armes longynge to a knyght al by ordre
¶ The seuenth of the custommes that apperteyne
to a knyght
¶ The eyght is of the honour that oughte
to be done to a knyght
¶ Thus endeth the table of the book of
Chyualry
¶ Here after foloweth the mater and tenour of this said Booke.
And the Fyrst chapyter saith hou the good Heremyte deuysed to the Esquyer the Rule and ordre of Chyualrye.
A Contrey ther was in which it happed that a wyse knyght whiche longe had mayntened the Ordre of Chyualrye/ And that by the force & noblesse of his hyghe courage and wysedom and in auenturyng his body had mayntened warres justes & tornayes & in many batailles had had many noble victoryes & gloryous & by cause he sawe & thought in his corage yt he myȝt not long lyue as he which by long tyme had ben by cours of nature nyghe unto his ende/ chaas to hym an heremytage/ For nature faylled in hym by age/ And hadde no power ne vertu to vse armes as he was woned to do/ Soo that thenne his herytages/ & all his rychesses he lefte to his children/ and made his habytacion or dwellynge place in a greete wode habondaunt of watres and of grete trees/ and hygh berying fruytes of dyuerse manyers/ And fledde the world/ by cause that the feblenesse of his body in the whiche he was by old age fallen/
And that he dishonoured not that/ whiche that in honourable thynges and aventurous hadde ben longe tyme honoured/
The same knyght thynkynge on the dethe/ remembryth the departynge fro this world in to that other/ and also thought of the ryght redoubtable sentence of oure lord in the whiche hym behoued to come to the day of Jugement/ In one of the partyes of the same wode was a fayr medowe/ in whiche was a tree wel laden and charged of fruyte in his tyme/ of which the knyght lyued in the forest/ And vnder the same tree was a fontayne moche fayre and clere/ that arowsed and moysted all the medowe/ And in the same place was the knyght acustomed to come euery daye for to preye and adoure God Almyghty/ To whome he rendryd thankynge of the honoure that he had done to him in this world alle the dayes of his lyf/ In that time it happed at the entryng of a strong wynter/ that a kynge moche noble/ wyse and ful of good custommes/ sente for many nobles/ by cause that he wold hold a grete courte/ And by the grete renommee that was of thys courte/ It happed that a squyer moeued hym for to goo thyder/ in entencion that there he shold be made knyght/
¶ Thus as he wente all allone rydynge vppon his palfroy/ It happed/ that for the trauaylle that he had susteyned of rydynge/ he slepte vpon his horse/
¶ In the meane whyle that he rode soo slepynge/ his palfroye yssued oute of the ryght waye/ and entryd in to the forest/ where as was the knygte Heremyte/ And soo longe he wente/ that he came to the fontayne at the same tyme that the knyght whiche dwellyd in the wode to doo his penaunce was there comen for to praye vnto God/ and for to despyse the vanytees of this worlde/ lyke as he was acustomed euery day/ whan he sawe the squyer come/ he lefte his oroyson/ and satte in the medowe in the shadow of a tree/ And beganne to rede in a lytyl book that he had in his lappe/ And whan the palfroy was come to the fontayne/ he beganne to drynke/ And the squyer that slept anone felte that his hors meued not/ and lyghtly awoke/ And thenne to hym came the knyght whiche was moche old/ and had a grete berde/ longe heer/ and a feble gowne worne and broken for ouer longe werynge/ And by the penaunce that he dayly made was moche discolourd and lene/ And by the teres that he had wepte/ were his eyen moche wasted/ and hadde a regard or countenaunce of moche hooly lyf/ Eche of them merueylled of other/ For the knyghte whiche hadde ben moche longe in his heremytege/ had sene no man sythe that he had lefte the worlde/ And the sqyuer merueylled hym strongly/ how he was comen in to that place/ Thenne descended the squyer fro his palfroy/ and salewed the knyght/ And the knyght receyued hym most wysely/ And after sette them vpon the grasse that one by that other/ And er ony of them spak/ eche of them byheld eche others chere/ The knyght that knewe that the squyer wold not speke fyrst/ by cause that he wold doo to hym reuerence spak fyrst and said/ Fayr frend what is your corage or entent/ and whyther goo ye/ wherfor be ye comen hyther/ Syre sayde he/ the renommee is sprad by ferre contreyes/ that a kynge moche wyse and noble/ hath commaunded a courte general/ And wylle be maade hym selfe newe knyght/ And after adoube and make other newe knyghtes/ estraunge barons and pryue/ And therfore I goo to this courte for to be adoubed knyght/ But whanne I was a slepe for the trauaylle that I haue had of the grete journeyes that I haue made/ my palfroy wente oute of the ryghte way/ and hath brought me vnto this place/ Whanne the knyght herd speke of the knyghthode & chyualrye/ And remembryd hym of thordre of the same/ And of that whiche apperteyneth to a knyght/ he caste out a grete syghe/ and entryd in a grete thouȝt remembrynge of the honoure/ in which chyualrye hadde ben so longe mayntened/
