The Boke of Noblesse Part 13

and in like wise one Ayax a knight of Grece was halden the best fighter amonge the Grekis ayenst the Trojens; in so moche that the Grekis desired of the immortell G.o.ddis to have only but .xl. suche batellous knightis as Ayax is to fighte withe the Grekis ayenst the Troyens,

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How duke Agamenon trusted so gretlie in the counceile of agid men, that he required the immortelle G.o.ddis to have suche .vj. olde kingis as Nestor is, doubted not to wynne Troie in short tyme.

but that n.o.ble duke Agamenon required of the G.o.ddis six suche wise viellars as was Nestor, that then he doubted not within short tyme that Troie shulde be take and destroied.

[Sidenote: Publius Decius.]

How that most n.o.ble centoure Publius Decius, so hardie an entreprennoure in the bataile, whan the Romains were almost overthrow, he avaunsid hym silfe so ferre in the bataile, to die to th'entent to make the Romains more gret, and felle for his dethe in fighting tille they had the victory.

[Sidenote: Nota bene diversitatem militum.]

[Sidenote: Publius Decius non est recomendandus in hoc negocio.]

In semblable wise Tullius writ.i.the of that vaillaunt citezin Romayne Publius Decius, at a tyme he was chosen consulle and as a chiefteyne among the Romayne ostes, he saw how the Romayne oost was almost bete downe to grounde, he thought in his soule that he wolde put his bodie in jubardie frely to die, forto make the Romains more egir and fellir in that bataile to revive hem silfe thoroughe cruelte of his dethe. He tooke his hors withe the sporis, and avaunsing hym silfe among his adversaries, and at the last was so sore charged withe hem that he was fellid to grounde deede. The Romayns, havyng consideracion in theire courageous hertis how knyghtly he avaunsid hym in bataile fighting and suffered dethe for here sake, tooke courage and hert to hem, and recomforting hem foughten so vigorouslie ayenst theire adversaries that they hadde the victorie.

[Here is added in the margin the following anecdote:]

Hyt ys to remembre that I hafe herd myne autor Fastolfe sey, whan he had yong knyghtys and n.o.bles at hys sola.s.se, how that {65} there be twey maner condicions of manly men, and one ys a manlye man called, another ys an hardye man; but he seyd the manly man ys more to be commended, more then the hardy man; for the hardy man that sodenly, bethout discrecion of G.o.de avys.e.m.e.nt, avauncyth hym yn the felde to be halde courageouse, and wyth grete aventur he scapyth, voydith the felde allone, but he levyth hys felyshyp destrussed. And the manly man, ys policie ys that, or he avaunce hym and hys felyshyp at skirmysshe or sodeyn racountre, he wille so discretely avaunce hym that he wille entend to hafe the ovyr hand of hys adversarye, and safe hymsylf and hys felyshyp. And therfore the aventure of Publius Decius ys not aftyr cristen lawes comended by hys willefulle deth, nother hys son.

How the son of the said Publius died in the same case.

And the sonne of the said Publius, that was foure tyme electe and and chose consul among the Romains, put hym in so gret jupardie of bataile, for the helthe, prosperitie, and welfare of the Romains, that he died in bataile in like wise.

Here folowithe the historie of the most n.o.ble recommendacion in perpetuite of Marcus Actilius, a chief duke of the Romayne hostes, of his gret providence using in hostes ayenst derthes and sca.r.s.etees[156]

of cornes, wines, [and] oilis; and how he of fortune of werre, being prisoner in Cartage amongis his dedlie adversaries, albeit he was put to raunson, suffred wilfullie for to die in prison, because he was so gretly aged and wered in bataile, then to the Romains to pay so infenite a somme for his finaunce and raunson.

[Sidenote: Autor rei publicae.]

Hit is historied also of wors.h.i.+pfulle remembraunce how that verray trew lover of the comon wele of the Romains, Marcus Actilius, that first yave hym to labouragis and approwementis of londes and {66} pastures, to furnisshe and store the saide countre withe plente of corne and vitaile; after, for his gret policie, wisdom, and manhod, was made consulle and conestable of the Romayne batailes, and fulle often sithis discomfited theire adversaries of Cartage. And he, at a tyme, by chaunge of fortune in bataile, was take prisoner into Cartage, being of gret age than. And for deliveraunce of whiche Actilius the governours of Cartage desired hym that he shulde laboure and sende to Rome forto deliver out of prison a gret nombre of yong men of werre of Cartage that were prisoneris in Rome, and he shulde goo frank and quite. And the saide Actilius denyed and refused it utterly, but that he wolde rather die in prison than to suffre the werrours of Cartage to be delyverid for his sake, for he loved the comon wele and proffit of Rome; and becaus that n.o.ble Actilius wolde not condescende to deliver the prisoneris of Cartage, they turmentid hym in prison in the most cruelle wise to dethe; that, and it were expressid here, it wolde make an harde hert man to falle the teris of his yen. The voluntarie dethe of whiche Marcus Actilius, for the welfare, prosperite, and comon profit of Rome, causithe hym to be an example to alle othir, and to be put perpetuelly in remembraunce for wors.h.i.+p.

