Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶ Of the sadde auyse that is couenable for a yonge prynce for to haue▪ Capitulo. vii.

THe good prynce that loueth god / wyl be frede to do any thynge what someuer it he ayenst the reuerence and

cōmaundement of god / and wyll payne hym self to knowe all thynges that hym ought to do / And all suche thyng•• as hym ought nat to do / And by the lernynge of this he shall perceyue and knowe his fragylyte & that he is a man mortall. subiecte to shorte lyfe passyoned with mortall thynges. Naturell and ••••eell as another man without any dyfference / excepte the goodes of fortune / But when he shall studye the lawe of god to be wel enfourmed therin lyke as a good cristen man ought to be / he wyl auyse hym self well vpon y^• perell of these goodes for hurtynge of his scule. That is to wete if he vse them nat well he is loste / And that he dothe by the great lordshyp that he occupyeth / is nat ellys but an offyce transytory / and of ly∣tell durynge and that he muste nedes leue it in shorte tyme. That is to knowe by waye of deth / whiche is derke and a fere full passage / and the counte that he muste yelde byfore that Iuge that no thynge is hyd fro▪ whiche wyll rewarde euery man after his deseruynge. ••han if the prynce remembre this 〈…〉〈…〉he shal fynde mater ynought for to preyse but lytell these worldly worshyppes and goodes. whiche ben so full of peryll and solyt••ll whyle durynge / All suche thoughtes and remem braunces▪ euery good prynce ought to haue in his herte / whi∣che shall cause to defende hym selfe agaynst the great arrey∣synge of Pryde and mysknowynge his persone / But yet for all this ••••then that our lorde hath chosen them to the offyce of l••••••shyp / they ought to meynteyne it by worldly wysdome & discre••syon morall ••••en may he thynke that he shall rewle and gouerne the lawe lyke a prynce with good and vertuous maners. And also he muste be dylygent in all thynges that longeth to the comen wele of his Realme and to kepe them in peas to his power. And also he shulde vse so dyscretely his ho∣noures & magnyficienc•• that be•• gyuen to hym / in suche wyse that his herte be nat empeched nor arreysed on heyght ayenst

his god. This good prynce as goddes vycary in erthe muste take hede with a great herte to y^e wele of the Churche to that entent that his creature ought to be seruyd dewely as ferre as his reason maye gyue hym. And if there fall any dyscorde by the Instygacyon of the deuyll our ennemye he ought to ma∣ke peas what laboure that euer he take therfore. And that he take good hede also to the promocyons of his mynysters that they make noo request for none of his seruauntes / nor none other thoughe he loue hym neuer so well / in lasse than he vn∣derstande that he be a clerke / A good man and able to serue god in that prebende that he desyres. And of this he ought to enquere dylygently. or that he gyue it / or ellys he chargeth greatly his conscyence / and is cause of theyr dampnacion that ben promoted by hym to theyr benefyces / and be nat able thet to as it is founde in the decrees. But nowe a dayes / there is no suche rewle kepte / and that is great pyte. For god knoweth if that suffycyaūce of clergye / or a good man & of Iuste lyfe be nowe a dayes the causes of the promocyons of clerkes / Cer∣teynly nay. but oft tymes they ben gyuen by meanes of flate∣rynge / by adulacyon. and other wyckednesse. and by the pray∣ers of lordes. ¶ And so it apperyth by the ruyne of the shyppe with what wynde it is smyten. For the false couetyse is the ••••cheson of theyr promocyons. ¶ And this causeth theym to fall in great and horryble erroure and so blynded in the Chur che / that it is meruayle withoute goddes mercy that euer it maye be in reste and peas. for the fowle Symony and other inconuenyentes that falle ther to / Alas and as our lorde Ihe∣su criste sayth in the Euangelye spekynge to the Pharysees. The quene of Saba that came out of ferre countrees for to vnderstande the wysedome of Salamon. shall condempne you / that haue with you more than Salamon. and wyll nat knowe it. So in lyke wyse the paynems whiche kepte theyr

lawe 〈…〉〈…〉yme dylygently and without trespasse in great re∣uerence obseruynge all theyr cerymonyes▪ natwithstandyng that they were false and reproued of god may be in reprefe to cristen men / whiche obserue nat & kepe nat theyr lawes that ben so holy▪ Is it nat wryten of these auncyent paynems that they had so great deuocyon to theyr Idoles and goddes / that they were so dylygent and curyous in all thynges / that all maner ordynaunces and stablysshynges that they made we∣re wele kepte: And also the prcestes that dyd the sacryfyces shuld be men of feyre and honest lyfe. And if they were foūde in the contrarye / they were punysshed right egerly▪ And they were so streytly taken hede vpon that they wolde nat suffre them to fayle of theyr seruyce / nor in no wyse to be vycyous / And as valere sayth that was right well shewed at Rome as it is declared in the firste chaptre of his booke / how it happed vpon a tyme that the chaplet fyll downe of one of the preest•• he des whiche dyd the obseruaunces of theyr sacryfyce / whiche chapelet was a propre rayment that they vsed at that tyme▪ lyke as we myght say a mytre And for bycause he was so ne clygent that his chapelet felle so fro hym at the tyme of theyr seruyce / they thught he was nat worthy to kepe that off yee / & so they deposed hym: And in lyke wyse they dyd by a virgyne that was yelden in to a temple of one of theyr goddesses whi∣che was called Uest a ••nd for bycause that this virgyn that was as men myght say a Nunne was neclygēt to: ake hede of a lampe that shulde at no tyme be lefte vn••••ght / and for by cause that oones it was nat attended with oyle it happed to be quenched / she was to greueusly punysshed therfore and depo∣sed of her offyce. And many other ensamples I cowde shewe you of theyr sadde rewles that were kept amonge them and I had any leyser / But nowe a dayes amonge vs here there ben many of our pontyfy••alles and preestes in whiche is seen

openly great plente of horryble diffaut / And there is nopryn ce ne none other man that wyll ones repreue them of theyr de∣fautes / but suche there be that excuse them selfe or they be ac∣cused and say they be men & none aungelles / And that it is y^• nature of man for to synnes Alas suche ben no men for the bo∣dy of man is but a lytell vessell / whiche may be fylled with a lytell thynge but they be very deuylles & swolowers of helle For lyke as the moutne of hell may neuer be satisfyed nor fyl∣led / though it receyue neuer so moche. no more may theyr desy res be fulf••ylled no staūchyd for y^e great coueryse y^t is in them & the great delyt•• for whiche cause all euyll thyng is comon to them & the wordes of valere may well be veryfyed in them / that sayth / what maner thyng is y^• may it aunche the insa••ya ble man from couetyse / So than y^• good paynce ought to take hede to al these thyng / ••••r though so be that the correccion of people of the churche lyeth nat alloonly in hym noo lōgeth nat to hym / yet wher is y^• prelate be he neuer so gre••••e other p••••est in clerke y^• durst with say or murmur ayenst y^e prynce▪ though he rebuke of his hyghnes the vyces & synnes of suche people / And ouer this y^• good prynce ought to take good hede that the temple and the howse of god be nat pollutyd n•• fowlyd by dy uers synnes done there in / lyke as our cristen men do now•• a dayes / as Marchaunt and other estat / whiche haue no sha me to holde theyr Pariymentes of theyr wo••••dly maters and god knoweth they make many false contractes▪ And yet our lorde Ihesu criste spake to such folkes in the gospell. When he sayd / wyll ye make of y^• temple of my fader which is an howse of prayer / a house o•• a ca••e of th••u••s or a place of erthly thing yet more ouer to our damp••acpon / The ordre y^• the payne••s 〈…〉〈…〉 as valere ••••cordeth vnto y^• same purpose of y^• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that the Romaynes had to they: goddes / speketh of 〈…〉〈…〉 that is to know of two du•• & prync•• of Rome

whiche were with a great hooste in straunge lande / but for by cause oonly that they hylde the counsayle of theyr ordynaunce in the temple. The senatoures of Rome, that is to say y^e great counseyle of the soueraygnes deposed them of theyr offyces / nat withstandynge that they were passynge worthy and wor shypfull men / And in lyke wyse they dyd by another prynce y^• was called Fabius maximus whiche was a•• o••de famous knyght in armes / and was deposed from y^e hyghest offyce of prynce that was in 〈…〉〈…〉 me / that is to say of y^e offyce that was called dictatour▪ for from all otther prynces men myght after theyr ordynaunce•• & statute appele to the hyght estate of the di∣ctatour. And further than that▪ there myght no man appele / and he was deposed for no thyng ellys / but for bycause that he h••ro•• certayne questyons in the temple of dyuers thynges / & in lyke wyse / they deposed ••ayns ••••myns from his ryalte•• whiche was right a great cheuetayne of men of armes / But alas nowe a dayes they be nat deposed that make theyr Par∣lymentes and assembles in the churche / but maketh the chur∣che as fowle stables for horses.