IT happeneth atte this tyme (my harty belo­ued Edmonde) that I am in such place, wher I haue no maner of bokes with me, to passe the tyme after my maner and custome. And thoughe I had here with me plenty of bokes: yet the place suffrethe me not to spende in them any stu­dy. For you shal vnderstand, that I lye waytynge on my lorde Car­dinal, whose houres I muste ob­serue, to be alwaye at hande, lest I be called, whan I am not bye: the whiche shuld be streight taken for a faute of gret negligence. Wher­fore, nowe that I am well satiated with the beholdynge of these gaye hangynges, that garnissheth here euery wall: I wyll turne me and talke with you. For you muste [Page] knowe, that my mynde hath longe coueted, to shewe what affecte I beare to warde you: the which hy­therto parauenture I neuer vtte­red vnto yon soo playnelye, that you might take therof any perfect knowlege. And that I so dyd kepe in, suche outwarde tokyns, wher­of when you were with me, you shoulde haue perceyued my loue: the cause was none other, but that in dede,How ma­sters hurt their scholars most. I loued you. For longe I haue ben taught, that the mayster neuer hurtethe his scholer more, than whan he vttereth & shewethe by cheryshyng and cokerynge the loue that he bearethe to his scho­lers. I thinke you lacked with me no cheryshinge, but of cokerynge you hadde very lyttel: bycause I was loth to hurt you: the whiche lothnesse cam I saye, of that I lo­ued [Page 3] you. But nowe in as moche you be of age, and also by the common borde of houselynge admyt­ted into the nombre of men, to be no more in the company of chyl­dren, and speciallye for as moche as my rule ouer you is cessed, I wyl not deferre any longer the ex­pressynge of myne harte, that no lesse louethe and fauourethe you, than yf nature had made you, ey­ther my sonne or my brother. For this alway is my mynde, if I haue a frende, in whom I fynde suche feythe, & honestie, that I inward­ly ioy in harte with hym: I reken streyght, that al his be myne with out any exception:Trewe frendshyp So that in ve­ry dede I take to my care, as myn owne, all thynges that be in my frendes care. This mynde had I to my frende Andrewe Smythe, [Page] whose son, Christofer your felow, I euer toke for my sonne, & nowe I thynke playnely, that he is so in very dede. This strengthe hathe true loue in frendshyp, the whiche hath likewyse ioyned your father in suche maner to my harte, that one thynke you shulde be no more his sonne then you be myne. And thoughe I can suffre your father to take the rule of you, more then I do: Yet I can not suffre, that he shulde care more for your profyte then I do. For as I desire & wishe, that you neuer haue nede of me: so surely if you euer shulde haue, it shulde well then appere, that as nature hath giuen you one father, so your fathers frendshyppe hathe prouided for you an other father. Wherfore good Edmonde, reken noo lesse affecte in me to doo you [Page 4] good than is in your owne father, whose only study and care is, to se you growe & prosper towarde the state of an honeste man: and I to further you to the same, am as de­syrous as he is, and as moche as I can, I wyl helpe you both with my counsayle and power, suche as I haue.

¶If you wyll call to your minde all the frayes, that haue benne be­twene you and me, or betwene me and Smythe, you shall fynde, the causes euer depended of a care I had for your and his maniers.

When I sawe certayne phanta­sies in you or him, that iarred frō true opinions, the which true opi­nions,True opinions. aboue al lernyng, I wolde haue masters euer tech theyr scho­lers. But nowe that you be of bet­ter habilite to take coūseyll, I wyl [Page] begynne to shewe you my mynde, in stayinge you for the hole course of your lyfe, that you may in time lerne what is to be done, to be a good & an honest man. You be yet in the first entree of your lyfe, and nowe is the tyme to haue a guyde, that may faithfully conducte you in the ryght way: For there be so many by pathes, and for the most parte, all by pathes be more worne with the steppes of your fore goers thā is the very true path of liuing: that if you go alone, you may par­aduenture long wandre out of the streyghte way. Wherfore as nere as I can, I wylle in fewe wordes appoynte vnto you certayne mar­kes, vppon the whiche if you dily­gentlye loke, you canne not erre nor fayle of the waye, that leadeth to the rewarde of an honeste good [Page 5] man, whose vertue sauoureth ple­santly to heuen, pleseth the world, and nourisheth hym selfe, with an incomperable delite and gladnes, that continually reygneth in his clene & pure consciēce. With these markes & tokēs, the which I wold you loked stil vpon, I wil assigne you certaine auctors, in whose workes I wold you shuld bestow your lesure, when you may haue time to rede, y^t by them you may at the full be instructed in al thinges apper­teining to vertu: & in al your life I wold you medled not greatly with any other bokes, then with these, y^t I shal name vnto you: it is not the reding of many bokes,Reding of many bo­kes. that getteth increace of knowlege & iudge­ment: for the most parte of them, that redeth al indifferētly, confoūd their wittes and memorie without [Page] any notable fruite of their redyng. It muste be a diligent reder, that shal take the profyte of his labour and diligence. No man (specially of them that haue other occupati­ons) can vse redinge but in verye fewe workes, the whiche I wolde shuld be piked out of the best sorte: that the fruite of the reders dili­gence maye be the greatter. I se many lose theyr tyme, when they thinke to bestowe their time beste, bicause they lacke iudgemente or knowelege, to pyke oute the bo­kes, the whiche be worthye to be studied. And in euerye thynge an order wel obserued, bringeth more profitte then any labour or peine besyde. Wherfore my good Wi­thipolle, take hede to my lesson. I am in doubte, whether you haue anye other louer, that canne [Page 6] and wylle shewe you a lyke tale: but welle I am assured, that you haue none, that can thus teache you with a better will, to haue you take profite by him, then I do: & of me howe longe you shall haue this vse, it is in goddes wil to de­termyne: As moche as lyeth in me, I wyl nowe procure and prouide, that these letters shal kepe to your vse the summe of my councell, by the whiche if you order your will, I putte noo doubte, but fyrste the grace of god shalbe rooted in you, and next you shal liue with a mery harte, and finally neuer to lacke the commodities requisite for the shorte tyme in this worlde, in the whiche case you shall opteyne the worshyp and dignitie of a good & an honest man, whose conditions I had rather se you haue with po­uerte, [Page] than in greate abundance to be a man of smal honeste. You may be good, honest, and ryche, and so study to be, or els thynke neuer of ryches: for other wyse you shal de­ceyue your selfe, & do contrary to y^t way, that as wel worldly wisedom as the trouth of our faith sheweth you. But nowe here what I saye.

