A treatise of morall phylosophie contaynyng the sayinges of the wyse. Gathered and Englyshed by Wyl[lia]m Baldwyn. Baldwin, William, ca. 1518-1563? 1547 Approx. 273 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 141 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A02399 STC 1253 ESTC S100585 99836420 99836420 692

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02399) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 692) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1475-1640 ; 22:02) A treatise of morall phylosophie contaynyng the sayinges of the wyse. Gathered and Englyshed by Wyl[lia]m Baldwyn. Baldwin, William, ca. 1518-1563? [288] p. In Flete strete, at the signe of the Sunne, ouer agaynste the Conduyte, by Edwarde Whitchurche, [Imprinted at London : the .xx. daye of Ianuarie, in the yeare of oure Lorde. 1547] In four books; the first consists of biographies. Imprint from colophon. Signatures: A A-R. The last leaf is blank. Reproduction of the original in the British Library.

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eng Philosophers, Ancient -- Biography. Ethics -- Early works to 1800. 2004-11 Assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-01 Sampled and proofread 2005-01 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

A treatise of Morall Phylosophie, contaynyng the sayinges of the wyse.

Gathered and Englyshed by Wylm̄ Baldwyn.

To the right honorable the Lorde Edwarde Beauchampe, Earle of Hartforde, W. Baldwyn wyssheth encrease of vertue, honor and learnyng.

WHan I had finished this tretise (right honorable lorde) I thought it mete accordīg to the good & accustomed vsage of wryters, to dedicate it vnto some woorthye person, whose thankful receyuyng and allowyng thereof, myghte cause it to be the better accepted of other. And forso muche as it was not of value to be geuen to any auncient Counsayler whiche are all therein sufficientlye seen already, I iudged it most conuenient to be geuen to somme that were yonger: Emong whome for so muche as your learnyng, & vertuouse towardnes, was greatlye commended of dyuers and sundry credible persons, I doubted not but that your good disposicion naturally taken of your vertuous parentes, woulde take in worthe the gyft of this simple treatyse, which although it answer not fully vnto youre estate, yet disagreeth it not muche with your age, whiche with your good report and vertuous disposicion, hath emboldened me to dedicate it vnto you rather than to any other: humbly besechyng you to pardon myne audacitie herein, and to take in good parte the simplenes of my gyfte. In whiche so doyng, ye shall not onely ensue the steppes of your honorable father, whome God for his excellent and manyfolde vertues, ioyned with very gentylnes, hath called to the high office protector of this realme vnder ouer soueraygne Lorde the kynges Royall maiestie: but shall also cause other the more gladly to desyre it, to the greate encoragyng of me and other lyke, whiche for the commoditie of our countreye, woulde gladly helpe forwarde all honest and vertuous studyes: Among whome although I am the least bothe in age, learnyng & wit, yet is my good wyll not muche behynde the formoste.

And because that your lordshyp maye the better knowe how to vse this treatise, and all other of morall Phylosophie, I haue in my prologe to the Reader shewed the ryght vse thereof: wysshyng that all whiche shall reade the Booke, shulde fyrst note the Prologe: that Phylosophye maye haue her lawfull prayse, the holy scriptures, theyr due seruice & reuerence, and God hys honor, worshyp, and glorye: Who kepe your lordship, with your honorable Parentes, in healthe, and felicitie. Amen.

¶The Prologue to the Reader.

WHan Pericles had gathered an armye, makyng expedition towardes the battayle of Peloponesus, whan his nauy was ready rygged, and at the poynte to launche forthe, sodaynly there chaunced so great a darknes through an Eclips of the Sunne, that the daye was as dark as yf it had bene nyght, in so muche that the starres appered: at whiche so sodayne and prodigious a wonder the Pylote beyng amased and affrayed, as were also diuers of the souldyers, refused to sayle any farther. Whiche whan Pericles perceyued, whether it were in contempte of Astronomye, or to encorage his astonished souldyers, be toke his cloke and blynded there with, the Maryners eyes: and at the last vncouering them agayne, he asked hym yf he thought it any wonder because his eyes had be couered a whyle, and yet were neuer the worse therfore. And whan the Pylote answered that it was not: No more is it (sayde Pericles) althoughe the Moone shadowyng the Sūne, take away his lyght for a season. And so contemning a good admonicion sent as than by god, he sayled forwarde, to the destruction of hys souldyers, besydes the great detriment of all the whole lande of Brecia.

In lyke maner there be manye nowe a dayes, which as Pericles despysed Astronomye, despyse all other sciences: deuysyng proper toyes (as he dyd) to dasshe them out of countenaunce, tunnyng headlyng through Ignoraunce, into contempt of all good learnyng: Not only inuentyng tryfelyng toyed, but also wrestyng the holy scriptures whiche they vnderstand not to serue for their pyuish purpose. For yf it chaunce them to be improued with any of the good sayinges of the auncient philosophers, which so playnly impugneth theyr vices, that they be vnable by good reason to refell it, tha on goeth the brasen face, and a cloke must be sought oute of Scrypture eyther to do deface all Phylosophye, or els to blynde mennes eyes withall: But yf they vnderstoode the Scriptures, or yf arrogancie woulde let them learne to vnderstande them as they be trulye meaned, than shoulde they, confessyng theyr lewde and wylful blyndnes, be ashamed of their many vices, & cease to disprayse that, that is greatly to be commended.

For although (Good Reader) that Philosophye is not to be compared with the moste holy scriptures, yet is it not vtterlye to be despised: whiche (yf men wyl credyt the holy doctours) maye be proued by the iudgement of S. Augustine, which in his booke De doctrina Christiana. cap. xl exhorteth vs to the reading therof, saying Yf they whiche be called Phylosophers, specially of Plato his secte, haue spoken ought that is true, and appertinent to our faythe, we ought not onely not to feare it, but also to chalenge it as 〈◊〉 owne, from them whiche are no ryght owners therof. For lyke as the Egyptians had not onely Idoles and great burdens which the Israelites did hate and flye, but also vessels ornamentes, and goodly Iewels of golde and syluer, whiche the Israelytes departyng from Egypt, vnder the colour of borowyng, stole priuilye from them, not of theyr owne mynde, but by the commaundement of God, to turne that to a better vse whiche the Egyptians abused: So in the doctrine of the Bentyles are not only contayned supersticious and fayned rites, with great burdens of vayne labour, all whiche we Christians followyng Christe out from among the vnbeleuyng gentiles, shulde vtterly detest and auoyde: but also much good learnyng, mete for to serue the truthe, wyth some moste profytable preceptes of good maners, wherein are folide some truthe, howe to worshyp the eternal and onely God. &c.

These be the woordes, iudgement, and councell of that moste holye Doctour concernyng Philosophie, the whiche yf many had wel remembred. whiche vnder the tytle of philosophicall science, haue with Sophistrie, corrupted the true sense of holy scripture, neyther shoulde ther haue ben suche contencion as nowe raygneth euery where, neyther faultles philosophye haue bene so muche despysed. Yet thynke not (Louyng Reader) that I allowe philosophie to be Scriptures Interpretour, but rather woulde haue it as an handmayden to perswade suche thynges as Scripture doeth cōmaunde. In whiche kynde whan it is vsed, than maye al the prayses be veryfyed therupou, with whiche the auncyent phylosophers haue magnifyed it.

Emonge whome Demosthenes the moste famouse Oratoure among the Greciens, calleth it, namely the moral parte, An inuencion and gyfte of God. After whome Licero the mooste excellent aud eloquent Oratour emong the Romaynes, calleth it the gyde of lyfe, and the expulser of vice.

These and many moe lyke cōmendacions haue ben therto attributed, whiche auaunce it excedyngly, neyther disagreyng with the holy Scriptures. Wherfore euery christen man ought diligently to applye it, namely the morall parte: whiche God wrote fyrste in the hartes of men, and afterwarde wyllyng to haue euerye man to knowe it, he wrote it in the tables of stone whiche he gaue to Moyses, promisinge by hym a rewarde for suche thynges, whiche before were obserued for vertues sake.

So that Moral philosophye maye wel be called that parte of goddes lawe, whiche geueth commaundement of outwarde behauyour: Whiche differeth from the gospel, in as muche as the gospell promyseth remission of sinnes, reconciling to god, and the gyfte of the holy goste, and of eternal lyfe, for Christes sake, whiche promyse is reueled to vs from aboue, not able to be cō prehended by reason, according to the saying of S. Iohn. The sunne whiche is in his fathers bosome hath shewed it to vs. And as for philosophie is nothyng els but the obseruyng & eschuyng of such thinges as reason iudgeth to be good & bad in the mutuall conuersacion of lyfe, to whyche god hath promysed a rewarde, and thretened a punishment: so that the gospel is cō prehended only by faythe, and philosophy is iudged by reason.

Reason only was the cause why al the phylosofers haue so extolled philosophie whiche consydered that nothiuge was so requisite and behouefull for mannes lyfe, as to lyue togyther well and louyngly. For lyke as lyfe can not be mayntayned without meate and drynke and other lyke good gyftes of Nature: no more coulde it continue long withoute lawes & maners: the lacke wherof, saynt Iohn in his Epistle argueth to be the lacke of godlynesse, saying: Yf we loue not oure neyghboure whome we see, howe can we saye we loue God whome we see not? Which texte beyng well pondered, maketh as muche for the commendacion of Moral philosophie as any of saynt Paules do to the dispraise therof. Wherefore I humblye beseche the (most gentle Reader) to take in good part this simple philosopycal treatyse, & so to vse it as sainct Augustine hath taught vs, takyng the good, and leauyng the bad, neyther reuerencyng it as the gospel, neyther yet despysing it as a thing of no value.

And sithens the hollye Scriptures are nowe come to lyght, & Christians haue professed to followe and fulfyl the same, hauyng also innumerable blessynges and rewardes promysed of God, for oure so doyng: let vs be ashamed that a droppe or sparkle of reason shoulde doe more in the Heathen Infidles (as we cal them,) than ll the promyses of God among vs, whi he take vpon vs the name of Christians: nd let vs so end euour oure selues euery man in his vocation, to vse suche morall ertues, and vertuous behauyours one to wardes an other, that oure loue and charitie vsed towardes our brotherne, maye testify our fayth and loue towardes god.

To whome be all prayse honor, and gloyye, for euer & euer. Amen. ⸪ ¶Loue, and Lyue. Ne quid nimis.
¶Of the beginnyng of Philosophy. Cap. i.

SOme perhaps, seyng we entende to speake of a kynde of Philosophye, wyll moue thys question more curious than necessarye: where & howe Philosophye began, & who the enuenters therof, and in what nation. Of whiche sith there is so great diuersitie among wryters, some attrybutyng it to one, & some to another, as the Tracians to Orpheus, the Grecians to Linus the Lybians to Atlas, the Pheniciens to Ochus, the Perciens to theyr Magos, ye Assiriens to their Chaldees, the Indians to theyr Gymnosophistes, of whiche Buddas was chefe, and the Italians to Pythagoras, the Frenche men to theyr Druides, bryngyng eche one of them brobable reasōs, to confirme herein theyr opinions: It shalbe harde for a man of our tyme (in whiche many wrytinges are lost, or at lest hyd) fully herein to satisfye their question. Neuertheles for so muche as God hym selfe (as witnesseth our most holy scriptures) is the author & beginnyng of wysedome, ye wisdome it selfe, whiche is called of the Philosophers Sophia, therefore I suppose that god, which alwayes loued moste the Hebrues, taught it them first, yf ye aske to whome, I thinke (as also testifieth Iosephus) to his seruaunt Abraham, who being ī Assiria, taught it both to the Caldees and to the Egiptians. The sonnes of Seth were also studious in astronomye whiche is a parte of Philosophy, as appered by the Pyllers, wherein after Noes fludde (whiche they by theyr graunde father Abraham had knowledge of) their science was founde by them engraued: and after the flud was by Noe, and his chyldren taught to other nations, of whiche I graunt that he whiche euery countrye calleth the fyrst finder, hath ben in the same countrye better than the rest: as among the Egyptians Mercurius trismegistus or Hermes, whose workes bothe diuyne and Philosophicall, excede farre all other that thereof haue entreted. Neuertheles ye Gretians (whiche haue ben alwayes destrous of glory) chalenge to thē selues the inuention therof, and haue therin taken great paynes, naming it first Sophia, and suche as therein were skilled Sophistes or wysardes, whiche so continued vntyll Pythagoras tyme, whiche being muche wyser than many other before hym, consideryng that there was no wisdome but of god, and that God hym selfe was alone wyse, he called hym selfe a Philosopher, a louer of wysedome, and his science Philosophye. There were besides these Sophistes, an other kynde called Sapientes or Sages, as was Thales, Solon, Periander, Cleobolus, Chilon, Bias & Pittachus, & thus there were in all thre sectes, that is to saye, wysardes whiche were called Sophistes, and sages whiche were called sapientes, & louers of wisedome which were called Philosophers, all whose science, was Philosophye, as we may call it natural wysdome. Of whiche the kinde called Ionica began in Anaximander, and ended in Theophrastus, And thother kynde called Italica. began in Pythagoras, and ended in the Epicure.

¶Of the partes of Philosophie. Cap. ii

PHilosophie is sorted into .iii. partes, Phisicke, Ethicke, and Dialectyke. The offyce of phisicke is, to discerne and Iudge of the worlde, and of suche thinges as are therin: It is the parte of Ethicke, to trete of lyfe and maners, and it is the dutie of Dialectike, that is Logicke, to make resons to proue and improue bothe phisicke and also Ethicke, whiche is moral Philosophye. Nowe as for Phisicke, althoghe it altogyther be not frō our pourpose, for why it cōserueth ye bodye in health, without whiche moral wisedome auaileth litle, yet because it is more than we maye accomplish, shalbe omitted, and suche as therein haue delyte, (whiche all oughte to haue, that that loue their bodily health) may rede Galene, Hypocrates, Aristotle, and other suche, which thereof entrete plentifully, absolutely, & perfectly. Logycke also, because our matter is so playne, that experience dayly proueth it, shall not greatly nede for our pourpose, whiche desire rather to be playne & well vnderstanded, than eyther with logicke or rethoricke, to dispute and garnysh our matter. But morall Philosophye, whiche is the knowledge of preceptes of al honest maners, whiche reson acknowledgeth to belong and appertayne to mans nature (as ye thing in which we differre from other beastes) and also is necessary for the comly gouernance of mannes lyfe, shall here be spoken of: not reasoned to the tryall, but simply and rudely declared: yet so, that suche as therin delite, although not fully satisfied, shall not be vtterly deceyued of their pourpose.

¶Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophye. Cap. iii.

NEcessitie as I iudge (& that not without cause) was the firste fynder out of morall Philosophye, & Experience, whiche is a good teacher, was the first master therof, & taught suche as gaue diligence to marke & considre thīges, to teache and instruct other therin: and because Socrates in a maner despisyng the other two kyndes of Philosophy, added this as the thyrd, & taught it more thā any of the rest, therfore (because men must be the begynners of mennes matters) I assente with Laertius, to call hym the first beginner therof. For although euen among the Atheniences, the Sages, as Thales and Solon, both spake and wrot of lyke matter before him, yet because he so ernestly embraced it, and equally placed it with the other twayne, he deserueth well the glory of the firste beginner therof: and although he wrote it not in bokes (for whiche as him thought he had a lawefull excuse, or rather a good cause) yet his disciple Plato hath writen suche thinges of his teaching, as fewe so fully wrote of before: whiche was as it is euydent, many yeres before Iesus the sonne of Sirache, whose worke we for the puritie of the doctrine therin conteyned, reuerence and honour: which as he hym selfe calleth it, is a boke of morall wisedome, thought full of diuinitie, as are also many of Platoes workes, as witnesseth Saint Augustine. And therfore because Socrates was before Iesus Sirache, I referre the inuention, I shulde saye the beginning therof, vnto hym. As for Salomons workes are more diuine than morall, & therfore I rather worship in hym the diuinitie, than ascribe the beginnyng of moral Philosophie, wishing al men and exhortyng them both to learne and to folowe, those so diuine and holy workes, vttered by hym in his boke of prouerbes.

¶Of the kyndes of teachyng of morall Philososophye. Cap. iiii.

AL that haue written of morall Philosophye, haue for ye most part taught it, either by preceptes, counsell, and lawes, orels by prouerbes, parables, & semblables. For whiche cause it may well be deuyded into. iii. kyndes, of whiche the first is by councelles, lawes, & preceptes, of which Licurgus, Solon, Isocrates, Cato, and other more, haue written muche. Councellyng and admonishinge men to vertue by preceptes, & by theyr lawes fraying thē from vice.

The seconde kynde of teaching, is by Prouerbes & Adages: whiche kynde, of Philosophers most commonly is vsed, in whiche they shewe ye contrarieties of thinges, ferryng alwaye the best, declaring therby both the profites of vertue, & the inconueniēces of vices, yt we consideryng bothe, maye embrace the good, and eschue the euyll.

The thyrde kynde is by Parables, Examples and Sēblables. Wherin by esye and familier truthes, harder thinges & more out of vse are declared, that by ye one the other maye be better perceyued & borne in mynd: whiche waye oure sauiour Christ hym selfe, whan he taught ye grosse Iues, any diuine thing, most commonly vsed.

Parrables, semblables and examples, (though differing in sumwhat) drawe al to one kynde. The which kynde Esopus moste of all vsed, alludyng and bryngyng vnreasonable thinges, to teache and instructe men, in graue & wayghtye matters.

¶The order of this boke. Cap. v.

OF these .iii. kyndes of morall Pholosophye last rehearsed, consisteth this worke, euery kynde by it selfe sundred into a boke, that it maye the better be vnderstande of all that shall reade the same, the matter of all whiche thre, is gathered out of the workes of the most pure & auncient Philosophers, and specially of these foloyng.

Mercurius trismegistus Hermes. Pythagoras Italicus. Thales Milesius. Solon Salaminus. Chilo Lacedemoniencis. Bias Prienneus. Periander of Corinth. Anacharcis the Scithian. Etius Myson Cheneus. Cpimenides Cretensis. Anaxagoras Eubulinus. Phericides the Sirian. Socrates of Athens. Xenophon of Athens. Aristippus of Athens. Plato Atheniencis diuinus. Isocrates. Xenocrates of Calcedonie. Archelaus. Aristoteles Stagirites. Diogenes, Plutarche. Seneca.

And for so muche as the good lyfe of a man, is cause of his better estimation, the liues of all these before named, shalbe first shewed in a boke by thēselues: wherin also, parte of theyr wyttye answers are conteyned: whiche is set forthe onely for thys pourpose, that we Christians ashamed of our selues, in beholdyng the lyues of these Heathen persons, maye amende, and folowe the good doctrine that they haue taught vs.

In the seconde booke whiche is called the booke of preceptes and counselles, shalbe declared what these men thought of god, of the soule, of ye worlde, of death, of frēdshyp, of counsell, of silence, of ryches and of pouertie, wyth theyr wittie sayinges of, and concerning the same matters: After whyche theyr good preceptes orderly shall followe.

In the thyrde boke, whiche is the boke of prouerbes or pytthy sayinges, shal thinges be shewed worthy of memorie. In the ende wherof shal folowe some of theyr principall sentences, drawen into meter, to the intent they maye be the eselyer learned, and better kept in mynde.

In in forthe boke, called the boke of parables or semblables, shall appeare ye greate zeale yt the Phylisophers alwayes haue had, to teache by all maner meanes that wit might ymagin, this so precious and nedeful a science, to all kynde of people. And yf it shall chaunce that in any of these bookes, thorough Ignoraunce or Negligence somewhat shall be misordered, or not to fully handled as it shulde be, and as the matter requyreth: The excuse shalbe yt in this treatise no perfection is pretended, and onely is set forth as a shewe, to make men thereby desirouse, to haue the perfection of ye thing, whiche it representeth. And lyke as a whetstone although it be dull it selfe, yet causeth instrumentes, to be more kene : So by this blūt treatise, suche as are apt ther vnto, shalbe prouoked to set forth better. This beyng in the meane whyle vsed, as a preparation to others workes whiche here vpon maye folowe.

Nowe the order and intent of the boke, beyng knowen, there is no daunger but that with iudgement, the proces maye both be red, learned, and folowed.

¶The lyues and wittye answers of the Philophers, and first of Hermes. Cap. vi.

FOr as muche as of all the philosophers, of whome we pourpose to wryte, Hermes, otherwyse called Mercuriꝰ Trismegistus, is not onely the most excellent, but also the most auncient, therfore as he is most worthy, his lyfe shalbe first declared: which because it is not wholly set forth, nor all agreing in yt whiche is set forth, therfore geuyng credit to the most true wryters, it shalbe set furth as they among them by pyeces haue preserued it. Of whome saynt Augustine the worshypfull docter sayeth.

Atlas the Astrologian, the brother of Promotheus the Phisition, floryshed, and was hyghly accepted, the same tyme, in whiche Moses was borne: whiche Atlas was graundfather by the mother syde, to Mercurius the elder, whose Nephewe was this Mercurius Trismegistus, which in the Egiptian toūge is called Hermes. Howbeit some whiche wryte of hym, holde opiniō that he was Enoch, whiche as they saye, signifieth the same in Hebrue, that Hermes dothe in the Egiptian tong. And so make hym in the seuenth degre from Adam: reconyng after this sorte. Adam begat Sethe, the father of Enos, the father of Caynan, the father of Malalael, the father of Matusale the father of Iareth, whiche is the father of Enoche. Which opinion (although it be not to be vtterly reiected) yet is not sufficient without profe to be beleued. For Enoche whome they take for Hermes, was before Noes flud, in whiche al the workes whiche were wrytten, yf they had at that tyme any vse of letters, were drowned: but ye workes of this Hermes of whome we entreate, are yet appearing in dyuers languages, wherfore it shuld seme that this was not he, except we shulde say that he graued it in the stone pyllers, in which in tyme of the flud, Astronomye was preserued, whiche myght well be, and but that saynt Augustine, & Pamphilus in his chronicle, and saynct Ierom thervpon, appoynt ye contrary, I coulde wel beleue. For Iamblicus & diuers other, wryte much of Mercurius Pyllers. And Mercurius was of suche same among ye Egiptians, that they put forth all theyr workes vnder hys name. And the Poetes for his singuler learnyng, make hym a god, & call hym the messenger of Iupiter, whome they call ye god of heauen & gouerner of all. And it maye be, that the pyllers whiche the sonnes of Seth (of whose image he was) made, were grauen by hym, whiche (as many wryte) are full of learnīg: out of which as testifyeth Iamblicus, both Pythagoras and Plato wt diuers other more, learned Philosophy. But those pillers I take rather to be hys .ii. goodlye bookes, whych maye very well be called Pyllers, for why they beare both diuinitie, (yf with Lactancius I maye so call it) and also Philosophy, whiche were peraduenture also grauen in Sethes chyldrens pyllers, & therout drawē by some that hath ben since. Of whiche .ii. bokes the firste called Pymander, is so full of diuinitie, as may astonysh the wyttes of suche as therin shal reade: which causeth. S. Augustine, to doute whether he spake suche thinges as he dyd by knowledge of Astronomy, or els by reuelatiō of spirites. Howe be it Lactantiꝰ douteth not to count him amonge the Cibiles, and Prophetes. The other boke called Asclepius being but smal, conteyneth in it the hole sūme of naturall Philosophye, oute of whiche I thinke no lesse, but that the Philosophers haue learned oute theyr Science. Tully & Lactanciꝰ (not shewing in what time) saye that there were fyue Mercuries, & that this is the fift, whome the Egipcians call Theuth, and the greciens Trismegistus, & that this is he whiche slewe Argus, & was ruler of the Egipcians, and gaue them lawes, and instructed thē in learning, & deuysed markes & shapes of letters after the forme of beastes, & trees. He was called Trismegistus, because he was the chefest Philosopher, the chefest prest, & the chefest kynge. He prophesied of the regeneration, and beleued the resurrectiō of ye body, and the immortalitie of the soule, and gaue his subiectes warnynge to eschue sinne, thretnyng them with the iugement of god, wherin they shuld geue accōptes of theyr wycked deades. He taught them also to worship god with diuers kindes of ceremonies, and taught them in all matters to make theyr prayers vnto god, and instructed the Ylandes in the knowledge of god. And whan he had lyued into a perfecte olde age, he gaue place to nature. Hys preceptes, prouerbes, and parables, shalbe spoken of in theyr places.

¶Of Pythagoras Cap. vii.

PYthagoras the Philosopher borne in Samia, was a ryche marchaunt mannes sōne, called Demarratꝰ, howbeit he was richer than his father, whiche was not able with hys marchandise to get so muche, as he despised: which was both riche in abstinence from couetise, and also in Wysedome, whiche is the very riches: of which in his youth he was so desirous, that he went fyrst to Egypt, and after to Babylon, to learne Astronomye, and the beginnyng of the worldes creation: whiche when he had learned, he returned īto Crete, & Lacedemonia, to se Lycurgus, and Mynoes lawes. In whiche when he was perfecte, he went vnto Ceuona, where was a people excedingly geuen to luxurie, and all kynde of vice, among whome he so behaued hym selfe, that he refourmed them from theyr euyll maners, & in small tyme brought them to suche sobrenes, that men wolde neuer haue thought it had ben possible. For the wyues, that were forsaken of theyr husbandes, and chyldren cast of by theyr parentes, he so instructed, that they were receyued agayne. He caused the women also to set asyde theyr gorgious attyres, reaching them that chastitie, was the chefe ornament of honest women. This Pythagoras (as sayeth Boetius) was the inuenter of Musycke among the Grecians, whiche he founde out by the soundes of hammers, wherof he wrot a boke, which Boetius and Apuleyus, translated into Latyn. Saynt Augustyne in his .viii. booke de ciuitate dei, sayth yt Philosophy was so named by hym, whiche before was called Sophia. For whan it was asked hym what sciencer he was, he answered a Philosopher, whiche is a desirer of wisedome: thinking it a great arrogancie, to haue called him selfe wise. Tullius sayeth that Pythagoras spake so wysely, and so ornatly before Leontius a king, that he, wondryng at his wyt, and Eloquence, desyred hym to shewe what science he knewe best, to whō he answered, that he knewe no science: but was a Philosopher. At whiche, for the newnes of the name the kyng astonyshed, asked hym what was a Philosopher, & what difference was betwene Philosophers and other men. To whome Pythagoras sayde. Mans lyfe semeth to me, to be like a cōgregatiō of people gathered to see a game, to whyche men resort for sondrye pourposes: some by theyr owne actiuitie to wyn the worshyp of the game, & other some for lucre sake, to by or sell somwhat, and othersome myndyng neyther to gainne nor to profit, come onely to behold and se what is done: And in lyke maner men whiche are come vnto thys lyfe, as out of an other lyfe & nature, occupye them selues with diligence, to get prayse or profit, or regardyng neyther, apply theyr mindes to serche and to knowe the nature of thinges, which sorte last named, we call Philosophers, that is to saye louers of wysedome: Thus by thys goodly parable he vttred his mynde, in the continuance wherof also, he prayseth and proueth his sciēce to be best, sayīg. Lyke as he which cōmeth to se the game onely, is more liberalle, ye and more to be praysed, than the rest: so lykewyse he whiche in this lyfe geueth his mynde to wysedome and knowledge, ought more to be accepted than any of the rest. Saynt Augustine sayeth that he was wel skylled in Nicromancye, whiche may be very wel, for in that time it was muche set by, and none thought wyse, that therin was ignorant. Ualerius sayeth that hys hearers worshipped him so muche, yt they thought it a great sinne to forget ought which they hearde of hym, in disputyng any matter.

His wordes were so estemed that it was a cause good and suffycient in any matter, to saye yt Pythagoras sayde so.

