University of Virginia Library

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[Who couetith to knowe chefe maners cōmendable]

Alexander Barclay to the reder of this present treatyse translatynge the wordes of dominyke Mancyne.

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[The myrrour of good maners]

The prologe of Alexāder Barclay vpon the four Uertues cardynal to his ryght honorable Mayster Gyles Alingtō Knyght Translate of the preface of dominyke Mācyne by hym wrytyn to Frederyke Seuerine busshop of Maleacence.

The fyrst reason.

Myne age wyll nat suffer/to wryte of sport or game
Wherto/wanton iuuent/moste wyllingly intende
To scottes and gestes/myne age wyll nat frame
Nor dissolute bourdis/whiche comons moste cōmende
Hoore age to yonge bourdes/shold nat it selfe extende
A man with hore heres/vncomely doth inclyne
To mysframyd fablys/or gesture femynyne

An olde man decrepyte/ladyd with lockys gray
And with berde lyke brystyls/dependynge on his chyn
With yonge mennys wepyn besemyth nai to play
To gāba wde nor florysshe/smale prayse so shall he wyn
And certis me semyth/his wyt is veray thyn
Whiche mynglyd with chyldren: and he a man of age
Wolde playe with cherystonys/or nuttys/by dotage

To catō/or curius howe yll wolde it agre
Or to sad fabricius/the Romayne moste famous
Forgettynge theyr honour/wysdome and grauyte
To wryte of thinge wanton: vayne/or venerious
To man resonable is as contrarious
To take on hym labour/or besynes nat mete
As to be a monstre/with assys head & fete

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Nat wele he presentith the wower in a daunce
But veray: yll he playeth the volage amorous
Which fettered in a gyue/wolde gambalde leap & prance
Attachyd to a chayne/of lynkys ponderous
So faynt crokyd age/frayle and oblyuyous
Aggrauat with yeres/as lynke ioyned to lynke
Of loue venereous/shulde nether speke nor thynke

If the crowe or cokkowe/pryuate of melody
With swan or nyghtingale/in synginge wolde cōpare
Al byrdes myght them scorne/& nat vnworthely
What shold a yrenmonger/mel with a grocers ware
Or salter with sylkes/ful symply cowde fare
As yonth showeth sportes/frayle luste and vanyte
So meddyl shulde men agyd/with thinge of grauite

The seconde reason.

Ferthermore/the order/holy and commendable
To whiche/god of mercy hath me associate
My fayth/and profession/sholde be inuiolable
Cōmaundynge my wrytynge/to be intemerate
These thre wyll none other/but after myne estate
My style and my wrytinge/insuyngly to sounde
On thinge that one goodnes/and vertue hath the groūde

And vtterly to wryte of thinge of holynes
And on the same to muse with pure and clene intent
To speke of holy fayth/of vertue and goodnes
What sholde a man/sacred/to god omnipotent
By god hauynge power/of euery sacrament
Sith god by soche gyftys/so greatly doth hym bynde
What shuld he frō goodnes tourne or wtdrawe his mynde

A warriour/or capitayne/dysposyd for to fyght
Thynketh on his wepyn/his harnes and armour
Hors/harnes/and speres/ar musynge of a knyght
The couetous merchant in mynde tourneth eche hour
His merchaundyse/changis/and fraudelent tresour
But the prystys musynge/laboure and exercyse
Shold be in proclaymynge/playne war agaynst vice

And in abydynge batayle/dayly agaynst syn
Deuisynge and musynge/with all labour and payne
To reconcyle synners/and people for to wyn
By word and example/he ought hym selfe cōstrayne
Men fallyn/and errynge/to lyft and call agayne
And brefely this ought he/to comfort ignorance
Exhortynge good lyuers/vnto perseuerance

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And bysely to watche/about our lordys folde
The wylde wolues chasynge/from pore & symple shepe
As redy at al season/to soucour yonge and olde
Them chefely attendynge/whome he hath cure to kepe
But no thynge is vyler/nor mouinge more to wepe
Than a preeste a rayler/dysdaynynge his honour
Or clothed as a courter/or cruell Sowdiour

With wepyn or armour/as one redy to fyght
Usurpynge wronge honour/to lyuynge repugnant
And where he/by order is callyd chrystys knyght
Te be a wordly rybawde/the name is dissonant
And thinge nat lesse vyler/is to be ignorant
Of maners vncomly/ageynst al honestee
As fable/or lawghynge stouke/of lewdest comonte

Contemnyd dysdayned/and without reuerence
For dyssolute maners/or wantynge of cōnynge
Or of hys chefe plesour/be set in vyolence
In dyscord/theft/surfet/frawde/malice or brawlynge
To repyne dysposyd/or lustys insuinge
And with al these vycys/haue wordes rybawdyous
What is more vucomely/or more contagious

Wherfore it nat semyth/a pryste only to kepe
His fame and his lyuynge: from vicys fre and quyte
But also hym semyth/for hurtynge of his shepe
Nought soundynge to foly/to comon nor to wryte
Thoughe worde be tollerable/what thynge one doth in dyte
If it be infectyd/by fowle contagion
By longe tyme red often/it hurteth many one

The thyrde reason.

And certaynly I knowe: whyle ye ar wont to rede
No thinge count ye plesant/to vertue repugnant
Or that to bad maners mynystryth any sede
And wele I consyder/your mynde is so constant
That to your prudent eares/nought sundeth more plesāt
Than tretyse conteynynge/in euident processe
The fourme of good liuynge/and grounde of holynes

To this be ye mouyd/of your nature benygne
Helpyd by mylde planete/and constellacion
If planetys haue power/or may helpe any thynge
So in tender age/your conuersacion
In vertue and lernynge/and lyke occupation
Besemynge your nature/your blode and your lynage
Cawsith you loue vertue/more veruently in age

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Also/conuersacyon/of wysemen and cōnynge
With whome ye ioy dayly/to be in company
Excityth your spyryt/aboue all other thynge
To the loue of vertue/and of philosophy
The fame and remembrance/of your auncestry
By manyfolde vertues/excityth you also
From vertue to vertue (as they haue done) to go

For certes the lawdes/renowm and worthy fame
And noble interpryses of olde progenitours
Ar left as bright sparcles/yonge myndes to inflame
And as sede prouokynge/theyr myndes to honours
Nat by ambicion/nor heapynge of tresours
Nor rentys augmentyd/without lawe or mesure
But by godly vertue/and maners clere and pure

So as in ver veruant/whan Phebus is shynynge
Swete showres descēdyng/with droppys chrystallyne
Ende wyth the drye groūde/cawsynge the plantes spring
Ryght so/ye regardinge/the hye vertues dyuyne
Of your olde forefaders/shall leaue vnto your lyne
Example of good maners/as fruytfull nutryment
To dewe them in vertue/as plantis to augment

But if I wolde purpose/here seriatly to wryte
The actes auncient/of your progenitours
My reason repugneth/for wantynge of respyte
For thinges lately done/by your predecessours
Excitynge noble hertes/to sewe them in honours
To wryte were longe processe/and nat expedient
Unto this my purpose/but inconuenient

But agayne to purpose/nowe to reuoke my style
Where as I fyrst began: this playne is myne entent
Wherfore/I nat purpose/vayne tryfyls to compyle
For to myne age/nor order/it is nat congruent
Nor to your prudent eares/no thinge conuenient
Wherfore me besemyth to wryte of grauite
Whiche to both our states: more comely may agre

Whiche a preste may wryte nat hurtynge his estate
Nor of honest name/obumbrynge nat his lyght
And that a knyght may rede/after lyke maner rate
To this I prepare me/after my symple myght
For longe haue I musyd/and stodyed day and nyght
What matter I myght wryte/to your auctoryte
To testyfye my loue/and my fydelyte

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In whiche two I knowlege/my self vnto you bounde
Wherfore to recompence/your dedes lyberall
At laste/longe tyme musynge/mete matter haue I fon̄de
That is the foure vertues/surnamyd cardynall
Whiche comely to be vsyd/ar vnto man mortall
For/them and theyr suers/god doth alway cōmende
Wherfore to my power/to wryte them I intende

To you these accordyth/these vnto you a[illeg.]we
Of you late procedynge/as of theyr heed fountayne
Your lyfe/as example/in wrytynge I Insue
For more than my writynge within it can contayne
Your maners perfourmyth: and doth therto attayne
So/towchynge these vertues/ye haue in your lyuynge
More then thre my meter/cōteynith in wrytinge

My dytyes indityd/may counsell many one
But nat you: your maners/surmountith my doctryne
Wherfore I regarde you/and your maners alone
After whose lyuynge/my processe I combyne
So other men instructinge/I muste to you inclyne
Conformynge my processe: as moche as I am able
To your sad behauour/and maners cōmendable

But thoughe your hye courage/belongynge to a knyght
Muse on gretter matters/than I intende to wryte
Yet al thinges endyd/at mornynge or at nyght
Rede this my rude meter/at layser and respyte
The Egle at al seasons/hath nat hyr moste delite
To fle to the clowdes/nor hyer in the Ayre
Some tyme nere lowe feldes/hyr pleasith to repayre

And oft hath she plesour in fleinge nere the grounde
So whan greater curys wyl graunte to you respyte
And whā your mynde from them: for season: is vnboūde
Graunt than to our musis/some pleasure and delyte
That gladly for to rede: which gladly I indyte
My spyrit shall reioyce/to here/that in effect
My werkes ye shal rede: And them mende & correct

For though in rude meter/my matter/I compyle
Men shal count it ornate/whan ye it lyst to rede
Your tonge shal it polyshe/garnysshe adorne and fyle
But this thinge omittynge/I purpose me to spede
To shewe in what order I purpose to procede
Fyrst of al/in meter/intende I for to shewe
Of fayre lady prudence/mother of al vertue

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Of whome lady Iustice/drawith hyr holy lyght
Of whome nexte ensuynge I wryte with breuite
Than thyrdly I purpose/for to discrybe the myght
Of a valyant courage/or magnanimyte
Redy forto suffer/all harde aduersyte
And than last intende I/by the deuyne suffraunce
To descrybe the maner of lady temperaunce

These four are four whelys/to chacet of vertue
To whiche: who ascendith/is great and gloriouse
And as a cōquerour/hym selfe playne shall he shewe
To all maner people tryumphant and famouse
And shalbe reputed/moche more victoryouse
More eurouse or happy/more stronge or fortunate
Than yf the hole worlde/by hym were subiugate.

Fewe kynges/fewe prynces/or worldely gouernours
Haue into this charet/ascendyd perfytely
For many in the worlde/haue ben great cōquerours
And them selfe haue suffred/subduyd of foly
But agayne to purpose/my matter to apply
Consyder ye your selfe/in redynge my wrytynge
And as in a myrrour/contemple your lyuynge

Nowe be ye my Iuge/in wrytynge/if my hande
Shall these four ymages/forge as they ought to be
Or yf the hande fulfyll/that mynde doth vnderstande
This thynge to determyne/haue ye auctoryte
Nowe wyll I here begyn/to wryte with breuyte
Wherof these four vertues/haue theyr origynall
For whan the grounde is clere/the warke is clerer all

Here folowyth the four fountayns or wellys of honeste/whiche of naturall reason haue theyr begynnynge oryginall/and of whome the four cardynall vertues springyth.

