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3. Zac

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[fol. 7v] Zac seith: "Ho that hath no power over his witte, he hath no power over his
anger." And seith that a wise prince shulde nat by his wille be at debate with oon
that is gretter and of more power thanne he is himself. And seith: "Whanne a kinge
hath conquered and overcomen his enemye, he shulde kepe him and mayntene him
in goode custumes, in justices, and in fredame, in pacience, in pardouns, and in
othir goodnesses, for in suche wise a man makith him that was his enemye his
frende." And seith: "Yf a kinge assemble an uteragious thresour and dispendith it
nat upon thes thingis whiche thei were ordeigned to, he shal lose bothe his thre-
soure and his realme." And seith that the kingis subjectis bene to him as the wynde
is with the fyre, for whanne the fyre is light in that place where that there is no
wynde, he laboureth himself to brenne the faster. And seith: "A kinge shuld knowe
hem that servyn him and establisshe every man aftir his degree, firste aftir his wis-
dame, his discrecioun, and his trouthe. And he shulde geve hem aftir her deserv-
ynge, for oftentymes thei geve to the mysruled people whiche never deserved it, and
thanne it shal withdrawe the courages of hem that have bene his true servauntis,
and so in short tyme he shal have so many of thes noughty people that it shal nat
lye in his power for to delyver hem fro him." And seith that a prince shulde nat
lerne alle thingis, for ther ben many thingis that a prince shulde nat knowe.