to this The third is a man that wyll stande in the thing that is good and lightely depart from a thing that is euell But generally the man that is constante is better then the manne that is mutable for the mutable moueth with euerye winde but the constante mouethe not for anye stronge desire but somtime by his noble delectacion mouethe frome his falce credence and consenteth to the trewthe It is impossible that a man be wise and incontinent to geather For prudence is but onelye in the worke ofte tymes incontinence and wylynes be together and so subteltie is deuided from prudence And prudence is in those thiges which be good But subteltee is both in the good and in the euil And the wise man that worketh not according to his science is lyke to hym that slepeth and is droncke The lighte and wantō man is the pit of carnal desyres afflict and swalowed in the workes of reason and is as a drunckard which hath bound his wit and is smothered in his brayne by the vapours of wyne for to much wine peruerteth the ryght iudgement The frendful man is he that wronges other by councell prepensed and by I re maketh election without reason which is euel withoute remedy ¶ Of Amitee cha xxxix AMitee is one of the vertues of almightie God and of mā and is much nedeful to thelife of mā and a man hath nede of frēdship in this life as of other thynges And the mighty riche princes of the earth haue nede of frendes to whom thei may be beneficial and of whom they may receaue thankes honors and seruices A gret suretie it is to a mā to haue frendes for so much as aman is in the degre of gretnes the more egal he is to fal and his fal most perillous Then frendes are mooste nedefull in the tyme of stryffe and aduersitee And therfore it is a good and a sure refuge For a manne that hath no frende is alone in his dedes And when he is with his frend he hathe companye and helpe to brynge his worke to passe For why of two perfytte personnes commeth perfite worke and vnderstandyng The makers of the lawe put their Citizens in comfort to haue Charitee together with Justice For why yf euery man were iuste yet Charitee should be nedefull But yf euery man wer frendly to other Justice shuld not nede for whi frendshippe destroyeth al strife and euery discorde that may be ¶ Of the kindes of Amitee Chapiter .xl. THE kyndes of Amitee bee knowen by the thīges that a man loueth whiche be thre that is to saie Good Profytable and delectable And he that is suche one accordyng to the truthe loueth hym that is like hym The kindes of amite ben thre the one is loued for good another for gaines and the other for delectaciōs and to euery one it is nedefull to manifest tribulaciō For they that loue bereth good will commonly one to another and verely loue the thinges by the which they be frendes that is to say delectacion profit whence the amitee indureth so longe as indureth the delectaciō and the perfite and therfore they be frēdes and enemies The frēdshyp is in olde folkes but the frendship of delectacion is amongest them that be yonge howbeit the perfite Amite is in them that be good and that be like in vertue and beare good wil one to another because they be like in their vertues And this frendshyp is a way that conteyneth al goodnes and amongest themthere is no delectaciō nor euil And therfore this frendship cannot be be twene the good man the euell but onely amongest theim that be good But the amitee that is by delectacion or for profit may be amongest good euel howbe it it contyne weth not longe Amite is a laudable adornement to them that company together and is a fayre lyfe by the which they liue together in tranquillitee and the tranquillttee that is amongest them doth not depart by the diuersitee of places and shoulde not stande yf they were farre of this maye bee a departyng goyng out of the myndfulfrendship and therfore it is a prouerbe that long viages depart frendshippe A welbeloued thynge hathe some noble goodnes and therefore frendes loue together not because of fode or repaste but because of habit and euery frend loueth his welthe and rendereth one to another accordynge to equalitee Howe that the substance of the good shuld be cōmen Chapiter .xli. THe participacion of theim that be parteners together in good and euell in marchandise and in conuersacion together is euer a beginning of frēd ship and according to the quan titee of the thynges soo is the quantitee of frendshyppe and they that haue frendes oughte to common amongest them For amitee is a thing of commente and euery commontie desyreth lyke concupiscence And therefore is made the solempnitee of Pasch oblacions and offerynges so that of thes thinges mai growe company and loue amōgest neighboures of the whiche thing procedeth honour and exaltacion of almighty God And in olde tyme they kept their solempnitees after Corne Haruest because at that time menne were mooste able to helpe their frendes and to geue thankes to God for his benefites receiued ¶ Of Principalitees Chapiter .xlii. THere be thre principalitees the fyrste of the Kyng another of the Commonalte and the thirde of the Father vppon his children and echone of these hathe his conntrary For the King inforceth his subiectes to goodnes and is studious to procure theyr good estate as the Herdemanne is studyous vppon his stocke It