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Of the originall of prudence

Of the orygynall of Iustice.

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Of the origynall of magnanymyte or strengthe of mynde.

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Of the begynnynge of temperance.

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Of the fyrste Cardynall vertue named prudence.

The fyrste place/and party longynge to honeste
Is the noble vertue/which called is prudence
This techyth for to serche/the clere dyuersyte
Bytwene good and euyl/or vertue and offence
Bytwene treuth and falshed/it serchyth dyfference
And this inquisicion/to man is naturall
And more conuenient/than other thynges all

No thinge is more propre/nor apter to mankynde
Than to haue clere knowlege/of thinges naturall
For of euery man/this is the wyll and mynde
To loue to haue knowlege/and perceyue thynges all
Except some blynde wretches/nat humayn but brutall
Onely in the womme/as bestys delytynge
Man wold haue vnknowyn/to hym playn lyue thinge

Al thynges he serchyth/all thynge consyderyth he
In mynde them reuoluynge/with perfyte dylygence
For he countith it fowle: yl/and dyshonest
To erre/as ouersene: in wronge: by negligence
But that man is callyd/a man of true prudence
Which tryeth forth the trouth/dyscerninge good frō yll
Honest from dyshonest: and doth the best fulfyll

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But no man is abyl/this perfytely to trye
Nor dyscerne thinge honest: from bad & dyshonest
Except he it mesure and ponder perfytely
By naturall reason/iugynge within his brest
Nor the parfyte wyseman: allowith nat that best
Which moste is cōmendyd/of people imprudent
Or vnstable comons/of wylful Iugement

But that thynge he demyth/honest and cōmendhble
Which he hym selfe iugith/in his intencion
But this same iugement/may nat be deseyuable
Nor wanderynge at pleasour/but subiect to reason
To whome the appetyte/in lyke condycion
Must be obedient/and wyll/as seruitour
Reason alway regent: chefe gyde and gouernour

As the chylde obeyth/his mayster hym techynge
And as pylgrymes folowe/theyr gyde to flye daungere
So wyll and appetyte/to reason: in all thynge
Must obey/and folowe/than iugement is dere
But that this same vertue/more playnly may apere
And lyghter to knowlege/here/reder/thou shalt fynde
Eche party dyscrybyd/distynctly in his kynde

Two fawtys to be exchued in prudence.

Therfore who requyreth to purchase honeste
And lawdable lyfe/by dertue of prudence
Ware of two thyngys/in lyuynge/most he be
One is that he count nat/hymselfe to haue scyence
Of thynge wherof he hath/playne none experience
Nor knowlege/as cleuynge to his owne fantasy
And pryuat opynion/mentaynynge hardely

Hymselfe countynge certayne/of thyngys incertayn
And lyhgtly beleuynge/what fallyth to hys mynde
For many thyngys be hyd/and nat clere nor playne
But with obscure knowlege/obumbred of theyr kynde
Which of a wyse persone/ar nat easy to fynde
Wherfore beware/rasshely to these sone to consent
Lyst thy hasty dedys/sone cause the to repent

In soche obscure thyngys/requyryth great stody
Great cure and compasynge/longe tyme and dylygence
And here parauenture/man most hym nede apply
To call for a mayster/experter in scyence
Of soche secrete thynges/hauynge experyence
And in suche hye thynges/doth profyte farthermore
Experience/and profe/of thynges done before

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And the faythfull hertes/of fryndes sure counsell
In soche dowtfull thinges (if thou to them resort)
Shall greatly/the profyte/and trouth vnto the tell
But in soche thinges dowtfull/it is to man confort
To serche both partyes/To reason to resort
Both wysely dyscussynge/by serche dyligent
That what so euer fall/come nat vnpreuydent

As wele as for the good/prouyde thou for the yll
As wele one as the other/may fortune for to fall
To prouyde one partye/it is nat parfayte skyll
Thou moste before daunger ymagyne daungers all
And than for them puruay/by wyt substancyall
One party prouyded/an other neglygent
And lame/this nat semyth/a wyse man and prudent

It is nat full/ynowghe/whan serpentys men assayle
Allelonely for theyr mouthes/to make prouision
Man most in lyke be ware/both of the toth and tayle
For thoughe the toth trenchyth/the tayle beryth poyson
Wherfore so behaue the/in euery season
That thou say nat after/I thought this shuld nat fall
For without dysworshyp/thus sayth no man at all

Nor suffer nat this thynge/also/the/to dysceyue
Which many hath dysceyuyd/debowtynge from honour
In theyr owne cōceytes/whyle they chefe plesour haue
Led blyndly as beastes/in brydyll of errour
All thinge countynge honest/whiche is to them pleasour
Whose luste is theyr lawe/from soche thou moste declyne
Lyst thou/them ensuynge/fall hedlynge to ruyne

Soche/onely Insuynge/theyr pryuat iugement
To theyr own errours/as vyle seruantys subiecte
By leue/nought aboue them/can be more excellent
And nought can them alter/nor moue to good effect
No counsell/nor reason: theyr myndys can correct
Aboue all good reason/reignyth there iugement
And obstynate purpose/as assys imprudent

As fathers haue/custom oft tymes to cōmende
The vyce of theyr chyldren/product in errour blynde
Redy in all crymys/theyr fawtys to defende
As paynters/& grauers/or poetys hauynge mynde
In payntynge or grauynge/or fresshe meter to fynde
Cōmendith theyr werkys/and thynketh them plesant
So ioyeth in foly/blynde folys ignorant

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An ouersene poet/dare great Maro despyse
His owne art delytynge/indytyd folyshely
The paynter despysyth/apelles in lyke wyse
And phedias/despysyth the grauer semblably
So some dotynge folys/in errour led blyndly
Cōmende theyr owne maners/& prayse aboue al thynge
All other mennes warke/extremely deprayuinge

What causyth suche foly? What moueth this errour?
Forsoth this is chefely/the grounde originall
In theyr owne conceytes/moste restyth theyr pleasour
And saue theyr owne myndes/they lone no thynge at all
Theyr own wysdome coūt they/moche clerer thā christal
Aboue precious stones/and prayse it aboue golde
As abyll for to teche/and gouerne yonge and olde

But other mennys reason/they counte as fylthy clay
This namely doth assys/set in auctorite
From soche is all reason/and trouth dreuyn away
And prudence subdued/brought in captyuyte
Soche wretches in lyuynge/moche dyfferent nat be
From vyle brutall bestys/which lyuinge in theyr dēn
Cōtemneth vertu/maners/and cōnynge of all men

What man of thynge cōmune/belongynge to nature
Despyseth to departe/as reason doth requyre
Of his propre goodys/howe can a man be sure
To haue some small parcell/if none of nede desyre?
But if lyke blynde errour/do set thy mynde on fyre
To thyne owne opynion: to gyne to sore credence
Yet leaue this/and leane thou/to men of more prudence.

And in mynde indeuoyr/to consyder and se
What wyse man ocseruyth/whome vertue dothe inflame
And what men obseruyth/of wyt and grauyte
Than thynke it necessary/for the to do the same
Thus mayst thou wyn wysdome lawyd/honour & good name
For dyuers iyen seeth/more clerely by day lyght
Thā an one iyed blyncarde/darke wāderynge by nyght

Thus fyrst in all dedys required is counsell
But whan all thynge standyth/determynyd certayne
Than all faynt delayinge/thou must from the repell
And sone do thy purpose/and dede/with hast sodayn
Whan counsell is takyn delaynge is but vayne
For oft man abydeth/tyme more conuenient
Whyle chaūcys/and causys/fall lesse expedyent

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For many be whiche counsell before with perfyte hede
Prouydynge all chauncys/whiche may by fortune fall
And whan they at endynge shulde come vnto the dede
Than by slouggysshe slowth/they do no thynge at all
Soch count I nat prudent: none wyse/so wyll they call
For that part omyt thy/wherto they shulde procede
As chefe and pryncypall/that is the veray dede

If nought be reduced/to purpose and effect
Without dede concludyd/what valour hath counsell?
Whan to faynt cowardyse/wyse counsell is subiecte
Than fere: from effect doth all prudence expell
What shulde the gardyner/with ymp[illeg.] graffyngemell
Or grene bowes burgyn/with leauys and blossom
If no fruit in season: shall on the trees com

What shuld a man of warre/or subtyll capytayne
Assemble a great army/showynge his pompe and glory?
And moustre in the fylde/crakynge all day in wayne
Without wyse intrety/or fyghtynge for vyctory
What shulde the husbandeman/in londe or terrytory
Cōmyt sede/or labour his fyldes euyn or morne
Except he in season/may of the same/reape corne?

All thyngys ar vsyd/for profyte of the ende
The fruyt and auantage/is conford to labour
And in warke/all wysemen/vse vertu to commende
Thus counsell/without dede/is but of small valure
But this nat withstandynge: he deseruyth honour
Whome vertue: by counsel: to good dede doth inflame
Alyf he want power/for to perfourme the same

For many haue wyse counsell/dyscrete and prouydent
But theyr wyll is lettyd/by faynt infyrmyte
Other some haue counsell/and fynde impedyment
By wantynge of ryches/and wayght of pouerte
But all soche as worthy/cōmendyd for to be
For alyf/theyr power/may nat the dede fulfyll
yet ought we thēto lawde/for theyr good mynde & wyll

Phylosophers also/and other of wysdom
Which haue by wyse wrytynge and endles memory
Infourmyd and clered/longe tyme for to com
And tawght vs blynde wretches/frō trowblys trāsitory
These also deserue nat/a lyttell lawde and glory
But clere fame immortall: syth by theyr good doctryne
Ryght many to good order/ar callyd ito ruyne

The seconde faute to be excludyd from prudence.

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There is yet in prudence/a nother fawte and cryme
And that is/whan peple agaynste good reason
Wastyth and spendith/in vayne stody/longe tyme
Serchynge thinge/excedynge/theyr dul dyscression
For some thyngys/hard be/in inquisicion
Requirynge great stody/longe season and respyte
yet graunte they no profyte/no plesour nor delyte

For alyf they trowble/the myndys day and nyght
Of soche as them stody/yet this one thinge is true
Theyr endynge is fruytles/they knowyn: gyue no lyght
Theyr studentys to gyde/to maners nor vertue
Or if they cowde do profyte/yll maners to subdue
Or to purchase vertue/yet lesse/is theyr auayle
Than they gyue in serchynge/of laboure & trauayle

And plesour more they gyue/in serchynge them onely
Than profyte or plesour/procedyth consequent
What profytyth it man/to serche besely
The coursys of sterrys/hye in the fyrmament
What helpyth this stody: here is the tyme mysspent
Unwyse man: what wylt thou? bestowe thy dayly cure
Superflously to knowe/the secretys of nature

Or causys of thyngys/aboue reason humayne
Whiche ar more laborious/and hard/than profitable
Wherto doste thou stody/to purchase and obtayne
The scientys of artys/or craftys innumerable
Or to recount the contrees/and londys varyable
Ouer all the world/where both the londe and nacion
Had theyr fyrst begynnynge/and situation

Wherto dost reioyce/thy wyttys to apply
To resolue/or argue with wordys superflue
The knottys intrycate/of bablynge sophystry
In subtyll conclusions/the wysest to subdue
All these/if thou wyse be/are scanly worth a kewe
What profityth to stody/in glosynge of the lawe
Syth lawe without good lyfe/is scātly worth a strawe

If thou be wyse/of these/nought longyth vnto the
That thynge whiche to lerne/to man is more comely
Is greatly more easy/and of more symplycyte
That is/wel to lyue: and to dye ryghtfully
These longyth to mankynde: we lyue and we shall dye
These two wele to ordre: to goddys hye pleasour
And helth of our sowlys: we namely shuld labour.