¶Fyrst and last (myn owne good Withipol) remēbre ernestly to haue in your mind .iii. certeine thinges, the whiche be of suche valure, that he that forgetteth eyther their dignitie and nature, orles the degrees & order of them: he can not please nother god, nor hym selfe, nor the worlde. I saye, in all the course of your lyfe there be .iii. thinges to be loked so vpō, that the first of them must be firste of you regarded: the second enext after, and the third in [Page 7] his place after the .ii. Beware, as of dedly poison, that you ruffil not them without care, one before the other, as to take the .iii. in the place of the fyrste, or the second after the third, or both the second & the third before the first. In this conclusion you shal (as I haue sayd) both of­fēd god, & displese your selfe, & also nothinge contēt the world. Like as the most part of men now a dayes trespas al for the rechfulnes & ne­gligēce in not keping these .iii. thinges, vnder the dignite & degre ac­cording as they ought to be obser­ued and kept. And what be we (my good Edmōd) if we be out of god­dis fauor? odious to our selfe, and dispiteful to men. Therfore agayne I exhort you, to thentent you may eschewe this abhominable condy­cion, & growe to be admitted in the [Page] blessed nombre of them that rest in the grace of god, in the clennes of theyr conscience, and in the fauour of the world, to be iudged a good, a wyse, and an honeste man. For this finall ende myn exhortation is nowe, that you in al your actes in the hole course of your lyfe, re­membre these three thinges, that I wil reherse vnto you. But I say to you, y^t you must not only remē ­bre these thre thinges, but also spe­cially haue in minde the degres of them: so that euer the first of them be chiefly in your thoughte aboue al other: and then in his place put the second, and let not the third be regarded, but as his place requi­reth, that is, when you haue done with the fyrste, and also with the seconde. There lieth more weight & valure vpon the knowynge and [Page 8] kepynge of this tale, that I shall tell you: then if I coude shewe you the waye within fewe monethes, to be a man of greate power, both in excedynge abundance of riches, and also in passynge auctoritie of rule. Therfore as wel for the frute, that foloweth, if you do after myn exhortation, as for the infinite hurtes, that you canne not escape, if you shulde forgette that I say: I warne & warne you agayne, here this lesson with a glad eare, and print the same in your mind, to ex­ecute with lyuely diligence the ef­fect of this counseyl, wherin is cō ­teyned your life and deathe, your ioye and sorowe, as welle in this world, as in that shalbe here after: These .iii. thinges, be the soule, the bodye, and the substaunce of this worlde.Soule. The fyrst place hath by [Page] good reason the soule, seynge hit is a thynge immortal, that is cre­ated and made after the fygure & shape of almyghtye god.Body. The nexte and seconde rome hath the bodye, as the caas and sepulture of the soule, and nereste seruaunt to the secretis of the spirite. The .iii. rome occupieth y^e riches & goodis of this world,Goodes of this worlde. as the necessarie in­strumentes or toles for the bodye, the whiche can not want nor lacke suche thynges. Let then the eie of your inward minde fyrst & chiefely euer beholde the first thing in you that is your soule: Nexte ther­to haue a respecte to your bodye: and thirdely considre the worlde: Care for your soule, as for your chiefe iewell and only treasure.

Care for your body, for the soules sake. Care for the worlde for the [Page 9] bodis sake. Beware aboue al thinges, that you go not backewarde, as he doothe, that carethe fyrste to be a ryche man: nexte to be an hel­thye manne, and thyrdely to be a good manne: where he shoulde do clene contrary, first to study for goodnes, nexte for helth, and then for welthe. You se so greate blind­nes amonge men, that some folke so careth for ryches, that very lit­tel they loke for the helth of the bo­dye, & nothing at al they mind the state of the soule. I say to you, som folkes do thus: I wolde to god I myghte not truely report, that for the most parte al mē in maner now a dayes do no nother wyse. Loke vpō eyther the spiritual sort or the temporal: and moch a do you shal hauein the great swarmyng mul­titude of this blynd sorte, to fynde [Page] oute theym, that fyrste aboue all thynges care for theyr soule, nexte for their body: and thirdly for goo­des of this world. You shal se marchantes spare no trauayle nor ieo­pardie of the body, to get these goodes. They be (to sey the trouth) so occupied in the study of this third thynge, that scant they haue tyme to care for the seconde, and as for the fyrste, they passe nothynge ther vppon, it semeth a thynge leaste in theyr thoughte, where, of conue­niencye the same care, studye, and thought, that they gyue to the op­teynynge of these worldly goodes: they shulde spend it al in the main­teynaunce of the fyrste thynge, that is the soule: and the smalle lyttelle regarde, that they take for the fyrste, shoulde be bestowed for the thyrde: and more than they [Page 10] do, they shuld cherishe the seconde. The same cōfusiō is with vs scho­lers:scholers. for our first study is to get promotion, to get these goodis, to liue welthily. In this care we busely be occupied continually. Somewhat more we cheryshe our bodies then doth the marchant: but our che­rysshynge is for the longer vse of these goodes, not as it shuld be for the soules sake. And as for y^e soule we haue as lyttel regarde as other men haue, although we speke therof more then parauēture other mē do. This ouerthwarte confusion of these thre thynges marreth all. And playnely I may say, that all mischief cometh onely of this mis­order, that we put the chyefe care of our study to the thyrde thynge, and not to the fyrste, as of duitye, we oughte to do the contrarye.

[Page] If my purpose were to shewe you, what other men do, and not rather what I wolde haue you doo: I wolde farther procede to expresse vnto you, how farre out of square our lyfe is nowe a dayes: and how blessed a life we shuld haue in this traunsitorie worlde, if the care of our soule were fyrst and chiefely in mens myndes, lyke as the care of the worldly substāce occupieth our hartis aboue all other thinges. If it were as it ought to be, y^t in our phantasie reigned the study for the soule, thē shuld be here that celesti­al kyngedom, the whiche Christ techeth vs to pray for in oure pater noster, where we craue of god, that his rule and reygne maye come a­monge vs. But as I despayre that commonly this study and care can not be changed from these worldly [Page 11] ryches to the soule: so I am ful of good hope, that you wyl take hede to your lyfe, to ordre therein your desyres, in this dewe maner, more regardynge what shulde be done, then what is done. When you se and knowe the ryght path, I trust you wil not walk in the croked hye way. The trouth shal more drawe you to loue and to folowe vertue, then the common ensample shalle entice you to folowe vyce, the whi­che no man can loue, not the syn­ner hym selfe.

