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

[folio 25bL]

Of the Seconde vertu cardynall that is y-callid in latyn Iusticia. In englysshe ryghtfulnesse othyre ryght. Capitulum vicessimum Septimum.

[folio 43]

tHe lawe of Emyle [civille Lam.] exponyth this vertu Iustica, in this maner in latyne: Iustica est constans et perfecta voluntas, Ius suum vnicuique tribuens, That is to Say, "Ryght is a stydfaste and a perfite wille, yewynge to euery man that to hym is ryghtful." Saynte Austyne Sayth, that there byth two Parties of Iusticia, that is to witte, "leue harme, and do good." Of this Sayth the Prophete, Declina a malo, et fac bonum, And cryst Sayth in the gospell, Primum querite regnum dei et iusticiam eius, that is to Say, "Fryste haske ye the kyngdome of god and his ryghtfulnesse"; And in anothyr Place he Sayth, Beati qui esuriunt et siciunt iusticiam, that is to say, "I-blyssyd be thay that hungeryth and thurstyth ryght." Some clerke dyuydyth the vertu of Iusticia into ve Parties, Fryste into obedience, for the Suffrayne; In correccion̄ for the Subiecte;

In equyte for Pere and pere; and in verite and [feyth, whych appertenyth to al men. Seneca dyscrewynge Iusticia sayth, Iusticia diuina lex est, et vinculum societatis humane, that is to say, "Ryght is the lawe of god, and a bonde of manys fellochippe." For the lawe of god chargyth the forto do to thy neghbore, lyke as thow woldyst he sholde do to the. Ife thou the vertu of Iusticia desiriste, loue god, do profite to al men, and Dyssesse no man; and il men that nve wolde thou shalt lette, that thay shall not mow trew men to dysesse, chaste dystorube; and Punyshe mysdoeris, the whych appartenyth to the vertu Iusticia: he consentyth to wickyd men, that wickydnesse will not destru. In the boke of kynges the scripture vs tellyth, that helye the Prest was a full good man and an holy, But for-als-moche that he his Sonnes tha wickyd men were and lecherus, slackely reprowid̛ and not chastid, by reddoure of the lawe, god ther-of toke grewos vengeaunce. For thar Syne they where slaynne in battaille and xxxti Mƚ. wyth hame of godis Pepill, by assaute of mysbelewyne men; And the arke of god, of the whyche the Iues makyd so myche [folio 26L] druerie, [dyuerie MS.] was rauyshid a-way. And ther-for, when helye herde the newe thythynges, he felle out of the cheyre ther as he Sate; His neke was broke, and there he dyet. The good kynge Dauy the worthy hardy, the loset of force and of vertue, of witte and of bounte, of whom god Saythe, "I haue y-founde a man aftyr myn herte," ffor-als-moche as he was ouer-tendyre of his chyldryne and ham chastyd not in har yonge age, he founde ham aftyr when they were full woxen̄ Prowte, onreuli, fiers, and presumpteous; so that thay wolde haue regnyd lyvynge hare fadyr, And oone of ham that was callid absolon̄ Pute hym out of the realme, and ouer-lay his fadyr Concubynes; And werre longe tyme Durid betwene the fadyr and the Sone, til god abbatid the wickyd presumpcion of the tyraunt, ffor he was slayne in battaill, and his men Discomfitd̛. That god punyshid hame that chastenet not hare subiectis, [folio 43b] me-thynketh hit apperyth oft-tymes by dyuers Englyshes captaynys o Irland̛ that haue bene and now byth, whos neclygence in non̄-Punyshynge of hare nacionys and Subiectes haue destrued ham-Selfe, har naciones, and har landis. The names of thes captaynys hit awaylyth nat, ne hit nedyth, and also hit were henyouse and Perelos to reherse. And so fore thay thre causis, I leue of that matiere, and also leste y sholde be shente in this