is a differēce betwene the Lordshippe of the king and other in this For the kinge is Lorde vniuersall of the people the father is the cause of the generacyon of hys chyldren and of the brynging vp of theym Then the father is natural lord of his chyldren and their loue is greate Therefore the father oughte to be honoured with the honoure dewe vnto hym The Justice of euerye manne is accordyng to the quantitee of his vertue then whosoeuer is greateste oughte to bee mooste loued and honoured The loue of brothers is as the loue of fellowes because they come together and hathe one symylitude when there commeth aduersytee ⧠The Lorde and the subiectc haue one Relygyon togyther Lyke as the craftes manne and his instrumente and as the bodye and the solle And he that vseth the Instruemente profyteth thereby and therfore he loueth it but the Instrument loueth not hym that wearethe it ⧠And lykewyse the bodye loueth not the solle The Instrument is as the bonde man whyche loueth not his Lorde The father loueth the sonne and the sonne the father because the one is made of the other but the loue of the father is more stronger than the loue of the sonne the reason is for that the father knoweth his sonne to be of hym in shorte tyme after his byrthe But the sonne knoweth not the father of longe after that is when his
wittes be come to him and discression coÌ„forteth More ouer the father loueth the soÌ„ne as hymself But the soÌ„ne loueth the father as a thyng made of him Brothers loue together as beeyng of one beginnyng For thei be one thing although thei be departed And this that conforteth loue emonges brethern is that thei bee nourished and brought vp together ¶ The .xliij. Chapter ¶ The loue that a man hath with GOD. THe loue that aman hath with god and the loue that a maÌ„ hath to his father is of one nature For why Eche one of their loues is by a recordacioÌ„ of grace But the loue of God oughte to bee preferred before the loue of the father For y e benefites that a maÌ„ receiueth of God be more greate and more noble then thei whiche be receiued of the father The amite of kyndred frendes neighbours and straungers is more and lesse accordyng to the diuersite of the causes by y â— whiche one beareth good will vnto another Therefore thei that be brought vp together beeyng of long tyme conuersant together be of great frendship The loue that is betwene a man and his wife is loue naturall a more auncieÌ„t loue then is y e loue of citezeÌ„s emongest theÌ„ and in this loue is great profite For why the workes of the maÌ„ is diuerse from the workes of the woman And that whyche the one canne not dooe the other dothe and so they fulfyll theyr busynesse The chyldren be bondes whiche bynde the womanne to the husbande in loue because the chyldren bee the common wealth of them bothe How that loue is increased by coÌ„municacion of frendes Chapyter .xliiii. COmmunicacioÌ„ ioineth theym that be good togyther in one loue by occacion of vertues whiche verily be louing together in theym selues for there is not amongest them any strife or contencion nor will to haue victory the one of the other but only to serue and please for why It is a great pleasure when a man hath dooen seruice to his frendes There bee frendships whiche be called questionalles and those frendshippes bee in men whiche receiue one of another wherof commeth greate accusacions as when the one saieth I haue dooen thee pleasure and thou hast doen me none Suche frendship cannot long indure ⧠Amitee is like vnto Justice and accordyng to iustice in two sortes that is to saie Naturall and legall So is frendship in two sortes naturall and legall And the legall is called amitee and the perticular is a market of change as she that standeth in geuyng and receiuyng naturally froÌ„ hand to hande There are diuerse men that be pleased with that thyng whiche is well and conuenient but notwithstaÌ„dyng thei leaue the good take the profitable A good thyng it is to do good to other without any hope of gaynes But profitable is when a manne thynketh to haue a greater power This seruice is it that a manne dooth to hym that is mightie and able to geue rewardes and chaunge for seruice dooen ¶ The .xlv. Chapiter Of the loue that ought to bee emongest menne LOue is the pryce of vertue and thankes or benefites receiued Gaynes or wynnyng is seuerally of nede the greater man ought to geue vnto the lesse winnyng the lesse ought to geue vnto the greater honor and reuerence And this ought to bee accordyng to the deseruyng of theim bothe In these waies is conserued frendeship The honor that a manne ought to doo to almightie God and to his father is not like other honors for no man can geue sufficiente honores and thankes to God to his father Although he inforce himself to do what he can the commendable equalnes is to equall the kindes of amite that bee diuerse as it is in the orderyng of citees that the shomaker selleth his shooes as he will and likewise other craftes men emongest them One thing is loued by the whiche all marchaundise bee made equall and confirmed this is Gold and siluer When the louer loueth his loue for delectacion she loueth him for profite thei loue not the one the other right wel therfore suche loue is sone loste Euery loue y â— is for light thinges doth shortly departe But the