George Ashby's Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

George Ashby's Poems

Edited from Two 15th Century MSS. at Cambridge by Mary Bateson

Ashby, George

George Ashby's Poems.

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George Ashby's Poems.
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Question-marks denote uncertain readings. Square brackets enclose text supplied by the editor.

A Prisoner's Reflections, A.D. 1463.

Prohemium vnius Prisonarii.

1

[A]t the ende of Somer, when wynter began
And trees, herbes and flowres dyd fade,
Blosteryng and blowyng the gret wyndes than
Threw doune the frutes with whyche they were lade,
Levyng theym sone bare / of that whyche they hade,
Afore myghelmas, that tyme of season,
I was commyttyd, geynst ryght and reason,

2

In to a pryson, whos name the Flete hight,
By a gret commaundment of a lord,
To whom. I. must obey for hys gret myght,
Though .I. cannat therto sadly acord,
Yet .I. must hyt for a lesson record,
Thery'n abydyng without help singler,
Sauf of god and hys blessyd modyr ther.

3

But oth, or other declaracion,
Coude at no season be herd ne takyn,
By no prayer ne exhortacion.
But of all pite and grace forsakyn,
Myne enemyes on me awakyn,
Takyng awey hors, money, and goodes,
Pullyng myne houses downe and gret wordes.

4

Because of my draught and my bryngyng vp
I haue suffryd thys and other spoylyng,
Nat leuyng me worth a dyssh, neyther cup,
Of asmoche as myght come to theyr handlyng,
Puttyng on me many fals lesyng,
Whyche I must suffyr and bere on my ruge,
Tyll the trouth discussyd hath god or the iuge.

5

George Asshby ys my name, that ys greued
By enprysonment a hoole yere and more,
Knowyng no meane there to be releued,
Whyche greveth myne hert heuyly and sore,
Takyng hyt for my chastysement and lore,
Besechyng god I may take my dysease
In dew pacience, our lord god to please.

6

Oon thyng among other greueth me sore
That myne old acqueintaunce disdeyned me
To vysyte, / though I haue doon to theym more
Kyndnes, / forgetyng me and let me be,
Ne yeuyng me comfort, ne wold me se,
Ne the werkes of mercy remembryng,
Ne my kyndnes to theym before shewyng.

7

The grettest peyne that .I. suffyr of all
Is that .I. am put to vnpayable det,
Lykly to be therfore a wrechyd thrall,
For the enprisonment that .I. am in set,
Without goddes grace wol hyt souner let.
Wheropon to god .I. clepe, call and cry
To help me out of det or .I. dy.

8

What may I. do? to whom shall I compleyn
Or shew my trouble, or myne heuynes?
Beyng in pryson, wrongfully certeyn;
But with dylygence and gret besynes,
I beseche god of hys gret worthynes,

Me to guyde and rewle to hys most plesaunce,
And of my wrong to haue humble suffraunce.

9

I gan remembre and revolue in mynde
My bryngyng vp from chyldhod hedyrto,
In the hyghest court that I coude fynd,
With the kyng, quene, and theyr vncle also,
The duk of Gloucetre, god hem rest do,
With whome .I. haue be cherysshyd ryght well,
In all that was to me nedefull euery dell.

10

Wrytyng to theyr sygnet full fourty yere,
Aswell beyond the see as on thys syde,
Doyng my seruyce aswell there as here,
Nat sparyng for to go ne for to ryde,
Hauyng pen and Inke euyr at my syde,
Redy to acomplysshe theyre commandment,
As truly as .I. coude to theyr entent.

11

And in theyr seruyce I spendyd all my youth,
And now in pryson throwen in myn age,
Hauyng of me no pyte ne routh,
Reuylyng me with vnfyttyng langage,
As thaugh I were neyther wytty ne sage,
Whiche greuyd me sore and was gretly sad,
To be in pouert and of goodes bad,

12

That before was well in goodes and rest,
And no man was ayenst me dysplesyd,
And all my dayes was among the best.
And so no creature me dyseasyd,
But at all tymes with me were pleasyd,
Thaugh fortune lyft make me ryght sory
Shewyng that thys welth ys transytory.

13

Gef I had in youth suffred any payne,
By lake of goodes or takyng hardnes,

I myght the better from tene me refreyne,
And take my fall the better in swetnes.
God for hys hyghe grace and gret worthynes
Counseyll me in my trobyll for the best,
That I may leue hens in quyet and rest.

14

Now me-thynketh well, yef I had ben euyr
In prosperyte and in worldly ioy,
And theryn to haue abydyn leuyr
Then to haue tastyd of thys peynfull noy,
I cast me nat to be neyther styll ne coy,
But say as me-thynketh, in verray soth.
To haue chaungyd my lyf I had be loth.

15

And my wrechydnes nat to know euyn,
So well as by goddes grace I shall
And the best lyfe take & the wors leuyn,
In consyderall that I am mortall,
And so to obey hym that ys eternall,
And to chaung my lyf to god greable,
Both in pacyence and in feyth stable.

16

Knowyng in serteyn that my punysshyng
Is other-whyle for my soule profytable,
For a feth in goddes vengeance ceasyng,
Vnto goddes plesure ryght acceptable,
By meke pecyence to vertu able,
Therfore punysshment ys other-whyle good,
Aswell to low degre as to hygh blode.

17

I thynke to wryte of trouble rehersall,
How hyt may be takyn in pacyence,
Procedyng theryn for myn acquytall,
Though I haue no termes of eloquence,
With that I may conclude perfyte sentence;

Wherfore I counseyll aftyr wordes thyse,
Euery man to be lernyd on thys wyse.

Ad sustinendum pacienciam in aduersis.

18

O thow creature of nature ryght noght!
Remembre thy sylf, thy lyfe, thy demert,
Yef thow to pryson or trouble be broght,
Haply by gret wrong and nat of desert,
Suffryng iniury and ryght peynfull smert,
Kepe pacience and wyte hyt thyne offence,
Nat for that sylf thyng but of iust sentence.

19

Or perauenture thow mayst ryght-fully
Come to trouble or tribulacion.
Yet I counseyll the, suffyr hyt wylfully,
Without fenyng or simulacion,
Nat the exaltyng by elacion.
And thus pacience may the woll preserue
From gostly sorow, yef thow thys obserue.

20

And so, by process of suffraunce long,
Thow mayst atteyne to verrey knowlege
Of thy demeryt, and vengeance prolong
By thy lamentyng and prayer mekeleche.
And so at last comfort haue trewleche
Aswell here as hense, by goddes hyghe grace,
And perauenture with-in lytyll space.

21

And as precyous gold ys thorough puryd
By foull metall led, and claryfyed,
Ryght so ys the sowle by trowbyll curyd,
And by humble profe, hygh gloryfyed,
As in the scrypture ys specyfyed.
So for soules helth hyt ys a gret grace,
To haue here trouble rather then solace.

22

What ys trouble or trybulacyon,
Vexed wrongfully, or worldly disease,
Lyuyng here without consolacion,
But callyng of god hymself for to please?
Wherfore hyt ys best, for thy soules ease.
Rather of trouble be mery and glad,
Than therof be grogyng, heuy & sad.

23

Who may haue more heuynes & sorow
Then to be welthy and aftyr nedeful?
Furst to be ryche, aftyr, redy to borow?
Furst prosperous and aftyr carefull?
Who ys more comfortable and ioyfull?
Then take the world in pacyence and worth,
Suffryng hit to come and goo playnly forth.

24

Set the neuyr thy full wyll here
In worldly ioy and in felycyte.
For all dayes thow mayst both see and here,
In all thy lyfe there ys contraryte;
Yef thow be ryche thow hast aduersyte,
Yef thow haue a feyre wyfe and gret plente,
Moche sorow peraventur ys sent the.

25

Yef thow tak a wyfe to thy freelte,
Ryght thoutfull thow art, carfull and pensyf;
Yef thow lyue aftyr censualyte,
That ys acursyd and vnthryfty lyf;
Yef thow be weddyd, without any stryf,
Thow lakkest chyldren, to be thyne heyres,
Lesyng thy name in market and feyres.

26

Yef thow haue chyldren ryght plenteuously,
Haply suche may be theyr gouernaunce
That they woll dysplese ryght greuously;
Yef thow be set in holy obseruaunce,

Perauenture thow hast no temperaunce;
Yef thow be set in temporalyte,
Thy lust ys in spyrytualyte.

27

Yef thow be well, haply thow lackest good,
Yef thow haue good, thow suffrest gret sekenes.
Thus welth ebbeth and floweth as the flood,
Neuer welthy, but som maner dystres,
Neuyr so mery but som heuynes.
Oone thyng lakkyng aftyr thyne apetyte,
Nat all thynges beyng in pleasaunt plite.

28

Yef thow be forth at large out of pryson,
Thow mayst haue sorow ynowgh and gret wrong.
Yef thow be ryght welthy for the seson,
Many pluckers-at thow mayst haue and strong.
Prosperyte here shall neuer endure long.
So euyr, whyle thow art on erth lyuyng,
Som maner thyng lakketh to thy plesyng.

29

Wenest thow to haue here perfeccion
Of worldly ioy, comfort and delyces?
Nay bettyr ys sharp persecucion
For thy synnes, offenses and vyces,
Kepyng pacience without malyces,
Puttyng thy wyll to goddes volunte,
So thy spyryt may best in quyet be.

30

Thynke that thy lyfe here ys but pilgremage
Towardes the hygh place celestiall.
Wherfore, for any trouble or damage,
Preve nat thysylf lewde and eke bestiall,
Seyth thou may be in heuyn menyall
Seruaunt thorough thy tryumphall victory
By mekenes and werkes merytory.

31

Thow canst nat be so pryve ne secret
But god ys there present and knoweth all thyng,
Therfore be euyr wytty and dyscret,
Nat for to do ne say hym dysplesyng,
But as thow woldest before hym beyng,
So by mekenes take all thyng for the best,
What that god sendeth, trouble or vnrest.

32

Thynke that worldes welth and felycyte
Ys nat euermore in oone abydyng,
But transitory ys prosperyte,
And no certeynte whyle thow art lyuyng.
But euyr as a whele, turnyng and meuyng,
Knowyng for certayn that thow art mortall,
And neuer in thys world verray rest haue shall.

33

Wytnes of oure lord, allmyghty Ihesu,
Suffryng Reproves and vexacion,
Thowgh he were clennest in lyf and vertu,
Yet no man suffred suche trybulacion.
And all was for our alther saluacion.
Yeuyng vs example for to take trouble
In worth, syth he hath suffred the double.

34

What suffred Mary the quene of heuyn?
Most pure, most clennyst, without any syn,
Claryfyed from the synnys seuyn,
Ever to plese Ihesu she wold nat blyn.
How be hyt that feare and tene she was in,
Mornyng, sorowyng, euyr in drede,
To opteyne the loue of Ihesu and hyr mede.

35

What sey ye of seynt Iohn the Euaungelist?
Of many martyrs and eke confessours,
Of holy vyrgyns, and seynt Iohn Baptist?
That here in thys lyfe suffred many shours,

Nat desyryng therof worldly succours,
Refusyng all worldly ioy and plesaunce,
And all trowble for god take in sufferaunce.

36

Of Iob to suffyr take thow example,
Whyche pacyently suffred hys gret smert,
Who had in thys world of losse more ample?
Yet for goddes sake he plesyd in hert
With hys trowbelous hurt / put out in desert
As fowle, vyle, abhomynable and wreche,
Takyng hyt in gre and therof nold reche.

37

And so to procede in the pacience
Of seyntes, and make therof rehersall
That suffred trowbyll with out resystence,
They be infynyte to be wretyn all.
Hyt suffyseth to touche the principall,
To thy lernyng and informacion
To be of pacyent condicion.

38

Right so kyng, Quene, Duke, Prynce and Emperoures,
Erle, Baron, lord, knyght, and many squyers,
Bysshop, Abbot, Pryour and conquerours,
And many gret estates and Rewlours,
Clerkes, marchauntes and eke counseylours
Haue be put in trouble and gret greuaunce
For theyr soules helth by humble sufferaunce.

39

Was there euyr lord so gret and so sure,
Or any gret Clerk lernyd in the law,
That may not fall in the snare and in the lure
Of trouble, maugre hys hed and his maw?
Wherfore hyt may be a lawdabyll saw,
Euery man worshyp god in hys season
Accordyng to hys law / trouth and reason.

40

Euery man may take example and hede
By suche men of good disposicion,
And by lernyd men that can teche and rede
To conforme hym to lyk affeccion,
To haue of pacience perfection,
To take trouble in worth and in gre,
As other men haue do in liberte.

41

In conclusion of the verrey trouth,
Euery man other fauour and socour,
And of hys trouble haue pyte and routh,
And the blessyd men helpe and eke honoure,
Doyng your dylygence and peynfull laboure,
The virtuous pepyll for to cherysshe,
Suffryng the wykkyd Rather to perysshe.

42

That all pacience, Riches and science
Come oonly of god and noon other,
Hyt may be prouyd by experience.
As oone ryche, another pore; hys brother,
The ryche, slepeth, the pore laboreth vnder.
So that Ryches commeth nat by labour
Oonly / but to hym that god lyst shew fauour.

