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
Avdromatha was Hectoures wyffe, and the nyght afore that he was sleyne
there com to his wyfe in a vision that the next daye that Hector went to
the batayle withowten dowte there he shuld be sleyne. For the which
Andromatha with grete seghens and vepynges dide hire power that he shuld
no goo into the batayle; but Hector wold not beleue hir and there he was
slayne. Wherefor it is seide that a goode knyght shuld not holy
disprayse visions of his wife, that is to sey, in avice and the counsell
of his wyfe, if he be wyse and well condiciond, and anamly of othir wise
women. For Platon seith, “Thou shuld not disprayse the counsell of a
lytill wise person, for, þough thou be neuer so olde, be not ashamed to
lerne, though a childe wolde teche the, for some tyme the ingnorant may
avise the wise man.”
The avision of Andromatha, the whiche shulde not be dispreysed,
[Sidenote: f. 67.] is that a good purpose sent by the Holy Gost Jhesu
Cristis knyght shuld not sette it at nought, but anoon sette it in
effecte vnto his power. Thereoff spekyth Seynt Gregory in his Moralles
that the good Sperite for to draw vs to goodnes andmonychit vs, meveth
vs and techitht vs. He admonychyt owre mynde, he meuith oure will and
techyt owre vnderstondynges. The Sperite, softe and swete, suffirth no
maner of litell spote of chaffe[527] abydyng in the habitacion of the
herte where he inspiryth, but broyleth it anoon with his subtile
circunspeccion.[528] Therefore the postile Seynt Powle seith, [“Spiritum
nolite extinguere”].[529]
LXXXIX.
If that thoue haue grete werre and besy,
In Babilonies streynght verely
Troste not, for be Minos[530] and that soone
It was take; trosteth not than thereone.
Grete Babilony was founded bi the grete gyaunt Nambroth,[531] and it was
the streyngest cete that euer was; but notwithstondyng it was take by
knynght Minos.[532] Therefore it is seide to the good knyght that he
shuld not so myche truste in the streynght of his cete or off his
castell in tyme off werre, but that it be full purveide off pepyll and
of all thyng that behoueth for dwe defence. For Platon seith, “Who so
trostith all only in his streyngth is often ouercomen.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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