No man can be a good ruler, onles he hath bene fyrste ruled Certes, nothyng is truer, thā this prouerbe, both bycause no prince, no ruler, no mayster can well do hys office: oneles he fyrste were a subiecte and vnder the correction eyther of hys parētes, tutours, gouernours, or teachers. And also bycause that a mā must fyrst rule hys owne lustes, and be hym selfe obediēt to ryght reason, ere he can well gouerne other.

He that speaketh what he woll, shall heare what he woll not. Let men beware howe they rayle.

The Troyans are wyse to late. When the sege of Troye had en­dured for the space of ten yeares, then at laste the Troyans whych nowe had suffred innumerable mischiefes, began to take coūsaile whether it were best to send home agayne fayre Helene the occasion of al their misery. But whē their countrey was now with contynu­all warres wsted and destroied it was to late to be wise. Euen so it is of many at thys daye. They be wyse, but to late.

The fysher stryken woll be wise. A certayne fisherman, when he had drawen vp his nette, and be­gan now to take in his handes y ^e fishes which he had caught, chaū ­ced [Page iij] to take vp also a Scorpion, which forthwith strake him. Well ꝙ he, nowe that I am stryken I woll beware.

A thynge doon, the fole knoweth. But a wise man forseeth and con­sidereth thynges afore they come to passe.

The fole, whē he hath takē hurte, waxeth wise. The wise man seeth the daunger & mischiefe of thyn­ges afore hand.

He is happy, whom other mens perilles maketh ware.

An olde beaten oxe fastenethe hys [Page] fote the stronger. Hierome vsed thys prouerbe wrytyng to S. Au­styne to feare hym that he a yonge man shulde not prouoke S. Hie­rom at that tyme olde, Forasmuch as though sage and auncient per­sons be not sone sturred to reuēge themselues, sythe they be nowe as it were weery for age, yet yf ther be no remedy but they must nedes meddle, they woll gyue much tou­gher and more ernest strokes.

Moue not an euyll that is well laied. An incōmoditie wel couched is not to be sturred.

A foole speaketh foolysh thynges

Credite is rather to be gyuen to [Page iiij] the eyes then to the eares, that is, the thynges that be sene are more certayne, than that be harde.

Kynges haue many eares & ma­nye eyes, as who shulde saye, no thynge can be spoken, nothynge doon so secretly agaynst kynges and Rulers, but by one meanes or other at length it wol come to their knowlege. They haue eares y ^t lysten an hundreth myles from thē, they haue eyes that espye out more thynges, then men wolde thynke. Wherfore it is wysdome for subiectes, not onlye to kepe theyr princes lawes & ordinaūces in the face of the worlde, but also preuely: Rom. 7. 13. namely syth Paule wold haue rulers obeyed euen for con­science sake.

Kynges haue longe hādes. They can brynge in men, they can pluck in thinges, though they be a great weye of.

To a crabbed knot muste be sought a crabbed wedge. A strōge disease requyreth a stronge medi­cine. A shrewed wyfe a shrewed husbāde to tame her. A boysteous horse, a boysteous snaffell.

Euyll counsayle is worst to the counsaylour. Counsayle is a cer­tayn holy thinge. And as it ought gladly to be taken, whan occasion requyreth: so it ought aduysedly, [Page v] purely, and wythout fraude to be gyuen when one nedeth it. Other­wyse wythout doubt Godes hāde woll appere to take punyshmente of hym that wyth falshod & gyle hathe foyled a thynge bothe holy and diuine. To thys agreeth Ec­clesiasticus. Cap. 27. Who so euer (sayeth he) gyueth a leude counsayle: it shall turne vpon hym selfe, and he shall not knowe from whens it cō meth. Here I thynke it not amysse to make report of a certayne pleasaunt fable wrytten in Greke, not much dyssentynge from thys purpose, whych is thys.

The Lion for weakenes of age beynge sycke and kepynge hym selfe hys denne, A pleasaūt fable of the Lion. all the other beastes accordynge to theyr due­tye and allegeaunce come to loke howe theyr kynge dothe.

[Page]Only the foxe absenteth her selfe. Wherfore the wolfe now espyeng a good occasion, accuseth y ^t Foxe of treason vnto the Liōs maiesty, as one that dyspyseth the kynge and gouernour of all beastes and whych of frowardnes and trayto­rous harte woll not wyth other beastes vysite maiestye, as theyr allegiaunce requyred.

Whyle the Wolfe was thus accusynge the Foxe, the Foxe preuelye cūmeth in and heareth the ende of the Wolfes complaynte. Nowe whan the Lion loked vp & espyed y ^e Foxe, forthwith he gnassheth w ^t hys teeth agaynst her. But she, af­ter she hadde obteyned a space to pourge her selfe, thus begynneth to make her defence. I besech you syr kynge, ꝙ she, what one beaste of all that be here assembled to vi­site [Page vi] your maiestye, is so carefull, & busye to do you good, and to helpe you, as I am, whyche haue runne aboute euer sythens ye sykened, to seke counsayle for your maladye, & nowe at last I haue serched out a souerayngne medicyne of the phisiciens. The Lion hearynge thys, streyght charged her to tell the met dicine. Truly, ꝙ y ^e Foxe, yf ye woll flee the wolfe and wrap your selfe in hys skynne, ye shall fynde (saye they) ease of your payne, The Li­on lyght of credite, fortwith rāne vpon the Wolfe and slewe hym, who thus kylled, the crafty Foxe laughed that the sklaunderous & euyll counsayle of the Wolfe lyghted vpon hys owne pate. Let all counsaylours beare thys exemple wel in mynde, Yf they be nothing moued wyth fables: Let them at☞ [Page] lest be admonyshed wyth the history of Aman in the boke of Hester, whych is in the Byble.

Euery man thynketh hys owne thynge fayre. Mans mynde is so infected with the blynde loue of it selfe: that thou shalte fynde no mā so sobre, so ware, so lokynge about hym: but in estemynge hys owne thynges dooteth.

The smoke of a mans owne countrey, is much clearer than the fyer in a straunge countrey. The countrey wherin we be borne, pleaseth naturally euerye man beste, and he longeth continuallye to se it, yea be hys owne countre neuer so vnkynde vnto hym, lette hys [Page x] owne countreymen banyshe hym, exclude hym, thurst him out neuer so spytefully, yet he can not so harden hys herte, but he must nedes loue it, desyre to heare of it, be glad to be at one with it agayne.

Which thyng thexemples of most renoumed personnes haue wel de­clared.

The forehed is afore the hynder parte of the heed. As who shulde saye, the thynge a man seeth done afore hys face & in hys owne pre­sence is for most part better done, than y ^t is done behynde his backe.

A certayne man (as Aristole telleth) was asked what thynge best fedeth a horse, he answereth y ^e maysters eye, The may­sters eye. Hytherto pertay­neth also the storye that Gelly tel­leth. Aulus Gel­lius. A certayne man well fedde [Page] had a very leane horse. Now whā he was asked what was the cause that his horse was so leane: He answered y ^t thys oughte not to seme any maruayle at all, yf he were in better lykynge than hys horse, for asmuch as he hym selfe fedde him selfe, but hys seruaunte fedde hys horse. These thynges tende all to thys ende, that euery man shulde as muche as maye be, execute hys busynes, hys callynge, hys office by hym selfe and not by vycares or deputies, as nowe we se done, well nere of all degrees of men.

There be Kynges, there be Cardi­nalles, there be Bishops, Prelates and sondry other officers and ma­gistrates in Christendome, whych do all by vycares and deputies, but them selues lyue in most ydelnes and in all kyndes of pleasure [Page viij] lyke popes. Wold god these wold take exemple of our most vigilāt prince and soueraygne lord kinge Hēry the eyght, who not only set­teth☞ vigilant deputies and mini­sters vnder hym, but also loketh hym selfe ryght busely vpon hys charge cōmitted vnto him of god

Lyke delyteth the lyke. Lykenes of maners, egaltie of age, simili­tude in all thynges wonderfullye knytteth persons togyther & gen­dreth frendshyp. We se yonge per­sons kepe companye wyth yonge persons, aged wyth the aged, we se lerned men resorte to lerned, vnthryftes do gather togyther wyth vnthryftes, and good fellowes wyth suche as be good fellowes, and so forth.

The lyke delyteth in the lyke. Si­militude (as Aristotle sayth) is mother of loue. Similitudo mater amo­ris. Wherfore where a ful lykenes in al poyntes is be­twene persons, there no doubt is moste vehement and ardent loue.

God alwaye draweth the lyke to the lyke.

Alwaye the Iay sytteth wyth the Iay. These prouerbes be of one sence and meanynge.

The potter enuyeth the potter, y ^e smythe y ^e smythe. Assuredly where men exercise one science, there co­monly the lykenes of the science [Page ix] doth rather gender hart brēnyng then it dothe loue or beneuolence.

One false merchaunte deceyueth an other. The men of Crete were in olde tyme moche reproued for theyr falshode and deceite.

Practyse craft wyth y ^e craftie. Of the vanitie and dissimulation of y ^e Cretians thapostle Paule also speketh. Tit. i. Thys prouerbe byddeth vs otherwhiles to dissemble wyth dissemblers, namelye where sin­gilnes woll take no place.

The begynnynge is halfe y ^e hole. There be many greate dilaiers. Long they be ere they can be per­suaded to set vpon an honest acte, so many peryls they cast. To mo­rowe [Page] to morowe they saye we wol begyn, but thys to morow is euer commynge but neuer present.

Wherfore who so wyth good cou­rage ventureth vpon his maters, hath already halfe done.

Better it is to remedy the begyn­nynges then the endes, Venienti oc­currite mor­bo. Stoppe a disease (sayeth the poete Ouide) whyle it is in the commynge. Me­dicine is sought for to late, whan by longe continuaūce of tyme the disease catcheth ones strength.

Fortune helpeth men of good courage. He that feareth that his matters shall not haue good successe: shall neuer brynge hys maters to passe.

[Page x]The discorde of brethren betwene themselues is moost bytter. Thys to be true we haue many exēples out of hystories, of Caym & Abel, of Rhomulus and Remus, of Iacob and Esau & of infinite other.

He that hath borne a calfe, shal also beare a bull, he that accusto­meth hym selfe to lytle thynges, by lytle & lytle shalbe hable to go away wyth greater thynges. One named Milo was wont euery day to beare a certayne waye on hys shoulders a calfe, Milo. At length the calfe grew to a great oxe, his dayly exercyse made hym styl able to beare y ^e oxe, whē the oxe was now [Page] of an excedynge great quantitie: ye se what maystries vse worketh.

We ought to remēber the lyuyng There be many that loue to talke of deade men, yea and wyth deade men as much as in them lyeth.

And yf they go aboute to extende theyr lyberalitie & to do any good dedes, they hadde leuer lashe oute theyr wycked Mammon on the deade, than on the quycke. So lyttel regard they haue to the lyuely ymages of God, whom god neuer theles so tēdereth, that what so e­uer we bestowe vpon them, he coū teth bestowed euen vpō hymselfe.

Become an olde man betyme yf thou wylt be an olde man longe.

[Page xj]By thys we be monyshed, that whyle we be stronge and lusty, we cease from ouer moche labours, & also from suche riottes, daliaūce, & surfettyng, as commonly youth desyreth. For who so contynueth in them, shall fall into age, that is to say, into weaknes of nature or euer he be ware. Wherfore yf he entende to lyue longe and to lyue manye wynters an olde man, let hym forsake the fonde ragies of youth by tymes.

He oughte to holde y ^e oore y ^t hathe lerned it. That is to saye: Euery man muste practyse that science & facultie, y ^t hath ben afore taughte him. Let not the shomaker medle further then hys shoes. Lette the [Page] ploughm an talke of his plough.

By one consyder al, that is to say, of the proufe of one thyng, coniec­ture the reste. Of a pece of mens procedynges, gesse the residue.

Of syght is loue gendred. No mā loueth y ^e thynge he knoweth not, of companyenge and resortynge together spryngeth mutuall loue. And namelye the eyes be lures & baytes of loue. Wherfore yf thou woll not loue the thynge y ^t is vn­lawfull for the to loue, absteyne from beholdynge. Math. 5. He that behol­deth a woman (sayth Christ) wyth a luste vnto her, hathe alredye played an aduowterers parte w ^t her in hys harte. If thyn eye ther­fore be an impediment & let vnto y ^e, plucke it out. Better it were for [Page xij] the to entre into heauen wythout an eye, then with bothe eyes to be caste into helle fyer. Now we rede that certayne philosophers euen for this cause (and amonges them Democritus) plucked out theyr owne eyes, Democritus bycause they were the occasioners and prouokers of all euyll affections and lustes. But albeit Christe meant not, that we shuld so deforme our bodies and spoyle our selues of a membre of y ^e same, which otherwayes is ve­ry profitable vnto vs, yet we chri­sten men be so inhibited by thys commaundemente of christe that we ought not to fasten oure eyes where it is not lawfull. For better it were to lacke the operacion of the eyes & neuer to behold thyn­ges delectable to the eye, thē by y ^e same to be in daūger of dānacion.

