The Closet of Counsells :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Closet of Counsells

conteining The aduice of diuers wyse Philosophers, touchinge sundry morall matters, in Poesies, Preceptes, Prouerbes, and Parrables, translated, and collected out of diuers aucthors, into Englishe Verse: by Edmond Eluiden. Wherunto is anexed a pithy and pleasant discription of the abuses: and vanities of the vvorlde

Elviden, Edmund

[dedication]

[section]

The closet of counsells.

Of forecaste.

Of Labour.

Of Reste.

Of Townes or Realmes.

Of the Common welthe

Of The honor of a reamle.

Of Prayse and disprasye.

Of The contēted state? &c.

Of The pryuye enemye.

Of Euill mens praise.

Of Gentlenes.

Of Mans course.

Of Women and childrē.

Of Lecherye.

Of a good Captayne.

Of seeking and fynding

Of three pyttyfull thinges

Of the pleasures of the soule

Of vnprofitable liuing.

Of the tonge.

Of perfecte patience.

The depycture of a wrathfull man.

Of the harte.

Of reuenge.

Of the wyt.

Of prosperitie and aduersitie.

Of the begininge.

Of a scoldynge woman.

Of a fooles honore.

Of the knowledge of our selues.

Of inordinate desyre.

Of the kynges courte.

Of counsayll.

Of the prodygall & niggarde.

Howe to make the witt apt.

Of Honore not dezerued.

Of the soules sycknes.

Of men whych liue in sorowe.

Of the soules vexacion.

Of the spitefull man.

Of the witt.

Of the Tongue.

Of Equall Frendship.

Of an vnlearned Riche man.

Of Almes.

Of Slothe.

Of the Worlde.

Of the knowledge of this worlde.

Of Iustice.

Of punishment of the wicked.

What is perfect honoure.

Of perseueraunce in counsell.

Who may not bee iuste.

Of the witt without knowledge.

Of people or subiects.

Of God.

Of the most euill thing.

Of the knowledge of our selues.

Of wise mens fore knowledge.

Of deffe and blinde men.

Of our life and death.

Of the learned vertuous man.

Of our corrupt nature.

Of measure in speach.

What is our best knowledge.

Of three incombrances.

Of death.

Of a bewtiful foole.

Of fearefulnes or timorosity.

Of vertue and vice.

Of perfect good.

Of the wearines of nature.

Of abstinence.

Howe to see and perseaue folly in a man.

Of the lazy life.

How to make of foos freendes.

How to disclose our secreats.

Of deliberate speaking.

Of worldly pleasures.

Of aduice in all things.

Of wittes exercise.

Of malice.

Of reason and knowledge.

Of superfluous praters.

Of enuious men.

Of hasty attemptes.

Of thinges surpassing our capasitie.

Of the greatest shame.

Of a sad countenance.

Of Obedience.

Of Charitie.

Of the tongue or wordes.

Of contented riches.

Of good aduice.

Of worldly care.

Of the worldes misery.

Of a kinges duety, written by Claudianus a famous Poete.

Of meeke witted men.

How to knowe a wise man.

Of honor and riches.

Of a good law.

Of the proofe of good counsell.

Of well doing.

Of Ignorance.

Of euill life.

Of learning and knowledge.

Of frequenting thy frendes house.

Of vowes.

Of superfluous curiositie.

Of good and yll.

Of the diuersitie of disceites.

How to purchase fame.

Of an euyll wife.

What best becomes a woman.

Of gentlenes.

How te instruct youth.

Of well doinge.

Of Wyne.

Of a licentious tonge.

Of goods ill gotten.

Of foule language.

Of Lust.

Of a fooles good fortune.

Of the pleasure in monie.

Of counterfeyt things or fraude.

Of a Souldiers dewtye.

Of vice or wickednes.

Of the hartes disease.

Of man and his soule.

Of worldly men.

Of a happy realme.

Of mercy and iustice.

Of the auncesters.

Of freendship and iustice.

Of fooles and wise men.

Of goodnes and wickednes.

Of faythfulnes and trueth.

Of loue.

Of charitie.

Of a liberall heart.

Of geuing and receiuing.

Of a faythfull freende.

Of the wilfull man.

Of Enuie.

Of thretninge.

How to delaie spight or grudge.

Of labor and custome.

Of a womans duety.

Of thankfulnes.

Of the husbande.

Of good and wise men.

Of the tongue and the heart.

Of the apparell and speach.

Of superfluous talke.

Of slaunder and flattery.

Of the couetous man.

Of foresight.

Of an enemy

Of the feare of death.

Of the vncertainty of time.

Of good deedes done to the wicked.

Of foolish ioyes.

Of natures workes.

Wherin honor consisteth.

Of counsell taking.

Of riches left to a waster.

Of the force of riches.

Of constant loue.

Of giftes well imployed.

Of the trauels of life and death.

Of too much escrutiositie.

Of strikinge.

Of chorlish nature.

Of the profite of a realme.

Of wise mens loue, and fooles.

Of euill mens consente.

Of priuie benefites

Of speache and silence.

Of thankfullnes.

Of furye.

Who liues in quiet.

Sustayne and abstayne.

Of the worldes misery.

Of vanishing thinges.

Of suffisance.

Of death.

Of the mighty man.

Of the conscience troubled.

Of measure.

Of the auaritious miser.

Of sensualitie.

Of the world to come.

Preceptes of liuinge.

Or thus.

A Pithy and pleasante discription of the Abbusions, and Uanities, of the Worlde.

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Of God.

Yf thou wouldste rightlye knowe to please
the mightie god of heauen,
Of all thinges needefull moste therto
be these, insuinge seuen:
The fyrste that man doe neuer leaue
his God for other men,
Least likewise God when he shal neede
forsake his case as cleane:
The seconde, that it more auayles
to truste vnto the might

Marcus aure:

Of the immortall God, then all
the power of mortall fight:
The thirde that wee emploie our cares
leaste wee prouoke the yre
Of God, whose anger ragethe more
then dothe the broylinge fyre.
The fourth that God doth not forget
a man for all his crimes,
Except, that man doe firste forget
his God, a thousande times.
The fyfthe, that god doth punishe more
the good men then the ill,
Because his mercie maye pursue
the teachinge of his will.

The sixte that if in time of warres
we would our welth increase:
We duely serue and seeke to please
our God in time of peace.
The seuenth, that god to no man sends
or realme his plague or threat:
Except that man or realme haue first
committed vices great.

Marcus aure.

For as God is of mercy full
whose pitie we may trust:
So is he sharpe, seuere and rough
and yet a God most iust.