¶ Ther ben .ix. vices contrari to gentilmen of the wiche .v. ben indetermynable and iiij. determynable The .v. indetermynable ben theys: oon to be fuƚƚ of slowthe in his werris. an other to be fuƚƚ of boost in his manhode. the thride to be fuƚƚ of cowardnes to is enemy. the faurth to be fuƚƚ of lechri ī his body. & the fifthe to be fuƚƚ of drynkyng &̄ dronckunli. Ther be .iiij. determynable: on is to reuoke is own̄ chalange. an other to sley his presoner with his own̄ handis. the thride to voyde from his soueraygnes baner in the felde. and the fifthe to teƚƚ his soueraygne fals talys
¶ Ther be .ix. īestimable reioẏngis in armẏs
¶ The .ix. inestimable reioyngꝭ of armys ben theys
First is a gentilman to be made a knyght ī the felde at batiƚƚ ¶ The secunde is lyuelode of hym to resayue after manhode The .iij. is cheualry to do by fore his soueren ¶ The .iiij. is ambassatt to be put in his honde for wisdom. ¶ The .v. is proues of knyghthode done be fore alioundis ī honor of renowne. ¶ Theys be calde in armys the .v. autentyke Now folowith the .iiij. endyng stremytallis personaƚƚ ¶ The first is a poore knyght to be maried to the blode Royaƚƚ ¶ The secunde is to haue thanke of his souereyn perpetuaƚƚ. ¶ The .iii. is to kepe his Cote armure vnshamyd in triaƚƚ ¶ And the .iiij. is to kepe aƚƚ poyntis of is knyghthod as gestys troianorum declarith.
Knaw ẏe that theis ii. orderis wer. first wedlok & then knẏhthode. and knẏhthode was made before Cote armure was ordened.
¶ Ther was non order bot .ij. wedloke first and knyghthod after. A knyght was made before ony cote armure. and Olybion was the first knyght that euer was. Asteriali his fader come bi the right lyne of that gentilman Iafeth and saw the peple multiplie & had no gouerner And the cursed peple of Sem wered ayenys them Olibion was the stryngest and the manfullest man in his tyme And the peple cried on̄ Olibion to be theyr maister and their gou̇ner A thowsand men wer than multiplied of Iafethis lyne. Asteriaƚƚ made to his son̄ a garlande abowte his hede of .ix. diueris preciouse stonys in tokenyng of chyualri to be a gou̇ner of a .M. men. &̄ vnto thys same day ye kīgꝭ haue his name ī latē yt is as moch to sai ye gou̇ṅ of .im. mē Olibion knelyd to Asteryaƚƚ his fader and askyd his blissyng. Asteryaƚƚ toke Olibions swerde that was Iafethis fawlchon̄ that Tubaƚƚ made be fore the floode: and smote flatlyng .ix. tymys vppon the ryght shuldre of Olibion in tokenyng of the ix. vertuys of the forsayde precious stonys and gaue him his blissing with a charge to kepe the .ix. vertuys of charyte now foloyng as ye shaƚƚ here.
¶ Theis be the charges or artikelis that euerẏ knẏght shlude kepe bẏ the dignẏte of his order & theẏ be ix. v. temꝑall and iiii goostlẏ
Ther be .v. temperaƚƚ u̇tuys & .iiij. gostly u̇tuys of charite the .v. temꝑaƚƚ vertuys be theys. he shaƚƚ not turne his backe to his enemy for to flee. The .ij. is that he shaƚƚ truly holde his promyse to his frende: and also to his foo. The .iij. is he shaƚƚ be free of mete and drinke to aƚƚ his meny a boute him The .iiij. is he shaƚƚ vpholde maydonys ryght. The .v. is that he shaƚƚ holde vp wydoys ryght. Theys be the .iiij. vertuys of charite goostly. The first is: he shaƚƚ honoure his fader and his moder. The .ij is he shaƚƚ do noon harme to the poore. The .iij. is he shaƚƚ be mercifuƚƚ. The .iiij. is he shaƚƚ holde with the sacifice of the grete god of heuyn. And than Asteryaƚƚ did make to Olibion a targett of Olyfe tree with iij. corneris .ij. a bouen is face and oon downe to the growndwarde. in tokenyng that thys Olibion̄ was the cheue of aƚƚ the blode of the .iij. sonnys of Noy By the Olif tree he vnderstode victery for to wyn̄ By the poynt of his target to the grownde the cursed brothir Cham By the corner of his target a bouen firtherest that other brothir Sem. That othir corner next to hym selfe betokenyth that gentilman Iafeth the blissed brothir of whome god and man come by right lyne
¶ The maner of knẏghthodis ben .ii. oon with the Swerde An other with the Bath
Ther be .ij. maner of knyghthodes oon with the swerde and an other with the bath The bath is the worthest by cause of iiij. Royaltes. Oon is whan an vnaged prynce is made knyght or be crouned kyng The secunde is whan a Kyng or an Emperoure is crowned. The thyrde is whan a quene or an Emperis is crowned. The iiij. is whan a Kyng or an Emperowre cum to speke with an other of dyuerse londys