43

And syth all thynges come of Ihesu
And nothyng without hym may avayle,
I beseche hym so full of vertu
To guyde me, Rule me / and counsayle,
That by pacience .I. may wyn batayle
Of my troubles, and haue the vyctory,
Thorough my symple werkes merytory.

44

And with humylyte and soburnes,
With feruent loue and feythfull reuerence,
I beseche the, god, of thy worthynes,
Yeue me grace, comfort and assistence,
Good wyll, good werkes, good thought and eloquence,

With loue, charyte and feyth the to please,
That I may dwell in heuyn at myn ease. Amen.

Lenuoy.

45

Goo forth, lytyll boke, mekely, without rous,
To folk troubelyd and vexed greuously,
Steryng theym by thy counseil vertuous
To kepe pacience thereyn ioyously,
Redyng thys tretyse forth ceryously,
By the whyche they shall fynde grace as .I suppose,
To comfortable entent and purpose;

46

Besechyng all folk, though I am no Clerk,
For to vndyrstand that I nat presume
To take opon me labour of thys werk
For worldly glory and thank to assume,
But vertu to encrese and lewdnes consume,
And namely to take trowble in suffraunce
Paciently to deseruyd penaunce.

47

Also vndyr protestacion
That I wyll nat kepe presumptuosly
Any errour or feynyd opinion,
But me to theym conforme graciously,
That of hygh connyng haue plenteuously,
Besechyng theym my defaut to correct,
Yef any be, and nat to me hyt to arect,

48

But my dylygence and good wyll to accept
In to theyre fauour, support and goodnesse,
And in no maner me therof except,
Though .I. haue offendyd in my lewdnesse,
Vnaduised and nat of wylfulnesse,
Kepyng euermore vertuous entent
With discrecion that god hath me sent.

49

Wretyn in pryson, in oure lordes date,
A thowsand foure hundryd syxty and thre,

Thus occupying me, thys was my fate,
Besechyng the, our lord god in trynyte,
To take my makyng in plesure and gre,
And therto hau mannys benyuolence,
To thyne owne preysyng, laude and reuerence. Amen.

Explicit.

50

Pryson properly ys a sepulture
Of lyuyng men, with strong lokkes thereon,
Fortyfyed without any Rupture,
Of synners a gret castigacion,
Of feythfull frendes a probacion,
Of fre liberte a sharp abstinence,
Lackyng volunte for theyr dew penaunce.

Active Policy of a Prince.

[_]

The Latin introduction to the poem has been omitted.

Hic Incipit Prologus.

1

Maisters Gower, Chauucer & Lydgate,
Primier poetes of this nacion,
Embelysshing oure englisshe tendure algate,
Firste finders to oure consolacion
Off fresshe, douce englisshe and formacion
Of newe balades, not vsed before,
By whome we all may haue lernyng and lore.

2

Alas! saufe goddes wille, & his plesaunce,
That euer ye shulde dye & chaunge this lyffe,
Vntyl tyme / that by youre wise pourueunce (sic)
Ye had lafte to vs / sum remembratife
Of a personne, lerned & Inuentif,
Disposed aftur youre condicion,
Of fresshe makyng to oure Instruccion.

3

But sithe we all be dedly and mortal,
And no man may eschewe this egression,
I beseche almyghty god eternal
To pardon you all / youre transgression,
That ye may dwelle in heuenly mansion,
In recompense of many a scripture
That ye haue englisshede without lesure.

4

So I, George Asshby, not comparison
Making to youre excellent enditing,
With right humble prayer & orison,
Pray god that by you I may haue lernyng,
And, as a blynde man in the wey blondryng,
As I can, I shall now lerne and practise
Not as a master but as a p[r]entise;

5

Besechyng almyghti god of support,
That thorough his gracious instruction
I may confourme me aftur the report
Of vertuous / and sad construccion,
Without minisshyng or addicion,
Principally in thentent and substance
Of my matere, with all the obseruance.

6

And thaugh all thynges be nat made perfyte
Nor swetely englisshed to youre plesance,
I byseche you hertely / to excuse it,
So that I kepe intential substance,
While I haue of makynge none assurance,
Nor of balades haue experience,
Acceptyng my goode wille & diligence.

7

Some personnes peraventure woll thenke
That it myght be saide better thus or thus.
For I cannat swym / I stand on the brynk,
Wadyng no forther / but as crist Iesus
Sendith me konnyng, showing vnto vs
That a litle childe may natt so well bere
A grete burthen / as a man, withoute dere.

8

Right so though I haue not seien scripture
Of many bookes right sentenciall,
In especial of the gloses sure,
I woll therfor kepe true menyng formal,
Nor right meche delatyng the rehersall,

Thaugh I do nat so wele / as thei before,
Ostendyng my beneuolence & lore,

9

By protestacion that my menyng
Shall not be wilfully for to displease
Any creatures to my konnyng,
Principally suche as I aught to please,
Ner their estat in no wyse to displease,
But to my pore power / it to magnifie,
And in al my seruice / it to multiplie.

10

Thaugh I be fallen / in decrepit age
Right nygh at mony yeres / of foure score
I pray god that in my wytt / I ne rage
But that I may wryte aftur goddes lore,
Encrecyng vertuous liffe more & more,
As myne entente is / and also shalbe,
To goddes plesance / & to my dutie.

11

Under a support / and beneuolence,
With a fauorable direction,
I woll put to / my peine & diligence,
After the simplesse of mine opinion,
To my cunnyng and erudicion;
This matier is finisshe to the pleasance,
Of almyghty Iesu & his suffrance.

12

In the name of almyghty Lorde Iesu,
To whom heuen erth and helle [OMITTED] yne,
Whiche is the grete name / higheste in vertue,
And in all gracious goodenes dothe shyne,
Whom I biseche me for to Illumyne,
That in my mater I may so procede
Without offense / & therin not texcede.

De actiua pollecia principis.

13

[R]ight[high] & myghty princeand my right goode Lorde,
Linially comyn of blode royal,

Bothe of Faders & moders of recorde,
Occupying by grace celestial
Thaier Roiaulmes, with grace especial (?)
To whom be al honnour and reuerence,
Dewe to youre high estate / and excellence,

14

I mene, to youre highnesse Edwarde by name,
Trewe sone & heire to the high maiestie (?)
Of oure liege lorde / Kynge Henry & dame (?)
Margarete, the Quene / bothe in Charitee
Euer though grete was their maiestie (?)
Yit they eschewed / vengeance and Rigoure,
Shewynge their beneuolence and Favour.

15

God, verrey Recompenser of goodenesse,
Rewarde at large their blessidnesse therfore,
And so I dar say / he wil of his Rightwisnesse;
Enlarge theim daily / his grace more & more,
Blissed be tyme in whiche thei were bore,
Namly for youre birthe of theim discended,
In whome al vices ben vilipended.

16

My goode Lorde, trewe hertly affection
Compellithe me somewhat to entremete,
In fyndyng sum goode exhortacion
That myght be to you / gracious & mete,
Ensuryng youre estate in quiete sete,
Whiche may neuer endure but by vertue,
According to the pleasance of Iesu.

17

And so youre bringyng vp hath be right sad,
In all vertuous disposicion,
And to the honnour of god / euer ladde,
Whome I biseche be youre proteccion,
That ye may abide in suche affeccion,
Not oonly to youre profite & honnour,
But als to oure althre wele & socour.

18

Besides whiche thre thinges I wolde meve
Your high estate to haue in Remembrance,
Kepying (sic) theim in youre breste and neuer leue,
For any busynesse or attendance,
Puttyng youre high estate in assurance,
That is tyme Passed present and future,
Kepynge thees three tymes with due mesure.

In tempore preterito.

19

[O]f tyme passed I wolde ye sholde take hede,
Redyng the bible & holy scripture,
And there ye may see to what ende dothe lede
Vertuos dedys & condutes seure,
Principally suche as haue noble cure,
For certeyne a blissed entencion
Must determine wele withoute question.

20

And other men, in the contrary wise,
That be indisposed to rightwisnesse
Must nedis fal, and al folk theim dispise,
Sith their werkes bene without aduisinesse,
Hauing no regarde to goode stedfastnesse,
And so who so euere wol preve the sothe,
He endithe not wele that wykkidly dothe.

21

Seintes of youre noble blode ye may knowe,
Diuers many that lyued blessedly,
Bothe of this England and of Fraunce ynowe,
That yave theire hertes to god Inwardly,
Abydy in goddes feith stedfastly,
Whos pathes ye may beholde & eke see,
And theim folowe in theire benignitee.

22

Beholde eke youre noble progenitours,
Howe victorious thei were in corage,
How Iuste, how sad & eke wise at al houres,
Holdyng theire enemyes in seruage,

So that thei durst nat so hardy outrage,
Whos werkes be cronicled to their fame.
Be suche as thei were, & no man wol you blame.

23

Ye may rede in cronicles the ruine
Of high estates and translacion,
That to vices and outrage dud incline,
For the whiche thei suffred mutacion,
Wherof ye haue daili probacion.
For certeine no persoune may longe indure,
But he attende wele to his charge & cure.

24

Ther was neuer yet fal / of high estate,
But it was for vices / or negligence,
Were he neuer so high / or eleuate,
Withoute he wolde attende wele by prudence
To his charge, avoidyng from his presence,
Men vicious, and namely couetous;
Where thei abide thei distroy euery hous.

25

Ther hath be in late daies right grete change
Of high estates and grete diuision,
Right meruelous, wonderful & eke strange
To myche folk unportable punicion,
Sorouful, peineful, and tribulacion,
Whiche might [haue be] eschewed in this wise,
To haue had counseil without couetise.

26

Ther was goode ynough if ther had be hert
To haue departed therwith in all haste,
And saued many a man that toke smert,
But rather thei wolde take the deth is taste
Than thei wolde for theimselfe theyr goode oute cast,
And so loste there maister, theimselfe & goode,
Oonly couetise shedynge their blode.

27

Howe may any estate be in seurtee
Of his welthe, prosperite & honnour,
Or in any wise be in sikertee,
If couetous folke be in his favour?
Whiche people wol do / their peine & labour
Euer for their owne singularitee,
Charging no personne [h]is aduersitee.

28

The high estate of oure king god preserue,
And if deuoided had folke couetous
From his persoune, his people had not sterue
With suche grete batellis dispiteous,
Whiche to here & telle is ful piteous.
For to late the couetous folk toke hede
To haue holpen theim selfe whan it was nede.

29

Ful openly shewithe experiens
To what effect couetise drawith to.
It is apte to vntrouthe and negligence,
To falsenesse and subtel treson also,
Euer for lucre, go where he go,
Hauyng no regarde to trouthe ne worship,
So he may come to goode and Lordeship.

30

Who that herith many Cronicles olde,
And redithe other blessid Scripture,
Shall excede al other bi manyfolde
Resons, and his discrecions ful sure,
Circumspect in his actes, wytt pure,
And so to guyde hym in siche cases lyke
As other men dudde that were polletike.

31

Tempus preterit kepe in youre Remembrance,
And reuolue in youre cogitacion,
How mysruled haue fallen in comberance,
And wele ruled in exultacion.
Chese the best for youre consolacion,

Euer gracious & blissed entent,
Maketh to fynisshe wele youre tyme present.

Iam de tempore presenti.

32

Tthe (sic) god / of his omnipotencie
Hath brought you now forth to our grete comfort,
So Iesu encrece you, to Iustifie
And rule this present tyme for owre support,
That al people may haue cause to report
The blessednesse of youre estate Roial,
Pleasyng god and to the wele of vs al.

33

And also al wronges for to redresse,
With lauful and dewe moderacion,
And all rebellion for to suppresse,
Aftur Iust & dewe informacion,
All thing doon with consideracion,
As the case requireth, in his due wise,
For to youre highnesse is this entreprise.

34

Suche as ye be, so shall ye be taken,
Youre dedys & werkes shal prove al thing,
Wele or evyl thei shalbe awaken,
In cronicles youre Rule rehersyng,
Either in preisyng either in blamyng.
Nowe here ye may chese wherto ye wol drawe,
Best is to confourme you / to goddys lawe.

35

Goddys lawe is man to knowe his estate,
And goddis wille haue in dewe obseruance,
And his owne Cure if he be fortunate,
And thise three euer haue in assurance,
And so shall he his high estate enhaunce,
And his goode dedys be magnified,
Bothe here and in heuyn glorifieed.

36

To entremete / of youre magnificence,
I woll make therof but litil wrytyng,

Aduertising youre estate & excellence
Not to be to hasty in youre wyrkyng,
Ne to slowe, ne to feint, for no temptyng,
Ne to riall, ne in to grete simplesse,
Ne to liberal for no frendlynesse.

37

Ne ouer streit for noo necessite,
But in a meane bi moderacion,
And so youre estate shall encrece & thee,
And yet thaugh bi consideracion,
Of youre honnour and nominacion,
At a point al other ye do excelle,
Another tyme ye may it Repelle.

38

And euer drawe to youre noble seruice
The mooste vertuos folkes and cunnyng,
That may youre entencion accomplice,
Youre high estate and grete honnour sauyng
And suche ye may haue that cause no blamyng,
Suche as a man is / suche drawithe hym to,
Either vertuous folk or therto fo.

39

And also beware of the couetous,
He is nat for youre profett and honnour,
He shall appere false and sedicious,
Be al quaint socibbilitees and labour,
Corruptyng his fellawship bi errour,
Of his false couetous opynion,
This is verrey soothe withoute question.

40

Take you to liue of youre own properte
Of youre Revenues, lyuelode & Rent,
Propornouning after the quantite
Youre expenses by youre oune Iugement,
Paying all that is to youre estate lent.
Thus ye shall oure lorde god & the world please,
And all men fayne to leue you at youre ease.

41

The wiseman saithe do all thinge with counseil,
Not biddynge youre counsail do al thing,
Right so if ye go youre selfe to batail,
All folk woll folowe you in youre helpyng.
Do youre selfe and all shall be obeying,
Truste to no man is execucion,
So wele as to youre oune inspeccion.

42

Principally I wolde you aduertise,
The thynges to kepe in youre remembrance.
Oon is the vertuous folk to cherisshe
And þe vicious to put in grevance,
Disseuering theim bi youre ordynaunce,
Yevyng hym rewarde & other expence,
According to his merites and desert,
And thus ye shall avoide euery smert.

Docet Regem satisfacere / de stipendiis stipendiariis suis Alioquin societas despiciet eum & dominium suum; hec Plato.

43

And paie youre men theire wages & dutee,
That thei may lyue withoute extorcion,
And so wol god trouthe & equitee,
And therfore take hertili this mocion,
And in their nedys be their proteccion.
And so shal youre fame encrece & rise,
And euery man youre pleasire accomplise.

44

Be ye rather clept an executer
Of wisdam, in his deue & formal wise,
Than to be proclamed a wise speker,
And nought folowethe aftur that guyse,
Of bothe, weldisposed, fame shal arise,
So youre estate to wisdam do Incline,
Wherbi al myshappe fallith to Ruine.

45

All thynges afture wisedam to gouerne
Is verrey suretee and trusty assurance,

And pleasith almyghti Jhesu eterne,
If ther be put in hym trewe affyance,
Whiche ye may obserue in youre Remembrance,
That noght eschape in dissolucion,
Ne wested by delapidacion.

46

And in al thynges kepe order deuly.
What is curtesye, trouthe, Reason, pite
What is curtesye, trouthe, Reason, pite
Or Iustice but a true ordre truly?
All thes vertues returned may be
To vices, withoute ordre in his degree.
Therfore ordre other while wol nat speke,
But in couenable tyme he wol owte breke.

47

That ye must nedis doo bi rightwisenesse,
Bi trouthe, goode conscience or Iuggement,
Do it with pite & pacientnesse,
With no vengeance in youre commandement,
For that longithe to god omnipotent,
And who that is withoute grace and pite,
At last bi reason he shall vnthe.

Fundamentum timoris dei est pietas / hec Pitogoras.

48

Pite withoute rightwysnesse is folye,
Rightwisnesse withoute pite tiranship,
The toon withowte the tother withoute any lye
May not contynue in myght of Lordeship,
But at last it woll come to shenshipp,
Therfore haue herto a goodely respect,
That ye be not herein founden suspecte.

49

Yeuethe no light credence to euery tale,
Ner beleue not euery suggestion,
Nor by not euery thynge that is to sale,
Ner graunte ye not euery peticion,
But hauethe ye consideracion
To euery thing, as the cause requirethe,
Just, trewe, necessarye, as it semythe.

50

Delay no thyng to be doon bi reason,
Ne deferre it withoute cause resonable,
For thing done quykly in his season,
Is right worthi to be commendable,
And to al creatours laudable.
Bothe profit and worship shal herby sewe
To theym perfourmyg (sic) it and never rewe.

Sitis intra et extra idem ab hiis que loquimini; ad inuicem ne sit quod linguis exprimitis diversum ab eo quod reconditis in corde; hec Hermes.

51

Say nat oon thyng and do the contrarie,
Lete youre worde & dede be in accordance,
Kepe secretnesse as a secretarye,
For youre worshippe, proffite and assurance,
Withoute langage, speche or vtterance,
But vnto suche personnes oportune
As may be furthering to youre fortune.

52

Heere euery man is counseil & aduise
Paciently & chese therof the best,
And than I wold youre highnesse aduertise
That ye sholde kepe youre entent in your brest,
As ye wolde your owne tresoure in youre chest.
And so shall ye youre estate magnifie,
And youre grete wisdam daily multiplie.

53

And kepe no selfe-willed oppunion,
But to all reason bethe appliable,
And allowe als withoute obliuion,
Euery man is goode wille / resonable,
Thaugh your wytt excelle & be more hable
To discerne the vtterest Iugement
In any case to you appurtenent.

Iam de tempore Futuro.

54

[N]ow of two tymes I wol speke no more,
It suffiseth to youre discrecion.
But of futur temps I wol meve therfore,
Biseching you / vnder youre proteccion,
That ye wol take herin Inspeccion.
And kepe it in youre noble remembrance,
For the web of youre estate and surance.

55

Be wele ware by discrete prouision
For to suppresse youre false conspiratours,
Aftur the lawe & constitucion,
Established ayenst opyn traiterous,
Being circumspect as youre progenitours,
In suche caas (sic) haue bene to the preseruing,
Of their Royal estate and preseruyng (sic).

56

Wolde to god that ye wolde prouide sadly
To subdewe al maner rebellyon,
Namely of suche countreies that gladly
Be disposed to insurreccion,
Wherof ye may haue intelleccion
Redyng Cronicles, and then ye may fynde
Whiche places bene to thair deue kyng vnkynde.

57

In euery thyng haueth a prouidence
That no hurt fal to youre noble highnesse,
Not bi conspiryng ner bi necligence,
Exilyng from you slough & simplenesse,
In suche thing as sholde sowne to youre distresse,
Hauyng al waies a tendre regarde,
to youre seuretee sparing for no Reward.

58

Almyghty Jhesu was disobeied,
First by Adam and Eve in paradise,
Thurgh the fals deuel to theim conueiede,
And in heuyn by lucifer vnwise,

And in erthe bi Iudas in his false guyse.
Haue not ye now nede aboute you to loke?
Sith god was deceyvede hy wiles croke.

59

Be wele ware of falsehode in felawship,
And namly of corrupte bloode and suspecte,
Abidyng in power, myght & lordeship,
And be towardes thair rule circumspecte,
And to thaire werkes haueth respecte,
And if thei trespace Lete not theim eschape,
Iustly punysshyng then & not with lape.

60

Oon thyng I warne you, if ye wol be Kyng,
Thurgh goddes grace, of any Region
Ye must subdewe with al suppressyng
Euery persoune withoute submission
Pretendyng right to your coronacion.
Or ellis ye may not regne in seurte,
Nor set youre subiettes in quiete.

61

And euer remembre olde Sarueyeres,
Hauyng suche persounes in tendernesse
That hathe be feithfull & trewe welewyllers
To thair ligeance withoute feintnesse,
Suffryng therfore / grete peine & butternesse (sic)
And be ye ware of the Reconsiled
That hathe deserued to be reuiled.

62

May nat ye see late the experience
Howe falshede, mysreule & extorcion
Mysguidyng, Robbery & necligence,
Withe all ther wiles haue conclusion
Of destruction and confusion,
Wherto shal we expresse thair proper name,
That so haue perisshed to thair grete blame?

63

The trouthe is not hid, ne neuer shalbe,
Cronicles faueurithe no man of Reason.

Their disclaundre shal neuer die of equite
That falsly haue conspired bi treson,
Or lyued vngodly in iche season.
Do youre parte as longithe to your highnesse,
To avoide prudently suche heuynesse.

64

For truste me, verreyly god wol be knowen,
He rewardythe euery benefet,
And punyssheth bothe high & eke the lowe,
Be he neuer so queinte or countrefet,
His rightwise Iuggement he neuer let,
Thawe he delay it of his diuine grace,
For a tyme of better leiser and space.

65

Muche folke wisshen hertely to be alorde (sic)
For grete plente, worship & reuerence
Takyng no hede what sholde therto accorde,
So thai haue thair pleasir and complacens.
To whiche entent god neuer yaue suche sentence,
But that thei sholde be in chageabe (sic) cure,
To directe other vndur dewe Mesure.

66

Also take this for a note and Lesson,
Yf ye be put in high estate & cure,
But ye reule deuly at tyme & season,
Accordyng to right, as seithe Scripture,
A wreche shall reule theim withoute mesure,
To a grete punisshyng and chastement
To be at a wreche is commaundent.

67

Prouide you sadly for youre sowles is helthe
Of a Confessour in discrecion,
Of a goode leche for youre body is welthe,
Of a Secretarie withe Inspection,
Secrete, sad, and of goode Intencion,
That can accomplisshe your commaundement.
To thonnour and profit of youre entente.

68

Also chese your servantes of goode draught,
That wol attente and be seruiable,
Remembryng with whom thei haue be vpbraught,
For to suche thei shalbe appliable.
Whether thei be good or nat vailable,
So take herin a goode direccion,
To haue seruice withoute suspecion.

69

Looke that youre servauntes be of the best,
Bothe Knyghtes, Squiers, Clercs & yomen,
And eueriche in his degre vertuest
Whiche shalbe to your glorious fame then,
In all countrees that men may you ken,
As well in grete strenght, profit & honnour
As to al youre trewe Soubgettes socour.

70

Prouide bifore for al thing in season
In youre estate, householde & other thing,
And ye shall haue better chepe bi reason
Of youre prouision in the bying,
Than whan ye may make therof no tarying,
For whan a thing must right nedys be had,
It must be receiued, goode, chepe or bad.

71

A peny spent bi wise prouision
Auailith two in time seasonable,
And in lyke wise the execucion
Of dedys by tyme is right profitable,
Where in taryeng it is mutable,
Therfore some thinges oons by tyme doon
Ben worthe twyes / other thing ouergoon.

72

Prouide that your Communes may be welthy,
In richesse, goodes and prosperite,
And to occupacion theim applye,
Vndur drede of the lawe is Rigourstee.
For of what condicion that he be,

And he be of goodes right plentuous,
He dar not be to lawe contrarious.

73

For he that nought hathe is nat vnder drede,
Neither of lawe, ne of punicion,
For in other place / he may his nede spede,
No thing rechyng of transgression,
Ne willyng to come / to submission.
For he that hathe of goodes no substance,
He may the soner make than auoydance.

74

It hathe be, and yet is a comyn sawe,
That Poverte departithe felaship.
Therfor vnder rule & drede of the lawe,
Kepe youre Comyns bi helpe of your lordeship,
That they may growe to richesse & worship,
And than at tyme of nede thei may you aide,
As often sithes as they shalbe praied.

75

Prouide that lawe may be excercised,
And executed in his formal cours,
Aftur the statutes autorised
By noble Kynges youre progenitours,
Yeving therto youre aide helpe & socour.
So shall ye kepe folk in subieccion
Of the lawe and trewe dispocision.

76

Yif ye wol bryng vp ayen clothe makyng,
And kepe youre Comyns oute of ydelnesse,
Ye shull therfore haue many a blessyng,
And put the pore people in busynesse,
Bi the whiche thei shal come to grete swetnesse,
And robbery lafte by that excercise,
And strumpery als by this entreprise.

77

Lete nat the pouer Comyns be dysguised
Nee haue precious clothe in theire Vesture,

But in thair excesse be ther supprised
And obserue a resonable mesure
In their arraye, with oute chaunge but tendure,
Accordyng to degree of Laborours,
Aftur statute of youre / progenitours.

78

Youre Comyns shude nat bere dagger, ne Lance,
Ne noon other wepins defensife,
Leste therby thei cause debate & distance,
Yeuynge other occasions / of Striff,
Swhiche wepyns haue made folk to lese their liff.
And if this statute were executed
Meche folk sholde be Laufully rebuked.

79

Also gentilmen shuld nat yeve clothyng
But to their howshold meyne, for surance
That no man be their power excedyng,
Ne maynteine no people, by youre puissance,
Ner false quarels take thorough maintenance,
But euerry man lyve of his owne in rest,
And that pleasithe god and man most best.

80

Euery man ought to lyve vnder a lawe,
And namly cristenmen that wold god please,
And for drede therof to lyve under awe.
For miscreantes, for drede of disease,
Bene obedient to their lawe doutelesse,
And muche more rather to be obseruante
Of cristen lawe we shulde yeve attendance.

81

What region may Lyve withoute a reule?
Or abide quietly In assurance,
Thaugh he were an asse hede or a dulle mule,
He myght not lyve wildly at his pleasance.
But at last ye shall falle in grevance,
As ye may bi experience it se,
Mysruled folk evyll doon thrive or thee.

82

By lawe euery man shold be compellede
To vse the bowe and shetyng for disport,
And al insolent pleies Repellede,
And iche towne to haue Buttes for resort
Of euery creature for their comfort,
Especially for al oure defence
Establisshed before of grete prudence.

83

Iff any people put to youre highnesse
Billes of compleint or peticion
Onswere theim in haste with aduisinesse,
Werto they shal trust withoute decepcion,
Aftur the trouthe & Iuste perfeccion
That folke be nat delaied friuolly,
Otherwyse then the case askith iustly.

84

My lorde al men shuld be vnder your drede,
That bene vnder your reule & obeisance.
So must ye vnder god in worde & dede,
In eschewing his wrathe & displeasance.
He wol be deled with in sad constance,
Neither with Iapes, mokke ne scornyng,
But Iustly, truly, even & mornyng.

85

No man reuleth god, be (sic) he reulith al,
Bothe heuen, erthe, and also helle.
What man is he that is terrestial
But of hym thus sadly wol speke & telle?
Al kynges & princes he dothe excelle.
Suche a maister that is worthi & best
Is surest to serue and at longe moost rest.

86

And for most especial Remembrance
Thinketh that men be erthly & mortal,
Ner there is worldly Ioy ne assurance
But in almyghti Ihesu eternal,
Bi whos myght & power especial,
Reignen kynges, and be to hym soubget,
And hym to obey is thaire deutee & dette.

87

Oon thing kepe right stedfastly in your mynde,
If any man do thinge for youre plasance,
Acquite you ayein of natural kynde,
Though ye wil nat hym therfore auance,
Yit lete hym wyt that ye haue therof rememberance,
Whiche is to hym a sufficiant Reward,
And ever to please you wol haue regarde.

88

And als euer amonge cherisshe straungers,
Marchandes, pilgrymes & great Clerkes,
In especial suche as be makers.
Thise may exaltat youre name & werkes,
Aftur the oolde dogge the yonge whelpe barkes;
Study euer to haue men is fauour
By vertue, or elles lost is youre labour.

89

Whan any man tellethe you any tale,
Serche it priuely to haue trewe knowlege
Whether it be soothe, and to you no bale,
And than kepe it in secretnesse treuleche,
Til ye haue youre ful entente feithfullyche,
And so ye may ful many thynges knowe,
Where bi blabbynge thei may be overthrowe.

90

Oon thing kepe in youre noble memorie,
Do magnifie & enriche youre dscent (sic),
And thaugh al other ye do modifie,
I holde it a prouision prudent,
Lete not theime be to you equiuolent,
Neither in myghti pouer ne Richesse,
In eschewyng hapley youre oune distresse.

91

To make many lordys bethe aduised,
But thei be of youre lyue or cause vrgent,
Leest the Realme be charged & supprised,
And therbi the folke haue cause to repent.
God hathe you grace and plentuous wit sent,

Take this lesson to noon obliuion,
For many folke holde this opinion.

92

Make knyghtes, squiers & gentilmen riche,
And the pore Comyns also welthy,
But to youre richesse make neuer man liche,
If ye wol stande in peas and be set by.
So wol god and polleci sykerly,
Lyke as ye in estate other excelle,
In propre richesse ye sholde bere the belle.

93

Yf god sende you children plentuously,
As I truste to god he wole right wele,
Do theim to be lettred right famously
Wherby thei shall reule bi Reason and skele,
For leude men litle discrecion fele.
Who that is lettred suffician[t]ly,
Rulethe meche withoute swerde obeiceantly.

Satis cito sit quidquid bene sit.

94

Euery day be ware of that extremite
Not to be to hasty in mandement,
But medle th[e]rwith youre benignite,
Being to high and lowe Indifferent.
For youre Lawe is to bothe equiuolent,
Lyke as al other ye do Rectifie,
Right so god wol youre highnesse iustifie.

95

Euery day oons showe your high presence
Before the Comyn people opynly,
To thentente that ye may yeve audience
To al compleintis shewid perfitly,
Yeuyng theim lauful remedy iustly,
Defendynge the pore from Extorcion,
Withe al your power / myght & tuicion.

96

Oure nature desirith to haue a man
To reigne here vppon vs with gouernance,

Circumspecte of tymes than & whan
He shal execute thyng in assurance,
Quykly & iustly to goddys plesance,
Not as a wreche, Tiraunt ne oppresour,
Nor in subtel wiles a Coniectour.

97

I wold fain ye wolde kepe in remembrance
To be right wele aduised by goode sadnesse,
By discrete prudence & feithful constance
Er ye begynne werre for any richesse,
Or of fantesie or of symplenesse.
For werre may be lightly commensed,
Doubt is how it shal be recompensed.

98

I mene nat for vnthrifty Cowardise,
Whiche is in al Realmes abhominable,
But of wilfulnesse people to supprise,
That micht otherwise be recouerable,
By iuste meanes to god acceptab[l]e,
For man knowith nat what he bygynneth,
Howe fortume of vntrifty werre endith.

99

Wo worthe debate that never may have peas.
Wo worthe penance that askithe no pite.
Wo worthe vengence that mercy may nat sease.
Wo worthe that Iugement that hathe none equite.
Wo worthe that trouthe that hathe no charite.
Wo worthe that Iuge that wol no gilte save.
Wo worthe that right that may no favour haue.

Facias aliis quod tibi vis fieri & non facias aliis Quod tibi non vis fieri; hec Socrates.

100

If forgoten be al lawe positife
Remembre the noble lawe of nature,
Obse[r]uyng it / al daies of your lif,
And ye shal kepe equite iust & suer,
As to ministre to iche Creature

Suche misericorde, iustice & eke grace,
As ye wold be doon to in semblable case.

101

What is wisdam, no to be this day wise,
And for to be a fole a nother day,
But euermore to a bide in wise guise
In wordes & dedis to goddes pay.
And in al thing that men wol hym assay,
Neither in malice, ne in Cruelte,
Nor owte of tempre for aduersite.

102

On al wise if your counsail aduise you
To do thing for your profit and honnour,
Yet heere þair reason & cause why & how,
Thei be to you suche a Solicitour,
Nor for mistruste but for better favour.
For perauenture, al thyng discussed,
The case bi you may be better trussed.

103

A mater discussed & wele betyn
And reasoned by goode discrecion,
The sadnesse therof men may owte setten.
In the contrarie men finde decepcion,
Thurgh thaire owne simple intelleccion.
For who that many Reasons wol wele here,
May chese the better & with hym it bere,

104

Amonges other I wolde you aduertise
To be wele aduised in your grauntyng
Any fee or office in any wise
That it securly stande withoute resumyng.
Suche variance hathe be grete rebukyng
To many folk, that haue be preferred,
And aftur of their livelode differred.

105

A man to be preferred to honour
Of fee or office to his grete makyng,
And aftur to be put to dishonnour

By resumyng of graunt or forsakyng,
Better had be neuer be suche takyng.
It is nought a man to be cherisshed,
And aftur for povertee perisshed.

106

Studie how ye may stande in ful conceite
Of youre owne seruantes beneuolence,
Bothe in love & in drede withoute deceite,
That thei may haue comfort of your presence,
For your manly & wytti diligence,
In Iustly rulyng with circumspeccion
Bothe high & lowe with deue direccion.

107

Than your seruauntes wol bere oute your fame,
That in this world It shal nat quenched be,
And renowne your glorious & goode name,
Spryngyng it for the to eueryche degree,
Blissyng you daily with goode hert & free,
Whos worship shal be cronicled sadly
Yn remembryng your goode workes gladly.

108

Looke þat your maters be with god standyng,
And ye shal acheue / your blessed entent,
The contrarye shal mischeue in al thing.
He endith not wele that vngodly ment,
Withoute a reconsiled amendment.
A man of goode wille shal determyne wele,
A malicious man evel shal fele.

109

Whan any man maketh suggestion
A yenst another for any greuance
Heerithe hym wele & make sad question
How his tale may be had in assurance.
But yeueth therto no trusty affiance,
Vntil tyme that ye haue herde the tother.
Thaugh it seme sothe / it may be founde other.

110

Light credence hath done muche harme & damage
In this world, and euer more herafter shall,

While men wol bileue wilde folk & sauage
Withoute examynyng lytil or smalle.
Many men haue had / therby a grete fal,
He that is warned is not deceiued;
Yeue no credence / til trouthe be perceiued.

111

If I shal speke of the vniuersal
And the comyn wele of this Region,
I wol aduise you in especial
To haue goode guidyng & Inspeccion
To euery trouble in this nacion,
For thaugh by a litil it begynnyth,
It may distroy vs al or it endithe.

112

My lorde, if any man hathe offended
And is brought to the lawe at your owne wille,
Of what maner bloode he be discended,
Thaugh ye be above & high on the hille,
Yet lete not people vtterly spille,
If any gracious misericord
Wol helpe & it to god & man accord.

113

I mene not / this mercy generally,
But to suche people that by lyckelyhede
Bene wele disposed vniuersally,
To goode gouernaunce & vertuous dede.
If it be so, ye may deserue grete mede,
This I commyt / to youre discreccion,
As the case askith in submission.

Inferas cito penam malefactoribus terre ex quo tibi constiterit de delictis [OMITTED] impediet regnum tuum, decapita eum publice vt alii terreantur; hec Hermes.

114

And if thoffence touche the subuercion
Of the Realme, puttyng it in disturbance,
Procede sharply to deue execucion
Aftur lawful and rightful ordynaunce,
In eschewynge al suche mysgouernaunce.

For in suche case mercy is nat nedefull,
Neither for the Realme, ne for you spedeful.

115

Truste me verely, & take it for trouthe,
That ye shul moe people hertis conquere
Bi compassion & piteuous routhe
Accordyng to god and his moder dere,
Than bi crueltee, & rigoroussete.
So lawe & mercy must be discerned,
That it be suer to god concerned.

116

My lorde, lete neuer temporal Lorde
Be your tresourer, ne your Receyvour,
For a meane personne wol therto accorde
More mete & a bitter (sic) solicitour,
More availeable in actiffe socour.
For a lordis rewarde is infinite,
A mene personne may be content with lite.

117

Loke that youre counseil be rather godly set,
Wele aged, of goode disposicion,
Than worldly witty & no vertue knet.
Vicious men yeve no gladly inicion
To gracious werke ne goode direccion,
But often theire purpose & their entente
Comyn to nought when they be euil ment.

In deum statuas principia tuorum negociorum & fines; hec Gregorius.

118

Take this for general conclusion,
In euery case where counsail is lackyng
Committ you to goddes direccion,
And your matiers shall haue goode begynnyng,
And consequently come to goode endyng.
For that thyng that is bi god comenced
Shal fynyssh wele with hym so insenced.

Cum inceperis aliquid bene operare incipias deum rogare quotibi bene succedat; hec pitagoras.

119

In al your maters, er ye bygynne,
Thenke what ende wol be the conclusion.
In suche guidyng ye shal grete prudence wynne,
And eschewe mischife & confusion,
In wise forsight & goode discussion,
In althing take god at your commencement,
And al thing shal folowe after your intent.

120

Be wele ware that ye haue not by wisshes,
Wisshing that ye had doon or lefte suche thing,
Suche maner reule is nat worthe two Russhes,
To haue cause of repenting your doying.
Therfore in iche thing at the begynnyng,
Studie sadly by goode discrecion
How ye may take a goode direccion.

Aspectus ostendit quod iacet in corde plus quam verbum; hec Omerus.

121

Auoide alwaies frownyng Cowntenaunce
Being fressh, not disguised, ne deyuous,
Ay gladsom and chierful with sad constance,
To the wele of your people amerous,
And þereto with al youre her desirous,
Attempryng you als betwyx colde & fire,
Kepyng your selfe from Angre, wrathe & Ire.

122

Retoriq & musyk been two scoles,
Right miche commendable in their nature,
Without restreint many may be fooles
That rekke not to take herin goode mesure.
Neither of thise withoute reule wol be seure,
Musyke is disposed to grete lightnesse,
Feire speche for the most parte to grete falsenesse.

123

Feire speche I mene i-peynted withoute trouthe,
With flatering speche to blere a man is Ie,
Suche personnes to cherisshe it were routhe,
For grete parte of their langage þei do lye

So craftily that is harde theim tespie.
Feire speche mesurably & godly ment,
Accordith to goddis commaundement.

124

Whan ye be in doubte of any Reulyng,
For to say, do, commaunde or determyn,
Better is of al thise to make cesing,
Vntil time that god you illumine.
Of al the certente bi wisedam fine,
Thus ye may obserue goode auisement,
And the more suerly topteine youre entent.

125

Put no ful truste in the Comonalte,
Thai be euer wauering in variance,
But in god feithfulnesses and equite,
In plaine trouthe, Iustice & goode gouernaunce,
Men haue be bigiled in affiance,
For al other truste is decepcion,
Brynging men to a false conclusion.

126

Loke that ye kepe alway attemperance
In youre langage & eke commaundement,
Auoidyng al vengeance & displesance
With al mansuetude conuenient,
This is to your estate expedient.
So the mekenesse in your hert may habonde
To the people of god & of your londe.

127

I biseche almyghti god of his grace
To sende you longe lif with prosperite,
Hertly comfort, reioysyng & solace,
And in al your daies tranquillite.
Yet think ther is no suche feli[ci]te,
But al is transitorie and passyng,
Sauf your vertues & godly menyng,

128

Whiche bene enchaunced in Erthe & also
In heven lastyngly glorified.

To your noble blode grete whorship þereto
Where no Ioy may be now certified,
Than in thise wise to be sanctified,
For vertu shalbe lauded & preised,
And misreule atte laste disobeied.

129

Saint petur saithe þat soubgettes shold be
Buxom to thar lorde, goode or vnworthy,
Right so a lord shold be in equite,
Be-tuyx the high & the lowe Rightfully
Procedyng & in iche case equally,
Hauyng no respecte to grete alliance,
Ner therfore dredyng manne-is displeasance.

130

Whan al lawe, Reason and discrecion,
Wisdam, prudence, counseil & secretnesse
Faile & dispeire / in ymaginacion,
Than ther may be noon other stabilnesse.
But trustyng to god & his feithfulnesse
There is verrey relief and goode seurte.
Sith it is so, lete vs to hym trewe be.

131

Thinges past, remembre & wele deuide;
Thinges present, considre & wele governe;
For thinges commyng, prudently provide;
Al thinges in his tyme peise & discerne,
That to trouthe & worship it may concerne,
Avoidyng from you al Impediment,
Showing ayenst al vertuous entente.

Dicta & opiniones diversorum philosophorum.

[_]

The stanzas are interspersed with original Latin quotations from the philosophers. These have been omitted.

1

Euery day before ye go to youre bede,
Serche wele al youre quidyng by remembrance.
Yf it be Il, pray god of better spede,
Yf it be goode, to god be the plesance.
Thus ye may knowe your selfe in assurance,
How ye stande with god and with his goode grace.
And daily better you while ye haue space.

2

Truste nat oonly in men is multitude,
Ne in thair myght, ne in Comon clamour,
But in god & in goode consuetude
Of trewe iustice, without any rigour,
Otherwise than god wolde, owre Saueour:
A Kynge, Reulyng al thynges rightfully
With lawe reigneth with al folk plesantly.

3

Bethink in the nyght of goode ordennance,
And in the day execute thy thynkyng.
And suche folk as be in goode gouernance,
Lete theim bene aboute you awaytyng;
And suche folk as mysreule theire spendyng,
Exile theim and other in heritage,
Rulyng wele, take theim for wytty & sage.

4

Yf ye live aftur god & righfull lawe,
Iustly, truly, after goode gouernance,
Be not in drede ner in no man is awe,
For god hathe constitute an ordennance.
Yf man showe in his lif a grete substance,
Of his werke being goode & vertuous,
Drede nat al othre þereto odious.

5

Thage of man preuith not discrecion,
Ner the youthe of man shewith not madnesse,
Of thise two ye may take inspeccion:
Whiche guidith hym wisely / with goode sadnesse,
He is the verray man of Stedfastnesse;
For that man that childly hym gouerneth
Is a childe, while he that reule obserueth.

6

So he that hethe childis condicion
Ys not acceptable to gouernaunce.
For he that aught to haue subjeccion
Of the people and verrey obeissaunce
Must put hym selfe in witty assuraunce.
As ye may oft see bi experience,
He that shal reule must hau grete diligence.

7

Lete you[r] mynde be euer in noble thought,
In blessid menyng of goode gouernance,
With al other vertues of god sought;
Than ye shal acheue al in assurance;
Otherwise your werkys gone to mischanche.
Al thyngis begonne wele & godly ment
Comyn to goode ende withoute repent.

8

Beware of theim that lyve not truly,
In iuste gouernance & operacion;
And noyes no man ne hurte hym wilfully;

For thaugh ther be no demonstracion
At begynnyng by nominacion,
The ende shall showe euery thinge as it is,
Truly iustly, or els falsly iwys.

9

He may be clept wele an vnhappy man
That is withouten wytte, wisdam and doctrine,
Withoute whiche no personne wele guide hym can.
Therfore euery man aught to do his peine,
The saide vertues to hau and opteine,
Principally suche as hau gouernance
To kepe theim selfe & other from greuance.

10

Eueri personne, cherissh ye & honoure
Aftur his merite & discrecion,
Publisshing to his connyng your fauour,
Causyng other to take direccion
To goode & blissed disposicion,
Coraging al people to take grete hede
To guide theim wele, & to vertue theim lede.

11

Worship euery man in his degre,
Lordis, knyghtes, Squiers and other men,
Some for thair goodnesse & benignite,
Some for manhode that men of them tellen,
Some for grete wisdam that ye in theim sene;
So it shal rebounde to youre honour,
Causynge you to stande in men-is favour.

12

Set you neuer to hasty to corre[c]te,
Or punnissh a-noon eueri trespassour,
But with leisour theim do protecte,
Til ye haue of the trouthe better savour.
Then ye procede after the clamour
Iustly, truly as the case requirethe,
Punisshyng hym that falsely conspireth.

13

Howe shold a kynge that can nat wel represse
His owne couetise, in his owne persone,
Other men is couetise suppresse,
That ben many, and selfe but a-lone.
Yef ye wol remedie this mater sone,
Ye must pure youre selfe fyrst withoute blame,
And than procede to youre glorious fame.

14

A principale note / and direction
To gouerne youre soubgettis,
To euery vice making obieccion,
Looke that the same be not in you, Iwis,
How may youre self correcte that is amys,
And the same be founde in your personne?
Reule youre selfe first and than al other sone.

15

A prince to misuse his owne Auctorite,
Grete inconueniencis sewe therbi,
Grete mischeif et (sic) muche enormite,
Many recuperable treuly.
He that vsith his power Rightfully,
Shal prospeire in his vertuous levyng,
To his famous honnour & grete preisyng.

16

By thre meanes ye may Freindes purchase:
Firste, when they be present, do theim honour;
And do wele vnto theim in euery case;
When thei be absent, prayse theim with fauour.
This ye aught to do your peine & labour,
The higher that ye be in high estate,
Obserue ye this if ye be fortunate.

17

Wele manered people bene of goode lif,
And al folk theim loven for thair goodenesse.
Euel named bene often in striff,
And men fle theim for thair vnthriftynesse.
Thus ye may eschewe many a distresse
Taccompaignie you with folk vertuous,
And avoide from you people vicious.

18

A lorde aught to hau thre thinges in mynde,
First, numbre of folk in his governance.
Seconde, that they be free, nat bonde in kynde.
The thirde that he hathe no sad assurance
Of his lordeship in longe contynuance.
So ye may Reuolue in cogitacion
That here ther is no longe habitacion.

19

The people haue a goode condicion,
To yeue to theire goode doer obesance;
Take this for a trewe erudicion,
The roiaulme may neuer be in assurance,
Bot folk bene wele doon-to without distance.
Kepe theim laufully in peas & in rest,
This they shall obey youre highnesse most best.

20

In any tyme of Indignacion,
Or in other reason of displesance,
Withowte al other excusacion
Tuche not of fowle rebukynge speche vtterance,
Nor of no maner vengeable semblance.
But rather attende with mansuetude
Tamende folk, than to fere with wordes rude.

21

The best thinge in al this wide world is this,
For to be renouned in blessed fame.
Who wol this haue, must be wytty & wise;
By vnthriftynesse, men lesen theire name.
Speke not to folis that bene in diffame;
Stablisshe you in your hert to grete wisdam,
Withoute whiche lost may be a grete kyngdam.

22

To be of to myche speche is a grete vice;
To be of to litle speche is Fooleship.
Ches therfore þe best if ye wolbe wise,
Bestowyng your wordes to your worship
Truly, wisely longyng to your lordeship.
Suche as people bene, suche is thair vsance,
After thair hertes þei make thair vttrance.

23

By thre thinges is honnoured a kynge,
Fyrste for makynge of lawe acceptable,
Seconde for many landes conqueryng,
The thirde to make desertis habitable,
With myche people þere to couenable;
Thus a goode kynge is taken as he is,
And renounned here, and in heuyn blisse.

24

Blame never people to the vtterest,
Ner never examine thaim to straitly.
Withowte blame or errour is not the best;
Soumtyme ye must forgeue graciously,
And thus ye shall wynne hertes stedfastly.
Euery man-is traspasse be not lyke;
Considre theim wele as man polletyke.

25

By thre thinges a man-is ignorance
Ys knowen, hymselfe not rectifie,
To couetise to haue no repugnance,
Bi his wiffe his counseil hym to fortifie:
Thise thre thinges no man may Iustifie.
Therfore take goode hede and sad attendance
To eschewe the mischeif of this dance.

26

A kynge sholde knowe al his owne seruantes,
Their rule, ther gidyng and condicion;
And to eueriche of theim make his grauntes,
Afteir their wisdam & discrecion
To their merites make prouision,
In eueryche degree mete to their desert;
Acceptable & plesant in thair hert.

27

To dissimile, sum men holde a wisedam,
And it may be in some herd distresse,
But for the moste in euery kyngdam,
Suche as ye be by your chere expresse,
Either in hate or in loue showe thexcesse.
And so men shall knowe you bi countenaunce
How men shall guide theimself to your plesance.

28

If your servauntes displea (sic) your highnesse,
As euery man is nat in that seurte
To guide hym perfitely in stedfastnesse,
Yet showe hym louely your benygnite
Withoute hatefull wrathe of your dignite.
A Soubget may nat bere your displeasance
But your grace be showed to your grevaunce.

29

If ye haue any friende in your Favour,
Thaugh he erre or do to you displeasance,
Make not of his defaute to meche clamour
While he hathe any power or substance
To rectifie his defaute or greuance,
Puttyng hym in his aquital & peyne
To aveange hym, ye muste your self refreyne.

30

Obserue mekenesse in youre maundement
With al benignite and mansuetude,
Takyng this goode blessid aduertisment,
Neuer in displesant consuetude,
Ne with rigorous wordes, ne with rude,
Yeue no charge ayenst goode people, namely
While ye wot Iustifie theim equally.

31

If ye make of tresour aggregacion
By any maner meanes possible,
To youre estate & nominacion
But thexpense therof be incorrigible,
Conuenietly to men visible
Bestowed, either loste is the treasour,
Or elles the Roiaulme bi men is clamour.

32

Two thinges be right goode and commendable,
That bene, Lawe & Wisdam in temprance.

Lawe constreineth folk from offence culpable,
And wisdam guideth al goode assurance.
Al thise two thynges kepith in substance,
And rectifie iche man in his degree,
That noon hurt oþer by Iniquite.

33

Two thinges bene signe of grete foleship,
The toon is laugh myche in compaigni
The tother is to wax wrothe in shenship,
Thise two bene the vices of grete folie
Causyng many other to multiplie.
Therfore guide your selfe in suche blessednesse
That the people may Ioy of your highnesse.

34

A kynge sholde take of his olde acquaintance,
His familier seruauntes vertuous,
That he knewe before his Regne of Substance,
Wele disposed, trewe, not malicious.
When he reigneth, eche man wolbe Ioyous
To glose hym, to please hym with al circumstance:
Harde it were to knowe than their variance.

35

Oon thing I wolde aduertise your hignesse,
Take not euery man in oon qualite:
Oon is wise and a nother in lewdenesse,
Sum be in welth, sum in aduersite,
Sum be mery and sum in nycyte;
Who that cannat disseure wise from bad
Shal haue no verrey freendes þat be sad.

36

In this wise ye shul knowe a gouernour
Hable to reule & guide in euery place,
That can be in hym self a goode myrrour,
Guidynge hym selfe aftur oure lordees grace,
Shewyng euer a playne & a trewe face.
He that can not his owne personne gouerne,
How shuld he other folkes therin lerne?

37

Of thre thinges a man may be heuy:
Riche man for to come to pouerte;
A worshipful man in dispite reuly;
A wiseman, of the ignorant to be
Scorned or mocked, þat folk may it se.
So this world is not certeine ne stable,
But whirlyng a bowte and mutable.

38

If any man haue deserued rewarde
For his meritis & goode gouernance,
In his hasty recompense be toward,
Competently betyme by your puissance,
Er it be askad withoute daleance,
And by your selfe lete it be doon frely:
That shall be best, and the more price sette by.

39

I counseil, be nat sodenly wrathfull:
And ye be accustomed so to do,
And ofte displeased & also Ireful,

It shal ouercome you when ye wold nat so,
That ye may not tempre your self therfro.
Therfore guide youreself in suche pacience,
That wrath ouercome you nat for negligence.

40

Yef ye wol knowe euery man is nature,
Wit, purpos, entente and condicion,
Counseil with hym of sum thyng in grete Cure;
Anoon ye shall knowe his entencion
Of goode or Il his disposicion,
And whether he be set to equite,
Or ellis to false iniquite.

41

Of al the yeftes that euer god made
Wisedam is the most excellent by name,
By whiche vertue wol encrece and not fade,
And most is enchaunced worship & fame,
And most eschewith vices & eke blame,
And bryngith a man best to goddes plesance,
And kepith best in worldly assurance.

42

Be neuer disposed to grete vengeance,
Yf ye may other wise do by Iustice,
But entrete folkes to obedience,
By meke & gentil wordes in feir guise.
Thus men shalbe wonnen to your seruice.
Vengeance is nat often prophitable,
But the contrary is commendable.

43

Reduce your subgettes to equite,
Firste swetely and by meanes Resonable;
Yf thei wol rest in their iniquite,
Compelle theim bi vigour couenable,
Fyghtyng a-yenst theim til they be stable,
Kepyng your self ever in trewe iustice,
And doubte not your entente thei shal accomplissh.

44

Yf ye can not brynge a man by mekenesse,
By swete glosyng wordes and feire langage,
To the entente of your noble highnesse,
Correcte him sharpely with rigorous rage,
To his chastysment and ferful damage;
For who that wol nat be feire entre[te]d,
Must be foule & rigorously threted.

45

Considre ye euery man-is nature,
A[nd] aftur their oune disposicion,
Receyve theire seruice & put theim in crure (sic),
Acordyng as shal be expedicion
To bothe parties in admission.
To chose a man nat apte to youre seruice,
How shold he your ful pleasure to accomplice?

46

Protecte ne defende no man by your myght,
That by you to holpyn antendith,
That shold mynyssh your goodenesse or ellis right,
For any pite that he pretendith.
Resonable wisedam god you sendeth
To diseure right from wronge prudently;
Therfore support never wronge wyttyngly.

47

Repute neuer oon enemye litel,
For he may hurt you more bi his malice
Then ye wolde wene þat a wreche & fykel
Might greve or compasse for to accomp[l]ice.
In-disposed men myche hurt can deuise.
Of youre enemye take goode attendance
þat he hynde you nat by his greuance.

48

Lordeship of Shrewes is nat accordant
Ne conuenient to be cherisshed;
Thaugh at sum tymes it semith plesant,
Euyl thinge at eend is perisshed,
And comyth to nought & is vanyshed,
Where goo[d]nesse abideth in assurance,
And evel is reward with myschance.

49

Of al the detrimentis, hurtis & hyndrance
That may betide to a Roiaulme, is pride
To be enchaunced to grete gouernance
A-yenst desert, and other put aside.
The better he wold euer ouer-ride,
And peruerte al the kynges ordenaunce,
And auenture it in great distourblance.

50

He is seure and saufe that seruith kynges,
In fidelite shewyng grete pite
To al people in his doinges.
His estate shal come to prosperite,
Whether he be in welthe or aduersite.
Lerne this lesson, to be right piteuous,
And ye shul come to loue in euery house.

51

Aske counseil of a man to you equale,
In your grete nedys and meche besynesse.
He can yeve you best counseil & moost formal;
He knowethe what longeth to your prowesse,
To your estate, honnour & noblenesse.
Suche lessons haue otherwhile in mynde,
In whiche wisdam & profyt ye shul fynde.

52

A moderate shame makith men to leve
Many shameful thinges & vnfyttyng;

Ouer moche shame makith men to bileve
To leve that thing þat were to hym fyttyng.
Goode discrecion take to youre lernyng,
What is to [be] lefte & what to be doon,
And guide you aftur goode discrecion.

53

Use neuer for to execute in dede,
Where ye may haue deue execucion
Bi wordes, and al folkes iustly lede.
What nedith Rigour in submission
Of hym amendyng his transgression?
He that may reule wele bi benignite,
Leue Rigour, or in vnrest shal he be.

54

That king is ful blessed & happy
That can kepe hym from mysreule & dronkship,
And directe his leuelode profitably,
Encreasyng his heritage and lordeship.
What dishonnour is to hym, & shenship,
That mysguideth his liuelode & lesith,
And al his reuenues mysvseth!

55

Neuer entremete you of erthly thinge
Til your wise wytt haue prouided before
How it may be doon to a goode endyng.
Than accomplisshe it with hert more & more.
He that dothe nat soo, is lewde & a poore.
A thing foreseien is light texecute.
Unauised men, foles bene repute.

56

A Iuge shold not be in worde rigorous
A-yenst malefactours in eny wise.
He is to þat power contrarious,
If he any boistorous worde deuise;
But in gentil and most piteous guise
He must attempre wele his Iugement,
That no bousterous Rigour þere be ment.

57

Suche as the kynge is, suche bene al other,
Bothe in wille & also in couetise;
The toon may not be withoute the tother;
For the kynge hathe the charge theim to supprise,
That wolde surmonte, or in vices arise.
The kyng may make his people as hym liste,
Either evil or vertuous & iust.

58

A Iuste man shalbe knowen in this wise,
To do no man Iniuri wilfully,
Ner ly not for his profett in suche guise
That it shuld harme any man skilfully.
Thus euery man sholde lyve rightfully,
And euer to haue God before his face,
By the whiche he shal Ioy & blisse purchase.

59

Yf a king serche nat the condicion
Of his people, knyg[t]hode, & enemy,
And al thair dedes bi discrecion,
He may nat be sure of his regne treuly,
Not oon day, but he attende prudently
With circumspecion and gouernance
To put al thise thinges in assurance.

60

How goode & blissed is that Region
That haue a king wise, discrete, & witty
Bothe in science & circumspection,
That can guide al his soubgettes seurely;
And if he be the contrary treuly,
Al gothe at hauoke and mysgouernance,
And the Roiaulme diuided & in distance.

61

That king that reputeth that he shold do
For litil or nought, It shal multiplie
As a litil sykenesse dothe in man; so
Where first with litil he might modifie,
And with litle labour it rectifie;
For of a litle sparkel a grete fyre
Comyth, displeasaunt to many a sire.

62

A king sholde enfourme his sone in this wise,
With science to conserue his Region,
And to be rightful to folk in goode guise;
Knyght-hode to put in goode direccion;
To to moche huntyng haue none intencion,
Ner to wanderinges, ne to vanite;
And to speke ornatly with equite.

63

It longithe to a king For to auance
And to do wele to goode men & vertuous,
And thei shal wille wele his profitt & assurance;
Where misgoverned men and vicious,
And delicate men and delicious,
Wol tendre thair owne proper volunte,
Hauyng no regard to other bounte.

64

A kynge sholde take seruantes famulere;
First knowe their maners & thair gouernance,
How thay reulen their howse withoute dere,
And to thair feliship in assurance,
Yf thei be wele named in substance,
Wele demeaned, & of lawe a keper,
Pacient, take thaim for feithful louer.

65

Yf ye finde a pure freinde, Louyng and sure,
Constant, wele-willed and beneuolent,
And eke stedfastly a-bide and endure,
And euer his actes to you wele ment,
Accordyng to your pleasire and entent,
Do cherissh hym better than your brother,
So that he excelle in loue al other.

66

He that lackythe for to do his duetie
To al myghti Iesu, oure creatour,
In al tymes of his necessite,
And displeasith ofte owre Sauiour,
Standyng owte of goddes loue & fauour,
Must nedis lakke myche more oþer goode werke,
Wytnessyng hermes, the noble, goode clerke.

67

To slepe miche, is no profytt ne availle,
But hurte, damage and derogacion.
Therfor, for remedie and acquitaile,
Accustome you bi goode probacion
For to do wele withoute mutacion,
That the myddyl of your liffe be not spent
In ydelnesse, ne in vnthrifte myswent.

68

That kynge is blissed and honourable
That chaungeth his lawes for the better,

In goode actes & statutes laudable,
By the whiche whiche (sic) he is gretter & gretter,
That can of Injury be a letter,
Into his glorious fame Renommed,
So often that it may not be sommed.

69

In al your noblay and prosperite,
In your worshipful richesse & blessed name,
Kepe ye thre thinges for your moost seurete—
Goode conscience and vnblemysshed fame,
By the whiche ye shul be kepte from grete grame;
And from al dishonour and vice coarted,
And to grete worship þere-by exalted.

70

Say goode of your freinde in al freenly wise.
The begynnyng of loue is to say wele;
The begynnyng of hate, with evil guise.
Thus man-is tonge shewith swetnesse or felle.
Of al thinges the tonge berith the belle.
The tonge breketh boon, thaugh he be tendre,
And shethe many men thaugh he be slendre.

71

The most grettest Rectificacion
Ys, from evel thinges to directe a kinge,
Leest vnto hym fal Reprobacion
By his euil doyng or mysguidyng.
Meche people awayte vppon his reulyng:
Yf it be goode, people greetly reioise;
Yf he be euel, for suche thei wol hym noyse.

72

The king is a grete and a myghti Floode,
Ascended and comen of many smale.
Yf the floode be swete, douce, fresshe & goode,
Of suche sauour & Fresshnesse bene the vale.
If it be salte, of suche taste withoute tale
Bene the tother, by al maner nature.
As the kyng is, suche bene al in his cure.

73

In any striff, make neuer iugement
Til ye haue herde boothe parties wisely,
Leest after ye haue cause to repente,
For lack of Foresight and serching treuly.
A kynges worde muste nedys stand iustly;
Therfore in al thing be wele approved,
That nought eschape, digne to be reproued.

74

If ye haue a frende, be frendly to his;
If ye haue an enemy comberous,
Ye aught nat to be his enemy I-wis,
But euer in charite vertuous.
Thus ye may betuyxe bothe be Ioyous,
And set youre selfe in quiete & Rest;
And thus ye may demene you moost surest.

75

If ye be disposed to grete pite,
Lete not that into harme be conuerted,
Ner differred peine to theim that worthy be
To be punisshed in vice peruerted.
Ner lete nat your lawes be subuerted,
But theim mayntene and sustene rightfully,
In whiche the drede of god standith iustely.

76

Youre leest enemy, Repute ye strenger
Than your selfe in his fals Iniquite,
Suppressyng hym, leest he a-bide lenger
in his feruein malice and subteltee;
Puttyng your personne euer in seurte;
And kepe your enemy vnder your fote;
To be in rest, þere is noon other boote.

77

If a kynge wol be wytty and eke wise,
He muste abstene from Rude & Unkunnyng,
And al suche vnthrifty folkys despise,
To th[e] moost wytty & wisest drawyng,
By whome he may be in wisedam lernyng.
Right as a king is grettest in noblenesse,
So is wisdam moost best to his hignesse.

78

The worlde is [not] in perpetuite,
Therfore, for to do wele, make no delay;

And if ye wolbe in felicite,
Put you in peyne and deuour
To be in blissed fame while that ye may.
It is a comon sawe, he that doth wele,
Shal haue it by goode lawe, Reason & skyle.

79

Be nat in youre expenses ouer large,
Ne to sca[r]ce by maner of nygonship.
A goode mesure, kepe euer in your charge,
Worshipfully longyng to your lordeship,
Eschewyng al dishonour & shenship,
That your blessed name may spryng & florissh.
[OMITTED]

80

Amonges many thinges, oon thing kepe,
Not to be ouer meche suspecious,
Ner compasse, ner wade therin ouer depe,
For that is a conceyte sedicious,
Bryngyng many a man right vertuous
To departe from the grete affeccion
That he was of by goode entencion.

81

A Freende is knowen in necessite;
In Ioy, men may haue frendes plenteuous.
A man whan he is in felicite,
To please hym, al men be right studious.
In aduersite, men be nat Ioyous
To be freendly, withoute he be right goode,
Wele disposed, and of natural bloode.

82

By foure thinges, loste is a Region:
Tattende to youthe, and not to men of Age,
And daily batel by Rebellion,
And truste to fortune / with-owte werke sage,
And not tentende (thaugh he be high in sage)
To the landes goode populacion.
Thise foure / bene a Roialmes is destruccion.

83

Your benefetis geuen to goode men,
Asken daily grete retribucion.
That goode that is to euel folk geuen,
Asken gretter multiplicacion;
For thei take not in reputacion
No-thynge as goode, vertuous men wol do;
Therfore goode men bithe (sic) appliable so.

84

A kyng shulde neuer put his confidende
In any creature hym despisinge,
Ner in a couetous man-is sentence,

Ner in a man errynge, peine deseruing,
Ner in hym that hathe be of goode pryuyng,
Ner in hym that is hurt for his trespasse,
Nor in hym that is in your enemyes grace.

85

A kynge shude be right besy and studious
To gouerne his Roiaulme & his people pure,
As a Gardyner is right laborous
To kepe his gardeyne clene from wedys seure,
Leuyng wele in Rightfulnesse to endure.
A kyng sholde be fyrst kepynge his lawe;
Al other must doo the same for his awe.

86

A kynge sholde not sett hym selfe in myche price,
Ner his counseil haue of hym gouernance,
Ne ofte use huntyng, kepiug wele his trice,
Ner take any newe way by ignorance,
Ner greuyng, ne by myght for surance,
But gladsom of chere, al folk salutyng;
Thanne al men wol be his highnesse blessyng.

87

By advis and goode counseile to gouerne
Is goode, but not to be in gouernance
Of his counseil, but of theim for to lerne,

And texecute your selfe in al substance;
Thus ye may guide your selfe in assurance.
And asketh of wise people ofte;
And that shal kepe your high estate a lofte.

