The Ladder to thrift.
Chap. 9.
[1]
To
take thy calling thankfully,
and shun the path to beggery.
2
To grudge in youth no drudgery,
to come by knowledge perfectly.
3
To count no trauell slauerie,
that brings in penie sauerlie.
4
To folow profit earnestlie:
but meddle not with pilferie.
5
To get by honest practisie,
and keepe thy gettings couertlie.
6
To lash not out, too lashinglie,
for feare of pinching penurie.
7
To get good plot to occupie,
and store and vse it husbandlie.
8
To shew to landlord curtesie,
and keepe thy couenants orderlie
9
To hold that thine is lawfullie,
for stoutnes or for flatterie.
10
To wed good wife for companie,
and liue in wedlock honestlie.
11
To furnish house with housholdry,
and make prouision skilfully.
12
To ioine to wife good familie,
and none to keepe for brauerie.
13
To suffer none liue idlelie,
for feare of idle knauerie.
14
To courage wife in huswiferie,
and vse well dooers gentilie.
15
To keepe no more but needfullie,
and count excesse vnsauerie.
16
To raise betimes the lubberlie,
both snorting Hob and Margerie.
17
To walke thy pastures vsuallie,
to spie ill neighbours subtiltie.
18
To hate reuengement hastilie,
for loosing loue and amitie.
19
To loue thy neighbor neighborly,
and shew him no discurtesy.
20
To answere stranger ciuilie,
but shew him not thy secresie.
21
To vse no friend deceitfully,
to offer no man villeny.
22
To learne how foe to pacifie,
but trust him not too trustilie.
23
To keepe thy touch substanciallie,
and in thy word vse constancie.
24
To make thy bandes aduisedly,
& com not bound through suerty.
25
To meddle not with vsurie,
nor lend, thy monie foolishlie.
26
To hate to liue in infamie,
through craft, & liuing shiftingly.
27
To shun, all kinde of treachery,
for treason, endeth horribly.
28
To learne, to eschew ill cōpany,
and such as liue dishonestly.
29
To banish house of blasphemie,
least crosses, crosse vnluckelie.
30
To stop mischāce, through policy
for chancing too vnhappily.
31
To beare thy crosses paciently,
for worldly things are slippery.
32
To laie to keepe from miserie,
age, comming on so creepinglie.
33
To praie to God continuallie,
for aide against thine enimie.
34
To spend thy Sabboth holilie,
and helpe the needie pouertie.
35
To liue in conscience quietly,
and keepe thy selfe from malady.
36
To ease thy sicknes speedilie,
er helpe be past recouerie,
37
To seeke to God for remedie,
for witches prooue vnluckilie.
These be the steps vnfamedlie:
to climbe to thrift, by husbandrie.
These steps both reach, and teach thee shall:
To come by thrift, to shift withall.