---

It is a playne stody/plesant and profytable
In these both/our stody/to exercyse and vse
And lyght is that lernynge/iocunde and delectable
Which sygnyth to vertue/and vices to refuse
Wherfore we shulde chefely/both stody thynke and muse
What may make vs happy/and to good endynge brynge
And certaynly this stody/is but a easy thynge

Than/on this poynt groūde the/heron prefixe thyne hert
And lerne the playne passage and way to this wysdom
But whan thou art entred/agayne do nat depart
But kepe it vntyll thou: to perfayte vertue come
Folowe nat the maner/of many/whose custom
Is all theyr lyfe dayes/contynually to spende
In lernynge of this way/vnto theyr latter ende

But as myndles wretches neuer enter they the same
Usynge barayne labour/and frutles/sore trauayle
Alas man abusyd/howe moch art thou to blame?
In lernynge of this way/what profyte/or auayle
Fyndest thou/or pleasour/but great cause to bewayll
To lerne wele and lyue yll/of reason thou most graunt
Thou/for all thy cōnynge/art worse than ignoraunt

Some folys offendynge/ar somwhat excusable
By reason nat parfyte/and symple ignorance
But thou hauynge scyence/thyne errour is damnable
What lernest thou wysdome/by longe cōtynuance
Styll blyndly perseueringe/in thyne mysgouernance
Art thou callyd mayster/goest thou so longe to scole
To be in thyne lyuynge/moch lewder than a fole

What profytyth: to lerne/that way is so besely
Wherin/thy lewde costom nat suffreth the to go
Doest thou: to teche other::the path and way playnly
And thy selfe in errou/styll wanderyngr to and fro
Say is it nat a foly: and blynde furour also
The fayre way to heuyn: to men to preche and tell
Thy selfe wanderynge hedlynge: and wylfully to hell

What warnest thou other: that thou wylt neuer do
Alas howe great foly: is it: to take soche payne
Both nyght and day: watchynge: from stody nat to go
That at last thy labour: be frutles and barayne
Certaynly/in lernynge: we spende the tyme in vayne
Except the dede folowe: all: parfytely to bynde
Which we at begynnynge: cōceyuyd in our mynde

---

Syth doinge is the fruyt/and lernynge but the sede
And many/ioy the fruyt/whiche haue no sede at all
And also syth the ende/of lernynge/is the dede
Than seke to do wysely/mohe chefe and pryncypall
Rather than the scyence of artys lyberall
Better an ydyot/vntaught/and wele lyuynge
Than a vyceous doctour/yll manered and cōnynge

Wherfore with good reason/and accordynge to ryght
The philosopher old/lowde in the scole cryinge
Was vnder this maner reprouyd of the knyght
Sayd he/worthely mayster: assure me of this thynge
What meanyth this clamour/what meanith this brawlinge
What mean al these wordes/al this dyscord & stryfe
As bytwene an husbond/and a fel froward wyfe

Ye brawle and ye babyle/from mornynge vnto nyght
Dyscordynge/One affyrmeth/another doth deny
The sage phylosopher/than answered to the knyght
O son we indewyr and dayly vs apply
In sekynge of vertue/and trouth/thus besely
No man hath bene abyll/in tymes without mynde
I noughe these to serche/nor perfeytly to fynde

The knyght in scorne smylyd/and to the sage thus sayde
Nowe art thou gray hered/and tournyng to the groūde
And reddy for to dye/and as a man dysmayde
Haste thou nat yet/vertu/with all thy/stody founde
What tyme shalt thou vse it? to lyue as thou art bounde
What tyme shalt thy stody/the with the same indue
Syth nowe in latter age/thou sekeste for vertue

What thyng is thy purpose/what thynkest in thy mynde
In a nother worlde/this vertue for to vse
A strawe for thy stody/thy/reason is but blynde
To waste tyme in wordes/and on no dede to muse
But agayne to purpose: Therfore reder refuse
Superfluous stody/and care superflous
And tourne thy chefe stody/to dedys vertuous

This lernynge belongynge to gettynge of vertue
Is nat obscure/secrete/dyffuse nor pallyate
But clere/playne/and opyn: It selfe reddy to shewe
To soche as it serchyth/or wyll inuestygate
The tre of this scyence/with braunchys deaurate
Extendyth nat it selfe/in altytude so hye
But that man may gather/the fruyte ryght easely

The order of thynges requisyte in prudence.

---

Ferthermore this longyth vnto the man prudent
To ponder al/his dedys/and warkys in balance
Of reason: with due order/mete and conuenient
Endeuoyr fyrst thy selfe/to make chefe purueance
For moost weyghty thyngys: and greatest of substance
And than lyghter maters/of lesse dyfyculte
Prouyde in dwe order/as they ar in degre

It is nat thynge lefull/from mynde to set a syde
Thy dere wyfe and chyldren: without ayde: cōfortles
And for thy frende folke/and seruantys to prouyde
And certayne that persone/wele may we call wytles
Whiche with to moche stody/faste sekynge vayne ryches
As a couetous wretche/commyttyth wylfully
His sowle/lyfe/and body/to mortall ieopardy

Nor man sholde nat commyt/vnto perdicion
His sowle/whyle he sekyth/with mynde voluptuous
To pleas his frayle body/with delectacion
For more than the body/the sowle is precyous
What thinge shulde man repute/so dere or sūptuous
For loue therof/to lose/his sowle: whose great valour
Surmountyth and passyth/all temperall tresour

What profyte is to man/the worlde hole to wyn
And to suffer in sowle: sore dedely detryment
To hell payne adiugyd/for vyle pleasure of syn
What man shold be so mad/for this short lyfe present
Eternally to dye/and byde endles tourment
For nought but one moment/is thy short lyfe vnstable
If thou haue respect/to tyme intermynable

A sone fadynge shodowe/is this lyfe temporall
Cōsumyd as a clowde/chasyd before the wynde
But after comyth lyfe/or deth perpetuall
After thy deseruynge/thy meryte shalt thou fynde
Wherfore prudence warnyth/man: this to call to mynde
And duely hym to gyde/in order and mensure:
Of sowle/than of body/hauynge more parfyte cure

Another poynt belongynge/to vertue of prudence
The/straytly cōmaundyth/and chargyth this to do
Hym chefely to regarde/with mekest dyligence
And for hym moste to do/whome thou art most bound to
And chefely beholdyn: reason commaundith so
But if thou be gentyll and kynde of thy dealynge
Than moste thou thy maker/prefer aboue all thynge

---

It is nat sufficient/to cal vnto thy mynde
To do thy full dutye/to euery man on grounde
And to chryst thy maker for to be founde vnkynde
To whome: thou by reason/moste specyally art bounde
For these caduke pleasours/nat onely shold be founde
Prouysion in lyfe/but this chargyth wysdom
To make prouision/for lyfe after to come

What longyth more to man/than wyse and ware to be
And to reuolue in mynde/or oft before to caste
Al thinges for to come/that no perplexyte
Inuolue hym in troublys/or his wyt ouercaste
We knowe thinges cōmynge/by thynges gone and past
And men vs precedynge/abydyn haue no care
But soche may we suffer/than ought we to be ware

As other haue dyed in lyke maner shal we
And outher lyfe/or deth/vs after doth remayne
To rewarde good lyuers/with great felicyte
Or synners to rewarde/with wo/and endles payne
This lyfe is transytory/but lyfe cōmynge certayne
Hath none ende nor mesure/but is interminable
Gyuynge endles pleasour/or paynes perdurable

But this short lyfe present/as shadowe fugytyfe
And varienge as fanys/erect into the wynde
Hath no stable plesure/ioy/nor prerogatyfe
Nor permanent sorowe/but sone passynge mankynde
Here may man/of trespas/both grace and mercy fynde
And of syn remission/if he be penitent
But after is nought els/but ryght wyse iugement

Here/is it moche better: more lyght/and tollerable
For short tyme to suffre/lyght labour of penance
Than after to byde payne/of fyer intermynable
And tourment eternall/for our mysgouernance
A lyght wylful burthyn/is no payne/but plesaunce
Where a weyghty burthyn/to mānis mynde cōtrary
Is greuous sad/heuy/and tedyous to cary

Here chryste is a leche/meke and beneuolent
Redy for to comfort/al soche as them amende
Here/is he felician/to syke and pacyent
Redy: salue of grace/and mercy for to sende
But in a nother world/whan this lyfe shal haue ende
As a ryghtwyse iuge/he shal to man apere
Of sentence in flexyble/and reuerende of chere

---

Terryble to synners/and dredefull of sentence
To ryghtwyse men ioyfull: all daunger set asyde
Wherfore man aduertyse/this counsellyth prudence
For this day moste dredefull/dyscretly to prouyde
Than of thy disordre/nought can thou close nor hyde
But thy selfe/heuyn/erth/and hel shall the accuse
Wherfore on this countis/man specially sholde muse

Count thou nothynge caduke/vayne/frayle/and tēporall
To be great in valour/or lyftynge man to glory
But seke that thynge namely/moste chefe and pryncipall
Which duryth eternall/nat vayne nor transitory
And prudence/the chargyth/to haue in thy memory
On transytory treasour/nat moche to set thy mynde
Whiche thou: without profyte/at last shall leue behynde

Use temporall treasour/whyle thou art lyuynge here
In charytable dedis/on pore people that fayle
Lyst after thy partynge/whan thou art layde on bere
Thy good superfluous/may lytyll the auayle
Prouyde for hard chauncis/whiche after may assayle
And make sure prouysion/in moste pleasour and rest
For after fayr season/oft fayleth sore tempest

Loke alway that thou lyue/constant and ryghtwysly
Change nat thy lyuynge/from vertue tyll offence
All yf thou be tangled/with wretched company
But dresse the to suffer/all payne with pacience
For tyme/forbere folys/this counsellyth prudence
Whan obstynate wretches/by doctryne wyll nat amende
Agayne them/is foly: with wordes to contende

But euer more be ware/and se thou namely fere
That their corrupte maners/nat alter thy lyuynge
Dyspose the: them rather/to suffer/and forbere
And parte to conforme the/as askyth theyr dealynge
As now full of sadnes/now mery comonynge
Uaryenge thy maners/to place/persone and tyme
But alway concludynge/on vertue: and nat cryme

