Mirrour of Good Manners
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Mirrour of Good Manners is a book by Alexander Barclay translated the from the Italian of Dominic Mancini.
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The Mirror of Good Manners
Barclay, Alexander
Ringler 17242 and TP 197; also TP 1530 ("Right honorable mayster..." [Barclay's Prologue]); TP 1914 ("This playne lytell treatyse..." [Barclay's Preface]); and TP 2225 ("Who coueteth to knowe..." [Barclay's tr. of 'Petri Carmeliani exasticon...']). Translated by Alexander Barclay from the Latin of Dominicus Mancinus. Mancinus' Latin text ptd. in the sidenotes has been omitted. UMI microfilm reel 56.
Here begynneth a ryght frutefull treatyse, intituled the myrrour of good maners, conteynyng the .iiii. vertues London: R. Pynson,1518?.
Composition Date: ante 1518 [STC].
tyrannes=tyrants, pl.`and myght' added in 16th c. hand sig: [A1] Here begynneth a ryght frutefull treatyse / intituled the myrrour of good maners / conteynyng the .iiii. vertues / called cardynall / compyled in latyn by Domynike_Mancyn: And translate into englysshe: at the desyre of syr Gyles_Alyngton knyght: by Alexander_Bercley prest: and monke of Ely. sig: [A1v] WHo coueteth to knowe / chefe maners commendable 'W' of 'Who' is guide letter in space set for large capital And with holy lyfe: hymselfe wolde inlumyne Let hym rede this treatyse / plesaunt and profytable Fyrst in latyn metyr / composed by Mancyne 5 This ryght prudent maister / dyd craftely combyne The four noble vertues / surnamed cardynall In one lytell treatyse: includyng thyng nat small
Wherby he enfourmeth / man to direct his lyfe To the towre of vertue / and maners most laudable 10 Whiche auctour in wrytyng / hath chefe prerogatyfe Aboue all olde wryters / in sentence delectable In elygaunce of meter / and speche incomparable Compendiouse in sentence / and playne aboue them all Whiche wrote or this season / of vertues cardynall
15 Wherfore olde Curius / and Cato most morall With Senecke sad and sage / Tully and Petrarke Pontane / And other most noble auctours all Whiche in tymes passed / were vsed in lyke warke All these may well knowlege / them-selfe diffuse or darke 20 Them both and theyr warke / submyttyng to Mancyne Whiche this frutefull treatyse / composed in latyne
¶Alexander_Barclay / to the reder of this present treatyse / translatyng the wordes of domynyke_Mancyne.
THis playne lytell treatyse / in style compendyous Moche brefly conteyneth / four vertues cardynall In ryght plesant processe / playne and commodyous With lyght fote of meter / and style herocyall 5 Rude people to enfourme / in langage maternall To whose vnderstandyng / maydens of tender age And rude lytell chylderne / shall fynde easy passage
Ye suche as the mother / doth cherisshe on her lap With swete blandymentes: of wordes amyable 10 Cherysshyng with mylke / and norisshyng with pappe Shall fynde this small doctryne: both playne and profitable Olde men / whiche haue vsed / in tyme passed to bable In barbaryke langage / and wordes course and vyle May lerne here / theyr maners and tonges newe to fyle
sig: A2 15 To fyle nat with vyces / nor langage inornate But to rase theyr rudenesse / and rustes auncient The chaste and wyse matrone / after lyke maner rate May rede this small treatyse / her maydens all present Gyueng none attysment / to lyfe incontynent 20 The sad and wyse husbande / this treatyse may recyte Unto his wyfe / nat hurtyng theyr courage with delyte
This boke none excludeth / but euery man doth fede Nor none wyll it escheue / nor greue with yrksomnesse Who that can vnderstande / harkyn here or rede 25 Shall fynde here some pleasure / mengled with frutefulnesse To no man displeasure / to no man tedyousnesse But in opyn langage frutefull / and playne doctryne Who lysteth theyr eares / and myndes to enclyne
But where-as myne auctour / Domynyke_Manycne 30 In his latyne treatyse / them prayeth of Paryse To haste to the knowlege / of this his newe doctryne I make proclamacion / here vnder other wyse To our natyfe nacion / diswadyng them from vyce Exortyng and prayng / the dwellers of Englande 35 This newe and small treatyse / to rede and vnderstande
Wherfore / tender virgyns / delytyng in doctryne And chyldren disposed / to vertue and goodnesse Haste hyther and receyue / ryght holsome disciplyne Drawe nere O chaste matrons / take flame of perfytnesse 40 Drawe nere croked age: and youth whom wantonesse By fre-wyll / lust / ryot / or wylfull ignoraunce Misgydeth from maners: good lyfe and gouernaunce
Drawe nere perfyte lyuers / take conforte to your mynde In this lytell treatyse / to kepe perseueraunce 45 Approche men disordred / here shall ye doctryne fynde To reforme your lyueng / and sue good gouernaunce Haste of this newe treatyse / to purchase acquayntaunce For no maner treatyse / can be more profitable No doctryne more holy / holsome / nor commendable
50 It teacheth no tryfels / it vices teacheth none But vertue and maners / to man conuenient It teacheth what thynges / besemeth to be done Enduryng mannes lyfe / as most expedient Thyng passed to consyder / to order thyng present 55 And prudently to puruey / all thynges for to come All ordryng in season / accordyng to wysdome
sig: [A2v] It teacheth to temper / dysorder and malyce To mytygate rancoure / and percyalyte Without feare or fauour / to execute Iustyce 60 It teacheth in troubles / strong magnanimyte And temperaunce herin / descrybed mayst thou se So prudence / fortytude / Iustyce and temperaunce This boke to the profereth / with humble countenaunce
But certesse dere reder / it asketh nought agayne 65 No coyne it requyreth / as pryse sufficient But rede it: it prayeth / than is it glad and fayne And note whan thou redest / than is it well content But if any purpose / of mynde beniuolent With a lytell money / to bye this small treatyse 70 He surely possesseth / no-thyng of gretter pryce
Nor his house contayneth / no-thyng more profytable So may he wele beleue: with perfyte assurance But suche as indeuoyre / with study ferme and stable Both wordes and sentence / to close in remembraunce 75 Than hath he a iewell: which moche shall hym auaunce And closed in his hert / a singuler treasour All transytory treasour / surmountyng in valour
No marchandyse better / in martes maist thou fynde Than this lytell boke / within it doth contayne 80 No better thyng bringeth / the marchaunt out of Inde From Damas or Turkey / from Damyane or Spayne From costes of Italy: from Naples or Almayne In all other nacions most forayne / far and straunge Can man fynde no better marchandyse nor chaunge
85 No shoppe in ryche Cyte / hath better marchaundyse No grocer / no mercer / nor other merchantes all Can satysfye the myndes / with ware of suche pryce As this boke / which profreth the vertues cardynall The boke-prynter selleth / no better thyng at all 90 Who this werke compryseth / sure in his mynde and thought Let hym thynke for certayne / nought better can be bought sig: A3
¶The prologe of Alexander_Barclay vpon the four Uertues cardynall / to his ryght honorable mayster Gyles_Alyngton knyght / Translate of the preface of Domynyke_Mancyne by hym written / to Frederyke_Seueryne bysshop of Maleacence.
RIght honorable mayster / ye me requyred late A louers confession / abrydgyng to amende And from corrupt Englysshe / in better to translate To your request wolde I / ryght gladly condyscende 5 Were nat / that some reders / my warke wolde reprehende As to my age and order / moche inconuenient To wryte of thynge wanton / nat sad but insolent
And though many passages / therin be commendable Some processes appere / replete with wantonnesse 10 And also the labour / great / longe / and importable Unto my weake wyttes / my mynde myght oppresse mynde] myndes 1518 For age it is foly / and ieopardy doutlesse And able for to rayse: bad name contagyous To wryte / rede or comon: of thyng venerious
¶The fyrst reason.
15 Myne age wyll nat suffer / to wryte of sport or game Wherto: wanton iuuent / most wyllyngly intende To scof[f]es and iestes / myne age wyll nat frame scoffes] scoftes 1518 Nor dissolute bourdes / whiche comons most commende Hore age to yonge bourdes / shulde nat it-selfe extende 20 A man with hore heeres / vncomely doth inclyne To mysframed fables / or iesture femynyne
An olde man decrepite / laded with lockes gray And with berdelyke brystels / dependyng on his chyn With yong mennes wepen / besemeth nat to play 25 To gambaude nor florysshe / smale prayse so shall he wyn And certesse me-semeth / his wyt is very thyn Whiche myngled with chyldren / and he a man of age Wolde playe with cherystones / or nuttes by dotage
To Caton or Curius / howe yll wolde it agre 30 Or to sad Fabricius / the Romayne most famous Forgettyng theyr honour / wysdome and grauyte To wryte of thyng wanton / vayne / or ve[n]erious To man resonable / is as contraryous To take on hym labour / or busynesse nat mete 35 As to be a monstre / with asses head and fete
sig: [A3v] Nat wele he presenteth / the Wower in a daunce But very yll he playeth / the volage amorous Which fettered in a gyue / wolde gambalde / leape / and prance Attached to a chayne / of lynkes ponderous 40 So faynt croked age / frayle and oblyuyous Aggrauat with yeres / as lynke ioyned to lynke Of loue venerious: shulde neyther speke nor thynke
If the crowe or cuckowe / pryuate of melody With swan or nyghtingale / in synging wolde compare 45 All byrdes myght them scorne / and nat vnworthely What shuld an yremonger / mell with a grocers ware Or salter with sylkes / full symply coude fare As yo[u]th sheweth sportes / frayle lust and vanyte So meddell shulde men aged / with thyng of grauyte
¶The seconde reason.
50 Ferthermore / the order holy and commendable To whiche: god of mercy hath me associate My fayth and profession / shulde be inuiolable Comaundyng my wrytyng / to be intemerate intemerate=inviolate These thre wyll none other / but after myne estate 55 My style and my wrytyng: insuyngly to sounde On thing that on goodnesse: and vertue hath the grounde
And vtterly to wryte / of thyng of holinesse And on the same to muse / with pure and clene intent To speke of holy fayth / of vertue and goodnesse 60 What shulde a man sacred / to god omnypotent By god hauyng power / of euery sacrament Sith god by suche gyftes / so greatly doth hym bynde What shuld he from goodnes tourne / or withdrawe his mynde
A warriour or capitayne / disposed for to fyght 65 Thynketh on his wepyn / his harnesse and armour Hors / harnesse / and spere / are musyng of a knyght The couetous marchant / in mynde tourneth eche hour His marchandyse / changes / and fraudulent treasour But the prestes musyng / labour / and exercyse 70 Shulde be in proclaymyng / playne warre agaynst vyce
And in abydyng batayle / dayly agaynst syn Deuisyng and musyng / with all labour and payne To reconsyle synners / and people for to wyn By worde and example / he ought hym-selfe constrayne 75 Men fallyn / and erryng / to lyft and call agayne And brefely this ought he / to comfort ignorance this=thus Exhortynge good lyuers / vnto perseuerance
sig: [A4] And busely to watche / about our lordes folde The wylde wolues chasyng / from pore and symple shepe 80 As redy at all season / to soucour yonge and olde Them chefely attendyng / whom he hath cure to kepe But no-thyng is vyler / nor mouyng more to wepe Than a preest a rayler / dysdaynyng his honour Or clothed as a courter: or cruell Soudyour courter=courtier
85 With weapyn or armour / as one redy to fyght Usurpyng wrong honour: to lyueng repugnant And where he by order is called chrystes knyght T[o] be a worldly rybaude / the name is dissonant To] Te 1518 And thynge nat lesse vyler / is to be ignorant 90 Of maners vncomly: ageynst all honeste As fable or laughyng-stocke / of lewdest commonte
Contemned / dysdayned / and without reuerence For dissolute maners / or wantyng of connyng Or of his chefe pleasure / be set in violence 95 In dyscord: theft / surfet / fraude / malyce or braulyng To repyne disposed / or lustes insuyng And with all these vyces / haue wordes rybaudyous What is more vncomely / or more contagious
Wherfore it nat semeth / a preest only to kepe 100 His fame and his lyueng / from vyces fre and quyte But also hym semeth / for hurtyng of his shepe Nought soundyng to foly / to comon nor to wryte Thoughe worde be tollerable / what thyng one doth indyte If it be infected / by foule contagion 105 By lo[n]g-tyme red often / it hurteth many one
¶The thyrde reason.
And certainly I knowe / whyle ye ar wont to rede No-thynge count ye plesant / to vertue repugnant Or that to bad maners / mynystreth any sede And wele I consyder / your mynde is so constant 110 That to your prudent eares / nought soundeth more plesant Than treatyse conteynyng / in euident processe The fourme of good lyuing / and grounde of holynesse
To this be ye moued / of your nature benigne Helped [b]y mylde planete / and constellacion by] my 1518 115 If planetys haue power / or may helpe any-thynge So in tender age / your conuersacion In vertue and lernyng / and lyke occupacion Besemyng your nature / your blode and your lynage Causeth you loue vertue / more veruently in age
sig: [A4v] 120 Also conuersacyon / of wyse men and connyng With whom ye ioy dayly / to be in company Excyteth your spyryt / aboue all other thyng To the loue of vertue / and of phylosophy The fame and remembraunce / of your auncestry 125 By manyfolde vertues / excyteth you also From vertue to vertue (as they haue done) to go
For certesse the lawdes / renome / and worthy fame And noble interpryses / of olde progenytours Ar left as bright sparcles / yonge myndes to inflame 130 And as sede prouokyng / theyr myndes to honours Nat by ambycyon / nor heapynge of tresours Nor rentes augmented / without lawe or measure But by godly vertue / and maners clere and pure
So as in vere veruant / whan Phebus is shynyng 135 Swete showres descendyng / with dropes christallyne Ende with the drye grounde: causyng the plantes spring Ryghtso / ye regardyng the hye vertues dyuyne Of your olde forefaders / shall leaue vnto your lyne Example of good maners / as frutefull nutryment 140 To dewe them in vertue: as plantes to augment
But if I wolde purpose / here seriatly to wryte The actes auncient / of your progenitours My reason repugneth / for wantyng of respyte For thinges lately done: by your predecessours 145 Excytyng noble hertes / to sewe them in honours To wryte were long processe / and nat expedient Unto this my purpose / but inconuenient
But agayne to purpose / nowe to reuoke my style Where-as I fyrst began / this playne is myne entent 150 Wherfore I nat purpose / vayne tryfyls to compyle For to myne age nor order / it is nat congruent Nor to your prudent eares / no-thyng conuenient Wherfore / me-besemeth / to wryte of grauyte Whiche to both our states / more comely may agre
155 Whiche a preest may wryte / nat hurtyng his estate Nor of honest name / obumbryng nat his lyght obumbryng=obumber, 'shade, obscure' And that a knyght may rede / after lyke maner rate To this I prepare me / after my symple myght For long haue I mused / and studyed day and nyght 160 What mater I myght wryte / to your auctoryte To testyfye my loue / and my fydelyte
sig: [A5] In whiche two I knowlege / my-self vnto you bounde Wherfore / to recompence your dedes lyberall At laste / longe-tyme musyng / mete mater haue I founde 165 That is the foure vertues / surnamed cardynall Whiche comely to be vsed / are vnto man mortall For them and theyr suers / god doth alway commende Wherfore to my power / to wryte them I intende
To you these accordeth / these vnto you are dewe 170 Of you late procedyng / as of theyr heed-fountayne Your lyfe as example: in wrytyng I ensue For more than my wrytyng / within it can contayne Your maners perfourmeth / and doth therto attayne So / towchyng these vertues / ye haue in your liueng 175 More than th[e]re my meter / conteyneth in wrytyng there] thre 1518
My dytyes indyted / may counsell many one But nat you / your maners surmounteth my doctry[n]e Wherfore I regarde you: and your maners alone After whose lyueng / my processe I combyne 180 So other men instructyng / I must to you inclyne Conformyng my processe: as moche as I am able To your sad behauour / and maners commendable
But though your hye courage / belongyng to a knyght Muse on gretter matters / than I intende to wryte 185 Yet all thynges ended / at mornyng or at nyght Rede this my r[u]de meter / at layser and respyte The Egle at all seasons / hath nat her most delyte To flye to the cloudes / nor hyer in the Ayre Some-tyme nere lowe feldes / her pleaseth to repayre
190 And oft hath she pleasour / in fleyng nere the grounde So / whan greatter cures / wyll graunt to you respyte And whan your mynde from them / for season is vnbounde Graunt than to our muses / some pleasure and delyte That gladly fore to rede / which gladly I indyte 195 My spyrit shall reioyce / to here that in effect My werkes ye shall rede: And them mende and corect
For thou[g]h in rude metter / my mater I compyle though] thouh 1518 Men shall count it ornate / whan ye it lyst to rede Your tong shall it polisshe / garnysshe / adorne and fyle 200 But this thyng omittyng / I purpose me to spede omittyng] omittiyng 1518 To shewe in what order / I purpose to procede Fyrst of all in meter / intende I for to shue Of fayre lady prudence / mother of all vertue
sig: [A5v] Of whom lady Iustyce / draweth her holy lyght 205 Of whom next ensuyng / I wryte with breuyte Than thyrdly I purpose / for to discrybe the myght Of a valiant courage / or magnanymyte Redy for to suffre / all harde aduersyte And than last intende I: by the deuyne suffraunce 210 To describe the maner / of lady temperaunce
These four are four wheles: to charet of vertue To whiche / who ascendeth / is great and glorious And as a conquerour / hym-selfe playne shall he shewe To all maner people / triumphant and famous 215 And shall be reputed / moche more victoryous More eurouse or happy / more strong or fortunate Than if the hole worlde / by hym were subiugate
Fewe kynges / fewe prynces / or worldely gouernours Haue into this charet / ascended perfytely 220 For many in the worlde / haue ben great conquerours And them-selfe haue suffred / subdued of folly But agayne to purpose / my matter to apply Consyder ye your-selfe / in redyng my wrytyng And as in a myrrour / contemple your lyueng
225 Nowe be ye my Iuge / in wrytyng / if my hande Shall these four ymages / forge as they ought to be Or if the hande fulfyll / that mynde doth vnderstande This thyng to determyne / haue ye auctoryte Nowe wyll I here begyn / to wryte with breuyte 230 Wherof these four vertues / haue theyr orygynall For whan the grounde is clere / the warke is clerer all.
¶Here foloweth / the four fountayns or welles of honeste / whiche of naturall reason / haue theyr begynnyng orygynall / and of whom the four cardynall vertues spryngeth.
AT the fyrste begynnyng / our lorde omnypotent Fourmed heuyn and erth / as wytnesseth scripture And in theyr proper places / set euery elyment Than garnysshed the heuyn / with sterres bryght and pure 5 And the grounde with trees / and grasse of fresshe verdure And beestes in theyr kynde / than fylled he the ayre With manyfolde byrdes / of fethers bryght and fayre
sig: [A6] Than stored he the see / with fysshes in theyr kynde All thynges thus ordered: and plesantly ornate 10 Lyke hym-selfe he fourmed man of most noble mynde And all lyuely thynges / to hym made subiugate At his will obeyng / whyle he kepte his estate Thus made were all beestes / to man obedyent And man onely subiect / to god omnypotent
15 Than god hym exalted / to haue dominion Ouer the brode worlde / and therto dyd hym able Of his goodnesse: makyng hym partner of reason makyng] mankyng 1518 Wherby he dyffereth: from beest vnresonable Wha[n] man had this treasour / and gyft incomparable 20 By reason he began / to compase in his mynde And serche the secretes / of thyng of euery kynde
¶Of the oryginall of prudence.
So mankynde aduertyng / and pondryng by wysdome Thynges gone and passed / and also thyng present He seeth for certayne / what semeth for to come 25 And agaynst it happyn / is nat improuident But maketh prouysyon / for all impediment Of thynges necess[a]ry / wantyng nothyng at all necessary] necessnry 1518 But hym-selfe preparyng / to chaunces or they fall
Hymselfe so disposyng / by reason president 30 Thyng passed to consyder / thyng present well to frame And for thynges commyng / well to be prouydent Thus of a prudent man / deserueth he the name These thynges consydred / than reason is the same Whiche ioyneth man to man / for loue of company 35 For communyng / comfort / and socour necessary
¶Of the orygynall of Iustice.
And so / whan moche people commoyned is in one Reason hath them moued / to be obedient To suche as excelleth / in wysdom and reason Wherby the common-wele / of cyte excellent 40 Hath fyrste chefe begynnyng / and greatly doth augment Than reason requyreth / to ordeyne ryght-wyse lawe Transgressours to chastice / and to kepe vnder awe
To socour and defende / the weake and Innocent And proude rasshe rebellers / with reason to chastyce 45 Thus: eche state them byndeth / to be obedient By instinct of reason / to lawes of Iustice And eche in his order / hym-selfe to exercyse For drede of correccion / nat presumy[n]g to do presumyng] presumyg 1518 But lyke as he hymselfe / wolde gladly be done to
sig: [A6v] 50 This same lawe of nature / ingendred hath of kynde In fathers and mothers / a loue most pryncypall Anenst theyr dere chyldren / And after that doth bynde Them to theyr Progeny / In loue most specyall To suche / as of theyr blode / they knowe nerest of all 55 Thus loue in degrees / by nature shulde agre After the degrees / of consanguynyte
And therfore the Parentes / endeuoyr with all arte Theyr chyldren to defende: to conforte and maynteyne The chyldren in lykewyse / of nature do theyr parte 60 For pytie to worshyp / theyr dere parent agayne This Iusytce commaundeth / this nature doth constrayne So reason ioyneth man / as brother vnto brother To contende in kyndnesse / and doyng one for other
Eche other to comforte / whan is necessyte 65 Thus reason conioyneth / the bondes of concorde It peas reconseleth: loue / fayth / and charyte Betwyxt kyng and kyng / and bytwene lorde and lorde Thus reason by Iustyce / excludeth all discorde For whyle euery parsone / by iustyce hath his ryght 70 It is a brutall fury / in batayle for to fyght
But suche as in ryches / and reason doth habounde By the gyfte of god / to them granted of grace With ryches and reason / these stryue as they are bounde Must the pore to socoure: in euery nedefull case 75 Thus gentylnesse of man / augmenteth with solace Thus maners augmenteth / thus chastesed is vyce And vertue auaunced / by reason and Iustyce
Emperes thus augment / by Iustyces rewarde And most souerayne gydyng / Thus is benygnyte 80 From man to man shewed / Thus maners go forwarde And braunches delateth / of peas and vnyte Thus chastised is synne / and all enormyte And all-thyng reduced / to ryght dyrectyon By meane of Iustyce / procedyng of reason.
¶Of the orygynall of magnanymyte / or strength of mynde.
sig: B1 85 FErthermore: by reason: groweth in mannes mynde A naturall desyre / alway with besy cure Thynges hyd and secrete / to serche / knowe and fynde Of trewe and parfyte gode / the knowlege to procure Whiche knowlege obteyned / whan they therof be sure 90 Of natural instynct / this reason doth man moue Suche treasour obteyned / moche feruently to loue
Reason also moueth / man: greatly to labour To serche and haue knowlege / of trouth and verite For certaynly to man / can be no more pleasour 95 No more iocunde pastyme / ioy nor felycyte Than dayly for to lerne / and more prudent to be To sauer and perceyue / by reason what is ryght Than clered is his mynde / with perfyte in_ward lyght
Wherfore oft it hapnith / whan man the trouth hath founde 100 His mynde is so feruent / for to defende the same That for the loue therof / he careth for no wounde No hard thinge nor greuous / can hym subdue nor tame No chaunce / nor no labour can myttigate this flame No tyrant / by turment by deth / nor other payne 105 From mayntenance of trouth / can hym moue or constrayne
Thus is his bolde spyryte / in maner inuyncible In hard chance he counteth no great dyffyculte No laboure nor trauayle / he counteth impossyble In the trouth defendynge: Thus clerely may we se 110 Howe of reason spryngeth hye magnanimite And boldnes of spyryt / which trouth for to defende Both blode / lyfe and goodes / refuseth nat to spende
This thirde noble vertue of magnanimite Thus rysynge of reason: some men cal fortitude 115 Protectour of the trouth / and for symplicite Renouncynge no rigour / nor no solycitude Called is it strenght / of comon people rude Or boldenesse of spyrit / but nowe let vs auance Our style / to descrybynge / the grounde of temperance
¶Of the begynnynge of temperance.
120 Yet reason: hath one myght: nat to be counted small Wherby: it excyteth / man to felycite For to beholde thynges / fayre plesant and formall And to take great pleasure / aduysynge theyr beawte Man onely by reason / perceyueth and doth se 125 Howe goodly an ordre / and what beawte ornate Is in worldly thinges / of god almyght create
sig: [B1v] Therfore whan the wyse man / this bea[u]te doth beholde beaute] beate 1518 Consyderynge this shap / and pleasant fourme mundayne He prayseth the fayrnesse / with laudes many-folde 130 And knoweth by this fourme / the fourme souerayne Than reason reduceth / vnto his mynde certayne That than is thinge decent / and synguler beaute Whan all-thinge procedeth / in order and degre
Whan man this reuolueth / delytynge in his mynde 135 Than sayth he to hym-selfe: O lorde eternall kynge If so goodly ordre / in maners of mankynde Were dueuly obserued / it were more plesaunt thinge Wherfore he contendeth / by reason hym gydynge After suche example / of outwarde thing mundayne 140 His owne lyfe and maners / in ordre to constrayne
And suche inwarde beaute / to gyue vnto his mynde As in outwarde thinges / he dothe beholde expresse Wherfore he prouydeth / as reason doth hym bynde To conforme his maners / to so fayre comlynesse 145 Sufferynge in hym-self / no foule vnclenlynesse No vice nor disordre: nor other spot at all In wordys dysolute: nor warkes specyall
So that no maner faute / nor blame in hym be founde By passynge / in his dedes: due ordre or measure 150 In doinge ouer_moche: or lesse than he is bounde Or nat in dewe season: repugnynge to nature Therfore dothe he study / and muse with busy cure His dedes to redresse / and do in euery case Accordynge as requireth / the season tyme and place.
