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

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Of the origynall of magnanymyte or strengthe of mynde.

Ferthermore : by reasō: growyth in mannys mynde
A naturall desyre/alway with besy cure
Thynges hyd and secrete/to serche/knowe and fynde
Of trewe & parfyte gode/the knowlege to procure
Whiche knowlege obteyned/whan they therof be sure
Of natural instynct/this reason doth man moue
Soche treasour obteyned/moche feruently to loue

Reason also mouyth/man: greatly to labour
To serche and haue knowlege/of trowth and verite
For certaynly to man/can be no more pleasour
No more iocunde pastyme/ioy nor felycyte
Than dayly for to lerne/and more prudent to be
To sauer and perceyue/by reason what is ryght
Than clered is his mynde/with perfyte inward lyght

Wherfore oft it hapenith/whā mā the trouth hath foūde
Hys mynde is so feruent: for to defende the same
That for the loue therof/he careth for no wounde
No hard thinge nor greuous/can hym subdue nor tame
No chaūce/nor no labour can myttigate this flame
No tyrant by turment by deth/nor other payne
From mayntynāce of trouth/can hym moue or cōstrayn

Thus is his bolde spyryt/in maner inuyncible
In hard chance he coūtith no great dyfyculte
No laboure nor trauayle/he countith impossyble
In the trouth defendynge: Thus clerely may we se
Howe of reason spryngyth hye magnanimite
And boldnes of spyryt: which/trouth for to defende
Both blode/lyfe and goodes refusyth nat to spende

This thirde noble vertue of magnanimite
Thus rysynge of reason: some men cal fortitude
Protectour of the trouth: and for symplicite
Ren ouncynge no rigour/nor no solycitude
Called is it strength/of comon people rude
Or boldenesse of spyryt/but nowe let vs auance
Our style/to descrybynge/the grounde of temperance

University of Virginia Library

Of the origynall of magnanymyte or strengthe of mynde.