daunger of his frendes rather than froÌ„ his enemies and beyng demaunded of one that hearde him why he prayed so he sayde as for myne enemy I can beware of for why I trust him not so can I not of my frende because I trust him Beyng asked what a maÌ„ ought not to do although it were iust and true he answered to prayse hym selfe He liued .cii. yeares and dyed for very age was buryed honorablye The rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of hereafter ¶ Of Plutarche Cap. xxviii PLutarche y e Philosopher was a man of a wondrefull wyt well brought vp in hys youthe well instructed in maners well furnyshed in al kyndes of learnyng which growing vp as wel iÌ„ vertue learniÌ„g as in body yeares was chosen that worthely to be the instructer of y e Emperour Traiane whome he so well instructed that his glorye therby was greatly augmented as it is sayde in Policrato the fifth boke He was faythfull in his sayinges and eloquent in hys wordes and very diligent ware in his maners of a chaste lyfe and good conuersation He gaue hys mynde muche to instruct teache other and wrote manye bokes of whiche one intytled the education of youthe whyche we haue in the English tonge drawne therinto by the excellent famous knyght Sir Thomas Eliote whose good zeale loue bothe to further good learning to profyt his countrey appeareth as well therby as by other many workes which he hath payned him selfe to bryng iÌ„to our laÌ„guage sheweth wel his good affectioÌ„ y t he had to y e coÌ„moÌ„ weale He wrote an other boke called y e institution of Traiane In whiche he setteth out the office of a Prince what he ought to be so excellently as no maÌ„ can ameÌ„de it He wrote al so an other boke entitled Archigrammatum wherin he teacheth rulers officers howe to gouerne them selues w t diuers other thinges among whiche the letter that he wrote to Traiane what tyme he was created Emperour is worthye to be remembred in the ende wherof he sayth thus Thou shalte rule al thinges euen as thou woldest yf thou go not from thy selfe and yf thou dispose all thy workes to vertue all thinges shal prosper w t the And as touching y e gouernauÌ„ce of thy coÌ„mon weale I haue taught the therin already whiche yf y u shalte folowe me thy master Plutarche as an example of good lyuyng but yf y u do otherwyse thaÌ„ shal this my lettre be my wytnes y t I gaue the neyther couÌ„cel neyther any example thervnto WhaÌ„ he was aged he dyed was buried honorably his goodly prouerbes adages parables semblables shal folowe iÌ„ theyr places ¶ Of Seneca Cap. xxix SEneca the Philosopher an excellent well learned maÌ„ was borne in Corduba and therof called Cordubences He was disciple to Stratus the stoycke and was Lucane the Poetes countreyman He floryshed at Rome in the tyme of the Emperour Tyrant Nero whom he taught in his youth iÌ„ learnyng and maners whiche afterwardes was cause of hys deathe In the tyme of this Seneca Peter and Paule came to Rome and preched there And whan many of Nero y e Emperours house gathered togyther to heare Paule Seneca amonge the test was so familier w t him delighted so muche to heare the diuine science and wysdome whiche he sawe in him y t it greued him to be seperate at any tyme froÌ„ his coÌ„munication insomuche than whan he might not talke with him mouth to mouth he vsed communicatioÌ„ by letters oft sent betwene them He read also the wrytynges and doctrines of Paule before the Emperour Nero and got him the loue and fauour of euery bodye Insomuch that y e Senate wondered muche at Paule This Seneca was a man of a verye chaste lyfe so good that sainct Iherom numbreth hym in hys bederowe of Sayntes prouoked therto by his Epistles whiche are entytled Seneca to Paule Paule to Seneca After he lyued in to a meane age he was slayne of Nero the tyraunt two yeares before Peter Paule suffered theyr gloryoê° martyrdome For Nero on a daye beholdyng hym callyng to mynde howe he whan he was his master dyd beat him he conceyued hatred agaynst hym and beyng desyroê° to reuenge hym selfe and to put hym to deathe gaue hym lycence to chose what kynde of deathe he woulde wherfore Seneca seynge that his tyranny coulde not be appeysed and supposyng that to