But nowe myne owne good Ed­monde, here of these three thynges somewhat more you muste prynte in your mynde, with a perfect per­swasiō, that your soule is the chief treasure, that you haue: where­vppon your continualle thoughte and care muste be, to kepe hit, to [Page] defende it, to norishe it, to comfort it by al waies and meanes possible for you. In this studie you muste spende all your wittes: night and day you must think on this thing, what so euer you do, you must di­rect your act to this thing. If you be occupied in the state of your bo­dy, eyther to dryue away syckenes, or to susteyne helth, let it be for the seruice your bodi oweth to y^e soule. If you trauayle for goodes of this worlde, to get your owne lyuyng, or to helpe your frende, orels to prouide for your chyldren, when god shal sende you them: let your tra­uayle be for the necessyties of the body, and so finally for the soule. Consydre what the goodes of the worlde be, howe they be but instrumentes for the body. Use then the worlde in his kynde. Loke agayne [Page 12] vpon your body, howe it is preci­ouser then the goodes: vse hym thē in his worthynes, & hurte not your body for a thing of lesse valu. And as ye haue nothinge, nother your body nor your goodes, to be cōpa­red with the dignite of your soule: so my swete withipol, let nothinge be in your reputation aboue this chief & principal iewel, the whiche must only for him self be cared for, & al other thinges in this life, must be cherished for it. I sticke moche with you in repetinge one thynge, but maruayle nat, though I so do: For I se vs al in this world so blinded, partly by a vse & custome frō y^e cradil, in the magnifienge of these goodis, partli by thēsāple of them, with whom we be daily conuersāt: that scant after longe crieng it can nowe be harde, y^t the soule must be [Page] cheifly cared for. And except grace worke with you, that you your self wyll consent to the trouth, it is not possible to perswade you, that the very trewe way of lyuyng is this, to care chiefly for the soule, and to care for all other thynges onelye for the soules sake. This sayenge thoughe it be trewe, yet I saye, hit can not be harde: in as moche the lyues of all them, with whome ye shalbe continuallye conuersaunt, shall crye oute clene contrarye a­gaynste my sayeng. For on al sides you shall se menne sweatynge in a contynuall worke, bothe of bodye and of mynde, to get these world­ly goodes, withoute any mention made of the soules state: the whi­che the verye friers care lyttel for: as it openly appereth. But euer I say to you, loke what Christen [Page 15] men shuld do, and if you se men so do, be glad of that syght, & folowe the same: if you se the contrarie, fle from the ensample, and cleue euer fastly to the trouthe, with a sorow­ful harte for the losse of other men, that so blyndely rushe forthe in the trayne of a vicious lyuyng, where the soule is so lyttel cared fore.

¶That this firste thynge may be y^e better in your study, I wil brefe­ly touche som what of tho thynges that appertein hereto: to haue you knowe what nourisheth and com­forteth the soule, & what hurteth and noyeth the same. The soule can not but euer lyue, it hath noo ende of lyuynge, yet we may saye, that the soule liueth and dyeth: It liueth in the grace of god, and di­eth in the malice of the diuel. The soules lyfe is the lyghte of vertue: [Page] his death is the derkenes of sinne. You haue a free wyll gyuen you, wherby you may either quicken or slaye at your owne pleasure, your soule in y^e bryght Paradise of life, and you may set your soule in the blacke dungeon of deathe. Let therefore this wyll of yours euer study to procure for the soules life, the whiche is your owne lyfe: and in the same study you shall delyuer the soule from his death, the whi­che is the perpetualle payne ordei­ned for synne, that seperateth the image of god frome his patrone. I saye syn plucketh your soule frō god, whose image your soule shuld beare. Therfore in all your actis so doo, that you wyllyngely dis­please not god: who canne not be pleased but with a pure and clene conscience, pure and cleane if you [Page 16] suffre noo synne to remaygne soo longe in your desyre and mynde, that hit cankerethe the thoughte. Your thoughte is cankered with the longe resydence of synne: when eyther you be weake in the studye of vertue, orelles make verye lit­telle of a faulte, or defende youre vyce, or nowselle youre selfe in a custome of an inordynate desyre. The fraylenes of our flesshe is so greatte, that it canne not be, but that syn shall come to our desyre: but it is our blame, if synne tarye and abyde within vs. God hath gyuen vs a myghtye power ouer our selfe: we maye when we wyll correcte our desires, and dryue out all synne. If you knowe not what is synne, nor what is vertue: by the feare and loue of god, you shal knowe boothe.

[Page] The feare of god wylle teache you to flee sinne and folowe vertu.Feare of god. Loue of god. The loue of god wylle teache you to fo­lowe vertu and flee sinne: wherby your priuey and secrete conscience shall better and more clerely per­ceiue, what is to be done, and what is not, than any diffinition or des­cryption can appoynt oute to you. Therfore my dere Withipoll, en­warpe your selfe faste and sure in the fere and loue of god, from your firste rysynge to your reste, drawe forth the day in all your busynesse, as this louynge feare and feareful loue shal secretely admonishe and warne you: and dye rather than you wolde pursue any lust against your knowlege of goddes plesure.

¶What marchandise so euer you occupie: remembre, it is the busy­nes of the thirde care, for the whi­che [Page 13] you may not leaue any poynte of this fyrste care, that belongeth to the soule. Lyke wise if ye be oc­cupied about the body: remembre, it is the warke of the seconde care, the which also must be ordered vnder the fyrste, the whiche fyrst must alwey sticke in your mynde, stur­red vp and led in all desires & ap­petites by the sayde feare & loue of god. Do neuer that thynge, wher­in you feare goddis displeasure.

¶More partycularlye in wry­tinges you shall lerne this lesson,Newe te­stamente. if you wold somtyme take in your handes the newe testamente, and rede it with a dewe reuerence. For I wold not haue you in that boke forgette, with whome you talke, hit is god that there speakethe, hit is you a poore creature of god that redeth. Consider the matche, [Page] and meke downe your wittes. Presume not in no case to thynke, that there you vnderstonde ought: leue deuisinge thervpon: submit your selfe to the expositiōs of holy doc­tours: and euer conforme your cō ­sent to agre with Christes church. This is the surest way that you cā take, both before god & man. Your obediēce to the vniuersal faith shal excuse you before god, although it might be in a false belefe: & y^e same obediēce shal also kepe you out of trouble in this worlde, where you se, howe folishe medlars be daylie sore punyshed, both to theyr owne vndoing, & also to their gret sorow & lamenting of their louers & fren­des. Surely the trouthe is as I haue sayd, that it is your parte to obey, and to folowe the church: so that both for your soules sake, and [Page 14] for your bodily quietnes, with the cōforte of your frendes, I exhorte you to meddel in no point of your faith, other wise then the churche shal instruct & teache you. In the whiche obedience rede for your in­crease in vertue, the storie of oure mayster Christe, that liuely expres­sethe the hole course of a vertuous lyfe.Mat. 6. And there you shall here the holye gooste commande you,Luc. 12. to seeke fyrste afore all thynges, the kingedome of heuen, & than (saith the spirite of god) al other thinges apperteyninge to the bodye and worlde, shall by them selfe folowe withoute your care.

¶In reding the gospels,Redynge y^e gospels Chrysost. Ierom I wold you had at hande Chrysostome & Ierom, by whom you might sure­ly be brought to a perfecte vnder­standing of the text. And hereafter [Page] at leysure, I wolde you redde the Ethikes of Aristotell,Ethica. eyther vn­der some expert philosopher,Arist. orels with comment of Futtiratius.

