X.
Vnto Phebe resemble not. For why?
He[[186]] is to chaungable and enemye
To stedefastnes and to courage strong,
Malencolius is and full of wronge.
Phebe is called the mone, off whom the Moneday hath his name; and to hyme is yoven the metall that we calle syluyr. The mone resteth non oure in a ryghte poynte and yiffeth influens of vnstefastenes and foly, and therefore it is seyde þat a goode knyght shulde kepe hym from which vicys. And to this purpose Hermes seith, “Vse wisedome and be stedefast.”
Phebe the moone, that we not for vnstedefastnes, the whiche a goode knyght shulde not haue; on the same wyse the good sperit. As Seynt Ambrose seith in the pistil of Simpliciain,[[187]] that a foole is schawnegeable as the moone, but a wyse man is euer stedefast in o state, where he neythir brekyth for fere ner schawngyth for no myght; he reyseth hym notte in prosperite ner plangeth not in heuynes.[[188]] “There where wysedome is, there is vertue, strengh and stedefastnes. The wise man is euer of oon corage; it lessyth it notte, ne encressyth not, for [he] schawngyth notte in no maner wyse for no thyng; he flotereth not in dyuers opynions, but abydyth perfythe in Jhesu Cryst, gon growndid in charite and roted in feyth.” And to this purpose seythe Holy Scripture, “Homo sanctus [in sapientia manet sicut sol, nam stultus sicut luna mutatur”].[[189]]