Item, the Emperour aw to be Knycht, in significance that he is Lord and syre of all Knychtis in temporalities: And becaus that the Emperour may nocht mak na gouerne all Knychtis, thare was ordanyt Kingis, to be subordinate persons, next efter Emperouris, to gouerne realmes and contreis the quhilkis suld alssua be knychtis, sa that thai may mak knychtis, ffor na man may mak knychtis bot he be Knycht before, sauffand the Pape: alssua all kingis suld have vnder thame Dukkis and Princis, Erllis and Vicountes, and Vauvassouris and Barouns; and vnder the Barouns Knychtis of a schelde, the quhilkis suld gouerne thame be the ordynance of the Barouns that ar in the hyare degree of Knychthede, before namyt: And that gerris he [him] multiply knychtis in takenyng that na King, bot he may na can gouerne all the generalitee of Knychtis in erd, ffor thare is nouthir Emperoure, na King, that can, na may in his regne gouerne all his subditis but help of his Knychtis: bot the King of Glore can wele allane but othir power, na of his awin vertu and majestie, can and may gouerne and reugle all this erde, and all the hevin, at his awin plesaunce, the quhilk is ane anerly God allane in Trinitee and Vnitee; and tharfor wald he nocht that ony Knycht allane mycht mak a knycht that suld gouerne all the knychtis of this warld bot he allane; and tharfore ordanyt he in this warld mony of Knychtis to be, that his Magestee may the better be knawin, and that Kingis and Princis suld mak officeris vnder thame of Knychtis. And forthy dois a King or a Prince grete wrang to the Ordre of Knychthede quhen he makis othir sereffis, baillies, or prouostis of othir lawlyar men na knychtis; ffor than ar Kingis and Princis caus of the abusioun of the Ordre of Knychthede, quhilk was ordanyt for sik caus: ffor that Ordre was ordanyt to be substitute till Princis and Kingis, apon the gouernement of the peple, as maist worthy and maist honourable for sik gouernaunce of small peple; and aboue thame Dukis, Erllis, and Barouns; and aboue thai Kingis and Princis; and aboue Princis and Kingis allenerlye Emperouris and Papis. And thus suld the warld be gouvernyt be commoun reugle of gouernance, sauffand Kingis that ar priuilegit or prescribit in thaire power imperiale: and thus Knychthede is the hyest temporale Ordre that is in the warld; but nocht the hiest office: ffor Kingis and Emperouris is nocht Ordre, bot it is office; be the quhilk office thai precell aboue all othir officis of temporalitee, as Dukis, Countes, Marquis, Vauvasour, Baroun, and Knychtis; and supposs, of all officis of honourabilitee, the Knychtis office be the lawast office of dignitee vnder Imperiale or Ryale magestee, neuertheles the Ordre is hyest and maist honourable; ffor quhy, that all Emperouris and Kingis aw to bere that Ordre, or ellis thair dignitee is nocht perfyte, ffor ellis may thai mak na Knychtis. And be honourabilitee of the Ordre of Knychthede grete honour is ordanyt be the lawis to do to Knychtis, and be nobless of honour that is put till him, he suld haue nobless of vertues, and worthyness in his curage; be the quhilk nobless of curage he suld be less inclynit till all wikkitness, and all vicis of barat, and trechery, and othir villain condiciouns, na ony othir persone.