reasoÌ„s that be strong and stedfast causeth frendship and loue to continue that is by vertue for the good is long laster For why Uertue cannot be remoued but profite departeth when profitable is taken awaie A man that syngeth for gaynes if a manne should syng one song for another he would not be coÌ„tent because he loketh for another reward Then there shalbe no concord in marchandise if there be not concord of willes and that is wheÌ„ a man receiueth for that that he geueth that he would haue And sometymes it is for that for y â— whiche he geueth nothing but honor reuerence as did Pithagoras the which would haue nothyng of hys Scholers for his doctryne but honoure and reuerence And somtime for doctryne a man will haue mony as the Mechaniques but it is not so in Philosophie for he that teacheth other knowledge ought to receiue of his disciple honor and subieccion as a lord and father It is nedefull for a manne to knowe the dignitie of men So that euery man maie geue honoure accordyng to his dutie For a man oweth one honor to his father another to the people another to the Lorde of the hoste another to the felowe another to the neighbor and another to the straÌ„ger He that vseth fraude in freÌ„dship is worse theÌ„ he that vseth fraude in gold and siluer eueÌ„ somuche as frenship is more precious then gold and siluer so muche the wourse is he that fraudeth amitie then he that deceiueth in Golde and siluer And like as false money is shortly broken so false frenship shortely departeth ¶ The .xlvi. Chapiter ¶ How almightie God departeth all goodnesse THE equall parte of goodnes is almighty God whiche geueth too euery one accordyng as their nature is apte to receiue The man that is good delighteth in hymself hauyng ioye of the good woorkes and if he bee good reioyseth hym muche with his frende whiche he taketh as himself But the euill manne flieth from the good and noble operacions and if he be very euill he flieth from hymself For when he standeth alone he is rebuked in hymself in rememberyng the euill woorkes whiche he hath dooen and neither loueth hymself nor other because the nature of goodnesse is mortified in hym in the depenesse of iniquite â—e delighteth not fully in y â— euill that he doth For the nature of goodnes draweth vnto delectacion and deuâ— deth in hymself And therfore he is in perpetuall troble paines full of bitternesse and dronken in filthinesse and of diuersitee Then to suche a man no man caÌ„ bee afrende For a frende ought to haue in hym a thyng to be loued and suche one hath in hymself so muche misery that there is no remedy that he may come to felicite Then let no man fall in
egal and therby may be taken and geuen greate thinges litel thinges is an instrumēt wherby iudges may do iustice Money is a liuelesse lawe but the iudge the lawes haue life god is y ◠vniuersal law of al thinges the vigor strenthe of egalnes standeth faste by the obseruacion of the law of cities and the laborers of the fiel des rilthe likewise increaseth therby for lacke of iustice fall in ruine The prince is the obser uer of iustice and egalnes and therfore he geueth not the goodes wherof he is Lorde more to himself thē to other Wherfore it is saide honors and lordships maketh a man knowen The people presupposeth that liberalite is cause of Principalitee and Lordshippe and some saye that riches is the cause other put nobilitee of bloudde But the wise manne saieth and beleueth that vertue is the cause that a manne is worthy to haue Lordshippe Justice is in two sortes one is natural and another accordinge to the lawe the lawe naturall is one selfe nature in euerye man as the fyer whersoeuer it be it goth vpwarde the other which is accordig to the lawe hath many diuersyties as we se in sacrifices which be diuersli done some by beastes and some by certaine generacyons of trees and in bothe these iustices equalite is to be vnder stand He that rēdreth the thing that he hath in kepyng not willyngly but by feare is not iuste by himselfe but by other but he that yeldeth by himself because of honestye with a good wyll he is iuste The hurtes whiche be commonly dooen amanges menne be in thre sortes The first by error and by ignorance the other is by ignoraunce with wil to hurt the third bi thought malice and in wil to hurte By ignorance is whē a man in his dede hathe not studied as other and as he shuld and these twoo sortes be not imputed vniuste for why their dedes procede not of malice but when a man doth hurt hy malice prepenced or by propre will there is no circumstāce that can excuse his malice for it is very euel and vituperable Ther be two maners of ignorances one natural as the na tural fole an other wherof a mā is cause as when a man is igno raunt because he wyll not study to knowe the thyng that he oughte to knowe of troth and wel Aboue iustice is better then iustice but accordyng to the truth in the very meane ther is no de uisiō and the very iustice is not that whiche is in the lawes but that iustice whiche is in the Almighty glorious God is ge uē to mā bi the which iustice mā maketh himselfe like vnto god Of prowesse Cha xxvii THere bee two kindes of vertues the one is called morall the whiche belongeth too the life sencible whiche hath no reason another vertue intellectuall or reasonable the whiche is