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

Of messagers, and wych thay shold bene. Capitulum quynquagessimum Primum.

wItte thou, Alexandyr, that the messager shewyth the witte of that man that hym sendyth. And he is his eigh in that whych he seth not, And his eeris in that wych he heyryth not, And his [folio 61] tonge in his absence. And therfore the nedyth to chese the moost worthy that arne in thy presence, wyse, wyrchipphull, and commendabill, that hat[et]h euery manere of filthet and vyleny. And yf he may noght al haue thes condycionys, for hard hit is to fynde Suche, atte the leste he sholde be Pryue and trew, and nothynge he sholde amenuse, make lasse, ne

aneche, of the messagis or nedis whych he Is sende for. And that he kepe thy commaundment, And that he be takynge hede to the answare that he hyryth, so that he tham can say agayn̄ whan he comyth. And yf Suche ne may noȝt be founde, atte leste he sholde be a trew berrere of letteres that bene sende, and agayn̄ to be broght. Of̘ thes thre messagers the fryste is mooste Profite, And the Seconde mooste Sertayn̄, And the thyrde lest Perelouse. And yf thou mayste Parcewe that any of tho messagers be y-temptid to geddyr mony [folio 62bL] or Purchas of the placis wyche he is sende to, refuse hym atte al poyntes, for he goth not for thy prou. Ne sende not a dronkelewe messangere, ffor the Pepill of Pers bene y-wonet to afforce messangers to drynke good wyn, and yf the messager wix dronke, by that they knoweth that hare lordis ne byth not wyse. The grettyste of thy Pryue Consaillours thou shalt not make thy messager, nethyr he shal not be fere from thy presence, ffor that sholde bene empeyr [n altered to r.] ement of thy roialme. Al thy messagers thou sholdyst ofte-tymes Prowe, of what witte thay bene, and of what gouernaunce and of what maner. Thay that good bene and trewe, thou shalt ham wel rewarde, And yf any of ham bene founde that is fulli sette, yeftes to resceue, and to couetyse, and to dyscouere thy priuetyes, he sholde be Punyshid aftyr his deserte; but the mesure of the Punyscement I nel noght telle the.