sig: [A1] | |
Here begynneth a ryght frutefull treatyse / intituled the myrrour of good maners / conteynyng the .iiii. vertues / called cardynall / compyled in latyn by Domynike_Mancyn: And translate into englysshe: at the desyre of syr Gyles_Alyngton knyght: by Alexander_Bercley prest: and monke of Ely. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
WHo coueteth to knowe / chefe maners commendable 'W' of 'Who' is guide letter in space set for large capital | |
And with holy lyfe: hymselfe wolde inlumyne | |
Let hym rede this treatyse / plesaunt and profytable | |
Fyrst in latyn metyr / composed by Mancyne | |
5 | This ryght prudent maister / dyd craftely combyne |
The four noble vertues / surnamed cardynall | |
In one lytell treatyse: includyng thyng nat small | |
Wherby he enfourmeth / man to direct his lyfe | |
To the towre of vertue / and maners most laudable | |
10 | Whiche auctour in wrytyng / hath chefe prerogatyfe |
Aboue all olde wryters / in sentence delectable | |
In elygaunce of meter / and speche incomparable | |
Compendiouse in sentence / and playne aboue them all | |
Whiche wrote or this season / of vertues cardynall | |
15 | Wherfore olde Curius / and Cato most morall |
With Senecke sad and sage / Tully and Petrarke | |
Pontane / And other most noble auctours all | |
Whiche in tymes passed / were vsed in lyke warke | |
All these may well knowlege / them-selfe diffuse or darke | |
20 | Them both and theyr warke / submyttyng to Mancyne |
Whiche this frutefull treatyse / composed in latyne | |
¶Alexander_Barclay / to the reder of this present treatyse / translatyng the wordes of domynyke_Mancyne. |
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THis playne lytell treatyse / in style compendyous | |
Moche brefly conteyneth / four vertues cardynall | |
In ryght plesant processe / playne and commodyous | |
With lyght fote of meter / and style herocyall | |
5 | Rude people to enfourme / in langage maternall |
To whose vnderstandyng / maydens of tender age | |
And rude lytell chylderne / shall fynde easy passage | |
Ye suche as the mother / doth cherisshe on her lap | |
With swete blandymentes: of wordes amyable | |
10 | Cherysshyng with mylke / and norisshyng with pappe |
Shall fynde this small doctryne: both playne and profitable | |
Olde men / whiche haue vsed / in tyme passed to bable | |
In barbaryke langage / and wordes course and vyle | |
May lerne here / theyr maners and tonges newe to fyle | |
sig: A2 | |
15 | To fyle nat with vyces / nor langage inornate |
But to rase theyr rudenesse / and rustes auncient | |
The chaste and wyse matrone / after lyke maner rate | |
May rede this small treatyse / her maydens all present | |
Gyueng none attysment / to lyfe incontynent | |
20 | The sad and wyse husbande / this treatyse may recyte |
Unto his wyfe / nat hurtyng theyr courage with delyte | |
This boke none excludeth / but euery man doth fede | |
Nor none wyll it escheue / nor greue with yrksomnesse | |
Who that can vnderstande / harkyn here or rede | |
25 | Shall fynde here some pleasure / mengled with frutefulnesse |
To no man displeasure / to no man tedyousnesse | |
But in opyn langage frutefull / and playne doctryne | |
Who lysteth theyr eares / and myndes to enclyne | |
But where-as myne auctour / Domynyke_Manycne | |
30 | In his latyne treatyse / them prayeth of Paryse |
To haste to the knowlege / of this his newe doctryne | |
I make proclamacion / here vnder other wyse | |
To our natyfe nacion / diswadyng them from vyce | |
Exortyng and prayng / the dwellers of Englande | |
35 | This newe and small treatyse / to rede and vnderstande |
Wherfore / tender virgyns / delytyng in doctryne | |
And chyldren disposed / to vertue and goodnesse | |
Haste hyther and receyue / ryght holsome disciplyne | |
Drawe nere O chaste matrons / take flame of perfytnesse | |
40 | Drawe nere croked age: and youth whom wantonesse |
By fre-wyll / lust / ryot / or wylfull ignoraunce | |
Misgydeth from maners: good lyfe and gouernaunce | |
Drawe nere perfyte lyuers / take conforte to your mynde | |
In this lytell treatyse / to kepe perseueraunce | |
45 | Approche men disordred / here shall ye doctryne fynde |
To reforme your lyueng / and sue good gouernaunce | |
