[The dialoges of creatures moralysed Applyably and edificatyfly, to euery mery and iocounde mater, of late tra[n]slated out of latyn into our Englysshe tonge right profitable to the gouernaunce of man. And they be to sell, vpo[n] Powlys churche yarde. — Dialogus creaturarum optimé moralizatus. Dialogo xx. English.

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[Page] [Page] The Dialoges of Creatures Moralysed. Applyably and edificatyfly / to euery mery and iocounde mater / of late trāslated out of latyn into our Englysshe tonge right profitable to the gouernaunce of man.

¶ And they be to sell / vpō Powlys churche yarde.

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¶ Here aftir Folowith the Prologe of thys present volume▪

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[Page] FOrasmoche as Isidore wytnessith in his first boke de summo bono ca .iiii. that almyghty god shewith to vs by example and consideracyon of thinges circomscripte and of knowyn kynde. Parte of such thinges as be incircumschripte / and cannot playnly be vnderstonde or knowin that by euidente knowlege of thinges that be in apparē ce / the more rypely we mow comprehende the inwarde meanyge / that outwarde playnly shewith not. & by y^e same path that man erryd from God / he may be ruducyd and retourne to him agayne / and as he was pluckyd by his own concupiscens and inordinate loue of the creature / from the greate loue of his lorde & maker. So by inspeccyon of the creat beawte of creaturys he owith to be refourmyd and to gyue lawde & worshippe to the incomparable creator & maker of al thinge / & thowghe it be so that as this booke faynith / these creaturis speke not to vs with mouth and voyce fourmyd neuerthelesse by inclynacyon / & propirte of naturall institucyon they sece not to teche vs to corecte owr maners and amende our lyuynge / the which the gloryows lyghte of all doctowris saint Augustin wytnessith for he saith in his wrytinge. O lorde God saith he / all thy Creaturis which thou haste made / crye to me and sece not that I owe to loue the my lorde god and maker aboue all othir thinge / & therfore the autor & compositor of this Boke for our holsome erudicyon & lernynge to auoyde slouth and sluggysshnesse and to inbuce the myndes of the herers to quyknesse & deuocyon / hath compylyd this tretys that the more esyly we mowe vnderstonde the morall sense includyd in the same.

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¶ Here beginneth the table / shewyng the natures and effectys of all Creatures by the maner of persuasyon.

OF the Sonne and the Moone.	dia .i
Of Saturn and the clowde.	Dia .ii
Of a sterre callyd Transmowntayn.	Dialogo .iii.
Of the Euyn sterre / and the morowe Sterre.	Dialogo .iiii
Of the Regne bowe / and a sygne callyd cancer.	dia .v
Of heuyn and erthe.	Dialogo .vi
Of the ayre and the wynde	Dialogo .vii
Of the se bankys and the see	Dialogo .viii
Of the Fire and the Watyr	Dialogo .ix
Of the Watyr and the Fyre.	Dialogo .x
Of the floode and the See	Dialogo .xi
Of the Hyll and the Vale	Dialogo .xii
Of Gemmys and precyows stonys	Dialogo .xiii
Of the Smaragde and the rynge	Dialogo .xiiii
Of the Saphire and the Goldesmyth.	Dialogo .xv
Of the precyows Topazyon	Dialogo .xvi
Of the Charbancle and the glasse	Dialogo .xvii
Of a Precyows stone / callyd Achate / and a Serpente callyd Cerastes.	Dialogo .xviii
Of Golde and lede	Dialogo .xix
Of Golde and Syluer.	Dialogo .xx
Of Syluer and Iron	Dialogo .xxi
Of Tynne and brasse	Dialogo .xxii
Of the Locke and the kaye	Dialogo .xxiii
Of the Cawdron and the Chayne	Dialogo .xxiiii
Of Rosmary and the Felde	Dialogo .xxv
Of Rewe and venymows bestis	Dialogo .xxvi

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Of Isope and a man Callyd marcurye	Dial .xxvii
Of a tre callyd abrotanum and of the hare.	dia .xxviii
Of an erbe callyd Planteyne and of the Ape.	di .xxix
Of Veruayne and the wolf	Dialogo .xxx
of the Mandrake and the desyrows woman.	dia .xxxi
of the Rosyar and the partrych	Dialogo .xxxii
of a thorny tre callyd rampnus and the wylde Goote.	Dialogo xxxiii
of a tre callyd myrtus / and of the syke woman.	xxxiiii
of the hyghe Cedretre	Dialogo .xxxv
of tway dyuerse treys	Dialogo .xxxvi
of the Dolphyn and the Ele	Dialogo .xxxvii
of the Marmayde and the lechowre.	dialogo .xxxviii
of a Glotonows fissh or beaste callyd venter marinus.	Dialogo xxxix
of a Fissher and .v. fisshes	Dialogo .xl
of a se wolf callyd Lucyus / and a serpente callyd Basyliscus.	Dialogo .xli
of a fyssh or a beaste callyd sturgyon	Dialogo .xlii
of a Lampurn and a watirbeaste callyd cocodylus.	xliii
of a luce and a Tenche	Dialogo .xliiii
of a scaly Fissh callyd Regina / and a watirserpent callyd Idrus	Dialogo .xlv
of a fissh callyd a carpe / and a fissh / callyd Tymallus.	Dialogo xlvi
of a Frogge and a Crabbe	Dialogo .xlvii
of a Fissher and a lytell fissh	Dialogo .xlviii
of the Egle and other byrdes / and of the Lyon and othir beastis	Dialogo .xlix
of the Egle that cyted all maner of byrdes to chapitle.	Dialogo l
of a byrde callyd Herodius and of the kyte.	dial. li
of the crane that wold flye vp to the Sonne	Dia. lii

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Of a byrde callyd Sterla that toke an hare	dialo. liii
of a byrde callyd strucio / & of the cireurgyn	Dialo. liiii
Of the fawlcon & the Cok.	Dialogo. lv
of a byrde callyd Astur whiche sente for an other byrde callyd Caridrius	Dialogo. lvi
Oftway hawkys and a Quayle	Dialogo. lvii
of a byrde callyd Carflanchus that wolde goo to relygyon	Dialogo. lviii
Of the Lapwynge and Popyniaye	Dialogo. lix
of an Henne and a Culuir	Dialogo. lx
Of a Cok and a Capon	Dialogo. lxi
of a Fesawnte and a Pecok	Dialogo. lxii
Of a Rauyn and a byrde callyd Fycedula	dialo. lxiii
of the nightcrowe and the Larke	Dialogo. lxiiii
Of the Wagtayle and the Fesaunte	Dialogo. lxv
of the nightingale and the Crowe / amonge other byrdes	Dialogo. lxvi
Of Cyconya and the Salowe	Dialogo. lxvii
of a byrde callyd Pigardus and a grete byrde callyd Alietus	Dialogo. lxviii
Of a byrde callyd Onocrotalus & of the Asse	dial. lxix
of the Swan & the Crowe	Dialogo. lxx
Of the Wodehenne & other Hennys	Dialogo. lxxi
of the Quayle & the Larke	Dialogo. lxxii
Of a byrde Ison	Dialogo. lxxiii
of a Dyue dopper	Dialogo. lxxiiii
Of a Carduell in his Cage	Dialogo. lxxv
of an vnclene byrde callyd Iuis & the Apotecari	lxxvi
Of the Solytari Pellican	Dialogo. lxxvii
of the Chaste Turtyll	Dialogo. lxxviii
Of the Theuyssh partrych	Dialogo. lxxix
of the Pye & other byrdes	Dialogo. lxxx
Of the kyte y^t begylyd y^e wodehennys chekins	lxxxi

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of the Owle that wolde haue had lordeshippe ouyr all byrdes	Dialogo. lxxxii
Of the byrdes of y^e Londe & watirfowlys	Dia. lxxxiii
of a Chorle & his Beys	Dialogo. lxxxiiii
Of a Lyon & bestis / y^t faught with an Egle / & byrdes.	Dialogo lxxxv
of a Lyon y^t weddyd twayn of his whelpys	lxxxvi
Of the Tyrant Gryfon	Dialogo. lxxxvii
of a Leoparde & an Vnicorn / y^t faught with a Dragon.	Dialogo lxxxviii
Of the Elefāte y^t bowith not his kneys	Di. lxxxix
of a beaste Satirus which weddyd a wyf	Dialo .xc
Of the Dromedary	Dialogo .xci
of the Lyon y^t bylded an Abbaye	Dialogo .xcii
Of Onocentaurus that bylded a Palace	dialogo .xciii
of a beste Rinoceron / which despisyd Agyd folke /	xciiii
Of a beste Callyd Orix / that was longe withowt siknes	Dialogo .xcv
of a comyn Laborer	Dialogo .xcvi
Of an Ape y^t wrote	Dialogo .xcvii
of a beste callyd Cameleopardus	Dialogo .xcviii
Of a beaste or a byrde callyd Laurus / whiche occupyed shippemannys crafte	Dialogo .xcix
of the Lyon how he huntyd	Dialogo. C
Of a beste Tragelaphus which was a false byldar of howsis	Dialogo .ci
of Bubalus which made shoone	Dialogo .cii
of the Steere / which was a good Cooke	dialogo .ciii
of Capreolus which vsyd to iogle	dialogo .ciiii
How the watte was A lawyer	Dialogo .cv
of a Dogge & many wolfis.	dialogo .cvi
of the wolf and the Asse	dialogo .cvii
of the Bere and the wolf	Dialogo .cviii

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Of the wylde goote and the Wolf	Dialogo .cix
of a lytell discolowryd beaste callyd varius & the sqwyrell	Dialogo .cx
of an Horse and a Boore	Dialogo .cxi
of an oxe and an Asse	dialogo .cxii
of a Goote and a Ram	dialogo .cxiii
of the Pantere and the Hogge	dialogo .cxiiii
of the wylde Asse and the wylde Boore	dialogo .cxv
of the Crikette / and the hidre	dialogo .cxvi
of the Brocke and the Ape	dialogo .cxvii
of the Mows and the Catte	dialogo .cxviii
of fyue Lambys and the Wolf	dialogo .cxix
of many dyuerse wormys and beastis	dialogo .cxx
of man and woman	dialogo .cxxi
of lyfe and deth	dialogo .cxxii

¶ Thus endith the Table

[Christ with beast]

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¶ Of the Sonne and the Mone. Dialogus Primus.

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AFter the Philosofers sayng / the Sōne is the Iye of the worlde / the gladnes & the Iocundyte of the day / the beawtye of Heuyn / the mesure of tymes / y^e vertewe and origynall of all thinges growynge / the lorde of all planettys / the ledar and perfectoure of all planettys & sterrys. ¶ The Moone also as sayth Ambrose in Eyameron / is the beawtye of the nyght / moder & mynistre of all humours / mesure of all tymes / gyder of the See / chaunger of the ayre / folower of the sonne. And forasmoch as she is most lyke vnto the sonne / vpon a tyme she began to detracte and diffame the sonne / the whiche he perceyuyng spake to the moone & sayd? Why doyst thowe bak byte me & blasfemyst me / I haue euer geuyn the lyght and goon afore the to thy profyte / and [Page] thou hatest me and malicyously malignest ageynst me. Go from me quod the Mone for I loue the not. For thy gret brightnes cawseth me to be set lytell store by in the worlde. For & thou were not / I sholde be in gret dignite The Sōne answered and sayd. O thou vncurteys creature / be thou content with thy degre. For as I shyne in the day tyme & bere than the rule / So thou without impedimēt occupyest all the nyght at thyne owne plesure. Let vs therfore mekely obey vnto our maker / & exalte nat thy selfe by pryde / but suffer me paciently to do as I am ordeyned / and do thou thy dutye. The mone considerynge no reason / in great anger departed & gaderyd togyder all the sterrys / and began batell / & shot arowes ageynst the Sōne / & entendyd vtterly with dartis and arowes to smyte hym and destroy hym. The Sōne beinge aboue and at a vauntage seynge all this cruelnes / drewe out his sworde & smote the Mone a sonder. And threwe downe the Sterrys & sayde / As oftyn as thou arte rownde / I shall departe the. ¶ For thys cawse as fables reporte / the mone conceyueth nat townde / & sterris often tymes fall downe. And so the mone was confused and sayde.

Lesse hurt is to the stryuer / to be parted in twayne

Then to be all lost / and brought vnto vayne.

SO in lyke wyse moche peple being inflate & blowē vp with pryde & elacion / wolde be lyke vnto y^e sōn & haue domynacion aboue all other / & by their wyllys wolde y^t none were aboue thē / nor lyke vnto thē / as the glose fayth. Pryde is a brēnyng eleuacyon in y^e mynde. dispysing them y^t be vnder / & wold be equall with them that be aboue / for why As Crisostom sayth / desyre of exaltacyō / is great syn / & vtterly to be dispysed / & suffrāce is worshipfull & cōmendable. It is written & sayd that [Page] the prowde peple be lyft vp on height / because their fall sholde be the mor greuous / For he that falleth but lowe may sone aryse as y^e Poete sayth. But he y^t falleth from on hyghe / may nat so esely be restored to helth Brāches of a tree growynge alowe / be conyued from tēpesiys / as wryteth Crisostom. But they that be on hygh be oftyn tymes broken & in gret ieoꝑdye. Wherfor quintꝰ Curciꝰ sayth / that a serteyn ꝑsone sayd vnto kynge Alexander that a tree beyng of great heyght / may y^e soner be blowē vp by the rote. And though a Lyon be myghty & prowde yet be small byrdes fedde with his flesshe. ¶ A Philosofer cam to the Tombe of Alexander & sayde / yesterday to this man suffysed nat all the worlde. Now is he suffysed with the space of .vij. fote longe. And therfor pryde is to be reprouyd. &c.

Of Saturn and the Clowde Dialogo. Secundo.

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[Page] PHilosophers wryte that there be .vij. Planetis. That is to say / Saturne / Iupiter. Mars. Sol. Venus. Mercurye. & Luna. But there is great space betwene planet & planet For as Moyses greatest of philoforhers reherseth & sayth / and also it is written in y^e goldyn legende / that euery compasse of euery planet hath in thiknes y^e waye of .v .c yeres / that is to mene / as moche space as a man may iourney & walke iv .c. yerys so that dayly his iourney extendid to xl. miles / & euery myle to be [...]e in length ij. M. pace. Vppon a tyme a great thycke clowde began to exalt her selfe & sayd. Myn excellencie is great / for I may by interposiciō of my gretnes cawse that other planetis may not shewe thēself in y^e world but at my wyll. Seynge that I am vnder other planetis & may doo so moche / if I were exalted higher / then myght I do moch more. And thus this clowde prowdly ascēdid vpward tyll she I am to saturne. Saturne seyng thys clowde presumptuously aplyng to go aboue hym / was sore greuid & sayd vnto her / what arte thow that couetyst with pryde to ascende there as neuyr man cam. I shall ascende aboue the quod the clowde / and ouuerthrowe the. That heryng Saturne & fore mouyd / ordeyned harneys & wepyn / & stoppid fast the waye / & threwe down the clowd and destroyde hym for euyr & sayde.

¶ He that couyteth to be aboue all.

Noforce though he haue a fowle fall.

SO befell it to Nabugodonosor which desirid to be aboue all other kynges & princes / & to be callyd kyng of all Kynges / and Lorde of all lordis. For pryde not consideryng that almyghty god hath domynacion aboue all erthly lordships as it is specifyed Danyel .iiij. Whā the [Page] harte of Nabugodonosor was lyfte vp be pryde / wherfor he was deposid from his dygnyte / wherof it was sayd vnto hym. The dwellyng of the shall be among wylde beastis / & god shall eiect the / & cast the owte fro mānys company / & thow shalt ete hay lyke an oxe and .vij. seasons shalbe chaunged ouer the. It is wryttē in Hystory scolasticall that Nabugodonosor was not chanuged into a beast vnresonable by mutacion & chanuge of the body but by mutacion & alienaciō of his wytte & reson / & also the eloquēcie of his speche was taken from hym / & he semyd hym selfe that in his forlymmes of his bodye he was lyke to an oxe or a bull / & in his hynder partyes he thought hymself to be lyke a lyon. Danyell also / all the tyme of his alienacion prayde for hym so hartely / that the .vij. seasone / that is to saye .vij. yeres by his prayers were chaunged in to .vij. monethis. In the which .vij. monethis the space of .xl. dayes. he had great in firmy te and disease. Other .xl. dayes within the sayd .vij. monethis he retournyd to his mynde / & prayde with great mepynge so largely that his iyen were turned in to rednes / & lyke vnto rawe flesshe. Manyon went to haue a sight of hym / a stir that .vij. monthis were fully complete & fulfyld / He was Reuokyd & callyd agayn vnto his firste estate / but he regnyd not inmediatly / for there were ordeyned, vij. Iuges / & so he cōtynued in abstinence & penaunce vnto the ende of .vij. yeres neuer etige bred nor flesshe / nor drank wyne in all that longe season.

¶ Of a Sterre callyd Transmontana / and other sterrys Dialogo Tercio.

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A Sterre which is called Trāsmōtana standeth euer fixe in the nauyll of the Heuyn / & gothe neuer to declyne / nor laboureth nat by compasse circuler as other sterrys doth. It is as a marke or a path of the see / to the whiche shypmen geue great attendance. All other sterrys gadryd them togeder & cam to this sterre & sayd Thou sittest alway styll & haste eas & rest / and we go about & labour without rest and be thy seruantes. aryse thou a whyle and let an other be souerayn & occupy thy rome. To whom this sterre Trāsmonteyn answered & sayde / ye knowe nat what ye wold haue / for your desyre is nat lefull nor to you expedient / For I haue gret labo^r & great fatigacyon to rule you. And yf I dyd nat wysely conserue you in your places & mocyons / ye sholde gretly erre for lacke of a gode gyder. Wherfore I counsell you to be content & in peace. But the other sterris wolde nat be pleasyd / but rather more wylfuller to haue theyr peticyon / and sayde all at onys. We pray the to suffer vs to chose an other gyder. Trasmontayn than beholdynge their frowarde wylfulnes / departed from them / & went & complayned to hys lorde & maker. The sterrys that seynge / made great exultacyon & gladnes / & aplyed thē [Page] to make election of a newe gyder. but therin they cowde nat agree / but fell at varyance and began to fyght eche with other / & as shepe lackynge a shepherde / they erryd & fell out of good rule. at last whan they concidered the felicyte that they were in somtyme by the policye & gode gydinge of theyr soueraigne / & the great myserie y^t was fallen to them for lacke of hym. They fell in repentance & came to theyr fyrst gyder & prayde hym to take them to grace & to rule them as he had done before / & confirmed hym in his worshyp / & sayd all with one voyce.

The gyder that gydeth / with vertewe & grace

Sholde neuer be changed / lest a worse haue his place

EVyn so it is conuenyent for vs to do when we haue a gode ruler the whiche rightfully ruleth & gydeth vs / we be bownde to loue hym / & to do hym hono^r & worshyp / & nat lightly to chaunge hym / but cherysshe hym after our power for the great labour that he hathe to gyde vs for our wele. The degre of gouernance is called great worshyp / but it is a gret charge / as Barnard sayth / what is worshyp or power / but a great bourden & miserye. Or what is sublimyte or dignyte of the worlde but a perylous & doubtfull tempest. Who may be in worshyp or prelacye without payn or tribulacyon. Or who is in dignyte without vanyte / as Valery telleth. lib .vii. of a Kynge that was of so great witte & so gret counsell / that whan y^e Crowne was delyuered to hym he helde it longe betwene his handes or he set it vpon his hede / and consideringe it well and sayd. O noble & fortunable garlonde / how full of besynes and peryllart thou / Innumerable to be tolde. For as Augustyne sayth. There is no thynge more laboryous / more harde / nor more perylous / than is to haue great domynacyon or seignyorye. and therfore Valerius dothe shewe vnto vs in Libro .vii. [Page] of Corneli scipion / that whan Spayn was fallen vnto hym / he answered & sayd he wolde nat go thyder / & shewed the cawse why / For he cowld nat do equite & right wysnes. For he thought hym selfe nat cōnynge ne sufficyent to so great a worsship / & so great a peryll togeder.

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¶ Of the Euyn sterre & the morowe sterre. Dialogo. Quarto.

VEsperus is callyd the night sterre / and Lucifer the day sterre / which apperith in the mornyng. These two sterrys / gadryd togider all other sterrys & went with one assent to the creato^r & maker of all sterrys / & made vnto hym theyr sapplicacyon and sayde / Gracious Lorde thow arte a good maker / and we therfore thanke the / for thow haste ordeynyd & bestowyd vs in the best wise. But for thys cawse we be trowblyd that owre beawte & brightnes is not alwaye shewed. Therfore lorde we mekely beseche [Page] the / to take the lyghte fro th [...] [...] make hym darke that owre bryghtnes in the [...] tyme may appere & be shewyd. To whom the lorde & maker answered & sayd your peticion is not lawfull for the sonne is the garnyssher of the day / The distrybutour of howrys / the Orygynall of all thynges growynge / and without hym no thyng maye encreace. Therfore I wyllnot condescende to your peticion for it is not exaudible / nor worthy to be alowyd. Wherfore the sterrys seyng they cowlde not haue their desire went ageyn togydre & fourmed a newe peticiō & offeryd it to thier maker & sayd. O blessid lorde & maker of all creatures / we beseche the at least to drye vp & put a waye the clowdis out of the ayre the whiche lette our bryght lyght to be shewyd For ostyntymes for their lettyng. we may not apree / nor be knowyn as we be. And therfore lowly we pray the / that where as our first askyng was denyed vs / of thy godenes grant vs this seconde peticion & desyre. The lorde & maker consideryng their symples / gaue theym this answer with a sad countenance and sayd. Holde your peas & desire not vnlefull thynges / for I wyll not graunt them / for it is wryttyn in the boke of Caton / Aske that is righfull / & that y^t semyth honest. y^e clowds be necessary though ye thinke contrary For they with their rayn moystē therth If no rayne shulde fall the erth cowde not be frutefull & with this answer he put the sterrys from their desyre and sayde thus in this wyse.

That peticion may Iustly be denyed

Whiche at no tyme to Reason is applyed.

MAn by this example it apereth that he that wyl be herd in his prayers or in his supplicacion / must aske the thinges that be rightfull / honest and resonable to be graunted. Wherfore saynt Austyn sayth / whan ye [Page] aske the thynges whiche god laudeth & promyseth / thē is your askynge sure / for y^t peticyō is sone granted of god Therfore Isyder sayth trewe. Many men praynge / be nat herd in theyr askyng. For god granteth them better & more for theyr welth / then they desyre. Seneca telleth in y^e ij. booke of benefits / y^t a [...]teyn persone on a tyme asked j. d. of Alexāder / & he gaue hym an hole town. And whan the peticyoner thanked alexander & sayd he was nat worthy nor able to receyue so great a gyfte / alexander answered & sayd natto hym. I retayne in my mynde what becōmeth y^e to aske / but what becmoth me to gyue So almyghty god doth / for oftentymes he granteth nat our askyng / becawse he wyll auaunce our peticyon with a better / & more profitable rewarde. And therfore sayth Isidor. Som tymes god hereth nat many folkes to their plesure. for he wyll gracyously here them to theyr more profyte and helthe.

¶ Of y^e Raynbowe / & a signe called Cancer. Dial .v.

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[Page] OVr Lordys bowe / after the fyrst Flode apered in the Clowdes hauynge two colours / that was waterye and fyrye. signifyenge the Iugement cōmynge. whiche bowe apered by the space of .xl yeres after the byldynge of the Arke As it is sayde Historie Scolasticall. Cancer is one of the signes of Heuyn / and this worde cancer is Eqniuocum / & hathe many signyficyons / But notwihstandyng / here it betokeneth the signe of Heuyn And so this signe Canrer went vnto the Raynbowe in a gret anger and sayde. Thou art to bolde / for all heuyn is lytel ynough for the / in so moche that thou besyest the to lette me of my course / & other sterrys that sholde occupy there. Wherfore I aduyse the to be remouyd lightly or ellys thou shalt be surely coryed of me & my company The bowe answered & sayd. Brother thou spekest nat well / for I am nat about to let y^e of thy way / for I shew my selfe but in the day tyme / & thou in the nyght rōnest where plesith the. Wherfore me thīketh yf thou entend to fyght with me / thou art euyll aduysed for this cawse / For thou mayst gader great company of sterrys to hold with the. And I haue frendys ynow / both clowdes and also great thonders for to fyghte agaynst the for all thy strength / and so there may growe great myschefe. But I wyll cownsell the for the best / that [...] goo before a rightwys Iuge that he may termyn thy questyon by a diffinytyf sentence / and let the fawte be punysshed there as it is / wherto cancer agreed. & whan they bothe were before y^e presence of the Iuge / and had shewyd there vnto hym theyr mater / The Iuge spake than & sayd thus. Thou wycked Cancer / it is ageynst the lawe or reason all y^e prehemynence y^t thou askest & desyrest of the bowe. [Page] If thou haue thy wyll and walkynge in y^e nyght tyme / and the bow but only in the day tym / how may it be credyble that he letteth thy waye. Therfore this is my sē tence ageyn the. ¶ I wyll and charge the that thou neuer apere in the day tyme. And I condemne the in all expencys & costys of the courte. Cancer herynge this sentence / was greatly ashamyd and sayd.

A besy man / that is full of questyon.

Cawseth to hym selfe / oft great confusyon.

MAny one in lyke wyse ageynst Lawe and Reason somtyme wyll stryue and fall at alteracy on with out occasyon / and be full of questyons. wherfore they be takyn for wrāgelers and euyll people / and often tymes they be iuged to the worst. Of suche it is written. Prouerbi .xvi. A wrayward man cawseth stryues. And a man full of wordys / ouercōmeth pryncis. The euyll mā euer seketh debate. The bad angell & cruell / is sent ageynst hym / Truly thrugh questyōs & stryues / many one be brought to nought. as Isider sayth / as loue & cō corde is alway by loynge / so stryfe & debate / is euermore destroynge. Bede sayth. By discorde the gretest thīges may be distroyed. ¶ There was somtym an honest mā that had thre sōnes / whiche when he sholde dye / he called them before hym & sayd. Fet me a gret many of wā dys bownde togyder / and so they dyd. And whan they were brought he sayd to his children / folde them & breke them. But they cowde nat they were so styf. To whom the fader sayd ageyn / plucke out one of them & breke all the other. And they assayed to do so. And they myght well bowe them / but they cowd nat breke them. ¶ The thirde tyme the fader spake and sayde to them / take one alone and asay to breke that / whiche they sone destroyd and brake a sonder. Then sayd he to them in this wyse / [Page] Chyldren / thus shall yt fall vnto you / If that ye do contynewe togyder in loue and concorde / no man shall be able lightly to hurte nor distroye you. But yf ye varye & be deuyded by dyscorde Euery man shall preuayll esely ageynst you / and distroy you / & put you vnder fote / and therfore beware of malyce and discorde.

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SMaragdus is a stone as sayth brito / to the which ther is no thynge may be lykenyd of more grenenesse. For why he transcendith in colowre of grene both herbis and bowys / & fillyth the Ien but satisfieth thē not as saith papie. A ryng of golde bare in hym a precyoꝰ Smaragde a greate whyle / wherof the colowre was so plesawnte / that many one cam out of ferre contrays withe greate desire to beholde hitte. Vppon a daye the Rynge spake vncurteyslye to the Smaragde and sayde Thowe haste long contynued / and dwellyde in my stacyon / and neuyr paydest me / for thy stondynge. [Page] wherfore delyuer thy dewlye for thyn habitacyon / and goo thy waye. Or I shall take from the all that thowe haste / and putte the owte of thy lodgynge. To whome the Smaragde sayde. If I haue longe continuyd & dwellyd with the. It hath rebowndid to thy worshyppe. For by me thou hast be take in great reputacion and worshype. For I haue cawsyd the to be honorably exaltyd and to be put on the kyngis fynger / and yf thou wyltenedis expell me / make no delay but sell me / and of my great valowre take thy dewtye for my howserent. For I can not lacke of habytacyon. And whan the rynge had expellyd this precyows stone and dischargid hym of hys hows. The rynge hym self apperyd but bare and abiecte and was not take in reputacyon of any man. and at the last be repentyd hym sore and sayde.

Example ys shewyd by the stone and the Rynge.

That it is vyle to be partyd frō a worthy thinge.

THe seruaunte of Criste is worshypfull in lykewyse / as longe as he retaynyth and kepith precyows vertewys with in hym. And if he caste them from him he is to be cast awaye / as Seneca sayth. A good man is to be prouyd be hys dedys / and so prouyd owyth to be takyn. Vppon a tyme whan greate Alexander callyd him self lorde of all the worlde. Diogenes the phylolofer answered to hym and sayd. Not so for thowe arte no Lorde / but seruaunte of one of my seruauntis. For pryde is thy lady and my seruaunte. For she rulyth the and I haue destroyed her. Flesshly luste. Glotonye and Ire be thy ladyes and my seruauntis / for they lede the and haue do mynacyon ouir the. I haue ouercome them and put thez vnder fote / and therfore verylye thow arte but a seruante of one of my seruauntis. And whan the seruauntis of Alexander that harde this / wolde haue fall vppon y^e [Page] Philosofre and haue betyn hym. Alexander chargyd Nay and sayde. Not so hardy any man to towche hym vyolentlye / for he is full trewe and goode and reportith euyn as hit is. Also Gregorye saythe. Man is made of greate dignite and worshyppe if he kepe hym self as he is bownde to doo withowte vycyowsnes / and that is a perfyghte tokyn of greate manhode in hym and of great vertewe & ce.

¶ Of the Saphyre and of the Goldesinyth. Dialogo .xv.

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EThymologiarum .xvi. saith Isydore / that Saphirus is a precyous stone / lyke vnto the Firmamente whan it is clere / whiche geuith a brynnyge lyghte whan he is smytyn with the sonne beamis. There was sometyme a connynge goldesmyth whiche [Page] was an excellent workman of that most honourable occupacyon / which disposyd to sette this precyous saphyre In the Emperowris Dyademe. That seynge the Saphire / sayde vnto the Goldesmyth. Good Mastir inclose me notte. For I am atte lyberte and yonge and apt to the worlde. Therfore I wyll not be separate and departyd from the iocundyte of the worlde. But I wyll be mery a whyle and se the compasse of hitte. To whome this noble workman sayde. Thyn inclusion shall be thy holynesse and for thy greate auayle / For I shal sette the in a sure place where thow shalt lyue in suretye withe owte drede / For I consydre well thy precyosite and thy greate valowre / and I drede that and if thowe wandyr abought the worlde thow shalt be loste / for it is wryten primo Iohannis quinto. All the worlde is sette in malycyousnes. Ther be so many perylles in this worlde that neythyr the tong of man can expresse them / nor yet the harte thynke them. Wherof Gregory wryteth & sayth We owe euyr to drede / for we be in continuall perell. and for this cawse myn own dere sonne / and for the greate loue and fauowre I owe to the / I wyll not suffre the to go fro me / nor to wandre aboughte the worlde. But I wyll putte the in sure conseruacyon and kepynge / and aftyr this saynge this reuerende workman and Goldsmyth inclosyd the Saphyr worshipfully in the kyngis Dyademe. Where he continuyd perpetually in greate worshype and sayde.

In sure place is bettyr to abyde.

Than to wandre abought / and be without gyde

SO it is sure to a Relygyows man to continewe & abyde in his cloystre and in his Cell. For it is wryten in vitis pa. Go in to thy Cell thowe man of Relygyon / and it shall teche the all thinges necessary to thy [Page] wele. For ther regnyth peace in the Cell / and withowt is awaye of batell & stryf. And therfore as Ierome saith he that desire the Cryste / let hym seke nothinge ellys in this worlde / but let his Cell be to hym as paradyce fulfylled with swetnes of holy scripture / and that vse oftens for delycis / and reioyce in the stodye of them. An abbotte callyd euagarius sayde vnto one that sayde to hym / as it is redde in vitis pa. I maye notte faste / nor laboure nor wayte vpon seke folke. Go ete quod the abbotte / drynke and slepe / but kepe styll thy cell and come notte owte / for perseueraunce in the cell / ledith a monke to his ordre / and so lytyl and lytyll he retournyd agayn to the holy workys of perfeccyon.

¶ Of the precyous Topasyon Dialogo, xvj.

