Lancelot of the Laik Part 23

And his vertew the more thi wice furth ?chawith.

Wharfor ?he, wich that princes ben y-knawith, Lat not yhour vrechit hart so yhow dant, That he that cu{m}myth next yhow may awant 1816 To be mor larg, nore more to be co{m}mendit;

[Footnote T43: MS. has "by."]

[Footnote T44: MS. has "subei^et."] [[superscript e only]]

[Headnote: LIBERAL KINGS WIN SUBJECTS,]

[Sidenote: Riches well spent are the best kept.]

Best kepit Is the Riches well di?pendit.

O ?he, the wich that king{is} ben, fore ?ham Remembrith yhow, this world hath bot o naam 1820 Of good or ewill, eft{er} ?he ar gone!

And wy?ly tharfor che??ith yhow the ton Wich mo?t accordith to n.o.bilitee, And knyt.i.th larges to yhour hie degre. 1824 For qwhar that fredome In O p{ri}nce Ri{n}gnis, It bryngith In the victory of king{is}, And makith realmys and puple boith to dout, And ?ubect{is}[T45] of the c.u.n.tre al about. 1828 [Sidenote: Whoso will be a conqueror, let him not reck to give largely.]

And qwho that thinkith ben o co{n}querour, Suppos his large ?umquhat pas my?our, Ne rak he nat, bot frely iffith ay; And as he wynyth, beis var al-way 1832 To mych nor ?hit to gredy that he hold, Wich ?al the hart{is} of the puple colde.

[Sidenote: Both love and fear spring from liberality.]

And low and radour cu{m}myth boith two Of larges; Reid and ?he ?al fynd It ?o. 1836 Alex{ander} this lord the warld that wan, Fir?t w{i}t{h} the ?uerd of larges he began, [Sidenote: Alexander gave so liberally,]

And as he wynith ifith largely, He rakith No thing bot of cheuelry; 1840 Wharfor of hyme ?o pa??ith the Renown, [Sidenote: that many cities desired to have such a lord,]

That many o cetee, and many o ?trang town Of his wor?chip that herith the Recorde, Di??irith ?o to haveing ?ich o lorde; 1844 [Sidenote: and offered themselves peaceably to him, though they were manly men of war.]

And offerith them w{i}t{h}-outen ?trok of ?pere, Suppos that thei war manly men of were, But only for his gentille that thei Have hard; and ?o he louit was al-way 1848 For his larges, humilitee, and manhed, W{i}t{h} his awn folk, that neu{er}more, we Reid, For al his weris nor his gret trawell, [Fol. 23b.]

In al his tym that thei hyme onys faill; 1852 Bot in his wor?chip al thar be?ynes Thei ?et, and lewith in to no di?tres; Whar-throw the ?uerd of victory he berith.

[Footnote T45: Or "subett{is}."]

[Headnote: BUT UNJUST ONES DESPOIL THEM.]

[Sidenote: Many princes bear the palm of victory, through liberality;]

And many prince full oft the palm werith, 1856 As has ben hard, by large, of before, In conqueringe of Rignis & of glore.

[Sidenote: while miserliness hath made realms desolate.]

And wrechitnes Richt ?o, in the contrar, Haith Realmys maid ful de?olat & bare, 1860 And king{is} broght doun from ful hie e?tat; And who that Red ther old buk{is}, wat The vicis lef, the wertew have in mynde, And takith larges In his awn kynd; 1864 [Sidenote: Choose the mean between prodigality and avarice.]

A-myd ?tanding of the vicis two, Prodegalitee and awerice al?o.

Wharfor her-of It nedith not to more, So mych ther-of haith clerk{is} vrit to-fore. 1868 [Sidenote: Whoso chooses to be liberal,]

Bot who the wertw of larges & the law Sal che, mot ned con?idir well & knaw [Sidenote: must understand three things: the _amount he has_, to _whom_ he giveth, and the _fit time_ for giving.]