The office alssua of Knychthede aw to defend his naturale Lord, and manetene him; ffor a King is bot a man allane but his men; and but tham thare may na King gouerne, na deffend his peple, na ȝit nane othir Lord, ffor thai ar bot synglere persons; and thus, gif ony man be aganis the Magestee or othir Lordis of the temporalitee, the Knychtis suld help him to defend and manetene his rychtis. Bot commonly ane euill wikkit Knycht takis party contrair with a Kingis subditis agayne himself, ffor he wald haue his Lord put doun, that he mycht haue sum part of the lordschip; bot than wirkis he agayne his awin ordre, and office that he is ordaynit for; that is ane, the faith of Jhesu Crist; ane othir, his natural Lord; the third, the peple in thair richtis: ffor the Knychtis ar adettit to manetene and defend justice; ffor rycht as a juge has powar be his office to juge and geue a sentence, rycht sa has he poware to kepe his jugementis fra fors and fra wrang and violence, in excercisioun and in execucioun of his jugement and sentence. And becaus that till jugement of caus pertenis wele wisdome and discrecioun of Clergy to knaw the lawis, it is a noble thing quhen Knychthede and Clergy is assemblit togedir, sa that Knychtis war clerkis and wele letterit men, sa that thai war the mare sufficiand to be jugis be the knaulage of science of lawis, ffor than war thare na man mare worthy na hable till to be a juge, na a Knycht clerk: ffor bot science of Clergy to knaw the lawis, thare is na man worthy to bere office of justice. Knychtis suld be wele ryddin, and in ȝouthede lere to be wele ryddin, on destrellis and courseris, till haunte justis and tournaymentis, to hald Table Round, to hunt and hauk at hert and hynde, daa and raa, bere and baare, loup and lyoun, and all sik honourable plesauncis, and sa mayntenand the office and the Ordre of Knychthede worthily: And as all thir propereteis before said pertenis till a Knycht, as to the habilnes of his corps, rycht sa is thare othir propereteis pertenand to the saule; as justice, force, prudence, and temperaunce, charitee and veritee, lautee and humilitee, faith, esperaunce, subtilitee, agilitee, and with all othir vertues touchand to wisdome, appertenis till him, as to the saule; and forthy, when a Knycht has all strenthis and habiliteis that appertenis to the corps, and has nocht thame that appertenis to the saule, he is nocht verray Knicht, bot is contrarius to the Ordre, and inymy of Knichthede: ffor than it war lyke that Knychthede war contrarius to the saule behufe; the quhilk is fals, ffor the principale caus of the Ordre is to the manetenaunce of the Cristyn faith, and of all vertues, and inymy to vicis.
Item, Office of Knychtis is to manetene and gouerne landis and policy, and to defend thame; ffor the raddour and the drede that the peple has of the Knychtis, thai byde apon thair craftis and labouragis, and grathis lyfing for the Lordis, for dout to be vndone, destroyit, and desertit; and thus ar the Kingis dred for the Knychtis. And thare, sais the Doctour, that a fals Knycht, that will nocht help to defend his King and his Lord naturale, is lyke faith bot gude charitable workis, or Knychthede tume and idill bot office, or heretike aganis the faith. And thus a fals Knycht that is vntrewe, that dois nocht the bidding of his Prince, and is contrarius till his biddingis and opyniouns, dois grete wrang to the Knychtis that fechtis to the dede for justice, and for the faith, and for his Prince, and his naturale Lord, and is worthy to be punyst vtterly: ffor thare is na Ordre na office that is maid bot it may be vnmaid, or ellis Goddis mycht war bot small; and than, sen the Ordre of Knychthede was ordanyt be God Almychty, and gouernyt and manetenyt be thame that beris the said Ordre, gif thai that suld gouerne the said Ordre, and manetene it, misgouernys it, and dois the contraire, the Ordre is lytill behaldyn to thame, ffor thai vndo the Ordre. And thus the wikkit King vndois nocht anerly the Ordere of Knychthede in himself, bot alssua he vndois it in his Knychtis quhen he gerris thame do aganis the Ordre, outhir be euill ensample that he gevis thame, doand thingis that ar aganis the said Ordre, or be flatery that thai mak to thair wikkit maister, and fals suggestioun to ger thame be lufit of him, knawand that he is euill sett and will redily trow euill talis. And all thus gif it be euill done, to gerr a Knycht be misgouernyt, and mysfarne throu euill gouernaunce. It is mekle were done to misgouerne mony Knychtis, as thir wikkit princis dois, that all the charge of the misgouernaunce of all the Knychtis of his realme is be his default and negligence, or that thai be sa wikkit in thame self, that thai geve him vnworthy counsale, to do apon his subjectis extorsiouns, be wikkitness of tyrannye, or of barate or trechery, tresone to thair naturale lordis, or vnleautee till his subditis, be force of thair wikkit curage; and than is syk a Prince mekle to prise and to love, that knawis syk trychouris, and trompouris and vnworthy traytouris, that beris waste name of Knychthede, that wald counsale him, and tyce him to forffet and vndo the worthy and noble Ordre of Knychthede, that he has sa honourably tane, and worthily hydertillis has manetenyt; mekle honour and worschip is in his curage of the Prince that sa dois, and mekle suld be lufit with thame that beris the Ordre worthily, quhen he takis sik vengeaunce of the inymyes of the Ordre, that throu thair wikkit counsale wald corrumpe his noble curage.