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[Page] TOpasiue as saith Papie is a precyous Gemme Which in hym self beryth the colowris of almaner of precyous stonys. Isidore also sayth ethymo. libro .xvi. that it is a stone grene of kynde shynyng with almaner of Colowr which was first founde in an Ile of Arabye that is Callyd Topazi & therof the stone is namyd Topazius. Vppon a tyme a precyows Topasyon / was conueyde and Caried owt of Arabye vnto Rome and reuerently sette & consecrate in a crosse in the Chirche of saynt Petyr of Rome & there it was desyrouslye beholde / of many a creature. This Topasyon was infecte with bad counsell and saxde. What lyf is this to continewe alway in the Chirche & neuyr to departe thens. Nor at no tyme to be famylier with the worlde. Wherfore I wyll for a season / retourn to the worlde that I may haue a lytel recreacyon in it and [...]emery with secularis / and aftir to regne with Criste in heuyn. And whan he was departyd from that holy place & tournyd to the worlde agayn he was takyn and deceyued be vnleful concupiscencis of the worlde & so put hym self to the daunger of allmaner of vicis / and fell in to the hondis of hethyn peple. And whan they knewe not the worthynes of hym they sette lytell pryce be hym and dispised him & draue him fro the contray / in so moche that he durste neuyr aftyr apere there / and at y^e conclusion this Topasion was broke and destroyed and sayde with greate lamentacion and mournynge.

He that departith from an holy place

Without cause leful shal somtym fayle of grace

THerfore Relygyous folkys owith to be ware to retourn to the worlde that they prrish not with the worlde. For truly concupiscens destroyth relygyous folkys. And therfore sayn [...]t augustyn sayth. As the loue [Page] of God is the well of all vertue. So is the loue of the worlde well of all vicis. Wherfor he that wylhaue god in possession muste forsake the worlde that God may be to hym a blessyd possession for euyr. Barnard also saith. The perfight seruaunt of Criste louyth nothynge but him. And if he loue any thinge saue him he is notte perfighte. Also Barnarde saith. They that be made ryche with lpirituall goodis / owe not to be implyed to secular occupacions. It is rede in vitis patrum / that a sertayne brodir of Relygyon askyd an olde man a questyon & sayd What shal I do for my thought wyll not suffir me to abyde oon howre in my cell. And the oldeman answerde & sayde. Sone turn agayne and sitte styll in thicell / and laboure with thy hondis / and praye God besylye / & caste vppe thy thought to hym / and beware that no man deceyue the nor cawse the to departe fro thy Cell / For I shal tell the a meruelous tale. There was a yongman somtyme that was secular and had his fader lyuynge / & so this yongman had a greate desire to be a monke. And at a tyme of oportunite and laysar he prayde his fadir to graunte hym his goode wyll / that he might receyue the holy ordre and his fader wolde not graunte hym. And aftyrwarde this yongman cawsid his kynrede and frendis to make greate instaunce to his fadir / and at laste be ther meanys his fadir suffirde him to acomplish his apetyte / & to entre in to Relygyon howe be it his fadir was not greatly pleasid with all. And forthwith immediatly this yongman went to a monasterye / and was made a monke. And whan he had receyuid the holye habyte of Religion he began in greate perfeccion Dewly to perfourme all the charges of the monastery and vsid great fastinge dayly. And aftirwarde he vsyd fastynge be .ii. dayes and .iii. dayes / and onys in the weke to take suftenaunce [Page] / his abbotte seynge his perfeccyon had mer [...]ayle and thankyd God of his vertewe and goostely trauayle. Aftyr a season it happid this yonge monke made supplycacyon to his abbotte and sayde. I praye the fadir to lycence me to goo in to wyldernes. And the abbotte answerde and sayde. Sone thinke not ther one for thow mayst not suffre so greate laboure / nor so greate temptacyons of the fende and subtyltyes of hym ther. And if it happyn the to fall in temptacyon thowe shalt fynde no man ther to gyue the goode counsell / for to preserue the fro the trowble of thyn enymye / that he wyll put to the This monke encrecyd his peticyon and prayde his abbot to lycence hym to departe. The abbotte seynge that he wold departe / and that he cowde not kepe hym / gaue hī good counsell and prayde deuowtely for him and let him goo. But he also desyred his abbotte to sende some folkys with him to sette hym in his waye / and he ordeyned two monkis of that same monasterye / and they dyrectid hym in his iourney. & as they malkyd a daye or twayne in the wyldernes they were almooste ouercome withe greate heate / and they laye down to reste them / and fell in a slombre / and ther cam an egle and smote them with his wynges and flew fer thens and sette on the ground And they woke and sawe hym / and sayde to the yonge monke. Beholde this is thyn aungell. Ryse and folowe hym. And he rose and toke leue of them and folowyd the egle / and came where she stoode. The whiche streyghte rose and flewe forthe a furlonge thens / and set down agayne. And this monke folowyd her And eft agayne the egle flewe forthe not farre thens and satte downe. And this continuyd be the space of iii howris. And aftyrwarde whyll this monke folowyd the egle / she tournyd vppon hys right syde and sodeynly was gone. Neuerthelesse [Page] this brodir folowyd aftyr her and lokyd and espyede .iii. palme treys and a well of fayre watyr / and a caue in the erthe and sayde. This is the place that God hath ordeynede for me / and went in and Taryed ther and ete and toke his sustynaunce of the datis that grewe ther / and drank watyr of the wel and contynuyd ther .vi. yeris space. and sawe neuir creature all that season. And vppon a daye the deuyll Cam thedir to him in lykenes of an olde abbotte hauinge a dredefull loke. And whan this monke sawe hym he was aferde / and lay down prostrate in prayer and rose agayne / and the deuyll spake and sayde to hym. Brodir / lette vs go pray more. And whan they rose / the deuyll sayde vnto hym agayne. Howe longe hast thowe bene here. And he answerde. The Terme of .vi. yerys. Then sayd the fende Thowe hast bene my neybowre a greate while / and I knewe not of thy dwellynge here not paste .iiii. days [...] goon. And I haue a monastery not fer hens / and forsoth this .xiii. yeris came I not owte of it tell nowe this same daye / and that was for cawse I vnderstoode that thow dweldist so nere me. For I Reuoluyd in my mynde and sayde to my self. I wyll go vnto this gode man / and Comyn with hym for the wele of my sowle. And therfore brodyr for this entent I am come hyder. Certaynly me thinkith that we prositte but lytyll here syttyng in these Cellis / for we receyue not the blessyd Sacrament / of Cristis holy flessh & bloode / & therfore I drede that we shal be no partyners of it / if we neglygentlye kepe owr self from the percepcyon of so excellent a mysterye / as y^t is. But brodir .iii. myle bens is a monasterye & ther is a preste / and by my counsel we will go vppon sonday next or with in this fortnyght at fardest / & we wyll receyue owre lorde and maker / and retourn agayne to owr Cellys. And so this monke thoughte that this Counsell [Page] of the fende was goode / and whan the daye was come that they had prefyxed the deuyll came and sayde. Goo we hens for it is tyme. And forth they went to gither the deuyll & the monk / tell they cam to the monastery wher the preste was / and they entrid into the Chirche there and toke them to theyr prayers. And atte the laste this monke rose vppe and lokyd abought / & coude not fynde hym that brought hym thedyr and sayde to hym self. where is he become. I trowe he begoon to the place of comyn necessite. And aftyr whan he had taryed longe / and the othir shrew came not / the monke went owt & sought hym / and whan he cowde not fynde hym / he inquyred for hym of the bredrin of that monasterye / and sayde to them. where is that olde abbotte that came withe me in to yower Chirche. Sawe yowe not of hym lately. And they answerde to hym and sayde. we sawe non to but y^e aloone. Then knewe this monke well that it was hys aduersarye the deuyll that had deceyued hym and sayed Nowe I consydyr well that y^e deuyll with his sotylteys hath brought me fro my Cell / but it forthinkith me not For I Came for a goode entente / to receyue the holy sacrament of Cristis flessh and bloode / and then to goo agayne to my cell. And whan masse was doone the fader and abbotte of that monasterye wold not suffre hym to departe / but sayde to hym. we wyll not let yowe goo tell ye haue dynyd & refresshyd yowr self. whan dyner was done and he was goynge to his cell. The deuyll came agayne in lykenes of a yongman in secular clothyng and behylde this monke intentyflye fro the hede to the fote & sayo with reiteracyō many tymes. This same is he. It is not he. At laste this monke sayde. I trowe thow knowyst me. But how maye y^t be / For I haue not bene sene many yeris. The deuyll sayde. I am thy fadirs neybour [Page] the sonne of suche a man / and this is thy fadirs Name. and thy moder is Namyd thus / and thus arte thow namyd / and be not these yowr seruauntes namys and thi modir and sustyr be ded .iij. yerys paste / and thy fadir is nowe lately deceside / and hathe made the his ayre and sayde whan he shuld dye. To whome shuld I leue my good / but to myn own sonne that is so vertuows & good and hath forsake the worlde and folowyd thesteppis of godde to hym I leue all my goodis. Nowe if ther be any good man that dredith God and wote wher he is / lette hym tell me / that he may come and departe my goodis to power people for the wele of my sowle and his bothe. And manyon haue gone to seke the and cowde not fynde the / and as my fortune was for an othir cawse I came this waye / and happyd to espye the. Wherfore tary not be my councell but come and sell all thinge and perfourme the wyll of thy fadyr. The monke answered & sayde It is not expedient to me to tourne agayne to the world The deuyll answerde agayne and sayde. If thowe com not all thy Fadirs gode shall be loste / and thowe shalt be counteable for it in y^e sighte of god. What harm saye I to the. But I shewe the thy fadirs wyll / and I desire the to come and distrybute his goodis lyke a goode mynister to them that be indigent and nedy that it be notte consumyd nor my spent / be vnthristes / but that it maye be spent to the consolacyon and releef of suche as be vertuows and in pouerte. Or what greate burdon shall it be to the / to come and do for thy fadirs sowle / withe his owne goodis as his syngler trust was in the / and then torn agayne to thy Cell. What more. The deuyll preuaylyd be his false instigacion / and so this monke wēt forth with hym tell they came togider to the cyte / and ther he forsoke hym. And whan this monke was alone [Page] he wente towarde his fadirs hows / wenynge to haue fownde hym dede. and his fadir was Comynge owte of the durre beynge alyue / and knewe not his sonne / butte askyd what he was / and he was wonderfully troublyd and cowde gyue noone answere. And his fadyr askyde of hym dyuers tymes and many what he was / & whens he came. And at laste he sayde with Rubowre and greate confusyon. I am thy sonne. Then sayde his fadir Why arte thowe come agayn. And he was ashamyd to tell the Circunstaunce of the mater. Butte at the laste thus he sayde to his fadir. The loue of the hath cawsyd me to come hydir for I desyred sore to fee the / and ther he contynuyd and bode styll / and aftyrin a shorte space he comittyd fornycacyon / and othir greate enormyteys and synnes. Wherfore his fadir vexyd hym / with dyuers af flyceyons. But notwithstondinge he amendid not his lyuynge nor toke no repentaunce / but lyke an vnhappy creature. Contynuyd styll in the worlde / and endid hys lyfe synfullye. Wherfore bredryn I saye that a monke shuld neuer departe frome his cell for no bad counsel &c.

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Tynne and brasse confederide togidere enuyede agayne Golde. Wherfore they deuysid a pot full of fayre Copyr and bryght / and broughte it to the markette and solde it / affermynge with sugryd wordys / that this Copyr was Golde. A sertayne chapman came and bought yt. and ioyfully bare it home. And whan he wolde haue prouyd the perfeccyon of the Golde / he fownde it Copir. Wherfore he was replete with indignacyon and cawsid Golde to be Cyted before a iuge / for by cawse he had deceyued hym. Notwithstondynge Golde made his trewe excuse / and sayde to the iuge / that he neuyr solde the potte / nor deuisid it / nor it was neuyr of his generacyon nor kynrede. Wherfore in great haste the iuge cawsyd y^e vendytowris all to be Cyted before hym and punyshed them with greate paynes / and so be compulsyon they confessyd the trowth and shewid that they did it for enuye / whiche they bare agayne Golde / and ther intent was for to haue slaundrid hym that his Name shuld haue bene apayrid and that he shuld not haue bene so precyows / in the worlde. Wherfore the iuge discretelye correctyd them lyke ther deseruynge and comendid. Golde greatly and sayde.

He that is bothe goode and pure

May euyr sleape sowndlye and sure.

[Page] MAnyon intend in lykewyse to diffame ther bettyrs / be false wytnes. And he that berythe false wytnes shall not be vnpunysshed / as it is wryttyn Prouerb .xix. A false wytnes shall not be vnpunyshid and he that spekyth lesynges shall not escape / that is to saye the iugement of Godde. And it is wryttyn in the same place. A false witnes shall perish / as it is wrytyn in collacyonibus patrum. That somtyme an abbotte callyd pafuncyus whan he was yonge and gracyous and sate in his Cell / oon of his bredryn enuyed at hym / and for to put hym to a slawnder he wente and hid his bocke in the bedde of pafunce. And whan masse was fynysshed and endyd and all the monkys were congregate togider / this vntrewe brodyr reportyd and sayd that his boke was stolyn. Wherfore thre brodryn were assygnyd to serche in euery Cell and they fownde the boke in pafuncis bedde / and thus he was falslye accusyd before all his bredryn and assignyd to doo greate penaunce for thefte which he neuyr comyttyd. But notwithstondinge he mekely suffyrde it and performyd it. And whā he had continuyd in penance a sertayne season / this false monke was vexyd with a fende / and publyshed hys offence / with lowde clamoure / and shewid that he had wrought that soteyltye hydinge the boke / and that he did it for enuye / for to haue diffamyd the holy man / and desired hartely that he myght be brought vnto hym to be delyuered fro the fende by his hooly prayers. And whan he was brought before hym he was immediatly helyd and delyueryd from the fendis possessyon. Wherfore saynt Gregory spekyth of false witnes and sayth. He that berithe false wytnesse is culpable to thre personnys. Firste vnto Godde whose penaunce he forsakith. Secounde to the iuge / whome he disseyuith by his lesinges. [Page] Thryd to the innocent whiche he hurtythe by hys false wytnesse. And therfore be the lawe a false wytnesser is bounde to make restitucyon of all suche goods as he hathe cawsid his neybowre to lese be his false recorde.

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BRito saith ther is an erbe namyd Isope apte and goode to pourge the lungis. An othir autor saith that Isope with oxymell destroyeth flewme that is towgh. For which cause Marcurye whome Gentyls namyd to be a God / but he was a false couetous man and an harde. A witche full of wykednes / and an interpretowr of spechis. And whyle he had helth many vicis regnyd in hym therfore he was rightfully smitten of god with dyuers infirmyteis / and was made both lungsyk and Reumatyke that he myght not occupye his accostomyd synnes. wherfore he went to ysope and sayde. The vertewe of God is in the to hele syke folkys. For in erbys woordis and stonys is greate vertewe. Therfore I pray the shewe thy vertewe vppon me / and cure my lungis and destroy the flewme that is in me. And I promyse to God and to the that thowe shalt be partenar of all suche goodes as shall growe to me by the meanis [Page] of Rabeyne and of stelth. To whom Isope answerd & sayde. It is euydently knowin that in thyn helth thou hast doon innumerable crymes / and surely I thinke if thow shuldist now be restoryd agayne to helth / thou woldist doo worse. But the vertewe of God that thou sayst is in me / shall not gyue maintenaunce vnto synne Go fro me therfore / for thowe shalt neuer be helyd by me / and so he put hym forth with greate confusyon & sayd in this wyse.

Synfull people whan they haue helth.

Be euir the worse / and in ther moost welth.

WHan God correctith and scourgithe them that be synfull with passyons of dyuers infirmyteis that they may not synne / & they be not amendid therbye. Certaynlye it is a greate tokyn of perpetuall dampnacyon. For in this lyse present euery stroke of Godys othir purgacyon of synne or ellys begynnyg of payne folowinge. For the chastisement of some folkys begynnyth here in this worlde and duryth euerlasting lye. Of dyuers men it is oftyn sayde. God geuyth not iugement twyes for on thinge. Neuerthelesse that sentence attendith not that that is wrytten. God allmyghty delyueringe his people owte of the londe of Egypte / them that beleuyd not in hym aftirwarde he destroyde. And although that oon fawte be not twyse correctyd. Neuerthelesse yf it be twyes punyshed the firste punyshment begynnyth here and continuith there eter nallye / as it is exemplyfied in those personys that correcte not them self here in this present lyfe. To whom the stroke of God and of his punyshment here is a beginning of euerlastinge tourmente. Here of it is wryttyn in the Psalte Psalmo .cviii. Be they coueryd with ther confusyon as with a dowblette. Diplo is is callyd [Page] a double garment / which they do on / at oon tyme / that [...]e punysshed with temperall payne and dampnacyon perpetuall. Isope tellyth that ther was a kyte so ranenous that he stale whersoeuer he myght haue auauntage were it neuer so nygh the chirche or sanctuarye. In so moche that he was hatefull vnto all men / for the owtrageows rauyne that he vsid. At laste he fell syke so sore that he was lyke to dye / and than he was compuncte and sorye for his synnes and mekyd hym self & sent for his moder in great haste / and sayd to her / Most swete moder I am very syke and feble / and I am dredefull of deth / for I haue bene a great extorcyonar / and [...]oon greate hurte to many folkys. Wherfore I beseche powedere modir to goo to the Temple of Goddis and offre Sacryfice to them for me / that I may escape and recouir of this infyrmyte. For I am redye to be conuertyd to a bettyr lyfe. To whom his moder answerd and sayde. In thy lyfe thow hast greately offendid the Goddys and the sacrid power of them. The rightwysnes of them yeldith to all men aftyr theyr deseruinge. In thy helth thowe haste doone many greate offencys. If thow myghtyste escape / God knowith thow shalt do worse. For very contricyon is none in the. The drede of deth cawsith the to be meke of speche. But verylye as Isayde yf thowe myghtyste haue helthe thowe shuldyste be worse than thowe haste bene. Whersore I wyll not praye for thyn escape. And the kyte dyde / and departed frome the worlde in greate drede and in great heuynesse.

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¶ Of a Tre callyd Abrotanum and of the hare. Dialogo .xxviii.

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ABrotanum as saith Oracyus is a tre which by his propyrte drawith owte all thinge that is infixte / with helpe of an othir thinge callyd anxungial Wherfore an hare that haltyd came mekely to hym which had a sharpe thorn smytyn in his fote and sayde O thow helpar both of bodye and sowle haue pyte on me and hele me / and thus saynge he lyfte his fote and shewyd it to hym. Abrotanum was mouyd with compassyon / and layde him selfe vppon his wownde / and brought owt the thorn and helyd hym. And verely [...] this hare was not forgetfull of this benyfyte / but daylye brought a galon of watre vppon his shuldyrs / and bathyd at the Rote of Abrotanum / & cawsid hym to cō tynewe [Page] grene and fressh and sayde.

To owre benefactours that doth vs goode.

Let vs do seruyce with a gladde mode.

BVt cursyd people and vncurteys doo not soo / but rather sone forgette the benyfytes doon to them. Wherfore of Salamon was askyd what thinge shuld not esylye be forgotyn. And he sayde. Benyfytrs and kyndnes. And therfore sayth Caton. Be thow remembryd of benyfytes doon to the before tyme. And also he sayth. A small gyfte that thy pooer frende geuyth the Receyue it gladlye and remembre to yelde full thankingis therfore. Thow owyst to yelde the benyfites vnto thy frende. with increce yf thy power extende therto / or ellys to haue it oftyn in thy remembrawnce / that thy frende hath shewid to the / that thow mayst gyue hym thankynges at lestwyse for his goodnes / For Seneca sayth. It is a sufficyent and large rewarde / for a goode bede / to be hadde oftyn in Remembraunce. And alsoo the same clerke saith. He is vncurteys that yeldith a good turn withowte vsure and encrece. It is rede in Ecclesiasticall Hystory / that ther was a lyonesse that had a caue nere to the cell of an holy man was callyd Macharye / and this Lyonesse fownde her whelpys blynde and brought them all before the fete of Macharye. And this holy man vnderstondinge that her supplycacion was for her whelpis / and he by his prayers causid them to haue sighte. And this lyonesse for that she wolde not be reputiding rate and vnkynde / oftyntymes she brought the skynnys of all the beastis that she toke to the cell dore of this goode man / and ther left them as for his rewarde. Also an othir beaste came to the cell of saynt Macharye with his sone that was born blynde and be sygnes and tokyns prayde hym of helpe. The [Page] which knowynge the holy man prayde for the whelpe and anon it had sighte. And this beste thankyd hym in her maner / and went her way with her childe / & with in a shorte space she came agayne with all her chyldren lodyd all with shepes kynnes that thei had takyn / and offird them to the holy man for a gyfte / in recompensacyon of his goodnesse / and made to hym obeyssance and went ther waye gyuynge to him worshyp & thankingis

¶ Of Plantayne and of the Ape. Dialogo .xxix.

PLantayne is an erbe most profytable agayne the Feuyr quartayne to be remedyed. Wherfor an Ape that had a sonne vexyde withe that disease / which cowde synde no remedy for him when she had spent greate goodis yn [Page] phisyke and mederynes. Therfore she went vnto Macrum and sayde. I haue compassyd heuyn and erth and ouerwalkyd the londe / and founde no reste to my sonne but nowe at laste I haue founde the so greate a lethe. [...] Therfore gyue me thy councell and helpe that I maye delyuer my chylde frome this quartayne disease. Macer that his cawse shulde be founde trewe sayde thus. Take .iiii. rotys of Plantayne and gyue them the pacyent and he shall soone be curyd. The Ape that hering ordeyned breuely the medecyne and helyd her sone and sayde thus.

A connyge leche that can vs saue.

We muste seke that helth wyll haue.

SO we desyringe helth of owre sowlis muste serche for a preste and a confessowre that is sufficientlye lernyd that both can and maye bynde and vnbynde. Thus owist thou to do thou crysten man or woman to fynde the wayes to saue thy sowle. For Isidore sayth. Euery synner be penance receyuyth helth of his wounde. But the medicyne is to be takyn aftyr the gretnesse of the sore / and aftyr the profoundite and depnes of the wounde the remedye is to be sowghte / as it is rede that dyuers Theuys beynge in greate iubardye and tempest in the see / made a vowe if they myght escape they wold be confessyd. And aftir ther escape they made confessyon to an heremyte. Of whome to the mastir these whan he was confessyd the heremyte inioyned for hys greate offencis and enormyteys that he shuld goo to y^e Pope to be assoylyd. wherfore he kyllyd the Heremyte / & forth he went to the seconde Confessor / and also hym he kyllyd. And so he went vnto the thryd confessor. And whan he had shewyd hym hys Confessyon / he intretyd hym curteyslye / and thus whan he perceyuyd [Page] that he cowde not mollyfye his harte nor withdrawe hym frome his wyckednes / lyk a very fa [...]ir and a princypall leche of sowlys he inioynyd hym that whan any creature was dede / if he were nyghe / he shulde laye the corse in the graue / and so he dyd. And by that me [...]ys he conceuyd a remembraunce / wherto he shulde come and howe sone he knew not. And thus the deed of deth was so fyxed in his mynde that he ordeyned his state bettyr and amendid his lyfe and went in to wyldernesse and toke vppon him greate penaunce and endid in vertewe Wherfore it is wrytten in the glose. Nothing auaylith more to chastise and destroye the flesshly desires / than to thinke oftyn vppon deth.

¶ Of Varuayne and the Wolf. Dialogo .xxx.

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[Page] MAcer saith that whan thow visitest y^e syke if thow bere varuayne vppon y^e and aske of the pacyent how it is with hym / if y^t he saye wele / he shall escape and haue helth. And if he answer and saye it is iuyl with me / ther is no trust of amendment. Wherfor a wolf which was a leche gretely namyd had a syke person in cure and daylye gaue hym good hope of amendment. The foxe knowing the vertewe of Varuayne and intending to begyle the wolf he went to vysite the pacyent and bare with him a brā che of varuayne and inquirid how it stode with him. To whome the syke answerde and sayde. Ful hardlye and full syke I am. The foxe beyng sure that he shuld dye departyd strayghte fro the pacyent and went to the wolf that had hym in cure and askyd of hym howe he thowghte be by the syke persone. Whethir he shulde lyue or dye, To whome the wolf answerde and sayde y^t he shulde soone be curyd and helyd of his disease. For he is in amendinge quod the wolf as I consydre by mocyon of his pulse and also by his vryne. The foxe smylyd and sayde. Leche thow arte begylyd / and knowyst not the crafte of medecyne / for he may not escape by any meane / for the sentence of deth is geuyn to hym. The wolf sayde contrarye / and thus they varyed and stryuyd togider in presence of many personys and layde grete pleggis and waiers .vppon the prof of the trowth of the mater. But breuely to tell. The man dyed and departyd from the worlde within the space of .ix. dayes / and the wolf was confusyd and lost his waiers and al his goode / and Remaynyd in greate pouertye & sayde.

Waiers to laye of thinges vnknowe

Is no wysdome / but madnesse I trowe.

[Page] THerfore beware and bynde not thy self to tho thingis that thow knowist not. Nor speke thou not but that thou arte sure of that thou be not disceyued. For Socrates saith / ther was oon that askyd how he myght best saye Trowth. And he answerde & sayde If thow saye nothinge but that thow knowist for sertayn. Thā shalt thou nat lye. And as y^e philosofre saith If thou fere to speke that thou shalt repent / bettyr it is euyr to be styll. But manyon wyll defende ther sayngis be they good or euyll / to ther power and fall at stryf & debate with euery persone and neuir be in reste. Wherof ther is a tale that a woman which was vsyd and acustomyd to stryue / walkyd by the fylde withe her husbonde / and he sayde the fylde was mowe downe / & she sayd it was shorn. And so they multyplyed so many wordis that at the laste her husbonde all to coryed her. But she wold not be styll / but sayd it was clyppid with sherys. Werfore in a greate angir he cut owte her tonge. And whan she myght no more speke. She made sygnes with her fyngers lyke sherys meaninge the filde was Clypped. A lyke tale is tolde of an othyr woman thewich stryuynge with her husbonde sayd that he was lowsye. And he was mouyd and greuyd withe her for her sayng / and bete her greuously / but she wold not amend her. But came before all her neybowris and callyd hym so to his rebuke. Wherfore he was replete with ire and threwe herin to a water and trade on her and drownyd her. And whan she myght not speke / she lyft vppe her hondes and made tokyns with her them bys as thoughe she kyllyd lyce. Wherfore it is wryttyn Ecelesiast .xxviii. Many haue fall by the stroke of sworde / but not lyke to them that haue be destroyd by the meanys of theyre tongis / and therfore bad speche [Page] is to be refraynyd.

¶ Of a Frute callyd Mandragora / and of the desyrous woman. Dialogo .xxxi.

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AS sayth saynt Augustyn super Genesim Maudragora is of the kynde of an apple. And of this Apple kynde he saith some men haue opynyon if it be receyuyd in mete or drinke. It cawsith secoundite and frutefulnesse to them that be bareyne. And for thys grete vertew which she hath. Venus y^e goddesse of adultery / which excercisid her lechery wiht dyuers personis / went to the mandrake & made her prayer mekely & sayde thus / O thowe best and moste frutefulltre. Loke vppon me and despyse not my prayers / but grawnte me of thy goodnes to be partetaker of the / that I maye conceyue chyldren of them that be my louers / For soth lye I am barayne and withowte the I may not conceyue. [Page] Wherfore I pray the to here my peticyon / and aske of me what thow wolte. To whom the mandrake sayde. O thowe most vnclene of all creatures. For both y^e erthe and the ayre be corrupte and defylyd of thy stynkynge lecherye. But moch more shulde it be infecte / yf thou myghtyst bringe forth lecherows Childryn that myght beholde the multiplyed and lyuyng delectablye Goo thou fro me in all hast possible. For euyn nowe I am replete tedyouslye and stoppid of the stenche of thyn vnclennes. And so the mandrake expulsyd her owte of her presence with confusyon to her and sayde.

Put away strompettis that drede for no shame

Talkynge of them shal hurte thy good name

FOr it is wrytten Ecclesi .ix. The speche of an vnclene woman and Iuyll disposyd brynnythe lyke fyre. He that louith chastite and to kepe hym clene owyth not to talke moche with women. Nor gyue audyence vnto them / but put them of / and gyue them no credence. For it is perylous to the sowle. As saynt Ierome tellyth of a martyr which whan he had ouercome all maner of tourmentys / he was layde in a bedde strawyd full of flowris / where as a strompette was fayre of body lye fauowre / whiche Towchyd his flessh / and mouyd hym to synne. And he hauynge especyall loue to chastyte and clennesse / with his owneteth bote a sondir his tonge and spet it in her face with bloode and all. In confusyon of her corruption and mayntenaunce of hys chastyte. Also a quene of Fraunce whan she sawe oon M. Perotte which was a wyseman and had passingly fayre hondis she callyd hym to her and sayd. O howe worthy be these fayre fyngers for to towche / and to fele the secrete partys of the Queene. This herynge he with drewe his hondis and sayde. Naye ladye [Page] it shal not be soo. For and yf my fyngers shuld touche yow in that maner / and if I shuld kepe them aftyr. I wold thinke them so vnclene of that towchinge that I wold abhorre to put them vnto my mowth euyr aftyr whyll I lyued.

¶ Of the Rosyer and the Partryche Dialogo .xxxii.

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IN a sertayne herbar ther grewe a fayre Rosyer replete with swete rosys / it happyd so that a partryth comynge by and beholdinge the rosys desyryd greatly to haue of them and sayde. O thou beawtyfull flowre of all flowris graunt me of thy Rosys / For I desyre to refresshe my self a while in these swete odowris. To whom the Rosyer answerd [Page] and sayde. Come to me moste interely belouyd sustyr & take to yowr pleasure of the beste and of the f [...]yreste. And whan the partryche was flow yn vppon the Rosyer to gadir the rosys / the sharpe spynis and thornis prykkyd his fete and leggis so sore that gladlye he departyd withowt rosis and sayde in this wyse.

The rosis be both swete and softe.

The thornis be sharpe and prykkyth me ofte.

THe Rosyer betokenithe the worlde. The rosis amonge thornis be worldlye rychesse / which our sauiour remembrith in the Euangely of Luke / & saynt Gregorye saith in the exposicyon of the same. Who shuld beleue me yf I shuld be interpretatiō assemble rychesse to thornis / and especyally for thornis prykke and rychesse be delectable / and neuerthelesse they be Thornis / for be the prykkynge of their inordinate loue they wounde the mynde of man / and whan they bring it vnto synne it is as a blodye wounde newe smyten. And also Bernard saith. yowr rychesse be vayne. For they promyse lordshippe / and cawse thraldom. They promyse suretye and bringe in drede. wherof it is wrytt [...]n i. ad Timotheum .vi. They that wyll be made riche / fall in to greate temptacyon and snaris of the fende and in to dyuerse vnlefull desires vnprofitable and noyhable which bringe men to deth and to perdycyon / as Ierome tellith of Crate Theban a Philosofre / the which threwe a greate peace of fyne golde in to the see & sayd. Goye fro me ye wykkyd couetyse. I drown yowe in to the depe see / for fere that I be not drownyd of yow. To the which a lyke example is put of Saynt Gregory of an othyr Philosofre / whiche bare withe hym by the waye a greate wege of Golde / and in hys mynde reuoluynge and consyderinge that he cowde not possede ryches [Page] and vertewe togidyr. He wylfullye threwe frome hym the Golde and sayde thus. O ye vayne rychesse goo fro me / and euyr mote ye be farre frome. And therfore couetyse is euir to be dispisyd.

¶ Of a Thorny tre callyd Rampnus and of the wylde gote. Dialogo .xxxiii.

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PApye sayth / Rampnus ys a whyte thorn or a thornye tree. Saynt Augustyn sayth in the Glose vppon the Psalter that Rampnus ys a kynde of Thornis most thicke / the which in his erbe is fayre & softe / whan he is yonge / but in processe he waxith thorny & ful of spynys [Page] The wylde gote went to this tre whyle it was in erbe both yonge and tendir and fedde hym self therof sobyrlye and swetelye. Aftyr a whyle this wylde gote remembringe of the swete relece of this tre. Returnyd agayne to hym wyllynge to ete of him as she had doone before tymes. But this tre was than replete withe thornys which were indurate and harde / that whan this goote tastyd and gnewe of them / they were infixed and stak faste in her throte / and in the palate of her mowth and greuyd hersore. This beste for anguysshe and greate payne and for tourmentis that she suffirde cursid thys tre and sayde in this wyse.

Cursyd wretche thy begynnynge was goode.

Now art thou alterde in to a wykked moode.

