Patroclus and Achilles were felawes togedir and ryght dere freendis, so that there were neuer to[[508]] brethere loued better togedir, and thei and here goodes were comon as all o thyng. And because that Hector slew Patroclus in batayle Achilles had grete hate to Hector, and fro theyns forthe swore his dethe. But because he doutyd meche his grete streynght, he lefte neuer to wayte how he myght fynde hym discouered to betray hym. Therfor Othea seide to Hector, as by profecye of that which was for to come, that, when he hadde sleyne Patroclus, it were nede for hym to be ware of Achilles. That is to vnderstond þat euery man the which hath slayne or mysdoon to anothir mannys trwe freen, his[[509]] felawe will take vengance if he may. Therefor Magdare[[510]] seith, “In what [place] that euer thou be wyth thy ennemye, holde hym euer in suspecte, thow[[511]] that thow be myghtyer than he.”
Where it is seide that, when thow hast sleyne Patroclus thou shulde be ware of Achilles, we may vnderstond that, yf the goode speryte suffir hym by the feend to bowe to synne, he howte[[512]] to dowte euerlastyng dethe. And Solyn seith,[[513]] “This present lyue is but a knyghthode an[d] in tokyn theroff this present lyf is called werre in deference of that aboue, the which is called victorius, for it hath euer of enemyes.” To this purpose the apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Induite vos armaturam Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli.”][[514]]
LXXXVI.
Be ware thou voide note fro the Echo,
Ne hir[[515]] petous complayntes also;
Susteyne all hir wille, yif it may be,
For thou wote not what may com to the.
The fabill seith that Echo was a fayre woman, and because she was wont to be to grete a iangelere and by hir iangyllyng on a day accused Juno, the which for ialousie on day lay in awayte on hir husbond, the godesse was wroothe and seide, “For hens forth thou shalt no more speke fryst, but after anothir.” Echo was anamored on faire Arcisus,[[516]] but neyther for prayer ne for sygne of love that she made to hym he lyst not to haue pete off hire, in so mych that the faire creature diede for his love. But dyeng she prayed to the godesse that she myght be vengyd of hyme in whome |f. 65.| she hade fownde so mych cruellnes that ons yit thei myghte make hym to fele the charpenesse of loue, whereby he may preue the grete woo þat veray louers haue the which in loue be refussede; þan she died. So Eccho made an ende, but hire voyse remaneth, which lestyth yitte. And there the godes made it perpetuall for memorie of that aventure, and yit it answheris to pepill in valeyys and on reueres aftyr the woyse of othir, but it may not speke fryst. Eccho may syngnyfie a persone the which off grete necessite requyryth the voyse that is youen to anothir; that is to sey, of nedy pepyll there is abydyng enowe, for they may not helpe themselffe withowte helpe of othir.[[517]] Therefor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld haue pete of nedy pepill that reqwyrith it. And Zaqualquin[[518]] seith, “Who so will kepe wele the lawe, shulde helpe hys frend with his goode and leue to nedi pepill and be gracious, not denying iustice to his enemy, and kepe hym fro vice and dishonour.”
Be Echo, the which shuld not be refusyd, may be notyd the mercy þat the good sperite shulde haue in hym selfe. And Seynt Austyn seith in the book of owre Lo[r]dis Sermon that he made on the Hille that blyssyd be thoo that willyngly socourith poore pepill, the which be in penowrye, for thei discerue mercy of God opon them that is in penuery. And it is a iust thyng that who so will be holpyn of a souereyne more myghtye than he shuld helpe[[519]] a sympler than he is, in as myche that he is mythyer than he. Therefor the wyse man seith in his Prouerbis, [“Qui pronus est ad misericordiam benedicetur.”][[520]]