Haste of this newe treatyse / to purchase acquayntaunce | |
For no maner treatyse / can be more profitable | |
No doctryne more holy / holsome / nor commendable | |
50 | It teacheth no tryfels / it vices teacheth none |
But vertue and maners / to man conuenient | |
It teacheth what thynges / besemeth to be done | |
Enduryng mannes lyfe / as most expedient | |
Thyng passed to consyder / to order thyng present | |
55 | And prudently to puruey / all thynges for to come |
All ordryng in season / accordyng to wysdome | |
sig: [A2v] | |
It teacheth to temper / dysorder and malyce | |
To mytygate rancoure / and percyalyte | |
Without feare or fauour / to execute Iustyce | |
60 | It teacheth in troubles / strong magnanimyte |
And temperaunce herin / descrybed mayst thou se | |
So prudence / fortytude / Iustyce and temperaunce | |
This boke to the profereth / with humble countenaunce | |
But certesse dere reder / it asketh nought agayne | |
65 | No coyne it requyreth / as pryse sufficient |
But rede it: it prayeth / than is it glad and fayne | |
And note whan thou redest / than is it well content | |
But if any purpose / of mynde beniuolent | |
With a lytell money / to bye this small treatyse | |
70 | He surely possesseth / no-thyng of gretter pryce |
Nor his house contayneth / no-thyng more profytable | |
So may he wele beleue: with perfyte assurance | |
But suche as indeuoyre / with study ferme and stable | |
Both wordes and sentence / to close in remembraunce | |
75 | Than hath he a iewell: which moche shall hym auaunce |
And closed in his hert / a singuler treasour | |
All transytory treasour / surmountyng in valour | |
No marchandyse better / in martes maist thou fynde | |
Than this lytell boke / within it doth contayne | |
80 | No better thyng bringeth / the marchaunt out of Inde |
From Damas or Turkey / from Damyane or Spayne | |
From costes of Italy: from Naples or Almayne | |
In all other nacions most forayne / far and straunge | |
Can man fynde no better marchandyse nor chaunge | |
85 | No shoppe in ryche Cyte / hath better marchaundyse |
No grocer / no mercer / nor other merchantes all | |
Can satysfye the myndes / with ware of suche pryce | |
As this boke / which profreth the vertues cardynall | |
The boke-prynter selleth / no better thyng at all | |
90 | Who this werke compryseth / sure in his mynde and thought |
Let hym thynke for certayne / nought better can be bought | |
sig: A3 | |
¶The prologe of Alexander_Barclay vpon the four Uertues cardynall / to his ryght honorable mayster Gyles_Alyngton knyght / Translate of the preface of Domynyke_Mancyne by hym written / to Frederyke_Seueryne bysshop of Maleacence. |
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RIght honorable mayster / ye me requyred late | |
A louers confession / abrydgyng to amende | |
And from corrupt Englysshe / in better to translate | |
To your request wolde I / ryght gladly condyscende | |
5 | Were nat / that some reders / my warke wolde reprehende |
As to my age and order / moche inconuenient | |
To wryte of thynge wanton / nat sad but insolent | |
And though many passages / therin be commendable | |
Some processes appere / replete with wantonnesse | |
10 | And also the labour / great / longe / and importable |
Unto my weake wyttes / my mynde myght oppresse mynde] myndes 1518 | |
For age it is foly / and ieopardy doutlesse | |
And able for to rayse: bad name contagyous | |
To wryte / rede or comon: of thyng venerious | |
¶The fyrst reason. |
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15 | Myne age wyll nat suffer / to wryte of sport or game |
Wherto: wanton iuuent / most wyllyngly intende | |
To scof[f]es and iestes / myne age wyll nat frame scoffes] scoftes 1518 | |
Nor dissolute bourdes / whiche comons most commende | |
Hore age to yonge bourdes / shulde nat it-selfe extende | |
20 | A man with hore heeres / vncomely doth inclyne |
To mysframed fables / or iesture femynyne | |
An olde man decrepite / laded with lockes gray | |
And with berdelyke brystels / dependyng on his chyn | |
With yong mennes wepen / besemeth nat to play | |
25 | To gambaude nor florysshe / smale prayse so shall he wyn |
And certesse me-semeth / his wyt is very thyn | |
Whiche myngled with chyldren / and he a man of age | |
Wolde playe with cherystones / or nuttes by dotage | |
To Caton or Curius / howe yll wolde it agre | |
30 | Or to sad Fabricius / the Romayne most famous |
Forgettyng theyr honour / wysdome and grauyte | |
To wryte of thyng wanton / vayne / or ve[n]erious | |
To man resonable / is as contraryous | |
To take on hym labour / or busynesse nat mete | |
35 | As to be a monstre / with asses head and fete |
sig: [A3v] | |
Nat wele he presenteth / the Wower in a daunce | |
But very yll he playeth / the volage amorous | |
Which fettered in a gyue / wolde gambalde / leape / and prance | |
Attached to a chayne / of lynkes ponderous | |
40 | So faynt croked age / frayle and oblyuyous |
Aggrauat with yeres / as lynke ioyned to lynke | |
Of loue venerious: shulde neyther speke nor thynke | |
If the crowe or cuckowe / pryuate of melody | |
With swan or nyghtingale / in synging wolde compare | |
45 | All byrdes myght them scorne / and nat vnworthely |
What shuld an yremonger / mell with a grocers ware | |
Or salter with sylkes / full symply coude fare | |
As yo[u]th sheweth sportes / frayle lust and vanyte | |
So meddell shulde men aged / with thyng of grauyte | |
¶The seconde reason. |
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50 | Ferthermore / the order holy and commendable |
To whiche: god of mercy hath me associate | |
My fayth and profession / shulde be inuiolable | |
Comaundyng my wrytyng / to be intemerate intemerate=inviolate | |
These thre wyll none other / but after myne estate | |
55 | My style and my wrytyng: insuyngly to sounde |
On thing that on goodnesse: and vertue hath the grounde | |
And vtterly to wryte / of thyng of holinesse | |
And on the same to muse / with pure and clene intent | |
To speke of holy fayth / of vertue and goodnesse | |
60 | What shulde a man sacred / to god omnypotent |
By god hauyng power / of euery sacrament | |
Sith god by suche gyftes / so greatly doth hym bynde | |
What shuld he from goodnes tourne / or withdrawe his mynde | |
A warriour or capitayne / disposed for to fyght | |
65 | Thynketh on his wepyn / his harnesse and armour |
Hors / harnesse / and spere / are musyng of a knyght | |
The couetous marchant / in mynde tourneth eche hour | |
His marchandyse / changes / and fraudulent treasour | |
But the prestes musyng / labour / and exercyse | |
70 | Shulde be in proclaymyng / playne warre agaynst vyce |
And in abydyng batayle / dayly agaynst syn | |
Deuisyng and musyng / with all labour and payne | |
To reconsyle synners / and people for to wyn | |
By worde and example / he ought hym-selfe constrayne | |
75 | Men fallyn / and erryng / to lyft and call agayne |
And brefely this ought he / to comfort ignorance this=thus | |
Exhortynge good lyuers / vnto perseuerance | |
sig: [A4] | |
And busely to watche / about our lordes folde | |
The wylde wolues chasyng / from pore and symple shepe | |
80 | As redy at all season / to soucour yonge and olde |
Them chefely attendyng / whom he hath cure to kepe | |
But no-thyng is vyler / nor mouyng more to wepe | |
Than a preest a rayler / dysdaynyng his honour | |
Or clothed as a courter: or cruell Soudyour courter=courtier | |
85 | With weapyn or armour / as one redy to fyght |
Usurpyng wrong honour: to lyueng repugnant | |
And where he by order is called chrystes knyght | |
T[o] be a worldly rybaude / the name is dissonant To] Te 1518 | |
And thynge nat lesse vyler / is to be ignorant | |
90 | Of maners vncomly: ageynst all honeste |
As fable or laughyng-stocke / of lewdest commonte | |
Contemned / dysdayned / and without reuerence | |
For dissolute maners / or wantyng of connyng | |
Or of his chefe pleasure / be set in violence | |
95 | In dyscord: theft / surfet / fraude / malyce or braulyng |
To repyne disposed / or lustes insuyng | |
And with all these vyces / haue wordes rybaudyous | |
What is more vncomely / or more contagious | |
Wherfore it nat semeth / a preest only to kepe | |
100 | His fame and his lyueng / from vyces fre and quyte |
But also hym semeth / for hurtyng of his shepe | |
Nought soundyng to foly / to comon nor to wryte | |
Thoughe worde be tollerable / what thyng one doth indyte | |
If it be infected / by foule contagion | |
105 | By lo[n]g-tyme red often / it hurteth many one |
