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And thus stalkende forth a pas
This noble Duk； whan time was； 3760
His pot tobrak and loude ascride；
And tho thei breke on every side。
The trompe was noght forto seke；
He blew； and so thei blewen eke
With such a noise among hem alle；
As thogh the hevene scholde falle。
The hull unto here vois ansuerde；
This host in the valleie it herde；
And sih hou that the hell alyhte；
So what of hieringe and of sihte； 3770
Thei cawhten such a sodein feere；
That non of hem belefte there：
The tentes hole thei forsoke；
That thei non other good ne toke；
Bot only with here bodi bare
Thei fledde； as doth the wylde Hare。
And evere upon the hull thei blewe；
Til that thei sihe time； and knewe
That thei be fled upon the rage；
And whan thei wiste here avantage； 3780
Thei felle anon unto the chace。
Thus myht thou sen hou goddes grace
Unto the goode men availeth；
But elles ofte time it faileth
To suche as be noght wel disposed。
This tale nedeth noght be glosed；
For it is openliche schewed
That god to hem that ben wel thewed
Hath yove and granted the victoire：
So that thensample of this histoire 3790
Is good for every king to holde；
Ferst in himself that he beholde
If he be good of his livinge；
And that the folk which he schal bringe
Be good also； for thanne he may
Be glad of many a merie day；
In what as evere he hath to done。
For he which sit above the Mone
And alle thing mai spille and spede；
In every cause； in every nede 3800
His goode king so wel adresceth；
That alle his fomen he represseth；
So that ther mai noman him dere；
And als so wel he can forbere；
And soffre a wickid king to falle
In hondes of his fomen alle。
Nou forthermore if I schal sein
Of my matiere； and torne ayein
To speke of justice and Pite
After the reule of realte； 3810
This mai a king wel understonde；
Knihthode mot ben take on honde；
Whan that it stant upon the nede：
He schal no rihtful cause drede；
Nomore of werre thanne of pes；
If he wol stonde blameles；
For such a cause a king mai have
That betre him is to sle than save；
Wherof thou myht ensample finde。
The hihe makere of mankinde 3820
Be Samuel to Sal bad；
That he schal nothing ben adrad
Ayein king Agag forto fihte；
For this the godhede him behihte；
That Agag schal ben overcome：
And whan it is so ferforth come；
That Sal hath him desconfit；
The god bad make no respit；
That he ne scholde him slen anon。
Bot Sal let it overgon 3830
And dede noght the goddes heste：
For Agag made gret beheste
Of rancoun which he wolde yive；
King Sal soffreth him to live
And feigneth pite forth withal。
Bot he which seth and knoweth al；
The hihe god； of that he feigneth
To Samuel upon him pleigneth；
And sende him word； for that he lefte
Of Agag that he ne berefte 3840
The lif； he schal noght only dye
Himself； bot fro his regalie
He schal be put for everemo；
Noght he； bot ek his heir also；
That it schal nevere come ayein。
Thus myht thou se the sothe plein；
That of tomoche and of tolyte
Upon the Princes stant the wyte。
Bot evere it was a kinges riht
To do the dedes of a knyht； 3850
For in the handes of a king
The deth and lif is al o thing
After the lawes of justice。
To slen it is a dedly vice；
Bot if a man the deth deserve；
And if a king the lif preserve
Of him which oghte forto dye；
He suieth noght thensamplerie
Which in the bible is evident：
Hou David in his testament； 3860
Whan he no lengere myhte live；
Unto his Sone in charge hath yive
That he Joab schal slen algate；
And whan David was gon his gate；
The yonge wise Salomon
His fader heste dede anon；
And slouh Joab in such a wise；
That thei that herden the juise
Evere after dradden him the more；
And god was ek wel paid therfore； 3870
That he so wolde his herte plye
The lawes forto justefie。
And yit he kepte forth withal
Pite； so as a Prince schal；
That he no tirannie wroghte；
He fond the wisdom which he soghte；
And was so rihtful natheles；
That al his lif he stod in pes；
That he no dedly werres hadde；
For every man his wisdom dradde。 3880
And as he was himselve wys；
