A man must mind what he says; hearts are fickle and fell. Take care what you say. A false friend may hear it, and after a year or two will repeat it. Hasty speech hurts hearer and speaker. In the beginning, think on the end. Whate-eber thow sey, abyse thee welle! [MS. O. 9. 38. Trinity College, Cambridge.] Almy3ty godde, conserue vs fram care! A man that schold speke, had nede to be ware, 4 ffor lytyl thyng he may be schente; Tonggys beth y-turne to lyther entente; 8 Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle ! A-vyse the, man, yn whate place and whare Sum man may ley ther-to hys ere; 12 Thow wenyst he be thy frend; he ys thy foo certeyne; 16 20 Peraventor aftyr A 3ere or tweyne— Thow trowyst as tru as eny stele,— Thys woord yn wreth thow schalt hyre A-gayne! Meny man spekyth yn hastenys: hyt hyndryth hym and eke hys frende; Man, yn the begynnyng thenk on þe eynde ! 24 Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! To sum man thow mayste tel a pryuy tale : ffor a draw3t of wyne other ale 28 he wolle the wrey, by my fay, And make hyt worse (hyt ys noo nay) Be ware of bagbytynge, y the rede; 36 Tylle trowth haue serchyd truly be roote; Dyscretly and wysly speende thy spelle; 40 Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Dysese, wharre, sorowe and debate, 44 Whan lewyd woordis beth owte y-spronge. The kocke seyth wysly on his songe And euer kepe thys lesson A-monge, 48 Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle ! y dere welle swery by the sonne, yf euery man had thys woord yn thowzt Meny thynggis had neuer be by-gunne 52 That ofte yn Ingelond hath be y-wrozt. The wyse man hath hys sone y-tawztte yn ryches, poorte, woo, and welle; Thys worthy reson for-3ete thow nozt, 56 Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle ! You tell a man a secret, and he'll betray it for a drink of wine. Mind what you say. Avoid backbiting and flattering; refrain from and bragging. A venomous tongue causes sorrow. When words are said, regret is too late. Mind what you say. Had men thought of this, many things done in England would never have been begun. See The Wise To speak aright observe six things: 1. what; 2. of whom; 3. where; 4. to whom; 5. why; 6. when. In every place mind what you say. Almighty God, grant me grace to serve Thee! Mary, mother, send me grace night and day! yf that thow wolte speke A-ryzt, Ssyx thynggys thow moste obserue then : 60 Whare, to wham, whye, and whenne. Thow noost how soone thow schalt go henne; yn euery place, A-monge alle men, "Almy3ty god yn personys thre, With herte mylde mekly y praye, Graunte me grace thy seruant to be 68 Yn woorde and dede euer and aye! Mary, moder, blessyd maye, Quene of hevyn, Imperes of helle, Sende me grace both ny3t and daye !" EXPLICIT &c. A dog in a larder, a sow in a garden, a fool with wise men, are ill matcht. A Dogg Lardyner, & a Sowe Gardyner. [MS. O. 9. 38. Trinity College, Cambridge.] Printed in Reliquiæ Antiquiæ, v. i. p. 233, from MS. Lansdowne hoo so makyзt at crystysmas A dogge lardyner, And yn march A sowe gardyner, And yn may A foole of every wysmanys counsaylle, he schalle neuer haue goode larder, ne fayre gardyn, nother counsaylle welle ykeptt. Maxims in -ly. [MS. Lansdowne 762, fol. 16 b, written as prose, Printed in Reliquiæ Antiquiæ, v. i. p. 233.] Aryse erly, serue God devowtely doo thy werk wisely goo to thy mete apetitely, of thy tunge be not to liberally, arise therfrom temperally, go to thy supper soberly and Slepe suerly. Fear God, serve your lord faithfully, be courteous to your fellows. Despise no poor man. Roger Ascham's Advice to Lord Warwick's Servant. With the different counsels to babees, pages, and servants, throughout this volume, may be compared Roger Ascham's advice to his brother-in-law, Mr C. H., when he put him to service with the Earl of Warwick, A.D. 1559. Here follows part of it, from Whitaker's Hist. of Richmondshire, p. 282. First and formost, in all your thoughts, words, and deeds, have before your eyes the feare of God. . . . . love and serve your lord willingly, faithfullye, and secretlye; love and live with your fellowes honestly, quiettlye, curteouslye, that noe man have cause either to hate yow for your stubborne frowardnes, or to malice yow for your proud ungentlenes, two faults which commonly yonge men soones[t] fall into in great men's service. Contemne noe poore man, mocke noe simple man, which proud fooles in cort like and love to doe; find fault with your selfe and with none other, the best waye to live honestlye and quiettly in the court. Carrye noe tales, be noe common teller of newes, be not inquisitive of other menn's talke, for those that are desirous to heare what they need not, commonly be readye to babble what they shold not. Vse not to lye, for that is vnhonest; speake not everye truth, for that is vnneedfull; yea, in tyme and place a harmlesse lye is a greate deale better then a hurtfull truth. Use not Don't play at dice dyceing nor carding; the more yow use them the lesse yow wilbe esteemed; the cunninger yow be at them Carry no tales. Tell no lies. or cards. |