dye in a bayne was y e easyest kynde of deathe desyred to be let bloode in the vaynes of his armes and so dyed which death as some thynke was forshewed in his name Seneca that is to saye se necans whiche signifyeth in Englishe a kyller of him selfe He wrote in his lyfe time many goodly bokes out of whiche shal be pyked some of y e most piththy sentences bothe of preceptes and counsayles and also of Prouerbes Adages Parables and Semblables whyche in theyr places hereafter shall folowe And because the lyues of these before written are sufficient for our pourpose and because we be desyrous to be as shorte as we myght be here wyll we finish the firste boke desyrynge all men that the same shall rede to folowe the good vertues that therin are contayned The ende of the first Boke In this first boke of Phylosophers lyues Wherin theyr answers are partly contayned A man may learne as chauÌ„ce therto him dryues To shape an answer Or yf he be constrayned To wrath or anger or other passions lyke Here shal he see howe lyke lustes wer refrayned Of Hethen men who thought it shame to strike WheÌ„ good occasioÌ„ oftymes theÌ„ therto payned ¶ The seconde boke intytled of preceptes and counsayles ¶ Of the profite of morall Philosophy Cap. i. IT is not vnknowen to any which haue any knowlege at al how profitable necessary nedefull it is for meÌ„ to haue y e knowlege of morall Philosophy In whiche whoso is ignorant is worse than a brute beast and therfore it mought here haue wel ben omytted Yet neuerthelesse to satisfye y t desires of some and to stop the mouthes of other some whiche peraduenture wolde be glad accordyng to the prouerbe to seke a knot in a rishe and agayne to helpe and encourage other whom eyther ignoraunce or neglygence holdeth backe it semeth necessary though not all yet at y e least to shewe some of y e innumerable commodities that there vnto be ioyned Wherin omittyng the discommodities whiche for lacke therof daylye augment growe as malice hatred enuy pryde lacke of loue deceytes robberies theftes murthers bluddy battayles seditions decaye of cities decaye of common weales spoyling of realines and vtter desolation of people and kyngdomes what can be a greater commoditie than for euery man peaceably to possesse his owne whiche peaceable agrement sith it can none other wayes be got nor when it is got be preserued but by loue whych only springeth of agremente in maners and morall vertues what
to mans nature as y e thing in which we differre from other beastes and also is necessary for the comly gouernance of mannes lyfe shall here be spoken of not reasoned to the tryall but simply and rudely declared yet so that suche as therin delite although not fully satisfied shall not be vtterly deceyued of their pourpose ¶ Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophye Cap. iii. NEcessitie as I iudge that not without cause was the firste fynder out of morall Philosophye Experience whiche is a good teacher was the first master therof taught suche as gaue diligence to marke considre thiÌ„ges to teache and instruct other therin and because Socrates in a maner despisyng the other two kyndes of Philosophy added this as the thyrd taught it more thaÌ„ any of the rest therfore because men must be the begynners of mennes matters I assente with Laertius to call hym the first beginner therof For although euen among the Atheniences the Sages as Thales and Solon both spake and wrot of lyke matter before him yet because he so ernestly embraced it and equally placed it with the other twayne he deserueth well the glory of the firste beginner therof and although he wrote it not in bokes for whiche as him thought he had a lawefull excuse or rather a good cause yet his disciple Plato hath writen suche thinges of his teaching as fewe so fully wrote of before whiche was as it is euydent many yeres before Iesus the sonne of Sirache whose worke we for the puritie of the doctrine therin conteyned reuerence and honour which as he hym selfe calleth it is a boke of morall wisedome thought full of diuinitie as are also many of Platoes workes as witnesseth Saint Augustine And therfore because Socrates was before Iesus Sirache I referre