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

[At top of fol. 37b:‐Of the Prologe. Of the fowre Cardynalle Vertues.] The Prologe of the foure Cardinall Vertues, declaryng the [folio 37b] vertues of theologi, and fowre manere of goodis. Capitulum xvijm.

nObyll and gracious lorde, atte the begynnynge of this presente to boke I Sayde that y wolde writte to youre excellence Of the iiij^e. cardynall Vertues, Vndyrstondynge that thegh be not writte in arystotle is boke aforsayde, thy byth writte in othyr good bokis of latyne, And thay byth no lasse profitable than the beste thynge in Aristotlis boke. But fryste vndyrstonde ye, as hooly writte Sayth, that ther byth thre Vertues pryncipalle of theologi or dyuynyte, y-callid in lateyne Fides, Spes, Caritas, In Englysch, Feyth, Hoppe, and Charite. Feyth is a belewynge of thyngis that oure bodeley eygh may not see, As the xije. articlis of oure comyn "credo in Deum Patrem." Hoppe is a ryghtfull tryste for a ryghtfull Werke, i-put be-twen wanhoppe and dysspayre, or prosompsion of goodis to come aftyr to be hadde, And of illis to come afftyr to be Enchued̛. Charite as the Maystyr of Sentence saythe, is "a loue, wyth the whyche god is lowid̛ for hym-Selfe, And oure neghbore for god or in god̛." Also as Seynte Austyne seyth, "Charite is the fulfillynge of law, And of a dyvyne Scripture or hooly writte," That is to say the perfite loue of oure god̛, and of oure neghbore. Than Sethyn that Charite is the fulfillynge of lawe and al dyvyn Scrypture, thegh a man haue al othyr vertues, with-out charite he may not be Sawid, and therfor, nobill lorde, Punysℏ ye neuer mysdoere, newer noone enemy for noone hattrede ne for no covetyse of har goodis, Saue for lowe of Iustyce, and ryght duly ham Punysshe, lovynge by wey of charite hare Sowlis, And hatynge hare evill dedis, and so ye shall youre Charite kepe. And

yf ye done the contrary, ye Passyth the boundis of good governance. The grete clerke Seneca Seyth, "If þou wilt submyt or vndreset al thyngis to the, submyt thy-selfe to reysone." Sothly, nobill lorde, many Pepill shall ye well gouerne, whyle that reyson gouernyth yow. And yf ye, as my hey tryste and prayer to god is, youre-Selfe gowerne aftyr this boke, and aftyr the iiij^e cardynale vertues that here lyke as y fynde writte in dyuers bokis [folio 17L] declarid shal be, than shall ye doutles youre-Silfe gouerne by reysone, to godis wyrchupp and youris, and profite to al youres, to your wel-willynge ouer al.