¶The thyrde reason. |
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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. |
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AT the fyrste begynnyng / our lorde omnypotent | |
Fourmed heuyn and erth / as wytnesseth scripture | |
And in theyr proper places / set euery elyment | |
Than garnysshed the heuyn / with sterres bryght and pure | |
5 | And the grounde with trees / and grasse of fresshe verdure |
And beestes in theyr kynde / than fylled he the ayre | |
With manyfolde byrdes / of fethers bryght and fayre | |
sig: [A6] | |
Than stored he the see / with fysshes in theyr kynde | |
All thynges thus ordered: and plesantly ornate | |
10 | Lyke hym-selfe he fourmed man of most noble mynde |
And all lyuely thynges / to hym made subiugate | |
At his will obeyng / whyle he kepte his estate | |
Thus made were all beestes / to man obedyent | |
And man onely subiect / to god omnypotent | |
15 | Than god hym exalted / to haue dominion |
Ouer the brode worlde / and therto dyd hym able | |
Of his goodnesse: makyng hym partner of reason makyng] mankyng 1518 | |
Wherby he dyffereth: from beest vnresonable | |
Wha[n] man had this treasour / and gyft incomparable | |
20 | By reason he began / to compase in his mynde |
And serche the secretes / of thyng of euery kynde | |
¶Of the oryginall of prudence. |
|
So mankynde aduertyng / and pondryng by wysdome | |
Thynges gone and passed / and also thyng present | |
He seeth for certayne / what semeth for to come | |
25 | And agaynst it happyn / is nat improuident |
But maketh prouysyon / for all impediment | |
Of thynges necess[a]ry / wantyng nothyng at all necessary] necessnry 1518 | |
But hym-selfe preparyng / to chaunces or they fall | |
Hymselfe so disposyng / by reason president | |
30 | Thyng passed to consyder / thyng present well to frame |
And for thynges commyng / well to be prouydent | |
Thus of a prudent man / deserueth he the name | |
These thynges consydred / than reason is the same | |
Whiche ioyneth man to man / for loue of company | |
35 | For communyng / comfort / and socour necessary |
¶Of the orygynall of Iustice. |
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And so / whan moche people commoyned is in one | |
Reason hath them moued / to be obedient | |
To suche as excelleth / in wysdom and reason | |
Wherby the common-wele / of cyte excellent | |
40 | Hath fyrste chefe begynnyng / and greatly doth augment |
Than reason requyreth / to ordeyne ryght-wyse lawe | |
Transgressours to chastice / and to kepe vnder awe | |
To socour and defende / the weake and Innocent | |
And proude rasshe rebellers / with reason to chastyce | |
45 | Thus: eche state them byndeth / to be obedient |
By instinct of reason / to lawes of Iustice | |
And eche in his order / hym-selfe to exercyse | |
For drede of correccion / nat presumy[n]g to do presumyng] presumyg 1518 | |
But lyke as he hymselfe / wolde gladly be done to | |
sig: [A6v] | |
50 | This same lawe of nature / ingendred hath of kynde |
In fathers and mothers / a loue most pryncypall | |
Anenst theyr dere chyldren / And after that doth bynde | |
Them to theyr Progeny / In loue most specyall | |
To suche / as of theyr blode / they knowe nerest of all | |
55 | Thus loue in degrees / by nature shulde agre |
After the degrees / of consanguynyte | |
And therfore the Parentes / endeuoyr with all arte | |
Theyr chyldren to defende: to conforte and maynteyne | |
The chyldren in lykewyse / of nature do theyr parte | |
60 | For pytie to worshyp / theyr dere parent agayne |
This Iusytce commaundeth / this nature doth constrayne | |
So reason ioyneth man / as brother vnto brother | |
To contende in kyndnesse / and doyng one for other | |
Eche other to comforte / whan is necessyte | |
65 | Thus reason conioyneth / the bondes of concorde |
It peas reconseleth: loue / fayth / and charyte | |
Betwyxt kyng and kyng / and bytwene lorde and lorde | |
Thus reason by Iustyce / excludeth all discorde | |
For whyle euery parsone / by iustyce hath his ryght | |
70 | It is a brutall fury / in batayle for to fyght |
But suche as in ryches / and reason doth habounde | |
By the gyfte of god / to them granted of grace | |