He was so good a Philosopher, as scarce any deserueth to be hys matche. He kept iustice so muche, that after hys death, the autoritie of his name ruled the people of Italic, whiche in tyme past was called Magna Grecia. He was so sparyng and profitable, that some thinke he neuer did eate any daynty meates. He taught many yong men, whose aptnes he knewe alwayes by theyr countenaunce, gesture and maners. And he with all his disciples, lyued in common to gether, as well in loue, as in other maners. For he taught them, that true frendship was, to make one harte and mynde of a greate many hartes & bodyes. In so muche that Damon and Pithias whiche were of his sect, loued so to gether (as sayeth Ualerius Maximus) that whan Dionisius the Tyrant wold haue kylled the one of them, which desiring licence to go and dispose his goodes before his death, was graunted his request, yf he coulde get another in ye meane whyle that wold be his pledge, who yf he cam not agayne at ye tyme appoynted, shulde dye for hym: his felowe not regardyng hys lyfe, so muche as hys true frendeshyp: became his pledge. And the other beynge let go, came agayne at his tyme appoynted, to redeme his felowe frō his death: whiche faythfulnes in bothe the tyraunt Dionisiꝰ scing, not onely forgaue them bothe, but also desyred that he myght be the thyrde of that felowship, that had rather dye than to fayle in frendshyp. A notable example of most constant frendshyp, and of good instruction therin. To one that asked him what he thought of womens wepyng, he sayde. There are in a womans eyes, two kyndes of teares: The one of grefe, and the other of deceyte. To a couetous mā he sayde: O role thy ryches are lost vpon the, and are very pouertye, for why thou art neyther the warmer, better fed, nor richer for them. It was axed hym yf he desyred to be ryche, to whiche he answered naye, saying: I despyse to haue those ryches, whiche with lyberalitie are wasted and lost, and with sparyng, do rust and rot. To one yt was gaylye apparelled, and spake vncomly thinges, he sayde: Eyther make thy speche like vnto thy garmentes, orels thy garmentes lyke vnto thy language. It chaunced a fole in Pythagoras presence, to say that he had rather be conuersant among women, than among Philosophers, to whiche he sayde: yea, swyne had rather lye rowtyng in durt & in draffe, than in clere and fayre water. Beinge asked what newe thinge was in the worlde, he answered: nothinge.

Beyng asked what was Phylosophye, he sayd: The meditation or remembraūce of death, labouryng daylye to get the soule libertye in this pryson of the bodye.

He was the first among the Grecians that helde opinion that the soule was immortall.

He kept scole in Italie, and lyued in to a greate age, and after that he was dead, the people reuerenced hym so muche, that they made a temple of hys house, and worshypped hym as a god. He florished in the tyme of Nabuchodonoser, kynge of Babylon. Hys preceptes, prouerbes, and parables, shall folowe in theyr places.

¶Of Thales Milesius. Cap. viii.

THales (as sayeth Herodotus, Democritus and Duris) had to his father a noble mā, called Examius, and to his mother Cleobulina, of the stocke of Cadinus & Age nor: and was borne (sayeth Plato) vnder D masiꝰ prince of Athens, and is the fyrste that euer was called a Sage, or wyseman.

He florished at Milerum what tyme Oseas was iudge ī Israel, & Romulus Emperour of Rome: what time Scnnacherib king of ye Chaldees, sent the Assirians to inhabit Iurye, whiche after the coū tyng of Eusebius, was thē. 4450. yeare frō the creation of the world.

This Thales was very well learned, bothe in Astronomye and Phisicke: & wrote manye goodly workes, & was a citizen at Miletum, as Phalerius wryteth, and was come of a noble linage, who after he had dispatched hys busines belonging to ye cōmon weale, gaue him selfe to the searchynge out of naturall causes. And surely he was a profitable counsayler to the common weale: For whan as Cresus demaunded to haue had his felowes, he wolde not graunt to it, which afterward whā Cyrus had gotten the victory, was cause of sauynge theyr citie. Heraclides sayeth that he lyued solitarilye, but some saye he toke a wyfe, and had a childe called Cidistus, and other saye that he lyued chaste all his life long: & whan it was asked him why he wold not get children, he answered, because he wolde not be bound to loue them. Whan hys mother cryed on hym contynually to take a wyfe, he wold say he was to young: and afterwarde whan hys youth was past, and hys mother still importunate, he wolde saye it was out of seasō, & to late.

He woulde saye alwayes he was bounde to thanke Fortune, but forthre causes chefely: first because he had reson, and was not a beast: secondly because he was a man, and not a womā: thyrdly because he was borne a Gretian and no Barbarian. He sayde there was no difference betwene deathe and and lyfe, and beyng axed therfore why he dyed not, because (ꝙ he) I shulde than make a difference: when he was asked whether god knowe mens euell worckes. Ye (ꝙ he) and theyr thoughtes to. To an aduowtrer that axed hym whyther he myght sweare that he was no aduouterer, he sayde. Pariury is not worse than aduoutry. whan he was asked what thīg was hardest? He answered: A man to knowe him selfe: & what was esiest? He sayd to admonyshe other, what was sweatest? For a mā (sayth he) to vse that he hath: what is god? That that lacketh be ginnyng and ende. And whan he was asked what was the most difficill & seldest sene thinge?

He answered an olde Tyrant. A selde sene thinge in deade, for god eyther taketh them awaye before they be olde, orels in theyr olde age chaungeth theyr hartes, beyng demaunded howe a man myght best suffre aduersitie? To se (sayde he) his enemies in worse plyght than hym selfe. It was axed hym howe we myght lyue best and most righteously? to whiche he answered: to flye those thinges our selues which we reproue in other. Beynge axed who was happye, he sayde: he that hath his bodyly health, is fortunate in riches, not of a vayne mind but learned. These are part of hys wittye answers, his preceptes, prouerbes, & semblables, shalbe spokē of in their places. This Thales as witnesseth Appollidorus, lyued lxx •• ii. yeres. Sosicrates sayeth lxxxx. yeres, and that he dyed in the lviii. Olimpiade, and floryshed in Cresus tyme, to whome he promised, that he wolde cause the ryuer Alm, to rūne backwardes agaynst ye streme. Ther were many more of this name as testifieth Demetrius, Duris, & Dionisius, but thys Thales Milesius the sage, beinge olde, & worne in age, dyed of heate & thirst, whiles he beheld a triūphe. Some saye that as he went forth of his house to beholde the starres, he fell doune sodaynlye into a pit, and was therfore mocked of an olde wyfe that he kept in his house with this saying: O Thales howe thinkest thou to cōprehend those thinges that are in heauen, whiche canst not se suche thinges as are before thine eyes.

¶Of Solon Salaminus. Ca. ix.

LYke as there is amōg writers great variaunce (as I sayd before) about the firste Philosopher, euen so is there greate contention whiche were the seuen sages: but as theyr variaunce maketh doutfull which were the persons, so theyr hole cō sent assureth that there were suche. And for because we entend, not so muche to shewe the persones and names, as theyr good doctrine, therfore it shalbe sufficient that a wyse and approued Philosopher hathe sayde suche thynges as to thē are attributed, yet as for good causes, I haue allowed Socrates for ye first morall Philosopher, after Lacrtius mynd, o do I best alowe Lacrtiꝰ Iugement in this matter, which saieth yt these wer they: Thales, Solon, Periander, Cleobulꝰ, Chilon, Bias, and Pittachus.

Of whome althoughe Periander were a tyrant, yet because yt for hys good doctrine he hath of the learned longe tyme bene allowed, therfore shall he enioye that, whiche they haue geuen hym.

Of Thales ye haue hearde alreadye, after whōe Solon is next, whiche was the sonne of Existides, and was borne in Salamina, and therof was called Salaminus. He gaue many good lawes, and dyd many worthy deades, worthy to be remembred: Among whiche this is very notable. After that the Athemences and Megarences, had made greate warre and greate slaughter betwene them, to haue had the signory of hys countrye Salamina, and were bothe sore weryed wyth warres, they made a lawe at Athens that no mā payne of hys head, shulde speake or perswade ought to chalenge the Ylande, any more. Than Solon beynge troubled and thoughfull for hys countrey, fearyng least wyth holding his peace, he shuld do smal good to the common weale, and agayne if he shulde speake, it shuld be for his hurte, sodaynly fayned him selfe madde: thinkyng therby, not onely to speake, but also to do suche thinges as were forbydden. And disguisinge hym selfe he ran abrode amonge he hartles people, And there in the maner of a cryer he perswaded the people yt whiche was forbydden, & styrred vp theyr myndes so much, that incontinent they began warre to obtayne the Yland, and so at last they got it. He perswaded them also to chalenge Chersonesū a citie ī Tracie, affirming that it was theyr ryght. And by this meanes so wan the peoples loue, that they gladly wolde haue made him Ruler: but as sayth So sicrates, he had a neyghbour called Pisistratus whiche tyranously endeuoured to hurte hym, whiche as sone as he knewe, he armed him selfe and went into the streate, and whan he had called a greate company about him, he discouered Pisistratus treason, and not onlye that, but also that he was readye to amend it, & that he wolde fyght for his libertye, saying.

Ye men of Athenes, I am wyser then some, & valianter then other sōe. I am wiser thā those yt marke not Pisistratus, and I am valianter than those, whiche knowe him and dare not for feare shewe what he is: But the Senate that toke Pisistratus parte, sayde he was mad, and whan he sawe he coulde haue no redresse, he layde downe his harneys before them, & sayde. O countrey I haue alwayes holpe the bothe with word & deade: And then sayled into Cipres, and there met with Cresus, who demaūding of him whome he thought happy, he layde: Thelus of Athens, and Byto, and suche other, whiche all all mē spake of. Another time whā Cresus had garnished hym selfe rychelye, and was set in his highe trone: he asked hym, yf euer he had seene a more gorgious sight, ye (ꝙ he) both Capons, Fesantes, and Pecockes, for their goodly colours are naturall. From Cresus he wēt into Cilicia, and there buylded a citie, and after his owne name, called it Solos. He made many good lawes for suche as were warriers, yf any had got victorye, he shulde haue a greate rewarde for hys labour, and suche as were slaine, had theyr wife and children founde of the common purse euer after. He made a lawe, yt no executour shuld dwell with any orphans mother, nor that any shulde be executour to whom after ye heyres death his goodes shall belonge. And that no yng or seale maker shulde kepe ye print of any olde seale. And that who so euer had put out a mannes eye, shall lose bothe his owne for it. And yt whosoeuer toke oughte that was not his owne, shulde dye for it. And that yf any gouerner were founde dronken, to dye for it. And that no man shulde geue any dowry with his daughter: with many mo good lawes. Whan he was demaunded why he made no lawe against soche as kylled theyr father or mother? He answered, because it is a desperat mischife. Being demaūded howe mē might best kepe them from breakyng the lawe? he sayde: yf suche as haue no wronge be as sory and and carefull, as those that are wronged. He wolde saye to riche men: Aboundaunce groweth from riches, and disdayne out of aboundaunce. He wrote many bokes, both of verses, lawes, & other matters, besides many goodly epistles. He florished in the .xlvi. Olimpiade, and was prince of Athens the .iii. yeare whiche was from the worldes creation .4605. yeares, he lyued .lxxx. yeares and dyed in Cipres, commaunding his s ruauntes to ary his bones to Salomina, and there beyng made in poulder, to sowe them aboute the citie. Dioscorides writeth that when he was asked why he wept for his sonnes death, sith it profited him nothing? He answered euen for this cause I wepe, because I can profit him nothing. Thus muche of his lawes, and answers: the rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of, in their places.

¶Of Chylo Lacedemoniencis. Cap. x.

CHylo the sonne of Damagetus, was borne in Lacedemonia. He wrote many verses, & helde an opinion that man by reason, might comprehend the foreknowlege of thinges to come, by the myght and power of his manhode. There were in his tyme (as sayeth So icrates and Pamphilia) diuers offyces: of which one was most noble, and the officers called Ephori, which were kinges folowes: Wherfore his brother being angry because he wolde not take that office, sith he him selfe had bene in it before: O brother (ꝙ he) I can suffre wrong, and so canst not thou. This man (as Herodotus writeth in the first boke of his histories) seyng on a tyme Hipocrates sacrifice and vessels in Olimpo, to burne without helpe of fier, counselled him, either to lyue chaste, or yf he were maryed, to put away his wyfe, & sley his children. Some saye yt when Esop (whiche was in his tyme) asked hym what Iupiter dyd, he answered: he mekeneth the myghty and exalteth the lowelye: Beynge demaunded wherin ye learned differed from the ignerant, he answered: In theyr good hope. To hym yt asked what was harde, he sayde: to kepe close secrete counsayle, to kepe a man from ydlenes, & to suffre wronge. He lyued so well, that whan he was olde, he sayde that he neuer in his lyfe to his knowlege, had done any euell, saue that on a tyme whan he shoulde haue bene iudge among his frendes, & wolde do nothyng contrary to the lawe, he perswaded one to appele from him to some other iudge, that therby he myght bothe kepe the lawe, & also his frende. The Grekes reioysed in him muche, because he prophecied of Citherea, an ylond of Laconia. For when he had well aduised, both the nature and situation therof: wolde to god (ꝙ he) that eyther thys ylond had neuer ben, orels that it had ben drowned as sone as it was sene: A worthy & prophet lyke sayeng. For Demaratus flyeng from Lacedemonye, coūsayled Xerxes to kepe a nauy of shippes in that ylond. And surely yf he had periwaded him therto, he shulde haue got great riches by Gretia. And afterwarde Niceas, (after he had warred at Peloponesꝰ) ouercame yt place. And made it a refuge for the men of Athens, and afflicted sore the Lacedemoniens. He was brefe in communication, in so muche that brefe spakyng was of his name, called Chilonia. He was olde about the .li. Olimpiade. In whiche tyme Esopus ye oratour was in his flowers, whiche was in the yeare from the worldes creation. 4624. he dyed at 〈◊〉 , sayth Heimippus, whyle he kissed his sonne, that was crowned in Olimpia beyng ouercome both 〈◊〉 oye & also with age. The rest of his sayinges shalbe spoken of in their places.

¶Of Byas Prienneus. Cap. xi.

BYas Prieneus, (as sayth Diogenes,) was borne in Priena. Hys fathers name was Teutamiꝰ. Satirꝰ 〈…〉 hym the first of the seuen sages. And many gesse that he was 〈…〉 . Phanodicus wryteth that he redemed many wenches of Messena, whiche were captiues & brought them vp as his owne daughters: and afterwardes, geuing them dowries, sent thē home agayne to theyre countreye, vnto theyr frendes. Not long after, certayne fishers found a golden trestell, on whiche was wryten, Sapienti, that is to saye, this is for a wise man. Whiche when the forenamed wenches fathers hearde of, they sayde Byas was a wiseman, and sent it him, but whan he sawe it, he sayde Apollo was a wiseman, and that he sent it hym. We fynde that when his countrey Priena was besiged of Aliattes, he fed two mules for the nones, insomuche that they were exceding fat, and draue them forthe into his enemyes tentes: whiche whā Aliattes sawe, he was amased, thynkyng by the fatnes of them, that they had great plentye of all thinges. And thinkyng to areyse the syege, he sent a messenger into the citie, to serche the truth.

And whan Byas perceyued the kynges entent, he made many gret heapes of sand to be couered with wheate, & shewed them to the messenger: whiche whan the kynge knewe, thinkynge that they had had great plenty of vitayles, made peace with them, and sent cōmaundement to Byas to come vnto him, to whiche Byas answered: I commaunde the kynge to eate ony ns and to wepe. He wrote about .ii. m. verses. Being asked what was difficill? he sayde: to take in good worth aduersitie after prosperitie. O natu •• e he sailed among wicked men, and whan the ship was sore shaken with greate tempest, and those wicked men called vpon god, peace (ꝙ he) that he se you not sayling from hence. To a wicked man that asked him what was goodnes, he gaue no answere. And whā he asked why he answered him not, he sayde: because thou enquirest of that, whiche pertayneth not to the. He wolde saye yt he had rather be iudge among hys enemies than amonge his frendes, for of his enemies he shulde make one his frend but amonge his frendes he shulde make one his foe. Beyng asked in what dede a man reioysed most, he answered: whā he gaineth. He was a good oratour, and when he was very olde, as he pleaded a cause for one of his frendes, after he had done his oration, beyng weary and faynt with speakyng, he rested his head in hys neces lappe, whiche was his daughters sonne: and whan his aduersary began afresh and had fynyshed, and the iudges had geuen theyr sentence on hys syde, whose part Byas toke, assone as the iudgement was ended, he was found dead in his nephewes bosom, which buried him worthely. And the citizens of Priena, dedicated a chapell to hym whiche is called Teutonium. He wolde saye alwaye the greater part are euell. The rest of hys sayenges shalbe spoken of, in theyr places.

¶Of Periander. Cap. xii.

PEriander as sayeth Heraclides, was borne in Corinth, his fathers name was Cipcelus, he maried a wyfe called Licydes, whiche was ye daughter of Procleus, a tirant of Epidaur, and by her had two sōnes: the one called Cypselus, and the other Lycophrone, of whiche ye yonger was very wyse, but thelder was a fole. This Periander was well learned And wrote a boke of .ii. M. verses, neuertheles he was a Tirant, & excercised so muche his tyranny that al men did hate him: he was about the .xxxviii. Olimpiade in Solons time. And he executed his Tiranny xl. yeares. Some saye there were two Perianders, thone a tyrant, ye other a Philosopher, which might well be: neuerthelesse this Tyrant is he, whome Laertius reckneth for one of the seuen sages, whose opinion I allowe not. For lyke as he for his euill doctrine disaloweth Orpheus to be a Philosopher, so I for his euyl liuyng disalowe Periander, to be any of the leuen sages, althoughe he haue written many wise sayinges. For as ī Philosophy nothing is lesse alowed than ignoraunce, so in wisedome nothing is more abhorred than Tiranny, in which this Periander excelled, in so muche that whan he was demaunded why he continued in his tyrany? because it is daūgerous (ꝙ he) for a man to yelde him selfe eyther of his owne accorde, or els against his wyll: Neuerthelesse he wolde saye (as wicked Hanniball sayed of peace) that who so wolde rayne in suerty ought to endeuour them to haue theyr subectes obediente with loue, and not with force. And pet he him selfe sought nothing lesse. For one a time he beyng very angry, flong his wife being great wt childe downe a payre of staires, and trode her vnder his feete, and so kylled her. And sent away his sonne Lycophorna, bycause he mourned for his mother, & draue him vnto Corcyra. And afterward whan he him selfe was very olde, he sent for him agayne: that he might with his owne handes play the tyrant with him: whiche when the men of Corcira knewe, they put him to deathe them selues, to delyuer him from his fathers tyranny. And whan Periander hearde that, ragyng in his fury, he toke all theyr chyldren, & sent them to Aliattes a tirant to be slaine: but whan ye shippe wherein they were approched vnto Samos, they vowyng to Iuno, were saued of the Samnites: whiche whan Periander hearde of, he beyng .lxxx. yere olde, what with sorowe, and what with woodnes, died. This was his life, whiche shulde not haue ben rehearsed, saue that for his good sayinges, whiche shalbe spoken of in theyr places. Neyther wolde we that any man shulde take example hereby, but rather shulde se howe shamefull it is for a Christian, to haue the like conditions.

¶Of Anacharsis. Cap. xiii.

ANacharsis the Scithian was ye sonne of Gnurus, brother to Caduidus kynge of Scithia. But hys mother was a Grecien. By reason wherof he was learned in bothe the languages, and wrote much bothe of ye Scithians and Greciens lawes, and also of warres & marciall affayres. Sosicrates sayth that he was at Athens in ye .xlvii. Olimpiad vnder the Prince Eucrates. And Hermippus sayeth that he wente to Solons house, and when he was at his gate, that he bode one of the house, to tell Solon that Anacharsis was without, and that he desired greatly yf he myght, to be hys gest, and haue hys acquayntaunce: whan ye seruant had tolde Solon, he sent hym worde agayne that he made gestes of hys owne countrey folkes, whiche whā Anacharsis hearde, he went in boldlye, and sayde. Nowe am I in my cuntrey. And whan Solon sawe hys wyt & wysedome, he admytted him, not onely for a gest, but also for a pryncypall frende.

He had thys one goodly saying, worthy to be noted. The vyne bringeth forth .iii. grapes, the firsste of pleasure, ye second of dronkennes, and the thyrde of sorowe. Beynge asked what shoulde cause a man most to be sobre, he sayde: to behold se, and remembre the filthy bestlines of dronkardes. Beynge on a tyme in a ship, after that he knewe it was but .iiii. ynches thicke, he sayde that they were nyghe death that sayled. Beynge asked what shyp was most sure: yt (ꝙ he) that cummeth safe to the hauen: whan he was demaunded whether there were more dead then alyue? he asked in whiche syde he shulde count mariners. Beyng vpbrayded of a man of Athens, because we was a Scithian: in deade (quod he) my countreye is a reproche to me, but thou art a reproche to thy coūtrye. To one that asked hym yf a wyseman myght mary a wyfe? he sayde what thynkest thou that I am? & when the other affirmed yt he was a wyse man, wel (ꝙ he) I haue maryed a wyfe. When he was reproued of fearfulnes, he sayde yt hys fearfulnes caused him to abstayne from sinne. To a womā that sayde he was foule and ylfauoured, he sayde: thou arte so foule and fylthye a myrrour, that my bewty can not be sene in the. When it was axed hym why wysemen woulde aske counsayle? he answered: for feare of mingling theyr wylles wt theyr wyttes. To a paynter that was be come a phisitiō, he sayd: The faultes that thou madest before in thy workes myght sone be espyed, but them that thou makest nowe, are hyd vnder the yearthe. For dead mens diseases are buried wt them.

Beyng asked what was bothe good and euyll to a man, he answered: the tonge. He wolde saye that ye market was a place appoynted for men to deceyue in, and to apply them selues to auaryce. To a yong man yt was hys gest, whyche slaūdered him, he sayde: wel young mā yf whyle thou art young, thou canst not suffre wyne, whan thou art olde, thou must be content with water. He was the firste (as some thynke) yt inuented the anker. He was long tyme wyth Solon, and thence returned into his owne coū treye, & there intendyng to chaūge theyr lawes, and to haue established ye Greciēs lawes, was slayne of hys brother wyth a shaft, as he rode on huntyng: and whan he felt hys deathes wounde, he sayde: I haue bene preserued in Grecia, by wysedome and learnynge, but at home and in my country, I perishe throughe enuye. Some wryte that he was slayne, whyle he was sacrifisyng after the maner of the Gretiēs. The rest of his sayinges shall be spoken of in theyr places.

¶Of Myson. Cap. xiiii.

OF this Misō is great variaunce amonge writers, & al through the doutiulnes of Apollos answere: For whan Anacharsis axed of Apollo who was wyser than he? he answered: Ecius, Myson, Cheneus, but some saye that Apollo sayde not Ecius but Eteus: and so they aske what Eteus is. Parmenides sayth it is a village of Laconia, in whiche Myson was borne. But Sosicrates sayth, that his father was called Eteus, and his mother Cheneum. Euthyphron sayth that he was of Crete, and that Heraclides Ponticꝰ was his father, but Anaxilaus, sayth that he was of Archadia: thus there is cōtrouersy about him, in whiche I allowe best Sosicrates mynde. But after that Apollo had geuē this answere, Anacharcides beynge troubled ther wt, came vnto Mison, in the Sommer tyme, and founde him makynge a share for hys plowe, and mockyng him therfore, sayde: Ywys Myson it is no mete tyme to go to Plowe now: No (ꝙ he) but is mete inough to prepare & make it readye. He lyued solitarylye, and whan a man by chaunce met hym laughyng to him self, & axed him why he laughed so, sith no mā was presēt there wt him, he answered: Euen therfore, do I laughe. He wrote many goodly workes, & dyed whan he was lxxvii. yere olde. His goodly sayinges shalbe spokē of ī theyr places.

¶Of Epimenides. Cap. xv.

THeopompus saythe that Phestius was Epimenides father. Other saye yt Dosiades was, other some saye Age iarchꝰ. He was borne in Crete ī a strete called Gnosꝰ. This Epimenides beynge on a tyme, sent of hys father, into the countreye, to fetche home a shepe, about nonetyde as he trauayled wt the sheepe on his neeke, beyng weary, he wēt into a caue, and slepte .lvii. yeare. And whā he waked, he sought for the shepe, and because he coulde not fynde hym, he went backe agayne into the fyelde, and whā he sawe that all thinges were chaunged, beyng greatly astonished, he returned to ye towne: and whan he wolde haue entred into hys owne house, they asked who he was? and whā he sawe his younger brother, he was so olde yt he knewe him not: but at last after much cōmunication he tolde his brother al that had chaunced him: which whan it was noysed abrode, euery mā toke him for one high in goddes fauoure. Wherfore on a tyme, whan as the Atheniences were plaged with the pestilēce, & were coūsayled of Apollo to pourge theyr cytie, they sent for Niceas & him vnto Crete, who whan he was cume to Athēs, purged it in this maner. He toke shepe both white and black, and brought them into a shepecote, and suffred them to go thence whyther they wolde: commaundyng them which folowed them to sacrifice them to god, in the place where they firste laye downe: which done the plage ceased. The Atheniences delyuered thus from destructiō, gaue him a great sūme of money and also a ship to cary him againe into Crete, but he forsaking theyr mony, onely desyred theyr frendship: and so departed. Alytle after that he was come home he dyed, beyng .cxcvii. yeres olde as sayeth Phasgo, but as his countrey folke say, he liued. 299. yeres. He wrote many workes in prose & in verse, of whiche somwhat shalbe shewed in their places. Some thinke yt he died not at that age, but fell aslepe agayne vntyll an other tyme.

¶Of Anaxagoras. Cap. xvi.

ANaxagoras was an excedyng well learned man, and came of a good stocke: his fathers name is Eubulus, he was very witty in Philosophy, And wrote muche therof. He was of a noble courage & very lyberall: For why he gaue away all his patrimony. And whan his frendes reproued him therefore, & sayde that he toke no care for his goodes: what nede I (ꝙ he) sith ye take care therfore. At last he went from them, and gaue his mynde altogether to the study of Philosophye, regardyng neyther the common weale nor yet his owne profit: insomuche that one asked him yf he regarded not his countrey? to whome he answered, yes: the chefest thing that I care for, is my countrey: poynting with his finger, towarde the heauen. He was in Xerxes tyme, And beganne to treate of Philosophy at Athens (as sayeth Ualerius) whan he was but .xx. yere olde, and taryed there .xxx. yeres. He sayde that the Sunne was made of burning Yron, and that there were mountaynes and vallayes in ye moone. Some sayde that he told before of a stone yt fell from heauen in to the flud Egis. To one that asked him yf the mountaynes Lampsaceni shulde euer be parte of the seca? yes (ꝙ he) yf the tyme fayle not. Beyng asked for what entent he was borne, he sayde: to beholde the heauen, the sonne, and moone. To a man yt was very pensiue and heauy, because he shulde die in a straunge coūtrey, he sayde: be of good chere frend, for the way that goeth downe to hell, is euery where.

Sylenus wryteth that in prince Dimilus tyme, there fell a stone from heauen, and that Anaxagoras therthrough held opinion that Heauen was made of stones, and that but for the great compasse of the buyldyng, it wolde sodaynly fall. Sotion sayth that he was accused for this & suche lyke matters, and lost muche of his gooddes therfore, and was banisshed. But other wryte that Thucidides accused him of treason, and he beyng absent, was therfore condemned, at whiche tyme also hys children dyed. And when it was tolde him howe he was condemned, and his children dead, as touching his condemnation, he sayde: nature hath geuen lyke sentence both of my condemners and me. And as touching his children, he sayde: I knowe that I begot mortall creatures: neuerthelesse afterwarde he was saued by Pericles, and departed from Athens vn to Lampsacum, and being .lxii. yeres olde, dyed there. Beyng asked of ye citie, yf he wolde haue any thing done for him: he wylled that the same moneth in whiche he died, the children of the towne shulde yerely playe: And that they shulde kepe yt custome for euer: whiche graunted, they buryed hym honorably, and set vp a goodly Epitaphe vpon his tumbe. His goodly sayinges shalbe spoken of in theyr places.

¶Of Phericides. Cap. xvii.

PHericydes the sunne of Badis (as saythe Alexander) was a Sirian borne, and was an hearer of Pittachus. Theopompus affirmeth hym to be the first that euer wrote of nature, and of the goodes among ye Gretians. Many marueyles are wrytten of him. For as he walked by the sea syde at Samos, behowldyng a shyppe saylyng swyftly with full sayles, he prophesied yt wtin a lytle whyle, it shulde be drouned: And as he sayde, it came to passe euen in his owne sight. After yt he prophesied (as ther was in dede) that the thyrde after, there shulde be an yearthquake. Not long after whā he was at Massena, in the game place, he counsayled one Perilaus a straunger, to get him thence, and all his householde, with as muche spede as myght be: whose coūsayle he not regardyng, was taken not long after with the towne, & all of his enemyes. He wolde saye to the Lacedemoniās, that neither golde nor syluer ought to be worshipped and yt Hercules in his slepe gaue hym that commaundement, which Hercules also the same tyme, commaunded the Princes to obeye Phericides: Some apply thys to Pythagoras. Hermippus sayth that whan there was great warre betwene the Ephesians and Magnesians, he beyng desirous that ye Ephesians might wynne the victory, asked one that passed by, of whence he was: whome confessing him selfe to be an Ephesian, he cō maunded to drawe him by the legges, and to laye hym in the Magnesian fyelde saying: desyre the citizens that whan they haue got ye victory, that they bury me (whiche am Phericides) in this same place: whiche when the citizens knewe, they were in good hope of victory. And the next daye, they ouercame ye Magnesians in battaile, & foūde Phericydes dead, and buryed hym honorably. But some saye that he flonge hym selfe downe headlyng from an hyll called Coriciam, & so to haue died, & to be buryed at Delos. Othersom say, that he dyed, beyng cōsumed wt lice. Aristoxenus sayeth yt whan Pithagoras whiche cam to visit him, demaunded howe he dyd, yt he puttyng his fynger out at the dore, sayde: beholde thy selfe, which answere afterward among learned mē became a by worde. He wrote an epistle to Thales, wherin he prophecied of his owne deathe, saying yt he swarmed full of lyce, and that he had a fyuer, and whan any of his frendes axed howe he dyd, he shewed them his lowsye fynger out thoroughe the dore, and desyred them that the next daye after they shulde come to hys buryall.