The doores of the muses be with­out enuye, that is to saye, learned persons ought frely, gentylly and wythout enuye admytte other vnto them that desyre to be taught or informed of them.

Come not to counsayle afore thou be called.

It is moost pleasaunt rowynge nere the lande, and walkynge nere the see. Mā is much delyted wyth varietie.

It is not for one man to speake both many wordes and apte wor­des. [Page xiii] This prouerbe teacheth vs to eschue much talke, for asmuche as for moost parte, he must nedes fayle in hys speche that loueth to haue many wordes. To thys agreeth the wyse man in hys prouer­bes, where he sayeth, y ^t vnto much speakynge is synne annexed.

So many men, so many wyttes. So many heades, so many iudge­mentes. Thapostle Paule not forgetfull herof aduertyseth vs, Roma. 9. that for the excludynge of contencion we suffer euery man to abunde in hys owne sence, whose counsayle yf oure diuines in Christendome wolde followe, there shulde not be at thys day so great dissensiō in y ^e church in maters of smal weyght. For there be many thynges which [Page] without daunger of the christen relygyon maye be vnknowen wel ynough.

I had leuer bye, then begge Her­by is signifyed that a thynge ob­teyned with moche sute & prayer, is īdede derely bought. For assu­redly to an honest harte it is deth to begge, onles it be of his specy­all frende, of whom he myght be as bolde, as vpon him selfe, in so moche that he had rather bye the thynge very deare for his money, then to get it by petition at an o­ther mans hande.

Where frendes be, there be goo­des. By thys is meant that fren­des be better thā money, and that vnto the sustentacion of mannes [Page xiiij] lyfe, frendes be more auaylable w ^t out money, than money wythoute frendes. And for thys cause amonges the Scythians (as Lucian declareth) he was coūted the rychest man, The ma­ner of the Scythians whych had the surest & beste frendes. But now yf a man woll haue respecte to y ^e maners of these dayes: we had nede to turne y ^e prouerbe and saye, where goodes be, there be frendes.

It is harde kyckynge against the gode. It is euyll stryuyng against the streme, that is to saye, It is great folye to struggle agaynste such thinges as thou canst not o­uercome, or to prouoke them, who yf they be sturred maye do the dis­pleasures, or to wrastle with gods [Page] prouidence, and the incōmoditie whych thou cannest not auoyd, by thy impacient bearynge not onely not to eschue it, but also to double the same.

Eccle. 10.Vnto money be all thynges obe­dient. Thys prouerbe was neuer better verifyed than at thys daye amonges Christen mē, whych ne­uertheles by their professiō, ought to despyse worldly goodes.

Trouthes tale is simple, he that meaneth good fayth, goeth not a­boute to glose hys communicaciō wyth painted wordes. Plaine and homely mē call a fygge, a fygge, & a spade a spade. Rhetorike and colorynge of spech proueth many tymes a mās mater to be naught

My cote is nerer me thā my robe or gowne. By thys is signifyed that one frēde is nerer vnto a mā than an other is.

Euery man loueth hym selfe bet­ter than he loueth another. Whe­ther thys saynge may stande with Christes doctrine, whych byddeth vs loue our neyghboure as oure selfe: let the doctours and profes­sours of diuinitie discusse. For some there be that put degrees of charitie, and woll that charite shuld begyn fyrst at a mans owne selfe.

Many thynges fall betwene the [Page] cuppe and the mouth. Thoccasi­on of this prouerbe was this.

Ther was a certayne person cal­led Anceus, Anceus. which was sonne to Neptune. This Anceus ī sowyng tyme of vynes, called sore vpon his seruauntes for to apply theyr worke, with which importune cal­lyng on, one of his seruātes beyng euen for werines of the laboure moued agaynst his maister: Well mayster, ꝙ he, as hastelye as ye nowe call vpon vs, it shall not be your chaunce euer to tast wine of this vine. After, when the vine tre dyd springe vp happely, and the grapes were nowe rype, the mais­ter triumphynge and moch reioy­syng, calleth for the seruaunt and commaundeth him to presse wyne into his cuppe. Now when he had the cuppe ful of wyne in his hāde, [Page xxi] redy to set it to hys mouth, he put­teth hys sayde seruaunt in mynde of hys wordes, vpbraydynge hym of hys false prophecienge. The seruaunt thā bryngeth forth thys sentence to hys mayster. Betwene the cuppe and the lyppes maye come many casualties. Whyle the seruaunt was thus speakynge, & euen as the mayster was lyftynge vp y ^e cuppe to hys mouth, beholde the chaunce, sodeynly cōmeth runnynge in, an other seruaunt & tel­leth how a great wilde bore is de­stroyenge the vyneyarde. Whych tydynges as sone as Anceus hea­reth, forthwyth he setteth downe hys cuppe and runneth vpon the wylde bore, of whome (whyle he was chasyng of hym) he was gre­uously wounded and so dyed.

Lette thys exemple teache men [Page] not to truste on the slyppernesse of fortune. For it comonly cōmeth to passe, that when men thynke them selues moste sure, they be so neste deceyued.

Olde folke are twyse chyldren, or double chyldren. Aristotle in his politykes writeth, The opi­nion of A­ristotle. that after two and fyfty yeares, the sharpnes of wyt waxeth blounte & dull, wher­fore comonly from that tyme men & women growe euery day more chyldyshe and more, so that when they come ones to extreme age as to foure scoore or there aboute, they dyffer in wytte and fascyons very lytle from chyldren. I saye cōmonly, for al be not so, but such as exercyse not their memory, and wol not retayne theyr myndes oc­cupyed [Page xvii] in the practyse and conti­nual exercyse of honest and comly busynesses.

Not Hercules agaynst two, that is to saye: Thoughe a man neuer so much excelleth other in strēgth, yet it woll be harde for hym to matche two or mo at ones. And one mā maye lawfully gyue place to a multytude.

One man no man. One man lefte alone and forsaken of all the rest, can do lyttell good.

Let not the shoemaker go beyond hys shoe. Apelles the cōning paynter. Plinye reherseth thys history. Whan the moost kunnynge and excellent painter Apelles had [Page] made anye goodlye and excellent pece of worke, Apelles the cōning peynter. he was wont to set it out towardes the stretes syde, y ^t men myght loke vpon it & talke theyr fansies of it, & he him selue wold also lye lurkyng in a corner to heare mens iudgemētes what faultes were found in his worke, to thintēt yf ther were any thyng amys, he might amende it. Amō ­ges other ther came to the stall where his worke stode out to be seen a shomaker, which vewynge well the picture, anone espyed a faulte in the shoes that there lac­ked a latchet. Apelles agaynste y ^e next day amendeth the fault. The next day the shomaker commeth, agayne, and takyng a lytle pryde that he had foūd a fault, in so kū ­nynge a mans worke, begynneth to fynd an other fault in y ^e legge. [Page xviij] Apelles not sufferyng his sawcy­nes, cryed out vnto him, Let the shomaker not passe the shoe. Cer­tes euery man ought to medle no further then he can skyll of. Eue­ry man (sayth Aristotle) is a mete iudge of that hīselfe is lerned in. For he sayeth a blynd man ought not to dispute of colours. And therfore Quintilian wryteth, that sciences shulde be happy, yf onlye artificers might iudge of them.

He is in vayne wyse y ^t is not wyse for hym selfe. This prouerbe how true it is, I woll not dispute, but sure I am, that men of our tyme kepe this saynge so iompe, y ^t he is not counted worthy to be called a man whiche by anye meanes can not seke his owne auantage.

By speakynge mē lerne to speake, by wrytynge men lerne to wryte, by syngynge to synge, briefly eue­ry science is gotten by lernynge of the same.

Of an euyl father commeth neuer a good chylde.

Of an euyll rauyn an euyll egge. These two prouerbes be of one meaynge. Of euyll is engendred euyll. The chylde for y ^e moost part followeth the fathers steppes. An euyll tre (sayeth Christ) can bryng forth no good frute. Math 7. Our foreparē tes Adā & Eue were for theyr trās­gression depriued of originall iu­stice, of the true feare of God, of [Page xix] the true and pure loue of God, of the true and perfyte knowlege of God. &c. Wherfore all we that be sprōge of them, cānot but be lyke­wyse spotted & naturally corrup­ted wyth the same vyces.

As the mā is, so is hys talke. The talke of honest men is honesty, the talke of knaues is knauerye.

Whā we be hayle, we easely gyue good coūsayles to the sycke. This sentence of Terence is not muche vnlyke the wyse answere of Tha­les the sage, The an­swere of Thales. who beynge demaunded what is y ^e moost harde thynge to do: answered, to know thy selfe. Agayne whan the same Thales was demaūded, what is the easest [Page] thynge of all: he aunswered, to gyue good counsayle to other.

The thynges that be aboue vs, belonge nothynge vnto vs. This was the sayng of Socrates. But we maye also turne it the contra­rye way. The thinges that be vn­derneth vs, perteyne nothyng vnto vs. For as we ought not curi­ouslye to enserche what thynges be done in heuen: so is it no lytell foly narowly to seke what is done vnder the earth. And as it becom­meth not Iacke Strawe to reasō of princes maters, so agayne it is not semyng for persons of honest hauour to be euer busye in euerye tryflynge mater.

[Page xx]The slowe oxe wysheth for y ^e sadle and the geldynge to eare y ^e groūd. No man is contented wyth hys lotte, the courtier wolde dwell in y ^e countrey, the dweller in the coun­trey wold be a courtier, the bachil­ler wysheth hym selfe maryed, a­gayne whan he is maryed he wold be vnmaryed.

Knowe thy selfe. Plato ascribeth thys diuine sentence vnto Apollo. But whose sayeng so euer it was, certes it is both true and godly, & worthy of christen men to be conti­nually borne in mynde.

Nothynge to muche. There is (sayeth Horace) a measure in thynges and certayne lystes ouer whi­che and on thys syde whyche, the [Page] ryght can not stande. Measure no doute is an hygh treasure. Some can not do but they ouer do, ether in the redresse of the abuses in the church they wyll runne to farre & quyte and cleane take away al honest ceremonies, tradicions, and lawes, or els in the mayntenynge of that is honeste, they woll wyth­out choyse styffely defēde yea and kepe styll in theyr churches al cu­stomes, ceremonies, and traditiōs be they neuer so detestably abused and gone from the fyrst instituciō So harde it is to kepe the golden mediocritie whych the sayd Poete Horace full wyttely describeth. Auream▪ quis (que) medi­ocritatē. &c

Be suretie for an other and harme is at hande. What losse, what vt­ter vndoynge, commeth by surety­shyp [Page xxj] who knoweth not? Albeit, I graunt, a mā must beare with hys frēde, and in case of necessitie also wyth the poore and nedye.

All that haue harpes be no har­pers. Outwarde sygnes many ty­mes deceyue men. All that haue the gospel hangynge at theyr gyr­dels be no gospellers. Nor agayn all that disprayse the leude fasciōs of the Papistes be not forthwyth Heritiques. We ought not to iuge accordynge to the outwarde appe­raunce of thynges.

An ape is an ape although she weare badges of golde. Thys prouerbe aduertyseth vs that the or­namētes [Page] of fortune do not chaūge tha nature of man. The occasion of this prouerbe (as telleth Luciā) came herof. A certayne kynge of Egypte kepte vp a nūbre of Apes and caused them to be taught the fourme and waye of daunsynge. The mask of Apes.

For like as no beast approcheth nerer to the fygure of man, then the Ape: so is there none other beaste y ^t eyther better or more wyllyngly counterfayteth mans actes, gestu­res and fashions, than thys beast. Beynge therfor anone taught the feate of daunsynge: they began to maske, clad in purple robes, wyth visours on theyr faces. Thus of longe tyme thys gorgious syghte delyted excedyngly the kynge and his lordes and ladyes, tyl at last a mery felowe bryngynge preuily in hys bosome a good sorte of nuttes [Page xxij] dyd cast them in the floore amon­ges the maskers. Here forthwyth the apes so soone as they sawe the nuttes, forgettynge theyr daun­synge began to shewe what they were and of daūsers retourned in to apes, & tearynge asunder theyr visours and maskynge apparell skambled and went together by y ^e eares for the nuttes not wythoute great laughynge of the lokers on. It is to be feared lest at thys daye there be in Christendome many a­pes (that is to saye counterfayters whych by a Greke worde we com­monlye call hypocrites) decked in☞ purple badges and cognisaunces, that is to wyte, whyche beare out­warde sygnes & badges of greate holynes as though they were lambes, but inwardly they be raue­nous wolues.

