Now lete vs brynge to owre purpoyse in allegorie the properteis of the .vii. planetis. Jouis, the which is a softe and a mankyndly[[169]] planete, of the whyche the good knyght schulde haue condicions, may sygnifie to vs mercy and compassyon that the good knyght hade, Jhesu Cryste that is, the which the sperit schulde haue in hym selfe. For Seynte Gregorie seyth in the pistylle of Pontian,[[170]] “I remembre not,” seith he, “that euer I herde or redde that he dyed of heuy dethe that hathe wylle to fulfylle the dedes of mercy, ffor mercy hathe many prayeres and it is inpossyble but that many prayeres most nedes be exauced.” To this purpose oure Lord seythe in the Gospell, “Beati [misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur”].[[171]]
VII.
Off Venus in no wyse make thi godesse,
And for no thynge sette store by here promysse.
To folowe here it is rauenous,[[172]]
Both vnworchippefull and peryllous.
Venus is a planete of heuen, aftyr whome the Fryday is named; and the metall that we call tynne or pewter is yovyn to the same. Venus yiffeth influence of loue and of ydylnes, and she was a lady called soo, the which was qwene of Cippre. And because that [she] excedyd all women in excellent beaute and jolynesse, and was ryght amerous and not stedefast in o loue, and becawse that she yevyth influence of lecheri, Othea seyth to the good knyght that he make here not his godes. This is to vndirstond, that in sech lyfe he shuld not abaundon his body ne his entent. Armes[[173]] seyth that the vice of lecherye steynyth all vertues.
Venus, of whom the good knyght shuld not make hys godes, it is þat the good speryth in hym selphe shuld haue no vanyte. And Cassidore seyth vpon the Sawtyr, “Vanite made avoyde degre[[174]] to becum a fende and yafe dethe[[175]] to the fryste man and voyeddid hyme frome the blyssidnesse that was grawntyd on to hyme.” Vanite is modyr off all evelles, welle off all vices, and the weyne[[176]] of wykydnesse, the which puttyth a man oute of the grace of God and setti[t]h hym in his hate. To this purpose Dauid seyth in his Sauter, spekyng to God, “Odisti [observantes vanitates supervacue”].[[177]]
VIII.
Yf thou asemble the in jugement, |f. 14.|