Die Kildare-gedichte; die ältesten mittelenglischen denkmäler in anglo-irischer überlieferung von Dr. W. Heuser ...

II. Ms. Lambeth 633 (Pergament, 15. saec.).

84 Blätter, sehr schön geschrieben, echt anglo - irische Schreibung, Text dem in E.E.T.S. veröffentlichten gleichwertig.

cf. Secreta Secretorum E.E.T.S. Extra Series 74, p. 189.

This moch haue I said of this vertu Temporans for this [folio 45] tym. Now her I write old storiens [stories] in commendacioun of the sam vertu. Capitulum XXX^m quintum.

Aristotle, prince of Philosofers, saith that to the vertu of temporance two thinges appartenyth, that is to witte: Abstinence of met and drink and chastite of body. And [folio 45b] therfor old wertius men this two thinges thay kepeden. This apperith by this story. Alexander, the conquerour, so mych he myght endure abstinence that oft tymys, whan he was in trawayll, he asked non othir met but bred only. A gret clerk Vegece vs tellith in his bok of cheualri, that hit appartenyth not to a gode knyght to lowe es [ayse] no delittes of body. Als moch is abstinence auenaunt to a knyȝt and messure, as to a monk. Valeri tellith that wemen of Rom in old tym dranke

no whyn, ffor throghe glottonny and dronkenys men fallith ofte tymys in luchury which ys contrari to chastite and to chevalri. And therfor, as Waleri tellith, that Cornelius Scipion, whan he was send by the Romannus into Spayn to mak hit subiette [subiecte] to Rom, anon he comaunddit that no brothell wher found in har companny, and therfor thowo [ebenfalls thowo] thousand wemen weren drywin away from the oste. Well wiste the vies prince that loue of wemen and branding fylthed of lechuri nesshith a man is hert and hym makith lik a woman, so that he lesseth his strei[n]th and hardinis and manhod and chewalri. Mor acordith to a lechurer a stef staf than a swerd, and an hechill than on sheld [an chelde] othir a bukelere. And therfor saith poetes in fabill that the well of Salynace maketh men, that ther in ham bathith, chaunge in to wemen, In singnificaunce and token that tho men which ham bathith in the well of lechuri lessith wertu and walure and becomyth feint and cowardis and febill, as wemen ben. The sam clerk Valeri vs tellith of a nobill yong man that was calit Spurius, that was so ffair of face, of body and fetares, [ebenfalls fetares] that all wemen were meuet and temptid of his gret beaute. This yong man [folio 46] that well parcewid, but he had no talent of foly. And therfor, als moch as he wold not be suspecte of foly ne yew occasioun ne cheissoun of ille and syn, he woundit all his face and many woūnddes ther in maked, wherfor the beaute away went and the syn seissit. The lossit clerk Vegesce of kyng Alexander tellith that after a gret battaill ydon and gret pray taken a nobill damsell off gret beaute was pre|senttid to the kyng. But he that al was yevin to chiualry, he nad no cure of lechury. And therfor he endeynet not ons hyr to reward, but send hir to the sam prince that she affor was spoussed to. Whan this prince and his men saue this, thay praysid moch the wertu and the gret leaute of Alexander, and ther thay hym recevid as kyng and lord. Such anothir tall vs telith Walery and saith that at that tym, whan Scipion had won and conquerit Cortage, as is in this bok aforvrittin, among all othir ostages a fair maid of gret Porache [Paroge] to hym was presentid. And whan this conquerour had vndirstand that

a Ientilman of the contre had hir trouthid, he maked bring afor hym hir fadir and hir moder and the Ientilman that hir trouthid. And to ham saide he: [Ms. saidene] "This gold that ye haue broght to me for this damsell is ransoun, I hit yew and graunt in free mariage to hir and to this Ientillman that hir has trouthid." Of this grette Ientrie all men mervelith and this nobill lord mor gladly for ay servid. By this vertu Temporancia a man gouernyth hym self, and with the vertu of Iustice othir men. But rathir and more providabill ys to [folio 46b] a man to gouern hym self than othir mene.