¶Of Socrates. Cap. xviii.

SOcrates (as saythe Plato) the sonne of Sophroniscus, a Lapidarie, & his mother Phenareta, a mydwyfe, was borne at Athens: a man of a wonderfull wyt, and as some say, was an hearer of Anaxagoras and of Damon. But Duris sayth that he was a seruant, and that he graued in stone, and that the Gracie, thre goodly ymages, were of his caruyng, wherfore Tymō calleth hym a caruer of stones, and a vayne Greke Poete, and a subtyll oratoure, For in hys orations, he was sharpe and prompte, & was therfore forbydden to teache it, by 30. Tyrantes, as saieth Xenophon. But (as sayth Fauorinꝰ,) he wyth hys disciple Eschines, opened the feeldes of the oratorye crafte. He got money to fynde hym selfe with al, by his handye worke: frō which Crito delyuered hym, bycause of his wysdome, and became his scholer as Byzantius sayth. But after that Socrates perceyued yt there was no frute in the speculation of naturall Philosophye, & that it was not greatly necessarye to the outwarde maners of lyuynge, he brought in ye kynde called Ethicke that is morall Philosophye, and taught it dayly both in ye shoppes and stretes, and exhorted the people chiefly to learne those thinges, whiche shulde instructe thē in maners, whiche were nedefull to be vsed in theyr houses. He vsed somtyme through vehemencie of hys communication, to shake his hād, and styr his fynger, yea & to plucke hym selfe by the heare also, & was therfore mocked of many, whyche he suffered paciently. And was so pacient, that whan one had spurned hym he suffered hym: & beynge axed why he stroke not agayne? he asked yf an asse had kycked hym, yf he shulde kycke agayne. Whan Euripedes had geuē hym a worke of Heraclitus to rede, and asked hym what he thought by it, he answered: suche thinges as I vnderstande are very misticall, and so I thynke those be whiche I vnderstande not: But suerly they lacke some Apollo to expoūde them. He toke greate care in the exercise of hys body, and he was of a comely behauyour, he was also a good warryer, for whan Xenophon was in the warre fallen from his horse, he caught hym, & saued hym. Another tyme whan the Atheniences fled all awaye hastely, he him selfe went leyserly alone, lokyng backe oftentimes priuely, and watchyng to reuenge hym, yf any man wyth his swearde durst venter to inuade his felowes: he warred also by sea, and whā he had valiaūtly fought & ouercome his enemyes, he gaue wyllyngly the victory to Alcibiades, whome (Aristippus sayeth) he loued greatly. He was of a constāt mynde, and of inuincible reason, & excedyng carefull for the common weale, he was also thriftye and cō tynent. Whan Alcibyades wolde haue geuen hym muche lyme and sande to buylde hym an house, he sayde: yf I lacked shoes, and thou woldest geue me an hole hyde, to make me a payre, shulde I not be mocked, yf I toke it? When he behelde many tymes the multytude of thynges yt were solde, he wolde saye, Good lorde so many thinges there be that I nede not. He wolde saye commonly that golde, sylke, and purple, and other suche thynges, were more meete to set forthe tragedyes, than necessary to be vsed. He lyued so sparely & temperatly, yt many tymes whē there were plages in Athēs, he onely hys selfe alone, was neuer sicke. Aristotle sayth that he had two wyues, the first Xantippe, of whom he begat Lamprocles: & thother Mirtone Aristides daughter, whōe he tokē without any dowrye, of whome he begatte Sophroniscꝰ, and Menexenus. Satyrus and Hieronimꝰ Rhodius saye, that he had both at ones. For the Atheniences beynge cousumed wyth warres, and morayne of people, to augmēt ye citie, decreed that euery mā shulde haue two wyues: the one a citizen, & the other what he wold, to beget chyldren of bothe: whiche Socrates dyd. He depysed greatly suche as were proude & hygh mynded, and wranglers. He gloryed greatly in pore fare. And sayde yt suche were most lyke vnto god, as lacked fewest thinges. He had a great gyft bothe in perswadyng and also in diswadyng. For he (as sayeth Xenophon) perswaded a yong mā which was Merciles and cruell, agaynst his mother, to reuerence her: he diswaded also Platos brother, which was desyrous to haue come into the common weale, & caused hym to leaue of, because he was rude & ignorant in thinges. Beyng asked what was ye honour of young mē? he answered: to attempt nothynge to muche. To hym that asked hym whether it were better to marye or no? he sayde: whiche soeuer thou do, it shall repent the. He wolde saye that he wondred muche at mē whiche with great diligence, endeuored to carue and make stones lyke men, & toke so lytle heade to them selues, that they both semed, and were lyke vnto stones. He exhorted yong men to beholde them selues oft in a lokynge glasse, to ye intent that yf they were bewtifull and well fourmed, they shulde do suche thynges as becommed theyr shape: but and yf they were ylfauoured, that they shuld with learning and good maners hyde theyr deformitie, whan he on a tyme had bydden many riche men to diner, & his wyfe Xantippe was ashamed of the small preparaunce that he made, he sayde: be cōtent wyfe, for yf oure gestes be sober and honest men, they wyll not despyse thys there, & agayne yf they be ryotoꝰ and intemperate, we shall be sure they shal not surfet. He sayde some lyued that they myght care, but he dyd eate, that he myght lyue. Beyng on a tyme reuyled, and asked why he spake nothyng? because (ꝙ he) that which he speaketh, pertayneth not to me. O that men coulde nowe adayes so take suche matters. An other tyme whan it was tolde him yt one had spoke euell by hym, he sayde: he hath not learned as yet to saye well. Whan Alcibiades tolde hym he could not suffre the frowardnes and skoldynge of Xantippe, as he dyd: no (ꝙ he) but a can, I am so vsed therwith, caust not yu at home suffer thy gaggeslyng gese? Yes (ꝙ Alcibiades,) for they lay me egges, mary ꝙ Socrates, & so doth Xantippe bryng me forth chyldren. On a tyme whā his wyfe in ye open strete plucked his cloke frō of his backe, & some of his acquaītaūce coūsayled him to haue stroke her therfore, he sayde: ye syrs ye saye well, that whyle we were brawlyng and fyghtng togyther, euery one of you myght crie: now to it Socrates, Eya well sayde Xantippe, the wittyest of the twayne. He counseled yt men shulde so go to their wiues, as horsemē do to theyr fyerce horses, and with a prary similitude, he coloured his pacience, saying: lyke as an horce being brokē of an horce keper, suffereth euer after any man to ryde vpon him, so I by vse of Xantippe can suffre all other folke. Fynally he dayly saying and doyng suche thinges, was praysed of Apollo to be the wysest man that lyued: At whiche dyuers beyng displeased, and because that he proued somme whiche thought them selues very wyse men, to be very foles: they not content, conspired against him, and accused hym, saying. Socrates breaketh ye lawes of the citie which haue ben geuen of our elders, supposinge that there are no goddes: and bryngyng in other newe spirites: (For Socrates helde opinion that ther was but one god, whiche was without begynning & ending, whiche had made and gouerned, all thynges, and that the soule of man was immortall, and that euery man had .ii. spirites assigned him by god, whiche he called demones, of whiche he sayde that one shewed hym thynges to come, wherefore he despysed theyr goddes and wolde not worship them) & agaynst tyght and lawe he corrupteth our youthe: wherefore let hym dye. Whan thys was put vp agaynst hym. Lysias a Philosopher wrote an Apologie for hym, whiche whan he red, he sayde: Lysias the oration is good and excellent, but surely it is nothing mete for me (for why it was more iudiciall than shulde seme mete for a Philosopher) and whan Lisias demaū ded of hym sith it was good, why it was not mete for hym, he sayde: Garmentes & shoes maye be bothe good and fayre, & yet vnfit for me. but while he was iudged it is sayde that Plato stode vp in his defence, & could not be suffered. And so he was condemned by .lxxx. iudges, and cast into prison: For whom the prince of Athens was very sory, but the centence whiche the iudges had geuen vpon him, whiche was yt he shulde drynke poyson, coulde not be reuoked. The kyng had a ship frayght with sacrafices whiche he offered to his ydols, whiche than was abrode and he wolde neuer geue any sentence vpon any mannes death, before it came to Athens. Wherefore one of Socrates frendes called Inclites, counsayled him to geue a certayne summe of moneye to the kepers, to let him scape away secretly, and so to go to Rome, but Socrates sayde he had not so muche: Thā sayde Inclytes, I and thy frendes haue so muche, whiche we wylle gladly geue to saue thy lyfe, yf thou wilt. To whyche Socrates answered: I thanke you and my frendes but syth thys citie wherein I muste suffre my death, is the natural place of my byrthe, I had rather dye here than els where: for yf I dye here in my countrye without deseruyng, onely because I reproue theyr wickednes, and theyr worshipping of vayne ydols, and wolde haue them worship the true god, yf these men of myne owne nation persecute me for saying and maintaining truthe, euen so wyll stranngers wheresoeuer I become: for I wil neuer spare to say the truthe, and surely straū gers wolde haue lesse mercye on me than myne owne countreye folkes. Beying thus mynded, he contynued styll in prison, teaching his scholers which resorted to him, many thīges both of the composition of elementes, and also of the soule: but wolde wryte nothing, for he sayde that wysedome ought to be wrytten in mennes hartes, and not in beastes skynnes: neuertheles his disciple Plato wrote welny all yt he taught. A litle before he shulde be put to death, he desired that he might bath hym selfe, and saye hys orations, whiche he dyd, and called his wyfe and chyldren, and gaue them good instruction: And whan he went towarde the place where he shulde fynish his lyfe, his wyfe went after hym, cryinge: Alas my husbande dyeth gyltles: to whome he sayde, why woman woldest thou haue me dye otherwyse? and sent her awaye. So when the cup of poyson was delyuered hym to drynke, hys frendes begāne to wepe, wherefore he blamed them, sayinge: I sent away the wemen because they shuld not do as you do. Than Pollidotus profered hym a precious garment to dye in, to whom he sayde: hath not myne owne cote serued me to lyue in? why than maye it not as well serue me to dye in? And than after he had commended his soule to god, he dranke the confection, & as he was in trauayle of death one of disciples sayd, O Socrates well of wisdome, yet teache vs sumwhat whyle thy speche lasteth: to whome he answered: I can teache you none otherwise now dying, thā I taught you in my life time. Thus finished he his most godly life, being lxx. yeres olde. His goodly sayinges shal be spoken of in theyr places.

¶Of Xenophon. Cap. xix.

XEnophon the sonne of Grillus was borne an Athens, he was shamefaste, & exceding bewtifull. It is sayde that Socrates met hym in a narrowe laue, and wold not let him passe tyll he had answered him to dyuers questions: and whan he axed hym, where men were made good and bad, at whiche he stayed, and could not tell: Socrates sayed, cum with me, and learne. And so he did, untill suche tyme as he went to Cyrus, whose fauour he obteyned & became in great reputation with him, and wrote all his actes, he had a womā also called Philesia which folowed him: of whome he had two children. He had much trouble in his lyfe, and was banished, & fled from place to place, till he came to Corinth: where he had an house. And whan ye Atheniences, entended to succoure the Lacedemonians, he sent his two sonnes called Diodorus & Grillus to Athens, to fyght for the Lacedemonians: from whiche battayle Diodorus returned, without doing any great feate: but Gryllus fyghtyng manfully amonge the horsemen, dyed about Mantinia. And when Xenophon (whiche was doyng sacrifice with his crowne on hys head) hearde that his sonne was ded, he put of his crowne, and when he afterwardes hearde, that he dyed fyghtyng valiantly, he put it on agayne, not so sory for his death, as ioyous for his valiantyse. He dyed at the citie Corinthum as saieth Demetrius being very olde: a man both good and valyant, expert in tydyng and huntyng, and greatly skilled in marciall affayres, as appeareth by his workes. He was also religious, & muche intentyue about sacrifice, & was a folower of Socrates. He wrote .xl. bokes intytled euery one by a sondrye name: & Tucidides workes which by negligence were lost, he brought to light. And was him selfe so pleasaūt in his style, that he was called the muse of Athens. There were more of this name, of whom this is the chiefe, whose good sayinges & preceptes hereafter shalbe touched.

¶Of Aristippus. Cap. xx.

ARtistippꝰ, (as sayeth Elchines) came to Athens, to heare Socrates, whose excelent wysdome was spoken of euery where. But whan Socrates was dead, he flattered Dionisius, and became a courtier. He was a merye wytted fellowe, & coulde forme him selfe mete to all times and places, in so muche that Diogenes called hym the kynges hounde. whan he on a tyme had espyed Dyogenes gatherynge herbes, and makyng potage, he sayd: yf thou Diogenes couldest flatter Dionise, thou shuldest not nede to make wortes. To whome Dyogenes sayde: yf thou also couldest be content to eate and gather wortes, thou shuldest not nede to flatter Dionise. Whē one made his boast that he had learned much, he sayd that learnyng consisted not in the greatnes but in the goodnes. To one that made greate bragges of his swymmyng, he sayde: Art not yu ashamed to boast of this whiche euery Dolphin can do? Beyng reproued because he hyred a rethoricien to pleade hys cause, he sayde: whan I make a banket I hyre a coke to. When his seruaūt whiche iourneyed with hym, was tyred wt the wayght of the moneye whiche he caryed, he sayde: that whiche is to heauy cast out, and that whiche thou canst, carye. Byon sayth, that as he sayled, perceyuynge that he was in a Pyrats shyppe, he toke his moneye and counted it, & than (as against his wyll,) let it fall out of his hande into the sea, & mourned for it outwardelye: but sayde inwardly to hym selfe, it is better that thys be lost of me, that I be lost for this. Dionisiꝰ commaunded that all his seruauntes shulde daunce in purple robes, whyche Plato woulde not, saying: I wyll not put on a womans garmēt, but Aristippus dyd, and whan he beganne to daūce, he sayde: in dronken feastes, the sober offende not. It chaunced that he sewed to Dyonisius for a frende of his, and beyng denyed, fell downe before his fete, & whā he was reproued therfore, he sayd: I am not in ye faulte, but Dionisius, whiche hath eares in his fete. This & many lyke answers he gaue, whiche who so listeth to rede, maye loke in ye Apothegmes of Erasmus, where he shall fynde ynough: whiche because it appertayneth not greatly to oure pourpose, we wyll omyt, & entrete of his good preceptes & prouerbes in the places thereto appoynted.

¶Of Plato. Cap. xxi.

PLato the sonne of Aristō & Periander, of Solōs kinred, was borne at Athens, in the yere & daye that Apollo was borne, as witnesseth Appollodorus. Whiche was in the .lxxxviii. Olimpiade, & dyed being .lxxx. and .4. yeres olde. It is sayde that whā he was borne, there came a swarme of bees, & hyued in his mouthe, which Socrates sayd to be a signe of his great eloquēce. He was a goodly mā of person as sayeth Alexander, and was therfore called Plato, which some saye was for hys eloquence, and some for hys greate forhead. He excercysed him selfe ī his youth, in wrastlīg, & suche lyke feates: & gaue his minde also to payntīg, & to wryte Poesies, meters, and tragedyes. He had a small voyce and an eloquent tonge. Socrates dremed yt a swanne let fall an egge, whyche hatched in his lappe, and whan it was fethered, it flue vp on hygh, & song exceadyng swete songes: and the next daye whā Platoes father brought hym to schole to Socrates, O (ꝙ he) this is the swan that I dreamed of: and whan he had learned muche, & shulde come before Dynonyse to a schole game, wherein learned men shulde showe theyr goodly meaters, & pyththy wrytynges, wherin who that excelled had a great rewarde: when he had hearde Socrates declare his, Plato flong his owne into ye fyer, sayinge: O fyer, Plato hath nede of thy helpe. And whan Socrates was dead, he went into Italye, to Phylolaum, which was of Pythagoras secte. From thence he went into Egypt, to heare the preestes & the Prophetes, where beynge sore sicke, he was healed by one of the preestes, with sea water, by reason wherof, he sayde: The sea ebbeth & floweth all maner diseases: He sayde moreouer that all the Egyptians were Phisitians. He determined also to go to ye Magicians, but by meanes of the warres that were in Asia, he chaūged his purpose, & returned to Athens: where he abode, and wrote many goodly workes: and drewe togyther Heraclitꝰ, Pithagoras, and Socrates, reasons. And in sensible thinges he preferred Heraclitꝰ: and in thinges that pertayned to intelligence, he toke Pythagoras parte: and in ciuill matters and morall Phylosophy, he estemed most his master Socrates. And drue these thre partes of Phylosophy ī to one bodye. Satyrus sayeth yt he gaue an hundred pounde to Phylolaū, for .iii. of Pythagoras bokes. He sayled thryse into Sicil to se the countrye: whereas Dionisius the tyrant Hermocrates sonne, cōpelled hym to talke wyth hym, & when Plato in his cōmunication, sayde that a tyrant ought not to do that whiche was for his owne profit, except he excelled in vertue, the Tyraunt beynge angry therwythall, sayde: Thy wordes sauour of olde ydle dottrels tales. And thyne also (ꝙ Plato) of a yong tyrant. For whyche this tyrant woulde haue slayne hym, but was entreated otherwyse, and commaunded hym to be solde. And by chaunce there was one Annicer, a Cyreniake, whyche gaue thyrtye pounde for hym, & sent hym to Athens amongest hys frendes: whiche incontinent sent hym his moneye agayne, which he in no wise wolde receyue, allegyng that other men were as worthy to care for Plato as they. And when the tyraunt hearde how Plato had sped, & was in his coū trye agayne, he wrote vnto hym, prayīg him not to speake or wryte euell of hym: to whyche request, Plato wrote agayne, that he had not so muche ydle tymes as to remembre hym. Some saye, yt whan the captayne Cabria whyche was gyltye of deathe fled, that he (whē none els of ye citie durst) wēt wyth hym. And whā Crobylus a scoffer sawe hym enter into the castell wt him, he rayled on him, saying: thou goest to healpe another, as though thou knewest not that we all redye owe the Socrates poyson. To whome Plato sayde, whan I warred for my country, he suffered peryll wt me, wherfore now for frend shyps sake, I wil do as muche for hym. To one whome he reproued for playing at dyse, whiche sayde thou chydest for a small matter, in dede (ꝙ he) the thinge is small, but the customable vse therof, is no small thing. To one of hys boyes which had displeased him, he sayd: yf I were not angrye, I wolde trymme the. To one of his seruaū tes which had done amisse, and excused him, saying it was my desteny, I could do none otherwyse, he sayde: excuse thy selfe no more thā, for it is thy destinie also to be punyshed. He dyed in the scholes as some saye, beynge broken in the myddes, & was buryed in Athens. His notable sentēces shalbe added in theyr places.

¶Of Xenocrates. Cap. xxii.

XEnocrates the sonne of Agathenor, beyng borne in Calcedonie, was Platos scholer, euē from his youthe. He was blunt wytted, and slowe, insomuche that Plato speakynge of hym and Arisstotle, woulde say that the one had nede of ye spurre, & the other of the brydle. He was graue and earnest, and drye in his communication. He was muche in the scholes, and yf at any tyme he went in to the towne, boyes & tolyshe people wolde crye after hym for the nones, to anger hym. He was so chaste, that whan men for the nones had hyred an harlot to meddle with him, which lying with him many nyghtes coulde not obtayne her pourpose, she sayde he was an ymage and no man. Whē hys fellowes woulde cast into hys bed Layis, (which at yt time was the fayrest strumpet in Athens) when she wolde entyse hym wyth her moste whoryshe conditions, he wolde cut hys owne members, because she shulde not ouercome him. Beyng sent wt other Embassadours to Philip, whan all the other take rewardes, and banqueted with hym, he wolde not: In so muche, that whan Philip many tymes wolde talke with him, he refused: For whiche cause Philip admytted hym not for an Embassadour. And when he wyth the rest of his felowes was returned to Athens, they sayde that he went wt them in vayne. And when (accordyng to the lawes) he shulde therfore paye a forfayt, he counsayled ye rulers to take good hede to ye cō mon weale, sayinge yt Philip with gyftes had corrupted all the other Embassadours, but coulde not make hym graunt, by any maner meanes: which (they hearing) estemed him more thou euer they dyd before. Beyng sent an other tyme to Antipater, to redeme the prisoners whiche he had taken in battayle, Antipater desyred hym to dyne with hym, whiche he denying sayde: I come not to dyne & banket, nor to take pleasure with the, but to redeme my felowes frō the sorowes whiche they suffre wt the: & when Antipater heard the wisedome, and sawe the constant mynd of the man, gently entertaynynge him, deliuered his prisoners. Whā Dionisius in his presence sayde to Plato, some bodye shall take from the thy head, he sayde: yt shall they not except they take awaye myne fyrste. He lyued holylye and wrote excedyng many goodly workes: & dyed beyng .lxxxii. yeres olde. His goodlye counselles shalbe spoken of in theyr places.

¶Of Archelaus. Cap. xxiii.

ARchelaus ye sonne of Seuthꝰ (as sayeth Appollodorꝰ) was a good Philosopher and verye studyous in Platos workes. He was first an hearer of Antilochus, a Mathematycke, and afterward of Theophrastus. He was a verye wyttye felowe, and of a prompt spirit, and graue in communication, & muche excercised in wrytynge, & gaue hys mynde to poetrye. He delyted so muche in Homer, that euery nyght before he slept, he wolde rede somwhat. He learned geometry of Hipponicus, & was thereto so dull, & yet so well learned in ye crafte, that he wolde saye that geometry fell into his mouth as he gaped. Hearyng men singynge meaters that he had made, ylfauouredly, he kicked them on the sydes, sayinge: ye breake myne, and I wyll breake poures. Being called to a sicke mā perceyuyng that he was sicke for thought & lacke of ryches, he conueyed vnder hys pyllowe a sacke full of money, whiche he fyndyng, was so ioyouse that he recouered strayt wayes. Whan he was byd to solute a ryddle at a banket, he sayde that ye chefest poynt of wysedome was, to knowe to what pourpose the time was meatest. To him that asked him why many scholers of euerye secte became Epicures, but none of the Epicures became of other sectes, he sayde: because yt cockes were made of men, but neuer men of cockes, or as some saye capons be made of cockes, but neuer cockes of capons. Beynge reproued because he chalenged not a yong man, whome he had ryght to, he excused hym pretely, saying: It is not possible, to drawe softe chese with an hoke. Beynge asked what mā was most in trowble, thought, and care, he sayde. He that desyreth most to be at quyet, and rest: beyng asked whether it were better to marye a fayre woman or a fowle, he answered: yf thou mary a foule one, thou shalte haue gryefe with her, but & yf thou take a fayre one, she shall make the cuckolde. He called olde age the hauen of all tribulations. He sayed it was a great euell, not be able to suffre euyll. To an enuyoꝰ mā which was verye sorowfull, he sayde: I knowe not wel, whether euel haue chaunced to the, or good to an other: signifying therby, that enuyous mē are as sorowful for others prosperitie, as for theyr owne aduersitie. As he sayled among theues, by chaūce they met with shippes of true folke, which the theues espyinge, sayde: we maye chaūce to dye yf we be knowen: and so may I (ꝙ he) yf we be not knowen. These & suche lyke answers he gaue, & dyed at Athens when he was. 80. yere olde, beyng ouercome wt to muche wyne. And was reputed more among the Atheniences, than any other of the Philosophers. His piththy prouerbes shal be spoken of here after.

¶Of Aristotle. Cap. xxiiii.

ARistotle, the sonne of Nychomache, a stagerite, was welbeloued of Amintha King of Macedonie, bothe for his learning, & also for his wysedome. He was Platos disciple, and passed far all the rest of his felowes, he had a small voice, small legges, & small ryes, he wolde go rychely appareled with rynges and chaynes, mynionly rounded and shauen. He had a sonne called Nichomache by an whore. He was so well learned, yt Phylip Kynge of Macedonie sent for hym to teache his sonne Alexā dre, who because he reproued hym to muche, caused hym to dye. But Appollodorus sayeth that he came to Athens agayne, and kept the scholes there; & dyed whan he was lxiii. yere olde. He was an excellent good Phisition, and wrote therof many goodly workes. He vsed to washe hym selfe in a basen of hote oyle: and vsed to cary a bladder full of whote oyle at his stomacke. He vsed also whan he slept, to hold a ball of brasse in his hande, with a pan vnder his bed syde, that whan it fell it myght walte hym. Beynge asked what vauntage a man might get by lying, he answered: to be vnbeleued whan he telleth truth. Many tymes whan he enueyed agaynst ye Atheniences, he wolde saye yt they had founde out bothe frutes and lawes, but knew howe to vse neyther of them. He wolde saye that ye rotes of lyberall sciences were bytter, but the frutes verye swete. It was tolde hym that one rayled on hym, to whiche he answered: whan I am awaye let hym beat me to. Beyng asked howe muche the learned differed from the ignorant, he answered: As muche the quicke dyffer from the dead. He wolde saye yt learning in prosperitie, was a garnishing: & in aduersitie, a refuge. To one that boasted that he was a Citizen of a noble citie, he sayde: bost not of that, but se that thou be worthy, to be of suche a noble citie. Beyng asked what was frendship, he sayd: one soule dwelling in many bodies Beyng asked what he had got by Philosophy, he sayd: I can do that vnbydden, whiche some can scarce do, compelled by the lawe. Beyng rayled on to hys face, & not regardyng, and the rayler askyng hym whyther he had touched hym or no? he sayde: Good lorde, I mynded ye not yet. Being reproued because he gaue wages to one that was scarce honest, he sayde: I geue it to the mā and not to hys maners. Thus and suche lyke he spake, and wrote many goodly bokes, of which we haue (thought not the one halfe) yet so muche as in our age is thought sufficient for one man to haue knowen and written, out of whiche his most pith thy prouerbes for our pourpose shalbe be added in place most conuenient.

¶Of diogenes. Cap. xxv.

DIogenes as sayeth Diocles, was borne in a towne called Cinope, his father beyng called Icecius Mensar, who beyng imprisoned for counterfetyng theyr coyne, Dyogenes whiche was of counsell with hym, fled: and came to Athens, where he met with Antithenes: whome vnwyllyng to receyue him (for why he neuer wold teache any) he ouercame with hys perseueraunce. And when his master on a tyme toke vp a staffe to beate hym, he put vnder his heade, saying: stryke, for thy staffe is not able to dryue me away, so long as thou canst teache me ought. He lyued simply as one that was out of hys countrye, and comforted hym selfe muche with beholdyng the lytle mouse, whiche neyther desyred chaumbre, nor feared the darke, nor was desyrous more of one meate than of an other: whose nature as nygh as he coulde, he folowed. He ware a double cloke, and made him a bagge, wherin he wrapped hym whan he slept, and put therin hys meat, and vsed one place for all purposes: bothe to eat, to slepe, and to talke in. Whan he was diseased he wente with a staffe, whiche afterward he caryed with him alwayes not onely in the citie, but also in all other places. He wrote to one to make hym a cell, whiche because he taried longe for, he toke a barrell or a tunne and made that his house. Whan he had any graue matter, he wolde call the people to heare him, whiche whan they regarded not, he wolde sing pleasantly: to which whan many resorted, he wolde say: to heare folyshnes ye runne a pace, but to heare any wayghty matter ye scarce put forth your fote. He wō dered at Grāmarians whiche could shewe of other folkes lewdnes, and neclected theyr owne. He reproued Musitians, because they toke great care that theyr instrumentes shulde agre, & theyr owne maners agreed not. He rebuked the Mathematikes whiche behelde the sonne, ye moone, and the starres, and neclected the busines that laye before theyr fete. He taunted the orators because they studyed to speake that was iust, & folowed not the same in theyr lyuyng. He dispraysed the people, whiche whyle they sacrificed, and gaue thankes for theyr healthe, wolde make great bankets, which was agaynst theyr health: he wondred that seruauntes coulde stand and se men eat, and snatched not awaye theyr meate. Beyng mocked because he annoynted his fete with odours, and not his head, he sayde: the sauour goth from the head vp into the ayer, but from the fete vp to the nose. Being asked what tyme a man shulde dyne, he sayde: a riche man whan he wyll, and a pore man whan he maye, when one had geuen him a blowe vpon ye eare, he sayde: I wyst well I had left somwhat vncouered. To yonge laddes yt stode about hym saying: we wyll beware folish question, he gaue none answer, beyng asked why he helde hys peace, he sayde: Silence is the answer of folish questions. Innumerable suche pretie answers & taūtes he vsed, which who so listeth to here shall fynde in the Apothegmes of Erasmus, whiche is no lesse fynely handled in the English than in the latine, beside yt it is also more plaine & parfect. This Diogenes liued. 90. yeres, & died beyng byt of a dogge some wryte, other saye that he styfled hym selfe, with long holding of his breathe: After whose death there was great stryfe amonge his scholers, who shulde haue his body to bury, neuertheles the stryfe was appeased by the elders, and they buryed hym by the gate that leadeth to Isthmus, and made hym a fayre tumbe, and set a piller with a dogge therupon, and set thereto a goodly Epitaphie. His good preceptes, and prouerbes shall followe in theyre places.