Thou seest dyuers wayes/oft leadynge to one place
Thone somtyme opyn/thother close and shyt
The hand is extendyd/somtyme vnder lyke case
And somtyme together/agayne closyd is it
But one maner of hande/styll it remayneth yet
And many other thynges/oft vary of fygure
Nat changynge in matter/in substaunce nor nature

---

Ryght vnder lyke maner/vsyth the prudent man
Perseuer in his goodnes/ryght and symplyce
But as tyme requireth/his chere vary he can
In fayr moderat wyse: to myrth or grauyte
A wyse man nat semyth/lyght as the wynde to be
Nowe in and nowe out/in certayne and vnstable
But as the case requireth: at certayne tyme mouable

Be constant and stable/nat harde and obstinate
No wyseman hym she with/selfwylled intreatable
Nor in his opinion/all season indurate
A man of suche maners/vneth is tollerable
Thynke nat that all talys: ar iust and veritable
But wysely discusse thou/suche thynges as may vary
And from the fyrst report/proue/afterwarde contrary

Oft is he disceyued/and oft dysceyueth he
Whiche to fleynge talys/to lyght/is: of credence
The wyse man nat semyth/a dysceyuer to be
And to be dysceyued/is sygne of necligence
Excludyd sholde be bothe: from man of clere prudence
O how many prynces/haue fallyn to ruyne
Whiche wolde to vayne talys/to lyght earys inclyne

Oft thynge semyd fayned/hath ben certeyne and true
And thynge true and certeyne/semyd vntrewe and fayned
Whose colour hath causyd/ryght many/sore to rewe
For theyr honour wastyd/theyr name and fame distayned
Let suche hasty credence: therfore be refrayned
And or thou gyue credence/all thynge wysely discusse
Prudence: for thy profyte: the straytly chargith thus

O how oft hath hyd treuth/and symple veryte
Lurkyd vnder ymage/of falshode nubilate
And how oft hath falshode/semynge symplicite
Lurkyd vnderymage: of treuth: so palyat
Wherby symplicite/oft tyme is vyolate
Oft lyes ar clokyd/aperynge treuth somwhyle
And oft symplicite/beleuyd fraude and gyle

As faynynge flaterer presentith outwardly
In worde and in vysage a frendis countenaunce
So somtyme a true frende: semyth an enmye
Whyle he sharpely blamyth: the/for mysgouernaunce
Yet wolde he by counsell/tyll honour the auaunce
Be circumspect and ware/for muche better it is
To byde a frendis anger/than a foes kysse

---

In hyd thynges doutfull/gyue nat sodeyne sentence
And certeyne Iugement/in thynges incerteyne
To callers importune: of wordes be suspence
Redowblynge delayes/tyll treuth he tryed playne
Better so/than Iuge/and than reuoke agayne
In sentence remyse/is lesser iniury
Than in headlynge sentence/pronounsyd hastely

Whan thou shalte ought/do of vnexpert or newe
Fyrste ponder in thy mynde/reuoluynge besely
What maner: and how great/thynge/may therof insue
Attempt nothynge/weyghty/in haste nor sodaynly
If thynges may byde tary/begyn thou nat rasshely
For enterprysis rasshe/hasty/and repentyue
Ar chefe thynges/bryngynge/great warkes to ruyne

Therfore in all dowtis/vse moderate delay
And that is to be done/best is/a whyle refrayne
Inquirynge and serchynge/with wysdome: day by day
Tyll by contynuaunce: at last thou be certayne
And thynge nat well begon. leaue of/lyghtly agayne
For better is/be countyd/somwhat presumptuous
Than negligent/obstynate/wylfull iniurious

Be nat to suspecyous/in all thynge misdemynge
And yf this fonde errour/within thyne hert aryse
Constrayne it for to cesse/for to mysdeme all thynge
Thou causest the fautles/oft fraudis to deuyse
And after thy sore damage/also the to dispyse
Thus fle thou suspeccion: yet gyde the by wysdome
To be ware and puruay/all thynges for to come

Use in thy comonynge/other men to tell
What thynges be ryghtwyse/what way is most laudable
Them warnynge/and mouynge/to good/by thy counseyl
Or to thyne owne person se thou be profitable
Sekynge the way of trouth: as moche as thou art able
Whiche oftyn tyme is hyd: and nat lyght to dyscerne
Thus alway employ the/to teche or els to lerne

To rude and vnlerned/endeuoyr the to shewe
With all maner mekenes/loue and benygnyte
Suche thynges moste honest: as they/before nat knewe
Cōmaunde to the good maners/suche as belonge to the
Cōmytted to thy cure: but yf thou lyst to be
A conforter to mourners/and wretches myserable
It is a great vertue/and labour cōmendable

---

Cōmende thou in mesure/hym whome thou doest byleue
Worthy to be praysed/and of lyuynge laudable
But moche more in mesure: and scarsly do repreue
Hym whome thou reputest/by myslyuynge culpable
Who laudyth ouer muche/though man be cōmendable
He semyth a flaterer/mayntayner of errour
And to sore a blamer: is lyke a detractour

Preferre thou veryte/and treuth before thy frende
Set more by supportynge/of treuth/than amyte
Kepe treuth in vyolate: as well in dede as mynde
Thy dere frende for sake thou: rather than veryte
Dyscusse/or thou promesse/yf thou mayst abyll be
To performe thy promesse: whan onys made is it
Endeuoyr to fulfyll: more than thou dyd promyt

Take hede to tyme passyd/consyder tyme to come
That thou mayst well order/thynge present as is best
To thy laude and honour/accordynge to wysdome
With dewe aduysement/consyder in thy brest
That all thy besynesses/conclude on one thynge honest
And what hurt may folowe/or thynges profitable
So what euer folowe/shall be more tollerable

Be nat alway besy/in warkes corporall
But somtyme releas the/of worldly besynes
Than occupy thy mynde/musynge on thynge morall
Whyle thy body restith/and is at quyetnes
Some pastyme of body/is worse than ydelnes
As tables contynuall/the cardes/and the dyse
But leaue these/and stody: frequent and exercyse

Whyle the body pausyth/in stody and pastyme
Conuenient for myndes/as veray gostely fode
From mynde is expulsyd: blynde mocion to cryme
Whyle the mynde is musynge/on thynge honest and good
Beware slouth/though labour/hath sore chasyd thy blode
Though thou resort to rest/beware of ydelnes
In mynde alway muse thou/on goodly besynes

Or cast in remembraunce/what labour doth remayne
What besynes restyth/or remayneth behynde
For as mannys shadowe/sheweth more clere and playne
In stremis nat troublyd/by mud grauel or wynde
So moste clere parceyuith/a cawme and quyet mynde
It hastyth a dullarde/hym mouynge to desyre
To do some good labour/whiche vertue doth requyre

---

A quiet mynde seyth/al dul perplexity
Determynynge do [illeg.]is/by wyt and reason clere
To lyght marke/it turnith: all harde dyfficulte
And makyth harde labours/plesant and playne appere
Mollefyenge hardnes/lyghtnynge the mynde and chere
And brefely/who thynketh all troubles to opppresse
Let hym his mynde reduce/to rest and quietnesse

At no tyme/it semith/the mynde of man prudent
Unoccupyed to be/solute in ydelnes
Nor from meditacion: remys/or negligent
Though handes be vacant/from worldly besynes
Let others offence/nat muche thy mynde oppresse
And greatly regarde nat: anothers negligence
But ponder/and repent/thyne owne faute & defence

Loue thou alway to lerne/and pander thou/nothynge
Of what man thou lernest/do nat the person spare
Demannde nat his maners/so thou mayst haue cōnynge
Ensewe his doctryne/where ought doth swarue beware
Of other mennis warkys/to take counseyl haue care
And by their misfortune/take wysdome & doctryne
By small thynge knowen/great doth escape ruyne

Lerne by small thynges/greatter to prouyde
For oftyn by the small/the greatter shalt thou knowe
But yf thou lyft intende/youth prudently to gyde
Consyder fyrste in age/how nature doth vp growe
For: after/thoughe maners/oft alter/ebbe and flowe
Oft/ende and begynnynge/acordith without fayle
None makyth two hand swerde/of plyant cowis tayle

To make a streyght Iauelyn/of a crabbed tre
Theron must greate labour/trauayle and art be layde
Sone crokyth the same tre/that good camoke wylbe
As a comon prouerbe/in youth I harde this sayde
Wherfore ought our iuuent/be prudently conueyde
With sharpe byt of reason/refrayned from wylde rage
For soner breke/than bowe great trees of longe age

Whan custome and vse/is tournyd to nature
And whan yonge myndes/longe tyme rotyd is vice
It is no small labour: to leaue I the insure
Wherfore: begyn tymely/vertue to exercyse
And so: still perseuer/excludynge all malice
And to souerayne good: and lyfe perfite: contende
Remember that all thynges/ar praysed at good ende

---

Regarde nat the doer/nor auctour of the dede
To say or do lyke hym/for his auctorite
But to the thynge it selfe/with good reason gyue hede
If it be laudable/and sounde to honeste
Than folowe thou the same/or els se thou itfle
Better sue a begger/in good thynge laudable
Than baron or burgays: in thynges reprouable

All yf thou pleas many: though many the cōmende
Stande in thyne owne conceyt: therfore nothynge the more
But what men thou pleasist: aduert and well intende
If they be laudable/than mayst thou ioy therfore
That good men/count the good/be they ryche or pore
If il men cōmende the: it is nothynge laudable
But euident tokyn: thou art to them semblable

Of yll men: it is prayse/dispraysed for to be
For playne it aperith/by theyr malyce and yre
Theyr lyfe/and thy lyuynge/in one doth nat agre
But ar playne repugnāt/as water agayne fyre
Requyre thou/that cūnynge: and that knowlege desyre
Whiche is nat denyed/to knowlege of mankynde
And lerne that is lefull/and profite for mankynde

Nor coueit nought/in mynde/in wysshynge secretly
But that: thou with reason: myght openly desyre
It is thynge dishonest/and folysshe certaynly
Thynges impossible/to coueyt or requyre
And than yf they come nat: to bren in wrath and yre
Of thynges ouer hye: se thou alway beware
Where vnstable standynge/oft troublyth with great care

The toppys of mountayns/with lyghtnynge arbrent
More oft than lowe valeys/small stremis ar moste pure
So hyest degrees: haue troubles and tourment
And myndes vnquiete/vexyd with dyuers cure
Where symple pouertie/is glad quyete and sure
Than coueit nat to hye/and to mynde se thou call
Muche is to be feryd/yf thou by fortune fall

He slepith moste surely: whiche is nerest the grounde
But namely in tempest: whan stormy wyndes blowe
The formest in batayle: is nerest dedly wounde
The grounde is in quiete/whyle sees ebbe and flowe
Some troublyd with tempest/with wawes hye and lowe
But playnly for to speke/who wolde assende to hye
Is wery of welfare/and sekyth mysery

---

Who wadith to power/or clymmith tyll honour
He clymmith to daunger/as blynde/led by a lyne
Of errour: vnto thought: drede/enuy and dolour
Hauynge for one pleasour/displeasours .viii. or nyne
Honour is a castell/styll manacynge ruyne
With smoke/sounde/& perill/hauynge more greuous fall
Than a symple lodge/or cotage pastorall

