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That word above alle erthli thinges
Is vertuous in his doinges；
Wher so it be to evele or goode。
For if the wordes semen goode 1550
And ben wel spoke at mannes Ere；
Whan that ther is no trouthe there；
Thei don fulofte gret deceipte；
For whan the word to the conceipte
Descordeth in so double a wise；
Such Rethorique is to despise
In every place； and forto drede。
For of Uluxes thus I rede；
As in the bok of Troie is founde；
His eloquence and his facounde 1560
Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde；
Hath mad that Anthenor him solde
The toun； which he with tresoun wan。
Word hath beguiled many a man；
With word the wilde beste is daunted；
With word the Serpent is enchaunted；
Of word among the men of Armes
Ben woundes heeled with the charmes；
Wher lacketh other medicine；
Word hath under his discipline 1570
Of Sorcerie the karectes。
The wordes ben of sondri sectes；
Of evele and eke of goode also；
The wordes maken frend of fo；
And fo of frend； and pes of werre；
And werre of pes； and out of herre
The word this worldes cause entriketh；
And reconsileth whan him liketh。
The word under the coupe of hevene
Set every thing or odde or evene； 1580
With word the hihe god is plesed；
With word the wordes ben appesed；
The softe word the loude stilleth；
Wher lacketh good； the word fulfilleth；
To make amendes for the wrong；
Whan wordes medlen with the song；
It doth plesance wel the more。
Bot forto loke upon the lore
Hou Tullius his Rethorique
Componeth； ther a man mai pike 1590
Hou that he schal hise wordes sette；
Hou he schal lose； hou he schal knette；
And in what wise he schal pronounce
His tale plein withoute frounce。
Wherof ensample if thou wolt seche；
Tak hiede and red whilom the speche
Of Julius and Cithero；
Which consul was of Rome tho；
Of Catoun eke and of Cillene；
Behold the wordes hem betwene； 1600
Whan the tresoun of Cateline
Descoevered was； and the covine
Of hem that were of his assent
Was knowe and spoke in parlement；
And axed hou and in what wise
Men scholde don hem to juise。
Cillenus ferst his tale tolde；
To trouthe and as he was beholde；
The comun profit forto save；
He seide hou tresoun scholde have 1610
A cruel deth； and thus thei spieke；
The Consul bothe and Catoun eke；
And seiden that for such a wrong
Ther mai no peine be to strong。
Bot Julius with wordes wise
His tale tolde al otherwise；
As he which wolde her deth respite；
And fondeth hou he mihte excite
The jugges thurgh his eloquence
Fro deth to torne the sentence 1620
And sette here hertes to pite。
Nou tolden thei； nou tolde he；
Thei spieken plein after the lawe；
Bot he the wordes of his sawe
Coloureth in an other weie
Spekende； and thus betwen the tweie；
To trete upon this juggement；
Made ech of hem his Argument。
Wherof the tales forto hiere；
Ther mai a man the Scole liere 1630
Of Rethoriqes eloquences；
Which is the secounde of sciences
Touchende to Philosophie；
Wherof a man schal justifie
Hise wordes in disputeisoun；
And knette upon conclusioun
His Argument in such a forme；
Which mai the pleine trouthe enforme
And the soubtil cautele abate；
Which every trewman schal debate。 1640
The ferste； which is Theorique；
And the secounde Rethorique；
Sciences of Philosophie；
I have hem told as in partie；
So as the Philosophre it tolde
To Alisandre： and nou I wolde
Telle of the thridde what it is；
The which Practique cleped is。
Practique stant upon thre thinges
Toward the governance of kinges； 1650
Wherof the ferst Etique is named；
The whos science stant proclamed
To teche of vertu thilke reule；
Hou that a king himself schal reule
Of his moral condicion
With worthi disposicion
Of good livinge in his persone；
Which is the chief of his corone。
It makth a king also to lerne
Hou he his bodi schal governe； 1660
Hou he schal wake； hou he schal slepe；
Hou that he schal his hele kepe
In mete； in drinke； in clothinge eke：
Ther is no wisdom forto seke
As for the reule of his persone；
The which that this science al one
Ne techeth as be weie of kinde；
That ther is nothing left behinde。