Art or kunnynge euery countrey nourysheth, y ^t is to say, kunnyge mē & such as haue any facultie or science, whether so euer they goo: shall lacke no liuyng. Cunnynge (they say) is no burthē. It neither can be taken from the by theues, and into what parte of y ^e world so euer thou go, it foloweth y ^e. Sue­tonius wryteth y ^t it was shewed before vnto themperour Nero by his astronomers y ^t the tyme shuld come whē he shulde be put out of his empire, Nero. by reason wherof he gaue him selue moche the more e­gerly vnto the studie of Musike, in so muche that he became very excellent, and then he was wonte to haue oft in his mouth y ^e said prouerbe. And estemed it the fowlest [Page xxiij] reproche that coulde be layd vnto him to be called an euyl harper or player vpō instrumēts. The same thyng also (as in an other place is mencioned) did happen vnto Di­onisius kyng of the Syracusans, which after he was thrust out of his kyngdome, came to Corynthe and there dyd set vp a schole and taught children letters and mu­sicke. For this cause amonges the Greakes is art or kunnynge cal­led the porte or hauen of necessite vnto men mortall, that is to say, Science the porte of nede. y ^e onely refuge in pouerty. Wher­fore so many as be wise, thoughe they haue abundaunce of worldly goodes for the tyme, yet let them not despyse honeste artes, neyther yet be recheles in bryngynge vp theyr chyldren, and puttyng them to lernynge or some faculty, wher­by [Page] [...] [Page xxij] [...] [Page] yf fortune fayle they maye yet get them a lyuynge.

There is an alteraciō of al thingꝭ This sentēce of Terēce signifieth that in mens thynges nothyng is perpetual, nothynge stable, but all passe & repasse euen lyke to the eb­bynge & flowynge of y ^e Ocean see.

Chaunge of thynges is pleasaūt.

Where shyft of thynges is not, mās mynde anone shal waxe wery & dul. For assuredly such is the na­ture of thynges, so great lothsom­nes there is of mās appetyte, that nothynge can be so swete, but shal be abhorred, yf it be any lōge whyl vsed. Nothynge is so galaūt, so excellent, that can longe content the mynde. And therfore the poete Iuuenal wryteth very handsomly.

[Page xxiiij]A seldom vse of pleasures ma­keth the same the more pleasaunt. Voluptates cōmendat rarior usus. Shift & variete hath so gret force in euery thing y ^t by reasō of y ^e newnes, otherwhiles thynges y ^t be not al of y ^e best do please mē very well.

Knowe tyme. Opportunitie is of such force that of honest it maketh vnhonest, of dammage auaūtage, of pleasure greuaunce, of a good turne a shrewed turne, & contrarye wyse of vnhonest honest, of auaū ­tage dammage, and brefly to con­clude it cleane chaungeth y ^e nature of thynges. Thys opportunitie or occasion (for so also ye maye cal it) in auenturynge and finishynge a busynes: doubtles beareth y ^e chiefe stroke, so that not wythout good skyll the paynyms of olde tyme counted it a diuine thynge.

[Page]And in thys wyse they painted her ☞They made her a goddesse stan­dynge wyth fethered feete vpon a whele and turnynge her selfe a­boute the circle therof most swyft­ly, beynge on the former parte of her hed all heary and on the hyn­der parte balde, so that by the fore parte she maye easely be caughte, but by the hynder parte, not so.

Euyll gotten good go euyll away It is commonly sene by the hygh prouidēce of God that goodes vnlaufully gotten vanysh awaye, no man knoweth how.

Of musyke hyd is no regarde. Haue a man neuer so excellent lernynge or knowlege in any feate, [Page xxv] yet, yf he be not knowen, he is had in no price. A lyke thyng is rad in Ecclesiastico. Of wysdome hydd, Cap. 20 & of treasure caste in a corner, commeth no profite.

It is not one swalowe that bryn­geth in somer. It is not one good qualitie that maketh a mā good. Swalowes be a token of the be­gynnynge of somer, yet one swa­lowe is no sure token. So of al o­ther thynges.

Seke the an egal wyfe, that is to wytte, one that is not aboue thyn estate.

He beareth a stone in y ^e one hāde and breade in the other. Suche [Page] persons be in Englād not a fewe.

He gyueth twyse, y ^t gyueth quyc­kely. He that dothe a man a good turne spedely and without delay, dothe hym a double benefite.

Honoure mayteineth kunnynge. Be a man neuer so excellent in anye sciēce or feate, yf he be no­thyng promoted or set by, anone he is discouraged, yea and al they that be studentes of the same, be in lyke wyse dyscouraged. On y ^e contrary parte, let cunnynge per­sons be had in honest reputation and be worthyly preferred, anone ye shall se bothe thē and other by theyr exemple stryue who may ex­celle other.

[Page xxvij]Shamefastnes is vnprofitable to a nedy person. This prouerbe ad­monisheth vs, to cast away bash­fulnes where nede constrayneth. For shamefastnes is very vnpro­fytable vnto many thynges, but in especyall whē the mater requy­reth to attempt al wayes possible.

The mynde of gyftes is best, that is to saye, In y ^e gyftes of presētes of freendes the price or value of the thyng that is sent is not to be considered, but the mynde rather of the sēder, as y ^e renoumed kyng Xerxes receyued thākefully of an vplandish man an hādful of wa­ter. Kynge Xerxes. Luce. 21. And Christ also preferred the wydowes two fardynges afore al the ryche mens offerynges.

[Page]Wyth many strokes is an oke ouerthrowē. Nothyng is so stron̄ge but by lyttell and lyttell maye be brought downe. Wherfore yonge men ought not to be discouraged by the greatnesse of an enterpryse, so it be honest, for by continuaūce, seme it neuer so harde, it may be reclaymed and ouercome.

A rych man is eyther wycked, or a wycked mans executour or heyre. Thys prouerbe S. Hierome hym selfe vseth. How true it is not only experience teacheth, but our leader and capitayne Christe also in hys doctrine declareth vnto vs whych bycause he wolde fraye vs frō the wycked Mammon, sayeth a camel shall Math. 19. soner passe through a nedles [Page xxvij] eye, than a rych man entre into he­uen. Meanyng that it is excedyng harde for such as flowe in worldly goodes to haue a mynde vntang­led wyth the same, & to beare them selues vpright towardes god and man. Yet I woll not gaynsay but a mā may be rych and not put hys confidēce in his ryches, as Dauid Iob, Abrahā and many other Pa­triarches were.

Better it is to runne backe a­gayne, than to runne forth amysse Many be eyther so shamefast, or els so styffe in theyr owne opinion that they had leuer rūne forth styl in errour and out of the waye, thā to apply them selues to better and more holsome counsayles.

Profered ware stynketh. Seruice y ^t is wyllyngly offered is for most parte to be suspected.

An olde foxe is not taken in a snare. Longe experience and prac­tise of wylye and subtyle felowes maketh that thoughe indede they be great iuggelers, dissemblers, & priuie workers of falshod yet they can not easely be taken in a trap.

Extreme lawe is extreme wronge. Thys is to saye, then moost of all men swarue from ryght and equi­tie: whan they most supersticiously stycke to the letters of lawes not regardyng thintēt of the makers. For thys is called summum ius, Summū ius. that is to saye, the extremitie or ri­goure [Page xxix] of the lawe, whā all y ^e stryfe and contention is vpon the wor­des of the lawe wythout any res­specte to the meanynge and pur­pose of the lawe makers. Thys fondnes of some supersticiouse lawyers doth Marke Tully copi­ously and pleasaūtly illude in hys oration for Murena. Cicero.

A man that fleeth woll also fyght agayn. By thys we be taught that we shulde not be forthwith discouraged for a lyttell mysfortune.

Good lawes be gendred of euyll maners. Lawes (as testifyeth tha­postle Paule) be not made for the ryghtuous persons, 1. Timo. 1. but for hore­mongers, aduouterers, theues, [Page] traytours, mansleers and suche other. If al were good we shulde nede no lawes.

Naughtye communications spyl good maners. This prouerbe de­clareth, that commonly we proue suche as they be with whome we be conuersaunt.

Authoritie declareth a man. The meanyng of this prouerbe is this y ^t in a priuate lyfe, where no rule is borne, a mans disposition and maners be not espyed. But lette him ones be put in office & autho­ritie, so that in maner he maye do what hym lusteth: anone he she­weth himselfe what he is. Epami­nondas properlye turned the pro­uerbe the contrary waye. Epaminōdas For whē [Page xxix] the Thebanes euē of spyt had put hym to a very vyle office in the cytie, he despysed it not, but w ^t suche diligēce executed the rowine, that where before, it was coūted an of­fice skace honest, nowe it was had in hygh reputacion. And to suche as meruayled why he wolde take so vyle & disworshypfull an office vpon hym, he answered in thys wyse. Not only a rowine or office☞ declareth the man, but a mā decla­reth the office.

The conscience is a thousande wytnesses. Nothynge so much ac­cuseth a mā as his owne cōscience

Make slowe hast, or hast the slow­ly. Thys is as muche to saye as temper thy hast wyth slouth. Yf ye [Page] [...] [Page xxix] [...] [Page] lyste to knowe more of thys prouerbe moste worthy continuallye to be borne in mynde, reade the Chiliades of Erasmus, who hādleth this mater at large.

Solon.Harde or difficile be those thyn­ges y ^t be goodly or honeste. This sentence of the wyse man Solon declarethe vnto vs that the waye of honestie, of vertue, of renowm, is vneasye, paynful, ieopardouse, harde. which thyng also teachethe vs our Guyde & sauiour Christe sayng y ^e narowe is the way which leadeth to lyfe. Math. 7. Wherfore let not the difficultie or hardnes of the thyng withdrawe vs from honest enterpryses.

[Page xxxi]Trust no mā, onles thou hast fyrst eaten a bushel of salte wyth hym. Wythout fayle it is harde at thys daye to mete with one whom thou mayst trust in all thynges.

Silence breaketh many frēdships

Thys adage monysheth vs that wyth ofte accompanyenge, and frequent speakinges vnto, frēdships be both gotten and meynteyned, & agayne wyth absence & leauynge of, they be cōmonly broken.

The thynge that lyeth in a sobre mans hart, is in the tongue of the dronkarde. Dronken folke can kepe no counsayle. Wherfore it is wysedome bothe to kepe thy selfe frō that vyce, leste thou vtterest in [Page] thy dronkenes the thynge, that af­terwarde shal repent the, and also not to kepe companye wyth suche nor to disclose thy harte to them y ^t be subiecte to thys foule vice, leste they happen to tourne the to dis­pleasure.

Leudnes lacketh but occasion. Wycked & vngodly persons maye well for a tyme dissemble, but whā any occasion is gyuen them: forth wyth they appere in theyr lykenes & shewe them selues what they be.

Loue as in tyme to come thou shuldest hate, & hate as thou shul­dest in tyme to come loue. There is no man, be he neuer so muche [Page xxxi] thyne enemye, but here after maye chaunce to be thy frēde. It is ther­fore the propertie of a prudent and wyse man, so to temper hys effection as well in loue as in hatred, as he susteyne no incōmoditie by the same. Now though christianitie requireth of vs a perfect loue of our neyghboure and forbyddeth al su­spicion: yet we are not by the same commaunded to cōmunicate oure secrete counsayles and thaffectiōs of our harte, to all men alyke. And agayne though we ought to hate no person no not our moost bytter enemyes, yet the frayltie of mans nature is so great, and thoccasiōs be so many on bothe parties to be gyuen, that a man oughte in thys case to distrust him self, And as he ought in thynges no procedynge accordynge to hys desyre loke and [Page] hope for better, so it is wysedome in prosperitie when all is as thou woldest haue it, to feare & suspecte the worst.

Fyre, See, Woman, thre euyls. What thynge is more daūgerous then fyer? What more perilous thē the see? and what more comberous then a shrewed wyfe?

Exercyse can brynge to passe al thynges. Nothinge (sayeth Sene­ca) is so harde but mās mynde can ouercome it, Seneca. and continuall practisynge brynge it into a acquayn­taunce. There be no affections so wylde, so vnruly, but discipline & awe may tame them. What thyng so euer the mynde commaundeth she obteyneth. Some haue accu­stomed [Page xxxiij] themselues neuer to laugh Some haue forbydden them sel­ues wyne, some bodely lust. &c.

One disceyt dryueth out an other. As we se one nayle dryuē out with an other nayle, so doth many ty­mes one crafte and gyle expell an other.

It is to late sparinge at the bo­tome. This sentence of Seneca is worthy to be wryttē vpon y ^e dores of all stoore houses, Seneca. of all coūtyng houses, vpon all kaskettes, al ves­sels of wyne or such lyke thynges. It monysheth vs to spare byty­mes and not to folowe the com­mon sorte of prodigall yongkers, whyche whan theyr landes and goodes be ones fallen into theyr [Page] handes, thinke there is no botome of theyr fathers bagges & cofers nor no boundes of theyr landes.