Wherfore on suffysance/set thy pleasour and ioy
And coueit nat to clyme/sith lowe rowmy's ar best
But all thy chefe stody/labour/and thought employ
To come to suche rowme/where thou mayst fynde sure rest
Some rowmys to purchace/may bē counted honest
For honour is dutye: of wysemen: and prudent
But measure is meane/whiche ought the to content

Whan thou haste suffysaunce/cesse & with drawe thy hande
A man may ouerlade/a myghty stronge camell
That vnder suche burthyn/he shall nat go nor stande
Wherefore/in this matter/do thou by my counseyl
Whan thou haste sure substaunce/for lyfe prouyde well
By prudence in mesure/and nothynge excessyue
Than seke that: for whose sake: god gaue to the lyfe

God haue the nat thy lyfe/to gather vayne ryches
To wyn/nor yet to waste/this treasour transytory
But to purchase vertue/fayre maners and goodnes
And by suche meryte/to come to ioy and glory
Than serue nat dome ryches/whiche blyndeth the memory
By couetyse/to ryches/se thou nat subiect be
But vse it in thy lyfe/as subiect vnto the

Lyue thou vppon hyll: as thou wolde lyue in hall
What thou woldest nat do/in opyn company
That do thou nat alone/note that god seeth all
He syttith and seeth/whan thou thou art solytary
Wherfore: in all placis/fle euery vylany
Of dedis/of wordes/of small thougtes be pure
Tyll laudable costome/be tournyd to nature

Whan fortune shall flatter: with paynted countenance
And shewe the smylynge chere/by faynt prosperite
Than specially beware/make surest purueance
For next in cours/comyth care and aduersyte
Note fortune is volage: hauynge no certente
Men wyse/counte lowe fortune/more sure and tollerable
Than prosperous fortune/vnsure and variable

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As after harde fortune: succedith eas agayne
After payne is plesour/who can the same abyde
So after great pleasour succedith wo and peyne
As on a slypper grounde/oft/man doth fall or slyde
So prosperous fortune/is veray harde to gyde
Seldome where is welth/can vertue longe indure
Whan man is fortunate/oft losith he measure

As a shyppe is tossyd/and dryuen in tempest
Out of cours and compase: from place where it shuld be
So tossyd is reason/from ryghtwyse cours and rest
By welth in habundaunce/and great prosperite
Therfore in cawme season: and sure tranquilyte
Apoynt the for tempest: nor wander nat at wyll
But drawe the to sure port/where wyndes ar more styll

Oft vnder cawme seas/at perils many one
As swalons/quycksondis/and fordys perylous
Hyd bankes of grauell/and great rockis of stone
So luckyth great daungers/in fortune prosperous
Oft fall sodeyne stormis/and tempest ieperdous
Whyle vnder full sayle: in cawme wynde and plesant
The shyppe surely fletith/no daunger attendant

As the shippe is brusyd/by cours improuydent
By suche secrete daungers/in moste tranquilyte
So welth/oft man causith/to wander negligent
Foreseynge no peryls: nor none aduersyte
So great is the blyndnes/of vayne prosperyte
Wherfor man/aduyse the with wit substancy all
In welth to prouyde the/for peryll that may fall

One thretnyd (as is sayd) halfe armyd is and sure
And may make prouision: his enmy to defy
He wyll nat disceyue the: whiche is of that nature
With harde crakynge/wordes to threttyn opynly
But rather he warnyth/the to be ware therby
Fayre wordes vs disceyue: with smylynge countenaūce
Suche seke after season/and tyme of vengeaunce

A counterfayted frende/with paynted speche ornate
By fals fayned fauour/disceyueth worst of all
As man takyth poyson/with meatis delycate
And with drynke delicious/some venym and mortall
Ryght so/fortune smylynge/disceyuith vnder pall
And many one/she greuyth/in moste prosperyte
In whome she had myght/in harde aduersyte

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Seke after company/as moche as thou art able
After thy behauour/thy maners and degre
Oft stody and desyre/vnto thy selfe semblable
If thou suche frequent/thou hast tranqylyte
But for lacke of knowlege/yf the fortune to be
In compaoy of suche/as ar to the contrary
By malyce/or enuy/yet do nat shortly vary

Perseuer and assay/by longe contynuaunce
If thou mayst by doctryne/reduce them from malice
From bestiall excesse/and wylfull ignoraunce
To vertue and lernynge/from disorder and vyce
But after longe labours/yf suche the dispyse
And yf for thy doctryne/displesour thou doest wyn
Than fle and forsake them/inuoluyd in theyr syn

And rest nat tyll thou fynde/a place where as is rest
For where enuy reygnith/is no tranquilyte
By many ignoraunt/one lerned/is opprest
Proude and blynde ambicion: gapynge for dignyte
Suspectith a louer/of wylfull pouertie
And ydelnes contēnyth/stody and diligence
For lyke vnto lyke wyll/or ought so: by prudence

What shulde an hardy knyght be felowe tyll a knaue
Or with a tryflynge tyncarde/a clerke companyon
A mason with masons/moste sure pleasour shall haue
A paynter with paynters/is best comparyson
And of other craftis/in lyke condicion
A dyamant in donge/is nat fayre to beholde
It losyth the beawty/excepte it be in golde

Therfore nowe concludynge/suche man as thou wylt be
Endeuoyr thou thy slefe/with all thy dilygence
With suche to retort/to suche drawe thou the
Than shall thyne exercyse/haue laude and reuerence
Thus haue we discribyd/the parsone of prudence
Nowe wryte we of Iustice/and her gyftes plesant
By whome the worlde/in loue is ioyned constant

Of iustyce.

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Of magnanimite or strenth of mynde.

That man ought be countyd/of magnanimite
Or of an hyghe mynde/and cowrage valyant
Which in the defendynge/of ryhht and honeste
Al hardnes induryth/glad/and with mynde constant
Wyllyngly submyttynge hym selfe to deth instant
Rather than to recule/from the defence of ryght
No cruelte dredynge/of tyran/kynge/nor knyght

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Soche one/feryth no man his mynde so constant is
He boldly contemnyth deth/and daunger mortall
Deuyse the tyran/Nero nor falarys
Nor all other tyrans/can hym nought moue atall
He prest is/to suffer/what euer thynge doth fall
Bolde mynde is nat mouyd/by thretnynge nor turment
But onely by reason/is mouyd his intent

Yet a manly cowrage/desyryth nat rasshely
To presume without cawse/on dowtfull thynge & hard
Howe be it euery persone/for moste part comonly
Wold nat bere gladly/the name of a cawarde
No thynge is more folysshe/than one to ren forward
To do that with daunger/with peryll and dystresse
Whiche myght without peryll/be done in quyetnes

That man is ouer mad/founde/and at worthy rest
Whiche beinge on these/in cawm tranquilyte
Desyreth/and prayeth/for vyolent tempest
For roughe wawes or fomynge feruour of these
Nat lesse ouersene/but moche madder is he
Whiche may haue his pleasour/and mynde with paciēce
Yet rennynge to daunger/by hasty vyolence

A tyran presumynge/for to subdewe iustyce
Inuadynge his cuntrey/by mad rebellyon
Is nat of hye cowrage/nor valyant in no wyse
But trayter/and rayser/of insurreccion
A rasshe and bolde brybour sekynge cōfusion
And whyle in his querell/folys theyr lyues spende
His lyfe and his purpose/cummyth to shamefull ende

Howe may a clerke descrybe/a wreche/so pestylent
His mynde hath no mercy/but rasshe audacyte
His mad mynde amasyd/by purpose imprudent
Of his natyfe cuntrey/sekyth captyuyte
His owne shame/and frendys/extreme calamyte
Soche ought nat be countyd/partyner of fortytude
But tyrannys trayterours/presumtuous and rude

Nor he is nat manly nor of an hyghe cowrage
Which suffryth great labour and peryll of this lyfe
For his singuler wele/and pryuate auantage
But that man whiche/fytyth/for his cuntrey natyfe
No vyolence doynge/to mayden chylde nor wyfe
Nor ageyn his countrey/nat beinge vyolent
Soche one/hath hye courage/& mynde magnificent

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The mynd hath no praysyng: nor lawde worthy doutles
Nor that dede is countyd: of no preemynence
Where iustyce is nat gyde/where wantyth ryght wysnes
Where helth of our cuntrey: is voydyd from presence
And where the comon wele: fyndyth nat sure defence
Only a ryght wyseman: of iust and playn intent
Ought to be callyd stronge: of mynde magyficent

No man: saue a louer: of iust symplycyte
Without frawde or faynynge: boldly supportynge ryght
Ought for to haue the name of magnanimite
Let nat thyne own dedys be plesant in thy syght
Alyf the comon fame: them lawde with wordys lyght
Consyder wele thy selfe: if they be without blame
Trust more to that tryall: than to the comon fame

Let that onely plese the/and onely the delyte
A man of bolde spyryt/consyderyth honeste
And in honest dedys/whiche many doth profyte
Themselfe clere cōmendynge: hath he felycyte
Ryght lyttyll regardynge/the voyce of comonte
He hath no bolde cowrage/which onely doth depende
On mouth of the comons his dedys to cōmende

But he is moste manly/which in his dedys can
Gyue surely to hym self all that he doth requyre
Nat carynge the praysys/of woman chylde or man
Who that ouermoche/doth great namys desyre
Or coueyteth vayne tytyls/of honoure to conquyre
He shulde nat be countyd/a man of grauyte
But a chyldysshe persone/ensuynge vanyte

It namely belongyth/to man of bolde cowrage
All vayne thyngys outwarde/to despyse vtterly
Countynge all thynge moundayne/incertayne & volage
Which rude comon peple/moste louyth comonly
Thus a valyant mynde/all way mountyth on hye
Despysynge lowe thynges/thynge erthely in no wyse
Can content his courage/nor noble mynde suffyse

All erthys contentys/what euer is here on grounde
Isles than his cowrage nor can nat hym content
Soche treasour as hys iye/beholdyth here abounde
Or what euer he tochyth/is nat suffycyent
Yet sekyth he in mynde/for thynge more excellent
Thinge endles reuoluynge/and castynge in memory
Conteynynge these tryfels of thynges transsitory

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I count hym moche gretter/than emperour or kynge
Whiche in mynde atteynyth/to thynge celestyall
Utterly dyspysynge/caduke and erthely thynge
Though he in this worlde/possesse no thynge at all
But on thother partye/what man wold great hym call
Whyche onely reuoluyth/lowe thynge and transitory
Nat lystynge hys reasō/from grounde: to perelesse glory

What persone wolde deny: but it were worthy thynge
And a great mannys dede by vertue to purchase
A great rome or offyce/with emperour or kynge
Than is he moche greatter/which hath the gyft of grace
With the kynge eternall/to purchase hym a place
With angels for to reygne/hye in the heuynly hall
Where is endles solace/and ioy perpetuall

What man wold deny hym/both bolde and valiant
Whiche by longe siegynge/strenth and audacite
Takyth great Cytyes/wele pepled and puysant
Well storyd of ryches/and armour in plente
Than moche more valyant/my/myghty and strong is he
Which as an ouercomer and myghty cōquerour
Hath won (by hys merytys) the hye and heuenly tour

