Item, A Knycht suld haue in him grete pitee of all pure folk maleesy persones, and of pure prysonaris quhen he has the maistry of thame, and till haue mercy of thame for resonable finaunce; and throu cheritee men has pitee, but the quhilk charitee na Knycht mycht sustene the grete charge of Knychthede; ffor as horse but fete may nocht bere grete chargis, sa may nocht Knychthede, but cheritee: the quhilk cheritee makis hevy birding lycht to bere, and grete charge soft, bathe for the vphald of honour of Knychthede, and meryt of the saule behufe.
Item, Justice is till all Knychtis nedefull, ffor Knycht but justice is but honoure; for Justice and Knychthede is sa wele acordaunt that Knycht but justice is a body but saule, for but justice may na Knychthede be; ffor Knycht injurius is inymy of justice, and castis him self out of the Ordre, the quhilk reuys him and dispisis him in that cas.
Item, Prudence is a vertue als, that Knychthede may nocht be but; ffor Prudence is a knawlage that man has of all thing, bathe gude and euill, throu the quhilk he is maid inymy to euill, and frende till all gudenes; and alsa be Prudence man has knawlage of the thing that is for to cum, and that be the notice of the present tyme, as he seis the warld gais: Item, Prudence can with cautelis and subtiliteis, a man can, as be the apperaunce of the thingis that he seis, eschewe perilis that ar to cum, and mend ane euill fortune apperand be vertynasse, bathe corporalis and spiritualis. And thus knaw thai all tymes that is, and wes, and sal be, and puttis gouernaunce till all as efferis. The commone proufit, and the prince, ar mekle behaldin to the worthy Knychtis, for the mony perilis that thai expose thaim in for it: and thus is Prudence ane of the maist nedefull poyntis that may be for Knychtis; worschipfull custume is in Knycht in tyme of necessitee to request of party to arme him, and defend the commone prouffit. Bot mekle mare is it honourable custume to Knychtis till vse resoun in all his dedis, and gude will and wele sett, that is the glore of Knychthede; ffor oft tymes bataillis ar mare wonnyn be grace, na be force, and be wit and subtilitee na be multitude of armyt company, as sais Macabeus to the Peple of Israel, quhen he sawe his inymyes cum on him sex tymes ma na he; "Ha! Ha! Dere Brethir, reconfort ȝow, and makis gude chere, and traistis wele that God sall help vs in this houre, ffor traist nocht that grete multitude makis grete victory, bot mekle erare, grete confusione; ffor sa grete multitude mycht nocht be gouernyt togeder, ffor thay may nocht wit in the tane end, quhat the tothir dois; and a lytill misreugle or affray makis all to flee, etc.:" And gert his peple put thame in gude estate, and prayde to God to help thame. And thus was the bataill wonnyn throu his wit and counsaile, and confourt quhilk come of grete prudence and grace. And thus suld all gude Princis and Lordis that wald haue thaire barnis worthy and wyse men, and hable to the Ordre foresaid: thai suld ger doctryne thame, instruct thame, and teche thame first in thir virtues before namyt, and specially till vse resone and justice, and gude vnderstanding of wit, and that prudence teche thame to be a frende till all gudelynes, and inymy till all wikkitnes, ffor be thai vertues, the vertew of prudence junys him with Knychthede, and dois it mekle honoure.
