuato

IV. Allowance of

payment

of this Grant,

4*. 5jfi?.

being the proportion due at Easter 1440.

Enrolled Accounts, Exchequer (Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer), Customs, No. 20.

Account of Walter Green and Thomas West, Collectors of Customs and Subsidies in the Port of Ipswich from Michaelmas, 18 Henry VI. to Michaelmas 19 Henry VI.
the payments
is

Among

the following

Appx.

I.

Payment; and a Grant of 10 Marhs a

^ "'

year, 1440.
To

xxv

Et Zo\\onn\ LyeUleRate Monacho ^Ionast<'rij sine ALbr^/Aie de ^ Bury Srt??c/i Y.^mxind\, cui Rex xxij**". die Aprilis, Anno decimo
_

.in. i.yd-

gate (uiulor

Vf^^'j;""!^^

septimo, concessit decern niarcas percipiendrts annuatim iwo terinijiovite sue tarn

de antiqua

et p(7?-ua

custumis Regis, qj^am de sub-

sidio IanarM7 corioi^w??! et pelliu??i laniitarM???,

triu??i

necuon de

substrfjo
libra, in

solidora/ de dolio et
ville

duodecim denariom??i de

poitu

Gippewici per manus Custuniariora?H siue Collectorw?u

custuniarMi et subsidiorM?n p?Y'dictom?/i in portu predt'c^ pro

tempore existenaM?, ad
a predzo/o .xx""* ^

te/niirios '^ano.tx ^Tichae^is et

.x.

Pasche per
per annu??z lomnrksa ^
1
ofi'is

equales porceowes. videlicet de \\\mismod\ ^ i

ii

mams
li,

die A])rilis 1

dic^ Anno

.xvii"". J

vsqwe festum
iiij. s.

year, on part

An-

nuity namely

Pasche proximo seqMen^?M Anno

huius
Hillan}'.

.xviij". vj.

v. d.

q*.

\l^^^^^^**''-

per bre^e Regis motulatuni in MemorawdVs de anno

te?-niino

.xix".

Regis

Sa?ic^i

Rotwlo

.x".

et hVeras

patentes

ipsius Johannis de recepcione.

V.

The King cancels the previous grant of a.d. of 10 marks, and grants to Lydgate 7 13*. 4:d. per annum from the proceeds of the
1439
farm
of

Waytefee, to

date

from the
m.

Easter

preceding.
Patent Roll, 18 Henry VI.,
p. 2,
5.

Pro Johan7ie Lydgate Monacho.

Rea;

JohaTC?zes

Omnihus ad quos etc. / saltitem. Sciatis quod cum Lydgate Monachus de Bury Sanc/i Edmundi havens
nostra

io,

ex concessione

decern

niarcas

percipiendas

annuatim

13. ta.

durante vita sua de custumis de Ippeswych per manus Custu-

mariom?M ibidem pro tempore existenaM??r prout in

patentibws inde confec^is
plenius apparet

Uteris nos^ris

in voluntate existat
to be canseid
'life!

easdem

liYeras in

Cancellarm?n nos^ram restituere cancellandos

ad efPect^m quod nos eidem Joha?mi septem

solidos et quatuor denarios jiercipiendos

libras tresdecim a year im

annuatim pro termino

et SuffoZc/e, con-

vite sue de exitib^is et proficuis de alba firma et feodo vulgariter

nuncupato Waytefee, in Comitatibus NorffoWe

cedere diguarem^tr.

Nos, de gracia nostra

kYeras
nostras

spea'ali,

ac pro eo q?/od

idem

Joht<//7ies dic^as

in Cancellara??i nos^ram

restituit cancellandas, concessimzis eide?n

Johan?u dtc^os septem

13. id.

libras tresdecim solidos et

quatuor denarios percipiendos annu-

atim, durante vita sua, a festo Pasche vltimo preterito, de exitibus

xxvi

Appx,

I.

Payment

to

Lydgate, 1440.

His

Petition.

et proficuis provenienti7>?is rle alba firma et

through the
liuiv St.

feodo vulgaiit^r nun-

cupato Waytefee predicto, per manus Abbc/^is de Bury ^tumti

Edmunds.

Edmundi

pro r

tempore r

existenfz's, '

et

sic

deinceps ad terniinos r

Sancri Michae/is et Pasche per ecpiales porcinnes durante vita

sua pred/c^a.
Extractum.i

In cuius

etc.

Tes^e Ke^'e,

apud

W esivaonasterium

yij die

Maij.

per ipswm Regem.

VI.
to

An

allowance to the Sheriff of 3 16<?. 8</., paid Lydgate (and Baret) on account of the grant,
Pipe Roll, 19 Henry VI.

no. VIII.
Norfolk and
SufiFolk.

Adliuc Item Xorff'.

For the year
u39-4o!"'

Milo Stapilton* nup^r Vicecomes de anno precedence* debeC

CCC Ixxix.

li.

xj.

s,

vij. d.

ob. q*.
is

[Among
tiipfrrantof

his allowances

the following

:]

Nov.
18

21, 1441,

Et Johanni Lidgate, ^lonacho de Bury Sanc/i Ednnuali, et Joha?mi Barct Armigero, quibiis Rex xxi" die Nouembv/s anno J o 1
'

quoted.

xx""" concessit
'

septem

libras tresdecim solidos et ouatiior donai/os

hriiiis

The grant
due from
Easter 1440

percipiendos annuatim a festo Pasclie anno xviij"" durante vita

.

sua

fit

alterius

eoxum diucius viuentts de

,.

.,

.,

exit6?w?

p/ohcuis

et reuencio?tibtis

Comitatuum Norff et Suff jirouenienfihus per manus Wcecomitis eorwradem Comitatuum pro tempore existen/is
et

ofinfi.. fw.
Mici,!i9Hen.

ad festa Pa.sche
ixxvj.
s.

Sancti

MichaeZis

per equales

porciones
xix"".
pi"r

viij. d.

de termijio S(mc/i MichaeZis anno

hreMe Regis irrotulatum in Memonr^di*" de anno xx"*" Regis

hui?/^,

termiwo Sancrt MichaeZis. rotwlo

i-psoruin

.xxxiiij*".

et

kYeras

patewfes

lohannis

et

lohawwis de Tecepcione.

VII.

Petition of

John Lydgate, monk of Bury,

and praying new
(20 Hen. VJ.)

touching the invalidity of letters patent granting

him 7

13*. 4^. yearly,

letters

patent to him and John Baret, squire.

Acts of the Privy Council, V. 156.

Granted.

MS.
1

AJdit. 4609,

art. 27.

Lydgate's Petition to the King,

with the Answer.

it

This means fhat an extract of this grant was sent to the Exchequer will probably be found in the Origiualia KoUs.

Appx.

I.

Lydgates Petition for a Grant

to

him ami

Baret.

xxvii

Unto the King oure most gratious soveraign lord. Besechitli you mekely youre pouere and perpetuell oratour Joiin Lydgate, monke of Bury Seint Edraond. For as moche as for (iiverses opinions had in lawe be your justices and barons of
youre eschequer, youre
besecher of
vij.
li.

\ui, Nov.

i*.

le^/res

patentes grauntid to youre seid

xiij. s. iiij. d.

may

not take effecte to the wele

is.,

w.

and

profite of

youre seid besecher.

please unto youre hyenesse to grante unto your
to

That

it

may

seid besecher

and

John Baret

squier, youre graciouses letters

patentes undir youre grete seal, after the fourme contenue and
effecte of a cedule to tliis bille annexid,
liy^erate

and there-vpon youre

for the

currant

and

allocate

dormant in due fourme,

vvhiche youre seid besecher shall restore youre gratiouses letters

patentes to

handes of
cancellid.

him made of the Abbot

vij. li. xiij. s. iiij. d.

to be taken be the

of

Bury

into

the

chauncerye to be

And

he shall pray to God for you.

xiiij" die

Rex apud 'Wesimonasterium

sigilli sui facere

concessit prsesentem billani ut petitur, et

Novembrw anno xx. mandavit Custodi privati

Tiie

King
*

petition,

garrantu? Cancellario Anglze, ut ipse desuper

hori idiciat litteras ^Sii&ntes

secundum tenorem copie presentibus

present the
sutroik.

annexe, -^xesentlhus 'Doviino SxiSolcie qui billam prosecutus est

ac me,

Adam
VIII.

Moleyns.

The King's patent granting to Lydgate and and to the survivor, the sum of 7 13*. Ad. per annum.
Baret,
Patent Koll, 20 Henry VI.,
p. 1,

m. 20.

Pro Johanne Lidgate Monacho

et

Johanne Baret Armigero.

uu, Nov. 21.

Hex Ommhiis ad quos

timo die Maij,
Johan7ii
,.,
J

etc. sahdem. Sciatis qtiod cum nos sepAnno regni nos^ri decimo octauo, ccncesserimMS Lidgate, Monacho de Bury Sancti Edmundi, septem
11

Lydgate's

Jibras tresdecim sojidos et quatuor denarios, percipiendos

Annuity of

annua-

xtis*. id.

tim a festo Pasche tunc vltimo

gariter

preterite,

durante vita sua, de

exitibM et proficuis p?*ouenientib?<s de alba firma et feodo vul-

nuncupate Waytefe, per manus Abbatis de Bury

existen^is, et
sic

Sa7tcti

Edmundi pro tempore

H'lncti

deinceps ad te/-minos

Michaels

et

Pasche per equales porciones prout in hYeris

xxviii

Appx.

I.

Grant of Pension

to

Lydgate and Bard, A.D. 1441.

Et quia
Can-

nos^ris patentibiis inde sibi confec^is plenius continetM?-.

to be eanseid for a like Annuity to liun and Jn.

idem

Joh??7jes in voluntate existit dz'c^as hYeras nostras in

cellari no6^#ram

Baiet.

qwod nos
sua
et

sibi ac

...
;

ibidem restituendi cancollandas, ad intenaoem

libras tresdecira

Joharmi Baret Armigero septem

solidos et quatuor denarios percipiendos

et alterius

annuatim durante
et Suffo/a'e

vita

eor^m diucius viuentis de exitibws

p?'oficuis firmis

reuencio7ibMS

Comitatuum

'Norffolde

coucedere

dignaremw;*

IS'os

premissa considorantes, ac bona

et gj-fltuita

se/'uicia que dic^i Johannes et Johannes nobis impenderuiit et impendent infuturM?n, ac pro eo qMod idem Joha/ies Lidgate

hYeras predictas nobis in Cancellarirt??z p)-edic^am restituit cancellandos, de graa'a nostra, spece'ali concessimMs eisdem
et

Johcmni

Joha?mi, septem libras tresdecim solidos

et

quatuor denarios

percipiendos annuatim a dzc^o festo Pasche durante vita sua et

alterius

eoTum diucius

viuentis, de exitibws proficuis firmis et

pe>'

reuenc^?2ibMs Comitatuum ^re<Me.toxum

manus Yicecomitis
et
etc.

eorwradem Comitatuum

p?-o

tempore existen^w, ad festa Pasche

Sanc^i MichaeZis pe^ equales porciones.

In cuius

Teste 'Rege

apud WestmoJiasferium, xxj die Nouembris, Per brewe de priuato sigillo,

auctoritate Parliamenti.

et

de data predic^a,

IX. Payment to Michaelmas 1441.

Pipe Roll, 22 Henry VI. (1443-4)

Norfolk and Suffolk.

Eoger Chamberleyn,
7i3.4c?. to
1441.

late Sheriff of

the 19"* year, renders

John Lidgate & John Baret, as above, for the term of Easter 19 Henry VI. and the term of Michaelmas 20 Henry VI. [1441], by writ enrolled in the Memoranda of Trinity 20 Henry VI., roll 13, and iheir letters
account of 7^
13'. 4^.

paid to

of acquittance.

[The

vprit referred to is

extant in the Exchequer

Memoranda

Eoll, on the side of the King's Eemembraiicer.]

X. Payment to Michaelmas 1443.

Pipe Roll, 21 Henry VI. (1442-3).

Norfolk and Suffolk.

13*. id. to

Thomas Brewes, Sheriff (for this year), paid to John Lidgate and John Baret, a.s before, 7^ 13*. 4**. for the term of Easter 21

Appx.

I.

Payments

to

Lydgate and Bard, 1443-6.

xxis
Michneimas

Henry VI. and the term of Michaelmas 22 Henry VI. [1443], by the King's writ among the Conimwiia. of Trinity term 21 Henry VI., roll 5, and by the letters of acquittance of "the same John."
[The Writ referred
to is extant in the

Exchequer Memoranda
It orders the

Roll, on the side of the King's

Remembrancer.

Sheriff for the time being to pay the annuity from time to time,

without farther warrant, as the King would be

acquittance on each occasion.]

satisfied

with an

XL

Receipt of Baret, 2iid October, 144G, published

by Zupitza, Anglia,
Noue?"int vniup?'si
pe?'

III.

532.
.loim n^roi receives from

presentes
T
1

me
T
1

Joha????em Baret armi1

gerum
sa?(ct^

recepisse pro

me

et Johrt?ie

-\r -r> Lydgate Monacho de Lury wm. xyreii,

1

Ed?Mradi, de WilleZmo Tyrell,

Wcecomite 'Nor&olcie
quatuor [octo
et
?]

et siieriffof
(24

Siiffolcie, tres libras,

sexdecim solidos,

et

denarios,

h. vi.).

de

illis

septem

libris,

tresdecim solidis,

quatuor denariis quos

Dominus Rex per

litteras

suas patentes nohis concessit pe?-cipiixostre et

endo*' a?inuati?)i ad

terminu?^ vite

alterius

nostomi

diuicius viuentis, de exitibus, p?-oficuis, ffirmis, et renencionihus

Comitatimm

predictor??i pe?*

manus

Yicecoviitis eorundem, qui

pro tempore fuerit, ad festa Pasche et sancti Michaelis per equales

porcion.es, videh'cet

pro termiwo MichoeZis vltimo preterito ante

dataJH p?'esenciu?>i.
et

De

quibtts vero tribws libris

sexdecim

solidis 3
p?-o

igs.

m.

octo denariis, pro teTmino MichaeZis predicZo, fateor

me

me

i.imsdf and

et predzc^o

Johaime Lydgate
sigillu?/*

esse pacatuni, dictumqiie \\cecomi-

tem inde fore

presentibws

quietu?Ji per presentes.

In cuiws

rei testimoniu??i

memn apposui. Datum secundo

die Octobrz'.s

oct. 2,

uie.

anno regni Regis Henrici sexto post conquestum vicesimo quinto.

[This payment by Sheriff William Tyrell has not been found

in

the Pipe Rolls, though sundry portions of his accounts are

recorded from the 26th to the 33rd year of the reign.

The

rolls

have been searched down to 2 Edw. IV., but only two

entries

later

have been discovered, as below.]

;;; ;

XXX Appx.

I.

Tayments

to

Lydgate and Baret, 1448-49.

Appx. IL

XII. Payment to Michaelmas 1448.

Pipe Roll, 32 Henry VI.
Res. Norf., dorse.
26'*'.

Philip Wentworth, late Sheriff of the

further account, showing the
of

year, renders a

payment

to

John

Lidegate,
of
7'.

monk
4"*.,

Bury

St.

Edmund's, and John Baret, Esquire,

26*''.

13*.

under the King's grant of 21 November 20 Henry VI.,

terms of Easter in the
year,

for the
27*'*

year and ^lichaelmas in the

by the King's writ

in Trinity term in the 21'*. year,

''

and

by

letters of acquittance of

the same John."

XIII.

Payment

to

Michaelmas 1449.
Adhuc Item
Norf., dorse.

Pipe Roll, 32 Henry VJ.

Giles Seinllo, Esquire, late Sheriff of the 27*^ year, renders

a further account, showing the payment to

of

John Lidegate, monk

7'.

Bury

St.

Edmund's, and John Baret, Esquire, of

27*''.

13*.

4'*.

for the terms of Easter in the

year and Michaelmas in the

28*^ year, by writ of Trinity term in the 2P*. year, and the letters
of acquittance of " the

same John."

APPENDIX

IL

THE IX PEOPERTIES OF WYNE

per lohnen Lidgate.
Additional MS. 29729,
f.

16, Brit.

Mus,
:

"VVyne of nature hathe properties nyne

Comfortythe coragis

clarifiethe the

syeht

Gladdeth the herte, this lycor most devyne

Hetythe the stomake, of his natural myght

Sharpithe wittis
;

gevith hardines in fight

;

Clensyth wounds
Licor of

engendrithe gentyll blode.

licor, at festis

makyth men

lyght,

Scoureth y^ palat, through fyne y* color good.

APPENDIX

III.

(B.

M.

Addit.

MS.

29729.)

A POEM IN PRAISE OF LIDGATE,

WRITTEN BY BENEDICT BURGH BEFORE THEY WERE ACQUAINTED.
[Written by]
Mas""-

Burgh

in

J)e

prays of lohn Lidgate *

booke dwelyng at wyndsor.

(1)

dremyd Natne drankeI in ye mount of pemaso, nevar pegases welle,

I

[fol.6a]

at

the pale pirus saw I never also

Burgh does not begin in the usual

style.

ne wist I nevar where ye muses dwelle,

Ne of goldyn tagus can 1 no thynge telle And to wete my lippis I cowde not atteyne
In Cicero, or Elicon sustres tweyne.
(2)

The crafte of speche that some tyme formde w[e]s Of the famous philosophers [m]oste perfite,
Aristotell, Gorge,

[was in ms.^

O He has

n in ms.

not the craft of speech of

Aristotle,

and ermogenes,
qwite.

Nat have I, so I have lerid but a lite As for my party, thowgh I repent, I may go Of tullius, frauncis, & quintilian
fayne wolde I
lere,

Gorgias, and

Hermogeiies,

12
Cicero,

Petrarch, and

but I not conceyve can.

(3)

14

Quintilian.

The noble poete virgile the mantuan, Omere the greke, and torqwat sovereyne, Nasu also that sith this worlde firste be-gan
the marvelist trausformynge
all best

15 He<
ates the poets

beaten by

Lydgate from Homer

can devyne,

Terence ye mery and pleasant theatryne,

Porcyus, lucan, marycan, and orace,
Stace, Juvenall,

19
21

and the
(4)

lauriate bocase,

toBoccacio.

All

tlies

hathe peyne, youre Innate sapience,

motli mede,
of excellence,

22

While Lydgate lives

Ye have gadred flouris in this to yow is yeven the verray price

thenlumynyd boke where
PHILOSOPHERS.
in a

thowghe they be go yet the wordis be not dede

man

shall rede

26
C

Appx.
thes

III.

Burgh's Praise of Lydgate.

this londe legeble,
\}

&

mo, be in

Ye
Burgh hopes to see and
hear him.

be the same, ye^ be the goldyn bible.

(5)

y*inMS.}

28

yet I truste to be holde

this blisful

&

see

29

booke with y* golden clasppes seven,

ther I wyll begyne and lerne that were

gretar

myne
neven,

a. b. c.

my
my

paradyse, that wer

my

heuen,

iilicitie

can no

man
'

33
35

so

god

sowle save

di benedicite.'

Maister lidgate, what

man

be ye

(6)
[fol.6 6.]

Now

God,

my

He

wishes

that yet I

to be his prentice.

then sholde

maister, preserve yow longe on lyve, may be your prentice or I dye, myne herte at ye porte of blise aryve

36

ye be the flowre and tresure of poise,

the garland of Ive, and laure of victorye.

40
42

by my trowghte,
for

&
I

myght ben

a emperour,

your konynge

shulde your heres honor.

(7)

The poem
written at

Writen

at

thabbey of bylegh, chebri place,

43

Bylegh

Abbey
wind.

in a

cold north

With frosti fingers, and nothynge pliaMnt, when from the high hille, I men ye mount Canace,
was sent
that
in to briton the stormy persaunt

made me

ioke as lede,

&

chaunge semblawnt,

47

And eke ye sturdi wynde of Yperborye, Made me of chere, vnlusti sadde & sory.
(8)

49

The
yf

laste

moneth that men

a ryght

clepe decembre,

50

When

phebus share was driven a boute y* heven,

we reken
that
is

four tymes onys,

& well remembre, & aftar ward seven,

was days aleven
54
56
this vnadvisid lettar

to sey passid ther

Of the moneth when

writ was, but with your helpe here aftar bettar.

1.

10. This Hermogenes is the rhetorician (see Quintilian). L 17. Torqwat can this be Boethitis {A. M. Torquatus Severinus), or is it a word for crowned ? 1. 20. Porcius is Cato (distiches), Marycan is Capella.
:

21. Stace, Statius.

APPENDIX
SPECIMENS OF ADDIT. MS.
Howe
Aristotylle declarith to

IV.
14408, BRIT.

MUS.

Stanzas 140-3 and 328-31.

kyng Alisaundre

of fe stonys.

(140)

Towchyng
But there
is

fe stone of philosofris olde,

974

Of weche thay make most soverayn mencyon,

oon, as aristotylle tolde,

Which

alle excellith in

comparison,

Stone of stones, most soverayne of renowne

978

towchyng

)je

vertu of this ryche thyng

thus he wrote to fe most soverayne kyng.

(141)
alisaundre, grettist of dignite,

980

981

And of \)e worlde monarke and regent. And of alle nacioDS hast the sovereynte,
Eche oon
to

obeye and be obedient

And
is

to conclude the fyne of oure entent,

985
987

Alle worldely tresoure breeflie schete in oon,

declared in vertue of this stone.

(142)

Thow muste

fyrste conceyve in substaunce,

988

by a maner vnkouth diuision. Water frome eyre make a disseueraunce,

And

fyre frome eyre by a deperticion Eche one preseruid from corrupcion, As philosofirs aforne haue specified,

992

Which by

reason

may

not be denyed.

994

(143)

Watere frome eyre departed prudentlie, Eyre frome fyre, and fyre from erthe doon,

995

Appx. lY. Sample of Addit. MS. 14,408,

the crafte conceyued,

Brit.

Mus.

deuydyd trewlie, Withouten erroure or decepcion, Put every element in his compleccion,

999
1001

As As

it

apertenyth to his parte,

is

remembrid

perfitlie in this arte.

(328)
It is to be titelyd

how prevyd

-wit/ioute obstacle,

2290

As
J)t in

oolde philosofris put in remembraunce,

man is founde grete myracle, namyd \e lytuUe worlde by autores allegawnce ffor many vnkouthe and dyue?*se circumstaunce
founde in hym, moste soverayne creature,

2294 2296

namyd

beste resonable

by intelhgence

in sure.

(329)

He

is

large as

hardy as a lyon, dredfulle as fe hare, Jje cok, and as a hound couetous,

as
tyrtylle, as lionesse dispitous,

2297

harde as a herte in forest which doth fare

Buxum

Jie

Simple as fe lambe, lyke J)e foxe malicious, Swyfte as the Roo, as here slowe in taryeng, and lyke J)e Elefaunt precious in ech thyng.
(330)

2301

2303

As

fe asse vile and contagious, and a lytelle kyng hasty and rebelle

2304

Chaste as aungelle, as swyne lecherous,

Meke

as

))e

pecock, and as a bole

])e

wode and

feel;

Profitable as

bee in his hyve which

|)e

is selle,

2308
2310

ffayre as fe horse, as

owle malicious,
as a

dombe

as fe tische,

and

mouse noyous.

(331)

Note Of

this processe in
J)e

J)e

audith countable,

2311

reme7wbraunce, and

knowe

redelie

))at in

beeste nor thyng vegetable

No
But

thyng may be vniuersally.

if it

be founde naturally
;

2315
lytelle worlde.

In mannes nature

wherfor of con accorde

Olde

philesofris callidy

hym

J)e

2317

LYDGATE AND BURGH'S^

"SECEEES OF OLD PHILISOFFEES."
[Sloane

MS.

2464, British Museuin.]

THE PROLOG OF A DOCTOR RECOMMENDING

ARISTOTLE.
(1)

GOd In
His

Alrayghty save
al vertu
/

and conferme our kyng

[fol. 1

to his encrees of glorye

/

God

is

called

Rewm

and

hym
/

With dred and Of his Enmyes

Afftir
liis

love

by polityk lyving / to have memorye

twen bothe
to

upon to endue the kinf; with success

Conquest and victorye

/

"With sceptre and swerd

lawes
/

doo Ryght

to euery

maneer wyght.
(2)

flSjst

in al vertu / to sette his govemazince

and regal
virtues.

The

lord to plese
/

and

his lawes to kepe,

And

his legis
to

with hertly Obeyssawnce

hem / wheer they wake or slepe To punysshe tyrauntys / & cherysshe hem that be meke With two cleer Eyen /of discrecyown, As ye hem flfynde / of disposicyown.
In pees
kepe
(3)

12

14

Them that be goode / cherysshe hem in goodnesse, And them that be / froward of Corage
Peyse the ballance
fEor love
/

15

be greet Avysenesse,
/

nor hate

to

doon Outrage.
of age.

Set a good

mene
/

twen yong and Old

/ this

19
Tlie author excuses his

Excellent prynce

processe to

Compyle
style.

Takith at gre
^

the Rudnesse of

my

21

poor stylo.

Lydgate ends with stanza 213, line 1491, and then Burgh goes on to

the end.

PHILOSOPHERS.

Alexander and
(4)
[fol. 1 6.]

Aristotle.

ffirst

I that

am

/
/

humble Servitour
with hool AflFecyo?m,

22

The writer
acknowledges his imperfections.

Of the kyng

Yoyde of Elloquence / I haue do my labour To sette iu Ordre / and execucyown

ffirst

my

symplesse

vndir Correcciown,

26

but has endeavoured to

oljey the

With ryght
fEor

hool herte / iu al
/

my

best entent

king's commands.

tacomplysshe

your comaundement,
(5)

28

Unto purpoos

my

labour shewys,

29

I haue be besy / with greet dilligence

To fynde the book / of al good thewys, The which is holly / entytled in sentence
tfor

prudent prynces
/ /

moost digne of Reuerence,

33 35

Callyd Secrees

of

Old
is

philiso fires

Of more valew

than

gold in Coffres.

(6)

The which book

/ is

notable of ffame
/

36

Whylom compyled
Which
in sapience
/

by

Arystotilees,

of Secretees hath the

name
40
42

Conveyed a meue / atwen werre and pees, Ech thyng provyded / by vertuous encrees,
Set in Ordre / the tytles be wrytyng

To

his disciple / of

macedoyne kyng
(7)

[fol.

Callyd Alysaundre

the

myghty Emperour
Succede,

43

Born by discent
Afftir his ffadir

/ lastly to / as

With tweyne Crownys

/

trewe Enherytour
in perce

to
/

Regne

and mede,

Callyd philippus

pleynly as I Rede,

47
49

Thorugh al grece / namyd lord and Sire, And by Conquest / hold the hool Empyre.
(8)
/ the Crowns whan he took, Knyghtly dispoosyd / of herte and of Corage. In whoos worshepe / compyled was this book

This Alysaundre

50

By Arystotyl / whanne he was falle in Age, Had set asyde / by vertu al Outrage,

54

Tlie Praises

of Aristotle.
to travaylle

Inpotent to
ffor

Eyden and
/

febylnesse

to counsayl in bataylle.

56

(9)

"With Alisaundre

preferryd in his dayes,

57

The

praises of Arutotle,

Was noon so greet / in his Oppynyown, He was so trewe / fownde at al assayes,

prudent and wys
/

and of discrecyown,
/

his prudence,

And

nioost withal
/

of

ReputacyoMn

61

Grettest clerk

in Grece thoo present,

/

And

moost Sotyl

of Entendement.

63

(10)

And with al this / his Occupacyown Was fully set / with entieer dilligence And spiritual studye / of ContemplacyoMn.
Meknesse
ffolk in

64r

[fol.2 6.]

his studies,

his

guyde

with nioderat Reuerence,

slouthe and necligence

Moost charytable

/ al /

68

liis

cliarity,

myscheef

and drery
/

to cownforte

What

euere he sauhe

the best to Eepoorte.

70

(11)

And Specially / Set was his Resown On trouthe / On feithe / and on Riglitwysnesse
Nat double
fials

71

of townge
/

hatyd adulacyo?fn,

Eepoort

detraccyoun, ydelnesse,

fforgyd talys

with oute sekirnesse,

/

And

moore in vertu
a spirit
/

hym

to magneffye,

With

endewyd
(12)

of prophecye.

77

a prophet

moreover.

Had

in his

tyme

prerogatyves two
/

78

Ifor his

singuleer
/

vertuous excellence,
;

Callyd philisoffre

Thorugh

al

Grece

and prophete also / had nioost in Reuerence,

82
Angelic

And

for his gracious / Celestial inffluence

Bookys Recoorde / an Awngel was down sent, ffro god above / brought hym this present /
(13)

84

""^'

That he shulde
flfor

the book Reherse kan,

/

85

[fol.Sa.1

his mevytes

and vertuous dignite

/

Be

callyd an

Awngel

Rathere than a

man

4
ffor

The

Success of his Pupil.

/ of

many

myracles

Antiquite,

Vnkoutli and strawnge / and merveyllous to se, Which surmounte / by Eecoord of scrypture,

89
91

Both witt

of

man

and werkys

of nature.

(U)
It is also / of

hym maad mencyo?m,

doth expresse
/

92

As

this stoory / pleynly

ffor his

vertuous

dysposicyown
Celestial of swetnesse,
/ -wryters
/

GroMndid on god / In whoos memorye

taken up to

here witnesse

96

He was Eavysshed

Contemplatyff of desir
ffyr.

Vp
Dewyd
Alexander
the

to the

hevene

lyk a dowe of
(15)

98

in vertu

be inspy racy own

/

99

Abovyn
worM by

alle othir
/

to his goostly avayl,

That Alysaundre
brought
al

vnto subieccioitn,
/

kyngdammys
/

by

his

wys cownsayl
103
105

Aristotie'8

And

Cronyclers

in ther Eehersayl,
/

Al hool the world

put in Remembrance,
Obeyssaunce.

And
[foi. 3 6.]

enclyned

/ to his

(16)

To

his

poweer

and Regalye

106

He was Callyd kyng / and monarke of al, And by }iis swerd / and famous Chevalrye, By Aristotilees witt / in especial
Took in his hand / of goold the Eo^^id bal To Occupyen / through his hih Eenown
vij.

110
112

Clymatys

and SeptemtryoMu.
(17)

H;s unquesti.iiieil

power

ntr Arabia,
Persis'

'^Q cnicchyng was / nouthir in word ne dede ^ i i i Ageyn hi3 Conquest / he was so score drau.
i

113

ami Media.

x\ Arabye J
Ecli

Grece

Perce and
/
/

Mede
117

thyng Obeyed
thavys

Alle his Empryses

what so euere he bad, demenyd wern and lad

By

breffly in sentence,
/

Of Arystotiles

witt and providence.

119

(18)

Ageyn

his pur poos / there

was noon Obstacle,

120

ffadir

and prynce

/ of

philosophye

Alexander's Letter to Aristotle.

Vndir nature wrought

many

greet myracle
Aristotla

Wroot Epistelys / of prudent policye, To AJysaundre / And to his Regalye, By cleer exanple / be which he myght knowe To goveme him / both to hihe and lowe.
(19)

wrote

letters

124

to Alexander,

126

Whan
And
To

the
al

kyng

/ bis pistel has seyn,

127

[foi.<.]

the fourme / Conceyved in sentence,

to which

Arystotiles / he wrot thus ageyn

Alexander
replied.

Of gentillesse / with greet Reuerence, That he wolde / doon his dilligence, Conceyue his menyng / and holly the matere Of his Epistel / which that sewith here.
here
is

131

133

the foarme of the Epistil that

to his

kyng AlysatuidTe

sent

maist^
(20)

Aristotiles.^

REuerent

ffadir / doctour of discyplyne

134

moost notable /and digne of Reuerence,

Phebns the sonne

moor

clerly

doth nat shyne,

As

the Repoort
/

of your expert prudence

Aforn provides

of

Royal Confidence.
/

138
Alexander

In fewe teermys

I purpoose to Reherse
/

Thing

toold to

me

towchyng the lond of

(21)

perce.

140

describes Persia.

ffirst

how

that loud

and that Regiown,

/

141

It excels in

philosophy.

Alle othir
It

Reemys
/

in

philosophye

doth excelle
Is

and

of hih

Resown
in ech partye.

moost iuventyff
/

/ expe/-t

Ther noblesse
ffor

for to magneffye

145
147

flferthest prr>cede /

by

cleer

entendement

tacomplysshe

the ffyn of ther entent.

(22)

Tencrese ther lordshippes

and have the souereynte

148

[fol.4 6.]

Ovir

alle Citees /

and strawnge Regiowns,

/

especially in the arts of

And by

ther marcial

magnanymyte
152

government.

To sprede a brood

/ ther domynacyowns.

Wher vpon

lyk our entencyowns

*

In margin of MS.

Aristotle's Ansiver.
Alexander asks advice
83 to

ffirst

on this peple
/

/ I Cast

me

to

be gj'nne

how

to

conquer
Persia,

By And

your Avys

this perciens for to

wynne.

154

(23)
here vpon
ther
/

Mawgre
and Rives
his

to make no myght / and

dellayes,

155

ther Rebellyown,

ffirst

With my knyghthood / I wyl make Assayes To haue al perce / in subieccyown, Abydyng Oonly / for short Conclusyown With your lettrys / for my Inpartye

159
161

On

this matere / pleynly to signeffye.

Thanswere of Aristotilees
(24)
Aristotle

One Alisaundre

compares the matter problems of

this
/

mat^e
maner

to

me

is

strawnge,

162

Fb

And

includith

A
/

of dyspayr.

Alchemy

Peyse in thy
ffirst

SilfE / yif it

be lyght to Chawnge

from the Erthe

the Watir and the Ayr,

/

And

parte the Ellementys

this is

in ther sperys fayr.

166 168

Whan
Geyn
[fol. 5 o.]

doon
/

ferthermore in dede

percyens

in thy Conquest procede. (25)

ffirst

thy purpoos

peyse

it

in ballawnce,
:

169

Bothe in perce

and Septemtryown

Counte
he advises
foretlionght.

of ther Citees / the

famous gouernawnce,

And haue
Be

ther with
/

Consyderacyo?m

a forsyght

and Cleer inspeccyottu.

is /

173
of perce,

My

cownsayl

towchyng the lond

/

ffroom thy purpoos

I Cownsayl that thou Seece.

175

(26)

Be gynne no thyng

with oute greet Avys,

/ first

176

A
and never to attempt an
emprise
unlikely to

groMud of trouthe
I Cownsayl
/

that

it

be possyble,

And

yif that
/

thou be wys
terryble,

fForeyn

Empryses

which that be
/
/

succeed

Attempte hem nat

lykly on nature

but yif

it

be Credyble

180 182

by dysposicyot^n ffuUy taccomplysshe / thyn entencyo^m.

(27)
ffirst set

a preef / in thy
/

prudent avys

183

In Esy wyse

by Attemperaunce,

How
And by

to

govern a Kingdom.
/

thy Cof/nsayl

of philisoffres Avys,

he advises
reliance
uii

To brynge hem Esyly / to good governaMnce, Of Oon Accoord / with oute varyawnce,
Vndir the wynges
/ of

good govertimenl.

187

thy Royal bojinte,

Them

to

Cherysshe

/ in

thy benign yte.

189 190

(28)

Yiff thou thus doo

/
/

by vertaous Eepeyr,
of gracious influence,

[fol.5 6.]

God

shal encrese
/

and promise
God's blessing.

And

of full trust
/

I-brought out of dyspeyr

That ffynally
Shal
first

thy Royal excellence

plese

god

/
/
/

in verray existence,

194
196
197 Akinsdom
founded on
love ingis last-

And

thy sogettys

of hool herte and entent

to

Shall hool

Obeye

thy Comaundement,

(29)

for entieer love

/ first

growndid vpon the

Affecyo?m Rootyd

/
/'

on Royal confidence,

Voyde

of al

Chawng
/

and mutabilite,
;

Peysybly

in thy magnificence
/

As monarke

prevyd in existence,
/

201

lyk thy desirs

thyn herte for to querae

/ to

mong

percyens

were a dyademe.
(30)

203 204

Thus by wryting / as made is mencyown, Of Arystotyl / he gat al perce lond With al th^ lordshippes / and euery Royal to?m And large Citees / maad soget to his hond.

By

following

Aristotle's

advice Alexander gained

Persia.

Thus first of perce / as ye shal vndirstond, Though he be birthe / with othir londys man ye Afftir his ffadir / was kyng of macedonye.
This Rubryssh rehersith

208

210

name

of the philisoflfre Callid philip,

born in parys, which was translator of this book.

(31)

THis

philisoffie /
al his
/

famous and notable

/

211

[fol.

6 a.]

In

dedys

prudent

&

ryght-wys,

Callyd phelip

avysee and tretable,

/

In the Citee

brought forth of parys,

And above alle / moost excellent of prys, Hadde in thyng / souereyn avawntago,
His townge ffyled
/

215
skilled in

languages.

expert in al language.

217

The AraMc Translator's Prolog.

(32)

ndin

In Rethoryk

he hadde experience

218

Of euery strange / vnkouth nacycmn, Thorugh his sugryd / Enspyred Elloquence, Kowde of ther townge / make a translacyoMn. Termys Appropryd / be interpretacyown They were so set / by dilligent labour Of Tullius gardyn / he bar awey the fflour.
(33)
ffirst
hia duigeno*

222

224

of

hym
/

sylfE /
/

His labour was

he breffly doth expresse, and his dilligence

,

225

out mysteries.

Al

his Ivve

with wakir besynesse

,
,

^. ^ Of Custummable

nature! providence,

Be

disposicyoaiu / to have intelligence

229
231

Of Secre thynges / whan I was in dowte. The hyd mysteryes / for to seke hem ovvte
(34)
ybi. 66.]

In

this

mature

was

set al
/

myn

Entent

232

Sepr'^'of
Johannes.

"^^^ "^y Inward

Xher-of to have
/

hertly attendawnce

Cleer entendement,
/

And

of scryptures

lust ReconysaMnce.
/ confederat

To have with them

I sparyd

AllyaMnce

236

noon

Philisoflfres to

What fortune did falle seke / hem Oon and alle.

/

238

(35)

So desirous

was

of herte and mynde,

239

With
He
visits

al

my
'

wittys / to serchyn and visite

In Arrabia

Arabia and induijn^

search of

and the ferther ynde

PhiHsoffres that cowde /

hem
I

sylff best quite,

And

Eethoryciens

to

compyle and endyte

/

243

Vnkouth mysteryes

was glad hem

to se

By

ther suppoort

to lerne

Some

secree.

245

(36)

I was so brent

in

Cupydes

ffyr

246

To knowe first / whanne I had gonne, With hevenly fervence / Celestial of desir To taste the hcour / of Cytheroes tonne, And knowe the cleernesse / of the bryght

sonne,

250

His Search for Wisdom.

"WTiich in raerydyen
/

moost Amerously doth shyne

Breest of philisotfres / be grace tenlvmyne.

(37)

252

Whanne
Of
this

had serchyd
/

hihe and lowe

253

[foI.Ta]
Aftr

In Sundiy stodyes
Sonne /
I

and many greet lybrarye the bryghtnesse for to knowe,

theron for to tarye,

much

fruitless earcli ba

meets a
henoit.