And lette PlatoPlato be familiar with you, specially in the bokes that he wryteth De re publica. Also you shall fynde moch for your knowelege in the moral philosophie of Cic.Cicero. as in his bokes De officiis, de senectute, de fa­to, de finibus, de Achademicis questio. de Thust. Specially rede with diligēce the workes of Seneca:Seneca. of whom ye shall lerne as moche of vertue as mans wit can teche you. These workes I thinke sufficiēt, to shew you what is vertue, and what is vice: and by redynge of these, you shall growe in to a highe corage to ryse in a iudgemente aboue the commen sorte, to esteme this world accordynge to his worthines, that [Page 17] is farre vnder the dignitie of the vertues, the whiche the mynde of men conceyueth and reioycethe in these bokes, shal lyft you vp from the claye of this erthe, and set you in a hill of highe contemplacion: from whence you shal loke downe and dispise the vanite, that folishe men take, in the deceyteful pompe of this shorte & wretched life. Mobokes, I wyll not aduyse you, for your soules study, to rede, thanne these: excepte hit be Enchiridion, that Erasmus wrytethe, a worke doubtles, that in fewe leaues con­teynethe an infynite knowlege of goodnes. Thynke not my good Edmond, that I ouer charge you. For I knowe what pleasure you haue in redinge: & in better bokes you can not bestowe your plesure, than in these, the whiche be in nō ­bre [Page] but fewe, and yet they shall do you more good thā the reding here & there of many other. I wolde to Iesus I had in your age folowed lyke coūseil in redinge onely these workes, the whiche nowe at laste by a great losse of tyme in redyng of other, I haue chosen out for my purpose, to refreshe with them the reste of my lyfe. And I councel you nowe to begynnne to doo the same, when tyme and conueniente leyser shall be giuen you to rede a­ny boke.

¶The second care is for the body, the which you must cherish as mo­che as may stande with the seruice of your former thought and study for your chief treasure. Haue a res­specte to kepe your bodye in good helth,Bodilye helth. the whiche resteth in the aier and in your diete. Abide not where [Page 18] ruption or infection is:Corrupte aier. Eate not, nor drīk not out of time or mesure: nor yet of suche meates & drynkes,Diete. as be more delicate and pleasant, then holsome. Knowe the measure of your stomacke before you ouer­lade your bealye. Choke not your appetite, but fede your honger.

Drowne not your lust, but quench your thirst, & euer for your soules sake,Faste. kepe you frō glottony. Faste sometime boothe for deuotion and also for your helth: SlepeSlepe. rather to lyttell then to moche, as moche as you take from slepe, soo moche you adde to your lyfe. For slepe is deth for the tyme. ExerciseExercise. you continually: for in labor your bodye shall fynde strengthe: and lustynesse is gotten by the vse of your lymmes. Lette neuer the sonne ryse before you: you shall [Page] haue to all your affaires the len­ger day:Ydlenes[?]. And euer for your soules sake, flee from ydlenes, the whiche is not onely in hym that dothe no­thynge, but also in hym that doth not well: and ydell you be, when you be not well occupied.Tempe­rance. Be tem­perate in your lustes, touching the bodyly pleasure: the tyme shal not belonge tyll your frendes by god­dis grace, wyll prouide you of an honeste mate. In the meane sea­son let the feare & loue of god kepe you in chastitie, the whiche apper­teyneth to your chiefe care: for ne­des you must so do, seinge y^t other wise lecherie shal sore defoyle your soule, y^e which you must regard be fore y^e bodis appetite. For this part I wolde you redde, as your leiser shalbe,Gale. De bona bale tud. tuen. a littel worke of Galen De bona valetudine tuenda. And in the workes [Page 19] afore named, you shal find many thynges, that shall instruct you well for this parte also, and lyke wise for the third, the whiche thyrd euer hath occupied mens stomac­kes more thē eyther the first or the seconde. Wherfore as wel in holy scripture, as in the other philoso­phers, & specially in Seneca,Seneca. you shal finde many lessons, that ap­perteine to the thirde care. This third care is for the goodes in this world. In this part I can giue you smal aduyse of my selfe, bycause I haue had but smal experience here in: yet euer I se, that you may not in the study of gettyng these goo­des, leue or slake the chief care, for the fyrste thynge, nor yet the secō ­darye care for the bodye. Labour you muste for your lyuynge in a dewe order, as in the thyrd degree [Page] of your thinges. If matens, masse, or a sermon be to be harde, set your marchādise aparte for the season, & prefer the mattens of your soule, y^t loketh to haue suche gostly fode. If the tyme require to haue you take a mele, eyther a diner or a supper for your refection, let not your marchādise defer the going therto in a dewe tyme. For remēbre, that busines is one degree aboue your marchandise.Almes dede. If you espie a pore man to be in nede of your helpe, hast to helpe him befor any eare of makinge a bargayne, for y^t worke of mercy perteyneth to your chiefe iewell: & therfore your soule shall growe in the grace of god. Breke not moch, to the hurt of your helth the cōuenient time of going to bed for any occupatiōs or rekeninges in your study for these goodes. For [Page 20] remēbre, that reste & slepeSlepe. perteine to the .ii. thyng, wher your conting bokes belonge to the thyrde.Bargyne. In making your bargaine kepe faith and promise: deceiue no man with any gyle or false color. For let it be euer in your phantasie, howe the gaines that you shuld get with su­che vntrue dealyng, be cōteined vnder your .iii. y^t is to sey vnder your lest care, wher y^e breking of faith & ꝓpmise, with false deceite & vntrue deling, sore hurteth your soule: in whom resteth your chief thought. And by falshed, you coulde not get so moch of riches, as by y^e same you shuld lose of honestie & goodnes. wherfore trauayle euer as the de­gres of these .iii. thinges shal req̄re. If an infinite hepe of worldly goodes might be got with a smal hurte & damage of y^e soule, forsake rather [Page] that great heape, than you wolde suffre this small hurte. There can be no comparison betwene the sou­les helth and the riches: the leaste droppe that can be of your soules parte, must pondre and weye more in your thought, thē al this world besyde can do.