A frende is more necessary than ether fyer or water. Assuredly how necessarie trustye, and faythful frē des be: is thā at last knowen, whā a mā hath nede of them. There is no person, be he neuer so ryche, neuer so myghtye, neuer so muche in hys princes fauour, yea though he be hymselfe a prynce, a kynge, a kesar, but nedeth the ayde of frē ­des. For as wythout fyer and wa­ter mans lyfe can not consyste, so neyther can it stande wythout the vse, familiaritie, and seruice of fa­miliars, whome the Latynes euen for Necessarij. thys selfe cause do call neces­sarios, [Page xxxiij] and amitie or frendshyppe they call necessitudinem. Wher­fore the prouerbe meanethe that two of the gretteste commodities that can be are gathered of frend­shyp, that is to wyt, pleasure and profite. For there is nothyng ney­ther more delectable or cherefull then is fyer, neyther more profi­table then is water.

Let euerye man exercise hym selfe in the facultie that he knoweth. Let the kobler medle wyth clow­tyng his neyghbours shoes, and not be a captaine in felde, or med­del wyth maters concernynge a common wealth. Let them iudge of controuersies in the christen religion, y ^t be lerned in the same, [Page] and not euery Iacke plowman.

Aske that is vnreasonable y ^t thou mayst beare awaye that is reaso­nable. If thou wylte begge an ooke of thy frende, aske twenty or an hundreth ookes. This craft our merchaūt men and other that sel what so euer ware it be, knowe wel ynough. For yf thou cheapest anye thynge of them, forthwith they woll not be ashamed to aske double or treble the price of it. If they do it (sayth Erasmus) by­cause y ^e cheaper shulde be y ^e more willyng to gyue the reasonable & due price, Erasmus. it maye perchaunce be suffred, but yf they do y ^e thing of a ☞mynd to circumuent and deceyue the ignoraūt and simple persons [Page xxxiiij] and to make thē beleue the thyng is of moch more value thē indede it is, surely the crafte is deuelysh, intollerable, and farre vnmete for christen persons

Loke how many bōdmē we haue & so many enemyes we haue. E­uery mā naturally desyreth to be at lybertie, & therfore he can not but hate in his harte, those y ^t kepe hym in bondage. And this is the cause why also tyrannes that wol of their subgiettes make bondmē be so abhorred, so detested, & cur­sed of them, that at the laste they conspyre all togyther to expulse☞ thē, as infinite exēples in Crho­nicles do testifie.

[Page]It is beste to vse an others mans madnes. We vse, enioye, or take the commoditie of other mennes madnes, when the thynge that o­ther men do rasshelye or folishlye, we applye to oure profytte, plea­sure and commoditie.

Necessitie is a sore weapon. This prouerbe is diuerse wayes to be verefyed.

Labours ones done, be swete. As­suredlye this is naturally ingra­uen in the mynde of euery mortal persō, that after paynful labours and peryls the remembraunce of them is to him ryght pleasaunt.

Man is but a bubble, or bladder of y ^e water, As who shuld say no­thynge [Page xxxv] is more frayle, more fugi­tiue, more slyght thā y ^e lyfe of man

The thefe knoweth the thefe, and the wolfe y ^e wolfe, One false har­lot sonest knoweth an other.

Afore thou begyn, it is necessarie for the to take counsaile, & when thou hast taken counsaile, to do y ^e thyng spedyly.

The thynge that is done can not be vndone. For onlye this one thyng (sayth a certayne Poete) is denyed vnto god himself to make that thynges shulde be vndone which ones were done. Now great [Page] foly than is it for a mortall crea­ture to call agayne (as they saye) yesterdaye.

Iustice compriseth in it al vertue. He that is perfecte righteous or iuste man, wythout question lac­keth no vertue.

A lyer ought not to be forgetfull. It is very harde for hym y ^t lyeth, alwayes to agre in one tale, onles he hath a ryght good memorie, for asmuche as the remembraunce of thynges feined, is farre more hard than the memorie of true thynges By reason whereof for the moost parte the deuysours and forgers of lyes are by thys meanes taken, [Page xxxvi] while forgettyng what they spake afore, they speake thynges contrary and repugnaunte to theyr for­mer tale.

All men can not do all thynges. Thys is the sayenge of the poete Vergill.

Many handes make a lyghte burthen.

Wythout meate and drynke the lust of the body is colde. The beste way to tame carnal lust, is to kepe abstinence of meates and dryn­kes. Ceres amonges the Pa­nyms was taken for the Goddesse [Page] of corne, Bacchus for the god of wyne, and Venus for the goddesse of loue.

The sycke person whyle he hath lyfe, hath hope. So swete a thyng is lyfe, that he that is brought ne­uer so lowe, yet hopeth to lyue.

Seruice is a recompence for mo­ney. He that for my seruice or tra­uell gyueth me money, is acquy­ted, I owe hym nothynge. Hys money is not better, then my seruice.

Nether all thynges, nor in all places, nor of al men. Thys prouerbe teacheth vs, that in takynge of rewardes, we shewe oure selues not [Page xxxvij] only shamefast, but also waxe and circumspecte. For there be some thynges, whych is not semyng for a mā to take. There is also a place and tyme, that it were much better for one to refuse the gyfte that is offered than to take it. And agayn there be some, of whom it is no ho­nestye, to receyue any gyfte.

Tyme discloseth all thynges. No­thynge is couered, but shalbe reueled, nothynge is hyd, that shal not be knowen, sayeth Christ.

A vessell woll kepe longe the sa­uour wherewyth it is fyrste seaso­ned. For thys cause Quintilian coūsayleth vs forthwyth euen frō our youth to lerne y ^e best thynges, [Page] syth nothyng stycketh more fastly, than that, that is receyued and ta­ken of pure youth not yet infected wyth perverse and croked maners or opinions.

No man in the worlde is wyse at all houres. It is only belongynge to God & properly due vnto hym, neuer to commyt folly. There is (I saye) no man, but otherwhyles doteth, but is deceyued, but play­eth the foole, thoughe he seme ne­uer so wyse. Whan I saye man I excepte not the woman.

A mans owne maners do shape hym hys fortune. Men commonly when any aduersitie chaunce, ac­cuse fortune, or when they se other [Page xxxviij] men to prospere well in theyr mat­ters, they saye it is theyr fortune. So they laye all together vpō fortune, thynkynge there is suche a thynge called fortune that ruleth all. But surely they are hyghly deceyued. It is theyr owne maners, theyr owne qualities, tetches, con­dicions, and procedynges y ^t shape them thys fortune, that is to saye, that cause them eyther to be sette forwarde or backwarde, eyther to prosper or not to prospere.

Tyme taketh away greuaūce.

There is no dyspleasure so great, no hatred so impotent, no sorowe so immoderate, but tyme as­swageth it.

Commytte not a swearde to a [Page] chylde. Who so euer putteth a chylde, or a foolyshe and ignoraūt person (whych indede differeth nothynge from a chyld) in authoritie and office, commytteth a swerde to a chylde. All be it I studye in these prouerbes to be shorte, yet it becō ­meth not me an Englysh man and the kynges seruaunt to passe ouer wyth sylēce the thynge, that Eras­mus beynge a straunger vnto vs vouchsaued here to recorde of the moost prudent and excellēt prince kinge Henry the. vij. father to our moost drad soueraygne lorde that now is. The say­eng of the moost ex­cellent price kyng Henry the seuenth. Thys excellent kynge (sayeth Erasmus) beynge a prynce of a very sharpe iudgement, and also one that had a wonderfull grace in gyuynge of wyttye and quycke answeres, whan on a tyme he had herde a certayne doctoure of diui­nitie [Page xxxix] preache which was one of the secte of those y ^t were called mendi­cant fryers, & the fryer had spente hys hole sermon in ragynge oute wyth open mouthe lyke a madde man agaynste the lyfe of princes (for there be some y ^t by thys waye seke to get them a name) and was asked how he liked the fryers preachynge: Truely, ꝙ the kynge, me thought that a naked sworde was cōmytted to the hādes of a madde man.

The foxe is not eftsones taken in a snare. He that wyse is, woll not the seconde tyme stomble at the same stone.

A beggers scryppe is neuer fylled [Page] [...] [Page xxxix] [...] [Page] They that haue a beggers herte, the more thou gyueste them, the more woll they craue.

The fayreste of Apes is fowle. That y ^t of the owne kynd is vnhonest, can not be made honest. To be a bawde, to be a harlot, is vn­honest of the selfe nature, where­fore in what so euer person it be or after what sorte, it can not be made honest. Semblably it is to be iudged of all other thynges.

A lytle euyl, a great good. Of a lytel incōmoditie and labour other­whyles is gathered moste greate and hyghe commoditie. To this agreeth the excellent sentence of Musoniꝰ y ^t Aulus Gellius Aulus Gel. lib. 16. remē ­breth [Page xl] in his. vi. boke whyche is this: If thou do any honest thyng wyth laboure, the labour goeth a­way, the honestie remayneth. But yf thou do any dishonest thyng w ^t pleasure, the pleasure goeth away the dishonestie remayneth.

Know the fascions of thy frende, but hate them not. In y ^e maners of frendes some vices oughte to be dissimuled and wynked at.

Wyth sluggers or vnhardy per­sons, it is alwayes holydaye.

They that flee labour, wysh for holydayes wherin they may loyter & gyue them selues to good chere and pleasures. The insti­tucion of holydayes. For amonges the olde Panymes (as full eloquent­lye declareth Erasmus) certayne [Page] holydayes were therfore gyuen to the vplandish folke and craftesmē that in y ^e same they mought wyth honest disporte and playe refreshe them of theyr werynes & trauayle. And to thintent the pastyme shuld be the more moderate, they meng­led therwyth religion, that is to wyte, Abuse of holydayes seruice of goddes. But at thys daye (sayeth Erasmus) the cō mone sorte of christians do fowlye abuse holydayes (whych in tymes past were instituted and ordeyned for a godly vse) spendynge them vpon bankettynges, vpō reuellynges, stues, dyes, cardes, frayes, byckerynges and vpon all naughty­nes, neyther is there at any tyme more leudnes and myschiefe done thē on holy dayes, when mē ought moost of all to absteyne from leudnes. Neyther do we euer folowe [Page xlj] more y ^e Panyms, thē when cheif­lye we shuld playe the christians. And where as it is euident and playne, that the thyng which was inuented for the mayntenaunce of relygion or deuocyon, is nowe growen to the vtter destruction & subuersion of relygion: yet (sayth thys excellent clerke) I can not know for what consyderatiō and purp [...]se the bysshoppes of Rome do dayly multiply the holydayes, and do continually increase them) into an infinite nombre, where as it had ben moch more conuenient in this behalfe to folow wyse phi­siciens, whiche accordynge to the qualitie of y ^e deseases, do chaūge their medicines & remedies, ha­uyng this onely as a marke afore their eyes, y ^t they prescribe suche thynges vnto theyr pacientes, [Page] as be profytable to the restorynge and preseruacion of helth. Wher­fore, syth now it is apparant, that the thynge ones well institute, ha­uynge regarde to those tymes, is now by the chaunge of mens ma­ners become a decaye of deuocion I praye you, what mater were it, to chaunge the cōstitucion, moued of the same consyderation that the elders dyd fyrst constitute it. That I say of holydayes, the same is to be iudged of many other thynges, not (sayth he) y ^t I condemne y ^e christen mens holydayes, but that I wold not haue them thus increase into such innumerable a nombre, and that I wold wysh rather, that those fewe holydayes whyche the authoritie of the auncient fathers haue ordined, mought be cōuerted to that vse, wherunto they were [Page xlij] fyrst inuented. For wyth true chri­stē folke euery day (to say y ^e trouth) is the Sabboth daye and is feast­full. But agayne, to euyll disposed persons and vnthryftes, the verye feastfull and holy dayes, be lesse feastfull, then be y ^e workyng dayes Nytherto haue I translated y ^e wordes of that renowmed clerke Erasmus. But now in Englande than­ked be god through the hygh bene fyte of oure incomparable prince Henry the. viij. dyuerse superflu­ouse holydayes be already abro­gate. Neyther do we tary the bys­shop of Romes redresse in maters of religion, which as it semeth for­ceth no more of Christes church (o­uer whych neuertheles he preten­deth to haue y ^e charge) thē the hyre lynge passeth vpon the flocke of shepe, Ioh. 10▪ as Christ hymselfe declareth

Wyne that is saleable and good nedeth no bushe or garland of y­uye to be hanged before. Lyke as men woll seke oute good wyne, though there be no sygne at all to directe and appoynte them where it is to be solde: so all good thyn­ges nede no commendation of a­ny outward badge or tokē. Good merchaundyse and also pure and substāciall thynges of what kynd so euer they be, do prayse them selues.

Cowardes yet neuer wanne a fylde, or neuer had y ^e victorie. In olde tyme they that had gotten y ^e victorie in batel were wonte to e­recte and set vp some great stone, [Page xliij] pyller or other thyng for a sygne of victorie, which marke they cal­led Trophaeum. Nowe such as be cowardes and which cast manye perylles and doubtes, shall neuer come to this glorie, forasmoch as such excedyng renowne and glo­rie, can not happen without great perylles and daungers. And as it is to be thought of the euentes and chaunces in warres, so it is of al other valyaunte and hardye enterpryses.