SO manyon makyth a good beginnynge / but they bringe it to no goode endynge. Wherfor they induce malediccyon vpon them self / as Ierome sayth. In a Crysten man a good endynge is lawdid and comended more than a goode begynnyge. For Pawle began iuyll and endyd wel / Otherwhile the begynnyge is lawdyd / and the endynge is damnyd / as Isidor sayth. The ende is euyr to be sowghte in the lyfe of man. For God beholdith not what we haue be. But in owre laste endynge what we be. And Cipriane sayth. Aftyr his laste ende euery man shalbe sauyd or dampnyd. Ther was somtyme a knyghte wyllynge to entyrin to relygion attendinge the greate offencis and parellys that he had doon with his tonge. wherfore he sente his seruaunte vnto y^e abbot to shewe him his purpose / and also to saye to him that he was mute & redye to be obedyent in euery thing And he was receyuyd there / and they beleuyd that he cowde not speke. And whan he had continuyd ther and greatly profytyd / the abbotte led him to an oth^r knight that [Page] y^t labowrid in extremys. And whan this knyght sawe him greatly trowblyd in his departinge from y^e worlde he wepte hugelye. And whan they were departyd from the knyght / ther came an othir knyght and met withe that same abbot and made faithful promysse to hym y^t as sone as he myght haue oportunite he wolde entyr in to relygion. And so he went forth before them. And as he went ouir a brygge he slode and fell inne / and was drownyd. And the othir knyght goynge with the abbot sawe the sowle of the drownyd knyghte born vppe to heuyn with Aungellys in lykenesse of a monke. wherof he lawghid and reioycyd greatly. And the abbot adsuryd hym and commaundid him in the vertewe of obedience y^t yf he myght speke / he shuld tell why he lawghid so. And he answerde and sayde. Thou hast doone puyl to cawse me speke agayne my wyl. And forthwith he tolde the abbot lyke as he had sene. & y^e abbot whan he hard his saynges / he felldowne prostrate before the knyght & he toke him curteisly & prayde hī to include hī that he myght obserue and kepe his purpose.

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¶ Of a tre callyd Myrtus and of the syke woman Dialogo .xxxiiii.

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MIrtus after the opinion of Isydore ethi mologiarum .xvii .is a tree namyd of the see / for that cawse that it growith on these bankys moche. Therfore of lechis in bokys of lechecrafte they be callyd mirene / and this tre is apte to women in many necessiteys / as they wryte / wherfore ther was a syke woman which had spente and consumyd all her goodis in lechis and medecynes / and cowde fynde no remedye / and at last she went to the see & founde this Myrte in the see bankys to the whiche she made her prayers and sayde. O thow fayre tre haue mercy of me / and graunte to me vnfortunable creature oon of thy braunchis that I may cure me / and put awaye myn infirmyte. To whom this Myrte answerde and sayde. If I gyue to the parte of me what rewarde shal I haue. To whom she sayde. Golde and syluer haue I noon / for I haue consumyd all my goodis in this disease But this I promyse to Godde and to the / that in my prayers I shal euyr haue the in remembraunce / and of suche goodis as God shall sende me here aftyr I shall departe with the. Quod the Myrte thow hast promysed me a greate rewarde if thow wylte pray for me to God almyghtye. Therfore come to me and take what the lykith / and gyue me noon other goode / but oonly kepe thy promesse / and also he sayde.

To gyue them and helpe them that for vs wil praye

We be all bownde and not to saye Naye.

[Page] IN lykewyse we owe to doo to the seruauntes of almyghty God / that they maye praye for vs to hym. For holy prayers maye optayne what they wyll of owr Lorde as saith the glose. Orysons and prayers defendith vs from the Ire of God as a bokler defendith the bodye fro strokys. And Origene saith Oon godeman preuaylyth more in prayinge than many synners in fightynge / as it is exemplyfied. Exodi .xvii. Whan Moyses was in deserte with the children of Israel. A kynge callyd Amalech faught with him. And whan Moyses sawe his aduersary preuayle / and he shulde haue be ouercome / he made recourse vnto his prayers / and lyfte vppe his hondes vnto heuyn and prayde / and then his people hadde the bettyr. And whā he secid and layde downe his hondes / his enymyes had the bettyr. The handis of Moyses were ponderows / & weke / and he myght not longe holde them vppe. wherfore as it is wryttyn .ii. men Aron & Vr / and one of them went to the right arm. An othir to the lefte arm of Moyses / and sustaynyd them / that they were styll erecte vnto the tyme theyr enymyes fledde and durst no lenger byde. Wherby it aperith that prayer cawsithe victorye in batell bodylye apparent. It is redde in historiis transmarinis. That whan Godfray of Bolayne / and his lordis were in the sege of Antioche / and Carbera Prynce of Cheualrye of the kynge of Perce / with a greate multitude of Turkys and Sarazyns had layde them rownde aboute. Thei were so sore afflicte withe hongre & thruste / that they had nothinge to ete / & ther horsys for great hōgre ete y^e barkis of treys / & whā thei had made ther prayers to God / thei cam out manly agayn the Turkis redy to iubarde ther lyuis / & god sent vpon them / & vpon their horsis a Celestyall dewe. By [Page] the swetnesse of the which both they and theyre horsis were so fortified and refresshid by the space of thre days that they ouercame the sarazyns and put thē to flighte and toke many of them / and ther goodes. wherby it aperith howe preualent prayer is / whā it is proferryd with deuocyon and swettenes.

¶ Of the hyghe Cedretre. Dialogo .xxxv.

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A Cedretre hyghe and apparente was plantyd in a mowntayne which shewed aboue all othir plesauntlye / in somoche that manyon went vppe to se it / and of that sight they were greatly Cheryd. And commandid it withe great commendacyon. Wherfore this [Page] Cedre magnyfied her self inwardly and sayd within her self. I am gretly spokyn of / and lawdid of euery mā for my lawdable beawte which is worthy to be lawdyd But I trowe that if the smale plantis and treys that be grene and growe rownde abowt me / were cut down or pluckyd vppe I shulde apere moste goodely and large withowt comparyson. Therfor me thinkith it most sure to mayme them / or fell them downe be tymes / or they ascend to highe / that they take not awaye my worshyppe nor appayre it. And thus sayinge she cawsid all the yonge plantys and treys that grewe abowte her to be cut downe / and pluckyd vppe by the rote. Wherfore she aperyd nakyd and bare and within fewe dayes a greate wynde blewe fro the mowntaynes & the prowd Cedre was Curuate and ouerthrowe / and pluckyd vp by the Roote. And than she spake and sayde with grete heuynesse.

They that be rulers may nothinge auayle.

If they that be vndyr of helpe doth them fayle

BVt manyon wyl not beleue that / but rathir couet them self oonly to apere worshypfull / and to destroye other that be vnder. As it is exemplyfyed / howe the olyue and the greate rissh stryuyd togider and the olyue sayde to the rissh. Thou art but an vnprofitable wretche / but I am preualent / for I mynistre oyle vnto the helpe of man. To whom the riche answerde and sayde. Thou shalt see anon of what profyt I am / and sodeynly she was blowyn with a great wynde / frome oon waye to an othir / and as the wynde chawngyd soo she bowyd / and had no harm. And than she sayde to the olyur. More auaylyth wekenesse with mekenesse / then strength with pryde. A chylde whan he is born geuyth vs exemple of humylyte / for he is born to lyue lyke a [Page] beaste crokyd and on all sowre / for as Dauyd sayth. He is comparyd vnto bestis insypiente and made lyke vnto them / and also he is born wepinge and not lawghinge / as it is wrytten Sapience .vii. The first voyce of all I haue shewyd in wepinge. And saynt Augustyn saith in his boke de Ciuitate Dei. A chylde whan he is born beginnith with wepinge. Not knowinge what hurte he shall suffre. Allonly zoroastes lawghid whā he was born / and neuerthelesse his lawghtir profited him but lytel. For he was the first inuentowre and begynner of art magyk / and wychecrafte / and he was a kynge callyd kynge of Bactryanys / but notwithstondinge he was slayne of the kynge of Assyrye that was callyd Nynus. Saynt Iohan also saith that owre Lorde weppyd whan he Reysyd lazar / and the chefe cawse of his wepinge was for that he was in maner constrayned for the gostely helth of dyuers personys to call vp his moost tenderly belouyd frende vnto this troublous and mortall lyfe. Wherfor as solinus saith. A custome hath continuyd amonge certayn people / and yit it continuyth. That whan a chylde is born / the fader and moder of it make greate lamentacyon and mournige. And whan it is dede / it is brought to the graue withe greate myrth and gladnesse.

¶ Of twayn dyuerse treys. Dialogo .xxxvi.

TReys twayn grewenygh togider vpon an hyl syde. Of the which oon was fayre and goodely in apparence / and fresshly leuyd and frutefull. The othir was olde and vncomlye to beholde To theis tway treys came moche people / and seynge the greate dissymilitude betwene them. They [Page]

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sayde. It were rightfull and wel doon to smyte down y^e fowle tre the which so gretly defacyth and apeyrith the beawte of the other tre. And whan they wolde haue smytte it down. The tre spake to them and sayde. O ye wise men / it is wrytten in the lawe / Leuitici .xix. Iuge thow rightfully to thy Neybowre. For whan owr lorde by his power went agayne Sodome to Iuge the wycked men and synners of that contre / he sayd vnto Abraham. Gene .xviii. The clamowre of Sodome is greatly multiplyed I shall descende & beholde whedyr they haue fulfylled in dede the clamowre that hath come to me. as who sayth. Gyue not alwaye credence to wyckyd talis or euyr ye be assuryd of the profe. Therfore a iuge maye not punysh synne / but oonly that is openlye knowen. Wherof hit is wrytten Iohannes octauo. That owre Lorde sayde vnto the woman that was accusyd in adulterye. Noman hathe condempnyd the woman / and she answerde and sayde thus. [Page] Noman goode Lorde. And owre Lorde sayde. Nor I shal condempne the. Therfore dampne me not tell ye haue prouyd of my frewte. For owr sauyour sayth. Mat .vii By theyr frewtys ye shall knowe them. The people stode styll herynge thys / and assayde of the frewte. And whan they hadde tastyd of the fayre tre / and founde no good releece in the frewte therof. They despysyd both y^e teee and the frewt / and made a profe of the fowle treys frewte. and they founde it swetely sauowrid and delycyouslye relecyd. and all thei togider gaue laude to God and commendid the frewte and sayde.

Science and wisdome it is veray dede.

To make a dewe profe / or the sentence procede.

ISydore saith. Condempne no man before he be iugyd. Fyrst proue and then iuge / for thow arte bounde to knowe the trowth or thow gyue sentence. and Gregory sayth. He that dampnithe a iuste man / sleyth the man lyuynge. and he that intendith to saue the wycked man / besieth hym self to quyckyn the dede / a iuge shuld neuyr proferre any sentence in ire nor withowte grete examinacyon. For it is wryttyn Prouerbi .xxvii. Ire hath no mercye / wherof Valery tellith in his sixte boke. Cap .ii. That kynge Philippe / whan he was in ebriate & replete with wyne / he gaue a wronge sentence againe a widowe / and she cam to hym & sayd she apelyd fro Philippe vnsobre vnto Philippe sobre. and whan he had digestyd that wyne he rouokyd his sentence / a lyke tale is tolde of a synfull woman / the which was cruelly iugid of Tholome kynge of egypte. and she withowte fere or drede appelyd vnto the benygnyte of the same kynge. Which he consyderinge aftirwarde reuokyd his sentence / and sayde / that the benygnyte [Page] and mekenesse of hym be very law / owith to ouer come all his iugement that procedid of cruelte.

¶ Of the Dolphyn and the Ele. Dialogo .xxxvii.

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DElphinus is a fissh of the which Isidore wrytteth Ethimologiar .xii. where he sayth that Dolphyns haue this custome that they folowe the voyce of man. Or vnto the noyse of a symphan they wyll lyghtly come togider. Nothinge in the see is more swyfte. For oftyntymes they ouertake shyppes saylynge and ouerpasse them. Whan they play in the floodes & leepe and make greate labowre in the wawes of the see. They signyfie greate tempestes. These be callyd properly symones. It is also the dolphyns kynde with sharpe prickys [Page] in his backe to sle crocodylles / ryppinge the softe belyes of them. Ther was a sertayne dolphyn in the see that founde an Ele / amonge the flodes / and stoppid her passage and pursewyd aftyr her. And whan he had takyn her of tyntymes he cowde not kepe her / she was so slypper / that euyr she escapid. Wherof the Dolphyn was greatly sorye. The Ele wyllynge to mocke the Dolphyn and to escape from him / she spake sotelly to hym and sayde. O thou merueylous Dolphyn I sorow hugely for the. For thy labowre is great to swym thus aftyr me / and thy harte is not mery. But thow labowrist in vayne / for thou shalt neuer take me / in the depnesse of the watyr. But goo with me into the mudde / & in to the drye grownde / and thou shalt haue me at thy wyll. This dolphyn was folyssh and had loste his wytte / for angyr and gulosite / and swam aftyr the ele a grete pace / intendinge to destroye her. The Ele brought the dolphyn vnto shalowe watyrs and sprange in to y^e mydde / and sayde to the dolphyn / come to me for the rotys of the erbys shal let my passage / and thow mayste satisfye thyn apetite of me. The Dolphyn made a grete lepe to catche the ele. But she lurkyd vnder the mudde and the Dolphyn stak fast in the myre. And within a whyle ther cam a fyssher and smote throwe the Dolphyn and sayde.

He that hath affeccyon with his enymye to goo

His hurte is to be dowbtyd of his mortall foo.

BEware & despyse therfor not thy enymye though he be not myghtye / but trust hym not / and beware that he deceyue the not / for Seneca sayth. A weke enymye it is wysdome to drede / it is tolde in the morall lore of philosofers that xerses kynge of Mede / ordeyned a greate batell agayn the Grekys / and gadrid an [Page] hoste innumerable. Wherfore oone of his sayde vnto hym. The Grekys shall neuer abyde the Iubardye of thy greate hoste / but they shall turn ther backys as sone as euyr they here of thy comyng / an othir of his seruauntes sayde vnto hym. It is to be drad that the kyng shall fynde cyteys and townys deserte and voyde of inhabitauntes / and therfore he shall not mowe shew the greate strenth of his people. The thrid also sayde to y^e kynge. The see is to narowe for the shippes. The castellys to lytell for the knyghtes. The feldis not large I nowgh for the fotemen. The skye verye scante to the arows of the innumerable multitude of the medonys. And whyll that they steryd the kyng in this wyse / and fortifyed hym with greate wordis and estymacyon of inuincyble power / and despisyd ther enymyes Damachus the philosofre sayde to the kynge. This greate multitude of people that pleasith the. Is to be dredde of the. For it is very trewe / that a greate multitude of people can neuer be well rulyd. And that thinge which cannot be well rulyd maye not continewe / and therfore ther is nothing so grete but it perissheth. And euyn so it happyd as thys Philosofre Damachus had before sayde. For that greate puyssawnce of people / thinkinge them self in suuetye / for lakke of gydynge / and prouidence was scomfight and ouerthrowe / of but a fewe of ware personys / and wyselye ordird by greate polycye and wysdome.

¶ Of the Marmayde and the Lechowre. Dialogo .xxxviii.

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SIren is a monstre of the see / and in owr tong it is callyd a Marmayde. For fro the nauyl vpwarde it is a fayre mayde. And fro thens downwarde it is al fissh. This monstre singeth so swetely oftyntymes that for the grete swetnesse of her songe. Shipmen forgete them self many tymes / and let theyr shippis be vngidid and fall in slepe / and therfore manyon of them peryshe. A sertayn man vnclene myndyd and lecherowsly disposyd saylinge by the see coostes / espyed this Syren most fayre and couetyd her and stered her to lecherye. Thys monstre sange merylye and made noyse euer the lenger the swetter / and ordeynyd her self redy to disceyue this lecherows man and sayd to him. As I considre thy loue is greate to me. Wherfore if thow wilt haue thi desire of me / descende and come to me in to the floodes / and at thyn owne wyll my bodye shall be redye. This man was so sore brent and inflamyd with lecherows desire [Page] that he vtterlye forgate his owne wele and toke no cure of hym self / but madlye lepte in to the see / & destroyd hym self. And she swam forth in to the see as she was wonde to doo / and sayde.

A man that to woman his credence wyll geue.

Ordaynyth a snare him selfe to myscheue.

THerfore vnclene men owe to be ware / that thei perissh not throwe the beawte of woman / for that hath causyd manyon to peryssh / as it is wryttyn Ecclesiasti .ix. Wherfore the wyseman geuyth holsome counsell and saith in that same place. Coueyte thow no vyrgyne that thow be not slaundrid in the beawte of her. For the holy man Iob this consydering sayd. Iob .xxxi I haue made conuenaunt with myn eyn that I shulde not thinke on a mayden. Wherfore Barnarde sayth. The beawte of a woman is lyke a poysond arowe that woundith the sowle and puttith in venyme. wherfore whan Pares had takyn Elayne to his wyfe / dyuers of the philosofirs came to see her / and whan they saw her greate beawte / they coueryd ther Ien and sayde. Flee we flee we. For truly it noyeth more to the sowle / to beholde a fayre woman than a fowle. As oon rehersith & tellyth that a philosofre callyd democritus / put out his owne Ien. And as these other philosofirs shewe. He did it for thre dyuerse cawsis. The first cawse was / for his sight lettyd hym from his inwarde goode meditacyons The secounde for he was impacyent to see wretchis & synners flowre in greate prosperite. The thryd for he cowde not loke on women / with owte concupiscens and inordynate desyre. And therfor the sight of y^e Ien owith to be kepte clene / that the sowle may be preseruyd from synfull affeccyon and corrupcyon.

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¶Of a glotonous Fyssh or Beste callyd Venter Marinus. Dialogo .xxxix.

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VEnter Marinus. Is a belue of the see Whiche sechith his meate both in the watyr and in the londe / and also drownyth hym self in the wawys of the see lyke a Fissh / and goith on the drye londe lyke a beaste. Oon of these vppon a tyme / whan he had sownde mete of the watyr / he ete it on the londe / for cawse that watyrbeastis shulde notte ete with hym / an othertyme whā he had takyn mete on the londe. He ete it in the watyrs that it shulde not be takyn from hym by the beastis of the londe. And thus he continued and neuer departyd of hismetc to eny that askyd parte / but lyke an insaciable gloton kepte all to hym self. Wherfore he was odyows and hatefull to all othir beastis and fisshes. The tyme of age and of affliccyon came on hym / and he was both olde and impotent [Page] in somoche that he myght not swym / nor labowre by y^e see nor goo on the londe. Wherfore he was very nedy & hongry and constraynyd with grete pouerte to aske his leuynge for almysse. But forasmoche as he neuyr gaue of his own to othir whan he had plentye. Noon wolde departe with hym in his necessite. And therfor he made greate heuynesse and sayde.

Seke for helpe bitterly he shal & seldom spede.

That to noon other wilhelpe at ther Nede.

MAny suche there be / that wyll nothinge departe withall for couetyse and gulosyte / dredynge that they shall lacke sustynaunce and temperall goodis. But as saynt Gregory saith. worldely substaunce is multiplyed and increcid whan it is distribute to the pouer people. And also he sayth. He that geuyth almesse. Receyuith more than he geuyth. And also it is wrytten Prouerb .xxviii. He that geuith to the nedye / shall not be nedye. And he that despiseth the asker shall be indigent. whan a sertayne persone had prechid the Gospell vppon a tyme at saynte Vyctowris. The monkys of the same place askyd of hym why they were powrer in goodis / and more greuously indettyd / than they were wonde to be / and notwithstondynge they l [...]uyd more sparynglye / and there rentis and lyuylode were increcyd. To whome he answerde and sayde that they somtyme had a proctowre in ther hous which ordeyned thē all thinge nedefull. But becawse he was iniustelye expulsyd owte of the abbay with his felowe. For that tyme ther might no plentye growe / tyll he were reuokyd & callyd home agayne / & his name was dabitur vobis / y^t was goon with his felow callyd date. But & if thei wolde kepe theyre customable hospytalyte / as they hadde before vsyd. He shulde retourne agayne and brynge [Page] with him greate had oundance and plente / saynge owr Lorde Iesu / Geue ye and it shall be geuyn vnto yowe. Luce sexto.

¶ Of a Fissher and of .v. Fisshys. Dialogo .xl.

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FIsshes .v .callyd dentales / yong fal and lustye swam in the see floodes. But a Fissher comynge bye and seynge them cast his nettis and ordeyned to them. These fisshes seynge that sayd. Gode it is that we stronglye swym togider / and breke the nettis / that they neuer shall dysceyue fyssh more / for we be stronge and we may vyolently perfourme owre intent / by the Reason of owre great myght and strength In the depnesse of the watyr laye an olde fissh and a wise callyd a stourgyn. And whan he had harde all this / [Page] he rose vppe and went to these yonge fysshes and sayde Children your thoughte is but foly. I counsell yow yf ye loue your helth to eschewe the nettis / or ellys ye shal make greate mournige and heuynesse whan ye be takin in them and be in daunger and not escape. These Fisshes whiche were yonge and lustye trustinge to themself and despisinge the holsome counsell of ther senyour Ioynyd ther strenghthis togider and swam in to the nettis trustinge to disruppe them and breke them. But the nettis mollyfied themself that the stroke of them myght not preuayle / and so they were takyn / and aftirwarde they weppid and made greate lamentation and sayde.

Good it is alway counsell to haue.

Of such as be wise / that from parell may saue.

THerfore I aduise euery man to attende to the counsel of them that be sadde / and wise / and not to the Counsell of yongmen and folys. For folys louith folye and all thercounsell a greyth to the same / yongmen haue no veray rype reason / and thei loue tho thinges that longe to yowth / & they be apliable vnto them / as saith Iob .xii. In agid folke is wysdome / and in longe tyme greate prudence. Wherfore it is commaundid Ecclesi. The narracyon of senyours let not passe the. For they haue lernyd of ther fadirs before tyme / as Tullye saith be senectute. Greate thinges be not gidyd be strength / or swyftnes / or fyersnes of the bodye / but by counsell Maturite and scyrnce. Gyuers of goode counsell doo more then othir / for they be lyke vnto gouernowris in a shippe. Wherfore Philosofers preuaylyd in greate batellys by ther greate counsell / rathir then princes with all thes harneys and strength / as it is sayde prouerbio .xxiiii. Batell is begon with preordinaunce and disposycyon [Page] / and ther shall be helth as is goode counsell. Therfore Alexander optaynyd and had victorye / for he guydyd his oste by counsell / as saith Pompeyus Trogu [...] libro tercio. Alexander whan he shulde goo to a iubardows batell. He chose no yonge men to goo withe hym / but olde men & wise / especyally of his counsell / & such as had bene in counsell with his fader & in seruyce with hī before tyme / y^t not oonly knyghtes but maisters of knyghtes they were acountyd. & of his othir seruātis ther went noon with him vndyr the age of. lx. yeris. And contrary was of the oste of darye / and therfore Alexander was victoriows / and Darius was victe and ouercome / and so it aperith that goode counsell gretely preuaylyth.

¶ Of a see wolf callyd Lucyus / and a serpent callyd Basiliscus. Dialogo .xli.

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[Page] THe see wolfe callyd Lucyus / hath in his right cheke a spyne or a bone lyke to a crosse. And yf thow seke diligentlye / thow shalt fynde it. Take it and wrappe it in a lynen cloth / and bere it with the / and thow shalt not be takyn of thyn enymyes / and yf thow be takyn they shall not be takyn of thyn enymyes / and yf thowe be takyn they shall not longe kepe the / and it is sayde that this hath bene oftyn prouyd. Ther is a serpent callyd Basyliscus aftyr the langage of Greke. In Latyn hit is callyd Regulus / forasmoche as it is kynge of all serpentis / as wrytteth Isidore. And in englyssh some folke callyth it a Cokatrice. All serpentis seynge hym be ferefull / and slee fro hym / for with his smellynge he sleyth them. With his breth also / and with his loke he destroyeth al thinge that berithe lyfe. For the syght of him harmeles no byrde can escape. And thoughe she be farre frome hym / she is deuowrid and brent with his mowth. Notwithstandinge a wesyll ouercomith him. Therfor men bere these wesyls vnto the cauys where as these serpentis lurkyth / for almyghty God left nothinge without remedye. This serpent Basylyscus seynge the wesyll fleyth / whome Mustela callyd in Englyssh a wesyll / purswith and kyllyth. And this Mustela is but a lytell beste of half a fote longe and spottyd withe whyte spottis. These serpentis Reguly be scorpyons hauyng ther beynge there drynesse is. And whan they come to watyr they brede. Idrophodos and Lymphaticos / for they Intoxicate and poyson the watyrs and cawse thē to be dedly noyhable to man. This regulꝰ also is callyd sibilis of many folk / for with his hyssing somtym & oftin he sleith or euir he bite or styng. thꝰ hiderto writith of hī Isidor. lib .xii .ca .iiii. but Pliniꝰ. lib .viii .ca .xxii. sayth, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] Emōge the hespery Ethiopis is a well. Which is supposyd to be the hede of Nyle / nygh vnto the which is a wylde beaste or serpent callyd Cacoblephas / but lytel of bodye / slowe in all his membris / beringe a greuous hede / which continually is lokynge downwarde to the erthe. Or ellys he shulde be destruccyon of all man kynde. For all men that shulde beholde the eyn of him shulde dye. Of equall strength is this serpent of the basyliske or Cokatrice / and he is bred in a prouynce callyd coronea / and his bodye conteynith in length .xii. fyngers longe / and he goyth with a whyte spotte on his hede / & he hath a crown on his hede or a combe. With his hysfynge he putteth all serpentis to flyghte / and he wrappyth not his bodye in many foldyngis / but he is erecte and hygh in goynge / He dryeth vppe frute treys / & brennith and exurith herbis / not oonly in towchinge / but also withe his blaste and hyssynge he corruptith and destroyeth all thinge lyinge rowndeabowte him. He is also of so greate venymosyte and pernycyon that he destroyeth and sleyth them that towche him / with pole or shafte be it neuer so longe withowt tariynge / Mustela destroyeth this serpent and ouercomith him. For to god it pleasith to ordeyne all thinge with remedye and euery creature to haue his peere. And also the deth of this serpent cawsyd by the wesyll is also the deth of the wesyll and that cawsith the greate stenche of the serpent. And this is very trowth but yf this lytyll mustele this we fyll be defensyd with frycacyon and rubbynge of rewe / & fedynge of the same erbe / which meruelously defendith fro poysonde sauowres as saith Aristotle and also auycenne. First therfore this lytyll wesyll goyth and etith of this erbe rewe / though that it be bettyr. And so by y^e vertewe of the iuse of this byttir erbe / she goith boldely [Page] agayneher enymye & ouercomith hi. & though this serpent basyliscus be venymous withowt remedye whyl he is leuyng neuerthelesse whan he is brent in to asshis he lesyth the malyce of his venyme / and the asshis of him be thought profitable in the operacyōs of alkymye and especyally in transmutacyons of metallys. This sarpent basiliscus went vnto the see syde in the habyte of a monke lyke as he had bene a relygyous man / and callyd vnto him this for sayde see wolf or luce and sayd. O brodyr forasmoche as thowe arte signyd with the signe of the crosse I am assuryd that thow art a perfight Crysten man. Therfor com to me for I desyre to be lernyd of the crystis faith. And to be crystened / that I may escape the dredefull iugement of God / and to haue fruycyon of euerlastinge ioye. This lucius beholdinge thys serpent and knowinge him spake vnto him and sayde. O thow false ypocryte. A cowle makith not a monke. Nor clothis of relygyon make nat a Relygyoꝰ mā / but vertewe and Relygyous conuersacyon. Thy wordys be wycked and dowble / for thew intendist not to be crystened of me / but rathir thow thinkyst to disceyue me & to poyson me / and therfore I wyl not here y^e / And thys [...]ssh immediatlye coueryd hym self in the watyr & swā forth and left y^t serpent with confusyon and sayde.

A false ypocryte full of pompe and pryde.

Is euyr subtyll all vertewe layde a syde.

OF all suche owr sauyowr commaundith vs to beware saynge. Mat .vii. be ye ware of them y^t comt [...]yow in their clothinge lyke shepe / For inwardly thei be woluis rapawnte / of y^e which Isidor spekith & saith ypocrytes be very bad inwardlye and in thinges secrete And openly in thinges apparent they shewe them self to be veray goode. To such it is conuenyently sayde by [Page] the worde of God. Mat .xxiii. Wo be to yowe ye false ypocrytes / for ye be made lyke vnto white beryellys or grauys / which apere fayre owtwarde / and within thei be full of Rotyn bonys / of dede men. And yowe in lykewyse apeere owtewarde vnto men goode and ryghtwis But within ye be replete withe auaryce and wyckednes. It is redde that whan saynt Hillarye was goone to dispute agayne heretikes. The Deuyll folowid hym in lyknes of a seruaunte / and broughte his Cope aftyr him / and was very seruycehable to him in many other thinges. And as it had bene for compassyon he prayde saynte Hyllari to medle but lytyll watyr with his wyne for cause of his labowre / and he was greable. And aftyr that he desyrid hym to drinke pure wyne / withowte any delay of watyr. And so he did. And then he mouyd him to ete flessh / and so he chaunged his penaunce and toke him to flessh. And aftirwarde whan they came togider to a town he tolde saynt hylarye ther was a Relygious woman desyringe to speke with him. And whā they had talkyd togider the holy man was infecte with concupiscens and sawghte the meanys howe for to folowe his flesshly apetite. But it was shewyd vnto him by the Reuelacyon of God and of saynt Martyne / that it was the workynge of the Deuyll. And saynt Martyne came & expulsyd hym and shewid him as he was. And thus almyghty God delyueryd Hillary from temptacyon by the greate merites of saynte Martyne

¶ Of the Sturgyon that went to the see. Dialogo .xlii.

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A Sturgyon great and famowse laye in a floode of pade which is in Lombardye / whō all fisshes of pade worshiped and dred / for his great excellence and strength. Wherfor he was lyft vp with in him self / and sayde. What is it vaylehable or worshypfull to me to be associate to fisshes of lome degre. For though they referre to me lawde and honowre / they be of no reputacyon. Bettyr it is to me to goo to the greate see / which is so large & spacyows where as be Fisshes without nōbre & great beluys of y^e see / & diuers oth^r / for of thē I shal be magnified for my worthinesse / & I shal be very famous emonge them. and thus saynge he departyd fro the floodes / & swam to the see. & whyle y^e he was ther & behelde y^e fisshes so great & fierse he repentid sore his doyng for y^e ferefull sight of thē. He couetyd gretly to tourn agayn / not knowig what was beste to do for y^e gret furyousnes of y^e bestes / emōg aloth^r felchꝰ which [Page] as a beaste or a fissh of y^e for namyd a see cals most cruell and dredefull came and lokyd vpon this sturgyon and sayde vnto hym. why art not thow shanre faste to go amonge them y^t be so greate aboue y^e / withoute y^e lycence of them. Certaynly thou shalt not be vnpunyshed / & with y^t same woorde he went to him and destroyd hym and sayde.

Euery man chastise him self and amende.

By example of him that vaynlye wolde ascende

THerfore whan any persone is greate and sufficiently honowrid in any place. Stody he not to apere gretter. Nor to be conuersaunt emonge lorbis and statis / y^t be of excellent power / nor assocyate him self vnto them. For Seneca saith. A small thinge may not longe stonde with a greate. And also he sayth. A shippe is greate in apparence / beynge in the floode. But in y^e greate see he semyth but lytyll. The gydynge y^t to some shippe is greate / to some is but smal. Ther is a fable y^t whan y^e frogge sawe a great fat oxe lyinge in y^e pasture / she desirid to be as greate as he. And whan this frogge had inflate and blowyn her self / as greate nygh as y^e skynne wold hold. She askyd of her children if she were not so great as y^e oxe. & they sayd. Noo. The frogge blew her skyn gretter than she didfirst tyme. Intending to be as grete as y^e oxe / & so her skyn was ouyr straynyd & brast & she dyed / therfore it is not good any man to erecte or lyfte vp him self more then becomythe him y^t he perissh not as did the frogge. For Isidore saith All pryde lyeth somoch y^t lower. Howe moche he desyreth to be high. For why. Aungell for pryde was made a Deuyll / kynge sawle also for the same was made a [...]emonyak and Nabudonosor was made lyke a beaste and all for the synne of pryde.

