The Example of Vertu | Page 8

to
knyghtes moost necessary
By the meanes of her power shewynge

That I by ryght do now well deny
For in that case she dyd moche
vary
For syxe there are that more profyte be
Of whiche the lest is
better than she

The fyrst is prudence that is the chefe
That hym doth rule and is his
gyde
And kepeth hym from grete reprefe
And causeth his worshyp
for to abyde
So euery crysten man shold prouyde
By his wit to
withstand the deuyll
That he consent not to do euyll
The seconde is that he sholde be true
To his souerayn lorde that on
hym reyneth
And all treason for euer to eschewe
In whiche grete
shame often remayneth
And by whiche he hiz k[yn]ge dysteyneth

So a crysten man sholde be true euer
To Ihesu Cryst that was his
redemer
The thyrde is that he sholde be lyberall
Amonge his c[om]mons
withouten lette
That is the cause euer in generall
That he the loue of
theym doth gette
For it causeth theyr hertes on hym be sette
So
euery true crysten man sholde be
To god intended with lyberalyte
The fourth is that he sholde be stronge
His ryght euer for to defende

And neuer to no man for to do wronge
But wronges for to dyrecte
and amende
As ferre as his power wyll extende
So a true crysten
man sholde exclude
All maner of vyces by his fortytude
The fyfth is [that] he sholde be mercyable
In all his dedes withouten
furoure
For that to hym is gretly conuenable
And eke to kepe hym
out of erroure
For he of mercy sholde be a myrroure
So vnto them it
is ryght necessary
Who that wyll be saued for to haue mercy
The syxte is a knyght ought for to kepe
The poore folke in theyr grete
nede
That often for hungre and thyrst do wepe
He ought with almes
theym for to fede
And the better he shall than spede
So euery true
crysten man sholde do
As ferre as his power cometh vnto
I Sapyence am of the kynges counsayll
Whiche is clothed with purple
that sygnyfyeth
The grace and the pulcrytude without fayll

Of grete
vertues that in hym shyneth
For to no vyces he neuer enclyneth


Hauynge in his hede a fayre crowne royall
That sheweth his dygnyte
to be regall
Whiche to his people is the chefe glory
Thrugh whome his subgectes
be dyrecte
And made obedyent to hym certaynly
At euery houre by
ryght true effecte
But forthermore by good aspecte
He bereth a ball
in his lefte hande
The whiche betokeneth as I vnderstande
A kynge to be a good admynystratour
Vnto his subgectes in euery
place
And to be for theym a good prouysour
As reason requyreth in
euery case
I Sapyence do rule his noble grace
In his ryght hand he
hath a septure
That doth sygnyfye by ryght his rygoure
Yll men to punysshe for theyr offence
By his ryghtwysnes whome the
loue
Of vertue shynynge in experyence
Doth not extoll nor yet now
remoue
A lampe doth hange his heed aboue
Alway lyght and
clerely brennynge
Whiche sygnyfyeth the mercy of a kynge
The olde philosophers by theyr prudence
Fonde the seuen scyences
lyberall
And by theyr exercyse & grete dylygence
They made theyr
dedes to be memoryall
And also poetes that were fatall
Craftely
colored with clowdy fygures
The true sentence of all theyr scryptures
O Iustyce lady and souerayne goddesse
Gyue you true sentence now
vpon me
As ye be surmountynge in vertue & noblesse
Lete me
dame Sapyence haue the soueraynte
As is accordynge to my royall
dygnyte
For I am moost profytable vnto man
And euer had ben
syns the world began
Than sayd dame Fortune ye are imperfyte
Without that I therto be
accordaunt
For all your hardynes & prudence perfyte
I vnto you
must be well exuberaunt
And with your werkes euer concordaunt

Where that I fauer they haue good c[om]fort
In all theyr dedes by my
swete resort

I Fortune am the rule and steere
Of euery persone lyke to my wyll

That in this worlde now lyueth here
Whan that I lyst for to fulfyll

My mynde ryght sone I can dystyll
The dewe of comfort welth and
rychesse
To man exaltynge hym to noblenesse
Though that a man were neuer so hardy
Without me he myght not
attayne
And though that a man were neuer so wytty
And I dyd my
power from hym refrayne
All his labour were lost in vayne
So
hardynesse and prudence in no wyse
Without good fortune may well
suffyse
Though that a man were but a fole
Yf I consent that he be fortunate

He nedyth not to make no grete dole
For I shall mayntene so his
estate
That he in rychesse shall be so eleuate
Fulfylled with welth &
worldely tresure
That he shall lacke no maner of pleasure
Where that dame hardynes wold afferme
By her cases that are so
vnsure
That she by her power doth conferme
The knyghtes of
vyctory for to be sure
Whan she doth take theyr hertes in cure
Yf
fortune be awaye she may not auayle
For they by reason must lose
the batayle
Yet forthermore as I do well consyder
How dame hardynes dyd
expresse
Sythens the tyme that I came hyder
That she promoted had
to worthynes
Hector dauid and the noble