Wythe his fauchon loke that thou arme the,
Both strong and stedefast than shalt thou be.
And because that it is acordyng thyng[[154]] for a good knyght to haue wirchip and reuerence, we shalle make a fygure aftyr the maner of poietis. Percevale was a ful worthi knyght and whan[[155]] many reaumes, and the name off the grete lande of Perce come of hyme. And poyetis seide that he roode the hors that flawe in the eyre, the which was called Pegasus; and that is to vnderstonde a goode name, the which flyeth through the eyre. He bare in his honde a fauchon or a glayve; the whiche is seide for the grete multytude of peple that were discomfyte by hym in maney batayles. He delyueryd Andromeda from the bellue; this was a kynggys doghter, the which he delyuered from a monstre of the see, the which by the sentence of the godes shulde a[[156]] deuoured hire. This is to vndirstonde that alle knyghtes shulde socovre women that hade nede of there socoure. This Percivale and the hors |f. 12.| the which fleeth[[157]] may[[158]] be notede for the good name that a goode knyghte shulde haue and gete by hys good desertes; and there shuld he ryde, that is to seye, that hys goode name shulde be borne in all contrees. And Aristotile seyth that a good name of a man maketh a name shynnyng to the worlde and agreable in presence of princes.
The cheualerours sperit shulde desyre a goode name among the felachipe of the seyntis of heuen gotten by his goode desertes. The good hors Pegasus that [beareth][[159]] hyme shall be his good angel, the which shall make good reporte off hyme at the day of dome. Andromeda that shal be delyuered, it is his sowle, the which he delyueres fro the feend of hell by the ouercomyng off synne. And that a man on the same maner wyse shuld wylne to haue a good name in this worlde to the plesaunce of God and not for vayne glorie, Seynt Austin seyth in the Booke of Correccion[[160]] that “ii. thyngges be necessarie to beleve wele,[[161]] that is to sey, good conscience and good name, conscience for feyth,[[162]] good name for his neyburwe; and [w]ho so trostyth in conscience and dyspiteth a good name, he is cruel”; for it is a synge of a nobyll corage to loue the wele of a good name. And to this purpoise seyth the wyse man, “Curam habe [de bono nomine, magis enim permanebit tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi”].[[163]]
VI.
And wyth thyne inclynacions
Off Jouis[[164]] softe condiccions
Loke thou haue; the better thou shalt be,
Whene that thow kepes theme ryghtfulle.
As it is seyde, poyetis, the whiche worchipped many godes, they helde the planetis of heuen ffor speciall godes, and of the .vii. planetes they made the .vii. dayes of the weke. They worchypped and helde Jouis or Jubiter for there grettest god, because that he is sette in the hyest spere of the planetis vndyr Saturne. The day off Thurseday is named of Jouis. And anamely the philosophres yaf and compared the vertues of the .vii. metallis to the .vii. planetis and named the teremys of there sciences by the same planetis, as a man may se in Geber[[165]] and Nicholas[[166]] and in othir auctoris of that science. To Jouys is youyne copyr or bras. Jouis or Jubiter is a planete of softe condicion, amiable and ful gladde and fygure[[167]] to sanguyne comp[l]eccion. Therefor Othea seyth, that is to sey, Prudence, that a good knyght shuld haue the condicion of Jubiter, and the same shulde euery nobyll man haue, pursewyng knyghtthode. |f. 13.| To this purpose seythe Pictogoras[[168]] that a kyng shuld be gracyously conuersaunt wyth his peple and shew to them a glade visage; and on the same wyse it is to vnderstond off all wordly peple tendyng to wirchippe.