Item, Force is a grete vertu in all noble actis, and specialy agayn the Seven Dedely Synnis, quhilkis, quhen thai haue the maistry, ledis man to the paynis of hell; off the quhilk sevin synnis, Glutony is ane of the werst; fforthy, that quhen a glutoun has chargit him our mekle with metis and drinkis than bringis it in Suerenesse, that he mon slepe or rest; and in his rest than desyris he Luxure; and quhen he seis that all this charge may nocht be uphaldyn but grete gudis and richess, than cummys Couatise, that settis nocht by how that gude be wonnyn bot he haue it; off the quhilk conquest cummys Ire, and Inuye, and redy Murther and slauchter, quhilkis cummys seldyn, bot that Pryde be in thair falouschip. And thus throu glutony is gaderit and assemblyt all the foule company of the Seven Dedely Synnis: And thus Knychtis that haldis thir wayis, gais nocht in the hall of noblesse; Glutony makis the corps feble, and schortis the lyf, agaynis the quhilk vicis, and namely of glutonye, the worthy curage of a noble Knycht stryvis full stoutly, and wynnis the victory on him that is inymy to the noble Ordre of Knychthede. And thus be Force he feichtis agayn his inymyes throu hye noblelesse of curage with help of abstynence and of temperance: And agayne Luxure feichtis Chastitie forsably, and beautee of corps, mekle etyng and drinking, quynte clething, and joly polist corps; falsate, tresoune, injure and misprising of God, and of his Sanctis and of his mekle gloire, and no doubt the paynis of hell, na sik like thingis is agayne the Ordre of Knychthede, and all gude thewis. Perfyte Chastitee forsably feichtis aganis Lechery throu the remembraunce of God and his commandementis. And to wele vnderstand the the hye graces and gudelynes and glore of the hyast God, quhilkis he has ordanyt for thame that lufis and honouris him, and seruis him treuly; and alssua to think on the sorow and disese that ordanyt is for thame that dois the contrair, that mysprisis his commandementis, and mystrowis him; for to lufe him, serue him, and honour him, that is sa worthie to be lufit, man has forss and grace, with Chastite forsable, with stark curage vnvencusable, werrays and ourecummys the vice of mysordinate Lecherye, be force of curage and noblesse, quhilk will nocht put him in subjectione of evill thouchtis; na be oure cummyn with sik wrechitness; na his hye honour lawit na defoulit, that sa mekle charge has sustenyt in grete honourable actis in weris that he suld thole his worthi curage of Knychthede be ourecummyn with vicis. For suppose he be curageous and hardy, and of corps strenthy to ourecum his corporale inymyes; and nocht noblesse in him of forss of curage to vencuse and ourethrawe his inymyes spirituale, that is vicis; he has nocht all the verray noble poyntis, propereteis, na condiciouns of Knychthede that he suld ficht with; ffor noble curage of Knycht suld alswele feicht again the Deuill that is inymy of the saule as agayne man inymy to the corps.
Item, Auarice is a vice that gerris oft tymes the curage of mony noble Knycht descend full lawe; ffor quhy, the gredynesse of gude blyndis thair hye curage for glytwisnesse of gold and of richesse, that it ourecummys the force that suld vencuss his inymy with, and makis him subject till sa lawly wretchitnesse and vnhonest thing, that is bot for defaut of forss; that suld be his pillare of worschip till hald him ferme; the quhilk pillare faillis him at nede quhen noblesse of hye corage is slokit throu Cuvatise, nocht defendand thame aganis it, as the worthynesse of the Ordre requeris: bot tholis him to be ourecummyn and vencust throu cowardise spirituale, and lachesse of curage souplit throu Auarice; and changit thair curage again the noblesse of the Ordre: And tharefore it is a grete maugre in a realme quhare lordis and knychtis ar gredy to gudis, and couatouse; ffor it is rute of all wikkitnesse; ffor of it cummys wrangwise extorsiouns, and euill wonnyn gudis, wrangwise conquestis of landis, and syne ar thay fast haldand, that na gude will part with, bot the nede peny; and be this way thai becum bondis and subjectis to thair gudis, and varyis fra the rycht way of liberalitee that manetenis noblesse of Cheualrye, and is inymy to the noble Ordre, to be wrechit of the gudis that God has send thame to preue thame, and assay thair vertu with; and nocht to be hid, na hurdit. And as for remede of this, thare is a vertew callit Fortitude, that is stifnes in hert aganis vice, that will nocht falde no mare na rank stele, quhilk is sa ferme in itself, that it will nouthir bow to frende na faa, to help thame at nede, bot he be requerit and askit, and that is for the hie stifnes that is in him, of the vertu of fortitude of curage; that sa grete honour it is worthi to have for his worthynes, that he is euer redy to be at bidding of worthy dedis and honourable, quhen he is requerit. And the hyenes of his noble corage he thrawis him fra all appetite mysordinate of all vicis; as quhen a Knycht is tempt with Couatise or Auarice, that his hert is sett and enclynit to that wrechit gredynesse that is moder of all wikkitnesse, and of traysounis, falsate, barate, trechery, manesuering; than suld he sauf his honour to have recourse to Fortitude, and thare sall he fynd na fault of help, counsale, and confourt, to supplee him at nede; for he is nouthir lache na ȝit cowart, na false hertit na negligent; bot with him sall be foundyn strenth and fors, hye curage in gudelynes, quhilk efferis wele to be fere to the noble Ordre of Knychthede; ffor throu that, a Knycht may be lorde of his curage, and be maister of himself, and ourecum all vicis. And thus suld ilke noble Knycht think on the noble King Alexander of Macedoyne, and of his liberalitee, the quhilk had sa noble a curage, that he dispisit auarice and couatise; in largesses of giftis, he had euer the hand opyn till all men, alswele frende as fa; throu the quhilk renoune of fredome the souldiouris of his inymyes that war auariciouse and couatouse, come fra thame till hym, and gert his company grow, and euermare and mare he conquest, and euermare and mare delt till his men; and thus, throu his renoune of liberalitee and dispising of the vice of auarice, with othir vertues of noblesse of fortitude, he come to the honour of Conqueroure of all the Warld. Quhairfore, all nobil Knychtis suld euer think on vertues of noblesse and of largesse, and despise auarice and couatise; that he be nocht subject till vnworthy persounis, na wyrk nane vnworthy dedis; na think to mak nane vnworthy conquestis throu auarice, the quhilk efferis nocht to noble and worthy Ordre of Knychthede—Accydo est male.