Riht so the worthi men of pris
He hath of his conseil withholde；
For that is every Prince holde；
To make of suche his retenue
Whiche wise ben； and to remue
The foles： for ther is nothing
Which mai be betre aboute a king；
Than conseil； which is the substance
Of all a kinges governance。 3890
In Salomon a man mai see
What thing of most necessite
Unto a worthi king belongeth。
Whan he his kingdom underfongeth；
God bad him chese what he wolde；
And seide him that he have scholde
What he wolde axe； as of o thing。
And he； which was a newe king；
Forth therupon his bone preide
To god； and in this wise he seide： 3900
〃O king； be whom that I schal regne；
Yif me wisdom； that I my regne；
Forth with thi poeple which I have；
To thin honour mai kepe and save。〃
Whan Salomon his bone hath taxed；
The god of that which he hath axed
Was riht wel paid； and granteth sone
Noght al only that he his bone
Schal have of that； bot of richesse；
Of hele； of pes； of hih noblesse； 3910
Forth with wisdom at his axinges；
Which stant above alle othre thinges。
Bot what king wole his regne save；
Ferst him behoveth forto have
After the god and his believe
Such conseil which is to believe；
Fulfild of trouthe and rihtwisnesse：
Bot above alle in his noblesse
Betwen the reddour and pite
A king schal do such equite 3920
And sette the balance in evene；
So that the hihe god in hevene
And al the poeple of his nobleie
Loange unto his name seie。
For most above all erthli good；
Wher that a king himself is good
It helpeth； for in other weie
If so be that a king forsueie；
Fulofte er this it hath be sein；
The comun poeple is overlein 3930
And hath the kinges Senne aboght；
Al thogh the poeple agulte noght。
Of that the king his god misserveth；
The poeple takth that he descerveth
Hier in this world； bot elleswhere
I not hou it schal stonde there。
Forthi good is a king to triste
Ferst to himself； as he ne wiste
Non other help bot god alone；
So schal the reule of his persone 3940
Withinne himself thurgh providence
Ben of the betre conscience。
And forto finde ensample of this；
A tale I rede； and soth it is。
In a Cronique it telleth thus：
The king of Rome Lucius
Withinne his chambre upon a nyht
The Steward of his hous； a knyht；
Forth with his Chamberlein also；
To conseil hadde bothe tuo； 3950
And stoden be the Chiminee
Togedre spekende alle thre。
And happeth that the kinges fol
Sat be the fyr upon a stol；
As he that with his babil pleide；
Bot yit he herde al that thei seide；
And therof token thei non hiede。
The king hem axeth what to rede
Of such matiere as cam to mouthe；
And thei him tolden as thei couthe。 3960
Whan al was spoke of that thei mente；
The king with al his hole entente
Thanne ate laste hem axeth this；
What king men tellen that he is：
Among the folk touchende his name；
Or be it pris； or be it blame；
Riht after that thei herden sein；
He bad hem forto telle it plein；
That thei no point of soth forbere；
Be thilke feith that thei him bere。 3970
The Steward ferst upon this thing
Yaf his ansuere unto the king
And thoghte glose in this matiere；
And seide； als fer as he can hiere；
His name is good and honourable：
Thus was the Stieward favorable；
That he the trouthe plein ne tolde。
The king thanne axeth； as he scholde；
The Chamberlein of his avis。
And he； that was soubtil and wys； 3980
And somdiel thoghte upon his feith；
Him tolde hou al the poeple seith
That if his conseil were trewe；
Thei wiste thanne wel and knewe
That of himself he scholde be
A worthi king in his degre：
And thus the conseil he accuseth
In partie； and the king excuseth。
The fol； which herde of al the cas
That time； as goddes wille was； 3990
Sih that thei seiden noght ynowh；
And hem to skorne bothe lowh；
And to the king he seide tho：
〃Sire king； if that it were so；
Of wisdom in thin oghne mod
That thou thiselven were good；
Thi conseil scholde noght be badde。〃
The king therof merveille hadde；
Whan that a fol so wisly spak；
And of himself fond out the lack 4000
Withinne his oghne conscience：
And thus the foles evidence；
Which was of goddes grace enspired；