Seke not softe thynges, lest hard thynges happen vnto the. It is commonlye sene, that they which vnmeasurably seke pleasures, do fall, ere they be ware, into bytter and harde greuaunces.

One eye wytnesse, is of more va­lue, then tenne eare wytnesses, y ^t is to saye, Farre more credite is to be gyuen to suche as reaporte the thynge they sawe wyth theyr eyes, thā to such as speake but by heare saye.

The multitude of rulers destroy­ed the coūtrey of Caria. This coū ­trey was sumtyme a very florysh­ynge realme and by the discorde & dissention of the citizens amonges thē selues, whyle euery mā stroue to be a lord, it was brought at last to a thyng of naughte. Wherefore this prouerbe aduertiseth vs that nothynge is more noysome nor [Page xliiij] more pestiferous to a cōmō weale, then the ouermoche libertye of a multitude, where no man chieflye is obeyed, but euery man doth as him lusteth. This vnleful libertie or licence of the multitude is cal­led an Anarchie, Anarchie. A mischief surely in maner worse thē any Tyrānye.

If thou trouble the pure water wyth the myer thou shalte neuer fynd drynke. This prouerbe is wont to be sayde, when the thyn­ges which of themselues be verye good, a man marreth w ^t the med­ley of thynges that be naughte. As yf a man wolde depraue the most excellēt facultie of Diuinitie wyth hereticall opinions, or wyth fylthynes of wordes, or fynallye wyth any prophane and straunge [Page] doctrines.

Susteyne and absteyne. Thys sentence is worthye to be wrytten vpon all dores, postes, walles, yea and in euery corner where so euer a man casteth his eye. The author of it is Epictetus a noble Philosopher, Epictetus. by whych two wordꝭ, he hath comprised all that perteyne to the felicitie of mās lyfe, and that that other philosophers coulde skarse declare in so many great volumes hath he declared by these two wordes, susteyne and absteyne. By the fyrst worde we be taught, strongly to beare aduersitie, & by the secōde to absteyne from all vnlefull pleasures and pastymes.

[Page xlv]Thurst out nature wyth a croche, yet woll she styll runne backe a­gayne. It is an harde thinge doutles, to stryue against nature. A croked bough of a tree, be it neuer so much dryuen an other waye wyth a forke, or crotch, yet yf thou ones take awaye the forke, anone it re­turneth to y ^e owne nature & course agayne. So in lyke wyse, yf man contrary to hys nature and bryngynge vp take vpon hym an other person ether for fear, or for shame, or for some other cause, let an occasion be offered, and anone he returneth to his owne maners & nature Sisperat fore dam rur sum ad ingenium redit.

Yf he hope that he shall not be espyed (sayeth Terence) agayne he commeth to hys owne disposicion and inclination: as he that feareth to commytte offences not for any loue he hath to vertue, but for fear [Page] of the staffe or sworde, take me a­way the staffe or sworde, and forth wyth ye shal se hym returne to his olde kynde. For assuredlye theyr kinde and natural inclinacion (sayeth Pindarus) can nether the craf­tye foxe, Pindarus. neyther the wylde Lyon chaunge. For tame thou neuer so much the lyon, he wol styll returne to hys natiue fyernes, neyther wol the foxe by any meanes forget her naturall wylynes, be she neuer so muche mekened and made tame.

There is no goodnes of shepe, yf the shepherde be awaye. Seruauntes do nothynge wel, where y ^e mayster is absente. Scholers do no good, when the teacher is gone.

That commonaltie is nothynge [Page xlvi] worth, y ^t is not gouerned by thau­thoritie of a prince. In sūma, wher is an anarchie and no monarchie, I meane, where one hedde & ru­ler is not, but euery mā as a lorde doth what hym lusteth, there is nothynge well done.

A yonge woman or wenche bryn­geth lyghtlye forth chyldren, al­though she be not halfe well kno­wen of man. The cause hereof is, that youth is moche more redy to conceyue then age. Semblably, a fyne wytte y ^t is redye to take anye thynge is taught anone, thoughe he hath but an euyll maister. And so of all other thynges.

[Page]It is not semynge for a capi­tayne or ruler to slepe all the hole nyght. Thys prouerbe monysheth that vigilancie and busye reuol­uynge of mynde doth moost of all become capitaynes, princes, magistrates, & rulers, whyche susteyne so greate a burthen of busynesses vpon theyr shoulders.

Happye is he, that oweth no­thynge. Thys prouerbe he shall fynde true and true agayne, which ones hath tasted what it is to be indebted. He that hath not tasted, let hym rede Plutarch, Plutarche de vitandis Vsuris. and howe wretched a thynge it is to owe, he shal easely espie. For what is more miserable, then so ofte to be asha­med, so ofte to flee thy creditours syght, to hyde thy self, to lye, to dis­semble, [Page xlvij] nowe lamētably to submyt thy selfe, now to fall to entreatye, now openlye to be called vpon in courtes, to be shunned, to be gased vpon, to be marked wyth the fyn­ger as thou passest by, and shortly to cōclude, not to be thyn own mā, nor vnder thyne owne power. For all these and wyth these many o­ther incōmodities doth debt bring wyth it.

In great maters it euen sufficeth that a mā hath wylled. Wylle otherwhyles namelye in thynges that passe a mās power, deserueth great prayse and commendacion, although hys enterpryse take not effecte.

The frendes of an infortunate [Page] person be farre of. When fortune ones beginneth to fayle the, anone thy frendes are gone.

The bely hath no eares. When the belyes mater is in hande, honeste reasons be not admitted, ne herde.

Take in good worth thy pre­sent fortune.

He that woll eate the carnell out of y ^e nutte, breaketh the nutte. He that loke for profyte, maye not flee labours.

Flatery & folowing of mēs myndꝭ getteth frēdes, where speakyng of [Page xlviij] trouth gendreth hatred. Suche is now and euer hath ben the fascion of the worlde, that who telleth the trouthe, is for moost parte hated, and he that can flatter and saye as I say, shalbe myne owne whyte sonne.

All thynges be easy vnto wyse men. There is nothynge so harde, but wyth prudent counsayle, maye be brought to passe.

An euyl thynge knowen is best It is good kepyng of a shrew that a man knoweth. For whan one is ones accustomed to a shrew or any other incommoditie what so euer it be, it is no grefe.

Many shall hate the, yf thou loue [Page] thy selfe. Vndoutedly, nothynge is more hurtful to a mā, thē selfe loue is, nether is it possible, but that he muste nedes displease many, that pleaseth hymselfe and stādeth best in hys owne conceyte.

He that hasteth ouer fast, ma­keth an ende the later. Ouer much in nothynge is commendable.

Whan that thynge can not be done that thou woldest, woll that thou cannest.

It is the partes of a good shepherde or pastor to sheare the shepe and not to plucke of theyr skinnes [Page xlix] This prouerbe did Tiberius Ce­sar an Emperoure of Rome aun­swere to certayne of hys frendes, Tiberius which counsayled him to inhaūce the rentes and exactions of suche as helde of him. Also Alexander kynge of Macedonie surnamed the greate, Alexander. when one aduertysed him y ^t he myghte take farre grea­ter tributes of the cities that he had cōquered, aunswered agayne on this wyse. I hate that gardi­ner which cutte of the herbes by the harde rotes: meanyng y ^e same thynge that Tiberius meaned.

This prouerbe agreeth aswell vpō kynges & other magistrates as vpon bisshoppes curates and all other ecclesiastical ministres.

Fearfull dogges do barke the so­rer. [Page] Great braggers commonly be least fyghters, and moost cowar­des, euē as the most barkyng dogges be for y ^e most parte lest byters.

Batell is a swete thynge to them that neuer assayed it. He that ly­steth to knowe more of thys pro­uerbe, let him go to Erasmꝰ which hādleth in hys Chiliades this prouerbe both ryght copiously & also eloquently.

What gyft so euer one gyueth the, allowe it, and take it in worth. A gyuen horse (we saye) maye not be loked in the mouth.

Se thou be that thou arte repor­ted and borne in hande to be. Rych [Page l] men for the moost parte are pray­sed of the poore & called wyse, iust, honest, lerned, godly and all that good is. Now Horace byddeth thē loke and put theyr diligēce, y ^t they become suche persons indede, as they heare them selues bruted and borne in hande.

Silence garnysheth a woman. Assuredlye there is no tyre, no ap­parayl that better becōmeth a wo­man then sylence. Whych thynge also the Apostle Paule requyreth, whyle he forbyddeth women in the church or congregacion to speake, but wylleth them to aske theyr husbādes at home, yf they be in doubt of any thynge.

That nedeth not, is to dere of a fardyng. Cato (which is thauc­tour of this prouerbe) amonges hys other preceptes and lessons of husbandry teacheth the husbād man to be a seller and no byer, Cato & to bye onely suche thynges as he muste nedes vse. For suche thyn­ges (ꝙ he) as thou nedeste not, be ouer dere of a farthynge, as who shulde saye, be a thynge neuer so chepely bought, yet it is deare, yf it be not necessary.

Shortnes is acceptable. Vnto lyttel thynges is a certayne grace annexed. The grate of briefnes. Some thinges do please mē by reason of the greatnes and quantitie. Agayne there be other thynges whych euen for that very [Page li] cause be acceptable & had in pryce bicause they be litle.

He is not happye, that knoweth not himselfe happye.

A freende certayne is espyed in a thyng incertayne, that is to saye, in aduersitie, where a mās maters are inconstant, doubtful, & ful of daunger.

A couetouse mā doth no mā good but whā he dyeth. They that giue themselfes only to the hourdyng vp of money be, profitable to no bodie while they liue. Only their death bryngeth pleasure and pro­fyte [Page] to theyr heyres & executours.

The wyse man caryeth aboute wyth hym hys goodes. By thys is sygnifyed that those onely be indede and truely oures whyche be wythin vs as lernynge & vertue.

Nothyng to Parmenoes sowe, Of Par­menoes sowe. occasiō of this prouerbe was this: There was a certayne man called Parmeno who was of that sorte of men which also in our tymes be wonte so featlye to counterfayte & represent sondry voyces aswell of men as of beastes, that they that herde hym and saw hym not, wold haue thought them true voyces & not coūterfayted. In which kynde of pastyme there be many that de­lyte [Page lij] excedyngly much. Thys Par­meno then as he was by this feate and qualitie verye acceptable and pleasaunt to the people: so hys fa­me and brute for hys excellency in thys behalfe dyd not a lytel florysh aboue the rest. Wherfore whan dyuerse other for gaines sake studied to counterfayte the same, and to represente the gruntynge of the sow, as dyd Parmeno, anone y ^e people were wonte to crye: Well done, but nothyng to Parmenos sow. Now a certayne wytty felowe, espyenge, that the iudgement of the people proceded rather of ymaginacion thā of trouth, and caryenge vnder hys clothes a very pygge indede, hyd himself frō y ^e peoples syght as y ^e maner was. Forthwith y ^e pygge cryeth, The people thynkyng it to be but a counterfayt voyce, began [Page] accordyng to theyr maner to crye. Tush, what is thys to Parmenos pygge? Here the felowe bryngyng forth out of hys clothes the verye pygge indede, and openly shew­ynge it to them all, dasheth theyr foolysh iudgemēt. Assuredly suche a fonde beast is the people, that y ^e thynge y ^t they ones take into theyr heades, be the contrary neuer so apparant, they styffely vpholde.

Amonges frendes al thynges be cōmune. The authour of thys prouerbe is Pythagoras an aun­cient Philosopher. Phythagoras. Neither dyd he only speak it, but also brought in, such a certayne cōmunion of lyfe and goodes, as Christ wolde haue vsed amonges al Christians. For [Page liij] as manye as were admitted of him into the felowship and com­pany of his doctrine, al the mony & substaunce they had: they layd it togither, which thyng not only in worde, but also indede was called coenobiū. Certes, this cō ­munion of those Hethen Pytha­goriās resēbled moche better that☞ communiō vsed in the primatiue churche amonges the Apostles, than doth either our Monkry at this day, or the wycked Anabap­tistical secte, whiche woll haue no Rulers, no order, but whiche go aboute to disturbe the hole world with horrible confusion.

Frendship (sayth pythagors) is equalitie, & al one mynde or wyll, [Page] and my frende is as who shuld say an other I. He pronounced also many Enygmata or Symboles, of whych, I intēd of some to make here a brief rehersall.

Taste not (sayd Pythagoras) of thynges that haue blacke tayles, that is to say, medle not w ^t naughtye felowes & such as haue blacke and diffamed maners.

Ouergo not the beame or ba­launce. That is to say, do nothyng besyde ryght and equitie.

