 | Parvus and Magnus Cato |  |
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CXIX
What wiht that list to leede in sikirnesseHis lif and keepe his soule from accombraunce
Of vices, which a-yens good thewes expresse
Beth at stryff, com yiff good attendaunce.
Thes preceptis keepe wel in remembrance.
Enrollyng hem and pryntyng in your mynde.
How to lyve wel, the mene shal ye fynde.
CXX
The foule talent of richesse, my child, eschewe.Resemble nat the gredy Tantalus
Whos etike in hungre is alway newe
Among the fair applis delicious;
Ne watir swete quenchythe his thurst riht thus.
To the violente swolwe of couetise
So al this world nat can ne may suffise.
CXXI
Natur can be with litil thyng contente,As in diete a man shuld neuer charge
Hymsilf with mete; for many men be shente,
For their receitis ben to grete and large.
Men seen al day: the litell boot and barge
Wol drench a-non, whan it is ouer-freiht.
Cherissh nature, but hurt hir nat with weiht.
CXXII
Iff thin thyng thou happe to mysgouerneWithoute reson or any prouydence,
Than, myn owne child, of me this lessoun lerne:
Sey nat, it was thi fortune such expence
To make, but wyte it thin owne necligence.
For fortune may neuer compellen the
Thi good to spende but at thi liberte.
CXXIII
Loue the peny as for cheuysaunce,Nat for the coyn to hoord it vp on heepe.
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Nat for it shuld in coffres lye and sleepe,
But for it shuld among the peple leepe
In ther eschaunge. Who kepith it inne
As for the fourme, is soget vnto synne.
CXXIV
Whan thou hast plente and art pecuniall,I meene, whan thou hast grete suffisaunce,
Off mony foisoun and of helthe but smalle,
Than spende thi monay and thi selfe avaunce.
Keepe neuer thy coyn and lyve in grevaunce.
The seek hathe siluer in ful grete excesse,
But of hymsilfe hathe he no sikirnesse.
CXXV
Thouh somtyme thou suffre the grete sharpnesseOff betyng, yit thi maistres chastisment
Take weel in gree withe lowly humblenesse,
Sith it is doo al in good entente
To cause the lore and wisdom for to hente.
And thouh his woordis sownen ful of ire,
Yit suffre thou the talent of that sire.
CXXVI
Also, my child, thou shalt the occupyeTo werche thynges, that ben profitable.
But look thy wittis thou neuer applie
To thyng that may nat ben aduaylable.
To caste a thyng, that is nat profetable,
By wit or strengthe, it is but grete errour:
Dispeired hope is ende of suche labour.
CXXVII
Whan thou shalt yive, than yive in freendly wise.Frely content a prayere of requeste;
For thyng yoven be tyme is yoven twise.
Sith gladsom cheer makith yiftis richeste,
Who yiveth gladly and soone yeveth beste.
Lo, no thyng may bettir freende conquere
Than man to leene, that he may weel forber.
CXXVIII
Whan in a thyng thou haste a coniecture,As in thi conceyt holdyng it suspecte,
To discusse that thyng a-non do thi cure.
For at the first whan such thyng is reiecte,
The reste is aftir esy to correcte;
And thyng, that at the firste is nat sett by,
Is oftyn seyn to greven fynally.
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CXXIX
And whan thou arte disposid inwardliTo Venus actis, than represse corage.
Fostre nat thi fleessh to lustily.
For grete diete makethe the flessh outrage,
Where-as mesure myht cause it asswage.
And glotenye is clepid cheeff promotrice,
Leedyng the fleissh to wantounnesse and vice.
CXXX
The ranpaund leoun and the tigre felle,The irous boor, the hound ful of envye
And bestis moo than nedithe heer to telle
Men dreede ful sore and fer herr tyrannye;
And wel thei do. But yit oon best I espye,
That is to feryn most in especial:
Mann ys the beste, that thou moste dreeden shall.
CXXXI
The vertu, that is clepid fortitude,Stondith nat alle in strengthis bodyly,
As to be virous, myhti, strong and rude;
But in the soule it must ben sikirly.
Than, if thou wilt thi-selfe fortifie
Thi soule withynne acqueynte with sapience;
And than shalt thow be strong in existence.
CXXXII
What thyng in erthe thou shalt take on honde,And thi supporte shal be in freendlynesse.
No strange wiht on lyue so nyh wol the stonde
As thi knowen ffrende, my child, this is expresse;
Off the straungier haste thou no sikirnesse.
For whan all othir ben ful ferr to seche,
The feitheful knowe freende kan beste be thi leche.
CXXXIII
The deethe of bestis, that beth vnresounable,As bi custom and riht of sacrifice
To purgyn the, is no seth greable.
Trust nat as so to gete thy reprise;
For thei, that trust so, ben ful vnwise.
Bi dethe of bestis God wil nat queemyd be,
And man a-bide in his iniquite.
CXXXIV
Whan thou wolt chese a freende for trustynesse,Than of his fortune make noon inquiraunce;
For fortune is moodir of changeabilnesse.
Aske of his liffe and of his gouernaunce;
For that is preeff of grettir suffisaunce
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For liff of man his fortune dothe excell.
CXXXV
Vse weel the richesse, that thou hast of queste.Off avarise the wikkid name eschewe.
Lat nat thi good be stoppid in a chest.
Keepe nat thy stuff ay closid stille in mewe.
Suche old tresour wol make thi shame ful newe.
What profitethe plente of grete tresur
And in pouerte a wrecche alway endure.
CXXXVI
Iff thou desir to reioisen thi fameIn honeste, whil thou lyvest heere,
Eschiew the thinges, that may cause shame.
Likerous lustis must be leid on beer
And thinges fele, that ful ioyous appeer.
This worldis ioye is ay ful deffectyfe:
Be war of ioye, that hurteth thi good liffe.
CXXXVII
And ay, my child, conceyve and aduertise,That neuer thou skorne feeble stoupyng age.
Thi elderis, my child, for nothyng thou despise,
Thouh in ther wittis thei be natt so sage
As in ther youth, sith age is outrage.
Whan age cometh, this is sothe certeyn,
A man begynneth to ben a chyld a-geyn
CXXXVIII
Enforce thi wittes somwhat for to lere;Acqueynte the withe connyng. For that is sure,
Iff fortune chaunge and than pouert appeer,
Who that hathe konnyng, is likly to recure.
Konnyng and crafte remayne and endure;
And bi them a man may him-silfe releve,
Whan fortune hathe caste hym in to myscheeffe.
CXXXIX
Be stille in silens with a-visenesse.Tary, my child, til othir men han seid;
So shalt thou lerne somwhat in sothfastnesse.
Latt nat thy tonge sodenly be vnteid;
For that myht the of hastynesse abreid.
Bi manys woord his maner wil be schewed.
Bi woord is knowen the wise man from þe lewid.
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CXL
Thouh in konnyng thou have ful grete conceit,Enforce the ay yit to lerne more.
The soule it is, that must be the receit;
Replenissh hir with that tresour and stor.
Vse makithe maistrie; vse konnyng therfore.
Vse helpethe art, and cure helpithe the witte;
Than vse and cure to konnyng moste be knitte.
CXLI
Body from soule must haue disseueraunce.Dethe is ende comoun to euery wiht.
Charge nat to muche therfore of dethis chaunce;
The tribut of dethe must thou pay of riht.
But yit bi dethe shalt thou sette more liht,
Iff bi this liff thou sett no thyng expresse;
It is so ful of woo and wrecchidnesse.
CXLII
Lere of the wise and teche the vnkunnyng.For it is vertu and ful commendable
Tencrese doctryne thoruh such comonnyng.
It is alway a deede charitable
To lere and teche; it is ful greable
To God. Doctryne kepithe vertu on lyve.
Whiche ne were, doctryne soone from man shuld slyve.
CXLIII
Drynk nat to muche, no mor than þou maiste bere.Rewle thy-silfe bi the bridil of mesure.
To muche drynke wol the annoy and dere.
Surfette is euermore of helthe vnsure;
And mesur makethe men in helthe endure.
Whatt man is rewlid aftir lustys vile,
In good astate ne may a-bide no while.
CXLIV
And iff hit happe the in audienceAn thyng to preyse, be war, that thou ne blame
It eft ageyn riht in the same presence.
Iff thou dispreise, comende nat eek the same;
Off suche trauers must needis risen shame.
To preisen now and eft to blame douteles
It is a thynge of grete vnstabilnesse.
CXLV
Whan thou lyuest heer riht at thyn owne eseIn al thy ioye, rest and prosperite,
Thynk the per-case aduersite may sese;
For welthe stondithe nat in sykirte.
And also soone, whan any aduersite
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Thynke in thi-silfe: good fortune may repeire.
CXLVI
It is ful fair, my child, to be prudentAnd wys; looke thou lere ther-fore.
To lerne ay, my sone, do thyn entent.
Bi diligent bysynesse wisdom is more.
Wisdom is she, that may nat be forbore.
The rare prudence, that folkes nyce refuse,
Can nat ben had but bi processe and vse.
CXLVII
Beware alway, that thou neuer enhaunceIn thi lawde or preisyng a wiht to hihe;
For thou mayste haue cause eft to dissavaunce
The same. But ay thy preysyng modifie.
For att oon day thou shalt ful wele espye,
Whether he be freende, that freendly seemythe;
For all be nat freendis, that men demethe.
CXLVIII
Be nat asshamed, my child, also to lere,That thou canst nat; for it is but a tecche
Off foly nat to desire doctryne heere.
Ful wel is he, that to konnyng may strecche,
Sithe konnyngles a man is but a wrecche.
To konne moche is riht comendable
And nouht to konne is ay reproveable.
CXLIX
The soleyn stille oft meenethe fraude and gile;Off such a man eschewe the companye.
For the stille man compassethe othir while
Withynne his herte disceit and trecherye.
In floodis stille is watir deep and hihe.
In stremys softe seemyng to thy plesaunce
Ofte betidithe ful vnhappy chaunce.
CL
With thi fortune whan thou art discontentAnd kanst nat take in gree thin aduenture,
Behold and feele in thin aduisement,
How thei, that whilom wer as thou as sur
And more likly in welthe for to endure
Bothe fore bounte and eek for noblesse,
And yit haue falle doun into wrecchidnesse.
CLI
Attempte the thyng, so as thou maist suffise.Passe nat thi myht. Bere nat to hihe thi saile;
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Serteyn, my child, this is withouten faile:
The vessel smalle is at ful grete a-vaile,
Whan with his ore to londe he may a-reche,
Where-as the sailes hihe ful oft go to wrecche.
CLII
A-geyns the trewe iuste man brawle nat ne stryve;For to God a-boue that is displesaunce.
Trust this trewly: heer is no man on lyve,
That to the iuste man dothe dere or greuaunce,
But at the laste God wol take vengeaunce.
And heerof it is good heed to take:
The riht-wiseman of God is nat forsake.
CLIII
Iff extorsioun or mysauentureHaue plukked at the and maad the threedbare
Off richesse, yit do thou thi force and cure.
To be mery and eschewe thouht and care.
For fretyng thouht is a ful cursid snare;
Cum nat ther-in. Fortune is vnstable.
Aftir pouerte richesse is preignable.
CLIV
Venus is reedi to all hir actis vile,Whan he, Bachus, hathe set hir in largesse
The tresour of his hoote and feruent yle.
Therfore, my child, thin appetite represse.
In wynes hoote doo nat to grete excesse.
Drynk, that for thi soule is expedient.
Eschewe stryffe. Withe mesure be content.
CLV
It is an harme the goodes to forgoo,That ben on hande, bi force and violence.
But yit, my child, thou most considre, who
And what he is, that dothe the such offense.
Bi-twix freend and foo haue ay a difference;
For in som case thou most a freend forbere
And suffre hym, thouh he annoy and deere.
CLVI
Be nat to sure, that thou shalt lyue heer long.A wyht shal deye, alle be he lothe or leeffe;
And as the old so deye the yonge a-monge.
Dethe stelithe on, as dothe a pryvy theefe.
