¶ Here be Certayne Questyons of Kynge Bocthus of the maners / tokyns / and condycions of man / with the answeres made to the same by the Phylosopher Sydrac.
¶ The Kynge asked by what maners / tokyns / and fassyon myghte a man knowe the maners and condycyons of good folkes and of euyl. Sydrac. Answered. ☞
BY the Grace and wit that god hath gyuen vs, we shall shewe you shortlye the maner, by the which ye may well know the condycions of folkes, when yese and be holde them by some tokens yt they shall haue in them, for it is a thynge verytable & trewly proued, for there are maners and condycions in folkes. As the grayne is within the fruyte, that no man may well take it away but he bruse the fruyt [Page]and breake it, and euen so it is of dyuer Folkes.
¶ The kynge asked what betokeneth it of a man that is whyte skynned and frekened. Sydrac. Answered.
☞☜
¶ He that is whyte skynned and the most parte frekened and gray iyen, it betokeneth a man to be shamefast and of good fayth. And euery man ought to kepe hym fro the syght of hym that is all frekenes. And yf he haue a large forehed, and a lytell chyn and great iowes, and the body all frekened, and moche and thycke heer on his heed, haunc not to moche his companye, nor medle but lytell with hym, for and thou do he wyll greue the. ☞
¶ The Kynge asked what token is it when a man hath the heer of his heed softe. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ A man that hathe softe heer on his heed, it betokeneth, that his brayne is colde, & by reason they ought to be curtoyes and of lytell vnderstandynge.
¶ The Kynge asked what betokeneth it of a man that hath moch heer on his brest and on his bely. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ They that haue moche heer on theyr brest, and on they bellyes, it betokeneth that they that is so / shulde be of dyuers and wylde maners, & of lytell vnderstandyng, & shulde loue wel to do men wronge.
¶ The Kynge asked what betokeneth whan a man hath moche heer on his browes. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath moch heer on his browes, by reason shulde be boystous in his dedes and langage, & he that hath them small and longe to the tēples shulde be dysdaygnous, & he that hath thē smal egal blacke, & longe, he shulde be wroth full, and of great vnderstandyng. And he that hath but lytell heer on his browes by reason shulde be lyght and pesyble.
¶ The Kynge ashed what tokens is there or mens iyen. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ The iyen of Men hath tokens that lye not, by a mans iyen a mā [Page]may se the pleasour and the good wyll or the euyll wyll that a man oweth another, he yt hath the iyen great & graye withoute any spottes by reason shuld be slowthfull, anuyous and dysdeynous. And he that hath his iyen mediat neyther to great nor to smale and not is graye but betwene both, he is aperte and dylygent & of good vnderstandynge and loueth trouth. And he that hath the iyen redein his lokynge, By reason he shulde be bolde and a great medler, and yf he haue about the appull of the iyen yelow spottes, it is the worst tokē that may be of all the tokens of the iyen. And when ye se a man that beholdeth and loketh often on you, boldelye loke on hym also agayne. And yf ne be shamefaste and blenche his syght from you, and he appereth as a man that [Page]laugheth, & not by his good wyll, and his iyen waxeth full of water that ye maye se the teares of his iyen, that man loueth and doughteth you. And yf any man loke on you and you on hym and he loke stedfastly and boldly on you & blencheth not, nor is not a drede nor a shamed to loke on you, that man hathe enuye at you, and neyther doughteth nor loueth you. And be well ware and truste hym not, and kepe you well from all euyll auentured creatures, as yf ye wolde kepe you from youre deedlye Ennemyes.
¶ The Kynge asked howe shulde a man knowe, another by the tokens of his nose Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the nose lytel and [Page]small he loueth stryfe and debates and he that hath the nose longe tyll the mouth he by reason shulde be manlye. And he that hath his nose snatted and great / he shulde be coueitous. And he that hath large noose thrylles shulde be wrath full & full of yre. And he that hath the nose great, and most greatest in the myddes, by reason shulde be a great lyer And he that hath the no emedyat, neyther to great nor to small, nor to longe nor to shorte, and his nose thrylles not large, he by reason shulde be wyse and of good vnderstandynge.
