The Example of Vertu / The Example of Virtue

Capitulum.vii.

Stephen Hawes

pleas before Dame Justice

F(Fyrst)

FYrst dame hardynes began to plede

Saynge she was to man moost profytable

For she the hertes hath often fede

Of conquerous as it was couenable

And by my corage haue made theym able

Regyons to wynne theyr ennemyes to subdue

And yf I were not they had it rue

And yf a man be neuer so wyse

Withouten me he getyth none vteraunce

Wherfore his wysedome may not suffyse

All onely without myn allegeaunce

For I by ryght must nedys enhaunce

A lowe born man to an hyghe degre

Yf that he wyll be ruled by me

Haue I not caused many a noble warreour

To wynne the batell by my grete myght

Without me was made neuer conquerour

Nor yet man coragious whan he dyd fyght

No man without me may defende his ryght

I may be worst from hym forborne

For and I were not he were forlorne

Dyd I not cause the noble hercules

By my power to wynne the vyctory

Of the sturdy and stronge Philotes

As is recorded in bokes of memory

For without me can be no cheualry

And vnder the wynge of my proteccyon

All rebels brought be to subieccyon

A realme is vpholden by thynges thre

The fyrst and the chyef it is the swerd

Whiche causeth it to be in good suerte

And other realmes of it to be aferd

By whiche the vsurpers be dyfferd

From theyr wyll with treason knyte

And by me slayn for theyr fals fyte

The seconde is lawe that euer serueth

But within the realme onely

For other nacyons our lawe ne dredeth

But our swerd they do in specyally

For and they roose ayenst vs proudly

As they haue done often in tymes past

Yet w^t our swerd they shold be ouercast

The thyrde be marchauntes that do multyply

In this realme welth and prosperyte

For of euery thynge they often occupy

Euery man lyke vnto his faculte

For without marchauntes can not be

No realme vpholden in welth & pleasure

For it to vs is a specyall tresure

Also yet hercules the puyssaunt geaunt

Dyd slee the monstre afore Troy the grete

And with his strokes he dyd hym daunt

They were so peysantly on hym sette

That he the vyctory on hym dyd gette

Had I not be comfort vnto his harte

Suche vyctory had ben leyd aparte

Dyd he not vaynquysshe in y^e forest of Nemee

The thre mortall lyons by his grete hardynes

And ryued theyr Iawes as was to se

By twene his handes by chyualrus prowes

And yet by armes and knyghtly exces

In egypt he slewe the tyraunt Busyre

And brent hym after in a grete fyre

Also he slewe the tyraunt Cacus

For his tyranny and grete myschefe

By cause his dedys were so odyous

For he dyd murdre and was a thefe

Wherfore his deth to many was leef

Who more of his actes wyll haue report

To the Troyans story lette hym resort

Also the worthy and the noble hectour

That eclyped was the troyans champyon

And of all cheualry called the flour

In his tyme reynynge and of renowne

Of whose noble dedes the brute and sowne

Was spred by euery straunge habytacyon

That they of his faytys dyde make relacyon

By his power and hardy corage

He put the grekes full often to flyght

And bete theym downe by a grete outrage

That well was he that hym saue myght

Full often he brought theym to the plyght

His dedes were pure without magycyon

And without nygromancy or suche corrupcyon

Dyd I not cause also kynge dauith

A lyon Iawbones to rent and tere

That dyd deuour his shepe in the fryth

As he sat kepynge of theym there

The lyons crueltye myght not hym fere

And he in his youth so hardy was

That he dyd sle the gyaunt Golias

Dyd I not cause the noble Iulius

Emperour of rome for to be electe

By cause he was so stronge and cheualrus

Whan in armes he knewe the affecte

He all his ennemyes dyd abiecte

And by the support of my chyef socour

He gouerned hymselfe lyke a noble emperour

And also Arthur kynge of Bretayne

With all the knyghtes of the rounde table

Neuer auentures had sought certayne

And I therto had not ben greable

They for to fyght had not ben able

Who that me lacketh is but a coward

And shame is euer his rewarde

Also kynge Charlemayne kynge of Fraunce

With his dyssypers Rowland and Olyuer

With all the resydue of his alyaunce

That in all armes so noble were

On goddys ennemyes brake many a spere

Causynge them to flee to theyr grete vylony

Hardynes was cause that they had vyctory

O worthy hardynes the shynynge sterre

Alway to mannys herte the comfort

Whan that it is the tyme of werre

Vnto what partye that thou resort

