XXXV. Belorophon[292] lete hym example be In all maner of dedes that doo will he, The which hade mech leuer to dye Than to supporte vntrouth be any weye. Belorophon was a knyght of ryght grete beaute and full of trowthe. His stepmodir louyd hym so hoote þat sche required it of hym and, because that he wold not concent to hir will, sche dyde so myche that he was condempned to be deuoured with feers bestis, and he had mo lyste to chese the deth[293] than to do vntrwthe. To this purpose Hermes seyth, “Be glader to dye withowte cawse than to do a inconuenyence.” We schall come now to declare the Commawndementis off the Feyth, and there too we shall take an allegorie to oure purpose. Berolophon, the which was so full of trowthe, may be noted for God of Heuen and, as his hy mercy hath ben to vs, and is, full of all trouth, we may take the Fryst Commawndement, the which seith, “Thou shalt worchip no strawnge goddes.” To this seith Seynt Austyn that the worchippe the which is called latre[294] thou shulde not do it, neythir to ydoile ne to ymage ne to no lekenes of no maner of creature, for that is a dew worchyppe all only to God, and in this Commawndement is defendede all ydolatrie. To that owre Lord seyth in the Gospell, [“Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et illi soli seruies”].[295] XXXVI. Maymon,[296] thyn owyn trewe cosyn indede, The which is thy neyghburgh at þi nede, He louyd the so meche thou ought hym loue, And for his nede arme thy body aboue. Kyng Maymon was cosyn to Hector and of the Troyens lyne, [Sidenote: f. 33.] and when Hector [was] in fers bayteyles, where he was oftyn grettely oppressed with his enemyes, Maymon, the which was a full worchipfull knyght, folowed hym euer nere and socoured Hector and brake the grete presses of pepyll. And that shewed wele; ffor when Achilles hade sleyn hym by treson, Maymons wonded Achilles sore and [wolde haue] sleyne[297] hym, hade not socoure acome to hym in hast. Therefor it is seide to the goode knygh þat he shulde loue hym and socoure hym at his nede; and this is to vnderstonde that euery prince and goode knygh which hath kyne, be thei neuer so lytell or poore, so he be goode and trwe,[298] he shulde loue hym and support hym in his dedes and en specyall whene he felyth hym trewe to hym. And it happenyth some tyme that a grete prince is better louede and more trwly of his poore kyne than off a full myghtye man. And to this purpose seith Rabyon[299] the phelesophre, “Encres ffrendes, for they shall be socourable to the.”