¶Of Antisthenes. Cap. xxvi.

ANtisthenes the sonne of Antisthenes, was borne at Athens: And was disciple to Gorgias the oratour, of whome he learned to pleade: and from hym he went to Socrates, of whome he learned wysdome, and morall Philosophie. To a yong man that wolde be hys scholer, which asked what he neded to hys learnyng, he answered: a newe boke, and a newe wyt. Whan it was tolde hym that Plato spake euyll of hym, he sayde: It is kyngly to be euell spoken of, whan a man doth well. He wolde say that it were better for a man in hys necessitie, to fall amonge rauens, than amonge flattereres: for rauens wyll eat none but dead folke, but flatterers wyll eat men being aliue. He wolde saye yt Cities must nedes decaye, where good mē were not knowen from the bad. Beyng praysed of euell men, he sayde: I feare me that I haue done some euell. He wold saye that it was a great ouersight, sithens they purged theyr wheate from darnell, and theyr warres of cowardly soldiers, that they purged not theyr common weale from enuyous people. Beyng asked of a man what was best to learne, he sayde: to vnlearne the euell that thou hast learned. He alwayes toke Plato for proude, disdaynous, and hygh mynded: in somuche that whan he met hym at a tryumphe, wheras there were many goodly and coragious neyghyng horses, he sayde: o Plato thou woldest haue made a goodly horse. He wrote many goodly bokes & spake many proper and piththy sentences, whiche shalbe spoken of hereafter. He died of a disease whā he was very olde. If is sayde that whan he was sicke, Diogenes came to visit hym, hauyng a blade by his syde, & whan he sayde, who shall rid me frō my disease: Diogenes shewing him his sweard, sayde: this same shal, to whiche Antisthenes sayde, I spake of my grefe, & not of my lyfe. There were mo of this name, but he lyeth buryed at Athens.

¶Of Isocrates. Cap. xxvii.

ISocrates was a Grecian borne, & cam of a good kinred & was in his youth wel brought vp in all kindes of good maners, and whan he came to age & discretiō, he was an hearer of Gorgias the oratour, whose disciple he continued, vntyll suche time as he was well learned, bothe in naturall & also in morall Philosophy. As some saye he was in ye time of Ahasuerus ye kyng, and was of suche fame for his learning, namely for morall Philosophy, that he semed to many rather a god than a man: He liued vertuouslye, wyth suche faythfulnes in frendship, and continence of his bodye, and with suche piththines in his coūsayle, as verye fewe hath ben like him since. He wrot many goodly bokes in his youthe, whiche he folowed in hys age: of whiche his good coūsayles to Demonicū, testyfye his wit & his learning in morall Philosophy, besyde other which he wrote of naturall Philosophy. He liued long time for (as Ualerius Maximus saieth) whā he was .xciiii. yeres olde, he set forth ā excellent boke, ful of ye spirit. In all his workes he praysed vertue as hed foūtaine of all maner riches, & exhorted al mē thervnto. To one that axed him yf he wolde be a king? he answered that he woulde not: And beyng asked wherfore: he sayde: If I iudge rightfully, I can not eschue ye hatred of many mē: & agayne yf I iudge wrongfully, I cā not eschue ye payne of eternall dānaciō: wherfore I had rather liue porely assured of ye blisse of heauen, thā in doubt therof, possessing all worldly riches. Being asked how a man might kept him selfe from anger? he answered: In remembring yt god loketh alwayes vpon him. In hys tyme men delyted muche in blacke heare, wherfore one of hys neyghbours died his head blacke: & whan one asked him why his neybour did so? he featly tauntyng his neyghbours folyshnes, answered: because no man shulde axe counsayle, nor learne any wysedome of hym.

What woulde he say nowe trowe we, yf he sawe these wyues, yt not onely coloure their heare, but also paynt theyr faces? He vsed oftentymes ī his prayers, to desyre god to kepe & saue him from the daunger of his frendes, rather than frō his enemies: and beyng demaunded of one that hearde him, why he prayed so, he sayde: as for myne enemy I can beware of, for why I trust him not: so can I not of my frende, because I trust him. Beyng asked what a mā ought not to do, although it were iust and true, he answered: to prayse hym selfe. He liued .cii. yeares, and dyed for very age, & was buryed honorablye. The rest of his sayinges, shalbe spoken of hereafter.

¶Of Plutarche. Cap. xxviii.

PLutarche ye Philosopher, was a man of a wondrefull wyt, well brought vp in hys youthe, well instructed in maners, & well furnyshed in al kyndes of learnyng: which growing vp as wel ī vertue, & learnīg as in body & yeares, was chosen, & that worthely, to be the instructer of ye Emperour Traiane, whome he so well instructed, that his glorye therby was greatly augmented, as it is sayde in Policrato, the fifth boke. He was faythfull in his sayinges, and eloquent in hys wordes, and very diligent & ware in his maners, of a chaste lyfe and good conuersation. He gaue hys mynde muche to instruct & teache other, and wrote manye bokes, of whiche one intytled the education of youthe, whyche we haue in the English tonge, (drawne therinto by the excellent & famous knyght Sir Thomas Eliote, whose good zeale & loue bothe to further good learning, & to profyt his countrey, appeareth as well therby, as by other many workes, which he hath payned him selfe, to bryng īto our lāguage) sheweth wel his good affectiō yt he had to ye cōmō weale. He wrote an other boke, called ye institution of Traiane, In whiche he setteth out the office of a Prince, & what he ought to be, so excellently, as no mā can amēde it. He wrote al so an other boke, entitled Archigrammatum, wherin he teacheth rulers & officers howe to gouerne them selues, wt diuers other thinges: among whiche the letter that he wrote to Traiane what tyme he was created Emperour, is worthye to be remembred, in the ende wherof he sayth thus. Thou shalte rule al thinges euen as thou woldest, yf thou go not from thy selfe: and yf thou dispose all thy workes to vertue, all thinges shal prosper wt the: And as touching ye gouernaūce of thy cōmon weale, I haue taught the therin already, whiche yf yu shalte folowe me thy master Plutarche, as an example of good lyuyng: but yf yu do otherwyse, thā shal this my lettre be my wytnes, yt I gaue the neyther coū cel neyther any example thervnto. Whā he was aged, he dyed, & was buried honorably, his goodly prouerbes, adages, parables, & semblables shal folowe ī theyr places.

¶Of Seneca. Cap. xxix.

SEneca the Philosopher, an excellent well learned mā, was borne in Corduba, and therof called Cordubences. He was disciple to Stratus the stoycke, and was Lucane the Poetes countreyman. He floryshed at Rome, in the tyme of the Emperour & Tyrant Nero, whom he taught in his youth ī learnyng and maners, whiche afterwardes was cause of hys deathe. In the tyme of this Seneca, Peter and Paule came to Rome and preched there. And whan many of Nero ye Emperours house gathered togyther to heare Paule, Seneca amonge the test, was so familier wt him, & delighted so muche to heare the diuine science, and wysdome, whiche he sawe in him, yt it greued him to be seperate at any tyme frō his cōmunication: insomuche than whan he might not talke with him mouth to mouth, he vsed communicatiō by letters oft sent betwene them. He read also the wrytynges and doctrines of Paule, before the Emperour Nero, and got him the loue and fauour of euery bodye: Insomuch that ye Senate wondered muche at Paule. This Seneca was a man of a verye chaste lyfe, & so good, that sainct Iherom numbreth hym in hys bederowe of Sayntes, prouoked therto by his Epistles, whiche are entytled Seneca to Paule, & Paule to Seneca. After he lyued in to a meane age, he was slayne of Nero the tyraunt, two yeares before Peter & Paule suffered theyr gloryoꝰ martyrdome. For Nero on a daye beholdyng hym, & callyng to mynde, howe he whan he was his master, dyd beat him, he conceyued hatred agaynst hym, and beyng desyroꝰ to reuenge hym selfe, and to put hym to deathe, gaue hym lycence to chose what kynde of deathe he woulde, wherfore Seneca, seynge that his tyranny coulde not be appeysed, and supposyng that to dye in a bayne, was ye easyest kynde of deathe, desyred to be let bloode in the vaynes of his armes, and so dyed: which death as some thynke was forshewed in his name Seneca, that is to saye se necans, whiche signifyeth in Englishe, a kyller of him selfe. He wrote in his lyfe time many goodly bokes, out of whiche shalbe pyked some of ye most piththy sentences, bothe of preceptes and counsayles, and also of Prouerbes, Adages, Parables and Semblables, whyche in theyr places hereafter shall folowe. And because the lyues of these before written are sufficient for our pourpose, and because we be desyrous to be as shorte as we myght be, here wyll we finish the firste boke: desyrynge all men that the same shall rede, to folowe the good vertues that therin are contayned.

The ende of the first Boke. In this first boke of Phylosophers lyues Wherin theyr answers are partly contayned, A man may learne, as chaūce therto him dryues To shape an answer. Or yf he be constrayned To wrath or anger, or other passions lyke, Here shal he see howe lyke lustes wer refrayned Of Hethen men, who thought it shame to strike Whē good occasiō oftymes thē therto payned.
¶The seconde boke intytled, of preceptes and counsayles.
¶Of the profite of morall Philosophy. Cap. i.

IT is not vnknowen to any, which haue any knowlege at al, how profitable, necessary, & nedefull it is for mē, to haue ye knowlege of morall Philosophy (In whiche whoso is ignorant, is worse than a brute beast) and therfore it mought here haue wel ben omytted. Yet neuerthelesse to satisfye yt desires of some, and to stop the mouthes of other some, whiche peraduenture, wolde be glad (accordyng to the prouerbe,) to seke a knot in a rishe, and agayne to helpe and encourage other, whom eyther ignoraunce or neglygence holdeth backe: it semeth necessary, though not all, yet at ye least to shewe some of ye innumerable commodities, that there vnto be ioyned. Wherin omittyng, the discommodities, whiche for lacke therof daylye augment & growe, as malice, hatred, enuy, pryde, lacke of loue, deceytes, robberies, theftes, murthers, bluddy battayles, seditions, decaye of cities, decaye of common weales, spoyling of realines, and vtter desolation of people and kyngdomes, what can be a greater commoditie than for euery man peaceably, to possesse his owne: whiche peaceable agrement sith it can none other wayes be got, nor when it is got be preserued, but by loue, whych only springeth of agremente in maners, and morall vertues, what thyng ought men more to embrace? Agayne yf we consyder the diuinitie of our soules, whiche god hath created to hys owne lykenes, and ye rewardes therto due, for the maners whiche it hath vsed in this lyfe, what wordly thing shall be able to be compared therwith? Agayne yf we consyder howe nedefull it is, as the onely helpe that god hath geuen vs to supply that whiche nature hath left vnperfect, than shall we knowe what a Iuell it is. For where as Nature bringeth forth all other creatures able to helpe them selues, clothing them and geuing them fode without takyng any payne or labour therfore: onely mā is borne naked, destitute of power to helpe hym selfe, ye (as sayth Plinie) not one borne to his owne vse, neyther is any man able to lyue hym selfe alone. For yf he had al the wul in the worlde, yet yf it were not carded, spunne, dressed, & brought into clothe, it woulde not defend him from the colde: Agayne yf he had al the grayne, that spryngeth on the yearth, yet yf it wer vngrounde, and vnbaked, it wolde be vnmete meare: whiche sith they be diuers mennes offices one man alone can not doe. And sith therfore it is so, that no man can lyue alone, but must of necessitie bothe helpe and be holpen of other, what can be better than good maners, that make euery man glad & wyllyng to do one for an other: that ioyneth vs togyther in loue and frendshyp, and helpeth vs in all kynde of necessities? Surelye nothyng. Wherfore who so willeth to be riche, lette him learne maners, whiche teache how to get, & to retayne frendes, which are the verye riches. Whoso desireth honor, let hym study vertuous maners, whiche is the only thyng in man worthy to be honored. Fynally what soeuer any man woulde attayne, let hym learne mortall wisedome, without whiche no thing that is good maye be obteyned. Whiche, that it myght the more esylyer be learned (accordyng to our promise in the fyrst booke) we purpose in thys folowyng to set forth ye preceptes and counsayles, of those Phylosophers, whose lyues we shewed in our former booke: Iustantly desyryng all men not onely to reade, but also to folowe the same. And althoughe saynt Paule haue byd you beware that no man deceyue you with Philosophye, he ment not morall, as many learned clarkes wrytyng vpon the same, playnly do testyfye. Which councell all mē to folowe it, namely so muche, as agreeth with ye commaundementes of god. Repugnant to the which ye shall fynde litle in thys boke: and because ye maye the better vnderstand what the Philosophers haue thought of god, here shalbe set to gyther suche sentences as they haue spoken of hym and of his power, & after of the soule, & so forth, accordyng to our promyse in ye fyrst boke, from the readyng wherof, s th the commodities are innumerable, I wyll kepe you no lenger.

¶Of God, of his power, and of his workes. Cap. ii. Hermes

THat is God whiche lacketh begynnyng and ending, whiche God being made of none, hathe by his owne power created all thynges.

God knoweth & seeth bothe the deades and also the thoughtes of al menne, from whose knowledge nothyng may be hyd.

Socrat.

God estemeth greatly vertuous people, though in this worlde they be lytle set by.

God the authour of goodnes, hath created all good thynges.

Plato.

God is carefull for all, as well smal as great.

The moste gloryous and mighty beginner is god, whiche in the begynnyng created the worlde.

God is the principal and chefe good, aboue all Nature, whome all creatures honour and looke for.

Aristot.

It shulde seeme that god careth not for wycked people.

No man may escape the iust iudgement of god.

Herme

God wyl rewarde euery man according to hys woorkes.

Socrat.

No man can be iust without the feare of god.

The remembraunce of god, kepeth men from euell.

ermes.

If thou wylt know god, enforce thy selfe not to knowe wycked people.

Reioyce and thanke god as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie.

Pytha

It is a ryght honorable and blessed thing to serue god, & sanctifye his sayntes.

The worshippe of god consisteth not in wordes, but in deades.

Worship god with a cleane heart, praye vnto hym, and he wyll aduaunce you.

Hermes.

Whan ye wyl faste purge youre soules from fylth, and abstayne from synne: For God is better pleased therwith than with abstayning from meates.

He that is not contented with the small gyftes that god geueth hym, is vnworthy to haue any better.

Though god exalt the in thys worlde, be not proude, nor dispyse any man therfore, nor thynke not thy selfe better than an other: but remembre howe that god by creation, hath made all men lyke.

Plato.

God hath not in thys worlde a more conuenable, & mete place, than in a cleane and pure soule.

It is better to be a pore man beleuyng in god, than to be riche putting doubtes in hym.

God loueth them that be disobedient to theyr bodely lustes.

Herme

Prayer is the chefest thyng that man may present god with all.

Socra •••

Yf thou woldest obtayne any thyng of god, frame thy workes accordyng to hys wyll.

Sweare not by god for any lucre, although thy cause be lust.

Xenoph ••

Praye to god at the begynnyng of thy workes, that thou mayst bryng them to a good conclusion.

Be not to carefull for worldly ryches, for GOD hath prouyded for eche man sufficient.

Pyth ••

Enforce thyselfe to knowe god, & to feare hym.

Desyre nothyng of god, saue what is profitable, for be wyll graunt nothyng vniustly asked.

God hateth the prayers and sacrifices of wycked people.

Socra ••

A good man is the similitude of God.

It is the dutye of a wyseman to be carefull in suche thinges as pertayne vnto god.

Put youre trust in god, and he will aduaunce you.

For as muche as all men, although they be great sinners, receyue dayly great benefittes of god: Therefore are we all bounde to thanke hym for his grace, and to aske hym forgeuenes for our sinnes and trespasses.

ocrat.

The feare of God is the begynnynge of wysedome.

By the feare of god we attayne healpe of the holye goste, whiche shall open to vs the gates of saluation, wherinto our soules shall entre with them that haue deserued euerlastyng lyfe.

•• rmes.

He that feareth god as he oughte, shall neuer fall into the paththes that leade mē vnto yuell.

•• thag.

The tyme, and rychesse are best bestowed, that are employed aboute the seruy e of god.

It is wysedome to loue god, for he that loueth god, doeth that whiche god loueth: which who so doeth, shall be sure to be beloued of god.

ristot.

Science is had by diligence, but discrecion and wysedome commeth from god.

Commyt all thy causes to god withoute any exception.

Plato.

He is wyse that disposeth hys tongue to speake of god: and he that knoweth hym not, is maste foole of all.

ocrat.

Speke euer of god, and he wyll alwayes put good wordes in thy mouthe.

He that loueth god best, dreadeth hym moste.

Put thy trust in god, and pray vnto hym and he wyll kepe the from a wycked wife for which there is none other remedye.

If it chaūce the to come in a place wher men talke of god, abyde thou there: for yf thou be a foole, thou shalte become wyse: and yf thou be wyse, thy wysedome shall encreace.

Pyth

Feare the vengeaunce of god as muche as thou mayest, and that shall kepe the frō sinne, and when thou thynkest of his mercye, remembre also his ryghteousnes.

Thale

Let thy wordes and thoughtes be euermore of god, for to speake and thynke of god surmounteth so muche all other wordes and thoughtes, as god hym selfe surmounteth all other creatures.

Sene

To remembre that god seeth, and beholdeth vs alwayes, is a good preseruatyue to kepe vs from all kynd of sinne.

¶The summe of all. God is a substaunce for euer durable, Eterne, omnipotent, mercyfull, and iust. Whyche gydeth al thynges in ordre conuenable, A God in whome eche man ought for to truste, who for prayer geues grace, to mortify our lust. In whose feare & loue, all that shall here endure, Shall after this lyfe, of better lyfe be sure.
¶Of the soule, and gouernaunce therof. Cap. iii. •• rmes.

THe most excellent thyng yt God hathe created in yearth, is a man: And ye rychest thing to hym, is his soule, and reason: by which he kepeth iustice, and eschueth sinne.

The soule is an incorruptible substaunce, apt to receyue eyther payne or pleasure, bothe here & els where.

•• hago.

Whan a resonable soule forsaketh his diuine nature, and becommeth beast like, it dyeth: For although the substaunce of the soule be incorruptible, yet lackyng the vse of reason, it is reputed dead: for it loseth the intellectyue lyfe.

Plato.

By the iustice of god the soule must nedes be immortal, and therfore no man ought to neeglect it: For though the bodye dye, yet the soule dyeth not.

•• ocrat.

The soules of the good shall lyue into a better lyfe, but ye euell soules into a worse.

Plato.

If death were the dissoluyng bothe of body and soule, then happy were the wicked, whiche ryd of theyr bodye, shulde also be ryd of theyr soule and wickednes: But for so muche that it is euident that the soule is immortall, there is left no comfort for the wycked to trust in.

The soule when it dyeth, caryeth nothyng wyth it, but her vertue, and learnyng, and hath of it selfe none other helpe: wherfore all suche as for the multitude of theyr sinnes and mischeues are hopeles, and suche as haue commytted sacrilege, slawghters, with other suche lyke wickednesse, the iustice of god and theyr owne desertes dampne vnto euerlastyng death, from whiche they shal neuer be delyuered: but suche as haue lyued more godlye than other, beyng by deathe deliuered from the pryson of the bodye, shall ascend vp into a purer lyfe, and dwell in heauen euerlastynglye.

The immortalitie of the soule excludeth all hope from the wycked, and establisheth the good in theyr goodnes.

Socr ••

The soule that foloweth vertue shal see God.

Aristo

As the begynnyng of our creation commeth of god so it is mete that after death our soule returne to hym againe.

Boet

The soule despyseth all worldly busynes, whiche beyng occupyed about heuenly matters, reioyseth to be deliuered from these yearthly bondes.

Aristo

The delytes of the soule are, to knowe her maker, to consyder the workes of heauen, and to knowe her owne estate, and beyng.

•• olon.

A cleane soule delyteth not in vncleane thynges.

The soule knoweth al thynges, wherefore he yt knoweth hys soule, knoweth all thynges: & he that knoweth not his soule, knoweth nothyng.

Lyttle teaching suffiseth the good soule but to the euyll muche teachyng auayleth not.

Plato.

Wyne vnmeasurably taken, is an enemye to the soule.

He that fyreth his mynde wholly vpon the worlde, loseth his soule: but he yt thinketh vpon his soule, hateth the worlde.

The well disposed soule loueth to doo wel, but the euyl desyreth to do harme.

en ea.

The good soule graffeth goodnes, wherof saluation is the frute, but the euel planteth vices, the frute wherof is damnation.

The good soule is knowen, in that it gladlye receyueth truthe: and the euyl by the delyte that it hath in lyes.

The soules of the good be sorowful for the workes of the wycked.

•• hago.

A good soule hath neyther to great toye nor to great sorow, for it reioyceth in goodnes, and it soroweth in wyckednes: by the meanes wherof whan it beholdeth al thinges, and seeth the good & bad so myngled together, it can neyther reioyce greatlye, nor be gryeued with ouermuche sorowe.

Plato.

The soule is loste that delyteth in couetousnes.

Who so desyreth the lyfe of hys soule, ought to mortify it wyth the bodye, & geue it trouble in this worlde.

Aristo

The vanities of the worlde are an hinderaunce to the soule.

It is better for the soules sake to suffre death, than to lose the soule for the loue of this lyfe.

Herm

Whyle the soule is in companye wt good people, it is in ioye: but whan it is among the euyl, it is in sorowe and heauynes.

He is in greate daunger that loketh not to hys soule.

Sicknesse is the pryson of the body, and sorowe the pryson of the soule.

Socr

A wyse man ought to loke as carefully to his soule, as to hys body.

Sene

It is better to haue a soule garnished wyth vertue, and knowledge, than a body decked wyth gorgyous apparel.

Wysedome, vertue, and vnderstandyng, are the garnyshynges of the soule.

Pyth

Order the selfe so, that thy soule may alwayes be in good estate, whatsoeuer becumme of thy bodye.

Dispose thy soule to all good and necessary thinges.

Plato

Euell men by theyr bodely strengthe resist theyr mysfortunes, but good mē by vertue of ye soule, suffre them paciently: which pacience commeth not by myght of arme, by strength of hande, nor by force of body, but by grace of the soule, by whiche we resist couetise & other worldly pleasures, hopyng to be rewarded therfore with eternal blisse.

ristotle.

Blessed is the soule that is not infected with the fylthynes of thys worlde.

Plato.

Woe be to the sinfull soule that hath not power to retourne to her owne place, whose fylthy workes of bodely pleasure, do hyndre her from the blysfull state, and kepeth her doune from the presence of god.

¶The summe of all. Of all the good creatures of goddes creatyng, Most pure and precious, is the soule of man. A perfect substaunce, at no tyme abatyng Whiche with the body, the passions suffre can; In vertue ioyous, in vyce bothe wo and wan. Which after death shall receyue the rewarde Of workes, which ī life tyme, it most did regard.
¶Of the worlde, the loue, & pleasures therof. Cap. iiii. Aristo

THe worlde was created by the diuine purueyaunce of god.

Plato.

The goodnes of god was cause of the worldes creation.

Herme

God created this world a place of pleasure, and rewarde: wherefore suche as in it suffre aduersitie, shall in an other be recompenced with pleasure.

Senec

This worlde is a waye full of hyd thistles, wherefore euery mā ought to beware how he walketh for pricking of hym selfe.

Pytha

He is not wyse, whiche knowyng that he must depart from this worlde, busyeth him selfe therin to make great buildynges

This worlde is lyke a brennyng fyre, wherof a litle is good to warme a man, but yf he take to muche, it wyll bren hym all togyther.

Socra

He that loueth the worlde, hath great trauayle, but he that hateth it, hath rest.

He that loueth the worlde shall not fayle of one of these inconueniences or bothe: that is, eyther to displease god, or els to be enuyed of myghtyer men than hym selfe.

This worlde is but a passage into the other, wherefore he that prepareth him thinges necessary for that passage, is sure from all perils.

•• rmes.

This worlde is the delite of an houre, and sorowe of many dayes: but thother worlde is great rest, and long ioye.

He that seketh the pleasures of this worlde, foloweth a shadowe: which whan he thinketh he is surest of, vanisheth and is nothyng.

Seneca.

Man hath neuer perfecte rest and ioye in this worlde nor possesseth alwayes his owne wynnyng.

Socrat.

The loue of thys worlde stoppeth mannes eares from hearing wysedome, & blyndeth his eyes from seyng through it, also it causeth a man to be enuyed, & kepeth hym from doyng any good.

This worlde gyueth to them that abide, an example, by them that depart.

He that trusteth to this world is deceyued: and he that is suspicious, is in great sorowe.

Aristot

He that delyteth in thys worlde must nedes fall into one of these two griefes, eyther to lacke that whiche he coueteth, or to lose that which he hath wonne wyth great payne.

ythag.

He that loueth thys worlde, is lyke vnto one that entereth into the sea: for yf he escape the peryls, men wyll saye he is fortunate: but yf he perish, they wyll saye he is wylfully deceyued.

Senec

Truste not the worlde, for it payeth euer that it promyseth.

He that yealdeth hym selfe to ye world ought to dispose hym selfe to .iii. thynges whyche he can not auoyde. Fyrst to pouertye, for he shal neuer attayne to the ryches that he desyreth: Secondly to suffre great payne and trouble: Thyrdely to busynesse wythout expedition.

¶The summe of all. The worlde is a region dyuers & variable, Of God created in the begynnyng To contayne his creatures of kynde innumerable. Wherein eche one shoulde lyue by his winnyng. Whose many pleasures are cause of gret sīning Wherfore al that gladly, as vayne do thē hate, Shal after this worlde, haue permanent estate.
¶Of Deathe, not to be feared. Cap. v. Herme

DEathe is the dissolucion of the body.

Socra

Death is not to be feared of them that be good.

Plato.

Deathe is a thing that can not be eschued, wherfore it ought the lesse to be feared.

None nede to fear death, saue those whiche haue commytted so muche iniquitie, as after deathe deserueth dampnation.

•• atha.

Death ought rather to be desyred, than despised: for it chaungeth vs from this worlde of vncleannes & shame, to the pure worlde of worshyp: from this transitorye lyfe, to lyfe euerlastyng: from the worlde of folly and vanities, to the world of wisdome, reason, and truthe: and from thys worlde of trauayle and payne, to ye world of rest and consolation.

ristotle.

Deathe is lyfe to hym that looketh to haue ioye after it.

Socrat.

A worshypful death is better than a miserable lyfe.

Solon.

He that lyueth wel, shall dye well. Deathe is the rest of couetous people.

Deathe of the euyll, is the suretye of the good.

Plato.

He which feareth to haue paynes after deathe, ought in hys lyfe tyme, to auoyde the peryl: which is his owne wyckednes.

socrat.

Prayse no man before death, for death is the discouerer of all his workes. Lyfe iudgeth vndirectly of deathe.

Seneca.

Deathe is the finisher of all tribulation and sorowe.

ermes.

Despyse bodelye deathe, and it shall be lyfe to thy soule: followe truthe and thou shalt be saued.

None feare to dye, saue suche as lacke wyt and reason.

Plato.

For vnryghteousnes and other mischeuous deades, the soule after deathe is sore punyshed.

Aristo.

Death is none other thyng but the departyng of the soule from the bodye.

A wyse man oughte rather to reioyce, than to be sorye, for his deathe.

Bo t

Death dispiseth all ryches and glorye, and rolleth bothe ryche and pore folke togyther.

Senec

It is not death, but the remembraunce therof that maketh vs fearful.

Deathe is sweete to them that lyue in sorowe.

Wysedome maketh men to despise death and ought therefore of al men to be embraced, as the best remedye agaynste the feare of death.