Syt not vpon the measure. Eras­mus thynketh that by thys darke [Page liiij] sentēce is meant we shuld not lyue vpon y ^e measure or dyete gyuē vs at other mēs handes but that eue­ry man by hys owne industrie and labour ought to seke hym goodes where by he maye leade a cleane & honest lyfe, and not by slouthful­nes to haunte ydelnes and other mēs meate. For it is the fascion of a flatterer and parasyte to lyue of an other mans trencher, & to haue no honeste facultie where by thou mayest lyue of thyne owne.

Holde not forth thy hande to euery man. He meaneth we shuld not vnaduysedly admyt euery bodye into our frendshyp and familiaritie.

Weare no streyght rynge. As who shulde saye, caue not thy selfe into [Page] bondage or into suche a kynde of lyfe from whence thou cannest not afterwarde wynde out thy selfe.

For who so euer weareth on hys fynger a narow & streyght rynge, in maner layeth bandes on hym selfe, and imprisoneth hym selfe.

Dygge not fyer wyth a swerd Here Pythagoras meaneth (as Plato expouneth) y ^t we shulde not laboure in vayne to go aboute the thinge, y ^t in no wyse cā be brought to passe.

Eate not thy harte (that is to saye) consume not thy selfe wyth cares and thoughtes of worldlye thynges, for that eateth & knaw­eth a mans herte.

[Page lv]Absteyne from beanes. There be sondry interpretacions of thys symbole. But Plutarche and Ci­cero thynke beanes to be forbyddē of Pythagoras, bycause they be wyndye and do engender impure humours and for that cause pro­uoke bodely lust.

Put not meate into a pyspot. Plutarche expouneth thys sayng thus. Cast not good sentencies into the mynde of a wycked person, So that it is al one in effecte with that sayenge of Christ. Cast not perles afore swyne. For spech is y ^e meate of the mynde. Math. 7. But thys meat is corrupted and doth putrify, yf it fal into an vnsoūde minde Vnto thys loked y ^e Poete Horace [Page] where he sayeth.

Onles the vessell be pure, what so euer thou powreste into it, it wax­eth sowre.

When thou comest to the ende, turne not backe agayne, He mo­nysheth vs, that when oure tyme is come, and when we haue runne our course, so that we muste nowe departe thys wretched world, we then drawe not backe agayne de­syrouse to begyne our lyfe a new.

Helpe the taker of a burthen, but not the layer down. As who shuld saye. Further suche as laboure to atteyne to vertue, but suche as be slowthfull and laye downe all ho­nest [Page lvi] labours, helpe not.

Walke not by y ^e highe weye. That is to say as S. Hierom expouneth it, Hierome Folowe not the errours of the people. For it is not possible, that those thynges whiche be beste: can please y ^e most part of folke. Thys precepte of Pythagoras is not moche disagreyng from the Euā ­gelical doctrine of Christe, Math. 7. whiche monysheth vs to flee the broade & wyde wey, that the moste parte of men walke in, & to entre into the narowe and streight wey which is litle beaten but leadeth to immor­talitie and lyef euerlastinge.

Speke not ayenste the son: that is to saye. Stryue not agaynste ma­nifeste and euidente thynges. For [Page] the thyng that is apparant, and whiche no man denyeth: we cal as cleare as the sonne.

Kepe no swalowes vnder the same roufe of thy house. That is, Brynge not vp, neyther kepe thou company with such as in thy prosperite seke thy frēdship, but in aduersitie or when they haue their desyre, forsake the. The swalo­wes properte is, The pro­pertie of a swalow. in the spring tyme of the yeare to repare to a mans house, and vnder his roufe to ne­stle, but so sone as she ones hathe brought vp her yonge, when it is towardes wynter: anone she for­saketh his company without anye thankesgyuyng or good turne do­ynge for harbroughynge and lod­gynge [Page xlvij] of her. Such vnkynde byr­des or rather beastes there be not a few in y ^e world, whych neuerthe­les tyll they haue obteined theyr praye y ^t they hunt for, pretende to bear most hartie & entier loue vn­to the. But the ende declareth all.

Breake not bread. Here he admo­nysheth vs (sayeth Erasmus) that we breake not amitie or frendship which thyng is signifyed by bread For in old tyme it was the maner to ioyne frendship by eatynge to­gither of breade. Erasmus. And therfore also Christ oure capitayne and sauiour by distributinge of breade did sta­blysh & as it were cōsecrate perpe­tuall amitie betwen hys disciples and folowers. Wherfore whē Py­thagoras cōmaūded his disciples [Page] not to breake bread: he meant not that they shuld not breake y ^e bread whiche they did eate, but y ^e thynge whiche by breakynge of bread in those dayes was vnderstande that is to wit, a sure and perpetuall a­mitie and loue betwen thē selues▪ what shall I say? Christen men be in dede breakers, but no eaters of this bread that Pythagoras spea­keth of. What discorde, what con­tentiō, what mortall hatred, is be­twen Christians, it wolde make a true Christen mans harte blede to se. And yet Christ w ^t a farre grea­ter solēnitie taught his disciples this concord, thē euer pythagoras did. At a solēne souper the nyght before his departure out of this world from vs, Math. 26. Mar. 14 Luc. 22 [...] Cor. 11. he toke bread, and thankes yeuen, brake it and sayde to his disciples, take, eate, this is [Page lviij] my bodye, whiche is betrayed and broken for you. This do ye, in re­membraunce of me &c. Lo with how expresse & lyuely a sacrament he hathe incorporate vs into him selfe. He maketh vs all one with him, yea and all one togither with in our selues. And yet settyng this moste sacred Symbole and sacra­ment at naught, by malice & dis­cord we disseuer our selues one of vs from an other, yea & cōsequēt­ly from him that thus in hys own bodye hathe knytte vs together.

Is not the brede (sayth S. Paule) whiche we breake the partakynge of the lordes body? 1. Cor. 10. For we beynge many be one bread and one body. We be all partakers of one bread and of one cuppe. Christe himselfe speaking of Iudas who vngent­lye betrayed him sayd, He that ea­teth [Page] bread with me hath lifted vp his hele ayenste me. I praye you do not we Christē mē (at lest wey whiche wyl so be called) expresse & resemble Iudas? yearlye by thys solemne sacrament we be incorpo­rate in Christ, we be partakers of his body, we eate y ^e mistical bread, This in outwarde apparaunce is a symbole and argumēt of an ex­cedyng vnitie and brennyng cha­ritie. But inwardly very Iudas­ses yea and outwardly to, we lyft vp our heles, we kyck, we spurne, ayenste Christe. Wherfore to re­turne to my purpose we be brea­kers and not eaters or (to speake more truly) we be vnworthy eters of this mystical breade not discer­nynge the lordes bodye. And for thys cause I meane for the pro­phanacion of thys sacrament no [Page lix] doubte the terrible thretenynges that Paule speaketh of, be come vpon vs. Many of vs be weake and many slepe. 1. Cor. 11.

All that happeneth by wysshynge, is none of thine. As who shuld say What so euer cōmeth vnto the by thyne owne traueile and industrie that only counte thyne owne.

Loke to haue the same at an other. [Page] mans hande that thou thy selfe hast done to other. With what measure (sayeth Christ) ye measure, with the same shall other measure vnto you agayne.

A mynde that knoweth to feare, the same knoweth also sausly to en­terpryse. He that vnderstandeth the daunger and peryll of thynges, can skyll also to eschue peryll. On the contrary syde temeritie and fole hardynes setteth vpon thynges daun­gerosly, bycause it hathe not the wyt to feare.

Cōsente maketh smalle souccours sure. Though in warres a mā hath but pore and smal helpes yet if they [Page] agre togyther they shalbe stronge, and shalbe hable to beate a greater company, amonges whom is no or­der nor concorde. Discorde enfebleth the greatest powers.

Loue is take w ^t choyse of minde but is not layde downe agayne. It is in our power not to begin to loue But when thou arte ones in, thou arte nowe seruaūt vnto it, and canst not plucke out thy head when thou wylt,

A woman eyther loueth or hateth, there is no thyrde. Woman kynde for most parte is extremes and to vehement vpon eyther parte. She hath no meane. For (as Erasmus [Page] sayeth) she is animal affectibus obno­xium, that is to wete, without mode­racion or stey of her appetite, all full of affections, and in maner voyde of reason.

Suspicion is vehement & stronge to the vnfortunate or heuy parte. They that ones be fallen into heuy Fortune, be moste suspected in theyr doynges, and moreouer be cōmonly moste ready to suspecte the worst in all thynges.

If thy parente be gentle and in­different vnto the, loue hym, if he be not suche but vnegall and iniuri­ouse, yet because he is thy parente, beare him.

[Page]Thou muste loke vpon the thyng that thou mayste lose. The beste ke­per of a thyng is y ^e owners eye, that is to say, his presence.

If thou suffre thy frendes faul­tes, thou makest them thine, as who shulde saye, it shalbe imputed vnto the what soeuer thyng thy frēde of­fendeth in, when thou doest not ad­monyshe hym therof.

Bytter bondage is to a gentle man, straunge. Nothyng is dearer to a gentle harte then is libertie.

Who brauleth with a dronkerd, hurteth him y ^t is absent. The minde of a drunkerd is away, wherwith he shulde speake. And therfore it is all [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] one as if he were not there him selfe

A louer when he is angry maketh many lyes to him selfe. The angrye louer purposeth muche in his mynd which he performeth not afterward

The couetouse person is cause of his owne miserie. For willingly and wittyngly he is cōtinually nedy and filthy. Forasmuch as he is afrayd to spende one halfe peny vpō him selfe.

The louer knoweth what to couet, but seeth not what to be wyse in. He coueteth w ^tout iudgement, not wey­eng whether the thyng be profitable or hurtefull which he so coueteth.

[Page]The louer dreameth the thing y ^t he suspecteth waking. Louers cōmonly fayne to them selues dreames and with vayne hope flatter themselues.

Euery rumour serueth vnto ca­lamitie, that is to say, sad and heuy tydynges be easly blowen abroade be they neuer so vaine and false and they be also sone beleued. But suche thynges as be good, ryght, and ho­nest, are hardly beleued.

Loue can not be wroung out, but fall away it may. Suche a vehemēt thyng is loue, that sodenly and per­force thou canst not expelle it, but by lytle and lytle it may slyde awaye.

[Page]With teares mayste thou redeme angre frō the louer. If thy louer be neuer so angry with the, wepe, and he is appeased. This arte is not vn­knowen to women

When a woman is openly euyll then is she good. As who shuld say, if there be any goodnes in a womā, it is then, when she openly vttereth her malice. Counterfeyted holynes (they saye) is double wickednes. A woman for moste parte (sayeth my authour Erasmus) is a croked and disceitfull beaste, and therfore she is leaste hurtefull, when she is openly naught. This is not so spokē of wo­men, but it agreeth vpon some men also.

[Page]Thou mayste easly take a coue­touse man, if y ^u be not the same thy selfe. One couetouse person can nat beare another.

To be in loue & to be wyse is scase graūted to god. It is not one mans propertie bothe to loue and also to be of a sounde mynde.

The couetouse person but when he dyeth doth nothyng wel. For whē he departeth y ^e worlde, thā at last he suffreth other men to spende and vse his goodes which he had hurded vp

Age bewreyeth it selfe, be it neuer so craftely hydde and conceled.

[Page]The couetouse person soroweth for losse of goodes rather then the wyse man. A wyse man vexeth not him selfe w ^t losyng of wordly thin­ges. But he mourneth that maketh money his god.

What euyll canst thou wysshe to the couetouse mā, but that he shuld longe lyue, forasmuche as he lyueth moste miserably.

Vnto a sorowfull mynde ye ought to gyue no credite. So long as thou art greued truste nothyng thy selfe. For greuaunce of mynde entiseth nothyng a ryght.

Other mens fortune pleaseth vs, and ours pleaseth other men more. [Page] No man is contented with his owne allotment and thynges.

Loue to a yonge person is frute or pleasure, but to an olde person it is a foule vice.

An olde woman when she vseth dalyaunce, she doth nothyng els in effecte but delyteth death.

The same selfe person maketh the wounde of loue, whiche healeth the wounde, that is to were if the person loued assenteth to the louer.

He hasteneth to repente him selfe whiche iudgeth lygtly. Be not to quicke in iudgement. Of heady sen­tence gyuing, oftentymes foloweth repentaunce.

A dyser the more conyng and bet­ter he is in his feate, so muche he is the worse. The more a person excel­leth in a thynge discōmendable, the worse he is.

Bendyng breaketh the bowe, but flackyng breaketh y ^e mynde, that is to wete, a bowe if it be bent to much, it breaketh. But contrary wyse the powers of the mynde be increased be bendyng and continuall exercyse wheras with slackenes and ydlenes they be broken.

If thou offre thy frende the thing that he nedeth, vnasked, it is worthe [Page] double thanke. A benefite extorted by crauing hath loste a greate parte of the thanke.