Suerenes is a vice quhilk makis a man to hate all gudelynes and to lufe all viciousnes. Be the quhilk vice, thare is ma folk condampnyt na be ony othir vice in this warlde be takenis and signis may be persauit; and be the contrair, that is wilfulnes in gudelynes to do gude werkis, men may knawe the takenis of a man that sal be savit fra dampnacioune better, and mare clerely, na be ony vertuouse condicione that man may haue; and thus, quha will ourecum and vencuse Suerenesse, he mon nedely begyn at gude, and fortitude of curage, throu the quhilk he ourecummis the inclinacioune of Suerenes that mannis flesch is inclynit to, be the syn of Adam, our held fader, quhilk of the erde takis inclinacioune mare to sleuth na to diligence, and mare till euill na to gude; ffor sleuth and leithfulnesse drawis efter it dule and displesaunce of othir mennis gude auentures, and is blythe of thar mysfortunys: and quhare thai haue euill, thai wald it war wer, and thus has he ay disese; ffor he has disese and dule of thair gude, and syne he has disese and dule of that, that thai haue nocht sa mekle euill as he wald; the quhilk puttis thame in ire and in passione dolorouse contynualy, bathe in body and saule; and tharefore, thou Knycht that wald vencuse that vice of sleuth, pray to God to graunt thé force in curage of diligence aganis that vice of sleuth, that thou may ourethrawe him, and halde him at vnder; and think how that our Lord God, quhen he gevis till othir men ony grace or gudelynes for thair gude meritis, he takis nocht fra thé to give thame, na he gevis thame nocht all the gudis that he has to geve; bot that he has yneuch bathe to geve thé and otheris, that makis him gude cause; of the quhilk he gevis vs ane example in the Ewangel, sayand, Amice, non facio tibi injuriam, That is to say, Quhen the vignerones labouraris had wroucht all the day, fra the morne early till nycht, and otheris began at the Evyn-sang tyme, and wroucht rycht sa to the nycht; and the Lord of the wynis gave thame y-lyke feis for thair day werk; and thai that had wrocht fra the morne airly murmurit the Lord, sayand, He was vnrychtwise, that gave thame alsmekle that began at Evyn-sang tyme as to thame that began at morne airly: and he ansuered, That he did thame na wrang, quhen he departit his awin gude at his awin will, and payde tham all that he hecht thame; quharefore thai had na cause to murmur him, na to haue nane envy at thair nychtbouris, as said is.
Orgueille, that is callit Pryde, thinkis na man pere till him, and is a grete vice; ffor he wald na man war sa gude na sa worthy as he, and had leuer be him allane, na in ony company that him thocht na pere till him. And Humilitee and Fortitude are twa vertues that lufis evynlynes, and sa ar thai aganis Pride; and, tharefore, gif a proud, hichty, hautane Knycht may nocht stanche his awin pride, call till Mekenes and Fortitude; ffor mekenesse withoutyn stedefastnes may nocht gaynstand pryde; ffor quhen thai twa ar togidder, than may thai wele gaynstand pryde; na pryde may neuer be vencust, but mekenesse and stedefastnes of fortitude; ffor kyndely thing is, that quhen a ȝong King is sett on his hye horse, he is proud and hautane, but syne cummys fortitude of humilitee, with grete stedefast mynde, thinkand how he suld haue pryde in his hert, quhen he rememberis of all the poyntis of his Ordre, and quhy he is maid Knycht. Bot quhat is the pryde of a proud haultane man worth, quhen he can nocht remembre of the poyntis that God may sone lawe him with? ffor thare is na man sa proud and full of orgueill, bot and he had bene disconfyte and ourecumyn in bataill place and vencust, bot he suld be full meke; and that fallis ofttymes amang Knychtis of honoure: for quhy? the fors of ane othir mannis corps has strykyn doune the pryde of his curage: And thus sen fors corporale in a strange persone has lawit his pryde, it war lyke that fors of humilitee spirituale, that is fer mare vertuouse, suld in his awin persone ourecum pryde; sen the tane is spirituale noblesse, and the tothir corporale.