¶Let not any similitudeSimilitu­des. deceyue your indgement. As if par cas a man wolde reson, that the goodes of the soule be all golde, the goo­des of the worlde be all leade: all thoughe that golde is euer better than lede, yet there may be a great quātite of leade, y^t shal be valured aboue the smalle portion of golde. So in your phantasy a great gai­nes & lucre of the worldly goodes may seme better than a smal point of our soules substaunce. Wher­fore, he wyll conclude, that with a [Page 21] lyttel losse of honestie or goodnes, we maye venture to gette a greate aduauntage in this worlde: and some littel small portion we maye borowe of our soule, to wynne by that meanes a great summe of ri­ches. Beware good withipoll, of suche reasonnyng, and to the deth, to gayne al the hole royalte of this hole worlde, neuer trespas against your soule in the smallest iote that can be imagined. As if ye might be made a lorde of greate myght & power with abundance of posses­sions and goodes, onelye for the speakynge in wyttenesse of one worde agaynste the trouthe, with grudge of your conscience: for sake you all that offer, rather then you wolde fele the priuey bytte of your offence. For if you loke well, you shal see, that there is a great­ter [Page] valu of gaynes in the smallest iote of vertue, then is in the moste wer of riches: & y^t y^e losse of y^e smal­lest mote, perteining to your sou­les state, is more hurte & domage, thē the refusing or forgoing of al y^t is vnder heuē. So that I say, it is not like betwene the soules goodis & the goodes of this world, as it is betwene golde and lead valured aboue a peny weight of gold: where there is no title so small of vertue, that is not to be valured without comparison aboue the hole power of the erth and sees, throughe out Asia, Affrica, and Europa. The profe of my saieng dependeth here vpon, that euery iote, euery title, e­uery mote of vertu, wherin is con­teined y^e soules welthie state, hath appointed his propre state & place in the heuē & kingdom of god: & al [Page 22] the spiritual goodes, both small & great be vnder god, of whom ver­tue receiueth hir rewarde: Of the which reward he y^t leseth any ma­ner portion, loseth more than the losse of the hole dominiō & rule of this world, whose prince is the di­uel,Diuel. y^t reineth ouer al them, as ouer his bonde seruātes, the which can finde in their hartes to forsake vertue to wynne these false and vaine goodes, that stande to vs in no er­thily stede: but for the shorte tyme of a fewe yeres in this life, where y^e possessiōs of vertu be euerlasting. Thus I shewe you good Edmōd, that your care to get these worldly goodes muste be subdued vnder due order, as in his thyrde place. But what be these goodes, & what wey you may laufully gette them, I doubte not, but your father wyll [Page] in tyme conuenint shewe you. He is of that sorte of men, the whiche hath by longe approued honestie purchased hym a good name, and is therby beloued and regarded of good men: whose steppes if you folowe, you shal by goddes grace come to lyke worshyppe, and be of lyke or more habilitie to leaue to your childrē sufficiēt to passe this lyfe with. Here remēbre, the more your father loueth you, the lesse is your thirde care: and the lesse that your thirde care is, the more leiser you haue to think vpon your chief iewell, the whiche god hath gyuen you to be ordered after your wyll, in the whiche iewel you shall after this lyfe well passed, haue the fru­ition of goddis presence, wherein resteth the ioye ineffable of the blessed lammes. The gotis, that is to [Page 23] say, the gredie soules of this third care, the which neuer mendeth, or very lyttel and weakely mendeth, the fyrste care, shal remayne for e­uer more, in the peineful darknes, where is nothynge but cryeng out and lamentynge with frettyng of stomakes, and snarrynge of teth, as the gospell shall teache you: In the whiche boke of god, you shall here what an harde thyng it is for a ryche man to entre in to heuen: bicause that most commonly riche men spend al theyr care & thought out of order, onely for this worlde, and seldome or neuer they thinke of theyr soule: and whenne they thynke thereof, they soo thynke, that they put that care far vnder the care of these worldely busines, doynge clene contrarye to this or­der. The whiche god wolde haue [Page] vs to kepe. The which order thouh you shal se very litel regarded of al sortes of men, yet good Edmonde regarde you it, & haue pite of them y^t regarde it not.Mat. 20. et. 22. It is the sonne of god, the which saith, many be cal­led to heuen, but fewe be chosen. Enforce your selfe to be amonge the few, & forsake y^e multitude. Be not drawē to an yuel opinion, nei­ther with the ensample of popis, cardinalles, and priestes, nor with y^e ensāple of princes, lordes, knigh­tes, gentilmen, and marchātes, nor yet with y^e ensāpe, of mōkes, friers. You may by your self know, what is the right path, folowe you cora­giously y^e same, & forsake the cōmō hie way of sīners. Yet before I leue this .iii. care, I wyll shew you my mind, what is chiefly in this ꝑte to be cared fore: as the best portion of [Page 24] worldely ryches. Surely I reken no possession of londes, nor yet no substāce of marchādise, nor yet no abūdance of money, to be cōpara­ble to a good frēd.A good frende. Therfore aboue all things in this worlde, procure to haue plētie of frēdes, & make of them your cōpte, as of your best & most p̄cious goodes. Alweys your frende shall be more profitable to you, then any tresure or power be­side can be. Nowe you shall know them y^t be worthy to be your fren­dis, & by what menes, & what wey frendes be both gotten & also kept, ye shall best lerne in Ciceros littell boke De amicitia. Cicero de amicitia. I cā not say in this thing any point that is left of him. wherfore I remit you to y^t worke. An other point touching this care of worldly goodes is to vse accor­dingly your wife, whē y^e time shall [Page] [...] [Page 24] [...] [Page] come, that you shall haue one. For to opteyne substance of goodes, it lieth as moche in the wife, to kepe that you bringe home,House wife. as in your trauayle to bryng home. And surely onelesse she be the keper and sparer, the husbande shal littel go for­warde in his labour of gettynge: And the very trouth is, that there is noo yuelle houswyfe, but for hir fautes the good man is to be bla­med. For I am vtterly of this opi­niō, that the mā may make, shape, and forme the womā, as he wil. I wolde go farther with you in this thing, & shew somwhat of y^e wey to order your householde, if I sawe not this matter so largelye intrea­tedde of dyuers phylosothers, of whome ye shall here as moche, as may be said in this thing. Speci­ally I wolde you redde with most [Page 25] diligence, the propre boke, y^t Xeno­phonXenoph. writeth herof, it is called oeco­nomia, oeconomi. that is to say, the craft to or­der and kepe an howse, where this auctour geueth suche counsell, for all the course of an honeste mans lyfe in this worlde to growe in ry­ches, vnder the meanes of discre­tion and wisedome, that noo man in my mynde can sey more therin, or better: the whiche iudgemente of myne I doubt not but you wyll approue, whenne you haue redde the sayde worke: it is translated out of greke in to latine by one Raphaelle, but in his translation the worke leseth a greatte parte of the grace, that hit hath in the greke tonge, and also his translation in many places is false: and it playnly appereth, that Raphaell vnder­stode not wel, what Xenophō wrot [Page] in greke. I haue therfore, for dy­uers of my frendes sake translated the same worke out of greke tonge in to englyshe, and you shall haue the same with my good wyl, when your pleasure is to rede it.

¶I wolde also for some parte of this thirde care, haue you rede the vii. & the .viii. boke of Aristot.Aristot. po­litikes,Politic. for to here his counsel con­cernynge the bryngyng vp of chil­dren, and the vse of other certayne thinges.

¶This is the effecte & some, myn owne good Edmond, of my coū ­cell, touching the .iii. said thinges: in y^e which I reken to rest the hole course of your lyfe, and if you ob­serue & kepe them in theyr degrees & order accordingly, you shall surely content god, nexte please your selfe, & thyrdly satisfie the worlde. [Page 24] On y^e cōtrary parte, misorder these caris, & you shal rūne in to the vengeāce of god, into the hate of your selfe, and in to the indignation of al men. Be holde I pray you these hungrie and gredy wretches, that make of the thyrde thynge theyr fyrste thought and care, what life lead they in the sclander of al their acqueintāce? what deth haue they in the sight of theyr priuy cōsciēce, whan they remembre their false swearinges, their deceitful bargaines, their playne robberies, theyr pollinges, their cruelle exactions, their oppressinges of y^e poore men? what hope haue they of goddes fauor, whā they remēbre al their care & thought hath bē for the welth of this world? y^e which whē they leue & forsake, they despeire of al other welthines: in as moch their mīdes [Page] neuer ernestly cared for that welth, the whiche euer endureth.

