Three prose versions of the Secreta Secretorum / edited with an introduction and notes by Robert Steele and a glossary by T. Henderson

Now here begynnyth olde stories to prowe the forsayde thechynge of Prudencia trowthe. Capitulum xx[jj]m.

fFOr cunnynge and Prudencia to haue and conquere, olde kynges [folio 19L] weryn full couetouse, Pensifs, and desyrynge, and that apperyth well by this stories. In the thyrde boke of kynges we fyndyth y-writ, that oure lord apperid on a certayn nyght to kynge Salamon in slepynge and to hym sayde, "Aske thow that thow wylte, And I the hit yeue," and Salamon sayde, "Thow hast makyd thy grete mysericord anent thy seruant Dauy my fadyr, But y ham but a lytill chylde that can not ly, and my issue y know not, and thy servant is Putte to gouerne thes full grete Pepill that thow hast chose. Graunt thow than to thy Servante an abill herte to witte, and wysdome that I may Iuge thy Pepill, and depart the good from the evill, for who myght Iuge or gouerne this thy Pepill that is so grete." And hit Plesid god tha[t] Salamon Suche a thynge askyd. Than sayde god to Salamon, "For-why that thow haste Suche a thynge askyd, and thow ne hast not askyd longe lyfe, ne ricesse, ne the conqueste of thyn enemys, but thow hast askyd wysdome for to Iuge and deme ryghtfully, I make the aftyr thy Demaunde; and I graunt the a wyse herte and vndyrston̄dynge, in-so-mych that none afore the hath be y-lyke the, ne aftyre the shall come.

Ouer that y shall the yewe that thow haste not askyd, that is to say, rychesse, nobelesse, and honnoure, ouer al the kynges that afore has bene, and yf thow my comandmentes kepyste, I shall yeue the longe lyfe." Werby hit apperyth that Prudencia in a Prynce, vnto whyche Prudencia longyth witte and cvnnynge, as is aforsayde, hit Plesid myche god, Whan Salamon his desire to haue cunnynge was so myche. And therfor had this olde Pryncis wyth ham hare maistris, as Alexander, arystotle; Nero, Seneca; and Troiane, Plutark. Of this sayth Policrate in his vje boke, that when Alexander was borne, kynge Philippe that was his fadyr Sende to Arystotle a lettre in this forme, "Kynge [folio 19bL] Philippe Sendyth gretynge to arystotle. Witte thou that a Sone is to me borne, but for-thy that he is borne in thy tyme, ffor I hoppe that he by thy techynge and enformacion he shall be to vs couenable and worthy to the gouernance of a realme." Of this tellyth Policrat, that the Emperoure of Rome consaillid the Kynge of Fraunce, and hym amonestit, that he sholde make his chyldryn to lerne fre Sciencis of Clergi. For he sayth, that a kynge vnletterid, is lyke an hornyd asse.