155 Thus ryseth in the mynde / the fourth noble vertue Called Moderacion / or elles Temperance Whiche vertue auanceth: and vices doth subdue Condutinge mankynde / in goodly gouernance Condutinge=conducting, OED So: these four conioyned / shall theyr hauer auance 160 To the sure prossession / of perfyte honeste And fyrste vpon reason: all four grounded they be
Which reason is graunted / by god vnto mankynde As moste souerayne auctoure / and gouerner moste sure All if comon people / dull / ignorant and blynde 165 Ascrybeth this hye gyft: some-tymes to nature It takynge / as god: agaynst iust scripture And symple creature / exaltynge with honour Whiche onely belongeth / to god our creatour
sig: B2 But fauorable redar take thyne eleccion 170 Whither thou wylt call / these vertues cardynall The gyftes of nature / procedynge of reason Or rather the gyftes / of hye god immortall As touchynge my dute / this thinge perfourm I shall Of these four distynctly / to fynysshe this treatyse 175 Unto the laude of vertue / and reprouynge of vyce
And fyrst shal I begyn / at vertue of Prudence Fyrste grounded on reason / of whome the other thre Procedeth as braunches / of hye preemynence But fauorable redar / where thou shalt here or se 180 Ought soundynge in my warke / agaynst grauite Or nat comely ordred / in meter or substance Correcte I requyre the / my symple ignorance.
¶Of the fyrste Cardinall vertue named Prudence
THe fyrste place and partye / longyng to honeste Is the noble vertue / which called is Prudence 185 This teacheth for to sertche / the clere dyuersyte Bytwene good and euyll / or vertue and offence Bytwene treuth and falshed / it sertcheth dyfference And this inquisicion / to man is naturall And more conuenient / than other thynges all
190 No-thinge is more propre / nor apter to mankynde Than to haue clere knowlege / of thinges naturall For of euery man / this is the wyll and mynde To loue to haue knowlege / and perceyue thynges all Except some blynde wretches / nat humayn but brutall 195 Onely in the wombe / as beestes delytyng Man wold haue vnknowyn / to hym playne lyue thing
Al thynges he sertcheth: al-thynge consydereth he In mynde them reuoluynge / with perfyte dylygence For he counteth it foule: yll / and dyshoneste 200 To erre / as ouersene in wronge / by negligence But that man is called / a man of true prudence Which tryeth forth the trouth / dyscerninge good from yll Honest from dyshonest: and doth the best fulfyll
sig: [B2v] But no man is able / this perfytely to trye 205 Nor dyscerne thinge honest: from bad and dyshonest Except he it measure / and ponder perfytely By naturall reason / iugyng within his brest Nor the parfyte wyse man: alloweth nat that best Which moste is commended / of people imprudent 210 Or vnstable commons / of wylful Iugement
But that thyng he demeth / honest and commendable Which he hymselfe iugeth / in his intencion But this same iugement / may nat be disceyuable Nor wanderynge at pleasour / but subiect to reason 215 To whom the appetyte / in lyke condycion Must be obedient / and wyll / as seruitour Reason alway regent / chefe gyde and gouernour
As the chylde obeyth / his mayster hym teachynge And as pylgrymes folowe / their gyde to flye daungere 220 So wyll and appetyte / to reason in all-thynge Must obey and folowe / than iugement is dere But that this same vertue / more playnly may appere And lyghter to knowlege / here reder thou shalt fynde Eche party dyscrybed / distynctly in his kynde
¶Two fautes to be exchued in prudence.
225 Therfore / who requyreth to purchase honeste And laudable lyfe / by vertue of prudence Ware of two thynges / in lyueng must he be One is / that he count nat / hym-selfe to haue scyence Of thynge wherof he hath / playne none experience 230 Nor knowlege / as cleuynge to his owne fantasy And pryuat opynion / mentaynynge hardely
Hym-selfe countynge certayne / of thyngys incertayne And lyghtly beleuynge / what falleth to hys mynde For many thynges be hyd / and nat clere nor playne 235 But with obscure knowlege obumbred of theyr kynde Which of a wyse person / are nat easy to fynde: Wherfore beware / rasshely to these soone to consent Lest thy hasty dedes / soone cause the to repent
In suche obscure thynges / requyreth great study 240 Great cure and compasynge / longe tyme and dylygence And here parauenture / man must hym nede apply To call for a mayster / experter in scyence Of suche secrete thynges / hauynge experyence And in suche hye thynges / doth profyte farthermore 245 Experience and profe / of thynges done before
sig: B3 And the fait[h]full hertes of frendes sure counsell faithfull] faitfull 1518 In suche thinges doutfull (if thou to them resort) Shall greatly the profyte / and trouth vnto the tell But in suche thinges doutfull / it is to man confort 250 To serche both parties / To reason to resort Both wysely dyscussynge / by serche dyligent That what-so-euer fall / come nat vnprouydent
As wele as for the good / prouyde thou for the yll As wele one as the other / may fortune for to fall 255 To prouyde one partye / it is nat parfyte skyll Thou muste before daunger / ymagyne daungers all And than for them puruay / by wyt substancyall One party prouyded / an-other neglygent And lame / this nat semeth / a wyse man and prudent
260 It is nat full ynoughe / whan serpentes men assayle Al-onely for theyr mouthes / to make prouysion Man must in lyke beware / both of the toth and tayle For thoughe the toth trencheth / the tayle bereth poyson Wherfore so behaue the / in euery season 265 That thou say nat after / I thought this shulde nat fall For without dysworshyp / thus sayth no man at all
Nor suffre nat this thynge also / the to dysceyue Which many hath dysceyued / debowtyng from honour debowtyng: see OED debout, 'expell' In theyr owne conceytes / whyle they chefe plesour haue 270 Led bly[n]dly as beastes / in brydyll of errour blyndly] blydly 1518 All-thinge countynge honest / whiche is to them pleasour Whose luste is theyr lawe / from suche thou muste declyne Lest thou them ensuynge / fall heedlyng to ruyne
Suche onely ensuynge / theyr pryuat iugement 275 To theyr own errours as vyle seruauntes subiecte By_leue nought aboue them / can be more excellent And nought can them alter / nor moue to good effect No counsell nor reason: theyr myndes can correct Aboue all good reason / reigneth there iugement 280 And obstynate purpose / as asses imprudent
As fathers haue / custome oft-tymes to commende The vyce of theyr chyldren / product in errour blynde Redy in all crymes / theyr fautes to defende As paynters and grauers / or poetes hauynge mynde 285 In payntynge or grauynge / or fresshe meter to fynde Commendeth theyr werkes / and thynketh them plesant So ioyeth in foly / blynde foles ignorant
sig: [B3v] An ouersene poet / dare great Maro despyse His owne art delytynge / indyted folysshly 290 The paynter despyseth / Apelles in lyke wyse And Phedias / dispyseth the grauer semblably So some dotynge foles / in errour led blyndly Commende theyr owne maners / and prayse aboue althinge All other mennes warke / extremely deprayuinge
295 What causeth suche folly? what moueth this errour? Forsoth this is chefely / the grounde originall In theyr owne conceytes / most resteth theyr pleasour And saue theyr owne myndes / they loue no-thynge at all Theyr own wysdome count they / moche clerer than christall 300 Aboue precyous stones / and prayse it aboue golde As able for to teache / and gouerne yonge and olde
But other mennes reason / they counte as fylthy clay This namely doth asses / set in auctorite From suche is all reason / and trouth dryuen away 305 And prudence subdued / brought in captyuyte Suche wretches in lyuynge / moche dyfferent nat be From vyle brutall beestes / whiche lyuenge in theyr den Contemneth vertues maners / and connynge of all men
What man of thynge commune / belongynge to nature 310 Dispyseth to departe / as reason doth requyre Of his propre goodes / howe can a man be sure To haue some small parcell / if none of nede desyre? But if lyke blynde errour / do set thy mynde on fyre To thyne owne opynion: to gyue to sore credence 315 Yet leaue this and leane thou / to men of more prudence
And in mynde endeuoyre / to consyder and se What wyse men obserueth / whom vertue dothe inflame And what men obserued / of wyt and grauyte Than thynke it necessary / for the to do the same 320 Thus mayst thou wyn wysdome / laude / honour and good name For dyuers eyen seeth / more clerely by day-lyght Than an one-yed blynarde / darke wanderyng by nyght
Thus fyrst in all dedes / requyred is counsell But whan all-thynge standeth / determyned certayne 325 Than all faynt delayenge / thou must from the repell And soone do thy purpose / and dede / with hast sodayne Whan counsell is taken / delayenge is but vayne For oft man abydeth / tyme more conuenient Whyle chaunces / and causes / fall lesse expedient
sig: [B4] 330 For many be / whiche counsell before with perfyte hede Prouydynge all chaunces / whiche may by fortune fall And whan they at endyng / shulde come vnto the dede Than by sluggysshe slouth / they do no-thynge at all Such count I nat prudent: none wyse / so wyll they call 335 For that part omyt they / wherto they shulde procede As chefe and pryncypall / that is the very dede
If nought be reduced / to purpose and effect Without dede concluded / what valour hath counsell? Whan to faynt cowardyse / wyse counsell is subiecte 340 Than farre from effect / doth all prudence expell What shulde the gardyner / with ympe or graffynge mell graff=graft Or grene bowes burgyn / with leaues and blossoms If no frute in season: shall on the trees come
What shulde a man of warre / or subtyll capytayne 345 Assemble a great army / shewynge his pompe and glory? And mustre in the felde / crakyng all day in vayne Without wyse entreaty / or fyghtynge for vyctory What shulde the husbandman / in lande or terrytory Commyt sede / or labour his feldes euyn or morne 350 Except he in season / may of the same reape corne?
All thynges are vsed / for profyte of the ende The fruyt and auantage / is conforte to labour And in warke all wyse-men / vse vertu to commende Thus counsell without dede / is but of small valure 355 But this nat-withstandynge / he deserueth honour Whome vertue by counsell / to good dede doth enflame All if he want power / for to perfourme the same
For many haue wyse counsell / dyscrete and prouydent But theyr wyll is letted / by faynt infyrmyte 360 Other some haue counsell / and fynde impedyment By wantynge of ryches / and weyght of pouerte But all suche as worthy / commended for to be For all if theyr power / may nat the dede fulfyll Yet ought we them to laude / for theyr good mynde and wyll
365 Phylosophers also / and other of wysdome Which haue by wyse wrytynge and endlesse memory Infourmed and clered / longe-tyme for to come And taught vs blynde wretches / from troubles transitory These also deserue nat / a lytell laude and glory 370 But clere fame immortall: syth by theyr good doctryne Ryght many to good order / ar called fro ruyne
sig: [B4v]
¶The seconde faute to be excluded from prudence
¶There is yet in prudence / a nother faute and cryme And that is / whan people agaynst good reason Wasteth and spendeth / in vayne study / longe-tyme 375 Serchynge thinge / excedynge / theyr dull dyscression For some thinges hard be / in inquisicion Requirynge great study / longe season and respyte Yet graunt they no profyte / no pleasour nor delyte
For all if they trouble / the myndes day and nyght 380 Of suche as them study / yet this one thinge is true Theyr endynge is fruytles / they knowen: gyue no lyght Theyr studentes to gyde / to maners nor vertue Or if they coude do profyte / yll maners to subdue Or to purchase vertue / yet lesse is theyr aueyle 385 Than they gyue in serchynge / of laboure and traueyle
And pleasour more they gyue / in serchyng them onely Than profyte or pleasour / procedeth consequent What profyteth it man / to serche busely The courses of sterres / hye in the fyrmament 390 What helpeth this study: here is the tyme myspent UnWyse man: what wylt thou? bestowe thy dayly cure Superfluously to knowe / the secretes of nature
Or causes of thynges / aboue reason humayne Whiche ar more laborious / and hard than profitable 395 Wherto doste thou study / to purchase and obtayne The sciences of artes / or craftes innumerable Or to recount the countrees / and landes varyable Ouer all the worlde / where both the lande and nacion Had theyr fyrst begynnynge / and situacion
400 Wherto dost reioyce / thy wyttes to apply To resolue or argue: with wordes superflue The knottes intrycate / of bablynge sophystry In subtyll conclusions / the wysest to subdue All these / if thou wyse be: are scantly worth a kewe 405 What profyteth to study / in glosynge of the lawe Syth lawe without good lyfe / is scantly worth a strawe
If thou be wyse / of these / nought longeth vnto the That thynge whiche to lerne / to man is more comely Is greatly more easy / and more symplycyte 410 That is / well to lyue: and to dye ryghtfully These longeth to mankynde: we lyue and we shall dye These two wele to ordre: to goddes hye pleasour And helth of our soules: we namely shuld labour
sig: [B5] It is a playne study / plesant and profytable 415 In these bothe our study / to exercyse and vse And lyght is that lernynge / iocunde and delectable Which sygneth to vertue / and vices to refuse Wherfore / we shulde chefely / both study thynke and muse What may make vs happy / and to good endyng bryng 420 And certaynly this study / is but a easy thyng
Than / on this poynt grounde the / heron prefixe thyne hert And lerne the playne passage and way to this wysdome But whan thou art entred / agayne do nat depart But kepe it / vntyll thou to parfayte vertue come 425 Folowe nat the maner / of many / whose custome Is all theyr lyfe-dayes / contynually to spende In lernyng of this way: vnto theyr latter ende
But as myndlesse wretches: neuer entre they the same Usyng barayne labour / and frutlesse sore trauayle 430 Alas / man abused / howe moch art thou to blame? In lerning of this way / what profite or auayle Fyndest thou / or pleasour / but great cause to bewayle To lerne wele and lyue yll / of reason thou must graunt Thou / for all thy connynge / art worse than ignoraunt
435 Some foles offendyng / are somwhat excusable By reason nat parfyte / and symple ignorance But thou hauyng scyence / thyne errour is damnable What lernest thou wysdome / by long contynuance Styll blyndly perseueringe / in thyne mysgouernance 440 Art thou called mayster / goest thou so long to scole To be in thyne lyuyng / moche leuder than a fole
What profyteth to lerne / that way is so busely Wherin / thy leude custome: nat suffreth the to go Doest thou to teche other: the path and way playnly 445 And thy-selfe in errour: styll wanderyng to and fro Say / is it nat a foly: and blynde furour also The fayre way to heuyn: to men to preche and tell Thy-selfe wanderyng heedlyng: and wylfully to hell
What warnest thou other / that thou wylt neuer do 450 Alas / howe great folly it is: to take suche payne Both nyght and day watchyng: from study nat to go That at last thy labour / be frutlesse and barayne Certaynly / in lernyng / we spende the tyme in vayne Except the dede folowe all / parfytely to bynde 455 Which we at begynnynge / conceyued in our mynde
sig: [B5v] Syth doing / is the fruyt / and lernynge but the sede And many / ioye the frute / whiche haue no sede at all And also syth the ende / of lernynge is the dede Than seke to do wysely / moche chefe and princypall 460 Rather than the scyence / of artes lyberall Better an idyot / vntaught and wele lyuynge Than a vycious doctour / yll-manered and connynge
Wherfore / with good reason: and accordyng to ryght The philosopher olde / loude in the scole cryenge 465 Was vnder this maner / reproued of the knyght Sayd he / wortely mayster: assure me of this thynge What meaneth this clamour / what meaneth this brauling What mean all these wordes / all this dyscord and stryfe As bytwene an husbande / and a fell froward wyfe
470 Ye braule and ye babble / from mornyng vnto nyght Dyscordynge / One affyrmeth / another dothe deny The sage phylosopher / than answered to the knyght O son / we endeuoyre and dayly vs apply In sekynge of vertue / and trouth / thus busely 475 No man hath ben able / in tymes without mynde Inoughe these to sertche / nor perfytly to fynde
The knyght in scorne smyled / and to the sage thus sayde Nowe art thou gray-hered / and tournyng to the grounde And redy for to dye / and as a man dysmayde 480 Haste thou nat yet vertue / with all thy study founde What tyme shalt thou vse it? to lyue as thou art bounde What tyme shalt thy study / the with the same endue Syth nowe in later age / thou sekest for vertue
What thyng is thy purpose / what thynkest in thy mynde 485 In a nother worlde / this vertue for to vse A strawe for thy study / thy reason is but blynde To waste tyme in wordes / and on no dede to muse But agayne to purpose: Therfore reder refuse Superfluous study / and care superfluous 490 And tourne thy chefe study / to dedes vertuous
This lernynge belongyng / to gettyng of vertue Is nat obscure / secrete / dyffuse nor pallyate But clere / playne / and opyn: It-selfe redy to shewe To suche as it sertcheth / or wyll inuestygate 495 The tre of this scyence / with braunches deaurate Extendeth nat itselfe / in altytude so hye But that man may gather / the frute ryght easely
sig: [B6]
¶The order of thynges requisite in prudence.
FErthermore / this longeth vnto the man prudent To ponder al his dedes / and warkes in balance 500 Of reason: with due order / mete and conuenient Endeuoyr fyrst thy-selfe / to make chefe purueyance For moost weyghty thynges: and greatest of substance And than lyghter maters / of lesse dyfficulte Prouyde in due order / as they are in degre
505 It is nat thyng le_full / from mynde to set a_syde Thy dere wyfe and chyldren: without ayde comfortlesse And for thy frende / folke / and seruantes to prouyde And certayne that persone / wele may we call wytlesse Whiche with to moche study / faste sekynge vayne rychesse 510 As a couetous wretche / commytteth wylfully His soule / lyfe / and body / to mortall ieopardy
Nor man shulde nat commyt / vnto perdicion His soule / whyle he seketh / with mynde voluptuous To pleas his frayle body / with delectacion 515 For more than the body / the soule is precyous What thinge shulde man repute / so dere or sumptuous For loue therof / to lose his soule: whose great valour Surmounteth and passeth / all temperall tresour
What profyte is to man / the worlde hole to wyn 520 And to suffre in soule: sore deedly detryment To hell-payne adiuged: for vyle pleasure of syn What man shuld be so mad: for this short lyfe present Eternally to dye / and byde endlesse tourment For nought: but one moment: is thy short lyfe vnstable 525 If thou haue respect / to tyme interminable
A sone-fadynge shodowe / is thys lyfe temporall Consumed as a cloude / chased before the wynde But after cometh lyfe / or deth perpetuall After thy deseruynge / thy meryte shalt thou fynde 530 Wherfore prudence warneth man / this to call to mynde And duely hym to gyde / in order and measure Of soule than of body / hauynge more parfyte cure
¶Another poynt belongynge / to vertue of prudence The straytly commaundeth / and chargeth this to do 535 Hym chefely to regarde / with mekest dyligence And for hym moste to do / whom thou art most bounde to And chefely beholdon / reason commaundeth so But if thou be gentyll / and kynde of dealynge Than muste thou thy maker / prefer aboue all-thynge
sig: [B6v] 540 It is nat sufficient / to cal vnto thy mynde To do thy full dutye / to euery man on grounde And to chryst thy maker for to be founde vnkynde To whome: thou by reason / moste specyally art bounde For these caduke pleasours / nat onely shold be founde 545 Prouysion in lyfe / but this chargeth wysdom To make prouision / for lyfe after to come
What longeth more to man / than wyse and ware to be And to reuolue in mynde / or oft before to caste Al thinges for t[o] come / that no perplexyte to] the 1518 550 Inuolue hym in troubles / or his wyt ouercaste We knowe thinges commynge / by thynges gone and paste And men vs procedynge / abyden haue no care But suche may We suffer / than ought we to be ware
As other haue dyed / in lyke maner shal we 555 And outher lyfe or deth / vs after doth remayne To rewarde good lyuers / with great felicyte Or synners to rewarde / with wo / and endles payne This lyfe is transytory / but lyfe commynge certayne Hath none ende nor mesure / but is interminable 560 Gyuenge endles pleasour / or paynes perdurable
But this short lyfe present / as shadowe fugytyfe And varienge as fanes / erect in-to the wynde Hath no stable plesure / ioy / nor prerogatyfe Nor permanent sorowe / but sone passynge mankynde 565 Here may man of trespas / both grace and mercy fynde And of syn remission / if he be penitent But after is nought els / but ryght-wyse iugement
Here / is it moche better: more lyght and tollerable For short tyme to suffre / lyght labour of penance 570 Than after to byde payne / of fyer intermynable And tourment eternall / for our mysgouernance A lyght wylful burthen / is no payne / but plesaunce Where a weyghty burthen / to mannes mynde contrary Is greuous sad / heuy / and tedyous to cary
575 Here / chryst is a leche / meke and beneuolent Redy for to comfort / al suche as them amende Here / is he fesician / to syke and pacyent Redy salue of grace / and mercy for to sende But in a nother world / whan this lyfe shal haue ende 580 As a ryght-wyse iuge / he shal to man apere Of sentence in_flexyble / and reuerende of chere
sig: C1 Terrible to syn[n]ers / and dredefull of sentence To ryght-wyse men ioyfull: all daunger set a_syde Wherfore man aduertyse / this counselleth prudence 585 For this day moste dredefull: dyscretly to prouyde Than of thy disordre / nought can thou close nor hyde But thy-selfe / heuyn / erth / and hell / shall the accuse Wherfore on this countes / man specyally shulde muse
Count thou nothynge caduke: vayne / frayle / and temporall 590 To be great in valour: or lyftyng man to glory But seke that thynge namely / moste chefe and pryncipall Which dureth eternall / nat vayne nor transitory And prudence the chargeth / to haue in thy memory On transytory treasour / nat moche to set thy mynde 595 Whiche thou / without profyte / at last shall leaue behynde
Use temporall treasour / whyle thou art lyuenge here In charytable dedes / on poore people that fayle Lest after thy partynge / whan thou art layde on bere Thy good superfluous / may lytyll the auayle 600 Prouyde for harde chaunces / whiche after may assayle And make sure prouysion / in moste pleasour and rest For after fayre season / oft falleth sore tempest
Loke alway that thou lyue / constant and ryghtwysly Change nat thy lyuynge / from vertue tyll offence 605 All if thou be tangled / with wretched company But dresse the to suffer / all payne with pacience For tyme: for_bere foles / this counselleth prudence Whan obstynate wretches / by doctryne wyll nat amende Agayne them / is foly: with wordes to contende
610 But euer-more beware / and se thou namely feare That theyr corrupte maners / nat after thy lyuynge Dyspose the / them rather / to suffer and forbeare And parte to conforme the / as asketh theyr dealynge As nowe full of sadnesse / nowe mery communynge 615 Uaryenge thy maners / to place / persone and tyme But alway concludynge / on vertue and nat cryme
Thou seest dyuers wayes / oft leadynge to one place Th'one somtyme opyn / th'other close and shyt The hande is extended / somtyme vnder lyke case 620 And somtyme together / agayne closed is it But one maner of hande / styll it remayneth yet And many other thynges / oft vary of fygure Nat changynge of ma[n]er / in substaunce nor nature
sig: [C1v] Ryght vnder lyke maner / vseth the prudent man 625 Perseuer in his goodnesse / ryght and symplicite But as tyme requyreth / his chere vary he can In fayre moderat wyse / to myrth or grauyte A wyse man nat semeth / lyght as the wynde to be Nowe in and nowe out / in_certayne and vnstable 630 But as the case requyreth / at certayne tyme mouable
Be constant and constable / nat harde and obstynate No wyse man hym sheweth / selfwylled intretable Nor in his opinion / all season indurate A man of suche maners / vnneth is tollerable 635 Thynke nat that all tales / ar iust and veritable But wysely discusse thou / suche thynges as may vary And from the fyrst report / proue afterwarde contrary
Oft is he disceyued / and oft disceyueth he Whiche to fleynge tales / to lyght is of credence 640 The wyse man nat semeth / a dysceyuer to be And to be dysceyued / is sygne of necligence Excluded shulde be bothe / from man of clere prudence O how many prynces / haue fallen to ruyne Whiche wolde to vayne tales / to lyght eares inclyne
645 Oft thynge semed fayned / hath ben certayne and true And thinge true and certayne / semed vntrewe and fayned Whose colour hath caused / ryght many sore to rewe For theyr honour wasted / theyr name and fame distayned Let suche hasty credence / therfore be refrayned 650 And or thou gyue credence / all-thynge wysely discusse Prudence: for thy profyte / the straytly chargeth thus
O how oft hath hyd treuth / and symple veryte Lurked vnder ymage / of falshode nubilate nubilate='clouded' And how oft hath falshode / semynge symplicite 655 Lurked vnder ymage / of tre[u]th so palyate Wherby symplicite / oft-tyme is vyolate Oft lyes ar cloked / aperynge treuth somwhyle And oft symplicite / beleued fraude and gyle
As faynynge flaterer / presenteth outwardly 660 In worde and in vysage / a frendes countenaunce So somtyme a true frende / semeth an enmye Whyle he sharpely blameth the / for mysgouernaunce Yet wolde he by counsell / tyll honour the auaunce Be circumspect and ware / for moche better it is 665 To byde a frendes angre / than a foes kysse
sig: C2 In hyd thynges doutfull / gyue nat sodeyne sentence And certayne Iugement / in thynges incerteyne To callers importune / of wordes be suspence Redoublynge delayes / tyll treuth be tryed playne 670 Better so than Iuge / and than reuoke agayne In sentence remyse / is lesser iniury Than in heedlynge sentence / pronounsed hastely
Whan thou shalte ought do / of vnexpert or newe Fyrste ponder in thy mynde / reuoluynge busely 675 What maner / and how great thynge / may therof ensue Attempt nothynge weyghty / in haste nor sodaynly If thynges may byde / tary / begyn thou nat rasshely For enterpryses rasshe / hasty and repentyne Ar chefe thynges bryngynge / great warkes to ruyne
680 Therfore in all doutes / vse moderate delay And that is to be done / best is / a whyle refrayne Inquerynge and serchynge / with wysdome day by day Tyll by contynuaunce / at last thou be certayne And thynge nat well begon / leaue of lyghtly agayne 685 For better is be counted / somwhat presumptuous Than negligent / obstyngate / wylfull iniurious
Be nat to suspecyous / in all-thynge misdemynge And yf this fonde errour / within thyne hert aryse Constrayne it for to cesse / for to mysdeme all-thynge 690 Thou causest the fautlesse / oft fraudes to deuyse And after thy sore domage / also the to dispyse Thus flye thou suspection / yet gyde the by wysdome To be ware / and puruay / all thynges for to come
Use in thy comunynge / other men to tell 695 What thynges be ryghtwyse / what way is most laudable Them warnynge and mouynge / to good / by thy counsell Or to thyne owne person / se thou be profytable Sekynge the way of trouth / as moche as thou art able Whiche oftyn-tyme is hyd / and nat lyght to dyscerne 700 Thus alway employ the / to teache or els to lerne
To rude and vnlerned / endeuoyre the to shewe With all maner mekenesse / loue and benygnyte Suche thynges moste honest / as they before nat knewe Commaunde to the good maners / suche as belonge to the 705 Commytted to thy cure / but yf thou lyst to be A conforter to mourners / and wretches myserable It is a great vertue / and labour commendable
sig: [C2v] Commende thou in measure / hym whom thou doest beleue Worthy to be praysed / and of lyueng laudable 710 But moche more in measure / and scarsly do repreue Hym / whom thou reputest / by myslyueng culpable Who laudeth ouermoche / though man be commendable He semeth a flaterer / mayntayner of errour And to sore a blamer / is lyke a detractour
715 Preferre thou veryte / and treuth before thy frende Set more by supportyng of treuth / than amyte Kepe treuth in_vyolate / as well in dede as mynde Thy dere frende for_sake thou / rather than veryte Dyscusse or thou promyse / yf tho[u] mayst able be 720 To performe thy promyse / whan ones made is it Endeuoyre to fulfyll / more than thou dyd promyt
Take hede to tyme passed / consyder tyme to come That thou mayst well order / thynge present as it best To thy laude and honour / accordynge to wysdome 725 With dewe aduysement / consyder in thy brest That all thy busynesses / conclude on one thyng honest And what hurt may folowe / or thynges profytable So what-euer folowe / shall be more tollerable
Be nat alway busy / in warkes corporall 730 But somtyme release the / of worldly busynesse Than occupy thy mynde: musyng on thyng morall Whyle thy body resteth / and is at quyetnesse Some pastyme of body / is worse than ydelnesse As tables contynuall / the cardes and the dyse 735 But leaue these and study / frequent and exercyse