This remembraunce of theyr mis­order, is an heuy burthen to their consciēce. It can not be otherwise. Cōsyder nowe agayne, how clere and lyght his mynde is, that in all his lyfe hath euer chiefely studied for the soules welth, that remem­breth euer howe his care hath ben for the rewarde of vertue? Of this man howe well doth euery manne speake? what ioy and comforte en­braceth the consciēce of this man, whē the hande of god calleth him frome his shorte lyfe, to that per­petualle lyfe, for the whiche he hath so moche labored. The tother be he neuer so rich, is called a false felowe a wretched knaue. This man be he neuer so pore, is called an honest person, a good man, for [Page 27] whome the heuē gatis standeth o­pen, whilste the tother falleth to endles turmentes. This is thend of misorder, & this is thēd of good order, in breaking and kepyng the degres of the forsaid thre thinges. Wherfore I can not warne you to often, to take hede of this coun­cel: and you can not to often here the same. The ieoperdie is not small, if you shoulde forgette this tale, hit is no lesse perill then vtter shame in this worlde, with deathe euerlastyng. where so euer is sclā ­der, there is shame: greater sclan­der there can be none, than folo­weth on all sydes the vniuste riche man. And he euer, where some e­uer he be, gathereth uniustely ry­ches, that careth chiefely for these worldely promotions, the whiche man hath (I saye) bothe in his life [Page] extreme shame, & also after this life extreme punishement. You be not forboden to get riches, but the vn­ordinate desire of geting riches is abominable both in y^e sight of god & mā: your desire is vnordinate, if it be not ordred vnder the degre of your chif care, as now oftē inough hath bē repeted. I wolde now leue you & make an end of these .3. cares & studies, apꝑteinīg to your soule, body, & goodes: sauinge y^t bicause I somwhat know your dispositiō, & wil particularly touch one thing or two that you muste most ernest­ly beware of: bicause you be moch naturallye inclyned otherwyse to falle in to certayne poyntes, that sore disquieteth the minde, hurteth the body, and hindreth the profites of this lyfe: so that frendly I wyll admonishe you of one or two thin­ges, [Page 28] that perteyne to all your three charges.

¶Take hede my good Withipoll of your passion toward wrath,wrath, ire, & anger. ire, & anger: resist as moch as you can the prouocatiō of your stomake to this vehemēt pāge. Be not light e­red in hering a word of displesure: Consider the kinde of life that you take: you must be cōuersante with many and diuers marchantis, a­monge whom euery one thynketh him self both lorde & mayster. In suche company chanceth to be oftē dysdayneful lokes, proude coūte­nāces, scornes, mockes, scoffes, cō parisons, bytyng tauntes, odyous checkes, spytefull reproches, with frettinge enuye, and with manye other corrupte affections, where­by ryseth moche debate, and some tyme there foloweth plaine furie, [Page] that maketh men more lyke wylde beastes, for the tyme of their mad­nes, than to reasonable creatures. It is a great grace in him y^t feleth his harte agreued,Furrie. & yet sheweth not outwardly his grefe. This prudent dissimulation more auengeth his quarel, thā any rēdring of any wordes coude do.Pacience. For it is a deed­ly stroke, that the pacient manne gyueth in this softe and mylde suffering the ragis of an angrie fole. Loke wel vpon them both, he that suffrethe and saythe naughte, is like a manne, the rayler or taunter is lyke a beaste or a foole. The suf­ferer alway both in his tyme of sufferynge and also afterward, when all fumes be cessed, hath a greate prayse of all that beholdeth hym: and euer he hath cause of reioising and gladnes, where the tother fretteth [Page 29] with hym selfe: and scant the nexte daye after he can shewe his face: behynde whose backe his cō ­pany reporteth the folly of his ha­stynes, & sore they blame hym for his vncomly behauour. Let y^e quarel be what you lust, euer by your pacience & sufferāce, you shal haue aduauntage of hym that prouo­keth you, and finally, for your of­ten forbearynge, a name of sobre­nes, wisedome, & discretion: wher­of shal folowe great credence, & a loue of al honest persons towarde you, where he y^t wil suffre naught, but wyll ease his stomacke, in gy­uinge mocke for mocke, checke for checke, shalbe taken for a wrang­ler, a brauler: and fewe or noone honeste men wyll gladlye meddyll with hym.

¶To rule this passion of ire, you [Page] shalbe moch more strōger thā min exhortatiō cā make you, if you wil (as I haue councelled you before) haue PlatoPlato. your familiar. And SenecaSeneca▪ shalbe a mere phisition for to helpe your mind ayenst these gre­uoꝰ pāges. The best is not to be angrie, the nexte is not to shewe in wordes or coūtenāce your angre, but remēbre, if it chāce that you be angred, and that you haue in she­wynge your angre moued & stur­red some other to be displesed: be­ware that you nourisshe not this grefe, spit out of your stomake all peuishnes, & seke atonmēt as sone as it cā be possible. If the ꝑty speke not to you, speke you to hym, it is no shame to be agreed, it is a foule shame to cōtinue in anger: & in the mene season your prayer to god is voide. For out of charitie, & out of [Page 30] fauor & grace of god. It is y^e groūd & only stay of our religion, to loue to gether like brotherne, al vnder one fader y^t loketh ouer vs in heuē, for whose sake, se y^t you neuer slepe with grudge ayenst any ꝑson: in so doinge you shal finally opteine, y^t no man wil bere you grudge, & for your loue you shal haue loue plentifully of god & of y^e world: Begin mine owne good withipoll to ouer throw this bestely passiō of wroth, before your age make your stomak stubborne. Ouercome now in time sullines, before men haue regarde of your displesure: accustome your selfe with mildenes, softnes, paci­ēce, sufferāce, & specially with gen­tilnes, that can not abyde an harte mindefulle of any grefe. To your enferior be pitiful, buxome, & redy in offering your selfe, both to take [Page] and kepe frendeshyp with your fe­lowe and companion. Striue not, compare not: but alwayes studye to encrease familiaritie by louinge maners, and easly forget iniuries. Let no displesure be taken of you, howe many someuer dyspleasures be gyuen you. To your better and superiour if you obey & giue place, it shall be reputed to your commē ­dation and prayse. There is noo man so vile, but his loue may stād in stede to you, and of the pooreste mans hatred, you may haue some tyme hurte.

¶Thus I say both for the worldly wisedome, and also for the bon­des of your faythe, you muste take hede to this warnynge: & the more ye be enclyned not only to be quic­kely angrie, but also to nourysshe lōge your angre: the more diligēce [Page 31] you must bitimes take, to correcte and amende your nature, remem­brynge alway your chief care, that perteyneth to the fyrste thyng, the whiche is with nothing more hur­ted and hyndered, in his waye to grace warde, then with the brea­king of loue and charitie. And as often as you be angrie, soo often plucke you your soule frō the pre­sence of god, by the same passion. Also you disquiete your body, and oftē times folow diseses by y^e fiers pursuinge of a grefe, & sometime by rages chanceth plaine bataile, & therof your body stādeth euer in ieoꝑdye. Also nothing more hyn­dreth y^e gaines of your .iii. care, thē doth vnpacient chidynge with o­ther. For it causeth manye to for­beare companye: and by that euer foloweth losse of occupienge. And [Page] sometyme a good worde behynde your back may auātage you more thē a longe sayling in to Spaine, and an yuel worde lykewyse may do you more hurte than a losse of a shyppe: Let no man haue cause to be angrye with you, and euer you be sure to be wel reported by.