They wynne the batall by thy support

And wher that thou lettest thy bemys dyssende

They often hye to honoure assende

Than sayd dame hardynes vnto the Iuge

I pray you that ryght I may haue

Sythens I to man am chyef refuge

Whan that he lysteth of me to craue

I make hym coragyous and his worshyp saue

Wherfore I owte to haue the preemynence

By ryght reason and good experyence

That I deny you sayd dame Sapyence

Of whom haue you your ordre of pledynge

For ye neuer can haue none intellygence

But by the meane of myn informynge

For I am alway your mynde techynge

And without me your tale were but a fable

For ye without wytte sholde alway bable

This wyll I proue by myn opynyon

That I am grounde of the artes seuen

And of all good werkes in cÕmunyon

For no man without me can go to heuen

My dedys be merueylous for man to neuen

Whan they beu wrought in to theyr degre

Who that wyll lerne theym he hath the lyberte

Of my dedes bokes do make recorde

The whiche clerkes put into remembraunce

For an example without dyscorde

Of heuenly way by vertuous gouernaunce

Without me man can haue no pleasaunce

Nor yet hym rule in no maner wyse

A man without wytte is to dyspyse

Hardynes without prudence may not auayle

Though that a man be neuer so sturdy

For a wyseman feble may wynne the batayle

Of hym that is ryght stronge and myghty

For better it is for to be ryght wytty

In the defence of his good saue garde

Than often to stryke and to renne forwarde

That thynge that hardynes may not wynne

May be goten by my hyghe souerente

And with the helpe of subtyle engynne

It may be brought to the extremyte

Wher that it myght not by possybylyte

Of hardynes longe afore be wonne

Yet by grete wysedome it may be donne

Vnto dyuers cases I take excepcyon

Of dame Hardynes whiche are no lawe

Vnto the fyrst vndre your correccyon

She sayd and she her power dyd wythdrawe

No rebell than shold stand in awe

And she is the chyef as I knowe well

That causeth hym for to be rebell

By her foly and folysshe hardynes

She causeth men to ryse ayenst theyr lorde

She is the cause of mortall heuynes

Whan she doth breke the good concorde

Wherfore me thynke by one accorde

For to exyle her it is now the best

Than man sholde lyue in peas and rest

And where she sayd that she exalted

Iulius cesar by her grete exylence

In that case she ryght clerely varyed

For it was I by my grete dylygence

That neuer was out of his presence

But ruled hym and made hym worthy

To be chosen emperour of all Italy

Chosen he was by the comyn assent

For the grete wysedome that in hym shone

With a grete voyce and a hole entente

For lyke vnto hym was there none

That was so abell as he alone

For to occupye an Emperours dygnyte

Of his promocyon he myght thanke me

I Sapyence am endewed with grace

And the lode sterre of heuenly doctryne

The sprynge of comfort Ioye and solace

Who that lyst to me for to enclyne

He shall knowe thynges that be dyuyne

And at his ende beholde the deyte

That is one god and persones thre

It pleased the fader that is omnipotent

His sone to send to be incarnat

Of the vyrgyn Mary the sterre moost excellent

Mayden and moder yet not vyolate

Lyke a vessell chosen and made ornat

All onely for to be goddys moder

And he hym selfe vnto man broder

But a stryfe there was bytwene god and man

Whan man consented to synne dedely

By that the dyscorde fyrst began

Whan he the sone of god on hy

That is his brother agayn wyll crucefy

Yf he had power by whiche is offended

The fader of heuen as is entended

Therfore lete vs to our brother go

Named Ihesu Cryst and axe hym mercy

With a good entent and hert also

There is for vs none other remedy

That ony tonge truely can specyfy

And he wyll take it for a correccyon

And of all vengeaunce sease the affeccyon

That we may of hym haue forgyuenes

Of our grete synne with reformacyon

Of peas bytwene the faders hyghenes

Of heuen and vs in suspyracyon

Therfore yf thou drede the amocyon

Of his ryghtwysnes loke that thou flee

Ryght fast vnto his mercyfull pyte

For his mercy is more than all our mysery

And eke aboue his werkes all

As Dauyd sheweth in his prophecy

Saynge his mercy is ouer all

To whom I pray euer in especyall

To gyue me grace well my penne to lede

That quaketh aye for drede

Dame Sapyence sayd I do procede

Of the strength of the holy ghoost

That is and shall be mater in dede

God and lorde of myghtys moost