He that can no skyll to do a good turne, vnryghtly claymeth a good turne. He ought not to enioy any benefite of other men, that doeth good him selfe to none.

It is good espyeng in another mans euyll what thynges are to be fled. Learne what is to be eschued not with thine owne harme, but take example at other mens euylles.

To take a benefite is to sell thy libertie. He is not his owne mā, that [Page] vseth another mans benefite.

There is a good houre to no mā but that the same to another is euil.

To dye at another mans wyll is a double death. Naturall deathe is nothyng so paynefull, as is violent deathe.

He receiueth more benefites that knoweth to requite. Vnthankefull persons ons knowen, haue no more any benefites gyuen them.

Thou doest twyse naught, when to him y ^t doth naught, thou appliest thy seruice and obeysaunce.

A good and gentle harte ons of­fended is muche more greuously di­spleased and angry.

Deathe is good to man whiche quencheth the euyls and incōmodi­ties of lyfe.

He by geuyng taketh a benefyte, which gyueth a benefite to him that is worthy to haue it.

By fayre speache and gentle fa­shyons is Venus that is to say loue aswel in matrimony as otherwayes made pleasaunt, and not by force, by [Page] compulsion and cōmaundement.

A good mynde neuer assenteth or lendeth his seruice to him y ^t erreth from the path way of good maners

He y ^t telleth he hathe done a good turne asketh a good turne. The re­hersall of a benefite bestowed, is a demaunde or askyng of acquytayle and recompensacion.

The knyttyng togyther of mind is the greatest aliaunce or kyndred that can be. Erasmus readeth it also this wyse.

A frendfull mynde is the chiefest aliaunce. Doubtles, mutuall bene­uolence [Page] byndeth strayter, then any affinitie of bloude can bynde.

Often to gyue a benefite, is to teache to rendre agayne.

To counterfeyte the wordes of goodnes is the greater wickednes. He that is naught and speaketh wel is more thē naught, sayeth Erasmꝰ the flower of eloquence.

A good opinion is surer to a mā then money. It is better to haue a good fame, then any ryches.

The thyng that good is (as trouth and iustice) thoughe it be suppressed and [Page] kepte and vnder for a tyme, yet is it not quenched vtterly, but at length wyll breake out agayne.

He that can ouercome himselfe in victory, that is to say, vse moderatly the victory, ouercōmeth twyse, fyrst his enemy, seconde his owne mynd.

He that is liberall and fre harted loketh not to be desyred but of himselfe seketh occasion & cause, to gyue and bestowe his benefites.

He is twyse slayne, that perisheth with his owne weapons.

He sleapeth wel y ^t fealeth not howe euyll he slepeth. When the felyng of euyll is awey, there is no euyll.

A vertuouse person beyng in mi­sery is the cryme of good thynges, as who shulde say, vertue is blamed when the vertuouse men be afflicted and troubled. If he that lyueth well fall into mysery, ah wyll they say ye may se howe these geare speade.

A good fame euen in darckenes loseth not her due beuty & renoume

Good deuises or thynges wel de­uised though for a tyme they be for­gotten and fall out of memory yet they passe nat cleane away for euer.

He loseth well money, which whē he is takē in a tryppe gyueth to the [Page] iudge or ruler some reward for his indemnitie.

He hurteth the good, whosoeuer spareth the badde.

To the good thyng of iustice ri­gour is nexte, that is to saye, the ri­gour of the lawe whiche is an euyll thyng is so nere vnto iustice whiche is a good thyng that oftētymes the one is taken for the other.

With a good mā angre sone dyeth

It is a good dyshonesty that be­wreyeth daunger.

[Page]Mercy getteth good defenses or garrisons. Who so hathe a petifull eye, can not but prosper.

Accustomablenes of pleasaunte thynges is worst of all. Nothyng is swete but waxeth lothsome if it be continually vsed.

When thou gyuest a benefite to the worthy thou byndest al. For it is bestowed not vpon the person, but vpon vertue.

In aduersitie it is a cruell thing to chyde thy frende, when he shulde rather be comforted.

[Page]No occasion of takyng hede is to be let passe.

Ones deny one to whom thou haste alwayes gyuen, and thou in­forcest that persō to plucke from the

The intemperate sycke person maketh y ^e phisicien to excercyse cruel medicynes.

Whose death a mans frendes do loke for, his lyfe they hate. Wher­fore cōmytte not thy selfe to suche frendes.

With his enemy no mā that wyse [Page] is retourneth lyghtly without good deliberacion into frendshyp and fa­miliaritie agayne.

Daunger cōmeth the soner, whē it is not past on.

A chaste woman w ^t her husband, by obeyeng, ruleth.

The glory of the proude person anon becōmeth his reproche. Infa­mye alwayes insueth arrogancie.

Thou shalte better ouercom by wysdom then by fury.

To all maner sorowe pacience is a remedy.

When vices be vnpunished yea and also rewarded, thā he that doth well is taken for an offendour.

A pleasount felowe to talke with by the way is as good as a chariot.

The myrthes of wycked persons do sone fall vnto destruccion.

He that coueteth death, accuseth lyfe, and so leaueth a blame vnto it, whiche is not to be blamed.

The person that hathe more au­thoritie then he ought to haue, wyll [Page] also do more then he hathe authori­tie to do. This sētence is very praty, and it agreeth (sayeth Erasmꝰ) vpō tyrauntes and wemen.

He that nowhere hath an abyding place (as a banished man or suche o­ther) is as a deade man without a graue. Banyshement is in effecte a ciuile death.

Coūterfeited thyngꝭ wyll sone re­tourne againe to theyr owne nature

The daye folowyng is the scholer of the daye y ^t goeth before, By dayly experiēce of thinges we must growe wyser and wyser.

When thy frende nedeth healpe, then to chyde hym is to hurte hym. Fyrste therfore helpe him out of his misery.

Warre is longe to be prepared that thou mayst ouercome the soner Suche as be ouer hasty in settynge on, come the sloulier to the ende.

Thou shalte haue spoken all re­proches, whā y ^u callest a mā a chorle. Ingratitude or chorlyshnes contey­neth in it all vices, versus est trochaicus.

Of thyne enemy speake not euyl if thou thynkest it. If thou caste to [Page] do him a displeasure speake it not.

To take deliberacion and aduisement vpon thynges profitable, is a moste sure delaye.

Sorowe abateth when it hathe not whether to increase. When the euyll is at the hyghest, then muste it nedes wax more easy and more.

A woman to vnlearne or to forget to wepe is a leasyng or a thyng fey­ned, that is to say, impossible.

By dyscorde is concorde made the dearer and surer. For as Terence sayeth. The fallyng out of louers, is a renuaunce of loue.

The thynge wherof thou muste but ones determyne, as of mariage or any other earnest and wayghtye mater, thou oughtest to take a good and longe deliberacion, ere thou ad­uenture vpon it.

Thou oughtest to haue an harde eare to accusacions or appeache­mentes. Beleue not euery man that accuseth another.

Whyle lyfe is pleasaunt, the bar­gayne of death is best, that is to say, it is then best medling with death.

[Page]Gaynes with an euyll name is dāmage and losse.

In the wysdome of the capitaine resteth the strēgth of the souldiours

A day the thing it gyueth (beware) it cōmeth anon to plucke it away a­gayne. A man may somtyme haue a day to be auaunced in, but agayne it is good to feare leaste a daye come and swepe all away agayne.

A thyng let gone y ^t is not knowen, is not loste. It is no losse that thou fealest not.

Payne compelleth euen the gylt­les to lye.

Euen vnto synne fidelitie & trouth is well ꝑformed. Fayth is so hyghly to be kepte that euen in euyll thingꝭ otherwhiles it ought to be obserued

In desyre that is to say in a thing that a man coueteth, euen spede is counted a taryaunce.

By the faulte of another man the wyse man mendeth his.

To the miserable and wretched persons consideracion both lacketh (bicause they espye no remedye) and [Page] also aboūdeth, bycause they perceiue what they shulde haue done but it is to late.

Euen to forget the thynge thou knowest, otherwhyles is expedient.

By reason of mens gaynes was fortune made a goddesse. The inor­dinate desyre of lucre caused that fortune amonges the panyms was thought to haue bene a goddesse in that she fauored theyr desyres.

To escape & tame thyne owne luste is to conquere & wynne a kyngdom.

[Page]Euen the very wronge doers, hate wronge.

It becōmeth to plucke away, and not to gyue weapon to the angrye body. Angre (sayeth Horace) is a shorte frensy.

Euen one heare of the head hath his shadowe, that is to wete, there is nothyng so symple and vile, but can do sumwhat.

Alacke howe wretched a thyng is it with fearyng to waxe aged.

He is euen indifferent and iuste to his foe, that in his counsayle and [Page] aduise takyng hath faythe & trouth in his herte and before his eyen.

It is an honest shame to dye for a good quarell. Versus est Trochaicus.

Unto them that be alofte and in hyghe place doth a fall hurte muche soner.

He that loseth his credite, wherby shall he afterwarde helpe him selfe?

When fortune flattereth, she cō ­meth to catche the. Fortune is then chiefly to be suspected whē she moste laugheth.

[Page]Thou mayste soner fynde fortune thā reteyne her. It is a greater mai­stry to kepe that thou haste gotten than to gette.

A beutifull and fayre face is a dōbe or speachles settyng out. Fayre persōs be fauoured w ^tout speaking

He is besought in vayne, whiche can haue no compassion. What ne­deth to intreate hym, that with no prayer can be vowed?

It is deceipte to take that thou canst not requite, namely one wayes or other, as by seruice, by geuyng of as good a thynge, by counseyle and [Page] so forthe.

Whom fortune ouermuche cocke­reth, she maketh a fole. Unto greate felicitie is for most parte annext foly and arrogancy.

Who fleeth iudgement, cōfesseth his wickednes.

Happy leudnes is the miserye of good men, that is to say, whē so euer fortune fauoureth leude personnes, then be the moste vertuouse & beste men in euyll case.

Suffre, blame not, that can not be eschued.

The euilles to come do stryue to the intent they mought suffre them selues to be ouercome. As who shuld say, the euylles to come do so hange ouer our hed, that yet they may with wisdome be vaynquished & eschued.

Pacience often hurte becōmeth a fury. Pacient bodyes if they be oftē styred, at laste they rage muche the sorer, bycause it is longe, ere they be moued.

Who loseth his credence, can lose naught beyonde it.

Easynes of mynde plucketh a mā to the parte of foly. Gentle and plyable [Page] myndes be sone entysed to foly.

Credite, euen as a mans lyfe, doth neuer retourne thither agayne from whens it departed. As lyfe ones lost neuer retourneth, so if a man ones lose his fidelitie or credite he shall neuer get it agayne.

Fayth no man euer loseth, but he whiche in dede neuer had it, though to the worlde he appered neuer so faythfull.

Fortune is not cōtented to hurte a man ones. Whē fortune begyneth ons to loure vpon one, she is not sa­tisfied to do him one displeasure but [Page] heapeth displeasure vpō displeasure

Angre where it lodgeth w ^t power, it is euen a lyghtnyng & thundring, as who sayeth, when y ^e myghty man is angry, he playeth y ^e deuil. trochaicus.

When thou cōmest ones to age, thou shalte clayme agayne youth in vayne. Let therfore age medle with matters mete for age. Trochaicus.

A false reproche and vpbraydyng, is a maliciouse leasyng.

To rule a womans nature is the despayre of all men, that is to wete, [Page] euery man despayre to do it, it is a thyng so harde.

Beare harde thynges that thou mayst beare easy thynges y ^e lyghter.

Fortune is to no man more of strength then coūsayle, that is to say Wysdome dothe more then ryches.

Fortune is brykle as glasse, whē she glystereth, she breaketh.

Beare incōmodie, to the intent y ^u mayste cary away cōmoditie.

Fortune (that is to saye wealthe, ryches, prosperitie) whiche no man [Page] seeth maketh the owner acceptable and beloued. As who shulde say, if thy wealth be espyed, thou shalte be enuied. Dissēble therfore thy felicitie

Frugalitie, that is to wete, homly and temperate lyuing is a misery of a good rumour, as who shulde saye, thoughe it be (namely to the worlde) a mis [...]ry, yet is the name good and honest.

That is a greuouse preiudice or fore iudgement, whiche hath no iud­gement. He calleth here a fore iudge­ment, when a man of power suppresseth and dampueth a man before he be iudged by the lawe.

[Page]The wrath of a good man is most heuy.

The punyshment and payne of mynde is greate of that person whiche repēteth him after he hath done a mys.

A graue and sad mynde hath no waueryng sentence.

Euery euyll is greuouse and sore, whiche lyeth hyd vnder a vysour, y ^t is to say, whiche is cloked vnder the outwarde apparaunce of goodnes.

What so euer happeneth vnas­sayed [Page] greueth the sorer.

More greuous is the enemy that lurketh vnder thy brest, which is, thy viciouse affection and luste.

