a witnesse in thy breast against thy selfe dost beare It litle skills where any see thy doings yea or no For day and night thy Conscience of erye thing doth knowe In all estates the lust of fleshe a foule offence is thought But more vnséemely in an olde and Aged man is nought For why the white and siluer heares the witlesse youth should guide By Counsell and by good aduise for feare they wander wide And therfore ought they al theyr talke to frame so wise and graue In presence of the youth as they of them may honour haue For this in former passed times was Age in honour had For this alone the Fathers were accompted graue and sad But on the other side againe let youth do reuerence To aged Syres and â—y to them be succour and defence When ancient Syres to Court do go or on the holy day To church a rout of youth should then awaite them on the way And make their choyce among them al whome ech doth fansie best And whom he could content himselfe withall aboue the rest For sure it is a perfite signe of Vertue in a man To reuerence an aged wight in humblest wise he can Let youth with pacience fall to paines to make their bodies harde From Wine Women but they must in any case be barde Let grosse and homely be theyr fare no dainties in their dishe The belly must be fillde but not as much as throate coulde wishe Let neuer yong men haunt the Cooks where curious Cates be mest Let that suffise them that at home in Fathers house is drest No neither when they come to age and youth is gone and past Let them be ydle and vnwrought or filthie pleasure taste For who denies but aged men may many things dispatch Let them or write with pen or at their studies haue a snatche As soone as they returne from Church when seruice time is past That exercise is good as long as morning Sunne doth last But let the Boy be then at Booke and lesson learne by hart 'T is easie to inforce a childe from studie not to start He easily will beare the yoke but do not force awhit Although he can not worde by worde his lesson well recite For séede that in the soile is sowne lies hidden long below And many monthes is vnder grounde but yet at last doth grow And all the while in bellie of his mother Earth it lies The want of humour in the séede the moistie soile supplies Likewise what so the childe doth lerne and takes in tender yeares In after time when age comes on the frute it selfe appeares Let graue and decent be thy wéede be modest in aray For feare thy outwarde garment doe thine inwarde kinde bewray For sundry nice vnmanly men by nice attire are spid And by that meanes breakes out the bile that was in couert hid The filthie whelke and bladder redde appearing on the skin Declares vnto the lookers on the blood corrupt within Thinke that such nicenesse appertains vnto the womans kind And yet I can not praise the wench in whome that vice I finde Extreme or ouer great to be wherefore if so thou haue That fault imbrace it not to much nor doe thou euer craue To haue it if thou once be frée and quit from such a vice For sure it is a filthie thing a man to be too nice Both womans wede and wanton gate refuse in any case And thinke that they are euer apt mans Nature to deface Fye shame vpon it what is more against our manly kinde Than vnderneath a womans wéede the shape of man to finde Yet let thy garments handsom bée not sluttish lest the Fame And common rumour yelde to thée a fowle and filthie name Kéepe thou amid the two extremes ne though thou haue no store Or great excesse of welth thou must a slouen be the more For neither must the poore man goe too sluttish in his wéede Nor doth the man that barrs thée from this nicenesse here in déede Persuade thée to be ouer rude or to vncleane aray But highly doth with all his heart commende the middle way What so comes nere the two extremes vnséemely is and yll The Middle is the Vertues place there she is planted still Let simple cheere content thy minde not bankets costly dight Such chéere as well from famine may thy emptie belly quight Sufficing let thy table bée let pleasure not redounde Therin to much but euer there let meate inough be founde Let hunger be in steade of sause and stirre the stomacke vp Delight thou not of syrops swéete deuisde by arte to suppe Force not thy chaunge of dishes but for holesome victuals séeke And rest content with cates that erst thy Fathers olde did léeke Nor do accompt so greatly of the Kitchen glorie but Thy whole delight and studie in a sober dyet put Ne shalt thou be so sparefull as a Niggards name to get And cause that ery man on thée his hatefull téeth shall whet Be not seuere in slender things nor séeke to set no lawes In sort to bannishe mirth and bée of drousie dumpes the cause For trifling toyes full many times a great rebuke do bring And yet from thence doth slender gain and litle profite spring And where Decorum many parts and causes hath