The Example of Vertu | Page 7

to theyr grete vylony
Hardynes was cause that
they had vyctory
O worthy hardynes the shynynge sterre
Alway to mannys herte the
comfort
Whan that it is the tyme of werre
Vnto what partye that
thou resort
They wynne the batall by thy support
And wher that
thou lettest thy bemys dyssende
They often hye to honoure assende
Than sayd dame hardynes vnto the Iuge
I pray you that ryght I may
haue
Sythens I to man am chyef refuge
Whan that he lysteth of me
to craue
I make hym coragyous and his worshyp saue
Wherfore I
owte to haue the preemynence
By ryght reason and good experyence
That I deny you sayd dame Sapyence
Of whom haue you your ordre
of pledynge
For ye neuer can haue none intellygence
But by the
meane of myn informynge
For I am alway your mynde techynge

And without me your tale were but a fable
For ye without wytte
sholde alway bable
This wyll I proue by myn opynyon
That I am grounde of the artes
seuen
And of all good werkes in c[om]munyon
For no man without
me can go to heuen
My dedys be merueylous for man to neuen

Whan they ben wrought in to theyr degre
Who that wyll lerne theym
he hath the lyberte
Of my dedes bokes do make recorde
The whiche clerkes put into
remembraunce
For an example without dyscorde
Of heuenly way
by vertuous gouernaunce
Without me man can haue no pleasaunce

Nor yet hym rule in no maner wyse
A man without wytte is to
dyspyse
Hardynes without prudence may not auayle
Though that a man be
neuer so sturdy
For a wyseman feble may wynne the batayle
Of
hym that is ryght stronge and myghty
For better it is for to be ryght
wytty
In the defence of his good saue garde
Than often to stryke

and to renne forwarde
That thynge that hardynes may not wynne
May be goten by my
hyghe souerente
And with the helpe of subtyle engynne
It may be
brought to the extremyte
Wher that it myght not by possybylyte
Of
hardynes longe afore be wonne
Yet by grete wysedome it may be
donne
Vnto dyuers cases I take excepcyon
Of dame Hardynes whiche are no
lawe
Vnto the fyrst vndre your correccyon
She sayd and she her
power dyd wythdrawe
No rebell than shold stand in awe
And she is
the chyef as I knowe well
That causeth hym for to be rebell
By her foly and folysshe hardynes
She causeth men to ryse ayenst
theyr lorde
She is the cause of mortall heuynes
Whan she doth
breke the good concorde
Wherfore me thynke by one accorde
For
to exyle her it is now the best
Than man sholde lyue in peas and rest
And where she sayd that she exalted
Iulius cesar by her grete
exylence
In that case she ryght clerely varyed
For it was I by my
grete dylygence
That neuer was out of his presence
But ruled hym
and made hym worthy
To be chosen emperour of all Italy
Chosen he was by the comyn assent
For the grete wysedome that in
hym shone
With a grete voyce and a hole entente
For lyke vnto
hym was there none
That was so abell as he alone
For to occupye
an Emperours dygnyte
Of his promocyon he myght thanke me
I Sapyence am endewed with grace
And the lode sterre of heuenly
doctryne
The sprynge of comfort Ioye and solace
Who that lyst to
me for to enclyne
He shall knowe thynges that be dyuyne
And at
his ende beholde the deyte
That is one god and persones thre
It pleased the fader that is omnipotent
His sone to send to be incarnat

Of the vyrgyn Mary the sterre moost excellent
Mayden and moder

yet not vyolate
Lyke a vessell chosen and made ornat
All onely for
to be goddys moder
And he hym selfe vnto man broder
But a stryfe there was bytwene god and man
Whan man consented to
synne dedely
By that the dyscorde fyrst began
Whan he the sone of
god on hy
That is his brother agayn wyll crucefy
Yf he had power
by whiche is offended
The fader of heuen as is entended
Therfore lete vs to our brother go
Named Ihesu Cryst and axe hym
mercy
With a good entent and hert also
There is for vs none other
remedy
That ony tonge truely can specyfy
And he wyll take it for a
correccyon
And of all vengeaunce sease the affeccyon
That we may of hym haue forgyuenes
Of our grete synne with
reformacyon
Of peas bytwene the faders hyghenes
Of heuen and vs
in suspyracyon
Therfore yf thou drede the amocyon
Of his
ryghtwysnes loke that thou flee
Ryght fast vnto his mercyfull pyte
For his mercy is more than all our mysery
And eke aboue his werkes
all
As Dauyd sheweth in his prophecy
Saynge his mercy is ouer all

To whom I pray euer in especyall
To gyue me grace well my penne
to lede
That quaketh aye for drede
Dame Sapyence sayd I do procede
Of the strength of the holy ghoost

That is and shall be mater in dede
God and lorde of myghtys moost

Whose infynall power was neuer lost
And yet neuer had no
begynnynge
But alway lyke stronge without endynge
Where that dame hardynes in her pledynge
Made her selfe