Moste greuouse is the empire or rule of custome. Custome practiseth euen a certayne tyranny amonges vs, in so muche that the most folysh thynges of al, if they ones growe in to an vse, can not be plucked away.

A greuouse and heynouse cryme (as for example to be called a tray­tour or heretique) thoughe it be but lyghtly spoken, yet it hurteth and is daūgerouse to him that is so called, [Page] euen bycause of the odyousnes of the cryme.

Ah, howe harde a thyng is the ke­ping and reteining of a mans glory or fame?

A man is out of his owne body, when he is angry.

Oh, howe muche is he to be feared that counte it a sure thyng to dye? He that despyseth death is muche to be feared, forasmuch as, who so euer is a despiser of his owne life, is as it were lorde of another mans.

[Page]The man y ^t is pytiful vpō a mise­rable person, remembreth hym selfe. For he vnderstandeth y ^t he him selfe may haue nede of helpe. Trochaicus.

He hath helpes in aduersitie, which lendeth in prosperitie. Versus est trochai.

Oh howe miserable a thyng is it, to be hurte of him, one whom y ^u canste not complayne. Versus est Trochaicus.

Pouertie forseth a man to assaye many thyngys.

Oh howe miserable is y ^t sorowe, which in turment, dare not vtter his [Page] voyce. Men, whiche, whyle they are racked, beaten, and tourmēted, dare not, or can not be suffred to speake the trouthe, are in moste miserable state. Versus est Trochaicus.

Oh into howe miserable thinges and full of repentaunce do men run by lyuyng longe? In a longe lyfe, do many thynges happen, that a man wolde not haue. Versus est Trochaicus.

A fayre speache hathe his venyme Eloquence lyeth in awayte of men and is as it were a sugred poyson.

A man so often dyeth, as he loseth his chyldren. Orbitie, that is to saye [Page] the losse of a mans chyldren is euen a spyce of death vnto him.

A man euer beareth one thynge towardes him selfe, and thinketh another towarde another man. There is no man but dissembleth otherwhi­les. Versus est Iambicus tetrameter.

An honest fame to a man, is as good as patrymony or inheritaūce.

A man knoweth not if he fyndeth fortune with sorowe and payne.

He honestly serueth that stoupeth to the tyme, that is to saye, it is ho­nesty [Page] for a man to fashyon him selfe to the tyme and to gyue place vnto fortune for a season.

Man is lente vnto lyfe and not gyuen. As who shulde saye, lyfe is graūted but for a tyme, and in suche wyse, as he that lent it, may laufully require it agayne when him lusteth.

Better it is for a man to knowe his heyre, then to seke his heyre. He knoweth his heyre, that getteth him chyldrē of his owne, to inherite after him, But he seketh him an heyre, y ^t despyseth to be maryed, or which re­gardeth not his owne chyldren, but preferreth straungers.

The heyres mournyng is vnder [Page] a vysour a laughyng. He bewayleth the death of his testatour or aunce­siour in outwarde semblaunce but inwardly he laugheth.

Often maryages be not cōmen­ded.

What so euer the ruler dothe a­mysse, the subiecte shrynketh for it & feleth the smarte.

A man to reuēge him of his enemy is euen lyfe vnto him and meat and dryncke.

Do so, that no mā hate the rightly and for thyne owne descruyng.

When thou reteynest an euylwyl­lyng body, y ^u allurest him to departe

Thou hurtest generositie, when y ^u prayest or intreatest the vnworthy

The couetouse body is good to none, and worste to him selfe.

To the nedy he gyueth a double benefite, that gyueth it quickely.

Couetousnes in ryches and a­boundaunce of gooddes, is as who shulde say, a furnished or well stored pouertie.

He prouoketh syn, that wynketh at synne. He that passeth ouer synne and wyl not punyshe it, allureth mē to noughtynes.

Nothyng is swete, onles it be in­terlased with varietie and sundry­nes. Shyfte of thynges refresheth wounderfully the lothsome appetite of man.

A gentle nature can abyde no re­proche.

When a man offendeth but very seldom, he escapeth punyshment.

[Page]One chourle or vnthankeful per­son maketh al other pore felowes to fare the worse.

In the lyfe of a wretche is no sclaū der. Wretches and euyll persons be not sclaundered.

Pouertie lacketh smale thynges but couetise lacketh al thinges. The pore man is holpen with a lytle, but nothyng wyll satisfie the couetouse body.

So take thy frend y ^t thou thinke he may be made thyne enemy. Loue as y ^u shuldest in tyme cōmyng hate. So truste thy frende, that if he be­come thyne enemy, he shalbe hable to do the no greate displeasure.

Eyther the wealthy, or the hardye is hable to susteine enuy. The weal­thy and fortunate persons regarde not the disdayne of other, and the hardy and couragyouse mynde de­spyse it.

In loue angre is a lyer. The angry louer performeth nothyng that he thretneth. For one false teare of hys lady wyll quenche all hys proude wordes.

Enuy, that is to say, the enuiouse person chafeth and is angry closely without vtteryng his mynd, warely and stylly, but yet lyghtly that is to say for lyght and tryflyng maters.

[Page]Shon the angry person a lytle, but shon thyne enemy longe.

The remedie of wronges is for­getfulnes.

He y ^t vaynquisheth angre vayn­quisheth the greatest enemy. Trochaicus.

In trouble to hope well, no man vseth but y ^e vngyltie person. Trochaicus.

In reuengyng, quickenes is full of blame. Some rede in iudicando in iudgyng. Doubtles to be heady ey­ther in iudgyng or in reuengyng is not cōmendable.

It is the propertie of a wyse and well taught man to feare his enemie thoughe he be but of a lowe degre and estate.

In a deiecte and infortunate per­son euen laughing is an iniury, that is to say, he thynketh him selfe tou­ched and mocked, if he seeth one but laughe.

The iudge is condemned, when the gyltie is acquit. The iudge that acquyteth the offendour, damneth him selfe of iniquitie.

It is the duetie of man & a poynt of humanitie to forgyue, where the [Page] partie that is forgyuen, repenteth, and is a shamed of his faulte.

In thynges doubtfull, boldnes is very muche worthe.

The same day that the gyltie of­fēdeth, he damneth him selfe. There is no sorer iudge then a mans owne conscience.

So truste thy frende that thou be not in daunger of him neyther that he haue place beyng thyne enemye.

The angry man counteth mys­chief counsayle. When a body is angry he iudgeth a leude dede to be wel and wysely done. Or ye may inter­prete it also this wayes. The angry man counteth counsayle myschief, [Page] that is to say, when he is well coun­sailed of his frende he thynketh him selfe harmed.

He that the seconde tyme suffreth shypwrake, wyckedly blameth god. Neptune was of y ^e panyms supposed to be the god of y ^e see. Trochaicus tetrameter

Worthynes in an vnworthy person is in place of a reproche. Worshyp or honour cōmytted to hym that is not worthy to haue it, doth not com­mende him, but rather doth diswor­shyp him.

Where newe prayse spryngeth, there also the olde is alowed. When [Page] a man dothe agayne y ^e seconde tyme wel, he bringeth to pas that men be­leue his format name and prayse the better.

To a person greued the grefe of his enemy is a remedy of hys gre­uaunce. He that can bewreake hym selfe of his enemy, fealeth his owne harme the lesse.

Lyght & inconstant is fortune, she anone claymeth agayne y ^t she gaue.

The lawe is generall that com­maundeth to be borne and to dye.

[Page]Gaynes without the losse of an other can not be had.

Ryotteouse lyuyng and prayse, can not be coupled togyther.

The gylty feareth the lawe, the vngylty fortune. The innocent and harmeles persō, although he feareth not the lawes, as the euyll doer and gyltie dothe, yet he feareth fortune whiche otherwhyles oppresseth the gyltles.

Ryottouse lyuyng or prodiga­litie wanteth muche, but the coue­touse mynde lacketh all thynges.

Vnthankful persons teache men moste of all to be vnkynde hard and vnlyberall. Churlyshe natures and ingrate, make liberal and kynd per­sons to be the harder.

He threteneth many that dothe wronge to one. All loke for iniury at his hande, that dothe iniury to one.

Euery taryaunce is hatefull, but yet it maketh wysdome. Leyser and tracte of tyme gendereth prudence. Leyser maketh that we do nothyng rashly.

[Page]It is an euyll cause that asketh pytie. Innocency nedeth not mercy.

It is an happy mans lot, to dye a­fore he desyre deathe. They y ^t wyshe them selues deade be in misery.

It is a payne to be cōpelled not to speake that thyng that thou wol­dest couet to vtter.

Moste miserable is that fortune whiche lacketh an enemy. Wealth & felicitie sturreth hatredes & enuies. Wherfore whom no man enuieth, he muste nedes be moste miserable.

[Page]He is to be called an euyl person, that is good for his owne cause and auauntage only.

The naughty body, when he fei­neth him selfe good, is then worste.

When feare cōmeth , sleape hathe seldome place.

Thou must dye, but not as ofte as thou wylte.

It is euyll done, what so euer is done through truste of fortune.

[Page]He y ^t sendeth a gyfte to the deade gyueth nothyng to him, but taketh from him selfe. Amonges the Pa­nyms they made sacrifices for the deade. Versus est Trochaicus.

The maister that feareth his ser­uauntes, is les then a seruaunt.

A trusty executour or heyre is ra­ther borne thā wrytē. There is more fidelitie in a mans owne bloude, thā in a straunger vnto him. The straū ­ger that is not of thy bloude flatte­reth the, that thou mayste wryte him thyne heyre after the of y ^t thou hast. This is ment agaynst them whiche defraudynge theyr owne naturall kynsfolke for euery tryfling displea­sure, [Page] transferre theyr gooddes vnto straungers.

In a shrewde counsayle women ouercome men.

It is an euyll pleasure a man to accustom him selfe with other mens thynges.

With greate perill is that kepte, which pleaseth many. est Versus trochaicus.

It is an euyll medicine, where any thyng of nature perysheth.

Euyll natures nede neuer any [Page] teachyng. Naughtynes is learned without a scholemayster.

To lyue without daūger is not to knowe misery. Who so lyueth with­out peril, lyueth happely. A sure and saufe lyfe, though it be but lowe and base is moste happy.

They lyue naught, that thynke they shall euer lyue.

By interpretyng an euyll tale or sklaunder, thou shalte make it more greuouse.

That syeke body dothe naught [Page] for him selfe, that maketh his phi­sician his executour. For he prouo­keth him to kyll him.

He is les deceiued, y ^t is quickely denyed. When a man is quickely denyed of hys sute, he loseth the lesse labour.

Goodnes chaungeth it selfe whē thou sturrest it with iniury. As who shulde say good men be made euyll and vngentle whē they be prouoked

The woman when she thynketh and studyeth alone, thynketh euyll. Womē for most parte study shreud­nes when they be alone.

He that wyl do myschief fyndeth euery where occasion therunto. Euil disposed persons can sone deuyse mater to worke vpon and to shewe theyr malyce.

The euylwylled & myscheuouse person feadeth vpon his owne na­ture, that is to wete, thoughe he be not hyred of other to do mischief, yet loueth he to do it for the satisfyeng and fedyng of his owne nature. So that he delyteth & feadeth his owne nature when he is occupyed aboute vnhappynes.

He ought to feare many, whom many doth feare.

By euyl rulyng, the hyghest rule or empyre is loste.

The woman y ^t weddeth her selfe to many, can not please many.

An euyll counsayle is that which can not be chaunged.

It is euer best for an infortunate person, to do nothyng.

The eyen can nothyng offende, if the mynde wolde rule the eyen. We accuse our eyen, as though they mi­nistred [Page] the occasion of euyll lustes. But the mynde is in blame, whiche ruleth not the eyes.

Count nothyng thyne owne, that may be chaunged.

He perysheth not sone by fal, that before feareth a fall. Versus est Trochaicus

Thou knowest not what thou mayste desyre or what thou mayste flee, the tyme so mocketh and dalieth with vs. Suche is the chaunge and alteraciō of the worlde that oftymes that a man thought beste, he shall fynde worste for him, contrary wyse the worste, best. Versus est Iambicus tetrameter.

Peryl is neuer ouercom without peryll.

There is no fortune so good, wherof a man can not complayne. trochaicus

We nowhere do dye better, then where we haue lyued gladly. Trochaicus

The couetouse wretche neuer wanteth a cause to denye a man. He that gyueth not gladly, euer fyndeth som cause or pretense why he shulde not gyue.

With ouermuche stryuyng the trouth is loste. By moderate dispu­taci| [...] [Page] wyl not be cōuersaunt in the comon weale is wyllingly a banished man.

The cowarde calleth him selfe a ware felowe, & the niggard a sparer.

The couetouse man as wel wan­teth that he hath, as that he hath not He vseth no more his owne then he doth other mens goods. So he lac­keth them bothe a lyke.

By sufferyng olde wronge, thou prouokest newe.