the best And chiefe consistes in that we know Decoruâ— how to wrest For not in ery time is one selfe thing allowde for good As Proteus Monster sundry shapes did shift in one selfe hood Looke what became and fitted youth in gréene and tender yeares For aged Syres vnséemely shewes full soone the oddes appeares State Office time and present age a difference great doe make And causeth thee what earst became vnseemely now to take And what a priuate man before thou likedst well as nowe To Office calld in common weale thou must not once allowe The furious phrase thou vsde in field encountring with thy Foe Behoues thée nowe a quiet man in Citie to forgoe If bending thou to aged yeares in practise doe delight That fitted youth assure thy selfe thou swarust from Duetie quight And wheÌ„ thou art wel stept in age if then thy maners bee Not altred but which youthful pranks and pageants doe agrée Then dost thou wax a MoÌ„ster sowle whome men of right should flée In youth thou wishte to come to age and siluer heares to haue So now thou shouldst another life and other hostage craue Well may we laugh the Sot to scorne that in his latter dayes Much like a babe in cradle clowtes doth fall to childish playes Loke how thy priestly garments do from others disagrée So much differring ought thy life from other mens to bée And how much higher is thy roome and office so much more Thou oughtst thy maners to regarde than thou wert wont before Doe not as common sort of men since fewe or none at all May match with thée to higher things and déeper matters fall If thou in place appointed be of Lyon stoute to sitte
to say thy minde is nothing so Vse no contentious talke with hym in any case altho He doe defende the other part Vnto thy fellowes harke Whē thou hast sayd 't is shame for thée alone to bawle and barke If any stande in stubborne sort maintaining nought at all But falshode yeld for feare your talke to greater mischief fall Although the tale which any man in presence mindes to tell No whit delight thy curious eares or fansie passing well Yet trouble not the rest that would giue eare vnto the talke But rather paciently endure all others tongs to walke And doe but seldome speake thy selfe If thou be sad by kinde Reproue nor fynde no fault with those that are of mery minde Despise thou none for that thy selfe in wisedome dost excéede But rather ayde them if thou mayst by good aduise at néede In speaking euer doe beware and wisely looke about For feare the sicknesse of the minde by babbling burst not out Nip no man in his absence for no doubt 't is traitorlike A man that is not ware of thée behinde his backe to strike But rather looke wher whilst thou dost an other sharply touch Thou doe not by the selfe same meane controll thy selfe as much What so they are thou speakst vnto do curteously entreate The lesser sort thou shalt not scorne no more than of the great But rather trauaile and thou canst to beare a shewe and face As though thou madst accompt of all this prouerbe taketh place Who so doth lone is loude againe by curteous language we Must chiefly couet in good will of ery man to bée But most of all our frendship olde must be respected still And greatest care must aye be had to maintaine first good will Demaunde no question sharply nor with curst and cruell worde And eke thy selfe demaunded shalt an answere milde auorde Dispraise nor praise not any one for vice or vertue more Than Reason wills a meane is best kéepe still the meane in store So like or else condemne as he that heares thée may not say Good faith thy iudgement is but yll thou wandrest farre astray Thou shalt not like the better with thy tongue in that thou dost That spitefull sting into the limmes of men in absence thrust For ery one both markes the man and hateth him that railes Vpon a man behind his backe and with his tongue assailes Do euer flée the flattring guest nor flatter thou at all For both offences grieuous are nor this nor that is small When other speake thée faire smooth haue euer this in thought That those good fellowes gladly would for litle price be bought But when thou spekest an other faire he will for such a friende But litle giue that proues him but a gloser in the ende Accompt no more of great report that wicked wights bestowe Than if the cause were yll wheron this great renoume did growe But thinke it praise that naughtie men deuise in thy defame The chiefest praise is to offende the beast that liues with shame 'T is harde to stoppe the open eares against the pleasant call And that was euer compted yet the greatest praise of all No other Syrenes sure they were that wise Vlysses guylde Than smooth plesant speaking tongs with falshodes cunning fylde They they are Mōsters great inough to trap the wisest man Thou euer more must stande in dread of pleasant language than Of rougher spéeche For spitefull tong doth