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

Of the forme and maner of rightwisnes. Cam. 58m.

dEre sone, rightwisnes may not ben ouyr preysid, for it is of þe propir nature of glorious god, and it is made to sustene all Rewmes for helpe of his servauntis, and rightwisnes owith to kepe the royalle blood, and the richesse of the possessioun of sugetis, and governe hem in alle her nedes; and what lord doth thus, he is in that case like vnto god. Rightwisnes is forme and vndirstondyng, whiche god made and sent to his creaturis. and bi rightwisnes was þe erthe bildid, and kyngis made to mayntene it, for it makith sugetis obeyshaunte, and prowde men meke, and savith the persones from harme, and therfore seyne men of ynde that Iustice of a good lord is bettir to þe pepille than the habundaunce of goodis of the erthe, and bettir than the reyne that fallith from hevene. Onys it was founde writen in a stone of þe tunge of Caldee, that a kyng and rightwisnes are bretheryn, and that þe which on hath nede of an othir hath nede of þe same, and þat on may nought do without þat othir. ffor alle kyngis were made to mayntene Iustice and rightwisnes, for it is the helthe of sugetis. Dere sone, whan

þou hast oughte to do be governyd bi counselle, for þou art but on sool man, ne telle nought alle þi thought of thyn owen cast to thi counselle, but here what eche man wolle say, and than maist þou deme in thyn owen witt þe best of hir witt, and of þyn owen witt, and þus shalt [folio 22b] thou be holden wijs and worhipfulle for thi governaunce. Shewe not thi thought vnto tyme thou performe thi wille of the which thou hast take thi counselle. But considir welle which persone counselid the beste, and haue him in cherte. And if he be a yong man þat yevith the good counselle haue him not in dispite for his youthe, ffor it happith many a tyme and often þat a man is borne in suche a constellacioun þat good counselle is yeue to him of god. As it bifelle in a tyme in þe cuntre of ynde, ther was borne a child in an hous there as a wys man was herbrowid, whiche man fond by the planetis þat that child þat was borne in that constellacioun and signe shuld be wys, curteys, and of good counselle, and shulde be louyd of kyngis and grete lordis, and yet he wolde not telle it to his fadir, for he was but a poore wever. So it fell that whan this child was of age, they wold haue sett him to a craft, but for betyng or fayre speche that they kouthe do he wolde neuir lerne, and than they lete him do his owen wille, and than he yaf him alle to the science of Astronomye, and aboue alle thingis on erthe vnto the governaunce of a kyng. And at laste he was the governour of a kyng and of alle his rewme. Alle the contrary fille of a kyng of ynde þat had two childrene; whan þat on child was woxe the kyng sett him to lerne science in the grettist vnyuersite of alle ynde, and had the beste maystir of þat lond, and was taught most diligently, as it ought to a kyngis sone. And yet the gret wille of þe fadir, and the gret bisynes of the doctoure myght not festene no witt vpon him, ne he wold not enclyne his hert to no science. Wherfore þe kyng in gret wrath lete assemble alle þe philesofris of [folio 23a] his lond to wite wheron it was long, and they seide he was borne in suche a constellacioun that he had noon othir grace. And therfore, dere sone, dispise neuir a man of poore birthe, ne of litille havyng, ne bi his persone, and thou se in him science and good counselle, for god wolle yeve his grace as him likith, and shewe his myght as welle in poore as in riche. A wijs man of mede wrote to his son on this wise, "Dere sone, in euery nede take counselle to thee, for thou art but oo man as on othir is, on that othir

side y amonisshe thee, that thou ne make oo soole man thi leef tenaunte forto yeve him thi power, for he myght with a cawtele distroye thee, and alle thi Rewme. Truste nevyr in him þat settith alle his bisynesse to make tresoure and gadir money, for he wolle serve the nought for love, but for gaderyng of gold, and suche men wolle slouthe thi worshipe, and suche men mowe welle be liknyd to helle, for helle hath no grounde. And the more a man growith in ricches, the hyer encresith his covetise in good. And wite it welle that suche officers abowt a lord or a kyng are but distroyers of his worshipe in many casis, for it myght happe that for covetise he shuld bitraye the or consent vnto thi deth. Therfore, dere sone, thou shalt loue that creature that is in office with the, and bisieth him to save thi worship, for þat is the grettist tokene of loue." God made man, dere sone, creature resonable, and he made neuyr in beste oþir than is founden in man. ffor a man is hardy as a lyone, fferd as an hare, skars as an hound, harde and sharpe as Ravene or Crowe. Meek as a turtille, dispitous as lyonesse, chaste as a dowve. Malicious and angry as a ffoxe, lowe as a lambe, light as a Goot, and lijk to a Got in many condiciones, hevy and slowe as a bere, precious and dere [folio 23b] as an Olyfaunt, ffool and rude as an asse. Rebelle as a litille kyng, obeyshaunt as a pecok, gret speker without profit. Profitable as a bee, vnbounden as a boore, strong as a bole. Smytyng bihynde as a mule. Resonabille and chast as aungille, lecherous as swyne, ffowle as an Owle. ffayrist of alle creaturis, and shortly to say that ther is no condicioun in best, ne in planet of heuene, ne in erthe that it ne is founden in man, and therfore the philesofre callith man the litille world.