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[Page] IT happyd in a greate solempne Feste. Fisshes of the floode walkyd togidre aftyr dynar in greate Tranquillyte and peace / for to take ther recreacyon and so lace / but the Carpe began to trowble the Feste erectynge hym self by pryde & saynge / I am worthy to be lawdyd aboue all othir / for my flessh is delicate and swete more then it can be tolde of. I haue not be nourrisshed nothir in dychesse / nor ston dynghwatyrs nor pondes / but I haue be brought vppe in the floode of the greate garde. Wherfore I owe to be Prynce and regent amonge all yowe. Ther is a Fissh callyd Tymassus / hauinge his Name of a flowre / for Timus is callyd a flowre. And this Tymallus is a fissh of the see / as saith Isidore / Ethimologiarum .xii. and all thoughe that he be fauoureable in sight and detectable in taste / yit moreouir the Fyssh of hym sineslyth swete lyke a flowre and geuith a plesaunte odour And so this Fyssh Tymallus / heringe this saynge of the Carpe had greate scorne of him and sterte forth & sayde. It is not as thou sayste. For I shine more bright then thowe and excede the in odowre and relece. Who may be comparyd vnto me / for he that tyndith me hath a greate tresowre. If thow haue thy dwellynge oonly in the watir of garde. I haue myn abydynge in many large floodes. And so emonge them were greate stryuis and contencyons. Wherfore the feste was tournyd in to great trowble / For some fauowryd the parte of the one and some of the othir / so that be lykly hode there shuld haue growen greate my schefe emonge them. For euery of them began to snak at othir & wolde haue torn eche other on smale pecys. Ther was monge all othir a fissh callyd Truta euyr mouyd to breke stryfe. And soo thys [Page] trowte forasmoche as she was agid / and wele lernyd she spake and sayde. Bredryn it is not good to stryue & fight for vayne lawdatowris and praysers. For I prayse not my self though some personis thinke me worthy to be commendid / for it is wryttyn. Themowth of an othir man mote commende the and not thyn owne. For all commendacyon and lawde of hym self is fowle in y^e mouth of the spekar. Therfore bettyr hit is that those that prayse them self goo togider to the see iuge that is the Dolphyn which is a iuste iuge and a rightfull and dredinge God for he shall rightfully detertermyn this mater. This counsell plesyd them well and forth went these twayn togider vnto the Dolphyn and shewyd to him all ther myndes / and to ther power comendid thē self. To whom the dolphyn sayde. Children I neuyr sawe yowe tell this tyme for ye be alway hydde in the floodes and I am steringe in the greate wawys of the see. Wherfore I cannot gyue ryghtfull sentence betwene yowe / but yf I first assaye and make a taste of yowe And thus saynge he gaue a sprynge and swalowyd them in both two and sayde.

Noman owith hym self to commende.

Aboue all other laste he offende.

ANd so some folke lawde and commende them self and ther owne dedys desyringe to erecte and lyft vp them self by pryde and vanyte aboue all othir. But lowlye people and rightfull despyse them self. And gregory saith. Then owr workys growe and increce by me ryte when they be leste set bye in owre owne myndes. Wherof it is wryttyn. Iob .xxxi. If I kysse my honde with myn owne mowth / that is a greate wyckednesse. He kyssyth his owne honde that praysith his owne dedys. Therfore Verite and Trowthe / hym self techyth [Page] vs saynge. Luce .xvii. Whan ye haue perfourmyd all thinge that is commaundyd yowe / saye ye. We haue doone as we owght to do and yitte be we vnprofitable seruauntis. It is in Fables that byrdes fownde a neste Ornate of Rooses and Flowres / and the Egle Kynge of all byrdes sayde that the neste shulde be geuyn to the moost noble byrde. And he cawsyd all the byrdes of heuyn to be callyd togider / and askyd of all them whiche was the mooste fayre byrde. And the Cuckowe answerde and sayde. The Cuckowe. And the Egle demaundid which was the strengest byrde / and the Cuckowe sayde I. And the Egle was greuyd and sayde. Thow vnhappy Cuckowe thow euyr praysist thy self and neuerthelesse thow arte not fayrest / dor swyftest. Nor strē gest. Nor thy songe is not very swete. But thowe euyr cryest oone crye. And therfore I gyue this sentence of dā pnacyon agaynst the / that thou [...] haue this neste nor noon other. In lykewyse many folkes euyr prayse and commende them selfe and synge allwaye oon songe lyke the Cuckowe.

¶ Of the Frogge and the Crabbe. Dialogo .xlvii.

THe Frogge vppon a tyme whan she sawe the Crabbe swymmynge by the watersyde spake and sayde. What is he this so fowle & vncomly y^t is so bold to trouble my watyr. Forsomoch as I am mighty & strōge both in watyr & lond I shal go & dryue him away. And aftir this saying she made a lepe as though she wold haue oppressyd y^e crabbe & sayde. O thow wretche why arte not thow shame faste to entyr in to my restynge place. Arte not thowe [Page]

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Confusyd to [...] the watyr that is so fayre & bright whan thow a [...] so fowle soo blacke and soo odyows. The Crabbe as he is vsyd to do went euyr bakwarde saynge to the Frogge. Syster saye not soo. For I desyre to haue thy loue / and to be at peace withe the. Therfore I praye the entyr not vppon me withe vyolence / And the Frogge seynge hym goynge bakwarde beleuid that he had doone soo for fere of her. Wherfore she begā to greue him more and more / both with woordes and dedys / saynge withdrawe not thy self thowe moost fowle for thow mayst not escape. For this same daye I shall fede Fysshes with the. And euyn forthwith that same woorde she made a lepe wyllynge to sle the Crabbe. The Crabbe seynge the greate iubardye and that he cowde not escape. He tournyd him self and disposyd him to batell and caught the Frogge with his cleys and bote her and plukkyd her to smale pecys and sayde.

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He that to batell is compellyd to goo.

Let him fight manly with his mortall foo.

EVery creature owith as ferforth as euyr he can or maye to the vttermost of his power to fle fro batell and stryfe. But yf he cannot eschew it by no meane / or he shuld suffre him self to dye or to be slayne he maye to his power fight and with stonde his enymyes. Dauyd the composytor of Psalmis desyred to be crepte and delyueryd frome suche personys and sayde. Psalmo. lvii. O good Lorde / delyuer thow me from thē that ryse agayne me. And also he prayde all suche to be destroyed saynge. Psalmo. lxii. Destroye thowe suche people as loue batell and fyghtynge. We owe not oonly to fight for owr owne cause. But also for the diffence of owre frendes / and especially of fader and moder / and for the commune profyte to be sauyd as Valery shewith in lib .v .cap .iiii. that whan kynge Daryus had entrid y^e coostis of the contray of scythyns. The people of the same contraye sent to hym / and sayde that they myghte suffir the destruccyon of both ther vynes and cornys. But and if they towchid the sepulchris of ther frendes / then shulde they fele the power of the scythins / and the strength of them. For thei for diffence therof and for the commune wele were redy to dye. So we ow to loue our frendis and contray somoche / that for the conseruacyon of them in tyme of nede we shall iubard owre lyuis. Valery also tellyth libro .v .cap .vii. That whan Codrus kynge of Athenys / was mouid by his enymys to batell He had an Answer of Apollyne. That his oste shulde haue victorye yf he wolde suffre him self to be slayne of his enymyes. The whiche answer whan his enymyes knewe / they comaundid that noman shulde towche the kynge. Then he chaungid his clothinge & went agayn [Page] his enymyes and mette with a knyght and smote hym with his wepyne / and he fell vppon hym and kyllyd hī And whan the bodye of the kynge was seyn dede / and knowen the enymyes fled and left all theyr goodes behynde them. Remembringe that it was before sayde y^t they shuld be destroyde.

¶ Of a Fissher and a lytyll Fissh. Dialogo .xlviii

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AN Henne and a Culuyr made ther nestys togider / and dwellyd both in on hows. but oftyntymes they were at greate stryfe / for cawse that oon sange tomoche / and the othir cryed tomoche. The Henne many tymes sawe the Culuirs children hangid / & she [Page]

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made merye and sange / wherfore the Culuyr was sore greuyd and sayde to the Henne. Thowe Henne thowe mowrnist not with me / when thow seyst my Children destroyed. The Henne answerde and sayde. Thou wilt not synge with me / when I bringe forth an Egge oute of my bowellys / and am delyueryd from greate parell. And thus they fell at grete varyaunce and spake vnkynde woordis / eche to other. And at the laste they togider went to the Egle and sayde. Gyue iugement betwene vs O rightfull Quene we beseche the / if it be cō uenyent for vs twayne to dwell togider or not. The egle gaue sentence in opyn audyence and sayde.

Let them that be gladde haue their dwellynge alone

And they that be sadde togider make ther mone.

FOr it is not conuenient for them that be merye and iocounde / to walke with them that be in heuynesse. Nor for suche as be sad and sorye to dwel with them that be ioyfull and merye. but as the apostle saith ad Romano .xii. Ioye ye withe men ioyjnge / [Page] and wepe ye with men wepynge. But noot this well y^t great gladnesse somtyme maye cawse sodayne deth. For therwith the harte waxith greate / and the naturall hete goith to the extery or partis / and then the harte faylyth and deth entryth. Wherof Valery tellyth / y^t on a tyme ther was tydyngis browght to a woman y^e her sonne was dede / whan he was absente / and it was not so / but it sprange of errowre of some symple persone Neuerthelesse she beleuyd hit and mournyd and made greate heuynesse. and as she sate wepyng and sorowīg Sodeynly in came her sonne / and whan she sawe hym she ranne to him and kyste him / and sodeynlye feldoun dede. Tristice and heuynes sleyth not so soone. For in heuynesse the naturall hete Is drawyn firste to the inwarde partyes / and suche steringe of the hete geuy the nourrisshinge in the membris / & so cawsith consumpcion in them / and so by processe of tyme folowithe Etica / as it is wrytten Prouerbio .xv. An heuy spirite drieth vp the bonys / Wherfore it may be prouyd that worldlye ioye is lyke pure wyne / which sone turnith / and soo doth it / but if it be moderate with holsome sadnesse / as it is wrytten Ecclesiast .vii. Bettyr it is to goo to an hows of wepinge and sadnesse / then to an hows of festis and myrth. Tully tellythe that whan any consull of Rome had bene at batell and wonne the victory and was come home. He shulde haue thre dyuerse worshippes / doone to him. First all the people shuld come agayne him with greate gladnesse. The secownde all y^e prysoners that he had takyn shulde folow his chare with ther hondes faste manaclyd. The thryd was that the same victowr was indute with the cotearmure of iouis and sate in a chare and was conueyd withe .iiii. white stedys / vnto the capitoly. And for that he shulde not to [Page] moche exalte him self / aboue him self. They mytygate this honowre in the threfolde wise. For first a man of seruyle condicyon / shuld sit with him in the chare / that hope shulde be geuyn to euery person / to come to suche worshippe / if his manhode deseruyd it. The secounde y^e same seruaunte syttinge with him shulde Bobbe him and saye to him. Knowe thi self. The thryd it was laufull to euery man that same daye / to bringe agayn him all the rebukys that they wold. Therfor yf paynymes and hethen men thus wisely cowde myxte ther vayne gladnesse. Moche more we that be Crysten men / owe to represse such vanyteys. For as saynt Gregory saith Perpetuall lamentacyon and heuynesse folowe y^e ioyes of the worlde / to suche as loue them in especyall. And saynt Augustyn sayth. The gladnes of the worlde ys vanyte. with longe abydynge it is trustyd to come / and whan it is come / it may not longe endure.

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¶ Of the Cocke and the Capon. Dialogo. lxi.

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IN a courtelage the Cocke and the Capon dwellyd togider. but the Cocke had dominacyon ouyr the Hennys. The Capon full mekely ete her mete amonge them. And as hit vnfortunably happyd the Foxe came and caught the Cocke and ete him / but he towchid not the Combe of his hede. but kepte it hoole / and led it to the Capon and sayde. O brodir Capon / thy folowe is departyd frō the worlde and for the greate loue that I owe vnto the I haue brought to the a goodly Combe / which he bare continually vppon his hede. Therfore descende & come down to me / and I shall crown the / and aftyr that thou shalt be prince and regent of the Hennys as he was. The Capon heringe this / and hopinge to haue Rule ouer the hennys. Cam down from the Rowste & went to the Foxe. The Foxe was gladde and sterte / and caught the Capon lyghtlye and kyllyd hym and sayd

To euery worde no credence thow geue.

beware of false men that the wolde my scheue.

OF suche owre sauyowre commaundith vs to beware saynge. Mat .vii. be ye ware of suche / as come to yowe in the clothinge of shepe. For they be inwardely lyke cruell wolkys. As Isope tellyth of a crowe / y^t had a pece of flessh in his mowth / and stode vppon a tre And whan the Foxe had espyed him / she thowght in her mynde. O if I myght begile this crowe and haue y^e flessh that he holdith in his mowth / I myght be merye And therfore she spake and sayde. brodir Crowe behold what I saye. Thy beawtye passyth the beawtye of all [Page] byrdes / and thy strength excedith the strength of all othir byrdes. but I am sorye that thow hast no voyce. Nor comynge to synge. and euyn forthwith the Crowe began to synge / and the flessh fellowte of his mowth. Which the foxe cawght and ete / and wente his waye. So oftyntymes it happith to a man whan he herythe him self preysid and comendid. Wherfore it is wrytten Ieremie .ix. Euery man kepe him from his neybowre y^t is full of adulacyon. And put not to moche truste in his owne brodyr. and Caton sayth. beleue thowe not an othir man of thy self / more then thy self.

¶ Of the Fesawnte and the Pecocke. Dialogo. lxii.

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[Page] ELeccyon made the byrdes in a dyuysyon / and they chose the fesaunte & the Pecocke. And they twayn for y^e Eleccyon fell at great wordes / and spente greate goodes. Therfore the byrdes went togider to the Egle & sayde. We haue made Eleccyon. But thow lyke a iuge gyue confirmacyon that owre electis may be comprobate. The Egle cyted the electis wyllynge to examyn the Eleccyon. But the Fesaunte which is a byrde that came firste owte of Greke / and his flessh is veray swete to ete / magnyfyed him self greatly saynge. O rightfulliuge as thow knowist wele. I am veray delicate. Fayre alsoo / and dyuersly colowrid. My flessh is redolent and swete / aboue all othir. Wherfore the principalyte becomyth me beste. The Pecocke defendid him selfe to his vttermost power and sayde. Madame and it please your grace it is not so / as the Fesawnte hath sayd. For I my self am fayrer than he / and gretter / and crestid. And alsoo my tayle yeldith to me the souerayn worshippe. And with these wordes he lefte vp his Tayle / and spredde it a broode / and reioycyd greatlye ther in. The Egle discretely consyderinge all this sayde first to the Pecocke. Thow Pecocke thow hast greatly rebukyd thiself / in lyftynge vp of thitayle. For thowe hast shewyd vs a payre of fowle fete. Therfore thow arte not worthy to be a ruler. At last she spake also to the Fesawnte / and sayde. Thow hast rinnynge Ien / and thow art but weke / and thow canste not synge. And therfore for the impedimentis that thow hast / and othir cawsis lefull I depryue the from worshippe. And so they both were put from promocyon and contynuyd withowte worshyppe [Page] duringe both ther lyuys and sayde.

He is not worthy gydinge to take.

That of eche worde greate quarell will make.

THis vice regnith of tyntymes in them that be electe. For be questyonīg of the Eleccyon many mennys fawtis be rekenyd vp. Wherfore they be diuerse tymes rebuked and diffamyd. Wherfore it is not good to stryue for preeminence of worshippe. For Gregory saith Desire of prelacye is gendrid of pryde / of the harte / and whosoeuyr desyre soueraynte in erth shall fynde confusyon in heuyn. This desire to haue gouernaunce / is perilowse / and to be eschewyd to owre powers. For as gregory saith. The higher the ruler is in worship / the more is he in perell. Wherfore princes in the old tyme wolde not suffre ther children to be preferryd withowt they myght profite / as tellyth Helmandus historiographus of helio adriano. Than whan he was from a senatour create an Emperowre / and the Senate desirid hym to name his sonne that same tyme Augustum Cesarem. He answerde them and sayde. Truly it owith to suffice that I vnwilfully regne when I haue not deseruyd it. For Pryncehode and rule longith not vnto bloode. but vnto goode merytes and goode gydinge. And oftyntymes / He is not profitable vnto the Reame / that is born a kynge. For withowte dowbte he cannot loue his frendes / that destroyeth his children with importable charge. This is to saye to destroye his children / whan he promotyth them not for ther merytes. They owe to be norisshed and excercised in vertewe / and whan they haue continuyd in them it shuld be prouyd that they shul be goo before in vertewys / that shulde be first preferrid to worship. And so they actually fulfyllyd that is commaundid Eccles .vii. Intende thow not to labowr to be [Page] a iuge. But yf thow maye be thy vertewe destroye synne and wyckednesse. Wherof it is wrytten in Policraticon li .vj. That Octauyan when his children were worthy to be promotyd to greate worshippe. He wolde not promote them / but if they myghte be theyre vertewe & strength defende them self and othir also sufficientlye. Wherfore he commaundid that they shulde be excercysed to Runnynge to lepynge to swymmynge / to throw stonys with the honde / or withe a slynge / and in suche other faculteys as longith to knyghthode or seruyce. And his doughters he ordeynyd to be clothiers. That and if fortune had dryuen them to the extremyte of pouertye / they shulde haue theyr sustentacyon and leuynge / by reason of ther conynge / for of spynnynge and we bynge and of cloth makynge / thay had not oonely conynge but also daylye excercise. And it is commawndid Eccle .vii. If thow haue men children. Teche thē / or cawse them to be tawghte. And it folowith in the same place. And if thow haue dowghters kepe the bodyes of them from corrupcyon and synne &c.

¶ Of the Rauyn and a byrde callyd ficedula. Dialogo. lxiii.

COrnix in owr tonge is callyd a rauyn and it is a byrde that leuyth vnto the age of a. M. yeris as Papye wrytteth This byrde vppon a tyme labowrid sore and made her neste. Wherfor her feddyrs fell awaye / and she was lene / but notwithstondīg she nourisshed her eggis & brought them forth. That self tyme Ficedula which in lateyn is also callyd papafigo / went vnto her and rebukyd her [Page]

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greatlye and wolde not suffre her be in peace. Cornix for loue of her Egges toke pacyentlye all thynge. But notwithstondinge her mynde was sore vexyd / but she kepte it close with in her self. Aftyrwarde whan her children were brought forth this cornix began to amende / and newlye repayryd her self. But the forsayde byrde ficedula came agayne and rehersyd contumelyows woordes / and began to despise her as she had doon before. wherfore she was greuouslye mouyd / and in wyll to be auengid / and in that greate Ire she caught this byrde and kyllyd it and sayde.

who that wyll oftyn varye and make fraye.

Sekith his owne deth in soth it is no Naye.

WHan manyon seyth an other depressyd or in disease / he is glad to rebuke him / and to doo hym wronge. But whan thou seyst a man in myschefe thou shuldist not rebuke hī. for y^e philosofre saith. to be rebukyd in wretchidnesse is more greuoꝰ thā y^t wretche dnesse / it is gret wrōg not to be cōpassionable to thē [Page] that be in trowble. Princes and lordis in the olde tyme were pitefull and compassionable to wretchis and to diseasid folke in ther mysery. Wherof Valery tellyth lib .v. that whan Cesar lokyd vppon the hede of Pompey that was smytte of. He wepte sore / and let fall manye Terys of greate piete. Also he tellyth there / that whā Marcus Marcellus had takyn the Siracusanys / and was in a towre of that riche cyte / and whan he remembrid and inwardlye behelde the my fortune and afflyccyon of the same noble cyte. He cowde not restrayne hī from weping. He tellyth also there / of the buxomnes of Pompey shewyd to the kyng of Armenye / which agayne the Romaynes oftyntymes had made greate warre But that notwithstondinge whan he was takyn and ouircome / he wolde not suffre longe to knele before him but confortyd him with curteys woordes / and commandyd the crowne to be set vppon his hede / that he hī self had layde awaye / and restorid him vnto his first degre and worshippe. and sayde it was as greate a dede to restore a kynge to his worshippe. As to subdue him / & put him from his worshippe. And a lyke tale he tellith of a counsell that was namyd pawle / which vppon a tyme whan a kynge was takyn / and shulde be browght before him. He went to mete him / and whan he wolde haue knelyd for mercye. This noble counsull wolde not suffre him / but toke him vppe / and set him on his right side / and cheryd him with greate comforte / and ordeynid him nexte to him self in counsellys and at his Table. For althoughe that it be lawdable to haue victorye / & ouirthrowe enymyes. It is as greate honowr to be mercyfull to them that be in heuynesse.

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¶ Of the Nightcrowe / and the larke Dialogo. lxiiii.

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NIcticorax is a nyghtcrowe in Englysshe / & it is deryuyd of Nictos that is nyghte / and Corax which is a Crowe / as who sayth a nyghtcrowe / for she flyeth in the nyghte. Or for that she wakyth all the nyghte. Isidore Ethimol .xii. Nicticorax she is Noctua the owl that louyth darknesse. The larke went to this byrde & sayde. Moste dere sustre hartely I praye the to be with me to morowe / for a louer of myn desyrithe to see me in the clere daye lyghte. And if we twayne be togider / I shall seme the fayrer. The nighecrowe promysed to fulfyll her desire / for she was ashamyd to saye naye in such a small matere. And whan the day aperyd and phebus shoone plesauntlye and clere. The larke lokyd for her [Page] to fulfyll her promys. But she came not. For she durst not be shewyd in the bright sonne / and also she myghte nothinge see in the daye light. wherfor the Larke was sorye and gretly trowblyd and abhorryd her and pursuyd her eueraftir and vnto this daye. And therfore y^e Owle dare not flye in the daye tyme for fere of the larke / and so she fleyth all in the nyghte / and sekythe her mete with greate penurite and hongre saynge in thys wyse.

Noman shulde for loue nor for doubte.

Promyse that thinge that he cannot bringe abowte.

THerfore we owe to be ware to make promys of thinge impossible to be perfourmyd / that we be not prouyd vntrewe. If it fortunyd the to be desyred of thy frende to doo suche thinge as plesith y^e not. be not ashamyd to saye naye / rather then to promyse & perfourme it not. For the philosofre sayth. beware that shamefastnes of denyinge / Cawse not to thy self necessite of lyinge. For he is not deceyued that is lyghtly denyed. Neuerthelesse manyon for liberalyte and fre harte be shamefaste to saye nay of thinges desyred of them As it is wrytten in gestis Romanorum of the lyberalyte of Tyte the Emperowre. For he ordeynyd that noman shulde aske of him withowt hope of hauynge or he let them go. And his frendes askyd of him why he grā tyd more then he myght geue. And he answerde & sayde that for cause no man shuld departe heuyly y^t had spok with him. also it is red in gestis Romanorum of Traiane / that whan his frendis rebukyd him that he was famylyer with euery man / more thā thei thought was conuenient to his dignite / that is to say in condescēding to theyr petycions. This Traiane answerde and sayd that he wolde be to Euery Creature as gracyows and [Page] Curteys as they cowde thinke or desire to haue hym / and so he continuyd eueraftyr

¶ Of the wagtayle and the Fesaunte. Dialogo. lxv.

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A wagtayle doth continually wag her tayle in ded / & therfor she is so namyd Vppon a tyme she went to y^e Fesaunt & sayd. Thou wretche why wypest not thow thyn Ien. Thei be euer ful of watyr / & y^e stenche of thē causithe y^t to be abhominable to al men. The Fesaunt was wroth & answerd & sayd / art not thou ashamyd mad wrech y^t art so vile & so lytel / & thou hast a wagging tayle ful of palsye / and thou art besy to note my vicis. but go forth & amend thyn own fautes first and then thou shalt be hoole. The wagtayle heringe this / was sore ashamyd / and withe confusyon turnyd home agayne and sayde.

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First pourge thy self from all maner of Synne

Or thow agayne othir any iugemente begynne

SO in lyke somefolke toke noon hede to ther owne fawtes. But they be redy to rebuke other folkes / and forgete them self. To suche owr sauyowre spekyth Luce .vi. and Mat .vii. Why canst thow espye a lytell mote in thyn neybowris Ie / and considerist not a great beame in thyn owne. Or how mayste thowe for shame saye to thy brodir suffir me to take the mote out of thyn Ie / not seynge so great a beame in thyn own Ie. Thow Ipocryte first take the greate beame fro thyn own Ie / & thow mayst the bettyr then helpe thi brodirs Ie. It is rede in vitis patrum that a Relygyows man / spake & blamyd on of his bredren and detractyd him before the couente. The abotte of the same place was agyd / and sayde no woorde. And vppon a tyme whan he bare behynde him a sacke full of grauell / and had layde a lytel of the same grauell before hym / oon askyd of him what he bare / and he sayde / a sacke full of grauell / which betokened his owne synnes. But he sayde while they were behynde him he carid not for thē. But the smal hand full of grauell that laye before him / he sayde theke were his brodirs synnes which he had detractyd. And moreouer he addid these woordes and sayd. bredren it shulde not be soo. but myn owne synnes owyth euyr to be in my mynde. And I am bownde to thinke vppon them / & so is euerye creature. And his bredren sayde. Trulye this is the waye of lyfe and helth euerlastinge.

¶ Of the Nyghtyngale and y^e crowe emonge other byrdes. Dialogo. lxvi.

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VPpon an highe solempne daye. The Egle had boode all other byrdes to dyner / and whan they had dynyd and faryd ryally / the Egle callyd the Nyghtyngale to her and sayde. Doughter goo and breke thy voyce / and synge as thou art lernyd and shewe thi connynge to chere owre hartys. The nyghtingale was obediente and glad to please / and began to synge so plesauntly that almaner of byrdes desirouslye lyftened to her songe. Amonge al othir a crowe came bye and consyderinge that he sayde to him self. I will also synge with the Nyghtyngale. For I haue a greate voyce / and I shall be harde farre. And he began to Croke in a full fowle maner. The Nyghtingale was styll and myght synge no lenger y^e crowe made so fowle a noyse. And all the other Byrdes were sore trowblyd and abhorryd the Crowe / for he despisid the feste. Therfore the Egle commaundid hym [Page] to goo his waye / or to be styll. The crowe answerd and sayde that he wolde solempnyse the feste with other birdes / and he intendid not to remeue from his place for her woordes. The secounde tyme the Egle chargid hym to departe / for noman reioycyd to here him. But the crow wolde not be styll / but began to garre and coye more & more. Wherfore the Egle commawndid him to be kylled without lenger respite and sayde in this wise.

Songe or other connynge be it neuer so dere.

Is shewyd but in vayne to thē that lyft not here.

SO it is but foly to speke where the herers be dull to take hede. Therfore it is sayde Ecclesi .xxxiii. Shewe not thy Sermon ther as is noone audyence. And farthermore he sayth. In compeny of greate men presume not to speke. And there as be senyowrs speke not tomoche / lyke as the crowe sange but lewdlye. So a legate of athenys answerde symplye before kyng philyppe. Of whom Seneca tellyth / libro tercyo de Ira. Where he shewith that whan the legatis of athenensis were come before kynge Philippe / and ther legacye harde. The kynge curteyslye answerde and sayde. Loke what ye thinke I maye do to the pleasure of the athenensis / and ye shall fynde me resonable. To whom oon of the same legatis Namyd Democritus answerde saynge to the kynge. To hange thi self. And whan they that stoode abowt were indignate and wolde haue bene auengid. The kynge commaundid to let him go / vnpunyshed / and sayde to the othir legatis. Shewe yowe vnto the Athenensis that they be moche more prowde that speke suche woordes / then they that pacyently here them / when they be vnpacyently spokyn.

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¶ Of a byrde callyd Ciconia / & the swalowe. Dialogo. lxvii.

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CIconya vppon a tyme made her neste in an highe towre withowte in y^e toppe / and the swalowe byldyd within. But the swalowe made greate noyse oftyn tymes and reioycyd of brynging forth of her byrdes. Wherwith thys Ciconia was greatly trowblyd. For whan she wolde haue takyn reste with her children / she myght not for the chatheringe of the swalowe. Therfor in the absence of the swalowe Ciconya destroyed her neste / and killyd her byrdes. And whan the swalowe was come home agayn to her neste. She made right doulfoll sorowe for her children. But forasmoch as she knew not who did it / she auengid not the dede. Within a while after y^e swalowe repayrid her self agayne / and made a newe [Page] neste and brought forth her byrdes and was greatlye glad of them / and chyrkyd faste and made moche noyse. Wherfore Cyconia was greuid greatelye as afore tyme / and spake lowde / and sayde. Certaynlye but if thowe be styll. I shall throwe downe thi byrdes withe thy neste as I dyd oonnys / for cawse that thow inquyetest me and makyth suche noyse that I can haue no reste with my children. This heringe the swalowe and knowynge / veryly that Cyconya had mourdird her children / with all her hole mynde she bethought her howe to be auenged. And therfore vpon a tyme whan Ciconia was slepinge with her children / the swalowe came pryuelye and sette fire in her neste / and brynnyd her with all her children and sayde.

He that on his Enymyes seyth his quarel bewroke

Of moche thowght & heuynesse his harte is vnloke.

By this exemple it aperith that hit is not goode to vexe or to wronge them that be vndir / for doubte that they wyll be auenged / other openly or pryuelye. For oftyntymes hit fortunith that a man receyueth of other as he had deseruyd before tyme him self. For seneca sayth. Loke thow haue of an other as thow hast done to other. And the Apostle powle sayth / ad co locensis .iii. He that doth iniurye and wronge / shal haue his rewarde aftyr his deseruinge. As Isope tellyth y^t the Egle flewe in to an highe hyll / and fownde the foxys children ther / which she toke owte of ther denne & caryed them with her to her neste / that she and her byrdes shulde haue ete them to ther sowper. And whan y^e Foxe was come home to his loggynge et found not his children he went down to the woode and cried for them and at the laste he harde them wepe and mourne in the Eglis neste. The Foxe spake to the Egle many swete [Page] woordis and with greate reuerence prayde her to delyuer the children. But vtterly the Egle wold not grant nor gyue audyence to her peticion. Wherfore the Foxe was angrie and impacyent and wente and gadrid styekys bowys and braunches of vynes that were seere & drye and brought a bronde in her mowth / and made so greate smoke vndre the tre that she kyllyd the Eglys byrdes. And whan the Egle considerid al thing she was fayne to meke her self and came downe and delyueryd y^e whelpes by compulsion. Of tway harmys chesyng the lesse. By this a man is tawghte / that thowgh he be at auauntage and aboue / let him dowte to offende hym y^t is vndir / and euer of tway harmys chease the leste harme. Wherof a sertayne auctour saith. Noman owith to stodye to hurte hym that is weke & pouer. For he that is both weke and pouer may somtyme hurte hym that is aboue him.

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¶ Of a byrde callyd a Pygarde and a greate byrde callyd Alietus. Dialo. lxviii.

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PIgardue is a byrde as wrytteth vgncyo / and but a lytell byrde nombrid emonge them that be comestible and hable to mannys sustinaunce / as hit is wrytten Deuteronomii .xiiii. And vppon a tyme whan this lytell byrde was sore pursewyd in the eyre by an othir Rauenows byrde and stoode in greate iudardye of her lyfe. To haue proteccyon and to be defendid she fledde vnto the aliete and sayde. Thow arte great myghty also and mercifull. Therfore I come vnto the that am but lytell and impotent and knowe no refuge / and in me is no resistence. Be thow my proteccyon I beseche the / and defende me fro my cruell enymye vnder the couerte of thy mercyfull wynges. This Alietus which as Papye saith / is a byrde lyke vnto an Egle but larger was mouyd with piete & answerde to this lytell byrd & sayd. Forasmoche as thow art a lytell byrde and humble / weke & impotent / and desirest socowr of me. Syt downe & reste the with me and walke withe me whan I walke and drede thow nothinge. And thus he sauyd the lytell byrde and comfortyd him and sayde.

Mekenesse and pouerte shulde euer be defendid

and ther as it is contrary Godmay soone amende it.