No trauayle/nor labours/what so euer they be
Can moue a bolde cowrage/by ferfull fantasy
Thynge lawdable to leue/but that boldly wyll he
Perseuer and procede/concludynge fynally
Warkys wele attemptyd/and fyrst begyn wysely
The bolde nought abydyth/tyll all wysely be done
For wele he consyderyth/that thende gyuyth corone

And nought can be surely praysyd before the ende
Therfore: he therunto/contendyth constantly
So: be nat thou wery/but besely intende
At the heuynly palays/to knok perseuerantly
Than shall the porter opyn/the gatys fynally
For none he repellyth/which byde knocking with myght
Nor none he denyeth whiche askyth thynge of ryght

Wherfore haue ye done: ceste nat: perseuer knok & stande
Remyt nat thyne armys/by knockynge fitigate
Abyde? for thy meryt: anon is sure at hande
Thy rewarde is instant/thou shalt nat be frustrate
Before the victory/no man is lawreat
At endynge shalt thou haue/palme/vyctory/and mede
Than haste in thy voyage/perseuer and procede

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Procede vnto the ende/in stormys and tempest
Ron ouer the streamys/with sure shyp and constant
Thou shalt/after trauayle/com to the hauyn of rest
And sure port of pleasour/and glory tryumphant
Nor thynke nat that the ende/or port is far dystant
Let no soche suspeccion/of longe delay the greue
The port is oft at hande/longe or thou wold byleue

A great mynde dysdaynyth/in bondage for to be
But from all maner vyce/and inconuenience
It selfe it preseruyth/at lyberte and fre
As sone as fyrst mocyon/of vyle concupiscence
Attempteth hym in mynde/for to cōmyt offence
Anone he dysdaynyth/soche vyle temptacion
Hys lustys refraynynge/with brydyll of reason

The veray fyrst mouynge/or temptynge vnto syn
He chasyth from hys mynde/and doth the same subdue
By reason wele nothynge/that if it entryd in
And restyd and space/sone after myght insue
Some pleasour or consent/or dede agayn vertue
Therfore he restyryth/begynnynge/with all myght
And alway for gydys/takyth reason and ryght

He suffreth nat vyle lust: nor blynde lascyuyte
To subdue his reason: wyt: or intellygence
But boldly: he brydlyth: all wylde enormyte
Moche stronly subduynge: carnall concupyscence
For certys/no bondage: nor vyle obedience
Is fowler to mankynde: fyrste fourmyd resonable
Than to be subduyd: to vycys detestable

And lye as outlawed: in mynde: and in reason
Under greuous yok: of vyce: or syn vnkynde
His carnall luste ragnynge: aboue dyscressyon
But certaynly: there is: no lyberte of mynde
Saue where no vyle lustys: nor vyce doth reason bynde
Where no lust oppressyth: the reason in bondage
There is trewe lyberte: nat subiect to seruage

A man thus indwed: with so great lyberte
Cōmendyth no plesour: vnstable: nor volage
That only whiche soundyth to lawde and honeste
He praysyth and lawdyth: of his moste hye cowrage
He forsyth nat fauour: of iuuent: nor of age
But that whiche abydyth iust: and contynuall
He lawdyth and praysyth: or els nought at all

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A bolde mynde is constant/one maner man alway
Nat shrynkynge/for sorowe/nor hard aduersyte
But boldely he beryth/trowblys of euery fray
With stout port and stomake/in maner as though he
Felt none aduersyte/losse/nor necessyte
No chance can hym change/so bolde is his courage
Dysdaynynge for to fele/mysfortune or dammage

That bolde worthy cowrage/which thiketh for to haue
His hole treasour in hart/and al hys good in mynde
And nat in his body/as in a mortall graue
Soche one/in cernall trowbles/cā no dyspleasour fynde
Nor none aduerse fortune/reputyth he vnkynde
These chaungeable chauncys/of mysfortune mundayne
Ar to hym assuryd/no dyspleasour: nor payne

He onely contaynyth/all goodnes in hys mynde
Which beryth in hys herte/chryste Iesu day and nyght
This man hath grauyte/nought can hys reason blynde
So chryst hath inclered/hys mynde with inward lyght
His countenaunce is one/in euery mannys syght
No more faynt/nor ferefull/his he of hys langage
In moste greuous chauncys/than in chefe auantage

He sheweth no semblance/in worde nor coūtenaunce
Of inward dysplesour/his cowrage is so sure
And certys: it nat semyth/a great man of constaunce
To shewe cruell iyen/or loke/agayne nature
But rather with vysage/and countenaunce demure
These grym thretnynge lokys/betokyn no fortytude
But rather a prowd hert/vnkynde boystowys & rude

The stronge/is nat tryed nor prouyd by gesture
By face/nor countenaunce: but one may trye and fynde
What man hath hye cowrage/and boldnes of nature
By hys worthy dedys/and stablenes of mynde
Many one is ferrfull/and coward of his kynde
Counterfaytynge outward/a lyons countenaunce
Unstable in hys dedys/without perseueraunce

If thou be in offyse/or great auctoryte
Be nat more remys: do nat thy dutye les
Ancuste the comon wele/alyf thou fere to be
Sone after deposyd/by comons vnkyndnes
The nature of comons/is rotyd in rudenes
And veray hard it is/to please a multytude
Yet for the comon wele/fle nat sollicitude

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Leaue thou nat thy cuntery/whan batayle is instant
But boldely prepare the/for it/to byde and fyght
Extreme nede best prouyth a cowrage valyant
Thou can nat better dye/than fyghtynge for the ryght
Than: nede moste requyreth to showe thy force & myght
Thou canst nat be knowē: stronge/nor of bolde cowrage
Saue/in bydynge daunger/and peryll of dāmage

Howe no couetous wretche can haue the trewe vertu of magnanimite.

A wretche/whome the fassion/and hunger execrable
Of golde/or vyle money hath blyndyd in intent
May nat be callyd great/but small and myserable
For thoughe this cursyd coyne/smal wretches doth tourment
Yet can it nat trowble/a mynde magnificent
A bolde mynde consyderyth it: gotten with great payne
Sauyd or kept with feare/with sorowe lost agayne

No man is more symple/vyle/nor of basse cowrage
Nor no mynde more pynchyd/or drownyd in dolour
Than he: which of money/is kept vnder bondage
Of whome wretchyd tresour/is lorde and gouernour
But that symple persone/is worth a conquerour
Whiche can dyspyse ryches/content with pouerte
Couetynge no ryches/nor vayne prosperyte

Soche one/in beholdynge the vayne solicytude
Of couetous caytyfs/and wretches of the grounde
He lawghyth vnto scorne/theyr lyfe and maners rude
Aduertynge to what care/and labours they be bounde
Which doth/all the iugemente/of theyr reason confounde
Of rest them bereuynge/on treasour whyle they thynke
To slepe thy intende nat/nor yet to meat nor drynke

Thus whyle they get ryches/fals/frayle and fugytyfe
These wretchys to them selfe/thā tyrānys more vnkynde
Lose rest/fame/and frenshyp/and also the swete lyfe
All this: a bolde cowrage reuoluyth oft in mynde
Wherfore no soche furour/can his hye reason blynde
But if he haue plente/of ryches/and treasour
He partyth it abrode: to nedefull: with honour

Unto his pore fryndys: which haue necessyte
He partyth and spredeth his tresour ioyusly
Delytynge: for to haue: suche prossybylyte
To many men to be: socour and subsedy
He stodyeth: with treasour: eternall blysse to bye
And louers in this lyfe: as thynge more cōmendable
Than all Cresus ryches/of golde inumerable

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Howe comon is the clause/and sentence of pyrrus
Of moste famous auctours/countyd of dignyte
Whiche vnto the romayns/made noble answere thus
Whan they cam to hym/with treasour in plente
Theyr captyues to redeme/whiche in pryson had he
Whyle thynbassadours tolde/theyr raunsone in golde
Prrrus thus answerde/with courage fre and bolde

Your golde I demande nat/no siluer wyll I fele
No gyft shall ye gyue/your treasour I dispyse
Contende we with armour/of yren and of stele
Nat with golde nor gyftes/as tanerners haue gyse
Marchauntis/and other/insuynge couetyse
It semith vyle wretches/to handell coyne & golde
Bryght armour besemyth/men valyaunt and bolde

For certayne/this answer: semyd so noble a kynge
Of eacus/worthy/to come of hye lynage
Of whome this sayd pyrrus/had his byrth & of sprynge
This worde: well hym prouyd/stronge & of bolde courage
And thou also Curius: both sad/sober and sage
Thy selfe well declared/of mynde as stronge and bolde
Whan the samnytis/presentyd the with golde

As thou sittynge ydell/was dryenge by the fyre
Small rapis/as man symple/by ryches settynge nought
One of the samnytis/subiect to thyne empyre
Layd forth goldy gyftes/whiche he had to the brought
By sygnes whiche he sawe/reputynge in his thought
By suche maner gyftes/the greatly to content
By cause thou resemblyde/as pore and indigent

But what answer gaue thou forsoth a wyse and bolde
Saynge: I had leuer thus homely for to dyne
In an erthyn platter/than in a dysshe of golde
Retourne with thy gyftis/nought I demaunde of thyne
What nede I thy gyftis/sith thou thy selfe art myne
Of gouernours of golde/we wylbe gouernours
Rather than of golde/or other vayne tresours

This answer besemyd/a mynde magnificent
And a man establyd/in magnanimyte
But agayne retourne/we vnto our fyrste intent
A bolde mynde/in labour moste diligent must be
In thynge of moste peryll/and moste difficulte
Where thynges be moste hard/there must thou to preuayle
Chefely put thy body/to labour and trauayle

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Yet though the thynge be nedefull/go nat therto rasshly
But before consyder/what way is ryght and sure
What reason affermyth: and what it doth deny
Attempte nothynge passynge/thy wyt/myght/and nature
Nor whose ende and proces/is vnto the obscure
A wyse man/by reason: consyderith well this same
But folys oft begyn/and leaue agayne with shame

And namely some/trustynge/in them selfe to greatly
Begyn/oft great thynges: wenynge to wyn them name
But whan all their purpose: procedith frowardly
In stede of cōmendynge/they get them rebuke and shame
Another thynge beware/whiche also wynnyth blame
So longe/do nat all thynge/before prouyde and cast
That thou seme to leaue all (as cowarde) at the last

Better dy with honour/than lyue in worldly shame
And leade thy lyfe dishonest: and foule: tyll vtter age
A bolde noble courage/desyrynge worthy name
Wolde muche rather dye/than lyue in vyle bondage
Contende nat in batayle/yf thou be sad and sage
Without nede constrayne the/or harde necessite
To shede blode/is brutall/and beastly cruelte

It semyth nat mankynde/but cruell beastis wode
Whiche of noble reason/parteners can nat be
To delyte in shedynge/echone of others blode
Begyn neuer batayle/as muche as is in the
But for the loue of peas/concorde and vnyte
And whan peas is compact/and sure confederate
Let no fraude nor treason/nor gyle/it violate