¶The summe of all. Death the dissoluer of eche mortall bodye, Dryueth all agayne to theyr fyrst matter dust. Whiche whyle we lyue shulde put vs in memory Fro whence we came, & hence, to what we must. Fearful to the euyl, but ioyfull to the iust, Who after this lyfe, through deathe transitory, For deathles lyfe ioyned with ioye, do trust: Whose lyfe by death, is led to greater glorye.
¶Of Frendshyp and frendes. Cap. vi. 〈◊〉

FRendship is to be preferred before all worldlye thinges, because there is nothyng more agreable wyth Nature, nor that helpeth mā more, eyther in prosperitie, or in aduersitie.

Frendshyp is nothyng els but the agrement of diuine and worldly thynges, with good wyll and charitie: and is the chyefest vertue (wysedome only excepted) that god hath geuen vnto men.

〈◊〉

True and perfect frendshyp is, to make one hart and mynde, of manye hartes and bodyes.

Plato.

Frendshyp ought to be engendred of egalnes, for where equalitie is not, frendshyp maye not long continue.

Frendshyp is a great furtheraunce to a ma •• es felicitie, and without it no welth maye be perfect.

〈◊〉

He that woulde endeuour to take away frendshyp from the felowshyp of mannes lyfe, shoulde seme to take away the sunne from the worlde.

totle.

The agrement of euel men in myschefe is not frendshyp: for frendshyp is so pure of it selfe, that it wyll not be vsed in euil.

Soc •••

Lykenes of maners engendre frendship.

Plat

Good wyll is the begynner of frendship whiche by vse causeth frendship to folow.

Iso ••

Distaunce of place seuereth not, neyther hyndereth frendshyp, but it may let the operation therof.

Frendshyp is better than ryches.

xenop

There is neyther frendshyp nor iustyce in them, among whome nothing is cōmon.

There is no man that woulde chose to lyue wythoute frendes, althoughe he had plenty of al other ryches.

Socr ••

Euery man is by nature frendly to euery bodye.

Aristo

It is the property of frendes to lyue & loue togyther.

They are no trusty frendes that become frendes for profyt or for pleasure.

The frendshyp that is betwene good and honest menne, can not be broke nor altered.

Plato

Frendshyp is the louer of loue.

Suche as become frendes for rychesse, profyt, or pleasures sake, as sone as these fayle, ceasse to be frendly.

Isocr

A man ought be the same to his frende that he woulde be to hym selfe: for a frend is hym selfe in an other person.

Plato

There can not be frendshyp betwene a seruaunte and his mayster, in as muche as theyr estates be vnegall: but for as muche as they be bothe men, there maye: because that in manhode they be both equal.

〈◊〉 .

An euyl man is neyther his owne frend nor yet any other mannes.

Aristot.

Frendes in aduersitie are a refuge, and in prosperitie a plesure and delyte, to communicate our pleasures withall.

ermes.

Among frendes all thynges be cōmon. Yf thou desyre to be thought a frende, doe thou the workes, that belong to a frende.

Cicero

A true frende is more to be estemed thā kynsfolke.

He is a very frende, that lyghtlye forgetteth hys frendes offence.

One speciall frende, is better than many common frendes.

Seneca.

He is a good frend that doth his frend good, and a myghty frende that defende to his frende from harme.

There is no greater ryches, than the agrement of good mennes myndes.

ythag.

If thy frende misordre hym selfe towardes the, breake not of frendship therfore immediatlye, but rather assaye by all meanes to refourme hym: so shalte thou not onelye retayne thyne olde frende, but shalte also double hys frendshyp.

If thou desyre that thy frendes loue maye alwayes continue, be curteous and gentle towardes hym, bothe in speche and also in maners: forbeare hym in his angre, reproue hym gentlye in hys errour, & comforte hym in hys aduersitie.

Isocra

Be as myndeful of thyne absent frendes, as of them that be present.

Do good to thy frendes that they maye be the frendlyer, & to thyne enemyes, that they maye be thy frendes.

Be not rash in takyng of a frende, and when thou hast taken hym, cast hym not of agayne.

Aristo

Admytte none thy frende, except thou knowe fyrste, howe he hathe behaued hym selfe with hys other frendes before: For loke howe he hath sarued them, & so wyll he serue the.

Peria

Be slowe to fall in frendshyp, but whā thou arte in, continue.

Proue not thy frende wyth dammage, nor vse thou hym vnproued: This mayest yu do, yf whan thou hast no nede, yu fayne thy selfe to be neadye, in whiche if he help the, thou art neuer the worse, but yf he refuse, then knowest thou by faynyng, howe for to trust hym.

Plato.

Get frendshyp of them, that followe truthe.

Proue thy frend with aduersitie, and wyth felowshyp in daunger.

Seneca

So vse thy frende, as yf he afterward shoulde be thyne enemye.

Scornful men are dangerous frendes.

ermes.

Whoso loueth good maners perseuereth in frendshyp.

〈◊〉

The iniury of a frende is more greuous than the iniury of an enemye.

Soc •••

Better is an open enemy, that a frendlye foe.

〈◊〉

It is a swete pleasure for a man to help and be holpen of hys frendes.

ristot.

Frendshyp is the chefest good thyng in a citie.

Kyngdomes are preserued and mayntayned by frendes and frendshyp.

〈◊〉

Consulte and determine all thynges wt thy frende, but with thy selfe fyrst.

He doeth amysse that seketh a frend in the marker, and alloweth hym at a banker or 〈◊〉 a feaste.

It is more pleasaunt to make a frende, than to haue a frende.

There be many that lacke no frendes, and yet lacke frendshyp.

A wyse man although he be content and satisfyed with hym selfe, yet wyl he haue frendes, because he wyll not be destitute of so great a vertue.

What can be more pleasaunt than a mā to haue a frende, with whome he maye be bolde to talke any thynge as boldelye as wyth hym selfe.

Beare witnes rather agaynst frendship than agaynst truthe.

Care not what rychesse thou lose, for the wynnyng of true frendes.

¶The summe of all. Frendshyp, whiche is the agreement of myndes In truthe and loue, is the chyefest vertue Of moral vertues, yt in the worlde man fyndes. Wherfore in the world to lyue who so myndes, Ought frendshyp to get, and got to ensue, By loue, (not by lucre, yt true frēdship blyndes.) Rayt with an hart, where rancor neuer grue. Whiche knot estates equalitie so byndes, That to dissolue, in vayne may Fortune sue, Though malice help, which .ii. al glory gryndes. So strong is frendshyp, as no stormy wyndes Haue might to moue, nor fear force to subdue Where al these poyntes be setled in their kindes.
¶Of counsayle and counsaylours. Cap. vii. Aristot

COunsayle is an hollye thyng.

Plato.

There cannot be in mā a more diuine thyng than to aske counsayle, howe for to order hym selfe.

Socra.

Counsayle is the kaye of certayntie.

Isocra

Be secrete in counsayle, and take heede what ye speake before your enemyes.

He that geueth good counsayle to an other, begynneth to profyt hym selfe.

Wrath and hastines are very euyl coū saylours.

Isocra.

Yf thou wouldest knowe a mans counsayle in any matter, and wouldest not him to knowe thyne intent, talke as yf thy matter were an other mannes, so shalte thou knowe hys iudgement therein, & he neuer the wyser of that thou entendest.

Sen ca.

When thou wylt take counsayle in any matter, marke well thy counsaylours, bowe they order theyr owne busynes: for yf they be euyl councellers towarde them selues, they wyll be woorse towardes other men.

Take no councel of hym that hath hys harte all set vpon the worlde, for hys aduise shall be after his plesaunce.

enoph.

Good councell is the ende and begynnyng of euery worke.

He is discrete that keepeth his owne counsayle, and he is vnwyse that discouereth it.

〈◊〉

Make not an angrye man, nor a drunkarde, of thy counsayle, nor any that is in subiection to a woman: for it is not possyble yt they shoulde kepe close thy secretes.

Aristot.

He that kepeth secret that whiche he is requyred, doeth well: but he that kepeth secret that whiche is not requyred, is to be trusted.

If thou thy selfe canst not kepe thyne owne counsayle, muche lesse wyl other to whome thou shewest it.

Socrat.

A wyse man ought to take councell, for feare of myring his wyl wyth his wyt.

Wrathe and hastynes, are very euyll counsaylours.

¶The summe of all. Counsayle is a thyng so nedefull and hollye, That without it, no werke may prosper well. Wherfore it behoues hym ye hateth his follye, Nought to begyn, without he take councel. Whiche whoso vseth, shal neuer hym repent Of tyme or trauayle that he therin hath spent.
¶Of rychesse and pouertie. Cap. viii. Plato.

SUffisaunce is better in rychesse, than aboundaunce.

Pythag

He is not ryche, yt enioyeth not his owne gooddes.

Aristot.

Uertue is greater richesse, than eyther syluer or golde.

Hermes

Labour for the ryches, that after death profyt the soule.

Plato.

Wysedome is the treasure of the wyt, wher wt euery man ought to enriche hym.

A couetous man can not be ryche.

To delyte in ryches, is a daungerous vice.

Pouertie with suertye, is better than rychesse with feare.

Socra.

The profyte of sylence is lesse than the profyte of speche, and the harme of speche is more than the harme of silence.

•• hago.

A foole is knowen by his speche, and a wise man by silence.

iogen.

There is great vertue in a mans eares. He that blabbeth muche, declareth hym selfe to haue small knowledge.

He that wyll not kepe silence, is to be blamed: and he that speaketh not tyl he be hydden, is to be praysed.

It is better to heare, than to speake.

Eyther talke of vertue thy selfe, or geue eare to them that wyll talke therof.

Hermes.

Multiply silence, so shalt thou auoyde many peryls.

Silence is the answere of folyshe questions.

Of al good thinges, the greatest quantitie is the best, saue of wordes.

Thalee.

We ought to beare double as much as we speake, and therefore hath Nature geuen vs two eares, and but one tongue.

Socrat.

A man hath power ouer his wordes til they be spoken, but after they be vttered they haue power ouer hym.

A man ought to consyder before, what he wyll speake, and to vtter nothyng that maye repent hym afterwardes.

Pythag.

He that speaketh lytle, harkeneth and learneth at the speche of other: but whan he speaketh, other learne of hym.

Plato.

Wordes wythout good effecte, is lyke a great water that droundeth the people, & doeth it selfe no profyt.

The fylthe of worldelye wysedome is knowen by muche speache.

Seneca.

He knoweth not howe to speake, that knoweth not howe to holde his peace.

It is better to speake wel, than to kepe silence: and it is better to kepe silence, thā to speake euyll.

Socrat.

To talke of God is the best communication: and to thynke vpon hym is the best silence.

¶The summe of all. Bothe speache & silence are excelent vertues. Used in tyme and place conuenient. Of whyche the best, and easyest to abuse Is speche, for whiche men often tymes repent. So do they not because they be sylent. Yet be not dumme, nor geue thy long the lease. But speake thou wel, or hear, & holde thy peace.
¶Of Kynges, rulers, and gouernours, howe they shoulde rule theyr subiectes. Cap. x. Aristotle.

KInges, rulers, & gouernoures, shuld first rule them selues, & than theyr subiectes.

Plato.

He is vnmete to rule other, yt can not rule his selfe.

None ought to rule, excepte he fyrst haue learned to obeye.

Dronkenens, hauynes and couetise, are to be abhorred of all men, but specially of prynce and rulers.

Hermes.

If a kyng be negligent in serchyng the workes of hys enemyes, and the heartes and wylles of his subiectes, he shall not long be in suretye in hys realme.

The strengthe of a kyng, is the frendshyp and loue of his people.

ithago.

The subiectes are to theyr kyng, as the wynde is to a fyer: for the stronger that ye wynde is, the greater is the fyer.

The kyng that foloweth truthe, and ruleth accordyng to iustyce, shal raygne quietlye: but he that doeth the contrarye, seketh an other to raygne for hym.

Plato.

When couetyse is bounde to the kyng, the realme is in prosperitie: but when the kyng is bounde to couetyse, the realme is in an euyl takyng.

Aristo.

A kynges good worde is better than a great gyft of an other man.

Hermes.

The most secret counsayle of a kyng, is his conscience: and hys vertuous deades are his chefest treasures.

Aristotle

It is not so great an honour for a king to conquere, as for to gouerne them well, whome he hath conquered.

If a kyng be mercyfull, his estate shall prosper, and his wysedome shal helpe him in his nede: yf he be iust, his subiectes shal reioyce in hym, and his reygne shall prosper, and his estate continue.

Socrat.

A kyng ought not to trust hym greatly that is couetous, which setteth hys mynde wholly to get great rychesse, nor hym that is a flatterer, nor any to whome he hath done wronge, nor in hym that is at truce wyth hys enemyes.

Plutare

A kyng ought to refrayne the company of vicious persons, for the euyll whyche they do in his companye, is reputed his.

If becōmeth a kyng to take good hede to his counsaylours, who folow his iustes and whiche entende the common weale, yt he maye knowe whome for to trust.

Solon.

It appertayneth to princes, to see that theyr chyldren be wel broughte vp, infourmed in wysedome, and instruct in maners, that they maye be able after them, to rule and gouerne theyr kyngdomes.

Hermes.

Ye kynges remembre fyrst youre kyng, the gouernour of al: and as ye woulde be honored of your subiectes, so honor ye him

Use no familiaritie with anye vicyous person. Trust none with your secretes, before ye haue proued them. Sleepe no more than shall suffyse the sustentation of your bodyes. Loue ryghteousnes and truthe. Embrace wysedome. Feede measurablye. Reward your trusty frendes. Fauor your communaltie, consideryng that by it, your realmes are mayntayned. Loue learned mē that the ignoraunt maye thereby, be encoraged to learnyng. Defend the true & iust, and punysh the euyl doers, that other monyshed therby, maye flyethe lyke vices. Cut of the stealers handes.

Hang vp theues and robbers, that the hygh wayes may be the surer.

Burne the Sodomytes. Stone the aduouterers. Beware of lyers and flatterers, and punysh them. Suffre not the swearers to escape vnponyshed.

Uisit your prysoners, and delyuer the vngyltye.

Punyshe immediatly suche as haue deserued it.

Followe not your owne wylles, but be ruled by counsayle: so shall you geue your selues rest, and labour vnto other.

Be not to suspicious, for that shal both disquyet youre selues, and also cause men to drawe from you.

Aristo.

It is a great chastysement to the people, to haue a ryghteous prince: and it is a great corruption vnto them to haue a corrupte and vicyous ruler.

Plutare

A kyng ought to be of a good courage, to be curteous, fre, & lyberall, to refrayne his wrathe where he oughte, and shewe it where it nedeth: to keepe hym from couetise, to execute true iustice: and to followe the vertuous examples to his good predicessours: and yf it chaunce that ye strength of his bodye fayle, yet oughte he to keepe the strength of hys courage.

¶The summe of all. A kyng which in yearth, is euen the same That god is in heauen (of kynges king eterne,) Shulde fyrst feare god, and busily hym frame Hym selfe to rule, and than his realme gouerne, By lawe, by loue, by iustice and by ryght. Cherishyng the good, & punishyng the stubberne The lengthenyng of his raygne, and doublyng of hys myght.
¶The preceptes of the wyse. Cap. xi. Solon. WOrshyp God. Reuerence thy father and mother. Helpe thy frendes. Hate no man. Mayntayne truthe. Sweate not. Obey the lawes. Thinke that whiche is iust. Moderate thyne anger. Prayse vertue. Persecute the euyll with extreme hatred. Thales. Honor thy kyng. Trye thy frendes. Be the selfe same, that thou pretendest. Abstayne from vice. Loue peace. Desyre honor and glory, for vertue. Take hede to thy life, and be circumspect. Deserue prayse of euery bodye. Cast whysperers and tale bearers, oute of thy companye. Take in good worthe what so euer chaunceth. •• obu . Be not hygh mynded. Iudge iustlye. Be careful for thy householde. Reade ouer good bokes. Do good to good people. Refrayne from foule language. Bryng vp in learnyng thy chyldren that thou louest best. Be not suspicious nor gelouse. Uanquish thy parentes with sufferaunce. Remembre them whiche haue done the good, & forget not theyr benefittes. Despyse nor thyne vnderlynges. Desyre not other mennes gooddes. Run not headlyng in to doubtful matters. Kepe thy frendes gooddes as safe as thou wouldest thyne owne. Do not that to an other, whiche thou thy selfe hatest. Thretten no bodye, for it is womanlyke. Be redyer to goe to thy frende in tyme of his miserie, than in his prosperitie. Chilon. Knowe thy selfe. Beare no man malice. Use temperaunce. Flye fylthy thinges. Get thy goodes iustly. Lose no tyme. Use wysedome. Please the most. Be well manered. Suspecte nothyng. Hate sclaunder. Be not importunate. Let not thy tongue runne before thy wyt Proue not that whiche thou mayest not atchyue. Loue as yf thou wouldest hate, and hate as yf thou wouldest loue shortly after. Per ād Please euery bodye. Hate vyolence. Be alwayes one to thy frende, as well in aduersitie, as in prosperitie. Perfourme whatsoeuer thou promisest. Kepe close thy misfortune, least thyne enemye reioyce at it. Stycke to the truthe. Abstayne from vice. Do that whiche is ryghtfull and iust. Geue place to thy betters, and to thyne elders. Abstayne from swearyng. Folowe vertue. Moderate thy lustes and affections. Prayse honest thynges. Hate debate. Be mercyfull to the penitent. Instructe thy chyldren. Requyte benefits. Enhaunt wysemens company. Esteme greatly good men. Flye rebuke. Heare that whiche to the belongeth. Be enuyous to no man. Answere aptlye. Do nothyng that maye repent the. Honor them that haue deserued honor. Be fayre speched. Feare the officers. Mayntayne concorde. Flatter not. When thou doest amysse, take better counsayle. Trust not to the tyme. Hope well. Be seruisable to euery bodye. Take good hede to thy selfe. Reuerence thyne elders with obedience. Fyght, and dye for thy countreye. Mourne not for euery thyng, for that wyl shorten thy lyfe. Gette a wytty woman to thy wyfe, and she shall bryng the forth wyse chyldren. Lyue and hope, as yf thou shouldest dye immediatlye. Spare as though thou wer immortal. Hate pryde and vayne glorye. Smell not in welthe. Seale vp secretes. Tarye alwayes for a conuentent tym. Geue liberally for thy profyt. Do no man wrong. Auoyde gryefe. Mocke not the dead. Use thy frendes. Geue blameles counsayle, & comforte thy frendes. Byas.

Beholde thy selfe often in a lokyng glasse, and yf thou appeare bewtyfull, do suche thynges as become thy bewetye: but yf thou seme fowle, than perfourme wt good maners, the bewtye that thy face lacketh.

Talke none euyll of God, but searche diligently to knowe what he is.

Heare muche, but speake lytle. Fyrste vnderstande, and than speake. Prayse not the vnworthye, because of his rychesse. Get vp perswasion, and not by vyolence.

Get the sobrenes in thy youth, and wisdome in thyne age.

Pittach

Tell not abrode what thou entendest to doe, for yf thou spede not, thou shalte be mocked.

Paye thy dettes. Reuyle not thy frende: Rule thy wyfe. Be not slowthefull. Yf thy felowes hurte them small thinges suffre it, and be as bolde with them. Take not thyne enemy for thy frende, nor thy frend for thyne enemye. Be not iudge betwene thy frendes. Stryue not with thy father and mother, although thou saye the truthe. Reioyce not at any mannes misfortune. Let thy mynde rule thy tongue. Be obedient to the lawe. Heare gladlye. Attempt nothyng aboue thy strengthe. Be not hasty to speake, nor slow to heare. Wyshe not the thyng, whiche thou mayest not obtayne. Aboue and before all thynges worshyppe God. Reuerence thyne elders. Refrayne thy lust. Breake vp hatred:
ermes.

Be obedient vnto thy kynge, and worshyp those that be in auctoritie vnder him.

Loue God and truthe, so shalt thou saue thy soule.

Enuye not thoughe an euyll man prosper, for surely his ende shal not be good.

Be satisfyed with lytle, for it wyll encrease and multiplye.

Truste not to the tyme, for it deceyueth sodaynlye them that trust therto.

Upbrayde no man wyth his miserie. Mary thy matche.

Take good aduysement ere thou begyn ought, but whan thou hast begon, dispatch it quyckely.

ythag.

Before thou go from home, deuyse with thy selfe what thou wylt doe abrode, and whan thou arte come home agayne, remē bre what thou hast done abroade.

Socra

Neyther flatter, nor chyde thy wyfe before straungers.

Be not proude in prosperitie, neyther dispayre in aduersitie.

In prosperitie be ware, and in aduersitie hope for better fortune.

Learne by other mens vices, howe fylthy thyne owne are.

Moderate thy lustes, thy tongue, and thy belly.

Do not that thy selfe, whyche thou dispraysest in an other.

Couet not to ware ryche through deceyte.

Aristip

Loke what thanke thou rendrest to thy parentes, and loke for the lyke agayne of thy chyldren.

Rule not, excepte thou haue fyrst learned to obeye.

Yealde vnto reason. Flye euyll company. Sclaunder not them that he dead.

Prepare the suche rychesse, as whan the shyppe is broken, maye swymme, & skape wyth theyr mayster.

Plato

Learne suche thynges whyle thou arte a chylde, as maye profytte the whan thou arte a man.

Endeuour thy selfe to do so well, that other maye enuye the therfore.

Spende not to outragyouslye, nor be to ygardysh: so shalte thou neyther be nedy, nor in bondage to thy ryches.

〈◊〉 .

Be pacient in tribulation, and geue no man cause to speake euyll of the.

Looke well to the saulfegarde of thyne owne bodye.

Socra.

Knowe thy selfe, so shall no flatterer begylde the.

Be vertuous and lyberall, so shalt thou eyther stop the sclaunderers mouthe, orels the eares of them that shal heare hym.

•• oph.

Meddle not with that, with whyche thou hast nought to do.

Neyther suffre thy handes to worke, nor thy tongue to speake, nor thyne eares to heare, that whiche is euyll.

•• hago.

Slepe not before thou haue consydered howe thou hast bestowed the daye past: Yf thou haue wel done, thanke god: yf otherwyse, repent, and aske hym forgeuenes.

Desyre God at the begynnyng of thy workes, that thou mayest by hys helpe, bryng them to a good conclusion.

ristot.

Walke not in the waye of hatred.

Do not what thou wouldest, but what thou shouldest.

Prayse not a man excepte he be prayse worthye.

Yf thou wylt correct any man, do it rather with gentlenes, then with violent extremitie.

Use measure in all thynges.

Socra ••

Whan thou talkest wyth a straunger, be not to full of communication, tyll thou knowe whether he be better learned than thou: and yf thou be better, speake than the boldlyer, els be quyet, & learne of hym.

Geue thy wyfe no power ouer the, for yf thou suffer her to daye, to treade vpon thy fote, she wyll to morowe treade vpon thy head. Fyxe thy wyl to do iustice, and sweare not.

Ar stip

Haunt not to muche thy frendes houses, for that engendreth no great loue: nor be to long from thence, for that engendreth hate, but vse a meane in all thynges.

Socra ••

Trouble not thy selfe with worldelye carefulnes, but resemble the byrdes of the ayre, whiche in the mornynge seke theyr foode, but onely for the daye.

Doubte them whome thou knowest, & truste not them whome thou knowest not. Wander not by nyght, nor in the darke.

Laboure not to enfourme hym, that is withoute reason, for so shalte thou make hym thyne enemy.

Plat

Use not womans companye, except necessitie compell the.

Esteme hym as muche that teacheth the one worde of wysedome, as yf he gaue the golde.

Swere not for any manner of aduauntage.

Seneca.

Affyrme nothyng before thou know the truthe.

Begynne nothyng before thou knowe owe for o fynysh it.

Be not hastye, angrye, nor wrathfull, for they be the conditions of a foole.

Refrayne from vice, for vertue is a precious garment.

Socrat

Beware of the baytes of a wanton woman, whiche are layde out to catche men, for they are a greate hynderaunce to hym that desyreth wysedome.

•• oph.

Measure thy patthes, and go the right waye, so shalt thou go safely.

Refrayne from couetyse, and thyne estate shall prosper.

Use iustyce, and thou shalte be both beloued, and also feared.

Yf thou wylte disprayse hym whome thou hatest, shewe not that thou arte hys enemye.

•• rmes.

Take hede to the meate that a gelou woman geueth the.

Let neyther thy bewtye, thy youth, nor thy health deceyue the.

•• istot.

Breake not the lawes that are made for the wealth of thy countrey.

Applye thy mynde to vertue, and thou shalte be saued.

Prayse nothynge that is not commendable: nor disprayse ought that is prayse worthye.

Plato.

Trauayle not muche to wynne that whyche wyll lyghtly perysh.

Ensue the vertues of thy good auncesters.

Senec

Araye thy selfe wyth iustice, and clothe the wyth chastitie, so shalt thou be happy, and thy workes prosper.

Enforce the to get bothe wysdome and science: by whiche thou mayest direct both thy soule and bodye.

Pyth

Endeuour thy selfe so to kepe the lawe that god maye be pleased with the.

Couet not thy frendes ryches, least thou he despysed and hated therfore.

Reproue not a man in hys wrathe, for than thou mayest not rule hym.

Herm ••

Reioyce not at an other mannes mysfortune, but take hede by hym, that ye lyke chaunce not the.

Stablysh thy wyt bothe on thy ryghte hande, and on the lefte, and thou shalte be free.

Socr ••

Geue to the good, and he wyll requyte it: but geue to the euyll disposed, and he wyll aske more.

Iso ••

Be not slacke to recompence them that haue done for the.

Thynke fyrste, than speake, and last of all fulfyll.

Accustome not thy selfe to be sodaynlye moued, for it wyl turne to thy displeasure.

Pythag.

Yf thou entend to do any good, tary not tyll to morow, for thou knowest not what maye chaunce the thys nyght.

Aristot.

Yf thou fele thy selfe more true to thy kyng than manye other, and hast also lesse wages of hym than they, yet complayne not, for thyne wyll continue, and o wyll not theyrs.

•• ogen.

If any man enuy the or saye euyl by the set not therby, and thou shalt dysappoynt hym of his pourpose.

Forget not to geue thankes to thē that instructe the in learnyng, nor challenge to thy selfe the prayse of other mennes inueacions.

Socrat.

Loue all men, and be subiect to al lawes but obeye god more than men.

Plato.

If thou wylt be counted valyaunt, let neyther chaunce nor grefe ouercome the.

Geue good eare to the aged, for he can teache the of thy lyfe to come.

Flye lecherous lustes, as thou wouldest a furyous lorde.

Attempte not two thynges at ones, for the one wyll hynder the other.

ristot.

Let no couetous man haue anye rule ouer the, nor yelde thy selfe subiecte to couetyse: for the couetous manne wyll defraude the of thy gooddes, and couetousnes wyl defrawde the of thy selfe.

Receyue not the giftes that an euil disposed man doeth proffer the.

Plato.

Be sober and chaste among yong folke that they maye learne of the, and amonge olde, that thou mayest learne of them.

Senec

Order thy wyfe as thou wouldest thy kynsfolke.

Plato.

Apply thy selfe so nowe in vertue, that in tyme to come, thou mayest therefore be praysed.

Thynke that the weakest of thyne enemyes is stronger than thy selfe.

Be not ashamed to do iustice, for al that is done without it, is tyrannye.

Fortifye thy soule with good woorkes, and fly from couetyse.

Yf thou entend not to do good, yet at the lest refrayne from doyng euell.

Arist ••

Geue not thy selfe muche to pleasure & ease, for yf thou vse thy selfe thereto, thou shalt not be able to sustayne the aduersitie that maye afterwardes chaunce vnto the.

Endeuour thy selfe in thy youth to learne although it be paynful, for it is lesse payne for a man to learne in hys youth, then in his age to be vncunnyng.

Whan thou art weary of studye, sporte thy selfe with readyng of good storyes.

Couet not to haue thy busines hastely done, but rather desyre that it maye be well done.

Reioyce without great laughter.

Aristot.

Desyre not to be wyse in wordes, but in workes, for wysdome of speache wasteth with the worlde, but workes wrought by wysedome, encreace into ye world to come.

Yf thou doute in any thyng, aske counsayle of wysemen: and be not angrye, although they reproue the.

Worshyp good men, so shalt thou obtayne the peoples fauour.

P ogen.

Kepe no company wyth hym, that knoweth not hym selfe.

Be not lyke the boulter, that casteth out the flower, and kepeth in the branne.

Commit e not the gouernaunce of people, to a chylde, to a foole, to a couetous man, nor to any hastie person, that is desirous of reuengeaunce.

Plato.

If thou desyre to be good, endeuour thy selfe to learne, to knowe, and to followe truthe: for he that is ignorant therin, and wyl not learne, can not be good.

Aristot.

