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

Book I

Cap. 6. Of maners of kynges.

[þ in MS.] Kynges er ffoure, large to him and large to subgitȝ, and kynge auers to hym and auers to subgitȝ, And kynge auers to hym and large to subgitȝ, And kyng large to hym & auers to subgitȝ. Þe ytailes sayen it ys no vice to a kynge if he be auers to hym seluen̛, so þat he be large to [folio 5b] his subgitȝ. Þe Indyes sayen þe same of a kynge þat ys auers to hym seluyn, and to his subgitȝ good; þe perseyens affermen aȝeyn þat a kynge is nogℏt wortℏ þat ys nogℏt large to hym seluyn.

Of largesse and Auarice.

Ws byhoues now sotely enquere of þes vertues and vices, and for to shewe what ys largesse & what auarice, and what errour ys yn largesse, & what euyl suys withdrawynge of largesse. ffor opyn þinge ys þat qualytes er to be despysed whenne þey disacord fro þeir mein; And we woot wel þat þe kepynge of largesse ys rigℏt herd, and his brekynge rigℏt ligℏt. If þow wylt gete þe vertu of largesse, behold þy power, þe tyme of mester, and þe desertes of men, And þanne shalt þow after þy pouere with mesure gif þy godes to þeym that hauys myster and er worthy. He þat oþer wyse gyues, synnes, and trespasys þe rule of largesse; ffor he þat gyues his good to hem þat hauys no myster, he purchases no louynge þerof, And whanne þay er gyuen to vnworthy þay er louyd; And he þat spendys his good

ouyr mesure shal sone come to þe better riuale of ['of' repeated in MS.] pouert, and he ys likynd to hym þat geuys victorye to his enemys vpon him. He þat gyues of his godes in tyme of nede to nedful men, swylk a kynge ys large to him and to his subgitȝ, and he shal reigne in prosperite, and his comaundemente shal be holdyn̛. Olde men louyn swylk a kynge, and he ys sayd vertuous, large and attempre. And he þat geuys þe giftys of his kyngdome out of ordre to vnworthy and to hem þat has non nede, he is a wastour of his goodys, & distruour of his kyngdome and vnmygℏty to reigne, & he ys callyd a prodegaleous man þat is ffole large; ffor his forseynge ys farre fro his reygnynge. But certys þe name of oon Auers mys fallys to a kynge, and mys semys to his real mageste; þerfore ȝif a kynge haue þe oon or þe oþer vice, þat ys to say aueryce or [folio 6a] folee largesse, if him self can nogℏt conseiƚƚ hym, It aweþ to be purueyd to him with greet besynesse a trew discret man chosen̛, to whom he may trowe to ordeyne þe besynesse of his godys, and his richesse to gouerne.

Cap. 7. Of þe euels þat comes of ffole largesse.

Alexander, y say stedfastly to þe, what kyng þat wille continue giftys yn surfaytes ouer þat his kyngdom wyl suffyse to hym, That kynge with outen doute shal be destroyed. Ouer þat y say to þe þat y neuer sesyd to say to þy heigℏnes, þat for to eschewe Auerice and ffole largesse is ioye of kynges and longe lastynge of kyngdomes, and þat ys namly whanne kynges withholdys hem & withdrawes her hondys frome þe goodys and poscessicuns of her subgitȝ, wher of it ys founden̛ in þe book of þe greet doctour Hermogenes, þat souerayn and verray goodnes, nobeley, and vnderstondynge, & fulfyllyng of lawe & tokenynge of perfeccioun are yn a kynge þat withdrawys hym from þe siluer and poscessiouns of his subgitȝ. What was þe cause þat þe distruccion of þe kyngdom of Ingelond. [Made a separate heading in the MS.] Whenne þat þe superfluyte of despensȝ ouer passyd þe rente of citeeȝ, & þer rentys falliþ hem despenseȝ, þo þe kynge extendyd his hondys to oþer menys goodys and rentys, and þe subgitȝ for þe wronge cried to hye god and glorious, and sente hem an hote wende, and torment hem stalworthly, and þe poeple dressyd hem aȝeyn hem, and þer names for euer dyd out of þe lond. And but yf glorious god had so ordeyned, þis lond hadde

vtterly ben destruyd. And wete þat richesse er þe lastynge of saule bestfuƚƚ & a party þerof, and þe saule may nogℏt last yf þat cause be destruyd; wherfore man awe gretly eschewe ouerdoynge and ouerabundance of despensȝ, And þat largesse be attemprance be getyn, & þat foly and ouerdoon gyftys be eschewyd.

