 | Parvus and Magnus Cato |  |
VIII
For why that God is inwardli the witteOff man and yeueth hym vndirstondyng,
As ditees seith, therfore shalt thou vnshitte
Thyn herte to thyn souereyn lord and kyng.
Pryncipalli a-boue alle othir thyng,
Yeuyng hym laude, honour and reuerence,
Whiche hathe endued the with excellence.
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IX
A-wake, my childe, and love no slogardye;In muche sleep look thou neuer delite,
Yiff thou purpose to worship for to stye.
Long sleep and slouthe to vices men excite;
It makith dulle, it makith vnparfite;
It fostreth vp the filthes of the flessch;
It palith eek and wastith bloodis fressch.
X
Trist weel also: the first of vertuys alleIs to be stille and keep thi tonge in mewe.
Off tunge vnteied muche harme may falle.
And, leve me weel, this is as gospell trewe:
Who can delaviaunce of woord eschewe
And reste with resoun, this is verray text,
To God a-bove that man is aldir-next.
XI
Auyse the weel, that thou neuer trauerseThi owne sentence; for theroff risethe shame.
Sey nat oon and eft the contrary reherse.
Such repugnaunce wille make thy worship lame,
Wher stedefastnesse wil cause the good fame.
For he shal neuer accorde with man on lyue,
That with hymsilfe will ay repugne and stryve
XII
Yiff thou aduertise and behold a-bouteThe liffe of men and ther maners also,
Both of thi silf and othir the withoute,
In myddilerthe thou shalt nat fynden, who
That in summe parti ne is to vertu fo.
Blame no man therfore, iff thou do a-riht;
Sith on erth lakles lyueth ther no wiht.
XIII
Yiff thou suppose thynges shall noye and greeue,Thouh thei be der and of riht grete apprise,
Such as suffreth nat thi profette acheeue,
Yiff thou list be reuled as the wise,
Absteyne the from suich thynges in all wise;
For it is more wisdom in sothfastnesse
To proferr profette than such richesse.
XIV
It is a good lessoun for the nonesA wiht now to be tempred with constaunce
And to be glad and mery eft-soones,
Nat alwey sad ne liht of contenaunce.
A mannys cheer may hym ful oft avaunce;
For att eche tyme, as the thyng requyrith,
So the wiseman viseageth and cheerith.
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XV
Yiff nat credence alwey to thy wiffe,That for hir ire and hir vnpacience
With sharper tonge than is swerd or knyffe
Pleynyth on thi seruaunt, thouh non offence
Thou fynd in hym; leer weel this sentence.
The wiffe wille hate and cause for to smerte
Oftyn hym, that hir housbonde loueth in herte.
XVI
And iff thou warne a wiht of his surfette,Althouh he gruchche with frownyng contenaunce
And in his language manace the and thrette,
Yit forber nat for al such displesaunce
To teche hym amende his gouernaunce.
As thou began, correcte that is a-mysse;
For that is ay a freendli teche i-wisse.
XVII
Ageyns the wordy folk ay full of wyndeStryue nat atte all; it may the nat profite.
Such iayissh folk been in conceitis blynde.
The witles word auaileth nat a myte.
In woordis fele is wisdom oft full lite.
For to euery wiht is youen speche;
And yit the wise full ofte been to seeche.
XVIII
Love othir men and haue hem so cheer,That to thy silfe thy love may moste extende.
Looke that no persone be to the mor deer
Than thyn estat; for than shaltt thou offende
And hurte thy silfe and othir folk amende.
But ay cherissh othir and love hem soo,
That to thi silffe thou be nat founden foo.
XIX
Rumours newe, that flyen as the wynde,Eschew, my child, with al thi dilligence.
Be neuer besy newe tidinges for to fynde;
Such nouelte causeth ofte offence.
It is no witt, it is no sapience,
It hurtith nat a man to be in pes;
But it dothe harme to putt his tonge in pres.
XX
Make no promys of othir mennys heste.Remembre weel, that promys is vnsure;
And but thou keep it, thi name thou sleste.
To serue thi beheste do thou thy cure.
Trist nat the woord of euery creature.
Sum mannys feithe is esy for to breke;
For many folke thynke nat as thei speke.
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XXI
With woordis fair whan fauel fedith the,Be thou nat blent for his fals flaterie.
Latt thyn owne reson alway thy iuge be.
And, in effecte, if thyn estate be hyhe,
Thouh fauell with his craft wil blynd thyn ye,
In al thy lyfe thou neuer geue credence
More of thi silfe than to thy conscience.
XXII
Whan thou seest a-nothir mannys desert,As for his good deedis comendable,
In euery place, preuy and aperte,
Such a wiht with thi good woord enable.