¶ The Kynge asked what tokens shulde a man haue by another mannes forheed. Sydrat. Answereth.
¶ He that hath the forheed large [Page]and not fulle of ryuell nor longe rayes, he is dysceyuable and loueth guyles and barrattes, and also he is enuyous. And he that hath the forheed not to large but medyatly betwene two, by reason shulde be trew, louynge, wyse, and well doctryned.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there of a mannes lyppes. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hathe great lyppes is is rude, and shulde be of harde vnderstandynge, and he that hathe them mediat neyther to great nor to smalle, he shulde by reason be ryghte temperate in his wyttes and dedes.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there of a mannes mouth. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the mouth reasoble large, by reason shuld be man lye. And he yt hath a lytell streyght mouthe by reason shuld haue but lytell fayth, and as lytell wyt.
¶ The Kynge asked, what token is there to know a man by his teth. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the teth wellioyned and thicke set togyther by reason he shoulde be mouable in his courage, and no man may be sure of hym.
¶ The Kynge asked by what token shall a man knowe another by his vysage. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ When a mans vysage is great and full, by reason he shulde be of [Page]rude nature, and he that hath the vysage scryte and lene and yelowe browne, by reason he shulde be slye and cunnynge of all thynges that he medleth withall.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there to knowe a man by his eares. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ When a man hath great eares it betokeneth rudenesse and boystuousnes. And he that the eares passynge lytell shulde by reason be a fole and wrathfull.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there to knowe a man by his voyce and speche. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the voyce and speche great and Rounde he shuld be manly. And who so euer hath the voyce temperat / neyther to great nor to small he shulde be of great knowledge and trew. And he that hath the voyce passynge small, he shulde be hastye and a lyer. And he that hath the voyce passyng great he shulde be of euyll manners and of condycions slyght. And he that hath the voyce fayre and clere, he is of great vnderstandynge and of great courage.
¶ The Kynge asked what betokens it when a man hath a longe necke. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the necke longe & small, by reson he shulde be full of foly, noyse and cowardyse. And he [Page]that hath a lytell heed shulde be a foole. And he yt hath a great heed shulde be rude and a great eater.
¶ The Kynge asked what tokeken is there of a mannes Belye. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath a great Belye out of me sure, he shulde be rude, and by reason a cowarde and not wyse. And he that hath a small belye and well brested, he shulde be well wytted and of trewe counsayle.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there of a mannes Chynne and of his shulders. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath the chynnelarge, and his shulders large he shulde be manly, myghty and not of great [Page]wyt. And he that hath the chyn and the backe well furnysshed, he shulde be fyers and wrathfull. ☞ And he that hathe the Chynne streyghte and egall, it is a shewynge of goodnes. And he yt hath hye shulders is of euyll wyll and dysdaygnous.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there to knowe a man by his armes. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath longe armes that come to his knees, by reson he shulde haue a free herte and a noble. And he that hath his armes passynge shorte, by reason shulde be a cowarde and lone noyse and debates. ☞
¶ The Kynge asked what token [Page]is there to knowe a man by his handes. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath longe handes and fyngers, by reason shulde do well all craftes and betrewe. And he that hath the palme of his hande softe shulde be wyse and of good vnderstandyng. And he that hath the handes passynges shorte and the fyngers shorte, he shulde not be very wyse.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there to knowe a man by his feet. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath his feet short and greate, shulde haue lytell vnderstandynge and not wyse. And he that hath his feet smalle aboute [Page]the ancle, he shulde be a cowarde. And he that hathe great feet and his legges great in the myddes / he shulde be bygge of bodye / but he shulde be rude and boystous.
¶ The Kynke asked, what tokens haue ye of them that be gelded. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that is Gelded by mannes hande, he shulde be very wrothfull and false. And he that hath neyther stones nor berde, he is an euyl sayer and a lyer. And yf he be frekened also, he is enuyous and of euyll wyll, and loueth both to say euyll and do euyll.
¶ The Kynge asked what token is there of the pases and g [...] ynge of a man. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath large pases and slowe he is auenturous in al thynges, and yet he oughte to thynke on that, that is to come, and puruey to kepe hym selfe. And he that hath his pase hasty and thycke he is wrathfull and of euyll wyll.