Kepe a measure in thy communicacion for yf thou be to brefe, thou shalte not be well vnderstanded: and yf thou be to long, thou shalt not be wel borne in mynde.

To hym that is to full of his questions, geue thou none answere at all.

ythag.

Use examples, that suche as thou teachest, maye vnderstande the the better.

Reason not with hym that wyll denye the principall truthes.

Aristot.

Take good heede at the begynnyng, to what thou grauntest: For after one inconuenience, an other foloweth.

If thou desire to haue delite without sorowe, apply thy mynde to studye wysedome.

Seneca

Marry a yong mayde, that thou mayst teache her good maners.

Kepe company with them, that maye make the better.

Be bounde vnto wysedome, that thou mayst obtayne the true libertie.

Loue, yf thou wylt be loued.

So lyue with men, as yf god sawe the. So talke with god, as yf men hearde the.

Feare foloweth hope, wherfore yf thou wylte not feare, hope not

Desyre not to dwell nygh a ryche mā, for that shall make the couetous.

Eschue anger, though not for wysedomes sake, yet for thy bodyly healthes sake.

If thou desyre to be quyet mynded, thou must eyther be a pore man in deade, or els lyke to a pore man.

Take not thought to lyue long, but to lyue well.

For so muche as thou art not certayne in what place death abydeth the, be thou redy prepared in eche place to mete hym.

Prayse a man for that, whiche may neyther be geuen hym, nor taken awaye from hym: whiche is not hys fayre house, nor his goodly garmentes, nor his greate householde, but his wyt & perfect reason.

Seneca

Labour not for great numbre of bokes, but for the goodnes of them.

Use thyne eares more than thy tounge.

Desyre nothing that thou wouldest denye, yf it were axed the.

What so euer thou wylt speake, before thou shewe it to an other, shewe it secretly to thy selfe.

What so euer thou wylt haue kept secret, shewe vnto no bodye.

Searche forth the cause of euery dede.

Let not thy thoughtes departe from the truthe.

Promyse wyth consyderation, and per fourme faythfully.

Prayse lyttle, but disprayse lesse.

Let not the authoritie of the speaker perswade the, nor regarde thou his person that speaketh, but marke well what it is that is spoken.

Perfourme more fully, than thou hast promysed.

Suche thynges as thou hast, vse thou as thyne owne, and keepe them not as yf they were an other bodyes.

Be gentle and louynge to euery bodye, flatter none, be familier with fewe, be indifferent and equall towardes euery man, be slowe to wrathe, swyfte to mercye and pitie: be constant and pacient in aduersitie, and in prosperitie, wa e and lowlye.

Seneca.

Worshyp gentlenes and hate crueltie.

Flye and eschue thyne owne vices, and be not curyous to serche out other mēnes.

Be not busye to vpbrayde men wyth theyr faultes, for so shalte thou be hated of euery bodye.

Sumtyme among earnest thinges, vse mery conceytes, but measurably.

Lyue wyth thyne vnderlynges as thou wouldest thy betters shoulde lyue wyth the: and do to all men as thou wouldest be done by.

Thynke not thy selfe to be that, which thou arte not, nor desyre to seeme greater than thou art in dede.

Thynke all thynges maye be suffered saue fylthynes and vice.

Eate rather for honger than for pleasure and delyte.

Be apte to learne wysedome, and diligent to teache it.

Be mery without laughter.

Thou shalte be loued of god, yf thou followe hym in this poynte: In desyre to do good to all men, and to hurte no bodye.

Beleue hym not that sayeth he loueth truthe, and foloweth it not.

Solon.

Se that thy giftes be according to thyne abilitie: for yf they be to byg. thou shalt be thought a waster: and agayne yf they be to smal, thou shalt be thought a nygarde.

Let thy giftes be suche as he to whome thou geuest them doth delyte in.

Seneca.

Geue no vayne and vnmete gyftes as armour to women, bokes to a plowman, or nettes to a student.

Geue to the nedye, yet so that thou nede not thy selfe,

Succour them that perish, yet not so, that thou thy selfe perysh therby.

If thou bestowe a benefite, kepe it secret: but yf thou receyue any, publyshe it abrode.

Speake not to hym that wyl not heare, for els thou shalt but vere hym.

Geue at the fyrste axynge, for it is not freely geuen, that is often craued.

Boast not thy selfe of that, which is an other mannes.

Blame not Nature, for she doeth for euery man alyke.

If thou wilte prayse any man, because he is a gentleman, prayse his parētes also. If thou prayse hym for his rychesse, that appertayneth to Fortune. If thou prayse hym for his strengthe, remembre that sicknes wyl make hym weake. If thou prayse hym for his swyftnes of bodye, remembre that age wyll take it awaye. If for hys bewtye, it wyl sone vanyshe. But yf thou wilt prayse hym for maners and learning, than as muche as appertayneth to a man, prayse thou hym: for that is hys owne, whiche neyther cōmeth by heritage, neyther altereth with Fortune, nor is chaunged by age, but is alwaye one with hym.

Flye the company of a lyat, but yf thou muste nedes kepe companye with hym, beware that in any case thou beleue him not.

Geue parte of thy goodes to the neady, so shall god encreace them.

Socrat

Sowe good woor kes, and thou shalte reape the flowers of ioye and gladnes.

Boast not of thy good deades, leaste thyne euyl be also layde to thy charge.

Company not with hym, that knoweth not hym selfe.

Be not ashamed to beare the truthe, of whome so euer it be: for truthe is so noble of it selfe, that it maketh them honorable that pronounce it.

Yf thou haue not so muche power, as to refrayne thyne yre, yet dissemble it, and kepe it secrete, and so by lyttle and lyttle, forget it.

Pythag

Honor wysedome, and denye it not to them that wolde learne, and shewe it vnto them that disprayse it.

Sowe not the sea fyeldes.

Isocrat.

Geue not so lyght credence to a mānes wordes, nor laugh thou them to scorne: for the one is the propertie of foole, and the other the condicion of a mad man.

Thynke not suche thynges honest to be spoke of, that are fylthy 〈…〉 .

Accustome not thy selfe to be heauye & sadde, for yf thou do, thou shalt be thought fyrce: yet be thoughtful, for that is a token of a prudent man.

So doe all thynges, as yf euery manne shoulde knowe them, yet kepe them close a whyle, and at lengthe, discouer them.

Learne diligently the goodnes whiche is taught the: For it is as great shame for a man not to learne the good doctrine that is taught hym, as to refuse a gyft pro ered hym of his frende.

Let it not greue the to take payne to go to learne of a cunnyng man. For it were gret shame for young men, not to trauayle a lytle by lande to encreace theyr knowledge, syth marchantes sayle so far by sea, to augment theyr ryches.

Be gentle in thy behauyour, and familier in communication: It belongeth to gentlenes, to salute gladlye them that we mete: and to familiaritie, to talke with thē gently and frendlye.

Behaue thy selfe gentlye to euery bodye, so shalt thou make the good thy frendes: and kepe the bad, from beynge thyne enemyes.

Use thy selfe to labour, by thyne owne accorde, that yf it chaūce the to be compelled therto, thou mayest awaye wyth it the better.

Perfourme thy promys, as iustlye as thou wouldest paye thy det es: for a man ought to be more faythful than his othe.

For two causes yf thou be constrayned, thou mayest sweare: as to discharge thy selfe from any great offence, or to saue thy frendes from great daunger. But for moneye, thou shalt not swere any othe: for yf thou do, thou shalt of some be thought forsworne: and of othersome, to be desyrous of money.

Thynke it as great a shame to be ouercome with thy frendes benefytes, as with the iniurye of thyne enemyes.

Allowe them for thy frendes that be as ioyous for thy prosperitie, as they seme sorowfull for thy misfortune: For there be many that lament a mannes miserie, that woulde haue enuye to se hym prosper.

Desyre to be cleanlye, and not gorgyous in thyne apparell.

Yf thou do good to the euyl, it shall happen to the, as it doth to thē that fede other mennes dogges, whiche barcke as well at theyr feeder, as at an other straunger.

•• thag.

Do not suche thynges thy selfe as thou wouldest disprayse in an other.

Enforce thy selfe to refrayne thy euyll lustes, and followe the good, for the good mortifyeth and destroyeth the euyll.

ocra.

Speake euer of god, and god wyll alwayes put good wordes in thy mouthe.

Set thyne owne woorkes alwayes before thyne eyes, but cast other mennes behynde thy backe.

Fyxe not thy mynde vpon worldly plesure, nor truste to the worlde, for it deceyueth all, that put theyr trust therin.

Be content with lytle, and couet not an other mannes gooddes.

Be saber in thy lyuyng, and replenysh thyne harte with wysedome.

Dreade God, and kepe thy selfe from vayne glorye.

Mocke not an other man for his miserye, but take hede by hym, howe to auoyde the lyke misfortune.

Let no man perswade the by flattery to do any euyll, nor to beleue otherwyse of thy selfe, than thou arte in dede.

rmes.

Receyue paciently the woordes of correction, though they seme greuous.

Feare the vengeaunce of God, al that thou mayest, and consyder the greatnes of his puyssaunce and myght.

By ware of spyes and talebearers.

Socrat.

Tell nothyng to hym that wyl not beleue the, nor demaunde any thyng whiche thou knowest before wyl not be graunted.

Feare God aboue all thynges, for that is ryghtfull and profytable: and so ordre thy selfe, that thy thoughtes and wordes be alwayes of hym: for the speakyng and thynkyng of god surmounteth so much al other wordes and thoughtes, as god hym selfe surmounteth al other creatures, and therfore men ought to obeye hym, thoughe they should be cōstrayned to the contrary.

Make thy prayers perfect in the syght of god: for prayer is lyke a shyp in the sea, whiche yf it be good, saueth all therin, but yf it be naught, suffereth them to perysh.

Plutar

Praye not to god to geue the sufficient, for that he wyll geue to eche man vna ed: but praye that thou mayest be content and satisfyed with that whiche he geueth the.

Beleue hym not which telleth the a lye by an other bodye: for he wyl in lyke maner make a lye of the to an other man.

Yf thou desyre to be beloued of euerye bodye, salute eche man gladly, be lyberall in gyuyng, and thankfull in receyuyng.

Forget thyne anger lyghtlye, and desyre not to be reuenged.

Yf thou desyre to co tinue long with an other man, payne the to instructe hym wel in good maners.

¶The conclusion.

THese are part of the preceptes and counsayles of the heathen men, which taken and vsed as they shulde be, are not vnmete for Christen men to followe. Of whiche I coulde haue made a greater boke, but for so muche as these fewe contayne the effect of all, & because also yt men wyl be sone weary of tediouse matters, be they neuer so good, it semed good for fear of bryuyng men from it, before they sawe it, to be as brefe as mought be: wysshyng that these few myght be wel accepted. To the whiche I haue set no summaryes, because I woulde that they shoulde be read thoroughlye. And although they be so easye, playne, and common, that euery chyld can saye the same, yet beyng so lytle followed of men, whiche shoulde knowe them best, I thought it no shame at all to wryte them, which mynde not in this booke to teache men to speake, but to do ye thynges whiche they can speake alreadye.

Wherein peraduenture some wylle muse why I haue attributed so many sentences to Socrates, whiche they perhaps knowe to haue be wrytten of other men: in which doyng I folowed the prouerbe. Doubtefull thynges ought to be interpreted to the best. And therfore suche thinges as I haue founde wrytten, without certaynty of any certayne authour, I haue ascrybed vnto hym, not onelye because they be thynges meete for hym to speake, but because they be wrytten by some of his scholers, which learned them of hym. Among whome the most excellent, setteth forth suche thinges in hys maysters name, that the authoritie of the speaker, myght cause the matter to be more regarded. I meane Plato, whose example in this poynt I haue folowed, yet not so desyrous to perswade wyth the authoritie of the speaker, as wyth goodnes of the thynge, whyche he hath spoken.

The whiche wyth al the rest, I would wyssh al men to learne, and followe. ⸪

¶The ende of the seconde boke.
¶The vse of prouerbes and adages. Cap. .

LYke as a louer delyted in the goodly bewtie of his loue, can neuer be satisfyed in beholdyng her, neyther can take any rest vntil he haue by praysyng, enflamed other to delyte in the same, labouryng to the vttermost to set forth hys beloued: Euen so the hylosophers rauyshed in the loue of wysdome, haue not onely labored to knowe it to the vttermost, but haue also deuysed by al maner meanes, to prouoke and entice all men to delyte in the same: and because they consydered mennes myndes to be variable, & diuersly delytyng, they deuysed to set out wysedome in sondry kyndes of wrytyng, that euery man myght fynde wherin to delyte, and so to be caught in his owne pleasure. Among whiche kyndes of teaching although preceptes and counsayles be the most playne and easye, yet lacke they the grace of delyte, whiche in theyr Prouerbes they haue supplyed, and that so fynely and so wyttely, that they bothe delyte and perswade excedynglye, myxed with suche piththynes in wordes & sentence, as maye minister occasion to muse & studye, a cause to fire them the better in memory: and like a playster bothe corrosyue & incarnatiue, tanting vices, and shewing the remedyes: beyng therwithall so brefe, that wythout trouble they maye be contayned. As for an example this lyttle prouerbe.

Wrathe leadeth shame in a lease.

What myght there be sayde to cause a mā more to refayne his wrath? For euery man naturally hateth shame, whiche sith it is the folower and ende of anger, and therto ioyned inseperablye, euen as the shadowe foloweth the body, what man considering the ende, wyl vse hym selfe therto. And to make hym ashamed, loe here an other.

He that to his wrath and anger is thrall, Ouer his wyt hath no power at all.

Nowe what maye make a man more ashamed of hym selfe, than to be thought a very foole? I suppose nothyng.

Wherfore syth this kynde is so wytty, and so pleasant, I haue endeuored in this boke to gather togyther part of theyr prouerbes, and haue sundred them into chapters, that they myght the easylier be had and founde out for al maner pourposes. And suche thinges as I thought most proper, I haue drawen into meter, and ioyned with them diuers other, by other men done alreadye, to the intent that suche as delyte in Englyshe meter, and can retayne it in memory better than prose, might find herin somwhat according to theyr desires: whiche booke and meters I submyt to the correction of fyne wytted and wel learned men, desyring them herein to pardon myne ignoraunce, and to beare with my boldnes whiche thought it better though rudely to doe sumwhat, than to be ydle, and to do nothyng. For by ydlenes, no goodnes maye come: but al wyckednes hath growen ther of accordyng to the prouerbe.

Ydlenes is the cause of ignoraunce, and Ignoraunce the cause of errour.

Where as by this my labour, though simple and rude, I maye chaunce to styrre vp summe by occasion herein geuen, to hādle the matter as I woulde I coulde my self. Ones I am sure, that by my laboure can cūme none euyll, wheras good may chaūce therby dyuers wayes.

Yet to Momus, and his scorneful mayny, whiche I am sure wyl despyse this, before they knowe it, as it is theyr custome in al maner matters be they neuer so good, I wyll obiect this saying of Horace.

Yf ye can do better, my frēdes set it forth: Yf not, vse myne, & take it wel in worth.

¶Of wysedome, learnyng, and vnderstandyng. Cap. ii. Aristot. Socrat.

VNderstandyng is a lyght whiche God powreth into mans soule.

Wysdome is the knoweledge of diuine thinges, and is the head of al other sciences.

Wysedome is lyfe, and ignoraūce is death: wherfore the wise man lyueth, for whye, he vnderstandeth what he doeth: but the ignorant is deade, because he doth he knoweth not what.

Of all the gyftes of god, wisedome is chefest. Wysedome ordereth the mynde, she directeth the lyfe, and ruleth the woorkes thereof, teachynge what oughte to be done, and what to be lefte vndone, withoute whiche no man maye be safe.

Wysedome teacheth to do as wel as to speake.

Plato.

Of all the gyftes of God, wysedome is moste excellent, she geueth goodnes to the good: and forgeueth the wycked theyr wyckednes.

To men of lowe degree, wysedome is an honour: & folyshnes is a shame to men of hygh degre.

Wysedome garnysheth ryches, & shadoweth pouertie.

Wysedome is the defence of the soule, and the myrrour of reason, & therfore blessed is he that trauayleth to get her, for she is the groūde and rote of al noble deades, by her we obtayne the chyefe good, that is eternall felicitie.

Seneca.

Prudence is the gyde of all other good vertues.

Hermes

Of all the good gyftes of God, wysedome is the purest: she geueth goodnes to good people, and obtayneth for the wicked pardon for theyr wyckednes: she maketh the poore ryche, and the ryche, honorable: and suche as vnfaynedlye embrace her, she maketh lyke to God.

Wysedome and Iustice are honorable, bothe to god and man.

Intelligence is kyng bothe of heauen and yearthe.

Wysedome is the messenger of reason

Pytha.

Wysedome at the begynnyng seemeth a great wonder.

Wysedome is lyke a thyng fallen into the water, whiche no man can fynde, except he searche it at the bottom.

Wysedome throughly learned wyl neuer be forgotten.

So ••• .

Science is got by diligence, but discretion and wysedome commeth of God.

In the company of wysemen is rest, but in the felowshyp of fooles is nothyng but laboure.

A wyseman oughte not to sorrowe for his losses, but to be careful to kepe the rest of his goodes.

A wyse man is knowen by .ii. poyntes. He wyl not lyghtly be angry for ye wrong that is done hym: neyther is proude whā he is praysed.

He that seketh wysedome the ryghte waye, fyndeth her: but many erre because they seke her not duely, and blame her wt out cause.

socrat.

A wyse man is knowen by .iii. poyntes. In makyng his enemyes his frendes. In makyng the rude learned, and in refourmyng the euyl disposed vnto goodnes,

He is wyse that acknowledgeth hys ignoraunce, and he is ignoraunt that knoweth not hym selfe.

Seneca.

There is none happy, but the wyse man.

Wysemen for the truthes sake, ought to contrary one an other, that by theyr contencion ye truthe may the better be knowē.

Plato.

It is better to be wyse and not to seme so, than to seme wyse and not to be so: yet men for the most part desyre the contrary.

A wyse man vnderstandeth bothe the thynges that are aboue hym, and those also that are benethe hym: he knoweth the thynges that are aboue hym, by the benefyttes whiche he receyueth thereby, and thynges beneth hym, by the vse and profit that he hath by them.

Herme

Wysedome teacheth man to know his creatour.

Senec

A perfecte wyse man mortifyeth his worldlye desyers, by meanes whereof he subdueth both his soule and bodye.

He that desyreth wysedome, desireth the most hygh and diuine estate.

He that fyndeth wysedome, fyndeth lyfe both in this worlde, and in the world to come.

It is not possible for hym to be wyse, that desyreth not to be good.

Aristo

A yong man can not be perfectly wyse for wysdome requyreth experience, which for lacke of tyme, younge men maye not haue.

A wyseman ought to repute his errour great, and his goodnes small.

eneca

The wyseman, & not the ryche is voyde of misery.

He shall be wyse that enhaunteth wyse mens company.

It is not vncomly for wysedomes sake for a man to be in subiection, to whome soeuer it be.

A wyse man is knowen by silence, and a foole by muche babblyng.

Learnyng maketh young men sober, it comforteth olde men, it is rychesse to the pore, and it garnisheth the ryche.

It is a shame for a wyse man to saye, I thought not so muche.

Pytha.

Muche bablyng is signe of smal knowledge.

Knowledge is better in youth than in age.

A wyse man caryeth all his gooddes wyth hym.

The best kynde of learnynge is to vnlearne our euyls.

No man maye refrayne from doyng amysse: but a wyse man by one peryl, wyll auoyde an other.

Plato.

Wysedome in the hearte of a foole, is lyke a flying thyng, that can not long continue in one place.

A man of perfecte wysedome, can not dye, and a man of good vnderstandyng can not be poore.

Learnyng is studyes sister.

Wysedome is a tree whiche springeth in the hearte, and beareth fruyte in the tongue.

Without studye of wysedome the mynde is sycke.

Early rysing and muche watching, are profitable to kepe a man in health, and to encrease his wysedome.

A man without science, is lyke a realme wythout a kyng.

Aristo

Science separate from Iustice and vertue, is not wysedome but subteltie.

Nothynge becommeth a wyseman so muche as temperaunce.

He that is worshypped for wysedome is angrye with them that despyse it.

Socra

Of all thynges the least quantitie is easyest to be borne, saue of knowledge and science, of whiche the more that a manne hath, the better he maye beare it.

A wyseman knoweth what ignoraunce is, because he hym selfe before tyme hath ben ignoraunt: but the ignoraunt was neuer wyse & therfore he knoweth not what wysedome is.

The true louers of wysedome shal se god.

Sen ••

Power and myght is in yong men, but wysedome and prudence is in the aged.

¶Of Iustice, Lawes, cities, and gouernaunce. Cap. iii. Plato.

EXcept wysemen be made gouernours, or gouernours be made wysemen, mankind shal neuer haue quyet test nor vertue be able to defēd her selfe.

The city is wel ordered, where ambicious men desyre to haue no offices.

Cities are wel gouerned, whē the wicked be punyshed.

Al that is done by iustice, is well done: but al that is done other wyse, is euyl.

•• istotle

A citie to obtayne prosperitie nedeth not so muche abundance of goodes, as vertue.

•• ermes.

Lawe is the fynder and tryer oute of truthe.

Through ydlenes, negligence, and to muche trust in Fortune, not onely men but cities and kyngdomes are vtterly lost and destroyed.

Plato.

Iustice is a measure whiche God hath ordeyned on the yearthe, to defend the feble from the myghtye, and the true from the vntrue, & to roote oute the wycked frō among the good.

Pytha

Wysedome is leache of the lawe, and moneye the disease, & whan the leache can not cure hym selfe, howe shoulde he cure other.

Lawe and wysedome are two laudable thynges: for the one conserueth vertue and the other good condicions.

Senec

An euyll lawe, and the loue of a shrewe are lyke vnto the shadow of a cloude, whiche vanysheth away, as sone as it is sene.

Lawe is the quene of immortalitie.

Socra

Lawes ought to be made for no mānes pleasure.

Those Rulers sinne exceadynglye that geue other licence to sinne.

Cities must nedes perysh, whan the cō mon lawes are of none effect.

A good cōmon weale bryngeth vp good men.

Aristot

There can not be in a citie a more horryble thyng than sedicion.

He that is obedient to the lawe, obeyeth god.

Where lawe and ordre is, all thynges prosper well.

Plato.

A lawe maker ought to be godly learned and wyse, and suche one as hath bene subiect to others lawes.

Plato.

God is the causer that lawes be made.

Brybry vsed in a citie, engendreth euyl maners, by meanes whereof, bothē faythe and frendshyp are lytle set by.

That citie is safe, whose dignities are well bestowed.

None delyteth in iustice, but the iuste man: none loueth wysedome, but the wise man: nor none but the true frende deliteth in frendshyp.

Pythag.

Wythout iustice no realme maye prosper.

He that maketh his realme subiecte to the lawe, shal reygne, and he that maketh the lawe subiect to his Realme, maye hap to reygue a whyle: But he that casteth the lawe forth from his Realme, casteth forth hym selfe.

God is a lawe to sober men.

Happy is that citie, that hath a wyseman to gouerne it.

ristotle.

It is better for a citie to be gouerned by a good man, than by a good lawe.

A good citie shoulde care more for vertue, than for people.

Without iustice no Citie maye be long inhabyted.

Be that polityckelye entendeth to the common weale, maye well be called iust, but he that intendeth onelye to his owne profyt, is a vicious person.

¶Of power, honor, vertue, and strengthe. Cap. iiii. Aristotl

ONely vertue at tayneth the euerlastyng blessednes.

He is not to be coūted strōg that can not awaye wyth labour.

It is a signe of a noble and myghtye cowrage, to sette lytle by great and myghtye thynges.

Seneca

Vertue is shut vp from no man, but is redye for al that desyre her, she receyueth all men gladly, she calleth all men, bothe seruauntes, kynges, and banished men, she requyreth neyther house nor substaunce, but is contented with the naked man.

Plato.

They that be perfectlye wyse despyse worldlye honour.

Where ryches are honored, good men are despysed.

He that honoreth ryche men despiseth wysedome.

He that to his noble lynage addeth vertue and good condicione, is to be praysed.

Plato.

Honor is the frute of vertue and truth, and for the truthe a man shall be worshypped.

He is worthye to be honored that wylleth good to euery man.

The iust man resteth in suertye.

He that vanquysheth his lustes, is a great conquerour.

Diogen.

Nobilitie, honor, and ryches, are the clokes of maliciousnes.

Socrat. Plato.

Pleasure perysheth lyghtly, but honor is immortall.

Vertue alone perfourmeth the euerlastyng felicitie.

Immortal honor is better than transitory rychesse.

It is a shame for a man to desyre honor because of his noble progenitours, & not to deserue it through his owne vertue.

The glory of the auncestours, is a goodly treasure to theyr chyldren.

Seneca.

He is the very valiant, whiche neyther reioyceth muche, nor soroweth out of measure.

Honour ought to be geuen to vertue, and not to rychesse.

ermes

It is better to suffre shame for vertuous dealyng, than to wynne honor for vicious lyuyng.

ythag.

o vse vertue is perfect blessednes.

¶Of liberalitie, pacience, vse, and diligence. Cap. v. Socra. Aristotle.

He that is liberal, can not lyue amysse: he that speaketh truth can not be ashamed of that he speaketh: The lowlye man can not be hated, & he yt diligentlye attēdeth to hys busynes, can neuer repent hym, but bryngeth his workes to a good conclusion.

Seneca.

He is liberall, yt delyteth more in good renoune than in money.

He that is pacient and sober, shall neuer repent hym.

Plato.

That which kepeth a man from shame is better than ryches gotten therby.

He that doeth not for his frendes whā he maye, shall in his most nede of them be forsaken.

He is perfectly pacient whiche in hys fury can subdue his owne affections.

Socrat.

Pacience, and good belefe in god, maketh a man victorious.

Diligence dispatcheth al thynges.

Diligence and carefulnes is the kaye of certayntie.

Plato.

That whyche a man hath accustomed long tyme semeth pleasaunt, although in dede it be paynfull.

There is nothyng so good to make an horse fat, as the eye of his mayster: nether is there ought better to make lande fertyle, than the steppes of the owner: that is to saye, the maysters diligence.

It is as difficulte to breake a custome long vsed, as to chaunge or alter Nature.

Aristot.

Custome is as it were an other nature.

¶Of knowledge, ignoraunce, and errour. Cap. vi. Socrat.

INtelligence is kynge bothe of heauen and also of yearth.

Plato.

Great is the hurte that hath chaunced by ignoraunce.

Ignoraunce is a mad es of the soule, whiche whyle it laboureth to attayne to truth is confounded in the knowledge of it self.

Aristo.

It is not possyble for one man to know all thynges, yet shulde eche man labour to knowe as muche as he myght.

An opinion without learnyng can not be good.

He that erreth afore that he know the truthe, ought the souer to be forgeuen.

Errour at the ende is knowen to be euyll and truthe therby is knowen muche the better.

It is great shame for an olde man to be ignoraunt.

There can not be in a Ruler, a worser thing than ignoraunce.

Plato.

The ignoraunt in theyr bankettes vse minstralsie to chere them, but the learned with theyr voyces delyte one an other.

He that is ignoraunt in the truthe, and led about with opinions, must nedes erre.

To learne better, is a good punyshment for ignoraunce.

Socrat.

There is none so ignoraunt, as he that trusteth most to his owne wyt: none so vncertayne, as he that most trusteth fortune, nor any so muche oute of quyet, as he yt is cumbred with an vnruly brawling shrew.

Through lacke of wyt, sprīgeth much harme: and by meanes of ignorance, much good is left vndone.

A false opinion doeth great harme. The boldenes of the ignorant, engendreth all yuels.

Socrat.

It is a shame to be ignoraunt in that whiche euery man ought to knowe.

Pythag.

It is better to be ignorant in vile thinges, than to knowe them.

Plato.

Idlenes engendreth ignoraunce, and ignoraunce engendreth errour.

¶Of moneye and couetousnes. Cap. vii. Seneca.

AN auaricious olde manne is lyke a mōster.

He that ouercōmeth his couetousnes is valianter than he, that ouercommeth an enemye: and he is the mightyest conquerour that vanquyssheth hys owne wyll.

Pithago.

Couetise can not be satisfyed wyth aboundaunce: for the more that a man hath, the more styll he desyreth.

Ambicious men haue vngracious wittes.

Plato.

He that hourdeth vp his money, taketh paynes for other folke.

Dishonour is the ende of couetousnes, but the ende of liberalitie, is worshyp.

He that is a nygarde to hym selfe, must nedes be nygardysh vnto other.

Diogen.

Seruauntes serue theyr bodelye maysters, but euyll man serue theyr couetous lustes.