IN this example it aperith that they that be impotente shulde be defendid and holpyn in ther nede of them that be myghty. For y^t is great meke nesse and mercy. For mekenesse and mercy as Bernard saith is prouyd the gretter when it is shewyd in them y^t be greate / and in them that be clere it is the more clere. and Seneca also sayth. He that may socowre to hym y^t [Page] shulde perissh and soco [...]rith not he steyth hym. In [...]he olde tyme princys were mouyd withe pitie and beniu [...] lence to such as were vnder them / as it aperith euydently in ther gestis. Wherof Helmandus tellyth in gestys Romanorum of Traiane that vppon a tyme whan he shulde take his horse towarde batell in grete haste / ther came a widowe to him with greate lamentacyon & sayd Ibeseche the to auenge the bloode of myn innocent childe which lately was slayne. To whom Traiane sayde If I come agayne with victorye and helth I shal auengethe. and the widowe sayde. Who shall doo equyte to me yf thow be slayne in this batell. Traiane answerde he that shal succede me in the Empyre. To whom the wedowe sayde. and what shal that auayle the yf an other man do rightwysnes to me. Traiane sayde. Certaynly nothinge. To whome the widowe answerde / & sayde. Is it not bettyr that thowe thy self doo ryght to me / and so to encrece thyn own merytes / than to leue it to an othir man. Then traiane was mouyd with pitie and descendid from his horse and auengid her cawse and set her harte at reste. also vppon an othir tyme / whan oon of y^e sonnys of traiane rode throwe y^e cyte veray wā tonly / he kyllyd a widows sonne with his horse. & whā y^e wydowe had shewyd it to his fader with great lacrymacyon and mourninge he gaue his owne sonne to the same wydowe foreuer / with greate aboundaunce of other richesse.

¶ Of a byrde callyd Onocrotalus and the asse. Dialogo. lxix.

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THer is a byrde as Brito saith / the which is callyd Onocrotalus or Onocrotalon / and his comyth of Onos that is an asse. For she hath a face lyke an asse / and her body is lyke a swan. This byrde made her neste in a greate wildernesse and layde her eggis and brought forth her byrdes. but whan she cowde no lenger fynde sustynaunce in the deserte to her and her children / she went to the cite / and callyd the asse to her frendlye and sayd. O brodyr I am lyke to the as thow well seyst / for I haue an Assis face as thow hast. Therfore thow shuldest trust me bettyr than an othir. I praye the come with me and dowte not The Asse was innocente and credidle seynge his owne similitude / and symply went with her. and Onocrotalus ledde the asse forth right to the markette / and ther boughte dyuers metys and bestowyd moch money and lodid the asse sufficyently and sayd. Go with me brodir and let vs carey this vytayle to owre children and I [Page] shall rewarde the to thy pleasure. The Asse went with this Onocrotalon through the deserte a greate whyle but at the laste with greate labowre he came to the neste and layde down his burdon and toke his rewarde & turnyd him homewarde. But for cawse that he was in deserte and in a fowle myrye contray and knewe not the perfite waye / He cowde not goo home / and so he perisshed euyn there in the wildernesse and sayde.

Noman to go farre owith to be fayne

But he be assuryd howe to come agayne.

WHerby it aperith that noman shulde goo to farre contrays that he knowith not for dyuers parellys that dayly happe throwe the worlde. For it is wrytten primo Iohannis secundo. Al the worlde is set in greate myschefe. As who saith. Whersoeuer a man be he is euer in great parell. And therfore the apostle complaynyth secunda ad Corinthios .xi. of dyuers parellys in londe in water / and especyally in false Crysten people. Therfore as Gregory sayth. We muste euyr drede / for we be euer in parell / as hit is redde in collacyonidus patrum. That on a tyme ther was a solytary man leuyd in the most perfight wyse and seruyd God / and the fynde dayly waytyd to bringe him to perdicion by greate sotylte. wherfore on a tyme he transfigured him self in to the lykenesse of a marchantes horse / hauynge bagges on his bakke full of Gold and syluer and precyous stonys / and he entyrde sodeynly in to the cell of this holy man and stode ther. And he seynge the horse meruay led greatly what it shuld meane. and whan he sawe noman pursuynge aftyr the horse / he began to towche him & to vndo the baggis. In the which he fownde greate haboundance of goodes temperall / & money innumerable. And soo he was ouercome withe [Page] temptacyon and clothyd him self in the moste fressh wise / and toke the horse and roode to a great cite with all that good and toke vp an hostage and ete and drank of the beste. And whan the goodeman that hostyd hym / sawe and consyderyd his greate rychesse / he gaue hym his dowghter to wyfe / and he dwellyd styll in that same hows. The deuyll came within a shorte space aftir and aperyd to the goodeman of the same hows in lykenesse of a man / and sayde. What hast thowe done. To whom hast thow geuyn thy doughter. He is a Clerke and Apostata and by the lawe she maye not be his wife. And whan this man hard this he was sadde for his dowghter and serchid his hede and fownd that it was soo / and pryuelye kyllyd him / and whan he wolde haue vndoone the sacke / he fownde nothing saue water and donge. Therfore it is sayde. Ecclesiast .ix. A man knowith not his ende. Butte as a Fisshe is takyn with an hooke and a byrde with a snare so is a synfull man takyn in his synne / and in many parellys. In the greate see of marcyle scantlye oon escapith of many / and of thē that passe throwgh the parellys of this worlde fewe escape. Wherof it is wrytten in vitispatrum. The abbot Theodorus gaue an answere to a monke that sayd to him a brodir of owris is retournyd to the worlde meruayle thow not therof. But and if thowe mayst here & vnderstonde that any man hathe preuaylyd and escapyd fro the hondes of his goostlye enymys / therof thou maist wele maruayle and thanke God.

¶ Of the Swan and the crowe. Dialogo. lxx.

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CIgnus a swan is a byrde all whyte. And Coruus a crowe is all blacke. And he therfore enuyed the swan / for his whytenesse and clennesse. Therfore the crowe with great stodye and besy labowre sought the meanys to defile the swan / and to make him blacke as he is. But forasmoche as he cowde not bringe his propose abowte while the swan was wakynge. He la bowryd to do it whyle he was slepinge. Wherfore vppon a nyghte slepinge y^e swan / the cursyd crowe came to his neste in secrete wise and defilyd the swan / and made hi all blacke. And whā the daye was spr [...]nge and Titan shoone / and the swā was rysen from sleape and espied that he was effecte & pollute / he went and wasshyd him self so longe / that he was puryfyed and clene / from all filth and sayde.

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who that desireth blessyd to be.

Muste euyr be clene in his degre.

THe crowe signifieth the Deuyll / which maye not see nor beholde the clene lyfe of the seruauntys of God. wherfore with all his power and might he is besy to pollute and defile them. But forasmoche as he cannot preuayle agayne them wakynge / he labowrith to deceyue them slepinge / wherfore man owith to wake. For saynte Augustyn saith. Thyn enymye wakyth and thow sleapiste. And it is wrytten primo Petri vltimo. Dere frendes be ye sobre and wake in deuoute prayers / for yowre aduersarye the Deuyll goyth abowte lyke a lyon rorynge / and sekynge whom he may deuowre. To whom resiste ye stronge in yowr fayth. And Isidore sayth. Suche folke as be stable in fayth / whan wyckyd spirites see they cannot ouercome them wakynge / they trowble them sore sleapinge / wherfore it is redde in vitis patrum. That fendis deludyd a Relygyows man in somoche that whan he with his bredryn shulde haue bene how silde / while he slepte there aperyd vnto him the symylytudes of women and defilyd him / and he askyd cownsell of his senyowres what was best to doo. and they inquyryd of his diete and gydynge / and founde by experience that it grewe not of superfluyte of mete and drinke / and therfore they iugid y^t it came of illusyon of the deuyll / and they sadlye cownsellyd him not to abstayne from the holy comunyon for that cawse. and aftyrwarde the Deuyll deludyd hym no more / and shewyd that he had done it for to withdrawe the holy man from that holy mysterye.

¶ Of a byrde Callyd Ornix and the Henne. Dialo. lxxi.

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VPpon a tyme Ornix the wodehenne e [...] pyed the eggis of a Pecocke and made her neste in a rychemannys hows. and whan y^e Chekyns were hacchyd and browghte forth. They were greatly belouid of the richeman. wherfor he set great pryce by this henne and fedde her delycatlye / y^t she shulde the bettyr noryssh her byrdes. But this Ornix was vnkynde to the other hennys of that place. For she was bolde of her mastir for fauowre of the chekyns and wolde in nowyse suffer the hennys to pyke with her / but bete them and draue them awaye. The hennys were bytterlye greuyd and sayd no woorde / but hopyd to see a tyme to be auengid. and whan these chekyns were growyn vppe they forsoke this wodehenne / and tournyd vnto ther owne pecocke kynde / and the richeman toke not then so greate hede of this wodehenne as he had done / but suffirde her to scrape for her lyuyng [Page] amonge other hennes. And they were fresshly remembrid of the olde persecucyō of this wodehēne & thought they wolde be auenged / and therfore they wolde not suffre her to pyke with them. And whan she reuoluyd in her mynde the olde felycite and welth that she had be inne / and the mysery that she was come to. She wepte & sayde. Alas alas I haue norysshed children & brought them vppe and they haue forsakyn me. But notwithstondinge the hennis wolde shewe no mercy to her. but layde on and all to bete her and sayde.

He that is prosperows and hath the world at wyl

Owith not to be cruell all other for to spyll.

THis shulde euery wiseman remembre whan he is in office or in prosperite / and not to despise them y^t be vnder. For the tyme alwaye ronnyth / and ther comyth many chaungis as it is wrytten Ecclesiast .iii. al thinge hath tyme and euery thinge vnder heuyn is mutable in space. For ther is a tyme of prosperite and a tyme of aduersite. Tyme ronnyth lyke a whele / in the which some ascende and some descende. but they that be goynge vpwarde shuld not despise them that be cominge downwarde. For as it is sayde Ecclesia .vii. Scorne thow noman that is in heuynesse for God is an ouerseer that can make both highe and lowe. and alsoo hit is wrytten Eccles .xi. In the dayes of thy welth be not forgetfull of harmys / and especyall for chaunginge of tymes and also of offices / for as Isidore saith. Temperal power is faynte frayle and Caduke. Who can say and tell where be the kynges and princes or the Emperoures. where be the richemen where be the myghty men / of the worlde / Xerses kynge of Perse and Mede moost prowde and moost myghty which ouertournyd hylles and coueryd the sees. whan vppon a tyme he stoode yn [Page] an highe place / and sawgh and behelde an infinite and innumerable multytude of people he weppyd sore. Remembringe that within an C. yerys space after that / noon of them shulde be leuynge. and also whan he wēt agayne the grekys / with a Thowth and thowthandes of men of armys / and with a M. and. CC. of shippes seynge before him so greate an hoste / and remembringe of the chawnablenesse of tyme / and of the breuenesse of lyfe and wherto all thinge shulde retourne / he was humylyate and made lowe in his owne mynde and sayde. Men call me a kynge / that am but a man of suche power and strength to bringe suche a multitude togider. but sertaynly I saye my self as trew is / that I am but duste and asshyn. alsoo whan the Duke of lotheringe / laye in extremys / and was departinge from the world he lokyd vppon his howses and castellys and sayde. O good lorde what auaylyth these temperall goodes. For I that haue so many castellys and palacys / and haue hadde power to gyue loggynge to so many men / knowe not nowe whethir to goo nor where I shal be lodgyd.

¶ Of the Quayle and the Larke. Dialogo. lxxii.

VPpon a tyme the Quayle bethoughte her and sayde. The Goshawke is a great pursewar of my kynrede. but & if I myght be at peace with him & haue his frendeshippe and fauowr. I were then in greate suretye and at greate hartys ease. and therfor she callyd the Larke vnto her / and spake fayre to her and sayde. Thow art worthy to be lawdyd for thow arte callyd alauda for thi wysdome [Page]

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Therfore I desire the to goo to the Goshawke for me / and gete me his benyuolence and say to him. The quayle recommendith her vnto the obedyently as thy subiecte / and she hartely desireth to be knytte with the in amyte and fauowre / and to haue sure & stable peace with y^e for euer / for the which cawse she sent me to y^e y^t I shuld geue a prouyd answer. The Larke went forth mekelye and reportyd these woordes to y^e Goshawke. The Goshawke was trowblyd greatlye with this message and sayd to y^e Larke. This is an harde mater and greuous to here. Neuerthelesse I wyll y^t she her self come with y^e to my presence / and speke her own mowth for her self. And whan the Larke had harde these woordes she retournyd and shewyd them ioyfully to y^e Quayle. The Quayle was glad and forth she went with y^e Larke to y^e Goshawke to conferme pece and loue betwene them And as sone as y^e Goshawke espyed them togider / He fell in desire and concupiscens and cawghte them both and ete them and sayde.

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Noman shulde him self folowe make.

With him that is greate but kepe his owne state.

ANd in lykewyse he that hath enymyes that be myghty and stronge maye not prouoke them / to be frendlye to him but at ther owne pleasure that he be not acombrid with them. wherfore hit is wrytten Ecclesia .xiii. Be thow farre fro a man that hath pow^r of deth. For and yf thow be with him / thowe shalt fall in to his snares / as a Fable is tolde / that an Asse vpon a tyme for cawse of solace walkyd in a woode and met with a boore and boldely salutyd hym and sayde. Hayle myn owne brodir. The boore herynge that was mouyd with ire / and thought to [...]ere the Asse on smale pe [...]s with his teth. But he refraynyd hym self and sayd I wolde all to rente the / but my noble teth despise / and abhorre so fowle and hatefull flessh as thyne is. And y^t auaylyth the thi lyfe / herebye it is shewyd that he that is a foole owithe not to make Iapes and derysyons to hym that is wyce. Nor he that is lowe and in pouertye to be to besye with him that is myghty and riche. For they that be pouer and in lowe degre maye drede and fere to be oppressyd and to be punyshed richemen & myghty drede not / but they be bolde for they be but seelde punyshed. Therfor the Cocke answerde to the Goshawke that demaundid of him this questyon and sayd What is the cawse that ye drede men somoche withe whom ye be brought vppe and dayly noryshed / and we be buxome and come to ther hondes wylfully. Tell me quod the Cocke yf euyr thow sawe .xx. Goshawkes in oone hows as is of vs. And for that we be so famylyer with them we be punyshed sore dayly / and that causith vs to drede them and to fly from them for fere.

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¶ Of a byrde callyd Ison Dialogo. lxxiii.

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ISon as saith brito is a byrde of the kynde of a grype. but she is whyte and lesse than a gripe / and moste rauenows. This byrde in her yowth hadde doone greate myschefe / and stolyn chekyns & trowblyd both men and byrdes. At last in her age she repentyd and was penytente and wyllynge to restore that she had mystakyn / and to do penaunce / and to exercise dedys of mercye and lyue rightwyslye. But forasmoche as she had my spente her Iuuente and was not acustomyd in vertue. She cowde noon occupye in age / wherfore she stryuyd with her self & wolde fayne haue done goode dedys. But for cawse that she had no good beginnynge in yowthe she cowde haue no good endynge in age / and therfore she mowrnyd and sayde.

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He that is yonge and to no vertewe applyeth

In age to amende him bad custome denyeth.

THerfore it aperith that it is expedyent to gadre vertewys and goode dedys in yowth that they maye be fownde in age. For Ecclesiast saith. In yowth thow gaderist no goodnesse. And howe shuldiste thow fynde any in age. Sone in thy yowth tempte thyn owne mynde / and yf thowe fynde it wycked geue it no power. And a sertayne versifier sayth. He that in yowth no vertewe vsith. In age both vertue and grace him refusith. And that cawsith badde custome. For as the Philosofre sayth. Custome is a nothir kynde. For the strength of custome is so grete that a man shal do somtyme slepinge as he hath vsid to doo wakynge. And that he hath vsyd to do lokynge / He doth blynde fylde. Wherfor it is tolde of a leche to whom ther was owyng .xiii. lib. payable in thre yeris / and whan he labowryd in extremys and was mouyd to confession and to receyue the holy Sacramente. Ther cowde no woorde be had of hym but .xiii. lib .in thre yeris / & with such woordes he dyed. For bad custome and vse false iuges and vocates be wonte to do moche hurte in ther domis and besynesse / and otherwhile they ordir all thinge ful symplye / in ther laste endes / whan they haue moost nede of wysdome. Wherfore vppon a tyme whan the Sacramente was browght to a sykeman and profird him to receyue / he sayde. Let it be iugid first yf I be worthy to receyue hit or not. And they that stoode bye / sayde in thys maner. yower Iugemente is notte approuyd. For ye haue notte suffycyente power / of Iustise to Iuge me by any cawse ryghtfully. An other there was alsoo whyche labowryd towarde hys endynge. [Page] And whan he was warnyd by his frendes to receyue y^e hooly Sacramente / he desyred space lenger / and they wolde noon graunte him. For they sawe wele y^t dethe came faste on / and he for custome of apelys that he had vsed before / apelyd that same tyme from the opyn greef of that same infirmyte. But his apele preuaylyd him nothinge.

¶ Of a byrde Callyd Mergus in Laten in Englyssh a Dyuedopper. Dialo. lxxiiii.

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MErgus as saith brito is sayde of drownynge / for it is a byrde whiche sekyth her mete in the watyr and is alwaye dyuynge and therfore some folkys cal her a Dyuedopper or a doppechyk. This Mergus waxyd vnlusty and neglygente and sayd in his owne mynde. What doo I [Page] wretche. Emonge all byrdes ther is not oone y^t sekythe her mete with so greate labowre as I doo. For all the longe daye I drowne my self in the pyttes and watyrs to haue my lyuynge. And parauenture at laste I shall peryssh and be destroyde / It is bettyr for me to goo to other byrdes that be my felowes & to seke my mete with them / and than shal I not be in suche iubardye / nor ete my brede in labowre and sorowe as I do. But I shal fare moche bettyr with lesse labowre. And whan he was flow yn to the feelde and sawghte his foode with other byrdes / he cowde fynde no mete that sauowrid in his mouth / and so he was passyngly leene & hongrie / dayly. And notwithstondinge for all that penuryte and hō gre he wolde not retourne to his naturall Occupacyon nor plunge him self in the watyr for verye slowth and vnlustynes / but dyed in greate nedenesse and sayde.

He is not worthy mete nor drynke.

That therfore wyll neyther swete nor swynke.

IN lykewyse many a neglygent persone full of slowth and vnlustynes / wyll not labowre / but rather lyue in greate pouertye. Wherfore it is wrytten Iob quinto. Man is born to labowre. And yf he denye to labowre / he dothe not that thynge that he was ordeynyd to doo. And therfore he shall not come to that rewarde that he was create to haue / y^t is to meane Infinite good. And also the Apostle wrytteth primo ad Corinthios .ix. He that labowrith shall ete. Therfore thow man as Isidore saith seke to the a prophetable occupacion / by the which thi mynde maye be occupied. For it is full mery and holsome both for the body and sowle to haue moderate labowre. Ther was a wydow thewich refusyd to be beryed in a smocke that was geuyn her and sayde. I wyll be buryed in that myn owne [Page] hondes made and not othermennys. It is redde in vitis patrum. That abbot arsenye in his begynnynge was greatlye magnyfied in the Emperowres palace. But aftyrwarde he was an heremyte most perfighte. And whan sertayn persones askyd of hī wher in his trust was moost / he answerde and sayde. In this that I haue exchewyd ryotte and compenye / and haue spoke but lytell. But most princypallye I am glad and reioyce y^t I haue labowrid with myn owne hondes & put no man to charge for my cawse.

¶ Of a Carduell in his cage. Dialogo. lxxv

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THer is a byrde namyd Carduellus which is a byrde of songe and was inclosyd in a cage in a rychemannys place and deyntely fed / for thys worthy man had greate pleasure / to here hys songe. And for that cawse he was plentyuouslye seruyd dayly both of mete and drinke / and caryd nothinge [Page] for them that were nedye / and within a shorte space ther fell great hongre and many pore byrdes were sore punyshed with hongre and colde for it happyd in y^e seruente winter season. And therfore they went to this Carduell and askyd his almysse. But he gaue them none but the fragmentys and leuynges of his Table / and suche as he wolde not ete him self. The sely byrdes gladlye toke that was geuyn them and made no refuse. But ete it meryly and sayde.

Mete that is not comparable to Elys and congre.

Wyll serue right wele to them that hath hongre.

SOme suche folkes ther be whiche vnto pouer people will geue nothinge that goodis / but that y^t ys vyle and nawghte. And almyghty God abhorryd the oblacyon of Cayme for cause that he gaue of the worste / and he acceptyd the gyftes of Abell / for he offirde of the beste. Wherfore Iacob sayde to his children. Bring ye of the beste frutes of the erthe. and it is wrytten prouerb .iiii. worshyppe thow God of thy substaunce / and geue thow to the pouer of the first increce of thi frutes / and also it is wrytten in the same place. Offre thou no small gyfte / for God refusith that is offirde of y^t worste It is a greate vnkyndenesse to geue of the beste to man and offre to Godde of the worste / Mastir Alaynered at mownte pessulane / and the knyghtes that dwellyd bye harde tell of his greate clergye / and that he wolde answer to euery questyon. And therfore with a comune consent / they came to him and askyd of him what was the grettest curtesye that cowde be. To whom he sayd To gyue and to be lyberall. And whan they vnderstode his answere. They affermyd hit / and Consentyd [Page] therto. And he bad them take ther cownsell togidir and tell hym which was the grettest chorlysshnes that cowde be amonge all other. And they layde ther hedis togider and cowde not accorde. And whan he sawe that / herebukyd them and sayde. I my self set yowe in the way by the which ye myght wele haue knowyn the playne solucyon of my questyon. For lyke as geuynge is moste curtesye. So is takyn awaye most chorlysshnes / for it is contrary to gyfte. Therfore ye that continually take awaye poremennis goodes / and geue vnto God that is nothinge or lytell worth. ye be moste chorlelyssh and moost vnkynde / as it is sayde / it is more gracyows to geue than to take. In gestis Romanorum it is wryttē of the lyberalyte of Cyte the Emperowre. That on a tyme as he sat at soper he remembryd that he had geuē nothinge that daye. Wherfore he wepte and sayde. O frendes this daye haue I lost / for I haue geuyn nothinge this daye.

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¶ Of an vnclene byrde callyd Iuis and of the Poticarye. Dialogo. lxxvi.

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AS Papye sayth Iuys is a byrde of egypte / and aftyr the lawe hit is the most vnclene byrde that is. For she is fedde with dede Careyne / nyghe the see bankys or floodis / and she purgith her self with her byll / and alsoo she eteth the Eggis of serpentys. Apotecarye toke this vnclene byrde / and wolde haue puryfied her / that she myght haue bene lawfully meteable. And he put her in to his Potecarye shoppe / that she shulde smell swete / and be pourgyd with medecynes. but al that sauowryd not with her / while she was there / but rather she couetyd stynkynge careyne. wherfore she wolde not abyde / but wente her waye. For her apetite was not to [...]arye ther clennes and swettenesse was. and therfore she endyd the residewe of her lyfe in filthede and corrupcyon as she had before vsyd and sayde thus.

Suche mete as sauowrith to me that wil I haue

Of Potecary spyces I wyll neuer noone craue.

SO faryth manyon that be vnclene both in bodye and mynde / and customably excercysed in the fowle synnes of lechery and couetyse. For they sauowre nor desire noon other thing. and yf they be but a shorte space withdrawen from such flesshlye and worldely delectacyons. They be soone retournyd to ther synnes agayne as a dogge to his vomyte. Therfore saynte Ierome saith. Wo be him that in lechery dyethe / and woo be to him that in his laste ende makythe an ende of his stynkynge lechery. a fable is tolde that sarcho vppon [Page] a tyme came owte of a donghyll / and flewe in to the feelde and was all the daye emonge the flowres of almondes / of lylyes and of rooses / and at nyghte whan he came home he fownd his lemman in the donghepe. wherfore with greate ioye and affeccyon he lepte in and sayde. The swete sauowres and precyows flowres of the feelde be nothinge in respecte of this delectable place / and soo he endyd hys lyfe in stynkynge lechery and corrupcyon where in he had moost delyghte.

¶ Of the Solytary Pellican. Dialogo. lxxvii▪

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[Page] PEllicanus as saith papye is no great byrde / and he delyteth to dwelin wildernes. Vpon a tyme a Ducke & a gandre made a great sooper to the which they desired to come almaner of Tame fowles. And moreouer for to worshippe the sowpere they wente in to wyldernesse / and brought with them the Pellycan to the same sowpere And whan sowpere was done all tame byrdes prayde the Pellycan to dwell withe them emonge people and no lenger to dwell in deserte in the large wildernesse lyke a Pylgrym. Nor to suffre so greate sharpenesse and penurite. The Pellycan was victe and ouercom with the fayre wordes and desires of the Tame byrdes / and taryed styll with them a sertayne season / and had royall chere and faryd delycatelye euery daye. But whan he shulde praye and be in contemplacyon and redynge of holy scrypture / he cowde not be quyete. For the noyse and chaterynge that the byrdes made. Nor he cowde not lyue soberlye as he had before vsyd / for greate habowndance of mete and drinke. Wherfore he conceyued an inwarde remembraunce of his sowle helth / and as sone as he had oportunyte / he retournyd in to wyldernesse and in to secrete place where he labowryd in gostely labowre / and perfowrmyd a manly batell agayn his goostely enymys / and endid his course / and obseruyd his feith and deuocyon in greate quyetenesse & sayd

He that wyll praye and be contemplatyf.

Most fle fro noyse and all worldly stryf.

ANd in lykewyse thow y^t desirist to serue god. Euermore whan tyme requyreth take laysar / & be solytary / y^t in quietenesse thi mynde maye be occupied in holy meditaciōs / in prayers & cōtēplaciōs so y^t [Page] thy sowle maye delyghte in the collocacyon of almyghty God. and harke what Barnarde sayth. O thow holy sowle be thow aloone / that thow mayst kepe thi self to thy lorde God / whom thow hast chosyn before all other. Fle from the loue of thinges create if thow desire to be louyd of him that is creator and maker of all thinge. Fle the worlde if thou wylte be clene / for augustyn sayth. If thou be clene thow delyteste not in worldelye thinges. abbot arseny as it is red in vitis patrum praid and sayde. Lorde lede me in to the waye of helth euerlastinge / and ther came a voyce to him and sayde. Fle fro badde compeny / be styll and occupye no vayne speche & reste in vertewe and thow shalte be sauyd. He that sitteth in solytude and restith. Is delyueryd from threfolde parell / that is to saye of herynge / of sight / and of speche. A solytary persone wente in to wildernesse clothyd in a lynnen sacke / and had no mo clothis. And whan he had walkyd by the space of thre dayes he wente vp on a greate roche of stone / and fownde vnder hit greate plentye of grene herbys / and a man fedynge lyke a beaste / and he went down pryuelye and made him a ferde / and he beynge nakyd fled / for he was shamefaste to abyde the sighte of man / but scantly he myghte escape And the other folowyd hym and cryed. Tary and abyde for I folowe the for the loue of god / and the other answerde and sayde. And I fle for his loue. Then he that was clothid threwe awaye his clothes and folowyd hī and whan the other sawe that / he abode him and sayd Nowe thow hast caste from the thy worldely clothing I haue taryed for y^e. To whom he sayde. Fader tell me some goode woorde wherby I may be sauyd. And he answerde saynge. Fle from woldly people and be styll of speche and thow shalt be sauyd for these be the principall [Page] beginninges of helth. For ther as is people is moch trowble. Wherfore Seneca sayth. As oftyn as I haue bene in greate compeny I haue bene trowblyd or euer I haue departyd. And therfore it is sayd. Trenorum tertio. Blessyd be that man that shall sitte solytaryly and be styll. For he shall lyfte him self aboue him self.

¶ Of the Chaste turtyll, Dialogo. lxxviii.

CLene and most Chaste is the Turtyl amonge all othir byrdes. For whyle she dwellythe with her husbonde / she louyth neuer noon other. And yf he dye she neuer takith mo husbondis nor makes. And aftir his deth she euer drinketh trowblyd water / and sitteth neuer aftyr vpon grene [Page]

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tre nor bowgh. Ther was somtyme a Turtyll that was a wydowe for her husbonde was decesid. wherfor she was greatly heuy and wolde neuer walke abrode / nor take consolacyon. But in greate merowre and lamē tacyon she contynuyd and ledde a veray clene and chaste lyfe. and all other byrdes were compassionable vnto her consyderinge that she was lyklye to peryssh for the greate and continuall heuynesse that she made. Wherfore they flewe togider to her and sayd. Sister why consume ye yowre self thus with heuynesse and sorowe. Come and be mery with vs a while / for we in the most glad wise that we can intende to cherissh yowe & lodge yowe and doo yowe comforte. And the Turtill knowinge ther good wylles was somdele comforted and went charitably with them. And all the byrdes receyuyd her frendely and brought her to ther nestis / and gaue her parte of all suche vytayles as they had. This Turtil was armyd with the zele of chastyte / and whan she vnderstoode the greate fornicacyons that were occupyed there. She myghte in no wyse suffir the stenche of ther lecherye. wherfore she fled and abhorryd the place and wyllyd not to abyde there. And whan she had doone soo oftyntymes / at the laste she vtterly forsoke that lecherows compenye / for euer and retournyd vnto the clennesse of chastite and sayde.

I will be chaste both in body and thoughte

To flesshly corrupcyon wyll I neuer be broughte

SO owe they to do that be bownde to kepe chastite For they shulde not onlye flee fro lecherows personys. But also fro the howsis of them / for the abomynacyon and stenche of lecheryc. For ther is nothing more stynkynge and hatefull then the stenche of lecherye / and flesshly luste with pollucyons / and therfore Bernarde [Page] saith. The apetyte of lechery is full of thowght adede of abomynacyon and vnclennesse. The ende ys shame and greate heuynesse. Ambrose tellyth lybro tercyo de virginitate. Of a moder and her doughters that kyssed eche othir and ledynge lyke a daunce / they lepte all togider in to a greate watyr and drownyd them self for cawse they wolde not be rebukyd of ther neybowris of ther vyolacyon. And saynte Augustyn tellyth a lyke tale in his boke de Ciuitate Dei / of Lucrece whiche whan she was vyolently oppressyd of the kynges sonne Tarquynye / she inducyd her frendes to be venged. And aftyrward she was syke and impacyent of that same synne that was comytted with her / and kyllyd her self. Though she shulde not so haue done / as saynt augustyn saith. For verylye no creature owithe to sle her self for to eschewe the lechery of an other. For she can not be defilyd with the fawte of eny other person / perseueringe in a chaste purpose thoughe she be vyolentlye oppressyd. For the bodye is sanctified or corrupte aftyr y^e entente of the mynde. And therfore the detestation of synne / loue of honeste / perseuerance of goostly strength owithe to be commendid in suche as hate synne in ther myndes / thowgh they be compellyd therto bodylye. Of the continence of a chaste woman it is tolde Libro terciode nuges philosophorum. That whan a sertayne person vppon a tyme rebukyd her husbonde / and sayde that he had a fowle stynkynge breth. And he askyd of hys wyfe why she warnyd hym not therof that he myght haue sowght remedye. She answerd vnto him saynge in this maner. Soo wolde I haue doone / but I beleuyd verely that euery mannys mowth had smellyd so / wherfore it aperid be veray lykelyhode that she had neuer kyssyd mannys mowth / excepte oonely the [Page] mowth of her husbonde. And therfore she had wende y^t all mennis mowth is had sauerid lyke vnto his mouth

¶ Of the Theuyssh Partrych. Dialogo. lxxix.

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PErdix berith her name of the voyce. Ambrose and Isidore saye that it is a subtyll byrde and a frawdelente in so moche that she wyll stele the Eggys of othir byrdes and noryssh them and bringe them forth. But her frawde is not proueable. For whan the chekins that she had hatchid here the voyce of ther owne modyr by ther own naturall instinccyon they forsake her that brought them vppe and retourne vnto ther owne modyr that gendrid them. and this Partrich mkayth her neste emong thicke busshis and thornis / and leyth her Eggis in the bare [Page] duste. And whan any man comyth bye wher her nestis be. The hennys of them come owte / and shewe them self as thoughe they myght not go nor flye. and as thei myght sone be takyn. and they goo euer the lenger the slowlyer / and by this sotylte they tarye them that thei mete tyll that they bringe them farre from ther nestis. Vppon a tyme ther was a false partryche that stale y^e Eggis of an other byrde in her absence. and whan she that had bene absente was retournyd home to her own neste and fownde not her Eggis she made greate sorow and sowght all abowte with a full heuy chere for them But at the laste withe greate labowre / and stodye she fownde both the egges and the theef that stale them / & immediatly she shewyd the mater vnto the Iug [...] ▪ and he cytyd the theef / and examyned the mater subtellye. But he cowd not come to the knowlege of the trowth For the theef denyed it vtterly. and the iuge cowde not gyue diffinytif sentence of deth / for ther was no wytnesse. And she that was accusatrix sayde to the iuge. Thow owyste to tourment him and to compell him to shew the trowth. To whom the iuge answerde & sayd Thow owyste to proue that thowe haste sayd / that mi iugement maye be rightfull. Or ellys I shall punysshe the with her. But whan noo proof cowde be made of y^e matere. the iuge had suspeccyon and commandid them both / to be greuously punyshed / and emonge ther paynes examynyd of the mater. And the theef made opyn confessyon both of that myscheuows dede and many othir that he had done before that tyme. Wherfore the iuge commaundid the theef to be hangid withowt lengar taryinge and sayde.

