blessednes of the life, led accordyng to the pleasure of the goddes, and
exhorted him thervnto: as also to frame his maners and doinges vnto vertue,
and not to giue eare to that, that leude men should counsaile him, but to
followe those thynges that led vnto honour and vertue. In thende, whan the
King had sacrificed a bulle, the priest declared certain preceptes and
examples of excellente, and moste worthy men: written in their holy
scripture. To thende that the Kynge admonisshed by the example of theim,
might ordre his gouernaunce iustlye, and godly, and not geue hym selfe to
couetous cloinyng, [Footnote: Probably from the old French, _encloyer_, to
glut, or surfeit.] and hourdyng of tresure. He neither satte to iudge, ne
toke his vocacion, ne walked abrode, ne washed at home, ne laye with his
Quiene, ne finally did any maner of thing, but vpon the prescripte of the
lawe.

Their fare was but simple, nothing but veale, and goose, and their wine by
measure appoincted. So that thone should nether ouerlade the bealy, ne the
other the heade. To conclude, their whole life so bounde vpon temperaunce,
that it might be thoughte raither to haue bene prescribed them by a
discrete Phisicen to preserue helthe, then by a politique Lawyer. It
siemeth wondrefull that the Egiptians mighte not rule their owne priuate
life, but by the Lawes. But it semeth more wonderfull that their King had
no liberty of him selfe, either to sitte in iudgement, to make collections
of money, or topunishe any man, vpon wilfulnes, stoute stomacke, angre,
displeasure, or anye vniuste cause: But to be holden vnder lawe as a
commune subiecte, and yet not to be agreued therwith, but to thincke them
selues moste blessed in obeyeng and folowyng the lawe, and other in
folowing their lustes most vnhappy, as being led by them into many
daungiers, and damages. For suche oftentimes, euen when they know them
selues to do euill, either ouercome with malice, and hatred, or some other
mischiefe of the minde, are not able to witholde theim selues from the