38 How thai suld have discrete and traist messageris. 39 How the Prince and the Peple are comperit till a gardyn. 40 EXPLICIT TABULA DE REGIMINE PRINCIPUM. HERE BEGYNNIS THE BUKE CALLIT THE BUKE OF THE GOUERNANCE OF PRINCIS, THAT IS CALLIT THE SECRETE OF SECRETIS, MAID BE ARISTOTYLL TILL ALEXANDER THE GRAND: AND FIRST THE PROLOUG AS IT IS CONTENYT IN THE FRANCH BUKE. PROLOGUS. Here declaris the Autour of this Buke that a clerk, callit Fair Patrix, wyse in all langagis fand in Grece, kepit within a temple, callit the Temple of the Sonne, (the quhilk the noble philosophour Esculapius had gert mak,) this Buke of the Secretis of Aristotle in language of Grew; the quhilk he translatit out of Grew in the langage of Caldee, the quhilk was quhilom the langage of grete Babyloyne, and now is the langage of grete Inde; and syne, at request of the King of Araby, he translatit it off the langage of Caldee in his langage of Arrabyk. And syne, efter that mony a [gh]ere, ane othir grete clerk, callit Philippus, translatit it out of Arabyk in lang Latyne, and send it till ane reuerend Fader in Crist, and wyse prelate, noble and honourable Sir Guy de Valance, Bischop of Tryploun: And as beris witness be thair alde ancien stories, the worthy and noble Philosophouris in thay tymes, that als lang as Alexander le Grant had with him Aristotil the wyse clerk, he passit throuch and vencust all realmes, and all his inymyes, throu the mekle prudence and wisedome of that noble Philosophour and throu his counsale. And quhen he mycht no mare trauaile with him, he send him ay betuene Lettres and Epistlis, how he suld gouerne him in all his dedis and grete materis. And at the last, quhen he saw he mycht nocht for elde langsumely be nature left, he compilit this Buke to be a reugle of Gouernaunce till him euer mare quhill he lyvit, and send it till him with grete regrate and lamentacioun, that he mycht no mare be with him, sa mekle he lufit him, for cause he was his Maister and his techour euer fra his begynnyng of barnehede till that tyme, and with him in his conquestis. And syne was this ilke Buke translatit out of Latine in the langage of Romaine, nocht all hallely bot alsmekle as thame thocht nedefull and spedefull to the Gouernance of Princis. And tharfore the noble Philosophour said in his counsale geving till Alexander, that it was nocht spedefull that this Buke war till all men publist, bot anerly to the secrete counsale of Princis, and of grete Lordis, and nocht to Commouns; and to rede it oft tymes before thame, to tak, as myrour schawis the faultis and the suthfastnes, ensample, and doctrine of gude lyfing, and formable as efferis to thair honour and prouffit, and of thair subjectis. For it is nocht spedefull that popularis wit the secrete of Princis, na Lordis gouernance, na the reuglis of thair Ordre; and thairfor is the Buke callit THE SECRETE OF SECRETIS OF ARISTOTIL, ordanyt for document and