He that stelyth and also accusith.

By greate sotylte him self excusith.

[Page] THerfore begyn thow firste at thi self / and reuollue in thyn owne mynde / and thinke what thow arte thi self that accusist an othir / and whedir thow be not reproueable of that same worde or dede. For it is wrytten ad Romanos secundo. O thow man that iugiste. Thow arte not excusyd / for in that same fawte that thow iugiste an othir / thow dampnest thy self. For thow commyttyste tho same crymes y^t thow iugiste. Therfore thow that techiste an othyr / techyst not thy self. Thow stelyste / and rebukyst thefte. thow doyste lecherye / and byddest contrarye / wherfor Caton sayth. Do thow not that thinge / that thow art wond to blame. For it is rebukefull to a doctoure that doth y^e same. Vppon a tyme ther was a tyraunte gaue Iugement that a theef shulde be hangyd / and a Philosofre that was there present / and harde it lawghyd. and he was askyd of the Tyraunte why he lawghyd. And he answerde and sayde. For greate theuys iuge smale And Saynte Augustyn de Ciuitate Dei / Libro primo. Capit. quarto / bringeth in an Example / of Alexander and Dyonyde a pirate. That whan he was take & Alexander askyd him why he enforcyd the see. He answerde and sayde. By fre presumpcyon as thowe doyst all the worlde. But for cawse that I occupye but with a small Nauye I am callyd a theef. And thow namyd an Eemperowre / for thow occupiest with a grete mayne. If Alexander were takyn aloone. He were a theef. If moche people were attendaunt to my requeste. Dyonydes shulde be Namyd an Emperowre. Lacke of goodes cawsith my badde name. And in tolerable pryde and insacyable couetyse make the a theef. If fortune chaungyd I myghte fortune be thy bettyr / and thou that arte nowe more fortunable / myghteste happe to [Page] be worse than I am. Alexander meruaylyd greatelye of the constauncie and stedfastnesse of this Dionidys / and sayd to him / I shall make a preefit thow wylte do bettyr in tyme comynge. For I shall chaunge thi fortune / that from hensforth thy manhode shall be alowyd with thy good maners. And cawsyd him to be ascribid vnto his knyghtes / that he myght lawfully doo knyghtelyt seruyce / and lyue there bye euer aftyr duringe all his lyfe.

¶ Of the Pye and other byrdes. Dialogo. lxxx.

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[Page] THer is a byrde namyd Pica / the whiche is the moost subtyll as saith Plinyus / and varyed withe colowris of blacke / and whyte. There was somtyme a wylye pye / that dwellyd with a byrder and cowde speke bothe Englissh and Lateyne. Wherfore the fowler cherysshed her wele and maynteynyd her greatlye. And the Pye was not vnremembrid of the benefytes of her kepere. And thowght to rewarde him / and flewe forth to other chateringe birdes and sat with them famylyerly / and spake mannys speche. These byrdes were very glad and reioycyd gretely to here her. And they had greate affeccyon to lern to iangle and speke as she dyd. Wherfore they callyd y^e pye to them / and sayde to her all with oon voyce. We praye and beseche the to teche vs to speke as thow spekyste / and we shall rewarde the to thi pleasure. To whom the pye answerde and sayde. I can gyue yow no full answer vnto the tyme that I haue spoke with my mastir that tawght me. Neuerthelesse if it please yow to flye with me to him. He shall receyue yow ful curteyslye / and teche yowe as I am tawghte. The byrdes were credible and flewe togider with the pye. And whan the pye came home to her mastirs hows / she shewyd hī all her mynde and sayde. Go make redy thy nettis and I shall flye in to them with these byrdes. and the byrdes harde wele the speche of the Pye / but they vnderstoode her not. And therfore they went forth merylye & feryd not. And euen forthwith came the fowler & stretchid his nettys / and the Pye went forth to the byrdes and sayde. Dowte not deresusters / but flye withe me boldely. For I haue spokyn peseably to my mastir for yow and he wyll receyue yowe withe goode will. And whan they were all come in to the nettys. The fowlar [Page] wrappyd them in the nettys and toke them / and solde them / and made him self riche and sayde.

To them that thow canste not vnderstonde.

Geue thow no credence on se nor on londe.

ANd so we owe to be ware of credence geuynge to suche as speke to vs subtellye / and be sophemys For it is sayde Prouer .xxix. A man that speketh to his frende with flatering and fayned woordes / strecchid owte a nette before his fete to kache him. And in y^e same place it is sayde. A false flatereris lyke a Snars to an innocente. Wherfore on a tyme a ryatowre sayde to his felows whan he sawe a pouer man bere a lambe to the markette to sell. Will ye haue the lambe that he berith to markette. And they sayde. ye withe good wyll And he ordeynyd his felows to stonde in dyuerse placis as the poreman shulde come / and euery of them shulde aske if he wolde sell the dogge that he bare. And whan the first had askyd hym / he answerde and sayde. It is not a dogge / but a lambe. and whan thei had met with hym all and askyd so / the symple man beleuyd that y^e lambe was a dogge / and so let them haue it for lytel or nowghte. and in lykewyse manyon beleue euery thinge that is tolde them / which is greate parell. Wherfore it is sayde Eccles .xix. Beleue thow not euery woorde. But in euery dede / the possibilite and the ende / is to be dowbtyd. as it is tolde in fable. That vpon a tyme myce made a counsell / and ther it was concludyd that thei wolde ordeyne a bell and it shulde be hangyd abowte y^e Cattis necke / that the myce myght here whan she came / and flee and hyde them self. Ther was emong thē a mows that was veray wyttye / and sayde. I put case that the bell be made who shall hange it abowt the cattis necke, and ther was not oon that durste take it vppon [Page] him. And soo they let fall ther purpose for cawse they cowde not perfourme it.

¶ Of a Kyte that begilyd the wodehennys chekyns. Dialogo. lxxxi.

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MIluue a Kyte / as sayth Isidore / is a byrde nyghe as greate as an Egle / & hath c [...]eys Fete and byll lyke a Goshawke / but they be crokyd and notte ryghte / and he hath wynges lyke a Goshawke. And he is but weke in strength and not veray swyfte. And he rauenouslye awaylith to sle smale chekyns / and oftyn tymes he ys abowte flesshamyls and ther as Careyne is. And as Plynius saith. The kyte is bolde in smale thinges / & ferefull in grete thinges / and y^e sperhawke put hym to flyghte / thowgh he be dowble so greate as he. Thys Kyte cruelly cawghte the Chekyns of a wodehenne & ete them. Wherfore Ornix ther moder was sore greuyd [Page] and brent inwardely for impacyence / and neuer wolde spare the Kyte aftyr / but euer enuyed her / and sawghte to be auenged with all her power. And aftyrwarde the kyte repentyd him and was compuncte and askyd forgyuenesse both by him self and by messengers of the greate mourdre that he had done. But this Ornix was indurate in malyce / and wolde not be mercyfull nor graunte hym forgeuenesse / and sayde

I shall neuer forgeue the and graunte the ful reste

Whyle thou hast lyfe. Nor whan thou lyest in cheste

SO manyon be indurate and nenyr wyll forgeue to them that aske forgeuenesse. agayne suche o^r sauy owr sayth Mat .vi. If ye forgeue not to men ther synnes. yowr heuynly fadir shall not remytte yowr of fencis. And saynt Augustin saith. Euery creature shal receyue suche forgeuenesse of God / as he geuyth to his neybowre. Wherfore it is wrytten Ecclesiasti .xxviii. Forgeue to thy ney bowre that he hath noyed the / and then to the prayinge thy synnes shall be forgeuyn. For Saynte augustyn saith / that a wiseman not oonly forgettyth iniuryes and wronges / but alsoo he sayth he suffyrde noon. and alsoo Seneca sayth in his booke dequattuor .virtutibus makynge inquisicyon of the constancye of a wiseman. If a wyseman be smytten what shall he doo. He answerde and sayde. What dyd Caton whan he was smytten on the mowth / he graunted not Nor he venged not y^e wrōge / & he not only forgaue / but sayd he had no hurt / y^t hī thought most honest saynge y^t he cowd. Seneca sayth / in y^e same boke speking of Ire / & tellith of Socrate / y^t as he went by y^e cite / & was smytten with a great buffet / he sayd nothing ellys but y^t it was an heuy cace / that men knew not when they shulde do on helmettis on ther hedis / & whan thei shuld not [Page] also in the same boke it is tolde of Diogene the Philosofre / that whan he had talkyd with oon was namyd lentulus / and this lentulus was mouyd with ire / & spet in the face of the philosofer / he pacyentlye suffirde him and wypid his face and sayde to him thus. O Lentule I shal bere witnesse that all they be deceyued that saye thow haste no mowth. and Seneca also tellyth that so crates had two Wyuys. The which were very Ielous and contencyows / in somoche that on a daye / they made a sawte vppon him and threwe him to grownde. and an othirtyme whan oon of them had sore auexyd him / he wente forth and sayde. I fere we shall haue greate thondir after this trowbelows wedir / and set him self down by a wall / of the hows / and she cawghte a pispotfull of vryne and poryd it on his hede. But Socrates kepte his pacyence and sayde whan he had wyped him I knewe wele that aftyr greate thonder / ther shuld folowe rayne. and whan his frendes had counsellyd hym that he shulde put them from hym / he answerde and sayde / I lern at home what I shall be in the markette. That is to meane. I lern pacyence at home that I may shewe it opynly. whan a man askyd on a tyme / of theodose the mooste meke and pacyente Emperowre / howe he cowde suffre the greate iniuryes and wronges that were done to his owne person / and howe he myghte here hym self the rebukeful woordes of his enymyes and venged it not. He answerde and sayde. we doo thus for cawse that we wolde fayne bryng dede men to lyf. that is to saye. wycked men to vertewe. For it is but a small dede to slemen that be leuynge. For the smaleste bestis y^e bere lyf may do y^t as loppes & spidirs / & also venymoꝰ serpentis may sone sle a man. But it is a great thinge & possible oonly to god to reyse them that be dede.

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¶ Of the Owle that wolde haue lordshippe of all wylde fowles. Dialo. lxxxii.

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AS sayth Isidore / Bubo is callyd soo of the sownde of the voyce / and it is callyd an Owle aftyr owr Englyssh tonge / and it is a passynge cruell byrde and greatly loodid with fedyrs / & full of slowth and feble to flye. And ther is an awtowre that spekythe of her and sayth. The owle sowpith vppe the douys Eggis and hurtyth and cachith myce / and she lurkyth in Chirches and drinketh the oyle of the lampe and defilith it with her donge. And whan she is impugnyd of other byrdes that loue daylyghte she sitteth and defendith her self with her Cleys / and by nyghte she wandrith and flyeth abowt / and in the daye tyme / she hydeth her self in hoolys of wallys / with this byrde many [Page] other byrdes be takyn that flye abowt her / and robbe her of her feddirs. For all they hate her and be enymyes vnto her / and therfore these byrders take all maner of byrdes with the owle. Plinius saith that the tayle comyth first fro the egge. This owle is a nyght byrde most fowle and hatefull amonge all other byrdes / & ther be versis of difference betwene Bubo bouis / for an Owle / and hic bufo / bufonis / for a Toode .verse. Anodyows byrde is bubo the owl. but bufo is a beast moost fowle. Vppon a tyme whan all byrdes had made a grete conuocacyon / and after sowper they wente all to re [...]eferinge nothinge. The owle came for the whan nyghte was come and exalted her self and sayde. I am greatly rebukyd and subduyd of all byrdes / and nothinge magnyfied as my noblesse requyrith / but nowe I wyll exalte my self. For I wyll nowe with my frendes and kynsmen lepe amonge these other byrdes / and we shall sle and destroye the gretteste and the rulers of them. And aftirwarde I shall be Duke and ruler of all wilde fowles and byrdes. Wherfore she callyd forth vnto her the porphuryon and the nightcrowe. The backe and the swete / and also almaner of nyghtbyrdes. And thei all togider in bright harneys with greate strength entryd in the nyghte tyme vppon all other byrdes. Intendinge to slee the greate rulers / and by vsurpacyon to haue the dominyon of the cite. but all the other byrdes were wakyd sodeynlye with the noyse of ther harneys / & whan they espyed the greate treason / thei ran & caught harneys / and toke the traytours euerychone / & brought them all togider fast fettyrde / and chaynyd to the Egle that he shulde gyue ingement vppon them. And whā the Egle knewe this mateer / he gaue this dredeful sentence agayne the traytowris. That euen forth withe [Page] they shulde be drawyn through the cite / and to be hangyd. and also that the owle and all her kynrede shulde haue perpetuall persecncyon / and be takyn for enymyes to all other byrdes / and to be banysshed from ther companye for euer. And for this cawse after the fygmentys of fablys all other byrdes pursewe the Owle and crye owle vppon her. Wherfore in the daye tyme she dare in no wyse apere emonge them / but fleyth al by the nyght and sekyth her mete with great heuynesse and penurite saynge in this wyse.

He that iuyllry sith shall haue a fall

and he that betrayth at laste peryssh shall

ANd so in many a greate cite ther is meanys made be prowde people and euyll disposyd to destroye them that be aboue / that they might haue the rule. Therfor such people owith to be ware that they be not pnnyshed as was the owle / for it is wrytten Ecclesi .vii. Do thou noon euyll & ther shall noon come to the. and offende thou not in greate multitude of the cite. Nor be not to besy amonge the people. And also it is wrytten Prouer .xxiiii. He that thinkyth to doo iuyll / shalbe callyd a foole. But he y^t walkyth lowlye / walkyth surelye / they y^t be greate & myghtye / owith to be contente with ther worshipr / & not to vsurpe lordeship & rule vyolently / For of all lordeshyppe the tyme is but shorte as it is sayde Eccle .x. and he that wyll not vnderstonde this breuenesse of tyme nowe in this presente lyfe / shall fele great payne aftyr this lyfe / and it is wryten sapi .v. What hath owr pryde profyted to vs. Or what hath the booste of owr rychesse auaylyd vs. All this is fled and passyd lyke a shodowe. and Valery tellith. li .viii. That whan Anaxarchus an eurle had reportyd vnto Alexander that there were innumerable [Page] worldes as Democritus had shewyd vnto him before tyme. Alas quod Alexander I am but a wretche. For vnto this tyme haue I not obtayned oon hole worlde. And neuerthelesse within a shorte whyle aftir he was includyd and layde in the space of v. foote. And therfore Quintus Curcyus tellith that oon sayde vnto Alexander. Beware that whan thow comyst to the heyght of worshippe to the which thow labowriste. leste thou be takyn and ouerthrowen with the bowes / that is to saye / with the parellys that longe vnto worshyppe. A sertayne sowldan moste noble amonge all othir kynge agarenorum. aftyrwarde that he remembrid that he shulde dye / he cawsed his wyndynge shete to be takyn and put vppon a spere lyke a baner / and to be preconysed and cryed abowte the cite / that of all his realme and richesse and tresowres / He shulde no more carye withe him in tyme of his deth / but oonly y^t same shete to wrappe his body in. And therfore all transitorye and worldely worshyppe is lytell worth.

¶ Of the Londebyrdes and waterfowles. Dialo. lxxxiii.

THe Byrdes of the londe beholdinge Waterbyrdes to take ther foode both in the watir and on the londe / were sore trowblyd and came all togider and sayde. we be begilyd and robbyd dayly of these Waterfowles. For they be saturate in the watirs. And aftirwarde whan they haue wele eten / they come to the londe and take awaye owr l [...]uinge and deuowre it. And so they callyd these waterfowles forth before them and sayd [...] to them euen thus. We be greatlye kepte bare by the meanys of yowe / for atte [Page]

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yowr pleasure ye be refresshid in the waters / and yit ye cannot be sufficyd. But after yowr sufficient saturation ye come to the londe and deuowre owre leuyng. Do no more so / fro this tyme forthwarde. For and ye do. we shall dryue yowe fro the londe / or ellys we shall make some of yowe wery of yowr lyuys. To whom the waterbyrdes answerde and sayde. Sustirs ye speke vncurteyslye / rebukynge vs for owre mete. But we praye yowe hartely that ye will vowch sawf to ete with vs of owre delicatis / for owr hartys shal be the meryer for yowre companye. And these londe byrdes herynge the profirs of the other byrdes / and desyringe watyrmete for gulosite flewe forth togider with them in to the watyrs▪ but for cawse they cowde not swym / they were in greate parell / and iubardye of ther lyuys emonge the floodes and wawes. wherfore they cryed for helpe and socowre. The watyrbyrdes were mercyfull and full of compassion and wolde not yelde a shrew de turn for an othir / but toke them vppe on ther backes and conueyd [Page] them to londe. Wherfore they were lycencyd for euer of them to fede both in watyr and londe at ther owne plesure saynge.

Sobre folke dure moch lengerthen glotenows

Meke folke lyue meryer than they y^t be inuydyows

SO many a glotynis sory whan he seyth other folkes ete / thinkinge y^t he shall neuer haue I nowgh and that he shal lacke that is nedefull. But God is a good lorde that made the worlde and all thinge that is ther in as it is wrytten act .xvii. God hath geuyn to al thinge lyfe and inspiracyon / and all other thinges he hath ordeyned. Therfore Crysostome saith. God geuyth carnall benyfycys to suche as be worthy and also vnworthye. Therfore we owe to be contente of that god sendyth to vs. For as Barnarde sayth. The moost rauenows byrde is contente with the ayre. The wolf with the londe / the luce with the watyr. But a couetows man wolde rob be the erth the ayre and the watyr / and heuyn also yf he myght for his insaciable desire. But Princes in the olde tyme were not of that condicion / for in them was grete continēce and restraynte of glotonye as sayth vigecius dere mylytari lib .i. Where he spekyth of contynence of princes / and first of Alexander he sayth that walkinge in his iourney with his agid seruauntis he vsid to ete brede oftyn tymes withowte any other sustinaunce / and in the same wise it is redde of Scypion emylyan / and of Caton it is red that he was contente to drinke suche wyne as his seruauntis dranke / that were shipmen & rowyd the shippe. And alsoo of Hanyball it is sayde / that he restid not before nyghte / and in the nyght tyme he vsid to ryse / & in the twylyghte he went to sowper. And in that same place hit is tolde of the merueylows abstinence of the [Page] hooste vnder marke satyrie / that whan an apple tre ladyd with applys was in an orcharde adioyninge vnto ther castelles seyn of them / it was so left vppon the nexte daye / and not oon apple mynyshed. It is redde also in gestis Romanorum / that Augustus Cesar was a man of small mete. For he was content with brede and smale fisshes / and Chese / and grene fygges / and he toke his foode in euery place / and in suche tymes as hys stomake was desyrows and neuer ellys. And this grete restraynte of glotonye was not oonly in men / but also in women / customablye obseruyd / for by cawse they shulde be preseruyd from synne and shame. For the bely and membris of generacyon be nyghe togider / and therfore Ierome saith. The bely that is replete withe wyne doth sone boyle and spuyth in to lecherows affeccyon and desyre.

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¶ Of the Chorle and the Beys. Dialogo. lxxxiiii.

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VPō a tyme ther was a Chorle / which cherysshed many beys in an hyue / by the whiche he gate greate good / but neuerthelesse he had manye a paynfull townge of them / whan he toke owte the Combes. And it fortunyd vppon a tyme that he had a greuows strooke of a bee / which greuyd hym very sore. wherfore he was right angrye and thretenyd the beys and sayde in this wyse / I promyse yow by God almyghty / that and euer ye stynge me more / I shall ouerthrowe yowe and dryue yowe awaye. To whom the beys sayde. Thowe Chorle thow arte gladde to gadre and receyue the prophetable swetnesse that comyth of vs / but thow arte loth to suffre any payne / Take paciently the bitternesse / yf thow wylt reioyce the swettenes / or ellys we wyll forsake the / and thou shalte neuer haue more profite by vs. This Chorle within a shorte space after came agayne to his hyues / and toke owte the honycombes / and forth came a bee & stunge hym sore and thryst in his spere / and gaue hym a greate wownde / wherfore he was woode / and in grete angre he ouerthrew all the hyues and destroyd them and the beys seynge the greate furyowsnes of the chorle. They forsoke him all at oonis / and came neuer more there. and so the Chorle was brought to greate pouerte / that was somtyme vsyd to lyue prosperouslye. and whan he remembrid the greate auayle and profite that he had receyuyd before season of the beys / and the pouerte that he was fall inne / he bewaylyd his miserable state and sayde.

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He muste suffre both disease and payne.

That to haue auauntage is euer fayne.

BVt now in these deys ther be many such that desire to lyue esilye / and to be mery and to haue worldely ioye / and aftyrwarde to regne with Cryste in eternall blysse. Manione seke cryste in delytes and pleasure. But as it is wrytten Iob .xxviii. He is not fownde emonge them that intende to lyue delycyously / and aftir the bodyly pleasure. and therfore Ierome saith. He that wyll leue after the doctrine of cryste and aftyr the gospell / all his lyfe shall be paynfull and lyke a martirdom. For almyghty God excludid not man owte of paradice to the entente that he shulde haue here an other paradice / as saith bernarde. Wherfor it is redde in vitis patrum / that a broder of religion put a question to his abbotte and sayde. Why am I so slowthfull sittinge in my cell. To whom he sayd. For thou sawyst neuer the greate reste that we hope to come to Nor the great paynes of hell that we drede. For and if thow woldist beholde them dylygently / and if thy cell were replete with woormys vp to thy necke thou woldist gladlye and wylfullye abyde amonge them withowte any slowth. Also it is redde in vitis patrum that sertayne bredren of relygyon prayde and desyred an olde man that he shulde take his reste / and labowre not so sore. To whom he answerde and sayde. Bredren beleue me truly. For Abraham shall repente hym whan he shall see the greate gyftes and rewardis of Godde that he hath no more labowrid and trauaylyd in goostly trauayle. Also ther were an other tyme dyuers personys that sayde to a man of greate perfeccyon. Howe arte thow contente in thy mynde here to suffre so grete labowre / and he answerde and sayde / all the tyme of [Page] my labowre that I suffre here / is not sufficient to be comparyd to one daye of the tourmentis whiche be ordeynyd to synners in tyme comynge.

¶ Of a lyon that fawghte with an Egle. Dialogo. lxxxv.

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VPpon a tyme Leo the kynge of wylde beastis fawghte greuously with the Egle kynge of all byrdes. The Lyon hauynge on his syde all maner of beastis / and they stoode on the grownde redy enbatayllyd and ther feldis pighte The Egle truly with othir byrdes toke ther auauntage both on the grownde and on treys / and with dartys and sharpe arowys they fawght with the beastis A byrde callyd Gryfes comynge bye / and beholdinge this myscheef was very sory / and went vp to an hyll [Page] and ther abode / & wold not medle among them. The lyon seynge y^t was sore aferde & sayd within him self / and if this Gryfon take parte agayn me I shall be ouercome. The Egle also thought in her mynde. This Gryfon hath a tayle & fete lyke a beaste. Wherfore I dowte y^t & if he fortifie the beastis / I shal not mowe dure. Therfor both the lyon and the Egle sente forth embassatowrs to the Gryfon / to vnderstonde what he was / and why he sate there. To whome the Gryfon sayde / I am a byrde and a beaste / but neyther. H. nor. k Here I sitte for loue & peace. For I loue no percyalyte / nor rumowre. And whan he had geuen this answere he was gracyously receyuyd of all beastis and byrdes And so this Grifon walkyd at his pleasure / emonge them all / for he was not suspect to neyther partye / and whan he sawe oportunite / he began to treate of peace / and for cawse the partyes had no suspeccyon in hym / they compromytted the mater frely in to his hondes / & he gaue sentence y^t thei shuld depart fro y^e feelde in all hast possible / & no more to continewe warre / but dwell in peace for euer and sayde.

He that is willinge peace for to make

Must be indifferent and no partie take.

ANd thꝰ euery mā shuld do amōg y^e vnpesible to set thē at rest / y^t he may be y^e childe of god. mat .v. saith blessyd be thei y^t be pesible / y^t cause peace to be amō ge thē y^t discorde. they shal be callid childrē of god. Isaie lii. How godely be y^e fete of thē y^t shew peace. & so y^e fete of mē bering discorde be accursyd. as Eccl .xxviii. y^e double tongid man & maker of strife is accursid / for he hath troublid manyon y^t wold haue kept peace. It is red invit. pa. y^t on a tym ther was a gret stryf betwene an he thin & a crysten / & cam togider with ther kynsmen and [Page] frendes euyn redy to fighte / but Saynte Appollony [...] prayde them to be in peace. But notwithstondinge oon that was cheef cawser of the discorde and discencyon / which was a cursyd man and myscheuows lettyd the peace and sayde that he wolde neuer haue peace while he leuyd. Then sayd the holy man. Be it as thou sayst For this daye shall noon be slayne excepte the / and thi sepulchre shall be congruente to thy deseruinge in the belyes of all byrdes and beastis / and so it was in dede. For he was sone slayne in that same fight and troden in the sonde / and there he laye all the nyghte. And in y^e morninge his frendes came to burye his bodye / & they fownde it all to torne and deuowrid of Grypes and of other wylde beastis.

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ELephas as Brito saith comith of Elephis grece / which is an hyll in lateyne / and he is so callyd for the gretnesse of his bodye. And these beastis be very apte to batell. For the warryowrs of Perce and Mede / vse to fight in Cowris of Tymbre set vppon the [...]ackys of these beastis / and cast downe sperys and dartys / as from a wall / and these Elephawntys haue greate mynde and vnderstondinge / and they goo togider after ther manere / and they fere the mows and flee from him / and they goo two yere with whelpe. and they neuer gendir but oonys. Nor they haue neuer but oone whelpe at onys. And they lyue ccc. yeris / as saith Isydore Ethimol .xii. And scripture that conteyneth y^e olde historyes tellyth that the Elesawnte is takyn in [Page] this manere. Tway maydenes that be veray virgins theyr pappis beynge bare / and the ouerpartys of thee bodyes also disclosyd and shewyd goo both togider where these Elefawntys abyde / and oon of them berith a potte. The other berith a sworde / whiche maydyns with lowde voyce syngynge the Elefawnte herith & comyth nere. And by his naturall instinccyon he knowith the innocencye of the virginall flessh / and geuyth worshippe vnto the chastite of them. and as he is lyckynge the brestes and pappes of them / he is meruelously delytyd and fallyth a sleape. and withowte Taryinge the mayde with the sworde smyteth him in to the softe belye / and shedith his bloode and he fallyth down and the other mayde receyuyth the bloode in the potte. with the which is dyed a purple colowre that longyth oonly to a kynge to were. This beaste is very famows and greately reuomyd / amonge all other beastis / and notwithstondinge he may not knele / for he hath no kneys. Vpon a tyme the Lyon walkyd by the wode amonge all other beastis and lokyd on them / and all made greate curtesye / and knelyd down vnto him as to ther souerayne lorde and kynge. But the Elefawnt knelyd not / for he might not. Wherfor the other wilde beastis were inuidious & went togider to y^e Lyon / & diffamyd y^e elefant. y^e lyon cam to hī & sayd. Why art thou so proud & so harde hartyd y^t thou bowist not thi kneys befor me as other beastis do. He answerde. My lorde I referre to you honour & worship as my dutie is / I may not knele / for I haue no kneys. y^e lyō sayd. If thou refuse not to worship me in thy harte / thy salutacyō is acceptable. for he worshippith his lorde sufficiently / y^t labowrith therto with al his possibilite. wherfor y^e lyō condemnyd the aduersaries y^t accusyd y^e elefant. & promotyd him to [Page] greate worshippe and sayde.

Noman wrongfully owith punysshment to haue.

But his fawt be prouid / for the iuge may him saue

IN lykewyse iugis shulde attende to gyue right fall iugement / and not aftir diffamacyon / but aftir the trowth of euery thinge. For he is notte alwaye fawtye that is accusyd / but he that is prouyd as sayth Isidore. and also he saith. First proue / and then gyue iugement / Wherof Valery tellith of oon callyd Naulius torquatus. That whan his sonne was accusid vnto him of a trespace / and conuicte of the same / he gaue sentence of him and sayde. Whan I haue cownsellyd my sonne to obserue my commaundmentis and it is prouid vnto me / that he hath receyuyd money of his felows / contrarye to my byddinges. I therfore discharge him of myn hows / and gyue this sentence that he is worthy to be punyshed and shall suffre deth / and so he did. Thꝰ a iuge owith to do / for he shulde not do contrarye vnto righte for loue nor for hatred. For Bernard sayth / loue and hatrede knowithe not the iugement of trowth. Therfore Valerye tellyth libro sexto that whan Calericus gouernyd the comyn wele within a cite / that he made him self / the which was defensyd with full holsome and iuste lawes amonge all other ther was a constilucy on that whosoeuer were take and prouyd in the cry me of adulterye / shulde lose both his Ien. and whan his owne sonne was take in the same fawte / and al the cite came togider and prayde for him y^t the payne might be remytted. a while he repugnyd / at last he was victe and ouercome with the supplicacyon of the people. But that notwithstondinge he put oon of his own Ien first out / and after oon of his sonnys Ien / and soo he gaue a meruelows temperament to equyte. For he reseruyd to [Page] euery of them both vse of seynge and executyd dewe iustice / and shewyd him self both rightwys and mercyfull. also Valery tellyth of oon callyd Carandius Tirius which made a lawe / that whosoeuyr entrid among any company of people with a sworde or a dagger aboute him shulde dye. And within a while aftir / whan he was come home from farre contreys / he cam in to his owne hows with his swerde abowt hym. And whan he was warnyd of oone that stode bye him of brekynge of the lawe / euyn strayte he pluckyd owte his swerde / and kylled him self. For he wolde not defende hys errowre nor dyssymyle / but rather suffer payne then breke the lawe. Also valerye tellythe libro sexto / that whan a iuge had geuyn false iugemente vppon a tyme kynge Cambizes cawsyd him to be flaynt / and his skynne to be set faste vppon the iudiciall sete / and cawsyd his sonne to sitte and gyue iugementis in the same sete aftir the deth of his fader. And soo he ordeyned by this newe payne that no iuge aftyrwarde durst breke the lawe / nor be corupte peruertynge rightwysnes. For so commawndith the lawe of God / as it is wrytten Deutero .xvi. Ordeyne two iugis and rulers in euery place / to iuge the people rightfully / and se y^t they varye not from equite in to noon other waye / for loue nor for drede / but do rightfully and indifferentlye at al tymes to euery persone.

¶ Of a beaste callyd Satirus / which weddyd a wyfe. Dialogo .xc▪

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¶ Of the Comyn Laborer. Dialogo .xcvi.

VPpon a tyme ther was a comyn laborer that eryd a felde intendinge to sowit. But the oxen eryd not soo wele / as they were wonde to do / but wyncyd & made recalcitracyon with all ther power. wherfore the plouman bete them [Page]

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and pricked them sore. The oxen cried owt agayn him and sayde. Thow cursyd ceeature why betyst thou vs that euer haue bene seruiceable to the. To whome he sayde. I desire to ere vp this fylde to maynteyne bothe me and yowe / and ye lyste not to labowre. The oxen answerde. We wyll not ere this felde / for the pasture is good and it fedith vs delycyowslye / and therfor we shall resiste to owr powris. But forasmoche as thei were faste yockyd togidir / and myght not departe / the husbondman punysshed them with prickynge and sore strokys / and so they were fayne to obeye with humylyte / and sayde.

Bettyr it is for loue / good seruice to do.

than for drede thanklesse be compellyd therto.

ANd therfore we that be creaturis induyd with reason / shulde serue charitably whan we owe to serue / and wilfully also / and not constrayned. For coact [Page] seruyce plesith not to Godde. Wherfore saynt Augustyn sayth. Constrayned no man can do well thowghe it be good that he doth. Crisostome sayth. The good will cawsith the dede to be remunerable / and without good intencyon the dede is not alowable. And Isidore saith. Suche shall thi dede be reputyd / as thyn intente hath bene precedynge. as it is redde of a iogular that cowde well Tabowre. And he was sene in his Cellta bowringe and doynge worshippe to God. And ther were sene abowte him fower aungellys / with fower Tapirs stondinge and assistinge him / for his good mynde that he hadde to the honowre of almyghty god.

