The Mirror of Good Manners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]