88

And be ye ware of your etynge & drynkyng,
Principally of men of gelousye,
And of symple wreches pourely lyuyng;
But drede never theim þat can rectifie
Theim selfe, & wittily theim Iustifie,—
For suche personnes bene of grete credence,—
Ner theim that ye loue with grete diligence.

89

If ye wol do any correccion,
Behaue you not as ye wolde do vengeance,
But as ye wolde cure hym from Corrupcion,
And so ye shal deserue of god pleasance,
And kepe your selfe in blissed assurance.
For ye be a leche of Iniquite,
Chast[en]yng wronge bi felicite.

90

Knowe for certeyne that the dre[de] of Iesu
is the grettest wisedam & dilectacion,

Of whiche springeth al goodenes & vertue,
Of wise vnderstandyng exultacion,
And of goode guidynge dominacion.
So who that wolbe wytty & eke wise,
Drede god, and he shal haue it in best guise.

91

Suche childred (sic) as ye haue in gouernance,
Whether thei be your owne or other men-is,
While thei be yonge, put theim in assurance
Of lernyng & vertuous doinges,
Leeste in age thei wol make eschewyngis,
And ye therof haue the synne & the charge,
When first ye were at libertee & large.

92

Ay the werkys of mercy haue in mynde,
Especially the poure & the heuy,
And lete not god fynde you herin vnkynde,
But in obseruance herof beth besy,
Whiche ye [are] bounden to do sekerly.
For on a day ye shul make rekenyng,
How of thise dedys ye haue made guidyng.

93

Associe you nat with men enuious,
Dronkelowe, ignorant, ne of Il nature,
But with the best, ay most vertuous,
Of whom ye shal haue no shame ne lesure;
Of Il, ye may haue of vertue rupture.
Yf ye desire to come to famous name,
Kepe this as ye luste to esche your blame.

94

Yf ye knowe a lesyngmonger and fals,
Make hym not swere; he is of no credence;
Yf ye do, ye be in synne als;
Exile al suche owte of your high presence;
Suche doon many tymes grete diligence
To make discorde, debate & variance,
When goode vnite sholde be & pleasance.

95

Yf ye finde any spotte, fylth, or lesion
In any personne or in creature,
Dishonnour hym not with derision:
Ye be nat in suche suerte ne mesure,
But that the same may happ to you ful sure.
Therfore, if ye stande in case resonable,
Thanke god that ye nat therof culpable.

96

Thre thinges longen to a wytty man,
That is, in wisdam & sapience,
To make of an enemye, a frende that can
be lovyng with a frendeli diligence;
And of vnkonnyng, to be in grete science;
And of il disposed in wykkednesse,
To be reconsiled to blissednesse.

97

A king aught not to geue auctorite,
Might, power, lordeship, ne also puissance,
But to piteous men of Equite,
For no praier, grete requeste or instance.
Rigorous men make grete disseuerans.
Ye shul loue al forlkes (sic) in charite,
As the fader the sone with grete pite.

98

Considre that your liff is shorte and brief
In this transitory world and passing;
Therfore, for a goode & blessed relieff,
Ye aught not to haue other in hatyng,
But hertely cherissh theim withoute prating,
Neither wronging theim bi extorcion,
Ner plukking theim als bi compulsion.

99

Cherissh wele your freendes while that ye may,
As wele in worde as preferrying,
Showying theim semblance of love euery day,
Corogeng theim to be to you lovyng.
Thus your glorious fame shal be springing
To high & lowe, of your noble kyndnesse.
Who is he that wold nat please your highnesse?

100

Thre thinges bene contrary to a kyng,
To be in superflue drinkyng of wyne,
And of musyke to haue to ofte hering,
And to be to women in love-is pyne,
Whiche hath brought many a man to Ruyne.
Al suche thing noyant to your high estate,
Eschewe al wey, if ye be fortunate.

101

That kyng that maketh his Region
To be obedient to his iuste lawe,
That reigne peasibly in an vnyon.
He that makethe his lawe souget to awe
Or to his Roialme, his wyt is not worth a strawe.
He that dwelle in grete prosperite,
Must obey lawe, and therto subget be.

102

If ye wol aske counsaile of any man,
Serche fyrste of his owne proper gouerna[n]ce.
If he be not wele disposed, ner can
Putte hymselfe in goode assurance,
How shuld [ye] put in suche oon affiance?
That can nat be to hym selfe proffitable,
He shal not be to other availeable.

103

In your counsail be quick and ay wakyng.
Who shold tendre so meche your owne availle
As your self? or els more Reasons making
To your entencion that myght prevaille,
And therto with al diligence travaile,
That best knoweth your estate & pleasance,
And how it may best be had in assurance,

104

Trust neuer to your owne wytte, ne in Counseil,
But of aged men in discrecion,
Being experte of thrifty antiquaile;
And by meche aduis and inquisicion
Of the moost wisest, take discrecion,
That nought eschape bi Innocencye,
Neither bi negligence, ne by foly.

105

Why dothe a wytty man aske counsaile?
For he is ashamed of his owne wille,

Leest his owne wytt & Reason do hym faile,
And brynge hym to grete shame and for to spille,
Sith his owne Reason wil his owne wille fille.
A wise Man wol nat put great affiance
In his oune discretion ne constance.

106

Yeue neuer power ne auctorite
To no maner personne on erthe lyvyng
Vppon your self for any freilte.
If ye be to any man licencyng
To set his fote vpon youres areryng,
He wol after set his fote vppon your nekke.
[OMITTED]

107

A lorde shold nat be over conuersant
With folke, ne in familiarite,
Leest they be to his honnour repugnant,
And haue hym in despite of freilte,
After nature of theire Iniquite.
For to meche humblesse, vsed of olde,
Makethe meche people to be over bolde.

108

Entremete you neuer of other thing
But of trewe withowte any soubtelte.

And that your werkes be of trewe meanyng,
Withoute derision or nycete,
Whiche shal put you in grete tranquillite.
For god is trouthe, & louyth it moost best,
And of all vertues is most surest.

109

By wisdam is goten humilite;
And of many synnes priuacion,
Meche other grete vertues & pite.
Wisdam must haue grete applicacion
In meche redyng and other laboracion.
It wol not be gotyn bi Ignorance,
But with diligence & goo[d] gouuernance.

110

Goode & trewe counseille is of this nature:
In euery mater atte begynnyng,
The eende is knowen perfitely & sure,
Wheder it wol perissh or be duryng,
The verray sothe in al thinge concludyng.
Therfore goode Counseil is necessary,
That wol guide hym wele, & not miscary.

111

To be secrete is a noble vertue;
And he that is a blabber is nat wise.

Secretnesse pleasith almyghti Ihesu;
Where the contrari men greatly despise,
A secrete man is discrete in that guyse.
He that can not kepe his owne secretnesse,
How shold a nother kepe it in sadnesse?

112

Al day men may lerne by experience
To se of euery werke the conclusion.
Of goode guydyng & blessed diligence
Sewith worship and goode direccion.
Of vnthriftynesse is despeccion.
Therfore euery man may wele knowe & se,
As he dothe, so shal he thriue or vnthe.

113

Suche men as louen god with Rightful love,
And his wisdam and goode werkes also,
God wol honnour theim, & set them aboue,
And is curious, doyng wele theim to,
Endowyng theime with plentuous grace so,
That god wolbe euer thair protectour,
In al tymes of nede and dependour.

114

Rectifie a noþer, if that ye may,
As ye wolde your selfe be rectified.
And rectifie youre selfe first euery day,

Thus blessedly to be Iustified,
By whiche grete noblesse is multiplied,
Bothe in honnour, rightfulnesse & grete fame,
Purchasyng you therby a blessed name.

115

Yf ye wol that your loue be with man durable,
Enfourme hym to do wele with grete stering,
For vertue shal euer be pardurable,
Where vice shalbe abhorred & hatyng,
And euer be in trouble & crakyng.
Loue standith in god & in his swetnesse,
And wol not be had but in blessidnesse.

116

Amonges your other soubgettes al,
Your owne seruantes preferre & avaunce,
Bothe spiritual and eke temporal,
Suche of your owne bringyng vppe in substance,
In whom ye may stande in trewe assurance
Of body and goode their l[i]ffes duryng,
Redy at al tymes to youre pleasyng.

117

To knowe hymself is a vertuous thing,
First to godward & to the world also;
Than he is myghty hym self directyng,
Bryngyng al other goode gouernance to,
With many noble direccions, so

That it shal be to his glorious fame,
Where not to knowe hymself may haue Il name.

118

Who is iuste, who is discrete & wytty?
He is iuste, that may do wronge, & dothe right.
He is discrete, that knoweth perfitly
Al thing after Manne-is nature & myght.
Therfore alwey, in euery man-is sight,
Attempre you to be iuste & discrete,
Whiche bene to your high mageste mete.

119

Ayainste wrathe & Ire is a remedy
To remember, that it is nat leful
Not to contynue in obstinance
To be obeyed, but to-beie rightful;
Ner to be serued, but serue skylful
Thinges, & to be in obedience
To god and man in their deue existence.

120

Yf a man haue offended in oon thing,
Repute hym not in al thinge culpable.
There is no man so wele hym behauyng,
But he may be in some thyng chargeable;
Yet the case may be Remediable.
So considre euery man for the best:
Thus ye shul lyve cheritably in rest.

121

To pacificie your enemye, be studious,
Thaugh of youre strengh & power ye be seure,
Whiche is a diligence right gracious,
Causyng you in tranquillite tendure
In confourmyng you to holy scripture.
Syche as a man sekythe, so shal he haue;
If he seke peas and Rest, god wol hym saue.

122

Yf a kyng do iustly & Righ[t]fully,
He standithe wele in the peoples conceyte.
Yf he do wyckedly & wrongfully,
He purchasethe hym in grete deceyte,
And for kynge they wolde haue hym in Receite,
Howe be it that they haue hym not in love,
Willyng that he shold never he a-bove?

123

Yf any people holde you vertuous,
Goode, gentil, kinde, curteise with al mekenesse,
To repute hym trewe be right labourous,
Whether he be lowe or in grete highnesse.
He that hathe grete labour & besynesse,
How shold he reule and gouerne many moo?
[OMITTED]

124

The worst thing of al this wide World is this,
To lakke doctrine and also gentilnesse.
Uncunning showeth grete lewednesse, y-wis
Gentilnesse considereth al goodenesse,
Who that lakkithe it muste falle in distresse.
These vertues haueth wele in your mynde,
That the profittes of theim ye may fynde.

125

Men shuld serche often the opynyon
That men wol saien of there gouernance,
Eyther preising or makyng obieccion,
Wherof thei shuld be in ful assurance
Of what reule þei be in substance,
Where-vpon thei may guide theime in suche wise
To amende theime, and to be holden wise.

126

In ten Maner wise god must be serued,
Euel thinges suffre paciently,
For to speke truly must be oserued.
Yche promisse must be performed truly;
Iche iugement must be deuided iustly.
Kepe euermore conable mesure;
Er ye required, doo goodenesse sure.

127

Showe to al maner freindis grete honnour,
Thankyng god of his yefte & benignite;
And pardon freendes & vnfreendes errour;
And desire neuer of your frende to be
Other than ye wolde the same in you see.
And thise ten thinges kepe euer suerly.
Thus keping your self to god demeurly.

128

When your discrecion forbedith thing
For to be doon in eny maner wise,
Therto ye shuld not be disobeying;
For it is gretter synne, I promisse,
To do ayeinste conscience in suche guise,
Whiche shal frete and gruge in your soule & mynde,
And daily to grete repentance you bynde.

129

By thre thinges is knowen a wiseman,
That he repute not hym selfe in grete price,
And that from wrathe he him self restreine can
Whan he is set at nought & holden nyce;
And whan he is preised in noble wise,
Not to be elate ne in pride therfore,
But in grete pacience & mekenesse more.

130

Yf god sende you in this world victory
Of your enemyes by your manhode,
Ye muste kepe in your noble memory
Goode noble custumes vsed of olde:
In largenesse of money be right bolde;
In pacience, iustice and diligence,
Do your peyne to haue true experience.

131

A seruaunt shold nat be euen equal
To his lorde, but in thre thinges trewly,
That is, in feithe, wytte, & pacience al,
Not in estate nor clothinges richely,
Ner in other delites excessely;
But iche man knowe hym self and his degre,
Non excedyng for possibilite.

132

Yf ye propose to make despeccion
To youre enemy bi any greuance,
Beware ye make no suche offencion
To hurte your self for suche wilful vengeance;
But kepithe in your noble remembrance,
To attemper you in suche maner wise
That no hurte of your enemy arise.

133

A goode man thanketh euery benefete,
After the yeuers possibilite.
Vile & euel men be other-wise sett,

For to thanke aftur the quantite
Of benefit, what euer it be;
So goode men haue gentil condicion,
And Il men other dispocision.

134

Sum kynges conseruen alwey oon kynde
Of your (sic) soubgettis, & theime meche preferre
Oonly, and noon other haue in theire mynde,
Wherin thei be deceyued and meche erre,
For men of other kynde may be more derre.
Man-is kinde is right meche chaungeable,
As sede often sowen is mutable.

