The epistle of Othea to Hector; or, The boke of knyghthode — John Shaqi
The epistle of Othea to Hector; or, The boke of knyghthodeChristine, de Pisan
Philosophy
The epistle of Othea to Hector; or, The boke of knyghthode
Christine, de Pisan
Fastolf, John, 1378?-1459; French poetry -- To 1500 -- Translations into English
And because that it is acordyng thyng[154] for a good knyght to haue
wirchip and reuerence, we shalle make a fygure aftyr the maner of
poietis. Percevale was a ful worthi knyght and whan[155] many reaumes,
and the name off the grete lande of Perce come of hyme. And poyetis
seide that he roode the hors that flawe in the eyre, the which was
called Pegasus; and that is to vnderstonde a goode name, the which
flyeth through the eyre. He bare in his honde a fauchon or a glayve; the
whiche is seide for the grete multytude of peple that were discomfyte by
hym in maney batayles. He delyueryd Andromeda from the bellue; this was
a kynggys doghter, the which he delyuered from a monstre of the see, the
which by the sentence of the godes shulde a[156] deuoured hire. This is
to vndirstonde that alle knyghtes shulde socovre women that hade nede of
there socoure. This Percivale and the hors [Sidenote: f. 12.] the which
fleeth[157] may[158] be notede for the good name that a goode knyghte
shulde haue and gete by hys good desertes; and there shuld he ryde, that
is to seye, that hys goode name shulde be borne in all contrees. And
Aristotile seyth that a good name of a man maketh a name shynnyng to the
worlde and agreable in presence of princes.
The cheualerours sperit shulde desyre a goode name among the felachipe
of the seyntis of heuen gotten by his goode desertes. The good hors
Pegasus that [beareth][159] hyme shall be his good angel, the which
shall make good reporte off hyme at the day of dome. Andromeda that shal
be delyuered, it is his sowle, the which he delyueres fro the feend of
hell by the ouercomyng off synne. And that a man on the same maner wyse
shuld wylne to haue a good name in this worlde to the plesaunce of God
and not for vayne glorie, Seynt Austin seyth in the Booke of
Correccion[160] that “ii. thyngges be necessarie to beleve wele,[161]
that is to sey, good conscience and good name, conscience for
feyth,[162] good name for his neyburwe; and [w]ho so trostyth in
conscience and dyspiteth a good name, he is cruel”; for it is a synge of
a nobyll corage to loue the wele of a good name. And to this purpoise
seyth the wyse man, “Curam habe [de bono nomine, magis enim permanebit
tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi”].[163]
VI.
And wyth thyne inclynacions
Off Jouis[164] softe condiccions
Loke thou haue; the better thou shalt be,
Whene that thow kepes theme ryghtfulle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account