Item, Envy is a vice that is not agreable to God, na justice, na charitee, na to largesse, the quhilk pertenis to the Ordre of Knychthede, and thus quhen ony Knycht has his hert failit, and his curage lawlyit, that he may no mare folow the actis of noblesse, na dedis of were, for faulte of strenth of curage that is failit in him, na has nocht in him, Justice, Charitee, na Largesse, syk men dois injure to thair Ordre of Knychthede, that gerris mony Knychtis be envius of othir mennis gude fortune, and thai ar suere and lythir to trauaile thame to wyn honoure in armes, the quhilk bringis the richessis; for euer efter honour thare cummys rychesse, and thai that ar thus enviouse takis fra othir men the gude that is nocht, na may nocht be thairis, ffor thai wald pres thame to reve thame thair honoure, quhilk, quhen thai had gert thame tyne, throu murmuracioune and enviouse langage of bakbyting, that honour that thai tak fra thame, may nocht cum to thameself; and be syk Enuy he dois mony thingis that ar discordant till his Ordre.
Item, Ire is a stroublance of curage, and of gude mynde, and gude will, and disturnis a mannis curage to vengeaunce; and thus, quha sa lykis to sett remede in this vice of Ire, he mon haue recourse to forse of corage; that is, the lord and maister of mannis mynde and his passions, and syne seke to Pacience and to Charitee, the quhilkis ar cheif of counsale to Knychthede, and with temperaunce, mese his mynd and bryng his hert to sobirnes; and thir Vertues ay bringis allegeaunce of the grete paynis and trauailis that Ire has movit in mannis hert: and in samekle as the ire is the mare, in samekle suld force of curage of noblesse of Knychthede be the starkare to ourecum the vnresonable passions of ire, the quhilkis cummis ay of euill, and dois bot euill, ffor the ire of man makis nocht man to haue mare rycht anent Godwart; bot man suld be armyt with gude will, sobernesse, humilitee, and pacience, charitee and abstinence, and syne cummys justice, and bringis wisedome with him, and annoblis the Ordre of Knychthede fere mare na it was before, and thus we haue that aganis all vicis of the Seven Dedely Synnis: The vertu of Force, with help of thir othir counsalouris that we haue here before namyt, is souerane remede aganis thame.
And now is it spedefull that we se quhat is the vertu of Temperaunce, and quhat it is nedefull and behovefull till: And as to that, the Doctour sais, That Temperaunce is a vertu quhilk haldis him euer in the mydwarde betuene twa vicis, that is to say, betuene oure lytill and oure mekle, and thus techis temperance a man to kepe the mydwarde, ffor vertu is ay in the mydwarde: ffor man that has na mesure in himself, quhen he dois outhir till the hye or to the law, thare wantis discrecione of temperaunce and mesure, (the quhilk is nedefull to be in Knychthede), ffor quhen Knycht knawis nocht his quantiteis of his mesure in all his dedis, his honoure is in were: ffor he suld be temperit in largesse, that he be nouthir fule large na oure wrechit; in hardinesse, that he be nocht fule hardy na oure cowart; in etyng and drinking that he be nocht glutone, na gormand, na slut, na slutheroune, na zit dronkynsum; na that he hunger nocht himself for wrechitnes; in his speche that he haue nocht our mony wordis, na that he be nocht oure bestely, na our blate, that he haue na langage, na collacione in tyme quhen it efferis; alsua in his clething that he excede nocht, na that he be nocht oure wrechit: And thus in all thing to hald mesure is temperaunce: And schortly to say, it is the reugle of all wisedome, and but it na Knycht may well gouerne his Ordre, na neuer sall men fynd temperance bot with wisdome and with vertu.