In to hyme-?elf, and thir thre wnd{er}?tande, The ?ub?tans fir?t, the powar of his land, 1872 Whome to he iffith, and the cau wharfore, The nedful tyme awat.i.th eu{er}more.

Kepith thir thre; for qwho that ?al exced His rent, he fallith ?odandly in nede. 1876 [Sidenote: (1) The king that becomes _indigent_ overthrows his subjects.]

And ?o the king, that on to my?t{er} drowis, His subiett{is} and his puple he our-thrawis, And them di?pol?eith boith of lond and Rent; So is the king, ?o is the puple ?chent. 1880 [Sidenote: For the voice of the oppressed shrieketh up ceaselessly to heaven;]

For-quhi the woice It ?crik[i]th vp ful ewyne W{i}t{h}-out abaid, and pa??ith to the hewyne, Whar G.o.d hyme-?elf re?auith ther the crye Of the oppre?ioune and the teranny, 1884 [Sidenote: and G.o.d smiteth down with the sword of vengeance.]

And vith the ?uerd of wengans dou{n} y-?myt.i.th, The wich that caruith al to ?or, and bit.i.th, And hyme di?troyth, as has ben hard or this Of euery king that wirkith ?ich o mys. 1888 For ther is few e?chapith them, It ?all [Sidenote: For G.o.d hath given the king the wand of justice:]

Boith vpone hyme & his ?ucce??ione fall; For he for?uth haith ifyne hyme the wond To Iu?tefy and Reull in pece his lond, 1892 [Fol. 24a.]

The puple all ?ubmyt.i.t to his cure; And he a?an one to no creatur Save only ?hall vn to his G.o.de obey.

[Headnote: BEWARE OF INJUSTICE AND FLATTERY.]

And if he pa??ith ?o far out of the wey, 1896 [Sidenote: and if he oppresses them whom he should rule,]

Them to oppre, that he ?huld reul & gid, Ther heritag, there gwdis to dewide, Ye, wnd{er} whome that he mo?t nedis ?tond, [Sidenote: G.o.d shall stretch His mighty hand for correction.]

At correccioune ?al ?trek his my{ch}ty hond, 1900 Not euery day, bot ?hal at onys fall On hyme, mayhap, and his ?ucce?cione all.

[Sidenote: Herein, alas! is the blindness of kings.]

In this, allace! the blynd{is} of the king{is}, And Is the fall of princ{is} and of Rygnis. 1904 The mo?t wertew, the gret Intellegens, [Sidenote: The blessed token of a king's wisdom is for him to restrain his hand from his people's riches.]

The ble??it tokyne of wy?dom and prudens I?, in o king, for to re?tren his honde Frome his pupleis Riches & ther lond. 1908 Mot euery king have this wice i{n} mynd In tyme, and not when that he ned fynde!

And in thi larges beith war, I pray, [Sidenote: (2) Choose a _fitting time_.]

Of nedful tyme, for than is be?t alway. 1912 [Sidenote: (3) Take care _to whom_ you give.]

Awy the ek quhome to that thow ?alt if, Of there fam, and ek how that thei leif; [Sidenote: Let not the virtuous and the vicious stand in the same degree.]

And of the wertws and wicious folk al?o, I the be?eich dewidith well thir two, 1916 So that thei ?tond no{ch}t in[to] o degree; Di?creccioune ?all mak the diu{er}?itee, Wich clepith the mod{er} of al vertewis.

[Headnote: FLATTERERS SUCCEED WHEN KINGS ARE FOOLISH.]

[Sidenote: Beware of flattery.]

And beith war, I the be?eich of this, 1920 That is to ?ay of flatry, wich that longith To court, and al the king{is} larges fongith.

The vertuou man no thing thar-of re?auith, The flatterer{is} now ?o the king di??auith 1924 And blyndith them that wot no thing, I-wy, When thei do well, or quhen thei do o my; And lat.i.th king{is} oft til wnd{er}?tonde Thar vicis, and ek ye falt{is} of ther lond. 1928 In to the realme about o king Is holde [Sidenote: A flatterer is worse than a storm or a pestilence.]