Whyle the body pauseth / in study and pastyme Conuenient for myndes / as very gostely fode From mynde is expulsed / blynde mocion to cryme Whyle the mynde is musyng / on thyng honest and good 740 Beware slouth / though labour hath sore chased thy blode Though thou resort to rest / beware of ydelnesse In mynde alway muse thou / on goodly besynesse
Or cast in remembraunce / what labour doth remayne What busynesse resteth / or remayneth behynde 745 For as mannes shadowe / sheweth more clere and playne In stremes nat troubled / by mudde graue[ll] / or wynde mudde grauell] muddell graue 1518 So moste clere parceyueth / a cawme and quyet mynde It hasteth a dullarde / hym mouyng to desyre To do some good labour / whiche vertue doth requyre
sig: C3 750 A quiet mynde seeth / all dull perplexite Determynyng doutes / by wyt and reason clere To lyght warke it turneth / all harde dyfficulte And maketh harde labours / plesant and playne appere Mollifyeng hardnes / lyghtnyng the mynde and chere 755 And brefely / who thynketh all troubles to oppresse Let hym his mynde reduce / to rest and quietnesse
At no tyme it semeth / the mynde of man prudent Unoccupyed to be / solute in ydelnesse solute=relaxed Nor from meditacion / remise / or negligent 760 Though handes be vacant / from worldly busynesse Let other offence / nat moche thy mynde oppresse And greatly regarde nat / anothers negligence But ponder and repent / thyne owne faute and defence
Loue thou alway to lerne / and ponder thou nothynge 765 Of what man thou lernest / do nat the person spare Demaunde nat his maners / so thou mayst haue connynge Ensewe his doctryne / where ought doth swarue beware Of other mennes warkes / to take counseyll haue care And by theyr misfortune: take wysdome and doctryne 770 By small thynge knowen / great dothe escape ruyne
Lerne by small thynges / greatter to prouyde For oftyn by the small / the greatter shalt thou knowe But yf thou lyst intende / youth prudently to gyde Consyder fyrst in age / how nature doth vp growe 775 For after / thoughe maners / oft alter / ebbe and flowe Oft ende and begynnynge / accordeth without fayle None maketh two-hande swerde / of[f] plyant cowes tayle off] oft 1518
To make a streyght Iauelyn / of a crabbed tre Theron must great labour / trauayle / and arte be layde 780 Soone croketh the same tre / that good cramoke wylbe cramoke=crooked stick As a comon prouerbe / in youth I harde this sayde Wherfore ought our iuuent / be prudently conueyde With sharpe byt of reason / refrayned from wylde rage For soner breake than bowe / great trees of long age
785 Whan custome and vse / is tourned to nature And whan yonge myndes / long-tyme rotyd is in vice It is no small labour / to leaue I the ensure Wherfore / begyn tymely / vertue to exercyse And so / still perseuer / excludynge all malyce 790 And to souerayne good / and lyfe perfite contende Remember that all thynges / are praysed at good ende
sig: [C3v] Regarde nat the doer / nor auctour of the dede To say or do lyke hym / for his auctorite But to the thynge it-selfe / with good reason gy[u]e hede 795 If it be laudable / and sounde to honeste Than folowe thou the same / or els se thou it flye Better sue a begger / in good thynge laudable Than baron or burgays / in thynges reprouable
All yf thou please many / though many the commende 800 Stande in thyne owne conceyt / therfore nothyng the more But what men thou pleasest / aduert and well entende If they be laudable / than mayst thou ioye therfore That good men / count the good / be they ryche or poore If yll men commende the / it is nothyng laudable 805 But euident token / thou art to them semblable
Of yll men / it is prayse / dispraysed for to be For playne it apereth / by theyr malice and yre Theyr lyfe and thy lyuynge / in one doth nat agre But ar playne repugnant / as water agayne fyre 810 Requyre thou that connynge / and that knowlege desyre Whiche is nat denyed / to knowlege of mankynde And lerne that is lefull / and profite for mankynde
Nor coueit nought in mynde: in wysshyng secretly But that thou with reason / myght openly desyre 815 It is thyng dishonest / and folysshe certaynly Thynges impossible / to coueit or requyre And than yf they come nat / to bren in wrath and yre Of thynges ouer_hye / se thou alway beware Where vnstable standyng: oft troubleth with great care
820 The toppes of mountayns / with lyghtnyng ar brent More oft than lowe valeys / small stremes ar most pure So hyest degrees / haue troubles and tourment And myndes vnquiete / vexed with dyuers cure Where symple pouertie / is glad quyete and sure 825 Than coueit nat to hye / and to mynde se thou call Moche is to be feared / if thou by fortune fall
He slepeth moste surely / whiche is nerest the grounde But namely in tempest / whan stormy wyndes blowe The formest in batayle: is nerest deedly wounde 830 The grounde is in quiete / whyle sees ebbe and flowe Some troubled with tempest / with wawes hye and lowe But planly for to speke / who wolde assende to hye Is wery of welfare / and seketh mysery
sig: [C4] Who wadeth to power / or clymmeth tyll honour 835 He clymmeth to daunger / as blynde / led by a lyne Of errour / vnto thought / drede / enuy and dolour Hauynge for one pleasour: displeasours .viii. or nyne Honour is a castell / styll manacynge ruyne With smoke / sounde / and perill / hauyng more greuous fall 840 Than a symple lodge / or cottage pastorall
Wherfore on suffysance / set thy pleasour and ioy And coueit nat to clyme / sith lowe rowmes are best But all thy chefe study / labour / and thought employ To come to suche rowme / where thou mayst fynd sure rest 845 Some rowmes to purchace / may be counted honest For honour is dutye / of wyse men and prudent But measure is meane / whiche ought the to content
Whan thou haste suffysaunce / cesse and with_drawe thy hande A man may ouerlade / a myghty stronge camell 850 That vnder suche burthen / he shall nat go nor stande Wherfore / in this matter / do thou by my counseyll Whan thou haste sure substaunce / for lyfe prouyde well By prudence in measure / and nothyng excessyue Than seke that for whose sake / god gaue to the lyfe
855 God gaue the nat thy lyfe / to gather vayne rychesse To wyn nor yet to waste / this treasour transytory But to purchace vertue / fayre maners and goodnesse And by suche meryte / to come to ioy and glory Than serue nat dome ryches / whiche blyndeth þe memory 860 By couetyse to ryches / se thou nat subiect be But vse it in thy lyfe / as subiect vnto the
Lyue thou vpon hyll / as tho[u] wolde lyue in hall What thou woldest nat do / in opyn company That do thou nat alone / note that god seeth all 865 He sytteth and seeth: whan thou art solytary Wherfore in all places / flye euery vilany Of dedes of wordes / of small thoughtes be pure Tyll laudable custome / be tourned to nature
Whan fortune shall flatter / with paynted countenance 870 And shewe then smylyng chere / by faynt prosperite Than specially beware / make surest purueyaunce For next in course / cometh care and aduersyte Note fortune is volage / hauyng no certente Men wyse / counte lowe fortune / more sure and tollerable 875 Than prosperous fortune / vnsure and variable
sig: [C4v] As after harde fortune / succedeth ease agayne After payne is pleasour / who can the same abyde So after great pleasour succedeth wo and peyne As on a slypper grounde / oft man doth fall or slyde 880 So prosperous fortune / is very harde to gyde Seldome where is welth / can vertue long endure Whan man is fortunate / oft loseth he measure
As a shyppe is tossed / and dryuen in tempest Out of course and compase / from place where it shulde be 885 So tossed is reason / from ryghtwyse course and rest By welth in habundaunce / and great prosperite Therfore in cawme season / and sure tranquilyte Apoynt the for tempest / nor wander nat at wyll But drawe the to sure porte / where wyndes are more styll
890 Oft vnder cawme sees / ar perils many one As swalo[u]s / quycksandes / and fordes perylous swalous=gulfs, whirlpools Hyd bankes of grauell / and great rockes of stone So lurketh great da[u]ngers / in fortune prosperous Oft fall sodeyne stormes / and tempest ieoperdous 895 Whyle vnder full sayle / in cawme wynde and plesant The shyppe s[o]rely fleteth / no daunger attendant sorely] sdrely 1518
As the shippe is brused / by course improuydent By suche secrete daungers / in most tranquilyte So Welth / of man causeth / to wander negligent 900 Foreseyng no peryls / nor none aduersyte So great is the blyndnesse / of vayne prosperyte Wherfor man / aduyse the / with wit substancyall In welth to prouyde the / for peryll that may fall
One thretned (as is sayd) halfe-armed is and sure 905 And may make prouysion / his enmy to defy He wyll nat disceyue the / whiche is of that nature With harde crakyng wordes to thretten opynly But rather he warneth / the to be ware therby Fayre wordes vs deceyue / with smylyng countenaunce 910 Suche seke after season / and tyme of vengeaunce
A counterfayted frende / with paynted speche ornate By false fayned fauour / disceyueth worst of all As man taketh poyson / with meates delycate And with drynke delicious / some venym and mortall 915 Ryght so / fortune smylyng / disceyueth vnder pall And many one she greueth / in most prosperyte In whome she had myght / in harde aduersyte
sig: [C5] Seke after company / as moche as thou art able After thy behauour / thy maners and degre 920 Oft study and desyre / vnto thy-selfe semblable If thou suche frequent / thou hast tranquilyte But for lacke of knowlege / yf the fortune to be In company of suche / as ar to the contrary By malyce or enuy / yet do nat shortly vary
925 Perseuer and assay / by long contynuaunce If thou mayst by doctryne / reduce them from malice From beestyall excesse / and wylfull ignoraunce To vertue and lernyng / from disorder and vyce But after long labours / yf suche the dispyse 930 And yf for thy doctryne / displeasour thou doest wyn Than flye and forsake them / enuolued in theyr syn
And rest nat tyll thou fynde / a place where-as is rest For where enuy reygneth / is no tranquylyte By many ignoraunt / one lerned is opprest 935 Proude and blynde ambicyon / gapyng for dig[n]yte Suspecteth a louer / of wylfull pouerte And ydelnesse contemneth / study and diligence For lyke vnto lyke wyll / or ought so / by prudence
What shulde an hardy knyght be felowe tyll a knaue 940 Or with a tryflyng tyncarde / a clerke companyon A mason with masons / moste sure pleasour shall haue A paynter with paynters / is best comparyson And of other craftes / in lyke condicyon A dyamant in donge / is nat fayre to beholde 945 It loseth the beauty / excepte it be in golde
Therfore / nowe concludynge / suche man as thou wylt be Endeuoyre thou thyselfe / with all thy dylygence With suche to resort / to suche drawe thou the Than shall thyne exercyse / haue laude and reuerence 950 Thus haue we discribed / the persone of prudence Nowe wryte we of Iustice / and her gyftes plesant By whome the worlde / in loue / is ioyned constant.
¶Thus endeth the discripcion of the fyrst Cardynall vertue called Prudence: And begynneth to be treated of the Seconde Cardynall vertue named Iustyce.
¶Of Iustyce.
sig: [C5v] IUstice / is a certayne decre / or ordynaunce Ryghtwyse and holy / belongyng to nature 955 Commaundynge man to loue / to profyte / or auaunce To helpe and socour / eche humayne creature This iustyce conioyneth: bondes of loue so sure Bytwene all men mortall / that it onely certayne Doth preserue in order / or kepe lynage humayne
960 Demaunde nat yf that be / thynge of vtylyte Whiche Iustyce commaundeth / for certesse without fable Nothynge it commaundeth / but ryght and equyte What-euer it doth charge / is alway profytable The pryncipall partes / of Iustyce moste laudable 965 Is for to gyue honour / and laudes: as is due Aboue other thynges / vnto our lorde Iesu
Whiche of his great mercy / meke and beneuolent Hath gyuen vs hym-selfe / to be our sauyour And all other thynges / for vs conuenient 970 Wherfore we be boundy[n] / of ryght hym to honour Without comparyson / before all vayne treasour And who that perfytly / fulfylleth nat the same Of a ryghtwyse person / deserueth nat the name
What man wyll enioy name / of a ryghtwyse man 975 Must fyrste loue / and honour: deuout and constantly Our sauyour (as is sayd) as moche as euer he can And so must he loue god / with spyryt feruently That he of goddes loue / agayne may be worthy And dygnely deserue / by fauour to purchace 980 Of our lorde and maker / his mercy and his grace
Thus shall our loue and seruyce / be to god acceptable If we to no person / do wronge nor iniury But be to all people / iust meke / and profytable For so / god to man is / of infynyte mercy 985 Which the sonnes bryghtnesse / to no man doth deny But suffreth it shyne / both on good man and yll Nat yeldynge myslyuers / after theyr frowarde wyll
The duty of one ryghtwyse / that man doth nat fulfyll Whiche is to no person / helpynge nor profytable 990 Though he do to no man hurt / nother good nor yll For vertue requyreth / some warke or dede laudable It is nat contented / man nat to be culpable Of man is requyred / and asked of vertue Both to do good dedes / and all vyces eschewe
sig: [C6] 995 We be nat borne onely / for our pryuate profyte But eche man is bounde / another for to socour For as prudent Plato / playne doth recorde and wryte One man for another / is borne euery hour And tyme to be redy / refusynge no labour 1000 To confort / to counseyll / and socour one another Both true / glad / and redy / as brother vnto brother
Unresonable beastes / oft-tymes do the same Than moche more shuld man: to man be profitable Or els: yf he be nat: he greatly is to blame 1005 That is a foule villayne / and chorle abhomynable Whiche to his owne person / is onely charitable And on his onely profyte / doth onely muse and thynke Carynge for none other / whether they flete or synke
But one maner reason / nor yet one maner way 1010 To helpe one an-other / is nat common to all Eche man hath his maner / and power to puruay And helpe / other nedy / by confort fraternall Some man hath great ryches / he may be lyberall The strong man hath power / weake wretches to defende 1015 The wyse man hath counsyell / that shulde he wysely spende
In redressynge errours / informynge ignorant And openynge the passage / to vertue and goodnesse If thou canst nat socour / with wit / nor myght puyssant At leste-way be redy / to confort with rychesse 1020 Or if thou want ryches / yet mayst thou neuerthelesse Confort the poore carefull / with counseyl or labour By one meane or other / so mayst thou gyue socour
Or yf thou fayle counseyl / or haue no good to spende At least thou hast courage / audacyte and myght 1025 From tyrannes extorcion / good people to defende And to bestowe thy blode / in mayntenaunce of ryght This poynt moste conserueth the person of a knyght For ryght / fayth and Iustice / fatherles / wydowes good For maydes / kynge / and countre / boldly to spend[e] his blode spende] spendy 1518
1030 To dye in suche quarell / is honour fame and glory Suche deth is mort immortall / and entrynge in-to lyfe To hym and his lynage / perpetuall memory Shulde a valyant knyght / for drede of speare or knyfe Lose so great tryumphe / fame and prerogatyfe 1035 Who dare nat for Iustyce / poore / fame / and glory fyght Ought certesse be counted / a cowarde and no knyght
sig: [C6v] Besyde all these poyntes / yet wayes be there mo To socour and to helpe / the sicke / sory and poore As carefull confortynge / them easynge of theyr wo 1040 And whan hurt apperteth / warnynge a man before And some for theyr vyces / blamynge with wordes sore And some fayre exortynge / thus none is excusable Who none of all these hath / is wretched and myserable
But in doynge duytes / or beynge profitable 1045 Moste chefely beholden / due ordre and degre For order obserued / all-thynge is more laudable obserued] obseruetd 1518 More comely and pleasant / that they shulde els be Fyrst do thou thy dutye to god omnypotent Next god: to thy countrey / be trewe and dylygent
1050 To counseyll / to socour / and the same to defende So doynge: thou helpest thy-selfe: ye and all thyne For thy lande and countrey / all these doth comprehende And all these dothe perysshe / if it go to ruyne Than nexte helpe thy chyldren / and other of thy lyne 1055 But namely thy parentes / moste lefe and dere to the Than kynred and louers / eche after theyr degre
And whan thou hast proued / a frende feythfull and stable Whiche harde is to be founde / yet suche one yf thou fynde Also be thou faythfull / sure / and nat varyable 1060 To hym / as to th'one parte / and kepar of thy mynde Nought may be compared / to frende louynge and kynde Thy chefe frende / is Iesu / whiche put forthe his lyfe So wolde nat thy father / sone / doughter / nor thy wyfe
Despyse nat suche frendes / but haue thou moste pyte 1065 Of sicke and aged / or opressed with nede And pouerte: syth suche haue moste necessite Therfore thou shulde namely / them comfort / clothe and fede Thou must amonge these / consyder and take hede If any somtyme flowynge / in welthe and honeste lyfe 1070 Be fall to pouertie / lyuynge in care pensyfe
With thyne owne eyen / beholde suche pytie And in thy proper person / them conforte and restore To theyr olde estate / as moche as is in the Suche as in tyme passed / haue holpen the before 1075 Restore thou them agayne / nat lesse / but rather more For theyr one good dede / with two them recompence This longeth to largesse / and hye magnyfycence
sig: D1 Hesyodus the greke / gaue this commaundement If thou wylt be counted / gentyll and lyberall 1080 Folowe fulsome feldes / abundant of frument Or a soyle wele-bearyng / frutefull and fayre with-all Whiche alway be gentyll / in maner prodigall For one lytell measure of sede / or els twayne To theyr lordes rendryng / a score doubled agayne
1085 Yet resteth one errour / which must be noted here Wherof thou must beware / yf thou be commendable Uncouer nat the churche / therwith to mende the quere Spoyle nat a multytude / of people miserable To one or two persones / for to be profytable 1090 No vertue is lauded / which grounde is on vyce Of thyng stolne / accepteth our lorde no sacryfyce
Prouyde thou in lyke wyse / that whyle thou dost entende Ouer_gentyll lyberall / benygne / courteyse and fre To many men to be / and all thy good thus spende 1095 Lest thy-selfe begge of other / by harde necessyte For often in the worlde / this thyng prouyded we se That whan the prodygall / and waster hath all spent He beggeth or steleth / by wayes fraudulent
Or if he shame to begge / or feare to robbe or steale 1100 Than tourneth he to fraude / and crafty cheuesaunce Of all men borowynge / on suretie / othe / or seale At last / hym with other / so bryngyng to vtteraunce Gyue the nat to rapyne: thyne honour to auaunce Thou shulde nat vyolate iustyce / in any-thyng 1105 Though thou knowe therby / for to be made a kyng
It is nat full ynough / for one louyng iustyce F[a]r from hys mynde to cast / wrong and extorcyon Far] For 1518 But fraude and gyle / must he in lyke maner dispyce Fraude longeth to the foxe / and myght to the lyon 1110 Let bruyt beastes folowe / beastly condycyon Gyle / fraude / nor extorcion / belongeth in no wyse To men louyng vertue / good maners or Iustyce
But among all people / no man is more damnable Than he which resembleth / a shepe forth in the skyn 1115 But by cruell purpose / and maners desceyuable He is in very dede / a ragyng wolfe within A man doth nat onely wrong: iniury / and syn In dedes: But in wordes / is also iniury Accusyng or slaundryng / the gylelesse wrongfully
sig: [D1v] 1120 Therfore refrayne thy-selfe / from wrong in worde and dede And speke that is ryghtwyse / playne trouth and equite In trouth styll defendyng / great is thy laude and mede So that thou nought worshyp / so moche as veryte Nor thynke thou nat / that trouth vyolate may be 1125 But that in lyke maner / both fayth and conscyence With trouth delyted / and suffreth vyolence
In trouth / though to wytnesse / man do nat call our lorde Yet is he defender / of trouth and wyllyngly And thus is he wyt[n]esse: of hys owne accorde wytnesse] wytlesse 1518 1130 So / the trouth dyspysed / our lorde is semblably And if it be laufull / at any tyme to lye Or contrary the trouth / parchaunce it so may be More openly to trye / the trouth and veryte
And he parauenture / is worthy of pardon 1135 Whiche to kepe hys promyse / forbereth to say trouthe As if he constrayned / before to some person To kepe some-thyng secrete / hath bounde hym-self by othe Man to breke his promyse / most comonly is lothe For sure othe and promyse / requyreth great constaunce 1140 And couenauntes requyre / trouth and perseueraunce
I graunt that often-tyme / suche chaunce and tyme may fall That to breake thy promyse / by othe affyrmed stable Is nat to be dampned / nor blamed nought at all But rather aloweth / of wyse men resonable 1145 As thyng promysed / to none is profytable To the lytell auayle / and great dommage to me No syn if suche promyse / nat parfourmed shal be
Theseus shulde haue / desyred that Neptune Wolde haue broken promyse / and made his word vnstable 1150 Whan he with wylde horses / for cause nat oportune Drewe Ipolytus / to deth most myserable Accused of Phedra / and nat beyng culpable As innocent Ioseph / in Egypt was some-tyme Of a quene accused / herselfe in all the cryme
1155 If ought be commytted / to the in pryuete Or in secrete counsell / do nat the same dysclose As thy-selfe wolde haue / one secret vnto the So thy-selfe order / in mynde and tonge purpose Do nat doutfull wordes / within thy mynde compose 1160 Whiche vttred may be cause / of anger or dyscorde But playne common langage frequent at euery Worde
sig: D2 Speke so / that none constre: thy wordes frowardly constre=construe, OED Or if thou haue no cause to speke / than kepe scylence For a chattryng tonge / and bablyng busely 1165 Hath often-tyme raysed / great inconuenience Agayne it-selfe and other / commyttyng great offence By wordes superflue / a fole is knowen playne Where wyse men by reason / theyr tonges can refrayne
If thou haue committed / at any tyme to the 1170 Cure of a common-wele / to chastyce euery vyce Or if thou haue housholde / or meyny in plente Be bolde transgressours / for fautes to chastyce And among them alway / to gyde the by iustyce For it is no praysyng / to be to fauorable 1175 Nor yet to be counted / a tyran intretable
For whyle thou hast tyll one / immoderate pyte By loue or neglygence / or parciall fauour Thou causyst many syn / by wylde audacyte Yet / nought dost thou profyte / that one in his errour 1180 But many dost thou hurte: Thy cause is hard and sour For what many synneth / by thy remyse sufferance Thy-selfe art in faute / and worthy vengeance
And for all theyr fautes / by ryght / art thou culpable And for theyr offences / shalt byde punicion 1185 But heed-offycers / to suche are fauorable Whom they nat wyll chastyce / for theyr transgression Fauour / is a mylde rod of execucion Of lawe / ryght and iustice / some iuges makyng blynde makyng] mankyng 1518 That they seynge iustyce / wyll it nat se nor fynde
1190 Oft iustyce is closed / and captyue in pryson Within thre-folde dores / that no man may her se Mede fauour / and feare / denyeth her raunsom So kepynge her oftyn / styll in captyuyte And oft these by fauour / set her at lyberte 1195 To wander at her wyll / in places reprouable Her eyen blyndfeld: by meanes disceyuable
More playnly to pronounce / lawe hath no lyberte Without mede or money / or fauour parcyall But feare / oft her kepeth / in wrong captyuyte 1200 In-stede of trewe iustyce / these gouerne ouerall For-soth he subuerteth / great cyties pryncipall And companyes of men / which blyndly spareth vyce Nat scourgyng mysdoers / by lawe / ryght and iustyce
sig: [D2v] As he soone subuerteth / olde townes of great name 1205 Whyche opyneth the gates / to foes vyolent And casteth on houses / great fyre lyghtnyng in flame So iuges forgyueng / deserued punysshment Subuerteth great townes / and cyties excellent Suche ought nat be called / prynces nor cytyzens 1210 But most mortall foes: and may[n]teners of syns maynteners] mayteners 1518
Yet is it nat laufull / in payne to passe measure Or rage in punysshment / as tyran intretable Syth frayle vnto trespas / is all humayne nature A fayre mean is measure: in all-thyng commendable 1215 Wherfore in chastysyng / be nat to v[e]ngeable vengeable] vngeable 1518 Unmercyfull and sharpe / as ioynyng in thy rage Of anothers ruyne / confusion and dommage
But punysshe as one pensyfe / nat wyllyng / but dolent As both for to punysshe / constrayned to the same 1220 And sorowe that synners / deserue suche punysshement With so great transgression / hurtyng theyr soule and name If many trespassers / be all as one to blame And in one cause and cryme / be all in_lyke culpable Let nat one eschape the / another byde in stable
1225 Let thou nat one go fre / an-other pay for all Or these lesse trangressour / haue greattest punysshment Murther nat one wretche / of wyt and substance small Promotyng another / strong thefe / more vyolent This is no good iustyce / ryght / lawe / nor iugement 1230 Let one faut or forfayte[ /] haue punysshment semblable forfayte / haue] forfaytethaue 1518 Be egally to all / ryghtwyse / or fauorable
Shewe the nat to some / in maner of a mother To some as a enmy / or foe most vyolent Though thou this day iuge / consyder that a nother 1235 Parchaunce shall to_morowe / syt on thy iugement Endeuoyre the therfore / to be indyfferent Be nat to regorous / nor yet ouer_remys But iuge thou with mercy / lyke as the mater is
Murder nat small theues / lettyng greatter theues go 1240 Without execucyon / for feere / fauor or mede So men say / the spyder / hath custome for to do With her webbes framed / of artyficyall threde To tangell lytell flyes / onely she taketh hede But if theyr come a hornet / a dore or greater flye 1245 They breake the lyght webbes / and so forthe passe they fre
sig: D3 Her webbes dependant / onely inuolueth in The small lyttell flyes / as dayly we may se Whose lyues doth perysshe / with murmur and small dyn Ryght so the symple wretche / lyueng in pouerte 1250 Hath rygour of the lawe / with most extremyte But the ryche tyran offendyng / passeth equyte Fre loused by the lawe / of wrong custume and ryte
O custome execrable / and greuous preiudyce So these thre fell tyrans / feare / money / and fauour 1255 Oft-tymes vse to breake / the balans of iustyce The ryche fyndyng ryghtwyse / to poore gyueng rygour These thre blindeth iustyce / which thyng is great dolour Which causeth poore wretches / theyr wronges to be_wayle Whyle the ryche is correcte / scant with a foxe-tayle
1260 What dyfference bytwene / a great thefe and a small Forsoth no more but this / to speke I dare be bolde The great sytteth on benche / in costly furres of pall The small thefe at barre / standeth tremblyng for colde The great theues are laded / with great chaynes of golde 1265 The small thefe with yron: chayned from all refuge The small thefe is iuged / oft-tyme the great is iuge
If any haue trepased / agayne the wyllyngly Be nat ouer_hasty / by cruell punysshment Let nat the punysshment / excede the iniury 1270 If it be so greuous / it is suffycient But the faut to pardon / if thou can be content Than art thou more ryghtwyse / benygne and charitable And to god thy maker / more dere and acceptable
Mercy maketh mankynde / to his maker most semblable 1275 And also to thy seruauntes / whiche lyueth vnder the Be ryghtwyse and equall / in maner resonable Gyue them theyr dutye / and ryght with all pyte And nought of them requyre / but ryght and equyte Thynke seruauntes be made / our bretherne by nature 1280 Wherfore ryght requyreth / to treat them in measure
And nat without reason / agayne them for to rage Them treatyng as beastes / syth they be men as we If theyr faute be greuous / and done of yll corage Or of froward malyce / cast them away fro the 1285 Or if theyr faute be small / than of them haue pyte Theyr long faythfull seruyce / se thou do nat dyspyse What man is so dyscrete / whyche alway can be wyse
sig: [D3v] But nowe comprehendyng / all Iustyce in one somme And breuely concludyng / the bondes of iustyce 1290 If thou wylt be ryghtwyse / as requyreth wysdome Than must thou thy lyueng / order in this wyse Gyue god laude and glory / and let thyne hart aryse Most cle[r]ely in his loue / contynually brennyng clerely] clefely 1518 Auoyde his displeasour / do after his byddyng
1295 Next to thy neyghbour / or euery chrysten man Do thou no otherwyse / than thou wolde haue gladly Get goodes ryght-wysely / and whan thou hast them: than Loue them nat ouer_moche / but them bestowe wysely To reason of thy soule / make subiecte thy body 1300 Let hym with his lustes: be subiecte seruytour Refrayned from folly / by reason gouernour
Nowe haue we dyscrybed / the bondes of iustyce Moche thyng omittyng / bycause of breuyte Whiche asketh long processe / in meter to compryse 1305 Wherfore / nowe procedyng / endeuoyre vs shall we For to dyscrybe a man / of magnanimite And wryttyng / for to gyue cure / and solycytude To shewe what belongeth / to strenght or fortytude
¶Thus endeth the dyscrypcion of the seconde cardynall Uertue / namyd Iustyce / And begynneth to be treated of the thyrde Cardynall vertue / called fortytude or magnanimite / or strenght of mynde
¶Of magnanimite or strenth of mynde.