\Vi3

wery

Tyl at the

laste / I

fond a solytarye
/

257
the ryght way.

Syttyng alloone

with lokkys hore and gray,

/

Which toward phebus

taught

me

259

who him

Instructs

(38)

The which sonne / of bryghtnesse perlees, Compyled aforn / by an expert philisofEre, Callyd in his tyme / Exculapides, To whoom I gan / my seruise for to OflFre, ffor gold nor Silvir / hadde I noon to proffre.

260
from the
booli of

JEsculapius

264 266

He

hold

hym

first /

be megre of Abstinence,
/

Whoom

I besought

with devout Reuerence,

(39)

That he wolde
In
this

goodly
/

me Enspyre
I

267

matere

which

haue be-gonne

Toward the weye / which I moost desire, The goldene path / direct unto the sonne,

Wheer
Took

philisoffres / as

they Reherse konne,

lastith euere

271

ther laude

which that
/

In parfight Clernesse

and may Eclypse neuere.

273

(40)

Perseverawnt / in hoope whan I stood, Of my Request / with feithful attendawnce,

274

[fol.7 6.]

This solitarye

whan he
/

vndirstood
with perfect

Al

that I

mente

with euery Circumstawnce,

strange varya?ince
breffly to

I fond in

hym / no To myn entent /

/

273

<^'ea'nes8.

comprehende.

In goodly wyse

he

lyst to condiscende.

280

(41)
tixo

poynt to poynt

taccomplysshe
/ it

my

desirs,

281

Stood in greet hoope

fforthryd in the

shulde

me

prevaylle
cleer
is,

weye

wheer phebus moost

10

The Translators Prolog.

YoyJe

of dispeyr

be-Cause

my

travaylle
faylle.

Was

expleyted / that no thyng did

/
/

285
Eepaycr,

Cleer was the sonne

Watir, Erthe, and Eyer,

With which gra^nt

Gretly Eeioysshed
/

moost glad in

my

287

(42)

both of cheer and

fface,

288

And Eenewyd
So he
re-

/ /

with a glad Corage,

to
/

Eetoumyd ageyn
/~i
<

myn owne
to

place,

turned,

thanking
late this

book

Gaf thank to god That he me gaff /

In short tyme
/

my

greet avawntage,

80 fortunat passage

292

and in so short a date

/

This seyd book

at leyser to translate

294
295

(43)
[foi.

8a.]

With

greet studye / tacomplysshe the

byddyng,

And

to procede / in the translacyown

Of this book / moost notable in wry ting Of Eoyal matens / souereyn of EenoMn,

Which
Gaff
from Greek
into Chaldee and Arabic.

as

monarcha
this

/ of
/

euery Eegiown,

299
301

me

Charge

knelyng on

my kne

greek in to Chalde. It to translate ' fro /

here the Translator resortith ageyn to set in a p?ologe, on

this wyse.i (44)

Igan
Lydgate here

Eemembre
a stynt
/

/ and muse in my Eesown, Sodeyn consceyt / fyl in my ffantasye, /

302

And made

in

my

translacyown

twix two

stood in lupartye
applye.
Sylff cot^nforte

To what party / my penne I shulde Thus in a dowte / kowde nat my

Till I a

306 308
309

brayde

in purpoos to Eesorte

(45)
the person

by

whom

To hym

that drough

/
,

this p?-ocesse
.

moost devyne,

the Latin

Callyd in his tyme

m phuoosophye
,

.,

was made,

Sonne, merour

This translacyo?in

and lawnpe tenlvmyne / of Eoyal policye and townge

a Celestial
of

Out

of

Greek

/ /

Arrabye

313
31

In to latyn

werk

At Eequest

/ of this
^

notable Clerk.
In margin of MS.

,1

Dedication of the Latin Translation.

(46)

11

\7hich in thoo dayes

was

of greet dignite,

316

[fol.86.]
for Guy, bisliop of

Bysshop Sacryd / in the Citee Covalence, ^Metropolitan / of moost Auctoryte, By whoos Consayl / and in whoos Eeuerence

Valence,

philisoffre

expert in ech science,

/

320

Callyd liberales

that been in nownbre sevene,

/

Namyd

phillipus

myn Auctour
/ tliis

doth

hym

nevene,

322

"Which took vpon

hym
/

vertuous labour

323

Philip of Paris,

Vndir the wynges

That he
of grace
/

of

humble Obedyenco,

wolde doon
/

hym

this ffavour,

This hooly

Guydo

Ifamous in ech science,

/

In whoos wurschepe

and
/

in

whoos Reuerence

32/

By whoos byddyng
Wroot
to

as

he vndirtook,

wliose episfle dedicatory to the Latin

hym

thus

the prologe of this book.

329

begins here.

Vndir your benigne / gracious suppoort, Twen hoope and dreed / Astonyd in my Symplesse, ffor my moost vertuous / and Singuleer co?<nfort,

330

With an exordye / growndid on meknesse, With quakyng penne / my consceyt to expv'esse,

ifor lak of

334
336

Ehethoryk
/ to

feerful to vnffoolde
I

To your noblesse
I have no Colour

wryten as

wolde.

(49)
/

but Oonly Chalk and sable,

337

[foi.9o.]

To |>eynte or portreye / lyst that I shulde Erre Your hill Ileuoi/n / which is in-comperable Your hoolynesse / it spredith out so ferre, lych as the moone / passith a smal sterre
:

The bishop's
fume.

341

So your vertues

Reche vp

to the hevene,

To Arthurus

And

the sterrys sevene.

(50)

343

And

as

phebus

with his bryght beemys,

344

The goldene wayn / thorugh the world doth lede, ffrom Est tyl West / with his celestial streemys
In merydien
/

fervent as the glede,

sterrys
/

Bove moone and

in cleemesse

doth excede

^
;

348

^^ not in

MS.

; ; ;

12

The Virtues and Praises

And

semblaby

/ al

men seyn
/

the same,

The vertues sprede

of your

good name.

350

(51)

In sondry konnynges

Can Rememhre noon,

351

And
knowledge.

I shulde / Reherse

But ye haue parcel / of And shokkyd hem vp

hem Ceryously, hem euerychoon.

/

in

Ordre by and by

And lyk myn Auctour / I dar seyn trewly, And Repoorte / as it Comyth to mynde
In

355
357

my

translacyoan / to seyn ryght as I ffynde.

(52)

[fol.9 6.]

ffirst

He

is

com-

pared tu
Noali, Abriiliam, Isaac,

with Noe / ye have expeji prudence, With Abraham / feith, trouthe, and Equite With Isaak / prevyd conflfydence,

358

And

with lacob
/

longanymyte

Jacob, Joshua,

Stabylnesse

with hardy losue,

/ /

362

Tretable abydyng

Reknyd

in substawttce

With duk Moyses

With

long perse verawnce.

(53)

364

Elijah,

helye

/
/

parfight devocyoun,

365

David,
Elisha,

Of Dauid

the grete benygnyte,

Solomon,
Daniel,

Of Elyseus / expert perfeccyown, Witt of Salamon / with Danyel Chastite

SufiFrance of

Job,
Isaiah,

lob

in his Infinnyte,
/

369
371

Plente of language

with hooly Isaye,

expert in leremye.

Jeremiah.

And

lamentaciowns

(54)

And

as

your ffame
also /

beryth Cleer witnesse,

372

Ye haue

with polityk prudence

In worldly thynges / greet avysenesse, Circumspect / and vertuous dilKgence,

And

with Tullius

sugryd Elloquence
/

376

The Repoort goth Est Callyd Omerus / with

West, North, and South,

the

bony mouth.

378

(55)
[fol. 10 a.]

With

alle these vertues /

/

plentevous in lecture,

379

His episcopal

Saddest exaunple

prevyd in sobimesse,

Day and nyght

moost wakir in scripture,

of Guido, BisTwp of Valence:

13

Bryght

as the

sonne
/

day

sterre of hoolynesse

In moral vertues
Callyd Aurora

Al

vices to Eepresse,

383 385

/ of spiritual
/

doctryne,

Namely

in mateerys

hevenly and divyne.

(56)

Ye wer
flful

of lyfE / Egal with hooly Seyntes,

/

386

and holy

life.

In parfight prayer
Offte

and Contemplacyown,
in desolaciown,

wepte

and made your compleyntes

/

ffor

Synfful wrecchys
/ in

Disconsolat

trybulacyown,
/

390
392

That

fro grace

and

al

vertu exyled,

Ye wern

ay besy

/ tyl

they were Eeconcyled.

(57)

By

your dilligence

notable instruccyo?<n,

393
How he improved the wicked.
to

ffro vicious lyfE / ther corages to declyne,

And Race awey / al fals Occasyown Which ageyn vertu / shulde brynge hem
ffor gracious

Rwyne,
397 399

phebus

that doth alwey shyne

spiritual avayl,
/

yow / in Was Alwey p?-esent

To
forthre

to

been of your Cownsayl.

(58)

In

liberal science / that

be sevene in nownbre,
/

400

[foi.

10 6.]
t)ie

Your studye ay stood

bryght as Apollo
ffor
/

and your dilligence with oute shadwe or Ownibre,

/

His knowledge of

your cleer shynyng

was soth in existence,

Voyde of al paUyd / Outward in Cheer

or Contirfeet Apparence,
/

404
406

of pryde

was no

signe,

And And

in your poort

to alle folk

moost benygne.

(59)
for ye wer / moost famous in science, Conveyed by grace / and with humylite, Wheer euere ye wern / Abydyng in presence, Men seyd ther was / An Vnyuersite

407
To know
was a

liini

liheial

education.

To yow entytled / of Antiquite, As it was / Repoortyd in substazmce. To yow appropryd / be goddys Ordynazmce,
(60)

411

413

With
I,

Addicio?in / of the hevenly inffluence.

414

ffor in

your tyme / was no Creature

Who
That was expert

ordered this Translation

/

nor preferryd in sentence,

To be comparyd / nor of lecture To your noblesse / and favour of nature

418

Was

nat set bak

but lykly

to contvne,

be god and grace

and favour
(61)

of ffortune,

420

[foLiia.]

So

to perseuere /

and lastyn a long

/ for to

date,

421
fate

Prayers for
his long
life

God

lyst

your yeerys
/

multiplye

Grace from abovyn

and your dispoosyd

At the sevene / wellys of philosophye, With Crystallyn sprynges / Ean to ech

That the swetnesse
/
/

partye,

425

of the soote streemys

Ther lycour shadde

in to alle Eeemys.

427

(62)
I lakke language / breffly for to telle

428

The bawme vpclosyd

He had
studied Lucan, Homer, and Virgil;

/ in

your tiesourye,
welle,

Which that ye drank / at EJyconys With lucan, Omer / fowndours of

poetrye.

And

virgile /

which had the Regalye,

/

432
434

Callyd in his tyme

the siiiguleer

Crownyd man.

Above

al othir /

Poete mantvan.
(63)

Ye
lie was a pliilosopher and a poet.

bar the keye

of the Secre CofPre,

/

435

Callyd Eegistrer

of ther tresoury.
first

With two

prerogatives /

a philisoffre.
poetrye,

And moost expert / your tyme in And yif I shal / bruffly Speceffye

439
441

Your hihe merytes / and your magnificence by lugement yove / direct to your Clemence.
(64)
[loi. 11
fc.]

This book in Grece

was brought

to

your sight

442

Tliis

book

had been given him

In Antioche

your noblesse to delyte,

A ntiocli,

As

a Charbou/icle / ageyn dirknesse of nyght

Rychest Rubye

Or

clerest

margaryte

Of

})hilisofi"res /

and pleynly
/ in their
/

for to wryte.

446

Sent of Assent

Oppynyo?m
448

That ye therof

shulde have inspeccyo?m.

from, the Arabic to he made.

(65)

15

Off eutent
ffroin

/ it

shulde be translatyd.
/ to

449

and was
transUited

Arabyk

moor pleyn language,

/

from Arubic
into Latin by his orders, since Latin

ffor latyn is

moore pleyn
/ to
/

and moore dylatyd and hod Corage

In

al

nacyonns
for I

Oold and yong of Age

was f;enerally known.

And

wolde

of herte

453
455

I took

Obeye your byddyng / of humble Affeccyot/n vpon me / this Translacyo?tn.

(66)

To Condiscende
In
thrst

/ in al
/

my

best entent

456

this

matere

my
/

labour for to shewe,

taccomplyshhe

your Comaundement

Yit AVer

me

loth / Ovir

myn bed

to

hewe,

But for ther been / of Copyes but a fewe Of this book / Reknyd in sentence, To doo yow plesajtnce / and also Eeue?*ence.
(67)
I

460 462

Verj few
copies of the

book exist;

took vpon

me

your disciple and Clerk,

463

[fol.lSa.]

As I Cowde / vndir Correccioun, To procede and gynne / vpon this werk. Out of Arabyk / with hool affeccyoun, Into latyn / make this Translacyown,
Oonly tagreen
/

but the translator

on

liis

orders will do
his best

467
469

with

al
/

humylite,

To your moost famous

Xat woord by woord
In
]5ut

magnanymyte,

(68)
/

Cause of varyawnce,

470

""' ^

literal

translation.

this tonges / ther is greet difference

lyk

ffolwyn

my Symple / vnexpert suffysawnce, myn Auctour / in menyug and sentence,

474
476

Ryght of bool herte / and entieer dilligence. As Arystotiles / Rehersyth by wrytyng

lu his Epistil
/ to

Alisaundre kyng.
pistil

here folowith the secujid

that

kyng Alysanndre

sent to his maistir Aristotiles.^

(69)

Han

Alisaundre

/ as is
/

Rehersyd heer,

477

tliis

philisoffre
'

for vertues many-foold,

In margin of

MS.

16

A
Sent unto

List of Aristotle s Secret Crafts.

hym

a secre massageer,
/ to

With-oute Exskus
Aristotle

come

to his hoiishoold

unable by
io**^"toAifx-

But he ageyn o j

/ i

for
/

he was feble and Oold, >

tothir syde,

481

-^^^ inpotent ^j^j yuweldy

on the

auder.

/ for to

goon or Eyde.

483

(70)
[foi.126.]

But cheef cause

why
/

Alisaundre sente

484

Alexander, very desirous

of

and a fantasye To declare pleynly / what he mente He wyst in soth / that in philosophye,
purpoos take
ir

knowing

With

othir secretys / of Astronomye,

'

488 490

seorete;

He was

expert

This was in

and moost cowde vndirstonde, cheef Cause / of the kynges sonde,

/

(71)
which were-

Poweer

of planetys /

And mevyng

of al sterrys,

491

And

of enery / hevenly intelligence,

/

Disposiciown

of pees

and ek of werrys,

And
Magic,

of ech othir / straMuge

/
/

As

the sevene goddys

hyd science by ther Inffluence,

of IncantacioMns,
/

495
497

Dispoose the Ordre

Alchemy,

Of

of

Sevcue metallys

the transmutacioMns,

(72)
Calculations,

and Geoinancy;
the arts of Circe and

With

othir Crafftys /
. i

which that he

secre,

498

CalculacioMU / and Geomancye,

DitfomiacyoMns

Medea;

lokyng of ttacys

of Circes ,.,,. and meede, and piromancye,

/

nomy, Pyromancy, and

Geometry.

On

loud and watir

'

CrafFt of Geometrye,
''

502 504

Heyhtc and depnesse / with al expenence, Therfore the kyng / desyryd his p?-esence.
(73)

[foi.

isa]

But

for al thys /

with Inne
/

hym

Sylff a thyng,

505

back'some"'''
secrets:

Tlicr

was a Secre
/

he kept nat do discloose,

to the

-^^^ ^^ puplysshe

Opynly
/

kyng,
in a Roose;

Takyng
ffirst

exa?niple

by two thynges
/

how

the fflour

greet swetnesse doth dispoose,

509
511

Yit in the thorn

And

thus in

men fynde greet sharpnesse konnyng / ther may been a lyknesse.

/

Lydgate on

tlie

Secrets of Nature.

17

(74)

wry ting woord and stoon, Ecli hath his vertu / of god and of nature, But the knowyng / is hyd fro many Oon,
In herbe
fflour / in

&

512

he wished to keep secretK from the

people,

And

nat declaryd

/ /

to euery Creature

"VVherfore he Cast

twen Eesown and mesure

Ese.

516
Kia OlO
and yet to Please the king.

To shape a weye / bothe the kyng to plese, Somwhat to vncloose / and sette his herte at
(75)

Ther

is

of ryght

a greet difference

519
The common

Twen a prynces / Royal dignite And atwen Comouns / Rude intelligence, To whoom nat longith / to medle in no
Of konnynges
ffor to
/

degre
;

people should not try to learn things

that shulde be kept secre

/
/

523
which belong
only to kings

a kynges

famous magnificence.

And

to Clerkys

which haue
(76)

expe?-ience,

525

auQ

clerks.

It cordith wel

to serche
/

Out

scrypture,

526
tree.

[foi.

1S&.]
I

Misteryes hyd

of fowlys, beeste,
/

and

jydgate

ellsof th(

And

of AMDgellys
/

moost sotyl of nature.

see,

Of mynerall

and fysshes in the

/ /

And

of stoonys

Specially of three

530
lyff.

The

Oon myneral

Anothir vegetatyff,
/

three stones Mineral, Vegetative,

Partyd on foure

to lengthe a

mannys

532

(77)

Of which I Radde / among othir stoonys Ther was Oon / was Callyd Anymal, ffoure Eilementys / wrought Out for the noonys
Erthe, Watir, and

533
and Animal
the last made from the 4

Eyr

And

in Especial

loyned

Avith ffyr

proporcyoun maad Egal

/

537 539

elements in equal propor"""'

And
Is

I dar seyn

breffly,
/

and nat

tarye,

noon suych stoon

ffound in the lapydarye.

(78)
I

Rad Oonys / in a philisoffire, Ageyn ech Syknesse / of valew doth moost Cure
tresour
al
/

540

It will cure

sickness of
all

kuOs.

Al the

and gold in Cresus

or forgid

coffre,

Nor

the stoonys / that growe be nature,

/

"Wrought by Crafft PHILOSOPHERS.

by

picture,

544

18

Lydgate
lapis et

Ignorant and Foolish

lapis / stoon of grettest fame,
it

non

Aristotiles / gaf

the same name,

546

(79)

And
The
translator's inca-

for I

haue
or

but

litel

Ead

or seyn,

547

To wryte
ffor

medle
/

/ of

so hih materys,

pacity

presumpcyown

somme wolde haue disdeyn

551

To be so boold / or Clymbe in my disirys, To scale the laddeie / above the nyne sperys, Or medle of Eubyes / that yeve so cleer a lyght

On
for dealing

hooly shrynes

in the dirk nyght. (80)

553

was nevir

with the
subject.

noon expert loweler,

/ to

554
Sylff in prees

In suycli materys

putte

my

With
Aristotle

philisoflres /

myn Eyen wer

nat Cleer,

taught Alexander,

Nouthir with plato / nor with Socratees, Except the Prynce / Aristotilees,

558

Of

philisofEres

to Alisaundre
/

kjmg
560

"Wrot of this stoon

the merveylle in^ werkyng,

(81)

In prevy wyse
Secretys
how
to separate each of

/
/
/

lycb to his Ententys,

561

hyd

Cloos in philosophie
of the foure Ellementys,

fiirst

departyng

the 4 ele-

And

ments,

aflftirward / as

he doth speceffye

how

to purify

Euerych

of

hem

for to Eecteffye

565

them,

and how to combine them

again.

And

afftir this /
/

lyk his OppynyoMn,

a ConiuwccyoMn.

Off this foure

make

667
568

(82)
[fol. 14 6.]

And 2

In suych wyse

performe vp this stoon,

/

Seen in the loynyng

ther be noon Outrage

But the

fals

Erryng

hath fonnyd

many Oon,
greet Eerage,
;

And

brought

hem
/

afttir / in ful

By expensys
ffor lak of
the ignorant
in their

and Outragious Costage

/

572

brayn

they wern maad so

/

wood
574

search for the stone

Thyng
ffor

to

be-gynne

which

thej'

nat vndirstood.

(83)

he that

lyst / put in experience,

575
fool,

fforboode Secrees / I holde

hym

but a

lyk

hym
^

that temptith / of wylful necligence,

'inal'MS.

Not

in

MS.

of the Cost of the Study of Alchemy.

19

To stonde vp ryght / On a thre foot stool, Or sparyth a stewe / and fyssheth a barcyn

pool

579
and what reward they

When

al is

doon

he get noon othir

/

gi-ace,

Men wyl
It
is

scorne

hym
men

and mokke

his foltyssh ffaco.

581

obtain.

(84)

no

Crafft / poore
/

tassaye,
to

582
be bare,
rpoor

It

Causith Cotfres
/

and Chestys

!Marryth wyttes

and braynes doth Affraye Yit be wryting / this book doth declare,
be EesoMns
/

And

lyst nat for to spare,

/

586
588

"With goldeyn Resowns

in taast

moost lykerous,

Thyng
Title of this

per ignotiu?i

prevyd per ignocius.

(85)

book

labor philosophorMm,

589

[fol.

15 0.]

Namyd
Of

also / de

Regimine principum,
omnium, virtutum,

philisoffres / secreta secretorM?w,

Tresour compyled

Eewle directory e / set up in a somnie,^ As ComplexioMns / in helthe and syknesse, Dispose them sylS / to mornyng or to gladnesse.
(86)

593
595

The which book

Alisaundre
/

/ direct to

the

kyng

596

bothe in werre and pees,

/

lyk his Request

Iful

and Royal Comaundyng,

A-Complysshed / by Aristotiles, fFeble for Age / and inpotent douteles,

600
sent.

Hool of Corage / and trewe in his entent, Tobeye his byddyng / this book he to hym

602

To

telle of by??* the

Genealogie which translated this book.

(87)

HE
A
Of

that

first / this

labour vndirtook,
/

603

"Was Callyd lohn

/

And

of

nacyoMn

spaynol born

which began
/

this book,

eue?-y towiige
/

And

euery Regiown
is
/

he was expert

as

maad
/ of
^

menciown.

607
tellith thus.

To speke

ther language

myn Auctour
patricius.
'

And

Callyd sone

Oon
MS.

609

son of Patricius.

Sonne.'

20

The Prolog of Johannes Hispalensis.

(88)

[fol.15 6.]

Trewe expert

and

dilligent to
/

konne,
SylfE in prees,

610

mong
who came
to

philisofFres

put ay

hym

Cam

to

Oraculum

the Oracle of the Sun, built by jBsculapius.

Callyd of the sonne,

by Esculapides, Wheer tabyde / his Eestyng place he chees, Though te he wolde / for a sesown tarye,
place bylt /

614 616

Cause that he fond

A persone
thedir

solitarye.

(89)

Dempte he was brought

and after
naucli en-

In lowly wyse

besought

hym On

by myracle, his kne

617

treaty

was

taught,

To vouchesauf / to shewe in that Oracle hyd merveylles / which ther wer kept Secre

And

of Affecciown

and gracious
/

pite,

621

I fEond

hym

goodly

and benigne of Cheer,

623

My

Eequestys

/ at leyser for to heer.

(90)

And whanne
and given this book of
Secrets,

I hadde / with oute more Obstacle, Seyn ther thynges / with Secrees delitable, That wer divyue / and Cloos in that Oracle,
It

624

was a paradys

verray incomparable
/

And

for this philisoffre

/

was

so mercyable

G28

Towardys me

and shewyd no dysdeyn,

/

Thankyng

my

maister

Eetournyng hoom ageyn.

630

(91)
[fol.

16 a.]

Afftir this labour

I gan dispoose

me

631

wliich lie translated

from Greek through

Syriac into Arabic.

To procede / on this translacyoz^n, Out of greek townge / and language Chalde, To Arabyk afor / of hool entencyown, That I myght / for short conclusyown, lyk my desir / tacomplysshe and confoorme,
This
pistil to

635
637

wryte

vndir this same foorme.

Here

is

the Epistil of the translator.

(92)

the IN Weiuame'of Arystotiles avysed A processe

/

638
to provide
;

In his exskus

he was nat Rekkelees,

The Second Letter of Aristotle

But Inpotent
/

to

Alexander.

21
Aristotle, nnRble to come

for to
/

goon or Hyde,

And

Alleggyng

on the tothir syde,

he wel vndirstood,
/

642

to the king.

The kynges

lettres /

Which

for to

Obeye

herte and wyl

wer good.

644 645

Yif inpotence

of his

vnweldy

age,

In his

desire / put

hym

nat abak,

To goon
Hool

or

Ryde

to lettyn his passage,

/

in his

wyl

ther was nevir lak,

Though

was tournyd whyte fro blak ; / of his Royal grace, To take a leyser / competent and spaee,
his heer /

649
excusinaf
lilinsell,

Besought

hym

lowly

651

(94)

In his exskus

this pistil to vncloose

/

652

[foi.icfcj

And

firet

Advertise

in Especial,

Witt and Corage / and hym Silff dispoose, To leve al manerys / that be bestial,
Vertues to folwe
This to seyne
/ that
/ firet

been Inp<?ryal
prudently discerne,
/ his

656
and teaching
tlie

Twen

vice

and vertu

peple to goveme.

658
659

aru of kingcraft.

(95)

Off his pistil

a breef Subcrypcyown,
/ to
/

Set lowly vndir

And
"

of hool herte

tfor

Alysaundre
that
sit

vp his cheer. makyng this Orysojm And this was liis preyeer
god
lefft
/

Alexander

God

hihest

Above
/

the sterrys cleer.

663 665

behalf against
sloth.

Grant

first

our kyng
/

tavoyde from

hym

sloutbe,
for truth.

A
And

fals

stepmodir

And
(96)

thanne begynne at trouthe.*

of thy Cownsayl /

make
/

hire cheef pryncessc.

That she may provide

AVith outyn handys
/

And

takyn hede

by greet avysenesse,
6
against
flatterers

Outhir for favour / or for Old hatrede,

Chace

flatererys /

and hem that take mede.

And suych to^nges / of Custom that be double. And namely them / that Can sowe trouble.
(97)

and double
tongues

Whysperyng townges / of taast moost serpentyn, Silvir scalyd / whoos mouth is ful of blood.

673

[tol. 17 a.]

22
Aristotle likens
flatterers to

Aristotle

warns Alexander.
fawnyn and to shyne, / in Oon hood
ther galle doth no good,
/

Smothe

afore folk

to

And shewe two

Ther sugre
is

facys
/

serpents

soote

677
tayl.

Alle suych shidde

be voyded from Counsayl

/

A
He advises
Alexander to
disregard

bee yevith hony

and styngeth with the

679

(98)

This forseyd peple

/ togidere to
/

Coinbyne,

680

Which
Though
flfor

be froward

of ther Condiciot/ns,

that they been / discendid of

/

Trouthe wyl uat folwe

vnto Royal
/

ther

Oon lyue, Oppynyowns ;

684
686

disposicyowns,
/

As

I seyd Erst

Avoyde

fro the slouthe,

And And

Cheef of uertues

/ set in hir place trouthe.

(99)
to directe / lyk

myn Oppynyoun,
/

687

Whan

thou hast voyded

slouthe

and necligence,

And trouthe is entryd / with discrecyown, And Conveyed / to^ thy magnificence,
and
to listen

I trust ye shal

only to truth.

yeve
/

hem Audience
philisofFye

691

In

myn

exskus

which in

be Callyd

ffadir /

and

in prophecye /

693

(100)
[fol.

17 6.]

Have

a spirit

to forn of knowlech}Tig.
/

694

In your service

whan
/ of

first

began,

Declaryd mysteryes

the hevenly kyng,

Aristotle bad been visited by an angel.

Which excelle ResoMn / and wit of man, And how the lord / As I Reherse Can
ffor

698

your sake

Sent an Aungel doun

moo
As
and taken ap
to heaven, as Greek

to enspyre /

by Revelacyoun.
(101)

700

it is /

Repoortyd in scripture,

701

In Grekyssh bookys
Arystotiles
tfadir
/

Above the sterryd hevene, was Awngelyk of nature,

/ /

books show.

and ffowndour
/

of the sciencys sevene,

ffyry levene,

Reysed in a pyleer

wrought of

705
707

So hih

alotite /

be Revelacyown,
/

Knew

hevenly secretys
^
'

At

his
'

comyng do?m.
MS.

to

hym

in

Ai-istotle proi7iiscs to disclose all Secrets.

23

(102)

By whoos Cownsayl
Hadde
Of
al

/ in

Arrabye folk Carpe,

708

VowB on

of sevene /
/

Clymatys domynacyoun,

the peacnck of Alexander's

chivalry.

the world

Empe?'our and monarke,

/

Ynde, Ethiope

and euery nacyown

And

greete porrus / be poweer he Cast don,

of the pecock
/
/

712
714
[fol.

Vowes

doon be dayes Olde

by
his

wern a-Complysshed

knyghtes bolde.

(103)

18 a.]

Thcr be secrees

of materys hih

and lowe,

715

Hyd

in nature /

Concelyed and Secre,

desired for to

Which Alisaundre / By Aristotiles / a

Nat
specefFyed
/

knowe
719 721

certeyn prevyte

Cloos in hyni Sylff kept he,

AVhich was delayed Tyl he

hym

sylfE /

Of greet providence, come to his presence.

/

(104)

Nnevirtheles

at Ellyconys welle,
/

722
lyst nat telle
Aristotle discovered
his secrets

This philisoffre

by fulsom habundawnce,
which

Drank

grettest plente /

hym
hem

I niene secretys /

moost souereyn of plesawnce,

wryte
in substajince,

Which

to discure / or
/ to
/

726

under cover of dark

sayings.

lyk his desirs

I shal so

servyn his entent,

doon

he shal be ful content.

(105)

728

By

a manere

lyknesse and
/

fiigure.

729

Dirk Outward
lyk a thyng
/

mysty
in

for to se,

that were above nature,

/

As

it

were seyd

Enigmate,

Touchyd

a parcel / I

As vudir Chaaf

/ is
/

mene thus parde Closyd pure Com,

733
End of the prologs.

Tijuchyd somdel

in partye heer-to-forn.

735
[fol.

Of foure maner kynges diuers of disposicion.

(106)

18 6.]

THer be kynges
And

dispoosyd by nature,
/

36

Somrae that broyde

on

liberallyte,

of hool herte / with al ther besy Cure

Kings considered from the point of view of their largesse

24
the kinj?
is carefiil

Kings should neither

who

he

Tlier studye set

in largesse to be
/

fre,

of hia repatation for liberality;

That ther Imperial

Shulde nat be spottyd

magnanymyte / in no maner wyse,

/

740
742

Towchyng the

vice

of froward Coveityse.

(107)
the king

The

generous to
Iiimself and his subjects;

philisoflEre / in
/

Ordre doth expr^sse,

to

743

That som kyng

hym

sylff is large,

tlie

king

generous to
his suljects and not to himself.

And to his sogettys / shewith greet largesse, And som kyng streyght / to take On hym the largely to parte / and haue hym Sylff Skarce
;

Charge

747 749

The

But ytalyens
large

Recorde be Wrytyng
/ is

Italian

opinion

on ech party

vertuous in a kyng.

(108)
the Indian opinion

Aristotiles

writt of
/

They Repoorte
"Which to

that

them in ynde, kyng is gloryous,

/ is

750

hym

Sylff

most skars of kynde,

is

And
the Persian opinion

to his sogettys /
/

large

and plentevous
:

^
;

Yit they of perce

be Contrary ous
/

754 756

But
Is

to

my doom

that
/

kyng
is

that hath the Charge

to bothe large.

moost Comendid

that

(109)2
[fol.l9a.]

the translator's

mene as thus / by a dyvisiown Toward hym sylff / kepe his Estat Royal
attemperaMnce
/
/

757

opinion.

By

and by discreciotm,
in Especial,

lyk his sogettys

As they disserve / to be liberal, Twen moche and lyte / A mene

Of
to

761
to devise

mekyl

And

streight Coveitise.

763

(110)

different

Thet

is

a maner

strawnge difference,

764

between prodi(fauty and

ffor

lak of ResoMu /

twcn prodigalyte
/ of liberallite

And
To

in a

kynges

Royal magnificence,

Whan

he lyst parte

his sogettys / as they been of degre

/

768 770

So Egally

I-holdyn the ballawnce,

Ech man
*

contente / with discreet Suffysawnce.

59 Ar. omits from line 753 to line 759. 2 Not in 2251 Harl.

Avaricious nor Prodigal.

(111)

25

mene / peysed in ballawnce Atwixen hym / that is a greet wastour To kepe a meene / by attemper^wnce,
Ther
is

waating and

That ech thyng / be peysed be mesour, That foltyssh grucchyng / bryng in noon Errour,
Considred
first /

775

grudging.

of prynces the poweer,

/

And

next the merytes

of the laboureer,

777

(112)

Concludyug thus

twen good wyl and grucchyng

/

778

[fol.19 6.]

Of them that been

feithful of servyse,

And

of anothir

froward and grucchyng,

/

That wyl Obeye

in

no maneer wyse,
/

Consideration must be taken of the merit of the recipient.

To folwe the doctryne To putte his body /

and the greet Empryse,

/

782 784

in pereel

moost mortal,

And
To

in lupartyes / that

be marcial.

(113)
alle

suych

prynce of hihe noblesse

gold / nor his tresour

785

To whom
be liberal.

Shal nat spare

/ his

To

parte with

hem

/ StufE of his
/

Rychesse,

Thing Apropryd

to euery

Conquerour.

But yif tfredam / Conduite his labour. That liberallyte / his Conquest doo provide, At his moost nede / his men wyl nat abyde.
(114)
Aiistotiles /

789
The danger
of illiberality.

791

made
/

a discripcyown

792

fful notable / in his

iSette

wrytynges,

a maneer

of divysyoMn,

That ther be

dyue?^ maneer kynges

/

Somme

be large

in ther departynges
/

796 A
^0g

king

To bothe tweyne

Seith he
/

is

moost good

should provide for him-

That atwen tweyne

trewly yevith his good.

and Ins subjects.

self

(115)

But he that is / streyght lokkith vp his tresour

in his kepyng,
/

799

[fol.aoa.]

in his Coffre,

And

lyst nat parte

with no maner thyng

With

his sogettys / nor

/

no good

to proffre

A covetous,
to Offre
;

In nede or myscheef

lyst

no part

803

sparing king.

26
I

The King's Bounty should

Can nat seyn
/ liis

he

shared

ffredam to Comende,

That vnto nouthir

/ lyst

nat to entende.

805

(116)
m"nifile"[* kig.

^^^ ^^^^ partyth / suych as god hath sent Be fortune / Or Conquest iu bataylle, To his kuyghtes / or sowdiours of entent, Suych at nioost nede / in trouthe may avaylle, And them Eelevith / that be falle in poraylle,

806

810
812

What

folwith

afftir / breffly to

termyne,

lyght of his noblesse / shal euere encreese

(117)

& sbyne.

/
,

^Nature hath set / tweyne extremytees

ffirst

813

be a maneer

/ discreet

providence,

That the streeinys

and of a wise

/ of liberallite
/
/

Set in good mesour

Eeffreytes of prudence,

Peysed in ballawnce

So that Sapience, Queen of vertues / as lady souereyne, That suych a meene / be set at wen hem tweyue.
(118)

817

819

[foL206.]

ffii-st

conceyved

and peysed ech

/

Estat,

820

Tliat ther be

no
/

froward transgressyown

Of wylfulnesse
and prudent

nor no froward debat,

Ech thyng

in Ordre /
/

Conveyed by Resown
824

That mesour haue

domynacyown,

As it is ryght / of trouthe and Equite, Tweu Avaryce / and prodigalyte.

(119)

826

And whoo
ffroora

that

wyl
/

breeffly in sentence

827

Trewly devyde

vertuous largesse,

hym hath no / polity k Aduertence, Them to governe / of Eoyal gentiUesse,

I dar wel seyn
/

breffly

and expresse,
determyne
'

831

Of good Repoort
His glory
s)iall

/ shortly
'

his souue of vertues

shine

thorugh the world shal shyne

833

(120)
without
detraction.

With
Qr

oute Eclypsyng
fals

of

Ouy

mystes blake

834

Rcpoort

/ of
/

ouy dirk shours,^

Or froward
1

toMiiges

that noyse or sclawndre make,

59 Ar. aud Harl. 2251 omit from line 835 to liuc 841.

among
To medle
laureer

all Classes

of his Subjects.
flours

27

netlys

with soote Eoose

trewly for to
/ to

Crownys
is

/
/

be maad for Conquerours

838

In tryvmphes

deme
were a dyademe.

Whoo

moost wourthy

840

(121)

kyng dispoosyd
ffirst to

/
/ /

of

Royal excellence,
in his dyspence,
to Ordeyne,

841

[fol.SlaJ

be large

cheefly in thynges tweyne,

large to liyiu Sylff

And
/

tire

Twen moche,

litel /

that

wysdam

That discrecyown

As lady Sovereyne, With Kesown present / At good leyseer tabyde,

/

345 * 847

discreet

king shares
largesse

liis

That hasty wyl

medle on nouthir syde

(122)

Streyght to

hym

Sylff
/

in

suych maneer wyse,

848

Aforn Considred

his

magnanymyte,

That Royal firedam

/ dispoose So the Assyse Toward his liges / that suych Repoort may To kepe the ffraMnchyse / of liberallyte,

be,

852
between the
noblesse Mini

Twen

his noblesse

/
/

and his

liges bothe.

In so good meene

that nouthir of

hem be

wrothe.

854

*!>*

subjects.

(123)

They

of ytallye / in ther
/ it

Oppynyo?m,
in a kyng,

855

Seyn

was

/
/

no vice

Yif he be large

be distrubucyoj/n

To them that been / vndir hym levyng But they of perce / Recorde in ther wryting,

859
861

He

that
to

is

large / vnto bothe two,

ffirst

hym
/

SylfE

and

lige

men

Also.

(124)

But

to

my doom

and
/

to

my

ffantasye,
is

862

[fol.

216.]

Seith Aristotiles

that

kyng

moost comendable

That hath

largesse / in his Regalye,

/ /

With good meenys

Trewe
in his feith
/

in vertu stonde stable,

not feynt nor varyable,

866 868
Aristotle

Twen Avaryce
The

of trouthe
/

and Equite,

vice avoyding

of prodigalyte.

(125)
Breffly the vertu / of

commends
largesse.

Royal hih

oby

between
avarice and prodigality.

Set in

meene

of

prudent governaMnce,

; ;

28
Howiargesae
sliould be

Princes should beware of Flatterers,

That ther be nouthir

J3ut a ryght

apportioned.

Eewle / of Attemperaunce So that mesour / weye the ballajmce, To Recompense / of Equite and Rygbt,
lyk ther merytes
/ to

111
/

skarsete nor excesse,

873

euery maneer wyght.

875

(126)
Theemis
arising from
flatterera.

Atwen
Ther

troutbe
is

/
'

And

forgyd fflaterve *'

'

876

a straungB /
/

vnkouth

difference,

Contraryous poysoMn

I dar wel certeffye,

To

alle

Estatys

of

Royal excellence
/

Wheer double menyng

Ther growith ffrawde

hath ony existence,

/

880
882

And

Covert

fals

poysoMn,

And

sugryd galle

honyed witb CollusyoMn.