Item, the Order of Knychthede standis in the corage, and nocht in the corssage, ffor ellis war the Ordre litill worth; ffor quhy? A lytill persone may quhilum throu habilitee of corps oure cum a mekle, and tak him, and enprisone him. Bot a thousand men, suppos thai be neuer sa stark, may nocht oure cum na vencus a gude Knychtis curage. And thus is the Ordre of Knychthede mare worthily in the curage na in the corssage, ffor ellis war nocht that the Knychthede accordit better to the body na to the saule. And be that, the vnworthy cowartis Knychtis that fleis in bataillis fra thair lordis ar nocht worthy to be callit Knychtis, na to bere the honour that to worthy knychtis efferis, ffor thai drede mare the distroublaunce and maless of thair corssage, na the honoure and worschip of thair curage that appertenis to the Ordre of Knychthede of rycht. And thus nobless of curage is better pertenand to Knychtis na is force of corssage, or ellis suerenes and cowardise in mannis persone suld be of the propereteis of the Ordre. And hardynes and largess suld be contrarius till it, and that war mekle vnresone; bot be all gude way of ordere, quhen a gude Knycht is oure sett with oure grete powar, and lesse has of help and of falouschip to supple him, in sa mekle suld he haue mare hye curage and mare force of spirit, to oure cum all his aduersaris; and gif he be oure thrawin, till manetene the poyntis and propercteis of the worthy Ordre of Knychthede, than has he optenyt the honour and the loss of the worschipfull reward and meryt of justice, that deis for the defenss of the rycht, and manetenaunce of the worschipfull and meritable poyntis of the Ordre, as he that deis for lufe and leautee, and honoure of the noble Ordre that he was ordanyt to. For the wise man sais, That Knychthede and hardynesse may neuer langsumly dwell togider bot wisedome and wise discrecion; ffor quhare na wisdome na discrecione restis, how suld thare be knaulage of honoure. Na, how suld that persone discerne betuix honorable and dishonorable act or vndertaking of worschip, quhare wisdome is away, ffor wisdome will never mare mak fault till his honoure. And forthy, is it signifyit till all Knychtis of honour, that a Knycht may neuer be hardy, na haue the vertues that to Knychthede suld pertene, bot he haue wisedome in him; na thare is na man that may sa mekle honour do till his Ordre of Knychthede, as to stand to the vtterest with stark curage for the rycht fermely, and neuer consent to leve his lord; na his rychtwise actioun to dee tharfore; and treuly that mon be reuglit with witt and resoun, and nocht be foly na ignoraunce; ffor quhen foly and ignoraunce is with the Ordere of Knychthede, wit and resone, knaulage and discrecioun, ar flemyt thairfra; ffor wisedome, resoun, and discrecioun ar the ledaris and gouernouris of Cheualrye bathe in Knycht, King, and Emperoure, and but wisedome the Order is peruertit; ffor inpossible thing it is, that foly and ignoraunce gouerne that worthy Ordre. And than mon it on nede force be gouernyt be wisedome, and thus is it, that sen the Ordre is reuglit be witt and wisedome, than suld all gude Knychtis pres them to be wyse, and sett tharon all thair hert and mynde; the quhilk makis Knycht sa curageus, that he doubtis nocht the dede, in regarde of honoure and his rychtwise cause, that he may lufe and honour his Ordre, to sauf bathe saule and honour, in the contrair of foly and ignoraunce.
Item, Office of Knychthede is to mantene and defend wedowis, maidenis, faderles and moderles barnis, and pore miserable persouns and piteable, and to help the wayke agayne the stark, and the pure agayne the riche; ffor ofttymes sik folk ar be mare stark na thai pelit and derobbit, and thaire gudis tane, and put to destructioun and pouertie, for fault of powere and defence. And becaus all sik dedis is wikkitnes, crueltee, and tyranny, tharfore is the Ordre of Knychthede ordanyt, as in that poynt amang the lave, to gaynstand. And gif a Knycht himself be the manetenar or doare of thir thingis, he is vnworthy to bere the Ordre for his wikkitnes. And rycht as God has gevin to the Knycht pithe, hardynes, and hye curage, rycht sa has he gevin him pitee in hert, to haue merci of the pure that gretis on him; askand help and consort for traist that thai haue in thame of help. And thus suld a Knycht haue gude sicht to the miserable persouns, gude eris to here thame, and gude mynde to think on thame, that pitously cryis apon him for help and confourt. And he that has nocht thir vertues, is nocht verray Knicht, na suld nocht be comptit as ane of the Ordere of Knychthede. Alsua, and the office of Knichthede, that sa mekle is lufit and presit and honourit, war till derub and destroy the pore folk and all sik peaceable persouns, and till desaue wedowis, that has na defence bot God and the Office of Knychthede, and till mysgouerne in thair gudis and heritagis, and dissaue the faderles and moderles barnis, and all thing that war falsate, barate, wikkitnes and trechery, war poyntis of the said office, and the office war alsmekle honourit for euill dedis, and wickit lyfing, as it is now for gude dedis, thare suld ma press to tak the said Ordre and office na thare dois now; ffor be cause that the Ordre is founded apon lautee, curtaisy, liberalitee, lufe, and pitee, many of thame that beris the said Ordre irkis tharof in the warld that now is.
