The boke named the royall.

¶Of losangery and flatery.

THe losengyers and myssayers ben of one scole. These ben y^e .ii. seraynes other wyse called mer¦maydens / of whiche we fynde in y^e boke of y^e na¦ture of bestes / whiche is a monster of these whiche is cal∣lyd

serayns / whiche hath y^e body of a woman the taylle of a fysshe / and vngles or clawes of an egle / & they lyn∣ge so swetely that they make the maronners to slepe / & after they deuoure theym. These ben y^e losengyers and flaterers whiche by theyr fayre speche make men to sle∣pe in theyr synnes. There ben somme serpentes whiche haue the name of serayns / that renne more swyftely thā a••••hors / and somtyme they flee / and theyr venym is soo stronge that tryacle may not auayle ayenst it. For soo∣ner cometh the deth thā the bytynge of y^e serpentis sel•••• These ben the myssaryers of whome Salamon sayth / that they byte in trayson lyke a serpent / with this been slayne thre at ones. That is he that sayth it / he 〈…〉〈…〉 it / and he of whome is myssayd. This is the ryght cruell beest that is callyd hate / whiche fynyssheth destroyeth / and bryngeth out of the erth the bodyes of the dede men and eteth theym. These ben they that byte and ere the goodmen of relygyon y^t ben in the worlde. Suche ma∣nere peple ben more cruell than is helle whiche deuou∣reth the wycked / but these peple renne vpon y^e good and beuoureth theym. Suche maner peple resemblen these ••e / whiche whan she hath pygges gladly wyll byte a man clad with whyt clothes. They ben lyke the huppe whiche maketh his nest in the ordure of a man and there testeth hym / and lyke the dorre or waspe that flee y^e flou¦tes / and louen dunge and ordure & this braunche hath fyue leues. The fyrst is whan they contryue the lesyn∣ges and euyll for to hurte blame and defame other. The seconde is whan they haue herde the blame and harme they saye it forth and reporte it too the peple and adiust an••re of them self therin. The thyrde is whan they quen¦che and sette atte nought all the good dedes the whiche

that a man hath done / and make it to be holden for euyll They ete the man al hole / y^e other ete it not all. But they byte hym and bere away a pyece. This is the fourth leef of this braunche / whiche is proprely called detraccyon. For he alway withdraweth & cutteth of a pyece of good that he hereth spoken of other. For whā ony good is spo∣ken of ony other tofore hym / alway he contryueth some thȳge to say to his reproche / and gyueth therto a but / as thus / he is ryght a good man and I loue hym well / but there ben suche defautes in hym / certaynely I am sory therfore. This is the scorpyon whiche blandissheth with his face and prycketh with his tayle. The fyfth is whan he peruerteth and tourneth all to y^e wers party / and the good in to euyll. And for that cause he is a false Iuge & vntrue also.