Natura, Gracia, et Fortuna.These thre Ladies, al of on entent,
Thre goostly gyftés, heuynly and deuyne,
Vn to the Kyng a non they dyd present,
And to his hignesse they dyd a non enclyne:
And what they weren pleynly to determyne,
Grace gaf hym first at his comynge
Two ryché gyftés, Sciens and Cunnynge.
Nature gaf hym eke Strengthe and Fayrnesse,
For to be louyd and dred of euery wight;
Fortune gaf hym eke Prosperite and Richesse,
With this scripture aperyng in ther sight,
To hym applied of verey due right:—
‘First vndirstonde, and wilfully procede,
And longe to regne,’ the Scripture seide in dede.
‘Intende prosperitate procede et regna.’
‘This is to mene, who so vndirstondith a right,
Thou schalt by Fortune haue long prosperité;
And by Nature thou shalt have strenghthe and might,
Forth to procede in long felicité;
And Grace also hath grauntyd vn to the,
Vertuosly long in thi Roialle Citeé
With Sceptre and crowne to regne in equyté.’
On the right hand of these Emperesses
Stode vij madenys, very celestiall;
Like Phebus bemys shone there golden tresses,
Vp on there hedes ech hauyng a crownall:
Of port and cheré semyng immortall,
In sight transsendyng alle erthély creatures,
So angelik they weren of there figures.
All clad in white, in token of clennesse,
Liche pure Virgynés as in there ententys,
Schewynge outward an heuenly fresh brightnesse;
Stremyd with sonnys weren alle there garmentys.
A forum prouydyd for pure jnnocentys,
Most columbyne of chere and of lokyng,
Mekly roos vp at the comyng of the Kyng.
They hadde on bawdrikes al on saphir hewe
Goynge outward, ’gan the kyng salúe;
Hym presentyng with ther gyftés newe,
Lik as thei thought it was to hym duwe:
Whiche gostly giftés here in ordre ’suwe
Down descendyng as siluer dewe from heuene,
Al grace includyd with jnne the giftés sewene.
These riall giftés ben of vertu most,
Goostly corages most soueraygnely delite;
The giftés callyd of the Holy Goost
Outward figuryd by seven dowys (doves) white;
Seyenge to hym, lik as clerkés write,
‘God the fulfille with intelligence,
And with a spirit of goostly sapience.
Impleat te Deus Spiritu sapientiæ, et intellectus,
Spiritu consilii, et fortitudinis, scientiæ, et pietatis,
et spiritu timoris Domini.’
‘God sendé also, to thi moost availe,
The to preserué from all heuynesse,
A spirit of strenghthé, and of good counsaile,
Of cunnyng, drede, pite, and of lownesse.’
Thus thise ladies ’gan there gyftés dresse,
Graciously at there out comyng,
By influence light vp on the kyng.
These Emperesses hadde on there left syde
Othere vij Virgines pure and clene;
By accordaunce continually to a byde, (shining stars)
Al clad in white samete, (satin) ful of sterres shene;
And to declaré what they woldé mene
Vn to the Kyng with ful gret reuerence,
These wreten there gyftes shortly in sentence: