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Please thy friends; delight not in sloth;

that Vyce wasteth goods,

It dulleth wits, ranckleth flesh,

and palleth ofte fresh bloods.

If you come to another mans house

to sporte and to playe,

If the goodman be set at meate,

returne, and go your way.

If case thou be aduaunced, friend,
and plaste in high degree,
Be lyberall and gentle found,

beloued shalt thou bee.

Be not to liberall nor to scant,

vse measure in eche thing:

To get in one yeare, and spend it in
another, is no lyuing.

It is better to saue somewhat

with good prouysion,

Then to wish agayne for that is spent,

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and flye farre from excesse :

Inough is a feast; more then ynough

is counted foolishnesse.

A dilligent seruaunt taking payne

for his mayster truth to show,
No doubt his mayster will consyder,
and agayne for him doe,

A mayster will know where he is,

and sometyme for his pleasure
A seruaunt to suffer in anger,
to his mayster is a treasure;
A seruaunt not reformable, that
takes to his charge no heede,
Ofte tymes falleth to pouertye,
in wealth he may not byde.

Avoid Sloth,

which makes flesh rank.

If he whom you visit

is at dinner,

go away.

If you are
promoted,

be liberal,

but practise moderation in all things.

Don't spend all

your income;

save.

Spend warily,

avoid excess.

Enough is a feast.

A truthful servant

will be rewarded,

and one who will put up with anger is a treasure.

A careless servant

cannot be rich.

Be manly at neede, begin no quarrell
in wrong, ne yet in right;
A iust quarrell defendes it selfe;

in wrong doe not fyght.
Forbeare if thou mayst: if any will

stryke, then take thou heede,
Defend thy selfe; the law will aquyte
thee if thou stand in neede;
A man of his handes with hastynesse
should at no tyme be fylde:
Auoyde murther, saue thy selfe,

play the man, being compelde.
Be seruiceable and cleanly,

and neuer sweare thou oath :
Be wyse, ready, and well aduysed,
for tyme tryeth thy troth:
If case thou be not faythfull found,
and in all thinges trusty,
Thou doest thy mayster no worship

nor thy selfe honesty.

Be not checkmate with thy mayster;

for one word giue not fower;

Such a seruaunt contynueth to long

if he passe but one hower.

Few wordes in a seruaunt wyse

deserueth commendation;

Such Seruauntes as be of to muche speeche

are yll of operation.

Be not to bold with men that be

aboue thee in degree,

In age, byrth, or substance; learne thou

to handfast honesty.

Take payne in youth, be quick,

attendaunt be, and wyse:

Be dilligent for to detecte

a seruaunt gyuen to vyce.

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ne to thryue, beleeue mee: Obstinacy is follye in

them that should haue reason: They that will not knowe howe to amend, their wits be very geason. In displeasure forbeare thy fellow,

lay all mallice apart,

Nor meddle not with such as you

know to be ouerth wart.

A hasty or wilfull Mayster

that ofte chaungeth seruaunt,

And a seruaunt of fleeting,

lack wit and wysdome, I warrant.

Chaunge not ofte thy seruyce,

for it sheweth a seruaunte to light;

He careth for no man, nor none for him,

in wrong nor in right.

A plyaunt seruaunt gets fauour

to his great aduauntage;
Promoted shall he be in offyce or fee,
easiler to lyue in age.

Vse honest pastyme, talke or syng,

or some Instrument vse :

Though they be thy betters,

to heare they will thee not refuse.

Obstinacy is folly.

When out of temper, keep clear of companions.

Master and servant changing often,

lack wit,

and no one cares for them.

A pliant servant

gets promotion.

Amuse yourself by singing or playing.

To prate in thy maysters presence,

it is no humanitye;

But to speake when he talketh to thee is good curtesye.

For your preferment resorte

to such as may you vauntage:

Among Gentlemen, for their rewards;
to honest dames for maryage.
See your eye be indifferent

among women that be fayre,
And if they be honest, to them
boldly then doe repayre;

Honest quallityes and gentle,

many men doth aduaunce To good maryages, trust me,

and their names doth inhaunce.

Of worldly pleasure it is

a treasure, to say truth,
To wed a gentle wyfe; of his
bargayne he needes no ruth.
What is most trouble to man

of all thinges that be lyuing?
A curst wyfe shortneth his lyfe,
and bringeth on his ending.
Women nyse, and not wyse, waketh

men when they should take sleepe : Lyke a feather in the weather,

of such I take no keepe.

Fulgentius declareth, vpon the

maryage in Cana Galile,

The condicions of men and women:
a parte I will shew ye.

He lykeneth Christ to a good man,

the Authour of verity,

To rule himselfe: and in all thinges
to obey to man truely

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He lykeneth a good woman to

the myrrour of humillitye;

In them is roted pacience, sound fayth,
loue and charitye:

Fayth and trust in good women both,

in eche deede, and in woorde;
Louing God, obeying their husbands,
cleane at bed and at boorde.
Lykened women to ydols, taken

for Gods, yet were Deuils :
Iudge so of women which be corrupte

with such euils.

Women to blame, or yet defame,

I will disprayse none:

Say as ye list, women are yll

to trust, all thinges but one.
Fayre and good are two quallityes,

scantly in one body seene:
Fayrenesse is scone seene, her pacience
and goodnesse is yll to deeme.
For to saue that a man would haue,

is at large without a keeper:
Who can stay that will away,

or without restraynt let her? To wed a woman that is

good, fayre, and eke wyse,

Is to haue ynough for himselfe, sure,
and for her as much thryse.

The company of women being yong,

wanton, foolish, and light, Makes the body and head feeble,

and doth cleane wast the sight. Such be yll to please, their harte and

he likens a good woman to the Mirror of Humility,

full of love,

trustworthy in deed and word,

clean at bed and board.

Yet some are regular devils.

I dispraise no women,

but they are ill to trust.

Fair and good are seldom seen together.

Who can stop a
woman who will
go wrong?
A woman good,
fair, and wise, is
a prize.

Company with

wanton women

weakens men's body, head, and sight.

A young woman is never content with an old man.