Whose infynall power was neuer lost

And yet neuer had no begynnynge

But alway lyke stronge without endynge

Where that dame hardynes in her pledynge

Made her selfe to knyghtes moost necessary

By the meanes of her power shewynge

That I by ryght do now well deny

For in that case she dyd moche vary

For syxe there are that more profyte be

Of whiche the lest is better than she

The fyrst is prudence that is the chefe

That hym doth rule and is his gyde

And kepeth hym from grete reprefe

And causeth his worshyp for to abyde

So euery crysten man shold prouyde

By his wit to withstand the deuyll

That he consent not to do euyll

The seconde is that he sholde be true

To his souerayn lorde that on hym reyneth

And all treason for euer to eschewe

In whiche grete shame often remayneth

And by whiche he hizB k?ge dysteyneth

So a crysten man sholde be true euer

To Ihesu Cryst that was his redemer

The thyrde is that he sholde be lyberall

Amonge his cÕmons withouten lette

That is the cause euer in generall

That he the loue of theym doth gette

For it causeth theyr hertes on hym be sette

So euery true crysten man sholde be

To god intended with lyberalyte

The fourth is that he sholde be stronge

His ryght euer for to defende

And neuer to no man for to do wronge

But wronges for to dyrecte and amende

As ferre as his power wyll extende

So a true crysten man sholde exclude

All maner of vyces by his fortytude

The fyfth is y^t he sholde be mercyable

In all his dedes withouten furoure

For that to hym is gretly conuenable

And eke to kepe hym out of erroure

For he of mercy sholde be a myrroure

So vnto them it is ryght necessary

Who that wyll be saued for to haue mercy

The syxte is a knyght ought for to kepe

The poore folke in theyr grete nede

That often for hungre and thyrst do wepe

He ought with almes theym for to fede

And the better he shall than spede

So euery true crysten man sholde do

As ferre as his power cometh vnto

I Sapyence am of the kynges counsayll

Whiche is clothed with purple that sygnyfyeth

The grace and the pulcrytude without fayll

Of grete vertues that in hym shyneth

For to no vyces he neuer enclyneth

Hauynge in his hede a fayre crowne royall

That sheweth his dygnyte to be regall

Whiche to his people is the chefe glory

Thrugh whome his subgectes be dyrecte

And made obedyent to hym certaynly

At euery houre by ryght true effecte

But forthermore by good aspecte

He bereth a ball in his lefte hande

The whiche betokeneth as I vnderstande

A kynge to be a good admynystratour

Vnto his subgectes in euery place

And to be for theym a good prouysour

As reason requyreth in euery case

I Sapyence do rule his noble grace

In his ryght hand he hath a septure

That doth sygnyfye by ryght his rygoure

Yll men to punysshe for theyr offence

By his ryghtwysnes whome the loue

Of vertue shynynge in experyence

Doth not extoll nor yet now remoue

A lampe doth hange his heed aboue

Alway lyght and clerely brennynge

Whiche sygnyfyeth the mercy of a kynge

The olde philosophers by theyr prudence

Fonde the seuen scyences lyberall

And by theyr exercyse & grete dylygence

They made theyr dedes to be memoryall

And also poetes that were fatall

Craftely colored with clowdy fygures

The true sentence of all theyr scryptures

O Iustyce lady and souerayne goddesse

Gyue you true sentence now vpon me

As ye be surmountynge in vertue & noblesse

Lete me dame Sapyence haue the soueraynte

As is accordynge to my royall dygnyte

For I am moost profytable vnto man

And euer had ben syns the world began

Than sayd dame Fortune ye are imperfyte

Without that I therto be accordaunt

For all your hardynes & prudence perfyte

I vnto you must be well exuberaunt

And with your werkes euer concordaunt

Where that I fauer they haue good cÕfort

In all theyr dedes by my swete resort

I Fortune am the rule and steere

Of euery persone lyke to my wyll

That in this worlde now lyueth here

Whan that I lyst for to fulfyll

My mynde ryght sone I can dystyll

The dewe of comfort welth and rychesse

To man exaltynge hym to noblenesse

Though that a man were neuer so hardy

Without me he myght not attayne

And though that a man were neuer so wytty

And I dyd my power from hym refrayne

All his labour were lost in vayne

So hardynesse and prudence in no wyse

Without good fortune may well suffyse

Though that a man were but a fole

Yf I consent that he be fortunate

He nedyth not to make no grete dole

For I shall mayntene so his estate

That he in rychesse shall be so eleuate

Fulfylled with welth & worldely tresure

That he shall lacke no maner of pleasure

Where that dame hardynes wold afferme

By her cases that are so vnsure

That she by her power doth conferme

The knyghtes of vyctory for to be sure

Whan she doth take theyr hertes in cure

Yf fortune be awaye she may not auayle

For they by reason must lose the batayle

Yet forthermore as I do well consyder

How dame hardynes dyd expresse

Sythens the tyme that I came hyder

That she promoted had to worthynes

Hector dauid and the noble hercules

With many other wherof she fayleth

For it was fortune as she well knoweth

For in olde tyme the noble warryours

For to eschewe euer my grete daungere

In whiche tyme they were ydolestours

Than they to put hym oute of fere

To ydols went that theyr goddes were

For to haue answer yf they sholde wynne

The batayll or they dyd begynne

What nede I pleed by longe contynuaunce

As dame Sapyence dyd in maters hy

It were of tyme but dyscontynuaunce

But o dame Iustyce the gentyll lady

Loke that ye Iuge my mater ryght wysely

That I of hardynes may be the pryncypall

And of dame prudence & nature with all

Than sayd dame nature that may not be

As I can proue by ryght and reason

For I am moost confort to humanyte

As man well knoweth at euery encheason

And can not be forborne for none season

For where I lacke without ony delay

Man is but dede and turned to clay

That nature gyueth by her power

Wysedome nor hardynes may not defete

For I to man am the chefe doer

Durynge his lyfe without retrete

Also dame fortune may not well lete

Me of my course though she it thought

In sondery wyse my dedes are so wrought

Though that a man were infortunable

And though that he were neuer so folysshe

And a grete coward to fyght not able

Yet shulde he lyue and neuer perysshe

Tyll that my power of hym doth fynysshe

Whiche fayle must ones it is my proprete

And that was gyuen me by the deyte

I am the orygynall of mannes creacyon

And by me alway the world doth multyply

In welth pleasure and delectacyon

As I wyll shewe now in this party

My dedes be subtyll & wrought craftely

What were the worlde yf I were note

It were sone done as I well wote

The lawe of nature doth man bynde

Both beste foule and fysshe also

In theyr degre to do theyr kynde

Blame theym not yf they do so

For harde it is euer to ouer go

The kynde of nature in her degre

For euery thynge must shewe his proprete

Who of theyr propretes lyst to rede

Lete hym loke in the boke of barthelmewe

And to his scripture take good hede

That ryght nobly of theym do shewe

With all theyr actes beynge not a fewe

But wounderous many by alteracyon

For lyke hath lyke his operacyon

I nature norysshe by myn afflyccyon

Mannes humayne partyes superfyxcyall

And am the sprynge of his complexion

The fonteyne of his vaynes inferyall

To hym conserue moost dere and specyall

Though he were hardy & wyse he my?tB not me forbere

Nor fortune without me auayleth not hym a pere

Wherfore dame Iustyce be you now indyfferent

Consydre that I am moost dere and lefe

Vnto euery man that is eliquylent

And aboue all medycyns to hym moost chefe

And by my strongh vnto hym relefe

In his dysease wherfore as thynke me

I ought of reason to haue the soueraynte

Than spake dame Iustyce with meke contenauce

I wyll all your contrauersy now redresse

For I of your reasons haue good perseueraunce

And after your cases both more and lesse

Wherfore I Iustyce by good ryghtwysnesse

Gyue now vpon you a fynall Iugement

That ye foure agree by a hole assent

Man for to please at euery houre

Without dysgrement or contradiccyon

And in his nede to do hym socoure

With louynge herte and true affeccyon

He shall be in your good iurysdyccyon

And you of hym shall be copertyners

Both of his lyfe and of his maners

Than sayd dame hardynes I agre therto

And so do I than sayd dame Sapyence

Than sayd dame Fortune I also do

Agre vnto dame Iustyce sentence

And I dame Nature wyll do my dylygence

Lyke as ye do man for to please

And hym to strength in his dysease

With that dame Iustyce vp arose

Vnto the ladyes byddynge fare well

And went into her chaumbre close

I cleped conscyence wher she dyd dwell

As dame Dyscrecyon dyd me tell

Than hardynes & fortune went downe the stayre

And after theym Nature so clere and fayre

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