The Twysday is named after Mars; and that metalle that we [Sidenote: f. 16.] callen iren is youen to hym. Mars is a planete that yifeth influence of werris and batayles; therefore euery knyght that loveth and schewyth armes and dedes of knyghthod and hathe a grete name off worthines may be callyd the sone of Mars. And therfor Othea named Hector so, notwythstondyng he was sone to Knyng Pryant, and seyde he wolde well folowe hys fadir in as moche as a goode knyght ought to doo. And a wyse man seith that by the dedes of a man men may knowe his inclynacions. Mars the god of bateyle may wele be called the Sone of God, the whiche bateilled victoriously in this worlde, by example; [and the good sperit shulde] folow[190] his Fadere Jhesu Cryst and fyght ayens vicis. Seynte Ambrose seyth in the fryst booke off Offices that how so will be Godes frend, he must be the fendes enemy, whoo so will haue pees wyth Jhesu Cryst, he most haue werre withe vices. And even as in veyne men maketh werre in the felde wyth foreyne enemys there where the cete is full of homely spyes, on the same wyse non may ouercome the eveles outewarde that wyll not were strongly wyth the synnes of there sowlys; ffor it is the most gloryous victorie that may be, for a man to ouercome hyme selphe. And tho this purpose seyth Seynt Poule the postyle, [“Non est vobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem sed adversus principes et potestates,” etc.].[191] XII. Of thi faucon[192] be thou bolde and pleyne, And of thi worde bothe clene and certeyne. Mercurye schall teche the that, holde[193] and sounde, The which of good spech knowyth wele the grounde. The Wednysday is named after Mercurye, [the which] ys a planete that yevyth influence off pontificall behavynge and of fayre langage arayed wyth retorique. Therefor it is seide to the good knyte that he shulde be arayed therewyth, for wirchipfull behavynge and faire langage ys full behovely to all nobill pepyll desyryng the hy pris of worchipe, so that they kepe them fro to myche langage; ffor Dyogeneys seyth that off all vertues the more the bettir, saue of speche. Be Mercurie, the whiche is called god of langage, we may [Sidenote: f. 17.] vndirstonde that the knyghte of Jhesu Cryste shulde be armed wyth good prechynges and wordes of techynges, and all so thei shulde loue and worchyppe the schewers thereof. And Seynte Gregory seithe in his Omelyis þat men shulde haue the prechores of Holy Scripture in grete reuerence, for they be the masseyngeres that gone to[fore][194] owre Lord God and owre Lorde followyth them. Holy prechyng maketh the way, and than owre Lord commeth into the dwellyng place of owre hert; the wordes of exortacion maketh the coorse, and so trwthe is reseyuyd intoo owre vndirstondyng. And to this purpose owre Lorde seyth to his aposteles, [“Qui vos audit me audit, et qui vos spernit me spernit”].[195] XIII.