With ryches and reason / these stryue as they are bounde | |
Must the pore to socoure: in euery nedefull case | |
75 | Thus gentylnesse of man / augmenteth with solace |
Thus maners augmenteth / thus chastesed is vyce | |
And vertue auaunced / by reason and Iustyce | |
Emperes thus augment / by Iustyces rewarde | |
And most souerayne gydyng / Thus is benygnyte | |
80 | From man to man shewed / Thus maners go forwarde |
And braunches delateth / of peas and vnyte | |
Thus chastised is synne / and all enormyte | |
And all-thyng reduced / to ryght dyrectyon | |
By meane of Iustyce / procedyng of reason. | |
¶Of the orygynall of magnanymyte / or strength of mynde. |
|
sig: B1 | |
85 | FErthermore: by reason: groweth in mannes mynde |
A naturall desyre / alway with besy cure | |
Thynges hyd and secrete / to serche / knowe and fynde | |
Of trewe and parfyte gode / the knowlege to procure | |
Whiche knowlege obteyned / whan they therof be sure | |
90 | Of natural instynct / this reason doth man moue |
Suche treasour obteyned / moche feruently to loue | |
Reason also moueth / man: greatly to labour | |
To serche and haue knowlege / of trouth and verite | |
For certaynly to man / can be no more pleasour | |
95 | No more iocunde pastyme / ioy nor felycyte |
Than dayly for to lerne / and more prudent to be | |
To sauer and perceyue / by reason what is ryght | |
Than clered is his mynde / with perfyte in_ward lyght | |
Wherfore oft it hapnith / whan man the trouth hath founde | |
100 | His mynde is so feruent / for to defende the same |
That for the loue therof / he careth for no wounde | |
No hard thinge nor greuous / can hym subdue nor tame | |
No chaunce / nor no labour can myttigate this flame | |
No tyrant / by turment by deth / nor other payne | |
105 | From mayntenance of trouth / can hym moue or constrayne |
Thus is his bolde spyryte / in maner inuyncible | |
In hard chance he counteth no great dyffyculte | |
No laboure nor trauayle / he counteth impossyble | |
In the trouth defendynge: Thus clerely may we se | |
110 | Howe of reason spryngeth hye magnanimite |
And boldnes of spyryt / which trouth for to defende | |
Both blode / lyfe and goodes / refuseth nat to spende | |
This thirde noble vertue of magnanimite | |
Thus rysynge of reason: some men cal fortitude | |
115 | Protectour of the trouth / and for symplicite |
Renouncynge no rigour / nor no solycitude | |
Called is it strenght / of comon people rude | |
Or boldenesse of spyrit / but nowe let vs auance | |
Our style / to descrybynge / the grounde of temperance | |
¶Of the begynnynge of temperance. |
|
120 | Yet reason: hath one myght: nat to be counted small |
Wherby: it excyteth / man to felycite | |
For to beholde thynges / fayre plesant and formall | |
And to take great pleasure / aduysynge theyr beawte | |
Man onely by reason / perceyueth and doth se | |
125 | Howe goodly an ordre / and what beawte ornate |
Is in worldly thinges / of god almyght create | |
sig: [B1v] | |
Therfore whan the wyse man / this bea[u]te doth beholde beaute] beate 1518 | |
Consyderynge this shap / and pleasant fourme mundayne | |
He prayseth the fayrnesse / with laudes many-folde | |
130 | And knoweth by this fourme / the fourme souerayne |
Than reason reduceth / vnto his mynde certayne | |
That than is thinge decent / and synguler beaute | |
Whan all-thinge procedeth / in order and degre | |
Whan man this reuolueth / delytynge in his mynde | |
135 | Than sayth he to hym-selfe: O lorde eternall kynge |
If so goodly ordre / in maners of mankynde | |
Were dueuly obserued / it were more plesaunt thinge | |
Wherfore he contendeth / by reason hym gydynge | |
After suche example / of outwarde thing mundayne | |
140 | His owne lyfe and maners / in ordre to constrayne |
And suche inwarde beaute / to gyue vnto his mynde | |
As in outwarde thinges / he dothe beholde expresse | |
Wherfore he prouydeth / as reason doth hym bynde | |
To conforme his maners / to so fayre comlynesse | |
145 | Sufferynge in hym-self / no foule vnclenlynesse |
No vice nor disordre: nor other spot at all | |
In wordys dysolute: nor warkes specyall | |
So that no maner faute / nor blame in hym be founde | |
By passynge / in his dedes: due ordre or measure | |
150 | In doinge ouer_moche: or lesse than he is bounde |