(127)

[foi.

22 a.]

Off Prynces Eerys

they be tabourerys,

883

They

are

The tenour RoMnd / And mery goo the bellys But with ther touch / they stynge wers than brerys,

briare, the

torments of

With

hunger, thrust
'

/
'

myd
''

tantalus dyuers welly s,

'
*'

'

Tanuiu^or
Proserpine.

fflouTs of proserpiua / fayr

and

bittir smellys

887

go semblaby

flatererys in
/

Apparence,

Be outward sugryd

And

galle in existence.

889

(128)

And he that wyl / be famous in largesse, And haue a name / of liberaDyte, Akingshonid lat hym Conceyve / Aforn in his noblesse,
consider the merits of high

890

ge.

The discertys / of hih and lowe degre, Atwen mesour / excesse and skarsete,
So departe
/

,.

.,

894
Suffysatmce.

by Attemperaunce,
/

That lyk discertys

Ech man haue

(129)

896

In the partyng
He

stant
/

"Wysdam and
this

fooly,

897

but discrecioMn
should

medle in

matere

the worthy,

"Who yevith his tresour / to them that be wourthy, And them guerdownyth / with glad face and Cheere, As Ryght and Resown / in tyme doth Requeere In his departyng / As to myn Avys, Suych a kyng / is provident and wys.

901

903

and

he

bounteous only
(130)

to the

Worthy.

29

But vfhoo departith / his tresour and Eychesse To them that been / not wyse nor profitable, It is Callyd / A maneer of excesse, AVhich in A kyng / is nat honourable. Of prudent partyng / in Corages that be stable, Ther folwith Alftir / by Eepoort of Wrytyng, Greet laude and preys / namely in a kyng.
(131)

904

[fol.22 6.]

and not

tlio

908

910

To them that falle / in Casuel indigence, Be sodeyn Caas / Or in necessyte, Or infortunys / froward violence, Than it accordith / to Royal dignite, To shewe of ffxedam / his liberallite Suych a kyng / Advertisyng his Charge,
:

911

he should
lielp

those
fall

who

into

undeserved
poverty.

915
917

Is to

hym

Sylff /

and

to his liges large.

(132)

And

his lordshippe /
/

And

al his

Eegiown

918

Shal encrese

in long felicitye,

With laude and preys / love and subiecciown, As Appartenyth / vnto his dignite,
To were
his

Crowne
/

in long prosperite

922

I dar afferme

and mak

my

Sylf wol boold,

Suych wer Comendid

/ of philisoflfres Oold.

924

(133)

But

yif a

kyng

Contraryous of sentence,

925

[fol.

2S a.]

partith his tresour / to

them that ha no nede.

taken hede,
but not those who have wasted their goods

Or be nat

falle / in
/

Casuel indigence,

but wylfully

lyst nat
/

What

evir

he spent

Caist aforn
/

no drede

929
931

This folwith therof

his tresour

and his Cost,

lost.

With-Oute laude

bothe two ar
(134)

Suych Oon gladly

Escapith nat
/

wheer he wake or wynke,

932
through
vanity or
carelessness.

be vanyte or veynglorye.

Of poverte / to fallyn in the brynke The philisoffre / put also in meniorye Suych fooly waast / get On him-Sylf victorye,
5

936

30

Things unsuitable

to

a King.

And

Causith

hym

be excessyf dispence,

ffolk in dawngeer / of froward Indigence.

938

(135)
Description of a prodigal.

In his departvng
m^

This to seyn

In his

/ whoo is inmoderat, whoo is nat mesurable Rychesse /but disordinat,

,

939

Is Callyd prodigus

which

is

nat honourable,

Depopulator

wastour nat tretable,

/

943 945

"Which

is

name
/

As be Old wrytyng,
wourthy kyng.

Disconvenyent

to euery

(136)
[foi.

23 6.]

Aristotiles

geyn

this CondicioMn,

946

Set a Eewle

/ to
/ /

Eoyal providence,
his

Moost notable
Shal directe

which in Conclusyown

And Rewie
/

Clemence

In long prosperyte

of
/

Royal Reuerence,

950 952

And

good Repoort

which

is

a thyng divyne,
al

Tressyd as phebus

thorugh
(137)

the world to shyne.

Tilings on-

Ther

is

becoming a
king.

A maneer
to

disconvenience

953

In Re publica

/ is /
/

hoolde vicious,

kyng

pleyne

vpon Indigence,
to

Outhir in desirs

been Avaricious,
/

Outhir skars in kepying

large or Coveytous,

957
959

Or kepe a meene

twen vertuous

plente,

Atwen

largesse /

and prodigalyte.
(138)

It

hath be seyn

/
/

that Ovir large expence

960

In Regiowns

and many greet

Cite,

Hath vnwarly
nermogenes'
opinion.

brought in Indigence,
/

Bothe in Estatys
but liermogcnes

And
/

in the

ComoMnte
964

/ of greet

Auctoryte,

Wroote

in

somme
/

pleynly Concluding

That the noblesse

of a

famous King,

966

(139)

Vndirstondyng

/ breffly to
/

Conclude,

9G7

Was

perfeeciown
/

vp lokkyd in sentence.

Signed in a kyng

and the plenitude

The Making of the

Of
Lis Royal /

A'lixir.

31

Crownyd

magnificence,

And hym
In his

Sylff / to have an Abstinence

desirs / fro

thyng that nat good

is,

flfrom the tresour /

and his

liges goodys.

973
of the stoonys.

How

Aristotil declarith to

kyng Alisa^mdre

(140)

TOuchyng
But ther
is

the stoon

/ of philisoffres
/

Old,

974

The

philoso-

pher 8 stone.

Of which they make

moost souereyn menciown,

Oon

as Aristotil toold,

Which

alle excellith / in
/

Comparysown,
;

Stoon of stoonys

moost souereyn of Renown

978
980 981

Towchyng the vertu / of this Ryche thyng. Thus he wroot / to the moost souereyn kyng
(141)

Alisaundre

grettest of dignite,
/

Of

al this

world

monark and Regent,

And

of al naciowns / hast the souereynte,

Echoon

to

Obeye

/ /

And
/

been Obedyent

And

to

Conclude

the ffyn of our Entent,

breeffly shet in

Al worldly

tresour

Oon,

Is declaryd / in vertu of this stoon,

987

(142)

Thou must
by

first /
/
/

Conceyven in substaunce,

988

[fol.24 6.]

maneer

vnkouth divysiown,

"Watir from

Eyr

by a

dysseveraifnce,^
/

The elements Water ami Fire must be

separated

And

ffyr

froom Eyr

^by a departysoMn,^

from Air,

Echoon preservyd

/ ffrom Corrupciown,

As philisoffres / Aforn haue Speceffyed, Which by Resown / may nat be denyed.

(143)

994
995

Watir from Eyr / departyd prudently, Eyr ffrom ffyr / And ffyr from Erthe don, The Craft conceyved / devyded trewly.

and

all

three

carefully purified.

With Outyn Errour

As As
it
is

/ /

or decepcyoMn

Pure euery Ellement

partenyth
/

in his Complexiozzn,

999
1001

pleynly to his part.

/

Remembryd
1
'

perfightly in this

Art

deperte

'

in

MS.

-* blank in MS.

32

Some great

Alchemists.

(144)
The colour
of the stone j8 Citron for gold making,

This stoou of Colour

lyk the sonne

'

Sumtyme Cytrynade ,,.,.,, kynde. stremyd

/ is
J

002

in his

>

Gold tressyd

makith hertys

ful glade,

With moor

white for
silver

kyng of ynde, Of precious stoonys / wrought in ther dew kynde The Citren Colour / for the sonne bryght, Whyte for the moone / that shyneth al the nyght.
tresour / than hath the
:

1006 1008

mak-

ing.

(145)

[foi.25o.]

This philisoff re

brought forth in parys

/

1009

Philip of Paris wrote

oftiiepurification of the

eiemente.

Al the divisyown / set by greet Avys, ^ , And ther vpon / did his besy Cure, That the perfecciown / longe shulde endure
"^
'
''

,,,..
,

"Which of this stoonys

,

wroot fuUy the nature,

.

1013 1015

lyk thentent

of Aristotiles sonde,
/

Which noon but he

fFor

Cowde wel brynge on honde,

(146)

though the mature

this stooDys /

Opynly nat toold

1016

Of

Aristotiles /

what philisofEres mente, that was expert and Oold,

/

And And

he of parys

that forth this present sent,

in al his beste / feithful trewe entent,

1020
1022

With circmristaMnces / of Arrabye, ynde, and perce, Towchyng tbe stoonys / that Clerkys Can Eeherse;
(147)
Hermogenes
of^Phiitp,"""^

Hermogines

hadde

hym

SylfE Alloone,

1023

and taught
virtues of*

With seyd Phelip / that with hym was Secree, knewh the vertu / of euery prevy stoone, As they Were / dispoosyd of degree, ffrom hym was hyd / noon vnkouth previtiee This hermogenes / and he / knewh euery thyng
Of
alle

1027
1029

suych uertues

as longe to a kyng.

[foi.

25 6.]

how kyng

Alisawndre must prudently Aforn conceyve in his

providence.
(148)

TO And

eschewyn

alle excessys

prudently,

1030

specially / al froward Outragious largesse,

/

Avaryce and

gadering frowardly.

How
ffor

a wise King

may

he Jcnovjn.

AMieer tiouthe and ryght

he that wastith

/ have an enteresse. and spendith by excesse

MCMB

of

liberality.

1034
1036

The

grata goodys /

and pocessyowns,
/

"Wheer he hath lordshippe

(149)

and domynacioMns.

Rewle grojmdid / On discreciown Geyn Appetites / that be bestial,

/

1037
or of appetites;

Oonly Conveyed

And

brydlyd by Eeso?m
/

To withstande Geyn Avaryce

Doth
in a

lustys
/

that be Carnal,

in Especial

1041

especially of

ffor Coveitise /

with desir of Eychesse,

/

kyng

Avaryce Represse.
(150)1
in his Regalye

1043
1044

Which

Causith

first /
/

wliich causes

Wilful vntrouthe

by

inany harm-

fals presiimpciown,

ful things.

By

extort poweer

groundid
/ wilful

On Robberye
destrucciown

Geyn goddys lawe

In
al his

werkys
/

for short conclusyoun.

1048

To precede

by Recoord of scrypturc,
/

In prosperite

shal nat longe endure.

1050

how

witt of Sapience or of discreciown

in a

may

be parceyvid

kyng
(151)

or a prynce.^

First

that the fame

of Royal Sapience, of his notable ffame

1051

[fol.

26 a.]

So that Repoort

Be voyde

of vices / that Cleer intelligence

/

In his Empyre

be cleer from
/

al

diffame,

He

bears a

That no Repoort

blott iwt his

name,

good name

1055 among liis

sutijects;

Nor no fals Counsayl / The Cleer sh_yning / of

This
is

of folkys that be double

his

good name trouble.

1057 1058

(152)
to seyn
/

that he be quiete
/

&

peysyble,

is

peaceabli

Sogettys to kepe

hem from

divysiown,

And
To

nat lyghtly
talys / that

to be Credyble

make

discenciown.

ffor

wheer pees Regnyth / is al perfecciown. Kepith sogettys / as they shulde be,

/

1062
and keeps

ffroom alle stryves

quiete and vnite,

down

1064

inter nal strife.

Omit

SI,

2027.

In margin of MS.

PHILOSOPflERS.
5

34

King must

he religious

and

chaste.

how a kyng

shuld be Religious.

(153)

He^siiouid be

yet just;

kyng also / shulde been of lyfF, by good exazmple / Sad and Eeligious, Mcrciable / and kepe hym out of stryff, _A.nd in his doomys / nat been to Eygerous,
Chastyse
alle / that

1065

be vicious,
be founde shrewys

1069
1071

Namely,

alle / that
/

And

Contrarye

vnto good thewys.

(15^4)

[foi.26 6.]

Off ful purpoos

, ,

and especially
put

hoolly for to werche

/

1072

down
and

lieretics

To Chastice hem
'^^^^^

of Equite and Ri"ht, "i n >

hor"churcii

^^^^ Enmyes

vnto hooly Cherche,

On heretiques / for to preve his myght And yif ther be / Ony maner wyght^
Uwbr^I^ers

107&
1078

Hardy in dede / of pj-esumpciown, To ffende his lawes / haue dewe Correcciown.

how

a kyng shulde be arrayed lych his Estat.

(155)

TO
A
kinff's

a kynges

Royal mageste,
is /

1079

Array which
/

Eyche and honourable,

liis

pertinent
demeanonr and presence.

to his dignite,

Sad of

his

Cheer

/ in
/

demenyng

stable.
;

And

of his

woord

nat feynt nor varyable

/

1083 1085

Also of his behest

Sad

as a Saphir /

and ek trewe. and alwey of Oon he we.

trusty

how

this vertu Chastite apperteyneth

wel in a kyng.

(156)

I^TOble py-ince / Considere in thy Estat Eoyal how this vertu / Callyd Chastite, J_ 1
The
evils

1086

of

Is a vertu

and

in Especial
/

lechery in a king.

With

abstinence

from

al

dishoneste

And

greet Eecours / of

ffemynynyte

1090
Age.

pallith of prynces / the vertuous Corage,

And Or

ther

tyme

makith hem

falle in

1092

A
how
it

King must maintain Jm

Dignity.

35

longith to a kyng oonys in the yeer to shewe in his Estat BoyaL

(157)

hym

[foi.

27

a]

Afftir the Custom / of Eoyal excellence, And the vsage / Ek of Rome town,
kynges ar wont
/ in

1093

The Romans
Uach that a king should be seen in
full state

ther magnificence,

by

his people.

To shewe

ther noblesse
/

Ther lordshippe

and ther hihe Renouu, and domynacyown

/

1097

To kepe ther Sogettys Vndir a yevde / atwix

verrayly in dede,

love and drede.

1099

(158)

So that love

haue a prerogatyff

1100

to retain their love

To be preferryd / Suych as haue poweer To shewe hem Sylff / duryng al ther lyfE Of discreciottn / avoydyng al da?^iigeer
This to seyn
/

and

fear.

ech estat
/

in his

maneer

1104
1106

Shal dewly

with enery CircuHistaunce,

/

As they

ar

bounde

doon ther Observawnce.

Of Ms dewe observaunce that longith to a kyng.^

(159)

Afftir
What
ffor

his lawes / his statu tys to Obeye.

/

107

HJslaws must be
implicitly

Peyne of deth
he Comawndetli

no wyght be Contrarye,

obeyed.
;

/ his

byddyng

to wtt/i-seye

Or On
but

what euere / from his precept varye. his byddyng / be slouhe or lyst cat Ther is no more / vpon that partye
lyff

tarye,

nil
1113

and deth

/ stonde in lupartye.

(160)

"Whoo so euere

of presumpciown,

1114

[fol.176.]

Dar attempte / On ony mauer syde The kynges Ryght / in his Oppynyoun To interupte / of malyce or of pryde,

and

his right maintained.

And

ther-vpon

presvme tabyde,

1118

To with-stonde / the kynges Royal myght, Or ony thyng / that longith to his Ryght.
1

1120 D
2

Before (160) in

MS.

36

Sundry Pleasures of a King.

how

solace

and disport longith to a kyng.

(161)

"lemrn"
J;',';^t^'L7^"

^^ *^^^ longith / also J\. With Instrumentys /

'^^

to a

kyng,

1121

of hevenly

Armonye,

ebews.

ffor liis
iful

dispoort

prynces
/

Abydyng
1125

solempnely

with divers menstralcye,

To Eecownfoorte / and glade his Eegallye And Comownerys / Avith entieer dilligence, AVith Eyght hool herte / Reioysshe his p?'esence.

1127

What appartenyth
He should keep about
)iim a

also to his glorye.

(162)

splendid

TO To
ffor

his noblesse

&

his singuler glorye,

/

1128

haue aboute
/

hym

many

wourthy knyght

Chevalrye

Conservith the niemorye,

/

And
That

the sonne
it

alweye
/

to

shyne bryght,
11 32

shal nat

Eclypsen of his lyght

/

But thorugh the world

bothe in lengthe

&

brede,
1134:

As
[foi. 2^. a.]

ffyry

phebus

bothe shyne and sprede.

The Similitude of a Kyng.

(163)

1^ four thynges /

must considred be

1135

Toward god

his Obedience,

And

to the peple / his Hberallyte

As they disserve / with dewe Reu trance The kyng taqnite / iu his magnificence. ^^ As his sogettys / be goodly to hym seyn,

1139 1141

Lyk

ther decertys

he quyte so Ageyn.

how

a kyng shulde be gouernyd in al mane;- of wedrys.

(164)

FOr herthe holsom be the Reynes, Causith

/

1142

It

flours / fresshly for to sprede,

/

And makith medwys

To shewe

And

Agreable pleynes

ther bewte / bothe in lengtlie

/

and brede
1146 1148

And

Ovir moore

Whoo
/

that takith hede,

With Oute

raoysture
/

and cherysshyng of the Reyn,

/ flour

In his bewte

Comyth nouthir

nor greyn.

^^ U^-=^d^em^
1^

to

ft

^n{^

J^ <)n[hnwt0n^/o^^^aundnje
ffrvPp^ttma^/09t<^9iJet\r(m^ni^

f*

^JW

-:^fttrttr(Saftia^<^|kv<f^%0^

King

should he merciful and faithful.

(165)

37

By a maneer / lust Similitude, As JKeyn counforteth / euy Erbe and

brajaichys a-loffle
/

1149
tree

'^^'^^''^^j^^^

win of"'*
beaven.

pleynly to conclude,

So shulde a kyng / of his benignite Shewc hym gracyous / to hihe and lowe degre, That euc?y wyght / with dewe Eeuej-ence
Shulde with glad cheer
/ parte

1153 1155

from his p-esence.

how a kyng

shuld be
(166)

iii(?rcyable.

kyng Also / in his Estat notable, To his sogettys / of hih and lowh
/

1156
degre,

[fouxstj

Shulde be gracious
leve

and merciable,
pite

Rancour

and haue on hem

/
is

preserve mercy

Considre also and se

vertuous
gold
/

1160
1162

That mercy

in his Trone,

Crownyd with
It longith to a

moost singulecr allone.

kyng

specially to kepe

Ms

promys.

(167)

Akynges
As

promys

/ /

shulde be lust
stonde in

fe

stable,

1163

a Centre

degre,

l^dt Cha?<ngfc lightly / nor be varyable,

And

be-war

of mutabylite.
/

"Woord of a kyng

mvt stonde
/ /

in

degre

1167^

What

that eue/*e

that a prynce seith.

The Conclusyown

depeudith vpon

feith.

1169

how

stodye

&
/

clergye shnld be p^omotyd in a kyngdome.

(168)

As

the Sonne

she with in his guyse

1170
Tiie praise of
,

iMoiig smale sterrys / with his

bemys bryght,
.

Ryght
: An

so in
.

the s;ime nianer wyse,

,

vniuersite / shewitli
/

Out

University

his lyght

In a kyngdom

As

it

shulde be of ryght,
/

1174
1176
and of clergy.

And by

tlie

prynce
/

have dewly favour,

fflour /

So Clergye beryth

a-wey the

38

Tlic

Duties of a King's Leech.

(169)

[fol.

29 a.]

Wheer

is

Clergye

/
/

ther

is

philosophye,

1177

Clergy pro-

mote philosophy and

Marchawndyse
prudent Coansayl

plente and Eychesse,

/ diflfence

of Chevalrye.
gentillesse,

In ech Estat

Wysdam,
/
/

Curtesye, fFredam

and prowesse
tencrese his name,
/

1181

And

as the kyiig

His peple wyl folwe

and gladly duo the same.

1183

how
The king's leech must
be a good

a kyng hovith to haue a leche to kepe his body.

(170)

helthe of FOrMust haue body lyk

the

kyng

of hool entent

1181

astrouomer

/ to his desir

Suych Oon

/ as

knoweth the firmament,

/

And is Which
I

expert
that

good Astronomeer,
/

knoweth
tyme
/

sesons of the yeer;

118S

Cyprian

As

in his

was Oold Cypryan,

A
who knew
the four
qualities,

philisotfre /

and an expert man.

(171)

1190

He knewh

the Cours

of planetys

&

disposiciotin,

1191

and

all

the

changes of
nature.

Of moyst and drye / both of heete & Coold, Chawng of the yeer / And Eevolucyoziii. ffor in which thyng / he Avas expert and boold

Of

the Cours of planetys / manyfoold,

of

1195

And

Elementys
of

the Revolucio?ins,

Chawng

tymes

and Complexiowns.
(172)

1197

[fol.

29 6.]

And

specially

in

Astronomye
/

1198

He must
point out times for sleeping and

knows

the tyme
/
/

whan he

shal slepe or wake,

vndir a Rewle

of philosophye,

waking,

In no wyse

that he noon excesse make.

surfeetys ek forsake
>

and restrain
tlie

He mvt also / Al ffor Ony lust /

1202

of froward Appetyght,
/

king's

appetites.

CoMnseyl of lechys

to

modetfye his delyght.

1204

(173)
The
virtues

Satoum

is

Slouhe

mars malencolyous,
/

1205

i-iauets

And phebus
In Rethoryk
/

Causith

dysposyng to gladnesse,

helpith mercuryvs,

Mercury,

How
ffor in tlie

a good Leech
/ is
/

may

he chosen.

39

moone

no stabylnesse.

fEortune braydeth

ay
/

On
/

doubylnesse,

1209
to guye.

And

sith a

kyng

vpon ech partye

ful hard

Stant vpon Chaunges

hem

1211

how a kyng

shnld be gonernyd in Astronomye.

(174)

ASlronomerys
dyu^-s Causes
/ of

that

knowe

previtees,

1212

helthe of body / discrasyng of syknesse,

Infirmytees,

Astronoray aa a meant of dia^oais.

Wherof

ffeuerys / doo so greet distresse,

/

Achys, gowtes

of drynkes greet excesse

1216 1218

And Out of tyme / be war of long wacchyng, Which to the helthe / is contrarye to a kyng.
Next folowith the
vtilite of the helthe of

a kyng.

(175)

OAlisaundre
Of suych

lych as providence

1219

[fol.SOa.]

as

been
/

expert lechys,

Trust to
doctorii

Suych

as

been prevyd

by expenence,
/

proved by
experience.

And

prevyd Auctours

as the

phesyk techys,

Truste

On the dede / And nat in gay spechys Woord is but wynd / leff woord and tak the Thyng wel expert / disservith wel his mede.
mechil a-vayl
is

1223
dede,

1225

how

comp?ehendid in the diligence of a good leche.

(176)

A
And

good leche

expert in

kyng

1226

Tlie resales

of having a

ffor dilligent / Conservacio^^ns,

/

good

leech..

kynges helthe

be wrought in al thyng,

So that

in qualyte /

be fownde noon EiTyng

Nor hyndre his Appetyght / in mete nor drynk Nor be discrasyd / to hyndre his Appetyght,
"Wherof nature
/

1230 1232

hath Contraryous delyght.

(177)

Rewle

specially shal I the teche,

/

1233
Tlie time of eating.

Towchyng

the tyme
/

And hour

of his dyete,
:

So he nat wante

the p?-esence of his leche

40

He
To
his

must

JceejJ

a Balance of
/ as it is

the

Humours,

Complexioun

moost meete,

Tyme set Atwen / Coold and heete, With this Reward / by Resown to expresse, By good avys / that he doo noon excesse.
[foi.

1237
1239

80 6.]

special Epistil to the Singuleer helthe of a prynce.

(178)

of man's

beiu

excess.

assentyd alle in Oon, Seyn that a man / is maad of iiij. humours, And they Assentyn / in wryting euej-ychoon Afftyr the wedyi / Reynes, haylles, and shours,
philisoffies
/

NAturel

1240

planetys a-loffte / and the hevenly tours.

12-44

Adtir they sette

/ in the
/ of

hevene a governaMnco

In Erthe folwyth

helthe Attemperaiiuce.

1246

(179)

Of mekil excesse

folwyth Corrupcio?m,
/

1247

Excesse of tiavaylle

Causith febylnesse.

Thought sorwe

be greet Occasyown,
greet Sykuesse,

To engendre

And

puttith folk / in fro ward distresse,

/
/

1251

That vndigestion
Causith ofte sithe

with Oute Remedye,

by processe that they deye.

a mannys Complexion.

1253

To

coiiS6?'ve liele aftir

(180)

AfEtir

drynesse / and humydite,

1254

^^And Chawngying also / of ComplexioMns, Of Etyng, drynkyng / wheer as necessyte Requeryth his tyme / and yif purgacyouns Be necessarye / Aflftir the sesouns
Solve flewm
/

1258

brennyng or moysture,
/

To kepe
[foLsio.]

mene

leche

mvt doon

his Cure.

1260

how

a kyng must take keep whan he shal reste and he shal sleep.
(181)

whan

Leep

is

noryce / of digestiown,
it

1261

S^

Yiff

be take
/

in attemperaunce,

Yif slogardye

yive

Ouy

occasyoun,

; ;

General Directions for preserving Health.

Causith hevyuesse
/

41
Too much
sleep
is

slouthe or disturbazince

Put

man Out
war
of

of good
/

govemawnce,

1265
12G7

harmful.

I3e

wach

kepe also the date,

To kepe a

luesour / of

Etyng and diynkyng

late.

how a

leche

slial

gouerne a pr?/nce slepyng

(182)

& wakyng.
1268
Rules for

thou Ylf And

wilt been hool

&
al

kepe

fro syknesse,

Resiste
/

the strook of pestilence,

look thou be glad

ttleen

and voyde
/

hevynesse

good health.

wykked Eyerys

eschewe the presence

;

Of enfect placys / Causyng the violence drynk good wyn / and holsom metys take, Walke in Clene Eyr / eschewe mystes blake.
(183)

1272 1274

And

Than take good heed

Teniperat dyete
/

yf so be / lechys do the faylle. / and vse thynges thre,

1275

Even

in the

absence of
leeches.

and temperat. travaylle,

/
/

Nat malencolyous
TVEeke in
al trouljle

for

noon Adversite, 1279

1281

glad in poverte,

Ryche with

litel /
/

content with sufFysawnce

Yif phesyk lakke

make
(184)

this

thy gouernawnce.

AfFtir

mete be-war
foot, to

make no long
/

sleep.

1282
ay
fro Coold.

[fol.816.]

Heed,

and stomak
/

preserve

hem

Be nat

pensyf

of thought take no keep,

/

Affter thy Kente Suffre in

mayntene thyn housoold

in thy ryght be boold,
/

tyme / and Swere noon Otliys

ffor

1286

no man

to be-gyle,

worldly loye

lastith here

but a whyle.

1288

(185)
Tlius in two thynges
/

stondith

al

welthe

289

liealtli

of

body and
Boul consists in diet .".nd charity.

Of soule and boody / whoo so lyst hem sewe Moderatffoode / yevith to man his helthe,

And And
Tu

al surffetys /

doth from

hym remewe,
is

Charyte

to tlie sowle
/

dewe.

1293

WHerfore

this dyete

Alisaundre,

kyng

alle indifferent / is

Rychest thyng.

1295

42

Spring;

its

Qualities

and

Effects.

Of the foure sesowns of ye yeer I gynne at

(186)
Spring
described

veer.

tyme sesown WhatThe hevenly bawme

the

/ is /

Corayng of the yeer,

1296

Ascendyng from the Eoote,

The

ffresh

Sesowa

/ of

lusty grene veer,

/

Which quyketh

Corages
/

and doth hertys boote,

Whan Rownde

buddys

appere on biarnichys soote,

1300
1302

The growyng tyrae / and the yong sonne I mene the sesown / whan veer is be gonue.
(187)
[fol.sjo.]

And bright phebus / Entry th the Rammys hed, And begynneth / Ascendjn in his spere,

1303

Whan
fPor

the Crowne
/

of Alceste

whyte and Eed,

doth Appere
;

Aurora passyd

ful fresshly
/

love of which

with hevenly nootys

/ in

clere,

1307 1309

The bryddys syngen

Salwe that sesown
/

ther

Armonye,

with sugryd mellodye.

(188)

The

qualities

Twen hoot and moyst / this veer is temperat, Havyng his moysture / of Wyntres sharp shours.
Of sorayr folwyng
/

1310

to fflora consecrat,
;

Hath moderat heete / be Recoord of Auctours The sesouu Ordeyned / taraye with newe Clours, As gardeyns Erbys / and to sowe seedys, And the lusty Silvir dewh / in the grene meedys.
(189)

1314
1316

En trying
ffrostys

this sesown / wyntir

doth leve take,

1317

departyd

The
tlie

niglitiiigale;

And ene?*y ffoul / And nytyngalys

Yonge Rabettys

and molte with the sonne. Chosen hath his make,

/

/ for
/

loye her song hath be gonne

rabbit;

be to ther Claperys Ronne,

/

1321

thecucitoo.

And

the

Cokkow

that in
/

Wyntir dare
1323

In euery lay to synge

she lyst nat for to spare.

(190)
[foi.s2 6.]

Lovers of Custom

do
/

this sesozfn preyse,

1324

The

lovers*

And yonge

folkys
/

flouryng in tendir Age,

Eriy a morwen

Tytan makith hem Aryse

Spring and YcnUh

So Can nature
/

Summer and Manhood.

43

prykke them in ther Corage,

/

"Walkyng by Eyvaylles

holdyng ther passage

holsom
is

1328

On

plesaunt hylles
great loye

/ so
/

the Ayr,
so
fifayr.

Havyng

the wedir

is

1330

(191)

Wherfore Alisaundir

whoo

so take hede,

1331

Th moral drawn.

by good Avisement, Of our yong Age / Accownte we must in dede How that Ave hau / dyspendid ou[r] talent,
lyst consydre /

And

Outhir lyk foolys

/ or

lyk folkys prudent,

/

1335
here.

To To

vs comraytted
for the luge /

whyl we hane been

shal appere.

whan we

1337

Next than folowith the sesoun

(192)1

Callid Estas.

NOw
The

veer

is

past / with al his grene levys,

1338

Aprylle and

May

-with hire sharp sliours.

silver

dewh

in

woodys and
/

in grevys,

hath spred his bawiiie

On bankys & on
/

clours
flours,

And
As

next folwyth Estas

seith thes clerkys
/

with his somyr

1342 1344

by discrypcioan,

The qualities of summer.

Is hoot

and drye

/ of

ComplexioMU.

(193)2

This tyme gynneth

soone vpon
/ lastith /

Bamabe

1345

[foi.

s3o.]

June, lule, August

this sesown,

Summer lasts
from St. Barnabas
till

Endith

in

Septembre
/

the sonne in Virgine

St. BartholQ-

Hoot and drye

of disposicyown,

And
As

Coleryk
is

of ComplexioMn,
/

1349
1351

Eemembryd

of Auctours Olde,
/

Endith with Bertylniew

with his dewys colde.

(194)
Ffyr, Colour, Estas
/ /

and Juventus Age,

in heete

1352

of Youth

Comparison and

To-gidre Accorde

and drynesse.
Summer and
the clioleric

And

Coleryk

men

Citryn of visage,

liough, slyh, and

Angry
/

Sume haue

gret hardynesse

humour.

Off growing slaundre^

'

famous of hastyness,
SI.

1356

Omitted in Harl. 4826, 14408, Ar. 59,

Omitted Ar.
59, Harl. 2251.

2027, Harl. 2251, Lansd.

285.
2

slendre in

MS.

44

A
ffuryous of Ire

Description of
ffyr /

Summer.

With smoke and

/

haue greet Accordaunce,

froward of dalyaunce.
(195)1

1358

/ Rypith frut and Com, tyme ful notable / be Comendacyown, This tyme of yeer / Baptist lohn was born,

In

this sesown

1359

Petir

&

Poule

suffryd passyown,
/

And
The hoiydaye ill Summer.

petrys cheynes^
fceste therof
/

wer brooke in prysoi^n

i>

1363

The

Callyd lammesse,
mi

And
[foi.

the translacyown of

Thomas

martryd in Crystemasse.

/~i

(196)
33
6.]

Been

at

mydsoomyr

bryng hoony

to ther hyvys,

1366

Summer

whyte / Abrood ther levys sprede, Beestys pasture / and shade hem vndir levys Ageyn the sonne / gras deyeth in the mede, Chapelettys be riiaad / of Eoosys whyte and Rede, And euery thyng / drawith to his Eypyng,
Ivllyes
,

The

1370
1372

As
Summer
tables.

it

faryth be

man

in his

Age growyng,

(197)
fruit

Strawberyes, Cheryes

in gardeynes

men may

se

1373

Benys Rype

and pesecoddys grene, and letuse that be Clene.

is

Ageyn heetys
This sesoMU

whan men distempryd be

/

Ifolkys gadre purslane

fflora /

that
/ /

of fflours quene,

1377
Citryne,

Hire ffressh motlees

she tournyth

now

The vertu
In
The moral.

of herbys

doth doun ageyn declyne.

1379

(198)
this processe / it nedith not to tarye,

1380

But Oonly
Alisaundre

to
/

god

Set thyn Inward entent,

herte and thought nat varye,

lord
/ /

But thank the

of what thing

that he sent,

Povert or Rychesse

ther-with to be content

1384 1386

As god disposith / ther in to haue plesaMnce, As Oon in god / and god thy Sutfysaunce,
(199)
[foi.sia.]

ffor

by the sentence / of Seyntes and of clerkys, Of thy discertys / afftir the Rekenyng,

1387

Omitted in 14408, Ar.

'

69, SI. 2027, Harl. 2251, Lansd. 285. 'keyes' in MS.

; :

Autumn,

its

Qualities

and

Effects.
Ench

45
shall receive the fruit of his

And

lyk the fEiutys

shalt be

/ of thy good werkys,

/

Thou

guerdownyd
/

this soth

and no

lesy/?g,

works.

"With pees Eternal

last at

thyn Endyng,

1391

With Cryst to Eegne / in the hevenly consistorye, "Whan thou by tryvinphe / hast of thy foon victorye.
Thanne folowith
after the

1393

Thridde sesoun callid Autumpne

(200)

tyme of Custom / set folkys in besynesse. Ech tydy man / yevith him to travaylle, To Repe and inowe / and exclude ydelnesse,

This

1394
Harvest lime.

No man
To
ryse

sparyd

/ /

and husbondys wyl not

faylle

vp

erly

And
/

calle

vp the

poraylle,

1398

Blowe ther hornys

or the larke s-ynge,

/

And

Stuff ther grangys

wttA Corn

they horn brywge,

(201)

The tyme by processe / voydeth the feeld of greyn, Takith awey / from brawnchys ther swetnesse,
Causeth the
trees
/

UOl
Autumn
scenery.

of frute to be bareyn,

The

levys falle

the
/

Tlie day, the

nyght

wynd abrood hem dresse, bothe of Oon gretnesse,

U05
1407
[fol.

The Sonne in libra / Egal be ballawnce, As is the wyl / of goddys Oidynawnce.

(202)

34 6.]

This sesoMU

is

dredfull
/

and distemperat,
in

1-108

disposed to feverys
Offte

thorugh ayr of pestilence,

Chawngyng

and seeld
/

Oon

estat,

Autumn

is

dangerous for
sick people.

Peryllous for syknesse

Off trouble humours
ffor
/

and with violence

fill

doth folk
/

greet offence,

1412 1414

flewme

this

tyme
/

hath domynacio?fn

Be-war of syknesse

that gyuneth in that sesown.

(203)
Erthe,

Autumpnus

and Age accordyn

/

in

Oon
lust is

1415

Slough, malencolye

spatlyng euere
/

Among,

Comparison of Auturnu and Age.

Dul Courbyd downward

fful of Ire /

whan myght

&

goon

though he be not strong,

/

Soone mevyd

wheer

it

be right or wrong

1419
corde.

And thus senectus / with Autumpne He and this sesoMu / drawe bothe be

doth accorde.

1421

46

Winter Occupations.
(204)1

Autumpne

takith

his leve of seynt Clement, /

1422

The tyme dyuerse

and wondir varyable,

/

With

strange passions
/

sodeynly

men
;

schent,

be seknessys

which be unkurable And for this sesoMn / is unkouth & unstable, With sodeyn Chaunges / and complexyoMns Therfore in novembre / he takith his leve.
(205)
in thyn Estat Royal,
/ /

1426
to greve,

1428

Wlierfore considre
The moral.

1429

Take the moralite

of

Autumpne

the sesown,

how

it is

appropryd

and

in Especial

to the thrydde age /

and the complexiown

short conclusyown.
/

Off the and

me

/ for

1433

Wherfore,

Alysaundre
/

haue in remembraMnce,
in good gouej-naunce.

Peyse euery thyng

35 a.]

and kepe the

[foi.

The fourthe determynacioMn of the foure

(206)
fftir

sesoz/ns of the yeer.

hervest

A'
Winter occu-

whan men
/

thresshe shevys,

1436

Sowyn whete

gadre wyntre frute in gardynes.

And somyr trees / be bareyn of ther levys, Men puttc in Celerys / Cowche newe wynes

must lesyth his name / toward seint martynes muryly drownke / whan it is through ffyn, And lastith tyl / the sesoun / of Seint Marty n.
(207)

1440

1442

The dayes
Winter
scenery.

shorte

the nyghtes wondir longe

/

1443

Coold and moyst

Contrary to Estas
^.^
/

of flewme nutrytiff,

the frostys been so stronge.

/

Rootys restith
/

the vertu vegetatyff,

Grene herbys

and bra^nchys lost ther lyff. The Sonne this sesown / beeyng in Aquarye, beestys to the bynne / for stormys dar not tarye.
(208)
foure seso?ms

1447
1449

Thediviaion

Thus the
ffirst

devided of the yeere,

1450

whan phebus / doth in his spere aryse, The growyng tyme / whan buddy s oute appere
veer
^

Not

in

MS., but in

all others.

A
Estas folwyng

Moralization of the Seasons.

/

47

whan

floures iu ther
/

guyse

Sprede on ther stalkys

geyn tytan doth aryae

tarye,

1454
1456
End of
winter.

Autumpne

afftir /

which longe doth nat

/

And

yeiups endith

the

Ende

of ffebruarye.

(209)

Thus four tyraes / makith vs a merour Cleer Off mannys lyff / and a ful pleyn ymage. Ver and luuentus / togedir haue sogeer,
Estas folwith
/

1457

[fol.35 6.]
Tlie moral.

longyng
/

to saddere age

To vs Autumpne
Off Senectus
/

bryngeth his massage

last of alle,

U61
14G3

Wynter
/

How

dethys Orlogge

doth

On

vs

calle.^

(210)

"With veer in youthe

we hadde
/
/

lustynesse,
;

1464

Which

is

inpossyble

ageyn to Recure

Etas gafE vs strengthe

and hardynesse
/

fflouryng in ffreshnesse

not longe tendure.

ffigure

Autumpne

afftir /
/

bryngeth vs a
of

1468
1470

Off Senectus

Wynter
/

Crokyd

age,

How

al

thyng passith

halt here no long Ostage.

(211)

Loo Alisaundre / ye mowne se thynges tweyne, Avawntyng lying / longyng vnto Age Malencoly / fals demyng and disdeyne,
;

1471

Many
Ende

passyoans

Eancour and dotage

:

of this lyff / terme of our viage

1475
lett.

