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
Medee was on of the konnyngest women of sorserye that euer [Sidenote: f.
42.] was and hade most kunnyng; and þat stories seith. Notwythstondyng
she suffred hire witte to be enorted at the owne will for to fullfylle
hire delyte, as in lewde love she suffyrd hyre to be maystyrde, so þat
she sette hire herte opon Jason and yaffe hym worchip, body and goodes;
ffor the which after that he yaffe hire a full evyll rewarde. Wherefor
Othea seith that the good knyght shulde not suffre reson to be ouercome
wyth lewde delyte in no maner cas, iff he will vse of the vertue of
streynght. And Platon seyth that a man of lyghte corage is sone
meved[373] wyth that the which he louede.
That a man shulde not suffre his wytte to be ennorted to lewde delyte
may be vnderstondyn that the goode sperit shulde not suffre his propir
will to haue dominacion; for, yf propir will of dominacion cesyd not,
there shulde be noon hell ne the fyer off hell shuld haue no dominacion
but opon the person that sufferyth his propir will to be lorde of hym,
ffor propir will feythyt ayens God and enprideth the selfe. That is the
which dispoilleth Paradyse and clothit hell and voydeth the valu of the
blode of Cryst Jhesu and submyttyth the worlde to the tharledom of the
feend. To this purpose the wyse man seyth, [“Virga atque correptio
tribuit sapientiam; puer autem qui dimittitur voluntati suæ confundit
matrem suam.”][374]
LIX.
Iff thou be soget to god Cupido,
The wood[375] giant looke thou kepe the fro,
That the harde roche in no wyse may put be
Opon Acis and opon Galatee.[376]
Galatee was a fayre godesse, the which had a yong ientilman that she
loued and he was dede.[377] There was a gyant of a fowle stature that
loued hir, but she lyste not to loue hym; but he aspied hir so besily
that he perceyued theyme bothe in the creues of a roche. Thanne were
they ouerleyde[378] with a sodeyne rage, and the roche trembled in syche
wyse that it holy brak and raffe asownedyr. But Galatee, the which was a
fayrye,[379] dressyd hir into the see[380] and askapid therby. This is
to vndirstond that the good knyght shulde be ware in sich case to be
ouerleyde with sich as hath myght and wyll to greve hym.
How he shuld be ware of the gyant, the which is yoven to Cupido, itt is
to vnderstond that the good speryte [shuld] be wele ware that he hath
non ymagenacion to the worlde ne to no thynge [Sidenote: f. 43.] þerof,
but euer thynke that all woordly thynges may litell while endure. For
Seynt Jerom seyth opon Jeremye that there is no thyng may be noysed long
emong those thynges which shalle haue ende; so all owre tyme is as of
litell regarde to the euerlastyng terme. To this purpose the wyse man
seyth, [“Transierunt omnia illa tanquam umbra et tanquam nuntius
percurrens”].[381]
LX.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account