How the n.o.ble duke Scipion Affrican put hym in so gret aventure in his gret age ayens the Cartages, that he died upon,[157] rathir than to life in servage.

[Sidenote: Scypio Affrica.n.u.s.]

[Sidenote: Scipio Asya.n.u.s.]

[Sidenote: Scipio Affrica.n.u.s.]

Also to have in remembraunce to folow the steppis of the full n.o.ble and glorious champions two bretherin Scipion Africa.n.u.s and Scipion Asian, whiche alle their lyve daies emploied and besied hem in divers entreprises of armees and batailes ayenst the Affricains, for the saufegarde and defense of the comon wele of theire contre. And the saide Scipion Affrican wilfully died in armes of chevalrie rathir than to lyve in servage and distresse among his adversaries in Cartage.

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How Scipion Asian, a n.o.ble conqueroure for the Romayns, yet in his age he was envyed, accused to king Antiochus, [and] died pitouslie in prison for his rewarde.

And notwithestanding after many triumphes and victories done by Scipion Asian, that put in subjeccion the contre of Asie, and enriched gretlie the tresoure of Rome thoroughe his conquestis, he was by envious peple accused falsely to king Antiochus, that he hadde withehalde the tresoure of Rome, and was condempned to prison, where he endid his daies.

[Sidenote: Lucius Paulus.]

How Lucius Paulus, a cenatoure, in defaute that his hoste wolde not doo by counceile, he was slayne in bataile.

[Sidenote: Quod capitanei non debent renunciare concilia peritorum.]

Also Lucius Paulus, a n.o.ble consul Romayne, that spared not hym silfe to die in bataile in Puylle withe .ccc. n.o.ble Romains that were a.s.semblid unwitting the saide Lucius Paulus, and alle for lak of counceile that the saide .iij^c. n.o.bles Romayns wolde not be governed by hym: he seeng anothir consul Romayn toke the entreprise, was so overthrowen withe his felous.h.i.+p, the saide Lucius Paulus avaunced hym wilfully among his adversaries withe the residew of the Romains that [were] lefte, and there died withe them, to th'entent that it shulde be noted and know that the saide entreprise was not lost in his defaute.

[Sidenote: Marcus Marcellus.]

[Sidenote: Haniballe.]

How Marcus Marcellus, a consul that for the welfare of Rome, bethout avise, went hastilie to bataile ayenst Haniballe of Cartage, and he being so sorie for the dethe of so manlie a duke did hym to be buried in the most wors.h.i.+pfulle wise.

Also it is [to be] remembrid of Marcus Marcellus, a consulle Romayne that set noughte of dethe, for he upon a tyme, bethout gret {68} deliberacion or advis.e.m.e.nt, desired to fight ayenst Haniballe prince of Cartage, a.s.semblid withe a gret power ayenst the Romains, whiche were feerse

[Here again a leaf of the Ma.n.u.script is lost.]

[Sidenote: Res publica.]

of man, his beeis for hony, his medewis purveied for sustenaunce of his grete bestis, and every man after his degree to store hym silfe, that whan ther falle by fortune of straunge wethirs, as thoroughe excessife moist, colde, heet, mildewis, or by fortune of bataile and werre, the saide countre, cite, towne, village, or menage so provided and stuffid before shalle mow withe gret ease endure the persecucion of a sca.r.s.ete or derthe fallen [by] suche straunge menys. And aswelle the terme of Res publica, whiche is in Englisshe tong clepid a comyn profit, it ought aswelle be referred to the provision and wise gouvernaunce of a mesuage or a householde as to the conduit and wise governaunce of a village, towne, citee, countree, or region.

[The following addition is here made in the margin.]

