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

Of two thynges that makyth a kynge to haue good renoune. Als hit folwyth in this nexte Capytre. Capitulum vijm.

fOr-alsmoche as a kynge Soueranly in foryne gouernance sholde desyre good renoune, and conquere hit in al that he may, two thynges he moste do and mayntene. Fryste is that he be abow al thyngis subiecte and obeyaunte to the laue of god̛ and al his roielme, And aftyr that lawe hym gowerne and Sustene, For suche a Prynce worthy is to haue lordshupp. And he that godis lawe to his roialme makyth subiecte, [folio 34] ande ouermych ouerledyth Hit and emblemyshyth Whate He may,

and Hys Fraunches and estatues [al manere lawe, ryght, verite and good, crossed through, with vacat written over.] low makyth, In that he dothe to god ouer-grete veleny: he ouer-Passyth al maner law, ryght, verite, [and] god hatyth, indespite hym foryethyth wherfor ryght is, that al the [folio 10bL] Pepill of god hym haue lytill in honnoure. The Philosofors sayth, that assemely thynge hit is into the magiste of a kynge that he be subiecte and obeyaunte to the stabylnes of good lawes, and abow all thynge to godis lawe, noght in fals Papelardry of word or of dede, but in Suche shewynge and oppyne wyrchynge of good werkes, that al folke may oppynly Parcew that he doutyth gode, and that he is Subiecte to his myght. Than veraly hym shal drede his Pepill whan thay knoweth that he dreddyth gode and hym douly honouryth. But whan a kynge Shewyth al only in worde that he god dreddyth, and in his werkes dothe the contrary, fro god he shall be forcloside ande his Pepill hym Shall dyspyse, For evyll workys may noght be y-hyde anente the Pepill: for the wyche thynge lese he moste his lof, his roialme shall fall, the crovne of his honnoure and of his reuerence he moste faille. And aftyr there shall noone quylete of auere, ne no hepe of tresure that may make his roialme ayeyne come, ne his lordshuppe yf he haue hit loste agayne to wynne. This was prowide to be Sothe in kynge Richard the Seconde, somtyme oure kynge, that y wel knewe. This kynge weddyd the wourthy Anne, of almayne the Emperour-is doghtyr. Noght longe ther-aftyr Pees he hadd of al royalmys crystyn, In heyeste Prosperite of al kynges he stode. Whan anne was cryste be-take, he weddyt Elyzabeth of Fraunce, y-callid kynges doghtyr, of nynore age. Than regnyde avoutry and lechurie in hym and his howse-maynage, that al the roialme thanne rumourt and lothit for that rousty Synne, For boldnys of this mariage, his hey allyaunce and his baronage. Thomas of Wodstoke, his owyn precious Vncle, at Calise he makyd to be Mvrderide, And rycharde the ryche ruly Erle of Arundelle [folio 11L] atte londone, towre hille, his hede he makyd of-Smyte, and many othyr nobill lordis, in whom his wirchupp stode, full ille he be-ladde. Al this he didde for wrethe that this nobyll lordis hym roulide for the beste in his tendyr age. Whyle he regnyd in this vnrule weneth thre yeere, Into the land of Irlande he arryuete, and lytill or noone esploit dit.

Than the mene-whyle, Duke henry of lancastre that he hadd exilid, by Eeste England arryuede. Than lordis and comynes of the lande atte Pomfrete into his helpe in euery Syde by many thowsandis to hym gedderid. To weste Chestre he went; kynge Richarde out of Irlande into Walis arryuet, ther anoone spratlit al his ryche retenue, and at the Castelle of Flynt the Duke hym toke. To londyn he ladd hym, Parlement ther was sette, the Duke was coronyd kynge. But Richarde neuer aftyr that his kyngdome myght [folio 34b] reyose, Ande yette, hym to restore many a thowsande men loste hare lywes. There-fore by this ensamplis and many more a man may see, that lasse than a kynge or any othyr gouernoure of a pepill dred god, and loue hym, and his lawe mayntene afor al thynge, he shall faade, and fall, and honoure forgo, in a shorte tyme. The seconde thynge is that makyth a kynge to haue good rennoune, that in spekynge he gouerne his tonge wysely, that he be not of many wordys, but that he be well avyside, reysonably to speke that he woll Schew, and Sethyn dyscretly and Sotily, and to effecte his Purpos to Say and Shewe. Ouer that hit behowyth that his dedis and his werkys accorde to his wordis, that he be not variant and Vnstabille. For Stablenys behowyth euery good prynce to haue that a man may witte where he shall be yfounde. If this two thyngis aforsayde be in a kynge wel mayntenyt, Of god he shall haue grace, And of his Pepill shal be wyrchippyd̛, ylowid, and ydreddyd̛.