¶ In the meane whyle that the knyghte thus thought/ the Esquyer demaunded of hym/ wherof he was so pensyf/
¶ And the knyght answerd to hym/
¶ Fayre sone my thoughte is of the ordre of Knyghthode or Chyualrye/ And of the gretenesse in which a knyght is holden/ in mayntenynge the gretenesse of the honour of chyualry/ Thenne the esquyer prayed to the knyght/ that he wold saye to hym thordre and the manere/ wherfore me ought the better to honoure and kepe in highe worshippe hit/ as it ought to be after the ordenaunce of god/
¶ How sone sayd the knyght knowest thou not what is the rule and ordre of knyghthode/ and I meruaylle how thow darest demaunde chyualrye or knyghthode/ vnto the tyme that thou knowe the ordre/
¶ For noo knyght can loue the ordre/ ne that whiche apperteyneth to his ordre/ but yf he can knowe the defaultes that he dothe ageynst the ordre of chyualry/
Ne no knyght ought to make ony knyghtes/ but yf he hym self knowe thordre.
For a disordynate knyghte is he/ that maketh a knyghte/ and can not shewe the ordre to hym/ ne the customme of chyualry.
¶ In the meane whyle that the knyght sayd these wordes to the esquyer/ that demaunded chyualrye/ withoute that he knewe/ what thynge was chyualrye/ The esquyer answered and sayde to the knyght/ Syre yf hit be your playsyre/ I byseche yow/ that ye wylle saye and telle to me the ordre of chyualrye/
For wel me semeth and thynketh that I should lerne hit for the grete desyre/ that I haue therto/ And after my power I shalle ensiewe hit/ yf hit please yow to enseynge shewe and teche hit me/
¶ Frend sayde the knyght/ the Rule and ordre of chyualrye is wreton in this lytyl booke that I hold here in myn handes in which I rede and am besy somtyme/ to the ende/ that hit make me remembre or thynke on the grace and bounte/ that god hath gyven and done to me in this world/ by cause that I honoured and mayntened with al my power thordre of chiualrye/ For alle in lyke wyse as chyualrye gyueth to a knyghte all that to hym apperteyneth/ In lyke wyse a knyȝt ought to gyve alle his forces to honoure chyualrye/
¶ Thenne the knyght delyuered to the esquyer the lytyl booke.
¶ And whanne he hadde redde therin/ he vnderstode that the knyght only amonge a thousand persones is chosen worthy to haue more noble offyce than alle the thousand/ And he had also vnderstanden by that lytyl booke/ the Rule and ordre of chyualry/ And thenne he remembryd hym a lytyl/ And after sayd/ A syre blessyd be ye/ that haue brought me in place and in time/ that I haue knowlege of Chyualrye/ the whiche I haue longe tyme desyred/ withoute that I knewe the noblesse of the ordre/ ne the honoure in whiche oure lord god hath sette alle them that ben in thordre of Chyualrye/
¶ The knight sayd/ Fayre sone I am an old man & feble/ and may not forthon moche longe lyue/ And therfor this lytyl booke that is made for the deuocion/ loyalte/ and the ordinance that a knyght ought to haue in holdynge his ordre/ ye shall bere with yow to the courte where as ye go vnto/ and to shewe to alle them that will be made knyghts/ And whan ye shalle be newe doubed knyght/ and ye shall retorne in to your countrey/ Come ageyne to this place/ And lette me haue knowlege who they be that haue ben maade newe knyghtes/ and shalle haue ben obeyssant to the doctryne of chyualry/ Thenne the knyght gaf to thesquire his blessynge/ and he took leve of hym/ and tooke the booke moche deuoutely/ And after mounted vpon his palfroy/ and went forth hastely to the courte/ And whan he was comen/ he presented the booke moche wysely and ordynatly to the noble kyng/ & furthermore he offryd that euery noble man that wold be in thordre of Chyualry myght haue a copye of the sayd book/ to thend that he myght see & lerne thordre of knyghthode and Chyualrye/