vnderstandynge and discrecion Then the life sen syble doth fleeth and persecuteth withoute anye delyberacyon and therfore it is sayed that this vertue desyreth concupyscence but the vnderstandying affirmeth and maketh no election without him thē the beginning of the election is desyre intellectuall beecause of some thyng And no man vseth the election in the thyng that is past before because that which is doen can not be vndooen for there vpon is no power nor there falleth no electiō in thinges of necessite as in risyng setting of the Sūne that ryseth by nature ⧠In the solle of man bee fyue thynges of the whiche maye be spoken truthe affirmynge and deniyng that is to say Art scyence Prudence Sapience and vnderstandyng Scyenceis by suche demonstracion which can not be otherwaies and nether doth ingender nor corrupt and euery science or discipline that is in vse so may be taughte And euery thing that is lerned must nedes be learned by prynciples the whiche bee manifeste by them and the Demonstracyons be euer true and neuer lye For why they be of thinges necessary The disposiciō of the art is of very reason the wyse and prudent man can councell hymselfe and other in thynges that be good and euell which be apperteining vnto men Thē prudence is an habite with the whiche a man may councel with very reason in thynges towarde men good and euell Sapience is an aduaunsing or ioiyng ofartificers that hath obtayned scyence And when it is said of one that he is wyse in his art ther is shewed the goodnes and gretnes of his art The vnderstanding is it that taketh the commandement of thinges reason science vnderstandyng be of those thinges that bee naturally noble There may be found yong men which be wyse of discipline but not in prudēce to be wise in prudence wolde be had a long knowlage in many particuler thinges the whyche cannot be had but by long time The adolescente and yong man hath but short tyme. Prudence measureth the beginnyng the end of euery thing and by by conscnteth to a good councell ¶ Wilynesse is of prudence with the whiche a manne commeth to the entent by great subteltie of his vnderstandyng in thinges that bee good but the subtile is called qualite in thinges that be euel As enchantmētes wytchecraftes Suche are not called wyse but councelers of stryfe and wilybegylars ¶ Felicitee is not a thing to be chosen for other but for himself as helth the accions of the solle bee accordynge to the measure of Morall vertues and accordynge to the measure of Prudence and of subtelty then vertue-setteth forthe the right purpose of man prudence that is to say knowlage confirmeth it and maketh it good and conduceth him vntoiustice Thes morall vertues make a mā stronge chaste and iust frō youthe as in children some maner of bestes then these vertues be bi nature and not by vnderstanding But the Lordshyp of all vertues belongeth vnto the vertues intellectual for there can be no election without the vnderstandyng nor cānot be accomplished with out moral vertue so prudence techeth to do that which ought to be done but moral vertue set teth forth the dede to fulfill the worke ¶ Of strengthe Chapiter .xxviii. STrengthe is a laudable habite good for the man that is very strong sustayneth many terryble thynges and despyseth deathe in assailyng those whiche behoueth and dothe the woorkes of strength not to haue honour or delectacion but onely for vertue There be men whiche be cōstrained to worke the workes of strength for shame and to fle reproche to get them honor put thē selfes in peril of their lyues rather then to liue with shame Wilde strengthe is this that a man dooeth in furor as when a man is angry for any thing doen against hym and wold be reuenged Bestial strength is the fulfillyng of a mans luste burnynglye desyred Spirituall strengthe is that whyche a man dothe to obtayne honoure and fame Strengthe Deuyne is that whiche stronge men naturally loue And Goddes men be very stronge ¶ Of Chastitee
to this pitte of Iniquite but rather enforce hym to come to goodnes by the whiche he maie haue delectaciō and ioye in him self Comforte is not frendship althoughe it bee like vnto it The beginnyng of frendship is pleasure had in tymes past As the loue of a woman of the whiche a manne hath had pleasure and delectacion and is a bonde of loue and foloweth it inseperable the desperaciō of the whiche procedeth Comforte maie bee frendship by similitude till it bee growē by custome of time and the office of comfort apperteigneth vnto hym that hath in hym grace and grauite and excercised in vertue knitte of loue and concorde for discorde in opinions is to bee drawen oute of a noble congregacion so that it maie remaigne in vnitee and peace and in concord of willes Those thynges that geue other verite and dignitee to rule bee vertuous their woorkes And the vnite of opinions be found in good menne bycause thei bee firme and stable emōgest theim self in outwarde thynges for thei beare good will continually but seldome men agre in one opinion And to fulfill their desires thei sustaine greate strife and muche businesse but not because of vertue And bee solicitous to deceiue them with whō thei haue to doo and euer be in strief and in contenciō The benefactors loue their beneficiates more then thei bee loued of them For the benefactor