the inuention I shulde saye the beginning therof vnto hym As for Salomons workes are more diuine than morall therfore I rather worship in hym the diuinitie than ascribe the beginnyng of moral Philosophie wishing al men and exhortyng them both to learne and to folowe those so diuine and holy workes vttered by hym in his boke of prouerbes ¶ Of the kyndes of teachyng of morall Philososophye Cap. iiii AL that haue written of morall Philosophye haue for y e most part taught it either by preceptes counsell and lawes orels by prouerbes parables semblables For whiche cause it may well be deuyded into iii. kyndes of whiche the first is by councelles lawes preceptes of which Licurgus Solon Isocrates Cato and other more haue written muche Councellyng and admonishinge men to vertue by preceptes by theyr lawes fraying theÌ„ from vice The seconde kynde of teaching is by Prouerbes Adages whiche kynde of Philosophers most commonly is vsed in whiche they shewe y e contrarieties of thinges ferryng alwaye the best declaring therby both the profites of vertue the inconuenieÌ„ces of vices y t we consideryng bothe maye embrace the good and eschue the euyll The thyrde kynde is by Parables Examples and SeÌ„blables Wherin by esye and familier truthes harder thinges more out of vse are declared that by y e one the other maye be better perceyued borne in mynd whiche waye oure sauiour Christ hym selfe whan he taught y e grosse Iues any diuine thing most commonly vsed Parrables semblables and examples though differing in sumwhat drawe al to one kynde The which kynde Esopus moste of all vsed alludyng and bryngyng vnreasonable thinges to teache and instructe men in graue wayghtye matters ¶ The order of this boke Cap. v. OF these .iii. kyndes of morall Pholosophye last rehearsed consisteth this worke euery kynde by it selfe sundred into a boke that it maye the better be vnderstande of all that shall reade the same the matter of all whiche thre is gathered out of the workes of the most pure auncient Philosophers and specially of these foloyng Mercurius trismegistus Hermes Pythagoras Italicus Thales Milesius Solon Salaminus Chilo Lacedemoniencis Bias Prienneus Periander of Corinth Anacharcis the Scithian Etius Myson Cheneus Cpimenides Cretensis Anaxagoras Eubulinus Phericides the Sirian Socrates of Athens Xenophon of Athens Aristippus of Athens Plato Atheniencis diuinus Isocrates Xenocrates of Calcedonie Archelaus Aristoteles Stagirites Diogenes Plutarche Seneca And for so muche as the good lyfe of a man is cause of his better estimation the liues of all these before named shal be first shewed in a boke by theÌ„selues wherin also parte of theyr wyttye answers are conteyned whiche is set forthe onely for thys pourpose that we Christians ashamed of our selues in beholdyng the lyues of these Heathen persons maye amende and folowe the good doctrine that they haue taught vs. In the seconde booke whiche is called the booke of preceptes and counselles shal be declared what these men thought of god of the soule of y e worlde of death of freÌ„dshyp of counsell of silence of ryches and of pouertie wyth theyr wittie sayinges of and concerning the same matters After whyche theyr good preceptes orderly shall followe In the thyrde boke whiche is the boke of prouerbes or pytthy sayinges shal thinges be shewed worthy of memorie In the ende wherof shal folowe some of theyr principall sentences drawen into meter to the intent they maye be the eselyer learned and better kept in mynde In in forthe boke called the boke of parables or semblables shall appeare y e greate zeale y t the Phylisophers alwayes haue had to teache by all maner meanes that wit might ymagin this so precious and nedeful a science to all kynde of people And yf it shall chaunce that in any of these bookes thorough Ignoraunce or Negligence somewhat shall be misordered or not to fully handled as it shulde be and as the matter requyreth The excuse shal be y t in this treatise no perfection is pretended and onely is set forth as a shewe to make men thereby desirouse to haue the perfection of y e thing whiche it representeth And lyke as a whetstone although it be dull it selfe yet causeth