aye discouer vice Whē gleining marchāts cloke the crime and cog with craftie dise The pinching griefes that men diseasd do féele they séeke to heale But such as neuer ake they scorne and tender neuer a deale But die therof or eare they thought such mischiefe would befall The woūd the shewes to outward mark the Surgion will with small And litle cost procure to health but that which hidden lies And rankles déepe beguiles the man that is accompted wise Do not desire but as thou art at any time to séeme Among the people couet not that they of thée do déeme More than in déede is reason why Thy déedes and noble race Thy valiant prowes thy grandsyres great bring not so much in place Nor séeke thy linage to aduaunce thy selfe extolling so For sure it yll becomes a man his proper praise to showe Nor is it séemely for a man an others friends allide And Gentrie to deface to much therby to quaile his pride Let raging rancour neuer cause or malice moue thy braine To go about anothers fame or good report to staine Nor if thou couet great accompt of wisdome go about Nor be the sounder of thyne owne good déedes to sette them out For as no man of Reason will his follies blabbe abrode So neither should his vertues by himselfe at all be showde The tale they say is nothing worth but yelds a beastly smell Much more vntrue that any in his proper praise doth tell But couet rather so to deale as men may blase thy déedes That thou a myrror mayst become to Age that thée succéedes But he that blabs his beastly déedes and makes them knowne to all And tells his filthie trade of life a frantike foole wée call And whether it be true or false that he reporteth so He well deserues on Gallow trée to hang to féede the Crowe But if thy fortune frame in sort that thou vnknowne dost liue And dost deserue a greater fame than any man doth giue Then somewhat in thy proper praise with Modestie thou mayst Declare but euer kéepe a meane in ery thyng thou sayst Make men to vnderstand if ought that famous is doth lye Within thy skill but do procure them no offence therby For no man vnder bushell putts a candell bearing light Or nearer than he ought vnto the thing applies his sight Vainglorie by no learning séeke that harbours in thy braine He is vnwise that longs for that All glorie is but vaine For whatsoeuer thing we doe accomplishe worthie fame It is not wée but CHRIST our King that doth atchieue the same Wherfore to him is glorie due this boldly may we say For holy Fathers of the Church so vse in Church to pray Then certainly the glorie that we men on men bestow May vaine and light accompted bée and fitly termed so When so thou happen to controll or rate a man for yll Séeme not to do it toucht with wrath but for a méere good will For oftentimes the bitter guest that chides in angry moode Doth profit nought the pleasant man is he that doth thée good For he doth more a thousande folde instruct and teach the way To vertue than the chiding Carle that cruell words doth say Who so vpon an Error doth vnwittingly amisse Deserues a pardon at thy hands but say vnto him thus That if he doe in after time commit the like againe He shall be so releasd no more but bide the sharper paine Then if thy wordes preuaile no whit but that within a space He do the like offense againe then
put him in a place Assignde to tame such retchlosse Roges clappe fetters to his shanks To stande assurde he shall no more go play such beastly pranks Procéede not ouer far in chaufe behoues thée too beware Be not too sharpe or curst to those to thée that strangers are If thou be wise doe deale therein as cunning Surgeons play Who for to heale do swap the dead and rotten flesh away So thou pretending good to doe thy frendes with wisdome rate In séeking to reforme their faultes procure thy selfe no hate Wherfore controll but now and then be seldome in a heate Vnlesse there be committed wrong and when none other feate Or way will serue the turne so well as chaufing will in déede If any do the like againe to thée do take good héede Accept his warning well in worth to him that for good will Doth monishe thée vse no outrage no worde or language yll For if vpon good reason he hath chidde thée then no doubt He did thée good if not vpon good cause yet went about And minded he but well therin although thou déeme not so At any time when so thou art defamed by thy foe Or that he whet his rankling tuskes against thy good report Deale wisely with such bedlam beasts in grane and sober sort Oh how much doth thy subtil foe vnweapned daunt thy pride When so he causer is that thou from good demeanor slide Let from thy wise and sober lips no word vnséemely fall Though he vnciuile beastly man in currish wise do braule Besides to voide the mischiefe and to stinte the strife begon Digresse thou from such brauling flat and to the purpose roon Deale in such sort as vnto thée may