[Thus endeth the secrete of secretes of Arystotle]

¶Of the reuerence of a kynge.

WOrthy kynge Alexander dere sone the obedyēce to a kynge cometh by iiij. thȳges. That is for y^• vertuo{us} lyuynge of the kynge. Bycause he maketh hym to be beloued of his subgectes. Bycause he is curteys. And for the honoure and reuerence / that he dothe to them that be moost worthy of it. My dere sone do so moch that thou mayst drawe to the y^• courages of thy subgectes / and auenge thē of all wronges & iniu¦tyes done to thē. And beware that thou gyue not •• thy subgectes cause and mater to speke agaynst th••

For speche of people many tymes may do hurt Thā haue in thy mynde suche wyse that nothyng may be sayd agaynst the. And so thou shal eschue the yll wyl and dedes of thē that had yll wyll agaynst the. And forsoth the largenesse of the glory of thy dygnyte and reuerence / and exaltacyon or thy realme / and that re¦boūdeth moost to thy honoure is to haue the hertes of thy subgectes. It is founde in holy scryptures / y^• the kyng is ouer a realme as the rayne is ouer y^• erth which is the grace of god and blyssynge of the heuēs and cometh on the erthe / and all lyuynge creatures. For the rayne is called the way of marchaūtes / and helpe of buylders. How be it that in the rayne falleth somtyme thondre and lyght••ynge? swellynge of the see and floodes with tēpestes and many other euyls cometh therby / wherwith medowes and verdures hath perysshed. For god made it so of his gre••e good∣nesse / benygnyte / and grace. The whiche selfe exam¦ple ye may fynde in wynter and somer. In the whi∣che the souerayne largesse gyueth and ordeyneth col¦denesse and heate / engendrynge and encreasynge of all newe thynges. How be it many euyle & perylles cometh by the rygour of grete coldnesse of wynter / & grete heates of somer. Iulyke wyse dere sone is it of a kynge. For many tymes the kynge doth many gre¦fes and euylles to his subgectes / and maketh the to beare grete herte agaynst hym. But whan the peo∣ple seeth that by the grace and good gouernaunce of y^• kynge they be in peas and well ruled they forgete the aboue sayd euylles / and thāke the gloryous god that hath pourueyed them of so wyse a kynge.