¶ Of the Ape that wrote bookes. Dialogo .xcvii.

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[Page] AN Ape ther was dwellinge in a good cite / that wrote veray Fayre / & made dyuerse bokes. But he gaue neuir his mynde / to suche thinges / as he wrote / but talkyd with other folkes or harkenyd what was sayde of thē For the whiche cawse he falsified his bookys oftyntymes. Wrytinge in them the wordes that he spake him self. Or that he harde spokyn of othermen. And so he continuyd and wold neuyr amende nor correct his fawt. wherfor noman wold set hī to worke / & so he had no getynge & cam to grete pouerte & sayd

The wryter that wryteth all the longe daye

Deseruith no rewarde / yf his mynde be awaye.

SO and in lykewise when we intende to synge or praye. we owe to inprinte owre prayers and song [...] in our myndes stedfastly. For it auaylyth but lytell or nothing to singe or say without deuocyō & applicacyon of y^e mynde. y^e apostel saith ephe .v. Sige ye in your hartys to god / y^t is to say. Not only with voyce outwardly but inwardly in your myndes / y^t we may saye with y^e sayd apostel i. corin .xiiii. I shal singe both with spirite & mynde. Seneca saith. I synge & say whersoeuer I be. Thꝰ did Philosofirs y^t intendid to shewe & to fynde prudence. Wherfor it is but vayne labour to write y^t great study of thē in labouring for wysdom. For ther mighty stodies & labowrs apere by ther wise techinges & doctrines. Of whose Valery tellith li .viii. & saith y^t Carneades an old knight & besy & coninge / whā he was passid xc. yeris / he had so meruelously spent his tyme in stody for conyng y^t diuers tymes as sat at table for cause of refecyō / he forgate to put his honde to y^e table / his mynde was so besyly occupied in remēbrāce of coning. Valery tellith of archimede a philos. y^t whā his cite siracusana [Page] was takyn. Marcellus commaundid that he shulde not be slayne / and he stode and his Ien defixed in the grownde / and made dyuers figures / Fourmys and serclys / and to a knyghte comynge to him and holdinge a sharpe sworde ouyr his hede and askyng what he was For the greate apetyte and desire of conynge / that was in him he gaue noon answer. nor tolde him his name▪ But whan he had made many serclys and figuris in the duste / he sayde to the knighte. I praye the trowble not this sercle nor hurte it. and they toke him for a contemptowre of the Empire / and neglygente / and so thei kylled him cruellye with the swerde of the knyght that was victowre.

¶ Of a beaste callyd Cameliopardus Dialogo .xcviii.

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[Page] Cameliopardus is a beaste of Ethiope as sayth Isidore libro duodecynto and Plinius libro octauo capit. decimonono sayth that this beaste hath an hede lyke a Camell / and he is neckyd lyke an horse / & his thighes and fete be lyke an oxe / and he hath spottys lyke a parde. This Camelyopardus is a beaste ouerspraynyd with whyte spottis dyuydinge the other fressh colowres that he is [...]lorisshed with. And this beaste semyth more dowtfull than he is / for he semyth sometyme soo tame that well nyghe he may be callyd ashepe / as sayth the for sayde outowre. This beaste was a paynturefull of connynge But he of malice euer faynyd criste to be monstruows to be auengid agayne him. Wherfore manyone despisid Criste and set lytell by him saynge. How shulde he helpe and socowre vs / that hath nether fauowre nor beaute. Vpon a tyme this beaste this Cameliopardus staynyd the Image of Cryste in an highe place / and aftyr his power shewid him to be monstruows and despisable. Wherfore Cryste was pertourbyd / and aperyd to him and sayde. Why doyste thow so presomptuowslye defile me shewinge me to be monstruows / whan I am fayre and beawtyfull / excellynge the beawte of all creaturis. For aungellys desire to beholde me and my beautye. and thow labowrist to stele a waye my beawte & worshippe. To whom this beaste answerde and sayde Thinkyst thow not that I remembre that thou haste made me monstruows and not beawtifull nor fayre. And therfore nowe I shall venge me vppon the and neuyr spare to the. And Criste was displeasyd greately with him / and as he was payntynge and highe vpon a scafolde / he ouirthrewe him and caste him down bacwarde and sayde.

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He hath wrought vengeannce in a straunge fourme

That on him self the stroke doth retourne.

SO manyon be byttir and harde hartyd / that neuir will forgiue iniuryes & wrongis done to them / but euir a wayte to be auengid / wherfore it is sayde eccles .xxviii. He that wyll be auengid / shal fynde vengeance of Ged. and therfore Seneca saith. We shulde forgeue and forgete iniuries. For a grete remedye of wronges is sorgetfulnes. Princes in the olde tyme were very buxome and gentyll in geuynge rewardys to suche as deseruyd them / and in remittinge offencis to theyr enymes. wherof Valery tellyth libro vi. of a consull of Rome callyd Camillus the which whan he had vpon a tyme besegid Faliscos. The mastir of the game ledde all the moost noble children of the faliscons by a trayne in to the castellys of the Romaynes. wherfor it was vndowtyd that they shulde be fayne to yelde them self to the Emperowre / But this Camillus was not pleasid with the treason / but vtterly despised it and commaundid that the sayde children shulde lede ther forsayde mastir fast manaclyd and cheynyd and greuouslye betyn with toddys with them home to ther frendes to dispose him at ther pleasure. With this great benefices and kyndnes / the myndes of the Falyscons were mollyfyed / and so they opynyd the gatis to the Romaynes Ambrose also tellyth in summa de officio in cronicis Romanorum. That whan a phisicien of pirrethe kynge of epirotarum had come to fabryce that besegid a great cite / callyd Tarentus of the sayde kinges. The forsayd Phisicien tolde to Fabrice that he wolde geue vnto the kynge a medecyne intoxicate / by the whiche he shulde dye / and by this meanys Fabricius shulde be victoriews / but he this heringe abhorryd the treason / and cō mawndid [Page] him to be faste bownde and caryed to his kinge to be punyshed. wherfor ambrose saith. Verely y^e mā hode and clarite of him is to be lawdyd. For he y^t hath enterprised a batell of knyghtly corage and vertu / wolde in nowyse optayne frawdelent victorye. The forsayde kynge pirrus this vnder stondinge sayde in commendacyon of Fabrice. This is the Fabricius that is so noble / which is more harde to be remouyd from rightwisnes / than the sonne to be auertyd & changid frome hys course / and so the kynge fell at composicion with him y^t he had his pleasure. Valery tellith lib .v .cap .i. That whan y^e legatis of cartage were come to y^e cite of Rome to redeme ther prisoners y^t were there in captiuite / immediatly without taryinge ther were delyuered to thē yongmen y^t were prisoners to the no nombyr of MMCCC. XL. & all thei were delyuered without money or tribute. wherof great meruayle may be conceyuyd / to se so greate nombre of enymyes delyueryd frely / soo grete goodes forsakyn / & marcye shewyd to so many in iuries. also Valery tellyth. li .vi .ca .v. y^t whā pribarnacium a prince was takyn by y^e romaynes / & dyuerse of his people slayne & many imprisonid & ther was no refuge to thē / but only by supplicaciō. A question was askyd to y^e prince / what payne he & his people had deseruyd. He answerde. Such payne as thei deserue y^t be worthy to haue lyberte. & whā it was demandid of him agayne what peace y^e romaynes shuld haue with him & his yf thei remytted ther offence & suffird thē to depart vnpunished. He sayde. If ye gyue to vs good peace. ye shal haue peace for euir. If ye giue to vs bad peace / ye shal not longe haue peace. By the which answer he obtaynid not only relaxacion / but also he had a gret bene fitz grantyd to hi & his of the cyte of Rome. For they wer made & admittid cytezyns of y^e same cite of rome.

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¶ Of a byrde callyd Laurus that occupyed shypmannys Craste. Dialogo .xcix.

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IN the watyr as wele as on the Londe is a byrde / and is namyd Laurus / And he both flyeth and swimmeth / as saith the glose Deuterono .xiiii. He flyeth lyke an Egle / and swymmith like a fissh And is but a lytyl byrde and blacke / & Fatte. And bydith euyr nyghe watirs / and he may not flye farre. Wherfore oftyntimes men that be swyst ronne aftir them and catche them. And of this birde it ys wrytten in aurora Laurus is a dweller of the watirs. and inhabitator of the londes. This Laurus was a shipman the grettest that cowde be. But euer he ouerchargid his shippe trustinge to his conynge. And many [Page] tymes his frendes rebukyd him therfore / but neuerthelesse he amendyd him not but occupied so styll for couetyse of lucre. and vppon a tyme he fraughte his shippe excedinglye with dyuerse marchaundise in somoche that he cowde not gyde it for the greate burdon and the trowblows waluys and therfor the shippe sanke to y^e botome and was brownyd. and soo this Laurus was vtterly vndoone and made greate heuynesse and sayde in this maner.

He that couetith sodeynly greate richesse to haue.

May fortune to lese moche / and scante him self saue

MArchauntis shulde take hede hereto / and not to be desirows of hasty wynnynges / to be sodeynly made riche with grete parell / but surely to increce to goodes with moderacyon. For Bernarde saith. I wyll not sodeynly be made gretteste but I wyll profite and encreace moderatly fro lytell vnto more. There was a chorle that had an henne / the which layde euery daye an egge / and so he gadryd many and solde them & encrecyd to his auauntage. and at last he thowghte yf this henne were kylled and openyd he shulde haue many eggis in her. and for cawse that he was inordinatly couetowse / and wolde haue had grete lucre at oonis / he cawsid the henne to be slayne / and departyd in twayne and fownde noon eggis in her / but loste all / both henne and eggis / aftir the commune prouerbe that sayth. He that couetith all / oftyntymes lesith moche. Therfore marchauntis and chapmen owe to be ware to gete any thinge wrongfully. For the godes of vniuste men shal sone be destroyed / aftir the opynyon of the philosofre y^t saith. Richesse lyghtly gotyn may not laste longe. also Prouer .xx. Herytage or lyuelode that is hastyly pourchessyd in the begynninge / shall lacke blessinge in the [Page] endinge. Whan a Marchaunte in the see vpon a tyme had solde his wyne which was myxte half with watyr / for as moche money as though it had be pure wyne and whan he openyd the bagge to putte in the money that he had receyuyd for the myxte wyne. an Ape that was in the shippe espied it / and in secrete wise cam and cawghte the lagge with the money / and fledde to the ankyr and sittinge there vppon / she openyd the bagge and threwe oone peny in to the see / an other in to the shippe / and so she continuyd tell she had caste them out euery penye. In somoche that the marchante had noon auayle by his frawde.

¶ Of the lyon howe he was an hunter. Dialogo. C.

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[Page] A Lyon ther was somtyme that was a famowse honter / and euer this was his customable vsage. Whan he hontyd he wolde sadly beholde all y^e beastis before him / and marke surely oone of the beste / and hym pursewe with all his myghte. But the beaste beynge in goode distaunce and remote frome the lyon. Fledde in all haste possible. Wherfor the lyon was greuyd lackynge of his purpose and faylynge of that he hopyd to haue. And than he labowrid to haue of the other beastes that he had first forsakyn. But he cowdnoon optayne. For they were goo and fledde and hydde them in ther couertys. wherwith the Lyon was angirde so bytterlye / that he wolde neuer aftyr hunte more / but sayde with grete wodenesse.

It is a great madnesse the suretye forsake

Of thinge that is sertayne / and the contrary take.

SO manyon whan they may haue y^e thingis y^t be competent for thē. thei take noon hede therto .couetinge to haue bettyr / & therfor they be oftyn deceyuid / & cannot com to possessid of suche thingis as thei in tyme past might haue had. then they wolde take y^t thei may not com by / & recouir y^t is loste & vnrecouirable. But thei preuayle not but seldom. wherfore thei mourne & be in gret heuinesse. agayn whō dauid spekith .ii. re .xii Now y^t he is dede why do I faste whethir I may cal hī agayne / I shal rather go to hī. For he shal neuer returne to me. It is also tolde in fablys that y^e Nyghtingale taught a yongmā y^t had takin her to mourne not to gretely for a thinge loste y^t cowde not be recouerid as it is redde in balaam / it is but a madnesse and parell to forsake a thinge sure and sertayne / for an other thinge vayne and vncertayne / as Isope she with by example that [Page] ther was a dogge went ouer a brigge and bare a peace of flessh in his mowth / and whan he espied the shadowe in the watyr / he forsoke the flessh that he had in his mouth to kache the flessh that aperyd in the watyr. And therfore he loste it. So do manyon that for couetyse of getynge / forsake ther sure possession / to optayne y^t they haue not / nor neuer can haue. Wherfor Isope saith Thinges certayne owe not to be forsakyn for vanyteys For as it is but madnesse to truste tomoche in surete / so is it but foly to hope tomoche of vanyteys / for vayne be all erthly thinges longynge to men / as sayth Dauyd psal .xciiii. Wherof it is tolde in fablys that a lady vppon a tyme delyuered to her mayden a Galon of mylke to sell at a cite / and by the waye as she sate and restid her by a dyche syde / she began to thinke y^t with y^e money of the mylke she wolde bye an henne / the which shulde bringe forth chekyns / and whan they were grawyn to hennys she wolde sell them and by piggis / and eschaunge them in to shepe / and the shepe in to oxen / & so whan she was come to richesse she sholde be maried right worshipfully vnto some worthy man / and thus she reioycid. And whan she was thus meruelously cō fortid and rauisshed inwardely in her secrete solace thinkynge with howe greate ioye she shuld be ledde towarde the chirche / with her husbond on horsebacke / she sayde to her self. Goo we / goo we / sodaynlye she smote the grounde with her fote / myndynge to spurre the horse / but her fote slypped and she fell in the dyche / and there laye all her mylke / and so she was farre from her purpose / and neuer had that she hopid to haue.

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CApreolus suche a beaste ther was somtyme / that cowde most sotelly iogle. he cowde also singe very wele / dawnce also and talke plesauntly. Neuerthelesse he was the more eschewyd of all people for that he occupied excedingly And therfore he leuyd but pouerlye. And vpon a tyme he went to the kynge and sayde. My lorde moost souerayne ye knowe wele that I am a connynge iogular & passe all other in your realme / but for al that I am not gladly harde in yowr realme. nor rewardyd aftyr my connynge. But fewe or noon can iowgle so crastely as I can / and notwithstondinge they be take forth and largely rewardyd. Tell me the cause. To whom the kynge answerde. As thow sayst thow canst iowgle wele / [Page] but this is thy fawte. Thow doyst al thinge excessyflye both in doynge and in saynge / Wherof the herars be fastydyows and werye. But and yf thow wylte be gladly harde. Stody thow to speke and to iowgle temperatly. This Capreolus did aftir counsell / and was verely wele amendyd in his goodis in shorte tyme aftyr and leuyd meryly all his dayes and sayde.

Playes and desportys be acceptable and goode.

Temperatly vsyd / and in a meane moode.

SO we owe to do such thingis as we knowe and can with temperaunce / that we cawse not werynesse to the beholders / for Isidore saithe. All thinge that is ouermoche and without mesure done .cawsith werynesse / and a sertayn versisier saith. The wordes of them be not acceptable. That euer be talkinge for ther saynges be not stable. For the why stelynge byrder makyth mery songe. and yit the sely byrdes begylyth he amonge. A childe askyd a question of an old man and sayde. Fadir is it bettir to speke or be styll. to whom the olde man spake and sayde. If the woordes be vnprofitable leue them. If they be goode. Differre not longe to speke them .it is wryten eccle .xxxii. yonge man make but lytell speche in thyn own cawse. If thou be twyes interogate and askyd a question / haue thou redy thyn answer in thy mynde or thow speke. Ther as be senyowrs be thow not verbose / and amonge agyd folke cast not out thi speche. In vitis patrum oon made a question to an olde man and sayde. How longe shal I kepe spilence. To whom he sayde. Tell thou be spokyn to. In euery place if thow be styll thou shalt haue reste / and kepe thou scilence vnto a tyme of conueniēce Temestides a philosofre sayd to a chorle y^t sate with hī [...] dyner / & spake not. Art thou lernyd / me thinketh soo [Page] for thou spekist not. Therfore Isidore saith. Whan tyme requireth speke thou / & in tyme be styl / & speke not but if thou be spokyn to first. and also here thou al thinge paciently or thou speke / & the question of an othir more euer precede & cawse the to gyue a resonable answer.

¶ Of the hare that was a lawyer. Dialogo .cv.

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THe hare Lepus went to pareys to scole & was in processe a good lawyer / and therfor he went to the lyon and sayde. My lorde I haue spent & consumyd my goodes in studye and scolage / for connynge and science. wherfore I pray yow that I may be wele maynteyned & stypendyd / and lyue worshipfully vnder the proteccyon and shadow of your wynges. To whō the lyon answerde. I will first make a profe of thi wysdom & conynge or I grante y^e thi desire [Page] Go with me to see dyuers thinges that I maye proue thy lernynge. and as they wente by a wode syde there came an hunter hauinge a bowe and ārowis / and ordeynyd to shoote aftyr the bere and the foxe. But the foxe was wylye. And whan she espied the bowe and the arowe she lepte a syde and escapid fro the stroke. The bere was prowde & trustyd to his owne strength and came hastely agayne the man willyng to teere him on pecys / but the hunter losyd his arowe and smote y^t bere and kylde him. This seinge the lyon sayde vnto the hare. Make me a prouerbe of this that I may knowe thi science. yf thow desire to be admytted to my salarye. The hare wrotte immedyatelye in his booke / and sayde.

Agayne deth it preuaylith moch more amonge.

To haue wysdome / than to be stronge.

ANd the lyon commendyd this prouerbe and led the hare with him / to a cyte / where they fownde a lorde rebukynge his seruauntis. and oone of the seruauntis toke pacyentlye the rebukys of his mastir. The other was impacient and not sufferable / but full of frowarde answers. Wherfore the Lorde in his ire all to bete him and spoylyd hym and expulsyd him owte of seruice / and kepte styll the pacyent and promotyd him to greate worshippe. And of this matere y^e hare wrote to the lyon saynge in this wise.

Moche bettyr it is many tymes to be styll

Then to speke shrewdlye / and haue iuyll wyll

THe Lyon also magnifyed greatly this prouerbe and ledde the hare in to a towne. In the whiche they fownde a laborer yockynge his oxen / and assygnyd them to ther iourney to ere .xii. acres of londe and delyuerid for the fedinge of euery of them a botell [Page] of hay. Oon of these beastes went forth and bare his botell of haye withowte grutchinge / and an othir began to speke boldlye and prowdly and sayde. What shulde hit suffice vs to bere haye with vs. He shall not fede vs so. and thus saynge he wolde not cary haye to fede hym self with him. And whan they came to ther laboure / and had eryd vnto euyn he that had the botell of haye refresshid him self. The othir was werye and hauinge nothinge wherof to be comfortyd for greate hongre he dyed. Wherof the hare wrote to the Lyon saynge in this wise.

Bettyr it is at nede lytell thinge to haue.

Than vtterly nothinge that myght the lyfe saue.

THe lyon consyderinge all this / sayd vnto the hare. Trewly sonne thow hast studyed wele / & loste no tyme in vayne. For thou canst answer wisely to euery question. Wherfore he gaue him great wagis and promotyd him and sayde.

He that of honowre desireth to haue a chayre.

Owith to be connynge / and of very wysdome ayre.

STudyentis shuld take hede hereto / & continually apply them to haue connynge / that they maye be promotyd / For the mynde of man ioyeth and is fed with connynge / and therfore it owith to haue noon ende / as Seneca saith. Be not faynte in lernynge / for lyfe and lernynge shulde ende at onys / and an othyr saith. If my foote were in my graue / yit wolde I gladly lern connynge. For connynge and science is desirable both for it self and for other / for it is veray profitable to many thinges as saith the expositor vppon the firste of the ethikes. And that man is very blessyd that hath founde wysdome / and haboundith with prudence. Prouer .iii. Therfore olde princes had ther mastirs / as traiana [Page] had plularchum. Nero had Scneca / & alexander had Aristotyll. Whan Alexander was born philippe the fadir of him wrote an Epistle to aristotyl sayinge in this wise. Philippe to aristotyll sendith gretinge. knowe thow that a sonne is born to me / wherof gretly I reioy [...]r and referre gracys vnto the goddes. Not oonly for cawse of his byrth. But rather for that it fortunyth him to be borne in thy tyme For my gret confidence res [...]yth in the / trustinge that thow shalt bringe hym vp in vertewe and doctrine / that he maye be worthy to be a gydar / & profitable to the wele of o^r reame. And hit is to be notyd that a prince of a reame owith to be wyse / not oonly in disposinge of thing is temporall and lawys of them. But also in dyuyne thingis and lawys of god as it is wrytten Deuteromii .xvii. Aftyr that a kynge haue possession and is sette in the Trone of his [...]ame / he shal cawse the Deutronomye to wryte vnto hym of the lawe in a volume / takynge an example of the presris of the trybe Leuiticall / and it shall Remayne in his kepinge / and he shall rede it all the dayes of his lyfe / that he may lern and haue remembraunce to drrbe his lorde God and kepe the cerymonyes of hī which be commaundyd in the lawe. and if the prince be not let tyrde. It is necessary to him to be counsellyd of suche as be lernyd wherfore he is commawndid to take an examplar of the lawe of preystis and men of the chirche as Helinandus expownyth. Tully saith in detusculanis questionibus libro quinto. Philosofir is a serchar of the mynde / which drawith owte vicis by the rote / and purgith them / & makith redy y^e sowlys to bringe forth goode frute. Papie saith that academia / was somtyme a towne oftyn tymes shakyn with erth quauys stondinge but a myle from athenys / which town philosofirs [Page] that is to saye plato & al his / chose to dwell inne / y^t drede shulde cawse them to be continent and to be doutefull euir / & eschewe othir vices / & aplye ther lernyge and of that town they were namyd Academici.

¶ Of a Dogge and many Woluys Dialogo .cvi.

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A Dogge which was a grete barkar & enymye agayne woluys to fight agayne them was keppid in a greate cite / and he was so fierse that in nowise he wolde suffir them to entyr y^e cite. Wherfore the woluis hatid the dogge and laye dayly waytinge to destroye him. and for that same intente thei came togider in to the feldys and sent forth two of the eldest of them inmessage to the dogge saynge vnto him. Thou arte mighty & goodly strōge & vertuous. & therfor al we be assemblyd togider in y^e feeldis to crowne y^e our kynge. [Page] come with vs peseablye and receyue thy dignite that thow mayst be honowrably put in possession. This dogge was madde for ioye whan he harde him self thꝰ lawdyd and thoughee he shulde be exalcyd and departyd from the courtelage in which he had sure abydynge and went forth with his enymyes to his coronacyon The woluys conueyde the dogge secretly to ther owne companye / and whan they espyed hym / they fortified them self togider and all to rente the dogge and sayde.

He that desireth to be hardy and bolde.

Shulde euer dwell styll in a stronge holde.

SOo a man y^t dwellith in a strong place / owithe not to departe thens for fayre promi [...] & flateringe woordes. For ther be many deceyuers / decey [...]inge thē y^t be not ware with sugryd woordes / wherfor Albartanus saith. Thou shalt not drede byttyr woordes but rather grete strokis. The Philosofre saith. He that wysely dissimulith / the soner preuaylith agayne his enymye. & Isope wyllynge to shewe that a man owith prudently to consider why and for what cause anythinge is promysed or geuyn to him tellyth & inducith a fable and saith that on a tyme a theef came to a man [...]ys hows by night to robbe him / & a dogge which was in y^t same hows barkyd & made grete noyse. but y^e theef was subtyll & pluckyd brede out of his bosome & gaue it to y^e dogge to cawse him / to be styll. The dogge refusyd the brede & sayde to the theef. By thy giftes thow labowrist to cause me to be styl / y^e thou mayste robbe & spoyle my mastir / If I shulde take thy brede / thou wol best exca [...]ye al the substance of this hous / & for this lytel morsell y^t thou profirst me / I shulde lese all my lyuinge. But I wyll not lese my continuall & dayly sustinaunce / for thi false pleasure. And therfore I aduise the [Page] to departe from hens wylfully / or ellys I shal crye out agayne the & shew thy thefte. & all the whyle y^e dogge was styll the theef Taryed / & whan he barkyd y^t thees departyd & durst not tarye. Therfor an autour sayth. whan any thinge is geuyn the / remembyr why. and to whom thou geuyft thi gyftes haue an Ie.

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¶ Of the Wolf and the Asse. Dialogo .cvii.

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THe wolf on a tyme sawyd with the asse / but y^e asse labowrid full truly aboue. the wolf was malycyous and drewe the sawe vndernethese kynge an Occasyon to deuowre the asse. wherfore he made quarell agayne him and sayde. Why doyste thow throwe the duste in to myn Ien. the asse answerde / and sayde. I doo not so to the / but I gouern the sawe perfightly aftyr my wytte and connynge. If thow wilt sawe aboue I am pleasyd / and I shal labowre beneth trulye. To whom the wolf sayde I can nor. But and yf thow throwe any more duste in to myn Ien / I shal put owte both thyn Ien. and they thus sawynge the wolf blewe with all his power wyllynge y^t the duste shulde flye in to the Ien of his felowe / but y^e tymber stoppid it / and cawsid the dust to fall in to the Ien of the wolf / and he was greuously paynid and sware that he wolde ouirthrowe the portars and berars. But the tymber fell sodeynly by the right full iugemēt of God and oppressed the wolf and kylled hym. The asse lept and sauyd him self and sayde.

Manyone that thinkith his Neybowre to kyll

Is slayne with that same swerde sore agayn his wil

THus doo malycyows people that layenettis to deceyue ther neybowris / and to take them. But as it is wrytten Eccle .xxvii. He that ordeynith a pitte for his Neybowre shal fall in to it him self / as Isope inducith a fable & shewith y^t he y^t labowrith to disceyue othir folkes / god shall suffir him to be begilyd & dampnyd / and forth he bringeth an example and saith That on a tyme a mous came to a grete waterside / and [Page] durste not swym ouir / and a frogge espied him / and thoughte to deceyue him / and sayde. Thou art welcome brodir and frende. It is sayde that frendeship is prouyd in necessite. Wherfor come with me / for I can swym right wele. The mous trustid wel & suffirde him self to be fast bownde to the foote of y^e Frogge and as they swam the frogge descendyd in to the watir and drownyd the mous & kylled her. and at the laste ther came a kyte fleynge ouir and espied the mows and caught her and the Frogge also and ete them both. and therfore saith Isope. So mote they perissh / y^t wil speke fayre and deceyue / for it is worthy that punysshment retourne to him that causith it.

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[Page] ON a tyme it befell that an hors had pleded so longe a geynste a Boore that by longe contynuance the horse becam so poer that he was nat able to mateyne his plee for lacke of money or goodes / for all his substance was spent & gone & he sought his frendis / Than he went to the Mule & prayed hym with great lamentacyon to lend hym .x. li .in golde / the whiche he dyd for pitye with a good wyll. wherwith the horse wan his plee & recouered all his costys and damages / with habundance of great goodes. Thus whan all his care was past and he beinge ageyn in his prosperyte / the Mule come vnto hym & required his lendt money / the whiche with a mockynge maner The horse that was inflamyd with ire and falshede / callyd to him the camell and the asse / and they thre all to bete the mule and went forth to the iuge. The iuge this knowinge he gaue this sentence that all that money shulde breuely be restoryd to the mule / and for ther violence / and hurtys that they had done to him / they shulde paye him an hundryd markys. The camell hauynge no goode to paye / he forsoke the cyte and was banyshed. The asse was imprisonyd & stockyd faste & endyd his lyfe wretchidlye. The horse was constraynyd by greate rygowre to paye his dettys and his damage and so he remaynyd in greate pouertye / and was vtterly vndone and spoylyd and sayde.

He that is indettyd and wyll neuer paye

Shal lese oftyn tymes / and his goode shall awaye.

SO ther be manyon y^t be vnkynde y^t knowe not benefitys done to them / nor yelde no thankyng is to ther goode doers. Agayn such caton saith [Page] be thou remembryd of y^e benefitis y^t thou hast receyuid. And also he saith. A lytell gyfte y^t thi pouer frende geuith vnto the. Receyue thou gladlye / & remembyr fully to gyue thankinges. But many oon now a dayes / not oonly gyue no thankynges / but rather speke falsely agayne ther goode doers. As it is red y^t whan a sertayne kynge had exaltyd oon that he especyally louyd aboue al other. This man thought & sayde to him self. The kynge hath so gretely auancyd me y^t I shal neuer aquite him nor be free. Wherfor he compassyd y^e kynges deth The kynge y^t knowinge cyted him before his own presence / and the trouth knowen / he iugid him to be drawyn throwe y^e [...]ite. And as he was drawyn / euery man threwe vnclene thing is vpon him. and he suffirde it paciently forasmoche as he in prosperite had be combrous and not fauowreable to any persone / but prowde & noyable to all people. But whan a frende of his which he louyd as him self had throwyn a stoone at him & smytte him on the too / he cryed out & made grete heuynesse / & whan he had be drawyn & was brought befor y^e kyng gayn. The kynge askyd of his seruauntis / How behanyd y^e wretche him self in his passyon. They sayde / veray pacyently. But he made grete lamentacyon for oon stroke y^e was geuyn him. The kynge inquyred of him y^e cawse. And sayde. For I louyd him most feruentlye y^t smote me / & trustyd synglerly to his socowr. The kynge sayde. Of thyn owne mowth I iuge y^t thou bad seruante. For thou hast most falsely withoute cawse conspired agayne me. And y^e kynge commaundyd that he shulde be hangyd forthwith / accordynge to his demerytes. Hitte is a greate maruayle that creaturis hauinge reason shalde be so Ingrate / and vnkynde whan brute Beastis vnresonable knowe ther benefactours [Page] As it is redde that vppon a tyme whan a Lyon was takyn in the nettis of hunters a shepeheerde that was compassionable vnto hym delyuerid him. And an other tyme the same lyon was agayne takyn of hunters / & put in to a caue of the Emperowrys wyth other wylde beastis. And the forsayde shepeheerde for hys offencys was caste in to the same caue to be deuowryd. And the Lyon knowinge the Shepeheerde not oonely hurte hym not / but also preseruyd hym from al other beastis that wolde haue deuowryd hym. Alsoo it is redde that the duke of Saxonye fownde a Lyon fightynge withe a moost cruell Serpente / whiche hadde compassyd the necke of hym rownde abowte. and intendyd with hys venyme to sle hym. The knyghte beholdinge the noblesse Leonyne / and the malyce Serpentine / He smote of the Serpentis hede. Wherfore the Lyon folowyd y^e knyghte lyke a tame beaste / and neuer forsoke hym. and for the forsayde knyghtes loue / the forsayde Lyon fawghte agayne hys enymyes / and whan the knight was dede and buryed. The Lyon / for loue laye on his graue / and there dyed.

¶ Of the asse and the Oxe. Dialogo .cxii.