Eor decrepitus /

hath his marke

/ it

sett,

This world shal ende

may

nat be

1477

(212)

Thus
Off

to

make

Combynacyown
/

14-

[fol.

36

a.,

Off veer and youthe

be a mauere accordaMnce

Compari8or
of seasons

ffiouring in lust /

mannys sadnesse / and Estas the sesown tyme of most plesauhce, Autumpne and eld / with ther greet haboMndawnce. Thanne folwith wyntir / and al doth ovir caste
:

and times
of
life.

1482

So doth age
^

for

it /

may

not alwey

laste.

1484

This line and the

first six

of the next stan;5a are not in Harl, 2251 or

Lan-sd- 285.

48

Benedict Burgh's Prolog.

(213)
Off this forseyd
Settith asyde
/

take the niorallite,

1485
:

/ alle
/

materys spooke in veyn

in ther degre,

The

foure sesoMns

shewe
/

ffirst

veer and Estas

next Autumpne viiih his greyn,

/ wiili /

Constieynt of wyntir
Ti.e last line

frostys ovir leyn,

;

1489
1491

To our
deth
al

fouie Ages

the seso?/ns wel applyed

Lydgate.

consumyth

which may nat be denyed.

:

here deyed tMs translator and nobil poete

and the yonge

folowere gan his prologe on this wyse.

(214)1
Another

f |

lEndimessc of age
this feerfnl

and lak of EUoquence, matere / savyng supportaciown,

/
/

1492

me
I

hath constreyned

to put in suspence
/

ffrom yow,

my

lord

to

whoom Kecomendaciown

mekly do sonde / with al Subiecciown 1496 The dulnesse of my penne / yow besechyng tenlumyne, 1498 "Which am nat / aqueynted / wit// the musys nyne.
(215)
flour of

[foi.

36&]

Whcr

knyghthood
/

the bataylle doth refuse,

entre in-to the place?

1499

Modesty of

what shuldc the dwerfE

bareyn in sentence

/ shulde hym Sylf excuse, And by presumpcyown / nat shewe out his fface. Oft' lohn lydgate / how shulde I the sotyl trace

1503
1505

liulwe in secrees
Praise of

Celestial
/

and dyvyne,
with the musys nynel

Sith I

am

nat aqueynted

(216)
Ffrenescys sent
flfor

from the lady nature

/ /

1506

a conclusyown

hir lourne to Conveye,

As

of

Authyclaudyan

Kehersyth the scripture.

Be sevene Sustrys / in her passage took the weye, Gynnyng at grameer / as for lok and Keye,
In Ordre and proporsyown
/

1510 1512

folwyng the doctryne,

\iiih the

"Which was wel aqueynted

(217)2
Thesev.n
would i)iame the Miisen if
they assisted

musys nyne.

Thesc Scveue Sustiyn

Ylf I
,

sou^'eyu and entieere,

1513

my

penne
,

/
,

to this matere
, i i

doo applye,

Tlic

nync niusys
in 14408,

blame shal

htm.

m maneere,
^

Not

A.r.

59, Harl. 2251, Lansd. 285.

jjot in Lansd. 285.

rointing out his Unfitness. That they vnlabouryd

I yatf
/

40

stant on

rr*"

partye.

noon attendawnce / I may it nat denyc. how shulde I thanne / my matere doo Combyne, Which am nat / aqueynted / wit/i the musys nyne 1
(218)1

1517 1519

Cheyned in parfight vnyte, departe may not / by natural resown Ech witli othir / hath Eternite.
These Sustrys
/

1520

[foi.

37 a.]

The
each

sciences
otlier.

are united to

how
Of

shulde I thanne

vse persuasioMn,

my

purpoos

to

haue conclusyown
of the

1524
1526

In ech science /Jayllyng degre and signe

ffor

lak of aqueyntai^nce

musys nyne]

(219)

Yif I shulde talke

/ in

scyencys tryvyal,

1527

The

trivial
;

Gynnyng
Or

at gi-ameer / in signes
/

and

tigurys,

sciences

of metrys

the feet to

make
/

equal,

he knows
neither

be tyme and proporcioz^n

This lady lyst nat
/ to /

kepyng

my

mesurys,

grammar
prosody,

nor

parte the tresourys

to

1531

Of

hire Substawnce

my

Childhood incondigne,
the musys nyne.

Which am

not aqueynted
(220)

/ y/ith

1533

This mateer to Conveye

veritees of logyk
/

certys I
/

by trewe conclusyo^n, must applye,

1534
nor
logic.

Wheel- vudir flourys

restith the Scorpiown,

Which

I fere

to take for
/

my

partye,

Premyssys congrew

which can nat applye,

folwe the Doctryne,
/ w/t/i

1538
1540

Of Old
Sith I

philisoffres / to

am

nat aqueynted

the

musys nyne.

(221)2
I haue with Tully
/

gadryd no fressh

flours,

1541

[f.)l.

.;7

6.]

The Chaar

of ffronestis / to payute in

dewe manere,

nor rhetoric
of Cicero or Petrarch,

With

Petir petrarke / of Eethoryk no Colours,

Of teermys ne sentence / in my wrytyng doth appere Arismetryk nor musyk / my Dulness doo not Clere.

1545
lyne,

norarithno* music.

how shulde I thanne / by Geometrye drawe ryght Which am nat aqueynted / with the musys nyne?
1

1547

S^"",^*"'"^

Not

in

Lansd

285.

Not

in 14108.

PHILOSOPHEItS.

50

Benedict Burgh's Prolog.

(222)

nomy

oT

^^

Astronomye

the Secrees invisible,

/ I faylle cogniciown,

1548

Ptolemy.

vnknowe with Tholomye

"Which by invencyown
/ /

to

me be

inpossible,

With Or of

oute Doctours

and exposicio?m

this sevene / to

make

a declaraciown,

1552

Afftir 3'our entent / this treetys to

Which am

nat aqueynted

/ wtt/i

Combyne, the musys nyne.

quake,

1554

(223)1
"pTiffi'uity of the task,

'^^^^^ thynges peysed /

myn hand make

to

1555

Thre Causys
fifirst

considred in Especial
/ the difficulte to take,
/

of this

book

'ommaud

Secunde of the persone

the magnificence Eoyal,

fal

To whoom I wryte / in-to tremlyng cause me Of dirk ignorawnce / feryng the Engyne,

1559
15G1

Which am
[foi.

nat aqueyntyd

with the musys nyuc.

(224)1
38a.]

The thrydde

cause

in the
/

Entitled and Rollyd

and
tiie detraction of )iia rivals;

Is that detractours /
it

Audight coMntable, my remembraMnce, Odyous and detestable,

of
i

1582

Vnto Allecto / knet be aflTyaMnce, With sotyl menys / shal make perturba^mce Atfermyng to my witt / to moche that I enclyuc The werk to a taste / not knowyng the musys nyne.
(225)

15G6 1568

and

finds

Thus atwcu tweyne

pereel of the 866,

/

1569

twecn scyiia
di3;

Sylla and karybdys

put in desperaciown,
for to flee,

What

to resceyve /

and which
/

Constreyned I

am
/

to

make dubytaciown
fretyng detraccioMU
partye shal enclyne,
/ w^'t/i

The sharp corosye

ffirst

/ of

1573

I feere

to

my

Sith I

am

nat aqueynted

the

musys nyne.

1575

(226)1

The Secund
ffeer

pe?-eel /

by Computaciown,
/

1576

In which T stande

this is incertayn

and dreed / of Indignaciown Of your lordshipp / which doth nat disdeyn

Me
*

to exhorte / to wryte in temiys

pleyn

1580

Not

in 14408, Ar. 59, Harl. 2251, Lanad. 285.

How

to

keep the

Body in good Healths

and divyne,

51

part of Secrees

/ Celestial

lefEt of

lohn lydgate

wel knowyng

musys nyne.

1582

(227)

Thus

set in pereel / fayl I

my

socour,
in niyn entent
,,

1583

[foi.

sss.]

Me
"

doth conforte
tale is

Ech

a proverbe ,,,.,,, hath endyd

/

as it
/

favour.
I

but he is comforUil by proTerb,

Wherfoie

to dreed

no lengere
this
/

wyl

assent,

but breefly

fulfille /
/

your Comauudeinent
matere to Conibyne,

1587

and begins

In modir toifnge

Which

sauff Support

knowe not

the musys nyne.

1589

how

kyng

shal conserve natural hete

(228)

&

helthe of body.

Sone
O
Dewe

Alysaundre

of helthe to be sure.
/ first

1590
There are

thyng I the preye

/

and principally

proporciown
'

of heete in nature

To Conserve

for to

knowe

that Redvly
"^ "^

two cause*
of death.

In double vvyse / man deyeth fynally; Off which as by Age / Oon is natural,

1594
natural and accideutal;

The

othir

by fortune

As be thynges

accidental.

1596

(229)
fferthere thy

body

/ to

make moyst and

fat

1597
ho"^ to keep

Afftir this sentence / folwe

my

doctryne.

Moche

sleep / wyl kepe the / in hih Estat, Metys swete / and wyn licour divyne, Merydien Beste / mylk whight and Argentyne,

?*

''"''

1601

Alle good Odours

and
/

flours afftir ther

tyme.
ffyne.

With

swete bathys

and Erbys good and

1603

(230)

Peyse thy tyme

nuflibre

it

parfightly,

1604

[foi.39a.j

And in the bath / be not Ovir longe, Tyme contynued / wyl feble the body, And alle Joyntes / wil weyke / which be stronge Drynk no wyn / but watir be ther Anionge, And in wyntir / take Avatir Alchymyn, Which hot is of nature / to putte in thy wyn.
(231)

1608

1610

The malwe

in

somyr

And

ek violet

flours,

1611

Which

in nature /

be coold of trewthe and ryght,

Those Things which hurt the Body.

To speke pleyn
a Tomit once
a

and vse no Colours,

/

ffroom Corrupt humours

month recommended ;

makith

tlie

body

light.

Oonys

in the

monyth

/ to

have a voinyglit
it

1G15
sene.

purge th the stomak

makith
/

pure and clene,

That no CorrupcioMn

ther-Inne

may be

1617

(232)
fferthere

be

it

That
Yif
Ha
special

this

knowe / to thy magnificence, vomyght / restoryth hete natural,

/

1618

it

be doo

with oute violence,

/

And

these Comoditees
/

Causith in Especial,

advantages.

Moystnesse good

grees wel to deffye at al

/

1622

Vndirstandyng

Eesowu

/ /

glorye and gladnesse,

expellith al hevynesse.

Of thyn Enmyes victorye

(233)
[foi.39 6.]

1624

Yif thou wylt be hool

to

kepe the

fro

Syknesse,

1625

And And
flayr

resyste

the strook of Aduersite,

love to se playes / voyde al hevynesse,

put delyght

in these thynges thre

/

men and women

/

be delectable

to the

1629
1G31

To be holde

on thy body ciene

clotliyng,
wiytiuLr.

And

of Antiquite / to se

and rede

Aristotil writ in

pistil to

Alisawndre which hurt the body.

(234)

SOne set in a prefF

To
Ubr
aff^'r

in thy prudent avys,

/

1G32
;

ete

and drynke
/

by

atterape?'a2nice

the sentence

of philisofifres wys,

The body doon feble / and sette in perturbawnce, To Ete litel / and drynke with oute goueynaz^nce. Sleep before mete / ovir moche travaylle,
AVith fretyng wratthe
/

1G36 1638

gretly

doon

disiiaylle.

(235)

And who

so

wyl

/ breffly

in sentence.

1630
nede,

Goon ageyn myght / doute or it be To ech tale / yive hasty credence,

Tilings harmfill t the
bodj-.

Otftyn goon to Chau?ubir

ovir offtyn to blede.

With salt metys / lyst hyiu Or drynk Oold Wyn / in

Doth drye
his blood /

Sylf to fede.
greet foysown.

1643

by natural

disposiciown.

1645

The four principal Parts of

(236)

the

Body.

53

In watir also

Contagious of nature,
degree.
/ is

1646

[foi.

oo.]

Be not bathyd / in no The kynde of brynstown

perillous I the sure,

Avoid

rai-

And

ful replesshyd

/
'

I exhorte the
,
.

fHesshly lustys

and bathis
mete
/

to

and exercise aOer meab.

ffle,

1650
callyd quakyng.

Eennyng

afftir

and

also
/

rydyng,

Which

cause wyl

a seknesse

1652

(237)

In Etyng of ffyssh

make no Contynuawnce,
puttith to varyawnce,
spas,

1653

ffov afftir the sentence / of expert Ipocras,

ffyssh

the Complexion

And

pure blood

Conuptith in short
/

Medlyd with mylk

Causith boody and fas

/

1657 1659

With
Off

lepre

to

be smet
/

thorugh disposiciown

vnkynde humours
is

by inward Corrupciown.

how

the body

devided into fonre pn'ncipal paities.

(238)

OAlysaundre
how
In mannys boody

peyse in a^ ballawnce
/

1660

principal partyes
/

foure ther be

whicli for

And
Of

avayl

to thy
/

RemembraMnce magnanymyte
yif superfluyte

I shal entitle
evil

And
/ /

1664 1666

humours

to

Ony

of

them enclyne,

I shal the teche

special medicyne.

(239)
Off this Secrees
/

to yive the cnguicioMn,

/ this
/

1667

[foi.40 6.]

The

first

membryd
/

matere to applye,
vse ther op^racio?m,
in the fourthe partye

The
part

erst
is

Wheer powrys
Is the heed

Organycall

the

And where
/ is
,

Set In rcsydence

the ffantasye,
.
,

1671

And

.-^

the chambers Of the head;

next in Ordre
/

ymaginaciown,

With niynde
Yif Superfluyte

Remembrawnce and Estymacio?m.

(240)

1673

or

Ony
/

evil

humours

1674

Of

qualitees gendre /
/

by in-p/'oporcyoun
and Colours,
*

In the hed

be signes

'

not in

MS.

54.

Disease of the

Head;

its

Cure.

knowe thou
signs of

shalt / the indisposiciown

:

be this doctryne
the head;

/ and instrucciown The Eyen dymme / the browys wex greete, The noose thiylles shrynke / the templys doon

1678
bete.

1680

(241)
Remedies for
tiiehead.

This to Recure
Is.Aloes
/

Souereyn medicyne

1681

as sey doctours of ffame,

/

Soore boy lied

in dowset
/

and swet wyn,

is

With

a Roote
/

of

which

the

name
in

Pulgichyn

which boylle must

same

1685 1087

Tyl tyme the

wyn

half wastyd be,

/ is profitable to the.

Which than

thus vsyd

(242)
[foi.

41a]

Take these Erbys

souereyn and entieer

/

1688

In to thy mouth

with the swete

licour,

And them
Which

close there / in

dewe maneer,
tyl

distroye shal

ech Corrupt humour

/

And

kepe tliem there

/

tyme thou savour

1092

Of amendyng

the Comodite,
/

And

expulcyown

of Superfluyte.

1694

(243)
Anotherpro- fferthere to
fitable

thing

geve

'

the EnformacioMn, '

1695

for the head.

Of mustard whyte / the seed is profitable Grownde to poudir / for conservacioMn Reysed in tyme / a quantite mesurable And yif thou be / necligent and vnstablo In Eyen and brayn / in specially
:

1699
1701

In these thynges

thou shalt haue gret mallady.

The secmid prmcipal part of the body.

(244)
The second
principal part 18 tiie breast.

J_ Doo

f I ^he secuud part

/ this

matere to combyne,
yif syknesse

1702

Is the brecst /

which

Enfeble

in degre or sigue,
:

Signs of disease in llie

breast.

Toknys foure / to the / shal it expresse Townge lettyd / mouth salt with bittirn esse Or ovir swet / of stomak / the mouth egir, Ache in membrys / in ech seso?in or wedir.
/

1706

i.

1708

Disease of the Breast

(245)

its

Cure.

55

For the breest thus brosyd

litel

vse this medicyne

1709

[foi.4i6.]

to

Ete

/ is

good phesyk,
/ afftir

To make vomyth
Sugre Roseet
/

my

doctryne,

with

aloes,

mastyk 1713
1715

a remedy.

Wei Chawyd

/ as

sey doctours awtentyk,

/

Reseyved in tyme

proporcyown and mesure,

/

Off vnkouth seknesses

the breest doon Recure.

(246)

And

yif so be / that these

doon the

faylle,

1716

Take

Sum
to the

Spice

good confortatyff,
/

Which And

Appetight
/

gretly doth avaylle,

lytf,

the body
/

conserveth in good

Causeth pees

where was debat and

/

etryff

1720
1722 An
electuary.

Alle Corrupt humors

expelleth echoon

With

a letuarye

Callyd Dionysoon.
(247)

In foure wyses

thou shalt have gret peynes

/

1723

Yif thou

my
/

cownseyl

refuse in this partye

Sharp feverys

Ache
/
/

in

heed and Reynes

Four evil resnlUof

Enpechement

the trewthe to specefEye,* the tunge which doth denye,

/

Propirly to speke

1727

disease in

And

is

Occasyown

Auctours here witne^sse

Of many vnkouth

and stra^nge syknesse.

1729

The Thrydde pr/ncipal party of the body.

(248)

The thrydde party

Is the

/ to

speke in termys pleyne,

the boody natural,

1730

[fol.42a:

wombe
/

/ in

The

Which

yif evil

in degre or signe conteyne,

/

third part of the body, the

belly.

knowe thou mayst

by these thynges
/

in especial
al

Rednesse in the kne

the

wombe bolnyth with

for

1734
1736

Sijfns of dis
e:ise

Of kynde / causith to goon hevyly, Geya which these medycines / take

(249)

of the

belly.

Remedy.^

Resceyve inward

sum

light purgaciown,
/ is

1737

Arnedy.

Which

sotil

and

light

of nature,
Lines 1725 and 6 trans-

^ This line out in HarL 4826 and Lansd. 285. posed in MS.

56

Some valuable Bemedies.

And

of the breest / the confirmacioMn,

/

Aforeseid also

wyl
/

it

Recure

And

yif

thow

leve

these medicynes I the sure,

1741

As Oold philisoffres / Clearly doon expresse, In many foold / cause it wyl seknesse,
(250)
Evil results of disease in the beuy.

1743

Ache

tiit ijiit-w In Dak loyntes And also Keynes,

/

in the Rottle /

And Ek

in the haunches,

1744

"With the

fflix /

And many
/

othir braanches,
:

Evil digestioMu

with othir divers peyues

/

This shewith experience

which nevir feyues,

1748

Modir

of

konnyng

As Oold
[fol.

philisoftVes

and cheef maistresse, / in wry ting ber witnesse.

1750

426.]

The
The

fonrtlie principal parte of the body.

(251)
The
fourth part of the body, the geaiUds.

fourthe party / this matere to combyne,

/

1751

Is the genital

founds incerteyn,
/

Vnto which
Signs of disease in the
genitals.

yif corrupciown
/

do enclyne,
seyn
;

These be the signes

As

philisoffres

Mete to Receyve / the stomak doth disdeyn, To Coyllons, yerde / Rednesse doth resoorte, Gayn which these medycynes / doon coMnforte.
(252)

1755 1757

An

Erbe narayd Apus

seed of fEenel

brefBy to expresse,
profitable to the,
/

1758

With

/ is

Off Aretfemise the Roote

Acheen

&

Atracies,

Wluch

thus disposed

/ this

seknesse

make

to

ffle

The herbe the Roote / put togidre al thre, With white wyn / drynk it in the morwenyng,
fErom seknesse in genital
(253)
fferthere be it
/

1762

kepith soget and kyng.

17G4

knowe

/ to

thy magnificence,

1765

That watir and wyn / take in smal quantite, litel to Ete / mesuvyd by prudence,
Reoalts of
diseiise in the

geuitads.

Among othir / is profitable to the And yif this doctryne / of the dispysed
;

be,

17C9
1771

Thou

shalt

Renne

in
/

Ache

/ of the bladder.

Which

of the stoou

seknesse wyl Engender.

Receipts of Greek

and Indian

Physicians.
[foi.

57
43 a.]

An Ensample how
diuers

a kyng sholde be inquisitiff to knowe OppynyouM of lechii or of phiaiciens.

(254)

FErthere
how

I haue
to

Rad

/ /

in storyes of Antiquite,

1772
kinf; deiree ul

Assemble
/

made a myghty kyng

AUe

phisiciens

hiliest of Auctorite

learned pliyBiciaiia of

Of Inde and Grace / them streyghtly comaMndyng Oon niedicyn to teche / which ageyn al thyng Noyows to the body / were Sufficient To whoom the Grecys / thus seyde ther entent
(255)
"

India and Greece what

1776

the best medicine.

is

1778

Whoo in helthe / to persevere wyl And Conserve / the hete natural

oute langour
/ /

be sure,

1779

With

longe to endure,
/

hoot watir

to

dryuke

hym

doth be

fal

Tlie Greeks

recommend

The mouthe replesshyd / by proporciown equal Tymes thre / in Aurora fastyng,

Erly to drynke
/ is

1783
1785

tlie patient to drink hot

water three

mornings
running.

moost medicynable thyng."

(256)

The physiciens

ynde / in ther Oppynyown, Seide that madicyne / moost profitable Was to vse / in dewe proporciown,
of

786

Mylk whyte

yfith
/

mastursu

thynges medicynable,

Tlie Indians

Eeceyved fastyng

moost avay liable

/

1790 1792

recommend him to drink

milk and mastursu
fasting.

Man

to Conserve

in prosperite
/

Good inward

disposicion

and welthe, and bodUy helthe.

(257)

But knowe Alisaundre / And peyse in ballawnce, That in this doctryne / myn Oppynyown Clerly to entitle / in thy RemembraMuce,
Breefly
is

1793

[foi.6.]

this / for ful Conclusyojm,

/

Whoo
Tyl

slepith Avel

be natural resown,
/

1797

Aristotle's

opioiou.

wombe avoyde

al pondorosite,
/

Excludyng seknesse

stant in liberte.

1799

(258)

Sleep receyved

in

tyme and mesure,

/

1800

The value
seasniuible sleep.

of

and experience, ffroom these seknessys / the boody doth Recure,

As resozm

previth

58

Some

suitable
is /

Meats for Great Men.

Which

Palsy and Gowte

by phisichal prudence. comyng of necligence, Ache from the wombe / and Joyntes echoon, ffrom tremblyng and quakyng / kepith membir
previd
/

1804

&

boon.

(259)
Three good

morning
mediciiiet.

And
Vue

he that vsith
.

in

morwe

....

these thre thynges, a "

1807

Alibi Aurei / thre dragmes in substawnce

passes / or goode
/

and swete Resynges,

shal haue noone perturbawnce

Off flewme warde

The mynde hool / excludyng variaunce, Shal be of kynde / and ygnorawnce dysdeyn, The boody ffre / from the fevir quarteyn.
(260)
[foi.44a.]

1811

1813

fFerthere to entitle / in the

Audight Cowntable,
/

1814

Off thyn Retuembrajtnce

It is

secrees of
profitable,

myn

doctiyne,

good to
rue.'
'

Notys

tc

Ete

and fygges

is

and

Or

levys of
al

Geyn

Rewe / Agreable and ffyne, venym / souereyn niedicyne

conclude
/

1818
1820
of metes

And

breffly to

/ in especial

Alle these conserve

the heete naturaL

How profitable

is to

knowe

dinersite

& kyndes

&

drynkes.

(261)

lErthere Alysawndre

be

it

knowe

to the

1821

That profitable

is /

in especial to a kyug,

Of metys

&

drynkes

With

proporciown

knowe dyuersite, and tyme of Recey vyng

wrytyng,

fEor afftir the sentence / of philosoflfres

1825 1827

Sumnie

are sotil / groos

/

by nature,

Othir A-twen bothe

in

mene kepe mesure.

(262)
Foods which
blood.

Blood pure Engendir

and Enlvmyne

1828

Tiiosegood
are un6t for

Metys smale / and sotyl in substaunce, As whete hennys / Chekenys good and fyne The boody norisshe / The stomak kepe fro grevawnce Groos metys / make no perturbawnce, In labouiyng men / which may them deffye
In othir
/

1832

engendir malencolye,

1834

'

Good

Flesh, Fish,

and Water.

59

(263)

Which atwen bothe / kepe ther mesure, As phisciciens / wryte of Auctoryte,

Engendir noon flewm
/

1835

[foi.

446.]

by kynde of ther nature,

;

Ne
As

of

humours

superfluite
/
'
.

geet,

motown

And
/
/

othir that be

1839 1841

HotRnd
moist foods.

hoot and moyst

in ther operaciown
to ech complexioMn,

Moost

indifferent

(264)

How

be

it /

that

Sumtyme

ineerteyn
/

1842
drye,

These flecchys be kynde

Yit newly rostyd

make wombe hard &

/ Receyved and newly slayn, Take fro the speete / and ete hastily, They be hoLsom / Reso^n doth it not den ye

1846 1848
1849
The kinds of

And
Of The
I

breefly to conclude

this

matere in sentence,

fysshes the

kynde

/ is

lyk thexp^rience.

(265)
fEyssh
litel /

and of
/

sotyl skyn,

Norysshed in watir

swet and rennyng,

ffyn,
Perch specially

mene
,

as perche
1 ,

with the sharp

,

be moost holsora

to

man them

men-

recey vyng

tioned

And

in ded watir

bothe Oold and ying

/ is /

1853 1855
profitable.
[foi.

ffissh

norhisshid

vnprofitable,

And

vnto kynde

not avay liable.

The knowyng of watrys, and which be moost

(266)

45 a.]

Thow owest to wete

To man, woman
/

that watir

is

profitable

1856

here in herthe / to ech Creature,

and beeste vnresonable,

/

Which from Corrupciown

the body doth recure,

Rennyng from hillys / and erthe which is pure, Or neer to Citees / stillyng as perlys Rownde,
Passyog holsom
"'

1860
1862

Running
to drink,

'

wher mersshys do noon habownde.

'

are no

marshes.

(267)

Watir

also /

which that

is

moost lyght,

1863

Swete or

bittir / in
/

ech degree and signe,

of trewthe

ffrom the see

comyng
/

and

right,

Thorugh hih hyllys

kiiowe

may be

As perl Argentyne, whan they be good and ffyne,

1867

60 Be

The

six Signs of

good Water.

signes sixe / folwyng in sentence,

/

Prevyd be xesoun

and expejience
(268)

18G9

Di^^ent
watei-s

Lyght of natuic

to

make
/

repeticiotiD,

1870

Cleer ther-with / and of good Odoure,

Soone hoot, soone Coold

be dyuers operaciown.
/

With

oute CorrupcioMn

and of good savour.

1874

White also / and of bright Colour, Of which the Contrary / by polityk prudence, Thus knowe thou mayst / bexperience.
(269)
[foi.

1876

456.]

Off slepyng wayours

Salt, bittir,

/ -watrys /

incertayn,

1877

which are to

and f umous
/ also
/

the wonibe doon drye,

In lowe valeys

which be playu,
trewthe to speceffye
partye,
be-gan.

be hoot and hevy

Wher strengthe of phebus / renewith his And watrys ther placys / kepe as they
Of them
to

1881

drynke

Causeth Coleram nigram.

1883

(270)

Watrys that renne / be many diuers londys, Be hoot, grevous / vnholsoom, and hevy.

1884

Which tarage haue / of foreyn dyvers As by experience / previd is redily

Thewi-ong
water.

sondys.
:

Whoo
And
As Oolde
Sleep

dryuketh watir
/

/ ffeblyth his

body,

1888 1890

Afore mete

of

stomak heete with-drawith.

/

ful replesshyd

flew me Engendrith.

(271)
philisoffres /

Accoorde

al in

Oon,

1891

is

norysshe

/ of digestion

Do

not drink

water at meal
times.

To dryuke watir / as they seye echoon, , At mete Contynually / causeth Currupciown

i

/-^

In the stomak

and

is

OccasyoMn
out of good gouernawnce.

1895
1897

Off hevynesse / slouthe and disturbatince.

Which

puttith a

man

(272)
[foi.

46o.]

Thou owyst to drynke / in somyr watir Coold, Namly whan phebus / is in his hih degre lewk warm in wyntir / in phesyk as it is toold,

1898

TJie

Virtues of Good
is
/

Wine.
:

Gl"

Among
flFor

othir /

profitable to the

as doctours

Recoorde of Auctoryte,
/

1902
190-t

Coold in wyntir

in euery
/

maneer wyght,

And

lioot in

somyr

destroye the Appetight.

Of knowynges of vynes,

& noynges &

bowntes of them.

(273)

SOne Alysaundir / in
ffor

these secrees devyne,

/

Chattng of Coniplexiown
is /

1905 by drynesse or^ humydite,

propirte,

Profitable

in ech degree

and

signe,

wyn to knowe / the werkyng and Which receyved / where as necessite

Off

1909
1911

And tyme
Geyn
al

requeryth
/ is

Afftir

my

doctryne,

sykuesse

souereyn medycyne.

(274)

"Wyn of the grape / which growith evene vpright, Ageyn hillys / to his singuleer counfort, Where as phebus / with flamyng bemys bright, Dayly vprisyng / newly doth ressoort,
Is

1912

Hill-grown wine is the

best.

moore drye

Afftir philisoffres repoort,

/

1916

Than

othir

which
/

growith naturally

In placys pleyn

moyst and shadwy.

(275)

1918
1919

The

first^

flewmatyk

as folk

Oold in

age,

[foi.wi.]

Gretly doth

p^-ofite /
/

take by attempeyawnce,

Wliom wine
profits.

hoot and yong

puttith to damage,
/

In Oold mys-humours
Superfluytees
/

restorith to

gouemawnce
1923

and

al
/

disturbaimce
to exigent,

Puttith to flyght

and shewith

by cause

it is / to

there nature convenient.

1925

(276)

Wyn

moost Reed
strong and
of

and thikke be kynde,

/

192(

Hed and
tliiok wine engemlers good blood.

Engendrith good blood

as
/

Auctours repoort,

Which

myghty
/

duUith the mynde,

Its ill effects it' t.nken to

Take out

mesure
/

doth not cownforte

Corrupt humours

causith to Resoorte,

1930

excess.

To ech membir / breffly to expresse, Noyeth the stomak / reyseth wyndynesse.

^

1932
MSS,

'of

in

MS.

to

'

inserted in other

; ; ;

G2

How

to tell

Good Wine.

(277)

To ech complexiown / Moost medicynable

Where good
wine ia grown.

of niannys nature,
/

1933

and lycour

indifferent,
sure, 7

Is of the grape o r

/
/

which growith I the o

/ to
/

In large feeldys

them convenient,
1937 1939
/

Strecchyd ahrood

with cute inpediment,

With

hillys

and valys
/

Envirownyd aboute,

Gadryd in tyme

best lycour with outyn doute.

(278)
[foi.47a,]

Ereefifly as

thus

to expresse
I
I

what

mene,
>

1940

good grape

for

making

looke they be rype J J

wine.

Strong in substawnce
tfrom the stok
/

and of good swetnesse, P no grenness let be sene,

to

excludid al moystnesse
/

And

of this doctryne

haue more redynesse,

/

1944
1946

looke of

wyn

of the grape
/

litel

departyd be

liroom the kernel

for lak of humydite.

(279)
Tiiecoiourof good wine;

Wyn

holsom also
,

/
/

owith to be of Colour,

1947

So atwen Eed

and gold
/

-,

ffyne,

n-

Ponya?<nt, delectable

sharp in savour,
Citrine,

Thykke at the botme / of Colour Above Cleer / with licour divine

Receyved in tyme
/
/

1951

and mesurably,
Coeaifortith the body.

Excludyng

disese

1953

(280)
fferthere Alisaundre
/

to expresse

what I mene,

1954

knowe and
14 properties of good wine

entitle / in

thy RemembraMnce,
/

That wyn good propirtees

Off Old philisotlres
/

hath

flfortene,'

peysed in ballawnce
/

Enforsyng the stomak

excludith pei-turbawnce,

1958 1960

ffortefieth the heete / in

the body natural,

Good

digestiown

causith in especial,

(281)
[foi.47 6.]

Conservith the stomak

from CorrupcioMn

19G1

By al the membrys / the mete doth lede, Which convertyd / by transmutaciowu,

Chaungid
to norsshyng
/
/

the body doon fede

With pure blood

of this matere take hede,

1965

The fourteen Properties of Good Wine.

Makith
to aryse / the heete
/ to

63

be mesure,
:

ffroom the stomak

the brayn by nature

19G7

(282)

Evyl humours destroyeth

Cownfortith corages
/

the Colour makith reed,

19GS

Clarifieth the sight,

The townge Elloqueut

And
/

delyuer in the heed,

/

ffroom fretyng malencolye

makith the body

light,

Causith good Appetight

makith hardy
/

to fight

1972

but these be vndirstande

breefly I the sure,

Of wyu receyved

in

tyme and mesure.

1974

(283)

And knowe
Out
of

Alisaundre
/

that

wyn

Outragiously,

19

<

5 Too much
of it biin^n

tyme

Resceyved, and mesure,

/

about

e!i;iclly

cotitrary

Of

these comoditees

Cause contrary.
good Chawng and mesure,
/

effects.

And

the body

longe to Endure,

Doon

not

pe?-raitte / in

1979
1981

but moo of syknessys

Causith babouudaMnce,

That wyn mesuryd

co??imoditees in substawnce.

(284)

Bookys

also / of
/

phesyk and medicynes,

of

1982

[fol.48a.]

be a maneer

Comparysoan,

Atween

the

This lyknesse

Rembarbe / good and holsom Wynes, / make in disposiciown.

/

Comparison between wine and rbubarb.

As

the rembarbe

holsom of condiciown,
/ is

1986 1988

Take out
ffor

of mesure

dedly and venym,

so

short conclusyoun

holsom

is

wyn.

Here

specially preyseth

wyn. and

techitli
it.^

a medycyn ageyn

drounkenesse of
(285) sentence IN Sorippys breef
fful or

/ to
/

wryte in termys pleyn,

1989
Of syrups.

bittyr

be p?-oKtable to the,

fastyng

receyved incerteyn.

Of humours or flewm / whan superfluite Doon habounde / in signe or degre. Which in the body / cause Corrupciown Of
qualitees / shulde be in proporcioa/n.
^

1993
1995

In margin of MS.

; ;

64

Be

modeo'ate in

Food and DHnlc.

(286)
The
fooiisii-

ff erthere

I mervaylle

iu ni} n
/

^'^^'^

theVef^of'
breS'*good
good'wi'ne-

man compiled
I

Oppynyown, and maad of foure humours,

1996

-^^^y

^ ^^cke

or tende to Corrupciown
/

Whyl
Of

he may haue
tarrage

special thre socours,

/

Good breed

of whete
/

fflesh

that wel savours,

2000 2002 2003

and stok

/ /

good and holsom wyne,

lycour moost divyne.

Eeyceyved in mesure
Contrarye be

(287)
[foi.

48 6.]

of nature to these thre,

/

or who take loo much

lood,

iMoche to Ete

Ovir moche travaylle,

I

drynk

to

-r,

Keceyve
'

m superfluite,
membre doth
disvavlle v
>

work,
or too mac-h ^""'t-

Of the body
but yif these

/
'

ech

the body doon assaylle,

/

2007 2009

And

of

drynk

supe?"fluite specially,
/

be sotyl meenys

vse this remedy.

(288)
A
cure for

ffirst

to

be washid

/ is p?-yti table
,
,

thyng,

2010

Uruukeuness.

In watir boylled
Afftir, ovir / a

,,

hoot and temperat

ryveer rennyng,
estat.

To be With

set

Arrayed to thyn
/

salwys, wyllwys

Envyronnd

p?-pperat,

2014
2016

Atftir the storaak /

anoynted with-al,
/

With

the

Onyment

callyd Sandal.

(289)
Phesciciens also
/

preve be prudence,
/

2017

How

norisshyng

that

tyme

is.

the savour.

Do

not leave

To nature of / good spices and encence, Mesuryd in tyme / by dilligent labour And whoo of wvn / Ivst to leve socour,

2021

suiideiiiy.

Hym

behovith
/

by Successio?m

redily

It to leve
[foi.

and not Sodeynly.

2023
of his Connseil.^

49a.]

Of the Rightwisnesse of a
(290)

Kyng and

F
The doty of
liiiigtohia subject*.
:i

lErthere

Alysaundre
/

gyff Advertence,

2024

though of accoord

philisoffres expresse,

To a prynces / hih Thyng Celestial

magnificence.
/ is
X

Rightwysnesse,

In margin of US.

The Indian C&niract with

their Kings.

65 2028
2030
2031
RightMn*ness.

Maad
Of

to conserve / the blood

his sogettys
/ his

and Kicheese possessyoMns and werkys,

/

In -which

Regalye atant
(291)

as sey clerkys.

ffroom god sent

/ for

his Creaturys
/

Ryghtwysnesse namyd

shap of intelligence,

In sogettys obeysa?mt / Souereyn recurys, "Which doth cause / groundid on prudence, Sent was / noote this sentence, Vnto prynces / to conserve froom pillage,
Alle sogettys
/

2035
2037 2038

extorcioMns

and damage.

(292)

Men

of

ynde

/ in

ther
/

Oppynyoun
wrytyng berith witnesse,

The Indian
opinion of a king's duties.

fFor this

concludid
/

Off a prynce

for breef conclusyoun.

To his sogettys / bettir is rightwysnesse Than Aboundawnce / or plente of Eichesse In the Reem / and moore Avayllable Than Reyn froom hevene / A kyng resonable.
(293)

2042
2044

And

for they shulde /

/

make no

dysseverawnce,

2045

[fol.

49 6.J

but ther kyng

And

ryghtwysness loye in Oon,

and hovr
tliey

Atwen hem

they made AffyaMnce,

thus wryte
/

made a
:

con-

Which was

in
/

marbyl stoon
prynce

tract with tbeir kings.

"With oute ryghtwysnesse

may

be noon,

2049
2051

And

breefly to wryte

with-oute superfluyte,

Ryght and the Kyng

/ as

brethryn owen to be.

(294)
It is to the / also greet avaylle,

2052
How a king should behave in bis
council.

And

accordyng

/ to
/

thy magnificence,
of thy coMnsaylle,

Oppynyottns to here

And
To

benygly

to gyff audience,
/ giff

ther coMusayl
Intitle

advertence,

2056

and roUe / ech Oppynyown, In thy remembraMnce / but lerne this conclusyoem.
(295)

2058

Thyn
ffor

entent

do nat expresse,
/

2059

"nd not allow

bis

own
till

"Which thou hast

at the

begynnyng,

opinion to be

known
after.

thou owyst / of verray ryghtwysnesse PHILOSOPHERS.

The Weavers Son, lorn

Therof be blaniyd
/ as /

to he wise.

witnessith wiytyng.

keep townge in

mewe
/

be cloos in werkyng,
purpoos for avayl,

2063 2065

Tyl tyme thou be

/ in

In

eflFect

to folwe

ther cownsayl.