That other point which to Practique
Belongeth is Iconomique； 1670
Which techeth thilke honestete
Thurgh which a king in his degre
His wif and child schal reule and guie；
So forth with al the companie
Which in his houshold schal abyde；
And his astat on every syde
In such manere forto lede；
That he his houshold ne mislede。
Practique hath yit the thridde aprise；
Which techeth hou and in what wise 1680
Thurgh hih pourveied ordinance
A king schal sette in governance
His Realme； and that is Policie；
Which longeth unto Regalie
In time of werre； in time of pes；
To worschipe and to good encress
Of clerk； of kniht and of Marchant；
And so forth of the remenant
Of al the comun poeple aboute；
Withinne Burgh and ek withoute； 1690
Of hem that ben Artificiers；
Whiche usen craftes and mestiers；
Whos Art is cleped Mechanique。
And though thei ben noght alle like；
Yit natheles； hou so it falle；
O lawe mot governe hem alle；
Or that thei lese or that thei winne；
After thastat that thei ben inne。
Lo； thus this worthi yonge king
Was fulli tauht of every thing； 1700
Which mihte yive entendement
Of good reule and good regiment
To such a worthi Prince as he。
Bot of verray necessite
The Philosophre him hath betake
Fyf pointz； whiche he hath undertake
To kepe and holde in observance；
As for the worthi governance
Which longeth to his Regalie；
After the reule of Policie。 1710
To every man behoveth lore；
Bot to noman belongeth more
Than to a king； which hath to lede
The poeple； for of his kinghede
He mai hem bothe save and spille。
And for it stant upon his wille；
It sit him wel to ben avised；
And the vertus whiche are assissed
Unto a kinges Regiment；
To take in his entendement： 1720
Wherof to tellen； as thei stonde；
Hierafterward nou woll I fonde。
Among the vertus on is chief；
And that is trouthe； which is lief
To god and ek to man also。
And for it hath ben evere so；
Tawhte Aristotle； as he wel couthe；
To Alisandre； hou in his youthe
He scholde of trouthe thilke grace
With al his hole herte embrace； 1730
So that his word be trewe and plein；
Toward the world and so certein
That in him be no double speche：
For if men scholde trouthe seche
And founde it noght withinne a king；
It were an unsittende thing。
The word is tokne of that withinne；
Ther schal a worthi king beginne
To kepe his tunge and to be trewe；
So schal his pris ben evere newe。 1740
Avise him every man tofore；
And be wel war； er he be swore；
For afterward it is to late；
If that he wole his word debate。
For as a king in special
Above alle othre is principal
Of his pouer； so scholde he be
Most vertuous in his degre；
And that mai wel be signefied
Be his corone and specified。 1750
The gold betokneth excellence；
That men schull don him reverence
As to here liege soverein。
The Stones； as the bokes sein；
Commended ben in treble wise：
Ferst thei ben harde； and thilke assisse
Betokneth in a king Constance；
So that ther schal no variance
Be founde in his condicion；
And also be descripcion 1760
The vertu which is in the stones
A verrai Signe is for the nones
Of that a king schal ben honeste
And holde trewly his beheste
Of thing which longeth to kinghede：
The bryhte colour； as I rede；
Which in the stones is schynende；
Is in figure betoknende
The Cronique of this worldes fame；
Which stant upon his goode name。 1770
The cercle which is round aboute
Is tokne of al the lond withoute；
Which stant under his Gerarchie；
That he it schal wel kepe and guye。
And for that trouthe； hou so it falle；
Is the vertu soverein of alle；
That longeth unto regiment；
A tale； which is evident
Of trouthe in comendacioun；
Toward thin enformacion； 1780
Mi Sone； hierafter thou schalt hiere
Of a Cronique in this matiere。
As the Cronique it doth reherce；
A Soldan whilom was of Perce；
Which Daires hihte； and Ytaspis
His fader was； and soth it is
That thurgh wisdom and hih prudence
Mor than for eny reverence
Of his lignage as be descente
The regne of thilke empire he hente： 1790
And as he was himselve wys；
The wisemen he hield in pris
And soghte hem oute on every side；
Th