Nothynge in a great man/can be more cōmendable
Than to spare his foes/brought in obedience
To great god eternall/this man is moste semblable
Les laude is/to subdue/by force and vyolence
Than to shewe thyne enmy/thy mercy and clemence
More laude is to pardon/and spare wretches subiect
Than proude great rebellers/by batayle to correct

Amonge all the vertues/ascrybed to Cesar
This one is renomyd/moste chefe and pryncipall
That he was mercyfull/nat more in peas than warre
Sparynge the Cytezins/to hym subiect and thrall
All yf the bolde lyon/be cruell and brutall
To suche as be prostrate/of nature is he mylde
And vnderlyke maner/both to small beast and chylde

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Thou sholdest nat contende/nor fyght agaynst thy fo
Except thou hast somwhat/playne warned hym before
For gyle prouyth a mynde/cowarde and faynt also
A fals ferefull hert/by nought is prouyd more
Than fraudfull assautis/and vengeaunce to sore
Pursewe non with hatred/with malice nor enuy
Theyse bynde thyne owne mynde/most streyght in mysery

If any haue greuyd the: with outher worde or dede
Agaynst ryght or reason: as oftyn tyme may fall
To suche a wretchyd personys/lyuynge take good hede
And count thy selfe by hym: no thynge greued attall
But say thus: as semyth: a man substanciall
This man wolde haue hurt me: but god is good & kynde
Nat grauntynge hym power/nor myght after his mynde

His mynde was to greue me/now hath it none effect
Unto his owne tourment/now tournith his delyte
And more cause haue other/his malyce to suspect
And certaynly/to sleape/that man hath small respyte
Whiche tournith and wakenith/whan euery fley doth byte
Many grefys happyn/whome pacient silence
Muche better subduith: than opyn violence

For certayne: no persone/is greatly hurt: in dede
Without he hurt hym selfe/by faynt thoughtis vnkynde
Despyse/though thy body: in dyuers partis blede
Without thyne owne consent: no man can greue thy mynde
Thy wronges to reuenge/whan thou shalt power fynde
Let this full suffice the/to haue thy foo subiect
And to haue suche myght his malice to correct

Take onely suche power/for vtter punysshement
Thou canst nat reuenge/thy wronge: in nobler wyse
Than whan of thy/foes/thou mayst haue thyne intent
To pardon theyr trespas: and theyr malyce despyse
Of secrete detractours/insue thou nat the gyse
Blame thou no man absent/whysperynge secretly
If thou haue cause to blame/assayle hym openly

A mynde/onely groundyd/on ryght and equite
And it selfe perceyuynge/ryghtwyse and innocent
Of spyryt may be bolde/with magnanymyte
These thynges/make namely/a mynde magnificent
A pure mynde/and symple: a ryght & playne intent
With iust fayth/and lyuynge/defylyd at no tyme
With none enorme maners/nor greuous spot of cryme

---

But vyle and foule synnes/and vicies of lyuynge
Makith man be ferefull/sad/heuy and pensyfe
For that wretche/suspectith/and dredyth euery thynge
Whiche is harde oppressyd/with his owne synfull lyfe
A pure herte and clene mynde/haue this prerogatyfe
Neuer to be slougysshe/by heuy drede or feare
Who is without trespas: what can hym hurt or dere

Or what hath he to drede/no maner thynge be sure
What shulde he drede of deth: it is ineuytable
The generall dutye/and trybute of nature
By whome he hath passage/to lyfe intermynable
What shulde he drede tourment/of tyran intretable
Of whome he nat felyth/displesour/hurt/nor grefe
Syth our lorde is redy/his woundes to relefe

What matter shulde he drede? what can hym fear or moue
Whome no treue trowblys/nor vycis can oppresse
Whome chryste his dere mayster/doth both defende & loue
Whome the gloryous vyrgyn/eternall empres
Defendith/and is redy/to helpe in all distres
Whome all heuynly spirites/doth fauour & defende
With his foes/redy: all season to contende

Who coude in tyme passyd/these holy martyrs feare
Or moue theyr great constance/from fayth: & true byleue
They/prynces ouercam/but no prynce coude them deare
No kynge coude them change: ouercome: nor remeue
No tyran/nor tourment: coude them in myndes greue
All yf theyr frayle bodyes/oft suffred vtter payne
Therat: theyr mynde constant: had vtterly disdayne

Accusyd of peples/and fals rulers: were some
Some caste to wylde beastis/in pecys co be rent
But no maner manace/nor peyne coude them ouercome
Wayke wymen/chyldren/olde fathers and Iuuent
Before cruell prouostes standynge/at iugement
And with them yonge virgyns/seynge theyr woundes blede
Of tyrannys nor tourment/had nother fear nor drede

No bowes nor dartis/nor other lyke armour
Nor bryght swerdes drawen: to theyr dedly tourment
Nu speris nor fyers/kyndled them to deuour
No pryson no scourgis/no pytche/of lothly sent
No thretnynge of pryson/nor vtter punysshement
No hunger nor thurst/nor feruent oyle brēnynge
Coude moue them to change/theyr fayth/nor pure lyuynge

---

No thretnynge/nor suffraunce/of waters vyolence
Coude change theyr sad purpose/establyd by wysdome
No gyftes/nor treasour/of greatest opulence
No promessys/of part/of empyre/nor kyngdome
Nor kynges maryage/coude these martyrs ouercome
Nor their holy purpose/moue/nor inclyne to flyght
In mynde were they strēghthed/so sure with heuynly syght

Nat onely: the parentes/sawe their chyldren in flame
With chere glad and ioconde/in hert and countenance
But many/their owne chyldren/exorted to the same
And for no short tourment/to fle from theyr constance
O meruelous myndes/o great perseuerance
The mother hath oft tymes/with voyce magnyficent
Exortyd her yonge chyldren/to peynes and tourment

The wyfe hath exorted her husbonde in lyke wyse
And one brother/another/strengthyd to martyrdome
And for our lordes cause/all tourment to despyse
But what man of lernynge/of vertue/or wysdome
Wolde say that these martyrs/thus dyenge/were ouercome
But rather in the myddes/of all theyr tourmentours
They stode nat ouercome: but lyker conquerous

The Iuge or tourmentour/by cruell tyrany
Myght subdue the body/somtyme vnto tourment
But the mynde perseuered/establyd constantly
In the fayth: and laudes: of god omnypotent
Thus were they by peynes/and mynde magnyficent
And by deth: subduers/of their owne corps carnall
Of tyrans: tourmentours: and fendes infarnall

The worlde: and vayne plesours subdued they also
Despysynge all plesour: of thynges transitory
Than: all these ouercōmynge/who lokyth clere therto
On erth can no man fynde: more worthy victory
In ouercōmynge erth: they wan eternall glory
And where men supposed: them: to haue ben ouercome
They ouercam: both men: erth: and the hye kyngdome

For certayne/lorde Iesu/who/thus may dye for the
To hym can nothynge be/of more beatytude
Of more parfite swetnes/of more felycite
More ioconde/more ioyous/nor yet more gratytude
Alas we blynde wretches/ar we nat dul and rude
Seynge our redemer/indure for vs suche peyne
And no payne/nor dolour/to endure for hym agayne

---

Nat onely may we dye/and suffer martyrdome
By tourment of tyran/by swerde/water or flame
But lyuynge we may dye/yf we: our selfe ouercome
This vyle corps despysynge/and lustis of the same
Who dyeth with swerde: but onys: hym selfe doth tame
By deth: but who tamyth his membres corporall
Is dayly mortifyed/by deth contynuall

Nor this deth is graunted/nat vnto euery man
Whiche couryt for to dye/for chryste our sauyour
Some wolde fayne be martyrs: by swerde: but they ne can
That is a speciall grace/of our dere redemptour
But this sayd other deth/to vaynquysshe all errour
To tame this frayle body/and lust to mortyfy
To euery one wyllynge/is graunted comonly

But whome chryste vouchsauyth/to dye by martyrdome
Of tyrannys tourment/no doute is: but he is
Next ioyned vnto god/aboue in his kyngdome
In endles fruicion/of his eternall blysse
And next them innocentis/whiche haue nat done a mys
But nat without meryte/and endles ioy is he
Whiche hym selfe subduyth/by magnanymyte

Wherfore haue done/redar/addresse the to vertue
In whose cause and quarell/be bolde to stande & fyght
Thy blynde carnall lustis/offrayle membres subdue
Be redy for to dye/for Iustice/treuth/and ryght
Despyse all iniury/so semyth chrystes knyght
Subdue this fals worlde/it is but vanyte
Than thynke thy selfe/stablyd/in magnanymyte

What ar these passions/of troubles transytory
But cloudes consumynge/and meanys for to call
Man from worldly folyes/to blysse and endles glory
Make nat double damage/of one displeasour small
Be stronge: trust: no tempest can last contynuall
After sorest stormys/moste clerest ayre wese
After aduers fortune/shynyth prosperyte

Who can nat abyde the one/shall nat attayne the other
The sour sauce is seruyd/before meat deynteous
Ioy saucyd is: with peyne: remember this my brother
Myxt with mysauenture/be chauncis prosperous
This lyfe is resemblyd/a byldynge ruynous
Nowe shakyd with the wynde/agayne: nowe reparate
So faryth by troublys/and chaūces fortunate

---

The chyldren of ysraell/passyd fyrste the read seye
And thyrty yere wandryd/in sauage wyldernes
In lande of promission: or they/in rest coude be
And longe tyme of batayle/indured harde distres
At last were they stablyd/in rest and quyetnes
So god wyll his seruantis: here in this lyfe chastice
Before he receyue them/to rest in paradyse

Than haue done/take confort/be of stoute courage
Haue hope/that these troublys/ar ernest (trust to me)
Of solace and confort/in endles heritage
Make lyght thynge of labours/by magnanymyte
Aduert all thynge mundayne/hath mutabylyte
Saue vertue/well rotyd/within a stedfast mynde
Nothynge is here constant/all tournyth as the wynde

Nothynge is here constant/nought permanent at all
Euer: perylles passyd/ar plesour for to tell
A man one grounde restynge/can muche lower fall
Let hope/and bolde spyrite/all mysery excell
Aduert what is wrytten/playnly/in the gospell
He muste trauers troublys/whiche wyll our lorde insue
Renownce the frayle worlde/and his owne selfe subdue

Our muse hath remayned/ynough/as thynkyth me
In the shape/descrybynge/of stoute perseuerance
Or payntynge the pycture/of magnanymyte
God gydynge our style/nowe let vs forth auaunce
To descrybe the vertue/of comely temperaunce
But fauourable redar/thynke nat peyne: but delyte
Rede forth/for I promyt: both plesour and profite

Of temperaunce

Before haue we treatyd/of myndes inuyncyble
Nowe/place/tyme/& purpose/exortyth our scripture
In meter for to wryte as/playne as is possyble
Of myndes temperate/well manerde and demure
Who brydelyth his lustis/well orderynge his gesture
Kepynge comelynes/in dede: worde and countenaunce
Suche one ought be counted/a man of temperaunce