(296)
[tol,

50a^

Conceyve the Cownseyl

Off eche persone
/

peyse

it

in ballawnce

2066

hih or lowe degre,

Which doth
ffor

luge

with cute varyaMnce,

moost love

which he hath

to the

And whan alle thynges / determyned be By thy co?<nsayl / them put to execucioMn, ffor to a Eeem / delayes Cause destruccyo/tn.
(297)
Pelay
is

2070
2072

To make

dellayes

dangerous.

/
/

namely tyme of nede,

as philisoffres devyse

2073

Is greet pereel

Off tendir in

Age

/ to this
/

mateer tak hede

Prudent cownsayl
ffor

loke thou nat despice,

/

sinne of nature

be provident and wyse.

2077

Summe

folkys / by disposicio^n

Afftir ther

tyme

And

constellaciown.

2079
2080

(298)

This to conclude
A
story of a diild born in

wrytyng
/

I ffynde,

A lyknesse

previd
/

by experience

India

Off an Enfajtnt

in the Cuntre of ynde,

Boore in a place

/ where men of intelligence Herborwed were / which gevyng Adue?-tence Of this Child / to ech proporciown This doom gaff / by natural resoMn.

2084
2086

(299)
[fol.

50 6.]

Boore he was

vndir such signe,

/

2087

under fortunate constellations.

Constellaciown

and planete

delectable,

That he shulde

Enclyne
/

to doctryne,

be light of membrys

Curteys and Amyable,

lovyd of statys

to

Co?msayl avayllable,

2091

Of Sevene
son of a weaver,

sciencys

"VVhoos ffadir of

hauyng in sight cleer, wevyng / was an Artificeer.

/

2093 2094

(300)

Tyme

passyd

/ this

child

grew

to

Age,
Organycalle,

Weel proporciownyd

in

membrys

Tlie

King's Son,
flfadir /

hoi'n to he

a Smith.

67

"Whoom

his

for worldly ava?mtage,

/

Boonde and dysposyd

but this Enfawnt
lerne
/ for

to

craflPt

mechanycalle

no thyng myght be

falle,

2098
who would
learn

myght
it

ne for Correcciown,
/

no

Be-cause

was

ageyn disposiciown.
(301)

2100

I'andicraft,

They took awey

/ the
/ to

brydel of A-reest,

2101

but, left to
liiinself,

Hym
He

puttyng

folwe his owne entent,

sought com-

pany of the

sett his herte / to

byde with the wyseest

prudent,

Of that

Cuiitre

And moost
/

Which

in labour /

wolde be dilligent
in science
/

2105 2107

Hym

to

Enforme

by

lecture,

The kynde

of thyiiges

Couteyned vndir nature.

(302)

The mevyng

of the firmament /
/

and

al othir

thynges

2108

[fol.51a.]

vndir nature

he lernyd Eedily,

and learnt all knowledge.

Good manerys

also / to

governaMuce of kynges,
/

And by

his

wysdam

and sciencys

fynally,

Be-cause he was / trustyd Specially,

2112

and became
chief of the king's council.

He had

the rewle
/

and disposicioMn
al his

Of the kyng

and

Regiown.

21U
2115

(303)

Contrary to this

/ in

wryting I fiynde

How
Two

a nobil /

and a Royal kyng

/

Children hadde

in the lond of ynde,

/

Off which

whan Oon

Cam

to

growyng,

He was
As

set / to liberal
/

konnyng,
of hih Auctorite,

But there was a king's

2119

Taught by mastres
a-partenyd
/

to his d ignite.

2121

(304)

But

in that part /

he was vntretable,

M22
avaylle,
wlio would learn nothing but how to forge metal.

!Maystre ne ffadir /

myght no thyng

Science nor Cratft

to

hym was

delectable,
:

but to forge

malyable mataylle
/
/

Put no

delight

in co?mtirfet Apparaylle,
in
/

2126 2128

but dysposed

As Child

bore

yong and tendir Age, of vile and smal lynage.

68

Value

Men for
,

themselves alone.

(305)

[foL 51 6.]

The

king,

deeply
grieved,
called to-

The kyng stonyd / greetly in thys party e, Of his Reem / Assemblyd in presence Alle grettest clerkys / Comaundyng streyghtlye
That they shulde doo
/

2129

gether his

ther entieer dilligence

Hym to Enfoorrae / by ther science Why his sone / of his disposiciown,

Sauf oonly to forge
/

2133
2135

wolde take noon informaciown.

(306)
who
satd that the

In ther Oppynyown

they accoordid

alle in

Oon,

2136

stars
liis

had so
it

And
Of

yove

this

ordered

at

birth.

his nature /

Answere / for ful conclusyo?/n what Enfawnt that wer boom

/ or
/

In that signe

ConstellacioMn

He

shulde be

of natural resown,
/

2140
2142

dysposyd that Crafft

Oonly

to vse,

And
So that kings ought not to
despise wise

alle othir / vttirly refuse.

(307)

These experyraentys

Owe

to raeve a

kyng,

2143

men of low

Nat
litel

to despise /

A man
litel

I the sure,

of stede /
aiftir

and

of growyng,

But

/ in vertu and norture, So hym to Cherysshe / owylle of nature, Whethir he be / of hih or lowe degree, A kyng florysshyng / in excellent dignitee.

he spryngeth

2147 2149

(308)
[foL 62a.]

He-<rvvyth to be lovyd

that vices will eschewe,

2150

Whose

advice

trusted.

"which lovith trowthe / and coMnseyllith trewly, To the thy sogettys / stedfa^t, lust, and trewe,

And of thy wyl / Sumtyme the contrary, Which doth nat spare / to telle the feithfully, To this coMiisayl / yive AfiyaMnce, Which in thy Eeem / Cause wyl good govermwnce.
(309)
Advice as to government.

2154 2156

Ordre thy mateerys "

'

/ afftir
'

ther substawnce
first

2157

Set nat the last

/ there

the

shulde be,

In

al nedys / with dewe Circumstaunce, To vse consayl / is profitable to the. With prevy counceyllours / prudent and

secre

2161

; ;

A
fTor

Fathers Counsel
/

to his

Son.

69

good counseyl
of pepil
/

moore doth avaylle

Than

greet puissawnce in batayJlo.

2163

(310)
flfor

this entent / in

wrytyng
/

as I Rede,

2164
A
ereat

greet

man wys
/

and provident,
in the

man's advice

Whoos dwellyng

was

Reem

of mede,

tu his boii.

lettere wroot / and to his sone it sent. Of which the teuour / and the content, With the prohemye / and conclusyoMn,

2168

This was with oute

varyaciawn.

2170
2171
[fol.52 6.]

(311)

" Dere sone,

it is

nede

in al

thy werkys

man To have counsayl / for thou art but Of qualitees contrarye / Compiled as sey clerkys Wherfore thy co?/nseyl / take of hem that Can The directe / by polityk wysdam. In ech mevyng / habite or passyoMn, The to reduce / by good discrecyoun."
(312)

Two lieaiU
are belter

2175
2177

thaiione.

From thyn Enemy / I cownseyl the be sure Shewe thy poweer / And thyn victorye Vpon hyra / thy ryght to Recure
But
I the monysshe
/ first

2178 How to treat

enemies,

weak and
strong.

and pryncipally,

fEroom

hym

to

tie /

in

tyme prudently.
/

2182 2184 2185

How
to take

Put not confidence

in the greetnesse

Of thyn prerogatyf

and excellent hihnesse.

(313)

Tak coziuseyl / in thought do not muse As it plesith / So it Receyve, The best Accepte / badde do^ refuse, hoo folwith thy wyl / the shal disceyve Wers smyt flateryng / than polex or gleyve. Werfore perceyve / by logical resown,

coun^U

2189
2191

Whan
Be sad

vndir flours

restith the scorpiown.

(314)
of cheer / pley nat the Enfa?^nt,
/

2192

[foI.5$a.]

In answere prudent

Oon

singuler

man

/ to

wys nat make thy

^
'

cha?*ngable,
leyf tenawnt,

Do

not tru^t

your power

not

'

in

some MSS.

70

How

te test

your

Officers.

To the ne thyne / is not a-vay liable ffor yif he be wood / and vntretable,

2196
also the.

He may in his / furyous Cruelte Thy pepil, thy Eeem / destroys, and
(315)
flferthermore, sone / tak

2198

hed

to

my

doctryne,

2199

To haue

officers / is profitable to the,

Thy worshippe and profight / for And yif thou wylt / lerae this
How
your
to test
officers;

to

mayntyne

of me.

Preve thyn
-r,
,

officeer / of
,

hihe or lowe degre,

2203

By sotyl raeenys / vse persuasyoMn, And thanne fynally / take this conclusyoMn
(316)

2205

Make compleynt
pretend to be

shews greet hevynesse,

/

2206

ffeyne the

nedy
/

take

hym

to the neer

By

sotil

meenys

thy consceyt to expresse.

/

As

to

thy freend

touche thyn
/

officeer.

And

yif

he cownseyl

to chevyssh sylveer

2210 2212

Of thy lowellys / or thyn tresours, he is trewe / and louyth thyn honours.

(317)
[foi.

58 6.]

Yif he Caste

or

gynne

to coMnte

thy dettys,

2213

if

he count*

It is sigue / of greet providence

ffals

debu,

and vntrewe
to
vif "'

yif of thy sogettys,

/

Goodys
or offers part of his own wealth.

Rescey ve
offre

he gif Aduertence

And

he

of
;

poUtyk prudeuce,

2217
o
-,

he

Part of Richessys
,

get lu thy seruyse,

,

^i

is excel-

lent.

\^Q is

so trewe

no good

man may hym mempryse.

i

Z'li'd

i r

(318)
and
to be

praised,

Comende that Officeer As hym that loueth.

Vnyversal
/

in thyn

OppynyoMu,

2220

moore

prosperite,

of thy

Regiown
/

Than pryvat avayl

aiso^n
officer

to his singularyte
/ /

Signe of good sogett

Is

take this Auctoryte,

for

2224
2226

whan he dothe

thy hih honour,

/

who

is zealoos.

Moore than

his charge

to

thy singuleer plesour.

(319)

And

trust not /

On hym

of discrecio?m,

2227

Which

in tresour / puttith his delight,

; :

The Virtues of a good

OJlcer.

71

With herte mynde / hath delectacioitn, Good to gadre / Whetliir it be wrong or right, On whoom growith / evir the Appetight In greet Rychesse / And mony to AboMnde, Which as a depnesse / is with cute grounde.
(320;
GyflF

2231

2233

no credence
is

/ to

such an Officeer
/ in his affecyoMn,

2234

[foi.Bio.]

That
ffor

Cormptyd
/

or one who can be bribed.

he wyl redily

Seeke niateer,
/ to /

And

soone consente

thyn destrucciown

Tretyng with lordys

lete

ne cogniciown
/

2238 2240

hym noon

have

and
/

yif

he thus offende,

Oute of thy presence

hym

vttirly suspende.

(321)

Love

that officeer / of hool herte

and

entieer,

2241

Which the lovith / and is ay tretable To thy sogettys / tak hede of this mateer Them to make / to the Agreable,
ffroom thy seruice
/

which

is

not permutable ;

2245
The
r.
fifteen
officer.

In

whoom

also / these vertues

/

may be

sens

By

computacioMU

folwyng here
(322)

flFyftene.

2247

jw

virtues of a

good

In membrys parfight
In the Office Swyfft
/
/

wel to travaylle
twoo,

2248

hym commyttyd
/

vndirstandyng
/

gretly doth avaylle,

to

with redy consceyt

wheer meen haue

/ to

doo

That

hym

is

Charged

execucioMu alsoo

2252 2254

Soone

to putte /

Curteys and doughty,

:

ffayr spekere / with-oute fflattery

(323)

Groundid in science / and a good Clerk, Trewe of behest / hatyng lesynges,

gentyl of condicioMns
/

2255

ffoi.

5*6.1

tretable in ech

werk
Gluttony
i

Wel mesuryd

specially in
/

twoo thynges,
kynges

Mete and drynk

Inconvenient

for a-boute

2259
2261

detestable in king's servant.

In-sacyable glotonye
/

/ is detestable,

and abhomynable.

72

How

a King's Servant should hear

'

Mm.
2262

(324)

That he^ love worshepe / and encrese,

Above al thynges To gadre gold / leva

ffor as a-fore

to thy goodlyheede,

besynesse,

rehersyd /thou mayst rede

Suych an

OflBceer / in
/

tyme of nede
be persuaciown

2266

Wyl
The

be enclyned

to destroye / for

Ambiciown.

2268
2269

(325)

That he love the

Agoodoffloer
loves

prevy and
/

esti-awnge,

wiM

Men
Which
But

of worshepe

put to reuerence,

for 2Corrupt[i]oQ / trewthe

wyl not chawnge

to ech / be polityk prudence,

/ /

Grawnte his labour

and his dilligence

2273
2275

To socoure them

which grevyd be in dispence, With-oute carnalyte / makyng no difference.

(326)
strong and perseuerawnt,
/

[foi.55o.]

In his pnrpoos

2276

Hia bearing towards

other*.

With outyn dreed Meke of condicioMns

Off thyn Rentys
Secreet in
/

to se

thyn Avaylle,
tyrattnt,

and no

knowyn
/

the Eeaaylle,

werkyng

sharp in travaylle,
/

2280 2282
2283

fEroom greet spekyng

ffor

hym

kepith discretly,
ffoly.

moche spekyng

/ is

signe of

(327)

In mooche laughtir

that he nat abownde,

sogettys / gracious and benigne, Off repoort / ay that he be foMnde,

To thy

Trewe and

stable / in ech degre

and signe
2287
2289

Among

the peple / trewthe to mayntene

also / geve supportacioMU,

To symple And them

correcte /

which vse extorciown.

(328)
It is to be titled /

how prevy with

cute obstacle,

2290

As Oold
caUed

philisoffres /

put in Eemembrawnce,

That in
ffor
1

man / is founde greet myracle, Namyd the litel world / by Auctours

many and

allegea7^nce,

vnkouth circumstaMuce
MS.

2294
/

He

that

'

in

Corrupt

on trewthe ' MS.

;;

The Properties of Beasts found in Man.

ffoiinde
ill

73

hyra

moost sou-eyn creature,

/

Kamyd

beeste resonable

be intelligence insure.

2296

(329)

He

is

hardy as leown

dreedful as the hare,

as a

2297

[fol.B5 6.]
Tlie twenty-

large as a

Cok

/
/

and

hound Coveytous,
doth
fare,

hardy as an hert

in forest Avhich
/

three different animals wtiose nature

is in

lioxsom as the turtyl

Syraple as the lamb
/

As lyownesse

man.

dispitous,

lyk the ffox malicious

as beere slough in tarying,
/

2301
2303

Swyfft as the Eoo

And

lyk the EUefazmt

precious in ech thyng.

(330)

As the Asse vyle / and Contagious, As a litel kyng / hasty and Ri^beel, Chaast as an Awngel / As swyn leech erons^, Meeke as a pecook / as boole wood and feel
Profitable as the
ffair as

2304

Bee
/

in his heve,

which

is

his Cel,

2308

the hors

As the howlc

malicious,

Dowmbe

as the ffyssh /

And

as a

mows

noyous.

2310

(331)

Audith Countable, Of thy RemembraMnce / and knowe redyjy, That in beeste / nor thyng vegitable, '^0 thyng may be / vnyuersally
Noote
this processe
/

in the

2311

But

yif

it

be

founde naturally
/

2315

In mannys nature

"Ulierfore of

Oon Accoord
litel

Gold

philisoffres /

Callyd

hym

the

woord.^

Of a kynges Secretary.
(332)

[fol.

56 a.]

FErthere
In speche

Alysawndre

Conceyve in thyn entent

/

2318
Tie
qualities

Thy prevy wyse men

fair / in

for to vndirstande
of secretary.

language prudent

Gay

in endityng / fair wryters

/

with hande

looke they be

and

ferthere in thy
/

knde

2322

looke thy wryters

of thy secrees
lettrees.

In prevy place
Blank
in

wysely kepe thy

2
'

2324
MSS.

MS.

worlde

'

in all other

74

A
Lyke
as a

King's Secretary and Messenger.

(333)

Robe / fayr^ of greet Rychesse, Worshippeth the body / of a myghty kyng,

language
/

2325

How

fair

vSo fair

trewthe to expresse,
lettir /
/

be:.utifleth a

"Woishippeth a

with good endityng

look thy secretary

Conceyve in ech thyng

2329
2331

Thyn entent / and it redily To execucion / Can put wittily.

(334)

Thy
How
they

hihnesse also

for to enhawnce,

2332

And
shnulrt be

thy magnificence
"^

With

greet rewardys

/
'

leme this of me doo them avaunce

/

rewarded.

Afflir here merytis^ /

and ther

degre,

Which

aldayes

besy and

In thy nedys

/ for in
/

wakyng be them stant the warysozm

2336 2338

Of thy worshepe
[foi.

thy lyf or thy destruccion.

56 fi.]

Wliat a kynges massageer oughte to bee.

(335)

The importanceofgood
messengers,

lErthere Alysatmdre
tfor a-vayl /
/
i

/ to

spede thy mateerys

2339

Enforce thy Corage

massageerys, o
j
'

gor to hauc

swvfiPt J
/

Wys, redy
Moost
ffor

expert in language,
/

Sufficient

for

who

are the eyes, ears,

and tongues
ot their lord.

a massagcer /

,.,.,. As philisoffres
/

thyn Avawntage
-.

2343
his loord.

recoord,

Is the Eye, the Ere

and townge of

2345

(336)

His loume

lette /

which

lyst for reyn

/

ne shour,

2346

To whoom thou mayst

thy wyl also vncure,

Which the louyth / and thyn honour, And if thou ne may / of suych Oon be At the leste / gentU and demewre
wiio should
be chosen.

sewre,

2350
2352

look he be

'

which wel and

/

feithfully ''

Can
Eakyl

here a lettre

and repoorte trewly.

(337)

whoarnot
on any
account.

of toMnge

/
/
,

or
,

moche which doth muse

is

2353

On

To
,

gete gifftys
/

what tyme he

sent

thy massage
^

hym
in

vttirly reffuse
^
'

n.

A blank

MS.

demerytis

'

in

MS.

The Commoners must

he well governed.

75

And fertherraore / nevir vttir thyn To hym which wyl be Impotent

In
al

entent

2357

membrys

be Outragious dro?mknesse,
/

ffor

more than he knowith

(338)

suych Oon wyl expresse. 2359

fferthere

be prudence
Rolle
/
'

/ entitle^ this

mateer,

23G0

[foi.57a.]

And

it

in thyn Co?aitable

mynde,
send no great man on your
errands,

That hihe Estat / ne greet Officeer, On thy massage / thou vse for to sende,
ffor vif ''

he

'

to tresoMn condiscende,

2364
.

for fear of

treason.

Off the and thy

Reem
/

he

may

be destrucciown,

Whoos punysshment

I remytte to thy discreciown.

23G6

Of Equiperacio?/n of Sogettys and ConS(2rvacio?m of

(339)

Justice. ^

COnceyve
By which

dere sone
/

how

the hous of thy mynde,

2367
How
n realm

be thy sogettys
thy

Reem
'

and the tresour, Confermyd as I ffynde,

and hihe honour,
2371
ffrutys,

Doth Contvne
lyk a gardeyn

in greet

mstice of a King

/ of

Redolent savour,
/

Abowndyng

in trees

and divers

Which

gryffyd on stokkys / haue

many

brazmchys.

2373

(340)

The bra?mchis sprede

the frute doth multiplye,

2374

And

in Caas

lyk and comparable,

Off poweer excellent / trewthe to speceffye,

And of a Reem / tresour perdurable, By the prudence / famous and agreable,

Off the

2378 2380

Comownys

by polityk

livyng,

Growe

alle vertues / to

worshepe of a kyng.

(341)

In werk and woord

and

al ther

dedys,

2381

[foi,

57 6.]

To be mesuryd
ffroora

/ is

Covennable,
al ther

velonye

and wrong in
/ to

nedys,

who

defends

Them
'^

to diffende / to the is portable,

I

Pepil to governe o
Afftir

the

is

avayllable, 1 ^

2385

Custom

And
MS.

Condiciown,

a""! governs accoriimg to custom.

In ther partye
^
'

vsyd of thy Regiown.

^

2387

eititle

'

in

In margin of MS.

76

Caunscl as

to Justice,

(342)
Choose good
subordinates,

To

ther Suppoort

w liich
Good

.,,.,, them an
/

gif

Officeer,

2388

tendith not / to ther destracciOMn,

/
/

of condicioan

wys

in ech mateer,

In tyme pacient
tfor to
rlbeUion*"^

vse noon extorciown

take this / for ful conclusyoim,

/

2392
telle,

Yif the Contrarys

thou doo
/

that I the

Ageyn
To
Haveimpartial

the

thy sogettys
(343)

shul rebelle.

2394

encrees of thy Court

And

also of thy Pieem,

2395

have luges trewe

.

'

good and wyse,

judges,

not pareial / but indifferent men,

Which
andConru

for lukyr / trewthe will not despyse,

Prenotar^'^es / to

haue
/

1 the

Advyse

2399
2401

ne that the luges

Corrupt of entent,

Ageyn
[foi.

Justice

gyf the lugement.

58 a.]

Of the governaMnce of Bataylle.^

(344)

Y
Do
ill

lErthere Alysawndre

be-hold for thyn avayl,

/ it is

2402

That
.^

to

thyn hihenesse
/
,

Conuenient,
. .

not fight

Not

to contvne

werre and bataylle

/

person.

f In thy persone

^ uonceyve

myn

entent,

ffor Coveitise or envye / to

make busshement,

2406

Or

foly to fight

for presumptuousnesse,
/

Is thyng temerarye

and noon manlynesse.

2408

(345)
Find out the
opu"ion of

Off thy Court

ffor to

look thou be diUigent, the

2409

here
of

Com own Oppinyown,

/

Thy men
But
encourage your soldiers;

Armys
/

dispreyse not of entent

of

me

lerne

tliis

conclusyown,
/

Gyf them

fair

speche

behete them warysozai,

2413 2415

And
aimed!

to bataylle / entre not sodeynly,

/

^^^ thow haue Armvre

and wepne necessary.

Vpon thy Enemy

ne dispurveyed

(346) renne not sodeynly,

2416

dreede not for to

/

flee,

What tyme

thou art
1

besegyd traytourly,

In margin of MS.

and
ffor

the

Ordering of War.
thy magnanjTnyte,

77

tlysworshipe

/ to

It

is

noon

lerne this of

me

2420
daycs,
Where
lo<ii;e

Keep wel thyn Cost / and the logge al Kyhe to hillys / M-atrys and woodyes.^
(347)

to

your

2422

"iiy.

Haue

also greet

Abounda?fnce of vitayllo,
/

2423

[fol.58 6.]

Moore than the nedith

ffreshe

be lyklynessc

trompetys
to fight

/
/

greetly

doon avaylle,

nti<>

have

plenty of

Which
Vnto

gif greet hardynesse,

/

trumpets to liven your

Strengthe, vertu

loye and liglitnesse,

is

2427
Eneniye.

men.

the Oost / which

On

thy partye,

And
Be not

the nieny

discojmfort

/ of fliy

2429

(348)
al

tymes

Ariuyd Oon Armvre,

/

2430
sure,
tskimiislicrs to kill the

look thou be kept

SuiJinie of

wel

with good Archeerys,

fix

thy people / to stand

/

and

Othir to Eenne vpon

ffair

to destroy Arblasteerys,
fel as steerys,
J

behestys / wyl

make

34

arblasteers;

Wherfore whan thou shalt

/ entre the bataylle,

Thy

people to

Co wn forte
(349)

/ greetly

doth avaylle.

>436

ffle

al

hastynesse / in especial chydyng,

if

2437
flee,

do not find
fault

And

thorugh tresoMn

constreyned thou be to

To haue good hors / swifft of Rennyng, Doth aparteyne / to thyn excellent dignitee,
"Which Save thyn Oost
ffor
/

have a pood horse ready

to retreat

shal
/

and

also thee,

2441

thy conservacio?<n
alle the

yf thou resort,

To

puissawnce / gevith greet coMnfort.

(350)

2443

And

yif thy

Enemyes

gynne

for to

fle,

2444

[fol.

59a.]

Chase them not

/ ovir hastely,

Holde

al

tyme
to

togidre thy nieyne,

/

Which

shal Cause

the haue victory

Engynes

haue

/ is special
/

remedy,
tour,

2448 2450

l"ve Biepe engine!) in

Yif thou assaylle

wyl Castel or

readiness;

With maystryes
^

to

myne

and

special socour.
'

nygh

hilles, watirs /

& wodyp

if})"

alway may.'

14408.

78

Of War, and of Physiognomy.

(351)

poison or

Tlieie watrjs desti'oye / OF elljs envemjiie,

2451

weus;
have skilled

Expert in language

haue explotourys,

Them to be-traye / be sum Sotil Engyne, And to knowe / alle ther labonrys,

poynt of weiTe

thoughe vndir flourys,

/

2455
2457

Of peynted language
ffor a

reste the scorpiown,

traytour

to be-traye is

no tresown.

(352)

Lerne

this

Conclusyown
/

folwe

my

doctrine,

2458

In poyntes of werre
It is better
is

take thyn avayl,

is

And

yif thou

may

/
'

thorugh grace which

/

dyvyne,
i

wanted

without war.

With

oute werre

take hede to
/

my j

CoMnsayl, j

Gete thyn Entent

Off thyn
ffor

or withe oute batayl,

/

2462 2464

Enmyes

thou owyst, as sey clerkys,

/

werre shulde be

the laste of thy werkys.^

[foi.

59

6]

Of the Crafft of physynomye, and the ymage of ypocras.

(353)

F
Philemon,
orph'ys'i*-'

Erthere I wyl

thou knowe in this party e,

/

2465

the excellent science

celestial

and divine,

ffounde be philomon

the use of the

/ I mene phisonomye, Be which thou shalt / folwyng my doctryne, knowe disposiciown / in ech degree and sigue, Of al thy peple / by polityk prudence,

24G9
247

Which

folwe sensuallyte / and which intelligence.

(354)

The qualitees to enserge / and ther naturys, With othir Craiftys / which that be secree, Poweer of planetys / iu al Creaturys,
DytformacioMiis
/

2472

of Circes

and medee,
mee,

lokyng in facys

/ lerne this of

2476 2478

And

membrys / to se proporciown. Off ech wyght / declaryth the disposicioem.

of

(355)

In

this science /

philomon Expert was,

2479

And

in al partyes / of philosophie,
/
^

In whoos tyme

Eegnyd

ypocras,

Ar. 59. aud Harl. 2251 conclude here.

The Portrait of Hippocrates.

Expert in phesyk
Off
/

79

and Astrononiye, and ffantasye,

lugement,

whoom

for purpoos /

2483 How
2485

Hippo,

To preve philomon

/ in his

crates' disciples tried

Philomon

disciples of ypocras / thus did of entent.

(356)

Of moost -wyse ypocras / they put in The yniage / in ech proporciown,

picture,

2486

[foi.eoa,]

with a
picture of Hippocrates,

And to philomon / they hym be-sechyng / the

them
to telle /

Offryd that ffigure,

disposicio?/n,

with qualitees and condicioMn,

/

2490
2492

Of that man

by

his experyence,

Whoos
Poweer

figure they /

hadde there in presence.

(357)
of planetys
of every
/

and Ek the

sterrys,

2493

asking his

judgment.

And
And

hevenly intelligence,

DisposicioMu of pees / and

Ek

of werrys,

of ech straunge / othir science,

/
/
/

As the sevene goddys Or of natural body

Of which he droof

by ther

influence,

2497
2499
2500
He answered
that he
deceitful

the transmutaciown,
this conclusyown.

(358)

This

man he

Seide

of natural resown,
/

Was
ffor

a disceyvour

lovyug leccherye,
/

was and

lecheroua.

which the

disciples

in that sesown,

hym to destroys / purpoosyd ffynally, And hym rebukyng / with woordys of

They
seide " ffool / this
Afftir the ffigure / of

velony,

2504
2506

ymage prentyd was,

^Vhen they rebuked him an^ily.

moost wyse ypocras."

(359)

This wyse philisoffre

of greet providence,

2507

[foi.60 6.]

Wei
With

disposed

seying on this maneer.

/

this

Resown

stood at his diffence.

/

he answered
tliat lie told

And

seide " this

/

ymage

Sovereyn and

entieer,

not of deed, but of natural

Is of ypocras

ffigure bright

and

Cleer,

25 1 1

cl'spo*'''"""

WTierfore I gaff

yow
/

not enformaciown

Of Actual dede

but disposicioi/n."
(360)

2513

The Answere yove

they passyd his presence,

2514

And
8

to ypocras /

yove relacioMn,

80

Which Men

to

avoid or
/

to choose.

how they hadde attemptyd

Off wyse philomon
which Hipknmviedged
to be true

the science

for his disposicioMn,

Which conceyvyng
Scide
it

/ his
/

owne Complexiown,

2518
2520

was trewe

be lyknesse, > j

A\ that of

hym

philomon did expresse.

(361)

ffor this dere sons

I wryte in this partye,

/

2521

Eewlys abreggyd
therefore

and

sufficient
''

In the Science
VV

/
'

kings should leani physi-

of ^ phisonomve.
/

hich to parcey vc
alle

looke thou be dilligent

In

dowtys

which wyl the Content,

2525 2527

To

nature, perteynyng / in substance,

qualitees /

And atwen

make

disseverazmce,

(362)
[fbi.

61a.]

In sentence breeff

/ to

wryte to thyn honour,

2528

And
Avoid wasiiylooking men.

exclude
is / '

/ al

superfluyte,

Man which
fibr ffor

feble of Colour
/

thyn avayl

looke that thou

/ tak

flee,

he

is

pleynly

heed vnto me,

/

2532 2534

To

lecchery dispoosed
othir evelys /

be nature and kynde,

as I ffynde.

And

many
(363)

Choose

aman

who

laughs

Man which
Oute

lawhcth
/

'

with wyl and herte, J

'

2535

'"j'j'j

heartily.

j^gt / stcdfast

and trewe

is

of nature,
sterte,

Tiiesi^nsof
loves you personally.

of thy presence /
to bc-holde
'

whych wyll not

But

the deliteth in sure,

Reed, shamefast

witty and demevre,

/

2539
2541

Which with

teerys

and syhyng makith moone,

/

AVhan thou hym blamyst

(364)
Do
not trust

louyth thy persoone.

As froom thy Enemy

Is not
ffor
/

/ fle
/

his presence,
in

2542

jiersous,

Wliich a-complysshcd

membrys Organychall

and noote
/

this sentence,

avayl

of thy excellence Royal

that
is /

ffroom
or

hym

looke thou
/

ffal,

2546

marked

Markyd
he
is

in visage

for lerne this Conclusyown,

disceyvable

by

disposicioMn.

2548

The Voice;

the

Ears;

the

Hair.

81

(365)

Best of ComplexioMn
Is to be
/

/ to

ech Creature,

2549

[foi.

6i6.]

breefly to expresse,
/

"Wei proporciownyel

In eyen and heerys

Colour meene
/

and meene stature, / havyng blaknesse,

IJeeiluesse

Description

appeurunce;

atwen whyte and

/

2553
wyght.

Visage rounde

boody hool and

/ is

right,

AVith meenesse of the heed

(366)

good

in ech

2555

Meene

in voys

nouthir to hih nor baas

2556

of the voice,

In moche speche
Spekith in tyme
vnto the Eerys
/

which doth noon Offence, and doth no trespaas

/

/ of

the Audience,
/

Conveieth his mateer

be reso?m and prudence,

/ vsith discreciown,

2560 2562

In ech Circumsta?iuce

Suych a man

/ is best of

comj^lexiown.

(367)

Eerys pleyn and

sofEte
/

doon signeffye
Curteys and kynde,

2563

of the ears,

Man
And
As

to

be boxora
/

Coold of brayn

trewthe to speceffye.

the Contrarye / conserve this in niynde, Eerys sharpe / and thykke, as I ffynde,

2567

Be evident toknys / and signes palpable, Of a fool / nyce and varyable.

(368)
Off heer also /

2569

whoo hath

greete quantite
is,

2570

[foi.

G2a.]

On wombe and
Good

breest / he

I the sure,

of the hair,

of condicioMus / in ech signe

/

and

gre,

Merveyllous of complexiown

and singuleer in nature.

In whoos herte

longe doth endure

2574 2576

Thyng a-geyn KesoMn / doo vnfeithfully To his Rebuke / shame or velony.

(369)

Heerys blake
In a

shewe rightwysnesse

2577

black hair,

man

and love and resown,

red hair,

The rede

also / be signe of IFoolynesse,

/

lak of providence

and discreciown,
/

Of fretyng wretthe
PHILOSOrHERS.

with Oute Occasyo?<n,

n

2581

The. Eyes

and Eyebrows.
/

And
.

Colour a-twen both

/ is

to .speke breefly

Of pesable man

signe and witty.

2583

(370)
large eyes,

And

he that hath
/

Eeyeu Out of mesure

2584

Ovir greete

with oute proporcioMn,

He

is

in voys / of

kynde and nature,

;

Slaw, vnshamefast / with oute subiecciown

A-twen bothe
colour of
eyes.

which kepe dymenciown, Of Colour brown / nouthir blak nor whyte,

/

2588

Curteys trewe

and konnyng be
(371)

of right.

2590

[fol.

62 6.]

Eeyen longe
Signe be
/

and extendid

visage,

2591

long eyes.

of malice

and Envye
casteth his

Dul

of cheer / as the

which

lyst nat to rage,

But

Asse
/

/ evir

Eeye
:

To the Erthe

tak heed of this partye

2595 2597

He

is

a fool / malicious, vntre table,

of

Hard

kynde

and not
(372)

sociable.

shifty eyes.

Eeyen

also /

which be
/ /

lightly

mevyng,

2598

visage long

with oute mesure.

Off hasty

man

vntrewe and levyng,

/

Be

signes Evident
/

and tooknys

I the sure

Colour reed

Causyd

of blood pure,

2602

Is signe of strengthe /

and greet manlynesse.

Which
But
Spots round the eyes the very worst

to fight / gevith greet hardynesse.

2604

(373)
of this mateere / looke
/

thou heede take,

2605

That werst signe

Is

in disposiciown
blake,

whan spottys / reede, whyte, or Mannys Eeyes / doo enviro?/n,

"VVerst of othir /

with oute comparysoMn

2609
2611

And whoo so heer / thykke doth here On the browys / is a shrewd spekere.
(374)
[fol.

63 a.]

fferthere,

the ejebrowa,

moche heer dependyng A-twene the browes / is a shrewd signe, Browys large / to templys / ech strecchyng.
/

whoo hath

2612

The Nose, <nui Face generally.

Signe of

83
;

hym

that falsnesse \vyl

/

mayntyne

"Which keepe meene

tak heed of
/

my

doctryue,

2616 2618

And

in

mooche heer
/

be not Abowndyng,

Evident signe be

of good vndirstandyng.

(375)

Noote

this

mateer
/

Entitle

it

Eedily,

2619
long noses,

long noose

strecchyng vnto the mouth,

/

Tokne

is

of

man

boold and liardy,

And he that hath / the nature that is vnkouth, Cammyd nose / bore in north or south,
With
gristil of

2623

camnse nose

nose

/ litel

redily,

Is sone wroth / hoot

and hasty.

2625

(376)1
ITerthere take

heed

to

my
/

doctryne,
ryse,

2626
Urge hooked

large nose in

myddys

which doth vp
is

Of a

lyere /

and greet spekyng

is /

signe,

As Gold
But

philisoffres / Clerly

doth devise

best he

in ech
/

maner wyse.
ne^ nose, I the hete,
greete.

2630
2632

That nose-thrylles
Ovir
litel

hath

ne Ovir
(377)

In

this mateere / ferthere to procede,

/
/

2633

[foi.636.]

And it Entitle Moo of membrys

Propirtees to

vnto thy good grace.

to the it is

nede

knowe / in special of the flace. Dirk ignorawnce / awey which wyl chace
;

2637
An
envious

Which

plat

and pleyn
/

though

it

be specious,

Is signe Evident

of

man

Envious.

2639

(378)

Signes be

for ful conclusyottn,

/ philisoffres

2640

As

in wryting

seyn,

Whan

face kepith /

dew
/

proporciown.

These dymenciowns

he kepith in certeyn,
ovir pleyn,
in

Not engrosyd / nouthir Jawys and teraplys /

2644
2646

Aweii-proface.

mene vp-rysyng,
/

Which
^

signe

is /

of witt

and greet vndirstandyng.

^

Not

in LaDsd. 285.

the

'

in

MS.

84

The Body, and

.

Liiribs.

(379)

The

voice,

Meene

in voys / neythir to grete nor smalle,

is

2647

Signe

of trewthe /
/

and rightwysnesse, ony man

Whoo

spekith scone
/

or

hym

calle

Is vnresounable

as philisoffres expresse

Greet voys

/ signe of
/

hasty nesse,

2651

Greet sownyng
ffair

and hih

Envyous and Angry, of wyldenesse and flooly.

(380)

2653

[foi.64a.]

moving of

Considre / Alysaundre / be dilligent labour, Whoo in talkyng / Conceyve what I mene,

2654

Handys doth meve

/ is a

disceyvour,
is

He
smau
neck,

stant stable / from these

pure and clene

With nekke
Is a fool
/

to smal / in pj-oporciown

whoo be sene

2658

ovir short / disceyvable,

And And

ovir gross /

lyeer detestable.

2660

(381)
"Kood round

he that hath

wombe
is /

greet withoute mesure,

2661

Proud, lecherous,
breest greet,
well shaped

and vnprudent,
/ large insure,

and shuldrys

body.

With bak wel shape / be signes Evident Of many wourthy / wys and provident, Good of vndirstandyng / hardy to fight.

2665 2667

Who
long arms,

hath the Contrary /

(382)

is

noyous to ech wyglit.

Armys

longe / stiecchyug to the knee,

of

2668
slevys,

Tokne
Bharp shoui-

wysdam
/

/ is

and hardy nesse

Shuldrys sharpe

I
is

mene not reysed with

lyklynesse,

Off evyl feith /

long fingers,

longe fyngerys

trewthe to expresse,
/

2672

Crafftys to lerne

yevith disposiciown,

In Especial

/ of

manual OperacioMn,
(383)

2674

[fol.64 6.]

He

that hath fFyngres

greet

and shoort

2675

thick short
fingers,

Is dispoosed / noote this doctryne,

To be a
Rreat
feet,

fool /

nyce in his dispoort

feet
/

Whoo
litel

hath greet
light /

vntrewthe wyl mayntyne,

small

feet

and

been evident eigne

2679

The twelve Signs of a good Man.

That he
is

85

hard

of vndirstandyng,
/

And

smale leggys

be tokne of symple konnyng.

(384)

2681

and

legs.

Of leggys and helys / be tokenyth largenesse Mighty to be / in strength of body

In knees also
/

2682
knees.

trewthe to expresse,

He

that

is

ovir /

moche

fflesshy,

Is soffte

and

feble / lerne this naturally

litel / is evil
/

2686

Whoo
In
al

hath

of wyl,

thynges

hasty with oute skyl.

2688

(385)

To al vertu / disposed, and science, Good and kynde / of Coniplexiown, Is a man / havyng in sentence
Signes twelve
/

2689

be computacioMn

Twelve signs

ffleshe soffte / of disposiciown,

^^ 2693
2695

of a good

man.