And thouh thou haue be riht available,
Yit of thi good deede make thou no bobbaunce,
And than othir men shall thy name enhaunce.
XXIII
And thou lyve longe an olde man shall thou bee.Age wille approche maugre alle that sey nay.
Than perceyue, behold a-boute and see,
How agid folk been tretid euery day;
And so to purveye for thy silfe assay.
Into stoupyng age whan thou art crepte,
Thyng may the helpe, that in youthe was kepte.
XXIV
Charge nat, al-thouh sume mene speke softe,Ne chaunge no cheer; for oft it is weel bett
In secrete wise to speke than crye on lofte.
A man shuld see alwey, wher he wer sette,
And aftir that so schuld he speke or lette.
But to the suspect of harme it seemeth
Men speke of hym; he noon othir demyth.
XXV
Whan fortune hathe youe the feliciteAnd sette the on hihe, than war the of a falle;
Than sueth oft ful sharp aduersite.
Fals fortune turnethe as a balle;
In hir trost haue thou no sykirnesse att all.
Her perilous play turneth whilom to grame;
The eend is woo, of that began with game.
XXVI
Our bretil liff is heer so ful of doute,That in verray surete no wiht may stond.
So sodenly creepe the soulis oute
Al a-boute this world in euery lond
Off yong and old; for euery wiht is bonde
To dethe. Therfor sett nat thyn affiaunce
In deth of hym, that may survyue perchaunce.
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XXVII
A litil yift youen with good ententOff thi frend, that lith in pouerte,
With riht good cheer such yifte take and hent,
Supposyng ay, that as good wille hath he
And more than many men, that richer be.
Peise nat the yifte ne pondre nat the pris.
The entent is good, and that may the suffice.
XXVIII
Sith nature, that is the firste norice.Hath brouht the hidr all nakid and al bare,
Thouh thou neuer can richesse accomplice
But thou arte hold alway in pouertis snare,
Yit, no force, make neuer to muche care,
Take pacientli pouerte for the beste.
Richesse is nat of nature, but of conqueste.
XXIX
Thouh deth be fyne of euery creature,And no wiht on lyue shall from it escape,
Yit dreede nat deth with ouer besy cure.
To lyve in erthe than is but a iape,
Iff thou shalt aftir dethe so alway gape.
Thynk weel to deye, but modifie thi thouht,
Or ellis to lyue auaileth the riht nouht.
XXX
For thi desert if no freende thanke the,I meen, whan thou haste don thi force and peyne
To othir folk ful freendli for to bee,
Iff thei can nat to the grauntmercy seyne,
Withdrawe thyn hand and so thi silfe restreyne.
Blame nat thy God for theer vnfreendlynesse,
But for such men do aftirwarde the lesse.
XXXI
Sith no richer man ne liveth any-wher,Yiff he consume his goodis alle and waste,
But that pouert shall greue hym sore and dere,
Therfor, my child, such goodis as thou haste,
Latt nat to soone out of thyn handis be rafte.
Last that thi good hereaftir wille the faill,
Hold, that thou haste; it may the eft availl.
XXXII
Behote noman a thyng to leene hym twiseAnd faile hym; that is but a vilanye.
Yiff thou may leende, do it in ffreendly wise.
Such cheuysance wil freendlynesse bewrie.
Off thi good deed clamour nat ne crye.
Be nat to wyndy nor of wordes breeme,
Yif a good mann the list appeer and seeme.
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XXXIII
And yiff thou fynde the sone of dowbilnesse,The fals dissimulour if thou espie
With peyntid woord and hert ful of falsnesse,
Thou maist in no wise better bleer his ye
Than serue hym with his owne trecherie.
For woordis fair and freendlynesse no part
Yeue thou the same and so aart begyle with aart
XXXIV
Preeve nat a man bi ouer-peyntid speche.Undir fair woordis ys ofte couerid gyle.
The woord is gay, but frenship is to seeche.
And as men sey, such craft is in this ile:
Summe thynken harm, whan thei hir tonges file.
The whistlyng fouler maketh mery song,
And yit briddis begilethe he a-mong.
XXXV
Whan that God hathe youen the children feleAnd no richesse, than do thou in this wise:
Teche thy children with craftis for to dele,
That with their aart thei may hemsilf cheuyse.
Yiff thou do thus, thou werkist as the wise.
Craft is ful good, and craft is lucratyffe;
By craft thei may deffende the nedy liffe.
XXXVI
Haue this conceit; for it is often seen,Thynges deer shall ofte abate of prise,
And thynges, that of litil valewe been,
In tyme comyng may to grete derthe a-rise.
