LVI.
Yf that loue make shorte to þe þe nyght,
Be ware Phebus noye the not with his myght,
Wherby thou mayst be take and tied
In Vlnecans lyeines and ouerleyede.[[355]]
A ffable seith that Mars and Venus loued togedir par amovres. It ffelle on a nyght that þe[[356]] loueres were aslepe, arme in arme. Phebus, the which sawe clerly, come opon theyme and for the which he accused theyme to Vulcans, Venus husbond. Than he, þat sawe theyme in that plyte, forged a lyeine and a cheyne of bras and bond them togedir so that thei myght not meve, as he þat is smyth of heuen and can worke sotely, and thus he come opon theyme and thanne went he forth [to] the tothir godes[[357]] and sheued theyme his shame. And the fable seith that sich rotters there be þat wolde full fayne falle in þe same mysdede.[[358]] To this fabill may be sette diuers exposicions, and it may full souereynly towche some poyntes of astronomye[[359]] to tho þat sotely can vndirstond it. Mars[[360]] to owre purpose seith þat þe good knyght shulde kepe hym þat in syche [cas] he be not ouerlede before yetilnes of tyme.[[361]] And a wyse man seith, “Vnnethes is ony thynge of secrete but that of some it is perceyuyd.”
There where þe auctorite seith þat, if lowe[[362]] schorte the nyghte to the, we shall sey þat þe gode sperit shulde kepe hym from þe wacches of the fende. Seynt Leo the pope seith to this, þat þe holde ennemy, the which transfygured hym into an angell of lyght,[[363]] sesseth not to strech his snaris of temptacions ouer all and to aspie how he may corumpe þe feithe of good beleuers; he beholdyth whome he shall embrace with þe fyer of couetyse, whom he shall enflame with the brennyng desyre of lechery, to whom he shall purpose the lekerousnes of glotenye; he examynyth of all customes, discutyth of hertes, commyteth[[364]] affeccions and there seketh he cause of iniure where he fyndeth hyme. Therefor seyth Seynt Petyr the apostle, [“Sobrii estote et vigilate quia adversarius vester diabolus tanquam leo rugiens circuit quærens quem devoret”].[[365]]