57

The throne of seven steps.

thereto, whereby kings ascended thereto. And these [greez] were made wonder craftily & curiously. The first [gree] was of an amethyst. The second gree was of a [Smaragd]. The third [gree] was of a Topaz. The fourth gree was of a garnet. The fifth was of a diamond. The sixth was of fine gold. And the seventh was of clay. And they were not without great causes ordained on this ways.

The throTie of seven steps.

pare-to, whare-by kynges ascended" pare-to. And thir gree^
were made wonder craftyly & curyously. The firste gree was of
ane amatist. The seconde gree was of a Smaragd". The thredd?
4 gree was of a Topa^. The ferthe gree was of a granat. The
fifte was of ane adamand". The sext was of fyn) golde. And
the seuen72t was of clay. And thay ware no^t ^ [wit-o]wttefD
grete causey ordeyned? one f)is wyse.
8 For f>e first gree w[as a]ne ^ amatist, for amange alt oper
stanes it hase this vertu, that it represses & halde^ donne pe
fumositee of wyne & J^e myghte pare-of^e, & suffers no5te a man)
J?at here it ^ on) hym be troubbled? in his witt ne in his mynde

12 thurgh drownkeness. And, on J^e same wise, solde ilke a kyng
be of perfite witt & mynde, & thurgh nane occasion) do na
mysse. The secund" gree was of a Smaragd", J^e whilke clarifye5
& kepe^ pe sighte of hym pat beres [it] apon) hym, and so schulde

1 6 a kynge hafe clere sighte of his hert, wysely for to see &
discerne that J?at es spedfull & profitable bathe for hym selfe &
for pe comon) profit. The thirdd" gree was of a Topa^, pe whilke
es so clere, pat & a mafD bi-halde hym selfe pare-in, it satt seme

20 tilt hym, as his hede ware towrnede downwarde5, and his fete
vpwarde^ ; And it be-takenes pat a kyng schulde alway take
hede till his laste ende. The ferthe gree was of a Granat whilk
passe^ alt manere of precioits stanes in reedness : & betakens

24 pat a kyng suld be schamfutt for till consent till any thynge pat
es vnlefutJ. The fifte was of ane Adamande. pe Adamande es
so harde fat it may no^te be brokefD nowfer with yren) ne w^t
stane, bot if it firste be enoynted? w^t gayte blode. On J^e same

28 wyse a kyng suld be of so grete Constance & sadness*? pat, for na
prayere, ne for na worldely gude, he solde no5te bewgli fra pe
way of ryght-wisnesse. The sexte gree was of fyne gold : for
rijte as gold? passej all maner of metatte in bewtee, & in pre-

32 cioustee ; rijte so a kyng awe to be * preferred" before oj^er mefD
& gou^rnowrs of f>am). * pe seuent was of Clay, tilt })at entent
f>at a man) ]:>at es raysed vp to pe dingnyte of a kyng sulde
alway vmbythynk hym )?at he was made of erthe, & at pe laste

The first
step of
amethyst,
that a king
be not
drunken
but walk
soberly and
steadfastly.
The^second
of emerald,
that a king
see well
those
things
which be-
long to his
rank.
The third
of topaz,
which re-
minds him
of his
latter end,
showing
him upside
down.
The fourth
of garnet,
which
makes hira
shame to
do unlaw-
fuUy.

The fifth of
diamond,
which
means that
a king
should be
righteous.
The sixth
of gold, to
show the
greatness
of kings.

* Leaf 22
bk.
The

seventh of
clay, to

^ Piece gone in MS. Reads — totten.
The beginning of Sb w occurs before the
hole, and the latter half of an after it —
80 it must clearly be read ' witowiten\

^ MS. tv and a gap follows as above ;

read, of course, * was a- '.

^ it written in above line.

* MS. has in another hand in bottom of
margin 'preferred before ^ written over
asrain.