Lyf of the noble and Crysten prynce, Charles the Grete / translated from the French by William Caxton and printed by him 1485 ; edited from the unique copy in the British Museum by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

¶ How the kyng charles and' Roulland' been repreued' by the auctour and' somwhat excused' vpon the debate aforesayd': ca. v

Vpon the debate of themperour and̛ Rolland̛ hys neuewe I wyll a lytyl tarye, and̛ speke fyrst to [sign. C ij, back] the kyng̛ Charles, whyche haste be Instructe syth thyn Infancye in alle scyences ful of maners digne of commemoracyon: whiche knewest the constaunce of the auncyents and̛ the mutabylyte of the yonge peple. why saydest thou on the euene that the auncyent and̛ olde knyghtes in the warre of that day had̛ borne them better than the yonge knyȝtes? And̛ thou knewest wele that Olyuer was gretely hurte by hys valyaunce, in suche wyse that he kepeth hys bedde. And̛ also Rolland̛ thy neuewe had̛ borne the grete burthen of the bataylle. And̛ yf he had̛ spoken folily thou oughtest to haue supported̛ hys fyrst moeuyng̛ whiche is not in the puyssaunce of a man. yf thou haddest taken aduys at the word̛ that sayth: "Vindictam differ donec pertranseat furor: That is to say thou oughtest to dylate thy vengeaunce tyll the furour be passed̛, Thou sholdest not haue smyton Rolland̛, Sythe whan he sayd̛ euyl it was wythout aduys of grete dycrescyon. thou smotest hym semblably, wythout aduys he drewe hys swerde

ayenst the, And̛ though thou haddest not smeton hym thou myghtest well haue reprehended hym of his offence. Thou oughtest to remembre ecclesyastes whyche sayth: "Nichil agas in operibus iniurie:" whan [col. 2] a man receyueth wronge & Iniurye it is not good̛ that he doo that whyche he may doo. And̛ also it is whan a persone hath wel doon hys deuoyr, And̛ of hym of whome he ought to haue hys thanke and̛ preysyng̛ is blamed̛, of soo moche the more is he euyll contente and̛ wrothe. For hys fayt is reputed̛ for nought. In lyke wyse was it of Rolland̛ whyche thought more to haue be alowed̛ & preysed̛ for the grete deuoyr that he dyd̛ than to here that the Emperour sayd̛ that tholde knyghtes had̛ doon better than the yonge. but now I wyl retorne to the, O Rolland̛, whiche hast been so noble. Fro whens cometh in the suche audacyte to speke ageynst thyn vncle whyche hath allwaye doon so wel to the that hys werkes been worthy to be remembred̛? To hym wℏich is emperour Kynge of Fraunce and̛ lord̛ of so grete cremeur ["cremeur:" in the original the same. ] , and to thyn vncle as ["as," read hast: Fr. qui as.] taken debate and ansuerd̛ outrageously was it not reason that thou oughtest to suffre hym, and̛ he not the? yf he smote the wyth hys gauntelet by maner of correctyon oughtest thou to drawe thy swerde to hym? Thou hast not in rememberaunce the obeyssaunce of ysaac whyche he had̛ to hys fader: thou were not aduysed̛ of thys that thappostle saith: "ye yonge men [sign. C iij] kepe your courage And̛ put not the furour therof in exersite." yf the Emperour for hys dysporte preysed̛ thauncyent knyghtes yet sayd̛ he not that thou haddest not doon wel. ¶ And̛ Saynt Poule sayth in hys epystle, that a man shold not repreue hym that is more auncyent than hym self, but a man ought to entretene and̛ supporte hym as his fader. but the dede is suche that a persone reputeth not an Iniurye to hym sayd̛ to be lytel ne yf he be hurte that he be pacyent:

wherfore it is good̛ to thynke tofore or he speke it, And̛ gladly to doo ne say thynge but yf it be good̛.