instrumentes to be more keneâ— So by this bluÌ„t treatise suche as are apt ther vnto shal be prouoked to set forth better This beyng in the meane whyle vsed as a preparation to others workes whiche here vpon maye folowe Nowe the order and intent of the boke beyng knowen there is no daunger but that with iudgement the proces maye both be red learned and folowed ¶ The lyues and wittye answers of the Philophers and first of Hermes Cap. vi FOr as muche as of all the philosophers of whome we pourpose to wryte Hermes otherwyse called Mercuriê° Trismegistus is not onely the most excellent but also the most auncient therfore as he is most worthy his lyfe shal be first declared which because it is not wholly set forth nor all agreing in y t whiche is set forth therfore geuyng credit to the most true wryters it shal be set furth as they among them by pyeces haue preserued it Of whome saynt
Augustine the worshypfull docter sayeth Atlas the Astrologian the brother of Promotheus the Phisition floryshed and was hyghly accepted the same tyme in whiche Moses was borne whiche Atlas was graundfather by the mother syde to Mercurius the elder whose Nephewe was this Mercurius Trismegistus which in the Egiptian touÌ„ge is called Hermes Howbeit some whiche wryte of hym holde opinioÌ„ that he was Enoch whiche as they saye signifieth the same in Hebrue that Hermes dothe in the Egiptian tong And so make hym in the seuenth degre from Adam reconyng after this sorte Adam begat Sethe the father of Enos the father of Caynan the father of Malalael the father of Matusale the father of Iareth whiche is the father of Enoche Which opinion although it be not to be vtterly reiected yet is not sufficient without profe to be beleued For Enoche whome they take for Hermes was before Noes flud in whiche al the workes whiche were wrytten yf they had at that tyme any vse of letters were drowned but y e workes of this Hermes of whome we entreate are yet appearing in dyuers languages wherfore it shuld seme that this was not he except we shulde say that he graued it in the stone pyllers in which in tyme of the flud Astronomye was preserued whiche myght well be and but that saynt Augustine Pamphilus in his chronicle and saynct Ierom thervpon appoynt y e contrary I coulde wel beleue For Iamblicus diuers other wryte much of Mercurius Pyllers And Mercurius was of suche same among y e Egiptians that they put forth all theyr workes vnder hys name And the Poetes for his singuler learnyng make hym a god call hym the messenger of Iupiter whome they call y e god of heauen gouerner of all And it maye be that the pyllers whiche the sonnes of Seth of whose image he was made were grauen by hym whiche as many wryte are full of learniÌ„g out of which as testifyeth Iamblicus both Pythagoras and Plato w t diuers other more learned Philosophy But those pillers I take rather to be hys .ii. goodlye bookes whych maye very well be called Pyllers for why they beare both diuinitie yf with Lactancius I maye so call it and also Philosophy whiche were peraduenture also grauen in Sethes chyldrens pyllers therout draweÌ„ by some that hath ben since Of whiche .ii. bokes the firste called Pymander is so full of diuinitie as may astonysh the wyttes of suche as therin shal reade which causeth S. Augustine to doute whether he spake suche thinges as he dyd by knowledge of Astronomy or els by reuelatioÌ„ of spirites Howe be it Lactantiê° douteth not to count him amonge the Cibiles and Prophetes The other boke called Asclepius being but smal conteyneth in it the hole suÌ„me of naturall Philosophye oute of whiche I thinke no lesse but that the Philosophers haue learned oute theyr Science Tully Lactanciê° not shewing in what time saye that there were fyue Mercuries that this is the fift whome the Egipcians call Theuth and the greciens Trismegistus that this is he whiche slewe Argus was ruler of the Egipcians and gaue them lawes and instructed theÌ„ in learning deuysed markes shapes of letters after the forme of beastes trees He was called Trismegistus because he was the chefest Philosopher the chefest prest the chefest kynge He prophesied of the regeneration and beleued the resurrectioÌ„ of y e body and the immortalitie of the soule and gaue his subiectes warnynge to eschue sinne thretnyng them with the iugement of god wherin they shuld geue accoÌ„ptes of theyr wycked deades He taught them also to worship god with diuers kindes of ceremonies and taught them in all matters to make theyr prayers vnto god and instructed the Ylandes in the knowledge of god And whan he had lyued into a perfecte olde age he gaue place to nature Hys preceptes prouerbes and parables shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Pythagoras Cap. vii PYthagoras the Philosopher borne in Samia was a ryche marchaunt mannes soÌ„ne called Demarratê° howbeit he was richer than his father whiche was not able with hys marchandise to get so muche as he despised which was both riche in abstinence from couetise and also in Wysedome whiche is the very riches of which in his youth he was so desirous that he went fyrst to Egypt and after to Babylon to learne Astronomye and the beginnyng of the worldes creation whiche when he had learned he returned iÌ„to Crete Lacedemonia to se Lycurgus and Mynoes lawes In whiche when he was perfecte he went vnto Ceuona where was a people excedingly geuen to luxurie and all kynde of vice among whome he so behaued hym selfe that he refourmed them from theyr euyll maners in small tyme brought them to suche sobrenes that men wolde neuer haue thought it had ben possible For the wyues that were forsaken of theyr husbandes and chyldren cast of by theyr parentes he so instructed that they were receyued agayne He caused the women also to set asyde theyr gorgious attyres reaching them that chastitie was the chefe ornament of honest women This Pythagoras as sayeth Boetius was the inuenter of Musycke among the Grecians whiche he founde out by the soundes of hammers wherof he wrot a boke which Boetius and Apuleyus translated into Latyn Saynt Augustyne in his .viii. booke de ciuitate dei sayth y t Philosophy was so named by hym whiche before was called Sophia For whan it was asked hym what sciencer he was he answered a Philosopher whiche is a desirer of wisedome thinking it a great arrogancie to haue called him selfe wise Tullius sayeth that Pythagoras spake so wysely and so ornatly before Leontius a king that he wondryng at his wyt and Eloquence desyred hym to shewe what science he knewe best to whoÌ„ he answered that he knewe no science but was a Philosopher At whiche for the newnes of the name the kyng astonyshed asked hym what was a Philosopher what difference was betwene Philosophers and other men To whome Pythagoras sayde Mans lyfe semeth to me to be like a coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of people gathered to see a game to whyche men resort for sondrye pourposes some by theyr owne actiuitie to wyn the worshyp of the game other some for lucre sake to by or sell somwhat and othersome myndyng neyther to gainne nor to profit come onely to behold and se what is done And in lyke maner men whiche are come vnto thys lyfe as out of an other lyfe nature occupye them selues with diligence to get prayse or profit or regardyng neyther apply theyr mindes to serche and to knowe the nature of thinges which sorte last named we call Philosophers that is to saye louers of wysedome Thus by thys goodly parable he vttred his mynde in the continuance wherof also he prayseth and proueth his scieÌ„ce to be best sayiÌ„g Lyke as he which coÌ„meth to se the game onely is more liberalle ye and more to be praysed
that woulde haue enuye to se hym prosper Desyre to be cleanlye and not gorgyous in thyne apparell Yf thou do good to the euyl it shall happen to the as it doth to theÌ„ that fede other mennes dogges whiche barcke as well at theyr feeder as at an other straunger â—â—thag Do not suche thynges thy selfe as thou wouldest disprayse in an other Enforce thy selfe to refrayne thy euyll lustes and followe the good for the good mortifyeth and destroyeth the euyll â—ocra Speake euer of god and god wyll alwayes put good wordes in thy mouthe Set thyne owne woorkes alwayes before thyne eyes but cast other mennes behynde thy backe Fyxe not thy mynde vpon worldly plesure nor truste to the worlde for it