The say[[432]] that was made to Achilles
Sall lerne the to proue theym doutles.
The fable seith that Achilles was sone to the godes Thetis, and becawse that, as a godes, she knew if hir sone haunted armes that he shu[l]d dye, she, the which louyd hym with to grete love, hide hym in maydinis clothyng and made hyme were a vaile leche a nonne. In the godesse abbay[[433]] he lyffed so, and Achilles was long hydde vnto that some persones perseyuyd hym, and the fabill seith that there he begate Pirus[[434]] opon the kynges dougther, the which was after that full cheualerous. Than began the Troyens grete werres, and the Grekes knew wele that thei hadde nede of Achilles for to streynght theyme. He was sowte ouer all, but thei myght not here of hym. Vlixes, the which was full of grete malice, sowgth hym ouer all [and] come to the temple, but yit he myght not perseyue the trowght. He avysyd hym of grete malice and sotilte, and than Vlixes toke keuercheffes, girdill and all maner of iowell[[435]] longyng to ladies and therwith feyre armure and bryghte and cast all doune in the myddes of the place in presens of the ladyes and praide iche of theyme to take[[436]] that the which plessede theyme best; and than, as euery thyng drawith to his nature, the ladies ronne to the jowell and Achilles sessede the armure. And thanne Vlixes ranne and tooke hyme in his armys and seyde, “This is he that I seke.” And becawse that knyghtes shulde be more inclyned to armes than to plesawnce,[[437]] which longgeth to ladies, the auctorite seith that therby a man may knowe the veray knyght. And to this purpose Legaron[[438]] seith that a knyghte is not |f. 53.| knowen but be his dedes of armes.[[439]] And Hermes seith that thou shuldest preue a man afore or that thou trost hym to gretely.
Where it is seyde, “Yf thou wylte knowe a goode knyght,” we may vnderstondyn that the good knyght [of] Cryst Jhesu shuld be know by the dede of armes in goode workyng, and that siche a knyght shulde haue the dwe prayse that longgeth to goode men. Seynt Jerom seith in a pistil that, as the ryghtvisnes of God levyth non evil thyng vnponysshede, on the same wyse it levith no goode thyng vnrewarded. So than to good pepill noo labour shulde be thought to harde, ne no tyme to longe, standyng that thei [are] abydyng[[440]] the euerlastyng hire and blys. Therfor Holy Scripture seith, [“Confortamini et non dissolvantur manus vestræ, erit enim merces operi vestro”].[[441]]
LXXII.
Wyth Athalenta stryue thou not nowe,
For she hath gretter talent þan thou.
It was hir crafte for to renne fast.
To siche a rennyng haue thou non hast.
Athalenta was on of the fayre[[442]] and lyche to a gentilvoman of grete beaute, but hire destonye was diuerse; ffor because of hire mony lost ther lyves. This gentilvoman for hire grete beaute was covetyde of mony oon to be hadde to maryage, but ther was made sich a conuenawnt that non shulde haue hire but he ouerranne hir, and yf she ouerranne hym, he shuld dye. Athalenta was mervelious swyft, so that non myght streche to hir in rennyng and that cawsed many on for to die. This rennyng may be vnderstondyn in many maneres. It may be as some thyng that is gretly covetyid of many persones, but yit it may notte be hadde withowte grete traueyle; the rennyng that she made is the defence or the resistence of the same thynges. And allso the fabill may be noted anamly for tho that makyth grete stryve and nedith not. Also the auctorite seyth that a hard man and a coragius ought not to myche to stryve for onprofytabyll thynges, the whiche he shulde not set by, stondyng that thei [t]owche[[443]] not to his worchyppe for many grete [h]urtes folwyth off sich stryues. And Thessille[[444]] [se]ith, “Thou shuldest doo that the which is moste [pro]fetable to the body and most behouely to the soule and fle the contrarye.”