Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners ::

Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners

conteynynge the .iiii. vertues callyd cardynall compyled in latyn by Domynike Mancyn: And translate into englysshe at the desyre of syr Gyles Alyngton knyght by Alexander Bercley [i.e. Barclay]

Barclay, Alexander (1475?-1552)

[section]

[Who couetith to knowe chefe maners cōmendable]

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

[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.

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.

[subsection]

Of the originall of prudence

Of the orygynall of Iustice.

Of the origynall of magnanymyte or strengthe of mynde.

Of the begynnynge of temperance.

[subsection]

Of the fyrste Cardynall vertue named prudence.

Of iustyce.

Of magnanimite or strenth of mynde.

Of temperaunce

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

Of the orygynall of Iustice.

And so whan moche people comoyned is in one
Reason hath them moued to be obedient
To suche as excellyth/in wysdom and reason
Wherby the cōmon well of cyte excellent
Hath fyrste chefe begynnynge & greatly doth augment
Than reason requireth/to ordeyne ryghtwyse lawe
Transgressours to chastice/and to kepe/vnder awe

To socour and defende/the wayke and Innocent
And proude rasshe rebellers/with reason to chastice
Thus eche state them byndeth/to be obedient
By instinct of reason: to lawes of Iustice
And eche in his order/hym selfe to exercyse
For drede of correccion: nat presumynge to do
But lyke as he hym selfe/wolde gladly be done to

This same lawe of nature ingendryd hath of kynde
In fathers and mothers a loue moste pryncipal
Anenst theyr dere chyldren. And after that doth bynde
Them to theyr Progeny: In loue moste special
To soche: as of theyr blode/they knowe nerest of al.
Thus loue in degrees/by nature: sholde agre
After the degrees/of consanguynyte.

And therfore/the Parentys endeuoyr wyth al arte
Theyr children to defende to comforte & maynteyne
The children in lykewyse/of nature do theyr parte
For pytie to worshypp/theyr dere parentes agayne
This Iustice cōmaundeth/this: nature doth cōstrayne
So reason ioyneth man: as brother vnto brother
To contende in kyndnes/and doynge one for other

Eche other to comforte/whan is necessite
Thus reason conioyneth the bondes of concorde
It peas reconsyleth/loue/fayth/and charyte
Betwyxte kynge & kynge/and bytwene lorde & lorde
Thus reason/by Iustice/excludyth all discorde
For whyle euery persone/by Iustice hath his ryght
It is a brutall fury/in batayle for to fyght

But suche as in ryches and reason doth habounde
By the gyfte of god/to them graunted of grace
With ryches and reason/these stryue as they are bounde
Moste/the pore to socoure/in euery nedefull case
Thus gentylnes of man/augmentyth with solace
Thus maners augmentyth/thus chastysed is vyce
And vertue auauncyd/by reason and Iustyce

Empyrys thus augment by Iustyces rewarde
And moste souerayne gydynge. Thus is benignyte
From man to mā she wyd. Thus maners go forwarde
And braunch is delatyth of peas and vnyte
Thus chastised is synne/and all enormyte
And all thynge reducyd to ryght dyreccion
By moyen of Iustice/procedynge of reason

University of Virginia Library

Of the orygynall of Iustice.