It is better to haue a man wythoute money, than money without a man.

Hermes

A couetous man can not learne truthe

Plato.

It is no meruayle thoughe he be good whiche is not couetous, but it were a wonder to see a couetous man good.

A man may soner yelde to auarice, than to reason: for couetise hath accompanyed hym euen from his chyldehode, but reason cummeth not before he haue perfect age.

Aristo.

It is better for a man to loue his fellowes, than to loue moneye.

Moneye is the cause of sedicion and euyl wyll.

To delyte in moneye, is a daungerous pleasaunce.

Couetousenes taketh awaye the name of gentlenes, the whiche liberalitie purchaseth.

A mery man can not lyghtly be angrye, A liberall man maye not well be enuyous. And as for the couetous man, maye neuer be satisfyed wyth ryches.

¶Of the tongue, of fayre speache, and of flattery. Cap. viii. Byas.

FAyre and flatteryng speache is an honnyed snare.

Hermes

A ryght commendable thīg both in heauen and yearthe, is a true tongue.

Socra.

There is not a worse thyng, than a deceytfull and lying toung.

Fayre speche in presence, with good reporte in absence, and maners in felowship obtayne great frendshyp.

Chilon.

An euyll tongue is sharper than any swearde.

Diogen.

If thou speake what thou wylt, thou shalte heare that thou wouldest not.

ithago.

The ong is the bewrayer of the heart.

Deathe delyuereth a man from al enemyes saue the tongue.

He is wyse & discrete that can refrayne hye tongue.

Plato.

Flattery is a present frende, but an absent enemye.

Seneca.

It is a poynte of flatterye to prayse a man to his face.

Socra.

The tounge of a foole is the kaye of his counsayle, whiche in a wyseman wysdome hath in kepyng.

The tongue of a wyse man is in hys hearte, but the hearte of a foole is in hys tongue.

Plato.

Hastines of speache, causeth men to erre.

¶Of truthe, of Faythe, of errour and lying. Cap. ix. Hermes

TRuthe is the gyde of all goodnes.

Aristot.

Faythe shyneth in daunger.

Honour is the fruyte of vertue & truthe, and for the truthe a man shall be worshypped.

Socrat

He that vseth truthe, hath more and myghtyer seruauntes than a kyng.

Seneca.

There is no difference betwene a great teller of tydynges, and a lyer.

Plato.

There is no goodnes in a lyer.

It is lawefull for a gouernour for the mayntenaunce of his estate, and safegard of his subiectes, to lye: but not for a subiecte to lye in any cause.

Socra.

A faythfull man is better than golde.

Lying is a sycknes of the soule, which can not be cured, but by shame or reason.

He ought not to lye that taketh vppon hym to teach other.

Plato.

Truthe is the messinger of god, which euery man ought to worshyp for the loue of her mayster.

Of small errours not let at the begynning, spryng great and myghty mischyfes

¶Of bryngyng vp and maners, of disposicions and instruction. Cap. x. Plato

A Gentle harte by the owne accorde, is geuen to goodnesse.

Plutarth.

Noble wittes corrupt u the bryngyng vp proue more vnhappy than other, that be more simple.

The wyctes whiche in age wyl be eccellen may be knowen in youthe by their honest delytes.

Socra.

He is to be commended whiche to hys good bryngyng vp, ioyneth vertue, wysed me, and learnyng.

Instruction in a fole, encreaseth more follye.

Plato.

Good disposicions can neyther be geuen, bought nor solde, yea yf they myght no man wolde bye them: but the euyl are dayly bought and solde.

Aristot.

Maners are more requisite in a chylde than playing vpon instrumentes, or anye other kynde of vayne pleasantnes.

Those parentes are to be blamed, that are verye carefull to heape vp ryches, and take no care for the good bryngyng vp of theyr chyldren.

Hermes.

It becommeth a man from his youthe to be shamefaste in fylthy thynges, and to be studious in that whiche is honest.

Sobernes in youthe, semeth to fooles to be mere folyshnes.

Socrat.

Good bryngyng vp maketh a man wel disposed.

He is perfect whiche to his good bringyng vp, ioyneth other vertues.

Good bryngyng vp is the head of good maners.

Seneca.

It is not possible for hym to be sober, that is wealthyly brought vp in ryortyng and pleasures.

¶Of Loue, lust, and lecherye. Cap. xi. Pytha.

COnstaunt Loue is a principall vertue.

Plato.

Without Loue, no vertue can be perfect.

There are twoe kyndes of loue: the one Naturall, and the other Heauenlye.

The good louer loueth his soule better than his bodye.

The euyl louer loueth his body, and not his soule.

Socra.

This loue of a foole, is more noysome than pleasaunt.

Loue can not be myngled with feare. Loue is the busynes of loyterers.

Seneca.

He that lacketh loue, oughte not to be regarded.

Repentaunce is the ende of fylthy loue.

There is nothynge so darcke, but that loue espyeth.

Loue leaueth no daūger vnattempted.

Plato.

To muche selfe loue is cause of al euyl. Luste is a lordlye and disobedient thyng,

Of all thynges the newest is the est, saue of loue and frendshyp: whiche the elder that it waxeth, is euer the better.

Aristotl

Dishonor, shame, yuel ende and damnacion, wayte vppon lecherye, and all other lyke vices.

Seneca.

Lykenes of maners, maketh loue stedfast and parfecte.

It is not possible to do any thyng well without loue.

It is not possible for that seruaunt to be diligent, that loueth not his mayster.

¶Of Sorowe, gladnes, feare and boldenes, Cap. xii. Socrat.

IT is a poynt of madnesse, to be sorye, or to reioyce vnmeasurablye.

Aristip.

He ought to feare manye, whome manye do feare.

Pythag.

Great grefe continueth not long.

Contynuall feare suffereth not a man to be happye.

Aristotle.

Sorowe is a gryfe for thynges that be done and past.

Fear is a doubt for thinges for to come. Feare of hym selfe accuseth the gyltye.

By sorrowe and thought the hearte is turmented.

Of sorowe commeth dreames and fantasies.

Of thought commeth watchyng, and bleared eyes.

Hermes.

Syckenes is the pryson of the bodye, but sorow the pryson of the soule.

Myrthe is the ende of sorowe.

Seneca.

Shamefastnes in a chylde, is a token of wyt, but in a man of folyshnes.

Suretye putteth awaye sorrowe, and feare hyndereth gladnes.

Neyther strength nor bygnesse, are of any value in a fearful bodye.

¶Of anger, wrath, enuy, malice, and reuengeaunce. Cap. xiii. Plato.

PRiuye hatred is worse than open malice.

Wrath leadeth shame in a lease.

Chales.

It is a great maruayle to se a wyseman angrye.

He is vnhappy that continueth in hys malice, not thynkyng of the ende.

Plato.

Vnhappy is the estate of malicious & e uyous people.

The suspicious, the hastye, and the gelous man, lyue euer in sorowe.

Aristotl

Shame of hym selfe, is the ende of in dignation.

He is not perfectlye good that hateth his enemye: what is he then that hateth his frende.

Seneca

Debate, deceyte, contencion and enuy, are the fruytes of euyll thoughtes.

It is foolyshnes or rather madnes for a man to be angrye for that, which can not be amended: or to desyre the thing whiche he maye not obtayne.

Aristip.

Wrathe and hastynes, are ver e euyl counsaylours.

Quyetnes is sure, but rashnes is daū gerous.

Enuye and slaunder are .ii. bretherne whiche go euermore togyther.

Seneca

Forgeuenes is a valyaunt kynde of reuengeaunce.

He hath greate rest, that can refrayne hym selfe from anger.

Pythag

Enuye hath ben, is, and shall be, the destruction of many.

What is there that enuye hath not defamed, or malice lefte vndefyled? Truly no good thyng.

ristotle.

Anger is an heauynes and vexation of the mynde desyryng to be reuenged.

Anger is the woorcker of enmitye, and hatred.

Humilitie, pacience, and fayre speache are the pacifyers of anger.

Plato.

Tyme appeyseth anger.

Wrathe commeth of feblenes of courage, and lacke of wytte.

Wemen are soner angry than men, the sycke soner than the healthye, & olde folke be souer moued than the yongue.

hilon.

He is enuyous that is sorye for goodmennes prosperitie.

An enuyous man serueth to none other pourpose, but to speake euyl, and slaunder other.

ermes.

To the wrathfull anger approcheth.

¶Of lybertie and bondage. Cap. xiiii. Plato.

HE is not fre that byndeth hym selfe to an other.

He obeyeth many, that obeyeth his bodye.

hales.

Hope is a bondage, but mystrust a libertie.

The chyld is not bounde to his parentes of whome he learned nothyng.

Aristot ••

He that hath bounde hym selfe to followe his flesshlye delytes, is more bounde than any caytyfe.

Senec

A bonde man hath but halfe a mynde. To muche libertie turneth into bondage.

A tyraunt neuer tasteth of true frendshyp, nor of perfect libertie.

¶Of women, wyne, and dronkennes. Cap. xv. Plato

DRonkennes maketh a man vnrulye,

Dronkennes vndoeth hym, that delyghteth therin.

Muche wyne and wysedome maye not agree, for they be .ii. contraries.

Isocra

Wyne vnmeasurably taken, is an enemy to the soule.

Wrathe and wyne, drounde bothe the reason and sences.

Wrathe maketh man a beast, but dronkennes maketh hym worse.

Dronkennes ought to be eschued of al men, but chyefely of Rulers, watchemen, and officers.

Dronkennes is an abhominable vice in a teacher.

Plato.

A dronkarde is vnprofitable for anye kynde of good seruice

The husbande can do to his wyfe no greater wrong, than to haue to do with an other woman.

A woman is a necessary euyill.

risto.

There can be no greater honour for an honest wyfe, than to haue an honest faythful husbande, which careth for her, and for no woman els thynkyng her more chaste and faythful, than any other.

Seneca.

Neyther gorgyous apparel, nor excellent beautie, nor plentye of golde and ryches become a woman so wel as sobrenes, silence, faythfulnes and chastitie.

The best waye for a man to kepe hys wyfe chaste, is not to be gelous, as many fonde fooles suppose, but to be chaste hym selfe, and faythfull vnto her.

Womans company is an euyl that can not be eschued.

hilon.

A fayre whore is a swete poyson.

Women in myschefe are wysar than men.

ocrat.

Woman is more pitifull than manne, more enuyous than a serpent, more malicious than a Tyraunt, and more deceytful than the deuyll.

•• istotle.

Womans counsayle is weake, and a chyldes vnparfect.

Woe be to that citie where a womao heareth rule.

Socra

It is better to be in companye with a serpent, than wyth a wycked woman.

Gaye apparayled women stand forth as baytes to catche men that passe by: but they take none saue suche as wyl be po e, or els suche as be ignoraūt fooles, whiche knowe them not.

There is no greater accumbraunce that maye chaunce to a man, than ignoraunce and woman.

There is nothyng whotter than a lasciuious women.

He is an ignoraunt foole, that is gouerned by womens counsayle.

An ignoraunt man may be knowen by thre poyntes: he can not rule hym self, because he lacketh reason: he can not resiste his lustes, because he lacketh wytte: neyther can he do what he woulde, because he is in bondage to a woman.

Women by Nature, are borne malicious.

It is not possible for hym to obtayne wysedome and knowledge, that is in bondage to a woman.

He that enhaunteth muche womans company, can not be strong: neyther maye he be ryche that delyteth muche in wyne.

¶Dyuers sentences of sundry matters. Cap. xvi. Plato.

Eloquence is a goodlye gyfte, which in truth shyneth, but in false hode corrupteth.

ermes.

It is harde to finde a meke wytty man.

Man is the measure of all thynges.

ocrat.

Holynes and ryghteousnes make men lyke vnto God.

eneca.

Small exspences ofte vsed, consume great substaunce.

Excesse eyther hurteth, or profyteth nothyng.

Euery man loueth aduauntage.

Rest must nedes be pleasaunt, for it is the medicine of all diseases that are in labor.

Nothyng obtayneth Fauour so muche as diligent obedience.

Euyll men for lucre, agre togyther.

ermes

He is to be despysed of all, that careth for none but hym selfe.

ythag.

Manye thynges at the begynnyng are counted good, whiche at the ende are knowen to be euyl.

Desyre of ryches wareth infinite.

A solitary man is a god or a beast.

Dioge

It is better for a man to iudge after lawe and learnynge, than after hys owne mynde and knowledge.

Diligent purueyaunce is great suertie. It is wysedome to worke by science.

Plato.

The multiplying of frendes, is the aswagyng of cares.

It is better to diminysshe that whiche hurteth, than to augment that which helpeth.

Pitta

None but a craftes man, can iudge of a crafte.

Excellent thynges oughte to be done warelye.

It is kynglyke to be reproued for well doyng.

The agrement of bretherne is stronger than a wall.

To vnlearne euyll, is the best kynde of learnyng.

Plato

A neady olde man is a miserable thing

Aristo.

Melody is good to pacifye the angrye, to comforte the sorowfull, and to asswage all other passions.

Musicke is good to refresh the mynde, and to passe forth the tyme, and is a great helpe to good pronunciation: and therfore chyldren ought to learne musycke.

¶The .xvii. Chapter. Socrat.

OF all mysfortunes the moste vphappy, is to haue ben fortunate.

ythag.

Nothing is to be coūted good that may be taken awaye.

eneca.

It is as well a faulte to trust no bodye, as to trust euery bodye.

It skylleth not in what bedde a sycke man be layde, whether it be of golde, or of wood: for wheresoeuer he be layde, hys syckenes wyll be with hym.

If it were as paynful a thyng for men to prayse honest thynges, as it is to do them, than shoulde they be as lyttle praysed, as be followed.

They lyue euylly that begyn alwayes to lyue, for as muche as theyr many beginnynges doe make theyr lyues styll vnperfecte.

He that is roted in hys sinne, wyll not be corrected.

A gyfte byndeth the receyuer, and leuseth the geuer.

Whan a man doubteth in doubtfull thynges, & is assured in them that be euydent, it is a signe of good vnderstandyng.

Herme

There are .vi. kyndes of men that be neuer without vexacion. The fyrst is he that can not forgette his trouble. An enuyous man dwelling with folke newly enriched He that dwelleth in the place and can not thryue, where as an other thryued before hym. A ryche man decayed, and fallen in to pouertye. He that woulde obtayne that whiche he may not get The last is he that dwelleth with a wyse man and can learne nothyng of hym.

He that seketh enemyes, seketh hys owne destruction.

Pithag

Repentaunce deserueth pardon.

The best and greatest wynnyng is a true frende, and the greatest losse is the losse of tyme.

Plato.

Muche runnynge maketh great wearynesse.

Yf men in reasonyng desyred as much the truthe of the thyng it selfe, as they do the mayntenaunce of theyr owne opiniōs, and glory of theyr wyttes, there shuld not brede so muche hatred as there dothe, nor halfe so many matters be lefte of vnconcluded.

There can not be a more intollerable thyng, than a fortunate foole.

¶The .xviii. Chapiter. Socrat.

A Man of feble courage, anoyeth hym selfe lyghtlye wyth that whiche he loueth.

Pythag.

To be ouercome with affections, is an euydent token of folyshnes.

Seneca.

He is not happy that hath rychesse, but he yt vseth them.

ermes.

The wycked sumtyme seme to be happy.

It is better to suffer death, than by cō pulsion to do that is euyl.

He that is enclyned to his owne wyll, is nygh the wrathe of god.

He that desyreth great charges, desyreth great troubles.

•• thago.

The heartes of good people, are the castels of theyr secretes.

It is a great follye for a man to muse muche on suche thynges as do passe his vnderstandyng.

Plato.

To do well to hym that hurteth vs, is the most acceptable thyng in the syghte of God, that a man maye doe.

Folly is the greatest enemy, that a man maye haue.

Socra.

He that doeth good, is better than the good whiche he doeth: and he that doeth euyll, is worse than the euyl that he doeth.

A man without science, is lyke a realme without a kyng.

Plato.

An aswager of wrong ought greatly to be honored.

A good ryche man, seeldome maye be founde.

Aristot.

No man is happye, whyles that he lyueth.

He is an excellent warryoure that lacketh neyther wysedome nor good successe.

There is but one way to goodnes, but the wayes to euyll are innumerable.

The best place in warre is the middes, for there be the strong and valiaunt, whyche are in the myddes betwene the hardy, and the cowardes.

There is no kynde so euyll, but that some good is founde in.

Seneca.

That whiche a man beleueth not, shall neuer fraye hym.

He fyndeth fetters, that fyndeth benefyttes.

It is due to render deserued thankes.

They be worse that are latelye made ryche, than they whiche haue bene ryche a great whyle.

Tyrantes prayers are necessary.

¶The .xix. Chapiter. Socra.

TO lacke frendes is a token of euyl condicions.

It is a foolyshe madnes to thinke that ryche men be happy.

He is sufficientlye wel learned yt knoweth howe to do well, & he hath power ynoughe, that can refrayne from doyng euyll.

Pythag.

He that demaundeth but reason, is able to vanquysh his enemy.

Couetous men lacke, the thynges that they haue.

The shorter a thyng is, the more it delyteth.

They that rob, and slaunder the dead, are lyke furyous dogges, which byte and barke at stones.

lutarch.

It is the part of a good man, to forget dishonest thynges, which to remembre, is a poynt of euyll.

That whiche is well done, is done wetyngly: but that whiche is euylly done, is done ignorantly.

He is as muche a thefe that stealeth openly, as he that robbeth priuily.

Socra

A thing oft spoken, troubleth the hearer.

To see is but a smal matter, but to forsee a thyng, is harde to be done.

A man of good feelynge, is euermore discrete, so is it not of the other senses.

Aristot

Hearyng in a man is a great healp to knowledge.

Custome is as it were an other nature.

It is folyshnes to entend muche vnto dreames.

Fonde and foolyshe dreames, deceyue them that trust therin.

They be grosse and foolysh phisicions whiche take any counsayle at theyr pacientes dreames.

When God wyll sende dreames or visions, they chaūce to wysemen in the daye tyme.

Suche as be borne deaffe and blynde, haue theyr inwarde powers the more perfect.

He ought not to lye, whiche wyl teach other folke.

Diuersitie of opinions is the cause of muche stryfe.

That thyng is noble whyche commeth of good kynde.

He that douteth and maruayleth, seameth to be ignoraunt.

¶The .xx. Chapter. Socra.

HE whiche knoweth not howe much he seketh doth not know whan to fynde that whiche he lacketh.

It is better to be ignoraunt in vyle thinges than to knowe them.

The gooddes of the soule are the principall goodes.

Pythag.

A boaster is more to be despysed than a lyar.

It is harde for a liberall man to be ryche.

It is better to suffre, than to do wrōg.

He is worst of al, that is malicious agaynst his frendes.

Euyll destroyeth it selfe.

The wrath and luste of lecherous people, alter theyr bodyes, and make many rūne starke mad.

utarch.

It is better for a man to amende hym selfe by folowing the good example of his predecessours, than to make his successors waxe worse, by folowyng his vnthryftye vicious lyuyng.

To be muche inquisityue of others offences is a signe of an euyl disposicion.

Nothyng disprayseth a man so muche as his owne praysyng: specially whan he boasteth of his good deades.

The most profitable thyng for ye world is the death of euyll people.

Aristo

Men ought not be chosen by age & numbre of yeares, but by wysedome & condicions: For he that hath chyldysh condicions is a chylde, be he neuer so olde: and he that hath manlyke condicions is a man, be he neuer so young.

Herme

Thre thinges are to be pityed, and the fowerth not to be suffered. A good man in the handes of a shrewe. A wyse man vnder the gouernaunce of a foole. A lyberall man in subiection to a caytyfe. And a foole set in authoritie.

Plato

To men occupyed about diuine thinges lyfe semeth a thyng of no reputacion.

Bothe slepe and labour are enmyes to learnyng.

There is no greater victory, than for a man to vanquysh hym selfe.

There are many that wyl not fyght, & yet be desyrous for to see frayes.

He that neglecteth wyfe and chyldren depryueth hym selfe of immortalitie.

Prudence is the gyde of all other vertues.

¶The .xxi. Chapter. Plato.

IT is harde for a man hauynge licence to sinne to keepe hym selfe therfro.

erms

Swete hope followeth hym that lyueth holyly and iustly, nourishyng his harte, and cheryshyng hys olde age, and comforting him in all his miseries.

In all woorkes the begynnyng is the chyefest, and the ende hardest to attayne:

Seneca:

He is not worthy to lyue, that taketh no care to lyue well.

ristip.

He whiche is bewtyful, and speaketh vnsemely thynges, draweth a swearde of leade, out of an yuory skabarde.

ocrat.

Suche thynges as are aboue vs, pertayne not vnto vs.

Nobilitie, glory, and rychesse, are the clokes of maliciousnes.

He that is myghtye, is not by and by good, but he whiche is good, immediatlye is myghtye.

hilon.

Men shoulde rather be drawen by the cares, than by the clokes: that is by perswasion and not by vyolence.

It is lawful to be a frende, but no farther than to the aulter: that is, we ought not for our frendes sake to trāsgresse our religion.

A citie can not prosper, whan an oxe is solde for lesse than a fysshe.

Seneca.

He is worthy no wealth, that can suffre no woe.

Muche babblynge is a signe of small knowledge.

Worldelye vanities, hyndre mannes reason.

Hermes.

He is a wiseman that doth good to his frendes: but he is more than a man, that doeth good to his enemyes.

Of euyls, the least is to be chosen.

Plato.

Good respect and consideration to the ende of thynges, preserueth bothe soule and bodye.

Seneca

Euery man is wyse in that whiche he hath learned.

He that helpeth the euyll, hurteth the good.

Men shulde lyue exceadyng quyetlye, yf these two woordes myne & thyne were taken awaye.

Hope of rewarde, maketh payne seme pleasaunt.

To be praysed of euyl men, is as euyll as to be praysed for euyll doyng.

¶The .xxii. Chapter. Of benefyttes, and of unthankfulnes. Seneca.

BEnefits ought to be as well borne in mynde as receyued wt the hande.

The remembraunce of benefyttes ought neuer to ware olde.

The wyll of the geuer, and not the value of the gyfte, is to be regarded.

He is worthye to be deceyued whyche whyle he bestowed a benefit, thought of ye receyuyng of an other.

A small thynge geuen wyllynglye, is more acceptable than that which is grudgyngly geuen, be it of neuer so great pryce

One gyfte wel geuen, recouereth many losses.

A gyft grudgyngly geuen of a nygard, is called a stony loafe: whiche although it be bytter, is nedeful to be receyued of the hongrye.

He is vnthankfull whiche acknowlegeth not the good that is done hym. He is more vnthankful that to his power acquiteth it not. But he is most vnthākfull that forgetteth it vtterly.

Socra

To be vnthankful is an vncomly thing.

There is no greater treasure, than discrecion and wyt.

No greater pouertie than ignoraunce.

No better frēdshyp than good condicions.

No better gyde than good Fortune.

Dastines causeth repentaunce.

Frowardnes causeth hynderaunce.

Pryde is cause of hatred, and slothe of disprayse.

It is better to heare than to speake much. and therefore Nature hath geuen vs two eares, and but one tongue.

Experience is a good chastisement.

It is better to seeke and not to fynde, than to fynde and not to profet.

All thynges maye be chaunged saue Nature, and all thynges eschued, excepte deathe.

Wytte without learnyng, is lyke a tree wythout fruyte.

It is better to suffre great necessitie, than to borow of hym, whome a man may not trust.

The ende of syckenes is deathe, and the ende of darkenes, is lyght.

Chaunge of the worlde is a good teacher.

Experience is a good correctour.

Socrat.

The hastye manne is neuer withoute trouble.

There are thre sortes of men woful to be sene. A ryche man fallen in to pouertie. A vertuous man dispraysed. And a wyseman scorned of the ignoraunt.

Seneca.

He hath ryches sufficient, that nedeth neyther to flatter nor to borowe.

He doeth hym selfe wrong, whiche obeyeth them whome he ought not.

Plato.

Suffysaunce is the castell whiche keepeth wysemen from all euyll workes.

Finis.
¶Pyththie meters of dyuers matters. ¶Socrates. HE that to wrath and anger is thrall, Ouer his wyt hath no power at all. ¶Hermes. Be mery and glad, honest, and vertuous, For that suffyseth to anger the enuyous. Pythagoras. The more that a man hath of abundaunce, So muche the lesse hath he of assuraunce. Socrates. The frendes whome profyt or lucre encreace, When substaunce fayleth, therwithal wyl cease: But frēdes that are coupled wt hart, & with loue, Neyther fear nor fortune nor force may remoue. Musonius. Yf that in vertue thou take any payne, The payne departeth, but vertues remayne. But yf thou haue pleasure to do that is yll, The pleasure abateth, but yll taryeth styll. Solon. If that by destinie thynges be decreed, To labour to shun them is payne lost in deade. But yf that the chaunce of thynges be vnset. It is folly to feare that we knowe we maye let Plato It is the parte of hym that is wyse Thinges to foresee, with diligent aduise. But whan as thinges vnluckely do frame. It becommeth the valiant to suffre the same. Hermes. Yf not for to spede, thou thynke it a payne. Wyl not the thyng that thou mayst not attayne, For thou and none other art cause of thy let, If that which thou mayest not yu trauell to get. Plato. To fayne, to flatter, to glose and to lye, Requyre coulours, and wordes fayre and slye. But the vttrauuce of truth is so simple & playne, That it nedeth no studye to forge or to fayne. Horace. To the auaricious is no suffisaunce. For couetise encreaseth as fast as his substaunce Solon. He is neyther ryche, happy, nor wyse, That is a bondman to his owne auarice. Pythagoras. To strycke another yf that thou pretende. Thinke yf he stroke the, yu wouldest the defende. Solon. To beastes muche hurt hapneth because they e dumme, But muche more to menne by meanes of speache hath cumme. Thales. Al enuyous hartes with the dead men depart. But after death dureth the slaunderers darte. Hermes. He that at ones instance, an other wil defame. Wyl also at an others to the last do the same. For none are so daungerous and doutful to trust As those that are redyest to obeye euery lust. Plato. Sith makyng of maners in company doth lye, Enhaunt the good, and the euyl see thou flye. But yf to the euyll thou nedes wylt resort, Returne betymes, for feare thou come shorte. Isocrates. Loue betwene wyse men by effect maye fall. But not betwene fooles though folly be egal: For wyt goeth by ordre, and may agree in one. But folly lacketh ordre, so that concord is none. Theophrastus. For a man muche better it is among raueners To fall and be taken, than among flatterers. For rauens but of flesh dead bodyes do depryue But flatterers deuour men whyle they be alyue Socrates. He that of all men wyll be a correctour. Shall of the most part wyn hate for his labour Dyogenes. Of slaundrers & flattrers take hede yf ye wyl For nether tame nor wylde best can byte vs so y For of wyld beastes, slaunder is the worst byter And of the tame, most byteth a flatterer. Pythagoras. They that to talke of wysedome are bent Not folowyng the same. are lyke an instrument: Whose pleasant sounde the hearers doth delyte, But it selfe not hearyng, hath therby no profyte. Horace. As long as a tonne or vessell maye last. Of the fyrst lycour, it kepeth the taste. And youthe beyng seasoned in vertuous labour, Wyll euer after therof kepe the sauour. Euripedes. Englyshed by Ascham. What thing a man in render age hath most ī vre, That same to deth always to kepe he shalbe sure Therfore in age who greatly lōges good frute to mow, In youth he must hym self apply good seed to sowe. Pythagoras. Beware of thyne enmy whan he doth manace, And trust thou hym not yf fayre seeme his face: For serpentes neuer so deadly do stynge, As whan they byte without any hyssynge. Hermes. Tresures which falsehod semeth to augment, Are euylly gotten, and worser are spent. Wherefore to be ryche who so doeth entende, Ought trulye to wynne, and dulye to spende. Plutarche. Sith the worlde vnsteady doth oft ebbe & flowe, It behoueth a wyseman all tymes for to knowe: And so for to sayle whyle he hath fayre wether, That the hauen maye kepe hym, whan hold may no anker. Dyogenes. Of a chorlysh nature procedeth fowle language. But fayre speache is token of a noble courage. Anacharcis. A frende is not knowen but in necessitie, For in tyme of welth eche man semeth frendly. Socrates. Wysedome & science, whiche are pure by kynde, Shulde not be wryt in bookes, but in mynde. For wysedome in bookes, with the boke wyl rot, But writ in mynd wil neuer be forgot. Seneca. For couetous people to dye it is best, For the longer they lyue, the lesse is theyr rest: For lyfe them leadeth, their substance to double, Where death thē dischargeth of endles trouble. Antisthenes. Men ought not wepe for hym ye giltles is slayne, But for the slayer whiche quycke doth remayne. For to dye gyltles, is losse but of bodye, But body and soule bothe, are lost of the gyltye. Xenocrates. Of woorkes begon whan goodnes may bred We shulde with al swyftnes, deuyse to procede But yf by our workes maye growe any yll, We shulde be as swyft to conquer our wyll. Socrates. By ordryng the tong is a tryal most true. To knowe yf a man hys lustes can subdue. For he that ne rule can his tongue as hym lyst, Hath muche lesse power other lustes to resist. Socrates. What euer it chaunce the of any to heare, Thyne eye not consenting, beleue not thyne eare. For the eare is a subiect full oft led awrye. But the eye is a iudge that in nothyng wyll lye. Seneca. Boet us. Wysdome & honor most commonly be founde, In them that in vertue and goodnes abounde: And therfore are better than syluer and golde, Which the euyl commonly most haue in holde. Horace. Stop the begynnynges, so shalt thou be sure All doubtfull diseases to swage and to cure. But yf thou be carelesse and suffre them brast, To late cummeth playster, when al cure is past. Xenophon. Yf that it chaunce the in warre for to fyght, More than to wyt, trust not to thy myght. For wyt wtout strength much more doth auayle, Than strength wtout wit, to conquer in battayle Aristotle. Bothe hatred, loue, and theyr owne profet, Cause Iudges oft tymes the truthe to forget. Purdge all these vices therfore fro thy mynde, So shall ryght rule the, & thou the truthe fynde. Plato. Although for a whyle thy vice thou may hyde Yet canst thou not alway kepe it vnespyed: For truth the true daughter of god and of tyme, Hath sworne to detect al sinne vice and cryme. Aristotle. The hauyng of rychesse is not so cōmodious, As the departyng from them is greuous. Plato. Happy is the realme, the whiche hath a king, Endued with wysedome, vertue and learnyng: And muche vnhappy is the Realme & prouince Where as these poyntes do lacke in their prince. Plutarche. To what so euer the kyng doth hym frame, His men for the most part, delyte in the same: Wherfore a good kyng shoulde vertue ensue, To geue his subiectes example of vertue. Hermes. Better it is for a wyfe to be barrayne, Than to bryng forth a vile wycked carrayne. Socrates. Almes distributed vnto the indigent, Is lyke a medicine geuen to the impotent: But to the vnneady a man to make his dole, Is lyke the ministring of playsters to the whole. Pythagoras. Better it is for a man to be mute, Than with the ignoraunt muche to dispute. And better it is to lyue solitarily, Than to enhaunt muche, euyll companye. Diogenes. Trye, and than trust after good assuraunce: But trust not ere ye trye, for feare of repentaūce. Plato. That thyng in realme is worthy renoune, Which rayseth vp ryght, & wrong beteth doune. Seneca. Goodnes it selfe dothe good men declare, For whiche many mo, the better do fare. Socrates. Unhappy he is where so euer he come, That hath a wit, and wyl not learne wysdome.
¶The thinges that cause a quiet lyfe wrytten by Marciall. MY frende, the thynges that do attayne The happy lyfe, be these I fynde. The rychesse left, not got with payne, The fruytful grounde, the quiet mynde. The equall frende, no grudge, no stryfe, No charge of rule, nor gouernaunce. Without disease the healthye lyfe. The householde of continuaunce. The meane dyet, no dayntye fare. Wysdome ioyned with simplenes. The myght discharged of all care, Where wyne the wyt maye not oppresse. The faythfull wyfe without debate. Suche sleepes as maye begyle the nyght. Content thy selfe wyth thyne estate. Neyther wysh death, nor feare hys might.
¶The last boke Of Prouerbes and Semblables.