O flatterere were than is the ?tormys cold, Or pe?telens, and mor the realme anoyith; For he the law and puple boith di?troyith. 1932 [Sidenote: Three things make flatterers in favour.]

And in to princ.i.p.all ben ther three thing{is}, [Fol. 24b.]

That cau??ith flattereris ?tonding w{i}t{h} the king{is}; [Sidenote: First, the blind ignorance of kings.]

And on, It is the blyndit Ignorans Of king{is}, wich that hath no gou{er}nans 1936 To wnd{er}?tond who doith ?ich o my; But who that fare?t ?chewith hym, I-wy, Mo?t ?uffi?ith and be?t to his ple?ans.

Wo to the realme that havith ?ich o chans! 1940 [Sidenote: Secondly, where a king is vicious himself.]

And ?ecundly, quhar that o king Is Weciu hyme-?elf, he cheri??ith, ywys, Al them the wich that one to vicis ?oundith, Whar-throw that vicis and flattery ek aboundith. 1944 [Sidenote: Thirdly, where the king is so foolish, that he knows their flattery, yet withdraws from reproving them.]

The thrid, is the ilk ?chrewit harrmful wice, Wich makith o king w{i}t{h}in hyme-?elf ?o nyce, That al thar flattry and ther gilt he knowith In to his wit, and ?hit he hyme w{i}t{h}-drowith 1948 Them to repref, and of ther vicis he wot; And this It is wich that di??emblyng hot, That in no way accordith for o king.

Is he not ?et abuf apone his Ri{n}gne, 1952 As ?ou{er}ane his puple for to lede?

[Sidenote: Why should a king spare to say the truth?]

Whi ?chuld he ?pare, or quhom of ?chuld he dred To ?ay the treuth, as he of Right is hold?

And if ?o ware that al the king{is} wold, 1956 When that his leg{is} comyt.i.t ony wyce, As beith not to ?chamful, nore to nyce, That thei pre?ume that he is negligent, [Sidenote: He should reprove without dissembling, as it is fitting.]

But als far as he thinkith that thei my-went, 1960 But di??emblyng reprewith as afferis; And pwnice them quhar pwny?ing Requeris, Sauf only m{er}cy in the tyme of ned.

And ?o o king he ?chuld his puple led, 1964 That no tre?pa, that cu{m}myth in his way, Shuld pa his hond wne-pwni?t away; Nore no good deid in to the ?amyn degree, Nore no wertew, ?uld wn-Reuardid bee. 1968 [Sidenote: Then flattery, that now is high, should be low.]

Than flattry ?huld, that now is he, be low, And wice from the king{is} court w{i}t{h}-drow; His mini?t{er}is that ?huld the Iu?tice reull, Shuld kep well furt{h} of quiet & reull, 1972 That now, G.o.d wat, as It con?erwit Is, The ?tere is lo?t, and al is gon amys; And vertew ?huld hame to the court hyme dre, [Fol. 25a.]

That exillith goith in to the wild{er}nes. 1976

[Headnote: WISE KINGS MAKE A WISE PEOPLE.]

[Sidenote: If a king thus stood like his own degree, his people would be virtuous and wise.]

Thus if o king ?tud lyk his awn degree, Wertwis and wy than ?huld his puple bee, Only ?et by vertew hyme to ple, And ?ore adred his wi?dom to di?ple. 1980 And if that he towart the vicis draw, His folk ?all go on to that ilk law; What ?hal hyme ple that wil no{ch}t ell{is} fynd, Bot ther-apon ?et.i.th al ther mynde. 1984 [Sidenote: Thus the rule of his people and kingdom standeth only in the king's virtue.]

Thus only in the wertew of o king The reull ?tant of his puple & his ringne, If he be wy and, but di??emblyng, ?chewis, As I have ?aid, the vicis one to ?chrewis. 1988 And ?o thus, ?{ir}, It ?tant apone thi will For to omend thi puple, or to ?pill; Or have thi court of vertewis folk, or fullis; [Sidenote: Since thou art wholly master of the schools, teach them, and they shall gladly learn."]

Sen yow art holl mai?t{er} of the ?coullis 1992 Teichith them, and thei ?al gladly leir, That is to ?ay, that thei may no thing heir[T46]

Sauf only wertew towart thyn e?tat; And cheri them that wertews ben algait. 1996 And thinkith what that wertew is to thee; It ple??ith G.o.d, vphaldith thi degree."

[Sidenote: Arthur considers his counsel profitable.]

"Mai?t{er}," q{uo}d he, "me think ry{ch}t profitable Yowr con?eell Is, and wond{er} honorable 2000 For me, and good; ry{ch}t well I have {con}?auit, And in myne hart{is} Inwartne re?auit.

I ?hal fulfill and do yowr ordynans Als far of wit as I have ?uffi?ans; 2004 Bot y be?eich yow, in til hartly wy, [Sidenote: He beseeches him to expound his dream,]

That of my drem ?he ?o to me dewy, The wich ?o long haith occupeid my mynd, [Sidenote: how he shall only find help through the water-lion, the leech, and the flower.]

How that I ?hal no man{er} ?ucour fynd 2008 Bot only throw the wattir lyon, & ?yne The leich that is w{i}t{h}outen medy?yne; And of the con?ell of the flour; wich ayre Wond{er}is lyk that no man can duclar." 2012

[Footnote T46: Or, "leir." MS. apparently has "leir," corrected to "heir."]

[Headnote: THE WATER-LION MEANS G.o.d.]

++"Now, ?{ir}," q{uod} he, "and I of them al thre, What thei betakyne ?hal I ?chaw to the, [Sidenote: The master's explanation.]

Such as the clerk{is} at them ?pecifiit; Thei v?it no thing what thei ?ignefiit. 2016 [Fol. 25b.]

[Sidenote: The water-lion is the very G.o.d.]

The wattir lyone Is the G.o.d werray, G.o.d to the lyone is lyknyt many way; But thei have hyme In to the wattir ?en, Confu?it were ther wittis al, y wen; 2020 [Sidenote: The water is men's fragility;]

The wattir was ther awn fragelitee, And thar tre?pas, and thar Inequitee In to this world, the wich thei ?tond y-clo?it; That was the wattir wich thei have ?uppo?it, 2024 That haith there knowlag maad ?o Inp{er}fyt; Thar ?yne & ek ther worldis gret delyt, As clowdy wattir, was eu{er}more betwen, [Sidenote: whereby they see not the lion perfectly.]

That thei the lyone p{er}fitly hath no{ch}t ?en; 2028 Bot as the wattir, wich was y{er} awn ?yn{n}e, That eu{er}mor thei ?tond confu?it In.

[Sidenote: Had men been always religious, they had seen the lion not in water, but clearly.]

If thei haith ?tond in to religion clen, Thei had the lyone Not in watt{er} ?en, 2032 Bot clerly vp in to the hewyne abuf, Et{er}naly whar he ?hal not remufe.

And eu{er}more in vatt{er} of ?yne vas hee, For-quhi It is Impo??eble for to bee;[T47] 2036 [Sidenote: The world is enclosed in the darkness of their sin.]

And thus the world, wich that thei ar In, Y-clo?it Is in dyrknes of ther ?yne; And ek the thikne of the air betwen The lyone mad in vattir to be ?en. 2040 For It was no{ch}t bot ?trenth of ther clergy Wich thei have here, and It is bot erthly, That makith them there re?ou{n}s dewy, And ?e the lyone thus in erthly wy. 2044 [Sidenote: The lion is G.o.d's son, Jesu Christ.]