parti, the Sothe forto telle, ffor Salamon in his proverbis Sayth, "Verite getyth hatredyn̄, and good Service gettyth Frendis." And there-for Sayth the apostill in his Pistill that he wrote to the Galathis, iiij^to "I ham," he sayde, "makyd and enemy vnto you, tellynge to you the verite." verite in this dayes is myssayd, Verite in this dayes is wyth-holde, bonde, and prisoner, [folio 26bL] for vnneth, as Parisience sayth, is founde the man that hit wolde say. And therfor Sayth Senecka, a notabil worde fore Prynces and ryche men forto know, he sayth thus, "I shall show the what is hit that thynge that lackyth vnto ham that haue al richesis in Possession. I Sey that ham lackyth men that Sholde Say to ham̄ the Verite, or the trouthe." Verite in this dayes in euery Syde impugned, So that hit hath ofte-tymys necessite for to fall aftyr the worde of ysay, Saynge, Veritas cecidit in platea, that is to say, "Verite is fall in the Pament." Verite caste doune, whan any vnryghtly thynge is preferrid̛ to trouthe, But verite that so now is despied and lytill Settyn of, in tyme comynge hit shall delyuer his louers, and condempne his enemys aftyr the worde of oure Sauyoure, Saynge, "ye shall knowe verite, and verite shall delyuer you." Perisience Sayth, "As the false Peny hathe hym̄-Selfe vnto the trewe, So hath hym-Selfe the false man, vnto the trewe man." Also he Sayth, "we Sholde do trouthe vnto al men." And there-for Sayth seynte Austynne, "Euery man that lyeth doth ille and wickydly, for no man lyenge, in that that he lyeth, kepyth trouthe or feyth." Salamon Sayth, "a lyynge man is hatfull vnto god̛ ffor whan al tresure is tried, trouthe is the beste. Now leue I of this maner matire, and Speke ferthyre of chastesynge of ill men and tresspasoures. I Say that Gouernours of the Pepill sholdyn correcte ille men, whyle thay may not longe abyde, for a Poete Sayth, Qui non wlt dum quid, Postea forte nequibit, that is to say, "who so will not whan he may, he shal not when he wille"; The grete Poet Ouydie Sayth, Pryncipijs obsta, "Wytstonde the begynnynge," ffor lyghtyre is a fressh wounde to hele, than a festrid. And whyle an hooke is a [folio 27L] yonge Spyre, hit may be wonde into a wyth, but when hit is a wixen tree, an hundrid oxyn vnneth hit may bowe. Salamon sayth, Qui parsit virge odit filium, "who Sparith the yarde he hayth the chylde"; And whoso sparith the thefe, he sleyth the trew man. That a prynce Sholde execute the dynte of Swerde in his enemy,

Specialy in fals Pepill, not ouersettynge the houre of fortune, Shewyth this stories Suynge. The fryste boke of kynges tellyth that [folio 44] oure Lord god enoyntyd Saule Kynge vppon Israell, and Putte Hym in the way and Sayde, "go thou and Sle the Synners of Amaleth, And thow shalt agaynys ham fyght, tylle thay be dede." Saule forthe wente, Agage the kynge of amalech into his prysoner he toke, the Pepill he slow, Saule his Pepill of the beste oxyn and Shepe Pray thay makedyn̄. Than came the hooly Prophete Samuel to kynge Saule and Sayde, "Why ne hardyst thou the voyce of oure lorde, but thou hast y-do ille in the syght of god; And for-als-moche as thou haste y-Putte of the worde of god, god hath caste the avay that thou shalt not be kynge of Israell": and So was he onkynge makyd̛, and the holy Dauy anoyntyd kynge of Israell, lyuynge Saule: and merouer, for-als-moche as Saule fulfillid not the execucion̛ of dynte of Swerde in amalich as he was chargid̛, he was ytraualid with the Deuyl. And the hondis of this holy prophet slowe the cursid kynge Agage. Also Dares a clerke that was att the Segee of the nobill Cite of Troy, and therof the stori-makere, tellyth and affermyth for sothe that atte the Seconde battaill betwen the Troians and the grecans, that aftyr Monestus the Duke of Athene hadd wondyd hectore, the kynges Sone of troy, Priames, in the Same day [folio 27bL] this nobill knyght hector Slow of the grecans more than a thowsande knyghtes. Where-for the hoste of grecans he broght into so grete febilnes that none of ham had herte to defende, ne Agomenon har kynge powyr hym in battaill to Sette. Therfor the troians vertuosly the grecans into hare tentis fleynge suyt, and as men that victorie hadde hare Shippes brente, hare golde, Syluyr, armure, and Ioweƚƚ with ham thay tursid. This was the day that an ende was makyd of the battalle, the troians victors for ay myght haue be. But, O, how lyght cause blynde the troians eyen̄, and namely hector that the vndoynge of hym-Selfe and al hissyn myght haue enchued, for that day the troians so myghty were, that al the grecans that there agayns ham was, yslayn̄e thay moght. Discression in none wys man is to Preyse the whyche whan he is in hey nede or in morteƚƚ perill yssette, And a good fortune hym befallyth, that of Suche nede or Peril he may Sudaynly delyuerid be, the grace that fortune hym yewyth nel rescewe. But as anone gracious man forsakyth the grace in oone houre, that neuer aftyr he shal