THat man ought be counted / of magnanimite 1310 Or of an hyghe mynde / and courage valyant Which in the defendynge / of ryght and honeste Al hardnesse indureth / glad / and with mynde constant Wyllyngly submyttyng / hym-selfe to deth instant Rather than to recule / from the defence of ryght 1315 No cruelte dredyng / of tyran / kyng / nor knyght
sig: [D4] Suche one feareth no man / his mynde so constant is He boldly contemneth deth / and daunger mortall Deuyse the tyran / Nero nor Falary Nor all other tyrans / can hym nought moue at all 1320 He prest is to suffer / what-euer thyng doth fall Bolde mynde is nat moued / by thretnyng nor turment But onely by reason / is moued his intent
Yet a manly courage / desyreth nat rasshely To presume without cause / on doutfull thyng and harde 1325 Howe-be-it euery persone / for most part commonly Wold nat beare gladly / the name of a cowarde No-thyng is more folysshe: than one to ren forwarde To do that with danger / with peryll and distresse Whyche my[g]h[t] without peryll / be done in quyetnesse myght] myche 1518
1330 That man is ouer_mad / founde / and nat worthy rest Whiche being on the see / in caume tranquylyte Desyreth and prayeth: for vyolent tempest For roughe wawes / or fomyng feruour of the se Nat lesse oursene / but moche madder is he oursene=overseen, 'rash' 1335 Whiche may haue his pleasour / and mynde with pacience Yet rennyng to daunger / by hasty vyolence
A tyran presumyng / for to subdue iustyce Inuadyng his countrey / by mad rebellyon Is nat of hye courage / nor valyant in no wyse 1340 But traytour and rayser / in insurreccion A rasshe and bolde brybour / sekyng confusion And whyle in his qu[ar]ell / foles theyr lyues spende quarell] quraell 1518 His lyfe and his purpose / commeth to shamefull ende
Howe may a clerke descrybe: a wretche so pestylent 1345 His mynde hath no mercy / but rasshe audacyte His mad mynde amased / by purpose imprudent Of his natyfe countrey / seketh captyuyte His owne shame and frendes / extreme calamyte Suche ought nat be counted / partyner of fortytude 1350 But tyrannes / traytours / presumptuous and rude traytours] trayterours 1518tyrannes=tyrants, pl.
Nor he is nat manly / nor of an hyghe courage
Which suffreth great labour / and peryll of this lyfe
For his singuler wele / and pryuate auantage
But that man / whiche fighteth / for his countre natyfe
1355 No vyolence doyng / to mayden chylde nor wyfe
Nor ageyn his countrey / nat beyng vyolent
Suche one hath hye courage / and mynde magnificent
sig: [D4v] The mynde hath no praysyng / nor laude worthy doutlesse Nor that dede is counted / of no preemynence 1360 Where iustyce is nat gyde / where wanteth ryghtwysnesse Where helth of our countrey / is voyded from presence And where the common-wele / fyndeth nat sure defence Only a ryghtwyse man / of iust and playne intent Ought to be called stronge / of mynde magnyficent
1365 No man saue a louer / of iust symplycyte Without fraude or faynyng / boldly supportyng ryght Ought for to haue the name / of magnanimite Let nat thyne owne dedes / be plesant in thy syght All if the common fame / them laude with wordes lyght 1370 Consyder wele thy-selfe / if they be without blame Trust more to that tryall / than to the common fame
Let that onely please the / and onely the delyte A man of bolde spyryt / consydereth honeste And in honest dedes / whiche many doth profyte 1375 Them-selfe clere commendyng / hath he felycyte Ryght lytell regardyng / the voyce of commonte He hath no bolde courage / which onely doth depende On mouth of the commons / his dedes to commende
But he is most manly / which in his dedes can 1380 Gyue surely to hym-self / all that he doth requyre Nat caryng the prayses / of woman / chylde or man Who that ouermoche / doth great names desyre Or coueyteth vayne tytyls / of honour to conquyre He shulde nat be counted / a man of grauyte 1385 But a chyldysshe persone: ensuyng vanyte
It namely belongeth / to man of bolde courage All vayne thynges outwarde / to despyse vtterly Countyng all-thyng mundayne / incertayne and volage Which rude common people / most loueth commonly 1390 Thus a valyant mynde / all-way mounteth on hye Despysyng lowe thynges / thyng erthely in no wyse Can content his courage / nor noble mynde suffyse
All erthes contentes / what-euer is here on grounde Is lesse than his courage / nor can nat content 1395 Suche treasour as his eye / beholdeth here abounde Or what-euer he toucheth / is nat suffycient Yet seketh he in mynde / for thyng more excellent Thing endlesse reuoluyng / and castyng in memory Conteynyng these tryfels / of thynges tra[ns]ytory transytory] trauflytory 1518
sig: [D5] 1400 I count hym moche greater / than emperour or kyng Whyche in mynde atteyneth / to thyng celestyall Utterly dyspysyng / caduke and erthly thyng Though he in this worlde / possesse no-thyng at all But on th'other partye / what man wolde great hym call 1405 Whyche onely reuolueth / lowe thyng and transytory Nat lyftynge his reason / from grounde to perelesse glory
What persone wolde deny: but it [were] worthy thyng were] where 1518 And a great mannes dede / by vertue to purchase A great roume or offyce / with emperour or kyng 1410 Than is he moche greater / which hath the gyft of grace With the kyng eternall: to purchase hym a place With angels for to reygne / hye in the heuynly hall Where is endlesse solace / and ioy perpetuall
What man wolde deny hym / both bolde and valyant 1415 Whiche by long siegyng / strenght and audacyte Taketh great Cytyes / wele-peopled and puysant Well stored of ryches / and armour in plente Than moche more valyant / myghty and strong is he Which as an ouercomer / and myghty conquerour 1420 Hath won (by hys merytes the hye and heuenly tour)
No trauayle nor labours / what-so-euer they be Can moue a bolde courage / by fearfull fantasy Thyng laudable to leaue / but that boldly wyll he Perseuer and procede / concludyng fynally 1425 Warkes wele attempted / and fyrst begyn wysely The bolde nought abydeth / tyll all wysely be done For wele he consydreth / that th'ende gyueth corone
And nought can be surely praysed before the ende Therfore he ther-vnto / contendeth constantly 1430 So / be nat thou wery / but busely entende At the heuynly palays / to knocke perseuerantly Than shall the porter opyn / the gates fynally For none he repelleth / which byde knocking with myght Nor none he denyeth / whiche asketh thyng of ryght
1435 Wherfore haue ye done cesse nat / perseuer knocke and stande Remyt nat thyne armes: by knockynge fitigate Abyde[:] for thy meryt / anon is sure at hande Abyde:] Abyde? 1518 Thy rewarde is instant / thou shalt nat be frustrate Before the vyctory / no man is laureate 1440 At endyng shalt thou haue / palme / vyctory: and mede Than hast in thy voyage / perseuer and procede
sig: [D5v] Procede vnto the ende / in stormes and tempest Ron ouer the streames / with sure shyp and constant Thou shalt after trauayle / com to the hauen of rest 1445 And sure port of pleasour / and glory tryumphant Nor thynke nat that the ende / or port is farre dystant Let no suche suspeccion: of long delay the greue The port is oft at hande / long or thou wolde byleue
A great mynde dysdayneth / in bondage for to be 1450 But from all maner vyce / and inconuenience It-selfe it preserueth / at lyberte and fre As sone as fyrst mocyon / of vyle concupiscence Attempteth hym in mynde / for to commyt offence Anone he dysdayneth / suche vyle temptacion 1455 Hys lustes refraynyng / with brydell of reason
The very fyrst mouyng / or temptyng vnto syn He chaseth from his mynde / and doth the same subdue By reason wele nothynge / that if it entred in nothynge=noting, OED And resteth any space / soone after myght ensue 1460 Some pleasour or consent / or dede agayne vertue Therfore he resteth / begynnyng with all myght And alway for gydes / taketh reason and ryght
He suffreth nat vyle lust / nor blynde lascyuyte To subdue his reason / wyt / or intellygence 1465 But boldly he brydleth / all wylde enormyte Moche strongly subduyng / carnall concupyscence For certesse no bondage / nor vyle obedience Is fouler to mankynde / fyrst fourmed resonable Than to be subdued / to vyces detestable
1470 And lye as outlawed / in mynde and in reason Under greuous yoke of vyce / or syn vnkynde His carnall lust raignyng / aboue dyscresion But certaynly there is / no lyberte of mynde Saue where no vyle lustes / nor vyce doth reason bynde 1475 Where no lust oppresseth / the reason in bondage There is trewe lyberte / nat subiect to seruage
A man thus endued / with so great liberte Commendeth no pleasour / vnstable nor volage That only whiche soundeth / to laude and honeste 1480 He prayseth and laudeth / of his most hye courage He forseth nat fauour / of iuuent nor of age But that whiche abydeth iust / and contynuall He laudeth and prayseth / or els nought at all
sig: [D6] A bolde mynde is constant / one maner man alway 1485 Nat shrynkyng for sorowe / nor hard aduersyte But boldely he beareth / troubles of euery fray With stout port and stomake / in maner / as though he Felt none aduersyte / losse / nor necessyte No chaunce can hym chang / so bolde is his courage 1490 Dysdaynyng for to fele / mysfortune or dommage
That bolde worthy courage / which thinketh for to haue His hole treasour in hart / and all his good in mynde And nat in his body / as in a mortall graue Suche one in c[a]rnall troubles / can no dyspleasour fynde carnall] cernall 1518 1495 Nor none aduerse fortune / reputeth he vnkynde These chaungeable chaunces / of mysfortune mundayne Are to hym assured / no dyspleasour nor payne
He onely contayneth / all goodnesse in his mynde Which bereth in hys herte / chryst_Iesu day and nyght 1500 This man hath grauyte / nought can hys reason blynde So chryst hath inclered / hys mynde with inward lyght His countenaunce is one / in euery mannes syght No more faynt nor fearefull / is he / of hys langage In most greuous chaunces / than in chefe auantage
1505 He sheweth no semblance / in worde nor countenaunce Of inwarde dysplesour / his courage is so sure And certesse / it nat semeth / a great man of constaunce To shewe cruell eyen / or loke agayne nature But rather with vysage: and countenaunce demure 1510 These grym thretnyng lokes / betoken no fortytude But rather a proude hert / vnkynde boystuous and rude
The stronge is nat tryed / nor proued by iesture By face nor countenaunce / but one may trye and fynde What man hath hye courage: and boldnes of nature 1515 By hys worthy dedes / and stablenes of mynde Many one is fearfull / and cowarde of his kynde Counterfaytyng outward / a lyons countenaunce Unstable in his dedes / without perseueraunce
If thou be in offyce / or great auctoryte 1520 Be nat more remyse / do nat thy dutye lesse Anenst the common-wele / all yf thou fere to be Soone after deposed / by comons vnkyndnesse The nature of comons: is roted in rudenesse And very hard it is / to please a multytude 1525 Yet for the comon-wele / flye nat sollicitude
sig: [D6v] Leaue thou nat thy countre / whan batayle is instant But boldely prepare the / for it to byde and fyght Extreme nede best proueth / a courage valyant Thou can nat better dye / than fyghtyng for the ryght 1530 Than: nede most requyreth to shewe thy force [and myght] and myght] 1518 omits`and myght' added in 16th c. hand
Thou canst nat be knowen strong / nor of bolde courage Saue in bydyng daunger / and peryll of dammage
¶Howe no couetous wretche can haue the trewe vertu of magnanimite.