One other thynge or two I wolde warne you of, with as many wor­des as I haue done of the said passiō, if I thought not y^t by y^e reding of the said workes, you shal moche better than I can shewe you, not only fle frō al misbehauors, & cor­rupt vses of yl fātasies, but also folowe y^e clene piked vertues, and by your own study grow to be a ꝑfect mā, in y^e fauor of god & al other. No mā shal coūsel you better, then you shall doo your owne selfe, if in re­ding you wil examin secretly your [Page 32] cōscience, whether such ꝓpretis be in you as you rede, or no. If they be in you & be dispreised, determine with your selfe to amend them: if they be not in you, & be good, determyne with your selfe to get them. As in reding you shal here aboue all other fautes dispraised, an vn­tru tōge,Vntrewe tonge. which bringeth a mā out of credēce, a thing very hurtful for marchātes, whose craft you be like to exercise: & beside it sore offēdeth y^e eares of god, to here his best be­loued creature make y^t noise ayēst his knowlege & priuey conscience: where nothinge garnisheth mans voice better thē trouth of his tale. This thing chiefly apꝑteineth to the care of the soule, y^t is your first charge. It maketh also for the .ii. and for the .iii. care. For surely whē the minde is disquieted with the remembraunce [Page] of the offence in ly­enge, the body hath his parte of yl reste: And by the same vntrue spe­kynge moche hurte and domage ensueth agaynste your credence, a thinge I say moste necessary to be kepte and maynteyned of al them, y^t seke by marchādise any lucre or gaynes. Therfore let your mynde my good Withipol neuer delite to vtter any lie. Eyther speke not, or speke truly. what faute so euer you may do, let it not be defēded with a false tale: for y^t were to fle out of the smoke in to y^e fire, as to do a worse faute in choking an yll, and in the mene season your soule suffereth a sore stroke. This euer as you rede of this matter, haue minde of your selfe to take fruit of your redynge.

¶In consideration also of al thre partes, that is to say, both for the [Page 41] defence of your soules state, & for the welth of your bodye, and also for the worldly goodes sake, vse in all your actes a certayne cōmen­dable wisedome, neuer to be none of these busy medlers: Leue other mens fautes, leue correcting, that you haue no power in, leaue tea­chinge of that you knowe not. Let the gospel be ordered by them, that be admitted for doctours therof.

Let the prestes be blamed of them that haue the rule of the order. Let common ceremonies and all olde customes alone. Put euer your trust in the power and wyl of god, and obey to he consent of the chur­che, without quarellynge or resys­tynge. Go you fourth your waye after the meke steppes of a trewe christen man. Let the worlde blu­ster and blowe as hit wyll, be you [Page] none of the blowers. Scurge who wyl, be you none of the scourgers. For beleue me, sooner shal the rod, than the chylde y^t is beaten, be cast in to the fier. In eschewinge all medlyng, you shal saue your goo­des, you shal kepe your body from trauayle, and by the same meanes you shal best prouide a sure bucke­ler for your soule.Obedience. For vnder the clooke of obedience, chaunce what chance shal, your soule is euer sure for takynge any hurte: the iustice of god wyll kepe you harmelesse, howe some euer the tempeste of e­normities ouerfloweth this world. If you shoulde be malaperte,malapert. and presume to be a doer: reporte me to you, what may in this world hap­pen to your vndoing both in goo­des & bodye, & by the same trouble you shalbe caste from the succour [Page 42] of god, who abideth not any presū ­tion. You falle in to presumption,presump­tion. when you grudge agaynste your rulers, though they be worthy of all disprayses. You presume, when you meddel with them, that be not vnder you. You presume, whan you take in hande to amende this or that, where your parte is not to speake. And specially you be pre­sumptuous, when you dare crake, that you knowe goddes wil. Leue therfore my good Edmond, al ma­ner of medlynge, and praye to god to accepte your obedience. Praye also bitterly, that his wyll may be fulfilled in this worlde amōge vs, as the angels fulfille in heuen.

Thus pray, and meddille no far­ther. For I assure you, it is so to be done.

¶Many my thynges myghte be [Page] sayd for these .iii. cares, but to you I recken it inough this moch that I haue here touched. yet one word or .ii. more shall not be suꝑfluous. For I wolde not haue you decey­ued by any word that I haue here vsed: As perauenture you might be, if I shuld thus leaue you. Se­inge that I haue bed you fyrste to care for your soule, next to care for your body, and thyrdely to care for the goodes of this worlde. Moreouer I sayd, there be goodes of the soule, goodes of the body, goodes of this lyfe. But lette these wordes be to you as not spoken in their ex­acte and propre signification. For to speake truely, there is noo care but one, nor there be noo goodes but of one. We muste haue a cer­tayne slyght regarde to our body, & a slighter regarde to the worlde: [Page 43] but care we may not for neither of these two. You knowe, that to care were to take an inwarde weyghty thought: the whiche muste not be taken, but for a thynge of greate worthynes, and also of more sure­tie, than is either our body, or the worlde. Only our soule is the thīg to be cared fore: and these smal cō ­modities, with certayn praty plea­sures of the body, and the worlde, can not truelye be named goodes: for in very dede they be not good. For this worde good includethe a dignitie in hym that sauoureth of god and heuen: So that tho thin­ges be onely worthye to be called goodes, the which haue a ꝑpetui­tie and stedfastnesse of godly sub­staunce: Other thinges variable, chaungable, flytterynge, suche as maye be taken from vs mawgree [Page] our heed, be not worthye of this hyghe name. Neyther the bodye nor yet fortune hath any goodes: our spirite & mynde only hath thinges, that truly be called goodes, y^e whiche be so constantly and surely ours, that euer they remayne with vs in spite of all chaunces, and all our aduersaries. Mercy, pitie, deuotion, mekenes, sobrenes, paci­ence, faythefulnes, charitie, and such other vertues be the very tru goodes, the which we may iustely reken ours, & for them we shulde continually labour. For these be the substaunce that our soule must haue, to be with them rychely dec­ked and garnished, that we maye haue our holy day array, and our nuptial vesture according, to com to the great feast, that Christ saith we shall ones be called to.

[Page 44] All these false goodes of the bo­dyes lustynges,false goodes. beautie, fayrenes, strengthe, helthe: and also these triflynge goodes of Fortune, roy­all houses, large heritance, great rentes, implementis, costly appa­rayle, golde, syluer, honour, po­wer, frendshyppe, nobilitie, and what you wyll els in this worlde: All these vayne thynges, bothe of bodye and fortune, can make but a raggyd garmente for our soule, the whiche shall be with extreme shame drawen frome the sayde feaste, if hit come in goddes pre­sence with these beggerlye rag­ges. This sayenge good Wy­thipolle, I speake to ease and comforte your mynde: for by this tale that is trewe, you nowe lerne, that al though before I sayd you shuld haue thre cares in this lyfe, yet in [Page] dede you haue but one care, the whiche is to care for the true goo­des, that be to be purchased for the soules welthy state. Wherfore of your three cares, stryke of two, if you wyll speake of ernest care. Yet I wyl sticke a lytle more with you in this poynte: for fayne I wolde you shulde se a true marke, wher­by you may gouerne and rule all your phantasies and opinions. If your phantasie be well directed to the true marke, you cā not misse of the ryght pathe to vertue, the whi­che bryngeth man thither, where he shall receiue the inestimable re­warde for his trauayle. I say your soule onely must be cared for: and this onely care must be to get and kepe the true goodes, that be only the goodes of the mynde: Other goodes be not called proprely goodes. [Page 45] you se howe these praty com­modities of the bodye, & also these small gyftes of fortune, mawgree our heed be taken from vs, as I cā not escape alway sykenes, I cā not escape misfortunes: I can not flee frome the cruel handes of ty­rātes, I may be cast into tortures, I may rotte in fetters, I may lose al my substance, by water, by fyer, by theues, or by other violent rob­berye. Agaynst these chances no man cā resist, no care nor thought preuayleth to assure vs, eyther of our bodyes or of suche goodes.