mow comyn to, So hit befell of the onsely hector in that day, in whyche of his enemys wyth grete wyrchippe he myght haue y-hadd the victory. whan al his enemys faste fro hym flowyn, than Aiax, the Sone of Thelamon the kynge, and hardy knyght, strongly in hector assaute makyd. But as thay in battaille atte that tyme to-giddyr spake, hector hym well knew and that he his neye cosynne was; gladd he was that he his cosynne Aiaxe Sawe, his armes away he Putte, grete chere to hym [folio 28L] he makyd, his Cosyn to Plese more entyerly. honestly hym he Prayed the fayre Cite of Troy wythin to See, and wyth his grete Perentele awhyle hym dysporte. Than Aiax Hector louely Prayed, that yfe he so myche hym lowid as he Sayde, that he [folio 44b] wolde make and Procure that the Troians for that day agayn̄ the Grecans of battalle wolde cesse, and no more the chasce followe, but home to the Cite wende. Hector therto grantid̛, the trues weryn trumped̛ vp for that day, The troians wyth grete doloure the battaill lefte, and home thay wente. This was so lyght a cause, that the troians that day of the entente of har victorie cessid: Vnto the whyche neuer aftyr thay ne myght not come, but in Sorte tyme aftyr, this hardy knyght Hector was Slayne, the Pepill al slayn and flemyd, and the excellent Cite of troy for aye Subuertid and destrued was. This Cite, as dares Sayth, was th[r]e dayes iornay in leythe, and also myche in brede; the wallis of hit weryn of marbill, in heght CC cubites, wyth many toures in grete heghte the wallis abow. Heuery hous of the Cite was marbill, LX cubitis in heghte; the Sigee of Troy durid ten yere. The fryst cause of al the werre, now shortely to telle, was this: — Pelleus, kynge of thesaly in grece, Sende an hardy and a bolde knyght, Iason, his brodyr sonne, with a fresshe felloshippe, into the Ile of Calcos to wyn the wethyr fleis of golde of Oetes the kynge. This Iason Saylynge thedreward landyd at Troy, hym and his men to refresshe, wittynge came to Lamedanton, the kynge of troy, of the fresshe array of Iason̄ [by message, marked for erasure here.] and his men. This kynge therof hawynge envy, sende Iason by message that he sholde his londe lewe wyth-out delay. Iason so did, and Sayde, "Gentrie [folio 28bL] wolde that the kynge to estraungeris none harme doynge bettyr chere sholde make. And Peraduenture, are this yere passe, y shall here lande, whedyr that he will or no": and So he dide, the kynge he Slowe, Troy he brente, and the kynges doghtyr

rauyshid. But Priames, son to lamedanton, and fadyr to Ector, restorid troy So excellently as I afor-Sayde, that hit sholde neuer haue be take, ne hadd traysone beyne [veyne MS.] begonne. And hit is to witte that Rome, Venys, Italy, Lumbardy, Fraunce, England, and many othyr Prowyncis weryn, and yette byth, inhabite for the moste Partie of the Pepill that Scapid out of this nobill Cite, the Newe Troy, whan hit was won.

Nobyll and gracious lorde, thes two stories afore-writtyn considerit, Sethyn god and oure kynge haue grauntid you Powere, do ye therof Execucion in opyn fals enemys, traytouris, and rebelle, trew men quelleris, whan thay fallyth Into youre handys, by the thow Sharpe eggis of youre Swerde, that is to witte by rygoure of lawe and dyntes delynge, hauynge in mynde that I Sayde afore of the Poet, "withstonde the begynnynge." For as a Sparke of fyre risyth an huge fyre able a realme to brente, So rysyth of the roote of an fals enemy, appert traytoure, othyr rebellis, many wickid wedis sone growynge, that al trewe men in londe Sore greuyth. Therfor, whan thay fallyth into youre handis, Raase ham aƚƚ out of rote, as the good gardyner dothe the nettylle. I know welle the roote of the nettille, One dough O'dynicis, fadyr of hym that now is, Of whom spronge the wedis that als myche in mi tyme haue destruede of the comyte of Kyldare as al Irysℏ men of Irland aftyr. this nettle in Poynte was to haue be rasid out of roote, [folio 45] [folio 29L] whan ye, gracious Lorde, the castell of Ley out of the fals nettle-is Handys wyrchiply wan. In the yere of oure lorde Ihesu cryste, Mƚ. CCCC xxti. And ye the same castell, to the lorde therof, the Erle of kyldare aforsayd, delyuerid̛. In the Same yere the Same fals nettles lyghtly agayn hit gotte.