deceyueth all that put theyr trust therin Be content with lytle and couet not an other mannes gooddes Be saber in thy lyuyng and replenysh thyne harte with wysedome Dreade God and kepe thy selfe from vayne glorye Mocke not an other man for his miserye but take hede by hym howe to auoyde the lyke misfortune Let no man perswade the by flattery to do any euyll nor to beleue otherwyse of thy selfe than thou arte in dede â—rmes Receyue paciently the woordes of correction though they seme greuous Feare the vengeaunce of God al that thou mayest and consyder the greatnes of his puyssaunce and myght By ware of spyes and talebearers Socrat. Tell nothyng to hym that wyl not beleue the nor demaunde any thyng whiche thou knowest before wyl not be graunted Feare God aboue all thynges for that is ryghtfull and profytable and so ordre thy selfe that thy thoughtes and wordes be alwayes of hym for the speakyng and thynkyng of god surmounteth so much al other wordes and thoughtes as god hym selfe surmounteth al other creatures and therfore men ought to obeye hym thoughe they should be coÌ„strayned to the contrary Make thy prayers perfect in the syght of god for prayer is lyke a shyp in the sea whiche yf it be good saueth all therin but yf it be naught suffereth them to perysh Plutarâ— Praye not to god to geue the sufficient for that he wyll geue to eche man vnaâ—ed but praye that thou mayest be content and satisfyed with that whiche he geueth the. Beleue hym not which telleth the a lye by an other bodye for he wyl in lyke maner make a lye of the to an other man Yf thou desyre to be beloued of euerye bodye salute eche man gladly be lyberall in gyuyng and thankfull in receyuyng Forget thyne anger lyghtlye and desyre not to be reuenged Yf thou desyre to coâ—tinue long with an other man payne the to instructe hym wel in good maners ¶ The conclusion THese are part of the preceptes and counsayles of the heathen men which taken and vsed as they shulde be are not vnmete for Christen men to followe Of whiche I coulde haue made a greater boke but for so muche as these fewe contayne the effect of all because also y t men wyl be sone weary of tediouse matters be they neuer so good it semed good for fear of bryuyng men from it before they sawe it to be as brefe as mought be wysshyng that these few myght be wel accepted To the whiche I haue set no summaryes because I woulde that they shoulde be read thoroughlye And although they be so easye playne and common that euery chyld can saye the same yet beyng so lytle followed of men whiche shoulde knowe them best I thought it no shame at all to wryte them which mynde not in this booke to teache men to speake but to do y e thynges whiche they can speake alreadye Wherein peraduenture some wylle muse why I haue attributed so many sentences to Socrates whiche they perhaps knowe to haue be wrytten of other men in which doyng I folowed the prouerbe Doubtefull thynges ought to be interpreted to the best And therfore suche thinges as I haue founde wrytten without certaynty of any certayne authour I haue ascrybed vnto hym not onelye because they be thynges meete for hym to speake but because they be wrytten by some of his scholers which learned them of hym Among whome the most excellent setteth forth suche thinges in hys maysters name that the authoritie of the speaker myght cause the matter to be more regarded I meane Plato whose example in this poynt I haue folowed yet not so desyrous to perswade wyth the authoritie of the speaker as wyth goodnes of the thynge whyche he hath spoken The whiche wyth al the rest I would wyssh al men to learne and followe ⸪ ¶ The ende of the seconde boke ¶ The vse of prouerbes and adages Cap. â— LYke as a louer delyted in the goodly bewtie of his loue can neuer be satisfyed in beholdyng her neyther can take any rest vntil he haue by praysyng enflamed other to delyte in the same labouryng to the vttermost to set forth hys beloued Euen so the â—hylosophers rauyshed in the loue of wysdome haue not onely labored to knowe it to the vttermost but haue also deuysed by al maner meanes to prouoke and entice all men to delyte in the same and because they consydered mennes myndes