XCI.
I purpose yet to make the sadde and wyse,[[547]]
That thou vse in batailes ffor no gise
Off thyne harneis discouered for to be,
For thi deth than it will opyn to the.
In the bataile Hector was founde discouerede of his harneis, and thanne he was sleyne. And therefor it is seide to the goode knyght that he shuld not in bataile be discouered of his harneis. For Hermes seyth that deth farith as the stokke[[548]] of an arrowe and lyff farith as an arrowe that is sette to shoote.[[549]]
There where it is seide that he shuld kepe hym couered with his harneis it is vndirstond that the good sperite shulde kepe his wittis cloose and not voide. Seynt Grigori seith hereoff that a person the which departhit hys vittis fareth as a iowgolowre the |f. 69.| which fyndeth no wers hous than his owyn; therefor he is euer owte of his hows, euen as a man that kepith not his wittes clos is euer vagaunt and owte of the hous of his conscience and farith as an opyn hall where men may entre on euery syde. Therefor [our] Lorde seith in the Gospell, [“Clauso ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito.”][[550]]