Or nat in dewe season: repugnynge to nature | |
Therfore dothe he study / and muse with busy cure | |
His dedes to redresse / and do in euery case | |
Accordynge as requireth / the season tyme and place. | |
155 | Thus ryseth in the mynde / the fourth noble vertue |
Called Moderacion / or elles Temperance | |
Whiche vertue auanceth: and vices doth subdue | |
Condutinge mankynde / in goodly gouernance Condutinge=conducting, OED | |
So: these four conioyned / shall theyr hauer auance | |
160 | To the sure prossession / of perfyte honeste |
And fyrste vpon reason: all four grounded they be | |
Which reason is graunted / by god vnto mankynde | |
As moste souerayne auctoure / and gouerner moste sure | |
All if comon people / dull / ignorant and blynde | |
165 | Ascrybeth this hye gyft: some-tymes to nature |
It takynge / as god: agaynst iust scripture | |
And symple creature / exaltynge with honour | |
Whiche onely belongeth / to god our creatour | |
sig: B2 | |
But fauorable redar take thyne eleccion | |
170 | Whither thou wylt call / these vertues cardynall |
The gyftes of nature / procedynge of reason | |
Or rather the gyftes / of hye god immortall | |
As touchynge my dute / this thinge perfourm I shall | |
Of these four distynctly / to fynysshe this treatyse | |
175 | Unto the laude of vertue / and reprouynge of vyce |
And fyrst shal I begyn / at vertue of Prudence | |
Fyrste grounded on reason / of whome the other thre | |
Procedeth as braunches / of hye preemynence | |
But fauorable redar / where thou shalt here or se | |
180 | Ought soundynge in my warke / agaynst grauite |
Or nat comely ordred / in meter or substance | |
Correcte I requyre the / my symple ignorance. | |
¶Of the fyrste Cardinall vertue named Prudence |
|
THe fyrste place and partye / longyng to honeste | |
Is the noble vertue / which called is Prudence | |
185 | This teacheth for to sertche / the clere dyuersyte |
Bytwene good and euyll / or vertue and offence | |
Bytwene treuth and falshed / it sertcheth dyfference | |
And this inquisicion / to man is naturall | |
And more conuenient / than other thynges all | |
190 | No-thinge is more propre / nor apter to mankynde |
Than to haue clere knowlege / of thinges naturall | |
For of euery man / this is the wyll and mynde | |
To loue to haue knowlege / and perceyue thynges all | |
Except some blynde wretches / nat humayn but brutall | |
195 | Onely in the wombe / as beestes delytyng |
Man wold haue vnknowyn / to hym playne lyue thing | |
Al thynges he sertcheth: al-thynge consydereth he | |
In mynde them reuoluynge / with perfyte dylygence | |
For he counteth it foule: yll / and dyshoneste | |
200 | To erre / as ouersene in wronge / by negligence |
But that man is called / a man of true prudence | |
Which tryeth forth the trouth / dyscerninge good from yll | |
Honest from dyshonest: and doth the best fulfyll | |
sig: [B2v] | |
But no man is able / this perfytely to trye | |
205 | Nor dyscerne thinge honest: from bad and dyshonest |
Except he it measure / and ponder perfytely | |
By naturall reason / iugyng within his brest | |
Nor the parfyte wyse man: alloweth nat that best | |
Which moste is commended / of people imprudent | |
210 | Or vnstable commons / of wylful Iugement |
But that thyng he demeth / honest and commendable | |
Which he hymselfe iugeth / in his intencion | |
But this same iugement / may nat be disceyuable | |
Nor wanderynge at pleasour / but subiect to reason | |
215 | To whom the appetyte / in lyke condycion |
Must be obedient / and wyll / as seruitour | |
Reason alway regent / chefe gyde and gouernour | |
As the chylde obeyth / his mayster hym teachynge | |
And as pylgrymes folowe / their gyde to flye daungere | |
220 | So wyll and appetyte / to reason in all-thynge |
Must obey and folowe / than iugement is dere | |
But that this same vertue / more playnly may appere | |
And lyghter to knowlege / here reder thou shalt fynde | |
Eche party dyscrybed / distynctly in his kynde | |
¶Two fautes to be exchued in prudence. |
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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. |
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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] |