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] |
 |
Alexander Barclay to the reder of this present treatyse translatynge the wordes of dominyke Mancyne. |
 |
 | Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners |  |
Alexander Barclay to the reder of this present treatyse translatynge the wordes of dominyke Mancyne.
This
playne lytyll tretyse in style compendious
Moche brefly conteynyth: four vertues cardynall
In ryght plesant processe/playne and cōmodyous
With lyght fote of meter/and style heroycall
Rude people to enfourme/in langage maternall
To whose vnderstandynge/maydens of tender age
And rude lytyll chylderne: shall fynde easy passage
Moche brefly conteynyth: four vertues cardynall
In ryght plesant processe/playne and cōmodyous
With lyght fote of meter/and style heroycall
Rude people to enfourme/in langage maternall
To whose vnderstandynge/maydens of tender age
And rude lytyll chylderne: shall fynde easy passage
Ye suche as the mother: doth cherisshe on hyr lap
With swete blandymentes/of wordes amyable
Cherysshynge with mylke/and norisshynge with pap
Shall fynde this small doctryne/both playne & profitable
Olde men whiche haue vsed: in tyme passed to bable
In barbaryke langage/and wordes course & vyle
May lerne here theyr maners/and tonges newe to fyle.
With swete blandymentes/of wordes amyable
Cherysshynge with mylke/and norisshynge with pap
Shall fynde this small doctryne/both playne & profitable
Olde men whiche haue vsed: in tyme passed to bable
In barbaryke langage/and wordes course & vyle
May lerne here theyr maners/and tonges newe to fyle.
To fyle nat with vyces/nor langage inornate
But to rase theyr rudenes/and rustis auncient
The chaste and wyse matrone: after lyke maner rate
May rede this small tretyse/hyr maydens all present
Gyuynge none/attysment/to lyfe incontynent
The sad and wyse husbonde: this treatyse may recyte
Unto his wyfe: nat hurtynge/hyr courage with delyte
But to rase theyr rudenes/and rustis auncient
The chaste and wyse matrone: after lyke maner rate
May rede this small tretyse/hyr maydens all present
Gyuynge none/attysment/to lyfe incontynent
The sad and wyse husbonde: this treatyse may recyte
Unto his wyfe: nat hurtynge/hyr courage with delyte
This boke none excludith: but euery man doth fede
Nor none wyll it exche we: nor greue with yrksomnes
Who that can vnderstonde: harkyn/here/or rede
Shall fynde here some pleasure/menglyd with fruytfulnes
To no man displeasure/to no man tedyousnes
But in opyn langage fruytfull/and playne doctryne
Who lystith theyr earis/and myndes to enclyne
Nor none wyll it exche we: nor greue with yrksomnes
Who that can vnderstonde: harkyn/here/or rede
Shall fynde here some pleasure/menglyd with fruytfulnes
To no man displeasure/to no man tedyousnes
But in opyn langage fruytfull/and playne doctryne
Who lystith theyr earis/and myndes to enclyne
But where as myne auctour/domynyk Mancyne
In his latyne tretyse them prayeth of paryse
To haste to the knowlege/of this his newe doctryne
I make proclamacion/here vnder other wyse
To our natyfe nacion/diswadynge them from vyce
Exortynge and praynge/the dwellers of englande
This newe and small tretyse/to rede & vnderstande
In his latyne tretyse them prayeth of paryse
To haste to the knowlege/of this his newe doctryne
I make proclamacion/here vnder other wyse
To our natyfe nacion/diswadynge them from vyce
Exortynge and praynge/the dwellers of englande
This newe and small tretyse/to rede & vnderstande
Wherfore tender virgyns/delytinge in doctryne
And children disposed/to vertue and goodnes
Haste hyther and receyue ryght holsome dysciplyne
Drawe nere o chaste matrons/take flame of perfytnes
Drawe nere crokyd age/and youth whome wantōnes
By frewyl/lust/ryot/or wylfull ignoraunce
Misgydeth from maners/good lyfe and gouernaunce
And children disposed/to vertue and goodnes
Haste hyther and receyue ryght holsome dysciplyne
Drawe nere o chaste matrons/take flame of perfytnes
Drawe nere crokyd age/and youth whome wantōnes
By frewyl/lust/ryot/or wylfull ignoraunce
Misgydeth from maners/good lyfe and gouernaunce
Drawe nere perfyte lyuers: take cōforte to your mynde
In this lytyll tretyse: to kepe perseueraunce
