FIrst, when it shall please God to bring you vnto Mans estate, ma­king you capable of that Cal­ling, vse great prouidence and circumspection, in choyse of your Wiues, as the roote from whence may spring most of your future good or euill: For it is in the choyse of a Wife, as in a project of Warre, wherein to erre but once, is to be vndone for euer. And therefore bee well aduised before you con­clude ought therein: For though your Errour may teach you wit, it is vncertaine whether you shall euer find time to practise it: Therefore the more securely to enter herein, First, well consi­der your estate, which, if in a true suruay, you finde firme and setteled, Match neare home, and with deliberation: But if otherwise, crazie and rented, then farre off, and with quicke expedi­tion: Bee informed truely of their inclination, [Page 8] which, that there may be a more equall Sympa­thie, cōpare it with your own, how they agree: for you must know, that euery good womā ma­keth not for euery man a good wife: no other­wise than some one good Dish disgesteth with euery stomacke. After that, inquire diligently of her stocke & race, from whence she sprung, and howe her parentes haue beene affected in their youth. Let her not be poore, how generous soe­uer: For Generosity without her support, is but a faire shell, without her kernell, Because a man can buy nothing in the Market without Money.

And as it is the safest walking euer betweene two extreames, so choose not a Wife of such ab­solute perfection and Beauty, that euery carnall eye shall bespeake you injury: Neither so base and deformed, that may breede contempt in others, and bring you to a loathed Bedde.

Make not choyse of a Dwarfe or a Foole: for from the one you may beget a race of Pigmeyes, as they other will be your daily griefe and vex­ation: for it will irke you so oft as you shall heare her talke: and you shall continually finde, to your sorrowe that feele that Crosse, There is nothing so fullsome as a shee-Foole.

Touching the gouernment of your House, let your Hospitalitie bee moderate, equalled to the measure of your estate, rather bountifull than niggardly, yet not prodigall, nor ouer-costly: for though some, who hauing otherwise con­sumed [Page 9] themselues with secret vices, haue ende­uored to colour their riots vpō their vertue, yet in my obseruation, I haue not heard nor known any man growe poore, by keeping an ordinary, decent, and thrifty Table.

Banish Drunkennesse out of your Houses, and affect him not that is affected therevnto: for it is a vice that impaires health, consumes wealth, and transformes a man into a beast: a sinne of no single rank, no ordinary statiō, that neuer walks vnattended with a traine of misdemeanors at the heeles: besides, for the credite thereof, to in­duce a man, I neuer heard other commendation ascribed to a Drunkard, more than the wellbea­ring of his drink: which is a cōmendation fitter for a Bruers horse, or a Dray-mans backe, than either for Gentlemen or seruingmen: for especi­ally the latter being taken tardy herin, is there­by doubly diuorced from himselfe: for, beeing first sober, hee is not his own man: and beeing drunke, hee falles short by two degrees.

Beware thou spend not aboue three of the 4. parts of thy reuenue, nor aboue one third parte thereof in your house: for the other two partes wil but defray extraordinaries, which wil alway surmoūt your ordinaries by much: for otherwise you shall liue like Beggars in cōtinual wants: & the needy man can neuer liue happilie, nor con­tented, being broken & distracted with worldly cares: for the euery least disaster maks him ready [Page 10] to morgage or sell: and that Gentleman that selleth an acre of lande, looseth anounce of cre­dite: for Gentilitie is nothing but auncient Riches: So that if the foundation doe sinke, the building must needes consequently fall.

BRing your Children vp in obedience and Learning, yet without too much austeritie, praise them openly, reprehende them secretly: giue them good countenance, and conuenient maintenance, according to your abilitie: For otherwise your liues will seeme their bondage, and then as those are censured, that deferre all good to their ende; so that portion you shall leaue them, they may thanke death for, and not you. Marry your daughters betimes, lest they marry themselues.

Suffer not your Sonnes to passe the Alpes: for they shall exchaunge for their forraine trauell (vnlesse they goe better fortified) but others Vices for their owne Vertues, Pride, Blasphemie, and Atheisme, for Humility, Reuerence, and Religion: And if by chaunce, out of a more wary industry, they attain to any broken Languages, they will profite them no more, than to haue one Meate serued in diuers Dishes.