Hyt ys to remembre thys caase of rebellyon of Parys felle in abcence of Herry .v^{te}. kyng beyng in England wyth hys queene. And bethoute noote of vaynglory, yff I do wryte of myne autor[158] I fynde by hys bokes of hys purveours how yn every castelle, forteresse, and cyte or towne he wolde hafe grete providence of vitaille of cornys, of larde, and beoffes, of stokphyshe and saltfyshe owt of England commyng by shyppes. And that policie was one of the grete causes that the regent of Fraunce and the lordes of the kyng ys grete councelle lefft hym to hafe so many castells to kepe that he ledd yerly .iij^c. sperys and the bowes. And also yn semblable wyse purveyed yeerly for lyverey whyte and rede for hubes for hys soudeours, and for armurs wepyns redye to a naked man that was hable to do the kyng and the sayd regent service. And yt fille yn the .viij^{te}. yere of Herry the .v^{the}., named kyng, when he was capteyn of the Bastyle of Seynt Antonye of Parys, and Thomas Beauford, dux of Excestyr, {69} beyng then capteyn of the cytee, hyt fortuned that for the arrestyng of the lord Lyseladam, who[159] was yn so grete favour of the cyte that alle the comyns of the seyd cyte [stode] sodanly to harneys and rebelled ayenst the duc of Exetyr and ayenst hys armee and felyshyppe; so the duc for more suerte wyth hys felyshype were coherced to take the Bastyle for her deffence. And at hys commyng the chieff questyon he demaunded of the seyd Fastolf how welle he was stored of greynes, of whete, of benys, pesyn, and aveyn for horsmete, and of othyr vitaille; he seyd for half yere and more suffisaunt.

And hyt comforted gretly the prince. Then the duc made redy the ordenaunce wyth shot of grete gonnys amongys the rebells and shot of arowes myghtelye, that they kept her loggeyns. And the Frenshe kyng and the quene beyng yn the cytee, helde ayenst the rebellys, so yn short tyme the burgeyses wer constreyned to submytt them and put hem yn the duc ys grace.

[Sidenote: De magnificencia felicitatis cultoribus terrarum adhibenda, specialiter Cyro regi.]

Caton magnifiethe that prince that cheriss.h.i.+th and favourithe erthe tiliers.

[Sidenote: Socrates.]

[Sidenote: De quodam Lysander ph'o.]

[Sidenote: De Ciro rege Persarum.]

[Sidenote: Tullius.]

And as Caton writ.i.the that it is one of the princ.i.p.alle dedis of a prince to maynteyne, kepe, and avaunce labourage of the londe, and of all tho that bee laboureris of the londe, whiche men soo cherisshed most of verray necessite cause a roiaume, countree, or cite to be plenteous, riche, and well at ease. And the philosophur Socrates writ.i.the that Cirus king of Perse was excellent in wit, glorious in seignorie terrien; in the daies [of] whiche Cirus one Lisander, of the cite of Lacedemone in Grece, a man halden of gret vertew and n.o.blesse, came owt of ferre contrees to see the saide king Cirus, being in the cite of Sardes, and presented hym withe clothis of golde, juellis, and othir ricchesses sent by the citezeins of Lacedemonois; the whiche king Cirus received the saide Li[gh]ander full wors.h.i.+plie in his palais, and, for the grettist ricchesse roialle and pleasure that the said {70} king Cirus had to doo hym wors.h.i.+p and pleasure and chier, he broughte the saide Lisander to see his gardins and herbers, whiche gardins were so proporcionallie in a convenient distaunce sett and planted withe treis of verdure of divers fructis, the gardyns so welle aleyed to walke upon, and rengid withe beddis bering fulle many straunge and divers herbis, and the herbers of so soote smyllis of flouris and herbis of divers colours, that it was the joieust and plesaunt sighte that ever the saide citesyn Lisander had see beforne. And the saide Cirus saide unto Lisander that he had devised and ordeined the herbers to be compa.s.sed, rengid, and made, and many of the treis planted it withe his owne hande.

And the saide Lisander, beholding the gret beaute, semlinesse of his parson, [and] the riche clothis he ware of tissue and precious stones, he saide that fortune and felicite mondeyne was joyned and knyt withe his vertue and n.o.blesse roiall, forasmoche as the saide Cirus emploied and intentife[160] besynesse in tymes oportune in tilieng, ering, and labourage of his londis to bere corne and fruit, whiche is the princ.i.p.alle partie of beneurte and felicite mondeyne, that is to wete the naturelle richesse of worldlie joie. Also Tullius writ.i.the that Valerius Corvinus, an auncien citesyn Romayne, did his gret peyne and diligence to laboure londes and make it riche withe labourage and tilieng upon the londe for the comon wele of the cite of Rome, that in tyme and yeris of sca.r.s.ete the garners in Rome shulde be alway furnisshed and stuffid withe greyn, that a meane price of corne shulde be alway hadde.

[Sidenote: De re publica.]

How the n.o.ble cenatours of Rome avaunced here parsones in gret perille and jubardie ayenst theire adversaries for the comon welfare of the Romains.

[Sidenote: Lucius Brutus.]

[Sidenote: Lucius Roma.n.u.s.]