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How a kynge ought to kepe his body.

Most beloved sone kynge Alexandre, trust not in women, nor in theyr werkes, nor servyces, and company not with them. And yf necessyte were that thou must have company of a woman, do so that thou mayst knowe that she is true to the, and holsome of her bodye. For whan thy persone is betwene the armes of a woman, thou arte as a Jewell put, and restynge in the handes of a marchaunt, that careth not to whome it is solde. And beynge betwene her handes, is the poyson of thy welfare, and also the destruccyon of thy body. Beware therfore dere sone, of suche women, for they be venymous and deedly. For it is no newe thynge to knowe that by theyr venym many men have dyed. Thou knowest well that many kynges have forthered and shortened theyr lyves and have dyed by poyson. Also dere Alexander beware that thou put not thy truse in one physycyen onely. For one physycyen maye hurte the, and shortely do the moche harme. And therfore yf thou mayse, do so that thou have many physycyens. And that they be of one agrement. And yf thou wylt have ony medycyn, take it not but by the councell of them all. And that they be such as knoweth the qualyte and nature of the thynges that ben put, and necessary in the medycyne. And that it be of a certayne weyght and measure, as the medycyne requyreth it. For by equall porcyons of weyght and measure the arte of physyke is compownded. And thynke on dere sone that whan thou was in the partyes of Ynde, many people made to the grete presentes and fayre. Amonge the whiche was sente a fayre mayden whiche in her chyldheed had be nourysshed with venym of serpentes, werby her nature was converted in to the nature of serpentes. And than yf I had not wysely beholden her and by my artes and wyt knowen her, bycause that contynually, and without shamefastnesse ever she loked in the faces of the people, I perceyved that with ones bytynge she wolde have put a man to deth as sythen thou hast seen the experyence before the. And yf I had not knowen her nature, at the fyrst tyme that thou had medled with the sayd mayden thou haddest ben deed without remedy. Fayre sone kepe thy noble soule, whiche is gyven to the and sent from the company of aungelles the whiche is taken to the of god for to kepe. Not that thou soyle & marre it, but that it be put amonge the wyse & gloryfyed spyrytes.


next up previous contents
Next: Of the dyfference of Up: The governayle of helth. Previous: The governayle of helth.   Contents
tashid 2001-09-09