¶ The Kynge asked whiche be the beste tokens to knowe a man by in all thynges. Sydrac. Answered.
¶ He that hath his skynne whytete and softe, and that he be not to hye nor to low, nor to great nor to smal, and wel melled with whyte and red, and his iyen betwene blacke and gray, and that his heed be not to great nor to smalle, the necke fayre and streyght and not to longe, and that he haue not to [Page]moche flesshe on his chynne, nor on his thyes without forth, & that his voyce and speche be clere, and the shulders fayre streyght & large, and the paumes of his handes softe, the fyngers longe & smalle and that he be of fewe wordes, and that he laught not to moche nor to often, and that he haue a gladsome lokynge / and lyght cheryd, and that he be not to Coueytouse of other mens goodes, and not to askynge nor to wernynge. And this is the best fygure of man that euer God made. And suche mannered & fygured men oughte Kynges and Lordes to haue with them in theyr company, for Lordes hath more nede of men, then men haue of Lordes, for Lordes may not be without men, and men may be without Lordes. And therfore a Kynge oughte to trauayl [...] [Page]aboute the Lande to drawe suche men aboute hym. But he oughte not to be to greatly meued in Iudgement to iudge any man for any token or sygne that he hathe on hym, but he ought to assemble one and other, and deuyde the one frō the other, and take the best and leue those that be not vertuous nor of good condicions as ferforth as it may be knowen, for of this shall come great profyte & great goodnes, and good auenture.
¶ The Propertyes of a good Horse.
A Good Horse shuld haue .xv. propertyes & condicions. That is to wete, thre of a Man, thre of a Woman, thre of a Foxe, thre of an Hare, & thre of an Asse. ¶ Of a man bolde proude and hardye. ¶ Of a woman fayre brested▪ fayre of heer, and easy to lepe vpō.
¶ Of a Foxe, a fayre tayle shorte eres, with a good trotte. ¶ Of an hare a great eye, a dry heed, & well rennynge. ¶ Of an Asse a bygge chyn, a flat legge, & a good houe. ¶ Wel trauayled wemen nor wel trauailed horse, were neuer good. ¶ Aryse erly. Serue God deuoutlye. And the worlde besely. Do thy worke wysely. Gyue thyne almesse secretly. Go by thy way sadly. Answere the people demurely. Go to thy meate appetytely. Syt therat dyscretly. Of thy tonge be not to lyberally. Aryse therfro temperatlye. Go to thy supper soberly. And to thy bed merily. Be ī thine Inne Iocundly. Please thy loue duely. And slepe surely.
¶ Marke well these foure thynges.
¶ There ben foure thynges pryncypallye to be drad of euery wyse [Page]man. The [...] [...]urse of our holy father the [...]pe. ¶ The secō de is the Indygnacion of a prince. (Quia indignatio regis vel principie more est.) ¶ The thyrde is the fauour or the wil of a Iudge. ¶ The fourth is slaunder and the mutacion of a comynaltie.
¶ who that maketh in Chrystmas a dogge to his larder. And in marche a sow to his gardiner. And in May a foole of a wyse mans coū seyle. He shall neuer haue good larder, fayre gardyne, nor yet well kept counsayle.
¶ Farre from thy kinsmē cast th [...], wrath not thy neyghboures next the, In a good corne coūtre threst the. And syt downe Robyn and rest the.
¶ There be foure thynges full harde for to knowe whiche way that they wyl drawe. The fyrste is the [Page]wayes of a y [...] [...]an. ¶ The seconde is the course of a vessell in the see. ¶ The thyrde of an adder or of a serpēt sprēt. ¶ The fourth of a fowle syttynge on any thyng. ¶
¶ Who that manneth wt his kyn And closeth his croft wt cheritres Shall haue many hegges brokyn And also full lytell good seruyes.
¶ Imprynted by me Robert Wyer: Dwellynge at the Sygne of S. Iohn̄ Euangelyst / in S. Martyns Parysshe besyde Charynge Crosse.
ROBERT
WYER.