The Example of Vertu Part 1

The Example of Vertu.

by Stephen Hawes.

The prologe.

Whan I aduert in my remembraunce The famous draughtes of poetes eloquent Whiche theyr myndes dyd well enhaunce Bokes to contryue that were expedyent To be remembred without Impedyment For the profyte of humanyte This was the custume of antyquyte.

I now symple and moost rude And naked in depured eloquence For dulnes rethoryke doth exclude Wherfore in makynge I lake intellygence Also consyderynge my grete neglygence It fereth me sore for to endyte But at auenture I wyll now wryte.

As very blynde in the poetys art For I therof can no thynge skyll Wherfore I lay it all a part But somwhat accordynge to my wyll I wyll now wryte for to fulfyll Saynt Powles wordes and true sentement All that is wryten is to oure doc.u.ment

O prudent Gower in langage pure Without corrupcyon moost facundyous O n.o.ble Chauser euer moost sure Of frutfull sentence ryght delycyous O vertuous Lydgat moche sentencyous Vnto you all I do me excuse Though I your connynge do now vse

Explicit prologus.

Capitulum primu

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In Septembre in fallynge of the lefe Whan phebus made his declynacyon And all the whete gadred was in the shefe By radyaunt hete and operacyon Whan the vyrgyn had full domynacyon And Dyane entred was one degre Into the sygne of Gemyne

Whan the golden sterres clere were splendent In the firmament puryfyed clere as crystall By imperyall course without incombrement As Iuppyter and Mars that be celestyall With Saturne and Mercury that wer supernall Myxt with venus that was not retrograte That caused me to be well fortunate

In a s...o...b..ynge slepe with slouth opprest As I in my naked bedde was leyd Thynkynge all nyght to take my rest Morpleus to me than made abreyd And in my dreme me thought he sayd Come walke with me in a medowe amerous Depeynted with floures that be delycyous

I walked with hym into a place Where that there grue many a fayre floure With Ioye replete and full of solace And the trees dystyllynge redolent lycoure More sweter fer than the Aprell shour And tary I dyd there by longe s.p.a.ce Tyll that I saw before my face

A ryght fayre lady of myddell stature And also enduyd with grete vertue Her apparell was set with perlys pure Whose beaute alway dyd renue To me she sayd and ye wyll extue All wyldnes I wyll be your guyde That ye to fraylte shall not slyde.

Vnto her I answerde o lady gloryous I pray you tell me what is your name For ye seeme to be ryght precyous And I am yonge and sore to blame Of vyces full and in vertue lame But I wyll be ruled now by your pleasure So that your order be made by mesure

Eclepyd I am she sayd dyscrecyon And yf ye wyll be ruled by me Ye shall haue Ioye without reprehencyon And neuer fall in to fragylyte Youth lackynge me it is grete pyte For in what place I am exyled They be with synne ryght oft defyled

It longeth euer vnto my properte Youth to gyue courage for to lerne I wyll not medle with no duplycyte But faythfulnes I wyll dyscerne And brynge thy soule to blesse eterne By wyse example and morall doctryne For youth hauynge to me is a good syne

Forsake also all euyll company And be founde true in worde and dede Remembre that this worlde is transytory After thy desert shall be thy mede Loue G.o.d alway and eke hym drede And for no mannes pleasure be thyn owne foo Gyue theym fayre wordes and lete theym goo

Be to thy kynge euer true subgete As thou sholdest be by ryght and reason Lete thy herte lowely on hym be sete Without ony spot of euyll treason And be obedyent at euery season Vnto his grace without rebellyon That thou with trouth may be companyon

Loue neuer vnloued for that is payne Whyle that thou lyuest of that beware Loue as thou seest the loued agayne Or elles it wyll torne the to care Be neuer taken in that fast snare Proue or thou loue that is moost sure And than thou in doubte shalt not endure.

Beware byleue no flaterynge tonge For flaterers be moost disseyuable Though that they company with the longe Yet at the ende they wyll be varyable For they by reason are not fauorable But euermore fals and double And with theyr tonges cause of grete trouble

This brytell worlde ay full of bytternes Alway turnynge lyke to a ball No man in it can haue no sykernes For whan he clymmeth he hath a fall O wauerynge shadowe bytter as gall O fatall welth full soone at ende Though thou ryght hy do oft a.s.sende

Whan she to me had made relacyon Of all these prouerbes by good conclusyon She gaue to me an Informacyon For to depryue all yll abusyon And to consydre the grete derysyon Whiche is in youth that may not se No thynge appropred to his prosperyte

Forth than we went to an hauen syde Wher was a shyp lyenge at rode Taryenge after the wynde and tyde And with moche spyces ryght well lode Vpon it lokynge we longe abode Tyll eolus with blastes began to rore Than we her aborded with payne ryght sore

This water eclyped was vayneglory Euer with yeopardy and tempestyous And the shyp called was ryght truly The vessell of the pa.s.sage daungerous The wawys were hyghe and gretly troublous The captayn called was good comfort And the sterysman fayre pasport

-- Capitulum .ii.

Longe were we dryuen with wynde & weder Tyll we arryued in a fayre Ilonde Wher was a boote tyed with a teeder Of merueylous wood as I vnderstonde Precyous stones ley vpon the sond And poynted dyamondes grewe on the rockes And corall also by ryght hyghe stockes [<>

Amased I was for to beholde The precyous stones vnder my fete And the erth glysterynge of golde With floures fayre of odour swete Dame dyscrecyon I dyd than grete Praynge her to me to make relacyon Who of this Ilonde hath domynacyon

She sayd foure ladyes in vertue excellent Of whiche the eldest is dame nature That dayly fourmeth after her entent Euery beest and lyuynge creature Both foule and fayre and also pure All that dependynge in her ordynaunce Where that she fauoureth there is grete pleasaunce

The seconde is called dame fortune Ayenst whome can be no resystence For she doth sette the strynges in tune Of euery persone by her magnyfycence Whan they sound best by good experyence She wyll theym loose and let theym slyp Causynge theym fall by her turnynge tryp

The thyrde called is dame hardynes That often rulyth by her cheualry She is ryght stowt and of grete prowes And the captayn of a l.u.s.ty company And ruleth theym euer full hardely And to gete honour and worldely tresure She putteth her oft in auenture

-- 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 n.o.ble clerkes And ruleth theym in all theyr werkes

-- 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.

-- 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 compa.s.sed 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