Hoccleve's works. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[§ 13.] De regis prudencia.

(679)

Now, gracious princë, lyke it yow to wyte [This page is illuminated.] Line 4747 That touche I thynke of a kyngës prudence, As þat I ther-of fynde in bookës write. Prudence is callid wit and sapience, And needës moot rëal magnificence Line 4751 Be prudent, as þat þé scripture vs lereth, If he schal ben as his estate [estate R, state H.] requerith. Line 4753

(680)

Prudence, attemperancë, strengthe, and right, Line 4754 Tho fourë ben vertuës principal [These are the Four Moral Virtues, as contrasted with the Seven Cardinal ones. In "Jacob's Well" (man's conscience) Salisbury Cathedral MS. 103, lf. 215 bk., col. 2, the writer says "I teld ȝou þis welle muste be made foure sqware with iiij vertuys, þat is, with a-vysement, & tempure, & gostly myȝt, & with ryȝtfulnes."] ; Prudencë gooth by-fore, and ȝeueth light Of counseil, what þo other thre do schal, That þey may wirkë, be it greet or smal, Line 4758 Aftir hir reed, wiþ-outen whom no man Wel vnto god, né þe world lyuë can. Line 4760

(681)

Prudence is vertu of entendëment; Line 4761 She makith man by resoun him gouérne. Who-so þat list to be wys and prudént, And þe light folwe wole of hir lanterne, he mostë caste his look [looke R, book H.] in euery herne Line 4765

Line 4765 Of þyngës past, and ben, & þat schul be: The endë seeþ, and eek mesúreth, sche. Line 4767

(682)

There is no wight þat sche schapiþ disceyue, Line 4768 And, thogh men casten hem [men casten hem R, man cast hym H.] hire to begile, [folio 84a] Naght wole it be; by wit sche wole it weyue. Eek sche obserueth so wele trouthës style, And þerto can so wel her tonge affyle, Line 4772 That, lest þe fauour of frendschipës corde, Othir þan trouthë can sche not recorde. Line 4774

(683)

¶ Sche bý-heetith by good avisëment, Line 4775 And ȝeueth morë þan hir list promette; Scho yeueth tó men eek commandëment 'Naght in fortune truste, or by hir sette; And al þe truste, out of hir hertë schette, Line 4779 Of myght of worldly dominacïoun:' Vertu gyeth hir operacïoun. Line 4781

(684)

¶ Prudence hath leuer louëd be þan drad; Line 4782 Ther may no prince in his estate endure, Ne ther-yn any whilë standë [endure R.] sad, But he be louëd; fór loue is armure Of seurëte. o! take on yow þe cure, Line 4786 Excellent princë, louë to embrace, And þan your herte is sette in siker place. Line 4788

(685)

¶ Now, if þat ye graunten by your patente Line 4789 To your seruauntës a yeerly guerdoun, Crist scheeldë þat your wil or your entente Be sette to maken [make H R.] a restriccioun [retraccioun R.] Of paiëment; for þat condicïoun Line 4793 Exileþ þé peples beneuolence, And kyndeleþ hate vndir priue scilence. Line 4795

Line 4795

(686)

¶ Beeth wel avisëd, or your graunt out go, Line 4796 ¶ How ye þat chargë may performe and bere; [folio 84b] Whan it is past, obserue it wel also, ffor ellës wole it yow annoye and dere; ffor your honur it muchel bettre were, Line 4800 No graunt to graunt at al, þan þat your graunt Yow preeue a brekere of a couenaunt. Line 4802

(687)

¶ He þat is louëd, men drede hym offende; Line 4803 But he þat drad, & naght by-louëd is, As Tullïus seith, lightly may descende, And þe lordschipë leesë þat was his; And Senek also seith as [as, om. H R.] touchyng þis, Line 4807 The sogett hateth whom he haþ in drede; And hate is hard, if it his venym schede. Line 4809

(688)

¶ Was neuere dredë yit a good wardeyn, Line 4810 To holdë lordschepe in his sikernesse, But only loue is þing most souereyn; Loue is norice of welþe and of gladnesse, But out of louë spryngeþ ferdfulnesse, Line 4814 And feere is good, whiche þat on loue hym groundeth, But othir feerë naght heliþ, but woundeth. Line 4816

(689)

¶ Louë, withouten a good gouernaille, Line 4817 A kyng haþ non; for thogh men no word seye, If he his peple oppresse, it is no faile They loue hym noght, in no manere of weie; They may his hestës outward wel obeie, Line 4821 But in hir hertes is smal obediaunce, And vnto god þey cómpleyne hir grevaunce. Line 4823

Line 4823

(690)

¶ And swich a kyng is naght prudent ne wys, Line 4824 ¶ That of his peple purchaseth hym hate, [folio 85a] ffor loue excedith al tresour in prys; So hath it ben, and so be wole algate. Whan þat richésses ebben & abbate, Line 4828 If loue endurë, it may hym restore, And loue is goten by prudénces [prudences R, prudentes H.] lore. Line 4830

(691)

¶ By wise conseil, settith your hy estat Line 4831 In swhiche an ordre as ye lyuë may Of your good propre, in reule moderat; Is it knyghtly lyue on rapynë? nay! ffor Cristës sakë, so yow gyeth ay, Line 4835 As þat may strecchë to your peples ese, And þerwith-al ye schul god hily plese. Line 4837

(692)

¶ It apparteneth a kyng for to be [¶ Egidius in ij^a parte j. libri politi|corum: Aris|toteles ad Re|gem maxime spectat vt sit rex secun|dum rei veri|tatem.] Line 4838 A kyng in verray soth and éxisténce. A kyng, of office and of dignite The name is; he moot don his diligence His peple for to gyë by prudénce; Line 4842 ffor þat he rule hem schuldë duëly, The stile of a 'kyng' he berith certeynly. Line 4844

(693)

¶ As an archer may naght his arwe schete [¶ Eodem ca|pitulo: sicut sagittator non potest sagittam sufficienter dirigere in signum, nisi ipsum sig|num viderit, sic nec Rex &c.] Line 4845 Euene at a merk, bút he þe merk see, No morë may a kyng, I yow byhete, Gouerne his peple in rigth [right H.] and equitee, But by prudénce he reule his hyghe degree; Line 4849 If þat be wel, his peple hath sikernesse Of reste and pees, welþe, ioyë, and gladnesse. Line 4851

Line 4851

(694)

¶ Bygynnynge of wisdom is, god to drede; [¶ Inicium sapiencie, timor domini.] Line 4852 What kyng þat dredith god, is good and iust [folio 85b] To his peple; beeþ swiche, my lord, I rede! In [In R, I H.] loue and in awe of god, ficcheþ your lust; Than be ye wys, and þan yow needës must, Line 4856 Aftir your worldly sceptre transitórie, In heuene regne in pérpetuel glorie. Line 4858