135

Grete wisdam is, litil to speke,
Pronuncing wele & complete of reason,
Anoon with laudable aunswere & make,
Hauing regarde to iche tyme & season;
To meche language hauith in geason
Alweyes spekyng with aduisement,
Bestowyng your vttrance to goode entent.

136

A fornicatour may not be preised,
Ner a Ireful man to be meche gladful,
Ner a liberal man to be seised

In envye, nor the couetouse richeful.
Thise thinges be thus ordeyned righful;
For, as golde is pured by fire craftly,
So is man bi his workes feithfully.

137

Wisdom exorneth nobli the richesse
Of a Richeman, and hideth pouerte
Of a pore man, being in wrechednesse.
What may be more felicite
Then to be wytty in prosperite?
When ye haue serched al the worlde aboute,
Wisdam excellithe other withowte doubte.

138

The first vertue is to kepe man-is tong,
For it is scribe of his discrecion;
For what it wol say, it writith at longe.
By sure tonge, al noble direccion
Ys assured, and al correccion,
Thaugh it be bi the swerde or bi iustice.
The wise tong commanndeth þat shal suffice.

139

On erthe ther is no thing so vnsemyng
As a kynge to be in predacion,
Or by compulsion to be taking,
Sith in hym shold be al saluacion,
And as a fader in probacion;
Who shold be the people-is protectour,
But oonly the kyng & their defendour.

140

Euel men, for drede done obedience;
Good men doon soo for benefete truly.
Of thise too thinges hauing experience,
Doo to the toon, benefettes freely,
And to the tother, punysshment iustly.
Thus, bi your witty disseuerance,
Ye shul make men tobey their legeance.

141

In dowynge wele to the people ofte tyme,
Your maieste shal be more durable
Than in grevyng theime, theire dedis to lyme.
For where their bodies were appliable
To youre highnesse in al thinge prophetable,
Now thei shul be in body & soule
For your benefite in feire & fowle.

142

For certaine, the people presumptuos
In wordis, wol slyde to dedys lightly;
Therfore be ye therin right laberous,
That folk slyde nat to wordes wykedly,
In eschewyng theire dedes iniustly:
A king aught to haue a wise prouision
To kepe his folk in goode direccion.

143

Cherisshe kepers of the feithe & iuste Lawe,
Referryng theim to grete promocion,
And refreine Ivel men with fere & awe;
And thus ye make goode direccion
Of the lawe, & kepe folk in subieccion,
An[d] eke kepe your Roialme in tranquillite,
Restful peas, comfort & feelicite.

144

How fowle, how vnhappy it is, to speke
Perfitly, & not be in dede;
And how feire, and how goode and polletike,
Firste the people to goode werkes theim lede,
And therafter to speke, is right grete mede.
Whan euery goode man-is dede is before,
Than euery goode speche accordeth therfore.

145

Philosophers asked a question
Of kyng Alex[an]dre, the Emperour,
How in his tendre age in possession
Hathe goten mony Realmes with fauour.
He onswered, by two meanes with honnour,
Oon to reconsile his enemyes,
Another to do wele to his freindes.

146

Yf a Counselor or phisicion
Of a kynge folowe his wille & entente,

At al tymes of his direccion,
The king is nat suer of goode Aduisement,
Ner of his body helthful amendement.
Therfore thise two personnes haue grete charge
To be trewe & playne to thair king at large.

147

A king sholde wisely his nedes committe
To hym that he had often approved
In grete witte and wisedam, & hym not remitte
Vnto no folkes to be reproved.
Yf he cannot to suche folk be confourmed,
Than, to suche folk as be conversant
With goode men and wise, to Il repugnant.

148

Who that is wele cherisshed with a king,
And is with hym grete & splendiferous,
And hathe al thinge at his commaunding,
It is impossible to be laborous
To finde any grete defaulte odious.
Therf[or]e a kinge must make prouision
To haue lowe men to that entencion.

149

A wise king aught to haue trewe knowleging
Of al thinge a-yenste hym conspired,

Withoute delaye, not oon houre over passinge,
And that no tyme be loste ne expired,
Of the trouthe as it shold be required,
Aftur the quantite and condicion,
Either for peine or remision.

150

But a kynge rewarde euery man-is trouthe,
And in lyke wise punysshe a trespassoure,
His direccion ellis were grete Routhe.
To take goode & Il in lyke fauour,
Accordithe not wele to a Gouernour.
So take euery man aftur his deserte,
Either in cherisshinge or in smert.

151

Who that in Il chalengeth not a King,
And hidithe to his leche the verite,
And hidethe secretnesse from frende louyng,
He must slee hymselfe, or ellis vnthe.
To be playne & trewe is grete libertee;
For trouthe at longe shal never be shamed,
Thaugh he be other while Iuyl gramed.

152

Yf a kyng be blissed, al his nedes
Bene done wele to his proffit & honnour;
Yf he be wise, al thinges spedes;
Yf he be trewe, he is in man-is fauour;
Yf he be iuste, of right a supportour,
His Royalme & Region is durable,
And his direccion commendable.

153

A king, any Region to conquere,
Is right costlowe, harde, peinful & greuous;
But to conserue a Roylme is me more fere,
And more wisdame & wytt, & more laborous,
Gretter prouision, and more tedious.
Better were a thing never to [be] had,
Than in handes to quaile & to be badde.

154

To a wise man with a kyng is spedeful,
If his kinge do meche derogacion
To hym self, his Roialme or folk vnrightful,
To showe to hym demonstracion
Of Stories exemplificacion
Playnly, that he may vnderstand the blame,
To eschewe of mysgouernance the name.

155

Put you in peine & deuoire euermore
The goode men to honnour & reuerence;
And that shal encrece goodenesse more & more,

So ye shal gete louely beneuolence,
And stande in grete loue bi this wise prudence,
Causyng many oon to be vertuous,
Eschewing many a werke vicious.

156

It is of goode and noble discrecion,
And of right stronge soule & laudable,
And right of a goode feithful entencion,
That can suffer aduer[si]tise greueable.
That a man is, he is not prouable
In prosperite, ne in felicite.
So goddes yefte forsaken wol not be.

157

Liberalite is a graunt to nedi
And to al maner people deseruyng,
After his power there to be redy.
To graunt ouer his power is wastyng.
And who that to [un]nedy wolbe graunting,
Is not accepted as for man witty,
As wastyng water in the see, gilty.

158

Two thinges haueth alway in mynde,
The begynnyng of goodenesse is bittyr,
The ende is right swete, of natural kynde.

The begynnyng of shreudnesse is swetter,
But the ende is of bitternesse the gretter.
So of goode begynnyng is goode endyng,
And of shreudenesse comethe Il concludyng.

159

Sum men reputen of consuetude
Euery thinge goode, & sum Il, by nature.
But euery man trouthe for goode wol conclude,
And lengest wol laste & eke best indure,
And to euery man metest & moost sure;
Therfore kepith euer fidelite,
In eschewyng sclaunderous enormyte.

160

The goodnesse of people compellith
Goode folkes to be [to]gider lovely;
The malice of evil men Rebellith,
And makithe theime to lyve odiously.
Trewe men and feithful loue their lyk sadly;
Lyers and theves haten iche other,
And the toon wolde fayne vndoe the tother.

161

Be lauful to eueryche man committing
Hym self to you bi any submission,

And be feithful to iche man you trustyng,
And ye shul please god in your direccion,
And be suer of billed conclusion.
A[nd] for trouthe a noble legalite,
Of your free[n]des ye shul worshipd be.

162

Suche a man may nat reuoke his saying,
Ner that he hath doon with his honeste;
He hathe grete cause to make prouidyng
Before, while he is at his liberte.
For thing doon or saide a-yenst equite,
Purchaseth vilany & dishonoure,
Makyng many a man therfore to loure.

163

Ther bene thre thinges right meche piteus:
A goode man to be longe in Regiment
Of an Il man, whiche is right dolorous;
A wytty man to be in gouernement
Of a shrewe, disposed to il entente;
A liberal man, of the couetous
To aske often meche money plentuos.

164

Thre thinges be in a right simpul knot;
First, goode counseil in hym that is not herde;

And armour in hym that vsith it not;
And Richesse in hym that kepith it herde:
Of thes thre thinges ye may be a-ferde,
But ye bestowe theim aftur their nature,
Wisely, manly, and godly in mesure.

165

Also I wolde thre thinges ye shul kepe:
Folowe goode werkes, lerne wisdam of the best,
In love of women wade nat over depe;
Thus ye shul kepe you pesebly in rest,
In goode werkes, wisdom, & lif honest,
And come to grete glory and noble fame
Thurgh your goode liffe & vnblemyshed name.

166

Yeve your yeiftes conueniently
To men nedy & truly deseruyng,
Not scatering your goode rechelesly,
But after merites, withoute wastyng,
Tendryng your folkes in your rewardyng;
Wherof people wol haue Joy & comfort,
And of youre high estate make goode report.

167

Better is goode knowlege than Ignorance.
By knowlege, men eschewe in fire to falle;
By ignorance, men have no wise substance,
From depnes of drownyng helpe to calle.
So goode & wise knowledge is best of al,

Who that nought knowithe, litle can prouide,
Ner helpe sike when necessite betide.

168

This world is but an house of merchandise.
He is unfortunat, that vnwisely
Departith with losse in vntrifty wise,
Sithe he may wynne heuen aduisely,
Whiche is the most best merchandise iustly.
Al the merchandise in this world is nough[t],
But at last to heuen he be brought.

169

A feire speker with swete mansuetude
Refreynethe grete noyes & displeasance,
Where rigorous Speche, vengeable & rude,
Subvertithe al polletique ordenance.
Therfore he that spekith wele in vsance,
Bothe in hym selfe & many other easithe,
And Almyghty Jesu hertly pleasith.

170

Who that wol not exalte hym for Richesse,
Or for grete honnour or dominacion,
And kepe wille, speche & werke in evenesse,
God wol bring hym to exaltacion,
And his Successours by nominacion,
And theim assure in grete nobilite,
For their goode gouernance & equite.

171

Therror of a wise man is in lykenesse
As brekynge of a Shippe in his drownyng,
Brynging many a man to bitternesse.
So dothe a wise man grete troble bringing
When he is in errour, for men wenyng
That a wise man guydeth, & nought eschape,
And al is holden wisdam & no Iape.

172

As it semeth the kinges dignite
To haue of his people obedience,
Right so is accordynge of equite
That the kinge do daily trewe diligence
To tendre thair astate with his prudence,
Rather than his owne; & euen for why
They bene hym so nygh as sowle & body.

173

A worldly man in disposicion,
Folowyng the worlde daily in his mynde,
May not be of feithful entencion
To yeve trewe & iust counseil in his kynde.
For aftur his wille he wol hym selfe finde,
And euery thinge determen wilfully,
Aye[n]ste Reason, & eke vnskilfully.

174

Yef ye haue in your hert a volunte
To your sonne or servaunt er not foly,
Ye must be in that liberalite
To seke a thing a-ye[n]st nature truly;
For no man can be so perfite Iustly,
But he is at somme tyme fallible,
And at summe tyme right goode & credible.

175

To profit, to be stille is more profit
Thanne to speke; & harme to speke more damage
Thanne te be stille, & grettir discomfit.
To speke litil, is knowen a man sage;
To speke meche, is knowen a man in Rage.
Whan a man spekith, his wit is knowen,
To be stille, doubte is how it shal be blowen.

176

Man vsing goode maners, shal be Loued
Amonges goode men & honourable;
And thaugh he be foule and diffugured (sic),
The beaute of his maners commendable
Shal ouercome al other Reproueable.
And his figure in Recommendacion
Shal be had, and in Laudacion.

177

Who that wolbe worldly, & it louynge,
Thre defaultes he shal haue euermore:
In grete pouerte, for Riches sekynge;
In truste, whiche shal neuer come to end therf[or]e;
And in gre[t] impediment more & more,
Whiche shal neuer haue expedicion.
This is sothe, with-oute any question.

178

Thus ye shul knowe a man in pacience
þat is greued ayenst possibilite
Of nature, and it sufferith with prudence.
But he that is greued in aduersite,
And may wele bere it in his freilte,
In no wise may be clept pacient
By this descripcion or Iugement.

100

179

Kepe neuer your body delectably,
Not in softe lyinge, ne delicacye,
For ye may nat suffre reasonably
Aduersite, ne it fortifie,
Ner in no maner wise it iustifie.
Therfore be nat meche ouer curious
In delicacie, ne delicious.

180

Euery man hathe oon Mouthe & two eres,
To thentente that he sholde here more thanne speke.
To speke meche, many people-is deres;
To here many thinges, & to be meke,
Right meche wisdam & wertue it dothe seke.
So, in litil speche & right meche heryng,
Many grete vertues is conquering.

181

Lete never man putte in ful confdence
In the world, for he maketh no p[ay]ment
Of his promisse, but so in negligence [OMITTED]

University of Virginia Library

George Ashby's Poems.[_] Question-marks denote uncertain readings. Square brackets enclose text supplied by the editor.