Neither by mine aduise shall you traine them [Page 11] vp to Warres: For he that sets vp his rest to liue by that profession, in mine opinion, can hardly be an honest man, or a good Christian: For Eue­rie Warre of it selfe is vnjust, the good cause may make it lawfull: Besides, it is a Science no longer in re­quest than vse: for Souldiours in Peace, are like Chimneyes in Summur, like Dogges past hun­ting, or Women when their beauty is done. As a person of quality once noted to the like effect, in these Verses following:

LIue not in the Countrey without Corne and Cattle about you: For he that must present his Hande to his Purse for euery Expence of House-hold, shall as hardly keepe Money there­in, as it is for one to hold Water in a Siue.

And for your Prouision, Lay to buy it at the best hand, for there may be sometimes a pennie saued, betweene buying at your neede or when the season most fitly may furnish you.

Be not willingly attended, or serued by Kins­men [Page 12] or Friendes, which will seeme to bee men, as it were intreated to stay: for such will expect much, and stead little: neither by such as are amorous; for their heads are commonly intoxi­cated. Keepe rather too few, than one too ma­nie: feede them well, and paye them with the most, so maye you lawfully demaund seruice at their handes, and boldly exact it.

LEt your Kindred and Allies bee welcome to your Table: Grace them with your coun­tenance, and euer further them in all their ho­nest actions, by worde, liberalitie, or industrie: For by that meanes you shall double the bonde of Nature: Bee a Neighbour to their good, as well as to their blood: By which reasonable deseruinges, you shall finde them so manie Ad­uocates, to pleade an Apologie for you behind your backe, so manie Witnesses of your Ver­tues, whensoeuer others shall seeke to depraue you: But shake off the Glow-wormes, I meane Parasites and Sycophantes, who will feede and fawne on you, in the Summer of your Prospe­ritie; but in anie aduerse Storme, will shelter you no more than a Cloake of Taffatie, or an Arbour in Winter.

BE sure you keep some great Man alwayes to your Friend: yet trouble him not for trifles: Complement him often: present him with ma­nie, yet small gifts, and of little charge. And if you haue cause to bestow any great gratuitie on him, then let it be no Chest commodity, or ob­scure thing: but such a one as may bee dayly in sight, the better to be remembred: for otherwise you shall liue but like a Hop without Pole, or a Vine without her Elme, subject to injury & op­pression, ready to be made a Football for euery superior insulting companion to spurne at.

VNdertake no Suit against a poore man, wi­thout receiuing of great wrong, for therin you make him your Compeditor: Besides that, it is helde a base Conquest, to triumph vpon a weak Aduersary. Neither vndertake law against any man, before you be fully resolued you haue the Right on your side: which being once so as­certained, then spare neither cost nor paines to accomplish it: For a Cause or two being so close followed, and well accomplished, may after free you from Suits a great part of your life.

BEware of Suretieshippe, yea for your best Friend: For hee that payeth another mans debts, goeth the way to leaue other men to pay his, and seeketh his owne ouer-throwe. There­fore if hee bee such a one, as you cannot well say nay, choose rather then, to lend that mony from your selues, vpon good bonds, though you bor­rowe it: so may you pleasure your Friende, and happily secure your selues.

In borrowing of Money, bee euermore pre­cious of your word: For hee that hath a care to keepe daye of payment, is lord-commaunder many times of another mans Purse.

TOwards your Superiours bee humble, yet generous: with your Equalles familiare, yet respectiue: towardes your Inferiours shewe much humilitie, with some familiaritie; as to bow your body, stretch foorth your hand, vnco­uer your head, and such like populare comple­ments: the first prepareth way to aduancement: the second will make you knowne for men well bred: the thirde gaineth a good report, which once gained, may easily bee kept; for high hu­milities [Page 15] are of such respect in the opinion of the multitude, that they are easilier won by vn­profitable Courtesies, than by churlish benefits: Yet doe I not aduise you, ouermuch to affect or neglect popularitie.

TRust no man with your Credite, or Estate: For it is a meere follie for a man to in­thrall himselfe further to his Friende, than that hee needeth not feare him beeing his Enemie.

BE not scurrilous in conuersation, nor Stoi­call in your wittes; for the one maketh you vnwelcome to all companies, as the other pul­leth quarrels on your heads, and maketh you hated of your best Friends.

Iestes, when they doe sauour of too much trueth, leaue a bitternesse in the minds of those that are touched.

And, although I haue alreadie pointed at these inclusiue, yet I thinke it necessarie to leaue it to you as a Cantion, because I haue seene manie so prone to quippe and girde, that they had rather lose their Friende than their Iest: [Page 16] And if by chaunce their boyling Brayne yeeld a quaint Scoffe, they will trauell to bee deliue­red of it, as a Woman with Childe: But I thinke those nimble Apprehensions, are but the Froth of the Wittes.