The printed book did not number the pages in sequence; instead it numbered the recto (odd, right) pages of the first few leaves in each signature. Folio numbers in smaller print were added by the transcriber; all verso (even, left) pages are shown as ||. Two sets of pages were apparently printed out of sequence. Details are given at the [end of the text], along with notes on a few other problems.

A few words such as “with” or “the” were printed as abbreviations: initial “y” (for þ, thorn) or “w” with small “t” or “e” above it. These are shown as ordinary superscripts: ye, wt. Typographical errors are shown with mouse-hover popups. Numerals such as “.x.” were printed without adjoining spaces; spacing has been silently added.

The table of contents was part of the original text.

¶ Here begynneth the boke called the example of vertu.

[ Tabula libri]

¶ Fyrste a prologue.

¶ How youth mette with discrecyon in a medowe in his dreme & was reformed by her prouerbes ca.i.

¶ How youth with discrecyon sayled ouer the daungerous passage of vayne glorye and arryued in a fayre Ilonde longynge to foure ladyes named Hardynes / Sapyence / fortune / & nature. ca.ii

¶ Of the meruaylous palays of fortune ca.iii.

¶ Of the triumphaunt estate of hardynes. ca.iiii.

¶ Of the gloryfyed towre of sapyence. ca.v.

¶ Of the stronge operacyons of nature ca.vi

¶ How these foure ladyes pleeded at the barre before Iustyce whiche of theym was moost proufytable vnto mankynde & of the Iugement of Iustyce. ca.vii.

¶ How after the Iugement of Iustyce / Sapyence cõmaunded Discrecõn[A] to lede youth to marye with clennes the kynge of loues doughter. ca.viii.

¶ How youth by the waye mette wt lechery rydynge on a gote and pryde maned with couetyse on an olyphaũtes backe in a fayre castell / & how by the ayde of

dyscrecyon he dyde withstande theyr temptacõn[A] and how he mette with sapience in the mase of wordely besynes. capitulo.ix.

¶ How Sapyence & dyscrecyon ledde youth ouer the narowe brydge of vanyte of the worlde to the palays of ye kynge of loue & of his meruaylous appareyl. ca.x

¶ How sapyence presented youth to the kynge of loue for to mary Clennes his doughter & how he before ye maryage dyde fyght and discomfyte the dragon with thre hedys. capitulo.xi.

¶ How after the discomfyture of the sayd dragon he well growen in age was receyued with a farye company of ladyes and was named vertu & with all Ioye brought to the palays of the kynge of loue. ca.xii.

¶ Of the maryage of vertu & clennes & of ye celestyal feste how after the maryage an aungell shewed vnto theym hell / & of the dyuysyons of hell. ca.xiii.

¶ How vertu cleymed the enherytaunce longynge to Clennes his wyfe / & how many aungelles & sayntes brought theym to heuen / & how heuen is enteyled to Vertu and to Clennes & to all theym that loue them & folowe & procede in theyr steppes. capitulo.xiiii.

¶ This boke called the example of vertue was made and compyled by Stephyn hawys one of the gromes of the moost honorable chaumber of oure souerayne lorde kynge Henry the .vii. the .xix. yere of his moost noble reygne / and by hym presented to our sayd souerayne lorde chapytred & marked after this table here before sette.

The prologe.

WHan I aduert in my remembraunce

The famous draughtes of poetes eloquent

Whiche theyr myndes dyd well enhaunce

Bokes to contryue that were expedyent

To be remembred without Impedyment

For the profyte of humanyte

This was the custume of antyquyte.

I now symple and moost rude

And naked in depured eloquence

For dulnes rethoryke doth exclude

Wherfore in makynge I lake intellygence

Also consyderynge my grete neglygence

It fereth me sore for to endyte

But at auenture I wyll now wryte.

As very blynde in the poetys art

For I therof can no thynge skyll

Wherfore I lay it all a part

But somwhat accordynge to my wyll

I wyll now wryte for to fulfyll

Saynt Powles wordes and true sentement

All that is wryten is to oure document

O prudent Gower in langage pure

Without corrupcyon moost facundyous

O noble Chauser euer moost sure

Of frutfull sentence ryght delycyous

O vertuous Lydgat moche sentencyous

Vnto you all I do me excuse

Though I your connynge do now vse

Explicit prologus.

