Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners conteynynge the .iiii. vertues callyd cardynall compyled in latyn by Domynike Mancyn: And translate into englysshe at the desyre of syr Gyles Alyngton knyght by Alexander Bercley [i.e. Barclay] |
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Of the begynnynge of temperance. |
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 | Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners |  |
Of the begynnynge of temperance.
Yet reason: hath one myght: nat to be countyd small
Wherby: it excytyth/man to felycite
For to beholde thynges/fayre plesant and formall
And to take great pleasure/aduysynge theyr beawte
Man: onely by reason/perceyuyth/and doth se
Howe goodly an ordre/and what beawte ornate
Is in worldly thinges/of god almyght create
Wherby: it excytyth/man to felycite
For to beholde thynges/fayre plesant and formall
And to take great pleasure/aduysynge theyr beawte
Man: onely by reason/perceyuyth/and doth se
Howe goodly an ordre/and what beawte ornate
Is in worldly thinges/of god almyght create
Therfore whan the wyse mā/this beawte doth beholde
Cōsyderynge this shap/and pleasant fourme mundayne
He praysyth the fayrnes/with lawdys many folde
And knoweth by this fourme: the fourme souerayn
Than reason reducyth/vnto his mynde/certayne
That than is thinge decent/and synguler beawte
Whan all thinge procedyth/in order and degre
Cōsyderynge this shap/and pleasant fourme mundayne
He praysyth the fayrnes/with lawdys many folde
And knoweth by this fourme: the fourme souerayn
Than reason reducyth/vnto his mynde/certayne
That than is thinge decent/and synguler beawte
Whan all thinge procedyth/in order and degre
Whan man this reuoluyth delytynge in his mynde
Than sayth he to hym selfe: o lord eternall kynge
If so goodly ordre/in maners of mankynde
Were dewly obseruyd/it were more plesant thinge
Wherfore he contendyth/by reason hym gydynge
After soche example/of outward thinge mundayne
His owne lyfe/and maners/in ordre to constrayne
Than sayth he to hym selfe: o lord eternall kynge
If so goodly ordre/in maners of mankynde
Were dewly obseruyd/it were more plesant thinge
Wherfore he contendyth/by reason hym gydynge
After soche example/of outward thinge mundayne
His owne lyfe/and maners/in ordre to constrayne
And soche inward beawte to gyue vnto his mynde
As in outward thinges/he doth behold expresse
Wherfore he prouydyth/as reason doth hym bynde
To conforme his maners to so fayre comlynes
Sufferynge in hym self/no fowle vnclenlynesse
No vice nor disordre: nor other spot at all
In wordys dysolute: nor warkys specyall
As in outward thinges/he doth behold expresse
Wherfore he prouydyth/as reason doth hym bynde
To conforme his maners to so fayre comlynes
Sufferynge in hym self/no fowle vnclenlynesse
No vice nor disordre: nor other spot at all
In wordys dysolute: nor warkys specyall
So that no maner fawt/nor blame in hym be founde
By passynge/in his dedys due ordre or mesure
In doinge ouer moche/or les than he is bounde
Or nat in dewe season: repugnynge to nature
Therfore doth he stody/and muse with besy cure
His dedys to redresse/and do in euery case
Accordynge as requireth/the season/tyme and place
By passynge/in his dedys due ordre or mesure
In doinge ouer moche/or les than he is bounde
Or nat in dewe season: repugnynge to nature
Therfore doth he stody/and muse with besy cure
His dedys to redresse/and do in euery case
Accordynge as requireth/the season/tyme and place
Thus rysyth in the mynde/the fourth noble vertue
Callyd Moderacion/or ellys Temperance
Which vertu auancyth/and vicys doth subdue
Conduytinge mankynde/in goodly gouernance
So: these four conioyned/shall theyr hauer auance
To the sure prossession/of perfayte honeste
And fyrste vpon reason: all four groundyd they be
Callyd Moderacion/or ellys Temperance
Which vertu auancyth/and vicys doth subdue
Conduytinge mankynde/in goodly gouernance
So: these four conioyned/shall theyr hauer auance
To the sure prossession/of perfayte honeste
And fyrste vpon reason: all four groundyd they be
Which reason is grauntyd/by god vnto mankynde
As moste souerayne auctoure/and gouerner moste sure
A lyf comon peple/dull/ignorant and blynde
Ascrybyth this hye gyft/some tymes to nature
It takynge/as god: agaynst iust scripture
And symple creature/exaltynge with honour
Whiche onely belongyth/to god our creatour
As moste souerayne auctoure/and gouerner moste sure
A lyf comon peple/dull/ignorant and blynde
Ascrybyth this hye gyft/some tymes to nature
It takynge/as god: agaynst iust scripture
And symple creature/exaltynge with honour
Whiche onely belongyth/to god our creatour
But fauorable redar take thyne eleccion
Whither thou wylt call/these vertues cardynall
The gyftes of nature/procedynge of reason
Or rather the gyftes/of hye god immortall
As tochynge my duyte/this thinge perfourme I shall
Of these four distynctly/to fynysshe this tretyse
Unto the laude of vertue/and reprouynge of vyce
Whither thou wylt call/these vertues cardynall
The gyftes of nature/procedynge of reason
Or rather the gyftes/of hye god immortall
As tochynge my duyte/this thinge perfourme I shall
Of these four distynctly/to fynysshe this tretyse
Unto the laude of vertue/and reprouynge of vyce
And fyrst shal I begyn/at vertue of prudence
Fyrste groundyd on reason/of whome the other thre
Procedyth as braunchys/of hye preemynence
But fauorable redar/where thou shalt here or se
Ought soundynge in my warke/agaynst grauite
Or nat comely ordred/in meter or substance
Correcte I requyre the/my symple ignorāce
Fyrste groundyd on reason/of whome the other thre
Procedyth as braunchys/of hye preemynence
But fauorable redar/where thou shalt here or se
Ought soundynge in my warke/agaynst grauite
Or nat comely ordred/in meter or substance
Correcte I requyre the/my symple ignorāce
| Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners | |