Fyrst in declarynge his parentele / that he
was kynge Pipines sone / whiche was the
fyrste of all kynges of [Frannce] named the
moost christen kynge / and by whom all af-
ter hym had the same name / and [Nephien]
to Martell / the moost valiauntest prynce
that euer was. Nexte / his bryngynge vp
vnder one Peter Pisane / of whom he was
instructe bothe in Greke and Latin. Thā
his adolessencie / whiche he passed in excer-
cise of armes [vnder in] his fader in ye war-
res of Acquitaine / where he lerned also the
Sarazynes tongue.
¶ Beynge come to mannes state / & now
kyuge of Fraunce / he subdued Aquitayn /
Italye / Swauelande / and the Saxones.
And these warres were so fortunate / that
he ouercam his aduersaries more by aucto[-]
ritie and wisdom than by effusion of blode.
¶ Also many other notable examples of
vertue were in hym in that age / specially
that he edified the vniuersitie of Paris.
¶ Here may by digressiō be declared how
goodly a thynge lernynge is in Prynces.
Chiefly suche condicion apperteyneth to
vertue and good lyuynge.
¶ Here may be also made comparison of
his vertues in warre / and of other agre-
ynge with peace / in the whiche (as his hi-
story maketh mencyon) he was more ex-
cellent. For his chiefe delyte was to haue
peace / and agayne he was so gentyll and
so mercyfull / that he wolde rather saue
euyn suche as had don hym great offence:
and had deserued very well for to dye / thā
to dystroye theym / thoughe he might do it
conueniently.
¶ Besyde this / he was so greatly enfla-
med in the loue of god and his holy chirch /
that one Alcuine a noble clerk of England
was continually with hym / in whose prea[-]
chynge and other gostely communicacion
he had a chiefe pleasure. His olde age he
passed in rest and quyetenes fortunately /
saue for one thyng / that his sonnes agreed
euyll betwene them.
¶ After his decease reigned his son / holy
saint Lewes / and so the folowynges of his
dethe were suche that they could be no bet-
ter / and a very great token of his good and
vertuouse lyuynge. For yf an yll tree can
brynge furthe no good fruite / what shall
we suppose of this noble kynge Charles /
of whome cam so vertuouse and so holy a
son? Truely me thynketh that hither may
be nat incōueniently applied the sayenges
of the gospell / by theyr fruites you shall
know them.
¶ Of an oracion Demonstratiue /
wherein an acte is praysed.
WHan we wyll prayse any maner of
dede / the moost apte preamble for
that purpose shall be to say that the
mater perteyneth to the commodities of
them whiche here vs.