¶A wretche / whom the fassion / and hunger execrable Of golde or vyle money / hath blynded in intent 1535 May nat be called great / but small and myserable For though this cursed coyne / small wretches doth tourment Yet can it nat trouble / a mynde magnificent A bolde mynde consydereth it / gotten with great payne Saued or kept with feare / with sorowe lost agayne
1540 No man is more symple / vyle / nor of base courage Nor no mynde more pynched / or drouned in dolour Than he / which of money / is kept vnder bondage Of whom wretched treasour / is lorde and gouernour But that symple persone / is worth a conquerour 1545 Whyche can dyspyse ryches / content with pouerte Couetynge no ryches / nor vayne prosperyte
Suche one / in beholdynge the vayne solicytude Of couetous catyfes / and wretches of the grounde He laugheth vnto scorne / theyr lyfe and maners rude 1550 Aduertyng to what care / and labours they be bounde Which doth all the iugement / of theyr reason confounde Of rest them bereuyng / of treasour whyle they thynke To slepe th[e]y entende nat / nor yet to meat nor drynke they] thy 1518
Thus whyle they get ryches / false / frayle / and fugytyfe 1555 These wretches to them-selfe / than tyrannes more vnkynde Lose rest / fame / and frenshyp: and also the swete lyfe All this / a bolde courage reuolueth oft in mynde Wherfore no suche furour / can his hye reason blynde But if he hath plente / of ryches and treasour 1560 He parteth it a_brode / to nedefull with honour
Unto his poore fryndes / which haue necessite He parteth and spredeth his treasour ioyously Delytyng for to haue / suche possybylyte possybylyte] prossybylyte 1518 To many men to be / socour and subsedy 1565 He studyeth with treasour / eternall blysse to bye And louers in this lyfe / as thyng more commendable Than all Cresus ryches / of golde innumerable
sig: E1 Howe common is the clause / and sentence of Pyrrus Of most famous auctours / counted of dignyte 1570 Whiche vnto the romayns / made noble answere thus Whan they came to hym / with treasour in plente Theyr captyues to redeme / whiche in pryson had he Whyle th'ynbassadours tolde / theyr raunsone in golde Pyrrus thus a[n]swerde / with courage fre and bolde answerde] aswerde 1518
1575 Your golde I demaunde nat / no syluer wyll I fele No gyft shall ye gyue / your treasour I dispyse Contende we with armour / of yren and of stele Nat with golde nor gyftes / as tauerners haue gyse Marchauntes / and other / ensuyng couetyse 1580 I[t] semeth vyle wretches / to handell coyne and golde It] Ic 1518 Bryght armour besemeth / men valyaunt and bolde
For certayne this answere / semed so noble a kyng Of Eacus / worthy to come of hye lynage Of whome this sayd Pyrrus / had his byrth and spryng 1585 This worde / well hym proued: strong and of bolde courage And thou also Curius / both sadde / sober and sage Thy-selfe well declared / of mynde / as strong and bolde Whan the samnytes / presented the with golde
As thou syttyng ydell / was dryeng by the fyre 1590 Small rapes / as man symple / by ryches settyng nought One of the samnytes / subiect to thyne empyre Layd forth goldy gyftes / whiche he had to the brought By sygnes whiche he sawe / reputyng in his thought By suche maner gyftes / the greatly to content 1595 By_cause thou resembled / as poore and indigent
But what answere gaue thou? forsoth a wyse and bolde Saynge / I had leauer thus homely for to dyne In an erthyn platter / than in a dysshe of golde Retourne with thy gyftes / nought I demaunde of thyne 1600 What nede I thy gyftes / sith thou thy-selfe art myne Of gouernours of golde / we wylbe gouernours Rather than of golde: or other vayne treasours
This answere besemed / a mynde magnificent And a man establed / in magnanimite 1605 But agayne retourne we / vnto our fyrst entent A bolde mynde in labour: most diligent must be In thyng of most peryll / and most dyfficulte Where thynges be most hard / there must thou to preuayle Chefely put thy body / to labour and trauayle
sig: [E1v] 1610 Yet though the thyng be nedefull / go nat therto rasshly But before consyder / what way is ryght and sure What reason affermeth / and what it doth deny Attempte nothyng passyng / thy wyt / myght / and nature Nor whose ende and processe / is vnto the obscure 1615 A wyse man by reason / consydereth well this same But foles oft begyn / and leaue agayne with shame
And namly some trustyng / in them-selfe to greatly Begyn oft great thynges / wenyng to wyn them name But whan all theyr purpose / procedeth frowardly 1620 In-stede of commendyng / they get them rebuke and shame Another thyng beware / whiche also wynneth blame So long do nat all-thyng / before prouyde and cast That thou seme to leaue all (as cowarde) at the last
Better dye with honour / than lyue in worldly shame 1625 And leade the lyfe dishonest / and foule / tyll vtter age A bolde noble courage / desyryng worthy name Wolde moche rather dye / than lyue in vyle bondage Contende nat in batayle: if thou be sadde and sage Without nede constrayne the / or harde necessyte 1630 To shede blode is brutall / and beastly cruelte
It semeth nat mankynde / but cruell beastes wode Whiche of noble reason / parteners can nat be To delyte in shedyng / echone of others blode Begyn neuer b[a]tayle / as moche as is in the batayle] betayle 1518 1635 But for to loue peas / concorde / and vnyte And whan peas is compact / and sure confederate Let no fraude nor trayson: nor gyle it vyolate
Nothyng in a great man / can be more commendable Than to spare his foes / brought in obedyence 1640 To great god eternall / this man is most semblable Lesse laude is to subdue / by force and vyolence Than to shewe thyne ennemy / thy mercy and clemence More laude is to pardon / and spare wretches subiect Than proude great rebellers / by batayle to correct
1645 A_monge all the vertues / ascrybed to Cesar This one is renomed / most chefe and pryncypall That he was mercyfull / nat more in peas than warre Sparyng the Cytezins / to hym subiect and thrall All if the bolde lyon / be cruell and brutall 1650 To suche as be prostrate / of nature is he mylde And vnder lyke maner / both to small beast and chylde
sig: E2 Thou shuldest nat contende / nor fyght agaynst thy fo Except thou hast somwhat / playne warned hym before For gyle proueth a mynde / coward and faynt also 1655 A false fearfull hert / by nought is proued more Than fraudfull assautes / and vengeaunce to sore Pursewe non with hatred / with malyce / nor enuy These bynde thyn owne mynde / most streyght in mysery
If any haue greued the / with outher worde or dede 1660 Agaynst ryght or reason / as oftyn-tyme may fall To suche a wretched parsons / lyueng take good hede And count thy-selfe by hym / nothyng greued at all But say thus / as semeth / a man substancyall This man wolde haue hurt me / but god is good and kynde 1665 Nat grauntyng hym power / nor myght after his mynde
Hys mynde was to greue / nowe hath it none effect Unto his owne tourment / nowe tourneth his delyte And more cause haue other / his malyce to suspect And certaynly to slepe / that man hath small respyte 1670 Whiche tourneth and wakeneth / whan euery fley dothe byte Many grefes happen / whom pacyent scilence Moche better subdueth / than open vyolence
For certayne no persone / is greatly hurt in-dede Without he hurt hym-selfe / by faynt though[t]es vnkynde thoughtes] thoughes 1518 1675 Dispyse / though thy body / in dyuers partes blede Without thyne owne consent / no man can greue thy mynde Thy wronges to reuenge / whan thou shalt power fynde Let this full suffice the / to haue thy foe subiect And to haue suche myght / his malyce to correct
1680 Take onely suche power / for vtter punysshment Thou canst nat reuenge thy wronge / in nobler wyse Than whan of thy foes / thou mayst haue thyne intent To pardon theyr trespas / and theyr malyce dispyse Of secrete detractours / ensue thou nat the gyse 1685 Blame thou no man absent / whysperyng secretly If thou haue cause to blame / assayle hym openly
A mynde onely grounded / on ryght and equite And it-selfe perceyuyng ryghtwyse and innocent Of spyryt may beholde / with magnanimyte 1690 These thynges make namely / a mynde magnyficent A pure mynde and symple / a ryght and playne intent With iust faith and lyueng / defyled at no tyme With none enorme maners / nor greuous spot of cryme
sig: [E2v] But vyle and foule synnes: and vyces of lyueng 1695 Maketh man be fearfull / sad: heuy and pensyfe For that wretche suspecteth / and dredeth euery-thyng Whiche is harde oppressed / with his owne synfull lyfe A pure herte and clene mynde / haue this prerogatyfe Neuer to be sluggysshe / by heuy drede or feare 1700 Who is without trespas: what can hym hurt or deare
Or what hath he to drede: no maner thyng be sure What shulde he drede of deth / it is ineuytable The generall dutye: and trybute of nature By whom he hath passage: to lyfe intermynable 1705 What shulde he drede tourment / of tyran intretable Of whom he nat feleth / displeasour / hurt nor grefe Syth our lorde is redy / his woundes to relefe
What mater shulde he drede? what can hym fear or moue Whom no true troubles / nor vyces can oppresse 1710 Whom Chryst his dere mayster / doth both defende and loue Whom the gloryous vyrgyn / eternall empresse Defendeth / and is redy / to helpe in all distresse Whom all heuynly spirites / doth fauour and defende With his foes redy / all season to contende
1715 Who coude in tyme passed / these holy martyrs feare Or moue theyr great constance / from fayth and true beleue They prynces ouercam / but no prynce coude them deare No kyng coude them chaunge / ouercome / nor remeue No tyran nor tourment / coud them in myndes greue 1720 All if theyr frayle bodyes / oft suffred vtter payne Therat / theyr mynde constant / had vtterly disdayne
Accused of peoples / and false rulers were some Some caste to wylde beastes / in peces to be rent But no maner manace / nor peyne coude them ouercome 1725 Weake women / chyldren / olde fathers / and Iuuent Before cruell prouostes / standyng at iugement And with them yonge vyrgyns / seyng theyr woundes blede Of tyrannes nor tourment / had nouther feare nor drede
No bowes nor dartes / nor other lyke armour 1730 Nor bryght swerdes drawen / to theyr deedly tourment No speares nor fyers / kyndled them to deuour No pryson no scourges / no pytche of lothly sent No thretnyng of pryson / nor vtter punysshment No hunger nor thurst: nor feruenty oyle brennyng 1735 Coude moue them to chaunge / theyr fayth nor pure lyueng
sig: E3 No thretnyng nor suffraunce / of waters vyolence Coude chaunge theyr sad purpose / establed by wysdome No gyftes nor treasour / of greatest opulence No promyse of part / of empyre / nor kyngdome 1740 Nor kynges maryage / coude these martyrs ouercome Nor theyr holy purpose moue / nor inclyne to flyght In mynde were they strenghted / so sure with heuenly syght
Nat onely the parentes / sawe theyr chyldren in flame With chere glad and ioconde / in hert and countenaunce 1745 But many theyr owne chyldren / exorted to the same And for no short tourment / to flye from theyr constaunce O meruelous myndes / great perseueraunce The mother hath oft-tymes / with voyce magnificent Exorted her yonge chyldren / to peynes and tourment
1750 The wyfe hath exorted / her husbande in lyke wyse And one brother another / strenghted to martyrdome And for our lordes cause / all tourment to despyse But what man of lernyng / of vertue / or wysdome Wolde say that these martyrs / thus dyeng were ouercome 1755 But rather in the myddes / of all theyr tormentours They stode nat ouercome / but lyker conquerours
The Iuge or tourmentour: by cruell tyranny Myght subdue the body / somtyme vnto tourment But the mynde perseuered: establed constantly 1760 In the fayth and laudes: of god omnypotent. Thus were they by peynes / and mynde magnyfycent And by deth subduers / of theyr owne corps carnall Of tyrans / tormentours: and fendes infarnall
The worlde / and [v]ayne pleasours / subdued they also vayne] bayne 1518 1765 Dispysyng all pleasour / of thynges transytory Than: all these ouercomyng / who loketh clere therto On erth can no man fynde / more worthy vyctory In ouer_commyng erth / they wan eternall glory And where men supposed them / to haue ben ouercome 1770 They ouercam / both men / erth / and the hye kyngdome
For certayne lorde Iesu / who thus may dye for the To hym can nothyng be / of more beatytude Of more parfyte swetnesse / of more felycyte More ioconde / more ioyous / nor yet more gratytude 1775 Alas we blynde wretches / are we nat dull and rude Seyng our redemar / endure for vs suche peyne And no payne nor dolour: to endure for hym agayne
sig: [E3v] Nat onely may we dye: and suffre martyrdome By tourment of tyran / by swerde / water or flame 1780 But lyueng we may dye / if we our-selfe ouercome This vyle corps dispysyng: and lustes of the same Who dyeth with swerde / but ones / hymselfe doth [t]ame tame] rame 1518 By deth / but who tameth his membres corporall Is dayly mortifyed / by deth contynuall
1785 Nor this deth is graunted / nat vnto euery man Whiche coueyte for to dye: for Christ our sauyour Some wold fayne be martyrs / by swerde / but they ne can That is a specyall grace / of our dere redemptour But this sayd other deth / to vanquysshe all errour 1790 To tame this frayle body / and lust to mortyfy To euery-one wyllyng: is graunted commonly
But whom Chryst vouchsaueth / to dye by martyrdome Of tyrannes tourment / no doute is / but he is Next ioyned vnto god / aboue in his kyngdome 1795 In endlesse fruicion / of his eternall blysse And next them innocentes / whiche haue nat done a_mysse But nat without meryte / and endlesse ioy is he Whiche hym-selfe subdueth / by magnanymyte
Wherfore haue done redar / addresse the to vertue 1800 In whose cause and quarell / be bolde to stande and fyght Thy blynde carnall lustes / of frayle membres subdue Be redy for to dye / for Iustyce / treuth and ryght Dispyse all iniury / so semeth Chrystes knyght Subdue this false worlde / it is but vanyte 1805 Than thynke thy-selfe stabled / in magnanymyte
What are these passyons / of troubles transytory But cloudes consumyng / and meanes for to call Man from worldly folyes / to blysse and endlesse glory Make nat double domage / of one displeasour small 1810 Be strong trust no tempest / can last contynuall After sorest stormes / moste clerest ayre we se After aduers fortune / shyneth prosperyte
Who can nat abyde the one / shall nat attayne the other The sour sauce is serued / before meat deynteous 1815 Ioy sauced is / with peyne / remember this my brother Myxt with mysauenture / be chaunces prosperous This lyfe is resembled / a byldyng ruynous Nowe shaked with the wynde / agayne nowe reparate So fareth by troubles[ /] and chaunces fortunate troubles / and] troublesiand 1518
sig: [E4] 1820 The chyldren of Israell / passed fyrste the reed_see And thyrty yere wandred in sauage wyldernesse In lande of promyssion / or they / in rest coude be And long-tyme of batayle / endured harde distresse At last were they stabled / in rest and quyetnesse 1825 So god wyll his seruauntes / here in this lyfe chastyce Before he receyue them / to rest in paradyse
Than haue done / take confort / be of stoute courage Haue hope / that these troubles / are ernest (trust to me) Of solace and confort / in endlesse heritage 1830 Make lyght thyng of labours / by magnanymyte Aduert all-thyng mundayne / hath mutabylyte Saue vertue / well-roted / within a stedfast mynde Nothyng is here constant / all tourneth as the wynde
Nothyng is here constant / nought permanent at all 1835 Euer perylles passed / are pleasour for to tell A man on grounde restyng / can [not] moche lower fall not] 1518 omits Let hope and bolde spyrite / all mysery excell Aduert what is wrytten / playnly in the gospell He must trauers troubles / whiche wyll our lorde ensue 1840 Renounce the frayle worlde / and his owne selfe subdue
¶Our muse hath remayned / ynough as thynketh me In the shape / descrybyng / of stoute perseuerance Or payntyng the pycture / of magnanymyte God gydyng / our style: nowe let vs forth auaunce 1845 To discrybe the vertue / of comely Temperaunce But fauourable redar / thynke nat peyne / but delyte Rede forth / for I promyt / both pleasour and profyte.
¶Thus endeth þe discripcion of þe thyrde Cardynall vertue / named Magnanymyte or fortytude / or strenghte of great mynde: And here-after enseweth the discripcion of the fourth and last Cardynall vertue / called moderacion or Temperaunce.
¶Of Temperaunce.
BEfore haue we treated / of myndes inuyncyble Nowe place / tyme / and purpose exorteth our scripture 1850 In meter for to wryte: as playne as is possyble Of myndes temperate / well-manerde and demure Who brydeleth his lustes / well orderyng his iesture Kepyng comelynesse / in dede / worde and countenaunce Suche one ought be counted / a man of temperaunce
sig: [E4v] 1855 Therfore / that thou mayst be suche one: of gouernaunce By comely temperance / thy dedes to dispose Thy mocyons of mynde / note well in remembraunce Whether they be honest / or nothyng to purpose If they be laudable / than after them compose 1860 Thy maners and lyueng / if thy desyres be Repugnant to reason / than vtterly them fle
Those onely be good desyres / clene and sure Whiche nature requyreth / obeyeng to reason Nat they / whom haute purpose / makyng reason obscure 1865 Desyreth of proude mynde / [a]nd blynde ambicion and] end 1518 One hauyng hy[s] owne selfe: in his possession hys] hym 1518 Hym rulyng by reason / doth nat moche requyre Suche hym-selfe possessyng / nought forther wyll desyre
For moche he nat nedeth / whiche of hym-selfe is lorde 1870 But hym-selfe he counteth / ryches sufficient Who can hym-selfe gouerne / in dede / in thought / and worde Abundantly is euer: great / ryche / and opulent In all nedefull treasour / and neuer indigent What man / wolde afferme / suche one without treasour 1875 Whiche of all his dedes: is lorde and gouernour
Thus euery man may make / hym-selfe full of ryches Replenysshe hym with welth / ioye / and felycyte His owne inwarde gyftes / if he can well possesse Stablyng his desyres / on thyng of honeste 1880 But myserable / carefull / and euer nedy / is he Whiche can nat welde hym-selfe / subduyng all errour With hym-selfe nat content / sekyng outwarde treasour
Whiche thynketh nat ynough / the treasour of his mynde But of outwarde ryches seketh / hym-selfe for to store 1885 For certayne / the ryche / is so gredy and blynde That though he haue plenty / hym-selfe he counteth pore And euermore in mynde / doth coueyt moche more As his coyne increaseth / and treasour temporall. His gredy appetyte / increaseth styll with-all /
1890 Forsoth he possesseth hym-selfe / most parfytely And eche parte to reason / is due obedient Whiche is of hole mynde / beholdyng inwardly All thynges to be sene / to ryght expedy[e]nt expedyent] expedynt 1518 Suche one hym-selfe ruleth / by parfyte Iugement 1895 And is called parfyte / as men hym parfyte call Whiche hath his hole membres / and partes corporall
sig: [E5] But contrary-wyse / this parte to vnderstande That man is nat parfyte / whiche is noselesse or blynde Or wanteth any parte / as arme / legge / fote / or hande 1900 In lyke wyse that person / is nat perfyte of mynde Whiche one thyng parfourmeth / another left behynde Or whose lyght of reason / is drowned in derknesse Or whom sondry errours / inuoluyng doth oppresse
Inough can it nat be / the to defende from yre 1905 And to be subdued / of beastly glotony What vayleth to auoyde / frayle Uenus ragyng fyre And ouercome to be / with malyce and enuy What helpeth pacience / where reygneth lechery Or what helpeth mekenesse / where reygneth couetyse 1910 An hole mynde and parfyte / subdueth euery vyce
And stryueth to vaynquysshe / all errour crymynall From his mynde excludyng / all braunches of myslyueng For this cause ouercome / thy desyre fyrst of all And thy-selfe possesse thou / as was my fyrst byddyng 1915 Than care nat / nor seke nat / for no farther thyng It is nat a tokyn / of man discrete nor wyse To seke outwarde thynges / and inwarde to dispyse
The prudent man spareth / no treasour temporall To dryue from his body / sicknesse / and euery sore 1920 To haue in possession / his lymmes corporall That kepeth good dyete / whan he is hole before Than shuldest thou dispyse / vayne treasour mykell more And all outwarde thynges / vtterly dispyse Thy treasour of vertue / to put in exercyse
1925 Beholde what abusion / subdueth frayle mankynde All seketh for socour / of peynes corporall But veray fewe or none / regarde the soule or mynde Let se / who receyueth with wyll poyson mortall Or in a pyt profounde / wyllyngly wyll fall 1930 But rather / if he take a drynke in_toxicate Soone doth he seke for physyke / and ayde in_[v]estigate in_vestigate] in_bestigate 1518
If any brake his legge / by sodayne aduenture Anon a bonesetter / he hyreth sodaynly Or if his syght hym fayle / or gynne to waxe obscure 1935 Nature hym constrayneth / to seke for remedy But yet shall I touche / one thyng more largely If an asse go lame / men tary nat a weke But streyght to the smyth / for remedy they seke
sig: [E5v] This cure thou committest / for helpe of the body 1940 If disease haue greued / thy reason and thy mynde Why sekest nat socour / for helpe and remedy Namely syth the same / so easy is to fynde Alas man thou slepyst / thy reason is to blynde Thou sholdest of thy mynde / haue moche greater cure 1945 Than of thy frayle body / a sacke of vyle ordure
Howe moche more the mynde / excelleth thy body In noblesse of nature / and emynent valour So moche more thou sholdest / for it fynde remedy Whan it by thy folly: is wounded by errour 1950 Consyder of thy soule / the excellent honour It hath shape and ymage / of god omnypotent Thy body is mortall / as beast / or vyle iument
Than puruey for thy soule / thy vyle body dispyse Why hast thou suche plesour / to lose so great treasour 1955 In so great vayne labours / drownyng thy mynde this wyse It tournyng as a wele / in vyces euery hour And in doutfull domage / inuoluyng and errour What meanest to tourment / it nyght and day in fyre And most feruent flames / of thyne vnclene desyre
1960 Say / what delyte hast thou to lose without profyte Thy dere in_warde iewell / and pryncipall treasour Unkynde is thy pleasour / O vayne is this delyte Unpytefull art thou / and cruell tormentour Whiche / thyn owne proper mynde / thus drownest in errour 1965 If he be moche cruell / Whiche doth his body quell Who kylleth his owne soule / is moche more cruell
Wherfore doest thou contende / t'ynuolue and wrap thy mynde In snares and great nettes / of thought / labour / and peyne From whiche at thy pleasour / thou shalt no meanes fynde 1970 The same to lyberte / for to get forth agayne Beholde it is troubled: wakyng with cures vayne And nyghtly whan nature / demaundeth quyete rest Thy mynde most with cures / is tossed and opprest
As a shyp is tossed / in vehement tempest 1975 So prycked is the mynde / inquyete by furour Thou chasest / it fleyth / in ragyng without rest Thy mynde is myserable / thy-selfe art tourmentour With scourge it persuyng / and lasshyng with rygour As cruel Bellona / the go[d]des of batayle goddes] goodes 1518 1980 So thy wofull mynde / thyne owne selfe dothe assayle
sig: [E6] To lose from thy body / a fote or els an hande Were it nat lesse domage / and losse more tollerable Than to lose that parte / whiche maketh vnderstande And maketh man dyffer / from beast vnresonable 1985 This is our soule or mynde: whiche is incomparable Gyuen vs from heuyn / without whose gouernyng From wylde and bru[t]e beastes / we dyffer lytell thyng brute] brude 1518
But well myght be counted / with them vnresonable O / what hope disceytfull / hast thou both quicke and deade 1990 If thy mynde be from the / sicke / blynde / and inable Whiche both in lyfe and deth / is graunted the to leade Wherfore here what counseyll / of reason doth the reade Fyrst clens all dis[e]ases / out of thy mynde and thought diseases] disases 1618 Than art thou sure and safe / and fayle thou canst nought
1995 Than art thou sounde and hole / than art thou hole perfyte If thy mynde and reason / be pure and without vyce So that thou gyde thy mynde / ryght vnto thy profyte In wayes good and holsome / and ryghtwyse exercyse Than shall it to the do / iust dutye and offyce 2000 But brefely to shewe the / O reder dere and kynde Thynke this is the dutye / of perfyte and hole mynde
An hole mynde and perfyte / desyreth that onely And that onely hopeth / whiche lasteth perdurable Whiche all-tyme doth profyte / the mynde to fortify 2005 And good without measure / or ioye intermynable On the other party / it dredeth payne damnable And all thynges noyeng / with endlesse dolour Wherin none assysteth / with confort nor so[c]our socour] sorour 1518
More brefely to declare / the mynde desyreth blys 2010 And wolde flye that tourment / whiche is interminable With all crafty study / and meanes / glad it is To seke that sure glory / and ioy incomparable Whiche non infyrmyte / to vyolate is able It onely doth sorowe / those losses and domage 2015 Whome no ioy succedeth / nor plesant auauntage
But by whome lyfe endlesse / and soules helth is lost This dredeth an hole mynde / and feareth inwardly In other erthely pleasour / it fareth lyke [an] hoste an] and 1518 A shorte tyme soiournyng / and flyttyng by and by 2020 Thyng erthly and caduke / dispysyng vtterly Than vse the lyke a ghest / take ryches in lyke case As one nat longe wyllyng / to tary in one plase
sig: [E6v] Consyder this moreouer / and stedfastly beleue That temporall treasour / of frayle mundayne richesse 2025 Is nought but a burthen / the soule and mynde to greue And in sondry troubles / blynde wretches to oppresse With thought / labour / sorowe / care and heuynesse Whiche burthen doth outher oppresse / fale thy mynde Or els in thy iourney / hynder the farre behynde
2030 A way-faring parsone / ought gladly to auoyde Both ponderous burthen / and all disease also Wherby in his iourney / he myght soone be accloyde This lyfe is a passage / or way / wherin we go Circundate in compasse / with mysery and wo 2035 But the lyfe ensuyng / is countrey permanent Of rest / ioy / solace / or els endlesse tourment
Thus outher he graunteth / sure rest or exyle If it graunt vs rest / than endlesse ioy is ours Among blyssed lyuers (in this lyfe counted vyle) 2040 Among our forefaders / and olde progenytours Were fylled with gladnesse / and voyde of all dolours We shall all together / haue rest interminable And one lyke fruicion / in blysse in_estimable
But if the lyfe commyng / put vs in banysshment 2045 Than extreme distruccion / shall vs wretches oppresse In endlesse perdicion / fyre: mournyng and tourment And all maner kyndes: of dolour and distresse But suche shall in surete: the lande of lyfe possesse Whiche ruled by the gyft / of hole mynde haue ben fayne 2050 To ryd them from synnes / and vyle pleasours mundayne
But on the other part: suche entreth in exyle Whiche dryuen in errours: to theyr confusyon Coude fynde in theyr hertes / to tourne no tyme nor whyle To vertue and goodnesse / from blynde abusion 2055 The mynde blyndly erreth / as often as reason Nat ruleth / but seyng / clerely what thyng is best The worst it ensueth / by frowardnesse opprest
But ouer-long digression / we make as I suppose The mater requyreth vs / forwarde to auaunce 2060 And brefely to retourne / agayne to our purpose To speke of the vertue / of worthy Temperaunce Of well-ordred maners / and goodly gouernaunce And what order shyneth / and worthy comlynesse Whan men lyst theyr dedes / discretly to redresse
sig: F1 2065 In this thyng our speche / hole wrytyng / and our style Of communicacion / shall hensforth procede As playne as our ingyne / vs graunteth to compyle Wherfore / fyrst and namely / endeuoyre and take hede To kepe comly order / in euery worde and dede 2070 In all dede and duyte / most of effect doutlesse Is to rule thyne actes / in ordred comelynesse
This comelynesse resteth / in dewe conuenience And semely proporcion / orderyng thy dedes all Of whome to reduce the / to clere intelligence 2075 One comelynesse is called / proporcyon specyall Another comelynesse / common and generall The fyrst one belongeth / to mannes owne body The other to behauour / with outward company
¶Of outwarde comelynesse in behauour.
This outwarde comelynesse / commen and generall 2080 Is so sure annexed / to lyfe of honeste That without it / honest / can be nothyng at all So is it aparent / and opyn to the eye Opyn to beholders / both for to heare and se Without this behauour (after my iugement) 2085 No lyfe can seme honest / ryght nor conuenient
This comelynesse called / nought els ought to be But of mennes dedes / a dewe conuenience That is / whan theyr wordes / and warkes wele agre Wele syttyng and semyng: by wysdome and prudence 2090 Nought done without measure / nor without prouydence This wyse vpon prudence / is graunted Temperaunce As next vnto reason / gyde of good gouernaunce
And as forme and beaute / is in the hole body Yet is it nat the body / but ioyned thervnto 2095 Ryght so is comelynesse / conioyned semblably To mannes behauour / the same adornyng so With order / loke: iesture / and cyrcunstances mo That men taketh pleasour / ioy and felycyte Thyng ryght and wele-ordred / so semely for to se
2100 And lyke as the fayrnesse / and corporall beaute Delyteth and moueth / with pleasour to beholde So comelynesse of lyfe / with great felycyte Reioyceth to mannes mynde / moche more a hundred-folde For good men count vertue / more precyous than golde 2105 And wele-ordred maners / surmountyng all rychesse And namely adourned / with plesant comelynesse
sig: [F1v] This common comelynesse / or order generall More playnly appereth / and sheweth more perfyte By the lyght of reason / and in his mynde one shall 2110 More playnly perceyue it / than any pen may wryte Or that man with wordes / is able to resyte Wherfore this omyttyng / let vs our style addresse Compendiously to touche / the seconde comelynesse.
¶Of the seconde comelynesse in behauour.
¶The seconde comelynesse: concernyng honeste 2115 Belongeth to mankynde: in proper gouernaunce To temper his mocyons: that all they wele agre In habyte: voyce / iesture / in loke and countenaunce In shamefastnesse / measure / tyme / place / and cyrcumstaunce So that all thy maners / in worde / loke and iesture 2120 As the tyme requyreth / be ordered by measure
Suche maners shall the make / plesant and acceptable Among common people / haue great laude and fame And before all other / accept and amyable Nor after my counsell / dispyse thou nat the same 2125 Whether a multytude / do the commende or blame The iugement of many / is greuous to dispyse And oft common rumour / is trouth: I the promyse
It nedes must be trewe / Which euery man doth say Therfore / fame dispyse nat / and se that thou attende 2130 Unto the common voyce / of people to obey For he / which his credence / no ferther wyll extende But hym-selfe and actes / all-onely to commende Nat forsyng what other / hym hynder or auaunce Is Iuged nat partlesse: of pryde and arrogaunce
2135 Some maners vncomely / by theyr dyfformyte By theyr yll example / or vnkynde iniury Offendeth mennes myndes / and woundeth as we se Howe vyolent weapyn / oft woundeth the body But suche of vyle maners / are called commonly 2140 Uyle persons vnmanered / and wretches without shame Them hurtyng the body / vnryghtwyse may we name
Nor thynke it nat ynough / nor thyng suffycient All-onely for to kepe / order: and comelynesse Of iesture / of body / as is conuenient 2145 Also thou must study / with gretter busynesse The comelynesse of mynde / inwarde to redresse And inwardly to kepe / that beaute most of all Moche rather than hauour / or iesture corporall
sig: F2 This comelynesse is kept / and good order of mynde 2150 Whan clere reason ruleth / as regent souerayne Or if it be subiecte / agaynst nature and kynde Than soone to his power / it to restore agayne And styll in holy trone / it after to mentayne For where reason ruleth / or is sure reparate 2155 By no lust vncomely / can mynde be vyolate.
¶Of yre to be eschued.