[ Capitulum primũ]

IN Septembre in fallynge of the lefe

Whan phebus made his declynacyon

And all the whete gadred was in the shefe

By radyaunt hete and operacyon

Whan the vyrgyn had full domynacyon

And Dyane entred was one degre

Into the sygne of Gemyne

Whan the golden sterres clere were splendent

In the firmament puryfyed clere as crystall

By imperyall course without incombrement

As Iuppyter and Mars that be celestyall

With Saturne and Mercury that wer supernall

Myxt with venus that was not retrograte

That caused me to be well fortunate

In a slombrynge slepe with slouth opprest

As I in my naked bedde was leyd

Thynkynge all nyght to take my rest

Morpleus to me than made abreyd

And in my dreme me thought he sayd

Come walke with me in a medowe amerous

Depeynted with floures that be delycyous

I walked with hym into a place

Where that there grue many a fayre floure

With Ioye replete and full of solace

And the trees dystyllynge redolent lycoure

More sweter fer than the Aprell shour

And tary I dyd there by longe space

Tyll that I saw before my face

A ryght fayre lady of myddell stature

And also enduyd with grete vertue

Her apparell was set with perlys pure

Whose beaute alway dyd renue

To me she sayd and ye wyll extue

All wyldnes I wyll be your guyde

That ye to fraylte shall not slyde.

Vnto her I answerde o lady gloryous

I pray you tell me what is your name

For ye seeme to be ryght precyous

And I am yonge and sore to blame

Of vyces full and in vertue lame

But I wyll be ruled now by your pleasure

So that your order be made by mesure

Eclepyd I am she sayd dyscrecyon

And yf ye wyll be ruled by me

Ye shall haue Ioye without reprehencyon

And neuer fall in to fragylyte

Youth lackynge me it is grete pyte

For in what place I am exyled

They be with synne ryght oft defyled

It longeth euer vnto my properte

Youth to gyue courage for to lerne

I wyll not medle with no duplycyte

But faythfulnes I wyll dyscerne

And brynge thy soule to blesse eterne

By wyse example and morall doctryne

For youth hauynge to me is a good syne

Forsake also all euyll company

And be founde true in worde and dede

Remembre that this worlde is transytory

After thy desert shall be thy mede

Loue god alway and eke hym drede

And for no mannes pleasure be thyn owne foo

Gyue theym fayre wordes and lete theym goo

Be to thy kynge euer true subgete

As thou sholdest be by ryght and reason

Lete thy herte lowely on hym be sete

Without ony spot of euyll treason

And be obedyent at euery season

Vnto his grace without rebellyon

That thou with trouth may be companyon

Loue neuer vnloued for that is payne

Whyle that thou lyuest of that beware

Loue as thou seest the loued agayne

Or elles it wyll torne the to care

Be neuer taken in that fast snare

Proue or thou loue that is moost sure

And than thou in doubte shalt not endure.

Beware byleue no flaterynge tonge

For flaterers be moost disseyuable

Though that they company with the longe

Yet at the ende they wyll be varyable

For they by reason are not fauorable

But euermore fals and double

And with theyr tonges cause of grete trouble

This brytell worlde ay full of bytternes

Alway turnynge lyke to a ball

No man in it can haue no sykernes

For whan he clymmeth he hath a fall

O wauerynge shadowe bytter as gall

O fatall welth full soone at ende

Though thou ryght hy do oft assende

Whan she to me had made relacyon

Of all these prouerbes by good conclusyon

She gaue to me an Informacyon

For to depryue all yll abusyon

And to consydre the grete derysyon

Whiche is in youth that may not se

No thynge appropred to his prosperyte

Forth than we went to an hauen syde

Wher was a shyp lyenge at rode

Taryenge after the wynde and tyde

And with moche spyces ryght well lode

Vpon it lokynge we longe abode

Tyll eolus with blastes began to rore

Than we her aborded with payne ryght sore

This water eclyped was vayneglory

Euer with yeopardy and tempestyous

And the shyp called was ryght truly

The vessell of the passage daungerous

The wawys were hyghe and gretly troublous

The captayn called was good comfort

And the sterysman fayre pasport

[ ¶ Capitulum .ii.]

