University of Virginia Library

Sentences of the wyse

Plato.
Of all thynges the newest is best for behoue,
Saue only of frendshyp and of frendly loue.
Whych euer the elder and longer it dure,
Is so muche the better more perfect and sure,

Seneca.
Wel may he be counted right valient in dede
In ioye nor in sorow that doth not excede:
The temperate man possesseth this treasure,
Whose modesty moues hym styl to mynd measure.

Socrates.
Socrates calles it a great poynt of madnes,
To be without measure in ioy or in sadnes.

Plato.
Idlenes doth ignorance as her fruite render,
And ignorance euer doth error ingender.

Aristoteles.
Auarice doth gentlenesse styll away chase,
Whiche good liberalitie ay doth purchase.

Bias.
Of Flatterers Byas dothe byd vs beware,
And sayth that theyr speach is a hony swete snare.

Salomon.
As vnmete is honor fooles to assayle,
As snowe in the sommer, or in haruest hayle

Plato.
Small errors not stayd at the fyrst but procede
Wyl grow to great and huge mischefes in deed.

Plutarchus.
The wyts which in age wyll excellent byde,
By honest delyghtes in youth wyll be spyde.

Chilon.
Who can deny that man enuious to be.
That sory is at good mens prosperitie,

Socrates.
An ignorant foole he is without mys,
By counsell of women that gouerned is.

Aristippus.
He is without doubt a ryche man in dede,
To borow or flatter that neuer had nede.

Cicero.
Wysdome as Tully doth wysely defyne,
Is knowlege in thynges humane and deuine.

Xenophon.
For worldly ryches be not to studient,
Syth God hath prouided for eche man sufficient.

Plutarche.
For sufficient thynges ought no man to pray,
For that doth God giue vnasked alway:
But praye that thy selfe mayst alwayes be bent,
With that whiche God geueth to be styll content.

Pithagoras.
Do ryght in your dedes to serue God if you lyst,
In workes not in words doth Gods worship cōsist

Socrates.
Speake euer of God whyle talke doth endure,
And God in thy mouth wyll good words procure.

Solon.
The soule that is iust, and purely doth meane,
Doth neuer delyght in matters vncleane.

Seneca.
The good soules plant goodnes whose frute is saluatiō
The wicked plante vices, their fruite is damnation.

Pithagoras
True frendship and frendes, ye surely shal finde:
Where many pure hartes are made in one mynde.

Xenophon.
There neuer was frendshyp nor iustice certayne,
Where nothyng among them in cōmon doth rayne.
To lyue without frendes would no man be glad,
Of all kynd of welthe though plenty he had.
Theyr frendshyp was neuer yet perfect and sure,
That did becōme frendes for profite or pleasure.

Socrates.
Let wyse men aske counsell for that is good skyll.
Lest somtyme theyr wits be myxed with wyll.
To the wrathfull man or dronkard infect,
Or he that is to a woman subiect,
Commyt no secretes to any of those.
For surely they can no counsell kepe close,

Isocrates.
He which to others good councell doth geue,
Hym self to profyt begyns to atchieue.

Seneca.
He (sayth Seneca) is ryche and welthy,
Which is contented with his pouertie.
None in this lyfe lyue more certayn and sure,
Then those that doo lacke ryches and treasure.

Hermes.
Receyue with patience the wordes of correction,
Though they seme greuous in thyne intellection.
Discipline my sonne see thou apprehend,
To grace and vertue so shalt thou extend.

Plutarchus.
Forget sone thy wrath, quench quickly that fyre,
And to be reuenged haue no desyre.

Socrates.
A man well brought vp that doth so procede,
Increasyng mo vertues, is perfect in dede.
Shame and dyshonour, yll end, and damnation
Doth lyght vpon lecherous abhomination.

Socrates.
A ryght good gyft is eloquence,
Whyche doth in truthe shyne bryghtly styll:
But vsed in falshodes defence:
It doth corrupt and worke muche yll.

Pythagoras.
They which to sclander or to rob
The dead haue theyr delyghte:
Are lyke such dogges in fury that
At stones do barke and byte,

Plutarchus.
Nothyng so muche dysprayseth one
As dothe a mans owne prayse,
And chiefly when he bosteth of
His owne good dedes and wayes.

Hermes.
He that dothe good vnto hys frendes,
Is counted wyse therfore:
But who so dothe his enmy good,
He is a man and more.

Seneca.
Of welth he shall haue no,
That can not suffer wo.
Smalle knowledge is in suche
As vse to babble muche.

Seneca.
The wyse in deede,
Dothe nothyng neede.

Hermes.
Beware well of spyes,
And tellers of lyes.

Aristoteles.
To delyght in treasure,
Is a dangerous pleasure.

Seneca.