II.
And to the entent that know may be
What thou schuldeste do, drawe vnto þe
The vertues that may the most restore,
The bettir to come to that seyde afore
Of the worshipful chevalroures.[[125]]
Allthoughe that it be aventerous,
Yet schall I sey whi that I sey thus.
A cosyn germayne[[126]] I haue, I wys.
Fullefyllyd sche is beaute wyth all;
But of all thynges in specyall
Sche ys ful softe and temperede full wele;
Of stroke of ire felyth sche no dele; |f. 8.|
Sche thynkkyth no thynge but of rygth balance.
It is the godesse of Temperance.
I may not all only but by hyre face
Haue the name of that by myghty grace;
For yef the weghte ne were sche to the made,
The all were not worthe a leke blade.[[127]]
Therefor I wyll that with me sche love the.
Yf she wyll, lete hire note forgetyn be;
For she is ryght a wele lerned godesse,
Hyr witte I love and prays myche in distrese.
Othea seyth that Temperance is here cosyn germayne,[[128]] the which he schuld loue; for the vertu of temperance may veryly be seyde cosyn germayne and lykennd [to] prudence, for temperans is schewer of prudence and of prudence folwyth temperance. Therefor it is seide that he shulde hold hyr for his love; and euery good knygth shulde do the same, that desiryth due prayse of goode peple. As the philosophre Demetricus[[129]] seyth, “Temperance moderath vices and perfyteth vertues.”
The good spiryte shuld haue the vertue of temperance, the whiche [hath] the propirte to lemyte and to sede on syde superfluytes.[[130]] For Seynt Austyn seyth in the book of the condycions[[131]] ... of concupyscence, the whiche be contrary to vs and lettyth vs from Godes lawe, and more also to dispite fleschely delytys and worldly praysynge. Seynt Petir spekyth to that purpose in hys fyrst Pystyl, [“Obsecro vos tanquam advenas et peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desideriis, quæ militant adversus animam”].[[132]]