In this part most namely / defende the from foule yre This foule vyce dysfourmeth / both countenance and mynde The tong it distayneth / brynnyng the herte on fyre What canst thou consyder / more lothely in mankynde 2160 Than a wrathfull vysage / ra[gyng]e as tyran blynde? ragynge] raygne 1518 Oft grynnyng / oft gnastyng / and fomyng in furour Or gapyng as a bere / poore wretches to deuour
As a bore assayled / with dogges rounde about Or as a proude palfray / chafed with spur or byt 2165 From theyr mouthes casteth / whyte fomyng stremes out So fareth this blynde wretche / ragyng for want of wyt As redy in his furour / all meschefe to commyt No man wolde suppose hym / a man of wyt laudable But turned to fures / lyke beest vnresonable
2170 And as one furyous / mad / ragynge without mynde He loseth all counsell / and ryght-wyse iugement His reason subdued / his wittes all made blynde And oft he committeth / hasty and vyolent That dede / whiche long after / hym causeth to repent 2175 He sodenly stryketh / with worde or els knyfe And wenyng to correct / depryueth name or lyfe
Than streyght he repenteth / and pensyfe is therfore And without remedy / his wrath turneth to wo For neyther name nor lyfe / can he agayn restore 2180 Thus losyng another / hymselfe is lost also And by his occasy[o]n / oft dyuers other mo occasyon] occasyn 1518 The dere wyfe and chyldren / and oftyn all the kyn Long sorowe and bewayle / one hasty wretches syn.
¶Howe man may refrayne and beware of yre.
This pestylent plage / to vanquysshe or auoyde 2185 Or yre take his entre (consyder wele this clause) That if inflame the / thy reason is accloyed Therfore at begynnyng / resyst a space and pause Wele ponderyng and musyng / what is the ground and cause And whether by rasshe anger / thou remedy mayst fynde 2190 If nat / than refrayne the / and mytygate thy mynde
sig: [F2v] Lyke as wyse warryour / sygneth a sowdyour For enmyes approchyng / to watche and to espy Beholdyng forthe a_far / from wyndowes of a towre So watche thou for wrath / and anger semblably 2195 Consyder his assautes / and wysely put them by Resyst at begynnyng / ponder that pacyence More oftyn preuayleth / than yre and vyolence
As passyng thy lodgyng / prepare the to batayle Drawe nere the thyne armour / as wyse and prouydent 2200 At the fyrst mocyon / whan yre shall the assayle Stande stoutly resyst hym / strongly incontynent Lyke as thou wolde withstande / thy foes vyolent Or as if thou feared / theues approchyng nere Of thy lyfe to reaue the: or thyng to the most dere
2205 But if thou vnwarely / be fallen in-to yre Than suffer nat thy-selfe / therin long to remayne But ryse thou as quyckely / as from a flamyng fyre To fall / lesse rebuke is / so man soone ryse agayne But in the mean season / whyle yre doth the distayne 2210 Take nat rasshe punysshment: of any crat[u]re For yre hath no maner / no mercy nor measure
At all tyme abhor thou / to moche cruelte For great offences / take lytell punysshment Reuenge thy wronges / with mercy and pyte 2215 But namely thou father / be meke and pacyent Anenst thy dere chyldren: and nat to vyolent For small punysshment: doth sore and great appere Of a tender father / agaynst his chyldren dere
Whyle men thynke by rygour / foly to myttygate 2220 Oft-tyme the transgressour / correcte beyonde measure Is proner vnto syn / more harde and obstynate Sith prone vnto mercy / the fourmed hath nature Folowe nat in maners / a beastly creature Blast nat after blode / by cruell vengeance 2225 Thus art thou commaunded / by worthy Temperance.
¶Of to moche bourdyng or sporte to be eschewed.
A nother wylde mocyon / to ragyng yre contrary As dyssolute sportes / and wanton game or play Also must be voyded / as thyng nat necessary Mankynde is nat borne / to sporte and bourde alway 2230 Though lust this requyreth / yet reason wyll say nay Of nature to tryfels / product none of vs be But to sadder pastyme / and worke of grauyte
sig: F3 Be rather in wordes frutefull / and profitable Than iocondly iestynge / with worde of wantonnesse 2235 Men iugeth the lycour / to the vessell semblable And oft-tyme the wordes / doth mannes thought expresse Use syldom-tyme bourdes / but often vse sadnesse Yet temperance chargeth nat / sportes to refuse But in tyme and measure / all thynges for to vse
2240 Neyther it semeth / to vse the in that wyse That all men forsake the / for solem grauyte Nor to be so wanton / that all men the dispyse For companable sportes / and famyliaryte Seke nat to get glory / nor laudes vnto the 2245 Of a common iester / or bourder hauyng name Thou countest this worshyp / but certesse it is shame
Lyke as it is lefull / to people fatygate And wery with labour / theyr bodyes to comfort And some-tyme them restyng / theyr strenght to recreate 2250 Ryght so is it lefull / to bourdes to resorte And somtyme the spyrytes: to recreate with sporte But mengle so in measure / myrth and iocundyte That men nat repute the / forgottyn grauyte
Use myrth with good maners / and moderate measure 2255 With honest shamefastnesse / and nat outragyous Or els in suche wordes / of myrth thy-selfe inure Wherby thou mayst appere / quicke and ingenyous Nat ragyng in iestes / as rybalde vyllanous But whan thou seest season / and felowes lyke to the 2260 Than season thy bourdes / with prudent grauyte
And vnder iocunde iestes / close wysdom and substance Nat gyglyng nor laughyng / for others vayne pleasour As the tyme requyreth / after thy countenance And after thy matter / nat to wanton nor soure 2265 Exalt nat thy wordes / in dissolute clamour Nor in speche superflue / in going and iesture Be nat rasshe nor hasty / but sober and demure
Hurt no maner persone / with thy iestyng wordes Gyueng them occasyon / of anger or sadnesse 2270 Auoyde of all checkes / se that thou vse thy bourdes To moue one to malyce / another to gladnesse It ought nat be lauded / but reproued doublenesse Thoughe many by thy myrth / be iocunde in an hall One checked and hasty / soone trouble may them all
sig: [F3v] 2275 And brefely suche bourdes: are lytell of valure Whiche purchase dyspleasour of any creature In causyng one to laugh / a nother for to loure Nor no man forbyddeth / our wrytyng or scripture To laugh / so it be done / in maner and measure 2280 But comelynesse of chere / and shape of countenance By laughyng superflue / is greued of semblance
¶Of ouer_moche laughyng to be forborne
Ouer_moche laughyng / is foule and dishonest Unto the face and fygure / nat smal dyfformyte One alway loude laughyng / at euery toy and iest 2285 Maketh his hyd folly / playne euydent to be One euery-where laughyng / as is a chylde to se Loude gyglyng and laughyng / is but a folysshe sygne And euydent token / of maners femenyne
Gryn nat in derysion / with fayned countenance 2290 A fayre iocunde smylyng / is counted commendable Who laugheth at myschefe / therin hauyng plesance Of hatred / is worthy / as leude and reprouable To laugh at vyce commytted: is greuous and damnable As theft or auoutry / or others losse or grefe 2295 Suche seme by theyr laughyng / menteners of myschefe.
¶Of ouer-moche and dishonest play to be eschued.
Flye gamnynge and playes / as rote of sondry cryme gamnyng=gaming, OED And most namely suche / where lucre is damnable Or where losse ensueth / of goodes name and tyme And falshod commytted / by meanes dysceyuable 2300 Where is murder / periury / and othes abhomynable And other his conclusyon / theft / stryfe / and beggery Or goodes falsly gotten / by fraude and trechery
Of fresshe lusty iuuent / yf thou be in the flour Than get the to sportes / as is to the semyng 2305 Thy strenght to exercyse / in pastyme of labour But vse must thou measure / and order in all-thyng With tyme and company / as semeth best syttyng Obserue these circumstances / and gamnyng is laudable Or els it is folly / and thyng vytuperable
2310 Age neuer sawe I play / and without losse of tyme For gamnyng and age / doth very yll agre A small faute to youth / in age is greuous cryme None olde man can play / and kepe his grauyte Of deth the remembraunce / his gamnyng ought to be 2315 It is a fonde fury / and very blynde dotage To haue chyldysshe pleasour / in colde decrepyte age
sig: [F4] Age wyse and great player / neuer sawe I in my lyue Nor a yonge man gyuen / to greatly vnto play Whiche in tyme to come / was lykely for to thryue 2320 Or come to great honour / but rather soone decay Wherfore youth refrayne the / consyder this alway Wele mayst thou recouer / ryches and honeste But tyme past and mispent / reuoked can nat be
Of wyse men and lerned / frequent the company 2325 Whan thou art dysposed / thy mynde to recreat After wery watchyng / and labour of study Of suche company / if thou be clene pryuate Muse than on some pleasour / nat hurtyng thyne estate Medytacyon augmenteth / the wyttes semblably 2330 And quickeneth / as walkyng doth comforte the body
¶Of lust of Uenus to be refrayned.
Be nat beastly redy / thy lustes to fulfyll Let Uenus fell brydell / her pleasours to refrayne For if thy carnall desyre / a_brode wander at wyll Thy foule name and body / it greatly shall distayne 2335 Who to moche on Uenus / fixeth his mynde and brayne Or leaneth to his belly / is beastly of nature Of man onely bearyng / the name / shape / and fygure
Nought lykeneth more mankynd / to [beast] vnresonable beast] passe 1518 Than glotony and slouth / and lust without reason 2340 These thre confederate / in workyng agreable To vertuous maners / are venemous poyson Both wyt and dyscresyon / kepyng in dongion And who that perseuereth in any of these same He loseth / soule / body / lyfe / ryches / and good name
¶What remedyes are agaynst body-lust.
2345 Who wolde of vyle Uenus / alay the feruent flame Or quenche in his body / the nutryment of lustes Must take a_way / the fyry brondes from the same Remembryng it shall tourne / to caryon and dust Nought kyndlyng for this flame / in mynde reuolue he must 2350 And sobernesse obserued / he must auoyde excesse Nought kyndleth more Cupide / than beastly dronkenesse
Whan fayre flateryng Cupyde / shall the with dart assayle Abyde nat the byckeryng / stand nat to stryue and fyght It is a stryfe doutfull / and daungerous batayle 2355 And most for a vantage / it is to take thy flyght Auoyde place and presence / flye wordes flye the syght Flye bedde / borde / and chamber / trust nat to thy wysdome Els art thou made subiecte / and wrechedly ouercome
sig: [F4v] Nor be thou nat in purpose: to proue or to assay 2360 Howe thou canst in chastyte / and sobernesse abyde Whan the table charged / and Thays decked gay To tempe and prouoke the: be redy by thy syde tempe=tempt, OED But flye and withdrawe the / beware and stande a_wyde Conioyne nat fyre to flaxe / the one hote / the other dry 2365 It harde is to kepe both / flamyng sodaynly
That thou mayst ouercome: the vyces beastyall Fyght with them aloufe / and neuer approche nye Of the sorte of Thays / suffer thou none at all In the house to entre / farre flye theyr company 2370 The gorgious dispysyng / regard nat vtterly Theyr peakes nor pappes / theyr glystryng paynted skyn Aduyse nat / for these are / hyd snares vnto syn
Theyr false hear inuolued / in nettes intrycate Theyr brestes vnbrased / theyr smerkyng paynted chyn 2375 Of iouth and confusyon / and the fyndes bayte From god to Lucifer / yonge people for to wyn Therfore barre thy gates / let none of them come in A_voyde them as fures / yssued out of hell It is extreme peryll / with any of them to mell
2380 For if they ones entre / and ones thy hert inflame Beleue / they departe nat (so come they for the nones) Tyll they haue ouercome the / to thy rebuke and shame And tyll thou be spoyled / and gnawen to the bones Therfore flye theyr clawes / fly and a_voyde at ones 2385 For it is but folly / to trust thy wyt and myght For here-in is gotten / sure vyctory by flyght
And that is more wonder / and moche more maruayle The palme here is gyuen / to suche as wyll nat fyght But flyeth in all haste / and wyll nat abyde batayle 2390 Resemblyng a cowarde / and auoydyng out of syght Trust nat thy wysdom: thy grauyte nor myght These femenyne flateryng / and wepyng faynedly Subdueth all constance / and myght they mollefy.
¶Of meanes to redeme þe from bondage of Uenus.
If thou to vyle Uenus / or blynde Cupyde volage 2395 Be led as subget / bounde in captyuyte For as small as thou can / thy-selfe ryd of bondage Hast the by some trayne / out of pryson to be Sone fyle of thy fetters / get the to lyberte If small thynges helpe nat / no peryll se thou spare 2400 Use vyolence or strenght / to breake thy deedly snare
sig: [F5] Shake of thy color / from thy necke miserable In tary is no trust / but ioperdy mortall As olde roted sores / appereth incurable So is it harde to flye / olde lust veneryall 2405 Who flattereth blynde Uenus / hath most bondage of all And whyle man prolongeth / to leaue his wylde desyre Hym Uenus most flameth / with feruenty deedly fyre
Syth thou art man fourmed / to goddes owne ymage Preserue goddes fygure / from beestly vylany 2410 Folowe nat thy lustes / as rennyng in outrage But from carnall pleasoure / a_voyde the vtterly Remembre thou nat canst / offende so secretly But that thyne owne person / is wytnesse present there Than why shuld þu other more / than thyne own self fere
2415 Thou woldest nat offende / before a kyng present Nor any other persone / whiche loueth honeste Than art thou nat aferde / of god omnypotent So foule dede to commytte / before his mageste? Doest thou nat consyder / that god all-thyng doth se? 2420 Alas / whether wylt thou flye / to perfourme thy lust But god there is present / and se the nedes must
Flye vp to the cloudes / or hyde the in the grounde Inclose the in tauernes / or place inuestygable In heuyn / hell / and erthe / or in the see profounde 2425 Our lorde all beholdeth / O catyfe myserable Consyder this in mynde / and lyue as resonable If thou woldest abasshe / before a lorde or knyght Than feare thou more greatly / to syn in goddes syght
Wherfore / syth our lorde / doth euery-thyng espye 2430 And sercheth the secretes / of thyne herte and mynde Order and dyspose wele / thy maners inwardly And thyne inwarde mocyons / in comely order bynde And though they be secret / yet leaue them nat behynde For though none perceyue them / þat thyng forceth but small 2435 Syth thyne owyn conscience / and god beholdeth all
Thoughe vyle lust of Uenus / in all men be damnable Yet is it most lothsome / and vyle in croked age In age can no-thynge / be more foule and reprouable Nor thyng more resemblyng / to frensy or rage 2440 For this thyng belongeth / to fathers olde and sage By theyr good example / to gouerne wylde iuuent And nat to enduce them / to worke insolent
sig: [F5v] And so beholde men aged / in communycacion Before youth be[h]aue them / fyled with none offence behaue] begaue 1518 2445 That theyr good example / of conuersacyon May reduce frayle iuuent / to vertue and prudence Wherby they may tyll age / haue greatter reuerence For suche good example / and hauour commendable In olde tyme men aged: were greatly honorable
2450 And for suche example / sad fathers auncyent Were honoured of fathers / more yonge of theyr lynage Ageyne this belongeth / to duty of iuuent To worshyp and honour / olde fathers sad and sage To susteyne and confort / theyr lyfe and feble age 2455 To gyde and assyst them / in chyrche / way and strete Gyueng them stede and seruyce: where-euer they them mete
And Whether courte or ma[r]ket / requyre / or solem day market] maket 1518 This longeth to dutye / of yonge men commendable To folowe sage fathers: and cleue to them alway 2460 With trusty attendance / and waytyng seruyable Of whom youth shall desyre / sad doctryne profytable To knowe whose example / them semeth to ensue Whose iesture to folowe / and whose they shulde exchue
For trouthe a great token / is in hym of vertue 2465 Whiche glad is with seruyce / to honour feble age For his good example / shall many mo ensue And honour shall he haue / after of his lynage But one yonge dispysyng / olde faders sad and sage Is lykely in his age / to be of small valour 2470 And nat worthy seruyce / loue / worshyp / nor honour.
¶Of temperance to yonge men belongyng
¶Yonge men shulde dyspose them / alway to busynesse And laudable labour refusyng for no payne And therin them custome / auoydyng ydelnesse From excesse of wynes / they must them-selfe abstayne 2475 And vyle lust of Uenus / by sobernesse refrayne For ydell youth disposed / to beastly glotony Ren heedlyng to ryot / vyle lust and lechery
Therfore ought theyr meates / be common and homely Nat ouer_aboundant / costly nor deynteous 2480 To content theyr body / and nat for glotony Serue thou nat iuuent / with dysshes sumptuous From the costly kychen / of tast delycyous Small thyng pleaseth nature / let them content þe wombe With scarce meat in measure / of poore kychen at home
sig: [F6] 2485 Conforted is nature / by meates in measure Mannes lyfe is lengthed / by dyete temperate By meates immoderate / confounded is nature Complection corrupt / and lyfe is breuyate The clere wyt obscured / and reason vyolate 2490 And with sluggysshe slouth / the body hole opprest For whan belly full is / the bones wolde haue rest
Thus temperate dyet / labour and exercyse Belongeth vnto youth / to bate theyr hye courage And withdrawe theyr myndes / from leude pleasour of vyce 2495 In lykewyse is labour / belongyng vnto age It semeth nat olde men / them-selfe reputyng sage To gyue them vnto slouth / what wyse man can deny But that to many thynges / men aged may apply
After they at mornyng / at sonnes fyrst rysyng 2500 Haue serued deuoutly / our maker fyrst of all Than may they wryte or rede / or do some other thyng Of lyght easy labour / as beest doth them befall But chyldren ought to lerne / and rulers on them call To close in theyr myndes / lernyng as chefe treasour 2505 For youth soone is moued / to burthyn of labour
Soone is youth compelled / the yoke strongly to bere Therfore let them lerne / and render busely And as for this matter / haue thou no care nor fere All if they conceyue nat / eche sentence parfytly 2510 Though they dyuers bokes / can render by and by For sede is nat sowyn / into the grounde in vayne Though it spryng nat vp / incontynent agayne
For it certayne season / is hyd within the grounde Dyfferryng for to spryng / yet ryseth it at last 2515 But in the mean season / it resteth and is bounde Norysshed in the grounde / and rotyng it-selfe fast As in the mothers wombe / but whan that tyme is past And it hath receyued / hyd / nutryment / and strenght To hundredfolde fruyte / it spryngeth at the length
2520 So vnder lyke maner / a chylde tender and mylde What thyng he hath lerned / in his frayle tender age Shall fynde therof the fruyt / whan he passed chylde And come to mannes estate / with double auauntage Therfore fyrst recorde thou / as byrde within a cage 2525 In thy ioyous iuuent / thy tunes tempryng long And than at mannes estate / forth-with thy plesant song
sig: [F6v] Be comely in clothyng / as semeth thy degre Mete vnto grauyte / to wysdom and sadnesse Flye pompe apparayle / lyst outwarde vanyte 2530 Myght shewe thy hyd thoughtes / and inwarde folysshnesse For oft proude apparayle / doth opynly expresse Lyght maners mysordred / hyd in the mynde within As inwarde complexyon / appereth in the skyn
A reed byle or blyster / apperyng outwardly 2535 Is token that yll blode: corrupt and putryfyed Is closed in the flesshe: or vaynes inwardly Ryght so / by the clothyng / yll maners are espyed Suche euydent signes / are harde to be denyed Thus dyssolute clothyng: wanton / and varyable 2540 Declareth wylde maners / and rasshe myndes vnstable
Suche wanton apparayle: and dysgysyng delicate Belongeth to women / lyght / volage / and vnstable And moche it repugneth / to mannes sad estate Yet is it in woman / nat greatly commendable 2545 Saue onely that foles / reioyce in theyr bable And frayle creatours / of reason vnparfyte In outward dysgysyng / haue specyall delyte
Wherfore / if suche pleasours of pompose vanyte Come to the by fortune / do nat to them apply 2550 If fortune deny them / as contrary to the Than lykewyse dispyse them / nor seke them nat greatly A man ought to count it / indigne / and vnsemely To cloth hym repugnant / to custome of nature In womans apparayle / or femenine vesture
2555 Suche maner is worthy / scorne and dyrysion What is more vncomely: repugnant to nature Than man to leade his lyfe / in frayle condicion Under fonde dysgysyng / of femynyne vesture But yet in thy clothyng / be nat vyle and impure 2560 Lest some man repute the / a rude rurall vylayne From excesse and contempte / in lyke maner abstayne
Go neyther in clothyng / to wanton nor to vyle In all thyngys measure / is counted commendable Though nedy pouerte / all welth from the exyle 2565 Yet go clene and clenly / as moche as thou art able For though thou be poore / yet honeste laudable Wyll that thy poore clothyng / be nat fylthy / but clene By poore clene apparayle / god lyfe is outwarde sene
sig: G1 But thoughe I forbyd / the proude curiosyte 2570 Yet do I nat counseyll / nor moueth to rudenesse But measure I commende / whiche kepeth honeste Bytwene tender clothyng / and rygour or hardnesse Penury nat prayse I / nor yet commende excesse Extremyte in all thynge / is very yll-syttyng 2575 But meane and measure / is lauded in all-thyng.
¶Of temperaunce / in lyueng and dyet to be obserued.
¶Content the with measure / of dyet at thy table Nor seke nat for meates / costly nor exquysyte Prepare nat by connyng / swete-meates varyable To slake thyrst and hunger: haue onely thy delyte 2580 Let fode be sufficient / to slake thyne appetyte Garnysshe nat thy borde: for lust and glotony But onely for nature / and nede of thy body
Let hunger be thy sauce / thy meates to season Prouoke thyne appetyte / by holsome abstynence 2585 Care nat if thy dysshes: or meates be gheason Where one dysshe suffiseth / can be none indygence Inough is a banket / and plesaunt opulence By sauour of sauces: the stomake to excyte Is sygne of glotony / and bestyall delyte
2590 Reken nat thy dysshes / but holsome meat desyre Content the with dyet / of fathers auncient Whiche whylom were called / from plough tyll an empyre To rule all the worlde / for lyueng excellent Colde fruytes for theyr fode / thought they sufficient 2595 Than what pleasour hast thou / so costely to procure So deynteous disshes / of them to make ordure
Thynke it nat great glory / to get thy-selfe a name By smokyng of kechyns / lyke as the smoke doth waste So lyghtly with the smoke / doth vanysshe suche fame 2600 And thy laude forgotten / whan hungre is ones paste Whyle the ryche is replete / vnethes at the laste Is one symple morsell / set to the wretched pore Whiche in colde and hungre / forth standeth at the dore
Say what is thy glory / for meates this-wyse spent 2605 It is for vayne-glory / thy meryt is ryght small If thou wylt make feastes / for god omnypotent Than fede goddes seruauntes / pore people fyrst of all Herin is sure meryte / and laudes specyall And ryght path dyrectyng / to laude and ioye endlesse 2610 Wherfore thus behaue the / or vse thou sobernesse
sig: [G1v] Of all thynges beware / of beastyall dronknesse For it man defyleth / with most deformyte And doth nat for the tyme / moche differ from madnesse Whan it is inflamed / to rasshe audacyte 2615 By madnesse it kyndleth / all vyle enormyte It discloseth counseyll / and casteth to the grounde Most famous olde Cyties / the fame doth it confounde
It febleth the body / abrydgyng mannes lyfe It moueth debates / and kyndleth lechery 2620 Thousandes it murdreth / without wepen or knyfe It breaketh louedayes / and causeth robbery The wyt it confoundeth / with hasty frenesy Whan these vyle dronkardes / are ingorged as swyne What seke they but braulyng / lust murder and rapyne
2625 No counseyll nor conforte / no grauyte / no grace None order / no maners / no lawe / nor honeste No welth / strenght / nor ryches / can rest wher it hath place But all it confoundeth / by bestialyte Reioysyng in mischefe / and all iniquyte 2630 Alas wretched dronkarde / aduert thy beastly syn Consyder in what state / and blyndnesse thou art in
Whyle thou wastest drynkes / the drynkes wasteth the Whyle thou wyne consumest / by lust insaciable Thy-selfe art consumed / in thyne enormyte 2635 Before our lorde art thou / counted abhomynable Of angels dispysed / as beast vnresonable Of men art thou scorned / and hated of most parte And of all vertues: playne destytute thou arte
The fendes infarnall / also doth the confounde 2640 Thy reason is blynded: and drowned in ordure And as a wytlesse beast / all tredde the to the grounde Alas / grace thou losest / and confoundest nature Fynally / abhorred / of eu[e]ry creature euery] eurry 1518 In blasphemyng othes / is thy delectacion 2645 And headly[n]g thou rennest / vnto damnacion headlyng] headlyg 1518
Wherfore this consyder / and ponder in thy mynde What mo dyuers peryls / procedeth of dronknesse In boundes of measure / therfore thy lyueng bynde And purchace the vertue / of holsome sobrenesse 2650 But though I gyue counseyll / to flye and voyde excesse Yet gyue I nat counseyll / to be so scarse and harde That men may repute the / a couetous nygarde
sig: G2 And vse in all places / of thy maners to bable So that thy lyueng / to strayt in nygardnesse 2655 Among common people / be as a common fable Also in small thynges / vse nat so great hardnesse That no place be graunted / to pleasour and gladnesse Fyxe thou no lawes / bytwene other and the But that somtyme gladnesse / may confort grauyte
2660 For ofte of small thynges / cometh great dyshonour Yet suche a small tryfell / grounde of dyshoneste Is of lytell substance / pleasour / or valour And playne of no profyte / nor yet commodyte Therfore / I counseyl suche nygardyse to flye 2665 And solem countenaunce / one peny with gladnesse Somtyme is better spent / than horded great rychesse
But though many poyntes / belong to comelynesse Yet / this is the chefest / and most especyall Our maners to vary / and dedes to redresse 2670 To tyme / place / and causes / accordyng as they fall One selfe thynge is nat done / honest / in tymes all Our dedes must alter / and vary / be thou sure As monstrous protheous / ofte varyed fygure
Suche thyng as besemed / yonge Iuuent and volage 2675 Or thynges of a chylde / commended as well done These can nat be comely / besemyng man of age For tyme / place / age / office / roume / and condycion Deuydeth and varyeth / all thynges vp-set-downe That suche thyng semed / erst / honest and laudable 2680 Nowe semeth dishonest / vyle / and incommendable
Suche thynges as thou dyd / beyng of symple name Without roume or office / lauded in dyuers wyse Whan thou art in office / thou must vary the same And of thyne olde maners / the greatest parte dispyse 2685 In court or in Cytie / thou must nat vse that gyse In roughe speche and cruell / whiche thou had in batayle There / rygour auaunced / here mekenesse doth preuayle
If thou waxing aged / vse youthes busynesse Knowe thou for certayne / thou passest thy nature 2690 Thy dutye and boundes / excedest thou doutlesse As an erryng dotarde / of chyldysshe wyt obscure For if thy feble age / in chyldysshe lyfe endure And alter nat maners / from wylde to grauyte Thyne age as a monster / all people ought to flye
sig: [G2v] 2695 Whan thou wast a yonge man / thy specyall desyre Was to lyue tyll age / but whan thy-selfe art olde A newe maner a lyfe / thou nedes must requyre Where thou in youth lyued / rasshe / negligent: and bolde A_gayne age requyreth / wyse maners / sad and colde 2700 And olde men and chyldysshe / of maners ought certayne Be scorned as he lay / in cradell newe agayne
¶Howe prestes ought to differ from o[th]er
other] ohter 1518
/ in maners / as they differ in vesture.
