ALEXANDER, faire Sone, gloriouss Emperour, the Souerane preciouss God Almychty mot confirme thé, and send thé knaulege to fauour the wayis of vertu, and of veritee, and that he wald refreyne in thé all bestiale appetitis, and that he wald illumyn thyne engyne, and conferme thy spirit of thy gouernaunce till his honour and service, honourably to be ressauit as efferis. And I have vnderstandin, how thou desyris that I war with thé; and that thou sais thou art amaruailit that I may abstene fra thy presence; thinkand that I am not sa besy and diligent of thy gouernaunce as I was wont to be: And be this cause I haue vndertane to make litil Reugles callit Cannonet, that is to say, A lytil buke, the quhilk salbe as a balaunce in the quhilk thou sall payss all thy werkis in; and to be a supplee to thé in my absence, rycht as I war present: &c. * * * * * XL.--CAPITULUM. [Fol. 129.] HERE DECLARIS THE NOBLE PHILOSOPHOUR HOW THAT THE SUBJECTIS OF PRINCIS THAT AR THE VPHALD OF THE WARLDE, AR COMPERIT TILL A FAIRE GARDYN, OR TILL A LORDIS TRESOURE, AND THAT THAI SULD BE KEPIT AS TRESOURE. Alexander, faire Sone, [gh]it will I that thow witt, that thy subjectis suld be kepit as thy tresouris, ffor thai ar thy tresoure. For thai may be comperit till a Lord that has a faire and gude gardyn quhare thare is grete quantitee of fruyte treis, herbis, and othir gresis, richess, and nedefull till mannis behufe, the quhilkis [gh]erely and contynualy beris grete plentee of fruytis for mannis sustenaunce quhen thai ar well grathit, scroubbit, and demaynit, and wele gudit, kepit, sustenit, and gouernyt at rycht, and suld be wele sene to, and socourit at thair nedis. And kepit wele in gude reugle of justice and saufit fra injuris and oppressins, and that thare be bot thou allane gardener upon thame, and nocht mony maister gardenaris; ffor quhare mony maister gardeneris ar the gardyn is nocht commounly all prouffitably gouernyt, the quhilk suld be of gude gouernaunce that stent him nocht to spill thy treis, na gader thy fruytis, that is to say, thy subjectis gudis wrangwisely; and sa may thy realme left, and be wele defendit and conseruit, sa that thou kepe thé nocht to haue mony dispensaris in thy gardyn, that is thy realme. Ffor quhy, for couatise and gredynes of thy fruytis, thar may enter corrupcioun in thy gardyn, and syne apon thyself, quhen ilk ane pressis oure otheris to be masteris of thi gudis, and of thy counsaile, and thi gouernaunce. Bot thare is mony that will hecht and say thai sall do wele, and quhen thai mount in gouernaunce thai do all othir wayis. And sum corrumpis be giftis and hechtis Princis Counsailouris, and peruertis all gude gouernaunce throu thair gredyness of gudis, gevand giftis to Lordis of the Counsale for to maneteine thame lang in thaire officis and in thaire malicis. And traist wele, ALEXANDER, that thy Peple and thy Barouns, thy Bacheleris and thy Commons ar the stuf and