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HUGH RHODES'S BOKE OF NURTURE.

Some men to borrow euer loue,

and neuer pay agayne:

Euer needy still some be found,
putting their friendes to payne.
Alway to begge and borrow still,

cannot long tyme indure:

Such men do fayle, when they thinke

themselues to be most sure;

No heauynesse its to a man

that nothing hath to lose;

Great greefe to them that plenty hath,

so sayth the common glose.

If that thou spent past thy degree,

thy stock thou soone shalt slake: Take heede betyme, so you may sleepe

when other men doe wake.

Past thy degree, couet thou not

thy post for to mayntayne: Spend not thy goods to prodigallye,

spend not thy store in vayne. Looke before thou leape, I wish;

more ease thou mayst take:

If that thou leape or thou doe looke,
wysedome will thee forsake.
Good counsayle in thy words to take,
shall thee content and please :
Be comfortable to thy friends,
and to thy selfe wish ease.
Be not mooued if case thy friend
tell thee thy faultes full playne:
Requyte him not with mallyce great,
nor his good will disdayne.

A mans wysdome is prooued playne
when he is ill sayd vnto:

To suffer wrong is vertue pure,

fond fooles cannot doe so.

Some men borrow
and never pay,

but that must

end in failure,

which is no trouble to a man who has nothing.

Don't spend more than your income,

or too prodigally.

Look before you leap.

Take good counsel in your speech.

Don't be angry with the friend

who tells you your faults.

Wise men can suffer wrong;

fools can't.

When occasyon comes, thy profyt take, tyme lasteth not for euer:

Tyme flits away, thy welth augments

as pleaseth God the giuer.

If with thy mayster thou wilt speake,

his leysure learne to see :

It were contrary equitye

that he should wayght for thee. Some men are euer borrowing found, wythout respect of tyme:

They gape for their commoditye,
the[y] sieldome wish for thyne.
Vse thou gentle condicions, friend;
giue the pore of thy good;
Part thou therof toward their want,

giue them reliefe and fo[o]d.

To speake the truth be bold and mylde, for that is very good;

For fayned speech, and falshood vylde, becommeth vyllaines blood.

Mocke thou no man, of what estate

or calling that he be;

For that is the custome of Churles
voyde of all curtisye.

To ill thy foe, doth get to thee
hatred and double blame ;
It is a Christyan propertye,
to hyde thy brothers shame.
A still man is a Castle which
will him defend from woe :
A busy tongue makes of his friend
oft tymes his daynfull Foe.
A Gentleman vnstable found,
is deemde a chylde of folly:
A shamelesse lyfe in any man,
declares he is not holly.

680

A Gentleman should mercy vse

to set forth his natiuitye:

He should be meeke and curteous,

and full of humanitye.

Pore men must be faythfull,

and obedient in lyuing, Auoyding all rebellyon

684 and rygorous bloodshedding. Keepe grace and godly gouernaunce alwayes within thy mynde:

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If thou be wanton in youth,

vyce will raygn in age by kynde. Boast thou not of thy blood ne byrth,

or great soueraignty :

For thy good deedes, assure thy selfe,

shall get thee fame and glory.

To one vnknowne to thee, my friende,
at no tyme shew thy mynde;
For some men be tickle of tongue,

and play the blabs by kynde.
To men not acquaynted, giue
no credence nor no trust;
Some sortes will customably lye,

but from such flye thou must.
To vtter greefe, doth ease the mynde,

as wyse men seeme to say;
But faythfull friendes at no tyme will
their friendes great greefe bewraye.
If other men record thy saying,
it may seeme somewhat true:

Vtteraunce of counsayle maketh,

some states to wayle and rew;
Keepe counsayle if to Prynce ne Land
they bring no greefe nor payne;
To catche1 ech trustlesse traytor, see
thou faythfull doe remayne.

A Gentleman is bound, by his birth, to be courteous.

Poor men must be obedient.

Use self-restraint,

Don't boast of

your high birth.

Don't tell secrets to strangers,

or trust those

you don't know.

Telling one's

troubles eases the mind, but

faithful friends will conceal their friends' grief.

Keep your own counsel.

[ Orig. Co tache]

Be friendly with the faythfull man,
but yet flye from flatterye :
In all my lyfe I could scant fynde

one wight true and trusty.

Fyrst seke a friend, then proue thou him.
that thou wilt trust vnto;

So shalt thou know in tyme of neede
what he for thee will do.

If case thou haue a trusty friend,

chaunge him not for a new : They that trust vnto themselues,

be no friendes faythfull true. Heare thou thy enimyes tale, I wishe,

euen to the latter end;

And refuse not the sweete rebuke,

of him that is your friend.
If thy friend come vnto thy house
for loue or pure amitie,
Exyle sadnesse, and show to him,
friendly familiaritye.

If giftts thou receyue of any wyght,
well ponder their degree:
A kynde pore mans harty rewarde
is worth the other three.
Of whomsoeuer thou receyuest,

giue somewhat, friend, agayne,
For empty fystes, men vse to say,
cannot the Hawke retayne.
If that a straunger syt thee neare,
see thou make him good cheare,
For so he may reporte thy name,
be sure, both farre and neare.
Retayne a straunger after his

estate and degree;

Another tyme may happen he
may doc as much for thee.

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Of secrete and close matters speake

not, if thou wilt be sage:

Talke discretelye, let not thy tongue

go clack in an outrage.

Honest men be euer content

with such as they doe fynde;

Take all thinges therfore in good part,

vse thou a quyet mynde.

Commaund not in another house,

nor practyse to contende,

So shalt thou be esteemed wyse,

and men will thee commende. A man that is a niggard churle

no tyme is lyberall :

He commeth not of gentle blood

that to his coyne is thrall.

Sit thou not in the highest place,

where the good man is present,
But gyue him place his maners marke

:

thou with graue aduysement.

Regard honest condicions, friende,

where ere thy steppes be bent,

Or else some men with thee wyll not,
assured, be content.

In sport and play with man and wyfe,
with yongman, mayde and chylde,
Be thou still meeke, and honest to,
gentle and also mylde.

Suspect no counsayle if it be

agaynst thee neuer moued:

By foolish thoughts the wysest heads
are often tymes deceyued.

If thou come to a strange mans house,
knock ere that thou go in ;

Ne yet presume thou not to farre,

though he bee of thy kin.