Cap. 8. [Of teching of Aristotel yn vertueȝ and vices.]

[folio 6b] Þe maners and þe goodis sustinanceȝ of vertues er to guerdon̛ olde trauailles, to reles wrongys, honurable men to worschippe, to helpe simple men, to vpbere þe defautes of Innocentȝ, to faire speke to hem of gretys, to restreyne þe tonge, to suffre wronge ffor a tyme, to leue and flee foly. Ȝyt y lere þe þat y was wont to lere þe and sawe yn þy brest, And y trist þat þis techinge shaƚƚ be yn aƚƚ þy wayes and werkys surtee and sufficiante to þy gouernaille alle þe tymes of þy lyf. I shal say þe trewly þe conynge of Philosophye abreggyd, And yf y hadde neuer sayd to þe but þis folowand techinge, it sholde suffise to þe in alle þy werkys touchand þis werld & þe oþer.

Cap. 9. [Of þe endly entente þat kynges awe to haue.]

Of vndirstondynge.

Wete þou þat vndirstondyng ys heued of gouernance, hele of saule, keper of vertueȝ, Mirrour of vices; ffor we byholde yn hit þat þat ys to flee, and we knowe by it þat þat ys to be chosen. It ys growyng of vertuȝ & rote of alle goodes loueables & worschipfuƚƚ, And þe firste teching of vndirstondynge is couetyng of good lose, ffor he þat couetys trewly good lose he shaƚƚ haue good name and glorious. And he þat coueytis yt fayntly, by shame he shal be confoundyd.

Of goode lose.

Goode lose ys principaly by hym self to be coueyted, ffor kyngdome awe nogℏt to be coueyted bot for good lose, And þerfore bigynny of wyt and vndirstondynge ys desir of good lose þat ys purchasyd by good gouernance and to wele lorde; and þerfore if gouernance or lordschipe for oþer cause be coueyted, it ys no purchas of no good lose, but of enuye. Enuye engendres lesynge, þat ys rote of alle euelys, & ys matir of vices. Lesynges engendrys detraccioun; detraccioun engenders haatredyn; haatredyn engendrys wronges; wronges engendrys vnreuerence;

vnreuerence engendyrs Ire; Ire engendrys aȝeinstryuynge; aȝeinstryuyng engendrys enmyte; enmyte bataiƚƚ; bataiƚƚ destroys lawys and siteeȝ, and þat ys aȝeyn rigℏt and kynde, and þat þat disaccordys to kynd destruys alle wirkynges. Stody and loue, desir of good lose in treuthe & sotℏfastnesse, þat ys rote of alle þynges loueables & Moder of alle goodis, ffor it ys [folio 7a] contrarie to lesynge, And desir of rigℏt engendrys rigℏt; rigℏt engendris Trist; trist engendrys largesse; largesse engendrys ffamiliarite, þat ys trew seruice; trew seruice engendrys frendschipe; ffrendschipe engendrys conseil and helpe; by þes þinges ys al þe werld stablissyd, and lawes set to men; þes accordes to resoun and kynde, wherfore it semes þat desir to gouerne fore good lose ys good þinge and lastynge.

Cap. 10. [Of euels þat seuen flesshly apetit.]

To eschewe fflessℏly delytes.

Alexander, bowe þy wyl fro bestials delices, fro fflessℏly appetitȝ makes þe corages of men lyk to þe willys of bestys, wyth outyn resoun̛ and discrecioun; and hit destruys the body, & makys heuy þy wyttes and þyn vnderstondynge. It ys to knowe þat flessℏly delyces engendrys flescℏly loue, and flessℏly loue Aueryce; Aueryce desir of richesse; desyr of richesse dredys no shame; to drede nogℏt shame makys foly takynge; ffoly takynge makys vntreuthe; vntrewthe theft; theft repreef, wherof comes cheitifty and takyng, þat brynges a man to shame and his distruccioun.