Loo, a-yens dethe men fynde no releeffe.
She is a-boute to make a devorse
And folwethe ay the shadwe of the corse.
CLVII
Serue ay thi God withe lowly obseruaunce,Withe herte entier, withe swete smellyng encense;
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Off calues smale, that neuer dede offence,
Thouh thou hem sle, the blood may nat dispence.
With the lat hem growe and swynke in þi plouhe.
Thin herte to God is suffisant i-nouh.
CLVIII
Yiff place to hym, that excedith thy myht;Thouh thou be hurt, it may profette perchaunce.
And seeld availethe a man for to fiht
Ageyns such on, as passith his pusaunce.
Thouh he greve now, yit efte he may avaunce.
Ful oftyn is seyn aftir the grete duresse
The myhty man wol kithe his gentilnesse
CLIX
Aftir thy surffet and thi grete offenceChastice thi-silfe, correcte, that is a-mys,
Correcte thi gilte, amende thi necligence.
Sorwe for synne a verray medycyne is.
Repent the sore; than art thou saufe iwis.
For fisik seithe, my child, I the ensure:
A bittir drynk the sharpe sekenesse may cure.
CLX
Yff thou haue founde longe frenship in a wyhtFul yore ago, thouh he begynne to chaunge,
Dispreise hym nat; men bide nat in oon pliht.
Somtyme was an abbey, ther is now a graunge.
This worldis cours is ful queynte and strange.
But thouh the man as now be wax vnkynde,
His olde frenship remembr in thi mynde.
CLXI
Iff it vre the in office to be sette,Than be thou gracious to othir men.
Thei may report: a goodly man is mette
With such office; and so good fame shal renne
A-boute of the. But I ensure the, whenne
Thofficer is vnkynde, than seithe the pres:
Now wold God this man were officeles.
CLXII
Be nat suspect; that is a wikkid tecche.The suspect wiht with cowarde ielousnesse
In his lyvyng is but a verray wrecche.
Much is a-mys, and all wold he redresse.
Hee deemythe fals and failethe hertynesse.
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Slethe hym a-noon; deth endithe his folye.
CLXIII
Iff thou haue men withouten liberte,Such as be clepid the men of bondage,
Thouh thei ben vndir thi captyuyte,
Yit ouer such men be neuer outrage,
Iff thei be holden vndir thy seruage.
Thouh thei be bonde, yit verray men thei be.
That thei be men, than ay remembre the
CLXIV
Thi first fortune receyve withe reedynesse;Refuse it nat, thouh it be scant and smalle.
It is wele bettir in gree to take the lesse,
Than refuse it and aftir faile of alle.
Yiftis of fortune take them as thei falle.
Forsake hem nowe, and efte thou shalt haue neede.
Tyme is to take, whan men profere and beede.
CLXV
Reioyse thou neuer, my child, in al thi lyveThe sodeyn dethe of a cursid man and wrecche.
Whan he is deede, the soule may nat revive;
Fro peyne to ioye that spirit may nat strecche;
The feendis holdyn so sore, that thei may kecche.
Who lyuethe wele, ful wele eeke deyethe he;
That soule is sykir of grete felicite.
CLXVI
Iff thou haue a wiffe in assuraunce,Than trust hir weele and love hir inwardlye
Withe herte and thouht and al thyn affiaunce.
Be nat infecte with suspecte ielousye.
Iff no deffaute in hir thou kanst espye
And if thi freend telle the, suche is the fame,
He is a freend and she nothyng to blame.
CLXVII
Whan thoruh stody and longe excersyceThou knowest mochil and hast grete konnyng,
Yit do thy diligence in besy wyse
More to konne; it is an holsom thyng.
To grete honour konnyng may the bryng.
And ay eschewe nat for to be tawhte.
Withoute techyng science wol nat be kawhte.
CLXVIII
And if thou ouht meruayle and lest to muse,In nakid woordis, why my verse I write,
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Than sey: my witt so dul and vnparfite
Artith me thus rudely for tendite.
Bi too and too my metre for to knytte
Nat causethe me but sympilnesse of witte.
| Parvus and Magnus Cato | |