For the office of Knychthede suld have stark place in gouernaunce, and he suld be wele horsit, and haue power of men to kepe the contree and the Kingis wayis, all pilgrymes, trauailouris, merchandis, labouraris, and suld haue the jurisdictioun of justice in citeis and townis; and quhen nede war, to assemble the folk for the prouffit of the commountee; and quhen perilis war apperand in the landis, to byrn mysal housis, and destroye perilous passagis, ger hag woddis, and byg and mak reparacioun of euill biggit placis, castellis, and wallit townis and fortressis, and kepe and defend all gudely persouns; chastyse and punyse all misdoaris and wikkit cruell persouns; ffor and the contrary of thir gude poyntis war approprit to the Ordre, than all gude gouernance wald faile, and na man wald be seur; ffor the office is foundit ay on gude and prouffitable werkis that ar spede full to the commoun prouffit, and to gaynstand all thame that settis thame for the distrublaunce of the pore peple, and hyndering of the commoun prouffit, and to put down euill and wikkit men, and to fauour, nurise, and manetene gude peple: ffor rycht as the hewing ax is ordanyt to cutt doun treis that hynderis labouragis of landis, and cartis and chariotis and merchandices to passe through the forestis, sa is the suerd of Knychthede ordanyt to kutt away and destroye the wickkit vnworthy wedis and ronnis of thornis of euill men that lettis labouraris, merchandis, and traualouris to trauale throu the warld, quhilk is as a forest and wildernes quhen it is not wele redde; off the quhilk euill men suld be wedit out be Knychtis, keparis of the lawe, that gude men mycht lyve in lee; and he that is a Knycht, and dois nocht this, bot dois evyn the contrary, suld be tane be the Prince, or be othir worthy, faithfull, and honourable Knychtis, and put till dede; ffor quhen a Knycht is a revare, or a thef, or a traytour or a murtherar, or a Lollard, scismatike or heretike, or in syk termys opinly knawin and approuit, than is he vnworthy for to lyve, bot to be punyst in example of otheris that defoulis that maist noble and worthy Ordre, and abusit it aganis the poyntis and the propereteis of the Ordre; ffor it war better to syk a Knycht to ȝelde him selfe to justice to be punyst, with mortall punycion, na to lyve in sik misordinate lyf for to vndo himself, and otheris mony, quhilk lesse euill war that he war vndone allane, and lesse charge till his saule: ffor gif a knycht or a lord haue all thir forenamyt vicis in him or any part of thame, and wald punyse otheris, and will nocht punyse himself, that is nocht the rycht way of justice; ffor gude justice begynnis at it selfe, and syne at othir men, ffor grete lak is to reproue and correct otheris in that, that he is foulare smyttit him self; quhilk gif he will nocht do, othir Knychtis suld do for honoure of thair Ordre, till hald it euir in honoure and worschip, as wele efferis it to be. And all Knychtis that fauouris syk cruell dedis, and gerris nocht punyse thame, thai ar foule in the dede as the doaris of thame; ffor syk men ar nocht verray Knychtis, bot feigned beris the Ordre, and dois nocht the office; ffor rycht as a Knycht had a hurt in ane of his handis, that hurt is mare nere and dere, to the laue of his othir membris, na it is to me or ane othir man, and erar efferis till him to sett remede tharein. And rycht sa, gif a Knycht mysgouernis him in syk kynde that he be othir thef, or traytour, revar, or murderar, it appertenis mare till othir knychtis to sett thare in remede, na it dois till otheris that ar na knychtis; ffor all knychtis ar, and suld be as a cors. And thare ffore, knychtis has mare wite of the mysgouernaunce of othir knychtis na ony othir man has, and mare dishonoure alssua na men that ar na knychtis; ffor it is thair default, sen the correctioun efferis to the Order and to the Office; ffor quhy, he is inymy to the Ordre that sa gouernys: And than suld it wele effere to the Order to punyse thair inymyes. Quharefore, thou that art a Knycht, and will correk otheris defaultis, correk thine awin faultis fyrst: ffor a traytour, thef, or revare Knycht, he is alssua thef, traytour, and revare till his Order that revis at the worschip and the honoure that appertenis till it, mare na to reve othir mennis gudis; ffor he that stelis or revis honour fra ony persone, bringis him hame schame and dishonoure and euill renoune; quhilkis honoure passis all richess. Quhat difference is thare, to gude vnderstanding, till a traytour that betraisis his awin Lord naturale, or his castell, or his wyf, or his douchter, or his eldest sone, or slais his counsale and murderis thame, or sik dedis dois, in regard of him that euer was lele and trewe in all thir thingis, and deis for his Lord in bataill place. And alssua quhen a Knycht defendis ane othir that is false and traytoure till his Prince or his naturale Lord, and will nocht thole him cum to justice, nor na punycione to be done apon him, he is were na he that did the dede: and the Ordre of Knychthede is dishonourit in his persone, that manetenis, and will nocht bring to justice a false traytour; and vnworthy war that he had justice in keping.
