The Example of Vertu | Page 5

Presume no ferther than the behoueth
For it wyll turne the to grete
shame
For who that from his rome remoueth

He is often full gretely

to blame
And medeleth with other in theym lame
As no thynge
connynge nor expert
They may hym say syr malapert
Or that thou speke call to remembraunce
Vnto what mater thy worde
shall sygnyfye
Loke that it torne no man to greuaunce
Though that
it be spoken merely
Yet many a one wyll take it greuously
Whiche
that myght cause wroth and debate
Whyle that thou lyues beware of
that
For a thynge lost without recouer
Loke that thou neuer be to pensyfe

Thanke god of it thynke to haue an other
Lete wysedome than be to
the comfortyfe
That to thy brayn is best preseruatyfe
For euermore
ryght wyse is he
That can be pacyent in aduersyte
Proue thy frende in a mater fayned
Or thou haue nede than shalt thou
se
Whyther he be iustly with the reteyned
The for to socour in thy
necessyte
By profe thou mayst knowe the veryte
For profe afore
that nede requere
Defeteth dowte euer in fere
Be thou neuer so blynde in wylle
Yet loke thou be refourmed by
reason
Than shalt thou my mynde fulfyll
And thou therto thy selfe
abandon
Stryue not with reason for none encheson
For wher she
lacketh ther is grete outrage
And without her may not aswage
Eschew also the synne of pryde
The moder and the feruent rote
Of
all the synnes at euery tyde
Wherfore trede thou her vnder fote

With helpe of vertue so swete and sote
Whiche is best salue to hele
thy sore
And to thy helth the to restore
Wo worth synne without repentaunce
Wo worth bondage without
reles
Wo worth man without good gouernaunce
Wo worth infynall
payne and dystresse
Wo worth vyce put fer in presse
Wo worth
soueraynte hauynge dysdeyn

And wo worth pyte that doth refrayn

Wo worth ryght that may not be herd
Wo worth frendshyp without
stabylyte
Wo worth true sentence that is deferd
Wo worth the man
full of duplycyte
Wo worth hym without benygnyte
Wo worth
lybertye withouten pease
And wo worth crueltye that may not cease
Wo worth connynge that is abused
Wo worth promys withouten
payment
Wo worth vertue that is refused
Wo worth trouble without
extynguysment
Wo worth foly on message sent
Wo worth reason
that is exyled
And wo worth trouth that is defyled
Wo worth the trust without assuraunce
Wo worth grace not sette by

Wo worth Iustyce kepte in dystaunce
Wo worth welth replete with
enuy
Wo worth the batayll without vyctory
Wo worth begynnynge
without good ende
And wo worth wronge that doth defende
These commaundementes I put in memory
Theym for to kepe doynge
my dylygence
With dame Sapyence I dyd longe tary
Whiche dyd
me teche with partynge influence
Of her delycate and doulcete
complacence
Than spake dyscrecyon anone to me
In the presens of
her systers mageste
Thou art beholdynge to my syster reuerent
That the reteyned hath
vnto her seruaunt
Wherfore be thou to her obedyent
And at euery
houre to her attendaunt
And ryotous company do thou not haunt

For that wyll payre and yll thy name
Wherfore of vertuous myrth let
be thy game
Capitulum .vi.
[Illustration]
Discrecyon ferther forth me lede
Vnto the solempne and royall
mancyon
Of dame nature in humayne stede
Ryght pleasaunt was
her habytacyon
Of merueylous werke and sytuacyon
And she her
selfe helde her estate
In a gloryous chaumbre without chekmate

Her towre was gylted full of sonne bemys
And within hanged with
cloth of aras
The roof was paynted with golden stremys
And lyke
crystall depured was
Euery wyndowe aboute of glas
Where that she
sat as a fayre goddes
All thynges creatynge by her besynes
Me thought she was of merueylous beaute
Tyll that Dyscrecyon lede
me behynde
Where that I sawe all the pryuyte
Of her werke and
humayne kynde
And at her backe I dyd than fynde
Of cruell deth a
dolfull ymage
That all her beaute dyd perswage
Full wonderous was her operacyon
In euery kynde eke and ryght
degre
Withouten rest or recreacyon
I wyll not medle with her
secrete
For it no thynge longeth to my faculte
But somwhat after I
wyll expres
Of her grete power and worthynes
But in my boke well for to procede
Dame dyscrecyon ferther me
brought
Into a fayre chambre as ye may rede
Of fyne gemetry ryght
well wrought
To comfort man there lacked nought
But that me
thought there was no company
Saue onely dame dyscrecyon and I
We had ben but a lytell whyle there
But that we sawe a lady clere

Ryght well appareled in sad gere
Mylde in her hauour dyscrete of
chere
That came vs by and very nere
Ascendynge vp in to her
hyghe sete
Garnysshed with perle and with gold bete
Than sayd dyscrecyon this is dame Iustyce
Clene of conscyence
without corrupcyon
And neuer be spotted with the synne of couetyse

But true as stele in the entencyon
Of ryght euermore without
destruccyon
Geuynge alway a ryghtfull iugement
Obey thou youth
this lady reuerent
A iuge fulfylled with the synne of auaryce
Or with fauour of kynne
made blynd
Must nedys do wronge by grete [pre]iudyce

For fauour
shold not conscyence bynd
Ryght to dyssymyll as I now fynd
In

problemys wryten of antiquyte
Made by phylosophers of auctoryte
As we stode talkynge thus to gydere
Vp came