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

THE GOUERNAUNCE OF PRYNCES
OR
PRYVETE OF PRYVETEIS.

THE GOUERNAUNCE OF PRYNCES

TRANSLATED BY
JAMES YONGE
(1422).
Printed from MS. Rawl. B. 490.]

[folio 28b] IN the Honoure of the Hey Trynyte, Fadyr, Sone, And Holy gooste, Almyghti god; oure lady Seynte mary, and al the holy hollowes of hewyn: To yow, nobyll and gracious lorde, Iamys de Botillere, Erle of Ormonde, lieutenaunt of oure lege lorde, kynge henry the fyfte in Irland, humbly recommendyth hym youre pouer Seruant, Iames yonge, to youre hey lordshipp: altymes desyrynge in cryste, yowre honoure and profite of body and Sowle, and wyth al myn herte the trynyte afor-sayde beshechynge that he hit euer Encrese. Amen. Amen.

IN oone techynge acordyth, and in oone verite Shewyth, the moste wyse clerkes and Maysteris of renoune that haue beyn afor vs in al tymys, tretynge of prowes and worthynesse of Emperours, kynges, and al othyr gouernors of chyualry; that Chyuary is not only kepete, Sauyd, and mayntenyd by dedys of armes, but by wysdome and helpe of lawes, and of witte, and wysdome of vndyrstondynge. [nota, in margin.] For Streynth and Powere, without witte and connynge, is but outrage and wodnys, And wysdome and connynge, wythout Streynth and Powere, Surly hym gidyth not. But whan with Streynth and Powere, hym compaynyth witte and connynge, and witte dressith Powere, in goodnys may the Prynce Play, and with good men Surly walke. This apperyth by many olde stories, for the connynge and grete witte of Arystotle lytill hadd avaylid to kynge Alexandyr, wythout the Streynth of the brut of his Powere. And the olde Pryncis of Rome conquerid more al the worlde by connynge

and Study of clergeable bokys than by assautes of battaiƚƚ, othyr Streynth of Pepill. And ther-for Tully the grette clerke Sayth, "than were wel gouernette Emperies and kyngdomes Whan kynges wer Phylosofors, and Philosofy regnyd." The whyche thynge, nobil and gracious lorde afor-Sayde, haith Parcewid the Sotilte of youre witte, and the clernys of youre engyn, And [suttilte crossed through here.] therfore I-chargid Some good boke of gouernaunce of Prynces out of latyn othyr Frenche in-to youre modyr Englyshe tonge to translate. And for als moche as euer y hame bounde for youre gracious kyndly gentilnesse onto youre comaundement to obey, now y here translate to youre Souerayne nobilnes the boke of arystotle, Prynce of Phylosofors, of the gouernaunce of Prynces, the whyche boke is callid in Latyn Secreta secretorum: that is to Say, the Pryuete of Pryueteis, The wych boke he makyd to his dysciple Alexandre the grete Emperoure, conqueroure of al the worlde. This Aristotle was Alexandyres derlynge and welbelowid clerke, And therfor he made hym his maystyr and chyfe consailloure of his royalme. For arystotle was a man of grete consaiƚƚ, Of Profounde lettrure, And Percewynge vndyrstondynge, and wel kowth the lawes; he was of hey nourtoure, wel prowed and I-lernyd of al Sciencis, Wyse, sotille, humbile, euer lowynge ryght and verite: And therfor many men helde hym approphete. And as y fynde writte, [folio 29] hit is founde in olde bokis of the grecanys that god Sende His angill to Hym, Saynge, "radyr I sholde cale the an angill than a man."

ARystotle Sende many Pystelis that men callyth nowe lettres of alexandre, of the Whyche this presente boke is oone, of the gouernaunce of kynges and Prynces. The cause that Arystotle makyd this Pystill Was this; Whan alexandyr hadd conqueride perse, for-thy that Some of the Pepyl ther weryn agaynys hym and dysobeiaunt, he Sende to arystotle this lettyr in this forme.

"To a nobyl Maystyr of ryght gouernoure, and of verite, Arystotle, Sendyth gretynge his disciple Alexandre. To thy discrescioun I do to vndyrstonde, that y haue founde in the londe of Perse appeple ful of Reyson and of hey vndyrstondynge and of Parcewynge engyn, the whych afor al otheres conveytyth dygnyte [A Note ffor Ireland, in margin, in a late hand.] of lordshup, and therfor we Purposyth to destru ham

al. What the thynkyth vp this matyr do vs to witte by thy lettres."

Wp whych matyer, Arystotle answerid in this maner.

"Yf ye may chaunge the eyre and the wateris of that londe, and ouer that the ordynaunce of the Citteis, fulfill ye youre Purpos. And yf no, than gouerne ye hame wyth good Woillaunce and bonerte, for yf ye So do, ye may haue hoppe wyth goddys helpe that al thay shal be to yow obeyaunt, and ye shall mow tham gouerne in good Pees."

Whan alexandyr hadd rescewid̛ this lettyr, he did arystotles consaille, Wherfor thay of Perse were morre obieiaunt to alexandre than any othyr Pepill. And for als moche, nobil lorde, that I desyrynge more outre your appryse, I writte to youre Excellence this boke, entremedelid wyth many good ensamplis of olde stories, And wyth the foure cardynale vertues, and dyuers othyr good matturis, and olde ensamplis and new.