Approche men disordryd here shall ye doctryne fynde
To reforme your lyuynge and sue good gouernauce
Haste of this nowe tretyse to purchase acquayntaunce
For no maner tretyse/can be more profitable
No doctryne more holy/holsome/nor cōmendable
In this lytyll tretyse: to kepe perseueraunce
Approche men disordryd here shall ye doctryne fynde
To reforme your lyuynge and sue good gouernauce
Haste of this nowe tretyse to purchase acquayntaunce
For no maner tretyse/can be more profitable
No doctryne more holy/holsome/nor cōmendable
It techith no tryfyls/it vices techith none
But vertue and maners/to man conuenient
It techith what thynges/besemith to be done
Endurynge manes lyfe/as moste expedient
Thynge passyd to consyder/to order thynge present
And prudently/to puruay/all thynges for to come
All ordrynge in season: accordynge to wysdome
But vertue and maners/to man conuenient
It techith what thynges/besemith to be done
Endurynge manes lyfe/as moste expedient
Thynge passyd to consyder/to order thynge present
And prudently/to puruay/all thynges for to come
All ordrynge in season: accordynge to wysdome
It techyth to temper/dysorder/and malyce
To mytygate rancoure/and percyalyte
Without sere or fauoure/to execute Iustyce
It techyth/introwblys: stronge magnanimyte
And temperaunce/herin describyd mayst thouse
So prudence/fortytude/Iustyce: & temperance
This boke to the profereh: with humble countenaunce
To mytygate rancoure/and percyalyte
Without sere or fauoure/to execute Iustyce
It techyth/introwblys: stronge magnanimyte
And temperaunce/herin describyd mayst thouse
So prudence/fortytude/Iustyce: & temperance
This boke to the profereh: with humble countenaunce
But certes dere reder/it askyth nought agayne
No coyne it requyreth: as pryce sufficient
But rede it: it prayeth: than is it glad & fayne
And note whan thou redest/than is it wel content
But if any purpose/of mynde beniuolent
With a lyttell money: to bye this small tretyse
He surely possessyth/no thinge of gretter pryce
No coyne it requyreth: as pryce sufficient
But rede it: it prayeth: than is it glad & fayne
And note whan thou redest/than is it wel content
But if any purpose/of mynde beniuolent
With a lyttell money: to bye this small tretyse
He surely possessyth/no thinge of gretter pryce
Nor his howse contaynyth/no thynge more profytable
So/may he wele beleue: with perfyte assurance
But soche as indeuoyer: with stody ferme & stable
Both wordes and sentence/to close in rememberance
Than hath he a iewell/which moche shall hym auaunce
And closyd in his hert/a singuler tresour
All transitory tresour/surmountynge in valour
So/may he wele beleue: with perfyte assurance
But soche as indeuoyer: with stody ferme & stable
Both wordes and sentence/to close in rememberance
Than hath he a iewell/which moche shall hym auaunce
And closyd in his hert/a singuler tresour
All transitory tresour/surmountynge in valour
No merchandyse better/in martes mayst thou fynde
Than this lyttell boke within it doth contayne
No better thynge bryngeth/the merchant out of ynde
From Damas or Turkey/from Damyate or Spayne
From costys of Italy/from Naples or Almayne
In al other nacions/most forayne/far & straunge
Can man fynde no better/merchandyse nor chaunge
Than this lyttell boke within it doth contayne
No better thynge bryngeth/the merchant out of ynde
From Damas or Turkey/from Damyate or Spayne
From costys of Italy/from Naples or Almayne
In al other nacions/most forayne/far & straunge
Can man fynde no better/merchandyse nor chaunge
No shope in ryche Cyte/hath better merchandyse
No grocer no mercer nor other marchantes all
Can satysfye the myndes/with ware/of soche pryce
As this boke/which profreth/the vertues cardynall
The boke prynter sellyth/no better thynge at all
Wo this werke comprysyth/sure in his mynde & thought
Let hym thynke for certayne/nought better cā be bought
No grocer no mercer nor other marchantes all
Can satysfye the myndes/with ware/of soche pryce
As this boke/which profreth/the vertues cardynall
The boke prynter sellyth/no better thynge at all
Wo this werke comprysyth/sure in his mynde & thought
Let hym thynke for certayne/nought better cā be bought
| Here begynnyth a treatyse intitulyd the myrrour of good maners | |