LOnge were we dryuen with wynde & weder

Tyll we arryued in a fayre Ilonde

Wher was a boote tyed with a teeder

Of merueylous wood as I vnderstonde

Precyous stones ley vpon the sond

And poynted dyamondes grewe on the rockes

And corall also by ryght hyghe stockes

Amased I was for to beholde

The precyous stones vnder my fete

And the erth glysterynge of golde

With floures fayre of odour swete

Dame dyscrecyon I dyd than grete

Praynge her to me to make relacyon

Who of this Ilonde hath domynacyon

She sayd foure ladyes in vertue excellent

Of whiche the eldest is dame nature

That dayly fourmeth after her entent

Euery beest and lyuynge creature

Both foule and fayre and also pure

All that dependynge in her ordynaunce

Where that she fauoureth there is grete pleasaunce

The seconde is called dame fortune

Ayenst whome can be no resystence

For she doth sette the strynges in tune

Of euery persone by her magnyfycence

Whan they sound best by good experyence

She wyll theym loose and let theym slyp

Causynge theym fall by her turnynge tryp

The thyrde called is dame hardynes

That often rulyth by her cheualry

She is ryght stowt and of grete prowes

And the captayn of a lusty company

And ruleth theym euer full hardely

And to gete honour and worldely tresure

She putteth her oft in auenture

¶ The fourth is wysedome a lady bryght

Whiche is my syster as ye shall se

Whom I do loue with all my myght

For she enclyneth euer to benygnyte

And medeleth not with fraude nor subtylyte

But maketh many noble clerkes

And ruleth theym in all theyr werkes

¶ They dwell all in a fayre castell

Besyde a ryuer moche depe and clere

And be expert in feytys manuell

That vnto theym can be no peere

Of erthely persone that lyueth here

For they be so fayre and wounderous

That theym to se it is solacyous.

¶ Longe haue they trauerst gretly in the lawe

Whiche of theym sholde haue the preemynence

And none of them theyr case wyll withdrawe

Tyll of dame Iustyce they knowe the sentence

They argue often and make defence

Eche vnto other withouten remedy

I wyll no lenger of them specefy

[ Capitulum tercium.]

COme on fayre youth and go with me

Vnto that place that is delectable

Bylded with towres of curyosyte

And yet though that ye be lamentable

Whan thou art there you wylt be confortable

To se the merueyles that there be wrought

No man can prynt it in his thought

A path we founde ryght gretely vsed

Where in we went tyll at the last

A castell I sawe wherof I mused

Not fully from me a stones cast

To se the towres I was agast

Set in a valey so strongely fortefyed

So gentyll compassed and well edefyed

The towres were hyghe of adamond stones

With fanes wauerynge in the wynde

Of ryght fyne golde made for the noonys

And roobuckes ran vnder the lynde

And hunters came theym fer behynde

A Ioye it was suche sawe I neuer

Abyde quod she ye shall se a better.

Forth she me ledde to the castell warde

Where we were let in by humylyte

And so after she lede me forwarde

Tyll that I sawe a royall tre

With buddys blossomed of grete beaute

And than we wente in to the hall

That glased was truely with crystall

And hanged was with clothes of Aras

Made of fyne golde with a noble story

How that there some tyme reynynge was

In the regyon of hyghe Italy

A valyaunt emperour and a myghty

That had to name forsothe Tyberius

Whiche dyde enquere of prudent Iosethus

¶ Why he his offycers so longe kepte

Vnto hym he answered a good cause why

Somtyme I sawe a man that slepte

That wounded was full pyteously

And on his woundes suckynge many a fly

I than for pyte moued theym away

By whiche he woke and to me dyde say

¶ Wher that thou trowed to me comfort

Thou now hast done me double greuaunce

Puttynge away the flyes that dyde resorte

To me beynge full of blody sustynaunce

By this thou mayst haue good perseueraunce

That now wyll come the flyes moost hungry

That wyll me byte .x. tymes more greuously

¶ The roof was wrought by merueylous gemetry

Colered with asure gold and gowlys

With knottes coruen full ryght craftely

And set also with wanton fowlys

As popyniays / pyes / Iays / and owlys

And as I loked on my ryght syde

A lady I sawe of meruellous pryde

¶ Syttynge in a chayer at the vpper ende

Of all the hall as a lady and prynces

Amonge many kynges that dyde entende

To be obedyent to her hyghe noblenes

Her apparell was made of moche fayre ryches

Set with rubyes moost pure and rubicound

Embrawded with perles and many a dyamound

Besydes her sate the worthyes nyne

And she amonge theym a whele turnynge

Full lowe to her they dyd than enclyne

She somtyme laughynge and somtyme lowrynge

Her condycyon was to be dyssymelynge

And many exalten vpon her whele

Gyuynge theym grete falles that they dyd fele