Remembre this and it weel aduertise.
Thus shalt thou beste the name of chynchery fleme.
And othir men shall the no negard deeme.
XXXVII
A-vyse the weel, latte resoun be thy guyde,Whan othir folk thou art a-boute to blame,
That suche defaute in the be nat aspied;
For if ther be, than shalt thou haue the shame.
A manys honour such thynges will reclame.
It is ful foule, whan that a man will teche,
Iff that his deede a-yens his woordis preche.
XXXVIII
Loke thi desir be groundid in a rihtAnd that it neuer trauers honeste;
For as oft-tymes, as any wiht
Desirith more than riht or equite,
Than may his request repellid be.
And it is clepid nycete and grete folye
To asken oft thatt men will ay denye.
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XXXIX
Chaunge nat thi freende, that thow knowest of old,For any newe in trost, that thou shalt fynde
Bettir than he; but in thyn handis hold
Hym, that hathe to the ffreendly been and kynde.
Such eschaunges been ful often blynde.
Thou weenest to knowe and yit knowist nat a deel.
To know a freend it is a casuel.
XL
Sith manys liff is fulle of miserie,Whilom in mirthe and aftir in myscheef,
Now in the vale, now in the mont on hihe;
Now man is poore and eft richesse releffe;
The shynyng morwe hath ofte a stormy eve—
To this policie take heed and entend:
Look thou haue lucre in thi labours eende.
XLI
Thouh thou may venquyssh and haue the victoryOff thi freend and felawe, yit forbere.
Reffreyn thi silfe; be nat hawteyn ne to hihe.
Irous hauntes ful oft men do dere,
Wher esy softnesse freendis may conquere.
For bi good deedis, sett in lowlynesse,
Men be to-gidre knytt in freendlynesse.
XLII
The lymytour, that visiteth the wyues,Is wise i-nouh. Of hym a man may leer
To yiuen girdiles, pynnes and knyues.
This craft is good; thus dothe the celi freere:
Yiueth thynges smale for thynges, that been deer.
Iff thou receyue, gif ay sumwhat ageyn;
And that wille norissh freendes deer certeyn.
XLIII
Toil nat ne stryve with hym, that is thi freende.Bewar of that: make nat thi freend thi foo.
A toilous man may frenship breke and sheende.
Thes baratours, that beth mysreulid soo,
Intrike hemsilfe and wrappe hem in much wo.
For ire of kynde engendrith nat but hate,
Wher-as accorde norisheth loue algate.
XLIV
Whan thi seruant thou takist in diffaute,Thouh he cannat his necligence excuse,
Yit in thyn ire make nat to fers assaute,
But with thi maletalent a while take trewse;
Thow shalt fynde ese, this feet if thou vse:
Reule thi passioun euer bi such mesure,
That thou save hem, that be vndir thi cure.
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XLV
‘Suffraunce dothe ese’, was seid full yore a-goo.Suffre thou and haue al thyn entent.
Thouh thou may ouercome, yit do nat soo.
Conquere thoruh suffraunce and be pacient,
But to foul cruelte neuer consent;
For it is clepid in vertu excellence
A wiht to lyue in humble pacience.
XLVI
Be nat to scant, be nat to prodigal.Conserue thy thyng goten with labour.
It is ful faire to be said liberal,
But eschew waste and be no surfetour.
Consume nat al thy tresour in an hour.
Whan of thi labour riseth noon availle,
Nedy pouerte must the ful soone assaille.
XLVII
Be nat like Sceuola; for he wold eteWith euery man and at his feest hym feede.
But neuer wiht myht tasten of his mete;
Noman to hym, but he to all men yeede.
Be fre of mete, but look that largesse leede
The no ferther then thou may weel atteyne.
Be thyn owne freend, thus seith Catoun certeyn.
Lenvoye.
XLVIII
Take heed, sire, how holsumly this clerkEntretith men with vertuous doctrine,
His firste part of this compendious werk,
In worschip how thei shal ful cleerly shyne,
Gydyng to renoun streiht as any lyne;
Whos preceptis obseruen if ye list
And to his good cownsel yowr herte enclyne,
Riht on your welthe full weel it shal be wist.
XLIX
The vertues foure, that men shoold foorth conveieLoo in this liff, as bridill dothe a beest,
That man nat erre heer in this pereilous weye,
Stablisshyng hym, as dothe a stedfast reest,
As sikir guydes, that been worthiest
Mannys lyuyng to sette in gouernaunce,
This sage Catoun ful wisely doth regest.
Preentith his sawes in yowr remembraunce.
Explicit pars prima.
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