The Example of Vertu | Page 3

often rulyth by her cheualry?She is ryght stowt and of grete prowes?And the captayn of a lusty company?And ruleth theym euer full hardely?And to gete honour and worldely tresure?She putteth her oft in auenture
[P] The fourth is wysedome a lady bryght?Whiche is my syster as ye shall se?Whom I do loue with all my myght?For she enclyneth euer to benygnyte?And medeleth not with fraude nor subtylyte?But maketh many noble clerkes?And ruleth theym in all theyr werkes
[P] They dwell all in a fayre castell?Besyde a ryuer moche depe and clere?And be expert in feytys manuell?That vnto theym can be no peere?Of erthely persone that lyueth here?For they be so fayre and wounderous?That theym to se it is solacyous.
[P] Longe haue they trauerst gretly in the lawe?Whiche of theym sholde haue the preemynence?And none of them theyr case wyll withdrawe?Tyll of dame Iustyce they knowe the sentence?They argue often and make defence?Eche vnto other withouten remedy?I wyll no lenger of them specefy
Capitulum tercium.
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Come on fayre youth and go with me?Vnto that place that is delectable?Bylded with towres of curyosyte?And yet though that ye be lamentable?Whan thou art there you wylt be confortable?To se the merueyles that there be wrought?No man can prynt it in his thought
A path we founde ryght gretely vsed?Where in we went tyll at the last?A castell I sawe wherof I mused?Not fully from me a stones cast?To se the towres I was agast?Set in a valey so strongely fortefyed?So gentyll compassed and well edefyed
The towres were hyghe of adamond stones?With fanes wauerynge in the wynde?Of ryght fyne golde made for the noonys?And roobuckes ran vnder the lynde?And hunters came theym fer behynde?A Ioye it was suche sawe I neuer?Abyde quod she ye shall se a better.
Forth she me ledde to the castell warde?Where we were let in by humylyte?And so after she lede me forwarde?Tyll that I sawe a royall tre?With buddys blossomed of grete beaute?And than we wente in to the hall?That glased was truely with crystall
And hanged was with clothes of Aras?Made of fyne golde with a noble story?How that there some tyme reynynge was?In the regyon of hyghe Italy?A valyaunt emperour and a myghty?That had to name forsothe Tyberius?Whiche dyde enquere of prudent Iosethus
[P] Why he his offycers so longe kepte?Vnto hym he answered a good cause why?Somtyme I sawe a man that slepte?That wounded was full pyteously?And on his woundes suckynge many a fly?I than for pyte moued theym away?By whiche he woke and to me dyde say
[P] Wher that thou trowed to me comfort?Thou now hast done me double greuaunce?Puttynge away the flyes that dyde resorte?To me beynge full of blody sustynaunce?By this thou mayst haue good perseueraunce?That now wyll come the flyes moost hungry?That wyll me byte .x. tymes more greuously
[P] The roof was wrought by merueylous gemetry?Colered with asure gold and gowlys?With knottes coruen full ryght craftely?And set also with wanton fowlys?As popyniays / pyes / Iays / and owlys?And as I loked on my ryght syde?A lady I sawe of meruellous pryde
[P] Syttynge in a chayer at the vpper ende?Of all the hall as a lady and prynces?Amonge many kynges that dyde entende?To be obedyent to her hyghe noblenes?Her apparell was made of moche fayre ryches?Set with rubyes moost pure and rubicound?Embrawded with perles and many a dyamound
Besydes her sate the worthyes nyne?And she amonge theym a whele turnynge?Full lowe to her they dyd than enclyne?She somtyme laughynge and somtyme lowrynge?Her condycyon was to be dyssymelynge?And many exalten vpon her whele?Gyuynge theym grete falles that they dyd fele
Than sayd dyscrecyon beholde and see?That in dame fortune is no stablenes?This worlde also is but a vanyte?A dreme a pompe nothynge in stedfastnes?For fortune is fals and full of doblenes?Whan she moost flatereth she is not sure?As thou mayst se dayly in vre
Capitulum .iiii.
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Forth than we went vnto the habytacle?Of dame hardynes moost pure and fayre?Aboue all places a ryght fayre spectacle?Strowyd with floures that gaue good eyer?Of vertuous turkeys there was a cheyr?Wherin she sate in her cote armure?Berynge a shelde the felde of asure
Wherin was sette a rampynge lyon?Of fyne golde ryght large and grete?A swerd she had of merueylous fassyon?As though a thousand she sholde bete?No man the vyctory of her myght gete?A noble vyrgyn there dyde her serue?That fyrst made harnes called Mynerue
The chaumbre where she held her consystory?The dewe aromatyke dyde oft degoute?Of fragraunt floures full of delycasy?That all yll heyres dyde ensence oute?A carbuncle there was that all aboute?Enlumyned the chaumbre both day and nyght?My thought it was an heuenly syght
Nyne quenes I sawe that satte her by?Beynge all armed of grete fortytude?In many a stower they wanne the vyctory?And were endued with facounde pulcrytude?For to haunte armes was theyr consuetude?Many a regyon they often wanne?And also vaynquysshed many a noble man
Nexte vnto her sate the