to be variable diuersly delytyng they deuysed to set out wysedome in sondry kyndes of wrytyng that euery man myght fynde wherin to delyte and so to be caught in his owne pleasure Among whiche kyndes of teaching although preceptes and counsayles be the most playne and easye yet lacke they the grace of delyte whiche in theyr Prouerbes they haue supplyed and that so fynely and so wyttely that they bothe delyte and perswade excedynglye myxed with suche piththynes in wordes sentence as maye minister occasion to muse studye a cause to fire them the better in memory and like a playster bothe corrosyue incarnatiue tanting vices and shewing the remedyes beyng therwithall so brefe that wythout trouble they maye be contayned As for an example this lyttle prouerbe Wrathe leadeth shame in a lease What myght there be sayde to cause a maÌ„ more to refayne his wrath For euery man naturally hateth shame whiche sith it is the folower and ende of anger and therto ioyned inseperablye euen as the shadowe foloweth the body what man considering the ende wyl vse hym selfe therto And to make hym ashamed loe here an other He that to his wrath and anger is thrall Ouer his wyt hath no power at all Nowe what maye make a man more ashamed of hym selfe than to be thought a very foole I suppose nothyng Wherfore syth this kynde is so wytty and so pleasant I haue endeuored in this boke to gather togyther part of theyr prouerbes and haue sundred them into chapters that they myght the easylier be had and founde out for al maner pourposes And suche thinges as I thought most proper I haue drawen into meter and ioyned with them diuers other by other men done alreadye to the intent that suche as delyte in Englyshe meter and can retayne it in memory better than prose might find
meanyng by the voyce of his trumpet so shulde a woman let her housbaude speake for her They whiche were wount to do sacryfyce vnto Iuno the Boddesse of maryed women toke alwayes the galles out froÌ„ the beastes whiche they sacrificed signifiyng therby that al anger and displesure ought to be farre from marryed folke Lyke as they whiche kepe Eliphantes weare no lyghte coloured garmentes nor they whiche kepe wylde bulles weare no purple because suche colours dooe make them fyerce so ought a wyfe to abstayne from suche thynges as she knoweth wyll offende her husbande Lyke as a membre vexed with the itche hath alwayes nede of clawyng so the couetousnes of the mynde can neuer be satisfyed As a scarre geueth vs warnyng to beware of wouÌ„des so the remembraunce of euyls that are past maye cause vs take the better heede As the complayntes of chyldren maye be sone appeysed so small affections vanysh lyghtly He that bryngeth an infirmed body to a bayne or to any voluptuousnes is lyke to hym whiche bryngeth a broken shyp in to the ragyng seas He whiche geueth ryches or glory to a wycked man geueth wyne to hym y t hath a fyeuer They whiche go to a banket onelye for the meates sake are lyke them whiche go onely to fyll a vessell Lyke as the bodye is an instrument of the soule so is the soule an instrument of God Seruauntes whan they sleape feare not theyr maysters and they y t be bounde forget theyr letters in sleape vlcers and sores leaue smartyng but supersticion alone vexeth a man whan he sleapeth If they be miserable whiche haue cruell maysters although they maye go from them howe muche are they more miserable that serue their vices as their masters from whome they can not flye They whiche woorshyp God for feare least any euyl shoulde chaunce vnto them are lyke them whiche hate Tyrantes and yet reuerence them because they shoulde not hurt them Lyke as they iudge worse of a man the whiche saye that he is wrathfull and vngracious than yf they denyed hym to be alyue so they thynke not so euyl of god which saye there is no god at all as the supersticious whiche saye God is frowarde and ful of wrathe and reuengeaunce Luke as they whiche bryng vp horses well teache them fyrst to folowe the brydle so they that teache chyldren shoulde fyrst teache them to geue eare to y t whiche is spoken As we beholde our selues in other folkes eyes so shoulde we learne by other meÌ„nes reporte what