loueth with pure liberalite but the beneficiates louen their benefaccores by debte of thankes And moreouer the benefactor loueth the beneficiate as creditor But the beneficiate loueth as a debtor y ◠creditor reioyseth against his debitor The debitor is trobled bicause he feareth his debitor then the beneficiates fain to loue their benefactours bycause thei would not bee rebuked of vnkindnesse And yet the receite of the benefite is factor and in speciall if he haue mynd For why The vttermoste perfecciō of man is in his operaciō ¶ The .xlvij. Chapiter ¶ How man delighteth hym in many thynges A Manne delighteth in three thynges that is to say in thynges present in vsyng of them In thynges past in remēbryng of them and in thinges to come in trustyng of them The woorkes good and noble contine we long and be delectable to remēbrance But the delectable and profitable satisfie but litle and the memory shortly past Euery manne loueth more the thinges that he getteth with paine then the thyng that he getteth without pain as it is of money whiche whē it is gotten with great labor it is kept with great studie and moderatly spente And who y ◠getteth it without labor spendeth it without moderaciō And this is the cause wherefore the mother loueth y ◠childe more then dooth the father For why She suffreth great trauail and anguishe in the birthe Now in somuche that it is a light thing to receiue benefites and a hard thyng to geue theim the benefactor loueth better his benefactor then the benificiator loueth his benefactor There bee men that loue themself to much and that is called a filthy loue The euill man doth euery thyng vpon will but the good and verteons manne dooth the workes whiche bee good and verteous for the loue of vertue and good nes And there bee other menne that by y ◠nobilitee of their mindes be good to their frendes in leuyng them their goodes So that their workes maie remain in perpetuall memorye My frend is another This is a prouerbe By a prouerbe it is saied Frendes haue one life and one bloud and all their thynges be bee equally comen as the nose to the face the knee to the legge and the fynger to the hande A manne ought to loue his frend for in louing him he loueth him self and should not be loued for honor or corporall delectacion but rather for the very loue of vertue And the manne that loueth his frend in this sorte is a very frende he helpeth and supporteth with body and goodes and with his life if nede be The full felicitee of mankynde is in the obteignyng of frendes for no man would haue al the goodes of the worlde to liue alone Then a man hath nede of frendes to whom he maie bee benificiall and with whom he maie comenly vse felicite It is a natural thyng to man to liue citezenly and a necessary thyng to a manne to accomplishe his busines of necessitee by his neighbores and frendes whiche cannot bee doen by hymself To do well it is a noble and delectable thyng and the vertues electe in good deedes bee fewe But the profitable delectable be many The frendes of pleasure should not bee many for thei be but for disgestion of meate There can bee but one verteous frend As a man can haue but one louer that he loueth intierly For whi That loue is of aboundaunce the whiche is but to one alone But counsaill honest and conueniente ought to bee to euery man by dutie of vertue A man hath nede of frendes in tyme of aduersitee and prosperitec to be comen with hym in his goodes and liuyng in ioye and plesure so that menne maie become the better one by another And in aduersitee so that a man maie haue helpe and counsaill of his frende ¶ The .xlviij. Chapiter ¶ How Delectacion is naturall DElectaciō is borne and norished with vs from the beginnyng of oure nature therfore children should bee taughte at the beginnyng to delight themselfes in thynges conuenient and likewise against that to mislike the contraries And this is the foundacions of vertue morall and in processe growethe and is knowen the beatitude of the life For when a manne delighteth in a thyng it is his choyse and when it greueth he flieth it And there bee menne whiche be seruauntes to the delectacions wherfore their delectacions bee destroyed against God of this that thei owe. Those mē whiche claime delectacions and folowe them saie against their mindes and saie not euill of theim concerning the vertue For the true woorde dooth euer helpe and amendeth the maners of the life better but the operacion woorketh more then doth the worde And therefore the good man informeth his life with good wordes good workes The thyng that is desired for it self is beste and the griefe is euil For why It is contrary to delectacion also euery thyng that is good helpeth vnto another thyng to make it good And delectacion helpeth other thynges and maketh theim better Then she is good Plato saieth That delectacion was not good paraduenture he saith not truth For why In euery thyng is naturally some thyng that is good then in delectaciō is some thing that is good It is a thyng vnpossible that one good thyng be contrary to the other And it is impossible that one euill be not contrary to another and bothe two are to be fled But two goodes are not contrary together but rather be like and both two are to bee electe and chosen but yet the one maie bee better then the other As