¶ Here endeth the book of thordre of Chyualry/ whiche book is translated out of Frensshe into Englysshe at a requeste of a gentyl and noble esquire by me/ William Caxton dwellynge in Westmynstre besyde london in the most best wyse that god hath suffred me/ and accordynge to the copye that the sayd squyer delyuerd to me/ whiche book is not requisyte to euery comyn man to haue/ but to noble gentylmen that by their virtu entende to come & entre in to the noble ordre of chyualry/ the whiche in these late dayes hath ben vsed accordyng to this booke here to fore wreton but forgeten/ and thexcersitees of chyualry/ not used/ honoured/ ne exercysed/ as hit hath ben in auncyent tyme/ at whiche tyme the noble actes of the knyghtes of Englond that vsed Chyualry were renomed thurgh the vnyuersal world/ As for to speke to fore thyncarnacion of Jesu Chryste/ where were there euer ony lyke to brenius and belynus that from the grete Brytagne now called Englond vnto Rome & ferre beyonde conquered many Royaumes and londes/ whos noble actes remayn in thold hystoryes of the Romayns/ And syth the Incarnacion of oure lord/ byhold that noble king of Brytayne king Arthur/ with all the noble knyȝtes of the roūd table/ whos noble actes and noble chyualry of his knyghtes occupye soo many large volumes/ that is a world/ or as thing incredyble to byleue/ O ye knyghtes of Englond where is the custome and vsage of noble chyualry that was vsed in tho dayes/ what do ye now/ but go to the baynes & playe atte dyse/ And some not wel aduysed/ vse not honest and good rule ageyn alle ordre of knyghthode/ leue this/ leue it and redde the noble volumes of saynt graal of lancelot/ of galaad/ of Trystram/ of perse forest/ of percyual/ of gawayn/ & many mo/ Ther shalle ye see manhode/ curtosy/ & gentylnesse/ And loke in latter dayes of the noble actes syth the cōquest/ as in kyng Rychard dayes cuer du Lyon/ Edward the fyrste/ and the thyrd/ and his noble sones/ Syre Robert Knolles/ Syr Johan Chaūdos/ and Syre gualtier Manuy/ rede froissart/ And also behold that vyctoryous and noble kynge harry the fyfthe/ and the captayns vnder hym his noble bretheren/ Therle of Salysbury Montagu/ and many other whoos names shyne gloryously by their vertuous noblesse & actes that they did in thonour of thordre of chyualry/ Allas what do ye/ but sleep & take ease/ and are al dysordred fro chyualry/ I wold demaunde a question yf I shold not displease/ how many knyghtes ben there now in Englond/ that haue thuse and thexcercyse of a knyght/ that is to wete/ that he knoweth his hors/ & his hors hym/ that is to saye/ he beyng eredy at a poynt to haue al thyng that longeth to a knight/ an hors that is accordyng and broken after his hand/ his armures and harnoys mete and syttyng/ & so forth/ et cetera/ I suppose and a due serche shold be made/ there shold he many founden that lacke/ the more pyte is/ I wold it pleasyd our souerayn Lord that twyes or threys in a year/ or at the least ones he wold do crye Justes of pees/ to thend that euery knyght shold haue hors and harneys/ and also the vse and craft of a knyght/ and also to tornoye one ageynst one/ or ij against ij/ And the best to haue a prys/ a dyamond or jewel/ suche as shold please the prynce/ This shold cause gentylmen to resorte to thauncyent customes of chyualry to grete fame and renōmee/ And also to be alwey redy to serue theyr prynce whan he shalle calle them/ or haue nede/ Thenne late euery man that is come of noble blood/ and entendeth to come to the noble ordre of chyualry/ read this lytyl book/ and doo therafter/ in kepyng the lore and commaundements therin comprysed/ And thenne I doubte not he shall atteyne to thordre of chyualry/ et cetera.
And thus this lytyl book I presente to my redoubted naturel and most dradde souerayne lord kyng Rychard kyng of Englond and of Fraunce/ to thend/ that he commaunde this book to be had and redde vnto other yong lordes knyghtes and gentylmen within this royame/ that the noble ordre of chyualry be herafter better vsed & honoured than hit hath ben in late dayes passed/ And herin he shalle do a noble & vertuous dede/ and I shalle pray almyȝty god for his long lyf & prosperous welfare/ & that he may haue vyctory of all his enemyes/ & after this short & transitory lyf to haue euerlastyng lyf in heuen/ where as is Joye and blysse/ world without ende/ Amen/
III. THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNANCE OF PRINCES.
This very popular work is a translation of the "Secretum Secretorum," falsely attributed to Aristotle. Its popularity was so great that not less than nine English translations and six French translations are known. It is probable that Sir Gilbert Hay made his version from one of the French translations current in the Fifteenth Century.