doeth become vs and what doeth not Lyke as they whiche geue vnwyllinglye seeme to haue but lyttle them selues euen so they whiche prayse other folkes sclenderlye seeme to desyre to be praysed them selues Lyke as in meates the holsomnesse is as muche to be requyred as the pleasauntnesse so in hearyng and reading authors we ought to desyre as wel the goodnes as the eloquence As a lookyng glasse representeth euery thing that is set agaynst it euen so doeth a flatterer Lyke as the shadowe foloweth a man continually what so euer he doe euen so a flatterer what so euer a man doeth applyeth hym selfe to the same Lyke as a Phisicion cureth a man secretlye he not fealyng it so shulde a good frende helpe his frende preuely whan he knoweth not of it Lyke as the rule ought to be strayght and iust by which other rules shulde be tryed so ought a Gouernour whiche shoulde gouerne other to be good vertuous honest and iust hym selfe As a vessel can not be knowen whether it be whole or broken except it haue licour in it so can no man be thorowlye knowen what he is before he be in authoritie As darnell spryngeth vp among good wheat and â—â—tâ—les among Roses euen so Enuye groweth vp among vertues Where as is no lyght there is no shadowe and where as is no welthe there is no Enuye They that are ready to take a tale out of an others mouthe are lyke vnto them whiche seynge one profered to be kyssed woulde houlde forth theyr lyppes to take it from hym Lyke as an hare bothe delyuereth norysheth and is with younge all atones so an vsurer before he haue begyled one deuyseth howe to deceyue an other by makyng a false bargayne Lyke as an horse after he hath ones taken the brydle muste euer after beare one or other so he that is ones fallen in det can lyghtly neuer after be throughly quit ther from As a wyse maryner in calme weather prepareth hym selfe lokyng for a tempest Euen so ought the mynde when it is most at quyet to doubte of some tribulacion Lyke as the famyshed for lacke of other meate are fayne some tyme to eate theyr owne flesshe so many that are vayngloryous are forced to prayse them selues because no man elles wyll Lyke as a spot ought to be wyped oute at the fyrste least with to long tarying it stayne through and be the worse to be got out so shulde discention be remedyed at the fyrst that it growe not to hatred As the vessell can not be full which alwaye shedeth out and taketh in nothing so the man can not be wyse that euermore talketh and neuer harkeneth Lyke as there is no tree but wyl waxe barrayne and growe out of fashion if it be not well attended so is there no wyt so good but wyl waxe euyl if it be not well applyed Lyke as there is no beast so wylde but that diligence maye make tame so there is no wyt so vnrulye but that good bryngyng vp maye maye make gentle Lyke as Phisicions with theyr bytter drugges do myngle theyr sweete spyces that they myght be the better receyued so ought checkes to be myngled with gentle admonicions Lyke as a dogge deuowreth by and by what so euer he maye catche and gapeth continuallye for more so yf it chaunce vs to obtayne any thyng we set lytle by it desyrous alwayes to obtayne more Lyke as the bookes which are seldome tymes occupyed wyl cleaue fast togither euen so the memory waxeth harde yf it be not oftentymes renued Lyke as the stroke whiche a man seeth maye be the better receyued and defeÌ„ded so the mischyefe whiche is knowen of before can do the lesse harme The poyson whiche serpentes continually kepe without any harme they spâ—we out to others destruction but the malicious contrary wyse hurte no man so muche as them selues Lyke as whan the wyne spourgeth it breaketh the vessell and that whiche is in the bottom cummeth vp to the brymme euen so drunkennes discouereth the secretes of the heart Lyke as a cunnyng woorkman can fashyon an ymage of any kynde of matter so a wyseman shulde take in good worthe all kyndes of Fortune Lyke as the Sunne is alone bothe to poore and ryche so ought a Prynce not to haue respect to the person but to y e matter Lyke as an Adamaut by a secret hyd power draweth Iron vnto it euen so wisdome by a secrete meane draweth vnto it the heartes of men Lyke