Wherfore lerne you, that I say before god, we haue no goodes, but onely the goodes of the spirite and mynde, the whiche goodes (as I haue sayde) be so sure ours, y^t they can not be takē from vs, but with our owne wyll consentynge to the [Page] losse of them. In this spirytualle possession, euery man is an inuin­cible emperour. We may dispise al violence of princis, al worldly chā ces touching the kepyng of vertu, maugre the holle power of the di­uel, & all his retinue. Here of lerne and marke myn Edmonde, wher­in you maye be hurted, that your care may the better be bestowed.

For to care wher you haue no hurt it is nedeles: or not to care, where you be hurted, is a blind ignorāce.

¶We be hurted whā we lose any parte of goddis fauour, we lose goddis fauour, when we lose any goodes of the mynde: we lose the goodes of the mind, whē we either reioice of y^e hauing bodily & worldly goodes, or make sorowe of the lackynge the same. we be not hur­ted, whā god cōtinueth his fauor, [Page 46] whē we decay not in the strēgthis of minde: we decay not in the strēgthes of minde whē we be not ouercome, neyther with the gladnes of the bodis and worldes prosperite, nor with bewaylynge of theyr ad­uersite. Thus you se, nother in the goodes of the body, nor in the goo­des of the world, you cā other take or escape hurte: it is only the vertu of your minde, wherin you muste serch, wheder you be safe or hurted.

¶Now whē you knowe the place of your hurte, knowe also what may do you hurte, that you maye be more charie of your hurter.

You se ones, the place wherin you maye be hurted, is your secrete mynde, a very sure place. For it is not fyre nor water: nor thefe that can come there: it is no prin­cis sworde, that cā perce into this [Page] place it is no misslucke of fortune that can lyght vpon your spirite: finally there is no diuel of hel, that can fasten a stroke vpon you, to do you in this place any hurte. This shulde be a greatter gladnes vnto you to considre, in howe stronge a tower you be from all hurte: but se thenne agayne, who hit is that maye hurte you. For surelye you cā not be hurted but of one, in whō is power to do hurte: this is your owne free wyl. This wyl of yours & nothing els, hath power to hurt you. Se shortely in ensāple, howe your lādes be takē frō you, you be spoyled of your goodes, fire burneth vp your house, you be haled to prisō, you be beatē, you be torne with whips, you be drawē vpon y^e rackes, you lie in chaynes, you cōe forth to opē shame, you suffre cold, [Page 47] you be gnawen with hunger and thyrste, finallye you be putte to death. what of al this? yet I can not saye, that you be hurted: I se that with al this the fauor & grace of good may cōtinue with you, as it did with the holy martyrs. And also before Christis passion holye Iob suffred al this, & was not hurted. This is a great cōfort for you, to se that nothing cā hurt you but only your owne selfe. This is the hyghe grace of god, that so hathe made man to be ouer al a myghty conquerour, that can take no hurt but of hym selfe. Wherfore I trust you will lyue euer safe and sownd. For I wyll not thynke, that euer you wil be so mad, as to hurt your selfe. Than for these trifles of the body and worlde, take no care: it it is neyther the seconde thyng nor [Page] the thirde thynge, that canne be so vnto you, that in eyther of theym you can de hurted. Marie take hede, lest by the displeasures done in the second and in the thyrd, you of madnes take occasion to be hurted, and wyllyngelye hurte your selfe in the fyrste thinge, the which onely is the place, where you may be hurted. And none besyde your owne wyl hath power to hurt you there: as if in the tyme of the losse of worldly goodes, you wil fret in anger, you wil dispise god, you wil curse and ban, you wyl enforce to be auēged, you crye out in furie & madnes: now take you thought & care, for surely you be hurted, and your chief iewel hath a great losse. For god withdraweth from your soule a great part of his grace: so that this hurt you do to your own [Page 48] selfe by this frowardenes. Lykewyse whylste your body is turmē ­ted, eyther with sykenes or otherwise: if you therfor forsake paciēce, and swelle in wrothe: you be than hurted in dede, but of noone other person besyde your selfe onely.

Thus you may take frō the secōd and the thyrde, in the whiche two you can not be hurted, an occasion to hurte your selfe, & to haue ther­of a greatte cause of a sore and an erneste care, for the peril that your soule therby falleth in.

¶To confirme you the faster in these ryghte opinions, I wolde you redde the lyttell boke of Epic­tetus,Epicteꝰ. intitled his Enchiridion, well translated into latyne by An­gelus Politiane: But to saye the trouth the worke is so briefely and darkely written, that without [Page] a coment or a good mayster, you shall not perceyue the fruite of the texte. I am in mynde, if I maye haue therto leysure, to translate the cōment of Simplicius vppon the sayd worke: and then shal you finde suche swetenes in that boke, that I beleue hit will rauishe you in to an hygher contemplation, than a greatte sorte of our religi­ous men come to. And one thinge beleue me, my good withipol, that in redynge of these olde substanci­all workes, the whiche I haue na­med vnto you, shal besyde the per­fection of knowlege, gender a cer­tayne iudgement in you, that you shal neuer take delite nor pleasure in the trifles and vayne inuenti­ons that men nowe daies write, to the inquietinge of all good order: by reason that the moste parte of [Page 49] men that rede these new flittering workes, lacke perfecte iudgement to dyscryue a weyghtye sentence fro me a lyghte clause, the whiche iudgemente can not be gotten, but by a longe exercysynge of our wit­tes with the best sorte of writers.

And to me it is a pitiful thynge, to beholde the folishe dremes of these yonge clerkes in mens handes: & to se these noble olde workes of the holy fathers and philosophers lye vntouched. Where if these newe wryters speke any thynge well, it is piked out of this aunciente bo­kes. But what so euer these petye clarkes pike out nowe a dayes, for the mooste parte it is defaced and broughte out of good fashiō with theyr yuel handelynge.

¶I wyl nowe make an ende, it is sufficient to a wyllynge mynde, suche [Page] as I truste is in you, to haue with a frendes fynger the way ap­poynted, where you must walke, if you wil procede in vertu: the whi­che is onely the thynge, that ma­keth a man boothe happye in this worlde, and also blessed in the worlde to come. Beleue you my counsayle, and vse the same, orels hereafter you will paraduenture bewayle your negligence. Fare ye wel.

At More a place of my lorde car­dinals, in the feaste of saynte Bartho­lomew. 1529.