LX.

Fleeth euer the godesse of Dyscorde;

Euyl be hire lyenis and hire corde.

Pellus[[382]] mariage full sore she trobled,

For the which after mych foolke assembled.

Dyscorde is a godesse of evil dedys, and a fabyll seyth that whan Pellus weddyd the godesse Thetis, off whome Achilles was after that borne, Jubiter and all the tothir godes and godesses were at the mariage, but the godes of Discorde was not prayed therto and therefor for invie she com onsent for. But she come not all for noghte, for she dide verily hir office. When they were sette at dynne at a borde, the .iii. myghty godesses Pallas, Juno and Venus, there come Discorde and cast an appell of golde opon the borde, whereon was wretyn “Lete this be gouen to the ffayrest”; and than the fest was trobeld, for yche off theyme sey thei ought to haue it. They went afore Jubiter for to be iuged of that discorde, but he wolde not plese on to displese anothir. Wherefore thei putte the debate opon Paaris of Troye,[[383]] the [which] was an herde man than,[[384]] as his modir drempt, when sche was grete with hyme, that he schulde be cawse off distruccion of Troye; he was sent therfor to the forest to the herdeman, venyng[[385]] to hym that he hadde bene his sone. And there Mercurius, the wiche [conducted] the ladies,[[386]] tolde hym whos sone that he was; than he lefte kepyng of shepe and went to Troye to his grete kynne. The fabill witneschit thus, where the weri stori is hidde vndir poyetikly couertoure, and because that often tymes many grete mischevis hath fallen and fallyth throwe discorde and debate, Othea seith to the goode knyth that he shulde be ware of discorde; so that, as it is a fowle thyng to be a debatoure and to move riottes, Pitagoras seith “Go not,” seith he, “in that weye where that hattes[[387]] growes.”

Where it is seyde that discorde shuld be fleed, on the same wyse the good sperit shulde flee all lettynges of consience and |f. 44.| eschewe stryvis and riottes. [Cassiodorus][[388]] souuerainly seith, “He fleeth stryves and riottes; for to stryve ayens pes it is woodnes, to stryue ayens his souereyne it is maddenes, to stryve ayens his soogette it is grete velany.” Therefor Seynte Powle seith, [“Non in contentione et æmulatione”].[[389]]

LXI.

Thyne evyll misdede forgete thou noght,

Iff thou to any[[390]] haue so myche wroughte,