Ane othir poynt of the Office of the Knychthede is, to accuse traytouris aganis his prince, or otheris that it efferis, and till appelle thame of bataill, and feicht wyth thame: And office of traytour is, to deny his tresone, and hyde it, and cover it, quhill he may, and eschewe all prufis tharof; and thus ar the twa curagis wele contrarius togidder, that neuer curage of traytour mycht ourcum ane noble curage of a trew Knycht; bot gif it be throw pride or surquidy, that is callit oure presumptuouse in himself: the quhilk God tholes quhilom be punyst in bataill place. Bot the curage of a lele Knycht, that for a lele cause debatis, may nocht be oure cummyn, bot gif it be for sum syn agaynis the Ordre of Knychthede: ffor gif a Knycht wald reve fra the small peple the gude that God has gevin thame, and geve it till otheris that he aw nocht to, that war agayne the Office of Knychthede, to tak fra laware na himself outhir moble gudis or possessiouns, and hald it as heretage till him, nocht gevand, na restorand agayn; he may be lyknyt to the wolf that the lord gave the schepe to kepe to, as till a familyar faa; or he may be lyknyt till a fule lorde that left his faire wyf in keping till a ȝong traytour knycht; or he that left his stark castell and his gudis till a bitter cuvatous knycht, vntrew knycht; and thus is he mekle to wyte that gevis his castell, or his wyf, or his schepe, in syk gouernaunce; or how ane othir suld traist his gouernaunce in him that gouernis nocht wele himself? ffor thir ar thingis that men suld nocht put in misgouernaunce of fule men, his faire wyf, his castell, and his moble gudis; ffor commonly syk men that begylis thair lordis may neuer be reformyt na redressit till lautee, na till honour of Knychthede.
Item, Ane othir poynt of the Office of Knychthede is, to hald his armouris cleine and faire, and wele at poynt, and to se wele to the gouernaunce of his horse, and nocht to play thame at playes of dice, and of tabilles, and othir licht playis, quhilkis ar nocht contenyt in the poyntis of the Ordre: ffor it is forbedyn in the lawis to mak ony ath contrary to the Ordre of Knychthede, na to the Office; and he that puttis doune the principale thingis quhare with the Ordre and Office is haldyn at honoure and worschip, throw lycht playes or uthir wayis, he honouris nocht wele his Ordre; ffor Knycht in weris, but horse and harnais, is lytill presit; and sen it is sa, that God and man acordit in the poyntis of the Ordre of Knychthede that na false aythis suld be tharein, na in thame that gouernis the said Ordre, suld than nane be.
Item, Lordis na Knychtis suld nocht brek the ath of mariage throw misordynate lechery, ffor that is a poynt that discordis with the poyntis of the Ordre; ffor thare is thre gree of chastitee, the quhilkis all honourable persouns ar behaldin till, that is, ane in mariage, ane in wedowhede, and ane in maidynhede that is callit virginitee; of quhilk the Haly Writt biddis thame that may nocht lyve chaste, mary thame, and syne kepe thair maryage; ffor gif thai do nocht, and thai brek mariage, that brekis thair aithe to godwart, the quhilk is agayn the Ordre and Office of Knychthede; ffor chastitee is vertu, and misordanyt lechery is vice: And thus sen all vertu folowis the Ordre, and all vice discordis with it, it syttis wele that princis, lordis, and knychtis kepe honour in that poynt, and namely, nocht to forffet to thair mariage.
Item, Justice and Knychthede acordis togeder, and justice and mariage, bresing and othir disordinate lechery discordis with justice; and thus Knychthede and disordanyt lechery discordis, as apperis be the lawis of Haly Kirk, quhilkis efferis prelatis to correct: And thus gif a prince, or a lord, or a knycht brekis mariage, he is mare to blame na ony of lawer degree; ffor the hyar degree the gretter fault, and mare to be punyst in all excessis of vertu.