Or meenely sharp / and of mene stature. Twen whyte and Keed / in Colour kepith mesure.
(386)

Swete of look

and the Eerys pleyn,

2696

[fol.65a.]

Eyen menely / grete be mesure, The heed not greet / but a-twen tweyn, Moche and litel / is good I the sure Kekke sufficient / and of good stature, Whos shuldrys bowe / a litel mesurably, In leggis nor kneeys / be not moche fflesshy.
;

2700
2702

(387)
Cleer of voys
/ and eke mesurable, Palmys and ffyngrys / longe in sufFysawnce,

2703

Skornys to vse

/ is

not comendable,

lawhyng visage
vsyd in mene
tfor atftir
/

/ is

good in daliawnce,

With dew Circumstawnce

to

2707
2709

the mateer / requerith audience.

So contenawnce

shewe
(388)

/ is

good providence.

Be con
ffor

in-sight

deme no man
folwe

to soone.

2710

Note

all

the

In sentence
hasty

bi-eeff /

my

doctryne,
to doone,

demyng

where men haue

86

Do
And

not judge hy one Feature.

/ is evident signe
breffly to
'

Of improvidence
and do not draw conelusions from
one alone.

this

book

'

termyne,
conclusyoMn,
,

2714
27 16

In oon membiT
nevir

/ for ful

deme

mannys

disposiciown.

(389)
[foi.

65 6.]

Behoold

al^ signes / give aduertence,

2717

Which moost aboundyn / to se is avaylable, And in myude / by polityk prudence,

nombre
In party best

ExpUcit*

them / which be most profitable, / and moost Amyable, Which the mvt grawnte / the lord moost impej'ial Aboue al hevenys / Supra celestial. Amen.
of

2721

2723

(390)
Lenvoye.*

Goo litel book / and mekely me excuse, To alle thoo that / shal the seen or rede, Tf ony man / thy Eudnesse lyst accuse,

272-1

Make no
Pray

ditfence / but with lowlyhede

hym

refourme
/

wheer
that

as

he seth nede

2728

To

that entent

I do the forth directe,

/

Wher
1

thou

fayllest

men

shal the correcte.

-

2730

'of MS.

Not

in this

MS

87

NOTES.
This Introduction is taken advantage of by some to insert the p. 1, 1. 1. name of the king by whose orders the translation is made. Thus Shirley dedicates his translation to Henry VI, and the French translation in the king's library, printed in 1489, is dedicated to Charles VIII. The first twenty lines are Lydgate's summary of the duties of a king, founded on a couple of lines in the original, " Deus oranipotens custodiat regem nostrum ad gloriam credentium, et confirmet regnum suura ad tuendam legem divinam suam, et perdurare faciat ipsum ad exaltandum honorera et laudem bonorum."
11.

of 211

300 represent the prologue the Arabic version, with the exception 231, which are due a mistake some Latin MSS., which substitute
1

in

to

in

the

name
p. 1,
1.
1.

of Philip of Paris for Jahja ibn al Batrik.

8.

p. 1,

20.

The lord = God. In your desire this processe for to here.' I make an ende of this prosses.' B. D.
' '

'And
'

Ass. of Lad. 27. s. M. 848. shortly of this processe for to pace.' Leg. Ariadiie 29. What wise I should perform the said processe

Considiryng by gode avisement My unconnyng and my grete simplenesse

And ayenward
'Of
'Takith at
p. 1,
1.

this processe

the straite commaundement.' now forth will I procede.'

B. D.

s.

M.

158.

Balade In Feverere
21.
'

22.

To take
'

gre,' 'To take at gre.' T. of Glas 1085. ther favour and snpportacioun in gre this rude Translacioun.' B. D. s. M. 840. Accept in gre this litil short tretesse.' C. of L. 28.

By

nidtiess of
p. 1,

my
'
'

style.

1.

24.

'Thy rude langage full boystously unfold.' F. atid Voyde of Elloquence.' With timerous herte & trembling hand of drede Of cunning nakid, bare of eloquence.' C. of L. 1.
'

L. 595.

Destitute
s.

Of Eloquence.' jB. D.
p. 2,
1.

M.

842.

33.

digne refers to hook in 31.

'
' '

The Arabic and most Latin versions have bicornis or duo p. 2, 1. 46. cornua habuisse dicitur.' The two horns are due to the two horns with which his God-father Amnion is represented. See Wars of Alexander, p. 10. Ed.
E. E. T. S.

Lydgate's text only justified him in saying that some of the p. 3, 1. 77. philosophers had counted Aristotle a prophet.
p. 4,
1.

89.

Vnkouth and strange, 'extrajiea opera.' See Uucouth and straung.' Ch. Dream. 1427.
'

1.

219.

88
p.
4, 1. 9f^.

Notes
doioe.

to

Pages

47;
'

Lines
in

98186.
is

colunibe.
p. 4,
I.

Lat, Shirley, culvour.

'columna

which
is

some MSS.
See
1.

columba.

Fr.

This opinion

attributed to the peripatetics.

use.

104.
' '

Al

hool the world, a

common

196, &c.
2.

All whole in govirnance.' C. of L. 373. Had whole achievid th' obeysaunce.' Ch. Dr. 'Wliole your thought.' CVi. Dr. 498.
p. 4,
1.

110.

The Routrd

bed.

When was

the orb introduced as a royal

sign V

Septemtryonn.
orbi, dictusque
p. 4,
J.

monarcha
vij

Several MSS. speak of Alexander, 'qui dominatus fuit toti in Septentrione.' I don't see why in septeiitrione.'
'

Clymatys. The world was divided into seven climates by ancient geoofraphers, such as Ptolemy. These were divisions answering to the length of the longest day. Thus the first climate was from the Equator to where the longest day was 12 hrs. 45 mins., and was named the Climate of Meroes. The second was called from Syenes, the longest day was 13J hrs. tiie third from Alexandria, ]3| hrs.; the fourth Rhodes, 14| lirs. the fifth Rome, 14| hrs. the sixth from the Black Sea, 15J hrs. and the seventli, North Germany, 16| hrs., the rest of the world being reputed uninhabitable. The climates south of the Equator were called anti-Meroen, &c. &c. However, more modern writers divide the space between the Equator and the Arctic Circle in twenty-four climates, allowing a half-hour difference of longest day to each climate. See Cluverij. Introdiictione in Universam Geographiam, Lib. VII. Amst.Elz. 1659. 12. p. 22; Borrhaus in Cosmographiac Elementa. Bas. 1655. 8 p. 121, &c. &c.
112.
; ;
; ;

p. 5,

1.

113.

grucchyng. 'Grutching in no vpyse.' C. of L. 960. 'Withoutin grutchinge or rebellion.' Pilgrim. 183 6; Book, Bb4 d Camp, of Bk. Kt. 554 L. Lady f, a
;
;

Tro^f:

T. If

Glas 424, 879.

p. 5,
1.

147.

theffyn ofther entent.

This expresses a q.uality not readily expresFreeman's History of William Rvfus. These were men 'quorum actiones in regiam potentiam directae sunt.' Lydgate alters his text, which expresses a desire to slay them. p. 6, 1. 155. The text might equally well be Jupartye, but it seems to me p. 6, 1. 160. that the sense of imparting information would do better. The other texts are little guide to what Lydgate would write. The Englieh is, Bat only thou certifie vs bi thi lettres, as thou seemest most spedfuUe vnto vs the Latin is, Quidquid igitur super hoc decreveris, nobis significa tuis scriptis the Arabic 'What do y'>u advise in this matter?' iSj Lydgate here entirely misapprehends the sense of his text, p. 6, 1. 164. which is that if Alexander can change the air and water of that hind, and the disposition of their states, then he was to fulfil his intention meaning, 'since you can't change the nature of the country, govern it by kindness.'
p. 5, 1. 150. sible in English.
Cf.
' '

'The tine of his magnanymyte.

entente.'

T.

and

C.

iii.

125.

'

'

p. 6,

1.

166.

An

allusion to the spheres of the elements.

See quotation in

note on line 551. They were supposed to lie immediately round the eartli, which was the sphere of earth, then came air, then water, and outside that fire. Then followed the planetary spheres. But Bart. Angl. de Prop. Berum puts it otherwise see my Medieval Lore for some account of medieval astronomy
;

according to him.
loynges. A favourite Middle p. 7, 1. 186. a king, &c.. derived from Scriptural sources. Obedyence.'

Age symbol
See
1.

324,

for the protection of wynges of humble

'

Kotcs to rages
p. 7,
1.

711; Lims 2043-21.

liis

89

to Q}ihdii3 Cnrtiiis, Lib. I., ' aiiteiu PliiK)sophiae iKirtem, cap. iii., had this in quae sibi aliis que probe imperare docet, ita coluit, ut mapiianimitate, prudentia, temperantia, fortitudine, quam annis et opibus inistructior, tantam imperii Persici raolem subruere agressus censeatur.'
Freiiishoini, in

204.

supplement mind when he wrote Eani

The mistake of attributing this to Philip of Paris arises from p. 7, 1. 210. a shortened Latin copy, which put Pliilip of Tripoli's heailing, and omitted his Paris seems to have been arriveil at from dedicatory letter to Bishop Guido. reading tlie contracted form of Patricii as Parisii.' Tliere is no Philip of Paris who can be found likely to have had anything to do with this work.
'
' '

p. 7,

I.

220.

sxigryd ensj^ired EUoqiiejice.

See

1.

376.

'A word

of sugrid eloquence.'

C. of L. 933.

'Of TuUius had the sugrid eloquence.' Lydgate's balade of good coHscil 100. sugred dytees.' Troy-Book Gj a.
'

siigred eloquence.'

Troy-Book K,

d.

'

The sugred

language.'

Falls of Pr. 163 d.

p. 8,

p. p.

TuUius gardyn. 'The blosomes fresh of Tnlius gardein sote.' C. of L. 8. wakir yoos. Pari. Foules, st. 52. 8, 1. 227. Lines 232 to 301 are repeated, 60337 more compactly. 8, 1. 232.
1.

224.

The Arabic very curiously represents Jahja ibn al Batrik as searching all the temples of the Egyptians. The differences between the two versions show us Lydgate getting over the ground, or pausing to amplify every thought, and
the results.
p. 8,
1.

246.

Cupydes ffyr, learning under the guise of love.

p. 8, 1. 249. bitter, of which

'

Oijtheroes tonne. Is this a reference to the vats of sweet and each of us may take one ? ' licour.' auriate licour of Clio ! to write.' Balade in comendacioun, &c., 13.

p. 9,

11.

leads

him

250-5, 59, 282, &c. Here the to use the sun as a metaphor for

mention of the temple of the sun knowledge.

'3onre stremes clere.'

T. of Glas 1342.
'

'And Phebus with

p. 10,
1.

his

301.

Chalde.

Syriac.

bemis clere.' In praise of women, 1. 26. The Arabic calls it recent' (Roman), but

gives no hint as to the leader of the faithful the translation was

made

for.

This stanza is Lydgate speaking for himself, and introducing p. 10, ]. 302. the prolog of Philip of Tripoli.
p. 10, p. 10, p. 11,
1.

309.

11.

310-11 depend on hym, 312

et seq.

follow drough.

L 314.
1.

Celestial, a rather

badly chosen epithet.

for the

317.
318.
'

Covalence.

Lydgate makes Valence into Covalence,

is

sake of the verse.

p. 11,
\.

Metropolitan
is

a misreading of Tripolitanus.

Some poor

MSS. have
p. 11, p. 11,
1.

tropol,'

which Lydgate might have conjectured

substantially repeated in 327.

into Metropolitanae.

319,

321. The seven sciences are Mathematics, Geometry, Astronomy, Music, Ethics, Physics and Metaphysics. The seven arts are Grammar, Dialectics and Rhetoric (the trivium), and Arithmetic, Music, Geometry and Astronomy (the quadrivium), but the distinction was lost in Lydg;ite's time. The seven arts are characters in the Court of Sapience. See 1. 1527. There were also seven prohibited arts, and seven mechanic arts Lanificium, Armatura, Navigatio, Agricultura, Venatio, Medicina, and Theatrica.
1.

90
p. 11,
1.

Notes
322.

to

Pages

l\l^\

Lines 322447.

PhiUipus, not of Paris, but of Tripoli, Astonyd. Astond not Astonied fixed, firm. p. 11, L 331. With quakytig penne, &c., a favourite Lydgate phrase. p. 11, 1. 334. Quakith my penne my spirit supposetli, That in my vmting ye find woll offence.'
'

Mother
p. 11, p. 11,
1.

ofnortii/re, 60-1,

and see T. of

Glas.

337.

CoUni/r bid oonly Chalk <& sable. 'or coIouriH of rhetorike,' if. of F. ii. 351.

I have iw

11.

341-8.

lych as the moone passith a smal sterre. As of light the somer sonne shene Paseeth the sterre.'Pari, of F. 299.
'

As the somer sonne Passeth the sterre with his hemes shene.' Flow of C. 1 13 T. of Glas 251 252. Arthurus atid the sterrys sevens. The Pole star Arcturus p. 11, 1. 343. This is higher in the scheme of spheres than the seven Bear. and the Great
*
;
,

planets.
p. 11,
1.

347.
'

fervent as the glede. thousaude sighis hottir than the glede.'

Ceryously, unusual for 'in series.'

T.

and

C. iv. 337.

p. 12,
*

1.

352.

The next seventy lines Lydgate builds on the following p. 12, 1. 372. Adhuc in in scientris liberalibus literalissimus, in Ecclesiasticis et legibus peritissimus, in divinis et moralibus doctissimus.' One shudders to think what njight have been if he had gone through the whole work in this way.
p. 12,
1.

378.

Like Chrysostom.

Perhaps Lydgate had in mind the famous Aurora, a medieval 384. compendium of divinity by Peter of Higa, a canon of Rheims (1209), and cotiibined this reminiscence with the meaning of daybreak.
p. 13,
1.

p. 13,

1.

397.

The same metaphor

of

Phebus

for clearness, &c., as in

11.

250, &c.
p. 14,
1.

414.

p. 14,

1,
1.

the hevenly injfflxience was the favourable aspect of the stars. 'The seven planets discending fro the spheres Whiche hath powir of al thing generable To rule and stere by ther gret influence Wedir & wind, and course variable.' Test, of Ores. 147. Seven Wells of Philosophy. Who first used this figure ? 424.

p. 14, p. 14,

430.

See

1.

722.

in medieval times, machinery and to the subject. He is one of 16. the pillars in the House of Faine, iii. 407 Antioch in Greece. p. 14, 1. 442. The Latin speaks of this most precious pearl of philosophy.' p. 14, 1. 444. Lydgate likes a ruby better.
1.

431.

Lucan was one of the most popular poets

due perhaps to

his supernatural

'

'Geme
*

No

carbonncle shining pure of beautel rube riche of price.' C. of Love 78.

I,

'

Craft of Lovers 33.

'A fyn charboncle sette saugh The stone so clere was and so bright, That, also soone as it was nyght, Men myghte seen to go for nede A myle or two, in lengthe and brede.' Rom. of Rose. Neckham and Bartholomew also speak of its shining at night. See 1. 552. p. 14, 1. 447.. The assonance 'eent of assent.'

Notes to Pages 15, 16; Lines 454

495,

91

humble Affeccymin. There is nothing of the modern sense p. 15, 1. 454. of affection here. It is humble disposition, 'cupiens humiliter obedire.'
a dangerous p. 15, I. 459. A Lydgate sentiment, taken from wood-cutting, and unhandy way of working, Yet since tliere were but few copies eve'' among the Arabs themselves, he would try to translate it.'
'

p. 15, p.

1.

469.

magnanyviyte, mistake for

'

niagnitudinem,* your greatness.

;

This rubric is put in without any reason 476. stanzas are a continuation of Philip of Tripoli's prologue.
15,
1.

the next few

These lines are manifestly worthless. They have 483. p. 16, 11. 477 neither beginning nor end, and do not join to the next. Evidently put here by Burgh because tliere was no other place but 1. 638 perhaps.

a purpose take, &c., 'took a purpose,' 1. 486 is in a parenp. 16, 1. 485. The Latin is, 'Qui postulavit ab eo, ut ad ipsum veniret et secreta quarundnra artiuin sibi tideliter revelaret, videlicet motum, operationem et potestatem astrorum in nstionomia, et artem alchemiae ir. natura, et artem cognoscendi naturas, et operandi incantationes et celimantiam et geomantiam.'
thesis.
p. 16,
p. 16,
1.

491.

See

p. 79,

11.

24932498, where the

lines are used again.

11.

491-3, are references to the astrological part of Alexander's secrets.

The seven gods are the seven planets. It is a part of Lydp. 16, 1. 495. gate's learning to put them under this form. process of incantations in Lydgate's time was long and interesting. The Suppose, for example, you want to bring anybody to a violent death, you will then want to call up the Evil Spirit of Mars. Get yourself up as a priest, or at least in clean linen vestments ; prepare a pentacle, and trace it out with a consecrated sword mark in the corners a number of sacred emblems, and then commence by asking God's blessing on the work. Then get a friend with you to read the proper lesson, and call up all the good spirits of the da}Then conjure Mars to appear under any form he thinks fit. to be near you. If he is coming you will see a burning flame approach you, thunder and lightning will surround the circle, he will roar like mad bulls, and have stag's horns and griffiTi's claws. At last he will appear, either as an armed king riding on a wolf, or a woman holding a shield on her thigh, or a goat, or a horse, or a stag, or a red cloak, or as wool, or some one of a number of other shapes. Then command him to do what you will, and then order him to go quietly. Perhaps he won't, and then you have to pile on the imprecations till he is frightened. Very likely, however, he may not become visible at all, but If you leave your pentacle unwarily, you will don't think he is not there. most likely be torn to pieces. The safest thing to do is to keep on conjuring him till he comes, and then to send him away. Then you have to call all the
;

spirits you can to your aid, and when you feel you have sufficient near you, to leave the place and get home. Of course you have to choose a favourable spot. Near an old execution ground, or battlefield, is the best one for Mars. Some authors recommend making another pentacle beside your own, and conjuring the spirit into that, but then there is quite literally the devil to

good

pay when you

'

let

him

out.

Sith that I se the briglite goddis seven.'

Visage icithout paintyng.

See

Test, of Ores.
'

147 (note on 1. 414). Gan thankin tho the blissful goddis seven.' T. a/)id C, iii. 1203. 'And clerkis eke which connin well All this magike hight Naturell, That craftily doe ther ententes To maken in certain ascendentes,' &c. H. of Fame, iii. 175.

92
p. 16,
1.

Notes

to

Pages 16, 17

Lines

497527.

497. The seven metals date from the earliest times. They are electruiii (a natural alloy of gold and silver, counting as one of them), gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead. Proclus, in his conmientary on the Timaeus, refers some metals to the planets gold to the sun, silver to the moon, lead to Saturn, and iron to Mars. Olympiodorus (see Fah. Bihl. Graec, V. vi.) gives
:

the complete
tlie otliers

list: electnim to Jupiter, copper to Venus, tin to Hermes, and as above. When it was perfectly clear that electrum was not a metal, but an alloy, tin was assigned to Jupiter, and quicksilver was appropriated to Merciny. There does not seem to have been mucli dictinction made between brass and copper in early times probably they had no pure copper, but such as was found native.

p. 16,

].

498.

This

line repeated,

1.

2473.

Calculations and Geomanoye. Calculations were such things p. 16, 1. 499. Geomancy was originally as our wheel of fortune, fortuue-telling cards, &c. the scattering of grains of sand on the grouud, and afterwards came to the There were sixteen shapes scattering of blots on a sheet of paper froui a pen. to which these blots were approximated, such as Journey, Prison, Girl, Boy, Head, Fortune, &c. &C.H. C. Agrippa de Oc. Phil., II. xlviii. The most modern form of geomancy is tea-cup tossing, an art not lost in our womankind of the middle class.
p. 16,
p. 16,
1.
1.

500.

See

1.

2475.

Chaucer

line,

K.

T. 1086.

Looking on faces, Physiognomy. See the story of Demo501. critus and the maid. Piromancye is Pyromancy, the art of prediction from fire, not only from comets, &c., but also glows in coals, and rushes of fire. There were four leading sorts of divination, Varro dicit divinationis quatuor esse genera, ter'

ram, aquam, aerem, signem.' Isidore Orig., VIII. 9. Geomancy included originally the art of divination from earth tremblings, as hydromantia and aeromantia were presages from water and air respectively.

These are added by Lydgate to

p. 17,
1.

Philip's

list.

see the bearing of 'writing woord.' Othei-wise the remark is a conmionplace of the doctrine of signatures, beginning then to be of great importance.

512.

One does not exactly

p. 17,
p. 17,

1.
1.

516. 518.

Cast.

Cf.

'Cast about.'

sette his herte at Ese.

'yet sette mine herte in rest'

'that male her herte appese.'
'

C. C.

of L. 1022. of L. 397.

In this mattir to set your herte

in pese.'

B. D.

s.

M.

252.

have been composed as a sort of general summary of Lydgate's, probably sent to some person with a view to awakening the book. At any rate they do not come in curiosity as to the scope of 1008 are, on cap. 67 of the Latin here, and are founded partly, as 11. 988
p.

17,

11.

519

588,

seem

to

version.

The mysteries Lydgate here spenks of are such as are prep. 17, 1. 527. served for us by Albertus Magnus in the translations made for him from the Arabic in his Liher Aggregationis, of the virtues of herbs, stones, and animals. He treats first of the occult virtues of sixteen plants, and further of seven more attributed to the seven planets by Alexander the emperor, but not included in the Secreta Secretorum. The second book treats of the virtues of stones, of which he names forty-six, and his third treats of eighteen animals. There are very few stories of the use of fish in magic. Tobit's fish is almost
unique.

Notes
p. 17,
1.

to

Page 17; Lines 530541.

at first

9.3

530.

These stones were

then in the time of the Secreta, or soon after, alchemy, and then seemed to have been refined away. I have no doubt but that originally compounds were made from these three sources, animal, vegeand, even in the 17th century, we table, and mineral, e. g. bezoar, coral, <S:c. find continually that people were compounding mixtures out of dung, with the getting the elixir out of it. Later on, stone in alchemy did not mean idea of sto7ie, but compound. 'Tres sunt lapides, et tres sales sunt, ex qnibus totiim magisp. 17, 1. 530. terium consistit: Scilicet mineralis, plantalis, & animaiis. Et sunt tres aquae, Mercurius est minera, Luna planta, scilicet Solaris, Lunaris, & Mercurialis. Et Sol est animaiis, quia recipit in se duos colores, albedinem et rubedinem. quia recepit tria, scilicet constrictionem, albedinem, & rubedinem, & vocatur animal magnum.' Rosarium Philosophormn, p. 259. The Secreta Secretorum only speaks of two stones. The word Element does not bear the signification which p. 17, 1. 535. we now attach to it, of being a presumably primary form of mutter, but refers to the ancient division of bodies according to their primary qualities, hot, cold, moist and dry. These qualities could exist two by two in the simplest form of bodies imaginable, as cold and moist, which was then natued Water, not as being anything resembling actual water, but because that representing these qualities was a convenient class name. 'Lapis dicitur habere quatuor elementa, quae exponit Arnolfus. Quia cum Et cum corpus est facta est solutio, dicitur unum elementum, scilicet aqua. immundura, dicitur secundum elementum, scilicet terra. Et cum est calcinata dicta terra, dicitur ignis: et cum iterum solutus est lapis, dicitur aer.' Rosarium Philosopharvm. (A cento from Arab chemists, not later than 13th century translation) in Artis Aiiriferae, II., p. 288, has. 1572, 8. See notes on 11. 988, et seq. Here Lydgate may not mean p. 17, 1. 536. in equal proportions,' but in just proportion.' 'that men reden in the lapidaire.' H. of Fame, iii. 262. p. 17, 1. 539. Many medieval collections circulated under this name. See Marbodius 'de Gemmis,' Evax, Albertus Magnus quoted above, Trithemius, Cardan, Bartholomew Anglicus, Pliny, and many others. The relation of Lydgate to the alchemical revival in the p. 17, 1. 541. reign of Henry VI. The editor has published in The Antiquary, Sept. 1891, a number of legal documents and commissions illustrating this revival, from which it is evident that from 1444 to 1480 there was great activity in the study of alchemy. That Lydgate himself, if the ballad is his, knew some alchemists is evident from the following extract from Harl. 2251, 20 v.
;

compounds used in medicine became theoretical expositions of

'

'

'

'

The Alkamystre

And

of metalles

tretith of mynaralles transmutaciouns,

Of sulphur, mercury / Aloms and of sallis, And of theyre sundry / generaciouns

:

What

is

cause

of theyr coniunxtions,
/

Wliy some be clene

some leperous and nat

:

able,

ffixing of spirites / with sublymacions Thus euer-y thyng / drawith to his semblable.'

That popular tradition associated alchemy with his name is evident from the prose treatise in SI. 3708 being attributed to him. The works of the celebrated alchemist, Raymund Lully, were translated into Latin, from Catalan, in London at the Priory of St. Bartholomew by Lambert G and the Editor's copy in MS. gives the date 6th June, 1443. Later on, alchemy grew to such a point that Henry VI. appointed three Royal
;

'

'

; ;

"

94

Note

to

Page 17; Line 541.

Commissions to inquire into the subject, from one of which an extract is given, showing the aim of the alchemy of the time 1456. 34 H. VI., m. 7. 'The king, etc., Greeting. Know ye that in former times wise and famous Philosophers in their writings and books, under figures and coverings, have left on record and taught, that from wine, from precious stones, from oils, from vegetables, from animals, from metals, and the cores of minerals, many glorious and notable medicines can be made and chiefly, that most precious medicine which some Philosophers have called the Mother and Empress of Medicines others have named it the priceless glory, others have called it the Quintessence, others the Philosophers' Stone and Elixir of Life of which potion the efficacy is so certain and wonderful, that by it all infirmities whatsoever are easily curable, human life is prolonged to its natural limit, and man wonderfully preserved in health and manly strength both of body and mind, in vigour of limbs, clearness of memory, and perspicacity of talent to the same period All kinds of wounds, too, which may be cured, are healed without difficulty, and in addition it is the best and surest remedy against all kinds of poisons with it, too, many other advantages most useful to us and to the Commonwealth of our kingdom can be wrought, as the transmutation of metals into actual Gold and
;
;

the finest Silver.'

Archbishop Neville, who died in 1470, was a great supporter of the alchemists and one of liis clients, Sir George Ripley, has left a picture of the false alchemists of the time. It seems that the sanctuary at Westminster was one of their haunting places. Ripley describes how they are hunted about
;

the city of

London
'

Folys doe folow them at the tayle, Proniotyd to ryches wenyng to be Merchants and goldsmiths lay watch for them,
'

Wenyng

to

wyn

so grete tresure
arrest the

That ever in ryches they shall endure.' But some lenders would be glad to see their goods again, and alchemists by the Sarjaunts 'But when the Sarjaunts do them arest, Ther Paukeners be stuffed wyth Parrys balls Or wyth Sygnetts of Seynt Martynes at the lest, But as for Mony yt ys pyssyd on the walls Then be they led as well for them befalls To Kewgate or Ludgate as I you tell,
'
'

Because they shall

in safeguard dwell.'

Then they

are questioned ' " Where ys Mony becom ? " seyth one, " And where ys myne ? " seyth he and he.'
:

my

And
And

the result

is,
'

they talk over their creditors

off

Dotyng the Mercliaunts, that they be fayne To let them go, but ever in vayne they go to Westminster, where the Archdeacon is so good And when they there syt at the wyne, These Monkys (they sey) have many a pound, Wolde God (seyth one) that som were myne
' :

to

them

'

"
"

Hay

Drynk

hoe, care away, lat the cup go rounde on," seyth another, "the mene ys founde I am a Master of that Arte, I warrant us we shall have parte."
:

Note

to

Page 17; Line 541.

;

95

believe in them 'some biing a mazer, and some a spoon'; and Ripley ironically advises the Abbot to support people who know so well Low to bring back his monks to the pristine poverty of St. Benedict. There is some possibility that Burgh himself may have been a student of alchemy in his later years. There is a poem in the Theatrum Chemicum Britannic\im of Ashmole, attributed to the Vicar of Mnlden, which may have been written in the reign of Edward IV. by Burgh, who would be recognized by his best-known work, the Distkhia Moralia, as Vicar of Maldon. Ashmole himself refers the work to an otherwise unknown Andrews. The Secreta Secretorum is alluded to without showing any knowledge of it in the Canon's Yeoman's Tale as Seoree of secrees (16916). In Chaucer's time no other secrets were thought of but the secrets of alchemy. It would seem that the alchemy of the Secreta dates back to an early period, and that it becomes prominent in the English version only because of the suppression of tlie remainder of the section in which it occurs, which denls with Ihe supernatural properties of gems, and of incantations. It is, quite obviously, purely theoretical and if it is compared with the work of Djaber Al Koufi (Geber), who wrote on alchemy at about the same time, the distinction is most clearly marked. The Aristotelian division of elements, on which the chapter in this work is founded, is purely a theoretical conception, and no one thought of isolating them in old times, more than a modern expects to isolate the etlier of our physical speculation*. Yet the crude notion of separating, purifying, and combining these elements is just what a man who wished to introduce the into a chapter on marvels would form and put down. subject On the other hand, if the alchemical notions are cruder, the expectations indulged were less high-flown. Gower, in the 4th book of bis Coiifessio Amantis (ii. 86-7, ed. Pauli, 1857), speaks of the three stones thus, and he will explain our author best, as he is but amplifying his words.

And

80 tliey do, for the

monks

'

'

These olde Philosophres wyse,

By wey
The

of kinde in sondry wise

specify,
is.

Thre Stones made through Clergy,

firste, if I shall

"Was cleped Fe^etoMts; Of which the propre vertue

To mannes

hele for to serve.

As for to keepe, and to preserve The body fro sikenesses alie,

Jill
'

deth of kinde upon

I
:

hym

falle.

The seconde Stone

the behote

Is

The whose
"Whereof a

Lapis Animalis bote vertue, is propre and couth, For Ere and Eye, and Nase and Mouth

man may

here,

and

se.

And And

smelle and taste, in his degre. for to fele and for to go, It helpeth a man, of bothe two The wittes five he underfongethi To keepe, as it to hym belongeth. .|The thridde Stone in speciall by name ia cleped Minerall, Which the Metalles of every mine, Attempreth, till that thei ben fine
:

Undertakes, takes in hand.

9

96

Notes

to

Pages

1719;

Lines 544582.

And

pureth hem by such a wey, That all the vice goth awey, Of Rust, of Stynke, and of Hardnesse And when they ben of such clennesse,
:

This mineral), so as I finde, Transfonneth all the firste kinde,

And maketh hem

able to conceive,

Tlirough liis vertue, and receive Both in substaunce and in figure.

Of Gold and Silver the

nature.'

Much of the practical alchemy of this time p. 17, 1. 544. the fabrication of precious stones.
p. 18,
1. 1.

was devoted

to

545.
548.

literal
of.

quotation from the Latin text,

p. 18,

medU

Note the Latinism.

Some

writers have doubted

Lydgate's knowledge of Latin. = 'at my presumption.'

novem sunt coeli unuin infra spherarum est sphera circunsphera siderum. Secunda postque jam sphera est Saturiii infra quam est sphera ellenientorum quattuor et sic usque ad spheram lunae quae sunt ignis, aer, aqua, et terra.' Sec. Sec, c. 76. But no two writers arrange the nine spheres alike.
above the nyne sperys. *Et p. 18, 1. 551. prior ergo et superior aliud, infra se inviceni
:

dans

Deum ipsum

'Carbunculus is a precious stone, and shyneth as fyre / 1. 552. is not overcomme by night. It shyneth in derke places / semeth as hit were a flame.' Barth. Angl., xvi. 26. Trevisa's transl., and It seems to be a popular error that the ruby shines by ed. 1535, f. 228 a. night, though by means of a properly constructed machine, a true phosphorescence of the ruby has been observed. Lydgate's idea of transferring the ruby to a shrine is, I think, good. See 1. 444. 'putte my sylff in prees,' to enter into contest. Cf. French p. 18, 1. 555.
p. 18,
it

whose shynynge

aux prises.
'

How
556.

darst thou put thyself in prees for drede ?

'

F.

and

L. 592.
in

p. 18,
all

1.

favourite metaphor

drawn from

initiation

ceremonies

time.
p. 18,
1.

561 et seq. This stanza proves how much the doctrine of the It is as wlio should four elements had been departed from in Lydgate's time. say now, 'Separate from tin its atomic weight, atomic heat, conductivity, and other physical and chemical properties (naming them one by one) make each of these qualities equal to the corresponding one of gold, recombine them, and you will have gold.' It was equally true and impossible,
;

p. 18,
p. 18,

1.
1.

562.
570.

Cf.

Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1690913.

To 'funny' a person, i. e. to mislead them, is a vulgarism sometimes in use in the present day. It is met, I think, somewhere in Albert Such remarks begin to be common in alchemical writings Smith's books. before this time they were rare.
p. 18, p. 19,
I.

572. 578.

Outragious,

1.

650, Pardoner's Tale,

1.

rather poor comparison.

Recalls the monastic fish-ponds, of which traces can still p. 19, 1. 579. be seen near old abbeys. These lines may have been written with the experience of p. 19, 1. 582. Lvdgate's master, and of many others, in view. There can be no doubt that Chaucer had invested money in alchemy his bitterness shows that and that

Notes

to

Pages

1923; Zmcs 588722.

97
The

there was a public wlio knew something of the technicalities of alchemy. statute forbitlding it passed iu 1403. Chaucer's words are similar

'Lo

swich a lucre

/ is

in this Itisty

game

wol turnc vn-to grame And empten also / grete and heuj'e purses And maken folk / for to purchacen curses.'
maniies myrthe
/ it

C. Y. Tale.
p. 19,
1.

EUesraere MS., 6-Text,

I

11.

1687073.
this,

588. 594.

but

it is

medieval
1.

C. Y. T. 16925, 'ignotuni per ignotius.' divinity.

cannot trace

p. 19,

Complexiouiis.

See

1.

1236.

There is no doubt but that either by tradition or by some p. 19, 1. 603-5. separate text, perhajis a sidenote, Lydgate had become aware of Johannes He accordingly confuses John, son Hispalensis' connection with the <S'ec. Sec. of Patrick (the Syrian compiler), with John Avendeath (Hispalensis), the transThe headline, p. 20, represents lator of part of the treatise for Teophine. Lydgate's intention. Lydgate begins in the third person, and getting tired,

makes an awkward change in 1. 622. One MS. of the Sec. Sec. gives Herodos, others Hermes. p. 20, 1. 613. Misled by this line, the rubricator (? Burgh) has made p. 20, 1. 637.

the following an epistle of the translator. It is really as far as it is anything translation of part of the preface to the Sec. Sec. See cap. IV. of the English prose veision (18 A. vii., Mus. Brit.).

Lydgate again begins in the third person, and again changes p. 20, 1. 638. in 663, this time in a more workman-like manner The preface begins witii an equivalent for 1. 655, then excuses himself for not coming (641-51), then remarks on the sin of disclosing secrets, then goes on to 11. 652-6, a summary
of the olijects of
p.

some

of the next chapters.

22,

11.

663

679,
A

represent the advice Lydgate thought necessary for

Henry

VI.

and

his court.

confusion of metaphors, brought on by looking for a metaphor for everything, an instance of the error into which some of our modern poets have fallen.
p. 22,
11.

673-4.

'togidre to combyne' is not here simply half a line put in p. 22, 1. 680. to make up a rhyme, but seems to come in the sense. Confer version A., cap. IV., where the author speaks of the necessity of keeping the people in subjection.
p. 22,

the

first

1. 687. Lydgate goes off again on a tangent, with a general idea of of the preceding prefaces, and does not return till 1. 729. 1.

p. 22,

689.

'Discrecion, prudence in right judgemente, Whiche in a prince is thing most convenable.' Pallas to Paris of Troie, 26.

p. 22,
p. 22,

1.
1.

698. 700. 702.

These
'

lines should
;

come

in

by sense

after 98.

p. 22, p. 22,
p. 22,
p. 23,

1. 1.
1.

703.
704.

moo, ? me very unusual. above the sterryd hevene,' ad empireum caelum, Sec. Sec. See 1. 87. See note on IL 351321.
See
1.

1.
1.

709. 712.
713.

112.

p. 23,
p. 23,

porrus, Porus, the Indian king defeated

by Alexander.

1.
1.

Vows of

the

peacock were

now

a thing of the past.

p. 23,

722.

Persona used to the precision of German scholarship often

PHILOSOPHERS.

98

Notes

to

Pages

2328;

Lines 728883.

speak of the ignorance of Chaucer and Lydgate, to say nothing of other poets, in speaking of Helicon as a spring. In Add. MS. 29729, we have io the Mercer's Play, fol. 132 6, the following lines showing their ideas
:

percius / wit/i his furious stede the roche / wher y" niiiNis dwell tyll ther sprange vp / sodenly a well Callid the welle / of Calyope fol. 133 a, Moste auctorysyd / ainonges thes Cyryens Of wliich the poetes / that dwell in y*. cuntre And othar famous / Rethorycyens And they that calid / be niusycyens Ar wont to drynke / of that holsoin welle Which y*. all othar / in vertue dothe exselle.' The fact that there were springs on the mountain of Helicon, springs haunted by the Muses (for which they had Hesiod's authority), was quite sufficient for
'

And

Smot on

any medieval
p. 23,
1.

writer.

There was no fear of Lydgate's revealing anything that was 728. not patent to everybody. One may hope the reader will get some pure corn out of the chaflE of these 735 lines.
p. 23,
1.

736.

Rex avarus
largus rege
:

sibi et

'Reges sunt quattuor: Rex largiis avams subditis. Rex avarus sibi,

sibi et

largus subditis
:

et largus subditis
:

Rex

avarus subditis. Itali ei utique dixerunt non est vitium in est avarus sibi et largus-subditis. Indi vero dixerunt rex avarus sibi et subditis bonus est. Perses vero contrarium afferentes, et contradicentes
sibi et
si
:

Indis et Italicis dixerunt nihil valet rex qui non est largus sibi et subditis. Sed inter omnes meo judicio pejor est ille & magis reprobandus qui est largus sibi et avarus subditis, quia regnum illius cito destruetur.' Sec. Sec. It will be seen Lydgate gets the whole thing wrong as a translation. One of the Latin editions attributed this classification to Pythagoras.
p. 23,
1.

738.
' '

vnth al ther besy cure. my entente and al my besie cure.' C. of L. 36. Though all the worlde doe his busy cure.'

But

Balade warnyng men,^ &c,,

'

22.

This must be put down again as Lydgate's idea of the advice needed by the English court of the day. These lines are not clear in fact Lydgate seems to mean p. 25, 11. 789-91. the very opposite of what he says. 736 791 apparently are a summary of the chrtpter on the 11. p. 25, 1. 792. four manners of kings and now Lydgate harks back to the beginning again. If there were any other authority for the word I would p. 26, 1. 804. prefer to read 'fredain' from the French, whim, fancy, will, &c. There would be no difference in the MS.
p. 24,
I.

