Mirrour of Good Manners  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

(Redirected from The Mirror of Good Manners)
Jump to: navigation, search

Related e

Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Shop


Featured:

Mirrour of Good Manners is a book by Alexander Barclay translated the from the Italian of Dominic Mancini.

Full text

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

sig: [G6v]

¶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

sig: H1

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

sig: H3

¶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

sig: [H4v]

¶ 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

sig: [H6]

¶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. sig: [I2] ¶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. sig: [I2v]




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Mirrour of Good Manners" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

Personal tools