Consyder / O preste sacred / to god omnypotent Thy gowne and thy clothyng / thy name and dignite These are to lay-people / moche greatly dyfferent 2705 So moche let thy maners / from lay-men disagre Howe moche more thou passyst / in great auctorite In myter or order / in office or prebende So moche loke in vertue / and maners to ascende
And as thou procedest / as regent honorable 2710 In vertue and maners / lykewyse be president And though none about the / to the be comparable Yet be thou nat more proude / more haute or negligent Nor trust nat more greatly / to thyne owne iugement But do in due order: what longeth vnto the 2715 Nat folowyng the lyfe: nor sect of commonte
If thou be made lyon / take maners of lyon I meane yf men set the: in rowme and dignyte Use Iustyce with mercy / lawe with compassion Of maners lyke a mouse / no longer mayst thou be 2720 Clere eyes of an egle / whan Chryst shall graunt to the Than clerely loke vpwarde / and lyue as thou art bounde And be nat as a mole / styll dyggyng in the grounde
Whan thou were a knyght / or a stouborne soudiour The wepyns of warfare / were plesaunt vnto the 2725 But nowe / thou Chrystes knyght / thy weapyn and armour The crosse of Chryst_Iesu / of duety ought to be Whan thou of phisicion / vsed the faculte Thou cured sicke bodies / of sores corporall Thou nowe made a pastour / cure sore spirituall
2730 Gyue nowe to poore languent / spirituall medycyne And watche well thy foldes / as ought a good pastour A pastour well watcheth / by nyght / dredyng rapyne Lest vyolent wolues / myght his weake shepe deuour It can nat be ynough / for meryte and honour 2735 Thyne owne pryuate parsone / in sauegarde for to kepe Thou must in lyke maner / preserue thy flocke and shepe
sig: G3 But who that his owne lyfe / in maner doth dispyse And also his pore flocke / exposeth to deuour Nought caryng for the same / nor hym-selfe in lyke wyse 2740 Is nat to be called / a heerd but rauynour And ought to be moued / from rowme of gouernour Many be whiche count them / heerdes without blame Whiche rather bee wolues: vnworthy theyr fyrst name
For nouther haue they thought / on theyr pore hungry shepe 2745 Or all if they cared them / both to gyde and fede They haue nat the connyng / nor wayes them to kepe To cure of theyr sores / thus can they nat take hede But this nat-withstandyng / yet loke they for theyr mede Theyr duty they chalenge / and neuer are content 2750 Though they in theyr duety / be [euer] neglygent euer] neuer 1518
And gredy ambicion / them blyndeth in suche wyse That though they be laded / with cure innumerable And haue but ouer_moche / that can them nat suffyse The most feblest asse / ofte counteth hym most able 2755 To bere of ambycion / the sacke insaciable The sacke without botome / whiche neuer can say ho The more they receyue / alway thy gape for mo
¶Of be[h]auour
behauour] beauour 1518
to be chosen.
Bu[t] leue we these wretches / inuolued in blyndnesse But] Bue 1518 As people incurable / by pompous insolence 2760 And agayne retourne we / to purpose and processe Take hede on all partes / with prudent dilygence That thou want nought longyng vnto conuenience On all sydes consyder / what personnes behauour To the may be metest / and comly for honour
2765 Some man it becometh / for to kepe grauyte And sadnesse in iesture / in speche and in visage An-other best besemeth / mery and glad to be If this ioconde parsone: wolde after his vsage And counterfayt in chere / an heuy father sage 2770 It shulde nat beseme hym / no more shulde [i]t agre it] tt 1518 For one sad of nature / to mery for to be
An-other man is mery / soft / ioconde of langage Lyghtly intreated / all gyuen to gladnesse So moued of nature / as well in youth as in age 2775 Suche one shulde vnsemely / dispose hym to sadnesse An-other man is symple / all gyuen to playnnesse Without fraude or faynyng / set hole on veryte An-other all-thyng speketh / with crafte and subtylte
sig: [G3v] A barbaryke vylayne / to play the oratour 2780 Or co[n]terfayt termes / in langage eloquent It were moche vnsyttyng / so wysdome or honour To vse rurall langage: were inconuenient Brefely / euery parsone / ought to be diligent To folowe and to kepe / that nature doth inflame 2785 So that none vnclennesse / nor vyce be in the same
A worlde it is to se / wyse tyllers of the grounde And husbandes to beholde / howe they be dylygent To cause all theyr frutes / more largely habounde Commyttyng euery sede: to soyle conuenient 2790 Fyrste / is the husbandman / quycke and nat neglygent Of his felde to knowe / the naturall condicion Than graffeth his plantes / after the region
As nature of the soyle / is most conuenient His vynes he fasteneth / on hylles and mountayns 2795 Or on pendant clyffes: than is he dilygent His cornes for to sowe / on fayre feldes and playnes Chosyng soyle appropred / to euery sorte of graynes His wyllous and aldyrs / in moyst grounde commonly For olyues he choseth / grounde / harde / stony and dry
2800 For chaftaynes / colde places / commonly choseth he The myrtre and orange / by sey-bankes doth growe In hye grounde or hylles / reioyseth the peare-tre But the lote and playne-tre / where waters oftyn flowe Thus some loue hye drye grounde: some watery and lowe 2805 So knowe thy complexion / and after thy nature Order thy behauour / with all labour and cure
And leane to thy nature: and disposicion And with all thy power / perseuer in the same For man best becometh / his owne condicion 2810 As thyne owne maners / and wyt doth the inflame So vse thy behauour / in sadnesse / myrth or game In counterfaytyng other / vse nat to lour nor iest But folowe thy nature / that shall become the best
Harde is it to auoyde: suche inclynacion 2815 As man hath by planete / at his natyuite And thyng to man contrary / by constellacion To wyn / is nat easy / but gret difficulte Whan shall the bolde lyon leaue his audacyte Whan shall the hynde or hare / leaue theyr olde drede and feare 2820 Or leaue theyr olde rapyne / whan shall the wolfe and beare
sig: [G4] To drede the bolde lyon / what tyme leaue shall the bull Whan shall the symple lambe: nat drede the wolfe let se Whan shall the asse forsake / his nature to be dull Or whan shall the false foxe / forsake his subtylte 2825 Whan shall the dyuer leaue / in waters for to be The rauyn neuer shall syng / as swane or nyghtyngale Nor the crowe nor cuckowe / lyke other byrdes smale
The Ro / bucke nor do / shall neuer leaue the wodes The frogge leaue poles / nor hogges leaue ordure 2830 The turtyll cesse to mourne / nor fysshes leaue the flode Nor bees leaue floures swete / and of fresshe verdure All-thyng in theyr kynde / obeyeth theyr nature It is nat lesse folly / to stryue agaynst kynde Than a shypman to stryue / agaynst both streme and wynde
2835 A maryner rowynge / his shyppe by strength of ore Agaynst the streme stryuyng / and wynde to hym contrary Oftyme is cast bacwarde / worse than he was before Arte / small thyng auayleth / where nat[u]re doth deny Unto porte desyred / suche seldome-tyme apply 2840 Be they neuer so stoute / so valyant and wyght Ouercome by labour / is all theyr force and myght
Lyke-wyse / who dispyseth / his gyftes of nature And others behauour / wolde counterfayt alway His owne oft he loseth / of others nothyng sure 2845 And who sure hath one gyfte / and busy wolde assay As a fadyng shadowe / an-other to puruay Whyle he two desyreth / he so deluded is That of one and other / ofte-tymes doth he mys
¶Howe he ought behaue hym-selfe / whiche of necessyte treateth thynge to hym denyed / of nature and arte.
But yf thou constrayned / without any refuge 2850 Must take charge and burthen / of vnexpert office Towchyng a common-well / as oratour or Iuge Knowyng: what therto belongeth / in no wyse As if thou must prepare / after the common gyse To speke in common place / in termes elegant 2855 Beyng both in rethoryke / and grammer ignorant
Than / thou thus constrayned / before must well deuyse Thy cause well discussyng / what is expedient And lerne what thou lackest / of men ornate and wyse Fulfyll thyne ignorance / with labour diligent 2860 So / though thou wyn nat laude / nor name preehemynent At leste-way / yet mayst thou / auoyde rebuke and shame By suche wyse prouysyon / all / if thou get no name
sig: [G4v]
¶Of maner of lyueng nat to be rasshly charged / but with goode counsell and aduisement.
Suche maner of lyueng / as thou hast ones begon Contynewe in the same / and vary nat rasshely 2865 By so chaungyng thy state / scorne / and contempte is won But [if] resonable cause: constrayne the to vary if] 1518 omits And if thyne age also / be nat therto contrary Than do / that in changyng / it may be sene profitable That thy cause is honest / ryghtwyse and resonable
2870 Be nat lyght as wynde / but with reason mouable As the cause requyreth / after thy tyme and state Dyfferre longe / assay all / or thou be varyable Be constant discretly / nat harde nor obstynate It is a sygne of mynde / lyght / and infatuate 2875 The maner of thy lyueng / to change sodaynly And great faute and foly / if it be done rasshely
By lytell and by lytell / therfore thy lyueng change For sodayne mutacions / repugneth to nature And among acquayntaunce / as well as among strange 2880 Suche changyng / nat wanteth / suspecion be thou sure Than / other wysely change / or in none state endure An old tre tranposed / shall fynde smal auauntage Nor an olde byrde taken / and closed in a cage
Hangyng in sowre wyndes / blowyng from north and west 2885 And vnkyndly serued / suche byrde loseth her songe But yonge fetherles foules / streyght takyn from t[h]e nest the] te 1518 Nought knowyng of pleasour / may more suffer of wrong An hauke fedde vnkyndly / can nat contynewe long What shulde a chylde do playeng / with syngyng byrde or foule 2890 As good (for the season) a cuckowe or an owle
Among olde parrables / this oftyn haue I red A vyllayns subi[e]cte / a iolous boyes wyfe subiecte] subicte 1518 And a chyldis byrde / are wo and harde-bested In contynuall tourment / abrydged of theyr lyfe 2895 And at last consumed / with depe dolour pensyfe Therfore well aduyse the / before thou change estate Els maist thou mourne to deth / as wretche infortunate.
¶Of the duety and hauyour of men in great roume and office.
If thou be auaunced / to roume of dignyte Than voyde and exclude thou / thyne olde and pryuate mynde 2900 Seke nat as before / thyne owne vtylyte Remember howe thy charge / and offyce doth the bynde To seke the common-wele / leauyng thyne owne behynde Consyder / thou art set in place of great labour To serue a multytude: as heade and gouernour
sig: [G5] 2905 And rather hast thou name / of labour / than honour In this wyse promoted / to troublous dignyte All if thou be ruler / thou art but seruitour Therfore / note that people / fele / se / and speke by the Than holy dispose the / for theyr vtylyte 2910 Preferre common profite / before profyte pryuate For pryuate behauour / besemeth nat astate
The lawier in pleding / for his pore client Before his owne profite / shulde set Iustyce and ryght But agayne retournyng / vnto our fyrst entent 2915 Whether thou be prelate / kyng / duke / baron or knyght Or other gouernour / of name power or myght Obserue comelynesse / maners / or maieste In worde / loke / and habyte / as semeth thy degre
To mayre / Iuge and other / set in auctoryte 2920 Moche thyng is forbydden / nat comely nor semyng Whiche are nat prohybyte: but sounde to honeste To a pryuate parsone / or man meane-lyueng Also the tyme and place / refuseth many a thyng For in one tyme and place / a thyng may be laudable 2925 Whiche after and elswer done / were incommendable
Therfore the sage father / renomed Sophocles Sittyng in Iugement / with great auctoryte Was worthely blamed / of his felowe Perycles Bycause he forgettyng / his rowme and grauyte 2930 Stedfastly behelde: and praysed the beauty Of a goodly stryplyng / of stature excellent Whiche was that tyme present / in tyme of Iugement
If this same Sophocles / had after done the same In a place of sportes / in felde or wrastlyng-place 2935 Perycles shulde haue had / no matter hym to blame Thus tyme is of sadnesse / and tyme is of solace And place is of sadnesse / and pleasour in lyke case The chefe poynt belongyng / to maners and reason Is euer to consyder / place / parson / and season
2940 For lyke as in an harpe / men vseth commonly For to tune the strynges / in order and concorde The eares to reioyce / by crafte with melody So tyme / place / age / parsone / iest / countenaunce / and worde To thynges most agre / auoydyng all discorde 2945 Whiche thynges obserued / in euery busynesse Gyue beauty and bryghtnesse / to plesaunt comelynesse
sig: [G5v]
¶Of the dutye in behauour of pryuate cytezins lyueng together.
It also be_semeth / one Cytezyn with other If they be of one state / oppression to eschewe And to lyue in quyete / as brother with brother 2950 And nat one an-other / vnkyndely to subdue Nor the porest parson / symple / playne / iuste / and true Shulde nat hym-selfe suffer / subdued for to be Of one ryght admytted / to none auctoryte
And whom lawe commaundeth / to lyue in_different 2955 Nor be so symple / that all men the dispyse Whyle thou wolde behaue the / demure and pacient Beware / be nat remyse / nor shepysshe in no wyse Be nat to desyrous / tyll honour for to ryse Be nat to proude nor pert / suche ryche nat / but decay 2960 Submyt thy-selfe gladly / but cast the nat a_way
Be lyke with thy felowes / ioconde and compynable Dispyse nor disdayne nat / thy pore inferyour And honour thyne elders / to them be seruysable Namely if theyr lyueng / be worthy of honour 2965 Nor drede nat ouer_moche / theyr lokes nor rygour For what man is fautlesse / what nedeth hym to feare Oft blame may he byde / but nothyng can hym deare
Therfore / O howe greatly: shulde thou awayte all-tyme And with all thy wittes / intentyfely gyue hede 2970 That thou mayst be fautlesse / and clere of syn and cryme For this same thyng onely / delyuereth man from drede Loue thou nat discorde / nor stryfes for to fede But loue common concorde / as moche as is in the Slake stryfe and loue peas: and fayre tranquillyte
2975 Suche as in tyme passed / haue taken great labour To gyde the common-wele / without diserued blame Them se that all season / thou worshyppe and honour And suche as nowe present / also entende the same Suche as of iust lyueng / and vertue haue clere name 2980 Honour them also / for great is the pleasour For chyldren to beholde / theyr fathers in honour
And oft-tyme yonge hertes / are kyndled with desyre To deserue lyke honour: by lyueng vertuous Lyke-wyse as a candell / in_flamed is by fyre 2985 So youth whiche of honour / is alway desyrous In hope to wyn honour / doth actes gloryous So vertue commended / ryseth to great flame And yonge noble hertes / are kyndled with the same
sig: [G6]
¶Howe a forayner ought to behaue hym in a strange cytte.
If thou be a forayner / dwellyng in a strange Cytie 2990 Medle with none office / nor matters more or lesse Concernyng the Cytie: nor yet the commonte Order thou all-onely / thy proper busynesse Lest by moche medlyng / thou wyn vnquyetnesse And some-one may bydde the / forth forayner auaunt 2995 To thy natyfe countrey / auoyde thou alyaunt
¶Of the duty of a Cytezyne anenst a forayne
¶But thou a Cytezyne / dispyse thou no forayne Receyue euery stranger / with maner amyable One harde vnto strangers / sheweth hym-selfe vyllayne More lyke to a tyran / than to a man companable 3000 And proueth hym as badde / as beast vnresonable Consyder that here-after / thy-selfe may forrayne be Than dele as thou woldest / that men shulde dele with the
All men may nat dyscende / of hye and noble blode Nor all men be borne / in one lande of best name 3005 What force of the countrey / so that the man be good Some good / for theyr countrey / byde ofte outbrayde and blame And ofte an-other wretche / to his hole lande is shame Shulde men out of Englande: our lorde Iesu exclude By_cause that he was borne / within the lande of Iude
3010 Whan from this wretched lyfe / at last thou must departe And come to heuyn-gates / to se the eternall kyng It shall nat be asked / what countrey-man thou arte Frenche / englysshe / scot / lumbarde / pycarde / or flemmyng But onely shalbe asked / thy meryte and lyuyng 3015 A poore scot of good lyfe / shall fynde hym better than Than some ryche lumbarde / or noble Englysshe-man
Therfore / thou shulde strangers: in no maner dispyse Outbraydyng nor scornyng / with dede or wordes fell For none other cause / but for lyke cruell gyse 3020 Lycaon the tyran / as olde poetes do tell Was iustly transformed / to ragynge wolfe cruell To rage amonge beastes / excluded from pyte As he fyrst one strangers / had vsed cruelte.
¶Of vnclennesse to be auoyded.
¶Count euery burthen / to the ryght tollerable 3025 And all weyght of labour / without dyffyculte But weyght of vnclennesse / repute thou importable Or what-euer repugneth / maners of honeste Count that ouer_weyghty / and labour it to flye Count all-thyng to greuous / whiche may defyle thy fame 3030 And nothyng more plesante / than hole and perfite name
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¶Of honeste in behauour and speche / to be obserued from wordes o[p]enly openly] yodenly 1518
¶Kepe secrete thy membres / of vnclenlynesse Whiche are in place secrete / of euery creature Wherin very nature / is vnto the maistresse Hydyng them in places: hyd / couered / and obscure 3035 A dysgysed Iougler / or vyle iester vnpure Is nat so foule rybaude / but that in iest or game His membres he hydeth / for drede of opyn shame
And therfore apperyng / all naked in a play If his parte so requyre / presented for to be 3040 He kepeth his foule partes hyd / in a brake alway Nat shewyng what nature / hath set in pryuete Suffer nat thy-selfe / be more shamelesse than he Whiche without all blames / may boldly play his parte Honest or dishonest: after his raylyng arte
3045 Nor gyue thou nat credence / to suche people vnpure Whiche openly conioyned / as dogges without shame Commytteth nought vnclenly / belongyng to nature And all wordes honest / whiche any man may name Ensewe nat this vyle sect / nor thynke thou nat this same 3050 But what nature chargeth: that worke thou priuely Nor speke nat vyle wordes / before men openly
Abstayne from vyle wordes / in speche and communyng Whan thou hast to common / of thyng of grauyte For oft-tyme vyle wordes / corrupteth good lyueng 3055 And are t[o] shamefast lyfe / nat small difformyte to] thou 1518 But whan thou must in speche / touche of necessite Suche matters vnclenly / vse circumlocucion And let thy mynde and tonge / be honest all season
For foule wordes spoken / oft-tyme doth reason blynde 3060 And doth both the spekers: with vyle thoughtes inflame And herers in entryng / the secretes of the mynde And where it erst was quyet / they trouble sore the mynde Wherfore flye suche wordes / whiche soundeth vnto shame As thou woldest auoyde / vyle place or thyng that stynke 3065 Or as thou wolde eschewe / a slymy slypper brynke
For lyke as yll sauers / hurteth the heed and brayne And as slypper patthes / cast men ofte to the grounde Ryghtso suche vyle wordes / doth good maners distayne And persuyng quyete myndes / with hyd and secrete wounde 3070 Both thought / wordes / and lyueng / vtterly confounde And brefely to conclude / the lyfe of euery age May clerely be iuged / by iesture and langage
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Howe euery man ought to medyll on his owne faculte.
¶None ought with any craft / nor scyence intremit To be busy bablyng / and arguyng the same 3075 Without he haue it lerned / and be expert in it For oft some is present / nat moche knowen by fame Whiche in the same science / is worthy haue name And myght wele suche foles wordes / playne deny Or here hym with sylence / and scorne hym pryuely
3080 If thou be somwhat experte / in true latyne What shuld thou do bablyng / of strong wordes of greke Or if thou haue in greke / had all thy discyplyne To dispute in latyn / what nedeth the to seke And surely thy lecture / shall scant be worth a leke 3085 If thou take vpon the / a comment to compyle (Knowyng lytell of latyn) on Ouyd or Uyrgyle
What shulde a lawier / dyspute of medycyne Scant wolde an olde wyfe / to hym gyue audience A merchaunt to dyspute / agaynst a dyuyne 3090 Were a thyng vnsemely / and signe of insolence Let euery wyse man: mell with his own science For who that wyll meddyll / with euery faculte Is outher a starke fole / or peuysshe proude is he.
¶Of maners to be kept in goynge.
Ferthermore in goynge / a man ought be dilygent 3095 To kepe honest maner / and ord[r]ed comelynesse ordred] orded 1518 Syth the same is outwarde / to all men euydent And oftyn-tyme the gate / doth mannes mynde expresse The gate sheweth constance / or rasshe vnstablenesse Men iuge sore the pace / for by the same we se 3100 A wylde mynde vnquyet / or prudent grauyte
And brefely the goinge / oft doth the mynde declare And playnly expresseth / the maners and nature Wherfore go nat dreamyng / nor yet flyeng be ware Of moche hasty or slownesse / both are agayn nurture 3105 Wherfore bitwene these both / loue temperate measure It is gate vncomely (as doth a crane) to stryde With countenance a_loft / whiche is playn signe of pryde
It semeth nat to iette / with roulyng countenaunce With legges and armes: shakyng on euery syde 3110 It semeth nat in strete / as palfray to praunce Nor solemly procede / as we beholde a bryde Led stately to the chyrche / on her chefe day of pryde Nor thy pase to temper / I count it nat laudable As men bearyng dysshes / vnto a lordes table
sig: [H1v] 3115 Nouther is it comely / to ren so hastely That thou pant / as wery / faynted / and fatygate Nor yet to go droupyng / in maner of a spy Nor gasyng on the grounde: as one infatuate As in other thynges / is maner temperate 3120 So in goyng requyreth / maner and honeste For by outwarde iesture / hyd thoughtes opyn be.
¶Of temperaunce in spekyng.