755.

stanza

1. 814. There is no second extremity mentioned, and the whole doubled up hopelessly. London fogs were as famous as they are now, before coal p. 26, 1. 834. came there. Cf. Of ignoraunce the iniste to chace away.' C. of L. 25.

p. 26,
is

'

p. 27, p. 27,

1.
1.

838. 855.

laureer

meed

of mightie conquerors.'

Ass. of Fonles.

Lydgate returns again

to the subject of lines 748-56,

and

this

time gets
p. 28,

it
11.

nearly right.
876-89.

Lydgate's with those around them.

p. 28,
1.

own
in

verses

and they shine by comparison

a soun.' Leg. G.

883.

'

That tabouren

your

eris

many

W.

379, 390.

Notes
p. 28, p. 28,
p. 28,
1.
I.

to

Pages

2831

lines

884973.

99

881.
887.
898.

The tenour Routid. The tenor bell is the great bell of a peal. Flowers of Proserpina. The first use of this figure?
'

1.

discretioun

'

is

object to

'

medle.'

But of his owne to large is he that list Give moche and lesin his gode name therfore.' B. V. s. M. 455. 'Qui vero furidit bona sui regni indignis et non indigenII. 942-3. p 30, tibus talis est depopulator reipublicae, destructor regni, incompetens reginiinis: unde prodigus appellatur, eo que procui a regno est sua prudentia. Noinen vero avariciae multum dedecet regem, et disconvenit regiae majestati.'
p. 29,
1.

939.

'

Sec. Sec.
p. 30,

new

Tressyd as phebns. The sun's rays spoken of as his hair. A I. 952. chapter begins here, which Burgh did not recognize when settling the text. Repuhlica is Lydgate's own word not found in the texts. p. 30, 1. 954.

p. 30,

1.

955.

pleyne, border on, incline to.

'

p. 30, 1. 966. et liberalem esse, p. 30,

:

Fortem, justum, graveni, inagnaiiirnum, largum, beneficuin, hae sunt regiae laudes.' Cicero, pro rege Dejot x.

inveni scriptiun in preceptis magiii doctoris Hermogenis que sunima & inera bonitas claritas intellectus: et plenitudo legis ac signuni perfectionis est in rege: abstinentia a pecuniis.: et possessionibus Qua fuit causa destructionis regni Chuldaeorum: &c. &c.' subditoruni.
1.

966.

'

Unde

Sec. Sec.

noblesse has the

same double meaning

as nobility, an abstract and collective

noun.

In many of the French versions there follows a translation 973. p. 30, of the other part of the chapter, giving an account of the destruction of the English instead of angelorum (MSS.) or Chaldaeorum.' See above. It is a heading in the Lambeth MS. 501.
1.
'
'

'

These lines are a translation of the chapter 'De la1029. p. 30, 11. 974 pide animali vegetabili.' As it is short, and not found in one of the texts, I Alexander tibi tradere volo secretorum maximum secreIn primis add it. tum, et divina potentia juvet te ad perhciendum propositum, et ad celandum ad arcanum. Accipe ergo lapidem animalem vegetabilem et mineralem qui non est lapis, nee habet naturam lapidis, et iste lapis quodam modo assimilatur lapidibus montium minerarum et plantarum et animalium, et reperitur in quulibet loco, et in quolibet tempore, et in quolibet homine et convertibilis est in quemlibet colorem, et in se continet omnia elementa, et dicitur minor mundus et ego nominabo ipsuin nomine suo, quo nominat ipsuin vulgus Divide ergo ipsum scilicet terminus ovi, hoc est dicere ovum pliilosophorum. in quattuor partes, quaelibet pars habet unam naturam; deinde compone itaque non sit in eo divisio nee repui;ipsum equaliter et proportionabiliter, Isto modo est universalis, nantia, et habebis propositum. Domino concedente. sed ego dividam ipsum tibi in operationes speciales dividitur itaque in quattuor et duobus modis sit bene et sine corruptione. Quando igitur hahueris aquam ex aere, et aerem ex igne, et ignem ex terra, tunc habebis plene artem. Dispone ergo substantiam ueream per discretionem, efr dispone suhstantiam donee conveniant et conjungantur terream per humiditatem et caliditatem et tunc adjunge eis duas virtutes sic quae nee dividaiitur nee discrepent Quia si et tunc implelutur opus tuum. operativas, scilicet aquam et ignem permiscueris aquam solam deulbabit, et si adjuiixeris ignem rubescet, Domino concedente.' Sec. Sec.
' :
:

One is constantly coming across statements such as the p. 31, 1. 973. Qutb-ad-din was generous he following of the good rulers in Arabic books
: ' ;

100

Notes

to

Pages

3133;

Lines 9821060.

governed liis people with humanity, treated merchants well, and loaded them with gifts. His subjects lived in the greatest abundance, loaded with his largesse, and fearing no damage from him.' Regent: note the broader sense in which this word is used. p. 31, 1. 982. 994. This is incorrectly drawn up, and is corrected in the p. 31, 11. 988 next two lines. The state of the lines in the MS. seems to point that this was the fair copy for presentation, destined to be personally corrected by Burgh. The following explanation is given in the Rosarium, Fhilosop. 31, 1. 995. phwiim, p. 267. Aristoteles in regimine principum dicit ad Alexandrum de quatuor elementis Quando habueris aquam, id est Mercurium (perhaps mercury; perhaps the "mercury of philosophers") ex aere, id est sole (gold), et aerem ex igne, scilicet spiritum Mercurii (a volatile acrid compound, corrosive sublimate, arsenic, orpiment, or the like), & ignem scilicet mercurium ex

'

terra scilicet luna (silver), tunc plene habebis artem.'

See note on 1. 561. Citron is simply gold coloured, with a purple tinge. 'Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus and Prof. Skeat remarks in a note to his introduction to the Canon's Yeoman's Tale, on the strange alchemical scale of colour black, red, white. This was of course the Aristotelian scale, Arist. de Sensri, et SensUe ii, Barth. de Prop. Remm, xix. vii, f. 354 a, and all other colours were put somewhere in this sc;de white, yellow, citrine, red, purple^ green, black. The Arab commentators name sixteen colours, white and black, and two sevens, between red and white or black.
p. 31,
p. 32,
1.

999,

1.

1002.

'

These lines represent the last lines of the Latin chapter, p. 32, 11. 1007-8. ^[ercury, or any compound of it, would make any metal of a silvery colour by ' amalgamating its outside, while arsenic, orpiment, &c. might redden it.
'

p. 32,

1.

1008.

This verse refers to the traditional connection between the

moon and

silver.

The side-heading was written with the i.ames of some p. 32, 1. 1009. French alchemists in my mind, and I hoped to have identilied them, but it seems there was no ground for Lydgate's line though, of course, Philip of Tripoli may have been French, and may have been an alchemist. Et pater noster Hermogenes qui est triplex in philosophia.' p. 32, 1. 1023. All followers of these mysteries were sons of Hermes. It may not Sec. Sec. be out of place to mention that Trismegistus does not mean 'thrice great' but

'

thrice greatest, or greatest in tliree

p.

places, things, sciences,

'

<S:c.
*

1024. vnth seyd Phelip, admitted to his confidence.

32,
1.

with the said Philip.

Secree

'

was

prevy would be the attribute of vertu,' I suppose. There is p. 32, 1. 1025. a chapter in the Latin text on the virtues of stones (but see the Lambeth text),
'

with circumstances of Araby, Ind, & Perse,' This stanza represents the chapter *de intentione p. 32, 1. 1030.

finali

quem debent habere reges.' It is probable that in sections, Lydgate made a kind of skeleton, begiuiiing
and
letting

the one stanza

stand for

this, as in many later to translate a chapter, the whole, which later on would be

finished.

Very

difficult to scan.
'

This stanza stands for the chapter, De mails quae sequp. 33, 1. 1037. untur ex carnali appetitii.' p. 33, 11. 1051-78 represent the chapter, *De sapientia regis et religione.' Book II. begins here. It is very noteworthy that nothing at all is said in any text p. 33, ]. lOGO. about tale-bearers, and yet Lydgate returns to the point again and again. Had he in mind the condition of the English court? There is no doubt that 'no

JS^otcs to

Pages 34, 35; Zines 10651107.

'

101

%vit of sapience or of discretion could liave been found in Henry VI. judged by tliis rule, and Benedict Burgh, who sujiplied tiie headings, and was connected witli a Yorkist family, may liave wislied to bring this prominently forward. I may say that when the title of the section is in the margin, it is so simply for convenience, and its position impHes nothing else. p. 34,
tliis
1.

1005.
Cf.

time.

The title would again i)oint to Henry more favourably The stanzas have no authority in the text, aud arc wholly
XI. of the A. -text.

Lydgate's.
p. 34,
1.

1079.
1085.

This

is

the chapter 'de

ornamento

regis.'

Lydgate makes no

use of the text before him.

'Saphirus is a precious stone, & is blew in colour / moosle like to heven in faire wether & clere, & is best amonge precious stones / & most precious & most apte & able to fyngres of kinges. And thix saphiro stone is thick aud not passing bright, as Lsid. saith. Also in Lapidario hit is sayde / that this stone doth awaye etiuye, and putteth of drcd & feare, &: maketh a man bold & hardy, & master and victor, & maketh the hartc sti'dfast in goodnes / and maketh nu-ke and milde, & goodly. 1 wene tliat al tin's ia said more in disposition than in effecte & doyng. But this suffyseth at this tyme:Barth. Anfil. de Prop. Reb., XVI. Ixxxvii. f. 337, Ed. 1535. I don't know whether Lytlgate meant tliat a sapphire was always of one hue, for medieval writers made it a great point that if the wearer of a sapphire lost his chastity, the sapphire lost its colour Alesius of Piedmont in his Secrets. Bas., 8"., f. 74t), says that the sapphire easily loses its cok)ur by fire. But perhaps Lydgate only referred to its hardness. Here two chapters of the text are omitted see the A. -text. p. 34, 1. 1086. This chapter is de castitate.' It urges him to be chaste, so that he does not resemble swine. The origin.al referred to that vice, 'not so much as to be named among Christian men,' as Blackstone says.
p. 34,
1.
. .
. . . .

'

Pallith. The sense here is midway between the active meanp. 34, 1. 1091. ing of beat and the passive of becoming vapid, and includes part of both.

In the Arabic Prairies d'Or (tr. B. de Meyi-ard) I find p. 35, 1. 1093. Dans rinde, un roi ne se montre au peuplp qn'a des epoques d^terminees, et seulement pour examiner les affaires de I'etat car, dans leur idees, uu roi porterait atteinte a sa dignite et n'inspirerait plus le meme respect s'il se montrait constamment au peuple.'
:

'

p. .35, 1. 1093. This is a part of a previously omitted chnpter, 'de taciturnitate regis ': the point of that chnpter being advice to a king to show himself to iiis subjects not more than once or twice a year. This is fortified by a reference to the kingdom of the Indians, which our A. -prose turns into Jews as usual, and which Lydgate, or the text he used, turns into Kome, as an
likelj^ to be followed than that of the Jews. The rod has been the symbol of authority from tlie yerde. p. 35, 1. 1099. time of the writer of Genesis to our own. The connection between the yard aud the rod of 5i yards, recognised as far back as Ed. l.'s time legally, would be an interesting study,

example more

Vndir a

yerde.
'

Shewe

'

'And mekely
p. 35, p. 35,
1.
1.

fortlie the yerde of castigacion.' Stedfastnesse 26. Undir your yerde egall to mine offence.' T. cL- C., iii. 137. take her chastisement and yerde.' C. of L. 363.

1103.

daimgeer.

Distrust, a character in the

Romance of the

Rose.

line

1107. The title of these stanzas seems to have been suggested by but there is no reason in the texts for making a new heading. All other MSS. put this heading here. It might Lave been better to leave it out

1106

altogether.

102

Notes

to

Pages

3638;

Lines 11211189.

This chapter is headed, 'de solatio musicali regis.' It p. 36, 1. 1121. advises the king to make all his intimates drunk two or three times a year to hear what their private thoughts of liim and his government are. Lydgate throws in this sentiment, entirely opposed to the p. 36, 1. 1126. texts, to conciliate the commoners of England. See the A. -prose for the real sentiment.
p. 36,
1.

which runs
p. 36,
p. 36,
1.
1.

1128. on.
1130.
1135.

This heading also

is

not an original division of the text,

The memory
This
is

of the king

who encourages

it.

part of the chapter 'In quibus consistit obedientia

in
Sec. Sec.
it.

Domini,'

'0 Alexander, obedienta dominatoris quatuor attenditur modis,

It will

reiigiositate, in dilectione, in curialitate, et reverentia.'

be

seen that our author only began the idea and did not finish
p. 36,
'

1.

1140.

seyn

seen.

M. of Law Tale 624. this blisful mayden seyn.' M. of Law Tale 172. This heading seems to have been put on the scrap of paper on which Burgh found stanzas 164 and 165. These stanzas are a part of the same chapter as the preceding one, and have no reference to how a king should be governed in different weathers, but, instead, compare the government of a king to the weather, which does good or harm to the people without their having much to say in the matter.
For they ban seyn hir euer so vertuous.'
1.

'And whan they ban

1142.

p. 36,

p. 37, 1. 1154. Our author's conclusion is his o^vn, and is much better than that of the texts, which advise the subjects to grin & bear it.'
'

This represents the chapter 'de misericordia regis.' 37,1. 1156. again merely a stanza to represent what Lydgate doubtless intended to
p.

It is
fill

in

later.

and the next stanza come two chapters, one advising the king to store up grain against famine tune, and then to sell it to the people the other speaking of God's revenge against man-slaying even by a king. The first would have led at once to the dethronement of any English king, let alone the fact that Henry's government never had an}' money, and the second would have been peculiarly unacceptable to the nobles of that day.

Between

this

This represents the chapter 'de fide servanda.' p. 37, 1. 1163. a skeleton battalion.
p. 37,
1.

It is again

1164.

The

why

in

one degree?

other two rhymes till did not publish this.

but suppose Lydgate got 'mutabylite' and filled in the one. We must remember that he he could get a better
reference here is to the centre of the universe
I

This stands for'Quomodo Rex debet ordinare studia.' The p. 37, 1. 1170. text of tlie Sec. Sec. dates from before universities, and so one could hnrdly expect to find thein mentioned in it. The Latin text begins Prepara gymThe whole of this section is Lydgate's, the idea only being supplied nasia.' by the Sec. Sec. See notes on 1. 341.
'

p. 38,

1.

1184.

This

is

part of the chapter

'

de bora eligendi in Astronomia.'

The next hundred lines however do not follow the Sec. Sec. at all closely, or more properly do not translate it at all. Cypryan. Where did Lydgate get Cypryan from? Was p. 38,1. 1189. this the St. Cyprian who was an astrologer at Antioch, who afterwards became a Bishop, and was martyred in the Diocletian persecution ? The French and
Latin texts at this place speak of Plato as referring the evils our bodies suffer from, to four contrary humours. See note on 1. 1240. Lydgate quotes Cyprian, 'A garden of his flowers.' See p. 80, Miz. Acad., E. E. T. S.

Notes
p. 38,
1.

to

Page 38; Lines 11911207.

103

chapter on

This seems to be founded on some lines at the end of the Speaking of the Greeks, he says, 'Sane piiellae in domo ex magno studio sciebant cursuni anni, festa futura, solemnitates patris familias mensium, cursus planetarum, causas abreviatorias diei et noctis, revolutionem pleiadis et bootes, circulum dieruin, signa stellarum, judicia futurorum, & alia quae pertinent ad artem superiorum.' Sec. Sec.
1191.
studies.
p. 38,
arte.'
1.

1198.

'0 Rex clementissime,

si fieri

potest nee surgas, pec sedeas,

nee coinedas, nee bibas, nee penitus aliquid

Sec. Sec.
1.

facias, sine consilio periti in astroruiu

p. 38,
p. 38,

1203 same rhyme as 1231-2.

1205.

1.

of the time.

This is not in the Sec. Sec, I should prefer to read the line,
'Saturn
is

nor

is it justified

by the science

slouhe and malencolyous.*

And when we remember

2251,23
6:
'

are dealing with fragments only we may feel ourselves free to omit Mars from the list The following lines are from Harl.

that

we

Satume

disposithe lupiter reysethe

/

Sturdy Mars

Phebus Mercury
Tlie

/ to malencoly men / to hye noblesse to stryfe werre and envye to wisdom / and to highe prowesse

to

chaunge

moone makithe man

shulde

How
'

man

and doublenesse / mutable and mevynge thanne / be stable of lix'ynge.'

/

As Ptholomeus sayth in libro de jndiciis Astrorum, he maketh a man broun and fowle, mysdoynge, slowe and heuy eleynge and sory seldome gladde and merye or laughynge and therfore Ptholomeus saith, they that ben subject to
/ /

Saturnus, haue oft euyl drye chinnes in the hynder part of the fote. And ben yelowe of colour, and broun of heere / and sharpe in all the body, and vnsemely. And ben not skoymous of foul and stynkyng clothynge. And he loveth stynkyng beestes and vnelene / soure thynges and sharp. For of theyr complexyon Melancolyke humour hath maystry.' Bnrth. Afig. de Prop. Rernm. VIII. See also Bapt. Pmta. Coelestis Fhysiog., II. cap. xxiii, fol. 126 b., Ed. 1535.
1, 4, 6, 7.

But.

'

And
'

eruell Mars, full of Melancoly, of thy kind, bote, combust

&

dry.'

Slory of Thebes

iii.

1.

Mars malencolyous.' I think it better here to add the notes about the disposition of Mars from the same source. 'And he dysposeth the soule to vnstedfaste wytte and lyglitnes /to wrathe, and to boldnes, and to other colerykc passyons. And also he dysiiosethe and iiiakethe able to fyrye werkes and craftes, as smytlies and bakers, as Saturnus dysposeth men to be erthe tyllars, and berers of heuy boiirdens. And Jupiter for he maketh men able to be pleders / tiie contrarye disposeth to lyght craftes eliaungers, liandlers of syluer, wryters / and other suche / as Misaelle {MessaSee also Porta lib. cit. c. 1521. hala) sayth. Ca. xii.' B. A. VIII. xxv.
:

p. 38,

1.

1206.

But Lydgate elsewhere

/

says,

'And phebus Causith

'Also

dysposyng

to gladnesee.'

among
1.

lyuelynesse.'
p. 38,

planetes he disposethe most beastes to boldnesse and to B. A. VIII. xxviii.

all
'

1207.

In Rethoryk

helpith mercury vs.'

104

Notes

to

Pages 39,40; Lines 12081236.

tores,
'

legos, augures.'

'Fore Mercuriales cordatos, ingeniosos, cuncta discentes, modestos, mercaGrammaticos, Oratores, Physicos, Poetas, Musicos, Matheraaticos, sortiPorta lib. cit. c. 18. Vnder Mercurius is ccmteined fortune, chaffering, & yeft & he tokeneth wysdom & wyt.' B. A. VIII. xxvii.
:

'

hand than comes Mercurious Eight eloquent and ful of rethoric With polite termis and delicious With penne and inke to report alredie
in

With boke

Sething songis & singing nierily. His hode was red heclid altour his croun Like til a poete of the olde fassioiin.'
Test, of Ores. 239 T. of Glas 132. 'as Ptholomeus saythe, the nioone maketh a man vnstable, chaungeable, and remeuynge aboute fro place to place.' B. A. VIII. xxx. 'item homines nullius utilitatis, qui die ac nocte desiderent ire hue illiK-, nee leviter alicubi stent, instabiles, non perseverantes, hubentes ex operibiis legationes, aquarum et terrae araantes, voraces, extra patriam viventes,' &c. Porta, c. 45-9.
;

p. 39,

1.

1208.

p. 39,

1.

1212.

This
the

seem

to be
1. 1.

more than a
1222.
1223.

title has nothing to do with the stanza, collection of clauses.

which does not

p. 39, p. 39,

thee,
is

word
*

but wiixd.
availeth,
sir,

What

your proclamacion

of curious talking, not touching sadnes ? It is but winde.' Graft of Lovers, 37. ' Worde is but wind brought in by enuye.' Falls of Princes 216, and in Troy-Book. Temple of Qlas 1183, which see for further references.

These two stanzas really should p. 39, 1. 1226. of which they form a part,
p. 40,
1.

come

after the next section,

1236.
'

Complexioun.' The following lines are from Harl. 2251, 23 The sangwyne man / of bloode bathe hardynesse Made to be louynge / and large of expence The flewmatyke slowe / opprossedc withe dulnesse White of coloure / rude of eloquence
'

And

sithe there is in
/

Of complexions

How
The

shulde

coleryke Sklendre lene

man thanne / be stable in man sotyl / and disceyvable

/ /

man / suche difference diuersely tootrnynge his livynge.

Wrothc sodainly
ffrette

and cytryne of coloure and hastily vengeable

withe Ire / withe fury and withe rancour Drye and aduste / and a grete wastour And disposede to many a sundry thynge How shulde he thanne / be stable in livenge.

Malencolicus / of his complexioune Disposede is / for to be fraudulent Malicious frowarde / and be decepcioune Conspirynge discorde / ay double of his entente Whiche thynges peysede / by goode avisemente I dare conclude / as to my felynge ffewe men ben stable here / in theyr livynge.'

Notes

to

Page 40;
:

Li-nes

12401260.

105

There are four complexions sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic, answering to tlie four humours, sanguis, cholera, phlegma, melancholia.'
'

Conveninnt itaque sapientes et philosophi naturales (\uod homo est compositus ex oppositis dementis et ex quatuor contrariis hnnioriqnibus si caret homo corbns qui sen)per indigent alimentis et potibus rumpitur eius SM[b]stantia et si his siiperflue vtatnr: vel dimiimte incurrit
p. 40,
1.

1240.

'

debilitatem

et

temperate

intirmitatem et alia inconvenientia mnlta. invcJiict iuuamen vitae corporis fortitudinem,

Sec. Sec.

Si et

vero
totius

vtitur

suae

substautiae saluteni.'

Hmnorum autem genera quattuor sunt, stc sanguis, colera, p. 40, 1. 1241. Arnoldm Villaiwvanus, Spec. Introd. Med. cap. iiii. flegma, et melencolia.' (dp. Liiffd. 1520, fo. 2'.). Nam cum quatuor ilia sint, ex quibus compactum est corpus. Terra, Ignis, Aqua, Aer, horum contra naturam abnndantia, defectusque, et ex loco proprio in alienum translatio, perqnam quod sibi conveniens est, non tenent, intestinam quandam seditionem et morbos inferunt.' Plato in Timaeo, 1081, d. Ed.
'

Fnincft. fo. 1602.

Prima stutui potest ea, quae ex primordiis conficitur, iis, quae nonnulli elementa appellant, terram dico, aerem, aquam, ignem sed melius foitasse dici potest, ex virtutibus confici elementorum, iisque non omnibu.s: humiditas enini et siccitas, et caliditas et frigiditas, materia corporum sunt composiioiwm :Arist. de part. anim. II. i. Ed. Paris 1524, f. 6 b.
' :

1244. tours turnings, courses of the planets, whether their Their governance in heaven causes direct or retrograde. temperate health on earth.
p.

40,

1.

movement be

in corporibus medicus sanitatem non internecione caloris p. 40, 1. 1246. aut frigoris, sed proportione quaerit atque conficit.' Flut. de Sanit. tiieiida.
'

p. 40,

1.

1247.

meaning.
generate

Thus when we
fire.

Corrupcioun means a change, not necessarily implying our set a stick on fire we corrupt the wood and
,

Valetudinem postulare concoctionem, Cicero ad. fam. 16: p. 40, 1. 1254. jucunditatem, deambulationem moderatam, delectatiouem, purgationem venThe ancients summed up the points of diet in the six non-naturals tris.' air, exercise and rest, food and drink, sleep and watching, swiving, and accidents of the mind.
'
'

'

p. 40, 1. 1254. This should be called, 'What a Leech has to do.' The next seven stanzas seem to have little to do with the Sec. Sec. They express generally some ideas in it, but Lydgate alters very much both the form and the They correspond closely to the Dietary. subject matter of the work.

Connection of seasons and humours flewm in autumn, p. 40. 11. 1258-60. The following lines are taken from colera in summer, 1. 1349. see 1. 1413 Harl. 2251, 23 a:
: ;

'With veer man hathe / hete and eke moysture Atwene bothe / by a mane?- attemperaunce In whiche tweyne / grete luste he dothe recure
If colde nat put

hym

in
/

Thus meynte with drede

distemperaunce is manne gouernaunce

Ay
Man

neuer in certeyne / by recorde of writyngg How shulde he thanne / be stable in livynge.

hath with somer / dryenesse and heete In theyre bookes / as auctours liste expresse

106

Notes

to

Pages 40, 41; Lines 12611278.

And whanne phebus

/ entrithe the Aryete Digeste humcMM-s / vpwarde don heni dresse Pooris opyn / that season of swetnesse And exalacions / diuersely wirkynge How shulde a man / be stable in his livyngg.

Autunipne to veer / is founde contrarye As Galyen saithe / in al his qualitees Disposynge man / that seasons dothe so vary To many vnkouthe / straunge Infirmytees Of caiiyculer dayes / takynge the propirtees By reuohicioune / of manyfolde chaungynge How shulde man thanne / be stable in lyvenge. Man hathe withe wynter / in this presentc lyfe By disposicioune / colde and hnmydite Whiche season is to fleawme nutritife Spoyiithe tree and herbe / of al theyre fresshe beaute
/

Closithe, constreynethe Causitiie

the poores
/

men may

see

inwarde to be weikynge How / be stable in his livynge.' Sleep nurse of digestion. Chaucer, Sq^. Tale, 2nd part, 1. 1. p. 40, 1. 1261. Haec eadem cibus, in venas dum diditur omnes, ESicit, et multo sopor ille gravissimus exstat, Quern satur aut lassus capias quia plurima tum se Corpora conturbant raagno concussa labore.' Lucretius, IV. 952 see 1. 1892. 'The ancient rule was to put a little exercise between a meal and sleep.' Plutarch de Is. et Os. ' Nos autem medicis pareamUs, qui monent semper inter coenam et somnuni faciendam aliquam intercapedinem ne congestis in corpus cibis et oppresso spiritu, confestini crudo ac fervido alimento aggravemus vim concoctricem, sed respirationem & relaxationem concedamus.' Plut. de Sanit. tuenda, fo. 133, d. 'And vse neuer late / for to suppe.' p. 41, 1. 1267. Suffre no surfetis.' Dietary 8.
'
: ; :
'

kyndely hete shal man thanne

p. 41,
'

11.

1268-70.
vita certissirae precipitur ut perturbationes fugiamus.'

in

omni

Cicero Off.

I.

38.
'

Quando anima corpore admodum potentior

1.

est exultat in eo atque eflfectur,

totum ipsum intrinsecus quatiens l.inguoribus

p. 41,

implet.'

Plato in Timaeo.

1268. 'Si vis incolumen, si vis te reddere sanum Curas tolle graves, irasci crede prophanum Parce mero, cenato parum.' Schula Salernifana (11th cent.).

p.

p.

animam laqueo claudunt mortisqiie timorem Morte fugant, ultroquo vocant venientia fata.' Ovid, 7 Met. Aer sit mundiis, habitabilis, ac luminosus, 41.1. 1271. Nee sit infectus nee olens fetor cloacae.' Schol. Salem. Flee niystis blake / and eyre of pestilence.' Dietary. 41, 1. 1274.
'Pars
' '

p. 41,

1.

1275.
'

Si tibi deficiant rnedici;

medici

tibi fiant

Haec

tria;

mens

In this p. 41, 1. 1278. omission of the seventh line is the substitution of 'malencolyous' for 'malicious' in the Harl, 2251 ed., which is much nearer the Latin text of Si. 3634 than the

moderata dieta.' Schol. Sahrn. stanza the only change from the Dietary beyond the
laeta, requies,

Lamb. MS.

Notes to Pages
p. 41,
1.

4143;

Lines 12821345.
and

107
in the Latin

Dietary.
p. 41,

It
1.

This is the eighth stanza in the Had. 2251 1282. is not inchided in the Babee's Book text,
This stanza
is in

1289.
1294.

both dietaries, with the exception of the

two

last lines.
1.

p. 41,

in the Sec. Sec.

with

tliis

tag.
1.

Lydgate evidently thought that if these precepts were not they were useful to his patron, and so runs in the old stanzas Note the change of meaning in diet.'
'

Spring begins when the sun enters Aries. This generally happens after mid-day, I\I;uvh 20tli. In Lydgate's time the equinox fell earlier owing to the faults of tlie Julian Calendar. See the notes on the prose versions at this place. Their dates are not Arabic, but are due to Johannes Hispuleusis.
p. 42.

1303.

'Spryngynge tyme

is

hegynnynge

of the yere, that

begynnethe whar the

:

son is in the fyrste party of the sygne that hyghte Aries and begynnethe to passe vpwarde, toward the Northe by a ryght line, as Constantine saith in Pantegni libro quinto, capitulo tertio.' Bart. Angl. IX. v.
p. 42,
1.

1304.

The sun now

crosses

the line, and every day becomes

higher at noontide.

The dnisy opens now as early as the 9th of February. p. 42, 1. 1305. Alceste was turned into a daisy. See Skeat's note in Lejend of Good Womeii.
'

And And Hou

And aldernext was ]>e fressh queue mene Alceste, the noble trw wyfe, for Admete how she lost hir life.
for hir trouth, if 1 shal not
lie,

she w;is tnrnyd to a daisie.'

T. of Glas 70-4.

'Ver est calidum et humid um et p. 42, 1. 1310. est, et excitatur in eo sanguis." Sec. Sec.
:

temperatum

aeri simile

'And spryngnge tyme is betwene hotte and colde / most temperat bitwene winter and somer / meane in qualyte and partyneth with eyther of them in qualyte.' Bart. Angl. loc. cit. This last is derived from Galen. Hippocrates said the qualities of spring were warm unii moist, and thus it resembles the element air. The Latin text combines both ideiis.

The I cannot find out what story is here alluded to. p. 42, 1. 1322. cuckoo is, of course, a migratory bird, which stays v;ith us from April to August, and his note is a love-call peculiar to the male and to the nesting
season.

'hau' shoaild be 'han'; perhaps ou[r] p. 43, I. 1334. out of four entrusted to us.
'

is

on

=
89.

one talent

not onely
1.

my

dales but fivefold talent.'

Rem. of Love

p. 43,

1.344.
is

'Then somer
p. 43,
1.

Complexion of summer. hotte and drye / and bredeth Coleram.'

Bar. Angl. IX.

vi,

1345. 'Aestas tunc incipit cum sol ingreditur primum punctus Cancri & continet nonaginta duos dies et horam cum dimidia : et hoc est a decima die junii usque ad decimam diem septembris.' Sec. Sec. Tiie summer signs are Cancer, Leo, and- Virgo.
' And Romer hathe tlire monthes ryaht as spryngyng tyme / an Constantyne sayth. Tlie fyrste monthe longeth to the sygne that hyght Cancer / and lasteth The seconde whan the fro the xvij duye of June to the eyghtyne daye of July Sonne is in Leone, and dureth from the xviij daye of July to the xvij daye of Auguste Tiie thyrde begynneth whan the sonne commeth in to the s^gne that hyghte Virgo, and dureth fro the xvij daye of Auguste to the xviij daye of Septembre, as Constantyne sayth.' Barth. Angl. IX. vi.
:
:

108

Notes

to

Pages

4345;
is

Lines 13481407.

Summer now
September 22nd.
p. 43,
'

begins about midday on June 21st, and lasts to midnight on

St.

Barnabas Day
1.

June

11th.

1.

1348.

See

1344.

Haec anni pars acutis morbis et biliosis est obnoxia, propter aestus bilem generantis vehementiam.' Wendelin Cont. Physic. Camb. 1648, 4 p. 605.
p. 43, p. 43,
].

1351, 1352.

St.

Bartholomew
'

is

August 24th.
is

'Colour'? Choler, or it may be that Clour to Fire as Juventus to Age. For Juventus read luventus.'
1.
' '

in apposition

1354: Est et humor colerae qui competit impetuosis, Hoc genus est hominum cupieiis precellere cunctos. Hi leviter discunt miiltum coinedunt cito crescunt. Inde magnanimi sunt largi suinma petentes. Hirsutus fallax irascens prodigus audax Astutus gracilis: siccus: croceique coloris.' Schol. Salem. p. 43, 1. 1356. Of (jrowing slcamdre, slender of growth. The other MSS. read 'slaurulre,' and as this does not follow the Sec. Sec, I decided to follow spelling. It means slender,' as the following extract shows their 'And the werkj^nge of somer by subtyltye of heate, coineth in to the holow parties of beestes, and dryeth and wasteth humours / that bene bytwene the skynne and the fleslie: and all to sheddyth theym, and maketh beestes swyfte : and so he distroyeth and wastyth superfluyte.' Bart. Angl.
p. 43,
1.
'
:

'

June 24th is St. John the Baptist's day; June 29th is St. August 1st is Lanunas Day, St. Peter ad Vincula, when he was released from prison by an angel, and the guards were crucified for Thomas a Becket was martyred on December 29th, but St. letting him go. the time of the year being inconvenient for pilgrims, his bones were translated' to a new slirine in summer, and the anniversary was kept as his. Beans and peas, purslane, and lettuce. These are not p. 44, 11. 1374-6. mentioned in the Sec. Sec. (see the prose version).
p. 44,
1.

1361.

Peter and St. Paul

'

p. 45,
'

1.

1.395.

tyd}j nuin,
:

For all the trauayle of the yere is then mooste and corn & fruytes ben gadered and brought into bernes.' Bart. Aiigl. IX. vii. One may be excused for thinking some of these stanzas really good. Harueste begynneth, whantie the sorme entryth and p. 45, 1. 1405. cometh in to the fyrste partye of the sygne, thai hyght Libra whan the sonne for he is like ferre fro the ryghte lyne that hyght linea equinoctialis is in the Harueste tyine hath thre mouthes, that serue it as North, and fro the South. Constantyne sayth. The fyrste begynneth, whan the sonne is iti Libra and and than lastyth fro the xvij daye of Septenibre, to the xviij daye of Octobre The seconde month is / the Sonne begynneth to withdrawe in the myd daye. & lastyth fro the xvij. da}' of Ocfobre to in whiche the sonne is in Scorpione The thyrde month is, whan the sonne is in tlie eyghtenth day of Nouembre. and lasteth fro the xvij (sic) daye of Nouembre, to the xviij daye Sagittario Bart. A-ngl. loc. cit. of Decembre, as Constantyne sayth.'
'
:
: : : : :

' Harueste in his qualyte is contrarye to spryngynge tyme : p. 45, 1. 1407. therfore that time bredeth many euyll syknesses. Galen sayth that Harueste more pestilencyall than other tymes, and more euyl in many thinges. Fyrst for chauiigyng of tyme: for now he is bote, and now he is colde / also for he comyth after somer / and findeth many bote humors / that ben full bote / & the colde of harueste smytyth ayen bicaiise of bete that was in somer sufiFre not them to passe out of the suche humours to the inner partyes

&
is

&

Notes
bodyes.

to

Pages 454.8;

Lines 14141506.

109

Quartayns
p. 45,

so such humours rotte and brede full euyll eykenesses / Feuers tliat vneth hen curable.' Bart. Angl. * Autumno morbi accidunt acutissimi & funestissimi fer^.' Hippocrat. Aphor.
/

And

&

&

1.

1414.

p. 45,

1.

1415.

Autumn
St.
'

is

cold and dry, which are the qualities of the

element earth,
p. 46,
1.

1422.
1425.

Clement's Day, Nov. 23rd.

'

p. 46,

1-

unwar

is

This seems to be the p. 46, 1. 1433. would rutlier point to an elderl}' patron.
p. 46,
1.

put in before seknessys' in some MSS. only personal note in the poem, and
'

1440.

Martinmas

is

Nov. 11th.

This stanza belongs to autumn,

and not

to this section at all.

'Wyiiter hyghte Hyems, and hath that name of Eundo, p. 46, 1. 1448. For in wynter tyme the sonne treuleth and passeth And therfore he maketh shorter ofter in a shorter cercle than in sonier tyme. lenger nightes, as Isydore sayth. And as Constaniin saith, wynter dayes

goynge other passynge

&

begynnoth, wlian the sonne is in the sygne that hygiite Capritornus and is ende of the descencyon and the lowyng of the sonne in the middaye. And then beg3'nnetli lytel & lytel to pn'^s'^ vpwarde agaynste the nortlie. Also wynter hath thre monthes tliat serue hym. The fyrste begynneth in Capricome / and lastethc from tlie eighteuthe daye of Decembre / vnto the seuententh daye of Januarii The seconde is wlian the son is in Aquario, and lasteth from 'the senententh day of Januarii / to the syxtenth day of Feuerer: The thyrde month is / whan tlic sonne is in the sygne / tliat hyghte Piscis, and lasteth from the syxtenth da}' of Februarii / to the cyghtenth daye of Marche. And wynter is colde and moyste / and nouryshethe flewme." Bart. Aiujl. IX, viii.
: :

p. 48,

1. 1491. This line is one of those coincidences which look like design. do not know that Lydgate's epitaph has been printed lately, so here it is Mnrtuus seclo superis superstes, Hac jacet Lidgat tumulatus urna. Qui fuit quondam celebra Brittanniae
'

fama
p. 48,
1.

Poesis.'

1495.
this,

Mp

lord.

One would
feel

note than
Bourcliier.

but

we may

like to have had some more personal moderately certain that my lord was Earl
'
'

Was Burgh one of the 'masters in grammar' who were p, 48, 1. 1498. They had not taken a degree, but were examined in at that time ? Latin grammar and their power of flogging, and then granted a diploma. In that case he would not have made the acquaintance of the seven arts he
made
commemorates
p. 48,
1,

in this introduction.

1506. The Anticlaudian of Alanus de Insulis is one of the important books of medieval times. It deals with the perfect man warring against Claudian had made a poem where the vicious Rufinus had opposed vices. Alanus, to oppose, named his poem the Anti-Chuidian. It consists Stilico of nine books, and may be read in the Rolls Series in the second series of Anglo-Latin Satirical JPoets, ed. Wright. London, 1872, or in Migne, t, 210, may briefly sunmiarize it thus. Nature, perceiving its failure in bringing about perfection, decides to join She therefore summons in one being all the virtues and excellences possible. Prudence all these allegorical personages, and lays before them her plan. give to man the highest (Phronesis) and Reason remark that none of them can This mission is of all gifts a soul, and that they must ask it from God.
:

We

110

Notes

to

Pages

4953;

Lines 15361648.

imposed on them, they at first refuse it, but Concord gets them to accept it. A car is made for them by the seven liberal arts, to which five horses representing the senses are yoked. Grammar lays the framework, Logic makes the axles of the wheels, Rhetoric adorns the frame with gems and flowers of silver, Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy make the wheels, and Reason
drives the chariot. They pass through the air, the clouds, the home of the evil spirits of the air, the spheres of the planets, and arrive at the firmament, when Reason faints, and the senses become useless. Theology appears, and on the condition that Reason and the senses except that of hearing are abandoned, offers to guide Phronesis. The firmament, the empyrean heavens, the dwellings of saitits, angels, and the Mother of God are next described. Here Prudence faints, but Faith revives her, and explains the mysteries of human destiny, grace, &c. now orders Intelhgence to frame a model of a soul such as was asked God for, and making it, it is sent to Nature, who makes a body which Harmony, Music, and Arithmetic fit for and join to the soul. All the allegorical divinities add a gift even Nobility and Fortune bring theirs which Wisdom checks

and moderates. But Hell learning of

this

new

unites all the vices against it. to flight, and inaugurates upon
p. 49,
p. 49.
1.
I.

creation resolves to destroy it, and Allecto After a long battle the new man puts them all the earth the reign of Justice and Happiness.
1.