no man iustly say What stop my frend you raÌ„gle now returne againe I pray And when thou séest that irkesom is thy processe ouerlong Vnto thy felowes shut thy pipes and ende thy lothsome song Séeke not the loftie Marble house beset with pictures braue But couet aye the lodge where thou thy perfect health mayst haue And whether thou thy selfe dost builde it vp or buie the same Prouide it such a one as best vnto thy vse may frame For sithens Houses builded are to onely vse of man Let eche one get him such a roome for profite as he can Thou must not séeke for pleasure of thy house so trimly dight But rather in the beautie of thy secrete Soule delight Whom if thou clense no doubt it wil straunge odours yelde to thée Wherin thou mayst such solace take as shall best liking bée And where as in thy house thou stayst but for a litle space Both day and night that other is to thée a dwellyng place Then let it bée thy onely care to decke it passing fine With precious perfumes swete to seÌ„se do make it freshly shine In sort the owner may not by his house so famous bée As may thy house and dwelling place accompted of by thée It is vnséemely that a man should horow all his praise From lodge wherin but for a time and straungerlike he stayes But let the lodging somewhat ayde the maisters good report And helpe as much as lies in it to set to shewe his porte But take good héede the saying olde be not applyde to thée O Lorde how far this Owner and this house doe disagrée For oftentimes my selfe haue heard men say and that of late O worthie auncient house how muche diminisht is thy state Again in Countrey build thy Graunge no greater than it should But kéepe the custome aye therin a Coate to banishe colde Thy hand thy iesture lips and lookes doe gouerne in such wise As men may well discerne the thing within thy breast that lies And all such iestures as thou déemste in others fonde to bée Accompt it will not very well vnto thy kinde agrée But if thou doubt at all therof go séeke thy friends aduice That will instruct in ery poynt what most agrées with vice For so doe cunning Painters deale and Poets of the best They aske how other men do like their Pictures lately drest Besides to gayne a heape of wealth and to increase thy store Thou shalt not follow filthy artes at any time the more But euer shoon the bâ—â—stly gayne whence hate and enuie springs Wherfore thou shalt not kéepe a Port to looke and search for things That passe froÌ„ theÌ„ce to forain Realms nor Fulkers trade ensue By taking money for the loane as though it were thy due Thou shalt not follow Butchers craft in shambles leading life For gain to knocke the bullocks head and cut his throate with knife Thou shalt not play the Hukster for these Artes that I haue sayd Are vile vncleanly base of kinde and nothing to be wayd And all those other trades of life are to be compted vaine That all in worke consiste and nought in beating of the braine And that for money are to bye which witte can neuer bee Wherfore doe force no one of them if thou be rulde by mée There restes no wit in ought that is set out to open sale No good increase of knowledge comes by Bellyfare and Ale The Dicing Dick and Daunâ—â—ng boy pursue no honest trade The Pedlar eke that beares his packe himselfe for lacke of Iade Is nothing to be compted or the Mercer that doth buye And sells his trashe within a while doth vse full oft to lie And like a periurde patch doth prate and all to get a gaine And sure than him that is forsworne can nothing be more vaine For why he crafts with man and doth yea God himselfe despise But if so be that one become a Merchant man and plies His matters so as wealthie he is woxen by the same And hath his storehouse full of wares he doth deserue no shame Nor worthie is in my conceite a foule rebuke to beare But rather praise for doing so if he at last forbeare His merchants trade and fall to plough and waxe a Countreyman For better than the tillage of the soyle there lightly can Be nothing or of greater same that takes so litle séede And yeldes againe such great increase to pleasure vs at néede This trade of yore the Noble men that Conquerours became Of taking of the plough in hande and culter did not shame They neuer blusht to breake the soyle the Romaine Court did call The Fathers that appointed were to rule and gouerne all And fet them from the CouÌ„trey Coat and he that is as now The Consull bearyng all the sway of late did driue the Plowe Of all the other trades I know Physitions beare the bell And he is worthie praise that builds a house for men to dwell To buie an office be not thou too quicke or sharply set But when thou hast it frankly giuen or offred thée do get And take it yelding worthie thanks Beléeue not ery lie That rumor spreds or brute doth cause in open ayre to flie For often vile and wicked heads no trouth at all deuise And many