abasshid for that he supposid not that he was not
displesid in that he had lost his sight/ And saynt
Anthonye answerd to hym I meruayle moche that hit displesith
the that thou hast lost that thynge whiche is comyn
betwene the and bestes. And thou knowest well
that thou hast not loste that thynge that is comyn
bitwene the and the angellis And for thise causes forsayd
the philosopher entended to put away alle pensisnes
and thoughtes/ and to thinke only on this playe as
shall be said & appere in this book after.
[Illustration]
The seconde tractate/ the first chapiter treteth
of the forme of a kynge of his maners and of his estate.
The kynge must be thus maad. For he must sitte
in a chayer clothed in purpure/ crowned on his heed
in his ryght hand a ceptre and in the lyfte hande
an apple of gold/. For he is the most grettest
and hyest in dignyte aboue alle other and most worthy.
And that is signefyed by the corone/. For the
glorye of the peple is the dignite of the kynge/ And
aboue all other the kynge ought to be replenysshid
with vertues and of grace/ and thys signefieth the
purpure. For in lyke wyse as the robes of purpure
maketh fayr & enbelysshith the body/ the same wise
vertues maketh the sowle/ he ought alleway thenke
on the gouernement of the Royame and who hath thadmynystracion
of Justice/ And thys shuld be by hym self pryncipally.
This signefieth the appell of gold that he holdeth
in his lyfte honde/ And for as moche as hit apperteyneth
unto hym to punysshe the rebelles hath he y’e
sceptre in his right hand And for as moche as mysericorde
and trouthe conserue and kepe the kynge in his trone/
Therfore ought a kynge to be mercyfull and debonayr
For whan a kynge or prynce desired or will be belouyd
of his peple late hym be gouerned by debonarite And
valerius saith that debonairte percyth the hertes
of straungers and amolisshith and maketh softe the
hertes of his enemyes/ wherof he reherceth that philostratus
that was due of athenes had a doughter/ whom a man
louyd so ardantly/ that on a tyme as he sawe her wyth
her moder/ sodaynly he cam and kyssed her/ wherof the
moder was so angry and soroufull that she wente and
requyred of her lord the duc/ that his heed myght
be smyten of/ The prynce answerd to her and sayde/
yf we shold slee them that loue us/ what shall we doo
to our enemyes that hate us/ Certaynly this was thanswer
of a noble & debonair prynce That suffred that villonye
don to his doughter and to hymself yet more This prince
had also a frende that was named Arispe that sayd on
a tyme as moche villonye unto the prynce as ony man
miht saye And that might not suffise hym/ but he scracchid
hym in the visage/ The prynce suffryd hym paciently
in suche wyse as thowh he had doon to hym no vilonye
but curtoysye And whan his sones wold haue auengid
this vilonye/ he comanded them that they shold not
be so hardy so to do The next day folowyng arispe