THre bokes concluded accordynge to oure promyse, it is requysite that the fowerth followe, whiche beyng wel consydered, is no lesse profytable, ether to good instrustruction, or moral wisedome, than any of the rest. For where as the other only commaunde or shewe the thing simply, this kynde by vehemencie of matter contayned in other thynges, perswadeth the thyng effectuallye, besydes muche good learnyng of naturall Philosophie, conteyned in the examples.

And suerlye the diligence of the Philosophers herein is greatly to be commended, whiche hath diuised so goodly a waye to allure all men to wysedome.

In whiche kynde, sithe Erasmus, one of the best learned in oure tyme, hath alredy studyed, and therof compyled a boke drawen (as he sayeth hym selfe) out from the purest of the Philosophers, I haue herein englysshed of his, suche as to me semed moste meete for this pourpose, addyng them to other agreable to this matter: omyttyng the rest, not because they agree not her with, but because they be so many, as wyll in englyshe make a great volume: wyllyng suche as therin delyte, to set forth the rest, and not to loke for al thynges here, in whiche nothyng lesse thā perfection is pretended.

As for the profyt and vse of Parables I thynke it nedeles for to declare, seyng theyr owne playnnesse declare theym so playnly, as no man maye do it playnlyer: as for example.

Lyke as Humlocke is poyson to man, so is wyne poyson to Humlocke. What declaracion neadeth this nowe, to be better vnderstanded, except a man phisicallye shoulde shewe the properties of wyne and Humlockes? Nowe as for the vse of this in perswasion, it may be thus applyed.

Lyke as Humlocke is poyson to man, and wyne poyson to Humlocke: So is Flattery poyson to frendship, and licence in be flattered, poyson vnto flattery.

Loe here the exaumple that Erasmus vseth, wherin is contayned great councel great wyt, and great learnyng. Fyrste it teacheth that Humlocke is poyson, & mortall whan it is myngled with wyne, whiche beyng knowen, maye the better be auoyded. Then coūsayleth he to beware of flatterye, and in shewyng what maketh flattery deadly poyson, he teacheth a remedy howe to auoyde flattery: For yf we regard not a flatterer, nor geue hym licēce to flatter vs, we shall neuer be hurte vp flatterye. Suche lyke commoditie shall a man take by Parables, or as I call them, Semblables, which hereafter shal folow: the effect whereof, I haue not drawen into Summaries because they be so fewe, but haue put them togyther, as I founde them, wysshyng them with all the rest, to be wel accepted.

¶Hermes, Socrates, Plato.

LYke as a Chyrurgyen payneth sore hys pacientes bodyes, with lancyng, cuttyng, and sering putrefyed membres: Euen so doeth ye mynde of man, afflict & vexe his vnruly soule, that it myght by suche meanes be ryd from voluptuousnes.

He that beyng reproued, departeth immediatly, hatyng his counsaylour: dothe as a sicke man, which as sone as his Chirurg en hath cut his vlcer goeth his way, not tarying vntyll his wounde be dressed, and hys gryefe asswaged.

Lyke as to a shrewde horse belongeth a sharpe brydle: so ought a shrewde wyfe to be sharply handeled.

As plantes measurably watered grow the better, but watered to much are browned and dye: so the mynde with moderate labour, is refresshed, but with ouermuch is vtterly dulled.

As emptye vesselles make the lowdest sounde: so they that haue leaste wyt, are the greatest babblers.

Lyke as a shyppe that hath a sure anker, maye lye saufely in any place: ryght so the mynde that is ruled by perfect reason, is quyet euery where.

As a small spotte or freckle in the face is a greater blemysh than a scarre, or knot in the bodye: so a small faulte in a prince semeth worse than a greater in a pryuate person.

As fyer smoketh not muche, that flameth at the fyrste blowyng: so the glorye that shyneth at the fyrste, is not greatlye enuyed at, but that whiche is long in gettyng, enuye alwayes preuenteth.

Lyke as a good Musicion, hauyng any kaye or stryng of his instrument out of tune, doeth not immediatlye cut it of, and cast it awaye, but eyther with straynyng it hygher, or slackenyng it downe lower by lyttle and lyttle, causeth it to agree: so shoulde rulers rather refourme trāsgressours, than to cast them awaye for euerye trespasse.

Lyke as narrowe mowthed vesselles whiche are longest in fyllyng, kepe theyr lycour the better: so wittes that are slowe in takyng, are best of all to retayne that they learne.

As a sparcle of fyer, or the snuffe of a candle negligently lefte in an house maye sette an whole towne on fyer: so of priuye malice and discorde, cōmeth open destruction of people.

As yron and brasse is the bryghter for the wearyng: so the wyt is the most ready that is most occupyed.

Lyke as they that taste poyson, destroy them selues therwith: so he that admytteth a frende before he knowe hym, maye hurte hym selfe whyles that he proueth hym.

Lyke as a Chamell hath all coulours saue whyte: so hath a flatterer al poyntes saue honestie.

Lyke as one braunche of a tree beynge set on fyre, kyndeleth al the rest: so one vicious felow, destroyeth an hole company.

As a precious stone in a golden Kyng, so shyneth an heart that is settled in vertuousnesse.

Lyke as with water, Maulte is made sweete: euen so a sorowful heart is made mery with wyne.

As a sycke man is cured of his disease by vertue of a medicine: so is an yll man healed of his malice, by vertue of ye lawe.

Lyke as men chose good grounde to labour and to sowe: so shulde they chose honest men to be theyr seruauntes.

As the fortune of this worlde shall make the reioyce ouer thyne enemyes: euen so maye it make thyne enemyes reioyce ouer the.

Lyke as waxe is ready and plyaunt to receyue any print or fygure: so is a young chylde apte to any kynde of learnyng.

As a Phisicion can not cure his pacyent, excepte he knowe fyrste the truthe of his disease: euen so maye a man gaue no good counsayle, except he knowe throwly the effect of the matter.

Euen as a good Gardyner is very diligent about his gardeyn, waterynge the good and profitable herbes, and rootynge out the vnprofytable weedes: so shoulde a kyng attende to his common weale, cheryshyng his good and true subiectes, and punyshyng suche as are false, and vnprofitable.

As the cuttyng of vynes and all other trees, is cause of better and more plentyfull fruyte: so the punyshment of the bad causeth the good to florysh.

Lyke as grene wood whiche is long in kyndelyng, is whotter than the dry whan it is fyered: so he that is seelde and longe ere he be angrye, is harder to be pacifyed, than he that is sone vexed.

Lyke as the bytternes of the Allowe tree, taketh away the swetnes of the swetest honnye: so euyll workes destroye and take awaye the merite of the good.

Lyke as an arrowe that lyghteth on a stone glaunceth awaye, bycause the stone lackyng softnes, yeldeth not to receyue it: so the ryches that fortune geueth, not gyded with diligence, & circumspection, vanysh awaye without profyt.

He that teacheth good to an other, and followeth it not hym selfe: is lyke hym whiche lyghteth a candle to another, and goeth hym selfe darklyng.

Lyke as a vessell is knowen by ye soūde whether it be whole or broken: so are men proued by theyr speche, whether they be wyse or foolysh.

Lyke as a flye whiche feedeth vpon corrupte thynges, despyseth the sweete, and pure herbes: so wyckednes foloweth the wycked, dispraysing all goodnes.

As rust consumeth yron: so doeth enuy the heartes of the enuyous.

As a shepeherde amonge his shepe: so ought a kyng to be among his subiectes.

Lyke as a fyelde although it be fretile can bryng forth no good frute, except it be fyrste tylled: so the mynde although it be apte of it selfe, can not without learnyng brynge forth any goodnes.

As the plowgh rooteth oute from the yearthe, all brambles and thystles: euen so wysedome rooteth oute all vyces from the mynde.

Lyke as a crased shyp by drynkyng in water, not onely droundeth it self, but all other that are in her: so a Ruler by vsyng viciousnes, destroyeth not hym self alone but al other besydes that are vnder his gouernaunce.

As it becommeth the people to be obedyent and subiect to theyr lorde and king: so it behoueth the kyng to entend diligently to the weale & gouernaunce of his people, and rather procure theyr profyt, than his owne pleasure. For as the soule is ioyned with the bodye: so is a Kyng vnited with his people.

Lyke as a small disease, excepte it be loked to in tyme, and remedyed, maye be the destruction of the whole bodye: so yf Rulers be negligent, and loke not to smal thynges whervpon greater do depende, & se them reformed in tyme, they shal suffre the common weale to decaye, not able to refourme it, whan that they woulde.

As the shadowe foloweth the body: so prayse foloweth vertue. And as the shaddowe goeth sumtymes before, and sumtymes behynde, so dothe prayse also to vertue, but the later that it commeth, the greater it is, and the more of valure.

As in euery Pomegranade there is some grayne rotten: so is there no man but hath some euyll condicion.

As a man appeareth more in a mist, thā in cleare weather: so appeareth his vyce more whan he is angrye, than whan he is at quyet.

As no Phisicion is reputed good that healeth other, and can not heale hym self: so is he no good gouernour that cōmaundeth other to auoyde vices, and wyll not leaue them hym selfe.

Lyke as the fyre wasteth ye fyerbrand: so dothe scornfulnes waste loue betwene frendes.

As men for theyr bodely health, do abstayne from euyll meates: so oughte they to abstayne from sinne, for the saluacion of theyr soules.

As healthe conserueth the body: euen so wysedome conserueth the soule.

As a Capitayne is the directer of an hole hoste: so Reason ioyned with knowledge, is the gyde of lyfe.

Lyke as an hande is no parte of a man except it can do the office of an hande: so is wysedome no part of a wyseman, excepte it be occupyed as it shulde be.

Lyke as a gouernour of a shyp, is not chosen for his rychesse, but for hys knowledge: so ought Rulers of Cities to be chosen for theyr wysedome and learnyng, rather than for theyr dignitie and rychesse.

As a golden brydle although it garnysh an horse, yet maketh hym neuer the better: so although riches garnish a man, yet can they not make hym good.

Lyke as age followeth youthe: euen so death followeth age.

As to the good, theyr goodnesse is a rewarde: so to the wycked, theyr wyckednes is a punyshment.

Lyke as gryefe is the disease of the bodye: so is malyce a syckenesse of the soule.

As a man in a darke caue maye not see his owne proper fygure: so the soule that is not cleane & pure, can not perceyue the true and parfecte goodnes of almyghtye God.

As the goodnes of wysemen continuallye amendeth: so the malice of fooles euermore empayreth.

As God surmounteth all other creatures: so the remembraunce of hym, surmounteth all other ymaginacions.

As liberalitie maketh frendes of enemyes: so pryde maketh ennemyes of frendes.

Lyke as Beas oute of flowers, sucke forth the swetest: so shulde men out of sciences, learne that is best.

Lyke as no man can tell where a shooe wryngeth, saue he that weareth it: so no man can knowe a womans disposition, saue he that hath wedded her.

As they whiche can not suffre the light of a candle, can muche worse abyde the bryghtnes of the Sunne: so they that are trowbled with small tryfles, woulde be more amased in wayghtyer matters.

The spouse whiche forsaketh her husbande, because she is greued with his maners: is lyke hym, whiche because a ea hath stonge hym, forsaketh the honye.

He that fysheth with poyson, catcheth fyssh, but yll & corrupted: and so they that endeuour to get theyr husbandes by decey es and charmes, maye lyghtly get them, but better vngotten.

Suche wyues as had rather haue foolysh husbandes whome they myght rule, than to be ruled by sobre wyse men: are lyke to hym whiche woulde rather leade a blynde man in an vnknowen way, than to followe one that can see, and knoweth the waye well.

Lyke as a blocke though it be decked with golde, pearles and gemmes, is not to be regarded except it represent the shape of sumwhat: euen so a wyfe be she neuer so ryche, yet yf she be not obedient to her husbande, she is nothyng worthe.

Lyke as the sauour of carrayne is noysome to them that smel it: so is the talke of fooles to wysemen that heare it.

Lyke as in a payre of tables, nothyng maye be well wrytten, before the blottes and blurres be wyped out: so vertue and noblenes can not be sene in a man, excepte he fyrst put awaye his vices.

Lyke as the eye can not atones se both aboue and benethe: no more maye the wyt apply bothe vice and vertue together.

As Yuye in euerye place fyndeth sumwhat to cleaue to, so loue is neuer lyghtly without a subiecte.

¶Aristotle, Plutarche, Seneca.

LYke as Nources oftentymes whyle they be to curyous to rubbe of spottes from theyr chyldren, rub awaye the skynne and al: Euen so dyuers, whyles they go aboute to redresse small tryfles, commyt greater offences.

He that casteth awaye his kynsfolke, and maketh hym frendes of straungers: doethe as the man whiche woulde cast awaye his flesshy legge, and set on another of wood.

Lyke as rayne maye not profytte the orne, that is sowen vpon drye stones: so neyther teachyng nor studye maye profyt a foole to learne wysedome.

Lyke as the eye without lyght, can neyther see it selfe, nor iudge of anye thyng elles: so the soule that lacketh wisdome, is brute and knoweth nothyng.

As the townes wherein men laboure, waxe alwayes rycher and rycher, & suche as are bent to ydlenes and pleasure, dayly decaye, and come to vtter desolacion: so the gooddes that be got by trauayle, study and diligence, and so kepte, shall continue and encreace, but that whiche is euyl got, or sodaynly wonne, shall euen as sodaynly vanysh awaye agayne.

Lyke as the sycke man whiche asketh counsayle, and is taught of the phisicion is neuer the nerer of hys health, except he take his medicine: so he that is instructe in wysedome and vertue, & followeth not the same, is neuer the better therfore: but loseth the healthe of his bodye, and blessednes of his soule.

Lyke as it is a shame for a man whiche woulde hy the prycke, to mysse the whole utte: euen so is it a shame for hym that desyreth honor, to fayle of honestye.

As fyrr and heate are inseparable: so are the har es of faythful frendes.

Lyke as a trumpeter soundeth out hys meanyng by the voyce of his trumpet: so shulde a woman let her housbaude speake for her.

They whiche were wount to do sacryfyce vnto Iuno, the Boddesse of maryed women, toke alwayes the galles out frō the beastes whiche they sacrificed: signifiyng therby, that al anger and displesure ought to be farre from marryed folke.

Lyke as they whiche kepe Eliphantes weare no lyghte coloured garmentes, nor they whiche kepe wylde bulles, weare no purple, because suche colours dooe make them fyerce: so ought a wyfe to abstayne from suche thynges as she knoweth wyll offende her husbande.

Lyke as a membre vexed with the itche hath alwayes nede of clawyng: so the couetousnes of the mynde, can neuer be satisfyed.

As a scarre geueth vs warnyng to beware of woūdes: so the remembraunce of euyls that are past, maye cause vs take the better heede.

As the complayntes of chyldren maye be sone appeysed: so small affections vanysh lyghtly.

He that bryngeth an infirmed body to a bayne, or to any voluptuousnes: is lyke to hym whiche bryngeth a broken shyp in to the ragyng seas.

He whiche geueth ryches or glory to a wycked man: geueth wyne to hym yt hath a fyeuer.

They whiche go to a banket onelye for the meates sake: are lyke them whiche go onely to fyll a vessell.

Lyke as the bodye is an instrument of the soule: so is the soule an instrument of God.

Seruauntes whan they sleape, feare not theyr maysters, and they yt be bounde forget theyr letters, in sleape vlcers and sores leaue smartyng: but supersticion alone vexeth a man whan he sleapeth.

If they be miserable whiche haue cruell maysters although they maye go from them: howe muche are they more miserable that serue their vices as their masters from whome they can not flye.

They whiche woorshyp God for feare least any euyl shoulde chaunce vnto them: are lyke them whiche hate Tyrantes, and yet reuerence them because they shoulde not hurt them.

Lyke as they iudge worse of a man the whiche saye that he is wrathfull and vngracious, than yf they denyed hym to be alyue: so they thynke not so euyl of god, which saye there is no god at all, as the supersticious whiche saye God is frowarde and ful of wrathe and reuengeaunce:

Luke as they whiche bryng vp horses well, teache them fyrst to folowe the brydle: so they that teache chyldren, shoulde fyrst teache them to geue eare to yt whiche is spoken.

As we beholde our selues in other folkes eyes: so shoulde we learne by other mēnes reporte what doeth become vs and what doeth not.

Lyke as they whiche geue vnwyllinglye, seeme to haue but lyttle them selues: euen so they whiche prayse other folkes sclenderlye, seeme to desyre to be praysed them selues.

Lyke as in meates, the holsomnesse is as muche to be requyred as the pleasauntnesse: so in hearyng and reading authors, we ought to desyre as wel the goodnes as the eloquence.

As a lookyng glasse representeth euery thing that is set agaynst it: euen so doeth a flatterer.

Lyke as the shadowe foloweth a man continually, what so euer he doe: euen so a flatterer what so euer a man doeth, applyeth hym selfe to the same.

Lyke as a Phisicion cureth a man secretlye, he not fealyng it: so shulde a good frende helpe his frende preuely, whan he knoweth not of it.

Lyke as the rule ought to be strayght and iust, by which other rules shulde be tryed: so ought a Gouernour whiche shoulde gouerne other, to be good, vertuous, honest and iust hym selfe.

As a vessel can not be knowen whether it be whole or broken except it haue licour in it: so can no man be thorowlye knowen what he is, before he be in authoritie.

As darnell spryngeth vp among good wheat, and •• t les among Roses: euen so Enuye groweth vp among vertues.

Where as is no lyght, there is no shadowe: and where as is no welthe, there is no Enuye.

They that are ready to take a tale out of an others mouthe, are lyke vnto them whiche seynge one profered to be kyssed, woulde houlde forth theyr lyppes to take it from hym.

Lyke as an hare bothe delyuereth, norysheth, and is with younge all atones: so an vsurer before he haue begyled one, deuyseth howe to deceyue an other, by makyng a false bargayne.

Lyke as an horse after he hath ones taken the brydle, muste euer after beare one or other: so he that is ones fallen in det, can lyghtly neuer after be throughly quit ther from.

As a wyse maryner in calme weather prepareth hym selfe lokyng for a tempest: Euen so ought the mynde when it is most at quyet, to doubte of some tribulacion.

Lyke as the famyshed for lacke of other meate, are fayne some tyme to eate theyr owne flesshe: so many that are vayngloryous, are forced to prayse them selues because no man elles wyll.

Lyke as a spot ought to be wyped oute at the fyrste, least with to long tarying, it stayne through, and be the worse to be got out: so shulde discention be remedyed at the fyrst, that it growe not to hatred.

As the vessell can not be full which alwaye shedeth out, and taketh in nothing: so the man can not be wyse, that euermore talketh, and neuer harkeneth.

Lyke as there is no tree but wyl waxe barrayne and growe out of fashion if it be not well attended: so is there no wyt so good, but wyl waxe euyl, if it be not well applyed.

Lyke as there is no beast so wylde, but that diligence maye make tame: so there is no wyt so vnrulye, but that good bryngyng vp maye maye make gentle.

Lyke as Phisicions with theyr bytter drugges, do myngle theyr sweete spyces, that they myght be the better receyued: so ought checkes to be myngled with gentle admonicions.

Lyke as a dogge deuowreth by and by what so euer he maye catche, and gapeth continuallye for more: so yf it chaunce vs to obtayne any thyng, we set lytle by it, desyrous alwayes to obtayne more.

Lyke as the bookes which are seldome tymes occupyed, wyl cleaue fast togither: euen so the memory waxeth harde, yf it be not oftentymes renued.

Lyke as the stroke whiche a man seeth maye be the better receyued and defēded: so the mischyefe whiche is knowen of before can do the lesse harme.

The poyson whiche serpentes continually kepe without any harme, they sp we out to others destruction: but the malicious contrary wyse hurte no man so muche as them selues.

Lyke as whan the wyne spourgeth, it breaketh the vessell, and that whiche is in the bottom cummeth vp to the brymme: euen so drunkennes discouereth the secretes of the heart.

Lyke as a cunnyng woorkman can fashyon an ymage of any kynde of matter: so a wyseman shulde take in good worthe all kyndes of Fortune.

Lyke as the Sunne is alone bothe to poore and ryche: so ought a Prynce not to haue respect to the person, but to ye matter.

Lyke as an Adamaut by a secret, & hyd power draweth Iron vnto it: euen so wisdome by a secrete meane, draweth vnto it the heartes of men.

Lyke as fyre is an instrument without whiche fewe workes can be fynyshed: so with out Charitie, nothyng maye be done well and honestly.

Lyke as cleare glasse can hyde nothing: so there be many that can kepe secret nor dissemble nothyng.

As some poysons are so contrarye by Nature, that the one cureth the other: so is it lykewyse of deceytes and vices.

After wynter the sprynge tyme followeth: but after age youthe neuer cōmeth agayne.

As it is a great foolyshnes to leaue the cleare fountaynes and to fetche water in puddles: so is it lykewyse to leaue the Euangelyes, and to studye the dreames of mennes ymagination.

Lyke as an Adamant draweth by lytle and lytle the heauy yron, vntyll at the last it be ioyned with it: so vertue and wyse-ioyne men vnto them.

As he whiche in a game place, runneth swyftest, and continueth styll his pace, obtayneth the crowne for his labour: so all that diligently learne, and earnestlye followe wisedome & vertue, shalbe crowned with euerlastyng glorye.

¶Faultes escaped.

¶In the .xv. syde of the Signature. A. the .iii. line, reade. In the fowerth boke.

¶In the .vii. syde of the Signature. B. the v, lyne, reade. Excused hym properly.

¶In the fyrste syde of. Q. the last lyne, reade, That thyng in a realme, &c

Finis.
A table declaryng the contentes of the whole booke. ¶The fyrste booke. THe fyrste beginnyng of Philosophye. Cap. i. The partes of naturall Philosophye. Cap. ii. Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophie. Cap. iii. The kyndes of teachyng Morall Philosophye. Cap. iiii. The order of the boke. Cap. v The lyfe of Hermes, otherwyse called Mercurius Trismegistus. Cap. vi. Of Pythagoras. Cap. vii. Of Thales Milesius. Cap. viii. Of Solon, and whiche were the .vii. that are called sages. Cap. ix. Of Chylon. Cap. x The lyfe of Byas. Cap. xi. Of Periander. Cap. xii. Of Anachacis. Cap. xiii. The lyfe of Myson. Cap. xiiii. Of Epimenides. Cap. xv. Of Anaxagoras. Cap. xvi. The lyfe of Phericides. Cap. xvii The lyfe, answers, and Deathe of Socrates. Cap. xviii. Of Xenophon. Cap. xix. Of Aristippus. Cap. xx The lyfe of Plato. Cap. xxi. Of Xenocrates. Cap. xxii. Of Archelaus. Cap. xxiii. The lyfe of Aristotle. Cap. xxiiii. Of Diogenes. Cap. xxv Of Ant sthenes. Cap. xxvi Of Isocrates. Cap. xxvii Of Plutarche. ap. xxviii. The lyfe and death of Seneca. Cap. xxix. Finis. The seconde booke. THe profyt and vse of moral philosophye. Cap. i Of God, of his workes, and of his power. Cap. ii Of the soule, and gouernaunce therof. Cap. iii. Of the worlde, the lustes, and pleasures therof. Cap. iiii. Of Deathe not to be feared. Cap. v. Of frendshyp and frendes. Cap. vi. Of counsayle and counsaylours. Cap. vii Of rychesse and pouertie. Cap. viii. Of Silence, speache, and communication howe to be vsed. Cap. ix. Of Kynges rulers and gouernours, how they shulde rule bothe them selues and theyr subiectes. Cap. x In the .xi. Chapter are conteyned the preceptes and counsayles of good maners for all pourposes, written of the Philosophers. Finis. ¶The contentes of the thyrde booke. THe vse & profit of prouerbes and adages. Cap. i. Of Wysedome, learnynge, and vnderstanding. Cap. ii. Of Iustice, lawes, Cities, & gouernaunce. Cap. iii Of power, honour, vertue, and strengthe, howe to be vsed. Cap. iiii. Of Liberalitie, pacience, vse, custome, & diligence. Cap. v. Of knowledge, ignoraunce, and erroure, and of folyshnes. Cap. vi. Of moneye and couetousnes. Cap. vii. Of the tounge, of fayre speche, & of flatterye. Cap. viii. Of truthe, of Faythe, of erroure, and of lyinge. Cap. ix. Of bryngyng vp and maners, of disposicions and good instruction. Cap. x. Of Loue, lust and lechery. Cap. xi Of Sorrowe, gladnes, feare, and boldenesse. Cap. xii. Of anger, wrathe, enuye, malice, and reuengeaunce. Cap. xiii. Of libertie and bondage. Cap. xiiii. Of women, wyne, and dronkenes. Cap. xv The reste of the Chapiters of this booke contayne many goodly sentences of dyuers good and profitable matters. ¶Proper Meaters. Finis. In the last booke are conteyned Parables, verye proper to be vse written by these folowyng. Hermes. Plato. Plutarche. Socrates. Aristotle. Seneca. Finis.

¶Imprinted at London, in Flete strete, at the signe of the Sunne, ouer agaynste the Conduyte, by Edwarde Whitchurche, the .xx. daye of Ianuarie, in the yeare of oure Lorde. 1547.

Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, per Septennium.