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

Book V.

Cap. 105. To chese a Qweynte Scryueyn and Pryue.

[folio 36a] It ys nedfuƚƚ to þe, chese a soteƚƚ man, þat hauyn most stalworth tokenyng, and most rechand argument, to shewe þe quantyte of þy hynes; ffor bytokenynge or enterpreteyson̛ of wordes ys so as þe esprit of word, and þe endytynge ys þe body, and þe writynge ys þe clethynge of wordys and spekynge. And rigℏt as þe nedys be, a man stryngℏyd in substance, of fair beholdyng and of ornementȝ, Al-so it fallys þat þou chese of wyse men & of Skreueyns, sweche þat hauyn perfeccion̛ of enournede eloquence, & of sotyƚƚ record; And rigℏt as þe Skryueyn ys enterpretour of þy wyl, and ys ordeyned for þy conseilles and priuyteeȝ, So it nedys þat he be of good ffaytℏ, and of lele knowynge of þy wyl, and in alle þy wirkynges, And þat he besye hym to þy profyt and to þy worschipe, as it semys. And

it nedys þat he be qweynte and warre yn his werkys, and non entre and byholde hys pryue wrytynges. And it fallys þat þou mede his werkys, aftyr his seruyce þat he doos to þe, and þat he laste curious yn þy gouernaiƚƚ, after þe terme sett of þy wyl. Put hym þanne yn þe degree of þin auanceȝ, ffor his properte ys þin, and his corupcion̛ þyn.