AN Oxe and an asse had ther dwellynge togider / withe an husbondeman / whiche fedde them plentyfully. But many tymes he prickyd them and cō pellyd them to labowre. Vppon a tyme this man bete his asse / and he was angrye and went to the Oxe saynge What shal we doo. This Chorle betith vs sore / and [Page]

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makith vs werye. Let vs goo from hym / and caste vp owr yockys / for we be but yonge as yit / and we maye be mery a greate whyle and owte of daungere. and soo forth they went. and as they walkyd by many fayre pasturis they were veray gladde. and at laste nyghte came and it was veray Darke / and they compleynyd euerich to other and sayde. How shall we slepe. Oxe hows haue we noon as we were wonde to haue. Certaynlye it had bene bettyr for vs to maynteyne trewe labowre then to departe. and as they laye on the gronde couetinge to slepe. The wolf came cryinge and vexyd them so sore / that all the longe nyghte they were withowte slepe and sayde. It is not goode for vs to byde here / but rather with smale beastys / for then shall we be defendyd of shepeheerdys and doggis. and whan they came to the Flockes / desyringe to be with them / and tarye all nyghte. The shepeheerdys expulsydde them / and bete them / and they weppyd and made gretemone [Page] & concordyd to dwel with a laborer that punysshed them soore & fed them scantly. Wherfor they were compuncte gretly / & retournyd to ther first state & sayd

Bettir it is in suretye at home for to byde

Thē through y^e world to wādyr & be without guyde

IN this we may note what iubardye it is to goo in to straunge contreys and fro place to place / & to be lodgyd in othermennys howsis / wherof it is sayd Eccle .xxix. It is a wycked lyfe to be logid from bous to hous. & it is also bettir & more profitable to suffir otherwhile some small greef / then to suffir a gretter greef. and whan a man shal doo any thinge euyr he owith wysely to consider what may fall to him therbye as the wiseman saith. What soeuyr thow doo / do it wisely and beholde the ende. And also he saith / I wyl pacienely suffir smale hurtys in eschewing of gretter. wherof it is tolde that a kyte on a tyme greuyd dowuis very fore & stale awaye ther chekyns / and otherwhyle the dowuys defendyd them self to ther power / and smote him with ther wynges & draue him away. At last they m [...]de a counsell & chose the goshawke to be ther kynge to mayntayne them agayn the furyous kyte. The kinge began cruellye and was to them more noyable then ther olde enymye / and toke dayly oon of the fatteste / & ete her. The dowuys complaynyd emonge them self of ther kynge and sayde that bettyr it had bene to them & lesse hurte to haue suffirde the batell of the kyte / then to be mourdryd dayly and cruelly slayne withowte defence or remedye. By this it is shewyd that bettyr counsell is bettyr with reste and sykernesse than delectable with besynes and parell. As Isope shewith in fablys y^t the feelde mows came to the towne / and there he was worthyly receyuyd of the mows of the cite / and he made [Page] hym greate chere / and commendyd the large expense of the cyte greatelye / and browght him to the bysshopis celar / and gaue him delycate mete. at laste came y^e botelar / and the kaye ratled / and in came he. The howse mowse fledde in to his hoole. The feld mows ranne agayne the wallys and scantlye escapyd with his lyfe At laste they mette togider and the felde mows sayde. I had leuer gnawe harde benys all my lyfe then to be in this sodeyne feere. Take to the thy delycatys / that be to the greate pleasure / for I loue pece with pouertye and quietnesse delyteth me more then precyosite of metys / or delycyows fedynges.

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THe Salamandre is of the kynde of a lacerte or of a stellyon a pestiferus beaste and most gretly venymed. For as plinius saith lib .xxix .ca .iiii. she infectith the frutes of treys and corruptith the watirs. Of the which who so euyr etyth or drinketh / he is euen strayt dede. And also yf y^e spetyll of her towche the fote of a man. It is poysoned and destroieth him. and all be it so that in the Salamā dre remaynyth greate strengthe of poyson / she ysetyn of some Beastys / and takyn for a foode. This sayde beaste Salamandre oonly and no mo lyuyth in y^e [Page] fire / as saith Plinius / and putteth owte both the fire / and the flame / & it is the kynde of a Salamandre to be rowgh & full of curlyd herys / lyke a see calf. Of whose skynne somtyme is made gyrdyllys for kynges to were. For whā they haue be longe worne / & then caste in to the fire they wyl not burne / but aftir they haue lye longe in the fyre they be clene & newly pourgid & be newlye drawyn from the fire as though they were repayrid of newe. & of the same skynne be made macchis yn lampes y^t wyll not waste for no brinnynge. Hydrus is a poysonde Serpent that leuith in the watyrs hauing .vheedis. The twey serpentis fawght togider / but whan the Salamandre was ouercome of the Hydre / she lepte in to the fire to escape. Whan the hydre had the worse / and was almooste scomfighte of the Salamandre he fledde in to the watirs. And so they conseruyd them self from deth and sayde.

He that retournyth to his owne naturall place

Shal be defendyd / and fynde greate solace.

THus owe we to diffende owre self / whan we be temptyd of owr goostly enymyes. Of the brynnynge fire of concupiscens and lechery. We shulde manlye resiste and caste owr self in to the watirs of Chastite and clennesse. Whan we be impugnyd of the watirs of couetyse and auaryce. We owe to lepe in to y^e fire of charite and largesse / by example of the downe. For it is redde in the propirte of byrdes that there be some Goshawkys that take no byrdes / but oonly in the eyre / And some ther be that take noon but oonly in the londe. And naturally the downe knowith that. & therfore she flyeth / fro the Goshawke that cachith her in [Page] the ayre / and descendith in to the londe / If she be pursewyd of the hawke that rauyssheth on the londe / she cō tinuith and bydith styll in the ayre. Suche reason shulde we haue agayne the Goshawke of hell / which hath a M. wyles to hurte / wherof Paulyne saith. Our enemy to whom is knowen a M. dyuerse wayes of noyinge / shulde be defendyd with soo many diuerse wepyns as he ordeynyth sotylteys. And therfore whan myn enymye pursewith me / hauinge so many disceytes. I muste by Goddys grace ordeyne a M. dyuerse wayes to with stonde him. It is told y^t a demoniak was brought to an holy man / which commawndyd the feende to come forth and tell hym his name / and he answerde and sayde. We be thre fendes / that dwell in this man / I am callyd the closer of the harte / My secounde brodyr is callyd the closer of the mowth / and the thrid is callyd closer of the purse / Myn office is to indurate the harte of the synner that he may haue no contricyon / and if he be contrite / my brodyr labowrith to kepe him from confession. And though he be confessyd / my thrid brodir wil suffre him do no satisfaccyon / And thus my thrid brodir is namyd / closer of the purse. And by these meanys we preuayle agayne moche people

¶ Of the Ape / and a beaste callyd Taxus. and in Englyssh a Brocke. Dialogo. Cxvii.

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OF Taxus the here is harshe & rough and is a beaste to the quantite of a fox Of this beaste spekith plinius. li .viii .cap .xxxix. and saith / whan doggis folowe him / he restraynyth and kepith in his winde and his breth / and soo he cawsith his skynne to be blowyn and straynyd / and be that meane he defendyth the bytynge of doggis / and felyth not the strokes of men. This beast hatith the foxe and hath a custome to fighte agayne him. But the subtyll foxe seynge that he cowde not hurte this brocke for his harde skynne / and rowgh here / she faynyd her self to be venquyssyd and victe / and of subtylte fledde and ran a waye. and while this Taxus this brocke or gray sawghte for his praye. The false foxe entryd in to hys closette / and shamefully defylyd the lodgynge of this graye with pysse and other vnclene thinges. In someche that he abhorryd to come home / and vtterly forsoke [Page] his howsolde / and chose him an other lytell mansyō for his ease a greate waye thens. If he lacke mete in y^e wintyr / he wyll sleape for his dyner / for it is a beaste y^t leuith moche by sleape .vnto this brocke came an ape and sayde. Brodir lende me an .c. markys. For I haue affeccyon to goo beyonde the see to marchandise / and I shall trulye deuyde the lucre betwene the and me. To whom the brocke answerde. That shall I gladly grā te the. For all my desire is to lyue easyly. wherfor thou shalt haue thy desire yf thou canste fynde me sufficient suretye and make me an instrumente by the hondes of a notarye. The ape founde sureteys the bugle and the bull / and lefte the oblygacyon / in kepinge of the horse / and went forth on his iourney / and neuir came home agayne. Taxus this brocke seynge that he was thus illudyd of the ape. he askyd his goode of the sureteys. They scornyd him and despised him gretely. Wherfore this beaste complaynyd to the iuge / and shewyd hym his obligacion. The iuge immediatly cyted the creditowris and gaue sentence that they shulde restore the goodes accordinge to ther bonde. Wherfore they were greatly wroth and euer malygnyd agayne the brocke and pursewyd him. And at the laste they toke him and wowndyd him sore with many a greate stroke / & whan he was so woundyd he sayde with greate lamentacion and mourninge.

He that can beware of him that wolde borowe

Is euyr owte of stryfe and kepte fro moche sorowe

[Page] OFtyntymes it happith that a man lesith his frē des whan he askyth his owne goodes that he hath lente. Neuerthelesse the Prophete saith. Psalmo .cxi. He is a iocounde man that she with mercye and lendith. But that notwithstondinge Caton saith. Loke to whom thow geuyste. That is to meane / ther shulde be a discrecyon in the gyuer and lendar / it is tolde in fablys that a doo beynge greate with fawne came to an othir doo that had an hows / and withe swete woordes. Fayre prayers and lamentacion she askyd lodgynge / and desyred hows rome for the tyme of her nede permyttynge / that she shulde delyuer the hows to the ownar whan she had fawnyd. The other was mercyfull and departyd / and suffirde her to haue the rome. And aftir a longe season whan the iubardy was paste The ownar retowrnyd and repetyd his right. The other lockyd faste the durrys / and closyd her erys / and wolde not delyuer that she promysyd. But spake cruellye and sayde. I fere not thi longe teth. For the teth of my children shal al to rent y^e. Wherfor by this fable a man is tawghte that he shulde not alwaye gyu [...] credē ce to hastyly to swete woordes. For manyon be disceyuyd by the meanys of pyte. As Isope tellyth wyllynge to shewe that nothinge maye profite vnto bad folke whan the shrewyd mynde of them is notte a shamyd to be vnremembryd of a good dede. Wherfore he tellyth that the wolf was acloyed in the throte / and almoste chokyd with a boone of a lambe that he had deuowryd which stacke faste in his throte ouirthwarte. Wherfore in all possible haste he sent to the crane that he with his longe byll shulde drawe it owt. The bone owt drawyn fro the throte of the wolf by the meanys of the crane / he askyd his rewarde which the wolf had promysed [Page] hym. The wolf answerde and sayde. Thou vnhappy creature / lyuest not thow by the gyft of me / myght not I with oon bytte haue bytte a sonder thy necke. Therfore take thi lyfe / for my rewarde. For other rewarde shalt thow noon haue of me. And so manyon be vnkynde to ther benefactowris.

¶ Of the mows / and the catte Dialogo .cxviii.

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VPpon a tyme the mows went vnto y^e catte and humbly salutyd him & sayde O mastir of mooste excellence I entende euer to do to the trewe seruice. alonlye I beseche the by my protectowre agayne the wodenesse of the wesyll. the [Page] Catte receyuyd him in to proteccyon and led the mous aboute with him and wolde not suffir him to be deseyuyd of the wesyll. The wesyl was greuyd with the dealynge of the catte and enuyed at him greatlye. Vppon a tyme the mows offendyd and the Catte dyd dew correccyon. Wherwith the mows was greuyd and went to the wesyll and sayde whan he had done dewe salutacyon. Myne offencys be grete and I am veryly worthy to be punyshed. For I haue bene agayne the vnder proteccyon of the catte. And thus subtelly he sowid discorde betwene the catte and the wesyll / whan he was iustely punyshed of eyther of them. At last he browght them to that pointe that vtterly they intendyd eche to kyll other. and as they were goynge promptely to batel the wesyll spake and sayde. O dere suster what meane we. Why shulde oon of vs sle the other by the meanys of the false mows. Bettir it is and lesse hurte for vs to kyll him / than to kyll owrself. These wordes plesyd well the catte / and they both togider kylled the mows and ete him meryly betwene them and sayde

They that make Rancowre / discorde or debate

Shal not be vnpunyshed erly or late.

THus do flaterers and malycyows people betwene princes and lordes that be at reste and peace Wherfore they be hatefull vnto god / for hit is wrytten Prouer .vi. Ther be .vi. thinges that God hatyth / and y^e .vii .is detestable vnto him. Ien highe lokinge / a tonge lyinge / hondes shedynge innocente bloode. The harte thinkynge moost wycked thowghtys. Fete that be swyfte to ronne to do synne. Lesyngmongers [Page] and false witnesse berers / and suche as sowe discorde amonge louers and bredren. Wherof it is wrytten Ecclesiastici .xxviii. A flaterer and a dowble tongid man is acursyd / for he hath trowblyd many a man / that dwellyd in peace. Olde fadirs louid no suche glosers & dowble tongyd folkys / for in them was magnificence and strength for to saye the trowth / in all ther spechis / as Valery tellyth libro sexto. That whan all the people hopyd vppon the deth of the tyraunte Dyonyse / for y^e excedinge bytternesse of his moost cruell maners / a woman of the grettest age prayde the goddis y^t he mighte continewe longe in lyfe without sykenes or disease / & whan the sayde Tyrawnte knewe it / he maruaylyd o [...] herbenyuolence withowt his deseruinge / and Callyd her / and inqueryd what rewarde she had receyuyd of him so to saye. She answerde and sayde. For a reason that I haue prouyd by experience before tyme. For whā I was a mayde and had a greuous tyraunte. I wolde gladlye haue lackyd him. and whan he was slayne / a worse occupied his rome / and then his dominacyon to be endyd I desired moost feruently. & a worse rular than thou art we kepe neuer to haue. therfor I drede if thow were take frō vs. a worse yf it be possible shulde succede in to thy place. Therfore I haue prayde for thi conseruacyon. Olde philosophirs also had leuyr dye for saynge trowthe / then to lyue and hyde it. wherfore of Dyogene it is tolde / that he was shewynge trowthe in euery place. Of whom Valery spekith li .iiii .ca .iii. that whan aristipus had sayde to the forsayde Diogene y^t stoode & wasshyd wortys. O Dyogene if thou haddiste pleasyd y^t tyrāte dyonyse with thi fayre woordes / thou shuldist not haue nedyd thꝰ to do / truly quod he yf thou woldist [Page] do thus / thou shuldist not haue nede to flater y^e sayd tyraunte. For this philosofre had moche leuyr to be fedde and maynteynyd with a messe of wortys & say trouth then to be fed with y^e kynges deyntis and to flater him or say to him other then trowth.

¶ Of .v. Lambys and a Wolf. Dialogo .cxix.

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FIue Lambys ther were in nombyr y^t were forsakyn both of fader and moder and lefte lyke pupyllis and orphanys / were rulyd / and gydyd of ther kynsmen and tutowris / vppon a tyme the wolf callyd oon of these lambys secretly to him / and sayde. I thinke to be compassionable vnto the. Consyderinge thy greate frende and [Page] fadir is dede. Wherfor I wyll delyuer to the my lettirs of proteccyon that thow mayst goo sawf. Neuerthelesse first goo to thi bredren and bydde them come to me with the to conferme this matere. This innocente lam was reioycid with grete gladnesse & went to his bredrē and shewyd vnto them all this mater. To whom thei sayde. This plesith vs greatly. But go we first to our frendes and tutowris and desire ther counsell. & whan they came to them. Ther tutowris answerde & sayde Beware for god sake of suche a mastir. For and yf ye go and return to him / he wil destroye yow and kyll you But they not takinge hede of the holsome consel of ther senyours / went forth to the wolf. The cruel wolf s [...]ynge them was very glad / and lepte amonge them & kylled them euery chone and fedde him self and his childrē and sayde.

He walkyth euyl and oftyn offendith.

That to sadde counsell neuir attendith.

THerfore we muste gyue credence to the counsell of our senyours. For it is wrytten. Iob▪ xxv .in agyd folkys is great wysdome and prudence in longe tyme. we shulde do aftir counsell / and especyally of our frendes. For it is sayde prouer .iii. Kepe thow the lawe and good counsell and lyfe shal be geuyn vnto thi sowle and grace vnto thy chekys. It is sayde that an husbondman labowryd his londe and sew it with hempe. Flexe or lynette seede. A Swalowe that was olde and wise / seynge that / callyd all othir byrdes togider & sayde. This feelde and this seede thretnyth vs soore. For in tyme comynge / hereof shal be made many a comberows nette. Therfore go we all togider and spurn it a broode / or euir it growe / or come vp. But all oth^r byrdes wolde not consente / but repreuyd the swalowe and [Page] sayde she was full of folyssh drede / Vppe grewe this erbe / and the swalowe warnyd them agayne that greate parell y^t approchid and drew nere. The byrdes deryded the swalowe and sayde. This swalowe pleasith men / and flaterith them with his songe. This hempe was full growyn and mowe downe and dyuers nettis were made of it / and cawght many a byrde. Then all the birdes knewe ther fawte / and repentyd them whan ther was no remedye. Therfore he that despiseth profitable cownsell / oftyntymes takith vnprofitable / and he that thinkith him self to sure / fallith oftyntymes in to snarys. And many tymes the cownsell of a vyle persone / is very goode aed profitable / for wysdome vaylyth more then strength. For an example it is wrytten that the Egle fleynge in the eyre and seynge the snayle puttinge owte his hornis. She descendyd and caught her and helde her styll in her cleys. And the snayle shrank in to the shell / so that the Egle in no wyse cowde ete of her. That seynge a crowe sayde vnto the Egle. Thowghe thow be myghty and kynge of all byrdes / thou knowist not all thinge. Harke surely therfore what I saye and doo by my counsell / for that in the shell is very good mete and delycyows. Bere the shell vp an highe / and let it fall and breke / and so she dyd / and fownde grete swettenesse.

¶ Of many Crepinge wormys and beastis. Dialogo. CXX.

THe Crepynge beastis and wormys vppon the erthe toke ther solace agayne the sonne. But y^e moost venymows beaste of all and most perylowse Serpente Basiliscus of whom is made mencyon / in the dialogo .xli. lepte in amonge [Page]

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all other and sayde with lowde voyce / Who is so bolde that dare fight with me / let him come and I shal fight with hī. The snayle in his cotearmure cam in among all othir / redy to fighte agayne this serpente. And as they fawghte. This Serpente labowryd to byte and to poyson hī. But she wysely drewe in her hede & fete in to the shell / that the serpente cowde not towche her / and aftirwarde whē she espyed auauntage / she put owt her hornys and cleys and pricked this serpent. Wherof she had greate shame. A lytell space aftir / this forsayde serpent basiliscus fortified him self / and thowghte to excuse him self of y^t he had bene shamefully ouircom / and sayde / I wil auenge me. Wherfor yf ther be any amonge all yow y^t is so bolde to fighte / I shal make him gladly to turn his backe & fle. The Irchyn full of spinis heringe this / came forthe in his harneys towarde Batell. And whan this forsayde Serpente sawe him / with greate malyce he came agayne him. This sayd [Page] Irchyn was harty and made sharpe her prickis & smote them in to the serpent / and wowndyd him vnto the effusyon of his bloode. This Basiliscus was faynte for angir and confusyon. Emong all other a frogge beholdinge this and thoughte to be auengid vpon the serpente / he l [...]pte vppon him willinge to kyll him. The serpent seynge the frogge all nakyd and bare / without defence / and he him self was both wery and hungrye / & to strength his body he cawght the frogge and swalowyd her in / and sayde.

He fightith but faintely / that is not arayde

And he that hath noon harneys may euer be afrayde

By this we bet awght y^t whan we see our greate enymyes somwhat ouerthrowyn / we owe not sodeynlye to fall vpō them / but to refrayne / & to see the ende. For Seneca saith. It is properlye the condicyon of a wyseman to drede his enymye / though he be but weke. And therfore noman shulde reioyce the deth of his enymye / for dowghte of him self. For it is wryttē prouerbi .xxiii. Whan thyn enymye hath had a fall / be thou not glad therof. Nor be thow mery vpon the deth of thyn enymye / leste ther fall lyke iubardye vppon the For he that gretely reioycith vppon the losse or hurte of his enymye / shall fal oftyn in to losse and hurts / It is redde that an Emperowre / had tway seruauntis / of which oon was a taylowre / and the other was a barboure. The taylowre hatyd the barbowre / for cawse the emperour had him more in fauowre. Wherfor he accusyd him to the Emperour / that he shulde diffame hī and saye that he might not suffir the stench of his breth whan he shauyd him. The Emperowr was sore greuyd and commawndyd him to be caste in to the see in a sacke. And as the sayde Emperour cast forth his honde [Page] poyntynge to the shippemen the place where they shulde cast him / his signette of golde fel from his finger in to the see. This barbowre corruptid the shipmen with money / and by them he was conueyed to farre contreys and straunge nacyons. wher as he leuyd prosperowsly And vppon a daye he bought a fissh / and fonde the emperowrs ringe in the bely of the same fissh / with the which ringe he came to the Emperowr / and gaue it to him excusynge him self of the cryme that was obiecte agayne him. And at the laste for a rewarde he desyred that the taylowre that had ioyed of his deth / myght be cast in to that same place of iubardye that he was / and so he escapyd. and his enymye was destroyed / that hoopid he had destroyed him. Wherfore Seneca saith. loke dayly to haue of other / as thow intendist to do to other And this is oftyn prouyd by experience.

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¶ of man and woman. Dialogo. CXXI.

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MAn aftir the saynge of the Philosofre Is a mynde incarnate. A Fantasye of tyme. A beholder of lyfe. A Māciple of deth. A walker goynge A dweller of a place. A laboryows mynde. An habitacle of small tyme. A woman as saith the philosofre / is the confusyon of man / A beaste insaciable / a continuall besynesse. a batell neuer endid / mānis māciple & to a continent man destruccyon / As vppon a tyme it happid / y^t a man which was clene & chaste desired to haue famylyarite / & speche with a womā. wherby he fell to delectacyon & was cawght in the nettys of synne / and lyghtly loste the seale of chastite & comytted dedly synne. For whā he attendyd vnto the swettenesse of her speche / & behyld the beawte of her face / he was ouercome & destroyde / & sayde.

Many mennys myndes for women be broke

And wowndyd sorer then with other strooke

Wherfor an Autowr spekyth & saith / A Womā is the fourme of synne / & condicyonyd dedly / Iheronie saith. The gate of the Fende / The waye of wyckednesse. The strooke of the Serpente / A noyable kynde is the woman. That same doctowr saith / The beawte of womā is lyke a brinninge sworde. Remembyr y^t Thamar was corrupte of her owne brodir / & euer remembyr y^t a woman put Adā from his possession. who was strenger than Samson / wyser then Salamon / more holy then dauyd / & all these were subuertid by womē It is wrytten Eccle: xxv / The oryginal of synne begā of a womā / & all men suffir dethe / by y^e meanys of her / wherfore these olde Fadirs & philosofirs were very cō tynente [Page] & kepte them self chaste / as tellith Vigecius libro secundo. of the continence of alexāder / y^t whā a mayde of most excellent beawte was brought to him / which was weddyd to an other prince / he sparyd her / & vtterly abstaynyd him self from her / In so moche y^t he wolde not see her / But sent her agayn to her husbond / & whā she was so remytted & sent agayne / it pleasyd gretly y^e myndes both of her husbonde & of her / a lyke tale tellith Valery libro quarto / cap / iii / of Scypione / saynge y^t whā he knewe y^t a mayde moost bewtifull was among them of cartage y^t were besegyd / which was weddyd to a nobyll gentylmā / after y^t this Scipion had wonne y^e cite he callyd the Frendes of the sayde mayde / and also her husbonde before him / & delyuerde her to him a clene mayde / & all the Golde y^t was brought to him for redē pcyon of her / he gaue it to her maryage / wherfore y^e hartys of them were euir aftyr aplyed towarde him / For his grete chastite and bounteuous largesse / Valery also tellyth in y^t same chapitle / of the meruelowse chastite of zenocrates a philosofre saynge / That on a tyme atte athenys a compeny of yonge men promysed a grete summe of money to a wantonly disposyd womā / yf she cowde corrupte the mynde of the sayde philosofre and ynclyne it to lechery / The which womā in the nyghte tyme went and laye downe by him. But in nowyse she cowde preuayle to hurte his chastite / & to the yonge men y^t derydyd her / y^t she cowde not bowe his mynde. She answerd y^t she had not go to no lyuely mā / but rather to a statue / or dede Image. She callyd the philosofre a statue. For the greate and immoueable continence that regnyd in him.

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Of Lyfe and Deth. Dialogo .cxxii.

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AS saith the Philosofre deth is a perpetuall sleape / drede of richemen / desire of pouer men. An incurable happe the theef of man / the chacer of lyfe. Resolucyon of man. The lyfe of gode men is gladnesse. Of wretchis sadnesse / A yonge man vppon a tyme / that was in his flowris / both goodly of persone. Ryche / strō ge / and hoole / went to deth and sayde. O ineuitable fortune / haue mercy vppon me / and be deprecable vnto me and suffir me neuer to be punyshed / with the payne y^t I loke aftir daylye fro the. For I shal gyue to y^e what someuit thow wilt haue / that is to saye. Golde / Syluer / Precyows stonys / Seruauntis / horse / londes / lyueloade / Palacys / Possessions / all oonly the to towche [Page] not me. To whom deth answerde and sayde. Brother thow askyste thinges impossible. Nothinge shuld be desired of God / but honest and possible. And therfor thou spekist not wysely. For it is sayd vnto man. Deth abydith the euery where. And yf thou be wyse / thow shalt abyde it in euery place. For it is wrytten psal. lxxxviii Who is that man that lyuyth / and shall not see deth / as whoo sayth. Noon. Therfore receyue me pacyently for I come to the to do no noueltye. For Seneca saith. Noman is so vnwise / but he knowith he shaldye. Neuerthelesse whan deth drawith nere he dredith and wepith. Why wepist thou man. Why mournyst thow for cawse of deth. To that thow were ordeyned and borne what thinge of newe is done to the. To this law thou art born. This happid to thifader / to thimoder / to thy bettirs also. and generally to all that haue bene before the / and it shall not fayle to come to all them that shal be. For lyfe is not geuyn to any creature with excepcyon of deth. Ther is a law vnyuersall / which ordeynith to be born and to dye all thinge that berith lyfe. And also he saith. We owe to suffir pacyently that thing that we may not escape fro. Example of Dauid that sayde whan his childe was dede. Nowe that he is dede why doo I faste. whether I may call him agayne. I shal rather go to him / for he shal not retourne to me. Whan it was shewyd vnto a philosofre that his sonne was ded he answerde and sayde. whan I gate him. I knew he shulde dye. Valery tellyth li .v .ca .x. that Anaxagoras herynge the deth of his sonne / sayde to the messengere. Thow bringest me no newe tydynges. Nor merue lowse. I knewe him mortall / as sone as I knewe hym born. For of the lawe of nature I haue lernyd lyfe to be takyn and lefte. And no man can dye / but he that hath [Page] leuyd. Nor no man maye lyue but he shall dye naturally / In the same place it is made mencyon / y^t zenophon heringe the deth of his eldest sonne which was slayne in batell was contente / aloonly he put the crowne frō his heede / for he was doynge solempne sacryfice. And aftirward he inqueryd how his sonne dyed / and it was shewyd him that he was slayne moost manly fighting and he sware by his goddis to whom he dyd sacrifice y^t he conceyuyd more gladnesse therof / then henynesse of his deth. Sainte Ierome tellyth that an holy woman / and mooste noble / whan her husbonde was dede whō she especyally louyd and mournyd and his body lay vnburyed in the same daye of his buryinge she loste tway sonnes which she hadde and no moo. I am to tell a thinge incredyble saith saynt Ierome / but God by wytnesse not false. Who wold not haue trowyd / that she myghte a goone pluckynge her brestis / her clothis teryng her herys downe hangynge / certaynly from her fel not a droope of terys. She stoode immoueable / and fallynge downe to the feete of cryste / she helde them and sayde / I am spedde good lorde and redy to thy seruyce / for thou hast dischargyd me of so greate a burdon. It is redde also in the cronycles of Emperowrs / that the wyse of Octauyan buryed her sonne namyd druse. And though she were a paynyme / neuerthelesse by the greate Naturall sense that was in her / she put from her all the tokyns of merowre and heuynesse / that were in her and sayde. What profit is to drede that may not be reuokyd / wherfore Seneca saith / a wyseman is not afflycte for losse of his children or frendes. For in suche mode he may sustayne ther deth / as he daylye awaytith for his owne. And truly the Remembraunce of deth is lyke a brydell refraynynge a man that he efflowe not to moche / and [Page] Rynne in the greate brede of couetyse and lechery. The meditacyon of deth. Is moost greate philosofre as saith Plato. Wherfore it is tolde in the lyfe of Saynt Iehan the ampuere. That in the olde tyme aftir that an Emperowre was crownyd / by the Eleccyon of his Lordes / Immediatelye masons / and makers of tombis wente vnto him and sayde. O Emperowre of what stone or metall wylt thow commaunde thy graue to be made. They shewyd this vnto him that he shulde knowe & remembyr that he was transitorye / and but a corruptible man / & that he shulde thinke on the wele of his sowle / and gide the reeme wysely and vertuowsly / aftir y^e saynge of Scrypture Eccle .vi. Remembyr thy last thingis / and thow shalt neuer synne. Alfonse tellyth in his tretyse de Prudencia. That whan Alexander was dede and to him was made a Sepulchre of Golde / many philosofres came thedir togider. And oon of them sayde Alexander made his Tresowre of Golde / and nowe in contrarywyse Golde hath made Cresowre of him / an othir sayde. Alexander yisterdaye rulyd people / & nowe people maye soone Rule him / an othir sayde. yistirdaye alexander myght haue delyueryd manyon from deth. This daye he cowde not escape from the dartys of deth that were caste to him. an othir sayde. alexander yistirdaye led a greate hoste. This daye of them he is ledde to his graue / an othir / yistirday alexander pressyd the erthe. This daye he is pressyd of the erthe. an other. yisterdaye moch people dredde alexander / this daye they despise him. an other. yisterday had many frendes. this day al be equal with hī. an other. yisterday to hī sufficid not al y^e world / this daye is he content with a graue of .vii. foote longe. He that inwardely wolde oftyn consydre this / shulde be refraynyd frome the fowle apetyte [Page] of synne. It is sayde of a lyuynge man / that he shallbe destroyde at last / and rote lyke a downghil. Iob .xx. Therfore it is commaundyd Ecclesiast .vii. Remembir the ende. For it is bettyr to goo to an hows of lamentacyon and wepinge / than to an hows of welfare & gladnes. For ther as is mourninge / the laste ende of euery Creature is remembryd. And a man thinkyth what shall fall to him self / that is to saye that he shall come to suche an ende. Therfore attende ye and consydre wel that in the deth of euery creature / the noose waxith colde / the teth blacke. The face waxith pale / the vaynys and synowys of the body breke. The harte as it is sayde deuydeth a sondir for greate paynes. Al the lymmes and membris waxe drye / and styfe lyke Tymber / and stoonys / Nothinge in all this worlde is so abhominable and tedyows as is a dede corps / It is not caste in to watirs for cause of infeccyō. It is nat hangid in y^e ayre / for corrupcyon. But lyke poyson most perylows / It is cast in to a pytte no more to be sene / and erth is lyghtlye cast on it. Beholde the ioye of the worlde howe it endith. It is closyd in a moost stynkynge dyche. where the harte consumyth. The Iendrye vp. The erys fall from the hede. The noose rotith from the face. The tonge stynkith in the mowth. The harte putrifieth in the bodye. But alas alas goode lorde to me. what shuld these yen delyghte to see fayre thinges. The erys te here vanyteys. The noose to smell swete thinges. The tonge to speke fowle thinges and vnprofitable. The mowth to taste swete thinges. The harte to thinke vayne and vyle thinges. wherfore Bernarde saith. why art thou prowde / thow asshyn and duste. The concepcyon of the is synne. Thy byrth is mysery. Thy lyfe is payne / and deth is greate angwyssh. As this Figure shewith. [Page]

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Not oonly of sympel powre wretchis / but also of al maner of noble estatys / both Emperowr kynge & knight whiche must chaunge this transitory lyfe / and folowe the Daunce of deth / throughe age his harte is heuy / his hede akyth / his spirite is vexyd / his breth stinkith his face ryuelyth / his backe stowpith. His Ien waxe dymme. His erys Ronne. His Herys fall awaye. His teth stinke / He lesyth his strenghtis. Now is he gladde Now is he sadde / Nowe is he syke. O myserable and wretchid condycyon. why beholdist not thow the mysery of this mortall lyfe. Consydre where by thy genytowris [Page] thy frendes and antecessowris / that occupyed here before the. and bernarde saith. Tell me where be the louers of this wolde / that in shorte tyme paste were here with vs. Nothinge remaynyth of them / but oonlye asshyn. and therfore I praye the / tell me where be the Barownys. Where be the princes and rulers / Where be the prymatis. Certaynly they be passyd lyke a shadowe / and come to nothinge / also saynte augustyn sait [...] Goo to the graue and take vppe the bonys / and discerne yf thow canste / which was a lorde. which was a seruaunte / which was fayre / whiche was fowle. whiche was riche / which was pouer / which was wyse / which was Idyote / and thow mayste not knowe in nowyse. Therfore remembyr fro whense thow comyste / and be ashamyd / where thou arte / and make mournyng / whedir thou goyste / and be aferde / that thow mayst come to that celestial place aboue. From the which thowe arte nowe expulsyd / which that moost blessid lorde graunt vnto vs that lyuyth and regnith eternally. amen.

¶ Thus endith the Dialogus of Creatures Moralysed. Applyably and edificatyfly / to euery mery and iocounde mater / of late trāslated out of latyn into our Englysshe tonge right profitable to the gouernaunce of man. ¶ And they be to sell / vpō Powlys churche yarde.

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