Lyke-wyse / as in goynge / is laude and comelynesse So soberly spekyng / with semely grauyte Thou mayst fynde great laudes / and praysyng nat the lesse 3125 Pronounsyng thy wordes / with humble honeste Among olde companyons / if the fortune to be Or dere faythfull frendes / proued stedfast and sure Pronounce than thy speche / lowe: mery / and demure
But whan thou must nede speke / before a commonte 3130 Exalte than thy wordes: with more contencyon Or thy ryght defendyng / speke with audacyte That men may more playnly / here thyne intencyon Beware / by rasshe wordes: to rayse dissencion Though thou speke with stomake / pronounce playn and clere 3135 That all may perceyue / whiche shall thy wordes here
If clere voyce to the / be denyed of nature By cure and exercyse: than do thy-selfe auaunce If thou speke of sadnesse / loke sadly and demure If thou speke of sportes / take mery countenaunce 3140 Use sadnesse in dedes / and other circumstaunce Rather than in wordes / and rather let thy lyfe Shewe forth sad grauyte / than countenaunce pensyfe
Season thou thy speche / with wysdome and prudence Gyue place to thy felowe / and harken his wysdom 3145 Somtyme is lesse honoure / to speke / than kepe sylence And often mayst thou counte / great prayse to be ouercome Say trouth: nor glose nat / flatter nat as do some With none cory fauell: if thy party be sure But in thyne opynyon / obserue alway measure
3150 Mayntayne none opynyon / in maner obstynate Contende nat in wordes / with suche as thou shalt se Of wordes superflue / frowarde and indurate In communicacyon / ynough is to shewe the To contrary party: in mynde to dysagre 3155 And where-as two other / the lyst nat to consent Yet speke no rebukes / nor wordes vyolent
sig: H2 Whan thy-selfe hast spoken / here thy companions It is agaynst maners / thy-selfe to speke only Without suffryng any / to thyne opinions 3160 To make any answere / to reason or reply If any kepe opynyon / contendyng frowardly Gyue place for the season / all if his part be wrong Lest both fall to braulyng / or some strypes among
Whan any-thyng is sayd / nat plesant vnto the 3165 Yet trouble thou nat other / wyllyng to here the same For some men hath pleasour / and great felycyte To here that / whiche other dispyse / refuse / and blame If thou wylt be counted / of maners and good name Here other men gladly / what-euer they wyll say 3170 And speke thou as syldom / and lytell as thou may
Men oft haue repented / of wordes superflue But syldom of scilence / doth any men repent Wherfore scarce of wordes / is counted great vertue And a fole is knowen / by speche negligent 3175 And to busy babelyng / in wordes imprudent If a fole were able / to kepe hym in scylence He shuld be reputed / a man of sapience
Where man is disposed: to wordes superflue Nat forsyng what he say / but spekyng all by chaunce 3180 And is full of wordes / they can nat all be true If thou lust be heuy / or sadde of countenaunce As thy kynde requyreth or vsed gouernaunce Obserue thyne owne maner / but whyle thy-selfe art sad Yet blame thou none other / disposed to be glad
3185 Dispyse thou no parson / all if thou purer be Of clothyng / of connyng / of byrth / of eloquence Of ryches / or ought els / oportune than is he Rather helpe hym with dede / and counsell of prudence And whyle thou art talkyng (gyue hede to this sentence) 3190 Beware that no wordes / vnwarely fro the start Dysclosyng hyd fautes / and secret in thy herte
Blame thou no man absent: as detractour vnkynde For in thy so doyng / I the repute semblable Unto a cowarde t[r]aytour / assaylyng one behynde traytour] teaytour 1518 3195 Whan his wretched power / in presence is nought able Beware / lest thou blame thyne owne selfe / as culpable Whyle thou blamest other / for faute that is in the Whose lyfe thou dost folowe / in all enormyte
sig: [H2v] Be no tale-berer / vse nat detraction 3200 Sowe nat vyle sedes / for mayntaynyng discorde Nor paynt nat thy langage by adulation Dyspers thou no slaunders / in tokyn nor in worde W[h]ysper no newe tales / in churche / strete / nor borde Whysper] Wysper 1518 Dispyse no pore parson / with wordes of rigour 3205 To all men in spekyng / vse reuerent honour
But rather endeuoyr: thy-selfe in communyng To seme vnto all men / louyng and amyable And proue thy-selfe louyng / for proued is this thyng Except hym that loueth / no man can fynde loue stable 3210 For trewe is this sayeng / and oftyn founde probable If thou wolde fynde fauour / or loue: fyrst sowe the sede Shewe thou loue to wyn loue / in worde / hart and dede
With fayre plesaunt wordes / wyn fauour of all men And vse thou no wordes / to breke olde amyte 3215 With speche wyn the fauour / and so demeane the then To mayntayne that fauour / with true humanite A frende sone is gotten / kept with difficulte Demaunde no question / with wordes rygorous And answere / with wordes demure: and amorous
3220 Commende none ouermoche / with wordes excessyfe But that thou mayst after / agayn hym discommende If he fall by fraylnesse / or turne to badder lyfe Nor none beyonde measure / blame nor reprehende Let nat laude nor blamyng / beyonde measure extende 3225 But in both vse measure / and do that none the call In any of both partes: to greatly parcyall
Ferthermore in langage / vsurpe thou no delyte To wounde any person / with wordes in absence Nor any out of syght / to slaunder nor backebyte 3230 For all suche as here the / than beyng in presence If they haue clere reason / wyt or intelligence Shall thynke that by them / thou shalt commyt the same And whan they are from syght / them so backebyte and blame
For as thou doest tyll one / so wylt thou do tyll other 3235 And that all men marketh / and doth thy maners hate And none shall beleue the: all if he were thy brother But that thou in absence / shall serue hym in lyke rate Agayne newe I warne the / lyke as I dyd but late Let no man the flatter / nor no man flatter thou 3240 For both is lyke errour / whiche wyse men dyssalowe
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¶Howe none shulde wyn hym frendes by flatry.
Beware / wyn no frendes / by meane of flateryng Ill-won and inconstant / shall be suche amyte And suche as the flatter / with fayre wordes glosyng Are nat more sure frendes / nor more louers to the 3245 In suche fayned frenshyp / is lytell certaynte If any wycked persone / prayse the / set nought therby For leude wretches praysyng / is shame and villany
Therfore count theyr praysyng / and commendacyon As if thou were nat worthy / but as rebuke and blame 3250 Dispyse of yll-lyuers / theyr adulacion And if they disprayse the / to blame ascribe the same Theyr disprayse is praysyng / theyr prayse rebuke and shame No token can be better / of honest men laudable Than for to be hated / of vyle wretches culpable
3255 Whan false adulation / with fayre wordes doth glose And flatterers doth trouth: with paynted wordes pall It is dyffyculte: thyne eares than to close And counted a maistry / and labour princypall These are the mermaydes / whom men Serenis call 3260 And merueylous monstres / by song and melody Blynde people inducyng: to deedly ieoperde
These flatterers / by whom the worlde is acloyde I counte the same monsters / whose gylefull armony Ulixes dispysed / and manly dyd auoyde 3265 Hym-selfe so preseruyng / and all his company In flatterers than chyders / count gretter ieoperdy For chyders and braulers / vse vyces for to blame But false glosyng flaterers / are wont to cloke the same
A pacyent perceyuyng / his malady and sore 3270 Can kepe hym from daunger / of meate contagyous And busy is to puruay / some medecyne therfore But a sore vnknowen / is namely ieoperdous The seke man suspecteth / no matter perylous For hyd sore prouydyng / no cure nor remedy 3275 Tyll at last he perysshe / atones sodaynly
What sore forth appereth / in woman chylde / or man Anon is regarded / and lyghtly is curable But hyd sore disceyueth / a wyse surgian So: founde is a blamer / oft season profitable 3280 But swete glosyng flaterers / are alway disceyuable Better to be blamed of frende: that faythfull is Than of a flateryng foe / to haue a Iudas-kysse
sig: [H3v] Study thou nat outwarde / among the commonte To seme any other / than thou art inwardly 3285 Nor in thyne owne conceyt / suppose thou nat to be More better than thou art / for both are lyke foly Nor custome nat thy-selfe / to bost and magnyfy Of valyant dedes of kyndred / or rychesse For suche vayne wordes / are sygne of folysshnesse
3290 It foly is to boste / of kyndred or lynage The laude is in thy kyn / perchance nought in the Or to boste of ryches / syth fortune is volage And foly is to boste / of strength or beaute Whan sykenesse assayleth / both are but vanyte 3295 It foly is to boste: of suche caduke thyng Man onely is noble / by vertue or connyng
It semeth none to be / proclaymer by bostyng Of his proper laudes / his precony or name Nor it is nat comely / but very yll-syttyng 3300 Another mannes dedes / or lynage for to blame Resyst nat with wordes / anothers laude and fame By malyce or enuy / nor yet in case semblable Synge nat thyne owne laudes / both are in_lyke culpable
For lyke as the wyse man / dyscloseth nat his faute 3305 Nor his vyce bewrayeth: before the commonte Ryght so he is wele ware / with wordes proude and haute To preche forth his vertues: exalted for to be For this is a prouerbe / soundyng to veryte Of thy proper mouth / thy laude is nat lauda[b]le laudable] laudale 1518 3310 But other mennes prayse: is greatly commendable
Suche bostyng besemeth / a braynles soudyour Whiche scarsly durst reaue / yong chykens from an hen Suche crakyng declareth / an hert of small valour For the greattest crakers / are nat the boldest men 3315 Some thynke them good ynough / to fyght with .ix. or ten But if one scoldyng quean / fought with hym hande to hande He were nat so manfull / [t]he dystaffe to withstande the] he 1518
Therfore / cesse thy crakyng / and order thy lyueng In doyng manly dedes / accordyng to vertue 3320 That suche as come after / and all thy hole ofspryn[g]e ofsprynge] ofsprynke 1518 May se good example / thyne actes to ensue But certaynly that fole / whiche doth his fautes shewe To many / as bostyng / or ioyeng in the same Of all may be counted / a madman without shame
sig: H4 3325 [And wheder suche a fole / dost hym of false or true] line partially obscured Alway is he worthy / of vtter punysshment For if his lyfe be suche / as bostyng he doth shewe Than well he deserueth / the galous for tourment But if he boste of vyce / yet be Iuge innocent 3330 Yet the wretche is worthy / of punysshment and care For who sclaundreth hym-selfe / whom other can he spare
¶Howe man may laufully many_fest his own vertue: without arrogans or pryde
But this nat-withstandyng / vnknowen if thou be And if people knowe nat / thy connyng and science Thou mayst the same shewe forth / if it be true in the 3335 But beware (in shewyng) of pryde and insolence Of any faculte / if thou haue experience Do that men may knowe it / but se well as thou can That the same be noysome / or greuous to no man
By bostyng of the same / or other busynesse 3340 Unto theyr displeasure / or quietnesse contrary As by this example / thou mayst perceyue expresse Non closeth in a corner / a kyndled lumynary Nor ouer_nere the eyes / the same / agayne doth cary Bytwene both is measure / so hyd nat thy connyng 3345 Nor shewe it nat to moche / by crakyng or bostyng
Yet suche as inhabyte / among neyghbours vnkynde May prayse his owne gyftes / and his owne parte defende For enuy and malyce / so many wretches doth blynde That els shulde non at al / his vertues commende 3350 But beyonde his bondes / he shulde nat hym extende Lest his gyftes knowen: heape / and augment enuy And cause hym lyue after / moche more vnquietly
¶Of vayne-glory nat to be coueted.
Syth all worldly glory / is small and transitory And all holy lyuers / the same / in hert dispyse 3355 Therfore thou oughtest nat / to study for vayne-glory What man it desyreth / ought nat be counted wyse But vayne is all glory / nowe haue I tolde the twyse For what good we wretches do / any tyme or tyde Ourselfe it perfourme nat / but god whiche is our gyde
3360 And therfore all glory / all prayse / laude and honour As dewe to the father / hye and celestyall So teacheth holy churche / spouse of our sauiour Wherfore if glory / or honour temporall Be gyuen here in erthe / to vs people mortall 3365 Suche honour and glory / may well be called vayne As waynyng and fadyng / nat able to remayne
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¶ subheading illegible
If thou be constrayned / any persone to blame Do that thou nat seme / for wrath hym to reproue But with all demurenesse / behaue the in the same. 3370 As nat led by malyce: but rather of good loue Oft-tyme a great blamer / is lytell for behoue But rather maketh worse / by to great cruelte Where-as a mery blamer: is great vtylyte
To the frayle offender / by countenaunce demure 3375 So glad chere doth profyte / whan yre rageth in vayne Be lyght to forgyuenesse / and byd gylty be sure Nat to haue lyke mercy / if they trespas agayne If thou loue the synner: and worde can nat constrayne Hym to cesse his foly / than vse thou more rygour 3380 As fetters or pryson / to sober his furour
Better is to suffer / hym for a tyme to smerte Than wander vncorrect / to manyfolde errour And after se hym ende / with sadde and wofull herte To his owne confusion / and frendes dishonour 3385 Nor go thou nat to farre / blamyng with wordes sour Or ragyng and chydyng / for any cryme or synne Namely agaynst suche / as are nat of thy kynne
If thou be wyse / folowe the maner what thou can Of a wyse phesician: or leche experient 3390 For deed flesshe they cut out / of woman chylde or man In most easy maner / onely for this entent To restore vnto helth / the paynfull pacyent So blame thou with wysdome / thy frende aboue all-thyng Lest thou wyn but hatred / by rygorous chydyng
3395 Aduert glasse is brytell / but yren stele and brasse Endureth great strokes / or they receyue fygure But the cryspyng-yren / suffyseth brytell glasse So man must be treated / as semeth theyr nature Some roughly / some myldly / with fayre wordes demure 3400 Therfore blame but seldome / and without iniury And that whan thou seest: none other remedy
¶Howe he whiche is blamyd for his faute / ought behaue hym-selfe.
Agayne / if another the blame or reprehende Or warne the of thy faute / endure hym pacyently If he w[ill] thy profyte / to his wordes entende will] warne 1518 3405 Bere nat his rebukes / nor wordes heuely For if thou haste mysdo[n]e / of blame art thou worthy mysdone] mysdome 1518 So dyd he the profyte / if thou be nat culpable Yet thought he vnto the / for to be profytable
sig: [H5] Thys-[wyse / loue and thankes / deseru]eth his good mynde line partially obscured 3410 And nat worse art thou / rebuked innocent And certesse it is better / sharpe wordes and vnkynde To suffer of a frende: spoken for good entent Than of a fo to haue / fayre speche and fraudulent The one wolde thy profyte / all if he seme nat so 3415 But ofte glosed langage / cloketh a mortall fo
Howe man ought behaue hym-selfe anenst his enmyes.
¶If any testy foes / ioyned as burre to burre Assayle the by malyce / to wrath prouokyng the Grynnyng and gnarryng: as doth a butchers curre For_get thou nat suffrance / nor thyne olde grauyte 3420 Disdayne thou suche wretches / outher to here or se Syth suche want good maners / all reason and wysdome One (shall) them dispysyng / in best maner ouercome
O / howe moche hath greued / a subtyll foe mortall Without swerde or weapen / yf he by wordes fell 3425 From thy wont grauyte / constrayne the [nat] to fall nat] 1518 omits Wherfore / if thou be wyse / worke after my counsell Here nat that scolder / and braulyng hounde of hell Though his mouth by malyce: braulyng do fome and blede Let no worde vnworthy / out of thy mouth procede.
¶Of maner to be kepte in spekyng.
3430 Furthermore intende thou / that thou in communyng Erre nat from thy purpose / to farre / in wordes vayne If thou make digression / go nat so farre wandryng But that thou may to purpose / by lyght retourne agayn Lest some in derysion / warne the in wordes playne 3435 Sayeng / syr consyder: it draweth fast to nyght At laste drawe to purpose / retourne whyle it is lyght
Nowe brefely concludyng / whan thou shalt fele and se Thy long speche tedyous / to thy felowes present Cesse / and procede no more tedious for to be 3440 For short song and plesant / is most conuenient And short tale commended / is best of men prudent As small meate prouoketh / a gredy appetyte So shorte speche gyueth / to herers most delyte
¶Of measure to be kept in curyosyte of mancions.
Desyre thou nat to dwell / in curyous buyldyng 3445 Of marble and pycture / or grauyng curyous Suche buyldyng besemeth / an emperour or kyng But before all other / it semeth goddes house Oft-tyme the house sheweth / proude mynde gloryous Wherfore / seke in housyng / holsome commodyte 3450 Rather than proude buyldyng / or curyosite
sig: [H5v] And wheder thou shalt bylde / bye / outher hyre thy hous Marke if it be nedefull / and competent to the Seke more ease and profite / than grauyng gloryous Syth houses are buylded / for mannes necessyte 3455 And only for mannes vse / and commodite Prepare thyne abydyng / and habytacyon After thy nede / thyne vse and occupacyon
Nor seke thou nat pleasure / in comely apparayle In deckyng thyne houses / with costly ornament 3460 In outwarde ornament / is pompe and small auayle Fyrst garnysshe and clense / the house of thyne entent Than clense thy bedchamber / from all displesant sent In a lytell parler / clene / and of swete odour Is roume sufficient / and plenty of pleasour
3465 For in thyne outwarde house / thou seldome doest frequent In chamber thou restest: ofte-tyme both day and nyght And therfore / it garnysshe / with herbes redolent And with fragrant odours / thy spyryte for to lyght Make it swete in odour / and comely vnto syght 3470 That this thy plesant cell / adourned in best wyse May declare the clennesse / and fulfyll the suffyse
Therfore / the housholder / and mayster of the house Ought nat to be noted / by sumptuous buyldyng Nor by outwarde grauyng / or warkes curyouse 3475 But let the house be lauded / more after his lyueng Unto thy laude and honour / it is but lytell thyng That on thy fayre buyldyng: thy name shulde hole depende Yet the buyldyng somwhat: the mayster may commende
Let nat this olde sentence / whiche people oft frequent 3480 Agaynst the be spoken / whiche is this to recorde O noble mancyon / O house most auncient Howe greatly vnto the: discordyng is thy lorde For often in my tyme / my-selfe haue harde this worde Alas noble buyldyng / house of antiquyte 3485 Howe moche is thy mayster / and lorde vnlyke to the
All thynges here spoken / of buyldyng curyous Concernyng the Cytie / thou must them vnderstande In lykewyse forbyddyng / great buyldyng sumptuous And houses superflue / in countrey or vplande 3490 For of many folyes / this one I count most fonde To buylde costly cages / in forest / parke or wode Whiche nat to no man nor beest / can fynally do good
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¶Of maner to be obserued in iesture and countenaunce.
¶So gouerne thy iesture / of body fote and hande Of countenaunce / eyen / and mouth / with fayre semblaunce 3495 That who the beholdeth / may se and vnderstande Thyne inwarde behauour / by outwarde countenaunce And where thou seest other / of frowarde gouernaunce And iesture dyshonest: agaynst nurture and skyll Consyder that lyke iesture / shuld the beseme as yll
3500 And whom thou reputest wele-manered / dispose the Theyr maners to folowe / in manerly iesture And if thou in norture / drede of incertaynte Take counsell of frendes / proued louyng and sure So poetes and paynters: in verses and pycture 3505 Take counsell of other / inquyryng theyr sentence To theyr owne conceyte / before they gyue credence
Of honest occupacions to be vsed conuenient to mannes state.
¶In lykewyse behaue the / and this in any wyse I warne the to beware / of artes of vylenesse Or foule occupacyon / to haunt or exercyse 3510 By wretched couetyse / to gather great rychesse Fly lucre dishonest / by fraudes or falsenesse Uyle lucre is lothsom / both vnto [god] and man god] good 1518 And causeth the getter / oft-tyme his purpose ban
For therby is the soule / in daunger for to spyll 3515 And the same defyled / with name of vylany And man wynneth hatred / hyd rancour and yl-wyll Therfore / namely flye thou the spot of symony And all maner braunches: of cloked vsery By fraudes and falshod / do nat thy good extende 3520 For goodes falsly goten / come syldome to good ende
Wherfore be no toller / catchepoll / nor customer No broker nor botcher / no somner nor sergiaunt Be thou none Inholder: hosteler / nor tauerner No bryggyng exchetour / nor yet baylyf-erraunt 3525 An Offyciall or Shirife / are honest but ryght skant The most of this nomber / lyueth by double tollyng By cloked extorcyon / by fraudes and by pollyng
Wherfore / these and other / vnto them semblable Ar vyle busynesse / hurtyng both name and thought 3530 And all suche craftes are vyle / and skant laudable Whose warke (and nat connyng) is vsed or yet bought In shoppes or in sale / of good connyng is nought shoppes] shopppes 1518 Nor yet wyt nor wysdom / but gyle and subtylte Where dysceyte is wysdom / there is no honeste
sig: [H6v] 3535 Nor nought is prayse-worthy / in crafty cokery By saued equyte / and meates prodigall Kyndlyng carnall lustes / by meane of glotony The dyse are damnable / and fury infernall Uayne daunsyng is noryse / to vyle lustes carnall 3540 Uyle ioglers and pypers / by wanton melody And songes excyteth / youth oft to rybaudy
A poore pety marchaunt / or pedler is but vyle And suche as nowe beyng / retayle anon agayne These come[n]ly frequent / fraude / periury / and gyle comenly] comely 1518 3545 And harde is from lyeng / theyr tonges to refrayne Than a vayne periurer / no[u]ght is more vyle certayne For hym-selfe forsweryng / by wretched couetyse Both men he defraudeth / and god doth he dispyse
But a famous marchaunt: great / ryche / and habundant 3550 And ryghtwysely dealyng / is nat vituperable But worthy with great rulers / for to be conuersant As to court and Cyte / nedefull and profitable But yet suche a marchaunt / is counted more laudable To leaue courte and Cytie / whan he hath full ynough 3555 And to be an husbande / to gyde the wayne and plough
For among all craftes / and worldly busynesse No-thyng is more lauded / than tyllyng of the grounde Whiche for lytell labour / yeldeth great rychesse And small sede receyuyng / causeth the lorde abounde 3560 In plentye / wherwith-all / both he / and his are founde And holsom vnto body / is this same exercyse And also to the soule / quenchyng the rote of vyce
Whylom the great Romayns / moste myghty conquerou[r]s conquerours] conquerous 1518 To whome all the worlde / was made subiecte and bounde 3565 Were nothyng ashamed / to take the same labours With theyr propre handes / to turne and dygge the grounde And often suche fathers / were in the fyldes founde That dyuerse were called / from plough to the empyre At prynces requestes / and commons great desyre
3570 Some of homely plowmen / iust / symple / and rurall Made ouer the hole worlde / most worthy emperours And some other called / to dignyte royall As Dictatours / Consuls / and prudent Senatours Whiche after great actes / and deserued honours 3575 Haue left theyr great lordshyp / and after were ryght fayne Unto the quyete fyldes / and plough to turne agayne
sig: [I1] Thus the romayne lawes / constrayned men rurall For sober behauour / and wyse frugalyte From ploughe to be prynces / in rowm imperyall 3580 So some / th'one day / lyfted to great auctoryte Was yester an heerd / content with pouerte Thus of all labours / and euery exercyse The tylmanes labours / is counted of most pryce
Among artyficers / the wyse surgian 3585 Is lauded nat a lyttell / and for necessyte And nat lesse is lauded / the good phesician And lawier whiche leaneth / to ryght and equyte Masons / carpenters: and other suche as be For mannes lyfe nedefull: and greatly profitable 3590 May wel be admytted / as craftes commendable
But no maner scyence / no craft nor exercyse Can be in it own selfe / so good and necessary But that may be blamed / and obscured by vyce If the same be vsed / wrong and to way contrary 3595 In all-thynge discression / is gyde and lumynary It weke thynge susteyneth / and lyghtneth obscure And all-thynge derecteth / in ordre and measure
Desyre thou none office / nor cure in any wyse If it vnrequyred: be gyuen vnto the 3600 If thou thynke the able / do nat the same dispyse And thanke thou the gyuer / with dewe humanyte Gyue thou nat sone credence / to voyce of commonte For oft-tyme yll tonges / confederate apply Of customed malyce / to flatter or to lye
3605 And leude vnder colour / of playne simplicite Composyng theyr lyes / oft-tymes craftely Supplanteth good people / and men of honeste This is theyr chefe study / and fendly polycy Resyst thou suche wretches / and theyr wordes defye 3610 Dispyse thou what they say / and theyr dedes dispyse For all is but flattery / or gyle that they deuyse
Shewe thy-selfe moste humble / most deboner and mylde Whan most welth and ryches / shall vnto the abounde Than be thou most curtayse / to man / woman / and chylde 3615 For the more thou mayst / more straytly art thou bounde And thoughe thou haue but lyttell / yet fall nat to þe grounde Take comfort to thy-selfe / in hope of better spede Nor let nat all men knowe / thy mysery and nede
sig: [I1v] Whan thy-selfe be_waylest / thy nede and mysery 3620 Comon nat of others / welth / ease / and quyetnesse Comon? Complayne? Lest thou seme to murmur / by malyce and enuy Agaynst others fortune / helth / honour / and rychesse Loue euer for to lerne / ware wysdom and goodnesse ware=spend, ware vb.2 OED? Nor of whom thou lernest / thou nedest nat discerne 3625 Let it full suffyce the / good maners for to lerne
And what thou hast lerned / teche thou the same agayne To suche as lernyng counteth treasour and store On obstynate dullardes / breke nat thy wyt and brayne In apt myndes / connyng / declared / waxeth more 3630 Remember of other / thy-selfe lerned before So let other of the: So lerned may delate Nor make nat fre scyence / to many subiugate
Nowe my muse Thalia / assyne me to conclude This my present labour / and instant busynesse 3635 And what thynge remayneth / with more solycytude In tyme more oportune / I gladly shall expresse But good reder pardon / my tedyous rudenesse For onely my purpose / is iuuent to profyte And yong tender myndes / to maners to exyte
3640 For as a rased table / with whyte coler alayde Is redy to receyue / all maner of pycture So youth is disposed / as commonly is sayd To all good or yll maners / as men put them in vre But though vnto the worst / youth leaneth of nature 3645 Yet a erthen vessell / is euer swete or sowre And after styll kepeth / tast of the fyrst lycour
Whiche men at begynnyng / for season put therin So wylde youth abused / fyrst with frayle plesours blynde Longe after [is] proner / and redyer to syn is] his 1518 3650 For foly by custome / oft turneth vnto blynde That none holsom doctryne / can rase it fro thy mynde Wherfore: O tender youth / loke on this small treatyse And leaue barayne balades / mouynge the mynde to vyce
Rede this lyttell treatyce / O iuuent of Englande 3655 As myrrour of good maners: ye chefely of London And whan ye it redyng / shall perfyte vnderstande Gyue ye laude and thankes / to Gyles_Alyngton Knyght / at whose precept / this treatyse was begon If this do you profyte / that shall my mynde excyte 3660 Of mo frutefull matters / after this to wryte.
¶Finis.
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¶Thus endeth the ryght frutefull matter of the foure Uertues cardynall: Imprynted by Rychard_Pynson: prynter vnto the kynges noble grace: with his gracyous pryuylege / the whiche boke I haue prynted / at the instance and request / of the ryght noble Rychard yerle of Kent.
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