1536.
1541.

Repeated

later as

2191.
in Martianus Capella's

Fronescis is mother of Philology, Marriage of Philology and Mercury, II. 114, IX. 893.
p. 49,
1.

1541.

See

1.

224.

In the Anticlaudian, Rhetoric is described as carving and p. 49, I. 1542. adorning the car of Phronestis with flowers and with inlaid work of silver.

was

is this Petir? Burgh knew that Petrarch (13041374) (See his ballad in the Introduction.) Petrarch wrote some declamations which were regarded as models of rhetoric in the middle age.

p. 49,

1. 1543. called Francis.

Who

This might refer to a royal command, but most probably is p. 50, 1. 1558. a flattery of the Bourchiers, just as the first poem in the Bahee's Book was written for noble, not for royal children. May that poem not have been written

by Burgh
p. 50,

?
1.

perfect

man
1.

1565. Allecto is the head of the infernal io the Anticlaudian.

army
:

raised against the

p. 51,

1608.

usum

bibitur,

'Aqua and vino si misceatur, prodest et quae inter diluti ipsum dilutum reddit minus noxium." Plutarch de Sanit. tuenda.
f.

ed. Franc. 1620,

p. 51,
1.

132.

1609. 1611.

Water Alchymyn

is

prepared from Cumin.

p. 51,

1.

side-note in Harl. 2251, quotes from Horace

'

Et gravi Malvae salubres corpori.' Ep. 2. 48. Utere lactucis et moUibus utere malvis.' Mart, 3. 87. This is recommended by Hippocrates. In the prose editions p. 52, 1. 1615. I hope to investigate the relationship between this work and the schools of Arab and Greek medicine.
'

p. 52, p. 52,
p. 53,

1. 1.

1625. 1638. 1648.

Cf. lines 1268-70.

The same thought

as in

1.

1248.
'

1.

This refers to sulphur baths.

Balnea sulfureae aquae

intrare.'

Sec. Sec.

Notes
p. 53,
1.

to

Pages 53, 54; Lines 16531706.

Ill

'Regiila Hippocratis est: si quis repletus vel constipatus 1653. balueum intrabit: ille dolorein vel intestinoruni certissinie incurrere potest.. ventre repleto, paralisiin iricurret. Nee post cibum quis currat Si quis coiverit vel equitet niiniuin. Qui siiiiul lac and pisces sepe comedunt, leprum incurrunt. Vinuin et lac eiinilia operantur.' Sec. Sec.
p. 53, sities,
' Rhasis discommends all fish, and says they breed visco1. 1655. slimv nutriment, little and humourous nourishment.' Burton, Anat. of

Mel., Part
p. 53,
1.

I. ii., 2.

1.

This is the beginning of tlie letter of Diodes (pp. 109-12, Paiihis Aeginetus, Op. Med. Liigd., 1689. 8vo.). It is practically identical with one written by Antoniiis Musa (physician to the Eimperor Augustus) to Maecenas. The letter was a favourite of our early Enghsh ancestors. See a copy in Leechdoms, ic. 'Hominis corpus in quatuor parteis diducimus, caput p. 63, 1. 1661. Diodes. scilicet, thoracem, ventrem. et vesicam.'
1660.
p. 53, writers.
1.

1669.

Powrys Organycall'

is

the Virtus Animalis of medieval

'The brayne ... is distingued and departed in thre celles p. 53, 1. 1670. whiche physytiens calle Ventriculos, small wombes. In the . or dennes formeste celle and wombe imagination is conformed and made, in the midle, For in the fyrste, reason, in the hyndermeste, recordation and minde. . shappe and lykenesse of thynges that ben felte, is gendered in the fantasie or
:

in tlie imagination.

Than the shap and lyknesse

is

sende to the mydell

celle,

and there ben domes made. And at the laste after dome of reson, that shappe and lyknesse is sende into the celle and worabe of Puppis, and betake to the vertue of mynde.' Bart. Angl. de rerum propr., lib. v. 3, f. 35. Quando ergo congregantur superfluitates poteris scire per p. 54, 1. 1678. haec signa, quae sunt tenebrositas oculorum gravitas superciliorum, reper'
;
;

fremitus auriu7?i, inclusio narium.' Sec. Sec. Vertigo, capitis dolor, superciliorum gravitas aures sonant, tempora saliunt, oculi mane illacrymant, caligantque, nares oppletae odorem non sentiunt, dentium gingiuae attolluntun' Diodes. Cum a capite morbus oritur, solet capitis dolor tentari, tunc supercilia gravantur, tempora saliunt, aures sonant, oculi lachrymantur, nares repletae odorem non sentiunt.' Ant. Musa ad Maecen. Nor. 4vo., 1538.

cussiones

temporum
'

'

p. 54,

1.

1682.

'Aloes,'

wormwode

(18 A.

vij.),

'effeentim, that

is

Eufrasy*

(Lamb. 501), foenci, herbam perforatam (Latin versions), aloyne (Harl. 219,
French).

In vino dulci.' Sec. Sec. Pulegium, pennyroyal, pudding grass. Quum ergo ex his aliquod accidit caput purgari oportet, p. 54, 1. 1687. nuUo quidera inedicamento, sed vel hyssopi, vel origani sumniitatibus tritis, quae in ollula cum musto, aut sapae heminae dimidio deferbuerint, atque hoc absorbens jejunus os coUuet, et gargarizando humores ex alto deducet,' &c.
p. 54,
1.

1683.

'

Dowset and swet wyn.'

'

p. 54,

1.

1685.

'Pulgichyn.'

'

Diodes.
'

aquam ore continebis, Musa ad Maecen.

inde
p. 54,
1.

Hyssopi autem coronas bubulae fasciculum deferre turn caput calide habueris, ut fluat pituita.'

facies,

Ant.

1696.

Et utatur in cibo suo grano sinapis.' Sec. Sec. 'Optime facit etiam, si sinapi mulsa c;ilida dilutum jejunus
eliciat.'
fit

absorbens gargarizet, pituitamque ex capite

p. 54,
1.

1706.

Diodes.
os salsum
:

'

Tounge

lettyd.'
;

'Lingua

ponderosa:
Sec. Sec.

in

orificio

cibum acerbum

sentit

ac doloreiu tussis.'

112

Notes
'

to

Pages bo, 56; Lines 17111758.

Cum autem a thorace morbus nascitur, incipit caput sudare, gravior, aut os aiuarum, aut tonsillae dolerit, oscitatio sequitur sine somno et quiete, gravitas corporis, animi dolor, prurigo corporis, brachia manusque intremiscunt, subitoque tussis arida.' Ant. 31%tsa ad Maecen.
linguaque
sit

p. 55, 1. 1711. vel in balneo, plus

'

Vitabis vicium,

si

vomeris sive jejimus, sive post coenam,

ejeceris, eain

autem prodest si jejunus bilem matrem morborum.' Ant. Micsa ad Maecen.

'

enim

diciiuiis

Siiccurrendum est prudenter hoc mode, vomitus qnam coenam sine repletione, sineque medicamento citari vomitiones ante cibum, quas Graeci Syrmaismos appellant. Oportet autem eum qui sic vomet, radiculas tenueis praesumere, nasturtium, erucam, sinapi, et portulacam, niox aqua tepida superbibita vomere.'

optima debet
:

fieri

potest, post

utiles sunt et

Diocles.

Oportet igitur dimittere de comestione et uti vomitu et vomitum sumere zucharum rosarum cum ligno aloes et masticare, et post comestionem sumere ad magnitndinem unius nucis de electuario enison, quod est confectum ex ligno aloes and causergam.' Sec. Sec. Etiam uti oportet rosato aceto, vino trito, linguam asperam p. 55, 1. 1712. melie fricet, vel mentae folio, reliqua diligenti uiedico permittenda sunt.' Ant. Musa ad Maecen.
' ;
:

post

p. 55,
p. 55,

1.

1716.

reminiscence of

1.

1275.

1721. The body being made up of four humours, diseases were caused by these becoming corrupt, or by any one of them being in excess,
1.

p. 55,

1.

1722.

Tansy (Lamb. 501).

(Harl. 219).

'Dionysoon.' Dyanisum, an electuary made of Aloes and Le quele est fait de aloe, galingale, and grasegrun See its composition in Villanovanus Antidotarium, fol. 2476.
'

'

Op. 1520
p. 55,

fo.
1.

French and

1726-7. This in 18 A. vij.

is

not found in the Latin nor in Diocles, but

is a

is in

the

p. 55, 1. 1730. instead of this.

In some copies of the Sec. Sec. there

'

division 'the eyes'

p. 55, Sec. Sec.

1.
'

1734.

Rednesse

in the kne.'
'

Genuum

dolor, inflatio, rigor.'

pe knees wexe grete (18 A.

'

vij.).

Incurret in p. 56, 1. 1744. ventris, corruptionem digestionis,

'Pleni p. 56, 1. 1755. Sec. Sec. appetitus.'
'

dolorem juncturarum,

&

tergi,

in

fluxum
'

&

oppilationem

epatis.'

Sec. Sec.

ex cibo modico esse videntur.'

Diocles.

Tepet

Haec vitia sic emendanttir Foeniculnm et appiinn vino p. 56, 1. 1758. austero madefacito, vel earum herbarum radices conteres, ex vino ciathis duobus tantnudem a(iuae calidae vel dauci seminis, et myrrliae pusillum tritam Vel radices asparagi, vel herbam erraticam, in vino, ut supra scripsi, et bibe. vel serpillum decoque, eam aquam vino mistam bibe.' Ant. Musa ad Maecen.
;

Oportet illud qui hoc sentit hoc facere ut herbam accipiat et de earum radiciet herbam qua dicitur melilotum bus: ponat radices et herbas in vino albo odorifero et sumat ex eo quolibet mane.' Sec. Sec. Itaque foeniculi apiique radices, vino albo odorato madefacito, atqui huius diluti cyathos duos, mane jejuno singulis diebus propinabis cum aqua dauci, smyrnii, helenij, quodcunque horuui habueris, nam omnia adhaec aqua ciceris macerati cum vino idem efficit.' Diocles. proficiunt
'

qua dicitur cainomilla;

'

'II te

graine de fenoil,

&

de

la racine

convient prendre vne licrbe appelle apus, et de la de archemisce, ou dautre herbe appellee

'

Notes

to

Pages

5659;

Lines 17601853.

113
et

achen, & tiacree, & ouec celles hcrbes met lee de ce vin boy chctcun matin ouec vu poy de awe et de mel.'
p. 56,
1.

racing en bon vin blanc,

Had. 219.
' '

1760.
'

A
:

wort

'

(wormwood)

'

marginal note in Harl. 2251 gives Apu8 is Bmallage (water-parsley)

'

'

A rchemi8e = wingAcheen, sainacle'

achen, araneg,

(sanicle).

Attracies

is

blessed
as

thistle.'

Latin MS. reads

arraunce.'
p. 56,
p. 56,
iiiniia
1.

1765.

Same
'

1.

1618.

1. 1766. comestione.'

Ita

qua
'

sit

temperatum cum aqua

from two
:

&

melle, et abstineat a
for the sake of

Sec. Sec.

' p. 57, 1. 1784. the verse doubtless. '

Thre

is

altered

in all the texts

Medus vero aflSrmavit p. 57, 1. 1786. niu'tuin sumere de granis milii.' Sec. Sec.
p. 57,
1.

quod jejuno stomacho prodest

in the Latin
*

et dixit,'

Sane Indus indicavit but some copies give the name Sanages the Greek. Of. Aug. Miiller,
1788.
'

Greek

'

is

an error

it is

Zeitschr. d. deutsch. moi-gerd. Ges., xxxiv. 544.

Mylk seems to be a mistake of Burgh's. 18 A, vij. reads p. 57, 1. 1789. mil blanc who so ete the graynes of whyt mylle^fastyng with water cresses (H, rl. 219). Mastursu is then a mistake for nasturtium. Yet Pliny, 25. 8, ' says Arcades quidem non medicaminibus uti, sed lacte circa ver.' I hud proposed another meaning for mastursu from the Arabic.
:

'

'

'

Alibi Aurei was for long a trouble to rue. It is simply a p. 58, 1. 1808. mistake. 18 A. vij. has 'who so ete eche morwe of alibi Amei 7 dragmes, and of swete grapis and Reysynes,' &c. The French has no such words and on turning to the Latin we find 'et qui comedit quolibet mane septem dragmas vuae passae bonae dulcedinis,' which makes it clear that the words are misunderstandings of the reading of a contracted Latin text.
'
' ;

p. 68,
p. 472. p. 58,

1.

Uva
1.

' Passa uva est uva sicca solem passa.' 1809. is a gooseberry sometimes.

Blanchart's Lexicon,

1818.

'

Allea, nux, ruta, pira, raffanus, et tyriaca

poisons. Aristotle quotes the old story about the weasel fighting with the serpent, first eating rue to arm himself against poison, in the De Animalibtis. Villanova
all

Avicenna says that

Haec sunt antidota contra mortale venenum.' figs, nuts, and rue make a medicine against

Sch. Sal.

recommends
p. 58,
1.

figs, rue,

1820. 1828.

and sweet almonds. This line stands for a chapter of the Latin text,

'

de custodia

caloris naturalis.'
p. 58,
p. 59,
1.

Enlvmyne

is

an adjective used of blood.

1.

1835. A comparison of this line with writers of the measure allowed themselves.
1.

1827 shows the wide limits

is

Perch p. 59, 1. 1851. of such fish in his texts.

is

Burgh's

own

favourite, since there

no mention

The

Schol. SaXern. says

'

Si pisces

Si pisces duri,

molles sunt, magno corpore tolle parvi sunt plus valituri

Lucius, et perca, saxaulis, et albica, tenca,

Gornus, plagitia, cum carpa, galbio, truca.' Perch was a favourite in the days of Ausonius. Edyllium, IX. 115 Nee te delicias mensarum Perca silebo, Amnigenos inter pisces dignande, marinis.'
'

p. 59,

1.

1853.

This seems contrary to experience.

The

texts only spenk

I

PHILOSOPHERS.

114
was no

Notes

to

Pages

6064;

Lines 18682024.

of hard-skinned fish, and besides, the stews were all dead water, and yet there objection to the monks eating the fish in them.
p. 60, p.

1868.
;

'

Signa quidem bonarura aquarura sunt haec, levitas,

claritas,

bonus color

facile calescunt et facile frigescunt ; in talibus enim delectatur natura.' Sec. Sec. The six are difficult to make out, and unfortunately 18 A. vij. is defective

quando

here.

'Tarage haue of foreyn dyvers sondys p. 60, 1. 1886. se particulas terreas.' Sec. Sec.
p. 60,
1.

'

'quia continent in

1892.

The same
:

as

1.

1261.

'Primum vinum valet senibus et hominibus abundantibus p. 61, 1. 1919. in humiditate et flegmate nocet vero juvenibus et calidis hominibus Primum
ergo calefacit
'

to

'

have much meaning in

1.

et liberat a superfluitatibus frigidis et grossis.' Sec. Sec. siiould be read in, here. The last clause in I. 1924 does not this connection.

seem to

'

first part of this line refers to the lees at the bottom p. 62, cujus fex est in fundo depressa.'
'
:

1950.

The

Quia confortat stomachum calorem corroborat naturalem p. 62, 1. 1956. juvat digestionem conservat a corruptione ducit cibum decoquit & perducit ipsum purificatum ad omnia membra quae reguntur: et decoquit ipsum cibum in eisdem membris, donee convertatur in sanguinem substantialem tunc ascendit ad cervicem cum calore temperato reddit caput securum ab infortuitis casibus insuper cor letificat colorem rubefacit: linguarn reddit expeditam liberat a curis: et hominem facit audacem et excitat ad omnia
:
: :
:

bona facit.' Sec. Sec. A Lydgate line. See Appendix II., 2. p. 63, 1. 1969. Linguarn reddit expeditam liberat a curis.' Sec. Sec. p. 63, 1. 1970. This is attributed to Hippocrates in Lamb. 501. In a Latin p. 64, 1. 1996. text: 'Sapiens quidem aristos bonum vinum commendavit ubi dixit: mirum est de homine qualiter potest infirmari vel mori cujus cibus est panis optimi fruraenti, et cames commendabiles, et potus bonae vitis.' The root idea of this sentiment is in Galen de san. tu. I. 12., de maras. 2.
appetitum
:

et

multa

alia

'

p. 64,

1.

1997.

See

1.

1241.

' Et ilium qui inebriatur vino ultra modo sumpto : ut abluat p. 64, 1. 2010. et sedeat super flumina curentium aquarum ; et habeat se cum aqua calida salices atque mirtum ; et ungere debet corpus suum cum sandnlo confecto et fumigare cum incensis frigidis et odoriferis. Haec est quidem ebrietatis optima medicina.' Sec. Sec.
; ;

'Salwys' in apposition to 'wyllwys.' p. 64, 1. 2014. dialect name for osier willows.
Sandal
'
'

'Sallies' is still a

Triasendale (18 A. vij.), an electuary of which p. 64, 1. 2016. the composition may be found in Villanovanus, f. 249f. Op. Om. 1520 fo.
p. 64, 1. 2021-3 represent a chapter 'Quomodo vini potu est derelinquendus.' Eastern medicine lays stress on continuity of habit, and of making gradual changes here it recommends taking to raisin water, and so on.

Here a great gap occurs. The whole of the magic and alchemy comes between this and the next line, which begins Book III. of the
p. 64,
1.

2023.

Sec. Sec.

The English version (18 A. vij.) nearest to Burgh's text p. 64, 1. 2024. runs thus Dere sone, rightwisnes may not ben ouyr preysid, for it is of )je Eropir nature of glorious God, and it is made to sustene all Rewmes for helpe of is servauntis, and rightwisnes owith to kepe the royalle blood, and the richesse
: '

Notes

to

Pages

6570;

Liries

20312214.
;

115
and what

of the possessioune of siigetis, and governe hem in alle her nedes lord doth thus, he is in that case like unto God.'

very involved stanza. It means Justice, sent from God p. 65, 1. 2031. to his creatures, made of understanding, a sovereign help to obedient subjects, was sent to princes that they might save their subjects from pillage.'
'

p. 65,

1.

2049.

dea: quod rex

&

' Et fuit inventum scriptum in uno lapidem in lingua chalintcllectus sunt fratres alter altero indigens: nee sufficit

unus sine reliquo.' Sec Sec. Burgh's stanza points to a contract between people and king an idea not in any of the texts. Another gap occurs herein the text Burgh uses. This line p. 65, 1. 2052. begins Book IV, de consilariis. The Latin advises the king to have five counsellors (like the five senses), and to listen to their advice separately.

Burgh it seems had not the signs mentioned in his text. p. 66, 1. 2087. * fuit ergo genesis in Venere Tlie Latin says in Marte in gradu suo existente Geminis cum Libra. Sydera vero contraria et pessima nondum erat orta ostendit ergo genesis, quod puer futurus erat sapiens, curialis, veiocis manus, boni consilii, diligendus a regibus.' Sec. Sec. Lydgate would have worked this up I believe the story comes from Ptolemy's Centiloquium, but I have not verified my reference.
:

&

How

p. 66, p. 67,

1.
1.

2092.
2126.

'

Insight
1.

'

should be one word.

See

404.

is

This stanza describing the properties of a good counsellor p. 68, 1. 2150. out of place here, and should come after 1. 2240.
p. 69,

nisi sit

Harl. 2251 has in the margin here, 'Parva sunt arma 1. 2163. consilium domi.' Cicero [de off. I. xxij.].

foris,

p. 69,
fili,

1.

2164.

'

Et in

necessarium est tibi Consule ergo ilium qui poterit liberare a potentia et noli parcere inimico sed quantumcunqtie poteris, in ipso tuam victoriam manifesta et in quolibet tempore, cave tibi a potentia inimici.' Sec. Sec.
:
:

cujusdam medorum mandatum est filio suo: habere consilium, quoniam unus es in hominibus.
libro
:

The quotation p. 69, 1. 2178. of the Mede's letter.

:

marks should be on

this stanza

it

forms part

Either of these readings would do the meaning of the p. 69, 1. 2188. stanza is 'take counsel you are not bound to act on it, and you must weigh it well in any case.'
; ;

p. 69,

1.
1.

2191.

The same

as

1.

1536.
'

2192. This seems to have been a not uncommon fault in divine right' kings. Sollicite & diligenter moneo & do tibi optimum consilium, nunquam constituas bajulum in regimine loci tui.' Sec. Sec.
p. 69,
'

p. 70, bajulos.'

1.

2203 begins a new chapter in the

texts.

'

Experienta circa

The counsellor would be put in a corner if he advises the p. 70, 1. 2206. king to spend his own money, he does not honour him sufficiently on the other hand, if he advises him to take his subjects', he is an enemy so nothing is left for the counsellor but to offer the king his own mOney. Burgh had to translate here a curious phrase, which he p. 70, 1. 2212. misunderstands. Si ergo inducet te ad stributionem eorum quae sunt in thesauro tuo, et ostendat hoc esse expediens, scias quod nullum caput pretii ponit in te.' Sec. Sec. Lamb. 501 translates it, 'wete you }jat he puttys yn )e no good lernynge.'
;

'

p.

70

1.

2213-4 are not in the text.

I

116
p. 70,
1.

Notes
2221-3.

to
'

Pages

7076;

Lines

22212401.

Ut pote
first

eligens et volensconfusionein sui operis pro tua

of a
1.

gloria.'
p. 71,

Sec. Sec.
1.

2248.
fifth,

The
'

mark

good counsellor,
sixth,

1.

2250.

The second.

The
1.

third

2253.
2258.
p.

The The

are omitted. the good memory, and&c. fourthpowers of observation, be specially he should 2255. The
curialis,'

skilled in arithmetic,
I.

which

is

the ground of
1.

all science.

1.

2256.

The

eventh.

eightli.

72,

1.

1.

2276. 2283.
p. 72,

The 1. 2262. The twelfth. The fifteenth.

1. 1.

ninth.
1.

2264.

2279.

The

The tenth. thirteenth. 1,

'

1.

2269. The eleventh. 2281. The fourteenth.

sit

2290. Anotiier chapter begins here.

Quod homo

minor mundus.'

p. 73,

2299.

One cannot account

'

austerus ut coruus,' and and make a shot at hart,'

p. 73,
1.

for this line; the text is 'durus et all the translations are right. Did Burgh read cormis,
'

horned animal
for
'

'

?
'

2304.

The Latin

contagious
regulus,'
'

is stolidris,

'

boystous,'

'

rude,' in

the versions.
p. 73,
I.

2305.

'Litel kyng,'

'

parvus

rex,' 'rutel.'

Fr. 'rambe,'

the wren.

'The wren, the wren, the king of

is

all birds,'

school-boy language
p. 73,
p. 73,
1.
1.

all

over the world.

See
11.

2311.

favourite phrase of Burgh's.

1562, 1894.

After this comes in the texts a chapter on having servants as oneself, with the story of the Jew and the Magian. of the same Enchanter of the Orient,' Lamb. 501 calls him. In medieval Europe such advice was needless, and was dropped out in the shorter texts.
2317.
faith
'

p. 73,
p. 74,

1.

2318.

This begins the

fifth

book of the

Sec. Sec.

make

2336-8. Burgh misunderstands his text, which advises the king to his secretaries feel that their security and prospects depend on his
1.

Avelfare.
p. 74, p. 74,
1.

2339.

Beginning of Book VL,

:

'

de nuntiis.'

2346. This line seems to be a shot at a translation of a line which quia forte est juxta noctem, et ejus intentio in alio est.' the versions omitted The picture is of the king suddenly calling on one of his lords, charging him his embassy, and expecting him to set off on the moment. One must leave with out the line if one wishes to follow the sense.
1.
'

The king is warned of the Persian custom of making all p. 75, 1. 2358. ambassadors drunk. This seventh book, de subditis domus propriae,' seems to p. 75, 1. 2367. refer to the treatment of the king's personal following as distinct from the
'

general body of his subjects,

p. 75, 1. 2368. 379, and seq. 390.

Chaucer
'

is

quoting from the

thinkin
it is

Sec. Sec. in his L. of G.

W.,

his liegeman As is his tresour, and his golde in cofer This is the sentence of the philosopher.'

He must

The complaint as to Judges being partial is later than the p. 76, 1. 2395. It is found in 18 A. vij., but not in Lamb. 501. old translations. Book 8, de ordine & multitudine bellatorum,' with its tale p. 76, 1. 2401. of the wonderful horn figured by Kircher from the Vatican MS., is omitted See Lamb. 501 for a translation of it. in 18 A. vij and here.
'

This begins book 9

'

de

bello.'

Notes
p. 76,
I.

to

Pages

7682;

Lines 24042590.
at the

117

end of the next line. Burgh uses this nietaplior again. See lines 1536 and 2191. p. 78, 1. 2456. This begins book 10 on physiognomy. It has always p. 78, 1. 24G5. attracted attention, and of late years has been much studied. I hope to enter ill some detail on the connection between this work and the genuine treatises of Polemoo and of Aristotle. I am disposed, after some study, to attribute the whole of the remainder of the poem to Lydgate, with perhaps touches by Burgli. There would be more likelihood of tliis, since in many M8S. this book stands by itself as a separate work, and since it has indeed been printed as such. SI. 3469 treats the Latin text as a separate work, and the fact of two of our MSS. omitting this part of the poem shows tiiat there was something to mark it oflf from the rest of Burgh's work. The Envoi is distinctly, as I have elsewhere remarked, Lydgatian. If the remainder is Lydgatian, this stanza seems Burgh's. p. 78, 1. 2466. Compare the line-endings of 2466 and 1581 2468 and 1539 2469 and 1525. A Lydgate line, 1. 498. p. 78, 1. 2473.
2404.
'
; ;

The eemicolon should be

p. 78,
p. 78,

1. 1.

2474.

2475. used before, 1. 500.

p. 78,
1.

A A

Lyiigate
line

line,

1.

491.
T.,

Lydgate has taken from Chaucer {K.

1086), and

See 1. 501. This is tlie well-known story of Zopyrus and Socrates. See Tusc. IV. 37, 80. Alexand. Aphrod. de fato, 6. Euseb. Polemon was the only writer on physiognomy known prep. ev. Vl. 9, 22. to the Arabs, and Socrates is not very different in its Arabic form from Hippocrates, wiio was far better known. Some Arabic texts give the name as Aclimas. This stanza is identical with stanza 71, 11. 491-7, with the p. 79, 1. 2493. exception of 1. 2499. Hippocrates said that what Philomon had said was true of p. 80, 1. 2518. his disposition, but that he had combutted his nature. Fugeergo ab omni homine livido et flavo quoniam declivis 80, 1. 2530. p. Sec. Sec. One of the Hebrew texts adds: Inspice est ad vitia et luxuriam.' tihi Germanos has ultimas proprietates possidentes, scilicet stultitiam, pertidiam, et impudentiam.' ' Cave et precave ab homine infortunato et diminuto in p. 80, 1. 2542. aliquo membro sicut cavendum est ab inimico.' Sec. Sec.
2476.
p. 78,
1.

2479.

Cic.

de

fato, 5, 10.

'

'

p. 80,
p. 81,

1. 1.

2546-8.

Not

in the text

' Et raritas verborum nisi 2556. sonoritate vocis et subtilitate.' Sec. Sec.

cum

necesse

fuerit,

mediocritas in

The Latin treats of 'hairs,' but Lydgate (or Burgh) has p. 81, 1, 2563. connected with a sentence on ears in 1. 2567: 'Qui habet aures magnas est valde fatuus.' The text for the hair is: 'Capilli autem plani et suaves significant mansuetudinem & frigiditates cerebri nuiltitudo vero capillorum super utroque humero significat stultitiam et fatuitatem.' This is altogether different from the Latin text. p. 81, 1. 2570. Multos etiani habere pilos in ventre et pectore declarat horribilitatera, et singularitatem naturae, et diminutionem apprehensionis, et arnorem injuriarum.' Probably our poet allowed bis personal knowledge to correct his text.
:

'

p. 81, p. 82,

1. 1.

2578.
2586. 2590.

'

'

Love of resoun would agree better with the texts, In-voys,' ' invidus est, inverecundus, piger, inobediens, et
'

precipue
p. 82,

si
1.

sint lividi.'

Insert a

comma

after curteys.

p. 83,

119

GLOSSARY.
abovyn, 100, 423, above abrayde, 308, sprang up accoord, 187, agreement
accorditli, 914, 1415, agree

caas, 912,

chance

cammyd,

accordaunce, 1357, agreement acheen, 1760, sanicle

afor,

634

aforn, 138, 261, 849, 892 \ affecyoun, 23, 198, 454, 466, 621, relation to, affection ageyn, 114 &c. 630, before, and opposite to aid ayes, 2336, 2421, always amorously, 257, bitterly apiis, 1758, vvater-pareley

k * '^^^^^^

archeinise, 1760,

wormwood

ar^hemise

would be nearly the correct name

for the plant assayes, 59, 157, tests, trials atracies, 1760, blessed thistle

2623, crooked carpe, 708, say, speak caste, 153, 516, 2213, reckon casuel, 911, 927, by chance celerys, 1439, cellars ceryously, 352, in series chawyd, 1713, chewed cherysshe, 12, 15, 189, &c., hold dear chevy ssh, 2210, procure claperys, 1321, rabbit-burrows clours, 1314, 1341, colours confortatyff, 1717, strengthening congrew, 1538, congruous contagious, 1646, 2304, harmful contirfeet, 404, 2126, manufactured contvne, 419, continue counfort, 69, 307, 332, 1150, to

strengthen courbyd, 1417, curved, bent

coveityse, 742, 763, 1042, 2406, covet-

attemperaunce, 184, 769, 773, 872, 895, 1246, 1261, temperance, due combination of qualities in correct proportion atwen, 39, 521, &c. ) atwix, 305, 1099, &c. between atwixen, 772, &c. )

ousness covennable, 2382, suitable

dar, 355, 538, 923, 1322, 1449, dare

avysee,'213lP'""^^"*'^'^'"^^^'"^ avy8ement,1332, counsel avyseness, 17, 374, 668, prudence avys, 154, 176, 183, 902, 1011, 1239, prudence, advice
baas, 2556, low bolnyth, 1734, swelleth boote, 1299, repair, remedy brede, 1133, breadth brosyd, 1709, bruised, injured broyde, 737, border brynstoun, 1648, sulphur busshement, 2406, ambush

decertys, 1141 (deserts <^^s" discertys, 893, 896, 1388, \ declyne, 394, draw ott* deffye, 1623, 1833, digest delyver, 1970, limber, nimble

demenyd,

117, governed, cf. demesne dempte, 617, deemed depnesse, 2233, quagmire dewyd, 99, endued

digne, 33, 135, worthy discrase, 1213, 1231, to

make up

one's

mind
discure, 726, discover doon, in Burgh is practically used as we now use the unemphatic 'do,' cf

1635, 1680, 1993, &c.

doun, 996, done

120
dowmbe,
2310,

Glossary.

dumb
in-

dowset, 1683, dulcet, sweet

dragmes, 1808, drachms dyspayr, dispeyr, 163, 192, 284,

equality
eglr,

1707, bitter

inpartye. 160. See Notes if the word is read jupartye, it can only be in a very extended sense invoys, 2586, envious ioweler, 554, jeweller joye, 2046, enjoy iupartye, 305, 784, 1113, jeopardy,
;

empryses, 117, 179, undertakings, 782,

enterprifies

hazard
keep, 1284,9, 11
\

encence, 2019, incense, sweet herbs enfoorme, 2133, inform, to mould or

form
enserge, 2472, ensearch, search out entende, 805, listen

kepyng, 799, 957 ^ kynde, 752, nature

as in liousekeepiitg

entendement, 63, understanding equiperacioun, 2367, r. equality

before euerychoon, 353, 1242
erst, 685,
\

large, 749, 857, 917, liberal largesse, 739, 745, 864, 869, liberality lecture, 379, 417, reading
lefft,

660,

lift

euerych, 565 ) exordye, 333, exordium

^^^^

legis, 10, 851, liegps

lepre, 1658, leprosy

lesyng, 1390, 2256, lying

lesyth, 1440, loseth

expert, 358, proved expleyted, 285, filled, completed

explotourys, 2452, explwatores, spies

feel,
fel,

ietuary, 1722, electuary levene, 705, flash of lightning

levyng, 2600, unbelieving

2307 ) , ,, 2434 )^"

ligps, 851, 853, 917, lieges,

litel,

subjects

fervence, 248, fervour fervent, 347, hot feynt, 866, feigned

1746, flux fooly, 897, folly foltyssh, 581, 775, foolish foly, 2407, fool-like forthre, 398, to assist fortliryd, 283, assisted fourthe, 1670, foremost foysoun, 1644, abundance
flix,

lyte!

547 762

,.,,,

'*"'"
\

longaiiyinte, 361,

Lat: longanimitas,

constancy
lukyr, 2398, lucre lyst, 338, lest, 280,422, 575, &c., 2021,
like

lyve, 227,

life

massageer, 479, 2341, &c., messenger raawgre, 156, i" spite of maystryes, 2450 (magisteria), works

showing
gentillesse, 130, 830, 1180, gentleness,

in

them the master's

skill

mede, 670, reward, bribe

medle, 522, 548, 552, 837, 847, 898, 1657, mingle meenesse, 2533, mediocrity megre, 265, meagre mekyl. 763, 1247 ^^^^ mechyl, 1226, r. J mewe, 2062, c;ige, coop
j

nobility glede, 347, burning coal gre, 21, will grees, 1622, grease grucchyng, 113, 775, 780, 778, grudgina:

gryffvd, 2373, grafted guerdownyth, 900, 1390, rewardeth

molte, 1318, melted

morwe, 1807
Lerborwed, 2084, harboured, lodged,
entertained

\ >
)

raorwen, 1326

morning

morwening, 1763

wholly hovith, 1184, r. behoveth

holly, 32,

incondigne, 1532, unworthy, because untrained

motlees, 1378, livery mowne, 1471, must, should murily, 1441, ripely, in fitting time mvt, 1167, 1260, must, ouglit, 2722, (optative) may

Glossary.
mysliutnonrR, 1922, corrupted humours from wlience arose diseases

121

quarteyn, 1813, quartain, the ague quenie, 202, to please

quykelh, 1299, gives

life

to

namely, 385, &c., especially nevene, 322, name

noblesse, 145, 966, nobility nyce, 2569, foolish

rakyl, 2353, hasty, rash recurys, 2033, O.-F. recmirs, recourse

reflfreytes, 816, springs rembarbe, 1984, rhubarb

0, 216, 1164, 1421, one, 445, or oiiyinent, 2016, ointment oost, 2421, 242, host organycalle 2095 ^^^^^^^^ organychall, 2543 orlogge, 1463, clock, liorloge ostage, 1470, lodgingoutrage, 18, 54, 569, excess, conceit outragious, 572, excessive outragiously, 1975, superfluously
) )

repayer, 287, O.-F. repairer, from Lat. repatriare, restore to one's country replesshyd, 1649, 1783, replenished,
full

rerage, 571, arrears resaylle, 2279, receipts resynges, 1809, raisins

owmbre, 402, shadow owylle, 2147, of will

beats down, weakens
'

reysed, 705, raised, 1698, received reyseth, 1932, raiseth rolle, 2057, emoll roseet, 1712, roseate rottle, 1744, ? knee-cap, from L. rotula ryvaylles, 1328, banks

^'^Il^'MmM pallvd, 404 )

sacryd, 317, consecrated salwys-wyllwys, 2014, sallow willows,

osiers

parfight, 273, 365, 386, 1520, perfect perlees, 260, peerless

pesecoddvs, 1374, pease peyse, 17", 164, 169, 771, 774, 817, 820,
1435, weigh
phisichal, 1803, physical
P'"^^''
pistil,

1^^ 476

r.,

637, 652, 659

I letter ^^"
j

schent, 1424, break seece, 175, cease sekirnesse, 75, security sewith, 133, followeth seyn, 127, 547, 625, 1140, seen, 349, 355, 357, 538, 657, say cf. shocks of shokked, 354, stored
;

plat, 2638, flat

corn
1210, 125.3, 1505, chance skornys, 2705, gibes, 'flouts and sneers' slaundre, 1356, slender sogeer, 1459, sojourn sondvs, 1886, sands soote, 677, 837, 1300, sweet sorippys, 1990, syrups sowdiours, 808, mercenaries spatlyng, 1416, spitting stant, 897, 1211, 1799, stand stewe, 579, fish-pond stillyng, 1861, distilling in drops stok, 1943, 2000, 2373, phice, body stynt, 304, stav, stand sugryd, 220,^376, 882, 889, 1309, sugared, sweetened
sith,

pleyne, 955, border on pohtyk, 3, 373, statesmanlike pondorosite, 1798, weight poraylie, 810, 1398, 6.-F. pouraille,

poor people
poverf, 1384 tovertL, 934, 1279
preef, 183
preflf, ]
>
)
)
,

P''^'''>^
J

}ireve,

1632 2017

proof

prees, 554, 611, a press, a crowd prenotaryes, 2399, protliouotaries preperat, 2014, prepared preys, 910, 920, 1324 \ ^ ' praise 'o,r ' 1 ^ prys, 215
-^

processe, 20, 639, 1253, 1380, Lat. Cf. proses processus, narrative. proheuiye, 2169, proem provyde, 40, 138, 639, 667, 790, foresee purslane, 1378, a i>ot herb, formerly much used, of the genus Portulaca pyleer, 705, pillar

tahourerys, 883, druiunicrs t'abyde, 614, &c., to abide t'accomplysshe, 182, &c., to accomplish t'agreen, 468, to agree

122

Glossaiy.
tretable,

tarage, 1886, 2001, ? flavour tarye, 538, 2302, tarry t'assaye, 582, to assay temperat, 1277, 1310, modified, pro-

213,

363,

943,

2242, O.-F.

traitable, tractable

verray, 194, 627, 1098, true wakir, 227, 381, watchful warysoun, 2337, 2413, protection, remedy, cure wayours, 1877, horse-ponds (O.-F.
gayoir)

portioned t'enlvmyne, 252, 311, 14, to illumine termyne, 811, to end, to determine th'answere, 161 r., the answer th'avys, 118, the advice thewys, 31, 1071, manners, virtues
t'obeye, 602, to obey the t'othir, 642, the other tonne, 249, tun, vessel tours, 1244, circles tressyd, 952, 1003, from tress

wepne, 2415, weapons

wheer, 932, 1419, whether
withseye, 1109, withstand, gainsay wood, 573, mad wurschepe, 327, honour

R.

CLAY

it

S0N3, LIMITED,

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