---

Therfore that thou mayst be/suche one/of gouernaūce
By comely temperance/thy dedis to dispose
Thy mocions of mynde/note well in remembraūce
Whether they be honest/or nothynge to purpose
If they be laudable/than after them compose
Thy maners and lyuynge/yf thy desyres be
Repugnant to reason/than vtterly them fle

Those onely be good/desyres/clene/and sure
Whiche nature requyreth/obeyenge to reason
Nat they whome haute purpose/makynge reason obscure
Desyreth of proude mynde/and blynde ambicion
One hauynge hym owne selfe/in his possession
Hym rulynge by reason/doth nat muche require
Suche/hym selfe possessynge/nought forther wyll desire

For muche he nat nedith/whiche of hym selfe is lorde
But hym selfe he countyth/ryches sufficient
Who can hym selfe gouerne/in dede/in thought & worde
Abundantly is euer/great/ryche/and opulent
In all nedefull treasour: and neuer indigent
What man: wolde afferme/suche one without tresour
Whiche of all his dedis/is lorde and gouernour

Thus euery man may make/hym selfe full of ryches
Replenysshe hym with welth/ioy and felicite
His owne inwarde gyftes/yf he can well possesse
Stablynge his desyres/on thynge of honeste
But myserable/carefull/and euernedy/is he
Whiche can nat welde hym selfe/subduynge all errour
With hym selfe nat content/sekynge outwarde tresour

Whiche thynkith nat ynough/the treasour of his mynde
But of outwarde ryches sekyth/hym selfe for to store
For certayne: the ryche/is so gredy and blynde
That though he haue plenty: hym selfe he counteth pore
And euer more/in mynde/doth coueyt muche more
As his coyne increasyth/and tresour temporall
His gredy appetyte/increasyth styll with all

Forsoth he possessith: hym selfe: moste parfytely
And eche parte: to reason/is due obedient
Whiche is of hole mynde/beholdynge inwardly
All thynges to be sene/to ryght expedient
Suche one: hym selfe rulyth/by parfyte Iugement
And is called perfyte/as men hym perfyte call
Whiche hath his hole membres/and partis corporall

---

But contrarywyse: this parte to vnderstande
That man is nat parfyte/whiche is noseles: or blynde
Or wantyth any parte/as arme/legge/fote/or/hande
In lykewyse that parsone/is nat parfyte of mynde
Whiche one thynge parfourmyth: another left behynde
Or whose lyght of reason: is drownyd in derknes
Or whome sondry errours: inuoluynge doth oppresse

Inough can it nat be/the to defende from yre
And to be subduyd/of beastly glotony
What vayleth to auoyde/frayle venus ragynge fyre
And ouecome to be/with malyce and enuy
What helpith pacience: where reygnyth lechery
Or what helpyth mekenesse/where reygnith couetyse
An hole mynde/and parfyte/subduyth euery vyce

And stryuyth to vaynquysshe/all errour crymynall
From his mynde excludynge/all braunche of myslyuynge
For this cause ouercome/thy desyre fyrst of all
And thy selfe possesse thou/as was my fyrst byddynge
Than care nat/nor seke nat/for no farther thynge
It is nat a tokyn/of man discrete nor wyse
To seke outwarde thynges/and inwarde to despyse

The prudent man spareth/no treasour temprall
To dryue from his body: syknes: and euery sore
To haue in possession/his lymmes corporall
That kepith good dyete/whan he is hole before
Than sholdest thou despyse/vayne tresour mykyll more
And all outwarde thynges/vtterly despyse
Thy tresour of vertue/to put in exercyse

Beholde what abusion/subduyth frayle mankynde
All sekyth for socour/of peynes corporall
But veray fewe or none/regarde the soule or mynde
Let se: who receyueth: with wyll: poyson mortall
Or in a pyt profunde/wyllyngely wyll fall
But rather: yf he take a drynke in toxicate
Sone doth he for physyke/and ayde/investigate

If any brake his legge/by sodayne aduenture
Anon abone setter he hyreth sodaynly
Or yf his syght hym fayle/or gynne to wax obscure
Nature hym constrayneth: to seke for remedy
But yet shall I touche/one thynge more largely
If an asse go lame: men tary nat a weke
But streyght to smyth/for remedy they seke

---

This cure thou cōmittest/for helpe of the body
If diseas haue greuyd/thy reason and thy mynde
Why sekyst nat socour/for helpe and remedy
Namely syth the same/so easy is to fynde
Alas man thou sleapyst/thy reason is to blynde
Thou sholdest of thy mynde/haue muche greater cure
Than of thy frayle body/a sak of vyle ordure

Howe moche more/the mynde/excellyth thy body
In noblesse of nature/and emynent valour
So moche more/thou sholdest/for it fynde remedy
Whan it by thy foly/is woundyd by errour
Consyder: of thy soule/thexecellent honour
It hath shape and ymage/of god omnypotent
Thy body is mortall/as beast/or vyle iument

Than puruay for thy soule/thy vyle body despyse
Why hast thou suche plesour/to lose so great treasour
In so great vayne labours/drounynge thy mynde this wyse
It tournynge as a whele/in vicis euery hour
And in doutfull damage/in voluynge and errour
What meanyst to tourment/it nyght and day in fyre
And moste feruent flamys/of thyne vnclene desyre

Say: what delyte hast thou? to lose/without profite
Thy dere inwarde Iewell/and pryncipall tresour
Unkynde is thy pleasour: o: vayne is this delyte
Unpytefull art thou: and cruell tourmentour
Whiche: thyne owne proper mynde/thus drownest in errour
If he be moche cruell/whiche doth his body quell
Who kylleth his owne soule/is muche more cruell

Wherfore doest thou contende/tynuolue/& wrap thy mynde
In snarys and great nettis/of thought labour/and peyne
From whiche at thy pleasour/thou shalt no meanys fynde
The same/to lyberte/for to get forth agayne
Beholde it is troublyd/wakynge/with curis vayne
And nyghtly/whan nature/demaundith quyete rest
Thy mynde/moste: with curys: is tossyd: and opprest

As a shyp is tossyd/in vehement tempest
So prycked is the mynde/inquyete by furour
Thou chasest/it fleyth/in ragynge: without rest
Thy mynde is myserable/thy selfe art tourmentour
With scourge it persuynge/and lasshynge with rygour
As cruell Bellona/the goddes of batayle
So thy wofull mynde/thyne owneselfe doth assayle

---

To lose from thy body/a fote or els an hande
Were it nat lesse damage/and losse more tollerable
Than to losse that parte/whiche makyth vnderstande
And makyth man to dyffer/from beast vnresonable
This is our soule or mynde/whiche is incomparable
Gyuen vs from heuyn/without whose gouernynge
From wylde and brute beastis/we dyffer lytyl thynge

But well myght be countyd/with them vnresonable
O what hope disceytfull/hast thou/both quicke & deade
If thy mynde be from the: seke/blyndyd/and mable
Whiche both in lyfe/and deth/is graunted/the to leade
Wherfore here what counseyl/of reason doth the reade
Fyrst clens all disasis/out of thy mynde and thought
Than art thou sure and safe/and fayle/thou canst nought

Than art thou sounde and hole/than art thou hole perfit
If thy mynde and reason/be pure and without vyce
So that thou gyde thy mynde/ryght vnto thy profite
In ways good and holsome/and ryghtwyse exercyse
Than shall it/to the do/iust dutye aud offyce
But brefely to shewe the/o reder: dere and kynde
Thynke this is the dutye/of perfite: and hole mynde

An hole mynde and perfite/desirith that onely
And that onely hopyth/whiche lastith perdurable
Whiche all tyme doth profyte/the mynde to fortefy
And good without mesure/or ioy intermynable
On the other party/it dredith payne damnable
And all thynges noyenge/with endles dolour
Wherin none assistyth/with confort nor socour

More brefely to declare/the mynde desirith blys
And wolde fle that tourment/whiche is intermynable
With all crafty stody: and meanis: glad it is
To seke that sure glory: and ioy incomparable
Whiche non infyrmyte/to vyolate: is able
It onely doth sorowe/those lossis and damage
Whome no ioy succedith: nor plesant auauntage

But by whome lyfe endles/and soulys helth is lost
This dredith an hole mynde: and fearyth inwardly
In other erthely plesour: it faryth lyke an hoste
A shorte tyme soiournynge: and flyttynge by and by
Thynge erthly: and caduke: despysynge vtterly
Than vse the lyke a ghest: take ryches in lyke case
As one: nat longe wyllynge: to tary in one place

---

Consyder this moreouer/and stedfastly beleue
That temporall treasour/of frayle mundayne riches
Is nought but a burthyn: the soule & mynde to greue
And in sondry troublys/blynd wretches to oppres
With thought/labour/sorowe/care/and heuynes
Whiche burthen doth outher/oppresse flea thy mynde
Or els/in thy iourney: hynder the far behynde

A way farynge parsone/ought gladly to auoyde
Both ponderous burthyn/and all diseas also
Wherby/in his iourney/he myght sone be accloyde
This lyfe is a passage/or way/wherin we go
Circundate in compasse/with mysery and wo
But the lyfe insuynge: ys countrey permanent
Of rest/ioy/solace/or els endles tourment

Thus outher he grauntih/sure rest or exyle
If it graunt vs rest/than endles ioy is ours
Amonge blyssed lyuers (in this lyfe countyd vyle)
Amonge our forefaders/and olde progenitours
Where fylled with gladnes/and voyde of all dolours
We shall all together haue rest interminable
And one lyke fruicion/in blysse in estimable

But yf the lyfe cōmynge/put vs in banysshment
Than: extreme destruccion: shall vs wretches oppres
In endles perdicion/fyre/mournynge and tourment
And all maner kyndes/of dolour and distres
But suche shall/in surete/the lande of lyfe posses
Whiche rulyd by the gyft/of hole mynde: haue ben fayne
To ryd them from synnes/and vyle plesours mundayue

But on the other part: suche entrith in exyle
Whiche dryuen in errours/to their confusion
Coude fynde in theyr hertes/to tourne no tyme nor whyle
To vertue and goodnes/from blynde ambusion
The mynde blyndly errith/as often as reason
Nat rulyth/but seynge/clerely what thynge is best
The worst it insuyth: by frowardnes opprest

But ouer longe digression/we make/as I suppose
The matter requirith/vs/forwarde to auaunce
And brefly to retourne/agayne to our purpose
To speke of the vertue/of worthy temperaūce
Of well ordred maners/and goodly gouernaūce
And what order shynyth/and worthy comlynes
Whan men lyst/their dedis/discretly to redres

---

In this thynge/our speche/hole wrytynge/and our style
Or cōmunicacion/shall hens forth/procede
As playne as our ingyne/vs grauntyth to compyle
Wherfore/fyrst/and namely: endeuoyr and take hede
To kepe comly order/in euery worde and dede
In all dede and duyte/most of effect/dowtles
Is to rule thyne actys/in ordred comelynes

This comelynes/restyth/in dewe conuenience
And semely proporcyon: orderynge thy dedys all
Of home to reduce the to clere intelligence
One comelynes/is callyd/proporcyon specyall
Another comelynes/comon and generall
The fyrst one belongyth/to mannys owne body
The other/to behauour/with outward company